《Legacy of the Dark Sage》


 Chapter 1 Pursuit

    A young man in a ck windbreaker and pants staggered as he ran in the dark forest. He was breathing heavily while he held his broken, bleeding arm. Hisplexion was pale, whether from loss of blood or the moonlight.


    A few kilometers away, men in red uniforms were frantically searching for his tracks. These men are from the Forbidden Magic Control Squad of the Royal Army.


    "Captain, I found more blood trail here!" one of them shouted.


    Arge man with dark red hair and green eyes immediately ran toward the man. This man had a bronze badge on his vest, symbolizing his position.


    As he approached, his hand glowed red, and a small magic array circled his wrist as red-hot mes appeared on his palm. He shot the mes around the vicinity where the blood was and controlled it to search deeper into the forest. But after around 10 feet, the blood trail disappeared.


    Therge man gritted his teeth. He was clearly peeved. He controlled his summoned mes and searched further but to no avail. Clenching his fist, therge man sted his mes at the surrounding trees, lighting up the whole area.


    The red hue of the mes made therge man''s expression appear sinister.


    He did not expect that their main purpose of raiding the Regis Estate would be able to use his magic just after it manifested. From the intelligence report, the boy was not aware of his magic. He lived like an average human, which exins how the magic detector in their area did not discover any prohibited type of magic all these years up until a couple of weeks ago. The magic signature was weak at first, and it took them a week to determine its location.


    A few dayster, they finally found proof that the magic signature came from the Regis Estate, and it was from a boy in his teens. They also found out that his family sealed his magic for years. But the seal has weakened, and today, they finally raided the estate to capture all of them. After all, even though it seemed the boy was the only one who possessed forbidden magic, the fact that the whole n hid it makes them all aplices, and the Royal Army cannot tolerate such actions.


    All forbidden magic users and their aplices must be apprehended without exception, all for the sake of the Ylfaen Empire''s peace.


    "It is his first time using magic. He''s also wounded. He can''t go far," therge man said. He looked at a man standing behind him and asked, "Are the Tracking Squad still not here?"


    "From theirst update, they already arrived at the Regis Estate''s premises, and we are constantly giving them our coordinates, sir."


    "And how long ago did they arrive?"


    The man paused and took out a round silver disc. It was a magic item used by the Royal Army tomunicate with other squads using a coded type of magic transmission.


    "At least fifteen minutes ago, sir."


    Therge man red at him, "Tell them to pick up their pace, or I''ll burn their asses for cking off! The entrance to the Regis Estate is only ten minutes away from our current position, even if they do not use any speed magic. What in hell are they doing?"


    "Your temper is still as fiery as your magic, Dior."


    A man with blonde hair and dark blue eyes, wearing a simr uniform but green color, jumped down from a nearby tree. He was looking at therge man whose name was Dior in a carefree way.


    "Luka. Finally, you decided to appear." Dior snorted.


    "Ahaha, you made it sound like I was here all this time."


    More men in green uniforms appeared behind Luka.


    "Go and do your damn job. That boy is gravely wounded. He is definitely still around here. "


    Luka sighed and shook his head, "Already wounded, and still you guys let him escape. Now we have to clean up after you."


    Dior squinted, hearing the sarcasm in Luka''s words. However, he did not respond because it was true.


    When they raided the Regis Estate early this evening, he was confident that they wouldplete their mission without any incident. He did not expect that the Regis family would have an overlyplex defensive array at the heart of the main house. It caused a significant dy in them apprehending the boy.


    Dior and his men had prepared well. They had surrounded the whole estate and equipped each member of the squad with a mini magic detector, as well as an anti-cast magic item. After all, even if the boy could not use his magic, his magic signature indicates that it is one of the most powerful and troublesome types of forbidden magic.


    But now, seeing how the boy managed to gain distance from their pursuit meant he could use his magic to a certain extent. And it also proves their assumption about the boy''s magic.


    "He seemed to have grasped how to use his magic," Dior warned Luka.


    "Seriously?" Luka looked at him in disbelief. He was aware of the boy''s background after Dior''s team shared all intelligence when they asked for backup. "Wouldn''t that be bad even to us?"


    A vein seemed to have snapped on Dior''s head, "That''s why I said to pick up your pace!"


    Lukaughed, "Okay, okay. Such temper."


    He turned and looked at his men, and his usual carefree character suddenly turned serious.


    "This boy must be caught at all cost. Do not bex just because he is a boy. Use every means to capture him."


    "Yes, captain."


    Luka and his team split up in different directions.


    Dior watched as they left. Though the tracking squad of the Royal Army has a good reputation, he could not shake off his feeling that the boy had already slipped away from them.


    ===================<sub> </sub>


    A few minutester.


    From miles away, the boy in question stumbled after bumping on a loose tree root. He fell face-first on the ground. With a groan, he mustered all his remaining strength to stand up once again. His already pale face seemed to have gotten paler. Not to mention, his arm was already numb from the pain.


    No, to be precise, his whole body has gotten numb.


    ''Not good,'' he thought. His vision started to blur and his consciousness slowly drifting.


    He bit his lip as he fought to stay awake. He stood up, and just when he was about to start running, a small green magic array glowed at the bottom of his feet. It grew at an rming speed as it circled his feet up to his legs.


    "Tsk."


    The young man urged his magic. He was already exhausted, but he seemed to have tapped on his strength''s emergency reserves because of the danger. Faint purple rings appeared at the top of his head as his magic started to stir.


    A couple of feet above his head, a hexagonal ck stone appeared, and the purple rings seemed to lose their power.


    ''Damn it,'' the young man cursed as he saw the anti-cast magic item above his head.


    More green magic arrays appeared surrounding him.


    "You''re already surrounded. It''s futile to struggle."


    A voice reverberated around him.


    "That''s up for me to decide!" the young man retorted.


    He urged his magic further.


    Crack!


    A crack appeared on the anti-cast magic item as the young man''s magic erupted.


    "How?" Luka stared in disbelief as even his restraining magic arrays and his anti-cast magic item showed signs of breaking.


    "Argh!" The young man grunted as the purple rings grew and enveloped him.


    Whenever the rings touched the green magic arrays around him, the arrays lost their effect.


    "Faster! Reinforced all restraining arrays!" Lukamanded his men.


    Men in green uniforms appeared around the young man. More green magic arrays in different sizes surrounded him.


    But.


    BOOM!


    The first sets of restraining arrays broke as well as the anti-cast magic item.


    The air around the young man crackled as fissures appeared on the purple rings.


    When the men near him looked at those fissures, some felt as if they were looking into the abyss. Others felt they were looking into the vast universe.


    "Activate all your anti-cast now!" Luka''s voice interrupted their thoughts.


    Even before he gave themand, almost all his men had taken out their magic item and activated it. They were all afraid of what was beyond those fissures.


    Still, the fissures surrounding the young man did not weaken. Instead, it grew at an rming size. Destroying more restraining arrays and even damaging the anti-cast magic items.


    The young man opened his eyes which glowed reddish-purple. Using his good arm, he urged the purple rings and enveloped all the men near him.


    ? "Retreat!" Lukamanded but he was a second toote.


    Screams resounded. The purple rings turned into arge round void, removing everything it touches. The young man was at the center of this void and was unaffected by its ability.


    ===================


    BOOM!


    A few miles away. Dior and his men heard themotion.


    All of them turned toward the direction of the sound and were shocked to see a huge ck hole engulfed a great part of the forest.

 Chapter 2 Void Magic

    Dior and his men rushed to where the ck hole appeared.


    As they drew closer, they noticed the ck hole decrease in size up ahead. After that, what they saw made their scalp go numb.


    The ck hole hollowed the whole area.


    Remnants of fissures lingered in the air, making a crackling sound.


    It was true that they already had an idea of the type of magic the boy had from the magic signature the detector found. But witnessing it, they were all in a daze. If their intelligence were urate, the boy was a beginner. No, not a beginner since he only found out about his magic today.


    And yet, he was able to use it to this extent. What more if he was able to master it?


    Dior''s eyes glinted.


    They must kill the boy. Apprehending him was no longer an option. He should not be allowed to master his magic.


    When the void dispersed, the young man was revealed at the center of the hollowed space. He was breathing heavily, and his whole appearance was pitiful. His clothes were tattered, and bloody bruises were seen from where his skin was exposed.


    "You damn brat!"


    A green silhouette appeared behind him, revealing Luka, who was able to avoid the void.


    Luka shed at the young man with a small knife in his right hand, aiming to cut his neck.


    To Luka''s surprise, even with his worn-out state, the young man was able to react.


    The young man used his good arm to block Luka''s knife.


    Luka heard the sound of metal shing as his knife hit the young man''s forearm.


    ''Metal gauntlet?'' before Luka could fully grasp what happened, the young man concurrently turned. His right leg aimed at Luka''s hip.


    Luka''s brow creased. He lowered his right arm to block the young man''s kick but was surprised to feel its weight. He flew a few meters away to his side after failing to guard against it.


    The young man''s reddish-purple eyes glinted. He did not follow up his attack on Luka because his current condition did not allow him to.


    What he had to do was escape immediately. Looking up ahead, he stared intently at a point few miles away from his position.


    He summoned the purple rings once again, but if it appeared above his head earlier, this time, it appeared underneath his feet. It expanded as he urged his magic once again.


    Upon seeing this, Luka gritted his teeth and spread out his arms. Two green magic arrays appeared on top of his palms as he stopped in midair. Once Luka had stopped, he summoned two more green magic arrays, and it circled his legs. He cast a speed boost and rushed back to the young man.


    Dior also arrived. His men were a few meters behind him.


    Upon seeing the young man about to use his magic, Dior immediately spread his arms. Red magic arrays appeared on both his wrists, and two feet high mes appeared above his palms.


    "Stop!" Dior shouted at the young man.


    Obviously, the young man did not stop just because someone told him to. Only an idiot would do so in this situation. He just focused on what he was doing.


    Luka also urged his magic as he lifted his right arm aiming at the young man. Green magic arrays appeared around the young man from his waist.


    Dior also ran and aimed his mes.


    The young man gritted his teeth and did not stop urging his magic even as the two attacked him. He chose to endure as Luka''s restraining array, and Dior''s mes hit him.


    Dior summoned mes after mes on both his hands and bombarded the young man.


    Luka also added more restraining arrays on top of his first array.


    The young man coughed a mouth full of blood, and still, he did not stop. Soon the purple rings connected and formed a big round disk beneath his feet.


    A dark fissure spread from the middle of the disc, and the young man started to descend inside the fissure.


    "What!" Dior and Luka both eximed.


    They increased their speed and reinforced their magic.


    Arge dark green array encircled the young man. This move was one of the most powerful restraining arrays at Luka''s disposal. It could restrain the target on the spot and lower down defenses and effect of magic within its area-of-effect.


    Although this array may have been helpful if he had used it early on, it consumes a lot of energy and can take a toll on his body.


    But that was unimportant right now. Luka, like Dior, understood the severity of the consequences if this boy escaped. That was why he would not hold back and was willing to use all means possible to detain him.


    Unlike, Dior whose fire magic could deal damage, Luka''s magic was providing statuses. Thus, he opted to use his ace array to provide an additional boost to Dior''s attack.


    Seeing this array, Dior understood Luka''s intent and immediately fused the two mes on his hands. The mes grew fiercer.


    "Die!" Dior shouted and sted his mes to the young man.


    However, the rim of the purple disc moved and enclosed the young man. When it touched the arrays Luka cast, the arrays cracked and shattered at once.


    Luka fell on his knees and coughed up blood after feeling the rebound of his array getting destroyed.


    Dior''s eyes almost popped as he watched the purple disc, now in the form of a half-sphere protecting the young man, swallow his mes.


    From inside the protection of the purple sphere, the young man memorized Dior and Luka''s faces. He understood that he could not fight these two right now. But that did not mean he could not do that in the future.


    And eventually, he would.


    ''These two¡­ will be first on my list,'' he vowed as his body fully submerged into the fissure.


    Outside, the purple sphere shrunk slowly. And in seconds, it vanished, leaving only small remnants of fissures in the air.<sub> </sub>


    Dior gripped his fists tightly and screamed in frustration.


    "Kyran Regis," Dior spoke the young man''s name as if it was cursed. "I''ll definitely find you. And when I do, I''ll burn you to death!"


    ==================


    A small fissure appeared in the air, distorting the space.


    This spot was at least a thousand miles away from the forest located near the Regis estate.


    The fissure grew to a size where an adult man could fit, and the young man, named Kyran Regis, appeared.


    As he stepped out of the fissure, the light from the moon revealed his jet-ck hair and eyes that had reverted to their usual dark gray color. He looked pitiful right now, but it was evident that he had above-average looks. He might even be considered handsome.


    Kyran took two steps forward before his knees buckled, and he fell.


    p He was too exhausted. His body ached all over. He also knew that his left arm was not the only one that was broken. Apart from that, he suffered from cuts and burns all over his body. Even his clothes were half scorched.</anda>


    When the fissurepletely vanished, Kyran propped himself up using his good arm. Though he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep, he knew he could not stay here.


    He might be miles away from his pursuers, but that did not mean he was already safe.


    As he knelt on his knees, something fell from his neck.


    Two jade rings dangled from his ne.


    These rings were his parent''s memento, and they gave them to him as a present for his 18th birthday.


    Just remembering them brought tears to Kyran''s eyes.


    Kyran clenched his fist, and his mind drifted back to the events before the Forbidden Magic Control Squad arrived.


    Being the son of the next patriarch, the whole Regis n celebrated his birthday. Everyone was having fun and enjoying the food until the arrival of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad.


    It went downhill from there.


    At first, Kyran thought it was one of the routine inspections of the Royal Army. But as soon as they dered which squad they were from, the attitude of every adult Regis changed.


    Shortly after, the army moved, and at the same time, thebat mages of the n intercepted them.


    His father activated the Regis'' defensive array while his mother dragged him toward the hidden escape route.


    It was as if the Regis n already expected this and was prepared for it.


    Now he knew why.


    His mother exined it to him as she led him to escape.


    He always thought he failed his father and n when he did not manifest any magic. He felt his family and the rest of the n members were too kind not to mention it and even encouraged him to live as normally as possible. That not being able to use magic did not mean he was less than those who could.


    He always felt grateful to them. He was proud to be a Regis.


    But hearing his mother''s exnation, he got confused.


    It wasn''t that he did not have any magic. But that his magic was of a forbidden type, and anyone caught using or practicing it would be caught by the Royal Army. At best, the army would take all mages caught to the Empire''s prison, but at worse, they would be executed publicly as a testament to everyone who would try to tap into practicing forbidden magic.


    It was the reason why when Kyran showed signs of possessing forbidden magic, the whole n decided to seal his magic and vow to protect him no matter what.


    Kyran argued that he might possess forbidden magic, but his life was not worth the Regis n.


    His mother looked at him and just smiled.


    He tried to convince her to go back and that he would fight as well. But she argued that if they returned and the army captured him, everyone would die with him.


    "Only when he stayed alive could the n be saved."


    When Kyran heard his mother''s words, he was not convinced.


    Right now, however, he finally understood what his mother meant.


    Kyran''s magic was different. Up to this day, there was only one other person in history who possessed this type of magic.


    And that person was the infamous Dark Sage, also known as the Void Master.


    While some magic imitated void magic, no one could imitate the Dark Sage''s magic signature. And Kyran possessed the same.


    That was why the whole Forbidden Magic Control Squad was frantic. Yes, they could use the Regis n to force Kyran to surrender, but they feared what Kyran would do to retaliate.


    His void magic became his n''s lifeline.


    The captain of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad witnessed what he could do. But even then, it was not even close to the tip of what he could really do.


    At least, that was how Kyran felt when he used his magic.


    Honestly, he did not know how to urge his magic to do things ording to what he wanted. His knowledge of void magic was limited to what was publicly known about the Dark Sage. Apart from that, he never learned any basic application or control of magic. But for some reason, he was able to feel the void. It even felt like his magic had intelligence, subtly coordinating and even guiding him.


    Kyran shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up.


    Now was not the time to reminisce and be idle. First, Kyran needed to find a safe ce to hide.


    What he urgently needed right now, was to recuperate.

 Chapter 3 Bounty Worth One Million High-Grade Spirit Stones

    Kyran studied his surroundings.


    When he used the power of the void to escape, the location he focused on connecting the void was this mountain.


    Right now, he was standing near the edge of that mountain''s cliff. He looked at the densely packed trees to his left leading inside the mountain. Then he examined the cliff to his right.


    Kyran did not want to go inside the mountain. He could not risk encountering any wild animals that live there. Besides, he was not familiar with this ce.


    Seeing that there was enough space to walk along the cliff, Kyran decided to search for a ce to rest using this route.


    Ideally, he wanted to find a location with a nearby source of water. But knowing that he could barely stand straight, as long as the location was free from immediate danger, then it would be good enough. He would apply first aid to his wounds first and rest. When he had enough strength, then he would find water.


    Once Kyran decided on his next steps, he urged his exhausted body and started walking along the side of the cliff.


    ====================


    BAM!


    A loud explosive sound came inside the Grand Marshal''s office at the Royal Army Headquarters.


    Inside, a middle-aged man with blonde hair and amber eyes red at the three people kneeling in front of him.


    This man stood more than seven feet tall. His gold and red uniform with six golden badges and one diamond-shaped emblem of the Ylfaen Empire indicated his position as the Grand Marshal of the Royal Army.


    The other three people he was ring at were Dior, Luka, and their superior.


    After returning to the headquarters, Dior and Luka reported what happened at the Regis estate to their superior, and they immediately went to the Grand Marshal.


    After the Grand Marshal heard their report, he was too furious that he mmed his desk and broke it into two.


    "You dare show up here after letting the boy escape?" the Grand Marshal''s voice boomed. He released an invisible force and swept the three people in front of him.


    The force he released made the three retreated a little.


    Dior''s and Luka''s faces also paled from the impact, and blood trickled at the corner of their mouths. They endured the pain. After all, the Grand Marshal''s anger was warranted.


    "Grand Marshal Gael, please show mercy."


    The middle-aged man with Dior and Luka spoke.


    He was wearing a ck and red uniform, with a silver badge pinned on his vest. It indicated that the man''s rank was higher than Dior and Luka, who had bronze badges.


    Dior looked at his superior from the corner of his eyes. He felt terrible for implicating their superior because of their failure.


    "Show mercy? Tell me how to do that, Major Jax, after your men failed toplete such a simple task!"


    "Grand Marshal, please, my men did fail to capture the boy, but it was not because of neglect. The Regis n somehow anticipated their move. And the boy could actually use his magic," Jax hastily reasoned.


    Gael''s expression turned cold, "What do you mean anticipated your move? Are you telling me that the mission was leaked? And the boy¡­ was not even a mage student. How can he control his magic?"


    Jax looked at Gael, "The Regis n knows about the boy''s magic, sire. They might have taught him basic magic control."


    "He possessed forbidden magic. Are you telling me that when he was being ''taught'' magic control, our detector failed to pick up his signature?"


    "Th-that''s¡­."


    "Permission to speak, Grand Marshal." Dior suddenly spoke.


    Gael turned to Dior, "Speak."


    "Sire," Dior looked at Gael. "The first time we picked up the boy''s magic signature was almost half a month ago. As Major Jax spected, the Regis family might have started preparing then. And although the boy did not use his magic, someone might have taught him the theory behind magic control. From our intelligence, the boy was adept in grasping theories."


    "To be able to use magic base on the theory someone taught him without even practicing. Do you take me as an idiot, Captain?" Gael emphasized Dior''s position after seeing his bronze badge.


    Dior immediately lowered his head.


    "No, sire. This remark actually came from all his instructors at the military school."


    ''Military school?'' Luka scowled. He was not aware of the boy''s background. Hearing this information, Luka remembered how the boy was able to react to his sneak attack. No wonder he was able to respond. Even his kick carried weight. ''That boy is abat specialist?''


    Gael showed a look of surprise. He suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Dean Fallon of the military school almost six years ago.


    Fallon mentioned a rare talent among the new students that year. Gael did not pay much attention to it because although the Royal Army had a Combat Specialist Division, he was more interested in recruiting talents who could use magic.


    "Permission to speak as well, Grand Marshal." Luka also spoke.


    Gael frowned as he looked at Luka but still replied, "Go ahead."


    "The boy indeed was a rare talent. From the short exchange I had with him, I could determine that hisbat ability was not any weaker than our captain-levelbat specialists."


    Gael''s frown deepened. If that boy indeed has a rare talent inbat, if he also mastered the use of his magic. He would undoubtedly be a powerfulbat mage.


    ''Then it would be harder to take him,'' he thought.


    Turning his back, Gael silently contemted his next move. He looked out the window and stared at the full moon high up the clear night sky.


    He could use the boy''s family to lure him, but that would smear the Royal Army''s prestige. He had to approach this properly. After all,bat mages were not exactly rare, but abat mage using void magic, now that would be another story.<sub> </sub>


    "Find that boy. Call the Mercenary Guild and issue a bounty of one million high-grade spirit stones for his capture. It does not matter if he loses a limb or two. I only need him alive."


    "Yes, sire," The three replied.


    Gael sat on his chair after the three left. His eyes glinted maliciously as he thought of what he would and could do once he seized the boy.


    ====================


    Because of Kyran''s condition, it took him almost three hours to find a safe location.


    It was a small cave.


    Inside, he also found a small trench with clear water. The water was an overflow from a gap on the cave''s wall, and Kyran supposed that there was a body of water somewhere above the cave.


    After checking that there was no lurking danger inside, Kyran went over the trench and took off the small leather pouch fastened at the side of his belt.


    It was the birthday present he received from Uncle Jared.


    Before Kyran parted with his mother, she put some items in the pouch.


    "This will help you on your journey. But use it wisely."


    ''Is what she said,'' Kyran remembered her mother''s words.


    He felt a lump in his throat, remembering his family once again.


    Slightly shaking his head, Kyran sat down carefully. His body was in pain right now, but he had to endure. He leaned on the wall before opening the pouch.


    The pouch was made from a komodo''s skin. However, the unique thing about this skin was not its toughness but its space magic. If a komodo were skinned correctly, it would retain the essence of its space magic. After applying an assimtion magic array, it could then be used as a material to produce space storage.


    Seeing the contents of the pouch, Kyran could not help but smile faintly.


    The pouch contained some spare clothes, food rations, medicines, potions, even bandages. It also included some middle-grade spirit stones and gold coins. There were more kinds of stuff, like scrolls and containers. He also spotted two long thin boxes that resembled a sword''s case.


    Obviously, his uncle also put many things in the pouch before he gave it to him.


    ''It''s as if they already knew something will happen,'' Kyran thought miserably.


    After a short pause, he took out a cloth, a roll of bandage, some medicines, one white potion, and a set of clothes. Next, he took off his clothes and properly checked his body.


    Kyran grimaced after confirming his condition.


    His left leg suffered a mild fracture. His body also suffered at least first to second-degree burns with bruises and cuts all over. The worse of his injury was his broken left arm. While his lower right arm also suffered a fracture, at least he could still move it.


    The injury from his lower right arm was when he blocked the sneak attack from the officer in a green uniform.


    The truth, he was only able to block the attack by utilizing the technique he learned at military school.


    He never thought he would use it in actualbat so soon.


    Closing his eyes, Kyran focused on feeling his inner body. He felt a sharp pain around his left hip bone and rib cage. He guessed that it was also fractured.


    This one he got from when he was escaping from the officers in a red uniform. He got sted by the man who uses fire magic, and he crashed on a tree.


    Kyran remembered how he almost passed out from the pain, but it was due to that that he was able to tap on his void magic for the first time.


    He did not remember how but he was only thinking of escaping. And soon, he was enveloped by his magic and then appeared deeper in the forest.


    Kyran opened his eyes and dipped the cloth into the small trench. The water was cold, but it was enough to treat his wounds.


    ====================


    At the Mercenary Hall.


    The female personnel at the front desk almost dropped themunication device she held on her ears after hearing the person''s instruction at the other end.


    "O-One million high-grade spirit stones?" she asked once again.


    "That''s right. Make sure to inform all our top mercenaries. And exin the conditions properly. I don''t want any ident!" The person on the other end cut off themunication without waiting for the girl''s reply.


    Another female personnel looked at her after seeing her flustered look.


    "What''s wrong, H? What did the boss say?"


    "S-Sis, we have another bounty request." The girl named H replied.


    "Well, duh. We are the Mercenary Guild. We always receive bounty requests."


    "N-No, this is a little different."


    The girl frowned, "How different?"


    "I-It''s worth one million high-grade spirit stones!"


    "What?"

 Chapter 4 Strange Cloaked Man

    With only one functioning arm, it took Kyran quite some time cleaning his wounds and dressing them. He could not remember how many times he almost passed out from the pain and exhaustion.


    After more than an hour, he was finally done. He then carefully changed into a new set of clothes.


    Now there was onest thing he needed to do. And that was to drink the white potion.


    Kyran''s knowledge in Alchemy was mediocre. It was at least enough for him to recognize most potion''s grades and effects.


    Now, if other alchemists knew Kyran''s standard of mediocre Alchemy knowledge, they might have to start reevaluating what they had been doing all these years. Because to recognize a potion''s grade and effect without testing, it needed years of experience and exposure in alchemy.


    However, Kyran thought his knowledge was mediocre because he knew few herbs and had no experience in potion-making or even its application.


    For example, he knew that this white potion was a mid-grade healing potion. And while he could have chosen a more high-grade healing potion in the pouch, he chose this one because of its effect. This potion could heal low to mid-level wounds as well as mend broken bones.


    But while he knew this, he was not sure if he should drink all of it or just a portion. And if it was a portion, how much was a portion?


    Kyran frowned and looked at the potion. He hesitated for a second but steeled himself and finally unscrewed it.


    He took a sip and was surprised to find the taste a little sweet. It also had a bitter aftertaste, but it was tolerable.


    After sensing the potion entering his system, Kyran closed the potion''s lid and decided to check its effect first before drinking more.


    After a quarter of a minute, Kyran suddenly felt a burning sensation spread from his chest to every part of his body.


    The first wave was okay. But after another quarter of a minute, the burning feeling intensified.


    Kyran groaned, feeling his bones crackle from the heat.


    "Argh!" he crouched on the ground. His bones and skin sizzled as the heat finally spread all over his body.


    ''N-No¡­ how could the effect be so strong? I just took a sip. Was it too much?''


    Kyran turned his attention at the trench of water near him. The heat was getting unbearable, and he even had a scary thought that he would melt if he could not alleviate the heat.


    Kyran mustered all the strength he could and dragged his body into the small trench.


    As soon as he plunged into the water, the heating from his body made the water sizzle. He thought the cold water could counter the heat from his body, but instead, the water''s temperature instantly dropped to a boiling point.


    The water drowned Kyran''s scream. He could not believe that after managing to survive until now, he would still end up dying.


    What was worse, he might end up dying by drowning!


    ====================


    Early morning at the Mercenary Guild, a group of mercenaries had gathered around the high-profile bounty board. All of them wanted to confirm the rumor that had spreadtest night. Now seeing the new poster of a young man not even in his twenties, with a million high-grade spirit stones as a reward, the crowd could not help hissing.


    Spirit stones were extremely valuable to them. Even a low-grade one could fetch a high price in the market. Not to mention, it was considered an alternative currency to most establishments.


    Aside from that, spirit stones had so many uses. Whether that person had magic or not, they could boost their strength with spirit stones by absorbing it or integrating it into a magic item, even using it as a catalyst in creating weapons.


    "He looks young."


    "That''s a high-grade spirit stone! It even skipped the mid-grade reward!"


    "A million of high-grade spirit stones¡­ that''s equivalent to a hundred million mid-grade spirit stones or a billion low-grade spirit stones¡­. And if we exchanged it to gold coins¡­."


    Each mercenaries'' eyes glinted greedily.


    One low-grade is equivalent to two gold coins. If they exchanged it, they could happily retire and live in luxury for the rest of their lives.


    "Hehe, you''re missing the whole point here."


    A man in histe twenties approached the crowd.


    "Huh?" the mercenaries turned to re at the man, but then all of them trembled after seeing who he was.


    The man had long silver hair and light blue eyes. He was d in a very elegant white coat and a silver-blue thin sword fastened at his waist. He had the air of nobility from the way he carried himself, and his handsome face could easily attract any woman.


    "It''s Ss the Crystal Swordbreaker!"


    The mercenaries immediately gave way.


    Ss approached the bounty board. He stared at the new bounty poster with a faint smile and said, "The point here is never the reward. But the question, how did this young man receive an outrageous bounty?"


    He then looked at the information at the bottom of the poster and smirked, "They also want him alive. Interesting."


    "You mean troublesome!" a strong, loud voice spoke from behind him.


    Ss''s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the huge man approaching from behind.


    The man was bald, and he had different scars all over his head and across his nose. His eyes were deep red. His bare top showed off a very toned and muscr body, while his fur pants also hugged his big strong legs. He also had two huge axes hanging at his back.


    "Gage," Ss greeted indifferently.


    "Look, it''s the Twin Axe Titan, Gage!" someone eximed among the mercenaries.


    Gage stood beside Ss and looked at the poster.


    "Looked skinny and fragile," he snorted.


    "Humph," Ss turned his attention back to the poster. "Ruffian. You only notice unimportant things."


    "Huh?" Gage red at him.


    "The fact that they requested a bounty meant that this boy is capable."


    "Humph, it doesn''t matter. If I see him, I will break his legs. Then he would not be able to run."


    "That''s the thing. I am sure whoever requested this bounty already thought of that, but still, that boy escaped. The boy''s background¡­ there might be more to it."


    Just then, a hand appeared between the two and snatched the poster.


    Both Ss and Gage froze. They had not felt this person approach from behind.


    "I''ll be taking this," a deep voice said.


    Ss and Gage turned and looked at the owner of the voice.


    He was smallerpared to Gage, but he was still huge. However, because he was wearing a big dark cloak, they could not identify or guess who he was.


    The cloaked man did not wait for Ss or Gage to respond and turned to leave. But after taking three steps, a big hand grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.


    "Hey."<sub> </sub>


    It was Gage who stopped him.


    The cloaked man stopped and slightly turned his head as if looking at Gage.


    "That bounty is mine," Gage growled.


    The mercenaries around felt the temperature drop between the three and immediately retreated.


    Ss''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Gage. Before he could im that he was the one who saw the bounty first, the cloaked man spoke.


    "Is it?" the cloaked man looked at the poster and turned it around as if inspecting it. "I didn''t see your name on it. Oh right, I don''t know your name. I could be mistaken. Who the hell are you?"


    The spectating crowd held their breath.


    This cloaked man was bold!


    "Punk!" Gage roared and instantaneously balled his fist and attacked the cloaked man.


    "Tsk." Ss immediately retreated.


    The spectating mercenaries gasped as they watched Gage''s fist hit the cloaked man.


    However, the cloaked man simply stepped aside and easily evaded Gage''s attack.


    "Humph," the cloaked man snorted, and a fog-like shadow seeped from under his cloak.


    ''Shadow?'' Ss''s eyes narrowed, and he unsheathed his sword at once.


    Gage growled as the fog-like shadow enveloped him. He grabbed his twin axes and swung them at the cloaked man.


    The cloaked man simply jumped back to avoid Gage''s attack. He urged the fog-like shadow, and it immediately wrapped Gage''s legs. After that, he slipped a hand inside his cloak and took out a crossbow, and aimed at Gage''s head.


    Gage growled and intercepted the arrows using his axes. He stomped his left feet, and the fog-like shadow binding him was destroyed at once.


    "You''re asking for it!" roared Gage.


    A dark red magic array appeared and circted Gage''s twin axes. The des turned aze, and he rushed at the cloaked man.


    The cloaked man smirked, the fog-like shadow seeping from under his cloak became dense and ck spikes appeared from it aiming at Gage.


    "Stop, you two!" Ss''s voice sounded. A light blue magic array circled the de of his sword. Swinging his sword at the space between Gage and the cloaked man, Ss summoned his magic and created an ice wall.


    However, the ck spike from the cloaked man''s attack prated this wall and went straight at Gage.


    "Such prating power!" Ss was shocked.


    "Rawrgh!" Gage also simply swung his axes at the iing ck spikes nning to shatter them by force.


    However, the ck spikes also prated the axes'' des. Gage''s eyes almost popped as he watched the tip of the spike neared his face.


    "Enough!"


    A powerful force erupted, and all summoned magic vanished.


    From the floor, arge yellow magic array appeared.


    It was the Mercenary Guild''srge anti-magic array.


    Ss, Gage, and the cloaked man stopped at once and looked at the middle-aged man who appeared at the second floor''s gallery.


    He had grayish shoulder-length hair and light brown eyes. He wore a long white coat with gold linings. Pinned on the right sleeve of his coat was a diamond emblem of the Mercenary Guild.


    "Grandmaster Soren," Ss was the first to bow toward the middle-aged man.


    "Humph," Gage grunted, but he put away his axes.


    The cloaked man remained silent and simply looked at Soren.


    The spectating mercenaries held their breath. The Grandmaster of the Mercenary guild rarely appeared. On asions where he did, it normally did not end well.


    Contrary to their expectations, Soren simply smiled at the three.


    "Hahaha, gentlemen. Please, it is not necessary to fight for a little ''poster''," he said and walked down the stairs. He looked at the three once again.


    "The bounty is open to all mercenaries. Taking the poster does not necessarily mean that the request will be exclusive to the taker," Soren added.


    Ss felt his strength left him.


    They should have made that clear early on!


    "Well," the cloaked man suddenly spoke. "I know that."


    Almost all spectating mercenaries fell.


    Ss and Gage also looked funny.


    "If you knew then why you didn''t say it?" Ss reprimanded.


    "Did you ask?"


    This guy!


    Gage frowned as well, "Why the hell did you take the poster if you already know it was not needed."


    The cloaked man suddenly slouched and seemed to stare at Gage. "Are you an idiot? Of course, I took it because I need it."


    "You!" Gage growled.


    The cloaked man turned at Soren. "It''s okay to take it, right?"


    "Well, yes. It is not exactly prohibited to take the poster. But if you do, then others might think you are up to something."


    "Nope. No hidden agenda whatsoever. I am just not good at memorizing people''s faces, so I need this. Anyway, I''ll be leaving now if there''s nothing else."


    With that, the cloaked man turned and left.


    The whole Mercenary guild fell silent.


    Soren, Ss, and Gage had perplexed expressions.


    Such a strange man!

 Chapter 5 Searching For His Trace

    Gael entered a long corridor at the basement level of the Royal Army Headquarters.


    The only source of light came from the old-fashioned wallmps along the corridor.


    There was a big floor-to-ceiling gate at the end and two infantry soldiers in full metal armor, holding a ive, stood on opposite sides of the gate.


    As Gael neared the gates, the two soldiers saluted.


    "Grand Marshal," they both greeted.


    Gael nodded and asked, "Are all of them inside?"


    "Yes, sire."


    "Good. Open the gates."


    "Yes, sire."


    The two soldiers went to each side of the gate. They stood in front of a round panel on the wall. The one on the right side ced his right hand at the center of the panel, while the other side used his left hand.


    Yellow magic array appeared from their wrist and circted until it reached the intricate magic writings at the outer edge of the round panel.


    The panel lit up, and the writings on the panel seemed to havee to life and crawled, spreading like vines toward the center top of the gate.


    Slowly, the gate started to move and opened inwardly.


    Inside the gate was a big dark room.


    Once Gael entered inside, and the soldiers could no longer see his silhouette, they released their hand on the panel.


    The gold lights on the gate slowly retreated to the panel, and the gates closed once again.


    ====================


    After the cloaked man left the Mercenary Guild, he went to the outskirts of the town.


    From the information written on the poster, thest known location of his target was in the forest outside the Regis estate. There was even a small map at the bottom right of the poster. It was a map of Aeren Town, where the Regis estate was located.


    The cloaked man looked up at the sky and sighed.


    "Why the forest of all ces," heined. He looked at the poster in his hands and red at the map.


    Apart from being poor at memorizing people''s faces, he was also particrly bad at finding his way around forests.


    Not to mention, he was bad at reading maps. The lines, dots,ndmarks, and all those other symbols looked like a kid''s doodle to him.


    Just think about it. How did you expect a person to understand a peanut-shaped symbol on a piece of paper was supposed to be ake? Then after a few spaces from theke, there were inverted v''s to its left, and it was supposed to be mountains.


    Such a high hurdle right off the bat. No wonder the reward was worth one million.


    The cloaked man sighed again and went on his way.


    ====================


    Even when the Royal Army issued a bounty to the Mercenary Guild, they did not stop looking for Kyran''s trace.


    Together with three more teams, Dior and his men returned to the ce where Kyran escaped from them.


    Luka did not go with them because he had to recuperate. Although he was unwilling, Jax convinced him to rest because he would not be of help to them with his current condition.


    "He did this?"


    A woman in her mid-twenties with lush reddish-brown hair and emerald green eyes stood beside Dior while surveying the whole ce. Like Luka''s, she wore a green uniform and had a bronze badge pinned on her vest.


    "Yes," Dior answered despondently. Even now, he still felt resentful of letting Kyran escape.


    The woman frowned. "I''ve read your report. Even if your spections are correct, he used his magic for the first time simply because he was particrly good at understanding theories. After seeing this ce, it is hard to believe he is a novice. No, he is not even registered as a mage. It is simply impossible."


    "I know what you want to say, Vera. I also can''t honestly believe it, but what we see here is real."


    "No. There could be something else," Vera contemted.


    "Do you have any ideas then? If you think he has a magic item to help control his magic, then I''m telling you now that he doesn''t have one."


    Vera looked at Dior with a raised eyebrow, "I know that much. I want to meet the person who can create a magic item that ispatible with void magic."


    In this world, Void Magic was categorized as the rarest and most dangerous. Not because it''s omnipotent but because information about this magic was close to nil.


    At first, they believed that void magic could be an advanced type of space magic. Thus, many mages did experiments.


    Space magic was also forbidden, but unlike void magic, it was categorized as low risk. Thus mages who had space magic were not detained by the Royal Army but were closely monitored.


    In the Royal Army''s Research Division, they also had mages specializing in space magic, and they had been researching its connection to void magic. But afterparing the use of space magic to the record they collected from studying the Dark Sage, they realized that space and void were different.<sub> </sub>


    When one utilizes space''s magic, they control the space by shortening or lengthening the distance in its targeted area. The shortened distance was a result ofpression. While the lengthened space, a result of the expansion. If you cast slow status magic to the person using space magic, you would see the targeted spacepressing or expanding from one point to another in slow motion.


    Void magic, on the other hand, since there was no avable mage who could use it, theypared it to one of the recorded battles of the Dark Sage. It was when he summoned the void and warped his armies at such a long distance. There was no sign of space beingpressed. For short, the distance between one point to another was ''removed''.


    Apart from that, there was a limit in the distance space magic could be utilized. Void magic, at least based on their research, appeared limitless. And that made this magic extremely dangerous.


    Imagine if the leader of arge army had void magic, and he could warp his army inside any territory at will. And he could do it as many times as he could. He would be an ultimate Overlord.


    And that was only one of the terrors the Dark Sage left from the era known as the Chaos Reign.


    Vera shook her head and sighed. She only knew about the Dark Sage from history books and stories. Now a mage with simr magic was born, and he had just started using it but could already use it to this extent. Vera feared the time when he could master his magic.


    ''His existence cannot be allowed,'' she thought.


    "This is where he warped and escaped," Dior''s voice brought Vera''s thoughts back to the present.


    She looked at him standing in the middle of the huge crater. She approached his side and asked, "Tell me what you remembered about his actions and positioning that night."


    Dior crunched his brows and answered, "At first he was facing this direction¡­" he pointed up north, "but then he countered Luka''s sneak attack and turned here," he pointed up east.


    Vera looked to her right and surveyed the area.


    Dior watched her in silence.


    In the Royal Army, Vera was the best tracking mage. Her ability to discern what the enemy thought while on the run was exceptional. If she had been recruited early in the army, she might already be a major ss mage. Apart from that, her innate magic was feared by many.


    "When you attacked him, what was his expression? Did he get flustered? Was he anxiously looking around?" Vera asked without looking at Dior.


    Dior scowled a little. Now that she asked these questions, he found Kyran''s attitude odd for his age.


    Normally, a cornered person would show fear and resistance, but Kyran did the opposite.


    Shaking his head, Dior answered. "No. He was calm. He simply stood here and endured my attacks."


    Vera''s eyes squinted, "He was able to endure your attacks?"


    Dior replied with a scowl.


    Vera thought for a moment and surveyed the area up east. "Why did he not follow up on his counter to Luka? Why would he risk taking hits?"


    "Well, after he countered Luka, he started to cast his magic. Clearly, he endured our attacks so he would not be interrupted."


    "Did he not look at the two of you when you were attacking him? Normally, a person will feel angry and re at his attackers."


    "No, he did not."


    "Then where was he looking at?"


    "Well¡­ he didn''t look like he was looking at anything in particr."


    "But he was facing this direction."


    "Yes."


    "Then, he was probably focusing all his attention to a point on one of those mountains."


    "Why?"


    "To warp there, of course."


    "But those mountains are at least a hundred miles away."


    Vera smiled wryly, "He''s using void magic, not space."


    Dior frowned and fell silent.


    "But up east is already outside the jurisdiction of Meliora," Dior finally said, feeling an iing headache.


    Vera also sighed. She understood Dior''s worries.


    Meliora was the capital city of the Ylfaen Empire. It was located at the center, and both the Royal Pce and the Royal Army Headquarters were situated here.


    The forest near the Regis estate where they were was near the borders of Meliora, and the city up east was called Starhorn.


    Dior was not worried that their movements would be restricted at Starhorn since it was under a different jurisdiction. What he was worried about was what was in Starhorn.


    In Ylfaen Empire, three factions could rival the Royal Army. And one of those was in Starhorn.


    And it was The Conve of the East.

 Chapter 6 Unlucky? Or Lucky?

    There were four major factions within the Ylfaen Empire.


    First, the Royal Army, which was located at the center of the empire. Temr Code from the west. Aureole from the north. Andst, The Conve of the East, from the east.


    These factions were all part of the Ylfaen Empire. Thus all of them were in a cooperative rtionship.


    However, The Conve of the East, or Conve for short, was a neutral faction. The Mercenary Hall was one of its constituents and the Chamber of Commerce, the cksmith Order, and the Alchemist Association. They had many branches inside the empire, as well as the outside.


    Because the Conve mainly dealt with manpower services,working, and trading, they had an agreement with the Ylfaen Empire that they would only deal with their business and would not meddle with any crusade the empire would initiate. In return, the empire would also not interfere with their business. It also meant that they had no control of the information circting within the Conve''sworking.


    That was Dior''s concern.


    Thest thing they wanted was their enemy from the south getting Kyran''s information.


    Of course, the Royal Army made precautions to contain all information about Kyran. When they issued a bounty to the Mercenary Guild, they only provided superficial information.


    But now, if Kyran''s destination was indeed the east, where he would go and what he would do next, had be the Royal Army''s bane.


    If the informants of the Conve within Starhorn get wind of the Royal Army''s movement and somehow tied it up to the newly issued bounty, it would be a matter of time before they know the rest of the story.


    Dior hoped Kyran would stay in the forest and would not dare go into the city. But remembering how calm Kyran had acted even when he was cornered, Dior feared for the worse.


    "I''ll return to the base and report this matter. I''ll leave you to continue with the search," Vera told Dior.


    Dior nodded, "Okay. I''ll lead two teams to search up east but will have the rest continue the search up north."


    "Yes, that would be for the best."


    Dior sighed, "If only we could force a lockdown."


    Vera shook her head, "The Grand Marshal won''t approve. He doesn''t want this matter to be known by the public."


    "I know. That''s why it has be difficult."


    "Well, if you had seeded in your mission, this wouldn''t have happened."


    Dior red at her.


    Vera just sneered and left.


    Dior and his men continued with their search.


    ====================


    Ss read the rest of the info on the poster of the new bounty. Just like the cloaked man, he requested to have a copy. Of course, his reason was different from the cloaked man. He needed the target''s photo to ask around.


    He walked along the street leading to the station, and it was noticeable how many females kept staring at him.


    As usual, his handsome look was very eye-catching. It was a miracle he was able to carry out a mission without drawing attention.


    "You have any idea who that cloaked bastard was?" A powerful voice spoke from behind.


    Ss could not help frowning as he looked at Gage. He had known that he was walking behind him.


    "Will you please not follow me?"


    Gage furrowed his brows and red at him, "I am not. I n to start my search here."


    "Right," Ss replied, clearly unconvinced.


    "And? You know anything about that cloaked bastard?"


    Ss shook his head and returned his attention to reading the information on the poster.


    "No. It is my first time meeting him."


    "How did you know it''s the first time? That bastard was wearing a cloak, there''s a chance we know that punk, and he''s only hiding."


    "He is a shadow mage. I don''t know anyone who uses shadow magic."


    Gage frowned, "That fog was shadow magic?"


    Ss sighed heavily and looked at Gage once again. "He concealed his magic, using that fog. I am not sure how he did it or why, but his magic is pretty powerful."


    "Hmm," Gage could not help but agree. The prating power of that cloaked bastard''s magic was indeed powerful. He even damaged his weapons. Recalling what happened annoyed him.


    "I''ll make that bastard pay for damaging my weapons."


    "Well, we''ll definitely meet him sooner orter."


    "How do you know?"


    Ss shook his head. Dealing with Gage''s stupidity was exhausting.


    "We have the same target. We''ll definitely cross paths."


    "Not if I captured that skinny brat first," Gage sneered.


    "Like I said. There is more to that kid. The information provided is too little, in my opinion."


    "Isn''t it enough? We have the location. We''ll just surround him."


    "We?" Ss could not help but raise a brow at Gage. "I thought you''re going this way because this is where you n to search first?" he said, putting emphasis when he said ''you''.


    Gage just shrugged and replied, "Why not? Your magic has a restraining effect. When webine your swordsmanship with my destructive magic, we will be able to develop a good strategy to corner that brat. Once we do, then I''ll break his bones."


    "I sometimes wonder whether your brain only works when ites to fighting and strategy."


    Ss was amazed.


    Gage frowned, "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Ss just smirked and shook his head, "Forget it."


    "And? What do you say?"


    "Well, I don''t mind teaming up with you and sharing the reward. But before we go to the location indicated on the poster, I need to gather some information first."


    "Gather information where?"


    "First, let''s head to Aeren Town."


    ====================


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon, and the cloaked man stood on one of the tallest trees in the forest, checking the surroundings.


    Earlier, he followed the map on the poster and wanted to congratte himself for a job well done. Then he encountered a forest beast and killed it. But when he checked the map for the next direction, he soon realized that he was lost.


    ''F*cking beast. Made me lose my sense of direction,'' he cursed.


    He looked at the map once again and sighed. It was no good. The map did not make any sense. All the symbols had be scribbles.


    The cloaked man jumped down from the tree and picked up a broken tree branch.


    "Okay, time to use my excellent luck."


    He held up the branch and let it stand on the ground. Then he let go.


    The branch fell on the ground, pointing toward ''his'' southeast direction. The orientation was based on ''his'' direction since he currently did not know where north was.<sub> </sub>


    "Alright, then southeast it is."


    The cloaked man turned and continued on his way.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    Arge green magic array appeared around him.


    "Stop there!" a voice sounded nearby.


    The cloaked man frowned. But he did stop after seeing the restraining array.


    Three men in green uniforms appeared and surrounded him.


    "Who are you?" the man in the middle asked.


    "A mercenary," the cloaked man answered.


    The man frowned and pointed at him, "Lower your cloak and let us see your face."


    "Or else what?" the cloaked man asked.


    Clearly, these three men would not let him go even if he followed their instructions. He was not a fugitive, alright. He just instinctively knew that these three stooges were searching for someone. That was why they stopped him and even summoned restraining arrays to prevent him from running.


    They obviously would not let him go until he could satisfy their curiosity of who he was and why he was there. And he did not want to entertain them.


    "Or else we''ll use force to detain you."


    "Just detain me? Cute."


    The man on the right glowered, "Don''t be a smart-ass and just do what you are told."


    "You guys talk a lot. If you want to detain me, just do it. If not, then scram. Don''t waste my time," the cloaked man retorted, and simultaneously, fog-like shadow seeped out from under his cloak.


    "You!" the three immediately summoned three more restraining arrays.


    But they were a step toote.


    The fog-like shadow already wrapped around them. It was growing thicker by the second. I


    Immediately, the three drew their knife and scattered.


    However, as soon as they left the fog''s range and were about to attack the cloaked man, they saw that he was already gone.


    "Where did he go?" one of the men asked.


    "Go! Search for him. He''s definitely suspicious!"


    "He might know something."


    The three of them immediately left.


    As soon as the three stooges left, the fog-like shadow dispersed and revealed the cloaked man.


    "Idiots," he muttered and jumped to a nearby tree branch and continued on his way.


    He seriously hated people who show up and act all arrogant, as if they own the ce.


    What the cloaked man did not realize at that time was that the direction he went to was actually opposite his intended direction.


    After almost an hour, the sun had already set, and the forest was practically engulfed by darkness.


    "Ah f*ck it, now where do I go?" he went up a higher branch on the tree he was standing on.


    He surveyed his surroundings, and a few kilometers ahead, he saw a cliff with a small opening. It seemed to be a small cave.


    ''Hm?'' the cloaked man frowned. He inexplicably felt a sudden chill when he saw the cave.


    ''Is it a forest beast''s den?'' he wondered.


    He jumped and went straight to the cave.


    Using his stealth technique, he closed in on the cave''s entrance. He urged his magic and tried to feel any lurking danger inside.


    He suddenly frowned after sensing a life pulse inside. But it was faint and felt very strange.


    He hesitated only for a second before going inside.


    He stood at the entrance for a few seconds until his eyes adjusted to the cave''s darkness. To his left, he saw a trench. An overflow of water from a gap on the wall fell into it.


    ''Oh good, there''s water. I''m thirsty,'' the cloaked man thought and walked over to the trench.


    However, the closer he got, his steps slowed down because he saw a silhouette of a body slumped on the edge of the trench.


    His brow furrowed when he realized that the faint life pulse he felt came from this¡­ corpse?


    No, there was still life in the body, so it was not yet a corpse.


    He approached the body cautiously and turned it.


    The body was wet, but it felt warm. Too warm. As if the person had swum in boiling water.


    "Oi, you alive? Half-dead? Err¡­ living dead?"


    After getting no response, the cloaked man dragged the body andid it on the ground.


    ''Hm?'' he frowned.


    The owner of the body was a young man, and under his clothes, he was covered in bandages. This young man was wounded.


    ''But how did he end up in the trench?''


    He checked the young man''s state and confirmed that while his life pulse was faint, he was not in imminent danger.


    He then looked around and noticed some items near the trench.


    ''Must be this guy''s stuff,'' he thought and ignored it.


    He turned his attention back at the young man and contemted for a moment.


    Since it was already dark, he needed a ce to rest. But this young man came to this cave first. Although the young man seemed half-dead, he might wake up soon, and the cloaked man was not in the mood to find another ce to rest. Thus, he would stay here tonight.


    "Well, buddy, let''s share this ce, alright. I did save your life."


    "¡­."


    "Okay, your life is not really in danger, but you''ll catch a cold and die if I left you there. So technically, I did save your life."


    The cloaked man sighed. ''What the hell am I doing?''


    He stood up and walked to the cave''s entrance.


    ''First, find some woods and make fire.''


    He turned to look at the young man once again. ''It''ll help dry him up too.''


    With that, he went outside to pick some woods, not knowing that he actually found his target.

 Chapter 7 Friend Or Foe?

    At the Royal Army Headquarters, inside one of the offices in the central building.


    Jax rubbed the bridge of his nose as he recalled Vera''s report. He leaned on his chair behind his desk, thinking of exining the status to the Grand Marshal.


    Before the Grand Marshal left in the morning, he had entrusted Jax to continue the search for Kyran Regis.


    Jax remembered, when he asked Gael if there would be a general level authority to assist with the search, Gael red at him and said that if a general level authority moved, it would be counterproductive to contain the information of the failed attempt to capture Kyran.


    Naturally, Jax understood the true meaning behind Gael''s words.


    While Gael stood at the top of the Royal Army, the three Deputy Marshals below him would definitely not let go of this situation. Especially the deputies from the East and West Branches of the Royal Army because of their ambitions. The deputy from the North Branch had no ambition, but she would certainly not remain silent due to Kyran''s threat to the empire.


    Gael also did not want their enemy to know of Kyran''s existence as well. Those people from the south were the Dark Sage''s fanatics. If they found out about Kyran, it would mean a great disaster to the empire.


    Thus, Gael ordered officers below the rank of captain to search because he hadplete control of these people. And apart from Dior and Luka, Vera was the only captain level involved in the operation.


    Then there''s Jax, acting as the second-highest level of authority for this mission.


    Jax sighed. It was not the first time that he operated a manhunt. But this one was by far the mostplicated and dangerous of all.


    "We can only deal with it ording to the situation. Acting too cautious might draw more attention," Jax decided.


    He opened hismunication device and sent out an order to all teams.


    After that, he stood up and went out. He also needed to prepare.


    ====================


    Ss and Gage arrived at Aeren Town and went straight to the town''s pub.


    It was still early in the evening, but already the pub was lively.


    Mercenaries and travelers alike were eating and drinking. The mercenaries could be easily identified by their loud voices and rowdiness. While travelers were less rowdy, they would also join the mercenaries'' discussions from time to time.


    Ss and Gage sat in an empty seat over the bar and ordered some booze.


    "Full house tonight, master?" Ss greeted the owner of the pub, who served them some booze.


    The owner was a middle-aged man with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was an amiable person that when you talked to him, it felt like you were talking to an old friend.


    "Hahaha. Well, it seems there is a good bounty released today, and thest location of the target is supposed to be near here."


    Ss and Gage exchanged meaningful nces.


    The owner noticed this exchange andughed heartily.


    "Why you two are also mercenaries, so you probably know more than I do."


    Ss smiled and looked at him, "Honestly, we only have the information provided by the guild. We''re here to find out more about what we''re dealing with."


    The owner smiled, "Well, gentleman. Getting information is a little hard right now."


    "Why''s that?" Gage asked.


    Before the owner could reply, a group of men in red uniforms entered. They were men from the Forbidden Magic Control Squad.


    The noise in the whole pub slowly died down as one after another mercenary turned to look at the neers.


    The owner looked at a youngdy beside him and whispered something to her.


    Afterward, the youngdy greeted the men in red and gestured for them to follow her.


    Once the group went up the second floor where private rooms were located, the mercenaries and travelers slowly resumed their affairs. But it was noticeable how the liveliness had lessened.


    The owner then looked at Ss and Gage and smiled apologetically. "As you can see, with the Royal Army, also in town, most of us try to steer clear and avoid getting into trouble."


    Gage frowned, "Why do you have to cower in front of those royal dogs?"


    Ss frowned at Gage''s provocative attitude. His voice was loud when he had spoken, and some mercenaries had looked over at them.


    Good thing the Royal Army was already out of earshot, or else they might have to deal with unnecessary confrontation.


    "Ahaha. I admire your bravery, good sir. Unfortunately, since most here have not been blessed by magic, we have no means to ''stand'' against them."


    "Oh, so a mage is rare in this town?" Ss asked.


    "That''s right. Those who are blessed with magic are usually from the Regis n."


    "Regis... They are one of the oldest noble families in the empire."


    "You know your information, sir."


    "Is Aeren Town part of the Regis n''s rule?"


    The owner shook his head, "No. They pretty much keep to themselves. Every year they will open their gates and ept apprentices, but after that, they just stayed within their estate."


    The owner then had a thoughtful look, "Which reminds me. Justst night, there seemed to be some disturbance at their estate."


    Ss and Gage''s eyes narrowed at this information.


    "Disturbance?" Ss repeated.


    "That''s right. But it onlysted a few hours. Well, it was the young master of the Regis n''s birthdayst night, so it might''ve only been because they were having too much fun."


    Ss smiled meaningfully. "It might''ve been a very big celebration then."


    The owner also smiled. "Indeed."


    ====================


    ''Hm?'' Kyran stirred from his sleep.


    He slowly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. He absent-mindedly turned his head and looked at the bonfire a few feet away from him.


    From opposite the bonfire, a man wearing a big dark cloak sat crossed-legged and seemed to be looking at him.


    Kyran stared dazedly at the cloaked man.


    But then, the memories fromst night came back to him in a rush, and his eyes grew big as he sat upright.<sub> </sub>


    The sudden movement made him dizzy, and he instinctively bent his body and grabbed his head. His head throbbed in pain.


    "Argh," he winced.


    "I''d lie back down if I were you," the cloaked man said, observing him.


    Kyran endured the pain and immediately grabbed the nearest thing to him. He lifted his arm and aimed it at the cloaked man, looking at him threateningly.


    Seeing Kyran''s reaction, the cloaked man sighed. "Seriously? You n on attacking me with that thing?"


    Kyran retained his threatening look but still could not help feeling ufortable after seeing what he had in his hand.


    He had grabbed a¡­ stone.


    Well, actually, it was not even a stone, but a chunk of soil. And because Kyran got flustered, his grip tightened, and it broke, then slowly turned to dust.


    "¡­."


    Suddenly the cloaked man burst outughing.


    "Hahahaha!"


    Kyran reddened and looked around to find a more suitable weapon.


    "Look, if I want to kill you, I only need to leave you alone, and you would''ve died without me doing anything," the cloaked man told him.


    Kyran stopped and looked at him again.


    The cloaked man stared at him as well.


    "Well?"


    "Why did you help me then," Kyran asked, still feeling wary.


    "I want to stay here for the night, and I don''t want a dead body close to me."


    "Why not throw me out. Leave me to die outside."


    "You''d rather I do that then? It''s not toote, though," The cloaked man replied and stood up.


    "Stop! Stay there," Kyran roared when the cloaked man started to approach him. A purple ring appeared on Kyran''s outstretched arm.


    The cloaked man did stop and stared at the purple ring circling Kyran''s forearm.


    ''Such a strange magic array. It does not have any rune writings. Just pure energy,'' he thought.


    "First you say throw you out, then you tell me to stop. Make up your mind, kid," the cloaked man said. Contrary to being angry, he was a little amused.


    Kyran frowned. Honestly, he did not feel any hostility from the cloaked man. But his origin was too ambiguous. Thus Kyran could not let his guard down.


    "I just don''t understand why you''d help me."


    The cloaked man fell silent.


    The burning woods, the crackling bonfire, and the soft buzz of forest insects were the only sounds heard around them.


    For a while, the cloaked man just stared at Kyran.


    He knew the kid''s background was not simple. After all, he was practically dying when he saw him. But while Kyran''s eyes showed hostility, the cloaked man also saw fear hiding beneath.


    He helped this kid on a whim. It was not true that he minded a dead body near him. He had been in many situations where he had to sleep with corpses lying around. Just like what Kyran said, he could have thrown him and just let him die outside.


    But he did not.


    ''Why indeed,'' The cloaked man also wondered to himself. He was not a sympathetic person. Hell, he would not even blink when killing a child if it''s part of his mission.


    But this kid¡­.


    "Do I need a reason to help someone?" the cloaked man answered after a few minutes.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He remained silent.


    "Anyway, if you do not trust me, that''s your choice. I do not trust you either. So we''re even. I helped you just because I''m feeling generous. I do not need gratitude from you either. Now. I will stay on this side; you stay on that side. That way, we would both have our personal space. How about that?"


    Kyran contemted for a while and agreed after a few seconds. "Okay."


    "Good."


    The cloaked man returned to his side and sat down. He leaned back on the wall.


    Kyran watched him in silence. He took a deep breath and tried to check his body''s condition.


    All his wounds, including his broken bones, were almost healed. If the cloaked man attacked him, he was sure he would be able to fend for himself.


    But the cloaked man seemed to be telling the truth and just wanted to rest, so Kyran would not provoke him.


    ''Right, my things.'' Kyran looked around to search for his things.


    "Right side near the trench," the cloaked man spoke.


    Kyran stopped. After looking at the right, he saw his things near the trench. He frowned and looked at the cloaked man.


    "I''m no thief. I don''t even care what a kid like you carries around. Anyway, I''ll take a nap. Don''t make any noise."


    Kyran did not reply and just watched as the cloaked man lowered his head and fell silent.


    ''Is he a friend? Or a foe?'' Kyran wondered.


    ====================


    A few miles away from the cave. One of Dior''s men suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    His eyes grew big as his mini magic detector lit up and detected Kyran''s magic signature nearby.


    He immediately took out hismunication device and sent out his coordinates to Dior and the rest of the team.

 Chapter 8 Four-Colored Ruin Array

    Outskirts, near the Regis Estate.


    Ss was standing on a tree branch, a few kilometers away from the estate''s entrance.


    Gage, on the other hand, was hiding under the same tree.


    "You see anything?" Gage asked.


    "Shh!" Ss hissed.


    Gage frowned. All this sneaking around was not his style, and Ss''s bossy attitude annoyed him. He liked the thrill of not knowing the danger of a mission. And once he encountered a life or death situation, that moment was exhrating to him.


    Today, however, even though he did not like sneaking around, the clues from their conversation with the owner of the pub left him wondering.


    If a disturbance happened in your area, wouldn''t people wonder what happened? Howe the attitude of the owner was uninterested? He even shrugged it off as the Regis people having too much fun because of their young master''s birthday.


    After leaving the pub, Ss immediately decided to check the Regis Estate.


    It was only then that Gage understood that it was not that the owner dismissed the disturbance but that it was a subtle clue for them to check it.


    When he asked Ss about it, Ss just looked at him nkly and just shook his head without a reply. That annoyed him.


    But Gage had to admit that not knowing what they were dealing with would be counterproductive if they met their target.


    After a few minutes, Ss finally jumped down.


    "It''s no good. There are too many officers from the Royal Army guarding the premise."


    "The royal dogs? Why would they be guarding the Regis Estate? Do they have connections with the army?"


    Ss sighed. Sometimes he wondered what Gage''s brain was made of.


    "No, they don''t. Most likely, the disturbancest night had something to do with the Royal Army." He patiently exined to Gage.


    "What business do those dogs have with the Regis?"


    Ss pondered for a moment. He looked in the direction of the estate again. Then he looked at the forest nearby. If his theory was correct, then they might be in a tough spot.


    "The division of the Royal Army we saw at the pub is from the Forbidden Magic Control Squad. Those guarding the gates of the Regis n are part of the Tracking Mages from the same division. It is definitely rted to forbidden magic. Most likely, our anonymous client is a big shot from the Royal Army¨C."


    "What?" Gage roared in anger, interrupting Ss.


    "Shh!" Ss mped his hand on Gage''s mouth. It was actually hard to do since Gage was bigger and taller than him. "Don''t make a sound!"


    "I hate those royal dogs!"


    Ss gave him a deadpan look, "Yeah, I noticed."


    "If I had known¨C."


    "What, you''re going to back out?" Ss''s expression became serious. "You are a mercenary. Once you ept a job, your client''s identity doesn''t matter."


    Gage gritted his teeth. What Ss said was true. It was not the first time he had to ept a job where he disliked the client. As a mercenary, he was paid to do a job, not judge his client.


    Still.


    Ss watched Gage in silence. He understood Gage''s conflicted feeling. He also had reason to hate the Royal Army, but he wanted to know more about their target right now.


    What Ss could understand from the situation was that the Regis n might have practiced forbidden magic, and their target managed to escape with some crucial information. Or the target himself was the one who practices forbidden magic, and the whole n let him run.


    But if that was true, how did the target manage to escape from these men. Why did the Regis n let the target escape endangering all of them in the process?


    Initially, Ss wanted to do this alone. Now, Gage''s inclusion would increase his chances of dealing with uncertainties in this job.


    "Listen. Let us put behind us who our client is now. What we can do is proceed with the job and see how it goes," Ss tried to convince Gage.


    When Gage did not reply, Ss added.


    "Our target is someone the Royal Army wants. Whether we proceed with his capture or not, we can decide aftering in contact with him. I do not know how deep your hatred is to the Royal Army, but if this person managed to ruffle the feathers of that big shot from the army, then maybe we can use him against them. What do you think?"


    Gage finally loosened a little and looked at him. After a few seconds, he finally nodded and agreed.


    "Fine."


    Ss smiled, "Alright. Then let''se up with a n."


    ====================


    Back at the cave.


    Kyran finished checking his things. Sure enough, none was missing.


    He looked at the cloaked man again.


    The cloaked man had his back on him as hey on the ground. Kyran was not sure if he really was asleep or not.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran took out a piece of bread and dried meat from the pouch. Then he started to eat.


    Oddly, he did not feel that hungry even after all the things that happened. The white potion''s effect was really too good, although he suffered from it as well.


    Once Kyran finished eating. He thought about leaving some food for the cloaked man as thanks for saving him but dismissed the notion right away.


    The cloaked man said it himself. He did not need his gratitude.


    Securing the pouch on his belt, Kyran stood up.


    ''Better leave while I am ahead,'' he thought.


    As he walked toward the entrance, however, the whole cave trembled.


    ''What''s happening?'' Kyran thought in rm.


    "F*cking hell! Can''t a person get a decent sleep around here? " The cloaked man suddenly roared.<sub> </sub>


    He sat up and turned to Kyran.


    Kyran looked at him in return, "I didn''t do it."


    "Did I say you did?" the cloaked man retorted.


    Before Kyran could reply, the tremor worsened. The cave''s ceiling started to show signs of crumbling.


    The cloaked man cursed as he stood and ran outside.


    Kyran also followed.


    What greeted them outside made their scalp go numb.


    Array after array circled above them. The color of the arrays ranges from green, blue, yellow, and red, from the smallest at the center to thergest that covers arge area.


    If this work was seen in town, people might find it beautiful. However, the effect of this array was far from beautiful.


    Kyran felt cold. He was sure he warped quite a distance. How did they arrive so quickly?


    "Damn it," he cursed under his breath.


    The cloaked man heard this and looked at Kyran. He saw a faint purple ring appear underneath his feet.


    "Stop, you idiot!" the cloaked man shouted and immediately grabbed Kyran.


    "Don''t you even recognize that array? That is a tier four multiple array, the Four-colored Ruin. That array will target anyone who uses magic outside its calction, and huge magic energy will attack and destroy the caster!"


    Kyran was stunned, "What?"


    The cloaked man frowned. The moment he saw Kyran''s magic array, he felt something amiss. He ignored it because he did not care at the time. Seeing Kyran''s reaction, he was now 80% sure that this kid had no idea how to apply calctions when using his magic. Thus, his magic has no rune writing and cannot be considered an array.


    Before the cloaked man could say more, a soft hum vibrated from the array.


    "Shit!" he eximed. "They want to force-activate the array! Those f*cking assholes."


    The cloaked man started to run.


    Kyran also followed.


    ====================


    A few miles away from the cave.


    Dior and his men stood below the center of the array.


    They formed a circle around Dior while they summoned their magic.


    Dior, on the other hand, was staring at the mini magic detector in his hand. Just a few seconds ago, it lit up and pointed in a direction.


    He sneered and looked in the direction where the magic signature appeared.


    "Activate the array!" hemanded.


    The array above hummed as all his men urged their magic.


    Dior also summoned his magic and connected the coordinates from the magic detector to the array''s center.


    His eyes glowed red.


    Concentrated magic slowly formed at the center of the array.


    "Fire!"


    The concentrated magic sted at the coordinates that the magic detector showed.


    ====================


    From Kyran and the cloaked man''s side, they saw the iing attack from the array.


    ''Oh shit,'' the cloaked man hissed.


    He knew he would not make it outside the attack''s range. Therefore, he decided to stop and face the iing magic. Fog-like shadow seeped under his cloak.


    But just as he was about to urge the shadow to fill the area around him, he saw Kyran face the attack as well.


    What surprised him was the resolute expression on Kyran''s face as he lifted his right hand toward the iing attack. The strange purple rings appeared from his wrist.


    The purple rings surged forward and expanded vertically in front of Kyran.


    ''Holy shit,'' the cloaked man''s eyes grew big as he saw a vertical fissure appear, tearing at the space from the center of the purple rings.


    The air around Kyran crackled as the fissure expanded. He gritted his teeth as the attack from the array above hit the fissure.


    The cloaked man braced himself as the magic attack and the fissure met. To his shock, the magic attack seemed to enter the fissure, and the impact he was expecting did note.


    ''What in the world...?'' The cloaked man stared at Kyran''s back in disbelief.


    ====================


    From Dior''s end.


    ? All of them were dumbfounded.


    They waited for the st to appear once the magic attack hit the coordinate''s location. But the st did note. Instead, the magic attack started to fade.


    ''It''s him! He''s really there!'' Dior was furious.


    "All of you prepare for another attack! Wait for my signal," hemanded.


    Dior did not wait for his men to reply, he immediately rushed toward the direction where the magic attack vanished.

 Chapter 9 Ambush

    Dior used multiple speed spells as he rushed at the coordinates shown by the mini magic detector. He noticed a slight change in the coordinates from the first time it appeared. Aside from that, he was forced to activate the array earlier because the boy''s magic signature was too weak for it to react.


    "It was as if he was about to use his magic, but then he stopped," he said under his breath.


    It made him wonder whether the boy knew what the array could do.


    Dior shook his head. "Impossible."


    If the boy knew, he would not have stopped midway in using his magic. Not unless someone told him to stop.


    ''Is he with someone?'' Dior''s eyes narrowed.


    The magic detector had not detected another magic signature. So, the possibility of another person with the boy was close to nil.


    ''But not entirely impossible,'' he thought.


    ==================


    Kyran fell to his knee as soon as the attack from the four-colored ruin disappeared into the void. He was breathing heavily, and beads of sweat trickle down the side of his face.


    The amount of magic from the attack unexpectedly was too enormous for Kyran.


    If it were not for the cloaked man''s actions earlier, he would not try this move.


    Kyran''s initial n was to warp outside the array''s range and flee. But then the cloaked man summoned those ck mist as if to defend against the attack, and Kyran was included in his activation range.


    ''Did he want to protect me?'' was the first thought that came to Kyran. Because of this, he abandoned his initial n to flee and wondered if he could counter the array''s attack using the void.


    Somehow, he knew he could do it. And he did. Except he did not know that he would be exhausted after just one attack.


    "You. What the hell did you do? What magic was that?" The cloaked man asked Kyran one after another.


    Kyran turned to look at him, still breathing heavily.


    Before he could say anything, a voice magnified by a sound spell boomed.


    "Kyran Regis! Last night you managed to escape, but not this time. Surrender to the army!"


    Kyran frowned, ''Last night? But¡­.''


    Didn''t he escape from them a few hours ago?


    Then it hit him. When he took the potion, he fell unconscious for a whole day! No wonder the army was able to catch up to him.


    ''Regis? Army? Did he mean the Royal Army?'' The cloaked man frowned and stared at Kyran.


    He was not an idiot. The moment he saw the array, he thought of four possibilities why it would appear here and for what reasons.


    First, his enemies might have found him and nned this ambush. Naturally, this was the least possible reason because he was confident in concealing his tracks.


    Second, the people who arranged this array were mercenaries after the One Million High-Grade Spirit Stone target. They might have found him, but he resisted. Now both he and the kid got tangled with their confrontation.


    The cloaked man dismissed this possibility because one of the job''s requirements was to capture the target alive.


    This setup was clearly overkill.


    Third, this could be a war between two big families.


    At first, the cloaked man thought this was the most likely reason.


    Andst, the kid he met was a fugitive, and the people who were after him got wind of his location, and now, they had caught up.


    Now, this was second only to the cloaked man''s most likely reason. However, his intuition told him this was closest to the truth from the words shouted just now.


    Did he get involved in the situation between the Regis n and the Royal Army?


    Kyran gritted his teeth.


    While the cloaked man seemed friendly, though he was strange and had a vulgar tongue, Kyran knew what might happen if he revealed his magic. Not everyone was like his n, who would willingly endanger themselves for his sake.


    Moreover, the unknown factor of not knowing what happened during a whole day frightened him.


    With a deep breath, Kyran steeled himself and stood up.


    Turning his back to the cloaked man, he said, "You might not need my gratitude, but l am grateful to you for saving me. With this, we''re even."


    Without waiting for a reply, Kyran jumped up toward a nearby tree and left.


    "Oi!" the cloaked man shouted.


    ''That damn brat! What even? You f*cking did this on your own. I did not ask for it!'' He cursed.


    Still, he somehow knew the kid did not want to implicate him if those guys from the army saw them together. So, he just took off while making sure to annoy him.


    ''You could pretend to have no idea what was happening here, but you just had to admit to everything by doing this. Such an idiotic kid.''


    The cloaked man balled his fist. He remembered the words the person who shouted had said. His eyes glinted.


    He hesitated only for a second before he turned and left opposite Kyran.


    ==================


    Kyran took a small bottle of light pink liquid out of his space pouch. He opened it and drank all its content before stuffing it back inside.


    Immediately, his body was rejuvenated.


    What he took was a low-grade stamina potion. He did not need to be cautious when drinking this potion because he was pretty familiar with it. He drank loads of this potion when he participated in a training camp at the military school.<sub> </sub>


    He looked up and saw the arrays overhead. His brows furrowed.


    ''The strange uncle said this array will target any magic used outside its calction. Does that mean the other side cannot use their magic as well? Or is the use of their magic part of its calction? Damn it. I don''t know how magic array works.''


    He jumped down a tree and continued to run ahead. But a whistling sound rushed past his ear, followed by a searing pain when a sharp object hit the back of his right shoulder.


    Kyran winced and immediately rolled to the side and hid behind a tree.


    He saw four more arrows glinted through the night as they hit the ground where he was earlier.


    ''Damn it,'' Kyran cursed as he took out the arrow that hit him.


    He felt a burning sensation spread from his shoulder to his arm.


    ''The arrow''s poisoned!'' He realized.


    Taking out another small bottle of light green liquid, he immediately drank it and stuffed the bottle back into the pouch.


    It was a good thing he checked his items earlier. He also arranged them to make it easy for him to take items out when he needed them.


    A rustling sound came from opposite to where he was hiding.


    Steeling himself, Kyran stood up as quietly as possible and went the other way.


    Because of this attack, he was at least 90% certain that the other side could not use their magic as well.


    ''Well, if it''s just physicalbat, then I''d be more than happy to entertain these guys,'' Kyran thought resolutely.


    Right now, he was itching for a good fight.


    ==================


    Dior mmed his fist on a nearby tree.


    Once again, he had lost the boy''s tracks.


    When he arrived at the location, the boy had already left. He already expected it, but since the boy left in a hurry, Dior thought he would leave some obvious tracks.


    ''The boy sure is capable. A military school student... It seems they are training their students too well,'' he thought.


    "You can try to hide! But within this array, you cannot escape!" Dior shouted once more, magnifying his voice with a sound spell.


    "You sure like to use sound spells when talking to yourself. Is this your fetish?" A deep voice spoke from behind.


    Dior''s danger rms went off. He instantly cast his magic arrays, summoned his mes as he turned, and attacked the owner of the voice behind him.


    The mes struck the trees, and the area instantly caught fire.


    "Fire mage, huh. And with a fiery temper. Too bad you''re male. I don''t mind a female fiery-tempered fire mage." The voice spoke again.


    "Show your damn self!" Dior roared. Two huge mes appeared from both his hands.


    "No way. I can annoy you just by doing this. Why should I show up and endanger myself?"


    "You!" Dior urged his magic.


    A huge red magic array appeared beneath him. mes erupted from him, incinerating everything within 10 meters around.


    "Since you can use your magic without rousing the four-colored ruin array, it means you are the one who can control it."


    Dior''s eyes narrowed, "You''re also a mage."


    "Hahaha! What else would I be if not a mage?"


    "You are not our target, so I''ll forgive you for being disrespectful. Leave this ce at once."


    The voice did not respond.


    The crackling of the fire was the only sound resonating around Dior.


    When he thought the disrespectful man had left, Dior lowered his hands and undid his magic.


    "Humph," he sneered.


    He turned around.


    "On second thought, I''d rather continue being disrespectful. Uwa, such a mouthful to say. Just use rude, yeah?"


    ck fog engulfed the whole area.


    Dior''s eyes grew wide, "How?"


    "You know the w of this Four-colored Array? It will only react when it detects magic. But what happens if you can ''hide'' your magic?"


    "You!"


    Fog-like shadow enveloped Dior, and the ground he was standing on turned ck. He immediately summoned his magic, but.


    "Iron Maiden!"


    ck spikes appeared from the ground piercing Dior''s body.


    "Argh!" he screamed.

 Chapter 10 Retaliation

    Kyran silently hid above one of the trees.


    He watched as three men wearing green uniforms appeared below.


    "My arrow hit him. He can''t be that far," the man holding a crossbow said.


    "We did find the arrow, but there is no clue which direction he went." Another man said. He held a spear in his hand.


    A man with a melee weapon frowned. "Captain said he''s abat specialist from the military school. He may know a body technique to endure poison."


    "It''s possible. The poison is not that strong, just enough to numb the senses. Even if he can endure and cover his tracks well, he''s bound to make a mistake at some point. Let''s go," the man with the spear spoke again.


    The two nodded.


    ''Now''s my chance,'' Kyran thought as soon as they went past his hiding spot.


    "But, for someone poisoned, he sure managed to hide his tracks well."


    Kyran slid down the tree and stealthily went behind the man with the spear. With agile movements, he closed in on the man, grabbed the chin and back of his head, and snapped it.


    "Hm¨C !" the man could only give a muffled cry before he passed out and let go of his spear.


    ''One.''


    Kyran anticipated this. He deftly caught the man. Then he used the arched portion of his foot to prevent the spear, from hitting the ground. Immediately lifting his foot and catching the spear with his right hand.


    After that, heid the man on the ground and followed the other two.


    "Doesn''t matter. As long as the array is activated, he''s as good as caught."


    The two kept on talking and did not notice what happened.


    "What do you mean about that?" Kyran asked.


    "What? Did you forget?" The man with the crossbow slowly turned. "Captain Vera included an istion array around ¨C what the hell ¨C !"


    Kyran shifted his weight to the left side holding the spear. The moment the man faced him, he swept the spear and hit the side of the man''s body. Without breaking his momentum, Kyran stomped his right feet on the ground and forcefully hurled the man toward a tree.


    "Argh!" the man hit the tree.


    "When did you!" the man with a melee weapon already turned after hearing the noise and immediately rushed to attack Kyran.


    Kyran turned his attention to the other man. He lifted the spear and blocked the man''s attack using the spear''s shaft.


    Due to the force of the man''s attack, the shaft broke into two.


    Kyran immediately tossed the part with the de and retreated, while keeping the other end of the spear.


    "Where''s Den?" the man demanded and rushed to Kyran once again.


    Kyran jumped to avoid the man''s attack.


    The man''s fist hit the ground, and the area exploded.


    ''Such a heavy blow!'' Kyran was shocked. He only witnessed such strength from some of his instructors at military school. And those guys were huge menpared to this army person.


    The man looked up and red at Kyran, "I don''t care even if you are a student at the military school! I''ll show you what abat mage can do!"


    He jumped, arching his back to add momentum to his fist and punch toward Kyran who was still airborne.


    Kyran dragged the broken shaft and countered the man by hitting his fist.


    Because of Kyran''s counter, the man''s punch was deflected a few millimeters.


    "Rawrgh!" the man bellowed and prepared a follow-up attack using his other fist.


    Kyran switched to backhand and countered the man''s other fist as well.


    "What!" the man was shocked at how adept Kyran responded to his attack.


    With Kyran managing to counter the attacks, the man revealed an opening.


    Immediately, Kyranunched his right knee and hit the man''s stomach.


    "Uff!" the man was thrown backward.


    All this happened too fast and in the air.


    The moment Kyran hit the ground, the man had flown a few meters away and hit his back on a tree.


    Kyran did not go after him, instead, he went back to the man with the crossbow.


    This man had just regained his senses after hitting the tree. But before he could stand, Kyran appeared and bashed the broken shaft on his head.


    "Ack!" the man fell down and lost consciousness.


    ''Two.''


    He finally rushed to the man with the melee weapon.


    The man had just started to get up on the ground when Kyran appeared.


    Without waiting for the man to react, Kyran also bashed the man''s head.


    The man fell face-first on the ground. "Ugh!" the man also lost consciousness.


    ''And that''s three,'' Kyran thought and finally gave a sigh of relief.


    He remembered what the man with the crossbow had said and looked up at the array above.


    ''So, this array had an istion array? And because of this, I am as good as caught, was it? These arrays sure areplicated,'' he sighed.


    "You can try to hide! But within this array, you cannot escape!"


    The voice from earlier shouted once again.


    Kyran frowned and looked up. He could not pinpoint the location of the voice, but it seemed closer.


    ''I wonder if he''s that captain Vera these guys mentioned,'' he wondered.


    Even though he was not knowledgeable about arrays, in theory, anything that was created will lose its effect if the creator was gone.


    ''If I managed to knock him out, will this array be destroyed? Or do they use some kind of mechanism to create the array so whether the creator is gone or not, it will not be affected?''<sub> </sub>


    Kyran sighed again. He really hated not knowing the answers to his questions.


    Dismissing the idea of confronting the owner of the voice, Kyran made a mental note to study arrays after he escaped.


    =========================


    Vera stood near the edge of the Four-colored Ruin Array.


    She was paying close attention to any movement that would appear near the array''s edge. With the help of the istion array, she could detect and prevent anyone and anything that would try to leave.


    "Hm?" one of her men frowned. This man was looking at an orb. Currently, it was showed few small dots moving around.


    "What?" Vera asked without looking. She clearly heard the concern in the man''s voice.


    "Captain, three of our men seemed to have stopped moving."


    Vera frowned and looked at him, "For how long?"


    "Going three minutes," he answered.


    "Just three minutes? Why are you making such a fuss," Vera raised an eyebrow.


    "But earlier, they seemed to be moving at a very fast pace."


    "Moving at a fast pace, then stopping for three minutes? Did they change direction?"


    "Indeed, they had changed direction quite a few times before stopping."


    Vera looked at the orb and fell silent. After a few seconds, she nodded and said, "Give me the coordinates. I''m going in."


    "Yes, Captain."


    =========================


    Dior fell to his knees. Blood gushed out from where the ck spikes had pierced his body.


    The cloaked man hiding in the shadow was amazed. He thought his attack would kill this man. He did not expect this man to end up only suffering from severe wounds.


    "Phew! You have such good magic defense."


    "I''ll kill you!" Dior shouted. Three red magic arrays appeared and circled around his body. His eyes zed red and mes started to envelop him.


    "I''ve heard that a lot of times. Yet here I am."


    "You talk too much! Show yourself and fight like a man!"


    "Oh, so you''re going that route." The cloaked man sneered. He was never insulted whenever someone says a provocation at this level. To him, it actually sounded childish. Clich¨¦ even.


    "Rawrgh!" Dior roared. The mes around his body ignited. But because of this, his wounds were aggravated, and he vomited blood.


    The cloaked man chuckled. "Easy there. Did you really think that my attack will be that simple?"


    "Don''t care!"


    Dior sted his mes indiscriminately around him.


    ''This guy has gone nuts,'' the cloaked man thought. Shaking his head, he finally revealed himself. He could not let this guy burn all these poor trees.


    Dior turned to his right and saw someone appear shrouded in a ck mist.


    "Now you show yourself! Die!"


    Without further ado, Dior rushed toward the ck mist. His fist was zing.


    "Tsk. Idiot," the cloaked man said.


    As soon as Dior entered the mist, the ck mist turned to small sharp needles.


    Amidst these needles, the cloaked man stood.


    "ck Rain!" he said, and the ck needles attacked Dior.


    "me Barrier!" the mes around Dior''s body created a defensive shield around him. Even then, he was not able to block all the needles. His clothes tore from the onught, and he suffered a lot of cuts.


    Ignoring the cuts, Dior urged the mes around and encircled the cloaked man.


    "Burn!"


    The cloaked man sneered, "Too predictable."


    The cloak the man was wearing suddenly moved and circled him.


    "Reinforce!"


    Soon the cloak hardened and blocked the mes.


    Dior''s eyes widened. ''Is that a magic item?''


    Their attack stopped at the same time.


    Dior stood his ground. He was already covered in blood, but his eyes showed a determined look.


    The mysterious man stood opposite him. His cloak still circling around him, but this time its texture has returned to normal.


    Dior stared at the man''s face and was surprised.


    The mysterious man looked young, around histe twenties to early thirties, though he had light grey hair.


    Contrary to Dior''s initial impression, the man did not look gruff. He actually looked ''cleaner'', with short hair, dark eyes, and just a few days old stubbles on his face.


    But Dior was not surprised about the man''s cleaner appearance. He was surprised because he recognized this man.


    "To think I''ll be able to meet a High Master Abjurer. No wonder your magic can be hidden."


    "Oh?" the man sneered. "It seems you know who I am. But seriously, did you really think that''s the reason why the array did not detect my magic?"


    "Isn''t it? Why don''t you enlighten me, ck Steel Nn?"


    The man named Nn smiled. But it wasn''t a friendly smile. In fact, it held a sinister feeling.


    "Well then. Seems like I can''t let you go now," he said, his murderous intent suddenly exploded.

 Chapter 11 Black Steel Nolan

    Dior''s eyes glinted. He did not expect to meet a High Master Abjurer in this forest.


    Even as a member of the Royal Army, and having absolute authority in the empire, there were still people whom they avoid offending.


    First, the Conve. The second was the Three Noble Families of the empire, andst, the mages whose magic attainments had reached Master and above level.


    In the empire, a person first needs to be registered as a mage in order to be epted in magic school. After graduation, they will automatically be promoted to Apprentice. Then his attainments will then be assessed after a year, and once he is epted by a Master-level mage, then he can be promoted to Disciple.


    After which,es Paige, then Adept, to High Adept. In order to be a Master Mage, one had to have a meritorious achievement that the empire recognizes.


    That was why the Royal Army cannot offend them.


    Then we have those above Master Mages. These mages were those who already developed their magic and aimed either to be an Abjurer, Elementor, Enchanter, Summoner, or Transmuter.


    An Abjurer specializes in defensive magic. Elementor on the other hand focuses on offensive elemental magic. An Enchanter mage uses control-type magic, they mainly focus on casting charms and illusion. Summoners are mages who make contracts with spirits. Thenstly, Transmuter mages specialize in creation magic.


    Dior was only a Paige-level mage, and his innate magic was a fire element. If he managed to be a High Master, he could be an Elementor, or a Summoner if he were able to make a contract with a fire spirit.


    There are big differences once a mage starts to have their specialization. One is that they no longer need to use arrays. Two, summoning magic can be done without the use of the natural energy of this ne. For example, Dior needs to convert the natural energy of this ne using his arrays to form his fire magic, but once he developed his magic and chose his own specialization, he can control man-made or natural fire or if he has a fire spirit, his fire spirit will be his fire source.


    ck Steel Nn was like this.


    From the start of their confrontation, Dior did not see Nn use magic arrays.


    Also, Dior knew Nn as a High Master Abjurer. But from what he witnessed; Nn could already be developing his magic as a Transmuter.


    It was not rare for a mage to have more than one specialization, but what was exemry was that Nn was only about thirty years old and yet he already developed his innate magic to this level and start to learn his second specialization.


    As soon as Dior felt Nn''s murderous intent, he felt cold. He had to save this situation. He could not afford to fail again.


    "Please do not be hasty, Sir Nn. As I said, you are not our target. I apologize for not sufficiently preparing in order to avoid involving unrted parties. I will immediately inform my colleague to let you pass and be on your way."


    Nn''s eyes narrowed, "Why do I feel like you want to get rid of me as soon as possible."


    Dior forced a smile, "Of course not. It''s just that I do not wish to waste your time."


    "Trust me, you''re not. As a matter of fact, I''m actually curious."


    "Curious?"


    "Yeah, you seemed to be desperate to catch this target. What''s his name again¡­ that K-K¡­ something Regis? But from what I saw, this array can kill. So, I am really curious. Why you want to hurt your target. You are not trying to start anything with the Regis n now, are you? They might be a recluse, but they are still one of the oldest noble families in the empire. If you touch one of their own, their people will not sit still."


    Dior suppressed a smile, "Nothing of the sort. As a matter of fact, this has nothing to do with them. You might have heard me incorrectly. We were looking for a fugitive named Kyran Rekkis."


    "Really?" Nn gave a doubtful look. "I''m pretty sure I heard Regis."


    "No, no, no. Definitely, it''s Rekkis."


    Nn smiled, "Is that so? And? What did this ''Rekkis'' person do then?"


    "I''m sorry. This information is confidential."


    "Eh? Tell me. You see, I feel a little bad for nearly killing you."


    Dior''s eyes twitched, but he remained silent.


    "So, I decided, maybe I can help. You know, ''find'' your target. And maybe catch him for you?"


    Dior really did not know how to deal with this guy. If he were not severely injured, he would have escaped the moment he found who he was. Aside from that, although they were talking casually, Nn did not withdraw his murderous intent.


    "I could not possibly trouble you, Sir Nn."


    "Oh, don''t worry. You are not. I''m also here to find someone and adding another one will not make a difference." Nn said, watching Dior''s expression closely.


    ''Find someone?'' Dior''s expression slightly changed.


    And this change did not escape Nn''s eye.


    ''Did he know about the bounty request?'' Dior wondered.


    After all, Nn was known for being unpredictable. Hisst known movement that the Royal Army had recorded was him bing a low-key mercenary.


    ''I''m not sure how the mercenaries reacted to the request, but I''m sure hidden masters will be interested in it. Could he have taken the request and because of this incident, linked our mission here? If he did, he probably did not want us to find the target so he can get the reward.'' Dior sneered in his heart. ''In the end, even a High Master''s dignity is nothing when ites to money.'' He fell silent for a moment. He contemted whether to make use of Nn in capturing the boy.


    Nn on the other hand was waiting patiently.


    What Dior did not know, was Nn had no interest in getting the reward. What he wanted right now was to know the real deal between the Royal Army and Regis n. Of course, he was no idiot. He did not believe Dior one bit about mistaking the name of their target.


    It was true Nn was interested in the bounty that was why he took it, but not because of the reward, but because the target wasst seen near the Regis n.


    "Well, sir Nn. Our target is a little... dangerous. That''s why we have to resort to using this array."


    "How dangerous can your target be?"


    "Very," Dior smiled. "I am not sure if you noticed the attack we did earlier."


    Nn nodded, "I did. That''s why I came here."


    "Then perhaps you noticed that the attack was unsessful."<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, your attack s*cks."


    Dior ignored the sarcasm. "The boy''s magic is very dangerous, thus we resorted to this."


    Nn frowned and scratched his head. He did not like how this guy was talking in riddles.


    "Look Mr. Royal Army guy. I already know which division you are from your uniform. It is rted to forbidden magic. So cut the crap and tell me, what that boy''s magic is."


    Dior fell silent once again. He knew in his heart he must not offend this man. But he also knew the importance of keeping the boy''s information a secret.


    After a few seconds, Dior took a deep breath and finally answered.


    "I''m sorry. That information is confidential."


    Nn sighed. Seriously, this guy... What a very loyal dog.


    The whole area suddenly burst with ck mist.


    "Now this here is aplete waste of time," Nn said. His eyes bursting with cold light.


    Dior''s eyes grew wide and before he could rouse his magic array, the ck mist enveloped him.


    =========================


    Kyran froze as he noticed the array above flickered.


    Slowly, starting from the edge of the array, cracks formed and it started to crumble.


    ''What just happened?'' He wondered.


    =========================


    A few kilometers away from Kyran, Vera stopped as well.


    Her face showed a look of disbelief as she watched the array start to crumble.


    ''Damn it!'' She cursed.


    Immediately, yellow magic arrays appeared and circled her body.


    ''What the hell happened Dior?'' She wondered.


    She raised her hands above and aimed at the magic array. The yellow magic array from the four-colored ruin started to repair itself.


    =========================


    At the same time, Dior''s men below the center of the array also started to rouse their magic and repair the array.


    But all of them had grim looks on their faces.


    =========================


    Kyran frowned when he saw the magic array above started to repair itself.


    ''Ignore it for now,'' he decided and continued on his way.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    The array was still being repaired and Kyran was almost near the edge of the array.


    ''Now how to deal with the istion array?'' He wondered.


    Then he looked up at the array once again.


    ''The guy earlier said the istion array was included around... Did he mean to say around that big array or around this area?'' Kyran sighed. He really hated the feeling of not having answers to his questions.


    After another quarter of an hour, Kyran was only a few meters away from the edge of the array.


    Up until this point, he had not met anyone, which was rming in itself. He did not want to encounter an ambush.


    ''Let''s see what happens first if I do this,'' Kyran decided as he picked up a stone and threw it to the edge.


    "Don''t rouse them, you idiotic kid!" a deep voice hissed near him as the stone he threw crumbled and turned to dust before it went over the edge.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he turned to his left.


    ''When did he ¨C !"


    Suddenly, Kyran was enveloped by a ck mist. It formed as shackles around his body and even his mouth had been covered.


    Kyran struggled, trying to find the cloaked man.


    Yes. He knew it was the cloaked man. He recognized his voice.


    "Stay still or I''ll kill you."

 Chapter 12 Are You Kidding Me?

    Kyran struggled even more, but could not break free from the shackles. He thought of using his magic. He''d rather risk facing the four-colored ruin''s attack than being bound like this.


    "Stop struggling, you idiotic kid. I said I''ll kill you, but I really won''t. It''s an expression. Got that?"


    Kyran''s face was full of dark lines.


    Expression? What was this man saying? They were practically strangers. Why would you use an expression like ''I''ll kill you'' to a person you just met? Wasn''t he being too familiar with him?


    "I''ll release you in a bit. But right now just stay still and don''t make any sound."


    The cloaked man''s voice came again.


    From what Kyran observed, he seemed to be moving. Although he did not feel that he was being carried. It even felt like he was moving in midair.


    "When I release you, can you promise not to run? Nod once if you agree. If not I''ll knock you out."


    More dark lines appeared on Kyran''s face.


    Did he only have two choices?


    "Well?"


    Kyran nodded once.


    "Good."


    The cloaked man did not speak after that.


    Kyran did not know how much time had passed. After a while, they slowed down and finally came to a stop.


    Then he fell.


    "Omphf!" Kyran groaned as he hit a hard surface.


    The man treated him like a piece of baggage!


    "I''m going to release you now. Don''t make any funny moves. Nod once if you understand, stay silent and I''ll let you stay that way until you agree. But I''m telling you, I am not a patient man."


    Kyran sighed. Why did he only have two choices?


    He nodded once.


    As soon as he nodded, whatever was binding his body and covering his mouth and eyes, loosened. He then noticed the ''binds'' turned to ck mist circling around him.


    He observed the ck mist and saw it gathered around the cloaked man.


    The moment his eyes found the man, Kyran had a sudden impulse to escape. He stood up but remained still.


    When they were in the cave, he did not take this cloaked man seriously. Now he felt the man''s domineering aura that was almost suffocating.


    It became clear to Kyran that he could easily be killed by this man.


    The cloaked man was silent.


    Kyran could not see the man''s expression, but he knew he was being watched.


    A portion of the ck mist around the man formed a small chair. He sat while the rest of the ck mist entered his cloak.


    "Now we talk," the man finally said.


    Kyran frowned a little.


    When this man ''caught'' him, he was already expecting a confrontation. He was also mentally prepared to ''remain silent'' even if he was tortured.


    However, while the cloaked man sat on his chair, acting all high and mighty, Kyran did not feel any hostility from him.


    ''Does he really want us to just talk?''


    In order to calm his nerves, Kyran focused his attention on his surroundings.


    It was then that he noticed they were no longer in the forest. He was not sure where they were but it seemed like a ''grey space''.


    Kyran did not know how to call this ''ce'' other than ''space'' because as far as he could see, there was only, grey all around. There was no sky. No trees. No... Anything. Other than the two of them, there didn''t seem to be any other life in this space.


    "Where is this ce?" Kyran asked.


    "My domain."


    Kyran frowned and looked at the cloaked man, "Domain?"


    The man tilted his head. Kyran might not see his expression but he could almost see his exasperated look.


    "You really don''t know anything about magic, do you?"


    Kyran suddenly felt defensive. It was not his fault, okay? It was only recently that he knew he had magic. Also, because of his guilt of not having magic, he avoided anything to do with it. Well, his family also made sure he had no contact with magic, for entirely different reasons.


    Besides, even if he did not try to study magic, he still had some knowledge from military school. After all, asbat specialists, they had to know how to deal with people with magic.


    "I do know... a few things," Kyran replied defensively.


    "Right. You don''t even know something as basic as forming arrays."


    "Forming arrays?"


    "See?"


    Kyran''s eyes twitched. He could almost imagine the sneer on the man''s face.


    "Well sorry for being ignorant."


    "Did I say you are? Such an uncouth kid."


    "I''m not a kid."


    "Compared to me you are. Now let''s stop with the idle chat and let''s get down to business. Tell me who you are."


    ''Here ites,'' Kyran thought and clenched his fist. Although he had calmed down, the man''s aura remained very intimidating. Thus, it took a lot from him to hide his fear, and return the man''s gaze. He had to understand this man''s purpose first.


    "You already know who I am."


    "You really want to y hard to get? Seriously?"


    "I''m not. You act rough and unreasonable, but you seemed like a smart man. I''m sure you already figured out who I am."<sub> </sub>


    "Pfft. Rough and unreasonable, now that''s new. I only ever heard people say how annoying I am or how I talk a lot," the manughed.


    Kyran suddenly felt cheated. Here he was feeling scared and nervous, but this man was very rxed! And it was a little annoying!


    When Kyran remained silent, the man suppressed hisughter.


    "Tsk," the man snorted disapprovingly. "Look, kid. If you take everything that happens to you too seriously, you''ll end up bald by the time you turned 30."


    "...."


    The man cleared his throat and leaned back. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from under his cloak and threw it at Kyran.


    Kyran looked at the paper as it fell in front of him. He took it cautiously and smoothened it. His eyes narrowed as he saw that it was a bounty poster, and his picture from when he was still in military school was on it.


    ''A bounty! They put up a bounty on me... One million high-grade spirit stone!'' Kyran was shocked, but he never showed it on his face. This was the unknown factor he was afraid of. He could not believe that just a day had passed and already, he got a bounty on his head.


    The cloaked man was silent.


    Kyran knew the man was observing his reactions. He did a quick scan of the poster, and found they wanted him ''alive''.


    ''No wonder he did not kill me,'' Kyran thought, feeling a little disappointed. To be honest, he was hoping this man could be an ''unlikely ally''. He was thrown into the world possessing dangerous magic. He got a bounty on his head and now he was a fugitive. Even now, he could barely keep himself safe. What he needed right now was someone who could help him. Or at least, point him in the right direction.


    "You''re a mercenary," Kyran finally said. He looked at the cloaked man, trying to act indifferent.


    "I am," then the man paused. "I am also a mage."


    "I did not ask ¨C."


    "Just saying," the man interrupted him. "I''m not good at remembering faces, but I can at least recognize someone once I get used to seeing their face. The person in that poster is a brat. And you are a kid."


    "Huh?"


    "What huh?"


    Kyran looked at him incredulously, "Is there a difference between the two?"


    "To me it does. A brat is a brat, a kid is a kid."


    So unreasonable!


    "Now, that poster did not say a name. Only that person''sst known location."


    Kyran was dizzy. This man was seriously treating him and the ''brat'' in the poster as two different people?


    "That guy. You know the one who broadcast he was looking for you back at the forest? He said your name is Kyran Regis."


    Kyran''s heart started to beat furiously. He agreed not to do any ''funny moves'' but right now, he could not trust this man. He was in the man''s domain, but he did not believe that he could not escape. At least, when he started to rouse his magic, that was how it felt.


    "I said no funny moves," the man''s voice interrupted Kyran''s thought.


    ck spikes appeared beneath Kyran and pierced his lower legs.


    "Argh!" Kyran groaned and fell. He immediately ced his hands on his wounds to stop the bleeding.


    The tip of the spikes that pierced his legs, turned soft and bound him in ce.


    "I told you we''re inside my domain. I have full awareness of everything that happens here. That also means, any form of magic being roused," the man exined patiently.


    Kyran breathed heavily, the pain in his legs burned. He knew these ck things did not only pierced his flesh, but also his bones. Such piercing power.


    What exactly were these ck things?


    Kyran turned his head and red at the man. But that was all he could do, re at him.


    "I just want us to talk. It''s your choice not to trust me, the same goes for me. But right now, I just really want to understand something. Be a good kid and y along, yeah?"


    Kyran gritted his teeth. He did not reply and instead reached for his pouch. ''Gone!'' He panicked when he realized his pouch was missing.


    "Ah, right," the man then took out something from his cloak.


    Kyran saw that it was his space pouch.


    "I''ll keep this in the meantime. Oh, and also this one."


    The cloaked man opened his left hand. He was holding Kyran''s ne with the two jade rings.


    "Alright. I...I''ll cooperate, just please...please return those," Kyran struggled to speak from the pain.


    "Hm? Seriously? These two are important to you? Tsk, I should''ve used this to threaten you right from the start," the cloaked manined.


    By this time, Kyran was already numb to the man''s antics. Aside from that, he was really scared right now. The man did not even flinch when he attacked. At least he did not attack to kill. If not, Kyran would not even know what hit him before he dies.


    The man then silently stared at the rings in his hand. He took these things earlier but did not really pay attention to them, until now.


    Kyran on the other hand managed to sit up. But he still kept his hands on his wounds to keep them from bleeding.


    "These rings," the man spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Is it yours? Or did you get it from someone?"


    Kyran swallowed to moisten his dry throat, before answering. "It''s a memento... from my parents."


    "Parents?"


    Kyran heard the shock, from the man''s voice.


    "Y-Yes."


    "Well, f*ck me."


    "Huh?"


    "Are you kidding me? This kind of coincidence? Really?"


    "I don''t understand...."


    The man did not reply, he just fell silent. He seemed to be contemting something as he stared at Kyran.


    Finally, after a few minutes, the cloaked man spoke in a very serious tone.


    "Tell me what happened to the Regis n."

 Chapter 13 Can I Trust You?

    When Nn took Kyran''s things, he nned to use them as leverage to prevent him from escaping. He did not even look at what was inside or what it looked like.


    But after checking the jade rings on the ne. He felt his blood run cold. Like when he received a very bad premonition.


    Going back a day before.


    Nn arrived at Finn Town, a town located near the borders of Starhorn. While he was at a pubte at night, he heard the mercenaries talking about a new high reward bounty. The details had not been released, but few factions would willingly pay a huge amount for a bounty. So the next day, Nn went to the nearest Mercenary Guild to have a look. When he found that the target wasst found near the Regis estate, he immediately thought it was the Regis n who issued it. He then deduced that the target could be an apprentice of the Regis n who might have defected and stole a treasure or an important document. That''s why the n was willing to pay such a reward.


    Thus, for old time''s sake, Nn decided to take on the job. This way he would have a reason to visit the Regis estate.


    But after going to the forest, he got lost. Then he found a half-dead kid and got entangled with the Royal Army''s business. At first, Nn was resentful about his luck, but the big guy from the army gave away their target''s name. Kyran Regis.


    It did not take long for Nn to connect the half-dead kid to the army''s target, especially on how the kid, had reacted.


    From what he understood of the situation, and from what he got from the big guy from the army, Kyran was wanted because of his magic.


    But what Nn failed to understand was why the Regis n did not protect Kyran? He knew how protective this old noble family was to their n members. Even more so with this kid being a Regis.


    Then he thought of how the army has been willing to ''hurt'' Kyran just to capture him.


    After which the bounty request came to his mind, particrly on how it stated that they wanted the target alive. This type of condition from a bounty request usually had a hidden message: It doesn''t matter what his condition is, as long as he''s still breathing.


    The simrity of the ''condition'' of the bounty''s target, and the army''s approach in capturing Kyran, was too obvious to miss.


    This was how Nn realized that it was the Royal Army who issued the bounty and not the Regis n. And that Kyran and his bounty target were the same people.


    Nn was left with more questions. Is the Regis n even aware that the army was after the kid? What kind of magic did the kid try to study anyway? If the n was aware of what the kid did, why would the Regis n let him deal with the army alone?  Did they give up on this kid? Why did they decide to give up the kid? Or did something happen to the n that''s why they can''t interfere?


    So after Nn dealt with the guy from the army, he immediately tracked Kyran. He needed answers. And Kyran was his only clue.


    It was easy for Nn to find Kyran because of his innate magic. Once he found him, however, he realized how guarded Kyran was and that it would be hard for him to get the answers he needed without rming him.


    Thus, Nn decided to approach him ''sensibly''. That''s why he pretended to see Kyran and the bounty target as two different people, to give both of them space to maneuver once he asks information about the Regis n.


    Because Nn had no ns in meddling with Kyran''s personal circumstances. He was only interested in knowing the Regis n''s affairs. He got rid of the guy from the army, for this reason, he could not afford the Royal Army to link him to this kid.


    But all this annoying plotting was thrown out the bin the moment Nn got a closer look at Kyran''s rings. He realized he was too naive about everything.


    "Tell me what happened to the Regis n."


    As expected, Kyran immediately mmed up.


    Nn could not me him. He was pretty sensible when he dealt with Kyran''s attempted use of magic. Well, he thought it was a good thing to scare the kid a little.


    With a sigh, Nn threw the ne back to Kyran.


    Kyran did not hesitate to move his hands and catch the ne, even though it would mean his wounds would bleed again.


    But Nn also undid his magic that bound Kyran.


    Kyran gasped in pain when the ck thing that pierced his legs pulled out. He pulled his legs closer just to stop them from bleeding.


    Nn rummaged inside his cloak and took out a bottle with emerald green pills. He took out a pill and threw it to Kyran while saying, "Take that for your wounds."


    Kyran barely caught the pill because he was in pain and a little confused. He looked at the man and then the pill, then back again.


    "Tsk. It''s a f*cking high-grade healing pill. What''s with that look? Can''t you just be grateful?"


    Kyran frowned. He really could not keep up with this man. "If you did not attack I wouldn''t be wounded in the first ce."


    "I warned you not to do any funny moves," Nn retorted.


    Kyran was still upset but finally took the pill. Immediately, his bleeding stopped and he could almost see his wounds healing.


    "Now talk."


    "Why? Aren''t you a mercenary? If you take me to those guys who are after me, you''ll definitely get a good price."


    "Yeah, at least one million high-grade spirit stone."


    Kyran was shocked, "You -."


    "What? I was messing with you earlier. Bite me."


    "If you knew then why didn''t you turn me in?"


    "Now you''re asking the right questions!"


    "What?"


    "Listen, kid. I don''t give a f*cking damn on what your issue is with the army. To me with you running like this without the Regis n interfering meant they gave their consent for your capture. After all who wanted to fight against the Royal Army and shelter someone whose practicing forbidden magic."


    Kyran clenched his teeth after hearing this. He fell silent.


    Nn noticed this.


    "They really give you up?" he was also surprised. This was not the Regis n, he knew.


    "No!" Kyran denied immediately.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed and finally saw the hatred in Kyran''s eyes.<sub> </sub>


    ''No f*cking way.''


    "Tell me what happened," Nn said once again. This time, his voice sounded sincere, even worried.


    Kyran looked at the man.


    ''Can I really trust this man?'' He wondered. After all, this man was too unpredictable.


    Nn sighed. He really outdid himself. He did not expect that his ''annoying plot'' would make this kid more guarded. ''Trust is something you earn and not given, huh.''


    After a few seconds, Nn finally decided. He looked at his hand and started to remove his gloves.


    Kyran who was warily watching the man wondered what he was nning next.


    "What I''m about to show you is top-secret. I''m not showing this to gain even a sliver of trust from you, but show my sincerity."


    Nn tried not to cringe when he said the word sincerity. Not that he was not sincere, just that the word felt foreign to him. He looked at Kyran and showed his left hand.


    Kyran''s eyes widened. He stared at the man''s left middle finger wearing a jade ring that was very simr to his parent''s.


    "Why... how... who...?" Due to his shock and confusion, Kyran could not keep up with the questions that floated in his mind.


    Nn pointed at the rings in Kyran''s hands.


    "This and those rings are a set. There are five in total. Apart from me, and those two there are two other people who possessed it. These rings are tokens. And only the five of us know what it symbolizes, and you don''t need to know that. Just know that I know who owns those rings. In your case, your parents."


    Silence ensued.


    Nn was not a patient man, but he waited for Kyran to digest this information. It only became apparent to him how alone, confused, and scared this kid might be. He was never a sympathetic man so he never cared about other people''s emotions. Except to those few whom he cared about. And this kid''s parents were two of them. Now, this kid... Well, he had not decided yet, but he was willing to hear his story at least.


    Kyran lowered his gaze. He still had reservations with this man, after all, even if he had the same ring as his parents, it did not really prove anything. He might know his parents, but he noticed how the man did not say anything about his rtionship with them.


    However, Kyran felt it would be nice to talk to someone who seemed to have a real concern about his n''s situation. Maybe it was okay to talk to this man. He just had to be careful on how much he should tell him.


    After about five minutes, Nn was just about to run out of patience, but finally, Kyran spoke.


    "The Royal Army raided the Regis estatest night."


    "Raided?" Nn''s eyes narrowed.


    Kyran nodded. "I thought it was just their routine visit. They normally do that once a month, butst night they did it because of...." he took a deep breath, "me."


    "You were studying forbidden magic, did you really think the army would not find you out?"


    "I wasn''t studying it," Kyran shook his head. He hesitated for a second before adding, "I didn''t even know I had magic, untilst night."


    Nn frowned. He was aware of Kyran''s inexperience in magic, but he did not expect him to just know about his magic. Then a thought struck him that almost made his scalp go numb.


    ''His innate magic is a forbidden type?''


    "Wait. You just found out about your magic? Are you f*cking with me?"


    "I''m not!" Kyran hastily answered. He hesitated to tell this particr information because he knew it would lead to more questions. But he also knew this was a piece of crucial information, and whether he could convince this man to ''side with him'' depended on it.


    "My family hid it from me," Kyran exined, full of frustration.


    Nn fell silent. He did not have to hear the rest to understand the whole situation.


    Kyran''s father was also a powerful Abjurer. It would be easy for him to seal his son''s magic in order to hide it. But something happened to the seal. It might''ve weakened and the magic signature leaked, thus rming the Royal Army.


    ''But to weaken a seal made by a powerful Abjurer....'' Nn looked at Kyran thoughtfully.


    In this world, there are three forbidden magic under the high-risk category; Soul Magic, Time Magic, and the most dangerous of all, Void Magic.


    <o>,m Recalling the magic Kyran used to counter the Four-colored Ruin array, Nn already had an idea what type of magic he had.</o>


    ''Cade, just how the hell did you end up with a son, like him?'' He thought bitterly as he remembered his good friend.


    Kyran was waiting patiently for the man to ask more questions. Unexpectedly, the man stayed silent.


    After a few minutes, the man''s next words made Kyran''s heart beat furiously.


    "Show me your magic."


    Kyran clenched his fists. He knew this request woulde but not this soon. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked at the man, his eyes steady.


    "Can I trust you?" he asked.


    Nn stared at Kyran. He saw the determination in Kyran''s eyes and knew that he was willing to fight if Nn showed even a hint of hypocrisy.


    "Probably not," Nn answered straight away. "But right now, I''m all you got."


    Kyran looked at the rings in his hand. And finally, he reached out his left hand and urged his magic.


    Purple rings appeared and circled around his wrist.


    "This is my magic."

 Chapter 14 Legendary Platinum Badge

    In the forest near Starhorn border.


    Instead of going to the coordinates where her men stopped, Vera went directly to the middle of the array.


    The moment she arrived, she noticed the grim look on the faces of Dior''s men.


    "Where''s Captain Dior?" she asked.


    A man near Vera immediately saluted and answered, "Captain went to the coordinates where we fired the array. He told us to prepare for another attack and wait for his signal."


    Vera frowned, "He went alone?"


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "How long was that?"


    "Right after we fired the array, Captain Vera." Another man replied.


    "Give me the coordinates," Vera said, her frown deepened.


    She had three ideas of what might have happened to Dior. One, he met a horde of forest beast and might be wounded. Two, he met some resistance from their target and lost consciousness. Three, and this was the worst-case scenario, the target used his magic and killed him.


    The worst-case scenario, was unlikely because no matter how powerful their target''s magic was, the target was not omnipotent. Dior was a veteran officer, he was not abat mage, but his fire magic was very powerful. On top of that, he had the Four-colored Ruin array at his disposal. Besides, the array did not activate. If the target did use his magic, the array would definitely react.


    ''But Dior did not give a signal to fire the array. Which means he did not meet the target. So what happened?'' She wondered.


    As soon as she received the coordinates, Vera left to find Dior.


    =========================


    Back at Nn''s Domain.


    Kyran silently waited for the man to react after showing his magic. So far, the man seemed to be looking at his hand intently. As if the man was trying to figure something out of it.


    In truth, Nn was dumbfounded at the purple rings. Earlier, he saw Kyran use his magic. He even thought how the array looked weird and that Kyran had no idea how to put calctions in it.


    Seeing the purple rings again, Nn realized that it was not that Kyran did not use any calctions thus making these ''rings'' an iplete array, but that these rings themselves were his magic! He never needed an array to activate his magic!


    What concept was this?


    "Kid," Nn finally spoke after a while.


    Kyran lowered his hand and withdrew his magic. "What?"


    "Tell me the truth. Did Cade groom you behind the Royal Army''s back and make you reach this level?"


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t ''huh'' me!"


    "But you''re not making any sense. What do you mean by my father grooming me to reach this level? What level are you talking about?"


    Nn was speechless. Was this kid an actor or simply an idiot?


    "This!" Nn stood and summoned his magic. Fog-like shadow encircled him


    Kyran just stared at him nkly and Nn had a sudden impulse to punch him.


    "Argh!" Nn growled in frustration and sat back. "You really don''t know anything? And I mean anything about magic?"


    "As I said, I just knew I had magicst night. But I do know a few things... from military school." Kyran added in a small voice.


    Nn leaned forward, "Ok listen. What did you notice when I use my magicpared to other mages you''ve met?"


    "You didn''t have rings."


    "Rings...haha," Nn said begrudgingly. "They are not rings. They are called arrays. In order to use magic, you need the use of arrays. Once you reached a certain mastery of your magic, that''s the only time that you no longer need the use of arrays."


    "I see," Kyran replied and looked at his left hand. He urged his magic again and looked at the purple rings. He frowned. "But why does my magic array look in? The array formed by those men from the army has more writings on it. Is it because I don''t know how to make calctions? You mentioned that earlier."


    Kyran looked at him expectantly like a child eager to learn more things. Nn felt cheated.


    ''This kid really is...''


    "Too annoying!" Nn blurted.


    "What?" Kyran looked at him in shock. He seriously could not keep up with this man''s strange behavior.


    "Tell me what Cade taught you!" Nn demanded.


    "Father? Well, he taught me body-tempering techniques,bat strategies, and some defensive techniques against mages."


    "Wait, what? Are we still on the same page here?"


    "I just answered your question."


    "I asked what magic he taught you!"


    "He didn''t! I already told you, I didn''t know about my magic. My family hid it from me. I also... well, I felt guilty for not having magic, so I avoided reading about it. My family didn''t mind which I was very grateful for during that time... But now I know why."


    "So what, you just bummed around the Regis estate?"


    "I didn''t bum around. Since I don''t have magic, I went to military school."


    Nn stared at him in disbelief.


    ''Seriously Cade, what kind of son have you raised?''


    "Military school, huh? How old are you?"


    "Sev-Eighteen. I just turned eighteen," Kyran said as if to remind himself more than to answer the man. He just celebrated his birthday but because of what happened, it felt too distant.


    "Then you''ve graduated."<sub> </sub>


    "Last year."


    Nn nodded, "Show me your badges."


    In Military school, once you graduated you will receive four badges. It represented a student''s achievement for the past four years.


    Unlike in magic school where a mage would be promoted to an apprentice mage automatically after graduating, at military school, the student''s rank would be determined by the colors of his badge. And once they joined the Empire''s Combat Hall, their rank would be retained.


    "The badges are in there," Kyran pointed at the pouch beside the man.


    Nn looked at the pouch. He raised his eyebrow and looked at Kyran. "Fine," he picked up the pouch and threw it at him.


    Kyran reached out for the pouch. Immediately, the man''s ck mist surrounded him and parts of the mist''s edge turned into des pointing at him.


    Sweat trickled down Kyran''s face, his hand suspended a few inches above the pouch. He looked at the man, "Can you remove these things?"


    "It''s for insurance. Take out your badges," Nn shrugged ignoring him.


    Kyran heaved a sigh. This man was way too cautiouspared to him. Did he really think he would do something behind his back? He tried that once and was attacked right after.


    Shaking his head, Kyran opened his pouch and immediately took out a rectangr container from the inside.


    When Kyran checked the items in the pouch at the cave, he also found a lot of his personal items in the containers. Most items were the ones he used when he was in military school; books, notes, weapons, certificates, maps, etc.


    Kyran ced the container on the floor and pushed it toward the man.


    Nn took the container as soon as it stopped in front of him. He opened it and saw an elegant ck rectangr box. The symbol on the lid was a profile of a two-headed hawk holding a sword and a shield. The eyes were made of specialized red spirit stones. This symbolizes the authenticity of the item. If the items inside were not real, the stones will have no color, if it was in the hands of a person that it did not belong to, it will turn into ck. The owner had to be around for the spirit stones to stay red.


    Of course, there were those who tried to replicate it but failed. After all, it was not easy to create a specialized red spirit stone.


    This fact was just a small detail for Nn. What surprised him was that this was the symbol of the Milfiore Military School that the Royal Family had direct supervision of.


    ''Very Cade-like to hide his own son right under the enemy''s noses,'' Nn thought in amusement.


    Removing the box out of the container, Nn first looked at Kyran, before he opened the lid and looked inside. Immediately after, he closed the lid with a nk expression. Then he started to sweat all over.


    What did he see just now?


    Supposedly, a student would receive four badges after graduating from military school, right? One for each year. Why were there five badges inside? Furthermore, the highest badge the school would give was silver. But the badges Kyran had...


    Silver. White Gold. Gold. Gold. tinum.


    Normally, a military student would get a tin badge for his first year. This is the lowest badge type the military school could issue. Some talented ones would get a bronze badge in the first year. It was rare for someone to receive a silver badge. Clearly, the silver badge that Kyran had was the one he received in his first year. Then after silver was white gold, thenst, gold.


    There were two gold badges inside. Meaning, Kyran already received a gold badge in his third year! He received another gold for his fourth year simply because it was the highest the military, could issue.


    Then what was the tinum badge for?


    This was the legendary tinum badge!


    The origin of this badge was actually top-secret, and Nn found about it by ident. But that was another story.


    This badge was not something that the military could give leisurely. This was an honorary badge that could only be issued by the Royal Family. No one, apart from the military school''s dean and the king of the Ylfaen Empire, would know about the student who received it. This was to ensure that the student could freely choose the path he wanted to take. After all, students at military school were normal humans, and joining the Empire''s Combat Hall was not mandatory.


    Apart from that, a normal human receiving a tinum badge was equivalent to a mage receiving recognition from the empire to be a Master Mage.


    ''Cade... You aren''t raising a son. You are raising a monster,'' Nn heaved a sigh.


    "Is there something wrong?" Kyran asked. He wondered why the man fell silent again and suddenly felt embarrassed.


    When he received two gold badges, Kyran felt that his improvement in the military school for hisst year was too minimal. He was a little disappointed in himself. He remembered the dean giving him another badge in secret because he probably saw his disappointment. Kyran felt bad about it and tried to return it, but the dean just smiled and told him he deserved it.


    To Kyran, the fifth badge symbolizes the dean''s goodwill. After all, he never heard about a tinum badge before.


    If Nn knew what Kyran was thinking right now, he would probably flip.


    Shaking his head, Nn finally said, "Kid. Right now you are a walking catastrophe. Did you know?"


    Kyran frowned. "If you''re worried that I would use my magic¨C."


    "No, idiot. That''s not it," Nn interrupted. "You have a bounty on your head. Mercenaries will be looking for you. If you so much as enter a town, you''ll definitely end up in a fight implicating a lot of innocent people in the process."


    "Ah, that..." Kyran sighed. The man was right.


    "Okay," Nn stood up. "Well, we got off the wrong foot, but let''s start over, yeah?"


    Kyran looked at the man who lowered his hood and finally revealed his face. He was shocked to find a much younger person under the cloak. To be honest, he was actually expecting a man around his father''s age.


    "Name''s Nn. Cade, your father, is my sworn brother. He and I go way back, and we practically grew up together."


    Kyran frowned. In his opinion, Nn was probably in his early thirties. If he really grew up with his father, wouldn''t that mean his father was already in his teens and Nn was just a toddler?


    "But you look too young."


    Nn grinned conceitedly, "Aren''t I? Hahaha!"


    Kyran''s expression turned nk.


    "...."


    Nn cleared his throat. "Once your attainments in magic reached the Magus level, retaining a younger image is a piece of cake."


    "Magus level?"


    "You''ll learn about it eventually. For now, your priority is to learn the basics. You''ve jumped a few levels and if we don''t fix that, your body will not be able to keep up."


    "We?"


    "That''s right. Starting today, I''ll teach you all about magic."

 Chapter 15 Co-Creator Of The Four-Colored Ruin Array

    "You will teach me?" Kyran looked at Nn incredulously.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed, "What''s with that unconvinced look? You think I''m not good enough?"


    "No, just... I heard if a mage finds another senior mage to teach them, then that person bes his master..." Kyran''s voice trailed off.


    A vein snapped from Nn''s forehead.


    "Who wants to be your master! I don''t want to have an uncouth kid as my disciple. I am only teaching you because I owe¨C because you''re Cade''s son. If not, why would I even bother?" Nn snorted.


    ''Besides, with that legendary badge, your status meant you can also take in a disciple if you wanted. Although it only recognizes yourbat attainments, not magic.'' Nn thought.


    Kyran sighed in relief, "Okay. That''s good."


    "Why you little¨C." Nn swallowed the curse he was about to say. This kid got some nerve to annoy him even with his magic ready to pounce him anytime.


    In spite of that, Nn secretly approves of Kyran''s attitude. If Kyran had not enough grit, even if he was Cade''s son, he would sell him out, to the Royal Army.


    "What will you teach me then?" Kyran asked eagerly.


    With a sigh, Nn withdrew his magic and walked over to Kyran. He returned the container and said, "No need to rush. We''ll start the lessons after we leave the forest."


    "We''re still in the forest?" Kyran asked as he took the container and stood up.


    "Why? Where do you think we are? This domain is created in space with the use of my innate magic, once we leave, we''ll be back in the forest."


    "This is space magic? But I thought your magic was the ck mist."


    "You ask too many questions. Anyone can use other magic, as long as they know how to draw its source. And what ck mist are you talking about? Do you think my magic is as crude as mist magic?"


    "It''s not?"


    "Of course not. Only an idiot would think I have ''mist'' magic. There are even those who think I have shadow magic! Idiotic morons."


    =========================


    At an inn at Aeren Town.


    The idiotic moron sneezed.


    "Hmm. Is someone talking behind my back?" Ss wondered as he wiped his nose with a handkerchief.


    Gage raised his eyebrow, "It''s probably just the cold. Such a wuss."


    "Shut up. Go rest first. We still have a lot to do tomorrow," Ss retorted.


    "Yeah, whatever."


    With that, Gage and Ss both left the inn''smon room.


    =========================


    Back at Nn''s domain.


    Kyran frowned.


    At first, he also thought Nn''s magic was either mist or shadow. But he could not figure out how Nn''s magic can solidify and possess strength that could even pierce bones.


    Did it have something to do with the calctions added to the magic array? However, Nn said his magic was neither mist nor shadow.


    Then what kind of magic was it?


    Nn also did not need the use of arrays, making his control over his magic seemed wless.


    Kyran wondered if he would achieve that level. It would be nice if he did. That way, it would be easier for him to ''escape''.


    A thought suddenly popped into Kyran''s mind.


    "Wait. If we''re still in the forest, howe you can use your magic without the four-colored ruin array reacting? Or are we being attacked by the array outside your domain? No, wait, earlier the array seemed to have weakened, is it why you can use magic?"


    Nn was surprised. Because of Kyran''s attainment in military school, he already had an idea of hisbat sense. What he did not expect was that Kyran''s sense might not be limited to physicalbat.


    One of the requirements to be a good mage was having a good memory. But, remembering and understanding was an entirely different thing.


    Earlier, Nn only gave a brief idea of what the Four-colored Ruin array could do, but Kyran was able to remember it and even predict certain conditions that would affect its effectiveness.


    If this kid really learns magic, Nn could not help but look forward to his future. Of course, Nn also feared his growth. After all, the Dark Sage, who shared the same magic as Kyran, was also a promising mage, but he went down the wrong path.


    ''No. There was never a right or wrong path. There is only the path you choose. Even the Dark Sage''s reasons for doing what he did was still being questioned till this day.''


    "Good. You have a good memory. Then let''s have a short lesson. Did you remember the tier level of the Four-colored Ruin?"


    "Fourth tier."


    "That''s right. Meaning, the array will only detect magic up to that level."


    "So if your magic is above the array''s level then it bes undetectable. That makes sense."


    "Yes and no. The limit of magic level that the array would not be able to detect is at least one level above. If the magic that was used in the array is more than one level above, then the array will be destroyed."


    Kyran contemted for a moment before looking at Nn questioningly.


    "Is the level of your magic above the limit of the array?"


    Nn was surprised at Kyran''s question, "Why did you ask?"


    "Well, if you can destroy the array wouldn''t it be faster for us to leave?"


    "To answer your previous question, yes, my magic is waaaaay above it."


    "Then ¨C."


    "Stop. I will not do anything as troublesome as destroying the array."


    "Why not?"


    "Are you kidding me? Why would I expose myself to those Royal Army guys? Do you think mages that could easily destroy an array aremon? Even a lousy four-tier array? It''s not. Those big asses from the Royal Army keep tabs on mages like me."


    Kyran mulled over Nn''s words and said, "So if they linked you to me, they would think that you are going against them."


    "Exactly. At least you''re smart enough. I don''t me you for not knowing about the affairs of mages and the Royal Army, but eventually, you''ll understand these things. Seriously, why did Cade not tell you anything?"<sub> </sub>


    Kyran sighed. That was exactly the question he had in mind. Even at the military school, any news rted to the affairs of mages, the Royal Army, the Combat Hall, etc., was being controlled.


    "Okay. Now that''s settled, I''ll tell you the n."


    Kyran was surprised that Nn already thought of a n. He wondered if Nn already predicted this oue when he ''caught'' him earlier.


    "We go out. You face the co-creator of the array. Beat him up, then we escape. Clear?"


    Kyran felt cheated. He almost admired him for nothing!


    "Why do I have to face him? Wouldn''t it be faster if you do it?"


    "Idiot, if I do that then what would you do? Those guys are after you, why would I work on your behalf?"


    ''This uncle...'' Kyran was speechless.


    Then he remembered Nn''s words.


    "Wait, ''face the co-creator of the array? There was a co-creator? Then, I better look for the creator first before the co-creator, right?"


    "No need. I already killed the other guy, just take care of the other one. Don''t worry, there will not be a third guy, I''m sure of it."


    Kyran froze. Nn talked about killing some guy like he was just talking about the weather. It reminded him how dangerous this man was.


    "What? Cat got your tongue? I''m sure you''ve killed too, while you were escaping and used your magic."


    ''I did,'' Kyran thought, feeling a little nauseous. He actually tried not to think about what happened to the people caught in his magic. But he had to face it sooner thanter. His situation would not allow him to be sympathetic to his enemies. Even his n''s future was unknown in their hands.


    "Alright," Kyran agreed.


    "Then let''s go. I''ll hide while you deal with him."


    "First, we need to find him."


    "Nah. Right at this minute, he''d probably reach our location."


    "Huh? Did you n this?"


    "Of course. I made sure to go back near where I killed the other guy. Knowing the Royal Army, they have each other''s coordinates so it is easy for them to find thest ce their men had been."


    "Go back to the ce where you... Why would you do something as ¨C?"


    "Why not? It''s better to let them think that you killed the other guy," Nn gave a thumbs-up sign.


    "You ¨C."


    "They can''t know about me, remember? Trust me. Right, earlier I told you otherwise. Whatever. I''ll exin more after we deal with this okay."


    "Can''t you just tell me now?" Kyran asked in frustration. Frankly, while his wounds from when Nn attacked him were healed, Kyran was still mentally exhausted.


    While most people would think that talking and sitting were enough to recover your mental strength. Being around Nn to talk to and sit with, had the opposite effect. Just being in his presence was very exhausting.


    "No. I''ll undo my domain now," Nn ignored Kyran as he covered his head with his cloak.


    "Wait ¨C."


    Nn was immediately covered in ck mist and his domain started to crumble.


    Kyran cursed under his breath. He really could not keep up with Nn''s unpredictability.


    [Just do what you have to do, I''ll back you up if needed.]


    Kyran heard Nn''s voice in his head.


    "How''d you do that?"


    [Seriously kid, you ask too many questions. And don''t respond when I talk to you. People might think you''re talking to yourself.]


    "Then how should I respond? Do I just think and you''ll read my mind?"


    [Are you an idiot? Read minds... hahaha... That''s not how it goes. Anyway, focus! I sense a few aurasing.]


    "Wait, few auras¨C?"


    Kyran suddenly appeared in the forest. He immediately noticed that he was pretty close to the cave where he and Nn met.


    ''Here?''


    "Was it you?"


    A woman''s voice suddenly spoke behind.


    Kyran barely dodged the small knife that was aimed at the back of his neck and jumped to the left. After regaining his bnce, he turned to look at his attacker.


    With the help of the moonlight, he saw the back of a woman with lush reddish-brown hair wearing a green uniform. She was holding a knife in her left hand.


    ''A woman?'' Kyran frowned.


    The woman turned and looked at Kyran.


    "Humph. You''re pretty quick."


    [Oh boy. Didn''t expect the co-creator to be a woman. Aren''t you lucky?]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s face.


    "Damn you," he cursed at Nn.


    "What?" the woman red.


    "Ah, no, that''s¨C."


    [Hahaha. Idiot.]


    "Shut up!"


    The woman''s face turned livid. "You''re right. There''s no need to talk. You''ll tell me everything eventually."


    Yellow magic array appeared and circled, starting from the woman''s feet to her knees.

 Chapter 16 Veras Magic

    ''Great, she can use magic!'' Kyran groaned inwardly and immediately hid all items in his hands into his pouch.


    Kyran btedly wondered how Nn knew this woman was the array''s co-creator. To him, there was no clue at all. From his encounter with the three men earlier, he knew that they could not use their magic as well. But that was not the case with this woman. It was probably the same with the man Nn killed.


    [Hey, don''t ck off just because she''s a woman.]


    "I know," Kyran retorted.


    "Humph. Mock all you want, you''ll regret itter!" The woman said and ran at him.


    Kyran was prepared for the woman''s attack. But then, the woman vanished from his sight.


    ''What!''


    [Careful kid, she has space magic!]


    "Space magic?"


    The woman then appeared to his side, her left hand holding the knife aimed at his throat.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed and immediately blocked the attack by hitting her wrist with his forearm.


    The woman''s expression changed, but she did not stop her attack. Using her right leg, she aimed to kick Kyran.


    Kyran who seemed to anticipate the move countered her kick by striking his right palm to the woman''s thigh.


    The woman showed a surprised look as her attack was stopped twice and she almost lost her bnce.


    While the woman was confused, Kyran immediately, grabbed the woman''s forearm holding the knife, with the same hand that pped her thigh. He twisted his body while firmly holding the woman''s arm with both hands, shifting her weight on his back to throw her down.


    "Tsk!"


    A yellow magic array immediately covered the woman''s body. She vanished before she hit the ground.


    ''What an annoying magic!'' Kyran thought and immediately focused his attention on any sudden movement in the surrounding.


    =========================


    Vera appeared on a branch of a tree, a few meters away from behind Kyran. She observed him while controlling her breathing to make sure he would not find her.


    Earlier, when she went to the coordinates Dior went to, Vera found remnants of a battle. However, she only found the aftermath of fire magic and nothing else.


    If Dior fought a forest beast, then there should have been traces left by the beast. But there were none. This meant that he fought something or someone who was able topete with him without the use of any magic and was able to escape.


    Vera ordered two of her men who went with her to search for Dior, while she searched for traces that the ''unknown enemy'' might have left.


    After almost half an hour of searching, she suddenly sensed an aura nearby and went after it.


    Then she found their target.


    The truth, she was a little skeptical if she was the one they were looking for after seeing him. Because the young man in front of her was different from the photos she had seen from the report. This was not a boy, but a man. He was young, but his build was no longer that of a boy. She noticed it the first time she attacked, and more so when he tried to throw her down.


    How he countered her attacks also surprised her.


    She was aware that he was abat specialist, but he was just a student recently. It was not possible for him to fight on par with her who had experienced more life or death battles. But the brief exchange she had with him was solid proof of his strength. Something that Vera could not deny.


    Then she remembered the three men that went MIA. She had yet to confirm what happened to them, but she realized that thest location they were at was not far from here.


    It was not hard to connect that they met Kyran and ended up losing. Then after he took care of them, he and Dior might have encountered each other. Which ended with Dior with an unknown status.


    Vera did not believe that the person who fought with Dior was Kyran. But so far, all unproved pieces of evidence she found all pointed to Kyran.


    ''Doesn''t matter. I''ll make him talk after I deal with him,'' she thought.


    p Then Vera frowned, remembering how Kyran realized what her magic was just after showing it twice.</anda>


    ''Normally, people would think it is only a teleportation spell. Is this guy really a beginner?''


    =========================


    [Interesting. You have some moves kid.]


    "That woman really uses space magic?" Kyran ignored Nn''s taunt and asked.


    [Yeah. I''ve encountered it before, the magic signature is the same.]


    "Magic signature?"


    [Tell youter. Just focus on her.]


    "You''re really not going to help?" Kyran asked in exasperation.


    [Why? When I can enjoy such a good show? Besides, though her magic may seem troublesome, she can''t use it continuously. She just used long-distance space magic not to mention, applied it to her whole body. At most she needed time to recover before she can use it again.]


    "Then I need to force her out before she recovers," Kyran said and started to run.


    Vera was shocked the moment Kyran started running.


    ''You''re not getting away!'' She thought and run after him.


    She was a little annoyed that she was forced to use long-distance space magic to avoid being thrown down. She also did that to reassess her situation, thus she did not regret it. Besides, if she was unable to avoid Kyran''s counter, the few seconds where she would be disoriented was enough for him to give a finishing blow. Once she lost her consciousness, then the four-colored ruin array would be destroyed.


    Still, her magic had yet to fully recover. At most she could only use short-distance space magic. She was notpletely hopeless though, but without a trump card at her disposal, fighting Kyran up close would be harder.


    Vera took out two knives. Yellow magic arrays appeared and circled around the knives as she threw them at Kyran.


    =========================


    [Iing.]


    Nn''s warning made Kyran looked around. He found two knives flying toward him from both sides. He looked at the ground in front of him and picked up a long broken tree branch, preparing to meet the two knives.


    Before he could react, however, the knives disappeared.


    ''What?''<sub> </sub>


    [Don''t look for it using your eyes!]


    Even before Nn''s reminder came to his mind, Kyran already strained his ears for any type of sound.


    He stopped and broke the branch into two, holding one in each hand. Then he braced himself and did a 360-degree turn while skillfully cleaving the branch in his hand, around him.


    [Phew.]


    Nn whistled as he witnessed how Kyran skillfully deflected the knives that appeared from his blind spot.


    ''Hisbat technique is quite good. If he did not apply a strengthening technique to those tree branches, the impact from the knives would''ve broken it.'' He thought.


    The knives lost their momentum and pierced the ground after missing Kyran.


    ''How!'' Vera was surprised. She applied space magic to the knives and activated them while Kyran was in the position of ''countering'' it. She nned to attack his blind spot. But she did not expect that he would easily adapt to the change and sessfully deflect her knives.


    As soon as the knives hit the ground, Kyran also stopped turning. He lifted his head and immediately found the woman''s location a few meters away.


    ''Not good!'' Vera thought and jumped back to another tree branch.


    Kyran immediately ran after the woman. He lifted his right hand and threw the branch he was holding. He twisted his wrist and inserted more force into the throw. The branch flew, but because of the additional strength of the throw, it went past the woman and curved further to the left.


    Vera sneered when she saw the branch missed her.


    ''As expected. He is still inexperienced. He may be good in melee, but he is weak in terms of range attack.''


    [Just where the f*ck were you throwing?]


    Kyran ignored Nn and jumped to the tree''s branch where the woman just left. He gripped the other branch on his left and shifting his weight on both his legs, he bent his knees and jumped toward the woman. The tree branch he was standing on, broke from the force of his jump.


    Vera turned her head and saw Kyran jumped at her, his left hand holding a broken branch was positioned high above his head.


    Immediately, she faced Kyran and sneered, "What can you do with that kind of ''weapon''?"


    Kyran ignored the woman''s mock and cleaved the branch at her.


    Vera stepped on another tree branch. Seeing Kyran''s attack, she bent her knees and jumped back to avoid it.


    But then.


    A smile formed on Kyran''s lips.


    Vera saw this, but before she could react, something heavy came from a blind spot to her right side and hit her head.


    "Ah!" She winced as she lost her bnce in midair. Kyran''s attack also followed, hitting the top of her head with the broken branch in his left hand.


    "Ugh!" Vera grimaced and plummeted to the ground.


    Kyran followed. Not giving the woman a chance to recover, he immediately grabbed her arm and pinned her down on the ground. He rested his right knee just above the woman''s spinal column and exerted a little force on it.


    "Argh!" Vera cried out.


    "Release the array and I''ll let you live," Kyran said and pressed the tree branch he still had at the nape of the woman. He knew it would be faster if he just knocked her out. But somehow he was reluctant to do so.


    Vera tried to re at him. But the smallest movement made her grimace. She could also feel the blood trickling down from the spot where she was hit earlier.


    Now she understood that Kyran''s throw did not miss. He missed on purpose and attacked in such a way that forces her to be in that spot where the branch that supposedly missed would eventually ''appear''.


    "Just kill me!" Vera shouted. The action, however, almost made her pass out.


    "Look,dy. I''m not looking down on you by saying this, but I really don''t want to kill you."


    [Don''t give her a chance to buy time and recover her magic.]


    Nn suddenly spoke. He had been observing from his hiding ce from the time Kyranunched his counterattack. In case there was a need for him to step in. To be honest, he was speechless at what followed after. He was amazed at how fast Kyran coulde up with a strategy.


    However, the moment Kyran tried to negotiate with the woman, Nn snapped awake to remind him.


    Kyran sighed and looked at the woman.


    "I''m sorry," he said, reaching for the back of the woman''s head and chin.


    Before Vera could react, Kyran already snapped her neck. She passed out.


    Kyran stood up and heard cracking sounds above.


    Looking up, he saw cracks appearing within the four-colored ruin array. He heaved a sigh.


    Finally, they could leave this ce.


    The ck mist appeared behind him. It dispersed slowly and revealed Nn, who was also looking at the array.


    "You''re too soft, kid. Don''t tell me you did not kill her just because she was a woman?"


    Kyran turned and looked at Nn. "It''s not that."


    "What then? You fell for her or something?"


    Kyran gave him a nk expression and turned his back to him.


    "No. Although she aimed for my neck as if to kill, I didn''t feel any hostility from her."


    Nn''s eyes narrowed, "No hostility? Well, they still need you alive. She probably just aimed to lethally wound you."


    Kyran shook his head. "That''s not it. I just feel like she was fighting to survive, not to kill. Sorry I can''t really exin it."


    Nn did not reply. He just nced at the woman who was lying unconscious on the ground. He sort of understood what Kyran meant, but at the same time, he was more concerned with his attitude about killing.


    "Remember your position, kid. It''s either you or them."


    Kyran stopped and looked up at the crumbling array.


    "I know."

 Chapter 17 He Is Strong

    The journey out of the forest had been exhausting to Kyran.


    Just when he thought leaving would be easier with the array gone and Nn leading the way, Kyran was thrown into a battle royal.


    Since the array was destroyed, the other members of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad and the Tracking Team of the Royal Army, spread out to look for Kyran and their captains.


    Nn proved to be useless when ites to direction. Everywhere he directed Kyran, they would face a two or three-man team of the Royal Army and Kyran had to deal with them.


    Yes, just him. Because Nn always hid as soon as they see the army. Kyran could only persevere and face them all one by one.


    After almost two hours of non-stop fighting, finally, they were able to shake off the army''s pursuit.


    Once they lost the army, Kyran took the lead in finding the exit. It took him almost an hour to locate a town.


    Nn boasted he could do better, but Kyran was too exhausted to argue and chose to ignore him.


    "Wait," Nn stopped him when they neared the town''s entrance.


    Kyran looked at him, "What?"


    "What do you mean what? Are you too exhausted to forget you are wanted?" Nn replied with a raised brow.


    "Whose fault was it that I am like this," Kyran stopped and retorted while pointing at his pitiful state.


    And he did look pitiful.


    He was still wearing bandages under his clothes, so after battling almost non-stop with the army in the forest, his clothes got damaged thus exposing them. He also had new cuts and some light bruises, thus making him look like he tried to crawl his way out of a grave.


    Of course, Kyran was not really struggling when he fought the army. Even when they could use their magic, Kyran was able to deal with them easily. It was only because there were too many of them.


    "Such a whiny kid. Can''t you appreciate my goodwill? You may have a goodbat sense, but youck real battle experience. When I say real, the real ''kill or be killed'' kind, not those battle simtion you did at military school. Aren''t I a nice person to let you experience it?"


    "I would rather you start teaching me about magic, and experience that," Kyran replied in a deadpan tone.


    "Tsk, tsk." Nn clucked while shaking his head. "So impatient. Anyway, let''s do something about your face first."


    Kyran frowned.


    The ck mist appeared in Nn''s hand. He then lifted his hand and hovered it over Kyran''s face.


    "What are you doing¨C?"


    Kyran wanted to evade the ck mist as it neared his face, but Nn grabbed his shoulder and said, "Stay still. After all that we''ve been through you are still doubting me? Tsk, such an ungrateful kid."


    The ck mist covered Kyran''s face. After a few seconds, it blended into his skin and even turned to the same color.


    What Kyran did not know, was that as soon as the mist had settled on his skin, his face changed.


    Kyran''s ''new'' face had a serious case of e, and his nose was a littlerge. Although his eye color and hairstyle remained the same, he looked like a different person.


    Nn nodded in satisfaction, "Another masterpiece."


    "What?"


    Taking out a piece of broken mirror from under his cloak, Nn gave it to Kyran and said, "You will be Nar, whenever you have that ''face''. But remember, this magic''s effect will only be active if your within my 20 kilometers range. If you go beyond that then... you get the point right?"


    Kyran took the mirror and looked at his reflection. He was shocked at how different he looked.


    He knew about transformation magic. When he was at the military school, they studied how to spot it. But the transformation magic they learned was only applied on weapons, not humans.


    "This is transformation magic, right?" he asked and looked at Nn.


    "Seems you''re not entirely clueless," Nn replied as he took out a folded ck clothe from under his cloak. "Put this on, you seriously need to change clothes. People in town might think your a ghoul who crawled out of his grave."


    Kyran wanted to retort. But instead, he bit it back and just took the clothe from Nn. It was a hooded coat and the size fit him perfectly that Kyran was surprised. He wondered if this was something that Nn used to wear when he was ''younger''.


    How long ago was that?


    "That used to be Cade''s," Nn told him. A hint of nostalgia was heard from his voice.


    Kyran looked at him, "Father''s? Howe you have it with you?"


    "Duh, he gave it to me what else? That coat is a magic item. It was imbued with a certain magic and status resistance. Back when we were still learning magic and the f*cking old geezer brought us into a ruin for training, Cade got that from one of the treasure groves we found. But well, he outgrew it soon so he gave it to me."


    Kyran did not miss the somewhat annoyed yet with reverence endearment in Nn''s voice when he mentioned the ''old geezer'' and wondered if that person was their master.


    "So you and father trained in ruins? Aren''t ruins the empire''s property? How did you guys enter?"


    Nn took back the mirror as Kyran wore the coat.


    "Property my ass," Nn snorted. "The so-called ruins are treasure troves of Master Mages of ancient times. The Royal Family was just a greedy son of a bitch dering its theirs.


    Anyway, save your questions. We''ll talk more after finding an inn to stay. Seriously, I''m exhausted." he added hastily when he saw Kyran was about to ask a follow up question.


    This kid seriously had so many questions!


    After hearing that Nn was exhausted, Kyran felt cheated. But then he remembered, Nn did use his magic to hide. And since he hid almost all the time, just how much energy did he consume to maintain it?


    "Okay," he agreed. He was exhausted too and had no intention of disagreeing with Nn''s suggestion.


    The two of them continued on their way into the town.


    =========================


    At the Royal Army''s basement.


    After almost a day, Gael finally went out.


    The two soldiers stationed at the entrance was different from the ones who received him yesterday. However, because both were wearing metal armor, the changed was not apparent. Besides, all these soldiers knew Gael woulde here often and would stay for hours. Sometimes even days or a week.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, these soldiers did not know what Gael does inside. They only knew that apart from Gael, there were six more important figures of the empire who could go inside from time to time.


    Those people entered from different doors, but all soldiers guarding these entrances were a small trusted group and they were the only ones who knew about it.


    They also did not ask questions.


    "Grand Marshal," the soldiers saluted.


    "Hm," Gael gave a nod to acknowledged the two.


    The two soldiers closed the huge doors.


    Gael left the basement right after and went straight to his office.


    His visit to the room in the basement, had been fruitful thus he was in a good mood. At this time, his only concern was to know if there were any progress in Kyran Regis'' capture. Thus he decided to go to his office rather than go home to rest.


    Gael knew it had only been a day so he really was not expecting much.


    "Grand Marshal," a female officer stationed at the entrance of his office, greeted him as soon as he arrived.


    The woman was in her early twenties, with dark blue short hair and light green eyes, and she wore white and red uniform.


    She did not have a badge on her vest but instead a golden ribbon outlined her coat sleeves. This symbolizes a personnel from the empire''s Combat Hall. She was not really part of the Royal Army but directly reports to the Royal Family.


    People from the empire''s Combat Hall mostly did not have magic, so they worked asw enforcers in towns or in cities.


    However, some promising talents whether they have magic or not could work at the Royal Army''s Combat Specialist Division or even as executive assistant to high ranking officials.


    This was an obvious way of the empire''s Royal Family to keep tabs on the Royal Army''s officials.


    "Ms. Fiona, are there any urgent matters that needed my attention?" Gael asked with a hint of courtesy in his voice.


    "One came this morning from Major Jax of the 3rd Forbidden Magic Control Squad," Fiona reported and immediately handed a rectangr magic device.


    This was an encrypted reporting means by the Royal Army. Only those with the targeted magic encryption would be able to view its content apart from the one who did the encryption.


    Of course, this report had to be checked by Fiona and already knew its content.


    "I''ll look at it in my office, thank you." Gael took the device and entered his office.


    =========================


    After entering the town and finding an inn to stay for the rest of the night, Kyran and Nn huddled up in one of the rooms they took.


    This room was Kyran''s.


    At first, Kyran thought Nn would take the room with two beds that the innkeeper had offered, but Nn simply paid in full for two rooms. The innkeeper gave them two rooms across each other on the second floor of the inn. It was located at the far end of the hall, which both of them did not mind.


    "Okay, it''s prettyte so I''m not going to teach you magic yet. Instead, I''ll answer some of your questions. If I find your questions tooplicated to be exined in few minutes I''ll leave."


    Nn half warned Kyran.


    "I know," Kyran replied with a sigh. He did have a lot to ask, but he was not unreasonable to ask questions that would take Nn hours to answer.


    "Good."


    "Then first," Kyran paused and contemted for a second.


    What he really want to know was the status of his n.


    However, he knew Nn did not have the answer. After all, it had only been a day and the Royal Army might have already controlled the spread of news.


    Still, he wanted to at least have something he could hold on to.


    "Can you tell me about my parents?" Kyran asked and looked at Nn.


    But Kyran was greeted with a nk expression of Nn. He immediately stood up an was ready to leave.


    "Wait, wait! You don''t have to tell me everything! I just want to understand their strength. I mean..." Kyran hastily said then stopped and sighed. "I just want to know their chances... against the army."


    When he parted with his motherst night, the battle had not even reached a critical point between the Regis and the army. Thus, Kyran had no idea who was winning or losing.


    Nn looked at him and heaved a sigh. He understood what Kyran''s worried about, so he did not act like an ass and sat down again.


    "You just need to know that your parents and most of the Regis n''s members are strong. To be honest, I think their position was far better than yours."


    "Really?"


    Nn was about to answer nonchntly but after seeing Kyran''s hopeful look. Even with a new ''face'', he could not help but feel sympathetic.


    ''What''s wrong with me since earlier? This feeling is giving me goosebumps,'' Nnined with a sigh.


    "Yes. I can at least affirm Cade''s strength, if he did not save me back then he would have even ¨C," he suddenly stopped and shook his head. "He is strong. Cade is."


    Kyran frowned. He wanted to know what Nn was about to say regarding his father, but remembering how Nn almost walked out, he did not pursue the topic.


    At least not today.


    "Okay. I''ll take your word then."


    "Of course you should. I never lie."


    "Right, right." Kyran dismissed Nn''s boasting and proceeded with his next question.


    "Earlier, when you saw that woman from the army, you immediately knew she was the co-creator. How did you know?"

 Chapter 18 A Higher Realm

    "You don''t even know something as basic as that? Didn''t they teach you at military school?" Nn asked in surprise. "Just what were those muscle-brains teaching you guys?"


    Nn had little knowledge about the military school''s curriculum. But since they were under the Royal Family, he thought they would at least discuss the structure of the Royal Army''s organization. After all, although the students of the military school did not possess any magic, if they had enough potential, they could still join the army''s Combat Specialist Division.


    "Forget it," Nn interrupted before Kyran could open his mouth to speak."I''m not really asking. It is pure sarcasm."


    With a shake of his head and a heavy sigh, Nn proceeded to answer.


    "It is the badges. In the Royal Army, if one wears a badge you will know their current rank and magic level. In order to create a tier four multiple arrays, a mage''s level need to be at least an Adept. But when I fought the big guy from the army, you know the one who did that voice amplifying thing¨C Oh, right, you did not know him, or did you? Doesn''t really matter. As I was saying, that guy sort of told me that he had a ''colleague'', so I reckoned that since that guy can use magic he was the creator, but because he was only a Captain which is equivalent to being a Paige in terms of mage level, he needed another Paige level officer to create the array."


    Kyran attentively listened to Nn''s exnation. If it were a different person, he would probably get lost the moment Nn talked about the big guy from the army. But Kyran managed to follow.


    ''Is it the same guy back then?'' Kyran wondered remembering the men in red uniform who led the raid at the Regis estate. Hemented that if the guy Nn fought was the same one whom he knew that used fire magic, then it meant that he no longer had a chance to get even. Nn had not been discreet about the fact that he killed him, after all.


    "I see," Kyran nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Now let me give you a brief exnation about the Royal Army''s structure. Right now, it is important that you know this because today will not be thest time you will encounter one. At least when it happens, you can easily decide whether to fight or escape."


    Nn then exined the Royal Army''s ranking system and how to know an officer''s rank just by looking at the badge pinned to his vest.


    There are four types of badges issued by the Royal Army. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. If an officer has a bronze badge, it means he is a Captain and can be given authority to lead at least three teamsposed of four cadets and one lieutenant. A silver badge is given to a Captain after being promoted to a Major. Then a gold badge once he bes a Lieutenant Colonel. Starting this rank, they will be given another gold badge for every promotion; Colonel, Major General, Lieutenant General, Army General, Deputy Marshal. That sums up to six gold badges. Last, the highest-ranking officer is the General Marshal who has a diamond badge.


    Of course, it is not easy to be promoted in the army. Apart from the achievements that they contributed to the empire, their magic attainments need improvements as well.


    For example, a Captain''s magic attainment must be at the Paige level. Then the rest follows Adept, High Adept, Grand Adept, Master, High Master, Grand Master, Exalted, and then Magus.


    In the Royal Army, mages at the Master level can be counted on two hands. There are even fewer above Master''s level. For Exalted mages, there are three, and they are the three Deputy Marshals. Finally, is the Grand Marshal whose at Magus level.


    Kyran was a little dizzy after hearing all this. He did not know that there were too many ranks in the army and levels for mages. But after hearing that there was one Magus in the army and that he was the highest-ranking officer, Kyran remembered something that Nn said when they were in his domain.


    "You are also a Magus, right?" Kyran asked.


    Nn smirked, "What do you think?"


    Kyran did not know how to respond. He saw what Nn could do and yet, he felt that he had not seen everything. He was not confident if that level was enough to judge a mage''s magic attainment.


    It was something that also made Kyran wonder how much one had to go through in order to be promoted to a higher-level mage.


    Then Kyran remembered another detail, from his conversation with Nn.


    "You are at the same level as the highest-ranked officer of the army. Is it the reason why they kept tabs on you?"


    "I liked how you remember all the small detail," Nn nodded approvingly. "Before I answer that, let me ask you first. Do you know how the empire kept records of all the mages in their territory?"


    Kyran knew the answer to this. When he was six he was excited to awaken his magic so he always asked his mother what would happen after he awakened.


    "Every person who awakens their magic has to register at the Mage Hall. Every town has one. This is also to verify their qualifications if they want to enter a mage school after theye of age. But there are those who will not go to a mage school, this is usually the case when a mage is part of a n." Kyran paused, remembering his n. But he immediately pushed the thought at the back of his mind. This was not the time to reminisce and be sentimental. "So it is the n elder''s responsibility to register their mages."


    "Hm, right." Nn nodded. "Now you have to know that not all mages are being watched by the army. Only those with great potential will be closely watched. Of course, in the case where a mage is a te bloomer'' the army''s magic detectors are avable almost in all areas of the empire, so the mage will not really be able to escape their scrutiny. Now, do you know how the army updates the status of mages in their records?"


    Kyran frowned a little. Not because he did not know the answer, but because Nn seemed to turn their conversation with him asking the questions.


    "Well?"


    With a sigh, Kyran answered. "The Mage Hall conducts a yearly assessment, and all the data will be sent to the army."


    Obviously, he knew this because the Regis n''s disciples gather yearly to visit the Mage Hall for their assessment.


    "Right. This is also how the Royal Army recruits new members. Once you be an Apprentice mage, then you can join the army training camp. In magic schools, once a student graduates, he will automatically be promoted to an Apprentice."


    "It''s different in military school?"


    Kyran remembered that a graduate''s rank will be determined after tallying up all their yearly achievements.


    "Very. You can say it''s the privilege of the gifted and the suffering of an ordinary human."


    Kyran fell silent. A couple of days ago, he thought he was just an ordinary human. He knew exactly what Nn meant about privileges and sufferings. But although he found about his magic, he still did not feel privileged.


    "And? Why does the army keep tabs on you then?" Kyran immediately veered back to his original question.


    "Tsk," Nn''s eye twitched. He actually wanted to divert Kyran''s interest to the mage school system and opportunities a mage would have after graduation, so Nn could avoid giving out information about himself. But he underestimated the kid''s ability to focus.


    Nn knew he could ignore this question, but if he wanted to teach this kid, sooner he was bound to know his secrets.


    ''Might as well,'' he thought with a sigh.


    "Remember that I said that the army keeps a close watch to those mages with great potential? I''m supposed to be one of those. But at least, that''s how I let them see it."


    "How you let them?"


    Nn sneered, "Sure. Currently what they know about me is only the tip of the iceberg."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran contemted a little and asked, "Were you able to hide your real information from the army?"


    ''This kid really is something to be able to catch the meanings in between my words,'' Nn thought in surprise.


    "Good question," he smiled cryptically. "Yes, I hid it. Not that any high-level mage can do what I did, but because of my circumstances it is possible."


    Kyran fell silent. What circumstances did one have in order to hide his real information? A lot of possibilities came to his mind. But only one possibility made an impression based on the few details he remembered from all the exchange he had with Nn.


    "Was the army able to update your original record?"


    Nn''s eyes narrowed. ''Interesting.''


    He smiled slyly and asked a question that did not really sound like a question, "What do have in mind kid?"


    Kyran observed Nn''s expression. While it sounded that Nn would immediately strike if he said something wrong, Kyran saw the amusement in his eyes. Besides, he did not summon his ck mist for ''insurance'' this time.


    "You mentioned being able to keep a younger image when you''re a Magus. And this," Kyran pointed at his face. "You can do this with your magic. So I''m thinking, what if your original record has not been updated and what the army currently has is a new one...?"


    Nn burst outughing, "Hahahaha!"


    Kyran was dumbfounded. He did not expect him tough at his ''idea''. He btedly realized how absurd it sounded and felt embarrassed.


    "Ah, Cade you really raised one hell of a monster."


    Kyran frowned, "What?"


    Nn shook his head, "Never mind. You''re right." But he did not borate.


    Kyran did not pursue the topic as well. Nn would tell him if it was necessary.


    Nn suddenly smiled that made Kyran''s insides turn. Not because it was his usual scary smile, but because it looked... humanely. Which was very unlike him.


    "I look forward to your future kid. Maybe you will also reach the higher realm."


    "Higher realm? Isn''t Magus the highest realm?"


    "Of course not. You only touched the tip of the higher realm, when you be a Magus."


    "Then what is the highest realm? Has anyone able to reach it?"


    "Sure. That''s why we know about its existence."


    Kyran was surprised, "Then it is not entirely impossible."


    Nn chuckled, "No. But it is hard. After Magus, there is still the Arch Magus, then Legendary."


    "Yeah, but if there are others who were able to reach it then ¨C ."


    "I never said anything about ''others'' reaching that realm."


    Kyran''s eyes grew wide realizing Nn''s implication.


    "You mean there was only one?"


    "Uh-huh," Nn nodded.


    "Who?"


    "Who else, was there? Apart from the mage who shook the world with his magic." Nn said and pointed at Kyran.


    "The magic which you also possess. The Void Master. The Dark Sage."


    Kyran had goosebumps. Everyone knew about the Dark Sage. The adults in his n usually used him to scare children to sleep early. Although it stopped when he turned six. He knew now that the Regis n wanted to hide everything that had something to do with the Dark Sage because of his magic.


    But knowing that that very mage actually reached a realm that no one did, Kyran could not help feeling awed and at the same time scared.


    ''I wonder what made him that way?'' He wondered as he looked at his hands. ''Does the magic a mage possesses really affect his path?''


    "Now you understand why the army wants to get you so bad? Why they want you alive, well, I have a few ideas. I''m sure you also had yours." Nn interrupted Kyran''s thoughts.


    "Right, we''ll stop for today. Rest up and tomorrow, we''ll go to Starhorn."


    Kyran looked at Nn, who stood up and went to the door.


    "Starhorn? What will we do there?"


    Nn turned to him and grinned mischievously, "We''ll get those army big shots shit their pants."

 Chapter 19 A Familiar Back

    Gael just finished looking into Jax''s report. It mentioned how Vera was able to deduce that the boy might have gone east. Jax emphasized that their top priority was to confirm the boy''s route. He also included possible strategies the team would carry out once they located the boy. There was also an update on the situation with the Regis n members.


    But Gael was not worried about them. At least the army already surrounded the whole Regis estate. What he wanted, was an update regarding the boy''s whereabouts. After all, Jax''s report came in the morning, and it had been almost a day since then. A lot could have happened.


    ''It really will be troublesome if the boy goes east and enters Starhorn City.'' He thought.


    Gael took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair. He stood up and turned to the windows, then he looked at the night sky.


    The moon was still up and countless stars still lingered in the sky. Farther east, a tint of red was slowly blending into the night sky.


    Soon, the sun would rise.


    Gael was already thinking of his next steps once the boy did manage to escape the army''s search and go east. He did not want to expose the Regis incident to the whole army because it would rouse a lot of questions from those people who coveted his position. He specifically did not want to answer the question of why they want to capture, rather than kill the boy. They would never understand his reasons.


    However, Gael needed more high-ranked mages to assist in this operation.


    Suddenly a thought came to his mind.


    ''If I can''t use the mages from the army, then I''ll just have to use the mercenaries.''


    Gael''s purpose of issuing a bounty was to have additional help for the boy''s capture. However, he knew that the mercenaries would not act impulsively. They were more capable and meticulous than what they let on. Right now, he would not be surprised if some mercenaries were trying to find out the origin of the boy. Even though they would not question their client regarding a job, it would be a lie to say they never tried to find more about their target. After all, the reward was too extravagant for such a young target.


    ''I have to force them to speed up their search.''


    Gael smiled as he thought of just how to motivate the mercenaries further.


    =========================


    Before sunrise, outside the border of the Regis Estate.


    Gage was walking toward the entrance to the estate, where two officers from the Royal Army disguised as Regis members, stood guard with staves on hand.


    Last night, when they first scouted the area, the army was still in their uniforms. But Ss deduced that they would eventually disguise themselves as Regis members. He told him not to look at their clothes, but to observe their attitude first to confirm whether they were from the Regis or not.


    From what they found from the people at the inn. The Regis n members were very amiable. They would not attack unless others attacked them first. Even the n members guarding the entrance to the estate would not act rashly even when someone arrived to look for trouble.


    And that was Gage''s purpose foring here. He had to act as if he was looking for trouble.


    ''Damn that Ss. Why do I have to do such a troublesome thing?'' Gageined in his mind. But in truth, he did not mind doing this. At least it was easier than sneaking inside to look for ''clues''.


    When Gage got close to the entrance, the officers moved at once to block him.


    "Stop right there, and state your business. If you don''tply you will be detained right away," the man on the right arrogantly told Gage.


    The man''s tone immediately angered Gage. He did not need to observe further to know these two were not really from the Regis n.


    ''Just the stinksing from their mouths are enough to know they are the army''s dogs,'' Gage thought in anger.


    "Stop me if you dare!" he roared and took his twin axes off his back.


    The expression on the officers'' faces changed as they pointed their staves at him.


    "Unarmed yourself! This is the Regis Estate! You really dare to cause trouble?"


    "Stop yapping ande!" Dark red magic arrays appeared and encircled Gage''s axes.


    Although his twin axes were damaged from his exchange with the cloaked bastard, the sharp ends were intact. That was enough for Gage. He did not need to exert much force to take care of these dogs.


    "Insolent thug!" The man on the left shouted. Both of the officers urged their magic into the stave. Green magic arrays appeared and circled the tip of the staves.


    Gage glowered, "Who are you calling a thug! Punk!"


    mes erupted on both his axes. He jumped and bashed the axes on both men.


    They both blocked the axes using the tip of their staves, but Gage''s force was too much for them.


    "Argh!" they grunted as both their staves were pushed downward and hit the ground.


    The ground also took the brunt of Gage''s attack. Cracks formed on the ground and exploded forming a small crater.


    The two men were blown away by the force.


    From a distance, other patrolling officers, also disguised as Regis n members heard themotion and immediately went to investigate.


    =========================


    While all of this was happening, Ss, who was hiding on a tree branch on one side of the Regis Estate''s wall, was waiting for Gage''s ''sign''.


    "Phew," Ss whistled softly as he heard the noise that he deduced was made by Gage. "I have to apud him for creating such a marvelous distraction."


    More officers disguised as Regis n members run toward the entrance, from Ss''s side. He watched them in silence as they disappeared from the corner.


    After confirming that there were no other officersing this way, Ss jumped down and immediately went to the Regis Estate''s wall.


    He unsheathed his sword and light blue magic arrays simultaneously appeared and circled its des. He pointed his sword at the bottom of the wall and blocks of ice appeared from the ground up to the top of the wall.


    Using this as stepping stones, Ss stepped on the ice blocks and entered the Regis Estate.


    Once he was on the other side, he undid his magic and hid behind some barrels after seeing more officers running toward the entrance.


    Ss heard another explosion and smiled faintly.


    ''He seemed to be enjoying the ''distraction'' he''s doing,'' he thought with a sigh.


    After the officers left, Ss looked at the inner part of the estate.


    ''It seems there are more officers from the army in here. Something really happened, and it doesn''t look good.'' Ss frowned and stealthily went further inside.


    =========================


    Back at the forest. In one of the army tents near where the Four-Colored Ruin Array had been.


    Vera stirred from her sleep.


    ''What...?'' She opened her eyes and saw a somewhat familiar ceiling inside the tent. As she tried to sit, pain shot from her neck.


    "Ugh!" Vera touched her neck and felt a neck brace around it. She also had a bandage wrapped around her head.<sub> </sub>


    Slowly, what happened in the forest came back to her. She sat up and ignored the pain not just in her neck, but all over her body as her blood boil from anger.


    "Kyran Regis!" Vera screamed.


    A female officer, with short brown hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a green uniform entered with a look of concern.


    "Captain Vera!"


    Vera looked at the woman and demanded, "Where is he?"


    The woman''s expression became depressed. She knew who Vera was looking for from the angered expression on her face.


    "We''re sorry, Captain."


    "Argh!" Vera stood up and was about to leave, but the sudden movement made her dizzy and she lost her bnce.


    "Captain!" the woman rushed forward and supported Vera at once.


    "Please Captain, calm yourself. You are injured. If the others did not arrive in time and brought you back here, you might''ve been..." her voice trailed off. Her eyes moistened after remembering Vera''s bloodied face.


    Vera looked at the woman''s expression and softened a little.


    To others, Vera was a strong-willed woman. But she always had a soft spot for her team members.


    "Sorry I worried you, Mika."


    The woman named Mika shook her head. "You''re safe now, that''s all that matters."


    "How''s the search for Captain Dior?" Vera asked, trying to calm herself.


    Mika helped Vera back to the bed.


    "Lieutenant Gianna hasn''te back yet. But until now, we have no clue as to where he went."


    Vera frowned. If by sunrise they still failed to find Dior, they had to consider the worst-case scenario.


    "How about the other three from our team?"


    Mika''s expression became sad, "We were toote."


    Vera clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. The action aggravated her injuries, but she did not care. Her emerald green eyes glinted.


    ''Kyran Regis. The lives you have taken, I''ve taken full note of it. I will make you pay, '' Vera vowed in her heart.


    =========================


    The sun had already risen in the sky when Kyran and Nn arrived at the bustling city of Starhorn.


    Tall buildings were seen everywhere. People were rushing about the street entering or queueing up a store.


    This city was a haven for all merchants and the likes. After all, the Conve of the East main office was based here.


    It was not Kyran''s first timeing to this city. But the first time he went here with his father, they were in an official business of the Regis n, so he did not have time to sightsee.


    Of course, Kyran was not here to sightsee either. He looked at Nn and could not help but break into a sweat.


    "Are we really going to do it here?" he asked.


    "Scaredy-cat," Nn sneered and looked at him from under his cloak.


    Kyran was disguised as Nar.


    Seeing his worried expression, Nn burst outughing.


    "Ahahaha! You look like you wanna shit on your pants!"


    Kyran frowned, "Will you lower your voice?"


    "Listen, kid," Nn patted his shoulder. "What''s the point of shitting your own pants? We''re here to make those people targeting you shit theirs. Rx. You''ll be okay."


    "Easy for you to say. You won''t be doing anything," Kyran grumbled and shrugged off Nn''s hand.


    "What do you mean I won''t be doing anything? Aren''t I going to make sure you don''t get caught?"


    "While hiding."


    "Of course! It''s best to make them think you''re alone."


    Kyran sighed. They passed through a store for tailor-made clothes. The door opened and he immediately avoided the peopleing out from the store.


    Kyran red at Nn. "Just don''t make things worse."


    "Hm?" A young woman who just went out of the store, with wavy long blonde hair, and olive-green eyes, wearing a simple red dress suddenly turned to look at them.


    Of course, Kyran and Nn ignored the young woman''s scrutiny.


    "Ah, such a nag. I promise not to deliberately put you in harm''s way, happy?" Nn red at Kyran.


    "What''s with the deliberately?"


    "Tsk. Don''t mind the small things, geez." Nn said disapprovingly.


    The two of them slowly blended in the crowded street.


    "Millie? What''s wrong?" A woman in her early twenties, with short blonde hair and simr olive-green eyes, wearing a simple light blue dress, stopped and looked at the younger woman.


    The young woman named Millie was still looking at the retreating backs of the two people who were just in front of the store when they came out.


    She was particrly looking at the younger man''s back, her expression was thoughtful. But when she saw his profile she shook her head and looked at herpanion.


    "It''s nothing," Millie replied. "I just thought I saw someone familiar. But it was only his back. It''s not him."


    "I see. Let''s head home first."


    Millie nodded with a smile, "Okay."

 Chapter 20 Mercenary Hall

    Gage spun around with his arms outstretched. His axes zed in angry red mes hitting all iing attacks from the army officers.


    "Hahaha! Weak! So weak!" He howled inughter.


    Almost three hours had passed since he had started his ''rampage''. The front of the Regis estate entrance was already scorched with fire and holes were seen everywhere.


    Bodies were lying everywhere, but they were not dead. Just unconscious.


    Gage was not seriously fighting and he was toozy to kill these dogs.


    "Where''s your leader! Tell your leader toe out! We still have a score to settle!"


    To the army officers, Gage''s words meant that he knew the leader of the ''Regis n'' and he was here to cause trouble.


    However, even if the army''s leader did appear before Gage. What good would it do? Wouldn''t that just expose their disguise? After all, Major Jax was nothing like the Regis n Leader! Apart from that, currently, the highest-ranking officers in their midst was a Lieutenant, and they were tasked to keep watch for any movements inside the Regis estate.


    Of course, this was not what Gage meant. Gage was too immersed in wreaking havoc that he forgot his initial job and simply wanted to butt heads with the army''s ''leader''. If Ss was here, he will still praise him for doing a very good job.


    "Rawrgh!" Gage bellowed as he jumped and bashed his axes at a group of four people with melee weapons.


    The four people jumped back to avoid his attack, but the axes'' mes burst out and they were immediately engulfed by the mes.


    "Argh!"


    "Burn! Hahaha!" Gage shouted as he dropped to the ground, forming cracks from where his feet touched.


    "What are you doing archers! Aim!" Someone from the army shouted.


    Immediately, different elemental arrows flew and fired at Gage.


    "Humph," he sneered and did not move. He simply watched the arrowsing at him.


    All of the officers were shocked as they watched the arrows hit him, but did not even leave a scratch on his armor, even on his skin!


    "Well, that tickles," Gage sneered. Then his eyes turned serious, "Call out your leader now!"


    The army officers immediately backed away from Gage. They were not his match at all!


    =========================


    The Regis Estate had outer and innernds. Its outernd wasposed of barracks and few storage houses. If one was not fully aware of the whole structure of the estate, one would think that the barracks and storage houses were built randomly.


    It was the same with Ss, he also found the buildings in the Regis estate''s outernd excessive. His first impression was that it was built to confuse thieves or bandits, because of its maze-like arrangement.


    And he was partially correct. However, only the Regis Council and the Patriarch knew why it was built that way.


    Still, Ss found its structure intriguing. But while he wanted to learn more, he did not have the time right now. After all, the sun was already up and he was not sure how long Gage could keep the army busy while he searched inside. It had also be harder to keep his presence hidden with all the army officers running around.


    Currently, Ss already arrived near the innernd of the estate. He was hiding behind an empty barracks, looking at the innernd gates.


    His eyes narrowed after finding the Royal Army''s makeshift camp located nearby.


    ''This will be hard,'' he thought, roaming his eyes around the innernd walls.


    Ss understood why the army stayed outside. The inner walls currently had a veryplex defensive array. He was not very knowledgeable about array creation, but he knew this defensive array was probably a tier nine.


    Ss wondered his eyes and captured all the details he could from the surrounding. He already had a few clues to support his theory.


    First, they saw officers under the Forbidden Magic Control Squad in town. Second, the outernd of the Regis estate was full of army officers disguised as Regis n members. Third, the Royal Army had built makeshift barracks near the entrance of the innernd. Last, and this was his biggest clue at the moment, was the remnants of a recent battle around the outer wall of the innernd.


    ''If I am right. The Regis n and the Royal Army had a fight here that night. It involved the Forbidden Magic Control Squad and the Tracking Team. It could mean that the Regis n is practicing forbidden magic and the army made a move against them. But why would the army keep this under wraps? It is not like them to hide their operations when ites to suppressing anyone who practices the forbidden magic. Is it because the Regis n was an old noble family of the empire? No. From what I know, the reason why the Regis n kept to themselves, although their ancestors helped shape the empire to what it is now, was because they do not like how the Royal Family has be. Are they nning a coup?''


    Ss shook his head, ''No. Don''t overthink things. Focus first on the target. I am sure the boy escaped from here that night. How did he escape? Did the Regis n make him, escape? Why let him escape alone? Does the army want the boy because he has the evidence of what the Regis n has been doing here? Why let a boy keep the evidence? Was the boy that capable?''


    Ss sighed, ''Wrong question Ss. They already put a bounty on his head, meaning he is capable enough to escape.''


    Then he frowned, ''But is he really alone?''


    Shaking his head, Ss looked at the defensive array of the estate''s innernd.


    ''It seems the Regis n members are still inside. Now, this has be a battle of attrition. How long their supplies wouldst will be the key. But unless something happens that will make the army leave, the Regis n''s probability of survival was very low.''<sub> </sub>


    Then he thought of something, ''Wait. Could it be that the Regis let that boy escape to find help?''


    Ss immediately dismissed the idea, ''No. I don''t think there will be others who are willing to oppose the army. Ugh! I can''t help but think that there''s a conspiracy to all this!''


    Scratching his head, Ss stood up.


    ''I need to find a way inside. The answers are definitely there.''


    =========================


    Kyran took a deep breath as he stood in front of a huge tall building.


    At present, he was wearing a cloak much like Nn''s.


    Under his cloak, he looked at the building in front of him.


    The building had five floors. Floors from the ground level to the second level all had the same size. The third floor was a few meters small, and the very top floor was smaller. Its outer walls were painted gray with red ents.


    Kyran''s gaze moved higher and read the sign that was mounted on the outer wall of thest floor.


    Mercenary Hall.


    [Just go in. It''s not like anyone will recognize you since the cloak is hiding your face.]


    Kyran heard Nn''s voice in his mind.


    Right now, Nn was ''hiding''.


    Kyran was really curious how he could hide in broad daylight. But after just a day of knowing this man, he already gave up trying to make sense of what he could do.


    "Can I use Nar''s face, first?" He asked in a low voice because he did not want others to think he was talking to them at random. He preferred to let them think he was just mumbling to himself than to get in trouble for saying something aloud that was not really meant for them.


    [No. I told you, we''re going to make those army guys shit their pants. How will you do that if you are in Nar''s face?]


    Somehow, ''Nar'' had be an entity to these two.


    Kyran took another deep breath. His heart was beating furiously as if it wanted to tear off his chest and run away. Well, Kyran did feel like running away right now.


    [Kid. Just remember why we are doing this and what good it will do when we seed.]


    A sudden change appeared in Kyran''s expression.


    "You''re right."


    Yes, if they seeded here today, he might be able to help his n.


    [Good. Remember what I told you. I will wait outside. But don''t worry, I have my ways to know if there is any danger. When that happens, I''ll let you know so you can leave.]


    With a little nod, Kyran finally moved and went up the steps to the Mercenary Hall''s entrance.


    The reason why Kyran was nervous was that he had to do this alone, inside a ce full of mercenaries that were probably after him.


    Since they could not afford to trigger the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array if Nn entered the premise while he was ''hiding'', he had to stay outside.


    While it was true that he could get in normally and keep an eye out for Kyran, Nn would not be able to act without drawing too much attention. And they wanted to keep his involvement with Kyran a secret to the army.


    As soon as Kyran stepped inside the Mercenary Hall, mercenaries who were gathered around the lobby discussing some missions all stopped what they were doing to look at him.


    Kyran did look conspicuous with his ck cloak, and his face hidden under it.


    Ignoring the stares from all these people, Kyran walked to the front desk.


    A woman who was in her early twenties, with a short bob, dark-violet hair, and bright green eyes, greeted him with a smile.


    "Greetings, good sir. How may I assist you today?"


    Kyran looked at the woman and said, "I would like to register as a mercenary."

 Chapter 21 Mercenary Hall Master

    The moment Kyran said those words, all mercenaries nearby sneered.


    They were aware of the process to be a mercenary. The first step was to register at any Mercenary Guild. The second was an actualbat examination. The third was the assessment. And thest step, based on the results of the assessment, was grading.


    It might look simple, but unlike what most people knew, passing all these steps was not easy. There were some who even failed to pass because they did not meet the bare minimum of the requirements when registering.


    Yes, an applicant could fail before even starting!


    The reason why the Mercenary Hall had strict requirements, was because of the benefits they offer and to discourage ''casual'' applicants.


    Being a mercenary was not a profession for all. A lot of the requests the Mercenary Guild received were dangerous. Life or death could be the end result. Of course, these types of requests would only be given to higher grade mercenaries, but that did not mean there was no danger from easier requests. Benefits would be granted, but one had to work hard for it as well.


    The woman smiled at Kyran, "I''d be happy to assist you. Please let me know if you are aware of the requirements you need to present during the registration, if not I can exin it to you and give you enough time to acquire -."


    "That is okay, I have what you need," Kyran interrupted. He took out a container from under his cloak and ced it on the table in front of the woman.


    The woman nodded, "Very well. Let us proceed with your registration."


    "Thank you," Kyran replied.


    The woman opened the container and looked inside.


    Inside were three items: the ck box which contained Kyran''s badges from the military school, an insignia of the Regis n, a profile of a purple dragon with a golden crown, andst, a rolled-up parchment.


    "Oh! You are from the Regis n," the woman said in surprise once she saw the insignia.


    Even the onlookers were surprised.


    What is a recluse old noble family disciple doing at Starhorn?


    "Is there a problem?" Kyran asked.


    Nn warned him to observe the reaction of the person who would do his registration. If that person acted suspiciously after finding out he was from the Regis n, they would have to proceed with n B.


    "Not at all! I''m sorry for raising my voice, it is rare to meet someone from the Regis n here so I was surprised," the woman answered with a hint of excitement.


    Her excitement had something to do with the new high-profile bounty. Although it was only mentioned as a piece of passing information, it did say that the target wasst seen near the borders of the Regis estate.


    Of course, there was also the fact that it was rare for a Regis disciple to want to be a mercenary.


    "I was in the area so I thought, might as well."


    "A smart choice good sir," the woman smiled and checked the parchment next. "If you registered at our branch guilds you will still need toe here for the grading process."


    The mercenaries nearby frowned after hearing the woman. Her tone actually hinted that the man had already passed! They were still on the first step right?


    A rmendation letter presented during registration muste from a figure the Mercenary Hall recognizes. Such figures were either high-grade mercenaries, Patriarchs or Elders of a n, Master level mages, Dean or Instructor from the military school, etc.


    "A rmendation letter from the Patriarch of Regis n," the woman urged her magic. Faint green magic arrays appeared and circted from her hands, then around the parchment. She nodded after a few seconds and smiled at Kyran, "I have confirmed the authenticity of the letter."


    Kyran just gave a small nod.


    "Andst, confirming yourbat attainments." The woman rolled the parchment before returning it inside the container.


    ''Now, this is where it all starts,'' Kyran thought, feeling his heart beat faster as he watched the woman take out the ck box.


    "These are the proof of yourbat attainments from Milfiore Military School?" The woman continued after seeing the emblem on the box. She frowned a little. The rmendation letter, clearly stated that he was a ''mage'' disciple of the Regis n. Howe he presented a bat'' rted proof instead of magic? And why would he learnbat at a different school? The Regis n also had a school forbat.


    "Regarding that, I don''t have proof of my magic attainments so I''ll use the one I got from military school," Kyran exined. Technically, what he said was correct. "Will it do?"


    "Well, since the rmendation letter confirms you are a mage normally we have to check your magic attainments. If you present proof of yourbat attainments, then we will require a rmendation letter from an instructor at Milfiore Military School. But since you mentioned that you do not have proof of your magic attainment at the moment, we can still consider it if the proof ofbat you brought is also from the Regis n."


    The woman gave a brief exnation.


    "Then, please go ahead and check the box," Kyran said. "It has a rmendation token from the Dean."


    Honestly, he did not have one. But Nn told him to say that.


    "Oh, in that case, you should have informed me earlier."


    Some onlookers sneered.


    "I have my reasons," Kyran replied.


    "Apologies, I may have sounded impertinent just now." The woman immediately apologized as she opened the box.


    "I will now confirm proof of yourbat attainments..."


    She froze.


    The onlookers noticed the woman''s expression and wondered what she saw because her color changed from flushed red, bluish, then pale white. It was too vivid that it was impressive.


    "G-Good sir, I will have to ask you to meet the Hall Master. May I please ask for your name?"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. ''I never expected these badges will merit this kind of reaction. My family didn''t even flinch when they saw it.''


    So far everything was going ording to Nn''s scenario.


    To be honest, when Kyran heard Nn''s n, hemented if these badges were that impressive, why not just show it from the start. However, Nn scolded him while exining that they had to highlight his connection and importance to the Regis n first. If not, they would fail to get the intended target''s attention to seed with the n.


    After all, in Starhorn, the Regis n''s reputation was far betterpared to the Milfiore Military School who was directly under the Royal Family.


    "Kyran Regis," Kyran answered shortly.


    All people who heard his name gasped. The woman also almost dropped the ck box.


    This reaction got the attention of almost all the people inside. The other mercenaries could not help but move closer to get a better understanding of what was happening.


    "Y-You are a d-direct member of the Regis family?"


    "I am. The son of the next patriarch."


    The gasped that was heard around was greater this time.


    Kyran tried not to flinch. He was never fond of attention. But he remembered Nn''s devilish grin when he told him that the more the people inside gave a look of surprise the better. So Kyran endured.


    "T-Then please follow me," the woman told Kyran while returning the box to the container and giving it back.


    Kyran simply gave a short nod and took the container. He hid it back inside his cloak.


    The woman looked at a younger woman standing by the bounty board to the right side from the front desk. She hadyered auburn hair and dark brown eyes.


    "H, please keep watch for a while."


    "Y-Yes, sis Marley." H answered and immediately went to the front desk. She was also flustered because she heard everything.


    Marley looked at Kyran and gestured for him to follow.


    ? She led him into a door leading at the back of the Mercenary Hall. They were greeted by two soldiers in ck uniforms.<sub> </sub>


    They walked down a lit long hallway with big doors on each side. After passing four doors, they stopped in front of the fifth door.


    Marley faced the right door before looking at Kyran.


    "Please wait a moment, while I inform the Hall Master."


    Kyran simply nodded his head.


    She went to the door and knocked three times, "Hall Master, this is Marley from the front desk. I have someone with me who wanted to register as a mercenary and he is from The List."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed when the woman mentioned ''the list'', ''What list?''


    After Marley said her piece, silence ensued behind the door.


    Then, a crashing sound was heard before another silence.


    Kyran''s face had dark lines. Just what was that?


    "Ahaha... Apologies good sir, our Hall Master can be very clumsy at times." Marley looked at him apologetically.


    "Come in."


    A woman''s voice came from behind the door.


    "Yes, Hall Master." Marley opened the door and led Kyran inside.


    Kyran entered the room after Marley.


    He found a spacious room inside with lots of books everywhere.


    And everywhere meant, the receiving area''s couches and tables, the floor, the study table, even the end tables had books.


    When Kyran looked at the chandelier above the receiving area, he also found few books stuck between its branches.


    "Please doe in. Sorry for the little mess," the woman who spoke earlier greeted them.


    Kyran lowered his gaze and looked at the woman who approached them from the messy study table.


    He was surprised to find a woman who seemed to be the same age as Marley.


    Half of her wavy silk ck hair was tied in a very intricate yet elegant manner, while half flowed down her back. Her red robe with gold and silver ents hugged her beautiful figure. And her reddish-brown eyes were very captivating.


    Kyran found this woman very beautiful.


    ''Never look into the eyes.''


    Nn''s reminder suddenly came to Kyran''s mind and immediately he lowered his gaze.


    ''Hoo,'' a faint smile escaped the woman''s lips, seeing him pull away from her searching eyes.


    "Hall Master Celine," Marley bowed before gesturing over at Kyran. "This is Kyran Regis, the son of the next patriarch of the Regis n."


    Celine''s eyes narrowed upon hearing this, "Well, well. It has been a while since we had someone from the Regise visit our Mercenary Hall."


    Her voice was very sultry that Kyran found it hard not to ''listen'' to her.


    ''Is it some kind of magic?'' He wondered.


    Celine waved her hand all the books lying around immediately lifted and rearranged themselves back to the bookshelves on one side of the wall. Even the books stuck on the chandelier moved.


    "Please have a seat," Celine told Kyran.


    Marley approached Celine and whispered something to her.


    Kyran noticed a change in Celine''s expression, but it was too subtle it almost seemed like he was mistaken.


    Celine nodded and smiled at Marley, "I''ll take it from here."


    Marley bowed once again, "Then I will take my leave."


    Celine gave a small nod.


    Marley also bowed in Kyran''s direction and left.


    He watched her closed the door, before looking back at Celine, who was silently observing him. She did not even take offense when he did not take her offer to sit.


    "Now then," Celine started and walked over to the couch.


    Kyran followed her with his eyes.


    "You want to register as a mercenary," Celine sat on the opposite couch, crossing her legs. The slit of her robe immediately exposed her long white legs.


    "However, contrary to your initial rmendation letter, you presented a different proof of your attainments."


    "I already exined why."


    "Yes. You do not have it with you."


    Kyran did not reply.


    Celine just smiled and gestured at Kyran to sit. "Please be seated. I feel bad with you standing over there."


    "I''d rather stand, thank you."


    Celine''s smile became more amused.


    "Do you know what that badge meant, Mr. Regis?"


    Kyran tried not to flinch when she called him by hisst name. He somehow felt older.


    "Is answering that part of the registration process?"


    Celine chuckled, "No. I am merely curious."


    "Then please don''t waste my time and just tell me how to continue with the registration. If not, I''ll take my leave."


    "Ahahaha!" Celine suddenlyughed.


    Herughter actually sent a strange sensation all over Kyran''s body.


    She leaned forward and smiled seductively at him. "I cannot decide whether you are being polite or... rude."


    Kyran btedly cursed himself. Nn told him to be firm and stoic. Then he firmly told him to refrain from saying please. But it was a little hard for him. His parents taught him well.


    Suddenly, Celine''s eyes turned bright red. Magic fluctuations appeared in the air.


    "Now Mr. Regis, let''s continue with your registration. Are you here as a Regis mage, or as the Royal Family''sbat master?"

 Chapter 22 Lets Talk

    Kyran clenched his fist. His heart started pounding painfully in his chest and his hands were getting cold. He realized this woman was someone he could not deal with. She gave off the same vibe as Nn. It really was a good thing he was wearing a cloak to hide his expression, else his nervousness would give him away.


    "I am here for myself. Not for anyone," Kyran answered and was surprised to hear his voice did not break.


    The magic fluctuations in the air suddenly froze and Celine startedughing again.


    Herughter this time did not send any strange sensation in Kyran.


    "Very well, Mr. Regis-who-came-here-for-his-self, from your answer I can tell you, you did notplete the requirements that our Mercenary Hall had set."


    "I see. Alright then," Kyran gave a small nod and turn ready to leave.


    Celine almost fell off the couch, "W-Wait! Are you not even going to ask why and try to negotiate?"


    Kyran stopped and looked back at her. He shrugged and answered, "If I did not meet the requirements what else is there to negotiate. Why waste time."


    Celine was suddenly at a loss. She was the Mercenary Hall Master for crying out loud. This man should know that with her position, she could easily detain him just by acting in a manner she did not like. She was also above him in terms of magic attainments. How could he act undeterred in front of her?


    When he managed to avoid Celine''s searching eyes, she became determined to show some of her abilities and pressure him. Clearly, this man had another reason foring here. He imed to want to be a mercenary and emphasized his identity as a Regis, yet he showed his badge from the military school. Initially, she thought he was ordered by the Royal Family toe here. But his identity was very confusing. Everyone was aware of how the Regis n stayed far away from the Royal Family''s business.


    Celine was determined to expose his real motive. However, before she could dig further, he backed out as soon as she said he did notplete the requirements. She did not even say he failed.


    What''s really up with this man? Was she just overthinking?


    Before Kyran could open the door, the magic fluctuations returned.


    "Stop."


    Instantly, Kyran''s hand stopped midway of reaching the door''s handle.


    He frowned as he felt his body feel that strange sensation again.


    "Take a seat and let''s talk Mr. Regis," Celine''s voice no longer had that sultry tone, but instead, amanding one.


    Kyran felt an ufortable weight taking over his body. His frown deepened.


    This was no longer part of Nn''s scenario.


    To be honest, they never nned to get a mercenary license. Being bound by the rules of the Mercenary Hall was not good for Kyran''s situation. Their main purpose ining here was to attract the attention of either the Hall Master or the President of the Mercenary Hall. Nn told Kyran the things he had to watch out for once he met the Hall Master or the President. But after meeting either one of them, it was up to Kyran to keep their interest in knowing his ''story'' and then negotiate. Only by doing this, would he be able to help his n. However, Nn told him that if he found either the Hall Master or the President hard to read, he had to leave. Then they would proceed to n B: Expose Kyran''s face inside the mercenary hall.


    They did not want to do that right from the start because the Mercenary Hall might think Kyran was looking for trouble. But it would definitely get their attention for an entirely different reason and they would do everything to capture him. Of course, Nn would be there to prevent that and then turn the tables. Then they would negotiate. The downside of this, however, the Mercenary Hall would end up being Kyran''s enemy as well.


    Kyran did not want to pretend he was up to no good by revealing his face, but knowing he could not handle the Hall Master''s magic, he would rather do that and let theme after him. At least Nn would be there... hopefully.


    So Kyran decided to leave.


    But...


    ''Nn said he had ways to see if there''s any danger, can he see my situation right now? Does he think this is not a dangerous situation?'' Kyran wondered.


    He wracked his brains for a quick fix to this. It was a good thing that after sensing Celine''s weird magic entering his senses, his magic was able to negate it.


    Celine frowned when Kyran remained standing in front of the door. She clearly used her magic, but this man only reacted to her ''stop''mand. How was he able to resist?


    "Remove your magic," Kyran finally said after deciding to observe the situation first. He looked at Celine once again. "We''ll talk after."


    Celine smiled, "Certainly. I''m sorry for using my magic. You just strike me as an impatient man so I thought this is the fastest way to make you stay."


    Kyran remained silent.


    "Okay. Alright," Celine lifted her hand and waved it once. The magic fluctuations immediately lifted and her eyes returned to their normal color. She looked at Kyran and gestured over the couch opposite her.


    "Shall we?"


    Kyran controlled his breathing. His heart was still beating furiously, but his body was no longer cold. He realized with his magic negating some of Celine''s magic, helped him calm down a bit.


    Without saying anything, Kyran finally walked over to the couch opposite Celine. He flipped back his cloak before he sat down, leaned back, and crossed his arms.


    Kyran''s every move was scrutinized by Celine. His voice gave her the impression that he was probably the same age as Marley at most. She unabashedly roamed her eyes and studied Kyran for the first time.


    He exuded an inexplicable raw power. He had broad shoulders, strong arms, and long legs. He also had just the right amount of muscles, neither skinny nor bulky.


    Celine smiled as her eyes stopped where Kyran''s face should be. She could not wait to see the face hiding under the cloak.


    Kyran tried his best not to flinch under Celine''s probing look. This was one of the things Nn told him to watch out for. The Hall Master had a habit of observing a person''s body because she had a very weird ''appetite''. Nn told him if the Hall Master did this, then it was almost as if they had already seeded.


    Kyran was not sure what Nn meant, but he sort of understood it now. And he was not sure if he should be d or afraid.


    "And? What do you want to talk about?"


    Celine shifted in her seat and rested her crossed arms on top of her leg as she leaned forward.


    "You haven''t failed yet Mr. Regis. If you answered my question earlier and said that you are here as the Royal Family''sbat master, you fulfilled the requirements, but I am afraid we cannot ept you. You have the Royal Family''s tinum Badge, your existence is too special to be in our Mercenary Hall," she exined, her sultry tone had returned.


    Kyran frowned a little. He had always thought the badge was issued by the Dean.


    "If you answered you are here as the Regis n''s mage, yet you cannot provide proof of your magic attainments, then as the Hall Master, I can tweak how you can provide the proof."


    "And why would you do that? You should instead encourage me toe back after I get my proof."


    "Well, you are the son of the next patriarch of the Regis n, and we have always been in a good business rtionship. If I doubt the Patriarch''s rmendation, what will he think of us?"


    ''The Regis has a business rtionship with the Mercenary Hall? What kind of business do they have?'' Kyran wondered. No, this matter was unimportant right now, he first had to direct this situation to their intended result.


    "How do you want me to prove it?"


    "I''m actually going to ask your suggestion."


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll use a method to my favor?"<sub> </sub>


    Celine smiled, "I don''t care. What do you have in mind?"


    "What else is better proof than show it inbat?"


    "You''re right. Butbat is part of the next step."


    "You''re the Hall Master. Figure something out."


    Celineughed. Normally she would be annoyed if others talked to her like that, but right now she was too amused to care.


    "I am starting to like you."


    Kyran did not reply. To be honest, the situation was back on track. But he still had to act indifferent.


    Celine just smiled when Kyran remained silent. She found his indifference, cute.


    Leaning back, Celine took a deep breath and stood up.


    "Alright. You seemed confident enough. To make things ''fair'', I''ll be the one to choose yourbat partner."


    "Please don''t make it an easy win," Kyran said and also stood up.


    Celineughed, "I can''t wait to see you regret those words. Follow me."


    She went out through the door and Kyran followed her.


    They walked down the hallway.


    At the end of the hallway, Celine went in front of a beautifulndscape painting of a castle hanging on the left side of the wall. The frame of the painting had intricate writings on it.


    The tip of Celine''s left pointing finger turned red and she pressed some of the writings.


    A bluish, three-meter wide magic array appeared on the floor where Kyran was standing.


    Celine looked at Kyran and smiled, "I will now transport you to thebat stadium. Yourbat partner will be with you shortly."


    Kyran gave a short nod of acknowledgment. The array, bluish light erupted and enveloped Kyran.


    In a sh, Kyran was transported to thebat stadium on the first floor of the Mercenary Hall.


    After Kyran left, Celine took out her magicmunication device.


    "Dante. There is someone I want you to trash," she said a malicious glint shed in her reddish-brown eyes.


    =========================


    Kyran appeared in a huge white stadium.


    The whole room was brightly lit. He looked around and immediately noticed the galleries upying all sides of the wall.


    The Regis also had a simr stadium forbat practice. But they did not have galleries like the ones here.


    ''Are they treatingbat practices like entertainment?'' Kyran wondered with a frown.


    He sighed and walked to the center of the stadium.


    Although he managed to get to this point, he was still worried. He knew he acted too boldly in front of the Hall Master, and while she acted like she did not care, Kyran faintly felt her vengeful side.


    He had enough of those when he was in military school.


    Closing his eyes, Kyran tried to feel his magic. Nn had not taught him how to properly control his magic yet. But he told him to feel his magic in every way possible. This way he would be able to understand more about his magic''s ''traits''.


    Kyran did not quite understand what Nn meant, but when his magic negated Celine''s magic, he grasped a new understanding of his magic.


    ''For now, it''s too dangerous to fully use my magic. I might end up triggering the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array. But how will I prove I am a mage without using it?'' He wondered.


    Before Kyran coulde up with a solution, he felt a magic fluctuation. He opened his eyes and saw a bluish light appeared near the wall opposite where he was facing.


    When the light vanished, it revealed a buffed tall man with short blonde hair and ck eyes. He wore a ck leather coat under leather armor, and there was a greatsword on his back.


    "Regis, right?"


    "Yes."


    The man smiled. But his smile was not friendly.


    "I am Dante. I will be the one testing your magic attainments."


    Kyran just nodded.


    "Then, are you two ready?"


    Celine''s voice sounded from the gallery behind where Dante was standing.


    Kyran looked up and saw Celine walked over the gallery''s rail looking at them.


    "I am. How about you?" Dante asked Kyran.


    "Just start. Enough talking," Kyran answered.


    Celine smiled, "Then everyone,e in."


    Suddenly all the doors leading to the galleries opened and one after another, mercenaries appeared.


    Once the galleries were filled with spectators, Celine raised her hand.


    "You may now begin."

 Chapter 23 New Void Form

    As Kyran suspected, the mercenaries did enjoy watching a fight even if it was meant to be a practice.


    ''No. I don''t think this is considered a practice,'' he thought wryly after hearing the excited shoutsing from the crowd.


    He stole a nce at Celine and saw her smiling at him as if she was a very delectable dish.


    Kyran gulped. ''This is what uncle meant about her having a weird appetite, huh.''


    "Let''s see what a mage of Regis is capable of."


    Dante said, breaking Kyran''s thought.


    He looked at Dante just as he took off the greatsword from his back and pierced it on the floor.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t use my partner. Let''s fight with pure magic, how about that?"


    "I''m not sure I get what you mean."


    "We simply use magic topare notes."


    ''Yeah, that''s what I''m hoping to avoid,'' Kyran thought with concern. But he still answered, "Sure."


    "Good."


    Without waiting for Kyran to reply, Dante dashed forward. He lifted a hand in Kyran''s direction as light-brown magic arrays appeared and circled his wrists.


    "Break!"


    Kyran braced himself waiting for Dante''s attack. A light-brown magic array suddenly appeared on where he was standing and engulfed him with its light. The floor broke as spike-like earth shoot up to him.


    ''How!'' Kyran jumped, but because he was a secondte to respond, one of the spikes grazed his right leg and he gritted his teeth as the pain prated his sense.


    Dante sneered. He stopped and spread out his arms. Light-brown magic arrays circled his wrists and he shouted, "Burst!"


    Kyran''s eyes grew wide as two magic arrays appeared on both of his sides while he was still in midair. Arrows made from earth magic shot out from the array and attacked him.


    Kyran shielded his head and urged all the defensive techniques he learned from military school as Dante''s attack rained on him.


    "Here''s another one!" Dante stopped and knelt on his knee. He ced both his hands on the ground and shouted. "Crush!"


    Light-brown magic arrays appeared above and below Kyran''s position. A huge boulder appeared on both arrays and pressed on him.


    When all of Dante''s attacks hit Kyran, a huge explosion urred.


    The crowd went wild.


    Dante stood straight with an arrogant smile. He was always a crowd favorite during this kind of ''practice''. His continuous magic attacks had always thrilled them.


    Celine in particr enjoyed the sight of Dante''s opponent after his ''trashing''.


    Today, however, was extra special. She really liked Kyran''s ''body''. Added it to his indifference, she could not wait to see him covered in blood and begging for mercy. She really wanted to see the look on his face.


    ''Yes, the face he is hiding, adds more to the thrill,'' she thought and licked her lips.


    "That hurt, damn it!" Kyran''s voice growled as he shot out from the explosion and flew toward Dante.


    Dante''s eyes grew wide and barely lifted his arms and formed a barrier to block Kyran''s punch.


    "Ugh!" Dante was shocked and got thrown back from the force of Kyran''s punch.


    The noise from the crowd slowly died as they stared at Kyran in shock.


    Kyrannded on the floor with a loud thud and fell to his knee. His right leg was slightly bleeding, his cloak had a few holes and he had little cuts on his arms and legs. But overall, he looked fine.


    Celine''s eyes narrowed. She did not expect Kyran to have such a formidable defense.


    ''But I did not feel any magic from him, is it a pure physical defense?'' She wondered, her smile widening. ''Interesting. But Mr. Regis, you are here to provide proof of your magic attainments, notbat.''


    Kyran on the other hand was looking at Dante.


    A few meters behind Dante, a magic array appeared and a wall made of earth shot up to break his momentum.


    ''What''s that?'' Kyran wondered after seeing a thin light-brown sheen, covering Dante''s arm.


    It was also the one that blocked his punch earlier. When his fist hit Dante, Kyran had the impression of punching a solid surface. ''Is it a magic barrier?''


    Before Dante could even regain his bnce, he already roused his arrays once again.


    "You sure can punch. Are you sure you''re a mage?" He asked.


    Kyran frowned as another array appeared on the spot he was on.


    Pikes made of earth shot out from the array beneath him. He jumped to avoid it, but another array appeared in midair, three feet away from his back. More pikes shot out.


    "Tsk," Kyran was getting annoyed with this random appearance of arrays. He twisted his body in midair and kicked the iing pikes. Another array appeared on top of his head while he was still in midair, and another set of pikes shot out.


    Kyran grabbed a half-destroyed pike and deflected the iing pikes on top of his head.<sub> </sub>


    Dante frowned as he regained his bnce. His arms were still numb from when Kyran hit him. Even though his magic barrier was done hastily, it was still enough to block most high-tier magic. But with Kyran''s punch, even with the barrier, his arms still felt its force.


    ''Is he abat mage? But his movement gives off a seasonedbat specialist. I also did not feel any magic from his punch.''


    "Are you nning to just defend using your physical strength? Need I remind you that I''m here to test your magic attainments?" Dante said as he ran forward.


    The moment Kyrannded on the ground, three more arrays appeared in midair from his back, left, and right. A meter-wide boulders shot out from the arrays and attacked him.


    Kyran simply stood and punched the boulders on each side and kicked the oneing from the back.


    "Sorry, it''s just that your attack is too weak for me to use my magic."


    Kyran did his best not to cringe at his own words.


    What too weak? He could barely avoid them.


    Dante was also able to continuously summon his magic. How was he able to do that? He even created arrays at random spots and direct attacks that are away from him. It was really annoying.


    Then there was also that barrier he used.


    ''Is it a difference in magic level? Or, can magic be applied in different ways, and different forms regardless of one''s magic level?'' A thought started to form in Kyran''s mind.


    A vein popped at Dante''s forehead. It did not help that the crowd erupted inughter.


    "Weak, huh. Then I''ll use more than half of my strength, so you can use your magic." Dante said mockingly.


    He nced at the gallery where Celine was.


    She told him to trash this man, but make sure to keep his limbs intact. After all, he was a Regis.


    ''I don''t think he''d break that easily Hall Master. I''ll have to fight more seriously.''


    Kyran ignored Dante. He was too focused on sorting his thoughts. He remembered how Nn''s ck mist could turn solid and pierce things. Then there was Celine''s magic. He was not sure what her magic attribute was, but he knew that the weird sensation wrapping his body was its form.


    ''Can I also change the form of my magic?'' Even as he wondered, Kyran had already roused his magic in his body.


    So far that was all he could do, circte his magic within his body. Nn said that his rings were conspicuous, and if a Master mage saw it, problems might surface. Inside the Mercenary Hall as well, the amount of magic his rings carried would definitely trigger its defensive array.


    Thus Kyran could only rouse it within his body. To be honest, he was not sure how he could do it, he just knew he could. Anyway, if his idea was correct, his void magic would take a different form. And he would be able to hide it from others.


    Dante frowned when Kyran remained silent.


    "If you''re not going to attack then it''s your loss!" he told him as magic arrays appeared on his wrists again.


    This time Kyran did not focus on Dante''s hands, but on his surroundings.


    Arge magic array appeared on the floor with Kyran in the center.


    Celine''s eyes narrowed as she felt the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array stirred, ''Dante, you''re actually going to use ''that'' here?''


    "Confine!" Dante shouted and eight smaller arrays formed around the outer part of the array. The floor quaked and earth shot out from the smaller arrays, forming a circr wall as if to imprison Kyran.


    Kyran remained still, he was still urging his magic, and at the same time, he also activated the defensive technique of the Regis n that his father had taught him.


    Dante saw Kyran''s attitude and was a little peeved.


    ''Humph. Let''s see if you can use your physical strength to defend from this!'' He thought and mmed his palms together.


    "Erupt!"


    Kyran clenched his fists as the array rumbled around him. Soon,va-like earth appeared and erupted.


    ''Now!''


    Kyran finally released his magic and defensive technique. Small purplish dragon-like scales, formed around Kyran starting from his feet to the top of his head. The speed on how it formed was almost the same as theva-like earth''s rush to smother him.


    The crowd all looked at the scene below in anticipation. It was their first time seeing Dante''srge-scale array. Moreover, hebined two elements, earth, and fire. This was no small feat. Only mages that had reached the threshold of Master Mage would be able to do this.


    Dante sneered as a huge pir ofva erupted from where Kyran was standing.


    Celine stepped closer to the rail. Her eyes were fixed, to Kyran''s location.


    The light from the array dimmed and the wall made of earth started to crumble.


    Then the crowd gasped.


    Dante and Celine also gaped in shock.


    As theva subsided, they all saw Kyran at the center with purple dragon scales dancing around him.


    When theva made contact with these scales, theva would sizzle and vanish.


    Kyran looked at the purple dragon-like scales revolving around him and grinned, ''Cool.''

 Chapter 24 Grit Your Teeth

    ''This... Is this the rumored dragon''s blessing that only selected Regis family members possessed?'' Celine wondered, her eyes twinkled with excitement. She could feel a very profound magic fluctuationing from Kyran''s barrier, that could only be felt from ancient beings.


    It was said that the purple dragon from the Regis n''s insignia was based on a real dragon that the Regis ancestor met. Their ancestor gained the favor of the legendary purple dragons and was blessed in return. As to what this blessing was, apart from the Regis family, no one knew the details.


    What they did know was the future generation of Regis rarely manifested this blessing. Only those truly favored descendant of the Regis ancestor was able to manifest it.


    If Kyran knew what Celine was thinking, he would probably look at her with a deadpan expression.


    As the son of the next patriarch, he knew most of the Regis n''s secrets. That also included the dragon''s blessings.


    Everyone thought the blessing was draconic magic. But it was not. The purple dragons only imparted some of their teachings. Apart from that, the dragons provided the Regis ancestor some of their blood. Because only when a Regis family member took a drop of this blood would they be able to practice and use the dragon''s teachings in realbat.


    At the present time, only selected Regis family members could be taught the dragon''s teachings as well as given a drop of the dragon''s blood. The reason was obvious. The dragon blood the ancestor got was almost exhausted.


    Kyran was one of the few of his generation that was given a drop of blood when he was four. And his father taught him the dragon''s teachings.


    The reason why his void magic took on the form of the dragon scales, was that hebined the defensive technique imparted by the dragons, with his magic.


    There was nothing special about it. Well, at least to Kyran it was nothing.


    "It''s true then, the Regis family did possess dragon magic." Dante was also familiar with the rumour about the Regis n and the dragon''s blessing.


    "No. This is just my magic," Kyran replied.


    "What''s your magic called then. It clearly has a dragon''s attribute," Dante insisted.


    Kyran frowned a little, "Well. My magic... Yeah, good question."


    "What?" Dante frowned in confusion.


    "You said something about using more than half of your strength so I can use my magic, right?" Kyran hastily changed the subject.


    The purple dragon scales around him decreased in size and gathered around his forearms, forming purple dragon-scale gauntlets.


    "I guess it is my turn," Kyran said and bumped his clenched fists together.


    "Turn with¨C?"


    Before Dante could properly form a sentence, Kyran started to run.


    Once again, the crowd''s excitement fired up.


    This time, there were few who were looking forward to how Kyran would use his magic and make ae back while others wanted to see if Dante had more surprises up his sleeves.


    With a vicious glint in his eyes, Dante sneered as magic arrays appeared and circled his wrists. Did Kyran really think he would let him get close to him?


    Several magic arrays appeared on Kyran''s path. As usual, all the array''s locations were random.


    Kyran already expected Dante to make this move to prevent him from getting close. So he nned on trying something out.


    ''Just a little. Let''s try if I can use that,'' he thought and focused on a spot just before Dante.


    He urged the magic in his body, controlling it to not ''appear'' while connecting that spot to his position. But it proved to be very difficult. The magic in his body soon overflowed and a purple ring started to appear on his feet.


    Celine frowned as she sensed the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array stir.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth and immediately stopped.


    The amount of magic he could control was not enough for him to use the void to connect one point to another. If he continued, his rings would start to appear for everyone to see. It would make his effort earlier in creating camouge to his void''s form meaningless.


    "It seems your magic can only be used in closebat," Dante said mockingly.


    The nearest array from Kyran shot out arrows made ofva. Immediately the purple scales around his forearms moved and expanded. It revolved around him as it deflected the arrows.


    Every time an arrow touched a scale, it would sizzle and vanish.


    ''Just now, the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array reacted?'' Celine wondered. Her eyes glinted as she observed the magic fluctuations around Dante and Kyran.


    The Mercenary Hall''s defensive array could detect high magic fluctuation. If the array deemed the fluctuation as a threat it would activate and destroy the source of the fluctuation.


    It reacted when Dante used hisbined magic attack precisely due to this reason. However, since he used his array within the stadium, an area inside the Mercenary Hall that allowed the use of magic to a certain extent, it was deemed by the defensive array as not a threat and only observed. When Kyran used his ''dragon magic'' it did not react because although dragon magic was very old and ancient magic, when used by a human, it could barely manifest 1% of its power.


    But this recent reaction happened right after Dante finished activating several arrays.


    ''Is the amount of magic within those small arrays, enough to stir the defensive array?'' Celine wondered. Impossible. She was sure the magic that caused the array to react was not from Dante''s magic. Then, could it be Kyran?


    She observed the revolving dragon scales around Kyran and felt that profound magic fluctuation. But it was also not enough to stir the defensive array.


    Then who?


    Celine expanded her senses all over the stadium. This way, if anyone used their magic, she would be able to pinpoint its location. After all, the defensive array could only detect the magic once it was activated and not during its initial phase.


    p Kyran soon shortened the distance between him and Dante. All of the attacks were sessfully removed by his magic.</anda>


    ''How can that barrier move like it has a mind of its own?'' Dante wondered in shock.


    When Kyran was only two meters away from him, Dante pped his hands and five magic arrays appeared surrounding Kyran.


    "This ends here!" He said as smolderingva boulders appeared on all arrays and attacked Kyran.


    Contrary to Dante''s expectation, Kyran did not expand his barrier and instead released it.


    Then Kyran vanished in front of him.<sub> </sub>


    "What?" Dante eximed.


    With his right fist raised, Kyran appeared in front of Dante.


    Immediately, Dante created his magic barrier and raised his arms to defend against Kyran''s iing punch.


    "Grit your teeth," Kyran said.


    Bang!


    "Guh!" Dante cried out in surprise and pain. He expected a punch in front, but instead, he was hit in the face by Kyran''s left hook.


    Dante was blown away by the punch''s force and hit the wall to the left.


    In the background, the crowd erupted in excitement. Though most were waiting for more magic confrontations, they also loved to witness a nice physicalbat exchange.


    Kyrannded on the ground just as the smolderingvas from the five arrays Dante created collided and exploded behind him.


    "Phew. That was refreshing," Kyran said. He looked to his right and watched as Dante was buried in the rubble from when he hit the wall.


    Dante slowly emerged from the rubble looking disgruntled with blooding out from his nose and mouth. His right face was also swollen. As he stood up, he spat out a few broken teeth and red at Kyran.


    "Did you really have to fake a punch just tond one on my face?"


    "You''ve been throwing around those arrays and attacking me at random, it was annoying. I thought maybe I could also use a simr tactic."


    "You¨C!" Dante was speechless. He stood up and growled, "You realized your attacks are all physical. How are you even proving your magic attainments if you keep on doing that?"


    "I''ve been thinking about that. But can''t you just consider how I was able to defend against your magic? I really can''t use my magic to attack."


    Dante sneered, "Are you admitting that you are only good at defending?"


    While it was notmon, there were mages who were more adept in defense magic than offense. It had something to do with their innate magic.


    Kyran already proved how formidable his defense was. But if he did not have good offense magic, as a mercenary, his grading would be affected.


    "That''s not what I meant," Kyran answered with a slight shake of his head.


    "Thene. Use your best offensive magic and attack me," Dante insisted.


    Kyran scratched his head, "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    "Why, are you afraid your magic would not even leave a scratch on my magic barrier?"


    "Actually, I''m afraid there will be nothing left of you," Kyran answered in a small voice.


    "What was that?" Dante asked with a frown.


    "Nothing. How about you just hit me with your best offensive magic and I''ll defend again?"


    Dante''s eyes narrowed. Right now, he really wanted to hit Kyran with everything he had. But. He nced at the gallery where Celine was.


    Kyran who saw Dante''s action also looked over. He saw him looking at Celine.


    Finally, Celine spoke. "Well Mr. Regis, If you don''t mind your grading be affected by just using defensive magic, then so be it. Dante, I give you permission to use your full strength."


    Dante smirked and looked at Kyran once again. "What do you say, Regis?"


    [Go. Now is the time.]


    "Nn," Kyran suddenly felt a huge weight was lifted off his shoulder after hearing Nn''s voice in his mind.


    [Sshh. Don''t say my name, idiot. Anyway, it''s time.]


    Kyran gulped. "Right, okay."


    [I''ll be waiting here outside. Go and run wild.]


    Beads of sweat started to appear on Kyran''s forehead, "Run wild. Easy for you to say."


    "What are you mumbling about," Dante asked and scowled at Kyran.


    "Just trying to consider the Hall Master''s words," Kyran replied. He then looked at Celine.


    "If I countered his attack with an offensive magic, will that do?"


    Celine smiled, "Definitely. If you managed to counter one of our high-grade mercenaries using your own offensive magic, then you will have a good grading."


    "Okay."


    Kyran looked at Dante. "Don''t hold back. And after you fired your magic, can you retreat? If you can go up to the gallery it would be better."


    "Humph, stop pretending and just get ready."


    "No, seriously. Please retreat," Kyran insisted.


    Dante frowned and did not reply. However, he did feel the sincerity in Kyran''s words.


    ''Just what the hell is up with this guy?'' He wondered.

 Chapter 25 I Did Tell You

    Dante went back to pick up his greatsword. He turned to Kyran and pointed it at him.


    "You asked for it and the Hall Master has given her consent. This time I will use my full strength."


    Kyran on the other hand ignored him and was looking at the whole stadium. Right now, his control over his magic wascking. If he activated his magic, a repeat of the ck hole from when he was surrounded by the army in the forest might happen. Remembering the size of the hole he created, the size of the stadium was smaller. He was not sure where the stadium was located so given the size his magic could create, wouldn''t that mean he would implicate those who were outside the stadium? And these mercenaries were not his enemy, he did not want them to be unnecessary casualties as well.


    Should he absorb Dante''s attack just like what he did with the Four-colored Ruin?


    ''But will I be able to absorb all of it?'' Kyran thought and looked at Dante.


    Although Dante had been bombarding him with magic attacks since the start of their fight, he did not look exhausted. Apart from that, Dante was able to recover immediately, after Kyran punched him. Such recovery speed had only been witnessed by him when he sparred with his instructors at military school.


    ''No, it is a little different. This man is a mage, the instructors at military school trained their body forbat, their defense should be different. Dante had a big build, but he does not have the air of abat fighter, which means apart from the magic barrier he uses, he also had a very good defense against physical attacks,'' Kyran pondered.


    Dante was far formidable than the army officers Kyran had encountered. Of course, his aura was still far off from Nn''s and Celine''s. The fact that he still uses arrays was proof. But Kyran did not want to underestimate Dante. If he could not absorb his full force attack, and his identity was revealed, he would be in deep trouble. Not to mention, all these mercenaries and even Celine, would definitelye after him.


    ''I can always escape, but...'' he looked at Celine. ''Can I really do that with her here? If I did manage to escape, I will not be able to convince her of the threat I pose.''


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran looked around the gallery. ''If only I could lessen the people I''ll end up fighting that would be nice.''


    "All of you leave if you don''t want to die," he told the crowd.


    The crowd at first fell silent. Then after a few seconds, they erupted withughter.


    "Leave he said."


    "What''s he talking about dying? Does he think we''ll be affected if their magic attacks collided?"


    "I am not sure whether he is strong or just in stupid."


    "Is he looking down on us? Die he said. How can we die just because they will exchange magic attacks?"


    The crowdughed at him.


    Dante also gritted his teeth after hearing Kyran''s words.


    To be honest, he only came here because the Hall Master told him to fight. If he had a choice, he would rather start looking for the new target with the high reward. After learning this man was from the Regis, he nned to ask him if he knew anything about the ''target'' since it happened near the Regis Estate, but he had been ignored countless times, and this man''s arrogance was very vexing.


    He angrily shouted, "Arrogant bastard. Will you stop acting pretentious! You''re clearly a defensive type mage, you don''t have the right to spout things about people dying!"


    "You know, I really don''t understand why you keep on insisting that non-sense. It''s true that I''ve only focused on using my magic defensively, but I never said that I am a defensive type mage."


    "What?" Dante frowned at him.


    Kyran then looked at Celine, "Hall Master. Does this stadium has a barrier that can counter a huge magic attack?"


    "Of course. Any magic fluctuation is contained inside the stadium. Of course, the galleries also have a barrier to protect the people in it."


    ''Not to mention the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array. If a magic attack that will really threaten this ce appears, it will definitely be eliminated.'' Celine added only to herself.


    Unlike Dante, Celine did not believe that Kyran would say something like this because of arrogance. His words earlier ''I can''t use my magic to attack'', made her think it had a deeper meaning. And the way his ''barrier'' deflected Dante''s attacks. To say deflect was not the right word, but she still could not find the right word to describe it.


    A thought suddenly urred to her that made her eyes glint in anticipation, ''Don''t tell me he can manifest more than 1% of dragon magic?''


    It was possible with Kyran''s formidable physical defense, his body might really be able to withstand the use of more dragon magic.


    If Kyran knew what Celine was thinking, he''d probably flip. What was the deal with him, and dragon magic? The Regis never inherited any draconic magic!


    Kyran lifted his left arm and aimed it at Dante.


    "I''ll take your word then. But don''t me me if all these people will die," Kyran''s words were still directed at Celine. Then he said to Dante, "Come on."


    "Tsk," Dante was really annoyed at Kyran''s attitude. But he was not a petty man and lose his cool just because of a few words. "I''ll let you taste my full-on magic attack."


    "Remember to retreat after you fired your magic," Kyran reminded him.


    A vein popped at Dante''s forehead. This guy was really getting on his nerves. "I can take care of myself," he answered through gritted teeth.


    Kyran did not reply. He controlled his breathing and started to focus.<sub> </sub>


    Dante raised his greatsword, and a ten-meter wide light-brown magic array appeared on his feet.


    Magic fluctuations flowed in the air. Slowly, a light-brown vortex started to form in front of Dante.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he felt the sudden rise of magic energy around him.


    The outer part of the magic array on Dante''s feet started to sizzle. Every time it touched the floor, a new rune writing will appear, adding at least half a foot to his ten-meter magic array.


    Celine smiled. Dante was her favourite ''examiner'' whenever there was an actualbat examination for new applicants. As a mage, he has a rare ability to multi-cast. He was also fortunate to have found a rare magic item for fast casting. Most of all, he almost reached the Master mage level. Though it would be problematic in terms of being monitored by the Royal Army once he reached that level, having another Master mage was of great help to the Mercenary Hall''s strength.


    Turning her attention at Kyran, Celine''s smile turned malicious. This man had really taken her interest. Once he bes a mercenary, she would definitely make time to ''y'' with him. While it was true that the Mercenary Hall did business with the Regis n. It was mostly the President and the Regis Patriarch who met and deal with it. As for her, she never had a chance to meet with a direct Regis family member. She was very curious about the Regis'' dragon blessing. And she could not wait to find out more about it from Kyran.


    ''Now let''s see how he will counter Dante''s magic....'' Celine''s thoughts trailed off as her eyes grew wide.


    As the vortex in front of Dante grew bigger, Kyran also made a move. Purple rings started to appear and circle his wrists.


    ''What...?'' Celine''s brow creased as she felt the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array stir. From her senses, she also found that the cause of it came from Kyran. But this magic while still having that profound feeling, she also felt fear.


    And those purple rings. Were those arrays? Was that how it looked like when using dragon magic?


    ''Hm?'' Dante frowned as he felt another magic rising in the air. Because the vortex in front of him had gotten big, he could not see what Kyran was doing. However, he was sure this rising magic came from him. And for some reason, he felt his heart start to palpitate as if telling him of a very bad omen.


    The crowd watching from the galleries also felt the rising magic. Unlike Dante, however, they had a full view of the changes around Kyran.


    The purple rings circling around Kyran''s wrist started to grow and move in front of his palm that was aimed at Dante. Fissures crackled around him as a small ck orb appeared at the center of the rings.


    Arge yellow magic array suddenly appeared on the floor and the ceiling of the whole stadium. It was the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array that started to activate.


    "No!" Celine eximed as she stepped closer at the edge of the rail.


    White magic arrays also activated one after another in front of the galleries.


    "What''s happening?"


    "This... all the magic barriers have activated..."


    "Is it because of Dante...?"


    Even before the other mercenaries heard that person, they knew it was not the case. Their gaze fell on Kyran.


    ck purplish lightning crackled on the ck orb. The size remained the same but it felt more terrifying than therge vortex Dante created.


    Kyran only used his eyes to look at the yellow magic arrays on the floor and at the ceiling. He already felt it trying to suppress him, but simr to the restraining arrays of the army, it did not really affect him much. On the contrary, his magic became excited wanting to break free even from his control.


    "Aargh!" Dante''s greatsword started to absorb the magic vortex. It grew in size and magic overflowed from it.


    "Rawrgh!" he swung the greatsword in Kyran''s direction.


    The floor was immediately destroyed as concentrated magic flew in Kyran''s direction.


    Kyran on the other hand just stood watching it drew near. His arm still lifted and the ck orb in front of him crackled.


    When the concentrated magic was ten meters away, the orb finally reacted. It only took a second to expand and upy the ten meters distance.


    Simultaneously, the yellow magic array fully activated. Thick yellow lightning struck the still growing ck orb.


    "This magic... Is it dragon magic? No... this... This is not dragon magic!" Celine''s eyes grew dark as she watched the ck orb easily engulfed Dante''s concentrated magic and even the defensive array''s attack.


    The crowd grew restless as they saw the ck orb still grew in size.


    Crack!


    Gasps filled the air when all arrays in the stadium showed signs of breaking. Even the powerful defensive array of the Mercenary Hall started to crumble.


    Dante saw the ck holee at him at an rming rate. He wanted to jump out of its way, but after looking at the ''orb'', he was petrified. He felt like he was looking at a very deep abyss.


    "I did tell you. You should''ve taken me seriously," Kyran''s voice resounded.

 Chapter 26 "It Was You!". "No It Was You."

    "Enough!" Celine''s voice resounded throughout the stadium.


    Suddenly, a deafening magic fluctuation spread over the ce. All arrays, including the defensive array of the Mercenary Hall, froze.


    Even the ck hole stopped expanding, barely missing Dante, who had fallen on his knees. His heart was beating furiously in his chest and he was sweating profusely. He felt like he had been doused with cold water as he stared at the edge of the ck hole that was only two feet away from him.


    ''Just what kind of magic is it?'' Dante wondered. That feeling of looking at a deep abyss left a big impression on him. Even now as he stared at the ck hole, he felt that it was only a matter of time that he would be sucked into it.


    ''Here ites,'' Kyran thought as his brows creased. When Celine had spoken, he actually timed it and made his magic stop expanding. Although because of it, his physical strength was constantly being drained, it was better to let her believe that she had control over the situation.  Else it would be hard for him to escape once he revealed his face.


    The magic barrier from the gallery where Celine stood was removed and the magic fluctuation around seemed to hum as she flew down. She took out a token and a pill and went to Dante.


    "Take it," Celine told Dante and gave him the pill.


    Dante did not stand on ceremony and immediately took the pill. He saw that it was a high-grade spirit restoring pill. By taking the pill, his almost depleted spirit reserve would be restored to at least 70%.


    "Thank you, Hall Master."


    [Don''t thank me yet. I need you to get ready. This man is not simple. I am not sure what his real purpose ining here, but if he made any suspicious move, I want you to lead these mercenaries and provide support. I will take the lead to take him down.]


    Celine''s voice came into Dante''s mind.


    Dante gave a small nod in response.


    Celine broke the token in her hand and disappeared.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he felt magic fluctuation stir behind him. His newly found void form also stirred inside his body as if wishing to be let out.


    "Who are you really? What is your purpose ining here? If I find your answer unsatisfactory, I will not hesitate and open up a hole from your back," Celine suddenly appeared and spoke behind Kyran. She had one hand ced on his back where his heart should be.


    "I already told you. I never lied about who I am," Kyran calmly replied.


    "Humph. You still dare to lie!" Celine''s voice turned cold. Her reddish-brown eyes turned bright red as the magic fluctuation around her intensified.


    Kyran felt Celine''s hand on his back started to turn cold. However, even though his life was being threatened right now, he was not afraid. He knew his magic would protect him with just a single thought.


    "I''ve shown proof of my identity. Are you going to doubt your own people who confirmed it?"


    Celine immediately stopped. As Hall Master, she knew all personnel inside the Mercenary Hall. She personally selected some of them. And Marley was one of them. Aside from that, she was particrly close to her.


    Still...


    "Although the insignia you carried is real, you as the person holding it may not be the real one," Celine pointed. "Besides, this magic is clearly not possessed by a Regis family member."


    "You''re right. But like I said. I never lied. If you doubt my identity so much, why don''t you go ask someone high up in the Royal Army who issued the raid at the Regis Estate just to take me."


    This exchange was heard by everyone present in the stadium. The moment Kyran said these words, everyone drew in a cold breath.


    The Royal Army raided the Regis Estate? Someone high up in thedder issued it?


    Celine also frowned, "What did you say?"


    "I''m surprised the Mercenary Hall took on such an extravagant bounty without even knowing who the client behind it was. You did not even confirm what reason that bounty target was being hunted." Kyran said these words only for Celine to hear.


    "You mean that bounty...?" Celine''s eyes grew wide.


    Kyran felt her hand on his back trembled slightly.


    ''Now!''


    Kyran released the huge ck hole and turned while simultaneously activating his purple dragon scales.


    "You¨C!" Celine was caught off guard. But she regained herposure almost instantly and reached out to touch Kyran again. Her arms surging with a terrible magic fluctuation.


    Kyran however, did not fear the red glow forming in her outstretched arm. His purple dragon scales decreased in size and wrapped both his hands up to his forearms as he grabbed Celine''s arm with his left hand and pulled her forward.


    "Ah!" Celine lost her bnce as she fell forward.


    Then Kyran lifted his right hand and hovered it a few inches away from Celine''s face, while his grip on her left arm tightened.


    Their position got reversed in an instant with Kyran now standing behind Celine.


    "All of you stop or I''ll kill her!" He shouted.<sub> </sub>


    At the time when Kyran released the ck hole, Dante already knew something was off. Especially when there was a pause after Celine''s question and Kyran did not reply.


    He immediately jumped on one of the galleries to the right and sent out a telepathicmand to all mercenaries to activate their magic and aim at Kyran.


    And that was the scene right now. Once the ck hole waspletely removed, every mercenary inside the stadium had already activated their magic arrays and had their hands directed at Kyran.


    But they all stopped moving after seeing that Kyran already had Celine in his arms. However, some mercenaries actually stopped moving as soon as they saw the aftermath of the stadium once the ck hole was gone.


    The floor had a huge hole in it and they could actually see the floor below. The floor was at least six meters thick, how was that even possible! Because this was the stadium, the surrounding structure was specifically denserpared to the rest of the rooms in the Mercenary Hall. Just what kind of magic did this man possesses, that could make a sturdy structure vanish like this.


    There were even small fissures lingering in the air from where the ck hole had been. And these fissures emitted a very terrible magic fluctuation.


    They were frightened out of their wits.


    "You really dare act like this here?" Celine red. Her arms glowed red as her magic erupted.


    But.


    "Aah!" Celine cried out in pain as her left arm that was still being held by Kyran started to sizzle.


    "You should''ve realized what my magic can do. If you keep moving, don''t me me if you lose your arm." Kyran told her.


    After seeing this scene, Dante gritted his teeth and shouted at Kyran. "Damn you, Regis! Release the Hall Master now! Or are you really going to fight against the whole Mercenary Hall?"


    "I only acted to defend myself. In the first ce, I only used my magic because both of you insisted that I use it. I never aimed my magic to hurt you guys," Kyran replied.


    The mercenaries at the galleries all looked at each other. He did have a point.


    Kyran unleashed his magic to counter Dante''s attack. But as soon as they saw how strange and terrible his magic was, they all became hostile. Especially the Hall Master.


    "Don''t try and justify your actions!" Celine snarled. She red at Kyran at the corner of her eyes that was still red as a ruby. "You are the one who suggested to be tested inbat, clearly you were up to something!"


    "What are you talking about? It was you who asked me to suggest how to provide proof of my magic attainments. And I only answered you."


    "If you had shown up here with proper proofs this would not happen in the first ce!"


    "I already told you. I don''t have the proof of my magic attainments, with me. Besides, I showed proof for mybat attainments. It was you who did not acknowledge it."


    "...."


    The crowd fell silent.


    Somehow... The tension was gone? No. Not exactly. There was still tension, but the reason shifted 180-degrees.


    "How am I supposed to acknowledge that! You are a tinum Badge holder!"


    The crowd gasped. tinum Badge? ''The'' legendary tinum badge? He was a legendary tinum Badge holder?


    Dante started to sweat. This exined why this guy''s defense andbat power were too strong!


    "You did say that but I also remember telling you ''alright then'' and was ready to leave. Who was it that stopped me and end up doing this whole thing," Kyran pointed as he was starting to feel annoyed.


    "That''s¨C!" Celine was suddenly speechless.


    Was she overreacting? But his magic was too much. Why would a mage with such high magic attainmentse here and want to be a mercenary?


    But then she remembered Kyran''s words about the Royal Army, and a thought came to her.


    "Then exin to me why a bounty targetes in here and wanted to be a mercenary?" Celine retorted.


    As soon as her words came out, every mercenary in the stadium froze.


    "Bounty target?"


    "Wait, howe a tinum badge holder be a bounty target?"


    "More importantly, why would hee here if he has a bounty on his head?"


    Dante also frowned. ''A bounty target? I don''t remember reading a bounty target with such skills,'' he thought.


    Celine sneered. Finally, she found the oddity of Kyran''s appearance in the Mercenary Hall.

 Chapter 27 Come At Me

    ''Let''s see if you can argue your way out of that!'' Celine thought with a sneer.


    To her dismay, however, she heard Kyran sighed in relief.


    "I thought I had to keep doing this until you ask that question. As expected of Hall Master," he said.


    "What ¨C?"


    Celine was caught off guard by Kyran''s words.


    What happened next seemed to go in slow motion for Celine.


    She watched as Kyran undid the purple dragon scales around his right hand that was hovering near her face. Then he pulled her closer to whisper in her ears.


    However, before she could make sense of what he said, he already pushed her toward the hole on the floor.


    "Hall Master!" Dante and other mercenaries eximed.


    As if time returned to its right motion, Celine used her magic to stop her fall and turned around in midair. She saw that Kyran already started running at full speed toward the gallery to his right.


    "I''m fine. Focus on him!"


    Shemanded the mercenaries.


    "Yes!"


    Dante and the rest of the mercenaries who already had their magic arrays activatedunched their magic attacks at Kyran.


    Kyran directed the purple dragon scales to cover him. All attacks that came at him were decimated at once. He jumped and before he couldnd on the rail of the gallery, three light-brown magic arrays appeared near his back, left side, and right side.


    "Stop now!" Dante shouted.


    Lava-like arrows shot out from the arrays.


    Kyran ignored the attack. The purple dragon scales simply danced around him and destroyed all iing attacks.


    The mercenaries at the gallery where Kyrannded were bravely aiming at him with their magic at first, but after seeing how all attacks that made contact with his barrier werepletely destroyed, they backed away.


    They also saw parts of the rail where hended and was hit by his barrier sizzled and was left hollow.


    "Move back," Kyran told the mercenaries that were standing near the back wall of the gallery.


    The mercenaries did not need telling twice, they immediately moved the moment he jumped down the rail.


    ? ''Those damn cowards!'' Dante thought and red at the mercenaries who stopped attacking.


    Dante created several smaller arrays and surrounded Kyran again.


    Kyran looked up and saw the arrays.


    ''Really annoying,'' he thought. He turned to face the stadium and spread his arms. The purple dragon scales expanded, forming a half globe around him.


    Lava-like boulders shot out from the arrays and aimed at Kyran in all directions. But all of it sizzled and vanished the moment it touched the scales.


    Celine''s bright red eyes narrowed as she flew in the air toward Kyran. Magic fluctuations surged around her.


    "Come to me," her sultry voice resounded in the stadium, but it was directed at Kyran.


    Even inside the purple dragon scales, Kyran felt that weird sensation once again as his body made an involuntary move forward.


    "Tsk," he gritted his teeth and the purple dragon scales fluctuated.


    Celine''s magic was too much for his scales to fully counter.


    [What are you still hesitating for? I told you to run wild.]


    Nn''s voice suddenly appeared in Kyran''s mind.


    That''s right. Earlier, he only needed to use the new form of his magic because he had to show something as proof of his magic. Now that he was at the crucial junction of their n, he no longer needed to hold back.


    "Release your magic ande to me now," Celine''s voice resounded once again. She was now at least twenty meters away from the gallery where Kyran was.


    "No, thanks," Kyran replied as he looked at Celine.


    "How ¨C!" she eximed when instead of releasing his magic, more purple rings appeared on top of Kyran''s barrier.


    What was more, these purple rings gave off a more concentrated magic fluctuation.


    The air crackled around Kyran as the purple rings expanded and circled the purple dragon scales. The moment the rings passed the scales, it was absorbed and fissures started to appear.


    "R-run!" The mercenaries who were in the gallery with Kyran started to run in fright.


    Dante stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the change in Kyran''s barrier. Once again, he felt an inexplicable fear while he looked at it.


    Celine''s brow creased. She could not believe that Kyran was able to resist her magic. Back when they were in her office, she felt that he could resist her magic to a certain extent. But that was only because she was not exerting her real strength. Right now, however, she was using almost 80% of her strength and yet he was still able to resist.


    ''But when he summoned that ck hole, he stopped the moment I used my magic. Was he only pretending back then?'' She wondered in frustration.


    "Kyran Regis! Are you really going to make the Mercenary Hall your enemy?" She demanded and stopped in midair, ten meters away from Kyran and his half globe purple barrier.


    "You attacked first. I am only trying to defend myself," Kyran answered as the density of the purple barrier decreased.


    "Humph," Celine sneered. "This time you acted first and avoid answering my question."


    "No. I''m not avoiding it. But I realized that once I answered your question and I remained standing in the middle of the stadium, it will be harder for me."


    "What are you talking about?" she frowned.


    "What I mean is..." Kyran started as the purple rings reverted into their small size and were circling around his wrist, "...this."


    He removed his cloak.<sub> </sub>


    The moment everyone saw Kyran''s face they were all shocked. Because he looked younger than what they expected.


    "I-Isn''t he just a young man?"


    "Wait. Does that mean a young man actually received a legendary tinum badge?"


    "That''s not important! Don''t you think he looked familiar?"


    "Now that you said that..."


    All sorts ofments were heard from the mercenaries.


    Dante in particr was very surprised. He had been fighting Kyran but he never thought that the person under the cloak was so young.


    Celine also was very upset, she clenched her fist and red at Kyran.


    "Y-You! Aren''t you just a kid! You may be good-looking, but you are too young! Take responsibility for me now!" She red and pointed an using finger at him.


    "H-Hall Master..." Dante and the rest of the mercenaries felt a little embarrassed by Celine''s outburst.


    Dark lines appeared on Kyran''s forehead as he looked at Celine, incredulously.


    "That''s not really the point here," he said with a sigh.


    Ignoring Celine''s re, Kyran looked at the mercenaries around and said, "Remember my face well. I am Kyran Regis. You best know me as the ''One-Million-First-Grade-Spirit-Stone-Target''."


    Boom!


    Suddenly the mercenaries were in an uproar.


    Looking at Kyran, he did look like the one from the poster. However, in the photo, he looked much younger and skinny. But the most important point was, he was a Regis and someone issued a generous bounty for his capture?


    Celine''s eyes also narrowed. All sorts of ideas shed through her mind. Was the one who issued the bounty the Regis n? Was Kyran a traitor? Did they make the request anonymous because they did not want such a scandal to spread about their family? And the magic Kyran possessed, was it a hidden teaching of their family?


    "I''m sure all of you are interested in that bounty. But it seems the Royal Army left quite a few important details," Kyran continued.


    Almost everyone in the stadium gasped after hearing his words. They did hear him say the Royal Army raided the Regis n, but were they really the ones who issued that bounty?


    "Royal Army?" Celine''s eyes grew wide.


    "Who else would put such a huge reward on my head? The Regis Family?" Kyran''s eyes shed as his heart was filled with mixed emotions of anger, frustration, and hopelessness.


    "The Royal Army raided the Regis Estate just to get me. Right, to be specific. The Forbidden Magic Control Squad of the Royal Army raided the Regis Estate," his voice deepened as he revealed this very important information.


    Once again the crowd was in an uproar.


    "Why does the army have to hide this information?"


    "He is a Regis. Imagine how the whole empire and the other nobles will react if they found out that the Regis was raided by the army?"


    "No. That''s not the important point here. It was the Forbidden Magic Control Squad that raided the Regis Estate!"


    They all looked at Kyran with fear in their eyes as they remembered how powerful yet strange his magic was.


    "Your magic..." Celine finally spoke. The way she looked at Kyran changed the instant he mentioned what division of the Royal Army was after him.


    "That''s right," Kyran lifted his right hand and looked at the purple rings circling around his wrists.


    Then he looked at them once more. His dark gray eyes slowly turned reddish-purple as he started to move back toward the wall.


    "I came here today to warn you. If you still dare toe at me after knowing all these, then..."


    He looked at Celine, who had fallen silent. She met his gaze with her own glowing red eyes.


    Kyran touched the wall behind him. Immediately, the purple rings on his right wrist hovered on the surface of the wall. The rings expanded at least five-meter in radius at an rming rate, and a ck hole formed in the middle. It also expanded and instantly engulfed the ten-meter-thick wall.


    Everyone inside the stadium watched in silence.


    None dared to move.


    "...I will not be polite. Come at me. I''ll be waiting," Kyran finished his words still looking at Celine.


    The moment he said those words, the ck hole vanished and revealed a now hollowed wall behind him.


    From outside the Mercenary Hall, people who were walking in the street had seen a ck hole appearing on the third-floor outer walls of the building.


    As soon as the ck hole vanished, they all gasped after seeing that the walls of the Mercenary Hall building had been hollowed. They then saw a silhouette of a man standing a few meters away from the edge.


    Kyran turned and started to walk over the edge of the wall. Then a thought came to him and he stopped and looked at Celine and the others once more.


    "Right. In case you''re still wondering," Kyran spoke again. A ck mist started to appear in midair behind him.


    "I have void magic," he told them and jumped into the ck mist.


    Huge purple rings circled the ck mist and after a few seconds, itpletely enveloped the ck mist and vanished in the air.


    Everyone who witnessed the scene, either inside the Mercenary Hall or outside were all shocked.


    Dante and the rest of the mercenaries were also very frightened as they remembered Kyran''sst words.


    Void Magic.


    The magic they witnessed today was that feared and most terrible magic of all.


    "Hall Master," Dante looked at Celine, who was still in the air looking at the spot where Kyran had been.


    Celine''s eyes had now returned to normal, but while the others were frightened, her eyes reflected anticipation.


    "''I''ll be waiting'', huh." She repeated Kyran''s words almost in a whisper.

 Chapter 28 Destruction Magic

    At an abandoned cksmith''s warehouse near the outskirts of Starhorn.


    At the spacious dpidated receiving hall, where the only source of light came from the gaps from the roof and damaged windows, fog-like shadow gathered at the center. Soon it dispersed and revealed two figures.


    The first one who was standing proud and tall was Nn, and the other one sprawled on all fours with a sorry state was Kyran.


    As to why he became like this, well....


    "Pathetic. And you call yourself abat specialist with such a weak constitution?" Nn ridiculed Kyran as soon as his magic disappeared.


    "Ugh..." Kyran groaned and tried to sit up. "It was my first time trying to enclose someone else''s magic while ''preserving'' it. It takes too much effort to do. Why''d you have to create such a huge ck mist, anyway?"


    The ''escape'' scene back at the Mercenary Hall was actually Nn''s idea. He instructed Kyran to wrap his magic with his void magic. Then made it look as if he vanished in the air.


    Of course, Kyran did not really vanish. Nn simply took him in his domain.


    Once inside, Nn disguised Kyran with Nar''s face, then took advantage of the confusion outside the Mercenary Hall and undid his domain. After all, his domain was immobile, if they did not leave there soon, Celine might sense it.


    Then they left the area. When they entered an empty alley, Nn used his ability to hide both of them.


    However, by then Kyran was too exhausted to walk which annoyed Nn. He ended up having to carry Kyran as they made their way to this abandoned warehouse.


    "It''s called showmanship," Nn answered with a matter-of-fact tone.


    "What showmanship, I don''t even know how to produce ck mists!"


    "The ck mist is to confuse them of the things you can do. And will you stop calling it ck mist! Call it Nn''s magic, not ck mist!"


    Kyran sighed. He just could not make sense of Nn''s strangeness. And why couldn''t he just tell him what his magic was? Even calling it Nn''s magic as if it was some kind of personalized magic.


    "I remember telling you to run wild. I did not even witness bloodshed," Nn said and looked at Kyran who finally managed to sit up.


    Kyran avoided his gaze and took out a potion from his pouch. "If I started killing those mercenaries, the Mercenary Hall will really see me as an enemy," he replied and downed the potion.


    "Too soft. You are still too soft," Nn shook his head.


    He believed Kyran could be merciless when it really came down to it. After all, he saw how he half killed most of the army officers when they escaped from the forest. But his merciless state was only triggered if his life was in danger. If he knew there was a way for him to escape unscathed, he would act... well humane.


    "You managed to frighten them, I guess that''ll do." Nn finally decided to let it slide. He just had to push Kyran to a more dangerous situation to make him understand that at times, he had to act mercilessly if he wanted to take full control of a situation.


    "And? How disappointed is the Hall Master after you reveal your face?" He asked with a suppressedughter.


    Dark lines appeared on Kyran''s face as he remembered Celine''s outburst.


    "She told me to take responsibility. What does that even mean?" He replied.


    "Hahahahaha!" Nn burst outughing. "I told you that the Hall Master had a weird appetite, didn''t I?"


    "Yeah," Kyran replied with a nod.


    "That old hag loves to watch men fighting with blood flying all over the ce. But she had a bottom line. She only preferred men that''s at least aroundte twenties."


    Kyran''s face turned sullen, "You knew that and still made me go through all that?"


    Nn raised an eyebrow, "What? She seemed to be infatuated by your mysterious appearance. I wonder what face she fantasized you had under the cloak. She probably wanted that Dante guy beat you up until you submit to her ... Pfft. Hahahahaha!"


    Suddenly Kyran frowned, "You saw all that had happened from the moment I entered the hall, didn''t you?"


    "I told you, I have my ways."


    "Then you don''t really need to ask me how disappointed the Hall Master was!"


    "And deprive myself of a chance to make fun of you?" Nn replied with a disbelieving expression.


    "You..." Kyran was speechless.


    "But," Nn looked at him curiously. "I''m surprised. I initially want to see your shocked expression after I called her ''old hag''."


    Kyran sighed, "Well, I kind of expected it. She has almost the same presence you have. So I thought she probably was a Magus and made herself look younger."


    Nn smiled and nodded in satisfaction, "Good. Your memory really is good."


    "Still," Kyran''s brow creased. "She seemed a little weak."


    "Hahaha! Of course, she''s weak. I can trash her in seconds."


    More ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    "Well, she''s not exactly an offensive type. She is an Enchanter, so she mainly focuses on control."


    "Enchanter?" Kyran vaguely understood that this could be a mage''s specialty. Then he frowned after encountering the term offensive once again. "Not an offensive type? I''ve been hearing a lot of that today. What exactly does it mean?"


    Nn sighed, "Ah. Here we go with your endless questions."


    A fog-like shadow appeared around him once again and a chair was immediately created.


    "First, let me exin a mage''s specialty."


    He sat on the chair while he created another chair beside Kyran.


    "Sit first," Nn told Kyran.


    Kyran looked at the chair and could not help but feel awed at how convenient Nn''s magic was. He wondered if he could do something like this as well. Shaking his head a little, Kyran pushed the thought out of his mind. He should first focus on how he could control his magic.


    He stood up and sat on the ck chair.


    "There are five specializations a mage could focus on once they reached a level of mastery with their magic. But first, you need to understand what your magic type is and how you can best use it," Nn started.


    He controlled the fog-like shadow and soon formed a semi-circle barrier around him.


    "My magic type is defensive. I can create a solid barrier like this or," the semi-circle barrier returned to its fog-like state and covered Nn, "...cover myself in its particle state. For this kind of magic, a high-level mage can specialize in defense and be an Abjurer."


    Kyran looked at Nn''s magic and noticed how he called the mist form ''particles''. Before he could dwell on the thought, however, Nn continued with his exnation.


    "The Mercenary Hall Master is an Enchanter because her magic is a support type. Have you realized what her magic is?"


    Kyran contemted for a second. He did find Celine''s magic a little strange. Most of the time, the effect depended on how she said her words.<sub> </sub>


    ''No. Not on ''how'' she said it, but more with her voice?''


    "Sound?" Kyran guessed as he looked at Nn.


    Nn smiled in amusement, "How did youe up with that?"


    "Because I noticed her voice shifts with her magic. At first, I thought it had something to do with how she say a word, but depending on what type of voice she uses, the weight of her magic changes."


    ''Weight?'' Nn was surprised at the term Kyran used. Normally, someone would use the word ''effectiveness'' right?


    "Why did you use ''weight'' to describe her magic''s effect?"


    "Because that''s how it felt like. As if something you can''t see is trying to weigh you down and do things ording to what it wanted."


    "Hmm," Nn nodded in agreement. "I guess that''s another way to put it. I honestly do not feel that way when I faced her,  but well, your magic is pretty strange and its sensitivity to other magic may be different."


    "That''s right. The moment her magic tried to invade my senses, my magic stirred at once."


    "Oh?" Nn was surprised. The way Kyran phrased it seemed as if his magic had an awareness of its own.


    ''Interesting.''


    "You''re right. Her innate magic is sound. But her medium was her voice. And she can''t form an offensive move because of it."


    Kyran had a thoughtful look. "But if she added more weight in her voice to target a person''s brain, wouldn''t that be an offensive move?"


    Nn gave an exaggerated gasp.


    Kyran reddened. He btedly realized his idea was too unrealistic.


    On the other hand, although Nn acted shocked on purpose. He was really very shocked! This kid''s idea on how to use magic was too scary!


    "Forget what I said. I was only rumbling," Kyran immediately told Nn.


    "No. You''re actually right," Nn replied. "It will be difficult, but it is possible. Anyway, she probably does not realize that herself so you best not say anything like that to her."


    "I won''t."


    "Good. Now, going back. An Enchanter focuses on control and illusions. The Mercenary Hall Master is the former. You noticed how she tried to control you bymand, right?"


    Kyran nodded.


    "Now there''s the more offense-focused magic type. Let''s use your opponent back there as an example."


    "Dante?"


    "I don''t care about his f*cking name. Anyway, that guy is an earth mage. But he canbine it with fire magic. If he bes a high master mage, he can be an Elementor."


    "Can a mage with no innate element type magic be an Elementor?"


    "Yes. I told you before that anyone can use any type of magic as long as they know how to draw from its source. But it will be difficult for those without innate magic. No one would bother to waste their time since they will not be able to draw the full strength of that element."


    "I see. I guess that bnces out a mage''s specialty."


    Nn nodded, "Yes. Then there''s a summoner. This is a rare specialization. Because not everyone is sensitive to ''spirits''."


    "Spirits, you mean elemental spirits?"


    "Yes," Nn smiled after he remembered something. "That''s right. Rin is a Summoner."


    Kyran smiled faintly, "I didn''t know mother is a Summoner."


    "Well, the spirits have always followed her around since she was small. And no, I am not going to start a talk down memoryne so don''t ask," Nn immediately stopped Kyran the moment he opened his mouth as if to ask a follow-up question.


    Kyran closed his mouth with a nk expression. He wondered why Nn avoided telling him more about his parents. Still, he did not pursue the subject. Someday, he would definitely make him tell their story.


    "Anyway. Last is a Transmuter. Now if a Summoner is rare, then a Transmuter is very rare. Because mages who wanted to be a Transmuter have to specialize in creation magic."


    "Creation magic?"


    "That''s right. You create something out of magic."


    Kyran looked at the chair he was sitting on, "Like this?"


    Nn grinned at him, "Aren''t you a clever one."


    "But then Dante¨C."


    "That''s not creation magic, that''s called molding."


    "What''s the difference?"


    Nn sighed and exined patiently, "Molding is when you change the shape of your magic into something else. In creation magic, you create a new form to your magic and even add more substance into it."


    "That''s why your magic can pierce through things!" Kyran realized.


    "That''s right."


    "So you''re an Abjurer and a Transmuter?"


    "What do you think?" Nn gave a faint smile.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He kind of realized that whenever Nn gave a vague answer like this, it meant he did not want to tell him. So instead of dwelling on the subject, he asked. "How about my magic? What type do you think my magic is? And what can I specialize in?"


    "Your magic..." Nn paused with a thoughtful look. "To be honest, I''m not sure either. We can say your magic right now is one of a kind, since you are the only one who can use it. You managed to use it pretty well today, what do you think?"


    "Dante kept on saying that I am a defensive type because I kind of integrated it to the Regis defensive technique. But if I have to analyze its effect, it acts as a barrier, but I can also use it as an offense."


    Nn nodded in agreement, "I agree. I actually think your magic is the opposite of creation magic."


    Kyran did not reply. He also kind of felt that. Whether he uses it as defensive magic or offensive, the end result when he used his magic was always destruction.


    "Okay, enough of that." Nn stood up. He looked at Kyran and grinned, "While we wait, on how the Mercenary Hall will act after your short ''visit'', I''ll teach you how to control your magic."

 Chapter 29 First Lesson

    ''Finally,'' Kyran thought with an expression full of anticipation.


    "Show me your rings. There is something you must understand first," Nn instructed.


    Kyran did what he was told.


    A faint purplish light illuminated the darkened room as the purple rings circled on top of Kyran''s left palm.


    Nn lifted his right arm and opened up his palm. A bluish-ck magic array appeared and circled on top of his palm.


    "Before, I told you about arrays. This one on my palm is an array. That, however," he nodded his head over to Kyran''s rings, "Is not."


    Kyran''s brow creased and looked at his purple rings. He did notment and instead waited for Nn to exin.


    "Arrays are needed in order to draw upon the source of magic. Because arrays consist of runes that represent theposition of magic. Now try to sense the energy in your rings, thenpare them to my array."


    With a nod, Kyran closed his eyes and sensed his rings and then Nn''s array.


    ''Hm?'' He frowned as he noticed how the energy in his rings felt unrestrained, while the array''s energy was restrained.


    Nn summoned his magic and a fog-like shadow started to appear in the middle of his array.


    "Now try to feel this."


    Slowly, Kyran felt a gush of unrestrained magic formed in the middle of the array. He snapped his eyes open and looked at Nn. He watched as the ck mist circled around the middle of the array.


    "The energy in the middle is simr to my rings," he observed and released his rings.


    Nn nodded, "That''s right. The arrays act as a medium to connect to a magic''s origin. Once the magic enters the array, its original state is preserved."


    "Original state?"


    "Yes. The original state of magic is very pure, and... I guess we can say docile? But once you summon the magic outside the array, its state bes unrestrained and erratic. You canpare it to a person who was sleeping, if you rouse that person awake, he either bes grumpy or looks at you stupidly."


    "But then, why does the energy from my rings simr to that summoned magic?" Kyran asked.


    "Because each of your rings, is pure raw magic."


    "Pure raw magic?"


    "Let me tell you another reason why arrays are an important foundation of a mage. The arrays can help control the ''output'' of a summoned magic simply by changing its ''calction''. Like this."


    The rune writings around Nn''s array shifted. Slowly, the area where the fog-like shadow was circling became smaller and the amount of the shadow morepact.


    "I see. So I really needed to learn arrays. Are you going to teach me how to create those letters?"


    "No," Nn shook his head and closed his palm. Immediately the fog-like shadow and array dispersed. "And it''s not letters, it''s called runes. Rune writings are dependent on the magic. My rune writings are different from fire magic, so on and so forth. You understand what I''m trying to say, right?"


    "I guess so," Kyran nodded. Since he had void magic, Nn naturally did not know its rune writings. What''s more, there was no one else who knew about it.


    ''Except the Dark Sage,'' he thought with a sigh.


    "Good. Now that you understand that, let''s start with your first lesson on controlling your magic."


    Kyran frowned, "But you just said you can''t teach me arrays...."


    Fog-like shadows appeared around Nn and started to change forms from des, clubs, poles, cooking utensils, even scissors, pens, and boxes. He looked at Kyran with a raised eyebrow as if to say: ''You were saying?''


    "Ah!" Kyran suddenly realized something.


    "Aren''t you slow?" Nn ridiculed. "You don''t need arrays to summon your magic. Therefore, you don''t need calctions to ''control'' it. Here''s my theory, when your family sealed your magic, it did not simply lie dormant. Through the years, it started to develop and integrate itself within you. Earlier, you said that your magic stirred when the Hall Master''s magic tried to invade your senses as if your magic has a mind of its own. In my opinion, that''s because you already have a certain mastery of your magic, however, unconsciously. Hence, the more you are familiar with your magic flowing within your body, the more you will learn how to control it."


    "So that''s why you told me to feel my magic in any way possible. That way I''ll get familiar with it."


    Nn smiled, "Good. You''re finally keeping up. Here."


    He took out a ten-inch clear orb and threw it at Kyran, who caught it with his left hand.


    "A ball?"


    Nn gave him a deadpan expression, "Will you stop using a normal person''s way of calling magic-rted things? That''s a magic item called a magic orb."


    "...."


    "What''s with that look?  At least it has magic in it. Calling it a ball, seriously. Anyway, try inserting your magic in that. Don''t worry, that orb has the ability to contain raw magic."


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran summoned his magic once again.


    But.


    Sizzle!


    The moment the purple rings appeared on Kyran''s hands, the magic orb disintegrated.


    Kyran immediately stopped.


    "...."


    Nn pped a hand on his forehead, "Argh! Your magic is really too troublesome."


    He took out another magic orb and threw it at Kyran.


    "Try it again. This time, direct those rings inside the magic orb, not outside."


    "Direct. Okay," Kyran repeated with a nod and tried it again. As the rings appeared inside the orb, he sighed in relief.


    But then one of the ring''s radius expanded outside the magic orb''s width and was instantly cut in half.


    "...."


    Kyran gulped and looked at Nn, "Uhm. That''s not on purpose."


    "The f*ck it isn''t! You''re supposed to control it! Do it again!" Nn burst and took out 20 magic orbs from under his cloak and let them roll in Kyran''s direction.


    "I''ve got loads of those but I''m only giving you 20 chances. Contain those rings inside the magic orb. Remember to feel the flow of magic inside you."


    Kyran looked at the two magic orbs he just destroyed and then the 20 new ones. He sighed and picked one up, ''Only 20 chances, huh.''


    He stared at the magic orb and did not summon his magic directly. Instead, he tried to feel his magic as Nn reminded.


    ''That''s right. Use your head and think carefully. Every mage has different ways to control their magic. Because every magic has different forms. Magic with a more defined form is easier to control than those with a less defined form. And your magic... Well, the Dark Sage is probably the only one who really knows the true form of void magic.''<sub> </sub>


    Nn watched in silence as he saw Kyran''s eyes became more determined and focused.


    Once again, Kyran summoned his rings inside the orb.


    But.


    "Ah."


    The upper half of the orb sizzled and disintegrated.


    Nn simply sighed and shook his head. He wondered how many magic orbs would be wasted before Kyran seeded.


    =========================


    Regis Estate, Inner Land.


    Because of the ruckus, Gage had done at the outernd entrance, there had been few army officers patrolling the area. As such, Ss was able to scour the path outside the walls of the innernd.


    After a while, he came across a hidden entrance on the ground. However, after he tried opening it with all the tricks he knew, he still failed.


    ''Hmm. Judging from the marks, this entrance has been opened recently. I wouldn''t be able to find it otherwise. Meaning," he looked over to the path leading to the right area of the estate.


    ''This may have been the path the ''target'' had taken, to escape.'' Ss deduced as he saw traces of battle further up ahead.


    Suddenly...


    [You are not from the army.]


    Ss''s heart almost jumped out of his mouth when he heard a woman''s voice spoke behind him.


    He had not felt any presence sneaking up behind him!


    He drew his sword at once and turned around to face the owner of the voice but found it empty.


    "Who¨C!"


    [You don''t have any malice. Just curiosity. Tell me who you are.]


    Ss frowned. Holding his sword at a ready, he looked around him.


    "It is proper etiquette to introduce yourself first before asking someone else''s name."


    [True. But right now, regardless of your origin, you are an outsider. As an outsider, you must first introduce who you are and dere what your purpose ining here is.]


    "Judging from your words, I assume you are a member of the Regis n."


    [I am.]


    Ss was surprised that the woman did not even try to hide her identity.


    ''Then the Regis n members are really inside the innernd,'' he thought. This could be his chance to find more about the truth. ''First, let me try and get as much information out of this person.''


    "Please ept my apology. To show my sincerity, I will introduce myself. I am Ss, a mercenary."


    [A mercenary? Since when did a person from the Mercenary Hall start working together with the Royal Army.]


    "We are not," then Ss paused. "Well, I guess, technically we are."


    [Technically?]


    Ss nodded. He looked at the wall of the innernd and tried to locate where the voice wasing from. Unfortunately, he did not feel any magic fluctuation that would indicate its location.


    "We are not aware that it was the Royal Army who issued the bounty, you see. Right now, I came here to find out more since they only provided superficial information."


    [Bounty? The army issued a bounty? Then Kyran must have escaped safely! That''s good!]


    ''Kyran?'' Ss wondered. The woman''s voice sounded very relieved that he became even more curious about their story.


    [Well Mr. Ss, I suggest you forget about the bounty. You are no match against my cousin.]


    Her words hit a nerve. This woman had not even seen him use his magic and yet she already judged he would lose. Normally, he would have argued back. This time he just kept a smile on his face.


    "You seemed in favor of your cousin''s escape," Ss said and avoidedmenting on the woman''s previous deration. "But I assume, the whole Regis n had to sacrifice itself just to let that happen."


    He tried to provoke the woman. To his dismay, however, the woman replied.


    [He is worth the sacrifice of the whole n.]


    Ss could not help but frown after hearing such endearment and pride in the woman''s voice.


    "I beg to differ. While to you Regis, letting him escape with whatever it is that the army wanted was a noble sacrifice, letting you all suffer in return is stupidity."


    He tried to provoke the woman once more. This time the woman did not reply.


    ''Did I overdo it?'' Ss wondered in concern.


    After a few seconds, the woman spoke again.


    [Tell me, Mr. Ss. What do you think the army was after, that they even issued a bounty on my cousin?]


    Ss''s brow creased. This was the very reason why he came here to investigate. He contemted whether to tell her his theory or bluff his way out of answering.


    ''No. If I bluff my way out, I may not get another chance to find out the truth.'' He thought.


    "To be honest, the army only issued a bounty and specifically want your ''cousin'' be taken alive. I presume that maybe he has information that might implicate the whole Regis n."


    [Implicate us of what, exactly?]


    "Implicate the Regis n of practicing forbidden magic, maybe?"


    The woman chuckled and made Ss frown. He said, "Practicing forbidden magic is a grave offense against the Empire. It is not aughing matter."


    [Sorry. I personally do not understand why magic has to be categorized. Magic is never bad, it only seems like it from how people use it. But enough of my ideals. I can assure you the Regis n never practiced forbidden magic. On the contrary, our elders and the Patriarch tried to seal it.]


    "Seal it?" Ss''s frown deepened. He had a bad premonition, but he did not want to jump to a conclusion so he asked, "Why seal it? If you respect the Empire''s rules, your n should''ve reported it and destroyed it."


    There was a moment of silence before the woman replied.


    [Destroy. Such a brutal and lonely word. Tell me, Mr. Ss. Can you destroy your own flesh and blood?]

 Chapter 30 And Then...

    As expected, Ss''s bad premonition was true. A member of the Regis n possessed innate forbidden magic.


    Unwanted memories shed in Ss''s mind from when he was only fourteen...


    Houses burning, people wailing as the air was filled with a metallic smell and burnt bodies.


    A silhouette of a young woman in front of a zing tall gate was sprawled on the ground while two more silhouettes of men each holding a stave dragged her up.


    The young woman turned to look at someone from behind. Her face was smeared with blood, and ck soot. Her eyes were moist but no tears fell down. She smiled, and even with all the blood and soot on her face, her beautiful face radiated.


    "Everything is over. But you''ll be fine."


    ''This is not the time for this!'' Ss snapped back to reality and shook his head. He took a shaky breath as he pushed the memories out of his mind.


    He could not afford to get distracted. Right now, he had to focus and act wisely. Depending on the magic the woman''s cousin possessed, the mercenaries of the Mercenary Hall might be in danger. If mercenaries fell one by one trying to capture this man, the one who would benefit the most was the Royal Army.


    ''No. Not just the army, but the whole Empire,'' Ss thought through gritted teeth.


    The power struggle within the Empire had gotten worse over the years. While the Conve of the East had been a neutral faction, because of theirwork and dealings with other nations outside the Empire, the Royal Army had been secretly doing its best in dealing a blow to theirbat and mage forces. After all, they still had an agreement with them.


    And this event was a good chance for the army to cripple the Conve''s power. Apart from that, they were using the Regis n. Although this old noble family had been a recluse for more than a hundred years, their strength should not be taken lightly. If they managed to ovee this event, the Mercenary Hall would be implicated with the Royal Army.


    How should he reply to the woman''s question that would be beneficial for the Mercenary Hall?


    After a pause, Ss finally answered. "I probably can''t if I am in the same situation. But I am not, so I really can''t rte."


    The woman sighed.


    [You''re right. Mr. Ss, I have said what I must. Please leave. If your allegiance to the Mercenary Hall meant anything to you, then heed my warning. Do not be the Royal Army''s pawns.]


    "Aren''t you going to try and ask for my help?" Ss asked, trying to gauge how the woman would react.


    [Help? On what?]


    "I may be the only one who can give you information on what is happening outside. Regarding your cousin... Well, you know the Mercenary Hall is part of the Conve, with itswork, it will be easier to track down your cousin. Besides, if the Conve finds out about the real story behind your cousin''s bounty, we may find a way to turn the situation your n is in for the better."


    [Well... that''s.]


    The woman fell silent.


    Ss was patient. He waited for the woman to think about his proposal. Of course, he hoped she was considering his proposal and not left him hanging.


    After a few minutes, the woman spoke once again.


    [Our Patriarch wants to talk to you. I will open the door and let you pass. But if you do anything suspicious or even think of anything malicious, the array will kill you.]


    Ss was surprised. So this was the reason why the army did not pursue invading the Regis estate''s innernd. The defensive array around it had such effect.


    But that was unimportant right now. Finally, his questions would be answered. If things went smoothly, he could also establish an ''alliance'' of some sort with the Regis n.


    "I promise you, I only have good intentions."


    [The array will be the judge of that.]


    The woman responded.


    Soon the hidden door that Ss failed to open made a sudden jerk.


    Ss turned just in time to see the gap widen. He almost felt his jaw dropped when he saw the woman standing a few feet inside the door.


    The woman seemed to be in her early twenties wearing a loose white shirt with a knee-high blue skirt. She had shoulder-length ck hair and dark gray eyes. A feature that wasmon to a member of the Regis Family. But what surprised Ss was how beautiful the woman was.


    "Let me introduce myself, I am Pheobe." The woman greeted with a smile. She stepped to the side and gestured Ss to enter, "Please enter from here and let the array search your soul."


    Ss cleared his throat and nodded, "R-Right."


    He entered through the door and immediately felt an invisible veil wrap around his body. A feeling of being spied on came over him, but it onlysted for a couple of seconds.


    "Seems like you passed. Follow me, Mr. Ss. The Patriarch is waiting."


    The door slowly closed by itself as Pheobe turned and went further inside a darkened path.


    Ss took a deep breath and followed her.


    ''Now I just hope Gage could hold on a bit longer,'' he thought, remembering that Gage was still keeping the army upied outside.


    =========================


    At the Mercenary Hall.


    After Kyran''s visit, Celine immediately issued a locked down. She ordered all mercenaries who were inside the stadium to stay while the hall personnel fixed all the damages.


    Then she reminded all mercenaries as well as all the Hall personnel to not breathe a word of what had happened until she talked to the President. After that, she told Marley to get hold of the President as soon as possible.


    Now, Celine was in her office waiting for Marley''s update.


    Dante was also inside. He stood near her study table with a thoughtful look.


    "Hall Master, why did you let that man escape?" he asked carefully. He was convinced that back when Kyran was warning all the mercenaries, Celine had a chance to stop him from escaping. However, she did not make a move and even let him go.


    Celine looked at him while she leaned back in her chair, "What do you think of him?"


    Dante frowned at the sudden unrted question, "Hall Master?"<sub> </sub>


    She took a deep breath. "He did a roundabout way to tell us about the truth behind that generous bounty."


    "To be honest, I just found his way of doing things annoying."


    "Yes! Isn''t it? It was very annoying. But I vaguely feel that it was not his idea," Celine replied and crossed her arms.


    "You mean someone told him what to do?"


    "Hm..." Celine slowly nodded her head.


    She remembered how intrigued she was from Kyran''s mysterious aura and even wanted to make him her new toy.


    "Argh!" she suddenly stood and mmed her hands on the table.


    Dante stepped back from surprise, "H-Hall Master?"


    Then she remembered how Kyran leaned down and whispered in her ears. Even when the situation was not good at the time, she became very excited. And his voice...


    The scene from when Kyran removed his cloak shed in her mind. She was very expectant at that time to finally see his face...


    "Argh! Too young! He''s too young! Why?" She screamed and red at Dante.


    ck lines appeared on Dante''s head as soon as he realized what Celine was thinking. Why was she concerned about the wrong things at this time?


    "ying with my maiden heart like that! Too annoying!" She continued to shout.


    Dante''s brow twitched, ''M-Maiden...''


    While Celine looked young, her real age was not a secret, especially to all mercenaries.


    Dante could not help but remember Kyran''s appearance. He was probably in his early twenties? No, he looked even younger than that. He was a man so he really did not understand Celine''s frustration.


    Still, he had to admit that with Kyran''s strength, any woman would be attracted to him. And when he wore a cloak to hide his appearance and age, it added to his appeal.


    But to Dante, that was not his concern. From the time he found out that the man he fought was just a young man, it somehow exined why he possessed such strength.


    ''Well, initially I thought he was older and a veteran fighter,'' he thought.


    Celine sat down abruptly and took a sharp breath.


    "Anyway, I did not n on letting him escape. But when he was saying his little speech, I suddenly remembered what he whispered to me," she said.


    Dante''s brow twitched again, ''Now she decided to answer my question.''


    "Whispered?" he asked.


    Celine nodded and closed her eyes, "It did not make sense at first but... I have to talk to President Can before making a decision. You prepare as well, knowing the president''s rtionship with the Regis Patriarch, I am sure he will agree."


    ''Agree?'' Dante wondered but did not ask. "Yes, Hall Master."


    A soft knock on the door interrupted the two and Marley''s voice was heard from the other side.


    "Hall Master."


    "Come in," Celine replied.


    Marley entered and bowed to Celine then to Dante before saying, "President Can already replied. He said to reach him on his private channel."


    "Alright, thank you. By the way, how are the repairs going?" Celine asked.


    "The people from the cksmith Order arrived half an hour ago and are still estimating how to fix the stadium''s floor and wall. After they confirm it, they will meet with our mages on how they can rebuild the whole array formation."


    Celine frowned, "Can''t they just restore the affected part of the array formation?"


    "I am not sure, but from what I heard from the Order''s apprentices, it seems the whole array formation was damaged."


    "What?" Celine was shocked.


    If the whole array was damaged, that meant they had to rebuild it from the ground up. How long would that take?


    Marley felt Celine''s apprehension so she hastily added, "I will confirm the details with the Master cksmith the soonest I can."


    "Please do."


    "Yes, Hall Master."


    "You may leave now. Thank you, Marley."


    Marley bowed again before she turned and left.


    Once the door was closed, Celine and Dante exchanged nces. They did not have to voice what each of them was thinking. After hearing Marley''s report, they had another affirmation of how terrible Kyran''s magic was.


    The whole Mercenary hall was also the whole array formation. Normally, if one part of the building was destroyed, it was easy to repair the formation and reactivate the whole defensive array.


    ''But to damage the whole array just by ''destroying'' parts of it... Void magic, huh.'' Celine sighed.


    She looked at Dante and said, "I will go to my private quarters to talk to President Can. I want you to go to the armory and tell Francis to prepare my equipment. You too, if you find anything from the armory that you believe will be helpful against his magic, tell Francis that I gave my consent for you to take it."


    "Yes, Hall Master."

 Chapter 31 Twelve Years Ago

    After Dante left, Celine entered her private quarters through a door in her office.


    Once she was inside, she went over to the bookshelf opposite the door. Runes were written on the bookshelf''s frame. After she tapped a couple of runes on the frame, the disyed books rearranged themselves to the side and revealed a drawn array.


    Celine ced her right hand on top of the array. Faint golden light emitted from it as it came to life, the runes written around the edge hovered and circled her forearms.


    After all the runes had transferred on her forearm, Celine removed her hand on the array and looked at her palm. The runes started to form on her palm and created a miniature version of the array on the wall.


    "Connect me to President Can."


    The array on Celine''s palm lit up and soon a silhouette of a man in a gray and red robe appeared. His face was hidden under the robe''s hood.


    "Marley told me what happened, but I want to hear the details from you."


    Can wanted to hear the details from Celine not because he did not trust Marley, but because he was still confused. In order to fully understand what happened, he had to hear it from those who were inside the stadium.


    "Yes, President."


    It took Celine a quarter of an hour to tell Can what happened. After she was done, he remained silent. Because his face was hidden under the hood, she could not guess what Can was thinking.


    After a moment''s pause, Can finally took a deep breath.


    "Celine. Seal off all sounding in and out of the room," he ordered.


    "Yes."


    Celine did what she was told. An invisible barrier spread out and enclosed the whole room.


    "Now, will you swear a Soul-Binding Oath? Because whatever I am about to say must be kept secret at all cost. If you believe it is something you cannot do then I will have to manipte your memories right now."


    "P-President?" Celine was speechless.


    Can''s request was too sudden for her. It made her wonder what kind of secret the President of the Mercenary Hall had to protect that he would even ask her to swear a soul-binding oath.


    A soul-binding oath was a very dangerous spell that must not be broken. If the person involved broke the oath, his soul would be destroyed and his body would be an empty shell. What was worse, that person''s soul would never be able to reform.


    If it was another person who requested for her to do the oath, Celine would have hesitated. But President Can was her n''s benefactor. And knowing his nature, he would never ask for an unreasonable request from her.


    "I will. I, Celine of the Canere n, swear a soul-binding oath to Can of the Moretti n and will not tell others about the things he will impart to me in this very room. That, if even the thought of speaking it to others crosses my mind, my soul will be bound for eternity."


    A red rune appeared on Celine''s forehead, and at the same time, a golden rune appeared on Can''s.


    "I''m sorry Celine. Thank you."


    Celine smiled, "No matter what, I have sworn my allegiance to the Mercenary Hall and you, President. So you don''t really have to apologize."


    "Very well," Can nodded. He paused for a moment to sort his thoughts before speaking.


    "I believe you are aware that the Mercenary Hall has some business deals with the Regis n."


    "Yes."


    "The contents of the deals itself are ssified even to you with a level one clearance. Only a few Honorary council members, as well as myself and the Chairman, know about it. Now you will also be included. I am sure you are wondering why our Mercenary Hall, would do everything to protect all information on our business with the Regis. For now, all you need to know is that the Founder had a very deep connection with the Regis Family, and thus part of The List."


    Celine was shocked. When someone spoke of the Founder, they did not refer to the person who started the Mercenary Hall. The Founder was the person who established the Conve of the East. For this person to have a deep connection with the Regis, it should have been known throughout the empire. Howe this information was never known to the public?


    And The List was actually written by the Founder. It was a list of instructions left to all constituents of the Conve on how to deal with certain people or ns. For example, when Kyran appeared with a tinum badge, he was considered part of The List, because of its special existence.


    However, Celine did not know that the Regis n was part of The List. It seemed there were more to The List that only those with higher clearance within the Conve could ess.


    "As to how this connection came to be, I am afraid I cannot say. Rest assured that whatever it is that we deal with the Regis n is known by every sessor of the Founder."


    Celine nodded her head, "I understand."


    Can fell silent. He was contemting where to start and how much he should tell Celine. Although she already swore a soul-binding oath, he was afraid to implicate her by telling too much.


    "This may take a while, do bear with me."


    "Yes, President."


    Taking a deep breath, Can finally started. "Twelve years ago, the Regis Patriarch and his son came to visit the Alchemist Association. They requested for a Saint Alchemist to have a look at the Patriarch''s grandson," he started.


    Celine remained silent as she listened to Can''s exnation.


    "At that time, the Patriarch''s grandson was suffering some kind of unknown disease, where all energy around him seemed to... disappear"


    Celine''s eyes grew wide, "Disappear?"<sub> </sub>


    Can nodded, "Yes. You know what happens if the energy around us disappears?"


    "Energy is everything to us. It is what nurtures life and magic. If it disappears then, there is only death." Celine answered with a heavy heart. She could not imagine how hard it would have been for a person to be in such a state. Even his family would be in pain because of his suffering.


    "That''s why they were desperate. I was there when they visited the Association," Can paused as if remembering what happened. He sighed and continued, "Patriarch Aron is a very strong man, even his son Cade, and yet that time they were in despair. Chairman Malia also felt their desperation and so she decided to personallye and see the condition of Patriarch Aron''s grandson."


    Chairman Malia was actually an Emperor Alchemist, two levels higher than a Saint Alchemist. If she came herself, it was almost assured that Patriarch Aron''s grandson would be saved.


    "Chairman Malia also asked me toe. Since my magic might be of help to understand how Patriarch Aron''s grandson got his disease."


    ''Memory magic,'' Celine also agreed to Malia''s judgment.


    "Unfortunately, after meeting the boy, even we could not do anything."


    "Even Chairman Malia?" Celine frowned. Then she recalled something from Can''s words, "Wait boy?"


    Can nodded, "You probably had an idea who I am referring to. He is the same man who came to the Mercenary Hall, Kyran. Twelve years ago, he was only six years old and almost lost his life."


    Celine''s brow made an involuntary twitch. She already expected that Can''s story was about him. But knowing about it and even confirming Kyran''s age because of it really hit a nerve.


    However, when she imagined the suffering a young Kyran had to go through, she could not help but feel bad for him and his family.


    "In order to understand what was happening, I used my magic and finally confirmed that he was not suffering from a disease, but that it was his magic that was causing the problem. And the energy around his was not really disappearing, but was being ''absorbed'' by him."


    Celine''s eyes grew wide, "Absorbing?" To think that the initial manifestation of Void magic had such a dreadful effect on a mage.


    "That''s right. At that time we were still unsure of what kind of magic he had and if it continued, his small body would not be able to hold that much energy. After confirming that it was magic that caused his suffering, Cade decided to seal it. It worked at that time, but it also caused young Kyran to lose his ability to sense the energy around. Patriarch Aron requested that I also manipte young Kyran''s memory so he would not remember what happened that time, and they did everything to hide Kyran''s magic until he would be ready."


    "So the business deal we had with them is...?"


    "We provided information to the Regis about simr magic that caused energy absorption. Of course, the Regis n dispatched their own people to look for the clues, we just provide the locations where we found the information. Aside from that, the seal Cade performed onlysted for a few months and so in order for him to reinforce the seal they needed some rare materials from us."


    "Those issued bounties looking for rare materials, are for them?"


    "Well, not all. But some," Can nodded. "Then eight years ago, we finally confirmed young Kyran''s magic. It came as a shock, but knowing the Regis n''s protectiveness to their own kin, we already expected they would not give up on Kyran."


    Celine became thoughtful. With the threat of being branded as aplices by the Royal Army, there would definitely be people within the Conve who would object and even thought of selling out the Regis n. But it did not happen. She became even more curious as to how deep the connection the Founder had with the Regis.


    "You may be wondering why we haven''t fallen out with the Regis n even when they decided to protect Kyran."


    "Yes," Celine nodded and did not hide her curiosity.


    "Contrary to what you may have thought, not all of us have a noble reason." Can''s voice was full of disdain. "It is expected, however. We are talking about a mage with Void magic. Even in history, who was able to subdue the Dark Sage?"


    Celine frowned, "Kyran is not the Dark Sage."


    "Of course he is not," Can replied with a hint of a smile in his voice. "Do not get me wrong. I never want to take advantage of his magic. But the Conve decided to support the Regis n to gain their favor. You know how bad the power struggle between the factions within the empire had been for the past few years. Knowing that in the future, we have someone powerful to back us up, was a temptation for all Conve council members. We also believed that even if the Royal Army managed to find out about Kyran, it will not be easy for them to take him. Not to mention kill him."


    "But the Royal Army is now using us."


    "Yes," Can nodded. "And we will not really dance in their palms. I will let the Chairman know about this. You can go and meet Kyran. It is best to let him know our stance. He is smart toe here and seek our help. However, he probably does not know about the Conve''s rtionship with the Regis. Listen to what he has to say. But tell him we will not openly expose the Royal Army and will y along. I am sure he will also agree to this. His main concern is the Regis n''s safety. If we openly expose the Royal Army''s scheme, the Grand Marshal will have to openly admit to the whole truth and the Emperor might even issue execution of the whole Regis n. Of course, the execution is only so Kyran will use the tinum badge. You may not know about this, but anyone with the tinum badge can use it to request one thing from the Emperor. And it can be anything. But after that, the tinum badge will be nullified. And Kyran will be exposed with nothing left to keep his n safe. After all, the Conve will probably not stand for the Regis n when everything is exposed."


    Celine nodded, "I understand. The best thing for him now is to get stronger."


    "That''s right. Tell him we will support him in any way possible."


    "Yes, President."


    "If he needed a new identity to move around, we can give him one."


    "I will work on it."


    "As for all the mercenaries who were present at the stadium, gather them. I will have to manipte their memories."


    "About that, there is one mercenary I would like to apany me."


    "Oh, who is he?"


    "Terra Mavin Dante," Celine answered.


    Can nodded, "Very well. But make sure not to tell him about the Conve and the Regis."


    "I won''t. I have made the soul-binding oath after all," Celine smiled.


    "Alright. Then I will leave it to you."

 Chapter 32 Arrival

    Can closed hismunication device and leaned back on his chair. He had just arrived from the three-day monthly meeting of all Conve constituent leaders when he received the emergency-coded message from Marley.


    He immediately replied to Marley and asked her what happened. The moment she mentioned Kyran and the bounty, Can almost fainted.


    Normally, the Managers who handled all the requests sent to the Mercenary Hall would inform him of such a high-profile bounty. Unfortunately, because he was too upied with the affairs discussed in the meeting, he only browsed through the report and did not pay much attention to the details. The report he received also did not show Kyran''s photo. If it did, he would have personally handled the request.


    It was a good thing that Kyran came to the Mercenary Hall.


    After going through the report submitted by Marley, and personally hearing the details from Celine. He could understand why Kyran would do a roundabout way to get the attention of a higher-ranked officer of the Mercenary Hall. Kyran did not know who to trust. Can also deduced that Kyran probably nned to reveal who he was if he failed to meet a high-ranking officer.


    But Can wondered how he came up with the idea to use the tinum badge while emphasizing his identity as a Regis.


    Could it be that Aron managed to instruct Kyran what to do before he escaped the Regis Estate?


    Can immediately rejected the thought. If Aron did tell him beforehand, he only needed to write a letter to meet him. Even if there was no time for him to write a letter, he could simply give Kyran the token issued by the Mercenary Hall to confirm his identity.


    To be honest, he had some doubts about how to deal with Kyran. The fact that he escaped in such an auspicious way meant he was not afraid of exposing himself to the public. It also meant that he wanted to attack the army.


    ''If the public finds out that the army hid the fact that they are hunting a mage with a forbidden magic, then he would attract all those groups,'' Can thought.


    By those groups, he meant those people who lost everything because the army raided their n and killed their family that was suspected of practicing forbidden magic.


    ''Is that what he was really after?''


    If it was, then Can had underestimated Kyran''s determination to save his n.


    ''Let''s not jump to a conclusion here. First, I will let Celine meet with Kyran and see what he wants. As for me, I need to inform the Chairman and arrange an audience with the Head of Conve,'' he decided.


    =======================


    Gage looked at all the officers lying on the ground. After almost five hours of fighting these guys, most of them were already passed out.


    Those who were still conscious were too exhausted to attack and were waiting for Gage''s next movement.


    "What? Are you done? Where is your leader? I am done ying with you all, small fries!" Gage roared.


    Although he had been using his magic for almost five hours, Gage was not exhausted. It proved how great his stamina was. Of course, being a mercenary also honed his ability to conserve his strength while dealing with enemies. He was particrly fond of taking requests where he had to deal with a group of bandits or illegal traders, after all.


    "J-Just stay where you are! Y-You are not allowed to enter the Regis Estate!" A still standing, but already worn-out army officer told him.


    "Humph, I wanna see you try and stop me!" Gage retorted.


    Both his axes zed once more and all officers took a step back at once.


    However, his bracelet suddenly lit up.


    This bracelet was a magic item that Ss made him wear. He told him that the spirit stones embedded on the bracelet would light up if it was time to leave.


    ''Tsk. I haven''t even started yet. These small fries are not even enough to warm me up!'' He thought clearly displeased, but he undid his magic and put away his axes.


    "Humph. Tell your leader that I wille back! If not I will tell everyone in town how he hid behind his men''s back like a wuss that he is!"


    Of course, Gage did not forget to ''pretend'' he was here for the Regis leader. After saying his line, he turned and left. He did not even bother checking if the officers would n a sneak attack.


    The army officers did not n a sneak attack, however, two of them followed Gage.


    Gage already expected it. Thus, after making a turn, he immediately used a teleportation token to gain some distance. Once he appeared at least fifty meters away, he went to the ce he and Ss had agreed to meet.


    =======================


    At the abandoned cksmith warehouse.


    Beads of sweat, filled Kyran''s forehead as he focused on keeping the purple rings inside the magic orb. For almost two hours, he was finally able to keep them inside without any ident for 30 seconds. As for how many magic orbs he had destroyed, there were still seven pieces left.


    To make sure he made good use of an orb, Kyran would first meditate and let his magic flow into his body. After that, he would do simtions with his hand. When he was ready, then he would try it on an orb. And now, after a few trials, he finally could keep the rings for 30 seconds.


    ''28... 29... 30¨C.''


    Sizzle!


    Kyran let out a sigh of frustration. He just could not go past 30 seconds.


    ''Why?'' He pondered as he watched the orb on his hand disintegrate. In truth, he had a vague understanding of why he could not control it for more than 30 seconds. It was more with his concentration. The more he concentrated, the rings would be more excited. It was very contradicting


    ''Rest first,'' Kyran decided and stood up. He stretched for a while as he wandered his eyes in the room.


    Nn was nowhere in sight.


    Kyran vaguely remembered him leaving while saying something about putting up some ''defensive'' measures.


    While he was pondering whether to look for Nn, a voice spoke from behind him.<sub> </sub>


    "What, are you done?"


    Kyran turned and saw Nn appeared amidst his ck mist.


    "I can only control it for 30 seconds," he answered.


    Nn was surprised. He immediately looked at the magic orbs on the ground and counted seven pieces.


    ? "Not bad," he nodded and looked at Kyran. "How many rings can you keep inside?"


    "Five."


    "Okay, with the remaining orbs, make sure to add 10 more."


    Kyran''s eyes almost popped out of his sockets and eximed, "Ten?"


    Nn raised an eyebrow, "What? Too much for you?"


    "Well..." Kyran fell silent and thought for a moment before replying, "More like I''m not sure I can create ten rings at the same time."


    Nn sneered, "Really? I remembered there were at least five of those rings circting on each of your wrists back at the Mercenary Hall."


    "True, but..." Kyran looked at his hands, "I am not sure how I did it."


    He looked at Nn once again and added, "Besides. Even if I managed to summon them at the same time, that will only be ten rings. How can I make it to fifteen?"


    Nn looked at him innocently, "How would I know? My magic does not appear like rings."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He really could not understand whether Nn was willing to teach him or not.


    "Everyone''s magic manifests differently. Mine is through these ck particles, yours through rings. I can''t teach you how to control it. I can only tell you what you can do to control it."


    "Familiarize myself with my own magic," Kyran suddenly remembered.


    Nn nodded, "Yes. Anyway, we''ll take a break for now. We''ll go hunt for something to eat. You know how to hunt forest beasts?"


    Kyran nodded at once, "I do."


    "From military school?"


    "No, my father... I sometimes go with father and my uncles," Kyran answered, trying to reign in the sudden sadness he felt.


    The subtle change in his mood was noticed by Nn. However, he decided to ignore it.


    It was better for Kyran to deal with his own emotions. He did not need empty sympathy from Nn or anyone.


    "Good. I don''t know what you have been taught when hunting at military school, but I don''t trust it. Cade, however, now I feel more assured."


    "What forest beast are we going to hunt?"


    "Hmm. Well, a huge one would be nice. I''m starving," Nn answered vaguely.


    Kyran remembered something and immediately touched his pouch, "I have some food rations here¨C."


    "Keep it for an emergency."


    "But if we don''t eat it soon..."


    Nn looked at him incredulously, "It''s inside a space storage. It will not go bad. Items you put inside a space storage are preserved, with the exception of living things."


    Kyran was surprised. He really needed to learn a lot of things about magic and items rted to it.


    "Anyway, the more you have life and death encounters, the more you will be familiar with using your magic inbat."


    "Y-You keep on saying that," Kyran said, feeling an iing headache.


    "Don''t worry, after we get our answer from the Mercenary Hall we''ll go find a ruin for us to ex¨C, hm?" Nn suddenly stopped and looked outside the window.


    "Someone''sing," he frowned. "Make that two."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed, "Is it her?"


    Nn only nodded and turned to look at him with a serious expression. "I will only observe. It is up to you how to deal with them," he reminded.


    "I know," Kyran replied.


    "Good."


    With that, fog-like shadow surrounded Nn and he vanished from sight.

 Chapter 33 Small Talk

    Dante gripped the hilt of his greatsword that was propped on his back. He surveyed the premise of an abandoned warehouse in front of him with a slight scowl on his face.


    "He had concealed himself well. I don''t feel any presence inside nor on the surrounding area," he said and looked behind him.


    Standing there was Celine, who was also looking at the whole ce.  She had used her magic sense to survey the ce but failed to sense any ''human'' aura.


    "His magic is the void. There has always been a debate on its origin, and some fanatics believed that Void magic is an existence ofplete nothingness," Celine said and continued to urge her magic senses to deepen its search. "They just might be right on this ount."


    With a shake of his head, Dante sighed and walked at the rusty gates.


    "If that is the case, then how is he even using magic? We needed the energy around to sustain the use of magic. If the void isplete nothingness..."


    "That''s why it is being debated even now," Celine sighed. "But topletely conceal yourself like this, how else can you exin it?"


    Just as she said those words, a thought came to her.


    "Unless he is inside a domain...?" her voice trailed off.


    Immediately she rejected the idea with a shake of her head. "No, impossible. But if it is true..."


    How far had Kyran''s magic level reached? No wonder the Dark Sage reached the higher realm that most Master Mages had been dreaming of.


    ''No. Stop. He has Void magic, but he is not the Dark Sage,'' Celine scolded herself.


    When the President talked about Kyran''s future with such zeal as if he was the Dark Sage''s reincarnation, did she not show him her displeasure? Why was she doing the same now?


    "Hall Master, I can''t help but feel that he is not working alone."


    Dante''s voice brought Celine out of her thoughts.


    Her brow creased but she nodded slightly. She understood his doubts.


    Kyran was only in his teens ¨CCeline''s brow twitched.


    Based on his age, it was impossible to reach a level where one could make his own domain. If there was someone else with him who was a high-level mage then having a domain or even concealing one''s presence would be easy. How he could n and act as if he hadplete control of the situation would also make more sense. After all, if you have a high-level mage with you on top of having powerful magic, then you could really act rampantly.


    "No point thinking about it now. Let''s go in," Celine finally moved and waved her hand.


    The rusty gates opened with a creak and they entered while keeping their guard up.


    At the same time, inside the spacious receiving hall of the abandoned warehouse.


    [Once I undo my veil, they will be able to find your location.]


    Nn''s voice spoke in Kyran''s mind.


    "You know, you should have taught me how to reply when you talk in my mind. That way I can at least ask you questions or tell you what I think," Kyran could not helpining.


    [Why? It''s fun to see you talk to yourself. It can even lead to a very ''good'' opportunity. Ahahahaha!]


    Kyran sighed. Did Nn really see him as his personal entertainment?


    With a shake of his head, Kyran headed up the deck that was connected to the stairs leading to the second floor. This deck was facing the main entrance of the receiving hall.


    He sat on the middle guardrail that was made of pure cement instead of the iron rod. After all, the structure was too rusty he was sure it would not be able to support his weight.


    "Can you see them? Do you know who they are?" He asked Nn.


    [Don''t worry. You know them. Just act the way you did when you first meet them.]


    Kyran nodded. He understood who Nn meant and why he still had to act boldly and indifferent. He had to be consistent. If he showed his true self, they might take advantage of it and try to get on his good side.


    If he had to be honest, he actually did not want to talk to Celine again, or at least not this soon. Because he found her too... weird. He felt she''s weirder than Nn. He wondered if all Magus-level mages had such weird quirks. Apart from that, he still remembered her outburst and it sent a slight chill down his spine. Back in military school, he always had a low profile. But somehow, trouble always found him. And it was always connected to the opposite gender.


    An image of a girl with wavy long blonde hair tied in a high ponytail and olive-green eyes, wearing dark green militarybat clothes shed in Kyran''s mind. She had an angelic pretty face, but her temper was anything but angelic or pretty.


    Celine gave Kyran the same feeling like that ''girl''.


    ''Why can''t all girls, be like cousin Pheobe?'' He grumbled with a sigh.


    A picture of a young woman with short ck hair and dark gray eyes, wearing a in white dress crossed his mind. His cousin Pheobe was a very caring and kind person. Instantly, he felt a slight pain in his heart knowing that her status with the rest of his family and n members was still unknown.


    ''Focus. You''re doing this for them. Get your act together,'' Kyran reminded himself.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran focused his attention on the floor-to-ceiling-high main entrance door.


    [They''ve entered the premise. I will now undo my magic.]


    Nn''s voice came once again. Kyran nodded in response.


    From Celine and Dante''s side.


    Celine felt a subtle shift in the air and immediately, her magic sense detected Kyran''s presence. She knew it was him because of the simrity of the presence she felt from him back at the Mercenary Hall.


    "Follow me," she told Dante and went to the tallest building in the middle of the whole warehouse.


    They walked up the steps leading to the entrance of the building.


    Dante removed the hook on his greatsword and was about to take it off his back when Celine stopped him.


    [It''s okay. If we show him a guarded stance, he will probably act hostile toward us. We also have to consider that he is not alone, and not knowing who is with him might be a problem.]


    Dante heard Celine''s voice in his head. He gave a short nod of acknowledgement.


    Unfortunately, replying telepathically was not an easy thing to do. Only those who had reached High Master would be able to do so. Of course, there was a way to establish a simr telepathic connection between low-leveled mages, but the transmission could easily be perceived by other mages with higher magic attainments making it inappropriate in doing covert missions.


    Although their meeting with Kyran was not exactly a covert mission, they were still in the dark about his purpose of requesting a meeting. Thus, they had to be cautious.


    Celine specifically could not implicate Dante. She only brought him here because he personally fought Kyran and probably knew his strength more than her. Besides, her offensive capacity was limited. In order for her to use her attack, she needed to make physical contact with her target. And based on what they had seen Kyran could do, it was almost close to impossible to get close to him.<sub> </sub>


    Dante was only here in case of an emergency. To avoid that, they had to act harmless.


    Celine took the lead as they walked up the stairs and approached the door. With a wave of her hand, the door slowly opened. It gave off a loud screech as the door hinges were no longer maintained.


    The two of them looked inside and found the whole ce in darkness. Although it was still the middle of the day, little light prated the windows and broken gaps on the roof of the building.


    Celine knew Kyran was somewhere inside, based on her magic sense. Without hesitation, she entered the building while taking out a fire scroll from her pouch that was tied around her waist. Dante followed after her.


    However, before Celine could use the fire scroll to make a light, her eyes that already adjusted to the darkness, found a silhouette sitting on the guardrail of a deck that connected the first-floor stairs to the second floor.


    The silhouette was Kyran.


    Kyran sat patiently on the guardrail, with his left leg propped up on its edge and an arm resting on his knee. He had been waiting for Celine and Dante''s arrival. Now that they entered the building, he did not make any movements and just observed them.


    Celine used the scroll in her hand and slowly the light from the fireball illuminated a portion of the room.


    "You found a very conspicuous ce to meet," Celine finally spoke and looked at Kyran who remained hidden in the shadows.


    "I think its conspicuousness makes it more inconspicuous," Kyran replied.


    "Humph," Dante could not help but snort at Kyran.


    [Dante.]


    Celine warned him.


    Dante did not reply. Instead, he took a deep breath and stood straight, then crossed his arms across his chest.


    "I suppose it is. I remembered how the cksmith Order initially thought the location of this warehouse was good. Because it is near the forest, they thought it would be easier to find resources. But soon they had to abandon it because of the regr night attacks, they encountered from forest beasts," Celine said with a smile.


    "Hm. Did youe here to tell me about the history of this building? I''m not really interested," Kyran unabashedly told Celine. He did not want to be friends with Celine or Dante thus he did not want to have idle chats.


    "Y-You¨C!"


    Celine raised her hand and gave Dante a side nce. Immediately, he stopped and snorted with indignation.


    "Uninvited guest is free to leave," Kyran told Dante.


    Dante swallowed the retort he was about to say because Celine gave him another warning look.


    Celine put on a smile and looked at Kyran, "I''m sorry. I decided to bring Dante to get you two reacquainted."


    "No, thanks."


    Both men answered.


    [Ahahaha. Good. Good.]


    Kyran heard Nn say, but ignored it.


    ck lines appeared on Celine''s head. If she insisted on this topic, this meeting might go downhill before it even started.


    "Then, please ignore him. He can just stand guard in case of... emergency," she finally decided to say.


    "Emergency... right," Kyran repeated with a sneer. However, he did not dwell too much on it. He cared less whether Dante stayed or not. To him, it did not make a difference if Dante would act hostile. Unlike the time he was at the Mercenary Hall, Nn was close by to keep watch.


    Kyran frowned a little after realizing something. Was he trusting Nn too much so soon? He had to correct that.


    "Fine. Your decision toe here meant you understood my intention of going to the Mercenary Hall," Kyran started.


    Celine was a little peeved that Kyran wanted to start their conversation while she and Dante were still at the entrance. Was this distance too far? Was he being too cautious?


    "Are we going to talk here? Like this?" She gestured at the distance between them as well as the whole ce.


    "I want to see the two of you from a distance," Kyran answered listlessly.


    Celine kept a smile on her face, but inside she was fuming. "Very well," she relented after weighing the pros and cons if she let out her anger.


    "And?"


    "And?" Celine repeated as if she was confused.


    [Tsk. Tsk. Seems she ns to get you talking first. I bet she just wants to know you more.]


    Nn could not help but tell Kyran. To him, Celine''s pretend confusion was expected but unnecessary.


    Kyran frowned at Nn''s words.


    "Will you stop?" he told him.


    "I''m sorry?" Celine''s confusion became real.


    [See? Herees a ''good'' opportunity. Come on, talk to yourself more. Ahahaha!]


    Kyran gritted his teeth to stop himself from retorting at Nn.


    He looked at Celine indifferently and said, "Stop trying to make small talks. Let''s get down to business."


    ''Tsk,'' Celine reigned in her indignation.


    President Can told her to listen to what Kyran had to say, but it seemed he did not want to talk.


    "Alright. You really are an impatient man."


    Ignoring Celine''sment, Kyran started. "The army did not want my identity be known and even used your mercenaries toe after me, what are you going to do about it?"

 Chapter 34 Not Good Enough

    Celine frowned.


    Kyran wanted to talk about that right off the bat?


    She contemted on how she could ry President Can''s words. The priority right now was to convince Kyran that the Mercenary Hall was willing to help him.


    Can entrusted her to do this job because her magic was useful in negotiations.


    After a short pause, Celine subtlety urged her magic and started to speak.


    "Of course we will not let the army do as they please," she began.


    ''Hm?'' Nn felt a small magic fluctuation trying to infiltrate his veil. He recognized the magic signature and sneered while looking at Celine.


    ''This old hag really has some guts wanting to use charm to make the kid listen. Does she really think if she uses just a small amount of magic to her voice the kid will not notice? Oh well, at this point, I''m probably the only one who knows that the kid''s magic is always active within his body and will react to anything that tries to influence it.'' He thought and checked on Kyran.


    As expected, a small frown appeared on Kyran''s face. But whether he realized Celine''s magic or not, he remained indifferent.


    "I have spoken to the President of the Mercenary Hall and told him what you said. He was also not happy that the army was using us for their own scheme. Right at this moment, he is on his way to meet the Chairman and talk more about it," Celine said while trying to observe any change in Kyran''s behavior.


    Although his face was hidden in the shadows, she could still perceive any small change base on his aura.


    "For now, he decided that we should act ording to how the army expects."


    At this point, Kyran shifted. He closed his eyes and started to rub his left temples.


    [Tsk. Trying to y safe. Cowards.]


    Nn alsomented.


    When Celine saw Kyran moved but did not say anything, she smiled in her heart. If she managed to convince him, maybe the two of them could also start off new. She continued, "The President believed that if we exposed the army''s scheme, they might end up openly admitting to everything. If they do, the public''s opinion might pressure the Emperor himself to order the Regis n''s execution. I''m sure you don''t want that to happen."


    She paused and waited for Kyran to digest this information. When after almost a minute he still did not make any movements, she finally felt something was wrong.


    And it was only then that she perceived the sudden drop in the temperature around them.


    "This..." Dante also felt the change in the air and immediately reached for the hilt of his greatsword.


    "You know, the Regis n has around 20,000 disciples. If I include their family then maybe more than double that number. Then the Regis family count is around 500. That also includes the little ones," Kyran finally spoke.


    Celine and Dante could not help but exchange nces. Both of them were unsure why Kyran suddenly said that.


    "If the Emperor ordered their execution. Just how long would that take?" Kyran wondered out loud. He still had his eyes closed and was rubbing his temples as if trying to ease up a headache.


    Nn felt something was wrong as well, but he decided to observe for now.


    "Hall Master," Kyran suddenly called Celine.


    "Yes?" she immediately replied.


    "How many mages are there in the Royal Army?"


    "Mages...?" She was a little confused by his question. A part of her, however, felt she already knew where this conversation was headed. And she was starting to feel anxious. "The mage force covers at least 83% of the whole Royal Army. The remaining arebat specialists or ordinary personnel."


    "How many is 83%?"


    Celine frowned, unsure how to answer. She thought for a while and said, "Approximately 1.4 million."


    Kyran took a deep breath, "That''s a lot. I wonder if there''s a way to gather all of them in one ce. And if it happens, I wonder if I can wrap them all in one go with my magic."


    Both Celine and Dante took a sharp breath.


    What did Kyran mean? No, what he said was clear. But his intention... Was he seriously considering attacking and even wiping out the Royal Army?


    Nn''s brow creased as he observed Kyran. He was not sure whether Kyran was still acting or being serious.


    But because Kyran still had his eyes closed, Nn was unable to confirm it.


    "Now let me ask you. How many among those, are at least Master level and above?" Kyran asked once again.


    "W-Well, based on our recent data, there are 18 active Master mages and above including the General Marshal."


    "That''s few and manageable."


    ''M-Manageable...?'' Celine started to feel cold. She btedly realized that indeed the temperature around them had dropped very low.<sub> </sub>


    "I guess I had to deal with those people first. After all, if they are eliminated the threat to my n will decrease."


    [Oi, kid. Are you being serious? You''re talking about those with higher magic attainments than you.]


    Nn could no longer remain silent and spoke to Kyran.


    "Those people are the top Masters in the whole Empire!" Dante eximed. "Even as a joke, you should not say things like that!"


    "Joke?" Kyran''s voice deepened. "Of course, I suppose my words seem like a joke to you."


    Finally, Kyran opened his eyes.


    Both Celine and Dante took a step back after seeing that Kyran''s eyes hadpletely turned reddish-purple.


    "K-Kyran Regis, let''s think sensibly. Right now, there is still no news about the Regis n. The President really believed that if we exposed the army''s scheme and provoked them, then the whole Regis n will be in a more precarious situation," Celine hastily said and also urged her magic. This time, instead of trying to convince Kyran, she focused on calming him. "That''s why he wants you to first focus on getting stronger. The Mercenary Hall is willing to provide you with resources and -.''


    "Not good enough!" Kyran roared. Purple rings appeared and circled him. When these rings touched the guardrail around him, it was destroyed in an instant.


    Fissures crackled around as his magic started to surge out.


    Nn frowned. This was the first time he had seen Kyran look murderous.


    ''So his reverse scale was not when his life was threatened, but when someone threatens the whole Regis n!'' He realized, remembering that Kyran''s mood turned for the worse when Celine talked about the possibility of the Regis n being executed.


    So far, Nn was only able to pacify Kyran''s moodst night when he told him his n''s situation might be better than his. Now that another scenario was presented to him his mood took a turn once more.


    Kyran stood up and jumped down from the deck.


    Celine and Dante made an involuntary step back.


    The purple rings circling around Kyran emitted a very condensed magic fluctuation that if it expanded, both Celine and Dante were not sure if they would be able to avoid it.


    "I told you guys the truth about myself because I expect you to expose the army and put the whole empire in a state of unrest. This way the army will be upied in cating all those groups that are just waiting for a chance for revenge. You understand which group I was talking about, right?" Kyran said as he started to walk toward Celine and Dante.


    Realization dawned on Celine. She never expected that Kyran was really trying to create trouble for the army.


    Nn was equally shocked. Honestly, when he thought of letting Kyran get the help of the Mercenary Hall, Nn only wanted to threaten the army by using the Conve''s influence and ''make the higher-ups who issued Kyran''s bounty shit himself'' in the process. By threatened, Nn imagined that the Head of the Conve would personally visit the Royal Army and demand why they would put the Mercenary Hall''s mercenaries into harm''s way by not telling them what they were really dealing with.


    ''But this kid...'' Nn shivered. Kyran''s way of thinking really scared him!


    "I-If that happens, there is a big chance that those groups will also target your n." Celine tried to reason.


    "Target my n? Why do you think I kept on emphasizing who I am and what my magic is?" Kyran replied, the air around him fluctuated with every step he made. "Compared to the Royal Army, who are the Regis n? What can a mage with Void magic do?"


    Celine gasped. Yes, if those groups found out he was a Regis and a Void mage at that, then they would definitely want to be in his good graces! Wasn''t that the very reason why the Conve council members did not fall out with the Regis n even when they decided to protect him?


    "So you really n on using them against the army?"


    "Wrong. I am not going to use them. I am giving them a chance to find me," Kyran corrected her.


    Nn sneered. He understood what Kyran meant. ''Find him and make a deal with them on how to attack the army. Yep, this kid''s way of thinking is really scary. He is not only creating trouble, but he also ns to gather his own ''force''.''


    "O-Okay, I understand! I-I will tell the President about what you want. W-We will leave for now ande back after we talked to the Chairman," Celine hastily told him. She immediately gave a meaningful look at Dante.


    Kyran sneered when the two turned and started to walk back to the entrance.


    "Leave?"


    A purple disc instantly appeared on his feet and wrapped him.


    A fissure appeared in the middle of the entrance.


    Both Celine and Dante stopped as they stared at the fissure in fright.


    Soon the fissure grew to at least seven-foot high and four feet wide.


    The air crackled and slowly Kyran walked out from the fissure.


    "How!" Celine and Dante both eximed in fright.


    "I just told you my ns. You think I''d let you leave?" Kyran asked his reddish-purple eyes glinted maliciously.

 Chapter 35 I Only Need One

    Nn''s eyes almost popped out of its sockets when he saw Kyran being wrapped by a purple disc, then in the next instant, he had stepped out of the fissure blocking the main entrance.


    ''Did he just warp?'' He wondered, unable to control his excitement.


    It has to be said that warping and teleporting are different. Teleporting is done by shortening distances using space magic while warping is distorting space itself that can only be used with void magic. What makes warp better than teleportation is it can travel at a greater distance and at a more specific location.


    When he directed Kyran''s escape back at the Mercenary Hall, this was what he was trying to achieve. His target was to make Celine think Kyran already had higher attainment in Void magic.


    After all, Nn believed that eventually, Kyran would be able to learn it. He did not know that this kid could already do it!


    ''The f*ck kid, why did you not tell me?'' Nn cursed, but he was grinning like an idiot. From the time he had first seen Kyran used his magic, Nn had been drawn to his potential  But now, his magic usage clearly defiedmon sense.


    Kyran only started learning about his magic and yet he was able to do a lot of the known ability of Void magic. Nn really could not gauge Kyran''s level!


    "Since I told you my ns, you think I''d just let you leave without any insurance?" Kyran''s voice had turned cold. "You said you will talk to the President, but how will I know that you will not sell me out to the Royal Army?"


    "We won''t! The President really wants you to know that the Mercenary Hall-."


    "You keep on saying the President. What, you can''t even say your own opinion?"


    "No. I mean. Of course, the President''s words are absolute. I just think it is better that you are aware there is a higher man up our Hall that is really on your side."


    Kyran sneered, "From wanting to help me, to being on my side? Are you such an inconsistent person?"


    Dante took off his greatsword and directed it at Kyran.


    "You! Stop disrespecting the Hall Ma¨C!"


    Before Dante could finish his sentence, Kyran suddenly moved, he struck the dull side of the greatsword using his left hand, forcing it on the ground while shifting his weight on his waist as he turned and punch Dante''s side torso.


    "Gwah!"


    Dante spat a mouthful of blood as he barely activated the armor he got from the Mercenary Hall before Kyran''s punch fell.


    This armor was a simple leather tunic he wore beneath his usual armor. In normal circumstances, without activating the armor''s effect, because of its special material, it should have been able to withstand any physical attack. But Dante was shocked to find that Kyran''s strength seemed to have gotten strongerpared to when he fought him at the Mercenary Hall.


    Dante was thrown to the side and he coughed out more blood as he crashed on the wall. He lost grip on his greatsword as he fell on the ground and the wall crumbled down on him.


    "Dante!" Celine was shocked.


    She knew Dante was wearing a high-grade leather tunic from the Mercenary Hall''s armory. It was also imbued with great magic and physical resistance. For him to still get hurt, just how powerful was Kyran''s physical strength?


    "Uninvited guests should keep their mouth shut," Kyran told Dante indifferently.


    Celine urgently urged her magic and aimed it at Kyran, "Stop. Don''t hurt him!"


    "It''s you who should stop," Kyran said and turned to face Celine. He red at her fiercely, "I hate how you''ve been using your magic to invade my senses since earlier."


    Celine took a sharp breath. It was true that she had used 80% of her magic just now, but for Kyran to realize she had been using it even with less than 1%? Was his magic sense also powerful?


    "Alright. I''ll stop. But don''t hurt Dante. He is only here as an escort. We don''t have any intention of fighting you... please," she pleaded.


    This time Celine no longer cared about keeping appearances. She hade to really fear Kyran. When he came out of the fissure, she actually thought she was looking at death.


    Back at the Mercenary Hall when Kyran used his magic to escape, they thought it was a simple teleportation skill. Clearly, what he did just now, was not simple teleportation.


    It was the infamous warp ability of Void magic.


    How many nations had fallen because of this particr ability of the Dark Sage during the Chaos Reign era?


    If Celine doubted Kyran''s magic before, now she was 100% convinced.


    Kyran''s re eased up, but he did not let down his guard. Most females he had met outside the Regis Estate were treacherous and two-faced. Once you showed a lenient attitude, they would take advantage of you and bleed you dry.


    "You should have considered that beforeing here," he told her.<sub> </sub>


    "I am to me, I was conceited to think I can convince you. I did use my magic, but only so you will listen until the end," Celine admitted while also looking at the rubble where Dante was buried. She urged her magic sense to check his condition.


    Kyran felt her magic retreating and knew she was sincere enough. But he still felt two faint magic fluctuations. He knew the other one came from Nn, but the other vaguely felt the same as Celine''s magic. Then he noticed how she kept on looking at the rubble behind him.


    "Do you even have the leisure to worry about your escort?" Kyran asked and took a step toward Celine.


    Immediately, Celine took a step back. "I-I''m sorry. But Dante... he... his family... I at least had to..."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    The look of fear, panic, and worry on Celine''s face was not an act. But Kyran was not in the mood to be sympathetic. The lives of thousands of his nsmen and family were on his shoulders at this moment. Why would he care about a stranger''s family?


    "You''re not taking me seriously, are you?" Kyran''s voice deepened as he took another step toward Celine.


    "T-That''s not it! I just¨C," Celine immediately bit back the words she was about to say when she saw the murderous glint in Kyran''s eyes.


    "All the things I said, is it all a joke to you?"


    "N-No. I just think we should not jump to conclusions. What I mean is," Celine hastily added when she sensed Kyran''s mood worsen. "We should first confirm the Regis n''s current status before deciding on the next course of action¨C."


    "You know what I don''t have right now, Hall Master?" Kyran interrupted her.


    "W-What?"


    "Time. Right now, my strong belief that the Regis n will not fall easily is the sole reason why I can hang on to my sanity. I tell myself that if the army had already taken everyone they would''ve used them against me by now. But they haven''t. Yet. And for how long, I don''t know. What I do know, it is just a matter of time. A matter of time where the army will dispatch more of their forces. A matter of time where my n exhaust themselves. A matter of time before everyone is..."


    Kyran clenched his fist.


    Celine also fell silent. Although Kyran looked fierce right now, through her magic sense, she knew he was despairing.


    "You said your President is willing to help by pretending the army is still in control of the situation. Because if not, the Emperor himself might be pressured by the public and will order the execution of my n." Kyran suddenly scoffed, "When did the public''s opinion matter to the Emperor? Even if it does, would the public really want the execution of my n? Or mine? And who would want that? The masses or the nobles? How about those groups who had been waiting for a chance to take revenge on the army? No, make that the Royal Family. Would they want me dead? Someone who can give them that chance they are waiting for?"


    Celine''s eyes grew wide. He had a point. There would definitely be mixed opinions. There would be some who would want Kyran to be captured as soon as possible because his threat wasrger than the Regis n. The majority of them would be the nobles. Because even if Kyran was a Regis, their influence among the nobles had declined after they became a recluse. Of course, there would also be people who would prefer to ''wait and see''. Or those who did not care what would happen. And then there were those who would take advantage of the situation and take revenge on the Royal Family. They were the groups Kyran had spoken of. They hated the Royal Family for their oppression of anyone who practiced forbidden magic. Celine had an inkling that the majority would fall in thetter. After all, there were those who were wrongly used and the army almost wiped them out.


    "If the Mercenary Hall will y safe and not tell the truth to the public, who will benefit the most? There is also this big question that I know you guys also thought of. Why the army does not want the public to know about me. And why they want me alive."


    "T-That''s..." Celine also wondered that. But because the big picture had not been clear to her, she had forgotten about it. Now that Kyran had brought it up, it made her think again. Normally, the army would want him dead, right?


    "Now tell me. Do you think the decision of your President can really help me?"


    Celine fell silent. After Kyran pointed all of that, she also wondered if ying along the army''s scheme was the right thing to do. Wouldn''t they only give the army more time to cover any loose ends or even secretly wipe the whole Regis n? If they exposed their scheme, the army would have to put a lot of effort in order to control the spread of the information. Then their focus on the Regis n would lessen. Although, Kyran himself would be exposed to all sorts of danger.


    For the sake of his n, however, the dangers directed at him probably did not matter.


    After a few seconds and Celine still did not reply, Kyran took a deep breath and said. "Let''s stop here. If you can''t make a decision, then don''t waste my time. I''ll just ask your President or your Chairman or whoever who can make a decision, by myself."


    Celine finally snapped out of her thoughts and hastily said, "I-It''s not like that. I can go back and talk to the President immediately. I will tell him what you think and¨C."


    "I already told you I don''t have the time."


    "Then I''ll bring you with me. I''ll arrange for your meeting with the President o-or even the Chairman if you''d prefer that¨C."


    "There is a much faster way to make theme find me themselves."


    "Then tell me I will¨C."


    "I only need one."


    "One? Which one?"


    "A Death," Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glinted ferociously as he stared straight at Celine''s eyes. "If I kill you here, they will surely act, right? After all, you are a Hall Master."


    Celine paled in an instance.

 Chapter 36 Unrest

    Gage arrived at a dpidated shack a few kilometers outside of Aeren Town.


    He and Ss found this shack before going to the Regis Estate. After confirming that the shack was hidden and had not been visited for years, they decided that this would be their meeting ce after their investigation.


    Using his magic sense to check for any hidden danger, Gage walked over the path leading to the shack''s porch. After confirming there was no danger, his brows creased because it also meant that the ce was empty.


    ''Damn that Ss, why is he still not here?'' He cursed.


    When he was on his way to this ce, Gage made a detour to make sure he had no pursuers. He also thought that Ss would beter than him since he went inside the Regis Estate while he was only at the entrance. So, he decided to take his time going back.


    Howe he was still the first one to arrive?


    ''Did he encounter trouble on his way out?''


    Gage immediately rejected the idea. They agreed that Ss would only activate the bracelet once he safelypleted his task.


    ''Forest beasts?'' He pondered some more.


    Although rare, there would be cases where some low-level forest beasts would venture around the outskirts of Aeren Town.


    ''I''ll just have to wait then,'' he finally decided.


    Gage was normally hotheaded, but when he was on a job, he could be very patient.


    He arrived at the door and carefully opened it, if not, he could easily break it down.


    As soon as he stepped inside, a light-blue array suddenly appeared and hovered vertically in front of Gage.


    "Hm?"


    From the middle of the array, a beautiful small female ice spirit emerged. She had deep blue eyes and simrly deep blue wavy long hair that flowed all around her like snow. There was a small diamond tiara on top of her head and her pointy ears had intricate ice ornaments on them. Her flowing white and blue tulle cape dress fell down her body like a small snow mountain. Small snowkes fell and glistened beautifully around her, but, as soon as it veered too far from her, it would melt away.


    Gage''s eyes almost popped out of its socket as he stared at the Ice Spirit in fright. "W-Why is there a spirit here? More importantly, howe I can see one!" He eximed.


    It was said that those who could see spirits were very rare. Only those with a rare bloodline could see them. If a human without this bloodline saw a spirit it meant that person was the spirits'' subject of their little ''y''. And their y might seem fun to them, but not to that person.


    In an instant, Gage racked his brain if his family had a hidden rtion to the two families in the empire that was known to have this rare bloodline.


    This bloodline was called the Fae bloodline. The origin of this bloodline came from a union of a Fae noble and a specially selected human from ancient times.


    In the whole empire, there were only two families known to have this bloodline. One was a small family located at the west of the empire, the Mavin Family. And the other one was more famous. They were one of the Three Noble Families that had great ties with the Royal Family, the Dinaeri Family.


    Gage immediately shook his head. His family had no rtions with them! But more importantly, were their spirits associated with ice?


    Thinking of ice, Gage suddenly thought of Ss and cautiously looked at the female spirit who had her eyes half-closed.


    Another thought crossed his mind.


    The truth, there were three families who had the bloodline to see spirits. However, twelve years ago the Royal Army raided that family, iming that they were practicing forbidden magic on top of building an army of spirits to overthrow the Royal Family. In that raid, the whole family was almost wiped out. Even those who survived were said to be imprisoned on the Ind.


    And that family was famous for their Ice Spirits.


    ''Svell Family... Could it be that Ss..?''


    "Little boy, are you Gage?" A cute yet cold voice interrupted his thoughts.


    Gage had to blink twice because he was not sure if it came from the Ice Spirit. He did not see her open her mouth.


    "Answer me. Are you Gage?" The voice came again.


    A vein appeared on Gage''s forehead.


    Although the Ice Spirit was not looking at him directly, he knew it was her this time, because she had pointed her cute little finger at him.


    Why this little ¨C who''s she calling a little boy? And what kind of attitude is this?


    But Gage knew better than retort back in anger. After all, everyone knew the spirits had the worst temper of all magical creatures in the entire world. If you angered a spirit, which most of the time was unintentional because few could see them, with their own travel means, they would be able to follow you and haunt you for years. Most people had no clue about what was happening and would me it on being cursed or falling sick.


    "I am."


    "Receive this. It is a message from little Ss," the Ice Spirit opened her small palm and a three-inches wide ice orb appeared on top.


    Gage held out his hand to receive the orb. It flew to his hand with snowkes trailing behind it.


    "Are you Ss''s contract spirit?" he asked as soon as he received the orb.


    White steam puffed out of the Ice Spirit''s ear and her surrounding started to freeze.


    "Why would my noble self be a contract Spirit? Humph! Ignorant little human. Just because I am kind enough to deliver something for him does not mean I am his spirit!" She started to throw small snowballs at Gage.


    The snowballs hit Gage''s head, but it was too small that the moment itnded on him, it melted from his magic defense.<sub> </sub>


    ''Weak!'' Gage could not help but think.


    "I have done what I came here. Humph! Stupid lowly ignorant human! Don''t let me hear you say that sphemous notion again or I''ll turn you into an ice sculpture!"


    The light-blue array glowed and soon the Ice Spirit disappeared with a small puff, leaving a few snowkes behind.


    Such a weird spirit. Why did he have to meet a weak and weird spirit the first time he saw one?


    Gage had never met a mage with a contracted spirit, but from what he heard they were very hard to deal with. But after seeing that spirit, he wondered if it was really true.


    So was Ss from the Svell Family? Gage realized he knew little of him.


    With a shake of his head, he turned his focus on the orb in his hand. He urged his magic and soon the orb lit up and Ss''s image appeared.


    "Gage. I am currently inside ''you-know-where''," he started to speak. "I cannot give you the full details in case this gets into the wrong hands¨C."


    ("What? Did you really just say I am ipetent? You are just a lowly human! How dare you act arrogant in front of my noble self! Stupid little Ss!" A cute little voice was heard in the background.)


    "¨CGet in touch with Hall Master and inform her we need an audience with the President."


    ck lines appeared in Gage''s head as he faintly saw the head and shoulders of Ss''s image slowly filled with snow.


    "This matter is of utmost importance. Head back to the Mercenary Hall as well. Once you meet with them, show this orb to the President. He would know what to do."


    Then the orb started to blink.


    "Remember, only show this orb if you are in the presence of the Mercenary Hall President. I can''t leave here yet. There are things... Anyway, I know I can trust this to you. I''ll alsoe once I am finished here."


    The light slowly faded and Ss''s image disappeared.


    Gage frowned. That''s it? Not even a clue of what happened? And what''s with the ''you-know-where'' talk. Trying to act all mysterious.


    "I am not your errand boy! Stupid little Ss!" He growled. But he hid the orb in his pocket and went out of the shack with a thoughtful look.


    It seemed, the high-profile bounty really had something to do with the Regis n. This would be big news if the whole continent found out.


    =========================


    Starhorn City, inside the Chairman''s room at the very top floor of the Mercenary Hall.


    Can sat on the long couch and looked at the older man who was seated at the study table opposite him.


    The man was in his mid-fifties with long gray hair and dark green eyes. He was wearing the same robe as Can, but with an additional linen vest made of gold and diamond.


    While Can covered his head with the robe''s hood, the man kept it down. That''s why his grave expression was clearly seen on his face. This man was the Chairman of the Mercenary Hall.


    It''s almostte in the afternoon when Can managed to get hold of him.


    The Chairman of the Mercenary Hall rarely appeared in public nowadays or even meddle with its affairs, but that was only because he was busy with his work as a council member of the Conve.


    Even today, he was dealing with some conflicts from a branch outside the empire. But after he received the emergency coded message from Can, he flew back to Starhorn as soon as possible. It took him at least four hours. And finally, he arrived.


    Now, after Can told him of what happened and also read the report of the cksmith Order''s Master Artisan regarding the damage on the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array, he felt he had aged at least twenty years.


    "Chairman Hugh, would you like me to prepare a potion for your...health?" Can asked cautiously.


    The old man, named Hugh immediately raised a hand at Can.


    "It is okay Can. I am only exhausted from traveling back. It has been a while since I''ve used all my strength just to get back here as fast as I can."


    Can lowered his head, "I''m sorry. If I had properly checked the documents our managers submitted regarding the bounty, we might have avoided this situation."


    Hugh shook his head, "You cannot possibly know that the army would do something like this. Besides, if the bounty did not happen, he might not havee here." He took a deep breath, "You said Celine already went to meet with him. Have you established amunication channel to get news from her as soon as possible?"


    "I did. Although there is a risk that other spies might find out about our meeting with him, Celine will be able to hide her trail."


    "Yes. She''s a support mage which makes it almost impossible to be a Magus, but because she''s capable she was able to¨C."


    "C-Chairman! President! It''s an emergency!" A panic-stricken male voice sounded from behind the office''s door.


    Both men exchanged worried looks.


    Immediately Can stood up and with a wave of his hand, the door opened and a young mage in a gray robe with white linings, the uniform of an Apprentice mage from the Mercenary Hall, came in. Because he was too anxious to get in, he tripped and fell face-first on the floor.


    Without even bothering to fix himself up or wait for Can or Hugh to speak, the young man looked at them and stammered, "T-The Tower of Conve! The headquarters of the Conve is under attack!"


    "What?" Hugh and Can both eximed.

 Chapter 37 Somethings Off

    Hugh immediately ordered to gather all avable mercenaries and the Mercenary Hall Security Unit, in the basement.


    Because Can told Celine to round up the mercenaries who were present during Kyran''s visit in order to manipte their memories, it did not take long to gather everyone.


    The basement had an array created by the cksmith Order''s first Chairman upon the request of the Founder. This array was directly connected to a simr array near a location in the outskirts of the Tower of Conve. The location had a strong concealment spell so it would be hard for others to see it. Because it was such a grand array, it needed to consume a lot of high-grade spirit stones.


    But the consumption of spirit stones was less of their worry. This was actually the first time that someone dared to attack the Tower of Conve. Unfortunately, they only received a distress signal from the private channel they had with the Conve headquarters. The details of the attack and the attackers were iplete.


    Upon checking, they found out that the channel was damaged before the details were sent sessfully. They could think of three reasons why it happened.


    First, the channel was interrupted by a powerful magic fluctuation during transmission, thus damaging the content of the message. Second, themunication and transfer arrays that were part of the whole defensive array of the tower were damaged from a powerful attack. And third, the person who sent the message was killed before the message waspletely sent.


    No matter which of these reasons were correct, it meant that the attackers were prepared enough to target any call for reinforcements. Aside from this, in Starhorn, the Tower of Conve had the mostplex and powerful defensive array. To be able to infiltrate it or even damage it, meant that there was at least a Magus level from the attacker''s side that could either break an array or damage it.


    However, this was what most of them assumed. But Hugh and Can had a bad premonition. After all, how many Magus levels were there in the whole empire? And how many of those would dare to attack the Tower of Conve? Besides, the attack at the Tower started less than an hour ago, and even a Magus level would not be able to break or damage the array in such a short time.


    Except for one. Him. The person who destroyed the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array after just damaging a part of it.


    ''Is it him? But why? Why attack the Tower?'' Hugh thought worriedly.


    Can was equally worried. What happened to Celine and Dante? Did they encounter something on their way and failed to meet him? But why would he directly attack the Tower of Conve? Apart from that, why did Celine not use the private channel to report immediately?


    ''Don''t tell me they...'' Can dared not entertain the thought. He clearly told Celine to emphasize their stance and that they were willing to help him. Was he not satisfied?


    The Mercenary Hall gathered a total of 48 mercenaries and 30 from the Security Unit. As much as Hugh wanted to bring more of their Security Unit soldiers, because the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array was damaged, he could only bring this much.


    "Let''s go," Hugh announced the moment everyone got inside the big transportation array.


    He waved his hand and 50 high-grade spirit stones flew out of his space storage bracelet. Immediately, these stones hovered on top of 50 small arrays drawn outside the outer part of the big array.


    The spirit stones glowed deep red and the small arrays sucked its energy. Soon the whole array glowed in bluish gold. About twenty meters above their heads, a golden halo started to form. It increased in size and formed a half globe enclosing everyone inside.


    After a couple of minutes, the whole array burst with a blinding light, and everyone inside felt a sudden jolt.


    Another few minutes passed, before the golden veil around them slowly dispersed starting from above and slowly revealed an almost dark sky. Soon they found themselves in a lush forest and ahead of them, they saw a huge transparent barrier with a bluish gold hue.


    They immediately knew that this barrier was the Tower of Conve''s defensive array.


    But they were all shocked because the barrier had a huge hole at the position where the main entrance was located. From that hole, everyone could see fissures crackling. They could also vaguely see that the Tower''s barrier was crumbling from the edge of the hole.


    "S-Such a huge hole..." Hugh gasped.


    The mercenaries who saw this shivered. The damage on the Tower''s barrier was very simr to the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array. They remembered the cloaked man Dante fought earlier and fear crept into their hearts.


    Can manipted their memories to forget Kyran''s identity and hisst words. But most of what happened in the stadium remained.


    "Captain Mird, take two squads ande with me. Captain Tessa, you keep the remaining two squads and go with President Can, head to the other transportation arrays and see if the other forces from the Alchemist Association, cksmith Order, and Chamber of Commerce had arrived."


    The two captains in a ck uniform with a golden band on their left sleeve saluted, "Yes, Chairman."


    The 30 members from the Security Unit immediately separated themselves into their respective squads.


    Hugh looked at Can, "If they arrived, let me know at once. I''ll check the situation inside first and then we''ll reconvene."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    "All mercenaries separate into three groups," Hugh said and looked at the mercenaries. "One group will go to the main entrance and make sure no one leaves the premises. The other groups will simrly go to the other two entrances at the northwest and northeast and do the same.


    "Leave it to us!"


    The mercenaries grouped themselves.


    Hugh looked at Mird, "Let''s go."


    "Yes!" he and his squad nodded.


    They left and immediately went to the main entrance. A group of mercenaries who would stay at the main entrance also followed close by.


    However, as soon as they neared the entrance, they all stopped in their tracks. Their faces paled as they saw a huge crater where the main entrance was supposed to be.


    Now everyone had a vague understanding of how the barrier got that hole. It seemed a huge sphere of magic, approximately 50 meters in radius, was the reason why the barrier had such a huge hole.


    When the mercenaries saw this, one was too frightened he fell on his knees trembling.


    "I-It''s him! The m-man who attacked the Mercenary Hall this morning!" He eximed.


    Hugh''s eyes narrowed his magic suddenly surged. No matter what his reasons were, he should never have attacked the Tower of Conve.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Yes, Chairman."


    Together with the Security Unit, Hugh went in.


    =========================


    The central part of the Tower of Conve, at therge moat leading to the main tower''s entrance.


    Soldiers were lying everywhere. Whether they were dead or only unconscious was unknown.


    Standing in the middle of the gates, was none other than Kyran. The purple dragon scales rotated within a two-meter radius around him. At this point in time, however, there were no longer soldiers or mages around to attack him.


    Inside his dragon scales, a ck mist followed him from behind.


    [Kid. You are crazy, and this... Hahahaha! Brilliantly crazy!]


    "Are you really just going to watch and let me do everything?" He asked Nn, who was hiding within the ck mist.


    Unfortunately, Nn could not use his hide ability inside Kyran''s magic. He could only hide using his ck mist.


    [Why not? This is your idea.]


    Kyran frowned slightly, "My idea? Why do I remember differently?"


    [Details. Details. Why do you always dwell on the small details?]


    Kyran sighed in reply, before cautiously looking at the opened doors of the main tower. He could not help but feel this supposed infiltration was too easy.


    "Don''t you think it''s too easy?"


    ''F*ck. He thinks this is ''too'' easy?'' Nn cursed. However, he did feel the resistance of the Conve soldiers and mages wascking. As if the moment Kyran destroyed the defensive array, although they tried to stop his advances to the main tower, they decided to ept their fate and let him beat them up.


    Were they disheartened at how easily Kyran destroyed the defensive array?


    Impossible. These people were all professionals. Their allegiance to the Conve was also absolute. They would not give up just because they found Kyran''s presence to be... frightening.


    Yeah. Frightening. That was also how Nn felt, back at the abandoned warehouse. He still remembered Kyran''s sudden change that he almost felt like he was back at the ruins where they found their memento rings.


    No, that''s not exactly correct. He had just met Kyran. Whether his change was sudden or not, Nn was not sure. For all he knew, Kyran could only be hiding his real self, and after his reverse scale was triggered, it appeared.


    Right now, Kyran''s mood somewhat returned to normal, however, Nn vaguely sensed that his frightening side hadn''t beenpletely pacified.


    ''That''s right. If that old hag failed to give a piece of satisfying information to this kid, our destination might be different.'' Nn thought as the interaction between Kyran and Celine at the abandoned warehouse shed through his mind...<sub> </sub>


    Three hours ago...


    Outskirts of Starhorn, at an abandoned warehouse.


    Celine sank to her knees as herplexion paled, "N-No..."


    "No? You don''t think the Mercenary Hall would make a move?" Kyran scowled. "Then there''s no point keeping you alive either."


    "W-Wait! Please believe me that we really want to help you. The Mercenary Hall had always been on good terms with the Regis n. I can''t give you the full details though. A-And, it''s true, w-we failed to really understand your... your intentions. But give me a chance." Celine begged.


    Kyran tilted his head and looked at her emotionlessly. Right now, a big part of him just wanted to kill her. But a small part hesitated.


    It was not out of pity. It was because he felt he was missing something.


    [Kid. Let her talk. Something''s a little off about her statement.]


    Nn tried to persuade Kyran as well. While he did not mind Kyran killing off the old hag. He felt there was something more to her insistence to be heard. Apart from that, her ''I can''t give you the full details'' statement, sounded to Nn as ''Ask anything, I''ll answer it as long as I am not spilling too much information.''


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at Nn''s words. For a few minutes, he remained silent as he contemted how he should proceed.


    He repeated Celine''s words before finally asking, "What do you mean you can''t give me the full details. Full details on why the Mercenary Hall and my n are on good terms?"


    Celine swallowed to moisten her dry throat and answered with a shake of her head, "On the business deals the Mercenary Hall have with your family."


    "I''m not really interested," Kyran immediately said with a t voice.


    "That may be so, but... it involves you."


    "Me?"


    Celine nodded, "Yes."


    She saw Kyran''s expression changed slightly. But because he remained silent, she was not sure how to proceed.


    When Celine made the Soul-binding oath, she knew she could not disclose the information President Can told her. However, she could still give small hints. And that was what she was betting on at the moment.


    What Celine did not expect was Kyran''s quick thought process. The moment she told him the details were about the business deals the Regis had with the Mercenary Hall, he already had an idea. Now that she confirmed it was about him. His idea became more apparent.


    "Why can''t you just tell me?" he asked.


    Celine already knew how she would answer. "I can''t. I made a soul-binding oath."


    [Oh, shit. No wonder she''s persistent. If she said a wrong thing then... tsktsk. She had a big secret with her.]


    Kyran frowned and looked to his side where he believed Nn was hiding, "Soul-binding oath?"


    Celine blinked. Somehow, she felt his question was not directed to her.


    "Yes."


    Kyran turned to her when Nn did not answer him. "What''s a soul-binding oath?"


    "It''s an oath you make with someone. The reason could be anything, but once you made an oath, you can''t break it. Else your soul will be destroyed."


    "How will I know that you really made an oath?"


    "Through this. My oath to Can from the Moretti n stands firm," Celine said and her forehead immediately glowed and a red rune appeared.


    [She''s telling the truth. That is the rune seal of the soul-binding oath.]


    "So she had a seal. That does not prove the details of the oath she made."


    Celine''s eyes grew wide, "T-That''s!"


    [Can is the name of the Mercenary Hall''s President. The seal will only appear if you say the name of the person you are bound to. Apart from that, look closely at the rune, the circle at the middle shows how long the oath had been made.]


    Kyran looked at the middle circle of the seal and scowled, "How would I know. It is written in ancient runes. I don''t read runes."


    "W-What do you mean?" Celine asked in confusion.


    "Shut up," Kyran told her.


    [Idiot. Don''t read it like how you normally read letters, use your magic sense to¨Cargh! Why are you so clueless on all the basic stuff!]


    Kyran''s frown deepened.


    When Celine saw this, she almost felt her heart stop from fear.


    "Just tell me what it says!"


    "I really can''t¨C!" Celine started.


    "I told you to shut up," Kyran red at Celine.


    [Ahahaha!]


    Celine immediately closed her mouth.


    [Ah kid. Seriously. You crack me up.]


    "You say that one more time, and I''ll really crack you up."


    Celine started to shake her head.


    And Nn burst outughing again, but he said.


    [The seal is new. She probably made the oath when she spoke to the President today.]


    "You just made the oath today?"


    Celine nodded at once.


    "So you can''t tell me the details, but you still brought it up. Then what can you tell me?"


    "Aren''t you wondering ''how'' the Mercenary Hall kept its business deals with your n under wraps?" Celine answered with a question. She also put an emphasis on when she said the word how.


    What was she on about? Obviously, they would keep it under wraps if it was about his ''magic''.


    "You already said the deal has something to do with¨C," Kyran suddenly stopped.


    Wait. She clearly asked ''how'', not ''why''.


    Nn''s brow creased. He was beginning to understand what that off feeling he had was all about. He looked at Kyran who was deep in thought.


    "How?" Kyran finally asked after a long pause.


    Celine sighed in relief. Finally, she would be able to divert his attention.


    "Because someone high up, wanted to make sure it is kept that way."

 Chapter 38 Head Of Conclave

    Kyran noticed how Celine could not answer directly. Most likely, it was a piece of information she could not disclose. He also noticed how she avoided giving out a title. She kept on saying the President this and that, but this time, she used someone ''high up''. Did it mean that the person involve was higher than the President?


    [Oh f*cking shit. You''ve got to be f*cking kidding me! Seriously? That guy is.. This is getting veryplicated!]


    Nn''s cursing broke Kyran''s train of thought. Before he could berate him, however, Nn added.


    [Since when did the Regis n had a connection with the Conve? She''s talking about the Head of the Conve! F*ck.]


    "Head of Conve?"


    Celine''s eyes widened in surprise. Normally, if someone heard ''someone high-up'' they would try to guess who it was by asking a title onedder up an organization until they guessed it right. She was even prepared to give more hints. However, Kyran was able to guess it immediately.


    "The Head of Conve knew about the deals my n had with the Mercenary Hall?" he asked her.


    However, she remained silent.


    Kyran did not get angry. Her silence was already an answer. At this moment, however, he was more curious as to why Nn was making such a fuss over his family''s connection with the Head of the Conve. They were just talking about the Mercenary Hall, so why did they shift to the Conve? What was so important about the Conves anyway?


    If Celine knew what Kyran was thinking, she would probably flip.


    Nn on the other hand already saw the ''no idea'' expression on Kyran''s face. He sighed in his heart. Once again, he could not help but silently scold the whole Regis n for not teaching this guy about the outside ''world''.


    [Oi, kid. Don''t tell me you haven''t heard about the Conve of the East.]


    Kyran did not reply and instead waited for Nn to exin. He was aware that the Conve of the East was a big establishment that worked with various businesses in Starhorn. But apart from that, he could not understand why Nn had such a reaction.


    Nn sighed.


    [The Conve of the East is a big neutral faction in the whole empire. It has a lot of business constituents, and the Mercenary Hall is only one of them. However, the Conve rarely meddles in how its constituents do their business as long as they follow the rules.]


    ''Neutral faction?'' Kyran pondered for a bit. No wonder the Mercenary Hall wanted to y safe. Because they were part of a neutral faction they could not openly oppose the army.


    However, he could not understand why a neutral faction would even make a deal with a n that would likely endanger their neutral status if they were found out. He assumed they were only interested in his n''s background and the potential of his magic that''s why they decided to have a cooperative rtionship. But if the army found out about it, even if they denied it, their reputation would be tarnished.


    Kyran also felt that he was missing an important piece of the whole puzzle.


    "Did the Head of Conve agreed to the deal as long as it is kept under wraps? No. Why would he even agree?" Kyran wondered out loud.


    Celine remained silent.


    [Argh! This is frustrating. I actually believe the deal was only between the Regis and the Mercenary Hall. Hell, the Conve has always been a neutral faction. If they found out the deal, I sure as hell believe they will surrender the whole Mercenary Hall to the army for being aplices. But thinking about it now and what the old hag has hinted so far, for the kind of deal your n had with the Hall, the Chairman will not just agree to it unless the Conve is aware of it.]


    Nn took a deep breath.


    [We need to talk to someone from the Conve. But if that person is also under an oath... Tsk. The most likely person who will not be bound by an oath is the Head of Conve! If we manage to meet him and get him to talk...]


    "Meet the Head?" Again the reply was directed at Nn but the moment Celine heard Kyran her already paleplexion paled further.


    "M-Meet the Head of Conve¨Cdo you even realize what you''re saying? Asking to have an audience with the Head is not an easy thing to¨C."


    "Who says anything about asking for an audience? If I make enough scene in front of the Conve''s headquarters, I''m sure he''ll voluntarily show himself. Ah, right. I need to kick his right-hand man first."


    Both Nn and Celine had ck lines appearing on their heads.


    Wasn''t this kid opposed to ''running wild'' earlier? What was he suggesting right now?


    ''Did I overdo it? I''m sorry Cade, I think I corrupted your son.'' Nn thought and silently apologized to Cade.


    Celine on the other hand was scared out of her wits as she eximed, "T-That''s too dangerous and impossible. The Tower of Conve is nothing like the Mercenary Hall. It is¨C!"


    Noticing Celine''s reaction, Kyran knelt in front of her and sneered. "Do you even have the time to worry about what I''ll do? You should worry more about your own. Just because I haven''t done anything yet doesn''t mean I have decided to let you live."


    Celine immediately bit her lip. He was right. She might have seeded in diverting his thoughts, but it didn''t mean she was safe.


    [You say that, but the fact you''re still talking to her makes me think you''re letting them off.]


    Nn, however, thought differently.


    Kyran did not react and instead asked Celine, "Tell me everything you know about the Conve."


    [O-Oi. You really want to go?]


    "I c-can''t tell you much," Celine answered truthfully.


    Kyran frowned. "You''re not going to tell me you had another oath."


    "N-No. A Soul-binding oath can only be done once. B-But information about the Conve is very confidential. I am only a Mercenary Hall Master. The information avable to me is limited to the Mercenary Hall."


    "You at least know something. Your reaction earlier meant you are aware of the Conve''s security, at least."


    [Oi, oi, oi! Don''t ignore me! Are you really being serious?]


    "T-Then, will you promise to let us return if I tell you what I know?" Celine asked.


    Kyran was a little taken aback. He remained silent and just stared at her as he pondered.


    To Celine however, Kyran''s silence scared her.


    After a few minutes, she could no longer bear his silence and said, "I''ll tell you. Y-You don''t have to let us go."


    Celine felt hopeless. Was her request to return in exchange for information too hasty? She thought that if she cooperated and tell him what she knew, he would at least agree to her request. It seemed Kyran had not changed his mind about killing her.


    To her surprise, Kyran''s eyes returned to normal and he sat down cross-legged in front of her.


    Nn also was a little surprised. He wondered if the earlier exchange was just Kyran''s scare tactic to make Celine cooperate. If it was, this kid was more maniptive than he thought.


    "I''m curious. Why did you ask me to let you guys go instead of not killing you?" Kyran asked Celine. "Did you think that by letting you go, you''d be safe?"


    "H-Huh?" Celine was suddenly dumbfounded.


    "Never mind," Kyran shook his head. "Start telling me what you know before I change my mind."


    "O-Of course!" Celine replied, her expression brightened slightly. "What do you want to know?"


    "Do they also have a defensive array?" Kyran asked.


    "They do. And it is a very powerful one. One of its key features is, only those recognized by the Head of Conve can pass the array. Forget about sneaking in, you''ll probably not be able to even pass the gates."<sub> </sub>


    "You mean the defensive array is outside the gates?"


    "No. The whole parameter of the Tower of the Conve is being protected by its defensive array. It''s like a big defensive barrier."


    "Is it active all the time?"


    "Yes. That''s why the Tower of Conve is known to have the best defensive array in the whole empire. I am not aware how they were able to maintain its formation 24/7. That would definitely require a lot of spirit stones and other rare items. Anyway, as far as I know, magic cannot easily destroy the array from the outside. It would at least need a Magus level to even put a dent on it but they will not be able to destroy¨C." Celine suddenly stopped. Her eyes slowly grew wide as she remembered something. "No. Maybe you can."


    "What?" Kyran asked with a slight scowl.


    "I know I shouldn''t disclose this information, but just think of this as my sincerity. Your magic may be able to put a crack on the Tower''s defensive array. You see, the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array is tier 8. No one can easily damage it. But you did. With just one attack, you did not merely damage a part but destroyed the whole defensive array."


    Nn was shocked. If this was true then sneaking into the Tower of Conve might not be easy, but not entirely impossible. Of course, this would only be possible if Kyran could really put a crack in it. Now their only concern would be the Conve''s manpower.


    Kyran thought for a few seconds. He was aware that his magic could destroy an array, but he did not expect to actually destroy the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array. No wonder it only attacked him once.


    Judging from Celine''s words, the Tower''s defensive array was a level higher than the Mercenary Hall. But what if that array had another condition? Like the Four-colored Ruin array they encountered.


    "You said ''one of its key features'', tell me the other features of the array."


    Celine shook her head, "I''m sorry. I only know of the identification and the defensive barrier features. Apart from that, the Tower has never been attacked so I don''t know."


    [Ask about the Security Unit and Mage Forces inside the Tower.]


    Kyran nodded slightly, after hearing Nn''s voice.


    For the next couple of hours, Celine answered Kyran''s questions and exined the overall force inside the Tower.


    She was amazed and frightened by the fact that he looked unfazed when she listed the ranks he might encounter inside.


    Then their conversation shifted when Kyran suddenly asked her to expound on the Conve''s influence in the whole empire.


    Celine soon found out that Kyran had little knowledge about the different factions in the whole empire! No wonder he was fearless.


    She also noticed that he was very interested in knowing the overall forces of each faction.


    Of course, because they were not in her office, Celine could only provide brief information about the things he wanted to know. And so Kyran made a proposal that as long as Celine continues to provide him information starting today, then he would at least spare her and Dante''s life and let them go in one piece. However, he emphasized that if she would not uphold their agreement, he would immediately appear in the Mercenary Hall and obliterate the whole ce.


    To show her willingness to cooperate, Celine told Kyran that they created a private channel they could use tomunicate. Then she gave him themunication device they prepared in case he wanted to contact them in the future.


    Kyran took it but did not even look at it before putting it in his pouch.


    After that, he let Celine tend to Dante''s wound. Fortunately, he only suffered one broken rib and some cuts and bruises.


    Dante was still hostile, but he seemed to respect Celine''s decision when she exined their current arrangement. He was a little confused because she decided no to tell him about Kyran''s intention in going to the Tower of Conve.


    Kyran then took a potion and rested for a bit. Then he told Celine that they had to wait here until he returned. He also told her not to contact the Mercenary Hall. She agreed at once, much to Dante''s annoyance.


    As soon as they stepped out of the abandoned warehouse, Nn was shocked to find out that Kyran wanted to infiltrate the Tower at once. However, he did not disagree.


    As an old saying said, strike while the iron is hot.


    Back to the present...


    Nn sighed and looked at Kyran in front of him who was still looking at the opened doors leading to the main tower.


    He remembered how Kyran told him to stay within two meters around him as soon as they neared the gates of the Tower of Conve. Back then, Nn was still in his stealth magic.


    When Kyran used his magic a few meters away from the Tower''s main entrance, Nn''s stealth magic was nullified at once. And when they were wrapped with a huge dark purplish sphere, he watched in horror as the whole gates, walls, even the soil, and trees around them get devoured.


    [If your that uneasy, why don''t you just destroy the doors as you did back at the entrance?]


    Kyran looked at Nn then all the bodies lying on the ground.


    "If I do that these guys will die."


    Nn sneered.


    [You already attacked the Conve, did you think they will be lenient just because you did not kill their people?]


    "No. I just think it''s best to let them think I''m afraid to kill anyone," Kyran answered and looked back at the gates. "It will let their guard down."


    [Humph. You say that but you also did not kill the old hag.]


    Kyran did not reply and instead cautiously approached the doors. Nn followed.


    [Hm?]


    However, when they were only a couple of meters away, Nn felt a sudden chill in the air and he stopped walking.


    [Stop.]


    Kyran stopped and looked at Nn, "What''s wrong?"


    [The whole tower... is a domain.]


    Kyran frowned and before he could say anything, a huge magic fluctuation rushed out of the opened doors and immediately shattered his purple dragon scales.


    [Shit!]


    Nn cursed as his magic was negated as well, but before he was exposed, he activated his own domain and disappeared.


    "Errgh," Kyran was forced on his knees as the pressure from the magic fluctuation bore down on him.


    "Interesting."


    A male voice suddenly resounded within the opened doors.


    "I can only force you to your knees but not shatter your magic defense. No wonder you daree here alone."


    From inside the main tower, a man in his early thirties with shoulder-length blond hair, and green eyes appeared. He was dressed in a white robe with gold linings and in his hand was a long staff with a huge dark green spirit stone attached at the top, glowing brilliantly.


    "Wee to the Tower of Conve. I''ve been expecting you, Kyran Regis." The man said and smiled at Kyran.

 Chapter 39 Lord Of The Tower

    Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood. His whole body felt heavy from the sudden assault. Even his insides were slightly crushed. If he did not learn body strengthening techniques, he might be vomiting more than his blood right now.


    With great difficulty, Kyran lifted his head and looked at the man who came out of the tower.


    The man had a pleasant face and an amiable temperament. Even his smile had a calming effect on most people.


    To Kyran, however, all he could see was the malevolent aura seeping out from the man.


    This man was dangerous. He had the same dangerous air Kyran felt around Nn.


    Celine told him that the highest officer guarding the Tower was a Master mage. But this man clearly was a level higher than that.


    Could this man be the Head of Conve?


    "You''ve really done it," the man said and looked far ahead. From where he stood, he could partly see the hole Kyran left on the defensive array.


    He sighed and said, "I''ve seen it happen, but it still looks amazing."


    He looked back at Kyran and said. "You realized how much resources the Lord had used just to create the Tower''s array? Tsk-tsk-tsk... Now with just one skill, you wasted all of it."


    The man sound annoyed, but he was still smiling pleasantly.


    "Well then, time for somepensation."


    Magic fluctuation erupted from the man andpared to the earlier assault, the pressure was tripled. The moment it bore down on Kyran, he toppled over as if a huge boulder fell on him.


    "Guh!" He coughed out more blood.


    The man''s expression became thoughtful while he watched Kyran. Normally, the pressure he used right now would be enough to knock out a person with a high magic defense. At times, it was enough to crush a person with average magic defense to death.


    He rubbed his chin and observed Kyran for a few seconds. With a nod of his head, he said, "Very interesting. At first, I thought you had a very high magic defense. It turned out your coat actually has some magic resistance. On top of that, your physical defense is pretty good. Is that the Regis''s Body Tempering Technique?"


    Kyran did not reply. More like, he could not reply. He was too focused on integrating his magic with his body technique in order to protect his body, especially his internal organs. Just what kind of magic did this man have? How could a mere pressure he exerted, could easily crush a person?


    The man suddenly chuckled and shook his head, "Oh. Forgive me for asking a question. I forgot you can''t answer at this moment."


    Kyran gritted his teeth and forced himself up. He could feel his bones grinding as he managed to kneel on one knee.


    "Very good. It seems your magic can withstand my pressure to some extent."


    Once again, Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    The man gave a forlorn expression as he stared at the blood in front of Kyran.


    "Shame. How many ounces of blood have you vomited. You know, alchemical studies have progressed nowadays. There is even a new way of researching magic attributes, and that''s by using blood samples. With all that blood, I am sure we will have a breakthrough in understanding Void magic. Hm... Well, selling it to the army might also bring arge sum, or maybe auctioning it to the ck market may bring more profit."


    "S-Stop¨C."


    "You know, from a recent study, there is a high chance for a Saint Alchemist to actually concoct a potion from a mage''s blood? The effect of the potion is, of course, to¨C."


    "¨Cmessing with me!" Kyran roared. Five purple rings erupted from his body and expanded at an rming speed. Its radius reached ten meters and immediately destroyed the man''s pressure.


    "Oh. Nice call," the man leaned on his staff as he pped. "I''ve only heard of stories and rumors about what Void magic can do. Apparently, it can really destroy anything."


    Kyran red at the man. His dark gray eyes already turned reddish-purple.


    The man''s eyes narrowed as he held Kyran''s re. Though Kyran had blood all over his body and was breathing heavily, the man sensed a visible dominating presence around him.


    He smiled, "Too bad, you''re level is too low and¨C."


    The man''s words were interrupted when Kyran sprang to his feet and bolted at him.


    The air around the man stirred and a semi-visible barrier, with a radius of three meters, was formed.


    Purple dragon scales appeared and formed a gauntlet on both Kyran''s hands. As soon as he got near, he made a sudden stop with his left leg in front. Then he shifted his weight as he twisted his hips and aimed at the barrier.


    Shockwave formed the moment Kyran''s fist, touched the barrier.


    The man whistled as he watched his barrier started to disintegrate from the spot where Kyran had hit.


    "Such a frightening punch. No, wait, you wrapped your magic around your fist! Hahaha! Ingenious! I have seen others integrate their magic into their weapons, but this is the first time I see someone use magic this way!"


    Kyran frowned, he saw the barrier getting destroyed. But the man was able to reinforce the barrier faster than his magic could destroy it.


    This man was definitely on the same level as Nn. Although Kyran had not seen Nn fight seriously, the man''s control over his magic was as wless as Nn''s.


    Without wasting any time, Kyran bombarded the barrier with his fists.


    "Your punches are very powerful. Young Cade made the right decision in nurturing your physical strength," the man said with a nod of his head. "Even without your magic, you will be a force to be reckoned with."


    The man became thoughtful as an idea crossed his mind, "I wonder if I''ll be able to take on your attack if I did not use any physical defense."


    He chuckled and said loud enough for Kyran to hear, "Ah... I am tempted to lower my barrier."


    Then he looked at Kyran and smiled, "You won''t disappoint me right?"


    Kyran gritted his teeth. This man... had a few loose screws in his head.


    Honestly, Kyran was not nning to fight this man, especially if he was the Head of Conve. But after finding out the man''s strength, Kyran knew that the only way to get him to listen to his demands was to show his own value. If the man was really the Head of Conve, who agreed on making a deal with the Regis n while keeping his secret, then there would be room for negotiation.


    However, the more Kyran looked at the man and hear him speak, he realized this man would never listen to his demands.


    Just like Nn and Celine, this man also had a weird quirk; He had a very twisted mind.


    ''Tsk.''


    Kyran abruptly stopped and spread his arms. The purple dragon scales gathered on both his palms as he controlled it to form into a disc.


    "Oh?" The man looked at Kyran in interest. "It''s only been two days since you left the Regis Estate, and yet you can already control your magic to this extent."


    Kyran froze.


    ''Huh?''


    "It is already a proven case, but still it is amazing how one can grow when your life is in danger. Oh, right, there are still cases when you simply die because you are just too weak. Hahaha!"


    "You..." Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glinted malevolently as the air around him started to crackle.


    "You knew what happened to my n?" he asked through gritted teeth. The discs on his palms disintegrated as his whole body emitted a dark purplish aura.


    Small fissures appeared as the dark purplish aura around Kyran expanded.


    The man''s eyes narrowed as the barrier sizzled the moment Kyran''s leaking aura touched it. Still, he looked unfazed and just smiled at Kyran, "I do. I''ve seen it."


    The fissures in the air crackled fiercely as Kyran lowered his head.


    "Seen it? You were there?" He asked, his voice deepened.


    The man did not answer, but his smile suddenly turned wicked.


    "Die."


    Kyran''s aura exploded and a huge semi-transparent dark sphere engulfed him and the man.


    ==========================


    Nn, who was forced to move back after he entered his domain felt the sudden rise of the temperature. He left his domain to check the entrance of the main tower, but was shocked to find a semi-transparent dark sphere around it.


    This sphere was different from the one Kyran used to destroy the defensive array. Because the moat and the unconscious soldiers and mages that the sphere ''touched'', were still intact.


    However, Nn felt a terrible sense of hopelessness just by standing near the sphere. What kind of magic was it?


    ''Don''t tell me... This is a domain?''


    He knew it was him who thought that, but it scared the hell out of him.


    How old was Kyran? He was just eighteen! On top of that, he only started to familiarize himself with magic a couple of days ago.


    ''The kid could not even control his f*cking magic for more than 30 seconds! But now he could actually summon a domain? That was just f*cking crazy.''


    No, it was simply impossible. Summoning a domain was not a simple feat. You need to have the magic reserve of a Magus because creating one needed arge amount of energy. Apart from that, maintaining a domain was very draining.


    But no matter how much Nn tried to contradict his initial thought, he could not deny that this semi-transparent ck sphere was Kyran''s doing. And right now, he could not sense anything inside. He could not even see anything apart from the structure and the people that were lying on the ground near the tower.


    "Stay right there and don''t move!"


    A voice suddenly warned Nn from behind.


    ''Oh, shit!'' He cursed.


    The scene in front of him shocked him senseless that he failed to sense that there were peopleing.


    "You dare to attack the Conve!"<sub> </sub>


    Nn immediately raised his arms and said, "Wait! This is a misunderstanding!"


    "What misunderstanding?"


    Nn turned around to face the people who were standing a few meters away from him. All of them had their weapons aimed at him.


    He immediately recognized the Chairman of the Mercenary Hall and some members of the Security Unit.


    "Chairman," Mird, who also recognized Nn lowered his weapon and looked at Hugh. "He is ck Steel Nn, one of the top mercenaries from the Mercenary Hall."


    "A mercenary dared to attack the Conve?" Hugh red at Nn fiercely.


    "Whoa, easy there old man. Watch your blood pressure, I could see your veins popping. I said it''s a misunderstanding," Nn replied.


    ck lines appeared on the heads of the Security Unit. They secretly checked Hugh''s expression and were relieved to find that he was not offended by Nn''s words.


    With his arms still raised, Nn pointed at the semi-transparent sphere behind him. "Your man is inside that sphere. I came here because I was in the area when I saw that big-ass hole in the Tower''s barrier. I thought something might''ve happened and rushed here."


    Hugh frowned and also looked at the sphere. When they saw the sphere, they were all frightened, thinking that they might be toote.


    They actually got dyed on their way to the main tower because he ordered Mird and the others to check on the soldiers and mages they found lying unconscious on the ground. He was thankful that none of them were dead. Although, most of them had broken bones, and if they were not properly tended, they might suffer serious physical trauma.


    "Then show your face," Hugh ordered Nn. Although he believed Mird, he still wanted to check.


    "Oh. Sure, sure." Nn nodded and lowered his hood.


    Hugh''s eyes narrowed as he recognized him. After all, Nn was a top mercenary of their Hall and a High Master Abjurer.


    "How long have you been here?" he asked.


    Nn shook his head and looked at the sphere again. "Not that long. But this sphere wasn''t here yet. It just appeared a few seconds ago and it doesn''t look good."


    Hugh also looked at the sphere. "Hm. But we can''t stay here. We need to go in and see what''s happening."


    "Yeah, definitely," Nn nodded and moved aside.


    "Be my guest," he said and gestured for Hugh and his men to pass.


    Hugh raised his brows, "Aren''t youing?"


    Nn grinned, "Of course I am. But since you''re the leader, please go on ahead. I''ll be right here at the back. I''m an Abjurer so I''m pretty useless when ites to ''breaking'' barriers. I''m good at making one though, so don''t worry. I got your backs while you try to break in there."


    ''This...'' Mird and the others could not help but sweat from Nn''s shameless attitude.


    To their surprise, Hugh only nodded his head. "Yes, you''re right. Abjurers are mostly useless in dealing with barriers."


    A vein appeared on Nn''s head.


    ''It is fine when I said it, but that f*cking hit a nerve old man.'' He thought.


    Hugh looked at six members of the Security Unit and said, "You six checked the people around here and get them to safety. Captain Mird and the rest will help me break this sphere and we will¨C."


    "AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!"


    A chilling scream turnedughter resounded from inside the sphere.


    ''That voice¨C.''


    "That voice!"


    Nn and Hugh thought and said at the same time.


    ''¨CIs not the kid,'' Nn heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Head Master!" Hugh and the others eximed.


    They immediately rushed inside the sphere.


    "O-Oi! What happened in breaking the sphere and... Oh, f*ck it!" Nn cursed and also run inside.


    As soon as Nn, Hugh, and the rest of the Security Unit entered the sphere, they felt their magic defenses disappear.


    "What in f*cking hell!" Nn cursed when he tried to summon his magic defense and failed. He tried to summon his magic and also failed.


    This really was a domain! And its effect was a bane to any mage!


    "Ahahahahahaha! You... This feeling is... guh!"


    They all looked ahead and the scene that greeted them almost made their hearts stopped.


    A young man with dark hair and a simrly dark coat was standing a few meters away from them. Both of his hands were bloody and on his left, he was holding something.


    A couple of meters away from the young man, they saw the Head of Conve, on his knees coughing out a mouthful of blood. His broken staff was lying a few feet in front of him, and he was clutching the front of his bloodied white robe.


    The man looked at Kyran, his eyes were bloodshot and blood trickled down his mouth. But he was still smiling, "That felt so real! It hurts a lot!"


    Kyran looked at him indifferently as he threw what he was holding in his hand.


    Nn and the others did not see it clearly, but they could already guess what it was.


    One young member of the Security Unit fell on his knees and vomited.


    "You''re a sly one. I missed and took out the wrong one," Kyran said, his deep voice remained emotionless. "I won''t miss a second time."


    "Kyran, don''t!"


    "Stop!"


    Nn and Hugh shouted at the same time.


    But Kyran already moved.


    Suddenly.


    Dong! Dong! Dong!


    Several golden arrays appeared and hovered above the sphere.


    On a closer look, these arrays were not really arrays but clocks. And their sizes varied from small to big.


    All movements inside the sphere suddenly stopped.


    Kyran frowned as he sensed something foreign entered his sphere.


    "Who said you can run amok in my house?"


    A cold but soft, feminine voice asked.


    Kyran looked up and saw a semi-transparent golden sphere descended.


    It effortlessly entered and even maintained its spherical form after entering Kyran''s sphere.


    Inside the golden sphere, was a young woman. Her golden blonde hair was neatly braided and hung loose on her left shoulder and her eyes glowed gold. She wore a loose white dress that fluttered in the air, and also showed off her beautiful long legs as she descended.


    Most of them were awestruck because of the woman''s beauty.


    "L-Lord of the Tower," Hugh wanted to kneel down in respect, but everyone was still under the influence of her magic and could not move.


    "M-My beautiful Lord..." The man also greeted with a smile.


    The young woman nced at him in disdain.


    "Malek, what did I tell you about your annoying smile?"


    "Apologies, Milord. Seeing you my heart is just so full and I can''t stop myself from smiling."


    "Your heart, huh."


    "Are you going to protect that man?" Kyran suddenly spoke. His reddish-purple eyes still glinted with murderous intent.


    The young woman turned to look at him. Her expression slightly changed and she muttered, "Can?"


    Kyran tilted his head. Purple rings appeared on both of his hands.


    "If you want to protect that man, I''ll kill you too."


    The young woman''s eyes narrowed, but she smiled and said, "Kill me? So you can move even though you are under the influence of my magic. You really believe that''s enough to kill me?"


    "Watch me."

 Chapter 40 Another One

    Kyran looked indifferently at the woman. His expression was unreadable, just like when he snapped at Celine back at the warehouse.


    However, Kyran was in a state where all his pent-up emotions were messing up his mind.


    He remembered how he started to hope that he would be able to divert the army''s attention away from his n by making contact with the Mercenary Hall. Truthfully, he was really willing to put himself in danger if it meant he could save his n. Still, he knew it would not be easy to really divert the whole army''s focus.


    People had their own circumstances and priorities that would affect how they would react to a change in a situation.


    But it was for this reason that Kyran decided to take drastic actions. He needed people to help him. Unfortunately, it did not go well with the Mercenary Hall. However, he was given another path to take. And that was to directly make contact with the Conve''s Leader.


    As long as Kyran was able to negotiate with someone with a higher ''status'', it would be easier for him to help his n.


    But then this man, the Head of Conve, admitted to knowing what happened to his n. What did that mean?


    Did the Conve sell them out? Or were they colluding with the army right from the start? After all, they readily posted a bounty for him at the army''s request.


    Kyran was mostly ignorant of the different factions in the empire, but he was well aware of the status of his n with the Royal Family. He knew they had been trying to reduce his n''s power. The previous Emperor was not satisfied with just the Regis n living in seclusion, and it seemed the new Emperor inherited his will. Wasn''t this situation a very good chance for them?


    But Kyran was still in doubt. Why would the army waited for such a long time before attacking his n if they were in collusion with the Conve? They had plenty of chances to do so. Or was it because they were waiting for Kyran''s seal to ''weaken'' thinking it would not expose the Conve''s betrayal?


    "Hahaha!" The young woman''s soft voice rang.


    To Kyran however, her melodiousughter got on his already unstable nerves.


    Nn clenched his fists, he was trying to weigh how to proceed in this situation. He was notpletely in favor of cutting all ties with the Mercenary Hall and escape with Kyran. It was not because he had some attachment to the Mercenary Hall. But more with his own doubts in Kyran''s real n. What if he made a move and ruined the kid''s n? Did Kyran even have a ''real'' n?


    [Kid. Just what the hell happened? Why are you suddenly attacking for real?]


    Nn tried to ask Kyran telepathically. He was not expecting to get an answer, but he was hoping to at least get a reaction from Kyran. To his dismay, Kyran remained unmoved.


    "Alright. Sorry I knowughing is rude. It''s just you looked very serious," the young woman controlled herughter and apologized at Kyran. "But you really have a nerve toe here, destroy my barrier, and even bully my people. Now you''re even threatening me and my right hand man."


    She looked at Malek and waved her hand at him.


    Golden rings made of small clocks circled him from top to bottom.


    The ''something'' that Kyran threw on the ground vanished as soon as the rings passed Malek''s chest.


    Everyone from the Security Unit were surprised to see Malek''s bloody appearance slowly changed to a much better state.


    ''This...'' Nn in particr was shocked. He had some guesses about the young woman''s magic when she made their movements stop. He knew it was different from old hag Celine, who could do that with the use of her ''voice''. Now, seeing a new proof of the young woman''s magic right in front of his eyes, Nn could not decide whether he was lucky, or unlucky.


    Howe he was able to meet two people, with two of the most dangerous forbidden magic, in a matter of a day?


    Nn was also surprised that apart from everyone on the Security Unit, the Chairman of Mercenary Hall and the Head of Conve were not surprised.


    "Thank you, Milord!" Malek looked at the young woman ecstatically.


    However, Kyran did not simply watched. The moment the young woman waved her hand, he already aimed his left hand at her and a ck orb started to form in the middle of his purple rings circling on his palm.


    The young woman immediately looked at Kyran in confusion, "H-Hey, you aren''t really serious about the killing part¨C!"


    Before she could finish her sentence, the ck orb already increased in size and touched her semi-transparent golden sphere.


    "Stop!" The young woman''s golden eyes shed as golden array-like clocks hovered above the ck orb''s surface.


    The ck orb''s progress halted in an instant.


    Kyran frowned. Using his right hand, he aimed at the young woman once again.


    The young woman''s brow twitched slightly, "Why are you attacking? Aren''t you here to get our attention? We are here now. You can stop the act!"


    "Milord, please undo your magic and let us protect you!" Hugh eximed.


    Nn gritted his teeth. Even if he could not use his magic, he had other means to escape.


    If the woman removed her magic just like Hugh requested, Nn was prepared to move and grabbed Kyran. To hell with keeping his identity a secret. Their survival was top priority.


    Another ck orb appeared in the middle of the purple rings.


    "I already said to stop!"


    The young woman frowned at Kyran while another set of golden array-like clocks appeared. This time it did not simply appear on the orb but around Kyran.


    Purple rings appeared on Kyran''s feet.


    The young woman suddenly felt a chill around her as the air inside her sphere crackled.


    "Milord!"


    Both Hugh and Malek eximed in fright as a fissure started to appear behind her.


    "Kyran Regis! What are you trying to do?" The young woman suddenly demanded. She already noticed the change in the air inside her sphere. "Are you really going to ruin the rtionship between the Conve and the Regis n?"


    "Did you think that when you decided to collude with the army?" Kyran finally spoke.


    "Collude?" The young woman looked at him in confusion.


    Nn was also shocked. Collude? The Conve and the Royal Army? Just what transpired between Kyran and that Malek guy? How did the situation be more messed up?


    Kyran did not reply. Instead the purple rings on his feet linked together and started to wrap around his legs.


    The fissure behind the young woman started to grow.


    "Could you stop first and exin what you mean? Why did you say we are colluding with the army?" The young woman asked once more.


    "Stop acting. You''re right-hand man already admitted to knowing what happened to my n! He also admitted to seeing it!"


    "Seeing..." she looked at Malek.


    Malek on the other hand, looked at her awkwardly. "About that... my beautiful Lord¨C!"


    "You stupid Malek!" The young woman shouted. She waved her hand and the golden rings circled around him continuously from top to bottom, then bottom to top.


    "AAAAAHHHH! Milord! P-Please! S-Stop! AAAAAHHH!" Malek screamed when the rings passed his chest repeatedly.


    Almost everyone who saw this turned pale when they realized that Malek''s appearance was changing back and forth to being bloody, then being better, then back to being bloody.<sub> </sub>


    The young woman''s action stunned even Kyran to the point that he stopped midway in performing a ''warp''. He gaped, with his mouth slightly open at the pitiful situation Malek was in.


    "What did I tell you about speaking vaguely! " The young woman reprimanded Malek.


    Malek only replied with a mournful scream.


    "M-Milord, just what is...?"


    Even Hugh was dumbfounded.


    The young woman looked at Kyran imploringly and said, "Kyran. I''ll exin. What he meant about ''seeing'' your n''s situation, is that he had seen it in a vision. I''ve also seen it. Please believe me."


    To show her sincerity, she removed all her magic, except the one that was still ''punishing'' Malek. Her golden eyes also turned normal and revealed a light blue color.


    "Vision?" Kyran repeated. Although his eyes still looked fierce, after the young woman undid her magic, he also did the same. At least with the magic he was about to use.


    The young woman nodded.


    "Yes," she looked at the still screaming Malek with a faint smile. "I''m sure you already noticed. Malek isn''t really... stable right now. That normally happens whenever he had a vision. And he had onest night."


    She looked at Kyran, "He saw that the army raided the Regis Estate. And that they pursued you in the forest."


    "You said you''ve seen it too."


    "If his vision had a great impact on a future event, it resonates with my magic. That''s why I saw it too. We also know you''de here. But we are not sure when. Well, we know you''ll destroy the Tower''s defensive array so I thought, maybe you''ll try to create a scene to get our attention."


    [She''s telling the truth.]


    Nn''s voice came into Kyran''s mind. He observed the young woman''s aura when she spoke and noticed it was very stable.


    Kyran remained silent and just looked at the young woman.


    Seeing that Kyran did not undo his sphere and that his eyes were still reddish-purple, the young woman sighed. She nced at Hugh and said, "Chairman Hugh. Contact the rest of the reinforcements and assemble them in the conference hall. Exin that everything is under control. Just ask Chairman Noir to fix the Tower''s defensive array. I don''t care how much resources he uses. Also take Malek with you."


    She added and finally stopped punishing Malek.


    "Ugh..." Malek was slightly sprawled on the floor. He looked exhausted.


    "But Milord," Hugh looked reluctantly at her then at Kyran.


    The young woman smiled, "It''s okay. Kyran and I had a lot to talk about. So I''ll leave these things to you first."


    Apart from that, she felt that Kyran would not talk if there were too many possible ''enemy'' around him. That was why she decided to make everyone leave.


    "Then we will take our leave," Hugh bowed.


    "Mird, correct?" The young woman turned to Mird.


    "Yes, Lord of the Tower!" Mird saluted.


    "Please take care of everyone outside."


    "Yes, I will do as you wish."


    "Thank you."


    With Mird''s help, Hugh took Malek and all of them left. Although he was still reluctant, he could only obey the Lord of the Tower''s orders.


    Seeing that Kyran did not stop them, the young woman was convinced that he was at least willing to listen.


    Nn contemted whether to leave as well. However, based on the young woman''s words, she might be aware of his and Kyran''s connection.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the young woman looked at him and said, "Nn, we''ll talk separately. For now, I''ll take Kyran with me."


    "Take me where?" Kyran asked coldly. Obviously, he had not let his guard down, even though the young woman appeared sincere.


    The young woman looked back at him. Instead of feeling offended by Kyran''s attitude, she just smiled and answered, "To my room. First, we need to get you cleaned. You stink. Did you not notice?"


    "I don''t care. Nn stays and we''ll talk here."


    The young woman sighed exaggeratedly and said, "Seems you don''t trust me enough."


    Kyran did not reply.


    Nn also did not move.


    "How about I make an oath?"


    "Oath¨C?"


    "I, Ste, Lord of the Tower, swears a soul-binding oath to Kyran of the Regis n that, I, Ste, will never betray him and will only act in his best interests. If I fail to keep my oath, my soul will then be bound for eternity."


    Nn could not help but whistle when he saw the red rune appeared on Ste''s forehead. This woman was very decisive. She did not even wait for Kyran to ept or reject the idea and just went on with it. Aside from that, an oath to never betray that person, now that was a very heavy oath.


    Simrly, a golden rune appeared on Kyran''s forehead.


    With a slight frown, Kyran touched his forehead where the rune had appeared. He looked at Ste, who remained smiling as the red rune on her slowly disappeared.


    "Now. Can you trust me a little?"


    "You... really did not have to do that," Kyran suddenly felt uneasy. His eyes turned to its normal dark gray shade as he turned to look at Nn.


    "What? Don''t look at me," Nn shrugged. He could tell Kyran''s reluctance to speak with Ste alone.


    Ste chuckled, "Don''t mind too much. I intended to do this anyway. But like I said, you first need to get yourself cleaned. Then we''ll talk over dinner."


    Kyran looked back at her, not sure how to reply.


    "It should be fine. Don''t worry, if she ever does something or take you somewhere, I have my ways to track you." Nn assured him.


    "So rude. I won''t abduct him. Besides, I can''t leave this tower."


    "Why not?" Kyran asked.


    "I thought it''s already obvious," Ste replied with both brows raised. "I can''t leave this ce for the same reason why your family tried their best to keep you within the Regis Estate. Just like you, I also have a forbidden magic."

 Chapter 41 Lucky Break

    "You... too?" Kyran looked at her skeptically.


    When Ste managed to enter his magic sphere, he already felt something different about her. Despite her magic being different from his, he felt a kind of familiarity with it. And when she stopped his magic and he was unable to break free, it felt different from the restraining effect he once encountered with the army officers.


    Kyran was also unable to gauge her magic level. She did not possess the same pressure as Nn so he knew she was not a Magus.


    Then there was her unusual magic array.


    "There are others who have forbidden magic?"


    Nn almost flipped when Kyran asked a question.


    "Argh! Look Missy-Lord-whatever you''re called, you seemed knowledgeable enough about Kyran''s situation so you probably know his family tried to keep him within the estate. That''s why he''s clueless about the outside world and especially magic," Nn told Ste.


    Kyran''s brow creased at Nn''s words. He turned and red at him.


    Did Nn have to say it like he was some sheltered young master? Besides, he did leave the estate for four years when he attended the Milfiore Military School.


    Ste giggled after seeing the disgruntled expression on Kyran''s face. She turned to Nn and said, "I know. Rin was pretty reluctant to teach him anything about magic. I don''t me her, especially after that happened."


    Kyran frowned slightly and looked back at her.


    "My mother? Did they not teach me because they don''t want the army to find out about me? And wait, what do you mean after that happened?"


    ''Here we go again...'' Nn  could not help but sigh.


    This kid really loved to ask questions. The time or ce did not matter to him once his curiosity was triggered.


    Ste did not mind. She simply smiled and answered, "We''ll talk moreter. First, you need to get yourself cleaned."


    She walked up to him and made a quick look over his appearance.


    Because Kyran''s coat was ck, the blood from the cuts he got from when he fought Dante early that day, then with his run-ins with the Tower''s security, and finally with Malek, was not that obvious. However, his face and even the little skin that was not covered by his clothes had small cuts, bruises, and blood.


    Ste''s gaze paused at Kyran''s hands, which were drenched with blood. A mncholic gleam shed in her light blue eyes.


    Although the blood was not Kyran''s, Ste could only imagine the state of his mind earlier that drove him to brutally attack Malek.


    She cautiously reached out for his hands.


    <o>,m Kyran did not trust Ste yet, even after she took an oath. But before he could avoid her hands, he saw her worried expression and hesitated. Once again, he was reminded of that familiarity he felt with her.</o>


    Ste''s expression also reminded Kyran of a time when his cousin Pheobe visited him at the Milfiore Military School Dormitory and she saw his hands covered in cuts and bruises. That time he was the new ''toy'' of the seniors because he was very meek. But after an incident which involved a phony angel-faced girl, Kyran snapped and broke the faces of all the seniors who dared fight him.


    Pheobe looked very worried, but she kept a smile on her face and did not ask him what happened. She just cleaned his wounds in silence.


    Kyran felt guilty that time.


    "Your magic has grown too fast. You even prevented Malek''s blood to return to him," she said almost in a whisper.


    "Return?"


    Ste held his hands and looked at him with a smile, "Yes. That''s how I ''healed'' him earlier. Were you not aware of what I was doing?"


    "I only know you are trying to save him and it pissed me off."


    Steughed.


    Herugh annoyed Kyran earlier, but now he did not mind.


    "I know you have a lot of questions. About the Conve''s connection with your n, about your magic and what you must do moving forward, I''ll answer as much as I can. I can also help you study your magic and improve it further."


    Kyran''s expression darkened, "My priority is to save my n. I don''t have time for anything else."


    Ste smiled teasingly, "Well aren''t I your lucky break then? I''ll be able to give you the ''time'' you need. After all, that''s my magic."


    Kyran''s expression changed upon hearing that. He had been wondering about Ste''s magic since she managed to enter his magic sphere. And when she admitted her magic was also a forbidden type, he was even more curious. Now she admitted her magic was ''time''. A lot of questions as well as opportunities for him shed in his head.


    "Ahem," Nn cleared his throat.


    He felt awkward interrupting these two while they were getting... chummy, with their hands linked and all. But he sensed Kyran''s curiosity sparked after Ste''s admission about her magic. If he did not interrupt, they would end up with another Q and A session.


    "But let''s save the questions forter," Ste said before Kyran could open his mouth to ask more questions.


    Nn sighed in his heart. At least this Missy was sensible.


    "Uhm... Will you remove your domain now?" Ste asked sheepishly and released Kyran''s hands.


    ''Oh, no. Don''t tell him that-!''


    Kyran tilted his head, "Domain?"


    Ste saw Nn gave an X sign using his arms while frantically shaking his head. She realized something and finally gave a softugh, "Oh. I meant this sphere. Will you release it now? Actually, I only managed to enter your... sphere because I used my magic barrier, but after I released it, I can''t use my magic anymore. And well, I can''t leave here as well, ahaha..."


    "Why can''t you leave?"


    "Well... because I entered your sphere without being...err... scanned, I''ll use that term for now, anyway, I was an uninvited guest and if I walk out of your magic sphere, well... it will destroy me."


    "How?"


    "How? Your magic is void so-."


    "Not that," Kyran looked uneasily at his sphere. "I''m not exactly sure how to release this."


    "What?"<sub> </sub>


    "Oi, kid. What the hell do you mean you can''t release it?"


    Ste and Nn blurted respectively.


    Kyran looked at Nn and replied, "I was pissed earlier and just wanted to kill that psycho."


    Beads of sweat appeared on Ste''s forehead from Kyran''s bluntness. He really intended to kill Malek. She made a mental note to correct that.


    "I admit I wasn''t thinking straight. This sphere just came out," Kyran added.


    Nn had a thoughtful expression. Kyran was still in the process of controlling his magic. If he had no recollection of how he summoned his magic then...


    "Try to remember what you felt, if you can''t remember what you thought at that time," he suggested.


    "I was feeling murderous," Kyran answered bluntly.


    ck lines appeared on Ste''s head. Yes, she really had to clear the misunderstanding between them as soon as possible.


    "Hm. It seemed this sphere might have been influenced by your emotion. As long as you are able to release your pent-up emotion, then you''ll be able to undo this sphere," Nn said.


    "Release my pent-up emotion... But." Kyran looked reluctant. "I... want to hit him in the face at least once."


    "Ahaha..." Steughed uneasily. "Then let''s do thatter. It''s better to give him a good smack in the face when you''re well rested, don''t you think? You can even use your full strength. Don''t worry, he will not retaliate. I''ll make sure of that."


    Kyran looked at her. He was still unconvinced, but since Malek was not here, he could only wait until they meet again.


    Nn was a little surprised that Kyran surprisingly had a vengeful side to him. He was suddenly reminded of his fight with Dante. After being bombarded by Dante''s attacks, Kyran became very focused and when he was able to return the favor, his mood improved.


    ''He got his temper from Cade,'' he thought with a sly smile.


    "I''ll hold you to your words," Kyran told Ste.


    Ste nodded.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran closed his eyes and started to control his emotions. Right now, he was still uncertain about a lot of things. He did notpletely trust Ste, but he could learn to because he needed her magic.


    Slowly the air inside the sphere changed. The sphere also decreased in size and became more transparent.


    Suddenly.


    "Argh!" Kyran''s eyes snapped open as he clutched his chest, and fell on his knees.


    "Kyran!"


    "Oi, kid!"


    Ste and Nn eximed respectively, and rushed to his side.


    The sphere started to disintegrate and both of them noticed how Kyran''splexion also turned pale.


    ''Not good,'' Nn thought and prepared to summon his domain, after all, inside his domain he had better awareness and control on anything inside it. If he brought Kyran in, he''d be able to determine what was wrong with him.


    However, before he could rouse his magic, a huge golden array-like clocks appeared above where the sphere had already disappeared.


    Ste spread her arms and looked up. Several array-like clocks appeared and covered the still disintegrating sphere.


    The color of the sphere started to change from ck to purple. It started to condense and soon it changed into a huge purple ring around them.


    Kyran''s eyes already blurred when the huge purple ring touched the floor. Its size further decreased and slowly returned inside him. After the ring entered his body, he also lost consciousness.


    Nn caught him just before he fell on the floor.


    "Ugh..." Ste moaned the moment Kyran''s magic returned to him. She also fell on her knees and was breathing heavily.


    The toll on her body when using her magic depended on the scale of her usage. Normally, she would not feel exhausted at this scale. But although Kyran''s sphere already decreased in size, the magic contained within it had been too strong.


    "What the f*ck just happened?" Nn wondered out loud feeling very anxious.


    To be honest, he already had an idea of what happened, but the idea he thought of, scared him.


    "His magic seemed to have grown too much, his body can no longer contain it. I tried to revert it to an earlier state, but it''s only temporary."


    "Yeah, that''s what I''m afraid of. Damn this kid, scared the shit out of me."


    A smile crept on Ste''s lips, after witnessing Nn''s concern over Kyran''s safety. A thought crossed her mind and she looked at him thoughtfully. Finally, she asked, "Why did you not tell him?"


    Nn stiffened at her question. Without looking at her, he replied. "Tell him what?"


    "You don''t have to pretend not to know what I meant."


    After a short pause, Nn finally looked at Ste and said. "How much do you know?"


    "Well. Malek''s vision was not exactlyplete. We did see bits and pieces. But from what I can tell,  after meeting you, it looks like you did not tell him much about yourself."


    "I told him what he has to know. That''s enough," Nn replied with a shrug. "So, where do you want to take him. I''m telling you, I''m not gonna clean him up."


    He immediately changed the subject.


    Steughed softly. She could take a hint, so she decided not to pursue the matter. After all, it was Nn''s business and she had to gain his favor and trust as well if she wanted to get on Kyran''s good side.


    "I''ll take care of that," she replied and stood up. "Please help me take him to my quarters."

 Chapter 42 The Aftermath

    The Tower of Conve consists of four towers. Three towers were located at the northeast, northwest and south forming three points of a triangle. These towers were also a few kilometers away from the three entrances. Then northwest tower was where the infirmary and barracks were located. The main supply warehouse, banquet hall and conference hall was located at the northeast. While the south tower serves as the receiving area and quarters for all other visitors.


    Thest tower was the biggest one located at the center of the Tower of Conve. It had an inner wall and was surrounded by a moat with only one entrance at the south. Only the council members and few trusted aides were allowed inside. This tower was where the archive, the quarters of the Head of Conve and the Lord of the Tower was located.


    It was also where Kyran and Malek fought.


    After Hugh left with Malek and the rest of the Security Unit, he also received a message from Can informing him that he had met with the rest of the reinforcements.


    With a sigh, Hugh replied and ryed some of the Lord of the Tower''s orders.


    At Can''s side, when he received the message from Hugh, he was a little confused. From his message, it seemed the whole ordeal had ended.


    Without dying any further, Can ryed the content of the message to all the leaders that responded to the Conve''s distress call. The leaders immediately split their forces to secure the surrounding area, clean up the mess, and heal the injured mages and soldiers. Chairman Noir of the cksmith Order, also instructed all Master cksmiths with him to inspect the damage on the defensive array.


    When they were finished sending outmands, all of them went straight to the northeast tower.


    The ground floor was where the banquet was located. But this was not their destination. They went to the third floor and entered the conference hall.


    Inside the conference hall, a round table with fourteen seats was situated in the middle. A visibleplex array covered the whole floor, and it was mirrored on the ten-meter high ceiling. This array could be activated at will by the Lord of the Tower. Its effect was also known only to them.


    Sculptures of humans with wings, decorated the seven columns on the wall, with half of their body protruding. Three of the statues were holding amp made of light blue crystal that lit the whole ce. While the other four held a sword, a staff, a spear, and a tome.


    The leaders sat around the round table.


    Currently present were President Can, of the Mercenary Hall; Chairman Noir and President Sigma, of the cksmith Order; Head Alchemist Avrum, of the Alchemist Association; and Vice Chief Emery, of the Chamber of Commerce.


    Noir was a tall middle aged man with long ck hair with grey streaks and dark blue eyes. As always, his eyes were closed. It was very rare to see him open his eyes. He was also dressed in a ck robe with silver linings. A golden hammer with diamond hilt was stitched on the right chest of his robe. This was the symbol of the cksmith Order.


    Sitting on Noir''s right was Sigma.


    Sigma was a huge man in histe forties. He had an unruly short dark brown hair, and green eyes. On his forehead was a big cross-shaped scar that made him look more dangerous and fierce. He wore a ck coat simrly designed as Noir, except the golden hammer had a silver hilt.


    On Sigma''s right, was Avrum.


    Compared to Sigma, Avrum had a small stature. Among them, he was also the youngest. He was in his early forties, with short wavy blonde hair, and light brown eyes. His light blue robe, had gold linings and a golden cauldron with silver beads, the symbol of the Alchemist Association, was stitched on the right chest.


    Across Avrum''s seat, sat Emery.


    She was the only female and also a non-mage in the group. She was in her mid forties with short curly brown hair and light green eyes. She wore a square shaped spectacle that on a closer inspection, the temples had rune writings. Because she was not a mage, but abat specialist, she was wearing a gold te armor over her red coat. Carved on the front of the armor was the Chamber of Commerce symbol, a book with a hovering stamp.


    On Emery''s right stood Can.


    "Why don''t you take a seat, Can. It''s a little unnerving to see you standing there," Emery told Can.


    Can sighed. Although Hugh''s message hinted that the ordeal was over, he knew there was more to it. As of the moment, only he knew that the intruder might be Kyran.


    "Forgive me. I''m just a little nervous."


    Sigma sneered, "What''s there to be nervous? Honestly, although the damage on the defensive array is indeed surprising, who would dare attack the Tower with the Head of Conve present?"


    Can''s brow creased but he did not reply and just sat down.


    However, Can''s reaction was not missed by Noir. "Is there something you are not telling us Can?"


    The other three also looked at Can.


    "Chairman Noir... well... I-that''s..." Can stammered unable to make up his mind what to tell them. After all, the information about the army''s attack on the Regis n was only known by them.


    Before he could finish sorting his thoughts, the huge door opened and Malek and Hugh entered.


    "Head of Conve," all five of them stood at once and greeted Malek.


    Malek just raised a hand and gestured for them to return to their seats.


    "Thank you foring and providing support during our time of need."


    Because his condition had already improved, Malek told Hugh that he would be the one to exin the situation with the rest. Hugh did not argue, after all, Malek might know more than what was really happening.


    "Everyone, what I am about to tell you may be the beginning of a turning point in the history of the Conve." Malek started.


    For the next half hour or so, Malek told them what happened. Of course, he left out the detail where Kyran almost killed him. He also told them about his visionst night.


    In his vision, Malek exined that it started out as a premonition of an attack by an unknown shadow. But as he ventured deeper into the vision, he found out the identity of the shadow and his reasons for his attack.


    All the leaders present were shocked after knowing that the ''intruder'' was actually Kyran Regis. At Hugh''s encouragement, Can also shared what happened at the Mercenary Hall and how the Royal Army nned to use them to hunt Kyran.


    "That Gael! Finally showing his true colors by using our own men to fight against an unknown target and whittle our forces!" Sigma bellowed and mmed his clenched fist on the table.


    "And why is the Lord being lenient to that rascal? We may be a neutral faction, but we are not pushovers! He dared attack and will not receive punishment? Preposterous!" he added after learning that at the moment the Lord of the Tower did not enact any judgement and instead wanted to speak with Kyran alone.


    "We have to understand his situation. I am sure each one of us, one way or another, also felt that despair and hopelessness when your own family''s safety was hanging on a thin thread," Can surprisingly jumped to Kyran''s defense.


    "Hm. I can understand somehow. But he was reckless. Although his magic is very powerful, he is only one man. If we don''t have a connection with the Regis n in the first ce, he is only seeking death." Emery pointed.


    "From what I see however, our young friend seemed to have an idea of our rtionship. And he took that gamble," Noir shared his opinion. "And seeing what he managed to aplish alone... well, is he not equivalent to at least a toon?"


    Avrumughed light-heartedly, "My thoughts exactly Chairman Noir."


    "You''re missing the point here!" Sigma roared and mmed his fist on the table once more. "Are we really going to let one boy run around and do what he pleases without any punishment? I want to speak to the Lord. I will teach that rascal a lesson!"


    Malek suddenly cleared his throat, "Sigma. Calm down. The Lord has ns. It will not do good for you to waste your energy in dealing with him."


    ck lines appeared on Hugh''s head. He remembered the condition Malek was in when he fought Kyran. Was this his way of saving Sigma the embarrassment of facing Kyran, while keeping what happened to him a secret?


    "But Head Master-!"


    "Whoeverys a hand on Kyran, will answer to me."


    A cold yet gentle female voice suddenly resounded in the hall.


    The array on the ceiling lit up and a semi-transparent golden sphere slowly descended.


    Everyone stood up and kneeled immediately, "Lord of the Tower."<sub> </sub>


    Ste was inside the golden sphere.


    As soon as shended on the floor, she released her sphere and went straight at the head of the round table.


    "Everyone stand up and take your seat."


    "Yes."


    Once everyone was seated, Ste looked at Sigma with a smile.


    "I understand why you are angry Sigma. I know you are only concerned about the image of the Conve. Thank you," she said.


    Sigma bashfully scratched the tip of his nose, "Yeah well..."


    "But Kyran can easily take you down," she added lightly and looked at Malek. "You did not tell them how he almost killed you?"


    Malek looked embarrassed as he shifted in his seat and cleared his throat once again.


    Almost everyone was shocked by this information.


    Ste looked at their shocked expression, feeling a little proud. She wanted to make these people understand that Kyran was not just a ''rascal'' who attacked them without thinking. He was a force that must not be taken lightly. Of course, she knew most of them would love to hear if their decision to agree with her in protecting the Regis'' secret was really a wise gamble. And telling them of Kyran''s strength was also her way to ease their doubts.


    Hugh could not help but sigh in his heart. Their Lord was really whimsical at times.


    "Okay. Enough jesting," Ste said after seeing the reaction she hoped for.


    "Getting down to business," she turned to Noir and asked, "How''s the damage to the array?"


    Noir nodded, "Duvan and the rest are already checking. I will create an improved blueprint once I received their data."


    "Good. I''ll leave it to you. Hugh, please make sure to control the flow of the information. Can, I''ll leave the confounding to you if needed."


    "Yes, Lord."


    "Now, then. Kyran is resting at the moment so he can''t join us. But I will arrange another meeting with the rest of the council to discuss our future ns. I know you also have questions, but the important thing to do right now is make sure the army does not find out about this incident."


    Can suddenly looked worried, "Lord. May I speak?"


    Ste looked at him and gave a nod, "Of course. What is it?"


    "After the incident at the Mercenary Hall, Celine, our Mercenary Hall Master went to meet with Kyran to negotiate. I specifically told her to tell him that we intend to help, but that we can''t let the army know. I''m wondering if... well... We haven''t heard from her yet."


    "Hm... The truth, Kyran and I haven''t talked yet. He is exhausted and I decided to let him rest. Don''t worry, I believe Celine is... safe. Although, I also believe she failed in the negotiation that''s why Kyran came here."


    Can sighed. "Then doesn''t that mean, Kyran prefer this incident be known? If we hid this, won''t he be angered?"


    Sigma frowned. He did not like how Can acted so afraid of that rascal. Although he, himself, was surprised that the rascal almost killed Malek, he was not convinced that he would end up the same.


    "Humph. Since when does his mood affect how the Lord must make a decision?" Sigma grunted disapprovingly.


    Ste just smiled at them, "Don''t worry. I have my reasons. As for Kyran, he''ll definitely agree once he hears my proposal."


    "Very well."


    "Next. Once Noir is done with the new blueprint for the array, Emery, please expedite the materials we''ll need. If there are materials weck, let Malek know as soon as possible. We''ll take care of securing those."


    "Yes, Lord."


    "Right. Make sure to do the same for the Mercenary Hall. We can''t let them stay defenseless."


    Hugh and Can were surprised. They immediately bowed to Ste and said, "Thank you, Lord."


    Ste waved her hand and shook her head, "No need to thank me. If we want to hide Kyran''s involvement, we have to make sure to get everything he destroyed, fixed."


    She turned to Avrum and continued. "Avrum, can I trouble you to call Malia? Tell her toe here immediately. I need her."


    "I will, Milord."


    Ste nodded and looked at Malek.


    "Malek, gather the rest of the council. In three days, we''ll reconvene."


    Malek gave a short nod. "As you wish, Milord."


    "Alright. Everyone, please stay for a few days. I will have to leave you for now to attend to an important matter. If you need me, let Malek know. He''ll know how to reach me."


    "Yes, Lord."


    Ste nodded and stood up.


    The array on the ceiling lit up again while she summoned her golden sphere. Without further ado, she slowly ascended on the array and left.


    Once she left, all of the leaders turned their head at Malek. They were all curious about what happened between him and Kyran.


    Even Hugh, who saw the aftermath, was curious. Once again, he remembered Malek''s appearance at that time and felt a chill run down his spine.


    "Is it true you were almost killed?" It was Avrum who asked first. He looked at Malek teasingly.


    Malek stood up with a scowl.


    "Well, everyone, please make yourself at home. I will go and deal with what the Lord has ordered me to do," he said and looked at Avrum sternly when he said hisst sentence.


    "Spoilsport," Avrum muttered, but he just grinned.


    One by one, the leaders left the conference hall, except for Sigma who remained seated.


    He was deep in thought, and his expression showed dissatisfaction.


    <gdiv></gdiv>

 Chapter 43 Spirit Contract

    Royal Army Headquarters, inside the infirmary.


    Jax clenched his fists as he looked at all the officers lying on the bed full of injuries.


    When these people left yesterday morning, Jax expected it would take at least a few days before they returned. He also believed that when they returned, they would have aplished their mission.


    It never urred to him that not even two days had passed and they already need to return with almost half of them including Vera severely injured. They even had to use the emergency transportation device to get all of them back without aggravating their injuries.


    In the report submitted by Lieutenant Gianna, apart from 37 severely injured officers there were also three fatalities and one with unknown status, and that being Dior.


    ''Dior...'' Jax closed his eyes.


    Dior was a promising talent under Jax''smand. He was a strict man, but that was only because he was also strict with himself.


    Jax understood his reasons, though. Just like most of them, Dior was doing his best for his family.


    Officially, Dior''s status was dered as unknown. But based on the initial findings Gianna and the rest found, his status looked grim. With no concrete evidence, however, they could only dere it as such.


    How will Jax exin this to Dior''s family?


    How about the three officers who were killed? Each one of them had families who worry about them, and awaits for their return.


    Jax took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Yesterday, it had been hard for him to face the families of those who were killed the night Kyran escaped. Now he had to do it once more.


    He dreaded facing the families of the deceased, but what he dreaded the most was reporting this to the Grand Marshal.


    On a lighter note, if Gael was made aware of the casualties they suffered this time, he might be forced to admit that he had underestimated what Kyran Regis could do.


    That was not a boy who would hide in fear of the army''s hunt. That was a man, who was not afraid to kill when cornered.


    Then there was the issue on the Infirmary Log that was submitted weekly to the Royal Family. Once the emperor found out about the number of officers admitted with sever injuries in just a couple of days, he would definitely inquire what caused it. By then, Gael would have to tell the truth.


    "Major Jax." A male voice suddenly spoke from behind.


    Jax turned around and was greeted with a salute by Luka.


    "Luka," Jax nodded at him. "How''s your body?"


    Luka looked a little perturbed.


    "Is it true about Captain Dior?" He asked without answering Jax''s question.


    Jax''s eyes narrowed. He already expected Luka to ask about Dior. After confirming that no one was listening, he said, "Let''s go to my office."


    The two of them left the infirmary and went straight to Jax''s office.


    Once they were inside, Jax went to his study table while Luka stood in front.


    "You can take a seat," Jax told him and gestured at the chair in front of the table.


    Luka only shook his head and started, "Dior did not simply went missing. He was killed by that boy, am I right?"


    With a sigh, Jax shook his head. "The evidence showed that he fought someone. But it is hard to tell if it was the boy."


    "He is not a person who would just go missing while on a mission. Even if he is injured, he''ll definitely drag his battered body back to headquarters." Luka reasoned his expression hardened.


    He remembered how his men was killed by Kyran without even leaving a trace and added, "If you can''t find... his body-."


    "I know what you''re thinking. Leave this matter to me and just focus on recuperating."


    "I am already fine, Major. Please let me lead a new search."


    Jax shook his head, "No. If you are really cleared to leave the infirmary, then you will focus on destroying the Regis Estate''s inner walls."


    "Major! Please, let me look for the boy. I was careless before, but not this time. If we don''t find him soon, there will be more the casualties and-."


    "Captain Luka." Jax interrupted in a stern voice.


    Luka fell silent and clenched his fists.


    "You will focus on the Regis Estate. Do I make myself clear?" Jax repeated and stared at Luka.


    Gritting his teeth, Luka stared back at him. As much as he wanted to lead the search on the boy, Luka knew that without Jax''s consent and support, it would be impossible for him to aplish anything in a short time.


    Luka''s request to look for the boy was not because he wanted to avenge Dior. He simply wanted to put a stop to all this unnecessary sacrifices.


    "Yes, Major." Luka finally answered after a long pause.


    "This is only temporary. I decided to hold off the search for the boy. I have to report the failed mission to the Grand Marshal first."


    "I understand."


    "You and Vera are the only high ranking officer left in this operation now that Dior is... missing. I can''t risk both of you as well. I will have to convince the Grand Marshal to assign more high ranking officers in this manhunt. If needed I don''t mind handing over the mission to the special ops."


    Luka''s eyes widened and he immediately shook his head. "No. You can''t just hand over the mission to those guys. If those guys moved, more innocent people will suffer!"


    "Rx. As long as I convince the Grand Marshal to agree to my request, the special ops will not be needed." Jax said with a slight smile. "I''m sure the Grand Marshal doesn''t want to involve them as well if he wanted to keep this mission a secret."


    Luka suddenly frowned, "I don''t understand why he wanted to keep this a secret."


    "You don''t have to think about those things. The Grand Marshal has his reasons. Get yourself ready. Leave for the Regis Estate within an hour."


    <o>,m Luka saluted, "Yes. Major Jax."</o>


    ====================


    Regis Estate, Inner Walls. At one of the guest rooms of the main family residence.


    Ss stared dazedly at the ceiling as hey in bed.


    A quarter of a day had passed after he met the Regis Patriarch.


    Ss could still remember the pressure he felt when he finally met him.


    The Regis Patriarch was a huge man, with braided long ck hair, and sharp dark grey eyes. He was dressed in a ck armor that Ss had an inkling that it was made of real dragon scales.


    There was another man who stood beside the Patriarch. He was a tall handsome man, with almost the same built as the Patriarch. He had shoulder-length ck hair, and dark grey eyes, and was also dressed in a ck armor.


    The Patriarch introduced him as his son, Cade.


    Their meetingsted for almost two hours because they had talked about a lot of things. Of course, their meeting would not proceed if Ss did not agree to be ''marked'' by the Patriarch first.


    Because of this mark, Ss had be the Conve''s official emissary.


    At first Ss was confused. He should be called the Regis''s emissary, right? But the Patriarch clearly said, Conve. But it should be the Conve appointing their own emissary and not the Regis.


    And why were they jumping factions? Ss clearly introduced himself as a mercenary from the Mercenary Hall, not the Conve.


    However, Ss did not have the leisure to dwell on the subject because he was immediately thrown into a myriad of information. He was actually amazed that he did not develop a migraine after hearing almost every details that happened to the Regis.


    Yes. Almost.


    Ss knew there were details that the Patriarch withheld. It was alright. Just knowing ''almost'' every details made him uneasy, after all.


    ''A main Regis family member with an innate forbidden magic...'' he thought with a sigh.


    If it was an ordinary Regis family member, or even a low-risk innate forbidden magic, this whole situation wouldn''t have beenplicated. But to think that Kyran was from the main family, and his innate magic, was the most dangerous magic of all; Void magic.


    With just the mention of his magic, it could already put the whole empire into turmoil.


    A memory from Ss''s past threatened to resurface but he immediately shook his head and sat up.


    After taking a deep breath, he looked at the back of his left hand and stared at the faint snowke symbol imprinted on his skin.


    He was suddenly reminded of when Rin, Cade''s wife entered the throne room, after their meeting had concluded.<sub> </sub>


    Rin, was a very beautiful woman with half-top braided long silver grey hair and light blue eyes. She was dressed in a white dress with golden linings that made her look almost ethereal.


    Ss cringed after remembering how he gaped stupidly at her with mouth wide open.


    When Rin approached him and took his hand, Ss was also flustered. He wanted to hit himself just remembering how embarrasing he might have acted then.


    But Ss''s attitude changed when Rin started to speak anguage he thought he would never hear again.


    After she had spoken, an Ice Spirit appeared above Ss''s head.


    Ss recognized the Ice Spirit. Although she looked different from his memory, her attitude was the same, especially on how she called him ''little Ss''.


    ''To think that she was still able to...'' Ss clenched his fist remembering an image of a young woman smeared with blood and soot. He shook his head at once.


    ''The Regis is different from our family. Compared to them, our family was... smaller,'' he thought sadly. ''What happened to my family will not happen to them...''


    He stood up and went to the window to right side of the room. He looked up at the almost dark sky.


    From a distance, he could almost see the stars filling up the sky.


    After meeting the Patriarch and dealing with the Ice Spirit incident, Pheobe was called in and was appointed as Ss guide.


    When they left the throne room, Pheobe showed Ss around the estate.


    He was very surprised at how big the estate was.


    In Ss''s opinion, the Regis Estate wasparable to a medium-sized city. Thinking back, when he saw the map where the Regis Estate was located, there were no other towns apart from Aeren that was nearby. There was a huge span of area before the next towns. At first, he thought those area were unupied. Now he realized, that area was part of the Regis Estate.


    But no matter how big the estate was, Ss noticed how he met only a few Regis n members. Even the hall where the Patriarch was at did not have anyone guarding it.


    He wanted to ask where the rest of the Regis n members were, but decided against it.


    Pheobe would probably think he was thoughtless if he did, given their current situation.


    "Mr. Ss. The dining hall is ready. Do you wish to dine with the rest of the family?" Pheobe''s voice sounded outside the door.


    Ss''s expression immediately lit up and he run to open the door.


    "Yes! I''d be delighted to," he answered sounding a tad too eager.


    Pheobe was taken aback after seeing Ss''s smiling face.


    Before he could relish the feeling of seeing her again, Ss noticed a little girl beside Pheobe.


    Just like Pheobe, the little girl had short ck hair and dark grey eyes. She was dressed in a light pink dress, and looked to be only three or four years old with chubby rosy cheeks and round innocent eyes.


    To Ss, however, he could see that this girl would grow to be a finedy like Pheobe someday.


    "Oh, look who we have here." He smiled at the little girl.


    "Sister Pheobe..." the little girl immediately hid behind Pheobe.


    Pheobe gave a faint smile and looked at her, "It''s okay Kyra. This uncle won''t bite."


    Ss''s brow twitched, ''Uncle?''


    The girl named Kyra, peaked at Ss. "Uncle? But...he looks old. He has white hair. Poppy said to be respectful to old people, and call them elder."


    "Ahahaha, what a cute little girl." Ss''sugh sounded a little forced as a vein appeared on his forehead.


    "Kyra, that''s rude. This uncle has natural white hair. Remember mommy Rin? Her hair is almost the same color, right?"


    Kyra''s expression suddenly changed and she beamed, "Mommy Rin!"


    Pheobe smiled, "Yes. But mommy Rin is not that old."


    "Not old," Kyra repeated and shook her head slightly.


    Ss''s eyes narrowed after hearing this. He remembered Rin and Cade was Kyran''s parents. However, he had the impression that Kyran was an only child.


    "Is she Lady Rin and Sir Cade''s younger daughter?" Ss asked Pheobe.


    Pheobe looked at Ss and smiled faintly. She looked at him uneasily and said, "Well... sort of. Kyra is... a daughter of uncle Cade''s cousin and they adopted her."


    Ss''s expression immediately turned solemn. He did not need Pheobe to exin further as he was able to read between the lines.


    However, Kyra just beamed and said, "I have two mommies and two poppies!"


    "Cousin Kyran named her. Not a very... ''original'' name I know, but Kyra likes it," Pheobe exined and pinched Kyra''s cheeks, who giggled in return.


    "Brother?" Kyra seemed to remember something after hearing Kyran''s name. "Where is brother? Kyra needs to give him her present."


    Pheobe looked at her and smiled. "Let''s go check if he''s already at the dining hall, okay?"


    "Okay!"  she replied, then peaked at Ss. "Is uncle also going?"


    Ss smiled at her, "Yes. I hope you don''t mind."


    "If uncle forgives Kyra for saying uncle is old. Kyra don''t mind uncle joining for dinner."


    Though Ss found Kyra cute, veins still appeared on his forehead every time she said the word ''uncle''. But he managed to keep his cool and answered, "Of course, I forgive you. Such a cute little girl...."


    ''Why does it sound like I am the onepromising even though I am the one offended?'' he thought.


    "Shall we?" Pheobe said and led the way to the dining hall.


    While they walked down the hallway, Pheobe turned slightly and looked at Ss.


    "You know, I can bring your dinner up to your room if you''re tired."


    "I am okay. But I have to admit, I needed time to digest all the things I learned today."


    Pheobe turned her attention back upfront and said, "Actually. I was thinking you might be tired after performing the contract."


    "Oh. That," Ssughed uneasily and unconsciously touched the back of his left hand.


    "Were you surprised to know there was a spirit following you?" she asked.


    Ss did not answer. More like, he did not know how to answer.


    When the Ice Spirit appeared above him after Rin ''spoke'' to her, Ss felt nauseous. He could barely remember what happened afterward, and how he and the Ice Spirit reluctantly agreed to make a contract.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Ss. You don''t have to answer. I don''t mean to pry."


    "No, no. It''s okay. I''m just... I guess I am surprised. Yes..."


    After a short pause, he added. "The Ice Spirit used to be my sister''s."


    Ss did not know why he said thosest words. Especially to Pheobe. After all, she was an outsider. But after telling her, the shadow in his heart seemed to have lifted, albeit he also felt sad.


    Pheobe fell silent. She was aware that when a spirit agreed to a contract, it was for a lifetime. The only three instance where the contract would be broken was when the spirit died, the contracted mage died, or the the spirit was set free.


    "Your sister must have loved you very much to let her contracted spirit stay with you," Pheobe finally said after a long pause.


    Ss looked at Pheobe''s profile.


    Her reply surprised him.


    She did not offer any sympathetic words, which to him would sound empty. And he was grateful for that.


    "Yes. You''re right," he replied with a smile

 Chapter 44 Exclusive Mercenary

    Ss was surprised to know that the rest of the family Pheobe mentioned who would be dining with them were all... kids.


    It turned out that a few younger Regis''s took care of the little ones while the adults were away.


    Pheobe was the oldest among the older Regis''s present there.


    It amazed Ss how she could handle all these little ones who seemed unable to stay in one ce for more than 10 seconds.


    A nostalgic feeling overcame Ss while watching a couple of teenagers feed the little ones. He chuckled to himself after noticing how the little ones seemed to think their food was y dough and found ways to creatively reinvent the food''s appearance. The teenagers also became their tasters.


    After a while, his attention shifted to Pheobe while she and two other male Regis in their teens rounded up a group of three to four years old children. This group of misfits took up spoons and forks as arms demanding to be let out of ''prison'' to look for Kyran.


    The cause of this was Kyra, who was crying in the arms of another female Regis teen.


    When they arrived at the dining hall and Kyra did not see Kyran, she started crying. Soon the other kids also demanded where Pheobe hid him.


    With a sigh, Ss finally understood why everyone seemed to favor Kyran.


    Everyone was really fond of him.


    Remembering the skinny image of a young boy on the bounty poster, Ss slightly frowned. To think someone skinny and weak looking like him would be loved like this.


    After some time, the little ones finally calmed down after Pheobe exined that Kyran was too exhausted on his birthday and needed time to sleep.


    Ss could not help but smile wryly at her excuse. Who would believe that? Kyran''s birthday was days ago, and just what kind of activity a person would have done to be exhausted for days that he needed sleep?


    However, the little ones bought her lies, and the rest of the Regis youngsters could finally feed them.


    Ss was left dumbfounded. When a male teen saw his expression, he exined that it was not the first time Pheobe made that excuse.


    Apparently, there was an incident where Kyran did sleep for a few days because he was too exhausted. The male teen did not exin what that incident was. Ss did not ask either.


    After making sure the kids were all seated, Pheobe went back to Ss''s side.


    She smiled apologetically at him and sat beside the empty chair to his left.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Ss. They are not usually like this. Most days, they are very docile."


    "They seemed to be fond of Kyran."


    Pheobe looked at the rest of the kids and smiled, "We all are."


    Ss looked at all the younger Regis inside the dining hall.


    Based on how the Patriarch and Cade talked of Kyran during their meeting, they also held great expectations. Now that guy was out there, hiding from the army''s and mercenary''s people.


    If Ss were in his shoes, he probably could not stay sane, knowing how all his nsmen were in danger. Kyran was just a teenager, after all.


    Ss let out a sigh. When he first talked to Pheobe, he said their decision to let Kyran escape was foolish because now the army had surrounded them. But now, looking at the Regis situation, they looked safer. At least they were aware of where the enemy would strike and would be able to make countermeasures.


    As for Kyran, he probably could not even eat or sleep well. With that skinny and weak constitution, Ss wondered if he would be able tost a week outside.


    "Is the food not to your liking, Mr. Ss?" Pheobe''s voice broke his thoughts.


    Ss immediately shook his head and smiled at her, "No. I mean, it is excellent. I was just thinking about something."


    To prove his point, Ss cut off a piece of steak and stuffed it in his mouth.


    "Hm! Is the sauce Regis''s original recipe?" he asked and took another bite. The sauce blended well with the steak.


    Pheobeughed softly. She clearly knew Ss was distracted earlier. But she did not dwell on it and replied, "Yes, it is."


    "It is really delicious," he praised with a nod.


    "I''m d you like it."


    "Ms. Pheobe, if you don''t mind. Will you tell me more about your cousin?" Ss asked, changing the subject. "If I were to leave this ce and search for him, I will need something to convince him that I''m able to make contact with your family. From how the Patriarch and Master Cade spoke of him, he seemed to be a cautious young man and will not be easily swayed by words."


    "Of course. We can talk more after dinner. Just ask what you want to know, and I''ll answer as best as I can."


    "Thank you."


    ====================


    Tower of Conve. The top floor of the main tower, the Lord of the Tower''s Quarters.


    Ste''s quarters upied the whole top floor of the main tower. Its shape was circr, with four doors and one open balcony that surrounded the center room.


    The first door was connected to the hallway, where the stairs lead either downstairs or to the rooftop deck. The second door leads to Ste''s study room. While the third leads to her wardrobe. And thest one was connected to her private bathroom.


    There was a huge four-poster bed in the center of the room with white and gold curtains drawn to the sides.


    On the bedy Kyran, who remained unconscious. His body that had been cleanly bandaged was half-covered by aforter.


    A golden array lit above the four-poster bed''s ceiling, and Ste descended from the middle. She hovered above Kyran for a few seconds, watching his sleeping face before moving to the side of the bed.


    Ste sat quietly on the right side and continued to watch Kyran.


    Her brow creased slightly, sensing that his life force seemed to grow weaker from the time she left to meet the leaders.


    She reached out her right hand and ced it on top of Kyran''s chest. "You''ve really pushed yourself too hard," she said softly while leaning slightly forward.


    "Phew!"


    The door suddenly burst open, and Nn stepped inside with a hand on his stomach.


    "Nothing really beats a nice warm meal after a long day of hard work-."


    He stopped short after seeing Ste looking at him with wide eyes.


    Seeing her flushed and surprised look plus her somewhatpromising position, Nn could not help but burst into a cold sweat. He immediately raised a hand in front of him and said, "Sorry. My bad. I''ll leave you to your business-."


    "Stop right there!" Ste eximed and summoned her magic. Several small golden rings surrounded Nn, and he was immediately rooted on the spot.


    "Look, Missy, I don''t make it a habit to watch other people get ''into'' it-."


    "What are you even thinking? I am not going to jump him when he''s unconscious!"


    "Oh, so you will if he is not?"


    Ste flushed, "W-What vulgarity...!"<sub> </sub>


    "Hahahaha!" Nn suddenly burst outughing. "You''ve got balls, Missy. I approve. Oh right, you don''t have balls. And I''m not exactly his master; why the f*ck do I need to approve of you."


    Ste''s eyes narrowed not from Nn''s words but on how he could move even inside her magic''s influence.


    It was true thatpared to the magic she used earlier, she only used 5% of her strength right now. However, there were special prohibitions inside her quarters that could remove anyone''s magic or physical defences, making them more vulnerable to her magic.


    There was an exception to these prohibitions, though. After all, Ste would also be affected by it. That was how she created the prohibitions.


    "As expected, your magic attainments already reached the level above a Magus."


    Nn''s expression remained unreadable. However, his dark eyes showed a slightly mischievous glint.


    "Good that you notice."


    Ste smiled and sat up straight. She released her magic around Nn and said, "Are you worried that I''ll break my oath and harm your precious-."


    "I don''t give a f*ck what you do, honestly. You have given an oath, but I don''t believe in that shit. There are different ways to go around oaths. That old hag made use of it while looking for a way to save her and that f*cking mercenary''s life when talking to the kid," Nn cut her off.


    "Old hag?"


    "Anyway. I don''t trust you. The kid doesn''t trust you either. He''s probably civil just because he''s interested in what you have to say. Your magic seemed to interest him as well. But if you say something he doesn''t like, whatever your rtionship is with the Regis will not stop him from wreaking this ce."


    Steughed, "You''re right."


    Nn raised his eyebrows, "You''re pretty carefree."


    "I know him better than you think. Don''t underestimate mywork."


    p Nn did an exaggerated gasp and said, "You''ve been stalking him?"</anda>


    Ste flushed and frowned at him, "It''s called intelligence gathering!"


    "Tsk. Tsk. No wonder the kid''s got trust issues. You just don''t know anyone anymore."


    "You''re incorrigible," Ste shook her head in defeat. She simply could not reason with this man.


    "And? What do you want us to talk about ''separately''?" Nn suddenly changed the subject.


    Ste sighed, "And you''re also very spontaneous."


    Nn shrugged, "Well, we''re already talking, might as well."


    "Alright."


    With a slight nod, Ste stood and walked up to Nn. When she was at least three meters away, she said, "I want to employ you as an exclusive mercenary."


    Nn simply raised both his eyebrows in response.


    "Of course, you will be adequatelypensated for your work."


    "What makes you think I''ll agree?"


    "Azaloth''s inheritance."


    Though Nn''s expression remained unchanged, his eyes narrowed after hearing Ste''s words.


    A smile crept on Ste''s lips.


    "I can help you find it."


    Nn sneered, "Just help in finding it?"


    "Azaloth was a very shrewd Magus. He would not leave an inheritance that can be easily taken and transferred to just anyone. If you want to take his inheritance, then you need to work on it."


    Nn crossed his arms and remained silent.


    Ste waited patiently.


    After a long pause, Nn finally said. "What are your terms?"


    "It''s pretty simple. I need you to do some work for me, and you''ll take Kyran with you."


    Nn made a face. "You want me to be his sitter?"


    Steughed, "No. I want you to train him. You''ve been doing it already. Making him run around to let him get used to his magic."


    "And you think the kid will agree toe with me? He''s literally screaming bloody murder just to save his n."


    Ste made a surprised expression, "Oh. I thought it was your idea to attack our ce and get our attention."


    "Look Missy, you said you know Kyran better. Then you should understand what''s more important to him right now," Nn ignored the sarcasm and tried to reason with her.


    "So you don''t want to?"


    "Of course, I don''t-."


    "Azaloth''s inheritance?"


    "-think it''s a good idea but I''m totally good with it."


    Ste chuckled.


    "Damn you."


    Ste smirked, "You know, I would have tortured you already for being rude. But since you helped Kyran and well your also his-."


    "Don''t go there."


    "Fine."


    "So, what do you want me to work on?"


    "Well, for now, I want you to fetch someone."


    "Who?"


    Ste smiled, "A fellow mercenary. You have to make sure to bring him back safely. Because he''s got something from the Regis Patriarch."

 Chapter 45 A Dangerous Item

    Nn''s eyes narrowed. How did an outsider receive something from the Patriarch after they were raided by the army? Or did the mercenary went to fetch an item from the Patriarch before the raid happened?


    Seeing Nn''s thoughtful expression, Ste smiled slightly.


    "You know, you''re free to ask any question. Since you''re going to work for me as an exclusive mercenary, I''m not going to be stingy when sharing information."


    "That''s good then. So, when did you make contact with the Regis?"


    Ste shook her head and replied, "We didn''t. I''ve onlye up with that based on the pieces of information from Malek''s vision."


    Nn frowned, "Are you telling me I only have your words to rely on?"


    "You know my magic works well with Malek''s vision?" Ste replied without answering him.


    "What the f*ck does that even-."


    "It''s better for you to see the vision yourself don''t you think?"


    As soon as Ste finished speaking, several different-sized golden clocks appeared and formed a half-sphere around them.


    Waving her right hand, one golden clock turned into a semi-transparent golden orb and flew in her direction. When she reached out and took the orb in her hand, her light blue eyes turned gold.


    She looked at Nn and said, "Let me show you."


    Their whole surrounding shifted as different scenes of past present and future seemed to intermingle.


    A blinding light enveloped them and Nn was forced to closed his eyes.


    The moment he opened his eyes, he saw himself in the middle of what seemed like a battlefield.


    Buildings were burning, bodies of humans and beasts that were either burned or mutted were lying on the ground.


    Nn''s blood ran cold. He recognized the bodies from their clothes. These people were from the Royal Army and the Regis n.


    The beasts were also from the Regis. They were the beasts tamed by the Regis''bat specialists.


    If Kyran were to see this scene, Nn could only imagine the kid''s expression turning murderous.


    From a distance, he heard explosions and screams filled the cold night air.


    The scene suddenly shifted and he was now inside the Regis Throne Room.


    He found himself face to face with Patriarch Aron and Cade.


    Seeing the two of them, a nostalgic feeling swept through him.


    "I no longer have a spirit to help me, but with Lady Lumi'' assistance, she can enter the spirit world to travel and deliver this to your friend."


    A silken voice of a woman spoke from behind.


    Nn could not help but took a sharp breath upon hearing the voice. He reluctantly turned to look at the owner of the voice.


    There he saw Rin, looking as beautiful as ever.


    ''Rin...'' A small smile escaped Nn''s lips. ''I know Cade will take care of you. I''m d.''


    Rin was facing a man with silver long hair who looked a little exhausted. She lifted her left hand and a two-inches long golden cylindrical tube appeared on top of her palm.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he felt very ancient and dangerous magic contained within the tube.


    "That item is dangerous, Spirit Child." A cute cold voice said.


    An Ice Spirit suddenly appeared with a small puff and sat on top of the silver-haired man''s head.


    The man''s expression distorted a little but he did not say anything.


    "If it is taken out of the Regis Terram, they will stir." The Ice Spirit continued.


    ''''Regis Terram? ''They''?'' Nn frowned. He had been to the Regis Estate but he never heard or seen that ce.


    "Yes. But if Lady Lumi will assist us..."


    The Ice Spirit sighed, "Very well. I can use my magic to camouge its power."


    Rin smiled, "Thank you Lady Lumi."


    "I am only helping you because you are the favored child of the Queen. If it is any other spirit user, I won''t even bat an eye and freeze that human to death."


    Nn''s brow twitched. The Ice Spirit''s appearance and voice were cute and all but she spoke of some scary shit.


    Lumi, the Ice Spirit, lifted her little chubby hands and the golden cylindrical tube lifted off Rin''s hand. Light blue snow dust converged and covered the tube. Soon the snow dust solidified and turned into a three-inches wide ice orb.


    The scene shifted once again, and now Nn stood inside a dpidated house and was looking at a profile of a huge bald man.


    In front of the bald man, Lumi hovered while she gave him the ice orb.


    Nn scowled after seeing the bald man.


    ''Howe he looked familiar? Have I met this guy before?'' he wondered. But since he could not recall where he met this man he just shrugged it off and made a mental note that he was probably the man he needed to find.


    He needed to request a photo from Ste.


    Suddenly the whole room dissolved and was reced by another battlefield.


    Nn was standing outside a train station and the whole ce was destroyed.


    ck-hooded figures were drifting all over the ce as civilians and mages screamed trying to run away from them.


    Near the wrecked entrance of the station, the huge bald man was lying on the ground, bathing in his own blood.


    Nn saw the bald man''s body had been mutted.


    A huge man in an oversized hooded ck robe with a long scythe made of silver and diamond in one hand stood near the bald man.


    ck mist surrounded the hem of the man''s ck robes that when he moved he appeared to be drifting in the air.


    The robed man moved and knelt down. He reached out for the ice orb that was still held tightly by the bald man''s chopped-off hand. However, the moment his diamond-wed hands touched the orb, a small crack appeared on its surface and the ancient and dangerous power from the tube leaked out.


    Immediately the surrounding air crackled and the sky turned dark. ck clouds formed and filled the sky. Thunder roared as dark bolts of lightning shed.


    Amidst the ck clouds, huge red reptilian eyes appeared one after another. They all looked down on the ck-robed man.


    Upon seeing the eyes on the clouds, Nn''s insides churned and he had the impulse to coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    Just from a mere gaze from those eyes, Nn''s defenses were already broken to the point his insides were damaged? What entity did those eyes belong to?


    Although his insides were not really damaged because this was only a scene from a vision if Nn really saw those eyes, would he be able to escape unscathed?


    The surrounding suddenly converged and Nn found himself back at Ste''s quarters.


    Ste was looking at him with a solemn expression with her eyes already in their normal light blue color.


    "What do you think?" she asked.


    Nn scowled, "What the f*ck is in that tube? How can a small leak of its power could summon that... those f*cking... What the f*ck are those?"


    Ste remained silent and simply stared back at him.


    Nn gritted his teeth. He knew the expression on Ste''s face. The old hag had the same expression whenever she couldn''t answer Kyran because it would break her oath.


    But Ste made an oath to Kyran. And a mage could only make one oath in her lifetime. Could she have taken a different kind of oath? For example, the Regis n had a simr one called ''mark'' in order to bind a person.


    No, if Ste was marked by a Regis, Kyran would have sensed it. However, he did not react. He was even hostile toward her.


    Then did it mean that she couldn''t answer because...


    ''Telling me might mean betraying the kid?'' Nn wondered and nced in Kyran''s direction.<sub> </sub>


    He remembered Ste''s exact words when she made the oath to Kyran.


    ''''Will never betray and will only act in his best interests''.''


    From the way the Ice Spirit spoke of what was inside the tube, a group of some ''kind'' would sense its power if taken out the ''Regis Terram''.


    Were they hostile against the power inside the tube? Or was the power inside could simply attract them? Why would the Regis give the item to the Conve? Was it rted to Kyran''s magic? And how did the Regis got hold of such a dangerous item?


    Nn looked back at Ste. Maybe she could not answer him as well because she didn''t know the answer?


    Apart from that, if he did find the bald man, there was a chance he would need to face the ck-robed man in the vision.


    "You want me to protect that baldie against that robed man? You realize who that robed man is?"


    Ste smiled, "Yes. I do."


    "And you still want me to go against that guy?"


    "I am confident in your ability."


    Nn sneered, "Aren''t you afraid that if I am exposed, the Conve will be implicated along with the Mercenary Hall?"


    "I haveplete confidence in your ability," Ste rephrased her previous statement and emphasized the wordplete with a meaningful smile.


    "Besides, even if you do meet him, its not like he know you are from the Mercenary Hall. "


    Nn sneered, "He will connect me to them since I''ll be saving a mercenary."


    "Not unless you interfere as a third party."


    Nn raised an eyebrow, "Oh. So that''s what you meant about me doing some work for ''you''."


    Ste smiled, "Of course. I am employing you personally. The Conve has nothing to do with it."


    "Why do you care so much about the Regis?"


    Ste lowered her gaze to avoid Nn''s eyes.


    However, he already saw a sh of nostalgia almost like a deep yearning in her eyes.


    "It''s the Founder''s will," she answered vaguely.


    Nn did not pry anymore. He, himself, had secrets and he knew this Missy had lots. She might seem to hide nothing but in fact, she barely told them anything.


    "Right. Anyway, give me a photo of that baldie."


    Ste looked at him in surprise, "Why? Is the vision not enough for you to remember his face?"


    Nn just gave her a nk expression, "Why else would I need one?"


    Ste giggled, "That''s a rare weakness."


    "Just give me his f*cking photo,unless you want me to take all the baldies I find outside." He scowled.


    "Here you go," she said and lifted her right hand. The golden ring on her middle finger lit up and a rolled-up parchment appeared in front of her. She waved her hand and it flew in Nn''s direction.


    Nn took the parchment and slipped it inside his cloak without looking at it.


    "I''ll leave the kid to you. But... don''t jump him just because I''m not around."


    Ste''s face immediately reddened, "Y-You! I won''t!"


    "Ahahahaha!" Nnughed and covered his head with his cloak. Shadow-like fog seeped under his cloak and covered his whole body. Then the fog converged at the middle and vanished in thin air.


    A smile escaped Ste''s lips. For Nn to be able to use his magic under her quarters'' prohibition, he was indeed above a Magus and it seemed he did not mind revealing it to her.


    It was not because he trusted her. It was more of a warning and she was well aware of that.


    ''Don''t worry. I won''t do anything to Kyran. He is someone very important to me too,'' she thought and returned to Kyran''s side.


    ====================


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The sound of Gael''s finger tapping the table filled the silence inside his office.


    He was seated on his chair deep in thought.


    Jax, who just finished his report, stood in front of Gael''s study table, patiently waiting for him to speak.


    It took another couple of minutes before Gael''s finger finally stopped, and he looked at Jax.


    "Have you found anything about the man who made a scene in front of the Regis estate this morning?" He asked.


    "Sire?" Jax blinked. Gael''s question threw him off guard.


    He was more interested in that? It was true that the incident was part of his report but it was more like a piece of passing information.


    "Well?" Gael did not repeat his question and just raised an eyebrow at Jax.


    "They lost him in the forest, sire. But my men already knew what he looked like and-."


    "Nevermind," Gale interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "I want you to get the boy''s record at the Milfiore Military School. Make sure Dean Fallon doesn''t find out. Then let your men deal with the Regis''s defences. I want it down in three days."


    "And the search?"


    "I''ll take care of that."


    Jax opened his mouth and was about to ask what Gael n to do but then decided against it. Gael''s lenient attitude already made Jax wary. He was notining, but he was worried about not knowing what Gael was thinking.


    "You''re dismissed."


    "Yes, Grand Marshal." Jax saluted and left.


    After Jax left, Gael called for Fiona.


    Fiona entered almost immediately and bowed to him.


    "Grand Marshal," she greeted.


    "Have the Mercenary Hall replied to our request?"


    "They have acknowledged the change on the request, but they said the President hadn''t approved it yet."


    Gael frowned, "The bounty may be a high-profile one, but they already approved it. Why do they need the President''s approval again?"


    Fiona shook her head. "Apologies, Grand Marshal. When I mentioned that point, the Grand Master only told me that it is part of their process."


    Gael let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. "Fine. When you get word from them, immediately contact me using my private channel."


    "Yes, sire," Fiona answered and bowed once again.


    "I''ll be taking my leave. If there is an emergency, you know who to reach."


    "Yes, sire."


    Gael left immediately.


    As he made his way to the building''s exit, his shadow seemed toe alive and merged with his clothes.


    When he reached the exit, his whole persona changed as his stature grew, and was now covered in an oversized ck robe.


    The two guards at the exit did not even react when Gael drifted past them. He simply left and blended into the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 46 Pruna

    When Gage returned to Aeren Town, he soon noticed that the army dogs were spying on him.


    He went back to the inn to give them the impression that he would stay for the night, but he slipped past them and journeyed outside the town as soon as he found a chance.


    He decided to go on foot to the next town and take the train back to Starhorn.


    After almost four hours of journeying, he found a safe spot to rest. He hunted a small beast for dinner, then took out a magic item to create a five-meter radius barrier with a camouge effect. When he was done, he made a fire and roasted his dinner.


    Before he used the magic item, Gage already surveyed the area with his magic sense. He was sure the army dogs were unable to follow him. But for some reason, he could not shake off the feeling that someone was spying on him.


    Suddenly he felt the ice orb turned warm inside his robes. Of course, it was only his imagination. The more he became aware of the ice orb, the more it grew warmer.


    ''Damn that, Ss,'' he thought after remembering how since this morning, all he ever did was run around like an errand boy.


    ''When I meet him, I''ll strike his little girly face.''


    Just as he ranted in silence, he heard a sudden movement near a tree a few meters away from him.


    He immediately reached for his axes and listened intently.


    After all, he was inside the magic item''s area of effect. For all he knew, whatever made that sound could not see nor hear him.


    A minuteter, there had been no other sound apart from the night critters from a distance.


    Gage frowned.


    He hated the feeling of being spied on. Ever since he received the ice orb, he felt like his life was hanging by a thin thread. He always trusted his instincts, especially when it came to his survival. And now, his instincts were telling him that the ice orb was terrible news.


    With a shake of his head, he resumed roasting his dinner while keeping one hand on the hilt of his axe.


    No matter what, since he was entrusted to deliver the orb to the Mercenary Hall President, he would do everything in his power to fulfil this job.


    ====================


    A couple of kilometers outside Aeren Town, where the light from the town entrance could not reach, the darkness seemed to converge from a single point.


    This point slowly grew in size, and in a few seconds, it shifted into a shape of a tall man in an oversized ck robe.


    The man was Gael.


    Using his magic, he was able to travel a great distance. However, he could only do this once a day because its energy consumption was too enormous. The toll on his body was not that good either. It was one of the reasons why although he was a Magus, he never tried to retain a younger appearance.


    The moment Jax mentioned a man making a scene in front of the Regis Estate on his report, Gael already felt something was off. In the report, it mentioned that the man was looking for the Regis ''Leader''. No one ever called the Regis Patriarch ''leader''. Even if the man might not be referring to the Patriarch, a Regis member refused to be named a leader. It was just their nature. Of course, the man might have used the term because that was his preference, but Gael thought otherwise. The fact that the man only remained outside the Regis''s gates when he made a scene was already suspicious.


    p Gael looked at the entrance to the Aeren Town. It was on the report that the man stayed at an inn there.</anda>


    ''Find him first and see what he is up to,'' he thought and stealthily entered the town.


    ====================


    Two hours after Nn left, Ste received a message from Malek informing her that Malia had arrived. She immediately had her go up to her quarters.


    As soon as Malia arrived, Ste led her to the bed where Kyrany and exined what happened before losing consciousness.


    Malia looked at Kyran with aplicated expression. After all, she failed to diagnose his illness twelve years ago. However, his special circumstances were the cause of that. She could almost predict that today would be no different. However, she was an alchemist and would not neglect anyone who required her help.


    She touched Kyran''s wrist and let her magic sense enter his body.


    Only five secondster, she stopped and turned to Ste, who was standing behind her.


    "I''m sorry, Milord, but I don''t think I am the right person to check his condition."


    "Why not? His life force has been weakening since earlier. Is something very wrong with him?" Ste asked worriedly.


    Malia shook her head, "I can''t be too sure, but just like when I first examined him, I can''t insert my magic sense into him. That''s why I can''t determine his real condition."


    Ste frowned, "You can''t? How about on the surface?"


    "I can, but my findings will only be superficial."


    "Is it because of his magic? Is it circting within his body that''s why external magic cannot enter?" Ste wondered out loud.


    After hearing her words, Malia fell silent as she connected this to what happened before Kyran lost consciousness.


    A mage relied on the energy around him to sustain his magic usage. If Kyran''s magic was actively circting inside his body right now, they should have felt the energy around them entering his body, but they didn''t.How was he able to sustain his magic?


    The answer to Malia''s question became apparent after observing Kyran''s life force.


    "His magic is using his life force as fuel," she realized.


    "What?" Ste eximed. "That''s not good, right?"


    Malia continued to observe Kyran''s physical state. Apart from his weakening life force, his paleplexion seemed to be improving. Even his breathing was even.


    "Not necessarily," she observed. "Milord, you said you reverted his magic to a state that his body can take. But I think, the moment it returned to him, your magic became ineffective, and his body was left to deal with adjusting to his magic''s sudden upgrade by itself. It means his life force was doing its best to improve his body. But because his life force fuels his magic, it has to work double to meet its consumption. Now his life force could not keep up. But to lift the burden on his life force, his body''s defence mechanism triggered and went to a standstill. That''s why he is unconscious right now."


    Ste''s eyes widened, "That''s the first I''ve heard of that."


    Malia looked at her and smiled slightly. "It is still a theory, but if his life force has been weakening and yet hisplexion is improving, it is a possibility. Of course, his magic will not deplete his life force. At some point, his magic will stop absorbing his life force, and I believe it means his body haspletely adapted to the changes of his magic when that happens. Soon his life force will recover, and he''ll be able to wake up."


    "And how long will that be?"


    Malia shook her head, "I don''t know. His magic is very ... special. It''s my first time encountering magic using a person''s life force as fuel."


    Ste sat down on the bed and looked at Kyran. "Maybe it''s because his magic has been sealed for a long time? A mage slowly adapts to his innate magic by utilizing the energy around him. Since his magic has no ess to the outside energy, it may have used the closest energy source it could find, and that''s his life force."<sub> </sub>


    "My thoughts exactly. Twelve years ago, when Kyran''s magic was too unrestrained that it absorbed all the energy around him, he fell into aa because of his weak young body. However, when the Cade put a seal on Kyran, it helped restrain his magic. Cade may have anticipated how his magic would react. Now it made more sense to me why he decided to have Kyran attend a military school. A human''s life force is dependent on how strong his physical strength is."


    "Could be. But if Kyran ended up unconscious for days to recover, his mental state might suffer again once he wakes up. A day''s dy in saving his n is practically a lethal poison to him."


    Malia sighed, "I''ve heard from Avrum. All thismotion, he did it to get your attention and get you to go against the army. It looks like he is very desperate."


    "Yes," Ste agreed. "Since he is the son of the next Patriarch. Just imagine the kind of mentality he had growing up. Once his father bes the Patriarch, he''s probably convinced that he needed to contribute well in protecting the whole n and support his father as much as he can."


    Malia nodded, "The fact that he also thought he didn''t have magic may have strengthened his resolve."


    "Others might think he would feel resentful towards his family hiding the truth about his magic, but looking at his actions, he felt more responsible than ever on what will happen to his n."


    "It is a pity. How did the army detect his magic signature? I know young Kyran''s magic has gotten stronger over the years. But when Ist spoke with Patriarch Aron, he told me Cade was trying out a new seal. I also remembered aside from the usual materials Cade ordered from the chamber and the rare items the hall provided, he also ordered many herbs at the association recently. Did he fail?"


    Ste shook her head, "We can only know the answer once we establish amunication channel with them."


    "The Regis also had a way to camouge magic signatures. Although it is lower-tier than Noir created here in Starhorn, it shouldn''t be easily breached. Or is it possible for both Cade''s seal and the camouge to be broken simultaneously? I don''t want to think about it, but what if there is someone from the Regis who might have sabotage the-."


    "Malia. In the history of the Regis, there had only been one incident where someone tried to betray the n. And that person did notst half a day."


    "I''m sorry. It''s just that what happened to them is too sudden."


    Talking to Malia made Ste think that there might be more to this incident. She wondered why the Regis nned to move the ''item'' out from the Regis Terram¡ªknowing that it might bring harm to Kyran. She might have to look at this from a different perspective.


    Shaking her head, Ste looked at Malia and smile. "Maybe we''re just overthinking. Right, do you have any suggestions on how to hasten Kyran''s recovery? I can use my magic to change the flow of time here, but there''s a chance his magic will negate it."


    With a smile, Malia nodded. "I do," she said while taking out a bottle filled with light blue liquid.


    "I have recently concocted a potion that can strengthen a person''s life force."


    Ste suddenly looked at her solemnly, "Is that the potion you''ve been working on for Hugh?"


    Malia smiled, "Yes. I called it Pruna. And I know what you''re going to say, Milord. Don''t worry, and I sessfully concocted a full cauldron. I know Hugh will need a lot to recover, but now that I already have the recipe, I''ll be able to make more. Giving young Kyran some will not be a problem."


    "Thank you, Malia. Inform Malek of all the materials you need for the potion. I''ll have Vaness make sure to provide you with enough supply."


    Ste told her and made a mental note to talk to Emery. Since she''s here, it would be better to let her speak to Head Chief Vaness about her additional request.


    "Thank you, Milord."


    Ste took the bottle from Malia''s hand and asked, "How much should I give him?"


    "We can start with half a teaspoon."


    Ste looked at Kyran, "Will he be able to take it properly? I mean... he''s unconscious."


    Malia chuckled.


    Because Ste usually had the air of someone in control, Malia forgot that she was only in her twenties and had her shorings. She never was in a position where she had to look after a patient.


    "Well, he can''t drink it directly. As you said, he is unconscious. The potion itself is concentrated and will not easily go down his throat, so..." Malia exined and rummaged through her pouch.


    A thought crossed Ste''s mind, and her face suddenly reddened, "So we need to force it down."


    "That''s another way to do it, but..." Malia replied absentmindedly.


    "Then... I-I can take it and f-force him to drink it if I-."


    "Ah, here it is!" Malia took out a syringe and showed it to Ste.


    "We''ll be using this-Milord?" She stopped short after seeing Ste''s flushed cheeks. "Are you alright? Your face seemed-."


    "I''m fine!" Ste replied with a slightly shrill voice. She cleared her throat and forced augh. "Ahahaha! Right! Of course, you have those!"


    Malia looked at her quizzically, "Yes, I do. Are you sure you''re okay? You looked really-."


    "Yes, I am! Just show me how it is done. I can''t trouble you toe here each time I have to give him the potion," Ste interrupted.


    "Alright..." Malia was a little hesitant but decided not to dy any further.


    After injecting the potion into Kyran''s left arm, both of them immediately saw it work.


    "Well..." Malia was surprised. She knew well enough that this result was not because the potion was very effective but that Kyran could immediately absorb the potion and effectively distribute it to his bloodstream.


    "I heard that the Regis''s body tempering technique helps them absorb a potion effectively. But this is..."


    "No, Malia. The reason is not because of that. It is simply a Regis''s innate ability," Ste told Malia with a soft smile on her face.


    Malia could not help but smile herself after seeing Ste''s expression.


    Although Malek was the Head of Conve and was Ste''s right-hand man, Malia was the closest to Ste. She knew how much Ste had been looking forward to meeting Kyran.


    One could say that they were of kindred spirit, being born with innate forbidden magic. Unfortunately, it was precisely this fact that they couldn''t meet until now.


    "Stay for a few days, Malia. Once the rest of the council arrives, we''ll have a meeting."


    "Yes, Milord. Then I will leave you for now. If you need anything, please call for me."


    "I will. Thank you."


    Once Malia left, Ste looked back at Kyran and gently brushed a strand of loose hair off his face.


    "I hope you''ll wake up soon. There are so many things I want us to talk about," she told him almost in a whisper.

 Chapter 47 An Idiotic Moron

    The Ylfaen Empire wasposed of fourrge cities and several hundreds of small and medium-sized cities. Some small and medium-sized cities was surrounded by lush forests scaling from five hectares to 20 hectares. In these forests, small to medium-sized beasts reside. Inparison, the scale of the forest that surrounded each of the fourrge cities ranges from 60 to 100 hectares. These forests had far more dangerous small to giant-sized beasts.


    Some medium and small cities were connected with only a giant wall to separate each other. Those surrounded by forests were connected by a main road.


    Aeren Town was part of Meliora and was located close to the border. The next town, Yuhl, was at least 30 miles away and was close to Valin Fort, a medium-sized city where on of its train was directly connected to Starhorn.


    If a person went to Yuhl, it would take him less than half a day to reach by foot, and three hours by the local train. At least this was true if there were no idents along the way. Because medium-sized forest beasts sometimes appear near the roadside as well as the train tracks.


    For those going by foot, there was a shortcut going to Yuhl from Aeren. The journey would only take about six to seven hours. However, this path was dangerous for normal humans. In this path,rge-sized forest beasts sometimes appear. Only those who had the ability to fight these beasts were the ones brave enough to venture this path.


    Gage, as a mercenary and abat mage, was one of those with that ability.


    Since he did not want to dy going back to Starhorn, he chose this path.


    Fortunately, he did not encounter many forest beasts. And those he did, were only small-size.


    He rested only for an hour before resuming his journey, because he still felt like someone was spying on him.


    After a couple more hours, he finally saw from a distance the entrance to Yuhl Town.


    As he showed his identification to the sentry by the entrance, he noticed that most of the buildings he could see were already closed. It just urred to him that it was the wee hours of the night.


    "Is there still a train to Valin Fort, running?" He asked the sentry while putting away his identification.


    The sentry was a man in dark brown leather armor matched with a metal headgear, holding a pike.


    "Thest train going to Valin Fort left around twenty minutes ago," he answered.


    Gage frowned as soon as he heard that he just missed thest train going to Valin Fort. He btedly regretted resting at all.


    "Better stay the night," the sentry added. "Forest beast sitings have gotten frequent after themotion in the forestst night."


    "Commotion in the forestst night?"


    "Yes, we heard some explosions. It didn''tst that long but we were on alert the whole night. Then the town lord ordered the local enforcers to check first thing in the morning. They found some remnant of battle but no traces of forest beasts, so it''s most likely done by people fighting."


    Gage''s frown deepened. Yuhl''s forest was connected to Aeren which was also connected to the forest around the Regis Estate.


    ''If our target was still on the run, he would probably be somewhere near herest night.'' He thought.


    "Valin Fort is just an hour and a half away from here, anyway. Thanks for the advice, though," Gage replied.


    "Suit yourself," the sentry responded with a shrug.


    Gage entered the town and immediately went to the opposite side. He didn''t want to dy. His instinct was telling him, if he stayed the night, he would be in big trouble.


    He would rather face the forest beasts than ponder why he felt like this.


    Gage instinctively touched his robe pocket where he hid the ice orb. Could this strange feeling be rted to the ice orb?


    Shaking his head, Gage tried to clear his head. He hated thinking. Thinking dull his senses.


    ''Forget it. Just focus on getting to Starhorn,'' he finally decided and left Yuhl.


    Contrary to his expectation based on the sentry''s warning, Gage did not encounter nor see a forest beast shadow.


    However, he was not sure whether it was good or not.


    ''Don''t overthink. Just know that once you reach Valin Fort, there will be trains avable to Starhorn.'' He told himself.


    Since Valin Fort was a medium-sized city and it was located between two big cities, most of its businesses and transportation were running 24/7.


    However, just as he was thinking of not overthinking, a fog-like shadow appeared and surrounded him.


    "What in the-!" Gage immediately grabbed his twin axes. Dark red arrays formed and circted the des. The des burst into mes as he spun around to counter the fog around him.


    To his dismay, the fog did not vanish and instead grew thicker.


    "Annoying bastard!" Gage roared and mmed his twin axes on the ground he was standing on.


    The ground broke at once and bits and pieces of earth protruded. He swung his axes and cut off these pieces of earth and immediately expanded his magic sense.


    Up ahead he felt an ominous presence and knew it was where his attacker was hiding.


    Dark red arrays formed and circled around the pieces of earth Gage cut off and it burst into mes. Using his axe like a bat, he struck the now zing pieces and aimed at the spot where he felt the ominous presence.


    "Hm. Interesting."


    Gage heard a deep male voice speak and suddenly the zing earth pieces hit an invisible barrier and were extinguished before it turned to dust.


    "How did you find my location?" The voice asked.


    From the spot where Gage targeted, the darkness converged and soon a man wearing an oversized ck robe appeared. On his right hand, a long scythe made of silver and diamond glowed menacingly in the darkness of the forest.


    Gage scowled. When he saw the shadows, he thought his attacker was the punk he met at the Mercenary Guild. However, this guy''s face may be hidden under his robe but Gage was sure he was not the same person.


    "Humph!" Gage grunted in reply and run towards the man.


    The mes on both his axes zed even brighter as a three-foot-wide dark array appeared in front of him. Using his left foot, Gage made an abrupt stop and hit the array simultaneously with both his axes. The huge angry dark red ball of mes emerged at the opposite side of the array where his axes hit. These ball of mes flew and attacked the ck-robed man.


    But.


    The robed man waved his hand, and an invisible force erupted from him and the ball of mes was immediately extinguished.


    Gage''s array was also destroyed at once.


    "Wha-guh!"<sub> </sub>


    The moment the invisible force touched his body, Gage felt like he was hit by a rapidly moving solid huge ball. He coughed out blood and was thrown back a few meters hitting three trees in the process.


    He fell down on his side and coughed out more blood.


    ''W-What just h-happened-!'' he thought, his mind was racing.


    Just now, the robed man did not use any arrays. Did that mean that he only used his own magic pressure to destroy his magic and attack him?


    Or.


    ''T-This man. Is not an ordinary mage!'' He realized and got up at once.


    As abat mage, Gage''s physical body was tougherpared to a pure mage. And although he was injured, he knew he could still escape.


    Yes, escape. He was usually hard-headed and would love a good fight. But this robed man was not someone he should fight and risk his life. No. He could not afford to put his life on the line, especially with an important task he needed to aplish.


    Gage took out a teleportation token from under his robes and was about to crush it when the shadows around him came to life and wrapped his body.


    "Ngh!" He struggled to break free.


    "Abat mage with a powerful body. Now, where did I hear that?" The robed man appeared amidst the darkness a few meters in front of Gage.


    He noticed the teleportation token in Gage''s hand and chuckled, "Are you nning on leaving without even saying goodbye?"


    "What do you want?" Gage growled at him.


    "Hm. Good. A man who doesn''t beat around the bush," the robed man said and nodded. "You are the man who went and made a scene at the Regis Estate yesterday morning. Why did you do that?"


    Gage''s brow furrowed and he broke out in cold a sweat. He was not expecting the robed man''s question.


    More importantly, the man''s words before his question already made it clear that he knew Gage was the person he was talking about.


    ''This man... is an army dog?'' Gage wondered and gritted his teeth in anger.


    He knew he was in trouble but the hatred he felt for the army was something he could stop.


    "What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to answer?" The robed man asked.


    "Why do you care?" Gage almost spat out his reply.


    "You don''t need to know. Now answer me." The robed man said and waved his hand.


    Gage was immediately lifted off the ground and drew close to the man.


    "I don''t have the obligation to answer you!" Gage spat and urged his magic.


    Unfortunately, the robed man''s magic seemed to prevent him from summoning his magic.


    The robed man sighed, "And here I thought you''re a sensible man. Doesn''t matter."


    Suddenly, the shadows binding Gage moved and forced their way inside his mouth.


    "W-What are y-you-nnghgrhg!" He closed his mouth and tried to fight off the shadows.


    But.


    "NGARGH!!" Gage howled as the shadows also entered his ears and nose. His eyes bulged as the shadows invaded his body.


    The shadows around Gage seemed to form anotheryer and suddenly...


    BAM!


    "Argh!" The robed man suddenly eximed in pain as these shadows solidified and pierced him in different directions.


    The attack was too sudden that the robed man was not able to defend against it.


    A fog-like shadow appeared behind Gage. It spread out and swallowed him whole.


    "Phew. Ain''t that a close call. Funny, I had the impression that baldie would put up a good fight. Or did I arrive too early?"


    A fog-like shadow appeared behind the robed man.


    "You dare!" The robed man bellowed and swung his scythe behind.


    It sliced through the shadow but hit nothing.


    "Ahahaha! Just because I summoned my magic behind you doesn''t mean I''m there. Such a moron."


    A sh of red glinted from under the robe where the man''s eyes would be and the shadow burst out from him. It spread out at an rming speed, filling the whole area with darkness.


    "Oh, summoning your domain right off the bat?"


    "Humph. You may use the same magic, but to me, yours is just an inferior kind!" The robed man shouted.


    "Oh shit. We have an idiotic moron."


    Before the robed man''s shadow filled the whole area, the ground beneath him shook and ck spikes shot out directly at him.


    "Tsk." The robed man jumped to avoid the spikes and his domain summoning was interrupted.


    "Just because my magic looks like mist or shadow doesn''t mean it is, moron."


    A fog-like shadow appeared behind the robed man once again.


    This time, however, a hand appeared within and reached out to grab the man from behind.

 Chapter 48 A Strange Magic

    When Gael arrived at Aeren Town a few hours ago, he first used his magic to find the man reported by Jax. He did not want to use the army because the army''s movement had been too conspicuoustely, and there was a chance some forces would notice it.


    It did not take long for Gael to find that the man already left the inn he was staying at. The man left secretly made him suspect there really was a reason for what he did at the Regis Estate that morning.


    Gael already predicted that he would not take the train to the next town because he knew he was being watched. Thus, Gael did not waste any time and went to Yuhl.


    Since his goal was to arrive ahead of him, Gael mixed in with the train passengers going to Yuhl. He arrived at Yuhl way ahead of the man.


    When the man arrived, Gael''s magic easily found him.


    At first, Gael nned to visit the man at the inn he would check-in and make him confess his real intentions in going to the Regis Estate.


    To Gael''s dismay, the man did not stay and even left in a hurry.


    That was the reason why Gael decided to follow him and look for the right moment to strike. As much as possible, he did not want to reveal himself. He was waiting for a forest beast to appear and attack the man.


    Gael nned to time his attack with the beast''s movement and exhausted the man. Once he was exhausted, it would be easier for Gael to interrogate him.


    Who would have thought that not even a single beast appeared? Even when he thought of using his magic to find a beast and lure it toward the man, Gael failed to find one.


    Not wasting any more time, Gael finally made a move. It did not take long for him to understand the man''s magic attainment was only at Master level.


    However, the man was still capable.


    It was a known fact that Gael''s ability to conceal his presence was one of the best in the whole empire. This was attributed more to his magic.


    But the man was able to detect him.


    Still, it was the only feat he possessed that interested Gael.


    With Gael''s magic attainment, the man was like a child being yed by him. It would only be a matter of time until he could make the man submit.


    Even if he resisted, Gael had other means to make him tell his secret.


    But then an intruder arrived and hindered his ns. The arrival of this person further proved Gael''s suspicion that the man he was after had a secret. If the intruder only tried to stop Gael, thinking that he was a bad person attacking an innocent bypasser, he wouldn''t think much about the intruder''s possible connection with the man.


    However, the intruder saved the man and hid him at once. To where? Gael was not sure but knew he would eventually find out.


    And now...


    Sensing that a presence had appeared behind him once again, Gael''s eyes shed red and swung his scythe as he turned around.


    The outstretched hand that was about to grab him was immediately sliced in half.


    "AAA-!"


    The intruder shouted in pain.


    Gael sneered.


    But.


    "-AAaare you expecting me to scream in pain?" The intruder stopped screaming and asked mockingly.


    The sliced arm darkened and turned into a fog-like shadow before bursting.


    Gael''s eyes shed.


    Countless ck arrows shot out in different directions toward him.


    Before the arrows hit Gael, his robes appeared toe alive and erupted. Then he turned into a cloud of ck smoke. The arrows went through him and hit the trees and grounds instead.


    The intruder heaved a loud sigh.


    "Ah, shit. You have one hell of an enchanted robe there. If I''m correct, the materials used to make that robepliments your magic; thus, the enchantment''s effect is greater. Turning into a cloud of smoke at will... Phew, doesn''t that make any physical attack useless against you?"


    The cloud of smoke slowly converged, and Gael returned to his solid form.


    "Initially, your magic seems simr to mine. It seems I am mistaken," Gael said and turned to his right.


    About seven meters to Gael''s right, a fog-like shadow slowly drifted in the air.


    "Yeah, well, plenty of idiotic morons like you around. You''re not alone."


    The fog-like shadow converged and soon revealed a cloaked man.


    While the two seemed to have the same ''appearance,'' the man''s dark cloak looked shabby than Gael''s silken ck robe.


    "What is a Magus with an unknown origin doing in Ylfaen empire?" Gael asked pointedly.


    The cloaked man burst outughing.


    "Ahahahahaha! Are you a f*cking idiot? Why the hell would I tell you? Seriously, you''re idiotic than I thought!"


    Gael ignored the sarcasm.


    He was a Grand Marshal. His tolerance to any form of taunt had been fortified over the years. A provocation like this would not affect him. Besides, the cloaked man''s magic was strange. He needed to first understand it before making a move.


    Even though both of them were Magus, Gael knew he was at a disadvantage.


    First of all, he was not at his peak because he consumed a lot of his strength using his magic traveling ability. Second, the cloaked man seemed to know his magic. This was already proven by how he tried to camouge his magic with his own. Thirdly was the cloaked man''s magic. Gael was unable to sense its attribute, nor could he predict what it was. Andst, the cloaked man had hidden Gael''s target.


    If the cloaked man decided to escape, Gael was not 100% confident he could stop him.


    "What? Are we going to have a staring match?" The cloaked man asked.


    Gael sneered. Apparently, this guy was hotheaded. If he were smart, he''d think of a way to escape and not try to pick a fight.


    But just as he was thinking this. The cloaked man said, "Then, I won''t keep you. Cheers!"


    Fog-like shadows burst out from under the man''s cloak and started to envelop him.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed, and he immediately made a move.


    "Humph!" He grunted and roused his magic. ck shadows formed on the de of his scythe as he struck down toward the cloaked man''s direction.


    With a chuckle, the cloaked man watched the approaching shadows. He spread out his arms, and the fog-like shadow circled him and started to solidify.


    "You''re not the only one who''s immune to an attack," the intruder sneered.


    ''Magic barrier?'' Gael thought as his attack hit the shadow-like wall the cloaked man created. ''Is he an Abjurer?''


    Though he thought this, Gael did not stop his attack. After failing the first strike, all the shadows near the cloaked man stirred.


    Slowly, at least 10 ck-robed shadows emerged from it.


    "Oh. So it''s your shadow minions'' time to take the stage? Too soon, don''t you think?" The cloaked man asked mockingly.


    "Kill," Gaelmanded his shadow minions.


    Weapons of every kind formed at the hands of the ck-robed shadow minions and directly attacked the man.


    "Humph," the man sneered. The barrier he created turned into the fog once again and formed into ten ck orbs. It circled him as he lifted his arms to his sides. The moment his fingers moved, the orbs around him moved, and each went to block a shadow minion.


    ng!


    The orbs then turned into a weapon matching the one each shadow wielded and shed with it.


    ''This. Creation magic?'' Gael was shocked. He thought the cloaked man was an Abjurer. But this ability was definitely creation magic.


    However, Gael just made a mental note of the man''s strange ability and did not dwell on it. Because as soon as the shadow minions and the orbs-turned-weapons shed, Gael also moved and attacked.


    Based on his observation. The cloaked man would need to control these orbs. He would not be able to defend and control his orbs at the same time properly.


    Apart from that, the ''shadow'' the cloaked man had with him seemed to be limited. And right now, he already used it to create those orbs.


    The diamonds on Gael''s scythe lit up. ck and white shadows formed on the de as he struck the cloaked man horizontally.<sub> </sub>


    "Tsk."


    The cloaked man jumped back to avoid Gael''s attack.


    But.


    sh!


    The white shadow extended and hit the cloaked man''s abdomen.


    "Ugh!" He screamed.


    Whish!


    ck fog sprouted out from the cloaked man''s sliced abdomen.


    "What!" Gael''s eyes narrowed as he watched the ''cloaked man'' turned into fog and burst.


    Gael stopped abruptly and looked at the orb-turned-weapons that were still fighting his shadow minions.


    It did not disappear.


    "Ahahaha!" The cloaked man''s voice resounded.


    Gritting his teeth, Gael''s eyes sh red, and he struck the tip of his scythe''s snath on the ground. Shadows spread out from its tip and filled a 50-meter radius area with him in the middle.


    The shadow-upied area turned into a quagmire, and everything within a 50-meter radius around Gael sank into it.


    These included the trees, nts, and the earth apart from the spot where Gael stood.


    His shadow minions were not exempted either. However, all of the shadows grabbed the orb-turned-weapons before they sank into the quagmire.


    "F*ck. That''s one hell of arge area effect magic. Where do all those things that sink into it go?" The cloaked man''s voice resounded once again.


    "Why don''t you check yourself?" Gael replied and tried to figure out where the voice wasing from.


    "Sorry, not really interested. Just making idle chat. Don''t mind me."


    Then.


    Bang!


    ck steels emerged from the quagmire and hit Gael from behind and on the sides.


    "Guh!" Gael did not see the iing attack and waspletely pierced by these steels. Blood spurted out of his mouth and body.


    "See? Just making idle chat."


    "Nggaargh!" Gael screamed in pain as the steels that pierced him moved and lifted him off the ground.


    Gael''s mind was racing. He remembered the orb-turned-weapons that sank into his quagmire. Did the cloaked man still manage to control those and changed their form? However, those number was not equal to the amount in making these ck steels.


    "H-How!"


    A fog-like shadow appeared one meter away from Gael''s position and formed a small square tform few feet above the shadow quagmire.


    Another fog-like shadow appeared above the tform. The cloaked man stepped out from within and stood on the tform.


    "Bet you did not see thating. Not immune to physical attack now, huh?" He snickered at Gael.


    "Y-You! How are you able to create these? Did you make use of those orbs that already got absorbed into the quagmire?"


    "Are you seriously asking me that? You know I''m not gonna answer, right?" The cloaked man said and sat down on the tform.


    "I can indulge your curiosity, though, if you answer some of my own. What do you say?"


    "You seemed to think you''ve already won," Gael said, and his eyes shed red under his hood.


    The quagmire shifted. Behind the cloaked man, a huge mud-like shadow emerged from the quagmire. It opened what seemed to be its mouth and aimed to swallow the man.


    At the same time, Gael turned into ck smoke and immediately retreated.


    Everything happened too fast that the cloaked man could not react and got swallowed directly by the mud-like shadow. Right after that, it dived back into the quagmire.


    The ck smoke-Gael appeared at the edge of the quagmire and soon returned to his solid form. He was hunched down while holding his abdomen. Where the ck steels managed to pierce him, there was blood seeping.


    "Argh..." He fell on one knee and immediately took out a high-grade healing pill and swallowed it.


    Then...


    BOOM!


    Gael''s eyes grew wide as he watched a simr-looking mud-like shadow he summoned erupted from the quagmire. This one was different, though. Because it had more substance and it was bigger.


    "Ugh... Seriously, don''t do that. If*cking hate cramp spaces."


    The cloaked man''s voice spoke from inside the mud-like summon.


    "Tsk." Gael immediately retreated.


    The mud-like summon opened its mouth. A small ck square tform formed one after another from its mouth going to the edge of the quagmire. The cloaked man stepped out of the mouth and walked on these tforms.


    "Howe you seemed weak?"


    Gael''s eyes narrowed. Though he could not use his full strength right now, he was an elite-ranked Magus. Even with a handicap or a weakened state, he would be able to hold his ground against the same ranked Magus.


    However, this guy was very strange.


    Gael could not gauge the man''s level.


    He at least knew that the man was a Magus because he could use his magic without an array. But his magic was too strange.


    Even now, Gael was unable to understand the cloaked man''s magic. While seemingly using ''shadows,'' Gael, as a mage with innate shadow magic, would have felt a sense of familiarity when the man used his magic. However, he did not.


    Then, he first thought the man was an Abjurer, but he was clearly using creation magic. Gael, himself, was a Transmuter. That was why his shadow magic was able to take solid form. But this man was not using the shadows.


    ''Is he a dual specialization mage?'' The thought suddenly crossed Gael''s mind.


    If a mage learned dual specialization, then he couldbine it to reform its effect. For example, with the cloaked man''s Abjurer ability, he would strengthen the creations he made using his Transmuter ability.


    No. Gael rejected the idea immediately.


    The cloaked man was not strengthening his creations. They were already solid in the first ce. If not, when his ''shadows'' tuned into orbs then changed into weapons, they wouldn''t have the sharpness and sturdiness of a real weapon.


    What magic could be broken into small pieces and then reconstructed into a new item that was not inferior to the original?


    That kind of magic would be ground-breaking. Because wouldn''t that mean he could create any kind of item as long as he summoned his magic? But was there a mage in Ylfaen Empire like him? Not to mention a Magus level?


    None. If there was, Gael would''ve known because the army would be keeping a close eye on him.


    "What? Are we back in doing a staring match?" The cloaked man chided.


    Gael stood straight and waited for him to reach the edge of the quagmire. He took a deep breath and felt the pill he took properly circting inside him. He needed this cloaked man to return his target. But to do that, he needed to wound him or even kill him properly.


    Although the toll he had to pay for using his magic''s traveling ability would not be lifted with the pill he just took, Gael''s strength returned to at least 70%.


    "You had a chance to escape. Why insist on staying?" Gael asked.


    "Oh, I''m actually not. Did you forget that you prevented me from leaving earlier? But then, I thought, we''re already here, might as well y for a while."


    "Your arrogance will be your downfall."


    WHOOOSH!


    Gael''s strength suddenly surged as ck and white shadows circled him.

 Chapter 49 Nolans Magic

    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he felt Gael''s magic increased.


    The truth, he did not want to fight Gael. He''s the Grand Marshal, for crying out loud. In terms ofrge-scale and high-tier mage fights, he had far more experience.


    Although Gael seemed weak at the moment, it did not mean he was incapable of thrashing him.


    Aside from this, Nn had reasons why he wanted to avoid facing Gael, but he really could not avoid this fight. When he saved baldie earlier, he had to summon his domain and throw baldie inside. Now he could not leave without taking him out. Since his domain was immobile and he could not leave it there. If he moved away about 60 meters, his domain would crumble along with everything inside.


    He actually broke into a cold sweat when Gael summoned a quagmire. His domain almost shattered because Gael''s magic influence rose while the quagmire was in effect. It took all his will to preserve the domain and make sure Gael would not sense it.


    Nn actually nned to lure Gael away from using a ''dummy''. Unfortunately, he was unaware of what the ''white'' shadows could do and got exposed after getting attacked.


    Right now, Nn''s only advantage was Gael still had no idea what kind of magic he had. If he did, Nn was sure Gael would be able to find ways to limit his usage.


    ''Actually, I think he already has an idea.'' Nn thought as he remembered Gael''sment about his summoned ck steels.


    Taking a slow deep breath, Nn pushed all these thoughts at the back of his mind and observed the white shadows mingled with the ck shadows dancing around Gael.


    "A slight increase in your magic doesn''t mean you can change the tides," he taunted.


    While Nn acted undaunted, in truth, he was analyzing the difference between the ck and white shadows around Gael. The destructive power of the ck shadow was eptable. He already proved this when it attacked, and his normal magic barrier was able to deflect it.


    As for the white shadow, it had more power and even had a little trick on it. When his dummy avoided Gael''s attack earlier and was still cut, Nn noticed how the white shadow appeared to extend. At first, he thought, it was Gael who willed it to extend, but Nn was not entirely convinced.


    ''Better keep an eye on it,'' he decided.


    "You''re right. However, is there a tide that needs to be changed between us?"


    Gael had just spoken, but the surging ck and white shadows spread out soon after and attacked Nn.


    With the quagmire still active behind, Nn only jumped back on the square ck tform he created. The rest of these tforms, including the mud-like-summon, gathered before separating and forming hundreds of ck orbs.


    These hundred ck orbs turned into pentagon-shaped boards in a sh and connected around Nn, forming a threeyered arc-shaped barrier.


    The ck and white shadows hit the first barrier and crumbled at once. It directly attacked the secondyer, and cracks appeared on several surfaces of the boards that the shadows hit.


    A few boards were still destroyed and attacked the thirdyer. However, the attack''s momentum had greatly decreased, and it did not put any cracks on the barrier''s surface.


    All of these happened in only a few seconds.


    Nn could feel his cold sweat trickled down his back. He could only manage to create threeyers of barriers to defend against Gael''s attack, and it was a good call that he decided to have the boards he created from the mud-like summon be thestyer since he applied more of his magic when he created it. If he ced these boards as the firstyer and got destroyed, there was a small chance thestyer would not hold, and he would have to use his cloak to defend.


    He did not want to use his cloak and reveal his face.


    Hiss!


    Suddenly, he heard something and looked at the boards in front of him.


    ''What!'' Nn''s eyes grew wide as a crack started to form. Within the cracks in front of him, he saw the white shadows and was surprised.


    Glowing white reptilian eyes stared back at him.


    ''Don''t tell me... these white shadows are-!''


    BOOM!


    The boards on top of the thirdyer of the barrier burst into pieces, and the white shadows rushed in with a loud hiss. It directly went after Nn.


    Finally, Nn got a better look at these shadows.


    These were no ordinary white shadows. These were white shadow snakes.


    If a mage''s affinity with his weapon, no matter how ordinary it was, met a certain level, it would give birth to a spirit. This spirit would then strengthen the weapon and even provide the mage with more abilities.


    Gael''s scythe seemed to have birthed a snake-type spirit. And these white shadows were its representation.


    Gritting his teeth, Nn finally spread his cloak.


    "Reinforce!"


    The cloak grew in size and circled Nn. It formed a sphere and protected him against the barrage of attacks from the white shadow snakes.


    After the ck and white shadows'' attacked, Nn''s magic barrier crumbled, and the quagmire below shifted. The mud-like shadow emerged and opened up its mouth to swallow the sphere where Nn was.


    However, countless ck spikes emerged from the sphere, looking like a porcupine and targetted everything within 20 meters.


    The mud-like shadow was instantly riddled with holes and could not sustain its form. It dissolved in a few seconds. Even the quagmire that the spikes had hit had a change, and it started to erode.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed as he watched his quagmire getting reduced to smithereens.


    These spikes were strange. It had a corrosive effect on his magic.


    ''What magic is it?'' He wondered with a frown.


    This cloaked man had unique magic.


    In the history of the human race, countless different forms of magic had been recorded. Some weremon, and others were unique. However, it was a given that the record was still being updated until now. There was still countless magic to be discovered.


    Gael believed this man''s magic was one of those. And whether it would be a forbidden type would be determined by how the man utilizes his magic.


    So far, Gael has deemed his magic as strange and powerful but not yet forbidden. While it looked as if he could not break the man''s magic, if he, Gael, were not restricted in using his full strength right now, he would have used far more powerful attacks against the man and easily defeat him.


    s, the timing just happened to be inconvenient to Gael.


    Then there''s the sphere that protected the man. Gael knew that was his cloak. To think that it was actually a very rare defensive type magic item. And it appeared to have high resistance and defence against magic. He wondered if it was the same with physical attacks. If it was, then the level of this cloak far exceeds Gael''s initial assessment.


    ''A saint-tier magic item?'' Gael''s eyes glinted greedily. Although his robe had immunity against physical attack because of its special enchantment, it would be useless if he could not predict or sense where an attack woulde from.


    It already happened when those steels summoned by the man pierced him.


    "Humph." Gael levitated in the air. He lifted his scythe. The diamond part turned red, and it glowed malevolently. A ck and red array slowly formed starting from above his weapon and slowly expanded.


    The air crackled, and the wind blew fiercely. His ck robe rippled in the air, making him looked like a Grim Reaper.


    His eyes shed red, and he started to chant.


    Nn was sitting cross-legged inside the sphere and was contemting his next move when he felt the sudden rise of magic fluctuation outside.<sub> </sub>


    He heaved a sigh and shook his head. He could almost predict what Gael was doing.


    While it was true that a Magus did not need the use of an array, that was because their power reserve was already at a level that did not require it. Apart from that, in a fight between Magus, speed casting was the key to victory.


    Before, speed casting was previously thought to lessen a magic''s attack power. However, it was not the case. What lessened a mage''s magic power had something to do with his own magic reserves. The more a mage used his magic, the faster his reserves would be depleted. However, if a Magus did use an array in a fight, his magic''s attack power would increase tenfold.


    Nn stood up. His dark eyes slowly turning light blue.


    "As expected, I really can''t fight this guy half-assedly. I''ll charge Missy big time for this mission," he said as runes appeared all over his body.


    "Release."


    The sphere opened up and returned to its cloak form. At the same time, Nn''s hair grew longer, and his usual young looking self aged a bit.


    He gazed up and looked at Gael, who was almost finished chanting.


    ck and white shadows formed above them, and shes of lightning rumbled. If one would look closely, these shes were not really shes of lightning but huge serpents.


    The moment Gael''s eyes fell on the man, he took a sharp breath.


    ''H-Him-!''


    However, he reigned in his emotions and finally finished his chant.


    "Serpent Scourge!" He cast and pointed his scythe at the ''man''.


    Nn watched as five ck and white huge serpents fell from the array above and flew in his direction.


    He spread out his arms, and his magic pressure immediately erupted.


    "Break out!" He yelled, and the ground below with a 100-meter radius broke down.


    Within the crevices on the broken ground, ck, silver, gold, and many-coloured fogs burst out. These colored fogs fused and started to form. First, it formed into a huge pair of feet, legs, hip, trunk; finally, it became a huge ck, silver and golden golem. The moment the golem''s hands formed, it aimed at the serpents and crushed them with its huge palm.


    BOOM!


    The whole area trembled as the golem, and the serpents shed.


    Gael did not stop to watch, and he immediately flew toward the ''man''.


    His eyes glinted malevolently.


    "You are supposed to be dead!" He roared usingly at Nn.


    Nn looked at Gael and sneered, "Sorry to burst your bubble."


    His eyes glowed white, and more colored fog appeared in front of him and slowly formed into a long spear.


    Gael swung his scythe, and Nn deflected it with his newly created spear.


    Nn forced the scythe down, and freeing his left hand, he touched the silver part of the scythe. His eyes glowed, and he said, "Break."


    Immediately, the prohibition on the scythe broke, and a crack appeared on the silver part. The crack spread at an rming speed, and Gael''s eyes grew wide, "What did you do!"


    Nn just sneered and touched the diamond part when Gael rotated his grip on the scythe and reversed his swing.


    "Come," Nn said almost in a whisper, and the diamond part of the scythe shattered. Small bits was forced out from the shattered diamond and converged at Nn''s hands.


    "Rawrgh!" Gael roared in anger as the spirit of the scythe wailed in pain and slithered out. His eyes shed red. ck shadows formed on his right hand. It formed into a ball of shadow magic, and he directly threw it at the man.


    At the other end of the battle, the moment the scythe''s spirit wailed, the serpents that were shing with the huge golem also wailed in pain. The golem took this chance and grabbed the two of the serpents and smashed its head together. The heads of these two serpents burst into a mixture of ck, white, and red flesh. Soon its body disintegrated. The other three serpents roared and bit the golem''s head, shoulder and arm, respectively. But the golem was unscathed. Its body turned obsidian ck, and the serpents struggled to break free because their teeth got stuck on the golem''s hard skin. The golem roared and grabbed the tail of the serpent biting its head and tugged. The serpent was unable to break free and was easily torn into two. ck, white and red flesh filled the air. The other two serpents gave up trying to break free and instead wrapped their bodies around the golem, restraining its movement.


    Back at Nn, the moment Gael fired the ball of shadow magic, his cloak moved and blocked it.


    Gael''s magic pressure surged, and he swung his broken scythe toward him.


    Nn rotated his spear and countered the scythe once again. "Meld," he said and soon, the silver part of the scythe that touched his spear melted andbined with his spear.


    However, Gael forcefully broke his scythe and grabbed the other half before itpletely melded with Nn''s spear. Then he thrust the broken snath of the scythe towards Nn.


    Once again, the cloak moved and blocked the thrust.


    Gael sneered.


    BOOM!


    White shadows erupted from the broken snath, slithered to avoid the cloak, and pierced Nn''s chest.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he barely shifted his body to avoid getting pierced by the white shadow at his vital point. It seemed to destroy the scythe, and removing the spirit did not mean the white shadow ability Gael had would be removed.


    Enduring the pain, Nn gritted his teeth and shouted, "Scatter!"


    The spear on his hand scattered, and the colored fogs enveloped Gael.


    "Humph," Gael sneered and activated his robe''s ability. He immediately turned into a cloud of ck smoke that blended with Nn''s colored fogs.


    However, when Nn shouted, he did not direct it only to the spear.


    BOOM!


    The huge golem burst out and immediately filled the 100-meter surrounding area with different colored fogs.


    Thest two serpents wailed as the fogs covered their whole body.


    "Rawrgh!" Gael roared as his magic pressure surged once again and countered the fogs blocking their vision.


    After a few minutes, Gael finally seeded, and the colored fogs disappeared.


    However...


    Nn was no longer in sight.


    Gael''s eyes turned red in anger.


    "GRAY!" He roared in frustration.

 Chapter 50 Gray

    At least a thousand kilometers south of Meliora, where Nn and Gael fought, Nn appeared with the unconscious Gage on his back.


    He dropped him on the ground and fell on his knees while coughing out a mouthful of blood.


    "Ngrgh..." He groaned and grabbed his chest.


    ''F*cking d*ckhead, I''ll get even one of these days...'' He thought begrudgingly.


    After taking out a high-grade healing pill under his cloak, Nn swallowed it and copsed on the ground. He let the pill''s effect circte into his bloodstream and immediately felt something wrong.


    The wound on his chest was not healing.


    ''Argh! I knew thatst attack was not simple!'' He groaned and sat up slowly.


    Although they were in the middle of the forest, and there was a greater possibility that forest beasts might appear, Nn did not bother to create any defensive arrays. He was more concerned about what effect the attack of the white shadow had.


    Nn closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling the wound on his chest.


    Almost at once, he found traces of poison on the wound. And it was a potent one. The poison probably amounted to only a drop, but it would spread in a few minutes and reach his heart if left alone.


    Fortunately, Nn''s magic made him almost immune to any form of poison. It was not because his magic had poison attributes but because of what poison was partially made of.


    However, though he could use his magic to remove it, an artery where the poison was concentrated had been damaged. If he removed it, then that artery would rupture.


    ''And I just took a pill!'' He groaned.


    He btedly regretted taking the pill before realizing the poison.


    This was the downside of taking a high-grade pill. A person could only take it once a day, or else it would harm the body. The reason of the high-grade pill high effectiveness was due to its concentrated mixture of magic and herbs. Once it enters the body, it stimtes every cell and nerve to increase its natural healing abilities. However, a stimted body needed proper rest, or else the body would break down.


    Nn opened his eyes and looked around. He thought of enduring the pain and go to the nearest town.


    After three seconds, however, he immediately rejected the idea.


    ''Where the f*ck am I? And because of the time, even if I find a town to recuperate, there''s no telling when that d*ckhead wille. Besides,'' he turned to look at baldie, who was still unconscious. ''If this guy wakes up, he''ll probably think I''m an enemy and will try to escape. It''s best to go back to Starhorn,'' he thought.


    Nn took out a scroll under his robes, and his face instantly turned sour. This was a rare transmission scroll once used; he would be transported to the location he thought of instantly. Nn nned to use this scroll to return to the ruins he discovered and even thought of bringing Kyran with him. It cost him a fortune to buy three of these scrolls, but he did not mind. Because of his poor sense of direction, Nn knew it would take him months to go back to that ruin. And he would not be able to explore the ruin in one day. Thus, he decided to buy three.


    And now.


    ''I really will charge Missy for every item I''ve wasted,'' Nn thought through gritted teeth.


    He remembered how many teleportation tokens he broke just to get away from Gael. Before that, when he searched for baldie in the forest, he got lost and had to break more than a dozen tokens to locate the main road. Of course, if he were not in a hurry, he would not do that.


    With a sigh of resignation, Nn tried to think of the best ce he should go.


    At first, he thought of the Tower of Conve, but he remembered that the transmission scroll had its own magic signature. If Gael was able to trace his location here, and he was able to sense the scroll''s signature, Gael might use it to continue tracking him.


    ''I''ll have to go to a different location first.''


    Nn thought of another location. His face turned sour once again.


    ''She''d probably kick my ass if I go there but... argh.'' His chest throbbed from the pain again.


    "Getting kicked in the ass is better than kicking the bucket," he finally decided.


    He poured his magic into the scroll, and a light-golden array appeared beneath him and Gage.


    The scroll burned, and the array lit up.


    In a blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared in thin air.


    ====================


    Gael arrived a thousand kilometers south of Meliora.


    He looked around and used his magic sense to find the trace of his magic left by the attack he inflicted on Gray.


    Gray was the alias of the cloaked man he just fought, and he was wanted by the Royal Army more than twenty years ago. He hadmitted a sin where he killed a man who possessed a Legendary Badge issued by the Royal Family.


    Gael did not know the specifics because the Royal Family awarded the Legendary Badge was highly confidential.


    Of course, killing the man who possessed the badge was only part of the reason why Gray was a wanted man. The biggest reason was the highly confidential information he took from the man.<sub> </sub>


    However, almost ten years ago, Gray''s body was found inside a ruin that the Royal Family discovered in Chaos Pce.


    The Chaos Pce was located between the boundary of the Ylfaen Empire and Arcadia, one of the empire''s rival nations from the South. Neither of the two nations owned the pce because it belonged to the Dark Sage and was still owned.


    Though the Dark Sage had fallen a long time ago, Chaos Pce remained unconquered.


    When the Royal Family''s expedition team discovered the ruin, they already suspected that they were not the first ones who entered. They found traces of Arcadian mages inside the ruins and even found their dead mages. After a few days of exploration, they discovered Gray''s body.


    They believed that Gray might have encountered the Arcadian mages and was killed.


    Gael suddenly frowned as he remembered this detail. From the report, Gray did not stand a chance and was easily killed by the Arcadian mages.


    But after fighting Gray today, Gael knew how powerful Gray''s magic was.


    In the past, Gael only encountered Gray while he was on the run and could not gauge his strength.


    ''More importantly, why is he alive? And why did hee back here? Why did he save that man?''


    Questions kept popping inside Gael''s mind.


    Taking a deep breath, Gael finally turned and decided to return to headquarters.


    ''I''ll have to report this to the Emperor first, and...'' he raised his right hand, and his scythe appeared.


    He scowled and returned his scythe inside his space storage.


    ''I have to visit Seanne and let him check my weapon.''


    He took out a teleportation token and he disappeared after breaking it.


    ====================


    Jax and Luka arrived at the Regis estate a few hours ago, and after their initial briefing, the two had scouted the inner walls for possible ways to get in. Unfortunately, just like their initial findings, the defensive array within the inner walls was the main culprit why they could not find any means to destroy it.


    The army previously bombarded the front gates of the inner wall; however, there had been no visible cracks appearing on the defensive array. Some army officers even forced their way in, but their bodies burst out without leaving anything behind after stepping in at a certain distance.


    After that, Jax ordered to stay put and had all lieutenant ranked officers find information about the array.


    While waiting for the lieutenants to finish their investigation, Luka went with the rest of his team to scout the estate''s outer wall and created a camouge array. The array they created blocks noises inside the estate as well as any sightings of explosions. It could also mask any magic pressure unleashed within the walls.


    ''Three days,'' Luka thought as they returned to the makeshift camp of the army near the Regis Estate Inner Wall. ''Just three days to destroy the Regis''s defensive array.''


    His brows creased, thinking about their overall workforce.


    ''What''s the Grand Marshal thinking? Major Jax is only an Adept, while me and Vera are Paiges. The Regis''s defensive array is not something our level can break in three days. We probably needed at least a Master mage to deal with it.''


    Luka was not entirely clueless about the power struggle within the Royal Army. He was aware that currently, Gael''s power within the army had started to decline over the year. One of the reasons for his decline was the inheritance Deputy Marshal Imman of the West had acquired almost a year ago. There was a rumor that Imman was now a step away from being promoted to a Magus.


    If that happened, the Emperor would have to reassess both Gael''s and Imman''s aplishments over the past three years, and a change in leadership might ur.


    Quite a lot of medium factions inside the army favoured Imman because he was younger than Gael and his aplishments for the past three years were outstanding. He had also recruited quite a several talented mages andbat mages.


    Of course, Deputy Marshal Mannick of the East would not sit idle.


    Mannick had been very active in ruin explorationtely. Most likely, he was searching for an inheritance to break through the Magus level.


    Deputy Marshal Ingrid of the North was the only one who had not been interested in being the Grand Marshal. She was only interested in dealing with her affairs in the northern area of the empire while keeping the Gelida Sovereign from attacking their borders.


    Luka could not understand why Gael wanted to keep their operation a secret. Wouldn''t the Emperor recognize their effort because they found a very rare forbidden magic-user?


    Then there was Gael''s order not to kill the target.


    In the past, they had an order to kill on sight a mage practising forbidden magic ssified as low risk. This time''s target was far more dangerous than that time, yet Gael ordered to catch the target alive.


    Even if the target were a Regis, if the whole army was involved, would the Regis n had the power to retaliate?


    Shaking his head, Luka pushed all these thoughts at the back of his mind. As a low ranked officer, he could only follow orders. If he started to question his leaders, it would only bring harm to his ns in moving up the armydder.


    ''If we failed to break the Regis''s defensive array in three days, will the Grand Marshal finally bring in more high-ranked officers? Or will he cut us all off? I really hope not.'' He thought with a sigh.

 Chapter 51 Spirit Child

    Ss stood by the window in one of the guest rooms at the main family residence in Regis Estate and was staring outside absentmindedly.


    It was already past midnight when he and Pheobe finished their talk about Kyran. Right after that, Ss went back to his room in a daze.


    The truth, Ss was too shocked by the things he learned about Kyran. And his thought process kind of short-circuited when Pheobe showed Ss Kyran''s recent photo.


    The young man he saw in the picture was nothing like the skinny, weak teen on the bounty poster.


    And based on all the aplishments of Kyran, it dawned on Ss that any person would really admire him.


    But what really shocked Ss was Pheobe''s expression when she talked about Kyran. To him, it looked more than adoration of a rtive.


    ''They''re cousins, right?'' Ss thought with a slight frown.


    But he remembered that it was not umon for cousins to marry each other, especially in old noble ns. Ss wondered if the Regis also had this tradition. He remembered Lady Rin was not a Regis, judging from her long silver-grey hair and light blue eyes, so maybe they didn''t have that kind of tradition.


    ''No. Stop thinking about it. Focus on the task at hand! Do not let a woman hinder your thoughts...''


    Pheobe''s smiling face crossed his mind, and Ss heaved a sigh once again.


    "What the hell Ss? Do you really have the time to be thinking about a woman?" He scolded himself.


    Soon after, his mind cleared, and he felt it cool down a bit.


    But.


    ''H-Heavy...'' Ss frowned and realized his head had cooled down because there was snow piling on top of his head.


    "Humph! Stupid little Ss, why are you acting like a pathetic love-struck youth. You''re a grown-up man. Man up! Or do you want me to freeze your puny little d*ck-.''


    "Okay! Stop! You''re ady, for goodness sake. Stop using such vulgar words!" Ss interrupted and looked at Lumi, who was floating in the air and was showering him with snow.


    "Humph. It''s your fault for swooning over that Regis woman. She''s way out of your league. You''re just little Ss. To even dare to-."


    "Okay! Okay! I get it. Will you stop? Why do you keep on appearing as you please? And why are you interrupting my moment? Besides, how did you even know that I... with Ms. Pheobe..." he slightly reddened at the thought that someone actually noticed his little crush.


    "Sighing like a love-struck fool every few seconds after finding out that Regis woman likes another man, whose stupid enough not to realize how you feel? As for why I am here, though we had a contract, with your measly spirit affinity, I never recognize you as my master. I will appear anytime I want. Be grateful that I even allowed your lowly human eyes to see my noble self!"


    Ss sighed. He was already used to Lumi''s verbal abuse. When he was young, and Lumi was still his sister''s contracted spirit, she found creative words to abuse him.


    "I''m a little depressed here. Can''t you be kind to me for a moment?"


    "And why would my noble self do such a tiring thing? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Lumi ignored his plea and showered him with snowballs that did not even hurt.


    Ss felt a small ache in his heart.


    When Lumi was his sister''s spirit, she was not this small. She looked more majestic and powerful. Once she was in her true form, she was also extremely beautiful. And one snowball attack could turn him into an ice sculpture.


    But now.


    ''My spirit affinity was too little, to begin with... why did you let Lumi stay with me, sis?'' Ss thought sadly.


    "Ahh! There it is again! Take this!" A concentrated ice ball converged in Lumi''s chubby little hands. She fired it at Ss and hit him square in the face.


    "Oomph!" Ss winced. However, it did not really hurt.


    "Stop looking like a pathetic man!"


    A small smile escaped Ss''s lips. He btedly realized that maybe Lumi''s way of cheering him up was by harassing him... Okay, that did not really sound happy to merit a smile on his face. Still, he appreciated it.


    "Okay, I get it. Stop with the snow attacks. Do you realize that once your snow melts, it won''t disappear? I''ll get soak and might even catch a cold."


    "Why do I care?" Lumi harumphed and crossed her short arms.


    Though she acted like she didn''t care, she did stop showering Ss with snow.


    "And? What do you n on doing? The Royal Army will not let this status quo with the Regis stay like this forever." Lumi suddenly asked, turning serious while looking at Ss.


    "I know. For now, I need to find the right timing to leave the inner walls. I''m sure Gage already left after you gave him the orb. Right at this moment, he is probably on his way to Valin Fort. If he takes the express train to Starhorn, he will reach the Mercenary Hall by night."


    "I''m not asking what you think that little man is currently doing. I''m asking what you n on doing," Lumi rolled her eyes at Ss.


    ck lines appeared on Ss''s head as he thought of Gage. ''L-Little man? Gage is?''


    Shaking his head, Ss looked at Lumi and said, "Well. Like I said, I''ll wait for the right timing to leave the estate. I can''t afford the army to find me. They might connect me with Gage''s disturbance at the entrance. If that happened, it would be easy for them to know who we are."


    Lumi nodded in agreement and said, "I agree. It''s pretty unfortunate that both of you are Master mages. If they looked at their records, you two would be easily recognized."


    "What''s with the unfortunate? And don''t worry. The Mercenary Hall had not scheduled the assessment of their mages andbat mages at the Mage Hall yet. So our mage level has not been updated yet."


    "You mean you and that little man just got promoted to a Master?"


    Ss smiled proudly and said, "Yes."


    "Pathetic."<sub> </sub>


    Ss almost fell.


    "How old are you this year? And you just got promoted? Weak!" Lumi threw another snowball at him.


    "Unlike before, it is not easy to be promoted to a Master, you know? I mean, we''ve got lots of mages andbat mages around now, and resources are scarce. Then the Royal Family is hogging all the ruins."


    "Humph. So many excuses. Ruins are called ruins for a reason. It previously had an owner, but due to neglect, it became a ruin. Just because the Royal Family ims it is theirs doesn''t mean they own it. If they did, then it is no longer a ruin!"


    Ss scratched his head and said, "I kinda get what you want to say, and yet I don''t think I really get it."


    "It''s because you''re stupid! Stupid little Ss!" Lumi yelled at him and stuck out her tongue. "Anyway, I suggest you leave as soon as possible. Don''t get tangled with the Regis''s affair any further."


    Ss''s eyes narrowed. "I know, however, we have the same enemy."


    Lumi shook her head, "This is not the right time. You''re too weak even to make a difference. Just get your lowly human self out of here and find the son of the Spirit Child. I am very curious to meet the new Void Master."


    With a frown, Ss observed Lumi''s expression. "I knew you have your own ulterior motive."


    "Humph. As a weak lowly human such as yourself, you wouldn''t understand how important to us Spirits to have a new Void Master."


    "Wait. What do you mean? Aren''t you curious to meet him because he is the son of the Spirit Child?"


    Lumi sneered at him and replied with a question, "Why do you think Rin is the Spirit Child? Use your brain, stupid little Ss."


    With a puff, Lumi finally disappeared.


    "Argh! That little..." Ss bit back the curse word he was about to say. He then sat down at the edge of the bed and contemted Lumi''s words.


    The Spirit Child was a human loved by the spirits. Normally, there would only be one every hundred years. To be called a Spirit Child, Ss remembered a spirit user must have an excellent affinity with spirits. But from Lumi''s question, it seemed there was another reason for a human to be called a Spirit Child, which was connected to the Void Master.


    ''But I don''t recall the Dark Sage ever having a connection with spirits,'' Ss thought in confusion.


    He tried to rack his brain for any clue from the stories about the Dark Sage that might connect him to spirits or even the Spirit World, but he failed to remember anything.


    "Argh!" he scratched his head and took a deep breath.


    ''Let''s stop thinking of other things first. First things first. n how to leave here.''


    p Ss finally decided and took out a map of Meliora and looked at the area where the Regis Estate was located.</anda>


    For the next hour, he focused oning up with a n to leave.


    ====================


    Every council member present at the Tower of Conve had been busy through the night dealing with the aftermath of Kyran''s ''visit''.


    The rest of the council members were currently on their way to the Tower after receiving the summon from Malek.


    Hugh and Can were particrly busy. They had to run around Starhorn and ensure there would be no leaked information about the Tower of Conve''s attack.


    They also rounded up any civilians who saw Kyran''s escape from the Mercenary Hall, and Can manipted their memories.


    Just like how he manipted the memory of all mercenaries, Can changed how Kyran looked to them.


    While searching, they also found Celine and Dante in the abandoned warehouse.


    Hugh and Can were relieved to know that both were safe. However, they did notice how shaken Celine was.


    Hugh decided to let them rest in the meantime and question them the next day. Can also decided not to manipte Dante''s memories as he might be of help in the future.


    After that, they had to deal with the request they received from the client who issued Kyran''s bounty. Since the request was anonymous, they were not really sure if the client was a high-ranked officer of the Royal Army or the Grand Marshal himself. However, they did not dwell on it much and reported to Malek directly, who contacted Ste for her opinion.


    "Make them wait."


    That was Ste''s reply to Malek.


    Hugh and Can were confused. However, they also realized that making them wait might be Ste''s way of psychologically attacking the client.


    Thus, Can ordered Grand Master Soren to tell them the President was out on an important business trip and could not attend any bounty approvals if the client called again.


    Soren was confused but did not question Can''s order.


    The following day, the rest of the council members had arrived one after another at the Tower of Conve.


    When afternoon came, almost all of them were aware of the gist of what had happened.


    When night came, Malek only told them to stay for a few days and did not tell them when the Lord of the Tower would meet them.


    It was the same the next day.


    Sigma, in particr, was unhappy. Especially when he found out that the rascal who dared attack the Conve was with the Lord of the Tower all this time. He decided to wait for an opportunity to meet the rascal himself, and then, he nned on teaching him a lesson.


    Finally, the next day arrived.

 Chapter 52 Anette

    Kyran stirred in his sleep.


    He slowly opened his eyes, and a sweet smell assaulted his senses. His brow creased a little at the unfamiliar scent.


    As his eyes finally returned their focus, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. He realized the ceiling was part of a big bed he was currently on.


    ''Where...?''


    He propped an arm to his side and tried to sit.


    "Good morning."


    A voice of a female greeted him from his side.


    He turned his head slightly and saw a beautiful woman with flowing long blonde hair and light blue eyes dressed in a white silk long dress, smiling at him.


    She had one hand propped on her head as shey beside him on the bed.


    Kyran stared at her nkly.


    ''Who...?'' He wondered with a slight frown.


    He paused to remember her name, and slowly all that had happened came back to him.


    ''That''s right. Ste. I guess I passed out,'' he finally remembered.


    "How long was I out?" He asked.


    Ste almost fell.


    She had been worried because Kyran seemed to be out of it just now. She waited for him to sort his thoughts but did not expect him to act as if waking up with a woman beside him was normal.


    "You''re pretty level-headed even after waking up with a beauty beside you," Steined and sat up.


    Kyran ignored her.


    "How long?" He repeated.


    Ste sighed and answered, "A few days."


    "What?" Kyran eximed and sat up.


    Ste ced a hand on his shoulder, "Calm down. I understand that you feel pressured to save your n, but there are things you need to understand first before deciding what to do next. Besides, I told you I could give you the ''time'' you need, remember?"


    Kyran lowered his gaze and fell silent.


    Ste made sense. He needed to understand the current situation. He also remembered his mother''s words; only when he stayed alive could the n be saved.


    Initially, he wanted to get the army to focus on him, but now that his mind had cleared a bit, he realized his idea was reckless.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran calmed his nerves.


    After a while, he finally noticed that he was covered in bandages. Apart from that, he btedly realized he was not wearing anything apart from a pair of trousers.


    He frowned.


    "Where''re my clothes? And where''re my things?"


    Ste was aware that Kyran was a little slow when dealing with the opposite gender, but hisck of response disappointed her.


    "You know your reaction is a little infuriating," she told him.


    Kyran looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"


    With a sigh, Ste shook her head and replied, "Nevermind."


    She turned and reached for the bedside table.


    "I had your clothes cleaned and enhanced," she started to exin and took out Kyran''s leather pouch from the table''s drawer.


    "The enchantments on it are good. Pretty ancient but still good. However, enchantments had improved over the years, so it would only be a matter of time before it gets destroyed. It''s not yet ready, but," Ste continued and returned to her position. She passed him the pouch and said, "Here''s your pouch."


    "Thanks," Kyran replied and received it.


    He took out a new shirt from the pouch and moved to the side of the bed.


    Ste suddenly reddened when he started to remove the bandages, "W-Wait! What are you doing?"


    Kyran paused and looked at her.


    "The bandages are in the way," he answered and resumed what he was doing. "Besides, my wounds are healed. I don''t have any deep wounds, to begin with. Why did you wrap me with so many bandages?"


    "W-Well, I can''t really leave you half-naked. I mean-you might catch a cold. And Nn only gave me a pair of trousers for you to wear after I-."


    "Nn. That''s right. Where is he?" Kyran interrupted her rambling and looked around. He thought Nn was hiding again.


    Ste frowned at how Kyran changed the subject as if he was not really interested in what she was saying. But she still replied, "He went out on an errand. He''ll be back in a few days. I think."


    "Errand?" He paused and looked at her again.


    "Yes. He is a mercenary after all," Ste replied vaguely.


    Kyran noticed it but did not pry. Nn''s concern about his n''s situation was real. Kyran believed that he would not leave without finding out its conclusion.


    After removing the bandages, Kyran changed into a clean shirt. Then he stood up and turned to look at Ste, who remained on the bed with a flushed face.


    Ignoring her expression, he said, "I need your help."


    Ste straightened at once and smiled, "Tell me."


    "I need all the information you have on every faction in Ylfaen. I also need books about Magic. Basics... Nn told me he''d teach me magic, so I''ll just read the basic stuff while he is out."


    "Why do you need information on every faction in Ylfaen?"


    "You said it yourself. There are things I need to understand first. The truth is, I have many questions, and I hate not knowing a lot of things. Don''t get me wrong. I kind of understand why my family kept a lot of things from me. Anyway, I need to know my enemy if I wanted to strike them down." He exined.


    "Won''t asking me directly be faster? I mean, I did promise we''ll talk."


    Kyran shook his head. "There''s a chance your answer and exnation might have personal biases."


    Ste frowned but did not reply. She understood what he meant.


    "Okay. Let''s go to my study," she finally agreed and got out of bed.


    "One more thing."


    Ste looked at Kyran. "Yes?"


    "Can you change the flow of time in a certain area?" he asked.


    A smile crept from Ste''s lips. She already anticipated what Kyran would ask if he needed her to use her magic.


    "I can."


    "Then... Can I trouble you to change the flow of time inside your study? While I said I want to understand the situation, I still hate wasting time."


    Ste smiled, "I get it. And don''t worry. I can do that. But I''m a little worried. You see, your magic might negate it."


    Kyran shook his head and replied, "As long as it is not hostile, it should be okay."


    "Alright."


    Ste led the way to the second door inside her room.


    "I''m a little disappointed," she said as they entered her study.


    Kyran looked at her.


    Ste turned and looked at him with a faint smile, "I''m actually looking forward to talking to you."


    Kyran remained silent.


    If he had to be honest, Ste''s presence made him uneasy. That familiar feeling when he saw her lying on the bed as if it was natural confused him.


    He just met this woman. Howe he found her familiar?


    And the way she treated him was a little scary. It was too...forting.


    He only felt that way around the female members of his n. He actually wondered if Ste was a Regis but rejected the idea immediately. If she were, he would''ve recognized her.


    "You can keep mepany. In case I encountered something I don''t understand, you can exin it to me," Kyran finally responded after a short pause.


    "Oh. Then I''ll do just that," Ste replied with a smile.


    ====================


    In the western region of the Ylfaen Empire, a huge old tree stood in the middle of the forest.


    If one looked closely at the tree''s huge roots, he would realize that few of its roots had been carved out and made into a small house.<sub> </sub>


    The inside of the house was circr. A stair led to the second floor to the right and a dining-receiving room on the left. While at the center, a firece with a huge cauldron was located.


    On top of the firece. Different kinds of herbs and even internal organs of different beasts were either hanging or was preserved inside a jar.


    A woman in her early forties with short dark violet hair and emerald green eyes, wearing a long ck robe, was standing in front of the huge cauldron. She was stirring the cauldron contents using a big spoon. Plopping sounds came from the cauldron from time to time.


    "te, you finished brewing that potion?" A man''s voice asked from behind.


    The expression of the woman named te immediately turned sour, and she red at the man behind her.


    The man was Nn.


    He was wearing a brown coat, and a bandage could be seen from the open gap in front.


    "You barge into my house after years of silence, and now you''re acting all high and mighty! Do you want me to turn you into a frog?" She red and pointed the steaming hot spoon in his direction.


    "Whoa! Easy with the spoon!" Nn backed off and raised both his hands as if in surrender.


    "I swear, Nn. One of these days, you''ll be the death of me."


    Nn sneered, "Don''t exaggerate."


    "Humph." te turned her back on him and resumed stirring the cauldron.


    "What do you think? Will your potion work on baldie?" Nn asked.


    When Nn arrived with Gage at te''s cottage, he immediately noticed Gage''s cold body. It turned out that Gage also got poisoned by Gael''s magic.


    Of course, the moment te saw Nn, she was ready to start a mage war of the century. However, she was an Alchemist. And as an Alchemist, when she sensed the weakening life force of the man with Nn, she immediately lowered her arms and started checking on him.


    Right after that, Nn passed out as well.


    te freaked out after realizing that Nn was also injured.


    "It should be," te answered Nn.


    "That''s good."


    te turned and red at him again. "What do you mean that''s good? You. What kind of trouble are you in again carrying such a dangerous item around?"


    She scolded and remembered the ice orb that slipped out of Gage''s robes while she was tending on his wounds.


    The moment she reached out to grab the orb, she sensed very ancient and dreadful magic within.


    "You don''t need to know," Nn answered with a faint smile.


    The truth is that he could not afford to get te involved in what he was dealing with.


    After all, te was Rin''s best friend. If she found out what happened to the Regis, she''d insist oning with him.


    te sighed but did not pry anymore. She knew Nn would never tell her.


    "And? Where are you going after your friend is healed?" She asked as she returned her attention to stirring the cauldron.


    "Friend? That baldie? He''s not my f*cking friend."


    "Fine. Fine. Cade is the only ''human'' you considered a friend."


    "Oh. But I consider you a friend too," he replied with a mischievous grin.


    "Don''t try to change the subject," te replied, ignoring Nn''s statement.


    "Tsk. You really don''t take me seriously, do you?"


    "If you stop running around and hiding from Cade and Rin, maybe I would."


    Nn fell silent.


    The only sound heard inside the small house was the crackling firece and the cauldron''s plopping content for a few minutes.


    Finally, after a few minutes, Nn replied, "I wasn''t hiding from them."


    "What happened to Cade was not your fault."


    "Don''t go there," Nn warned her.


    te sighed again. However, she ignored his warning and continued.


    "Rin never med you. Neither did Cade."


    "I said, don''t go there." Nn''s voice turned cold.


    "You..." te stopped stirring, and suddenly the temperature in the house dropped.


    cklines appeared on Nn''s head as he noticed the rising magic fluctuations around her.


    "... dare to speak that way with me?" te turned and swung the steaming hot spoon at Nn.


    Nn immediately evaded, but te did not stop and struck him again.


    "No! My bad! Sorry! Geez, calm down! What? Are you already in your menopau-ugh!"


    te''s magic pressure sted Nn, and he hit the door.


    "You ruffian! How are you and Rin so different? When you two are-."


    "I already said sorry! Geez," Nn interrupted with a groan. He stood up and looked at the crushed door behind him.


    "See, you ruined your door."


    "Then fix it! Humph," te harumphed and turned her back on him. She immediately returned to her cauldron and continued to stir its contents.


    Nn sighed and used his magic to fix the door.


    "You haven''t answered my question," te said.


    Nn scratched his head. He knew he could not win against te. That had been the case even when they were younger. It was not about who was stronger; she just had that unyielding personality that anyone would end up exhausted if you tried topete with her.


    "I need to go to Starhorn," he finally answered.


    te paused.


    "That''s on the opposite side."


    "It is," Nn replied and sat down on a chair.


    "It is also near the Regis Estate," she added and looked at him.


    "It is."


    They stared at each other for a few seconds before te finally looked away with a small nod.


    "I see," she said and started to stir the cauldron again.


    After a long silence.


    "I''ve decided. I''m going with you."


    Nn almost fell off the chair, "What? No-."


    He abruptly stopped after receiving te''s deadly re.


    "And who are you to stop me? I haven''t seen Rin in a long time. I also want to meet her son. From her letters, I find her son adorable. I wonder what gift I can give him."


    Nn''s brow twitched. He thought of Kyran and could not help but suppressed hisughter.


    "Adorable? Her son? How old do you think her son is now."


    "Six?" te replied.


    Nn burst outughing, "AHAHAHA!"


    "What''s funny?" She asked with a frown.


    Shaking his head, Nn and said, "Nothing. Don''t buy anything."


    "Why not?"


    "Just don''t. Anyway, are you really going with me?" he asked.


    "Yes."


    Nn contemted for a moment. Once they arrived at Starhorn, he would not be able to hide the truth from her. However, he would not tell her yet. He would let Kyran decide.


    "Then I suggest you prepare yourself. You''d be in for a surprise."

 Chapter 53 Ancient Magic I

    The study room of Ste was not the ''room'' Kyran had expected.


    Same with her room, it was circr in shape but thrice its size.


    Kyran had an inkling that this room was only connected to Ste''s quarters through magic. This whole room might be located on a different floor in the tower.


    Bookshelves as high as seven meters covered its walls, with narrow same-height windows every five meters. There was an adjustable mobiledder at one of the bookshelves used to reach books located at the top.


    Three-meter-high bookshelves also lined up on the ground floor of the room.


    At one end of the room, there was a circr staircase leading to a mezzanine.


    Above there was a strange-looking chandelier. But upon closer inspection, it was actually a huge physical array with intricate runes and clocks drawn around it.


    As soon as Ste closed the door behind them, the chandelier-like array lit up, and the whole room gave a faint golden glow. A simrly drawn array appeared on the floor, and smaller octagon-shaped arrays lit up one after another on the windows along the walls.


    "Time here is now flowing separately from the outside. Is a 1:24 rate okay with you?" Ste asked and looked at Kyran.


    "1:24 rate? You mean one hour is equivalent to 24 hours?" Kyran asked.


    "Yes. Or one day is equivalent to 24 days," Ste agreed with a smile. "I can adjust it if you need more time."


    "No. 1:24 rate is fine," he immediately declined.


    Kyran did not expect Ste''s time magic to be this powerful. At most, he expected it to be a 1:3 ratio, one day to three days. He was even prepared to select only the most vital information and pull an all-nighter to learn everything. But now, it was nice to know that he could study more.


    "Okay," Ste replied with a nod. She gestured at the mezzanine and added, "I''ll bring you the records you need. You can go up to my office and make yourself at home."


    "Thanks," Kyran replied and made his way to the mezzanine.


    On the other hand, Ste moved to one section of the study and started picking out books with a wave of her hand.


    When Kyran reached the mezzanine, he surveyed Ste''s ''office'' and could not help raising both his brows.


    Instead of stiff chairs and tables, a low height rectangr wooden table surrounded by fourteen red and gold square seat cushions was located in the middle. On the side of the wall, a big map of the Ylfaen Empire was mounted behind a long couch with end tables on each side.


    Floating goldenmps hovered above. It also gave a faint vani scent.


    Ste''s office had a very rxing feel to it, contrary to what Kyran had in mind.


    He peered at her below. She was still busy walking around the section she entered, waving her hand as one book after another flew out from the shelves.


    A random thought crossed Kyran''s mind as he saw the mobiledder on the opposite side.


    ''So she doesn''t really need that. She can also levitate. I wonder if I can also do something like that,'' he thought.


    Kyran shook his head and went over to the couch and studied the map of the Ylfaen Empire.


    The four big cities of the empire: Meliora (center), Northbliss Castle (north), Timen Port (east), and Thunknam Peak (west), could easily be distinguished on the map because of their size.


    Kyran''s brow creased slightly as he looked at the location of the Regis Estate on the map near the east border of Meliora. His eyes then wandered further southeast of the forest and saw the Starhorn City.


    The distance between the two seemed small on the map, but the truth was different in reality. His focus shifted to the Royal Army Headquarters near the middle south of Meliora City.


    Kyran''s heart started to beat faster just remembering the army. He immediately closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he tried to control his breathing.


    ''Calm down,'' he told himself.


    Nothing good woulde out of him getting angry. He knew he had been reckless when he decided to ''get the attention of the Conve''. It turned out favorable to him, but what about next time?


    Honestly, he did not believe that Ste nor the Conve could help him save his n. They were a neutral faction and would not aggressively attack the Royal Army. But it didn''t matter to him, now. He realized that it was best to have the Conve work with him in secret.


    Based on Celine''s exnation about the Conve''s influence on the empire, they had the biggest intelligencework. Because of their neutral status, they had certain freedom with their operations, and Kyran wanted to keep it that way.


    Of course, he had not given up on the idea of diverting the army''s focus away from his n. But he would need to n a different approach on that. That was the reason why he needed to learn all he could on every faction within the empire.


    He would also need to learn to control his magic on top of that.


    Remembering this, Kyran suddenly thought of Nn. He frowned slightly and wondered if Nn went out on an errand as a mercenary to kill time because he thought he''d be unconscious for some time.


    Nn would not be plotting something.


    "Here you go," Ste''s voice broke Kyran''s thoughts.


    He turned and saw her arrive with three floating columns of neatly piled books following her.


    With a wave of her hand, all these books flew to the side of the table and slowly descended on the floor.


    "And here are the rest," Ste said, and her golden ring lit up. Seven worn-out books appeared in front of her and flew to the table.


    "Thanks," Kyran said and went over to the table and sat on one side. He took out a map, a pen, and nk parchments from his pouch.<sub> </sub>


    "You have brought some useful items with you," Ste noticed and sat on the cushion opposite Kyran.


    "I guess. My family prepared well," he answered absentmindedly and spread out the map on the table.


    Ste fell silent. Although Kyran acted and indifferently, she btedly scolded herself for being insensitive.


    Kyran, on the other hand, was not really bothered by what she said. He immediately got to work and checked the books Ste had brought.


    The first column of books consisted of all the volumes of the Ylfaen Empire, records of its cities, and biographies of known individuals through the years. The second column of books was records of wars between the empire against different nations outside. There was also a book on all known hero families through the years. Thest column was books about magic.


    And the book on top immediately caught Kyran''s attention. He reached for it and read the title out loud, "Ancient Magic?"


    Ste, who had been silent, suddenly straightened and said, "I thought you''d like to know the story behind your magic, so I included that."


    Kyran immediately frowned and looked at her, "Void magic is ancient magic? I thought it''s categorized as forbidden magic."


    Ste shook her head and looked Kyran in the eye, "Our magic is not forbidden. It was only categorized that way after the Royal Family started to expand their territory."


    "They''re afraid of the threat of these magic," Kyran guessed and opened the book. Immediately he saw four runes drawn on the cover page. He was surprised he could read the first rune.


    ''Void.''


    "Yes. But it is not like anyone can use it. Besides, from the original four, there are only three Ancient Magic that are still around."


    "Four? So these runes...?" Kyran started and showed the page to Ste. "These are the names of these ancient magic in their runguage?"


    Ste nodded, "That''s right. Void. Time. Soul. Andst, Draconic."


    "Draconic? You''re not talking about the rumored Regis blessing, are you?"


    Ste chuckled, seeing the incredulous expression on Kyran.


    "Yes, actually. Well... the reason why draconic magic didn''t be ''forbidden'' is that; the Royal Family knew this magic would never manifest again."


    Kyran looked at thest rune and remembered a story his grandfather once told him.


    The ancestor of the Regis Family was the only one who had the Regis blessing. Because, in order to manifest this blessing, a mage must be bonded with a real dragon. And real dragons no longer existed in this world.


    There were reptilian beasts with part dragon blood, but they were not considered real dragons. Their size was smaller, and even their magic was inferiorpared to the real ones.


    "Because there are no more dragons," Kyran followed up on Ste''s statement.


    With brows raised, Ste nodded and agreed, "Yes. I''m surprised, you know."


    "My grandfather told me about the Regis blessing once."


    "I see."


    Kyran browsed the book and immediately frowned. His frown deepened as he turned the page faster. Finally, he closed the book and looked at Ste.


    "I can''t read it," he told her.


    "Huh?" Ste leaned over and took the book. She also opened it and frowned. "Howe?"


    "It''s written in runes. I don''t read runes," Kyran replied with a sigh.


    Ste looked at him in confusion. "You don''t need to know how to read runes to understand it. You only need to use your magic sense."


    "I don''t know how to," Kyran answered.


    Although it was understandable that he didn''t know how to use magic sense because he just started learning magic, it still annoyed him that he was aplete noob.


    Seeing the annoyed expression on Kyran''s face, Steughed uneasily as she returned the book to him.


    "Sorry, I thought Nn already taught you how."


    "We haven''t really gotten the time to learn more things. Can you tell me how?"


    "Well, I don''t know how to exin it. I''m not really good at exining these things. But if you have anything you want to know about ancient magic, I can answer in the meantime."


    Kyran pondered for a while before finally relenting, "Okay."


    Ste immediately beamed and leaned on the table. She looked at him expectantly and asked, "So. What do you want to know?"


    "Everything that you know."


    "Hmm..." Ste took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, first, I''ll tell you what Ancient Magic is."

 Chapter 54 Ancient Magic II

    "The Ancient Magic is magic thatposed this world," Ste started.


    "Without any of these magic, the world will not be able to function properly."


    A frown immediately crossed Kyran''s face. He said, "Are you telling me that the world is not functioning properly now that draconic magic is no longer here?"


    "Good question," Ste said with a smile. "Don''t worry, while there are no Regis members today who can use draconic magic, it doesn''t mean it''s gone."


    Kyran noticed how Ste said ''Regis'' and not mages. He wanted to ask more questions about it but stopped and let Ste continue with her narration first.


    "Go on."


    With a small nod of acknowledgement, Ste continued. "As I said earlier, there are four ancient magic; Void, Time, Soul and Draconic. These four are very powerful that only selected humans could wield. To be precise, only those who had a certain body constitution present in a human could wield it."


    Ste''s expression turned solemn. "These body constitutions are only present to four old families. The Ashton, Tower, Winfrey, andst the Regis."


    "Wait. What?"


    "Why? Your family has been around for such a long time-."


    "No. Not that. What I meant is, you... You''re not going to tell me that your family is... Tower?"


    Ste paused and raised both her brows, "Didn''t I tell you? I did say it when I made an oath."


    "Well, those guys kept on calling you Lord of the Tower, and I just thought it''s because you lived in this.. tower, or that because you''re the ''Lord'' of the Tower of Conve."


    Ste chuckled, "I guess it is confusing. But yes, I am from the Tower Family. Sometimes, a female Tower will be born with the right affinity with Time Magic."


    "So all Time mages are female."


    "Correct. Just as how all Draconic mages are all males."


    "Why?"


    "I''m not sure. It is just how it is," Ste replied with a slight shrug.


    Kyran sighed, he was not convinced of her answer, but he could not possibly insist on it if she didn''t know.


    ''I''ll figure it out eventually,'' he decided.


    "I''m surprised. I thought you''d be more interested in the fact that there were only four families who could have ancient magic."


    "You did say ''not anyone can use it'' earlier. And there''s also your statement, ''no Regis can use draconic magic today''."


    "You really have a good memory," Ste praised.


    "Please don''t patronize me. You just said those things a while ago. If I don''t remember them, then that would be a problem."


    Ste chuckled. "You''re right."


    "Go ahead. Sorry for interrupting."


    "Not at all," Ste replied. "As I was saying. Although I said these families could birth someone who could wield ancient magic, it is still rare. An example of this is the Ashton Family. In its long family history, only one was able to use their ancient magic. And you already know that person; he was your predecessor."


    "Ashton?" Kyran frowned slightly. He was about to say that he did not remember being rted to an Ashton but suddenly thought of his mother.


    His mother was not a Regis but part of the Ada n, and they might be the ones rted to the Ashton Family.


    "Yes. The first Void Master was from the Ashton Family. However, the Ashtons were killed after the era of Chaos Reign."


    "But not all."


    "Yes. Not all. Some may have survived, and after a long time, finally, here you are. Then there''s one special case, the Regis Family. Because one needs to have a bond Dragon to use draconic magic, only one Regis was able to use it."


    Kyran nodded and said, "The Regis ancestor. Grandfather told me."


    "Oh. Did you know about that? I did not expect Uncle Aron would tell you that."


    ''Uncle?'' Kyran could not help but feel a little awkward hearing someone else call his grandfather ''uncle''.


    "Does he have a reason not to tell me?"<sub> </sub>


    "Not really," Ste replied with a shake of her head. "Do you have any particr question you want to ask?"


    "You answered most, and I''ll leave the rest for next time," Kyran answered and looked at the book in his hand.


    A thought came to him, and he turned the book to the page where he saw the drawn runes of the four ancient magic.


    Just as earlier, he could only recognize the rune for Void, which puzzled him a bit.


    "Howe I can recognize the Void rune, but I can''t read the rest of the book?" He wondered out loud.


    "I''m not sure myself but, when I read that book, I can read it because I could see the runguage of time magic. I recognize that it is the runguage of time and just used my magic sense to understand them fully."


    "So you are aware of the runguage of time magic. That''s why you can master your magic to this extent. If I learned the void''s runguage using this book, will I be able to master my magic faster?" Kyran asked and looked at Ste.


    Ste smiled mysteriously and shook her head, "I didn''t master time magic by learning its runguage. Nn probably told you how mages needed to learn it and use calctions to form arrays, right?"


    "Yes. Then how are you able to use your magic well?"


    "We have ancient magic, Kyran. Don''t try to do what normal mages would do in learning your magic."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I understand now why Nn skipped teaching you how to use magic sense. He probably nned to teach you differently. To answer your question, ancient magic is powerful in every sense of the word. A mage''s level does not bind it. We do not need arrays to control and restrain it. It is pure magic."


    "Nn did say something simr," Kyran said as he remembered his ''first lesson'' with him.


    "As expected. Another thing you need to know about ancient magic is it will grow more powerful every time you use it. And most of all, the more it is passed down from one user to another, the level it reached with each user will be umted and passed down to the next."


    "Let me check if I understand what you meant. Are you saying that since my predecessor, the Void Master, was able to reach a higher level of mastery with void magic, then my default magic level is at the same level he was at?"


    Ste grinned, "Yes. That''s correct."


    Kyran let out a soft groan and started rubbing his temples with one hand while propping his elbow on the table.


    ''Isn''t the hurdle too high?'' He thought in concern.


    "What''s wrong?" Ste asked after seeing Kyran''s expression. "Why are you not happy? As long as you learn more on how to use your magic, you''ll be able topete with almost any level of mages."


    "I can''t even control it properly. If my magic is already that high, then how long do you think it would take me to do so?" Kyran replied.


    "Well, that''s..." Ste fell silent.


    She was a little disappointed with his reaction.


    Kyran looked at the books about magic piled on the side of the table.


    He was tempted to start learning more about magic, but it was not his priority at the moment.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran straightened his back and reached for the book about the Ylfaen Empire''s history.


    Yes. He should focus on learning about all the factions within the empire first. Since his magic was already too powerful, he could only wait for Nn''s guidance on what he should learn first.


    Ste let out a soft sigh as she watched Kyran started to read. It seemed their conversation ended. And in her opinion, it ended too abruptly and in a not so good tone.


    She understood his concern about his magic, but she also knew he was capable of learning fast. It would only be a matter of time- which she could provide- before he could master the use of void.


    ''I guess he''d be happier to know about it if he isn''t feeling the pressure about saving his n at the moment,'' Ste thought and pondered how to help him better.


    After a few minutes, Kyran seemed to have forgotten Ste''s presence as he turned the book''s pages. He would also take notes from time to time and write on the map heid on the table.


    "I''ll bring you something to eat," Ste finally said.


    The suggestion was not random. She actually remembered they had not eaten any breakfast.


    Kyran was even worse since he had not eaten for a few days. Though the potion he had taken nourishes his body, eating a real meal was different.


    "Hm. Thanks," Kyran replied without looking at her nor stopping from what he was doing.


    Ste could not help but pursed her lips, but she did not say anything and stood up. She nced at Kyran onest time before finally going down the stairs.

 Chapter 55 Time To Strike

    For the past few days, Ss had gotten ustomed to the Regis''s routine.


    At least 100 Regis family members were on a rotational shift around the inner walls, monitoring the army''s movement.


    That was also how Ss met Pheobe. She was assigned to the area where the hidden door was located. The truth, the other family members already saw him loitering around, and they were monitoring what he was doing. When they realized he was not from the army, Pheobe was the one tasked to make contact.


    Apart from the 100 family members monitoring the activity around the inner walls, most adult family and n members were grouped into four. The first group were also on a rotational shift that goes around the inner wall premise. The second group was stationed near the entrance keeping the army''s movement in check. The third group were on standby with the Patriarch, and the fourth group assisted Cade in maintaining the inner wall''s defensive array.


    On Ss''s second day at the Regis Estate, he asked Pheobe if they had information of the army''s scheduled scouting routine. The following night, Pheobe was able to provide him with the information he needed. And finally, he decided to leave the Regis Estate the following day.


    And it was supposed to be today.


    However, there had been some changes in the army''s movement during breakfast, and Ss was suddenly asked to meet with Rin.


    ''Why does she want to meet with me?'' He wondered as he followed Pheobe inside the main house.


    While Ss had been in the Regis Estate, he had only talked with the Patriarch and Master Cade through amunication channel. As for Lady Rin, they had not met after their first time. Of course, it was not that they neglected him, but that was just how busy they were.


    Besides, Ss did not consider himself a VIP guest. And he was already delighted with Pheobe being his guide.


    "Aunt Rin returned from the headquarters an hour ago," Pheobe was saying as they walked down a long hallway.


    Portraits of the past Patriarchs lined one wall, while the other one had portraits of their family.


    It was Ss''s second time walking down this hallway. The first time was when he met with the Patriarch. He wondered if he would need to meet Lady Rin in the throne room again.


    His question was answered right away when Pheobe turned right, and Ss noticed this hallway led to an outside garden.


    ''So its not in the throne room,'' Ss thought and observed his surrounding.


    One side of this hallway was a ssed wall overlooking the rest of the garden.


    Ss was suddenly reminded that Spirit Masters preferred to be surrounded by nature. This was especially true whenever they wanted to replenish their energy and also bond with their spirit.


    "She actually wants to join us for breakfast, but I told her if she did, the kids will definitely not let you two have a decent conversation after," Pheobe exined.


    Ss chuckled. He had gotten used to having meals with the kids and understood what Pheobe meant.


    "I could almost imagine them trying to get Lady Rin to ''y'' with them," Ss agreed.


    Pheobe giggled while slightly covering her mouth and said, "True."


    A smile appeared on Ss''s face as he watched Pheobe. The truth, he was aware that she was still doing her shift in monitoring the army''s movement on top of being his guide and looking after the kids. If he could, he would give her a present worthy of her hard work. But he only had essentials with him and nothing ady would like.


    ''Next time we meet. I''ll give her something she will like,'' Ss swore to himself. He did not even consider the off chance they would meet again.


    A rich smell of morning dew and fresh flowers soon greeted Ss''s sense of smell.


    "Here we are," Pheobe said.


    The two of them arrived at the opened doors at the end of the hallway. A stoned path with neatly cut bushes on each side led to a white marble gazebo.


    From where he stood, Ss could already see Rin having breakfast on the table ced at the center of the gazebo.


    As if sensing their arrival, Rin looked up from her cup and smiled at them. She ced her cup down and waited patiently for them.


    "We''re here Aunt Rin," Pheobe greeted with a curtsy as soon as they entered the gazebo.


    "Lady Rin," Ss also bowed his head.


    Rin looked at them and smiled, "Would you like to join me for another round of breakfast? Or maybe at least a cup of tea? Coffee? Hot Chocte?"


    Pheobe shook her head and said, "I''ll have to pass, Aunt Rin. Uncle Jared''s shift is almost done, I need to return to my post."


    "Oh. Then another time," Rin said, sounding a little disappointed.


    "Yes," Pheobe replied with a smile and turned to Ss. "Well, Mr. Ss. I''ll have to leave you here today. I will ask Sammie to take you back after."


    Ss immediately shook his head and said, "Not necessary. I can go by myself."


    "No need to worry, Pheobe. I''ll take care of it," Rin, however, interjected.


    "Well, that''s..."


    "Thank you, Aunt Rin. I''ll be taking my leave now."


    Pheobe made another curtsy toward Rin and also gave a slight nod toward Ss before leaving.


    Ss watched her leave while saying, "It is not really necessary." He turned to Rin and smiled uneasily," I can go by myself, Lady Rin."


    "You n on leaving today, at least let us send you on your way properly."


    Ss was surprised. He had not told Pheobe he nned to leave the estate today.


    "How did you...?"


    Rin smiled and gestured at the chair opposite her. She said, "Please. Have a seat."


    Ss took a seat.


    "What will you have sir Ss? Tea? Coffee? Or would you like hot chocte?" Rin asked.


    "I''m fine. Thank you," Ss declined respectfully. "Please, Lady Rin. Ms. Pheobe told me you just returned from the headquarters. I am sure you''re tired from the journey."


    "Oh, is this your subtle way of making this olddy get down to the point?" Rin asked with a yful smile.


    Ss immediately shook his head, "No. Of course not. I apologize if it sounded that way."


    Rinughed softly. "I am only teasing you, sir Ss. Well, you are right. I want nothing more to just go to my room and rest. Even sleep for a few hours."<sub> </sub>


    "Then-."


    "However, I cannot do that. At least not yet," she paused suddenly and looked at the side of the gazebo where beautiful orchids were lined up. Her smile turned mncholic. However, it onlysted for a second.


    Ss noticed this and he already had an idea what Rin might''ve remembered.


    ''She is a mother, after all.'' He thought.


    "Is there anything I can help you with, Lady Rin?"


    Rin looked back at him, "You''ve already helped us a lot. However, I will be frank sir Ss. I do need your help."


    Ss smiled, "Then do not hesitate. I am the Regis emissary and also a mercenary. I''ll be able to amodate your request."


    "Thank you."


    Rin paused once more and took a sip of her hot chocte before finally speaking.


    "I am sure you nned on finding my son once you leave."


    "I do. If you have anything you want me to give him or a message then-."


    "No," Rin said with a slight shook of her head. "On the contrary, please do not tell him the situation inside the estate."


    Ss frowned slightly. He did not ask why because he kind of understand her reason.


    "However, that is not what I needed your help with."


    "Then, please do tell."


    Rin''s expression turned solemn. After a short pause, she finally said, "When you meet Kyran. Will you let Lady Lumi meet him?"


    Ss''s eyes narrowed at once. He was suddenly reminded of Lumi''s words the other night.


    "Why do you think Rin is the Spirit Child? Use your brain, stupid little Ss."


    "To tell the truth, Lady Lumi already said she wanted to meet the ''new Void Master''," Ss told Rin. This might be the only chance he would get to understand what Lumi had said.


    Rin nodded and stared at her cup. "I see. And did she tell you why?"


    With a sigh, Ss shook his head and replied , "No. She told me to use my brain."


    Rin looked at him and asked, "Then have you?"


    Ss could not help but looked helplessly at Rin, "Please do not tease me, Lady Rin."


    Rinughed softly and said. "I''m sorry. But rest assured, Lady Lumi meant well."


    "I''m not sure about that."


    "They just can''t openly say the reason. However, it is not the case if the reason is passed on by a human," Rin exined.


    "You mean they are bound to something that stops them from saying it?"


    "Not exactly. Except, if spoken, someone... or something might hear them."


    Ss fell silent.


    "What I am about to tell you sir Ss, might also answer some of your questions. Especially to what happened to your family."


    Ss almost buckled from Rin''s words. He looked at her in disbelief. Just how much did she know about him?


    "You know about my family?"


    "I have a hunch. After all, Ice Spirits are very picky. They only agree with forming a contract to one family ."


    "Please tell me, Lady Rin."


    Rin nodded, "This maye as a surprise to you. So best be prepared."


    ====================


    Outside the Regis Estate Inner Walls, several group of six army officers run to different specific spots around the inner walls.


    These officers were carrying three feet long rods.


    Inside the biggest tent at the makeshift camp of the army, Jax with Luka and the rest of the lieutenants were looking at the map of the whole Regis Estate Inner Wall. There were marking all around the walls and it was the locations where the groups of six army officers were headed.


    "What time will Vera arrived?" Jax asked Luka.


    "Three hours at most."


    Jax nodded. "Good. We''ll be ready by then."


    He looked at all the lieutenants inside and added, "Make sure you all have enough pills and potions with you when you get to position. We cannot afford to fail this operation."


    They all saluted and replied, "Yes, Major Jax."


    Jax nodded and looked at Luka, "When Vera arrived, you can start with the array creation. I will need to prepare as well."


    "We will take care of it, Major." Luka assured him.


    "Alright. Today, we will definitely destroy the Regis''s defensive array."


    "Yes, sir!"

 Chapter 56 Three Hours...

    Almost half an hour had passed after the scouts of the Regis n found the Royal Army''s movement.


    Gathered inside the strategy meeting room in the Inner Wall Defense Headquarters were the Regis Patriarch, heir, and elders.


    A magic-projected map of the Regis Estate was on the round table with bright red marked points around the inner walls.


    The Regis elders; were all wearing a dark gray robe with gold and silver linings.


    From the right stood Greer, an older man with short dark gray hair, the elder in-charged of the assessment team. Beside him was Abe, an older man with medium-length ck hair and white streaks, who was in-charged of the nning team. Next to him was Eleanor, an older woman with gray hair tied in an borate bun, in-charged of themunications team. Across her was another older woman named Arabe, her twin sister. She had short bob ck and gray hair, and she was in-charged of the force deployment team. Last was Zeniff, a middle-aged man with short brush-up ck hair, in-charged of the field operations team.


    The five of them stood around the table,  with their dark gray eyes keenly observing the points on the map.


    Aron and Cade stood on the northern end of the table and were also looking at the marks.


    "What are your thoughts?" Aron asked no one in particr.


    "A couple of days ago, the army was busy running around the premise of the outer wall. And now they have started to move around the inner walls. Judging from the areas where their people are going, it looks like they n to counter our defensive array with an array of their own," Zeniff was the first one to speak his mind.


    The others nodded in agreement. Although the marks on the map did not provide the kind of array the army was trying to make, just from looking at the areas where these markings were located, it was easy to deduce the army''s intent.


    "I believe it is an attack-focused array," Greer added. "Our scouts reported that when the army were visiting the areas around the outer walls, they would stop for a few minutes and reinforce the array they had initially setup around the estate. Unfortunately, because the army has tightened their security, our scouts were unable to study the array''s formation and confirm what it could do, but I am sure it is rted to their movement around the inner wall."


    "If I am to put myself in their leaders shoes. If I am nning to attack the inner walls and destroy its defenses, and yet I do not want the army''s operation be known outside, then I would setup a concealment array or probably a camouge array around the Regis Estate. What are your thoughts, Lord Cade?" Abe also shared his thoughts and turned to Cade.


    "Hm. The array they prepared may not be as simple as a concealment or a camouge array, though. It may be abination ofplex arrays. I will not be surprised if the array they prepared can also strengthen the array they n to create outside the inner wall."


    "I see. It may also have an amplification effect," Abe agreed with a slight nod.


    "Yes. But," Cade paused and stared at the map where the makeshift camp of the army was located. "In order to setup this kind ofplex array, based on the manpower they have shown so far..."


    "It is impossible," Arabe interjected. "Maintaining such an borate array will need a lot of mages."


    "Also, from themunication signals we were able to decipher, the highest level of authority they currently have is a Major. In terms of mage level, that equals to an Adept only." Eleanor said.


    "True, even if hebined his magic with the other two confirmed Captain ranked personnel they have, it is not enough," Arabe added. "However, that may not be the case if they are still expecting more people to arrive."


    Greer shook his head, "No. They will not reveal their movements if they are still expecting reinforcements. Even now, we can already stop them from finishing their array."


    "Exactly," Abe agreed. "But why would they risk exposing their movements knowing that we can stop them? Do they think we won''t make a move because we may think it is a trap to lure our forces out of the inner wall?"


    "No. This isn''t a trap," Cade suddenly spoke.


    Everyone looked at him.


    Even Aron turned his head to look at him. There was a slight smile on his face as he asked, "Oh? Did you notice it?"


    The elders turned to Aron as well before looking back at Cade. All of them waited for him to continue.


    Without looking away at the makeshift camp of the army marked on the map, Cade replied, "I think so. Father, will you let me handle this operation?"


    "Oh?" Aron was surprised at his sudden request.


    Even the rest of the elders were looking at Cade in surprise.


    It was not that they did not trust Cade''s ability to lead. But because it had been some time since he volunteered to lead an operation.


    Because of an ident that almost crippled Cade''s progress in magic, he had not led any operation of the Regis n. The ident happened before he got married, and although he still managed to improve his magic, he would never be a Magus.


    "Very well. I''ll leave it to you," Aron agreed after a short pause.


    Cade turned to Aron and bowed his head in respect, "Thank you."


    ====================


    At the Royal Army Headquarters.


    Gael was busy reading the record Jax had submitted. This record was the one he told Jax to get from Milfiore Military School, Kyran''s military school record.


    His eyes narrowed as he found out the color of tokens Kyran received.


    "Humph," Gael sneered and remembered how Dean Fallon bragged about him a few years back. Gael ignored it before. He even thought Fallon was exaggerating. But not anymore.


    "Really, such an outstandingbat student. He may even be the youngestbat specialist to start with a high rank if he entered the Combat Hall. Of course, this is impossible given his real situation."


    He closed the folder and ced it on his desk before turning his chair to look out the window.


    Earlier, Gael was in a bad mood because the President of the Mercenary Hall had not yet approved his request to update his bounty. His anger was only elevated after receiving news that Jax and his men would start their operation to break the defensive array of the Regis Estate.


    Gael initially nned to take part in the operation. However, because his scythe broke from his encounter at the forest going to Valin Fort, he had to leave it to his trusted Master Artisan up north of Meliora for repair. Now, he did not have a weapon to use.


    Of course, Gael had a spare weapon, and it was not like he could not use his magic just because he didn''t have one. However, after going through Kyran''s record, his interest had taken a full 180 turn.


    ''He could be in Starhorn right now,'' he thought. ''Since the Mercenary Hall has not approved yet, maybe I should make a move myself.''


    A smile crept at the corner of his lips as he leaned back on his chair and stared at the blue sky.


    ====================


    When Ste returned to her office, she immediately noticed the books she brought to Kyran were already on the other side of the table.


    The seven worn-out books she ced on the table were currently open, and Kyran looked at not one but all of it simultaneously.


    He would stop now and then and would write something on a parchment ced all over the map he had ced in the middle of the table.


    Ste noticed that there were notes and markings everywhere on the previously clean map.


    ''Don''t tell me...''


    She cautiously walked to Kyran''s side and ced the breakfast she prepared at an unupied space on the table.


    Since she anticipated time would be different once she returned, she prepared a hearty meal for him.


    "Kyran, why don''t you rest and eat first?" Ste asked and sat on the cushion just beside Kyran.


    However, Kyran did not seem to hear her and just continued to read.


    ''I knew it,'' Ste could not help but sigh.


    She remembered a report she received from Malek when Kyran was still at military school.


    The Milfiore Military School had a joint activity with another military school. During one lesson, Kyran found out that the techniques studied in the other school were different. He became curious, and immediately after, he borrowed the books of one of the visiting students. Instead of joining the social gathering the schools had prepared during their day off, he locked himself in his room and just read all day.


    He did not evene out for a meal.


    ''I should''ve told him to eat first beforeing here,'' Ste thought.


    She looked at Kyran''s notes on the map and read them.


    After a while, ck lines appeared on her head.


    She could not read them!


    ''W-What are these? Coded notes?''


    Wasn''t Kyran acting too cautious? Why did he have to write his notes in codes? Did he think she would read them?


    Well, she did try to read them just now, but it was only because she wanted to know his progress.


    After a few minutes, Kyran took a deep breath and leaned back. He made onest look at the map and the notes he wrote. Then he ced his left hand above them.<sub> </sub>


    Purple rings appeared on his palm.


    "H-Hey!" Ste was startled.


    The purple rings connected and formed a discrge enough to fill the map and the notes.


    "Kyran what are you-!"


    Before she could finish what she was saying, the rings fell on top of the map and all the notes. And in just a few seconds, all of it disintegrated.


    "Why would you do that?" Ste eximed and looked at Kyran incredulously.


    Kyran, who seemed to notice her presence finally, only tilted his head a little to the side and asked, "Do what?"


    "Destroy your notes? You even used coded letters so why bother destroying it?"


    "I can''t leave evidence," Kyran replied with a shrug and reached for the seven worn-out books.


    "Can''t leave evidence..." Ste repeated in a daze.


    "Here," Kyran ced the books in front of her. "Thanks."


    With a slight shake of her head, Ste looked at the books and asked, "You''ve read all of it?"


    "Yes. I understand the gist of the rtionship of each faction in the empire and outside. Now I need a n," Kyran replied and also took the books on the other side of the table.


    "Wait. You''re not going to tell me you''ve read those as well?" Ste was starting to doubt if she really input the correct time ratio inside her study.


    "I''ve read some of the books before, so I skipped them. Do you mind if I look around and find more books about magic?" Kyran replied curtly and changed the subject right after.


    "No," Ste replied, then shook her head. "I mean, yes! Stop for a moment. Do you realize you''ve been reading non-stop? I''ve been away for what more than an hour outside which makes it less than two days here. You need to eat or you''ll fall sick!"


    "Of course, I know that. I did eat."


    "You did?"


    Kyran pointed at his pouch and said, "As you said. I''vee prepared."


    Ste''s brow twitched.


    "Right."


    "Do you mind?"


    "Eat first," she said and slid the te in front of him.


    Kyran looked at the te and frowned slightly.


    The food Ste brought him was full of protein. Steak, sausage, egg. There was also a big loaf of bread, hot soup, assorted sliced fruits, and a milk bottle.


    "I can''t eat all of-."


    "Please, let me see you eat or else I''d think your no longer normal."


    Kyran frowned, "That''s rude."


    "I know. But if you keep on doing all these..." Ste gestured at the books and even at Kyran and continued,"... impossible stunts you can''t me me for thinking this way."


    Kyran bit back his argument because he thought it would be pointless. He was actually d that he managed to read all those books and even memorize what he had to in less than two days.


    Of course, if Ste knew what he was thinking, she would probably make a big deal out of it.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran picked up the fork and started to eat.


    Ste leaned back with a smile and watched him eat. After a few seconds, she asked. "So do you understand now the different factions in the empire?"


    Kyran nodded as he sliced the steak. "I do. And I realized howplicated their rtionships are."


    The emperor holds the highest power, being part of the Royal Family that originally fought and established the empire. However, while on the surface, the Royal Army acted ording to the emperor''s will, in reality, the Three Noble Families had a better hold of the army.


    Then the West faction had aplicated rtionship with the deputy marshal assigned there, Deputy Marshal Imman. First, since the Temr Code had its own independent faction, and their base was near the deputy marshals'' office, they tend to sh, especially when ites to their interests. Second, during the forest beast''s invasion, the deputy marshal would always call for their assistance, and if they appeared, they would always be the ones to lead. Thus, when danger happens, their members tend to suffer first before them. Third, they needed to share their resources directly with the deputy marshal.


    The North and East factions had a better rtionship with the deputy marshals assigned there. In the north, Deputy Marshal Ingrid rarely order the Aureole to help during the beast''s invasion. She also rarely meddled in the Aureole''s affairs. Same with the East faction. Deputy Marshal Mannick was too busy finding ruins to conquer. Apart from that, the East faction was the Conve, and they had been neutral and independent all these years.


    Then there were those smaller factions. And Kyran already had his eyes set on one of them. For now, he nned to visit the leader of that faction.


    "Anything you want to know, just ask. I''ll answer as much as I can," Ste''s voice broke Kyran''s thoughts.


    "I''m good for now."


    "I guess your target now is read as much as you can about magic? I''ll go find more books for you." Ste volunteered and stood up.


    "Thanks," Kyran said and watched her go down the stairs.


    Once she was out of sight, he immediately ced the fork he was holding on the side of the te and sighed.


    He looked at the big map of the empire mounted on the wall and looked at the spot south of the Empire.


    While reading the books on history and geography, Kyran came across a ce south of the Ylfaen Empire.


    Chaos Pce.


    The books mentioned an unconquered ruin by the Dark Sage, and he wanted to visit that ce.


    After reading the records of war, Kyran had realized a lot of the things he wascking. While he was confident with his hand-to-handbat and weapon knowledge, he did not have a weapon that wouldplement his magic. And that might be a problem in the future. Kyran wondered if he could find something in Chaos Pce. He was also curious what kind of weapon the Dark Sage had used and if it was inside his pce.


    However, his priority was to secure his n''s safety first.


    He was aware that his n would never be out of danger as long as they were in Ylfaen Empire. Unfortunately, he knew his family would never agree to leave their ancestralnd. He could not evacuate each of their n members as well.


    But it wouldn''t matter once he sorted out his ns. He''d be able to secure their safety, and no one, not even the army, the Royal Family, and the Three Noble Families could touch them.


    ====================


    Jax left his tent as soon as he heard carriages arriving.


    Six carriages stopped just outside the makeshift camp.  Some officers went to thest carriage and helped in unloading supplies.


    The door of the front carriage opened, and a woman with ming reddish-brown hair in green uniform got out.


    The woman was Vera.


    She immediately saluted upon seeing Jax and said, "Major Jax. Awaiting your orders."


    Jax nodded and gestured for her to stand at ease.


    Vera obediently followed.


    "The preparations arepleted. Now I need you and Luka to go in position. Here," Jax handed her an orb. "Use your magic sense to read the contents of what you need to do in that orb."


    Vera held the orb and nodded, "Yes, Major Jax."


    "Then let''s go."


    The two, together with six officers each, made their way out of the camp.

 Chapter 57 The Spirits Savior

    Ss stood in front of the hallway leading back to the hidden door where he met Pheobe.


    It had been a quarter of an hour since Lady Rin dropped him off.


    He did not leave immediately and told her he wanted to make preparations first. When she asked if he needed anything, he kindly refused.


    Lady Rin might have felt he wanted to be alone because she did not insist and bid him farewell with a faint smile.


    Her intuition was correct.


    Because the secret of the Spirits Ss learned from her did leave him in shock.


    Lady Rin already warned him that the secret she would tell him might answer some of his doubts about what happened to his family. It never urred to him that the conspiracy that led to his family''s downfall was just the tip of a bigger one that involved the Hero Families mentioned in history.


    During the Chaos Reign era, the Dark Sage ruled the wholend and instilled fear in every creature''s heart, not only because of his almost god-like void magic but also because of his army. The Legion of Demons.


    These demons invaded the wholend from another ne even before the Dark Sage had risen in power. During that age, three Hero Families appeared and fought back. After years of bloodshed, the Hero families finally suppressed the demons and banished them to the outer southernnd, and peace slowly returned to the maind.


    Because of the contribution of the Hero Families, the people of thend had turned to them and even revered them as the new Lords.


    There were still skirmishes at the borders of the southernnd as demons tried to invade again, but the Hero Families drove them back every time.


    However, after two years, the Dark Sage appeared and ventured to thend of the demons. There he singlehandedly enved all of them and once again brought chaos to the wholend.


    The Dark Sage ruled for almost thirty years before finally, the Hero Families made ast stand. As a result, one of the leading heroes sacrificed herself to let another hero mortally wound the Dark Sage and sessfully seal him.


    The hero who made a sacrifice was an ancestor of the Royal Family. And thus, her Family became thend leader and eventually built the Ylfaen Empire after hundreds of years.


    Of course, this was a known fact by all because it was written in history books.


    However, Lady Rin had told Ss a fact that was never revealed to the world.


    The hero who wounded and sealed the Dark Sage was actually the ancestor of the Regis Family.


    As to why it was never revealed, it was all because of a conspiracy that the Hero Families had kept hidden. Whether the Regis ancestor was also involved was unknown even to his predecessors.


    After hundreds of years, this conspiracy was kept hidden.


    Until the Fae spirits learned of it.


    Since the spirits lived in another ne and could enter the human ne as they please without being seen, they learned about the conspiracy of the Royal Family. And they were not happy.


    Then the incident happened.


    A member of the Royal Army who was also a spirit mage went to the Royal Pce to receive amendation. During the ceremony, her spirit suddenly appeared and angrily attacked the Queen and the Royal Princess. The spirit mage was detained, and her spirit was locked up. Up to this day, the fate of the mage and her spirit was unknown.


    After the incident, the Royal Army investigated all known spirit mages and their families. When one family could not answer the army''s interrogation, they were immediately branded as traitors who were building an army of spirits to overthrow the Royal Family as well as practicing forbidden magic.


    The army executed the family representatives on the spot. And their territory was raided and razed to the ground overnight.


    This was the Svell Family of the North, Ss''s Family.


    Ss gritted his teeth as he reigned in his anger. Just because his family could not answer, the army wiped out his whole family?


    ''Unreasonable,'' he thought in anger.


    "Your family probably refused to tell why a spirit would attack the Royal Family. They were brave and loyal spirit masters. I know some would think it foolish to choose to save the spirits over their own lives. But because of what your family did, we had a chance to expose the truth."


    Lady Rin''s words shed through Ss''s mind.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    After a short pause, he opened his eyes and took out a round magic item.


    He urged his magic inside the magic item, and soon it glowed in light blue.


    Finally, he entered the dark hallway.


    While walking, Ss remembered the rest of his conversation with Lady Rin.


    "Just what truth would the Royal Family be afraid of being exposed?" he had asked.


    "The truth, that the one the Royal Army branded as the most viinous mage in history, the Dark Sage, was revered by the spirits as their savior."


    It was only then that Ss realized how Lumi called the Dark Sage as Void Master. As if calling him the Dark Sage was taboo to her. Even Lady Rin. Of course, she might have refrained from referring to him as such because her own son had the same magic.


    ''And even if the ''Void Master'' was the spirit''s savior, why would the spirits want to meet the new one. It''s not like he is the reincarnation of the previous Void Master, right?'' Ss wondered.


    He also realized that the battle that led to the Dark Sage''s downfall might have a deeper story behind it. The fact that the spirits revered him as a savior was a hint. It was also why the Royal Family did not want this truth to be exposed.


    If the truth that not all creatures were afraid of the Dark Sage, then those fanatics who believed he was a God would do everything to find out the truth of what happened years ago and expose the Royal Family.


    But what about the Regis ancestor? Why did he not expose the truth?


    He remembered how almost two hundred years ago, the Regis Patriarch of that time suddenly decided to close the door of the Regis n''s Estate.


    Did he discover the truth?


    Ss also felt it was ironic how the Regis ancestor killed the Dark Sage, yet one of his descendants was born with void magic.


    ''Did the Void Master cursed him before he died? Like ''I will have my revenge! And it will be through your descendant!'' kind of curse?'' Ss wondered.<sub> </sub>


    He shook his head and sighed. It felt as if his brain cells had been exhausted just trying to digest all this information.


    ''Let''s focus on getting out first. Lady Rin also said the army had tightened security outside and that they are up to something,'' Ss told himself.


    He felt a little disheartened that Lady Rin rejected the notion when he offered to stay and help. She only told him to focus on getting out of the estate safely.


    Clearly, she did not want to drag him into the Regis business.


    ''She''s right, though. I have my own business to deal with,'' he thought.


    After a few minutes, he finally reached the hidden door. He put the magic item back into his storage space and slowly opened the door.


    Once again, he felt that invisible veil wrapped his body as he passed through the door.


    He closed the door immediately after getting out and expanded his magic sense.


    Contrary to his expectation, it seemed there were no army officers nearby. Not that he wasining. As soon as he was sure the coast was clear, he made a sprint toward the woods.


    It didn''t take long when suddenly the ground quaked, and an explosion urred above the Regis inner wall.


    "What?" Ss stopped in his tracks and turned toward the direction of the inner wall.


    From where he stood, he saw a violet tint veil spread around the inner walls from above.


    The Regis''s defensive array activated, and a light golden barrier appeared, forming a half-sphere around the Regis Inner Wall.


    "No! The array!" Ss eximed as he saw cracks appearing on the surface of the Regis''s defensive array where the violet veil made contact.


    His body impulsively made a move back toward the walls, but before he could progress further, a ball of snowkes formed in front of him, and with a small puff, Lumi appeared.


    "Stupid little Ss! Where do you think you''re going?" She reprimanded.


    "Lady Lumi," Ss eximed in surprise. Then his expression turned solemn, and he said, "I need to go back, the Regis are-."


    "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Lumi berated and threw several snowballs at his face. "Let''s say you went back, what can you do? I already told you not to get tangled with the Regis''s affairs any further!"


    "But-!"


    "No buts! The Regis''s has their own system. Just because they are under attack doesn''t mean they''re already in danger. Besides do you think you can enter their walls after getting out? The Regis''s defensive array will not fall easily just because it looks as if that veil was effective."


    Just as Lumi said this, a deafening crack resounded all over the Regis''s defensive array as soon as the veil reached the middle portion of the half-sphere.


    A vein appeared on Lumi''s forehead as she turned and red at the barrier that looked like it would be destroyed any second.


    She formed her small fists into a tight ball and raised it angrily towards the Regis Inner Wall.


    "Don''t make me look like an idiot!" She berated at no one in particr.


    ck lines appeared on Ss''s head. He was about to say something when he sensed army officers running toward his location.


    Lumi also felt them and her eyes narrowed. She turned to Ss and said, "Go now. Remember your own mission and focus!"


    "Tsk." Ss gritted his teeth. He tightened his grip on his fists and finally turned back to the woods. He left before the army officers could see him, with Lumi flying right behind him.


    ====================


    Cade stood outside the Inner Wall Defense Headquarters, watching as the Regis''s defensive array above started to crumble.


    Behind him, two squads of ten Regisbat mages stood awaiting his orders.


    All of them were wearing ck leather armor and half-face masks. They were also equipped with metal gauntlets where several small spirit stones of different colors were attached around the wrists.


    Lowering his gaze, Cade closed his eyes, and a three-meter radius silver array appeared under his feet.


    The moment his array appeared, the crumbling array stabilized, and the violet veil''s progress slowed.


    "Raya, head southwest, around 8:00 o''clock from this position." He said without looking behind him.


    The man in front of the squad to his bowed, "Yes. Lord Cade."


    Green arrays circled Raya and his squad''s lower legs before they moved toward the direction Cade told them.


    "Myst, head north, 3:00 o''clock."


    "Right away, Lord Cade." Myst replied.


    Simrly, green arrays circled him and his squad''s lower legs before they left toward the north part of the Inner Walls.


    As soon as they were out of sight, Cade opened his eyes which glowed in silver light.


    From where he stood, he could see the sixty-meter tall gates of the Regis Inner Walls. He lifted his hand and aimed at the gates.


    In an instant, several huge octagonal-shaped silver arrays appeared starting from the gates then all around the walls.


    When these silver arrays filled every wall of the Regis Inner Walls, Cade finally lowered his arm. He then took out a scroll from his space storage ring and burned it using his magic.


    The silver array under his feet disappeared and was reced by a light-golden array.


    It lit up, and Cade disappeared soon after.

 Chapter 58 Heavens Rupture

    Half an hour earlier.


    Vera was inside the carriage, heading to one of the critical locations of the array the army had set up. The orb she read indicated that Mika and the rest of her team were already there.


    The truth, her team was not aware that she would be joining the operation today because her injuries had not fully recovered. However, she could not stay idle, knowing that her team was out here.


    While reading through the contents of the mission, she realized that the array they had prepared was veryplex, and the whole operation was not what she had expected.


    She thought her role was to amplify the magic array, the same way she and Dior did with the Four-colored Ruin array during their operation to capture Kyran.


    Vera''s brows knitted at the thought of him. Her blood started to boil, and her heartbeat rapidly. She had never hated anyone like this before. She would never forgive him for attacking her members mercilessly and leave them to die.


    An idea popped into her mind as she looked into the orb Jax gave her and rechecked the mission.


    Her expression turned solemn, and her eyes glinted malevolently.


    Initially, she nned to return to camp and rest once shepleted her part. But now that Jax had presented an opportunity for her to attack the Regis, she now decided to join the infiltration team.


    ''An eye for an eye,'' Vera thought.


    Since there was no chance to vent her anger at him directly, then she would have to settle with taking down a minimum of three Regis members in today''s operation. When she and Kyran met again, she would gloat before him for running away and leaving his n to die.


    Her lips formed into a sinister smile.


    "We''re here, Captain Vera." An officer who was at the helm of the carriage announced after a few minutes.


    "Good," she nodded.


    The carriage stopped at the location where an earlier squad of six army officers had set up one of the key corners of the array formation.


    Suppressing the murderous intent brewing inside her, Vera finally stepped out of the carriage.


    Once outside, she surveyed her surroundings.


    A good 30 meters away from the Regis Inner Wall, an borate seven-meter wide triangr shaped array with rods struck on its corners was drawn by the army on the ground. Two circr arrays were drawn ovepping the triangr array with runes written at the borders.


    The six army officers were seated inside the circr array forming a round position.


    One of the officers inside was Mika.


    At the moment, all officers inside were meditating as they supply magic energy inside the array.


    Vera knew that there were five simr arrays located in different points all around the Regis Inner Wall.


    The array they created was called Heaven''s Rupture. Its effect was to break a defensive array that was two-tier above it. Of course, this could only be possible if the array points around that defensive array were enough.


    Normally, six points were not enough to upy the whole Regis defensive array.


    However, with Vera''s magic, she could distort the space between each point to make the array work.


    Doing this would put a great strain on her mind, and Jax was aware of it. Thus, Luka''s speciality woulde into y.


    Luka was a support type mage. His innate magic was called enhancement magic. But his magic''s limitation was he could only use it on magic items. And these rods were prepared by him to enhance the effect of the array.


    Creating all 18 rods was not easy, and it took him almost two days toplete all of them.


    It would also lessen the strain Vera needed to connect each point.


    But this was not the only crucial part of their operation.


    Vera sneered as she thought of Jax.


    ''To think that Major Jax coulde up with such a n. No wonder the Grand Marshal entrusted him with this mission,'' she thought.


    Yes. The most crucial point of this operation was not the array they prepared to destroy the Regis defensive array.


    It was the infiltration part where Jax would lead.


    "Get everyone ready! After I activated the array, we will rendezvous with Major Jax." Vera announced.


    "Yes, Captain!" The officers replied.


    ====================


    At another point of Heaven''s Rupture Array, Luka and his team were waiting for the signal to start the operation officially.


    It did not take long when they saw the rods lit up, and the two circr arrays that ovep the triangr one started to rotate. The runes around its borders hovered above and circled the rods.


    Magic fluctuations filled the air.


    A huge triangr light violet array appeared after a couple more minutes, high above the sky within the Regis Inner Wall. After a few seconds, another triangr array appeared just above the first array but in red color. Itbined with the first array and formed a six-sided star.


    A bolt of red-violet lightning struck the rods on the arraying from one point of the six-sided star above.


    BOOM!


    An explosion urred, and a violet veil emerged from the six-sided star and spread above the Regis Inner Wall.


    The Regis''s defensive array activated soon after and formed a light golden half-sphere barrier protecting the Inner Wall.


    Luka sneered.


    ''Now, it starts.'' He thought.


    "Let''s go!" He told his team and signalled for them to leave.


    Same with Vera, their next stop was to rendezvous with Major Jax and the rest.<sub> </sub>


    ====================


    Jax looked up as soon as the six-sided star appeared above the Regis Inner Wall.


    He was at the rendezvous point with the rest of the army.


    Already, he noticed the tension and excitement of the officers with him when the Regis''s defensive array showed signs of crumbling.


    However, he was not thrilled because he had some reservations about destroying the Regis''s defensive array.


    When the officers researching the Regis''s defensive array had proposed using the Heaven''s Rupture Array to counter it, he expected the Grand Marshal to disapprove because such an array needed many resources.


    But Jax still prepared a proposal and went back to headquarters to report to Gael personally.


    However, it was unfortunate that Gael was not in the mood and approved his proposal without reading the details.


    Jax did not understand why Gael''s mood took a sudden turn when he was very lenient the night before. Still, he had to exin all the materials and manpower they would need to proceed with the n.


    Gael still approved everything.


    However, when Jax requested at least one Master mage be included in the operation, Gael did not say anything and only handed him three Summoning Tokens.


    Jax knew what the tokens were. And it was the very reason why he had mixed emotions in today''s operation.


    Once they used these tokens, there would only be a massacre.


    His conscience kept nagging him. So he decided not to conceal the army''s movement to give the Regis''s time to prepare.


    Hopefully, the Regis Patriarch would be wise enough and not retaliate too much. If not, they would really have to use the Summoning Tokens.


    "Get ready!" Jax announced as soon as the violet veil started to cover the activated Regis''s barrier.


    "Yes, Major!" All officers saluted at once.


    A quarter of an hourter, Vera and Luka''s team arrived.


    Both teams had consumed several teleportation tokens to arrive at the rendezvous point as soon as possible.


    Then they all proceeded to another makeshift camp the army built.


    All of them entered a huge tent.


    Once inside, Luka and Vera could not help but exchange nces as soon as they saw three transportation arrays on the ground.


    "You both know where this array leads," Jax started and looked at Luka and Vera.


    The two saluted, "Yes."


    "The Regis''s will be upied in dealing with the Heaven''s Rupture Array and will not realize that this here is our real intention."


    Everyrge-area defensive array had a w. And that was it could only cover the ''outer'' premise it could reach. Of course, there were countermeasures to cover even ''hidden'' areas, but they already confirmed that the Regis did not have any of them.


    After Gael approved the operation, Jax returned to the camp and ordered several selected officers to dig below the Regis''s Inner Wall in secret. If ordinary humans did it, it would take them weeks toplete. However, the officers Jax selected were all earth mages, and digging had been easy. Still, it took them a couple of days to dig three areas because the Regis''s Inner Walls'' foundation was deep, and its walls were thick. They were only able to create three holes with a diameter of three meters. Still, they did not dig further in because they might rm the Regis''s scouts if they did. There was still a good fifteen meters before they could reach the above-ground going inside theirnd.


    After this, Jax nted the transportation arrays near the end of the path of the areas they had dug. These transportation arrays were an army exclusive artificial array.


    And those transportation arrays were connected to these transportation arrays before them.


    Jax took out two of the Summoning Tokens and handed each to Luka and Vera.


    "Used it only when needed," he told them. "If you encounter a problem, contact me at once."


    The two took the tokens and nodded, "Yes, Major Jax."


    Jax nodded and finally said, "Move out!"


    Luka and Vera''s teams each entered a transportation array.


    These transportation arrays would automatically activate once the number of people inside met the required quantity. It could transport twelve people at once.


    Luka and Vera each had a total of twenty-four members, including them. They would have to use the transportation array twice.


    Jax waited until both of their teams had been transported before his team also moved to thest array.


    However.


    Light-gold arrays appeared on the ground and parallelled above it. Magic fluctuations filled the air as the space inside the array twisted.


    The remaining officers, as well as Jax, stopped short in shock. All of them gaped at the array that appeared before them.


    "What in the-!" Jax eximed as a silhouette formed within the space.


    His eyes widened as soon as he recognized who it was.


    "This Heaven''s Rupture Array is a very bold move. To think you have a space mage with you, really unexpected."


    A tall, handsome man with shoulder-length ck hair and dark gray eyes d in ck armor appeared before them.


    The light-golden array disappeared, and the man looked at Jax.


    "Heaven''s Rupture Array is a tier five counteroffensive array that could destroy a defensive array two levels above it," the man was saying.


    His eyes slowly glowed silver, and with a slight smile, he said, "I''m a little offended."


    Jax gritted his teeth and growled, "Cade Regis."

 Chapter 59 Summoning Token

    All the officers in Jax''s team moved.


    The tent was suddenly filled with different color arrays as they roused their magic.


    A few of them took out their staffs, while the others took out swords, spears, or crossbows. All of them aimed their weapons at Cade.


    Jax, on the other hand, did not move and only red at Cade.


    Simrly, Cade was not bothered by all the weapons aimed at him. His eyes were fixed only at Jax.


    As the next Regis Patriarch, he obviously knew who Jax was. He was also aware of what type of magic he had and his level. And to be honest, Cade would just be bullying them if he made a move. He did not want to do that.


    He requested to handle the situation because he sensed Jax had purposely let them know the army''s movement. If this was true, then there was room for negotiation. The other elders would be able to handle it; however, in their current situation, if they wanted to negotiate, the talk must be between two representatives with authority to decide.


    "What gave it away?" Jax finally asked.


    "Hm?" Cade raised his brows at Jax''s questions.


    His question and attitude were a little puzzling.


    Did Jax really believe Cade would not be able to recognize the array they nned to counter their defensive array?


    Cade was the creator of the Regis Inner Wall defensive array. To strengthen the array, he researched many counteroffensive arrays that might be used against it. Aside from this, he created it with Kyran''s safety in mind. His goal was to create a defensive array that even a Magus could not destroy. This way, even if Kyran''s magic were exposed, they would be able to protect him within the Regis''s Inner Walls.


    Unfortunately, before Cade couldplete the defensive array, the Royal Army raided their estate.


    "Major Jax, right?" Cade started without answering Jax''s question. "Let''s be sensible. I don''t want to hurt your young officers."


    He looked at each of Jax''s team members.


    "I also don''t hold a grudge from the time your men raided our estate," he continued. "I understand that you are just taking orders. So I would ask you and your men to leave now and let us be."


    Jax sneered, "You sounded as if we attack your estate indiscriminately. Lord Cade, we both know why we ''came'' that night."


    Cade nodded, "True. The Royal Family was very adamant in apprehending anyone who practices forbidden magic. They don''t tolerate forbidden magic users. But let me ask you Major Jax. Do you have evidence that my son used his magic before your men raided us that night? Did it not ur to you that while it seems like we are protecting him; hiding him even, we actually just want to keep his magic under control?"


    Jax did not reply.


    Even the officers with him looked at each other uneasily.


    The army found about Kyran because his magic signature leaked, and they detected it. However, his magic signature remained inside the Regis Estate. It never left. They were also aware that the Regis had sealed it since he was a child. And his magic signature was too weakpared to when they fought him in the forest.


    Sensing the officers, being swayed by Cade''s words, Jax''s face turned sour.


    "Don''t make it sound like your n was doing the empire a favor," he said. "If you have reported him the moment he manifested his magic this would not happened."


    Cade smiled, but his smile was no longer friendly. Magic fluctuations started to rise around him.


    If Jax showed even a sliver of hesitation after he said his piece, he would''ve started the negotiation. But it would seem, Jax was just another Royal Armypatriot. Men like him would be hard to talk to.


    ''Then let''s not waste time,'' he thought as his silver eyes glinted malevolently.


    "What you just said sound to me like it was wrong not turn in my six-year-old son to the army so they can deal with him. And what would the army do? Experiment on him? Execute him in public? Or..."


    His magic pressure burst, and the magic arrays of every officer inside started to fluctuate.


    Jax was the only one who was still able to withstand Cade''s pressure. However, he suddenly had a bad feeling about what Cade''s next words would be, and if the officers with him hear it, the Grand Marshal would surely order to eliminate all of them.


    "Give him to the Royal Family and let them ens-"


    ''Not good!'' Jax did not think twice and immediately used the Summoning Token.


    A powerful whirlwind burst out from Jax and immediately ransacked the whole tent.


    "Aahh!"


    Some of the officers were blown away by the fierce wind.


    Jax was able to withstand the wind because he was the one who used the token, so he had a certain immunity to it.


    Cade''s eyes narrowed as the whirlwind assaulted him in all directions. However, with him being a Master Abjurer, the wind''s attack would not be enough to put a scratch on him.


    Suddenly.


    "Rawrgh!"


    A deafening roar echoed within the whirlwind.


    Cade''s brow creased as he sensed a new presence appearing within the whirlwind.


    ''Don''t tell me!'' His eyes widened as he realized what Jax did. ''A Summoning Token!''


    Within the whirlwind, two enormous ming fists appeared and aimed at Cade''s head.


    Cade immediately jumped back to evade. He roused his magic while still in midair, and two silver arrays circled his lower arms.


    Pieces of dark obsidian rocks appeared within the array, forming huge gauntlets. It covered both his arms just in time as the enormous fists that missed him hit the ground where he was just at.


    The whole ground caved in, and smashed earth circted within the whirlwind.


    Cade immediately used his arms to cover his upper body as the whirlwind, now with pieces of earth, assaulted him.


    "Rawrgh!" The voice inside the whirlwind roared in annoyance and finally stepped out of the whirlwind to grab Cade.


    It was a huge five-meter tall ming red-skinned minotaur.


    As soon as Cade touched the ground, he instantaneously rolled to his left to avoid the minotaur''s ming hand.<sub> </sub>


    The minotaur missed again, but his reflex was fast even with its size, and he used his other hand to catch Cade.


    Cade ducked to avoid the minotaur once again while also striking the ground with his right.


    Silver array appeared on the ground where his fistnded, and sharp obsidian rocks shot up from the ground toward the minotaur.


    "Rawrgh!" The minotaur roared, and the whirlwind''s range got smaller and circled him. The mes on his body ignited and formed into ming armor.


    When Cade''s attack arrived, the minotaur swiped his huge arms and instantly crushed them.


    ''Strong,'' Cade thought with narrowed eyes. His magic had higher immunity with fire type magic and physical attacks. Yet the minotaur was able to crush it like it was regr stones.


    A smile slowly formed at the corner of Cade''s lips. It had been some time since hest fought someone who could easily crush his magic.


    A few meters away from them, Jax turned to the rest of the officers and yelled, "Retreat at once!"


    This was why he did not want to use the Summoning Token. The summoned creature would only regard the one who summoned it as its ally and would destroy everything and everyone else.


    This token was a product of the Royal Army''s Research Division. However, the idea was not initially theirs. One exploration team of the Royal Army that entered the Chaos Pce was able to find a Summoning Token. It was unknown if the Dark Sage created it or a product of the demons hemanded. Recently, the Royal Army''s Research Division finally seeded in replicating the token''s ability. They also found out how to seal powerful monsters they could capture from the ruins into the tokens.


    And this minotaur was one of the rare monsters the army captured.


    All officers immediately retreated.


    They did not even look back as they heard the minotaur roared again.


    "Rawrgh!"


    The minotaur dashed toward Cade, leaving a ming trail behind him.


    This time, Cade had no intention of evading. Although the minotaur was more than twice his size, it was not the first time he had dealt with huge monsters.


    Silver arrays appeared around his body as his ck armor formed an additionalyer of thick obsidian material.


    Another huge silver array appeared in front of him and a thick gigantic obsidian shield formed.


    The minotaur crashed onto the shield, and Cade was pushed back in the process. The ground under him cracked, and the minotaur almost crushed him into it.


    "Ngh!" Cade gritted his teeth. He felt every bone on his lower body creaked in protest from the weight of the minotaur. He immediately roused the Regis body tempering technique to alleviate the strain.


    However, the minotaur''s attack was not over. He moved his huge ming fists and bombarded the shield with punches.


    Each punch from the minotaur sent a shockwave that prated Cade''s defences. He could also feel the heat from the minotaur''s mes, and his shield showed signs of melting.


    "Rawrgh!"


    This time, it was Cade''s turn to roar. His muscles bulged as he activated the Regis''s body tempering technique''s second phase.


    Cade lifted the shield and used it to counter the iing punches of the minotaur.


    "Rawrgh!" The minotaur roared in anger when Cade sessfully countered his punches and even forced both his arms upward, leaving his front wide open.


    Cade took this chance and mmed the shield on the minotaur''s abdomen.


    The minotaur was forced to step back. However, his ming armor ignited and sted toward Cade.


    "Tsk," Cade knew his shield would not hold any longer, judging from the heat of the minotaur''s mes. So he immediately jumped back.


    However, the minotaur''s right arm moved and hurled toward Cade''s left side as soon as he jumped.


    ''Ergh!''


    Cade was thrown a good few meters to his right and crashed into a few trees.


    The minotaur''s physical strength was really monstrous that if he did not activate the second phase of the Regis''s body tempering technique earlier, that one single attack from the minotaur would''ve broken his ribcage.


    Jax''s eyes widened after witnessing the exchange between Cade and the minotaur. He was actually prepared to assist the minotaur, but now he realized it was unnecessary.


    If he did, he might even hinder the minotaur''s movement.


    When Cade was thrown to the side, the minotaur chased after him.


    As soon as Cade hit thest tree, the minotaur jumped. His hands were mmed together as he aimed at Cade''s head.


    Cade''s silver eyes glinted as three silver arrays appeared above him. Three more obsidian shields formed.


    The minotaur''s fists mmed on these shields and crashed them easily.


    But this dy was enough to let Cade sessfully roll to the side and evade.


    In this kind of situation, most mages would''ve already felt despair and would n an escape.


    However, to Cade, the more he was cornered, the more he wanted to break his opponent. He was suddenly reminded of his good friend, who would alwaysment how he had a terrifying temper.


    The minotaur turned and red at Cade. He did not immediately follow up an attack after failing. He snorted, clearly in annoyance, as mes shot out of his nostrils.


    Cade returned the re as he stood up. When he went here, he did not expect to start a fight. Now that it hade to this, then he better take this seriously.


    He took a deep breath and smiled at the minotaur. Then he said, "Why don''t we take things up a notch?"


    BOOM!


    Without waiting for a reaction from the minotaur, Cade''s magic pressure suddenly erupted. Silver runes appeared all over his body. And his silver eyes glinted.


    Slowly, Cade''s pupils turned into slits.

 Chapter 60 The Regis Blessing

    Jax''s eyes widened as soon as he felt Cade''s magic pressure increasing.


    Since the Royal Army kept records on all promising Master Mages, Cade''s information was not a secret within the Royal Army with ranks Major and above.


    Before Cade got married, he got into an ident that almost crippled his magic progress. Their record noted that he would never be able to reach the Magus level because of the ident. But base on the pressure he was exerting right now, Jax felt that it was already close to a Magus.


    Few Abjurers could attain the level of a Magus, and those who did made names for themselves. One of the best examples of a Magus Abjurer was the infamous Azaloth.


    ''Such talent, a pity he will never be a Magus,'' Jax thought with a slight shake of his head.


    No. If Cade did be a Magus, it would''ve been harder for the army to take down the Regis''s Inner Wall. This was actually a good thing for them.


    ''We actually just want to keep his magic under control,''


    Cade''s words shed through Jax''s mind. Ever since Cade said those words, he tried to ignore the feeling that what they were doing was wrong from the start.


    Jax had a family of his own. His oldest son just turned five, and by next year, he might even manifest his innate magic. If his son''s innate magic was also a forbidden type, would he be able to report it to the army?


    ''Stop! Don''t think about things that has not happen. It will only dull your thoughts,'' Jax scolded himself and pushed all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind.


    He was an officer of the Royal Army; all Forbidden Magic Users should be apprehended. No exceptions.


    BOOM!


    Jax snapped out of his reverie and turned his attention back on Cade and the minotaur. His scalp almost went numb at what greeted him.


    The minotaur was thrown back a few meters away, with Cade already in pursuit.


    "What just happened?" Jax eximed.


    After Cade released the seal on his blood, it awakened the dormant magic within him. This immediately boosted not just his magic pressure but also his physical abilities. That was why the minotaur failed to react in time when he moved andnded a punch on his abdomen.


    Before the minotaur could regain his bnce, Cade had already reached him.


    Cade linked his hands and jumped. Silver arrays circled on his gauntlets as they doubled in size, and he instantaneously struck the minotaur''s head.


    The minotaur spat out a mouthful of dark red blood as he stumbled forward.


    Cade''s attack continued. While still in midair, silver arrays formed around his huge gauntlets. Its shape changed and turned into a huge obsidian hammer. He raised it high up his head before ramming it on the minotaur''s body.


    "Rawrgh!" The minotaur growled in pain as he mmed on the ground.


    The ground exploded, and earth dust spread around them.


    Cade released the shape of his magic as and it returned to normal gauntlets.


    But.


    "Rawrgh!"


    The minotaur''s ming hand appeared from the dust below and grabbed Cade''s waist.


    "Ngh!" Cade gritted his teeth as the minotaur was able to grab him and mmed him on the ground.


    Another explosion urred, and the earth dust that filled the air thickened.


    "Rawrgh!" The minotaur roared in glee. His armor burst out and was about to st the area where he mmed Cade with scorching hot mes when a silver array appeared within the dust.


    "Won''t you shut up?"


    A huge obsidian spear shot out from the array and went straight at the minotaur''s chest.


    The minotaur did not evade and instead let his ming armor burst out to defend against the spear.


    WHOOSH!


    The spear ignored the ming armor''s heat and pierced the minotaur''s chest.


    "Rawrgh!" He growled in pain.


    But it did not deter the minotaur, and instead, its mes became fierce as he bombarded with ming punches the area where Cade should be.


    Dust and mes engulfed them as the minotaur attacked in rage.


    Suddenly, several small silver arrays appeared and surrounded the minotaur at different angles. ck obsidian spears shot out on each of these arrays and pierced the minotaur''s body.<sub> </sub>


    The spears that attacked from above extended further, and its spearhead pierced the ground, pinning the minotaur in ce.


    The minotaur roared in pain.


    Jax, who was watching from afar, was gaping in horror.


    Although the dust and mes that covered the area where the two were fighting had thickened, Jax still managed to see what''s happening using his magic sense. And what he just witnessed was nothing like he had ever seen before.


    Minotaurs far exceed the level of a human''s physical prowess. And since they were born with magic, their magic attainments could not be measured by a human mage standard.


    However, Cade managed to fight the minotaur on equal terms.


    Even if Cade''s magic increased and his magic pressure wasparable to a Magus, he was still a Master mage. Unless he had saint-tier magic item focusing on defense, he would not be able to withstand a minotaur''s assault.


    Jax did not find Cade''s armor to be extraordinary. So he was sure it was not a saint-tier magic item. Then howe even when the minotaur''s attack just bombarded him, was he able to counter immediately as if he was not hurt?


    In theory, any human who got bombarded like that by a minotaur, even with an Abjurer, would end up in a mess and might even be on the verge of losing consciousness. But Cade was not.


    ''Could it be, the rumored Regis blessing?'' Jax suddenly thought, and his eyes widened in shock.


    He recalled what the army had recorded about the Regis blessing. If he remembered correctly, contrary to most thought, the Regis blessing was not draconic magic in its pure sense but dragon techniques.


    A Regis must first meet the qualification to be granted a drop of real dragon''s blood. Then in a sacred ceremony, they had to integrate this drop of blood into their system fully. Once theypleted the blood integration, then it was time for them to learn the dragon techniques. Because, if the integration of the dragon blood failed, it would have been meaningless to teach the dragon techniques to them. After all, these techniques could only be used by dragons.


    ''But they said there hand''t been new mages from the Regis who was sessful in integrating the dragon''s blood. Is Cade thest one from his generation?'' Jax wondered.


    Still, Jax was convinced it might be the case because, although Kyran, a new generation of the Regis family, had abnormal physical strength, Vera reported that it was within the eptable ''abnormality''.


    "Rawrgh!"


    The minotaur''s ming armor burst out; however, it failed to damage the spears.


    Jax squinted his eyes, trying to check on Cade.


    Slowly, the dust and mes subsided and revealed the scene inside.


    The minotaur red at the spot in front of him while still pinned in position.


    When the dust and mes in front of the minotaur cleared, it revealed Cade, now d in a full ck obsidian armor. However, on a closer look, the armor had a faint texture of dragon scales.


    Cade''s headgear moved from the top and slowly rolled down and revealed his face.


    "Is that it?"


    Cade said while looking at the minotaur; however, Jax faintly sensed he was asking him.


    "Rawrgh!" The minotaur roared and snapped his head as if trying to reach Cade and bite his head off. He continued to struggle out of the spears.


    Jax stood rooted in his spot. He could summon his magic and help the minotaur break free. However, the exchange that happened between Cade and the minotaur was etched deeply in his mind. He already knew that he would not be enough to deal with Cade even if he managed to release the minotaur. Even if he and the minotaur joined hands, they would not be able to break Cade''s defenses.


    ''His offense is quite strong as well,'' Jax thought and could not help but scowl.


    In theory, Abjurers who focused on defense magic had weak offensive magic. However, Cade''s innate magic was good both as defense as well as offense.


    ''And with the use of the Regis blessing, it seemed his magic has gotten stronger.''


    Jax remembered that before Cade''s magic increased, the minotaur was able to destroy his magic easily.


    "No answer?" Cade asked again.


    Jax closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He took a deep breath and looked at the Summoning Token in his hand.


    "Return," he said.


    The token glowed red, and a sealing rune appeared on the minotaur''s head.


    The ming armor burst and engulfed the minotaur before turning into a small whirlwind.


    Cade watched indifferently as the whirlwind shrunk and disappeared. His eyes returned to normal, and the spears in front of him reformed into obsidian rocks before disappearing.


    Finally, he turned around and looked at Jax, who was also looking at him in silence.

 Chapter 61 Outnumbered

    After being transported through the array, Vera and her team appeared inside a small round, poorly lit working area underground. Its only source of light was a faint glowing from small magic orbs mounted around the walls.


    Once their eyesight adjusted to the dim room, they noticed a small opening leading to a tunnel most likely connected to the entrance from their left.


    Vera also noticed that the size of the tunnel could only fit two people at most. She roamed her eyes and found another opening above them where an intricate array formation hovered in the air.


    The array formation above was round, and at the moment, it was not active. It had severalyers of smaller arrays inside withplex rune writings along its borders.


    Vera recalled the details of their operation in her head.


    After phase one of their operation, where they needed to activate the Heaven''s Rupture Array, the next phase was the infiltration. They would have to go to three different locations during this phase to enter the Regis Inner Wall premise. Once each team arrived at their respective locations, they would need to activate the array formation prepared beforehand. The array was an attack array that, once activated, would emit a ray of concentrated energy in a straight line. Using this attack, they would st a hole on the ground above them. Because right above them was the inner premise of the Regis Inner Wall.


    "Alright, take out the spirit stones and we''ll activate the array at once." Vera ordered her team at once.


    "Yes, Captain."


    All members get to work as they took out different types of spirit stones from their space storage. Since they had to conceal the activation of the array, they could not use their own magic energy and infuse it into the array formation. Thus, they would use the energy of the spirit stones. To do this, they need to use low-grade spirit stones to build up the formation''s energy. If they used a high-grade spirit stone at the start, the formation might get out of control and backfire on them.


    Their target time toplete the array''spletion was a quarter of an hour. So far, they still have plenty of time left.


    ''Good, we''re on schedule.'' Vera thought as she looked up at the array formation.


    Eight army officers positioned themselves below the array and activated the low-grade spirit stones they had. Soon the outer runes inside the array lit up as it started to absorb the energy of the stones. When the array formation almost absorbed all the energy of the stones, they took out new ones and prepared to activate them at once.


    The rest of the officers were on standby.


    When the eight officers started to use high-grade spirit stones, the runes around the array finally moved. It rotated within the circles and activated the smaller arrays one after another.


    Vera smiled. Her heart started to beat excitedly. She rarely got excited about starting an operation, but today was an exception since she could get even with Kyran by targeting his own people.


    However, before the array could fully activate, she suddenly felt the token Jax gave her grew warm. She took out the token to inspect it, but there was nothing wrong apart from it getting a little warm.


    ''Is this normal?'' Vera wondered.


    She knew this was a Summoning Token. But it was her first time to see and touch it.


    Shaking her head, Vera shoved the token back inside her pocket and continued to observe the array above.


    Just then, she noticed hermunication device lit up.


    ====================


    For a couple of minutes, Cade and Jax only stared at each other.


    Both of them were trying to gauge what the other might be thinking and what he would do next.


    Finally, Jax was the first to break the silence.


    "The Regis blessing is indeed formidable," he said.


    Once again, Cade was surprised at Jax''s attitude. He did have an idea of what Jax might be up to and decided to remain silent.


    "As expected of a Regis. You really keep to your principle of not attacking an unarmed person," Jax continued to make conversation.


    A faint smile appeared on Cade''s face as he raised both of his brows. He replied, "Unarmed? I doubt a mage can really be called an ''unarmed'' person."


    Jax chuckled and slightly nodded his head, "Point taken."


    Silence.


    Cade''s expression remained unreadable. However, his initial suspicion of what Jax was up to be more apparent.


    ''He''s buying time,'' he thought. ''Is he trying to contact the others to return?''


    Thinking back, the officers with Jax were too fewpared to the number he initially expected. However, Cade already knew what they were up to and made Raya and Myst wait at the locations he expected them to appear.


    Unbeknownst to Jax and even to the rest of the Regis Elders, Cade was already aware of the army''s n in digging their way inside the Regis Inner Wall. After all, he knew the weakness of his defensive array. Unfortunately, he could only wait for the day the army made their move to act as well.


    Because of the Regis n''s delicate situation, Cade could not initiate the attack against the army. If he did, the army would exploit what they did and turn the public opinion against them after they revealed the truth of their situation.<sub> </sub>


    He suddenly hoped Kyran would also keep a low profile. Knowing his son, and judging by the army''s suddenly aggressive move, however, he probably did something that angered them.


    If this situation were happening in another n, they would probably condemn their n member for acting rampant.


    But to Cade, no, to the whole Regis Family, the more Kyran acted rampantly, the more they would feel reassured. Not that they tolerate such behavior. It was just that Kyran rarely acted out. And that worried them. Because whenever he did, he ended up hurting someone and himself.


    Kyran would definitely grow as a person because of this.


    "Lord Cade," Jax''s voice broke Cade''s thoughts.


    "Major," Cade replied.


    "Should you really be wasting your time here?" Jax asked.


    Cade smiled, "Why Major? Is my presence boring you?"


    "Not at all. I prefer it to be honest. But aren''t you worried while you''re idling here your defensive array will be destroyed?" Jax replied and looked behind him where the Heaven''s Rupture Array was still trying to destroy the Regis''s defensive array.


    Cade lifted his gaze and looked at the violet veil spreading over the Regis barrier. He said, "I am actually more worried about what you''re plotting right now-."


    BOOM!


    The two transportation arrays near Jax exploded, and two enormous monsters suddenly appeared.


    One of the two monsters was a ferocious-looking ogre with dark green skin. His head was full of scars, and his height and build were the same as the minotaur. In his hand, he held a huge club with spikes. The other one was a seven-meter tall cyclops wearing two ming gauntlets. He was not buffedpared with the minotaur and the ogre, but his height could already threaten any mage.


    "Rawrgh!" Both of them roared, spitting out saliva in the process.


    Another explosion urred behind the two monsters, and a whirlwind appeared.


    The minotaur, looking as if he did not suffer earlier, appeared from the whirlwind. He did not roar, but his menacing eyes were looking at Cade.


    Behind the two monsters, he saw two silhouettes of humans.


    "I suppose, you did not expect there to be more of these monsters." Jax''s voice came from behind the minotaur.


    Cade''s eyes narrowed as he saw the monsters. He watched as Jax came in front of the monsters. The other two silhouettes stepped out from the smoke and joined him.


    ''A captain,'' he thought after recognizing one of the two people who joined Jax, from the records their scouts were able to collect on the army personnel.


    The man was wearing a green uniform and was looking at him indifferently.


    Cade turned his attention to the girl who was wearing a simr green uniform.


    He did not know her, but he knew she was also a captain based on the bronze badge she was wearing.


    Unlike the man, the woman was ring furiously at Cade. However, he had a feeling that she was not really looking at ''him''.


    "I already know you''re trying to buy time. So you actually called for reinforcements," Cade replied.


    He observed the monsters and noticed they were docile.


    When Jax summoned the minotaur for the first time, Cade had the impression that summoned monsters were hostile.


    "Well, since my minotaur can''t deal with you alone, I reckoned more hands might do the trick." Jax replied.


    "Don''t worry. These summons are tamer than you think. Since theye from the same group of Summoning Tokens, they will listen well to orders."


    Cade smiled, "I see. No wonder they''re acting docile."


    "You are very strong, Lord Cade. But today, we will do everything in order to seed in this operation. We cannot fail," Jax said.


    "What a coincidence. I can''t fail in this operation as well," Cade said.


    Before Jax and the others could react, Cade already made a move.

 Chapter 62 Overturn

    "Go!" Jax shouted right after Cade moved.


    The three monsters roared. They moved to intercept Cade''s advance.


    Among the three, it was the minotaur who was ahead. Although the minotaur and the ogre''s size difference was not apparent, he moved slower because the ogre''s flesh had more weight than the minotaur. On the other hand, the cyclops moved slowly; however, he could still keep up because of his long strides, thanks to his long lower limbs.


    Silver arrays circled Cade''s obsidian gauntlets. He had no intention of avoiding these monsters. But he dare not neglect Jax and the other two captain''s movements while he faced the summoned monsters.


    Suddenly, the cyclops jumped.


    The whole ground trembled, and Cade immediately stopped.


    ''Not good,'' he thought with narrowed eyes as the cyclops raised his fists high above his head while in midair.


    The other two monsters veered to the side. They avoided the spot where the cyclops wouldnd while still running toward Cade.


    Cade jumped back in time before the cyclopsnded on the ground while simultaneously mming both his fists on the spot where he was just at.


    The whole ground exploded from the impact, creating a huge crater.


    Right after that, the cyclops'' gauntlets burst out a straight line made of fire that went toward Cade, who justnded on the ground a few meters in front.


    ? Obsidian shields appeared on all sides of Cade and enclosed him. The shields protected him from the debris as well as the scorching me.


    ''This mes!'' He was shocked the moment the mes hit his shields.


    The mes used by the cyclops were superior to the minotaur''s mes.


    Sensing that the shields had started to melt from the mes, Cade immediately urged his magic to continuously reinforced the shields.


    When the cyclops'' me attack subsided, the minotaur appeared at Cade''s right side and rammed his shield.


    "Ngh!" Cade gritted his teeth as he got sted to his left.


    Then.


    "Rawrgh!"


    ''These guys!'' Cade''s eyes narrowed as he noticed the ogre with his spiked club raised above his head was already waiting for him to his left.


    Surprisingly, the three monsters were actually working together!


    ''This is starting to get troublesome,'' Cade thought, clearly perturbed.


    Five silver arrays appeared in session on the ground leading to the ogre. Thick walls made of obsidian rocks rose from each array.


    Cade hit the first wall, which greatly reduced his momentum of getting sted toward the ogre''s side.


    However, the ogre did not stand idle. As soon as the walls appeared, he swung his spiked club and smashed the nearest wall.


    The cyclops and the minotaur also followed suit and ran to their side.


    Cade''s dark gray eyes shed. It glowed silver as his pupil turned into slits. His armor shifted and covered his whole body.


    With three walls left between Cade and the ogre, his magic pressure burst out as the obsidian shields around him turned into smaller pieces of obsidian rocks.


    These rocks turned into a 2.5-meter long spear which Cade grabbed with his right as he turned to face the iing ogre.


    ''First take one of them down!'' He thought.


    Cade lifted the spear to his right. And with enough momentum left from when he got sted, he stepped his left foot forward and released the spear aiming at the ogre.


    Jax, Luka, and Vera all looked on with wide eyes. They did not expect Cade to initiate a counteroffensive right after getting hit by the minotaur.


    Because there were still walls between the ogre and the spear, the ogre did not see the iing spear and continue to rush toward the next wall. He smashed it with his spiked club without breaking a sweat.


    As the spear gained momentum, a small orb of dark purple energy appeared on its spearhead, and energy around was drawn into it. Dark purple energy coiled on the spear''s shaft and the air around it crackled as if trying to prate the space.


    "That spear!" Jax''s eximed as he remembered an old rumor about the Regis Family.


    The rumor was that one of the reasons the Royal Family did not dare subdue the Regis Family after they decided to close their doors was because the Regis spear could easily prate the space and destroy everything.


    Jax thought it was a manner of speech, thinking that the Regis spear mentioned in the rumor was about the Regis''s strength.


    After seeing the spear, Cade created; however, Jax wondered if the spear in the rumor was actually a real weapon.


    When the spear was only a few feet away from thest wall, the dark purple energy''s force immediately sted the whole wall and went straight to the ogre.


    "No!"


    Jax, Luka, and Vera eximed. The three of them felt that the ogre''s defense would not withstand the spear''s force.<sub> </sub>


    Vera''s eyes narrowed. Because she was the one who summoned the ogre, she would not let him be destroyed. She moved at once and lifted both her arms. She aimed her hands at the space between the spear and the ogre, and a yellow array started to form in that space.


    WOOOSH!


    The spear shattered the array without much suspense.


    "Guh!" Vera splurted a mouthful of blood as her magic backfired.


    "Vera!" Luka and Jax eximed.


    Luka rushed to her side before she dropped to the ground. He knew very well how bad the damage one would receive after a magic attack backfired. After all, he experienced it recently. He took out a healing pill and handed it to her.


    "Take this," he said and helped her drink the pill.


    "I''ll leave Vera to you," Jax told Luka and rushed to the battlefield.


    "Yes," Luka replied.


    Vera wanted to protest. However, knowing her body had not fully recovered yet and even took damage after her magic backfired, she knew she would only be a burden.


    Luka, on the other hand, was once again reminded how his magked the offensive capability. It was frustrating that in this kind of fight, he could only watch and provide support.


    Jax did not want to admit it, but he had underestimated Cade''s strength. The ident that almost crippled Cade did not mean his overall strength had diminished. Most likely, he focused on strengthening himself to cover up his wed magic.


    Back to the side of the battle, the spear finally arrived before the ogre.


    The ogre swung his spiked club to counter the spear.


    But.


    "Rawrgh!" The ogre roared in agony as the spear sted the spiked club and also destroyed his arms in the process.


    Luka''s eyes widened as he saw this scene. Just how much power did that spear have?


    His question was answered when the spear''s momentum did not stop and continued to pierce the ogre''s chest.


    A huge hole appeared on the ogre''s chest, and the mixture of blood, flesh, and internal organs gushed out from the ogre''s back the moment the spear went through.


    The ogre''s agonized expression was frozen as he started to fall. But before he touched the ground, his whole body had already disintegrated. At the same time, Vera''s Summoning Token shattered.


    Jax, Luka and Vera were shocked by this. With just one hit, the ogre waspletely destroyed.


    "RAWRGH!" The cyclops and the minotaur roared in anger the moment the ogre disappeared.


    The cyclops rammed his fists on the ground and broke it again.


    The minotaur jumped just in time to avoid getting hit. While in midair, he grabbed one broken piece of debris that flew near him and burned it before throwing it at Cade.


    Cade looked at the iing burning debris and raised his right hand. As if being drawn by an invisible force, the spear that had pierced the ogre turned and returned to Cade.


    The cyclops'' gauntlets burst, and he also punched the pieces of debris that were in the air. These pieces of debris all flew toward Cade like small meteors.


    Cade grabbed the spear with one hand. Dark purple energy coiled at the spearhead, and when the burning pieces of debris were only a few meters away, he swept the spear in front of him. The dark purple energy was released, forming an arc, and went straight to the iing pieces of debris.


    The moment the dark purple energy hit all the debris, it all broke into pieces.


    Jax''s eyes narrowed, seeing how effortlessly Cade countered the attacks of the cyclops and the minotaur.


    ''No time to hesitate!'' He thought and finally roused his magic.


    Jax spread his arms, and light red arrays appeared one after another on his arms. More arrays appeared and circled the whole area where Cade and the monsters were fighting.


    Noticing Jax''s movement, Cade looked at the light red arrays slowly enclosing the area around them. He sighed and looked at the monsters who were still approaching.


    ''I want to take care of these guys though,'' he thought sounding a little disappointed.


    Cade took a deep breath and swung his spear to the side. He crouched a little before dashing toward the minotaur.


    "Rawrgh!"


    The minotaur roared as he also dashed toward Cade.


    Cade suddenly stopped. As he dragged the spear to his side, dark purple energy already could on the spearhead. Then he aimed the spear, not at the minotaur but Jax.


    Luka and Vera, who saw this scene, could not help but gasp.


    "Major!" They eximed.

 Chapter 63 The Flaw

    ''Humph,'' Jax sneered as he saw the spearing his way.


    Before the spear reached him, the light red arrays he summoned finally connected and fully enclosed the whole area. Immediately, the area was engulfed by a light red veil, and all movements, magic activity, even the sound inside stopped.


    The spear also stopped halfway and fell to the ground.


    "What just happened?" Vera wondered out loud when the light red veil appeared.


    From their standpoint, they could no longer see anything inside the enclosed field.


    Luka''s eyes narrowed. He had been under Jax''s leadership for a couple of years now, but he had never seen Jax used his magic before. Looking at the enclosed field in front of them, Luka suddenly had an inkling that Jax''s magic was not the main question here, but how he could create this ''veil''.


    Jax was not a Magus, but this enclosed field looked like a domain.


    "This is... not a domain, is it?" Vera said in confusion and looked at Luka. She was originally not part of Jax''s leadership; thus, she was unfamiliar with everyone''s magic.


    Luka shook his head, "I''m not sure. It looks like a domain but..."


    "You haven''t seen Major Jax use his magic before?"


    "No," Luka answered with a slight shake of his head. "He usually works alone. If he works with the rest of us, he only provides support."


    Vera''s brow creased slightly, but she did not pursue the topic and only looked back at the enclosed field in front of them.


    Since they could not see what was happening inside, they could only wait.


    This also gave Vera time to absorb the healing pill she took and recover a little.


    Vera shifted and moved into a sitting position. Luka, sensing this, also moved aside to give her space.


    "Luka, I''ll try to recover from my wounds. Please take the first watch," she said.


    Luka nodded, "Go ahead. I''ll arrange for reinforcements as well."


    "Thanks."


    While Vera meditated, Luka got to work and sent out coded messages to the remaining teams on standby back at their makeshift camp. After receiving a reply that reinforcements were on the way, he sat cross-legged on the ground and observed the enclosed field.


    This turn of events was not part of any scenarios in their operation. When Luka received a message from Jax to return, he was rmed because Jax would never order him to return if it was not an emergency.


    That was why he and Vera immediately used the transportation array to return.


    The setup of the transportation array at the underground working area was different from the one at the tent. If the previous transportation array would automatically activate once it had 12 people inside, the one at the working area would activate as long as you roused your magic into the array. Of course, it would not activate with just any magic. As long as the magic signature came from any of the team officers, it would activate. This setup was one of the safety measures they had in case the infiltration failed, and they had to escape. If the array had the same setup as the one at the tent, then they would be trapped if their number did not meet the minimum requirement to activate it. Having the array recognized only a specific magic signature also prevents pursuers from activating the transportation array because it would not be recognized.


    Luka took a deep breath and crossed his arms. Before the start of their operation, they already reviewed the abilities of the Regis''s leaders. In case they encountered them, they prepared countermeasures to escape. Yes, escape. They did not n on fighting them head-on. The gap of their level was too big, and if they get into a fight, they would only be throwing their lives. The Summoning Token Jax gave them was also another countermeasure. They were supposed to use it when they met any of the Regis Elders, as well as the Patriarch and his son. In their opinion, the strength and the defense of the summoned monster would be enough to keep them busy.


    Who would''ve thought that even after Jax used his Summoning Token to deal with Cade, he would still be in a bind and would even call Luka and Vera over? And even after having three monsters face him, Cade didn''t look pressured at all.


    Luka remembered how Cade easily destroyed the ogre with a single spear attack and shivered.


    ''He''s an Abjurer right? Howe his offense was strong as well?'' He thought.


    Even if Cade mastered two specializations, there would definitely be a level gap from his initial specialization to the second. But Cade showed he was good at both, which was scary.


    Cade''s strength was too unexpected that Jax was even forced to use his magic.<sub> </sub>


    Luka wanted to believe that Jax''s magic could really counter Cade. Since Jax did not tell them to retreat before he went to battle, it meant he was confident enough.


    ''Please be safe Major,'' Luka prayed sincerely in his heart.


    ====================


    Inside the strategy meeting room at the Inner Wall Defense Headquarters of the Regis Inner Wall.


    Patriarch Aron and the rest of the elders were currently observing the three projections on the table. Two of the projections showed Raya and Myst''s current location. They were already in position and were waiting for the Royal Army''s Infiltration Squad to appear. Thest projection, which was also positioned at the center of the table, showed Cade''s battlefield.


    From the start of the Royal Army''s attack, all of them had been watching. Right now, they were staring at the light red enclosed field that Jax used to trap Cade with him and the monsters inside.


    Normally, the panel watching such a situation would be anxious to know the odds of their own man inside the entrapment. However, the expressions of the elders and the Patriarch remained indifferent. This attitude was proof of their trust in Cade.


    "Jax is not part of any n, however, he managed to enter the Royal Army and even be a Major. This means he is capable," Greermented as if they were watching a normal urrence.


    As the person in charge of the assessment team, he was familiar with all the information of the Royal Army personnel stationed at their premises.


    Although the Summoning Tokens were not part of their current information, its addition had minimal effect on their overall strategy.


    Aron nodded his head and said, "This would be the first time he showed his magic inside the Regis Estate."


    "Correct," Greer agreed. "We know that he is a support mage with a possibility of bing an Enchanter if he bes a High Master. Unfortunately, we can''t confirm what it is. Even the Conve does not have any record of when he used it in battle. "


    "Meaning the Royal Army put a tight lid on it," Aron smiled sideways.


    "Do you think this field is a domain?" Arabe asked and looked at him.


    "No. The magic fluctuation from it is too crude. His level might have reached the threshold of a High Adept though. He should''ve already been promoted, why he remains a Major may mean there is a w in his magic," Aron replied. He contemted for a moment before an idea crossed his mind, "Maybe there is a condition he has to meet in order to use his magic. Or he has a usage limit."


    "Makes sense," Abe agreed. "If he was promoted to a Lt. Colonel, he will be transferred to one of the empire''s borders and participate in overt operations. If he can''t use his magic at will, he will be a deterrent in their battle strategy."


    ? Aron nodded in agreement. His eyes narrowed, and he said, "The Royal Family will only recognize and promote those who they can use."


    The atmosphere inside the room suddenly darkened.


    It was not a secret that the Regis n had differing principles from the Royal Family. The public believed that this was why the Regis closed their doors and decided to live in seclusion. It was to prevent any war if both families fought for their own principles.


    However, this was not the case. Because even when the Regis had their doors open, they were already in an estranged rtionship with the Royal Family.


    "Patriarch," Eleanor spoke and broke the tension.


    "What is it?" Aron asked and looked at her.


    "Earlier, when Lord Cade said that the army''s movement was not a trap, you asked if he ''noticed it''. I was wondering what you meant back then?" She asked while looking at him.


    Aron smiled faintly and answered, "The army''s movement was deliberate. They wanted to let us know that they are nning something and to prepare beforehand."


    Except for Abe, the rest of the Regis elders all gasped in surprise.


    "Why would they do that?" Zennif asked.


    Aron looked back at the projection and replied, "Most likely, Major Jax, the one in-charge is not that receptive in executing their operation."

 Chapter 64 Arcum

    The elders exchanged confused looks.


    Abe then looked at the projection and fell silent.


    Before the battle erupted from Cade''s side, they could only see the tent. They were not able to see what was happening inside. Even if they could, they would not hear what they were saying.


    But Abe noticed that there were a few minutes before the battle started. If it was him doing a covert operation and he was found out, he would first talk. Of course, it would also depend on the other person. If he were sure the other person was unreasonable, he would proceed with their backup n and retreat to safety instead of talking.


    Jax''s had the advantage in number, but Cade was a level above all of them. On top of that, he was an Abjurer.


    Abe wondered if Cade requesting to handle the operation had more meaning to it.


    "Lord Cade specifically went to where the leader of the operation would be. Did he n to talk to the leader before doing anything?" Abe wondered out loud.


    Aron nodded, "That''s right. However, Jax might have said something that did not sit well with Cade. That''s why it led to a battle instead. If there is another chance, I hope Cade will try again."


    "Talk about what exactly? At this point, I don''t see any point in talking to them." Eleanormented with a slight frown.


    Hearing Eleanor''s doubt, the rest of the elders were also confused. Wasn''t it toote to talk to them? After all, they had been at odds for almost a week now. Besides, the army obviously had ns to kill them if they would fight back. Those summoned monsters were proof.


    Although Cade made the monsters look like harmless cute creatures, if those monsters were unleashed inside the Regis Inner Wall, they could easily massacre many of their n members before they could kill one.


    Aron smiled. He looked at Eleanor and answered, "The talk is just an excuse to gather intel."


    "Gather intel?"


    Aron nodded and looked back at the projection, "Yes."


    "Forgive me, Patriarch. I still don''t understand," Eleanor said in confusion.


    "''The Royal Family will only recognize and promote those they can use.''" Aron repeated with a slight smile. "Then why is Jax still in the army?"


    The elders exchanged nces once again.


    "It means someone is keeping him there." Aron continued without waiting for the elders to answer. "Now, who has the power to keep someone, who the Royal Family would deem useless, in the army?"


    "The Grand Marshal," Eleanor replied.


    "Correct. Now, why would the Grand Marshal want to keep Jax and defy the Royal Family? Most likely, though he can''t utilize magic in overt operations, it might be different in covert operations."


    Every elder suddenly realized something, and their eyes narrowed.


    "We all know how obsessed the Royal Family is when ites to those mages reported or confirmed practicing or using forbidden magic. They would make a deal out of it. However, they are dealing with our ''situation'' differently. Initially, we all agreed that the Royal Family was trying to keep this incident under wraps because they did not want to spread unrest to the whole empire. After all, we''re talking about the most feared forbidden magic. Not to mention, our n is involved. They even limit the army''s movement by making use of the mercenaries to search for my grandson. However, Jax''s unexpected action made me realize something. It seems we have it all wrong right from the start," Aron exined.


    "So this is the real reason why their manpower is limited?" Arabe said with an incredulous expression as she slowly understood everything.


    The others also could not help shaking their head after realizing what Aron was trying to say.


    "We''re only dealing with the army. No. At most, maybe only a part of the army." Zennif added with a thoughtful look.


    Aron nodded in agreement. "Yes. We can already confirm that the highest authority we''re dealing with is the Grand Marshal because of Jax''s involvement. However, why is he not using more high-rank officers in dealing with us?"


    Abe suddenly shook his head in disdain, "Obviously, the Royal Army has their own power struggle. After failing to take the young master, the Grand Marshal did not want this to be known by the other deputies."


    "Correct," Aron agreed.


    Greer sighed, "No wonder that man, Jax, was brave to give us a warning. He is not afraid of being found out because there is no ''Royal Family'' involved to enact severe punishment. The Grand Marshal also cannot punish him openly because if he did, then the rest of the army and even the Royal Family might find out what he was up to."


    "And that is what Cade wanted to find out by talking to them. I also find the Grand Marshal''s reasons to keep this operation a secret... strange. Especially with the conditions, they set when they requested a bounty to the Mercenary Hall."


    "Take the young master alive," Greer said with narrowed eyes.


    The others fell silent.


    They now had a general idea that the Grand Marshal might be plotting something that involved taking Kyran alive. He was not using the whole army, which meant he did not want the other deputies to know his ns. This in itself was good for the Regis. They just had to n their next course of action properly and not rm the rest of the army and the Royal Family.


    Previously, they were on the defensive because they did not have the ability to fight the whole army. However, if it was only a part of the army, then that was a different story. It would be easier for them to n a counterattack as long as they knew which part of the army they were dealing with.<sub> </sub>


    Now, they only had to wait for Cade to confirm everything.


    ====================


    Inside the light red field.


    Jax wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeves as he looked at Cade''s spear that fell on the ground.


    It had been a close one. If his arrays did not connect and activate on time, this spear would''ve hit and destroyed him.


    He took a deep breath and then looked at the monsters who had stopped moving.


    Both the cyclops and the minotaur had a fierce look on their faces, but their eyes had lost their focus. As if they were looking at something, and yet they were not really looking at anything.


    ''Leave them for now,'' Jax thought.


    Finally, he turned and looked at Cade.


    Cade was in the same position when he threw the spear, just before Jax''s magic activated. With Cade''s armor hiding his face, though, Jax could not see his expression.


    ''Him not moving is enough proof. My magic was able to prate his senses,'' Jax thought with a slight smile.


    Jax''s magic was a mirage. Once he managed to trap his target inside his ''veil'', their five senses would fall into an illusion.


    Normally, the illusion was a continuation of the things they initially thought were happening. Thus, his target would not be able to notice that he was already inside an illusion.


    However, Jax was not aware of what his target was seeing. He could only deduce. In Cade''s case, he probably thought he seeded in hitting Jax with his spear and was now busy dealing with the cyclops and the minotaur.


    Simrly, the monsters were also seeing an illusion of their own.


    ''Still, trapping all five senses of these three took a lot of my energy. And this veil is constantly consuming my reserves,'' he thought as he took out two bottles of dark blue liquid from his space storage ring.


    These two bottles were high-grade energy replenishing potions. Normally, half of a high-grade replenishing potion would be enough to replenish his energy. Now, half of it could barely keep him from fainting due to energy depletion.


    After downing the two bottles, Jax threw the empty bottles to the sides and took out his dagger. Finally, he started to walk toward Cade''s position.


    Of course, he would not just stand idle while Cade was in his own illusion.


    Now that Cade was not moving, this would be the perfect time for Jax to deal him fatal damage.


    He looked at the mes on the cyclops gauntlets and lifted his hand. Light red arrays formed on his palm as he aimed it toward the cyclops.


    The mes on the cyclops gauntlets shifted and flew toward Jax''s direction. When the mes arrived in front of his palm, he controlled it and integrated it into his dagger.


    It was not that Jax was incapable of summoning fire magic. But his fire element affinity was too low that he could not use it to attack. Besides, he noticed that the mes from the cyclops'' gauntlets dealt more damage to Cade''s shield than the minotaur.


    If Jax wanted to break the defenses on Cade''s armor, then Jax would need a strong me that could prate it.


    "Well, Lord Cade, time to end this-."


    "Exactly, you took your time."


    "W-Wha!"


    The suspended arm of Cade suddenly moved and grabbed Jax''s face before he could even react.


    "Arcum!" Cade shouted.


    Golden runes shot out from Cade''s arms and circled Jax''s body, binding him.


    "Aahh!" Jax screamed in pain as the runes prated his magic defenses and went through his clothes. These runes sunk into his skin and engraved themselves all over his body.


    A golden rune appeared on his forehead, and soon his eyes lost their focus.

 Chapter 65 Regis Special Force

    "Captain, Luka."


    The leading officer from the reinforcement saluted at Luka as soon as they arrived.


    Luka nodded his head and gestured for them to be at ease. He also noticed that the team with Jax earlier was included in their numbers.


    ''Good, I thought there had been casualties earlier when I did not see them. Looks like Major Jax ordered their retreat on time,'' he thought.


    "Major Jax is still inside this field with Lord Cade. We have yet to know the situation. For now, everyone will be on standby. We''ll proceed ording to n. If we first hear from the two infiltration teams inside the Regis Inner Wall, we''ll provide reinforcements as needed. Then the rest will stay and support the Major." Luka told them.


    "Yes, Captain Luka."


    "Harris, you and your members will guard Captain Vera while she is recuperating."


    Harris, a man with short dark brown hair and green eyes in green uniform, stepped out from among the officers and saluted.


    "Yes, Captain." He replied.


    Together with three more officers in green uniforms, Harris went to Vera.


    Vera was still sitting on the ground, meditating.


    "Layton," Luka turned to a man among the members of Jax''s team.


    "Sir," Layton stepped forward. He was a man with light brown hair and ck eyes. Unlike most of the reinforcements assigned to Luka and Vera''s squad, Layton and the rest of his team were wearing a red uniform.


    "Could you give me a brief report of what happened before the confrontation with Lord Cade started?" Luka asked.


    "Yes, sir."


    For the next few minutes, Luka listened to Layton''s report. His brows creased when he heard Lord Cade''s words when Jax rebuked the Regis''s decision to hide Kyran.


    Luka also thought Cade had a point.


    But what got his attention was how Jax used the Summoning Token when Cade had not even attacked. At first, Luka thought Jax could have made the first move to catch Cade off guard, but he was surprised that the battle started because Cade said something about the Royal Family.


    Luka turned to Layton and asked again, "Do you remember Lord Cade''s exact words before Major Jax summoned the minotaur?"


    Layton pondered for a while before saying, "Lord Cade said, ''What would the army do? Experiment with him? Execute him in public? Give him to the Royal Family to...'', then Major Jax moved. That''s all I remember, Captain Luka."


    "Are you sure Lord Cade said, ''give him to the ''Royal Family''''? Not Royal Army?"


    Layton nodded his head, "I am sure. The others can testify to that."


    "Thanks, Layton. I want you to lead the rest of your team and continue with the operation. Since you''re missing headcount for the transportation array, take Maxim with you."


    Layton saluted, "Yes, sir."


    As instructed by Luka, Layton approached Maxim, a tall, buffed guy with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes in a red uniform. Then they joined the rest of Jax''s team before going to the transportation array they were supposed to use. After checking that they had the things they needed, they left at once.


    Luka only watched in silence as they left because he was thinking about Layton''s report.


    He was grateful that as a mage, Layton''s memory was good. He even remembered what Cade said. However, even after hearing it, Luka could not make head nor tail out of it.


    ''''Give him to the Royal Army and... what?'''' Luka pondered.


    Never did a situation urred that a forbidden magic-user was surrendered to the Royal Family. What Cade said about being experimented upon was true, though. And definitely, the execution part.


    The more Luka ponder, the more he started to doubt Jax''s reason for using the token was to catch Cade off guard.


    Jax obviously interrupted Cade. But he was not someone who would get angry with anyone just because they said something wrong against the Royal Family. Not to mention, Cade had not even said anything yet.


    Scratching his head, Luka took a deep breath.


    ''Stop thinking for now and focus first,'' he decided and looked at the light red field again.


    The truth, he was starting to worry about what was happening inside.


    ''Why is there no movement? It''s been more than half an hour since Major Jax summoned this field,'' Luka thought.


    His Summoning Token was still intact, so his summon was still alive. Whether the cyclops was still fighting Cade or not, he did not know. Unfortunately, the token did not have the ability to let him know what his summoned monster was doing.


    Apart from that, they could not hear anything within the field.


    Luka''smunication device suddenly lit up. He looked at it and read the coded message sent by his team.


    A smile appeared on his face. His team had sessfully entered the Regis Inner Wall and created the array that would help boost the Heaven''s Rupture Array from within. Not only them, but Vera''s team alsopleted their tasks without any problem.


    Now both teams were on their way to perform their second task. His team''s second task was to secure the water source located in the southwest area of the Regis Inner Wall. At the same time, Vera''s team needed to find where the Regis were keeping their food supply. Unfortunately, they did not know where the Regis store their food. They only deduced it was somewhere north of the estate because the outer wall''s food storage was also there. In terms of transporting foods inside and outside the walls, they should be in the same direction.


    Jax''s team was supposed to infiltrate and control themunication tower. This way, the other two infiltrating teams could work with less obstruction. But since they had been dyed, the other two teams would have to practice double caution.<sub> </sub>


    ====================


    After Luka''s team sessfully sted a hole from the underground working area''s ceiling, they made their way up.


    But no one expected the scene that greeted them as soon as they surfaced inside the Regis Inner Wall.


    An array immediately activated around the hole, and all of them plummeted back into the working area. Some of the members were able tond without a scratch. Some who were unfortunate suffered broken bones. Others who hit their head also lost their consciousness.


    They had spells to break their fall as mages, but the array used against them had a stunning effect, and all of them failed to summon their arrays.


    To make matters worse, ten people in ck leather armor and half face masks appeared after they fell back to the working area.


    The moment these people appeared, Sander, the acting team leader, paled. He recognized their uniform and the insignia of the Regis on their gauntlets.


    These people were part of the Regis Special Force. They were small in number, but their teamwork and top-notch abilities could rival the Royal Army''s Special Ops. Furthermore, they were allbat mages with specialized magic. They were also the reason the Regis sessfully evacuated their people within the Inner Wall with fewer casualties.


    After these men appeared, it was a no-brainer what happened to Sander and the rest of his team.


    The Regis Special Force subdued them, confiscating all their magic items, including theirmunication devices. Then tied them up.


    Sander and the others did not even have a chance to notify Luka that their mission had failed.


    Then the man who seemed to be the leader of the Regis Special Force used one of the army''smunication devices and even sent out a coded message.


    How did he know the Royal Army''s coded letters? And all theirmunication devices had their own magic code to prevent outsiders from using them. But the man was able to use it without a problem.


    "I''m done," the man said and threw themunication device to the side where the gathered army''s items were.


    "All yours," he said and turned to another man beside him.


    The other man nodded, he lifted his hand, and two light golden arrays appeared beneath and above the items.


    Sander''s eyes widened, "W-What are you going to do?"


    Sander was actually waiting for their side to notice that their signal had not left their spot and realize something was wrong. However, if this man did destroy their devices, then it would rm the army even more. He was notining, but if the others arrived and were ambushed, he would not forgive himself.


    The other man''s arrays rotated and met at the middle, then exchanged ces. As soon as the arrays went past each other, the items made crackling sounds. Light green arrays appeared on all themunication devices and hovered above each. The arrays crackled, and the still conscious army officers witnessed the runes on the light green arrays started to reassemble.


    ''This-!'' Sander was shocked. ''But it''s impossible!''


    This was clearly Rune Reconstruction. However, this ability was only a theory. Because if a mage wanted to reconstruct an array, they had to have a clear understanding of the runes used on that array.


    It was true that a mage could learn and use other runes apart from the runes of their innate magic. However, it was different from understanding it. Basically, a mage was only borrowing already made runes to summon particr magic.


    It was like writing words without fully understanding each character.


    Most magic items wereposed of different types of rune writings, and one main array would keep them together.


    The army''smunication devices were the same.


    However, this man from the Regis was actually reconstructing their devices. It meant this man understand every type of runes there were in theirmunication device!


    "I''m done here," the man finally said after the crackling sounds of the runes within the light green arrays faded.


    "What did you do?" Sander demanded.


    The man with the reconstruction ability looked at him, and a faint smile appeared on his face. Instead of answering, he turned and looked at the man who was leading them.


    "Hey, lead. Are we really not going to silence these guys? I mean those still conscious did see me use my ability," he said.


    Sander paled after hearing this.


    The man called as lead chuckled. He replied, "There''s no rush. We still need them."


    He looked at Sander and smiled, "But you''re right. We can''t have them report back what they see here."


    Light gold array formed on his palm as he approached Sander.


    "W-Wait! In this situation, its unlikely that we can report anything back to our superiors!" Sander tried to reason. "It''s not like we can escape from you guys. Y-You can actually use us as prisoners of war or-!"


    The man ced his hand on top of Sander''s head.


    Sander immediately froze in fear.


    "Rx. I did say we still need you guys," the man said with a smile as the light golden array on his hand expanded and multiplied before circling Sander from the top of his head.


    "Aahh!" He screamed.

 Chapter 66 Cooperation

    The situation at Vera''s team was a little different.


    After they were sted back to the working area, and the Regis Special Force assigned to intercept them appeared, most of those who were still able to move attacked fiercely.


    The man leading the Regis Special Force suddenly unleashed a gravity field which rendered all the army officers unable to move. Then the men in ck leather armor moved and knocked them out cold.


    What happened after was very much the same with the other side.


    The leader took out a golden disc. It lit up, and after a few seconds, the silhouette of the other leader of the special force appeared.


    "How''s everything there, Raya?"


    "We''re done. Just had to clear the memories of some officers here," Raya replied.


    With a sigh, the leader shook his head and said, "You... Did you forget to knock them out before taking care of their items?"


    Rayaughed uneasily, "Ahaha... well some who were still conscious fell hard and probably suffered head concussion. If we knock them out we might kill them. Lord Cade doesn''t want that."


    "Is that really the case? Pete,"


    "Yes, lead Myst." The man who had the reconstruction ability from Raya''s end replied when he heard his name.


    "You guys are trying to show off again aren''t you?" Myst scolded.


    Pete also chuckled, "It was nice to see their surprised faces."


    Raya chuckled and grinned at Myst even when he was already ring at him.


    "Rx, Myst. They only saw Pete in action so its not really hard to remove that scene from their memory," he reasoned.


    "Is it really? I bet you also showed them you can ess theirmunication devices," Myst said with a deadpan tone.


    "Ah.. I think I did. Wait, let me remove that part as well."


    Raya disappeared from the disc''s view, and Myst could not help but sigh.


    Though the existence of the Regis Special Force was not a secret, the Royal Army''s information about them was superficial. If the army found out that they did not provide all the information about their specialized abilities, the army would have more reasons to attack their n.


    After less than a minute, Raya returned and said, "There. Done removing that part too."


    "Okay. Five members here will take the army''smunication devices out and make it appear as if their men were still out doing their task. Then the rest of us will return to point A, along with these guys," Myst said and pointed at the unconscious army officers.


    "Alright. Five from our side already left with themunication devices. We''re just preparing the array and will transport these guys to point A," Raya confirmed.


    "That''s good. See you guys back there."


    Raya nodded before disconnecting.


    Myst returned the disc to his pocket before looking at the army''s transportation array. He was tempted to destroy this array. However, when Lord Cade told them of their mission, destroying the array was not part of it.


    ''I wonder what Lord Cade was up to,'' he wondered.


    But he was not really worried because he believed that the next Regis Patriarch would never n something that would harm the n.


    ====================


    Inside the light red field.


    Cade finally released Jax after almost an hour.


    "Argh!" Jax fell on his knees with a thud.


    When he hit the ground, his knees also gave way, and he fell forward. He tried to support his weight using his arms, but even his arms were shaking.


    "W-What did y-you do to me?" He demanded while trying to get up and catch his breath.


    Cade sat on the ground and faced Jax before replying, "Don''t worry. You''d feel weak but you won''t die from it."


    Jax lifted his head with difficulty and red at Cade. However, even his re was too weak even to pose any threat.


    "You''re superior has some big ns. To want to capture my son alive," Cade suddenly said.


    Jax''s eyes widened after hearing this and cried, "H-How did you-?"


    Cade tap his temple then smiled, "I saw it in your head."


    "Saw... You-! Impossible! Your magic is not-!"


    "What I did just now has nothing to do with.. I guess you could say, human magic? So nothing is really impossible."


    "What...?"


    Cade only smiled. However, because of the headgear, Jax did not see his expression.


    Jax suddenly urged his magic. Now that Cade had his guard down, it was the right time to try and escape.


    ''First remove the minotaur and the cyclops from their illusion and-!''


    "W-What! My magic!" Jax suddenly eximed after sensing that he could not use his magic.


    ? Cade took a deep breath and shook his head.


    "Major, this is the third time I felt offended. If I really wanted to kill you, I would''ve done so earlier."<sub> </sub>


    "Liar! You threw your spear back there with the intent to kill me."


    "That? No, of course not. I aimed it at you to distract you. After all, I can''t let you see me doing this."


    Cade pointed to the ground.


    Jax followed where Cade was pointing with a slight frown and finally realized why he could not use his magic.


    On the ground, there was a thinyer of obsidian rocks. It took Jax only a few seconds to realize that these rocks were arranged in a three-meter radius array with Cade at the center.


    This was the difference between summoned arrays and written arrays. Once a mage summoned arrays, it could be detected easily because of their faint glow. Written arrays, however, could be hidden.


    "In that instant you created this array?" Jax asked in disbelief.


    The cause of his disbelief was not on how fast Cade created the array but on his immediate decision in creating one.


    "You don''t have to be surprised," Cade replied.


    Even when he was fighting with the monsters, he never stopped observing what Jax and the other captains were doing. The moment Jax summoned several arrays, Cade was already aware and started to think of countermeasures.


    "You weren''t exactly hiding when you summoned your arrays," he reasoned.


    "And did you predict that I will approach you and prepared this restraining array to restrict my magic usage?"


    Cade became thoughtful as if contemting his answer. After a few seconds, he finally replied, "I suppose, it can be considered as one of its effect."


    Jax''s eyes narrowed from Cade''s answer. Did he mean this array had other effects?


    An array of this scale normally had only one effect. One example was the transportation array. Its effect was to transport people to another transportation array it was connected to. Only thoserge scale arrays like the Regis defensive array could have multiple effects. Obviously, a small array could only hold simple calctions, while arge array had moreplex calctions.


    Many felt it was such a loss when Cade got into an ident that hindered his magic progress. However, thinking back on his earlier performance and now this array, the ident did not seem to hinder his progression at all.


    If some of the empire''s people did not witness the ident, Jax would even think that The Regis n fabricated Cade''s ident to hide his real strength.


    "We''re getting side-tracked," Cade interrupted Jax thoughts. "Let''s go back to the topic of your superior."


    Jax was silent.


    Right now, his survival depended on what Cade was up to.


    If Jax wanted to find a way to escape, he first had to let Cade feel that he was 100% in control. He just hoped Luka and Vera were not doing anything reckless outside. He had to inform them of the n to retreat as soon as he got out.


    Thinking of this, Jax stealthily checked for hismunication device.


    "By the way, I already tampered with yourmunication device so don''t bother." Cade casually said.


    Jax froze, but he retained a straight face. In his heart, however, he was already cursing Cade.


    Just how far was Cade''s knowledge in the array formation that he could easily tamper with the army''s device?


    The top of Cade''s headgear shifted and rolled down to reveal his face.


    "Are you really going to blindly follow your superior''s order?" he asked without even waiting for Jax to recover from his initial shock.


    "I am a soldier."


    "But he doesn''t even have your loyalty," Cade said.


    "And what do you know?" Jax retorted ringly.


    Cade smiled. He tapped his right temple and said, "A lot. I''ve checked it."


    Jax''s eyes narrowed, and he said instead, "Are you nning to overthrow the Royal Family?"


    Cade''s eyes widened, "Please. Why would we do that? Do you know how much work it involves to rebuild an empire after destroying its previous monarch? Protecting the Regis n already takes too much of our time, why would we even covet the whole empire?"


    Jax frowned. As a Major, interrogating people was one of his strong points. Right now, he did not sense any falsehood in Cade''s words.


    "Then why?"


    "You are a father yourself. I just want to create a ce where my son can live normally," Cade answered.


    Jax fell silent. Even though the Regis n were known for their amiable countenance, they were ruthless and feared by many in a death battle.


    With Cade''s strength, he could easily kill Jax, but he did not. Cade''s attitude clearly showed that he did not want to start an all-out war with the army.


    ''Even when we had killed some of their members,'' Jax thought.


    Although both sides suffered fatalities, Jax knew that normal Regis n members were killed by his men that night.


    When Jax was deep in thought, Cade was observing him in silence.


    After searching Jax''s memory, Cade already confirmed some of his theories regarding the current situation. He also understood that while Jax respects his superior, he was not afraid to defy him if the order would go against his principle. To Jax, his loyalty lies in his men. Proof of that was when Jax summoned the minotaur to interrupt what he was saying about the Royal Family.


    Because of this, Cade decided to try and talk to Jax again.


    "I want to propose a cooperation," Cade finally said after a few minutes of silence.


    Immediately, Jax''s brow furrowed. "Cooperation?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m not going to make you rebel against your superior. How about you hear me out first? I''ll give you a chance to think it over," Cade replied with a slight smile.

 Chapter 67 This Is Fine, Right?

    Almost a quarter of an hour after Layton''s team left. Finally, there had been a development in the situation inside Jax''s field.


    Cracks formed around the field as it showed signs of crumbling.


    By this time, Vera had finished absorbing the healing pill and was on standby with the rest of the army officers.


    "Hm?" Luka''s brow creased as he felt the Summoning Token inside his pocket slowly cooled down. He took it out and looked at it with a slight frown.


    Vera looked over and noticed this. She asked, "Is something wrong with it?"


    Instead of replying to her, Luka immediately looked at the rest of the officers and yelled, "Everyone arms at ready!"


    Hearing this, Vera was able to deduce the reason behind Luka''s reaction. There was only one reason why he would act this way after checking his Summoning Token. He must have felt a reaction to the tokening from the summoned monster.


    Vera immediately took out her small knife while the officers also took their weapons out.


    They all looked at the now crumbling light red field with vignce. No matter what scene would greet them, they had to act ordingly.


    Suddenly a loud explosion urred from on the field. Then it was followed by a fierce whirlwind and then an angry roar. Abination of smoke, dust, and whirlwind fiercely swept through the officers who tried their best to stand firm and not be blown away.


    "Ergh..." Vera blocked her face from the fierce wind using her arms. In between the gap, she observed the scene in front of her. However, she could not make out anything, even a silhouette, because of the thickness of the smoke.


    "Everyone fall back!"


    Everyone heard the familiar voice of Jax amidst the smoke.


    "Major!" Luka called out.


    "You''ve been warned."


    Another deep voice came and reverberated around them.


    Luka and Vera strained their eyes to look at what was happening inside the smoke. They both recognized that voice and were suddenly reminded of the horror when the summoned ogre was decimated with one attack.


    Just then, arge silver array appeared above them and made all of them gasp.


    The silver array was so huge it actually covered the whole Heaven''s Rupture Array. No, it actually exceeded its range size!


    "S-Such arge scale array!" Vera eximed in shock.


    Everyone was so shocked that some of them even fell on their knees, trembling.


    Therger the array, the bigger it needed an amount of magic energy. That was why mostrge-scale arrays needed other materials like rare stones, forest beast bones, and in rare cases, even grounded internal organs of rare beasts to form the base. It was the same when they created the Heaven''s Rupture Array. They used a lot of materials when forming each point. Then they needed to supplement it with more magic energy using their own people. Even Luka needed to use his innate magic to boost it further. Of course, it was true that this array needed more materials because their level was too low.


    Looking at this array, logically speaking, it would not be possible for one mage to cast it. Only a Magus had the energy reserve to do so. However, when Luka and Vera thought of ''him'', they had an inkling that it was not entirely impossible. Even though ''he'' was not even a Magus.


    More urately, he could not be a Magus.


    "This will be thest time we will show mercy," the voice said once again.


    Everyone followed the direction where the voice came. Floating in midair, they saw a man d in full ck armor, surrounded by several different-sized silver arrays that rotated around him.


    Just by looking at him, every officer started to break out in cold sweat.


    The man''s aura was very oppressive.


    ''Lord Cade,'' Luka thought both in awe and fear.


    Just how much magic energy did this man possess? Was the information about his ''almost crippled'' magic progression really true? Or were all direct members of the Regis Family simply too abnormal?


    Luka suddenly remembered how their initial target, Kyran Regis, also showed abnormal strength the first time they met. Even then, Luka did not want to admit it, but that boy was frightening. And now, the man before them was that boy''s father. And he was more frightening.


    "If you try any tricks again, we''ll enact proper judgement." Cade continued.


    "Look! The array!" Someone suddenly shouted.


    The Heaven''s Rupture Array cracked as the Regis defensive array repaired itself at an rming speed with the help of the silver array.


    Luka and Vera, however, ignored the array and looked at Cade vigntly.


    A scroll appeared in Cade''s hand.


    Both Luka and Vera immediately raised their weapons.


    "Battle formation!" Luka issued an order.


    "Everyone focused on Lord Cade!" Vera also shouted.


    When the officers heard them, they responded immediately and reorganized themselves.


    The scroll in Cade''s hand disintegrated, and a three-meter wide light-golden array appeared under his feet.


    "Tracking Squadunch your anti-cast items now!" Luka ordered.


    However, before the rest of the officers could make a move, the light-golden array lit up, and Cade disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    Luka and Vera''s eyes widened.


    At first, they thought Cade wouldunch an attack using that scroll. Still, he might not have attacked, but the scroll he used surprised them.<sub> </sub>


    ''A transmission scroll?'' Vera thought in shock.


    If you think about it, Cade had the ability to escape from them even when he was outnumbered. However, he actually used a rare transmission scroll so casually.


    An earth-shaking crash sounded around them as the Heaven''s Rupture Array finally got destroyed.


    While the rest of the officers looked back at the now fading Heaven''s Rupture Array, Luka turned his attention back to where the light red field used to be.


    "Major Jax!" He called out and ran.


    Vera, hearing Luka, also followed close by.


    With the smoke and wind finally abating, the two of them saw Jax on his knees with one hand across his abdomen.


    Jax''s uniform was tattered, and he was covered in blood. It looked as if he just survived a death battle.


    Vera roamed her eyes and immediately noticed the destroyed ground, forming too many craters for her to count as well as burning trees nearby.


    Just what kind of battle happened here?


    She also noticed that the minotaur and the cyclops were nowhere to be seen.


    As she suspected from Luka''s earlier reaction, the cyclops must have suffered a fatal wound and possibly rendered unconscious. Unlike the ogre she summoned that got destroyed, which in turn destroyed the Summoning Token, the cyclops were only forced to return; thus, Luka''s token was not destroyed.


    Remembering the roar they heard earlier, Vera deduced that must have been the minotaur''sst cry before being rendered out ofmission.


    To think that these summoned monsters were supposed to be their ''trump card'' and yet Cade handled them singlehandedly.


    A cold chill run down Vera''s spine. She was too naive to think that she could get revenge for her member''s death once she entered the inner walls.


    The Regis had transmission scrolls at their disposal, and with a monster like Cade keeping guard, he could easily obliterate them.


    "What are you all doing here?"


    Jax''s using voice brought Vera out of her thoughts.


    "We are here to provide back up, Major." Luka replied as he helped Jax to his feet.


    "There was no need for that," Jax reprimanded with a slight frown. "The operation is a failure, tell everyone to retreat."


    "But Major, both Vera and my team sessfully entered the Regis Inner Wall. The operation is not entirely a failure."


    "What?" Jax''s eyes narrowed. His brow creased a little as he contemted for a moment. "Lord Cade will definitely order their men to scour the whole premise to check if there are any other breaches. If the holes our people created to get in were found, it will only be a matter of time before the Regis perform a search inside. Tell them to lie low and stay out of the Regis''s radar."


    Vera immediately shook her head and said, "But their provisions are not enough. It is not toote to order for their return."


    Jax shook his head, "No. Lord Cade witnessed how the two of you appeared here through an array. We cannot use it again. Nor the passage we created. You also saw him use that scroll. I would not be surprised if all their men carries one for emergency use. Once Lord Cade located those holes, it is easy for him to pass the information to the rest and get their men there at once."


    "But the Regis Inner Wall is huge, he will not be able to locate it all in a day. We can still-."


    "Captain Vera, did you really think Lord Cade doesn''t have a way to locate those holes?" Jax asked and looked at the huge silver array above.


    Luka and Vera also turned and looked at it.


    "I will not be surprised if at this very moment, he is already using thatrge array to check if there are any foreign magic fluctuations near and within the Regis Inner Wall. If there''s anything I learned after fighting with him, Lord Cade is a cautious man. He can prepareyers uponyers of countermeasures to any form of attack I throw at him."


    "Major is right, besides Sander and the others are trained soldiers, they will be able to survive and find ways to provide for their needs by themselves." Luka agreed and looked at Vera. "Right now, they can only stay inside. This way, we also have eyes inside the Regis Inner Wall. We can only move ordingly."


    Vera wanted to protest but could not think of any reason to refute their words.


    She understood what they were saying, but she could not help but feel uneasy. Apart from that, she was mainly concerned with her member''s safety. Mika was also there, and among Vera''s members, she was the least experienced.


    "The Grand Marshal will not be happy at the failed operation but with our men inside, it will alleviate his temper a little." Jax added. He looked at Vera. "We''ll get them out eventually, but right now we can only retreat."


    "I understand," Vera finally replied after a short pause.


    "I''ll tell Layton to return. At this time, they haven''t reported back yet so they probably haven''t activated the attack array yet." Luka said and took out hismunication device to send out a coded message.


    Jax nodded and also said, "Use our private channel when you contact them to block out any magic fluctuation. We''re not sure if signals from ourmunication devices can be detected. After you send out the orders to Sanders and Gianna as well, we won''t contact them anymore. We''ll still keep track of their movement but tell them not to contact us unless it is important. We can''t risk being exposed even when they use our private channel."


    "Yes, Major." Luka replied and started sending out coded messages through their private channel.


    Jax looked at Vera, "Tell the rest to clear out all arrays. As much as I want to clear out the traces of the passage as well, I cannot risk our men going there and get caught by the Regis''s people."


    "Yes, Major." Vera saluted before going back to the rest of the officers.


    Jax took out a healing pill and swallowed it. He watched as every officer followed Vera to destroy the arrays. His eyes narrowed and looked at the now restored defensive array of the Regis Inner Wall. His eyes particrly observed the huge silver array that was still hovering above the whole Regis Inner Wall.


    ''This is fine, right?'' He thought.


    =====================


    Cade appeared above the huge silver array and overlooked the whole Regis Inner Wall.


    After a while, he turned toward the direction where Jax and the rest of the Royal Army were currently at, and a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''With this, our counter attack begins. Make sure to keep up, Major.'' He thought.

 Chapter 68 Molding Technique

    It was alreadyte in the afternoon at the Tower of Conve when Ste rushed back to her study with a tray of food floating behind her.


    Going back a few hours, Ste had nned to keep Kyranpany while he read and study magic. That way, if he encountered something he did not understand, she could exin it to him. However, she received a message from Malek through her private channel, telling her about some paperwork they had to deal with the Chamber of Commerce. Thus, she collected some introductory books on magic that Kyran could start with before excusing herself to attend to her duties as the Lord of the Tower.


    Ste and Malek met at her office, located on the top floor of the south tower. This office was where she normally met with the council members to discuss business matters of the Conve.


    Before discussing the Chamber of Commerce business, Ste first asked Malek about the progress on the tasks she assigned to everyone a few days ago.


    Malek reported that the Tower of Conve''s defensive array was still under construction.


    Because Kyran''s magic did not simply destroy a part of the array, Noir had to create a new blueprint.


    It was not an issue with Ste because she would still ask Noir to construct a new one even if they could repair the old defensive array. Because she already nned to improve its formation.


    As for the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array, the construction had already started, and their progress had reached 5% in just a few days. This number was actually a good one. After all, they had to create a new array from scratch.


    After that, they finally moved with reviewing the materials they ordered from the Chamber of Commerce.


    The Chamber of Commerce delivered some materials the other day, and Malek already confirmed they were in good condition. Then Ste double-checked the quantity of the materials they sent to the Mercenary Hall because the Tower of Conve also needed almost the same materials, albeit at a higher quantity.


    The Chamber of Commerce delivered the rest of the materials that afternoon, and Malek and Ste had to deal with another round of logistics and paperwork for hours.


    Finally, after almost seven hours of working non-stop, she could leave the rest for Malek to handle.


    When Ste realized the time, she panicked because it meant Kyran had been in her study for almost seven days without a proper meal. She had to ask the cook to prepare a meal as soon as possible, and now, she was rushing back to check on Kyran.


    As soon as Ste closed the doors to her study, she did not bother to walk toward the mezzanine and directly levitated.


    She sighed in relief after seeing Kyran still immerse in reading. After descending on the mezzanine, she noticed that he changed his clothes.


    If other people saw Kyran, they probably would not notice the change because he was wearing the same ck shirt and pants, but Ste noticed the shirt''s neckline was now V-shapedpared to the rounded one he wore before she left. As for the pants, there were fewer pockets on the side.


    ''Good. At least he is still able to properly look after himself,'' Ste thought with a smile.


    Then her eyes fell on the books piled at the side of the table, then at the pile of books still on the table.


    ''Is it just me, or are there more books than thest time I saw them?'' she wondered and looked at Kyran, who seemed not to notice her arrival.


    Ste frowned slightly. But seeing how immersed he was in reading, she just sighed. As she approached him, she saw the title of the book he was reading and immediately stopped.


    The title of the book was A Breakthrough In Magic Through the Years.


    Ste was positive that the book Kyran was reading right now was not one of the books she gave him. She made a quick scan of all the books near him and realized none of them were the ones she chose.


    The number of books that Ste had chosen earlier- that makes it a few days ago inside her study - was not few. If an average person were to read all those books, it would take them months to understand them.


    But Kyran...


    ''He''s doing it again!'' Ste thought in exasperation.


    She was starting to doubt if the information Malek had collected about Kyran for the past twelve years was even urate.


    Howe it did not mention, he was such a bookworm!


    With a sigh, Ste sat on the cushion across Kyran. She arranged the books on the table and moved them to the side to make room for the tray full of food she brought.


    While she was doing this, she noticed Kyran''s left hand holding a clear orb. From the inside, small purple rings were circting inside.


    "What are you doing?" She asked.<sub> </sub>


    Startled, Kyran gripped the orb on his hand too tight, and one purple ring expanded, splitting it in two.


    "Ah."


    His brow twitched as he looked at Ste usingly.


    Ste, on the other hand, btedly realized her fault and smiled uneasily, "S-Sorry. I''m just curious as to what you were doing..."


    Then she stopped and frowned before looking at Kyran usingly.


    "No! That''s not it. You. What are you doing again? Are you reading or practicing magic? Focus on one and not multi-task! I can use my magic to give you enough time to do both without rushing, you know."


    Kyran raised an eyebrow at Ste''s outburst. He was not sure what she was on about again. Was it really wrong to do two things at the same time?


    When he finished reading the books Ste brought a few days ago, Kyran wanted to train his magic. However, when he tried to summon his magic, the arrays in the study started to fluctuate. He realized that the more concentrated the magic he summoned, the more likely the whole array inside the study would malfunction.


    It urred to him that since he was inside Ste''s magic influence thus, his magic was an ''outsider'' that could disrupt its flow.


    Kyran was not disheartened at this discovery, though. On the contrary, he saw this restriction as an opportunity for him. He remembered he was able to use his magic when he burned his notes, so it meant, as long as he did not exceed the maximum capacity of magic that the array could allow, then he could still practice.


    <o>,m It was almost simr to the ''controlling your magic'' lesson he had with Nn.</o>


    Then he remembered when he and Nn left the abandoned warehouse the day they ''visited'' the Tower of Conve. Nn told him to keep the remaining magic orbs to practice.


    Thus, Kyran took out a magic orb from his space storage and started to practice.


    Since his assignment was to summon the purple rings on both orbs, and Kyran had no idea how to do it yet, he decided to try and do two different things at the same time first. Maybe he could get inspiration when he practiced this way.


    And that was how he ended up summoning his magic on one hand while reading at the same time.


    "Reading and summoning my magic is part of the training," Kyran told her and took out another magic orb.


    Today, he was able to control the fifteen small purple rings inside the orb for almost an hour without destroying it. Of course, to not waste the orb he had, he would cancel his magic immediately if he sensed he could not maintain it.


    Ste''s expression turned thoughtful.


    "Part of training?" She asked while waving her hand and moved the tray of food on the table. "What kind of training?"


    "I''m trying to control my magic inside these orbs," Kyran exined. "Nn told me to practice this to improve my magic control."


    Ste looked at the orb on Kyran''s hand and asked, "These orbs are magic orbs?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yeah."


    "Hm. I can see the logic. Although I haven''t heard of magic orbs being used this way. Since you have limited space on where to summon your magic, and that space also had a shape, you are not only learning how to control your magic but also learn the technique of how to mold it."


    "Mold," Kyran repeated and remembered one of his conversations with Nn about the difference between creation magic and molding your own magic. He also read an introductory and application of this technique from one of the books he read.


    He looked at the orb and wondered if it was really molding. When Dante molded his earth magic, its shape was distinct and solid as far as he remembered. Compared to what he was doing now, he had to summon fifteen rings while keeping the most minimal space between them to ensure it would all fit inside the orb. Even the barrier he created before, which he now called the Void Scales, could not be mistaken for a molding technique because his magic had that form after integrating it into the Regis defensive technique. Same when he wrapped his magic around his fist to make gauntlets. The shape of his gauntlets was crude and a far cry from a real one.


    Looking at his magic rings, he could now control how thin or small they would appear.


    ''Now that I can control my magic to this extent, maybe I can really try molding it.'' Kyran thought.


    An idea slowly formed in his head.

 Chapter 69 Arrays

    Noticing Kyran''s thoughtful expression, Ste heaved a sigh.


    Once again, her presence was easily forgotten by him once he was deep in thought.


    Even now, Ste could already guess what he was thinking.


    Although they only met recently, Ste knew about Kyran the moment he manifested his Void Magic. She was only nine at the time and was not the Lord of the Tower yet, but her predecessor had ordered Malek, who was already the Head of Conve even then, to file Kyran''s profile.


    The previous Lord of the Tower did not issue the order because he was worried about Kyran''s future character. Being born to the Regis Family was practically insurance that he would grow to be a decent person. However, part of The List that the Conve''s Founder had left them was to create the new Void Master''s profile.


    The Regis Family was also aware of The List. Thus, they epted the Conve''s request as long as they treated Kyran''s profile highly confidential.


    Thanks to this profile, Ste could more or less guess Kyran''s mood or even what he was thinking just by observing his expression. However, though she could guess his thoughts, she could not keep up with his pace.


    Kyran was very decisive. If he thought of something, he would do it without dy.


    Ste had not decided whether his decisiveness was good or just being impulsive.


    However, one miscalction on Kyran''s part, and he might suffer more than falling unconscious for days.


    Kyran cancelled his magic and returned the magic orb inside his pouch. Then he turned his attention to Ste and asked, "Is there a training ground around here?"


    ''As expected,'' Ste thought and sighed.


    "We do."


    "Can you take me there?"


    An idea popped in Ste''s head, and she immediately smiled at him.


    "Tomorrow. I can take you there," she said.


    Immediately, Kyran''s brow creased.


    Sensing Kyran''s shifting mood, Ste immediately added, "It is almost nighttime outside. So even if I take you there, no one can assist you with setting up the whole ce. Besides, did you forget you just woke up after falling unconscious for days? You probably think you''re already okay now that you''ve woken up but that doesn''t necessarily mean you have fully recovered."


    Kyran''s brow creased further, and he replied, "That was nine days ago."


    ck lines appeared on Ste''s forehead.


    He was actually right. Inside her study, nine days already passed from when he woke up.


    Still...


    "I''m well rested. Besides, I''ve been holed up here for more than a week just reading books, now I need to move my body. And don''t worry about setting up the training ground, I can do it myself. And I''ll mostly train my magic, so I don''t need any equipment."


    Kyran suddenly stopped as he btedly wondered why he had to exin himself to this woman. She was not even his family nor a close acquaintance. Ste was more of a prospective business partner?


    Realizing that Kyran would not budge, Ste finallyid down herst card.


    "Okay. The thing is... There are no time array in the training ground. So I''ll have to create a new one. But I''ve been maintaining the time array here for more than nine hours and its already draining my magic reserves and I''m also physically exhausted right now. There was a a lot of work I had to deal with outside and-."


    "That''s fine. I don''t need you to change the timeflow in the training ground. As a matter of fact it will be troublesome if you do," Kyran interrupted her.


    "What?" Ste looked at him with a deadpan expression.


    Kyran stood up and looked at the circting arrays around them.


    "I can''t use my magic the way I want to inside your magic," he exined.


    "Oh."


    It was only then that Ste thought of this.


    Normally, if a mage summoned his magic in an area dominated by another type of magic, his magic would be restricted.


    However, Kyran''s magic was too powerful that he could easily destroy other''s magic.


    "If you''re tired, then rest. Just tell me where to find the training ground. I can go there myself," Kyran said and turned his attention back to Ste.


    With a sigh, Ste finally relented and replied. "No, I can take you there. But could you at least, eat first?"


    She gestured her hand toward the table where the tray of food was already waiting.


    Kyran looked at the table and could not help but sweat at the dishes Ste brought this time.


    The food was a full course dinner.


    There were two appetizers; a tbread with bacon and cheese with soup. Then a three main courses of salmon, grilled beef, and roasted chicken. As for the sd, Kyran was not sure what it was, but it looks... greeny. And there''s also a pie for dessert.


    With this kind of food, Kyran wondered why he did not smell it. Even the one Ste brought a few days ago. He waste to realize what she prepared until he saw it.<sub> </sub>


    ''The vani scent here seems to be enchanted-,'' he paused and shook his head. ''No! That''s not important right now.''


    He looked at Ste with ck lines appearing on his head. "You really..."


    Ste just smiled sweetly at him and said, "It''s been hours since thest time I saw you eat. I know you have a stock of food with you but those are preserved foods, and this here are real foods... er... at least it was cooked recently. Please, humor me."


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran sat back and did not argue. Besides, the food looked delicious, and he had not eaten yet.


    Ste brightened and immediately served the food.


    After a few minutes of eating in silence, Kyran suddenly had a thought.


    He looked at Ste and said, "Can I ask you something?"


    "Sure," Ste replied as she leaned toward the table.


    "Howe the Royal Army did not go here even after I''ve caused such ruckus with my magic? Is Starhorn out of their magic detector''s range?"


    This thought had been on Kyran''s mind these past few days. After all, he did make that scene to draw their attention.


    "Not really. There''s actually a huge magic detector installed at the center of the Town Square. However, the defensive array around Starhorn can camouge magic signatures. The Royal Army''s detectors will have trouble differentiating between each signature it detects." Ste exined.


    "But, wouldn''t our magic affect that array? Since I''m guessing our magic is different. You know, just like how I can destroy your array if I''m not careful of the output of magic I use?"


    "The array set up around Starhorn is different to the one I have here. The array here is created directly by my magic. While the array around Starhorn is created using different kinds of materials."


    Kyran suddenly remembered the difference between an array created by magic and an artificially created one from a book he read a few days ago.


    The array''s effect created by magic was normally reliant on the rune calctions around it. Inparison, the other one would rely on the effect of the materials used.


    Kyran slightly nodded his head and said, "I see. So unless I destroy those materials, I will not be able to affect it."


    "Correct."


    "The one who set up the Starhorn''s array, is he a Magus? If he can create such arge scale array, that needed a lot of energy, isn''t it? And he would need to have a huge magic reserve, like a Magus."


    Ste could not help but smile. It seems Kyran did study not only magic but also arrays.


    "Noir is not a Magus- oh, by the way, Noir is the one who created Starhorn''s array. As well as our Tower''s and the Mercenary Hall''s defensive arrays."


    "You mean, he was able to create such arge array using only his magic reserve?" Kyran asked incredulously.


    "Well, if you want to know how he did it, you can ask him yourself when you meet him-." Ste paused before rephrasing her sentence, "I mean, when you meet them."


    "Them?" He asked.


    She nodded and said. "The Conve High Council Members."


    Kyran suddenly remembered something and immediately frowned. "Right, that guy is also a council member isn''t he?"


    Ste froze as she guessed who that ''guy'' Kyran was referring to.


    "You still owe me one round with him," he added.


    ck lines appeared on Ste''s head. So he had not given up on the idea of getting even with Malek.


    "Ahahaha... Yes, I do." Ste replied with an uneasyugh.


    "When will I meet them?"


    "Actually, I can arrange for you to meet them now if you''re fine with that."


    "Is this your way of distracting me from training?"


    "Of course not!" Ste denied with a shake of her head. "The truth, they have been staying here since the day you arrived. I told them, I''ll set up another meeting once you woke up."


    "Then arrange it after my training," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I also want to talk to Noir about arrays."


    "Are you sure you''re okay to meet them after your training?" Ste asked again. After all, she was not sure how much time Kyran needed toplete his training.


    "Yeah. I just need to try something out with my magic. I can always continue tomorrow and try it out with that guy."


    Ste''s brow twitched, knowing who the guy was.


    "Ahaha... r-right. Then, I''ll arrange for the meeting in four hours. That will be around eight in the evening."


    Kyran nodded in agreement, "Sure."

 Chapter 70 How To Mold Your Magic

    After Kyran finished eating, he and Ste went to the training ground.


    The training ground was located outside the northwest tower. It was built near the barracks where the Security Unit resides for easy essibility.


    The training ground itself was square in shape, with half was an open field, and the other half was a building with three floors. At one side of the field was the target area for archery. The other side was reserved for field exercises.


    When Kyran and Ste entered the training ground, he noticed that it was empty even though the whole ce was lit.


    Ste led Kyran to the entrance going to the building. The entrance at the center were huge oak doors. It led to a small reception where two huge double doors were on each side. The door to the left led to a hall where smaller to medium-sized private training rooms were found. And the one on the right led to an arena.


    "An arena?" Kyran suddenly asked and looked at Ste. "You hold matches here?"


    Ste chuckled after seeing the incredulous look on his face.


    "The matches were actually an assessment. At the beginning of each year, all mages,bat mages, andbat specialists from the security would holdpetitive matches among themselves to select the Elite Team that would guard the Main Tower." She exined.


    There was a moment''s pause before Kyran replied with, "I see."


    Hearing his curt reply, Ste sneered and guessed, "You just thought badly of our Elite Team, did you?"


    "I didn''t," Kyran denied with a straight face.


    Ste giggled and proceeded to the left doors.


    "The members of our Elite Team are really the best among our talents. You''re standard is just too high. They can fight evenly with the Royal Army''s Field Team, you know."


    She stopped and pushed the double doors open.


    Kyran slightly frowned and said, "As I said, I didn''t think badly about them. And What''s with me having high standards? I don''t have any of that."


    "Okay, okay," Ste replied with augh and entered. "I''m surprised you did not react to what I said about the Royal Army."


    "Joint activities are normal among different military factions. It is a way to assess each faction''s current strength while also keeping each other in check," Kyran replied and entered as well. He immediately saw a long hallway up ahead and followed behind Ste.


    With a slight nod, Stemented, "Right. You learned that from military school. You also had joint activities with other schools, right?"


    Kyran looked at her, "Yes."


    "How was it?"


    "It was educational."


    Steughed, "I can''t decide whether you''re just honest or conceited."


    Kyran raised both his brows but did not reply. He had a feeling that no matter what he said, Ste would interpret it differently.


    To be honest, Kyran did not want to exin nor share his experience in the military school. Especially the joint activities with other military and even magic schools. That was why he said the closest word he could think of to describe his experience. Besides, he had a vague feeling that she already knew all about it.


    Kyran decided to change the subject and asked, "Why is this ce empty? Do your people end their practice early?"


    Suddenly, Ste burst outughing.


    "You''re really asking that question?" she asked while turning around to look at him.


    Kyran frowned, "I just did."


    "Did you forget how you thrashed my people a few days ago?" Ste replied with a raised eyebrow.


    "That was¡ªah, right¡ªdifferent time flow," Kyran said mostly to remind himself.


    Ste smiled, "Yes. Right now, most of them are still in the infirmary. And those who can already move have to help out in creating the defensive array while also maintaining security."


    Kyran fell silent. He did not mean to forget what he did here a few days ago. But because Ste acted carefree around him, he thought everything was already okay.


    He actually agreed to meet the Conve''s Council Members to apologise and exin why he did what he did. If they were not satisfied with just an apology, he was willing topensate.


    "Sorry." Kyran finally said after a long pause.


    "You can tell them that yourself when you''re free," Ste replied with a smile.


    "I will."


    Then he paused and added, "Will they be fine seeing me? I mean, I did hurt them."


    Ste giggled, "Probably not."


    Kyran did not reply and instead pondered how he could apologize before ''scaring'' them off.


    Soon, they arrived in front of the room at the end of the hall.


    This room was actually thergest medium-sized private training room in the building. The room''s height upied at least two floors, and its width was equivalent to four small private training rooms.


    With this much space, Ste was sure that Kyran would be able to move around as he pleases. She also chose this room because of its array.<sub> </sub>


    All training rooms had an array formation. And each had its own specialities. In this room, it had the ability to reconstruct any damaged area of the room in seconds.


    With Kyran''s magic, if he identally destroyed part of the room, it would be able to reconstruct itself in a minute. Of course, if the damage was bigger, then it might take more than a minute.


    Ste opened the door, and both she and Kyran entered.


    Kyran slightly nodded his head in approval when he saw the space of the room. The size was just right for him to try out his idea with his magic, given that he seeded in molding his magic first.


    The room was painted white. And apart from faint rune writings of array formation written on the walls, floors and ceiling, the whole room was empty.


    "Alright. Then I will leave you to your training, while I inform the rest about the meeting. I''lle back thirty minutes before it starts," Ste told him.


    "Okay, thanks."


    Ste nodded her head before leaving.


    The moment she closed the door, Kyran walked into the middle of the room. He lifted his left hand and summoned his purple rings.


    ''Molding is when you use your magic and shape it into a different form with a solidity of a real object,'' he thought, remembering the information he read about the molding technique.


    ''The three important qualities a mage must possess to mold his magic are attention to details, imagination, and ability to focus.''


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He let his magic circte inside him and direct it to his palm.


    Since it was his first time to try out molding, Kyran''s first objective was to reshape his rings.


    ''First, try a square.'' He thought and imagined a square solid object.


    The moment the image in his mind became clear, he felt the rings in his hand shifted. His heart started to pound in anticipation. But he immediately calmed his heart, or else he would lose his focus.


    The clearer the image in his mind appeared, the more he felt his rings shifting.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally opened his eyes and looked at rings in his hand.


    ck lines appeared on his head.


    ''What in the world is this?'' He thought in exasperation.


    In his hand, his rings were still rings. But instead of their usualyered arrangement, there was a horizontal ring at the bottom; four rings in a vertical position formed four sides around the ring at the bottom, and another horizontal ring to form the top.


    Technically, it was a square... formation. Not a shape.


    Kyran sighed and cancelled his magic before sitting cross-legged on the floor.


    He opened his left palm and summoned one purple ring, and red at it.


    "You can form into a disc, yet you can''t fill the gaps when you do that square thing?" He scolded.


    The purple ring simply rotated on his palm.


    ...


    This was not good. Being holed up with only books to apany him for days made him a little strange in the head.


    Kyran sighed and lightly shook his head. He closed his eyes to try again.


    ====================


    Ste took out a small crystal disc and contacted Malek as soon as she left the training ground.


    This disc was her ownmunication device with her private channel. She only used it for emergencies, and Malek was the only one who knew its code to contact her.


    "Malek, where are all the council members right now?" Ste asked the moment Malek''s silhouette appeared on the disc.


    "Lord of the Tower," Malek bowed his head in greeting before answering, "Noir with Sigma and Vaness are currently at the center of the new array formation. It seems there are additional materials Noir needed toplete the core, and they are discussing how to acquire them. Malia and Avrum are at the alchemy chamber concocting new supplies of potion for our men at the infirmary while Hugh, Can and Emery are helping with security rounds."


    Ste nodded, "Okay. Tell them to gather in the conference hall at eight. We''ll have a meeting."


    Upon hearing this and knowing that Kyran was already awake, Malek''s eyes narrowed.


    Ste noticed this and could not help but chuckle.


    It was not only Kyran who wanted to get even. Malek also felt dissatisfied with their first meeting and wanted to have a chance to pare notes''.


    "Yes, Malek. I''ll introduce Kyran to the council. We can now discuss our next move."


    Malek nodded respectfully and replied, "I understand. I will ry your message to the rest."


    "Thank you, Malek. I''ll meet all of you at the conference hall," Ste said before disconnecting.

 Chapter 71 A Wild Rumor

    The atmosphere around the Tower of Conve had started to improve a couple of days ago. Compared to the day after the attack, every normal employee inside the Tower was almost back to their normal routine.


    The cause of this improvement was due to the rumors that circted after the Lord of the Tower, Ste, dered that she would be staying in her quarters and would only leave if there were any matters that the Head of Conve, Malek, could not deal with.


    Initially, the employees felt uneasy and confused by the Lord''s sudden announcement.


    First of all, the Tower was recently attacked by an unnamed perpetrator. Although the council members and the Head of Conve were busy dealing with the aftermath, the very Lord of the Tower, who was the foundation of this ce, actually decided to lock herself in her quarters.


    Then one employee shared that the perpetrator of the attack did not leave the Tower and instead was currently ''confined'' inside the Main Tower.


    This caused everyone to fear for the safety of their Lord.


    Why would the Lord of the Tower confine the perpetrator inside the Main Tower? And her previous announcement basically meant she would be locked up in the same ce as the perpetrator.


    Then another information came to them that the perpetrator was not just confined inside the Main Tower but was actually staying in the Lord''s quarters.


    A lot of rumors started to circte because of this, and every employee''s opinion was divided. However, there were two most talked about among all the rumors.


    The first rumor that some believed to be more reliable went like this; the Lord had to lock the perpetrator to her quarters because he was too powerful and dangerous. The Lord did this because she feared that he would spread fear among the people if he got out. Being her righteous self, the Lord vowed to keep an eye on him.


    The second rumor, which was more popr among the female employees, went like this; the perpetrator was actually the Lord of the Tower''s secret admirer. He finally mustered his courage to go to the Tower of Conve and ask for her hand. Unfortunately, he found out that the Lord of the Tower was not allowed to leave. The Lord also refused to meet him. This infuriated him, so he decided to destroy the whole Tower to take her away by force. After realizing his determination and strength, the Lord was moved and finally relented. And so, she finally appeared before him and the two reconciled. Then she decided to spend some quality time with him. This way, they would be able to get to know each other better.


    Of course, some employees just rolled their eyes when they heard these rumors.


    One of them was the Head Cook, Smith.


    Smith, a middle-aged man with gray short hair, dark eyes and a stocky build, had been serving the Tower Family for decades. And although he was not personally close with the Lord of the Tower, he knew her well enough. He believed that there were underlying circumstances to her decree, that she could not tell them.


    Besides, even if she locked herself in her quarters, it was no different to them. Since she could go to any building within the Tower using the transmission arrays installed in every tower and building, they rarely see her walking outside.


    Apart from that, there was no proof that the perpetrator was really staying with her. He had been preparing her meal every day, and the portion was only good for one person.


    While Smith could not be bothered about the rumors, he did not stop the other kitchen staff from talking about it at work. After all, thanks to these ''light-hearted rumors'', the atmosphere around them, especially inside the kitchen, slowly returned to normal.


    Smith only focused on making sure that the Lord of the Tower could eat properly and on time.


    That morning, Smith, with the rest of his staff, was busy preparing the ingredients they would use for breakfast when suddenly the Lord of the Tower appeared before them.


    Ste personally came to request two breakfasts. She also specifically asked for a meal that would help replenish a person''s stamina.


    When all the female staff heard this, they could barely contain their excitement.


    Why would the Lord asked for such a meal? Obviously, she needed such a meal because she was immersed in very rigorous activity.


    Smith ignored the whisperings of his female staff and offered to make an appropriate meal for Ste. However, Ste rejected this idea and told him the second breakfast was not for her but ''Kyran''. Then she smiled. A smile that was full of affection they had never seen before.


    Smith was dumbfounded.


    This incident quickly spread among the employees of the Tower. And it further ignited when Ste once again visited the kitchen to ask for another meal that could satisfy a person''s craving.


    Now, most employees, including Smith, believed that the second most talked about rumor might actually be true.


    They were happy for their Lord. She was born in this ce and was not allowed to leave. The only time she could mingle with other people was when they visit the Tower.


    If she found the man she wanted to live the rest of her life with, they would definitely support her. They only wished that the Lord''s love would be on par with her beauty. They already knew he was a powerfulbat mage, but it would be such a waste of their Lord''s beauty if he looked normal. Unfortunately, the people from the Security Unit who fought with him were too frightened to speak about him and could not give them any decent information.


    If Ste knew what her people were thinking, she would likely go ballistic and go on a punishing spree. Fortunately, she was too upied with many things that she did not notice the whispering around her.


    Like right now, Ste had once again appeared in the kitchen. She told Smith about the meeting because whenever the Conve''s Council members meet, it would always be followed by a banquet.<sub> </sub>


    For tonight''s banquet, however, it would be a little special. Ste wanted to have an open banquet for everyone that the normal employees of the Tower of Conve could attend.


    This was also her way of thanking everyone for their patience and assuring them that the recent attack was now in the past.


    Unbeknownst to Ste, because of this, another idea had surfaced in their minds.


    The Lord of the Tower wanted an open banquet because she had an announcement to make! Could it be that she would finally introduce the man to the rest and officially ept his proposal?


    They were all excited, especially the female staff.


    Ste, who saw their reaction, was d. However, she was not aware that they were all excited for an entirely different reason.


    After her trip to the kitchen, Ste nned to return to her quarters first.


    Before she could rouse her magic and operate the transmission array inside her quarters, she noticed hermunication device lit up.


    She took it out, and as soon as she opened it, Malek''s silhouette appeared.


    "Lord of the Tower," he greeted with a slight bow.


    "What is it?"


    "The others were already on their way to the Conference Hall."


    Ste raised an eyebrow, "So early? Did you tell them the meeting is at eight?"


    Malek nodded, "Yes, Milord. However, they wanted to meet and speak with the boy before the meeting starts."


    Ste sighed. She was aware that there were still a few of them who were still dissatisfied with Kyran. And she wanted to let them meet Kyran during the meeting. That way, it would be more formal, and she could easily control the discussion, so it would be easy for Kyran to exin his side.


    "Then they would have to wait in vain. Kyran is still training," she told Malek.


    "Training?"


    "Yes," she replied with a faint smile. "Right after waking up, he has been busy doing a lot of things. I doubt I can stop him with my magic even if I try."


    "Is he... training in your quarters?"


    "No," Ste shook her head. "He''s at the training ground. I n to return there 30 minutes before the start of the meeting. If the others wanted to meet him early..."


    "You don''t have to worry about it, Milord. I will try and convince them to wait until the meeting."


    "Please do, Malek. I''m not sure if I can convince him to stop his training when he just started."


    Malek simply nodded his head and replied, "I will."


    After Ste and Malek disconnected, she suddenly felt something was wrong. As if she missed something from her conversation with Malek.


    With a shake of her head, Ste resumed to rouse her magic and activate the transmission array.


    She was still uneasy, but she could not think of why, so she decided to finish her preparation first.


    ====================


    After almost an hour, in front of the training ground building.


    Sigma stood and stared at the huge oak doors of the building''s entrance. A smile formed at the corner of his lips as he finally moved and walked toward the doors.

 Chapter 72 What Did You Say?

    After so many times of failed attempts to mold his magic, Kyran decided to rest.


    Hey on the floor in the middle of the training room and stared absentmindedly at the array drawn on the ceiling.


    ''What am I doing wrong? Is imagining the shape not the correct way to do it? Or is it because my magic doesn''t have a solid form, to begin with?'' He wondered.


    He lifted his left arm and spread his hand as if reaching for the ceiling before summoning his magic. A purple ring appeared above his palm, which rotated in slow motion.


    ''My magic really looks strange,'' he thought.


    Nn said it before. Magic manifested differently among every mage.


    Like his magic, other magic did not have shapes. He also read about it from one of the books Ste selected. However, though it did not have a shape, its appearance was simr to its natural element. Thus, it was easy to identify.


    For example, fire magic looked exactly like a real fire when a mage summoned it. And when a mage molded fire magic, it would adapt the imagined object''s shape, but the base would still have the characteristic of fire.


    It was the same with Dante''s earth magic.


    When Dante molded his magic into arrows, the moment it hit him, it still felt like solid earth. Even if it looked like an arrow, it did not have the edge nor the sharpness of a real one.


    ''Dante is good in molding his magic, too.'' Kyran thought.


    He remembered how Dante could mold his magic as easily as if its second nature to him. Not to mention he could mold several pieces at once; he was practically a cheat.


    ''Second nature...'' Kyran thought with a sigh. ''Some people are just born to be really good at something, huh.''


    If anyone knew what Kyran was thinking, they would probably pop a vessel. He was alreadyining when his innate magic was enough to crush any other mage''s self-confidence.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran canceled his magic and lowered his hand before getting back into a sitting position.


    "It''s second nature to him probably because he practiced like crazy. Don''tpare and get discouraged," Kyran reprimanded himself.


    He knew Dante had the advantage of years. Andpared to him, who was only learning about using his magic now, he was way behind. Anyway, his training earlier was not really unproductive. While he did not progress, he had an inkling that something was missing in his ''imagination''.


    Because Dante was his only reference, Kyran tried to recall the scene when he fought with him.


    ''Although he was still using arrays, his magic attack was almost wless.'' He remembered.


    Then he recalled the time when Dante summoned severalva-like arrows.


    ''He created multiple arrays, and then the arrows appeared on...'' Kyran suddenly stopped. Slowly his eyes widened as realization hit him, ''The arrows... they appeared on the array as arrows!''


    He finally realized what he was doing wrong!


    He immediately looked at his palm and roused his magic. A wry smile appeared on his face as he muttered, "No wonder I can''t do it right. I''ve been treating the rings as my magic''s initial state when in fact, it is already a shape. You can''t make a square out of a ring."


    Once again, he roused his magic. In the middle of his palm, a purple dot slowly appeared and expanded. It was shaking a little, but it already had a vague square shape instead of looking like rings.


    Kyran was ecstatic when he saw his magic finally appear in a different shape other than a ring.


    ''Now, focus and imagine the shape more clearly.''


    His magic''s square shape became more distinct.


    "Try another one," he murmured and looked at his right hand. "This time, a triangle."


    ? A small purple dot appeared in the middle of his palm and slowly expanded. Unlike with the square, his magic was able to form a triangle shape without any problem.


    He looked at both his hand. The two shapes slowly circled above his hands.


    Kyran grinned and said, "Nice."


    For the next few minutes, Kyran tried out different shapes on both his hands. The shape he created would always be different on each hand. His reason, of course, was to summon magic simultaneously while dividing his focus.


    When he was satisfied, Kyran decided to move to the next step.


    The truth, he wanted to learn molding techniques because he realized hecked something. This realization hit him while he was reading a book about some recorded mage battles in history.


    He realized that he would be at a disadvantageous position in a more high-level mage battle because hecked a weapon.


    If it was only a normal weapon, he had a few inside his pouch. But the weapon he needed was actually a magic weapon.


    Magic weapons were crafted using special materials with magic attributes. Using such weapons, a mage could integrate his magic into the weapon and even multiply its power.


    Dante also had one. A great sword most likely possessing earth attributes. Even the psycho bastard had a staff.


    With the kind of magic Kyran possessed, he doubted whether there was a weapon where he could integrate his magic. He could already see the oue of the weapon being destroyed. And so, his only option of having a weapon was to create one using his magic through molding.<sub> </sub>


    Fortunately, Kyran could hold his magic without a problem.


    "Alright, now let''s try it-."


    BANG!


    The doors to the training room suddenly burst open, and Kyran''s heart almost leaped out of his mouth from shock.


    He immediately turned his attention to the doors.


    "So, here you are, you rascal." A huge man with unruly short dark brown hair, with a big cross-shaped scar on his forehead, stood at the entrance looking at Kyran with a malicious grin.


    Kyran slightly frowned and stood up.


    "Who are you-!"


    Before he could finish his sentence, the huge man unbelievably disappeared from his view and reappeared a few feet above him. The man''s fist poised to hit him.


    Kyran knew it was toote to dodge, so by reflex, he lifted both his arms to protect his head, then bent his knees to brace himself for the impact.


    The man''s fist hit Kyran''s arms.


    "Ergh!" Kyran grunted as the force of the man''s fist, bore down on him.


    The floor cracked beneath him and exploded, instantly filling the surrounding with smoke.


    "Humph," the man harumphed and jumped back.


    The explosion of the floor immediately triggered the training room''s array, and the array formation on the floor lit up.


    From the smoke, Kyran also jumped back the moment he saw the floor start to reconstruct itself.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. Both his arms and knees were still trembling from the force of the scarred man''s punch. He could also vaguely feel the bones in his arms cracked.


    What the hell was wrong with the scarred man? Barging in and suddenly attacking. Who was he?


    Because of the smoke obscuring his vision, Kyran could only stare at the spot where he believed the scarred man had retreated.


    "Nice defense. It seems you take after your father." The manmented with a hint of disdain in his voice.


    ''He knew my father?'' Kyran thought in surprise. But then his eyes narrowed as he realized who this man was.


    Since the man knew his father, that only meant this man was a member of the Conve. As to why the man attacked, Kyran already had an idea.


    Kyran smiled faintly. He already anticipated that there would be some Council Members who were dissatisfied with his actions. That was why at the meetingter, he nned to apologize and exin himself. If they were still dissatisfied, he was willing topensate.


    Who would have thought that one of them could not even wait for the meeting to deal with him?


    The smoke finally abated, and Kyran saw the huge man looking at him in full contempt.


    "The Lord of the Tower said not toy a hand on you but, I just can not agree to her decision to let you off after what you did here." The man said.


    Kyran lowered his arms and stood straight. He remained silent while looking at the man.


    "Good thing, the Head of Conve understood my concern and agreed to tell me where you were."


    Kyran frowned muttered under his breath, "The psycho bastard?"


    The man scowled after hearing him. The cross-shared scar on his forehead made him look more menacingly.


    "What did you say?"


    Kyran remained silent. He was looking intently at the man, trying to find some clues to what he was capable of. So far, with the man''s strength and build, it was almost certain that he knewbat. However, Kyran was not yet sure whether he was only abat specialist or abat mage.


    "Humph. Acting all tough but in the end, you''re just a scaredy-cat-."


    "A psycho bastard."


    The man halted. His eyes narrowed as he red fiercely at Kyran.


    "What?"


    "You asked me what I said, right? I said the ''Head'' was a ''psycho bastard''." Kyran replied and red back at the man.


    The man''s eyes glinted malevolently. A devilish grin appeared on his face as he growled, "You''re dead, rascal."

 Chapter 73 Biggest Mistake

    The office of Malek was located in a room one floor below Ste''s office at the south tower.


    Unlike Ste''s office, Malek''s office also served as his quarters. Although he had his own quarters at the main tower, because he had to deal with many things regarding the Conve''s businesses, he had a small bedroom built at one corner of his office.


    To Malek, it was more convenient for others to reach him at the south tower than the main tower. Because the Lord of the Tower resides at the main tower, a prohibition was installed around the premise that forbids anyone from entering without an issued clearance token.


    This clearance token also had a level of essibility. For example, a level 3 clearance meant they were allowed to enter the main tower''s courtyard. A level 2 clearance token allowed a person to enter up to the main tower''s foyer, and a level 1 clearance allowed a person up to certain floors inside the tower.


    So, if someone had to find Malek at the main tower, they had to have an issued level 2 clearance; else, they would not be able to enter.


    For the record, Malek had a level 1 clearance which allowed him to enter up to his quarters only. He could not go to the floors where the Lord of the Tower resides or frequents.


    Anyway, Malek preferred to stay where he could easily ess his data and files. After all, his files were records of the Conve''s wealth. Something that he enjoyed seeing the most.


    However, what Kyran did a few days ago greatly reduced the Conve''s ''wealth'', and Malek was very displeased. When he reported this to Ste a few days back, she casually replied to deduct all expenses from her own share.


    Did she think it was that simple?


    No. Of course, not. And Ste also knew that. After all, she was the Lord of the Tower, and she was taught about the Conve''s businesses since she was little. Malek knew she trusted him to make proper adjustments so their businesses would not be affected.


    Sometimes, being trusted was very trying.


    Malek ced his quill on the table and took a deep breath after finishing thest document of their dealings with the Chamber of Commerce that day.


    He looked at the small clock at the corner of the table and mentally calcted that it had been almost an hour from when he spoke to Ste.


    He pushed back his chair and stood up. He walked over to his left, where the window was located, and he looked out. From where he stood, he could see the tip of the northwest tower. And somewhere closeby was the training ground.


    Earlier, when Ste casually told him that Kyran was training, an idea shed in his mind.


    However, Malek realized immediately that his idea might not be possible to execute if Kyran was training in her quarters because of his clearance restriction. So he subtly inquired about Kyran''s exact location. When she answered that he was at the training ground, Malek was unsure whether to be happy, surprised, or annoyed.


    Surprised because he was not aware that Ste left the main tower. Normally, the soldiers stationed outside the main tower would inform him if she left. This was part of their security protocol. However, he did not receive any report. This meant only one thing, and that was the reason for his annoyance.


    Ste made use of the transmission array to take Kyran to the training ground.


    Malek was annoyed because the Tower''s transmission arrays were exclusive to the Lord of the Tower. Only in special cases where they had to transport someone to the infirmary who was critically ill or wounded, or when they had to escape from an enemy invasion, were others allowed to use it along with the Lord of the Tower.


    Ste was really treating Kyran as a special case ever since his arrival.


    This caused Malek to put his idea into action. He immediately sent a message to Sigma and told him about Kyran''s location.


    He knew Sigma wanted to teach the boy a lesson because Ste had no ns on punishing him for wrecking the Tower of Conve. He also felt the same way, but he could not directly disobey her.


    Of course, Malek knew Ste would be displeased if she found out what he had done. But he was prepared for her punishment.


    Malek just wanted to remind Ste that she was the Lord of the Tower, and she must not show any leniency on anyone who harmed the Conve regardless of who they were.


    ====================


    "You''re dead, rascal."


    The moment the scarred man spoke, two light-brown magic arrays circled his gauntlets. Immediately his gauntlets glowed, and an additional semi-transparent thick coating enveloped it.


    Kyran''s brow creased as he looked at the semi-transparent coating on the man''s gauntlets.


    ''That''s not...a molding technique, is it?'' He thought.


    "I''ll have you pay for what you did," the man growled and dashed in Kyran''s direction.


    Knowing how heavy this man''s punch was, Kyran activated the Regis''s body tempering technique. Instead of avoiding, he dashed and met the man''s attack with his own.


    The man grinned when he saw Kyraning toward him.


    When their fists collided, it created a shockwave that immediately put cracks on the floor around them.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" The man taunted, and suddenly, his magic pressure erupted.


    "Wha-!" Kyran was thrown back a few meters from the force.<sub> </sub>


    He crouched down and instantaneously punched the floor to break his momentum.


    The man, however, did not stop his attack and was already running to Kyran. A small light-brown magic array appeared a few feet before him, and a square boulder with a depth of at least one and a half feet came out. He stopped just in front of this boulder, and shifting his weight; he punched the boulder.


    The moment the man''s fistnded on the boulder, it crackled and turned into a big unibit and sped toward Kyran.


    Seeing this, Kyran''s eyes widened. The speed of the unibit was too fast for him to evadepletely. If he blocked it with his arms, even with his improved defenses from the Regis''s body tempering technique, he was sure that the unibit would destroy his arms.


    Because he knew the man''s identity, Kyran wanted to refrain from using his magic. After all, if he wanted to work with the Conve, he had to reconcile with its members.


    ''No time to hesitate!'' Kyran thought.


    Gritting his teeth, he finally roused his magic.


    Instantly, his magic integrated itself with the Regis''s body tempering technique. The void scales appeared and formed a protective arc in front of him.


    Before the unibit collided with the void scales, Kyran prepared to jump back. However, the unibit did not disintegrate the moment it hit the void scales. Instead, the unibit started to rotate and crackled at the spot where itnded.


    "What?" Kyran eximed and stared in disbelief as his void scales started to show signs of breaking.


    "I know what your magic can do," the man said disapprovingly. "Did you really think I don''t know a way to break your magic?"


    Before Kyran could react, the man disappeared from his field of view again.


    At the same time, the unibit sessfully prated his void scales. His eyes widened as the unibit went straight for his head.


    At that moment, Kyran was thrown into a situation where he had to choose whether to focus on the unibit or find the man. But, given the speed of the unibit, even if he chose to deal with it, he would not be able to dodge unscathed.


    As for the man, his speed was something that Kyran''s eyes had not gotten used to yet. Even if he wanted to locate the man, he would not be able to deal with the man while dodging the unibit.


    Kyran tried to do two things at the same time earlier to prepare for situations like this. However, he had yet to master it, and at the moment, he had too little information about the man''s abilities.


    ''Don''t overthink!'' Kyran thought and moved his head slightly to the left and barely dodged the unibit. However, the unibit still grazed his cheeks, and he immediately felt a searing pain spread from where it hit.


    Then.


    "Don''t be too full of yourself."


    The man said with a sneer as he appeared on Kyran''s left.


    "You''re too slow!" The man added in disappointment and directly hit Kyran.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth. He lifted his arm to block the man''s fist.


    Crack!


    "Argh!" He groaned as he felt the bone on his arm crack from the force of the man''s punch. He was flung to the side and hit the wall with a loud bang.


    Kyran fell face-first on the floor.


    Before the wall crumbled, the array formation drawn on its surface lit up and started to repair itself.


    "Don''t sleep yet. We''re not done here," the man said and dashed to Kyran''s position.


    Before Kyran could get up, the man already arrived in front of him. He bent a little to hold his head and lifted him.


    "Argh!" Kyran screamed in pain as the man''s grip tightened.


    Using his good arm, he tried to pry the man''s hand off his head.


    "Humph," the man frowned. "The Lord said you almost killed the Head, but I think you had just gotten lucky."


    Kyran struggled to break free from the man''s grip.


    "Now, I''ll show you that messing with the Conve was your biggest mistake."

 Chapter 74 Transmuter

    The man lifted Kyran with his right hand. On his left, a light-brown magic array appeared and circled on his fist.


    "For the Conve!"


    Suddenly.


    "Humph," Kyran sneered.


    Focusing the Regis''s body tempering technique on both his legs, Kyran hooked his good arm on the man''s forearm and hoisted his body, and then he simultaneously aimed his left leg at the man''s temple.


    "Wha-guh!"


    Because the man believed he had overpowered Kyran, he could not react in time and was hit.


    He tilted to the side, and his grip on Kyran''s head loosened.


    Kyran took this opportunity and climbed the man''s forearm. His broken arm protested under his weight, but he held his breath and ignored the pain as he rotated in midair, then delivered a dropkick on the man''s head.


    "Guh!" The man tilted forward from the force of Kyran''s kick. However, he managed to stabilize himself to prevent himself from falling face-first on the floor. With his left arm, he instantaneously reached for Kyran, who was still in midair.


    A small purple disc appeared beneath Kyran''s feet. The moment his body touched the disc, it disappeared within.


    "What?" The man stopped his hand because if he did not, he would have touched this disc, and he was not sure what would happen.


    Kyran caught the frightened look on the man''s face before hepletely entered the disc.


    When the disc disappeared, the man immediately turned around to look at his surrounding.


    A few meters away, opposite where he stood, a purple disc appeared above.


    Kyran appeared from inside the disc and descended to the floor with a soft thud.


    He watched the man cautiously while he controlled his breathing. Beads of cold sweat trickled down the side of his face as a sharp pain assaulted his senses from his broken arm. Still, no matter how much it hurts, he refrained from showing it on his face.


    Kyran already knew that the man''s magic level was not a Magus from the brief exchange he had with the man. The man''s use of arrays was already a giveaway. But he was probably at least a High Master.


    Then the man''s magic was simr to Dante; Earth Magic. However, the man was using his magic differently from Dante. If Dante was using molding techniques on his magic, this man was integrating his magic not only on those gauntlets but also on his body.


    Kyran noticed this after he kicked the man. He had kicked a lot of people before, so he knew how it felt kicking a human. But he actually had an impression of kicking solid earth when he kicked the man. If he had not focused the Regis''s body tempering technique on his legs, Kyran was sure he would suffer additional broken bones. This also answered how his arm broke from the man''s punch earlier.


    Then there were the man''s gauntlets. Kyran believed they were magic weapons.


    But there were still two things he could not understand. One was the man''s speed.


    Kyran looked at the man''s boots and wondered if it was a magic item that could boost his speed.


    Then there was that unibit the man molded. How was it able to prate his void scales?


    The void magic in Kyran''s void scales was not concentrated, but it could still disintegrate anything it touches. That was the case from when he fought Dante. None of his attacks prated his void scales.


    So how did the man do it?


    Kyran was suddenly reminded of Nn''s exnation about a mage''s specialty. When Nn exined the Transmuter and creation magic, Kyran mistaken creation magic with Dante''s molding technique. So Nn exined the difference between molding and creation magic.


    "Molding is when you change the shape of your magic into something else. In creation magic, you create a new form to your magic and even add more substance into it."


    ''Is this man a Transmuter?'' Kyran wondered.


    Did the man actually create something that could prate his void magic?


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. It would seem this man was more troublesome than he thought.


    The man looked at Kyran. At first, his face showed disbelief. Then he smiled. His eyes glinted in excitement.


    "You actually pretended to be almost unconscious, so I will lower my guard when I approached you. Good. Really Good. You really take after your father," the manmented.


    Kyran frowned. That was the second time that the manmented on how he takes after his father. He was not annoyed by it. On the contrary, he was honored to bepared to his father, whom he looked up to. But the way the man said it did not feel like apliment.


    "I''m going to enjoy this."


    As soon as the man had spoken this, several light-brown magic arrays surrounded Kyran.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth and roused his magic.<sub> </sub>


    Then the man disappeared.


    ''Where?'' Kyran thought and instinctively wanted to roam his eyes to find the man. But then he stopped and told himself, ''Don''t use your eyes to find him.''


    Making use of his five senses, Kyran looked out for any change around him.


    Suddenly, he sensed a movement from one of the arrays located to his left.


    Kyran realized that the man likely knew about his broken arm. Thus, if the man attacked his left side, his reaction would be slower.


    The man appeared before one of the magic arrays to the left. Another boulder appeared within the array, and before it fully left the array, the man punched it out toward Kyran.


    The boulder crackle and reformed itself as it flew to Kyran''s location.


    Without looking at the iing magic attack, Kyran focused and summoned an arc shape purple barrier to his left. This time, he did not integrate his magic with the Regis''s body tempering technique; this way, the void would be concentrated. And because the purple barrier was not semi-transparent like the void scales, the man would not be able to see Kyran''s movement.


    Using his good hand, Kyran focused and imagined a two-meter spear. Slowly, a purple spear started to form on his hand.


    At this moment, the boulder had fully turned into another unibit, but it wasrger than the first one and finally collided with Kyran''s purple barrier.


    The unibit crackled the moment it touched Kyran''s purple barrier. However, unlike his void scales that showed signs of breaking at the moment of impact with the unibit, this time, it was the unibit that showed signs of disintegrating, albeit very slowly.


    The man disappeared again and appeared at a magic array behind Kyran.


    Once again, a boulder appeared within the array, and the man punched it out toward Kyran.


    This time, Kyran did not summon another purple barrier to protect himself from the attack. He turned around just as the spear on his hand finally took shape. Then he threw the spear at the still reforming boulder.


    When these two finally collided, a shockwave was formed, and cracks appeared in the surrounding.


    "You can use molding technique?" The man eximed in surprise.


    The unibit and the spear crackled. Neither showed signs of relenting.


    "Humph!" The man harumphed and moved once again.


    Kyran''s brow creased as he sensed three magic arrays in different directions started to react.


    ''Tsk,'' he gritted his teeth. This man''s way of using his magic was really annoying. Kyran had no idea magic arrays could be left suspended in midair and remain inactive.


    The man appeared in front of another magic array. Instead of summoning a boulder, however, something round like a muzzle emerged from it.


    The man spread his arms, and the other two arrays also activated, and the same round muzzle emerged.


    Immediately, Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple. He really wanted to avoid using his magic in a way that could be fatal to the man because he was likely a Conve council member. But right now, he felt that the man was really trying to ''critically wounded'' him.


    Yes. Not kill. Since Kyran did not sense any murderous intent from the man even though he initially dered he would be ''dead''.


    Concentrated magic formed within the muzzles on the man''s arrays.


    "Take this!" The man shouted as the concentrated magic fired at Kyran.


    Unrestrained purple rings appeared around Kyran. Before the concentrated magic hit him, the purple rings already connected and wrapped around him, forming a semi-sphere barrier.


    Since this purple barrier was the unrestrained version, it expanded at an rming rate and destroyed everything it touched. That included the unibits that had not been destroyed yet, as well as the still suspended inactive magic arrays of the man.


    The man''s eyes widened when he saw the approaching barrier.


    "Not good!" He eximed and immediately jumped back a few meters.


    However, the barrier did not stop expanding. The whole room crackled as the room''s array tried to repair the areas the barrier had destroyed, but the array could not keep up.


    "This rascal!" The man gritted his teeth. He ran toward the wall at the back and destroyed it with a punch.


    The array on the wall activated and started reconstructing the destroyed wall, but the man started to run out just before the array started its reconstruction.


    The purple barrier reached this wall, and immediately the array crackled and was destroyed.


    The moment the man ran out of the building, he turned around and saw a purple barrier emerged from the wall and even the building, destroying it.

 Chapter 75 Ill Deal With My Own Battles

    Sigma stood outside the back courtyard of the training ground building. Cold sweat trickled down his back as he stared at the huge purple half-sphere that has now expanded outside the training room.


    As someone who examined the destroyed defensive array of the Tower of Conve, Sigma was well aware of the horror of that purple half-sphere. He was sure that even with his improved magic attack, he would not defend against it.


    If he had not run out, he might have already been ''swallowed'' by that sphere.


    ''That rascal!'' Sigma clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ''Suddenly using this sphere. Did he n on getting rid of me?''


    He wanted to teach the boy a lesson, but he did not really n on killing him. Although he did summon those magic sters, he was sure the boy would be able to withstand its concentrated magic attack. The boy was a Regis, after all. Not to mention he was the son of that hateful man. Besides, Sigma was going to use 50% of the magic ster''s output only. Just enough to wound the boy.


    "Sigma! What just happened?"


    A woman''s voice asked from behind.


    Sigma''s brow creased as he turned and saw Malia and Avrum with a few soldiers running toward him.


    He btedly remembered that the infirmary where Malia and Avrum were was located at the northwest tower, right beside the training ground. Since the training ground did not have a wall, it was easy for them toe over after hearing the noise.


    "Chairman Malia," Sigma nodded his head slightly in greetings.


    However, Malia was no longer looking at him but at the purple half-sphere protruding at one of the training rooms.


    "This-!" She eximed in fright.


    Avrum and the soldiers were also staring at the purple half-sphere, and almost all of the soldiers trembled at the sight.


    "I-It''s that man''s magic!" One soldier eximed and nearly copsed on the ground.


    "D-Did he return?" Another one screamed in fright.


    "No! H-He''s going to destroy the ce again!"


    Soldier after soldier eximed. Most of them were really traumatized by Kyran and his magic.


    ''This is not good,'' Malia thought and immediately turned to face them.


    After hearing the explosioning from the training ground, she had brought them with her and Avrum to investigate. She did not expect that the explosion had something to do with Kyran and Sigma. These soldiers all thought the person who attacked the Tower of Conve was currently locked up, and it would not be good for them if they found out it was not the case.


    Malia moved at once and took out a bottle of pink powder from under her robes. She opened it and sprinkled the powder on the soldiers.


    A light-green array appeared on the ground where the soldiers stood, and the pink powder immediately spread within the array.


    The moment the soldiers inhaled the powder, their eyes lost their focus.


    "Return to your post. There is nothing to see here," Malia told them.


    "Yes, Chairman Malie." The soldiers answered in unison with a deadpan expression. They immediately turned and left the courtyard.


    Malia sighed and released her array before turning her attention back on Sigma.


    "Sigma! What have you done?" She demanded.


    Avrum, who was standing on the side, also shook his head. He looked at Sigma with an amused expression and said, "You disobeyed the Lord of the Tower."


    Sigma red at Avrum before turning at Malia with a frown.


    "Why did you think it was me who have done something?"


    "Because ''he'' will not use his magic if he is not threatened," Malia replied matter-of-factly.


    "Humph," Sigma crossed his arms. "That boy needed to be taught a lesson. How would I know that he would rampantly use his magic?"


    "Rampantly?" Malia asked in disbelief. "You probably did something that would force him to do so!"


    Sigma opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything, Avrum''s exmation interrupted them.


    "Oh! Wow."


    The two stopped and turned to look at Avrum.


    "Look at the sphere," Avrum told them when he felt their eyes on him.


    The two immediately turned their attention back at the purple half-sphere and saw that it had started to shrink. To their surprise, the wall of the building where the half-sphere had reached was not destroyed.


    "What...?" Sigma said in confusion. His frown deepened as he watched the sphere disappeared back inside the building.


    The only destroyed part of the building was the hole Sigma created to escape.


    Avrum grinned in amazement.


    "He can actually control the things his magic will destroy?"


    "This is..." Malia was speechless.<sub> </sub>


    She had read the reports and heard the soldiers exined what happened during the attack.


    The way they spoke of Kyran was as if he was a walking cmity. Where he went, there would only be destruction. That was why the scene in front of them was really unexpected.


    Hugh did say that there was one time where Kyran did not destroy the surrounding area. Nor did his magic ''swallowed'' the soldiers and mages around. But as far as Malia remembered, the sphere Kyran had summoned that time was semi-transparent, not solid purple. Hugh even said that it might even be a domain.


    "Avrum, let the Lord of the Tower know what happened here. Sigma, you''reing with me," Malia said and went straight to the hole in the building without waiting for their reply.


    ====================


    Inside the building, Kyran was on his knees. Hisplexion had gotten pale, and he was breathing heavily. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of his face.


    It had been a while since thest time he released that pure unrestrained magic sphere. However, what exhausted him was not the amount of magic he used but how he tried to control what his magic would eliminate.


    Kyran only wanted the man to keep his distance as well as removed the arrays suspended around him.


    The idea of releasing the unrestrained version of his magic came to him after noticing the man avoided touching his magic. From the man''s reaction, Kyran realized that although the man could break his void scales, he could not defend against his magic.


    Of course, Kyran would not try if he was not confident that he could seed in controlling it. Still, he had not expected that doing so was physically and mentally exhausting.


    p "Kyran?"</anda>


    A woman''s voice interrupted Kyran''s thoughts.


    He saw an older woman with grayish wavy hair wearing a white robe with green ents that alsoplimented her green eyes appeared on the hole from the wall.


    ''Another council member?'' Kyran wondered and cautiously looked at her as she entered the room.


    "My name is Malia, and I am the Chairman of the Alchemist Association." The woman named Malia started. "You probably do not remember me, but we met before."


    Kyran frowned slightly. He was confident with his memory, but he did not remember this woman, nor did he had the feeling of meeting her before.


    However, he did not react and simply looked at her.


    From the hole, the man entered the room again.


    The moment Kyran saw him, he immediately summoned his purple rings on his right hand.


    Malia seeing his reaction spoke at once, "It is okay. He will not attack you."


    Kyran looked back at Malia but did not release his magic.


    "He is Sigma, the President of the cksmith Order. Just like me, we are part of the Conve Honorary Council," she said.


    The man named Sigma frowned, "Why did you introduce me? He doesn''t have to know who I am."


    "Quiet you," Malia hissed at him. Then she turned her attention back to Kyran and said, "Whatever he has done, let me apologize."


    Kyran could not help but feel puzzled at Malia''s action. Clearly, she had a higher position than Sigma. But why did she have to act polite around him?


    He actually did not mind Sigma''s action. On the contrary, he was grateful that he was able to understand the extent of his improvement.


    "You don''t have to apologize for him," Kyran told her. He then looked at Sigma, who was looking at him.


    "We''re not done," he told him.


    Sigma grinned at once, and his fighting spirit surged at once, "Yes. We''re not."


    Malia looked at Kyran in disbelief and immediately said, "Please. Do not be hasty. You just recovered and even now you are already hurt. I am an alchemist, let me check your wounds and-."


    "I appreciate your concern but I''ll deal with my own battles," Kyran interrupted her.


    "Good. I changed my mind about you. Although a little," Sigma said as light-brown magic arrays appeared on his gauntlets once again.


    Malia turned to him in rm, "Sigma!"


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran ignored the pain on his arm and changed into a fighting stance before facing Sigma.


    "Come," he said.


    Sigma sneered and rammed his fists together preparing to attack.


    However.


    "You should listen when you''re told to!" Malia yelled as a light-green magic array appeared on the floor where Sigma stood.


    "Chairman Malia!" Sigma eximed at once as several vines shot out from the array and tangled around his legs.


    ''What?'' Kyran was surprised.

 Chapter 76 The Misunderstanding

    ''Let the Lord know what happened, huh?'' Avrum thought with a wry smile.


    Did Chairman Malia forget that he only had a level 2 clearance to the main tower? Or that they did not have the Lord of the Tower''s direct channel? If they wanted to speak with the Lord, they had to go through Head Malek.


    ''But she did not tell me to go to him,'' he thought.


    With a sigh, Avrum smiled uneasily and went back to the infirmary. Among the council members, he was the most observant. He was able to understand the underlying reason why Malia did not tell him to go to Malek.


    ''Ah~ah. It''s disappointing how these guys are acting like kids to get even with a boy. Oh well, not my problem.''


    After a short pause, Avrum finally decided to go back to the infirmary.


    While he could not contact the Lord directly nor visit her quarters at the main tower, there was still a way for him to send his message. And that was by using the transmission array at the alchemy chamber inside the infirmary.


    This transmission array was a small one connected directly to Ste''s quarters. It served as an emergency transport of medicine or potions without her having to visit the infirmary.


    ''I just hope the Lord is in her quarters as the Head Master said earlier,'' he thought.


    ===============


    ''What?'' Kyran was surprised.


    He did not anticipate Malia to restrain Sigma suddenly.


    Malia took a sharp breath and red at Sigma.


    "You are already an adult. What are you doing getting yourself worked up?" She scolded. Then she turned to Kyran and said, "Kyran. You may think that you are already fine, but you have to remember that you have been unconscious for days. If your body was subjected to a rigorous activity right after waking it would have a negative effect on your recovery."


    Kyran could not help but sweat. Because he had stayed inside Ste''s study that had been elerated by time, from the outside world, he just woke up. But to him, he had been awake for more than a week.


    "Well... Technically, I''ve been awake for more than a week. So you really don''t have to worry," he politely told her.


    Malia and Sigma frowned. Both of them made a mental calction of the days.


    There was a moment''s pause before Kyran''s words finally made sense to them.


    "Oh." Malia said.


    On the other hand, this further annoyed Sigma. "Tsk. See how this rascal had blinded the Lord? He even takes advantage of her magic!"


    Hearing this, Kyran slightly frowned.


    The way Kyran understood Sigma''s words, he was not really mad about him attacking the Tower of Conve and destroying the defensive array in the process. Nor was he mad about hurting their people.


    It had something to do more with Ste. Particrly on her preferential treatment of him regardless of what he had done.


    "Hush, Sigma. You have no idea how happy the Lord was now that she finally met Kyran." Malia scolded him again.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    ''No, please don''t say it like that or else-.''


    "This rascal is clearly taking advantage of the Lord! Just because the Lord is inexperience does not mean this rascal has the right to take advantage of her!" Sigma red once again.


    More ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He remembered how Ste spoke to and treated him. There was also her gentle expression. If she had the same expression when talking about him with the rest of the council, they would definitely get the wrong impression.


    For all he knew, Ste was only like that because they had simrities.


    ''I better clear this out or else,'' Kyran decided and said, "Look. I think you have the wrong idea here. Ste is only treating me as-."


    Sigma suddenly turned to him and glowered, "YOU DARE SPEAK OF THE LORD''S NAME?"


    Malia clobbered him from behind.


    "Ow." He turned to Malia. "What did you do that for?"


    "You overreact to everything about the Lord! Will you stop for a moment and let me handle this?"


    Kyran could not help but sweat at this scene.


    Somehow the tension from earlier just... disappeared.


    ''I wonder how the rest of them will act when I meet them?'' He thought with a sigh.


    Malia looked at Kyran and said, "Be as it may. We are going to meet in a few hours. So can we put this ''incident'' behind us?"


    "No."


    "Definitely not!"<sub> </sub>


    Kyran and Sigma said at the same time.


    "Why are you two so-."


    Before Malia could finish, Kyran raised his hand while saying, "Miss Malia. Don''t get me wrong. I can''t put this incident behind me not because I feel mistreated. I actually understand why... he attacked me. So I don''t me him. Putting this behind us will not resolve it. But you are right. I will meet the rest of the Conve Council members in a few hours, and I want to address this incident as well as what I did a few days ago."


    Both Malia and Sigma fell silent. They were both surprised at Kyran''s temper.


    At first, Malia thought he was just stubborn, but he was actually thinking about facing them properly. Such was an attitude of a responsible person.


    "Alright," Malia replied with a smile. She looked at Sigma and asked, "And. How about you?"


    "Humph," Sigma harrumphed but silently agreed.


    Malia nodded and looked back at Kyran, "Shall we patch you up then? If the Lord sees you like this-."


    Sigma started to growl on the side again, but Malia ignored him.


    "-she''ll be upset."


    Kyran nodded his head, "Okay."


    He made a mental note to talk to Ste and clear any misconception the council members had about them.


    ===============


    Right that moment, Ste was indeed still in her quarters. She had not finished with her preparation for the meeting that would happen in two hours.


    ''Hmm...''


    Ste stood in the middle of her room with a thoughtful expression. She crossed her arms as she stared at the few opened parchments floating around her.


    These parchments were what she was sorting. It contained all recent information of the Royal Army''s movement they had gathered these past few days.


    Most of the information was provided by the Mercenary Hall. Since the bounty on Kyran was still active, the mercenaries who epted it were all looking for more information about him. Those mercenaries who took his bounty were mostly veterans, and they believed the reward was too generous for it to be an easy capture the target alive request. While investigating, they immediately noticed that the army was present and was very active within the area where the target was thest seen. They even found some traces of battle in the forest. Thus, most of them deduced that the army might be involved. Some proceeded to gather more information using that lead. For fear of getting tangled with the army, others located Kyran''s tracks using a different approach, like finding his identity.


    Of course, these mercenaries were still unaware of what was really happening behind the scenes.


    Ste had ordered Hugh and Can not to disclose this information. At least not until they talk about it with Kyran.


    But that was not what made Ste had a thoughtful expression at the moment. Right now, she was looking at the files of all the mercenaries who took Kyran''s bounty request. After checking through it, she immediately recognized three of them; Gage, Ss, and Nn. The three closest to the truth behind the bounty. Ss, because he actually made contact with the Regis; Gage, because he was the one who Ss entrusted to deliver the ''item'' to the Mercenary Hall; and Nn, who actually met Kyran.


    What got her attention the most was that all three took the bounty at the same Mercenary Guild. The one being managed by a mage named Soren.


    She was worried that if the army found even a trace that links the three mercenaries, the Mercenary Hall would be implicated. Especially now that she had not heard from Nn after he left to intercept and save Gage a few days ago.


    ''I may have to let Can talk to Soren and tell him to be careful,'' she thought.


    ''There was no report of any city or train station being destroyed so there''s a high chance he seeded in intercepting Gage. And ording to our intel, after that day, Gael visited a Master Artisan up north of Meliora because his weapon was destroyed.'' A smile escaped Ste''s lips as she thought of Nn. It would seem she had to prepare a good remuneration for his good job.


    ''After visiting the Master Artisan, he went to work as normal, however he looked a little displeased. I just hope Nn and Gage escaped unscathed. I know letting Nn go was risky, given his history with the Royal Army. But his strength from before has improved by leaps and bounds so I am quite confident he would seed. Anyway, he''s probably on his way back. But now, I am not sure whether to tell Kyran all this. After all, we don''t any news about his family. I am sure he is more concern hearing about that.''


    She then looked at the report Vaness gave her this morning.


    It was a list of materials that were ordered by the army a few days ago.


    Ste had a feeling that these materials had something to do with the Regis. Vaness also noted that the materials the army ordered were used for array creation. When he asked Noir about it, he said he had three arrays in mind that use those materials.


    ''''And one can destroy a defensive array,'''' she thought, quoting what Vaness said.


    Taking a deep breath, Ste suddenly felt an iing headache.


    ''I have to open this to the councilter, that way we cane up with a n to verify this.'' She decided.


    While she was contemting all this, she suddenly noticed the bed table on the right, her left at the moment, lit up.


    This table was actually a magic item, serving as a transmission array. It was connected to simr tables ced at different locations inside the Tower like the kitchen, Malek''s office, her office, and alchemy chamber.


    ''Does Malek need me to review more reports? Why didn''t he tell me though?'' She wondered and walked over to the table.


    Soon, an off-white colored slip appeared on top of the table.


    ''This,'' Ste''s eyes narrowed as she recognized the slip. This was an item Malia used to give her patients instructions with their medication.


    ''Why does Malia gave me a slip?'' She wondered and picked it up. She roused her magic and filled the slip with magic to check its content.


    Soon her eyes widened, and she immediately activated the transmission array and left.

 Chapter 77 A Different Side

    The moment Ste read the first part of the message from the slip, she did not hesitate and immediately activated the transmission array going to the entrance leading to the northwest tower courtyard.


    This was the same array she used to lead Kyran to the training ground. The truth, there was another one at the front steps of the northwest tower, and it was closer to the training ground, but if she appeared there, it would draw too much attention. After all, the northwest tower was where the barracks and the infirmary were located.


    Ste levitated and rushed to the building inside the training ground.


    ''That stupid Sigma,'' she thought in exasperation while she flew directly to the room where she left Kyran. ''I said not toy a hand on Kyran and yet!''


    She knew that Sigma was dissatisfied with her decision to be lenient with Kyran. However, she did not expect him to disobey her orders. Although Sigma was headstrong, he had always been obedient and only had the Conve''s best interests at heart.


    Originally, Ste nned to clear all misunderstandings during the meeting. However, with this incident, would they be able to reconcile properly?


    As soon as she arrived, she sted the doors to the training room and roused her magic.


    "Stop!" She shouted as golden clocks appeared in all corners of the room.


    But.


    "What?" Ste stopped in midair when she realized that the room was empty. She descended to the ground and surveyed the whole room. She immediately noticed the huge hole on the wall at the back of the room. There were also traces of fighting inside.


    ''The array did not activate?'' She wondered and examined the array on the floor.


    ''No. It did. Initially, I suggested this room for Kyran cause his magic was pretty destructive, but if he''s only using it for practice, the array could withstand it.'' She pondered and looked at the hole on the wall. ''But if Kyran uses his magic seriously. He''d be able to destroy the whole ce, not to mention the array.''


    Her brows creased slightly while she remembered the message on the slip.


    ''It said Kyran had unleashed his magic so I was expecting to see a ruined training room but... apart from the hole on the wall and the destroyed array. There were too little damage.''


    She suddenly remembered that the slip had another part, but because she was too worried, she did not bother to read the rest and rushed to the training ground.


    ''And... where is everybody?'' She wondered and surveyed the whole room again.


    "Milord!"


    A male''s voice suddenly called out to her.


    Ste turned her attention back to the hole and saw Avrum approaching with an awkward smile.


    "Milord," he greeted with a slight bow. "I''m sorry for sending out such an rming message. At that time, I thought Chairman Malia would not be able to stop them and-."


    "Where are they?" Ste interrupted. She felt a little relieved that Malia was able to stop Kyran and Sigma''s fight.


    "They are at the infirmary right now, Milord." Avrum replied, not minding her interruption.


    "Infirmary?" she repeated, her voice rising a notch.


    Seeing her worried expression, Avrum hastily added, "Rest assured they had not suffered any-."


    However, Ste did not wait for him to finish. She immediately levitated and flew out the hole and straight to the infirmary.


    Avrum could not help but sweat. When he sent the message to the Lord, he did exaggerate a bit. But he only wanted to emphasize the urgency of the matter to her. Who would have thought that after just sending it for a couple of minutes, Malia arrived with Sigma and Kyran acting civil?


    Malia told Avrum to go back to the training room and wait for the Lord. She also told him to exin that she managed to resolve the matter temporarily.


    ''I''m sorry Chairman. I may have triggered the Lord''s reversed scale,'' Avrum thought uneasily and followed suit.


    "Milord, please slow down. There is nothing to worry," he called after her.


    Instead of slowing down, Ste picked up her pace.


    It only took almost a minute for her to reach the northwest tower.


    The northwest tower had two entrances. The one on the left side led to the barracks, while the one on the right led to the infirmary and alchemy chamber.


    Obviously, Ste entered to the right. As soon as Ste entered the infirmary, it caused amotion among the people inside.


    "It''s the Lord of the Tower!"


    "Was she not supposed to be in closed doors?"


    "What are you talking about, she already left this morning. There were talks that she will make a very important announcementter!"


    Whispering among the patients ensued. A few minutes ago, they were actually surprised when Malia and Sigma came in with a young man they did not recognize. Spections roused about the young man''s identity.


    And now, even the Lord of the Tower hade.


    Every attending nurse rushed to the entrance and lined up. It was a sight to see how in sync they all were. It was also hard to differentiate them, with their uniformed white robe with green ents and a white cap. The only indication was their silver badge with their names pinned on their vest.


    "Milord," they all bowed in respect.


    Ste nodded her head in response to their greeting. She looked at the nearest nurse and asked at once, "Where are they?"


    The nurse was quick to understand who Ste meant and immediately pointed at a private room located at the end of the hall, "If you''re looking for Chairman Malia and President Sigma, they went to the room at the far end of the hall, Milord."


    "Thank you," Ste thanked the nurse with a faint smile. She levitated once again and directly flew to the room where the nurse had pointed.


    Every person inside could not help but look at each other in wonder. Although Ste looked calmed, they felt her distress. After all, they never saw her fly her way to her destination looking like that.


    A few secondster, Avrum also entered.<sub> </sub>


    "Hah..hah.." He panted.


    "Head Alchemist Avrum," they once again bowed down in greeting.


    "N-No need... to bow..." He told them, still catching his breath. He was a mage and an alchemist, his stamina had always been bad, yet he noticed he had been running around a lottely. Whether it was to get ingredients for the potions, they were brewing or running errands for the Chairman and the Lord of the Tower.


    ''Ah~ I badly need a break,'' he thought.


    He took a few deep breaths before straightening his back and asked no one in particr, "The Lord?"


    "The Lord went to the room where Chairman Malia and President Sigma are," the previous nurse answered.


    "Thanks," he replied and followed Ste''s tracks.


    Once again, all the attending nurses, and some patients, could not help but look at one another.


    Just what was going on with the council today?


    ====================


    Inside one of the private rooms of the infirmary.


    Kyran sat at the edge of the bed while Malia sat on a chair in front of him.


    She volunteered to concoct a potion for him, but he refused and said he had some pills but wanted to let his bones heal normally. When she asked why he would subject himself to much pain, he answered that he did not want to always rely on potions and pills when healing himself.


    Malia then remembered that one of the reasons the Regis were feared was their excellent tolerance in pain and natural healing ability. So she did not insist further and only applied some salve on his arm.


    Before she could dress his arm, he stopped her and said he would do it himself.


    Malia watched in silence as Kyran wrapped his left arm with a bandage. She was surprised at how adept he was at patching his own wounds. But she also felt a slight tug in her heart.


    If Kyran was this adept at patching himself, it meant he had a lot of practice.


    Sigma, who was standing by the door with his arms crossed, was also silently watching Kyran.


    He hated this boy for causing such a ruckus to the Tower of Conve. Most importantly, for beguiling their Lord. However, after fighting and observing him now, he felt that he misjudged this boy''s character... just a little.


    When they fought earlier, Kyran acted cocky to Sigma. But if he thought of Kyran''s upbringing and current circumstances, he realized that he was not really cocky. He was only being guarded.


    Sigma was suddenly reminded of a porcupine. As long as you stay away from it, you will not get stabbed.


    He also remembered the purple half-sphere Kyran released. Based on their understanding of his magic, it could destroy anything it touches. That was why he avoided making direct contact when it appeared on Kyran''s feet. After all, he could only recreate his magic to form a weak spot on Kyran''s magic, not defend against it.


    But the purple half-sphere did not destroy everything.


    ''Does it mean he can control it now? If yes, then did he use it knowing that I would avoid it? Doesn''t that mean he was only trying to keep me away because he only want to destroy my arrays?''


    This boy actually did not want to hurt him?


    Sigma scowled. Just thinking about it annoyed him. Right from the start, he was the only one who seriously wanted to hurt the boy. The boy only retaliated in defense.


    Even when Kyran kicked him, Sigma had a feeling that he was only testing his endurance.


    ''Annoying rascal,'' Sigma thought. But his annoyance had alleviated a little.


    BANG!


    The door burst open so suddenly that it almost made the three of them jump.


    "Kyran!" Ste emerged from the door.


    "Stel-Oi!"


    Kyran was immediately ttened on the bed as Ste flew on top of him.


    "Milord!" Malia and Sigma eximed, both flustered and a little embarrassed after seeing the inappropriate position the two made.


    "Geroff-!"


    "Where were you hurt?" Ste demanded as she leaned back and checked every inch of his body.


    "O-Oi just where are you touching-!" Kyran protested. He wanted to get Ste off, but he was unsure where to touch her without giving that Sigma another thing to overreact.


    It was toote, though. Especially with their position and Ste''s expression, Sigma could not believe that he saw a different side of their Lord.


    On the other hand, Malia simply sighed since she was the closest to Ste and anticipated her reaction.


    "Your arm!" Ste eximed as soon as she saw Kyran''s bandaged forearm. Her eyes glinted malevolently as they turned to gold.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head upon seeing her expression.


    Ste''s magic pressure surged as she turned to look at Sigma.


    "Sigma!" She shouted.


    "Y-Yes, Milord!"

 Chapter 78 Let Me Deal With Them

    Kyran sighed in his heart.


    As much as he wanted to avoid causing further misunderstandings, he knew it would be difficult with Ste''s temper turning 180 degrees because of him.


    He was suddenly reminded of when she tortured the psycho bastard after speaking ambiguously and provoking him. He still had doubts as to why she would help him without reservations. But if she kept on doing things like this, it would hinder his ns.


    In the first ce, Kyran did not want to be indebted to her, nor the Conve. He preferred to work with them properly and without any special treatment.


    Besides, he did not want to go through another situation where he was censured just because of a ''girl''. He had enough of that during his time at the military school. Andpared to the situation from before, Ste''s involvement would pose a bigger problem to him. Because this time, he would have to deal with mages with higher magic attainments, like Sigma,pared to when he was at military school where he only had to deal with a few senior students.


    ''First, let''s deal with this.'' Kyran decided and finally made a move.


    He gently pulled Ste closer and whispered to her ears, "Are you really going to make a scene here and expose me?"


    His voice was just loud enough for her to hear, and he tried to sound as stern as possible.


    Ste''s ear tingled the moment Kyran spoke. She turned to her left and reddened after realizing how close her face was to his. Her mind suddenly gone haywire as an emotion so familiar yet so foreign swept through her.


    It was too sudden and confusing that her magic pressure abated at once. Even her eyes returned to their original light blue color.


    "What..." ''...is this...?'' She half said aloud and half thought to herself as she stared into Kyran''s dark gray eyes.


    Raising his brows at Ste, Kyran replied, "What do you mean ''what''? This is the infirmary, if you suddenly make a move here, how many of your people do you think will witness it? They will also wonder what happened. If they see me here and recognize me wouldn''t that expose me as the man who attacked this ce?"


    Ste snapped out of her reverie after Kyran''s words finally registered to her.


    "That''s..."


    "When you took me to the training ground, didn''t we use a transmission array? Am I wrong to think you did that to make sure I am not seen by your people?"


    "Y-Yes, you''re right." She replied in a soft voice.


    "I don''t need you to act on my behalf," Kyran continued. Still retaining a stern voice. "And for the record, I broke my arm because of you."


    "Me?" Ste asked in confusion.


    "Yes. I''m confident with my physical defenses, but if I have to defend against attacks strengthened by magic, I needed my coat. You still have it right?"


    "Oh," Ste suddenly remembered this and felt uneasy. "I''m sorry. I''ll have it ready as soon as possible."


    "That''s fine. Now, can you get off?"


    "Get off...?" Ste btedly realized she was practically sitting on Kyran''sp and immediately moved to the side. Her face was burning bright red.


    "I-I''m sorry!" She blurted.


    Seeing that Ste had returned to normal, Kyran turned his attention to Malia and Sigma.


    The two had been silently watching their exchange in silence¡ªboth wearing bewildered expressions.


    "Will you leave us for a moment?" He asked.


    Sigma scowled at once. He growled at him, "Who are you to order us-."


    "Leave us," Ste interrupted.


    "Yes, Milord." Sigma answered at once.


    Malia could not help but sweat at Sigma. Shaking her head disapprovingly, she looked at Ste with a smile, "Then we will leave now and see you at the meeting."


    Ste smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you."


    The two bowed and left.


    Of course, Sigma gave Kyran a death re before closing the door.


    Once the two had left the room, Kyran turned his attention back at Ste.


    Ste also turned in time to see him looking at her intently, and she immediately flushed.


    "W-What is it?" She asked.


    "Can you not do that?" He started.


    Ste looked at him in confusion, "Do what?"


    "Overreact," he curtly replied.


    Steughed uneasily, "Ahaha...s-sorry. It''s just you are wounded again and-."


    "Wounds are normal in fighting," he replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, I understand that your people hated me for what I''ve done. And I am prepared to face anything they throw at me. If they wanted to teach me a lesson so be it. I don''t even mind if you gave your consent as my punishment."


    "I will never do that," Ste replied.


    "And that''s the problem," Kyran told her.


    "But I know your reasons."


    "They are your people. I am an outsider," Kyran replied while shaking his head.


    "You''re not..." Ste replied in a small voice.


    She understood what Kyran wanted to tell her. She was not biased when she decided not to punish him.


    ...


    Okay, maybe she was. But she understood his circumstances.


    Kyran was suddenly forced to fend for himself on the outside world all on his own. She only wanted to lessen his burden by helping him in any way she could.


    Kyran took a deep breath and continued, "In the meetingter, let me deal with them. I don''t need you to cover for me."


    "But I wanted to help," Ste started.<sub> </sub>


    "If you really want to help, stop being like this. You will only cause a misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding?" Ste asked in confusion. "That shouldn''t be the case. They all know that the Conve and the Regis n has a business-."


    "That''s not what I meant."


    "No?"


    Kyran sighed and looked at her with a deadpan expression. He answered, "That guy. You know what he said about me?"


    "What?"


    "He said I ''blinded'' you and am taking advantage of you and your magic."


    The meaning of his words was too obvious for Ste to miss, and her face burned bright red, "Y-You''re not-!"


    "I know. But to them, that is how they see it."


    Ste fell silent and started to wonder.


    Why did they think of that? They clearly knew the dealings of the Conve with the Regis n. Helping the subject of their ''dealings'' with the Regis should not cause any misunderstandings.


    Besides, she and Kyran were the same; both of them possessed forbidden magic. It was normal for her to help someone who was in the same boat as him.


    Noticing Ste''s thoughtful expression, Kyran finally rxed a bit. The sooner she understood the situation, the faster they could clear any misunderstandings and avoid future ones.


    "Now that you understand, let me deal with themter." Kyran told her again.


    Ste looked at him. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded and replied, "Alright."


    "We''re good then," Kyran said with a slight nod.


    Now that he had one less thing on his mind, the fatigue he felt when he controlled his magic earlier finally took over his senses.


    "I''ll rest a bit. Can you wake me up before the meeting?"


    Ste smiled and nodded, "Okay. Do you want me to change the time here so you can rest longer?"


    "No," Kyran rejected at once.


    Ste pouted after hearing his blunt rejection, but she just replied, "Fine."


    Kyrany on the bed and turned to the side, his back facing Ste.


    A smile escaped Ste''s lips as she watched Kyran''s back.


    She had gotten used to his presence that it felt so natural seeing him like this.


    Once again, she felt that familiar yet foreign emotion, and she could not help but frown in confusion.


    ====================


    After leaving Ste and Kyran in the room, Malia and Sigma stayed outside.


    Both of them wore thoughtful expressions.


    They did not hear much during the exchange between Kyran and Ste from when they were still inside, but whatever it was, it effectively calmed Ste.


    The two were grateful for what Kyran did. If not, they could only imagine what would happen if Ste really unleashed her magic.


    However, they also worried for her.


    Sigma was dissatisfied with Kyran because he easily smeared the Conve''s dignity by attacking rampantly. On top of that, the Lord did not order any punishment. To him, Kyran was taking advantage of them because of his n''s deep rtionship with the Founder. And while it was the truth, it did not mean he could do as he pleases within the Conve''s turf.


    From a personal perspective, Sigma also hated how Kyran could affect the Lord''s actions as well as her decisions. He was overprotective of the Lord, and he was aware of it. Who could me him? He, just like the rest of the Conve Council members, practically watched her grow up.


    To them, the Lord was like a daughter, a little sister, and a master altogether.


    However, because of the exchange between the Lord and Kyran, Sigma finally understood that her lenient attitude towards Kyran was not that simple. That was why he was worried.


    Malia also thought the same. She was closest to Ste, but it was because of this that she was blinded.


    She was suddenly reminded of how Ste took an interest in Kyran.


    More than sixteen years ago, before Ste''s magic manifested, the previous Time Keeper and Ste''s aunt, Sophia, used to tell stories about their ancestors. When Ste came across the story about the Dark Sage, her aunt reprimanded her and said not to address him as such. When Ste asked why, her aunt did not answer her question but instead told her to address him as the Void Master.


    Malia remembered how Ste, as a child, became curious about the previous Void Master''s story. She also remembered how Ste believed the previous Void Master had a good reason for turning evil, and she cried when she found how he ''died''.


    Malia simply smiled at how young and pure Ste was at that time.


    And finally, when Ste was about to turn six, she showed signs of bing the next Time Keeper. In turn, her aunt Sophia suddenly fell ill. On her deathbed, she told Ste that all previous Time Keepers of the Tower Family had waited for the day the new Void Master would appear. Because they, as the Time Keeper, had a mission, and that was to fulfill the Founder''sst wish.


    Malia was present at that time and knew she had heard a secret she should not have. To ensure that what she heard was kept secret, she voluntarily made a Soul-binding oath with Ste and did not inquire about the Founder''sst wish.


    Not long after that, Ste became the new Lord of the Tower. She was barely eight years old, yet she had to shoulder the responsibility of running the whole Conve.


    Then twelve years ago, they found out about young Kyran.


    Ste was thrilled, knowing that it was during her time that the new Void Master had appeared. She had vowed to fulfill the Founder''sst wish.


    That was why Malia understood that Ste''s recent actions had something to do with fulfilling that wish.


    However, after what Malia had seen from Ste''s expression just now, she realized that maybe Ste''s childhood curiosity about the Void Master had grown to the point she developed strong feelings for the new Void Master. However, she had not realized it yet.


    Both Malia and Sigma exchanged nces. The two had a tacit understanding that they had to keep what they had seen for themselves no matter what, especially to Malek.


    If Malek knew about this and realized the Lord''s feelings, being her official guardian, he would definitely not approve. Not because he deemed Kyran unworthy of her. But because, to Malek who had an aversion to wasting the Conve''s resources and wealth, Kyran was his mortal enemy.


    After all, Kyran was a human-sized walking cmity.

 Chapter 79 Before The Meeting

    BAM!


    "Major!" Vera and Luka eximed in unison as Jax hit the wall.


    Cracks formed on the area where Jaxnded, and he threw up a mouthful of blood, "Guh!"


    Vera and Luka immediately ran to his side as he fell face-first on the floor.


    Few hours had passed when Jax and the rest of the army canceled the operation and retreated. After cleaning up and finishing their documentation, Jax with Luka and Vera returned to the Royal Army Headquarters to report.


    Initially, Jax wanted toe alone because he knew that Gael had been in a foul mood. He knew that Gael would not be satisfied without venting out his anger. However, Luka and Vera insisted oning with him because they did not want Jax to bear Gael''s fury alone.


    True to their premonition, after Gael read their report, he was so angry that he directly sted Jax on the wall.


    "Failed again?" Gael bellowed while he stood imposingly in front of his study table. Because of the setting sun, the light inside the room gave a faint red tint that made Gael''s face look vicious.


    "How many times are you going to disappoint me, Major?" Gael asked him through gritted teeth.


    Jax slowly got up while Luka helped him on the side, "I-I was careless. The operation was seen through by Lord Cade-! Argh!"


    The shadow around Jax suddenly darkened and crawled, moving directly on his neck. The shadow formed into a hand with long arms and lifted him in the air.


    Magic fluctuation filled the whole room, and Gael''s magic pressure rose that Luka and Vera also spewed out a mouthful of blood.


    "Guh!" Both of them fell on their knees.


    <o>,m "S-Stop! G-Grand Marshal, i-it is my fault! They had nothing to do with-ugh!" The shadow hand''s grip tightened around Jax''s neck.</o>


    "Silence! Excuses! Every single time. All I hear are excuses!" Gael growled, his eyes turned red as ck shadows seeped out from him. His magic pressure further intensified, and the whole room tremble.


    "Ugh..." Luka and Vera could feel their bones protested under the weight of Gael''s magic pressure. However, they could only clench their fist and endure.


    "Find a way to establishmunication with your men that managed to enter the Regis Estate Inner Wall," Gael ordered. "Once you do, tell them to draw a detailed map of the inner wall. Locate their food reserves and destroy it. Find their water system and poison it. Take away their food and water, let''s see if they will still be able to stay within those walls."


    The shadow that held Jax released him, and he fell with a loud thud on the floor.


    "Y-Yes, Grand Marshal." Jax answered as soon as he managed to kneel on one knee.


    "Humph," Gael turned his back on them and moved to the window. He released his magic pressure, and the shadows around the room returned to normal.


    Cold sweat trickled down the sides of Luka and Vera''s faces. Even their backs were drenched with sweat.


    "I want results, Major. Good results." Gael said without looking at them.


    "Y-Yes," Jax stood up with difficulty but still managed to salute.


    Luka and Vera stood and saluted as well, though their knees were still a little weak.


    Once the three left, Gael called for Fiona and issued another order.


    "Summon the Special Ops. Tell them to meet me at the usual ce," he told her while still looking out the window.


    Fiona bowed and replied, "Yes, Grand Marshal."


    ====================


    Kyran stared at the clothes sprawled at the foot of the bed.


    It was a matching white coat and white pants with gold and red ents. There was also a pair of white shoes that matched the clothes on the floor.


    "Why do I have to change?" He asked as he turned to Ste, standing at the side of the bed, looking at him expectantly.


    "Why not? You''re going to meet the Conve Council, you''re not going to tell me that you''ll meet them looking like that." Ste replied and gestured at Kyran''s clothes.


    Because of his fight with Sigma, his clothes had dirt and some cuts. Although, his clothes did not look that bad. It was inappropriate if he had to meet with the Conve Council formally.


    "I have clothes with me, you did not have to-."


    "But your clothes only have dark colors."


    "Its hard to move around when you''re wearing all white," Kyran replied with a frown.


    "Well, you''re not really going to move around. We''ll just sit and talk."


    Kyran''s frown deepened. He did not like dressing up unless he had to. But he had always worn dark colors.


    "Besides," Ste continued. "There will be a banquet afterward. Everyone will be there."


    "Everyone?" He repeated.<sub> </sub>


    Ste nodded, "Yes. It will be an open banquet and everyone here will attend."


    Kyran sighed and said, "Aren''t I supposed to be ''hidden''."


    "Don''t worry. Can already tweak the memories of the people who saw you. They only remembered your magic, not what you look like. Although, everyone knew that the ''intruder'' was supposed to be locked up inside the main tower. And yes, if they see you they might think it was you. So, we will introduce you as a visiting rtive of one of the Conve Council."


    "Right," Kyran replied, not one bit convinced. But he knew arguing with her was only a waste of time, so he did not say more and took the clothes.


    As soon as he took off his shirt, Ste turned beet red and immediately said, "W-Why are you undressing!"


    "How else am I supposed to change?" He replied.


    "C-Can''t you tell me first before removing your clothes, that way I can leave!"


    Kyran scratched his head. He was not fussy about removing his clothes in front of others. After all, he still had undergarments. It was not like he was going to strip naked.


    A thought crossed his mind, and he randomly said, "Wasn''t it you who changed my clothes when I passed out? I mean, I am half naked when I woke up."


    Ste reddened, "It was Nn who changed your clothes. I only helped with the bandaging..."


    "Ah. I see, okay. I''ll change now. Can you leave?"


    Ste''s brow twitched. She did say that he should tell when he would change so she could leave. But when he did tell her to leave, he sounded too curt and uncaring that it was a little unnerving.


    "Fine. I''ll wait for you at-."


    "Just tell me where to go. You don''t have to escort me around."


    Ste''s brow twitched once again, "You said it yourself. You''re supposed to be ''hidden''. Before we introduce you at the banquet you can''t-."


    "I have a way to travel by myself," Kyran cut her midsentence.


    Kyran stood and walked over the windows.


    "Is it somewhere near? Can we see it from here?" He asked while looking out the window.


    Ste looked at him in confusion, but she joined him and also looked out the window.


    From where they stood, the northeast tower was still visible. However, they could only see from the third floor up.


    "The conference room is located at that tower," Ste pointed. "See that balcony over there? The conference is above that."


    "Do you have an image with you?"


    "Image?" Ste repeated, clearly confused. But she pondered a bit before taking out a golden slip from her storage ring. "The whole map of the Tower of Conve is there."


    "You''re not going to tell me to use my magic sense to ''check'' that slip, are you?"


    "Oh, right," Ste replied. She thought for a moment and then took out a semi-transparent orb and showed it to Kyran. "Then how about this."


    Kyran took the orb, and Ste summoned her magic. Several golden clocks in different sizes appeared and formed a small half-sphere around them.


    The orb in Kyran''s hand lit up, then his surrounding suddenly changed. He was now standing in the middle of the big room, and in front of him was a round table with fourteen seats. Seven columns were surrounding the hall with sculpted winged humans. Three of the sculptures held amp made of light blue crystal, while the other four each held a sword, a staff, a spear, and a tome.


    A middle-aged man with wavy long blonde hair and light blue eyes sat at the head of the round table. He wore a long white robe with golden ents, and a long staff was leaning at the back of his chair. On hisp sat a little girl in a pink dress. She had short wavy blonde hair and the same light blue eyes.


    Kyran frowned as he realized that the little girl was...


    "Ste?" He said.


    Suddenly the whole surrounding dissolved, and they were back in one of the private rooms of the infirmary.


    "What was that?" Kyran asked and turned to look at Ste.


    Ste only smiled at him and replied, "That was the conference hall."


    Kyran studied her expression for a few seconds before going back to the bed.


    Since she did not borate, he would not pry. He already had an idea that what he saw might be a scene from the past.


    Ste''s past.


    "Okay. Then I''ll go there when I''m done."


    Ste smiled faintly and said, "Thanks."


    Kyran vaguely understood she was thanking him for not asking.

 Chapter 80 The Conclave Council

    The members of the Conve Council arrived one after another at the conference hall.


    Malek, who arrived, first sat at the left side of the head seat of the round table. He watched in silence as the rest of the members sat down in their respective seats.


    "Head Master," they greeted him.


    Malek only nodded his head in response while he kept his attention at the conference hall''s entrance.


    He was actually waiting for Sigma. An hour ago, he sent a message to Sigma asking him about Kyran. When Sigma did not reply, he sent another message and told him he would go to the conference hall early and wanted him toe early alone. That way, they could talk before the others arrived.


    Unfortunately, the rest of the members started to arrive, and Sigma was still nowhere in sight.


    Thirty minutes to eight, Sigma finally arrived with Noir.


    Malek slightly frowned. Did he not receive his message earlier?


    ''Something is up,'' Malek thought, his eyes narrowed.


    When Malek and Sigma''s eyes met, Sigma nodded and greeted him normally, just like the rest.


    "Head Master," he said before taking his seat beside Noir.


    Noir also nodded toward Malek and greeted, "Head Master."


    Malek also nodded at them.


    Seeing that most of them were here apart from Ste and Kyran, he stood up and looked at all of them.


    "Thank you for attending today''s meeting. As mentioned in the invite I have sent, tonight will be the first time we will finally meet our young friend from the Regis n."


    Every member of the council nodded in response to Malek''s introduction. It was evident that they were curious to meet the subject of their ''business deal'' with the Regis n. Aside from this, they also wanted to judge whether their gamble was really worth it.


    The truth, because of what Kyran did a few days ago, some feared that he might be reckless and unbridled. Wouldn''t that pose a great threat to the Conve''s neutral status if they let him be? There was also the risk of their faction''s rtionship with the Regis n being found out by the Royal Army and be branded as an aplice and a traitor.


    "I know some of you are worried about the Conve''s future now that he is here with us. I do too. As someone who personally fought him, I feel that he is a considerable risk to the Conve." Malek continued with his speech.


    At his words, Malia and Sigma could not help but nce at each other. Their unspoken agreement earlier shed in their minds. However, their expression did not show any of this, and they remained silent as they listened to Malek.


    "Of course, I also believe that he might be a great asset to the Conve. That is why I agreed to take the gamble. Still, I encourage every member to think of questions you want to ask him. I believe that his answers will provide us information on what he intends to do in the future."


    <o>,m Most of the members nodded their heads in agreement.</o>


    "Head Master," Emery suddenly spoke.


    "Yes, Emery?" Malek looked at her.


    "I believe each of us already understands that the Lord of the Tower intends to help him. If in case some of us does not agree, will we really be able to defy the Lord''s wishes?" She asked.


    Malek nodded his head, "A reasonable question. If you decide not to assist, the Lord will not hold it against you. You are all free to decide whether to help or not."


    "If I may speak," Malia interjected.


    They all turned to her.


    "I think we are getting ahead of ourselves," she started. "From what I have observed, our friend is not as reckless nor unreasonable as some of us might have thought initially."


    "Observed? Have you met him?" Noir asked.


    "I actually did," Malia replied with a knowing smile while looking in Sigma''s direction.


    The rest of the members noticed this action, and they all turned to Sigma.


    "Ahem," Sigma cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.


    Malek narrowed his eyes.


    ''So something did happen,'' he thought.


    Before Malek could ask about it, Malia continued. "Because of my short meeting with him, I''m able to gauge a little of his character."


    "And what do you think of our young friend?" Noir asked again.


    Malia smiled and replied, "He really is a member of the Regis Family."


    If others heard her answer, they might wonder what she meant. But to the rest of the members, it meant a lot.


    Who were the Regis Family? Everyone knew that they were an old noble family that helped shaped the foundation of the Ylfaen Empire. But to the Conve, they knew that the Regis would never do things without reason. And when they act, they would face all consequences of their actions and would take responsibility.


    Seeing that the rest of the members seemed to ept Malia''s answer, Malek could not help but frown. He nced at Sigma, who remained silent even after what Malia had said.


    ''Sigma was against that boy before, but now... What happened between them and that boy?'' He wondered.


    At that moment, the array on the ceiling lit up, and a semi-transparent golden sphere descended, with Ste inside.


    "Looks like everyone is here," she said with a smile.


    All of them stood up and bowed, "Lord of the Tower."


    "Please be seated," Ste told them as shended on the floor.<sub> </sub>


    The members, except for Malek, who remained standing, returned to their seats. They waited for Ste as she went to the head of the table.


    Some of them exchanged nces because Ste came in alone. They all thought Kyran would be with her.


    Ste looked at them and noticed their expression. She smiled and said, "Rest assured that Kyran wille."


    They all looked at her.


    "We still have some time, but we can start when he arrives."


    Malek, who was still standing on her side, frowned slightly. "I don''t think it is wise to let him walk around on his own, Milord."


    Ste looked at him and sighed.


    "I know. But he said he had his way to travel so..."


    Sigma sneered upon hearing this. "Humph, so he ns on showing off."


    Avrum, who was sitting beside him, heard this and asked. "Do you know something?"


    "Just wait and see," Sigma replied.


    Suddenly, the whole room crackled as a fissure started to form behind Ste and Malek.


    "What?" Malek eximed as he stared at the fissure in shock.


    Ste also turned and looked at the fissure with a surprised expression. "This is..?"


    "Show off," Sigma snorted.


    The others also stared at the fissure as it grew wider, a mixture of awe and fear shown in their faces.


    Then, a silhouette in white emerged from the fissure.


    It was Kyran.


    As soon as Kyran got out of the fissure, he immediately noticed that every person inside the hall was looking at him. He btedly realized, since the only ce inside the conference hall from Ste''s past that made an impression to him was at the head of the table, it would mean his magic would connect to that spot.


    And now, him appearing at the head of the table looked very... awkward. Especially when all of them were already present


    ''Well.. isn''t this awkward?'' He thought.


    The fissure behind him decreased in size, and soon the whole room returned to normal.


    "Hi, I was not supposed to walk around, so I thought I''d warp in. I didn''t know everyone''s already here," he said and looked at Ste, who was standing a few feet away from him, still with a surprised expression, then added, "I''m notte, right?"


    Ste snapped out of her reverie and replied, "No. You''re not."


    Malek, who also recovered, said, "Humph. Compared with the rest, you are."


    Ste frowned and was about to tell him off, but Kyran beat her at it.


    He said, "Hello to you too. How''s your body?"


    Malek scowled. Instead of retorting, though, he simply sat down.


    The other members who heard this exchange could not help but suppress theirughter because they knew what happened between Malek and Kyran.


    Ste chuckled. She looked at the rest of the council and said, "Everyone. I want to formally introduce, Kyran Regis."


    Kyran also looked at the rest of the members and bowed a little.


    The rest of the members nodded in response.


    "Now that everyone is present, why don''t we start?" Ste said.


    "Of course."


    The rest agreed.


    Ste looked at Kyran and gestured at the seat to her right.


    As soon as both of them had taken their seat, Malek officially started the meeting.


    He first introduced each member of the council.


    Kyran remained silent and paid attention to everything the members of the council said about themselves.


    He was actually surprised that apart from Malek and Hugh, who were both Magus, the rest were either a High Master or a Grand Master only.


    There were even two members, Vaness and Emery, who werebat specialists. And both were part of the Chamber of Commerce.


    Kyran suddenly felt a little nostalgic. After all, a week ago, he believed he would have to live as abat specialist for the rest of his life.


    Now that Kyran knew the overall strength of the council, he was more convinced that he could proceed with his n without a problem.

 Chapter 81 The Founders Last Wish

    When all the council members were done introducing themselves, Ste stood up and looked at them one by one.


    After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.


    "Again, let me thank you for patiently waiting for this day. These past few days have been eventful for all of us. I know all of you have questions, and that you worry for the future of the Conve."


    She paused for a few seconds to let her words sink in.


    "And I also know some of you are not satisfied with my decision to withold any punishment against Kyran for what he did."


    The atmosphere suddenly turned bleak inside the conference hall. Some members shifted in their seats, while others avoided looking in Kyran''s direction.


    Kyran remained silent and only observed the expression of each member of the council. He also listened intently to what Ste had to say. Partly to understand the overall situation of the Conve after what he had done, and partly so he would know who among the council members he had to ''deal with''ter.


    "For the benefit of those who were not present at the meeting a few days ago, I said that I have reasons for my decision. The first reason, as you are well aware, is because this is part of the Founder''s will. Because of the Founder''s deep rtion with the Regis ancestor, The List he left, indicated that we have to give our full support without any reservation when the Regis n is in need."


    Kyran''s brow creased at this.


    ''The Founder? There''s that ''List'' again. Just what is in that list?'' He wondered.


    Even after reading many books in Ste''s study and the records she had shared, he had not read any information about the two. If he had known about it before, then he would not have done a roundabout way to get the Conve''s attention.


    None of the members reacted to Ste''s words. After all, they were already aware of this.


    "Second, you all know about my magic. And you also know about the deal the Tower Family had with the Royal Family," Ste continued.


    Immediately, the expressions on each member''s face sunk.


    ''Deal with the Royal Family?'' Kyran was surprised after hearing this, although it did not show on his face.


    He slightly turned his head to look at Ste''s profile. Just like him, her expression remained indifferent.


    Sensing Kyran''s gaze on her, Ste turned to look at him and smiled.


    "Yes, Kyran. The Royal Family knows about me being the new Time Keeper, but I am allowed to live as long as I stayed in this ce and not expand the Tower''s territory."


    This piece of information took Kyran by surprise. He had always thought that just like how his family tried to hide him from the Royal Army, Ste was kept in this ce by the Tower Family. But, he did not think that the Royal Family knew about her and even allowed her to live.


    Was it because his magic posed more danger than hers?


    That should not be the case. Kyran believed that depending on how Ste used her magic; she could pose more of a threat than him.


    "It is not just the Tower Family. It is the same with the Regis n. Although the Regis cannot birth a new Dragon Lord, in order to appease the Royal Family, they agreed to serve them. Well this was until the Regis n had closed their doors and went into seclusion. Their agreement changed to serving the Royal Family to staying within their estate and not expand their military strength."


    Kyran clenched his fists. He did not know how much the Royal Family tried to control everyone within the empire.


    From what he had gathered from the books and records he had read, the Royal Family''s authority within the empire had already declined over the years. Even in the Royal Army and the numerous Magic Schools in the empire, the Three Noble Families had more influence.


    The ones still under the Royal Family''s influence were the Combat Hall and the Melfiore Military School and its branches all over the empire.


    Suppose we looked at the forces of both sides. The Royal Family only hadbat specialists and maybe somebat mages under them,pared to the Three Noble Families, who had more mages andbat mages.


    "However," Ste''s expression turned solemn as she looked at the members of the council again.


    "Although Kyran is a Regis, he is not protected by the agreement they had with the Royal Family."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair. He did not need to hear what Ste meant because he knew well why.


    ''Because my magic isn''t draconic.''


    "Because his ''forbidden magic'' is different from the Regis. And it is unprecedented. After all, it was the Ashton Family who can birth a new Void Master and all of them had been executed."


    The atmosphere had gotten bleaker as the members remained silent.


    They only knew about that part of the history from the books. But every time they were reminded of it, it still left a nasty feeling to them.


    Ste took a deep breath and continued, "This leads to my second reason. And this piece of information... is only between me and my aunt."


    Upon hearing this, Malia shifted in her seat.


    Was Ste going to tell them about the Founder''sst wish? Wouldn''t that be dangerous? Although every council member would not betray the Conve, there were ways to get this information from them. And the Royal Family''s innate magic could easily do this.<sub> </sub>


    "Part of the The List, was to create a profile for the new Void Master. You know this, Malek," Ste said and nced at Malek.


    Malek nodded his head, "Yes."


    "I know you might have wondered, why the Founder would include such in The List, knowing that the Ashton''s were long gone." She turned her attention back at the council members.


    "The answer is simple. The Founder knew that there will be a new Void Master in the future."


    "He knew?"


    It was Hugh who reacted first.


    Murmurs among the council ensued.


    Did the Foundere across a prophecy? But if he did, why would he hide this from the world? He knew the previous Void Master was not exactly a righteous person. They might refer to him as the Void Master inside the Conve, especially in front of Ste, but he was still the Dark Sage to the outside world. If he knew that a new Void Master would still appear even after killing off his descendants, then letting the world know should help them prepare for that day.


    "Yes. Myte aunt told me. It was not a prophecy, but it was... a promise."


    "Promise?"


    Once again, the council exchanged nces and started talking among themselves.


    Kyran as well could not help but ponder.


    Ste was not hinting that he was the reincarnation of the previous Void Master, was she?


    Besides, they already discussed the possibility that some of the Ashtons may have survived, and thus, here he was now.


    Unfortunately, he appeared among the Regis. Another family that had rtions with Ancient Magic. Thus, making his situation moreplicated.


    "I don''t know the full details. But because of this promise, the Founder left an important mission for the new Time Keeper," Ste continued after the council calmed down.


    ''Mission?'' Kyran wondered and looked at Ste.


    Ste also looked at him with a faint smile and said, "The mission to fulfill the Founder''sst wish. And his wish was for us to make sure, the new Void Master doesn''t die this time."


    This information shocked everyone.


    The way Ste phrased the Founder''sst wish, was as if he did not want the previous Void Master to die.


    Didn''t the Hero Families kill the Void Master because he threatened the wholend? He even controlled the Legion of Demons, who previously invaded and caused bloodshed in every part of thend.


    They could understand if the Founder''sst wish were to make sure the new Void Master would not go down the same path as the previous Void Master. But not let him die ''this time''?


    What did he mean?


    Kyran also had the same questions.


    The more he knew about his predecessor, the more he felt there was more to what happened in the Chaos Reign era than what was said in history books.


    He clenched his fists as he realized that the information on all those books might have been controlled by the Royal Family as well.


    ''So is the the Dark Sage really evil, or is this a conspiracy of the Royal Family?'' Kyran wondered, suddenly feeling a little nauseous.


    He btedly realized that his heart was pounding heavily in his chest. Even his magic started to circte in his body, making him feel hot all over. It was as if his magic had consciousness, and the thought of the Royal Family made it restless, even mad.


    Kyran rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair and held his head with one hand.


    Malia, who was seated diagonally from him, immediately noticed how hisplexion had turned pale.


    Before she could call on Ste''s attention about it, Kyran suddenly looked at her.


    As if sensing what she was thinking, Kyran slightly shook his head and gave her a meaningful look.


    Before Malia could speak, she lost her chance because Ste had started to speak again.


    "I know you''re all wondering what the Founder meant. And honestly, I am not sure either. But I know we''ll find out eventually."

 Chapter 82 His Proposal

    Each member of the council fell into contemtion.


    A person could even hear a pin drop because of the silence.


    As members of the Conve Council, they knew everything in the ''The List'', the Founder left. They did not question it because they had deep roots within the Conve.


    However, after hearing that the Founder also had a wish that he entrusted only with the Tower Family''s future Time Keeper, they realized how little they really knew about him.


    In The Conve, only the council members were aware of what the public knew as the Forbidden Magic was actually Ancient Magic.


    They also knew that the Tower and the Regis Families could birth a mage with ancient magic, Draconic and Time Magic.


    Whether it was a coincidence that the Founder of Conve had deep rtions with both families was unknown. They did not think much about it as well. This proved how much they believed and trusted the Founder.


    They still do, even after finding out that he also had a rtion with the previous Void Master.


    Still, it did not stop them from pondering these questions:


    Just who was the Founder of Conve?


    Why did he know the families connected to Ancient Magic?


    Howe he regarded the previous Void Master as someone worth keeping alive?


    All these questions were also in Kyran''s mind. But he was mulling over a lot more things than the council members.


    First was ''The List'' the Founder left about the Regis; which was to have The Conve give full support without any reservation when the Regis n is in need.


    Second, the mission he entrusted to the next Time Keeper.


    The third was how the Founder knew a new Void Master would appear not because it was prophesized but because of a promise.


    Why did the Founder give an order to support the Regis? But then gave a mission to the Tower''s new Time Keeper to make sure the new Void Master doesn''t die this time?


    If Kyran connected these points, he could not help but think that the Founder was aware the new Void Master would appear among the Regis Family.


    If this was true, did his family know?


    When he manifested his magic, they did their best to seal it and hide him from the Royal Army''s detection. Was that really their idea? Or was it to help the new Time Keeper fulfill the Founder''sst wish?


    Kyran felt a slight pain in his heart, thinking that his family hid too much from him.


    They did not show any signs of having direct rtions with the Conve. Not to mention the previous Void Master. He just now realized that none of his family referred to the previous Void Master as the Dark Sage. More precisely, they refrain from talking about him.


    Although he vaguely remembered, his uncles used the Void Master to scare the little kids to behave.


    ''How much do they know? And why did they have to keep all of this from me?'' He wondered.


    "I hope you now understand, why I may act partially."


    Ste''s voice snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    He took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair as he pushed all thoughts at the back of his head and focused on the meeting. For now, he could only put his n into action. Finding the answers to all the questions he had would have to wait for another time.


    "But, if you believe I am stepping out of line, then please tell me." Ste added.


    The council members all exchanged nces and slowly nodded their heads.


    "Thank you for telling us this, Milord."


    It was Hugh who spoke first.


    Ste looked at him and nodded with a slight smile.


    There was a moment''s pause before she took a deep breath and spoke again.


    "I''m sorry for starting off with a very serious tone. Now that I have said my piece. Let us move forward with the meeting."


    ''So that was only an introduction?'' Kyran thought.


    "First is to properly introduce Kyran to everyone, as well as what the Conve will do moving forward." Ste suddenly changed the subject.


    Everyone inside did not mind the change.


    After all, even though Ste had told them her reasons, it only added more questions than provided closure. But she was right that they would know the answers eventually. So there was no need to rush in finding out the whole truth.


    "Again, for the benefit of those not present from the previous meeting, we havee to a conclusion that Kyran''s reasons for making such a big... ''entrance''-."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s brow twitched from Ste''s choice of words. What big entrance? She could have said ruckus, and he wouldn''t mind. It was the truth, after all.


    "-was to get us to help him divert the Royal Army''s attention away from the Regis n. Some also believed that Kyran might know about our connection with his Family, that''s why he was brave enough toe here. However, I will now tell you that he only know that we had some business with his family. He did not know that about the rtion our Founder had with the Regis ancestor. Malek can testify to that. After all, Kyran thought we are colluding with the Royal Army thanks to Malek''s ambiguous words."


    This time, it was Malek''s brow that twitched.


    The other council members also tried their best not tough.


    Malia and Hugh, on the other hand, could not help but sigh. Their Lord was at it again. Jesting around with Malek as her usual target.


    "Initially I want to propose something to Kyran, but we talked earlier and I agreed to let him handle the rest,"


    Finally, she turned her attention to Kyran. She was about to call on him when she realized his paleplexion.


    Her brow creased in concern, and she asked, "Kyran? Are you o-."


    Kyran looked at her and only gave her a meaningful look.


    Ste immediately stopped. She remembered how he warned her not to overreact because it might cause some misunderstanding.


    She slowly nodded her head and sat down without saying more.


    Seeing that she understood, Kyran stood up.


    Every member of the council member looked at him expectantly.


    From the moment Kyran ''warped'' inside the conference room, they had been observing his words and actions. Because the information about him was only avable to Ste and Malek, they had no idea of the kind of person Kyran was.


    So far, the brief exchange he had with Malek gave them the impression that he was not easily intimidated. But this was already a given. Would he even have the courage to attack the Tower of Conve alone if he was easily intimidated?


    "Thank you," Kyran thanked Ste before facing the whole council members.


    This was not the first time he would face a congregation like this one. He had opportunities to attend his father and grandfather''s meetings with the Regis Elders back in the Regis Estate. He also had to talk in front of his ''team'' back when he was still attending military school.


    "First I''d like to apologize for my recklessness a few days ago," Kyran started and bowed at them.


    His action took the council members by surprise.


    Even Ste looked at him in rm.


    Kyran straightened and continued, "However, apologizing is not enough, I know. I''ve done a lot of damage, not only to this ce, but also your people."


    Immediately, Sigma shifted in his seat and even cleared his throat.


    Even Malek reacted by taking a deep breath.


    "That''s why I am willing to ept any punishment. Don''t worry I already told Ste, not to cover for me," Kyran said and paused to look at each of the council members.


    "Hm?"


    Noir was the first to react to this. Not because Kyran was willing to ept punishment but because he casually called the Lord of the Tower by her name.


    Not only him. Hugh, Can, and even the normally indifferent Chief of the Chamber of Commerce, Vaness, reacted by lifting both his brows in surprise.


    Emery also blinked twice. As if she could not decide whether he heard him right or not.


    Avrum''s eyes, on the other hand, almost popped out of their sockets from hearing Kyran speak the Lord''s name.


    The most exaggerated reaction would be Malek. His jaw dropped, and he looked as if he had forgotten how to breathe.


    That''s right. Someone calling the Lord of the Tower by her name merits such a reaction for the council members.


    Only Sigma and Malia had a slightly toned-down reaction. After all, they already witnessed a far more ''jaw-dropping'' exchange between the two.


    "But before you decide my punishment," Kyran continued.


    Hearing him speak, all of them except for Malek snapped back to reality.


    "I would like to make a proposal."


    "Proposal?" Hugh repeated, looking at Kyran in confusion.


    "Yes," Kyran replied with a nod. "I''d like to propose a partnership. If you hear me out, I believe all of us will gain a lot from it."

 Chapter 83 Partnership

    When Kyran mentioned the word ''partnership'', the council members nced at each other.


    Even Malek reacted. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Kyran and said, " Do you even know what partnership is?"


    "In order to establish a good partnership, both sides need to be on equal grounds," Kyran continued,pletely ignoring Malek''s question.


    "You-!" Malek glowered, but Ste stopped him by resting her hand on his arm.


    Seeing her stern look, Malek reigned in his annoyance and leaned back on his chair and snorted.


    "Humph."


    The rest of the council members who saw this could not help but apud Kyran''s boldness.


    In the Conve, only the Lord could act this way around Malek.


    Even Ste had ck lines on her head as she looked at Kyran. She knew that until he got even with Malek, they would not be able to reconcile properly.


    "At least that''s what I''ve read. Some of you might think I alone cannot be considered your equal, or rather The Conve''s equal. But let me ask you, how do you determine equality of both sides? Is it through their aplishments? Connections? Power? Or-," Kyran paused and looked at each of the council members. "- wealth?"


    Vaness slightly frowned. He had a vague idea of what Kyran was trying to tell them. But as a merchant himself, all the things Kyran mentioned were crucial.


    "If one side don''t have the things you''ve mentioned, how will they stand on equal terms with the other side?" Vaness asked.


    Kyran looked at him.


    Vaness was a middle-aged man with light brown short hair and dark brown eyes. Just like Emery, he was a non-mage but abat specialist. He also wore gold armor on top of a red coat and the symbol of a book with a hovering stamp carved in front of the armor.


    Kyran knew that Vaness was the Chief of the Chamber of Commerce. He also knew that among the Conve Council, he would be the first one whom Kyran needed to convince because he foresaw that he would have to work with the Chamber of Commerce than the other constituents of The Conve.


    "True, but are those really important?" Kyran replied. "My grandfather told me that the most important thing to consider in a partnership is if both side can satisfy each other''s needs."


    He looked at Ste and said, "Ste. What does the Conve needed right now?"


    "Materials, manpower and spirit stones," Ste answered at once.


    Although the Conve had an abundance of resources, some materials and their manpower were limited. With the development of the new defensive arrays for the Mercenary Hall and the Tower of Conve, the materials needed for both were astronomical even for them. As for manpower, of course, if they wanted to get those rare materials as soon as possible, they would have to dispatch people to find these. Needless to say, they would need the spirit stones to buy the things their people would need while looking for and acquiring the rest of the materials they needed.


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgement before facing the council again.


    "I know you needed those things to create new defensive arrays. It is my fault, I know. And I''ll say it now, I won''t be able topensate for everything."


    "''Won''t''?" Vaness repeated, immediately noticing that Kyran did not say he ''cannot''pensate for it.


    Kyran smiled, "Yes. Not right now at least. But, I dare to propose a partnership because I know I can."


    At this, Malek scowled again and said, "And how will you do that? Do you have any idea how much materials we needed? Even the dispatchement of manpower to find these materials will cost us a fortune. You said ''not right now''," he sneered. "Why? Are you going to tell us that you will have your familypensate for it soon?"


    As much as Kyran wanted to ignore Malek, it immediately hit a nerve when he mentioned his family.


    "If you know how I can save my family and have them help mepensate, then please tell me. If not can you not interrupt and let me finish?" Kyran said in a deep voice. Magic fluctuations started to rise around him.


    The atmosphere inside suddenly became tense. However, the others could only watch in silence.


    Ste, on the other hand, felt an iing headache. She wondered if these two would really be able to reconcile with this much enmity between them.


    Malek''s eyes narrowed. Before he could retort, Ste stepped in and said, "Malek. You''ve crossed the line."


    Malia sighed in relief. At least the Lord did not reprimand Malek harshly. If she did, she was sure he would find a way to take it out on Kyran. Just like how he used Sigma to teach Kyran a lesson. Of course, she was not entirely sure if this was true, but who else would Ste tell about Kyran''s whereabouts? And who else would pass it on, Sigma?


    After a moment''s pause, Malek finally took a deep breath and said, "I apologize, Milord."


    Ste frowned. She wanted to tell him not to apologize to her. But Kyran dismissed it by slightly lifting his left hand.


    As soon as the tension lifted, Kyran continued.


    "I''ll first address the need of the spirit stones," he said and turned to Hugh and Can. "Will you tell me the status of my bounty?"


    "Bounty?" Can asked with raised brows.


    Hugh, however, took a sharp breath. His eyes widened as he eximed, "You''re not going to tell us that the spirit stones wille from...?"


    Kyran smiled, "Yes. We''re going to exploit that bounty."


    Ste looked at him in disbelief. Was he serious?<sub> </sub>


    "I''m sure after not getting any result, they probably requested to change the condition of my bounty, right?"


    "Yes," Hugh replied.


    He and Can exchanged nces, "However, we have not replied yet."


    "I told them not to," Ste also added.


    "Can you tell me the details?" Kyran asked.


    "Can?" Hugh said and gestured at Can.


    "Yes, Chairman." Can replied with a nod and looked at Kyran.


    A rolled parchment appeared in front of him and flew toward Kyran.


    Kyran took the parchment and unrolled it.


    "On top of the normal reward, they had added another reward of one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones to those who could provide an information about your whereabouts. Of course, they needed a proof before they release any payment." Can said for everyone''s benefit while Kyran read the parchment.


    "Good," Kyran nodded and looked at them. "Please ept the new conditions. As for the proof, I''ll help with those."


    Sigma sneered. Although this method was not morally good, he approved of it. Apart from this, the information they would provide to the Royal Army could throw them off Kyran''s tracks.


    "Alright," Can nodded.


    "Of course, I don''t n on providing just one information. As long as we get the amount that the Conve needed then I will help in providing those proofs."


    "To do this, however, we need to create your ''supposed'' route. We also need to n how frequent we can send the information to them. Else, they might notice something." Hugh reminded.


    "Don''t worry," Kyran told him. "I already have a n. But we can discuss it separately, the others don''t need to know. I only need to cooperate with your Mercenary Hall on this one."


    "Very well," Hugh agreed with a nod.


    Kyran looked at Malek and asked, "Will the reward from the bounty be enough to cover for the spirit stones?"


    Once again, the atmosphere tensed up. They did not expect Kyran to talk to Malek after what just happened.


    "Humph," Malek snorted. But he nodded slightly and replied, "Yes."


    The moment he replied, the tension immediately eased up. At least these two were still civil to each other.


    "Good," Kyran said and faced the council again.


    "Do you have any question for me, so far?"


    When no one replied, he nodded.


    "Then let''s discuss the materials, and the manpower."


    He looked at Noir and Vaness.


    Because Noir was responsible for creating the new defensive arrays, Kyran would need to know the materials from him.


    As for Vaness, because they were responsible for acquiring those materials, Kyran would need to work with them.


    "Can you tell me the array''s status as well as the materials needed?" he asked.


    Noir nodded and exined, "The progress of the array creation at the Mercenary Hall is going smoothly. So far, the materials needed are all avable, but some will take time to be exported. Of course, this will not be a problem because these materials are needed for theter stage of the array creation."


    "But transporting those also needed manpower and resources, right? I know most of the manpower you needed in transporting these goods are there to guard against unexpected attacks from forest beasts," Kyran asked while looking at Vaness.


    "Yes," Vaness answered. "Unfortunately, some materials woulde from distant locations. We can only risk taking a different route to have them arrive at the shortest time."


    "Give me two days to get used to my magic and I''ll help with the transportation," Kyran told him.


    They did not miss the meaning behind his words.


    Did they not witness Kyran warp before them? Indeed with his magic, transporting these materials would be faster and safer.


    "With this arrangement, we will lessen the manpower needed." Kyran added.

 Chapter 84 Additional Materials

    Kyran turned his attention back to Noir and asked, "How about the status of the defensive array here in the Tower?"


    "The truth, we encountered a small problem with the calction and I had to revise some of the materials we will use. Doing so, we also had to add more to the list. However..." Noir turned to Vaness with a slightlyplicated expression.


    Seeing Noir looking at him, Vaness looked at Kyran with an apologetic smile.


    He said, "The new materials needed are quite troublesome to acquire. I''m ashamed to say that it has been years since we have them in our inventory."


    Malia, hearing this turned to him with a surprised expression, "Materials that even your chamber has trouble acquiring? What kind of materials are these?"


    "Most of it are materials from forest beasts that can only be found in the south. Another is a rare stone found in the Ruins of Shaiha, andst is a thousand-year-old bark of the Duali Tree," Vaness replied with a solemn expression.


    As soon as the council members heard this, they gasped in surprise.


    Even Malek was moved. He heard they were finalizing the additional materials for the array. But he did not expect that the materials they needed were rtively rare. Not to mention expensive.


    "Those are indeed rare," Malia agreed with a sigh.


    "''Materials that can be found from the forest beasts in the south''," Can repeated.


    He also sighed and shook his head. "The Mercenary Hall had received a lot of request to hunt those forest beasts, but until now, only a handful of mercenariespleted the request. Even then, they had to form a few squads to deal with one."


    "Can I ask what''s so special about those beasts?" Kyran asked Can.


    "The climate in the south is harsherpared here, thus the forest beasts that lived there had evolved. But because of their evolution, it is not easy to kill them. Some also developed intelligence and formed a pack," Can exined.


    "For short, they are tougher than the forest beasts around here and they move in groups." Kyran summarized.


    Can nodded, "Yes. That is correct."


    "Okay. I understand the gist of it," Kyran replied and looked at Noir. "How many of those forest beasts will you need? Or do you only need specific parts?"


    Kyran''s expression looked indifferent that the council members could not help but sweat.


    Did he not understand Can''s exnation?


    Those forest beasts were not invincible even if they moved as a pack. If the council members also moved together to hunt them, they could kill one or two in a single confrontation. However, they would note out unscathed; thus, they never did. They were the leaders of The Conve''s four constituents. If something were to happen to any of them, it would not suit The Conve''s situation.


    They already learned a lesson, especially to what happened to Hugh a few years ago.


    Ste sighed. Only she and Malek were the ones who reacted differently to Kyran''s words. She could not me them. They only knew Kyran''s strength from when he attacked the Mercenary Hall and the Tower of Conve. Though his disy of power was exemry, hunting forest beasts were different from fighting humans after all.


    But Ste and Malek knew. Kyran had more experience dealing with forest beasts than with people. The things he experienced at military school and the Regis''s could not be downyed.


    "Um. How many forest beasts?" Kyran repeated when Noir only looked at him nkly.


    "Noir?" Ste also called for Noir''s attention.


    Noir blinked a few times and rposed his thoughts.


    It took him a short while before finally answering, "Well... ah...three medium-sized forest beasts should be enough."


    Kyran nodded.


    "Okay. How soon would you need the materials?"


    "We are currently in the initial stage of the array creation and the materials from the forest beasts will be used during the third phase of the middle stage, which will begin a week from today if everything went ordingly." Noir exined.


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgement and calcted the days in his head. If he had seven days and nned to get used to his warp ability in the next two days to help with the transportation of materials, then there were only five days left. Initially, he nned to continue training in molding his magic for a few days, but he would need a couple of days to hunt those beasts.


    ''I have at most, three days to train and prepare before setting out,'' he thought. ''I hope Nn is back by then. He''d be a great help if he''s with me.''


    Although Kyran did not expect Nn to help him unconditionally, Nn mentioned hunting forest beasts back when they were at the abandoned warehouse.


    ''We''ll hunt a different forest beast but he''ll probably agree as long as its dangerous,'' he thought with a wry smile.


    Kyran already knew Nn had a knack for throwing him in danger. But he knew that when his life would be in trouble, Nn would not hesitate to save him.


    Probably.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay. I''ll have it ready by then," Kyran told Noir.


    When Ste heard him, she became worried. She was confident with Kyran''s strength, but initially, she thought he would gather some people to help him hunt. The way he spoke, however, gave her the impression that he nned to hunt alone.


    "Kyran," Ste called and gently tugged the back of his sleeve.


    Kyran looked at her and saw her worried expression. He did not need to ask to know what she was thinking.


    "There''s still a few days. Going alone is myst option but I n to wait for him. Hopefully he''ll be back before I set out," he exined in a low voice just loud enough for Ste to hear.


    Hearing Kyran''s exnation, Ste heaved a sigh of relief. She knew who he was referring to and agreed.


    Kyran turned his attention back at Noir and Vaness.


    "What about the rare stone?"


    Noir shook his head with a sigh. "The rare stone can only be found at Shaiha Ruins. Unfortunately, the Temr Code had bought the full rights over that ruins from the Royal Family."


    ''Temr Code?'' Kyran thought with a slight frown.


    The Temr Code was another independent faction within the Yen Empire that rivalled the Conve. They were located in the west, and ording to the Conve''s record, they were an overly righteous organization. They never really cared about the overall situation of the empire. However, the Conve managed to find proof that the leader of the Temr Code had a hidden connection with Deputy Marshal Imman, the man rumored to be only a step away from being promoted to a Magus.


    If they wanted to get a rare stone of the Shaiha Ruins, they might cross paths with the people from the Temr Code if they could not n their moves properly.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. All these hidden connections within the empire were very troublesome.


    "That is correct," Vaness agreed. "Given the Temr Code''s reputation, I doubt they would easily sell us a small piece of stone without rousing their suspicion as to why we needed it."


    Can nodded and added, "Although we managed to control the cirction of information inside Starhorn, we can never be careless. After all, my memory magic is not omnipotent. They may also have a means to find out the truth of our situatio that we are not yet aware of."


    The rest of the council agreed.


    "It''s okay. Since it was my fault, I''ll get the stone. I have thought of a few ways how to deal with it but I still need more information," Kyran said.


    The council members once again reacted to his words.


    Did they hear him right? He already came up with a few ways to get the stone?


    Seeing the incredulous look on their faces, Kyran suddenly felt uneasy. Did he say something wrong? He btedly realized how most of them seemed to act surprised at most of what he said. Getting a rare stone was not that hard.


    If they knew what he thought, they would all probably flip.


    The Temr Code was not just a small-fry organization that anyone could cross.


    ...


    Well.


    The Conve was the same, but Kyran ignored that and even wrecked its main stronghold; the Tower of Conve.


    He was not nning to do the same with the Temr Code, would he?


    ck lines appeared on most of them as they thought of this possibility.


    "Can I trouble you with providing the rest of the information I needed?" Kyran asked Hugh and Can, ignoring the look of disbelief on their faces.


    Hugh snapped out of his reverie and nodded, "Certainly."


    Kyran nodded and turned his attention back to Vaness.


    "How about the other one?" He asked.


    Vaness also rposed himself and replied, "Thest material is the thousand-year-old bark of the Duali Tree, and it is only found in the periphery of the Chaos Pce."


    Kyran''s ears perked up after hearing this.

 Chapter 85 Chaos Palace

    Exploring the Chaos Pce was part of Kyran''s to-do list.


    His reason was apparent. Since it was his predecessor''s stronghold from the Chaos Reign era, then as his sessor, he had to go and see the ce. Mostly to learn more about his predecessor''s past and find if he had a magic weapon he left behind.


    Kyran came up with three options to cover for hisck of a magic weapon. The first option he came up with was to mold his magic into a weapon. The second was to craft a weapon himself. Andst was to go to Chaos Pce and find his predecessor''s weapon.


    Others might find it strange that Kyran had listed finding the Dark Sage''s weapon as hisst option. Would it not be easier to find an already crafted weapon than create one?


    While this reasoning was correct, it would only apply if there was concrete proof that the Dark Sage did leave a weapon in the Chaos Pce. Unfortunately, there was no information about his weapon''s whereabouts after he fell. Even from the worn-out records that Ste showed him on his first day in her study, there were only a few mentions about the Dark Sage.


    This was the reason why, for Kyran, his first option was the easier choice. All he had to do was gain mastery in the molding technique. But it would not be a long-term arrangement. He knew that molding a weapon for himself could only take him so far. As for his second option, this was his practical choice. That was the reason why he wanted to learn array creation.


    Still, if he were presented a chance to venture the Chaos Pce, even within its periphery only, then he would notin. Of course, he only had to get there for now. Exploring had to wait for another time. As long as he found a safe ce near the pce and remembered it, he could visit any time.


    Right now, he needed to finish dealing with matters within The Conve first.


    Kyran looked at Vaness with a thoughtful expression. He noticed something from how Vaness mentioned the bark of the Duali tree. He asked, "Is the important thing the tree or the age of the bark?"


    Vaness smiled, "You noticed it. Yes, the Duali tree itself is not rare. We also have grow them. Growing them for a thousand year, however, is hard. Because of its many uses, the Duali tree are being cut down before it really matures. Only in the periphery of the Chaos Pce can these trees grow freely, because of its special environment. Unfortunately, going there at this time of the year would be dangerous."


    This information further moved Kyran''s interest.


    He did not find any helpful information about the Chaos Pce from Ste''s study, but that did not mean there was none. Knowing that he could gather more information about the pce would save him a lot of time.


    "I read the surroundings of the Chaos Pce is not that dangerouspared inside. Is there some kind of ''event'' at this time that makes it dangerous?" Kyran asked.


    "It is the miasma around the pce," Vaness replied.


    ''Miasma?'' Kyran wondered. There was no mention of that in all the books he read.


    Vaness nodded and exined, "The Miasma in the Chaos Pce are thicker at this time of the year. Normally, a high quality detoxification potion can make people immune to the miasma for a few hours and they can explore the surroundings. But during this time of the year, it will not have any effect."


    "What exactly is this miasma? How dangerous is it?" Kyran asked further.


    That moment, some of the council members discreetly looked in Hugh''s direction.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes. Their reaction made him think that they might have suffered a loss in the past because of the miasma.


    Feeling the edgy looks from his colleagues, Hugh smiled bitterly.


    Kyran''s intuition was correct.


    The Conve did suffer a loss a few years ago because of the miasma.


    Back then, the Mercenary Hall received a request for materials only found around the Chaos Pce. It was a rtively easy mission. There were a few mercenaries who teamed up and went to gather these materials. Typically, it would only take a few weeks toplete the task. Who would have thought that at that time, a few mages from the Arcadia were also there?<sub> </sub>


    At first, the mercenaries managed to stay away from their detection. But when a rare forest beast appeared that the Arcadian mages were looking for, things went downhill. The Arcadian mages ignored the forest beast and attacked the mercenaries. In that battle, a few mercenaries died. This proved how hostile every Arcadian was to the Yen Empire. It didn''t matter whether a person was part of the Royal Army or just an ordinary mercenary. As long as he came from the empire, they would abandon everything and kill that person.


    After that, the few mercenaries who survived had to hide. But because they decided to hide, they lost track of time, and soon the miasma around the pce grew thicker.


    When the Mercenary Hall did not hear from these mercenaries for a long time, they started an investigation. They found out from other independent exploration factions that there had been a skirmish around the pce a few months earlier. The Mercenary Hall confirmed the date coincided with the time their mercenaries went to the Chaos Pce. When Hugh found out, he ventured in to save them personally. Unfortunately, all of the mercenaries died before Hugh arrived. And he also ended up getting infected by the miasma.


    Now, his life force had weakened, and if it were not for Malia''s help, he probably would have died already.


    Hugh looked at Kyran and replied, "The miasma can corrode a person''s magic reserves, making it hard for them to recover. If a person was infected by a small dose of the normal miasma, it is still curable. However, if he was infected by the concentrated miasma, even a small dose will not only corrode his magic reserves but will slowly whittle away his life force."


    There was a sudden heaviness in the atmosphere at the mention of this.


    Kyran was surprised. Though he suspected that the miasma might be deadly, he did not expect it to be cruel. In his opinion, being poisoned to death was better than experiencing your life force being whittled away slowly.


    "You seemed to know a lot about it. Are there many cases like that in the past?" Kyran asked, looking at Hugh directly.


    With a bitter smile, Hugh shook his head and answered, "I know about it because I am a living proof of the miasma''s terrible effect."


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn. He remembered Hugh was one of the first to respond during the time he attacked the Tower. However, he also remembered that Hugh''s presence was not as terrible as Malek''s, that time. After hearing that Hugh was also a Magus, Kyran thought maybe Hugh''s presence had weakened because he entered his sphere. After hearing what the miasma could do, and Hugh''s admission on his condition, Kyran realized that it was because of this.


    Kyran crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.


    If they could not get the bark at this time, they would have to either search for another merchant faction that might have it in-store. But it would rouse their curiosity as to why The Conve needed it. Even if they used a faux faction to buy it, it was not certain that they would not investigate either.


    ''No. You''re getting ahead,'' Kyran told himself. ''There is no guarantee that others have it. Besides, how long will it take to find one? The Tower''s array need to bepleted as soon as possible, so I can leave soon.''


    He only nned to stay in The Tower until he dealt with their matter. After that, he had to put his n into action.


    His brows creased as he tried toe up with a solution.


    At this time, everyone inside remained silent as they waited for Kyran to continue.


    Even Malek was looking at him with a thoughtful expression.


    The truth, Malek did not remain silent because he was resentful toward Kyran or that he had no interest in what he had to say. He remained silent because he observed how he nned to win over the other members of The Conve. The others might not have noticed it yet, but the moment Kyran started talking about how he nned on ''providing'' what The Conve needed, it turned into a discussion of their next step, instead of them deciding whether they should ept his proposal or not.


    Even Vaness, whom Malek thought would be the first to object to Kyran''s ns, was quickly won over. He knew Vaness rarely replied to anyone, but today he openly discussed many things with Kyran.


    Well, Malek had to admit that Kyran already won him over, the moment he suggested using his bounty to fill the Conve''s need of spirit stones. He would not admit it directly to Kyran though. He would never be able to live through the humiliation.


    After a moment''s pause, Kyran finally straightened and asked Vaness, "You mentioned a detoxification potion. I am guessing that means you know what the miasma is made of?"

 Chapter 86 The Miasmas Mystery

    "The truth, the miasma''s origin was very mysterious." Vaness answered with a troubled expression. He looked at Avrum and added, "I believe Avrum can exin it better."


    Hearing this, Avrum beamed and immediately answered, "What Chief Vaness said is correct. The miasma around the Chaos Pce is one of a kind. Making itsposition also unknown."


    His eyes sparkled as he started to exin animatedly.


    "It is even determined after years of research that the miasma itself is a new type of poison. Now since it has poison attribute, actual tests were done and finally it is confirmed that high quality detoxification potion has a certain resistance against it. Not much though, and the duration onlysts a couple of hours. Sometimes three hours depending on the body type of the person taking the potion. Unfortunately, when actual tests were done against the more concentrated miasma, it failed. Well, the failure is mainly due to test subjects can''tst near the miasma. Oh, I forgot to add, actual tests are done on-site, because, we cannot get a sample of the miasma. Regardless of its dose, the miasma can easily corrodes any container, even with the help of arrays and prohibition."


    The moment Avrum started exining, Sigma''s expression went nk. He was never the type to stay focused in ss while a professor was exining, anyway. He just focused on staying awake.


    Even Ste had a stumped expression. Not because she could not follow Avrum''s exnation but because it was her first time seeing how animated he was. She knew Avrum had a very easygoing personality. But this side of him was a pleasant surprise to her.


    Malia, on the other hand, could not help but sweat.


    As the Chairman of the Alchemist Association, she knew very well the oddness of her Head Alchemist. Aside from this, the subject of Avrum''s research was the miasma in the Chaos Pce. He believed that once he fully understood the miasma''sposition, he would also have a breakthrough with his magic.


    ''Easily corrodes any container?'' Kyran repeated in his head.


    It was true that most poisons had corrosive effects. But it would not be able to ''easily'' corrode a container that was strengthened by array and prohibition. If not, how would alchemists even learn about poison?


    If the miasma had such corrosive effect, and alchemists could not decipher itsposition, then maybe...


    Kyran suddenly had an idea as to what the miasma was.


    "What does the miasma looked like?" He asked.


    "Just like what a miasma would?" Avrum replied in confusion. "I''m sorry. I am not sure what you mean."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. His question did sound stupid.


    "Right, um. What is its color? And does it have an odor? If what you said about it being a new type of poison, then it will have a distinct odor," he rephrased his question.


    Avrum nodded, "True. But the miasma is actually odorless. And unlike themon poison that would appear green or deep red, it has this dark bluish violet color."


    A smile escaped Kyran''s lips.


    ''As expected from the Void Master''s stronghold,'' he thought and took out a transparent magic orb.


    His action puzzled the rest of the council, especially when he closed his eyes and started to rouse his magic.


    Molding magic could also be applied in non-solid form as long as a mage could picture it clearly and understand its structure.


    Kyran concentrated and pictured his magic in a different form. To make sure he had a better image in mind, he recalled how Nn''s magic looked and how it felt.


    Soon, a purple-colored mist formed inside the magic orb.


    It instantly made Avrum''s eyes widened.


    The rest of the council members also stared at the orb in disbelief¡ªespecially Hugh and Malia, who had seen the miasma personally.


    Although the purple mist in the magic orb was more concentrated, it gave off the same feeling as the miasma in the Chaos Pce.


    Did it mean that the miasma was actually...?


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at the orb. He controlled the purple mist to touch the top part of the orb. Immediately, the orb sizzled, and the top part started to disintegrate.


    "That''s...!" Avrum eximed.


    The purple mist''s corrosive effect was fast, but it looked very simr to how the concentrated miasma corroded a container.


    Seeing Avrum''s reaction, Kyran confirmed that his guess was correct. However, he believed the miasma itself was not pure void magic. Most likely, it had void properties only. He suspected that there might be an array around the Chaos Pce that produces the miasma. And to produce the miasma with void property, then the calction in that array used voidnguage.<sub> </sub>


    The thought made Kyran excited. Although he did not need arrays to use his magic, he was still interested in learning how to make one and learn his magic''s runguage. Ste''s book about Ancient Magic could help him understand its basic wording once he learned how to use magic sense. But what he wanted to know was its array application. Learning arrays that already had void runes would save him a lot of time.


    Kyran canceled his magic and returned the magic orb inside his pouch.


    Then he looked at Noir and Vaness again.


    "I guess that is one less thing to worry about," he said. "Just tell me how I can recognize a Duali bark''s age and I''ll get it for you."


    Avrum almost fell off his chair.


    "Wait just a moment!" He eximed and stood up.


    All eyes instantly zone in on him.


    They saw the crazed look in his eyes as he stared at Kyran in disbelief.


    ''This guy...'' Avrum thought. ''Is he not taking this discovery lightly?''


    The miasma had stumped every exploration effort in the Chaos Pce. Every alchemist could not even recognize itsposition. Now they found it was made up of the elusive void magic; wouldn''t that make the people from the Royal Army''s Research Division and their Alchemist Association crazy?


    Void Magic had been a mystery to them, but if they continue to study the miasma around the Chaos Pce, who would say they would not have any breakthrough in the future?


    "You-!" Avrum said while pointing at Kyran''s pouch. However, he failed to sort his thoughts into what he wanted to say and just gaped.


    When he tried to speak again, he could only say, "That-!" before his mind went into another flurry of thoughts that he could not sort.


    ck lines appeared on the heads of the council members.


    They knew why Avrum was acting like this. If he did not speak up, one of them might.


    Ste was also looking at Kyran incredulously. He did act indifferent about discovering what the miasma was made of, and even she felt the sudden change of topic was abrupt.


    That miasma changed Hugh''s life, and Ste had supported the materials Malia would need to concoct a potion that would help him alleviate his condition. Now, they found the miasma''s source was void magic. With Kyran''s help, Malia might have a better chance of concocting a potion to make Hugh recover.


    Hugh was also looking at Kyran with aplicated expression. But unlike Avrum, he contained his emotion.


    Kyran might be able to help discover a cure to his condition, but he did not have a reason to help. Hugh could not ask for it as well. Although Kyran proposed a partnership, they were strangers. That partnership was between Kyran and The Conve, not between them personally.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. He pretty much had an idea why they reacted this way.


    "Just to be clear. The miasma probably is not pure void magic. I''m not sure how I know but yeah, I just know it."


    Kyran frowned a little at what he said. He got confused at his own words.


    "But, it definitely has void properties. If I am correct, there is probably a huge array around the Chaos Pce that produces this miasma. As to why it is more concentrated during this time of the year, I still have no idea. I had to see it for myself before I can think of a possibility," he told them.


    After hearing this, the rest of the council calmed down a bit.


    Even Avrum returned to his seat, scratching his head with a carefreeugh.


    "Yes, of course. While your magic did appear like the miasma, there is still a slight difference. I mean it could not possibly be void magic... if it was then detoxification potion would have no effect..." Avrum agreed, but he muttered thetter part of his sentence that it sounded like he was talking to himself.


    Hugh also heaved a sigh with a bitter smile as he leaned back on his chair.


    Kyran noticed this and even saw the disappointment in his expression.


    He paused for a moment before adding, "But now that we know the miasma has void properties. If you need samples for... I guess for research purposes, I can help get it."


    Hugh''s looked at Kyran; his eyes reflected a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and disbelief.

 Chapter 87 Proof

    Seeing Hugh''s expression, Kyran felt a little guilty. He did not offer to help get samples of the miasma to get to his good side. He was only thinking about the military strength he could form afterpleting the first part of his n.


    Kyran only nned to work with The Conve secretly during the first part of his n. Once he moved to the next step, he would have to use them openly. Particrly theirbat force.


    In Kyran''s understanding, The Conve''s primarybat force was the Mercenary Hall. They held assessment tests to filter casual applicants who wanted to be mercenaries, and then they would recruit those with potential into their internalbat force. Those mercenaries recruited by the Mercenary Hall could still do regr bounty works. Still, once the Mercenary Hall and The Conve High Council leaders summoned them, they had to obey. Dante was an excellent example of this. That was how Celine made use of him to ''assess'' Kyran.


    Hugh was the Chairman of the Mercenary Hall. Although they had another Magus, Celine, Kyran had not considered adding her could into his military strength. Celine was too weak, in his opinion. If Hugh were back in his top condition, having him lead thebat force of The Conve was far more assuring.


    As for Malek, Kyran might feel resentful because of what happened between them, but he was aware of Malek''s strength. If they did fight to the death that time, Kyran was not sure he could win. Though it looked like he had the upper hand, he was actually at his limit. Inparison, Malek could stillugh after having his internal organ taken out. But if Malek were included in Kyran''s military strength, he would notin. For now, however, that was only a thought. He knew Malek would disagree even if Ste told him to.


    Outside The Conve, there was Nn. But that guy was too unpredictable. Even now, Kyran wondered whether Nn was a calcting person or he just enjoyed acting spontaneously. So Kyran had not decided whether Nn could be part of his strength in the future.


    Ignoring the look of gratitude from Hugh, Kyran directed the subject back on topic.


    "Anyway, the bark of the Duali Tree is priority," he said and looked at Noir and Vaness. He asked, "Can you tell me how to recognize the age of the tree?"


    "It is very simple," Noir replied. "A thousand-year-old bark will have a faint golden glow. Once you take it off the tree, it will also turn into gold dust. However, that is the tricky part; collecting its dust while making sure it is not contaminated by the miasma."


    He looked at Vaness and added, "Vaness can teach you how. Although, their method normally works during the normal environment in the Chaos Pce."


    Kyran nodded his head in acknowledgement and said, "Don''t worry about it. I''ll figure something out. Just teach me how."


    Vaness nodded, "Alright."


    He turned to Emery and said, "Emery. Contact Hayden to bring the materials tomorrow."


    "Yes, Chief." She replied with a nod.


    "Okay," Kyran said.


    Then he looked at each member of the council.


    After a short pause, he took a deep breath and said, "Now that more of less I have discussed how I n on providing for The Conve''s needs, is anyone among you who objects to my proposal?"


    Apart from Malek, the rest of The Conve fell silent.


    They btedly realized that Kyran was only supposed to tell them his n. However, during their conversation, it already turned into a discussion of how to proceed.


    The confident way Kyran talked and carried himself significantly affected why they forgot they were supposed to observe first.


    Malek even reminded them toe up with questions to gauge Kyran''s intentions before the start of the meeting. But they were not even given a chance to ask questions because it was no longer necessary. Kyran''s ability to n out a solution to their current needs was enough for most of them to gauge his character and have an idea of what he nned in the future. At least, they did not foresee him using The Conve for his benefit. But it was still early to decide because he had not told them what he needed from them. They also had not heard the full detail of his n, so they still had reservations.


    Looking at Kyran''s profile, Ste was feeling a little proud. She was surprised at how he managed to handle the council without her or Malek''s help.


    Ste had to admit that she was worried at first about the council''s reaction. Now, she was d that they were most receptive to Kyran''s proposal.


    "Then I will leave you first to discuss what I have said," Kyran said after a moment''s pause.


    He said this to give the council members a few minutes to digest what they discussed. He might have spoken confidently about his proposal, but in truth, he left some holes for the council to question.


    After hearing this, the representatives of each constituent of the Conve first joined their heads and talked among themselves. After that, Hugh, Malia, Noir and Vaness, discussed a few more things together.


    Kyran took a deep breath and finally sat down. He leaned on his chair and silently observed them. Although he could hear some of their conversations, Kyran refrained from listening inpletely. Right now, he was discreetly looking at one of them, whom he noticed had said a lot.


    It was Emery.


    During Kyran''s discussion with Noir and Vaness, most members had spoken or shown a strong reaction. Except for her.<sub> </sub>


    Because Sigma had not spoken as well, Kyran observed him and Emery. After each representative had talked among themselves, he noticed that Sigma only said a few words to Noir, so he was no longer worried. Compared to Emery and Vaness''s conversation, she had spoken more.


    Now that the leaders were talking among themselves, it was Vaness who was leading the conversation.


    Kyran was not worried, though. Although Emery spoke a lot, he did not sense that she was against his proposal. Most likely, she saw the holes in his n and raised it with Vaness.


    After almost half an hour, Hugh, Malia, Noir and Vaness finally finished their discussion and looked at Kyran.


    Then Vaness said, "After hearing what the rest had to say, we have no problem with your proposal. You already noticed that we wee each of your questions and your request for assistance. Of course, we still have some doubts because we have not heard the details of your ns. You did mention, for example, that you will only discuss your n regarding the bounty reward with the Mercenary Hall, and we understand your reason and we respect that. Still, there are some that involve us all, and we want to raise a few details we want some rifications."


    "Please go ahead," Kyran replied with a slight nod.


    "First would be, the matter of deadline in acquiring the additional materials." Vaness said and looked at Emery.


    Emery nodded and continued, "As mentioned by Chairman Noir, the additional materials are needed, a week from now. You are able to address the transportation of the first materials which in turn will also lessen the demand for manpower, however, if we want to acquire the additional materials Chairman Noir needed in a week''s time, the manpower we have to use will be doubled. Maybe even tripled."


    A smile escaped Kyran''s lips as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.


    He looked at Emery and said, "Your concern is justified. You''re right, I will still need manpower. But I think you misunderstand what I said earlier. I don''t n on using your people to ''acquire'' those materials, I did say ''I'' will get it for you."


    Emery''s eyes widened, and she also leaned forward and said, "Alone?"


    Kyran paused for a moment and replied, "Well. I have a person in mind who can help me but... he''s not here yet. Anyway, whether he arrives or not, I will go. So what I will need your help with is providing information. For example, I need to know a good location where to hunt the forest beasts you needed. In this way, it will save me a lot of time looking for them."


    Sigma scowled, "Aren''t you overestimating yourself? Even we have to gather an elite team to hunt those beasts. Did you forget that they also move together?"


    "Rest assured I''m not. I said I''ll do it because I know I can."


    "Kyran," Malia said, looking concerned. "Hunting alone is not very wise. Those forest beasts are really dangerous. Maybe we can arrange a few of our high-level members to apany you."


    Kyran shook his head, "No. If the level of your members are the same as the ones who tried to stop me a few days ago here, then please don''t waste your time."


    "You!" Sigma glowered and mmed his fist on the table. "Are you saying our men are weak?"


    Kyran looked at him with both brows raised.


    "I''m not. I noticed that your men maybe experienced in fighting ''humans''. Ste mentioned they participated in joint activities with the Royal Army. But fighting forest beasts are different. I can''t leave my back on people who have little experience in fighting beasts."


    "Humph. And what? Are you telling us you are? You''re family might have trained you well and even brought you along when they hunted beast. But that''s it. You were ''brought along''. I''m sure they never really let you hunt a beast by yourself," Sigma pointed with a sneer.


    Kyran sighed. Sigma was the type who got easily provoked if he did not like what he heard. Kyran had trouble talking to people like him. It was not that he could not handle it but because it was exhausting.


    Ste also shook her head. She felt an iing headache just by looking at Sigma''s stubborn expression. Better make him shut up as soon as possible.


    "Kyran, take out your badges." Ste said in a voice loud enough for the two of them to hear.


    Kyran frowned a little as he looked at her. However, she only nodded her head in encouragement.


    Kyran already had an idea of how Ste wanted him to deal with Sigma. He did not like it, though. But he knew showing the rest of the council his badges would also ease their worries.


    Without further ado, Kyran took out a container and ced it on the table.


    He said, "I do have experiences dealing with forest beasts. Most of the quarterly practical exam in military school requires it. And we had to do it alone. Will these proof be enough?"


    He pushed the container toward Sigma.

 Chapter 88 Qualified

    Sigma''s eyes narrowed as the container slid in his direction.


    The other members of the council also looked at it in interest.


    ''Don''t tell me..!'' Can eximed in his heart as he guessed what the container was.


    He remembered Marley''s report the day Kyran visited the Mercenary Hall and posed as a mercenary applicant. The truth, Can did not mention this to the rest of the council because it was considered a piece of very sensitive information. Even within The Conve, they could not openly discuss this kind of information. He did not even tell this to Chairman Hugh.


    Can looked in Kyran''s direction. In his opinion, it was unwise to let so many people know about this information. But he also appreciated the fact that Kyran trusted them enough to show it to them.


    On Kyran''s left, Can immediately saw Ste and Malek''s indifferent expressions. He already guessed that the two likely knew what was inside the container. After all, they had Kyran''s profile. If they did not stop Kyran from taking out the container, who was Can to object?


    Sigma took the container and examined its cover before looking at Kyran with a frown. "And what''s this supposed to prove?"


    Kyran sighed. Sigma was obviously aware that the container itself was not the proof Kyran wanted to show but what was inside. This big guy was only acting like a jerk, and it was testing Kyran''s patience.


    "Why don''t you open it?" Kyran told Sigma.


    "Humph," Sigma harumphed but did open the container.


    Inside was an elegant ck rectangr box with a symbol of a two-headed hawk''s profile holding a sword and a shield. The hawk''s eyes were made of spirit stones that glowed red.


    Sigma frowned as he recognized the symbol of the Milfiore Military School. He knew Kyran went there to study. He also had an idea that Kyran probably wanted to convince him of his ability by showing off his badges. But who cared about some badges issued by a military school? Although the Milfiore Military School was directly under the Royal Family, and most of their talents had be known figures within the Combat Hall, what did it even mean to Sigma? The fact that a school had issued these badges did not mean anything to him.


    He looked at Kyran, who only looked back at him without saying a word.


    Then he noticed the Lord''s expression as she looked at him. She wore a knowing smile.


    Sigma''s frown deepened. The Lord only had this kind of expression when she had a secret and could not wait to see their reaction.


    "Open it, Sigma." Noir told him.


    He, with the rest of the council, was also curious.


    Unlike Sigma, Noir believed Kyran dared to show this container because he thought it would convince them.


    "Yes, Chairman." Sigma replied and opened the box.


    There was a moment''s pause as he stared at what was inside the box.


    Unfortunately, Noir and Avrum, who sat on each side of Sigma, could not see what was inside.


    Finally, Sigma closed the box before he pushed it toward Noir''s side. Then he took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair with his eyes closed.


    Seeing the suddenly solemn expression on Sigma, Noir was baffled.


    Ste, on the other hand, had seen how Sigma''splexion paled. She suppressed herughter and turned her attention to Noir.


    Kyran scratched his head. He also noticed Sigma turning pale.


    It still puzzled him how outsiders reacted when seeing his badges. First was Nn, then the girl named Marley from the Mercenary Hall. And now, it was Sigma.


    Kyran did not like to unt his badges. He even felt a little embarrassed to show them to others because it reminded him that he had no progress in hisst year at school. It also reminded him how his family looked at the badges indifferently, as if they were not proud or impressed.


    Noir opened the box, and instantly he took a sharp intake of breath as his eyes grew wide.


    His reaction immediately made Vaness, Emery and Avrum curious.


    They did not have to wait for Noir to pass the box to them because he immediately waved his hand, and one badge flew out of the box and levitated in the middle of the table.


    As soon as the rest saw the badges, they also gasped in surprise.<sub> </sub>


    "The legendary tinum Badge!" Emery eximed.


    As a non-mage, she had heard about the tinum Badge. She also aimed for it when she was young. Unfortunately, she only had an average talent. When others also heard she wanted to earn a tinum Badge, people made fun of her because there was no record of tinum Badge holders.


    But Emery believed it was true. Why else would a rumor about it appear if there was no truth behind it? Maybe some romantics exaggerated the information, and she did not care. All she cared about was what the badge represented, especially to every human with no magic affinity.


    She looked at Kyran with awe in her eyes. He was so young, and yet he was able to seed at what she failed to achieve.


    "This proof should be enough, right?" Ste asked them.


    ? They all looked at each other uneasily and nodded slowly.


    Noir waved his hand and let the badge returned to the box. He ced the box back in the container. With a wave of his hand, it flew back to Kyran.


    "Thank you," Kyran said and returned the container to his pouch.


    He had a random thought to research how he could learn the waving of hands and letting things move without touching them. It was pretty convenient, in his opinion.


    "As I was saying, I said I''d hunt by myself because I know I can. Don''t worry, I won''t rampantly use my magic. I''m aware that if I do, I''ll destroy the beast without leaving any parts behind. So I''ll only use it to reduce their numbers since you only need three medium-sized beasts."


    Kyran said it so bluntly that it sent cold shivers up their spines.


    Sigma also cleared his throat. It urred to him that when he and Kyran had a ''spar'' earlier, Kyran probably hadn''t warmed up. He also made full use of his magic. If they fought seriously without using magic, how would it end? Sigma looked at Kyran''s body frame and frowned. How could such a small guy have such strength? It defied allmon sense.


    Of course, Sigma only thought Kyran was smallpared to him. To others, Kyran''s stature might even be imposing.


    "Now to address your first concern, I''ll exin the timeline I had in mind to get all your materials within a week''s time. First, I will allot two days to get used to my magic. During this time, I need to trouble you to gather the necessary information about the rare stone at Shaiha Ruins. Yes, you heard me right."


    Kyran added when he saw the confused look on their faces.


    "But you mentioned needing the information about a good location where to hunt the forest beasts," Vaness said.


    "I did. But forest beasts usually stays in one ce for a few months until they had to leave because their food supply has run out. I''m sure you already have some information for thest few weeks."


    Can nodded his head in agreement, "Yes we do. We currently have information avable from a recent bounty request we received."


    "Okay, just give me the information and I''ll figure the rest myself."


    Kyran looked at Vaness and Emery.


    "For the rare stones, you probably have information of its location but it''s not updated. That''s why we need more time on that."


    "True. It is not easy to update the stone''s information especially with the Temr Code keeping a very tight security around the ruins," Emery replied.


    She understood why Kyran wanted to focus on finding the rare stone. With only a week to gather information, even a day''s worth of investigation was crucial.


    "After two day, I will help with the transportation of materials." Kyran continued.


    He paused for a second as he pondered how to proceed.


    He was still uncertain if he could warp to ces at a greater distance just by looking at an image of that ce. Although he managed to warp inside the conference hall, the circumstance was a little different. Since what he saw was a memory, he felt as if he was there at that time, making it easier for him to connect his magic to the conference hall. The distance was also not far and did not use up much of his strength. During the next two days, he nned to find out as much as possible about his warp ability for the. However, if he seeded but ended up exhausting himself, it would be counterproductive. There was also the fact that he had to hide his magic. So he would have to go to the location using the usual way and would warp back to The Tower from there.


    "Tell me where to meet up with your people and I''ll take it from there. I''ll need some assistance with the cksmith''s Order on this one. Since I can''t show them my magic, I will disguise it by using an array formation."


    "But how will you exin it to them? The reason why we don''t use a transportation array to export the materials, apart from it consuming a lot of spirit stones, few mages has the magic reserve to activate it." Emery pointed.


    Kyran smiled and said, "With regards to that. I need you to create a new identity for me."

 Chapter 89 A New Identity

    Hugh was the first one to react, "Right. You would need a new identity, to move around."


    Kyran nodded.


    "Ste told me she ns to introduce me at the banquetter as someone rted to one of you," he started. "If I appear as a mage who can use arrays, then my identity would either be a rtive or an apprentice of one the cksmith Order."


    Kyran said and looked at Noir and Sigma.


    Sigma immediately scowled.


    "Believe me, I don''t want to either. But its better than me being rted to the other members and also have a rtion with the ck Order," Kyran said after seeing Sigma''s scowl. "It involves too many people rtion and it will be harder to forge an identity that can''t be easily questioned."


    Initially, Kyran thought of using Nar''s identity and have the Mercenary Hall provide him an identity as a mercenary specializing in Array andbat. However, Nar''s ''face'' was created by Nn, and Kyran did not know when he would return. So Kyran decided to get another identity to use when working with The Conve. Besides, he thought of using ''Nar'' as another identity that only he and Nn knew. Because there were dangerous things he needed to do, and if he used the identity given by The Conve, if an ident happened and exposed his rtionship with them, it would not be suitable for his ns.


    "In that case, I know exactly the identity you can use." Noir said with a meaningful smile.


    When Ste heard him, she immediately nodded approvingly.


    "That''s right. We can use that," Ste said with a smile.


    Kyran looked at her questioningly and asked, "That? Not ''him''?"


    Ste looked at him and nodded, "Yes. Because that identity is actually fiction."


    "Oh, you mean that!" Malia also reacted.


    The other members also realized what Noir and Ste meant and nodded their heads in agreement.


    Noir smiled and exined, "To give you an introduction. An Array Specialist is a very rare profession. It is even rarer than a Saint Alchemist. Thus, there are a lot of n patriarchs and noble family leaders who wants their genius family members be a disciple of an Array Specialist. Because Having an Array Specialist in a n is a great asset. To exin further about this profession, an Array Specialist is not only good in array creation, but also in weapon crafting and refining. If a n has even one specialist, then it will be much easier for them to create an exclusive weapon that can boost their n members'' power."


    Noir then made a worried expression and continued, "And so many nobles and n leaders hade at our cksmith Order to request for their children to be my and the rest of the Order''s Master Smiths'' disciples. Fortunately, because of a decree made by the Royal Army that an Array Specialist can only have one disciple at a time. As long as we submit a name of a mage we had taken as our disciple, we can easily refuse the requests of these leaders."


    Kyran''s brow creased after hearing another one of the Royal Family''s absurd decrees. It was clear they did not want The Conve to have many Array Specialists because of what they might pose to them.


    "I was unable to submit a name for a long time, but a year ago, the Lord told me she would help create a fictional disciple for me so I can finally refuse all the requests I received."


    "I see," Kyran nodded, finally understanding why they referred to it as ''that'' identity.


    But after hearing Noir''s story. He felt a little disappointed. He wanted to ask Noir about arrays, but he noticed how reluctant he was on getting a disciple. He knew that as a Master in Arrays, Noir probably did not want to teach just anyone. Kyran even thought of asking short-term discipleship to get Noir to teach him the basics. But now.


    "Can I ask why you didn''t want to ept a disciple?" Kyran asked.


    If he knew Noir''s reasons, he might still have a chance to convince him.


    As soon as Kyran asked this, the expressions of most council members turned foolish. Especially Sigma, whoseplexion also turned gray.


    Noir''s expression instantly became hard, and his answer surprised Kyran.


    "All those peopleing to me and bragging about their children being a genius. Humph. Genius my ass. All they know is talk. They don''t even know basic array calction and even thought it was simple as long as they know magic array calction! Ignorant fools! Magic array is different from Array creation! They don''t even know that basics and they expect to be taught by someone as esteemed as my self?"


    It appeared! Noir''s dark side!


    The rest of the council members could not help but sweat at the indignant tone from Noir''s voice.


    Any topic about arrays and discipleship was Noir''s reversed scale. Those who made light of Array were Noir''s enemy. Especially those who imed to be an unrivaled genius. Although Noir was also hailed as a genius in Array, the truth, he was not. He only loved studying arrays. After many years of studying array as if his life depended on it, he finally made a name for himself. Few knew how much Noir failed at array creation and formation in his younger days. And with all those failures, he finally seeded and got to where he was now. However, only one person recognized his efforts even before he made a name for himself. That person was the previous Lord of the Tower.


    "Right," Kyran replied after a short pause while blinking twice.


    Noir gave him the impression of a calm and wise elder. Who would have thought he also had this side of him. Kyran was notining, though. Noir''s attitude just proved how much he takes Array seriously.<sub> </sub>


    As he remembered, Noir was a Grand Master, almost touching the threshold of the Exalted. And once he bes an Exalted, it was only a step away from bing a Magus. Were all those nearing the level of Magus developed strange quirks?


    Will Kyran also have one? The thought made him shiver.


    Seeing Kyran shiver, Noir misunderstood, and he immediately cleared his throat.


    "I''m sorry. I got a little carried away," Noir apologized.


    "It''s fine. You are only expressing yourself," Kyran said. "I understand that not everyone appreciates Array Creation. But I agree with you. Being a genius doesn''t automatically qualify a person to be an expert in Arrays. What matters is their willingness to learn."


    Kyran''s words made a significant impression on Noir.


    He could not exin why exactly, but he felt as if he and Kyran had something inmon.


    Noir nodded, "Yes... that''s right."


    He paused. Aplicated expression shed for a split second on his face. However, it was immediately reced by a determined look. He said, "You know, I can teach you about Arrays. This way, if you ever need to prove yourself as my ''disciple'', you will have something to show them."


    Kyran''s expression immediately brightened. He contemted how to convince Noir to teach him about Arrays even without bing his genuine disciple, and now he offered it himself.


    "Thank you. I won''t take much of your time. I just need an hour," Kyran said.


    However, this deration almost made Noir snapped.


    Sensing that Noir misunderstood his words, Kyran immediately added, "I meant one hour in real time."


    Hearing this, Ste also understood and followed up. "I will help with my magic."


    Real time? The Lord''s magic?


    All of them understood what the two meant.


    "Right. Of course, with the Lord''s help, an hour in real time will be equivalent to more." Noir said in realization.


    "Yes. Since we have a tight deadline, I can only spare an hour. I didn''t say that because I''m not taking studying Arrays seriously."


    Noirughed, "It is find. It is this old man''s fault for misunderstanding."


    On Kyran''s left, Ste frowned a little after hearing his words. The deadline they had was only because of the materials they needed for the defensive array of the Tower. Noir could teach Kyran after that. Why was he in a hurry?


    ''Is he nning to leave?'' Ste wondered. The thought saddened her. She looked at Kyran''s profile and felt a sudden pain in her heart.


    She knew he had not given up on saving his n. But she thought he would stay in the Tower until they found more information about his n''s status. It seemed when she left him inside her study; he was not only studying magic but also nning for his next moves.


    "We got sidetracked. Let''s get back on topic," Kyran said after he and Noir had an agreement.


    The rest of the council nodded.


    "After the transportation of the materials, I will prepare three days at most for the hunt. Since the forest beasts you needed is also located in the south, I will first visit the Chaos Pce to get the bark of the Duali Tree. After that, I will hunt those forest beasts in one day. At most, I will only have a day left to get the rare stone. So I do hope you will be able to get the information about its exact location when I get back. Although there will not be much time left, I only need to get close to the stone, and take it. Then I will return here at once. I don''t n on getting entangled with the Temr Code''s people."


    When they heard this, they all heaved a sigh of relief. At least Kyran was not nning to enter the Temr Code''s ce rampantly.


    "Alright. We will get you the information," Vaness agreed.


    Kyran nodded.


    "That covers an overview of my n to meet the deadline. What other things you need to be rified?"

 Chapter 90 What I Need

    Vaness looked at Hugh, Malia, and Noir. The three, in turn, nodded their heads.


    "This next one, we believed is something we need to understand. However, we will respect your decision not share it with us." Vaness continued.


    "Please say it."


    "How sure are you that you will seed in getting used to your magic in two days? Especially your ability to warp. We understand that it is a crucial part of your n to travel a long distance, in a short period of time."


    "I understand your concern. Unfortunately, I can''t give you an answer. Not that I don''t want to sure but it''s because I don''t know the answer either. I''m not going to give you false hope," Kyran answered.


    Immediately the expression of the council members turned solemn.


    "You don''t have to worry. I don''t n on failing, but if in case I did, I still have another way to travel. I''m not going to do something without a backup n," Kyran assured them.


    Hearing Kyran''s word of assurance, the council members'' expressions improved.


    "I can''t tell you though. It''s... a Regis thing." Kyran added. "When the timees, I will need some materials. Don''t worry, the materials I''ll need aremon and I will pay for it."


    Vaness chuckled, "No need to pay for the materials. Just tell us what you need. We are in a partnership after all. The ns you''ve told us and even the assistance you requested is to provide for the needs of The Conve. This is the least we can do."


    Kyran smiled a little and replied, "Okay. We can discuss it if I failed."


    "That''s alright," Vaness said. He paused before adding, "Now, I suppose this is thest one we want you to rify."


    Kyran did not react and let Vaness continue.


    "Having you move on your own, has lessened the manpower we will need as well as other resources. But it doesn''t mean you will not need it, am I correct?"


    Kyran nodded. He replied, "Yes. I will need some items. But I haven''t listed it yet. I have some useful items with me so I''ll have to check it first before I can give you the list-."


    "Please, you don''t have to use any of your personal resources. You probably don''t know but it would cost us a fortune just to hire people and provide for them with items to get those materials. Not to mention, it will also take them a few months toplete it. You already saved us a lot of resources by cutting down on the manpower, alone. Since you''re moving by yourself, let us at least shoulder the items you will need," Vaness immediately interrupted.


    Kyran made a mental note of the items he needed. Honestly, he was reluctant to use his resources because he still had many things to do after dealing with the Conve''s matter. But since this was supposed to be a partnership, he knew he had to contribute. He never really thought that him doing the work was enough contribution. After all, it was his fault they needed those materials in the first ce. But if they were willing to give him items, then he would notin.


    "Well, if you say so, then I will not be polite," Kyran epted.


    Vaness nodded and looked at Malek, "It should be alright, is it not Head Master?"


    "It is a partnership. This is naturally a given," Malek replied with a straight face.


    Ste also nodded in agreement and looked at Vaness and Malia, "I''ll let you handle the rest of providing the items Kyran would need."


    "Yes, Milord." Both of them replied.


    Once everyone agreed, Kyran spoke again and said, "Now that we are done discussing how to deal with the Conve''s needs, shall I tell you what I needed from you?"


    The moment he said this, the whole conference hall turned silent.


    Yes. Kyran had only discussed his ns to help them get what they needed from the start of the discussion, but he had not yet said what he required from them.


    Knowing Kyran''s current situation, they already knew that whatever he needed had something to do with his n. And it would indeed affect the Conve''s future.


    Seeing the subtle worried expression on everyone''s faces, Kyran could guess what they were thinking. He sighed in his heart. Although they were willing to help him out, he knew they still feared that the Conve''s neutral status would be affected.<sub> </sub>


    Today, Kyran nned to clear their doubts.


    "Rest assured; I am not going to ask you to fight the Royal Army and help me save my n. However, I will need your help in providing information. Since the army has control over the information about my family, I''m sure it will be hard to find their current status. In this case, I can only know about the army''s movements and get as much information from it. I know you have ways to track their movements, especially those with high ranks."


    "We do," Hugh replied.


    At this point, they no longer intend to keep things from Kyran as long as the information he needed was within their bottom line.


    "Sharing it with you will not be problem. As a matter of fact, we do have new information that came in just this morning," Ste added.


    Kyran looked at her and nodded, "Then you can show me thoseter."


    Ste looked at him in confusion. She prepared all the documents because she believed he would ask for them and discuss them during the meeting. But she did not expect him to act indifferent and even told her to show it to himter.


    Ste always thought that Kyran would be anxious to hear as much information rted to his n. She even had her theories she wanted to share.


    Still, she remained silent and did not inquire. She just let Kyran continue.


    "Next, I will also need materials. Loads of it but not right now," Kyran admitted. "I''m not going to ask for it for free. I will work for it. I know having a new identity will help me go around openly. But since I am supposed to be someone affiliated with the cksmith Order, the ces I can move will be limited. So I will take an assessment test to be a mercenary. This way I can move work outside the Order''s jurisdiction using the excuse of ''out-on-a-bounty-mission''. The mission I will take of course will not be simple. I will only take missions from you. And that will be my payment for the materials I will need. If I also find rare materials along the way, I can exchange it for the things I will need."


    The rest of the council nodded in agreement. It was not the first time the Conve had employed exclusive mercenaries. However, the difference between exclusive mercenaries from the ones they usually recruited was that they only took missions from the leaders. However, they were still free to take other bounty missions. When the leaders had issued a summon, these mercenaries also had a choice not toe unless they were given proper remuneration.


    "In that case, you do not have to worry about taking an assessment test," Noir said. "My fictional disciple is supposed to be a mercenary out on a mission that is why he is not in the cksmith Order. Currently, he is supposed to be out doing a special mission from me."


    Kyran could not help but smile uneasily. Just how much did Noir hate getting a disciple to go to such an borated identity of his fictional disciple. He even made up a story of why he was not in the Order.


    "That is good then," Kyran said.


    Then he frowned a little when he thought of something. If Noir had considered this far in creating his disciple''s identity, it would mean he also had an image of him.


    Why did he only think of that?


    Kyran cleared his throat and looked at Noir uneasily, "You didn''t happen to... include an image of your ''fictional'' disciple when you submitted it, did you?"


    "As a matter of fact, I did. Not to worry, though, the image was supposed to be taken a long time ago. And we made it so he will not look simr to anyone. At least anyone famous," Noir replied.


    "Yeah, that probably mean I won''t look like him either." Kyranmented.


    "That can easily be remedied, you just have to use transfiguration magic to look like him," Malia interjected.


    Kyran smiled awkwardly and replied, "Yeah... transfiguration magic, huh."


    "Oh!" Malia eximed after realizing that Kyran had only started using his magic. Aside from this, transfiguration magic was earth magic.


    With the nature of Kyran''s magic, would he be able to use other magic? Because as far as Malia knew, Ste could not. And both Ste and Kyran had ancient magic.


    "Can a potion be made? Or maybe create a mask that can change a person''s face using arrays?" Kyran suddenly asked.


    His questions instantly made Malia, Avrum, Noir, and Sigma look at him dumbfoundedly.

 Chapter 91 Can You Not?

    Seeing the dumbfounded looks on Malia, Avrum, Noir, and Sigma, Kyran regretted speaking his mind. Their reaction was almost the same reaction Nn made when hemented about Celine''s magic having a deadly offence when used differently.


    "Sorry. Please forget what I said," Kyran hastily said. "It was an amateur thinking."


    Snapping out of her reverie, Malia shook her head and said, "No. Not at all! It is just, the thought never urred to us before. A potion to change a person''s appearance... there had been studies done in making a person look younger or beautiful but not really change their appearance..."


    "Yes. It is actually feasible. I mean, creating a mask with array calctions that can change a person''s face... the idea is ingenious!" Noir also agreed.


    "Is it?" Kyran asked uneasily.


    His question was just a passing thought. It did not mean anything. Which made him feel a little uneasy because Noir thought it was an ingenious idea.


    "Hm. If we can find the correct materials that can adapt to the array''s calction... No, first we have to make sure the calction used are correct," Sigma said, looking thoughtful.


    "True. The calction must also be done in a way that it can be easily changed. This way, adjusting the structure of the materials to reflect the person''s facial features would be easier. However, the materials to be refined must be able to adapt to the changes made on the array... If such a mask is created and sell it-no, selling such an item is pretty dangerous..." Noir replied.


    On the other side, Malia and Avrum were also talking.


    Avrum leaned back on his chair with a thoughtful expression. He said, "Changing a person''s appearance will use two different herbs that has dposition or rposition effects. But because both have opposite effects, creating a potion that has these two will normally be impossible."


    "True," Malia agreed. "But this will only happen if the two herbs are mixed at the same time. If we find the correct timing, added by a herb with stabilizing effect then..."


    Can, Emery, Hugh and Vaness, could not help but sweat at them. Due to the nature of their business, once presented with ideas of possible new creations, they tend to get distracted easily.


    Kyran cleared his throat, seeing the four had started their discussion.


    "As much as I am d that yo thinuk my idea is possible, let me remind you that I am supposed to be introduced in the banquetter. I don''t think there is enough time for us to make one."


    Hearing Kyran''s reminder, a sudden realization hit the four of them.


    "That is right," Noir agreed with a disappointed expression.


    "However, given the time we can definitely make one." Avrum still insisted.


    "Time?" Ste smiled mischievously. "I can help with that."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Ste. He scoldingly said, "Can you not? If we get sidetracked again we won''t be able to finish tonight."


    Ste smiled innocently at him and said, "I was only saying."


    Kyran sighed.


    Can, Emery, Hugh and Vaness also sighed. They did get sidetracked a lot, and if the Lord tolerated the discussion of the other four, they would end up finishing the meeting past midnight.


    Malek finally pped his hand once, and the noise inside died down.


    "Let us discuss that matterter," he told them and made a sidelong nce at Kyran. "I know of a way to change your appearanceter. But I will only do this once, because of its urgency."


    Ste smiled and looked at Malek, "Thank you."


    Malek cleared his throat and shifted in his seat but did not say anything.


    Kyran also did not reply but did nod his head in acknowledgement.


    "Alright. The things I needed, are those two. I might also ask for other information but that depends on the situation I am in. I am sure you have a way to contact your people. But I will not use this. It is best to create a different means of contact," he continued.


    "My reason is simple. If in case I am caught, and they find anything on me that they can trace back to your end, then it will implicate the Conve and everything will go downhill."


    When they heard Kyran''s exnation, they felt a sense of relief that he was still thinking ahead to make sure not to get them in trouble with the army. However, they also felt embarrassed for feeling this way.


    "For a new means of contact, I will let you know once I''ve tried it." Kyran added.


    "You mean you already thought of it?" Hugh asked in surprise.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, I havee up with two ways, but the first one may need some time to get used to. While the other one is still a theory, and I will need to learn about arrays first."


    Noir nodded, "Alright. If you have any particr questions on array creation then you can list it down until our meeting."


    "I will," Kyran replied. He looked at Ste and added, "If there is any information that I requested that you believe will not be wise to share, just let me know. I will not insist on getting it. However, it if you can provide a way for me to get the information myself that will help me a lot."


    Ste smiled with a nod, "Okay."


    He turned his attention back at the rest of the council.


    "I have said most of what I want to say," Kyran paused for a moment before he added, "But I have onest thing to discuss."


    The council members remained silent as they waited for him to continue.


    "I know you''ve done your best to cover up what I did a few days ago, both at the Mercenary Hall and here. But I want you to let at least what happened at the Mercenary Hall be known by the army."


    As soon as he said this, most of them looked at him in confusion.


    Ste, however, looked at him in concern. She asked, "Why?"


    "To make sure they will not link me to the Conve," Kyran exined. "Make them believe that I attacked the Mercenary Hall because I found out about my bounty. This is also part of the n I have in providing the information about my whereabouts."


    Hugh leaned back on his chair and heaved a sigh.


    The truth, he thought the same. However, he did not raise it because he already felt ashamed of letting Kyran take on all the burden.


    Sigma also scowled. He hated what Kyran did, but after knowing his thoughts and getting to understand a bit more of his character, he realized that this rascal''s sense of responsibility did not reflect his age. Kyran was only a teenager, yet he was willing to carry all the burden alone. Sigma finally understood Can''s words when they had their first meeting regarding what happened and Malia''s words before the meeting.


    ''The rascal''s desperate. But now that he calmed down, he was willing to take responsibility without hesitation.'' He thought.


    Seeing the determined look in Kyran''s eyes, Ste could only relent and remained silent. She wanted to lighten his burden. But after hearing his ns and understanding his intentions, she realized that the Conve''s situation had put another burden on him.


    Although Kyran caused their situation, Ste already nned to upgrade the Tower''s defensive array. Kyran destroying the array just happened before she could put her n into motion.


    "If you have anything, you want to ask or tell me. Please go ahead," Kyran said.


    The rest of the council exchanged nces, but none said anything.


    Ste nodded after a short pause and looked at Malek.


    Malek, in turn, nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    He stood up and said, "Now that we have addressed more or less everything, if there are no urgent matter you wanted to be discussed today, we will now adjourn."


    He then looked at Kyran and added, "You said you will meet with Hugh and Can separately. Do you n to do that now?"


    Kyran looked at him as well.


    Seeing this scene, the rest of the council members held their breaths. This was the first time they would address each other properly. They had been civil with each other so far, but they had never looked at each other.


    "Yes. You and Ste can stay." Kyran answered.


    Malek''s brow twitched at Kyran''s mention of the Lord''s name. He kept track of how many times Kyran spoke her name during the meeting. Each time, Male''s brow had twitched to the point it had be a reflex.


    "Very well," Malek acknowledged.


    The rest of the council members heaved a sigh of relief as if they had just avoided a cmity.


    Malek turned his attention back to the rest of the council members and said, "Hugh, Can, please stay. The rest, you may return to your rooms and I will have someone call for you once the banquet starts."


    The rest of the council members stood up and bowed in his direction and said in unison, "Yes, Head Master."

 Chapter 92 His Destination

    When the other council members left the conference hall, Ste requested a few minutes break. She also summoned refreshments for everyone.


    Kyran took one ss of water and finished it in one go. It was never his nature to lead a discussion, so talking for a long time made him thirsty. When he led a team during their yearly outdoor training or joint activities in military school, their briefings were short. If his members did ask questions, it was only a question or two.


    Kyran also still felt a little faint from when his magic had a strange episode. He ignored it while he led the discussion, but the fatigue overwhelmed him now that they were on break.


    He silently thanked Ste for requesting a break. He was not an idiot to not notice that she did it for his sake.


    While on break, Can, Hugh, and Malek talked about the Mercenary Hall''s affairs. They discussed some of Malek''s questions on the report they submitted this morning. Ste also asked some questions of her own from time to time.


    Kyran was not idle either.


    He took this opportunity to check the documents Ste gave him. She had arranged them in a way where it was easy for Kyran to follow. And he realized why Ste believed this information was relevant to him.


    It consisted of the army''s recent purchased materials from the Chamber of Commerce under their pseudo name. Aside from this, it also included updates from the Mercenary Hall on the army''s current activities. Because the talk Malek was having with them was rted to it, Kyran understood the gist of what was happening.


    Usually, Kyran would have joined their conversation and started asking questions. But because of Malek''s lead, his questions were already answered.


    Did this mean, Kyran and Malek think simrly?


    The idea irked Kyran.


    If Malek knew what Kyran was thinking, he might have snapped and started with him again.


    With his brows slightly creased together, Kyran leaned back on his chair. He stared at the parchments he spread on top of the table in front of him as he rubbed his throbbing temples.


    Based on the information in these, the army nned on doing a big operation. However, the army was pressed for time. It was evident that they were in a rush to get all the materials in a few days. Even the deployment of the lower-ranked officers waspleted in just one day.


    Counting the days from when the armypleted all the transactions of the materials they requested, there was only a few days difference from when Kyran made a mess in the Tower of Conve. Then the deployment of the lower-ranked officers happened the other day.


    From these clues, Kyran guessed that the army''s operation was scheduled eitherst night or today. Unfortunately, the Conve had no news about it yet.


    Kyran, however, already had an idea what the operation might be, and he was doing his best not to overthink. Besides, he noticed something strange from the army''s movement.


    ''Why is the highest ranked army officer that was dispatched was only a Major,'' Kyran wondered.


    So far, this was the only question Malek did not raise. Whether he deliberately avoided it or he did not realize it, only he knew the answer.


    Kyran did not mind. If the discussion shifted in that direction, Ste would definitely ask what he thought, and right now, he did not want to share his thoughts with them. It was not because he did not trust them, but because he did not want them to know what he nned to do after leaving the Tower.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran reached for a piece of parchment on the table.


    It was a profile of an army officer, and it included an image of a middle-aged man.


    The man''s name was Jax. He was not part of any n and had no special attributes. And although he had been in the army for more than twenty years, he was still a Major.


    But what piqued Kyran''s interest was the nk information on his direct supervisor as well as his magic.


    From what Kyran learned from military school, a major''s direct supervisor was a Colonel. While it was not an isted case wherein a Major did not report to a Colonel, it was extremely rare. Apart from this, the circumstances behind the Major had to be very special. One example was that the Major''s direct supervisor had died inbat, and the Major was under assessment whether he would be promoted or transferred to new leadership. Another example, the Major had a meritorious aplishment and would receive a promotion soon. There was another example where the Major might be a newly promoted officer and had not been assigned to a leader yet.


    All of these cases, however, did not apply to Jax. Because as soon as he got promoted to a Major, there was no report of him having a supervisor. Even his aplishments were mediocre, and the only noteworthy of his missions was he had a lot of experience in manhunts. However, because the division he was under was the Forbidden Magic Control Squad, this was already a given.


    Kyran closed his eyes. He thought of a possible reason why Jax did not have a direct supervisor. He happened to read a piece of information about it from one of the ssified records Ste shared with him.


    In the past, there was a case wherein a low-ranked officer reported directly to the highest-ranked officer. The reason was the officer had a unique ability that the Royal Family deemed as highly ssified. At that time, the army did not have a Grand Marshal yet. The highest position was only a Brigadier General, and he was also under the direct orders of the Emperor. Yes, the Emperor before directly dealt with the Royal Army''s affairspared today. This situation made the low-ranked officer report directly to the Emperor.


    But given Jax''s aplishments, could he be directly reporting under the Royal Family? Because as far as his information was concerned, Jax was deemed by the Royal Family as a failure. That was why he could only stay as a Major.


    After hearing and reading a lot about the Royal Family, especially the Emperor, Kyran also knew they were not a bunch of righteous rulers. So why would they keep such a failure in the military? And without a supervisor?


    Could it have something to do with the nk information on his magic?<sub> </sub>


    Kyran heaved a sigh.


    He made a mental note to visit this man. Since he could not get the answers from the Conve, he would have to get it himself. Of course, he was interested in Jax not only because of this or because he was part of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad. It was also because Kyran knew Jax was part of the team that was after him.


    Leaning forward, Kyran took another three parchments on the table.


    These parchments were the data of the officers that were under Jax. And all three of them, Kyran knew.


    The big guy with dark red hair, whose name was Dior. The blonde guy, whose name was Luka. Andst, the new addition to Jax''s team was a woman with lush reddish-brown hair named Vera.


    The status of Dior was already changed to MIA or missing in action.


    Only he and Nn knew, of course, that he was dead. But Kyran knew the army was not stupid not to know Dior''s actual status.


    ''So why didn''t they dere his death?'' Kyran wondered.


    The more he read through this information, the more Kyran had a new theory of who he was dealing with.


    After almost half an hour, they four finally concluded their discussion.


    Ste looked at Kyran and asked, "Kyran, are you ready?"


    Kyran nodded his head and looked at the four of them.


    "I''ll try to keep this short," he told them. "For the first proof I want you to report to the army, please provide the information of what I did to the Mercenary Hall. This way you can also have a reason why you dyed the approval of their request."


    Hugh and Can nodded their heads in acknowledgement.


    The army would not refute if the Mercenary Hall were suddenly attacked by their requested bounty target and even made a huge mess.


    "This way, you can also ask forpensation from them, because they did not provide a clear information about ''my'' capabilities. Of course, you can leave out the information about me using magic, to notplicate matters." Kyran continued.


    Thepensation part made Malek''s ears perked up. While the other three could not help but sweat.


    They did not realize how much Kyran wanted to milk out the army''s finances.


    "Next. After you confirmed with them that you will update the bounty, you can have my ''other identity'' submit proof of ''my'' whereabouts escaping south."


    Upon hearing this, Hugh narrowed his eyes. He looked at Kyran and asked, "Are you nning to make them think you are going to the Chaos Pce?"


    Kyran smiled.


    "They probably will not think that. Because they will be more concerned about another ce south, I might escape to."


    The four of them immediately realized what Kyran meant and looked at him incredulously.


    "Kyran, you..." Ste looked at him worriedly.


    "Chaos Pce being my destination, is probably just a secondary thought to them. I am currently a wanted man, and few information is avable about the Dark Sage," Kyran started.


    Ste''s expression slightly changed when Kyran called the previous Void Master the ''Dark Sage'', but she only bit her lip to refrain from correcting him.


    "Since you will update my bounty information, they will think I will have trouble entering cities especially after what I have done in the Mercenary Hall. This will limit the ces where I can gather information which, will make it hard for me to know about Chaos Pce. So the likely ce, they will think I am after, is a ce, I am already aware of."


    Kyran paused and looked at them. Seeing their troubled yet amazed expression, he knew they already guessed the ce he wanted the army to think he was heading to.


    "That''s right. The army definitely is aware that I went to military school, so they knew I have an idea of the current situation between the empire and, the Archadia Republic."

 Chapter 93 The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend

    Ste clenched her fists tightly upon hearing Kyran''s words.


    She knew it. Kyran had not given up on diverting the army''s focus away from his n.


    If the army thought Kyran nned to go to the Chaos Pce, they would not make any drastic movement. Since the Chaos Pce itself was a dangerous ce, even with Kyran''s Void magic, it was still uncertain whether he would be able to survive. His magic might be invincible, but as a newbie mage, his magic reserves were limited.


    However, if Kyran''s destination were the Archadia Republic, the army would definitely make a significant movement. The Royal Army stationed in the south borders might even get involved. They would not want Kyran to leave the empire''s jurisdiction.


    Others might think it was good riddance for the empire if Kyran went to Archadia. At least the trouble of apprehending or executing him would now fall under the Archadia Republic''s government. After all, they also knew about the Dark Sage''s terror.


    However, their hatred towards the empire was deep. With Kyran''s magic and innate talent, there was no telling if the Archadia Republic could ignore the fact he was initially from the empire and use him against them. After all, there was an old saying that ''the enemy of my enemy is my friend''.


    The others had the same thoughts. To them, this was the right course of action for Kyran if he wanted to divert the army''s attention and fight them.


    But if Kyran did this, a war would break out that would change many things and affect many innocent lives.


    Can asked apprehensively, "Do you n on making contact with the Archadia government?"


    Hearing Can''s question, Kyran raised both his brows and looked at him and said, "Of course not. I only want the army to think this way and put pressure on the mastermind."


    He looked at the parchments in front of him and added, "After looking at all this information, I have a feeling the army''s situation is not that simple. If I provoke the army too much, the mastermind behind them might end up ordering to destroy my n first."


    "Quite right," Can agreed. "There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered beast."


    Kyran nodded in agreement. He continued, "So I will leave just enough evidence that I did go south when I hunt the forest beasts."


    He looked at Can and Hugh.


    "You can find a trustworthy mercenary who wille from the south and let him submit the evidence after a few weeks."


    "Hm. If the mercenary had a record of staying south for a few weeks, the army will not doubt the evidence he provided," Hugh agreed with a nod.


    "Yes. Well if there is no mercenary you have in mind whom you can trust, you can first have your trusted mercenary take a mission south. Whatever works with you is fine with me," Kyran said.


    Hugh smiled, "No need to worry. We can handle that."


    Kyran nodded.


    "However, this will only work for a month at most. The army would definitely tighten the south borders to make sure it will be hard for me to pass. Of course, I am not really going to pass through it and they will probably realize it soon. If that happens, they will retrace myst known location. I will make it so that the evidence I leave will have a trace going west."


    "You want them to think you will go west?" Ste asked in confusion.


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. And so, I will leave some evidence when I get the rare stone. Again, I will let you guys handle when you want to submit it."


    "You..." Hugh started realizing something. He realized how Kyran''s route coincided with his n in getting the materials for them. "Did you have this nned out right from the start?"


    Kyran scratched his ear and replied uneasily, "I did. But I had no idea that the locations of the materials you needed followed the route I had in mind."


    He did not want them to think he was good at reading ahead of the situation. Besides, he only finalized his schedule for the week after he confirmed the locations of all the materials. Suppose there was enough information about the location of the rare stone of Shaiha; he would have that crossed off his list first.


    Honestly, getting the stone was far more manageable in Kyran''s opinion than hunting forest beasts.


    "Do you have any questions?" He asked them.


    None of them spoke.


    "Good. As for how I will provide more evidence in the future, I''ll tell you by the end of this week. Right now, we can first focus on those two routes." Kyran told them.


    "Very well," Hugh replied.


    "That''s all I have to say," Kyran said after a short pause.


    Seeing that the discussion had ended, Malek stood and addressed them.


    "If there are no more questions, we can now adjourn."


    Hugh and Can stood up and bowed, "Yes, Headmaster."


    Ste also stood up and looked at them with a smile, "I''ll see you both at the banquet."


    The two turned to her and also bowed, "Yes, Milord."


    Ste nodded and looked at Malek. She said, "Malek, please tell Smith that the banquet will start in half an hour."


    Malek nodded his head in acknowledgment. He bowed and answered, "Yes, Milord."


    The three of them left, but Kyran and Ste remained in the conference hall.<sub> </sub>


    When the doors at the hall closed, Ste turned to Kyran. She watched him looking at the parchments in front of him with a very thoughtful expression.


    "Kyran?" She called softly. Worried that she might distract him from his thinking.


    Contrary to her expectation, though, Kyran looked up with his brows raised, "What is it?"


    Ste sat down and also looked at the parchments. She hesitated for a second before speaking, "Are you nning to leave the Tower?"


    "Yes."


    The curt answer he made saddened her. She lowered her head and stared at her hands in silence.


    When Ste asked Nn to be her exclusive mercenary and train Kyran, she thought that the two of them would only go on missions from time to time and would return to the Tower afterward. She did not expect that Kyran had thought of really leaving the Tower.


    Seeing the sad expression on Ste, Kyran frowned a little. He also felt a sudden sadness in his heart after seeing her look this way.


    But for some reason, Kyran had a strange feeling that the sadness he felt was not really him. He could not exin it, but the foreign and yet nostalgic feeling he felt around her sometimes was there again.


    Kyran leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. He bted realized that his magic had subtlely started to circte inside him again. He remembered that the first time he felt a sense of familiarity around her was because of his magic.


    But was it because they both have ancient magic? Or was there something more?


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran opened his eyes and said, "Staying here is unwise."


    Ste looked at him and said, "Why? Are you worried that the army might find out?"


    Kyran shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. He stared at the array above and said, "Your people had seen me use my magic. Although Can manipted their memories, there is no telling when they will start to remember. Besides, I have to get used to my magic. If I stay here, it can only get me so far."


    "You and Nn can go on a mission," Ste insisted. "Then you can return here when you are done. You really don''t have to leave."


    Kyran shook his head and lowered his gaze. He stared at the parchments on the table again and said, "It''s not enough."


    Ste fell silent.


    She knew there was little she could really do to help him, as long as the Conve remained neutral.


    "Well, its not as if we will not visit again," Kyran spoke after a short pause.


    He looked at Ste and smiled slightly, "I still need your magic."


    Ste blinked once before chuckling at his words, "I see."


    "Anyway," Kyran stood up and stretched his back, "All that talking and sitting is exhausting. Since we have a short half an hour left before the banquet, I''ll train a little."


    Ste''s expression immediately turned nk.


    This guy... was all he could think of was to train?


    "You... Do I have to remind you, you''re already dressed for the banquet?" She said in a monotonous voice.


    "Ah," Kyran stopped and looked at his clothes.


    ''He did forget,'' Ste thought with a sigh.


    "I can just change again-."


    "No!" Ste rejected and stood up.


    She waved her hand, and the parchments on the table arranged themselves and flew inside her storage ring.


    "I''ll give this to youter," she said with a smile. Then she hooked her hand on his arm and pulled him closer.


    "O-Oi!"


    Ste grinned at him and said, "Let''s go find Malia. I have a feeling she and Avrum are talking about your idea at this moment. Why don''t we go check on them?"


    Kyran frowned but did not protest.


    "Fine. Just don''t pull, I can walk-."


    "Who said anything about walking?" Ste interrupted him as she started to levitate.


    She pulled him up, and the array above lit up. A semi-transparent gold sphere enveloped the two, and they flew toward the array on the ceiling.

 Chapter 94 The Calm

    Some of the staff inside the Tower of Conve''s kitchen had been busy running aroundpleting every dish Smith had came up with for tonight''s banquet. Usually, the rest of the staff would be out decorating the banquet hall. For tonight, however, as Ste ordered that this would be an open banquet, the rest of the staff were at the open-air pavilion located at the north-central za and were busypleting thest decorations.


    The open-air pavilion had been decorated with white and gold curtain walls and green vines with white daisies covered all its round columns.


    There were several long tables, covered with gold and white tablecloth alternately, lined on each side. At the head of the pavilion, there was one long marbled table. It was covered with long red silk with gold ents tablecloth, and fourteen high chairs were neatly arranged on one side facing the whole congregation. Each table was also decorated with Bonzai-themed centerpieces.


    Floating gold and whitemps shaped like lotuses were scattered all over the ce and illuminated the whole venue. At the same time, the pavilion ceiling was enchanted to reflect the beautiful starry night sky.


    The center of the pavilion was left bare because there would be performances and open danceter on.


    By the time Malek told Smith, the Head Cook, that the banquet would start within half an hour, the pavilion and most of the employees and staff of the Tower were already ready.


    At fifteen minutes before the start of the banquet, most of the employees had arrived and taken their seats. There were still some kitchen staff who would serve the whole congregation but afterwards, they would join the banquet. Only a selected few would remain at the head table to serve the council members and the Lord of the Tower.


    Five minutes before the time was up, the Conve High Council members arrived one after another.


    Everyone inside would greet each council member as they entered the pavilion.


    However, when Chairman Noir and President Sigma entered, they noticed a man probably in his early twenties entered with them.


    The man had auburn hair, and his eyes had the rare aquamarine color. He was dressed in an all-white coat and pants, a stark contrast with Noir and Sigma''s ck ones.


    However, most of them noticed how the man''s clothes fit him so well and added to his handsome looks.


    Most females among the congregation could not help but whisper to one another, trying to guess the man''s identity.


    "Could he be...?"


    "No, right? I heard the man who attacked a few days ago had dark hair..."


    "Really? I heard he was wearing a hood so they can''t really see what he looked like?"


    "Yes, yes. I heard that too. He was wearing a ck hooded coat that covered his face."


    "Then this man is...?"


    They whispered among themselves.


    Noir, Sigma and the mysterious man went to the head table.


    Along the way, Noir and Sigma made small talks with the rest of the council members. They also greeted Malek, who was already seated at the right side of the high chair at the center, before they headed to their seats at the far right side.


    Noir''s seat was at the right side of Can''s seat, while Sigma''s seat was on Noir''s right. The mysterious man went to the seat beside Sigma, also the one at the farthest right.


    Before the three of them took their seats, an array appeared above the high chair at the center of the head table, and the Lord of the Tower descended from it.


    Everyone immediately stood straight and bowed their heads in respect.


    Ste gracefullynded beside the high chair.


    For tonight''s banquet, Ste had dressed up in an all-white gauze long gown with gold and silver ents. Her long wavy blonde hair flowed behind her back, and small pieces of emerald glistened in her hair with her every movement. With her appearance and temperament, she looked like a forest fairy.


    "Greetings Lord of the Tower," they all greeted.


    They straightened their backs and looked at her. Admiration filled the hearts of the Tower''s people as soon as they saw her.


    However, some immediately noticed how the Lord of the Tower''s dress almost matched the mysterious man''s attire. And the imagination of most of the people in the congregation started to go off track once again.


    Ste raised her hand and gestured for everyone to sit. When everyone was seated and silence filled the pavilion, she finally spoke.


    "Thank you for attending tonight''s open banquet. I know this is short notice and I appreciate all of you taking your time off to join us."


    She turned her attention to the left side of the pavilion, where the kitchen staff waited to serve the whole congregation. With a gentle smile, she added, "Thank you for your hard work. As soon as the food is served, please join us too. After all, this banquet is for everyone."


    The kitchen staff felt overwhelmed and hastily bowed their heads, "Thank you, Milord."


    Ste looked at the whole congregation once more and said, "Before we begin. Let me address an event that happened a few days ago that had put everyone in a state of unrest."


    The moment she said this, some people of the congregation felt uneasy while the others were excited. They knew which event the Lord of the Tower had meant. And while it was true that they were all restless the first day after it happened, they mainly had recovered, and even their focus was diverted because of the rumors that had circted.


    A new rumor even surfaced that this banquet was arranged to officially announce the Lord''s decision to ept her young lover''s proposal.


    Most females stole nces in the mysterious man''s direction. Although he did not look anything like the perpetrator who was rumored to be the Lord''s love, he was the only new face among the primary attendees, and his age was close to the Lord''s. So they automatically assumed he was the ''lover''.


    To their great disappointment, although the man was looking in the Lord''s direction, his expression remained indifferent.


    Was that the expression of a man looking at his lover?


    "It was our mistake. We were too at ease believing that the Tower of Conve''s defensive array is the best in the whole empire, and no one would dare attack. However, we were proven wrong," Ste said.


    She paused for a moment before she continued, "Fortunately, it was thanks to this event that we finally realize the w of the defensive array and we are in the midst of improving it. Thanks to the efforts of all the council members, especially Chairman Noir and President Sigma of the cksmith Order, they had made great progress in the new array this past few days. And today, with the addition of Chairman Noir''s very gifted disciple-."


    She turned to her left and smiled. As soon as she saw that the seat to her left was empty, she froze.


    Malia, seated on the chair at the left side of the empty seat, looked at Ste when she suddenly stopped talking. She saw her frozen expression and immediately understood what happened.


    Before she could say something, Malek cleared his throat.


    Ste snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Malek; her expression was unreadable.


    The whole congregation noticed this and wondered what just happened. Then they all saw the Head of Conve say something to the Lord, which made her frown slightly.


    Before the congregation fell into an awkward silence, the mysterious man stood up and addressed the whole congregation.


    "It is my pleasure to be of service to the Tower of Conve. I am Tyr and I am the disciple of Master Noir," he introduced himself and nced over at the Lord of the Tower and bowed slightly. "Thank you for having me tonight, Lord of the Tower."<sub> </sub>


    The whole congregation saw how the Lord''s expression brightened, then turned slightly dark, and then became worried all in a matter of a second.


    That was the first time they had seen the Lord with so many expressions, and they were pretty amazed.


    Murmurs befell the whole congregation.


    The mysterious man was that elusive disciple of Chairman Noir? And he was actually a handsome man? But if he was Chairman Noir''s disciple, did this mean he was not the rumored ''lover'' of the Lord? But what was with the strange action and expression of the Lord just now?


    Ste cleared her throat, and immediately the noise died down.


    She bowed her head toward ''Tyr'' and said, "I should be thanking you-."


    Malek cleared his throat again.


    As if realizing something, Ste straightened at once and repeated, "Thank you disciple Tyr."


    Tyr bowed once again before he returned to his seat.


    Ste addressed the congregation again and said, "As I was saying, disciple Tyr has arrived today and will assist Chairman Noir and President Sigma in improving the defensive array. With his addition, the new array will likely bepleted ahead of time."


    A sigh of relief washed over the whole congregation. Now they knew that the defensive array of the Tower would bepleted soon; it had taken all their remaining doubts off their chest.


    "Still I do have a confession to make," Ste continued.


    Her words instantly got the attention of the whole congregation.


    Confession?


    Was she finally going to announce the real reason for this banquet?


    That''s right, the seat to the Lord''s left was still empty, so maybe her lover would only appear once she announced it to the whole congregation!


    These thoughts appeared on most of them.


    "The intruder that time, unfortunately, had escaped. So we cannot enact any punishment."


    Finally! The Lord mentioned the intruder. That''s right, the intruder that time was the Lord''s-.


    Wait.


    What? Escaped?


    "What?"


    Almost most of those who believed the rumor about the Lord''s lover eximed in disbelief.


    Seeing most of the congregation''s reaction, Ste misunderstood and hastily said, "Rest assured that this will never happen again."


    Hearing the troubled tone in the Lord''s voice, the whole congregation fell silent.


    "I can also promise that although the intruder escaped, we will still do our best to seek justice." She looked at Hugh who was seated at Malek''s right.


    "Chairman Hugh and the whole Mercenary Hall, will handle the rest."


    Hugh nodded in response and replied, "Leave it to us."


    Sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere, Ste addressed the congregation and pped her hand once. Then she smiled at them and said, "With that, I hope we can all leave our worries in the past few days for tonight, and enjoy the banquet. This banquet, is for all of your efforts and your understanding. Thank you for staying and still believing in us."


    Hearing the heartfelt gratitude from the Lord of the Tower, the whole congregation was overwhelmed.


    They were all thinking that the banquet was about their Lord''s possible marriage announcement when it was actually prepared for all of them.


    While they still feel a little disappointed. After hearing the Lord''s words, the whole congregation felt the Lord''s appreciation. They all stood and pped their hands in acknowledgment of her words.


    ====================


    Dark clouds filled the night sky and hid the stars.


    An abandoned old warehouse located in the outskirts of the northern suburbs of Meliora stood eerily in the dark.


    A shadow stood at the second-floor veranda of the warehouse.


    When the clouds drifted a little and let some of the star''s light shine below the warehouse, the shadow''s face was slightly illuminated and revealed a middle-aged man.


    It was Gael.


    "I have a secret mission for the three of you," he spoke.


    If anyone heard him, they might have thought he was talking to himself.


    However, if they looked closely at the darkness behind him, they would soon find three hooded figures kneeling on the floor.


    "No one else apart from the four of us, must know about this, do I make myself clear?" Gael said.


    "Of course, Grand Marshal. When did we ever fail you?" The hooded figure in the middle spoke with a hint of a sneer in his voice.


    "Take this."


    A ck disc appeared in front of Gael and flew toward the hooded figure.


    "The information of the target is in there, but the location has not been updated. However, it will be updated automatically once I have it," Gael exined.


    "Alright," the man replied and took the disc.

 Chapter 95 I Want To Help

    The festivities proceeded immediately after Ste''s opening speech.


    Almost an hour ago, when Kyran arrived at the outdoor pavilion with Noir and Sigma, he was surprised at how the Tower of Conve''s staff managed to make the pavilion look so extravagant given the short notice. Now, he was even more surprised to know that they also prepared entertainment.


    The entertainment consisted of performances from each department inside the Tower. The Security Unit managed to prepare a talent showdown even with a few of their members still recovering. Then the Maintenance Personnel had a dance performance while the Infirmary Officers did a song number.


    Thest performance was aedy skit performed by the Kitchen Staff which was well-received by many.


    The skit was about a reckless young man trying to gain the favor of a lovely yet elusive young woman. The man had done a lot of things to get her attention but always failed miserably. However, because of the young man''s perseverance, the young woman in the end finally noticed him and gave him a chance.


    Somehow the story seemed familiar, and at the same time, it was not. Maybe it seemed familiar because the young man looked very simr to Kyran''s appearance when he attacked the Tower. And the young woman''s temperament had simrities to Ste.


    Goosebumps run up Kyran''s skin as a thought crossed his mind.


    Although Can manipted the memories of those involved directly in the attack, he could only manipte what Kyran had said or what he looked like from their memories. Even if Can could erase their memories of what had happened, he had to erase all these people''s memory which was hard to maintain.


    Because of this reason, stories about the attack still circted around the Tower.


    Theedy skit right now vaguely depicted the attack and what probably most of the people of the Tower thought about it.


    What Kyran failed to understand however, was how the reason behind the attack became a romantic endeavor of a young man?


    With a shake of his head, Kyran decided not to dwell on it. Besides, this was aedy skit. How Ste''s people interpreted the attack had nothing to do with him. This was actually a good thing. At least they were able to make light of what happened.


    Still, Kyran felt a little uneasy that these people still vaguely remembered how he looked like. It was a good thing Noir''s disciple looked nothing like him. With how wild the imagination of Ste''s people were, he was worried they would try to link Noir''s disciple to the ''intruder''.


    Speaking of Noir''s disciple, Kyran remembered the first time he saw ''his'' image.


    It was after he and Ste left the conference hall to look for Malia and found them in the Alchemy Chamber. To their surprise, Noir and Sigma were also there. And all four were discussing about Kyran''s idea.


    In the short time they left the conference hall, they actually made great progress. Of course, the four of them were experts in their fields, not to mention they were the leaders of their own businesses. If the four of them joined heads, they would definitely be able toe up with solutions.


    After that, Noir showed Kyran the information about his fictional disciple. This was also to give Kyran an idea on how he should act when he appeared as Noir''s disciple.


    The moment Kyran saw the image of his disciple, he tried his best not to cringe.


    Because ''he'' looked very... eye-catching.


    Ste exined if they were going to create a fictional disciple to the most talented Array Master of their time, then they had to make sure the disciple could match up.


    What was the connection of matching up the disciple''s looks to Noir''s prestige?


    Was the question that immediately surfaced Kyran''s mind.


    However, Kyran did not say this. He thought it would be a losing case if he said this and argued with her. Besides, it was already done and he could not do anything to change it. He was only concerned that because of how attractive Noir''s disciple looked, it would be hard for him to move around when he was pretending to be him.


    And his worry was immediately realized as soon as he arrived at the pavilion.


    Kyran noticed how most of the congregation had been stealing nces his way since he arrived. Of course, they might only be looking because he was new. Yes. He tried to convince himself it was the reason why they kept staring at him, even though most of the stares he received came from women.


    After the performances, the central floor was opened to let everyone dance.


    At this point, Kyran stood up and excused himself. It was not that he could no longer bear the looks he was receiving, but because he was reminded of what happened to his n.


    They were all just happily celebrating that night. Just like these people. Until the army arrived.


    Kyran suddenly felt the atmosphere inside the pavilion was too lively for his liking and so he decided to take his leave.


    The scenery around the pavilion was normally beautiful, however, he could not appreciate it right now.


    While walking, Kyran found a small gazebo overlooking a pond.


    He made his way to the gazebo and sat on the edge and stared at the pond where the moon was reflected on its surface.


    The liveliness at the pavilion could still be heard from where he sat. But he soon forgotten the noise as he fell into deep thought.


    ''It''s not even a week since the incident. I wonder how everyone is doing?'' He wondered.


    During the time he was inside Ste''s study, he tried to push all unnecessary thoughts about his n at the back of his mind. However, he still worried about them. So he did his best to focus on nning his course of action while alsoing up with possible ideas his n might do.


    Although the Conve had not gotten any news about the status of his n, from the documents Ste gave during the meeting, Kyran deduced what might have happened after he left.


    Since there were new army officers being dispatched and delegated under Jax''s, who was the main officer dealing his case, it meant they had not seeded in apprehending his n.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran still wondered why there were only low-ranked officers being assigned to deal with his case. Was he not supposed to be a great threat to the whole empire given his Void magic? Although the army, issuing a bounty on his head meant they wanted to use the mercenaries as additional ''help'', something still seemed off to Kyran.


    Then there was the sudden influx of materials the army had requested from the Chamber of Commerce. Though the army used a pseudo name to buy those materials, the Conve knew it was them.


    Upon checking the materials the army had ordered, they found that some of the materials could only be used as an ingredient in writing array calctions. So it was easy for the Conve to know that the army''s purpose in purchasing these materials were to create an array.


    With the help of Noir, they narrowed down the possible array formation the army nned to create.


    One of the array formation Noir wrote in his report got Kyran''s attention.


    Heaven''s Rupture Array.


    He read about this array in one of the books from Ste''s study. Its ability to destroy a defensive array two levels above the initial level of the Heaven''s Rupture Array made an impression to him. And now he came across it once again.


    He remembered when his mother helped him escaped, his father had activated the Regis Estate''s barrier. And with Nn''s assurance that his family were better of than him, he was now convinced that at this moment, his n was still inside the estate and was being protected by a powerful defensive array. A very powerful one that the army was willing to create aplex array such as the Heaven''s Rupture just to break it.


    Kyran wanted nothing more than go back to the estate and help them. But he knew it would not be a wise move.


    From how his n prepared his escaped route, and even the items inside the pouch his uncle gave him, he knew they had anticipated everything and already made preparations. If he returned, there was a good chance he would hinder the ns of his family.


    So Kyran could only endure.


    "Ahem."


    A gruff voice suddenly sounded from behind him.


    Kyran did not turn because he already knew who the voice belonged to. Just the awkward clearing of throat was enough for him to guess who it was.


    "What can I do for you, senior Sigma?" He asked in a deadpan voice.


    Sigma''s brow twitched at Kyran''s attitude.


    Before they went to the banquet, Noir had set some rules between them. As the President of the cksmith Order, Kyran must address Sigma properly.


    Of course, Noir did not know what really happened between them. If he did, he might have suggested a different arrangement.


    "Cheeky brat," Sigma snarled.


    Kyran ignored the sarcasm in his voice and simply smiled.


    "The Lord of the Tower is looking for you," Sigma replied after a short pause.


    Kyran frowned slightly but did not reply.


    "I only told her you already excused yourself."


    "I don''t believe you went to find me just to tell me that," Kyran said his gaze not leaving the pond.


    Sigma approached him. When he was about four feet behind Kyran he stopped and said, "You said you are going to hunt with someone. Is that someone trustworthy?"


    Kyran tilted his head to the side.


    There was a moment''s pause before he finally replied, "I don''t know. But I trust his strength."


    "Humph. What kind of answer is that?"


    "Senior Sigma, can''t you see I''m trying to be alone? Your presence is unweed right now."


    "You-!" Sigma did his best to reign in his annoyance.


    "Just tell me what you want to say," Kyran told him.


    Sigma scowled and red at Kyran''s back. He could not read this rascal''s mind.


    Although they started off in the wrong page, he noticed how this kid acted as if nothing happened.


    Okay, so maybe this kid acted this way around him because of what happened. But his attitude was to him was betterpared with Malek.


    Taking a deep breath, Sigma said, "I want to help."


    Kyran raised his brows and finally turned to look at him. He did not reply and waited for Sigma to continue.

 Chapter 96 Preparation

    "It does not sit well with me that you have to do everything. Even if it was you who destroyed the Tower''s defensive array, this matter must still be resolved by us."


    "Didn''t you want to teach me a lesson because of what I did here? What are you saying now?" Kyran asked, looking at Sigma in doubt.


    Sigma scowled, but he replied, "I''m done enacting your punishment. Your broken arm is proof."


    Kyran raised his brows. He was about toment that having his arm broken was a low price for what he did, but he stopped himself. He did not want to start an argument with this guy. And since he epted the identity of Noir''s disciple, he was not going to pretend to be friendly with the cksmith Order. He wanted to build a good rtionship with them. After all, he would need their help once he started creating his own magic weapon.


    But Sigma''s sudden change made Kyran uneasy. As if the big guy was plotting something.


    Sensing Kyran''s doubt, Sigma added, "And we have already agreed to have a partnership. But with you doing all the work, can we really call this a partnership?"


    Kyran pondered for a bit before epting Sigma''s argument. Although most of the Conve council members brushed off this point during the meeting because they would be providing the items Kyran would need on his trip, it did not mean that some of them felt it was not enough. Given Sigma''s upright character, Kyran understood where his concern.


    "You also mentioned that the person who will help you is not here, and he may not arrive in time, so-."


    "I''m sorry, senior Sigma. I really can''t take your offer," Kyran interrupted.


    Sigma''s scowl grew fierce as he grunted, "You-!"


    "Don''t get me wrong. I said I can''t because if you guys have a way to monitor the army''s movements, especially their high-ranked officers, it means the army has its methods too. If they find out that you suddenly appeared in the South when you were just in Starhorn a day ago, what do you think will happen? And don''t even tell me you can use transfiguration magic and change your appearance." Kyran continued seeing Sigma was about to say something. "Transfiguration magic has duration and can''t be used continuously. If you n on not hiding your appearance when he hunt, if something happens and someone sees you with my real face, it will cause a lot of problems."


    Sigma red at him, but he did not reply. Kyran''s reasoning was correct. He did think that too, but.


    Kyran felt Sigma''s hesitation, and he could not help but sigh. This big guy was really true to his character. From the short time he met this guy, he already had an idea of what moves him.


    "Did Ste want you to convince me not to go alone?" Kyran asked and turned his attention back on the pond.


    Sigma remained silent. It annoyed him how this rascal could understand the whole picture with little clues. His observation skills and ability to read deeper in a situation showed that Kyran was raised unconventionally.


    The Regis n had their own military school, but they still let him attend an outside military school. Why would they do that? The answer was simple. They already taught Kyran what they could teach, and now they wanted him to learn more from the outside.


    "I appreciate her concern and your willingness to help. But it''s unwarranted."


    "The Lord is only-."


    "I know. She has a mission to keep me alive. Don''t worry, I''m not suicidal. I have a reason to stay alive," Kyran interrupted him again.


    Although it irked Sigma how Kyran interrupted him twice, he was not that offended. Besides, he understood what he meant.


    Finally, after a few seconds of silence, Sigma heaved a sigh of resignation and said, "Fine. But I still want to help you even if the Lord did not ask me. Although you are only going to pretend to be the Chairman''s disciple, you are now part of the cksmith Order. As the president, I have to do what I can to help my people."


    Kyran sighed. This guy was really stubborn. He really did not need any help in hunting the forest beasts. Because he was not that familiar with the mutated beasts'' abilities, even if the Conve provided that information, he preferred to test them alone.


    Given Sigma''s character, Kyran doubted he would willingly follow his instructions. As far as he knew, Sigma only listened to Ste, just like the psycho bastard.


    Sensing that Sigma would not leave until he agreed, Kyran finally relented and said, "Okay. I get it. If you want to help, you can but not bying with me."


    Sigma''s brow creased, but he did not say anything and urged Kyran to exin.


    Kyran turned and looked at him. He said, "You''re a Transmuter right?"


    "What about it?"


    Kyran smiled, "Teach me the concept on how you transmute your magic into weapons. It will help me a lot if I can learn that before I go hunting."


    "You? As a Transmuter?" Sigma looked at him in disbelief.


    Kyran looked back on the pond and replied, "Well I am not sure I can be one given the nature of my magic. But I reckon if I understand how you do it, maybe I cane up with my own way of transmuting my magic."


    Sigma crossed his arms and thought for a few seconds. He slowly nodded his head and said, "Hm. It is more convenient to transmute your weapon than bring ordinary ones with you. Apart from ordinary weapons can leave physical evidences, the amount of weapons you can carry in your space storage is also limited. Not to mention, maintaining the weapon takes too much time."


    ''Limit on space storage? I didn''t know that,'' Kyran thought.


    So far, his space storage had so many things, yet he felt he could still put a lot more. He even had a feeling he could put the body of three medium-sized forest beasts once he got them.


    Of course, he did not say this. It might raise questions that even he did not know the answer to. Besides, this pouch was a gift from his uncle. He would never doubt its origin.


    "Alright, you have my word. I''ll teach you." Sigma agreed.


    "You can also be my spar partner while I try it out," Kyran added.<sub> </sub>


    Sigma''s expression became sour. He remembered the ''spar'' they had earlier and could not help but sweat.


    He cleared his throat, which he btedly realized had gone dry, and said, "Sure."


    Kyran nodded with a slight smile and turned his attention back on the pond.


    "After my lesson with Master Noir, two days from now, we can start." He said.


    "Alright. You best be prepared," Sigma agreed. Finally, he turned his back and left the gazebo.


    Kyran chuckled. He initially thought he would have trouble dealing with Sigma. Now, he realized it was pretty easy.


    ''At least that''s one less thing to worry about,'' he thought and looked at the night sky.


    His expression turned serious as he thought of Nn.


    ''I hope he does return before I leave. Him around will make hunting those beasts easier,'' he thought.


    After staying at the gazebo for almost half an hour, Kyran left. He did not return to the banquet and instead went straight to the training ground.


    =====================


    The following morning at the Tower of Conve, everyone resumed their work normally. It was evident that every employee was in a much better mood as they worked on their daily work; everyone except for Ste, who could not sleep a wink that night.


    The reason was, of course, Kyran.


    When Kyran left the banquet, Ste restrained herself from going after him. She could not very well leave the banquet being the Lord of the Tower. Besides, he already told her to be careful about treating him because it might cause misunderstandings.


    There was also her conversation with Malek before the banquet.


    Her conversation with Malek went like this: Ste insisted that Kyran be seated close to her during the banquet. But Malek reminded her that Kyran woulde to the banquet as part of the cksmith Order, and he needed to be seated with Noir and Sigma. Still, Ste insisted and ordered Malek to make an exception, and she would introduce Kyran as a guest of honor.


    When she introduced Kyran and found he was not seated to her left, Ste''s mood started to go wrong. And when Kyran acted too respectfully when he addressed her, she had the urge to flip the table.


    Of course, she only thought that, and she knew he had to act the part of being Noir''s disciple and could not possibly act brazenly toward her. In the end, she could only look at Malek spitefully and made a mental note to talk to him for ignoring her order after the banquet.


    But Ste ended up forgetting the ''talk'' with Malek because Kyran did not return to the banquet, nor did he returned when it ended. Thest straw was when Kyran did not appear in her chambers after waiting for almost two hours for him.


    Before she panicked, however, she thought of something and went to the training ground.


    Sure enough, Kyran was in one of the smaller training rooms and was immersed in training.


    Ste could only sigh in defeat and decided to wait until hepleted his training.


    A training that ended up all night.


    It was not until early morning that Kyran stopped his training to clean up.


    When he went out of the room, he was not even surprised when he found Ste outside the training room. Meaning, he already had an idea she was there!


    Heartless, the guy was cruel.


    Anyway, Ste''s days went like these the following days.


    Kyran, on the other hand, got busy getting used to his magic. On the second day of his training, he finally understood the limitation of his warp ability. So his arrangement with Noir to learn about arrays started early.


    Of course, Ste made them use her study to change the flow of time.


    Because the enchantment Malek used on Kyran to alter his appearance during the night of the banquet would only work once and had a time limit, Kyran, Noir, and Sigma also worked on the prototype of the mask during this time.


    When Kyranpleted his Array study, as agreed, he met up with Vaness''s people to transport the materials.


    The people from the Chamber of Commerce were surprised to meet Noir''s disciple. They heard about him before but never met him in person. They even thought he was not real. Now that they met the man, they were amazed at how easily he created the array to transport all their materials.


    The next day after Kyran sessfully transported the materials, he started training with Sigma on transmuting his magic.


    For the next two days, he trained with Sigma. At the same time, he was waiting for Nn to return. However, he was left disappointed.


    Finally, the day he had to leave had arrived.

 Chapter 97 Hunters

    Kyran took residence in one of the smaller training rooms at the training ground building. Ste did not assign the room to him, but it became automatic because he stayed there most of his time.


    Although Ste told him several times that she had a room prepared for him at the main tower, he refused to leave the training room. When Ste offered to transfer at least a bed for him to sleep on, he rejected the idea and just told her he would be fine on his own.


    Fearing that Kyran would get annoyed at her meddling, Ste did not insist and let him be.


    While Kyran was making hisst preparations early that morning, Avrum and Emery dropped by and gave him the items he requested for his trip.


    They could give all the items much earlier, but Malia decided to provide newly concocted potions and pills for him. This way, its medicinal effect would be easier to absorb.


    It only took Kyran a quarter of an hour to finish checking all the items. And he was satisfied to know that even if an emergency urred where he had had to fight more beasts, he would not have any shortage of potions and pills¡ªespecially the energy replenishing potion.


    Because Kyran knew he would need that more than the stamina potion, he specifically requested arger quantity.


    During the two days of figuring out how his warp ability works, Kyran learned that he could warp almost anywhere as long as he had enough magic energy. As for the requirements he had to fulfill to use his warp ability, he noticed three points. First, he could warp at a spot he was presently looking at. Second, as long as he remembered a ce he had seen or been to, he could easily warp in that location. This point answered how he could warp inside the conference room, although he had never been there before. Since he could remember that ce from Ste''s memory, he was able to warp there. Third, he could warp near a person he was thinking of.


    Yes. Kyran already had this idea when he was at the abandoned warehouse threatening Celine. A thought urred to him then that even if Celine tried to escape, he could easily find her as long as he thought of her.


    Anyway, Kyran thought the third one was pretty convenient. He could find Nn if he wanted to. Unfortunately, when he tried it, he failed. He soon realized his warp ability had some limitations.


    One of its limitations that he had long expected was that the farther he wanted to warp, the higher his magic energy consumption was. Another limitation was that if the ce he wanted to warp to had a powerful defensive array or prohibition, he would have trouble warping in. He could still warp there, but it took some time and consumed a lot of magic energy and physical strength. As for other limitations, like how he could not warp to where Nn was, of how he could not warp into the Regis Estate, he had not figured it out yet.


    Kyran did not dwell on it either since it was not an urgent matter. At least he tried to convince himself that it was not urgent.


    After checking all the items, he carefully arranged them inside his pouch so it would be easy for him to take out each potion and pill.


    When he was done, he turned to his side and looked at the face-altering mask he, Noir, and Sigma created.


    Kyran smiled, remembering how his array attainments had greatly improved.


    The one hour, which was equivalent to seven days in Ste''s study, Noir taught Kyran, was very productive. Noir was also pleased and told him he did not mind having Kyran be his genuine disciple once they resolved his situation.


    Kyran was grateful to Noir as well because he turned out to be an excellent teacher. He was the opposite of Nn, who let Kyran figure things out himself; Noir taught him closely and also answered almost all of his questions. Of course, there were some questions that Noir did not respond topletely. Not because he did know the answer, but because there was no definite answer.


    It was thest day of Kyran''s array training when Noir called Sigma, and the three of them talked about the ''face-altering mask''. With three heads calcting the correct array formation and deciding on the materials, they seeded in creating the prototype in just a day. As a Transmuter, Sigma''s ability made the creation of the mask easier.


    Kyran reached for the mask and looked at it. The mask looked like an ordinary white mask. It did not have any visible writings because that was how they created it. It also had a prohibition that would only respond to Kyran''s magic signature. This way, even if it fell on the hands of another person, they would not be able to find anything strange about the mask.


    However, this mask had one w, and Kyran already nned on improving it in the future. The mask''s w was, it could only change into one appearance. And that was Tyr''s. For now, it was enough.


    Besides, Kyran was not nning on using Tyr''s face once he went hunting. He nned on only covering his lower face.


    ''I''ll improve the array calction to make it easier to manipte the mask''s appearance anyway I wanted as soon as I get the correct materials for it,'' Kyran decided as he ced the mask on his pouch and stood up.


    "Time to go. First stop, Kilead Town." He said as a purple disc appeared on his feet.


    ====================


    Kilead Town was the town where Kyran met up with the Chamber of Commerce to transport materials. Because this town was the farthest town he remembered going south, this was his first stop.


    From Kilead Town, Kyran nned on warping in short distances going south. He estimated arriving at the outskirts near the forest going into the Chaos Pce within two hours. After getting the bark of the Duali Tree, he would then go to the forest near Bearch City, where the forest beasts called Theihorn, was found.


    Theihorns were medium-sized beasts that were a mutation of the Wolvern beasts. They both had the appearance of wolves, but the difference between them was that Theihorns had grown ''horns'', and instead of furs, they had scales. What was more, these beasts could utilize the energy around them and use air magic.<sub> </sub>


    This was not the first time Kyran would hunt forest beasts that could use magic. During hisst two years in military school, they visited different forest locations in Meliora and cities near it to hunt forest beasts. Sometimes the beasts were captured by their instructors, and they fought the beast while they were present. However, most of the time, they would only provide a map of where their targetted beast was located and leave them on their own.


    Kyran shook his head and pushed all these thoughts at the back of his head.


    He looked at his surroundings and nodded after confirming that he warped at the exact location he had thought of; the outskirts of Kilead Town.


    After confirming that he was alone and there was no immediate danger around, Kyran took out a rolled parchment from his pouch.


    The parchment was a map of the whole Ylfaen Empire. Currently, he was somewhere south of the eastern part of the empire.


    Chaos Pce was located south and was between the borders separating the Ylfaen Empire from Archadia''s territory.


    ''So if I''m here,'' he thought and looked at Kilead''s location on the map. ''Then this way is south.''


    He turned to his left and looked ahead. He looked up and checked the position of the sun, and nodded after confirming the direction.


    ''Okay, time limit is two hours to get to the outskirts leading to Chaos Pce.'' He thought and returned the map in the pouch.


    He looked at a location up ahead, and a purple disc appeared beneath his feet.


    ===================


    Kyran arrived outside Tarrin Town. This town was the closest town going to the Chaos Pce.


    As soon as he arrived, he noticed that several hunters were entering the town.


    ''Why were there so many hunters here?'' He wondered with a slight frown and immediately hid behind a tree.


    Hunters were different from mercenaries. Most of them were ordinary people, while some who could use magic had low magic attainments. These people hunted forest beasts for a living. They did not hunt for reward but sold the beast''s parts in the market.


    There was nothing wrong with finding a lot of hunters in one town. However, they avoid dangerous hunting grounds like the forest surrounding the Chaos Pce. Their reasons were simple, with their level and equipment not as high and sophisticated as the mercenaries, they were bound to get idents, and they could not afford it.


    ''Yet here they are.'' Kyran thought.


    He hid silently and observed the situation first. He noticed that most of the hunters were moving in groups of seven or more. That was a lotpared to their usual three-person team. And they were all heavily equipped.


    ''It''s like they are going for a raid,'' Kyran observed.


    Were the hunters nning on raiding a nearby forest? But the only forest near Tarrin was the forest surrounding the Chaos Pce. And during this time of the year, the miasma around the Chaos Pce was thicker, so these hunters could not possibly be going there. Or were they?


    Kyran heaved a sigh and took out his face-altering mask. Although he was not nning on using this mask while hunting, he would still use it when going into towns. He would still cover his face though. The purpose of wearing the mask was even if something happened where he had to remove the cover on his face, the face under the cover was not his.


    ''Let''s find out why there are hunters here,'' Kyran decided and wore his mask.


    The mask''s array activated at once and fit Kyran''s face. His face changed to Tyr, however, his hair remained ck.


    That was one more w of the mask which he nned to fix soon.


    ''No matter, I just hope the hunters'' presence will not hinder my n.'' Kyran thought and covered his mouth with a cloth.


    He left his hiding ce and walked toward Tarrin.

 Chapter 98 My Name Is Not You

    Tarrin was a small town with less than 600 poption. With only this many people, there were no big stores or concrete houses around. And what little establishments that could be seen were made of wood. Even the streets were bare and underdeveloped.


    On a typical day, these streets were deserted. Few were seen, and even at that time, these people did not stay out long. However, today, it was buzzing with people dressed in leather or heavy armor, with weapons sticking at their backs or sides. Others were leading a horse that was pulling a cart full of merchandise. These people were wandering merchants. After they saw many hunters were going to Tarrin, they also followed. Some of them had already put up a make-shift stall and had started selling. They were selling all sorts of things, from foods, potions, weapons, or armor. There were even those who were buying and selling rare forest beast parts.


    Kyran blended in with the crowd. Although he looked a little conspicuous with his all-ck attire and half-covered face, he was only considered overdressed with all the hunters around. Because there were hunters who were even wearing full armor, and none paid much attention to them.


    While Kyran walked down the street, he tried to listen in on the conversations around him. Especially between the hunters. Of course, he did this furtively.


    Unfortunately, these hunters were only talking about random topics ormenting about the items they found interesting disyed at the stalls; none of them gave Kyran any clue as to why they came here.


    With a sigh, Kyran continued making his way to the opposite side of town. He was not here to investigate why these hunters were here. So even though he was curious, he could only put aside his doubts and focus on his task.


    It only took Kyran half an hour to reach the other side of the town. As soon as he neared the gates, he saw several carriages lined outside the gates. At the moment, most of the carriage was still empty, but the ones at the front had mercenaries lined up to the side, getting in one by one.


    Kyran immediately frowned. The hunters formed their groups; however, it seemed they were all going in the same ce.


    Kyran noticed that the people manning the carriages wore the same uniform. A gray suit with blue ents. There was no visible weapon on them, but they might be hiding it in their space storage.


    Although space storage was expensive and few could afford them, some big factions gave ordinary space storage to their people.


    Kyran guessed that there might be a big faction behind these people in gray. This faction employed all these hunters and had ordered their people to take them to the location where they needed them.


    ''Stop,'' Kyran scolded himself. ''This is none of your business.''


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran walked toward the gates.


    "You stop right there!"


    A loud, gruff voice suddenly shouted from behind a post at the side of the gates.


    Ignoring this voice, Kyran made his way out of the gates and was about to resume his journey when suddenly two men in gray suits appeared in front of him with two swords blocking his path.


    "The captain told you to stop," the man on the right said with a slight frown. The man had short dark brown hair and was half a foot shorter than Kyran. While the man on the left, who had short ck hair, was taller, but his stature was smaller than the man on the right.


    "You have guts ignoring me," the owner of the gruff voice had spoken again.


    This time, Kyran heard iting from behind him.


    Immediately, his eyes narrowed as he turned his head slightly to look at the man.


    A tall, muscr man with short blonde hair in a simr gray suit approached them. He walked inrge strides, and he had an arrogant look on his face as he red at Kyran.


    Kyran frowned. He had no time to deal with this.


    He initially thought that sneaking his way out might attract unexpected situations, and moving in the open would be less suspicious. Who would have thought that there were still people who would openly cause a scene?


    "Well, my name is not you. How would I know you''re talking to me?" Kyran replied in a deadpan voice.


    "You!" The man growled in annoyance.


    "There you go again," Kyran sneered.


    All hunters nearby looked in their direction. They knew the man was in-charged in checking their identity and making sure they were on the list. Seeing this scene, they guessed that the man in ck might have tried to sneak into one of the carriages without confirming his identity.


    The man refrained from retorting because he already noticed the looks of the nearby hunters and his men. Reigning in his annoyance, he crossed his arms and red at the man in ck.


    "Humph. If you''re trying to divert my attention by getting on my nerves, you''re making a big mistake. You can not cut in line without getting cleared," the man said.


    Kyran raised his brows and faced the man. He asked, "Me? Cutting in line?"


    He turned and looked at the entrance and all the hunters around. Then he looked at the carriages before looking back at the man.


    "I don''t see a line here," he replied innocently.


    The man''s brow creased again.


    Before the man could speak, Kyran added, "Besides. I''m just passing by. Anyway, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be on my way."


    With that, he turned around and started to leave.<sub> </sub>


    The man squinted and looked at the two men who were still blocking the way.


    <o>,m "Not so fast-."</o>


    CLANG!


    The ck-haired man on the left was about to step in and point his sword at Kyran''s chest, but the de of his sword suddenly broke into two, the tip falling on the ground.


    It was not only his sword. Even his partner''s sword broke.


    "What?" Both their eyes grew wide as they looked at the man in ck who suddenly appeared between them.


    The tall, muscr man also stared in disbelief. He did not even see the man in ck move. He only heard the sound of falling metals and saw that the swords of his men were already broken.


    "You two better move. I don''t have time to deal with you, so if you insist, your swords will not be the only ones that''ll end up broken." Kyran warned the two in a deep voice.


    Although Kyran said it quietly, its weight carried an indescribable strength that even the tall, muscr man felt a cold shiver run up his spine.


    He was bigger than this man, and yet he felt fear?


    The truth, he stopped this man because his employer had warned him to keep an eye out on a group of men in ck that nned to hinder their ns. His employer did not tell him much about this group, aside from their strength were not on par with him and his men. That was why when the man suddenly appeared, he immediately made a move to stop him from sneaking into the carriage. Regardless of his identity, the man nned to scare him off. If he were not part of the men in ck group, then he would release him. Of course, they had to make sure that he really was not working with those men in ck. So the man nned on ''ying'' with him first. He also believed that regardless of who this man was, he would not openly retaliate because he was outnumbered.


    But the man''s strength was beyond what he expected, and his instinct was telling him not to mess around the man.


    The man sucked in a deep breath and immediately bowed at the man in ck and said respectfully, "Please be on your way. We apologize for stopping you, good sir."


    The nearby hunters and men in gray suits looked at him with ck lines on their faces.


    He was acting arrogant just now, but with just one move from the man in ck, with his tail between his legs, he became very respectful.


    Kyran was also surprised. He did try to sound imposing but did not expect this man to be decisive and even apologize.


    Without looking at the tall man, Kyran left. Still, he did not fully believe that they would leave him be. Once he got into a hidden spot, he would warp away.


    The tall, muscr man did not straighten his back until the man in ck was out of sight.


    "C-Captain..." The dark brown-haired man called out uneasily. He and his partner felt awkward seeing that most hunters and the rest of their men nearby were still looking at them curiously.


    "Is he gone?" The tall man asked them.


    "Yes, captain." The ck-haired man replied.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, the tall man straightened and wandered his eyes. When he saw his men looking at him, he glowered and yelled, "What are you looking at? Get back to work!"


    "Y-Yes!" They immediately dispersed and went back to work.


    "Captain," the dark brown-haired man looked at him uneasily. "Are we really going to let that man leave?"


    He was also aware of the group of men in ck that their employer had warned their captain.


    "Of course not. That guy said he was just passing by, but where else would a person go after this ce? Up ahead leads to only two destinations. The first one is already a no-go because of the thick miasma in that ce. So where else would that guy go?"


    "Then..."


    "Since we are wearing a different uniform, he probably did not recognize us. But he probably had an idea because of all the hunters around us. He might be someone that the group of men in ck had dispatched to scout the ce ahead. Either way, inform the boss. There''s a good chance there''s an ambush up ahead."


    "Yes, Captain!" The two bowed and left.


    The tall man squinted his eyes and looked in the direction where the man in ck had left.


    With a smile, he thought, ''You think you''ve outsmarted us. Well, think again. I''ll pay you back for today''s humiliation.''


    A hundred meters away, where Kyran was, he suddenly felt a cold shiver run up his spine. He had a bad premonition.


    ''I hope those guys are not thinking of something stupid,'' he thought with a sigh.

 Chapter 99 Voices

    As Kyran suspected, some people followed his tracks as soon as he was a few hundred meters away from Tarrin Town. However, after following his tracks for almost two kilometers, they suddenly lost his trace and failed to locate any clue on which direction he went.


    That location where they lost his track was where Kyran warped out to shake them off. They followed him way too obvious that he could sense them even if there were at least half a hundred-meter gap between them.


    What made Kyran notice that he was being followed was their movements. They might think they concealed their movements and presence well. But with the activated Regis Body Tempering Technique, Kyran''s sense of hearing was heightened to its peak.


    Kyran was unsure why these people were following him and whether those men in grey suits sent them. But if they were, he felt hopeless for them.


    He did not even care what they were doing in Tarrin.


    Would a person who had designs on their ns openly reveal themselves? Not to mention, retaliate against them? Or was it because of what he had done that he appeared more suspiciously?


    They were overthinking!


    Kyran sighed in resignation. Some people really loved to look for trouble. Since he could not be bothered to deal with them, he decided to shake them off his track by warping.


    Still, because of this, he wasted a good hour of his time.


    Looking at Kyran''s schedule to meet the deadline he set during his meeting with the Conve High Council, he had more than a day''s worth of spare time.


    It was because he got used to his warp ability in less than two days. Even the three-day preparation he calcted he would need before leaving the Tower waspleted in two days.


    It was all thanks to Sigma''s help. Since Sigma taught Kyran the concept of transmuting, he also managed to understand better how to mold his magic.


    Still, even with all that adjustments, he knew it might not be enough. Not because he was not confident that he could follow his schedule while hunting the forest beasts, but because the Conve was still gathering information on the location of the rare stone of Shaiha.


    It just happened that an unknown group broke into the Shaiha Ruins recently, and thus the Temr Code had doubled their security. If the Conve failed to gather the information Kyran needed after hunting the Theihorns, he would most likely end up gathering information on the stone''s location himself.


    He just hoped that the spare time he got was enough.


    After almost three hours of travelling, Kyran finally reached the outskirts of the forest leading to the Chaos Pce.


    This forest was called Misty Forest. It was named this way because of the miasma that made this forest looked ''misty''.


    Kyran stood at the clearing just before the Misty Forest. He surveyed the miasma in front of him with a thoughtful expression.


    True to the information the Conve gave him, the miasma at this time was so thick that the visibility inside the forest was close to zero. If the miasma were not deadly, a person who dared wander in this forest would get lost even if he came prepared.


    Kyran did not immediately enter the forest. He first examined the nts and trees at the periphery. The miasma was active in this area for many years, yet they were not withered.


    As Noir said, the Duali Tree grew around the deepest part of the forest for a thousand years. Meaning this miasma had no fatal effect on them.


    It made Kyran wonder whether the array that produces this miasma targeted forest beasts and humans only. If so, why and how was the array able to do that all these years? And why would it produce more miasma during this time of the year?


    From what he learned from Noir about Arrays, arrays could be calcted to have specific targets. However, creating the calction for such an array was tooplex and required rare materials that cost many spirit stones. Aside from this, activating the array would require a significant amount of energy.


    Kyran looked at the forest and felt a sense of excitement. He believed an array produced this miasma, and he wanted to learn more about it. For a person to create such aplex array, that person was sure to have high array attainments.


    So far, Kyran had doubts that the Dark Sage created the array because Noir exined that most Array Masters were mages who aimed to be an Abjurer or a Transmuter, and neither was the Dark Sage.


    At least Kyran was 100% sure that just like him, the Dark Sage could not practice creation magic because of the nature of their magic. As for being an Abjurer, this was also unlikely. As to why Kyran was convinced about this thought, he just had a feeling that the Dark Sage was not an Abjurer. He could not understand it; he just knew.


    It was the same how he sometimes knew how to use his magic in specific ways.


    Kyran shook his head and sighed. As much as he wanted to satisfy his curiosity about the miasma, he had to wait for another time.


    ''Alright, first, find a thousand year old Duali tree and get its bark, then find a good location to remember for my next visit,'' Kyran decided and took out a round magic item.


    This magic item would be his source of light. It was also made of materials that could resist the miasma for a few hours.


    He inserted his magic energy into the magic item, and soon it gave a faint bluish light.


    When Kyran was sure that there were no other people nearby, he entered the forest.


    As he expected, the miasma did not affect him. He did not need to urge his magic to protect himself against it. He was notining. At least he did not have to waste a lot of his magic energy.


    He walked deeper into the forest and noticed that rare herbs were growing everywhere. He guessed that since most people believed the miasma was poison, they probably thought these herbs were already poisoned and could not be used anymore. But since he knew the miasma was not poison, he made a mental note to take some of the herbs. Maybe he could ask Avrum or even Malia to teach him alchemy before he leaves the Tower.<sub> </sub>


    ''Right, since I also need to give them a sample of this Miasma for Hugh. Might as well take some of the herbs when I do that,'' he decided.


    After walking for almost an hour, Kyran noticed that the trunks of the trees around him had gotten thicker.


    ''Vaness said the Duali Trees are found two thousand kilometers from where the trees with thick trunks are located,'' Kyran remembered.


    Vaness taught him what he needed to know about the Duali Tree and how to collect the bark the same day he finished his training with Sigma. He was d his memory was good because if not, with all the cramming he did these past few days, he was afraid all those information would get jumbled up in his head.


    ''I have to pick up my pace if I want to finish before lunch,'' Kyran thought.


    However, the moment he walked past the tree he was looking at, his magic instinctively circted inside him. Then he felt a thin veil-like material passing through him. This urrence was not included in the information the Conve gave him.


    Kyran immediately activated his Void Scales.


    He did not like how that veil-like material felt. As if it was ''scanning'' his body.


    But as soon as he let out the Void Scales, something unexpected happened.


    The thick miasma around him suddenly dispersed as if creating a clear path for him.


    ''This is...?'' Kyran looked around him in confusion.


    He cautiously reached out his hand to touch the miasma on his side. Instantly, the miasma moved out of his reach as if to avoid his touch.


    ''Why..?''


    Inaudible sounds suddenly resounded all around him.


    He turned around and tried to follow the sound but failed.


    ''What..?''


    [It has been a while...]


    [It is him...]


    [He is back...]


    [How long was it...]


    [Sshhh...]


    [Doesn''t he look different...?]


    [Does it matter...?]


    Kyran managed to hear some of the words the voices around him were saying.


    Still, it did not make any sense to him. However, he noticed that the voices around him were a mixture of old and young voices.


    Gritting his teeth, Kyran shouted, "Who are you people? Show yourselves!"


    The voices immediately stopped.


    The only sound left was Kyran''s words echoing around.


    Kyran clenched his fist. He wandered his eyes and strained his ears for any other sounds. However, the forest remained silent. It was not a deafening silence, but he realized how quiet the forest was after the voices vanished.


    ''What was that about?'' He wondered with a frown.


    Although the voices vanished, the miasma around him still seemed to avoid him.


    When a minute passed, and nothing else happened, Kyran steeled himself and continued to walk deeper into the forest.

 Chapter 100 Intruder

    On the fifth day after Ss left the Regis Estate, he finally arrived in Starhorn City.


    He was supposed to arrive two days ago, but after leaving the Regis Estate, he waited a day before leaving Aeren because he was worried about the army''s sudden attack. He decided to camp out for half a day and told himself he would return to the estate if their situation worsened. Unfortunately, he wasted half a day for nothing because the army secured the surrounding of the Regis Estate well.


    The people of Aeren Town did not even hear the explosion or feel the tremors when the Royal Armyunched their attack on the estate.


    After Lumi reprimanded Ss, he finally left Aeren and decided to contact Gage.


    Contacting Gage caused Ss another day of unproductiveness because he could not reach him. Even when Ss sent his message through the magic item he lent Gage; there was no response.


    To be precise, Ss could not send his message. As if the magic item was in a ce too far from him or that it was inside a powerful prohibition, and he could not connect to it.


    And so, Ss decided to go to the Mercenary Hall directly. If Gage seeded in delivering the orb, the President of the Mercenary Hall should already know the situation.


    But as soon as Ss arrived at the Mercenary Hall building, what he saw left him dumbfounded.


    Ss stared at the big hole on the wall on the upper floor of the Mercenary Hall building.


    "This..?"


    Lumi appeared with a soft puff and sat on his head. She also looked at the hole with a thoughtful expression and said, "That is such a clean hole."


    Ss frowned slightly and peeked at Lumi above his head. She really loved to sit on top of his head. He did not mind, but if she suddenly appeared like this.


    "Lady Lumi, could you not suddenly appear-."


    "Don''t talk to me. You should know that these ignorant fools will not be able to hear nor see me. If you talk to me, it will only appear as if you are talking to yourself. I know you are stupid, but don''t unt it."


    ck lines appear on Ss''s head. He was used to Lady Lumi''s verbal abuse since he was a child, but she had gotten worse these days for some reason.


    "I get it," Ss could only mutter with a sigh.


    He looked at the hole onest time before he entered the building.


    As soon as he entered, Marley, staying by the reception counter, looked up and immediately smiled.


    "Sir Ss, it has been a while." She greeted.


    The other mercenaries in the lobby also turned to look at him.


    "Look its Ss the Crystal Swordbreaker!"


    "I heard he took the One Million Bounty, did he have some news?"


    "A pity, if we have known about the new reward, we would''ve taken proof when he came here a few days ago."


    Hearing the whispers around him, Ss could not help but frown. Just what did they mean?


    "Is everything all right, Marley?" Ss greeted with a smile as soon as he reached the counter.


    Lumi flew up and circled Marley.


    "Hmm," she moved closer and sniffed at Marley''s neck and said, "This girl smell strange."


    Ss could not help but sweat at what Lumi was doing, and he tried his best to ignore her.


    Marley smiled awkwardly at him and said, "Please, sir Ss, are you really asking that question?"


    She looked up as if looking at something outside, and Ss immediately understood what she meant.


    "Sorry. I did not mean that. Just... what exactly happened?" He asked.


    Lumi stood in front of Marley and started to poke at her cheeks.


    Ss''s brow twitched. He refrained from pulling her off Marley.


    "We were a little careless," Marley exined. "It happened a few days ago. I am sure you are aware of the One Million Bounty and know what the target looked like. However, he looked nothing like the poster and so we thought he was just a regr applicant who wanted to be a mercenary. He went through the assessment but... who would have thought that his real purpose was to attack the mercenaries and tell us not to mess with him, before he escaped."


    "Hmm. This girl is not reacting to my touch, interesting." Lumi said on the sides as she continued to poke Marley''s face.


    Distracted by what Lumi was doing, Ss cleared his throat andughed uneasily at Marley.


    He said, "Well.. that''s quite unfortunate to be attacked by that young man..."


    Suddenly, his eyes grew wide as Marley''s words finally registered.


    "Wait, what? The target on that bounty came here pretending to be an applicant but then he attacked instead?"


    The gears on his mind moved as he tried to process the things Marley said and did not say.


    Kyran went to the Mercenary Hall? When? He was the one who made that hole on the wall? More importantly, he attacked the Mercenary Hall?


    Marley sighed and nodded. "Yes. He looked like an innocent young man. Who would have thought he has such ulterior motives."


    Lumi finally stopped and red at Marley and pointed at her usingly, "You wench! Don''t you dare nder the new Void Master!"


    Ss also mmed his hands on the counter. His action surprised everyone, and they all looked at him in surprise.


    Even Marley stared at him with wide questioning eyes, "S-Sir Ss?"<sub> </sub>


    "That can''t be!" He eximed.


    "That''s right! You tell her little Ss!" Lumi also eximed.


    "Innocent young man?" Ss added.


    "Yes! Tell her that the new Void Master would never- wait, huh? You''re reacting to that?" Lumi frowned and red at Ss.


    "Yes," Marley replied in confusion. "Well, his poster looked much younger but he is still a young man and-."


    "No, I mean. Did that...young man not tell you who he is? And what did the Hall Master do? No, wait. Was the Hall Master here when it happened? How about the President? More importantly, Gage! WHERE IS GAGE?"


    Ss''s bombardment of seemingly unrted questions left everyone looking at him with dumbfounded looks.


    Even Lumi was looking at him with a nk expression.


    Finally, after a few seconds of silence, Lumi scowled and said while bombarding him with snowballs, "Stupid Ss! Speak in english!"


    Ignoring the fluffy snowballs, Ss realized the look of confusion on Marley''s face and said, "I lost my cool. I''m sorry."


    Marley immediately shook her head and said, "N-Not at all."


    "Please, can you tell me if Gage came here?"


    "Sir Gage? Are you talking about Twin Axe Titan, Gage?"


    "Yes," Ss confirmed with a nod.


    Marley shook her head and replied, "No. He has note in here. Thest time he came here was at least... four months ago, when he received the reward on a ss A bounty he took."


    Gage did note to the Mercenary Hall? Then, where was he? How about the orb? The President?


    This situation was not the scenario Ss was expecting when he arrived.


    Lumi also stopped and returned to her seat on top of Ss''s head.


    "This is not good. If your little friend did note here, and the message was not passed on to the President, then the new Void Master is still..." she said.


    True. But even if that was the case, the Mercenary Hall knew about Kyran. Would they let him go just like that after he attacked? They definitely would wonder what happened and would try to keep him here.


    ''Too many questions. It is best to talk to the President directly,'' Ss thought.


    Even if he did not have the orb with him, he still had the Regis token to prove he became their emissary. They would at least listen to what he had to say, right?


    Ss looked at Marley and said in a low voice, "Please Marley, can you connect me to the President? I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."


    ====================


    Kyran walked deeper into the forest. His heart beats nervously against his chest as cold sweat trickled down the side of his face.


    The whole forest was still. The only sound heard was his restrained breathing. However, he vaguely felt countless eyes looking at him, and he hated the feeling. It brought back unwanted memories of when he first arrived at the military school.


    Slightly shaking his head, Kyran recalled the words of the voices he heard earlier to distract himself. From what he remembered, the owner of those voices mistaken him for someone¡ªa person who was gone for some time.


    It was not hard for Kyran to guess that those voices mistook him for the Dark Sage. The ''scanning'' sense he felt earlier must be a prohibition around this ce. Most likely, it was simr to a mage''s magic sense. But he was unsure if it came from the voices or part of the array that produced the miasma. After all, after it happened, the miasma also parted as if to clear a path for him.


    ''Or did they recognize my magic when I summoned my Void Scales?'' Kyran wondered. Because he did summon his Void Scales almost at the same time the ''scanning'' ended.


    Either way, he was recognized, and the owner of those voices decided to ''appear''.


    However, when he inquired who they were, they realized something was wrong and chose to observe. At least, that was how Kyran interpreted their silence. He knew whoever those voices belonged to was still lurking in the shadows¡ªwatching him closely.


    Because Kyran was too wary of his surroundings, he lost sense of time and failed to calcte how far he had gotten. He only noticed this point when he came into a clearing near the edge of a ravine, and up ahead, he saw a magnificent white and ck pce floating above.


    ''Is that...?''


    Kyran''s heart started to beat erratically, and his magic circted inside him excitedly.


    A deep sense of longing overcame his senses as his body made an involuntary move toward the pce.


    ''Stop!''


    Kyran dispelled his Void Scales at once and urged the Regis body tempering technique instead.


    [The Dragon Lord!]


    [No! It cannot be!]


    [He''s not the Monarch!]


    [Intruder!]


    [Kill!]


    A sudden gust of wind enveloped Kyran as the voices appeared again.

 Chapter 101 Attack

    The whole ground rumbled, and all the trees started to move.


    Kyran turned just in time to see the thick roots of these trees uprooted themselves and suddenlyshed out toward him. At the same time, the gust of wind circling him changed, and de-like wind attacked him in all directions.


    "Ergh...!"


    Kyran lifted both his arms to protect his head as wind and tree roots bombarded him on all sides.


    The ground rumbled once again and broke as spikes made of earth shot out toward him.


    Kyran immediately jumped to avoid the spikes.


    CREAK!


    Suddenly the branches of nearby trees moved and alsoshed out at Kyran.


    "What in the-!" Kyran eximed. His eyes widened as he watched as everything in the forest seemed toe alive.


    Kyran urged the Regis Body Tempering Technique to its fullest and moved to avoid the wind and tree attacks, and even then, the ground did not stop shooting off spikes. He could barely touch the ground before he had to jump again to avoid these spikes. Still, there were attacks that he could not avoid, and he could only endure as they hit him.


    It was a good thing that the modifications Ste included to his coat greatly improved its physical defense and magic resistance. She also had an enchantment ced on it where the coat would automatically repair itself if it were damaged. However, it did not prevent Kyran from getting cuts, especially when the attacks hit his bare skin.


    Kyran turned in midair to avoid two de-like windsing on his sides, and then he used his hands to push himself off the ground as another set of spikes shot off toward him.


    One of the spikes hit him on the cheek. Because he was still wearing the mask, there was a grating sound as it grazed the mask.


    "Ergh!" Kyran gritted his teeth as he narrowly escaped the spike from hitting his eyes.


    He was tempted to use his Void Scales. However, after the short episode where his magic seemed to have taken control of his body, he had a sudden fear in his heart.


    What if he used his magic and was drawn to the Chaos Pce again?


    He did n on going to Chaos Pce, but not today, and not like this.


    Besides, the Chaos Pce was floating above a deep ravine. Although he might be able to warp to the entrance of the pce, if he concentrated, that would only apply if he had control over his magic. Because when his magic seemed to have taken control of his body, he had a vague feeling that it wanted to ''fly'' over to the Chaos Pce.


    And Kyran had no idea how to ''fly''. He was not like Ste, who could levitate.


    He was also thinking about why there had been no mage or faction that conquered the Chaos Pce up to this date. Was it because they could not endure the attacks of the owner of these ''voices''? Or was it because they could not cross this ravine? Or maybe it was because something in this ravine prevents them from crossing over?


    Whatever the reasons were, Kyran had no ns on finding it out by himself. Apart from he had other priorities at the moment, he was also not ready.


    [Annoying body of the Dragon Lord!]


    [Slow him down!]


    [Don''t stop attacking!]


    [He will exhaust himself soon, then we can kill him!]


    Kyran heard the voices spoke again.


    Once again, he heard them refer to him as the Dragon Lord. Was it because of the Regis Body Tempering Technique?


    Kyran knew that their ancestor passed down this technique. And the only way to practice this was if they had dragon blood running in their veins. No matter if it was only a drop. But all of that was unimportant. The important thing that he realized by how these voices called him was that they knew the Dragon Lord.


    Who were these voices? More importantly, how long had these voices been here? Had they been living here since the Chaos Reign era? After all, there had always been one Dragon Lord, just like how there had only been one Void Master.


    Well, until now, that is.


    All these thoughts ran through Kyran''s head as he did his best to avoid all the attacks.


    True enough, he was starting to get exhausted, and yet the attacks had not lessened. Instead, it had gotten fiercer and frequent. He could barely keep up.


    Was his only option was to use the Void Scales? But what if his magic tried to control his body again?


    Kyran gritted his teeth as he once again jumped to avoid three de-like windsing at him, as well as theshing of four tree roots and branches.


    ''Not necessarily!'' Kyran''s eyes glinted as he tapped his pouch.


    Ever since he found out he had magic, he integrated it into his fighting style while using his bare hands. But that did not mean that he could only use his hands to fight.


    When Kyran thought he was just a normal person, all his uncles and even his father and grandfather taught him to wield all kinds of weapons.


    And his uncle Jared was nice enough to have two pairs of his second favorite weapon.


    Swords.


    Two ck obsidian-made swords appeared on Kyran''s hands, just in time when three tree branchesshed at him. He swung his sword as he turned his body to cut the branches in pieces.<sub> </sub>


    The swords on Kyran''s hands glowed in faint dark purple. He was like a small dark purple hurricane as he shed on the tree branches and roots. He also repelled the de-like winds as if they approached him. The spikes were not spared as well as he jumped and shed at them.


    [This..!]


    [Terrifying!]


    [The Dragon Lord is really terrifying!]


    Suddenly.


    [MOVE BACK!]


    A deep unearthly voice boomed as the ground around Kyran bloomed and turned into solid curved walls to capture him.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He immediately stood his ground andbined the hilts of his swords, turning them into a double-ded sword. Then he urged the Regis Tempering Technique on the des as he lifted it above his head. He twirled the sword in his hand and dark purple energy formed around him, starting from the top of his head. It instantly destroyed the earth around him before it could fully trap him inside.


    Then.


    Thick thorny vines shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around Kyran''s feet.


    "Argh!" Kyran winced as the thorns dug into his flesh.


    He immediately disengaged the hilt of his sword and sliced off the vines.


    However...


    A burning, searing pain spread inside Kyran''s body from where the thorns had dug in.


    ''This...!'' His eyes widened as he realized his legs had gone numb. ''Poison!''


    [Now!]


    That split second where Kyran''s movement had stopped was enough for the voices tounch another attack.


    The roots of the trees wrapped themselves around Kyran''s hands and body as the de-like wind rained down on him.


    ====================


    Ss sat in silence as he stared at the empty study table in front of him.


    After asking Marley that he needed to speak to the President of the Mercenary Hall, Ss did not expect to be called to wait in his office at once. He actually thought he had to wait for Marley to call him back and set up a date where he would meet the President.


    This situation made Ss think that maybe Gage sessfully delivered the orb, and the reason he could not contact him was... Actually, he had not thought of a possible reason yet.


    Lumi floated around Ss as she looked around the room. She sniffed the air and had a thoughtful look on her face.


    "Strange," she muttered.


    Ss, who was trying to ignore her, could not help but sigh. He could not react to her strange antics at the moment because he was not sure if he was being watched right now.


    Although Ss did not think that the President was untrustworthy, especially when the Regis Patriarch asked to directly deliver such an important item to him, the Mercenary Hall had no idea about his rtions with Spirits.


    Ss was afraid to reveal Lady Lumi''s existence because then he had to exin his origin. Because as far as the information he submitted to the Mercenary Hall was concerned, he was just a mage with above-average Ice Magic.


    "The smell here is different. And those people downstairs... some smelled like the wench, while others smelled stinky, like you." Lumi was saying.


    ''What are you saying about smelling stinky like me?'' Ss could onlyin in his thoughts as ck lines appeared on his head.


    After waiting for a couple of minutes, the door opened, and the President of the Mercenary Hall entered.


    Ss immediately stood up and greeted, "President Can."


    When Can saw him, his eyes glinted excitedly. He immediately approached him and reached for his hand, "We''ve been waiting for you, young Ss."


    "Waiting?" Ss''s eyes brightened. So Gage really seeded! That brute had him worried for nothing!


    "Pleasee with me. The Head of Conve wanted to speak with you."


    Ss''s eyes widened at once upon hearing this and eximed, "T-The Head of Conve?"


    He knew the Regis to have tight rtions with the Conve, but he was not expecting actually to meet the head as well.


    Can smiled and nodded, "Yes. We have so much to discuss."


    His eyes then slowly shifted and looked in Lumi''s direction.


    Ss noticed this and felt his blood run cold.

 Chapter 102 An Unexpected Development

    "Oh? A mere human with no Fae blood can actually see me?" Lumimented curiously with both her brows raised.


    She looked at Can, who bowed his head toward her respectfully.


    "Not at all. It is just that the circumstances right now allowed me to see your Ladyship," Can replied with a smile.


    "President..." Ss started. However, he stopped because he did not know how to start. Or how he could exin. And if he did exin, how much should he tell? But apart from all these doubts, he was more concerned about the fact that the President could see Lady Lumi than his rtion with Spirits being revealed.


    Can turned his attention back at Ss and chuckled softly after seeing the fear reflected in his eyes.


    "Do not fret, young Ss." He said and patted Ss''s shoulder. "You are part of the Mercenary Hall, so you''re secret is safe."


    Ss remained silent as he looked at Can.


    "Besides, as her Ladyship said, I do not possess the Fae blood, and under normal circumstances, I also cannot see Spirits."


    ''Under ''normal'' circumstances?'' Ss wondered in confusion.


    Lumi''s face suddenly brightened as if realizing something. She thenughed and nodded her head. "I see. So this is why."


    "What did you see, Lady Lumi?" Ss asked while turning his attention to her.


    "Humph. You and your useless brain. Did I not say the smell here is different?"


    "Smell?"


    Lumi sighed, "Pathetic, simply pathetic. Even your sense of smell is useless."


    Ss''s expression turned bleak, but he did not retaliate. He still feared Lady Lumi. It was not until he reunited with her that he realized he had not ovee his childhood trauma, even though he knew Lumi could not harm him with her strength having regressed.


    Lumi looked at Can and said, "This must be because of the Crystal Blood Flower."


    Can smiled and bowed a little at her, "Yes. You are very keen. Lady Spirit."


    "Crystal Blood Flower?" Ss repeated in surprise.


    He was a descendant of mages with Fae blood; thus, he was aware of things that had rtions with Spirits. Crystal Blood Flower was a rare flower that only grew in a special environment. It was usually used to concoct a potion that could help descendants of a mage with Fae blood with low Spirit affinity to develop their ability to see Spirits. Of course, the potion would only work if that person had Fae blood, even if it was only a drop, else the potion could be poisonous. Another way to use the flower was to include it as an ingredient in an array calction. Then anyone inside the array could develop the ability to see Spirits. However, creating such an array was difficult and costly thus, it was not advisable.


    "Humph. To have such a rare nt and even use it extravagantly for the sake of creating an array to see us. Do you need to be cautious about us ying pranks on you?" Lumi asked with a sneer.


    Can shook his head and said, "You misunderstood our purpose for the array your Ladyship. The truth, we have known about you and young Ss. However, because we are unlcear of the current situation, we have to set this up to confirm young Ss''s identity."


    "My identity?" Ss frowned slightly.


    Lumi''s eyes narrowed. Her eyes glinted as she asked, "What is the current situation you are talking about?"


    Can looked around uneasily. Then he looked at them apologetically and said, "It is unsafe to discuss it here. Please, follow me."


    Ss and Lumi exchanged nces. They did not ask any questions and quietly followed Can as he led them out the door.


    ====================


    An explosion erupted near the edge of the ravine.


    This was where Kyran was bombarded by the attacks of the ''voices''.


    Smoke and dirt mingled together, filling the whole scene.


    Around the smoke, semi-transparent white figures dressed in a full armored suit appeared one after another. Their faces were covered because of these suits, and what they looked like could not be verified. Their sizes also varied from small torge, and they were all looking at the center of the explosion.


    A gust of wind blew away most of the smoke and slowly revealed the aftermath of the explosion.


    At the center of the explosion stood Kyran. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing steadily. And although his clothes looked tattered, he stood with his swords in front of him, looking as if he couldunch a counterattack any minute.


    The semi-transparent figure closest to Kyran suddenly spoke.


    [Why did you not avoid our attacks?]


    Kyran slowly opened his eyes, which they all noticed were glowing in silver. He did not reply and only stood in silence.


    Watching them.<sub> </sub>


    Earlier, before the attacks rained down on him, he suddenly remembered an incident when he was only ten years old, and he had to take the Regis''s Baptism.


    When a chosen Regis member received a drop of dragon''s blood at the age of four, it was not until they were 10 years old that they had to undergo the baptism. After receiving the dragon''s blood, they first had to fully assimte the dragon''s blood into their system. And once they turned 10, they would be thrown into the heart of the Regis''s Ancestral Land, where they had to use the Regis Body Tempering Technique to its fullest and upgrade it to the next phase.


    At that time, Kyran was too unfortunate to have encountered a group of Gryffs, a mythical beast with half of its body looking like a horse but with an eagle''s head and wings on its back. Because he was too inexperienced in facing such creatures, he could only run and look for an opportunity tounch a surprise attack. However, he soon realized that although these creatures had attacked him relentlessly, they never dealt a fatal blow. After that, he decided to stop running and endure their attacks. It was not long after the Gryffs stopped their attacks, and they all looked at him curiously. When he remained unmoved, the Gryffs finally retreated and left.


    When Kyran left the Ancestral Land, his father knew what he did. Hemended what he did and told him that to win a war; one must sometimes know how to endure the other side''s attack without fighting back.


    The situation Kyran was in right now was almost the same.


    When the vines wrapped around his legs and he was even poisoned, although he had a certain immunity to poison, Kyran realized that the poison was not fatal and only had a numbing effect.


    The same goes for the previous attacks. The attacks were relentless, but it was not fatal.


    It was true the words the voices had spoken were misleading. Anyone bombarded with attacks after hearing those would turn vignt and retaliate to protect themselves.


    But after Kyran calmed down, he remembered how these voices at first mistook him as the ''Monarch'' and then suddenly switched to the ''Dragon Lord''.


    It did not make sense to him why they would attack after being mistaken as the ''Monarch'', even though he suddenly appeared to have the ''Dragon Lord''s'' ability.


    And so, he made a gamble, and instead of avoiding the attacks, he urged the Regis Body Tempering Technique to its next phase and endured.


    [Who are you, really? Why do you possess both the Monarch''s and the Dragon Lord''s abilities?]


    The semi-transparent figure asked once again.


    Sensing that these ''beings'' were not nning to attack him again, Kyran finally lowered his arm. But he still stayed vignt, and his grip on his swords remained firm.


    "If you''re talking about the Dar-the Void Master when you spoke of the Monarch, then... its because I''m the descendant of both of them." Kyran replied honestly.


    At this point, he did not want to lie. He did not see any merit in lying to them. Besides, he vaguely felt that these beings were rted to Void Master and might even be his retainers.


    [Descendant of both?]


    The figure repeated, sounding doubtful.


    [You do not look anything like them.]


    Kyran bted remembered he was still wearing his mask. Although his hair was still ck, he did look very different using Tyr''s face and his unusual aquamarine eye color.


    "Well that''s because I was wearing a mask," he exined and took off his mask.


    As soon as he had taken off his mask, everyone around him, including the one who seemed to be the leader, gasped.


    Immediately they knelt on the ground, creating a thunderous sound that echoed in the whole forest.


    [Monarch!]


    They all greeted in unison.


    Kyran was taken aback by their sudden change in attitude. Besides, although he did not know what the Dark Sage looked like, he was positive that the Dark Sage did not have ck hair or dark gray eyes.


    Howe they were suddenly convinced that he was the Monarch?


    Would they not first think he was the ''Dragon Lord'' given his physical appearance? Especially with the Regis''s trademark of ck hair and dark grey eyes?


    "Uhm... Look. I... I''m not your Monarch-."


    [Nonsense! We will never mistake that face anywhere!]


    The leader eximed while looking at Kyran. Then he gasped and mmed his head on the ground.


    [Please forgive me for interrupting! Please punish your ungrateful subordinate!]


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Wait.


    This sudden development was too much for Kyran to take in.

 Chapter 103 Remnant Souls

    Kyran''s brow creased as he looked at all these ''beings'' kneeling in front of him.


    The truth, he had no idea what they were. And from what he recalled from their previous statements when he entered this part of the forest, how they treated him was very inconsistent.


    From what Kyran understood, their Monarch left, and they did not know his whereabouts. When he was ''scanned'' or maybe when he summoned the Void Scales, they probably felt a trace of their Monarch through his magic which was how they had mistaken him as that person. This was also how Kyran guessed that their Monarch was the Dark Sage.


    Aftering to this ce and seeing the Chaos Pce, Kyran had to release his Void Scales because his magic suddenly went out of control. It even had a trace of controlling him.


    In order to take full control of his body, Kyran utilized the Regis Body Tempering Technique, which triggered the dragon blood in his veins. His actions made these beings change their attitude toward him and even called him the ''Dragon Lord''.


    Because Kyran did not feel any killing intent from their attacks, he decided to endure, which led these beings to show themselves and finally ask about his identity.


    After admitting that he was a descendant of both their Monarch and the Dragon Lord, and showing them what he looked like, they were suddenly convinced that he was their Monarch and that they were his subordinate.


    This left Kyran confused.


    He did say he was their Monarch''s descendant. And even if he looked like their Monarch; Kyran''s ck hair, dark gray eyes, and the use of the Regis technique could not be mistaken as any other n but the Regis.


    These guys were too inconsistent that all of Kyran''s doubts made him dizzy.


    He sighed and slowly sat crossed-legged in front of them and said, "As I said, I am not your Monarch. I did say that I am his descendant, right?"


    The figure in front straightened and eximed, [Ah!]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s forehead as a theory formed in his mind.


    These guys... Could it be that there was something wrong with their heads?


    "Besides, aren''t you guys yelling about killing me because I''m the ''Dragon Lord''?" He reminded, intending to test his theory.


    [We did?]


    [I think we did.]


    [No, it is because there was an intruder.]


    [Yes! An intruder! That ungrateful son of a-.]


    [Always trying to break into the Monarch''s territory! So ungrateful!]


    [Where is that son of a-.]


    [We have to find him and kill him!]


    [Yes, yes. After what the Monarch had done for them, they still..!]


    [Shh! The Monarch is here. Even though that guy was aplete ass, he is still the Monarch''s best friend...]


    Kyran''s head was full of ck lines after hearing them talk.


    Apparently, they had forgotten what he said about being the Dragon Lord''s descendant. And honestly, hearing them bad mouth, his ancestor pissed him off.


    But because of their conversation, as Kyran suspected, there really was something wrong with them.


    It was as if when they were presented with a piece of new information, it would blend with an old memory, thus making them unable to distinguish the past from the present.


    However, their memory of the past appeared vivid to them, and Kyran was tempted to ask more about the Dark Sage.


    [It is because the Monarch was in disguise. Thus, we failed to recognize you... No... If you are the Monarch''s descendant, then you are not really... But that cannot be. If you share the same magic, then... No, the Monarch''s magic cannot be shared...]


    Their acting leader had said. However, there was a hint of his words being directed to himself and not to Kyran.


    ''They themselves were not aware of their situation,'' Kyran realized with narrowed eyes.


    He was not surprised. If they were the Dark Sage''s subordinates, it meant they had lived for more than a thousand years.


    But howe they were still here?


    Kyran studied their semi-transparent figures.


    ''No. Don''t tell me they are..!''


    Kyran''s eyes widened in realization. He remembered reading about how some powerful mages could leave behind a fragment of their soul after their death.


    Looking at the state of these ''beings'' in front of him, as well as their seemingly muddled memories, it was the only possible answer. They were all only fragments of souls, who were all dead for a long time.


    These fragments of souls were called Remnant Souls, and they could only manifest for a short time. They normally stayed dormant until they had enough strength to be awakened. Although, once they woke up they could only wander around the area where their physical body was buried.


    Kyran felt a little sad as he watched them in silence. He could not imagine how it felt to be a Remnant Soul wandering at the ce they were buried, waiting for their Monarch''s return.


    A thought popped up in Kyran''s mind.


    ''Could this be the reason of the miasma getting thicker at this time of the year? In order to hide them when they awaken?'' He wondered.


    But then he frowned as another thought crossed his mind.<sub> </sub>


    ''But if it is the case... then that means the array that produces this miasma was arranged after these guys died.''


    From their conversation, they were waiting for the Dark Sage''s return. If he fell before they died, who created the array after they died? No, the first question should be, how did they die? Did they die before or after the Dark Sage fell? If they died before the Dark Sage returned, was he the one who created this array?


    Kyran immediately rejected the idea.


    These guys were remnant souls. Remnant souls were left behind as willed by the person before he died. So if the Dark Sage returned after they died, these guys as remnant souls should know of his return.


    Kyran nned to visit the Chaos Pce to understand his predecessor''s past. However, he was only at the periphery of the pce, yet he already got more questions than answers.


    ''What exactly happened to you?'' He thought, remembering the Dark Sage.


    He looked at all the remnant souls and felt how much they cared about the Dark Sage.


    Could a man that was cared for and loved by his men to this extent be evil?


    How much did the Royal Family fabricate the story about the Dark Sage?


    Kyran felt a sudden pain in his heart. His magic seemed to act up again.


    ''This..?'' He frowned as all kinds of emotions rushed inside him.


    Sadness. Gratitude. Regret. Anger. Hatred.


    ''Stop-!''


    BOOM!


    "ARGH!" Kyran screamed as his magic broke free from his control.


    It surged violently around him, forming a small semi-transparent purple sphere.


    [Monarch!]


    All the remnant souls stood at once and retreated in rm.


    The sphere around Kyran grew and destroyed everything within a five-meter radius around him.


    "Ergh...!" Kyran groaned in pain as he clutched his chest.


    An inexplicable force prated his insides, wanting to crush him to death.


    This feeling was a little simr to the pressure Malek had put him through during their first meeting. However, this force was far more powerful and painful. He vaguely felt that the pressure was trying to crush not only his insides but his soul.


    How was this possible? Is his magic trying to kill him?


    Kyran vomited a mouthful of blood as he crouched suspended at the center of the sphere. He urged the Regis Body Tempering Technique to endure the excruciating pain.


    [Monarch!]


    [This kind of attack is it that wretched woman?]


    [Reinforce the array!]


    [Immediately call on Lord Azaloth!]


    The leader gave out an order as the rest started to move.


    A huge array appeared on the whole premise of the forest, with the Chaos Pce at the center.


    The whole forest groaned and trembled from the pressure of the array. All the forest beasts hiding from the miasma within the periphery of the forest appeared and escaped.


    Soon, the thick miasma all over the forest converged and formed a dense huge half-sphere covering the whole forest.


    All towns nearby also felt the tremors, and all the scouts stationed on each town''s walls immediately turned toward the direction of the Misty Forest.


    They all gasped after seeing the huge purple sphere that wrapped the whole ce.


    "I-Is that the miasma from the Misty Forest?" One scout eximed in fright.


    "Such a huge sphere!" Another scout eximed.


    "Ring the bells! It is an emergency!"


    One after another, bells were heard in each town near the Misty Forest. After all, this was the first time something like this happened. The miasma never left that area. However, seeing how dense that sphere looked, how far would it reach if it exploded?


    There was also a lingering fear in their hearts that whatever this phenomenon was might be rted to the Chaos Pce.


    If this was the case, then this emergency could affect not only the east southern part of the empire but the whole empire!


    BOOM!


    Another tremor spread throughout the Misty Forest as several light golden arrays in different sizes appeared and covered the purple sphere.

 Chapter 104 Are You..?

    While a world-shaking incident was happening outside the Misty Forest, inside the forest, the remnant souls could only look at the smaller semi-transparent sphere that was suspended near the edge of the ravine leading to the Chaos Pce.


    [Monarch...]


    They all called out in concern while they looked at the crouched silhouette inside the sphere.


    [There is no response from Lord Azaloth.]


    A remnant soul beside the leader said.


    [It cannot be helped. We can only do our best to protect the Monarch.]


    The leader replied with a hint of determination in his voice.


    [Yes!]


    The rest of the remnant souls replied in unison.


    ===================


    Kyran slowly opened his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred, and his body ached all over. He did not know when he passed out, but it was not surprising. It was his first time feeling that excruciating pain, after all.


    Kyran tried to move his body but found that he could not move apart from feeling in pain.


    ''What...?''


    As soon as his vision cleared, he studied the scene in front of him. He just hoped he did not fall off the ravine or made a huge mess around the forest.


    However, as soon as the scene appeared before him, his expression turned nk.


    ''Where... am I?''


    The scene in front of him was different from what he expected.


    He remembered being in pain while he was in the forest near the ravine, and he was surrounded by the remnant souls of the Dark Sage''s subordinates. So he was expecting to see a scene of the aftermath.


    But, right now, he was suspended at a vast white space where five huge orbs floated above.


    ''Suspended?''


    Kyran bted realized that he was neither standing nor lying down. He was not even sure which was up or bottom because there was no ceiling nor ground. He was not afraid, though. Although he could not see the ground, he believed he could not fall to his death.


    ''This... Where the hell am I?'' He wondered in confusion. He racked his brain, trying to remember every detail that happened before he ''appeared'' in this ce.


    He was at the Misty Forest, trying to figure out the situation with all the remnant souls, and then he had doubts about the Dark Sage''s past. Suddenly, all kinds of emotions erupted inside him.


    Kyran was positive that the emotions he felt that time were not his. It most likely belonged to the Dark Sage.


    After that, his magic went out of control.


    Kyran''s brow creased as he remembered how Ste talked as if he was the Dark Sage''s reincarnation at times. He did not believe that.


    But after feeling those emotions, Kyran admitted to having some doubts. Because why would he feel them if he was not the Dark Sage''s reincarnation?


    [You''re not.]


    The voice spoke so suddenly that Kyran thought his heart would jump out of his mouth, which was his first. He had been trained to be alert in every situation so few could surprise him. And even if he were surprised, he would not have such an exaggerated response.


    "Whose there?" He called out and tried to turn around.


    A huge sweat appeared on his head right after his attempt because he could not move his body apart from his eyes.


    [Ahahaha.]


    The voice''sughter echoed in the vast white space.


    Kyran frowned.


    The voice was deep but had a gentleness in it. It also sounded familiar, but Kyran could not remember where he heard it before.


    [Cannot remember this voice? Well, that is a little sad. You can''t even remember how your voice sounded?]


    "What?"


    Kyran wanted to say he did not sound that ''gentle'', but realized that the voice read his thoughts.


    [Ahahaha. You''re so easy to tease.]


    "You-!"


    Suddenly, a figure formed in front of Kyran.


    The figure''s height was simr to him. However, his body was a little skinny, and his hair was long.


    As soon as the figure finished forming, Kyran''s eyes grew wide as he stared at ''him''.


    The figure was wearing a white hooded robe with purple ents, and his long ash-colored hair fell down his back. His eyes were like the clear blue sky, and he had a very pleasant smile on his face.


    But what surprised Kyran was that this ''man'' in front of him... looked like an older version of him, and yet not really him, which was really confusing and pretty insane, in his opinion.<sub> </sub>


    "How...?"


    The man smiled at him, "Finally we meet."


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn as he stared back at the man. He said, "Are you...?"


    "But it is too soon," the man interrupted.


    Kyran frowned. Before he could ask further, the man turned his back on him and looked at the five orbs floating above.


    "You are not supposed toe here yet." He said.


    "Yet? What do you-."


    "Do you know what those orbs are?" The man interrupted again.


    Normally, Kyran would be pissed after being interrupted twice. However, he was not right now. Besides, he vaguely knew that this man would not give him a proper answer no matter what he asked. At least, not ''yet''.


    Since the man appeared to have something to tell him, Kyran decided to y along and looked at the orbs. This time, he took his time to study them.


    Four of these orbs were floating in each direction around the fifth orb at the center. Two of the orbs had colors; one had a purple shade, while the other had silver-gray. The other two orbs, however, were almost transparent. And the orb at the center had a mixture of silver and purple as if both colors were trying to upy the orb but could notpletely dominate the other.


    Kyran pondered for a moment. Given the color of one of the orbs, he guessed that it was probably a representation of his Void Magic. While the other one, well, he was not yet sure. But given its color, it might be a representation of his Regis technique. As for the other three, it left him confused.


    The man looked at him and smiled. He nodded as if in agreement and said, "Correct. Those two orbs are the representation of both your magic."


    His words made Kyran frowned. He never considered the Regis technique to be magic.


    "Ahahaha," the man suddenlyughed and said, "If it is not magic, then what is it called?"


    "The Regis Technique. I have taken a drop of dragon''s blood so I can use some techniques of a dragon."


    "Then let me ask you, what do you think those techniques are called if a dragon uses it?"


    Kyran fell silent. The man''s question was a trick question. Obviously, if a dragon used it, then it was not a technique but draconic magic.


    The man raised both his brows at Kyran as if to say, ''See, what did I tell you?''.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. It was annoying how the man knew what he was thinking. He felt exposed, and it left a very unpleasant feeling.


    "Well I''m not a dragon, so I can only refer to it as a technique. Besides, Grandfather told me Draconic Magic can only be used if a Regis has bonded with a dragon."


    "Correct," the man agreed with a slight nod.


    "I don''t have a bond dragon."


    "Don''t you?" The man replied with a knowing smile.


    Kyran looked at him in confusion. If he was correct about this man''s identity, he probably had no idea of the current state of the world.


    "I don''t know what era you are from, but in my time, dragons no longer exist," Kyran replied.


    The man only looked at him in silence.


    After a moment''s pause, the man took a deep breath and looked at the floating orbs again.


    "Then tell me, howe you have the draconic core?" He asked.


    ''Draconic core?''


    "These orbs, are called Magic Cores. Normally, a person with magic affinity possess only one core."


    Kyran frowned. It was his first time hearing about the Magic Core. He did not encounter it from the books he read at Ste''s study. But he did not think the man would lie to him. Besides, even if it was not mentioned in the books at Ste''s study, it did not mean it did not exist. It might only be that this was not avable in her collection. Or he probably did not read the book where it was exined.


    "Don''t worry. It is not that it was not mentioned, but it is because, most people don''t understand it and only referred to it as magic reserves." The man told him.


    Kyran''s eyes brightened. If these cores were what they normally refer to as magic reserves, it made sense how his magic would appear inside. But Kyran had an inkling that this man''s definition of the Magic Core differed from what they knew about magic reserves.


    "I do not me you. When you hear the term magic reserves its meaning was very self-exnatory. If there is limited energy around us, as long as a mage had enough magic stored in his magic reserves, then he can still use his magic."


    When the man answered Kyran''s doubts, ck lines appeared on his head.


    "Can you not do that?" He asked.


    "Ahahaha," the man onlyughed.


    Kyran stared at the man''s back.


    When the manughed, Kyran could not associate him with the person he thought he might be.


    "It is amusing how you are more concerned by the fact that I know what goes inside your head, than the fact that you have five magic cores." The manmented and looked at Kyran in amusement.


    Kyran''s eyes widened after just realizing this. He then looked at the magic cores above and said, "Yeah. You''re right."


    The man chuckled and said, "Then shall we talk about what happened to you and how it is rted to your Magic Cores?"

 Chapter 105 Magic Core

    "What is happening to me is rted to my magic cores?" Kyran repeated, looking at the man incredulously.


    The man nodded and said, "Tell me what you see when you look at your central core."


    Kyran looked at the biggest orb. As he saw earlier, the color inside had purple and silver. The colors did not blend. Instead, both colors were trying to dominate the other.


    "It contains both colors from the other two cores," Kyran answered.


    "What else?"


    Kyran looked at the man''s back. He initially wanted to say that the colors seemed to be at odds against each other and were ''fighting'', but just thinking about his answer made him uneasy. It sounded too absurd even to him.


    Besides, he knew the man could read his thoughts. So why did he want him to say his ''absurd'' answer out loud?


    The man chuckled. He said, "First you did not want me to reply after prying into your thoughts, now you''reining about speaking your thoughts because I already know about it."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He sighed and said, "You already know what I think so why do you want me to answer? Besides, I know how absurd it is, so can you spare me the embarrassment and just tell me what is really happening?"


    "What makes you think your idea is absurd?" The man asked as he turned to look at him.


    Kyran frowned.


    "Because it is."


    The man chuckled and shook his head slightly.


    "It is not. You thought of that answer because that is how you feel. If another person looks at your central core, they will only see that there are two colors upying its space."


    "Because that is how I am feeling?" Kyran repeated, speaking more to himself than to the man. He pondered for a bit and agreed with the man''s words. That was how he felt, and so he interpreted it that way.


    "I think you have an idea why your central core is in that state now?" The man asked.


    Kyran did not reply at once. He first looked at his central core and further analyzed how he felt.


    After a short pause, he replied, "Because I was trying to suppress my Void magic using the Regis technique."


    "Then do you understand the purpose of your central core?"


    "If a magic core is simr to a mage''s magic reserve, then my central core is where my magic gathers." Kyran replied, looking at the man.


    The man nodded.


    "So what do you think is the problem in this arrangement?"


    "Problem in this arrangement?" Kyran repeated in confusion. He looked at the cores again and pondered for a moment.


    The man did not disagree when Kyran answered why his central core was in this state. But the man did not say this was the ''problem''. The man instead asked a follow-up question if Kyran knew the purpose of his magic core before asking about the problem in this arrangement.


    ''He was not talking about how those two colors are trying to dominate each other but the arrangement of my magic cores.''


    Kyran suddenly stopped as realization hit him. He looked at the two colored cores.


    Those two were also his magic cores, so he should have been drawing magic from those cores when he used his magic. Then why did these two gather in the central core?


    In the first ce, why did he have five magic cores? And what about the other two transparent cores? What was their purpose?


    Just what was a Magic Core?


    "Every person is born with a magic core," the man suddenly spoke as if to answer Kyran''s questions. "It grows over time, and when they turned six, it will finally attract the surrounding energies. If a person''s magic core attracts the surrounding energy, then he can utilize magic. On the contrary, if a person fails to attract the surrounding energy then he cannot utilize magic. Their magic core will remain... ''unupied''."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He noticed how the man used the word unupied instead of ''empty''.


    "Now, the attribute of the energy a person attracts to his magic core will then be his innate magic. For example, if the energy he attracts has a fire attribute, then his innate magic will be fire. However, this logic only applies to normal mages."<sub> </sub>


    He looked at the magic cores and continued, "A mage who inherits the Ancient Magic already has a magic core with an attribute. In your case, your magic core already has the Void. Do you know why?"


    Kyran pondered for a moment and answered, "Because ancient magic is passed on."


    The man smiled.


    "Correct. Now do you understand one of the main purpose of a Magic Core?"


    "It is where all the information of magic is stored," Kyran replied without hesitation.


    He came up with this conclusion after remembering Hugh''s condition. They said his magic reserves were damaged, and thus, his magic pressure appeared lower than a Magus.


    The man beamed and nodded.


    "It is really nice to talk to someone who can easily follow the conversation."


    Kyran rarely reacted to praises. But after the man praised him, he felt a little happy.


    "Now let''s get back to my previous question. What do you think is the problem with this arrangement?"


    "For one thing, I have five magic cores. Two are upied, while the other two are not. And my central core seemed to attract both magic from the other two upied cores, which theoretically should not be the case. Because if I am using the Regis Technique, then I should be drawing the information from the silver-gray core. Same goes with my Void Magic. If both upied cores were attracted to my central core then that core has a different purpose."


    The man nodded and said, "Correct. To be honest, having five magic cores is unheard of. Even within the families that inherits the Ancient Magic, they were born with only two, at most, they will have three magic cores. And the reason for a third magic core is if, one core can no longer contain all the information about the magic that was passed on."


    "Then why do I have five? Is it because y-uhm my predecessor attained such a high level in Void Magic that one core is not enough to store all the information?"


    After saying this, Kyran felt that this idea was a little off as he looked at the two transparent magic cores.


    "But if that is the case, why are those two magic cores transparent? Shouldn''t they have the Void''s representation? I get that the other core represented the Regis technique because I''m a Regis but..."


    His voice trailed off when he realized he was getting off-topic.


    ''You''re getting sidetracked. First focus on the problem of the arrangement of your cores.'' He told himself and looked at his magic cores again.


    ''Normally, the magic core''s purpose is to store information about magic while also serving as a storage of magic energy. My central core attracts the two cores with stored information, and they are even trying to dominate each other, thus resulting to the state I am in right now. Could it be that the central core serves as a temporary storage of the information on those two cores. And when I use my magic is when it attracts some of the information from its corresponding core? However, since the two magic was at odds, my body could not take it?''


    This idea was possible. If Kyran directly tapped on his Void core, he would never be able to control it with all those Void Magic information. However, it would be easier to use if he attracted only a little bit through the central core. On the contrary, if he tried to use both magic simultaneously, his central core would be unstable depending on the amount of magic information he tapped into.


    "Good. You are getting the idea. Yes, four of your magic cores stores magic information while the central core served as a ''stopper''. This ismon to all those with Ancient Magic. If not, the body would suffer. And this is happening in your body right now. Your central core is currently unstable because you tapped too much magic into your Void core, then you also tapped into your Draconic core to suppress the other. Just imagine how much magic is currently inside your central core."


    Kyran frowned.


    "But I don''t remember tapping into my Void core earlier."


    The man smiled. However, his eyes reflected sadness.


    "You did. You are just not aware of it."


    Kyran''s frown deepened.


    Was he not aware? But before his magic went out of control he was only thinking about the Dark Sage.


    Wait.


    Magic core. Magic level. Information. Emotions.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he stared at the man.


    The man smiled slightly and said, "The information stored within your Void core is not only about magic. After all, how would one store all these information if not through experience."

 Chapter 106 Lets Meet Again

    "I see. So my predecessor''s experiences where also stored in my Void core."


    Kyran lowered his gaze and fell into contemtion. If the Dark Sage''s experiences were stored in his Void core, then there was a big chance that it also contained his ''emotions''. Kyran remembered his meeting with the Conve. When they talked about the Founder''sst wish, and Kyran doubted his motive, his thoughts shifted to the Royal Family. He thought his magic was acting up again when he felt ''angry'' at the idea of the possibility that the Royal Family might have controlled the information about the Dark Sage. It did not ur to him that he was unconsciously attracting the Dark Sage''s emotions stored in his Void core.


    The man nodded, confirming Kyran''s thoughts.


    "Correct. When your emotions resonates with an information in your magic core, your central core will be attracted to it."


    Kyran sighed.


    ''This is really a problem,'' he thought and looked at his magic cores again.


    While his magic cores'' arrangement was meant to help him, it could also lead to his body breaking if he was not careful.


    "Now you understand the problem?" The man asked.


    Kyran nodded.


    "Basically, I have to keep my emotion in check. I should also avoid tapping into two magic cores at the same time, else my central core can''t take it."


    Kyran then stopped and frowned as a thought crossed his mind.


    "Wait. It''s not that I can''t tap into two cores to my central core at the same time, because if I can''t, I will not be able tobine the Regis Defensive Technique and Void magic to form the Void Scales. So maybe..."


    He stared at his central core. He thought his central core was at the ''center'' of the four magic cores because it served as a ''stopper'' of magic information, but remembering how he could create the Void Scales, could his central core have another purpose?


    The man did not answer but only smiled at Kyran.


    Kyran did not mind. He did not expect the man to answer him anyway.


    After contemting for a moment, Kyran smiled ironically and heaved a sigh.


    His central core could amodate all information entered into it, as long as it was in ''harmony''. And as long as the magic information in his central core was in harmony, then he couldbine it and even create new magic information.


    But where would this information be stored?


    Kyran''s attention shifted to the two transparent magic cores. The man mentioned that a person''s magic core that could not attract the surrounding energy would remain ''unupied''.


    ''So new magic information can upy these two?'' Kyran wondered. He was partially excited at the idea. If he could do that, then would that mean he had two unupied magic cores to fill? How much new magic information would that be?


    The man suddenlyughed while shaking his head.


    "You are already thinking about that when you have not even resolved your current situation."


    Immediately, Kyran snapped out of his thoughts at the man''s reminder.


    The man was right.


    There was no point in him pondering the use of his transparent magic cores if he was stuck in this ce.


    Kyran vaguely knew that this ce was his consciousness, and as for his real body, as long as he did not fall off the ravine, then it should still be fine.


    Hopefully.


    Kyran looked at the man and asked, "Can you help me?"


    The man chuckled and said, "You know your ancestor never asked for help."


    Without thinking, Kyran asked, "Which ancestor?"


    The man looked at him in surprise. He fell silent while staring at Kyran as if contemting whether to answer or not.


    After a short pause, the man finally said, "Who do you think it is?"


    Kyran frowned. The man''s answer reminded him of Nn again. It was simr to Nn''s response when he did not want to answer.


    Kyran felt a little annoyed. Howe that guy kept popping up in his mind? Did he grow attached to that uncle?


    The thought made him shiver.


    "The annoying one," Kyran replied in frustration.


    The man chuckled and turned his back. He looked at the magic cores and said, "All your theories about your central core is correct. However, you missed one thing."


    "What?"


    "About the stored experiences in your magic cores."


    Kyran felt uneasy. He had a bad feeling about what this man was about to say.


    "You are too focused on your Void core, that you missed that your Draconic core can also affect your central core."


    ''I knew it,'' Kyran thought, his expression turning sour.


    "Ahahaha." The man suddenlyughed. "I can already imagine your expression. Why do you deny having the Draconic core?"


    "Please. Having one forbidden magic is already a handful. If you tell me I have two forbidden magic-."


    "Forbidden magic?" The man interrupted and turned his attention to him.


    "Well, right now. Void magic is considered forbidden magic. I guess... Draconic is not forbidden right now but if the Royal Family finds out then-."


    Kyran abruptly stopped as he saw the man''s expression turned cold. However, it only appeared briefly before the man''s expression turned sad.


    "It doesn''t matter," the man said and smiled. "If you don''t ept that fact, you will not be able to resolve your situation."


    "How is epting it resolve my situation?"


    "Because only when understand why both your magic is at odds, will you be able to stabilize your central core."


    Kyran frowned. Wasn''t his central core in that state because he was trying to suppress his Void magic?


    "Feel your central core," the man told him.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran followed the man''s instruction and closed his eyes. He did not bother to argue because he needed to wake up as soon as possible. He was worried about the state of his body as well as what was happening in the forest.


    Kyran concentrated on feeling his central core. The moment he did, the excruciating pain returned, and he wanted to crouch down.


    However, he still could not move his body and could only endure.


    "Argh!"


    "Understand where the pain ising."


    Kyran heard the man speak. He wanted to snap at the man and tell him that the pain made it hard for him to concentrate.


    But.


    Different emotions surged around him.


    That was right. When Kyran''s magic went out of control, it was because of these emotions. He felt sad because of the state of the remnant souls. But he also felt grateful. Then there was regret, anger, and hatred.


    It was only then that Kyran noticed that the sadness and gratitude he felt resonated with his Void core, but the regret, anger, and hatred resonated with...


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open as he stared at the silver-gray core.


    His Void magic was actually trying to soothe the negative emotionsing from his silver-gray core. But he was too afraid of losing control of his body that he wanted to suppress his Void magic. Could it be during the meeting with the Conve, it was the same?


    ''Why...?''


    He lowered his gaze and immediately met the man''s eyes.


    However, the man remained still and did not speak even though Kyran was looking at him questioningly.


    Silence ensued between them.


    After a long pause, Kyran finally spoke.


    "My..." He took a shaky breath before he continued, "My Draconic core is the one out of control."


    The man smiled solemnly and said, "Now you ept having Draconic core?"


    "But how? Why? Why does this negative feeling... why does my draconic core feel that way?"


    "I can''t tell you."


    Kyran gritted his teeth. He red at the man and said, "Why not?"


    "It is too soon. You are not ready."


    "And when will I be ready?"


    The man looked at the floating magic cores and said, "When you have a better understanding of your magic."


    Kyran frowned slightly and asked, "Can''t you just tell me?"


    The man looked at him and smiled bitterly, "I can''t. Only when you find it yourself will you attain a deeper understanding of your magic."


    Kyran tried to clenched his fists but failed. It seemed he still could not move his body, and it was getting on his nerves.


    The man suddenly chuckled and said, "This is your sea of consciousness. It''s not because you can''t move, but because you don''t have a body to move."


    "Don''t have a body to move?" Kyran repeated and immediately looked down.


    Indeed. Kyran could not see his body.


    "Now that you know why this happened, you need to be careful." The man warned Kyran. "Your central core is still fragile. If you are not careful on how you draw the magic information from your two cores, this will happen again and when that timees, I might not be able to help you."


    Kyran looked at him and asked, "Why not? If that happens, won''t I return to this ce again?"


    "Yes and no. Yes, you will return here, but I won''t be here."


    "Why?"


    "I managed to appear before you because you met the requirements. Although, it is too soon."


    "Then tell me what are the requirements."


    The man did not answer and just smiled.


    Kyran clenched his ''fist''. He had the impulse to hit the man''s smiling face for trying to act cool and mysterious.


    The man chuckled and just said, "You have to control your Draconic core now, and wake up."


    "I have tons of questions to ask you next time," Kyran told him.


    "I know."


    "You have to properly answer me. Don''t waste my time by answering with another question."


    The man chuckled and only nodded.


    Kyran took onest look at his magic cores before he took a deep breath and started to feel his Draconic core.


    After a few minutes, his Draconic core finally reacted and the silver-gray color inside his central core started to stabilize.


    Soon, Kyran also felt that his consciousness was slowly fading. He knew that this must mean he was waking up soon.


    However, before his consciousness fadedpletely, he looked at the man onest time.


    The man also looked at him and smiled.


    And in a voice Kyran almost failed to hear, the man said, "I hope you will find that Void Magic is not all about destruction. My young sessor, let''s meet again."


    When the man said these words, Kyran felt an inexplicable pain in his heart. As if he was parting from a very dear friend.

 Chapter 107 Detour

    A quarter of an hour had passed after Kyran''s magic went out of control, finally, all the remnant souls saw the semi-transparent purple sphere moved.


    The sphere decreased in size, and Kyran''s body descended on the ground slowly.


    [Monarch!]


    All the remnant souls cried and ran towards Kyran as soon as the sphere disappeared.


    Before they could get any closer, a voice spoke in their heads.


    They suddenly stopped moving, and after a few seconds, one after another, they disappeared.


    The huge purple sphere covering the whole Misty Forest also decreased in size and soon returned to its miasma form to fill the surrounding of the forest.


    After the miasma settled, the light golden arrays above the whole forest disappeared one by one.


    In just five minutes, the whole Misty Forest, had returned to normal as if nothing happened.


    ==================


    At the same time, in all the nearby towns.


    All the scouts stationed at each town walls saw the sudden change in Misty Forest.


    An hour had not even passed from the time the misma condensed and wrapped the whole forest. Not to mention the appearance of those light golden arrays. Now the forest returned to normal and there were no signs of the miasma''s outbreak.


    What caused such a phenomena?


    All of them were left wondering, however, they still needed to report this incident back to their superiors. Because when the miasma condensed, all town leaders assembled at least two squads to investigate the forest.


    As soon as the town leaders received the update, they were befuddled.


    The forest had returned to normal?


    Still, they did not dismiss their men and instead told them to work with the other towns to investigate what happened. After all, although the miasma seemed to have dispersed, they still needed to check if there was really no outbreak. Of course, they would not enter the forest at this time but would only investigate around its border.


    After half an hour of preparation, these squads left their respective towns and went to the Misty Forest.


    ==================


    It took Kyran a few more minutes before he stabilized his Draconic core. and the moment he regained consciousness, he was assaulted by pain all over his body.


    "Argh..." He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and got up to a sitting position.


    The first thing he noticed was the thick miasma around him.


    Just like earlier, the miasma kept a certain distance from him. This made Kyran wonder because at the moment, his magic was not activated, nor was he using any Regis technique.


    The next thing he noticed, was that he was alone.


    Honestly, Kyran wanted to talk more with the remnant souls. However, he did not feel any presence observing him from the within the miasma, thus he was knew all those remnant souls had left.


    Where they went, he was unsure. And even if he was curious, he had no time to look for them.


    It was a pity. But Kyran nned to return here in the future so he was not that disappointed. He would take his time to explore this ce next time.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran surveyed his surroundings. The thick miasma blurred his sight, but he could still see the silhouette around him. He immediately noticed the destroyed ground near the edge of the ravine to his right and felt cold sweat trickled down his back. If he had sat a few feet more to his right near the edge before his magic went out of control, he might''ve fallen off the ravine and woken up at the bottom of it. Of course, that was if his body was still in one piece after falling.


    ''That was really close,'' Kyran thought dryly.


    Once he confirmed that there were no immediate danger around, he took out a potion bottle with light pink liquid from his pouch. He stared at it for a few seconds before deciding to put it back inside.


    He was feeling weak right now, but he was not exhausted. Taking this low-grade stamina potion would not have much effect.


    He then focused checking his body, and after confirming that he only had few minor cuts, he also opted not to take any healing pill. He might have stocked up for this trip, but he had to be careful in taking pills and stamina potions. He should not rely on them.


    ''Let''s rest for a bit before looking for the Duali tree,'' Kyran decided while crossing his legs.


    After this, he took this tome to ponder what happened inside his sea of consciousness.


    The man''s image shed in his mind and he could not help but sigh.


    He covered his face with both his hands as he leaned slightly forward and rested his elbows on his knees.


    Although their hair and eye colors were different, he did look like the man.<sub> </sub>


    No wonder the remnant souls reacted that way when he removed his mask.


    ''And he really was my predecessor,'' he thought, remembering the man''sst words before his consciousness driftedpletely.


    ''I did not even ask for his name. Stupid,'' he scolded himself. Honestly, referring to the man as his predecessor or the Dark Sage or the previous Void Master was such a mouthful. Why did he not ask that in the first ce?


    ''It''s because you pretended not to know who he was, stupid.'' He scolded himself.


    He sighed and slid his hands down his face.


    ''We share the same face... I''m not sure if it will be an advantage or a disadvantage once I meet others connected to him, like those remnant souls. But... '' He shook his head and added, ''I''m also wanted so I had to hide my face anyway. Let''s forget that for now.''


    He straightened his back and looked at his hands.


    ''To think I also have a Draconic core,'' he thought with a slight frown.


    Did his family know about it? If they did, they really hid a lot of things from him. He was not angry at them though. He knew they had their reasons for keeping it from him. Remembering the emotions he felt from his Draconic core, made him think that there was a deeper story his ancestor had.


    He remembered one of the remnant soul''s words.


    ''The Dragon Lord was the Dark Sage''s best friend, but he also wanted to kill the Dark Sage.''


    Kyran scratched his head. While it appears that he had gathered new bits and pieces of information about the two, all of it were not enough for him to draw a conclusion.


    But one thing he was sure of.


    The regret he felt from his Draconic core was directed to his Void core. And the anger and hatred, were directed to the Royal Family.


    ''Did my ancestor regret not saving his bestfriend?'' Kyran wondered. ''Or was there another reason?''


    If only he knew how the Dark Sage fell. Maybe he could draw a better conclusion that had sense. Unfortunately, there were no detailed information of the Dark Sage''s fall. The books only mentioned how the Hero Families fought hard and with the sacrifice of the Hero who belonged to the Hero Family that would be the rulers of the Ylfaen Empire, the Dark Sage finally fell.


    "Let''s stop thinking about this for now," Kyran told himself and stood up. "With too little information, and no clues I''ll just waste my time."


    He looked up to his right and saw the Chaos Pce floating above.


    ''No. There are clues. Inside that pce, I am sure I can find more clues. But I can''t go there yet. As my predecessor said, I am not ready. But after I finish my initial preparations, I''ll find the right time to return to this ce.''


    Kyran swore in his heart.


    With that resolution, he finally moved and looked for his weapons. After finding them, he went back to the forest and searched for the location of the Duali Trees.


    ====================


    Because of what happened to the Misty Forest, the caravan that were about to leave Tarrin Town got dyed. Although they were not going in that direction, they had to listen to the town leader''s advice not to leave in case there was a miasma outbreak.


    The tall, muscr man whom Kyran had a run in, crossed his arms as he stood at the front of the first caravan. He looked ahead at the end of the road with a scowl.


    He was waiting for words from the men who followed the man in ck clothes. However, it had been hours since they left and they had not returned yet.


    ''Don''t tell me, they were ambushed?'' The man thought as his eyes grew wide in fright.


    ''No, that can''t be. That man had at most a quarter of an hour lead time before our side followed his tracks.''


    Then what was causing the dy of their return?


    ''Something happened,'' he thought.


    He turned his attention back at the caravan behind him and pondered. The route they were about to take was opposite the path leading to the Misty Forest. However, if their men encountered an ambush in that path, they had to change their route.


    There was actually another path they could take where they would pass near the periphery of the Misty Forest. They travel would take longer but with the current situation, it might be a better option.


    Although there was a risk of the miasma from the Misty Forest leaking because of the recent event, the tall man believed the path was not affected. Besides, even if the miasma leaked there, he was confident that the miasma would be less and they could drink detoxification potions to counter it.


    It was better than being ambushed by the group his employer warned him about. Because he would not risk just their lives, but also the location of where they were about to go. And that was far more important than anything to him.


    With a nod of his head, the tall, muscr man looked at the man at the head of the first caravan.


    "We''re taking a detour. We''ll leave in half an hour," he told the man.


    The man saluted and replied, "Yes, Captain."

 Chapter 108 A Peculiar Stone

    It took Kyran almost half an hour to find his way back to where the trunks of the trees started to thicken. After that, he picked up his pace and searched for the Duali Trees located within two thousand kilometers from his current position.


    Finally, after a few minutes of running, Kyran found the Duali Trees.


    ''So this is a Duali Tree,'' Kyran thought as he stared at the massive tree in front of him.


    The Duali Tree''s leaves were a very peculiar blend of purple and green.


    Kyran wondered if the miasma caused the purple color because Vaness said the color of regr Duali leaves was the same as most trees; shades of green. However, the Duali tree''s lifespan exceeds the normal Duali found in other forests, so Vaness was unsure whether the trees in Misty Forest had that shade because of their age.


    As for its trunk, it could grow more than 8 meters in width, with a bark that had golden-like veins that gave a faint glow.


    ''Vaness said the width of these gold veins can estimate a Duali tree''s age,'' Kyran remembered as he approached the tree.


    He immediately saw that the width of the veins was only around half centimeters, which meant that its lifespan was only about 250 years.


    ''I need to find a tree where its vein''s width is at least two centimeters.'' Kyran thought as he looked around.


    Different trees grew too close to each other in this part of the forest. Normally, it would affect the tree''s growth because it had to share thend''s nourishment with others. However, these trees ignored this logic and were able to grow well.


    It made Kyran wonder whether the miasma had anything to do with it or because the soil was richer in this part of thend. Either way, this ce was good in growing medicinal herbs and might be helpful for the Alchemist Association. If they could grow some rare herbs year-round, Kyran would have fast ess to materials if he needed them.


    ''I''ll add it to my list,'' he decided, making a mental note to explore this possibility in the future.


    The next Duali tree Kyran found was at least 200 meters away from the first one. Disappointingly, its gold veins were also only half a centimeter wide.


    With a slight frown, Kyran crossed his arms and looked around him.


    He had expected that finding a thousand-year-old Duali tree would take time, but he had already wasted a lot of time because of what happened to him near the Chaos Pce. If he did not think of a better way to search, he would end up staying longer in this forest, which was not a good idea.


    Kyran tried to think of a better way to search as he continued walking along the path. He thought of surveying the whole area at a higher ground. However, because the miasma obscured the surrounding, he gave up the idea.


    ''I wonder if using magic sense helps,'' he thought with a bitter smile. He thought of this because he felt the Duali tree gave off a different feeling than most trees. But it was too abstract for Kyran to have a full grasp of. If he could use his magic sense, maybe he might be able to figure it out. s, he did not know how to use it, so thinking about it was rather pointless.


    ''I need Nn to teach me how to use it when he gets back,'' Kyran thought with a sigh.


    After half an hour of searching, Kyran still failed to find a thousand-year-old Duali tree. However, he noticed that there were more Duali trees as he moved further west.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran strained his ears after hearing something other than the forest''s silence.


    The reason why Kyran m


    ''That''s a sound of flowing water,'' he realized and followed the sound.


    Sure enough, he came into a small clearing where a small waterfall flowed to a small pond. The miasma around this area was lesser, making it easier for Kyran to see the edge.


    Kyran drew close to the pond and looked into its water. Just like there were no forest beasts or insects around, there were also no fishes in the water. It amazed him how much this miasma could ward off most living things apart from the nts.


    Something glistened near the edge of the pond that attracted Kyran''s attention, ''Hm?''


    He knelt and checked what it was. It was not that he fancied shiny things, but light barely passed above that could reflect light, so he wondered what kind of material would glow in this ce.


    What he found was a peculiar-looking stone with jagged edges. The reason for its peculiarity was its color. At first, Kyran saw it had a dark shade on it, but then it turned dark purple before turning into an indigo shade.


    Kyran picked up the stone and examined it. It was translucent, which exined how it could reflect light.


    ''But how can it detect light?'' He wondered.


    He looked around him and found no trace of light nearby that would cause this stone to glisten.


    Kyran looked at the water again and found more of these stones. His instincts told him to collect them. He was unsure why he had that feeling, but he did it since there was no harm.


    When he was done, he resumed his search for the Duali Tree.


    While he continued his search, he examined the stone in his hand. At that moment, the stone was still changing color as it glowed faintly.


    ck. Dark Purple. Indigo. Off-White. Silver. Dark Gray. Off-White. Light Green. Dark Green. ck.


    ''Such a strange stone,'' Kyran thought. He also noticed that the shade of color it had was simr to his Draconic and Void cores.


    ''Maybe I''m drawn to this because of it?'' He pondered. But reject the idea at once. Because he did not feel his magic cores resonate with the stone.


    Kyran smiled bitterly at the thought of his magic cores. Before, he only had a vague idea of magic flowing inside him. But now that he knew about magic cores, it had be easy for Kyran to feel them.<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly.


    The stone in his hand changed into a different color.


    Gold.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran frowned.


    It then returned to ck before turning to dark purple again.


    Kyran stopped and waited for the stone to turn to all the colors he already saw. And after it turned to dark green, it did not turn to ck but instead turned to off-white, then light gold, then gold.


    Kyran was sure that something around him changed, making the stone add another color to its pattern. He looked around and examined his surrounding.


    His eyes caught sight of a massive Duali Tree a few meters away to his left


    Immediately, Kyran''s eyes narrowed as an idea came to mind. He retraced his steps to where the stone glowed gold.


    Sure enough, the moment he was out of a specific range of the Duali tree, the stone did not include the gold glow in its pattern.


    A smile appeared at the corner of Kyran''s lips.


    He approached the Duali tree, and once again, the gold shade appeared on the stone''s pattern.


    ''It seems this stone does not detect a light around, but aura in the surroundings.'' Kyran guessed.


    He looked at the Duali tree and checked its vein.


    Unfortunately, the vein''s width confirmed that the tree was about 500 years old only. But Kyran was not disappointed. He was making progress, after all.


    ''So the aura the Duali tree emits are shades of gold,'' Kyran thought with a smile. He also guessed that the purple and the silver might be his auras. He could not see auras, but his magic cores had these colors, so he assumed his aura would also have the same colors.


    The green might be the auras emitted by the other nts around.


    ''But with this stone, I can detect if a Duali tree is close by.'' With this in thought, Kyran continued his search.


    As Kyran suspected, the stone did alert him if there were Duali trees around. He also figured that the golden glow on the stone was stronger the older the tree was. So for the next few minutes, he did not bother approaching the tree and just focused on checking the golden glow on the stone.


    It did not take long for Kyran to find a thousand-year-old Duali tree. He immediately got to work and took the amount he needed.


    Vaness taught him how to protect the golden dust from the miasma. But because the miasma kept a certain distance from him, he easily got the golden dust without a problem.


    Once Kyran was done collecting the golden dust, he examined the miasma around him. He also promised Malia and Avrum to take samples of this miasma. He took out thest remaining magic orbs he got from Nn and concentrated.


    Although the miasma kept a certain distance from him, Kyran knew he could transfer them using his warp ability inside the magic orb.


    After getting used to his warp ability, Kyran had better control of the size of his warp hole. Unfortunately, he had not figured out how to create a warp hole that was not directly connected to him. So he had to make four small warp holes to collect the miasma. He first had to create a warp hole where he would insert his hand. Then the other end of the warp hole was connected to where the miasma was. Then he collected the miasma and created another warp hole from there that was connected to a smaller warp hole inside the magic orb.


    It was tedious, to be honest. But that was the only way Kyran knew of how to collect the miasma for now.


    Kyran was suddenly reminded of what his predecessor had told him.


    ''Only when you find it yourself will you attain a deeper understanding of your magic.''


    Yes. Kyran knew he had a long way to go in figuring out his magic.


    Then he remembered his predecessor''s parting words.


    ''I hope you will find that Void Magic is not all about destruction.''


    Kyran took a deep breath. He looked at the magic orbs in his hand and stared at the thin purple barrier he created inside to keep the miasma from destroying the orbs. After learning about his magic cores, he now had better control over his magic, so he did not have to worry about the purple barrier identally breaking because he lost focus.


    ''''Void Magic is not all about destruction, huh,'''' Kyran repeated. He was still unsure of what his predecessor meant, but seeing the purple barrier made him think if this was what he wanted to tell him.


    Depending on how he used it, his magic could ''protect''.


    Kyran shook his head. He had an inkling that what his predecessor meant was not as simple as using his magic to create protective barriers.


    With a sigh, Kyran pushed all of his thoughts to the back of his mind. All of his ponderings had to wait until he finished his task.


    He stored the magic orbs back in his pouch and made his way out of the forest.

 Chapter 109 Trouble

    Ss was shocked when he and Can went to the Tower of Conve.


    He did not expect to directly go there when Can told him the Head of Conve wanted to speak with him.


    He never thought a time woulde where he would meet the Head of Conve. After all, he was just an average mercenary.


    Now, all he could do was sit in silence as they rode the carriage going to the Tower.


    Can looked at Ss and could not help but chuckle. It was not the first time he saw people get all nervous when told they would meet Malek. But seeing how nervous Ss was now, Can wondered what his reaction would be if he found that he was not only going to meet Malek but also the Lord of the Tower?


    "Young Ss, you do not have to be nervous," Can said with a smile.


    Ss looked up and smiled nervously. He said, "W-Well, I....."


    "Why don''t we talk for a bit? Do you have any questions you wanted to ask?"


    After Can said this, Ss felt like hitting himself.


    That''s right! What the hell was wrong with him getting all nervous? He needed to get his act straight. Did he not do a better job when he met the Regis Patriarch?


    "I do, actually. But I''m not sure if it is alright to talk here," Ss said and looked around him.


    Can understood what he meant and immediately said, "You do not have to worry. This carriage has a concealment spell. It is to ensure that we are not followed by ''others'' when we go to the Tower of Conve. Apart from this, it is sound-protected, so anything we talked about here will not be heard outside."


    Ss was initially surprised. But then he thought they were to meet the Head of Conve so this kind of security was a given.


    "That''s good," he said with a slight nod.


    "Then what do you want to ask?"


    Ss looked at Can and asked respectfully, "President. I am not sure if you know what Gage gave you, but-."


    "About that, let me exin for a moment." Can interrupted him with an apologetic smile.


    "Of course. Not at all."


    "We did not receive anything from Gage," Can exined.


    "What?" Ss eximed.


    "The truth, we only know about your ''visit'' from the Head Master."


    Ss looked at him in confusion. But he did not reply and just let Can continue.


    "As for your friend, Gage, was it?"


    p "Yes."</anda>


    "Currently, we have no idea where he is."


    Ss shifted nervously in his seat, and Can added hastily, "No need to worry. We are told that someone trustworthy went to find him."


    "Who is it?" Ss asked nervously.


    Even though Can said the person who looked for Gage was trustworthy, he was still worried that something might have happened to him. If it did, the item he had might fall into the wrong hands, which was not good.


    "I do not know. But rest assured, when that person said he was trustworthy, then your friend is in good hands."


    "That person?"


    Can only smiled.


    Ss did not pry because he was more worried about Gage''s whereabouts.


    "President, the truth, what Gage is supposed to give is very important-."


    Can raised his hand to stop Ss.


    "You do not need to tell me now. Once we get to the Tower, you can tell everything to the Head Master and the Lord."


    Ss frowned slightly.


    Was not he supposed to meet the Head of Conve only? Who was this Lord?


    Seeing the look of uncertainty on Ss''s face, Can said, "I assure you, young Ss. It will be alright."


    Ss fell silent. He could not very well doubt who the President trusts. Ss just hoped he would not get in trouble. After all, he was now the Regis''s Emissary. If this were leaked, it would be a big problem for himself and the Conve.<sub> </sub>


    "I understand," Ss answered after a short pause.


    ===================


    When the squads from the nearby towns arrived in the periphery of the Misty Forest, all squad leaders gathered to discuss how they would proceed in the investigation.


    Apart from the forest beasts they encountered along the way, they confirmed that the miasma was still within the forest, and everything appeared normal. So what they needed to find out was the cause of that phenomenon.


    However, they could not enter the forest and could only find some clues around its border.


    While they divided the areas where each town would focus, a few kilometers inside the forest, at the branch of a tree, Kyran hid as he observed them.


    ''These guys are from at least four nearby towns,'' Kyran guessed after seeing their uniforms. He estimated that at least two squads were representing each town.


    ''Looks like something did happen while I was unconscious,'' he thought with a sigh. ''It doesn''t matter. I only have to avoid their detection.''


    With that in thought, Kyran left his hiding spot and went further west. When he found a safe location, he took out his mask and wore it. Then he focused on a spot a few kilometers outside the forest and warped.


    After he warped away from the forest, he continued to his next destination.


    On his way, Kyran had to reassess his current situation. After confirming that he was behind at least an hour from his next destination, he had to adjust his n. Initially, he nned to rest for an hour before continuing south. Now, he decided to rest after he arrived at the town near the Valley of Morte. The valley where the Theohorns were found.


    There were two towns near the valley of Morte''; Nhadal, and Lebe.


    Nhadal had almost 4,000 poption, while Lebe had 2,500, which starkly contrasts with Tarrin''s poption. This number was because both Nhadal and Lebe towns attracted a lot of hunters and mercenaries who migrated there to hunt forest beasts and find rare materials in the Valley of Morte.


    While the Misty Forest had richer resources, no one would dare go in and plunder these. After all, most people were unsure if these materials were not contaminated by ''poison'' because of the miasma. To this day, Kyran was the only one bold enough to collect some rare herbs and materials from the Misty Forest. Because he knew the miasma was not actually poison. Apart from this, there were no forest beasts to hunt. So although the forest had richer resources, their options were limited.


    Kyran nned to go to Nhadal. He chose this town not because it was closer to the Valley of Morte but because the Mercenary Hall had a branch there.


    Hugh told him there were quarters where mercenaries could stay and rest inside the guild. He also said that when a mercenary found rare items in the Valley of Morte, the quarters served as a protection to their mercenaries. Because depending on the rarity of the item they found, outsiders tend to plot against them.


    Noir also exined to Kyran that all Conve establishments had defensive arrays to guard against outsiders looking for trouble and protect all their people. When Kyran asked what the defensive arrays could do, he was intrigued to find that one of the array''s features was camouging a mage''s magic signature.


    And this feature was the reason why Kyran wanted to go to the Mercenary Guild in Nhadal. Not so he could rest, but to transport the materials he collected so far to the Tower. To do this, he needed a private room where he could use his magic without being detected by the Royal Army''s magic detector.


    After finalizing the adjustments to his n, Kyran checked his current location.


    ''I have at least two hours to go to Nhadal,'' he thought.


    He then felt his central core and confirmed that he could still use his warp ability four times based on his remaining magic energy. It was enough for him. He did not n to warp inside Nhadal anyway. Because he did not know the range of the magic detectors, he only intended to warp at least a couple of meters outside Nhadal.


    Finally, Kyran warped again.


    ''Hm?''


    Kyran smelled something after he warped the second time. He immediately stopped and hid at one of the trees. Then he roused his Draconic core and used the Regis Body Tempering Technique.


    A couple of meters away, he saw the aftermath of a battle. The ground was littered with pieces of burnt wood from the wreckage of a caravan. The nearby trees were also burnt and destroyed. There were also magic residues in the air.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. Because his senses were heightened, he could also smell burnt flesh and blood. He cautiously approached the wreckage, and although the whole ce stinks, he did not see any dead or burning bodies.


    Who or what attacked them? Was it a forest beast? Or forest beasts?


    If they did, Kyran did not have to worry too much. Because if the forest beasts did this, most likely, the bodies were already eaten by them.


    But if another group of people ambushed the people in the caravan, then it would be a problem.


    ''No dead bodies, meant the people from the caravan escaped and possibly being hunt down by their attackers.'' Kyran thought as he looked at his surrounding.


    There were no clues that a forest beast was here.


    Kyran felt an iing headache.


    Thest thing he wanted was to encounter this kind of trouble. While he anticipated this kind of situation, it was his worst-case scenario. After all, this route was still close to the Misty Forest, and during this time of the year, it was rare for anyone to travel to this part.


    ''If I am not careful, I might end up seeing them.'' He thought with a slight frown.


    If he ended up seeing them, whether he was seen in Tyr''s face or his own was bad.


    The Mercenary Hall just submitted that Tyr saw ''Kyran'' going south just a few days ago. If the army investigated and found witnesses seeing Tyr in this ce as soon as he submitted the information, it would raise questions. If he were seen as Kyran, although it wouldn''t pose much threat, it would hinder their n in milking money from the army.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He covered half of his face with his coat and left.


    If it came to it, he would have to silence them for good.

 Chapter 110 Entanglement

    While on the road to the Tower of Conve, Ss recounted his and Gage''s journey to Aeren Town and what led him to meet Pheobe.


    Throughout Ss''s narration, Can did not ask any questions and only listened in silence. This made Ss wonder if Can already knew what happened, and if he did, how did he know.


    After that, Ss asked what really happened to the Mercenary Hall that resulted in the ''hole'' on its building wall. However, Can only vaguely exined that they were visited that day by someone unhappy about the Mercenary Hall''s recent bounty posting.


    This made Ss frown slightly. He clearly remembered Marley and the others talking about being attacked by the target with the One Million Bounty reward. Still, Ss did not pry much. He could read between the lines and knew that the President was deliberately lying to him. It was more than the President did not want the information toe from him.


    That was all right with Ss. He also could not say much about his time inside the Regis Estate. Although he was supposed to deliver the item to the President of the Mercenary Hall, the Regis Patriarch only told him that the President would know what to do once the item was delivered.


    Right now, Ss wondered whether that meant that the President would only be their passage to meet the real person whom they could talk to. And that person was the Head of the Conve.


    Finally, Can and Ss arrived at the forest leading to the Tower of Conve after almost four hours of travel.


    When the carriage neared the entrance of the Tower, Ss was shocked to find a huge pit on the ground. The carriage drove around it and approached the tower up ahead.


    Ss suddenly had a bad feeling after seeing the pit because the hole on the ground was neatly dug.


    "Just like the hole in the wall of that building you went to."


    A cute voice spoke his thoughts.


    Lumi appeared above andy on her stomach on top of Ss''s head.


    Ss looked up and asked, "You noticed it too?"


    Lumi immediately frowned and pounded at Ss''s head.


    "What do you take me for, huh? Stupid Ss!" She berated.


    "Okay. Okay. Stop that. I''m sorry," Ss replied with ck lines on his head. He could not decide whether Lumi''s short-temper and tendency to hit him was scary or cute. Especially since she knew she could not hurt him, but she would hit him anyway.


    Hearing Ss talked suddenly, Can only raised his brows in wonder. He smiled slightly when he realized that the Lady Spirit must be talking to him right now.


    Lumi stopped hitting Ss and looked over at Can. She knew he could no longer see her because there was no array with Crystal Blood Flower in the carriage.


    "Oi, Stupid Ss, ask the old man for me if the same person who made the hole at the hall building also made this." She ordered Ss.


    Ss bted realized that he was openly talking to Lady Lumi in front of the President. He faced Can, who was still smiling. Ss smiled apologetically and said, "I''m sorry, President."


    Lumi frowned and pulled on Ss''s hair.


    "That''s not what I told you to ask!" She berated.


    Ss winced and lifted his hands. He was tempted to knock Lumi off his head, but he feared the oue. So he could only endure while saying, "Ow. Ow. I get it, Lady Lumi. Stop pulling."


    Although Can could not see Lumi, he noticed how the hair on top of Ss''s head lifted and guessed what was happening.


    "I have been told of how Spirits can be mischievous but affectionate, and I can see that both of you are very close." Hemented, chuckling.


    "What? My noble self being affectionate to this stupid stinky human?" Lumi glowered and faced Can. "Do you want me to freeze you to death, old man?"


    As soon as she said this, she shot snowballs in Can''s direction.


    Ss intercepted it with his hand andughed uneasily. He looked at Can and said, "Please, President. That topic is taboo to Lady Lumi."


    Can raised his brows questioningly but seeing the uneasy expression on Ss, he just smiled.


    "By the way, President. The pit at the entrance was it...?"


    Can shook his head and smiled apologetically.


    "All your questions, you can ask them once we meet the Head Master and the Lord."


    "I understand," Ss replied with a nod. Can already mentioned he could tell everything to the Head Master and the Lord, so he agreed without making any fuss.


    Lumi pouted. All these secrecy acts were annoying her.


    She was a Spirit!


    Her kind were the ones who were supposed to annoy these lowly humans, not the other way around!


    Can looked out the carriage windows and smiled.


    "Here we are," he said.


    Ss also looked out the window and saw that they had arrived at the steps leading to the tower''s entrance.


    He saw this tower long before they entered the Tower of Conve''s premise. Now that he saw it up close, he was amazed at how enormous and high it was.


    Can looked at Ss and said, "Let us go in. We should not let the Head Master and the Lord wait."


    Ss nodded in response.<sub> </sub>


    ===================


    The next half hour after Kyran found the caravan wreckage; he maneuvered around the forest as stealthily as possible. He could not afford to be seen. While the forest was vast and the probability of meeting other people was close to nil, it was not zero. So he could not lower his guard. Although he resolved to silence those who would see him, it was not his nature to kill indiscriminately.


    ''Now that I am aware of my magic cores, my Regis Body Tempering Technique seems to have a breakthrough. Before, this technique could only heighten my senses and strengthen a part of my body or an object, but now even my sensitivity to magic and auras are improved.'' Kyran thought as he moved from a tree''s branch to another.


    Although the improvement in Kyran''s Regis technique was not that huge, he believed there was more to it that he had not yet discovered. But he would have to wait until he arrived at the mercenary guild before he explored it.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran abruptly stopped when he sensed movements at least twenty meters away ahead.


    He strained his ears and heard people talking. However, his distance was still too far for him to understand them.


    ''It doesn''t matter,'' Kyran thought and decided to change direction.


    As expected, all those involved in the wreckage back there did survive and were wandering around the forest. Whether those people in front were the survivors or the attackers, Kyran did not care. He chose to go around through the left.


    WHOOOSH!


    Kyran squinted as he turned in midair and avoided an objecting at him from the back.


    As he turned, he saw a thin knife about half a foot long passed near his left ear.


    Then he saw four moreing and immediately used his hands to grab on the closest tree branch and hoist himself up.


    THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.


    The knifes hit the branch in session.


    Kyrannded on top of this branch and looked ahead in the direction where the knife came from.


    "Gee, are you a monkey in your previous life? How''d you avoid my knives?" A man with a raspy voice dressed in mismatched leather and metal armor te on top of a dark brown overall asked as he appeared on a tree branch almost ten meters away from Kyran. A red scarf covered half of the man''s face. His hair was dark and unruly.


    Another one with a shrill voice sneeringly said, "Hehehe! Admit it. Your uracy sucks."


    Kyran looked to his left and saw another man wearing a shriveled brown coat and ck baggy pants, standing on another branch of a tree seven meters away. Simrly, the man''s face was half-covered by a red scarf. His long hair was greasy and messy, and one of his eyes also had a nasty scar.


    "Humph. Stop ying around and dispose of him immediately."


    Another man appeared below the branch where the first man was.


    This man was huge and was only wearing ck baggy pants. His bare masculine torso had a huge w scar. Like the other two men, a red scarf also covered half of his face. His bald head had nasty scars all over.


    Kyran could not help but sweat. Was he not praising how much his Regis technique improved only a few seconds ago? Why did he not feel these three sneaking on him?


    How ironic.


    "Then I''ll do just that!" Thenky, long-haired man said and immediately made a move.


    He jumped toward Kyran while a sword appeared in his right hand.


    "Die for me!" He shrieked and pointed his sword at Kyran.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed, and he jumped back. Did this guy think he would wait for his sword to reach him?


    "HAHAHAHA!"


    Thenky man burst out inughter, and his ''sword'' suddenly extended into small parts andshed toward Kyran.


    ''A sword whip!'' Kyran realized in surprise.


    "I''ll cut you to pieces!" Thenky man shouted as his sword whipped around Kyran''s torso.


    Suddenly.


    "Idiot."


    Three purple needles formed on Kyran''s left hand.


    He turned to avoid the sword whip''s des and simultaneously threw the needles at thenky man. He urately hit the man''s forehead, chest, and stomach.


    "Wha..." Thenky man felt three stings on his body.


    Kyran looked at thenky man and pointed at his head.


    Then.


    Thenky man''s face distorted.


    BOOM!


    His head, chest, and stomach burst open, and human flesh, blood, and organs spilled out.

 Chapter 111 Another Void Form

    "What?" The other two men eximed as soon as thenky man ''exploded''.


    Kyran ignored what was left of thenky man''s body as it fell on the ground. He immediately dashed forward and went after the man who threw the knives.


    "Tsk!" The short-haired man gritted his teeth as he looked at hispanion''s dismembered body.


    This development was not what they expected.


    This forest was their territory, and they should be invincible. But today, their authority had been tried time and again.


    The first time happened a few hours earlier. A caravan appeared, and they sessfully ambushed the first few carriages. But one of its passengers was actually a High Master Mage with troublesome magic. That guy fought back and managed to let the other passengers escaped. Thus, he and his group had been looking for them for hours.


    After a couple of hours of running around the forest, everything seemed to be under their control finally. They captured most of the passengers, and only a handful, including the High Master Mage, was left.


    But then this guy in ck appeared out of nowhere.


    If not for their scattered invisible detection arrays, they would not have known about this guy''s presence. He was too sneaky. So their boss had specifically selected the three of them to intercept this guy. They were to eliminate him at once. It did not matter if he was only passing by or here to save the passengers. All that matter to them was the possibility that this guy was a ''spy'' from other groups. With the loot they got from the caravan, it was best to eliminate this guy as soon as possible and not let him report back what they got to his group.


    They nned to sneak on him. And it was good so far. With their anti-detection spell, they could blend well into the surroundings and avoid this guy''s detection. While following him, they realized that he was not using any detection spells. The three of them were convinced that this guy was a noob. And when he got near the location where they gathered their captives, and instead of investigating, he actually tried to leave. They were 90% convinced that this guy was a spy. The remaining 10% was that he was only passing by and did not want to get involved, so he avoided them.


    Either way, the three of them were sure that they could kill him without him even knowing what had happened.


    But who would have expected that even after sneaking up on this guy, instead of him getting killed, it was their side who suffered a blow?


    This was uneptable!


    "Die you piece of shit!" The short-haired man shouted.


    He jumped back and spread his arms. Eight small knives appeared on both his hands, pinned in between his fingers. Then he threw the knives toward the guy in ck.


    Kyran saw the eight knives flew toward him. Avoiding these knives was easy for him. However, before he could, he saw the bald man also moved below.


    A huge ck and silver hammer appeared in the bald man''s hand.


    "Die!" The bald man shouted as he jumped and lifted his hammer high above his head.


    The bald man aimed his hammer at Kyran''s head.


    After hearing the bald man''s outcry, Kyran could not help but sweat a little. These guys loved to tell him to die. Was their vocabry that limited?


    Rousing his void magic, Kyran spun in midair and focused on the iing hammer. He summoned his magic and formed gauntlets that covered his forearm before meeting the hammer''s face with a two-hitbo.


    CRACK!


    "What-!" The bald man''s eyes widened as he saw his hammer cracked after receiving the guy''s punches.


    Kyran was not done. As soon as the hammer''s head cracked, he grabbed the hammer''s shaft and hoisted himself up toward the left, and kicked at the iing four knives.


    "Ngrgh!" The bald man''s grip on his hammer shifted from the added weight from the guy.


    His hammer also groaned from the sudden shift and showed signs of breaking.


    "This guy!" The short-haired man''s eyes bulged as he saw an almost visible dark purple force shot out of the guy''s leg and met his knives. The moment this force made contact with his knives, it disappeared without a trace.


    After dealing with the knives to his left, Kyran spun andnded on all fours on the shaft of the bald man''s huge hammer. He faced the bald man, but he ignored the bald man''s re and instead shot out another kick toward the knivesing at his left.


    "Rawrgh!" The bald man tightened his grip on his hammer. His muscles bulged as he pulled his hammer upward to get rid of the guy.


    Kyran tightened his grip on the hammer''s shaft and used the bald man''s move to hoist his body. He focused his Regis Body Tempering technique on his heels as he kicked both his feet off the shaft and lifted them. Using this momentum, he rolled on his back and aimed his heel on the bald man''s head.<sub> </sub>


    "Guh!" The bald man''s head jerked forward as the guy''s feet hit.


    Everything happened too fast that he failed to avoid the guy''s attack.


    Kyran let go of the shaft as the bald man plummeted down the ground.


    While he was still in midair, he noticed more knivesing at him in all directions. Given his position, he knew he could not avoid them in time, even if he managed to twist his body. So, he immediatelybined both the Regis Body Tempering technique and Void magic. Instead of summoning his Void Scales, where a small sphere barrier rotated around him, he used the molding technique and let both his technique and magic form into a dark purple and silver armor that covered his outer body.


    This armor, which Kyran called Void Armor, was one of the new Void forms he created during his training with Sigma. Although this armor was convenient to use, it continuously drained his reserved magic energy. Thus, he decided to use it in an emergency only, just like today.


    Since he had to hide his identity, he could not show these guys his Void Scales.


    Kyran did not want to reveal his Void Scales because when the Mercenary Hall reported the incident of his ''visit'' to the ''requester'' of his bounty, they also provided evidence of what ability he used. His Void Scales was one of the abilities they disclosed,, and quoting what Can wrote to the report, "monstrous physical strength".


    If there were more of these guys hiding nearby, waiting for a chance to strike or escape, at least if Kyran failed to intercept those who decided to escape, they would not have any information that the army might discover.


    "What?" The short-haired man eximed when he saw the dark armor covered the mysterious guy''s body.


    When his knives hit the guy, there was a sizzling sound,, and all of it disappeared just like the previous ones.


    This guy was too abnormal!


    Before Kyrannded on another tree branch, he summoned two purple needles and threw one at the short-haired man, who seemed to be petrified on top of another tree branch, and the other one at the bald man below who was just about to get up on the ground.


    The needles entered their heads.


    BOOM!


    Both their heads exploded. Blood, human flesh, and brain matter spilled out. Their bodies convulsed for a few seconds before it fell lifeless on the ground.


    Kyrannded on all fours on the tree branch. He stood up and looked down at their bodies.


    He felt a little nauseated looking at their corpses but he stilled his resolved and did not look away.


    These three were Kyran''s first intentional kills. If his situation was a little different, he would not go for a kill and would escape instead. But after sensing their killing intent, he no longer hesitated and killed them.


    Kyran surveyed his surrounding. After confirming that there were no hidden danger, he undid his Void Armor and jumped down to check the bodies.


    From what he observed, these guys were bandits and were likely operating around this area. They attacked the caravan earlier and plundered whatever was in it.


    Kyran looked at the direction where he heard people talking. He wondered if there were more bandits there and these three were scouting the area to ensure there were no intruders. Or maybe the voices belonged to those people who escaped from the caravan and these three were pursuing them.


    ''Either way, its none of my business.'' Kyran thought as he knelt down and checked the short-haired man''s clothes.


    He searched for any clue as to how they concealed themselves.


    Unfortunately, Kyran only found a tattered pouch that he believed to be a low-grade space storage and some talismans.


    ''Maybe one of this talisman''s effect is to hide a person''s presence?'' He wondered and put all of these in his space pouch.


    After that, Kyran also checked the other two and simrly collected their items he believed were any worth.


    He could destroy their bodiespletely but rejected the idea. He went to the trouble of making their bodies ''explode'' to make it appear that his ability was rted to explosions. This was so if their people investigated, at least they would not link their deaths to ''the man with the One Million Bounty''. Besides, even if he removed all the evidence, there was no guarantee that they did not have anyone on their side who could ''see'' what really happened in this ce.


    It was better to leave evidence to divert their attention.


    Once Kyran was done, he took out a low-grade energy replenishin potion and drank it. Then he made one look around to ensure there were no other presence nearby before leaving.

 Chapter 112 Killing Spree

    Kyran twisted his body and avoided the arrows aimed at him.


    THUD. THUD. THUD.


    The three arrows missed him and hit the ground.


    He jumped up a tree branch, and the moment hended, a long whip shed from the side, wrapping his leg around the tree branch.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth. ''Just how are they tracking me?''


    He summoned his Void Armor, and immediately the whip on his feet disintegrated, and he jumped to the next branch.


    As he jumped, he heard a whirring sounding from above.


    He looked up in time to see a huge axeing down at him.


    Kyran was tempted to use his Void Scales. But he endured and instead took out a sword from his pouch.


    CLANG!


    Because of the momentum of the axe, Kyran only managed to deflect it to his left using his sword.


    Hended on the next branch and was about to jump again when another set of arrows rained down on him.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He jumped and did a side whip kick in the air, shooting out a dark purple force at the iing arrows. As soon as the two connected, the arrows disappeared.


    Using the momentum of his kick, Kyran twisted his body and kicked the side of a nearby tree to propel himself toward a tree branch above. He grabbed on a tree branch and hoisted himself up before swinging to another tree branch.


    These bandits were getting on his nerves.


    A few minutes earlier, after Kyran dealt with the three bandits. He left the scene and continued on his way. However, after only a couple of minutes, he was intercepted by another group.


    This group also had red scarves hiding half of their faces, and Kyran guessed they belonged to the same group as the three men he killed.


    Because he did not want to dy, Kyran urged his magic and molded a few needles to deal with them. He used one on each and aimed at their heads to finish them off.


    After that, he initially wanted to check their bodies for clues about how they could hide their presence from his detection. However, before he could approach their bodies, he was bombarded by another round of attacks.


    He could have dealt with them efficiently by using his needles. But this group might have watched what happened to the previous group and decided not to get close to him and only attack at a distance.


    Kyran had no choice but to flee.


    Of course, he was not nning on escaping. He still had to get rid of them. All he needed was a chance. Once he knew their positions, all he needed was one needle each to deal with them.


    However, Kyran had a feeling that his needles would not be enough to deal with all of them. It was not because he had doubts about his ability but because he could only make nine needles at most. He admitted that using the needles was very efficient in dealing with the bandits. Unfortunately, creating and using them was both mentally and physically exhausting. Mainly because it was his first time trying it out.


    The truth, when Kyran was training with Sigma, he thought of how he could hide his magic''s Void property.


    His reason was simple. If he used a different identity to move around, he needed to ''show'' a different set of abilities.


    For example, when he was posing as Tyr, then he had to use the recorded abilities of Tyr. Fortunately, Tyr''s abilities were easy enough to replicate. His innate magic was strengthening, and hisbat ability was average. Lastly, his weapon of choice was a long staff. All of which Kyran already possessed.


    Then there was Nar.


    Nar''s identity had been on Kyran''s mind for some time. He already decided what Nar''s background would be, but what about his abilities?


    After much pondering, Kyran finally settled with ''explosion magic''.


    Though he dare not admit it, this idea was inspired by the psycho bastard''s magic.


    Kyran reckoned that Malek''s magic was rted to air. When Malek used his magic during their fight, and Kyran felt his insides were being crushed, he somehow sensed that the air inside his body and surroundings was pressing down on him.


    He felt that this kind of magic would make ''Nar''s'' life easier when dealing with enemies.


    However, making his magic explode became Kyran''s next headache. Aside from this, he also needed to learn how to summon his magic at a targetted area. After all, if he did seed in making his magic explode, he could not keep on touching his target before he could use it. That would be an obvious weakness.


    When Kyran was training, he practiced summoning his magic at a specific location. However, he failed miserably.


    How could Dante make it look so easy? At first, Kyran thought that maybe Dante used magic arrays to locate a spot where his magic would appear. But Kyran soon realized that using magic arrays had nothing to do with it. When he asked Sigma about its concept, Sigma only looked at him with a scowl and said: "I just know how to do it. There is no concept whatsoever behind it."


    His answer made Kyran depressed.


    Ste could do it. He also remembered Nn could do it as well. Even the psycho bastard.


    Why couldn''t he?


    It was so unfair.


    ...


    Okay, maybe it was not unfair given his practically god-like magic. But still.


    After much pondering, Kyran finally came up with a solution. If he could not summon his magic at a targetted location, why not mold it into something where he could throw it at his target?


    That was how he came up with using needles.<sub> </sub>


    Needles were tiny and could be hidden easily. Before his target could see it, it would already enter their bodies.


    The idea Kyran came up with on how the needle would explode after entering a target was to manipte the needle''s shape and expand it. Then the expanded needle would push out anything outside it. If this needle entered a human''s body, once it grew, that person''s internal organs would be pressed, and the human''s skin would not be able to handle the pressure, thus, resulting in their body exploding.


    However, there was still one w in this idea. Kyran''s Void magic had no ''solid'' state. When he molded his magic into a weapon, it only appeared solid because he could touch it. But if other people tried, they would have to be prepared to lose a hand at most.


    Kyran had no choice but to put this idea on hold. He decided to talk to Nn about it when he got back.


    Fortunately, the incident near the Chaos Pce happened.


    Kyran''s talk with his predecessor about his magic cores and central core inspired him.


    The idea was simple. All Kyran had to do was integrate his Regis technique into his needle. Pretty much like his Void Scales but vice versa.


    Because the Regis Body Tempering technique could strengthen an object, he could apply it as the needle''s coating.


    So when thenky bandit attacked earlier, Kyran tried it for the first time.


    He used three needles to test out different magic inputs. Sure enough, if the needle had to expand on a bigger area, then the magic energy he consumed wasrger. Based on this, the lowest consumption of energy was when he targeted a human''s head.


    Still, doing this was draining Kyran''s energy faster than he could say no.


    Anyway, right now, he was not using Nar''s identity but since these guys would end up dead anyway he did not care. Besides his face was hidden so he was not really worried.


    ...


    Kyran suddenly stopped.


    ''Stupid idiot!'' He scolded himself.


    Why was he being cautious right now? It was true he could not show the abilities they submitted to the Mercenary Hall, but did he not possess another magic that the army was unaware of?


    The moment Kyran stopped, different types of projectile weapons rained down on him.


    A sneer appeared on his face.


    Too bad his face was hidden and the bandits hiding in the shadows did not see it.


    Kyran was also wearing a mask, they did not see his eyes glinted silver and turned into slits.


    BOOM!


    An oppressive pressure burst out from Kyran as he urged the Regis Blessing to its fullest.


    All weapons aimed at him lost their momentum and fell to the ground.


    He faintly heard a gasp from all the bandits hiding in the shadows. And that was enough for him to locate some of their positions.


    "It''s my turn," he said and vanished.


    "Where?"


    One bandit hiding a few meters away from Kyran''s left eximed. Before he could move, something cold went past his neck.


    The next thing that happened, his head rolled on the ground, and blood gushed out from his headless body.


    "Iing!"


    Another bandit shouted but then, he felt a prick on his forehead and the next thing his head exploded.


    "This guy is a monster! Retreat-!"


    Another head rolled on the ground.


    "Aaaahh!!!"


    Screams filled the whole air as one after another, heads exploded or rolled on the ground.


    Blood, flesh, brain matters filled the ce.


    After a few minutes...


    Kyran appeared in the middle of the bandit corpses.


    The metallic smell and stink of the human internal organs filled the air.


    He looked at his left hand holding a molded Void Dagger. Right now, his hand was trembling slightly.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran lowered his hand and released his Regis''s Blessing.


    ''How convenient. With my magic, I don''t even have to worry about being stained with their blood....'' He thought with a bitter smile.

 Chapter 113 You... Again.

    Kyran checked the bodies of all the bandits. Unfortunately, he still did not find any clue how they hid their presence from his detection.


    ''If I can find how they hid their presence, it will be helpful for covert missions.'' He thought.


    It could also help him sneak into the Shaiha Ruins to look for the rare stones.


    Since Kyran could not find any clues, he checked all valuable items the bandits had with them.


    Most items he found were weapons, pills, potions, magic scrolls, and talismans.


    These items were of no use to Kyran, but that might not be the case in the future. So he did not hesitate to collect all of it.


    Some had more than two low-grade space storage pouches or rings, and Kyran decided to check what was inside when he arrived at the guild. He would then sort the items he could keep or sell.


    There was a chance some items were stolen, so he had to be careful when selling or trading them.


    ''I''ve stopped for a while, but there has been no ambush. Did the bandits give up?'' Kyran wondered as he stood up after collecting all the items he could find.


    As he surveyed his surroundings, something caught his eye.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran squinted as he approached a beheaded body.


    What caught his eye was not something on the dead body but on the ground, which the body had half covered.


    ''This,'' Kyran''s eyes widened and knelt at once.


    He moved the body to the side and revealed a slightly damaged array.


    The array was well hidden because the color used in writing the array calction was dark green, almost simr to the grass around it. However, because blood smeared the array''s writing, it was now slightly damaged. Thus, bing visible.


    Kyran studied the array.


    In Array Creation, some calctions were considered standard. Some of it was, making the array invisible or undetectable. Another standard calction was the range of the array''s area of effect. And there was also the standard calction of magic detection.


    The array on the ground had thest one.


    ''This array can detect a person''s magic?'' Kyran wondered with a frown.


    Kyran checked the range of the array''s area of effect.


    ''10 meters,'' he deciphered. ''That''s too small.''


    He stood up and checked the ground within 10 meters.


    Sure enough, he saw another simr array.


    Kyran shook his head with a bitter smile.


    ''So this was how they can detect me? And there is another calction I am not familiar with. Is that the form to hide their presence?'' He wondered.


    As much as Kyran wanted to indulge his curiosity right now, the forest was unsafe. If there were more bandits in the vicinity and they were still looking for him through these arrays, it was just a matter of time before they arrived.


    ''Let''s decipher it when I get to Nhadal,'' Kyran decided and took out a pen and a paper to copy the array. Since he was only writing it and was not using any special pen or materials, this array was inactive.


    After he finished copying the array, he returned the pen and paper inside his pouch and was about to leave when a whirring sound suddenly appeared above him.


    Kyran looked up in time to see a light-green magic array appeared above, and thick dark green vines came out. It circled him as if to trap him inside.


    Kyran did not move and just let the vines cover his body.


    As soon as the vines touched his armor, however, it sizzled and disintegrated.


    "What?"


    Someone eximed above.


    Kyran sneered. He was toozy to find his attacker and decided to stay still. He waited for his attacker to make a sound, and from there, he would act.


    Kyran''s eyes glinted silver as he activated the Regis Blessing.


    Normally, he would not use the Regis Blessing more than once because he had not mastered its usage yet. Today was an exception because he was toozy to think of a way to deal with his attackers. So he nned to win by overpowering them.


    ''Four o''clock behind a tree above,'' Kyran calcted the location of his attacker using his voice.


    Another light-green magic array appeared on all four sides of Kyran, and more dark green vines came at him.


    However.


    Kyran disappeared, and the vines got tangled on each other.


    "How?"


    Kyran appeared behind the man who attacked him and was about to slice off the man''s head when he abruptly stopped.


    ''Hm?'' He frowned as he recognized the man as the same one whom he met at the exit of Tarrin Town.


    The tall, muscr man sensed dangering from behind, and he immediately turned around.


    His eyes almost bulged as he saw the man in ck whom he met outside Tarrin, with a dark purple dagger in hand about to slice off his neck.


    "You again-! Ahh!"


    The man was so shocked he tripped on himself and fell back.


    Kyran missed the chance to slice off the man''s neck because he fell back.


    ''Tsk.''


    Kyran followed the man and tried to create a needle.<sub> </sub>


    ''Ngrgh.'' He winced, sensing his central core protested from his demand.


    It seemed using his Regis Blessing had already taken up the remaining energy in his central core. If he tried to push it further, there was a good chance his central core might break.


    Anyway, he still had his Void dagger, so he would have to make do with it.


    Although the man was not with the bandits, he must be eliminated since he witnessed Kyran using the abilities Nar was supposed to have while he had Tyr''s face.


    Even though half of Kyran''s face was covered, Tyr''s unusual aquamarine eyes were still visible. Aside from this, the man recognized him just by appearing before him.


    He did say you... Again.


    The man felt his scalp go numb as he watched the man in ck''s unusual dagger neared his neck.


    "No!" He eximed and suddenly disappeared.


    ''What?''


    Now it was Kyran''s turn to be surprised.


    He fell on all four on the ground and looked around him.


    ''Don''t use your eyes!'' He reminded himself and immediately heard movements on his left.


    Without looking at the spot, Kyran threw his dagger.


    "Aahh!" The man shouted in fright as a dagger wheezed past his cheek missing him a few centimeters.


    Sizzle!


    The dagger went straight at the tree in front and left a hole on the trunk as it hit and passed through.


    Due to fright, the man reappeared and fell back on his ass. Cold sweat ran down his back as he stared at the hole in the tree''s trunk.


    "W-What the hell...? H-How...?" He stammered.


    "You sure are lucky," Kyran said with a frown as he approached the man. He tried to resummon his Void dagger but failed.


    His magic energy was too low that he could no longer summon a new Void dagger. He thought of releasing his Void armor but decided against it. If he did, this man might think something was wrong and might look for a chance to escape.


    Not that he would let him.


    Seeing the man scared out of his wits was a chance for Kyran, so he had to maintain his in-control demeanor.


    Hearing the man in ck approached, the man turned his head. When he saw the man drew near, he felt his blood run cold. As if he was looking at death, all the fight in his body left.


    "N-No..." The man tried to muster what little courage left in him and said, "W-Wait! I-I know who you work with! I''ll cooperate with you! Just don''t kill me!"


    Kyran frowned. He knew the man was talking about something else but hearing him say ''he knew who he was working with'' piqued his interest.


    "If you knew then all the more reason I had to kill you."


    The man retreated a little. Sweat trickled down his face as he said, "W-Wait! I-If you kill me, you will not be able to get the coordinates. I''m the only one who knows!"


    ''Coordinates?'' Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    Was it where these guys nned to go? Was it a hidden ruin?


    Kyran stopped a few feet in front of the man and knelt. He looked straight at the man''s eyes and asked, "What makes you think I care?"


    The forest was dimmed, but Kyran saw the man''splexion paled.


    "I-Isn''t that why you ambushed us? T-To get the c-coordinates?"


    Kyran shrugged.


    "Honestly, I have no idea what you''re talking about. You attacked, so I retaliated. You saw me and what I can do, so I had to eliminate you." He told him.


    The man''s brow creased. He blinked twice and could not help but look at the bodies lying nearby.


    Was this man not with them?


    Come to think of it. This guy was dressed decently, while the men who ambushed them wore rugged clothes with red scarves covering half of their faces...


    The man''splexion paled further as realization hit him.


    Did he kill all of them?


    Seeing the man''s expression, Kyran could not help but chuckle.


    He contemted how to kill him.


    This man wasrger than him, and his neck was pretty thick. He could still strangle him to death, but that was only if the man did not fight back. He could take out his sword, but this man would definitely not sit still for him to cut down.


    Kyran was already exhausted, to be honest. Missing the man with his dagger just now was proof.


    While he could drink potions to replenish his stamina and magic energy, this man would not let him do that. Besides, he also had a troublesome ability to disappear.


    Kyran suddenly remembered his mother told him something when he was young.


    ''If you meet a person once, it was by chance. But if your paths crossed twice, then it was for a reason.''


    "G-Good sir. I-I may have mistaken something," the man stammered. "The truth I am not with those men. I-I''m actually from the Blue Lotus."


    After hearing this, Kyran''s eyes suddenly shed.

 Chapter 114 Treasure Grove

    The Blue Lotus was a small faction in the west of the Ylfaen Empire. They also dealt with information gathering and trading. Still, they only focused on small businesses because they could notpete with the Conve, which had more manpower, resources, and argerwork.


    Kyran read about them from Ste''s record.


    The Conve initially created their profile because they were in the same line of business and had to keep tabs on their activities. However, after much investigation, they found out that the Blue Lotus had another business in the dark.


    It was illegal, but the Conve turned a blind eye because they knew their reasons. And as long as it would not affect them, then they would not expose them.


    "The Blue Lotus, huh." Kyran tilted his head to the side and said, "And?"


    The man gulped down his fear and looked at him.


    He replied, "A-And... Y-Your skills are exceptional, w-why not put it to good use and work with us? I-I may not look like it, but I have a good reputation within the Blue Lotus. I-I can give you a good word with our employer."


    ...


    Kyran stared at him nkly. He was not expecting this.


    This man actually resorted to recruiting him to save his life?


    "You make it sound as if I am in need of work. Did it not ur to you that I may be a mercenary out on a bounty mission?"


    The man made an audible gasp as his jaw dropped open.


    He did not think about it!


    When the man blinked twice with a gaping mouth, Kyran was slightly reminded of a fish and had an urge tough. Instead, he took a sharp breath to dispel it.


    The man misinterpreted Kyran''s action as being annoyed, and he hastily said, "T-Then I will hire you! Name your price."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at the man with a nk expression, "I said I ''may'' be a mercenary, I did not say I am."


    The man''s face paled as he gaped at the man in ck in horror. He was right! What was wrong with him? Had hismon sense left him in the face of death?


    He looked at the man in ck who stood up again, and his blood ran cold.


    Before the man in ck could step forward, he moved at once and kowtowed.


    "Merciful, good sir, please spare my life, and I am willing to follow you!" He shouted.


    Silence.


    The man remained on the ground as he waited for the man in ck to move or speak. After almost a minute, however, the man in ck did not make any sound.


    Mustering what was left of his courage, the man lifted his head and looked up at the man in ck. What he saw made his blood run dry.


    From his point of view, the man in ck''s nk stare was almost like a god of death looking down on his prey.


    To Kyran, however, after he heard the man said those words, he stopped because an idea slowly formed in his mind.


    Right now, he was thinking about how to proceed from here.


    If the man were a small-timeckey from the Blue Lotus, Kyran would kill him. But now that he admitted to having a good reputation within the Blue Lotus, this might be a good opportunity.


    Because Kyran was interested in the Blue Lotus''s illegal business, it was also the reason why he did not immediately kill this guy after blurting that he was from the Blue Lotus.


    "G-Good sir..?"


    Kyran looked down at the man and asked, "You mentioned having a good reputation within the Blue Lotus. How good?"


    "H-How?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. This man kept stammering that it was getting a little annoying.


    Was he that scary?


    "Speak straight, or I''ll kill you."


    "Y-Yes-!" The man immediately covered his mouth in fright.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He intended to scare this man so he would not run but he did not intend to frighten him to this extent.


    "Sit properly."


    The man nodded and straightened his back while still on his knees. He then lowered his hand and cleared his throat.


    "Now answer my question," Kyran said and moved back. He sat crossed-legged a few feet away and looked at the man.


    "I''m the leader of the Blue Lotus''s right-hand man, good sir," the man answered respectfully.


    Kyran frowned not from the man''s answer but how he called him.<sub> </sub>


    "Stop calling me good sir," he told him.


    "Understood!"


    "Don''t shout. I can hear you."


    "Understood." The man replied, his voice lowering at once.


    Kyran looked at him in silence.


    This man said he was the only one who knew about some ''coordinates,'' meaning his position as a right-hand man might be true. But he remembered those men back at Tarrin called him captain, which was confusing. Was the Blue Lotus''s right-hand man only at captain level?


    Kyran would not have a problem confirming this man''s identity if he knew all the information about the Blue Lotus. Unfortunately, the record Ste shared with him was only a record of all the factions within the Yen Empire, and the information written on it was notplete. He also did not ask Ste for it because he did not want her to know he was interested in them.


    "What''s your name?" Kyran asked.


    "Byron, sir."


    "Back in Tarrin they called you captain, and yet you imed to be the leader''s, right-hand man. Is the Blue Lotus''s right-hand has such a low rank?"


    Byron hesitated.


    Seeing him hesitated, Kyran subtly took out a small knife from his pouch and posed as if he was examining the des.


    When Byron saw this, his throat went dry and he had to swallow before he could reply, "We''re on an undercover mission. And I am acting as their Captain."


    "I see. So your mission is going to that coordinates you mentioned."


    "Yes."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. If they were hiding their identity, there was a good chance that the mission had something to do with their ''illegal business''.


    "What is in there that you even have to hide your identity?" Kyran asked.


    Byron''s expression turned sour. He knew his survival depended on his answers but while he said he would cooperate with the man in ck when he thought he was part of the people who ambushed them, he did not mean it. He only wanted to buy time until he could find a way to escape. Even now he was only waiting for his armor''s ability toplete its cooldown so he could escape.


    "If you don''t want to answer that''s fine."


    Byran heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Just stay silent for the rest of your life," the man in ck said and suddenly moved.


    He bolted with the knife glinting maliciously toward him.


    "A ruin! The coordinates leads to a ruin!" Byron blurted just in time before the knife on the man in ck''s hand touched his neck.


    Blood trickled down his neck from where the knife''s de touched.


    It was not even deep but he was already cut. Just how sharp was the knife?


    Kyran squinted. He was right. But why did they have to be so secretive?


    It was true that the Royal Family monopolized all the ruins inside the empire. But they were open for negotiations. One example was the Shaiha Ruins. After the Temr Code negotiated with the Royal Family, they bought the ruins.


    Kyran knew that the Blue Lotus might not have the means to buy the ruins they found, but that was how negotiation works. If they negotiated well with the Royal Family, they coulde to an agreement. Besides, as far as the Conve described the Blue Lotus, they were not doing business to earn a profit. Even their ''illegal'' business was not profitable.


    "Tell me more about this ruin. Keep silent and I won''t mind silencing you for good." Kyran threatened, with the knife still on Byron''s neck.


    "I''ll talk. I''ll talk," Byron answered and gulped nervously.


    "Then talk."


    "Um, the knife-."


    "Talk."


    "Yes."


    Byron took a shaky breath and replied, "The ruin is hidden in the heart of the Valley of Morte. And it is filled with high-grade spirit stones."


    Hearing this, Kyran now understood why they hired a lot of hunters. Because the ruins was located at Valley of Morte where forest beasts lurked, they needed someone who could deal with the beasts and also know how to excavate these stones.


    But Kyran felt something was still missing. And so he tauntingly asked, "Are the Blue Lotus that desperate for spirit stones that you even have to hide your identity to excavate them?"


    As Kyran intended, Byron scowled at his words and he answered, "The spirit stones are obviously not the main reason. When we first explored the ruins, we are prepared to negotiate with the Royal Family to buy the ruins. But, after going deeper, we actually found traces of magic residue and found an underground grove. The underground grove was nothing special at first nce, but the prohibition around it is very powerful. When we decipher the writings near the entrance, we found that it was actually one of the lost treasure groves of the Void Master!"


    As soon as Byron finished, his expression paled and he covered his mouth at once. He was not meant to blurt that out!


    On the other hand, a smile appeared on Kyran''s lips from this piece of information.

 Chapter 115 Sigil

    Byron wanted to hit himself. Talking about the treasure grove was still safe. But did he have to blurt out the treasure grove was connected to the Void Master? The man in ck killed the people who ambushed them, which meant they were not on the same side, but his identity was still unknown. He could be an agent from another group nning to hinder their ns. And him blurting out the information about the treasure grove was practically sentencing himself and the Blue Lotus to death!


    ''I''m sorry, boss. I failed you!'' He thought in frustration.


    Kyran''s mind, on the other hand, was racing. This information confirmed a lot of things. First, since this guy could say this information without a problem, he was not bound by a Soul-binding oath confirming his position in the Blue Lotus. Second, if someone like him was here to handle the operation personally, it meant this was part of the illegal side of their business. Third, he referred to the Dark Sage as the ''Void Master'', meaning the Blue Lotus was a fanatic. Fourth, as a Dark Sage fanatic, it seemed they had been researching many things about him. Last, this guy was an idiot he could use.


    "That did not answer my question," Kyran spoke after sorting his thoughts.


    Byron blinked as he lowered his hand from his mouth. Did it not? But he answered it clearly.


    "But you asked me what was in there," he replied cautiously.


    "''Why do you have to hide your identity to excavate the stones?''" Kyran repeated patiently.


    "As I said, we found a treasure grove inside and-hiiii!"


    The knife on Kyran''s hand further pressed on Byron''s neck.


    "I really don''t understand!"


    Yes. This man was an idiot indeed.


    "As far as I know, finding a grove connected to the Dark Sage doesn''t need anyone to hide their identity, especially the Blue Lotus." Kyran started.


    He kept a close watch on Byron''s expression.


    As he expected, Byron''s eyes constricted when he called the Void Master ''Dark Sage'', and his jaw clenched when he pointed out the Blue Lotus did not have to hide their identity.


    "If you reported the ruins and told them about the grove, you have a better chance to negotiate with the Royal Family. Finding something connected to the Dark Sage can even be considered a meritorious deed."


    Byron''s eyes further constricted at the mention of the Dark Sage once again. His expression also turned colder.


    Kyran smiled. This guy was easy to provoke just by using the Dark Sage''s name. It proved how deep his ''devotion'' to the Void Master was.


    "After all, that grove can provide more information about the Dark Sage. There might also be some information that can help the Royal Army''s Research Division have a breakthrough about the Dark Sage-."


    "ARGH! SHUT UP!"


    Byron suddenly bolted and was about to tackle the man in ck but.


    Kyran deftly moved to the side and reached for Byron''s right arm, pushing and pinning him on the ground.


    "AAARGH!"


    Byron screamed in pain as his back sizzle from where Kyran''s knee touched.


    "Oh, my bad," Kyran said with a slight sneer and undid his Void Armor.


    Byron was frightened out of his wits. It felt as if something had taken a chunk of skin off his back! What touched his back that could actually destroy his armor and also damaged his skin? Now, even if he wanted to escape, he could no longer use his armor''s ability because it was now broken. He struggled to break free but found that even though he wasrger than the man in ck, he could not move at all!


    Kyran pressed his knife on Byron''s neck.


    "You really do get angry when I call the Void Master the Dark Sage, huh."


    Byron turned still. The man''s words just now sounded as if he was testing him!


    "Who are you?" Byron demanded as an idea crossed his mind. If he was right, he really subjected the whole Blue Lotus to death!


    Kyran did not answer. Instead, he said, "You''re suffering from skin avulsion. If you don''t treat it now, it will get infected, and you''ll also lose a lot of blood."


    "Just kill me!" Byron shouted through gritted teeth. If he were correct about this man''s identity, getting killed now would not help the Blue Lotus, but at least he could atone for his sin.


    Byron only regretted being a big mouth. He wished his boss and the others would survive.


    "Don''t be in a hurry to die," Kyran said, sensing Byron''s will to live had diminished.


    "Submit to me, and I''ll let you live."


    "What?" Byron asked in confusion.


    Submit to this man? Was he giving him a chance to live, and in turn, he would betray the Blue Lotus?


    Despicable!


    "I''d rather die!" Byron spat in anger.


    "Are you sure? You haven''t heard my terms yet."


    "It doesn''t matter! I may have failed, but I''d never betray the Blue Lotus!"


    "I never said anything about betraying the Blue Lotus. On the contrary, I want you to keep working there."


    "Isn''t it the same?"<sub> </sub>


    "Look, I have an opportunity to kill you before you blurted things you''re not supposed to say. So the least you can do is understand why I haven''t killed you yet."


    Byron gritted his teeth. The pain in his back was excruciating and made it hard for him to think clearly. But he could still understand what this man was trying to say. And he hated that he made sense.


    "Why should I listen to you?"


    Kyran paused for a second before answering, "Well... because you''re a fan?"


    "What?"


    "Submit to me, then I''ll tell you."


    Byron closed his eyes. His breath had bebored due to the pain in his back. He recalled the things the man had said and done so far. All of these points led him to wonder what the man''s real purpose was. He initially thought that the man was part of the Royal Army''s Special Ops who might be out on a secret mission. But would a Special Ops tell their captive to submit? As far as he knew, the Special Ops were ruthless, and they would kill their target without hesitation.


    "Look, I''m in a hurry. I''ll count to three. If you don''t agree, then I''ll kill you."


    "H-Huh?"


    "One."


    "W-Wait!"


    "Two."


    "You''re counting is way too fast!"


    "Three-."


    "OKAY! OKAY! I AGREE! I SUBMIT!"


    ck lines appeared on Byron''s head. One minute he seemed patient. The next, he was impatient.


    Suddenly the pain in his back worsened, and he groaned, "Argh!"


    Kyran sighed.


    "If you agreed earlier, you wouldn''t have to get all worked up and aggravate your wound. Stay still."


    He returned his knife inside his pouch and took out an energy replenishing potion. After drinking, he returned the empty bottle to his pouch before he grabbed Byron''s head.


    "What are you going to do?" Byron asked as he struggled to look at him.


    "Shh."


    Kyra urged his Draconic core and pulled out the information about one of the nonbat Regis technique his father taught him when he was ten. Normally, this technique was used to tame beasts. But when Kyran asked his father if this only works with beasts, his father answered vaguely with: "As long as your target can be controlled, then it can be used."


    Kyran would use it on a human today. So far, his instincts told him it was possible. Most likely, his ancestor had done it before, and his Draconic core was telling him that.


    ''Sigil!''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver.


    Two silver rings appeared on the ground with them in the center. A curled dragon appeared at the center and circled Kyran before resting its head on his hand, where he held Byron.


    Silver and gold draconic writings appeared circling above the back of Kyran''s hand. It converged at the middle forming a new symbol that looked like two dragons with their heads resting on top of each other and fixed itself at the back of Kyran''s hand.


    A simr symbol appeared on Byron''s forehead.


    "AAAHHH!" He screamed as a hot searing pain prated his very mind.


    "Ergh..." Kyran gritted his teeth and endured the burning sensation that seeped up his hand holding Byron''s head.


    Draconic writings appeared on his arms.


    Finally, after almost a quarter of an hour, the draconic writings faded, followed by the silver rings beneath them decreasing in size.


    "Argh..." The symbol on Byron''s head disappeared, and he lost consciousness.


    Kyran was breathing heavily as he let go of Byron''s head. Sweats trickled down the side of his face as he controlled his breathing.


    After a few seconds, he stood up slowly. Due to exhaustion, he swayed a little. He steadied himself before moving to a nearby tree and sat on the ground.


    "That was dangerous," he said under his breath while wiping the sweat off his face.


    ''If I didn''t drink an energy replenishing potion before I did that, I might''ve passed out from exhaustion. I didn''t know that used up a lot of magic energy.''


    Kyran sat crossed-legged to feel his central core. When he drank a potion, it restored his magic energy to at least 12%. Now, it went down to almost 1%. He wasn''t sure how he knew the exact percentage of his magic energy, but his central core conveyed it well.


    ''If I want to use the Sigil again, with full magic energy, I can use it nine times at most. But this is only true if there is no limit to how many I can tame as long as I have enough magic energy. I have to study it first. Anyway, this is only a trial. If this works, I can always find others to test it.'' Kyran thought as he looked at Byron.

 Chapter 116 First Sigil

    Without taking his attention away from Byron, Kyran took out another bottle of energy replenishing potion and down it in seconds. His brows lifted when suddenly the wound on Byron''s back slowly healed.


    Kyran had seen a simr scene before when a Regis apprentice seeded in taming a beast. After the Sigil integrated sessfully into the beast, their physical body would improve. If they were wounded, then they would heal.


    The back of Kyran''s hand glowed, and slowly a mark of two intertwining dragons forming a circle, with a number one at the center, appeared.


    ''It worked,'' Kyran thought with a smile while he looked at the mark.


    This mark was proof that he had a Sigil and the number at the center was the number of his ''tamed'' Sigil.


    Byron slowly stirred in his sleep, and he soon opened his eyes.


    "Argh..." he groaned as he slowly got up. "My head..." he rubbed his throbbing temples and tried to recall what had happened.


    "Good. You''re awake."


    Byron jolted back when he heard someone speak to his right. He looked at the man in ck as his memories from earlier rushed into his head.


    "Y-You! What did you do to me?" He asked and pointed an using finger at him.


    Kyran frowned slightly. This reaction was not what he expected. When his family tamed a beast, they became docile as soon as the beast woke up, and some even became affectionate.


    ''Docile is fine, I don''t want this grown man fawning over me,'' Kyran decided.


    "Is that how you act in front of the person you''ve submitted to?" Kyran asked coldly.


    Byron felt a sudden chill run up his spine after seeing the man in ck''s eyes.


    "Sit properly," Kyran ordered.


    "Yes, sir."


    Byron replied and immediately sat and faced the man in ck.


    "Ack!" The moment he did, he froze in mortification after realizing that he answered without meaning, and his body moved on his own.


    Seeing the obvious mortified look on Byron, Kyran chuckled. It would seem, a human Sigil would obey his words but still retain their self-consciousness. This behavior was unexpected and might bring trouble to Kyran if he was not careful, but it was okay. He did not want an autonomous Sigil. Come to think of it, maybe beasts also retained self-consciousness after performing the Sigil, but they immediately warmed up to them since there was no longer a threat to their lives.


    But humans were different. They tend to overthink, making them wary of other people''s motives unless they prove they could be trusted. That proof, however, depends on each individual. This reason was why some trusted others easily and got fooled a lot of times. It was rare to meet a person whose sensitive to other people''s real characters.


    Kyran studied Byron, who was looking at him in apprehension.


    Getting into the Blue Lotus was crucial to Kyran''s ns after leaving the Tower of Conve. He had to be careful in dealing with this guy.


    First, he needed to get this guy to trust him.


    "What I did to you is insurance. Since you agreed in submitting to me, I had to make sure you will not betray me," Kyran started.


    Byron''s brow creased slightly, and he said, "Is it simr to a Soul-binding Oath?"


    "Yes."


    Byron''s expression turned ugly, but he did not say anything.


    "Your soul is not bound. But your life is in my hands. If you do anything that would harm me, you will die. If I am displeased with you, I can kill you in one word."


    Byron shivered at how blunt the man in ck said these words.


    "My words are absolute. If I ordered you to do something, you will do it. Of course, I won''t order you to your death because I will also suffer." Kyran added when he saw him paled again.


    This guy changed color too fast. It was a little funny.


    "In return, I had to share my life force with you. Didn''t you notice your wounds are now healed?"


    Byron''s eyes widened, and he turned to look at his back. Sure enough, the pain in his back was gone. The man in ck said he suffered a skin avulsion. Upon seeing the huge opening on his armor, Byron''s throat went dry just imagining how bad it was. He also remembered the pain and felt cold sweat run down his back. This man shared his life force, and in return, Byron was healed. How terrible was this man''s healing ability?


    "I will know if you''re lying to me. Or if you''re hiding something, so I suggest you answer well when I ask questions."


    "I understand," Byron replied at once. This time he answered because he meant it.


    Byron was still alive, so this man was reasonable. As long as he did not give him a reason to kill him, he would be fine.


    "I said this earlier, I''m in a hurry, so try to make it brief. Tell me the real reason why you have to hide your identity."


    Byron took a deep breath. He was already convinced that the man was not part of the Royal Army''s Special Ops, so he did not mind telling him what he knew. Besides, he seemed uninterested in harming the Blue Lotus.


    "The truth, the magic residue we felt that attracted us to go deep into the ruins and found the underground grove was fresh. We feared that someone else already found the ruins and hadn''t imed it yet so we kept searching. And soon we found traces of the Royal Army."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. So the underground grove was already found by the army. If that was the case, then the army should block the entrance to the ruins.


    Seeing the man in ck''s thoughtful expression, Byron nodded and continued, "We feel something was off, so we checked again. Finally we found a transportation array. We don''t know where it leads to, but we know it was an array setup by the army. It is also well hidden, and we only found it by luck."


    ''Meaning they setup the array to return in the ruin instead of publicly iming it. The reason was simple, the army wanted to hide the ruin''s existence. From whom? The mass? The fanatics? Or the Royal Family?'' Kyran wondered.


    He knew that the Three Noble Families had more power over the Royal Army, and thus, the most likely reason they wanted to keep the grove''s existence was to hide it from the Royal Family. But he could be wrong. Right now, hecks an understanding of the overall situation within the Royal Army. The Conve''s record he read only had an overview of its different rtionships.


    "So the army wanted to hide its existence."


    Byron nodded in agreement.


    "That''s what we thought too. Anyway, we need to hide our identities in case if we are found we will not implicate the Blue Lotus."


    Hiding their identity while using the hunters to explore and excavate the stones was reasonable if the army was involved. It was the same tactic the army used when they requested a bounty on his head.


    Kyran suspected that the army was doing something behind the Royal Family''s back. He had this suspicion after reading through the report Ste gave him during the meeting with the Conve. This information proved his suspicion.


    "The Royal Family hated the Void Master so much, but the Royal Army is hiding a grove that is rted to him." Kyran sneered. "Hypocrites."


    Byron blinked. He felt the man''s words held so much weight. Then he realized he didn''t call the Void Master the ''Dark Sage''.


    ''Could it be that this man...?''


    His eyes gleamed in anticipation. Then he remembered the man mentioning that he should listen to him because he was a fan.


    "Sir!" Byron eximed and looked at the man expectantly. "Are you also a-a follower of the Void Master?"


    "No."


    Byron almost fell at the abrupt denial of the man.


    "But-."


    "I''m his sessor not a follower."


    ...


    Sounds of Forest crickets filled the silence.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    The sound of forest crickets got louder.


    Kyran''s brow twitched, looking at the dumbfounded look on Byron''s face.


    "What?"


    "EEH?"


    Both of them said at the same time.


    Byron''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets in his dyed shock.


    He met a few followers who arrogantly proimed they were the Void Master''s sessor, but it was his first time hearing a self-proimed sessor say it with a deadpan expression and tone.


    "If you shout again, I''ll kill you."


    Byron immediately covered his mouth. Then he cautiously approached the man and said in a low voice.


    "Sir, if you say that, even in front of a follower, they will be hostile towards you."


    Kyran sighed. He did not tell Byron his secret on a whim. It was intended. If Byron knew who he was, it would be easier for him to trust him.


    "You don''t believe me?"


    Byron leaned back with ck lines on his head. If he answered honestly, he would die. It might be interpreted as a silent acknowledgment if he didn''t respond, and he would still die.


    How would he reply?


    Not waiting for Byron to answer, Kyran stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.


    "I don''t care if you believe me or not. Right now, we need to leave. I''m not sure how many bandits there are left but they have an annoying detection array all over the forest and I really can''t be bothered to deal with all of them."


    "Bandits?"


    Kyran looked at Byron and saw his nk expression. He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "Those guys I killed are likely to be bandits that roam around this forest."


    "Bandits?" Byron repeated as he absentmindedly looked back to the area where the corpses were lying around.


    "Those guys were bandits?"


    "I''m really going to kill you if you say that again."


    Byron covered his mouth again.


    This guy was hopeless.


    "No!" Byron suddenly blurted while shaking his head.


    He turned his attention to the man in ck and said, "Aren''t those guys from the group who was trying to-ah!"


    He stopped abruptly. If this man in ck was not from the group his employer had warned him, and those guys who ambushed them were bandits, did that mean he jumped to conclusion and almost put all their men in harm when he decided to make a detour?


    "I MESSED UP!" He shouted.


    "Shut up!" Kyran hit the top of his head.


    "Ow!" Byron touched his head and winced, feeling a lump growing there. This man had a terrible fist!


    "There might still be bandits around, if you keep on shouting you might draw their attention!" Kyran hissed.


    "I-I''m sorry."


    Kyran sighed. Was this man really the right-hand man of the leader of the Blue Lotus? He was starting to have doubts whether he did the right thing in making him his first Sigil.


    "Let''s go."


    Byron nodded and stood up, and followed the man.


    As they made their way out of the forest, Kyran asked, "Your people how are they?"


    He was not worried about them, but if they were still alive, he did not want to be seen walking around with this guy.


    "They already escaped and are on their way to Lebe. I stayed behind nning to finish off those guys so they could not report back to their boss and n another ambush... at least that was my intention."


    "Good. I''m going to Nhadal and you''reing with me. Just send a message to your second inmand to wait for you until then."


    Byron''s eyes lit up. "You mean you will let me go?"


    Kyran looked at him, "I need you to do something. Once I''m done with my business, I will find you."


    "Um. I don''t mean to be secretive but finding me will be troublesome. Ourmunication channel is being monitored. Even my personal channel is linked to my employer..."


    "I have my ways. Just stay away from ces with strong prohibition cause it would take some time."


    Byron frowned a little, not understanding what he meant. But he refrained from asking because he was afraid it would piss him off.


    "I understand."


    "Also, do you know transfiguration magic?"


    "I do."


    "Change your face before we enter Nhadal."


    "Okay. Um, sir. Can I ask a question?"


    "What?"


    "What is your name?"


    Kyran stopped and looked at Byron.


    "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to!" Byron hastily added.


    "It''s fine." Kyran replied with ck lines on his head.


    This guy was big but easily intimidated.


    "I can''t tell you my name yet. For now, call me Nar."

 Chapter 117 Arrival At Nhadal

    There were two receiving areas inside the Tower of Conve''s south tower. The first one was where guests usually go after arriving, while the second was a big room where only invited guests could enter.


    This room was where Can led Ss after entering the south tower. It was located in the back of the first floor and upied almost a quarter of its whole circumference.


    The room had a simple decoration. A red carpet embroidered with gold vines covered the floor, while the ceiling was bare with floating goldnterns scattered around. At the center of the room stood a high chair on top of a raised tform. A long thin white fabric surrounded the tform, making it hard for anyone to clearly see the person seated on the high chair.


    Can and Ss entered the room.


    Immediately, Ss''s sense of smell was assaulted with a vani scent.


    He and Can walked in silence, and he took his time admiring the simple yet elegant decoration of the receiving room.


    While looking at the floatingnterns, a nostalgic feeling swept through Ss. He remembered how his big sister made floatingnterns and offered them at the Spirit Hall during the first snow of the year.


    "Oh? Floatingnterns, it has been a while since I''ve seen these." Lumimented as she appeared on top of Ss''s head.


    Ss could only nod in agreement.


    While he and Lumi talked, a huge array appeared above the raised tform. A semi-transparent golden sphere descended from the array and settled on the high chair.


    Ss squinted his eyes and tried to look into the sphere, but it was a little hard because of the fabric surrounding the tform.


    "Lord of the Tower," Can knelt and lowered his head in respect.


    Seeing this, Ss followed suit.


    ''Inside that sphere was the ''Lord'' the President talked about?'' He thought in surprise.


    It would seem that the ''Lord'' had a higher position than the Head of Conve.


    Ss''s felt nervous once again. It was very unexpected. He had no idea that there was a person higher than the Head of the Conve.


    "No need for formalities, Can. Both of you may stand," A soft feminine voice spoke from inside the sphere.


    ''A woman!'' Ss''s eximed in his heart. He did not expect the ''Lord'' of the Tower to be a woman. He was not a sexist. His surprise was a product of how Can addressed her with a ''Lord'' that threw him off guard.


    "Thank you, Milord." Can replied and stood straight.


    Ss followed his example and finally saw the silhouette of the ''Lord'' after the gold sphere around her faded. Even with the fabric preventing Ss from getting a better look of the ''Lord'', he could see that the woman seated on the high chair was a beauty with long wavy blonde hair and a flowing white dress. Her temperament alone reminded him of a Fairy Queen.


    "Hm? You must be the new Time Keeper," Lumi said with a slight sneer. She flew closer to the high chair. "Looking as beautiful as ever, it is almost hateful."


    Ss''s heart skipped a beat at Lady Lumi''s unruly behavior. He was too frightened that he did not react to how she addressed the Lord as a ''Time Keeper''.


    ''What in zes was Lady Lumi doing and saying? Did she not care that if the Lord of the Tower heard her, I would be the one getting the brunt of her annoyance?''


    Yes. Ss. Lady Lumi does not care one bit.


    An internal voice told him.


    It was indeed good that Lady Lumi was a Spirit, or else he would really be in big trouble!


    The Lord of the Tower chuckled.


    "I''ll take that as apliment." The Lord of the Tower replied and immediately crushed Ss''s hope.


    She could hear Lady Lumi!


    "You must be Lumi. It is an honor to meet you," the Lord of the Tower replied.


    Ss paled. While he did not hear any hint of annoyance from the Lord''s voice, when she addressed Lady Lumi by her name only, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Lumi raised her little brows in surprise.


    "Oh? You can see me?"


    "My grandfather had Fae blood."


    Lumi''s eyes narrowed at this information. "I never expected our precious Fae-Human bloodline managed to find their way into two families with Ancient Magic."


    Ss''s frightened expression turned serious.


    ''Ancient magic?'' He wondered.


    "Make that three," the Lord of the tower replied in humor.


    Lumi paused in confusion but then burst out intoughter.


    "Right. Right. We have always considered the Void Master''s bloodline as our own. But you are right, Time Keeper."


    ''Wait, what?'' Ss thought and looked at Lumi.


    The Void Master''s bloodline as her own? He knew Lady Lumi regarded the Void Master highly, but he never thought the Spirits considered him their own.


    "I have been told," the Lord replied. She then addressed Can and said, "Can. You may take your leave. I''ll handle the rest."


    "Yes, Milord." Can replied and bowed respectfully before giving Ss a slight nod.


    Ss nodded in return and watched him leave.


    As soon as the doors closed behind Can, Lumi asked, "What is your name, child?"


    ck lines appeared on Ss''s head as he looked back at Lady Lumi.


    While the Lord did not add any honorifics when calling Lumi, she did not get angry. Was it because the Lord also had Fae blood? Was he not the same? What was this difference in treatment?


    "Ste."


    "Oh? How nostalgic."


    "You seemed to know someone with a simr name."


    "I do."


    Their exchange seemed normal and yet brought questions to Ss. He also felt that he was an outsider.


    "And I also know that you know who I am referring to."


    Ste chuckled and replied, "I can never be too sure."


    "Good. I like you."


    "Why?" Ss could not help but blurt out.


    "Shut up, stupid Ss." Lumi scolded without looking at him.


    Ste chuckled at their banter and waved her hand.


    A chair appeared in front of Ss and a floating cushion beside Lumi.


    "Please, have a seat."


    "Ah~! How considerate of you. Stupid Ss''s head is already hurting my butt."


    "L-Lady Lumi..." Ss sighed.


    His dignity was crushed time and again by her, and he could not refute it.


    Ste chuckled at them again.


    After the two were seated, Lumi got down to business.<sub> </sub>


    "So, why do you want to meet us? That old man could not give us any hints at all."


    Ss could only sigh in his heart. He was notining. He was even grateful to her because his nervousness had disappeared.


    "I''m sorry. It is not that he could not tell you but he only knows a little of the situation. I cannot subject him too much."


    "I can''t decide if it is because you care about your people or because you don''t trust them enough."


    "Pardon her rudement, Lord of the Tower," Ss finally spoke.


    Lumi red at him at once. Before she could scold him, Ste already spoke.


    "I do understand. But for the record, I did not tell them much because they already have their hands full at the moment. As you''ve noticed, we have suffered an incident recently."


    "If I may ask, Lord of the Tower." Ss started.


    "What is it?"


    "We heard that the Mercenary Hall was attacked recently, and seeing the damage at the entrance... Is it the same person?"


    "Yes."


    "The truth of the matter, Lord of the Tower is-."


    "I think I know what you want to say. But you do not have to worry. What you see or hear is not the real story. Only a few knows the truth."


    "Not the real story?" Ss asked in confusion.


    Lumi also frowned slightly.


    "We have to keep up with appearances," Ste answered.


    Ss frowned slightly and stood. He took out his token and showed it to Ste.


    "Lord of the Tower. The truth, I have be the Regis''s emissary and if it is alright for you to exin what happened, I can give you an ount."


    Ste chuckled and shook her head.


    "That is not necessary. But thank you for your concern. The appearance I said we have to keep, is to make the army think that we have no idea about the truth of their ''request''."


    Ss''s eyes widened at once.


    "Does this mean...?"


    Ste smiled and nodded, "Yes. We know it was the army who sent the One million bounty request. But let''s discuss thatter. Tell me the situation inside the Regis Estate. How are they?"


    Hearing the concern in her voice, Ss and Lumi exchanged nces.


    He knew the Conve''s rtion with the Regis. Patriarch Aron told him. Though they doubted why they agreed to post the One million bounty knowing that the image on the poster was Kyran eluded them. It was one of the questions Ss wanted to ask the president, but after seeing what happened to the Mercenary Hall, he decided to observe first.


    "Can I first ask a question?"


    "What is it?"


    "Why did you agree to post the bounty?" Ss asked. "I''m sure you know about what the new Void Master looked like, so why?"


    "Everything is because of the timing. Please do not me Can. The one who received the request was not him. And because of the bad timing, he unknowingly approved of the bounty."


    "I see."


    "But it was a blessing in disguise in my opinion. At least, because of this, Kyran made his way to us."


    "Attacking the Mercenary Hall and this ce though..." Ss remembered the massive crater at the Tower''s entrance and could not help but shiver.


    "It was... messy. But we managed to exin our side. The truth, the stories you hear about what happened to the Mercenary Hall was his idea. And now, he is helping restore this ce."


    Ss''s eyes widened.


    Before he could speak, Lumi beat him.


    "Are you saying that he is here?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.


    "Yes. Oh but not right now. He is out on an errand. He will contact us soon and will be back in a few days."


    Lumi red.


    "Why did you let him out on an errand? He is the new Void Master for crying out loud!"


    Steughed uneasily, "Ahaha... the truth, it was his idea of ''taking responsibility'' of what he did."


    "Humph," Lumi suddenly beamed with pride. "As expected of the new Void Master."


    Ss''s brow twitched.


    ''Are you angry or proud? Which is it?''


    "Well, Ss. Can you tell me about the Regis''s?" Ste asked once more.


    Ss nodded and lowered his head in respect.


    "Yes, Lord of the Tower."


    ==================


    Byron turned out to have the ability to detect the scattered invisible detection arrays, which made his and Kyran''s journey out of the forest easy.


    After confirming that there were no detection arrays around and no other humans nearby, Kyran grabbed Byron and warped at least 500 meters. He was really pressed for time.


    The moment they warped, Byron''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    Questions popped out of his mind one after another. Was that teleportation or... warp? He wanted to know! Did this man, Nar, really tell him the truth about being the Void Master''s sessor? He needed proof! If he really was the Void Master''s sessor, how did he survive all this time? Was he part of a n? What level was his magic attainment now?


    Before Byron could ask any of these questions, ''Nar'' grabbed him again and ''teleported''.


    Byron was dying to know more about ''Nar''!


    After almost two hours, they finally arrived a few meters outside Nhadal Town.


    The twonded on top of a tree branch.


    Kyran looked at Byron and said, "Change your face. Then we''re going in."


    "Yes." Byron nodded at once and urged his magic and changed his appearance.


    His blonde hair turned dark, and his eye color changed to dark brown from green. Then his tanned skin changed to a more fair tone. The contours of his face also changed.


    Kyran nodded at Byron''s change. Transfiguration magic was really convenient, but he knew its duration was too short for his liking. Anyway, he nned to improve the array on his mask soon, and he could use the transfiguration magic as a reference.


    "Good. Once we''re there, don''t speak my name. You can just call me... err.. just don''t say my name." Kyran warned Byron.


    Byron nodded enthusiastically.


    "Yes, sir."


    Kyran twitched at the ''sir'', but he decided to ignore it.


    They both jumped down the tree and looked at the gates leading to Nhadal.


    "Let''s go." Kyran said.

 Chapter 118 His Proof

    The sky had already turned reddish when Kyran and Byron entered Nhadal.


    Theyout of the Mercenary Guild was the same in every city or town all over the empire. It was a rectangr two-floor building made from abination of asphalt and wood. The main entrance led to a spacious reception area where the reception desk and bounty bulletin board were. Few tables and chairs were ced near the bulletin board for mercenaries to sit on. At the right of the reception, another entrance led to a public cafeteria for all mercenaries, while on the left led to the Mercenary Guild''s employee''s quarters. On the sides of both entrances were stairs leading up to the second floor. At the center overlooking the reception was the Guild Master''s study room, while the rest were single or double private rooms that mercenaries could stay at.


    The private rooms of the guild were limited. But it was never a problem even if there were too many mercenaries because the Conve had partner inns where mercenaries could rent at a discounted price. The downside of this, they could not enjoy the ''protection'' of the guild''s array. Still, very few mercenaries cared because they believed that danger was hand in hand with their profession. If they wanted to be protected, there was no meaning to them being mercenaries.


    "Sir, this ce is... Are you really a mercenary?" Byron cautiously asked as he looked at Kyran.


    Both of them had just arrived at the Mercenary Guild''s front steps, and Byron was already intimidated by the stares they received from mercenaries hanging out at the front porch.


    Kyran could not help but sweat as he looked at Byron.


    This big guy appeared ''bossy'' back when he first met him in Tarrin. Why was he acting such a coward now?


    "Why are you scared?"


    Byron shook his head in denial and said, after clearing his throat. "Of course not! Why should I be? The truth... this is the Conve''s jurisdiction and well...."


    ''So that''s why,'' Kyran thought, finally understanding why he was acting like a wuss.


    Since the Blue Lotus and the Conve dealt with simr businesses albeit different target markets, Byron would definitely feel agitated.


    "You look different right now. Stop fidgeting, you''ll appear more suspicious." Kyran told him.


    "I understand," Byron replied and straightened his back at once.


    The two walked up the front porch and ignored the curious stares from the mercenaries nearby.


    As soon as they entered the guild, every mercenary inside turned to look at them. It made Byron cower once again. He looked at Kyran, who acted indifferent from all the stares, and he was awed.


    After experiencing this man''s ''teleport'' ability, Byron was now half convinced of his im of being the Void Master''s sessor. He still had his reservations, though. After all, many kinds of magic appeared simr to ''Void''. However, he had to admit that the more he looked at this man, he could not help but admire him. Especially his attitude and strength. Submitting to such a man was not that bad.


    If Byron knew how Kyran doubted taking him as his first Sigil, he would probably cry tears of blood.


    "Good day, how may I be of help?" A man with short brown hair and ck eyes, dressed in a dark gray suit with the Mercenary Hall''s emblem stitched on his vest, greeted them as they neared the reception desk.


    Kyran took out his mercenary token and showed it to the man, and he said, "I''d like to rent a room upstairs. Is there a vacancy?"


    The man nodded.


    "We do as a matter of fact, will it be a double room or two single rooms?" The man confirmed as he took the token.


    He hovered the token above a square silver item with an unusual rectangr array at the center. The rectangr array lit up, and a light yellow light scanned the token. A transparent white rectangryer appeared on edge in front of the square silver item, and Tyr''s information reflected it.


    The man''s eyes almost popped out of its sockets when he saw the ''Chairman Noir''s Disciple'' under Tyr''s title.


    "Apologies good sir, I will now call the guild master and arrange a suite for-."


    "No need. I just need one room. We''re not staying, we just need a private area to discuss something." Kyran said in a hurry when he noticed the receptionist''s reaction upon seeing his information.


    He did not want unnecessary attention.


    "Right away, sir."


    The receptionist looked at Byron.


    "He''s with me. He''s not a mercenary but he works for me," Kyran exined hastily.


    "I understand," the receptionist nodded. He left the reception desk and led the two of them toward the stairs at the right.


    "This way please."


    The two followed him.


    He led the two in a singles room, as Kyran insisted. Before he left to inform the guild master of his presence, Kyran told him that it was unnecessary because he did not n to stay.


    Sensing Kyran''s reluctance to meet the guild master, the receptionist got the message and assured him that he would inform the guild master that he did not want to be ''bothered''.


    Kyran agreed.


    As soon as the receptionist left, Kyran closed the door, and he looked at Byron, who was standing by the window waiting for him.


    "Sit anywhere you like. I have to do something first then we''ll talk," Kyran told him.


    "Yes, sir." Byron replied and sat on the chair beside the bed.


    Kyran went to the small space at the foot of the bed and took some materials from his pouch.<sub> </sub>


    Byron fidgeted uneasily, trying not to ''look'' at what he was doing in fear that he might see something he was not supposed to see. Although, he was still tempted and would peek from time to time.


    He was very curious about what Kyran was going to do. The truth, he was amazed that this man was also an Array Specialist.


    A vein appeared on Kyran''s forehead. He wanted to scold Byron, but he decided against it.


    Kyran set the magic orbs with the miasma samples and the three rectangr sks with the golden dust to the side. He spread a thin semi-transparent material on the floor and was about to draw an array but then stopped with a slight frown. He did not have to pretend to create an array to transport the items.


    After a short pause, Kyran looked at Byron, who immediately looked away.


    Sweat appeared on Kyran''s head. This guy was too obvious.


    "Come here for a moment, I''ll show you something." Kyran told him.


    Byron turned his attention back at him with a surprised expression. Would he show him his array? As far as he knew, most Array Specialists did not want others to see their work.


    "Yes, sir." Byron replied and stood up. He moved closer to the foot of the bed.


    But then, Kyran packed up his array materials and returned them to his pouch, which greatly disappointed Byron.


    So he was not going to show his array creation.


    "What I''m going to show you is somewhat proof of what I am going to exinter. I am going to show this to you because you are now my Sigil," Kyran exined.


    Byron had a confused expression, but he only nodded and replied, "I understand."


    "Good."


    Without further ado, Kyran sat crossed-legged on the floor and lifted his left hand. He spread his palm upward, and purple rings appeared above.


    Byron watched in silence. It only urred to him that the proof Kyran meant was likely to be his im of being the Void Master''s sessor. He gulped in anticipation as he stared mesmerized at the purple rings circling above Kyran''s hand.


    Kyran closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought of a location where he would ''transport'' the materials he collected.


    The location was inside his temporary residence in the training ground.


    Crackle!


    The air around them crackled as a round fissure slowly formed in front of Kyran.


    ''This!'' Byron''s eyes widened more in excitement than surprise as he saw the fissure.


    Inside the fissure, one had a feeling of looking into a bottomless abyss. Most would feel fear upon seeing it, but to Byron, he was ecstatic, and his heart pound in excitement.


    The moment he met this man, Byron already felt how deep and mysterious he was. He also had a feeling that Kyran acted too mature for his age.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at the fissure. Others would only see a bottomless abyss or an infinite starry sky when looking into this fissure. Kyran, however, could see the ''location'' he thought of inside the fissure.


    He reached for the magic orbs and the sks and put them inside the fissures.


    At Kyran''s temporary residence, a simr fissure had appeared, and his hand emerged from the inside while he ced the magic orbs and the sks neatly on the floor.


    When he was done, he withdrew his hand, and slowly, the fissure decreased in size.


    The air crackled for a few more seconds before returning to normal as soon as the fissure disappeared.


    Simrly, the purple rings on Kyran''s hands slowly disappeared.


    With a sigh, Kyran was about to say something when Byron jolted and kowtowed in front of him.


    "Master!" He eximed fervently.


    Kyran''s brow twitched at Byron. But well, it was fine. He wanted to skip a lot of exining and convincing, so Byron''s reaction was good enough.


    Still, being called a master was a little...embarrassing.


    "Don''t call me master. And would you stop that, one bow is enough-."


    "No can do! Master! You have no idea how long we have waited for your return!"


    Sweat appeared on Kyran''s head.


    ''This... Don''t tell me they have a crazy idea that the Void Master will reincarnate?'' He thought.


    It seemed he had to learn more about the Void Master''s followers.

 Chapter 119 First Military Force

    After Byron calmed down from his initial excitement, Kyran gave him a rough overview of his current status.


    Kyran exined that he was the disciple of the cksmith Order''s Chairman, but because of his magic, they had altered most of his information. Byron''s excitement turned up a notch, thinking that the Conve was protecting ''their Master'', thus making them ''allies''. Kyran did not deny nor acknowledge this im and instead told Byron that he could not tell him much about him until he settled his matter. Apart from this, Byron must not tell his employer about him as well.


    This fact did not bother Byron. He swore not to ask why until Kyran was ready to tell him. Still, this information actually hinted at how strong Kyran''s connection had with the Conve. If the Conve was willing to provide a fake identity for him and even let him roam around without a ''chaperone'', his rtionship with them must be deep.


    Before Kyran told Byron about his fake identity, he had second thoughts. However, he decided not to be overly sensitive in implicating the Conve. The Bue Lotus had been doing their illegal business behind the army and the Royal Family''s back all these years, so they had the capability of concealing information. Besides, even if something happened and Byron, the right-hand man of the Blue Lotus''s leader, was investigated, they would not trace him to Kyran unless he talked. It was how the Regis''s Sigil worked.


    How Byron reacted after hearing about his fake identity also assured Kyran. His unquestionable loyalty to the Void Master made Kyran wonder what kind of ''information'' they unearthed about the Void Master to merit such unwavering trust.


    After telling Byron all these, Kyran finally discussed what he wanted Byron to do.


    "As I said, I have some things to do so I will let you go back to your people. But, in a week''s time, I will find you. Before then, I will give you a mission."


    "Please tell me, Master. And I will fulfill it even if I die!"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Byron''s enthusiasm. He said, "No please don''t die. If you die then the mission will be meaningless."


    "Then I shall fulfill it no matter what happens!"


    "Okay..." Kyran could only sigh in his heart.


    "First tell me about the Blue Lotus''s-," Kyran paused dramatically to look at Byron''s reaction, "-illegal business."


    As he expected, Byron reacted when he mentioned this. His eyes contracted while his expression froze. Instead of answering right away, he asked, "Master. Can I ask how you know?"


    Kyran smiled faintly. Byron''s reaction was a little unexpected. At least, he did not act as if he did knot know what Kyran was talking about, which was a good sign. If Byron acted like this, Kyran might have to abandon his idea of using him.


    "The Conve," Kyran replied matter-of-factly.


    Squinting his eyes, Byron fell silent for a moment with a thoughtful look. They did not mean to underestimate the Conve, but his employer was confident that they concealed this side of their business very well. To think that they still managed to find the truth. The Conve''s intelligence gathering was really something.


    However, if Kyran was asking about information, this meant the information the Conve had was either iplete or superficial.


    Kyran observed Byron in silence. He did not demand Byron provide the information because there was a good chance he might be ''bound'' by something.


    Finally, after a long silence, Byron looked at Kyran and said, "Can I ask why you want to know, Master?"


    Kyran shrugged and answered casually, "Because I want to get in."


    If Byron was drinking right now, he might have choked. But he immediately recovered from the shock and looked at Kyran in concern.


    He said, "Getting in will be tricky. Most of the people involved in the business has close rtionship with my employer. This is the reason why my employer is confident that there is no leakage in information. However, an outsider can still get in only afterpleting several tasks my employer sets. Aside from this their background will be thoroughly checked. Even if with my rmendation, I will not be able to help conceal your background."


    "I am not going to join as a ''full-time'' but as a yman''," Kyran replied meaningfully.


    Byron took a sharp intake of breath.


    "Master, you-!" He abruptly stopped because he was unsure how to proceed.


    It was true that getting in as a yman'' was easy because the information avable to them was superficial and would not be traced back to the Blue Lotus. But ayman''s job description was...


    Kyran leaned back. He had a rough idea of what Byron was about to say but was afraid he might be stepping out of line.


    After a short pause, Byron said with a stern expression, "Joining as ayman will be dangerous."


    "I know. But only by bing ayman will I be able to move around in the dark."


    Byron''s eyes narrowed.


    That was right.


    Ayman''s job had simrities to a mercenary, but it was also a little different. Because when a mercenary took on a job, his movement would be monitored by the Conve''s rivals. And that also includes the Royal Army. However, because the ones who issued the job to theyman did not exist, their movements would be hidden.


    "But what about the Conve-."


    "The Conve has no hold on me. I am my own man."


    Hearing Kyran''s words, Byron could not help but feel more in awe.


    The Void Master had really returned!


    Kyran''s face turned slightly sour seeing the sparkling look on Byron''s eyes.


    "And let me get this straight, I am not your Void Master. I am his sessor. Sessor. Got that?"


    Byron only nodded with a stupid grin on his face that made Kyran wonder if he really understood what he just said.


    "Now tell me." Kyran said, veering back to the topic.


    "Alright. However, if I tell you this information, you will not only be a mere yman'' if something happens, then..."


    "I won''t get caught."


    Byron took a sharp intake of breath, and he shivered. Not because he was frightened but because his Master''s confidence was just too cool.


    "I understand, Master!"


    "Did I not tell you not to shout?"


    "Okay. Okay." Byron nodded stupidly.


    "Then, I will now exin. If you already know about the term yman'' then you already have an idea what the Blue Lotus deals in this business."


    "I do."<sub> </sub>


    "Then, I will exin how we receive job requests."


    Kyran did not reply and only let Byron exin.


    "Our job requests are issued by the full-timers. They normally get it by ''investigating'' and ''mingling'' with higher ups." Byron started.


    "This is to make sure that the information will be contained within the organization."


    Kyran had a thoughtful expression.


    ''So the targets are issued by their own men,'' he pondered. ''No wonder they don''t get any profit.''


    "You might wonder how we profit from this if we don''t receive outside requests. Don''t worry, we do get profits, by ''taking'' what the ''job request'' had." Byron exined with a sneer.


    Kyran raised his brows in realization. "So you guys made it look like a burry case."


    Byron nodded.


    "Of course, it is not always the case. There are times where we get donations from the ''job request''s'' victims."


    ''Donations?'' Kyran wondered but did not ask. He was not concerned about the Blue Lotus''s profit.


    "The job requests, are there any avable that has not beenpleted yet?"


    Byron nodded with a sigh. "Yes. Quite a lot, actually. Because getting in contact with them are close to nil given ourymen''s abilities. Don''t get us wrong, Master. Its just they are not as skillful and powerful as you. Besides, we also have to be careful in executing any ns because it will definitely be a high-profile story once we doplete the job request."


    Kyran sneered. "That''s alright with me. As long as you can provide the information and set up the stage I can do the rest."


    Byron looked at him with wide eyes, "Master... Don''t tell me you wanted to be ayman toplete these job requests?"


    "Depends, if the job request is also on my list of target."


    Hearing the undisguised contempt in Kyran''s voice, Byron could not help but wonder what happened to him. Aside from this, wasn''t he already in the Conve? Wouldn''t it be faster to get information on his target from them?


    Suddenly, Byron realized something, and he frowned slightly.


    "List of target?" He repeated.


    Kyran only nodded and did not borate.


    Byron was itching to ask what he meant but reminded himself that he must never question his Master.


    "What else?" Kyran asked.


    Snapping out of his thoughts, Byron nodded and continued.


    "The organization also deals with intercepting any possible ''ie'' the army can have."


    "Just like the ruins in Valley of Morte."


    Byron nodded, "Yes. Since the ruin had arge piles of spirit stones, if we collected all of it, then it will lessen the army''s funds."


    Kyran shook his head, "The army already found that ruins. Yet they did not touch the stones. There''s a possibility it was left there for a reason. Or maybe there are far more stones inside the grove that those outside was just a little change for them."


    "That''s..."


    This realization made Byron speechless.


    He was right.


    "Master...."


    ? Byron''s eyes sparkled in admiration once more as he looked at Kyran.


    "Stop that. I get it. Continue exining," Kyran told him with an oversized sweat on his head.


    "Anyway, we also needed those stones." Byron continued his expression, turning solemn.


    "You may not know this Master but everyone in the Blue Lotus has deep-seated hatred for the Royal Family and the Royal Army. Aside from how they wrongfully used you of being the-."


    "I am not-," Kyran heaved a deep sigh,"- the Void Master. I am his sessor."


    "-oh, right. Right. I''m sorry, Master." Byron apologized, but his stupid grin was stered on his face. "Um... as I was saying. Aside from their hateful usation, they also imprisoned a lot of innocent people. Saying that they are practicing forbidden magic when they are not! Just because they tried to speak out against the Royal Family..."


    Byron''s expression turned sour as he thought of all the awful and hateful deeds of the Royal Family and the Royal Army. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, trying to contain his anger.


    "And the stones are needed to make magic weapons?" Kyran asked.


    Byron snapped back to reality and looked at Kyran in amazement. "Master, you really are good at guessing."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. But he refrained from reacting and just said, "Is your employer nning a rebellion?"


    "Yes, Master." Byron answered straightforwardly.


    Right now, he had nothing to fear. Because the Void Master was on their side. Of course, he could not reveal it yet. But Byron could not wait to see the expression on his employer and everyone else once they found out that the Void Master had returned.


    Kyran nodded.


    The Blue Lotus was still small, but they had no ''neutral'' status to protect, unlike the Conve.


    Byron did not know yet, but Kyran''s purpose in getting into the Blue Lotus''s illegal business was not only so he could move in the dark andplete their ''job requests''. His primary purpose was to umte the whole organization.


    Once he seeded, they would be his first military force.

 Chapter 120 Gaels Plans

    "Heh," Kyran sneered as he tilted his head while looking at Byron. "How honest of you to answer my question directly."


    "Ehehe," Byron grinned and stupidly scratched the back of his head. "Well, you are the Void Master after all. Anything the Blue Lotus does is for you Master."


    With a slight twitch of his brow, Kyran closed his eyes and suppressed his urge to scold Byron. Getting this big guy to understand he was not the Void Master he was talking about was getting repetitive, and he hated repeating himself time and again.


    ''Ignore it for now,'' Kyran thought, his expression turning solemn because of what Byron just said.


    "Why would the Blue Lotus go through all these for the Void Master?" He asked.


    Hearing Kyran ask this question, the grin on Byron''s face slowly turned serious. He straightened his back and looked at Kyran.


    "Of course it''s because my employer''s ancestor is your-."


    Kyran shifted while taking a deep breath.


    Byron flinched slightly, seeing the irritated look on Kyran. He was reminded how Kyran denied being the Void Master and immediately rephrased his sentence, "-what I meant to say is that my employer''s ancestor was the Void Master''s third-inmand, or also known as his ''left-hand man''."


    ''Ancestor of my predecessor''s left-hand man?'' Kyran thought in surprise.


    He did not expect to meet anyone rted to anyone from the Void Master''s past.


    But, almost immediately, Kyran''s initial surprise was reced with doubt. It was his first time hearing the Void Master having a third-inmand. And having a third-inmand meant there must be a second-inmand.


    Kyran had always believed his predecessor was a lone wolf who never trusted anyone.


    ''No, not necessarily.'' Kyran thought as he remembered the remnant souls in the Misty Forest.


    With a slight shake of his head, Kyran pushed his initial impression of the Void Master at the back of his mind. And instead, he thought of the man he met in his sea of consciousness.


    ''He really don''t strike me as someone evil.''


    Byron anxiously looked at Kyran. When he told him about his employer''s greatest secret, he thought Kyran would be happy. After all, he was talking about his left-hand man''s descendant! Byron did not expect that Kyran would fall silent instead.


    ''Maybe he is reminiscing the past!'' He suddenly thought with a nod.


    It was possible.


    So far, Byron was still unclear of Kyran''s whereabouts all these years. Based on the records left by his employer''s ancestor, when the Hero Families gang up on the Void Master which resulted in his death, it was all a lie. The truth, he did not die, and instead he has been asleep all this time.


    Looking at Kyran, Byron had a feeling that his memories might be muddled at the moment which resulted in him believing he was not the Void Master but his sessor. There was also a chance that Kyran might be pretending to be the ''sessor'' to keep a low profile.


    If Kyran knew what Byron was thinking he would downright reject all his nonsense. First of all, his memory was not muddled. Second, he did not have a reason to pretend to be the sessor.


    After a few minutes, Kyran sighed and decided to push all these thoughts at the back of his head. He could not afford to get distracted. His purpose of going here was not to find more about his predecessor''s past but to find materials for the Conve.


    ''In a few days everything will be settled, then I can focus on the things that I need to do.''


    With this in mind, Kyran stood up. He went over the window and looked up at the now dark sky.


    "How long do you n to stay at the ruins?" He asked without looking at Byron.


    "I am supposed to lead them to the site only and return to the Blue Lotus head office, right after, Master." Byron answered feeling a little disappointed of Kyran''sck of reaction from knowing his employer''s secret.


    Kyran nodded.


    "Good. When you get back, find a secure ce for me to stay. I''ll find you in a week''s time. Then we''ll talk again."


    Byron stood up and bowed his head in respect and replied. "Yes, Master."


    =====================


    The conversation between Ste, and Ss with some inserts by Lumi,sted for almost two hours. During this time, Ss recounted all that had happened to him and Gage which led him to meet Pheobe and enter the Regis Estate. He also told her most of what he talked about with the Regis Patriarch and Master Cade.<sub> </sub>


    Until they arrived at the subject of the ''important item'' Ss had sent to Gage.


    Ste saw Ss''s concern about Gage and assured him he was safe, but she could not tell him any details at the moment.


    The truth, Ste was anxious. It was almost a week since Nn left the Tower of Conve and yet there had been no news about him, Gage, and the important item.


    While they discussed the item, Lumi remained silent.


    Although she knew far more about the item than Ss, she could not be bothered to exin. She liked Ste but that did not mean she would tell her what she knew. If she was talking to the new Void Master then that was a different story. She''d even tell him all her secrets, even her body measurements if he asked.


    Their meeting ended with Ste telling both of them to stay in the Tower for a few days until Kyran gets back


    Lumi agreed at once and Ss had no choice but to relent. If it was him, he would rather go to the Mercenary Hall and get information on the current status of the bounty. Because he noticed that the Lord of Tower avoided any discussion about the bounty.


    After that, Malek arrived and Ste asked him to take Ss and Lumi to their room.


    Ss was so anxious when he finally met the Head of Conve. He never imagined being in his presence. Although he already knew that the Lord of the Tower held the highest position in the Conve, her existence was a secret. Ss and the rest of the mercenaries only knew of the Head Master. Aside from this, he was a Magus. Thus adding to his imposing character.


    When the three of them left, Ste remained seated on her high chair in the receiving area. She was deep in thought as she recalled the things Ss told her.


    ''Our guess is right. The army did make a big move against the Regis a few days ago,'' Ste thought with a sigh.


    The truth, she had not told Kyran about Ss or Nn''s mission to find Gage. The only ones who knew were her, Malek, Hugh, and Can.


    She nned toe clean when Nn returned, at least the important item would also be in their hands by then. But since he was still missing, she decided to keep it a secret.


    ''I hope he won''t get angry,'' she thought. Then she looked up and stared at the floatingnterns.


    ''Rin, I hope all of you are okay.'' She prayed silently in her heart.


    ===================


    Gael stood on the second-floor veranda of the old warehouse located at the outskirts of the northern suburbs of Meliora.


    After meeting with the three Special Ops a few days ago, he had been frequenting this ce to ponder for himself.


    A few days ago, they had finally received a reply from the Mercenary Hall expressing their grievances and their decision to remove the One million bounty they requested. Their reason was simple. They had not been truthful of the information on the bounty.


    At first, Gael thought they discovered Kyran''s real identity. However, after he told Fiona to contact them and request for an audience, finally after a couple of failed attempts, they finally agreed to talk through privatemunication.


    Fiona disguised as a rich heiress from a small city near Meliora talked to the Mercenary Hall Master, Celine.


    While listening in on their conversation from the background, Gael found that Kyran actually went to the Mercenary Hall headquarters at Starhorn and made a mess of the ce.


    This surprised Gael. However, it made his desire to acquire Kyran stronger.


    The boy''s boldness made Gael''s blood boil. Others might think the boy was reckless but to Gael, his defiance just made him more ''desirable'' as a ''human weapon''.


    If Gael get hold of Kyran, he would coax him to submit to him in exchange for his n''s freedom. If not, he would kill three child members of his n each day until he submit.


    Of course, this was only possible if he could take the Regis n as his hostage. But currently, there was still no news from their people who managed to get inside the Inner Wall.


    It was still okay. Gael had been trying to calm himself these days.


    For now, Gael''s main focus was to find Kyran. Then he would reform him to be the bestbat mage in the world. After that, he would slowly eradicate the ''filth'' that had corrupted the Royal Army.


    When he was done with the Royal Army, then his next target, was the Royal Family.


    Gael''s eyes glinted red in excitement.


    He could not wait for the Special Ops'' good news.

 Chapter 121 Valley Of Morte

    At six in the evening, the marketce of Nhadal had gotten livelier.


    The outside stalls that sold raw meat, vegetables, and fruits during the day were reced by stalls selling all kinds of goods from essories, array materials, armors, beasts items, herbs, weapons, local street foods, etc. Bars and pubs started to arrange tables and chairs in front of their stores and lit up their signs.


    Amidst all this bustle, the Mercenary guild also exuded the same vigor as most establishments because most mercenaries who went out to hunt were returning one after another to im their bounty rewards mingle with the other mercenaries or simply to rest.


    While so many mercenaries entered the guild, either to check-in or went to the public cafeteria or simply to hang out at the reception area, a man in a ck coat with half of his face covered actually went over the counter and checked out.


    This man was Kyran. But right now, only the receptionist and the Guild Master knew that he was ''Tyr''.


    "You''re already leaving?" The man at the reception desk looked at Kyran in surprise. Even the female receptionist beside him was surprised.


    Two hours had not even passed since the time he received Kyran and hispanion. Hispanion also left more than an hour ago. While mercenaries were not rare toe and go, Kyran and hispanion''s stay was too brief that the man felt a little ufortable. Because after he reported to the Guild Master about Kyran''s arrival, the Guild Master had asked the kitchen to prepare a small feast to serve for his dinner. If Kyran left now, wouldn''t that be wasteful?


    "Yes." Kyran replied without borating. He was not entitled to exin.


    When Kyran answered the receptionist, it drew the attention of some mercenaries hanging out at the guild''s reception area.


    "Leaving at this time?" One mercenary said with a slight frown.


    "Who cares, he''s probably just going to have some fun at some pub or clubhouse." A mercenary chimed in with a snigger.


    "I saw him check out, though. If he ns to have fun out why did he have to check out?"


    "Then he probably wanna stay at the clubhouse."


    "You and your dirty mind, don''t you think he looked too dignified if his destination is that ce?"


    Whisperings from the other mercenaries sounded. Some of them reexamined Kyran. The determined look on his unusual aquamarine eyes and his purposeful stride actually gave them the impression that he was going out on a mission.


    Ignoring the whispers around him, Kyran said, "My token."


    As if waking from a trance, the man blinked once and said, "Oh. Yes, apologies."


    He immediately took Kyran''s token out from the cab. However, he looked hesitantly at Kyran before reaching out his hand to return the token. He contemted how he should tell Kyran about the Guild Master''s order.


    "Would you like to have a dinner first?"


    "No need," Kyran turned down the offer and took his token.


    "Sir, if you n to visit look around the town''s marketce you don''t really have to check out." The receptionist tried to exin. "You can keep your room and-."


    "I''m leaving Nhadal. Thanks anyway," Kyran curtly replied while he put his token back in his pouch.


    Those who heard what he said could not help but gasp in fright.


    Who among them did not know that leaving the town of Nhadal at night was very dangerous. It was during this time that most mutated forest beasts were active. These beasts were also considered as the most ''ferocious'' ones among the known beasts around Nhadal.


    This reason was why no mercenaries or hunters wanted to stay outside Nhadal after the sun had set.


    "But sir-."


    "Thanks," Kyran interrupted the man before he could say more and left at once.


    "W-Wait-." The receptionist tried to run after him, but another group of mercenaries had already approached the desk wanting to submit their mission for reward, and the female receptionist was quickly overwhelmed.


    The mercenaries could only look at Kyran in regret.


    They did not try to persuade him because it was futile. Looking at how young he looked, he would definitely ignore their warning. Young mercenaries were like that. Arrogant and reckless. Veteran mercenaries believed it was easier for young ones to learn of the danger by themselves. If they had skills, they might be able to survive and return to Nhadal. If not, then tough luck.


    Since his destination was the Valley of Morte, Kyran was aware of the condition outside of Nhadal at night. It would not stop him from going. And to be honest, he preferred to go at night because his target, the Theihorns, were most active at night.


    Others might think that it was better to hunt the Theihorns during the day, where they would mostly stay at their nest, either sleeping or idling around. However, this actually posed more danger. Because when Theihorns were inactive, the whole pack would stay close to each other for protection. Unlike when they were actively hunting, where they went out in groups.


    The receptionist dealt with his matters and went out of the building, hoping to run after Kyran. However, once he got out, Kyran was no longer in sight.


    ''Oh, no. If the Guild Master found out that I failed to stop him, I''ll be in trouble!'' The man thought in distress.<sub> </sub>


    Dealing with people with special identities within the Conve was very stressful!


    =================


    The Valley of Morte was only about 3,000 kilometers away south of Nhadal.


    In order to avoid the Nhadal''s security from stopping him from leaving town, Kyran found a blindspot and used a teleportation token to teleport outside. He used a token than warp out himself to avoid being detected by the army''s magic detector installed in town.


    After confirming that he teleported at a good distance outside Nhadal, Kyran checked his location before going on his way.


    Contrary to what he initially expected, Kyran did not encounter any forest beasts along the way. Because of this reason, it only took a quarter of an hour for him to arrive at the edge near Valley of Morte.


    Kyran stood on top of a tree branch and looked ahead.


    Around fifty meters from his position, there was a clearing that led to a small canyon. The Valley of Morte was located at the other end of this canyon.


    ''From the Conve''s information, this canyon''s distance was only 200 kilometers. But there was a cave opening near the middle where a mutated Basilisk lived.'' Kyran recalled the information he read.


    ''However, the Basilisk is one of therge-sized forest beasts that are active at night. Meaning there is a good chance it already left its nest to hunt for food.''


    Using the Regis Body Tempering Technique, Kyran closed his eyes and strained his ears for any sounds or movements around him.


    He heard forest insects, whistling wind from the canyon, a flow of stream nearby, other small noises made by small-sized beasts. There was no slithering sound that snake-type beasts usually made.


    Kyran opened his eyes and jumped down the tree.


    He urged his Void Core, and soon a Void Spear appeared on his left hand, and the Void Armor covered his body.


    ''There''s a good chance the Basilisk is still in the cave, but it doesn''t matter. I just have to kill it when it appears,'' Kyran thought and entered the canyon.


    After walking along the canyon, Kyran could not help but feel eyes looking at him from a distance. However, based on his enhanced senses, there were no beasts nearby.


    ''Strange,'' Kyran thought.


    He really hated the feeling of being watched. Apart from this, he had a bad feeling about not encountering any forest beasts.


    When he was on his way to Nhadal, he also did not encounter any beasts. At first, he thought that maybe it was because the bandits cleared the forest, or he happened to venture along the path where there were no forest beasts.


    Thinking back from when he was running away from the army, the forest near the Regis Estate was actually full of small to medium-sized forest beasts, but he also did not encounter one. Not that he wasining.


    He just found it strange.


    An absurd thought crossed Kyran''s mind, which made the bad feeling he had to worsen.


    Could it be that the forest beasts were avoiding him?


    Kyran shook his head at the thought.


    Though forest beasts were sensitive to the danger, they would not deliberately avoid a human. Even if that human had insane magic with a physique that could use almost invincible tempering techniques.


    ...


    Kyran took a deep breath. He felt an iing headache as he continued walking down the canyon.


    No way, right?


    Because, if his idea were correct, wouldn''t that mean the Theihorns would also ''avoid'' him?


    ''Stop overthinking,'' Kyran scolded himself.


    Then he remembered the array he previously found that he suspected belonged to the bandits.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks as an idea formed in his mind.

 Chapter 122 New Information (1)

    The frequency in which Kyran did not encounter any forest beasts after his magic manifested was too coincidental for him to ignore. If the forest beasts were deliberately avoiding him because they ''sense'' he was someone dangerous, it would be a problem when he was out to hunt, especially with a mutated beast like Theihorns, whose senses had doubled.


    A beast''s sense of danger not only relied on sensing another being''s magic aura but also their ''killing intent'' and ''the smell of blood''. Thus, the array Kyran found might be helpful to him because that array managed to hide all these three. By masking all three, there was a good chance that all forest beasts would stop ''avoiding'' him.


    ''Although there is an alchemic solution where the effect can attract forest beasts, I don''t have the materials nor the skills to brew one so my only option is to try out the array those bandits used,'' Kyran thought.


    He took out the copy of the array from his pouch and studied it for a few seconds.


    ''The array calction is simple and the materials used aremon. But it has a few additional calction I am not familiar with. This calction definitely used a different set of materials that corresponds well on the whole array.''


    Kyran sighed. He collected quite a number of rare herbs and array materials he found in the Misty Forest. However, most of the rare herbs he collected were the ones he recognized from the pictures shown in books, and he was not familiar with all of their uses. As for the array materials, he only collected those he knew how to use. Being a beginner, hecked aplete knowledge of all array materials and their effect or uses. Noir also warned him to be careful inbining array materials. If not adequately mixed, it would have a different effect or even backfire on the Array Specialist.


    Initially, Kyran nned to study the array slowly and use it as a reference in creating new ones that would suit different situations. But because of the urgency of the matter, he had to create one now.


    Kyran observed his surroundings and searched for a spot where he could work on his array calction.


    The canyon''s bare steep sides had small crevasses where roots protruded. Somemon herbs and stones had fused on the earth. Giant boulders of earth were scattered everywhere.


    Kyran frowned slightly. The canyon''s path was too bare.


    ''Maybe there''s a better spot ahead,'' he thought.


    After walking for a few minutes, he saw a small cave opening a few kilometers above the canyon''s steep side to his left.


    ''That''s probably where the mutated Basilisk lived.'' Kyran thought.


    The mutated Basilisk was unnamed up to this day because no one had really seen it. The only reason why they knew there was a Basilisk living there was from the snake tracks and pieces of snakeskin some mercenaries found from time to time. They also knew it was a mutated Basislik from its snakeskin because the pattern was simr to a Basilisk, albeit its diameter and length were bigger.


    ''Maybe I can go there,'' Kyran pondered.


    He was not afraid if the mutated Basilisk was still inside the cave and had not left to hunt for its food. It was not because he was convinced that beasts had been avoiding him but because he was confident he could escape.


    Yes. Escape.


    He was not suicidal to try and kill it. Although he could simply summon a huge sphere of void magic to deal with it in one move, he did not want to destroy the forest and the Valley of Morte.


    Kyran was not a conservationist. He was only concerned about other rare materials he would destroy along the Basilisk. Aside from this, the materials collected with one Basilisk were a lot and destroying it was such a waste. Not to mention, the Basilisk that lived in the cave was a mutated one.


    Void Magic was truly troublesome.


    Kyran thought of his Draconic core.


    He still had reservations about possessing Draconic Magic. But he admitted that his use of the Regis techniques was more powerful than most of his rtives granted with a drop of dragon''s blood.


    ''I can always deal with the mutated Basilisk using the Regis techniques, but I don''t have the time right now. I can alwayse back if I feel like killing it.'' Kyran decided and jumped up a boulder near the cave''s opening.


    Kyran looked into the cave''s opening and found a huge tunnel. The tunnel''s width was big enough to fit seven Basilisks. The whole cave had a faint green glow from the minerals stuck firmly on the wall.


    Kyran guessed that the mutated Basilisk''s nest must be further inside.


    Using his heightened senses, Kyran confirmed that there was no other ''living creature'' nearby. Thus he entered the cave and settled himself at a corner.


    ''Let''s ge to work,'' Kyran decided and took out all the items he would need.


    ===================


    It had been a few days when Jax and his men tried to destroy the Regis Inner Wall''s defensive array.


    When he, Luka, and Vera, returned to the camp, after reporting to Gael, they met with the rest of their men and discussed creating a new channel to contact their men inside the Inner Wall.


    Vera was particrly worried about her team and requested to lead the task of creating the channel. Jax agreed, and before Luka could protest, he ordered him to continue leading the patrol around the walls.


    While Luka and Vera were busy doing their tasks, Jax, on the other hand, was also busy.


    As soon as night fell into the Regis Estate, Jax left the makeshift camp.


    Soldiers saluted in respect upon seeing him. And he nodded in return as he walked outside the camp.


    Jax leaving the camp during this time was not something new to them. Thus, they did not have any doubts. Besides, he was the highest authority in theirpany. There was no reason for them to monitor or question his movements.


    When Jax found an empty house a thousand kilometers away from the camp, he took out a round silver and ck disc with a clear round crystal on its center. He roused his magic and filled the crystal. Soon, the disc reacted, and a silhouette of a man slowly appeared.


    "How is everything in your end, Major."


    Jax took a deep breath and looked at the man with aplicated expression.<sub> </sub>


    The man was none other Cade.


    "Are you sure this device will not be detected by the army?" Jax asked.


    Cade chuckled and replied, "Why are you still worried? You''ve used it without any problem these past few days."


    The reason why Jax left the camp from time to time, was to ''talk'' to Cade.


    Jax slightly frowned and sighed before shaking his head.


    "I''m just concerned that one of my captains would detect it or find something strange."


    "We can always change the time when wemunicate," Cade told him.


    "Alright."


    After settling himself, Jax finally spoke.


    "The Special Ops are now on the move. Their current destination was to the south."


    ? "South?" Cade repeated as he pondered for a bit.


    A few days ago, Jax told Cade that the Mercenary Hall nned to withdraw the bounty request the army submitted because of an incident, where Kyran attacked them. When Cade heard this, he burst out intoughter. It left Jax perplexed but Cade onlymented with: "So that''s how it is."


    After that, when Jax confirmed from his informant that Gael already ordered the Special Ops to move, he immediately told it to Cade.


    Cade did not show any emotion when he heard the news. He kept a straight face and only said: "Keep me updated on their movements."


    "So the Mercenary Hall gave this information?" Cade asked Jax.


    Cade was already aware of the changes Gael made to Kyran''s bounty request.


    "Yes," Jax replied with a nod. "Chairman Noir''s disciple had just returned from a mission and he happened to ''bump'' into your son when he was leaving Starhorn."


    "Interesting. And how long ago was it? When Noir''s disciple bump into him?"


    "Three days after he attacked the Mercenary Hall."


    "Hm. Then it took another few days for the information to reach Gael and pass it to the Special Ops," Cade pondered out loud.


    "That''s right. But the Special Ops was already on the move, so they might already be near south when they received the update," Jax told him.


    He sighed and shook his head.


    "I hope your son is not thinking of leaving Meliora and going to Archadia."


    Cade chuckled.


    "Is that what you think?"


    Jax looked at him with a slight frown.


    "Is there any other ce he might go venturing south? I doubt he ns to go to the Chaos Pce, given how you and your family withhold a lot of information about the Dark Sage from him." Jax reasoned.


    Cade shook his head with a smile.


    "I don''t me you for thinking that way. But if that is what you think then its good."


    Jax raised a brow in confusion.


    "How is it good? Aren''t you afraid that your son might cause a tragedy if he seeks refuge in Archadia?"


    "Let us not overthink," Cade told him. "What other updates can you tell me?"


    Jax did not reply at once and used his magic sense first to make sure there was no one nearby. Once he confirmed this, he looked at Cade and said in a low voice.


    "I found the information you''ve asked."


    Cade''s expression turned solemn.


    His eyes squinted and replied, "I''m all ears."

 Chapter 123 New Information (2)

    "As I previously confirmed with you, the Grand Marshal would sometimes leave his office and will returnte in the evening or even a few days after. No one questions where he goes or what he does because he does go for inspections and other army rted trips. But almost a year ago, he has been frequently leaving his office. However, the recorded inspection or army rted trips he did, does not correspond to the total of days he ''left'' his office."


    "Meaning, he goes somewhere at times that is not being recorded."


    "Yes."


    "How frequent is it?"


    "At first, it was almost twice every week. But three months ago, it went down to twice a month."


    Cade lowered his head and crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression.


    "Have you found out where he goes?"


    Jax gave a faint smile, and he replied, "He never really leaves."


    Cade''s eyes narrowed upon hearing Jax''s answer.


    "That''s why the Royal Family did not find any discrepancy in the times he left the headquarters."


    Jax nodded.


    "Leaving his office does not automatically mean he left HQ. If he left his office and stayed within the HQ, it will not raise any questions from the Royal Family."


    "Now the question is where he goes inside the headquarters that takes too much of his time," Cade said.


    "Yes," Jax replied with a nod.


    "Did you find anything?"


    "I''ve narrowed down three locations. One, the HQ''s Research Division. Unfortunately, my information pass is too low for me to have a look at their record of who enters their department. Second, the Archive building. I haven''t confirmed it yet because the keeper was loyal to the Grand Marshal. If I asked to see the record log of those who entered, he might get suspicious and report it back."


    Cade nodded in agreement. He said, "Yes. It''s best to nt someone or something nearby to monitor if Gael woulde to the Archive, and if he did, find if it coincide on the days from the record when he left his office."


    "Yes," Jax agreed. Then he smiled bitterly and added, "But I am a little bias in the third location I found."


    "Oh? Is it more suspicious?"


    "Very," Jax said with a nod.


    Cade chuckled, and he asked, "Where?"


    "Three years ago, the HQ''s main building had been renovated. The details of the renovations were ssified but publicly, it was to strengthen the foundation. I found it a little suspicious. Since the year the main building was renovated was the same year when the Grand Marshal''s frequent leaves started, so I''ve looked at the HQ''s old blueprint andpared it to the new one. After checking, I found that the underground floor of the main building has decreased in size."


    With a slight shake of his head, Cade said, "He renovated the underground floor and created an invisible room."


    Jax nodded in agreement.


    "That''s what I thought too."


    "Have you found the entrance?"


    With a sigh, Jax shook his head and replied, "No. Not yet. I remembered my visitst year and did not find anything different. That''s why I didn''t find it suspicious. Anyway, I''m not sure if the entrance is hidden using an array, or if the way to get in is through a transportation array."


    "It is likely," Cade agreed with a thoughtful nod.


    After a short pause, he said, "Confirm the first two locations. As for the third, since you don''t frequently visit that ce, it will attract attention if you suddenly start going there. We can confirm if Gael goes there the same way with the Archive, but make sure the person you nt there is someone who will not ask too many questions."


    "I know. Leave it to me," Jax replied, his tone full of confidence.


    Cade nodded. He leaned back with a smile, and he asked, "Any update from the one?"


    Jax sighed. The first time the two of them had talked, Cade told him to investigate quite a number of things. Jax had not evenpleted half of it, but he knew what information Cade was asking for an update this time. Because this was one was at the top of their list.


    With a shake of his head, Jax answered, "Unfortunately, none."


    He looked at Cade with a doubtful expression and added, "Are you sure about this information?"


    Cade gave a short nod before he said, "I know what you''re thinking. But this is not a rumor. It is a fact. Regretably, those who knows are ones who participated in that war."


    Jax''s eyes narrowed.


    The war Cade was talking about was the war that happened thousands of years ago. The war resulted in the Dark Sage''s downfall.


    "I know you told me that the information is reliable, but it happened thousands of years ago. I''m sure the Winfrey Family had done everything to hide that."


    "True. But the location can''t be far from their Ancestral Land. As I exined, that will not be able to leave the Winfrey''s Ancestral Land."


    Jax fell silent. He knew about the Hero Families'' attachment to their Ancestral Lands.


    It was the same case with the Regis.


    The truth, Jax was surprised to know that the Regis Family was one of the Hero Families mentioned in history books. But now, it made much more sense to him. He had always wondered why they did not leave the Regis Estate when Kyran manifested his magic. It was only until Cade exined that every main branch of Regis''s Family was bound to their Ancestral Land that answered Jax''s doubts.


    Not all old families had Ancestral Lands. As Cade exined, only the four Hero Families possessed it. The Winfrey Family''s Ancestral Land was located in the North of the Ylfaen Empire, while the Regis''s was situated in the center, right inside the Regis Estate''s Inner Walls.


    As for why the Hero Families were bound to their Ancestral Land, Cade only told him that it was a duty. Jax did not pry. He understood clearly that Cade could not tell him the specifics because it was a Regis Family secret.


    Still, Jax was curious about that which was inside the Winfrey Family''s Ancestral Land.


    ''Right, it was no longer Winfrey.'' Jax reminded himself.


    Ever since the Ylfaen Empire was established, the Winfrey Family married to and adopted thest name of the Arthall Family, mostmonly referred to as the Royal Family.


    After a few seconds of silence, Jax finally spoke and said, "Alright. I will see what else I can do to find a trace."


    "Regarding the location of their Ancestral Land. I suggest you try and confirm it. It maybe the reason why you can''t find any trace." Cade suggested.


    Jax''s brow creased slightly at the implication of Cade''s words.<sub> </sub>


    "You mean the location recorded in the army''s is fake?"


    "We need to consider all possibilities," Cade replied, neither confirming nor denying Jax''s statement.


    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jax felt an iing headache.


    He had been in the army for a long time, and he admitted to knowing a lot about the army''s dark secrets and conspiracies.


    However, the Royal Family was different. While Jax knew some of their secrets, he never considered them dark. They even appeared to be victims because they were suppressed by the Three Noble Families for a long time and were even on the verge of losingplete authority over the Ylfaen Empire.


    ''But if what Lord Cade said is true, then there is no way those Three Noble Families can suppress them.'' Jax thought.


    "I understand."


    "Major, be careful. You already know too much, and one slip, can mean your life." Cade reminded him.


    Jax looked at Cade and smiled bitterly.


    "I''ve always been walking on a tightrope. My only concern is my family."


    Cade nodded and smiled.


    "Don''t worry. I will keep my promise. But if you believe that you will be in danger, use the item I gave you."


    "I will."


    "Let''s talk again when you find more information."


    "Alright."


    Jax suddenly thought of something and hastily asked, "Lord Cade."


    "Yes?"


    "My men... h-how are they?"


    Cade was stumped for a moment looking at Jax''s nervous expression. Then he suddenly chuckled and said, "Don''t worry. I think they''re adjusting just fine."


    Hearing Cade''s reply, Jax finally rxed and smiled faintly. He nodded in appreciation, and Cade cut off themunication.


    Jax watched in silence as the light on the device dimmed and finally disappeared. He took a deep breath and returned it inside his pocket before leaving.


    ==================


    Ste appeared in front of the training grounds. She noticed that there were few people inside still training.


    She smiled gently and entered.


    The moment these people who were part of the security unit saw her, they stopped and bowed their heads.


    "Lord of the Tower!" They greeted.


    Ste raised her hand and gestured for them to continue.


    "At ease. Don''t mind me, I''m just here doing my routine visit." She told them.


    "Yes!"


    "But don''t overdo it. You guys have just recovered, and its already gettingte."


    p "Yes, Milord!"</anda>


    Ste nodded and went into the building as they continued with their training.


    More people from the security unit greeted her when she entered the building.


    Finally, she arrived at Kyran''s temporary residence. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors and let herself in.


    Ste knew Kyran left that morning. She was a little angry because he did not bother to tell her. But she knew he did not have to because he already told her, including the Conve Council members, about his itinerary atst night''s dinner.


    ''Still you could''ve at least let me see you, before you leave.'' She thought.


    As soon as she thought this, her face grew hot, and she immediately shook her head.


    ''What am I thinking? ''Let me see him before he leaves?'' Argh! This is so frustrating. Kyran you idiot!'' She cursed Kyran in her mind.


    Ever since Kyran woke up, he had been busy with many things that they rarely get a chance to speak. And when the opportunity presented itself, Kyran seemed cold and would only discuss important matters with her.


    She didn''t mind it. But she was hoping they could talk more about other trivial things. s, Kyran was too much of an idiot.


    Ste sighed.


    ''No, he''s not really an idiot. I am the idiot one.'' She thought dejectedly.


    As she pondered about these things, she looked at the whole room.


    Apart from a mattress on one side and a small table, the room was bare.


    Ste went here because Kyran told them he would transport the materials he found in this room.


    Sure enough, she saw the magic orbs and sks in the middle of the room.


    ''He seeded so fast,'' Ste thought and went over to pick the items.


    After she picked up the items, she looked over the empty mattress and found herself feeling... empty.


    ''Just what is wrong with me?'' She wondered with a mournful sigh. ''I wish Kyran wille back soon.''

 Chapter 124 The Hunt (1)

    An hour had passed after Kyran started studying the array that belonged to the bandits. Finally, he seeded in breaking down each calction. Based on the calctions he collected, the array consisted of five forms.


    The form is a term Array Specialists used to describe a specific effect on an Array Calction.


    The five forms Kyran found on the array were the following: Array Anti-Detection, Area of Effect, Aura Detection, Cloaking, and Malice Veil.


    The Array Anti-Detection''s effect made the array undetectable through magic sense, while the Area of Effect was the range of the array''s influence. The calctions used on these two were standard. Thus, Kyran recognized it first.


    The Aura Detection''s effect was to detect a person''s aura. Kyran took a while to decipher the calction because a person''s aura could be ssified into four; physical, magic, mind, and soul. However, the form''s calction did not specify any of these four. In the end, Kyran found that it could detect all four at a certain level. This discovery made Kyran wonder how the bandits got hold of such an array. As far as he knew, this form could be considered advanced. He doubted an Array Specialist among the bandits could create an advanced form while integrating it into four others. He was not belittling the bandits. He only found their ''intelligence'' too... average.


    If anyone found what Kyran thought of the bandits, they would definitely argue and tell him his thoughts were a good example of belittling others.


    Next, the Cloaking was also an advanced form, where it could conceal a person''s presence.


    Andst, the Malice Veil, also an advanced form, could conceal a person''s killing intent.


    Kyran looked at his notes, feeling a sense of aplishment.


    When he studied arrays under Noir''s guidance, he found breaking down aplete array fascinating. Noir even praised his talent in array decipherment and was convinced he would probably be an Array Specialist if he did not have any magic. Because bing an Array Specialist did not require one to have magic. Some ordinary humans became Array Specialists. However, their specialty was in array decipherment instead of array creation.


    ''Okay. Now time to create one that best suites my situation,'' Kyran thought after a short pause.


    He already knew what forms he needed; Cloaking and Malice Veil. The Area of Effect was a standard form in every array, so it was naturally included. But he nned to increase its range since the bandit''s array was only 10 meters.


    While Kyran was deciphering the whole calctions, he also confirmed the materials used on each. Fortunately, he had most of it. He onlycked two materials which were theodo''s blood and smander''s skin.


    Theodo''s blood was necessary to mix all the materials for the Malice Veil form, while the smander''s skin was crucial for the Cloaking form.


    Kyran was not worried about these two materials because Noir gave him a universal mixture that could rece any beast''s blood when mixing materials. As for the smander''s skin, Kyran nned to rece it with a different skin material he found in one of the storage spaces he looted from the bandits. The skin of a newt.


    Since he nned to use the array temporarily, recing the smander''s skin with low-grade newt''s skin was eptable. Because the only difference between the two was the newt''s concealment effect, it affectednd creatures only. At the same time, the smander could affect bothnd and water creatures.


    Kyran''s target, the Theihorns, werend creatures, so the newt''s skin was enough.


    After taking out all the materials he needed and cing them neatly on his right side, Kyran took out a thin semi-transparent material and spread it on the ground. The thin material was made of a Duali tree and was a standard tool Array Specialists used when creating arrays.


    ''Master Noir said, creating a small array with multiple forms is a little difficult but not impossible. The key point is to maintain a bnce on each stroke when writing the calction,'' he reminded himself and started mixing the materials.


    Kyran lit a small golden cauldron he bought from the Conve. Next, he opened the bottle of the universal mixture and used the measuring tool Sigma gave him to pour 250ml of it in the cauldron. Leaving it to heat, he decided to work on the Malice Veil form first. He cut small portions off the materials and ced them in a marbled mortar and pestle. Then he patiently ground them until it was fine. Next, he took the grounded material leaving its juice, and transferred it to the already boiling cauldron.


    When the materials dropped on the cauldron, there was a slight poof sound, and Kyran saw a small mushroom-shaped smoke rise slowly.


    ''Good,'' Kyran thought with a smile as soon as he got a whiff of a fragrant smelling from the cauldron.


    He waited at least three minutes before he transferred the Malice Veil''s mixture to a small sk.


    After transferring the mixture, Kyran properly cleaned the cauldron using the solution Noir prepared before working on the Cloaking form.


    Kyran worked on mixtures for another thirty minutes.


    When he got all three mixtures for the Area of Effect, Cloaking, and the Malice Veil, it took another fifteen minutes to mix all three.


    Finally, when the mixture was ready, he peaked at the cauldron and saw a nice metallic gold fluid inside.


    With a slight nod of satisfaction, Kyran took out a special brush, dipped it on the cauldron, and wrote the array calction on the thin material.<sub> </sub>


    Afterpleting the array, Kyran straightened his back and watched it glow. Soon it rose from the thin material, and Kyran immediately ced his left hand above the now hovering array.


    Typically, thepleted array must be ced on a magic item that would serve as its vessel. But since this array would only be used temporarily, Kyran did not n to waste an item and preferred to integrate it on his palm directly. This way, when the array''s effect was gone, it could be removed easily, unlike when ced on a magic item where the array would remain and had a chance to be replicated.


    The golden array decreased in size and slowly ascended on Kyran''s opened palm.


    After a few seconds, he felt a slight sting on his palm as the array burned his skin. He ignored the pain and waited for it to set in.


    When the golden glow faded, Kyran looked at his palm and looked at the array. He smiled, feeling a little proud forpleting the array in one try.


    Of course, if Noir and Sigma heard how Kyran did all of these in just a few hours, they would end up depressed.


    Not anyone could do what Kyran did, because deciphering a normal array normally took half a day and even years for advancedplex arrays. When mixing, depending on one''s familiarity, an Array Specialist would need half a day to make a sessful mixture.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran cleaned up and returned all of his items to his pouch before standing up and leaving the cave. He did not activate the array immediately, he first continued on his way and entered the Valley of Morte.


    ''Still no signs of forest beasts,'' Kyran thought depressed.


    ''Well, time to use the array,'' he finally decided, and rouse the array using his magic energy.


    The array on his palm glowed faintly as he continued on his way.


    After a few minutes...


    Hiss!


    Kyran''s ears picked out a slithering sound on his left side. Shifting the Void Spear on his hand, he was about to check the sound when something big slithered above him.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as the Basilisk''s huge spade-shaped head looked down at him. His heart seemed to have stopped as he saw how gigantic the Basilisk was.


    A normal Basilisk''s body was around half a meter to a meter wide and 30-40 ft long. However, the Basilisk in front of him was twice as big and probably twice as long. Its normally, dark green scales had gold and red tint, and its eyes were a mixture of gold and red.


    This was definitely a mutated Basilisk!


    HISS!


    As soon as the Basilisk''s hissed it pulled back a little and half a secondter its head lunged forward at Kyran.


    Kyran reacted automatically and he rolled to his right.


    The mutated Basilisk''s head hit the ground and the trees around destroying it in one go.


    As soon as Kyran stopped rolling and he got into a kneeling position, he sprinted ahead.


    However, the Basilisk only turned its head and looked at Kyran while it flicked its tail sweeping a good deal of the forest trees and mming at him.


    Focusing the Regis Defensive Technique on his left side, and lifting his left arm to shield his head, Kyran braced himself for the impact.


    The Basilisk''s tail with pieces of tree trunks mmed at him and he was thrown a good few meters to his right.


    ''Ergh,'' Kyran gritted his teeth as he mmed on a few trees.


    Without stopping, the Basilisk moved again and slithered its way toward the direction Kyran was thrown.

 Chapter 125 The Hunt (2)

    ''Great. My theory is right, but to think the mutated Basilisk was nearby when I activated the array. Talk about bad timing!'' Kyran thought, feeling a little depressed after hitting thest tree.


    Thanks to the Regis Defensive Technique, Kyran did not suffer much after hitting all those trees. He also managed to drop on his feet without losing his bnce.


    Hiss!


    The mutated Basilisk loomed above him with its mouth wide open. Its saliva with a tint of green flowed down from its fangs as it hungrily lunged at Kyran as if to eat him.


    Kyran dodged to his right, and the Basislisk''s head collided on the nearby trees, crashing them in the process. Without waiting for the Basilisk to recover, Kyran sprinted again.


    The Basilisk pulled back after missing Kyran by an inch. Its tongue flickered a few times as it turned to his left and looked in the direction where Kyran fled.


    HISS!


    Its eyes, a mixture of gold and red, shed, turningpletely gold as it stared intently forward.


    Sensing an iing danger, Kyran did not hesitate to activate his Void Scales.


    An almost visible light gold shock wave formed a horizontal arc spread from the Basilisk up to Kyran''s location, withering all it touched.


    When this shock wave collided with Kyran''s Void Scales, it shook violently and even showed signs of breaking.


    ''What in the!'' Kyran thought, shocked by its power.


    While his Void Scales, being abination of the Regis Defensive Technique and Void magic, was weakerpared to a pure Void Barrier, with its Void property, anything that collided with it usually disintegrates. But this shock wave gave such a reaction to it.


    What kind of power could threaten his Void magic?


    Kyran suddenly remembered how Sigma also prated his Void Scales before. However, there was a significant difference in the momentum of the two attacks¡ªSigma''s attack umted at a specific weak point of his Void Scales, which destroyed it. In contrast, the Basilisk''s attack was gentle but able to shock his Void Scales effortlessly.


    Kyran could not help but turn his head to check his Void Scales.


    To his astonishment, the purple scales had slightly turned gray.


    ''What?''


    At the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the suddenly witheredndscape between him and the Basilisk, which covered at least twenty meters.


    Kyran''s scalp turned numb. If he did not activate his Void Scales, he would have ended just like that!


    HISS!


    The mutated Basilisk hissed and moved again, slithering toward the direction where Kyran went.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth and focused on running while recalling what he read about a normal Basilisk''s abilities.


    A normal Basilisk could emit a wave-like attack wherein it could slow down its prey. Aside from this, when its dark red eyes glowed, it could petrify anything it sees. Its fangs were also loaded with poison and its scales were hard as diamonds.


    ''The effect of the wave-like attack of this mutated Basilisk is definitely not to slow down its prey.'' Kyran thought remembering the withered scene he saw. ''Its petrification ability may have evolved as well.''


    Kyran clenched his fists and recalled its weaknesses.


    Given its big size, a normal Basilisk''s movements were slow. They also had bad eyesight and they used their tongue as a heat sensor to navigate around.


    A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Kyran''s lips. The Cloaking form in the array could cover his presence but not his body heat. He wondered if the mutated Basilisk would be ''frightened'' and stop its pursuit if he deactivated the array.


    ''Probably not,'' he decided.


    The forest beasts might have avoided him because they sensed he was dangerous. However, once they saw that he was afraid of them, it would boost their confidence and attack relentlessly.


    HISS!


    The mutated Basilisk''s golden eyes shed once more and another shock wave spread the surroundings.


    Kyran immediately reinforced his Void Scales, adding two moreyers for insurance.


    As soon as the shock wave collided with the firstyer of scales, it turned gray and shattered in an instant before prating the secondyer.<sub> </sub>


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth, immediately creating anotheryer of scales around him.


    He was getting more tempted to fight the mutated Basilisk and explore its new abilities and find ways to counter it.


    When he was still in military school, this was amon situation whenever they do practical exams. They would visit one of the surrounding forests around Meliora in groups of three to five and their instructors would provide them minimal information of what they needed to aplish.


    The only difference now was that he was alone, and he could not use his full power or else he would leave an obvious trace of his magic which would also disrupt his ns in extorting money from the army.


    Kyran could not help but jeer at himself.


    ''Your life is already in danger and yet your still thinking about extorting money?''


    HISS!


    Another loud hiss came from the mutated Basilisk as it drew nearer Kyran.


    Kyran picked up his pace and looked at his surroundings. If he wanted to use the trees around to escape, he had to deactivate his Void Scales, or else, it would destroy the branches. But if the mutated Basislisk used his shock wave attack again, he would be in trouble if he was a tadte in reactivating his Void Scales.


    He was guarding against the mutated Basilisk''s stare as well, because he did not know what its new effect would be, so he could not use the Void Armor. His head was not covered by the armor after all. The oue would definitely not be good, if he only defended his body against the mutated Basilisk''s stare while exposing his head


    ''I have to stop its movements,'' Kyran finally decided.


    Using his left foot, he came to a sudden stop, burying his feet on the ground in the process. He tightened his grip on the Void Spear as he turned to face the approaching mutated Basilisk. His eyes glowed silver as he activated the Regis Blessing.


    The mutated Basilisk''s tongue flickered and its slitted eyes narrowed as if sensing its prey. It slithered closer then pulled back abruptly, lifting itself a few meters high before striking down at Kyran.


    Kyran was prepared. The moment the mutated Basilisk striked down, he rolled to his right at thetest time. Once he got on his knees, he proceeded to jump. While he was in midair, he twisted his body to face the mutated Basilisk''s head which was still stuck on the spot where he was just at.


    Gathering strength in his left arm, Kyran lifted the spear in his hand while twisting his waist. His silver eyes turned reddish purple as the spear on his hand suddenly grew in size.


    Once. Twice. Thrice.


    Then Kyran pulled back his hand to gain momentum before throwing it toward the mutated Basilisk aiming above its nose.


    SHUAA!


    The mutated Basilisk seethed in agony as the Void Spear effortlessly pierced its nose, and struck down to the ground pinning it in ce. It wiggled uncontrobly from the pain thrashing its long body in every direction, destroying the boulders and trees nearby.


    While still in midair, Kyran undid the Void Scales and activated the Void Armor while lifting both his arms to protect his head from the trees and boulder pieces that came his way.


    He soon fell on the ground and rolled for a few times before regaining his stance and started to sprint once more.


    All of these happened in less than ten seconds, where Kyran''s sudden attack taking up only a couple of seconds. This was the reason the mutated Basilisk failed to react on time.


    Kyran could kill the mutated Basilik, but decided against it. He did not have enough time to collect its material and disposed the rest of its body. If he decided to leave the body, it would definitely cause unwanted attention from hunters or mercenaries who would enter the Valley of Morte the next day.


    It was best to only stop its movement for a while and escape.


    When Kyran was at least fifty meters away, he deactivated the array on his palm. He could not afford to encounter another forest beast. With all the ruckus the mutated Basilisk did, it would definitely attract other forest beast''s attention.


    The moment when the mutated Basilisk''s pitiful cry faded, Kyran finally stopped running and deactivated the Void Armor and the Regis Body Tempering Technique. Then he hid on top of a tree to catch his breath.


    He might have good stamina but the sudden appearance of the mutated Basilisk drained him mentally and physically.


    Kyran took out a bottled of stamina replenishing potion from his pouch and downed it in one gulp. He returned the empty bottle on his pouch and leaned back on the tree''s trunk trying to control his breathing.


    He recalled the size of the mutated Basilisk and wondered if it could still be considered arge-sized forest beast, because the normal one was already considered one and it paled inparison.


    The Valley of Morte was really special to have grown such a giant beast, and there was a good chance that he would encounter more.


    ''This ce really is dangerous. I better get used to my surroundings first before activating the Cloaking Array again. I can''t afford to dy anymore,'' Kyran decided and jumped down the tree.


    Taking a deep breath, he once again activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and entered deep into the Valley of Morte.

 Chapter 126 The Hunt (3)

    The deeper Kyran went into the Valley of Morte, the bigger and thicker the trees became. The leaves also got bigger and lusher, blocking what little light the stars and the moon brought to the surroundings. Different night sounds mingled around him, that it becameplicated to distinguish the distance between each.


    Kyran already activated the Cloaking Array, and he had seen two mutated forest beasts; a mutated Bigfoot and a Four-tailed Fox.


    A regr Bigfoot with the same gori features, albeitrger and more robust, had dark brown fur and ck eyes. It could also grow up to four meters. On the other hand, the mutated form had silver-gray fur and dark red eyes. Its size was also twice the regr adult Bigfoot.


    Twin-tailed Fox was amon small-sized forest beast seen around Meliora forests. Kyran even had a chance to hunt one when he was eight. It had the same feature as mountain foxes with reddish-brown fur and amber eyes. However, the mutated form had four tails, with a size simr to a Wolvern, at least a meter tall. The four-tailed fox''s fur was still dominated by reddish-brown color. But it had a gold streak that ran from the tip of its nose up to two of its four-tails in the middle. Its amber eyes had a tinge of red.


    Kyran did not know how to call them, so he gave them temporary names as the Silver Bigfoot and the Four-tailed Fox.


    Simple and straightforward.


    Because these two beasts did not possess heat sensors, Kyran sessfully steered clear of their radars. He did not sense any malicious aura from them, so he did not make any pre-emptive attack. Besides, they were not his target.


    Kyran took out the map of the Valley of Morte that Hugh gave him.


    Looking at the crude lines and symbols, it was not hard to guess that this was a hand-drawn map.


    Kyran did not mind. He knew there was no official map of the Valley of Morte. Because of its dangerous and mysterious nature, exploration of the Valley of Morte was slow. Exploration also cost a fortune with little return because most exploration teams could only explore the valley during the day when it was rtively safe.


    Kyran remembered the ruins Byron told him.


    The ruins were located deep into the valley, and the Blue Lotus nned to build a temporary camp there. At the moment, construction was still underway, and they could only work during the day.


    Byron exined that they had alreadypleted a small defensive array to keep any mutated forest beasts away from the site where the camp would be constructed. And to make up for the time, they hired more people to do the construction during the day.


    Still, Kyran was not optimistic about the Blue Lotus''s n. In his opinion, he would focus on excavating the spirit stones and build a makeshift camp inside the excavation site, then create a transportation array to transport all mined spirit stones. He would not waste his time making a camp outside that could be discovered by the army or other factions. Besides, there was no guarantee that their supposed defensive array could really hold against the mutated forest beasts. What if that mutated Basilisk ventured around that ce? Kyran had a feeling that the mutated Basilisk''s shockwave attack could quickly destroy their defensive array and kill off most of their people.


    Kyran shook his head, trying to return his focus on the matter at hand.


    The Blue Lotus''s matter was not his business after all. Of course, once he took over the whole organization, that would be a different story.


    Looking at the map in his hand, Kyran studied it for a while. The map had small drawings of forest beasts in some areas. These drawings served as markers of the forest beasts that were frequently seen in the area.


    He checked the marker for the Bigfoot, and his brow twitched a little seeing how cute the monkey drawing was. He suddenly felt a little sorry for the Silver Bigfoot being portrayed as a cute monkey. Even the illustration for the Four-tailed Fox looked like an adorable puppy with four wriggling lines on its back.


    ''I''d like to meet the person who drew this map,'' Kyran thought with a slight smile.


    After confirming thendmarks and the Silver Bigfoot and Four-tailed Fox location coincided with his current position, Kyran returned the map on his pouch before jumping down the tree to head west, where the Theihorns were frequently spotted.


    A sudden chill ran up his spine as he went west. If he remembered correctly, the ruin Byron mentioned was located west of the valley.


    ''This mysterious nature of this valley is pretty simr to the Misty Forest. I wonder if the ruin that has a connection with my predecessor is the reason for the forest beasts'' mutation.'' Kyran wondered.


    Suddenly.


    AHH-WOOOO~!


    Kyran abruptly stopped and hid behind a tree.


    The howl just now was pretty close to his location. He activated the Regis Blessing, turning his eyes to silver before he peeked and scanned the area up ahead.


    About forty meters ahead, one mutated Stag, with huge antlers and eagle-like wings on its back, was blocked by two Theihorns. A huge tree blocked the mutated Stag''s back while the two Theihorns blocked its escape route in front.


    The two Theihorns growled menacingly as they crouched, waiting for a chance to pounce the mutated Stag.


    The mutated Stag pped its wings as it stomped its front legs toward the small gap between the two Theihorns. However, the Theihorn on the left snapped at the mutated Stag''s legs as if to scare it, which made the mutated Stag stagger back.


    Kyran''s heart pounded in his chest.


    Finally, he found his target. And he was lucky enough to encounter two. The howl earlier also meant they called for reinforcement.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran pondered how to proceed. He had a choice to strike and take down these two first and ambush their reinforcements. But with the Theihorn''s enhanced sense of smell, once they smell blood, it would alert them and might lie in wait to ambush him instead. He could also wait for the reinforcements to arrive and strike while they were busy dealing with the mutated Stag.


    Thest option was better, but if their numbers were outside Kyran''s estimation, he would have a hard time dealing with all of them.


    Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he could not help but chuckle at himself.<sub> </sub>


    His train of thought was simr to how he dealt with forest beasts when he was still an ''average'' person!


    He had been too cautious in using his Void Magic that he reverted to his old habit in dealing with forest beasts.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he pushed the Regis Blessing to the limits and knelt on the ground. He ced his ears on the ground and strained his ears for any iing sounds.


    ''Two? No, three iing.'' Kyran estimated after hearing pounding sounds from at least two hundred meters.


    He straightened his back and looked at the situation of the two Theihorns and the mutated Stag.


    The mutated Stag was still trying to look for a way to get past the two Theihorns while they prevented it by snapping at its legs now and then.


    ''Let''s go with the third option. Deal with the three iing Theihorns,'' Kyran decided and stood up to intercept the three Theihorns.


    If he was sessful, then he did not have to deal with these two.


    Kyran deftly avoided the scene up ahead and sprinted in the direction of the iing Theihorns.


    He tapped on his pouch, and one obsidian-made sword appeared on his left hand. He did not mold a void weapon because the Theihorns might sense his approach through his magic.


    Unfortunately, the Cloaking Array could only hide his presence, not his magic aura.


    Kyran jumped from tree branch after tree branch. His eyes glinted silver as he saw the first Theihorn up ahead.


    ''Takedown the first one in one strike,'' he thought.


    The muscles on his left arm constricted as he raised his hand while flipping the sword upward, so the de was aimed correctly at the Theihorn in front.


    Kyran pulled back his arm and arched his back to provide additional momentum before releasing the sword.


    WOOOSH!


    The oblivious Theihorn ahead jumped and was about tond on a huge boulder when the ck obsidian sword appeared in front, easily piercing its chest and prating its heart.


    While the Theihorn''s had thick, sturdy scales, Kyran''s obsidian sword could pierce anything, even diamonds, because right now, it was enhanced with the Regis Body Tempering Technique.


    The Theihorn whimpered and was thrown back from the sword''s momentum.


    Seeing one of their own getting attacked, the two Theihorns behind stopped and growled in the direction where the sword came from. However, they did not see anything ahead.


    Crackle!


    A fissure appeared above the Theihorn on the left, and Kyran descended with his left arm poised to strike. Since he had already exposed himself, he no longer needed to hide his magic.


    A Void Long Sword formed on his right hand as he struck the Theihorn''s neck.


    The Theihorn could not even whimper as its head fell on the ground, dark red blood sprayed out from its severed neck.


    However, thest Theihorn did not only watch the scene unfold. Although it failed to react to Kyran''s second attack, it did not n to run nor die without a fight.


    AHH-WOOOO~!


    It howled, and at the same time, its eyes turned gold, and a whirlwind enveloped it, which grew in radius by the second, destroying everything it touched.


    Kyran''s silver eyes narrowed. If he did not finish this Theihorn in time, that whirlwind would destroy the bodies of the two Theihorns.


    ''Let''s try that,'' Kyran decided as he jumped in front of the second Theihorn''s corpse.


    Releasing the Void Long Sword, he lifted both his arms, his palms facing the approaching whirlwind. His silver eyes turned reddish-purple as a huge round fissure appeared in front of him.


    The air around Kyran crackled as he unleashed his magic in full.


    When the whirlwind was only a foot away, it seemed to be attracted to the fissure.


    ''Ergh,'' Kyran gritted his teeth as he felt the whirlwind''s force enter the fissure.

 Chapter 127 The Hunt (4)

    While in the middle of the whirlwind, the Theihorn''s eyes narrowed as it sensed the whirlwind getting devoured by the huge fissure in front. The radius of the whirlwind decreased as it went into the fissure.


    AHH-WOOO~!


    The Theirhorn howled, and its eyes shed. While opening its fang-filled mouth, the wind converged in front, forming a ball. The ball of wind grew in size, and soon after, the Theihorn aimed at the fissure.


    The ball of wind spun crazily, leaving a trail of white draft behind as it flew toward Kyran.


    Kyran, who barely absorbed the whirlwind inside his magic, saw the iing ball of wind. His brow knitted as he gritted his teeth. His magic control had improved but using his magic to absorb another was still exhausting both mentally and physically.


    The Theihorn''s wind magic appeared to be above the level of the concentrated magic he once absorbed from the Four-colored Array.


    Instead of taking in the iing ball of wind, Kyran released the huge fissure, and he advanced a couple of steps. He raised his left hand toward the approaching ball of wind, and purple rings appeared circling in front of his opened palm. The purple rings connected and turned into a gigantic disc that collided with the ball of wind.


    Air crackled as the two collided. The ground beneath Kyran cracked from the intensity of the magic collision.


    The Theihorn did not stay idle. After releasing the ball of wind, it sprinted to its left, intending to pounce Kyran from the side.


    Just then, Kyran''s eyes turned silver as he activated the Regis Blessing, which further enhanced the Regis Body Tempering Technique. He heard the approaching Theihorn to his right and immediately summoned his magic on his right hand.


    The Theihorn finally approached at the proper distance. It growled and leaped toward Kyran with its ws extending menacingly from its paws.


    While maintaining the disc on his left hand, Kyran molded his magic formed Void Staff. He pierced the staff on the ground using it to hoist himself. Focusing the Regis Body Tempering on his right leg, he made a sidestep before performing a whip kick shooting out a dark purple force right at the Theihorn.


    Seeing the approaching dark purple attack, the Theihorn''s eyes shed, and a small gust of wind covered him to protect against the attack.


    But.


    The Theihorn''s eyes constricted as the dark purple attack easily sliced through its wind and continued to approach. It immediately crouched down with its scales glistened.


    If one looked closer, the Theihorn''s scales seemed to be coated by a thin white barrier.


    This white barrier had wind property and could repel most of the powerful magic attacks.


    The dark purple attack hit the Theihorn, and with a whimper, it was thrown back a few meters from the collision and hit a nearby tree.


    Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple once again as the disc on his left hand expanded and finally seeded in entirely disintegrating the ball of wind.


    Without waiting for the Theihorn to recover, Kyran unpierced the staff on the ground, and he sprinted to his right.


    The Theihorn shook its head as it staggered to stand.


    Kyran whirled the Void Staff on his hand while he drew close to the Theihorn. He jumped and lifted the staff using both hands above his head while aiming at the Theihorn''s head. The staff pierced its head, pinning it on the ground.


    The Theihorn howled and wriggled both in anger and pain. Its eyes shed as the wind gathered around them once more.


    Kyran knew that even though he pierced the Theirhorn''s head and hit its brain, it would not die that easily. Besides, the Void Staff''s diameter was too small to deal significant damage. He had a choice to aim at the Theihorn''s neck and severe its head, but with its scales getting reinforced by magic, Kyran was unsure if his staff could prate it. He already realized that the less concentrated his void magic was, the weaker its prating and disintegrating effects were. If it failed and his staff recoiled, then the few seconds he needed to regain his footing would give the Theihorn a chance to retaliate. So, Kyran decided to restrain the Theihorn first.


    After pinning the Theihorn, Kyran hoisted himself using the staff and skillfullynded on its back. Releasing his hold on the staff, he roused his magic, and Void Knuckles formed on his fists.


    Ignoring the increasing wind around them, Kyran rammed his fists on the Theihorn''s eyes.


    BAM! BAM!


    The Theihorn growled in pain as its punctured eyes splurted blood.


    The wind around them suddenly died down.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at this change. It seemed the Theihorns used its eyes to control the wind.


    Seeing that the glistening white scales of the Theihorn also dimmed, Kyran released his Void Knuckles and leaped. As he descended, a Void Long Sword formed on his left hand. He swung his hand, severing the Theihorn''s head.


    The Theihorn''s head rolled on the ground as blood spurted out of its neck.


    Kyran jumped back andnded with a soft thud on the ground. He released the long sword on his hand as he watched the Theihorn''s body convulse.<sub> </sub>


    After at least five seconds, the Theihorn''s body finally fell to the ground.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He bted realized how fast his heart was beating inside his chest, and sweat also dripped down the side of his face.


    "But, it''s not over yet," Kyran said under his breath as his eyes turned silver.


    He looked to his right, and with his enhanced sight, he saw more Theihorns approximately 80 meters away approaching at an incredible speed.


    Yes. The Theihorn''s howl earlier had attracted more of its kind.


    ''Three. Four. No, seven.'' Kyran counted the approaching Theihorns.


    However, instead of escaping or getting agitated, Kyran walked to his right. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he roused his magic, and a Void Spear appeared on his left hand.


    He already got three bodies of Theihorns in somewhat good condition, so he did not have to be cautious when dealing with the iing Theihorns.


    Besides, he had been itching to test out his newbat strategies now that he could use the molding technique. So far, he only had sparred with Sigma, and even then, he could not use his full capacity. Aside from this, the bandits he encountered earlier were too weak to give him any challenge.


    Well, there was still the mutated Basilisk, and to be honest, Kyran wanted to try and kill it. However, the mutated Basilisk was too big for him to handle alone. He even had to adjust the size of his Void Spear to pin it down. Of course, he could go for a one-hit kill. But that meant he would not be able to get any materials, which would be a waste.


    These materials were currently a good source of ie for Kyran.


    ''Let''s deal with these guys first,'' Kyran thought and took out two energy replenishing potions from his pouch.


    He drank the two potions and returned the empty bottles on his pouch before sprinting toward the approaching Theihorns.


    ===================


    Bearch City was a medium-sized city in the southern part of the Ylfaen Empire, where Nhadal, Lebe, and Tarrin towns were part of.


    Even at night, the city gates were bustling with carriage and people,ing in and out. Most of which were merchants on their way to transport goods to other cities.


    These goods mainly were spoils that mercenaries and hunters gathered from hunting around the Valley of Morte.


    Three people wearing a ck hooded coat entered the city gates without arousing suspicion from the city guards nor the people around.


    "Find out any clues. I don''t want to wait for an update. Let''s meet up in Central Square by midnight." The figure in front said.


    The Central Square was a building that belonged to the Chamber of Commerce located in the market district of Bearch City.


    The figure on the left sighed and said, "This mission has too many unknown factors I''m getting a little pissed."


    "It can''t be helped," the figure on the right spoke. Though it was not obvious, the voice belonged to a female. "Out target''s identity is too special."


    "Do what you have to do. Stop whining," the man in front said.


    "Okay. Okay. Then I''ll go and find some clues in that ce~," the man on the left said with a slight sneer before disappearing.


    "Humph. He only wanted to y around," the woman scoffed.


    "It doesn''t matter as long as he gets something."


    "Fine. I''ll take my leave as well."


    The woman did not wait for the man''s consent and she also disappeared.


    The man continued walking as if nothing happened. Even the people around did not find anything strange when the two people disappeared. To be precise, they appeared to be oblivious of their existence since they entered the gates.


    The man took a left turn down a dark alley.


    If one looked at the alley, they would find that the man had also disappeared.

 Chapter 128 A Girl From Nowhere

    Dismembered bodies of Theihorns scattered on the ground. A metallic smell mixed in with the scent of damp soil.


    Nearby forest beasts warily hid while they watched the ongoing fight between three Theihorns and a strange human.


    Kyran whirled the Void Spear in his hands above his head before leaping. A dark purple color gathered on the spear''s tip, forming a vortex above.


    Thest three Theihorns growled as they leaped to meet him in midair. All three of them opened their fang-filled mouthbining their magic to form a massive ball of wind.


    Once Kyran gathered enough force on his spear, he swung horizontally toward the three Theihorns unleashing a dark purple wave attack.


    At the same time, the three Theihorns released the ball of wind and collided with the Kyran''s attack.


    A gust of wind burst between them as soon the two attacks met, creating a shockwave that made both sides jump back.


    The dark purple wave overwhelmed the massive ball of wind and sliced it in half. The ball of wind slowly dissipated in the air while the dark purple wave picked up momentum and flew toward the three Theihorns.


    All three leaped back; however, the one in the middle was a secondte, and the dark purple wave sliced off its hind legs.


    The Theihorn howled in pain.


    Regaining his footing, Kyran sprinted forward and went after the Theihorn to his left. He held the spear''s shaft on both hands as he twisted his body to the right. The spear''s de left a two-inch trail on the ground as he dragged it forward, building momentum.


    His target saw his approach, and immediately its eyes shed as the wind started to gather around him.


    Kyran stomped on his left foot to add more power to his momentum as he jumped, shing the spear upward to the Theihorn. A dark purple wave was released from the spear, slicing through the wind that the Theihorn tried to form. Then Kyran whirled the spear and struck the Theihorn horizontally before it could evade.


    The Theihorn whimpered as the spear''s de sliced through its chest, followed by its blood and internal organs spilling out.


    Then.


    An angry roar approached from Kyran''s left.


    Instinctively, Kyran lifted his left arm and aimed his opened hand toward the approaching Theihorn. His silver eyes turned reddish-purple as purple rings appeared in front of his hand. He looked at the approaching Theihorn that pounced at him with wide opened mouth.


    The purple rings in Kyran''s hand converged and slowly formed into a staff with a diameter of two centimeters. It extended and thickened at an rming speed shooting through the Theihorn''s opened mouth, piercing its mouth pte before going straight to its brain.


    The Theihorn could not even utter a whimper before its eyes lost their glow, and it fell on the ground with a loud thud.


    Kyran released his Void Spear as he dropped with one knee touching the ground. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face as he panted heavily while his heart was beating painfully against his chest.


    Finally, he got rid of all seven Theihorns. It was exhausting but worthwhile. Now he had a rough idea of how much magic energy he consumed each time he switched between using his Void Magic and Regis Blessing.


    Taking a deep breath to calm his heart, Kyran finally straightened and stood up.


    ''Argh,'' he winced, feeling a searing hot pain on his ribcage.


    When he first fought the seven Theihorns, there was a time where one of them sneaked behind him and bit him. It would''ve snapped him in half if not for his coat''s enchantment, as well as the Regis Body Tempering Technique.


    Still, the Theihorn''s fang pierced his skin, and due to the adrenalin rush he was feeling throughout the fight, he was able to ignore the pain.


    Now that the fight was over, Kyran finally felt the pain.


    Kyran touched his left ribcage and winced. Due to the enchantment of his coat, it already mended the torn parts. But his torn skin was still bleeding inside.


    Kyran deactivated the Cloaking Array before he closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to feel the extent of the damage he received.


    ''Argh, damn it. The fangs are poisoned,'' Kyran cursed as a numbing feeling started to spread from his open wound.


    The Conve''s information did not include the Theihorn''s fangs having poison.


    He took out a detoxifying potion and drank it.


    However, the potion''s effect was too weak. It could barely prevent the poison from spreading.


    ''I need a ce to rest,'' Kyran thought while looking around him.


    He was not worried that the poison would kill him. Because he was trained to get used to poison at an early age, this was the reason why most toxins had little effect on him. However, he was not entirely immune to it either. He would still need time to naturally detoxify in his body using the Regis Blood Cleansing Technique.


    ''First, secure the three materials for the Conve and,'' Kyran looked at the bodies of the Theihorns nearby, ''See what material I can salvage from this mess.''


    For the next half hour, Kyran busied himself in breaking down the three Theihorns body parts. He did not have a problem dismembering it because his uncle Hal taught him how to dismember a forest beast body to preserve its quality correctly.


    After he was done, he carefully collected the parts and ced them inside the cksmith Order''spartments. Then he put them in his pouch.


    Next, he collected the parts from the seven Theihorns he fought.


    It took Kyran more than an hour toplete the task. And by then, he already felt dizzy from the poison.


    ''Not good. I have to find a ce to rest,'' Kyran thought and took out the map again.<sub> </sub>


    He confirmed his location and found a small cliff nearby where a cave was located.


    The cave on the map had two red X marks, meaning it was an unexplored area.


    Kyran did not care. Since the forest beasts avoided him without the Cloaking Array, he was sure he would be safe even if that cave were upied. Of course, he would not brazenly upy it. He would still find a safer spot where he could rest because there was no telling if a beast would be bold enough to attack him in his sleep.


    Kyran returned the map on his pouch and continued on his way.


    After more than a quarter of an hour, Kyran arrived at the edge of the cliff.


    The distance of the cliff to the bottom was at least thirty meters. It was rtively short and would be easy to jump down.


    Kyran activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and was about to jump when his vision doubled, and he fell on his knees.


    "Argh...." He ced a hand on his head, feeling the veins on his temples pound erratically.


    ''Just a bit more...'' He told himself through gritted teeth.


    He wanted to activate the Regis technique at that moment but decided against it. If he used the blood cleansing while on the move, the blood cirction might get disrupted, and poison residue would seep into his veins.


    Mustering his willpower, Kyran braced himself and stood up. Then he walked for a couple more minutes to the edge of the cliff and jumped down, stepping on protruding boulders on the edges one after another until he reached the bottom.


    It took Kyran another five minutes to locate the cave.


    As soon as he entered, a foul smell assaulted his senses


    ''This,'' he frowned slightly.


    The smell inside the cave was a mixture of rotten bodies and death. He had an urge to throw up because the smell was too much for him with his enhanced senses from the Regis Body Tempering Technique.


    He immediately released the technique to lessen the smell because it made him dizzier.


    Moving with caution, Kyran walked deeper inside the cave and searched for a nice spot to rest.


    The cave was at least ten meters high and twenty meters wide. Stctites filled the ceiling while stgmites lined the walls. The minerals on the stctites above gave a faint blue glow which lit up the whole cave a little.


    After walking for another twenty minutes, Kyran finally reached a dead end. He surveyed the area and found a small opening to his right.


    Looking at the size of the opening, Kyran guessed that there must be big enough space up there for him to stay. He walked over while looking at the stgmites below the opening.


    Ignoring the throbbing on his temples and the searing pain on his wounds, he jumped from stgmites to stgmites until he reached the opening.


    As soon as Kyrannded inside the opening, he heard a small yelping from the dark corner ahead.


    Kyran looked up, instantly molding a Void Knife, and threw at a spot in front of him.


    "Ah!"


    A small voice yelled in pain.


    Kyran''s eyes immediately narrowed because the voice belonged to... a girl.


    Before he could move in to kill, stones came one after another missing him by a wide margin. He could not help but sweat a little for the person''sck of uracy.


    "D-Don''t ce any c-closer!" The voice said.


    Kyran''s eyes slowly adjusted in the dark, and he soon saw a filthy skinny little girl with dark short messy hair wearing tattered clothes. She was holding what looked like a broken stctite.


    However, Kyran did not feel threatened. Not because he knew the stctite could not hurt him but because the girl was facing a spot to his left, where most of the stones thrown earliernded.


    Kyran''s brow creased slightly as he took a step forward.


    The girl moved her head a little to the right, but her attention was still at the spot on Kyran''s left.


    "I-I said d-don''te any c-closer!" She threatened unconvincingly because of her shaky voice and hands.


    Throb!


    "Argh-!" Kyran winced as his temples throbbed again.


    "Y-You-."


    Kyran fell on all fours.


    "Damn it, not yet..." He said under his breath.


    However, his vision started to blur, and he barely activated the Regis Blood Cleansing Technique before he fell entirely on the ground and passed out.

 Chapter 129 Strong Will To Live

    Kyran slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was how his clothes clung to him ufortably, and he felt a thinyer of sticky sweat on his skin. He slowly got up and groaned when he felt a pain in his torso.


    As soon as he made a sound, the next sound that followed was a girl yelping nearby.


    Snapping his eyes wide open, Kyran btedly remembered what happened before he passed out and immediately sprang up in all fours before warily looking at his surroundings.


    The sudden movement made him dizzy, but he ignored it and concentrated on confirming his current situation. It was still unknown how long he was unconscious, but he first needed to check the situation and if the girl did anything while he was out cold.


    After his eyes adjusted to the dark once again, he looked at the ce where he heard the yelp and found the shabby little girl at the corner still holding the broken stctite, trembling non-stop.


    The girl had not moved from her position. She still had her outstretched hand holding the stctite in front of her as if to threaten whatever was up ahead.


    Kyran studied her for a few seconds and found her a little strange. Apart from her being out of ce, her reactions were off. He was also sure he ''hit'' her with his Void Knife, but it probably only grazed her if she was still this ''lively''.


    Coming up with an idea, Kyran noiselessly picked up a stone near his feet. He then threw the stone to the side near the girl, hitting the uneven wall.


    The girl''s ears perked as she waved the stctite over where the stone fell.


    At the moment, the stone made a few nking sounds as it bounced a few times before stopping.


    "I-If youe closer, I-I''ll s-strike you with m-my w-weapon!" The girl warned, trying to act tough even with her shaky voice.


    Kyran was slightly amused. He was about to make fun of the girl''s weapon of choice, but he remembered when he first met Nn and picked up a hardened soil as a weapon. This girl''s weapon looked better than his.


    Pushing the random thought at the back of his mind, Kyran carefully looked at the girl. As he suspected, the girl''s reaction was indeed strange.


    When she only reacted after hearing the sound, Kyran was now convinced that the girl was blind.


    Kyran came up with this conclusion because, though this small space was dark, there were still a few blue minerals on the wall that gave a faint glow. Though the glow was not as strong as the ones outside, it was easy to distinguish the silhouettes around as long as one got used to the darkness. Besides, nearby stctites gave off a stronger blue glow at the small space''s opening, and he was near there. It was easy for someone who had adjusted to the darkness to see him the moment he appeared. However, the girl did not see him and even missed him when she threw out some stones.


    After confirming the girl''s condition, another Kyran question surfaced in his mind.


    With the girl''s condition, how did she end up in this ce?


    Based on her tattered clothes, it seemed she went through a lot. However, she did not have anything with her. How was she able to survive outside and manage toe up here?


    Something did not feel right. The girl might be hiding a ''trump card''.


    Kyran sat crossed-legged and activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique. Immediately the foul scent assaulted his senses, but this time, it was stronger.


    ''This...'' Kyran looked at the trembling girl.


    Sure enough, the foul scent came from her. Not only that, with Kyran''s enhanced eyesight, he also saw a dense dark shadow looming around her.


    Kyran heard it before from his older cousins. They said, once he attained a certain mastery of the Regis Body Tempering Technique, he could also develop the ability to perceive death.


    The sign was usually a dark shadow. The denser the shadow was, the closer one was to death''s door.


    This girl would die soon.


    Kyran took a slow deep breath and deactivated the Regis Body Tempering Technique. He initially wanted to kill the girl, but he would not trouble himself if she were about to die.


    When Kyran took a deep breath, he saw the girl flinch at the corner and secretlymended her strong hearing sense.


    Because Kyran breathed in as silently as he could, yet she heard him. He remembered reading how the senses of other people with disabilities were stronger than ordinary people.


    With a shake of his head, Kyran decided to ignore the girl and closed his eyes. He would not waste his time on this girl. Besides, whatever happened to her was not his business. She was about to die, anyway.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran focused his senses and checked his body''s condition.


    He first confirmed the wounds on his torso. It was not that deep, and the bleeding had stopped even before he went to look for the cave. Right now, it had started healing.


    Next, he checked the poison.


    When using the Regis Blood Cleansing Technique, it normally circtes actively for ten minutes throughout the body. It would then remove any impurities or toxins in the bloodstream by excreting them in the form of sweat.


    Feeling the sweat all over his body, he confirmed the poison was already out of his system.


    But removing the poison did not mean he regained consciousness right after the cleansing waspleted. He was already exhausted when he passed out and most likely resulted in him being out cold for much longer.


    Kyran opened his eyes. He could find out how long he was unconscious if he went outside to check the moon and the direction of the shadows.


    But it was too tedious. What if he encountered a mutated forest beast outside? Even if they deliberately avoided him, the strange scenting from this cave might attract them.


    Kyran looked at the girl. He hesitated only for a second before he spoke to get her attention.


    "Oi."


    The girl yelped at once and pointed the stctite she held at the empty spot on Kyran''s left.<sub> </sub>


    "S-Stay r-right there!"


    "If I wanted to kill you, you''d be dead right now," Kyran told her, feeling somewhat wronged.


    He was not an unreasonable man who would attack a defenseless person. To top it off, she was blind, for goodness sake!


    Then Kyran remembered he threw a Void Knife at her earlier.


    ''That was not being unreasonable. That was me being cautious,'' Kyran reasoned to himself.


    The girl flinched from Kyran''s blunt words but did not lower her trembling hands.


    Ignoring the frightened expression on the girl''s face, Kyran started, "How long was it when-."


    He abruptly stopped.


    He could not very well ask ''when he passed out'', right?


    Being blind, he reckoned the girl did not see him passed out.


    Kyran chose his words carefully and finally said, "-when you threw the stones?"


    "H-Huh?"


    The girl''s expression turned confused. She looked cautiously in front of her but still failed to properly ''face'' Kyran.


    Kyran cleared his throat, thinking that the girl might be able to adjust where she was ''looking'' if she got a better grasp of where his voice was.


    As expected, the girl moved her head a little to her right and managed to face Kyran better.


    "I won''t kill you if you cooperate and answer my question."


    "Not that long," the girl answered at once.


    Kyran raised his brows.


    ''Well, that was fast,'' he thought. He could not help but observe the girl one more time.


    Her will to live wasmendable.


    ''But she''s already dying,'' Kyran thought to himself.


    "How long is not that long?" Kyran asked again.


    "I-I..."


    Seeing the girl''s uneasiness, Kyran guessed that she either did not know or had no idea how to answer.


    Thetter might be the answer. Because if the girl did not know, she could have outright answered she didn''t know. Why hesitate? She might not want to piss him if she replied she did not know, but honestly, her stuttering was more annoying and most likely invoked a person''s wrath.


    "1,083 counts..." The girl answered after a short pause.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    What kind of answer was that?


    But her reply answered some of Kyran''s doubts.


    Initially, he thought the girl came from a poor family from the way she was dressed. She was probably around ten to twelve years old, which in most cases with poor families meant she was illiterate. He came to this conclusion because she was blind and also stuttered a lot.


    But if she could count to a thousand, then it proved she at least knew how to count. And her stuttering might only be caused by her nervousness.


    This discovery made Kyran wonder again how she ended up here.


    ''Stop,'' Kyran scolded himself. ''Whatever her circumstances are is none of your business.''


    After reminding himself, heputed the girl''s answer in his head.


    If the numbers she said were equivalent to seconds, it meant he was out cold for less than twenty minutes. But the girl might have counted slow or too fast, so he was not 100% sure.


    Anyway, as long as he did not pass out for a day, it was good enough. He did not want a repeat of what happened when the army was chasing him.


    "Thanks," Kyran thanked her without much thought.


    To his surprise, the girl''s eyes widened, and suddenly tears flowed down her eyes.

 Chapter 130 Choice

    Kyran was too stumped to react when the girl''s tears fell on her muddy cheeks.


    Growl!


    The girl''s tears suddenly stopped.


    Silence.


    Growl...


    Another persistent growling sound came that made Kyran blink.


    The girl''s cheeks slowly darkened.


    "T-That wasn''t-!"


    Growl...


    Silence.


    No longer able to keep up appearances, the girl crouched down and touched her stomach where the persistent growling came.


    Kyran, on the other hand, kept a straight face, but when he saw how the girl struggled to keep her growling stomach under control while still clutching the stctite defensively in front of her, a suppressed chuckle escaped his lips.


    The scene made him think of a wriggling silkworm.


    Upon hearing his suppressedugh, the girl''s cheeks grew darker as she shrunk back as if wanting to blend herself on the wall.


    Her reaction triggered a scene in Kyran''s memory.


    It was a scene when his little sister first came into his home. Her parents had just died then, but she was barely two years old and was unaware of it. When his mother put her to sleep, she wouldn''t stop crying and called for her mother. However, wailing for more than an hour made her hungry. When her stomach loudly protested, she tried hiding her face in the crook of his mother''s arm in shame. Simr to how the girl in front of her was trying to hide on the wall. She even discarded her weapon as she wriggled uncontrobly on the wall.


    Kyran slightly frowned when he felt a soft tug in his heart. This wasn''t good. If he started to pity the girl, who knew what crazy thing he would do.


    He could not afford to get involved in another person''s matters when he had a bigger one he had to deal with.


    However, looking at the girl who was about to die, still trying to fend for herself and satisfy her hunger by eating the dirt on the wall, somehow made him feel...


    ...


    Wait, what?


    Eating the dirt on the wall...


    Kyran''s eyes grew wide as he snapped out of his thoughts.


    The girl was not trying to blend herself on the wall but was wing and eating dirt!


    "Oi! What are you doing?"


    The girl flinched from Kyran''s loud voice and was about to w her way further into the wall.


    But Kyran already moved and grabbed her wrist to pull her away.


    The moment he grabbed the girl''s skinny wrist, the tug on his heart became heavy.


    "N-No!" The girl struggled to break free.


    With her other hand, she tried to find her weapon.


    Seeing the girl about to reach for the stctite, Kyran kicked it, and he deftly pinned the girl on the ground.


    The girl groaned in pain.


    Kyran was about toy his left knee on the girl''s back but abruptly stopped after feeling how thin and frail the girl''s body was. He even had a feeling that he could break the girl''s spinal cord if he did pin her down with his knee.


    "P-Please, l-let me go!" The girl pleaded as she still struggled under Kyran.


    Her pleas fell on deaf ears because, at that moment, Kyran fell into contemtion.


    He looked at the wall where the girl was wing her meal and found more w marks. It appeared that the girl had been living off eating the dirt on the wall.


    Kyran looked at the girl''s back. His heart softened further as he imagined what she had gone through just to survive. He caught a glimpse of the stctite and btedly realized she could not have gotten that by herself.


    Someone left that for her, whether to defend herself from danger or to... kill herself with it.


    Kyran took a deep breath. The clues were all here, but he chose to ignore them.


    This girl was abandoned.


    As to why she was abandoned, Kyran could only guess that whoever left her here probably thought she was a burden because of her disability, especially if she came from a poor family.


    But why left her here in the Valley of Morte? That was the only thing that Kyran could not understand.


    "Stop moving or I might break your bones," Kyran warned her, trying to keep his voice down to show he had no ill intentions.


    Hearing Kyran''s words, the girl started to calm down. Her breath came in short gasps as she finally stopped struggling.


    Feeling the girl calmed down, Kyran said, "I''ll release you. But don''t... don''t try to eat the dirt..."


    Kyran''s voice trailed off. He felt a lump on his throat.


    He was trained at a young age how to survive alone in the wild. But he was equipped with the knowledge and minimum materials to do so.


    Unlike the girl.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran continued, "I have some food with me, I can give you something to eat but I need you to calm down."


    When the girl heard ''food'', she almost drooled as she nodded her head vehemently in agreement.


    "Y-Yes. Okay," the girl replied.


    Kyran let go of the girl''s wrist and stood up.<sub> </sub>


    After confirming that Kyran had moved away, the girl got up slowly and sat obediently, hugging her knees.


    ''What the hell am I doing,'' Kyran thought as he looked at the girl.


    Nn''s using voice suddenly surfaced in his head: "You are still too soft."


    Gritting his teeth, Kyran clenched his fists and turned toward the opening.


    ''Walk away.'' Kyran told himself.


    It was not toote. The girl was about to die anyway. If he showed her kindness or even gave her false hope of surviving, wouldn''t that be cruel?


    ''Just walk away,'' Kyran repeated in his head, and without looking back, he jumped down from the opening.


    ...


    The girl''s ears perked upon hearing a loud thud that resonated around her. She heard more of these dull sounds twice before her surroundings fell silent once more.


    The girl strained her ears.


    Ten seconds.


    Twenty.


    Thirty.


    A minute.


    Two minutes.


    Five.


    No sound could be heard around her, apart from the soft thump of her heartbeat in her chest, her controlled breathing, and her growling stomach.


    The girl took a shaky breath.


    ''It happened again...'' She thought as she hugged herself.


    Once again.


    She was abandoned, in this ce that was as still and quiet as death.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did her best to keep it in.


    She took another deep breath and finally straightened her back. Using her hands, she groped around her, trying to find the weapon her uncle gave her.


    This weapon made her feel a little safe. It was also a token of a promise. Because her uncle said, as long as she stayed alive, once he came back, they would return home. Before he left, he gave her this weapon and told her to use it wisely. But her uncle had been gone for a long time. Still, she waited patiently and counted even though she had slowly understood that no one wasing back.


    After some time, the girl finally found the weapon. She retraced her steps and crawled back to a corner. Her stomach growled once more, and she reflexively touched the wall to her right. She was about to dig in again when the man''s voice repeated in her head.


    "Don''t try to eat the dirt."


    She lowered her hand slowly and tightened her grip on the weapon. Then she buried her head on her knees.


    ''Right... where was I?'' She suddenly thought.


    ''That''s right, I am already at three hundred forty-seven thousand and...''


    The tears she tried so hard to keep threatened to fall.


    She bit her parched lips and swallowed the lump forming in her throat.


    ''...and one hundred twenty-.''


    Thud!


    Her heart jumped painfully in her chest from the sudden sound. She jerked her head up and automatically lifted the weapon in front of her.


    After the loud thud, cluttering sounds followed and filled her surroundings as if something solid but not quite heavy fell on the ground.


    She stayed still and listened to the movements in front of her, trying to guess what was going on.


    In a few minutes, the humid and cold surroundings slowly became warm.


    "This..." The girl tried to speak, but only a soft sound escaped her somewhat parched lips.


    "I only have preserved foods."


    A voice suddenly spoke.


    It was the man!


    He did not leave!


    "You... It might upset your stomach if you eat it cold. It''s better to heat it first," the man said. His voice quivered slightly as if he was feeling a little awkward.


    He left to gather woods for a fire because he did not want her to upset her stomach.


    The girl closed her eyes. The tears that had gathered fell on her cheeks like a silent river. But her tears were not of sadness. It was of gratitude.


    Opening her eyes once again, she faced the direction where she heard the man speak. And with a little difficulty, she smiled.


    "Thank you." She said in an almost inaudible whisper.


    ...


    To Kyran, however, he heard the girl.


    He looked at her and saw her smiling as if she was really looking at him.


    Kyran did not know why, but he felt thating back was the right choice.

 Chapter 131 Abandoned

    Kyran made a makeshift stand to ce the y pot, where he transferred the preserved soup. The y pot was one of the things his uncle Jared included in his pouch. He also sliced off some of the extra meat he took from the Theihorns and ced them on a stick to roast it. Of course, he already confirmed that Theihorn''s flesh was not poisoned and was edible before roasting it.


    He remembered that their meat was rich in nutrients that could help heal wounds faster.


    ncing at the girl at the corner who was obediently waiting for the food, Kyran could not help but frown slightly.


    Now that there was enough light in the small space, he finally got a better look at the girl''s condition.


    Her clothes were white-now stained from all kinds of dirt- short-sleeve made in very thin material. It had small patches that seemed toe from repeated mending. Her pants were dark and also had patches here and there.


    What Kyran thought to be filth on the girl''s skin was actually bruises and dried blood. She was still filthy, and she did stink. He guessed that she had been here for some time from her state, and though she had not eaten proper food, she still needed to relieve herself.


    Her dark hair, filled with grime, was not ck but had a lighter color¡ªeither golden brown or dark blonde. And the color of her eyes, Kyran was unsure, given theck of natural light, but it was definitely not ck.


    Lastly, his initial assessment of the girl''s age might be a little off. Because she was too thin, he initially thought she was ten or twelve years old. But she might be younger or older.


    Kyran did not n to ask, though. He might have decided toe back, but he was not nning to associate himself with her. At most, he would leave her either in Nhadal or Lebe. Or a town on the way to the west.


    Anyway, that was the most Kyran could do for her.


    ''Right. Just in case forest beastes here I need to put up a defensive array,'' Kyran thought after hepleted cing the sticks of meat near the fire.


    He stood up and took out a scroll that he would ce near the opening.


    <o>,m The scroll was a ready-made defensive array. It was one of the arrays Kyran prepared in advance for his trip.</o>


    Rousing his magic energy, Kyran activated the array, and soon, a circr array with intricate calction hovered vertically on the opening.


    "Pretty."


    ''Hm?'' Kyran frowned and looked at the girl.


    To his surprise, the girl was looking at the array as if she could see it.


    "You can see this?" Kyran asked.


    The girl flinched and immediately covered her mouth. Then she averted her eyes before muttering, "I... can...not."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. She clearly said ''pretty'' while looking at the array. Why did she have to deny it?


    Once again, he wondered why anyone would abandon this girl in this ce.


    Kyran''s brow creased as he diverted his attention back on the array.


    If she did not want to say it, then so be it. It was not his business anyway.


    Besides, he did not want to know her circumstances. He only came back to help her a little and because he needed a ce to rest. He did not want to search for another ce outside.


    Yes, he could warp back in town, but he did not want to risk getting seen if he did. Not to mention having his magic signature detected by the army''s magic detector. He could warp somewhere outside the Valley of Morte. Unfortunately, the only ce that made an impression on him was the mutated Basilisk''s cave.


    What if the Basilisk was back in its cave when he warped? And it did not care whether he smelled dangerous and decided to attack him because it recognized him as its prey who escaped?


    No.


    Kyran could not risk it. He would have to stay in this ce and recuperate before heading out.


    As for the girl''s business, he did not care. He was not curious because she was blind, yet she saw the array and even said it was pretty.


    Yes. Kyran was not curious at all why she was left here of all ces.


    ...


    ''Damn this meddlesome thinking,'' Kyran cursed himself as he nced at the girl again.


    Since he decided to help her, there was no harm in asking a little about her matter.


    He would only ask and not ''meddle'' in it.


    After fixing the defensive array on the opening, Kyran stood up and checked on the food.


    When it was ready, he poured some soup on an empty container and took one stick of roasted Theihorn meat. Then he walked over to the girl.


    The girl, smelling the pleasant aroma of the cooked food, could not help but drool a little. Her stomach also growled in anticipation, which made her flush in embarrassment.


    Kyran knelt beside her and was about to reach for her hand, which was still holding her weapon but hesitated.


    He hesitated not because he suddenly felt embarrassed but because the bruises and the dried blood on her arms looked terrible up close.<sub> </sub>


    A terrible thought crossed his mind.


    Was the girl also mistreated? From the looks of her bruises, it looked like she was hit multiple times when her old bruises had not yet healed.


    At that moment, Kyran caught sight of a fresh wound near her ribcage. A chunk of her skin was peeled off from it, and it was bleeding.


    It looked simr to how Byron''s back got done after pressing his knees without deactivating his Void Armor.


    Kyran suddenly remembered the Void Knife he threw.


    ''Don''t tell me...'' He felt a pang of guilt as he looked at the girl''s expression.


    The girl only reacted when she got hit. But though she was still bleeding, she did not show any signs of being in pain.


    ''Because she was used to the pain?''


    The thought angered Kyran. And his reaction surprised him. Could it be that he was reminded of his little sister when she looked at this girl? They were nothing alike, though. Besides, Kyra was still a cute little girl. The one in front of him was older.


    Or maybe, he had doubts that he could save his family. And when he failed, they might end up...


    ''Don''t overthink, damn it.'' He scolded himself.


    He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts.


    "Here," Kyran reached for the girl''s hand and took her ''weapon'', cing it beside her before he handed the bowl.


    Then he took the meant-on-stick that he temporarilyid on top of the bowl and reached for her other hand to let her hold it.


    "The soup might be too warm. Be careful when you drink it. The meat too," Kyran told her.


    The girl nodded her head slowly and said, "T-Thank you."


    Kyran stayed beside her, guiding her to locate the edge of the bowl. This way, she could drink the soup as well as nibble on the meat.


    Even when the girl could finally eat by herself, Kyran remained by her side.


    The girl sensed his presence, and she could not help but feel touched.


    It had been a long time when someone had been kind to her. And that someone was her mother, a person rted to her. But this person was a stranger. Yet, he showed such kindness. It was too good to be true.


    She remembered her mother once told her that there woulde a day when she would meet other people who would ept her and be kind to her. It made her wonder if this man might be one of them.


    ''No. Don''t get your hopes up. He is only here to feed you, but he cannot... he will not save you.'' She reminded herself.


    After a few minutes of silence, Kyran finally spoke and said, "How did you end up here?"


    The girl who was finishing the soup stopped abruptly from his question.


    He saw her hesitation, so he waited. Patiently.


    Finally, the girl ced the bowl on the ground and slowly ryed her story.


    Contrary to what Kyran initially thought, the girl''s stuttering was only caused by her nervousness earlier. Now that she warmed up to him a little, she was able to speak clearly.


    The way she spoke also confirmed Kyran''s guess that she might be older than his initial guess.


    The girl exined that the people from her town nned to visit the cemetery, and her uncle suggested they could go with them to visit her mother''s grave. However, while they were on their way, a forest beast attacked their carriage, and they got separated from the others. She lost consciousness during themotion, and when she regained consciousness, she was already in this ce. At first, her uncle was still with her. But then he told her he would look for help, and he left her with a weapon.


    Before the girl could finish her story, Kyran realized her uncle had staged the ''attack''.


    ''But why go through all that trouble just to get rid of her? Why not just kill her then? Why did he have to leave her here at the Valley of Morte?'' Kyran wondered.


    Since he reckoned the girl probably did not know the answers to these questions, Kyran decided not to ask. Instead, he asked how long her uncle had left.


    The girl paused before answering him with a number.


    Based on the number she gave him, she stayed in this ce for four days, more or less.


    After a short pause, Kyran finally said, "You were abandoned by your uncle."


    He did not sugarcoat his words because it was pointless. It was better to let her face the ugly truth than have false hope.


    The girl''s expression did not show any surprise nor sadness. She only lowered her head and smiled faintly while saying, "Yes. You''re right."

 Chapter 132 Live? Or Leave?

    Kyran sat crossed-legged and leaned back while he studied the girl''s reaction.


    However, he did not find any pretense from the girl''s answer and her expression. It was as if she already knew the truth and epted it. Yet, she did not want to lose hope that she could survive her predicament. Her hope might have evene from Kyran''s sudden appearance.


    Kyran contemted how to proceed.


    He only wanted to help the girl by taking her to a nearby town. But after hearing the girl''s story, he could not shake off the feeling that there was a bigger reason why her uncle wanted her dead. And that reason might be rted to how she could see arrays even when she could not see.


    He had to tread carefully when dealing with this girl, or he might end up getting the short end of the stick. What if the girl was actually a very dangerous person?


    ...


    Okay, that might be unlikely. Who could top the Dark Sage''s sessor in terms of danger level? At least within Ylfaen''s standard.


    ''I''m overthinking again,'' Kyran thought with a sigh.


    Anyway, if the girl was just an ordinary person with a disability, Kyran unknowingly taking her back to her hometown would mean wasting his goodwill. It was clear that she was unwanted in that ce.


    But if he took her to a different town, would anyone take her in? With her disability, they would definitely feel she was a burden. Even an orphanage might not ept her.


    Kyran was starting to regret his impulsive decision. He was beginning to think that killing her might even be considered an act of mercy.


    ''Should I just kill her?'' He thought while looking at her.


    Then he saw the food she gave her and could not help but smile dryly.


    ''If I did, is this considered herst supper?''


    While Kyran was lost in his thoughts, the girl remained silent and only listened intently to her surroundings.


    She did not know why the man did not follow up on her reply. If not for the even breathing she could hear near her, she might even think he left again.


    After pondering for a moment, Kyran suddenly thought of Byron.


    ''That''s right, I can leave her to him,'' he thought while looking at the girl thoughtfully. ''But... if I did, it means I have to take her under my wing. Do I really want that?''


    Kyran was presented with another dilemma.


    The girl clearly had secrets, and so did he. If he took her in, he would drag her into his business and vice versa.


    Was he not making his situation moreplicated? Besides, he could not even use this girl. Even if she could see arrays, Kyran did not find that extraordinary. Except for the fact she was blind.


    ''What the hell, Kyran. Your getting sidetracked,'' he scolded himself.


    Maybe he should just let Byron deal with her. Like, adopt her, or something. Then Kyran would be able to keep his distance and slowly fade in the background.


    ''Let Byron adopt her, huh.''


    Byron''s goofy grin shed in Kyran''s mind, and he almost cringed.


    ''Someone might get suspicious if he suddenly adopted a girl out of nowhere. Besides, I am not sure of his own situation. He may even have his own family.''


    Scratching his head, Kyran heaved a sigh before crossing his arms across his chest.


    ''Should I leave her with Ste?''


    He rejected the idea even before he could consider it.


    He did not want to be indebted to Ste. And for some reason, he could imagine her looking at him usingly if he brought this girl along.


    ''Let''s just kill her,'' Kyran thought again.


    The moment he thought this, his father''s words shed in his mind: "If you decide to do something, you have to see it through the end. Give it your all and don''t take the easy way out."


    ''And the easy way out is killing her. Right. I get it,'' Kyran thought dejectedly.


    Why did he have to be such a filial son? More importantly, why did he have to have a soft spot for small kids? Was this what people call having ''maternal extinct''.


    ....


    ''I''m a man! Damn it!'' Kyran had an urge to flip something after this thought crossed his mind.


    Even after much thinking, Kyran failed toe up with a solution. So instead, he looked at the girl and asked, "What do you want to do?"


    Since he could not make a decision, then he would ask her. He might receive a sh of inspiration after hearing her answer.


    The girl moved her head to the right.


    ''What I want to do..?'' She repeated the man''s question in her head.


    She initially wanted to answer, ''go home.'' But she knew she was no longer wee there.


    Who knew what her uncle and his family would do again to get rid of her.


    If she answered she wanted to leave this ce, where would she go?


    The man gave her so much kindness, and she did not want to impose by asking him to take her to a nearby town. Besides, even if he did take her to a town, the question remains: where would she go?


    Kyran silently observed the girl''s expression. It was amazing how he could easily read her thoughts just by looking at her.


    Seeing that the girl was also having trouble answering his question, Kyran heaved a sigh.


    If this continued, they would end up here for days.


    Kyran looked around the small space.


    The truth, he thought of leaving the girl here and returning once hepleted his tasks with the Conve. However, seeing the scratched walls and the girl''s pitiful state, he knew she would be dead before he returned. That dense shadow around her was proof. Her chances of surviving might improve if she left this ce, though.


    Kyran turned his attention to the girl and decided to help her answer his question by narrowing down her ''options''.


    "Do you want to live? Yes or no."


    Hearing the man''s question, the girl came to a sudden realization.


    The man was right. Her destination did not matter. First, she had to leave this ce.


    "Yes. I want to leave this ce," the girl answered with conviction.


    ...


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head.<sub> </sub>


    Well, her answer was not exactly wrong.


    Kyran could not evenin that she misheard him because live and leave did sound the same.


    Not bothering to correct the misunderstanding, Kyran simply replied, "Okay. Eat first, then we''ll get you cleaned so I can tend to your wounds. After that, take a nap. I''ll wake you up when its time to leave."


    "Hm," the girl replied with a nod of her head.


    But then she realized something and flushed.


    "C-Clean up?"


    "Yes. You stink."


    The girl''s face turned darker.


    "You''re no better," she retorted in a small voice.


    Kyran raised both his brows in surprise.


    He already sensed her unrelenting spirit but did not realize it was the same with her attitude. Was this proof she really had warmed up to him? So soon?


    "True, that''s why we need to clean up. Besides, your wounds might get infected if you don''t clean up before tending on it." Kyran replied indifferently.


    The girl looked uneasy, and she said in a small voice, "I... I d-don''t have any spare c-clothes."


    "I do." Kyran told her, brushing off her concern.


    Without waiting for the girl to reply, he took her empty bowl before standing up and going over the pot for a refill.


    First, she needed to fill up. She was too skinny; it felt like she would faint in over ten steps.


    Kyran had not decided what to do with her once they left the valley, but for now, he would take her along.


    He nned to warp his way to the west, but if something happened that prevented him from doing that, the two of them would need to walk for long-distance.


    If she slowed him down, he would leave her somewhere he deemed ''safe'' and woulde back for her. After that, he would take her to Byron and let him handle the rest.


    =====================


    A man in a ck hooded coat stood on top of the tallest building in the Bearch City''s market district, the Central Square.


    The cold night wind blew around him, causing his coat to flutter.


    This man was the leader of the Special Ops, and he was waiting for his twopanions.


    Another figure in a ck hooded coat approached him from the dark.


    "I found something," a woman''s voice sounded from under the hood.


    "Ho? What did you find?" The leader asked.


    "Early this day, there has been an anomaly in the Misty Forest."


    "Misty Forest, huh?"


    "I''m not sure if it is rted to our target but because of his identity, then..."


    The man remained still.


    Because of the hood hiding his face, his expression was unknown, and his thoughts were concealed well.


    "Maybe," the man replied after a long pause.


    Another figure appeared and approached the two.


    The figure whistled before saying, "You two are always on time!"


    The woman looked at him but did not say anything. However, the sudden rise in temperature around them confirmed that the woman was not pleased.


    "Don''t be like that," the newly arrived man said. "I did my job properly."


    "And? What did you find?"


    "Nothing."


    "You-!"


    "Come on. If I find news about him here then it means the Mercenary Hall is messing with us, right?"


    "What?"


    The leader chuckled and said, "I see. Good work."


    "But-."


    The woman was about to protest, but their leader raised his hand and silenced her.


    "If our target is spotted inside the city, it means the mercenaries are not doing a good job in ''hunting'' him down." He said. "This also proved that our target is confident in his abilities to survive in the wild, thus, he did not try to sneak in to the city."


    The woman did not reply and instead crossed her arms across her chest in annoyance.


    "Correct~," the other man agreed. "How about you, leader? Did you find anything?"


    "Just an unusual number of hunters gathering at Tarrin."


    "Tarrin?" The woman asked in confusion.


    "It doesn''t matter. My instinct tells me this information might be worth looking into."


    The two fell silent. They did not question their leader because his instincts were proven and tested.


    The woman suddenly thought of something and said, "Tarrin is close to the Misty Forest."


    "That''s right."


    After a short moment of silence, the leader added, "Let''s go have a look."

 Chapter 133 Lament Of The Souls (1)

    After finishing their food, Kyran led the girl to a pool of water inside the cave.


    He found this pool of water while he was gathering dried woods to make fire.


    The ce was nicely lit because of numerous glowing stctites in the ceiling. These stctites were reflected beautifully on the surface of the water, giving it a very magical view.


    The girl''s grip on the back of Kyran''s coat was firm as she trod carefully beside him. On the other hand, Kyran matched his pace with her so she wouldn''t trip.


    When they arrived at the edge of the pool, Kyran activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique to check if any beasts were lurking in the water. Fortunately, apart from small fishes and water nts, there were no beasts. He also confirmed that the water was nontoxic before he led the girl to the side, where a smaller pool of water surrounded by boulders was located.


    The water in this area was warmer, perfect for the girl whose body was full of wounds.


    Kyran found an even boulder before taking off his mask, coat, and shirt. He used the boulder to ce his things. Then he faced the girl and was about to help her take off her clothes but then realized something and abruptly stopped.


    He was a stranger, and this child was still a girl. She might be blind, but wouldn''t that make her feel ufortable if a stranger started taking off her clothes?


    Kyran had no trouble stripping in front of others or even seeing a woman naked because part of their outdoor training in military school was to sleep and even bathe with different kinds of people.


    Before Kyran could ponder more about it, the girl had already started to take off her clothes.


    ''Oh, good. She''s not that bothered...''


    Kyran''s thoughts trailed off after seeing the girl''s body.


    The wounds on her body were in terrible condition than he thought. Some of it had started to fester, while some fresh ones looked nasty. Even an adult would have been in great pain if they were riddled in wounds like that.


    However, the girl remained indifferent to the pain.


    Kyran clenched his fists when he saw the wound he caused and felt guilty once again. He made a mental note to tend on her wounds properly, and hopefully, it would not leave any scars in the future.


    The girl wearing only her underwear had modestly covered her chest with both arms before she took a cautious step into the water.


    Kyran was surprised she did not ask his help before approaching the water. Then again, she probably hesitated because he was still a stranger.


    Once the water reached the girl''s knees, she slowly went down on her knees and started to clean herself.


    Kyran watched her in silence. It was his first time meeting a blind person, and he found it to be a humbling experience. He first thought she was very dependent on the people around her, but seeing her actions proved him wrong.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran took off the rest of his clothes and also entered the water. At the corner of his eye, he saw the girl flinch and be still while she strained her ears, intently listening if he would approach her.


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    ''I''m not interested in kids. You don''t have to act so guarded,'' he thought, feeling wronged.


    Besides, he had no time to think about those things.


    Kyran was the first to leave the waters. He changed into new undergarments and dark pants. He did not put on a new shirt yet and instead went over to the girl, who also stood up and helped her out of the water.


    Now that the girl was clean, Kyran actually found her pretty. Her short hair was light brown, and her eyes seemed to glow as they reflected the stctites above. If she gained more weight and added five or six years to her age, she would definitely look prettier.


    Kyran frowned slightly when the girl flinched again when he took her arm but chose to ignore it and said, "I''ll tend your wounds first before you change."


    ''And could you stop flinching? I''m not going to take advantage of you,'' he thought to himself.


    "Hm," the girl replied timidly.


    While a pill or a potion could heal her wounds, Kyran did not give her one because she might end up bedridden after taking it. Besides, she might not be used to taking pills or potions and might experience side effects.


    It was best to tend her wounds normally.


    Since the girl had fewer wounds on her legs, Kyran took care of it first. After that, he took care of her arms. He noticed how she made sure to keep an arm across her chest while he worked on one arm.


    Her action amused Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    After he finished wrapping her arms with bandages, he finally worked on her torso. He particrly ced extra care in tending the wound on her ribcage.


    When he was about to wrap a bandage around her torso, she became flustered and said, "I-I''ll do it myself."


    Amused by her reaction, Kyran did not object and gave her the bandages. Then he took out a set of his clothes for the girl to use.


    After telling the girl where the clothes were, he left her and busied himself cleaning his coat. From time to time, he heard the girl groan in annoyance, and he chuckled to himself. If she were his rtive, he would''ve teased her by now, but since she was not, he could only listen in amusement.


    It took them half an hour before they went back to the small space to rest. Afterwhich, Kyran took out his sleeping bag and told the girl to take a nap. The girl did not protest and fell asleep immediately as soon as shey down on the sleeping bag, proving how exhausted she was.


    When Kyran was sure the girl was sleeping deeply, he finally took this chance to drink a healing potion and a stamina replenishing potion. Then he took out his mask to modify its array.


    ''It will be dangerous using Tyr''s face when I go west. I better get this done so I can change into Nar''s face instead,'' Kyran thought.


    Since he only needed to modify the mask''s skin and nose to match Nar''s face, it did not take too long for Kyran toplete it. He did tweak the eye color, though, because dark gray eyes were a trademark of the Regis. Few people saw Nar''s face anyway, and changing his eye color would not be a problem.


    Finally, he checked his stash of potions and sighed. He consumed a lot of energy replenishing potions. He had to track how many times he should warp, or else he might end up using up all his stack because of it.


    ''Is there a way to reduce my energy consumption when warping?'' Kyran wondered.


    He still had a lot to learn about his magic, and it was a shame his predecessor could not tell him anything the first time they met.


    ''I wonder what are the requirements I had to fulfill in order to meet him again.''


    Shaking his head with a sigh, Kyran went over to the fire to add more woods. Then he took out a cloak from his pouch and spread it on the ground before lying down.


    He contemted for a moment whether to transport the three Theihorns now but decided to do that after he had rested. No one would drop by his room in the Tower of Conve at this hour anyway.


    With that in thought, Kyran closed his eyes.


    ===================


    The girl woke up with a start.


    At first, she was slightly confused at the warmth in the surroundings when she woke up from the cold for the past few days. Slowly, the event that transpired before she fell asleep shed through her mind, and a faint smile appeared on her face.


    While shey in the sleeping bag, she strained her ears and listened to the sound around her.


    There were so many noises around, but as she filtered those irrelevant and faraway sounds, she heard a soft crackling sound of fire burning woods to her right. And slightly above her head, she heard the sound of even breathing.


    The sound came from the man who fed and tended her wounds.


    ''My benefactor,'' she thought with a smile.


    For a brief moment, shey there and listened to the man''s breathing. After a while, she realized a very crucial point she forgot to make before falling asleep.


    She forgot to ask her benefactor''s name!


    Then she frowned after remembering he did not ask for her name either.


    Sighing, the girl slowly got up and sat in silence.


    If the man did not ask for her name, it meant he was not interested in getting to know her. This realization made her sad, but she immediately buried this emotion deep in her heart.


    He had already shown so much kindness. She had no right to ask for more.


    As she thought this, she heard the man move. It was a very small movement, but she heard it.


    ''Is he about to wake up?'' She wondered.


    Staying as motionless as a stone, she continued to listen to the sound around her.

 Chapter 134 Lament Of The Souls (2)

    Kyran opened his eyes and tilted his head above. He already felt the girl woke up even before he did. Seeing how still she was, Kyran guessed she might be listening for any movements around her.


    ''Did she think I''ll leave before she wake?'' He wondered.


    He could not me her, though. After what her uncle had done, he understood her worries.


    Kyran did not dwell on it and just said, "We''ll leave in five minutes. I''ll put out the fire."


    He stood up and went over to the fire that had gotten small due to the reduced wood. After examining the woods, Kyran determined that he had rested at least three hours.


    "Okay," the girl replied with a short nod.


    The two of them tidied up and left without much suspense.


    Kyran nned to warp them out of the Valley of Morte once they reached the cave''s entrance. He did not want to waste any more time in the valley by walking.


    Although warping at the mutated Basilisk''s cave was risky at this hour because it might have returned to its cave by now, Kyran was not nning on fighting it head-on. After he warped there, he could warp out immediately.


    He just hoped they would not appear right after the Basilisk entered the cave. That would be a pain.


    However, when he thought about the mutated Basilisk being full, maybe it would ignore them.


    From what Kyran knew of a regr Basilisk''s eating habits, it would take up to a week before it could fully digest its food and would stay in its cave until it was ready to hunt again. However, that might not be the case with the mutated one. If it was, he was very unfortunate to have met it during its hunting day.


    When they were halfway near the cave''s entrance, the girl who had been holding on to Kyran''s coat suddenly stopped.


    ''Hm?'' He stopped as well after feeling the girl tugging on his coat.


    He turned and saw her crunched brows.


    "There are so many lights ahead,'' she said, looking a little frightened.


    ''Lights?'' Kyran frowned.


    He had some spections that this girl might be blind but could see something different ever since she saw the array. But these exceeded his expectation.


    What did she mean about ''lights''?


    Kyran did not question her at once, and instead, he activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and looked ahead.


    He did not see any ''lights'', but he did sense quite a number of forest beasts gathered at the cave''s entrance.


    ''This...'' Kyran was surprised.


    He did not expect the girl behind her to have such potent ''seeing'' ability. She did not even need to use any technique to enhance her ability and yet could already see something far ahead.


    This discovery made him remember how she entered the pool of water earlier without hesitation.


    Could it be she did not see any danger; thus, she did not ask for his help?


    But what about him? Why did she not react when he appeared before her?


    Kyran remembered that the first time she reacted as if seeing something was when he summoned a defensive array. Then he recalled how she mentioned seeing ''lights.''


    Before Kyran coulde up with a conclusion, the girl tugged on his coat once again.


    "T-The lights are m-moving," she said. Her voice had started to stutter, showing her apprehension.


    After hearing her words, Kyran strained his ears. Using the Regis Body Tempering Technique would enhance his eyesight to a degree where he could see at a distance and see a person''s death aura. But he could not see through things. So, instead, he opted to use his ears to hear for movements.


    Just as the girl had said, there were movements and soft hiss up ahead.


    Kyran could not help but smile. He thought he could not use the girl but to think she had such a potent ability. If he properly trained her, she might be a good asset. As for her disability, her ability could easilypensate for it.


    "T-Those lights... they d-don''t sound nice," the girl stuttered behind him again.


    Without looking at her, Kyran reached for her hand in his.


    The girl stiffened at first when his hand took hers, but his warmth somehow assured her and immediately, she calmed down.


    "Don''t mind those. I have a way to go around them."


    "Have a way-?"


    Before she could finish what she was saying, Kyran gently pulled her close to him as purple rings appeared beneath his feet.


    He was confident that once he neared the cave, those mutated forest beasts would sense hising and leave to avoid him, but he did not want this girl to witness this. He did not want others to know that beasts deliberately avoided him.


    The girl tensed when the man suddenly held her. It was also the first time she had been this close to him. The closeness gave her an idea of his built.


    Before she could fully grasp all this information, however, she felt herself falling.


    She gasped in fright, and without thinking much about it, she tightly wrapped her arms around the man''s waist.


    Then she felt as if her insides churned as if she was thrown upside down. This feeling was followed by a nauseating feeling she had never experienced before.


    At the location where Kyran created the Cloaking Array, a purple disc appeared in midair, and both Kyran and the girl descended from within.


    The girl immediately fell on her knees and almost vomited the food she ate. At the same time, Kyran looked at her in amusement.


    The girl''s reaction was simr to Byron''s, and it made him wonder if warping really was such a bad experience.


    "Are you okay-."


    Kyran did not finish his sentence because he felt a sudden danger behind him.


    At the same time, the girl jolted and shouted, "Watch out!"


    Even without the girl''s warning, Kyran had already moved. He immediately activated fiveyers of Void Scales around them.<sub> </sub>


    At the same time...


    HISS!


    The mutated Basilisk, who at that moment had just entered the cave, hissed, its golden eyes shed, and a shockwave spread and hit Kyran and the girl.


    The mutated Basilisk''s attack immediately shattered the first twoyers of the Void Scales.


    ''Damn it. This timing seriously!'' Kyran cursed and turned around to face the mutated Basilisk.


    As soon as he turned, the mutated Basilisk already swept its long, scaled tail towards Kyran and the girl.


    There was a sizzling sound when the Basilisk''s tail collided with the Void Scales. However, the Basilisk only hissed and forced the two of them flying.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and grabbed the girl protecting her before they mmed on the cave''s wall.


    HISS!


    The mutated Basilisk hissed angrily at Kyran and pounced as soon as they hit the ground, not giving them time to recover.


    Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple. While his right arms still protectively holding the girl in his arms, he used his other arm and reached out toward the iing Basilisk''s opened mouth.


    Purple rings appeared on his palm and formed into a disc with a twenty-inch diameter. Its depth immediately stretched forward, aiming at the Basilisk''s opened mouth.


    Kyran had a choice to use a shield and deflect the Basilisk, but he knew that it would only attack again, so instead, he chose to attack.


    However, a dark green ball slowly formed inside the mutated Basilisk''s mouth and shot out to intercept Kyran''s attack.


    ''What in the-!'' Kyran''s eyes widened as he saw his attack start to melt from the mutated Basilis''s attack.


    It was the first time he saw his pure magic melting as if it was made of a solid material.


    Because of his shock, Kyran''s reactiongged for a second, and the mutated Basilisk''s attack overpowered his.


    Kyran lifted his other hand and was about to summon his magic again when suddenly, the girl who had been silent lifted her head and turned.


    She looked at the mutated Basilisk and a sound so soft and mellow yet clear and loud escaped her lips.


    The mutated Basilisk''s eyes zed over, and its attack weakened.


    Kyran was stunned for a second as he stared at the girl in front of him. His eyes reflected an emotion of shock and amazement.


    HISS!


    Kyran did not even have the time to fully digest what had happened when he heard another hissing from inside the cave.


    He immediately turned his attention to his left and saw another mutated Basilisk slithered out.


    ''Two!''


    It was then that Kyran realized how naive he had been. Why did he think there was only one mutated Basilisk?


    Kyran''s eyes widened as this mutated Basilisk''s golden eyes shed.


    Time seemed to have stopped.


    Kyran''s brain had gone to overdrive as different scenarios, and possible strategies shed through his mind.


    Then he suddenly moved and shifted into a kneeling position. His outstretched right arm moved toward the iing Basilisk while his reddish-purple eyes glowed, turning into a deeper shade of purple.


    Two huge fissures appeared in front of the first mutated Basilisk and the second, respectively. An invisible force attracted the two mutate Basilisks toward the fissure.


    Previously, when Kyran used the fissure, it passively awaited to absorb an attack. This time, it actively drew the two mutated Basilisk closer and sucked them in.


    HISS!


    The first mutated Basilisk broke free from its stunned state and immediately struggled to slither away from the fissure''s suction. The second mutated Basilisk did the same.


    However, the force of the suction grew fierce as the two mutated Basilisk slowly entered the two huge fissures.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed fiercer to the point where blood streamed down. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain that came with the two mutated Basislisks suction. Veins appeared on his arms and temples. The skin on his arms and legs tore open as blood seeped out.


    The girl who had stayed quiet after ''looking'' at the first Basilisk looked at her surroundings in fright. She saw multiple colored lights mingling around her fiercely, and she heard a mournful cry from two of therger lights.


    These two lights were slowly being ''eaten'' by a huge purple light, and the girl closed her eyes and covered her ears, trying to block out the devastating scene and noise around her.


    "Guh."


    Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood as he felt something inside him crack as he struggled to maintain the fissures.


    Hearing the man''s pain, the girl lowered her hand and opened her eyes. She turned behind her and saw a vast expanse of nothingness before her.


    Within this nothingness, she saw five orbs. Four of these orbs surrounded a bigger orb which was currently being glowing intensely. Inside the orb, four distinct colors, purple, green, silver and gold, mingled with the purple one dominating the other two while the silver supported the purple one.


    A faint green and gold color started to form inside one of the clear orbs.


    "Guh!"


    The man coughed once again, and the girl felt his pain.


    Her eyes shone as she reached out in front of her, and she opened her lips.


    Kyran, who had been gritting his teeth and enduring the pain as the two mutated Basilisk slowly entered the fissures, suddenly felt the girl touch his face.


    A clear mncholic sound escaped her lips, and Kyran felt his whole body tremble.


    He stared at the girl''s glowing white eyes as she sang. Her voice which was not loud sounded ethereal and echoed throughout the cave.

 Chapter 135 Lament Of The Souls (3)

    The words that escaped the girl''s lips were foreign to Kyran. Even the melody she sang sounded like an ancient song.


    However, the more Kyran listened to it, the more he felt as if he had heard it before, and he felt nostalgic. It filled his very core, and the excruciating pain he usually felt whenever he summoned a fissure lifted.


    The two mutated Basilisk also stopped struggling, which made it easier for him to absorb both.


    "Agh!"


    The girl suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood, spraying it all over Kyran and abruptly ending her song.


    The pain that Kyran thought had disappeared returned. While the two mutated, Basilisk slowly awoke from their dazed state.


    However, the girl stubbornly held on and once again opened her lips.


    As soon as her song filled the air once more, the pain and pressure on Kyran were lifted again.


    However, he saw the edge of the girl''s glowing white eyes slowly turn red. And tears which he realized were blood, started to seep down the corner of her eyes.


    It dawned on Kyran that this girl''s song was putting a lot of strain on her already frail body and probably mind. If she continued singing, it might endanger her life.


    "Stop now!" Kyran told the girl.


    Still, the girl did not stop.


    At this moment, the fissures finally seeded in absorbing the two mutated Basilisks, and the crack Kyran felt in his core slowly stabilized. However, the immense magic fluctuation still lingered in the air as the girl continued with her song.


    Kyran immediately released the two fissures, and he took off the girl''s hand, which held his face.


    "I said stop!" Kyran said while giving the girl a little shake.


    As if snapping out of a trance, the girl finally stopped singing, and her glowing white eyes, which had a red tint on the edges, returned to their normal color.


    The magic fluctuations in the air dissipated, and the whole cave fell into silence.


    For a moment, the two of them remained still.


    Even the girl gaped at Kyran as if she could see him.


    "You-."


    "Howe you... don''t have it...?"


    The girl asked in a voice Kyran barely heard before her eyes closed, and her body went limp as she fell straight into his arms.


    "Huh?" Kyran asked with a slight frown. "What do you mean? What is it that I don''t have?"


    However, the girl remained still.


    She had already lost consciousness.


    Kyran stared at the girl in his arms. If not for her even breathing, Kyran might have thought she died.


    ''No, that''s not the point here!'' Kyran scolded himself.


    He knew the girl had secrets, and her abilities to see lights were not simple. But he never expected to see more of her secret at this point. He even thought the girl would hesitate to reveal more about herself until he gained her trust.


    ''But that song... is it kind of magic? But she did not summon any arrays....''


    An idea shed through Kyran''s mind, and his scalp went numb.


    There was no way that could happen, right? It was absurd and too coincidental.


    ''Impossible,'' Kyran still rejected the idea as he stared at the unconscious girl in his arms.


    But he could not deny that there were lingering magic fluctuations in the air, which proved that the girl did use magic.


    And she did without using a magic array.


    ''Ancient magic?'' Kyran thought.


    If this was the case, then this girl''s magic was... Soul Magic?


    Kyran slowly sat crossed-legged on the ground, moving the girl''s body to a much better position.


    ''The light she sees... could it be ''souls''?'' He wondered. ''Then when she said I don''t have it... did she mean I don''t have a ''light''?''


    It was possible. It also answered how the girl did not react the first time she saw him.


    But, if the light she meant was souls, then.<sub> </sub>


    ''No way. I mean I am alive so I do have a soul... Or do I?''


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    What was he even thinking? Of course, he had a soul.


    Then he remembered the girl could also see arrays.


    ''Wait. Don''t jump to conclusions yet. She saw the array. I''m sure of it. And arrays had magic in them. So maybe the light she sees are magic, and what she did earlier is not soul magic but... A unique ability?''


    Some people were born with unique abilities. One good example was Dante, who had a rare ability to multi-cast.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran settled on that thought for now. Because he only read a few things about rare abilities, and he was not knowledgeable of their manifestation or limitation. There was no point in dwelling on a subject he did not know the answer to.


    ''I''ll have to ask Nn about it,'' he decided and looked at the girl in his arms once again.


    His gaze softened, remembering how she insisted on using her ability to help him. He was no fool. The girl did that because she wanted to help him.


    Earlier, Kyran had a crazy notion of training the girl and making use of her. But after what just happened, he changed his mind.


    Apart from this, the song she sang just now was too pure, and Kyran was afraid of corrupting her.


    Kyran took out a bottle of energy replenishing potion and stamina potion.


    With a sigh, he downed the two potions before returning the empty bottles to his pouch.


    To think that he had to consume potions so early in the day. It was only a bottle each, but he probably had to buy more in town.


    ''Or I can get more when I transport the Theirhorns,'' he thought.


    The truth, Kyran was not really short on energy replenishing potions and stamina potions, but the ones he initially had with him were high-grade ones, and he wanted to save them for emergency use.


    ''I will ask Chairman Malia or Avrum to teach me how to concoct those two potions to save money in the future,'' Kyran decided.


    For the next few minutes, he cleaned himself and the girl off their blood. When he was done, he gently shifted the girl and settled her on his back before leaving the cave.


    Though it was not exactly nice, Kyran was d the girl was too skinny and weighed less, which would not hinder his pace going west.


    ==================


    The sun had already risen when Kyran arrived at a town named Hanaan. This town was located at the edge of Darwick City, a medium-sized city west of Bearch City.


    Hanaan Town had a poption of almost 1,200, and it was rtively the same size as Tarrin.


    Some stores and outside stalls were already open while people walked along the path to buy or simply look at the items on disy.


    Kyran entered the town without drawing much attention. Right now, he was using Nar''s face and did not bother covering it. Because he knew his appearance was below average and would not stand out among the crowd. Even while carrying a girl on his back, most people only saw him as a doting big brother.


    He walked at the side of the street looking for an inn. He was not exhausted, but he was thinking of leaving the girl here while he continued on his task. For now, he nned to rent the room for a few days and instruct the owner of the inn to deliver some food during meal times for the girl.


    Growl...


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    The growling sound was too familiar and timely, in his opinion. However, the culprit who made the sound was still unconscious. It amazed him how the little body behind him could make such a loud sound.


    While Kyran searched for an inn, it urred to him that he still did not know the girl''s name.


    ''I better ask her when she wakes up,'' he decided.


    After all, it was a little rude to call her ''oi'' or ''you''.


    It took Kyran a quarter of an hour to find an inn that also offers food service. He did not tell the owner about his arrangements yet because he had to talk to the girl first.


    The room he rented was located on the second floor at the end of the hall. It was considered a deluxe room with two single beds and a bathroom.


    There was a small table that separated the two beds. And two wooden chairs with a round table was ced by the window.


    Kyran nodded his head after seeing the room. This room was enough for the girl to live in for a few days.


    He entered the room and closed the door before taking the girl on the bed near the door.


    Then he went over to the other bed and took out a parchment and a pen.


    For the next few minutes, Kyran busied himself listing the things he had to buy in town.

 Chapter 136 Lament Of The Souls (4)

    Early in the morning in Starhorn City, market district.


    The road leading to the Chamber of Commerce and the cksmith Order main branches, which stood opposite each other, was packed with different types of people. These people were either going into the Chamber of Commerce to buy or order materials or going into the cksmith Order to buy or request special-made items, such as weapons, armors, or magic items.


    The Chamber of Commerce was a four-story building made of ck and white marble with a huge symbol of a book with a hovering stamp made of gold. On the other hand, the cksmith Order was a three-story building made of metal and ck stones with a huge chimney at the center that regrly puffs out a cloud of white smoke. A huge sign of a gold hammer was engraved on the building''s double doors.


    Needless to say, both buildings stood out from the rest because of their identity as a Conve constituent.


    Vaness, the Head Chief of the Chamber of Commerce, was currently inside his office located on the fourth floor. His office, which upied at least 50sqm. of the whole fourth floor was filled with ceiling-high bookshelves on each side. The rectangr study table was situated near the floor to ceiling windows and was facing the double-door entrance.


    Currently, a stack of documents filled Vaness''s study table that he had not finished reading. However, he was not rushing to read these documents because his attention was upied by the small parchment he held.


    A soft knock sounded from the doors, and without looking up, Vaness said, "Come in."


    Emery entered the room. She closed the door behind her before approaching the study table.


    "Head Chief, Kyran has sent over the thousand-year-old Duali bark and samples of the miasmast night," she started.


    Vaness paused after hearing her words, and he finally looked up.


    "Really?" He asked with a hint of surprise.


    Emery simply nodded her head and added, "The Lord requested for us toe to the Tower because she expected that the Theihorns will be transported soon."


    "Good. We also received an update on the rare stones," he replied with a nod.


    "Have they found its location?"


    Vaness shook his head.


    "No, but they found a lead on the group who infiltrated the Shaiha Ruins."


    With a slight frown, Emery asked, "Will it be alright to give that information to Kyran? That is not exactly what he asked from us."


    "No it is not, however, if we manage to capture a member of this group, we might find some information of the Shaiha Ruins itself."


    Emery raised her brows in realization.


    "Like a map."


    Vaness nodded with a smile and said, "Exactly. Since they managed to enter and leave the ruins, it means they have a map."


    "It will be better if we capture a member first before Kyran meet with our people."


    "Yes. Our people are already on the move, by the time Kyran meets up with them, they would have captured that person. Given that they seed, of course."


    Emery smiled faintly.


    "If not, it will be hard for us to capture that person again."


    Vaness sighed.


    "True. But, I have a feeling that Kyran will be able to find a work-around if that happens."


    He rolled up the small parchment and pushed back his chair.


    "Anyway, we have to leave. We cannot let the Lord wait," he changed the subject and stood up.


    "The carriage is already waiting downstairs."


    "Then, let''s go."


    The two of them left the office and made their way downstairs.


    ===============


    Back in Hanaan, it took Kyran half an hour to buy all the things he had listed. His list was not long, but looking for a girl''s apparel took much of his time. He did not expect that buying a girl''s clothes was such an arduous task.


    When he returned to the inn, he ordered breakfast at the counter before making his way to the room on the second floor.


    There he found the girl who had already awakened, sitting at one corner with her head buried on her knees.


    The girl immediately looked up when she heard the door opening.


    "What are you doing there?" Kyran asked with a slight frown as he closed the door behind him.


    When the girl heard the man''s voice, her face immediately brightened.


    "You are here."


    Kyran bit back his angry response and walked over to the girl''s side.


    "You should have stayed on the bed," he told her instead and helped her sit at the foot of the bed.


    "I-I thought s-something happened to you. A-And this ce is... i-is v-very different so... I-I thought s-someone else might have... t-taken me..." she replied in a small voice.


    Kyran took a deep breath and sorted his thoughts.


    While he was out buying, he recounted what had happened at the mutated Basilisk''s cave and realized a problem.


    The problem where the girl would end up feeling indebted to him.


    Kyran thought of this problem when the girl did not hesitate to reveal her secret to him and insisted on using her ability to help him. But looking closely at what happened, because of what she did, he ended up owing her. And since he helped her first, then that meant they were already even.


    However, the girl''s naivety would make her think this was not the case.


    To be honest, even if the girl did not use her ability, Kyran was sure he would be able to deal with the two mutated Basilisks. He admitted that summoning his magic at its fullest might be a good option to deal with the two at the time, but his instincts told him otherwise. Apart from the fact that he did not want to destroy the cave and leave a trace that would reveal he went there, there was a possibility that the two mutated Basilisks could counter his magic. This assumption came from his observation when his magic attack melted from the mutated Basilisk''s counterattack. In the end, Kyran chose to summon the fissures to deal with them, even if he would end up feeling exhausted because, as far as he knows, his fissures could absorb anything.


    Kyran pulled one of the chairs near the windows toward the foot of the bed. He sat down before looking at the girl and said, "Let''s talk."


    When she heard how serious the man''s voice was, the girl''s expression turned solemn.


    ''I guess, this is it.'' She thought and suppressed any emotions that emerged deep in her heart.


    She already knew the man would leave her. Anyone who witnessed her magic ended up getting scared. But even if the man did not see her magic, she knew he would still leave. She only worried because she did not know where to go when that happened.<sub> </sub>


    "This town is called Hanaan. Is it familiar?" Kyran asked.


    He did not directly ask the town''s name where the girl lived because he did not want to give her the impression that he was asking about her.


    The girl''s expression turned confused, but she replied, "No."


    "I see."


    Kyran paused and looked at the girl thoughtfully before continuing.


    "What happened earlier... when you... sang that song-."


    "T-The song is not dangerous," the girl interrupted at once. "I-It is called the Lament of the Souls a-and m-my mother said, it c-can soothe t-the soul. What I''m trying to say, it is nothing dangerous. I-I''m n-not d-dangerous..."


    Kyran''s brow creased after hearing the girl''s exnation. Although he did not n to ask about it, he felt a sudden headache now that she had told him what the song was.


    Just hearing the ''soul'' part gave him a bad feeling.


    "Right. I am not asking about that though," Kyran told her.


    "Oh. S-Sorry," the girl fell silent.


    Kyran sighed.


    It would seem, his impulsive decision did make his situation moreplicated. And if his guess was correct, leaving this girl and fading in the background was no longer an option. Her existence might have an impact on his future. He might be overthinking, but he felt that their meeting was too coincidental for him to ignore.


    "Anyway, it seems singing that song weakens you, so its best for you to stay here and rest." Kyran decided to say.


    The girl''s expression immediately turned sad. She lowered her head and replied, "I... O-Okay."


    Seeing her sad expression, Kyran added, "I can''t take you with me because-."


    "I-I know. Y-You''ve done a lot already. So, I understand. D-Don''t worry, i-if you c-can take me... uhm... m-maybe to a... an orphanage o-or t-the monastery, I-I can stay there."


    Kyran fell silent. He had not thought of the monastery when thinking of a ce where to leave the girl. But it was not because he forgot, but because he knew the monastery had ties with the Royal Family. They appeared to be neutral, but the Conve''s records showed otherwise.


    He did not want to go near anything rted to the Royal Army or the Royal Family.


    "Is that where you want to go?" He asked.


    The girl did not reply and only lifted her head a little.


    "Because I am thinking of leaving you here for a few days while I go on an errand. Then I''lle back to-."


    "Really? Will youe back for me?"


    Kyran could not help but smile faintly.


    This girl was too easy to read. She stuttered and looked uneasy when she felt nervous or sad and spoke clearly when she felt excited or happy; even her face brightened.


    "Yes."


    When the girl smiled brightly, Kyran was suddenly speechless.


    She was too pure, and taking herpletely under his wing would definitely corrupt her.


    Shaking his head, Kyran pushed the thought at the back of his mind. It was not like he would keep her close because he nned to let Byron deal with her.


    "Then I will wait for you," the girl replied enthusiastically.


    "Let me get something straight, I''ming back but only because I will take you to someone who can help find a ce for you."


    "Oh," the girl replied, disappointed. "Y-You''re... I-I see."


    Ignoring the disappointed look on her face, Kyran continued, "And about your... ability. I suggest you don''t use it again. You''re fortunate because I''m not interested in it but if others find out, you will only attract problems."


    "I-I''ll try."


    "Good. Anyway, I''ve bought you some clothes so you can change," Kyran said and took out a few bags from his pouch and ced them on the bed beside the girl.


    "I will tell the owner to bring you food during mealtime while I am gone. You can stay in this room. There is also a bathroom here. I will show it to you before I leave."


    "When will you leave?"


    "In a few minutes."


    "S-So soon?"


    Ignoring her reply, Kyran took out a healing potion and reached for her hand.


    "This is a healing potion. You''ve sustained some internal injuries so this can help you. Don''t worry if you''re not used to drinking potions because this is of a lower grade. Your body will be able to slowly adapt to its healing effect. As for your other wounds," Kyra took out a small container with ointment and a few rolls of bandages. "I will leave a medicine here you can use and bandages so you can change into new ones."


    Kyran stood up and ced the items on the table that separated the two beds.


    "I will arrange them in a way that will be easy for you to find them. Don''t worry. I will guide you around so you can familiarize yourself with the room''syout."


    "Thank you," the girl replied as she tightly held the bottle of potion in her hand.


    She felt touched at the man''s consideration. But the more he showed kindness, the more she hoped to stay with him.


    ''He''s not interested to keep a blind person with him. He did not even... ask for your name,'' she reminded herself.


    "For now, that''s all I want to say."


    The girl nodded her head, "Okay."


    "Right. Before I forget," Kyran turned his attention back at the girl.


    "What''s your name?"


    The moment the man asked this question, the girl''s eyes brightened. Unfortunately, he did not see it.


    The girl turned her head toward the direction where the man had spoken and replied, "Cyneah. My name is Cyneah."

 Chapter 137 Lumis Excitement

    "A-And you? W-What''s your name?" Cyneah asked right after she answered his question.


    Kyran raised both his brows at her question. It was not unusual for a person to ask this question, but Kyran thought she was not interested.


    "Nar."


    Cyneah smiled and repeated his name in a small voice, "Nar."


    "By the way, I will take the room''s key with me. As for the spare key, the owner has it. I will tell him not to disturb you apart from delivering your meals. If anyone else knocks, or tries to talk to you behind the door, don''t reply."


    "Okay."


    Kyran took a deep breath and looked out the window.


    Looking at the brightness outside, he guessed the time was around nine in the morning. He was already behind schedule, so he bought additional energy replenishing potions to warp his way to Noser City. Once there, he would use teleportation tokens to reach his destination, where he would meet up with the people from the Chamber of Commerce.


    ''Before that, I need to create a proof that I came here, and then transport the to the Tower,'' he reminded himself.


    Kyran turned his attention back to Cyneah and said, "I''ll guide you around now."


    "Hm," she replied with a nod.


    In the next quarter of an hour, Kyran guided Cyneah around the room and patiently taught her the arrangement of the items he left for her.


    She was a fast learner and adapted quickly, so he left the room without dy.


    Kyran looked for the owner and discussed the arrangements he had for Cyneah. Then he paid a generous amount to make sure the owner would not ask any questions.


    When he finished talking to the owner, Kyran went on his way.


    Outside Hanaan, Kyran went deeper into the forest and searched for a clearing. When he found one, he created a few small craters using his magic and recorded them in a two inches wide white cube with a gray orb at one side. This cube was a magic item that could record a scene for a few seconds. Light would appear from the orb and scan the area it was facing by pressing the orb once. It was how the cube could record the scene. Once the orb was pressed twice, it would show a holographic version of the scene it scanned. If there were none, then it would only show a ck circr space.


    Once Kyran was satisfied with his proof, he sat on the ground and took off his mask to prepare for the transportation of the Theihorns.


    After a few minutes, he realized he could not transport the containers the way he did with the thousand-year-old Duali and the miasma samples because the containers were too big. If he transported the containers one at a time, it would consume a lot of his energy and stamina. He had only replenished his stash of potions, and yet he would have to use it up again.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran finally decided to use the most cost-effective way. He would use up most of his stored energy and feel exhausted, but at least he would only do it twice, to and from, and wouldn''t have to do it ''six times''.


    ''Let''s go with that,'' he thought and closed his eyes.


    ==================


    It took only two hours for Vaness and Emery to get to the Tower of Conve.


    When they arrived, Malek, Noir, and Sigma were already waiting for them.


    Vaness and Emery found out that the Lord of the Tower was already in the training grounds, waiting at the room where Kyran told them he would transport the materials.


    While they were on their way to the training grounds, Vaness ryed the update he received from his people.


    This information made Malek frown slightly. When he heard the incident where a group broke into Shaiha Ruins, he did not pay much attention because he was confident of the Conve''s ability to gather information. But hearing Vaness''s report, it appeared that even they had not found much regarding the incident.


    "Do we know what faction the group that broke into the Shaiha Ruins is part of?" He asked.


    Vaness shook his head.


    "It was unclear. The people from the Temr Code managed to stop any information about the incident from leaking," he replied.


    Malek''s frown deepened. He did not doubt the Temr Code''s ability to contain information about the incident but how fast they reacted.


    From previous experiences, the Conve would have gathered enough information on an incident before the Temr Code could react.


    "They are fast," Malekmented.


    Hearing hisment, Sigma thought of something and said, "There might be more to the incident than a simple break in."


    "It is possible that they reacted fast because the group seeded, and whatever they took is of great value." Noir also shared his thought.


    "But the only valuable item we know of from the Shaiha Ruins are the rare stones," Vaness said.


    "That is because the Temr Code made such a big show about the rare stones. Still, if there is something inside which is of greater value than the rare stones, the Royal Family would not have agreed in selling the ruins to them." Malek said.


    "What if the Royal Family did not really sell the ruins to them but the two are actually working together?" Emery suddenly suggested.


    The four stopped and looked at her.


    Emery also stopped in her tracks and raised her hands. She said, "I was only rumbling."


    "No. You might be onto something," Malek said as his brain raced to look at this possibility.


    "If they are working with the Royal Family, then it exins how they managed to immediately stop any information from leaking," he added as he continued walking toward the training grounds.


    The four followed close behind.


    "However, which faction has the ability to break into a property guarded not only by the Temr Code but the Royal Family and sessfully leave?"


    The other four did not reply. Malek was not expecting them to respond either.


    "We better check the movements of the other factions, as well as those moving in the dark. We may have to reassess each of their influence if not, it may pose a threat to all of us."


    "Yes, Head Master. I will inform my people to check on them," Vaness agreed.<sub> </sub>


    After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the room where the Lord of Tower was.


    They found the Lord, but she was not alone. She was apanied by a very good-looking man in his mid-twenties with long silver hair and light blue eye inside the rooms.


    "You''ve arrived," Ste smiled the moment Malek and the others entered the room.


    Ss, on the other hand, immediately bowed in respect and greeted them, "It is a great privilege to meet the members of the Conve''s High Council."


    Malek raised his hand and gestured for Ss to stand straight.


    "No need for formality. Among us, it is only the Lord of the Tower who deserves absolute respect," Malek said.


    Hearing his words, Ste could not help but roll her eyes. "Ignore him, Ss."


    Sweats appeared on their heads from the Lord''s indifference while looking at Malek''s reaction. Fortunately, he did not take it to heart, and there was even slight humor on his face.


    Ss, unfamiliar with the rtionship between the Lord of the Tower and the Head Master, felt frightened.


    That was the Head of Conve!


    If Ss had a say, the Head of Conve''s words were apliment. But the Lord of the Tower brushed it off and even rolled her eyes at his words. Such treatment directed at the Head of Conve would have resulted in life imprisonment if done by an ordinary Conve member. No, even someone with a position in the Conve could be imprisoned for such an act.


    "Everyone, meet Ss. He is a mercenary and a guest who will be staying here for a few days." Ste introduced as if nothing had happened.


    This sudden shift of subject made Ss look at the Lord of the Tower in a different light. He thought her status was simr to the Head Master within the Conve even though she seemed very young. She even looked younger than Ss. However, it seemed she was more powerful than the Head Master.


    The other council members nodded at Ss in greeting. They seemed indifferent in the sudden change of subject.


    Seeing that the Head Master was not offended by the Lord''s indifference, Ss reigned in his apprehension and continued to observe in silence.


    Before Ste could continue to speak, magic fluctuations suddenly appeared at the center of the room.


    All of them turned toward the magic fluctuation.


    ''This!'' Ss''s brows creased as he felt the air crackle. His hand automatically flew to his sword''s hilt.


    Soon a seven-foot-tall fissure appeared vertically in the air.


    The magic fluctuations in the surroundings intensified. However, Ss noticed that none of the council members made a move. They even had a calm expression while they looked at the fissure.


    Even the Lord of the Tower''s expression brightened as a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face.


    "OH MY GOODNESS!"


    Lumi appeared with a soft puff and flew toward the fissure.


    "THIS! THIS! OH MY GOODNESS!"


    She shouted as she excitedly circled the fissure.


    "L-Lady Lumi!" Ss tried to call her attention.


    Since the others could not see her, they looked at him quizzically.


    Ste, on the other hand, giggled at Lumi''s excitement.


    Ss was at a loss. He was unsure why Lumi was suddenly acting like a little kid.


    His doubts were soon answered when a silhouette slowly appeared from within the fissure.


    Soon this silhouette stepped out, and Ss''s eyes widened.


    A young man who looked like a younger version of Master Cade with short hair stepped out.


    ''No. Not really aplete replica of Master Cade. His brows and nose were simr to Lady Rin,'' Ss thought, realizing who this person was.


    "Kyran Reg-."


    "VOID MASTER!"


    Kyran looked up just in time to see a loud puff of big white smoke appearing in front of him. From within the smoke, a very attractive and seductive woman appeared and flew straight at him.


    The woman had deep blue long wavy hair and simrly deep blue eyes. Her delicate white and blue dress hugged her curvaceous body.


    "W-What-?" Kyran''s eyes widened as the woman extended her arms toward him. Her beautiful pink pulp lips locked on to his.


    Kyran''s hand reacted at once, and he held the weird woman''s head on both sides before she could kiss him.


    By then, the woman''s full weight crashed onto him, making him lose his bnce.


    He btedly realized that the floor around him and the woman were suddenly covered in snow, which caused him to slip and fall.


    Everyone inside was too shocked to react.


    They could only look at the scene in front with wide eyes.


    Even Ste paled at what she had just witnessed.

 Chapter 138 A Spirits Little Prank

    "Aw, you don''t have to be shy, Void Master, let this nobledy give you a wee kiss!" Lumi, who transformed into her true form, pressed down on Kyra while trying to remove his hands on her head.


    "Ack! Lady Lumi!" Ss eximed both in shock and embarrassment.


    He wanted to pull her back but seeing her true form made him remember the trauma he experienced in his childhood.


    "No, thanks!" Kyran replied while pushing the woman''s face away from him.


    "Hm?" Lumi''s beautiful face suddenly frowned when she smelled a faint metallic scent.


    She stared at Kyran for a few seconds before looking at his body with a look of distress.


    "You''re wounded!" She gasped, releasing her hold on Kyran''s hand and immediately groped his body.


    "Oi! Where are you touching?" Kyran shouted as he released his hold on her head to grab her wrists.


    Lumi sneered and looked at Kyran''s face.


    "Naive!" She eximed and immediately leaned forward to attempt another kiss.


    Because Kyran was distracted, his reaction was a secondte.


    But.


    "Oomph!"


    Lumi''s movements froze within a couple of inches away from Kyran''s face.


    The air crackled as a huge clock hovered above the room.


    Malek, Noir, Vaness, Sigma, Emery, and Ss all had ck lines on their heads as their movements also stopped. From the corner of their eyes, they stole a nce at the other woman whose magic pressure rose at a scary level.


    "Lumi... What do you think you''re doing?" Ste asked in an obviously restrained manner.


    Lumi snickered at the undisguised jealousying from Ste.


    "Oh, do you want to have a go first, Time Keeper?"


    "Wha-!"


    Ste blushed at Lumi''s words which made her magic fluctuate and instantly break.


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    "I don''t mind! Seriously you and your namesake are truly loyal!"


    Lumi''s casual remark made all of them pause.


    What did she mean?


    "But it''s not like you haven''t done so before~. There''s no harm in letting me go first, right?" Lumi added.


    "No!"


    Ste and Ss both rejected.


    Kyran, on the other hand, could only sigh.


    He looked at the woman in front of him and said, "Can you get off? I know you''re not serious, so don''t provoke her, and... Who the hell are you?"


    He was not trying to downy what just happened. This woman in front of him might have spouted things that implied Ste had special feelings for him, but there was no sincerity in her voice.


    Besides, Kyran knew Ste did not see him that way.


    After learning about the magic cores, he vaguely understood that the memories of previous Time Keepers might have influenced Ste''s actions and feelings. It might even be directed to his predecessor and not him.


    Kyran knew he was not a man that a woman as beautiful and capable as Ste would fall for. His looks were average, and he had not even aplished anything in his life. A certain double-faced girl made that clear to him when he was still at military school.


    "Oh? So cool~ Void Master. You''re not showing a reaction when a beautiful woman such as my noble self is sitting wantonly on top of you."


    "Lumi!"


    "Lady Lumi!"


    Ste and Ss''s faces flushed in embarrassment at Lumi''s vulgarity.


    Even Noir and Vaness could not help but clear their throats.


    Sigma clenched his fist and red enviously at Kyran.


    "Agh. Lucky bastard," he muttered, in which Emery gave him a disproving look.


    "Pervert."


    On the other hand, Malek only had a deadpan expression. No one knew what he was thinking.


    Kyran only raised his brows at Lumi.


    Lumi smiled.


    As Kyran said, she was not 100% serious. Her excitement to see the new Void Master was real, but as a Spirit, her yful side appeared when she saw him.


    The Void Master''s presence always drew such a reaction from them.


    Besides, after knowing that the new Time Keeper had the same name as the first Time Keeper, Lumi had wanted to y a little prank. She had heard of the first Time Keeper''s rtionship with the previous Void Master, and she could not resist the temptation to tease them.


    Too bad the new Void Master had a different temperament from his predecessor.


    Lumi was not disappointed, though. Kyran''s indifference meant no one could manipte him easily.


    ''And that is good enough,'' Lumi thought as she closed her eyes. ''This means the previous Void Master has seeded.''


    With a loud puff, Lumi turned into her cute form and patted Kyran''s head.


    "Nice to meet you, new Void Master. I am Lumi, from the noble Ice Spirits."


    The sudden change in Lumi''s temperament left most of them dumbfounded.


    Noir, Vaness, and Emery also felt awed by the fact that they could see a Spirit.<sub> </sub>


    Sigma, however, felt a cold shiver run up his spine. He hoped the Ice Spirit did not hear his early remark. He did not want to end up getting cursed by a Spirit!


    Malek, though, remained unperturbed. After all, he already knew about Ss and his Spirit.


    After hearing Lumi''s introduction, Kyran could not help but look at her in surprise.


    ''Spirit?''


    After hearing from Nn that his mother was a summoner type, Kyran looked for information about Spirits when he was at Ste''s study. He now understood why she acted in this way.


    Spirits were willful creatures. They were born with specific elemental affinity, and their magic level was not measured the same way as humans. There was even an analysis that once a Spirit became an adult, their magic level would be on par with a human mage''s Magus level. Of course, that was if they were in their own ne. If they appeared on the human ne, their magic level was restricted and would depend on their contracted mage''s level.


    Although this Ice Spirit did not appear to be strong, the fact that she could appear in her true form meant she was a powerful Ice Spirit. And to maintain her true form, it meant her contracted mage would also be a powerful one.


    Kyran turned his attention to the man with long silver hair and blue eyes. Since the man was the only one he had not met, he guessed that the man was the Spirit''s contracted mage.


    Lumi''s expression turned sour as if reading Kyran''s mind when he looked at Ss.


    She immediately said, "I am a free spirit, and I don''t know that stupid-looking man. He is not rted to me in any way!"


    Ss''s brow twitched as the dark lines on his head turned darker, "L-Lady Lumi. Will it kill you for being nice to me?"


    Lumi red at him.


    "You''re just Ss. Why should I lower myself and be nice to you?"


    ''She said she didn''t know him, but she said his name,'' Kyran thought in amusement.


    With a slight shake of his head, Kyran stood up.


    This little interlude had already taken a lot of his time. He did not expect to see so many people in his ''room''.


    "Lumi, it seems you already know who I am, but I''m sorry. I still have a lot to do, so I can''t stay and chat," Kyran told her.


    Honestly, he was curious why this Ice Spirit looked excited upon seeing him. From the way she spoke earlier, it seemed she was familiar with his predecessor as well.


    Kyran was very interested in that. Unfortunately, he could not stay and chat.


    Lumi flew and sat on Kyran''s shoulder.


    "Ack-!" Ss reacted but immediately closed his mouth after seeing that Kyran did not mind Lumi''s action.


    "That''s alright~. I heard from the Time Keeper that you are currently on an errand. Let''s talk when you''re done~."


    Upon hearing Lumi''s words, Ste immediately reposed herself and faced Kyran.


    "I''ve brought them along because Lumi wanted to meet you. I hope you don''t mind," she said.


    Kyran looked at Ste and shook his head.


    "I don''t mind, but as I said, I can''t stay. I''m already behind schedule," Kyran replied.


    "Did something happen?" Ste asked in concern. She then recalled Lumi''s words about him being injured. "That''s right, Lumi said you''re injured-."


    "It''s nothing serious. I''ve already taken a potion," Kyran replied nonchntly.


    However, Ste paled at his reply because she knew Kyran''s natural healing abilities. If it was nothing serious, why would he take a potion?


    Lumi saw Ste''s reaction and chuckled. It seemed she had found a new game to pass the time.


    Kyran turned his attention to the council members.


    He initially wanted to ask why they were all here but thought it might prompt an unnecessary discussion, so he decided to get straight to the point.


    Kyran tapped his pouch and took out three huge containers. These containers appeared in the space to their left.


    "I drained their blood and removed the internal organs to preserve them better," Kyran exined as he walked over to the containers.


    "The internal organs are in here," he said and tapped on the container with a green lid. "And the rest are in the blue one."


    He then looked at the container with the red lid.


    "I don''t have to say where the blood is, right?"


    "Cheeky," Sigma snorted.


    Kyran looked at him but only gave a faint smile.


    Noir and Vaness also walked over to the containers and examined the content.


    "This..." Vaness was surprised. The body of the three Theihorns had been preserved well.


    When Kyran proposed to hunt the Theihorns by himself, all of them were prepared to receive a not so intact body of Theihorns. Seeing the Theihorns now, Vaness was really impressed.


    Noir also nodded in appreciation.


    "Well done. All of the important parts are intact," Noir praised.


    Sigma looked at Kyran.


    "You seemed to have taken your time in hunting them," he chided.


    Kyran shook his head and looked at the containers.


    "Not really. I came across a fewst night and dealt with them at once. But before thest one died, it called for reinforcements."


    "Reinforcements? Then your injuries?" Ste asked again in concern.


    p The rest also looked at him, waiting for his exnation.</anda>


    Even Lumi, who remained on his shoulder, touched his cheeks with her cute chubby hands.


    Kyran''s brow creased. He did not want to go into details of what happened. But seeing how all of them were waiting for him to continue, he relented.


    He briefly exined his encounter with the Theihorns but did not mention the mutated Basilisk nor his meeting with Cyneah.

 Chapter 139 A Lead

    The moment Kyran appeared from the fissure, the scenes that followed were beyond Ss''s expectations.


    From Lady Lumi''s embarrassing disy to Kyran''s indifference, then the Lord of the Tower''s so-called jealousy, and finally the revtion that everything Lady Lumi had done was actually just a prank.


    Everything that had happened jumped from one event to another, making Ss unable to react appropriately. He even failed to respond to Lady Lumi''s sudden transformation. By the time he did, she had already reverted to her cute form.


    Frankly, Ss was surprised that Kyran realized that Lady Lumi was only ying a prank. Ss had known her longer, and yet he was convinced of her acting, and he even felt a little envious by the fact that this young man could get a woman''s affection so quickly.


    Was he not supposed to be thedy killer character here?


    Pushing all the unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Ss decided to remain silent and observe.


    Recalling the situation the Lord of the Tower told them yesterday, Kyran was busy acquiring materials for the Conve.


    Last night, Kyran already transported two of the materials. Today, they expected to receive another material.


    When Lady Lumi heard of this, she insisted on waiting for Kyran. Though there was no guarantee that he would appear, Ss had no choice but to ask the Lord of the Tower''s permission.


    And now that Kyran had taken out the supposed materials he needed to deliver, Ss was shocked.


    The huge container used to keep the materials was transparent apart from its colored lid, making it easier for Ss and the rest to see what was inside.


    And inside were bodies of one of the infamous mutated forest beasts for its aggressiveness found in the south; the Theihorns.


    Hearing Kyran''scent narration of how he met and fought them, Ss was speechless.


    It was the same with the other council members.


    Apart from the Lord of the Tower, the Head Master, and Lady Lumi, who seemed to have a matter-of-factly expression, the rest of them were left with cold sweats running down their backs.


    Kyran seriously took out three Theihorns all on his own? Was he still human?


    Recalling the rumors that the Regis n''s strength had declined over the past years, Ss wanted to tell those gossip mongers to get their facts straights.


    Was this what you call a decline in power?


    "That''s about it," Kyran said after telling them a brief ount of his encounter with the Theihorns.


    "Your injuries," Ste insisted.


    Kyran waved his hand and shook his head.


    "As I said, it was nothing."


    Lumi, on the other hand, was looking at Kyran''s profile. She still had her chubby hands on his face as she sat on his shoulder.


    [Void Master, you''re internal injuries are not ''nothing''. I sense an irregr magic cirction inside you.]


    Kyran''s brow creased slightly. He did not expect that Spirits could see a person''s magic circtions. Honestly, he also sensed that there was something wrong with his magic core. He was unsure which one, but he knew it was not his Void Core or the Draconic Core. Since it did not seem to hinder his mobility and magic usage, he decided to observe for now.


    Seeing Kyran''s reluctance, Lumi could only sigh in her heart. This side of him was simr to the previous Void Master. Although she had not met thest Void Master, their elders said he did not want to worry his friends. To the point where he preferred to suffer alone.


    [Alright. I won''t say anything. But if something happens, return here at once. Your real journey has yet to start. You have to take care.]


    Kyran looked at Lumi.


    He did not say anything, but she felt what he wanted to say, and she smiled.


    The exchange between the two, albeit subtle, did not go unnoticed by Ste and Ss.


    Before Ste could say anything, Lumi already flew and went to sit on Ss''s head while Kyran looked at Malek, Noir, and Vaness.


    "Do we have any update on the stone?" He asked.


    "We do," Malek replied.


    Although the two still had an unfinished business between them, they acted civilly toward each other.


    "To be precise, it is a lead to how we can acquire the stone. But it is still uncertain," Malek continued and looked at Vaness.


    Vaness walked over to Kyran and gave him a small parchment.


    "Is that a report that came this morning?" Ste asked and also walked over to stand beside Kyran.


    "Yes, Milord." Vaness answered.


    Kyran unrolled the parchment and read its content. Ste also looked over from his side.


    After a couple of minutes, Kyran gave a brief nod. However, instead ofmenting on what he had read, he turned his attention to the man with long silver hair.


    Ss was a little surprised, but he kept his cool and returned Kyran''s stare.


    Noticing Kyran''s silence, Ste looked at him and saw him looking at Ss. Immediately she said, "It''s okay. We can trust him."


    "Right," Kyran replied, giving the parchment to Ste. "That group may have a map we can use."


    He looked at Vaness and asked, "How confident are your people in capturing the target?"<sub> </sub>


    Vaness smiled faintly and shook his head, "I am also unsure. We can only trust their judgement in executing the n."


    Kyran frowned. Vaness was practically telling him to leave everything to fate, and he did not like it.


    "If they are not confident in capturing the target, it is best they stay put and wait for me. If not, once they failed, the target will definitely be on guard. There is a chance the Temr Code may also be alerted."


    Ss''s eyes narrowed. He was not privy to the details of the materials Kyran was gathering for the Conve, but when he heard the word stone followed by the Temr Code, there was only one conclusion that came to his mind; the rare stone of the Shaiha Ruins.


    "You''re right. Unfortunately, this report was sent yesterday. Chances are, they are already preparing to execute the n." Vaness replied.


    "Unfortunately, ourmunication channel in the west is stillcking, thus, the dy in transmission. Even if we contact them now, there is no guarantee that they will receive it before they move." Malek added.


    Kyran took a deep breath and crossed his arms across his chest.


    If he returned to the forest outside Hanaan and exhausted his stash of energy replenishing potion from warping to Noser, he would still need half a day. Warping from here to Noser was also impossible because he had to pass through Meliora, which would take much longer. Not to mention, the Royal Army''s Headquarters were there.


    "How long do you need to get to Noser?" Sigma asked.


    "Half a day at most," Kyran replied while looking at him.


    "Half a day?" Ss could not help but exim.


    They all looked at him.


    Immediately, Ssughed uneasily while shaking his head and waving his hand in front of him.


    "Apologies for my ignorance," he said.


    "Stupid Ss," Lumi muttered on top of his head. "We''re talking about the Void Master. Getting there in half a day is not surprising!"


    Then she turned her attention to Kyran and looked at him quizzically. She asked, "But why do you need half a day? Why not go there in seconds?"


    Kyran shook his head. "I can''t. I haven''t been there before so I don''t have a clear image of the ce where I can warp to."


    "Thest Void Master had been there," Lumi replied.


    Kyran frowned slightly.


    "I-."


    "He is not..." Ste interjected while looking at Lumi meaningfully.


    In turn, Lumi''s brows lifted in realization.


    Kyran did not see Ste''s meaningful look because he was only looking at Lumi.


    Among the council members, it was only Malek who saw this subtle exchange.


    With a sigh of resignation, Lumi said, "Well, if you can''t warp, there is still another way. As a member of the Regis n, you should know what I am talking about."


    Kyran fell silent. He was actually surprised that Lumi knew about it.


    The rest inside all turned their attention to Kyran after hearing Lumi''s words.


    There was another way that a Regis n could do?


    "True," Kyran admitted. "But that also needed me to visualize the ce where I have to go."


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that. Let stupid Ss take you there."


    "Me?" Ss looked up at Lumi incredulously.


    His action, however, made Lumi slip a bit, and she immediately red up, "You stupid little-! Take this!"


    Her signature small snowball attack rained on Ss''s head.


    Ss could only hang his head to one side and resign to his fate.


    cklines appeared on everyone''s head.


    This... Who was the master, and who was the contracted one?


    Kyran, who did not seem to think anything was wrong, said, "I don''t even know him."


    Lumi stopped throwing snowballs at Ss and flew in midair. She winked at Kyran and said, "Don''t worry. He is too stupid to be of any threat to you."


    "L-Lady Lumi. Can''t you at least keep my dignity intact?"


    "Who cares about your dignity?"


    Seriously, who was the master?


    "Besides," Lumi said and looked back at Kyran. "Little Ss here, is a newly appointed Regis Emissary, if anything, he is someone you can ve around."


    Her remark immediately piqued Kyran''s attention.

 Chapter 140 Cool Your Heads!

    Ste''s blood ran cold as she heard Lumi''s words. She turned to Kyran and immediately said, "Kyran, it''s not like-."


    "What did you say?" Kyran asked Lumi,pletely ignoring Ste.


    His tone carried an unmasked rage, and the air around him started to crackle.


    Others might wonder about his sudden hostility. But given the situation of the Regis n, Kyran''s suspicion was expected. Who was this person that imed to be a Regis Emissary? Kyran was the grandson of the Regis Patriarch and knew everyone who had an important position in the n. Why had he not met this person before? There was also Lumi''s words ''newly appointed'', which meant this guy was appointed recently. It might exin why Kyran had not met him, but why was he not in the estate if that was the case? Kyran clearly remembered his grandfather ordered every Regis n member to return to celebrate his birthday.


    To Kyran, this man was suspicious. Though he did not sense any ill-intent from Lumi and even appeared friendly, as long as she knew the man, then she was also suspicious. Those who were friendly were the ones who usually had something to hide.


    Ss''s eyes narrowed upon seeing Kyran''s hostile look. Living as a mercenary honed his senses to be alert to any danger. And this young man who acted indifferent earlier was sending a very dangerous signal right now.


    Ss thought Kyran would be ecstatic to meet someone who had met his family. So his sudden change puzzled him.


    Seeing the sudden change in Kyran''s mood, Lumi raised her brows in confusion, "Did I just say something I shouldn''t?"


    The rest of the council members, except for Malek, were surprised as well.


    When the Lord of the Tower introduced Ss, they thought he was just a simple mercenary. But now that they thought of it would a simple mercenary have a chance to meet the Lord? Hearing that he was the newly appointed Regis Emissary answered their doubts, but... How did he be an emissary, especially at this time?


    Malek, on the other hand, remained expressionless. However, his eyes were on Kyran. If he made any movement that would harm the Lord, Malek would not hesitate to attack.


    Ste ced a hand on Kyran''s arm.


    "Kyran, let me exin."


    Kyran looked at her, his dark gray eyes pierced through her as he said, "What else are you not telling me?"


    Lumi''s eyes squinted as she realized something. She saw Ste hesitate before Kyran''s re.


    [Don''t look away. If you look away, it will make him more suspicious.]


    Lumi warned Ste.


    Hearing Lumi''s voice in her head, Ste did what Lumi said.


    [Little Ss.]


    Lumi ced her hand on Ss''s head.


    ''Hm?''


    [Brace yourself.]


    Before Ss could react, magic fluctuations erupted in the whole room, and a light blue sphere appeared and engulfed Ss, Lumi, Ste, and Kyran.


    "Milord!" Malek eximed as he rushed forward and got engulfed by the sphere as well.


    "Lord of the Tower! Head Master!"


    Noir, Vaness, Sigma, and Emery shouted and also rushed toward the sphere. However, the sphere shrunk in an instant leaving the area where the five were empty.


    Inside the light blue sphere, the instant Kyran saw the sphere closing in on them, his eyes narrowed and rushed toward Ss. A Void Knife slowly formed on his left hand, and he threw it at Ss.


    Lumi, who was at the center of the sphere, was shocked at Kyran''s attack. It was the same with Ste.


    "Kyran, wait!"


    "Stop!"


    Ss, who had his attention on Kyran, reacted the moment he rushed at him. He took a step back and drew his sword as a half-meter-wide light blue magic array appeared vertically in front of him. He swung his sword toward the magic array, and a few 12-inches long with five inches depth ice shards shot out to counter Kyran''s knife.


    "Hold it! I am not your enemy!"


    The Void Knife and one ice shard collided, and Ss''s blood ran cold as he watched his attack disintegrate before his eyes while the knife still made its way to him.


    Kyran spread his arms as two Void Swords appeared on his hands, and he easily destroyed the rest of the ice shards that came at him.


    "Ugh! I. SAID. STOP!"


    The moment Lumi said stop, a mini avnche rained down on Ss''s and Kyran''s heads.


    "What in the-?"


    "Eh?"


    Both Kyran and Ss''s eyes grew wide as the snow instantly buried them.


    "COOL YOUR HEADS!" Lumi added and crossed her chubby arms across her chest. "Humph!"


    Lumi then turned to Ste, who was looking at the two small snow mountains in front while blinking her eyes stupidly.


    Even Malek, who was running to them, could not help but sweat at what he saw.


    "Seriously! This happens because you kept things from him!" Lumi berated and pointed usingly at Ste.


    Small puffs of smoke appeared on Lumi''s head as she fumed in anger.


    "I... Yes, you''re right. It''s my fault," Ste admitted.


    "Milord," Malek went over to her side. "It is not your fault."


    "Oh, shut it. It''s both your fault," Lumi reprimanded the two.


    Knowing the nature of Spirits, Malek decided to


    At this moment, Kyran and Ss finally emerged at the top of the small snow mountain, spitting out a mouthful of snow.


    "L-Lady Lumi! Are you trying to kill me?" Ssined.<sub> </sub>


    "Such a wuss. Look at the Void Master, he is not evenining!" Lumi red at Ss.


    She flew toward Kyran, who seemed a little dazed at what happened.


    [Void Master, calm down for a moment and listen to what we have to say.]


    Lumi spoke in his mind while touching Kyran''s head.


    Kyran looked at her. He wanted to re at her but felt the sincerity in her words, so he ended up not saying anything.


    The snow around Kyran and Ss slowly dissolved as the three descended to the ground.


    Kyran did not attack Ss anymore, but he remained on guard as Ste and Malek approached them.


    "Now, then Time Keeper, it''s time you exin everything. And make sure you don''t leave out any important details," Lumi told Ste.


    For the next half hour, Ste told Kyran about Malek''s vision. During her exnation, she would ask Malek and Ss to provide additional information from their end. To show that she did not mean to hide anything from him, Ste admitted that Nn''s absence was because she asked him to escort Ss''s friend.


    Kyran was silent during Ste''s exnation. Even if he thought of questions, he did not interrupt and just listened.


    A long pause followed after Ste finished her exnation.


    The four looked at Kyran, waiting for him to speak.


    Finally, Kyran looked at Lumi and asked, "Where is this ce?"


    Ss almost fell off standing.


    "You... that''s the first thing you say after such a great reveal?" He asked incredulously.


    Kyran ignored him and kept his attention on Lumi.


    On the other hand, Lumi understood why he did notment on what he had just learned.


    ''Well~ he and thest Void Master has differences, but this is very much like the Void Master the elders had spoken of,'' she thought with a smile.


    "This is my domain. Although it cannotpare to your Void Wo - oopsie," Lumi paused and stuck out her tongue while yfully hitting her head with her knuckles in a cute way.


    Ss''s expression turned dark at her childish antics.


    She looked cute and all, but she was at least a few hundred years old! What was she thinking?


    "Anyway~ It''s small now because this is the most this stupid-looking man can provide. But during my peak, I can create arger... one."


    Kyran frowned at Lumi''s words. It was obvious she tried to avoid using a specific term and instead used ''one''. But he was not stupid. He knew she was supposed to say the same word she stopped speaking, which started with ''wo''.


    "Kyran."


    Hearing Ste''s call, Kyran took a deep breath and finally looked at her.


    The truth, he was unsure what to think about all these. Ste had important information about his n, and she kept it from him. While he, too, had kept things from them, those things were irrelevant to them. It wouldn''t affect them even if they knew and would even hurt them if they did. But information about his n was different.


    "I don''t care if you have secrets, but don''t even keep any information about my n from me," Kyran told her.


    Ste nodded and said, "I''m sorry. I just thought it best to have Nn and Gage return the item first before telling you. I don''t want you to worry."


    "I''d rather worry, than not knowing."


    "I understand."


    <o>,m Lumi cleared her throat and flew between them.</o>


    "Now that everything is clear," she looked at Ss, "Show him the token."


    Ss nodded and took out his token. He looked at Kyran and showed it to him before saying, "I am sure you wanted to know how they are, but your mother, Lady Rin, asked me not to tell."


    Kyran clenched his fists, but he did not say anything. He only looked at the token in Ss''s hand and nodded his head.


    The Regis token had special encryption wherein every Regis family could identify it because it resonated with their Regis blood.


    "A Regis Emissary, huh."


    He looked at Ss and bowed his head, "Sorry for suspecting you."


    Ss was taken aback by Kyran''s action and immediately shook his head, "No. I kind of understand so, it''s alright."


    Lumi flew and sat on top of Ss''s head and said, "You don''t have to apologize to this stupid human, Void Master."


    Kyran paused for a moment to sort his thoughts.


    After all, he still had something to do. This incident almost made him doubt Ste and the Conve, but since he gave his word to help them, he would keep it.


    With Ss''s identity as a Regis Emissary, Kyran could use the other method to go to Noser.


    "You''ve been to Noser?" Kyran asked Ss.


    "I have."


    "Then, help me get there."


    "Well... that''s going to be-."


    "I would need some materials," Kyran ignored him and looked at Ste and Malek.


    Ste smiled and nodded, "Tell us."

 Chapter 141 Another Way To Noser

    Kyran and the rest of the people Lumi took in her domain appeared back to the training room. Those left behind were curious as to what happened. But Kyran and the others acted as if what happened was nothing noteworthy. Thus, Noir and the others refrained from asking.


    After settling the containers with the Theihorns, Malek asked Noir and Vaness for materials that Kyran needed. Once the materials arrived, Ste took Kyran, Lumi, and Ss to the Alchemy Chamber.


    Kyran was not going to perform alchemy, but the Tower''s Alchemy Chamber also had equipment that Array Specialists could use. Though he already had measuring tools and a cauldron, the Tower''s Array Equipment was of higher quality, and their cauldron came in different sizes. Kyran''s cauldron was too small for him to make the array ink.


    The materials Kyran requested were indeedmon. A piece of Duali parchment, a liquified low-grade spirit stone, and a feather quill made from will-o-wasp fur.


    Will-o-wasps were a low-grade soul-type forest beast found near small bodies of water in the forest. They were gentle and timid creatures. When they felt threatened, they would not retaliate and instead would vanish in the air while leaving behind bits and pieces of their soft fur. Their furs actually contained memory and space magic. If a mage used the fur correctly, they could summon the magic contained within.


    Of course, Kyran would not use the fur and summon its magic but use it as a quill to write a calction. Because of the magic contained n the fur, it was necessary to stimte memory and space magic on the calction and into the Duali parchment.


    The calction was part of the secret knowledge that only a few Regis Family members could ess and learn. It was not because they feared others might covet the calction but because few could write it even among the Regis''s. Not to mention, willing to create it. Because the main ingredient toplete the ink used to write the calction was a Regis pure blood. The amount needed to develop one scroll was also not easy because it required at least 15% of the total blood of an adult Regis.


    Ste left Kyran, Lumi, and Ss in the Alchemy Chamber.


    While Kyran was working on the cauldron, Lumi grew bored and returned to the Spirit World. Now, Ss was left alone with Kyran, and he admitted to feeling a little oppressed.


    This feeling was not only because of what happened in the training ground but also because Kyran had that untouchable aura. His temperament differed from what Ss initially expected based on Phoebe''s stories and how the rest of the Regis talked of him.


    If Ss had to choose one word to describe how they portrayed Kyran, it was; naive.


    Why naive? Because Ss found Kyran''s rtionship with his n to be too perfect to be a point where he believed Kyran would suffer from the harsh reality of the outside world.


    But after the brief exchange, they had in Lady Lumi''s domain, Ss realized that he was the naive one.


    Kyran could solo one of the notorious mutated forest beasts in the Valley of Morte. That was a feat no one had ever done before. At least, as far as Ss was aware. He also had a feeling that Kyran had not told them everything he experienced there. Mutated forest beasts practically ruled that ce. It was impossible to wander around at night and only encounter Theihorns.


    Ss felt Kyran''s reluctance to tell them the whole story, and he was not that curious. To be honest, he felt a little fed up hearing a younger man''s aplishment tost him a lifetime.


    Kyran''s strength was too imbnced that Ss felt like crying. Just what had Ss been doing all these years? He was actually convinced that he was a genius for achieving Master-level while he was still in his mid-twenties. But hearing about Kyran''s achievements was like being doused by cold water.


    ''They said, people who are good at something will always be bad at something. Like a person with high IQ will have low EQ,'' Ss thought and wondered if Kyran was like that.


    On second thought, while Kyran''s outburst earlier seemed like he had low EQ, how he managed to control his emotion and listen to their exnation was proof that his EQ was not low. Most likely, his outburst was because Ss and they touched his reverse scale.


    ''Still,'' Ss thought and looked at Kyran, who was pouring the liquified spirit stones into the cauldron. ''I am now the Regis Emissary, I have to do something to remove this awkward atmosphere.''


    With that in mind, Ss took a deep breath and cleared his throat.


    "I have not formally introduced myself," he started.


    "My name is Ss. I am a mercenary and a Master Ice Mage. Lady Lumi is my-," he paused, unable to say the word ''contracted spirit'', "-err, I guess I could say, she is a partner."


    Kyran emptied the bowl of liquified spirit stones into the cauldron before cing the empty bowl on the table near the cauldron.


    He looked at Ss and nodded a little, "Hi. I''m Kyran."


    Kyran turned his attention back to the cauldron again.


    Ss''s brow twitched. Pheobe told him a lot about Kyran but being a man of few words was not one of them!


    Clearing his throat once more, Ss took a few steps near Kyran and said, "I''ve heard you are abat specialist. Seeing how at ease you are in what you''re doing, I did not expect that you are also an Array Specialist."


    "I am not."


    "Oh? But what you''re doing..."


    "I''m still an apprentice. My knowledge in Array Creation is still shallow so I can''t say I am a specialist," Kyran replied.


    Ss raised his brows in understanding. Hearing Kyran speaks more words this time made Ss realize that he was a person who would not speak more than what he had to say.


    "I am not knowledgeable about Arrays, myself, but I''ve met a few and I can say you''re pretty much in the same level as them," Ss told him, trying to gauge his reaction to praises.


    Kyran shook his head. "I am far from it. Master told me I have talent but so far, I''ve only made calctions based on others."


    "Master? You mean Master Cade?"


    Kyran''s brow creased slightly, and Ss btedly wanted to hit himself.


    Their conversation seemed to be going fine already. Why did Ss have to ruin it by reminding Kyran about his father?


    "No," Kyran replied after a short pause. "My father never taught me arrays."


    Ss fell silent. For some reason, Kyran''s profile while he observed the solution in the cauldron appeared lonely to Ss.


    "I see," he replied, trying to sound indifferent as possible to keep the mood from going bad. He continued, "Who did you learn from then?"<sub> </sub>


    "Master Noir," Kyran replied.


    His answer almost made Ss slip.


    "Noir? Like C-Chairman Noir of the cksmith Order? T-The man with us earlier?"


    Kyran funnily looked at Ss and nodded.


    "Yeah. Him."


    Ss looked at him incredulously. Who wouldn''t? Chairman Noir was infamous for rejecting all the geniuses from noble families to be his disciple! Although,st year, there had been an uproar when he finally announced epting a disciple.


    Forcing augh, Ss said, "To gain the approval of an Array Master like Chairman Noir is a great honor!"


    Kyran looked at Ss with aplicated expression.


    Just when Ss thought Kyran would say something, thetter chose to return his attention to the cauldron.


    "Ahaha... I guess, having a father whose Array attainments that does not pale to the Chairman will make anyone-," realizing what he was saying, Ss abruptly stopped and covered his mouth with his hand.


    "It''s okay," Kyran suddenly said without looking at him. "I don''t really know how high my father''s Array attainments are but, I''m not taking my Master''s word for granted. But given the situation I''m in right now, his words put a lot of pressure on me."


    Ss raised his brows in surprise. He understood what Kyran meant. If a known Spirit Master praised him, he too would feel pressured. There was also the ugly side of humans who would envy those who had talents.


    But what made Ss surprised was hearing Kyran admit feeling ''pressured''.


    Unbeknownst to Ss, his image of Kyran had turned into a ''godlike'' figure from all the stories he heard about him. He btedly realized that this young man was still a teenager, and just as he said, his situation made it hard for him to feel really happy about anything. Another thing to think about was Chairman Noir''s disciple. Though the Conve appeared to be on Kyran''s side, if Chairman Noir''s disciple heard him praise another person, he would definitely feel threatened. Especially with Kyran''s background.


    Thinking about this, Ss could not help but ask, "Are you worried about what Chairman Noir''s disciple think of you?"


    A rare smile appeared on Kyran''s face, which surprised Ss.


    "No."


    Ss frowned slightly at Kyran''s confident answer. He wondered if Kyran had already met the Chairman''s disciple and found him amiable. If that was the case, then it was all good.


    "By the way, whatever you see here, make sure you don''t tell anyone." Kyran suddenly warned Ss.


    "Of course."


    With a nod, Kyran took out a small knife. He lifted his right arm and ced it above the cauldron before slicing his forearm. Blood gushed out from his forearm and fell on the boiling reddish-gold liquid.


    Ss watched with wide eyes at the scene. He actually did not know what Kyran was doing and why he did not want anyone else to see him work on it. Seeing how he suddenly sliced himself and used his blood, Ss thought it made perfect sense.


    The use of one''s blood in a solution could be considered taboo.


    "You''re a Regis Emisssary so I''ll trust you to keep this to yourself," Kyran added.


    Ss nodded. He remained silent as he watched the solution on the cauldron starts to sizzle.


    One second.


    Two.


    Three.


    Kyran still kept his arm above the cauldron and let his blood enter the solution.


    Ss''s turned pale. How much blood was he nning to use?


    "Um... Young master, y-your blood..."


    "Don''t call me young master. Your a Regis Emissary but you''re not exactly a full-fledge n member. Even if you are, I don''t like being called that way. Kyran is fine," Kyran told him with a slight frown.


    "I understand. B-But, you see... your blood..." Ss replied, getting paler by the second as if he was the one whose blood was being drained.


    "Not enough," Kyran replied.


    "But that''s already a lot of blood."


    "Not yet."


    "Then when is enough?"


    Just as Ss asked this question, the solution in the cauldron started to turn gold.

 Chapter 142 Transmission Scroll

    "Done," Kyran replied and withdrew his arm above the cauldron.


    He took out a piece of cloth and a low-grade healing potion from his pouch. He wrapped his bleeding arm with the cloth before drinking the potion.


    "This..." Ss looked at the solution dumbfoundedly. He was too shocked that he forgot to ask for Kyran''s wound.


    It was no surprise. The solution in the cauldron was reddish-gold just a moment ago, and suddenly it turned to gold after Kyran mixed his blood. If one was to look at it logically, the solution should have turned dark red, not gold.


    "If the solution is a sess, it will turn to gold. Otherwise, it is a failure." Kyran exined, hearing the confusion in Ss''s voice. "This applies to both array and magic scroll creation."


    Ss looked at Kyran, "This solution will be used as an ink to write the calction on a magic scroll, right?"


    Kyran nodded.


    "But the calctions written on a magic scroll are ck."


    "That is because of chemical reaction. The ink will turn ck when it is used on a Duali parchment. If it is used on a different parchment, the color will differ. I''m sure you''ve used a magic scroll before and have seen that when you rouse the scroll, the calction''s array appears in gold."


    Ss''s eyes grew wide. What Kyran said was true. However, he never really thought of it. He even believed that a magic scroll''s golden array was its default color.


    As an elemental mage, he rarely used magic scrolls. When he did use one, mostly, it was a support-type scroll that was inexpensive. After all, magic scrolls were not practical for use because of their consumable state. If you could learn the spell on the scroll, what was the point of buying one?


    But hearing Kyran''s exnation made Ss think that there was more to magic scroll creation. He admitted that he was both intrigued by it and also embarrassed.


    Looking at Kyran''s profile, Ss realized that his understanding of magic was limited to elemental magic. It made him remember how much he used Gage of having all brawn and no brains, but he too was all talk. He might be a little smart, but that did not mean he had ''brains''.


    If Ss had to be perfectly honest, those who had real brains were those mages who never stopped learning about one aspect of magic, like Kyran.


    If Ss did not know that Kyran had no prior magic knowledge until a couple of weeks ago, he would think Kyran was a mage whose magic attainment had reached a level wherein he could choose his specialization.


    Ss recalled his short exchange with Kyran. Initially, he thought that the knife Kyran threw at him was a magic weapon he took out from his space storage. That was the reason why he used ice shards to counter it. Instead of countering the knife, however, one of his ice shards vanished before his eyes. It was clear that the knife was not a tangible item but was created through molding technique.


    ''It''s hard to believe that he did not know magic a couple of weeks ago." Ss thought with a faint smile. ''Now, not only does he know how to use his magic, but he also knows Array Creation and also has knowledge in Magic Scrolls.''


    Then he remembered the bodies of the dead Theihorns ¡ªa clear reminder of Kyran''sbat ability.


    ...


    ''This guy... does he even have a weakness?'' Ss wondered in exasperation.


    Ss turned his attention to the boiling cauldron and decided to focus on the situation instead of thinking about unnecessary things that would only depress him.


    "That is a lot of solution," he started. "Is it really necessary for you to prepare a lot?"


    Kyran shook his head and, without looking at him, answered in a monotonous voice.


    "This is just enough to make one scroll."


    Ss''s eyes grew wide.


    "What? One scroll? For that full cauldron of solution?" He eximed in surprise.


    His eyes immediately darted at the Duali parchment that was on the table. No matter how he looked at it, the solution was too much to use on such a small parchment. Even if Kyran nned to soak the parchment in the solution or apply multipleyers when writing the calction on the parchment, it was still too much.


    Kyran finally looked at Ss.


    "This is not an ordinary ink. Are you not aware of that?" He asked, looking at Ss incredulously.


    Ssughed uneasily.


    "It is a shame but I am really ignorant of this things."


    Kyran did not reply, but his stare made Ss feel a little ufortable.


    Finally, Kyran nodded his head and said, "Makes sense."


    "What does?" Ss could not help but ask after seeing the condoling expression on Kyran''s face.


    Kyran merely replied with a sympathetic smile.


    ck lines appeared on Ss''s head. His self-esteem had been dealt with a huge blow.


    ''This is all because of Lady Lumi''s teasing...'' He sighed in his heart.


    ? "By the way, are you okay?" Kyran asked, suddenly shifting the topic.


    Ss raised his brows, clearly perturbed by his question.


    "Why did you ask?"


    Kyran walked over to the table and took the Duali parchment and the quill before replying, "The Ice Spirit, Lumi, was it? She used her domain earlier. That means she took quite an amout of your magic energy."


    Ss smiled in appreciation. He did not realize that this young man would be worried about him.


    "It''s true. But she did warn me to brace myself before she used her domain. Besides, the size of that world, and our magic affinity, the amount of energy she required is not much."<sub> </sub>


    "How much is not much?"


    Ss slightly frowned at Kyran''s question. He did not expect him to be this concerned. It was a little weird.


    "Half?"


    Kyran nodded as he returned in front of the cauldron. Using his free hand, he took out an energy replenishing potion and threw it at Ss.


    Ss caught it and looked at the potion in puzzlement.


    "Please make sure to drink and recover your magic energy. If not, you''ll waste this scroll if it is below half."


    Ss''s brow twitched.


    ''So he was only worried about wasting the magic scroll,'' he thought.


    Remembering how much blood Kyran used to make the solution, Ss understood his worry. If he wasted the scroll, making another one would require Kyran''s blood again, which was not advisable.


    A thought crossed Ss, and he asked, "But what exactly is it that you''re doing? I mean I understand it is some sort of teleportation scroll which is kind of obsolete, but as far as I understand, if you include the coordinates of the destination you want to go to in the calction, then anyone can use it, and it will not require a crazy amount of magic energy. I actually know the coordinates to Noser City."


    Ss might be ignorant about Array Creation, but he knew how to create Magic Arrays. Although the two were different because Arrays use abination of magic and materials toplete the calction, while the Magic Arrays use magic runes to form calctions, the logic in writing calctions was the same.


    Kyran paused for a moment. He seemed to ponder how to answer Ss''s question from the way his brows creased thoughtfully.


    After a short pause, Kyran answered, "I don''t know how to make teleportation scroll. Even if I know the calction, and the materials needed to make one, the key element needed in making it is the presence of space magic during thepositing stage. Meaning, the person making the solution and writing the calction must know space magic. Having a specific coordinates in a teleportation scroll is also non-profitable so there is no calction avable where it is easy to include that information."


    Ss frowned slightly, but he understood what Kyran meant.


    If a teleportation scroll had a specific coordinate, it would only sell to a particr target market, unlike a teleportation scroll with no set coordinates where a mage could freely choose where to go.


    "That is reasonable," Ss agreed.


    Kyran looked at him and said, looking a little reluctant, "The one I''m making is... a transmission scroll, and it requires a great amount of magic energy. Its usage is to transport a person to a location he thought of after burning the scroll."


    The moment Ss heard him, his eyes almost bulged out.


    "What?" He eximed.


    His surprise was not an exaggeration. A transmission scroll was actually very rare.


    No.


    It was more like a legendary item!


    Ss remembered that three transmission scrolls were auctioned by the Chamber of Commerce a few years ago, and the mage who submitted it was a mystery.


    ''So those scrolls were auctioned by the Regis n?'' He thought, looking at Kyran''s arm covered in a white cloth.


    Seeing the bloodstain from where Kyran cut himself, Ss fell silent.


    If the Chamber of Commerce was not part of the Conve who had deep ties with the Regis, then if the information about them being the one whomissioned the transmission scrolls, then the Regis''s would''ve suffered in the hands of other factions. All of them coveting the calction.


    ''And if they realize that the blood of a Regis is needed then...''


    Ss''s shivered. No wondered Kyran did not want Ste and the others to see what he was doing. Most likely, the Conve only knew the Regismissioned the scroll, but they did not think they made it or how it was made.


    Ss clenched his fists and looked solemnly at Kyran.


    "I will not breathe a word about this," he assured him.


    A small smile appeared at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he said, "I''m not worried. You''re a Regis Emissary. If you so much as think of telling anyone about this, you''ll be dead before you could breathe a word."


    A cold shiver ran up Ss''s spine.


    The way Kyran said it was too blunt that Ss was reminded how dangerous this young man was.


    "But I''m sure you''re already aware of this," Kyran added.


    Ss nodded.


    "I am."


    Kyran only nodded in acknowledgment and returned his attention to the cauldron and the parchment.


    For the next couple of minutes, Ss watched Kyran drop the Duali parchment into the cauldron and wrote the calction in midair above the cauldron using the quill.


    To Ss''s amazement, the Duali parchment did not melt, and with each stroke Kyran performed, gold liquid rose from the cauldron and appeared on the parchment. In seconds, the solution was absorbed by the parchment.


    However, the parchment remained nk. It was not until when the solution was almost halved that ck writings appeared on the parchment.


    Finally, after almost half an hour, the parchment glowed and flew in the air. It rolled itself and dropped on Kyran''s hand.

 Chapter 143 Why Do I Have To Say Goodbye?

    With the transmission scroll in his hand, Kyran could finally sigh in relief.


    The scroll''s creation took quite a lot of his magic energy and mental strength, and beads of sweat trickled down his somewhat pale face. His paleplexion was both the result of blood loss and exhaustion.


    It was to be expected. It was Kyran''s first time making a magic scroll, and it was more draining than Array Creation.


    One of the key differences between the two was magic energy consumption. Since arrays were usually created for long-term use, their calction included constantly drawing energy from the surroundings, requiring more materials. Magic scroll creation, however, was a consumable item and required more magic energy directly stored in the calction. This way, the scroll could be used anytime and without drawing energy from the surrounding. The logic was simple, in a battle, if you used a scroll that required drawing energy in the surrounding, would your enemy wait until you could gather enough energy to activate the scroll?


    Still, Kyran was prepared to fail his first try in creating the scroll. The truth, he had no proper knowledge of magic scroll creation. He only learned it from the book he found in his pouch. This book was a highly confidential book of the Regis Family that included all their secret arts and advanced teachings. Most likely, his grandfather or father had told approved of imparting the book to Kyran.


    Kyran felt honored and pressured, knowing that his grandfather or father approved of him reading this book. Honored because they trusted he would be able to keep it safe and put it into good use, but pressured because of their expectation that he would learn it by himself. He was no genius, after all.


    Of course, this thinking was Kyran''s thinking only.


    If other people knew what he was thinking, they would have already flipped a table and used him of being arrogant. If Kyran was not a genius, then what exactly was a genius?


    "Now then," Kyran finally said after a short pause and looked at Ss. "I''ll exin some things to you first."


    As a Regis Emissary, Ss was already bound to the Regis''s. The process was simr to the Soul-binding Oath, where one pledges his soul to another to keep their secret. However, there was a slight difference in how the Regis bound a person. Because it was the Regis who would perform the pledge by imprinting their ''blood'' into the person, binding them in the process, after that person receives the Regis''s ''blood'', they could not betray the Regis''s, or else the ''blood'' imprinted in them would activate and kill him.


    Imprinting the Regis''s blood did not mean letting others drink their blood but receiving their life essence.


    The process was simr to the Sigil, but the difference was, the person would not be bound in a life of servitude. They could act on their own as long as they would not do anything that would betray the n.


    So Kyran was not worried even if Ss saw the whole process of creating the transmission scroll. As for Ste and the rest, even if they could be trusted, Kyran did not want many people knowing about the transmission scroll.


    "The story behind this scroll will be, it is a location-specific teleportation scroll. The calction in the scroll needed the mage who will use it to input the coordinates of the location they want to teleport to themselves. Because of this, once the scroll is used, it will have that mage''s magic signature." Kyran told Ss.


    Ss, understanding what Kyran did not say, nodded his head.


    "No problem."


    Basically, Kyran was telling Ss that he did not ask one of the Conve council members to input the coordinates on the scroll because of the possibility that the army would detect their magic signature. Since they were only in Starhorn, appearing suddenly in Noser would rouse their suspicion.


    Aside from this, Kyran could not appear together with them. Even if Kyran used a different identity, knowing that he as Tyr just returned to Starhorn might also rouse suspicion.


    "Don''t worry. It will not really leave any magic signature," Kyran assured Ss.


    Ss smiled and shook his head.


    "I''m not worried. For the record, I have a technique where I can hide my magic signature so I am never worried about getting detected by the army."


    Kyran looked at him in surprise. He knew of arrays that could disrupt the army''s magic detectors, but he had not heard about any spell or technique that could conceal one''s magic signature. He suddenly recalled how his father ''sealed'' his magic and prevented the army from finding him. But he knew his father had used an array to do that.


    Kyran also remembered Nn. If Nn could use a different identity, it meant he could change his magic signature unless the army did not have any record of his old identity in the first ce. If it was thetter, Kyran wondered if it was because of a technique or because he was already at a Magus level?


    Kyran made a mental note to ask Nn. It would help him better conceal his identity once he worked as a yman'' in the Blue Lotus''s illegal business.


    ''Speaking of Nn,'' Kyran thought as he remembered what Ste said about the reason for Nn''s absence.


    Kyran was surprised that Nn agreed to escort Ss''s friend. Even if Ste might have agreed to pay Nn generously, Kyran did not strike him as a person who was after money. If he were, then wouldn''t his bounty be too tempting?


    Nn knew his parents, but Kyran always felt it was not as simple as being friends.


    ''I''ll find out eventually,'' he thought and pushed all these thoughts at the back of his mind. For now, he and Ss had to go to Noser immediately.


    "Does your magic can do transfiguration?" Kyran asked Ss.


    "Unfortunately, no," Ss replied with an apologetic smile. "My element is ice, which is opposite of earth magic."


    Kyran fell silent.<sub> </sub>


    He read that mages with innate elemental magic who wanted to be an Elementor would always have a weak element. Although they could still use that element, it would not be as potent as their main element. Unlike those who had innate elemental magic but was not aiming to be an Elementor, they would not be bound by their element. Although that did not mean they could master all elements, it would only mean that their elemental magic could boost their ''specialization''.


    Pushing these thoughts aside, Kyran did not expect that Ss was an Elementor, especially after seeing Lumi.


    "So you are an Elementor? I thought you''re a Summoner."


    Ssughed uneasily.


    "Well... I guess I am both now. Though I am not a full-fledge Elementor yet, since I only got promoted to a Master mage. Same goes with being a Summoner. My contract with Lady Lumi is new."


    "I see," Kyran replied with a short nod.


    It only urred to him that to date, he had already met mages with different specializations. He was not familiar with all the council member''s specializations, but he knew none of them was a Summoner.


    "If you can''t use transfiguration magic, then think of a location in Noser where we will not be seen by people. After that, we can part ways. You can also return here..."


    Kyran frowned.


    Ss could not return immediately because they only had one scroll. So he could only warp him back.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran finally felt how his impulsive decision to save Cyneah jeopardized his ns. He really took a round about way just to get to Noser. Not to mention, he had wasted a lot of his resources to make sure she would be taken care of. But remembering the possibility that her existence might pose a threat in the future, Kyran felt it was not an entirely wrong decision to keep her around. He might only be overthinking because he was still unsure if Cyneah possessed ''Soul Magic'', but his instinct had never failed him before.


    "No. I''ll warp you back here," Kyran told Ss.


    "It is not really necessary. I can just return the normal way."


    "That''s not possible. You might think your identity is insignificant and the army will not keep tabs on you, but the fact that there is a record of youing here, will be a problem if you are also seen in Noser after only a few days."


    Ss lowered his head with a thoughtful look and muttered, "I guess... you''re right."


    Kyran saw Ss was not entirely convinced. He could not me him. Right now, he might appear to be overly cautious. But he had to make sure there were no holes in his actions, or else it would hinder the progress of his next ns. When he took Cyneah, he already felt on edge, so he could not afford to be careless anymore.


    "Let''s go," Kyran said not giving Ss time to dwell on the subject. He gave the scroll to him and added, "If possible, think of a location away from the army''s magic detectors."


    Ss looked at him incredulously and asked, "Are we going now?"


    "Yeah."


    "Like right now? This moment?"


    Kyran frowned slightly.


    "Yes."


    "You''re not going to say goodbye to them?"


    "Why do I have to say goodbye?"


    Ss looked at him nkly and Kyran could not help but sigh.


    He was not being disrespectful by not saying goodbye. He only thought it was a waste of time. Besides, he could warp back anytime. Why bother with goodbyes?


    "Let''s go, I am already behind schedule." Kyran said impatiently.


    Ss frowned, but he did not say anything else and opened the scroll. He roused his magic onto the scroll until a light-golden array appeared on their feet. The array lit up, and the scroll burned.


    The two disappeared in a blink of an eye.

 Chapter 144 An Ambush?!

    Kyran and Ss appeared inside an old cottage.


    It was about 90 sqm. in size, where the kitchen was adjacent to the bed, and the living room and the dining room was opposite the bed. There was no wall to separate the living room, the dining room and the bed, so technically, it could not be called a room.


    Immediately, Kyran activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and, using his heightened senses; he observed their surrounding.


    From the running water nearby and the constant small movements, he guessed they were somewhere in a forest near Noser, and there was also a nearby body of water. He had not determined whether the body of water was a river or a small waterfall. But the constant small movements worried him. It did not sound like forest beasts.


    Sensing Kyran''s vignce, Ss smiled faintly and said, "Don''t worry. This cottage is hidden. It has a camouge array and only those recognized by the array can enter it."


    Kyran looked at him skeptically.


    "Meaning you''re recognized by the array, what about me?" He asked.


    "It goes without saying. I am also given authority to ept other people inside the array," Ss exined. "The fact that I am the one who activated the scroll, means I came here half a second before you, so I had time to do grant you ess."


    "That''s a very... convenient array." Kyran replied, still looking skeptical.


    If Ss was able to grant him ess in a matter of half a second, then that meant Ss was connected to the array in a very special way that enabled him to ess it and make changes in it as simple as breathing.


    Ssughed and walked toward the kitchen sink behind him.


    "Although I''m not familiar with the specifics, as far as I remembered, this array was my Master''s family secret array that had been passed on to selected members." Ss exined and opened the faucet. After a few seconds of gurgling sounding from the faucet, water finally came out. However, the water that came out at first had rust in them.


    "Hm," Ss nodded his head. "Water pipes are still working."


    Kyran observed him for a few seconds before wandering his eyes to look at the whole room.


    Nothing was inside except the double-size bed, small dining table with two chairs, and a three-seater sofa. The surface of these items was also covered in at least two centimeter thick dust, meaning that no one had used the ce for a long time.


    Kyran''s initial thought was to leave at once and meet up with the Chamber of Commerce''s people, but he became a little curious about this ce and how Ss was connected to it.


    In Kyran''s n, after dealing with the Blue Lotus, his next destination was somewhere in the west to meet another small faction. Although it was still far off in his n, there was nothing wrong with understanding this ce. At the very least, Kyran could also ask Ss to lend him this ce in the future.


    "Where is your master then?" Kyran asked cautiously.


    He had a rough idea of Ss''s answer, but he still had to confirm it. If he borrowed this ce in the future, he did not want theplication of meeting Ss''s master or anyone else in that matter.


    Ss paused for the briefest moment before he turned off the faucet. Without looking at Kyran, he replied, "Dead."


    An awkward silence filled the air.


    Taking a deep breath, Ss looked at Kyran and smiled apologetically, "Sorry for dampening the mood. Anyway, my master has been dead for years and I left this ce a few years ago. When you said you wanted to go west, I actually thought of this ce, but I am not sure if this ce is still here. But if it is, the reason why I told you there is no need for you to warp me back is because I can hide here for a few days."


    Kyran pondered for a few seconds and nodded his head.


    If Ss stayed here, it was almost impossible for others to see him with it being hidden. Besides, if he warped Ss back to the Tower of Conve inside this ce''s array, Kyran might destroy the array and lose its effect. If they went outside the array''s area of effect, there was a possibility they would attract those who were making those small movements nearby with his magic''s fluctuation. It would be even more troublesome if those people also had an item simr to the army''s magic detector and detected his magic.


    "Alright. I''lle back when I''m done," Kyran agreed.


    He still had materials to create another transmission scroll so he could make another one instead of warping. Although it was not advisable to use his blood so soon, he would have to do his best to get back into shape once they returned to the Tower.


    Ss nodded in acknowledgement, "Sure."


    Kyran hesitated for a second before he asked, "This ce..."


    Ss raised his brows while looking at Kyran''s hesitation. He asked, "What about this ce?"


    "Is there anyone else who knows about this ce? Or others who had authority to use the array here?"


    Ss''s expression froze briefly, and heughed uneasily.


    "My... master''s daughter... But before my master passed away, both of them was in a very...plicated rtionship and... anyway, I haven''t seen her for years." He exined and wandered his eyes around the cottage.


    "Looking at the state of this ce, I reckon she did not even visited this ce since she left."


    Kyran frowned slightly. As long as another person knew about this ce, it could pose a threat.


    ''Unless I adjust the array,'' he decided.


    He looked at Ss and said, "In the future, I might need to use this ce. Is it okay if I change the array and improved its calction?"


    Ss looked at Kyran dumbfoundedly. It took him a few seconds to process what he meant.


    Ss''s initial reaction was to reject Kyran''s request. But on second thought, this ce was being used by anyone, and though he practically grew up here, he did not have any attachment to this ce, especially after his master death.


    "I suppose it should be okay. I can give you ess to this ce so you can use it in the future," Ss finally agreed after a short pause.


    Kyran was surprised. He did not realize Ss could also grant him ess to this ce. At most, he thought his ess was only temporary.


    "We can talk about it when I get back."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, it is not thatplicated. Besides, if you suddenly thought of returning here and I may be out hunting some food, at least you can enter without a problem." Ss assured him and walked toward Kyran.


    Thinking how Ss could grant him ess to enter in half a second, Kyran did not argue and just waited for Ss to start.


    Ss took out a key and gave it to Kyran.


    ...


    Kyran stared at the key on Ss''s outstretched hand. He looked at him with a nk expression and said, "A house key?"


    Ss smiled and nodded, "That''s right. As long as you have the key to this house, you can rouse the array here."


    Misunderstanding Kyran''s hesitation to take the key, Ss added hastily, "Oh, don''t worry. This is my key. I still have my master''s key so I can still ess it."


    Kyran had the urge to flip a table, but in the end, he only sighed and finally took Ss''s key.


    "Okay. Thanks. I''ll return as soon as possible."


    Ss nodded, "Take your time."


    Kyran ced the key in his pouch and turned to leave.


    Before he could step out the door, Ss called.


    "Kyran."


    Kyran paused by the door and looked back.


    "Let''s talk some more when you''re done."


    Kyran looked at Ss in hesitation but nodded his head almost immediately. He turned around and opened the door. Without turning back, he left the cottage.


    Ss watched as the door closed behind Kyran. His expression turned solemn as he remained standing in the middle of the cottage.


    He already noticed something was different with Kyran from the ''Kyran'' Pheobe had told him. Although her admiration for Kyran might have painted him in a different light, Ss had an inkling that this Kyran was far more dangerous than the one Pheobe told him.


    It made Ss worry, especially remembering Lady Rin''s expression when she unknowingly thought of Kyran.


    When Ss also talked to the Patriarch and Master Cade and asked if they wanted him to assist Kyran in any way, they told him to let Kyran deal with his matters alone. Their response prompted Ss to understand more about Kyran. That was why he talked to Pheobe.


    His initial assessment was Kyran was too naive, and the Patriarch and Master Cade might have wanted to teach him the harshness of the real world. But from his observation today, it was clear that Kyran was already aware of it. His cautious and distant attitude with the people who were supposed to be his ''allies'' was proof of it. To Ss, he felt that Kyran only saw the Conve as people he could use.


    Ss sighed. As a mercenary, he met some timid people that went insane after being exposed to the world''s harsh reality. And honestly, he felt Kyran might not be far off that path.


    ''But I could be mistaken,'' Ss thought. He frowned slightly and clenched his fists, ''I really hope I am.''


    ====================


    After Kyran left the cottage, he took out his mask and wore it, changing his face to Nar. He studied his surroundings and sensed those making the small movements earlier were pretty close.


    ''Let''s avoid them,'' he decided and walked opposite the direction where he heard the movements.


    However, after a quarter of an hour of walking, he realized that the movements were still there. As a matter of fact, it was getting closer by the minute!


    Kyran took out one of his obsidian-made swords and jumped up a tree branch.


    He confirmed that forest beasts did not make those movements. If it was, they would not brazenlye at him and would avoid him like a deadly gue.


    ''Then who-!''


    Before he couldplete the question in his mind, a thick ck pike zoomed past his head, grazing his cheek. If he had not reacted in time and tilted his head, that pike would have pierced his head.


    The pike that missed him pierced the tree behind him and was shocked as he saw how it left did not stop and pierced the next three trees as well.


    Kyran switched into battle mode at once and jumped down the tree branch.


    As soon as he jumped down, however, a huge cloaked man with zing forearms appeared to his left.


    "Rawrgh!" The man growled and mmed his clenched fists toward him.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and focused the Regis Body Tempering Technique on his left forearm as he raised it to block the man''s attack.


    He felt his bones protest from the weight of the man''s attack.


    "Humph!"


    The man sneered and fire on his forearms erupted, engulfing the arm Kyran used to block the man''s fists.


    If Kyran was not wearing the coat, he would''ve suffered a third-degree burn.

 Chapter 145 Damn You

    The other pair of Kyran''s swords appeared in his right hand, and he instantaneously swung the de on the man.


    The man was shocked to see another sword appear on Kyran''s other hand and jumped back while crossing his zing forearms to protect his body.


    Kyran''s sword missed the man''s forearms by a centimeter.


    Without a pause, Kyran swung his other sword horizontally at the man. However, the man''s zing forearms erupted once more, and Kyran was forced to jump back.


    As soon as he jumped back, he heard a whistling sounding to his left and instinctively brought up his left hand to protect his face.


    The moment his eyes moved to the left, he saw another ck pike inches away from his face colliding with the de of his sword.


    ''So heavy!'' Kyran''s eyes grew wide as he felt the weight of the pike''s momentum.


    Refocusing the Regis Body Tempering Technique on his arms, he barely deflected the pike away from his face.


    The few seconds in which Kyran had to deal with the ck pike was enough for the huge man with zing forearms tounch another attack. Beforending on the ground, dark red magic arrays with three different sizes appeared on his right fist. He aimed his clenched right fist at Kyran, and the three different-sized dark red magic arrays converged vertically in front of his fist. Dense me magic shot out from the center of the smallest-sized array and went straight at Kyran.


    Kyran lifted his right hand, and while focusing the tempering technique on the sword on his hand, he rotated it vertically in front of him just in time to block the fire attack. The fire scattered everywhere, burning the ground and nts nearby.


    "Your reaction is good!" The huge cloaked manmented as hended on the ground.


    But he was not done attacking. The moment hended, he mmed his fists together, and suddenly the mes that had scattered on the ground danced and flew in the air. It turned into seven one-feet high fireballs and attacked Kyran in every seven different directions.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth.


    It was his first time to see an already wasted magic attack rbine once more to form another attack.


    Kyran jumped to avoid the fireballs, but to his astonishment, the fireballs changed direction the moment he jumped.


    ''This!'' He felt an iing headache.


    His swords disappeared as he returned them in his pouch, and he grabbed a tree branch above. As soon as he grabbed the branch with both his hands, he pushed his legs upward. Using the force from this action, he hoisted himself up the tree branch,nding on his two feet. All the while, two fireballs missed his feet and hit the bottom of the tree branch.


    After Kyrannded on the branch, he did not wait for the remaining fireballs to close in on him. He had already jumped to another nearby tree branch.


    However, as soon as he jumped, he saw another ck pike whistle in his direction.


    Then the huge cloaked man below also knelt and ced both his hands on the ground.


    Kyran felt his scalp go numb as he saw two huge dark red magic arrays appear respectively above his head and below. To make matters worse, the ck pikeing in front trembled and split into three. He also sensed the remaining fireballs closing in from different sides.


    He waspletely surrounded.


    At the moment, he could not grasp where the huge cloaked man''s aplice''s exact location was, so he could notunch a counterattack. The former''s fire mastery was more advanced than the dead fire mage he had met from the army before, making it difficult to deal with him alone.


    At first, Kyran nned to use only the abilities that Nar was supposed to have since he was already using his face. However, given his predicament, he could no longer hesitate.


    Kyran roused his Void magic, andbining it with the Regis technique; he summoned the Void Scales.


    When the Void Scales expanded, the magic arrays above and below also glowed, and mes burst out from the center.


    However, with the Void Scales ''void'' property, the moment the mes collided with it, it disintegrated at once.


    "What?" The huge cloaked man eximed in surprise.


    Even the iing fireballs disintegrated as soon as they came into contact with the scales.


    "Are you f*cking kidding me?"


    Another man''s voice cursed from afar.


    Kyran frowned slightly after hearing that cursing voice. Before he could dwell on it, his eyes widened when he saw the ck pikes in front explode just before it touched his Void Scales. The ck pike turned into a ck misty material and easily slipped inside the tiny gaps on his scales.


    Because Kyran was too distracted at this development, he missed his step on the tree branch and slipped backward.


    ''Crap!''


    At the same time, the ck misty material went straight at him and was about to envelop him.


    Kyran immediately activated his Void Armor, but to his surprise, the misty material was not hindered by his armor and managed to wrap him, including his headpletely.


    Suddenly, he felt his magic disperse as he fell on the hard ground with a loud thud.


    "Omphf!" Kyran winced in pain.


    For some reason, this feeling of being bound and falling on the ground felt... familiar.


    "What the f*ck are you doing here?"


    "What you know this guy?"


    "Yeah, and as far as I know he was supposed to be in a f*ckinga."


    "&@#$%!" Kyran''s eximed inaudibly. (Nn?)


    Yes. This scene was very familiar because this feeling was the same when Nn had bound him and dropped him after bringing him into his domain!


    "Coma?"


    A female voice suddenly spoke.


    "So he is not part of those people following us?" She added.


    "&@#$%! @&#^&%@%?" Kyran tried yet again to speak. (Nn! Is that you?)


    He tried to rouse his magic to break free. Unfortunately, his magic was being suppressed.


    "Yeah he''s not. Argh! Damn it, why the f*ck are you here? And why in f*cking hell do you have Nar''s face?"


    "@&#^&%! &^#&! @&#@%!" Kyran replied inaudibly. (It is you! Damn it! Free me!)


    "You''re supposed to question him after releasing him!" The woman reprimanded.


    "I prefer him like this."


    "&@#$%, &@#$*#@&*!" (Nn, you bastard!)<sub> </sub>


    "Why?"


    "Er... so he''s safe? We''re not killing him?"


    The one who spoke, Kyran presumed, was the huge cloaked man.


    "Just free him! Or do you want me to deal with-."


    "Okay. Okay. Geez, you and your menopaus-!"


    Kyran heard a loud, dull sound followed by Nn''s agonized yell.


    "Say that again and I''ll hit you!"


    "Say that before you take action! You already hit me!"


    "Ahem," the other man cleared his throat. "Will he suffocate like this? You mummified him alive."


    "You both are over reacting, this guy will not die from this."


    Kyran finally felt the ck misty material loosened.


    As soon as his hands and feet were free, without waiting for his head to be uncovered, Kyran''s eyes glowed silver. He sprang on his feet and dashed toward the spot where he sensed Nn. He clenched his right fist and arched his back to add more weight to his forearm. Then he stomped his left feet on the ground, preparing to hit Nn on the face.


    "Watch out!"


    "Nn!"


    Nn sneered, "Too naive, kid."


    ck spikes appeared on the ground piercing Kyran''s thighs before he couldnd a punch on Nn''s face.


    "Ergh!" Kyran just gritted his teeth and endured the pain.


    Bam!


    Nn''s staggered to the side as Kyran''s left fist delivered a straight right at his jaw.


    Kyran sneered, "Damn you."


    The ck misty material finally loosened on Kyran''s face as he red fiercely at Nn. He also realized that they were no longer in the forest but inside a spacious gray ce.


    They were inside Nn''s domain.


    Nn burst outughing as he straightened his back and looked at Kyran.


    "You''ve gotten sly, kid." He said with a grin.


    Suddenly Nn''s expression turned serious as he lowered his body. He slid forward with his right foot while simultaneously twisting his body to the right and poised to deliver a blow at Kyran''s torso using his clenched right fist.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed, and he immediately crouched down, moving his arms to block Nn''s fist. However, the moment he moved, the ck spikes piercing his thighs retreated, sending a searing pain into his senses. Because of this, he was unable to put up his guard properly.


    A thick ck material condensed around Nn''s fist, forming a solid ck gauntlet.


    Kyran''s silver eyes glowed, and before Nn''s fist couldnd on him, he had already vanished and appeared a few meters away.


    "Fast!"


    "This movement is-!"


    Both the huge cloaked man and the woman eximed, respectively.


    All of these happened in a matter of seconds.


    What happened next stumped Kyran.


    "NOLAN!" The woman shouted, making Nn''s domain tremble by the sudden rise of magic pressureing from her.


    Nn''splexion paled as he looked at the woman.


    "te! What do you think you are doing?"


    "That was a Regis''s movement, who is he?" The woman named te demanded.


    "Regis?" The other man also asked in surprise.


    "Ah, well, that is-."


    "Let''s just ask him directly," the other man suggested and pointed at Kyran.


    Both Nn and te looked at him sharply, and he immediately shrugged.


    "I''m just saying."


    te looked stern, but she did look at Kyran, who returned her scrutiny.


    "That face-."


    "Not mine," Kyran replied.


    Then he remembered he did not have to answer nor reveal that his face was fake, right? Besides, he did not know this woman and the other man with Nn. Who were they anyway? Why were they with Nn? Thatdy also mentioned that they were being ''followed''. Just what did Nn get himself up to?


    Nn looked at Kyran and made crossing motions with his hands while shaking his head vigorously to tell him not to say anything.


    Kyran, seeing Nn''s warning, made him want to do the opposite.


    "Not yours?" te asked in confusion.


    Kyran touched his face.


    Nn red at him fiercely, "Kid! Don''t you dare-!"


    Kyran sneered and took off his mask.

 Chapter 146 Shit Happened

    ck particles converged around Kyran, instantly trapping him into a ball of ck steel.


    Seeing this made te red up at once. She turned her attention back at Nn and shouted, "Nn!"


    "He''s just a lowly Regis I met during one of my-."


    "What did you say? A lowly Regis? Since when was there a Regis with brown eyes?"


    "Huh? Brown eyes?"


    Nn was stumped. As far as he remembered, Nar''s face only changed Kyran''s facial features and not his hair and eye color.


    Wait. That was not the point here! How the hell was Kyran able to reproduce Nar''s face?


    "Release him right now!" te said, her magic pressure rising once more.


    Gage looked at the two of them and sighed.


    This scene was no longer new to him. These two loved to bicker. When he casuallymented how he missed his wife after seeing their bickering, he almost ended up permanently unconscious because of te''s monstrous strength.


    It reminded Gage of the time when he woke up almost a week ago. He initially wanted to fight and escape. However, te easily suppressed him with her magic pressure alone.


    After that, Gage met Nn. He immediately recognized Nn as the cloaked bastard, but Nn immediately brought him into his domain before he could get even with him.


    It made Gage realize that he was no match to this guy. Because only a Magus had domains, no wonder he was unable to sense Nn sneaking up on him and Ss when they first met.


    When they were inside Nn''s domain, he exined to Gage that someone high-up sent him to escort him back to Starhorn. Unfortunately, they also met someone high-up from the army and forced them to escape¡ªerr...strategically retreat¡ª to the west.


    Nn warned Gage not to say anything in front of te because she was an outsider. And what they were dealing with was confidential.


    Gage did not need telling twice. At times, he might act like a blockhead, but he was still a mercenary and knew what he had to do.


    te did not ask Gage anything, though. She was only interested in healing thempletely.


    A few days ago, when they finally decided to return to Starhorn City, something happened that turned their uneventful journey into a flurry of potentially fatal encounters¡ªNn got lost in the forest.


    Gage was stumped to find out how terrible Nn''s sense of direction was.


    It was a mistake to actually let Nn lead them.


    Unfortunately, Gage was not familiar with the surrounding forests in Noser and could only follow Nn.


    Even te was useless. Because she had lived in the forest for almost 20 years, the map she had with her was outdated. It was funny when she insisted that her map was only six years old and should not have a big difference.


    How did she count the days and onlye up with six years when she had been out of the loop for almost 20 years?


    It dawned on Gage that this woman had a weird quirk like Nn. If Nn had a lousy sense of direction, te actually had a bad sense of time. She was unaware of how long she had been living alone in the deepest part of the forest!


    When they were lost in the forest, they came across a lot of things. They also found a Ruins. But after finally getting out of the ruins, they ended up being chased by a lot of people.


    Nn''s suggestion was to let Gage move around alone while he and te hide using their stealth techniques. This way, they could eliminate those following them by letting them think Gage was alone and vulnerable.


    Everything was going smoothly, and they were able to eliminate several of those following them.


    Finally, they met this man that Nn appeared to be familiar with.


    Gage was also curious. Especially after seeing the man''s magic.


    Because when the man used his magic to defend, Gage''s mes did not merely get countered but ''disappear''. Not to mention, the man did not use any magic arrays when he summoned his magic.


    Gage looked at the ck steel ball where Nn imprisoned the man. He felt a little bad for the guy who had been suffering from Nn''s unreasonable actions.


    "Wouldn''t it be bad for him to be locked inside that ball? Is there even enough oxygen in there?" Gage asked.


    "I said to release¡ª!"


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Before te could finish her sentence, loud, dull sounds appeared within the ck steel ball.


    All three of them looked at the steel ball as cracks slowly appeared at one spot.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed.


    ''This kid just won''t stay still!'' He thought and immediately added anotheryer on the ck steel ball.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    However, the dull sounds inside grew intensely, sending shockwaves even outside the ball.


    "Argh! This kid seriously!"


    Nn spread his arms and was about to rouse more of his magic when a huge spoon appeared on te''s hand.


    "Release him now!" She shouted and instantaneously threw the spoon at Nn.


    "Oi!" Nnined and was about to dodge. However, the spoon turned gigantic, making his eyes almost bulge out.


    At the same time, when the spoon fell on Nn, the ck steel ball exploded, filling the surrounding with ck smoke.


    "Nn you bastard!" Kyran shouted from the center of the ck smoke.


    He coughed and panted as he fell on his knees. The wound on his thighs throbbed painfully, and he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. With his healing abilities, the wounds had already stopped bleeding. But Nn''s magic could prate even his bones, making it harder to recover in a short time.


    te and Gage coughed while brushing away the ck smoke that blocked their vision.


    [Oi, kid. Are you f*cking crazy? You don''t even know these two, and you''re willing to reveal who you are?]


    "If you have something to say, say it to my face. Don''t use telepathy!" Kyran immediately exposed Nn.


    [You ungrateful son-of-a¡ª.]<sub> </sub>


    te gritted her teeth.


    "Nn! Did you not realize that the more you stop him from talking, the more you are acting suspicious? What are you hiding?"


    "As I said, we can just directly ask the guy," Gage interjected. Without waiting for the two to reply, he already asked, "So who the hell are you? What kind of dirt do you have against him that he doesn''t want you to talk?"


    The ck smoke had already thinned around them, and te and Gage kept their attention on the spot where the ck steel ball had been.


    Finally, they saw the man''s face and the two were shocked.


    Gage was shocked because he thought the man was in his mid-twenties. But he was clearly younger. Not to mention, he looked familiar.


    te, on the other hand, recognized or at least found his face also familiar.


    "Cade?"


    Gage looked at te in confusion, "Cade?"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to the woman.


    "You know my father?"


    "Father?" te eximed.


    "Ah, f*ck."


    Nn sighed and appeared beside te.


    "Nn, you¡ª!"


    Before she could turn, he struck her from behind, immediately making her lose consciousness. He caught her from behind before she fell to the ground.


    "Who is she?" Kyran asked with a slight frown.


    "Talkter, we need to leave here first," Nn replied.


    Kyran turned his attention to Gage. He recalled Ste''s confession about why Nn had been missing and reckoned this man was Ss''s friend.


    "Are you Gage?" He asked.


    Gage scowled at him but did not reply.


    "No need to be cautious around him," Nn said while creating a ck wooden board beforeying te down on it.


    He looked at Gage and added, "He''s actually that one million spirit stones bounty target."


    Gage''s eyes widened while looking at Kyran in disbelief, "You?"


    Kyran stood up slowly and red at Nn.


    "Why the hell did you attack me earlier? You''re not going to tell me that you did not recognize me at first when you admitted on knowing I was using Nar''s face."


    Then Kyran recalled something and added, "You could have dealt with me any other way but you repeatedly attacked my face!"


    Nn looked at Kyran and shrugged.


    "Baldie attacked you so I assisted. You''re face looked annoyingly familiar so I aimed for it. Why would I waste time and confirm who you were?"


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head. This guy was simply unreliable.


    "Wait, what did you mean because I attacked first? You''re putting the me on me?" Gage asked incredulously at Nn.


    If he were not aware of Nn''s Magus status, he would have retaliated differently, especially when he insisted on calling him ''Baldie''. But since he knew, he could onlyin. It was an unspoken rule of people facing someone with power.


    Of course, if that person in power was a scumbag then Gage would never be respectful. Nn just happened to be better than the army, though Gage initially thought he was an annoying bastard.


    "Besides, you''re supposed to be in Starhorn. Why the f*ck are you here?" Nn added usingly.


    "I''m on an errand," Kyran replied honestly. "I''m gathering materials for the Tower''s defensive array."


    Nn raised both his brows in confusion. He said, "What? Missy''s already baited you to take responsibility?"


    Kyran''s expression turned nk as he stared at Nn without answering. Even though Nn only said ''missy'', Kyran already had an idea who he was referring to. However, Nn''s words had a double meaning that even he who usually ignored meaningless taunts could not easily brush it off.


    "Ahahaha! Your face just now."


    "Can you be serious?" Kyran said and made his way to them. He was still limping from the pain on his thighs, but it was tolerable.


    Kyran initially wondered how they ended up in Noser and wanted to ask about it but thought against it. As much as he was curious, he still had priorities to deal with and one of them was to meet the Chamber of Commerce''s people. So instead, he asked, "Who are you up against? Howe both of you are here?"


    Gage, who was still eyeing Kyran warily, could only wait for Nn to answer.


    "Sh*t happened. So we''re here," Nn replied with a shrug.


    cklines appeared on Gage''s head. Nn had summarized what happened to them in such imaginative and straightforward words.


    There was a short pause before Kyran turned to Gage and asked with a straight face, "Who are you up against? Howe both of you are here?"


    ''Deja vu?'' Gage thought, his brow twitching in the process.


    "Oi!" Nn red at Kyran. "You''re ignoring me?"


    Seeing how this young man chose to ignore Nn, Gage was even more apprehensive about their rtionship. Nn''s identity as a Magus, even though he did not openly admit it, already made Gage, whose normally hardheaded and unafraid of anything, act respectfully toward him. The young man, however, brazenly attacked Nn earlier and even acted rudely around him. There was also te''s strange reaction when he saw the young man and Nn''s unrelenting stance of not wanting to tell her the truth.


    "We got lost in the forest and ended up entering some ruins. After being lost there for a couple of days and finally getting out, we just noticed we are being chased by people."


    As soon as Kyran heard Gage mention the word ruins, his eyes narrowed.


    ''No way....''

 Chapter 147 Shaiha Ruins

    Kyran took out a parchment from his pouch and approached Gage.


    "The ruins you found, did it looked like this?" He asked while unrolling the parchment and showing the content to Gage and Nn.


    The parchment showed an image of a dpidated entrance leading to a vige where the buildings were either half-destroyed orpletely in rubbles. The image itself looked like a typical abandoned vige, but what made it look different was how the buildings were all made of concrete and painted red.


    Gage scowled at the image with a thoughtful expression.


    "Could be. I don''t remember seeing that particr area though."


    Kyran creased his brows in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    "The ruins we found is located inside a cliffside," Gage replied. "The buildings are painted in red like that in the image."


    Nn looked at Kyran with both his brows raised. He asked, "What? Is that the ce you nned to go?"


    Kyran smiled bitterly. This was not the first time he encountered a coincidence, but he felt this coincidence was too cruel.


    If the ruins they entered were the Shaiha Ruins, they might be the unknown ''group'' the Temr Code and the Conve was currently looking for. Kyran''s suspicion was further raised by the fact that the people from the Chamber of Commerce had found traces of one of the group''s members. This might be Gage, who appeared to be alone as he moved around the forest.


    If Kyran''s suspicion was correct, from the way Gage and Nn bombarded him earlier, then they might''ve killed most of those following them. Kyran did not hear any casualties from the Chamber of Commerce''s side, but today, they were supposed to make a move, so he could not eliminate the possibility they already met.


    ''Find out first,'' Kyran decided.


    Worst case scenario, the Conve had to sort things out with the families who ended up as victims of this incident.


    "Did you encounter anyone else today?" Kyran asked.


    "A lot," Gage replied.


    Nn also nodded. He saw the uneasiness in Kyran''s expression. It was annoying as hell, so he asked, "If you got something to say, just spit it."


    Kyran sighed. He really hoped they had not encountered the Chamber of Commerce.


    "The thing is..."


    Kyran spent around five minutes exining the situation.


    Nn and Gage did not need them for Kyran to spell out why he looked distressed. Basically, if both sides met since they were not aware that they were on the ''same side'', any casualty on both sides would be too cruel.


    Nn could not help but shake his head with a sigh. He looked straight at Kyran and said, "This sort of things happen. Don''t get worked up."


    Kyran looked at him and did not say a word.


    What Nn said was true. During his first year in military school, different scenarios were taught to them during their Situational Theory ss. And one of them was a scenario where both departments on the same side ended up hurting each other because of misinformation. On a positive note, if both departments did not sessfully collect the other department''s information, then that meant the data security of both departments was good.


    "We have not encountered anyone from the Chamber of Commerce though," Gage interjected.


    He said it with such confidence that both Kyran and Nn looked at him.


    "How did you know? As far as I remember, those guys we''ve met did not belong to one group. If they did, we would''ve notived a unique mark or feature that identifies their group. Like a tattoo or dress code," Nn reasoned.


    ''I don''t want to hear that from a guy who could not even remember other people''s face,'' Gage thought, as he remembered Nn''s reason for taking Kyran''s bounty poster.


    "That''s true. But at most, those people belonged to three groups."


    Kyran frowned. He made a mental list of the possible groups after them and drew up three: Temr Code, Royal Army, and the Chamber of Commerce.


    ''Unless the Temr Code or the Royal Army hired a third-party for additional hand,'' Kyran thought, remembering how the army was using the Mercenary Hall to ''look'' for him.


    "Three?" Nn looked at him and raised his brows in amazement. "Whoa, Baldie, did not expect you have high perception."


    Gage''s brow twitched.


    "It''s not about perception," he replied, looking a bit helpless at Nn. "It''s from the way they smell."


    "Are you rted to dogs?" Nn eximed with wide eyes.


    "Who''re you calling a dog?" Gage growled.


    "Can you guys argueter?" Kyran said in exasperation. He realized that with Nn around, any serious discussions tend to go off-topic from his randomments.


    "What do you mean the way they smell?"


    "If you meet a group of people, there is 90% chance they will have a distinct smell around them. The smell maye from the ces they where just in, things they touched, a beast they encountered, the food they eat, even the water they drink."


    After hearing Gage''s exnation, Kyran was surprised. To be honest, he had not thought of that. Although few people could do such a feat, distinguishing if people belonged to the same group through their smell would be very helpful for identification.


    "Hm," Nn nodded his head in agreement. "But this is only possible if you have a very keen sense of smell, and if the people you encountered did not prepare any smell-concealment spell."


    Kyran looked at Nn in surprise. He asked, "There is a smell-concealment spell?"


    "Of course."


    Gage sneered. He said, "Humph. No smell-concealment spell can help hide their scent from me."


    "So you really are rted to dogs?"<sub> </sub>


    "I''m not!"


    Kyran rolled his eyes and said, "So you are sure you haven''t encountered any from the Chamber of Commerce?"


    Gage nodded.


    "Yeah. I know what those guys smell like."


    "Perv."


    "It''s not like that!"


    Kyran also looked at Nn with a nk face.


    Nn was not acting like his age, again. He said he was the sworn brother of Kyran''s father, which meant both were more or less of the same age. But howe Nn''s mentality was that of a teenager.


    No, wait. Kyran was in his teens, and those he knew with the same age also did not act this way!


    Pushing all these random thoughts aside, Kyran said, "In that case, it''s still good."


    Nn shook his head.


    "Not really. There is no guarantee that we are the group that broke into the Shaiha Ruins, and those people after us may have mistaken us as part of the group only."


    Kyran understood what Nn meant. He also thought of that possibility.


    "Either way, I''ll find out when I meet them."


    Then he recalled something and asked, "Did you guys find anything in the ruins?"


    <o>,m "Nope."</o>


    "Just a bunch of red buildings."


    Kyran sighed in his heart. Meaning they did not know the location of the rare stones. This information was a little problematic.


    ''But at least the two of them had been inside, so if I ask either Nn or Gage...'' he recalled Nn''s lousy sense of direction, ''... If I ask Gage to use the transmission scroll it would be easier to enter the ruins. The Temr Code tightened their security but using the Cloaking array, will be helpful.''


    He looked at his forearm, where he previously cut himself to use his blood in creating the transmission scroll.


    ''It will be dangerous to create another transmission scroll,'' he thought. ''Because healing potions do not help replenish blood loss. But..."


    He looked at the parchment in his hand and stared at the Shaiha Ruins.


    ''If I want to get there without rming the Temr Code, I have few choices.''


    "What are you thinking, kid?"


    Nn''s question snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran looked at Nn and was about to reply when an idea crossed his mind. His brain went into overdrive as he formted the n surrounding this idea.


    After a short pause, he finally said, "I need help."


    ==================


    Around noon in Gael''s office, Fiona knocked on the door.


    There was a curt reply of "Come in" before she entered.


    Inside, Gael was reading update reports from different departments in Meliora and the three Deputy Marshal''s jurisdictions; Timen, Thunknam Peak, and Northbliss Castle.


    Without looking up, Gael said, "Make it quick."


    "Grand Marshal."


    Fiona bowed slightly before adding, "The royal attendant has finally replied. He said the emperor will return in the evening and has agreed to meet with you."


    Gael, who was about to turn the page of the report in his hand, suddenly paused. He lowered the report and finally looked at Fiona.


    "In the evening? Did they say his majesty''s schedule?"


    "The emperor is expected to return by six in the evening. And he will dine with the empress and the crown princess at seven. The emperor will then be free from eight to ten in the evening," Fiona replied.


    Gael leaned back on his chair and nodded.


    "Good. Tell them we will be there in the pce at eight."


    Fiona bowed her head in acknowledgment.


    "Right away, Grand Marshal."


    Without waiting for Gael to dismiss her, Fiona had already turned and left the room.


    Once the door closed behind her, Gael''s expression turned thoughtful.

 Chapter 148 Search For The Rare Stone (1)

    To discuss his ns, Kyran decided to return to the cabin first. They were lucky that they did not encounter anyone after leaving Nn''s domain and could go to the cottage without dy.


    Kyran led the way, and upon arriving five meters from the cottage''s array, just as Ss had said because of the key Kyran possessed, he immediately perceived the array formation. He was surprised to know that the array''s calction was directly shown into his mind the moment he touched the array''s invisible barrier.


    With the use of his magic, Kyran channeled his magic energy into the array calction and made some adjustments. The adjustments he did were not too much because the changes must still depend on the materials used on the array.


    Kyran could only strengthen the array''s effect and grant Nn, Gage, and the still unconscious te, whoy on the ck wooden board Nn was pulling with his magic, entry to the cottage.


    All the while, Nn was silently surprised to see Kyran''s improvement. He had a vague understanding of Kyran''s level in Array and made a mental note to test it out in the future.


    At the cottage, when Ss felt some changes in the array, he decided to investigate the matter. He was utterly surprised when he saw Kyran return with Gage and two other people on the tow.


    Ss ushered them inside the cottage without much vignce since he trusted Kyran and Gage would not associate themselves with untrustworthy people. Besides, he was aware that the Lord of the Tower had asked another mercenary to escort Gage. Seeing the man with them, Ss reckoned he might be him.


    Upon entering the cottage, Kyran noticed that Ss managed to clean up the ce a bit.


    Nnid te on the bed while he sat on the edge. Gage pulled one of the wooden chairs from the dining table and sat with his arms resting on the back of the chair. On the other hand, Ss leaned back on the sink, looking at Kyran, standing near the entrance.


    It took them ten minutes of Kyran and Gage''s joint narration to exin the situation to Ss.


    He was surprised to know that Nn, whom he confirmed was the mercenary the Lord had tasked to escort Gage, was also the cloaked man they met at the Mercenary Guild. Aside from this, the woman with them was actually an Alchemy hermit that Nn personally knew. Ss wanted to ask a lot of questions, but he felt Kyran''s impatience, so he decided to focus on the current situation.


    "I am looking for the rare stone of the Shaiha Ruins," Kyran was saying. "It is thest material the Conve needed toplete the new defensive array in the Tower."


    Both Nn and Gage frowned after hearing this. They were both familiar with the rare stone of Shaiha and how the Temr Code monopolized it. Getting it while they were on alert because of the recent break-in incident would double its difficulty.


    "Why use that stone of all things?" Nn grumbled. "The stone as an array material is too extravagant."


    "I heard from Master Noir that the stone has the ability to store and absorb upto four types of energy in the surrounding¡ª," Kyran exined.


    ''Master Noir?'' Nn thought, slightly surprised. It appeared a lot happened in the Tower while he was gone.


    "¡ªusing the rare stone willpletely remove the spirit stone consumption on the defensive array."


    "I understand the idea, but getting it will be troublesome. Not to mention finding it inside the ruins in such a short time. Why the f*ck are you on a tight deadline anyway?" Nn grumbled.


    "It''s a deadline I set myself. One week is the most I can give the Conve to gather all materials and create a new defensive array. If it gets dyed, once the army does their routinal inspections next month and find out the Tower of Conve''s defensive array was destroyed, they will be suspicious."


    "So you did not disclose the fact that you attacked them."


    Kyran nodded.


    "Disclosing my visit at the Mercenary Hall is enough. I can''t have the army investigate the Tower of Conve as well."


    "They do not have jurisdiction to the Conve. Besides, its not like they will investigate in the open. Remember they are using a pseudo when they issued the bounty." Nn pointed.


    "I know. But we''re talking about the army here. They will definitely find a way to issue an investigation if they found out what I did in the Tower of Conve and why they did not report it to the bounty issuer."


    Nn eyed Kyran. He had a vague feeling that he was no longer talking to the clueless kid he found in the cave.


    "It seems you have learned quite a bit of the ugly side of empire," hemented.


    Gage and Ss looked at the two in silence. They had their ideas but did not voice them because their knowledge of what was really happening was too superficial.


    Even Ss believed that what he found out from the Regis was just the tip of the iceberg. There was more to why the army did not want to issue an open manhunt.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He did not agree nor deny Nn''s remark but instead looked at him meaningfully.


    Seeing Kyran''s look, Nn could only sigh and nod his head in resignation.


    "Alright. What do you need help with?" He asked.


    "I need you to take me inside the ruins."


    Nn frowned, "Take you? Did we not agree that getting in will be troublesome right now?"


    Kyran shook his head.


    "We''re not going to get in. You will take me inside."


    Ss looked at Kyran in concern. He immediately understood that Kyran nned to use the transmission scroll. However, if he created another scroll today, it would be bad for Kyran.


    Realizing what Kyran meant, Nn instinctively grasped his cloak and red at him.


    "How did you know?" He asked in a low voice.


    "Know what?" Kyran asked in confusion.


    "I don''t care if you are Cade''s son, I will not hand it over to you. I needed it."


    There was a short awkward silence as the two stared at each other.


    "Don''t tell me!" Ss eximed, breaking the silence.<sub> </sub>


    Seeing Nn''s defensive stance confused Ss. But after a short moment, he thought of an idea and came up with a possible reason why.


    "You are the one who bought the three transmission scrolls auctioned by the Chamber of Commerce a few years ago?" He asked.


    "Wait, what?" Kyran asked and turned his attention to Ss.


    Gage recalled something. He also knew about the transmission scroll auctioned by the Chamber of Commerce. However, Gage was not really interested in it. Now that it was brought up, he remembered Nn''s short narration of their strategic retreat.


    "The scroll you used so we can escape that time was a transmission scroll?" He asked.


    Nn scowled at Gage.


    Hearing Gage''s words, Kyran looked at Nn.


    "You have a transmission scroll?"


    Nn looked back at Kyran with a raised brow.


    "Are you not asking for it?"


    "No."


    ...


    Kyran sneered.


    "But if you have one, then we''ll use it."


    "I said I won''t hand it¡ª."


    "I will make you a new one. Give me a few days and I can create a new one."


    "Make a new one?" Nn asked in disbelief.


    Kyran nodded.


    "Yes. But I just made one today and I need to rest first before making another one. Anyway, if you did not have one, I n to buy a replenishing potion and make one." He exined.


    "Then go buy that potion. Why do I have to give you mine. You have no idea how much I''ve spent just to¡ª."


    Nn abruptly stopped. It was only then that he fully understood what Kyran was saying, and his eyes grew wide in disbelief.


    "THE F*CK? You know how to make transmission scrolls?"


    Nn''s dyed surprise amused Kyran. He replied, "I do."


    "F*ck me. Don''t lie!"


    Ss could not help but sweat at Nn''s vulgar mouth.


    "He does know how," he vouched for Kyran.


    Nn looked at Ss before looking back at Kyran.


    "If you do then show me."


    Kyran sighed.


    "If I make one I will have to buy a potion."


    Nn sneered, "What the Conve could not even give you an energy replenishing potion?"


    "I need a different potion. Actually I''m not even sure if I there is a potion like that."


    "What potion?"


    "Blood replenishing potion."


    "Why do you need a blood replenishing potion to create the scroll?"


    Kyran did not reply and remained silent.


    Nn frowned. He turned to Ss, who instantly avoided his eyes.


    Gage, who was watching their exchange in silence, sensed the sudden shift in the atmosphere.


    "There is such a potion but I do not believe that it will be avable in the open market. Nor in the Alchemy Association."


    A woman''s voice said, breaking the awkward silence.

 Chapter 149 Search For The Rare Stone (2)

    Hearing te''s voice, Nn almost jumped out of bed. However, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder preventing him from making any movements.


    "You have some exining to do," she hissed in an almost inaudible voice while slowly getting up from the bed.


    Cold sweat run down Nn''s back. He did not reply and instead gave a short nod in acknowledgement.


    Kyran looked at the woman. Judging from her face, she was probably in her early or mid-forties, which would make her around the same age as his mother. She had an unusual dark violet color hair that did not reach her shoulders and her green eyes were of the same shade as emerald. He recalled her name as te and from Gage''s short introduction of her, she was the one who cured him when he got poisoned. She also appeared to be Nn''s friend.


    ''And she knew my father,'' Kyran thought recalling her reaction after he removed his mask earlier.


    Ss also looked at te and for some reason, he found her familiar. But he could not remember where he might have seen or met her. As a mage, his memory was also good, and not remembering this person surprised him.


    te turned her attention on Kyran.


    Kyran returned her gaze and was a little surprised to see confusion and sadness reflected in them. However, it was reced by warmth in an instance as she smiled at him.


    "Nn told me to prepare myself if I want to go with him, now I understand why." te started as she shifted on the bed and changed into a seating position beside Nn.


    "How long have you been listening?" Nn asked without looking at her.


    "Humph," te gave him a re. "You think you can knock me out that long?"


    Nn looked at her innocently.


    "What are you talking about? Who knocked out who?"


    Gage, seeing Nn''s attitude could not help but look at them with a straight face.


    ''They''re at it again,'' he thought.


    te ignored Nn and looked at Kyran again.


    "I understand the gist of your situation. But I suggest not to create the scroll, even if the blood replenishing potion is avable, you are not in a very good condition. If you push yourself too much you will end up unable to aplish what you have to do," She told him.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. For her to see through his condition just by mere observation, it dawned on him that she was also not simple. She was Nn''s and his father''s acquaintance, she was definitely not a normal hermit Alchemist.


    "Nn will give you the transmission scrolls" te continued.


    "Why?" Nn asked and red at her.


    "Because I said so," she replied without looking at him.


    "Oi¡ª!"


    "You can rece it when your condition is better," she added directing it to Kyran.


    Kyran nodded his head.


    "That was my intention," he agreed.


    te smiled.


    Nn scowled and looked at Kyran. He asked apprehensively, "Can you really make a transmission scroll?"


    "I can," Kyran answered without hesitation.


    "I can also attest to that," te vouched.


    Hearing her words, Nn turned his attention back at her, "How?"


    "He is a Regis, and also Cade''s son. I have once seen him make a scroll twenty years ago, so I wouldn''t be surprised if he taught it to him," te gave a vague answer.


    Nn''s expression turned solemn as if understanding what te avoid saying.


    ''Twenty years ago?'' Kyran wondered after seeing the change in Nn''s expression. He looked at te again getting more interested in finding out how he met he knew his father.


    "I see," Nn replied and without pausing, he looked at Kyran. He stood up and took out two scrolls from under his cloak before approaching Kyran.


    "You owe me three," Nn said handing over the scrolls.


    Kyran smiled faintly and only nodded his head. He took the scrolls and put one in the pouch while retaining the other one in his hand.


    "I only need one of you toe with me, but before going to the ruins, I''ll drop by the Chamber of Commerce," Kyran exined.


    te shook her head and said, "You don''t need to do that. From what I understand, you only need to inform the people from the Chamber of Commerce to stop their pursuit. In that case, Nn or Gage can do that," she paused and said changed her mind, "No, Gage can do that¡ª."


    "Oi¡ª."


    "¡ªsince hisst known location was in Aeren Town and has a record of leaving that ce if he showed up in Noser, it will not attract any attention." te continued ignoring Nn.


    Nn shook his head, "No. He will stick out like a sore thumb if he enters Noser."


    "Why?" te asked with a slight frown on her face.


    "I''ll exinter. Anyway, how about you go?"


    "No, because I will take him to the ruins."


    ....


    All of them blinked as if te''s words had not fully registered to them.


    Seeing their dumbfounded looks, te raised her brows at them. She smiled smugly and asked, "Who was it that got us out of that ruins?"


    "You," Gage replied at once.


    Nn scowled. "What if it was you? It''s not like you and the kid are¡ª."


    "Who has a better sense of direction?" te ignored him and continued.


    "Don''t ignore me!"<sub> </sub>


    "Err... I guess it is you too," Gage answered honestly.


    "Who suggested to leave marks so we don''t end up going in circles?"


    "Err... you," Gage answered again.


    "And who was the one who can recognize those marks?"


    "Err... you."


    "Then it is settled," te said matter-of-factly.


    Nn''s face had gonepletely dark. He really hated how she could be overbearing! But he knew her well to understand her motive in getting Kyran alone.


    "You only want to go with him and interrogate him yourself!" Nn used her.


    "And so? I''d rather speak with him than hear you spout nonsense," she replied without even denying his usation.


    "I don''t mind," Kyran suddenly spoke before Nn could say anything.


    Nn looked at him and shook his head, "You don''t even know her!"


    Kyran looked at him with a straight face and replied, "True. But I don''t really know you either."


    Nn''s brow twitched as a vein appeared on his forehead.


    "Why you ungrateful¡ª."


    "Uhm, if I may speak?" Ss who had been silently listening suddenly spoke.


    All of them turned to look at him.


    "Go ahead," te nodded her head at him.


    Nn looked at her with a wry smile.


    "Why are you suddenly acting like the boss?"


    te ignored him.


    "I think I have an idea why Gage going in Noser will attract attention, but if he used a transfiguration spell maybe he can disguise himself?" Ss suggested while looking at Gage. "Of course, that is if you know how."


    "What do you take me for? Of course, I do!" Gage replied feeling a little annoyed by Ss''s belittlement.


    "It''s okay to do that if entering a town. But this is Noser. A city where the Temr Code has jurisdiction. He will not be recognized just by his face, but his aura and magic signature," Nn rejected the notion.


    "For all, we know the Temr Code already had his aura in their record that''s why they were able to sessfully follow us all this time!" He added.


    "Since when did the Temr Code able to detect a mage''s aura?" te asked looking at them in confusion.


    cklines appeared on Gage''s head recalling that she had been out of the loop for twenty years.


    "You know we''re just wasting time like this," Kyran suddenly said which made all of them turn their attention to him.


    Kyran looked at te and said, "I understand why you said I don''t have to do everything myself, but I am the only one whom those at the Chamber of Commerce will recognize."


    te looked at him in interest. She found his choice to use the word ''will'' rather than ''can'' intriguing.


    "Besides, it will only take me an hour at most to meet with them."


    "Do you even know how far the entrance to Noser is from here?" te asked him.


    Kyran shrugged.


    "Doesn''t matter. I can find my way around ces even if it''s my first time going there."


    The three men could not help but give Kyran a dull look. Why did it sound like he was boasting just now?


    teughed, "You sure are confident. Very well, if I am correct. This ce is at least three hundred kilometers away from the west entrance of Noser."


    Kyran nodded his head, "Thanks."


    He looked at Ss and said, "I made small adjustments to the array in here. But I still n to add further improvements. I hope you don''t mind."


    Ss gave him a faint smile, "I already noticed the changes. Anyway, since I''ve already given you the key, you''re free to do whatever you want."


    "Thanks."


    Kyran looked at Nn, who was already looking at him.


    "Let''s talkter."


    "Fine."


    Kyran gave a short nod and turned to leave.


    te was about to say something but decided against it.


    The moment Kyran had left, all four of them looked at each other.


    To be honest, all of them had not fully digested everything that had happened. Since Kyran also appeared to be in a hurry, they had a tacit understanding to avoid asking questions that would end up in a long discussion.


    However, now that Kyran had left, they now had a chance to exchange information.


    "Who will go first?" Nn asked no one in particr.


    It was evident how his temperament from a minute ago had changed.

 Chapter 150 Search For The Rare Stone (3)

    <o>,m After leaving the cottage, Kyran did not go to Noser at once. He first turned to his left and looked at a flowering tree located ten meters away from the cottage.</o>


    The flowering tree stood magnificently outside the cottage, with its ming red flowers covering almost every leaf. It looked like the legendary ming Tree of the Pheonix Kyran read in the book titled Saint Botanical Life in Ste''s study.


    Earlier, when Kyran checked the array around the cottage, he found that this tree was the heart of the array, meaning it would not function without it. He also wanted to grasp the whole calction of the array contained on the tree to draft a new, improved one.


    Kyran decided not to draft a new array because it was already a very good one. The only issue with it was its restrictions on the use of his magic. Lifting the restrictions would not be a problem for him, however, not knowing the whole array calction and forcibly lifting the restriction would destroy it. He also needed to confirm all materials used in making the array, so it would be easy for him to get the additional materials he would need to improve it.


    It was the reason why he wanted to check the array''s calction now rather thanter. Since he was going to the Chamber of Commerce, he could buy the materials he would need at the same time.


    Kyran stood in front of the tree and felt a huge amount of magic energy circting its trunk. He ced his hand on the tree and closed his eyes to observe this energy and understand the calction within.


    It took him less than five minutes to memorize the calction. After that, he did not hang about and left.


    Using his warp ability, Kyran arrived near Noser''s west entrance without much trouble. He sessfully avoided the detection of people he found lurking around the forest.


    Nn said that the Temr Code had a way to record a mage''s aura and magic signature. However, Kyran reckoned they likely did not have the Dark Sage. His magic signature was considered confidential and would only be avable within the Royal Army. Even though he had suspicions that the Temr Code might be working together with the Royal Family, it only concerned matters inside the Shaiha Ruins. The Royal Family would never share information about the Dark Sage. That much Kyran understood, mainly because the Royal Family had a lot to hide when it came to the Dark Sage.


    Kyran looked ahead and saw the fifty-meter-high wall that surrounded Noser. Before approaching the entrance, he took out his mask and wore it. Immediately, his face changed to Tyr. He also removed his coat and took out the cksmith Order''s uniform, and changed into it.


    Getting inside Noser was not particrly easy. Unlike most cities, where the Royal Army did not require people to present identification tokens when entering or leaving the city because of the identity-scan array set up at the city gates, Noser had a manual registration site. Unless the person could present a Temr Code certified token, everyone had to register.


    Of course, Kyran did not need to go through the registration process. Because the token issued to him by the Conve as ''Tyr'' was already certified by the Temr Code. After all, although Noser was under the Temr Code''s jurisdiction, the businesses under the Conve still operated inside. The Conve had certain privileges when issuing their people''s identification tokens because of their reputation and neutral status. Apart from this, Tyr was known as Noir''s disciple. With Noir''s reputation as a renowned Array Master, Tyr also shared some of his special privileges as his disciple.


    However, Kyran was aware that once he entered Noser, the Temr Code would monitor his movements. But it would not pose a big problem. Since he did not enter Bearch City when he went south, ''Tyr'' did not have a record of appearing there. The report he submitted to the army on ''Kyran''s''st known location, although he submitted it only a few days ago, even if the army investigated Tyr''s background and activity, they would not be suspicious if he appeared in Noser because travelling from Starhorn to Noser typically took four days. And five days had already passed from the date Tyr submitted ''Kyran''s'' information. Besides, it was easy for the Conve to adjust Tyr''s entry record in Starhorn because the city was under their jurisdiction.


    After entering Noser, Kyran went to the market square and easily located the Chamber of Commerce building. All the while, he already felt so many eyes on him. He did not realize that the Temr Code would immediately move and get people to keep watch.


    It was a two-story building and was smallerpared to some of the buildings around the market square. But Kyran knew that this building only had a store on the ground floor and an administrative office on the upper floor. As for the storage room, it was below the ground of the building. It was a piece of information unknown to the public. Even the Temr Code did not know because another warehouse situated in a different location in Noser was under the Chamber of Commerce. The warehouse still had some materials stored in it. However, all the rare and important ones were in the underground storage of the building in the market square.


    "Good day, how may I help you good sir?" A female attendant greeted the moment Kyran entered the building.


    Just like the other attendants inside who were serving other customers inside, the young woman was wearing an all-red with white ents upper coat, which was the Chamber of Commerce''s primary color, while her knee-high skirt was ck. On the other hand, the male attendants were wearing white pants.


    Upon seeing Kyran''s face and seeing his ck uniform, the woman was surprised and instantly reddened. She said, "Pardon good sir, I did not realize you are from the cksmith Order."


    "May I ask who our esteemed guest is?" She asked respectfully, after seeing that the cksmith Order''s hammer emblem on Kyran''s uniform had a bronze hilt, symbolizing his status as an officer.


    Kyran nodded his head and took out his token while saying, "Hello. I am here on an errand by Chief Vaness, my name is Tyr. Is the manager in?"


    He showed his token to the young woman.


    The moment Kyran said who he was, the young woman''s eyes widened, and she gasped while eximing in an udylike way, "Tyr? You are that Tyr? Chairman Noir''s disciple?"


    The young woman''s reaction had drawn the attention of the other attendants and customers nearby.


    Simr to her reaction, the female attendants and customers started to whisper with each other admiring him. Even the male attendants and customers admired ''Tyr''s'' looks though some also felt a little envious.


    "Such a good looking young man!"


    "Even his clothes fit him very well. How is it possible to find someone as perfect as him?"


    "Hey, his clothes... doesn''t it look the same as those from the cksmith Order?"


    "It doesn''t look the same! It is the same! Howe I haven''t seen him there before? Is he new? Oh, I will definitely request my new magic weapon be made by him!"


    The unusually loud whispers among the females inside filled the air.


    Kyran suddenly felt uneasy. It only urred to him that most people of the Conve, not to mention outsides, had never met Tyr. And with his impossibly handsome looks, he would definitely draw unwanted attention. Now he wondered if the ''looks'' he felt earlier were from people admiring Tyr''s looks rather than from the Temr Code''s people.


    Kyran cleared his throat to remind the young woman in front of him about his inquiry.


    The young woman immediately came around and turned beet red. She hastily said, "M-My apologies, sir Tyr. Yes, manager Kent is in. I''ll inform him of your arrival at once. Please follow me."


    Kyran nodded and followed her while she led him up the stairs.


    As they walked up the stairs, he felt eyes from most of the people there bore on him. It was pretty intimidating. He could not help but curse Ste for making Tyr too handsome.


    To be honest, Tyr, with ck hair, was more handsome than Tyr, with auburn hair. Because with his all-ck attire,bined with ck hair yet unusually mesmerizing aquamarine eyes, Tyr appeared cold and mysterious. With auburn hair, Tyr looked friendlier.


    But Kyran did not know that, and the others were also not aware of that.


    The young woman led Kyran in a receiving room while she reluctantly left to inform Manager Kent of his presence.


    The receiving room had two long couches facing each other with a small table between, right in the middle of the room. A map of the whole Noser City was mounted on one wall, while a painting of a beautiful ocean cliff with a light tower was mounted on the opposite wall. As for the side facing the room''s door, the windows had red and white curtains slightly draping on the sides. There were also potted nts ced on each corner of the room, giving it a more rxing atmosphere.


    Kyran did not sit on the couch and instead went over to the window to look outside.


    The street outside was bustling with people. Some were going inside the buildings or stores across and street.<sub> </sub>


    But Kyran was not interested in watching these people. The reason why he looked out was that he felt a dangerous auraing from across the building.


    Kyran pretended to look below the street while activating the Concealing Array on his hand. Then he activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique enhancing all his senses.


    ''This feeling... It is simr to the feeling I get from thebat mage masters in military school,'' Kyran thought, frowning slightly.


    He remembered that the Temr Code was known for theirbat mages.


    ''It seems, there are people already watching.'' He thought after realizing that there were morebat mages stationed from different points outside.


    Kyran could not help but wonder if these people were watching because of him or had been watching the Chamber of Commerce.


    The door to the room opened from behind, and a male voice spoke.


    "Sir Tyr! Wee to the Chamber of Commerce, Noser Branch." Kent greeted at once.


    Kyran turned to look at him.


    Kent was a man in his early thirties, with short dark brown hair and eyes. He appeared weak with his thin and small stature. However, Vaness had told him that Kent was verypetent in terms of managing businesses. And Kent wearing sses had nothing to do with him being ''intelligent''. He only had poor eyesight.


    Kyran nodded in greeting.


    The young woman also returned with Kent, but she remained at the side of the door as if awaiting further instructions.


    "Thank you for your hard work."


    Kentughed and gestured for Kyran to sit.


    "Please, sir Tyr, have a seat."


    Kyran shook his head and said, "No need. I won''t take too much of your time."


    Without waiting for Kent to reply, Kyran stated his business.


    "Manager Kent, I''d like the requested items to be returned immediately and wait for the order''s new requested list."


    What Kyran said was actually vague if others heard him. However, Kent''s expression slightly changed as he looked at Kyran meaningfully.


    "I see. Is the items'' performance not to your liking?" He asked vaguely.


    Kyran shook his head, "No. There have been some changes in the blueprint so I decided to return the items."


    Kent nodded in understanding, "Very well."


    "And also, I''d like to buy some materials."


    "No need to buy them. Just let us know what you needed and we will provide it as much as we can. You can say it ispensation for not providing satisfactory items."


    Kyran did not refute his words and only nodded. He took out a pen and a parchment and listed the names of the materials he needed.


    He gave it to Kent, who instructed the young woman to gather the materials immediately.


    While the young woman left, Kent engaged Kyran with small talk.


    They mostly talked about business-rted stuff.


    Kent was actually surprised when Kyran managed to follow through with his talk. He was not that familiar with Tyr''s background, but he always thought Tyr was an Array maniac to get Chairman Noir''s approval. Learning that Tyr also had good business knowledge was a surprise to Kent.


    After almost twenty minutes, the young woman had returned with a low-grade space storage ring. It contained all of the materials from Kyran''s list.


    Kent asked Kyran to check it but only said it was not necessary and had already excused himself.


    Kyran''s attitude might offend others, but Kent knew how pressed for time he was and did not insist.


    Before leaving, Kyran and Kent shook hands.


    Five minutes after Kyran left, Kent unclenched his hand that shook Kyran''s hand. There was a small crumbled parchment inside. He did not read the parchment but instead used his magic sense to look into it.


    His eyes narrowed after sensing what was written in it:


    ''There arebat mages nearby watching the Chamber of Commerce. Lay low for now.''


    Taking a deep breath, Kent put the crumbled parchment in his space storage ring.


    ''It seems, the Temr Code has gotten wind of our movements. I better ask the Mercenary Guild''s assistance to cover our tracks,'' he thought and went back to his office.

 Chapter 151 Search For The Rare Stone (4)

    "The army did what?" te asked, her mood shifting 180 degrees.


    From the time Kyran left and Nn asked who wanted to share information first, te had only been listening in silence. However, the more she listened to their conversation, the more she got confused, especially regarding the part where Kyran visited the Conve. She was also confused why the Regis Patriarch requested Ss deliver an item clearly meant for Kyran. Why did the Patriarch have to ask a different person to deliver the item to Kyran when he could ask one of the Regis n members to do that?


    te knew how dangerous the item the Patriarch wanted Kyran to have. So she did not believe he would trust an outsider to deliver it. Honestly, she could still understand it after Ss confirmed that he became the Regis emissary. However, not long after the Patriarch gave the item to Ss, he also gave it to Gage. And Gage was clearly an outsider.


    Because Ss and Gage did not want to answer without Nn''s consent, they could only remain silent.


    Before te''s mood changed, Nn finally told Ss and Gage to leave the cottage first so he could talk to her alone.


    The twoplied because te appeared to be at her wit''s end. They did not want to receive the brunt of her anger when it happened.


    Nn and te remained in the cottage while he gave a brief exnation of Kyran''s actual situation. Before he could finish the exnation, she already understood the gist of the story and was now seething in anger.


    "Yeah, I know."


    Contrary to how Nn usually acted when there were people around, his attitude right now was very different.


    te red at him.


    "Why did you not tell me?"


    "The less who knows, the better."


    "You dare agree with the army?" She eximed.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed while looking at te. He understood why she was angry, but her outburst would not help Kyran or the whole Regis''s situation.


    "Tell me. Is it better to let everyone know about the kid''s magic? Would you rather see the whole empire fear him and despise the Regis n for hiding him? Having the army conceal the truth is better. At least we can prepare for a turnaround."


    "Don''t give me that! The army or that double-faced family has done a lot of damage to the whole empire for hundreds of years! It has to stop!"


    "And it will. But not now. The Regis are strong, yes, but if Kyran''s secret is known by the other factions, even with the discord among them, do you think the Regis could protect him? They are not omnipotent, especially Cade. Though I admit his domineering aura can give people that impression, the truth, it is all a facade. You know that perfectly well."


    te wanted to argue. However, she understood what Nn meant.


    Though there was hidden discord between the different factions in the empire, once Kyran''s secret of having Void Magic was known, they would definitely put aside their differences in the pretence of dealing with amon enemy. After all, they were dealing with a person that could be the second Dark Sage. When that happened, the Regis, no matter how strong theirbat abilities were, would not be able to fight against them.


    Seeing that te had finally stopped arguing, Nn gave a faint smile and said, "Luckily, the kid is a f*cking genius. Once he grows, not only his magic control but also in knowledge on different studies of magic and arrays, then the time to retaliate will definitely appear."


    te finally looked a little convinced.


    What Nn said was true. The Regis alone could not fight against thebined strength of all factions in the empire, but there would definitely be a great upset if you added a Void Master to the equation.


    It was not an exaggeration. That was how powerful the Void Master was.


    Kyran was the new Void Master, but his strength was a far cry from his predecessor. However, it would be a different story once his mastery over his magic improves.


    "For how long? If Kyran has only started learning magic then¡ª."


    "As I said, the kid''s a f*cking genius to the point I''d like to crack his head open and see if his brain is still human."


    te red at Nn''s words.


    "You¡ª."


    "I won''t, though. I don''t want to face Ri¡ªCade''s wrath. Anyway," Nn hastily changed the subject, "You''ve seen him use the Regis technique. His mastery over it is the same if not better than Cade when he was his age."


    te sighed. It was true. When Kyran evaded Nn''s punch earlier, she almost saw Cade''s shadow in his movements.


    "Cade taught him well. Now what hecked is magic knowledge," Nn continued. He paused briefly after recalling something and added, "But he''s learned quite a lot from the time I left him."


    "What do you mean?"


    Nn smiled faintly, "The first day we met, the kid practically had zero knowledge about magic. He did not even know anything about magic arrays, not to mention their difference with array creation. But earlier, I saw him read through this cottage''s array calction and knew he must have learned something back in the Conve after waking up."


    te slightly frowned after being reminded of the Conve.


    "Can we really trust the Conve?"


    Nn grinned.


    "Don''t worry, the Conve''s missy is infatuated with the kid. She will not betray him."


    Looking at him with a nk expression, te wondered how this grown man could tease about these things like some youth in his puberty.


    "Now, I only need to test how much the kid has improved. At least then we can have a better picture of how much strength he still needed. I reckoned the kid already thought of a n in retaliation to the army, and he will definitely ask me about it."<sub> </sub>


    "Hence the ''let''s talkter''," temented, remembering what Kyran had said to Nn before he left.


    Nn nodded.


    "The Conve''s missy also asked me to train him, but I already decided to do that even without her asking. But if I do train him, I will have to take him away."


    "Are you nning to take him to that ce?" te asked, her expression turning solemn.


    "Yes. At most, the Regis could hold for a month or two. Until then, I will prepare the kid."


    te fell silent. Thinking about the ce Nn had mentioned, she also thought it was a good ce for Kyran to improve. But everything would still depend on Kyran''s ability to learn and improve.


    ''Apart from this, his condition at the moment is...'' te thought, remembering the unstable flow of energy she felt around him.


    Other people would not be able to perceive this energy. It was an ability that few possessed, and te was one of them.


    "Before then, let me take a good look at him first," she finally decided.


    As much as she wanted to help save her dear friends, the only thing she could do was keep their son safe while they came up with a n on how to fight back.


    Nn recalled te''s words about Kyran not being in good condition, and he frowned slightly. He was aware of her ability, and because of this, she became an irreceable member of their team.


    "What is wrong with the kid?" He asked.


    He remembered Kyran fell into aa because his magic had be too powerful for him to contain. But since he had woken up, Nn thought he had already recovered. Remembering te''s words, however, bothered him.


    Seeing Nn''s concerned expression, te could not help but smile.


    ''You acted like an ass and indifferent around him, but the truth, you do care about him.'' She thought.


    "The flow of energy in his body appeared to have been disrupted by something. Nothing really critical at this point. What I am worried about is more with his overall mental and physical condition," te exined and remembering how Nn insisted on letting Kyran create another scroll, she red at him.


    "And yet you still acted like a prick and insisted on letting him make another scroll!"


    Nn scowled at her as he remembered he had lost thest two transmission scrolls.


    "I needed those scrolls!"


    "Are those scrolls more important than Kyran''s health?" te replied with a soft growl.


    Honestly, she understood Nn''s unwillingness in letting go of those scrolls. After all, acquiring such a treasure was really hard. Most of all, he was not aware of how the scroll was made. If he knew, he would not have acted like this.


    "How will it affect him? It''s not like he''s going to sacrifice his life just making one!" Nn grumbled.


    te did not reply after hearing this. She just stared at him meaningfully.


    Her silence proved to be effective as Nn stared at her suspiciously.


    "No way... I''m right?" He asked with his eyes widening in realization.


    te sighed.


    "I made a promise not tell. So I''ll leave it to your imagination. You can ask Kyran if you want. Whether he answers you or not depends on him, of course," she replied.


    Nn heaved a sigh but no longer pursued the subject. He and the kid would have time to catch upter.


    "Now, let''s get one thing straight first. I have not changed my mind about going with Kyran to the ruins," te changed the subject.


    "No."


    "Yes," she interjected. "I told you about his condition."


    "You just said it was nothing serious! What the hell is really wrong with his condition?"


    te sneered, "You''re that concerned about him? Have you finally decided to act like a proper un¡ª."


    "Argh! Fine! Go with him! I don''t f*cking care!" Nn interrupted with a growl.


    "I will look after him," te said solemnly.


    Nn did not reply. He just sat with his arms crossed across his chest with a scowl on his face. te chuckled at this because he looked like a sulking kid.


    Suddenly, a knock came at the door, and Gage''s voice sounded from behind.


    "He''s back."

 Chapter 152 Search For The Rare Stone (5)

    te was surprised.


    When Kyran dered he only needed an hour to meet with the people from the Chamber of Commerce, she did not take him seriously. The journey to Noser took more than a day if a person went on foot, even if he walked an average of 10km/h and without stopping. If one used a teleportation token, then the time would be reduced. But using a token was tricky, especially if a person turned to the wrong side because he might end up teleporting in the opposite direction. Even if that person did not make a mistake when using a teleportation token, just how many tokens would he have broken just to get there and back in one hour?


    To be precise, Kyran did not use an hour to return because there was still a good ten minutes to an hour from when he left.


    ''Even with the Regis technique to enhance his speed and improve his stamina, this is too fast.'' te thought in surprise and at the same time mildly impressed.


    A thought crossed her mind, and she frowned slightly.


    ''Or maybe he did not go to Noser and returned midway,'' she thought.


    Nn saw te''s surprised expression and grinned. He could imagine how she felt. When he first witnessed Kyran''s warping ability, he was also shocked. Seeing others having the same look was satisfying though it was not really him who showed off.


    Before Nn could approach the door, Kyran had already pushed it open and entered.


    Kyran immediately felt the solemnity of the atmosphere inside as he looked from Nn, standing near the door, and te seated by the bed.


    From what he understood of the earlier incident with te and Nn, it appeared that Nn did not tell te about him. This enraged te. However, Nn could not tell her the situation in Kyran''s presence, and thus, they had a tacit understanding to have a proper talk when he left.


    Kyran was not sure how to feel about this. He already expected that the four of them would talk while he was away, but having this woman he barely knew know of his situation was a little troubling. If before, he did not mind having the whole empire understand what the army did to his n or about him, now he found thefort of having fewer people knew of the whole situation. In this way, he could slowly learn about his enemy and umte the strength to bring them down. His way of thinking could be said to have matured over the past few days,pared to his reckless behavior the first few days after the army raided his n.


    [She''s not really an outsider.]


    Nn''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    He immediately shifted his attention back to Nn.


    [I''ll leave first and let you two talk. Honestly,pared to me, te can be trusted.]


    Without waiting for Kyran''s consent, Nn looked at te and said, "I''ll go out and talk to the two outside. We have toe up with a n on how to return to Starhorn while avoiding those annoying people chasing us."


    te only nodded in reply, while Kyran neither nodded nor said anything.


    As soon as Nn closed the door, Kyran finally looked at te. Though Nn said she could be trusted, in the end, it was Kyran who would be the judge of that.


    Sensing Kyran''s undisguised vignce, te could not help but smile in approval. His temperament really reminded her of Cade.


    te patted the space beside her and said, "Come sit with me."


    Hearing te''s words, Kyran''s brows creased at once. He did not move and remained standing by the door.


    "If you have anything to say, say it. I don''t n to get friendly with you."


    Contrary to Kyran''s initial expectation of the woman''s reaction to his words, she burst outughing instead of getting angry.


    "The first time I met your father, he said the very same words," temented and wiped the side of her eyes fromughing too hard.


    Kyran''s frown deepened. To be honest, he did not like getting friendly with this woman because he was notfortable meeting another woman from his father''s past. Although this woman''s rtionship with his father was still unclear, hearing her endearing way of mentioning his father at the same time, having her know of the transmission scroll was proof that their rtionship was very close.


    Kyran would not really think much about it, but what bothered him was that he had not heard of this woman before.


    Nn was the same. But he was able to present an item that was proof of his rtion with his parents.


    te had no idea of what was going on inside Kyran''s head. However, she did feel his apprehension and decided not to tease him anymore.


    "You can rx, Kyran. I may have sounded to know a lot about your father, but the truth, I only know so muchpared to your mother."


    At her words, the look of apprehension in Kyran''s eyes immediately wavered. Who could me him? He rarely met people whomented about his mother. Still, it made him warier, and his wavering emotion instantly stabilized, and his indifference returned.


    te was not offended by Kyran''s attitude. Instead, she took out a small pouch inside her coat pocket and took out a small box. The box was made of wood, and the carved decoration on the lid was a peony.


    "Nn told me he recognized you from the memento your parents gave you," she started and opened the small box before showing it to him.


    Kyran''s eyes widened after seeing the content of the box.


    Inside was a jade ring that looked simr to his parents.


    He remembered what Nn told him the first time they talked inside his domain.


    ''This and those rings are a set. There are five in total. Apart from me and those two, there are two other people who possessed it.''


    ''This woman is also...?'' Kyran wondered and looked at te carefully.


    "This ring and the ones with you are tokens to a ce we... went to once. It is proof that we conquered that ce," te started to exin.


    "You may think the rings are simple mementos, but it is of great importance. Anyway," she continued as she closed the lid of the box and returned it inside the pouch. "This is only another proof of my rtion to your parents. But another one... I guess I can''t show proof of it but, once we rescue your n, Rin can attest to it."


    After seeing her ring, Kyran had lowered his guard a little. So far, the first one he met who also possessed it had been... helpful in his own way. He did not trust Nn as a person, but he trusted his strength. There was a good chance this woman might end up the same.


    A thought crossed Kyran''s mind as he studied te closely.


    Could this woman also be a Magus? After all, he could not gauge her strength.


    "Your mother is my sworn sister," te continued.<sub> </sub>


    ''Just like Nn is my father''s sworn brother,'' Kyran thought. It made him wonder who''s sworn brother or sister, the fifth person from their group of five, who possessed the jade rings, was.


    "And I am your godmother."


    ...


    Silence ensued inside.


    Kyran stared nkly at te as if what she said was spoken in a differentnguage he had trouble understanding. Actually no. He did understand what she said, but the meaning was too shocking! And another thought crossed his mind because they had just talked about a sworn brother or sister.


    If this woman was his mother''s sworn sister as well as his godmother, did it mean that Nn was... his godfather?


    No, no, no. Was there a godfather who would fatally wound his own godson without hesitation?


    te chuckled, seeing the dumbfounded look on Kyran''s face.


    "You know, your reaction right now reminded me of Rin," she said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.


    "Wait. You? Godmother? But then... Nn¡ª."


    "No. He is not. Don''t worry," te immediately denied.


    Hearing her words, Kyran could not help but sigh in relief.


    His reaction, however, made teugh again.


    "Is it really that bad to have Nn as a godfather?" She asked.


    Kyran''s brow creased at her question. Though there was no proof of her im of being his godmother, he decided to believe her for now. And in respect to her identity, he seriously pondered her question.


    "I don''t know. He doesn''t strike me as someone who would want to be someone else''s godfather," he answered honestly.


    te nodded her head in agreement, "True. But... though he is not your godfather, he is still someone closely rted to you."


    "What do you mean?" Kyran asked in confusion. He had always wanted to know Nn''s real rtion to his parents, and now that te was here, he wondered if he could find the answers from her. He did not expect the opportunity to ask to present itself naturally.


    "I don''t think it is my right to tell you," te answered with an apologetic smile.


    Though she did not give him a proper answer, Kyran had a sudden sinking feeling.


    He was closely rted to Nn. How many rtions were there that could describe his rtionship with Nn? If he was not his godfather and was not his father''s simple ''sworn brother'', what other rtion would it be? Nn was not a Regis, but he was very concerned about what happened to his n. Because he was his father''s sworn brother? Was it really that simple?


    Suddenly, Kyran was reminded of Nn''s offhandedment on how spirits used to follow his mother around since she was small.


    ''Don''t tell me...''


    Realization hit him as he remembered Nn''s hair color. Though his eyes were in a different color if he changed them to light blue and softened the hard contour of his face, then...


    Seeing the look of disbelief on Kyran''s expression, te knew he had already found the answer. Having a brilliant mind was scary.


    "He has reasons why he doesn''t want to tell you. Do not think badly of him," she told him.


    Kyran did not reply.


    Taking a deep breath, te decided to change the subject and said, "Anyway. Nn and I agreed that I would apany you to the ruins."


    Kyran closed his eyes. Being reminded of the ruins, he immediately adjusted his mood and train of thought. There would be another chance to confront Nn. Right now, the rare stonees first.


    "But before we go," te stood up and took out a small bottle filled with deep red liquid from inside her coat pocket.


    She approached Kyran and handed him the bottle.


    "Drink this and rest for a few minutes."


    Kyran took the bottle and looked at it in surprise, "This is a blood replenishing potion. You said this will not be avable in the open market."


    te smiled.


    "That is because the Alchemist Association has not discovered it. This potion is my original recipe."


    Kyran looked at te and saw her in a different light. He already anticipated that she would have an excellent background like Nn, but to think that she was someone who could make potions that even the Alchemist Association had not discovered was out of his expectations.


    "Keep it a secret, especially from the association. I don''t want to have their people getting on my case again."


    Kyran could not help but smile. It was strange how he felt more at ease around her after finding out she was his godmother.


    "I will."


    te nodded.


    "Alright. Drink up first, then let''s talk about the rare stone."

 Chapter 153 Search For The Rare Stone (6)

    The taste of the blood replenishing potion was different from what Kyran had anticipated. Because it had the deep red color like ''blood,'' he initially thought it would taste slightly metallic. To his surprise, it tasted somewhat sour with a slight sweetness, like strawberries.


    "Sit down and absorb the potion. In the meantime, allow me to examine your body''s energy flow," te told him.


    Kyran hesitated. He already knew te could see through his condition just by observing from afar. If he agreed to let her directly examine his body''s energy flow, he was afraid she would discover the internal injuries he got after dealing with the mutated Basilisks that morning. Kyran was not worried about her discovering his injuries. He was concerned about answering the questions that would definitely follow once she found his internal injuries. Because once he answered and told her about the mutated Basilisks, he would have to say to her about Cyneah.


    Honestly, he had not decided whether to tell anyone about her because he nned to let Byron deal with her.


    te did not n to force Kyran in letting her examine him. As an alchemist, and a doctor, saving another life was important, but she would never impose or force a treatment if the person involved were unwilling. te would respect their decision. Though she only wanted to examine Kyran''s energy flow, it actually involved looking at his magic which was a very delicate matter to a mage.


    Seeing that te did not force him and was still patiently waiting for his response, Kyran eventually agreed and sat crossed-legged on the floor. There was no harm in letting her examine his body''s energy flow. She already knew about his magic anyway. If she found his internal injuries and asked about them, he would have to act like he did not want to answer.


    Kyran closed his eyes. He let the blood replenishing potion enter his system and absorbed it with the help of his Regis''s innate ability.


    te also sat crossed-legged behind Kyran while cing both hands on his back. She closed her eyes and used her magic sense to feel the flow of energy within his body.


    ''Hm?'' te''s brows creased as she felt the flow of energy within Kyran.


    Typically, a person would only have two types of energy in the body: life energy and the person''s magic energy.


    Kyran, however, had multiple energies circting inside his body. Aside from this, two dominant energies intermingle with his life energy as if they were the same.


    ''This...'' te opened her eyes and looked at Kyran''s back.


    Her eyes glowed green as she observed his body further and immediately saw his internal injuries. And from within these injuries, multiple energies were seething out.


    A soft hiss escaped her lips as she saw at least six types of magic energies circting inside him. The two dominant energies were purple and silver, while the other four were dark green, green, light gold, and red. The color of thest four energies was faint and te, being an expert in seeing these energies, knew they were not life energies but magic energies.


    ''How is this possible?'' She thought in disbelief.


    A mage would only have one magic energy inside them. If they did have another magic energy, the max would be three. The reason for that was the mage practised three different magic. However, one of these three would always be a dominant one. Another case of having two magic energies circting within their body was due to the mage being cursed or affected by a magic-rted wound. Kyran''s magic energies, on the other hand, did not look like he was hit by a curse or was wounded by magic. Meaning the possibility of him practising more than one magic was the only reason for this.


    But, to have six types of magic energies? That was unheard of. Besides, his magic was the Void. te was no expert, but a mage with powerful magic would have trouble summoning another type of magic as far as she knew. Aside from this, Kyran''s magic energies did note from the surrounding energies but his life energy.


    Theoretically, this would endanger a person''s life. But Kyran did not appear to be affected because his magic was tied to his life energy.


    ''The instability of these energies is also due to his life energy not being ustomed to the new energies. It''s as if these four energies have been added recently, and his life energy is getting to know it,'' te thought in amazement.


    Taking a deep breath, she sorted her thoughts and made a mental note of these energies. The colors of these energies were easy enough for her to deduce what type of magic it was. She contemted whether to ask Kyran where he got his internal injuries and if he was aware of the different ''magic energies'' inside his body.


    After a few seconds, te rejected the thought.


    She was not familiar with Kyran''s mood yet. Although his temperament reminded her of Cade or sometimes Rin, Kyran would still have his own temper. Knowing how much he valued his responsibility and time, te had a feeling that if she brought up any topic that would incite a discussion, he would definitely close himself off.


    Finally, te decided to observe for now and keep an eye on his condition instead.


    With that in mind, te took a deep breath and said, "Ss mentioned that there is no information about the rare stone''s location inside the ruins."


    Hearing te''s words, Kyran was caught off guard. He did not expect her to discuss the rare stone suddenly. He was notining. At least he did not have to act like an ass by ignoring her when she asked him about his injuries.


    "Yes," Kyran answered after a short pause.


    "Do you know what it looks like?"


    "I do. The Conve gave me an image taken from the brochure given out by the Temr Code during an auction."


    te nodded, "Let me have a lookter."


    "Okay."


    "You said the rare stones can store and absorb energies. What kind of energies are they?" She asked.<sub> </sub>


    Her question was not a random thought. If the rare stones could absorb a specific kind of energy, with her ability, it would be easy for her to identify the energies in the surroundings and confirm if there was a rare stone nearby. Because all stones, regardless of source or type, could attract energies from the surroundings that correspond to their attribute. For example, a red spirit stone would attract magic energy in the surrounding that corresponded to fire or any magic that responds to red energy.


    Kyran shook his head and replied, "Nothing specific. Any energy in the surrounding will do. As long as it does not exceed four energy types."


    te frowned slightly. It was her first time hearing about a stone that could store so many types of energy.


    "In this case, we''ll have to observe the activity of the surrounding energies in the ruins. If we found at least four active energies, then we may be able to pinpoint the location of the stones," te said.


    "Is it that simple? To locate the rare stone by observing the surrounding energy''s activity?" Kyran asked, sounding doubtful.


    His doubt was reasonable. After all, not everyone could fully perceive the energy in the surroundings. At most, a mage could perceive the energy that corresponds to his innate magic using their magic sense.


    While Kyran could feel the energy in the surroundings, he had no idea what type of energy it was, and he only assumed it was the ''void'' because it responds to his magic.


    "And, actually, I won''t be of help in observing the surrounding energies," he added, feeling a little remorseful.


    "Oh?" te raised her brows. "Why is that?"


    Feeling that the potion''s effect mainly had entered his system, Kyran opened his eyes. Without looking at te, he smiled bitterly and answered, "I don''t know how to use magic sense."


    te chuckled.


    "I''m not surprised," she replied.


    Hearing her reply, Kyran turned his body to look at her.


    "You''re not? Why?" He asked.


    "To learn the use of magic sense, one must have a connection in the surrounding energies," te replied. "However, you don''t have that connection."


    Kyran was slightly confused.


    "Is it bad? Is it hard to connect with the surrounding energies?"


    "No, it is not bad. As for your second question, also no, it''s not hard. I can teach you how, but it may take a while."


    Kyran pondered for a few seconds before shaking his head, rejecting the idea.


    "Forget it. Teach me after we collect the stone," Kyran decided and stood up.


    te smiled and stood up as well. She already expected his response and did not insist on it.


    "I''ll have to trouble you in observing the energies in the ruins," Kyran said, looking at te with an apologetic expression.


    Although she was supposed to be his ''godmother'', they only met. He knew nothing about her, yet he was already imposing on her.


    te shook her head and smiled, "No need to be formal. To be honest, I want to help you finish what you have to do with the Conve."


    "Thank you."


    "Shall we?"


    Kyran nodded. He took out the scroll from his coat pocket and handed it to te.


    Before she opened the scroll, te looked at the door to the cottage. She had a thoughtful look on her face, but eventually, she shook her head and said, "No need to tell them. It''s not as if they are not aware where we are going."


    Kyran could not help but agree to her words.

 Chapter 154 Search For The Rare Stone (7)

    Before te used the scroll, she took out three small bottles of different potions from her coat pocket.


    Kyran, who had seen te take out items from her coat pocket, could not help but be amazed at how deep it was. He wondered if her coat was tailored made and the pockets were made into a space storage. Another random thought crossed his mind as he recalled Nn taking out quite a number of things from under his coat, yet he had not seen him carry an item that resembled a space storage.


    Pushing all these random thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran focused his attention on the potions in te''s hands. Though his Alchemy knowledge was small, he was confident in recognizing a potion''s grade and effect. That was how he identified the blood replenishing potion earlier.


    Frankly, when Kyran first mentioned the blood replenishing potion, he was unsure of its existence. He had a rough idea of what the potion''s color might look like based on the ingredients he came up with that would have a blood replenishing effect. So he was surprised she had one.


    It made Kyran suspect that te might have a higher understanding of Alchemy than Chairman Malia. His suspicion deepened while observing the three potions in her hand because he could not recognize its grade nor its effect!


    The liquid in each small bottle had different colors: gold, yellow and orange. Their colors were very unusual to Kyran, who had only seen potions in different color variations of blue, green, red, and pink. There was also the white potion he took to mend his bones.


    Kyran shivered internally, remembering his experience when he drank the white potion.


    ''I wonder what these potions are?'' He thought.


    It did not take long for him to know the answer as te approached him and exined the potions.


    "Take these potions," she said and passed the bottles to Kyran. "The golden one is called Core Tonic. As the name suggested, it is a tonic that will heal and strengthen your magic core."


    The moment te said the words ''magic core'', Kyran''s eyes flickered for a second. He had only heard about the magic core from his predecessor. Howe te also knew about it?


    "To give a brief exnation, a magic core is¡ª."


    "It''s okay. I know what a magic core is," Kyran gently interrupted her.


    te raised her brows in surprise. "Oh? That saves us some time, then. I''ve seen your internal injuries, and it is rted to your magic core. That potion will be able to restore it to its original state slowly. Next, the yellow potion is a Tempering Potion. It will help your body naturally adapt to the changes in the surrounding temperature because the ruins had a very unpredictable atmosphere which affected the temperature. It can also hide your temperature from beasts with heat-sensing ability. Mind you, that ce has a number of reptilian beasts."


    Kyran silently listened to te''s exnation. When she mentioned his internal injuries, his heart started to beat fast. As expected, she discovered his injuries. But before he coulde up with an excuse to avoid being questioned, she only continued to exin the potions.


    Instead of feeling relieved, Kyran felt guilty. te''s feigned ignorance reminded him of his mother.


    Kyran remembered when he got hurt because he secretly followed his older cousins to hunt when he was only seven years old. He got lost while following them, and though he did not encounter any forest beasts, he hurt himself when he fell off a small gorge. When he found his way home, he hid what happened to him from his mother. She did not ask why his clothes were dirty, nor did she show signs of knowing what happened, but he found his wounds were neatly dressed when he woke up the next day. He felt guilty and regretted hiding things from her.


    Kyran clenched his fists at the memory. He hated having a good memory sometimes. Because every time he recalled a memory, all the emotions he felt then would alsoe back to him vividly.


    "Last, the orange potion is an Invisibility Potion." te continued with her exnation.


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie after hearing the word ''invisibility''.


    "Wait, what?" He asked, looking at te in disbelief.


    Seeing Kyran''s reaction, te could not help but give a smug smile.


    "You''ve heard it right," she confirmed with a slight nod. "Well, it is still in the testing phase, and I only have a few bottles left. Mind you, nurturing the ingredients for this potion is very troublesome. Anyway, though it is still in the test phase, I can guarantee its effectiveness. However, it can only be used for ten minutes, so only use it in an emergency. Like when we are surrounded and could only escape through stealth movements. Or when beasts surround us. Together with the Tempering Potion''s effect, if those reptilian beasts surround us, we''ll be able to walk around them without being detected."


    Kyran agreed, remembering how he had trouble getting away from the mutated Basilisk because it was able to find him through his body heat.


    Then he remembered how forest beasts deliberately avoided him and were about to tell te but decided against it. She might not believe him anyway. Once they got there and she noticed something was wrong, then he might tell her.


    "How long will the Tempering Potionst?" Kyran asked.


    "A day," te answered with a smile.


    Kyran was surprised. He had never heard of a consumable potion that couldst that long.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay. The only thing left is your disguise," Kyran said. "I reckoned that the Temr Code will have people patrolling the ruins. We need a good disguise in case something happens and we end up facing them."


    With a knowing smile, te took out a slim bottle from her coat pocket. The liquid inside the bottle was a mixture of violet and pink color.


    "Don''t worry, this potion is called the mour Potion and will help change my looks. Though I have no control what look I''ll end up with."


    Kyran was surprised once again. Seriously, his godmother''s Alchemy was too overpowered. Is there anything she could not make? The mour Potion might not have the same effect as what he asked offhandedly during his meeting with the Conve, but as long as it could change a person''s appearance, it was more than enough.


    "You have a mask to change your face, so I don''t think you need this," te said with a smile.


    Kyran nodded.


    "Yes."


    "Alright. Then shall we?"


    Kyran nodded again and took out his mask.


    te also drank the mour Potion. Slowly, her face turned younger, while her dark violet hair turned brown. Her emerald green eyes changed to ck, and even her body started to shrink.


    As soon as Kyran wore the mask and his face changed into Nar, te channelled her magic energy into the transmission scroll.


    A light-golden array appeared on the floor with te at the center. The array glowed, and soon the two of them disappeared.


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them appeared inside a dark space.


    Kyran closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again to adjust his sight in the dark.


    "This ce is rtively safe. We found this ce to rest," te''s spoke as a soft blue light slowly filled the dark space.


    Kyran looked at her and found a hovering light blue orb in front of her.


    "I see," he replied before looking at his surrounding. He recognized the ce they appeared at was a cer. The ceiling was pretty low, and the space itself was small. He could not imagine how Nn and Gage managed to squeeze inside with their big bodies.


    "I am the one who stayed here. Nn and Gage stayed in the room above," te exined with a chuckle as if reading Kyran''s thoughts.


    ''Above?'' Kyran looked up and found a hatch big enough for one person to get in.


    "Nn insisted I stay here in case those reptilian beasts appeared again," te said and walked toward the hatch.


    "Because human males produce more heat than females, reptilian beasts are normally drawn to them. However, if there are female prey before them, they would normally ''attack'' them first. Humph, as if some reptilian beast can hurt me!" She added in disdain while she checked the situation outside between the gaps on the hatch.


    Kyran raised his brows from her words. Nn did not strike him as someone who cared about anyone, so he found Nn''s concern for te''s well-being amusing. He initially thought the two were at odds with each other, but it seemed the opposite.


    "Alright. All clear," te dered before opening the hatch and walking out of the cer.


    Kyran followed behind.


    Once he got out of the cer, Kyran''s sense of smell was assaulted by a strong metallic scent.


    It was the scent of blood!

 Chapter 155 Search For The Rare Stone (8)

    "Wait!" Kyran hissed and grabbed te''s arm pulling her back into the cer.


    "What?" te eximed in surprise as she looked at Kyran questioningly.


    A thin purple disc appeared on Kyran''s right palm as he reached for the hovering blue orb, destroying it instantly. Simultaneously, he activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and observed the surrounding.


    Everything happened in under three seconds.


    Initially surprised by Kyran''s action, te realized something was wrong with his expression and remained silent.


    Kyran closed his eyes and strained his ears. In just two seconds, he finally heard footsteps at least thirty meters away from their location. Based on the weight of the steps, it was done by humans, and they were a lot. Right now, he could not judge the exact number nor guess what they were doing.


    ''Are they people of the Temr Code?'' Kyran wondered as he opened his eyes. ''Are they here to patrol this area? More importantly, why does this ce smell like blood? Was there a fight?''


    Kyran was tempted to use the Regis Blessing to enhance his senses further. He was only hesitant because his Draconic Magic would erupt, and he did not know if its magic signature reflected that of a Regis. If those people were from the Temr Code, there was a good chance they might have a device that could detect magic signatures and magic aura. He did not want to risk it.


    "How deep into the ruins is this ce?" Kyran asked in a low voice without turning to te.


    "Not that deep. We found this ce the first day we entered. Although we got lost, we did not venture too deep." te replied in a whisper.


    "What did you find?" She added after seeing his guarded stance.


    "People. Lots. Probably dispatched by the Temr Code to patrol this ce," Kyran answered honestly. He did not n to hide what he found because it was better for te to know of the possible danger they would face as they ventured around the ruins.


    te nodded her head in understanding. She looked calm, but she was a little surprised that Kyran noticed their presence when she did not.


    "How far are they?" She asked.


    "At least thirty meters, but," Kyran finally looked at her and added, "I smell a strong stench of blood everywhere."


    te squinted at this revtion. No wonder Kyran pulled her back to the cer.


    Though the smell of blood indicated that there had been a battle and that it probably ended sometime, Kyran''s decision to pull te back was not only because of the danger of being detected.


    While one of his reason was to reess the situation while hiding in the cer, his main reason was to avoid the thick stench that might stick on them.


    Because of his talk with Gage and Nn about people having distinct smells, Kyran was made aware that there were beings with the ability to distinguish others by their scent. Even if the people Kyran found thirty meters from here did not have this ability, it did not mean the reptilian beasts did not.


    The blood around them did not necessarilye from humans but beasts. If that was the case, imagine if a beast smelled a human that had a scent of blood from their kind, the beast would definitely hunt down that human.


    In Kyran''s case, he was not afraid of being hunted. With his unique circumstance, beasts would hesitate to mess with him. But what about te?


    She was not a fragile damsel in distress. With her Alchemy knowledge and possible Magus status, Kyran was sure she could fend for herself. However, he was not worried about herck of strength.


    Back in the Valley of Morte, when Kyran and Cyneah appeared at the mutated Basilisk''s cave, didn''t it attack them even when he was not using the Cloaking Array? Kyran guessed that the reason the mutated Basilisk attack was not that it recognized him but because of Cyneah. Just as te said, female preys were very attractive to reptilian-type beasts.


    If a female prey had the stench of their blood, Kyran could only imagine how many frenzied reptilian beasts in the ruins they would attract.


    "Soon the blood stench will also contaminate this space, we need to get out of here," Kyran said.


    te frowned slightly. They could not leave this ce through the hatch, so their only way out was to ''warp''. But Kyran was still unfamiliar with this ce, so he would not be able to warp them out within the ruins.


    ''His not nning to go back to the cottage is he?'' te thought in a panic. If that was the case, he might even think ofing back here alone. No. If he did, he only knew of the cer, so... Was he nning to use the transmission scroll again?


    Before te could voice out her doubts, Kyran went over to the cer''s walls and started to examine them. After a few seconds, he knelt on the floor and touched it as if looking for something. Then he went down on all fours and pressed his ears on the ground.


    te''s eyes widened as she realized what he nned to do.


    ''If there is no other path, make one,'' she thought with a slight smile.


    Finally, Kyran straightened and looked at te.


    "There is a hollow space at least ten meters below. Let''s go there from here," he said.


    te agreed with a nod. She started to rummage through her coat pocket.


    "Then let me make something for us to dig¡ª."


    Before she could finish her sentence, the dark cer lit with a faint purple light.


    te turned her attention to Kyran and saw a one-meter radius round purple disc on the ground beneath his feet.


    "I''ll go first to scout the area below," he said.


    Without waiting for te''s reply, Kyran operated the purple disc and descended below,pletely hollowing the ground.


    Slowly, Kyran also descended with the disc.


    te''s eyes widened in surprise. However, she managed to remainposed as she watched Kyran''s descent.


    "Be careful," she called after him.


    Kyran only nodded in response.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally reached the hollowed space. He could actually reach it in seconds if he extended the purple disc downward. But if he did that, it would use a lot of magic energy and cause a considerable magic fluctuation in the surroundings. In the end, he decided against it in order not to rm anyone nearby.


    Using the Regis Body Tempering Technique, Kyran observed the surrounding. His eyes had already adjusted to the dark, so he managed to make out that the hollowed space was a big tunnel. However, he did not see any foundations around. There were no underground beasts nearby as well.


    Confirming that the tunnel was safe, Kyran roused his magic, and he warped back to the cer.


    "There is a tunnel below," he said as soon as he appeared behind te.<sub> </sub>


    te''s heart almost jumped up to her throat when she heard Kyran''s voice behind her.


    "Goodness!" She hissed as she whirled around to face him, both hands on her chest.


    "Can''t you appear normally?"


    "Sorry," Kyran apologized with an amused smile.


    He looked at the hole on the ground and replied, "Warping is faster than jumping back here."


    te gave him a nk look. If he jumped back from that hole, it was not normal either!


    "Nevermind," she sighed in resignation. She had to get used to her godson''s magic, or she would end up having heart failure every time he used it in front of her.


    "Did you find anything else below?" te asked, getting back on topic.


    Kyran shook his head.


    "Nothing worth noting."


    "I suppose we can only go from there."


    Kyran nodded his head and added, "Once I sense its clear, we can return to the surface."


    te nodded in agreement. She understood what he meant about ''clear''. If he sensed there were no longer people above ground, they would return.


    "No need to warp," te hastily said after seeing Kyran summoning purple rings around his feet.


    "I''ll take us below," she added and took out a lump of y from her coat pocket.


    Kyran released his magic and looked at the y in te''s hand.


    "Is that what you did? Warp your way to Noser and return to the cottage within an hour?" te asked while splitting the y in her hands and started to mold it into shape.


    "Yes." Kyran replied, keeping his attention on her hands.


    "No wonder," te replied with a sigh. "In just a few days you can already use it. Nn said your family sealed your magic. Typically, a sealed magic means you also can''tmunicate with your magic core, thus, resulting in you unable to understand what your magic. Now that the seal has been lifted, it should have taken you months to establish a connection. But it appears, it does not affect you much."


    Kyran was not used to idle talks. But he was interested in the topic te found for them, so he did not mind.


    "How do you know about magic cores?" He asked.


    "Oh?" te looked at him, distracted, "Did you not learn it from your parents?"


    "No."


    te tilted her head to one side. "Then who told you?"


    "Can''t I know about it from reading books?"


    "Impossible. Information about the magic core is not avable in any books. Technically, unless you heard it from your parents or Nn, you should have no knowledge of it," she replied with a faint smile.


    She resumed what she was doing.


    "Anyway. If you don''t want to tell me, that''s fine. You can tell me when you''re ready. Besides," te looked at Kyran meaningfully before adding, "Apart from your mother, I am the only human who knows a lot about the Void Master."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed after hearing this. So far, only Ste appeared to know something about his predecessor. te might not know about Ste, so he did not say anything. But knowing that his mother also knew a lot about the Void Master piqued Kyran''s interest.


    However, before he could ask te about it, she suddenly threw the y she was molding in the air. Slowly the y grew in size.


    The y had turned into two broomsticks with a saddle on top of their handle floating in midair.


    ''Creation magic?'' Kyran was rendered speechless.


    Sigma was a Transmuter with earth innate magic. It made sense to Kyran how he could create things because of it. However, most of the things he built were weapons. Seeing te make something out of y and apply creation magic to it had broadened Kyran''s understanding. It appears creation magic was not as simple asbining two or more elements.


    "Done. Let''s go," te said and hopped on the broomstick close to her.


    She looked at Kyran and smiled, "What? Is it your first time seeing a ride like this?"


    Kyran could only scratch his ear in response as he went to the other broomstick.


    "Normally, this kind of ride will need to take magic energy from you. But my creation is nothing like that. It will move as long as there are energies in the surroundings, all you have to do ismand it, using magic sense."


    ...


    Kyran gave her a nk look.


    "Ahahaha, don''t worry. My magic sense is enough for us both," te told him.


    Kyran could not help but scowl as he sat on the broom. He hated how most people around him reminded him how he could not use magic sense!


    Kyran did not know they were not doing it on purpose, but because he appeared to be highly capable and overly powerful at times, they forgot he was a newbie who did not know how to use something as basic as the magic sense.


    ''I''ll learn it after getting the rare stone,'' Kyran swore to himself.


    "Hold tight," te said before descending from the hole.

 Chapter 156 Truth Of The Rare Stone (1)

    It has been half an hour since Kyran and te started their journey underground.


    During this time, Kyran did not lower his guard. He kept the Regis technique active as he observed the surrounding.


    te, on the other hand, appeared rxed as she engaged Kyran with small talks.


    Though she intended to get to know her godson, their talk was pretty one-sided, with her doing all the talking and him answering now and then with few words.


    te did not find Kyran boring to talk to, though. She even found his expression easy to read, even with his indifferent face. Knowing both of his parents had an advantage. Because he sometimes disyed simr behaviors as his parents. Of course, she knew he also had a unique behavior that he had yet to show. But, te was not in a hurry to find out. Right now, she only wanted to take this moment to understand her godson slowly.


    ''Hm?'' te felt a change in the surrounding energies up ahead.


    "Kyran," she called as she slowly controlled the broomsticks to a stop.


    Kyran also looked ahead with furrowed brows. He also sensed something different up ahead.


    If te felt the change in the energies, Kyran sensed strange movements. To be precise, it was theck of movements that made him wary. Before, he could still hear small movementsing from insects on the walls. But now, there was nothing. As if whatever was up ahead was a vacuum, devoid of sound.


    "Something''s up ahead. The energies in the surroundings are getting thicker," te warned him.


    Hearing her warning, Kyran suddenly remembered how Cyneah made him stop because she could see ''lights'' up ahead. He frowned slightly at the random thought. It was not the time to be remembering unnecessary things.


    "I also sense something strange," Kyran admitted and jumped down from the broomstick. "I''ll go first and check."


    te shook her head and also hopped down her broomstick.


    "No need for that," she said while taking out another lump of y from her coat pocket. "I have a better idea."


    Kyran did not refute and just watched her in silence. He was interested in her magic and did not mind seeing more of it.


    In a few seconds, te threw the y in her hand into the space ahead. With a small puff, the y grew in size.


    The y turned into three half-a-foot wide eyeballs. She manipted the eyeballs and let them fly deep into the tunnel ahead. Then she turned her attention to the broomsticks and waved her hand. The broomsticks shrunk in size and flew in front of her. She reached for them and put them inside her coat pocket.


    "It''s best to walk. I have to concentrate my energy in controlling those magic eyes," te told Kyran with an apologetic smile.


    Kyran only nodded in consent.


    The two followed the magic eyes while keeping their distance.


    Although Kyran could see as far as thirty meters using the Regis technique, what he could see was limited to the naked eye. te might not have told him what those magic eyes could do or see, but thinking of her words from earlier about energies, he reckoned that those magic eyes could also see the surrounding energies. It might also have the ability to see farther than thirty meters.


    "What did you sense ahead?" te asked.


    "Nothing."


    Realizing that she might interpret his answer differently, Kyran added, "Which is strange."


    "So you see nothing nor hear any sounds?"


    "Yes. It feels like there is a space ahead devoid of anything."


    "Like a void space?"


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked at te''s profile. He had not thought of that. But since she brought it up, he did think that the idea of void space was indeed simr to the situation of whatever was up ahead.


    "I guess so."


    "It is pretty strange indeed. Right now the energies up ahead are converging at a certain area, but it appears to be stuck. As if it is being blocked by something and can''t move forward," te said.


    "Blocked by something? Is it something solid?" Kyran asked.


    te sighed and shook her head. "I am not sure. The magic eyes are still searching what it is."


    Kyran frowned. Theck of sound he heard was at least thirty meters ahead. However, the magic eyes still could not see what it was. It did not make any sense.


    ''Could the dense energy ahead be the reason for theck of movement and sound?''


    As soon as he thought of it, Kyran rejected the idea. ''No. Theck of sound means there is no air for it to travel, but the energies also move in the surrounding air, right?''


    An idea popped into Kyran''s mind as he pondered the situation.


    The energies in the surroundings did not necessarily move in the air but everywhere. Meaning the only affected element ahead was air. If this was the case, the phenomena up ahead might not be void space but had something to do with air magic.


    "Does the reptilian beasts around here use magic?" Kyran asked without looking at her.


    te pondered for a moment before replying, "If you meant like using magic offensively then no. Their ability lies in absorbing the surrounding energies and strengthening their bodies."


    "Are there any other beasts you''ve encountered here?"


    "No," te replied with a shake of her head.


    Sensing that Kyran was up to something, she turned to look at him and asked, "What do you have in mind?"


    Kyran also looked at te and answered, "I think whatever is up ahead affects the air."<sub> </sub>


    "Air?" She repeated and came to a stop.


    Kyran nodded and also stopped before looking up ahead.


    "It can be an object that can remove or drain the surrounding air or a beast that can use air magic."


    "Thus the ''no sound'' phenomena," te said, nodding her head in agreement.


    "It is a possibility," Kyran said.


    "Should we make a detour then? Anything rted to air, whether real air or magic, is tricky to deal with." te stated.


    Kyran knew what she meant. How could they deal with something or an object that could easily remove the air around them? He was confident that he could guard against theck of air using the Regis Blessing. Even his Void Magic might be able to counter it. However, if he used both of his magic, how much magic energy and fluctuation would it cause? It would surely attract the people from the Temr Code above ground. Although they were underground, and the earth could block most of his magic''s fluctuation and pressure, what about themotion that would follow? Especially if what they were dealing with was a beast?


    Kyran could not help but sigh. Looking for the rare stone covertly was really troublesome.


    "Okay. I''ll look for another¡ª."


    RUMBLE!


    A powerful tremor urred, leading to te almost losing her bnce.


    Kyran reacted immediately. He braced himself and reached for te''s arm, pulling her close, before activating his Void Scales.


    The tremor intensified as the tunnel shook uncontrobly. Bits and pieces of earth rubble above their heads had started to fall.


    "My magic eyes!" te suddenly eximed when she felt them getting crushed by rubble.


    RAWRGH!


    An ear-deafening roar filled the tunnel and shook its walls threatening even the ceiling to cave in. Then a seething hot shockwave followed,ing from the direction ahead.


    Kyran and te fell on their knees as the shockwave came at them.


    ''What in the¡ª!'' Kyran eximed in his heart as he felt his Void Scales unable to withstand the shockwave.


    He immediately reinforced his Void Scales and created four moreyers. It was his third time experiencing the Void Scales being overpowered by a mere shockwave!


    te was also shocked. Not because of how fragile Kyran''s Void Scales appeared before the shockwave because she had no idea of its defensive capability, but because of the roar she heard.


    An epic type beast definitely produced that roar. Most likely, a beast, known to be an offspring of a lesser dragon, just like komodos. However, this one was definitelyrger and stronger.


    ''But how can it be? A lesser dragon can only be found in that ce, because of the environment. How can it appear here?'' te thought.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Before the shockwave could fully disperse, a consecutive explosion urred above ground, further aggravating the tunnel.


    "Please brace yourself," Kyran suddenly warned te.


    "What¡ª?"


    Before te could form her question, a purple disc appeared below Kyran''s feet.


    Holding her close to him, Kyran warped them back to the cer.


    As soon as they arrived back at the cer, te fell on her knees and made retching sounds.


    "Sorry," Kyran apologized.


    Given the current situation, he had no choice but to warp back or else they would get crushed to death. Besides, after this incident, he realized that the Temr Code was doing an operation rted to a beast. That beast might also be the cause of the obstruction back at the tunnel. But what the beast was and why the Temr Code was after it was not their business. Even if Kyran was tempted to check it, he had to prioritize getting the rare stone.


    ''With themotion there, this is our chance to move,'' he thought.


    He went over to the wall and touched it. A two-meter radius purple disc hovered above the wall. Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple as the disc extended horizontally, creating a round tunnel.


    Earlier, he chose to go underground because he did not want to attract unnecessary attention. But because of the beast''s appearance, the people he sensed near the cer appeared to have left. Most likely, they left and went to where the beast had appeared.


    te, finally recovering from the feeling of ''warping'' looked at Kyran.


    "Kyran, are you sure it is safe?" She asked.


    She knew why he did not do this earlier, and though she believed the beast''s appearance would keep the Temr Code busy, there was still a small chance that if they detected another magic fluctuation, they would send people to investigate.


    "Yes," Kyran replied, turning to look at her. "There are no¡ª."


    His expression suddenly turned sour as he abruptly stopped and looked up.


    "Damn it!" He eximed and ran to te''s side before creating aplete Void Barrier.


    BOOM!


    Something big and heavy fell from above, instantly crushing the cer.

 Chapter 157 Truth Of The Rare Stone (2)

    The debris from the cer''s ceiling fell on the void barrier and disintegrated at once.


    RAWRGH!


    An ear-deafening roar shook the whole surrounding.


    te covered her ears and hunched down, trying to protect herself from the tremor and shockwave that followed.


    Kyran, on the other hand, could only grit his teeth and use the Regis techniques to their fullest capability as he was forced on his knees while maintaining the void barrier. The shockwave this time was more potent than the one they felt underground because the cause was right above them. When they were underground, he was only using his Void Scales, which had a low concentration of void magic. This time, his barrier''s void concentration was higher and should have nullified any magic or physical attacking from the outside. Still, the shockwave prated inside, meaning the shockwave was not just a residue of magic attack but might also be another form of attack, which was simr to the mutated Basilisk''s.


    "Ergh..." Kyran gritted his teeth as the roar of the beast, and the shockwave that followed went on.


    The ringing in his ears worsened, and if it were not for the Regis Body Tempering Technique and Defensive Technique, his brain might have turned into mush already. Still, he managed to make a mental note to research other forms of attack and include a defensive array against it, not only on his coat but also his mask because his coat could only protect his body and not his head.


    At this time, te raised her head and looked at Kyran. She immediately saw his bloodshot eyes as well as a thin line of blood trickling down from his ears.


    "Kyran!" She eximed in concern.


    Kyran turned to her and saw the look of concern in her eyes. He knew at once how bad he might have looked, and he immediately said, "I''m fine."


    te wanted to say something but instead thought of something else and lowered her hands. The moment she removed her hands on her ears, the beast''s roar and shockwave prated her ears, and she almost fainted on the spot. te immediately urged the surrounding energies and raised her magic defense around her ears before rummaging inside her coat pocket to take out two pairs of what appeared to be earplugs. She wiped off the blood that trickled down from Kyran''s ears to his jawline before plugging one earplug on each of his ears. Then she also plugged the other pair on her.


    The earplug''s effect was instant. It filtered out the beast''s roar and the shockwave. Though it did notpletely remove it, at least now, it was tolerable.


    Kyran was surprised. He guessed these earplugs were not ordinary and might be a magic item.


    As if apprehending Kyran''s thoughts, te gave a faint smile and exined, "These earplugs are made of Sonorum roots and Coconut fibers, both of which have an ability to absorb shock and filter sound. I made these in the past and it is a good thing I kept them with me¡ª."


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    A series of explosions resounded above even before the beast''s roar, and the shockwave subsided.


    Kyran and te looked up just in time to feel the object thatnded above ascended. Both of them knew that the ''object'' was actually the beast and they were shocked to find how big it was after it flew.


    Yes. Fly.


    Because the void barrier destroyed most of the debris that should have fallen on them, there were gaps enough for them to see the beast''s underside.


    te was doubly surprised. Earlier she suspected what the beast might have been, and she was half right. It was half right because it was the same species but half wrong because the size she had imagined was different. This one was bigger than those from Archadia.


    "What an enormous Quilin!" She eximed.


    Though te sounded a little muffled because of the earplugs, Kyran heard her just fine with his enhanced hearing.


    ''Quilin?'' Kyran thought in surprise.


    He had read of Quilins from the Regis Archive when he was younger. They were said to be an offspring of a lesser dragon and a unicorn. Their head and scales looked like a lesser dragon with a horn and a body of a unicorn. As lesser dragons, they possessed the physical semnce of a real dragon. However, they did not have even an ounce of real dragon blood. Thus, their magic was considered mediocre. Of course, thisparison only applied to real dragons, but ifpared to a human mage, a young Quilin could easilypare to a Grand Master Mage. Kyran read that the darker a Quilins'' scales were, the older and powerful they were. Meaning, the older they were, the higher probability of them having Magus level magic were.


    The Quilin''s scales above were abination of dark red, violet, and lc. The dark red part dominated its back, while the violet part on its body and the lc covered the bottom half. Judging from this, the Quilin''s magic might be equivalent to an Exalted.


    While Kyran and te were still looking at the Quilin, multiple magic arrays in light brown, green, and red appeared surrounding it. Then several condensed earth and fire magic energies shot out from the light brown and red magic arrays. The green magic arrays amplified the attacks before they went straight to the Quilin.


    The Quilin''s scales shimmered as an invisible force field appeared around it, protecting itself from the bombardment.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Kyran immediately wandered his eyes near the Quilin and found three people in full-body golden armor, suspended in midair.<sub> </sub>


    At the top of some tall buildings below, mages in gold and red robes holding a staff with green, light-brown, or red stones, aimed at the Quilin and assisted the three.


    One of the three people in gold armor brandished a golden spear and rushed toward the Quilin. Another one lifted its long golden staff, and a green magic array appeared behind the first one, while the third person lifted his arm holding a golden bow.


    ''Temr Code''sbat mages!'' Kyran thought as he saw the three people in midair.


    He read from the Conve''s records that the Temr Code''s elitebat mages wore full-body golden armor. Even their weapons were made of Aurum Stone; a stone said to be the highest form of Gold Stone. Its ability to withstand and support magic energy was known to be second only to Diamonds.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the three Temr Codebat mages.


    Light-gold magic arrays circled the firstbat mage''s spear as it swept up toward the Quilin. A light-gold force appeared at the tip of the spear and flew in the direction of the beast.


    The green magic array on the firstbat mage''s back glowed, and soon the gold force from the spear increased in size.


    The thirdbat mage finally aimed the bow at the beast. Small white magic arrays appeared around thebat mage''s fingers as thin white magic energy condensed from the tip of his finger, holding the string to the bow''s arrow rest. A ball of white magic energy formed in front of the bow''s arrow rest, and after its size had reached a three-inch radius, thebat mage released the string. The white magic energy shot out at speed almost hard for human eyes to follow. As the energy reached halfway to the beast, it split into three, with the two on the sides changing direction¡ªall three aimed at the beast at the front and both sides.


    ''Homing magic energy arrows?'' Kyran wondered.


    While the attack was nothing special, he knew how hard it was to form and control pure magic energies. Not to mention, split it into three and maintain it in different directions.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared again as it raised its front hooves. Semi-transparent magic energy gathered in front of its opened mouth, slowly forming a huge ball. As the Quilin stomped its hooves down in the air, the ball of magic energy shot out and met the first and third Temr Codebat mages'' attacks from the front.


    RAWRGH!


    But the Quilin did not stop. After it released the ball of energy, it roared once more as its dark red horn glowed. Five white orbs appeared around the Quilin. Two of the orbs shot out and intercepted the two iing arrows from the sides, while the other three flew toward the threebat mages.


    The mages on top of the buildings below started to chant. Several colored magic arrays once again appeared around the Quilin.


    At this time, the Quilin and thebat mages'' attack finally collided, and a massive explosion followed, causing another round of shockwaves below.


    "This is not good," te said as they ducked once again to avoid the shockwave.


    "We have to get away here fast. That Quilin, is not something to be taken lightly. It is clearly at an Exalted level and yet the ones dealing with it are only at Master or Grand Master level!"


    Kyran nodded in agreement. She was right. The strength of an Exalted level beast was not simr to an Exalted Mage. Because at the end of the day, a human''s magic reserve was that of a human level, unlike a beast that wasparable to a vast sea.


    "I''ll warp us¡ª."


    "No, no, no, no, no!" te rejected vehemently, shaking her head.


    Kyran''s brow twitched from her reaction. Was the experience of warping really that bad?


    "But¡ª."


    Before he could continue, an enormous magic fluctuation burst above them.


    Kyran and te looked up just in time to see a huge magic array appear above. Its color was deep red, and the magic energy that started to converge had a very ominous feeling.


    te''s eyes widened as she recognized the magic array.


    "This is the Blood Sacrifice Array!"

 Chapter 158 Truth Of The Rare Stone (3)

    The Blood Sacrifice Array was an offense-type ninth-tier array meant to deal a mortal wound on arge-sized beast within its area of effect. Apart from this, it causes status ailments such as; bleeding, curse, and paralysis. However, doing so needed an enormous amount of blood sacrifice, thus, the reason for its name.


    Kyran was no longer the same ignorant kid who had little knowledge of arrays and magic. The moment te said the array''s name, he recalled its information from a book on Array he had read.


    His expression turned thoughtful as he recalled how the ce they appeared at smelled of blood when they arrived. Putting all these bits of information together, he realized that the Temr Code likely created an array here to use against the Quilin. Then the obstruction they encountered at the tunnel most likely had been the beast''sir. The first explosions they heard were the Temr Code attacking the beast''sir to lure it out, which ultimately led to their current situation.


    When they went to the tunnel and passed the thirty-meter mark where Kyran sensed several people, he did not think they were there awaiting the Quilin. While they were traveling underground, Kyran did not stop observing the movements above ground. He did not suggest leaving the tunnel and going back to the surface because he found people moving above. Although their number was not many, and he and te already traveled quite a distance from where there were more people above, the distance was not that far. If something happened and they encountered a group of people, they would have enough time to call for reinforcements.


    But what Kyran did not anticipate was that it appeared there was another group of people, probably at the same number as those near the cer, camped close to where they found an obstruction underground. And those people were tasked to lure out the Quilin.


    Thetter was Kyran''s assumption, and though he did not have proof to back it up, he was sure that the normal mages and the three elite mages of the Temr Code facing the Quilin, was not chasing after the beast but was waiting for it.


    While dust and smoke still covered the whole area, Kyran grabbed te and focused on a spot above ground.


    "I don''t know how to stay midair, but I''m confident I can warp again before we fall to the ground. Please bear with it for a moment," Kyran told te.


    Realizing what Kyran meant, te''s face paled in an instance.


    "I said no¡ª!"


    Kyran did not give her time to finish her sentence before a purple disc swept up from beneath them.


    While Kyran could have warped on top of a building, he dared not do so. Because the building was too close to where the people from the Temr Code were, even with the dust and smoke around, they would definitely get discovered.


    p As soon as they appeared in midair, te felt her stomach churn. Her cheeks bulged as she made a barfing sound.</anda>


    While the two started to fall, Kyran wandered his eyes and found a safe spot on the ground at least a hundred meters away. It was a two-story building, also painted in red. Though it appeared shabby, the roof looked sturdy enough.


    Kyran focused on the roof as a purple disc appeared on his feet. The two of them fell straight into the disc.


    RAWRGH!


    The moment the two warped, the Quilin roared, and a fierce whirlwind burst around it. Like a vacuum, the whirlwind sucked at the dust and smoke and converged in front of the beast.


    "Now!"


    A powerful male voice ordered, and the first mage with the golden spear raised his weapon.


    The Blood Sacrifice Array glowed fiercely as countless blood-red thin streaks of light shot out from the array and attacked the Quilin.


    Kyran and te appeared on top of a building a hundred meters away.


    te fell on her knees, and this time, she no longer made a barfing sound but actually vomited.


    Kyran, on the other hand, had no time to feel bad for her because he felt a huge magic fluctuation and turned his attention back to where the Quilin was.


    He saw the Blood Sacrifice Array activated and bombarded the Quilin with streaks of blood-red lights. The three elite mages from the Temr Code did not leave the array''s range, and instead, the second mage that appeared to have support magic raised his staff and created a magic barrier around them.


    Even under siege, the Quilin did not stop gathering the whirlwind in front. As soon as a five-meter radius whirlwind formed in front of it, it released the whirlwind toward the three elite mages.


    The three were not idle. When the Quilin was gathering the whirlwind, the second mage already cast individual magic barriers for them. The first mage flew to the left, while the third mage gained altitude while aiming his bow at the beast.


    When the Quilin released the whirlwind, the second mage roused his magic, and three pentagon-shaped arrays formed in front of him; one directly in front, while the other two on the side were a little nted.


    The Quilin also moved as soon as it released the whirlwind. Although it was still under the bombardment of the Blood Sacrifice Array and its scales started to crack, it was undeterred and galloped, its horn glowing as more orbs appeared around it.


    The mages below, supporting the three elite mages, started to cast their magic as they focused on attacking these orbs.<sub> </sub>


    The joint attacks destroyed some of the beast''s orbs. In contrast, the ones that evaded the Blood Sacrifice''s bombardment and the supporting mages'' attacks hovered in the air and shot out dark red beams at all of them.


    Kyran, who was watching all these from the top of the building, felt an inexplicable excitement in his heart.


    It was his first time witnessing a battle between a group of mages andbat mages against a huge beast.


    The Quilin was bigger than the mutated Basilisk, with a height of at least 12 meters, width of five meters, and length of 23 meters, including its tail.


    Just from its size, it was enough to cause mass destruction on a district level if left alone.


    Even Kyran would not dare say that he could single-handedly fight it.


    Maybe if he was not keeping a low profile, he could deal with it as he did with the mutated Basilisks. Or he could summon an enormous void sphere as he did back at the forest near the Regis Estate andpletely obliterate it.


    The point was, it was Kyran''s first time seeing other mages andbat mages in action, and he was itching to join in.


    ''Stop. This is not your business,'' Kyran immediately reminded himself.


    With great difficulty, Kyran turned his attention back at the task at hand.


    However, during this time, he saw the first mage, shed his golden spear, and aimed at the glowing horn of the Quilin.


    RAWRGH!


    The beast roared in pain as the first mage''s attack grazed its horn.


    This development was not what caught Kyran''s attention but what happened next.


    A piece fell from the scrape on the Quilin''s horn, and the first mage dived as if to take it.


    Kyran''s eyes grew wide as he watched the falling piece glint from the sun''s re. By instinct, his eyes glowed silver as the Regis Blessing activated. His pupils turned to slits. It contracted as soon as he got a better view of the piece of the horn.


    ''The rare stone!'' Kyran eximed.


    His mind immediately went into overdrive.


    No wonder it was hard to find the exact location of the rare stone because it did not have a fixed location. Because of the Temr Code''s harassment, the Quilin most likely changed its hiding spot countless times. And the reason why the ''stone'' was rare was that it was hard to get it from the Quilin''s forehead!


    ''No wonder it could absorb and store magic energies. It is not really a stone but part of a Quilin''s horn!'' Kyran thought.


    RAWRGH!


    Before the first mage could grab the falling piece, the Quilin''s horn glowed as it roared and summoned an almost visible shockwave, immediately obliterating anything it touched.


    All the mages, including the elite mages, retreated before the shockwave touched them.


    "I need to get back there," Kyran told te without looking at her.


    te, who had yet to recover from the nauseating experience after warping twice, looked at him. Herplexion was pale whether because she was still feeling unwell or from shock after hearing Kyran''s words, or both, only she knew.


    "What are you talking about? That is a Quilin and there are Temr Code mages right there. If you go back there you''ll only get caught!"


    Kyran finally looked at her and said, "The Quilin''s horn is the rare stone. I need to get near and get it."


    "What?" te eximed with a dumbfounded look.

 Chapter 159 Quilin (1)

    "Stay here. I''ll take a piece of its horn, then return here," Kyran said.


    He did not wait for te''s reply and already turned, about to leave. However, te reached for his arm to stop him at once.


    "Wait!" She said with a slight frown. "Are you sure the Quilin''s horn is the rare stone?"


    te''s doubt was not without reason. Kyran had shown her the image of the rare stone while they were in the tunnel. But she did not see its resemnce to a Quilin''s horn. It had been years since shest saw a Quilin. While the one she saw was smallpared to the one here in the ruins, both had horns, so she was pretty familiar with it. Comparing the color and texture of the horn to the rare stone, they were very different. The rare stone had a gradient color from red to violet, with a smooth texture, while the color of the Quilin''s horn was either red, dark red or ck with a rough surface.


    "I am. I''ll exin itter. This is the best time for me to go there while the mages from the Temr Code has retreated," Kyran hastily replied.


    te understood what he meant. Her concern was not because she doubted his judgement but more with the danger of getting close to that Quilin might pose to him.


    Suppressing the uneasiness in her heart, te made up her mind and rummaged inside her coat pocket.


    "Wear this," she said, taking out a ck carved mask from her coat pocket and giving it to Kyran.


    Kyran looked at the carved mask. It was a skillfully carved mask of a panther''s face.


    "I know you''re already in disguise, but you''ll be using that face to move around freely. It is best to hide your facepletely." te exined.


    What she said was true. Kyran nned to create more ''faces'' using his mask so he could have choices depending on the situation. But he also thought of making a full mask to hide his face once he entered the Blue Lotus''s illegal business. At least by doing this, even if something happened that would peel off his full mask, the face-altering mask would still cover his real face. He could not hide his face with a cloth because it was still easy to get used to the shape of his face.


    Kyran did not hesitate and took the mask with a short nod.


    "Alright," he said.


    He paused for a second to look at the mask and could not help but wonder why his godmother had a lot of misceneous items in her coat pocket, like the earplugs and now this mask.


    "Please hide in the meantime. I''lle back as soon as possible," Kyran told te and tied the mask at the back of his head.


    "Don''t worry, I know some stealth spell," te assured him.


    Kyran replied with a nod and turned his attention back to where the Quilin was. He was at least a hundred meters away behind the beast. Initially, he thought of warping near its forehead and slicing off a part of its horn before warping again. However, he knew getting close to it would not be easy. If it was, why did the first mage of the Temr Code keep its distance and only use his spear to release magic attacks? Most likely, the Quilin had a way to fend from closebat attacks.


    Feeling a little disappointed, Kyran heaved a sigh in resignation. The truth, when he read about the Quilins from the Regis Archive, the book only talked about its rtion to real dragons and did not mention anything about its ability. It also clearly stated that Quilins were only found in the south, and Kyran, being a young boy at that time, did not bother to find out more. Back then, he always believed he was an average person that would never have a chance to venture out of the Regis Estate.


    ''This is not the time to think about those things,'' Kyran thought.


    Right now, he had to get near the Quilin and get a piece of its horn without giving away his identity.


    Kyran observed the situation ahead.


    After the Quilin released a shockwave, it managed to disrupt the Blood Sacrifice Array and was now freed by the paralysis effect is induced. At this moment, it galloped in midair as if in delight and turned to its right, preparing to escape.


    An idea popped into Kyran''s mind as he remembered the Quilin''s origin.


    Since Quilins were thought to be part lesser dragons, yet no real dragon blood, would he be able to suppress it if he used Draconic Magic?


    ''Well, I can''t use my magic so let''s use it instead,'' Kyran decided and finally jumped down from the building.


    His decision to only use Draconic Magic was not without reason. Because Draconic Magic, which only enhances his physical abilities, was far more inconspicuous than Void Magic, where he had to summon his purple rings. Besides, even if his eyes changed while using Draconic Magic, it would be hidden behind the mask, so it was not obvious.


    As soon as Kyran left, te also made her way inside the building while casting a stealth spell on herself. She did not insist on going with Kyran because of her magic. Though te had been out of the loop for years, she was actually well known around this part of the empire. She might look different, but she could not disguise her magic. Aside from this, te must never be seen around Kyran''s other identities because she was also known to have a rtion with the Regis n. They might not link Kyran''s other identities to the Regis n, but it might implicate them.


    One could never underestimate a person''s ability to weave stories. Not to mention, this was the Temr Code''s jurisdiction. Who knew whether they were already in cahoots with the Royal Army or the Royal Family.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran kept his attention on the Quilin as it took flight. He activated the Cloaking Array and increased his speed.


    From the Temr Code''s side, the three elite mages regrouped after their hasty retreat and went after the Quilin, while the other mages focused on fixing the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    "Hm?" The first mage suddenly felt something strange nearby.


    His innate magic was Light Magic. Because every living being that possessed magic emits a form of light energy, by attracting magic energies from the surroundings, it was easy for him to feel any presence within a fifty-meter radius.


    However, when he felt the surrounding energies, something felt wrong. He felt something moving. And the reason why he noticed it was not because it emitted light energy but because itcked one. As a matter of fact, the magic energies around it was not attracted to it but appeared to pass through it.


    "Stay alert. I sensed something nearby," the first mage told both hispanions.


    The other two could not help but frown at his words. They knew his ability to sense the presence of other living beings, so his words appeared strange to them. What did he mean by ''something''?


    "Another beast? Or an intruder?" The second mage asked.


    The first mage shook his head and said, "I''m not sure."


    "Tell me where it is. I can scout the area," the third mage also spoke.


    Contrary to how the third mage was dressed, the voice behind the mask was actually a female.


    The first mage shook his head.


    "No need. Focus on the mission. We can not keep the Lady waiting," he replied.


    "Very well," the third mage nodded.


    On the other side, Kyran already felt the three elite magesing after the Quilin. He also sensed their hesitation before ultimately focusing on the beast and guessed they probably discovered him.


    The truth, even though he used the Cloaking Array, he knew he could not entirely hide from them. For one thing, his array could only conceal his aura and killing intent. Besides, those three might have other means to detect his presence.


    Though Kyran knew this, he was not worried. On the contrary, he weed the possibility of them finding him. Because only then could he confirm something.


    Right now, he was using the Regis Blessing, a.k.a. Draconic Magic. If they had a magic item that could detect a person''s magic aura or signature with them, they would surely detect his ''Regis signature''.


    But they chose to ignore him, meaning they had not detected it or they did not have a magic item with them. They might not even understand ''what'' he was. Though he was not sure which of these were the answer, it was enough for him to draw some conclusion.


    ''If they felt my presence and knew what I am, they should''ve mobilized the other mages toe after me because I am an ''intruder''. But thy did not. Instead, they decided to focus on the Quilin. There is a good chance they thought I was another ''beast'' or an entirely different ''being''. No matter what the answer is, it is good enough.'' Kyran thought as he stared at the Quilin''s back.


    He suddenly had an impulse to release the Cloaking Array while the Regis Blessing was active.


    ''Will the Quilin sense the Draconic Magic in me?'' He wondered. ''If it did, what will it do?''


    Kyran could not help but shake his head with a faint smile.


    ''What am I even thinking? If I released the array, won''t I be creating trouble for myself by getting the Temr Code''s attention?''


    But the feeling within him grew stronger.


    With a frown, Kyran felt his Draconic vore and slowly realized his feeling was simr to the feeling he got whenever his Void vore reacted to his predecessor''s memory.


    ''Could it be..?''

 Chapter 160 Quilin (2)

    Kyran abruptly stopped his pursuit and hid behind a wall of a dpidated house less than fifty meters away from the Quilin and the three Temr Code elite mages.


    He felt a little unhappy after realizing that his Draconic core was resonating with his thoughts.


    To be honest, when he learned of having a Draconic core, he had not fully adjusted to the idea of also possessing Draconic Magic. He was even feeling awkward referring to the Regis Blessing as such. However, he could not deny that the reason why his magic went out of control back at the Misty Forest was because of it.


    However, the reason why he was unhappy right now was not that he possessed two powerful magic, but because he did not like having his own thoughts being influenced by another. Knowing one predecessor''s experience affecting his emotions was already bad enough, now there were two.


    Kyran heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes. He needed to calm down first and try to look at this discovery from a different perspective.


    Since his Draconic core resonated when he thought of releasing the Cloaking Array to see how the Quilin would react if it sensed his Draconic Magic, it meant the previous Dragon Lord might have a simr experience.


    Kyran was not sure what kind of experience it was. He would not be surprised if the previous Dragon Lord met a lesser dragon or even a real dragon of a lower grade and thought of testing it with his Draconic Magic. After all, lesser dragons were not extinct, and real dragons still existed a thousand years ago.


    Kyran concentrated and delved into the feeling the Draconic core was sending in his central core. Then hepared it to his experience when it was the Void core resonating with his thoughts.


    From his experience, whenever he thought of trying to use the Void Magic in a way he had not tried before, his Void core sends an affirmation to his central core based on his predecessor''s experience. In turn, this affirmation gave him confidence that he could do it.


    Kyran concentrated and tried to figure out what information the Draconic core had sent to his central core. After a few seconds, he finally opened his eyes after understanding the message.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran could not help but smile bitterly. He was beginning to understand what the previous Dragon Lord was like from the information he got from the Draconic core.


    The Dragon Lord and the Void Master were theplete opposite.


    With a shake of his head, Kyran pushed these thoughts at the back of his mind. He then looked through the gap on the wall. He watched the three mages and the Quilin. The four of them were steadily gaining distance away from him. But he remained still and did not make any move to follow them.


    Even if they gained another hundred meters, he would still be able to see them, especially when he was under the Regis Blessing.


    The body enhancement Kyran received when using the Regis Blessingpared to the Regis Body Tempering Technique was more than double. If he could see, hear, or smell as far as thirty to fifty meters with the Regis tempering technique, under the Regis Blessing, it would improve to a hundred to hundred-fifty meters.


    Normally.


    After Kyran found that his ''Regis Blessing'' was him using Draconic Magic, the improvements multiplied. It was not an exaggeration if he said he could see, hear or smell clearly up to a thousand kilometers ahead. Of course, this was possible if he was not deliberately suppressing it.


    ''I need to time when to release the array,'' Kyran thought and finally made a move.


    He dashed to the right and maintained at least a seventy-meter distance from the other four.


    The Quilin flew toward a valley.


    From a distance, Kyran saw there was an entrance on the left wall of the valley. The entrance was different from the mutated Basilisk''s cave before the Valley Morte. It was more like a shrine built within the wall.


    ''Is that where the Quilin n to escape?'' Kyran wondered with a slight frown.


    If the Quilin entered that shrine, would it not limit its movement? The shrine appeared to be small, and given the strength of the three mages chasing the Quilin, they would definitely prefer to fight in a space where they could limit the Quilin''s movement. This way, it would be easier for them to corner it and aim for its horn.


    An idea crossed Kyran''s mind as his eyes narrowed while looking at the Quilin''s back.


    ''No. This Quilin will not deliberately trap itself. If I am right, it had a lot of experience dealing with the Temr Code. So this shrine may have a trap it prepared to deal with them,'' He wondered.


    If what he thought was true, then the Quilin''s intelligence was good. But if he was wrong, then the Quilin was just aplete moron.


    ''Let''s see what it is up to,'' Kyran decided as he continued to follow them.


    When they were only about sixty meters away from the shrine, the mage carrying a bow suddenlyunched an attack. The mage released five magic energy arrows and flew in different directions aiming at the Quilin.


    Without looking at the iing attack, the Quilin''s horn glowed as five white magic orbs appeared around it. It circled the Quilin and shot out dark red beams at the iing arrows.


    A couple of the arrows were destroyed while the remaining three moved around, avoiding the red beams.


    The mage with the long staff abruptly stopped as he raised his weapon. Small green magic arrays appeared on top of the Quilin''s magic orbs. Slowly, the orbs stopped in midair as if being restrained by the magic arrays.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He was familiar with the small green magic arrays because it was the same arrays those guys from the Royal Army had cast when they tried to restrain his movements.


    One of the arrows hit the Quilin''s back. However, it did not show any signs of getting hurt and just continued to fly toward the shrine''s entrance.


    Thest two arrows kept on chasing the Quilin. Soon the green magic arrays restraining its orbs broke. Immediately, the orbs flew toward the two arrows shooting red beams at them once again.<sub> </sub>


    It was during this moment that the mage with the golden spear made a move.


    He raised his left hand aiming at the Quilin''s back, and a one-meter radius light golden magic array appeared in front of his opened palm. Another two light golden magic arrays appeared before the first array, and both arrays were smaller than the one after it.


    Then a light gold magic energy condensed in the middle of the third array.


    Kyran felt the magic pressure around the mage with the spear increase as the light gold magic energy thickened.


    As if sensing an iing danger, the Quilin stopped and turned to face the three.


    RAWRGH!


    [Annoying!]


    Kyran''s eyes widened.


    ''What was that?'' He wondered.


    The Quilin roared while its horn glowed, releasing another of its shockwave.


    The mage, with the long staff, immediately cast individual magic barriers to the three of them.


    At this time, the mage with the spear hadpleted gathering the magic energy on his magic array and released it toward the Quilin.


    The Quilin''s scales glowed as a semi-transparent barrier formed around it.


    However, when the light gold magic energy was ten meters away from the Quilin, the mage with the staff cast three green magic arrays around the magic energy. Immediately, the magic energy grew in size.


    RAWRGH!


    [Not good!]


    The Quilin roared, and another semi-transparent barrier appeared around it.


    Just then, the mage with the bow also made a move.


    Two huge white magic arrays appeared on both sides of the Quilin.


    When the light gold magic energy collided with the Quilin''s barrier, several white arrows shot out from the huge white magic arrays and bombarded the Quilin.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    A series of explosions followed, and a mixture of dust and smoke slowly filled the valley.


    The mages from the Temr Code did not stop.


    They summoned more magic arrays and aimed concentrated magic energies at the Quilin.


    RAWRGH!


    Kyran''s brow creased as he felt the Quilin''s pain. What was more, his Draconic core was sending new information into his central core because of his fluctuating emotion.


    Kyran clenched his fist. He had thought his predecessor, the Void Master, was the annoying one. But it appeared that the Dragon Lord was the more annoying one!


    ''Damn it, just because it was an offspring of a lesser dragon you''re reacting? A lesser dragon is not even considered a real dragon!'' Kyran thought gritting his teeth.


    However, the more he heard the Quilin''s pain. The more his emotions became unstable.


    If this went on, his Draconic core would go out of control once again.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran finally moved.


    Utilizing his Regis Blessing, he shortened the distance between them.

 Chapter 161 Quilin (3)

    The first round of attacks caused by the three mages from the Temr Code finally stopped. Behind the thick smoke, the Quilin had not made any sound nor movements.


    After three seconds, when there was still no activity behind the smoke, the mage with the spear finally moved.


    "Cover for me," he told hisrades without looking at them.


    With great caution, he approached the smoke-filled area where the Quilin was. He brandished his golden spear to the side and roused his magic, preparing an attack if the beast would make a sneak attack.


    However, after two meters, he felt a tinge of coldness at his nape. This coldness was not because he suddenly felt nervous, but because he felt an iing danger!


    "Iing!" The mage with the spear eximed as he turned around and looked at their back.


    True to his instinct, fifty meters from him, he sensed a fast approaching unknown object.


    It was unknown because he could not sense what it was.


    The other two mages also turned and readied their weapons.


    However.


    A ck shadow appeared before the mage with the bow.


    Before she could react, something heavy mmed on her stomach.


    "Guh!" She spat out a mouthful of blood and got thrown back.


    "Dess!" The other two mages shouted in shock.


    The two of them did not see what hit her because it disappeared as soon as it made contact. More importantly, though she was hit by something moving at an unbelievable speed, one blow should not be able to destroy her physical and magic defenses. After all, she was wearing one of the top armor of the Temr Code.


    Dess, the mage with the bow, mmed at the valley''s steep wall.


    The mage with the long staff raised his arms and prepared to cast additional defenses for him and the mage with the spear.


    It was the same with the mage with the spear. His eyes shed as he released his magic pressure. Using his unique ability, he immediately scanned the surrounding for the unknown object''s location.


    Though they were worried about Dess, they had to deal with the sudden ambush first. Besides, she was also an elite mage of the Temr Code. Even if she suffered from this blow, it would not discourage her.


    A green magic array slowly formed in front of him and the mage with the spear.


    CRACK! BAM!


    Not knowing what hit him, the mage with the long staff could only stare in disbelieve as his weapon broke in half. The force that broke his staff also prated all his defenses as his armor was smashed into pieces.


    "Guh!"


    Just like Dess, as soon as his armor was destroyed, he spat out a mouthful of blood and was thrown to the other side of the valley''s steep wall.


    "Quinne¡ª!"


    He stopped short when a shadow suddenly blocked the sun from above. By reflex, he immediately moved, whirled his spear horizontally, and held it on both his hands. Then he lifted it just in time to block the iing attack.


    CRACK!


    "Wha¡ª! Ugh!"


    The spear''s body broke, and right after, something heavy and solid fell on top of his head, forcing him down on the ground.


    Of course, this unknown object that attacked the three of them was none other than Kyran.


    Kyran watched as the mage with the now-broken golden spear crashed with a loud thud on the ground. His expression was full of disappointment.


    ''What the... howe they are so weak?'' Kyran thought with a slight frown as he fell to the ground.


    He was actually prepared to go all out when he decided to attack them. For this reason, he was prepared to unleash 100% of the Regis Blessing''s capability. But first, he decided to use 30% of his strength so that he would not rm the Quilin.


    When Kyran considered who to take down first, he initially wanted to go after the mage with the long staff because he appeared to be a powerful support for the other two. But since the mage with the bow was the nearest, and he did not like his¡ª err herrge area arrow attack, he went after her first. But he did not expect her to go down in one hit.


    After Kyran took her down, he went after the support guy. He even felt pressured because he was afraid the spear guy would be able to match his speed and intercept him. But to his surprise, not only did he seed in getting close to the support guy, but he also took him down and destroyed his staff in one blow. He did not even aim for his body, unlike the bow mage.


    Finally, when Kyran went after the spear mage, he decided to attack his blind spot instead of a frontal attack. Because he was wary of the spear guy''s ability to sense him, his decision to attack from above was correct because the spear guy was able to react even when he could not see him.


    But then.


    The spear guy was also taken down in one hit.<sub> </sub>


    They were part of the Temr Code''s Elite Mages. Why did it feel like he was dealing with cannon fodders? Where was their powerful disy when they were dealing with the Quilin?


    Kyran felt cheated!


    WEEEENG!


    Invisible vibrations suddenly erupted from behind the cloud of smoke, clearing it and revealing the Quilin.


    The Quilin''s scales glowed fiercely and radiated a red tint aura.


    Kyran''s eyes shed as he turned and activated the Regis Defensive Technique while utilizing the Regis Blessing.


    Silver-colored scales circled Kyran just in time for the first wave of vibrations assault. He had a feeling that this vibration was an upgraded version of the Quilin''s shockwave. So he did no longer hesitated and used 100% of the Regis Blessing''s capability.


    To Kyran''s surprise, the silver scales did not falter from the first impact of the vibration. It waspletely different from when he used the Void Scales.


    ''This...''


    Before he could process what had happened, a series of vibrations swept in his direction. However, just like the first one, the silver scales remained intact. He did not even move from his position.


    RAWRGH!


    [Die, you annoying humans!]


    Kyran looked at the Quilin. This time, he was sure he heard it right. For some reason, he could understand the Quilin.


    The Quilin''s horn glowed as a whirlpool of dark red energy converged at the tip. It grew at an rming rate, and once the size reached a two-meter radius, the Quilin galloped and released the ball of energy toward Kyran''s direction.


    Kyran calmly looked at the iing ball of energy. He was not even in a hurry to evade. Instead, he looked at the small crater a few feet in front of him.


    This crater was where the spear mage got buried after his attack. There was blood on the crater''s opening, and Kyran knew the spear mage had been shaken to death by the Quilin''s vibration.


    Then he looked at the steep walls where the other two mages he attacked got buried. Just like the crater, the crack on the wall was now dripping with blood.


    The three elite mages of the Temr Code met an untimely death.


    But Kyran did not check on them because he was worried about them. He only wanted to confirm if they died from the Quilin''s attack.


    Now that he was sure they did not survive from it, it meant he no longer had to hide his magic.


    With a distance of four meters before the ball of energy reached Kyran, he finally released the cloaking array and the Regis Defensive Technique. His eyes glowed silver as he stomped his right foot on the ground and twisted his body to the left.


    Silver energy formed around his left fist as he drew his arm.


    Finally, when the Quilin''s ball of energy arrived in front of Kyran, he unleashed his fist and hit the ball with his bare hand.


    A small hole appeared on the ball of energy as Kyran''s fit hit its surface. Then the silver energy that covered his fist erupted and destroyed the ball of energy.


    A massive explosion followed, shaking the whole valley. Clouds of dust and smoke filled the surrounding.


    RAWRGH!


    [Impossible!]


    Fear filled the Quilin. Before it could react to what had happened, it sensed an ominous presence right in front.


    BAM!


    A powerful force erupted in front of the Quilin, hitting it square on the face.


    It was too sudden that the Quilin failed to put up its defenses.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared as it got thrown back. However, true to its nature of being an epic-type beast, it was able to regain its bnce and immediately summoned its defenses.


    But it was a secondte.


    The ominous presence appeared just below its chin, and a powerful force erupted, hitting it crook of its chin and neck.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared in pain as its head was drawn back by the force''s impact.

 Chapter 162 Stop Resisting

    Kyran''s decision to confront the Quilin using brute force was not part of his n. When he got forced to deal with the three mages from the Temr Code, he only wanted to help the Quilin. After helping it, he nned tomunicate and ask for a piece of its horn aspensation. As to how he would aplish that, he had no idea. Of course, he was aware the Quilin would not agree to give a piece of its horn immediately, so he nned to release the Cloaking Array by then, hoping that it would recognize his draconic aura and willingly listen to him.


    However, Kyran did not expect the Quilin to lose its head after suffering from the attack of the three mages. It did not even see his action of helping it deal with the three mages. If it did, it would not have attacked him indiscriminately.


    The situation suddenly became troublesome. After all, dealing with an epic-type beast on a rampage was not something a single person could handle.


    Forced to decide on his next course of action in such limited time, Kyran chose to confront the Quilin while utilizing his Regis Blessing. He also released the Cloakin Array, thinking it might help the Quilin regain its rationality after recognizing his aura.


    Unfortunately, the Quilin''s anger did not diminish. Although it showed fear towards Kyran, it was only because his presence was simply scary and not because it recognized his draconic aura.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared as it stopped its head from getting thrown backpletely. It red at Kyran and opened its mouth, wanting to snap at him.


    Seeing the Quilin pulled back its head while opening its mouth, Kyran clenched both his fists as silver energies gathered on his forearms.


    The moment the Quilin''s mouth drew close to him, Kyran punched both his fists forward, releasing the energies that had gathered on his forearms while aiming at the Quilin''s mouth.


    The silver energies shot straight at the Quilin''s gaping mouth, and it hastily drew back to avoid it.


    However, the silver energies already entered its mouth and exploded.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared in pain as it staggered backward.


    Web-like cracks appeared on the ground where Kyrannded after attacking the Quilin consecutively. While he still wanted to continue suppressing it, unfortunately, he could not stay in midair. He could not fly after all.


    RAWRGH!


    After regaining its bnce, the Quilin growled once more at Kyran. Its horn glowed, and white magic orbs appeared one after another around it. The orbs flew in different directions and shot out dark red beams at Kyran.


    Kyran sighed. He had seen the Quilin use these orbs a few times and already had an idea of its attack power. If hepared the attack power of the ball of energy it released earlier to a snake''s bite, these white magic orbs'' would be akin to insect bites; itchy and annoying, but did not pose a threat.


    With an indifferent expression, Kyran did not evade the iing dark red beams.


    As soon as the beams entered a one-meter radius around him, they collided with his silver scales. Each time a beam hit, the silver scales glinted.


    One after another, small explosions erupted around Kyran, where the beams hit his silver scales and slowly filled the surrounding with a cloud of smoke.


    It was at this moment that the Quilin seized the opportunity to escape. It turned and galloped towards the entrance of the shrine.


    Inside the cloud of smoke, Kyran could not help but smile bitterly while watching the Quilin''s retreat. Was it not supposed to have lost its rationality? Howe it was decisive in retreating rather than confronting him? Or did it finallye to its senses after he beat it up?


    "Don''t go. We''re not done here," Kyran said.


    Although he spoke in a low voice, it carried enough strength to reach the Quilin''s ears. After all, a beast''s hearing was far better than a human''s.


    Without waiting for the Quilin to react, Kyran ignored the attacking white magic orbs and directly shot out from the cloud of smoke. He dashed toward the Quilin at speed impossible for the naked eye to follow.


    Kyran abruptly stopped twenty meters away from the retreating Quilin. He stomped on the ground, which cracked from the sudden force, and jumped. Silver energy gathered from his left feet up to his calf as he somersaulted in midair and aimed a dropkick on the Quilin''s back head.


    The Quilin immediately sensed the ominous presence closing in. Instead of defending against a sneak attack, it doubled its speed and ran.


    BAM!


    Unfortunately, no matter how much the Quilin tried to speed up, it was not enough to escape from Kyran, who was currently using 100% of the Regis Blessing.


    RAWRGH!


    The Quilin roared in pain as Kyran''s dropkick squarely hit the back of its head. It stumbled forward from the force, mming headfirst on the ground.


    Kyrannded on the ground with a soft thud.


    The white magic orbs persistently followed him and shot out dark red beams from behind.


    Ignoring these beams, Kyran jumped twice,nding on the Quilin''s back then on its head.


    When the Quilin sensed the ominous presencending on its back and approached its head, it prepared to snarl. However, before it could move its head, the ominous presence simply hit the top of its head, which almost knocked it unconscious.


    ? "Stop resisting," Kyran scowled at the Quilin as hended on its snout.


    Then he raised his left hand while looking at the approaching orbs. Purple rings appeared above his palm as streaks of purple beam shot out from the center and flew at the orbs. The purple beams effortlessly hit the orbs and disintegrated.


    These beams were Kyran''s newly formed attack. Since he saw the mages from the Temr Code and the Quilin shooting out beams of energies, he thought of trying it out with his Void magic. He did not try using the silver energy he could summon using Draconic magic because he felt these silver energies were too raw and hard to mold. Anyway, he did not have to worry about anyone sensing his magic signature while using void magic since there was only him and the Quilin around.


    The Quilin''s dark red reptilian eyes contracted when it saw the ominous presence shoot out the purple beams. It suddenly whimpered as it shivered in fear.


    [The power of nothingness!]


    ''Hm?'' Kyran frowned slightly after hearing the Quilin speak again.<sub> </sub>


    He looked at the Quilin and asked, "You know about my magic?"


    The Quilin''s face distorted in surprise as it made a funny snort which Kyran guessed was equivalent to a human''s gasp.


    [Y-You can understand me?]


    The Quilin asked, its eyes widening in disbelief.


    Kyran gave it a dull expression.


    "If I didn''t I wouldn''t have help you," he answered with a deadpan voice.


    "Anyway. Since you''re back to your senses, let''s talk."


    The Quilin''s expression suddenly turned grim as it red at him.


    [Why should I? When you humans never¡ªow!]


    Kyran smacked the Quilin''s head before it could finish its sentence.


    "Did you not hear what I just said? I helped you. Don''t lump me with those people who were chasing you back there," he said in disdain.


    The Quilin reached for its aching forehead with its front hooves while still ring at him.


    [Y-You dare to¡ª!]


    The Quilin abruptly stopped itsint when Kyran raised his fist to hit its head.


    Kyran sighed in his heart.


    He was forced to intervene and help the Quilin because he wondered how the Quilin would react when he released the Cloaking Array and let it sense his Draconic Magic. However, he released the array some time ago, yet the Quilin did not react to his aura. Instead, it responded when he used his Void Magic.


    He felt wrong for some reason.


    Kyran pushed the thought at the back of his mind with a sigh and sat crossed-legged on the Quilin''s snout.


    His action immediately made the Quilin growled in contempt, but it did not make any attempt to get him off.


    "You saw my magic just now so you should know I can kill you easily," Kyran started.


    He stared straight at the Quilin''s eyes as he spoke.


    The Quilin did not reply and only continued to growl softly.


    "So let''s be civil here and talk. First of all, aren''t you curious why I can understand you?"


    Although the Quilin continued to growl, after Kyran asked his question, the expression on its eyes changed.


    "Can''t you feel anything? Like my aura for example?"


    The Quilin stopped growling and fell silent as if contemting his words.


    Kyran did not push rush. He waited patiently for the Quilin to process the meaning behind his words.


    After a few seconds, the Quilin''s expression changed. Its eyes grew wide in disbelief.


    [Impossible! Howe you¡ªno! It is impossible! You can''t be¡ªor... could it be...?]


    Kyran could not help raising an eyebrow at the Quilin''s words. But he did notment on it and instead said, "Now are you willing to talk?"


    The Quilin fell silent. It started at him for another minute before finally closing its eyes and heaving a sigh.


    [You are the Dragon Lord. I am a mere servant to the Imperial Dragons. If you want to talk, who am I to refuse?]


    Kyran raised his brows at the Quilin''s words. It seemed although the Dragon Lord was human, they regarded him highly.


    But he did not expect that this Quilin was a servant of the Imperial Dragons who was at the top among the dragon species. Based on the Quilin''s color, it was still young, and now that there were no longer dragons, how did it end up as a servant?


    "Unfortunately, I am not the Dragon Lord." Kyran admitted. Though it would be easier to deal with the Quilin if he agreed to be the Dragon Lord, he did not want to lie. Besides, being the Void Master''s sessor was more than enough for him. He did not want to be the Dragon Lord''s sessor as well.


    [Impossible. You are the Dragon Lord. No matter how much you deny it, you cannot conceal the power the Dragon King had bestowed upon you.]


    ''Dragon King? Does it mean the dragon that my ancestor bonded with was the king of the dragons?'' Kyran wondered in amazement.


    "Let''s not talk about that," he immediately dismissed his growing curiosity. He had to take care of his task first.


    "I want a piece of your horn, will you give it to me?"

 Chapter 163 Do I Look Like I Need More Strength?

    [What?]


    The Quilin''s eyes immediately narrowed, and its aura rose menacingly.


    [Even if you are the Dragon Lord, you think you can just¡ª.]


    "I am asking nicely," Kyran interrupted while also releasing his aura. "If you don''t want to give it to me then tell me your terms."


    He crossed his arms across his chest, not one bit intimidated by the Quilin''s rising aura.


    [What terms? Did you think I will just¡ª."]


    "Either you tell me your terms or I take it by force," Kyran interrupted once more. "You know I can, so choose wisely."


    As he said, Kyran could easily suppress the Quilin and take its horn by force. However, he did not because the Quilin still had a use. Besides, he was also interested in how it spoke about being a servant to the Imperial Dragons because it sounded as if dragons still existed.


    The Quilin growled, but it did not make any movement. It really was easy for the Dragon Lord to take its horn by force.


    p ''But he did not,'' the Quilin thought in confusion.</anda>


    This human with a weird ck mask denied being the Dragon Lord even though his aura was a dead giveaway. The Quilin found him different from the Dragon Lord it knew from the way he carried himself. For one thing, he was not rowdy. He even appeared calm.


    The only thing he had inmon with the Dragon Lord was his ominous presence.


    ''He also possessed the power of nothingness,'' the Quilin thought, recalling how he destroyed the white magic orbs. ''Just who is this human?''


    Kyran silently observed the Quilin. He could sense its hesitation, and he could not help but wonder what the Quilin''s story was.


    When the Quilin refused to speak after a couple of minutes, Kyran finally said, "Look. Those guys back there, still have people nearby. They are upied earlier but who know until when. Besides, if they did not hear from the three guys you killed they will definitelye here to investigate."


    The Quilin scowled at once.


    [It is you who killed them.]


    Kyran raised his brows in amusement.


    "You''re going to pin the me on me? It was obvious you tten them with your powerful outburst," he pointed.


    Kyran had a reason why he said these words. He wanted to remind the Quilin that though it unleashed such a powerful attack that easily killed off the three mages it initially had trouble with, Kyran survived. It was a testament to his strength.


    The Quilin snorted at his words.


    [They are already dead. I am aiming at you when I release my pressure.]


    Kyran could not help but chuckle at the Quilin''s admittance. He also found its denial of killing the three mages a little cute.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran suddenly frowned as he recalled something his grandfather once told him when he was still a child:


    "All beasts and dragons that served under the Imperial Dragons were not allowed to kill humans. This agreement was put into ce when our great ancestor was recognized by the Dragons."


    ''Could this Quilin be bound to that agreement?'' Kyran wondered.


    It only urred to him that the Quilin''s outburst could easily crush the people from the Temr Code. However, although it fought back, it did not deal with any fatal attack.


    As for him, the Cloaking Array was still concealing his aura, so the Quilin might not have realized that he was a human.


    "Don''t change the subject," Kyran said, getting their conversation back on track. "I only need a piece of your horn. Don''t be stingy."


    Besides, he knew that the Quilin''s horn was simr to a human''s magic core. If he took it, then it would cripple the Quilin.


    The Quilin snorted once more, and its aura slowly returned to normal.


    [And why should I give it? Besides, even a piece of my horn can produce unimaginable strength. You, humans, are already above most species in this ne, and yet you still crave more power!]


    "I don''t have time to argue with you about human principle. I told you, I can take it by force. I''m only giving you a chance to choose whether you want to offend me or not," Kyran said, sounding a little impatient.


    [And if I chose to offend you¡ª.]


    Before the Quilin could finish what it wanted to say, Kyran already uncrossed his arms and pointed his finger at its horn. Small purple rings started to converge at the tip of his finger.


    The Quilin''s scalp had gone numb in fear, and it immediately shouted.


    [Alright! Okay! I agree! You only need a piece, right?]


    Kyran sighed and lowered his hand.


    "You should have agreed in the first ce. Why wait to be threatened?" Heined and stood up.


    [As I said, you humans are greedy for power. Though my strength was nothingpared to my master''s, it is still powerful. A piece of my horn can easily grant you more strengthparable to apany of mages!]


    Kyran snorted and disdainfully said, "Do I look like I need more strength?"


    The Quilin fell silent.


    He had a point. He already possessed the same aura and strength as the Dragon Lord, not to mention having the power of nothingness. He did notck strength at all; as a matter of fact, he might even have the same strength as the Dragon King.


    [Humph!]


    The Quilin harumphed in disdain.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran sneered at the Quilin''s reply and jumped from its snout to the ground.


    With a short shake of its head, a piece of the Quilin''s horn fell and flew toward Kyran.


    [What''s your name, human?]


    Kyran took the piece of horn and put it in his space storage.


    "You should introduce yourself first, before you ask for other''s name," he replied with a shrug.


    The Quilin scoffed but replied.


    [I am Zephyr.]


    As soon as Zephyr said its name, its whole body glowed and slowly decreased in size.


    After a few seconds, the light that covered Zephyr eased and revealed... a human boy around ten years old.


    Apart from its reptilian dark red eyes, Zephyr did look like a real human with distinctive red and violet long hair. He was wearing a dark red with violet and lc ent dragon scale patterned leather coat.


    Kyran gaped at Zephyr''s human form. He had read that dragons could imitate a human''s physical appearance. But he did not expect a Quilin, which was not even a full lesser dragon, since it was a part unicorn, to have a human form. More importantly, when Zephyr had spoken earlier, he sounded like a middle-aged man. Howe his human form was a boy?


    "So? What''s your name?"


    Kyran snapped out of his thoughts and slightly shook his head.


    "Nar," he replied.


    Zephyr frowned.


    "That''s a pseudonym isn''t it?"


    "Yes."


    Zephyr scowled at Kyran''s admittance.


    "I said my real name and yet you¡ª."


    "What? Is it a big deal if I don''t tell you my real name?"


    "You¡ª."


    "Drop it. Tell me your terms so I can leave," Kyran interrupted and diverted the conversation back on track.


    Zephyr pursed his lips. He did not expect Kyran to ask for his terms still now that he gave him what he wanted.


    Seeing Zephyr''s hesitation, Kyran heaved a sigh and said, "I said it before. Don''t lump me with those people who were after you. Since you gave me a piece of your horn, and I asked for your terms, I will do it."


    "You are one peculiar human."


    Kyran smiled, amused at how Zephyr''s appearance and boyish voice contradicted his adult speaking.


    Unfortunately, Zephyr did not see his expression because of his mask.


    After a short pause, Zephyr sighed and shook his head.


    "Forget it. Even if I have one, it is useless to tell you. You got what you wanted. Take it aspensation for killing those three for me. Leave this ce and nevere back," Zephyr said and turned to leave.


    Kyran did not reply and only watched Zephyr make his way to the shrine. He could not help but sense how lonely the Quilin''s back looked as he walked away.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran looked at the entrance of the shrine. Earlier, he thought the Quilin wanted to go there because a trap awaited the three mages. From his attitude when he tried to escape from him, Kyran realized that the shrine must be the Quilin''sst haven. The three mages did not want the Quilin to enter the shrine because they probably could not enter it.


    ''But why did he leave the shrine anyway? To hunt for food? There''s also the tunnel underground,'' Kyran thought with a slight frown.


    Now that he felt more rxed after securing the ''rare stone'', Kyran was getting more curious about Zephy''s story. Apart from this, he really believed he could be useful to him.


    Who wouldn''t want a powerful beast as an ally?


    But taming Zephyr was out of the question.


    Kyran was also afraid of over-exerting his central core if he tried to use the Sigil when his magic cores had not healed from the damage it received after dealing with the mutated Basilisks.


    ''I can only convince him by helping solve his problem,'' Kyran thought, recalling that Zephyr might have suffered a lot from the Temr Code''s constant pursuit to get a piece of his horn.


    ''Why does the Temr Code want his horn anyway?''


    Suddenly, Kyran sensed several approaching auras.


    Remembering the smashed bodies of the three elite mages, Kyran could only imagine how the Temr Code would retaliate.


    Kyran looked at Zephyr, who was almost in front of the shrine. Then he looked up at the sky. It was almost four in the afternoon based on the sun''s position.


    His deadline in delivering the rare stone was tomorrow. He had almost a day to spare.


    ''Let''s go get a Quilin as an ally,'' Kyran decided after a few seconds with a faint smile.

 Chapter 164 Dont Test My Patience

    Zephyr stopped in his tracks when he sensed the masked man following him. He turned to look at the man with a slight frown and crossly asked, "What else do you want?"


    Kyran chuckled at the apparent irritation in Zephyr''s voice and shamelessly replied, "I have decided to take you as my pet, what do you think?"


    Hearing Kyran''s bold deration, Zephyr growled, his reptilian dark red eyes shing menacingly.


    "Don''t test my patience, human. Scram!"


    "Are you sure you want to talk to me in that way?" Kyran asked while stopping three meters in front of Zephyr.


    He stood with his feet firm on the ground with hands on his hips. His stance alone exudes dominance that made Zephyr scowl in annoyance.


    "Humph!" Zephyr scoffed while imitating Kyran''s stance. "I''ll talk to you in any way I like. Though I admit I fear your strength, in the end, you are still a human."


    "Hm," Kyran replied with a nod.


    Right from the start, Kyran had no intention of voluntarily helping Zephyr deal with his situation. After all, his understanding of the Quilin''s situation was only superficial. For this reason, Kyran decided to engage the Quilin with idle chat to dig for information ande up with a solid n to convince him to ask for his help.


    Kyran wanted the Quilin to owe him and agree to follow him. Kyran did not want the Quilin to have a reason to say that he never asked for his help and that it was his sole decision to meddle in his affairs.


    Kyran also took his time observing Zephyr properly. He actually realized that Zephyr did not fear him as a person. It was not obvious earlier because he showed fear when using Void Magic, but now, he finally understood why Zephyr said he feared his ''strength''. Zephyr really did fear what he could do and not what his magic represented.


    There was also the matter of how Zephyr insisted that Kyran was the Dragon Lord but never really pursued the case. His attitude puzzled Kyran. It was very different from those he met and thought he was the Void Master.


    ''Is it because the Dragon Lord''s existence was not that rmingpared to the Void Master?'' Kyran wondered.


    It should not be the case. After all, the existence of the Dragon Lord wasparable to the Void Master, in which both possessed ancient magic.


    Since Kyran could note up with an answer to his doubts, he decided to take note of it for now.


    After a short pause, Kyran finally spoke, "But as a human, even if I don''t have the strength, you''re not really allowed to do anything to me."


    He brushed off Zephyr''s pompous attitude and added, "I know you are bound by an agreement not to kill humans."


    Zephyr''s brow twitched. He was not expecting this human to jab him with his greatest weakness. He also noticed how Kyran used the word ''allowed''. Now that he thought of it, if this guy had the aura of the Dragon Lord, it meant he was part of the Dragon Lord''s n. He definitely knew about the agreement his masters had with the humans.


    "The most you can do is hurt me. But let''s be honest here, with my strength, you won''t even have a chance to put a scratch on me." Kyran continued to speak unabashedly.


    Zephyr''s eyes narrowed. He hated how this human had a point and knew his weakness.


    "Have you heard of the saying, ''Pride is the parent of destruction?''," he subtly refuted Kyran''s arrogance.


    Kyran shrugged at Zephyr''s words and replied, "There is also a saying, ''Pride is the mask of one''s own faults''. So I don''t think pride has nothing to do with what I said, because I do have the strength to back my words, even though I am a human."


    Kyran put emphasis on the fact that he was a human and hoped Zephyr could take a hint soon. Because he could sense the people from the Temr Code getting closer.


    To be honest, Kyran wanted to say:


    I am a human and not bound with an agreement ''not to kill humans''. I also possess the strength to deal with people who is after you, so if you be my pet, I''ll surely aid you.


    Unfortunately, he could not say it outright because he was sure it would have the opposite effect.


    ''Hm?'' Zephyr suddenly looked up, and his scowl deepened.


    He sensed the presence of people getting closer.


    Seeing Zephyr''s expression, Kyran knew he probably realized they would havepany soon. Kyran was getting impatient, but his expression remained calm.


    He casually turned and looked at the distance from behind while saying, "Well, it seems those people after you areing. Since you don''t want to be my pet, I won''t insist. You can go."


    Zephyr could not help but pop a vein after hearing Kyran''s dismissal. Why did it sound like he was the one who got rejected?


    Kyran saw the annoyance in Zephyr''s face and chuckled inwardly. This Quilin was really amusing.


    He paused for a moment as if thinking about something before adding, "A friendly reminder though. Once those guys see the corpses of those three mages, they probably won''t attack immediately. Instead, they will report back to their headquarters. When that happens, it will only be a matter of time before they dispatch more powerful mages."


    He looked at Zephyr.


    "You did not think that those three back there were the strongest they have, right?"<sub> </sub>


    An idea popped in his mind, and he jokingly added, "Or were you hoping that once they see their corpses they would lose heart and leave you alone?"


    Zephyr red at him and did not say anything.


    What Kyran said was indeed what he was hoping for. It was also why he gave Kyran a piece of his horn without making such a fuss. He wanted Kyran to leave immediately so those people would not see him and linked him to the deaths of those three mages.


    Seeing Zephyr''s odd silence, Kyran could not help but raise his brows in amazement.


    "No way. Did I hit the spot?" He said with a chuckle. "You''re cunning than I thought. Unfortunately, your way of thinking was still so-sopared to humans. How about it? Do you want to reconsider being my pet?"


    Zephyr could only re at Kyran''s attitude. Since Kyran saw through his ns, Zephyr knew this human would not leave until he got what he wanted.


    If he was being honest, although bing a pet to a human was pretty offensive to Zephyr, with Kyran''s identity as someone from the Dragon Lord''s n, he actually did not mind bing one. After all, even his masters, who were pure dragons, recognized the Dragon Lord''s people, so who was Zephyr to act arrogantly?


    Apart from this, Kyran had the power of nothingness. Zephyr could not even imagine how much potential he possessed.


    However, it was because of the potential Kyran possessed that Zephyr could not agree. Because this human definitely had an important destiny that would affect this whole ne, which could either destroy it or bring it to greater heights.


    More importantly, Zephyr had another reason. He was not allowed to leave this ce.


    Zephyr''s eyes reflected his hesitation, and Kyran saw it.


    He also felt it.


    Finally, Zephyr took a deep breath and shook his head.


    "I appreciate your words of caution. I''ll deal with it on my own. Now leave."


    Kyran frowned. He did not expect this Quilin to be stubborn. Was his strength not enticing enough? He was actually confident that Zephyr''s hesitation was because he was aware of the benefits he could give him.


    ''So is he hesitant because he thinks that the risk of bing my pet outweighs the benefits?'' Kyran wondered.


    As soon as he thought of this, he rejected it. Zephyr never said he did not want to be his pet right from the start, even though he sounded offended by the idea.


    In this case, Zephyr had another reason.


    Kyran looked at the shrine.


    After a few seconds, his eyes grew wide as realization hit him.


    Why did he not think of it before? Was not the Quilin''s situation simr to the Regis n?


    To be honest, Kyran had always wondered why his parents did not decide to leave the Regis Estate and hid him far after finding out he possessed the Void Magic. But he did not think about it much. Now, looking at the shrine and the Quilin''s hesitation.


    If it was not a matter of Kyran''s strength not enticing enough, then it meant the Quilin had another reason why he could not agree. And it had something to do with this ce, and most likely, the reason was inside the shrine.


    Just like how his parents could not leave the Regis Estate because his father, as the next patriarch, was bound to protect the Regis''s Ancestral Land. His father could not easily transfer this responsibility to another Regis. Even his mother was bound by this responsibility the moment she married his father.


    After a short pause, Kyran finally decided to change his approach.


    He looked at Zephyr and started, "It seems you''re unwilling to leave this ce."


    "It is none of your business," Zephyr replied and turned around to leave.


    Kyranughed, but hisugh was not friendly and instead, it sounded cold.


    "I don''t think so. I said I want you as a pet, so if this ce is what''s keeping you from agreeing, then it is my business."


    Zephyr stopped and looked at Kyran again.


    "I''ve said it before, human. Don''t test my patience and¡ª."


    "No, you''re the one who should not test my patience."


    Kyran said as his aura started to rise.

 Chapter 165 Behave

    Seeing the visible rise on Kyran''s aura, Zephyr''s reptilian eyes contracted, and he immediately jumped back with a hiss.


    "You! What are you nning on doing?" He demanded.


    "Are you seriously asking me that? I think my intention is obvious," Kyran replied coldly.


    Zephyr growled in frustration.


    Was this human not afraid of attracting the people''s attention with the three mages?


    This human had no idea how crazy those people could get.


    They might hesitate in pursuing Zephyr after finding the corpses of the three mages in fear of meeting the same end. However, if they found out there was an intruder, and there was a possibility that the three mages were killed by him, not to mention discovering Zephyr''s existence, those people would definitely do everything to find and execute him on the spot!


    Because unlike Zephyr, whom they had been pursuing for a long time, and whom they were already familiar with, they had little information about the intruder. They would prioritize finding him, detaining him, or stalling for time until reinforcements arrived.


    Zephyr had witnessed it before. Those intruders had be prisoners and were used for the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    "You''re drawing unnecessary attention to yourself!" Zephyr growled.


    Kyran shrugged. He vaguely understood what Zephyr had meant.


    But unlike Zephyr''s idea, Kyran had a different take on how the Temr Code would react if they sensed his presence.


    It would be a given that they would shift their attention to him. But they would prioritize him over the Quilin, not only because they feared he might have discovered the truth about the rare stone, but also because it had only been a few days since there were intruders in the ruins, and now there was another one. Contrary to Zephyr''s assessment that they would execute him, Kyran believed they would want to capture him alive and investigate how he bypassed the Temr Code''s security.


    "I don''t care. I have confidence in myself."


    Kyran was not talking about having confidence in having two powerful magic, but his ability to escape. After all, he had not reached a level of understanding his two magic where he could have confidence in them, not to mention that his two magic were a double-edged sword. Both were powerful but also unpredictable and hard to control.


    Zephyr clenched his fists. He looked behind Kyran as he felt the people after him approaching steadily. From their speed, it would only take them five minutes before reaching the area where the corpses of the three mages were.


    He had to do something and fast.


    Zephyr could not enter the shrine, with Kyran acting unreasonably. Zephyr was sure that if he escaped into the shrine, Kyran would follow him. And since Kyran was rted to the Dragon Lord, he would definitely be ''granted'' ess. If the two of them fought inside the shrine, Zephyr was afraid that Kyran''s destructive power might destroy the whole ce.


    That was what Zephyr wanted to avoid.


    ''If only I have enough strength to change into my real form,'' he thought while gritting his teeth. ''I could lure him away using my real speed. s, in this form I would never outrun him.''


    The reason why he had to change into a human form was that he had already exhausted his strength after using his shockwave attack three times. He needed time to replenish his magic energy and regain his form.


    "Don''t do this, human." Zephyr could only plead.


    Kyran did not reply, and instead, his aura rose steadily.


    Zephyr clenched his fists and closed his eyes.


    As much as he did not want to tell his reasons, it appears he did not have much choice. Right now, Kyran was acting unreasonably because he wanted to take him. Kyran already knew that Zephyr did not want to leave, so he thought they could avoid getting into a fight if he properly exined his reason.


    "No matter what you say or do, I can''t leave." Zephyr started to say.


    Kyran remained silent. However, his rising aura came to a sudden stop.


    Zephyr took Kyran''s action as his willingness to listen, and he continued, "I am thest guardian of the Shaiha. It is my duty to protect it."


    Kyran frowned because Zephyr''s words did not really satisfy his curiosity. As a matter of fact, it even raised more questions.


    "Protect this ce? From what? What is in this ce you have to guard?" Kyran asked one after another.


    "I''ll answer if you promise not to do anything reckless."


    "What makes you think I''llpromise?"


    "If you are really interested in taking me as a pet, you will agree. If not, then go ahead and be reckless. In the end, you will only end up getting yourself in trouble while I... The least that can happen is I die right here."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    "And the worse thing that can happen?" He asked.


    Zephyr''s expression turned solemn.


    "The shrine will be destroyed."


    Kyran''s brow creased after hearing Zephyr''s puzzling answer. He was curious why Zephyr''s death was not the worse thing that could happen, but the shrine getting destroyed. Typically, if a bound guardian were killed, then the ce it was guarding would fall as well.


    But if Zephyr''s death would not result in the shrine''s destruction, it meant Zephyr was notpletely bound to it. It also suggested that he was free to go wherever he wanted as long as the shrine was safe.


    "Will you promise?" Zephyr hastily asked when Kyran remained silent for a few seconds. He now only had less than five minutes to convince Kyran to leave and let him be.


    "Answer me first. Is the reason why you can''t leave is because you have to protect the shrine or because of what is inside?" Kyran asked unhurriedly.


    Zephyr''s brow twitched.


    This human had no sense of danger at all! Here he was getting worked up by the fact that his five minutes was almost up, but Kyran still insisted on acting like he had all the time in the world.


    "I already told you. I am thest guardian of the Shaiha, so it is my duty to protect it." Zephyr replied impatiently.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran smiled slyly. But because of his ck mask, Zephyr did not see it.


    "Good. Then let''s go," Kyran said.


    "Then¡ª."


    Zephyr''s sentence was instantly cut off because Kyran suddenly dashed forward and grabbed his arm.


    Before he could even react, a round purple disc appeared beneath their feet, and the two of them instantly sunk.


    "What are you¡ª!"


    "Brace yourself."


    The two of them fell into the purple disc in the next second.


    At a dpidated building, where te was awaiting Kyran''s return. While the stealth spell was active, she was looking out the window.


    Suddenly a purple light appeared and two shadows appeared.


    "Oh my word!"


    Kyran heard te exim from behind as soon as he and Zephyr appeared outside the dpidated building he warped in with her earlier.


    Beside Kyran, Zephyr, who had yet to understand what had happened, immediately went limp. Kyran released his hold on Zephyr''s arm and, with an amused expression, watched as thetter fell on his knees and vomited on the ground.


    It appeared his warp could also be used as a powerful sneak attack. So far, every person he warped with ended up on their knees.


    "Don''t just appear out of¡ª," te stopped midsentence after realizing that Kyran was not alone.


    Releasing her stealth spell, te went outside and approached Kyran while curiously looking at the wretched boy on the ground.


    Howe there was a boy in this ce? More importantly, how did Kyrane across the child? Was he not chasing after the Quilin?


    "Who?" te asked while shifting her gaze at Kyran''s profile.


    "I''ll exinter," Kyran replied while taking out thest transmission scroll in his possession.


    Then he added, "Let''s leave first."


    Hearing Kyran''s words, Zephyr, who had just finished vomiting, immediately turned his head and hissed at him.


    "You dare¡ª!"


    A purple disc appeared beneath Zephyr and Kyran''s feet, and the former sunk into the disc in a second.


    Kyran, on the other hand, did not sink into the disc but remained standing firmly on the ground. A new purple disc appeared above him as Zephyr fell from it.


    The purple disc on the ground disappeared before Zephyrnded, and as soon as he touched the ground, his knees went limp and he started to gag once more.


    "This..." te was speechless after witnessing this scene.


    She knew perfectly well how the boy was feeling after warping in session. It was an experience she would never want to feel again.


    "Behave," Kyran told Zephyr.


    Zephyr wanted to re at Kyran. However, his insides were still churning, making it hard for him to even lift his head.


    Without waiting for Zephyr to recover, or te to ask further questions, Kyran activated the transmission scroll.


    A light-golden array appeared on their feet, and soon the three of them disappeared.


    ==================


    Nn, Ss and Gage, gathered around the cottage''s dining area, was looking at a mapid neatly on top of the table.


    It was a detailed map of Noser City which included the surrounding forest.


    The three of them were currently discussing the route they would take once they leave the cottage.


    They knew Kyran had the ability to warp. However, because of what te said about his physical condition, Nn decided not to exhaust him and instead he talked to Ss and Gage to look for another route they could take.


    On the map, there were markings written along the stream located to the left of another red mark, which was where the cottage was. The stream was connected to arge clearing that led to ake. And from theke, there was a short valley leading to a small town.


    Gage was the one who made the markings on this route.


    Ss studied the route for a few minutes before shaking his head, "I think we should avoid going to a nearby town. The Temr Code would have already sent people in every towns to keep an eye out on people entering and leaving."


    Gage scowled.


    However, before he could refute Ss''s remark, a light suddenly appeared in the middle of the cottage.


    The three of them turned just in time to see Kyran appear.


    But he was not the only one because he was apanied by a young woman and a young boy with unusual hair color. And this boy was currently sprawled on the floor, seemingly dead.

 Chapter 166 Second Sigil

    Kyran did not bother asking te to use the transmission scroll because he already had a memory of the cottage where he nned to go. Apart from this, he had taken Zephyr with them. With the restrictions from the array around the cottage, Zephyr would not be allowed to enter, so Kyran needed to be the first one to step into the cottage and give him ess.


    As he appeared in the cottage with te and Zephyr, Kyran found Nn, Ss, and Gage gathered around the dining table.


    By the dining area, the three gaped at Kyran and te¡ªwhom they only recognized from their clothes¡ªthen at the boy with the unusual colored long hair on the floor. If they did not know how powerful the cottage''s array restrictions were, they would have thought they were under attack.


    "Back so soon?"


    Nn was the first one to speak. He crossed his arms across his chest as he casually sat at the edge of the dining table. His eyes swept at te and then at the unconscious boy sprawled on the floor.


    "Aren''t you suppose to be looking for a rare stone?" He asked with a raised brow while looking at the boy. "Why''d you end up taking someone else''s kid?"


    "He''s not a kid," Kyran replied and was about to remove the ck mask when he remembered that Ss was not familiar with Nar''s face.


    But Kyran only hesitated for a second because Ss was now a Regis emissary, and he felt he could use him more than Gage, so it should be okay to let him know about ''Nar''. Besides, Kyran knew the two had a talk with Nn and te while he went to Noser. They were likely to have mentioned his ''other disguise'' during their conversation.


    Kyran paid close attention to Ss as he took off his mask. As expected, he caught sight of Ss''s surprised look. However, thetter only raised his brows and did not say anything.


    Seeing Ss''s reaction, Kyran was satisfied. He no longer hesitated when he also removed the face-altering mask.


    Then he turned to Nn before adding to his reply, "He''s the rare stone."


    The moment he said it, all four reacted at once.


    "He''s the Quilin?"


    "What the f*ck?"


    "What?"


    "Huh?"


    te, Nn, Ss, and Gage, respectively, eximed at the same time.


    Hearing te''s words, Nn scowled and looked at her, "What did you say?"


    te, who was a little distracted at Kyran''s revtion, also looked at Nn, "What did I say?"


    Ss and Gage also frowned, trying to make sense of what Kyran had said and recall te''s words simultaneously.


    "I think she said Kiln? Wait, the boy is what?"


    "Killing? The boy is killing for the rare stone?"


    Ss looked at Gage with a nk expression, and he said, "What killing are you talking about?"


    Gage turned to him and shrugged, "What? That''s what I heard."


    Nn scowled at them and said, "You two, shut up."


    te, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at them and replied, "It''s Quilin. Not Killing. Quilin as in the offspring of a lesser dragon and a unicorn!"


    Once again, the three turned their heads at her with a stun expression.


    "The f*ck?"


    "Quilin? That Quilin?"


    "Huh?"


    Nn, Ss, and Gage eximed, respectively.


    However, while Nn and Ss eximed in shock, Gage, on the other hand, eximed in confusion.


    Kyran could not help but look at them with a nk expression while listening in their exchange. Honestly, since the four of them knew a lot more about his secret, he thought that they would be the ''core team'' who would help him go against the Royal Army. However, he suddenly felt an iing headache, seeing and hearing them now.


    Why did it seem that every person he met appeared to be unreliable?


    It was the same with Byron.


    As for Cyneah. Let''s forget her for now.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran ignored them as they questioned te. He focused instead on Zephyr, who was still unconscious on the ground.


    Kyran guessed that Zephyr probably passed out when he used the transmission scroll, thinking he was about to warp again.


    People had always regarded the Dark Sage''s warp ability as formidable, and Kyran agreed. But his idea of the warp ability''s formidability was very different from other people. Others saw it as a trump card when used to take a battalion to an enemy''s base for a sneak attack. But Kyran saw warping as a sneak attack itself. As soon as he got close to his enemy and warp him, his enemy would end up on his knees, and Kyran did not have to break a sweat if that happened.<sub> </sub>


    Pushing the random thought at the back of his mind, Kyran shook his head with a faint smile. Then he took out the bottle of Core Tonic potion te gave him before kneeling on the floor beside Zephyr.


    "If I pass out, can you make sure I wake up in the evening? My deadline in delivering the rare stone is tomorrow. I can''t miss it," Kyran asked no one in particr.


    The four immediately stopped their discussion and turned their attention to him.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he saw Kyran drinking the potion and returning the empty bottle in his pouch.


    "Oi, kid. What are you¡ª."


    Nn never finished his question because Kyran had already answered him through his actions.


    ''Sigil!''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he touched Zephyr''s head. Two silver rings appeared on the floor with him and Zephyr in the middle. A curling dragon appeared in the middle and circled Kyran. The dragon''s head rested on his hand that held Zephyr''s head.


    Nn''s eyes instantly widened after seeing the silver and gold writings that appeared and circled above the back of Kyran''s hand.


    ''The Regis''s Sigil!'' He thought in rm.


    He was familiar with this because he once witnessed Cade use it to tame a beast back when they were in that ''ce''. But using the Sigil would put a lot of strain on the caster''s body. And right now, Kyran was not in good condition.


    "Oi, kid!"


    Nn stood up at once and was about to interrupt Kyran when a huge magic fluctuation erupted around them, threatening to destroy the cottage''s array.


    Zephyr''s eyes snapped open. His dark red reptilian eyes constricted as a symbol of two dragons with their heads resting on top of each other appearing on his forehead.


    "AAAHHH!"


    Zephyr screamed in pain. His eyes glowed, and his magic pressure erupted, trying to resist the symbol from fully entering his head. A silhouette of his horn also flickered on his forehead.


    "Stop resisting!" Kyran growled at him as he gritted his teeth. He could feel the magic energy in his central core tremble in agitation while it responded to his Draconic core.


    Kyran was aware of the danger of performing the Sigil on a powerful beast such as a Quilin. After all, a Quilin was an epic-type beast. However, he knew that once Zephyr woke up, he would definitely fight to the death in order to return to the ruins. And to avoid that, Kyran had decided to tame him while he was unconscious and his will was vulnerable.


    But Kyran also had a problem with his magic cores and the flow of magic energy in his body. And performing the Sigil was really not a good idea, even when he took the Core Tonic potion to alleviate the pain.


    CRACK!


    "Guh!" Kyran spat out a mouthful of blood as he felt a crack appearing on his central core.


    "Kyran!"


    te, Nn, Ss, and Gage all eximed.


    "Seriously this kid!" Nn growled in frustration as he moved at once.


    He stood a meter behind Kyran and aimed a hand on his hand. His dark eyes turned light blue as runes appeared on his body.


    te also made a move.


    She stood a meter in front of Kyran and raised her hand. Her eyes turned back to their original emerald green color as she roused her magic.


    The two of them immediately transferred their magic energy to Kyran.


    Ss and Gage gawked at them from the side.


    They actually wanted to help, but they could only watch in silence. After all, what could a Master mage do in this situation?


    The magic fluctuation inside the cottage tripled the burden on the cottage''s array.


    Outside, a huge magic array suddenly appeared on the ground, with the cottage in the middle. The flowering tree, which was the array''s core, also glowed and crackled.


    "AAAHHH!"


    Inside the cottage, Zephyr''s scream filled the air.


    Kyran gritted his teeth while roused his Void core to assist his Draconic core.


    With the help of Nn and te, the burden on Kyran''s central core lessened, and he was able to takeplete control of the Sigil.


    After a few minutes, the symbol that Zephyr had tried to resist had finally started to imprint on his forehead.

 Chapter 167 Three Years

    The magic fluctuation inside the cottage gradually calmed down as the Sigil''s symbol was sessfully imnted on Zephyr''s forehead.


    "Ngrgh..."


    Zephyr groaned as his head dropped with a loud thud on the floor. He waspletely exhausted from the whole ordeal.


    Kyran, who still had his hand on the back of Zephyr''s head, was also exhausted. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as he panted in short gasps. Hisplexion was pale, and his eyes were listless.


    "Are you out of your mind?" Nn exploded as soon as the two silver rings on the floor decreased in size.


    "What the f*ck are you ying at performing such aplex ritual with your condition?" Nn continued as he lowered his hands and strode to Kyran''s side.


    He reached out to grab Kyran''s shoulder. However, his hands only touched air. Because it was at this time that Kyran started to slip forward.


    "Oi!"


    "Kyran!"


    Nn and te both eximed as they rushed forward.


    "Kyran!"


    "Hey!"


    Even Ss and Gage also moved forward.


    te knelt in front of Kyran to prevent him from falling on the floor, but Nn was faster. He grabbed the back of Kyran''s coat and pulled him back while te took the chance to hold him in her arms.


    "He''s burning up!" te immediately said.


    "Tsk," Nn gritted his teeth in frustration.


    Before he could curse further, he came to a stop because he sensed something approaching the cottage.


    "Ah, f*ck!"


    te also sensed it as she looked up. Her worried expression turned serious.


    "This is not good."


    Seeing their expressions, Ss and Gage looked at each other and also strained their magic senses.


    Sure enough, they felt several auras approaching the cottage at a fast pace.


    Ss''s brow creased as he tried to sense the cottage''s array.


    "The array''s camouge effect has been damaged. If we don''t leave soon, they will discover us," Ss told them.


    te shook her head, "We can''t leave. Kyran is¡ª."


    "I-I''ll¡ª," Kyran suddenly spoke. He tried to pull away from te, but his body was too weak, and all he could do was lift his head a little.


    "R-Reinforce the array," he said with great difficulty.


    Nn scowled and growled in anger, "Reinforce my ass. With your condition what can you do?"


    "It''s my fault. I-I can do it¡ª."


    "I''ll do it. You stay here," Nn snapped at him in midsentence. Then he turned to te and added, "I''ll leave him to you."


    After that, he looked to Ss and said, "You assist her."


    "Alright," Ss agreed at once.


    Then Nn looked at Gage and took out a small bottle, filled with light gray liquid, from under his cloak. He said, "You go lure those people away. Once you''ve lured them away from here, find a safe ce to hide."


    He gave the bottle to Gage and added, "Drink this once you''re hidden. It will conceal your presence. Just wait in that ce, I''lle find you."


    Gage took the bottle with a slight frown. He wanted to refute Nn by reminding him about his poor sense of direction, but given the seriousness of the situation, he asked instead, "How will you find me if this potion can conceal my presence?"


    "That potion has my magic. Once you take it, I''ll be able to trace you," Nn exined.


    Upon hearing Nn''s exnation, Gage''s expression turned sour. He could not imagine how someone else''s magic would taste like or if it would have any effect on his body.


    Nn scowled at him after seeing his expression and said, "We don''t have much time. Go!"


    "Fine, alright!" Gage hastily agreed.


    Even though Gage had doubts right now, he knew the severity of the situation. He could not very well act like an ass and dy. Because if those approaching people were from the Temr Code, once they found them, it would impact not just the rtionship of the Conve and the Temr Code but also the whole empire.


    The reason was because of Kyran and the boy he took with him. They already spected that the Temr Code might already be working with the Royal Family. If that was the case, they must not see Kyran. Especially not in thepany of the mercenaries. Even if they could pretend that they ''caught'' him, how would they exin the boy? They would not be able to hide him. Though Nn had a domain where they could hide, he did not suggest it. Meaning Nn''s domain might have a limitation.


    As to what those limitations were, Gage had no idea. He was not the type to dwell on too manyplicated thoughts. Thus, it was enough for him to know that getting caught by those approaching people would be very bad to make him agree.


    "I''m leaving," he said and left at once.


    After Gage left, Nn looked at Ss.


    "Is there a restriction on the array that would hinder anyone from changing it?" He asked.


    Ss nodded his head, "As far as I know there is. But as long as you have permission to enter the array, then you are free to change it."<sub> </sub>


    "Good," Nn replied with a nod. "I''ll go reinforce it now."


    He looked at Kyran, who was still in te''s arms, looking extremely pale and weak. Clenching his fist in anger, he turned and left without saying a word.


    te, who had seen Nn''s expression, could only look on helplessly.


    She only heard about Kyran''s personality from Nn but never really got the chance to witness it herself. The time she spent with him was too short for her to understand him fully. Despite that, te was able to recognize a portion of his personality. And it was not the one that he inherited from his parents, but his real personality.


    Kyran surprisingly tended to do the things he said he would. Notwithstanding the opinion of others around him.


    te already noticed it when he went after the Quilin. And now, when he performed a ritual that seemed to bind the Quilin.


    With a shake of her head, te could only sigh and not me Nn for being angry. It turned out her godson was a handfulpared to his parents.


    "Let''s bring him over to the bed," te told Ss.


    "Alright," Ss nodded and walked over to help her bring Kyran over to the bed.


    However, Kyran immediately pushed them aside and said, "Stop!"


    Only then, the two realize that the boy who was supposed to be unconscious on the floor had already regained consciousness and was about to pounce at them.


    "Lady te!" Ss moved and covered for te.


    Crackle!


    "AAAHH!" Zephyr screamed in pain as the Sigil on his forehead lit up.


    Small silhouettes of gold and silver dragons appeared and circled his body as they bound him, making him fall face-first on the floor.


    Kyran faced Zephyr, and with much difficulty, he said, "You''re now bound to me."


    He tried to control his breathing and added, "You don''t have killing intent, but as long as you think of hurting me, the Sigil will activate and punish you."


    "Rawrgh!" Zephyr growled in anger as he lifted his head and red at Kyran.


    "Take me back!" He demanded.


    Although Kyran wore a ck mask earlier, Zephyr was able to recognize him from his aura. As he thought, Kyran was really from the Regis n. His ck hair and dark gray eyes were a big giveaway. But what he found surprising was, his face looked familiar.


    Kyran shook his head and said, "No."


    "You¡ª."


    "Three years."


    "What?" Zephyr asked in confusion.


    Even te and Ss also looked at Kyran in confusion.


    Why did Kyran suddenly say three years? Somehow the conversation seemed to trail off because of his words.


    Kyran sat on the floor and weakly said, "Be my Sigil for three years. After that, I''ll release you."


    Zephyr scowled at him.


    "I already told you that I can''t leave¡ª."


    "Your duty is to protect the Shaiha. Not the shrine," Kyran cut him in midsentence.


    Zephyr''s eyes immediately narrowed. He did not expect this human to understand the meaning of his words earlier.


    te and Ss, on the sides, were at a loss. They had no idea what the two were talking about. So they remained silent and decided to observe while looking after Kyran''s condition.


    "The Shaiha is actually an item or an object which is hidden in the shrine, right?"


    Zephyr did not reply and only red at him.


    <o>,m ''An item or an object?'' te thought in surprise.</o>


    It turned out that there was a hidden story behind the Shaiha Ruins.


    Ss was also surprised. He heard something about a hidden story of the Shaiha Ruins from his master before. However, he was not interested then and had forgotten entirely about it.


    "Once you die, the Shaiha will still be safe because it is inside the shrine. However, it will only be temporary. Without a live guardian, the shrine will be prone to attack from the outside and thus, if the shrine was destroyed, it will then expose the Shaiha. That''s the reason why you said the worse that could happen is the shrine being destroyed."


    Zephyr clenched his fists. He underestimated this human. To think he was able to decipher that much from the short exchange they had.


    Kyran smiled faintly seeing that Zephyr had no ns on lowering his guard.


    "Don''t be like this. You know, I''m actually getting the short end of the stick here. I''m only asking you to be my Sigil for three years, but in those three years. I''ll be burden with your business as well."


    "Wouldn''t that be the same with me? As your Sigil, I''ll have to do your bidding!" Zephyr snorted.


    Kyran chuckled.


    "Not really. I can promise you now that I won''t let you do anything that will put you in harm''s way. Aside from this, I''ll help protect the Shaiha."


    Zephyr''s ears immediately perked after hearing Kyran say these words.

 Chapter 168 You Wont Regret It

    If other people said these words, Zephyr would definitely snort at their audacity. However, it was said by someone who had the same aura as the Dragon Lord and also possessed the power of nothingness.


    His words carried a lot of truth.


    On one side, te and Ss could not help but look at Kyran in concern. From the conversation between the two, although they spoke some things that were hard to follow, te and Ss understood Kyran''s intent. But given his current situation, could Kyran afford to take on another responsibility? Not to mention, the Quilin''s matter seemed really important as well. If he helped the Quilin, he would only draw more problems unto himself.


    "You..." Zephyr finally spoke after a moment''s pause. However, he could not put into words what he was feeling and could only look at Kyran hesitantly.


    Seeing Zephyr''s hesitation, Kyran knew he only needed a slight push to get him to agree.


    However, he did not say nor do anything and only let Zephyr sort his thoughts. After all, if Kyran tried to persuade him with more words, it might have the opposite effect.


    "What do you even know about the Shaiha?" Zephyr asked.


    Kyran raised his brows. He did not expect this question.


    With a shrug, he replied, "Nothing."


    Zephyr scowled at once.


    Even te and Ss could not help but sweat at Kyran''s answer. He sounded so confident earlier that they believed he knew what he was talking about.


    te opened her mouth to speak. However, she stopped at once after seeing Kyran''s resolute expression. With a short sigh in her heart, she decided to trust her godson and only watch over him for now.


    "You¡ª!" Zephyr started with a gritted his teeth. But he suppressed the curse he wanted to say and instead scoffed, "You don''t even know anything and yet you dare say you''ll protect it?"


    "I can learn about it now that you''re my Sigil," Kyran replied unperturbed.


    Zephyr did not reply and only stared at Kyran. After a few seconds, the two silhouettes of dragons that bound him retracted. It was proof that he had calmed down and no longer had evil intent against Kyran.


    While changing into a sitting position, Zephyr''s expression turned thoughtful as he asked, "How can you help me protect the Shaiha?"


    Kyran finally sighed in relief. Of course, he did it discreetly, and everyone inside only saw him take a deep breath.


    "Since the Shaiha is inside the shrine, I''ll first improve the array around it." Kyran replied.


    He did note up with this answer on the spot. He thought of it when he decided to perform the Sigil on Zephyr. It was to assure him that even if he left the ruins, the Temr Code would not be able to enter it easily.


    Zephyr snorted, "Improve the shrine''s array? You think it is that simple?"


    "I never said it is. But I am confident that I can. Besides, the reason why you can''t leave that ce is because without you, the array protecting the shrine will weaken, right?" Kyran replied.


    Zephyr raised his brows in astonishment. If earlier he only thought this human''s insight was above average, now he was really curious how his brain works. How did he connect Zephyr''s reluctance to leave with the shrine''s array? No matter how worried Zephyr appeared, Kyran should not have noticed it. At least not the first time.


    Seeing Zephyr''s astonishment, Kyran smiled faintly as he said, "Did you think I won''t notice how those mages tried to stop you from going to the shrine?"


    "You have been following us from then?" Zephyr replied with a question. But he was not expecting Kyran to answer as he continued, "Impossible! I did not sense you at all."


    Kyran lifted his left hand and showed his palm to Zephyr. Slowly, a small golden array appeared on his palm.


    "Its because of this," he replied. "With this array, I can hide my presence."


    Zephyr''s eyes widened upon seeing the small array on Kyran''s palm. He was surprised not because he recognized the array but because integrating an array on a human''s body was unheard of! An array was made up of different materials containing various effects and magic energy. For this reason, it could only be ced on a unique terrain, a special parchment, or a magic item, where it could adapt the array''s calction.


    te and Ss were equally surprised. But unlike Zephyr, they knew some parchments could be fused on human skin nowadays. But, Kyran''s array was clearly imprinted directly on his skin. How could his hand be able to take the array''s energy?


    "How can you integrate an array on your body?" Zephyr asked in surprise.


    "What?" Kyran frowned slightly. It was not the reaction he was expecting.


    The reason why he showed the array was to let Zephyr know he knew how to create one. He was also hoping Zephyr would recognize that he used advanced forms on the array. This way, he could at least assure him that his Array attainment was not mediocre.


    "Howe your hand is still fine after having an array nted on it?" Zephyr demanded.


    "No. Stop, I don''t think that''s important right now," Kyran replied.


    "What are you talking about? Don''t you know that an array can''t be¡ª."


    "Back up a little," Kyran interrupted while lowering his hand. "We''re talking about how I can help you in protecting the Shaiha remember?"


    He reminded Zephyr while feeling an iing headache.<sub> </sub>


    To be honest, he could barely think straight because he had not recovered from the strain he felt from performing the Sigil. He was also aware that he had a very high fever right now. But Kyan wanted to deal with Zephyr first because he knew once he sumbed to his body''s plea to rest, he would definitely fall asleep for days. He could not let Zephyr get sidetracked because of his curiosity.


    Because of Kyran''s reminder, Zephyr''s expression turned serious at once. He pondered for a moment as he remembered the array on Kyran''s hand. He recognized some of its calctions.


    Two of the forms in the array were pretty advanced. It proved that this human had high Array attainments. If he wanted to learn the shrine''s array, he might be able to decipher 60-70% of it. But his level was not enough to improve it. And even if he could, how long would it take?


    ''Still...'' Zephyr looked at Kyran straight in the eye.


    From Kyran''s eyes, Zephyr saw confidence and determination. Seeing such eyes caused his resistance to waver. It made him feel that maybe this human could really help him protect the Shaiha. As thest guardian, he was aware that soon, he would not be able to do his duty alone. He needed someone to help protect the Shaiha if something happened to him.


    "If I do follow you for three years," Zephyr started after a short pause. "And something happens to me before that time is up, will you promise to carry on protecting the Shaiha?"


    "I promise," Kyran replied at once.


    "Kyran," te suddenly called but did not say anything afterward.


    Kyran turned his head and looked at te with a slight smile. He somehow knew what she wanted to say. A promise was a big word that must be kept at all costs. Although it was not binding such as a Soul-binding Oath, its effect on both parties could affect their rtionship and even the future. He knew his godmother might be worried that he was only making empty promises. After all, he still had to deal with his own situation.


    But Kyran readily epted Zephyr''s condition because he would never let anything happen to him. He was his Sigil. His own people. He would never let anything happen to him once he worked for him for three years. As a matter of fact, Kyran was more worried that when the time was up, Zephyr might not be willing to leave him.


    "In that case, you have a deal." Zephyr finally agreed.


    Kyran smiled, "You won''t regret it."


    Zephyr took a deep breath and crossed his arms across his chest.


    "Humph. If you don''t improve the shrine''s array in one year, I will have to go back no matter what you say." He told him.


    "I don''t need a year. I''ll have it done in a week."


    te and Ss, who finally sighed in relief, stopped short because of Kyran''s words.


    What was he saying now? A week to learn an entire array and improve it? That was impossible!


    Zephyr sneered. "Oh? Aren''t you confident."


    "I can do it in a few days to be honest," Kyran replied with a shrug. "But I still have something to do. And, I probably will be unconscious for a couple of days, that''s why I said a week."


    All three gave Kyran a nk expression.


    Now they were unsure if he was really confident or just being too full of himself.


    Ignoring the nk expression on Zephyr''s face, Kyran turned to te and Ss and smiled apologetically.


    "I will have to send the rare stone over to the Conve. If I do, I''ll probably pass out right after, so I''ll apologize in advance," Kyran told them.


    Upon hearing his words, te and Ss immediately reacted.


    "What are you nning to do?"


    "Stop for a moment. Let''s think of another way."


    te and Ss said, respectively.


    "My deadline is tomorrow, but if I rest now I will definitely be out for days."


    Before te could refute, Ss beat her at it.


    He said while shaking his head, "No. Let us think of a way to deliver it. You don''t have to do it yourself. Don''t you know there are underlying dangers if a mage over exhaust themselves?"


    Kyran frowned slightly.


    "The creation of the Tower''s defensive array cannot be dyed," he insisted. "If I don''t deliver it by tomorrow and the array''spletion is dyed, once the Royal Army does their routine inspection next month¡ª."


    "I know. I''ll have it delivered by tomorrow." Ss cut him midsentence.


    With a smile, he added, "I have Lady Lumi with me. She may have a way to deliver it."

 Chapter 169 I Dont Agree To Child Labor

    te looked at Ss after hearing his suggestion. She had learned of Lumi earlier while Nn, Ss, and Gage exchanged information about when Kyran went to Noser. Knowing what Lumi was, te felt a little hesitant. However, her opinion on this matter was unimportant. What was important was to provide Kyran with all possible options to help him.


    "Lady Lumi? She''s your Spiritpanion right?" te asked for confirmation.


    Ss looked at her with a smile and nodded, "Yes."


    Then his smile froze after remembering that Lady Lumi never considered herself his contracted Spirit. If this conversation got leaked, he hastily amended his words, "Ah... Actually, no. I mean, technically she is but¡ªanyway, I can ask her for help."


    After being reminded of Lumi, Kyran recalled that Spirits had their way of traveling. Still, he did not like the feeling of letting others finish his task. As much as possible, he wanted to deliver the rare stone himself. But in his current state, he was aware that if he still pushed himself and warped back to the Tower of Conve to deliver the rare stone, he might end up passing out there.


    Kyran did not want to stay there again. Although he could ask Ste to let him recuperate in a room where she could change the flow of time, so he did not have to miss much in real-time, he did not want her to know of his condition. She had already done a lot, and he could not afford to owe her more if she asked Malia to heal him again.


    ''If I let Ss deal with delivering the rare stone, I can rest now and have godmother look at my condition,'' Kyran pondered.


    After taking the Core Tonic potion, he was already convinced of te''s ability. At most, she was likely to be better than Malia, and he might be able to recover sooner.


    ''But, if Ss failed...'' Kyran''s brow creased.


    His grandfather granted Ss the title of a Regis Emissary, which meant he was trustworthy enough. But in terms of reliability, Kyran had yet to see it.


    ''I can''t afford to dy the delivery of the stone, but I also can''t afford to be unconscious for a long time,'' Kyran thought, remembering that Cyneah was also waiting for him in Hanaan.


    Ss had turned his attention to Kyran and silently waited for his consent.


    After a few seconds, Ss sensed Kyran''s hesitation. It was not shown in his expression, but Ss could guess what was on his mind. After all, Ss heard so many things about Kyran when he was at the Regis Estate.


    Ss admitted that the Kyran he heard from Pheobe and the others was different from the person in front of him, but there were still simrities. One of them was Kyran''s sense of responsibility.


    After pondering for a moment, Ss said, "Kyran. I am the Regis emissary, remember? I won''t ask you to trust me, but I will definitely help you the best I can."


    Then he beamed and added, "Besides. I am also a mercenary. And I only take a job if I know I can aplish it."


    Hearing Ss''s words, Kyran thought of something and could not help but say with a deadpan expression, "So when you took my bounty you also thought you can aplish it?"


    Ss''s smile froze once again.


    "Well... about that¡ª," he suddenly frowned after realizing something before continuing, "¡ªI don''t remember telling you that I epted your bounty."


    "I don''t need you to tell me. I could already guess how you suddenly became an emissary from the things I heard," Kyran replied with a wry smile.


    Ss''s brow twitched. It was really hard to meet someone who possessed a brilliant mind. They were no fun at all! In the end, Ss could only sigh in defeat and say, "Anyway. As I said, Lady Lumi may have a way to deliver the stone. If you can''t trust my words, at least trust in her. If not, then I am not a man!"


    Hearing his words, te and Kyran could not help but look at him incredulously.


    Even Zephyr, who had been silently watching them from the sides, felt his words were too big and yet too... childish.


    In order to fill the suddenly awkward atmosphere, te spoke and also tried to persuade Kyran.


    "I also agree to seek Lumi''s help," She said with a wry smile, "I had been around Spirits, and I know they can go to ces in a short time."


    "If you only need to deliver something as soon as possible I can do that," Zephyr suddenly said.


    All three turned to him. But instead of looking surprised or agreeing to him, they immediately rejected the idea.


    "No. You can''t leave."


    "Absolutely not."


    "Yes, I totally agree. You can''t."


    Kyran, te, and Ss said one after another.


    Zephyr frowned, "Why not?"


    "Because I said so."


    "You''re too conspicuous."


    "I don''t agree to childbor."


    Kyran, te, and Ss answered, respectively.


    There was a moment''s pause before Kyran, te, and Zephyr turned to Ss.


    Realizing that his answer did sound outrageous, Ss smiled uneasily. "What I mean to say, as Ms. te had said, you are too conspicuous."


    Ignoring Ss, Zephyr looked at Kyran and said, "If you are worried that I will take this chance to escape¡ª."<sub> </sub>


    "I''m not," Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head, "As long as you are my Sigil, I''ll be able to find you."


    He paused for a moment and took a deep breath because talking without pause started to exhaust him.


    "I''m not sure how long you''ve stayed in the ruins, but the outside world has changed," Kyran started. "There are magic devices and items that can detect a person''s magic signature, aura, and who knows what else. I''m sure the Temr Code has your information and if they detected it once you leave this cottage, it will attract trouble."


    "Magic devices and items that can detect magic signatures and aura? Temr Code?" Zephyr repeated in confusion.


    "Yes, for your first question. As for the Temr Code, they are the people who were after you," Kyran exined patiently.


    Zephyr fell silent. There were spells and array calctions that could help detect these things. However, as a powerful beast, these spells or array were not enough to find him. Now it made sense how those people could find him as soon as he left the shrine. It was because of those magic devices.


    "But this ce is far from the ruins. Why will they be here? Is the range of those devices that big?" Zephyr asked, still a little skeptical.


    "I can exin that," te volunteered with a faint smile. Then she looked at Kyran and added, "But first, let''s agree with asking Ss''s Spirit to help with the stone. You really need to rest."


    Zephyr did not insist and also looked at Kyran. Now that he became his Sigil, his connection with him was evident. He agreed with the female human. Kyran did need rest because hisplexion was getting worse by the second.


    Kyran took a deep breath. As much as he wanted to argue, he knew his body well. A few minutes ago, he felt he could still warp one more time beforepletely exhausting himself. But now, he could barely stay awake.


    "Okay."


    te and Ss could finally sigh in relief after hearing Kyran''s consent.


    With a bit of difficulty, Kyran took out the piece of Zephyr''s horn from his pouch.


    Zephyr''s expression immediately changed upon seeing this, and he asked, "You''re delivering a piece of my horn?"


    "Horn?" Ss asked in surprise.


    "Who are you giving it to?" Zephyr demanded, his reptilian eyes narrowed as he looked at Kyran.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I''m not sure why the Temr Code wants your horn, but this piece, will only be used for Array creation," Kyran assured him.


    "Array creation?"


    Kyran only nodded his head and did not borate. It was not because he felt it was troublesome to exin but because he found it harder to talk.


    Zephyr also sensed it and did not feel offended. He just made a mental note to talk properly with Kyran once he recovered his strength.


    To be honest, Zephyr did not expect that the person he fought earlier and even overwhelmed him with brute force looked so weak right now. But from what he had gathered from the conversations he heard while Kyran was turning him into his Sigil, it appeared he was already in a bad state even before they had met.


    Kyran turned to Ss, reaching out his hand that held the stone.


    "Here. I''ll leave it to you," Kyran said.


    Ss nodded his head and took the stone.


    "I''ll take care of it."


    Ss did not call for Lumi immediately. He first helped Kyran to the bed.


    After that, te checked Kyran''s condition and started taking out some herbs from her coat pocket. Then with Ss''s help, she began to prepare a potion for Kyran.


    Meanwhile, outside the cottage, Nn sessfully reinforced the cottage''s array.


    Being an Abjurer, Nn was also versed with Array. Any array that would not go above saint-tier level was child''s y for him. Still, he was surprised at how advanced the cottage''s array was. It had so many advanced forms he never thought could be put into one formation. And it was made possible because of the flowering tree at the center of the array.


    ''I managed to reinforce the array,'' Nn thought, sighing in relief. ''Unfortunately, I can only reinforce it, if I want to improve it I need the full authority of this ce which I don''t have. Anyway...''


    Nn looked at a distance to his left and frowned, ''That baldie had better lure those bastards away, or else, reinforcing the array will be useless.''


    Nn turned his attention back at the cottage with a thoughtful look. He had been listening in on what was happening inside.


    With his magic, it was easy for him to spy on them. After all, his magic was practically everywhere.


    Anyway, he was d that te and Ss managed to convince Kyran to stay put. If not, he would''ve gone inside and knocked him out cold. Seriously. The kid just kept on giving him headaches.


    ''Still... Taking a Quilin as a Sigil,'' Nn could not help but sneer. ''You''re recklessness is worse than your parents!''


    With a shake of his head, Nn made his way back to the cottage.


    He was looking forward to meeting the Quilin kid Kyran had just ''tamed''.

 Chapter 170 Is It Really Surprising?

    Nn entered the cottage and saw te concocting a potion for Kyran. On the other hand, Ss excused himself and told them he would have to go outside the cottage''s array to summon Lumi and ask for her help with the rare stone.


    When Nn asked him why he had to leave, Ss awkwardly admitted that he did not give Lumi permission to enter the cottage because the cottage was his haven. He did not want Lumi''s verbal abuse to tarnish its memory.


    te, on the other hand, could only smile at his misfortune. She knew how frolicsome Spirits could be to the point where they love to see human suffering. It did not matter if that human was their master because sometimes, that was how a Spirit showed their ''love.'' The more they loved to y tricks on them openly, the more they adored them. The only human te knew who could get along and y along with their tricks was Rin.


    Rin''s yfulness and innocence resonated well with the Spirits when she was younger.


    After confirming that the people who almost discovered the cottage''s location had changed course, Ss left the cottage.


    An awkward silence followed when Nn, te, and Zephyr were left in the cottage with the unconscious Kyran. It was not until a couple of minutes that Nn broke the silence and asked Zephyr what had happened in the ruins.


    Zephyr, who sat in silence at the foot of the bed after Kyran fell unconscious, did not hide anything as he exined what happened.


    He might not know these two humans, but he had seen their concern over Kyran and knew they were trustworthy enough. Besides, Kyran chose to leave his unconscious body in their care, which proved he trusted them. Either way, now that Zephyr agreed to be Kyran''s Sigil, he would guard Kyran whether he trusted the two humans or not.


    When Zephyr finished narrating what had happened, Nn and te could not help but nce at each other. Both wore a look of apprehension.


    It was no surprise that they would feel this way. They had just learned that Kyran might also possess the lost ancient magic of the Regis n after all.


    "How could it be?" te wondered out loud. "Draconic magic is not possible without a bonded dragon."


    Zephyr frowned after hearing this, "What do you mean?"


    te looked at him and replied, "Dragons no longer exist in this world."


    Zephyr shook his head, "Dragons may have left this ne, but they still exist."


    Hearing Zephyr''s words, Nn''s eyes widened as realization struck him. He recalled a scene from Malek''s vision that Ste had shown him and a cold shiver ran down his spine.


    It was a scene wherein the orb that hid the item Gage was supposed to deliver to the Mercenary Hall had cracked. The sky had turned dark, and one by one, huge red reptilian eyes filled the sky...


    Nn''s brain raced as he recalled what the public knew about the dragon''s disappearance.


    After the Dark Sage fell, all the dragons that joined the war were said to have exhausted their life force and died. Then the Regis ancestor, which was also the Dragon Lord, built a graveyard in their memory. Others said that the Regis built the graveyard inside the Regis''s Ancestral Land. But no one was able to confirm this.


    Even Nn could not get any answers from Cade even though they were sworn brothers.


    But that was beside the point now. Because Nn interpreted Zephyr''s words as, "dragons never died," they only left this ne. If this was true, then the graveyard the Dragon Lord built might not be a graveyard, but... what? What about the cylindrical item? What was inside it that could stir those ''beings.''


    ''From what the Ice Spirit said, that item was inside the ''Regis Terram.'' Could the Regis Terram be the Regis Ancestral Land? Or is it a ce inside the Regis Ancestral Land? Could it be the supposed dragon graveyard?'' Nn wondered.


    "Argh! This is getting really confusing!" He eximed while scratching his head.


    Both te and Zephyr turned to him with a puzzled look.


    "What''s wrong with you?" te asked.


    Instead of answering her, Nn looked at her incredulously and said, "I should be the one asking you that. Why aren''t you surprised knowing that dragons still exist?"


    te rolled her eyes at him and replied matter-of-factly, "I am surprised, of course. But what else can I do about it? I can only ept it and think of a way to help my godson face the burden of possessing two Ancient Magic!"


    Nn raised his brows at her in amazement.


    "I apud your high EQ. Seriously."


    Zephyr creased his brows after hearing their exchange. Then he asked, "Is it really surprising that dragons still exist? We are talking about real dragons here. There is no way they will be extinct or cease to exist."


    Nn and te looked at him with a slight frown. They understood what Zephyr meant. Dragons were mighty existence humans believed to be close to gods from thousands of years ago. However, during that time, the Dark Sage also reigned. And he was an existence that was said to have also threatened the dragons. It was one of the reasons why the Dragon Lord had done everything in his power to subdue him.


    Of course, Nn and te were aware that the Royal Family had exaggerated the truth about the Dark Sage''s ruthlessness. Both of them were also aware of some truth of what happened then. But what they knew was superficial toe up with a conclusion of what really happened.


    Even Cade, a direct descendant of the Dragon Lord, did not tell them what he knew. Nn and te never pestered him to tell them, though. They knew it was not because he did not want to tell them but could not. Most likely, it was a secret that might stir not just the whole empire but the entire world into chaos once known by outsiders.


    "What you said just now, don''t tell it to others," Nn told Zephyr. "I get that you''ve been out of the loop that you don''t even know about magic devices and items. Aside from that, there had been a lot of changes in the world since the time that dragons left."


    Zephyr leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. I already get that. I only told you about it because my new master trusted you."


    Nn raised his brows, "Oh, so you really epted the kid as your new master?"


    Zephyr shrugged and replied, "He removed my previous master''s seal so that makes him my new master. Anyway, because of this, I confirmed his strength. To be honest, even without you two helping him earlier, it will only be a matter of time before hepletely removed my old seal."


    te smiled faintly.


    "We helped him not because we are afraid he will fail. Kyran has just started learning about his magic. His central core is still fragile," she exined.


    Zephyr nodded his head and looked at Kyran.


    "I am not surprised. I mean, he has so many magic cores, not to mention two of it has not fully activated yet."


    te frowned in confusion, "Wait, what are you talking about?"


    Nn also had the same question. But since te asked first, he decided to keep silent and listen.


    Zephyr looked at them in confusion, "I thought you knew about magic cores since you talked about his central core."


    "No. I mean, yes we do know about magic cores because our master had taught us about it," te agreed.


    From the side, Nn''s expression turned sour after she mentioned their ''master.''


    "What I mean is, what do you mean Kyran''s ''two'' magic cores are not fully activated? Do you mean he has not been using his two magic cores properly? Because as far as I have seen him use his magic, if I have not known that he has just started learning, he can already be considered an expert." te exined.


    "I''m not talking about his two magic core that holds the power of nothingness and the Dragon Lord''s. I''m talking about the two empty magic cores.One of which is damaged at the moment," Zephyr replied.


    "What?" Nn eximed. "He... The kid has four magic cores? Are you f*cking kidding me?"


    Zephyr frowned at him and said, full of disdain, "Human. Watch yournguage. I may look like a kid to you but I am older than your forefathers!"


    "Don''t change the subject! Howe he has four magic cores?" Nn ignored his disdainful look and asked.


    "That is not the main issue here!" te rebuked Nn. She looked at Zephyr and asked, "What do you mean that one of his magic cores is damaged? I only thought it was his central core that has suffered from the strain of overusing his magic, but..."


    Her voice trailed off as she recalled the different magic energies she had seen inside Kyran.


    "Oh my goodness... Don''t tell me..."


    Zephyr sighed. He shrugged while saying, "My master possesses the power of nothingness. Having more magic cores is a given. What do you think the power of nothingness is?"


    "You''re now talking in riddles its annoying," Nn growled in annoyance.


    "I''m not. It is because your knowledge of the Four Great Magic is shallow. Right, you call them Ancient Magic. Anyway, going back to your question," Zephyr replied casually before looking at te. "One of my master''s magic core is damaged. I''m not sure how it happened, but there are at least four types of energy trying to upy it. It will take some time to stabilize if left alone."


    Nn and te felt an iing headache after hearing Zephyr''s reply.


    What did he mean by at least four types of energy trying to upy Kyran''s magic core? A magic core could only hold one type of magic! Howe there are four?


    Though te was curious to know more about Kyran''s magic core, she was also an Alchemist. After hearing that it would take time to stabilize his magic core if left alone, she became worried. They had to do something to fix Kyran''s magic core.


    Nn also felt the same. He suppressed his curiosity because he knew what could happen to a mage with a damaged magic core. Nn had seen it happen twenty years ago and regretted being the cause of it. For this reason, he had been searching for Azaloth''s Inheritance because it was said that Azaloth knew how to repair and even strengthen a person''s magic core.


    "How badly is it damaged?" Nn asked.


    te looked at Nn. She knew what he was thinking. To think that he had to encounter another situation where someone important to him had a damaged magic core. She could only imagine how he felt right now.


    "Badly. But not life-threatening," Zephyr assured them.


    "Is there a way to fix it soon?" Nn asked again.


    Zephyr thought for a moment before answering, "There is. If you know someone who inherited the power of souls, we can ask for their help. But given what happened in the past, I will not be surprised if the Dragon Lord wiped out the Soul Emperor''s n."

 Chapter 171 A New Lead

    Nn and te''s expressions changed after hearing Zephyr''s remark.


    The more they talked to this guy, the more they were reminded of their past ''mission'' that they had failed to aplish. Hearing these bits and pieces of information from the past fueled their curiosity. After all, this was a piece of information rted to the truth of what happened a thousand years ago.


    Since Nn and te were associated with Cade, whose n was rted to Ancient Magic, and Rin, known as the Spirit Child, the two more or less had an idea that what happened with the ''Dark Sage'' written in history books had been fabricated by the Royal Family.


    Unfortunately, they did not know how much history had been fabricated.


    If the Regis Patriarch from a hundred years ago did not discover a piece of an ancient record within the Regis Ancestral Land, no one would question the history the Royal Family made everyone believe. Unfortunately, the Regis Patriarch of that time could not confirm the ancient record''s authenticity. They could not evenpare the ancient records of the Regis n because the Regis ancestor did not keep any records of his time.


    In order to investigate the truth, the Regis Patriarch decided to close off the Regis Estate and subtly cut ties with the Royal Family. Then he chose the most exceptional Regis members to investigate in secret.


    Years after, the Regis started their investigation. They discovered another n, the Ada, who was also searching for a piece of an ancient record. When the two met, they learned that each of their ancient records was only part of a bigger record. The Regis also found that the Ada n belonged to the ''Dark Sage'' surviving family members, the Ashton.


    To protect them, the Regis Patriarch of that time hid them inside the Regis Estate.


    This was the situation that Nn and te knew. In their early years, after getting the approval of their master, they inherited the task to continue the search for the remaining pieces of the ancient record.


    Unfortunately, they failed to find clues for years.


    Then twenty years ago, Nn found a lead. However, while investigating the lead, he ended up killing someone. Worse, that person actually possessed a Legendary Badge and was under the Royal Family''s protection. Nn ended up as a wanted man, and for this reason, he had to ''vanish'' from the empire. In this incident, Cade got his magic core destroyed after helping him escape.


    With their leader getting incapacitated and one member ''vanishing'', their investigation came to a standstill.


    Nn had always med himself for what happened. After he vanished, he did everything in his power to be a Magus, took on a new identity and returned to the Ylfaen Empire to continue searching for clues as well as finding a cure for Cade. But years had passed, and he had yet to find any lead.


    All the information Zephyr had given them, not to mention the possibility that he knew what happened a thousand years ago, made Nn excited. Not only had he found a clue to Azaloth''s Inheritance that could help repair Cade''s magic core, but there was now a living clue to their failed mission.


    te was feeling the same. She knew she had to focus on fixing Kyran''s magic core as soon as possible, but the allure of finding out the truth of what happened a thousand years ago was too strong. Besides, it would also help Kyran''s situation. After all, he was rted to the Dragon Lord and the Void Master.


    After seeing Nn and te''s zealous expressions, Zephyr tilted his head to the side and asked cautiously, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Thinking that their zeal was because of their ck of knowledge,'' he added derisively, "Don''t tell me that you don''t understand what I''m saying again?"


    Nn felt a vein pop on his forehead from Zephyr''s mocking tone. He wanted so much to hit this Quilin-that-looked-like-a-kid.


    Was he doing it on purpose, spouting things that arouse their curiosity? And once they got hooked, he would act all-knowing?


    But Nn had to reign in his annoyance. After all, this guy possibly had all the answers to the truth of what happened thousand years ago. Aside from this, he knew how to deal with Kyran''s situation.


    Except Zephyr''s solution was impossible.


    te sensed Nn''s annoyance, and she replied instead, "We are just surprised that you know so much about what happened in the past."


    Zephyr looked at her with raised brows.


    "Well, the memory of that war has been passed down by our ancestors after all. Though I have no clue to what happened afterward. Anyway, I know it is impossible for you to find someone with the power of souls."


    "Not really," Nn replied. "Contrary to what you said, the Soul Emperor''s n still lives. Unfortunately, they... are not really someone we can go to."


    "The Dragon Lord spared them?" Zephyr asked incredulously. Then his expression became thoughtful and added, "Is it because he thought killing the Soul Emperor was enough to stop the demon''s invasion?"


    Once again, Nn and te''s expressions changed.


    What did he mean? Was it not the ''Dark Sage'' leading the demon''s invasion?


    Zephyr shook his head with a sigh, "s. In the end, he was still a human. I do not know his reason for sparing her family. He should have known that killing the present Soul Emperor does not guarantee that the next one would be righteous. Or was he riddled with guilt after killing her that he decided to spare¡ª."


    "YOU!" Nn stood up abruptly and pointed at Zephyr.


    He could not take this anymore! All this information was too much! It was like hearing a thousand-year-old family secret that could either ruin the whole family or save it.<sub> </sub>


    "What the f*ck are you saying?"


    Zephyr fumed at Nn''s behaviour.


    "I already warned you human. I told you not to¡ª."


    "Listen, brat. I don''t care if your a thousand year old crackpot, but you can''t just spout things as if it wasmon knowledge." Nn berated.


    "What are you talking about? I am saying this because it ismon knowledge," Zephyr retorted.


    Then he paused for a moment seeing the look of disbelief on both human''s faces. His expression slowly turned solemn as he said, "No way. You mean you don''t know?"


    te, who was already dizzy from all the information she heard, sighed and said, "It has been a thousand years and what happened that time had been fabricated by the Soul Emperor''s family."


    Zephyr''s reptilian eyes immediately contracted after hearing this.


    "What?" He eximed as he sat up straight. "And the Dragon Lord''s descendants let it happen?"


    He subconsciously turned to Kyran.


    te shook her head, "We don''t know what happened. The Regis''s ancestor had not left any record. But what we do know, it was the Void Master who was leading the demon''s invasion. At least, that is what the Soul Emperor¡ªor rather¡ª the Royal Family has made every one in the world believed."


    Zephyr looked at her with a frown, "The Void Master? The human with the power of nothingness? That can''t be right."


    Nn took a deep breath, "This part of the history, is also written on an ancient record we found."


    "Ancient record?"


    "Let''s not talk about that for now," Nn shook his head impatiently. "How much do you know about what happened a thousand years ago?"


    "I have no clue what you want to know," Zephyr replied. When he saw Nn''s angered expression, he hastily added, "Don''t get me wrong. It is just, I don''t understand what you mean about ''a thousand years ago''."


    Both Nn and te looked at him skeptically.


    "What do you mean?"


    Zephyr took a deep breath and leaned back once again. He answered, "I was born two years after the Dragon Lord killed the Soul Emperor. As I said, the memory of what happened in that war has been passed down on us. Five years after I was born, I, with a few of my brethren was tasked to guard the Shaiha. It was also during this year that my previous masters decided to leave this ne. However, they could not take the Shaiha so we stayed behind."


    Zephyr paused to collect his thoughts before continuing, "The truth, it was not necessary to have all of us guard the Shaiha at once, so it was decided that we will take turns in guarding it. I was one of the few who went into deep sleep, first. Basically I had no knowledge of what happened after my previous masters left. As well as what happened all those years I had been asleep. To be honest, I just recently woke up and... found that I was thest one left. I have no idea what happened to my brethren or how much time had passed since I went into deep sleep. And since I could not find my brethren, there is no one who could pass on the memory of what happened during the time I was asleep."


    After Zephyr''s exnation, Nn and te fell silent.


    They could not help but feel bad for this Quilin.


    It was very tragic to awaken only to find that you are the only one left of your kind, not knowing what happened to them.


    After a moment''s pause, Zephyr spoke once again, "I''m sorry. I can only answer what I know but not what happened after."


    Nn halted after his words.


    That was right. Though this Quilin did not know what happened after the Soul Emperor died, he still had the memory of his ancestors of the war.


    "Please tell us what happened in that war," Nn solemnly asked Zephyr.


    te could not help but look at Nn in surprise. She rarely saw him appear solemn, and whenever he was, it meant that he was desperate.


    "Alright, but..."


    Zephyr looked at Kyran, "Aren''t we going to talk about how to help my master first?"

 Chapter 172 Templar Code Investigates

    Zephyr''s reminder made both Nn and te speechless.


    It was not that they forgot about Kyran''s condition. They were just curious to know what happened a thousand years ago.


    Nn cleared his throat and said with a short nod, "Yeah. As I said, it is impossible to get help from the Soul Emperor''s descendant. We''re not even sure if there is someone who inherited her magic."


    What Nn said was the truth.


    After the Soul Emperor died, there had been no record of anyone possessing Soul Magic. Not even within the Royal Family. They dered that Soul Magic was forbidden magic, and if there was anyone from the family who possessed it, they would have executed that person, to prove their integrity, right?


    Definitely not.


    If there was such a person, the Royal Family most likely hid it from the whole empire. After all, as far as they knew, no one else knew about the real score of the Forbidden Magic. Not even the Regis n.


    Zephyr looked at Nn and nodded in understanding.


    There really was no guarantee that a new mage that possess ancient magic would be born right after his predecessor died. There were cases, however, that a new sessor would appear while the predecessor was still alive. But the predecessor would have died as soon as his sessor''s magic core awakened. Because it meant, the sessor''s magic core had seeded in umting all the magic information from his predecessor''s magic core.


    "In that case, we can only use the Elixir." Zephyr said and while turning his attention to te.


    te''s eyes widened after hearing him.


    "Elixir? But that potion is of god-tier level," shemented. "The ingredients it needed is hard to find. Not to mention, it also required a dragon''s bone! And even if we can make one, few people could endure its healing effects after taking it."


    Zephyr gave a wry smile.


    "I know. But I never said we have to make one," he said and looked at Kyran. "When he took out a piece of my horn earlier I sensed my master already has one inside his storage."


    <o>,m "What?" Nn asked with a frown.</o>


    He btedly realized that he had said this word at least three times within the span of an hour and it annoyed him like hell. It made him feel like a fool.


    "If he has one why the f*ck did you not say so earlier?" Nn asked in frustration.


    Zephyr looked at him with a scowl. He really disliked this human''s crude way of talking. If he had a chance, he would cut off his tongue.


    On the other hand, te also looked at Nn incredulously. She understood his annoyance but right now, was not the fact that Kyran had an Elixir more surprising? Did he not hear her say that one of its ingredients was dragon bones? She did not mean a lesser dragon''s bone but real dragon bones!


    "Did you not hear her say that few could endure it? Although the Elixir that master has is of mid-grade level only. If he drank too much, his insides will melt." He exined.


    "And Kyran is unconscious," te also agreed.


    Zephyr nodded. "Yes. So we can only wait until he wakes up and tell him to take it. He will pass out again if he takes it though."


    Nn scowled. Based on experience, the kid could end up unconscious for days. They would be wasting precious time if they waited for Kyran to wake up.


    "Alright, I''ll wake up the kid." Nn suddenly announced.


    "No!" te rejected at once while ring at Nn. She sat on the side of the bed and stretched out an arm over Kyran as if to shield him from Nn.


    "You have no idea how high his fever is! His body has just entered a phase where his heart rate and blood pressure have slowed down. This is a good time for him to digest properly the potion''s medicinal effect through out his body. If you wake him up, his heart rate and blood pressure will shot up and the potion in his system will flow prematurely!" She added.


    Nn''s expression turned nk. He hated it whenever te started to speak like an Alchemist. Most of the time, half of her words would sound foreign to him.


    "Speak in humannguage, damn it." Nn hissed at te.


    Zephyr sighed at them. He was beginning to doubt whether these two humans were really concerned about his master or not.


    Finally, he said, "If you two keep making a ruckus you will soon disturb my master''s rest. I suggest letting his temperature go down first. If he does not regain conciousness by then, you can try to wake him up."


    Nn and te looked at Zephyr thoughtfully.


    They both thought what he said made sense, and agreed. Nn returned to his seat, while te lowered her guard.


    "What are we going to do until then?" te asked while looking at them.


    "I''ll have to leave in a while," Nn replied.


    te and Zephyr turned to him and saw his expression turning serious.


    "We can talk about my requestter," Nn said while looking at Zephyr.


    Zephyr did not reply but gave a short nod.


    "I''ll deal with those pesky bastards first," Nn added while looking at the cottage''s door.


    "Try to deal with them away from the cottage," te told him.


    "I know," Nn replied curtly.<sub> </sub>


    He was no fool. If he dealt with them near the cottage, once backup arrived, they might find a trace of their earlier fight and even locate the cottage''s location.


    They could not afford those people to discover the cottage. There was no telling if those people had an Array Specialist among them once they discovered the array around the cottage. Then they would be forced to reveal themselves and fight.


    Nn was not afraid of facing them. What he did not want was them sending out information about them to their headquarters.


    "Do you think they are from the Temr Code?" te suddenly asked.


    "It is likely," Nn agreed with a short nod. "Since we can rule out the Chamber of Commerce, there is only the Temr Code or the Royal Army."


    He then remembered what Gage said about not meeting any of the Chamber of Commerce but there were still three groups after them. His brows creased as he added, "Or maybe there is a third unknown group hired by the Temr Code or the Royal Army."


    "I hate being surrounded by enemies," temented with a frown. She leaned back with a sigh and added, "I am too old to be running around."


    Nn could not help but raise his brows at her, "You''re only a year older than I am. Don''t talk as if you are that old. You''ll make me feel old."


    "Humph. We are all getting old. I don''t get why you need to make yourself look young. Is it to hide from the army''s bounty? For all they know, you were already dead."


    "Nope. My cover''s busted. Soon my bounty will be up for grabs. Anyway, I''m leaving now." Nn dered and stood up. "If not, I will lose their tracks."


    He went straight to the door and before he opened the door, he turned around to look at Kyran on the bed. Then he looked at te and Zephyr, and said, "I''ll leave the kid to you guys."


    te nodded her head.


    Zephyr only tilted his head in reply. He was Kyran''s Sigil, protecting him was his duty.


    After seeing their consent, Nn left.


    ====================


    At the valley in the Shaiha Ruins.


    When the people from the Temr Code discovered the shattered bodies of the three members of the Elite Team, they were all shocked by what they had seen and immediately ceased pursuing the Quilin. Then the highest authority from their ranks immediately sent a report to the headquarters for further instructions.


    In just half an hour, following their discovery, five people dressed in full-body golden armor arrived on the scene.


    These five were also part of the Temr Code''s Elite Team ofbat mages. The reason why they arrived early was not that they were near the ruins, but because the moment the three; Quinne, Dess, and Owen, were killed, they felt their life force disappearing.


    All members of the Temr Code''s Elite Team had a special bond wherein they could sense each other''s life force. If one of their members fell, no matter how far away they were from that member, they would all feel it.


    One of the five who arrived at the scene took off her headgear, revealing a beautiful woman with short sandy blonde hair and olive green eyes. Her face remained indifferent as she approached the small crater where Owen''s smashed body was located. Owen was thebat mage that wielded a golden spear and was the leader of the group that was after the Quilin. Most of all, he was this woman''s fiance.


    "O-Owen..."


    Seeing her fiance''s unrecognizable body, the woman trembled and soon after fell on her knees.


    "Lady Freya."


    One of the four people behind her stepped forward. However, he was stopped by another one who then said, "Don''t."


    Tears welled up on Freya''s beautiful face as she lifted a hand as if wanting to reach out for Owen''s body. But she stopped midway and instead closed her eyes. Her heart quenched painfully in her chest as her body shook in grief.


    Unable to suppress her grief, she finally let her tears fall as her heartbreaking sob filled the air.


    The four people behind her, including the rest of the Temr Code members nearby, could only watch her cry in silence.


    "How? How did this happen?" Freya suddenly asked, trying to regain herposure.


    Upon hearing her question, the mage who reported to the headquarters immediately stepped forward. For the next few minutes, he exined what had happened. However, he could not give her an exnation of what happened after Owen with Dess and Quinne, went after the Quilin.


    "This is clearly the work of the Quilin. However, I am curious of the crater''s origin."


    One of the four behind Freyamented.


    The one who wanted tofort Freya looked at him and asked, "Why Reuben? Is it not because of the impact of Owen''s fall?"


    "The question is how did Owen fall," the man who stopped him earlier also realized something was amiss.


    After hearing their doubts, Freya who finally managed to suppress her grief stood up and faced them.


    "Reuben, Jason, Evan, Max," she called the four one by one.


    All four stood straight and looked at her respectfully.


    "Have the rest leave and return to the headquarters. The five of us we''ll continue with the investigation ourselves. If this is the work of the Quilin, we will no longer show any mercy. Kill it on sight."


    The four nodded and replied, "Understood."

 Chapter 173 Strategically, And Almost Immediately

    With the rest of the Temr Code''s Elite Teambat mages, Freya remained in the valley to start their investigation.


    They first checked the crater where Owen''s body was. Then they went over to check Dess''s and Quinne''s bodies. After an hour, the five of them recovered their bodies and ced them on an enchanted body bag to preserve them. They would bring their bodies back to the headquarters for further examination.


    When they were done, all five of them entered a makeshift camp that had been erected before their arrival. They gathered around a small table to discuss their findings.


    They did not assign one member to check the condition of the bodies to ensure that the findings would not be one-sided. It was better to have more eyes and brain check the scene not to miss any clues.


    Freya, who now acted as the group leader, sat at the head of the table. Her eyes were still red from her earlier cry, but her expression had already turned cold.


    "Let us start," she announced and turned her attention to Reuben.


    "Reuben, I want to hear what you have to say first," she started.


    Reuben, who had removed his headgear, was a man in his mid-twenties. He had buzz-cut light brown hair and dark brown eyes. His left ear had an ear piercing, and there was a small cross-shaped scar under his chin. He looked pretty average and was neither thin nor burly, but his eyes showed great intelligence.


    "Yes, Lady Freya." Reuben replied with a short nod.


    The others did not show any reaction when Freya handpicked Reuben. After all, his intelligent air was not for show, though, because he was considered the youngest strategist within the Temr Code''s Elite Team.


    "As I have said earlier, I curious about the crater where sir Owen''s body was found." Reuben started. "While checking the crater and the position of his body, I noticed that he fell directly from above. However, the attack that caused his body to be in that state, was not consistent with the direction of his fall. To be more precise, the attack, which we all know was made by the Quilin''s shockwave, hit his body starting from the left side, going to his right. This means that the Quilin''s location when it attacked was a few meters to the left. Another proof of that was there were traces of the shockwave''s attack at the edge of the crater''s left side."


    Before Reuben could continue with his exnation, the man in his early thirties who was seated beside him frowned. This man had short ck hair and dark blue eyes. His right eye was covered with a gold eyepatch, and there were three long nasty scars down his right cheek originating from his eye.


    "I also noticed something''s amiss," he agreed. "We''re talking about Owen here. If he received a direct attack from the Quilin above and fell on the ground, even if the Quilin went to the left before releasing its shockwave attack, Owen would have gotten up by then and avoid it."


    Freya turned to this man.


    The man''s name was Evan, and he was the one who stopped Jason, the man who wanted tofort Freya earlier. Although it appeared that he interrupted Reuben''s exnation, Freya did not dismiss him and only listened.


    Reuben looked at Evan and nodded, "I agree. I believe, when sir Owen fell, he might have already been dead. Or at least close to death."


    "Reuben," the man sitting across from Reuben called out with a frown.


    This man seemed to be the youngest, who looked only in his early twenties. He had short curly ck hair and amber eyes. His facial features looked a little feminine, making him look very delicate yet good-looking. He was the one who wanted tofort Freya earlier.


    "It is fine Jason," Freya looked at the man with a smile. However, her smile did not reach her eyes.


    She turned her attention back at Reuben and said, "Continue."


    Reuben only nodded. He did not mean to sound unsympathetic, but he was a soldier, and so does Freya. He knew her earlier show of weakness was the first andst time she would disy in front of them.


    Freya was not a delicate damsel.


    Taking a deep breath, Reuben continued, "I also found the Quilin''s attack pattern a little strange. If the Quilin sessfully dealt an attack on sir Owen, and he fell on the ground, why did it have to fly away before releasing a follow-up attack?"


    The man seated beside Jason grunted in agreement.


    Freya looked at the man curiously.


    The man''s name was Max. He was the only one among the Temr Code''s Elite Team who originated from the north. He was a burly man in histe twenties with long dreadlocks, dark brown hair, and reddish-brown eyes. His eyes were a distinct feature of those who lived in the northern part of the empire. His skin color was also darker, and the contours of his face were sharp, giving him a fierce look.


    "Do you have anything to say, Max?" Freya asked.


    The other three also turned to him.


    Max rarely spoke, and when he did, he never said more than three words.


    "Armor," Max replied.


    Jason looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"


    However, Freya''s, Evan''s, and Reuben''s eyes widened in shock.


    That was right.


    Why did they miss this very basic detail?


    "Right. All of their armors were crushed," Reuben murmured while he crossed his arms across his chest and started to ponder.


    Jason turned to him and said with slight confusion, "Of course it was crushed. The Quilin''s shockwave crushed it."


    Max shook his head before grunting, "Impossible."


    Evan too looked at Jason with a sigh, "You''re new in the team, and you haven''t tested our armors in realbat yet. Our armors can withstand magic attacks. Quinne is also with them, and with his magic, he would have cast a strengthening magic on their armors."


    Jason frowned at once. He knew the armor issued by the Temr Code was top-notch. Now that Evan had reminded him of it as well as Quinne''s ability, Jason started to have doubts.


    Even if the Quilin''s shockwave bypassed the armor''s defenses, it should not have been crushed like that. Apart from this, with Quinne''s ability, he definitely would not have watched in silence and let them receive the Quilin''s attack head-on.


    "In that case, why did Quinne not strengthen their armor before the Quilin attacked?"


    "First dead," Max grunted again.


    Hearing Max''s remark, Reuben realized something and could not help but lookup. He lowered his arms andughed derisively at himself before looking at Freya with a bitter smile.


    "Lady Freya, I''m sorry. Please let me reassess what happened," he requested.


    Freya looked at him and nodded her consent, "Don''t worry. Most of us missed it."


    She then looked at Max and added, "Thank you Max."


    Max grunted and gave a short nod in response.


    "I''ll start from the beginning. Focusing on sir Max''s points, let''s first go back to the locations of their bodies." Reuben started once again.


    The four turned to him and listened in silence.


    "If we follow their route while they chased after the Quilin, the first body we found stuck on the wall was Dess''s. Then Quinne''s andst, sir Owen. From these, we can guess that the first one to fall was Dess, followed by Quinne and then sir Owen."


    Jason opened his mouth and was about to say something. However, seeing that the others did not want to interrupt Reuben, he closed his mouth and decided to listen first.<sub> </sub>


    Besides, Reuben might point out what Jason wanted to say. If he had interrupted now, he would have disrupted Reuben''s train of thought.


    "Judging from the recorded skirmishes our team had with the Quilin, it never showed any signs of ''strategicial'' pattern in dealing with them. It always unted its powerful area-of-effect attacks to scatter our people''s advances."


    Reuben paused to take a deep breath before adding with a mocking smile, "But the way sir Owen''s team had been dealt with showed otherwise. Not to mention, after dealing with Dess, the attacker shifted to Quinne almost immediately.


    Freya closed her eyes. She thought the same.


    Strategically, it was best to take down the person who could boost the team''sbat strength first. In this case, that would be Quinne. But another good strategy was to deal with the person who could provide long-range offense and big area-of-effect attacks. This move meant that dealing with Dess first was also good. Still, the attacker must possess great speed and a powerful attack for this to seed. After all, Quinne and Owen would not watch in silence when Dess was under attack.


    Talking about speed, though the Quilin was fast, it could not perform continuous attacks. They already know its attacks had a few secondsg time. So how was it able to achieve such speed? Could the Quilin had a hidden ability? If it did, why only show it now?


    "And..." Reuben hesitated for a second while lowering his gaze. After a short pause, he looked at Freya with a solemn expression. He continued, "If I consider my first doubts on the crater''s origin, including Dess''s and Quinnes''s, we can judge from the depth of the craters that the force that hit them was enough to crush a human bones. Since they were wearing armors, it should have cushioned the impact. But recalling the state of their armors, and how our armors could deflect the Quilin''s shockwave attack, then we can say, that the armor might have been destroyed before they fell."


    Freya''s eyes snapped open. She looked at Reuben in disbelief.


    "There is no way the Quilin could destroy our armors. If it did, it should have done so years ago," she said.


    Reuben nodded, "That''s right. And as I said, the attacker dealt with sir Owen''s team strategically, and almost immediately. Feats that the Quilin is not capable of."


    Evan took a sharp breath and hissed, "Are you saying there is someone else?"


    Reuben nodded his head hesitantly, "We can''t rule out the possibility."


    Max also grunted in agreement.


    On the other hand, Jason looked at both of them in disbelief.


    "How is that possible? The Commander dispatched more people to guard the ruins because recently there was a group of people who broke in. If what you said is true, how did that person got in?" He asked.


    Reuben shook his head.


    Silence followed as all of them started to ponder this information.


    After a few minutes, Freya finally stood up and said, "Evan, you, Max and Jason will return to the headquarters to examine the bodies. Request to use magic energy tests and confirm if there are foreign energies in the bodies that did not belong to the Quilin and them. Reuben and I will stay and look for the Quilin."


    All of them stood up and nodded in response.


    "Alright," Evan replied with a short nod.


    Freya looked at Reuben and said, "Let''s go."


    "Yes, Lady Freya," Reuben answered.


    The two left the makeshift camp at once.


    ====================


    Gage hid at a small hidden cave in the forest outside Noser while silently observing the outside surroundings.


    He managed to lure the people who were about to discover the cottage earlier. Then he found a safe ce to take the potion Nn gave him before hiding in the cave.


    Unlike Gage''s initial worry, the potion did not taste bad. Although it did taste like graphite.


    It had been a good two hours since Gage left the cottage and at least an hour since he shook off their pursuit and found the cave to hide. So far, he had not sensed anyone nearby.


    Gage leaned back on the cave''s wall and closed his eyes with a sigh.


    ''Now I only have to wait for Nn to find me,'' he thought.


    His expression suddenly turned sour, remembering Nn''s lousy sense of direction.


    "He said he can find me with the potion''s help. I hope what he said is true. If not, I will end up hiding here for nothing," Gage murmured under his breath.


    "You want me to beat you up, baldie?"


    "Shit!" Gage eximed when he suddenly heard a deep male voice speak near the cave''s opening.


    Soon a fog-like shadow appeared, then dispersed, revealing Nn standing at the cave''s entrance.


    Nn was looking at Gage with a scowl.


    "You¡ª! Wait, how did you find me so soon?" Gage asked in concern. "It''s only been an hour since I shake them off. They might still be nearby."


    An hour was not enough to thoroughly shake off those people''s pursuit. If they did not find his trace, they would retrace their tracks and search another route.


    Nn snorted as he entered the cave.


    "Those bunch of weaklings? I killed them off," he said casually.


    Gage froze from Nn''s casual attitude. He was also a mercenary, and sometimes killing someone could not be avoided. However, killing a monster and killing a human were different.


    Gage could never have such a casual attitude after doing the deed.


    ''I better talk to Ss and tell him not to say anything to this man about how I thought of getting even with him before,'' he thought.


    "We won''t head back though. Let''s leave some traces away from the cottage to throw them off," Nn continued.


    Gage did not argue and nodded his head in agreement.


    "Which way are we going to lead them?"


    Nn sneered and replied while heading out of the cave, "Let''s leave a trail going to Meliora."


    His answer gave Gage a foreboding feeling.


    "You... You''re not trying to sow discord are you?"


    Nn stopped and turned his head to look at him with a devious smile before answering dramatically, "What do you think?"

 Chapter 174 The Ylfaen Emperor

    Inside the cottage, located at the heart of the forest outside Noser, Zephyr remained seated at the foot of the bed as he looked after Kyran. At this moment, they were the only ones in the cottage because te went outside to find something to eat.


    Initially, Zephyr wanted to tell her that he smelled some food inside his master''s storage but stopped when he remembered that they would not be able to take it out.


    Kyran''s space storage was a bit special, and he was the only one who could open it.


    As Zephyr sat in silence, he thought about the events that had happened.


    The truth, Zephyr had notpletely processed all that had happened this day. For one thing, it happened one after another.


    Early this morning, Zephyr was still inside the ruins hiding from the pursuit of the Temr Code. Then in the afternoon, he met a human who had the Dragon Lord''s power. He was thrashed around by this person before taking him away. Right after that, he was subjected to the Sigil and ended up having a new master.


    To be honest, Zephyr had not fully submitted himself to Kyran. But since the Sigil''s seal was already inside him, he could not go against Kyran. He could not even think of going against him, or else the Sigil would bind him again.


    Zephyr looked at Kyran and sighed. He recalled how Kyran promised to protect the Shaiha if something happened to him within three years. He felt mixed emotions.


    Kyran did not know what the Shaiha was. If he did, he probably would not have made the promise. But since he made the promise, Kyran could not go back on his words. Zephyr would not let him either.


    Knowing this, Zephyr had calmed down a little. Still, he was worried about the shrine. If those people from the Temr Code found the dead bodies of their people, they would definitely look for him. He wondered if they would force their way inside the shrine if they could not find him. If that happened, could the shrine hold without him?


    Kyran promised that he would improve the shrine''s array. But how long would it really take? Zephyr did not believe he couldplete it in a week. There was also the question of how they would go back in the ruins...


    Zephyr suddenly remembered that Kyran could warp, and his insides made an involuntary turn from the memory of his warping experience.


    ''D-Do I have to go through that experience again?'' He wondered and shivered at the thought.


    Shifting his focus away from his churning insides, Zephyr recalled his conversation with te.


    Before te left, she exined to him their current situation. She also answered his question earlier about how the Temr Code could detect him if he left the cottage.


    As te exined, she identally entered the ruins with Nn and Gage. After leaving the ce, the Temr Code found out, sending their people after them. Their people were now scattered around the forest, searching for them. And these people might be carrying magic devices that could detect aura or magic signature.


    After hearing te''s exnation, Zephyr felt his head throb in exasperation. The humans around his master appeared to be troublemakers. He felt fear for their future.


    Because of this, Zephyr wondered once again why his new master needed his stone. He hoped Kyran would not attract trouble because of it.


    Zephyr really hoped his new master was not a troublemaker like the other humans around him.


    ''He is not probably but it does not mean that he will not attract trouble,'' he thought with a sigh.


    Kyran possessed two of the Four Great Magic. His destiny was bound to be arduous. Even if he chose to keep a low profile, his extraordinary existence would definitely attract the Fates. After all, Fates were existences from the Higher ne who loved to watch extraordinary existences from other nes struggle.


    Then there was the matter on Kyran''s magic cores. It was normal for him, who possessed the power of nothingness, to have more magic cores. Since he also possessed the power of dragons, having five magic cores was not surprising.


    The surprising part was the state of Kyran''s two magic cores. Normally, it should have a trace of either the power of dragons or the power of nothingness. But both cores did not have them. Instead, there were four different types of energy within the third core, while the fourth core remained unupied. This factor further emphasized how extraordinary Kyran''s existence was.


    Others might feel honored to be acquainted with someone with such an identity, but Zephyr felt the opposite. He was a little fearful.


    Heaving another sigh, Zephyr closed his eyes and leaned his back on the wall.


    ''There''s no point thinking right now. Once he wakes up, we''ll just have to talk.'' He decided.


    He would not ask the humans around his master for information. To him, it was better to hear it directly from his master.


    Half an hourter, te returned to the cottage. She caught a few freshwater fish from the nearby stream and picked some herbs.


    They made small talk while she moved around the kitchen, checking all the cupboards for cooking wares. When she did not find anything, she took out lumps of y from her coat pocket and molded her own wares.


    Zephyr observed te while she worked. He was surprised by how convenient her ability was. However, he noticed that although her ability was outstanding, her magic level was not that high.


    No. To be precise, Zephyr could not gauge her level. But he felt it was not because she had very high magic attainment. Instead, her magic level could not be measured in this ne. Same with his case.


    ''She''s... not an ordinary human,'' he thought and could not help but nce at his new master again.


    It seemed he got himself a troublesome master.


    ''The future... is bleak,'' Zephyr thought with a sigh in his heart.


    ====================


    The sun had just set in Meliora City.


    One after another, the lights in the city square lit up as the night market came alive.


    At the northern part of the city square, there was a circr 60-meter high thick wall surrounded by a moat. The small bridge that led to the gates was currently decorated, and soldiers were lined up on the side. And the normally closed gates were presently opened.


    Themps along the stone-paved road were also decorated with flowers and lights inside the gates. Reg gs with and embroidered Ylfaen Family Crest, a gold Pheonix with its wings spread out on its sides, hanged alternately on themps.


    Each side of the road was filled with neatly organized flowers and decorated horse bushes.


    Near the end of the road was a stoned courtyard with a huge fountain. In the center of the fountain, there was a statue of a beautiful woman with long wavy hair in a flowing white gown, sitting on a stone. The statue was made of white and ck marble, with her hair made of pure gold. Her enchanting blue eyes were also made of genuine Sapphires.


    A few meters from the fountain, there was a marbled step where pce guards stood in red and white uniforms that led to an arch.


    Behind the arch stood a magnificent white marbled pce that appeared to glitter in the night. On a closer look, the glittering effect came from real diamonds embedded on the marbled wall.


    Suddenly, a trumpet sounded and filled the air.


    The head pce guard, in a red and gold uniform holding a stave, who stood at the top of the marbled step, straightened and bellowed, "The Emperor has arrived!"


    All pce guards moved at the same time and drew their swords. They stood straight and raised their swords a few centimeters before their bodies.


    After a few seconds, led by four knights in red and gold armor on armored white horses, a white and gold-painted carriage with the Ylfaen Crest carved on its roof made its way to the courtyard. Behind the carriage, three smaller carriages followed.


    The white and gold-painted carriage stopped in front of the marbled step, and a manservant in red and white uniform got off from the front seat and opened the door.


    The four knights also dismounted from their horses.


    A middle-aged man with long braided light brown hair, and amber eyes, stepped out. He was not overly handsome, but he had a regal air. He wore white leather armor beneath a long red cape, and above his head was a golden crown.<sub> </sub>


    This man was the Ylfaen Emperor, Euan Arthall.


    "Salute to the Emperor!" The head pce guard announced.


    All at once, the pce guards lifted their swords 45 degrees, and a red carpet magically appeared from the top of the marbled step.


    Led by his manservant, Euan went up the stairs.


    As soon as he arrived at the door leading to the pce''s reception hall, an older man with long gray hair and ck eyes wearing a red mage robe greeted him.


    "Your majesty," the man greeted while lowering his head in respect.


    "Hm," Euan nodded his head in response. "Master Aiden, you''re here."


    Aiden was the Head Royal Mage, and he had been serving the Royal Family for almost thirty years.


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Euan did not stop and walked straight up the grand stairs leading to the first floor.


    Aiden, with the four knights, followed behind.


    "Did you also receive the message?" Euan asked Aiden.


    "Yes, your majesty."


    "What are your thoughts?"


    Aiden bowed his head and replied, "Given the request to see you as soon as you have arrived, what the Grand Marshal has to say is probably rted to a highly confidential subject."


    Euan frowned. He also thought the same. After all, Grand Marshal Gael rarely requested to meet him himself.


    "And?" Euan urged Aiden to continue.


    "Before he sent a request, we have received a movement report from the Special Ops."


    Euan''s frown deepened.


    "Their destination?" He asked.


    "South."


    Euan stopped in his tracks and looked at Aiden.


    "Did you find the reason why they had to go south?"


    Aiden shook his head, "Not yet, your majesty. Our people lost them after arriving at the Bearch City."


    "Find them as soon as possible," Euan ordered with narrowed eyes.


    "Yes, your majesty." Aiden replied and lowered his head.


    Euan turned and was about to continue making his way up the stairs when a beautiful young woman appeared at the top of the stairs.


    The woman''s long wavy light brown hair that hung on her shoulder was loosely braided. She was dressed in a light pink off-shoulder, long dress, which made her sapphire blue eyes appear brighter.


    "Father!" The young woman''s melodious voice echoed through the reception hall.


    Euan looked up, and his stoic expression changed into a warm smile.


    "Haylee."


    Haylee, beamed and went down the stairs. Then she stopped at least a meter and a half away from Euan and extended her hands.


    Haylee did not say anything but only gave Euan a sweet smile while fluttering her eyes.


    Her action immediately made Euanugh. Even Aiden and the others could not help but smile at her action.


    "Ahaha, my sweet little princess, I have just arrived and you are already asking for your present?"


    Haylee pouted as she lowered her hands.


    "I am no longer a little princess. I''ll be sixteen in five days!"


    Euan chuckled and nodded his head.


    "Yes. Yes, but to me you will remain my little princess," he answered affectionately.


    Haylee smiled sweetly and finally took the remaining steps toward Euan while spreading her arms.


    "I missed you, Father~." She said and wrapped her arms around Euan''s waist.


    Euan returned her embrace and smiled, "I missed you too."


    Haylee looked at him and said, "Mother is waiting in the living room."


    Euan nodded, "We must not let your mother wait."


    "Okay."


    Euan looked at Aiden and the four knights.


    He said, "We''ll reconvene in the throne room in two hours."


    "Yes, your majesty." They answered in unison.


    With that, Euan and Haylee continued their way up the stairs. The rest of the servants followed behind.

 Chapter 175 No Means No

    There were three living rooms in the Ylfaen Pce. The biggest one, located on the ground floor, at the end of the reception hall and behind the grand stairs. The second one was located on the pce''s left-wing ground floor and was close to the open garden. Last, the living room on the first floor was smallerpared to the two, but it was enough because the room was exclusive only to the Royal Family members.


    The entrance to the living room on the first floor was a big wooden double door. Two pce guards stood on each side, guarding the outside.


    As soon as the two guards saw Euan and Haylee, they saluted and opened the door.


    Behind the doors, just opposite the entrance, was a wall with floor-to-ceiling ss windows and twin ss doors at the middle that led to an outside veranda. Red with gold ent curtains was drawn to the side of each window, while a crimson, white soft curtain hung behind the closed ss doors.


    In the middle of the room were two long red couches facing each other with a long wooden table between them. Behind these couches, there were smaller tea table sets and cabs with delicate designs.


    Above the center of the room hung a golden chandelier that lit up the surroundings.


    As soon as Euan and Haylee stepped inside the room, Haylee ran to the left couch where a beautiful, delicate-looking woman in her early thirties sat.


    The woman had long, straight dark-brown hair and green eyes. She wore a loose long white dress, and there was an obvious bump around her stomach.


    "Mother, Father is finally home," Haylee announced as she ran inside to a woman sitting on the long couch.


    The woman who had turned her attention on the doors the moment it opened was smiling endearingly at them.


    "Hahaha, your mother already know about my return, you did not have to announce it," Euan said as he walked over to the couch and stopped in front of the woman.


    He smiled and said, "I''m home, Iulia."


    The woman, Iulia, reached out her hand to Euan and replied softly, "Wee home."


    Euan reached for her hand and gently pulled her to her feet.


    Seeing the two looking at each other lovingly, Haylee could not help but roll her eyes. However, the smile on her face was evident that she did not mind them acting lovey-dovey. It only meant that their rtionship was still very good even after a decade of marriage.


    Euan lowered his eyes and looked at Iulia''s bump. He gently pressed one hand over her bump and teased, "Look how you have grown. I have only been away for three months."


    Iulia giggled and ced her hand on top of his.


    "I''m already two months pregnant when you left, what did you expect?" She replied.


    Haylee also beamed and looked at her father, "Master Aiden performed a divination and we already know my baby... sibling''s gender."


    Euan looked at them with raised brows.


    "Really? Why did I not receive a word?"


    Haylee pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, "Of course we told them not to tell you. Because it is a surprise!"


    Euan chuckled and nodded his head, "Indeed I am surprised right now."


    He saw sadness sh across his daughter''s eyes as he said this. But it was only for a second that he was not sure if he was mistaken.


    Making a mental note to speak to Haylee alone, Euan turned his attention to Iulia and asked, "And? What is our baby''s gender?"


    Iulia giggled and shook her head, "Let''s talk about that after dinner."


    "Can''t it be done now?" Euan asked in disappointment.


    "No," Iulia replied firmly. "If I say it now we might end up dying."


    She took Euan''s hand and locked it with hers. Then she gently pulled him out of the living room.


    "Madam Jia, prepared all your favorite. Let us first have our dinner," she added.


    Haylee also stood up and followed them.


    The three went to the dining room, where a small feast was served. They ate while having small talks, and by the end of their dinner, Iulia finally revealed that she was expecting a baby boy.


    This news brought great joy to Euan. Having a son ensured that the Arthall Family would live on.


    While anyone who marries into the Royal Family would automatically carry the Arthall surname, having a direct descendant of the Arthall Family take on their name was still better.


    The three happily celebrated the joyous news for the remaining of the dinner. When it was time for the Iulia to rest, Euan and Haylee walked her to her chambers.


    Haylee was supposed to return to her chambers as well. However, Euan asked her to apany him to the throne room first.


    Euan was taught to observe and read people''s expressions at an early age. He had been an emperor for more than a decade and had a lot of practice in this field. Thus, it was impossible for him not to notice how his daughter appeared happy yet sad at the same time.


    On the other hand, Haylee, who was taught to seed her father at a young age, already knew why her father suddenly asked her to apany him. She did not want her emotion to be known, and she had tried to conceal it. Unfortunately, she was still too greenpared to her father''s ability to discern others'' emotions.


    Before Euan could start questioning her, Haylee made the first move and said, "Father, it is not what you think."


    Euan turned to her and arched his brows, "Oh? What am I thinking?"


    Haylee looked at him with pursed lips, "I already know why you want to talk to me."


    With a smile, Euan looked away and turned his attention forward, "Is that so?"


    Haylee also looked in front and replied, "I am not sad because I''ll have a baby brother soon. Nor am I worried that... he might rece me."


    Euan did not reply. He let Haylee continue to speak while he listened to her earnestly.


    "To be honest," Haylee paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "I do... want you to reconsider your sessor."


    "You know that is impossible," Euan replied. His tone was neither stern nor harsh.


    He looked at Haylee and smiled. "Are you really that against being the next ruler?"


    Haylee looked at him in surprise. "''Really''? How...?"


    "I am your father. Did you think I won''t notice how reluctant you look whenever the sessor to the throne is brought up?" Euan replied with a knowing smile.


    Haylee pursed her lips and looked away, "No fair."


    Euan chuckled and returned his attention in front.


    "Are you still thinking of what happened that time?" He asked.


    "Hm," Haylee replied with a short nod.


    The ''time'' Euan mentioned happened twelve years ago. When a Spirit suddenly attacked Haylee and thete empress, Haylee''s biological mother.


    What happened did not appear to be such a big event to the public. However, that event caused Haylee to fall fatally ill because the Spirit left a fatal curse on her. Afterward, thete empress did everything in her power to save her. And a yearter, the empress seeded. Unfortunately, it also caused her life.<sub> </sub>


    Haylee was only four years old at that time, but because of her excellent memory, she remembered what happened vividly. It took her a good five years to recover.


    It was all thanks to Iulia''s patience and love that Haylee eventually made a full recovery.


    "Though Master Aiden cast a spell to ensure that the Spirits will never be able to hurt me, the fact that they do not acknowledge me is still there. If I ascend the throne, won''t the Dinaeri Family oppose and make trouble?"


    "You do not have to worry about that. It is true that the Dinaeri Family''s influence has grown over the years, but it is not enough to threaten us."


    Haylee looked at her father in concern, "But they are still part of the Three Noble Families and they have a good foothold within the Royal Army now."


    "What are the Three Noble Families? Compared to the old noble family, their roots are still too weak." Euan replied disdainfully.


    After hearing her father''s reply, Haylee''s face suddenly turned red as a thought crossed her mind.


    "Father, when you say old noble family... are you referring to the Regis n? You''re not thinking of reconciling with them are you?"


    Euan stopped in his tracks and heaved a deep sigh. Haylee also stopped walking and stood by his side.


    "s," he replied with a mournful voice. He looked at Haylee with a smile full of remorse, "If your grandfather had not been a tyrant, the Regis n would have still remained under our rule. Still, it is not toote. Once the next Regis Patriarch assume the role, there is a good chance for us to reconcile with them."


    Haylee pouted and said, "I know the current information of the Regis main family. Father, when you say reconcile with them, you are not thinking of having me and their young master..."


    Her voice trailed off as her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.


    Euan smiled mischievously and replied, "Why not?"


    "No!" Haylee''s pout deepened as she stomped her feet.


    Euan chuckled at his daughter''s cute pout.


    "You don''t have to be opposed to it. The Regis n''s military force, although your grandfather did his best to suppress it, has always been powerful. Having a husband who has direct influence to such a force is very good for us."


    "No means no! Tell me the truth, Father. When you said that it is impossible for my little brother to be your sessor is it because you have been nning to get the Regis n into the Royal Family?"


    Euan''s expression turned solemn as he replied, "You know very well that it is not the reason."


    Haylee did not reply and only pursed her lips. His answer did not convince her.


    "Though the Arthall Family has ruled the empire, you know that it is your biological mother''s side who has the power. And you have your mother''s blood. Not your soon to be younger brother."


    "But¡ª."


    "I won''t force you to marry the Regis n''s young master, however, you must give me a good reason."


    "He is too skinny! I saw his picture and read his profile. He looked weaker than I am!" Hayleeined.


    Euan could not help butugh at her ludicrous reason.


    "That is not a good reason. Besides, I am sure that the image in his profile has not been updated. I have also read his profile, and believed he is not weak at all."


    Haylee red at him, "How is he not weak? He does not even have magic!"


    "But hisbat ability is the best among your generation."


    "No means no," Haylee replied stubbornly and crossed her arms.


    Euan did not insist and only replied with a smile. His daughter acted stubborn at times, but she knew how topromise once she calmed down and managed to see reasons.


    Honestly, having Haylee marry the Regis young master would definitely raise opposition within the empire''s parliament. However, all independent factions in the empire had always had a good impression of the Regis n. 40% of the representatives within the empire''s parliament consisted of leaders among the big and smaller independent factions. Another 40% consisted of all the Noble Families representatives. The remaining 20% were representatives of the Royal Family. If voting were cast with the support of the independent factions, the Three Noble Families would not persist.


    "We''ll talk about it after my next visit to the Regis Estate next month. You cane with me and meet the Regis''s young master so you can make your own ''assessment''," Euan said.


    With a sigh of resignation, Haylee replied, "Fine."


    The two of them continued on their way to the throne room.


    Outside the backroom of the throne room, Haylee bid goodnight to her father and went to her chambers.


    On the other hand, Euan entered the backroom where his assistant was waiting.


    "Your majesty," the middle-aged man in red and white uniform greeted him in respect.


    "Are they all in?"


    The assistant nodded his head and replied, "Yes, your majesty. The Grand Marshal has also arrived a few minutes ago."


    "Alright," Euan replied and walked over the red curtains that separated the backroom to the throne.


    As soon as he stepped into the throne room, Euan saw Aiden and the four royal knights standing on the right side, while Gael stood on the left side.


    "Your majesty," they greeted and bowed their heads in respect.


    Euan nodded his head and sat on the high chair before saying, "Let''s start."


    The six people straightened and faced Euan.


    Immediately Euan turned his attention to Gael, and he asked, "You requested for a meeting, but refused to give any detail, why?"


    Gael lowered his head before replying, "I am afraid that my report might be intercepted."


    Euan''s eyes narrowed.


    "Who would dare do so?"


    "I am merely being cautious, your majesty."


    "And? What will you report that you do not want to be intercepted?"


    Gael straightened and looked in Aiden and the four knights'' direction cautiously.


    Seeing Gael''s action, Euan sneered and said, "They are my people. You can say anything in their presence."


    Gael turned his attention back at Euan with a slight frown.


    He hesitated for a few seconds but eventually replied, "Very well."


    He took a deep breath and finally said, "A few days ago, I met a man. And this man''s body was supposed to have been found dead at a ruin in the Chaos Pce ten years ago."

 Chapter 176 Bounty Renewal

    If others heard Gael''s report, they might not be able to find anything unusual about it. Because there had been past incidents where other officers met people who ''looked-like'' some dead wanted man or officers that went missing. In the end, they confirmed that these people were only look-a-likes.


    However, everyone inside the throne room froze after Gael said his piece. Because their interest was instantly drawn to three points from what he said; dead body, ruin at the Chaos Pce, and ten years ago.


    They were all veterans who served the empire for more than fifteen years, and when one talked about a dead body found at a ruin in the Chaos Pce ten years ago, they were reminded of the unsolved case of the wanted man, Gray.


    Just thinking about this person, anyone would be attracted, regardless if Gael only met a look alike. Because there were still people who did not believe that the body found in the ruin was Gray, although all evidence confirmed it was him.


    Euan, in particr, was not convinced. He still had people looking everywhere to find him. After all, that man killed an important figure of the empire who had the Legendary Badge.


    With eyes narrowed, Euan asked Gael.


    "You will note here yourself if you have not confirmed his identity, correct?"


    Gael nodded.


    "Yes, your majesty. He confirmed it himself."


    Euan abruptly stood with both his fists clenched.


    "Where is he now?" He asked through gritted teeth.


    Gael furrowed his brows.


    This question was what he dreaded answering. If he admitted that he failed to track Gray or even left a mark to continue his pursuit, the emperor and everyone present would mock him. He was a Magus and the Grand Marshal. How could he fail such a simple task? However, Gael knew that having a smear on his name was a small price to pay. Because the important thing right now was to divert the emperor''s attention away from the Regis n and have him focus on Gray.


    It was Gael''s reason for reporting this incident.


    "I''m sorry. I failed to catch him," Gael replied remorsefully.


    "What?" Euan growled in anger. His magic pressure suddenly erupted, forcing everyone inside to their knees.


    Gael''s eyes widened from Euan''s pressure. It was not a pressure an Exalted Mage could have!


    ''H-He has been promoted to a Magus?'' Gael thought in rm.


    If this was true, howe Euan''s pressure could affect even him, who was also a Magus? It was simply impossible!


    "How did you fail?" Euan asked. His amber eyes glowed malevolently as he stared at Gael.


    Aiden and the four royal knights trembled from Euan''s undisguised anger. They did not dare look up and kept their heads low.


    "H-He has been promoted to a Magus, your majesty." Gael replied hastily.


    Euan''s eyes widened.


    "A Magus?"


    "Y-Yes. And his magic... it was different from the information we have."


    Euan frowned.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Our information indicated that he possessed Steel Magic, however, when I fought with him, he constructed a huge Golem that was not only made from steel but different elements."


    After fighting Gray, Gael had racked his brains in figuring his magic. And this was the answer he came up with after talking to Seanne, the cksmith he entrusted with repairing his scythe. It was the only possible reason Gray managed to destroy his magic weapon.


    The expression on everyone''s faces changed drastically.


    What did it mean to be able to utilize different elements?


    In a battle between mages with specialization, the environment would be a critical factor. It would determine a mage''s advantage if his innate magic was dominant in that ce. For example, a battle between a Fire Mage and a Water Mage would be advantageous to thetter if there was a body of water nearby. Because once both mages run out of magic reserves, the Water Mage could easily manipte the water nearby to his advantage.


    If a mage could utilize different elements, then that mage would practically be invincible in any environment because elements were present everywhere.


    Euan also undid his magic pressure as he sat on his throne. His face looked ashen from this information.


    "What elements can he use?" Euan asked after a short pause.


    "I can only guess three, from how he was able to destroy my magic weapon. Gold, silver and... carbon," Gael answered.


    He had thought of this answer long before. After all, his scythe was made up of these three.


    Everyone''s expression distorted at once.


    To utilize one element was already troublesome, but to have three confirmed elements? Not to mention, carbon element was also present in humans.


    "Are you sure?"


    "It is base on my own understanding. I dare not say it is for sure," Gael admitted.


    He did not confirm it because he had a feeling Gray could manipte more elements. He had this suspicion from how the ck orbs Gray manipted performed.


    "It was recorded that he was an Abjurer. If he can construct a Golem, then he has learned dual specialization," Euanmented.


    Gael nodded his head in agreement.


    "That is right. He is very proficient as a Transmuter."


    Euan closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. He leaned on his chair and fell into deep thought.


    He did not expect to encounter this kind ofplication as soon as he returned to the pce. Honestly, the three months he had been away, he had been building rtions with other independent factions from the north. His reason was simple. He nned to get the Three Noble Families down their high horses. After returning, his next step was to curry favor to the Regis n.


    Unfortunately, Gray''s reappearance would have to be prioritized. What he did was of national importance because he discovered a top-secret.


    Aiden and the rest did not dare disturb Euan''s thoughts. They remained silent as they waited for him to speak.


    It was the same with Gael. But since he was not privy of why the Royal Family wanted to apprehend Gray, he was not as anxious as them. On the contrary, he rejoiced in his heart because he knew he had already seeded in diverting the emperor''s attention.


    After a few minutes, Euan finally opened his eyes and looked at them.


    "We will renew Gray''s bounty. Contact the Conve, Temr Code and Aureole and have his bounty avable to them as well. This is a Royal Decree," he dered.


    All of them bowed at once, "Yes. Your majesty."


    Soon after, all major factions in the empire received the decree and caused a huge uproar.<sub> </sub>


    =======================


    It was alreadyte at night when the Conve received the Royal Decree.


    Because it was a decree issued by the Ylfaen Emperor himself, it was sent directly to the Tower of Conve.


    After Malek received the decree, he immediately contacted Ste, who met with him at the south tower''s receiving area.


    Ste sat on the high chair holding the gold parchment.


    The gold parchment was sent from the Royal Pce through a transmission array to the Royal Army''s HQ in Starhorn. Then it was delivered to the Mercenary Hall, after which Can sent it over to the Tower of Conve using their transmission array.


    A slight frown appeared on Ste''s beautiful face as she read the content of the parchment.


    Malek looked at her in concern. He stood at the foot of the raised tform, waiting for her to speak.


    Ste rolled the parchment with a sigh before turning her attention to Malek.


    "They want us to issue a bounty to ''Gray''," she told him.


    "Gray?" Malek repeated, his brows furrowed in confusion.


    As a faction with a vastwork of information, the Conve knew about Gray. They knew that his body was found in a ruin in the Chaos Pce ten years ago. And that he was thought to have been killed by mages from the Archadia.


    "Does this mean he is not dead?"


    Ste rubbed the bridge of her nose as she leaned on her chair. Among the Conve members, she was the only one who knew the truth about Gray. Even Malek did not know. It was not because the Regis told her but because she managed to put two and two together aftering across Nn''s information. Of course, ordinary people would not be able to guess it. Not even the most intelligent human would be able to find the truth. Ste''s only advantage was that she knew the Regis, and all information was avable to her.


    "I can''t say if this is good for Kyran or not," Ste said, avoiding Malek''s question. "But with this, the interest of those outsiders who wanted to try Kyran''s bounty will shift to Gray''s. After all, the Royal Family issued it."


    Malek frowned a little from her reply. He felt a little annoyed, not because she did not answer his question, but because she still managed to think of Kyran''s situation from this decree. Still, he dared not say anything and remained silent.


    "Still..." Ste''s voice trailed off as she thought of Nn.


    ''How did you end up revealing your identity?'' She wondered in frustration.


    Ste was aware that what she asked Nn to do was not simple. She also anticipated that Nn might face the Grand Marshal to save Gage. But she did not expect that facing the Grand Marshal would reveal his identity.


    After a few minutes of silence, Ste finally nodded and ordered.


    "You can post the bounty. ce more importance to it so Kyran''s bounty will slowly fade in the background."


    "Milord, I don''t think Gray''s bounty will attract other''s interest. Compared to the bounty reward, the boy''s bounty is still better."


    What Malek said was true. Gray''s bounty did not show any amountpared to Kyran''s. But since Gray''s bounty was issued by the Royal Family, it was a given that the reward would be immense.


    "It doesn''t matter," Ste replied with a wave of her hand. "We''re doing it to ensure the Royal Family has nothing toin."


    Malek nodded his head in agreement.


    "Very well."


    After Malek left, Ste remained seated in her chair and looked at the receiving area''s ceiling. She watched the floatingnterns distractedly as she pondered how to exin this to Kyran.


    She did promise not to keep anything from him. Although Kyran did not know that Gray was Nn, she would tell Kyran the truth because she knew he was waiting for him.


    While Ste pondered about this, the space in front of her suddenly crackled as a light-blue array appeared.


    Startled, Ste looked up and was about to cast her magic to iste the array''s activation time when Lumi''s small figure appeared in the middle.


    "Lumi?"


    Ste stood up in rm.


    "Humph!" Lumi flew out of the array and went straight at Ste. "That stupid Ss! I don''t run a delivery service!"


    Ste looked at her with a stump expression.


    "What?"


    Lumi ignored Ste''s question and instead opened her little hand. A dark red stone appeared above Lumi''s hand and flew to Ste.


    "That is..." Ste''s eyes widened as she recognized the stone.


    "Yes," Lumi replied with a short huff. "The Void Master has acquired the rare stone. But he can''t bring it himself because he is recuperating."


    "Recuperating? Why? What happened?" Ste asked in concern.


    When she saw Lumi take out the stone, she already had a bad feeling. Howe Lumi had the rare stone? The answer was obvious, Kyran could note to deliver it himself.


    Now that Lumi had confirmed Kyran''s status, Ste''s heart immediately sunk.


    Lumi scowled as she eximed, "I don''t know! That stupid Ss barred me in the cottage! I did not even see the Void Master''s condition! AAAAHHH! I want to skin that stupid little human alive!"


    Lumi''s sudden outburst made Ste speechless. It was her first time seeing an angered Spirit, and she could not help but pray for Ss. She could only imagine his fate after Lumi returned. Hopefully, Lumi would not seriously skin him alive.


    "Barred? Cottage?" Ste repeated questioningly.


    "Humph!" Lumi huffed angrily and crossed her chubby arms across her chest. "Yes. That stupid Ss said not to worry because the Void Master is in good hands. He doesn''t even want to tell me the details! AAAAAHHHH! I really want to skin him alive!"


    Ste blinked and said, "No. Don''t. If you do you''ll lose your connection in this ne if something happens to Ss."


    "I know that! I won''t really skin him. Instead, I''ll shave his head bald!"


    Ste no longer reply and could only sigh in her heart.


    But.


    While she tried to divert her concern by focusing on Lumi''s annoyance, she was still very worried about Kyran. She wanted to go to him, but because of the restrictions ced on her by the Royal Family, she could not leave the Tower of Conve.


    At times like this, Ste hated being bound to this ce.


    ''Kyran... Please be safe,'' she prayed silently.

 Chapter 177 Brute Force

    In the west part of Noser City, the Temr Code Headquarters stood.


    There was a small courtyard and an outside training ground in front of a three-story stone building.


    Most people and travelers who passed by the Temr Code Headquarters could see their people training in the morning because no walls surrounded its border. The founders of the Temr Code decided not to build a wall because they were confident their people could protect the headquarters with their strength. Of course, there was still a defensive array around the building, but its level was only seventh-tier, and the forms used were average.


    The three-story building was huge and was circr. The dormitories for female and male members, dining hall, infirmary, and reception area were found on the ground floor. On the first level, all rooms at the front side were reserved for ranked officers. While at the back, the armory and weaponry and the library and research department were located. As for indoor training rooms and assembly hall, it was situated on the second floor.


    Inside one of the research rooms, Evan, Max, and Jason were waiting at the receiving area for the test results on the bodies of Owen and his team.


    The three of them had been waiting outside the research department inner room where the walls were made of ck material for almost half a day now.


    They did not dally when they left the Shaiha Ruinsst night and went straight to the headquarters. Unfortunately, although they were able to leave the body of Owen and his team in the research department, they still needed to secure approvals to use the device to perform magic energy tests. After all, the device needed plenty of spirit stones to operate and could not be used on a whim. The Temr Code might be a big faction and were not really short on resources, but their leaders, especially their Commander, emphasized living frugally. They would not be stingy in strengthening their members, but more than that, the Temr Code''s wealth was used for magic research.


    After Evan submitted the request, the approval was only granted the following day. As soon as they received the approval, he immediately went to the research department with Max and Jason.


    Now, they had been waiting for some time, yet they had not received any update.


    After another half an hour, finally, the small door to the inner room opened a member of the research department stepped out.


    The woman was wearing a white robe, and her ck hair was tied in a tight bun. She was also wearing white gloves, and a thin film could be seen on her face''s skin.


    "Evan?" The woman called.


    Evan stepped forward and looked at the woman, "Yes. How are the results?"


    He asked at once and did not bother for any formalities. It was also unnecessary since the Temr Code practices equality. Though there were still ranks and such, everyone was free to call each other by their names.


    The woman heaved a sigh and shook her head.


    "Aside from the Quilin''s magic energy, there are no other energies detected in their bodies."


    The expression on Evan and the other two immediately turned sour.


    "You mean the Quilin really did this to them?"


    The woman''s brown eyes turned cold. She shook her head again and replied, "No. The Quilin''s attack indeed shattered their bodies. However, after studying their armors and internal injury, we found that the armors had been destroyed using brute force, resulting in them receiving fatal internal injuries. From these findings, we guessed that they were either dead or on the verge of death before getting attacked by the Quilin."


    "Brute force?"


    Evan, Max, and Jason looked at each other. Their expressions all reflected confusion.


    Did the Quilin possess brute force? After years of hunting, the Quilin never retaliated with brute force.


    "And..." The woman hesitated for a second before adding in a solemn tone, "After we simted the impact that shattered their armors, we... confirmed that a single punch made it."


    The woman then took out a magic disc. The orb glowed white, and a simted action of a punch shattering the armor was shown inside.


    Evan scowled and asked incredulously, "A single punch did that?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you sure?"


    "We have tested it using our very own magic battle simtor."


    Jason could not help but take a sharp breath.


    What kind of punch could destroy an armor made of pure Aurum? That kind of force was impossible!


    "Who?" Max''s deep voice suddenly spoke.


    The three looked at him while the woman replied uneasily, "Err... We haven''t predicted that far but the initial impact on the armor had the shape of a... human fist."


    "Impossible!" Jason eximed in disbelief. "I would believe it if it had the Quilin''s hooves of something, but human fist?"


    The woman did not refute. She and her teammates also felt the same. However, the imprint of the human fist was there. Though it did not prove anything, there was nothing to disprove it.


    Evan fell silent as he thought of something.


    When they first found the Quilin, they all believed it was strange. None of the Temr Code''s members had been to the Archadia, but they had seen reports and records of Quilins that lived there.


    Quilins that lived there were not enormous. At most, they were as big as a Theihorn seen in the Valley of Morte. The reason behind it was, a lesser dragon, like aodo, was not big. Thus their offspring would also bear their size.


    But.


    What if the Quilin in the Shaiha ruins was not the offspring of a lesser dragon and a unicorn, but a real dragon and a unicorn? Real dragons were enormous creatures. The smallest might be the same size as the Quilin in the ruins.


    If this was true, like a beast that had real dragon blood, could it also have the ability to change into a human?


    Dragons changing into humans wasmon knowledge before. But since fewer people were interested in studying beasts that no longer existed nowadays, this knowledge had not been in cirction anymore.


    ''It is worth looking into,'' Evan thought.


    "We''ll report this to Lady Freya," he told Max and Jason. Then he looked at the woman and said, "Send us all the findings you have gathered."


    The woman nodded her head, "Yes. We are still conducting additional tests, so we''ll give theplete findings as soon as wepiled everything."


    "Alright," Evan agreed and looked at Max and Jason once more. "Let''s go."


    He turned and went to the door.


    Max and Jason followed close by.


    "Evan. You''re not going to tell us that you believed all that?" Jason asked with a frown as they left the room.


    "I need to look into something," Evan replied, not bothering to answer Jason''s question.


    Max remained silent. However, he was staring at Evan''s back. His eyes showed understanding. He grabbed Jason''s shoulder before he could argue with Evan and said, "Trust."


    Jason turned to Max in confusion. It was not that he did not trust Evan but a human shattering their armor using brute force? It was really impossible.


    "Not you too," heined.


    However, he no longer argued and followed behind Evan.


    The three of them went to the library.


    ====================


    At the cottage in the heart of the forest, outside Noser, te busied herself in cleaning and tending to the small herbal garden at the back.


    Last night, Nn and Gage did not return. However, she was not worried about those two brutes and focused on looking after Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    When Ss returned, te and Zephyr saw his face full of scratches. They more or less had an idea where he got it. Since Ss did not say anything, the two also had a tacit understanding not to inquire.


    Since Ss refused to grant Lumi authority to enter the cottage after she left to deliver the rare stone, she told him not to call her because she would stay with Ste until he prostrate himself in apology.


    Ss steeled himself and nned to ignore her antics for the first time.


    With te, Ss, and Zephyr in the cottage, the former started to discuss her ns with Ss while Zephyr listened in silence.


    te suggested using the cottage as their ''base .'' And to do that, they would need to renovate it and add more rooms.


    Ss agreed at once.


    The cottage had been abandoned for years, and Kyran also showed interest in it, so Ss was not against using it as a base. Besides, the cottage''s array was really good, and though Noser was close by, Ss was confident that it would remain hidden under their radar.


    The next day, after confirming that there was no unknown presence nearby, Ss left to gather materials for the cottage''s renovation. And while he was away, te started cleaning the garden.


    While the two were doing their own thing, Zephyr remained inside the cottage looking after Kyran.


    Because he was connected to Kyran, Zephyr felt that he would be waking soon. It surprised him, to be honest. He did not expect his new master''s healing ability to be this good.


    Just as Zephyr was thinking about this, Kyran''s eyes opened slowly.


    Zephyr straightened at once and stood up. He walked from the foot of the bed toward the side to have a better look at Kyran.


    On the other hand, Kyran, who had just opened his eyes, stared nkly at the ceiling. It took him a few more seconds before his vision steadied, and his memory of before he fell asleep returned to him.


    Kyran looked at Zephyr and asked, "How long was I out?"


    "Almost a day," Zephyr replied.


    Kyran was surprised. He did not expect to wake up so soon. Not that he wasining. He just thought that if he knew, he would not have asked Ss to deliver the rare stone because he could still do it today.


    Putting this thought at the back of his mind, Kyran slowly sat up and immediately felt immense pain in his body.


    "Argh..." he winced as he rested one hand on his abdomen.


    He knew that it was not really his body that was suffering and his magic core. But he felt the pain near his upper abdomen and wondered if magic cores were connected to it somehow.


    "Your fever has gone down, but your magic core is still damaged. It would help if you were more attentive," Zephyr reminded him.


    Kyran frowned at this. He thought the Tonic te gave him would be enough to fix his magic core, but it appeared it was not enough.


    "Is there any way to fix it?"


    ''This conversation again?'' Zephyr thought with a sigh.


    "Yes. Drink the Elixir you have with you," Zephyr replied as he pointed at Kyran''s pouch.


    Kyran looked at his pouch and then at Zephyr.


    "What, Elixir?"


    Heaving another sigh, Zephyr patiently repeated what he had said to te and Nn yesterday. When Kyran found out that the white potion he took that made him pass out for a day was actually an Elixir, he was surprised and amazed at the same time. He had no idea he had been carrying such a good potion. Still, he was reluctant to drink it again. He really did not want to experience the excruciating pain from back them.


    Seeing Kyran''s reluctance, Zephyr did not hesitate and also told him the other option. Of course, his reason for telling this was to dissuade him and take the Elixir.


    Zephyr did not expect that Kyran''s expression would turn serious, and he even appeared to consider this option.


    "I... may know someone," Kyran said after a short pause.


    Zephyr raised his brows. From what he had gathered from his conversation with te and Ssst night, the Soul Emperor''s family were notmon people whom they could go to. Aside from this, they were not good people.


    Ignoring Zephyr''s confusion, Kyran pondered again. He had been in a dilemma on how he should deal with Cyneah, and now that she could help him fix his magic core, then he had to tell the others about her.


    To be honest, when Kyran found that te could see the surrounding energies, it reminded him of Cyneah''s ''lights.'' If this was the case, then it was best to leave her with te. Maybe she could teach her how to improve her ability.


    Kyran also had a feeling that Cyneah was not blind by birth. His reason was that she spoke of seeing ''lights'' as if she knew what lights look like. And te was a better Alchemist than Malia. Maybe she had a way to treat her blindness.


    After pondering for a moment, Kyran finally nodded and said, "I''ll talk to godmother first. Then I''ll improve the cottage''s array before going to Hanaan. After my magic core is fixed, we''ll go back to the ruins, and I''ll check the shrine''s array."


    Upon hearing this, Zephyr immediately perked up. He did not say anything about the shrine because he knew Kyran was worried about his magic core. However, he did not expect Kyran to keep his promise as soon as possible.


    "Are you sure that person can fix your magic core?" Zephyr asked, trying to dampen his excitement. After all, he did not want to end up feeling disappointed. "Your not even sure if that person really had soul magic, right."


    Kyran nodded.


    "True. If not, then I''ll... drink the Elixir," he promised while his brow twitched involuntarily.


    Zephyr could not help but sigh and say, "Why go through all the trouble then? Just drink it and pass out for days."


    Of course, Zephyr had no idea how much pain Kyran experienced when he first drank the Elixir; that was why he could say this.


    Kyran ignored him while he got out of bed. He would not admit that he was scared of going through that unbearable burning experience again.


    "Let''s go," he said and went to look for te.


    ====================


    Three people in a ck coat appeared in the woods near the Misty Forest. These three were the Royal Army''s special ops.


    They looked at the mutted corpses on the ground that appeared to have been half-eaten by forest beasts.


    A smile crept at the leader''s lips as he said, "It appears these bodies were killed recently."


    "Yes," the woman agreed.


    She knelt on the ground as she examined one of the bodies.


    "Although the beasts in this woods had eaten some of their body parts, it was obvious that they did not kill them," she added.


    The other man sighed in response, "Yeah. I mean, would beasts normally eat their space storage?"


    The woman frowned and red at him.


    "That is not what I mean," she retorted as she stood up.


    The other man only grinned.


    Their leader ignored their banter and continued to survey the surroundings. After a few minutes, he finally said, "Let''s continue."


    The two nodded, and they left at once.

 Chapter 178 An Interlude

    The night after Gael reported about Gray, he with Aiden and the four royal knights had stayed at the pce to wait for the arrival of all leaders from the Combat Hall and Royal Army.


    At present, the three deputies of the Royal Army were confirmed to be on their way. They would have arrived sooner if a transmission array had been in the city. Unfortunately, due to the previous emperor''s suspicion of a military rebellion, he ordered the destruction of all transmission arrays within the capital connected to the ones in the Royal Army''s Headquarters in the north, east, and west of the empire.


    When Euan seeded the throne, he did not order these arrays to be fixed. Instead, he had different transmission arrays built on three smaller cities near Meliora. These three cities were, Athanelm in the north, Thunlough in the east, and Mourchton in the west. The transmission arrays there were connected to new transmission arrays outside the cities of the other Royal Army Headquarters.


    It was confirmed that among the three deputies, Deputy Marshal Ingrid was the first to arrive in Athanelm from Northbliss Castle and was already on the way to Meliora City. Deputy Marshals Mannick, and Imman, were still in Timen and Thunknam Peak, respectively, preparing to activate the transmission arrays going to Thunlough and Mourchton.


    As for the leaders of the Combat Hall, all of them were already in Meliora and were on their way to the pce.


    The Combat Hall only had three leaders, Duan, Janaia, and Min. All of whom were above average humanbat specialists.


    Euan also sent an invitation to the leaders of the Conve, Temr Code, and Aureole. But since their military forces were only needed to report and apprehend Gray if they found him, they were expected to join the rest after Euan, the Combat Hall leaders, and the Royal Army leaders were done with their meeting.


    In the afternoon, Euan ordered all the leaders in the pce to gather in the meeting hall.


    Haylee, who had juste out of the room on the first floor, saw Aiden, Gael, and the four royal knights through the floor-to-ceiling ss windows along the corridor.


    The six of them were on their way to the meeting hall, a separate building at the back of the pce.


    "Princess, your royal tutor had said that your afternoon riding ss is canceled and instead is reced by your practical magic training in the training hall." Haylee''s maidservant reminded from behind.


    "Hm," Haylee replied absentmindedly her attention fixed on the six people below.


    As if noticing that someone was looking from above, Gael looked behind him, then at the first floor, and caught Haylee looking at them.


    Haylee did not look away when she saw Gael looking back at her. She retained a nk expression as she stared back at him.


    Gael paused for a second as he held her stare. In the end, he only nodded to her before lowering his gaze and followed Aiden and the rest to the meeting hall.


    Haylee continued to watch until she lost sight of them. She was the next sessor. Thus, Haylee more or less knew that something big had happened within the empire. However, if she had to be honest, even if Gael was the Grand Marshal and was a crucial member of the empire, she never liked him.


    The truth, Haylee''s grandfather, was not a tyrant during the early years of his reign. It was only after Gael became the Grand Marshal that he became one. Of course, that was what she heard from her biological mother before she passed away. After all, she never met her grandfather because he died of heart failure.


    Still, she had always disliked Gael because of her mother''s words. Now that her father was the emperor, she wanted to keep an eye on him.


    "Princess?" The maidservant called after seeing Haylee''s distracted expression.


    Upon hearing her maidservant''s call, Haylee closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes and turned to her maidservant, she wore a bright smile as if nothing was wrong and said, "Let''s go."


    "Yes, your highness." The maidservant bowed her head, and the two of them made their way to the training hall.


    The moment the maidservant focused on the path ahead, Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glinted, turning her usual beautiful angelic face colder.


    ====================


    After talking to Zephyr, Kyran went to the back of the cottage. He found te looking like a mess with her gray robes smeared with dirt. Even her face and hands were covered with mud.


    The moment Kyran approached her, te, who was plowing the soil where she nned on nting herbs, was shocked that she thought Kyran was a ghost.


    It took her a few minutes before she calmed down, and Kyran initiated a ''talk.''


    However, the topic of their talk was not what te expected. Because Kyran suddenly mentioned a girl''s name: Cyneah.


    With her imagination getting ahead of her, te wondered if their talk would be simr to how sons talked to their mothers about taking a wife. It was a very strange feeling.


    Unfortunately, Kyran shattered her imagination when he mentioned that the girl, Cyneah, was someone he met in Valley of Morte.


    te might have been out of the loop for years, but she knew what and where the Valley of Morte was. Hearing that Kyran found a girl there piqued her interest.


    The following half-hour, Kyran told te about Cyneah. From how he found her in a cave after collecting the Theihorns and how he almost killed her because he initially thought he was a threat. Then he exined Cyneah''s condition, which led to his decision to ''help'' her.<sub> </sub>


    When te found that Cyneah was blind, she felt a little sorry for her. Especially when Kyran said she was probably only ten or twelve years old. Being a woman who thought she was way past the age of having her own family, te''s heart went out for her. She could not help but apud her godson''s, big heart.


    Finally, after much hesitation, Kyran told te about their encounter with the mutated Basilisks and how Cyneah sang an ancient song titled "Lament of the Souls" to assist him.


    When Kyran told te about how the pain in his magic core alleviated from Cyneah''s singing, te''s initial reaction was Kyran was messing with her. But after seeing his serious expression, her brain almost shortcircuited from the information.


    If what Kyran said was true, it meant Cyneah was rted to the Soul Emperor''s family. As to why she was not in the Royal Family, it could be her ancestor was only a branch family that had been forgotten or had lost connection with the main family. Of course, this was only te''s spection, and whatever the truth was, Cyneah''s family might be the only one who knew the answer. Unfortunately, Cyneah had already lost her mother, and the family who took her in did not want her. There was also the possibility they were not her real family.


    te told Kyran about her thoughts and asked if he was alright. After all, the girl he saved might be rted to the family that made all ancient magic forbidden and thus, put his life and his n in danger.


    To te''s surprise, Kyran only shrugged, not caring at all.


    Since Kyran already knew the families connected to ancient magic, thanks to Ste, he already thought that Cyneah might be linked to the Royal Family. Or at least the Hero Family that, based on the ''truth'' he managed to unravel, betrayed his predecessor.


    But being linked to them by blood did not make Cyneah guilty of their sins.


    Besides, it was still early to say that Cyneah had soul magic. It could be that the song she sang was a chant that could call on the power of souls, and she was not using real ''soul magic.''


    Either way, as long as she could heal his magic core, regardless if she really had soul magic or just channeling soul magic through the song, was all that mattered to him.


    Finally, Kyran told te his assumption that Cyneah might not be blind by birth and asked her if there was a way to restore her eyesight. Sensing his sincerity to help Cyneah, te could not help but smile secretly in her heart. She then told him saint-tier level potions could help heal a person''s eyes. However, the ingredients were rare and also hard to find. Still, she needed to check Cyneah''s condition first and confirm if her sight could be restored.


    te told Kyran, if Cyneah''s sight could not be restored, she could teach her another way to ''see.'' Since Kyran also mentioned Cyneah''s ability to see ''lights,'' te assumed she could also perceive magic energies like her. She could teach her how to maximize this ability and ''see'' using magic sense.


    Hearing te''s suggestion was also her subtle consent to look after Cyneah.


    After being reminded about magic sense, Kyran was put into another dilemma. He wanted to learn how to use magic sense and wondered whether to learn it before going to Hanaan to <anno data-annotation-id="50600-cec9-e6d3-7075-6a1bf7b02653">get</anno> Cyneah.


    In the end, Kyran decided to get Cyneah first. This way, te did not have to teach it separately. He would learn it with Cyneah.


    Once the matter with Cyneah was settled, Kyran told te he would improve the cottage''s array.


    te had no qualms over this matter and just asked to keep the array''s form of keeping Spirits out of the cottage.


    Kyran agreed and did not ask her reasons. He did wonder why, after all, she was her mother''s sworn sister, and yet she appeared to be not on good terms with Spirits. But then again, given a Spirit''s nature, he was not surprised that most people did not want to be near them.


    Hell, even a person, exempli gratia Ss, who dealt with them wanted to keep his distance.


    Speaking of improving the cottage''s array, Kyran was reminded of the ingredients he would use. Then he saw te plowing the soul and was further reminded of the herbs he picked at the Misty Forest.


    He thought that it would be a waste to keep it for future use, and decided to have te grow them. This way, when he needed it, he would have more ingredients to spare.


    For another half an hour, Kyran and te sorted the herbs in his possession.


    te was very happy to find so many rare herbs and busied herself in creating a good environment for each.


    Kyran, on the other hand, went to the flowering tree to start improving the cottage''s array.


    There, he found Zephyr was sitting at a nearby boulder.


    Without saying anything to Zephyr, Kyran started studying the array within the flowering tree.


    Kyran knew why Zephyr was there. Since he said he would improve the shrine''s array, Zephyr definitely wanted to see his Array attainments.


    Kyran did not mind. Besides, he already had a rough list of forms he nned to include in the cottage''s array. Of course, he first needed to break down the array''s formation before integrating the additional forms.


    For the next few hours, Kyran busied himself improving the cottage''s array. He was too absorbed in what he was doing that he forgot, thest time he had eaten was the meal he had with Cyneah.


    <annotations style="disy: none;"><ol ss="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="50600-cec9-e6d3-7075-6a1bf7b02653">Err I have issues with using the word fetch, so you will find me using get or go when referring to ''getting someone'' rather than ''fetching''. I''m not saying I am an expert in English but I remembered being taught that ''fetch'' is used for things. Although, nowadays, dictionaries also include ''someone'' when using the term. Anyway, enough of this ahaha :D</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 179 Are You Messing With Me?

    Zephyr was rendered speechless after Kyranpleted the cottage''s improved array.


    He had guessed the additional forms Kyran added in the cottage''s array from the ingredients he used and knew that all of them were advanced forms.


    It was not surprising for someone to create advanced forms. What was surprising was the level of the array these advanced forms were part of.


    In Array, formations were broken down into four categories: Elementary Array Formations consisted of array levels from first-tier to third-tier; Secondary Array Formations consisted of fourth-tier to sixth-tier; Tertiary Array Formations consisted of seventh-tier to ninth-tier. Then there were Higher Array Formations which consisted of the saint tier, legendary tier, and the god tier. These tiers were again broken into three sses depending on the forms present in each calction. A ''Normal'' array consisted of purely standard forms while an ''Advance'' array consisted of purely advanced forms; in cases where there was a mixture of the two, it was called a ''Cross'' array.


    Thus, having people create advanced forms was not surprising because even a first-tier array level could have advanced forms.


    However, Zephyr''s speechlessness was caused by the level of the cottage''s array.


    Initially, Zephyr thought the array around the cottage was at most, at seventh-tier. But while Kyran was breaking down the calction, he realized it was a saint tier.


    Zephyr almost forced Kyran to stop what he was doing. Because breaking down a saint tier array was not easy and very dangerous. If he missed even one calction, the array would explode.


    However, Zephyr changed his mind after seeing Kyran''s focused expression. If Zephyr stopped him, the energy flowing inside the array would fluctuate, and Kyran might end up suffering from a bacsh.


    Eventually, Zephyr decided to watch Kyran in silence until the end.


    After watching Kyran work for more than an hour, Zephyr became confident in his Array knowledge. He now believed that Kyran really could improve the shrine''s array.


    The shrine''s array level was also a saint tier. However, it was slightlyplicated than the cottage''s array. After all, it could already be considered a pseudo-legendary tier with at least two standard legendary-tier forms. Still, Zephyr was sure Kyran would aplish the task given enough time.


    Kyran took a deep breath as he closed the cottage''s array formation. Unbeknownst to Zephyr, Kyran had been nervous the whole time he was adding the new forms.


    It was no surprise. Since the forms, Kyran added were mostly new forms he created without prior trial. He wrote it to mirror some old forms he had seen in Noir''s collection, but because there was little information about Void magic, he was unsure if it would work. He had to change quite a few runes, and when including the Void magic in his calction, he used the rune he remembered written on the book from Ste.


    ''Good thing it worked,'' Kyran thought with a sigh.


    He lifted his left hand, opened his palm, and summoned his purple rings. Then he slowly added more magic into it while checking if the cottage''s array would react.


    Nothing happened.


    Kyran smiled.


    Now he could use his magic without worrying about its magic input inside the cottage, or rather within its array''s area of effect.


    A thought popped in Kyran''s head, and he mentally scratched his head. Yes, he did not have to worry about his magic input when using Void magic, but he still had to be mindful of the size of his magic output. He would still destroy the cottage''s array if he summoned pure Void magic and failed to control its size.


    "You... really did it," Zephyr''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran turned to Zephyr and gave a faint smile.


    "Do you believe that I can improve your shrine''s array now?" He asked teasingly.


    Zephyr replied with a scowl.


    Kyran chuckled. He found Zephyr''s stubbornness cute.


    With a sigh, he shook his head at the thought. Zephyr did look like a kid, but he might be hundred years old.


    Still.


    Was he really a hopeless case when it came to kids? His reaction was pretty much the same with Cyneah.


    Kyran made a mental note to get to know Zephyr while they get Cyneah.


    "Are you nning to leave now?" Zephyr asked.


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. It will get dark soon, but it is best to move as soon as possible."


    "Um... are you nning to use your... warp ability?" Zephyr asked cautiously, his color slightly turning green.


    Kyran raised his brows at his question. He did n to warp earlier. But since it consumes too much magic energy, plus he was taking Zephyr with him, he did not want to babysit him when he fell ill all the time.


    ''Or I can create transmission scrolls,'' Kyran thought.


    However, as soon as he thought this, he rejected it at once. He still owed Nn two¡ªerr three scrolls. Though he did not care about how many times he made the transmission scrolls, he knew how dangerous it was for his body to lose so much blood.


    ''I can make one scroll every other day if I am well-rested. But right now, I am not fully recovered, so I can''t abuse my body and blood yet,'' Kyran thought.


    "We''ll travel normally," Kyran finally answered after a short pause.


    Zephyr sighed in relief.


    "Before that, can''t you change into something less... conspicuous look?" Kyran asked.


    Zephyr did stand out too much. To be honest, his unusual hair and eye color would attract unwanted attention. Kyran even felt Zephyr''s look was far more eye-catching than Tyr.


    "What''s wrong with how I look?" Zephyr asked with a scowl.


    "Can you change or not? If not, we''ll ask godmother if she still has mour Potion for you to use," Kyran replied with a deadpan tone.


    He did not want to talk nonsense with Zephyr. If Zephyr could not change how he looked, they had to deal with it fast. Because they would travel normally, they would definitely take a few days to get to Hanaan.


    Kyran''s suggestion to use a potion concocted by a human, regardless of how talented one was, immediately made Zephyr scoff in annoyance.


    "I am a Quilin. I don''t need human potions to change how I look. What do you think my mother''s blood running in my veins are for?" He snorted.


    His horn suddenly appeared on his forehead. It glowed red, and soon, his appearance changed.


    He turned into a normal-looking human.


    But.


    He looked like a younger Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran gave him a dull expression.


    "Oi. Are you messing with me?"


    "What? With this look, I can pose as your younger brother."


    "Sure, pose as my younger brother if you want to end up getting chased by countless bounty hunters."


    Although the Conve High Council knew the truth about his bounty, most of their mercenaries did not.


    Zephyr frowned, "Why?"


    "Because I have a bounty on my head."


    ck lines appeared on Zephyr''s head. His hope of having a decent master had been dashed at once.


    "Why?" He asked usingly.


    Kyran sighed. He knew he had to exin his circumstances to Zephyr now that he had to follow him. But he did not like talking about it. Whenever he spoke of his n, he was reminded of the night of the raid, and it always left him reeling in anger.


    "I told you yesterday that I am getting the shorter end of the stick when I made you my Sigil," Kyran started.


    Zephyr nodded and said, "Because my affairs will also burden you."


    Kyran nodded.


    "The word there is also. I..." He paused for a moment, trying to think of a better way to summarize his situation without giving too much information. This way, Zephyr did not have to feel burdened by knowing too much.


    "I am on a run because my magic is considered forbidden nowadays. Not the magic I used to defeat you but my other magic. You know, the power of nothingness."


    Zephyr remained expressionless as he listened to Kyran. Last night, after Ss returned, he and te told Zephyr about most of the changes that happened in the world. te''s information was outdated, so Ss was the one who provided the new ones. But while they told Zephyr a lot of information, the two refrained from saying anything about his new master.


    Zephyr did not pry, though. He just made a mental note to talk to Kyran himself.


    "So, I have to keep my identity hidden."


    "Is that why you were wearing a mask?" Zephyr asked, remembering Kyran was wearing a mask the first time they met.


    "Yes," Kyran replied with a short nod. "Anyway, don''t worry. You will indeed get involved with my affairs whether you like it or not. But I will draw a line. At the very least, I will never put your life in danger."


    Zephyr was struck dumb after hearing Kyran''s words.


    Kyran''s words did not sound impressive. But how he said it made Zephyr believe him. Zephyr''s heart even gave an involuntary skip, which annoyed him.


    Was he feeling awed at his new master? Had he been lonely for too long to be awed by a human just by his words?


    The thought was a little annoying.


    "And your family let it happen?" Zephyr could not help but ask.


    Kyran said he was on the run, but Zephyr also knew he was part of the Regis n. Even if his n lost their prestige, Zephyr knew they would not let him face this ordeal alone. This trait the Regis ancestor had made the Dragon King acknowledge him. And using his blessing, this trait became ''imprinted'' in the Regis descendants.


    The moment Zephyr asked this question, Kyran''s eyes turned cold.


    Zephyr flinched at the sudden coldness in his eyes, but not even a second passed, Kyran''s eyes returned to normal.


    "They didn''t. That''s why they ended up..." Kyran let his voice trail off. Not because he was feeling emotional, but because he was unsure of his family''s current situation.


    Ss would not tell him.


    At the very least, Kyran knew they were still ''safe''. For how long, he did not want to think about it. He had to focus on getting stronger and preparing his military power first.


    "I''m not sure, to be honest," Kyran said instead.


    Looking at Kyran''s solemn expression, Zephyr fell silent. He understood how Kyran was feeling. He felt the same when he woke up and found he was alone. Since then, he had wondered and worried about what had happened to his brethren. Unfortunately, there were no clues around. He only knew there was suddenly a ruined small city made of red buildings near the shrine, and the whole ce was riddled with reptilian beasts.


    "I heard from your human followers that this world is now reigned by the Soul Emperor''s family," Zephyr said.


    Kyran''s brow twitched, hearing him refer to te and the rest as his ''human followers''. If they all heard Zephyr, they would probably go ballistic.


    "Haven''t they done enough?" Zephyr said in disdain.


    Kyran stopped short as he stared at Zephyr. He btedly remembered that dragons had a special way of passing on their memories to their descendants. Was Quilins the same? If that was true, Zephyr might know some events that happened from long ago.


    Zephyr noticed Kyran''s intense gaze and was reminded of Nn and te''s reaction when they found he knew things that happened a thousand years ago.


    With a sigh, he said, "I know what you''re thinking. That crude guy already asked me to tell what I know, and I agreed. But I don''t want to repeat myself. I can tell you what I know with them."


    Kyran pondered for a moment. If he was in Zephyr''s shoes, he also did not want to repeat himself all the time when exining.


    "Alright," he agreed with a nod.


    Nn and Gage were still away. Kyran was unsure where they went, but he hoped they were not trying to stir trouble.


    Kyran then thought Nn got him in trouble a few times, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.


    ''Forget it for now,'' he told himself.


    "We''ll leave in half an hour," Kyran told Zephyr and made his way back to the cottage.


    He btedly remembered that he had not eaten since the day before. Not to mention he had been sweating when he was unconscious due to his fever, and he stinks so bad right now. He would need half an hour to clean up and eat before heading out.


    Zephyr followed while changing his face. He retained his human face but changed his hair and eye color to ck this time.

 Chapter 180 Return To Hanaan (1)

    Kyran and Zephyr returned to the cottage to prepare for their departure.


    Inside they found te already busy making dinner. She lived alone for so many years and rarely bothered to eat on time. That was how she forgot to properly look after Kyran''s needs and instead got absorbed in tending to her new garden.


    Kyran washed first at a separate small bathroom at the back before having dinner with te and Zephyr.


    Ss also returned while they were having dinner, and Kyran told them his n to leave with Zephyr after dinner.


    The two wanted to stop him at first. After all, he was still recovering. His fever had gone down, but his internal injuries had not healed yet.


    Ss also reminded Kyran that night was never a good time for humans to venture out of the forest. Like every forest within the empire, those nocturnal forest beasts were fiercer than diurnal forest beasts.


    It was Zephyr who assured them that he would take Kyran out of the forest before the beasts started their hunt.


    Kyran only gave Zephyr a strange look because he made it sound as if he was a useless person that needed looking after. He did not refute, though, since te and Ss agreed.


    Wait.


    Did it mean they trust Zephyr than him?


    That was a bit annoying.


    After te made sure Kyran had enough potions with him, he and Zephyr left the cottage.


    "Are we really going to travel by foot?" Zephyr asked as they walked toward the south of the forest.


    They had been walking in the forest for almost an hour, and he was already getting bored. He also noticed that he had not heard any beasts apart from forest sounds such as insects, night wind, and the constant flow of water nearby.


    "For now," Kyran replied. Then he looked at Zephyr and added, "I don''t mind warping us out, though."


    Zephyr''s face twisted at the mention of ''warping,'' and he shook his head at once, "Walking is fine."


    At the moment, Kyran was already using Nar''s face. He also changed into a dark blue windbreaker and dark pants. He did not wear his ck coat because its design was simr to his clothes while running away from the army. Although his coat''s protection enchantments were good, he was not expecting to encounter any beast anyway, so wearing regr clothes was enough.


    Zephyr also changed his clothes since his armor was also conspicuous. Kyran lent him some of his clothes; a ck long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. Zephyr''s size was smaller in human form, and Kyran''s clothes were a little big for him, but with his magic, he adjusted it to fit his size.


    "You know, I can change into my mother''s form," Zephyr suddenly said. "I don''t normally allow humans to ride on my back, but since your my new master, I''ll give you an exception."


    Kyran raised his brows as he stopped to look at Zephyr.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that earlier? And wait, when you said your mother''s form are you referring to...?"


    "Unicorn," Zephyr answered, also stopping on his tracks.


    Kyran frowned, "So your parents are not Quilins?"


    Zephyr raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    "I have read that Quilins are born from a lesser dragon and a unicorn, but I suppose those were the early generations. So I thought that your parents were already pure Quilins."


    Zephyr immediately frowned at Kyran''s words.


    "That''s rude! I am a pure Quilin!" He burst.


    His outburst confused Kyran. He did not say he was not a pure Quilin. Why was he suddenly angry?


    Before Kyran could defend himself, Zephyr continued, "Don''t disregard my father! Though I am a servant, we Quilins are proud to be the product of real dragons and unicorns!"


    Kyran blinked at Zephyr''s revtion and soon felt an iing headache.


    "Wait. You''re... you''re a half-dragon? I mean, half real dragon?" Kyran asked in disbelief.


    "Of course," Zephyr replied, his voice full of pride.


    "You... Why did you not tell me sooner?" Kyran berated and had an urge to hit his head.


    "You did not ask."


    "..."


    "I am proud of my birth, but I don''t go around unting it."


    Kyran could not help but groan while rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    Now it made sense why Zephyr''s beast form was huge. He was born from a real dragon and a unicorn. He got his huge size from his real dragon father. It also exined why he could change into a human.


    Wait, how did a real dragon and a unicorn even manage to procreate...


    Kyran immediately blocked the sudden thought.


    "Fine. Don''t tell anyone about this," Kyran warned Zephyr.


    If this got out, there was no telling what it would imply about his family. The Regis was rted to dragons. As far as the public knew, the Regis were the ones who confirmed that there were no longer dragons. Not even half-dragons. A lesser dragon was different from half-dragons, after all.


    "Even your human followers?"


    Kyran cleared his throat and replied, "They''re not my followers."


    He paused for a moment before answering Zephyr''s question.


    "Don''t openly tell them."<sub> </sub>


    "Alright," Zephyre replied. "So should I change into my mother''s form?"


    Kyran shook his head, "No. Unicorns are rare beasts. If someone sees us..."


    Howe he met people¡ªand other ''beings''¡ª that could easily attract attention? First Nn, who was a hidden Magus, then Cyneah, who was likely rted to the Royal Family, now Zephyr.


    Wait. Kyran did not meet Zephyr perse. He chased him and then kidnapped him.


    Kyran sighed. He felt his luck had gotten worse as he grew older.


    Zephyr nodded his head. "Alright, then we''ll just walk."


    The two continued their journey.


    Not even five minutes had passed when Zephyr spoke again.


    "I think something has happened here."


    Kyran kept his focus up ahead as he asked, "Why do you say so?"


    "We haven''t met any beasts so far."


    "..."


    "We are in the middle of the forest, and yet there are no beasts. It is a little rming," Zephyr exined, not realizing that Kyran''s expression had turned dark.


    When he looked at Kyran and saw his expression, he misunderstood it and thought Kyran was suddenly worried.


    He then said, "Don''t worry. I''ll keep you safe."


    "Thanks," Kyran replied, not bothering to exin that the reason why there were no beasts around was that they were deliberately avoiding him.


    "Could it be those two humans who left yesterday is the reason why there are no beasts around?"


    "No."


    "How are you so sure?"


    "I just know."


    Kyran could not help but frown. He already noticed that Zephyr was deliberately making small talks. He did not like small talks, to be honest. But if he thought of Zephyr''s situation before they met, he could somehow understand that he was probably longing to talk with someone.


    ''Let''s use this time to get to know him,'' Kyran finally decided.


    As the two made their way out of the forest, they exchanged information and talked about almost anything they could think of.


    Kyran, who usually did not like having small talks, eventually realized that it was not that bad. At least now, he more or less got to know Zephyr better. They had a tacit understanding not to discuss anything about what happened a thousand years ago because they agreed to talk about it with the rest, so they mostly talked about events that recently happened.


    Zephyr already heard some information from te and Ss, but what he heard from Kyran was also new. It mostly involved what happened to the Regis n after the dragons left.


    Although there was some information that Kyran told him that did not correspond to his knowledge, the two were able to talk about it ande up with their conjectures as to why it happened.


    Soon, the two arrived at a vige.


    Since this vige was near a forest, it would not be surprising if several hunters kept watching for stray small to medium-sized beasts. However, only two people stood guard at the vige''s entrance. Apart from this, the two appeared to be ordinary vigers.


    When Kyran and Zephyr walked past the entrance, the two vigers did not even spare them a look.


    Before Kyran could try and ask the two vigers for information, he instantly felt several eyes looking at them. He then realized that the two vigers were just there to let those who entered the vige lower their guards.


    The real guards were hiding in the shadows.


    [Master. There are four humans with malicious intent directed on us.]


    Zephyr''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head. It was simr to how Nnmunicated to him before.


    Kyran was reminded that he had not learned how to respond to this type ofmunication. How troublesome.


    Without saying anything, Kyran only gave Zephyr a meaningful look as they walked inside the vige.


    Kyran did not n to stay in this vige, so they kept walking toward the other end of the vige. All the while, the eyes that he felt followed them.


    It was not until they had left the vige that Kyran finally felt those eyes leaving them as well. However, he also sensed two people following them.


    [Master. There are two humans following us. I can eliminate them.]


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked at Zephyr with a dull expression.


    ''Says the Quilin who can''t kill humans,'' he thought to himself.


    "No need. They''ll meet some beasts soon, we''ll just keep going to the next town," Kyran replied in a low voice.


    Zephyr frowned a little and whispered back, "How did you know?"


    "I just know," Kyran replied.


    True to his words, after gaining some distance from the two humans, Zephyr noticed some beasts closing in on the two.


    "I did not know you have precognition ability," he said, feeling awed.

 Chapter 181 Return To Hanaan (2)

    Kyran did not reply to Zephyr''s remark.


    If he really wanted, he could tell Zephyr the truth: "Actually, beasts kept their distance from me and will only attack those who are outside my range, so you don''t have to worry." But the more he reyed the content of the truth, the more he knew how absurd it sounded.


    Who would believe him? Even he was unsure why beasts stayed away from him. Initially, he thought it was because they probably sensed his Draconic aura, and thus they deemed he was at the top of the food chain. But if this was the case, how about the time when he was still at the military school? If he went back to a much earlier time when he went with his father and uncles during their hunt? Beasts always appeared wherever he was.


    Then he thought, maybe it was his Void magic. But could beasts sense human magic? Beasts could sense auras. Did he even exude a ''Void'' aura? If he did, how was it? And was it even possible for beasts to detect it when he was not using his magic? If that were true, that would be troublesome. What if the army found about it and tried to track him using tamed beasts?


    With a shake of his head, Kyran pushed all these thoughts at the back of his mind. The more he dwelled on it; the more his brain woulde up with absurd ideas.


    "Just know you''re safe as long as you stay close," Kyran told Zephyr.


    Zephyr nodded.


    "Alright," he replied.


    He was not stupid to know Kyran did not want to talk about how he knew those beasts would attack those two. Instead of dwelling on the matter, he came up with a new topic.


    And so the journey of the two to Hanaan continued.


    ====================


    Meanwhile, in front of the shrine at the Shaiha Ruins, Freya and Reuben had built a make-shift camp.


    Last night, after their meeting, the two ventured around the ruins looking for the Quilin''s trace. When morning came, and they still failed to find the trail of the Quilin, the two decided to camp outside the shrine. If they could not find it around the ruins, then the only ce it could have gone to was the shrine.


    The two took turns in observing the shrine. Still, they failed to see even the shadow of the Quilin.


    Freya had the urge to force her way into the shrine, but she knew how good the defensive array around it was. Even their Grandmaster Array Specialists could not decipher it. So far, the only one they knew that could put a dent on the shrine''s array was a Magus.


    Unfortunately, the Temr Code had a few Exaltedbat mages, but theirmander was the only Magus. And as themander, he could not be bothered to waste his time dealing with the matters of Shaiha Ruins. He had given the task of overseeing the Shaiha Ruins to Freya and Owen, and they were coborating with the Royal Family to harvest the Quilin''s horn.


    Although they were coborating, the agreement with the Royal Family was that the Temr Code would keep the Shaiha Ruins'' rights and use their resources to harvest the Quilin''s horn. At the same time, the Royal Family would not meddle in how they do it or any other treasure the Temr Code might find in the ruins, but in turn, they would provide 50% of their harvested ''rare stones.''


    Reuben looked up at the night sky. He was standing in front of their make-shift camp near the bonfire while he watched the shrine''s entrance.


    The sun had set a few hours ago, and the stars were already high up in the sky. However, darkness still filled the valley. Even the shrine''s entrance was dark.


    Freya stepped out of the camp and approached Reuben as she asked, "Still no movement?"


    Reuben turned to look at her and shook his head.


    "None."


    Freya heaved a deep sigh. She crossed her arms across her chest while she turned her gaze over at the shrine''s entrance.


    "What do you think?" She asked.


    Reuben also turned his attention back at the shrine''s entrance. His brows furrowed as he answered, "I don''t think the Quilin is inside."


    Freya thought so too.


    While the Quilin was really good at hiding its presence, their research division had invented advanced magic detectors that would not lose out with the Royal Army''s, thus making it easy for them to find it. However, the magic detector with them had not detected anything for hours.


    At first, they thought the Quilin might have hidden deeper into the shrine and was out of their detector''s range. But they had been waiting for a long time. The Quilin could not have stayed all day at the deep part of the shrine, right?


    Before Freya could reply, she sensed hermunication device lit up and took it out.


    As soon as she connected to themunication channel, a silhouette of a man wearing a red hooded robe appeared on the disc. The man''s face was hidden under the robe''s hood, but as soon as Freya and Reuben saw the man, they both knelt on their knees and bowed their heads.


    "Commander Tritus," they both greeted.


    "I just read your report," the man did not bother for any formalities and went straight to the point.


    The two stood straight.


    For a split second, sadness shed in Freya''s eyes. However, she immediately concealed it and replied, "We are currently outside the shrine and waiting for the Quilin."


    The man nodded.


    "I''ve always known that the Quilin in that ruins is extraordinary," he agreed. "I also received the findings from Owen and the other''s bodies. Have you seen it?"


    Freya shook her head, "No,mander. Evan did tell me the people from the Research department will forward the findings after theypleted their additional tests."


    "They had just concluded their tests an hour ago and sent their findings over to me for review. I already approved it to be sent to you and your team. You can check itter."


    "Yes,mander."


    "Evan may have found something. He also sent me a message."


    Freya''s brows furrowed slightly. She did not expect Evan to send a message to themander first before her. She was not offended, though. She was a sensible person and knew that Evan might have found a piece of sensitive information that he deemed best to report to themander first.


    "Ask your men to keep watch outside the shrine. I want you two to return to the headquarters as soon as possible. We also have to discuss another important matter on top of this incident."


    "Yes,mander," Freya and Reuben replied.


    Themunication device flickered, and the man''s silhouette disappeared.


    Reuben looked at Freya, who had a thoughtful expression. He did not need to ask her to know what she was thinking. Themander would not call just because three members of the Elite Team were killed. Most likely, his reason for calling was the ''another important matter'' he mentioned before he ended the call.


    "Why does it feel like things are happening one after another?" Freya suddenly said.


    She did not know why, but her instincts told her whatever themander wanted to discuss on top of the incident in the ruins were somehow connected.


    "I can stay behind," Reuben offered.


    Freya might have concealed it, but he knew she was reluctant to return and let the Quilin escape from them.


    With a shake of her head, Freya looked at him.


    "No. We''ll go. It is themander''s order. Contact Evan, Max, and Jason and tell them we''ll meet up in three hours. Then tell the others toe here and guard the shrine''s entrance as soon as possible."


    "Yes, Lady Freya," Reuben replied.


    ====================


    In the forest outside, Noser, Nn and Gage continued to leave trails heading to Meliora.


    ? When Nn was satisfied, they made a detour to return to the cottage.


    Since Gage knew of Nn''s bad sense of direction, he was the one who took the lead.


    By the time the stars had filled the night sky, they finally arrived outside the cottage''s array.


    "Hm?" Nn looked at the array and immediately noticed how much it had changed fromst night.


    ''Don''t tell me the kid has woken up?'' He guessed as they made their way to the cottage.<sub> </sub>


    The moment they arrived near the cottage, they noticed that the front yard was filled with floating orbs that lit up the whole ce. They also saw Ss taking out items from his space storage while te instructed him where to put them.


    "What are you two doing?" Nn asked them with a slight frown while he and Gage approached them.


    Nn looked at all the neatly cut logs on one side, then some cement and gravel on one side. There were even some ss and metal bars.


    Because Ss and te were too upied with what they were doing, they did not notice Nn and Gage''s arrival. Their guard was also down because they knew Kyran had improved the cottage''s array.


    te looked at Nn and beamed.


    "Oh, perfect timing. Renovate the whole cottage and change it ording to this blueprint," te she said as she walked over to Nn, holding a parchment.


    Upon hearing her words, Ss and Gage could not help but have ck lines appear on their faces.


    Typically, a person would ask others how they had been after leaving in such a dire situation, right? Howe te''s first words sounded as if Nn and Gage just went out for a stroll?


    Nn gave te a nk look and said in a deadpan voice, "What the hell do you take me for?"


    "A human construction device."


    Nn''s brow twitched.


    Ss and Gage, on the other hand, looked at each other, trying not tough.


    "What the f*ck is that even?" Nn cursed.


    Seeing that the two were about to start bickering, Gage could only sigh in his heart and shake his head. On the other hand, Ss already witnessed how much the two loved to argue and slowly inched toward the cottage''s door.


    te glowered at Nn, "Don''t use that tone on me, or do you want me to tell Kyran¡ª."


    "Fine, fine," Nn grumbled.


    It was annoying how this woman knew his weakness and shamelessly used it against him.


    "And? The cottage''s array has changed. Is the kid awake?" He asked, changing the subject.


    Gage instinctively looked at the cottage''s door. He did not sense anyone inside. But he could be wrong because the cottage''s array to conceal a person''s aura had been amplified.


    "Ah... he and Zephyr left a few hours ago," Ss answered when te only replied with a scoff.


    "What?" Nn eximed as he turned to Ss, then to te, "You let him leave when he has not even recovered?"


    te scowled at him.


    "Don''t use me of being negligent!" She retorted. "His fever has gone down, but it is true he has not fully recovered yet, but he did not want to drink the Elixir and... well..."


    te''s voice trailed off as she hesitated to continue.


    Kyran did not tell her to keep what he told her a secret, but it was not good to have so many people in the know.


    Ss took a hint as he looked at Gage.


    "Help me out here," he told Gage before looking at te, "You two can go in first and discuss the blueprint."


    Gage, who had not taken the hint, frowned at Ss, "Why should I help you? You can do it yourself."


    Ss had the urge to hit Gage''s head, but he smiled at him patiently and said, "I need to talk to you as well."


    te gave Ss a grateful look before looking at Gage as well, "Well, we''ll leave you two first."


    She then looked at Nn and motioned for him to follow her inside the cottage.


    Nn did not say anything and followed while still feeling a little annoyed.


    After a few minutes inside the cottage, Nn felt his temples throb from what he had just learned.


    At the moment, he sat at one of the dining chairs while te was leaning on the side of the dining table.


    He already knew the kid was still soft, but he did not expect that his ''softness'' would lead to saving a person who might be linked to the Royal Family. Apart from this, the kid''s actions that appeared to be always on the run had to stop.


    "Why did you not go with him?" Nn asked te.


    te shook her head, "I''ve just used a mour Potion and won''t be able to use it in the next few days, so I can''t change my appearance. It is not good to see me with him when he is using Nar''s face. At least not now."


    "And Ss?"


    "Same. He can''t use transformation magic, and he just used a mour Potion to go out."


    Nn wanted to go after Kyran right now, but he knew the kid might have taken a detour. If this was the case, there was a good chance they would miss each other.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Nn leaned back on his chair and said, "Fine. We''ll wait for him to return."


    "Kyran nned to travel normally, so he and Zephyr will take a few days beforeing back here," te said. "Let''s fix this cottage first, and then we can prepare more before they return. By then, after he has rested, you two can leave to go to that ce."


    The best thing they could do was stay put in this ce and wait for Kyran and them to return.


    Nn nodded his head and finally agreed, "Fine. Let''s do that."


    ====================


    It took three days before Kyran and Zephyr arrived near Hanaan, even when they did not stay for more than three hours in towns or smaller cities along the way.


    Within those three days, Kyran somewhat had a better understanding of Zephyr''s situation. Although thetter did not say anything directly, the bits and pieces of information he casually spouted let Kyran put two and two together.


    Kyran had an inkling that what happened to Zephyr''s brethren might be connected to the Royal Family. It might even be linked to Kyran in some way. He would have to find out more after strengthening the shrine''s array.


    He and Zephyr stood at a tree branch near a clearing, where Kyran recorded his ''trail'' that he nned to give to the Conve.


    "Wait for me here. I''ll go alone," Kyran told Zephyr.


    Zephyr tilted his head on one side, "Why can''t I go with you?"


    "I''ll only take a couple of hours at most. You don''t need toe with me."


    "Alright. But if you''re not here in two hours, I''ll go in and get you."


    Kyran could not help but look at Zephyr with one brow raised. He noticed Zephyr''s attitude toward him took a sudden turn. How to put it, Zephyr sometimes acted too... attached to him?


    "Fine. Just don''t go around changing back into your true form."


    "Okay."


    With a nod, Kyran jumped down the tree and made his way to Hanaan''s north entrance.


    Meanwhile, at the other side of Hanaan, three people in ck coats were also walking toward the south entrance.

 Chapter 182 Meeting Cyneah Again

    Kyran entered Hanaan without any problems. He did not even bother to wear the hood of his windbreaker and just made his way to the town''s market area.


    Upon arriving at the busy street, he recalled the path leading back to the inn where he left Cyneah. As he walked along the street, he looked at the side stalls and came across some fresh fruits.


    Remembering how skinny Cyneah was, Kyran bought some and ced it into his pouch. It was only then that he realized that though he still had some food in his pouch, he did not have fruits. While his food stock was good enough to replenish his stamina, it was always good to have fruits now and then.


    With this in mind, Kyran bought more for additional stocks. Since the pouch could preserve food, he was not worried it would go bad.


    After a few minutes, he finally arrived at the inn.


    The person at the reception was not the owner Kyran had spoken to previously. But since he had the spare key and apparently the owner gave instructions to whoever was manning the reception, he did not need to introduce himself again. After confirming that they had already sent breakfast to the ''special room'' as the person at the reception called it, Kyran did not dally and only paid an additional fee and told him they would check out today.


    When Kyran left the reception, a young woman came out from the back and went to the man at the reception at once.


    "That''s him?" She asked.


    The man only nodded his head and looked at the young woman.


    The young woman was the one who had been delivering and tending to the needs of the guest in the ''special room'', and she had always wondered who the man that left such a pitiful girl alone was.


    Seeing the disdainful look on the young woman, the man only shook his head, "The boss already said that young man has reasons for leaving her here alone. Why are you getting worked up? Besides, she is just a passing guest. Why are you getting attached?"


    "But he left her all alone! He did not even allow her to go outside. I only saw her whenever I cleaned the room, but every single time, I would see her sitting quietly by the window..." The young woman voice trailed off as she clutched her chest dramatically before adding, "Her view as she looked out the window as if waiting for her beloved''s return, it was so heartbreaking!"


    "Hush," the man glowered at her. "Don''t go around imagining things on your own. That miss in the special room is that young man''s sister."


    The young woman almost choked in disbelief.


    "No way! That man was too ugly! They can''t possibly be rted!" She protested.


    The man looked at her incredulously, "And you''re okay if they are not rted?"


    "Of course not! She is too beautiful for him."


    The man gave her a dull look before deciding to ignore her. He really could not understand why most youngsters only looked at a person''s physical appearance.


    While the two were conversing, Kyran actually heard everything and could not help but scowl. He expected the people working in the inn would be interested in Cyneah because of the ''special arrangement'' he requested with the owner. But he did not expect people would start thinking of weird ideas because of it.


    ''Forget it. We''re leaving anyway,'' he thought while shaking his head.


    Still, Kyran could not help but remember the young woman''s words. About him not allowing Cyneah to go outside. It was not as if she could walk around by herself. She was blind, after all. Why was that young woman condemning him?


    Kyran felt wronged.


    ''Well, once godmother teaches her how to use magic sense, she might be able to go out by herself,'' he thought.


    When Kyran arrived in front of Cyneah''s room, he stopped short after hearing a faint melodious sounding from the inside.


    Cyneah was humming a very soothing melody.


    Immediately, Kyran felt his body be lighter. And somehow, the numbing pain he felt in his core seemed to lessen.


    ''This...'' Kyran could not help but frown. He did not realize how potent her singing was.


    Was she singing like this every day? That would be troublesome! What if other people found her singing could inflict a healing effect.


    Kyran opened the door, and the humming instantly stopped.


    "Who¡ª?"


    "Oi, stop doing¡ª," Kyran abruptly stopped what he was about to say as he froze by the door.


    He looked at the dy'' sitting by the window, who was looking back at him in fright.


    The girl with light brown hair, and mesmerizing eyes that appeared to change color within the light, dressed in a white dress, looked very beautiful and somewhat ethereal.


    "Uh... Sorry, I think I got the wrong¡ª."


    "Nar!" The dy'' sitting on the chair by the window suddenly beamed, making her look even more beautiful.


    She stood up while looking at the door unblinkingly, "You''re back."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once.


    ''No way. She''s...'' He suddenly felt his brain short-circuited as he studied the dy'' in front of her.


    Height-wise, she had the same one with Cyneah. But the dy'' in front of him was definitely not a skinny little girl...


    There was no way that skinny little girl could change in just three days, right? No matter how much the inn gave her food, she could not have filled all those skinny body parts...


    Shaking his head to stop it from getting ahead of him, Kyran cautiously entered the room and closed the door.


    "You... looked well," he greeted.


    "Mr. Owner and Ms. Vivie have been really good to me," Cyneah replied. Then she added, "Oh, right. What were you going to say just now?"


    "I... J-Just wanted to say we''re leaving," Kyran replied, not wondering why he was suddenly feeling a little tongue-tied.


    "Okay," Cyneah replied with a nod. "Then I will go prepare my things."


    "No need, I''ll do that."


    Cyneah''s face turned red as she moved toward the drawer beside the bed. Her movement was so smooth that anyone who did not know she was blind would think she could see.


    "I-It''s fine. Ms. Vivie gave me a small bag t-to use for my things."


    Kyran, who remained standing by the door, watched in silence as she took out a small white bag from inside the drawer and started filling it with all of her things.<sub> </sub>


    With a slight frown, Kyran did not recall seeing that drawer when they arrived.


    It seemed the owner really did take care of her while he was away.


    ''At least I did not waste all that money for nothing,'' Kyran thought.


    Taking a deep breath, he finally moved and walked over to the bed near the door. He sat at the side while he waited for Cyneah to finish packing.


    He btedly realized that the small bag Cyneah had in her hand was also a space storage. Not to mention, she suddenly had so many things with her. He did buy a few changes of clothes for her, but he did not recall buying that much.


    "Where did you get the money to buy the bag?" Kyran asked, trying to fill the silence.


    Cyneah paused and looked in his direction.


    "I... didn''t. Ms. Vivie said it''s a bag she no longer uses, so she gave it to me," she replied.


    Kyran smiled faintly as he looked at the bag. He knew how expensive space storage items were that anyone who had it would not leisurely give it away just because they were no longer using it. Besides, the bag looked new.


    Remembering the young woman who wasining about him downstairs, Kyran wondered if she was Ms. Vivie that Cyneah was talking about.


    Kyran already paid an additional tip, but he made a mental note to add more before leaving for that young woman. Although she said terrible things behind his back, she did take care of Cyneah well.


    "I see," Kyran replied.


    Cyneah closed the drawer and straightened while still looking in his direction.


    "I''m ready."


    "Good," Kyran replied with a short nod. He got up and was about to turn toward the door when he remembered something.


    He looked back at Cyneah and asked, "You once told me that you can see ''lights''."


    Cyneah''s smile slowly disappear as her expression turned solemn, "Y-Yes."


    Kyran tilted his head to the side.


    ''Stuttering again,'' he thought and knew she was feeling nervous again.


    "Do you only see ''lights'' in beasts?" Kyran asked.


    "N-No," Cyneah replied sounding a little hesitant. "H-Humans as well."


    Kyran frowned after hearing that.


    "Then why did you not see mine when we first met at the cave?"


    "T-That''s..." Cyneah tightened her grip on her bag before replying, "I-It''s because I d-didn''t see... one on you..."


    Her voice trailed off.


    Kyran''s frown deepened. He recalled how she asked him why he did not ''have it'' after the incident with the mutated Basilisks. That time, he already guessed she was talking about his ''light'', and now that he heard her confirmation, he was not sure how to feel about it. After all, the lights she sees might be souls.


    "What do you see then?"


    Cyneah did not reply immediately. She appeared to ''stare'' at him for a few seconds, before she said, "Nothing."


    For some reason, the way she said nothing reminded Kyran of how Zephyr referred to his Void magic as the power of nothingness.


    ''Could the ''lights'' she sees refer to ''magic'' then? Instead of souls?''


    As soon as Kyran thought of it, he rejected it at once. He was a person who had two magic. So if Cyneah could see ''magic'', if she could not see his ''void'' she should have seen his ''draconic'' one.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran decided to push this thought at the back of his mind. It was better to discuss this when they returned to the cottage. At least his godmother would be there to provide her insights.


    "Okay," Kyran finally replied after a short pause. He then walked over to Cyneah and hesitated for a few seconds before taking her wrist, "If that''s the case, you will have to stick close to me. I bet the lights you see differ from person to person, but since you can''t see mine you might lose ''sight'' of me."


    Cyneah looked up.


    Kyran was at least a foot and a half taller than her so when she looked up, she was only looking at his chin.


    "Thank you," Cyneah said softly.


    Kyran was unsure, but when she said thank you, it sounded as if she was not thanking him for his consideration because she was ''blind'' but because he did not react much about what she said regarding the ''lights''.


    "I found someone who''s willing to take you in," Kyran started. "She can also see things, and she can help you learn to ''see''."


    Kyran decided to say this so Cyneah would not have other ideas. Like he was a generous or understanding person because he was not. He also wanted to remind her that he was not going to keep her around.


    A slight sadness shed in Cyneah''s eyes, but she nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you."


    "Let''s go."


    Kyran guided her hand at the sleeves of his windbreaker, before leading the way out the room.


    Right at this moment, three people in ck coats were standing in the middle of the busy street of Hanaa''s market area.


    The three were the people from the Royal Army''s Special Ops.


    The leader looked at the surroundings as if searching for something before his gazended on a two-story wooden building.


    "Found it," he said as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.


    Above the building''s entrance, the word ''Country Side Inn'' was written on the signboard.

 Chapter 183 The Trace He Left

    A few meters away from the entrance of Country Side Inn, the leader of the Royal Army''s Special Ops, eyed the entrance intently.


    The reason why he and hispanions were here was simple. They had found their target''s trace here.


    To be precise, he, Muto, found his trace.


    As to how he did it, it had something to do with his innate ability. In addition, once he used his magic, his innate ability would be amplified thus there would be little that would miss his senses.


    Everything started after they received an update from the Grand Marshal that their target went South.


    There had been little to no trail at all. But after entering Bearch City and acquiring some seemingly ''unrted'' clues, he decided to go to Tarrin. Upon arrival, it was not long after they found out the anomaly that happened in Misty Forest. But since they had no way of entering there, they decided to continue their search outside.


    Then they found the wreckage of a caravan. It had been there for more than a day, and some of its clues were already destroyed by the forest beasts. However, with Muto''s ability, he soon confirmed that the wreckage had nothing to do with their target.


    And so, they were at a dead-end once again.


    But after a while, his ability detected traces of carnage deep in the woods. What was more, he detected a faint trace of their target.


    The three of them went to check the woods and soon found corpses that had been half-eaten by forest beasts.


    After investigating further, Muto finally found their target''s trace. It led them outside Nhadal. But since they knew their target avoided towns, they tried to find his trace outside.


    They picked up his trace once more going to Valley of Morte.


    Muto had to admit that they hesitated in venturing inside the valley. Their magic levels might be high enough to enter almost every dangerous ce within the empire, but the Valley of Morte was not one of them. If there were more of them, maybe they would not hesitate.


    Just when they were nning to retrace their steps, Cora, his femalepanion, found a different kind of ''trace'' from their target. After using the trace, it soon led them to Hanaan.


    Now, after days of travelling without rest, they finally arrived at Hanaan, and once again, Muto found their target''s trace. As to what this trace was that only he could detect, it was his ''scent''. To be exact, it was the scent of carnage that lingered on him after killing off all those bandits. And the trace that Cora found outside the Valley of Morte, was a trace left when someone used teleportation tokens.


    "Leader, are we really going to camp right here?" The other man, whose name was Sen, asked.


    To others, they might think that he was only concerned for standing out while they watched the inn in the middle of the street. But he was not actually worried about it. With their coat''s enchantment, no one could see nor hear them.


    "Yes," Muto replied without looking at him.


    Cora also looked at him indignantly and said, "Won''t you stopining?"


    Sen shrugged and replied, "I''m not. It''s just we''ve been travelling for days without rest. I want to sit down at least."


    "Go find somewhere to sit then," Muto told him.


    Sen looked at him andughed uneasily, "Ahaha, I am just kidding."


    Muto ignored him and kept his attention at the inn''s entrance. Right now he could ''smell'' him. It was a little faint, but he was sure he was inside.


    However, there was another scent that he could not help but be wary of. And this scent was from someone he knew was not supposed to be here.


    "Stay alert, both of you," Muto told them.


    "Cora, prepare that. We might need it," he added.


    "Yes," she replied.


    "Make sure you''re magic reserves are also full, Sen. I don''t want to hear youining that you can''t say your magic because you don''t have enough magic energy," Muto also reminded Sen.


    "Fine~," Sen replied.


    ====================<sub> </sub>


    Inside the Country Side Inn, Kyran and Cyneah walked along the hall toward the stairs leading downstairs.


    A guest couple from the room close to the stairs stepped out just as they were a few feet away. Immediately the man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties caught sight of Cyneah and his expression turned from looking indifferent to looking mesmerized.


    The young woman with him caught his expression and she immediately nudged his side with an angry scowl. She then looked at Cyneah and was about to send daggers her way but, instead, her expression softened and even had a look of awe.


    Kyran who watched the event unfold felt a sudden headache as he took a side nce at the girl beside her. He had to admit that Cyneah''s beauty also caught him off guard. He already expected she would look pretty once she ''grew up'' after he saw her cleaned up back at the cave. But meeting her again really caught him off guard.


    Truth be told, Kyran had met his fair share of beautiful women. Heck, he had been living with one¡ªhis mother¡ªfor almost all his life so he was pretty immune to it. But he was no saint and would still appreciate a woman if he met one; like Ste for example. However, because of an incident when he was still in military school, he refrained from showing any reactions. From that incident, Kyran realized that some woman could look as beautiful as an angel and be cunning like a devil, at the same time.


    Looking at the innocent-looking girl before him, Kyran was still unsure if he could fully trust Cyneah''s ''facade''. But her will to live already won him over, that was why he decided to help her. Still, he did not n to get close to her. He might have told te that he did not care whether she was part of the Royal Family, but that did not mean he would befriend her.


    Pushing these thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran turned his attention back at the young couple before them before clearing his throat.


    Just how long were these two nning to stare at Cyneah?


    The young couple snapped out of their reverie after hearing Kyran and looked at him with an embarrassed smile.


    Without saying anything, the two hurriedly turned and went down the stairs.


    "Is something wrong?" Cyneah asked a few seconds after hearing Kyran clear his throat. She lowered her hand for a moment thinking that he might be telling her to let go.


    Kyran watched until the young couple was out of sight before he replied, "Nothing."


    He turned to Cyneah while tapping his pouch to take out a ck cloak. Then he draped it over her shoulders and covered her head with its hood.


    "I know it''s a little stuffy, but bear with it for a while," he told her.


    "Okay," Cyneah replied as she lifted her head a little.


    "Let''s go," Kyran turned again and was about to move when he remembered something. He then looked at Cyneah''s left hand and guided it to his sleeves again.


    "Don''t let go," he told her.


    Cyneah nodded at once, "Okay."


    Kyran did not know that his words, actually made Cyneah happy. Although Kyran only meant not to suddenly let go so she wouldn''t trip or something, to Cyneah it was almost as if he was telling her it was okay for her to hold on to him.


    Of course, if Kyran knew what Cyneah was thinking, he would probably give her a dull expression and flick her forehead.


    <o>,m When they arrived downstairs, Kyran saw that the owner was at the reception this time. After saying a few words, and giving another small bag of coins, he and Cyneah finally left.</o>


    The moment Kyran stepped outside, a cold chill run down his back.


    ''This...'' Kyran could not help but frown internally. This cold feeling was pretty simr to what he felt back when he was facing a forest beast, and it was looking at him as if he was a good prey.


    Kyran had a sudden impulse to grab Cyneah and run, but he immediately calmed his heart and mind because he knew if he acted like that, he would only look even more suspicious.


    Though all of this seemed to have happened for at least a minute, in reality, it only took two seconds.


    Cyneah did not sense any change in Kyran as he led her outside.


    ''You''re using Nar''s face. It''s okay,'' Kyran started to remind himself. ''Even if Nar had a record of entering Starhorn, it has been almost two weeks since then. If he is seen here, it is nothing suspicious because there is enough time for him to travel from Starhorn to here.''


    However, as soon as he thought this, he felt eyes zoning in on him.


    Before he could even decide whether these eyes were hostile or not, a hand grabbed his left arm followed by a familiar voice saying, "Master. You''rete."

 Chapter 184 Spatial Manipulation

    [I sensed a malicious intent closing in on you. So I had to rush over here, Master. I am currently circting my magic around you to camouge your presence.]


    Zephyr''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head, while at the same time, he was looking at him meaningfully.


    Zephyr''s magic was air. As long as he manipted the air around his target, he could easily camouge their presence to appear simr to his.


    Kyran looked at Zephyr with a grateful expression. While internally, he was already racking his brain on who would suddenly have malicious intent on him.


    ...


    Okay, so there were plenty. But Kyran was using Nar''s face right now. It was impossible for them to recognize him.


    Because of Cyneah? Why? Was there someone from her past who tried to get rid of her, who recognized her here and was directing his hostility towards him because he saved her? No way. Why would he suddenly be hostile toward him? Besides, the person whom he originally wanted to get rid of was Cyneah. When he left her for three days, why did he not make a move? Why wait for him?


    While all of these thoughts swirled around Kyran''s head, he had already moved and led the two, Zephyr and Cyneah, out the streets.


    [Master?]


    Zephyr looked at him questioningly. But when he saw Kyran''s serious expression, he decided to keep his mouth shut and followed close. He had to stay close to his master in order to keep circting the air around him.


    Cyneah also sensed something was wrong when Kyran suddenly paused. But she remained silent. She also heard someone speak to her left but was unsure whom he was talking to since there were many moving lights around. Some were unmoving, but she ignored those and only followed Kyran.


    But what puzzled her, when Kyran moved, the light she heard had spoken seemed to follow them as well.


    ''Who is it?'' Kyran thought.


    [I am not sure, Master. But I sense three people. Although only one has the strongest malicious intent.]


    Kyran almost jumped in surprise when Zephyr suddenly replied on his head.


    Did he identally learn to speak to others telepathically due to his deep concentration?


    Nope.


    He btedly remembered that Zephyr was originally a beast, and as his Sigil, their connection would be stronger. It was how members of the Regis n who had tamed beasts could sometimes understand what their beasts wanted even when they could not speak humannguage. All they had to do was concentrate, and they would naturally be able to convey their thoughts.


    ''Three? Can you gauge how far they are?'' Kyran asked.


    [They are close, but I cannot see them. They''re probably using a spell to conceal themselves, or maybe they are wearing a simr array you have. It could also be a magic item or enchantment.]


    Zephyr added thest two after remembering how far magic technology had advanced over the years.


    ''Their level?'' Kyran asked again.


    Zephyr paused for a moment and tried to sense them again before replying.


    [They are far more powerful than those three.]


    After hearing Zephyr''s answer, Kyran''s brow immediately creased. He knew who those ''three'' were. It was the three Elite Combat Mages from the Temr Code. He remembered that they were at least Grandmaster level. Could those people follow him at least at the same level or even Exalted if that was the case?


    Wait. Weren''t Exalted mages a level just below a Magus?


    Kyran suddenly had the urge to curse out loud.


    Among the big factions within the empire, only two had several Exalted mages. The Temr Code had seven, and the Royal Army had three official Exalted mages; the three deputy Marshals.


    But the Temr Code couldn''t know about Kyran. Even if they found a clue about what he did in the Shaiha Ruins, they could not have discovered his trace that fast.


    With this in thought, Kyran could only think of the other one.


    ''The Royal Army?'' He thought through gritted teeth as he remembered what he read about the Royal Army''s unofficial record from Ste.


    In the official record, the Royal Army only had three Exalted. But unofficially, there were another eight.


    Those eight were members of the Royal Army''s Special Ops.


    Kyran smiled bitterly as he thought of them. He had thought the Royal Army was only using the mercenaries and bounty hunters to find him while they were busy dealing with his n. He did not expect that while the army sent low-ranked officers to deal with his n, they actually sent three high-ranked officers to find him.


    Kyran had to admit he had been misled this time. He always believed he was good at reading ahead of the situation. Today, he realized how wrong he was. Aside from this, he was also confident in his ability to cover his tracks, yet they still managed to find him.


    ''There will always be someone whose better,'' he thought bitterly.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran calmed his heart and mind. He had no time to brood over his mistake. He was curious about how they found his trace, but he had to suppress his curiosity to focus on what he had to do.


    Kyranid out the clues he had on hand in his head.


    While they found his trace, they only managed to trace him to this ce. It meant they only discovered his trace recently. If he used the ''supposed'' trace, the Mercenary Hall submitted as these people''s starting point, more likely they were already looking for his trace in the southern cities.


    Kyran remembered the incident in the Misty Forest and guessed they most likely heard of it. Since it was close to the ce connected to his predecessor, they probably searched for his trace around that area.


    What kind of trace did he leave there?


    The first thing that came to Kyran''s mind was the bodies of the bandits. He admitted that he did not bother to clean it up because he knew the beasts around there would have eaten their corpses. Besides, he did not leave any obvious marks on their bodies.


    However, those people were Exalted mages. They might have another way to link him to the deaths of those bandits.


    ''Or maybe, a special ability?'' Kyran wondered.


    After recalling a talk he had with Nn and Gage about people having a distinct smell, a thought popped into his mind.


    Kyran''s heart sunk.


    He had killed a lot of bandits that day. Though none of their blood nor flesh reached him because of his Void Armor, what about the ''scent'' of their ''death''?


    All of these were only Kyran''s conjecture, but he had to deal with them as soon as possible if this was true.


    That was right.


    Kyran was not going to run away. Knowing someone had a troublesome ability to track him, he could not let that person live.


    But to deal with that person, Kyran had to go all out. It also meant he had to get Zephyr and Cyneah out of the way.


    While Zephyr might be able to help Kyran fight, he could not afford for Zephyr to reveal himself. Kyran did n to kill those people tracking him, but if he failed and they knew about Zephyr, it wouldplicate things.


    ''Zephyr, I want you to take Cyneah and get away from here as far as possible.''


    Kyran finally spoke after a few minutes of silence.


    Zephyr immediately frowned after hearing Kyran and stole a glimpse at the figure at his right side.


    Zephyr already knew this person was the one Kyran mentioned who could heal his magic core. It was faint, but he did sense the power of soul around this human. So it was understandable that Kyran did not want this person to get caught up if a fight happened.


    But what did Kyran mean ''get away from here as far as possible''? Should he not be telling him to ''get this human to safety ande back to provide support''?


    Was Kyran nning to face those three alone?


    [Master, you''re not nning to face them alone, are you?]


    ''I am.''


    [But¡ª.]<sub> </sub>


    ''I have a way to escape by myself. I don''t mind doing it now,'' Kyran cut him off.


    Of course, he could not really do that. They were inside the town, and once he used his magic, he would be detected at once. He only said that because he knew how much Zephyr hated the feeling of being ''warped.''


    As expected, Zephyr immediately mmed up after hearing Kyran. After a short pause, he spoke again.


    [They haven''t found you yet. Why not escape now while I still camouge your presence?]


    ''Because if we escape now, I will only be stressed out thinking when they will find me again. It''s better to deal with them now while I am ahead.''


    Zephyr fell silent. He understood what Kyran meant, and he, too, believed it was better to make a move first while they were not aware.


    [I''lle back then.]


    ''No need. Just make sure you keep Cyneah safe. Remember, she''s the only one I know who can cure my magic core.''


    [You can just drink the Elixir.]


    Zephyr could not help butin.


    ''Just do what I say,'' Kyran could not help but scowl at Zephyr''s direction.


    [I can just leave¡ª.]


    ''No. Keep. Her. Safe.''


    Kyran said, emphasizing each word.


    Zephyr red at him.


    [I am your Sigil. It is part of my duty to protect you. Not your woman.]


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    ''She''s not my¡ª,'' Kyran reigned in his annoyance and instead took a deep breath before saying, ''She can''t be left alone. You''ll understand soon.''


    [Fine.]


    Zephyr finally relented. He, too, was curious why his master was putting such importance on this human''s safety. Anyway, he could dump this human once he found a safe ce and returned for Kyran.


    ''Also, she knew me as Nar. Remember that,'' Kyran reminded Zephyr.


    [Alright.]


    As the three of them turned to a corner, Kyran looked at Cyneah and said in a low voice.


    "Cyneah," he started.


    Cyneah''s head lifted slightly toward her left, where she heard Kyran''s voice.


    "I need you to go with... Zephy for a bit¡ª"


    Zephyr''s brow twitched at how Kyran made his name sound ''cute.''


    "¡ª because I had to do something first," Kyran continued.


    "Zephy?"


    Kyran then looked at Zephyr as if to tell him to speak.


    Zephyr frowned slightly as he looked at Cyneah.


    ''This human is strange,'' he thought before clearing his throat in return.


    Hearing the ''light'' standing a few feet to her left, Cyneah turned her head toward him and nodded her head, "H-Hello."


    Zephyr could not help but raise a brow when Cyneah greeted him while looking at the space beside him.


    Seeing this awkward scene before him, Kyran could only sigh. Looking at Zephyr, he said, "I''m going now. Make sure to keep her safe."


    "I know," Zephyr replied with a scowl.


    However, Kyran could not help but feel something was amiss as he looked at Cyneah. He suddenly remembered something and took out an orange potion and a jade disc in his pouch. Then he reached for her hand and handed the items to her.


    The orange potion was the Invisibility Potion he got from te, while the jade disc was a Regis magic item that every child of the Regis possessed. It was an item that contained their ''life essence .'' It was something that each Regis member used to keep ''track'' of their children''s whereabouts.


    "Drink this potion if you feel you are in danger," he told her while letting her feel the bottle.


    "How rude," Zephyrined on the side.


    Ignoring him, Kyran let Cyneah touch the jade disc before he said, "If you ever drink the potion, hide and stayput. Then hold this jade disc tightly. I''lle to you then."


    "Okay," Cyneah replied as she tightened her grip on the jade disc.


    Kyran looked at Zephyr again andmunicated with him through his mind.


    ''How does your camouge works?''


    [I need to be near you. Not more than five meters.]


    ''Too short.''


    [How rude!]


    Kyran chuckled. He realized Zephyr''se-back words were limited and did not include curse words. That was all good. Nn''s foul mouth was enough for all of them.


    Kyran looked around and saw an alley a few meters away to his right. He motioned his head over the alley''s direction before looking at Zephyr, and he instructed, ''You and Cyneah enter that alley. Once I am out of your range, run as far away as possible.''


    [Alright.]


    ''Then let''s¡ª.''


    "N-Nar, something''s wrong."


    Cyneah''s soft voice suddenly spoke.


    Kyran and Zephyr looked at her. Before any of them could ask her what she meant, she already said, "I-I only see four lights."


    "Four light¡ª?"


    Kyran''s eyes contracted as he grabbed Cyneah and pushed her to Zephyr before shouting, "Run!"


    "Aww, why? Let''s y~."


    A man''s voice said from above.


    "Spatial Maniption!"


    This time, it was a woman''s voice who had said these words, and instantly, a huge light-yellow magic array appeared on the ground and above as the whole surrounding crackled.

 Chapter 185 Lets Play

    As soon as Kyran saw the magic array on the ground, he activated the Regis Blessing. His eyes glowed silver as he circted the Draconic magic in his body. Focusing his strength on his left leg, he stomped his foot on the ground.


    His action was too insignificant to destroy the array, but it was enough because he never intended to destroy it. Instead, he aimed to disrupt the flow of magic energy within, thus interrupting itspletion time for a few seconds.


    Based on what the woman called the magic array, it had something to do with ''space''. From its name, ''spatial maniption'', it might mean the woman could control the space within her magic array''s area of effect. If he directly attacked her, those two men would definitely not let it happen. They were not there just to flex their superiority after all. And since they were above and a distance away from him, interrupting her magic array''spletion was the best action he could do at the moment. With this, he could at least give Zephyr and Cyneah enough time to escape.


    The ground shook fiercely from Kyran''s stomp as web-like cracks spread on the pavement, starting where his footnded. At the same time, a force-like wave spread over the magic array, resulting in the magic energies in the surroundings fluctuating for a moment.


    Cyneah gasped in fright from the sudden tremor on the ground, but Zephyr, who already understood Kyran''s intention, followed up at once and grabbed her by the waist. He pulled her with him as he ran toward the alley. His eyes had already gone back to red as his pupils turned into slits.


    Cyneah''s heart skipped a bit, knowing she was getting further from Kyran. Although he told her to go with ''Zephy'', she did not know him after all. Aside from this, she was afraid for Kyran. The lights she saw from the other three were not good. Because there was a swirling ck mist right at the middle, giving an ominous feeling.


    Turning her head toward the direction where she knew Kyran was at, Cyneah called, "Nar!"


    However, Zephyr tightened his grip around her waist and stopped her from struggling as he said, "He''ll be okay as long as we get away!"


    He did not say these words to calm her. It was actually his honest thoughts after feeling immense pressure from the three people in ck coats above, even when they were not exerting their magic pressures. With them there, they would only be in Kyran''s way.


    "Sen," the man in the middle of the three above spoke.


    Instantly, the man on his right moved.


    "Alrighty~."


    The moment Kyran heard the man in the middle spoke, he had already made a move by grabbing two cracked pavements beneath him. He lifted debris on each hand, which was at least two by two feet in size before he arched his back and threw them toward the other man who was about to follow Zephyr and Cyneah.


    Because of the two debris that flew at a speed almost impossible to evade toward Sen, he stopped abruptly and looked in Kyran''s direction.


    "Whoa~. That was dangerous," Senined as the two pieces of debris hit a nearby building, destroying its wall in the process.


    Muto narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kyran. He had read his details and knew he was abat specialist. Still, he did not expect that the kid''s physical strength was powerful enough to interrupt Cora''s magic array.


    On one side, when Kyran sessfully interrupted Cora''s magic array, she did not falter and continued to focus onpleting it.


    It was the downside of using her magic and her specialized weapon. Most mages would have lesspletion time when summoning magic arrays, but hers would be tripled. For this reason, she wanted to be a Magus as soon as possible, so she no longer had to create magic arrays.


    After throwing the debris, Kyran did not stop and ran to the man named Sen. He circted the draconic magic in his body, not caring whether the town''s magic detector would identify it. If earlier, he was only 60% sure that the three people were from the army, now it was almost 90%. The reason behind it was how they managed to iste the area in this town without him noticing it.


    Sen ignored the approaching Kyran and continued his pursuit of the two people. Though they were not their target, Muto had told them to capture them alive for interrogation. After all, they appeared to be traveling together with their target when he was supposed to be traveling alone, ording to their intel.


    "Come on~. Don''t make it harder for this uncle and just stop will you?" Sen told the two.


    He wanted to use his magic now, but because his magic target was area-based and not individual-based, he first had to make preparations.


    Three cards with rune writings appeared in front of Sen. While still flying after the two, he waved his hand at the cards, and it immediately flew at the boy.


    Zephyr, sensing an iing danger, shifted Cyneah before him as he turned. Then using his right hand, he waved and controlled the air around him to form a transparent, round barrier around them.


    Seeing the barrier formed around the two, Sen sneered. People always had a misconception of his ''magic device''. Just because it looked solid and appeared to be a weapon did not mean it was.


    The card in the middle touched Zephyr''s barrier, and just when he wanted to gloat at Sen''s stupidity, he heard him say, "Nullify~."


    Strings of ck rune writings came out of the card and circled the barrier, immediately destroying it.


    "What?" Zephyr eximed in surprise.


    The other two cards flew straight in front of him and Cyneah and lit up.<sub> </sub>


    "Bind~," Sen said with a smile.


    "Tsk," Kyran gritted his teeth as he watched ck runes starting toe out of the cards.


    He abruptly stopped as his eyes changed into reddish purple. He spread his arms as two Void Daggers appeared on his hand. A small purple disc appeared before him, and he immediately threw the Void Daggers inside.


    Two purple discs appeared on the gap that separated Zephyr and Cyneah with the two cards. The two Void Daggers appeared on each disc and directly went to the cards.


    When the daggers passed through the ck rune writings, they sizzled and disintegrated in the air. The Void daggers hit the cards and disintegrated as well.


    "What?" Sen''s eyes grew wide from what he had just witnessed.


    Even Muto, who initially nned to stay put, narrowed his eyes.


    ''Was that...?''


    Kyran had no ns on using his Void magic. However, even if he utilized his speed and intercepted the cards using his Draconic magic, there was no telling if those ck rune writings would not affect him. There was no telling if he could still help Zephyr and Cyneah escape if he was bound. Or at least move outside the magic array''s range. Worse, those cards would detain the three of them.


    "GO!" Kyran told Zephyr.


    Zephyr nodded his head and did not hesitate anymore and manipted that air around him. He took Cyneah''s hand, and flew away as fast as he could.


    "You¡ª."


    "You want to y right? Then let''s y," Kyran said as he suddenly appeared in front of Sen and punched him on his face.


    "Gah!" Sen groaned as he was thrown to the side from the force of the punch.


    He hit one... two... three buildings before he finally mmed on thest wall, and the debris fell, burying him in the process.


    The moment Muto had seen Kyran disappear on his spot, he had already made his move and flew to Sen''s position. However, he was toote because Kyran reappeared at Sen''s side and punched him.


    Without stopping, Muto charged toward Kyran as two reddish-ck magic arrays appeared above his head and below his feet. It swept down and up to his body, respectively. When the two magic arrays met at his waist, his form suddenly changed. His body bulked, and as the magic arrays exchanged ces and revealed his face, it no longer carried a human feature but a wolf-like face.


    Muto, magic was Transfiguration. He could transform into any small to medium-sized beasts, as long as he had eaten their heart before. His favorite was the Wolvern form because it was easy to move around. All of his senses were heightened as well, and it amplified his ability to ''smell'' scent that ordinary people could not. Thus, it was easy for him to ''smell'' his opponent''s moves.


    "Rawrgh!" Muto roared as he lifted his balled fist above his head and rammed it toward Kyran''s head.


    Kyran, who already sensed the man''s approach lifted his arms and blocked his attack.


    However, before Muto hit Kyran''s arm, he unfurled his fist, revealing long sharp ws and shed Kyran''s arm.


    "Ngrgh," Kyran gritted his teeth as the man''s ws dug into his flesh.


    He was surprised at how easily the man managed to rip his flesh when he was already under the Regis Blessing. However, he remembered he was not using even 5% of the Regis Blessing. Not to mention, he was only wearing regr clothes.


    Though the Regis Blessing strengthened his physical defences; against magic imbued attack, it was still far from enough.


    As Muto''s ws dugged into Kyran''s flesh, his eyes shed as a sinister smile crept on his face while he watched Kyran bleed.


    He was about to pull out and attack again when he realized his ws were stuck.


    "What¡ª."


    Kyran looked at the man with a sneer.

 Chapter 186 Dont Jinx Me

    Kyran activated the Regis Tempering Technique and specifically selected the bones and flesh of his forearms to strengthen. Afterwhich, he endured the pain as he locked the man''s ws in ce.


    While the man looked at him in disbelief, Kyran already pulled down his arms and, focusing the Regis Tempering Technique on his head, rammed the man¡ªerr¡ªwolf man''s chin.


    "Guh!" Muto almost cked out from the attack''s force as his head drew back.


    Kyran released the Regis Tempering Technique, and the man''s ws loosened on his forearms.


    Before he could jump back, the man''s hand automatically grabbed his right leg, pulling him up before mming him down on the paved ground.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. The moment he was only inches away from getting mmed on the paved ground, he twisted his body and rammed his fists on the ground to counter his fall. Using his free leg, he pulled back and hit the wolf man''s head.


    Muto was prepared, however, as he used his free arm to grab Kyran''s foot. He turned his wrist, nning to dislocate Kyran''s ankle.


    But Kyran moved his body in the same direction in order to avoid getting a dislocation. While the man was still holding his leg and foot, Kyran took out his two obsidian swords. He grabbed the hilt and shed the swords toward the man''s legs as soon as it appeared.


    "Tsk," Muto''s brow furrowed as he was forced to let go of Kyran and jumped back to avoid the swords.


    The kid had some moves. Was he not only eighteen? How was he able to defend and counter at the same time, as if it was second nature to him? He seemed like a veteran fighter from how fast he adapted to the situation.


    Kyran also moved back to put some distance between him and the man. His forearms were still bleeding, but he endured the pain and continued to observe the man in front.


    At that moment, Cora''s magic array finallypleted umting the surrounding energies. Soon after, the whole space within the magic arrays'' range started to distort.


    Cora''s eyes narrowed as a reddish-ck cube appeared before her.


    The cube rotated frenziedly as magic fluctuation filled the air.


    Zephyr and Cyneah, who were only a few meters away from the edge of the magic arrays, felt the surrounding air turn heavy.


    "S-Something''s happening," Cyneah said.


    Earlier, when Kyran intercepted Sen from pursuing them, Cyneah could only remain silent and be led around by Zephyr. She was not in the position toin or voice her opinion because she could barely understand what was happening around her. But one thing she was sure of was her desire to have Kyran escape with them. However, she also knew by having him stay behind and keep their pursuers busy; they could have a better chance to escape. So, in the end, she suppressed her desire and remained silent.


    "You don''t say," Zephyr replied with a bitter smile.


    Like Cyneah, he was also worried about leaving his new master behind. But he could not defy Kyran''s order, so he focused on their escape.


    "N-Nar, w-will he be¡ª."


    "He''ll be fine. Just hang on!" Zephyr told her as he crazily roused his magic around them to increase his speed.


    The heaviness in the air somehow lifted, and he managed to break free. After a few seconds, they finally got out of the magic arrays'' range.


    Zephyr did not stop and continued to fly toward the town''s border.


    [Don''t die, Master.]


    He sent Kyran ast telepathic message to which he got a reply of, ''Don''t jinx me.''


    A smile tugged at the corner of Zephyr''s lips as he and Cyneah continued their escape.


    Back at Kyran''s side, after ''hearing'' Zephyr''s words, the heavy weight in his heart had been lifted. Though Zephyr''s words were anything but heart-lifting, at least Kyran confirmed they seeded in leaving the magic arrays'' area of effect by the tone of Zephyr''s voice.


    It was enough.


    Muto looked in the direction where the two people with Kyran had fled. He was not worried that they were already outside the range of Cora''s magic arrays. He already knew their scent, and it would be easy to find their trace if Cora failed to pursue themter. He turned his attention back at Kyran, who was silently observing him.


    A sneer appeared on Muto''s face. It was not his nature to underestimate his target. However, the information they had of Kyran did not match Muto''s assessment of him.


    First of all, Kyran did not look anything like the image on his profile. But that could easily be changed by using transformation magic. However, Kyran''s information did not say anything about him knowing how to use it. It clearly stated that he was new to magic. It also noted that his magic was a forbidden type; Void. Though they had little knowledge of it, they knew that Void magic had no rtion to earth magic on which transformation magic relied.


    Second, the information about Kyran''s battle sense was of Captain-level. But after their brief exchange, it was clearly above a Captain. The speed in which Kyran thought of his subsequent actions far exceeded that of a Captain. Probably even a Major.


    Third, Kyran''s physical strength. That was not a strength a normal human possessed. Muto knew that he was a Regis and made ample preparations in dealing with him. After all, Muto had experienced sparring with a Regis before. But even when using his favorite form, which had a physical strength that could rival a Regis using their Body Tempering Technique, it was still different.


    Last would be Kyran''s attitude. His profile stated that he was calm and, from his previous encounter with the army, prioritizes escape. For this reason, they made sure to use Cora''s weapon and her magic first to ensure he would not be able to escape. Now, it appeared Kyran was not nning to run. On the contrary, he nned to stay behind to deal with them to let his friends (?) escape. Speaking of his friends, his profile stated he was a loner. Because of some incident during his military school days, he had distanced himself from outsiders.<sub> </sub>


    ''Interesting,'' Muto thought, feeling excited rather than worried about his findings. ''If he ns to y with us, then who are we to refuse?''


    "Sen! How long are you nning to stay there?" Muto''s voice reverberated in the surrounding.


    From the rubble, a small st urred as Sen emerged from below. He looked like a mess with his dusty and torn coat. His left cheek was also red and swollen as blood dripped down his nose and the side of his mouth.


    "Puh!" Sen spat out three broken teeth.


    As he got up, he grumbled, "The crazy son of a b*tch, he made me lose teeth!"


    Kyran frowned as he heard Sen''s voice. His voice was not loud, but Kyran heard it. Clearly, the space around here had changed.


    But when did the change happen? Kyran felt a little frustrated because he did not sense the change around them earlier, which led to this situation. Even Zephyr failed to notice anything wrong if it were not for Cyneah''s strange ability to see ''lights,'' these people would have seeded in capturing the three of them.


    Another thing Kyran was wondering about was why these people chose such aplicated magic array just to keep them. The more he pondered, the more he felt he had missed something. He read about spatial maniption before, and as far as he understood, it was space magic that let a mage transfer or teleport objects anywhere without worrying about objects in between.


    "Done."


    The woman''s voice suddenly sounded, snapping Kyran out of his thoughts.


    "You can continue the pursuit on those two, Cora." Muto, who had his eyes on Kyran, said in a low voice that all of them still heard.


    "Copy that."


    "Tsk. It was supposed to be my job Leader Muto. Why are you giving it to her?"


    "You''ll join me in entertaining this one."


    "Oh, that''s even better~. Can I also take some of his teeth as souvenir?"


    "Suit yourself."


    "Alright~."


    "Humph, pervert."


    "That''s enough."


    Kyran heard the exchange between the three and felt somewhat pissed. It seemed these three were not taking him seriously. They did not feel any pressure whatsoever. Did they really think he was a pushover?


    Muto saw the light in Kyran''s eyes change even though his expression remained expressionless. He sneered, knowing perfectly well that Kyran was pissed right now.


    "Start."


    Muto''s words were directed at Cora.


    "Understood."


    Kyran was prepared for whatever they threw at him. At least he thought he was. What happened next, however, proved him wrong.


    Cora ced her hands a few inches on each side of the reddish-ck cube floating before her. The moment she did, it stopped rotating, and the space around them distorted.


    The next thing that happened, Kyran felt a powerful pull that his body made an involuntary move forward.


    ''This¡ª!''


    Cora spread her arms, and a transparent grayish cube seemed to expand from the reddish-ck cube. Soon everything within the magic arrays disappeared one after another.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as realization hit him.


    Muto smiled as he saw the look of surprise on Kyran''s face. He felt the pull of the cube on his body, and without fighting it, he smiled at Kyran and said, "Let''s change location."


    Muto''s body blurred and disappeared.

 Chapter 187 Enough Talk

    A powerful force loomed over Kyran as his body made an involuntary move. He immediately unleashed 50% of the Regis Blessing, and through gritted teeth, he fought the force that wanted to overpower him.


    From a distance, Sen''s body also blurred. He pointed at Kyran and said with eyes shing wickedly, "I''m going to enjoy ying with you."


    After that, he also disappeared.


    Kyran paid no attention to him because he was busy fighting the force trying to control his body. At the moment, the force had already doubled, forcing him to increase the percentage of the Regis Blessing.


    "Argh," he grimaced when a searing hot pain shot out from within his core.


    ''No not now,'' he thought as panic started to whelm his senses.


    It appeared that he could only use about 60% of the Regis Blessing until he fixed his magic core. Any more than that, his damaged magic core would act up, and who knew what would happen once it exploded.


    "It is futile to fight. You are already within my magic influence," Cora''s voice flitted in the air.


    Kyran lifted his head and red at the figure in midair. Because of the hood, he could not see Cora''s face, and truthfully, if she had not spoken earlier, he would think he was also a man.


    Kyran''s eyes shifted to the reddish-ck cube that Cora was controlling and wondered if it was a magic device that amplified her magic or it was where he would be transported.


    "Is that, right?" Kyran replied with a faint smile as he released the Regis Blessing and instead, roused his Void magic.


    The air crackled as the force that had been weighing down on Kyran lifted a little.


    Cora frowned as she sensed foreign magic disrupting her influence. She immediately reinforced her magic, and reddish-ck rune writings circled the cube.


    Sensing that his Void magic could counter Cora''s magic, Kyran no longer hesitated and let it circte throughout his body.


    Unfortunately.


    "Guh!"


    Kyran felt his insides burn as magic energies within his damaged magic core seeped out and went over his central core.


    ''No,'' Kyran''s scalp went numb in fright as he remembered what happened to his central core after his Draconic magic went out of control.


    Right now, the magic energies inside his damaged magic core did not feel friendly, and he was sure once it entered his central core, it would run amok. And there would be a repeat incident of what happened to him back in the Misty Forest.


    Kyran remembered his predecessor warning him to be careful because he would not be able to help him next time. And Kyran could not afford to lose consciousness. If he ended up unconscious, there was no telling what they would do to Zephyr and Cyneah.


    Kyran''s brain went into overdrive as he came up with a n to ovee this situation.


    Thinking back to why the other two men willingly went inside the cube, Kyran already guessed that trapping him there would not be enough. They most likely wanted to exhaust him inside so he would not break free. They chose to do that inside the cube and not right here in town because they could not afford to expose Kyran''s magic.


    All of this happened in just a few seconds.


    With a determined look on his face, Kyran released his Void magic and let the woman''s magic wrap him.


    ''Fine. I''ll y along,'' Kyran thought as his body blurred and he also disappeared.


    A sneer appeared on Cora''s face as Kyran finally went inside the cube. Slowly, the magic arrays above the area and below decreased in size. The magic fluctuation in the air also lifted.


    "I told you it is futile," she muttered under her breath as she descended on the ground.


    When shended, she waved her hand, and every building that was destroyed or had disappeared was reced one after another. After that, five dark blue discs flew toward her one after another in different directions. These discs were magic devices that the Royal Army''s Research Division invented. Its use was straightforward. Once the disc was activated, an invisible force would spread around and put ''suggestion'' into the minds of regr humans and lower-ranked mages or soldiers.


    Earlier, Muto instructed her to set the discs around this part of the town and had Sen input the suggestion inside. The suggestion was for people to avoid going into the area.


    Initially, they did not n to take the two people with Kyran. But Muto also said that he wanted to capture them. Because one of them had a familiar ''scent,'' and he was unsure how to deal with it. And since they were supposed to act in secret, they had to ensure no outsider would know about their ''little'' y.


    People soon swarmed around the previously isted area. Even the owners and attendants in the stores nearby had returned.


    Putting the discs back into her coat pocket, Cora silently walked toward the direction where Kyran''s friends had fled.


    Meanwhile, inside the cube, Kyran appeared and noticed that the surroundings looked precisely like the one in town. The exceptions were only the sky was reddish-ck instead of blue, and the ground was not paved stone but also reddish-ck.


    Looking up, Kyran saw Muto and Sen hovering in midair.


    "You took your time~. Did you really think you''ll be able to avoid being transported in the cube?" Sen said in a mocking tone.


    Kyran ignored him and focused on feeling the state of his magic cores. At the moment, the leaking magic energies had stopped. Based on what he experienced just now, his damaged magic core would only act up if he exceeded the ''allowed'' percentage of his other two magic cores. For his Draconic magic, his limit was around 60%. As for his Void magic, he was not really sure. Since he had just started using it, he had yet to really experience its full power. The Draconic magic was different, though. He was exposed to Draconic magic before, thinking it was Regis Blessing, so he was more familiar with it.


    ''Draconic around 60%... for Void, probably less than 50,'' Kyran thought while staring at Muto and Sen.


    He had already seen their magic, but it was not enough to gauge their fullbat strength.


    Muto''s eyes narrowed, seeing how calm Kyran was.


    "You are really different from our profile," he said.


    "Now that you said that Leader, he does look different. He looks older," Sen agreed from the side.


    Muto ignored him and continued, "What other things are you hiding?"


    Kyran chuckled at his words.


    "You dareugh?" Sen glowered at him.


    Ignoring Sen, Kyran stood up and looked at Muto with a smile, "Enough talk."


    Bang!<sub> </sub>


    As soon as Kyran said that, his eyes glowed silver as he activated the Regis Blessing to 50%. He jumped toward Muto, holding his swords on each hand, and was poised to strike him from above.


    Muto merely smiled at Kyran and waited for his attack.


    On the other hand, Sen jumped back while taking out five cards. He threw the cards and flew toward Kyran.


    Kyran remained calm as he hacked down his swords at Muto.


    Muto raised his arms, nning to destroy Kyran''s swords. He already knew that the swords were made with obsidian stone. Though obsidian-made swords were tough, it would be a piece of cake to break them with his current form.


    Swish!


    The obsidian swords in Kyran''s hands suddenly disappeared and were reced by two dark-purple swords that neatly cut through Muto''s hand.


    Muto''s eyes widened in horror as the swords slid down his hands as if they were made of paper. He instinctively jumped down to avoid his hands getting cut.


    The tip of the swords suddenly split into three and curved as they pierced through Muto''s forearm before he could jump down.


    "ARGH!" Muto roared in pain as the ''swords'' cut off his forearms.


    "BIND!" Sen shouted as soon as he heard Muto scream.


    Streams of ck rune writings flew out of the cards and went straight at Kyran.


    Muto fell straight to the ground while still crying out in pain.


    Kyran remained expressionless as his eyes turned reddish-purple. He circted the Regis Defensive Technique, and soon, the Void Scales shot out from him, destroying everything around him.


    "Wha¡ª."


    Sen was unable to finish what he wanted to say because Kyran had disappeared from his line of sight. He then sensed dangering from behind, and he instantly broke out in cold sweat. It was a feeling he had not felt in years. He had been in the Special Ops for almost eight years, and this would only be the second time he had felt this scared.


    Taking out another set of cards, Sen turned around.


    "Not there."


    Sen''s eyes widened as he heard Kyran speak from above.


    However, he never had a chance to look up because he felt something cold slid down from the top of his head and down his body.


    Muto, who had fallen on the ground, watched in horror as Sen was sliced in half in midair. He had killed a lot of people before and had experienced countless bloodbaths. But it was his first time seeing such a decisive and clean move of killing someone.


    ''T-This... is someone who will be the next Dark Sage,'' he thought and could not help but give a mockingugh.


    He should have first confirmed if the Grand Marshal''s information was correct. They should not have engaged him at once. Now, all that was left was his grim death.


    Sen''s body fell on the ground spilling his internal organs and blood everywhere. The cards he failed to throw also fell and were soaked in his blood.


    Seeing Sen''s body on the ground, Muto was reminded of the corpses in the woods. Why did he not realize that those bodies were not mutted to that extent because of the forest beasts but because of Kyran?


    Kyrannded on the ground as he looked at Sen''s corpse with aplicated expression. He was expecting to have a bitter fight against these two. He even wanted to see more of this guy''s magic because he had never seen it before. But who would have thought this guy who even dered will take his teeth as souvenirs and enjoy ying with him, to die so easily. Did he not have any magic enchantments on his coat? How about a magic barrier? Those cards?


    Reigning in his disappointment, Kyran turned around and looked at Muto.


    Immediately, Muto backed up. He was already back in his human form and had closed the wounds on his arms to stop him from bleeding out¡ªhowever, his will to fight had greatly diminished after witnessing Kyran''s strength.


    Kyran stopped a meter and a half away from Muto. His eyes had already turned back to brown, which was Nar''s eye color.


    "Now you can talk," he said with a faint smile.


    Muto looked at him with a sinister smile. "If you kill me, he will know."


    "He?"


    "Are you curious?"


    "Not really," Kyran shrugged as he looked at his hand. "Doesn''t really matter to me. I''ll destroy all of you, anyway."


    "Don''t think too full of yourself!" Muto grunted. "We may have failed but we are only¡ª."


    ? Kyran flicked his hand, and a needle entered Muto''s forehead.


    "Noisy."


    BOOM!


    Muto''s head exploded as flesh, blood, and brain matter spilled everywhere.


    Kyran activated his Void Armor, and none of Muto''s body matter touched him.


    Truthfully, he had thought of making either Muto or Sen his Sigil. Because it would be nice to have someone inside that could give him more information. But remembering how arrogant they were and their intention to get Cyneah and Zephyr involved pissed him off, so he decided to kill them.


    After a few seconds, Kyran sighed and looked up. Since Sen confirmed that this was inside the cube, it was now easier for Kyran to n his next moves.


    ''That woman¡ªCora, would be going after Zephyr and Cyneah. I have to get out of this ce,'' he paused as he thought of something and rephrased his thoughts, ''No. I have to destroy this ce.''


    With that in thought, Kyran jumped at the tallest building and studied the surroundings.

 Chapter 188 Princess!

    Zephyr flew out of Hanaan with Cyneah. He did not stop even when they were already a hundred kilometers away.


    "W-Where are we going?" Cyneah finally asked after remaining silent for some time.


    She did not want to be burdened; thus, he refrained from talking after Zephyr assured her of Kyran''s situation.


    "As far away as possible," Zephyr replied.


    Truthfully, he was unsure as well. He just wanted to get away from Hanaan. The reason was simple, he was a beast, and once they had a sense of danger, that feeling would remain until they were entirely sure they were safe. Right now, he did not feel safe even after leaving the range of the enemy''s magic arrays. He did not even feel safe even when they were already a hundred kilometers outside of Hanaan. It felt as if danger was still following them.


    "T-Then h-how about Nar?" Cyneah asked again.


    Zephyr furrowed his brows. He was unsure how to answer that. A few minutes ago, he lost the connection he had with Kyran. To be precise, it had gotten weaker. One thing he was sure of, the weakened state, was not because Kyran was injured but because he appeared to be too far from him. It was as if there was an invisible veil that blocked their connection.


    "Just remember what he told you," Zephyr replied after hesitating for a few seconds.


    Cyneah tightened her hold on thest two items Kyran gave her. Because of the sudden turn of events, she had no time to put them in her bag.


    "Okay," she answered in a small voice.


    When Kyran told her he had to do something and gave her the potion and the jade disc while instructing her to use it if she was in danger, Cyneah already sensed something was wrong. She even thought that the danger they were in was because of her. But while listening in Zephyr''s words, the tone of his voice gave her some understanding that the danger was linked to Kyran.


    Cyneah did not resent them for getting involved, though. On the contrary, she was happy that someone was willing to take her with them. But it was precisely because of this that she feared for Kyran''s safety.


    BANG!


    Fourrge boulders suddenly appeared in four different directions, with Zephyr and Cyneah at the center.


    "What!" Zephyr eximed in surprise as the boulders flew at them as if to crush them.


    "Zephy?" Cyneah also reacted.


    "Tsk," he gritted his teeth. "Hold on!"


    Cyneah nodded and cautiously wrapped her arms around Zephyr''s neck while Zephyr unleashed his air magic and rotated it around them like a mini-cyclone.


    The moment the boulders hit the mini-cyclone, it acted as a giant grinder and sted the boulders into bits.


    Zephyr did not stop and flew higher. Tightening his hold around Cyneah.


    However, a light-yellow magic array appeared above as a figure in a ck coat descended in the center.


    "Wind magic?" The voice that spoke under the coat was a woman. "I suppose it is not really surprising, seeing how you can ''fly''."


    The woman was none other than Cora. She had used her ability to close the distance between herself and these two people. Contrary to what others understood, her magic was not space. However, because she could tap into it and with the use of her object maniption ability, she was able to perform spatial maniption.


    "How rude!" Zephyr could not help but retort after the woman mistook his magic as ''Wind''.


    His magic was not as weak as the wind. It was Air.


    Cyneah looked up and found a ''light'' with a ck swirling mist above and could not help but shiver in fear.


    "Z-Zephy! She''s o-one of them!" She warned Zephyr.


    Zephyr glowered after hearing her warning. He did not need her to tell him that because he already recognized that the woman was the one who was casting the huge magic arrays in town.


    ''How did she manage to catch up on us? What happened to master?''


    Cora saw the expression on the boy in ck''s face. She sneered while saying, "We already captured your friend. It is futile to run."


    Hearing the woman''s words, Cyneah''s and Zephyr''s hearts skipped a beat.


    "Liar!" Zephyr roared as he roused his magic and sent shockwaves over the woman.


    "Humph," Cora only sneered and avoided his attack by jumping back.


    Just when she thought, he would follow up an attack, the boy suddenly turned to his left and continued to fly away.


    Cora gaped in surprise for a few seconds, before she ground her teeth in annoyance and followed them.


    "I already said it is futile to run!" She shouted while stretching her arms on each side.


    Light-yellow magic arrays appeared horizontally on multiple trees as one after another disappeared and reappeared flying toward Zephyr and Cyneah in different directions.


    "Annoying," Zephyr muttered as he roused his magic and let it rotate around them.


    All the trees that came into contact with his magic were shredded into pieces.<sub> </sub>


    Cora''s eyes narrowed. She found the boy a little strange. Because, right from the start, he had not used any magic arrays.


    ''This...'' She frowned. ''No, impossible. There is no way he is at that level.''


    She created more magic arrays and targetted not only the trees but also nearby boulders. Then she used spatial maniption to throw all of them at the two.


    "Let''s see if you can keep on using your magic!" Cora shouted.


    Zephyr ignored her and focused on rousing his magic to counter the things she threw at them. He was already annoyed by it and wished he could revert to his real form. However, after bing Kyran''s Sigil, without his consent, he would not be able to use his real form.


    ''If I could return to my real form, escaping would be easier,'' he thought bitterly.


    Of course, he did not n on having a showdown with this woman because he could not ''kill'' her since she was still a human. If she was a different species, then that was a different story.


    "Z-Zephy," Cyneah called. "I-Is what she said true? About capturing Nar?"


    Zephyr looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "I don''t know. But my master will not be caught that easily. If they really did, it may be because he willed it."


    "Why?"


    "Sometimes, it is easier to deal with enemies if they believe they had already won."


    "I see."


    Cyneah did not say anything anymore. She understood what Zephyr meant. Her mother once told her that striking someone who had their guard down was a good move. The concept behind that was simr to what Zephyr told her.


    Seeing that her attack was not effective, Cora was starting to get annoyed. Her attack was never that good in the first ce. In their team, she was responsible for crowd control while Sen do sneak or back attacks, after which, Muto would deal the finishing strike.


    ''Let''s use that,'' Cora finally made a decision as she took out several small knives.


    Light-yellow magic arrays circled the small knives as she threw them toward the two.


    Before the small knives could reach the range of the boy''s attack, Cora''s eyes shed red as small light-yellow magic arrays appeared in closer proximity inside the boy''s attack.


    The small knives disappeared and shot out from the small magic arrays hitting Zephyr and Cyneah.


    "Argh!" Zephyr gasped as one of the knives hit his back and leg.


    "Zephy!"


    One small knife also pierced Cyneah''s arm. But since she had been exposed to pain for almost all her life, she only gritted her teeth and endured.


    A smile appeared on Cora''s face as she saw some of her knives pierce the two.


    At this moment, they had reached a part of the forest where there was a small ravine with a river flowing. Each side of the river had a small pathway filled with stones.


    The magic arrays on the two small knives on Zephyr glowed as his blood seeped inside.


    Cora abruptly stopped as she raised her right hand and a small light-yellow magic array appeared above her palm.


    Her spatial maniption could only affect ''inactive'' objects unless she used the cube that the Royal Army''s Research Division had made specifically for her. However, she could still affect ''active'' objects if she take their essence. Humans were considered ''active'' objects, thus, their essence was their ''blood''.


    A deep red liquid appeared on the magic array in Cora''s palm. She sneered and controlled the liquid, sweeping it to her mouth. She opened her mouth and drank the blood, before turning her gaze on a big boulder at the side of the ravine.


    Cora raised her hand creating a light-yellow magic array on the side of the boulder. The magic array went inside the boulder as she turned her attention back at the two.


    "Let''s see how you deal with this now," she said with a sneer as her eyes shed red and a light-yellow magic array appeared on the boy''s back.


    "This¡ª!"


    Before Zephyr could fully react, he felt a sudden pull and felt his body blur.


    "Be a good boy and stay put for now. Assimte!" Cora shouted at the same time as Zephyr''s body disappeared.


    "Zephy!" Cyneah gasped as soon as she lost hold of Zephyr and started to fall. She stretched out her arms and tried to grab anything to stop her fall. However, all she could grasp was air.


    Cora saw the other person who was covered in a cloak fall toward the river. She merely watched indifferently and had no ns to move. However, Cora''s blood ran cold as the person''s cloak shifted from the fall and revealed her face.


    She recognized the person''s face!


    Muto''s words shed in Cora''s mind when he told her that one of the people with Kyran had a familiar ''scent.''


    Without wasting any time, Cora used her magic and shortened her distance toward the falling girl.


    "Princess!" She shouted.

 Chapter 189 Who The Hell Are You?

    It took Kyran five minutes to understand the structure of the cube. Its size was no more than fifty kilometers in all directions. When he tried to punch the ''walls'', it somehow absorbed the force of his punch and received no damage. Then he noticed that each time he hit the wall, ck rune writings would appear where his fist wouldnd. If Kyran was right, the effect of these rune writings was to absorb physical attacks.


    After a few seconds of deliberation, Kyran molded a Void Spear and attacked the wall. He managed to damage the wall, but soon after, the ck run writings appeared once more and repaired the damaged part.


    It turned out that the calctions on the ck rune writings were made to absorb physical and magic attacks.


    However, Kyran''s Void magic was much more effective than when he utilized his Draconic magic to boost his physical strength.


    Kyran had wanted to st a pure Draconic magic attack on the wall, simr to how he countered Zephyr''s attack back in the ruins. But he soon realized that he could only shoot out Draconig magic with his punches or kicks if he were using at least 80% of its power.


    In the end, Kyran focused only on using Void attacks on the wall.


    After a minute of attacking the wall using various Void weapons he could mold, Kyran realized the wall itself was thick. If he wanted to destroy it, he would have to use a bigger attack.


    That put him into a dilemma because he could only use less than 50% of his Void magic.


    Finally, Kyran decided to st a pure Void attack on the wall. If he did this, it would strain his damaged magic core, so he had to prepare first.


    Kyran suddenly remembered something as he went back to where Muto and Sen''s corpsesy. Blood and human stench filled the air around there.


    Ignoring the smell, Kyran inspected their corpses and found their space storage. Both of which were pouches stitched on their coat pockets. An idea popped into Kyran''s mind while he ripped the pouch off Sen''s coat. When he got to Muto, he did not rip it off but took the whole coat.


    Kyran did this because he noticed the coat had advanced enchantments and wanted to study it. Of course, he was not stupid to use it for himself. After all, that was the Royal Army Special Ops'' uniform. Who knew if it had a tracking enchantment as well.


    Kyran found an empty container in his storage pouch and ced the Sen''s pouch and the Muto''s coat inside. After that, he put the container back in his pouch. He ced the pouch and coat in a container because it had been soaked with Sen and Muto''s blood. Kyran did not want to have their blood stain the inside of his storage pouch.


    Once he was done, he took out three magic energy replenishing potions and drank them. He also took out a healing pill to alleviate his internal injuries, even if a little. After that, he returned to the wall where he first did his experiments and prepared to destroy it.


    ====================


    Back at the ravine.


    Cyneah gaped in fright as she watched the ''light'' with ck swirling mist in the middle, which was far from her a second ago, blinked then reappeared right before her. Thin arms grabbed her from the waist to stop her fall.


    Cyneah knew immediately that the one who grabbed her was the person who had that ominous-looking light, and she struggled to break free.


    "L-Let go!" She shouted and made every attack she knew. She kicked her legs, moved her elbows, made use of her balled fist to punch out, and even tried to bump her head in any direction.


    "Stop fighting! I am not going to hurt you!"


    The woman told her, but Cyneah knew better. She had heard that line countless times ever since she could remember. Every time, she ended up beaten up and almost struggling to stay alive. Everyone lied to her, everyone except ''Nar''.


    That was right.


    ''Nar'' never said anything kind when they first met. He hurt her and even threatened to break her bones when she struggled to break free from his hold.


    But though he never said anything nice at first, he was the first person to ever thank her just by answering a straightforward question. He never sugarcoated his words. Instead, he showed kindness through actions.


    "N-No! Let go!"


    Cyneah ignored the woman''s plea and continued to struggle. She could hear running water below. Though she could not estimate how far and deep it was, she would rather fall there and drift in the water than be captured and be a burden to ''Nar''.


    Cora''s patience was running thin. Her patience was never that long, to begin with. Only when doing missions, would she do her best in being patient. She wanted to knock this girl out but refrained from doing it because she would suffer the consequences if the emperor found out she manhandled the princess.


    Everyone knew how much the emperor doted on the princess. He would not tolerate anyone who would mishandle her. He even had two Royal Knight keep her watch whenever she left the pce...


    Wait.


    Cora was suddenly hit with a thought.


    Why was the princess here in the first ce? Why would she be with their target? Why were there no Royal Knights with her? More importantly, why was she dressed shabbily? Not to mention, her beautiful long hair had been cut short and her eyes¡ª.


    ''¡ª are not blue!''


    Cora''s countenance immediately turned cold as she sent out a palm at the girl''s abdomen.


    "Guh!" Cyneah spat out a mouthful of blood and was sted to the side of the river. Cracks formed at the ravine as she hit it, spatting another mouthful of blood from the impact before falling face-first on the side of the river.


    "You are not the Crown Princess! Who are you?" Cora asked, her voice full of disdain as shended a few feet away from the girl.


    ''C-Crown p-princess?'' Cyneah thought as she struggled to get up.


    "You have her face, and even the same scent," Cora said through grounded teeth. Using her maniption ability, she lifted the girl off the ground and mmed her on the ravine''s wall again.


    Cyneah gasped as her back hit the wall. An invisible force locked her in ce before she fell on the ground again.<sub> </sub>


    With a scornful look, Cora took a step closer to the girl and demanded, "I asked who the hell are you?"


    She manipted the knife stuck on the girl''s forearm, removing it then piercing her in the stomach.


    Cyneah did not cry out in pain. She only gasped the moment the knife pierced her and felt a hot searing pain spread throughout her body. Moving her balled fist, Cyneah tried to reach for the knife on her stomach. It was then she remembered something as she recalled why her fists were ''balled'' right now.


    Cora''s eyes narrowed from the girl''s stubbornness. It was not the first time she met someone who refused to cry out in pain after being beaten to death. But there was something about this girl that made Cora very annoyed.


    Maybe it was because she got fooled by the girl''s uncanny resemnce to the princess. Or perhaps she was annoyed that she could not kill the girl until they confirmed her origin.


    ''But even if she has any rtion to the Royal Family, she is already a traitor for being together with the boy,'' Cora thought, referring to Kyran.


    "If you don''t want to answer then I''ll¡ª."


    Before Cora could finish her sentence, the girl suddenly lifted her right hand. A popping sound followed as she brought her hand to her face.


    Only after the girl threw a small bottle did Cora realize that she had drunk a potion.


    "You¡ª."


    Once again, her words were cut off when the girl''s whole body blurred and disappeared. The cloak, including the girl''s clothes and belongings, not to mention the knife, fell on the ground with a dull sound.


    "What¡ª!"


    Cora immediately roused her magic and manipted the girl''s things. She brought it to her and tried to rummage inside. However, she did not find any clues about what happened to the girl.


    "Aahh!" Cora screamed in frustration as she threw the girl''s belongings into the river, the current sweeping it further down the river.


    Turning her attention back to where the girl was pinned on the wall, Cora walked over and finally noticed a trail of blood going south of the river.


    A sinister glint shed on Cora''s eyes as she smiled and followed the trail.


    That was right. Cora was unsure of the potion the girl drank, but she guessed it had an invisibility effect. But this invisibility effect was different from the magic items Cora knew. Since it did not only make the girl appear invisible but also ''formless''. Whoever made that potion was not a simple Alchemist. It might be a clue as to the girl''s origin.


    With a sneer, Cora turned and was about to follow the trail of blood when suddenly...


    Crack!


    The sound was not that loud but Cora did hear a cracking sound. She turned around, trying to find where the sound came from. But because of the sounding from the flowing river water, she failed to pinpoint its exact location.


    Crackle!


    Once again, Cora heard a sound. This time the sound was continuous, thus, she had enough time to locate it.


    "Ah!" Cora suddenly felt burning sensation inside her coat pocket.


    With a frown, she rummaged inside her pocket and found that the burning sensation came from the cube.


    Cora immediately took out the cube. She did not dare use her hands to touch it for fear of getting burn. Instead she used her maniption ability to take it out.


    Boom!


    As soon as the cube got out of Cora''s pocket, it exploded and almost sted her sides into pieces.


    "Argh!" Cora eximed in pain while she held her bleeding side.


    Smoke filled the air from the explosion.


    "W-What the hell just¡ª."


    Cora''s sentence was interrupted when a hand appeared behind the smoke and immediately grabbed her throat. She was then pushed further until she was mmed on the ravine''s wall.


    "Ack!" She cried in pain as she grabbed the hand, trying to yank it away.


    "Where are they?"


    A deep voice filled with contempt spoke.


    As soon as the smoke cleared, Cora''s eyes widened seeing the owner of the hand and the voice.


    It was none other Kyran.

 Chapter 190 Not Suffered Enough

    The moment Kyran got out of the cube, the first thing he noticed was his weak connection with Zephyr. After which, thoughts of what might have happened to him and Cyneah filled his head.


    The next thing Kyran did was sense the jade disc he gave Cyneah. He realized that it was actually moving further away at an unbelievable speed.


    Something instantly snapped within Kyran at the thought that something terrible had happened to them. So when he located Cora''s location amidst the smoke, he immediately grabbed and pinned her on the wall, giving her no time to recover and assess the situation.


    "H-How¡ª!"


    Kyran tightened his grip on Cora''s neck, cutting her midsentence.


    "I asked you a question," he said with a cold deep voice.


    Because of the pain Cora suffered when the cube exploded, she failed to react when Kyran attacked. After getting pinned on the wall, it only intensified her annoyance instead of feeling helpless. In a fraction of a second, her annoyance escted to hatred as the possible reason for Kyran''s escape from the cube crossed her mind.


    How else could Kyran escape except for Muto and Sen''s defeat? Apart from this, seeing that he was the only one who appeared after the cube was destroyed meant the two were already dead.


    The reason why the three of them decided to use the cube to capture Kyran was simple. The Grand Marshal ordered them to capture him alive while doing it ''covertly.'' But Muto deemed it difficult based on Kyran''s abilities. Even if he was not that excellent, they knew that he would not just stand and let them capture him. If Kyran made a move and revealed his identity, it would be troublesome. Troublesome not because he possessed Void magic but because he was a Regis. Yes, they were more concerned about this fact than his forbidden magic.


    Other people might think it weird. They should have been concerned about Kyran''s forbidden magic. It was not a low-risk type after all. It was the Void Magic that everyone feared. However, the three were realists. Since they knew little of the Void Magic, they would not rack their brains on dealing with it and instead focus on countering what they could. And that was Kyran''s, Regis Blessing.


    Based on his profile, the chance of him acquiring the Regis Blessing was high. After all, he was the young master, the son of the next Patriarch.


    When Kyran attacked Sen and managed to throw him for more than 10 meters, it confirmed their spection. It was a good thing Cora and Sen had taken a Body Strengthening Pill and also cast a Physical Defense Enhancement before they made their move. As for Muto, since he had a first-hand experience fighting a Regis under the Regis Blessing, he was confident his best form would be enough to deal with him.


    Of course, they still made enough preparation against Kyran''s magic. His information indicated that he was practically a harmless boy as long as you maintained a safe distance when fighting him. And if they kept him within Cora''s magic arrays and transported him inside the cube, it would be easy for Muto and Sen to deal with him. The cube also had rune writings that could absorb magic and physical attacks, so it would be futile if Kyran tried to escape by destroying the walls.


    Everything was within their control.


    And yet, the result was this.


    With renewed hatred, Cora struggled under Kyran''s hold. She ignored the pain on her side. She did not even care, even when she was bleeding badly.


    "Don''t think you''ve already¡ªACK!"


    Kyran pulled her off the wall and then mmed her back the moment she had spoken. If she had answered his question, he would show mercy, but if she talked nonsense, he would act otherwise.


    Cracks on the ravine''s wall multiplied, forming web-like cracks with Cora at the center. Bits and pieces of earth fell on the ground as if the wall was about to crumble.


    "Where are they?"


    Kyran asked again, his voice dropping further.


    The coldness in his voice could easily make people tremble in fear. But to Cora, who was consumed by anger and the fact that Muto and Sen were already dead, she no longer felt fear.


    Cora''s spread her arms and summoned several small knives, all of which were pointed at Kyran. Using her maniption ability, she roused all the knives and attacked him.


    Kyran remained emotionless from Cora''s sudden attack. A thin purpleyer wrapped around his whole body in an instant. It was the Void Armor. When the knives that were supposed to stab him hit the armor, it sizzled and dissolved into nothingness.


    "AAAAHHH!" Cora screamed out in pain as the skin around her neck started to sizzle under Kyran''s hold.


    The Void Armor also covered Kyran''s hands, after all.


    "Die!" Cora spat out in anger.


    Her eyes were bloodshot while flesh and blood sizzled from her neck due to Kyran''s hold.


    Knives appeared on her hands as she swung them toward Kyran''s face.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He lifted his right forearm to swat Cora''s right hand while he simply leaned back to avoid the other. A Void Dagger appeared in his right hand, and he deftly sliced off both her hands.


    "AAAHHH!"


    Heartwrenching screams filled the air as Cora''s cutoff hands bled out.


    "Too loud."


    Snap!


    Cora''s eyes widened as she stared at Kyran straight in the eye. Only then did she realize how his eyes were devoid of anything. It was as if Cora was looking at an endless abyss. If she had been a little sensible earlier and seen them, she might not act out her anger. Maybe then, Cora could find a way to use her Escape Talisman and report back to the Grand Marshal of their failure. She could have reported her discovery of a girl with the same face as the Princess. Not to mention, she also had the scent of the Royal Family.


    Now, it was toote to regret. Because thest thing Cora saw was Kyran''s cold eyes before her consciousness drifted forever.


    Kyran stared with emotionless eyes as Cora''s body slumped lifelessly. He did not let go of her at once. Instead, he nced at her coat pocket and sliced it off, the pouch falling with a soft thud on the ground. Then he roused his magic, destroying her body.


    He already learned his lesson of leaving the bodies of those he killed behind. This time, he would clean up his mess, leaving nothing behind.


    Kyran closed his eyes to calm down. At the moment, he might appear cold and emotionless. But the truth, his mind, and his heart were a mess.


    After sensing that Zephyr and Cyneah were in danger, Kyran realized how much he considered not just Zephyr as his people but also Cyneah.


    It came as a shock.


    Actually, no.


    Kyran already knew of it but chose to ignore it because he was reluctant to take her under his wing. He already had a lot going on and even taking in Zephyr was risky. Kyran only did it because having Zephyr''s strength would help him. Still, Kyran only nned to keep Zephyr for three years and as his Sigil.


    As for Cyneah, she had her circumstances which Kyran had no n on meddling. He only needed her ability to heal his magic core. She might have reminded him of his adopted sister, but after seeing her again and realizing he was wrong about her age, he...


    ''Damn it,'' Kyran cursed and gritted his teeth.


    He took a deep breath and activated the Regis Blessing because he thought using the Regis Body Tempering Technique might not be enough to locate them fast.


    Fortunately, he sensed that Zephyr was nearby. Unfortunately, he could not sense Cyneah. However, he did sense the jade disc, which was too far from where he was.


    ''Find Zephyr first,'' Kyran decided since he was closer. He was also worried about Zephyr''s weakened state.<sub> </sub>


    ''Zephyr,'' he spoke in his mind trying to connect with Zephyr.


    When Zephyr did not reply, Kyran tried again.


    Finally, after a few tries, he felt Zephyr''s connection stir, followed by a muffled reply.


    [M-Master...]


    Kyran turned around, having sensed that Zephyr was somewhere behind. He did not bother asking where he was and instead asked, ''Tell me what you see, I''lle get you.''


    [C-Can''t see... anything.]


    Kyran frowned, ''What do you mean?''


    [S-Stuck¡ªcan''t move.]


    Kyran''s frown deepened. He pondered for a moment and asked, ''Can''t you use your magic to break free?''


    [No. T-There is no air.]


    ''No air?'' Kyran wondered to himself while observing the surroundings.


    Zephyr already told him about his magic. Although he already guessed it back at the ruins.


    Kyran picked up the pouch on the ground before jumping across the river. Then he walked along the side before the ravine while sensing his connection with Zephyr.


    Remembering how the loud woman could perform spatial maniption, Kyran somehow guessed where Zephyr might be.


    After walking for a few meters, Kyran stopped in front of a huge boulder. Here, his connection with Zephyr had gotten stronger.


    "Zephyr, can you hear me?" Kyran asked out loud.


    There was a few seconds of silence before Zephyr spoke in his mind.


    [I-I can''t speak. But I heard you, Master.]


    Kyran clenched his fist. Just as he had guessed, that damnable woman had transported Zephyr inside a solid object. In this case, it was inside a boulder. Since air could not pass through objects, Zephyr had no way of using his magic.


    Zephyr could generate his magic in his real form but not in human form.


    Thinking about what that damnable woman did to Zephyr made Kyran regret not making her suffer enough. She dared to trap his Sigil inside a boulder. If Zephyr were a regr human, he would have been dead by now.


    ''Brace yourself,'' Kyran told Zephyr.


    [Yes.]


    Kyran clenched his right hand and only used less than 5% of the Regis Blessing before hitting the boulder. If he had used his left, he was unsure if he could control his strength.


    Cracks formed around where his fistnded and soon started to crumble. Kyran jumped back to avoid the crumbling stones. After a few seconds, he finally saw Zephyr fall from the middle.


    Zephyr still looked weak, so Kyran jumped again while avoiding the stones and grabbed him. Then they jumped down the ravine.


    Zephyr fell on his knees, coughing and gasping for air.


    Kyran took out a healing pill and gave it to him, "Take this."


    Zephyr looked at the pill and frowned.


    "Don''t give me that look. We still have to look for Cyneah," Kyran scolded him. He knew of Zephyr''s adverse in taking pills or potions made by humans.


    "Fine," Zephyr grumbled and took the pill. He red at it as if it was his worse enemy before popping it inside his mouth.


    "Argh, human medicines are the worse." Heined while making gagging sounds.


    Kyran only shook his head at him before walking down the riverside.


    Seeing where Kyran was going, Zephyr frowned as he stood up.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I can''t sense her nearby. But I sense my jade disc down the river," Kyran replied without looking back.


    "S-She did not fall and got swept down the river, did she?" Zephyr asked, feeling guilty for failing to keep her safe.


    She was his master''s woman! How would he redeem himself for his mistake?


    "Master! I''m sorry for not keeping your woman safe," Zephyr apologized while catching up to him.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He ignored him and instead picked up his pace.


    Zephyr misunderstood Kyran''s action and thought he was trying to control his growing anger. He wanted to say something but decided against it. What else could he say? He messed up big time. Though what happened was out of his control, he could not deny that he failed to aplish such a simple task. No, it was not a simple task because that was his master''s woman!


    "I''ll go ahead and check," Zephyr finally said and roused his magic to fly.


    Kyran looked up and watched him go. He did not stop him because, indeed, it was faster for him to scout above.


    Unfortunately, Kyran had no ability to fly. He then remembered the three from the army could also fly and wondered if he could learn it. If he could, it would be very helpful.


    After a few minutes, Zephyr returned, his face pale while holding a bundle of wet clothes.


    Kyran''s blood immediately run cold as he recognized the clothes. He also sensed his jade disc from there.

 Chapter 191 Stop Kidnapping People

    "I-I saw these stuck on a trunk down the river," Zephyr said and dropped the bundle of wet clothes.


    Kyran remained silent as he stared at the clothes. His expression did not show anything, but at that moment, his brain was racing as he tried to make sense of why Cyneah''s belongings were there and yet she was not.


    Several possibilities sh in Kyran''s mind to which he would reject each time.


    All of these seemed to happen for quite some time, but it only took a few seconds in reality.


    ''Check everything first. Don''t jump to conclusions,'' Kyran reminded himself as he finally moved and knelt to inspect the clothes.


    True enough, it was Cyneah''s, and Kyran''s jade disc was stuck on her bag''s strap.


    For the next minute, Kyran continued to inspect Cyneah''s clothes. His expression had turned colder and more unreadable after turning the clothes, revealing a noticeable tear at the dress''s abdomen area. There were also faint bloodstains around the tear, which the river had not washed. Anyone who saw the tear would immediately notice that a sharp object made it while Cyneah was still wearing the clothes.


    A murderous intent shed in Kyran''s eyes. However, it was only an instant, and even Zephyr, who closely watched him, did not see it. Still, the murderous feeling within Kyran lingered in his heart, and unfortunately, he could no longer vent it out. He should not have killed the damnable woman so soon. He should have tortured her first because killing her was giving her an easy way out.


    Seeing Kyran''s calm expression worried Zephyr. It was like the calm before a raging storm. Zephyr was no expert in human emotions; hell, even he was not an expert in Quilin''s emotions. Right now, he could only imagine how his master might be feeling, knowing that his woman was injured and her whereabouts were unknown.


    It was regrettable that Zephyr had no idea what had happened after getting sealed inside the boulder. He did not know how much time had passed since he separated from Cyneah. To be honest, he was also unsure of what happened to the woman who sealed him. After getting sealed, the next thing he knew was Kyran calling out to him. Initially, Zephyr thought maybe his master managed to arrive in time and save his woman. But after sensing Kyran''s mood, he realized that was not the case.


    If Kyran knew what Zephyr was thinking, he would have already hit his head or maybe warped him somece as punishment.


    Just what was going on in this Quilin''s head? Why was he convinced that there was something between Kyran and Cyneah? Did he not realize that although Cyneah was not a ''little girl,'' she was probably two or three years younger than Kyran? Besides, would Kyran even have time to find a ''woman'' with his n''s situation?


    While Zephyr was thinking all sorts of weird stuff, Kyran was busy sorting out his thoughts.


    "After you were transported inside that boulder, you two were atop the river?" Kyran finally spoke and asked Zephyr.


    "Yes. The rude woman was right behind us."


    "Rude?"


    "Yes! What else would she be other than rude? She called my magic, Wind magic! How rude!"


    Kyran ignored Zephyr''s ranting. If not for their current situation, he might find Zephyr''s rant to be amusing.


    "You were already injured before you got transported, did Cyneah also...?"


    "No. I made sure to protect her," Zephyr replied. Then he remembered something and added guiltily, "Maybe she suffered some cuts by the rude woman''s knife when she made that weird attack. I am not sure."


    Kyran''s expression turned thoughtful. If Zephyr was unsure if Cyneah was injured, it meant it was in a spot he could not see while carrying her. Cyneah''s clothes had other tears on the dress''s sleeves. Since Cyneah''s arms were around Zephyr, he probably did not know if she injured her arms. From this, Kyran confirmed that the tear on the abdomen part happened after the two were separated.


    The tear on the dress was too deliberate that Kyran was sure it could not have happened while Cyneah was falling. Did that mean she managed to fall and got off the river before the woman attacked her?


    Kyran looked at the river to their side and immediately rejected the idea. The river''s current was too fast for an average person to swim back to the riverside. Not to mention Cyneah was blind and would have trouble discerning directions.


    How did Cyneah end up getting stabbed then?


    Kyran suddenly remembered something and rummaged over Cyneah''s things. He also checked her bag and found the Invisibility Potion he gave her was not there. He remembered what he told her earlier: "Drink this potion if you ever feel you are in danger."


    Realization hit Kyran, and he immediately gathered Cyneah''s things, putting them inside his pouch.


    Then he turned to Zephyr and said, "Let''s go back. Search the area on this side, from above. I''ll check the other side."


    Zephyr nodded, "Alright."


    "If you find any clues, let me know immediately."


    "I will."


    The two went back to where Kyran killed the woman from the army. Afterwhich, Zephyr searched the right side of the river, while Kyran jumped over the river''s left side.


    Kyran retraced his steps to where he killed the damnable woman. The whole ce was a mess, but he tried to analyze the surroundings. He found cracks on the ravine''s wall, located a little further from the cracks he made after pinning the damnable woman.


    He ran over the cracks and examined the area, and soon, he found traces of blood going to the direction where he met the damnable woman.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He thought of something as he released the Regis Blessing and activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique before searching along the riverside.


    After a few minutes, he found a trail of ck mist hovering in the air.


    With his heart thumping in his chest, Kyran picked up his pace and followed the trail. Soon, he arrived at a spot where thick ck mist hovered suspended in the surrounding. Thick roots from a massive tree above the ravine crawled down, almost reaching the river. Kyran focused his senses and pinpointed where the ck mist wasing from. He found that the ck mist was seeping out a gap between the wall and the tree root. On a closer inspection, he saw blood on the ground and scratching marks on the ravine''s wall.


    Kyran''s heart immediately constricted as an image of Cyneah wing the dirt on the wall where they first met crossed his mind. He brushed away the smaller roots hanging above the gap and went inside.


    The opening was too small, but Kyran managed to squeeze half of his body inside to look around. He released the Regis Body Tempering Technique since the ck mist was getting in his way. As soon as his eyes adjusted the darkness inside, he finally found Cyneah curled up as she leaned on the side.


    Kyran''s hand immediately clenched as he saw her covered in blood. Her short hair was wet and filthy because of the water dripping from a crack on the ground above. The inside was dark, yet Kyran could see her translucent skin pale from blood loss. She looked filthy and smelled like death. But Kyran did not care about that. What mattered to him as she was still breathing, albeit very weakly.


    Since the gap was too small and Kyran''s movements were limited, he tried calling out to her. When she did not respond, he no longer hesitated and punched the side of the gap, creating a bigger opening so he could get in.


    The inside of the gap was still small, so Kyran did not go in. He only needed enough opening so he could take Cyneah out.


    As soon as he reached for her and started to pull her gently out the gap, she suddenly stirred.


    With a gasp, Cyneah started to struggle.


    "N-No! L-Let go!"


    However, her attempts to fight were feeble because of her weakened state.


    "Stop. It''s okay," Kyran immediately soothed her as he held her arms firmly.


    Hearing the familiar voice of Kyran, Cyneah''s lifeless eyes immediately lit up.


    "Nar!" She eximed in both joy and relief. Forgetting that she was currently naked, she mustered what little strength she had left and fumbled in front of her. When she found Kyran''s shoulder, she leaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent.


    "I-It''s really you."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran froze when Cyneah suddenly wrapped her arms around him.


    It was not the first time a girl hugged him, but they were not in a very upromising position when it happened. More importantly, those girls had clothes on.


    Kyran felt his face burn for the first time, not knowing where to put his hands. When he was in military school, they performed rescue drills, and the people they saved varied. But though each scenario was different, at least the people they had to rescue were all clothed!


    Another reason why Kyran was feeling awkward right now, even though it was not his first time to see Cyneah naked, was because,st time, he saw her as a child.


    But now...


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran steeled himself. Now was not the time to feel self-conscious!


    "Y-Yes," Kyran started to say. He cleared his throat when he found his voice trembled a bit before continuing, "It''s me."


    After Kyran had spoken, Cyneah tightened her hold on him, and she said in a weak, trembling voice, "I-I''m sorry. I lost the item you gave me... But still... you came... You still came."


    Any hesitation Kyran had felt disappeared at once after hearing Cyneah''s words. While feeling her trembling body, his eyes softened as he finally held her close.


    "You don''t need to speak. Rest." He told her.


    Cyneah took a shaky breath as she nodded and obediently rested her head on Kyran''s chest, and closed her eyes.


    Kyran felt her shiver from the cold. He took a clean, dry woollen throw from his pouch to cover her.


    It did not take long before Cyneah had fallen asleep.


    When Kyran was sure she was fast asleep, he took the opportunity to check her wounds. He did not offer her any pills or potions because he had not yet confirmed if she experienced any side effects when taking the ones he gave her previously. Anyway, apart from a cut on her forearm and stomach, most of her cuts were superficial.


    For the next few minutes, Kyran tended Cyneah''s wounds. When he was bandaging the wound on her stomach, he caught a glimpse of the scar on her ribcage. It was the scar he gave her, and once again, he was overwhelmed with guilt. His guilt was doubled because he knew the wound on her stomach would leave another scar, and it was his fault. If she and Zephyr had not been with him when those people found him, they would not have been in danger.


    Kyran was once again pped with the reality of how powerless he was. Yes, he possessed powerful magic, two magic, to be precise, but he was only one person. There was only so much he could do. It was easy to overwhelm him when faced with several high-ranked mages orbat mages with unknown abilities and several magic items.


    He needed to get stronger and understand his magic fast. He also needed more people, that could help him.


    Zephyr had the qualifications, but at the moment, given his identity, Kyran had to hide him.


    Kyran took a deep breath to clear his racing thoughts.


    ''Don''t rush.''


    He reminded himself, although he knew how little time he had to save his n.


    ''Take one step at a time,'' he told himself.


    Finally, after a few minutes, Kyran stood up with the sleeping Cyneah in his arms. He had not calmed downpletely, but for now, he needed to deal with the things he could.


    ''I found her,'' Kyran told Zephyr after establishing their connection.


    [Good for you, Master!]


    Zephyr replied; his joy was evident in his voice.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He could almost imagine the thoughts swirling in that Quilin''s head.


    ''Return here and we''ll warp back.''


    [W-Warp back? C-Can I g-go by my¡ª.]


    ''Cyneah''s wounded. We have to go back,'' he cut Zephyr midsentence.


    [Give her a pill or a potion!]


    ''She''s not used to it. Besides, I''m not even sure if she knows how to circte it in her body! Get here now,'' Kyran retorted, his brow twitching.


    He had never heard such a whiny Sigil before.


    When Zephyr did not reply for almost a minute, Kyran contemted using the Sigil to force him back.


    But soon, a slightly trembling voice sounded in his head.


    [I-I''ming, Master.]


    A quarter of an hourter, Zephyr had arrived, and Kyran warped them back outside the range of the cottage''s array. Kyran did not warp directly inside because he had to grant Cyneah permission to go inside first. It was one of the forms in the array that he did not change.


    Zephyr slumped on the ground as soon as they appeared and tried his best not to throw up.


    Kyran raised his brows at him and said, "You don''t have to keep it in."


    "I-I''m not¡ªBLEERGH!"


    In the end, Zephyr failed and threw up.


    When Zephyr was done, they entered the cottage''s range and walked up to the cottage.


    "What...?"


    Kyran stopped as he looked at the cottage.


    Wait, could a big two-story wooden house still be called a cottage? More importantly, were they in the right ce?


    From the side of the house, Nn appeared with a shovel in his hand. When he saw Kyran and Zephyr, he sneered as he approached them.


    "So you two finally decided toe back¡ª."


    He abruptly stopped when he saw Kyran carrying a person in his arms. A frown reced his sneer while he said, "Will you f*cking stop kidnapping people?"

 Chapter 192 Worked Too Well

    Kyran red at Nn.


    "I did not kidnap her. Didn''t godmother tell you why I left?"


    Nn gave him a nk expression and shrugged, "She said you''re going to kidnap someone who can heal your core¡ªow!."


    A big spoon suddenlynded at the back of his head. He spun around and red at te, who was standing behind him with a scowl.


    "Don''t make things up! I never said anything about him going out to kidnap anyone."


    "You don''t have to hit me," Nn growled at her.


    "I''ll hit you as many times as I want!" te growled back.


    Kyran watched their banter awkwardly. He already guessed that they liked to bicker, but in truth, they cared about each other...


    ''Okay, stop. Don''t got there,'' Kyran told himself when his thoughts started to drift out of their course.


    Whatever rtionship his godmother and Nn had was none of his business.


    Kyran cleared his throat and said to te, "I need help. She''s wounded."


    te looked at him and gave a faint smile. She witnessed the surrounding energies be agitated; that was why she followed Nn. Even if Kyran did not say anything, she already guessed that the girl was not in good condition from the dark energy seeping out from her.


    "Let''s go inside," te replied, walking over to the door.


    As Kyran and Zephyr followed te inside the cottage-turned-big house, Nn''s frown returned while he stared at the girl in Kyran''s arms.


    Soon hisplexion turned pale as he got a closer look at the girl''s face.


    "You!" Nn eximed and stopped Kyran before he entered the door.


    "What¡ª?"


    "Did you just kidnap the Crown Princess?" Nn asked with an using tone.


    Kyran''s brow immediately furrowed while te and Zephyr looked at Nn dumbfoundedly.


    "What did you say?"


    "Crown Princess?"


    "My master''s woman is royalty?"


    Kyran, te, and Zephyr asked at the same time.


    Silence ensued. Then Nn and te turned to Zephyr.


    "Wait¡ªwhose woman?"


    "Are you f*cking serious?"


    They said at the same time.


    On the other hand, Kyran''s brow twitched at how the focus of discussion shifted too quickly. He did not even get to react to what Nn had said properly, and now they were responding to Zephyr''s?


    Was what Zephyr said more shocking than Nn?


    "Oi! You guys really n on ignoring what Nn said?" Kyran red at them.


    The three looked at him.


    te did not mean to ignore it, but she was used to ignoring most of Nn''s nonsense, so she did not react strongly to his words. Besides, when she and Kyran talked about Cyneah, they already spected she was rted with the Royal Family one way or another, so if she was the Crown Princess, it was not that surprising.


    Nn, of course, was more concerned by the fact that Kyran already took a woman for himself, and it was the Crown Princess of all women!


    As for Zephyr, he did not care. If his master''s woman was royalty, then it was good. It only proved she at least held a status that could match his master''s prestige.


    Feeling Kyran''s displeasure, te gave an awkwardugh and said, "Of course not."


    She turned to Nn and said while giving him a stern look, "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Nn yed along and shrugged. He said, "It''s not nonsense. You said he''s going to kidnap someone¡ª."


    "I did not say that."


    "¡ªwho can heal his magic core and, we all know only the Royal Family can have that ability. Looking closely at the girl, I recognized she''s the Crown Princecss." Nn exined, ignoring te''s attempt to correct him.


    Zephyr watched their awkward y with a nk expression. He muttered, "Humans," under his breath while shaking his head at them.


    Kyran looked at Cyneah''s sleeping face and frowned slightly. He knew Nn was wrong. But the fact that Nn was convinced Cyneah was the princess meant she bore an uncanny resemnce to the real one.


    Unfortunately, Kyran could not confirm it because he did not know what the princess looked like.


    It was not surprising for most Ylfaen citizens not to know how the Crown Princess looked. After a Spirit attacked the princess, the Royal Family kept all information and even images of the princess under wraps. Only those within the Royal Family and high-ranked officials in the Royal Army knew it. The reason why they did this was simple. They did not want other Spirit Masters to curse or jinx her using her image.


    Thinking of this fact, Kyran was surprised Nn knew how the princess looked.<sub> </sub>


    Pushing this thought at the back of his mind, Kyran now understood why the damnable woman earlier hesitated to kill Cyneah. She might have thought Cyneah was the princess.


    "You''re wrong," Kyran finally said after a short pause. "She''s not the princess."


    He looked at te and changed the subject, "Please check her wound."


    "Of course," te agreed.


    Nn watched them enter the house with narrowed eyes. He was not convinced the girl was not the princess. But he decided to keep his opinion to himself and observe first.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Nn also followed inside.


    The ''cottage'' which had been renovated into a big house now had more rooms.


    On the ground floor, the previously all-in-one room became the living room. A door at the back led to the dining room, while a stair leading upstairs was located on the left.


    Upstairs, there were eight single rooms, four rooms on each side. At the end of the hall, opposite the stairs, adder led to an attic. The attic served as te''s ''Alchemy Lab.''


    te and Kyran with Cyneah entered thest room on the left side. Since the room could not amodate all of them, Nn and Zephyr stayed outside.


    Inside the room, Kyran stood at the side of the bed while te checked on Cyneah''s condition.


    When te took off the woolen throw, Kyran immediately looked away. te noticed his action and could not help but smile. However, her smile froze when she found Cyneahpletely naked.


    "Godson," te started, her voice stern. "Why is she stark naked?"


    Kyran cleared his throat, "I don''t know."


    With narrowed eyes, te scrutinized Kyran''s expression.


    On the other hand, Kyran refused to meet her eyes and reminded her, "More importantly, how''s her wound?"


    "Humph, we''ll talkter young man." She warned him and continued checking Cyneah''s condition.


    Kyran could not help but sweat at te''s stern warning. It was not Kyran''s fault Cyneah was naked. Why was te targeting him as if he was some pervert?


    te''s stern expression soon turned troubled as she saw the scars on Cyneah''s body. She also checked inside Cyneah''s body using her magic sense for internal injuries. Her brow furrowed at once after sensing something.


    te pulled the nket and covered Cyneah before she looked at Kyran.


    "Did you give her the Invisibility Potion?" She asked.


    Kyran looked at her and nodded, "I did."


    te sighed, "No wonder."


    "Why? Did it have any side effects?" Kyran asked in concern.


    "No, but... I sensed that her body was not used to medicinal herbs and maybe even magic, so any effect of potions or pills she takes may work differently on her body. It''s not a side effect though."


    After hearing te''s reply, Kyran had an urge to kick himself. He had avoided giving Cyneah healing potions or pills for this reason, and yet he gave her the Invisibility Potion. If healing potions and pills could bepared to a mild poison, an Invisibility Potion would be highly toxic to her.


    "Is she...?"


    "There''s nothing to worry about. My Invisibility Potion is not toxic even to a normal person. I just think my potion worked too well for her," te assured him.


    Kyran heaved a sigh of relief, then he asked, "And her wound?"


    "Since her body is not used to potions or pills, I''ll treat it normally. I will still make a potion that her body can manage and will have her drink it when she regained consciousness. For now, you''ve done a good job with the first aid," te replied with a smile.


    Kyran nodded, "I''ll leave her in your care. I need to talk to Nn."


    "Not yet," te said before he could turn to leave.


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Let us talk about what Nn said," te replied. "I believe she''s not the princess, but if she does look like her, it might be a problem."


    "I know," Kyran replied.


    To be honest, all sorts of thoughts were already circting in his head. He just refused to entertain them at the moment. But once he talked to Nn, they would talk about it some more.


    Kyran had a feeling that Nn would not leave Cyneah''s matter alone. He sensed it when Nn did not react when he said she was not the princess. It only showed Nn had his doubts which he did not want to discuss with the rest.


    "I''ll think of countermeasures," Kyran assured te.


    te studied him for a few seconds before she finally nodded and said, "Alright. When you''ve thought of something, let me know."


    Kyran only nodded in response.


    When he was sure te had no more questions, he left the room.


    Outside, Nn and Zephyr were silently waiting. As soon as Kyran got out, Nn said, "Inside," while opening the opposite room.


    Kyran did not say anything and simply followed Nn, with Zephyr right behind.

 Chapter 193 On The Move

    The city of Meliora was bustling with people going about their business. Though the weather was sweltering because of the absence of clouds that filtered the sun''s zing heat, it did not deter the people from working. As a matter of fact, they all appeared content and excited.


    Their excitement might appear strange to others, and to some, they would only think the people felt that way because the hot weather signified that summer was just around the corner. And summer was one of the most festive and fruitful seasons of the year. Because it was during this season, there would be a great harvest. It ranged from foods to medicinal herbs. In summer, students from magic and military schools held joint activities in Meliora. And when several people were going into the city, it would double the profit of all businesses.


    However, if one would look and listen to the people closely, they would understand that the real cause of their excitement was the Crown Princess''s birthday tomorrow.


    Oblivious to all the bustle, a young woman with long, loosely braided light-brown hair dressed in a white kurti on a simple dark red dress stood in front of a fruit stall. The young woman''s beautiful sapphire eyes twinkled as she reached for one of the apples arranged neatly in the center of the lower shelf of the stall.


    The young woman was none other than Haylee, the Crown Princess. Today, she sneaked out of the pce and disguised herself as an average young miss to y in the city square.


    "I''ll take this one, and please pack a dozen pieces," Haylee told the middle-aged woman manning the stall.


    The woman with curly ck hair and dark brown eyes dressed in a dark gray dressplied at once with a smile. She a brown paper bag filled with apples to Haylee and said, "Here you go. You can take that one for free." The woman gestured to the apple Haylee was holding.


    Haylee beamed at once as she paid for the dozen apples and reached for the brown bag, "Thank you!"


    "No worries, no worries. It is quite rare to see such a well-mannered and beautiful youngss such as you around here. Take it, take it."


    "Why, thank you. I''ll be sure to repay your kindness," Haylee said with slightly red cheeks. Though it was not the first time peopleplimented her looks, it felt different hearing iting from ordinary people. It carried sincerity, to which she rarely heard from others because the praises she received most of the time were to curry favor. After all, she was the princess.


    "Hahaha, with you standing right there, you''ve already repaid me." The womanughed heartily.


    True enough, a few men arrived at the stall to buy some apples while admiring Haylee.


    Haylee, in turn, could not help but giggle and just gave a short nod at the woman before turning to leave.


    As soon as she turned, a hand grabbed the side of Haylee''s kurti, and a small panting voiceined, "Please your high- mdy, don''t run off like that!"


    Haylee raised her brows as she looked at her maidservant, who was simrly dressed like her but without a kurti, and the color of her dress was dark brown. She was a young woman nearing her twenties, with short brown hair and eyes. Her name was Macey.


    "I am walking in a normal pace, Macey. I can''t help it if you walk like a snail," Haylee replied with a light shrug.


    Macey wanted to remind Haylee that she was not walking at her normal pace just a few minutes ago after seeing some young army officers leaving a weaponsmith but decided against it. With Haylee''s temperament, she would only feign innocence.


    "Alright, your high-mdy. But please be aware that even when you are in disguise, you still stand-out. How will I answer to the emp-father if something happens to you," Macey reminded Haylee while she took the bag of apples.


    The two continued to walk down the busy street.


    "You worry too much. While I appear to have sneaked out of the pce, I am sure Lira is following us," Haylee replied while thinking of the apprentice knight under the Royal Knight assigned to guard her at all times.


    Since the Royal Knights were still with her father, their apprentice dealt with other matters within the pce.


    A slight frown crossed Haylee''s beautiful face as she remembered her father. As soon as he arrived, he had only spent at least four hours with her and her mother. Most of his time was spent in meetings with the leaders.


    Haylee understood that something had happened and her father was busy because of it, but it would be her birthday tomorrow, and still, he had not said anything about attending it. As a matter of fact, tomorrow, the leaders from the three big factions in the empire would arrive, and he would meet them along with the rest of the leaders.


    "That may be true, but still¡ª."


    "When I be a ruler, I will make a decree that states all leaders have to spend at least half of their time with their family!" Haylee blurted out of the blue.


    Macey looked at her and blinked. At first, she did not understand Haylee''s rambling but soon realized what she meant. She smiled faintly and said, "I am sure tomorrow the emp-your father will make time for you, mdy."


    "Let us not talk about tomorrow," Haylee said while looking at Macey. She smiled mischievously and added, "Today, I will go have fun~."


    After saying her piece, Haylee started to run toward a two-story building.


    "W-Wait!" Macey called and ran. It was a little tricky, though, because she was carrying a bag of apples in her arms. If only she had taken her space storage with her, this would not be a problem. But Haylee insisted they leave any luxurious items behind because they were supposed to be moners'' today.


    ''Amoner with a maid,'' Macey could not help smiling wryly as she looked at her mistress.


    Her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the building where Haylee had entered.


    On top of the big doors of the two-story building that Haylee went to was a sign which read ''Mercenary Guild.''


    "M-Mdy! Wait!" Macey shouted and picked up her pace.


    Meanwhile, when Haylee entered the Mercenary Guild, almost every mercenary inside turned to look at her.


    "Who is she?"


    "Does she n to hire mercenaries?"


    "Maybe she is here to take the mercenary test?"


    "Are you kidding me? She looks too frail and young."


    "She does, isn''t she? Look how fair her skin is, her eyes too are really beautiful."


    "Pervert, what are you even thinking to a girl whose old enough to be your daughter!"


    The mercenaries nearby started to chatter while observing Haylee.


    Haylee might not have enhanced hearing, but she knew that the mercenaries around were talking about her. She did not care, though, because she had a purpose ofing here. Haylee did not n on sneaking into town today. Butst night, she received a message from her informant, if she wanted to know what Gael was up to, she should visit the Mercenary Guild and check the high-profile section of the bounty board.


    The reason why her informant did not directly give the information was for security. If Gael''s people intercepted the message, at least there was no obvious information in it. The message was even phrased in a way that only Haylee could understand.


    A man with blonde hair and light-brown eyes dressed in a dark-gray suit observed Haylee when she entered. He stood behind the reception desk and had a pleasant smile on his face.


    Haylee found a massive longboard with different sized posters stered on it. As she made her way over the board, the mercenaries standing nearby gave way while looking at her either in amazement or admiration.


    The man at the reception desk nodded at a young woman with long ck hair tied in a ponytail and dark blue eyes and was simrly dressed like him except she was wearing a skirt, standing behind him.


    The young woman nodded in reply, went over to the bounty board, and approached Haylee.


    "How may I help you, miss?" She greeted as soon as she was a few feet away from Haylee.


    Haylee looked at the young woman and gave her a faint smile while saying, "It''s fine. I''m just looking around. Thank you."


    "Alright, if you need help I''ll be right here." The young woman said with a smile.<sub> </sub>


    Haylee only gave a short nod and turned her attention on the massive board.


    The board was divided into sections. Gold tebels with letters were lined on top of the board. From the farthest left, it had the letter F up to D, followed by a te which had the words "High Profile", and after that were the letters C to A.


    Haylee stood in front of the C section, which she understood as bounties with C-rank difficulty. The message told her to look at the High Profile section. However, she remained in front of the C-rank section and only nced over the High Profile section now and then.


    It was unfortunate that Haylee drew too much attention. If Lira were to investigate why she went into the mercenary guild, it was easy to find information about her actions. It would have been easier to do transformation magic and change her appearance, but sadly, she could not perform other magic.


    ''It would have been better to have others look at the bounty and report back to me, but if I don''t want to have too many people know what I am up to,'' Haylee thought with a sigh.


    Haylee walked past the High Profile section. She pretended to go to the D-rank section while casually looking at the posters under the High Profile section.


    When she reached the middle, she suddenly froze when she found a bounty with an image of a young man.


    The image was devoid of color and seemed to have taken poorly, but Haylee would recognize that face anywhere.


    ''The Regis young master..?'' Haylee wondered with a slight frown. Then she saw the bounty reward and almost did an audible gasp. ''One million high-grade spirit stone?''


    The young woman noticed Haylee had stopped and looked at the poster she was looking at. Her eyes narrowed but only for a moment before she approached Haylee and said, "Were you surprised to see such a young man have such a high bounty reward?"


    Haylee immediatelyposed herself. She retained a passive expression as she replied, "Yes. Who is he?"


    "There is too little information about him. But he is someone really dangerous."


    Haylee looked at the young woman with raised brows, "What did he do?"


    The young woman smiled apologetically and shook her head slightly, "I don''t know. But what I do know, he attacked the Mercenary Hall two weeks ago."


    "That is really... bad," Haylee replied, but her mind was already racing. Questions filled her head as she looked at the bounty once more.


    She searched if the requester''s name was on the poster, but it only stated anonymously requested.


    "How long has this bounty been posted?" Haylee asked.


    "Two weeks ago," the young woman replied.


    Haylee shook her head dramatically, "The world has gotten scary these days."


    She said with a sigh before going over the D-rank section. However, her eyes had already turned colder.


    The young woman did not follow Haylee to the D-rank section. Instead, she looked at the man at the reception desk and gave a meaningful nod.


    The man nodded back and took out amunication device. After sending a message, he straightened and hid his device as if nothing had happened.


    After a few minutes, Haylee left the guild and found Macey outside.


    Macey was looking hesitantly at the guild''s entrance. When she saw Haylee, she let out a sigh of relief and ran to greet her.


    "Mdy, please don''t wander off on¡ª."


    "Let''s head back," Haylee dered and yawned, "I''m suddenly sleepy."


    Macey blinked at her but soon nodded her head happily, "Okay."


    Haylee let her lead the way while she remembered the posters she had seen inside.


    It was not only the Regis young master''s poster that caught her attention. She was also interested in the bounty beside it, issued by the Royal Family.


    ''Gray... no wonder father was frantic,'' Haylee thought. ''I need more information about what''s happening. And the bounty of the Regis young master... what is that Gael nning?''


    With these questions in mind, Haylee decided to meet her informant as soon as possible.


    ====================


    The sun had already set when Kyran, Nn and Zephyr finished talking. It took a while because Nn would not let Kyran off until he told his n in great detail.


    Kyran also had questions about the Royal Army''s Special Ops because he was disappointed in them.


    When Nn heard Kyran''s disappointment, he could not help but give him a nk expression. He was starting to think the kid had turned into an arrogant bastard¡ªerr¡ªprick.


    In the end, Nn exined that the special ops were not exactly heaven-defying individuals. The members had unique abilities and were groomed personally by the army. They also participated in the army''s Research Division, and their magic items were tailor-made for them. The Research Division also performed tests on them to enhance their abilities and magic.


    When Kyran heard it, his disappointment turned into disgust. He did not realize that the army also performed mage experiments.


    After the talk, Kyran checked back on Cyneah and found she was still asleep. He did not wake her since he wanted her to have a good rest. If he asked her to heal his magic core, she would need to be in good condition.


    Kyran, Nn and Zephyr found te in the dining room, preparing dinner.


    Kyran bted noticed that Ss and Gage were not around. When he asked Nn and te about them, they said they went out to gather some materials for te and would be back tomorrow.


    After dinner, te ushered Kyran to rest as well.


    Kyran did not argue. Truthfully, he was exhausted because they had to rush to Hanaan and had little rest during their journey. Aside from this, he would be making transmission scrolls which he owed Nn in the next few days. He had to prepare a lot of blood.


    When Kyran and Zephyr had left, Nn and te talked for a bit.


    Nn did not tell te the details of Kyran''s ns. But from Nn''s expression, she guessed Kyran''s n could not be achieved easily.


    "Once the kid''s core is healed and he made enough transmission scrolls, we''ll leave," Nn told te.


    te looked at him meaningfully and asked, "Are you going that ce right away?"


    Nn heaved a sigh and shook his head, "No. The kid wants to go somewhere first."


    "Where?" te asked.


    Nn replied with a faint smile, "To visit his first Sigil."

 Chapter 194 Finding Clues

    Kyran chose the room opposite Cyneah''s. It was the same room where he, Nn and Zephyr had talked as well. He chose this room because it was at the far end and most of the rooms near the stairs were upied. He also did not want to be disturbed by people going up and down the stairs.


    As Kyran stood in front of the room, he nced at the door to Cyneah''s room.


    Zephyr, standing behind him, saw this and immediately sighed in his heart. His master worried too much about his woman.


    "She is still sleeping. You don''t have to worry," Zephyr told Kyran after hearing Cyneah''s even breathing inside the room.


    Normal people would not be able to hear it, but Zephyr was originally a Quilin, and his sense of hearing was by default strong.


    Kyran''s brow twitched as he turned to look at Zephyr. He did not need the ability to read minds to know what this Quilin was thinking right now. But he was too tired exining himself and just said, "You can stay in the room beside mine. Try to think about what I said earlier."


    During the talk they had earlier, they also talked about improving the array of the shrine in the Shaiha Ruins. Nn suggested having it improved after Kyran finished his ''training''. Zephyr was not happy when he heard it, so Kyran suggested having Zephyr think about Nn''s suggestion. Either way, Kyran would respect his decision.


    Remembering about it made Zephyr frown. He understood why Nn suggested postponing improving the shrine''s array. Nn said the training Kyran would undergo could improve his overall foundation. It meant his Combat and Magic knowledge would improve, and so would his Array knowledge. As to how it would happen, Nn could not provide the details and only confirmed that he and Cade, Kyran''s father, improved their Array knowledge because of the training.


    Once Kyran finished his training, his chances to decipher and improve the shrine''s array would be higher. There was also the possibility that he could upgrade the whole array.


    The only reason for Zephyr''s hesitation was because he was worried those people from the Temr Code would do something drastic to the shrine while Kyran was still in training. Right now, Zephyr sensed that the Shaiha was still safe but was unsure for how long.


    "I will," Zephyr replied, sounding a little hesitant.


    "It''s Nn''s idea and we both know why he wanted me to train first. But even without training, I can improve the shrine''s array." Kyran told him.


    It was not conceit that prompted these words from Kyran. It was a resolve he held in his heart. Resolve never to think he could not aplish what he had set out to do for a second. Only by thinking this way could he also feel assured about his situation.


    Kyran also did not want to force Zephyr in agreeing because he understood Zephyr''s worries. It was for this reason that he let Zephyr have the final say.


    "If you decided to have the array improved first, we''ll go there after my core is healed." Kyran added.


    Zephyr nodded, "Alright. I''ll think about it."


    After saying his piece, he entered the room beside Kyran''s.


    Kyran also entered his room.


    Inside, he did not sleep at once. He first took out all the storage space he got from the bandits and the three people of the Royal Army''s Special Ops.


    Because things happened one after another, Kyran had no time to check everything. Now that he had some time, he nned to sort everything. Who knew? He might find some valuable items that he could use.


    The items from the bandits were silver and gold coins, low-grade spirit stones, potions, pills, and somemon medicinal herbs and weapons. He ced each item on different space storage. Most of the herbs he nned to leave to te for safekeeping. He only nned to take some, which he could use for array creation. As for the weapons, they were useless to Kyran, but maybe he could reheat them and shape them into items or even weapons he could use.


    When Kyran was finished sorting the spoils from the bandits, he sorted the ones from the Special Ops.


    Their space storage was of mid-grade, and normally, no one would be able to look inside. But since they were dead, their magic sense had already left the space storage, allowing others to inspect it.


    Simr to the bandits, the Special Ops space storage had coins, spirit stones, potions and pills. However, the difference, the spirit stones, potions, and pills were of mid to high-grade levels. Though there were fewer high-grade spirit stones, only amounting to four thousand eighty-seven in total, it was still a lot. Same with the potions. But the potions were mostly magic energy replenishing, healing and other physical and magical boosters. As for the pills, there were some Kyran was not familiar with, so he ced them in separate space storage and had te check them tomorrow.


    Kyran also found a few magic devices and items, and in order to check how they worked, he had to use his magic energy to operate them. He did not do it, though, in case these devices had a way to transmit his magic signature once he inserted some of his magic energy. Who knew, these devices and items might also have a detection ability when activated.<sub> </sub>


    ''I''ll have Nn check them tomorrow,'' Kyran decided and ced everything in separate space storage. He continued to check the space storage, and he soon found a ck disc that lit up upon contact, and a series of information was transmitted in his head.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he realized the information was about him. More urately, it contained all information of every data and movement the Royal Army had done to capture him. After a few minutes, he came across a report on a failed operation where the army attempted to break the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall Defensive Array.


    All the emotions Kyran had suppressed for the past few weeks came crashing down on him the moment he read why the operation had failed. The report only had two lines: ''Lord Cade, the next Regis Patriarch, intercepted the team''s advance. Operation had failed.''


    Kyran''s hand tightened around the ck disc. With elbows resting on his knees, he hunched forward and brought his clenched hands, holding the disc on his forehead as if in prayer. He closed his eyes and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Father... He''s okay. The estate is also safe... that''s good."


    The night Kyran met Nn, he said his father was strong. He also assured him his n would not be defeated that easily. Kyran did not doubt that. However, it did not stop him from worrying.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran continued to read through the report. After reading that a group of army officers had sessfully entered the Regis Inner Wall, he furrowed his brows.


    Kyra stood up at once and wanted to talk to Nn about it. He needed to find a way to inform his n.


    But he paused at once after reading a line near the end of the report. It said: ''Unable to establish contact within the walls.''


    Kyran sat back and pondered for a bit. The report had been made almost a week ago, and the only update was given a few days ago, which said they were still looking for a way to contact their men.


    Doubts circled in his mind as he continued reading the report. When he was done, he browsed the rest of the reports about him and could not shake off the feeling that something was amiss.


    The first doubt Kyran had was how his father or n could make such an amateur mistake to miss those people from the army entering the Inner Wall. Now that he had a better knowledge of Arrays, he knew that arrays created by a specialist had a certain link to his creation. It was how they would know if their array had been breached or was damaged. It also let them know the extent of the damage inflicted on the array. From that, they would adjust ordingly to minimize further damage.


    Kyran guessed that his father controlled the Inner Wall''s defensive array. Because he witnessed how his father''s eyes glowed, and soon the defensive array activated the night the army raided them.


    So would his father miss people passing through his array?


    The second doubt Kyran had, was the army''s ignorance about this fact. Did they not have an array specialist that would tell them about this feature?


    Noir told Kyran that he was ''valued'' by a lot of people because of his Array attainments. Because few could be called an Array Specialist, but would the armyck an Array Specialist?


    Kyran remembered howplex the damnable woman''s array had used back in Hanaan. And it was amplified by using her magic device. Based on what Nn exined, it was an item created by the army''s Research Division.


    Then it meant the army did notck any Array specialists. So why did they not ask the Research Division''s opinion?


    It was Kyran''s third doubt. He already sensed that something was off when he found that only low-ranked army officers were dispatched to deal with him and his family.


    ''The distribution of power within the army...'' He pondered some more.


    Half an hourter, Kyran came up with a few conclusions. He did not look for Nn to discuss it. He would do that tomorrow.


    Aftering to this decision, Kyran continued searching the space storage in case there were other items like the ck disc.


    Unfortunately, there was only one. Kyran did not mind. For now, it was enough.


    ''I''ll have Byron look into it,'' he thought and hid the ck disc inside his pouch.

 Chapter 195 Why Is That Here?

    It was alreadyte in the night when Kyran finished sorting his spoils. In addition to potions and pills, he found some scrolls and information orbs that contained various confidential information from all factions within the empire.


    The information Kyran read from Ste''s records was brief, so this information orbs were good for him. He would take his time studying each orb.


    Before Kyran went to sleep, he prepared all the materials he needed in making the transmission scrolls. He made a mental note to ask te for blood replenishing potions. That way, he could make at least one or two scrolls a day.


    The following day, Kyran went straight to Cyneah''s room only to find it empty. With a frown, he went downstairs and headed to the back where the dining room was located.


    There he saw Cyneah, wearing a new set of clean clothes sitting behind the bar near the kitchen sink. She sat with a look of anticipation while te rambled on some of her life stories as she whipped up their breakfast.


    Seeing her carefree expression made Kyran smile. He was worried she would have trouble adjusting to the people around him, but it appeared she had already warmed up to te.


    Cyneah giggled at something te had said before she abruptly stopped. As if sensing something, she turned her head in the direction of the door and sniffed the air before a beautiful smile spread her face.


    "Nar!" She greeted, not quite looking straight at the door.


    Kyran twitched at Cyneah''s action. She reminded him of a dog who just ''smelled'' the scent of its master when she sniffed the air before looking at him. He almost saw her wagging a fluffy tail behind her.


    Shaking his head at the absurd thought, Kyran said, "You''re looking better."


    Cyneah nodded her head.


    "Yes. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Master looked after me," she replied with a smile.


    "Master?" Kyran raised his brows and looked at te.


    te had stopped what she was doing and looked at the door when Kyran entered. She already sensed himing but did not say anything to ''test'' Cyneah''s reaction. As she expected, her other senses were enhanced because of the girl''s disability.


    "I don''t see anything wrong with it. I like her," te replied with a shrug, "Besides, she has potential in Alchemy and since I have no disciple, I decided to take her in."


    "I see," Kyran replied.


    He was not against the idea. When he thought of leaving Cyneah with te, he did entertain the prospect of her bing te''s disciple but did not want to impose. Since he was unsure if Cyneah had any Alchemy talent given her disability, he knew it would be hard for her since Alchemy was strict regarding correct measurements of materials and herbs during the concoction process.


    But if te suggested it first, maybe she had a way of teaching Cyneah.


    "Master said she would let me try her potions and teach me to differentiate each ingredient through their taste. She said I have a special body constitution where I can bring out any medicinal herbs'' highest efficacy," Cyneah told Kyran. Her face was full of joy at the thought that she could be of help.


    "..."


    Kyran looked at te.


    te, on the other hand, cleared her throat and looked away.


    This... His godmother was not looking for a disciple but a guinea pig!


    Before Kyran could say anything, the door mmed open as Gage entered. Looking a little haggard, he eximed, "Bad news! Gray has reappeared and the whole empire is¡ª."


    Gage stopped suddenly when he saw Kyran looking at him, and then he also saw an unfamiliar face sitting by the counter. Gage immediately scowled and asked with a displeased note, "Howe there are more people here?"


    When Cyneah heard Gage''s booming voice, she reflexively flinched and clenched her fist.


    "Why are you even angry? This is not even your ce," Ss scolded him as he entered the room. The first thing he saw was Cyneah, and his eyes immediately lit up.


    "Oh, we have a lovely visitor. Forgive this brute''s unrefined manners, he is simply hopeless." He added with a smile.


    Instead of feeling assured, however, Cyneah shifted nervously in her seat. Kyran saw her nervousness and immediately walked to her.


    "I''ll take her upstairs," Kyran told te, who only nodded while ring at Gage.


    Gage scratched his bald head. What did he do? He only asked a question why were they acting like this?


    Ss also felt something was amiss and watched in silence.


    Kyran reached for Cyneah''s hand and immediately noticed it had gotten cold. He wanted to scold her for leaving her room when she was not prepared to meet others. But seeing how shaken she was, he bit down his anger and just said, "Stay in your room first. I''lle for you when breakfast is ready."


    "Hm," Cyneah answered in a small voice. She did not mean to act scared. But the man''s voice triggered something inside her, and she failed to suppress her fear.


    te already told her that there were other people in the house, and it was Cyneah''s idea to greet them, so she ended up in the dining room. She did not expect the fear she had suppressed all these years to be triggered just because of someone who had a loud voice. No. Actually, it was only one of the reasons. The other reason was that the ''light'' of the person with the loud voice was a little simr to the person who had instilled that fear.


    The moment Kyran led Cyneah every step of the way, it was then that Ss realized that she was blind.


    "Ky¡ª."


    "I''ll be back," Kyran interrupted Ss before he could say his name and left with Cyneah.


    When the door closed behind them, te''s re turned fierce.


    "You brute! Can''t you control your voice? Even Nn whose aplete ass, greeted her in a soft voice!"


    ''S-Soft voice...''


    The image of Nn using a soft voice to talk to someone somehow sent shivers up their spines.


    "T-That''s scary," Gage replied.


    "What''s scary?" Nn growled as he appeared from the backdoor with a shovel slumped over his shoulder.


    Gage immediately shook his head and instead changed the subject, "More importantly, Gray is alive and the Royal Family has sent out a decree for his capture!"


    "Gray?" te asked in confusion.


    On the other hand, Nn sneered as he put down the shovel at the smallpartment by the backdoor.


    "Oh? Took them long enough," hemented.


    Nn''s carefree attitude made the three look at him.


    "You don''t look surprised," Ssmented.


    Nn snorted and replied, "Why should I? I went through all the trouble and expose myself and yet they took so long to issue a decree. I almost thought they forgot about me."


    Silence followed his statement.<sub> </sub>


    It was not until Kyran returned that the three finally reacted and eximed, "WHAT?"


    Kyran looked at them with raised brows.


    "What did I miss?" He asked.


    Nn shrugged while pulling one of the chairs at the dining table and sat down. He looked at the three who were looking dumbfoundedly at him and said, "Don''t just stand there. Sit down. We have a few things to discuss."


    Kyran sat down. When he and Nn talkedst night, they agreed to tell Gage and Ss their ns. At first, he was against the idea, but Nn said he would need their help if he wanted his n to seed. Kyran knew he would require people''s help to achieve his goal, but he couldn''t just ask anyone. He felt more at ease if they were his Sigil.


    In the end, Nn convinced Kyran because Nn and Gage made a pact when they had their first ''talk'' back at te''s ce. As for Ss, Nn reminded Kyran he had the Regis mark, so there was nothing to worry about.


    te, Ss, and Gage sat down while still looking at Nn with a shocked expression.


    Ss and Gage were shocked by Nn''s revtion, while te was appalled because he provoked the Royal Family!


    Just what was Nn thinking? First, it was Kyran, and now it was him. These two really... were blood-rted!


    When everyone was seated, Nn looked at Gage and Ss. He said, "Tell us more about the decree."


    "As you both know, we went to visit the Mercenary Guild in Noser to send a report back to the Mercenary Hall," Ss was the one who answered. "While we were there, the mercenaries were talking about a bounty that has the seal of the Royal Family, a royal decree."


    "Having a bounty issued by the Royal Family is not surprising. The surprising part is that it was a reissued bounty and the target has been thought to be dead for years!" Gage interjected while looking at Nn.


    Hearing about this, te finally understood what they were talking about. She knew about Nn''s plight a few years ago. It was also when Cade''s magic core got damaged trying to help Nn escape. te remembered Nn appeared at her ce that day looking pale and almost dead. For days, she watched as he med himself for what happened to Cade. Then one night, when he barely recuperated, he left without a word.


    Nn shrugged, "It''s not my fault that they are easily fooled. I present them with a battered body that had my face and they already thought it was me. They didn''t even think it was my magic''s creative work."


    Kyran looked at him. Until now, he had yet to know Nn''s magic. He had his spections, but he had no way of confirming it yet.


    te sighed, "So it was a dummy. Master told you not to use your magic in such a way. Though it was only a dummy, the fact that it had the same features as humans may raise the wrath of a Higher Being."


    Nn snorted but did not reply.


    Kyran was different, though. His interest was piqued the moment te mentioned a ''Higher Being.''


    Before he could ask about it, however, Nn had already changed the topic.


    "Anyway. Now that the Royal Family issued my bounty, it will now be a top priority over yours," he said while looking at Kyran.


    "Aren''t you worried?" Kyran asked. "If we go to towns and cities, you won''t be able to use your magic, or else the magic detectors will recognize your signature."


    "Humph," Nn sneered. "Remember what we talked about before? On how the army keep tabs on all mages in the empire."


    Kyran raised his brows and asked, "You mean, you''re able to have a different magic signature recorded to your new identity?"


    "Actually this is my real identity. Gray is my pseudo. But yeah, both have different magic signatures."


    "How is that possible?" Kyran asked. If he knew how, wouldn''t he also be able to hide his magic signature? Wait, he had two magic, so it had two different magic signatures, but he was unsure if the army had a record of the Dragon Lord''s magic signature.


    It made him remember how rampant he had been in Hanaan. He did not know if the magic detector in Hanaan detected his magic when he used them inside the town. Or maybe the magic arrays of that damnable woman concealed it.


    Sensing Kyran''s curiosity, Nn could not help but sigh.


    "You and your non-stop questions. We''ll talk about that at a different time."


    Kyran opened his mouth to argue but closed it after thinking that Nn was right.


    "Fine," he replied.


    Nn turned to Ss and Gage, "What else has the Royal Family included in the bounty?"


    "They did not include anything," Ss replied. "Instead, they also involved the other factions. So basically, every major faction within the empire is now looking for you."


    "Let them look," Nn replied with a nonchnt shrug. "I''ll give you two amunication device, where you can contact me. Send any new information to me once you two return to your daily mercenary activities."


    "Alright," Ss and Gage replied.


    "Kyran and I will be leaving as soon as his magic core is healed," Nn continued.


    Ss and Gage''s looked at him in confusion.


    "His magic core?" Gage asked.


    Nn sighed, "It seems there is a lot to talk about."


    te also nodded her head, "Few knew about it after all."


    "Before we go through the boring details, first, baldie, you have something to give Kyran, right?"


    Gage''s brow twitched at the nickname Nn gave him. He could not retaliate, though, and nodded, "Yeah."


    He then looked at Ss, "Initially you gave it to me to give to President Can, but from all that had happened, I''m guessing its to be given to him, no?"


    Ss nodded his head, "Yes. At the time, we are not sure where Kyran is, so Patriarch Aron wanted to send it to the Head of the Conve through President Can for safekeeping."


    "Grandfather?" Kyran asked, looking at Ss.


    Ss nodded his head and only smiled. He promised Lady Rin not to tell Kyran anything regarding the situation inside the estate. It had proven to be really hard, to be honest, seeing the concealed despair in Kyran''s eyes every time someone mentioned his n.


    Gage took out an Ice Orb from his space storage and handed it to Kyran.


    The moment Kyran touched the orb, his Draconic core immediately reacted. He frowned slightly as he examined the orb.


    Suddenly they heard heavy footsteps rushing down the stairs.


    [MASTER!]


    Zephyr burst out from the door while looking at the Ice Orb in Kyran''s hand.


    "Why is that here?" He asked, his expression full of dread.

 Chapter 196 Heavens Conch

    Kyran looked at Zephyr with a slight frown as he asked, "What?"


    Instead of answering aloud, Zephyr answered him telepathically.


    [That is the Heaven''s Conch.]


    Kyran did not reply and continued to look at Zephyr with raised brows.


    Zephyr sighed in his heart.


    He already knew that his new master had little knowledge about his two magic. Since Kyran was a Regis, he knew some of the Dragon Lord''s history. However, Zephyr found that what the Regis learned about the Dragon Lord was superficial. Even the supposed Regis Blessing was different. The Regis believed that the dragon blood that talented family members consumed enabled them to practice Dragon Techniques. And when activating the Regis Blessing, their body would get a sudden boost, and their physical strength could manifest 1% of a dragon''s might.


    In truth, the reason why the dragon blood could help a Regis use Dragon Techniques was that the blood awakens the sleeping bloodline of the Dragon Lord''s descendants. When others tried to consume the dragon''s blood, they would end up dead.


    As for the so-called Regis Blessing, it was the gift to use Draconic Magic. However, few Regis''s could manifest it. Once their bloodline awakens then they could use Dragon Magic.


    Putting this information aside, the reason for Zephyr''s agitation was the item in Kyran''s hand. He did not sense it earlier because the Ice Orb concealed the aura within, but the moment Kyran touched it, as his Sigil, Zephyr felt and recognized it at once.


    Seeing the nk expression on Kyran''s face, Zephyr felt helpless.


    [Seriously, master. You need to get your history and facts straight!]


    Kyran''s expression turned cold. He remained silent as he stared at Zephyr.


    Cold sweat immediately trickled down Zephyr''s back as he sensed a dangerous auraing out from Kyran. His master might not know of it, but his silence could invoke fear to anyone looking at him.


    With a sigh, Zephyr walked to the empty chair beside Kyran and started to exin the Heaven''s Conch.


    [The Dragon King gave the Heaven''s Conch to the Dragon Lord before leaving this ne.


    From the memories of my ancestors, it was said that the Dragon King did not want to part with the Dragon Lord, so he left the Heaven''s Conch to him, which had the ability to summon him. When the other Dragon Venerations found out, they were angry because the Heaven''s Conch was practically subjecting the King of the Dragons to servitude. The Dragon Venerations then decided to ce a mark on the Heaven''s Conch. If it appears within the human ne, they will sense it ande down to destroy the person who possessed it.


    Of course, they n to prevent that person from sounding the conch. Because once it is sounded and the King of the Dragons descend, those Dragon Venerations won''t stand a chance even withbined powers. Anyway, not just anyone from the Regis could sound the conch. The only one who could must possess the same magic signature as the Dragon Lord. In this case, you.]


    ''But the moment the Dragon King gave this to my ancestor, it already meant it is in a human ne. Why haven''t those Dragon Venerationse then?''


    Zephyr gave Kyran a bitter smile. His master had to learn his facts properly!


    [Have you heard of the Regis Terram?]


    Kyran shook his head.


    Zephyr sighed and continued.


    [The Regis Terram lies in the heart of the Regis Ancestral Land. It is a patch ofnd... well, ording to my ancestor''s memories that I possess, it is a floating piece ofnd that does not belong to this ne.]


    ''What do you mean it does not belong to this ne?''


    [It is and connected to the Dragons ne. That is what it means. Seriously master, whose the Regis descendant here? You should know about this since your n has been protecting the Regis Terram all these years!]


    Kyran scowled at him and immediately summoned a purple disc beneath them.


    The moment Zephyr saw the disc, he jumped out of his chair and was about to walk out of its range. However, Kyran was faster, and Zephyr sank into the disc with a mournful yell.


    [M-Master! No! I-I was just kidding¡ª!]


    When Zephyr disappeared into the disc, they heard a loud thud upstairs followed by an audible groan.


    The others who had been watching them since Zephyr arrived could not help but blink in confusion. They were clueless about what had transpired between the two because they only saw them stare at each other.


    And then, Kyran shook his head then scowled. The next thing they knew, he warped Zephyr out of the room.


    Kyran heaved a deep sigh and looked at the Ice Orb in his hand. He could not see what was inside, but if what Zephyr said was true, did that mean the Heaven''s Conch was... small?


    How could anyone sound a conch the size of his palm? Maybe it was possible, but what kind of sound could it produce?


    Nn cleared his throat, which brought Kyran out of his thoughts.


    It was then that Kyran remembered that he and Zephyr had been talking telepathically.


    Nn raised his brows at him and said, "And? What did he say?"


    Kyran looked at the Ice Orb and hesitated. In truth, he had not fully digested the information Zephyr had said.


    He had heard Zephyr talk about ne this and that before, but it was the first he specifically said ''human ne'' and ''dragon ne.'' It made Kyran wonder how many nes were there and how were they connected to each other.


    ''There''s also the Spirits ne...''


    Something within Kyran stirred. As if he remembered something, and yet he could not fully grasp it. He soon realized that the feeling came from his Void Core.


    ''This...''<sub> </sub>


    Why would his Void Core stir when he wondered about the connection of different nes?


    Nn snapped his fingers and said, "Kid! Don''t zone out on us."


    Kyran snapped out of his thoughts and looked at them again.


    "Sorry," he apologized before taking a deep breath. He then pursed his lips while looking at the Ice Orb with aplicated expression.


    He said, "Zephyr said this item... is very dangerous."


    The four people sitting around the dining table gave him a nk expression.


    "Duh. We know that. If whatshisf*ckngnameagain did not foresee baldie''s death because of that item, missy wouldn''t have asked my help and exposed myself in the process."


    "Huh?"


    "What did you say?"


    "Foresee?"


    "Whose death?"


    All four asked at once.


    "Ah, geez, can we skip the gory details and just move on? Kid, I''ve seen the vision. When the Grand Marshal ''touched'' that orb and it cracked, countless eyes filled the sky."


    "Grand Marshal?"


    "Hey! You can''t just tell someone was supposed to have died without exining what is going on!" Gage growled.


    It was his first time hearing that Nn saved him because someone foresaw his death. But instead of exining it properly, Nn brushed it off as an insignificant event.


    When Gage encountered the mage with the shadow magic, he did not think he was the Grand Marshal. Nevertheless, Gage did not n to die without fighting. Unfortunately, he was too weak. He did not even manage to stay awake until the end.


    "Tsk. Fine!" Nn finally relented.


    As much as he liked to speak, it did not mean he enjoyed recounting events that did not even happen. But since baldie wanted to hear the details of his supposed death, then fine. He would tell him every detail he remembered.


    Nn recounted his talk with Ste for the next quarter of an hour. Although he only repeated the part about Gage''s gruesome death in the hands of the Grand Marshal, Gage, Ss and te''s faces changed because of the bloody details he told them. After that, Nn also told them about the appearance of several reptilian eyes in the skies after a crack appeared on the Ice Orb.


    Hearing Nn mentioned the reptilian eyes, Kyran knew he had to tell them the truth of the Heaven''s Conch. Because if not and the Ice Orb broke, how would he survive once those Dragon Venerations arrived? He might possess Draconic Magic, but what could he dopared to the real ones?


    When Nn was done exining, Kyran also told them what Zephyr had said. Although he left the part about the Regis Terram and how much the Dragon King did not want to leave the Dragon Lord.


    "That thing can make the Dragon Venerations appear?" Ss was the first to break the silence that followed after Kyran finished exining.


    He looked at the Ice Orb in Kyran''s hand in disbelief.


    Gage was also looking at the Ice Orb but in fear. He had no idea he had such a scary item in his possession!


    ''Damn you, Ss!'' He thought as he red at Ss.


    As a mercenary, Gage had experienced transporting dangerous items before. But none of those dangerous items couldpare to this.


    Ss could onlyugh at him awkwardly. He had no idea it was such a dangerous item. If he knew, well... he would still do the same. After all, it was a request.


    "As long as the orb doesn''t break, they will not appear," Kyran assured them and put the orb in his pouch.


    te nodded in agreement, "I can create an addition protection."


    She looked at Nn and added, "Then you can also ce an array on it."


    "He can do it himself," Nn replied with a shrug.


    Kyran looked at Nn. For some reason, he sensed Nn''s disapproving attitude whenever they talked about him doing arrays.


    "We can talk more about thatter," he said before looking at Gage. "Thank you for keeping it safe."


    Gage looked at him dumbfoundedly. He suddenly felt that all the things he discovered today were trivial. What mattered was that he seeded and delivered the item in good shape.


    "Y-Yeah, no problem." He replied.


    "Now that we got that out of the way, let''s talk about each of your role while Kyran and I leave," Nn said, bringing their discussion back on track.


    He looked at Kyran, who nodded in return.


    For the next half an hour, Nn and Kyran exined the n they hade up withst night.

 Chapter 197 Learning Magic Sense (1)

    Each one of them felt mixed emotions after hearing Kyran''s n.


    They were not afraid, nor were they against it. Instead, they felt Kyran''s n was too ambitious. Just knowing that he wanted to start the first part of his n in less than a month was already challenging.


    The roles Nn mentioned each of them would do, were not hard to fulfill.


    At first, Ss and Gage were nervous to hear what they had to do. They felt theycked the means toplete whatever was required of them. After hearing what it was, they were relieved.


    Most of what they had to do was manpower gathering and acting as the point of contact, which they both experienced as mercenaries.


    Kyran emphasized that they must keep anything they do a secret from the Conve.


    Although his n had ties with the Conve, he did not want to get them involved in his matters. Besides, what the Conve knew about the situation was still superficialpared to Gage and Ss''s knowledge.


    The two had no qualms about helping Kyran, though. It turned out both of them had reasons to fight the Royal Army. Kyran acknowledged their reasons, but he did not ask for details. It was not because he was not interested, nor was he unmoved. He did not want to force the information out of them if they were unwilling to share.


    As for te, she would stay in their base and concoct potions and pills for them and raise funds. Kyran gave them most of the spirit stones and coins he had, leaving only a few for his travel expenses.


    Nevertheless, the spirit stones and coins they had were not enough to fund Kyran''s n. It was only enough as a starting fund for te to raise it.


    te and Nn offered to give additional funds. However, Kyran rejected it and only said to keep their money for an emergency.


    After that, Kyran called for Zephyr.


    When Zephyr arrived, he looked ringly at Kyran but did not say anything in fear that he would warp him again.


    Knowing what Zephyr was feeling due to their bond, Kyran was amused. He made a mental note to talk privately with himter about some things regarding his n.


    Going back to the roles, Kyran told them that Zephyr would stay with te and Cyneah.


    Zephyr did not react to this since he already knew what he had to do. They already talked about itst night.


    te also confirmed that she had taken Cyneah as her disciple and would start teaching her, beginning with the use of ''magic sense,''ter in the day.


    Now that Cyneah was brought up in their discussion, Kyran exined why she was here and her special circumstances to Ss and Gage. He also reminded them that Cyneah knew him as ''Nar,'' so they had to be careful when addressing him in her presence.


    When Gage heard that, his face distorted. Those who did not know him well would probably think he was angry. But, when his face turned that way, it meant he was troubled and feeling a little ashamed.


    Ss, who already guessed her disability, only nodded. He felt a little sad for such a pretty youngdy burdened with such a disability. However, Ss would never say that in front of Cyneah because he did not know her thoughts.


    Some people never felt their disabilities and even faults were a burden. Instead, they were thankful because it humbled them.


    After that, Nn finally opened a very delicate topic. It was about the reason why the Royal Family wanted him.


    Contrary to what the Royal Family told the public, Nn failed in getting, whatever the person he killed, had in his possession. He did want to steal it because it had clues on the other parts of the ''ancient record'' he with te, Cade, and Rin was searching for under the Regis''s order.


    When Kyran heard of this, he could not help but frown.


    He knew about some of the Regis''s businesses. His grandfather would issue mission orders now and then to some of their people. Some of these missions were from the Mercenary Hall which specifically requested a Regis member or members toplete. But most were personal missions within the Regis family that Kyran was not privy to details. It made him wonder what kind of connection Nn and te had with his family to be given a mission along with his parents.


    After Nn mentioned the ancient record, he then turned to Zephyr and asked the truth of what he knew about the events that happened thousand years ago.


    Zephyr had no qualms about telling them what he knew.


    When he left the ruins and interacted with them, he slowly found out how much of the truth had been fabricated by the Soul Emperor''s Family.


    Zephyr did not go through all the details, but what he told them made all of them gape in disbelief. They did not realize that something bigger was in y when the demons invaded the human ne.


    Ss, who also heard some of the truth from Lady Rin, was dumbfounded. He had no idea that what he learned then was just the tip of the iceberg.


    After Zephyr finished his narration, he reminded them that the past he knew was iplete. Because from what he understood based on what the Soul Emperor''s Family made everyone believe, they hadbined two different significant events in history as if it was caused by the same perpetrator when it was not.


    Unfortunately, Zephyr could only tell them the truth about the first major event and not the other one. The only ones who probably knew about it would be the first generation of Ancient Magic wielders.


    This frustrated Nn.


    Kyran, however, was not affected. Instead, he was filled with anticipation. Because after hepleted his training with Nn, his next stop was to visit the Chaos Pce. There, he would find a way to summon his predecessor and have him exin everything.


    The atmosphere in the dining room had gotten gloomy after Zephyr''s narration. In the end, Kyran changed the mood by bringing the topic of breakfast.


    te resumed preparing breakfast with Ss''s help while Nn and Gage both went to the back garden to nt the medicinal nts Ss and Gage bought for te.


    As for Kyran and Zephyr, they went upstairs to Cyneah''s room.


    Kyran stood in front of Cyneah''s room.


    He could hear her humming a song, simr to the tune she sang back in the mutated Basilisk''s cave.


    [Her magic is very potent, but why does it feel like it does not belong to her.]


    Kyran looked at Zephyr.


    ''What do you mean?''


    Zephyr shook his head.


    [I am not sure why. It is just a feeling. But I guess it''s because I don''t sense the Soul Emperor''s aura in her? Compared to when you used the power of dragons, you also emit the Dragon Lord''s aura.]


    When Kyran heard Zephyr''s answer, he felt relieved. If Cyneah did not possess the Soul Emperor''s aura, then it meant she did not have her ''magic core.''


    From the bits and pieces of information he had so far of what transpired in the past, Kyran knew theplicated rtionships between the four first generations of Ancient magic wielders.


    Even now, he had not fully grasped it. But one thing he knew and was sure of, the Soul Emperor caused his predecessor''s death.


    Thinking of this fact and how his Draconic core reacted with hatred towards the Royal Family, Kyran did not know what would happen if Cyneah ended up possessing the Soul Emperor''s magic core.


    ''Speaking of this, my Draconic core never reacted when Cyneah first used her magic, so she might really be just a distant rtive of the Royal Family. As to why she looked like the princess... let''s not think about that for now,'' Kyran thought to himself.


    Kyran knocked twice on the door before saying, "It''s me. I''ming in."


    ? As Kyran and Zephyr entered the room, Cyneah also stopped humming.<sub> </sub>


    They found her sitting on the chair by the window, right where Kyran left her a few hours ago.


    Her image immediately made Kyran frown. Seeing her sitting there all alone made her look like a prisoner.


    That irked Kyran.


    Cyneah turned her head toward the sound of the opening door. She did not smile the way she used to when she sensed Kyran. Instead, she looked a little troubled as she said, "I''m sorry about earlier. I-I''ll try to... be more epting."


    "You don''t have to worry about it," Kyran told her.


    "But, I-I offended your friend," Cyneah insisted.


    Kyran chuckled. He approached her and sat at the bedside facing the chair. He said, "You didn''t offend him. It''s the other way around."


    Zephyr closed the door before sitting cross-legged on the bed. Ever since they had entered the room, he had been observing Cyneah. It was his first time seeing her properly, and he found her eyes very unusual. Now he understood why he felt her magic was off.


    [Master, her eyes¡ª.]


    ''She''s blind,'' Kyran replied. He had thought Zephyr already knew because they did escape together.


    [No.]


    Zephyr shook his head.


    [She''s not really blind. But someone had taken her eyes.]


    ''What?'' Kyran frowned and looked at Zephyr.


    [Are you aware that each great magic corresponds to a human body part? The Time corresponds to the brain, Draconic corresponds to the heart, while the Soul corresponds to the eyes. If someone took her eyes, it meant someone took her magic. No wonder I feel her magic doesn''t belong to her.]


    ''Wait. You''re not making any sense. If her magic was taken then how can she still use¡ª.''


    Growl~!


    A growling sound snapped Kyran and Zephyr out of their private conversation.


    Cyneah gasped in embarrassment as she hunched down and covered her stomach.


    "T-That wasn''t m-me!"


    Although Kyran was bothered about what Zephyr had just said, he still chuckled at Cyneah''s clumsy attempt of denying the growling sound was not her.


    Kyran stood up, "If you''re notfortable around the others I can bring some food¡ª."


    "I-I''m fine, now. I''ll go downstairs," Cyneah replied at once and stood up.


    "Alright," Kyran nodded and reached for her hand.


    While he led Cyneah out of the room, he looked at Zephyr, who had just stood up from the bed.


    ''We''ll continue our talkter,'' he told him.


    Zephyr only nodded and followed them from behind.


    "Right, god¡ªyour master said she will start teaching you how to use magic sense in the afternoon," Kyran told Cyneah as they walked down the hall.


    "Magic sense?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yeah. Don''t ask me cause I don''t know how it works either."


    "You don''t know how it works either?"


    "Don''t repeat what I just said."


    "Why not?"


    "Just don''t."


    Zephyr watched the two from behind with a disapproving look. His master was really bossy. Not just to him, but also to his woman! He felt a little sad for his mistress.


    If Kyran knew that Cyneah had been promoted from being his woman to his mistress in Zephyr''s eyes, he would have clobbered him already.


    "After that, I will need your help with something," Kyran said while stopping in his tracks.


    Cyneah also stopped and asked, "What is it?"


    "I need your help in healing my core," he told her.


    "Core?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He knew Cyneah was not doing it on purpose, but it rubbed him the wrong way when she repeated a word or phrase he said.


    "We''ll exinter," Kyran paused before adding, "If you don''t feelfortable about it, you can refuse."


    Hearing Kyran''s words made Zephyr snort mentally.


    What was his master saying? After he went to the trouble to get her, would he just ept it if she refused to help him? In the first ce, Kyran could have just drank the Elixir!


    Really, Zephyr had no idea what was going on in his master''s head.


    Cyneah shook her head, "I won''t refuse. If it means I can help you."


    "Let''s talk about it when you''re ready," Kyran replied.


    "Okay."


    As they went downstairs, what Kyran said about healing his core made Cyneah remember the different colored orbs she once saw around him. She wondered if those orbs were what he meant about his core.


    ''If it is, then... why did he say heal and not fix?'' Cyneah thought to herself.

 Chapter 198 Learning Magic Sense (2)

    After her mother''s death, Cyneah enjoyed eating breakfast with others for the first time. Even the presence of the man who scared her earlier did not bother her. If she had to be honest, she found his awkward apology and his attempt to speak nicely cute.


    The atmosphere in the dining room was full of warmth. It was impossible for others to know that a very serious discussion had taken ce just a few minutes ago.


    After breakfast, Kyran excused himself and went to te''sb in the attic. He also asked for a few bottles of blood replenishing potion, to which te figured out what he nned to do. She initially wanted to scold him, but because the others were there and did not want to appear unreasonable in front of her new disciple, she could only grit her teeth and give in.


    Ss and Gage left after breakfast. They decided to get a headstart on what Kyran and Nn asked them to do.


    On the other hand, Nn went to the front yard and created a five-meter radius array called Energy Cirction Array. The array''s purpose was to attract the surrounding energies and circte them within.


    te asked Nn to create the array because she nned to teach Cyneah magic sense using it.


    By the time the array waspleted and had started gathering the surrounding energies, Kyran had alsopleted creating one transmission scroll. He immediately left the attic and went outside to listen in on te''s lesson.


    Zephyr, sitting cross-legged on the rail of the newly added porch, looked at Kyran as he stepped outside. He frowned slightly upon seeing his master''s paleplexion. He jumped down from the rail and walked over to him.


    "Master, why do you look pale again?"


    As soon as Zephyr spoke, te and Nn immediately turned to look at Kyran.


    Cyneah, who was sitting on the bench facing the front yard, also reacted and followed the sound of Zephyr''s voice.


    "I''m fine," Kyran told Zephyr and looked at the array Nn had created.


    Once again, Kyran bore witness to Nn''s magic level. If a normal Array Specialist tried creating an array inside an active one, he would have felt the pressure of the high-tier array, and it would probably take him hours, even a day, to finish a simple array. But Nn had done it without even dropping a sweat.


    "The hell you are," Nn scowled when he saw Kyran''splexion. What the hell was this kid doing when he always looked ghastly or in a weakened state?


    "What did you do this time? Did you go somewhere and over-exhaust yourself again?" Nn asked.


    te sighed. As much as she wanted to scold Kyran''s stubbornness, she knew what he did and why he had to do it. Since he agreed to rece the scrolls he took from Nn, he would do it. te nced at Nn and could not help but shake her head.


    Nn noticing her action, raised an eyebrow at her, "What?"


    "It''s nice to be ignorant."


    "The f*ck?"


    te''s eyes narrowed at him, "Don''t use thatnguage on me."


    Nn cleared his throat in reply.


    "I did not go anywhere. It''s not like you won''t notice if I leave anyway," Kyran replied to Nn''s question with a shrug.


    "Then what did you do? Why did you not ask for my help?" Zephyr also asked.


    "It''s just my core, okay," Kyran lied. "It''s hurting like hell. Now can we move on?"


    He appreciated their concern, but they were acting too excessive.


    Hearing Kyran''s words made Cyneah clench her fist. He had asked her to heal his core, and while she took his words seriously and nned to heal him soon, she did not realize how bad his condition was.


    Recalling how Nn and Zephyr spoke of Kyran''s condition as if it had happened before, fueled Cyneah''s determination to heal him. She turned her attention to the light she recognized as her master, and she said, "Master, I''m ready to learn."


    te smiled. She could feel Cyneah''s determination from how her eyes glowed.


    "Alright, let''s start."


    Kyran looked at Cyneah and was about to walk over to help her go inside the array. However, she stood by herself and walked resolutely toward te.


    ''Right, it is not like she always needs others'' help to move about,'' Kyran thought, recalling how she refused his help at the pool inside the cave.


    An image of Cyneah trying to cover her chest before going into the water popped into Kyran''s head. However, the image ovepped with the recent naked image after she had recovered and finally appeared ''older.''


    Kyran immediately stopped and mentally kicked himself.


    Just what was he remembering? When did his mind learn to y tricks on him? It seemed he had neglected mental trainingtely. With all that had happened, he admitted not being able to do daily training like he used to.


    He had to start again.


    ''Negligence in training is really dangerous. I need to start again,'' Kyran repeated in his mind like a chant before turning his attention to te.<sub> </sub>


    te led Cyneah to the center of the array. She asked her to sit before starting her exnation.


    "Magic sense is a basic ability that all mages have. This is why activating the magic sense was as simple as breathing. However, not everyone can master the control of magic sense. The reason behind it lies in how a mage understands his magic."


    Kyran leaned on the rail as he listened to te''s exnation. Zephyr also sat cross-legged on the rail and watched them in silence.


    To not disrupt the lesson, Nn also left the array and walked over to Kyran.


    As Nn leaned on the rail beside Kyran, Kyran suddenly said, "This reminds me, you haven''t taught me much about magic."


    Nn raised an eyebrow and looked at him sideways, "What are you talking about? I taught you how to control your magic. Besides, didn''t you get yourself a master? Why did you not ask him to teach you?"


    "If you''re talking about Master Noir, he is ''Tyr''s'' master. Besides, he only taught me arrays. Not magic," Kyran replied without looking at Nn.


    Nn replied with a snort.


    "Now let me ask you, how much do you understand your magic?" te asked Cyneah.


    Cyneah pondered and slightly shook her head, "I don''t know much. I only know that every time I sing the song my mother taught me, there is something around me that stirs."


    te nodded, "That stirring around you is the surrounding energies that respond to your magic."


    "Energies in the surrounding that responds to my magic? But how will I know what my magic is?" Cyneah asked.


    te smiled faintly before replying, "You just know. It is simr to how you know that you are alive."


    Cyneah did not understand what te was telling her.


    Seeing Cyneah''s confusion, te further exined, "Close your eyes and try to sense the beating of your heart."


    Cyneah did what she was told.


    "Do you feel how your heart controls the flow of blood in your body?" te asked.


    Cyneah smiled bitterly and shook her head. She opened her eyes and replied, "I don''t feel it. But I do know what you mean."


    "That is your answer! You may not feel how exactly, but you know it."


    Cyneah''s expression lit up. She still had not fully understood what te had said, but she was getting there.


    "Close your eyes again, and try to sing while focusing on familiarizing yourself with the feeling of that stirring around you," te told her.


    "Okay," Cyneah replied and closed her eyes once more. She paused for a few seconds and took a deep breath before finally opening her mouth to sing.


    When Cyneah started singing, Kyran recognized the song as the ''Lament of the Souls.''


    Soon the energies inside the Energy Cirction Array stirred.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he saw the magic energies visibly move within the array.


    "How?"


    After seeing the surprised look on Kyran''s face, Nn sneered, "What? Is it your first time to see how the magic energies move?"


    Kyran only nodded.


    The surrounding energies had always been invisible. Only a few had the innate ability to see them.


    The image Kyran could see right now was different from how mages unt their magic aura or exert their magic pressure. The aura and pressure one possessed originated from within the body and only affected the surrounding energies.


    te nodded in appreciation after seeing white-colored energy slowly enter Cyneah''s body.


    The more Cyneah sang, the more these white-colored energies danced around her, going in and out of her.


    Soon, the song started to affect them as they listened.


    te, Nn, and Zephyr were not injured, so they only felt more rxed and invigorated. To Kyran, however, it started to soothe his internal injuries. Even the fatigue and loss of blood he felt after creating the transmission scroll started to alleviate. A visible change in hisplexion became apparent.


    Cyneah''s eyes snapped open. She stopped singing as she realized something and said, "Soul... my magic stirs my soul."

 Chapter 199 Learning Magic Sense (3)

    "Good. Now, open your eyes and tell me what you ''see,''" te encouraged Cyneah.


    te''s request was not a thoughtless remark.


    Cyneah was blind, true, but during their conversation that morning, te already confirmed that she was not blind by birth.


    In another conversation te had with Kyran, they already guessed as much.


    Since birth, if Cyneah had been blind, how could she vividly describe the ''lights'' she sees? She could also understand the structure of things as long as you adequately exin it to her.


    Cyneah slowly opened her eyes. The moment she did, she noticed wisps of white-colored mist circling her.


    "H-How...?" Cyneah asked, her eyes widening in surprise.


    Since the day she lost her eyesight, she only saw the darkness that sometimes would be apanied by two or three ''lights.'' asionally, she would also see the shape of an activated array. But all those times, what she could see, had a form.]


    However, these white-colored mist had no shape but gave her the feeling it could be shaped into something as long as she willed it.


    te smiled and sat cross-legged facing Cyneah.


    Unlike them, she could see the surrounding energies in full colors anytime because of her innate ability. For this same reason, she had always been gifted in using magic sense among her peers.


    Nn did not volunteer to teach magic sense because he knew te was better suited to teach it. Besides, when they were still studying magic, he and Cade had always been bad at utilizing their magic sense.


    It was not because they could not understand but because of the nature of their magic. The nature of Nn''s magic was too broad, while Cade''s bloodline causes his magic to be erratic at times.


    Remembering this made Nn nce at Kyran. Could he have the same issues as Cade because of his bloodline?


    "Tell me what you see," te repeated as she looked at Cyneah.


    Cyneah took a deep breath and lifted her hand. She could not see her hands, but the moment her hand brushed through the wisp of white-colored energies, she could suddenly see the silhouette of her hands.


    This surprised her and almost brought tears to her eyes.


    "I-I... There''s a lot of white mist around me. And... when I try to t-touch it, I-I can see my hand," Cyneah replied, her voice full of emotions.


    te smiled and nodded, "You are on the right track. The white mist you see is the color of the energy in the surroundings attracted to your magic. It differs for each person. Fire magic attracts red energies, Water magic attracts blue energies, and so on. Of course, there are cases where Fire magic attracted orange energies or even blue energies. It will all depend on the nature of that mage''s Fire magic."


    Hearing te''s exnation, Kyran nodded in agreement. He already knew about this. He had read a research study about the concept of energies back in Ste''s study. A mage''s personality could also affect the very nature of their magic, thus, the varying shades of magic arrays.


    "Now that you can see the color of your magic energy, try to focus and tell me what you ''see'' if I do this," te told Cyneah.


    te encircled the magic energy within her and absorbed the surrounding energies that responded to her magic.


    In Cyneah''s view, a silhouette slowly formed around the light in front of her. Her eyes widened in amazement as wisps of light-brown mist spread out from the silhouette.


    "I can see a different color mist a-and I think I see you, Master," Cyneah replied excitedly.


    "Good, you''re seeing the energies clearly. But this is thanks to the array we are in right now. Don''t worry though, you have the ability to see it. Soon, you will no longer need the assistance of the array to see the energies. If you master the use of magic sense, you will be able to control your magic energy and fill your surroundings. When that happens, you will develop a way to ''see''. Although, what you will see will only be silhouttes in ck and white color," te exined.


    "It is more than enough. I will do my best," Cyneah replied.


    "Alright," te smiled and added, "Let''s move to the next part."


    Cyneah nodded enthusiastically. She had never thought that she could finally see again by learning the use of magic sense. The thought excites her. She would not be able to see in full colors because she was still blind after all. But none of it mattered, as long as it would help her ''see,''


    "Now, I want you to imagine the mist expanding around you," te told Cyneah.


    Once more, Cyneah nodded and did what she was told. To be honest, she had no idea how to expand the mist. But if it was only to imagine, it was within her capability.


    Before she could start, however, te continued to guide her, "Picture the mist forming a small circr area inside you. Then imagine it growing in size. Do not be afraid if that area expands out of your body. Simply guide it as you do so."


    Cyneah took a deep breath and pictured a semi-transparent circle inside her made of the white-colored mist. As soon as she started imagining it, the mist around her moved ording to what she was imagining.


    The circle had expanded out of Cyneah''s body and soon passed through te. The moment it did, Cyneah almost yelped in surprise. She felt the structure of te''s body and every object that was inside her ''circle.''


    Cyneah continued to expand the circle. It even grew outside the array and reached where Kyran, Nn, and Zephyr were. However, when the circle passed the three, her brows furrowed at once.


    "This..."


    te had seen what had happened. She did not say anything and let Cyneah continue.


    "Master... B-Behind me, I felt something passed through my circle but... I couldn''t make out its form," Cyneah said.


    Looking over the three people behind Cyneah, te shook her head at them. Obviously, Cyneah could not make out their form because they had concealed their presence. Mages who were adept in using magic sense could still find traces of others even when they hid, but to Cyneah, who had just started learning, there was no way for her to see these traces.


    These three were simply bullies. They could have at least humored them and let Cyneah sense them.<sub> </sub>


    te did not know that Kyran was not concealing himself like Nn and Zephyr. Cyneah always had trouble feeling him out. She could not even see his ''light.''


    "Ignore them," te told Cyneah, giving a disapproving look at the three. She added, "Such uncooperative bunch."


    te let Cyneah continue expanding the ''circle'' until finally, a few minutester, she told her, "You can stop now."


    As soon as Cyneah stopped, she felt exhausted.


    "Here, drink this first," te took out a small vial of energy replenishing potion and gave it to Cyneah.


    The potion te gave her was a newly concocted solution adjusted to fit her body constitution. If not, who knew what kind of improvement Cyneah''s body would undergo.


    From what Kyran had told te, Cyneah looked like a skinny child of around ten years old. But only after a few days of not seeing her, Cyneah had changed so much. te''s only exnation was the healing potion Kyran first gave Cyneah worked too well for her and managed to heal and even replenish more than her wounds. It was all well and good, but until they confirmed that Cyneah would not suffer any repercussions in the long run, they had to be careful in giving her potions.


    After Cyneah finished drinking the potion, her exhaustion slowly alleviated.


    Seeing Cyneah''splexion had gotten better, te continued with the lesson, "The two things I asked you to do, are two concepts of magic sense. The first one is the forming of magic sense, and the second one is control. For the next days, you will have to practice these two."


    Cyneah nodded her head.


    "Alright, rest for a bit before trying to do it on your own."


    "Thank you, Master."


    "No need for formalities," te replied with a smile. She stood up and looked at Kyran. She knew he wanted to learn how to use magic sense and wondered if he wanted to try it within the array.


    Before te could say anything, Kyran suddenly said, "The expansion of the magic sense, why does it have a simr concept of creating a domain."


    "Because it is through the help of magic sense that one can form their domain," Nn answered.


    ''Domain?'' Cyneah wondered. She did not ask aloud in fear that Kyran would get annoyed thinking she was repeating his words.


    te nodded her head in agreement, "Yes. It is one of the reasons why magic sense is very important to us mages."


    Kyran immediately frowned. He recalled when a burst of magic erupted inside him when he fought Malek. An isted area appeared around him, and Stemented it was his ''domain.'' He had almost forgotten that part because he fell unconscious right after it happened.


    If what they said about magic sense was true, how did he manage to form his domain when he had no idea how to use it? Then again, he had never managed to replicate that domain again. So maybe that was a one-time incident because he got pissed?


    When Nn saw Kyran''s frown, he could almost predict what would happen next. The kid would surely start a series of Q&A discussions which would not end until he was satisfied.


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves," Nn immediately shifted the topic. "First, focus on learning magic sense."


    Kyran looked at him in silence. He was not nning on asking them more questions. He was in doubt, true, but he had already learned his lesson of wanting to know the answers at once. He already decided to keep a mental note of things he heard first and sort them afterward. After sorting everything ording to its importance or urgency, he could focus on those first.


    The matter of creating a domain was not urgent on Kyran''s agenda. He knew he would learn it eventually. To be precise, he would understand how he could summon his domain again. What Nn said was true. He had to first focus on learning magic sense.


    "You can practice inside the array so you can better see the energies," te told Kyran.


    Cyneah straightened after hearing this. She recalled what Kyran said to her early in the day, that he too did not know magic sense.


    ''Does this mean, we''ll be learning together?'' She wondered.


    The idea both made her happy and, at the same time, worried. If shegged, wouldn''t that be embarrassing?


    "I''ll try," Kyran agreed.


    He approached the array and stood a few feet away from te and Cyneah. Without bothering to sit, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Recalling what te had said, Kyran circted his magic inside him.


    Soon, the energies inside the array stirred and moved toward him.


    ''Feel the energy in the surrounding that responds to my magic,'' Kyran repeated in his mind.


    The moment he thought this, an invisible switch seemed to have been opened, and soon the energies in the surroundings all rushed into him.


    "This...!" te gaped in shock.


    Nn also straightened as he watched wide-eyed as the energies, regardless of their color, rushed into Kyran.


    Even Cyneah could feel something was amiss.


    Only Zephyr looked normal as he snorted at their expression.


    "My Master has the power of nothingness. What did you expect?"

 Chapter 200 How Well Do You Know Your Magic?

    Kyran continued to attract the energies around him. It was his first time actively absorbing the energies in the surroundings, but he wondered why it felt familiar.


    None of them knew about the incident when Kyran turned six, and his magic had just manifested. He practically absorbed all energies in the surroundings and fell into aa because his body could not take it.


    Right now, Kyran''s body was strong enough so he would not fall into aa after absorbing the surrounding energies. If he had to be worried about a possible problem, it would be on how much his central core could absorb. If he was not careful, it might aggravate his already damaged magic core.


    After Kyran absorbed enough energies, he imagined an orb simr to his magic core, slowly growing in size.


    Crackle!


    "Kid, stop!"


    "Wait, wait. Don''t expand your magic!"


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open as he heard Nn and te call out to him at the same time. The moment he saw the supposed orb he imagined, his back broke out in cold sweat. He turned and looked at te, who was currently in front of Cyneah with a protective barrier around them.


    "You just destroyed my array!" Nn''s voice boomed behind him.


    It was then that Kyran noticed that the ground beneath his feet had been hallowed at least an inch deep because his supposed ''orb'' appeared like his Void Barrier, except it did not have a particr color.


    "S-Sorry," Kyran said and released the ''orb'' at once.


    "Sorry, my ass!" Nn growled as a pellet-like material formed in front of him before flicking it toward the back of Kyran''s head.


    "Ow!" Kyran winced as the pellet hit his head. He turned and red at Nn. "What are you doing?"


    "You''re suppose to release pure magic energy not your magic!" Nn berated him.


    "You did not have to hit me!" Kyranined. Though the pellet was small and looked ordinary, it actually hurt a lot. Who knew what kind of magic attack Nn hid within it?


    "That''s punishment for destroying my array," Nn replied with a shrug.


    ? te, who saw these sighed at Nn''s childish antics.


    "You two stop. And Nn, seriously? A pellet?" She shook her head in disbelief. Then she looked at Kyran and added, "What just happened?"


    Kyran looked at her and sighed. What could he tell her? He just followed her instructions. Unfortunately, the results were not as good as Cyneah''s.


    Cyneah, oblivious to what just happened, could only listen to their exchange.


    "I''m not sure," Kyran finally replied after hesitating for a second. "I tried what you said, but I guess I''m doing something different."


    "It''s not that you''re doing something different. You''re just not releasing your magic energy properly," Zephyr suddenly said while jumping down the rail.


    They turned to look at him as he approached the array.


    Nn raised his brows at Zephyr, "That was him not releasing his magic energy properly? I think he was releasing too much it turned into pure magic."


    Zephyr looked at him and snorted, "Don''t lump my master''s magic to the likes of you."


    Nn''s brow twitched. He really wanted to give a piece of his mind to this Quilin one of these days.


    "Why you little¡ª."


    "Master, remember that you have the Power of Nothingness," Zephyr told Kyran while ignoring Nn.


    "¡ªOi!" Nn growled.<sub> </sub>


    Zephyr continued, "When you absorb energies, you need to convert them properly. If not, returning it outside will have a negation effect."


    "What negation effect?" Kyran asked.


    Zephyr nodded, "You already took in the energies in the surroundings so their nature has been changed, if you don''tplete their conversion and simply release it back, the world would reject them, thus, the negation effect."


    Hearing Zephyr''s exnation made te and Nn look at each other.


    Their master once told them about this theory. However, they never really studied nor encountered it because this phenomenon was only seen once in history. Although they said ''history,'' it was not publicly known. It was only written in an ancient record from their master''s family. As to the mage who experienced this phenomenon, it was the Void Master.


    "How can I convert it?" Kyran asked again.


    Zephyr tilted his head on one side and looked at him with wide eyes, "Don''t ask me. You''re the one with the Power of Nothingness."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He should have known Zephyr would not have the answer to his question. Zephyr might know things about his magic, butpared to Draconic magic, his Void magic knowledge was probably bits and pieces of information he remembered from the memories his ancestors had passed on him.


    Zephyr''s expression turned solemn as he added, "Only you will know how to convert the energies you absorbed, Master, as long as you understand your magic well. Let me ask you, how well do you know your magic?"


    ''How well do I know my magic...'' Kyran repeated the question in his mind as he looked at his hand. Purple rings formed above his palm; they expanded and retracted rhythmically.


    If Kyranpared his knowledge of Void magic to Draconic magic, his understanding of Void magic was just a drop of water while Draconic magic was at least half a ss of water. The reason why he knew more about Draconic magic was simple. He had been using it for years, albeit he had not realized it was Draconic magic. The army did not even detect him using Draconic magic. It was the same when he was in military school. He passed their initial assessment because they did not detect any magic reaction from him.


    ''We''re not talking about my Draconic magic, though. Don''t get sidetracked,'' Kyran reminded himself.


    Thinking of these facts, Kyran really knew too little about his Void magic. He remembered the first time he used Void magic. He relied on his instincts. Every time he discovered a new way to use his magic, it was all due to his instincts. Of course, now he knew it was due to the experience stored in his Void core. But even then, he really just depended on instincts in understanding his magic.


    So if Kyran had to answer Zephyr''s question, he would answer; he did not know much about his magic. The only thing he knew was how destructive it was.


    "I hope you will find that Void Magic is not all about destruction."


    The words of Kyran''s predecessor shed in his mind. He furrowed his brows and released the purple rings.


    Zephyr took a deep breath. He could feel his master''s inner turmoil and understand why. The Four Great Magic had always been a subject that few knew of. Even his ancestors only knew a little. The only person who understood these four magic was the Void Master. It was one of the reasons why he was viewed as a threat by all those other Realm Masters. The biggest reason, of course, was still his possession of the power of nothingness.


    After the Void Master''s death, those Realm Masters finally felt at ease. But to make sure the human ne would not give birth to a new threat, they demanded all non-humans to return to their nes. It was the reason why the dragons had to leave the human ne.


    ''But all those are useless. In the end, there is a new Void Master. Not only that, he possessed not only the power of nothingness but also the power of dragons,'' Zephyr thought with a wry smile.


    Pushing all these thoughts at the back of his mind, Zephyr looked at Kyran and said, "There is an ancient record that says that among the four great magic, the power of nothingness was the first toe into existence..."


    All of them looked at Zephyr once more.


    Even Nn''s and te''s interests were piqued after hearing Zephyr.


    [...because nothingness gave birth to all things.]


    Zephyr continued telepathically while giving Kyran a meaningful look. He did not say it out loud for fear of invoking something or someone. After all, the ancient record he mentioned was from the dragon''s ne. Any knowledge from there should not be shared with another ne.


    Kyran''s eyes widened after hearing his words.


    ''Nothingness gave birth to all things... Void magic is not all about destruction...''


    Scenes popped in Kyran''s head one after another. These were scenes of all the times he had used or summoned his magic. He remembered when he formed his first Void form, the Void Scales. There was also that time he first tried molding Void magic into a new shape other than the purple rings. He also recalled the times he used his Void Barrier and managed to not destroy the things he did not want to be destroyed during his fight with Sigma. Speaking of this incident, something simr happened the first time he summoned his domain. If he remembered correctly, others managed to enter his domain except their magic appeared to be ineffective. Thinking of all these times, Kyran realized that indeed, Void magic was not all about destruction.


    Slowly, an idea started to form in Kyran''s mind. He looked at Nn and said, "Please fix the array. I need to try something."

 Chapter 201 Not Synonymous With Destruction But With Nothingness.

    Nn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kyran. He was not offended at the way Kyran ''ordered'' him to fix the array. He did say ''please,'' He was only feeling apprehensive at Kyran''s sudden enthusiasm. Turning his attention to Zephyr, Nn recalled what he just said. None of his words could actually give someone enlightenment.


    ''Unless he told something that only the kid heard,'' Nn thought.


    It immediately piqued his interest. But he did not n to ask what it was. He had plenty of time to force it out on Kyran once they leave for that ce.


    te led Cyneah to the porch the moment Nn started repairing the array.


    Kyran also stepped aside and stood beside Zephyr while Nn worked.


    It did not take long for Nn to repair the array.


    Kyran entered the array again and repeated what he did a while ago except this time, he did not expand the energies immediately. Instead, he let them circte first within his central core. He did this because of what Zephyr had said. About converting the energies he absorbed first before releasing it. Then an idea came to him after thinking about his ''warping'' ability. His warping clearly use Void magic, yet, the things that entered his warp remained intact. He did not question it before because he thought it was just how it worked. But the idea behind it made him wonder now. As for his other Void forms, each had their separate ideas behind them.


    ''It all depended on the purpose and target of my magic. When I create the Void Barrier, I am not using it simply to create a barrier. I admit, because of the destructive nature of my magic, I tend to think that any form it takes would have that nature. But in truth, I can adjust it by simply changing its nature. Void magic is not synonymous with destruction but with nothingness. Nothingness can give birth to all things because its real nature is nothing, thus, can be anything,'' Kyran thought as he received a clear understanding of his magic. ''The reason why my magic appeared destructive, is simply because it reverts all things it touched into nothingness.''


    He then recalled what Magic Sense was from all the books he had read that mentioned it.


    ''Magic sense is another means for mages to perceiv things. Instead of using their five senses, they use their magic to understand things. Moreover, magic sense helps mages understand the runes in magic arrays as long as it both are of the same type. Meaning, is the a mage uses fire magic, once he uses his magic sense to understand a magic array that uses rune writings for fire magic, they will be able to understand it well.''


    Kyran lifted his hand and watched the surrounding energies enter from there. He immediately noticed that the color of the energies he absorbed was not purple which was the color of his Void magic. It made him confused but he did not stop what he was doing and simply continue absorbing the energies before circting them inside his central core. When he was satisfied with the amount of energy he had circted, he released a small amount on his palm.


    The energy that left his palm was semi-transparent, with a tint of purple color.


    Taking out one of his ck obsidian swords from his pouch, Kyran let the semi-transparent energy sweep over it. Information about the obsidian sword''sposition shed in his mind.


    Kyran''s eyes widened and soon a smile broke out from his lips.


    ''Cool,'' he thought.


    Kyran took a deep breath and returned the sword to his pouch. He did not want to expand his magic sense yet. Instead, he wanted to test the idea that appeared on his mind after Zephyr told him what the ancient record had said about his magic.


    He looked at the energies gathered inside the array, and raised his hand. He summoned one purple ring and it hovered before his opened palm. Then he started to absorb the surrounding energies into his purple ring.


    Kyran had no way of seeing how the energies reacted when it passed through his magic, but with the array''s effect, he was now able to see that the surrounding energies simply avoided the purple ring.


    ''But if I willed my magic to absorb the energies?'' Kyran wondered and as he thought it, he also willed the purple ring to attract the surrounding energies.


    As soon as he thought it, the purple ring moved and even appeared to pulsate. The surrounding energies were immediately attracted to the pulsating purple ring and entered it with no resistance. When the energies entered the purple ring, the purple ring grew in size.


    ''Regardless of the nature of the energy that my magic absorbed, it is capable of strengthening my magic,'' Kyran thought with a slight smile.


    This discovery was actually beneficial for him. Now he did not have to replenish his magic energy all the time before using his magic. As long as he was able to absorb the surrounding energies, he could use them to strengthen his magic.


    While Kyran was absorbed in testing out his idea inside the array, the others outside, te and Cyneah who were sitting on the chairs, while Nn and Zephyr stood leaning on the rail, were silently watching him.


    te was not that surprised at how Kyran could absorb any type of energy in the surroundings. What she was surprised about was how fast he was able to grasp the idea of magic sense. Well, Cyneah also managed to do it the first time, butpared to her, Kyran had just started to understand his magic. It made her wonder what Zephyr had said before Kyran asked Nn to fix the array. Of course, te was also aware that the two had talked telepathically.


    On the other hand, Cyneah relied on her innate ability to see lights and energies to somehow understand what Kyran was doing. Honestly, it took a great deal of her concentration to follow. Because she could not see Kyran''s light, she only relied on the energies that she could see around him. She was actually amazed to see so many colored energies circling inside the array. However, what got her attention the most was the purple ring that appeared in the middle of the array. It was the same shade of purple she once saw from the array Kyran once made in the cave. She really found the color pretty.


    Nn took a deep breath as he watched Kyran experiment on his magic. He had a feeling that the kid hadpletely forgotten that they were there and could see everything that he was doing. Not that Kyran was doing anything that they could use to tease him in the future. Anyway, Nn was simply amazed at Kyran''s concentration. It reminded him of Cade. No, to be honest, his level of concentration was higher than Cade. At least Cade would not be able to shut others off the moment he started practising.


    ''We may not necessarily have to stay for a week in that ce with the kid''s level of concentration. If he is able to pass each level in a matter of hours, maybe he can finish it in five days,'' Nn thought thinking about the ce where he nned to take Kyran for training.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Nn''s lips.<sub> </sub>


    ''Well, for him to understand magic sense is also timely. In the next few days, as long as he masters it to some extent, it will help him in passing each level better.''


    Zephyr was also observing Kyran y around the energies inside the array. Just like the others, he was amazed at the speed at which he was able to adapt his magic. His amazement was actually morepared with Nn and te because he had just told Kyran a little about what was written in the ancient record about his magic and yet he was able to grasp it well.


    Of course, none of them knew that Kyran''s innate ability did not lie in his body''s abnormal absorption of medicinal effect or even healing ability. His real innate ability was how adept he was in grasping theories. As long as you provide him with enough information for him to create his own theory, he could grasp it on his own and find the answer himself.


    For the next half hour, Kyran continued to study his magic. Finally, he decided to release the energies he had been circting in his central core.


    The moment the energies left his central core, Kyran felt something different. The energies that left him did not have any purple tint on them. Meaning they did not be ''void energies.''


    ''But the energies still resonates with the nature of my magic,'' Kyran thought with a slight frown.


    He reached out his hand and thought of gathering the scattered energies once more to study them when suddenly an idea popped in his mind. The idea came to him while thinking that the energies had somehow be his and remained his even when they were no longer part of him.


    Instead of gathering them in his hand, he controlled the converted energies and formed them into something else.


    ''How about an orb?'' Kyran thought.


    Soon the energies gathered and formed into an orb. The moment it did, their color finally had a purple shade.


    Kyran''s eyes widened.


    ''This! Does this mean I can now form long-range attacks?'' He thought feeling a little excited at the idea. ''Let''s try to mold them into a weapon.''


    Immediately, the orbs turned into countless small knives. However, unlike Kyran''s Void Knife, these knives looked semi-transparent.


    With a slight frown, Kyran released the knives and crossed his arms.


    ''It doesn''t have enough substance,'' he thought.


    Before he could contemte further, he heard Nn clear his throat from behind.


    "Kid, you''re supposed to learn magic sense. Don''t strain yourself with other magic stuff with your damaged core," he reminded him.


    "Ah, right," Kyran replied.


    Because of his excitement, he forgot the condition of his magic core. Although, the damaged core was not his Void core, who knew what would happen if to it if he continued to practice?


    Kyran released the energies and finally stood up.


    "Master," Cyneah suddenly called for te.


    "What is it?" te replied and turned to her.


    "Can''t I heal Nar''s core, now?"


    Cyneah''s question made Kyran stop in his tracks and look at her.


    Nn and Zephyr also turned their attention to her.


    te also raised her brows. Before she could answer, Cyneah had asked another question.


    "Can''t I use my song and heal him?"

 Chapter 202 You Wouldnt Want To Mess With Me

    A faint smile appeared on te''s face as she studied Cyneah''s determined expression. She felt how much Cyneah wanted to repay Kyran''s kindness by healing his core. It might not be enough to repay all the debt, but te knew that Cyneah believed it could at least prove that his decision to save her was not without gain. In the future, as long as Cyneah learned the use of her magic and perfected the use of magic sense, she could be of help to Kyran.


    All of these, te understood. In the past, she also had a simr experience. After being granted a second life, te decided to study Alchemy. Because her magic was not powerful enough to help her benefactors, she decided to learn Alchemy to be their support.


    "It is not enough," te answered Cyneah''s question after a short pause.


    te did note up with that answer on the spur of the moment. When Kyran told her about Cyneah, he also exined how her magic seemed to heal his core, thus assuming that she might really have soul magic. However, Kyran also confirmed that after Cyneah stopped singing, his damaged core remained damaged and had not been healed. This led te to think that Cyneah was not channelling her magic correctly. It was also why she decided to teach the use of magic sense first. Aside from this, magic cores were not visible in the first ce, and only by having a better understanding of magic sense usage could Cyneah be able to ''see'' the cores and heal them properly.


    "Healing magic cores are different from healing physical wounds," te added.


    "T-then, when will I be able to heal Nar?" Cyneah''s expression turned gloomy. She wanted to heal Kyran as soon as possible.


    Seeing Cyneah''s dismayed look, a faint smile crossed Kyran''s face. He walked over to her and affectionately stroked her head, "If you really want to heal me, listen to your master well and learn. I will give you three days."


    Kyran did not choose to say words such as ''you don''t have to rush'' or ''take your time.'' Because he knew those words of no help to Cyneah, he knew her stubbornness beneath the gentle demeanour and believed saying words that could fuel her determination would best help her.


    As expected, Kyran''s words immediately made Cyneah''s eyes lit up. She nodded her head and said, "Okay."


    Nn, who saw a rare gentle look on Kyran''s face, raised his brows. He could not help but say, "Can the disy of affection be done privately? Seriously, we''re in broad daylight."


    Cyneah''s face instantly turned crimson at Nn''s teasing.


    Kyran, however, simply looked at Nn with a scowl. He lowered his hand and was about to say something when Zephyr''s voice said, "Master can show his affection to mistress anytime he wants."


    "Oi!" Kyran snapped as he looked at Zephyr ringly.


    te cleared her throat and took Cyneah''s hand. She ushered the embarrassed girl inside while she red at the three, "You three behave. Stop teasing my disciple."


    She turned to Kyran and made a gesture of pointing her middle and pointing fingers on her eyes before pointing it towards him. "I''m watching you, young man."


    Then...


    [Don''t say you''re my godson. You haven''t exined yourself yet about the ''state'' she arrived in yesterday.]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he heard te''s voice in his head.


    Did they not already agree that the reason why Cyneah was in that state was because of te''s potion? Why was she bringing that up again? Besides, what Zephyr said was a misunderstanding!


    Kyran felt wronged.


    Nn whistled as he watched the door closed behind te and Cyneah. He looked at Kyran and said, "Well. It seems your godmother has fully epted being your little girlfriend''s guardian. Tough luck."


    "She''s not my little girlfriend!" Kyran said in exasperation.


    Couldn''t they see that his actions toward Cyneah were more of a big brother to a little sister? Why did they always misinterpret his actions?


    The others had not seen this side of Kyran; thus, they believed he harboured special feelings toward Cyneah. Coupled with how Zephyr addressed Cyneah, others would definitely misunderstand.


    "Tsk. Tsk. Poor missy. If she jumped you that time and did not hesitate, she would have the upper hand. s, she is beaten by a youngss," Nn upper hand, ignoring Kyran''s rebuttal.


    Zephyr''s ears perked at this, "What does that mean?"


    Nn walked over to the center of the array and kneeled, "It means your master has two mistresses."


    He roused his magic, and soon the array deactivated and hid underneath the ground.


    <o>,m "Two?" Zephyr eximed in surprise. He looked at Kyran and said, "Master, whose the wife, whose the concubine?"</o>


    Kyran simply red at him in response. He gave up exining himself to these two and went inside the house.


    Nn burst outughing at Zephyr''s question and said, "I like the way you think."


    Zephyr looked at him with a slight frown, "What do you mean?"


    "Doesn''t matter," Nn replied while he stood up and also made his way back inside the house.


    Zephyr, who was left outside, could only shake his head and muttered, "Humans. They''re really hard to understand."


    =================


    The grand hall inside the royal pce had been decoratedvishly for the Crown Princess''s birthday. White and gold ornaments hung meticulously along the walls while small golden roundnterns with semi-transparent silks floated in the air.


    Round tables were arranged in a u-shape facing the elevated tform at the north end of the hall. The elevated tform had three high chairs where the Emperor, Empress and the Crown Princess would take their seats. At the center of the hall, a dance floor was also prepared.<sub> </sub>


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when the guests had started to arrive. The head pce guard by the entrance announces the names of the guests as they enter the hall.


    At the moment, the Royal Family had yet to arrive, but none felt it was inappropriate. They would even feel intimidated if the Royal Family was there first. Besides, even if they were allowed to bete, none of them would dare do so. Not because they feared the emperor''s punishment, but today''s celebration was special.


    It was true that the Crown Princess''s birthday was considered a special event. However, this year was extra special because it would be the first time after the princess was ''attacked'' that she would face the public again.


    Every guest could not wait to see the Crown Princess again.


    By the time it turned six in the evening, the Royal Family finally arrived to start the celebration.


    As soon as Princess Haylee entered the grand hall, all eyes were on her and were filled with awe. She was dressed in a champagne pinkyered tulle dress that glistened in the lights with her every movement. Her hair was braided carefully topliment the diamond tiara on top of her head. And her sapphire blue eyes appeared to twinkle especially when she smiled.


    The guests had not expected the Crown Princess to have grown beautifully. Almost all eligible bachelors could not wait to have an opportunity to dance the princess. Even those who had no interest in finding a partner could not wait to have a chance to speak with her.


    The night soon fell, and the Crown Princess''s birthday celebration finally started.


    The pce''s grand hall was filled with songs and mildughter for the next few hours. Almost everyone appeared to be enjoying the celebration. The officials who had been holed up with the emperor for the past few days discussing measures and ns in finding Gray also appeared to be in high spirits. There was no telltale that they were all engaged in a very serious discussion just yesterday.


    As the celebration went well into the night and everyone had finished paying respects and showing off their gifts to the princess, Haylee finally found a chance to escape the grand ball and take a breather in the garden.


    The garden was located next to the grand hall, so the emperor allowed Haylee to venture outside because she never really left the celebration. Some guests were also outside and were enjoying the garden lights while enjoying thepany of each other.


    Of course, Haylee avoided being seen by these guests. Her face was already aching from all the smiling she had to endure while meeting guests and receiving their gifts.


    Haylee found a quiet spot at a small gazebo facing a small pond. She sat by the gazebo''s rail as she watched the reflection of the moon on the surface of the pond.


    While closing her eyes, Haylee took a deep breath and finally said, "I know you''ve been following me. Show yourself."


    A chuckle was heard behind as a man''s silhouette in a ck robe slowly appeared from the shadows.


    "You have a really high perception, princess."


    "No need to tter. With your undisguised sanguine aura, anyone will have trouble missing it," Haylee replied as she opened her eyes and turned to look at the person behind her.


    The silhouette of a man smiled at her and said, "Please, even your guards failed to detect mying. I believe your highness perception is really superb."


    Haylee smiled at him, however, it did not reach her eyes. She actually had a cold look reflected in her usually warm blue eyes.


    "Why are you here, Grand Marshal."


    The silhouette''s smile grew wide.


    As Haylee guessed, the silhouette was none other than Gael.


    "I am here to talk some business, your highness."


    Haylee raised her brows.


    "Business?" She repeated and let out a softugh. "What kind of business will the Royal Army''s Grand Marshal talk with me, the Royal Family''s Crown Princess?"


    "A business that can benefit both the Royal Family and the Royal Army, of course," Gael replied with a smile.


    Haylee took a deep breath and stood up. She approached Gael with her blue eyes growing colder with each step she made.


    She smiled at him as she stood a few feet in front of him. She said, "I think you''re misunderstanding something here, Grand Marshal. The emperor might tolerate you because you appeared harmless after losing quite a lot of authority within the army. But I am different."


    Haylee moved to Gael''s side and ced a hand on his shoulder before leaning forward and saying, "I am not like the emperor. I know exactly what you have been doing."


    Gael''s eyes narrowed. If he were not worried that Gray''s matter would be enough to divert the emperor''s attention away from the Regis, he would not have approached Haylee. Unfortunately, the emperor had repeatedly expressed his desire to call the Regis Patriarch and seek their help during the meeting.


    Gael suddenly had an urge to use his magic and threatened Haylee to cooperate with him. As a magus, he could easily trap her inside his domain and do things to her without rousing her guards'' suspicions.


    However, just as Gael was thinking about this, Haylee''s voice sounded in his head.


    [You wouldn''t want to mess with me.]


    Suddenly, Gael''s heart started to beat painfully in his chest as he turned his head to look at Haylee.


    Haylee, in turn, simply smiled at him, and her blue eyes glinted wickedly in the dark.

 Chapter 203 Not Like The Emperor

    Hundreds of thoughts raced through Gael''s mind as he stared at Haylee''s eyes. This kind of scenario never crossed his mind when he decided to approach her.


    Initially, Gael wanted to coax Haylee into dying the emperor''s visit to the Regis Estate. He came to this decision after the emperor hinted at his n to marry off the princess to the very person he wanted to get his hands on, Kyran Regis.


    At first, Gael had thought of telling the emperor the truth about Kyran''s forbidden magic and how the whole Regis n hid the fact. However, he immediately rejected the notion because it would lead to manyplications. For one thing, the emperor would question Gael''s reason for withholding the information until then.


    There was also Gray''s matter added to the mix. Gael had a feeling that instead of persecuting Kyran and the whole Regis, the emperor might use his unique circumstance to get the Regis to work for them again. Because Gael was aware that Gray''s matter was far more important to the emperor than some kid who had just started learning about his forbidden magic. Gael had no way to know why the emperor was obsessed with Gray, but either way, if the Royal Family got the Regis''s n to help them pursue Gray, the chances of capturing him were higher. That was how capable the Regis''s mages andbat mages were.


    Anyway, Gael did not want the emperor to have a hold on the Regis. No, to be specific, Kyran Regis. He needed to have Kyran do his bidding, and he only needed a few days. If Gael could dy the emperor''s visit to the Regis Estate, he would personally go to the estate and use everything at his disposal to have them under his control.


    It was only unfortunate that he had yet to hear anything from the Special Ops. He did receive an update yesterday, saying that they had a lead on Kyran and would send word once they confirmed it. The earliest was supposed to best night and thetest today. But the day was almost done, and he had not yet received an update from them.


    Gael was not worried, though. As long as the day was not over, he knew he would receive an update no matter what.


    But that was the least of Gael''s worries at the moment. He first had to recover from this unexpected development. Something about the princess was really different right now. There was once he had seen her looking at him, but he did not think it was anything serious. Looking at the malicious glint in her eyes, however, Gael wondered just how much of the truth was her im of knowing what he had been doing.


    "Don''t approach me again. If I want to speak to you, I will find you," Haylee whispered and was about to leave when Gael roused his magic to capture her.


    However...


    ''W-What!'' Gael''s eyes widened, and hisplexion paled.


    He could not rouse his magic!


    Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glinted in the dark as she looked at Gael. She ced her right hand on top of his chest without saying anything.


    Immediately, Gael felt his soul quiver as if an invisible force was slowly closing around it. Cold sweat trickled down his back as the feeling of being helpless washed over him. The invisible force gave him the feeling that it could easily crush his soul. This should not have been the case. He was a Magus! There was practically nothing that could threaten a Magus!


    "Don''t test me, Grand Marshal," Haylee whispered in a voice so cold it gave Gael the illusion it could freeze anything.


    Taking a deep breath, Haylee straightened and lowered her hand. She looked at Gael and smiled. Her smile this time carried none of the coldness it previously had.


    "I need to head back. Please be careful on your way out," she told him.


    Without waiting for Gael to say or even do anything, Haylee left.


    It took quite some time for Gael to calm his nerves. What just happened was something he really had not anticipated. The princess that the emperor doted on, and spoiled by almost every leader of the empire, looked very different from the one Gael had just spoken to. To be precise, he never really got the chance to talk to her properly. She did not let him. It was as if she already knew what he was about to tell her, and she did not want anything to do with it.


    Although Gael felt a slight fear, he also felt a sense of assurance. Even though he did not achieve his goal in approaching Haylee, she did not appear to be entirely against him. She might have warned him not to mess or test her and not approach her again. However, she also said she would find him if she needed to talk to him.


    Haylee''s words reyed in Gael''s mind as he took a shaky breath.


    ''''Not like the emperor,'' huh,'' he thought, his eyes narrowing. ''I''d like to see how different you are from the emperor, your highness.''


    The shadow within the gazebo shifted and slowly wrapped Gael from his feet. Not long after, his whole body blended into the shadow vanished into the night.


    ====================


    Kyran sat staring at the face-altering mask currently ced on top of his bed. The ck panther mask te lent him back in the ruins was beside it, and a set of ck clothes was neatly folded on the side.


    Because Nn and te forbid Kyran to practice his magic, he busied himself in studying and improving the face-altering mask. Currently, he sessfully changed the array within and could change the mask''s face calctions at will. Nar and Tyr''s faces were already recorded well, and Kyran also seeded in adding a form that would enable the mask to change his hair color. As for the ck panther mask, he added an array with defensive and strengthening forms. This was to make sure it would not break easily and reveal his face underneath. Of course, he would still be wearing the face-altering mask, so even if it broke, it would not reveal his identity. But he would still be using Nar''s identity and could not afford to have it easily discovered.


    Kyran also chose a set of clothes he would use while using Nar''s identity. He also learned his lesson of being caught in an ambush while wearing regr clothes. Thus he studied the coat Nn gave him, which Ste also made further enhancements. After studying the enhancements on the coat, he tried to apply them to his clothes for the first time. Since it was his first time, the enchantments were not perfect. But it was enough to provide additional magical and physical resistance.


    ''There''s another one I have to do,'' he thought as he removed the space pouch his uncle Jared gave him.


    It urred to him that his pouch was different from the others space storage he had seen before. If he was not careful, the pouch itself might be a telltale of his identity.


    He took out some of the spare space storage he had collected. Among all these, the ones from the Special Ops had better quality, while the rest were of low quality and could not hold a lot of items.


    ''I can also stitch these space storage on the clothes I enhanced,'' Kyran thought while looking at his newly enhanced set of clothes. Then he looked at his original pouch and pondered for a bit. ''Maybe I can add a design-altering array on it? Simr to how the mask can change, if I targetted the pouch''s external feature maybe it is possible.''


    After pondering for a bit, Kyran finally nodded and scanned his memories on all the materials he had that could be used for the array. In a few minutes, he sighed and shook his head, ''I''m missing some items. I need to visit the Chamber of Commerce and buy some materials.''<sub> </sub>


    He mentally calcted his remaining budget, and his heart became heavy. His family gave him a few coins and spirit stones to which his mother reminded him to use wisely. That was why he decided to use them as initial funds to execute his n. Now, what he had left was just enough for his daily needs once they started their journey. If he bought the materials with his remaining budget, he would have to cut down on more expenditure.


    ''I guess I''ll have to try the design-altering array a different time. After Iplete my training with Nn, I''ll have to find a way to earn more coins or spirit stones.''


    Another thought crossed his mind while thinking of spirit stones. He took out the recorder, the one he used to record the evidence of hising to Hanaan. He recorded it before delivering the Theihorns in the Conve.


    "Speaking of spirit stones, I forgot to leave this proof to exhort the reward from my bounty. Nn nned to drop by the Tower while I meet with Byron so I guess I''ll let him pass this on to Ste. I wonder if I can ask a little bit of spirit stones..."


    Kyran immediately shook his head, rejecting the idea. He muttered, "No. Let''s just think of another way on how to earn coins or spirit coins."


    Once again, he looked at the items on his bed.


    ''What else do I have to disguise?'' He wondered.


    Kyran knew the importance of hiding his identity, not only while travelling but also after getting inside the Blue Lotus. They were fanatics of the Void Master based on what Byron told him. But for some reason, Kyran felt there was something fishy about its history. His Void core also did not react when Byron talked about the Blue Lotus''s founder. Although, it was not a given that his Void core would react each time he heard about his predecessor''s past. Theck of recognition still felt strange to him.


    ''Anyway, I''ll just have to be careful.'' He thought and finally put his items in his pouch.


    As soon as he was done, Zephyr called out to him.


    [Master.]


    Kyran turned his head and looked at the wall to his left. He knew Zephyr was inside his room. Probably still thinking through Nn''s suggestion about the shrine''s array.


    ''What is it?'' Kyran replied.


    [About the shrine''s defensive array.]


    As expected, it seemed Zephyr had finally arrived at a decision.


    ''Yes.''


    [I... I''ll wait until youplete your training. But... instead, can I request for something.]


    ''Alright, tell me.''


    [Can I please have a transmission scroll?]


    Kyran raised his brows as he tilted his head on one side while he stared at the wall. He was not surprised at Zephyr''s request. He somehow expected it.


    ''Okay. I''ll leave two scrolls.''


    [Aren''t you going to ask why I need it?]


    ''No. You''re my Sigil. I''ll trust your judgement,'' Kyran replied. Besides, he knew what the transmission scroll was used for, so he did not need Zephyr to tell him to know what he nned on using it for. That was why he decided to give him two.


    Kyran suddenly paused as he btedly realized he would have to make more transmission scrolls now. Three for Nn, two for Zephyr and another two for his reserves. Today, he only managed to create one, which meant he still had to make six more scrolls. He and Nn nned to leave in four days, so he had to make one or two scrolls a day.


    Instinctively, Kyran looked at his arm and felt a little bad for his blood. Why did his n make their blood the main ingredient for transmission scrolls anyway?


    When Zephyr did not reply, Kyran thought he might have fallen asleep. However, after a few minutes, he finally said.


    [T-Thank you, Master.]


    A faint smile appeared on Kyran''s face. He found Zephyr''s awkwardness quite amusing.


    ''But, I''ll have to teach him properly.'' Kyran remembered how Zephyr was convinced that he had to meet his second mistress. He did not even have one, how did it be two?


    With a sigh, Kyran stood up and left his room. He nned to talk to his godmother for other potions or pills that could help him survive in making transmission scrolls without suffering blood loss!

 Chapter 204 Departure

    Early in the morning the next day, Nn received a message from Gage. In his message, he detailed the information he got regarding the movements of the other great factions within the empire.


    Yesterday morning, before the Crown Princess''s birthday celebration, Emperor Euan met with the Conve of the East, Temr Code and Aureole leaders. The content of their meeting that had been recorded in the Mercenary Hall''swork, was that the Royal Family had decided to form an elite team that would consist of veteran mages andbat mages from Royak Knights, Temr Code, and Aureole. In respect to the Conve''s neutral status, instead of providing their own mages orbat mages, they would be the ones responsible for information gathering. Of course, all of these were to find and capture Gray.


    Another strange piece of information that made Nn''s brow furrow in contemtion, was Emperor Euan''s deration that he would soon make a trip to the Regis Estate. His purpose was unknown, but it hinted at his desire to reconcile with the Regis.


    With this piece of information, Nn finally confirmed that the Royal Army had been acting alone in pursuing Kyran and taking the whole Regis n hostage. Of course, there was a chance that Emperor Euan dered his desire to mask what was really happening behind the scenes. Regardless of the truth, Nn felt that Kyran needed to know this.


    Nn did not bother to ask te to listen to his and Kyran''s conversation regarding the matter since she was busy teaching Cyneah. At the moment, their priority was to have Kyran''s magic core healed, so the sooner Cyneah learned how to control her magic and magic sense, the better.


    After Nn shared Gage''s message, Kyran''s reaction remained indifferent. The truth, he already has his assumptions on who was the mastermind of his capture. Anyway, this new piece of information would not affect his ns. They would still proceed as nned.


    That afternoon, Kyran disguised as Tyr went to Noser. He visited the Chamber of Commerce and bought some materials he would need in creating the transmission scroll. Then he visited the Alchemist Association to buy some medicinal herbs for te. They actually had these herbs nted in the cottage''s back garden, however, they had not fully grown yet. As to why te needed the herbs now, it was to create a blood spring pill for Kyran.


    The Blood Spring Pill was more potent than Blood Replenishing Potion and practically had no side effects. This pill was also not avable in the market because it was a pill originally created by te.


    When Kyran asked why te even bothered to create blood-rted pills and potions, her answer was simple, it was because she was surrounded by people who seemed to love spilling their blood.


    Kyran did not bother to know the bloody details. Besides, he was already grateful that te did not nag on him why he needed better blood replenishing medicine.


    While Kyran was in Noser, he noticed that the people from the Temr Code had not lifted their security. They were still constantly watching every outsider that entered the city. Even Kyran who already had a record of entering the city a few days ago was still kept under surveince.


    The watchful eyes following Kyran around the city did note from the Temr Code alone. Since he was using Tyr''s face, almost every female and some were even male locals in the city, had been watching his every move. Kyran tried his best to ignore it, but he admitted being watched by these kinds of people, were far exhausting than the ones from the Temr Code.


    For the next couple of days, Kyran was either resting or creating a transmission scroll. Sometimes, he, Nn, and Zephyr would also talk about his magic.


    Zephyr told Kyran everything he knew about the power of nothingness. In turn, Kyran had a better idea of his predecessor''s strength.


    Kyran found how powerful his predecessor was. He also found that his predecessor was a pure mage and that most of his offensive attacks had a huge area of effect. This made Kyran feel overwhelmed. He already noticed that his Draconic magic''s explosive power was better utilized in closebat, while his Void magic was good when he was outnumbered. But even then, he was using his Void magic with his Draconic magic which in turn, made him move around with great speed to deal with all his opponents using his Void weapons.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, he had been using his Void magic with the mindset of abat specialist. Though he could be considered abat mage because of his physicalbat strength, he knew his attack pattern using Void weapons plus the Regis Blessing would not be sufficient in the long run. He already noticed it when he fought the Special Ops.


    It was during where one of them nned to capture Zephyr and Cyneah, and Kyran had resorted to using his Draconic magic and the surroundings to stop him. Although at that time he was reluctant to use his Void magic, he believed he could have dealt with it differently if he had a better understanding of his magic.


    Kyran made a mental note to observe and study more of a pure mage''s offensive attack and attack pattern. Nn mentioned that the ce where they would head for training would help him gain more experience in dealing with different types of mages. Kyran was looking forward to it.


    Finally, on the third day after te started teaching Cyneah, she finally seeded in ''seeing'' the magic core within a person just by utilizing her magic sense. Aside from this, she had also gotten used to directing her song to a single target. And so that night, she finally attempted to heal Kyran''s damaged magic core.


    Cyneah admitted that she had once seen Kyran''s magic cores. That time, she had no idea those were his magic cores. Since it was the case, it had been easier for her to see his magic cores again.


    There was nothing note-worthy when Cyneah healed Kyran''s magic core. The whole process was simple. Maybe if she had to share the impression she had while healing his magic core, it was how she felt his cores appeared bigger and their color deeper than thest she saw them. It also gave Cyneah the feeling that the energy within Kyran''s magic cores was stronger than before.


    After Kyran''s damaged core had been healed, he also had a sudden realization that there was a new kind of magic circting inside him. Whether it was simr to how hebined the Void magic and Draconic magic to form a new form, Kyran was unsure yet. Since Nn and te still forbade him to practice, he had no way of checking it. He was not in a hurry as to check it though. The day before they leave, he nned to rest his body well because he knew once they left for that ''ce'', he would have less time to rest.


    The night before Kyran and Nn nned to leave, Kyran checked on Cyneah. After healing his magic core, she had been resting due to magic exhaustion.


    Inside her room, he found her sitting on the chair by the window, while leaning over the window''s sill.


    "You should be lying down," Kyran told her as he closed the door behind him.


    Cyneah immediately straightened and turned her head toward the direction of Kyran''s voice. She smiled and said, "I just got up."


    Kyran walked over to her with a newly concocted healing potion in hand. This potion was tailored made for Cyneah. Her body had already gotten used to potions but as te said, due to her special body constitution, the potions still worked too well on her.


    "Here''s a potion, drink this and sleep early," Kyran said while giving her the bottle.


    Cyneah wrinkled her nose as he ced the bottle in her hands.<sub> </sub>


    "Master''s healing potion taste bad," sheined.


    Kyran raised his brows, "If she hears you, she''d feel sad."


    "Then don''t tell her," she said.


    During these past days, the two of them had gotten closer. In turn, Nn and Zephyr''s teasing had evolved where they openly call Cyneah Kyran''s first mistress.


    However, Cyneah, being her clueless and innocent self, did not understand. Kyran on the other hand had gotten used to their nonsense and learned to fully ignore them.


    te also gave up scolding the two.


    "I won''t, just make sure you drink all of it," Kyran replied and sat at the side of the bed while facing Cyneah.


    Cyneah pursed her lips, but she obediently drank the potion. Her face distorted a little due to the potion''s bitter taste.


    "Bleh... Are all potions taste this bad?" Sheined yet again.


    Kyran only smiled faintly. He already knew herints were her way of diverting her feeling of exhaustion.


    "You''ve done well," Kyran started. He volunteered to bring her potion because he wanted to talk to her. Initially, he wanted to thank her for healing him but soon realized saying thank you was not enough. After all, he knew how much her body suffered whenever she uses her magic to heal. "What reward do you want?"


    Cyneah''s eyes immediately glistened after hearing him say ''reward.'' Who did not want to receive a reward? Someone like her who was practically deprived of such things was doubly excited by it.


    "Can I ask for anything?" She asked eagerly.


    "Ah... as long as I can give it," Kyran replied. The look in Cyneah''s eyes made him remember a time he told his younger sister he would give her a reward. When she asked if she can request anything, and he answered yes, Kyra''s requests were too bizarre that he regretted agreeing too soon.


    "Then..." Cyneah bit her lower lip and fell silent. She pondered for a little before replying, "I''ll ask for it when you return."


    Kyran looked at her for a few seconds, before asking, "Why? It may take a while before we return."


    Cyneah smiled and replied, "That''s good then. I''ll have more time to think of a better reward."


    "Right," Kyran replied after a short pause. "Nn and I will leave early tomorrow, and Zephy will be staying with you and te."


    Cyneah nodded. She might not be privy to what they were doing, but she was able to pick up some bits and pieces from their random conversations during meals. She already knew that Kyran and Nn would be leaving and that Zephyr would stay to keep her and tepany.


    "Also," Kyran took out his jade disc and reached for Cyneah''s hand. He handed her the disc and said, "I''ll leave this with you, just in case."


    The jade disc was the same one he gave her back in Hanaan. However, he had added an array on it and also imprinted a spell that only he could utilize.


    Cyneah held the disc, and immediately recognized it after feeling it for a bit, "I thought I''d lost it!"


    "You didn''t. You know how it works. But I added another feature. If you mention my name, the disc will transmit it back to me," he exined.


    Cyneah nodded, "I understand."


    "Go to sleep early," Kyran told her before standing up and leaving the room.


    As soon as he left, Cyneah gripped the jade disc in her hands. It was not considered a gift, but to her, it was. And she would treasure it because it was something that Kyran gave her.


    The next day, Kyran and Nn left.


    Before going to that ''ce'', they first had to go back to Starhorn.

 Chapter 205 What Happened To Your Handsome Face?

    The next day, Kyran and Nn appeared fifty kilometers outside of Starhorn.


    Since they ran on a tight schedule, they did not travel normally. They also did not want to waste any transmission scrolls, so they used Kyran''s warp ability.


    To Kyran''s utmost amazement and perhaps, annoyance, Nn was not affected by his warping abilities. s, there would still be people who were unaffected by the hidden deadly capability of his warp. It left him feeling a little bitter, knowing he could not take advantage of his warp''s secret attack when he got annoyed by Nn.


    Upon entering the gates of Starhorn City, they immediately felt an invisible force wrapping around their body. It seemed to imprint itself in their bodies, trying to pry some information about them. Aside from its added range, this force was a new feature added to the city''s magic detector tower.


    The Void''s magic energy inside Kyran immediately circted, blocking the invisible force.


    On the other hand, Nn simply snorted, and the invisible force could only see superficial information in his body.


    Their method of blocking and dispelling the invisible force had gone unnoticed. Since it was only a prototype, any w had yet to be studied and improved.


    [This invisible force seemed to have been implemented recently and only around Meliora and Starhorn.]


    Nn''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    "How did you know?" Kyran asked with a slight frown.


    Nn snorted and replied.


    [Because my magic is omnipotent.]


    Kyran ignored him.


    During the past few days in the ''cottage,'' Kyran learned to ignore Nn''s nonsense. He picked up this habit from te, who seemed very adept in dealing with him.


    Because Nn did not want to give him a decent answer, Kyran activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique to gather information using his senses.


    Soon he was able to pick up hushed conversations from mercenaries and hunters in the vicinity talking about the new announcement posted in the city''s Town Hall.


    The announcement had detailed the changes done to the city''s magic detector tower. It also mentioned a new protocol for dealing with people with questionable backgrounds. All of these changes were to make sure the master of disguise Gray would not slip from the Royal Family and their Elite Force''s radar.


    Kyran was unsure how much of the information was true, but he could not help but nce sideways at the person in question leisurely walking beside him.


    So much for not letting ''Gray'' escape their radar. Wasn''t he walking without a care in the middle of the city right now?


    Kyran had been wary of the Royal Army''s magic detectors. He even had this feeling that once he was inside a magic detector''s range, his every move and even magic cirction would be seen through. However, because of Nn''s uncaring attitude about it, Kyran was starting to feel that magic detectors were not that scary after all.


    Speaking of magic detectors, Kyran remembered Nn''s offhanded remark about changing one''s magic signature. He never had a chance to bring it up during their conversations, but he would ask Nn about it during their trip to that ''ce.''


    After a few minutes, the two reached the Mercenary Hall''s premises. They did not go in. They only stood outside.


    [Alright. Let''s meet here in the evening. I''ll visit missy and get my payment.]


    Kyran already knew what Nn meant about payment. Although he did not know the full details, Nn expected some remuneration after Stemissioned him as an exclusive mercenary and saved Gage from imminent death.


    Nodding his head slightly, Kyran muttered an almost inaudible, "Hm," before going in a different direction.


    They agreed it was best to go separately. Nn did not have to meet Byron. So he would go to the Tower of Conve alone. The recorder with proof of Kyran''s whereabouts was already with Nn, as well as themunication device Kyran created, which would serve as his means ofmunicating with Ste to share and receive information and items.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to ask Nn to borrow the book about Ancient Magic from Ste but decided to call her when he got the time. Besides, he reckoned he would not have much time to study it because he would be busy training.


    As for meeting Byron in Starhorn, Kyran would use his Sigil to locate his whereabouts.


    A week ago, when they parted at Nhadal, Byron confirmed that he would not be staying at the Valley of Morte. His sole purpose ofing there was to bring the hunters to their site, and then he would return to their head office. The Blue Lotus''s main headquarters was stationed in the western part of the Ylfaen Empire. However, they had a few head offices on each corner of the empire. Kyran confirmed which head office Byron would return to after leaving the Valley of Morte. He would be going to the Blue Lotus''s Eastern Branch in Starhorn.


    After a quarter of an hour, Kyran finally felt Byron''s Sigil react.


    Meanwhile, on the eastern side of Starhorn, where the Blue Lotus Eastern Branch was located, Byron sat on a chair inside the manager''s office on the first level. He had a bored expression as he picked on his nose while listening to the east branch manager''s report.


    It was not part of his responsibility to listen to the manager''s report. He only had to collect their monthly report and send it over to the leader. Unfortunately, the leader with the rest of the organization''s executives was still in Meliora. A few days ago, they attended a meeting that the emperor had personally arranged, and they had not returned yet.


    "...and as it stands, after the release of two bounties, our sales have also increased. If we managed to hire more people to gather enough information on the first bounty there is a greater chance for us to add more profit to our¡ª."


    Byron abruptly stood up, which made the middle-aged man in front of him, the manager of the east branch, almost fall back on his seat.


    "D-Did I say something wrong¡ª?"


    "Compile all the report and put it here! I need to leave for a few... hours or days... weeks? Doesn''t matter!" Byron eximed and threw a memory orb to the manager before dashing out the door.


    "B-But... we need you to sign some documents¡ª."


    "I''ll check it when I get back!"


    Byron replied.


    The manager blinked. In the end, he could only sigh in resignation. He had been in the Blue Lotus for more than three years, and still, he found the leader''s right-hand man hard to deal with. Byron was not irresponsible. He was actually very passionate. Too passionate, even to the point where he would leave in the middle of whatever he was doing if the leader asked him to do something. Byron would even go to such great lengths to aplish his task, even at the cost of his life. It was a wonder at times how he managed to stay alive because of his passionate character. The leader sometimes mentioned that Byron was the organization''s lucky star.


    As for the manager''s opinion, Byron was just lucky.


    With a shake of his head, the managerpiled his report and started recording it inside the memory orb.


    Outside, Byron was running at a breakneck speed toward the eastern outskirts of Starhorn.


    The reason for this was that he received a message from his master!


    Initially, Byron thought he had imagined the voice because he would sometimes imagine his master calling him ever since they parted in Nhadal.


    Kyran did say he would find him in a week, and it''s already been a week, and yet there had been no indication of him showing up. So now that he ''heard'' his master''s voice, he did not immediately believe it. But the curtness of the message, not to mention the coldness of his master''s voice, was different from the ones in his imagination! After all, Byron could never imagine his master''s cold and curt way of speaking. When he imagined his master calling him, his voice was endearing most of the time.


    Of course, if his master knew he had imagined things about him, he would probably get punished. However, the thought of being punished by his master was not scary to Byron. On the contrary, he felt thrilled by the idea.


    If Kyran knew Byron was having weird thoughts about him, he would probably indulge him and show him what kind of punishment he was capable of.


    In less than half an hour, Byron arrived at the location where his master had said. There was no specific location whatsoever when he heard the message. However, he could sense his master''s presence from the Sigil in his body, and thus, he simply followed it.


    "Master! I''m here!" Byron shouted in excitement. He did not see Kyran but knew he was there somewhere.


    Kyran immediately frowned at Byron''s loud voice. He jumped down from above the tree branch while simultaneously giving him a kick on the back.


    "Don''t shout!" He hissed at him.


    Byron fell face-first on the ground. However, he recovered immediately and turned to look at Kyran with a goofy grin on his face.


    "Master! I mi¡ªhuwaaaaaaaat? What happened to your handsome face Master? How did you suddenly turn ugly?" Byron eximed in fright.


    Previously, Kyran was using Tyr''s face. His face was half-covered then, but Byron could still guess Kyran''s handsome looks. However, Kyran''s using Nar''s face right now, and he did not bother to cover it.


    The difference shocked Byron to his core. His master was a handsome young man that women and men alike would fawn over. How did his master''s face suddenly be... err... let''s just say, ugly.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He btedly remembered how much Byron loved to shout and stubbornly believed he was the Void Master.


    Putting on a stern expression, Kyran warned Byron, "If you shout one more time..."


    Byron immediately covered his mouth with both hands and shook his head vigorously.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran leaned on the tree behind him with a sigh while looking at Byron. He crossed his arms across his chest and said, "This is a disguise. Do you think I''ll go walking around in broad daylight with my real face?"


    Byron''s eyes widened in understanding. He lowered his hand and looked at Kyran in pure adoration.


    "Good job, Master! With such an ugly face, no one will ever think it is you!" He said in a reasonably low voice.


    What kind of logic did Byron have? Nar''s face was not that ugly, alright. Besides, Tyr''s face was not even Kyran''s real one. He suddenly had an imaginary headache just thinking about Byron''s reaction once he revealed his natural face.


    Maybe he should bash Byron''s head so he would have a memory loss. No, wait. Perhaps he could learn a memory wipe spell or something so he could use it on Byron and make him forget Tyr''s face and the weird notion that the Void Master was such a handsome guy.


    Oh, right, Kyran was not the Void Master. He was his sessor.


    Pushing these random thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran decided to get down to business, "Have you done what I asked?"


    Byron''s expression turned serious as he nodded in earnest.


    "Yes, Master. I have found a ce for you. I also managed to forge your new identity... just..." He paused, looking a little embarrassed.


    Seeing Byron''s expression gave Kyran a bad premonition.


    "What?" He asked.


    "Well," Byronughed uneasily as he scratched his head. "I said you''re my long lost brother."


    Kyran kept an indifferent expression. But in his mind, he was flipping an imaginary table.


    Of all the identity Byron could give him, why did he settle with him being his long-lost brother? They did not even look the same!


    "So, Master... You''re real face..."


    Kyran immediately frowned, "Did you provide a picture?"


    "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Byron answered while shaking his head. Then heughed uneasily while scratching the back of his head and said, "But I''ve told most of my men how handsome my long lost brother is so..."


    Kyran gave him a dull look and decided to ignore his nonsense. He straightened and started to walk.


    "Did you get me a list of the job request?" He asked, changing the subject.


    "Master!" Byronined in frustration. He could not believe his master was ignoring his plea.


    Kyran red at him, his eyes slightly turning purple, "What?"


    Feeling the sudden drop in temperature in the surroundings, Byron shook his head and decided to drop the matter. He would have to convince his master to use his handsome face when he introduced him to his men another time.


    "Nothing," Byron answered.


    "And?"


    "Oh, right," Byron followed Kyran as they walked deeper into the woods. "I have gathered most except for those highly ssified job requests."


    Kyran looked at him, "Why? Do you need a higher clearance to ess those?"


    Byron nodded. "Actually, I can ask leader for it, but because of the matter about Gray, all executives had to attend the meeting the emperor had arranged and I haven''t got a chance to talk to leader."


    Kyran heard about the meeting. The Blue Lotus was just a small faction, but they were still part of the empire''s parliament.


    Nodding his head, Kyran did not dwell on the subject and said, "When you get all the details, send it over to me. I''ll have to check all of them. Once I confirmed the targets I''ll be taking, I''ll trouble you to get it under my bucket list."


    "No problem, Master," Byron replied with a short nod.


    "Here," Kyran took out a dark purplemunication disc and handed it to Byron. "That''s amunication device I crafted myself. Use your magic sense to activate it. Once it record your magic, it will only respond to you. Any information or message being transmitted and recorded there will also be encrypted and if others try to decrypt it, everything inside will be destroyed."


    Byron''s eyes widened as he took themunication device.


    "S-Such an advancemunication device..." He looked at Kyran in pure admiration, "I know you''re an Array Specialist, but I never knew you are such an expert! As expected of Master!"


    "Make sure to keep that hidden from the others. I''ll call you using that, and you can also do the same¡ª."


    "You mean I am allowed to call you, Master?" Byron asked, his eyes sparkling just by the thought.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. Maybe he should not have said that.


    "You can as long as its important. If you call me without a good reason, I''ll destroy that device."


    Byron immediately nodded his head, "Of course, Master. I will only call you if its important!"


    Kyran looked at him apprehensively. He was unsure whether they had the exact definition of ''important.'' If Byron ever called him for a trifling matter, he would block him.


    "You can send the information you have through that device," Kyran told Byron.


    "Yes, Master."


    "I''ll be busy for the next few days, so if you there will be any update, just send it over. I''ll check it when I''m free."


    "I understand."


    "I''m going."


    "Oka¡ªeh? So soon?" Byron looked at him incredulously. He thought they would have to check the ce he got for him. Or check the new identity he submitted.


    "I''ll wait for the information. You can head back to the city," Kyran simply said and jumped to the tree''s branch on the side.


    Byron watched Kyran leave, feeling a little disappointed. For some reason, he felt like he had been abandoned.


    ''Be careful when you head back. Make sure no one is keeping an eye on you.''


    Kyran''s voice sounded in Byron''s head, and immediately his expression brightened. He chuckled manically as he muttered under his breath, "Seriously, Master. You and your cute side. Hehe."


    Kyran, who was standing on a tree branch twenty meters away from Byron heard him. A huge sweat appeared on his head as his brow twitched.


    He really chose the wrong person to be his first Sigil. Byron had serious... issues.


    Ignoring Byron''s weird behavior, Kyran silently watched him as he turned and returned to the city.


    When Byron was finally out of sight, Kyran looked at the morning sky. He managed to finish his business way ahead of time and now he had nothing else to do.


    ''I guess I can kill some time by hunting some forest beasts,'' he decided, thinking that Nn was probably still on his way to the Tower of Conve.


    ''I can also find and collect some materials for array creation. It will save me a few coins and stones then,'' Kyran thought with a slight nod.


    With that in mind, he jumped and went deeper into the forest to hunt.


    Of course, he did not forget to activate his Cloaking Array, which he already integrated into his new coat. If not, he would only be wasting his time looking for forest beast because they would be hiding away from him.

 Chapter 206 Tower Of Tribulation (1)

    By the time Kyran arrived at the Mercenary Hall''s premises, he saw Nn waiting right outside the building.


    As soon as Nn saw him, he took out an orb under his cloak and threw it at him.


    "A present from the second mistress," he said with a slightly teasing voice.


    Kyran ignored his ''second mistress''ment and caught the orb. Using his magic sense, he immediately saw through Ste''s message inside. To be precise, the message was from Ste and Lumi.


    Apparently, Lumi had been staying with Ste after the former had wage a ''little war'' with Ss. The message contained detailed information about Gray''s matter. It seemed, Ste was aware of Nn''s identity as Gray and that he mentioned admitting it to Kyran. Though most of the information Ste shared was the same as the one Gage gave Nn, there was additional information she included which was the list of people that made up the Elite Force the Royal Family established with the other two major factions in the empire, Temr Code and Aureole. Ste also sent a list of items the Elite Force had specifically requested from the cksmith Order and Alchemist Association. There was also a copy of Nn''s bounty poster. It appeared the Royal Family nned to go all out in making sure Nn a.k.a. Gray was captured this time around.


    Still...


    Kyran nced at the carefree Nn in front of him.


    Upon seeing Kyran''s look, Nn raised his brows in question, "What?"


    "Nothing," Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head.


    The people from the parliament were probably losing sleep just toe up with a strategy to capture Nn and yet the person in question was not feeling any pressure at all.


    Kyran had to admit that Nn''s carefree attitude was admirable. If it were him, he would probably overthink and end up making wrong decisions. Thinking about his own bounty situation, they were actually not that far off. The only difference was there were more people that openlye after Nn, while in Kyran''s case, because of theck of information and the Conve''s maniption from the back.


    "Let''s go, we don''t want to bete for our ride," Nn said and started walking toward the east gates of Starhorn.


    "We can just use your scroll," Kyran said following Nn from behind.


    "Hell, no. Did you know how much I''ve paid for just to get these scrolls?" Nn scowled.


    "Technically, those scrolls are no longer the ones you bought," Kyran replied with a deadpan voice.


    "Don''t get sassy with me," Nn retorted and nced his way. "Do you think I didn''t notice how you end up looking like a living dead after making these scrolls? It doesn''t matter whether you say it or not, or if you can''t tell the reason because it''s a Regis family secret or something. But I don''t want Cade to bite my head off if he found out I''ve taken advantage of his son."


    An idea suddenly crossed Kyran''s mind as he replied, "Father won''t do that. At most, he''ll just give you the deathly stare. Mother would, though. You know, bite your head off."


    "I said don''t get sassy with me."


    "I''m just telling the truth."


    "Shut up."


    "Why are you always evasive when ites to my mother?"


    "I''m not, and we''re not having this conversation."


    "But she''s your sister."


    "Doesn''t matter¡ª."


    Nn stopped in his tracks.


    Kyran also stopped with an indifferent expression while staring at Nn''s back.


    Nn slowly turned and red fiercely at him.


    A small smile tugged at the corners of Kyran''s lips as he continued walking while ignoring his re.


    He said, "Let''s go or we''ll miss our ride," as he walked past him.


    "Why you little..." Nn growled under his breath but followed him nheless.


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable as they approached the east gates. He was not really surprised by Nn''s answer.


    To be honest, what he did just now was a spur-of-the-moment thing. The idea came to him after seeing Nn''s bounty poster. And since Kyran was presented with the opportunity to confirm some of his suspicions regarding Nn''s real rtionship with his parents, he just spouted things at a whim.


    Kyran''s suspicion first sprang when te told him that although Nn was not his godfather, he was still closely rted to him.


    After thinking about it for a while and recalling how Nn had physical simrities with his predecessor, such as the color of his hair and the shape of his eyes. Kyran guessed that Nn was an Ada, the descendant family of the Ashtons which his predecessor was part of.


    The only reason why Kyran did not think Nn was rted to the Adas before was his eye color was different, unlike Kyran''s mother who had the same shade of hair and eye color as his predecessor. But then, something seemed off with Kyran. It was the fact that Nn was not his godfather even when he was his father''s sworn brother. At first, he thought, maybe they did not bother with it since they were already rted in a way. But Kyran suddenly recalled how Nn mostly talked about his father and rarely his mother as if he was avoiding anything about her. That got Kyran thinking. Then a few days ago, when Nn admitted he was Gray, and then Kyran saw his bounty poster from Ste''s message.<sub> </sub>


    In the poster, Nn looked younger and his hair longer. And though it was ck and white, Kyran realized how much Nn and his mother''s appearance had simrities. It made Kyran think whether Nn''s eye color was even real. Maybe, just like how he changed Nar''s eye color, Nn could do too. If that was the case, then Nn not being his godfather was more possible.


    Nn was already ''closely rted to him,'' there was no need to be his godfather as well.


    "You don''t look that surprised," Nn suddenly spoke beside him. "Did te tell you?"


    "No," Kyran replied.


    "You''re not asking questions."


    "I don''t have to. You''ll tell me if you really want to. If not, there''s nothing I can do about it."


    Nn snorted in reply.


    Their walk going to the east gates was done in silence.


    Kyran was unsure if what he did was right, now that it came to this. He was not used to Nn''s silence. But if he pretended not to know anything, it would only keep on nagging at his conscience.


    After almost half an hour, the two arrived at a store with a caravan in front.


    A burly middle-aged man, with curly gray hair and a simrly gray beard wearing an all ck overalls was busy loading some heavy-looking craters at the back.


    "Gustaff!" Nn called as he approached the man.


    ? The man, named Gustaff stopped what he was doing as he turned and look at Nn. His dark eyes lit up as his face broke into a grin.


    "Oi, Nol, here you are! Carmen said you''reing but its already getting dark," Gustaff said as he walked over to Nn and the two bumped fist in greeting. "I thought maybe Carmen heard wrong and that you''re dropping by tomorrow instead."


    "Nah," Nn replied as he looked at the rest of the craters in front of the store that had not been loaded into the caravan yet. "I just had to drop by somewhere beforeing here. It''s not like I''mte anyway."


    He looked at Gustaff and said with a meaningful look, "You''ll be heading there, right?"


    Gustaff''s eyes constricted only for a second, before heughed heartily and said, "Why? Are you nning to bully people again?"


    Nn gave him an incredulous look and said, "Do I look that bored to you?"


    Gustaff bellowed inughter.


    Kyran who heard their exchange from behind had been observing Gustaff right from the start. The words the two had exchanged were nothing special, but what Gustaff said about Nn nning to bully people ''again,'' piqued Kyran''s interest.


    The ''ce'' Nn said Kyran would be training was still aplete mystery to him. All he knew was his parents, with Nn and te, including the ''fifth'' person who possessed the same jade rings, went to that ''ce'' in their youth for training. Apparently, it was their master, whom Nn called the old geezer who made them go to that ''ce'' to train.


    Kyran remembered te saying that the jade rings they had represented that they had conquered that ''ce.''


    ''Just what is that ce?'' He wondered.


    "Anyway, I''m not the one going in," Nn said before pointing his thumb at his back toward Kyran. "He is."


    Gustaff followed where Nn was pointing. It was only then that he realized Kyran standing there.


    "Whoa, I did not notice you there kid."


    Kyran replied with a nod. At first, Gustaff appeared a little intimidating with his burly body. But the more Kyran looked at Gustaff, the more he realized how much he reminded him of his uncle Jared.


    Turning his attention back at Nn, Gustaff asked, "Is he yours?"


    Nn and Kyran''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    "F*ck, no!"


    Yep. Gustaff really sounded like Kyran''s uncle Jared.


    Gustaff bellowed inughter after seeing Nn''s expression.


    "That''s too bad then, if Carmen is here, she''d nag you about it."


    "F*ck, can we stop now, and just go?" Nn scowled.

 Chapter 207 Tower Of Tribulation (2)

    Gustaff bellowed inughter from Nn''s reaction.


    Kyran, on the other hand, felt cold sweat running down his back. He looked at Gustaff in amazement, both on how he was not fazed at Nn looking at him with daggers in his eyes and the fact Gustaff even considered he and Nn were¡ª err rted in that way. After all, Kyran in Nar''s face had nothing inmon with Nn. This burly guy had guts.


    Gustaff looked at the young man behind Nn. Earlier, he did fail to notice him because he was practically hidden from his view with Nn''s body frame. Now that he had a better view of him, he felt a little bad for this kid if Nn nned to train him in that ''ce.''


    "How old are you?" Gustaff asked.


    Kyran replied at once, "Eighteen."


    Gustaff raised his brows and whistled, "You look older."


    "That''s because he''s in disguise," Nn told him.


    Kyran immediately frowned and red at Nn, "Oi."


    What was the point of him being in disguise if Nn told other people about it?


    "He''s safe," Nn replied with a shrug.


    "That''s not the point."


    "You''re not using transformation magic," Gustaff noticed. Like most mages orbat mages in Ylfaen Empire, he possessed Earth Magic. With earth magic as the base of transformation magic, he would detect a hint of it around the young man. However, he did not feel that.


    "He''s wearing a mask," Nn exined.


    "Oi!"


    "Whoa! You''re handiwork?" Gustaff looked at Nn.


    "Nope, his."


    "Whoa! He''s an Array Specialist? No wonder you wanted him to go there."


    cklines appeared on top of Kyran''s head as he watched the two converse as if he was not there. Should not they be worried that people around might hear them? Even if Gustaff was ''safe,'' as Nn said, was it really necessary for him to expose his secret? They did not even bother lowering their voices. Gustaff''s voice was actually a bit loud, in Kyran''s opinion.


    Wait.


    Now that Kyran was on the subject of people might hear their conversation, he noticed there were no people around. A few minutes ago, there were people everywhere, but suddenly there were none.


    Just what was happening here?


    Before Kyran could ask, Nn replied to Gustaff.


    "Yes. Now, let''s stop this idle chat and get going," Nn did not bother concealing his annoyance. "It''s gettingte."


    Gustaffughed heartily and nodded, "Right. Right, it will be troublesome if we leave anyter. Get in, let me just finish getting these¡ª."


    Even before Gustaff said, ''get in,'' Nn already raised his hand as ck particles seeped out from his cloak. The particles gathered under the crates, and soon, all of them were lifted off the ground and flew inside the caravan.


    "Whoa!" Gustaff eximed in appreciation, "Your magic really is handy. I wish I could also do that. Unfortunately, if I try to use my magic to lift these crates, they would end up in pieces."


    "No need to feel frustrated. I know I''m awesome, it''s not your fault."


    Kyran''s expression turned nk as he looked at Nn. If te were here, there would already be a huge spoon flying to his head to shut him up.


    "s, heaven really is unfair. Some people just ended up having everything. Prestige, powerful magic, a beautiful twi¡ª."


    ck particles instantly converged around Gustaff''s mouth. However, he appeared unaffected as he continued to bber on with a muffled voice.


    Kyran raised his brows and looked at Nn, "A beautiful what?"


    "No questions. Get inside," Nn scowled and ushered Kyran in the caravan.


    Dealing with Gustaff was a pain for Nn. The only reason he answered all his questions was because of his weird innate ability, which was if a person he asked failed to answer his question within five seconds, that person would end up getting cursed for a day. Nn had no idea how Gustaff ended up with such a weird ability, but it did have its perk. Once his ability was in effect, any person within a twenty-meter range he did not acknowledge would end up in an illusion and would stay away from him. Because of this reason, people had suddenly ''disappeared'' around them. Technically, they did not disappear, but they left.


    Gustaff''s ability was also good when traveling simply because the illusion also affected beasts. However, it would only work on small and medium-sized beasts. That was why they had to leave now. Who knew what size of beasts they would encounter if they ended up traveling in the wee hours of the night?


    As for the downside of Gustaff''s ability, he had no control over it. In short, his ability was passive.


    Of course, if Nn knew Kyran''s weird circumstance, where all beasts kept their distance from him, he would probably not bother asking Gustaff to give them a ride.


    In actual truth, Nn was not after Gustaff''s weird ability but because he had a terrible sense of direction.


    As soon as the three of them entered the caravan, they went on their way.


    Inside the caravan, Kyran could not help but look at its forefront. He did not remember seeing any horses or any four-legged or two-legged animal pulling up ahead. How were they moving?


    "What''s your name, kid?"


    Gustaff''s sudden question snapped Kyran out of his thoughts. He turned to Gustaff, who was sitting across Nn. The ck material that covered his mouth earlier was already gone.


    Kyran replied, "Nar."


    "That''s not your real name, huh?"


    Kyran''s brow furrowed, and he did not answer.


    [Answer him. If not, you''ll end up getting cursed.]


    Nn''s warning sounded in Kyran''s head.


    "Curse?"


    Gustaff bellowed inughter as he looked at Nn, "You''re talking to him telepathically, huh?"


    "Yes," Nn replied while looking sternly at Kyran. "Just answer him."


    Kyran frowned, but he looked at Gustaff and nodded, "Yes. That''s not my real name."


    Gustaff nodded his head in acknowledgment, then he asked, "Why?"


    "Don''t get sassy. Answer him," Nn openly warned Kyran.


    Kyran could not help but heave a deep breath as he looked at Nn in annoyance.


    "Can you exin?"


    Nn''s expression turned sour as he "Tsk." To him, the most annoying thing was not the old geezer''s nagging but being in the presence of two people who loved to ask questions.<sub> </sub>


    "HAHAHA! You can ask me instead," Gustaff told Kyran.


    Kyran looked at him apprehensively.


    "Kid, I''m telling you. Answer him fast," Nn warned him once more.


    "People are after me, so I can''t use my name," Kyran told Gustaff. "Can you exin then why we are suddenly having a question and answer here?"


    Honestly, Kyran did not mind getting asked a question. But because of the sensitivity of the questions getting asked, he could not answer. Besides, he did not even know this guy.


    Gustaff smiled at him. It was not his first time meeting people having trouble with his ability. It was unfortunate that even if he did not openly ask a question, as long as he thought of one and it was directed at someone if they did not answer at a given time, they would still end up getting cursed. Because of it, he had gotten used to people calling him a walking jinx. He also made it a habit to tell people about his ability openly. It would be bad if he ended up unintentionally cursing others because he failed to warn them.


    "It is because of my innate ability. If I asked you a question, you need to answer. If not you''ll end up getting cursed," Gustaff exined to Kyran.


    "Then don''t ask."


    Gustaff chuckled as he said, "Doesn''t work that way. Whether I ask the question in my head out loud or not, that person will end up getting cursed if they don''t answer in time."


    "Then doesn''t that mean you can curse others simply by having a question in mind?"


    Nn snorted after hearing Kyran''s question. He already knew Kyran had a knack for thinking up possible deadly attacks that any magic could perform. But Nn was still amazed at how Kyran''s expression could look innocent while he spoke of such things.


    "Good question," Gustaff replied and nodded his head. "Yes, but I only have questions to people I acknowledge. I''m good at it. Ignoring others. Ahahahaha!"


    Kyran recalled how Gustaff did not notice him earlier and fell silent. He found Gustaff''s ability to be annoying. It made him wonder how Nn met this guy.


    "You look like you have a question," Gustaff leaned back and crossed his arms while studying Kyran''s expression. "Why don''t you ask?"


    Nn groaned and red at Gustaff. He said, "Can you not ask him to ask you a question?"


    Gustaff looked at him with wide innocent eyes and replied, "Oh, but if I stop asking questions, how are we going to avoid those beasts?"


    Kyran looked at him in confusion, and he asked, "What do you mean about that?"


    "That''s not the question you want to ask earlier," Gustaff turned his attention back at him. "If you don''t answer soon..."


    "I''m only wondering how the two of you met," Kyran replied. Then immediately changed the subject, "So what did you mean? About avoiding beasts?"


    "It is an aftereffect of my ability. Once triggered, anything within twenty meters will be put into an illusion. Thus, avoiding getting close to me. You can say, it is also a counter of some sort to my ability. With this aftereffect, I will not end up asking more people questions! Ahahaha!" Gustaff answered.


    ''No wonder people seemed to have disappeared back there,'' Kyran thought in realization.


    But then he suddenly felt an iing headache as he looked at Nn. He contemted whether Nn asked Gustaff to take them along because he had a bad sense of direction or did not want their journey to be dyed if they encountered forest beasts. If it was the former, then it was understandable, but if it was thetter...


    Should he tell Nn about his weird effect on beasts?


    ''No, let''s not say anything now. I don''t want others to know about it,'' Kyran decided after hesitating for a second.


    However, Gustaff, who was still observing him, noticed his hesitation and asked, "You just hesitated. Why?"


    "For the love of¡ª!" Nn pursed his lips before he could let out a tirade of curses.


    Kyran, who was trying to get used to Gustaff''s weird ability, gritted his teeth and replied, "I''m just curious if Nn asked for your help because he can''t remember how to get to that ce."


    Nn turned to him and scowled, "Oi. I never said I can''t remember."


    Gustaffughed out loud.


    "Right, right. He always had a bad sense of direction! Hahahaha!"


    Feeling that this kind of conversation would continue for the duration of their journey, Nn heaved a sigh and leaned back. He would have to bear with it and leave everything with Kyran. Honestly, he was in a foul mood after Kyran''s ''trap'' earlier. Kyran might not ask follow-up questions; however, Gustaff almost let something slip. Nn knew it would only be a matter of time before he had toe clean about his rtionship with Cade and Rin. But he honestly did not want to talk about it because even now, he felt guilty at what he did.


    "Gustaff, wake me up once we''re close," Nn said to Gustaff before closing his eyes.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Nn in disbelief. Was he nning to let him deal with Gustaff all the way to their destination?


    "Oi, Nn¡ª."


    "Sure," Gustaff replied to Nn without taking his eyes off Kyran. "Tell me, Nar. Did Nn tell you anything about our destination?"


    Kyran looked back at him in sudden realization. Nn and te did not tell him anything about that ''ce'' for reasons unknown. But Gustaff might be different.


    "He didn''t!" Kyran answered at once. He nced sideways at Nn, waiting for him to stop their conversation. However, Nn did not budge. His attitude confused Kyran.


    Seeing Kyran looking at Nn apprehensively, Gustaff chuckled and said, "You can''t me him. He can''t freely say anything about that ce."


    "How about you?" Kyran asked him.


    Gustaff raised his brows, "Me?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yeah."


    "I can tell you a few things. What do you want to know?" Gustaff replied with a smile.


    With a slight frown, Kyran pondered at Gustaff''s words. The way he phrased his answer, it appeared, he was allowed to say a few things but not much. If that was the case, then the best way to deal with it was to let Gustaff choose.


    "What can you tell me?" Kyran asked after a short pause.


    Immediately, Gustaff''s brow furrowed. "Hm?"


    Before Kyran could ask what was wrong, Gustaff said, "This is weird. Your answer was another question, but it seems my ability has epted it. This is a first."


    Kyran gave him a nk expression.


    ''Please, don''t make an expression where others might misinterpret!'' He berated Gustaff in his head.


    "Anyway, to answer your question," Gustaff paused for a moment before continuing, "That ce is neither a ''real ce'' nor a ruin. Its origin was unknown, and even the person who constructed it was a mystery. However, many great things can happen to anyone who ventured inside. If they are lucky, they will receive many benefits and rewards. If you''re unlucky, well... you can still receive benefits albeit it is a far cry to those who are lucky. But, luck is only part of which one can receive the best that ce can give. What one needed the most is one''s resolve. Because if your resolve is weak, you can never reach a higher floor."


    "Higher floor?" Kyran asked. Although, he was beginning to have some idea of what that ce was about.


    Gustaff nodded his head and rolled up his sleeves.


    "I managed to reach a higher floor, but in the end, failed, and so, I am left with this."


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he gaped at Gustaff''s arm.

 Chapter 208 Tower Of Tribulation (3)

    At first nce, one would think Gustaff was only wearing a ck long-sleeved shirt. But if one had a closer look, his arm was actually charcoal ck. To be exact, his arm looked as if it was burned into a crisp, making it look like charcoal.


    Kyran''s scalp had gone numb just imagining what might have happened to him that his arm ended up like that. However, what dreaded him the more, was although Gustaff''s arm had been charred ck, he could still use it.


    "This happened because Icked resolve," Gustaff continued as he looked at his arm with a pained expression. Except, his pain seemed more because he failed because of his shorings, not from what became of his arm.


    He looked at Kyran with a faint smile, "Though I failed, my arm only lost the sense of touch. It still let me keep my arm and let me leave that ce."


    ''It?'' Kyran wondered while keeping an indifferent expression.


    He might wonder why Gustaff talked of that ce as if it was alive, but he did not want him to ask more questions. Kyran preferred asking questions instead of answering. Eventually, he would have answers to his doubts. He would be entering there after all.


    "Another thing I can tell you, is the difference of time in that ce. You may end up staying inside for three years, but outside, only a day may have passed."


    ''Time magic?''


    Kyran kept a calm expression. However, his heart had started to pound at the idea. He suddenly recalled his conversation with Ste back in her study about Ancient Magic. When she said without the four Ancient Magic, the world would not function. Kyran voiced his doubt since, at that time, he thought no one possessed Draconic magic. But Ste answered that even if no one else possessed Draconic magic, it did not mean that it was gone. Her words implied that Ancient magic was still present as long as others had the requirements to tap into them. Then Kyran recalled his conversation with Nn on magic arrays. If a person knew the runic writings of specific magic, he could call upon it. Kyran then remembered what he knew about Array Creation. Array Specialists were rare because it was hard to study and understand forms written in different runic writings. On top of that, they had to learn all types of physical materials that could draw on specific magic.


    If this was the case, the creator of that ''ce might be someone who knew the runic writings of Time magic and was able to create an array to incorporate it.


    The more Kyran thought of this, the more he was convinced that it might be true. Wasn''t there a huge array within Ste''s study that could amplify her Time magic?


    The idea further ignited Kyran''s excitement. The creator of that ce must be someone who knew Ste''s predecessor to write Time runes. And most likely, the ce was built when Ancient magic had not been categorized as forbidden-type yet.


    Another thought crossed Kyran''s mind, and he frowned slightly. Why was that ce essible by others? Wouldn''t the Royal Family have that ce barricaded because it might possess information about Time magic?


    Because Kyran was engrossed in his thoughts, he forgot to keep his emotion in check.


    The moment Gustaff saw Kyran''s frown, he immediately asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Upon hearing Gustaff''s question, Kyran mentally kicked himself, but then he thought the question was not personal, so it was okay.


    "I was just wondering, why the Royal Family left that ce open. If what you said is true, that ce has secrets," Kyran replied.


    Nn, who Kyran thought had fallen asleep beside him, suddenly snorted. But he did not say anything.


    Gustaff, on the other hand, was the one whoughed out loud. Then he said, "Even if the Royal Family know about that ce, they can never im ownership. As to why? The answer is simple. That ce is not in Ylfaen. Nor can it be entered by just anyone."


    "What? Not in Ylfaen?" Kyran asked incredulously. He had never been outside the empire. More importantly, he never knew they could go outside the empire.


    The whole Ylfaen Empire had been closed off to the outside ever since the surrounding nations started expanding their territories. Hundreds of years ago, the Ylfaen Emperor of that time decided to stop expanding the territory because the war waged with other nations had been wearing off the empire''s resources. The emperor arranged for the Royal Army to barricade the empire''s borders and appointed officers to guard over them. These officers held the highest position in the Royal Army. Not long after, the emperor decided to focus on politics to reform the whole empire. He appointed a Grand Marshal to oversee the Royal Army and Deputy Marshals guard the three corners of the empire. Since then, citizens of the empire had not been able to leave. No one dared to. Because of the cruelty of the previous emperors, most nations did not wee any Ylfaen citizens.


    Because of this, that the ''ce'' not being in Ylfaen never crossed Kyran''s mind.


    "Nope."


    "How are we going to leave the borders then?"


    Gustaff bellowed inughter once again, "Ahahaha, Nn. You might not be allowed to say some things about that ce, but you can at least tell him this much. Do you want to embarrass himself with those people there?"


    Kyran reddened at Gustaff''s reply. He looked at Nn, who again pretended to be asleep and did not react.


    ''Damn this uncle. Is he really rted to my mother? Howe he enjoyed messing with me?'' He thought, ring at Nn.


    Images of all his uncle from his father''s side shed through his mind. Immediately his expression turned sour. They also loved messing with him, especially inbat training. He always ended up mopping the floor with his face. It only stopped when he went to military school. After that, when he returned from military school, it had always been his father and grandfather who had been using his face to mop the Regis''s training ground floor.


    "That ce is not in Ylfaen, neither can it be found outside," Gustaff continued. His eyes shone in mystery as he looked at Kyran.


    When Kyran heard Gustaff''s words, he suddenly remembered the Regis Terram. That ce was not considered in the human ne even though it was inside the Regis''s Ancestral Lands. Could that ''ce'' be simr to the Regis Terram? The mysteriousness of that ce was too much for Kyran''s mind to process in a short time.


    "It is in a ce where those who seek strength can go to, and yet it was nowhere to be found," Gustaff added, his words full of profundity.


    "You don''t have to think too much about it," Nn suddenly spoke as he straightened and opened his eyes. He looked at Kyran and added, "Just know the Royal Family doesn''t know that ce. Even if they know, they can''t go in."


    "Gustaff also mentioned they can''t im ownership on that ce, what does it mean?" Kyran asked.


    Nn snorted and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep again.


    Kyran scowled at him.


    Gustaff, seeing the exchange between the two, bellowed inughter. He said, "He''s right. As I said, that ce cannot be entered by just anyone."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran turned his attention to Gustaff. He did not ask anything and waited for him to continue.


    "Those who managed to go to that ce are ''chosen'' by it. And those chosen who managed to enter and go up a higher floor and yet failed can return to try again if they want to."


    "Then what about me?" Kyran asked.


    "What about you?" Gustaff repeated with raised brows. "Nn''s with you. And he conquered that ce with the great master Cade. Because of that, you can enter as someone rmended by Nn."


    When Kyran heard his father''s name, his heart made an involuntary jump. He already knew his parents had entered the ce with Nn and te and conquered it. But hearing others mention it made him feel proud, and at the same time, pressured. Good thing Gustaff did not know that he was the son of that great master.


    "So anyone who conquered that ce can rmend someone else," Kyran said more to rify than to question.


    Gustaff nodded, "Yes. That''s why I thought you''re Nn''s son¡ª."


    "Ah, f*ck. Seriously?"


    "¡ªdon''t you think something as precious as a rmendation to that ce is such a waste to just give to anyone else?" Gustaff continued ignoring Nn''s sudden outburst.


    Nn red at Gustaff, "He can be my disciple, why the f*ck did you even consider he is my son. We don''t even look the same. Besides, I''m a busy man, do you think I have time to sleep around and have a bastard son?"


    Kyran could not help but clear his throat at Nn''s vulgarity. For some reason, the way Nn said those words implied he had no time to do that, which might also mean he was inexperienced. Besides that, what was he even saying about being a busy man? To Kyran, Nn was as free as a man could get.


    Gustaffughed heartily, not minding Nn''s rude tone, and said, "You don''t strike me as someone who''ll take a disciple. Sleeping around on the other hand¡ª."


    Kyran cleared his throat loudly and said, "Can we go back to the topic?"


    Gustaff grinned at him, "Right, we''ve got a kid here. Can''t let him hear stuff like these."


    His words somehow annoyed Kyran. He did not interrupt them because the topic unsettled him, alright. He only wanted to return to the main topic.


    Nn scowled at Gustaff before ring at Kyran. Today proved to have made his mood go from good to foul and now worse. It was as if someone was conspiring against him.


    "Can you tell me about your experience in that ce?" Kyran asked Gustaff. He decided not to ask any more questions that would encourage conversation and just let Gustaff talk.


    "My experience in that ce?" Gustaff repeated with a thoughtful expression. "Hm. I guess I can share a little. But, you have to know, my experience inside will not be of help. Because everyone experience different things inside."


    "That''s okay. I just want to hear some," Kyran insisted.


    "Alright," Gustaff replied with a smile.


    For the next couple of hours, Gustaff talked about his experience.


    Kyran was amazed that this burly man could talk non-stop and with zeal far longer than Nn.


    Once again, Kyran was given another example: there would always be other people better than you.


    In this case, Gustaff was a far better chatterbox than Nn.


    Finally, after almost three hours of travel, Gustaff stopped talking as he looked at the caravan''s forefront.


    "Will you look at that? Time flies when you are in thepany of good people. We have arrived," Gustaff told them.


    Kyran immediately looked out the window. However, he did not see anything but the darkness of the forest.


    "We have? But¡ª."


    THUD. THUD. THUD.


    The whole caravan suddenly jerked, and Kyran had a feeling of being lifted off the ground.


    ''What¡ª'' Kyran gripped the side of his seat as he looked at Gustaff.


    "What''s happening¡ª?"


    His words were cut off midsentence when a sense of falling reced the feeling of being lifted. He looked out the window again and almost cursed out loud after seeing that the forest around them had disappeared. Instead, they were now suspended in midair¡ªno, not suspended, because they were now free-falling into who knew where.


    Gustaff, who saw Kyran''s shocked expression, bellowed inughter as he said, "Wee Nar, to the entrance of the Tower of Tribtion."

 Chapter 209 Tower Of Tribulation (4)

    Kyran watched with wide eyes as the crates inside the caravan got lifted off the floor from theck of gravitational pull. As a matter of fact, he, too, got lifted from his seat as they fell.


    He was about to scold Gustaff and Nn for not telling him about this part of the journey when the caravan shook. Afterwards, the crates inside fell back into their ces. Luckily, the crates did not crash onto each other.


    Kyran also slumped back on his seat. The abrupt movement hurt his bottom, and he winced from the pain.


    "Why didn''t any of you warn me about that?" He asked through gritted teeth.


    Gustaff and Nn, who seemed to have awoken, answered simultaneously.


    "Because it is fun to see the reactions of neers."


    "Tell you and spoil my fun? No f*cking way."


    The two exchanged nces and grinned at each other.


    Kyran red at them.


    The caravan started to move, and Kyran noticed that the caravan was moving smoothly, unlike the previous bumpy ride in the forest.


    Nn tilted his head over the windows and said, "Go look outside."


    Kyran did not need telling twice. After noticing the different movements of the caravan, he had already looked out the window.


    What he saw stunned him.


    Outside, they were no longer in the forest but drifting along a body of water. The air was filled with fog, and Kyran could barely see at a distance because of the darkness. However, amid the darkness, a few hundred kilometers ahead, there was a huge building where its top was hidden behind the darkened clouds that lit up the whole ce. At first nce, the building appeared filled with lights that almost blinded the area around it. But upon closer inspection, those were not round lights, they actually came from above the dark clouds, and they snaked down the outer part of the building.


    The more Kyran observed the lights, the more he realized that those were not lights but bolts of lightning. However, it did not make a sound, so he failed to recognize it.


    These silent bolts of lightning circled the building in a timely and orderly manner. It amazed Kyran. As far as he knew, bolts of lightning were unpredictable. They moved freely and would strike down anywhere it was attracted.


    Activating the Regis Body Tempering Technique, Kyran squinted his eyes to observe these bolts of lightning further. But instead of focusing on it, he caught sight of some movements at the bottom of the building.


    The building itself stood in the middle of the body of water. It was not the sea but something else because the air around them did not carry any scent of saltwater. The air was damp and felt a little warm. Below the building, there was and area filled with different sized boulders surrounding it. At the moment, there were simr looking caravans parked at the edge.


    "That is the Tower of Tribtion."


    Nn''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie. He turned to look at him, and the first thing he said was, "There are caravans there."


    "Pfft!" Gustaff tried to contain hisughter as he looked at Kyran in amazement, "That''s the first thing you notice?"


    "No, but..." Kyran suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He was not supposed to yell out his thoughts, but he was startled to see caravans drifting along the edge of the building.


    Gustaff smiled and spread his arms, "Well, this ce is hard to get in after all. Us small-time merchants have to take advantage and sell our stuff."


    "You mean those caravans are also merchants?"


    "Yes. Just like me, those merchants managed to enter the tower but failed. Since we are allowed to return, instead of risking our lives trying to seed on the current floor, we prefer to sell and make money."


    Somehow, Kyran got disillusioned after hearing Gustaff''s exnation.


    The image of the Tower of Tribtion in Kyran''s mind, which was filled with danger and mystery, had been reced by stalls and burly men selling all sorts of stuff.


    "This caravan has been given by the Tower," Nn suddenly spoke beside him.


    Kyran looked at him.


    "Gustaff did fail but he was still given a chance to choose his constion rewards. This caravan is one of the rewards he had chosen," Nn exined while also looking at the Tower of Tribtion.


    Kyran raised his brows at him, "Are you allowed to say that?"


    "I can''t say much outside. But we''re within the Tower, so it''s safe." Nn replied with a shrug.


    "What kind of restriction is that? Others can speak outside but you can''t?"


    Nn gave him a nk expression and said, "Are you the one with the cursed ability? Why are you the one asking questions here?"


    Suddenly, his nk expression turned into panic as he realized something.


    "F*ck! Oi, Gustaff asked some questions!" Nn said while turning to Gustaff. "If not those water demons might appear and attack us!"


    "Water demons?" Kyran asked.


    "Well, that''s the thing," Gustaff replied while scratching his head. "The truth, my ability has been inactive for a while. But I don''t sense any water demons around."


    Nn also frowned. He spread his magic sense, and sure enough, he did not sense any living creature around them. Not even those small-sized water beasts.


    "That''s strange."


    "Indeed."


    Kyran, on the other hand, could not help but clear his throat. With this kind of setting, it was not a surprise to have beasts lurking in the darkness, especially in the body of water. Kyran knew that, but he also thought Gustaff''s ability was in effect and did not think much about it. Besides, he did not believe his weird circumstances would work on ''sea creatures.''


    Sensing the awkwardness of Kyran''s reaction, Nn turned his attention to him. However, he did not ask openly and chose tomunicate telepathically.


    [Is this your doing?]


    Kyran was unsure how to reply. So he shrugged in a not so obvious way.<sub> </sub>


    "Maybe those guys ahead scare them away, ahahaha!" Gustaff suggested with a lightheartedugh.


    Fortunately, he did not see the subtle exchange between Nn and Kyran, or else, he might have started another round of questioning.


    After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the edge of thend around the Tower of Tribtion. They were a distance away earlier, so Kyran thought thend around the tower was small. But it was spacious, and the edge near the body of water was at least a hundred kilometers away from the tower.


    "I won''t see you off," Gustaff told Nn and Kyran as they disembarked the caravan.


    "No, but we''ll probably ask for a ride back after he''s done," Nn told him.


    "No problem."


    Kyran nodded at Gustaff as thanks before he and Nn went on their way to the tower.


    The people manning the caravans nearby made furtive looks at Nn and Kyran when they left Gustaff''s caravan.


    They were familiar with Gustaff; however, these two were new faces.


    Of course, none of them recognized Nn. As for Gustaff, he had known Nn personally since they were young, which was why he recognized him. It was also why Nn told Kyran he was ''safe.'' Gustaff was aware Nn was ''Gray,'' but the big guy cared nothing about it.


    Having evil thoughts, were a big no within the Tower of Tribtion. It was one of the reasons they were sure the Royal Family would never be able to get in.


    As for the people making furtive looks at them, they were allowed to enter the premise of the Tower of Tribtion, meaning they might be curious about Nn and Kyran. Still, they did not harbour any malicious intent. For them, selling their goods was all that mattered.


    Kyran looked at the tower before them and was again struck with amazement. He wondered how these bolts of lightning managed to move about the tower''s facade in an orderly manner. Not to mention not making any sound.


    "We''re almost within the line," Nn said, stopping in his tracks.


    Kyran followed suit and looked at him questioningly, "What line?"


    Because as far as he could see, there was no such line around the tower.


    "The line is invisible to new bloods. But once you cross that line, the tower will record everything about you," Nn exined while looking at Kyran meaningfully. "Remove your mask and give me your space storage. You can''t take them inside the tower."


    Kyran immediately frowned. Before he couldin, Nn continued to exin, "The Tower of Tribtion is a testing sh training grounds. You can''t bring in cheat items."


    "What cheat items?" Kyran retorted in annoyance. He did not even have any magic weapon, nor a magic item. The only thing worth mentioning from his items was his two obsidian swords.


    "Besides I only wear the mask to hide my identity."


    Although heined, Kyran still took off his pouch and mask and handed them over to Nn.


    "You don''t have to worry about your identity. You won''t be meeting anyone inside," Nn assured him. Then he looked at Kyran''s pouch and asked, "Are your parent''s jade rings inside?"


    "Yes," Kyran replied, feeling a little perplexed by his question.


    "Okay, cheat items secured. I can''t go in because I''m in disguise. If I step on the line, my disguise will automatically be removed."


    "Alright. I''m going," Kyran replied and turned.


    After taking a few steps, Nn suddenly called, "Oh right, I forgot. Cover your ears!"


    However, Nn''s advice came toote as Kyran stepped inside the line.


    He did manage to stop and asked, "Cover my ears¡ª?" before a deafening roar of lightning filled the air.


    CRACK! BOOM!


    "Argh!" Kyran winced in pain as he covered his ears and crouched down.


    A series of lightning shed around him, and soon another round of deafening lightning roar filled the air.


    "Nn, you asshole!" Kyran yelled and turned to re at him.


    However, he soon found that the scene behind him had changed.


    There was no Nn. No patch ofnd with different sized boulders. No caravans.


    There was only darkness.


    "Where¡ª?"


    CRACK! BOOM!


    Kyran flinched involuntarily at the lightning roar. He used the Regis Defensive Technique to protect his ears before standing up. Then he reached out the space in front, where he had just been and found an invisible barrier.


    It seemed Nn also forgot to tell that entering the line also meant getting ''trapped.''


    Reigning his annoyance at Nn''sck of warning, Kyran took a deep breath.


    His parents probably entered the Tower of Tribtion without knowing anything. So he could notin all the time. As a matter of fact, he was already in an advantageous positionpared to them. Because at least Gustaff told him some of his experience.


    At least, Kyran believed his parents had no idea what to expect.


    ''Training has already started,'' Kyran told himself as he turned and looked at the Tower of Tribtion.


    "Let''s do this," he muttered under his breath and finally made his way to the tower.

 Chapter 210 Entering The Tower

    The roars of lightning continued to fill the air as Kyran made his way to the Tower of Tribtions.


    Kyran was only thirty meters away from the tower a few minutester. At this time, he realized the entrance to the tower was not in the direction he hade from.


    Kyran walked around the tower''s vicinity to look for the entrance with a slight frown. All this time, he had been protecting his ears from the roars of the lightning circling the tower''s facade. If not, his brain would have turned into a mash, and he had not even started the actual training. That would have been a sad ending to his life.


    As Kyran looked for the entrance, it dawned on him how big the tower''s floor area was. Aside from this, he realized that there were no windows in the tower. It was like the tower was just a big block of a white cylindrical object. He was not even sure what material the tower''s facade was made of to be able to withstand those bolts of lightning relentlessly circling about.


    After walking around the tower for nearly an hour, Kyran finally sensed a foreboding. And as he walked further, the foreboding he sense was confirmed.


    ''What the...?'' Kyran thought in disbelief as he stopped in his tracks.


    He looked up ahead and saw the exact ce he came from, yet there were no signs of the entrance to the tower.


    ''Where''s the entrance?'' Kyran wondered as Nn''s face shed through his mind.


    ''He didn''t tell me anything about this!'' He thought through gritted teeth.


    All the annoyance and frustrations he felt for Nn earlier threatened to consume what little patience he had left. In the end, he just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even if he let his pent-up emotions without the person who made him feel that way, he would not be satisfied. For now, he just made a mental note to get even with Nn once he returned. First, he had to find the entrance to the tower. He had a feeling that if he didn''t find it soon, he would face some severe consequences.


    Kyran returned to where he came from and walked straight to the tower. With the random thickness of lightning bolts around the facade, he had to stay at least five meters away.


    For the next few minutes, he observed the tower''s facade. He had no idea what kind of material it was made from.


    "Do I have to force my way in?" Kyran wondered out loud.


    He pondered for a moment, and in just a couple of minutes, he roused his magic and started. Purple rings slowly formed in his hand.


    CRACK!


    A bolt of lightning suddenly swerved out of its usual path around the tower''s facade and went straight for Kyran.


    Instinctively, Kyran released the Void Scales to protect himself from the bolt of lightning. However, as soon as the Void Scales appeared, more lightning bolts swerved from the tower''s facade to strike him.


    Gritting his teeth, Kyran activated the Regis Blessing and released the Void Scales. He jumped back just in time for the first bolt of lightning to strike the spot where he stood a second ago. As for the rest of the bolts of lightning, they slowly fizzled out and returned to the tower''s facade.


    Kyrannded on the ground, almost ten meters away from the tower. He btedly felt his back was drenched in a cold sweat from the unexpected onught. He did not stay his hand and take on the bolts of lightning with his Void Scales because he had an inkling these bolts of lightning could pass through them, and he would end up getting roasted alive.


    Still, with this short exchange, Kyran found that the bolts of lightning were not circling the tower''s facade as decorations. They would strike at anyone or anything that would manifest magic. At first, Kyran also thought that maybe magic was not allowed. But since he could use Draconic magic, that was no longer the case. The bolts of lightning''s animosity might only be triggered if one openly summoned their magic.


    ''But even if that is the case, I can''t use Draconic magic to force my way into the tower. I have a feeling these lightnings would not let me get close to it,'' Kyran thought as he crossed his across his chest and took a deep breath.


    He observed the tower for another couple of minutes before an idea crossed his mind.


    ''I can''t openly summon magic, but I can direct my magic to inspect the tower using magic sense,'' Kyran thought, his eyes shing in determination.


    This idea was not random. Kyran was inspired after remembering Nn''sment when Kyran mentioned listening to te''s lesson about magic sense.


    Nn said that Kyran learning magic sense was timely and would have great use of it. He did not think too much about Nn''s remark, at first, because learning magic sense was an essential ability a mage had to learn.


    Seeing the strangeness of his current situation, Kyran knew that his idea was correct.


    ''Let''s try it out,'' he thought and sat cross-legged on the ground. He closed his eyes and recalled te''s teachings. Slowly, he absorbed the surrounding energies and circted them inside his central core.


    As soon as the energies entered his body, Kyran found how dense the energies were. Somehow, he could also feel more varieties of energies entering his body. He could not exin how he knew of it. The feeling did note from his Void and Draconic cores. He just knew it.


    Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Kyran released his magic sense, letting it expand freely and move toward the tower.


    The moment Kyran''s magic sense approached the bolts of lightning, the hairs on his arms stood on ends. However, the bolts of lightning did nothing to stop his magic sense from reaching the tower''s facade.


    CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!


    Clicking sound appeared one after another as Kyran let his magic sense further delved into the tower.


    RUMBLE!


    Soon, the clicking sounds were followed by a rumble, and the whole ground shook.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran opened his eyes without withdrawing his magic sense.


    The scene in front of him immediately made him gape in surprise.


    White solid blocks of different sizes protruded out randomly all over the tower''s facade. Within the gap these solid blocks had left open, Kyran could see massive golden cogs and gears circting within. The lightning bolts also adjusted their path and converged around the white blocks.


    Soon more solid blocks protruded out of the tower as more cogs and gears started to click and move. Finally, the protruding blocks had reached the top of the tower and a loud rumbling sound followed at the base where Kyran was.


    Small blocks pushed down one after another from a ten-foot height toward the base and slowly revealed a five-meter opening.


    A mixture of ck and purple vortex swirled within the opening, preventing Kyran from seeing anything inside.


    Kyran slowly stood up while gazing at the scene before him. Right now, the white tower looked like a white and gold disfigured clock.


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he recalled his initial suspicion about this ce. That whoever created it might know about Time runes. Seeing the state of the tower, he felt that the creator might not only learn about it but probably wield it. There was also a chance that the creator might be more than one person.


    ''That''s not really important right now. I''ll think about that after I''m done,'' Kyran thought, reigning in his curiosity.


    With determination and resolve reflected in his dark gray eyes, Kyran approached the tower and entered the vortex.


    Meanwhile, Nn snorted outside the tower''s line when Kyran finally opened the tower''s entrance and entered.


    "Took him long enough," he remarked, crossing his arms across his chest with a smug look.


    Nn had not left after Kyran passed through the tower''s line. He stayed behind and continued to watch Kyran''s progress. Nn was amused when Kyran thought of attacking the tower. It was within his expectations though, after all, he did not tell him how to get in the tower.


    "Why? How long did it take for you guys to open the entrance?"


    The question came from Gustaff, who was now standing beside him.


    After meeting up with his people to set up their stall, Gustaff followed them, wanting to see Kyran''s progress as well.


    It was when Kyran summoned his Void Scales that Gustaff had arrived and was shocked by how decisive and fast Kyran dealt with avoiding the bolts of lightning. But his shock upon Kyran''s performance was not the end of it. After realizing how much Kyran''s appearance had changed, he was more shocked. More importantly, he had a huge resemnce to the great master Cade!


    Gustaff was a discreet person, so he did not openly ask Nn. It also did not fall into his ''ability'' because he never thought of asking Nn a question.


    Nn looked at Gustaff and smirked, "Less than half an hour."


    Gustaff raised his brows at him and replied, "I bet it was master Cade''s handiwork."


    "Tsk," Nn replied with a scowl. But he did deny it, which proved Gustaff''s spection.


    Nn looked back at the tower and said, "Well, the kid just recently learned magic sense so I bet it''s thest thing he thought of doing."


    Gustaff also looked back at the tower and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "That''s possible. When I am at a lost, I always thought of using my magic sense first."


    "Back then, I don''t. Cause using magic sense was troublesome for me."


    Gustaffughed as if he remembered something and agreed with a nod, "Right. I guess having such an awesome magic can also be troublesome."


    A huge transparent projection suddenly appeared outside the tower''s invisible line. The projection showed Kyran walking inside a spacious white clearing.


    "Wait, this...?" Gustaff frowned. It was the first time he had seen such a tower feature. Typically, no one would be able to ''watch'' what was happening inside.


    Nn, on the other hand, did not react. He was aware of this. The cause of this was because he ''rmended'' Kyran, and so he had the privilege to watch his progress. Of course, Gustaff being here was not part of the n, so Nn immediately summoned his magic and barricaded their surrounding to keep others from seeing.


    "I rmended him, so I am allowed to see his progress."


    "Wouldn''t that be a problem then? I mean, with the time difference."


    "Nope, as far as I know, the projection will only show his progress but not the content of his training," Nn replied.


    "I see."


    "Well, let''s see how far the kid can go," Nn added with a smile.

 Chapter 211 Void Path

    Kyran found himself transported in a white room, as soon as he entered the vortex. Actually, he was not sure if he was inside a room. The whiteness of the surroundings gave him the illusion that the room was spacious wherein it was hard to determine how far the walls were or high the ceiling was.


    As Kyran stood there, he suddenly had a feeling of being watched. It made him feel uneasy and instinctively wanted to hide. However, because of the absence of color in the room, Kyran''s all-ck attire stood out like a sore thumb. It would be hard for him to hide no matter where he go.


    ''I hate this feeling,'' Kyran thought while clenching his fist.


    Kyran did not move at once. Instead, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before assessing the situation.


    Normally, he would have first made a mental list of all items at his disposal before venturing deeper into a ce. However, Nn confiscated his pouch and even took his mask. In the first ce, there was nothing in his pouch that could be useful to him...


    No, wait.


    There were.


    Kyran''s face turned sour. Of all the things he had to forget, why did he have to forget those?


    Nn mentioned cheat items, so he automatically assumed it was a weapon or magic item that could help him breeze through any kind of training. However, he now realized, that the cheat items Nn meant were food and medicines. Since time inside the tower was different from the outside, without food, potions, and pills, how would Kyran survive?


    ''Stupid, idiot.'' Kyran scolded himself.


    Such a basic survival necessity and he forgot about it. What was he if not an idiot?


    With a sigh, Kyran resolved to use one of the Regis Technique to control his body''s stamina consumption. As for magic energy, he would have to be wise in using his magic. Worse case, he would just rely on his physicalbat skills and pray the enchantments on his clothes would be able to hold.


    ''Well, there is a chance I won''t have to fight. Gustaff''s experience inside the tower was mostly magicalbat, but he said each person will experience different things,'' Kyran thought. ''Nn did not say what he experienced but he mentioned my array knowledge would improve. Array creation does not involvebat... err... unless if I have to collect the items myself.''


    Remembering all the items he recently acquired from the nearby forest outside Starhorn, Kyran felt his heart ached. Now he realized how many cheat items his pouch did have.


    Kyran shook his head and adjusted his mindset. There was no point crying over spilt milk. Besides, from Gustaff''s experience, each time he seeded a floor, there were rewards to choose from. Healing items and weapons weremon rewards.


    With this in mind, Kyran activated the Regis Blessing, before finally taking a step forward. The first thing he noticed after activating the Regis Blessing, was how the feeling of being watched became more evident.


    However, he could not pinpoint the location where he was being watched. The only thing he was sure of, there were more than one person watching his every move.


    Steeling his nerves, Kyran continued to walk. Even if he was being watched, there was nothing he could do. Instead of stressing over matter he had no control of, he decided to focus on finding clues as to what he should do in this ce.


    He wondered if he had to do something to trigger an event just like what happened with the tower''s entrance. Whoever or whatever was managing the tower could not possibly create this ce just for him to wander around, right? He believed they or it were bound to make a move sooner orter.


    True enough, after walking for more than five minutes, the whole room shook as rumbling sounds echoed from beneath the floor.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks just in time to see glowing faint golden lines appearing on the floor a few feet in front. The line drew a circle with intricate rune writing slowly appearing outward.


    When the runes started to rotate, loud clicking sounds were heard beneath the floor.


    Soon, five, nine golden tablets slowly ascended in the middle of the circle. They had a depth of ten inches and a width of four feet, with a smooth surface.


    After the tablets reached their height which was seven feet, the runes rotating around the circle finally stopped. The faint golden lights also started to dim.


    Kyran watched all of this happen in silence. For some reason, he was not surprised nor was he feeling apprehensive when the tablets appeared. He even felt that it was about time these tablets showed themselves.


    As soon as the faint golden lights had dimmedpletely, ovepping voices of a man and a woman, young and old, filled the air.


    "Wee to the Tower of Tribtion. Every participant who enters the tower seeks to improve one''s self. The path to which they will tread depends on their capacity and resolve. Each path has different tribtion one must ovee. No matter whether one fails or seeds in the path, they will receive the rewards they deserve. If one conquers the tower, then the tower will help grant one''s true desire."


    After the ovepping voices stopped, silence filled the surroundings.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed after hearing thest lines of the tower''s introduction, about granting one''s desire. They did not say a wish, but a desire. To him, granting one''s true desire was too vague. A person might say he desires something, but unknowingly, that desire was actually false. Because there were people who were not aware of what they truly desired.


    Even Kyran was unsure what he truly desired. He could answer right now that saving his n was what he desired the most, but would the tower recognize that? Could it even grant such an abstract desire?


    As if sensing his doubts, the ovepping voices spoke once again.


    "The tower will not directly grant one''s true desire. It can help grant them."


    Kyran was taken aback by the voices'' answer. He was not surprised at their answer but how they knew his doubts.


    "Right, help," Kyran repeated out loud. He focused too much on the ''desire'' part of the line that he overlook the ''help'' keyword.<sub> </sub>


    Still, how could the tower help?


    ''Don''t think about that now. Those who conquer the tower are the only ones who can have such a reward. I don''t n on conquering the tower,'' Kyran reminded himself.


    It was true that he did not n to conquer the tower. He was here to train, not to conquer. The reward in conquering the tower might help him save his n, but with such a vague notion like one''s true desire, he did not want to rely on that. He preferred to save his n by his own means. Besides, as long as he gained experience here, he was already on the right track in saving his n.


    "Please choose the path in which you will tread while inside the tower."


    The ovepping voices spoke again.


    The nine gold tablets emitted an almost blinding gold light. In the center of each tablet, a single rune had appeared.


    Immediately, Kyran realized that he could read the one in the middle.


    Void.


    He looked at the rest of the gold tablets and found, he could also read all of them.


    Strength. Light. Poison. Draconic. Void. Fire. Wind. Space. Elements.


    With a slight frown, Kyran wondered if entering the tower could grant anyone temporary ability to read runes of different magic types.


    ? But then, why did it show these types of magic. Looking at the list, it appeared all of it were the ones he had encountered so far.


    ''Except there''s no Earth and Air magic and what''s with the Strength? Is that even magic? When did I encounter magic like that? How about the Elements?'' Kyran wondered noticing that among the magic listed on the tablets, Earth and Air magic were missing, while he had no idea what Strength and Elements magic even mean.


    ''No, wait. Maybe Elements is Nn''s magic?'' Kyran thought as he recalled te''sment when Nn created a ''dummy'' to fool the army into thinking he was already dead.


    ''Human body consists of elements... is that how he managed to create dummy?''


    The thought made Kyran realize how powerful Nn''s magic was.


    No wonder Nn acted all high and mighty by calling it after his name; Nn''s magic. He might have named it after himself because there was no one else like him.


    Maybe.


    "Choose the path in which you want to tread."


    The ovepping voices brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    He looked at the gold tablets once more and decisively approached the middle.


    Kyran did not need to think much of the other magic. After all, he had Void magic. He might possess Draconic magic as well, but to him, his main magic was the Void.


    "You have chosen the Void path."


    The ovepping voices said as soon as Kyran stood in front of the tablet with the Void rune.


    "This path has only been treaded once. You will be the second one."


    Kyran''s eyes widened.


    ''My predecessor also entered the Tower of Tribtion? Then why didn''t my Void core react when¡ª.''


    His thoughts were interrupted as the gold tablet with the Void rune emitted a blinding light. He immediately closed his eyes, and thest thing he heard was the ovepping voices saying, "May you seed on this path," before an invisible force wrapped around him and pulled him forward.


    Kyran knew he was being transported into the Void path, so he did not fight it and let the invisible force guide him.


    Soon, the blinding light lifted and the invisible force around him stopped pulling.


    The next thing Kyran knew, his nose was assaulted by the smell of blood. There was also a burning smellbined with the smell of sulfur.


    Kyran immediately opened his eyes and as he did, six pairs of red reptilian eyes stared down at him.

 Chapter 212 First Course (1)

    Gustaff''s eyes almost popped out of their socket as he stared dumbfoundedly at the projection showing Kyran''s progress.


    Of course, the cause of his shock was the path Kyran chose.


    Gustaff''s heart pounded nervously in his chest as all sorts of thoughts shed through his mind. He did his best to quench his curiosity because, as a discreet man, he should not pry on such a delicate subject. Aside from this, Kyran was clearly rted to the great master Cade. With such an uncanny resemnce to master Cade, Gustaff would be an idiot if he didn''t realize who the kid really was.


    It wasmon knowledge that Cade had a son. Although his son had never appeared in public, there were a lot of spections of how good his genes were. It was to be expected. After all, Cade''s wife Rin was known not only as a talented Summoner but also for her unparalleled beauty.


    Given all these facts, Kyran''s strength was bound to equal or even surpass his parents.


    But the strength Kyran possessed far exceeded Gustaff''s expectations; just reading the rune on the path Kyran chose made his scalp go numb in fear.


    Right at this moment, Gustaff was having an internal battle with himself. If he let his curiosity get the best of him, who knew what kind of safety measures the Regis would do to make sure he kept his mouth shut.


    Not to mention, Nn was right beside him! With his deep rtionship with the Regis Family because of Rin, he would definitely not let any threate in the way of Kyran.


    s, Gustaff should not have followed them. He only did because he found Kyran''s age too young to enter the tower, and he worried that Nn might be bullying him. But now that he suspected Kyran was Cade''s son, he found that maybe Nn was not bullying him but Cade. To be urate, the whole Regis n.


    While others apud the Regis''s strength and righteousness, Gustaff knew another side of them. The Regis was full of bullies. They did not bully others but their younger family members.


    Kyran''s presence here might be what the Regis nned, and Nn was here to keep an eye on him.


    Gustaff knew all of these. However, his innate ability did not want to cooperate with him. If he did not voice out his questions, Nn would get cursed.


    He could still remember the first and hopefully thest time he identally cursed Nn. It was an experience he did not want a repeat. Because unlike those who he had cursed before that ended up in misery, it was him who ended up inplete hell because of Nn''s vengeful side.


    Gustaff slowly took a deep breath and put on a calm expression. Finally, he asked, "N-Nn, why did he choose the Void path?"


    Too bad the quiver in his voice betrayed his calm facade.


    Nn kept his attention on the projection. However, internally he could only sigh at his rotten luck. If he had not personally proven Gustaff''s trustworthiness, his head would have rolled when he witnessed Kyran choosing the Void path.


    Such an urrence was actually out of Nn''s expectations. First of all, when he first entered the tower, he was not transported to a white room. Second, while he was also given a choice to choose a path, there were only three options. Last, and the most unexpected thing, they actually understood the runes written on the tablets!


    Nn was also perplexed that the paths presented to Kyran were ''magic.'' In his experience, the choices he had were directions: Right, Center, and Left.


    With this event, it had further proven that the tower dealt with each person that entered differently.


    "The answer''s obvious," Nn answered Gustaff''s question. He was not nning to give him a direct answer. Besides, Gustaff''s annoying ability could be countered as long as you answer him. It was up to you if you wanted to answerpletely. Of course, Gustaff''s curiosity must be quenched or else he would end up asking more questions.


    "Actually, I don''t quite understand," Gustaff replied.


    Yup, Gustaff''s curiosity must be quenched.


    "Nar was given nine choices. I failed to catch the rest, but I noticed the runes represented different kinds of magic. In my experience, I was given two choices, Combat or Debate," he continued.


    "It''s just my guess, but does those magic mean he needed to choose a magic path among those? If that is the case, then why Void? Is it..." Gustaff hesitated only for a second before asking, "Is it something the Regis asked him to choose?"


    Nn''s brow furrowed. He finally looked at Gustaff with an incredulous expression before saying, "You''re overthinking. They would not have known that the kid would be given those choices."


    Gustaff''s eyes widened in realization after hearing Nn''s reply.


    "You''re right. But still, why would he choose such a scary path?" He insisted.


    "As I said, the answer is obvious," Nn repeated with raised brows.


    Before Gustaff could voice his doubts, Nn continued, "Because that is the path he had to choose."


    He looked back on the projection and added, "As for the other choices presented to him. Honestly, I am also unsure. But I know for a fact that kid has two innate magic."


    "Two?" Gustaff eximed, his eyes bulging in surprise.


    A mage wielding two magic was not surprising. The surprising fact was having two ''innate'' magic. One should understand that wielding other magic was different from having two innate magic. The difference in the magic output of these two was likeparing watering out from a faucet to watering down a huge waterfall.


    Nn sneered at the undisguised surprise in Gustaff''s voice. Internally, he was relieved to know Gustaff failed to read all the runes in the nine tablets.


    Just thinking of the questions Gustaff would ask if he read the rune with the Draconic path gave Nn a severe headache.


    "Gustaff," Nn suddenly said with a grave expression. "Whatever it is you see or hear, keep it to yourself. I don''t want to kill someone I''ve known for a long time."


    Gustaff''s expression turned solemn. He even flinched at Nn''s blunt words. Others would have faltered if they talked about killing someone, especially if that someone was right in front of them. However, Nn did not even bat an eye.


    "I don''t mind swearing a Soul-Binding Oath if it will make you feel at ease," he told him sincerely.


    "No need," Nn replied with a slight smile. He had ways to deal with him if it ever came to that.


    Gustaff sighed and shook his head slightly. He looked back at the projection, which still showed the white room, except Kyran had already left.<sub> </sub>


    "You have one troublesome disciple," hemented while giving Nn a side-nce.


    Nn immediately frowned and replied, "He''s not my disciple."


    "No? Back there, you said¡ª."


    "I''m just trying to make a point," Nn cut him in midsentence.


    "s, you had me there," Gustaff said and shook his head. "Ah, well, given his real identity. I understand why you personally went with him. If the great master Cade is the one who apanied him here, they will attract so much attention even if they are in disguise."


    Nn only replied with a grunt.


    Gustaff already knew too much about Kyran. He must not know about the Regis''s situation as well.


    The two might appear to have conversed for a long time. But actually, it was only a few minutes.


    They waited for the projection to change scenes. Probably to where Kyran was transported to. However, even after waiting a couple of minutes, the projection only showed the white room.


    With a slight frown, Nn sighed as a thought crossed his mind. It appeared that the tower would only show them the after results. He already knew that they could not possibly observe Kyran''s training because of the time difference inside the tower and the outside, but he thought they would at least see some of his progress.


    The eight golden tablets that Kyran did not choose descended back to the floor. The tablet with the Void rune remained, and currently, it was giving a faint golden light.


    "Looks like we''ll have to wait for a bit," Gustaff said with augh.


    As soon as he said this, the golden tablet with the Void rune emitted a blinding golden light.


    Once the light had faded, they found Kyran on his knees, panting heavily. His face was smeared with dried blood and ck soot. And his clothes were tattered with a few scorched areas all over.


    Nn and Gustaff immediately frown.


    Kyran had just started, and yet he already looked pitiful. Just what kind of training did he encounter?


    Back inside the tower, Kyran panted as he slowly grabbed his left arm.


    ''Damn it, it''s broken,'' he thought bitterly, recounting the events of what happened after he was transported.


    Five days ago...


    As soon as Kyran saw the six pairs of red reptilian eyes, he instinctively activated the Regis Blessing and jumped.


    However.


    "Wha¡ª?"


    All hell broke loose as the medium-sized beasts in front of him, which resembled a giant lion with a zing red mane but with a snake-like head, pounced at him simultaneously.


    Kyran, who was in the process of jumping back, realized theck of power boost from the Regis Blessing was immediately mmed down by the nearest beast.


    "Argh!" Kyran eximed in pain as he mmed on the ground.


    Cracks formed from the impact, and Kyran was also pushed down at least half a foot deep on the ground.


    The beast''s huge paw pinned him in ce. Its ws were grazing Kyran''s body.


    RAWRGH!


    The beast roared at Kyran''s face and was about to bite off his head.


    However, it was at this moment that Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple as he activated his Void Barrier.


    A round purple barrier expanded from Kyran,pletely obliterating everything it touched. That included the six beasts that were nning to eat him alive.


    These beasts did not even have a chance to scream as the purple barrier passed through their body, and they disintegrated into nothingness.


    Kyran released his barrier as soon as he was sure that all the beasts were destroyed, and he knelt on his knee.


    He immediately felt a stinging sensation on his shoulders and leg.


    ''Damn it!'' Kyran cursed through gritted teeth.


    He felt very frustrated right now but not because of what happened.


    It was because he realized something grave.


    ''I can''t use my Draconic magic!'' Kyran thought.

 Chapter 213 First Course (2)

    Kyran activated all the Regis Technique he knew. Immediately, his face turned sour because he also could not use it. He always thought that when he used the Regis Blessing, it was the only time he used Draconic magic. However, this incident confirmed that every Regis Technique also relied on it. It also confirmed that the dragon blood that selected Regis family members took did allow them to channel Draconic magic.


    If Kyran still had a sliver of doubt that he had Draconic magic, this incident removed those.


    ''So choosing the Void path meant I can''t use Draconic magic,'' Kyran thought, his brows creased in frustration.


    The reality of not being able to use any of the Regis Technique hit Kyran deeply. He did not realize how much he had been relying on them until now. Since he was young, the Regis Techniques had been deeply engraved in his system, and activating it had be second nature to him.


    Now that he could not use it, he felt vulnerable and weak.


    Kyran sat cross-legged on the ground. The moment he moved, pain shot up on his shoulders and legs. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, while examining first his shoulders then his legs. There he found that the beast''s ws earlier had cut his skin. It was not a deep cut, so he did not bleed much.


    Even so, with the foul stench in the surroundings as well as the dry, sweltering air, his wounds might end up getting infected if he did not dress them. Fortunately, the enchantments on his clothes were still working, and the torn parts had been mended, covering his cuts well.


    ''There''s a chance that the enchantments are working because when I made them, I branded them using Void magic. If not, I have a feeling it will not work,'' Kyran thought.


    After confirming that apart from the wounds on his shoulders and legs, his body was still okay, Kyran let out a sigh of relief. He also confirmed that he could not use Draconic magic because his Draconic core was not responding to his summons. Event the two other magic cores were unresponsive. Most likely, the light that enveloped him before getting transported to this ce sealed the rest of his magic cores.


    ''But it left my central core,'' Kyran thought in confusion. ''Maybe it did because there are traces of my Void core passing through it.''


    Regardless of the reason, Kyran could think of the answerter. First, he had to focus on what was important.


    Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Kyran adjusted his mindset.


    There was no point in crying over spilt milk. Now that Kyran knew he could not rely on the body tempering and other physical boosts his Draconic magic offered, he had to focus on really understanding his Void magic.


    After learning magic sense, he already had some ideas on what Void magic could do. But since Nn and te did not allow him to practice back in the cottage, he could only ponder alle up with theories based on these ideas. Now was the perfect time for him to test them.


    However, Kyran had to be mindful when trying out his theories because he knew how much Void magic consumed his magic and mental energies. Without potions or pills to replenish both, his magic usage was limited.


    ''First things first, I need to know where I am,'' Kyran thought while wandering his eyes to observe his surroundings.


    Right now, he was sitting in the middle of the crater he created after using his Void Barrier.


    The ground Kyran sat on was abination of red and ck soil. There was a putrid and metallic smelling from it, making him think that the earth had been drenched by blood and maybe all sorts of internal organs and body matter.


    The sky above was dark, with reddish clouds drifting by here and there. However, there were no stars, which made Kyran wonder where the light source on this ce wasing from.


    Kyran stood up and cautiously walked to the edge of his manmade crater. Even if he could not use the Regis Body Tempering Technique to heighten his senses because of his pastbat experiences, he could easily sense any danger around.


    Right now, his sense of danger had been gnawing at him. He had dealt with the six weird-looking beasts earlier. But because he panicked, he dealt with them in a very conspicuous way. He would not be surprised if he attracted more beasts.


    ''If beasts do appear and attack me, then I can finally have a better understanding of why they avoided me in the first ce,'' Kyran thought, slowlying into terms that right now he could only rouse the Void.


    Kyran always felt that the beasts avoided him because they probably thought he was some higher beast that resided on top of the food chain because of the Draconic magic. But this thought felt a little off now that he knew he had been using Draconic magic even before he knew he had Void magic, and beasts never avoided him. In this ce, however, he might finally understand why.


    As soon as Kyran emerged from the crater, he immediately noticed a blood-red tower in the distance. It emitted a weird dark red light which filled the whole surrounding.


    ''So the light source of this ce was due to that tower?'' Kyran wondered with a slight frown.


    He then wandered his eyes to observe the surroundings and finally understand why the foul stench in the air was pungent.


    As far as Kyran could see with his normal eyes, there were decaying bodies of beasts everywhere. There were bodies of beasts that had a reptilian tail but had a horse on the upper part of its body. It looked incredibly weird. There were alsorge-sized beasts with a body of a ck panther, and strangely, its head was a human face.<sub> </sub>


    There were actually more, but Kyran''s thought process short-circuited at the strangeness of all the beasts. It was needless to say that it was his first time seeing so many strange beasts in one ce, albeit all of them were dead.


    ''What exactly is this ce?'' Kyran wondered. ''Why is my first training here?''


    Seeing that there were no beasts nearby, Kyran ventured forward while making a mental list of what he needed to survive in this ce, as well as what he had to do.


    ''I need to secure survival items, weapons, food, water... Where can I even find water in this ce?'' Kyran thought, looking at how dry and deste the whole ce was.


    As for food, Kyran swallowed a hard lump on his throat while looking at the decaying carcasses of the beasts everywhere.


    ''Who knows how long these bodies had been here. Besides, I''m not familiar with these beasts. Their flesh might not even be suitable for human consumption.''


    Kyran walked over to the nearest beast, which had a horse head and front hooves for its upper body and reptilian tail for its lower half.


    The beast''s head had been half smashed to a pulp, with blood, brain matter, and flesh sttered on the ground. There were four angry w marks on its chest where flesh, blood and internal organs were spilling out.


    Kyran''s expression did not change as he approached the carcass. He touched the back of the beast''s head and felt it was still warm.


    ''It seems this guy has been killed recently. Maybe those six beasts killed it and probably nning to eat it. However, I suddenly appeared. No wonder they''re pissed.''


    Kyran thought while continuing to examine the beast''s body.


    After a few minutes, he turned his attention to the next beast near him.


    The next one was a bird-typerge-sized beast. It had the head of a goat and a body of a... chicken.


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head at this weird-looking beast. Another weird thing about this beast was it had furs instead of feathers.


    Looking at the shrivelled appearance of its beast, Kyran guessed it had been dead for some time. Its chest was opened, and most of its internal organs were gone.


    It made Kyran look back at the first beast he examined as an idea crossed his mind. He looked at the rest of the carcasses nearby, and true enough, they all had their chest ripped apart, and their internal organs were missing.


    ''Maybe it was not missing, but was eaten. And maybe, it is not all their internal organs but some parts only,'' Kyran pondered. ''But why?''


    He then looked up at the red tower in the distance.


    Looking at the tower again gave Kyran a bad feeling. It was as if the light it emitted had a sinister glow and might even affect everything within its vicinity.


    Kyran continued to walk and, from time to time, would examine the beast''s carcasses. He also collected some of their parts, like bones, feathers and skins, which he would need to create survival items.


    He had seen more weird-looking beasts along the way. However, he veered out of their way. There was no reason for him to engage them in a fight to the death. At least, he did not think his training was to clear this ce of beasts.


    As Kyran wandered around, he suddenly had a nagging thought about this ce.


    Was this ce even real? Or was it created inside the tower for the purpose of training? If it was thetter, then the tower''s creator was really something else to be able to create such a realistic ce. However, if it was the former, then where exactly was this ce?


    Once again, Kyran looked at the ominous looking red tower up ahead. It really gave him a bad feeling. But he also had an inkling his training had something to do with going to that tower.


    Finally, after hesitating for a few minutes, Kyran decided to go to the tower.

 Chapter 214 Black Obelisk

    Kyran found a somewhat safe ce after walking for almost two hours. He found a massive boulder with a crevice just big enough for him to squeeze in. When he tried to look in, he discovered the inside was actually hallow. He decided to use this ce to clean the things he gathered and make survival items. Though he said survival items, most would be makeshift items he needed while traveling.


    The first thing Kyran nned to make were short des. He might be able to mold Void weapons, but he could not wantonly use his magic reserves, so he needed them.


    The short des might seem ineffective given the sizes and the thickness of the strange beasts'' skin around here, but Kyran could aim for their eyes with them. As long as he could blind them for a moment, he could either run or aim for their heads for an instant kill. Kyran knew he could not outrun the beasts, given how puny his legs werepared to theirs. Some beasts could also fly, which seemed unfair to him. But if he could blind them for a moment, it would divert their attention from him to the pain, and once they recovered, he would have gained some distance or managed to hide from them. As for killing a beast in an instant, he decided to do that as ast resort. He was not nning to massacre his way to the blood-red tower anyway.


    Making these weapons without proper equipment would be an arduous process.


    Fortunately, after walking around and examining not just the beast carcasses but also thend, Kyran found some materials he could use to make an anvil, cksmithing tools such as chisels, hammers, sets, tongs, andst heating.


    In making an anvil, Kyran only nned to smoothen the surface of the block of iron he found inside the boulder. For the heating, he would use the coals and charcoals he found. He was not surprised to find some coals in this ce, but he wondered where the charcoals came from. As he noticed, the earth in this ce was incapable of sustaining nt life, especially trees. Anyway, he did not dwell on it because having charcoals were beneficial to him. He was not about toin.


    Kyran also realized that some beast''s blood smelled like oil. He had not confirmed it yet cause he hadn''t made some fire, but he was 99% sure they would work. The reason was that the blood''s density and texture had simr qualities to oil. Of course, the 1% doubt he had was due to the question, what kind of creature possessed blood with had the characteristics of oil? As far as Kyran knew, theposition of both was different.


    The materials Kyran would use to craft short des would be a mixture of iron, metal, and beast bones. Unfortunately, he only gathered a few metals, and the irons he would use were the excess of the one he would use as an anvil. Still, the bones he collected were pretty sturdy. He could not weld it, but he could mold it and attach it as a handle or shaft. Maybe he could even mold a spear purely made of bones.


    Looking at his makeshift workroom, Kyran took a deep breath and recalled everything Sigma had taught him about weapon crafting. What Sigma taught him was only the basics of weapon crafting. He did not teach him how to craft magic weapons. Obviously, crafting normal weapons was different from magic weapons. The materials needed were different, and most importantly, array calctions must be included during the forging process, not after.


    Before he started creating the short des, Kyran first made cksmithing tools. This time, he used Void magic in shaping the irons, metals, and bones.


    After getting all the tools ready, Kyran finally started making the fire. As he expected, the beast''s blood did function simr to oil. As a matter of fact, it seemed the blood couldst longerpared to oil. The coals and charcoal as well. They managed to heat up in under fifteen minutes, and they also maintained the temperature quite well.


    Without wasting any time, Kyran started crafting the short des.


    Crafting took a lot of time. Fortunately, during the forging and hammering process, the noise he made did not attract any beasts. Too bad he did not know any noise-concealing spells to ensure further he would not attract beasts.


    Once Kyran was satisfied with a short de, he would quench it using beast blood. This blood was different from the ones with oil characteristics. It even had a ck-blue color, which resulted in the short des'' color also having a blue hue.


    Whenever Kyran ran out of blood, he would go out and collect more from the nearby beast carcasses. Of course, the bucket he used was a skull he took from a medium-sized beast.


    Although Kyran appeared to have adjusted well with his current situation, the truth, he was not. It made him appreciate those people in ancient times who managed to survive in such a crude environment.


    Time passed, and Kyran was immersed in what he was doing. Soon, he managed to craft enough short des and even one spear. After that, he proceeded to make a bag and a tool belt.


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not know how to make space storage, so he had to settle with a normal bag using the materials he had gathered. The materials he would use to make a bag were beast skin and fur. Due to therge size of the beast, he collected furs from, he thought of using them as threads. The strands of the furs were also durable, making them a good alternative.


    Of course, Kyran was not an expert in making handicrafts like this. He only had a vague understanding after watching his mother and female cousins a few times while they make one. Besides, he only needed a bag to hold the rest of his items. The design did not matter.


    As for the belt, he needed to add a few straps around it to hang the short des. He also incorporated a sheath to these straps to avoid getting a cut by the edges when he moved around. That would be the most hrious yet ironic thing to happen to him if he ended up wounding himself because the short desck a sheath.


    When Kyran was done, he was practically drenched in sweat, and he stunk like hell. However, he could only endure for now, and hopefully, he could find a water source to clean up.<sub> </sub>


    But one thing Kyran noticed as he left his makeshift workroom was that he did not feel hungry. He recalled Gustaff had experiences where he had to hunt for food during his training. So this incident made him confused.


    ''Is it a particr rule of this ce? Or a granted skill by the tower?'' As soon as Kyran thought of these, he immediately rejected the idea.


    First of all, if hunger was not present in this ce, howe all the beasts here attacked and ate each other? Although the parts they ate differed depending on the type of beast, Kyran was sure those beasts ate those missing parts. He had seen a few in the act, after all.


    ''If I ended up as a food, I wonder which part will they eat?'' Kyran suddenly thought.


    Kyran shivered at his idea, and he immediately shook his head to clear his mind. He sometimes scares even himself with how bloody the things he imagined.


    The number of beast carcasses increased as Kyran got closer to the tower. He would still inspect the carcasses now and then to check how long it had been there, and then sometimes he would take parts of their bodies and put them inside his makeshift bag.


    After a few hours, Kyran''s expression turned sour as he stopped in his tracks and looked at the blood-red tower. He had been walking non-stop, and yet the tower still seemed far away.


    While he was grateful that he managed to stay under the radar of the beasts, Kyran was beginning to think he was missing a piece of very crucial information in this ce.


    Once again, Kyran felt regretful that he could not use his Draconic magic. If he could, he would have tried using Sigil to one of the smaller beasts, like the beast he just saw, which had the body of a four-tailed fox and the head of a deer. Once he performed the Sigil, he would probe inside the beast''s memory to understand what this ce was.


    ''And there doesn''t seem to be any human in here,'' Kyran thought with furrowed brows.


    ''Just what kind of ce did the tower transport me to? What am I supposed to train here? I mean, I understand that I have to train my Void magic, but so far, I haven''t even sensed any energy in the surroundings. If I do not have any reserved magic energy within the Void core, I will also end up unable to use magic.''


    With a sigh, Kyran looked at the carcasses around him. Most of them were still fresh, meaning they were killed recently. Unlike the ones further back, although the carcasses were few, most had been dead for quite some time.


    ''Maybe there''s a clue in that...''


    Slowly, an idea formed in Kyran''s mind as he recalled the body parts of the beasts that were missing from the carcasses, both external and internal. Then he tried to make a mental list of the type of beasts they were. After that, he walked around the vicinity, inspecting the carcasses again.


    ''It seems there are simr parts that are missing every ten meters,'' Kyran thought as he stood up and surveyed his surroundings.


    ''Starting from ten meters at the back, up to here, the mostmon part missing is the lungs. Previously, it is the stomach.''


    Instead of walking in the tower''s direction, Kyran walked around the ten-meter distance where the carcasses had missing lungs.


    After walking for a while, he found an area with no carcasses. But that was not what got Kyran''s attention. What got his attention was a glittering ck obelisk right at the center.


    At the foot of the obelisk, a mountain of different-sized organs was piled up.


    Kyran might not know what the lungs of those strange-looking beasts looked like, but those were definitely beast lungs. And all of them were there as an offering to the ck obelisk.

 Chapter 215 Assimilation (1)

    Kyran''s brow furrowed upon seeing the organs ced as an offering at the foot of the obelisk. He had read from one of the books in Ste''s study that during the first era of the world, people offered their firstlings to the Spirits.


    These Spirits should not be mistaken with the ones contracted by summoners because these beings were what people believed to represent magic in the world. To them, as long as they diligently ced their offerings to their altars, the Spirits would allow some of the young ones to absorb the energies in the surroundings to summon magic once they turned six.


    It was not until the Enlightenment Era that humans learned that Spirits did not ''allow'' people to absorb the energies. It just happened that there were people who managed to awaken their magic at the age of six, and some failed.


    Of course, Kyran knew that it was all because of the magic core that people could absorb the surrounding energies. Unfortunately, utilizing magic would depend on whether that person''s magic core could attract magic energies or not.


    Looking back at the altar full of beast lungs, Kyran could not help but remember all these things. At the back of his mind, Zephyr''s words also shed through as he recalled what he said about Cyneah not born blind, but her eyes had been taken, thus resulting in her magic being taken as well.


    ''That can''t be rted to this. Zephyr only said that the great magic corresponds to a human body part and none of it spoke of lungs. Besides, I don''t sense any magic energy in these beasts, nor in the surroundings.''


    A frown slowly reced Kyran''s thoughtful look because his Void core suddenly started to resonate with him. He already understood what it meant when his two magic cores resonated with his thoughts, and he was slowly getting used to identifying which magic core it was. At the moment, since his Draconic core was sealed, then obviously it was his Void core.


    ''What is it you''re trying to tell me predecessor?'' He thought while feeling his Void core.


    Every time his magic cores resonated with him, it did not exactly tell him why. The only clue they would provide was his thoughts.


    ''It started to resonate as soon as I recalled Zephyr telling me how a human body part corresponds to each great magic, but it did not do that when he first mentioned it to me. Meaning...''


    Kyran looked at the obelisk once more.


    ''...Somehow both are connected. My predecessor experienced it, or he might have stumbled upon a simr situation or train of thought.''


    While Kyran repeated what Zephyr said in his head, even trying to find any hidden meaning, he noticed something.


    Zephyr particrly said ''human'' when talking about the body parts to which great magic corresponds. Zephyr might have said that because those with great magic were humans. But after recalling how it ruffled his feathers when his Air magic was mistaken as Wind magic meant how particr he was when it came to distinctions. If that was the case, then he might be onto something else.


    Kyran also recalled how Zephyr always called their world a ''human'' ne.


    ''There are different nes, and each nes have different rules when ites to magic. In our ne, some beasts were also capable of using magic, but who can say that they are using the human''s magic rules? What if they have their own great magic and rules?''


    Kyran rubbed the bridge of his nose as he felt his head throb from all these thoughts. Seriously, his brain was overloaded with information at the moment. He thought he already knew most things regarding magic in general. Now he felt he was learning only one side of it, which was the magic used by humans.


    Kyran knew that learning what was happening in this ce was part of his training, but what does it have to do with his Void path? What benefit was there of learning all these?


    Pushing all his doubts at the back of his mind, Kyran decided to not dwell on it for now. Instead, he had to focus on understanding why these beasts were killing each other and offering beast parts as offering to this obelisk.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran approached the edge of the clearing going to the ck obelisk. As soon as he arrived at the edge, a rush of rich magic energy assaulted his senses.


    ''This¡ª!''


    Kyran''s eyes widened in surprise. He thought this ce was devoid of magic energy. However, the clearing around the obelisk had an abundance of it.


    Why?


    ''Could it be that the obelisk is the source of magic energy in this ce?'' Kyran wondered as he stared at the ck obelisk.


    With eyes full of determination, Kyran decided to get close to the obelisk and study it. He believed the reason the blood-red tower ahead seemed unreachable had something to do with it.


    He did not immediately approach. First, he observed the edge around the clearing. There was no visible border that separated the clearing from where Kyran stood. But because he could sense rich magic energy, he had a clear understanding of where the edge was.


    ''There must be something preventing others from getting close to the obelisk aside from those who are giving their offering,'' Kyran thought. ''Could there be an array?''


    He took out a piece of bone in his make-shift bag. Holding the bone, he slowly inched it toward the edge.


    Crackle!<sub> </sub>


    Sure enough, an invisible barrier appeared, which immediately disintegrated the area where the bone touched.


    Kyran''s heart pounded in excitement as he pulled back his hand holding the bone. He examined the part that the invisible barrier had cleanly cut. The sound the bone made while the barrier disintegrated was the same when objects touched his Void magic!


    ''Is the barrier created through an array, or is it created by the obelisk?'' Kyran wondered, full of doubt.


    There was no indication of an Array. Even when the barrier cut the bone, the obelisk did not react.


    ''Don''t tell me the magic energy inside is Void itself?'' Kyran thought.


    However, he rejected this idea almost immediately. If the magic energy was the Void, he should recognize it. He had a Void core that could attract energies after all.


    ''Either way, I won''t know the answer if I just stand here. I need to enter and move close to the obelisk,'' he thought.


    ''Let''s find an offering first. Even if this barrier seemed to have the same attribute as my magic, I have to treat it differently. After all, this ce... doesn''t seem to have the same magic rules I know.''


    With that in mind, Kyran stepped back and, for the first time, actively looked for a beast he could kill.


    He was not fond of the idea of killing a beast then offering their parts to the obelisk. But since this ce seemed to have some weird rules, he had to y safe and follow them. He had not fully understood the rules of this ce, but eventually, he would. Then he would know what he had to do to ''clear'' this training.


    Kyran remained in the ten-meter mark where themon missing part of a beast was their lungs. First of all, he did not want to venture too far from the obelisk. Second, he remembered what the ''lungs'' looked like based on the ones he saw at the foot of the obelisk, so it would be easier for him to remove. Honestly, he found the shape of most of the lungs a little strange, especially their color. But he did not dwell on it since he already knew that the color of blood from the beasts around here varies. He even found one with a mint-green color.


    After walking for some time, Kyran finally found a possible target.


    It was a small-sized beast with the body of a white dog and the head of a crocodile. The beast looked weird, but Kyran had gotten used to it now.


    He did not approach the target at once because he found medium-sized beasts following it, and there were at least five of them.


    A number Kyran could handle at the moment.


    The medium-sized beasts all looked the same. Their bodies were that of a jaguar but heads of aodo. The contrast in their body color and texture was bizarre.


    Kyran hid inside the ribcage of a beast carcass with the body of a ck panther and human head. The carcass was split in half, and its flesh and internal organs were mostly gone. Even its skin was already withered, making it was easy for Kyran to make a hole and watch what was happening outside.


    Theodo-jaguar beasts were crouched down as they sneakily moved toward the unsuspecting dog-croco beast. There was at least a twenty-meter distance between them.


    Soon, theodo-jaguar beast in the front made a move, leaping the remaining distance in one swoop and pouncing at the dog-croco beast.


    The dog-croco beast could not react in time and got pinned down on the ground.


    However, what happened next made Kyran''s scalp go numb.


    As the dog-croco beast was pinned on the ground, it did not whimper nor struggle. Instead, its crocodile head turned and suddenly grew in size, snapping at theodo-jaguar''s head.


    Theodo-jaguar beast that had its head snapped convulsed for a few seconds before it slumped on the ground. The other fourodo-jaguar that had witnessed what happened immediately backed off and was about to leave, when suddenly, the ground around them crumbled, and a huge circr mouth withyer uponyer of sharp teeth bolted upward and swallowed the fourodo-jaguar beasts whole.


    Kyran felt his mouth go dry as he watched the ''mouth'' squirm its way out from the ground.


    It was arge-sized beast that looked like a worm but had multiple reptilian tails. One of its tails was surprisingly attached to the dog-croco beast''s tail.


    WHEEEEEENG!


    An ear-piercing shriek sounded from the beast as it wiggled in the air.


    Suddenly, it stopped its movement and lowered its head with its beady eyes staring right at Kyran.

 Chapter 216 Assimilation (2)

    Kyran did not avoid the worm-like beast''s beady eyes. Even though every part of him was screaming for him to run, he chose to hold his ground instead control his uneven breathing.


    The worm-like beast appeared to be staring at him, but Kyran hid inside the carcass ribcage. It might have smelled him because he did smell right now, but it could also be wondering whether the smell was from the beast carcass or something else. After all, the worm-like beast did not attack at once.


    Kyran had an escape route nned before deciding to watch the confrontation between the dog-croco andodo-jaguar beasts. But if he had moved as soon as the beast looked his way, then he broke his cover just to be killed. Because fighting arge-sized beast, which was bigger than the mutated Basilisk in the Valley of Morte, was suicide. Especially now that his magic usage was limited, he could not use any of the Regis Technique. The only thing he could rely on was his measly human body, innate ability¡ªwhich appeared to be useless in this situation¡ªand the weapons he just forged. All of which might be above average in terms of quality. But he was an insignificant lifeformpared to the beast in front of him.


    The worm-like beast''s beady eyes squinted as it arched its back, ultimately emerging its lower body from under the ground.


    It was then that Kyran had a better look at its tails. Its tails were at least a hundred meters long, and though it looked like snake tails, its appearance reminded him of a sea-type beast he once read back in military school; a legendary-type sea beast named Kraken. Attached at the end of each of its tails were different weird-looking, small-sized beasts. The dog-croco beast was just one of them.


    Kyran''s heart pounded heavily in his chest. Cold sweat trickled down the side of his face, as well as his back, while he watched the beast wriggle its way near the carcass he was hiding.


    Doing his best to control his breathing, Kyran gripped the hilt of one of his short des. The worm-like beast''s eyes were too small, and he was not confident he could aim at it well given its movement. He did not even have anything at his disposal that he could use to divert its attention while he moved in for an instant kill.


    No.


    He did not need a diversion.


    Kyran''s greatest advantage right now was that the worm-like beast had no idea what he was, so he should take the initiative to attack.


    Keeping this in mind, Kyran immediately formted a n.


    The moment the worm-like beast was only five meters away from the carcass, Kyran''s left hand flicked over his tool belt, swiping three short des at once and throwing them at the worm-like beast''s face.


    He aimed for its eyes, but just as he predicted, at the exact moment he moved, the worm-like beast''s beady eyes glinted, and its several tails stretched out. The small-sized beasts attached at the end of the tails fused, with four of them swatting the short des aimed at its head as if they were annoying flies. The rest of the tails shot forward and pierced through the carcass''s ribcage.


    BOOM!


    A cloud of ck dirt and beast decay scattered everywhere.


    WHEEEEENG!


    The worm-like beast wailed, opening its massive mouth in anger.


    WHOOSH!


    A five-meter long dark purple spear with a diameter of seven centimeters whizzed out from the cloud of ck dirt and went straight into the worm-like beast''s opened mouth.


    Before the dark purple spear could enter the beast''s mouth, all of its tails moved to cover its mouth.


    SIZZLE!


    When the tails touched the dark purple spear, they passed through, cutting all of them like tofus.


    WHEEEEENG!


    The worm-like beast wailed as dark blue blood spurted out from the tails'' cut.


    WHOOSH!


    The dark purple spear flew straight into the mouth, piercing its top pte. The spear didn''t stop and continued to push inside the pte, working its way inside.


    BLOP! BLOP!


    Gurgling sounds erupted within the worm-like beast as the spear made through inside.<sub> </sub>


    And then...


    BOOM!


    Dark blue blood, flesh, and body matter sttered everywhere, mixing in with the cloud of ck dirt as its head was


    One by one, the small-sized beasts emerged from the intact part of the tails, and they all wailed in pain.


    WHOOSH!


    Several short des wheezed out from every direction within the cloud of ck dirt and went straight into the mouths of the small-sized beasts. The short des hit the mouth''s top pte and continued to pierce through until they hit the area where the brains were located.


    All at once, the wailing sounds stopped.


    The tails convulsed for a few seconds, then it stopped before finally falling on the ground with a loud thud.


    The cloud of ck dirt finally dispersed, revealing the destroyed carcass''s where Kyran hid. It also revealed the worm-like beast''s body as dark blue blood spurted out from its destroyed head.


    A silhouette slowly approached the worm-like beast''s head.


    The silhouette was none other than Kyran.


    After the tails of the worm-like beast attacked the carcass where he was, he barely managed to avoid getting skewered alive. Then he took advantage of the cloud of ck dirt to move and summon an enhanced Void Spear.


    At first, Kyran pondered how he could make the beast open its mouth as wide as possible so he could aim the Void spear inside. He believed that he would not have a second chance if he aimed at its head outside and missed. Luckily, the worm-like beast appeared to have been pissed by the fact he had experienced another sneak attack; thus, it wailed in anger. When it did, Kyran did not hesitate and immediately aimed for its mouth. After which, he made the Void Spear explode.


    Noticing that the worm-like beast''s tails were still moving even after its head had exploded, Kyran prepared to attack those. He had already grabbed the shaft of the bone spear he forged and was about to cut the tails into many pieces when suddenly the small-sized beasts appeared one after another. Instead of using the bone spear, he used the short des and simrly aimed at their opened mouths. Thus, killing the worm-like beast''s tails as well.


    Kyran cautiously approached the worm-like beast and checked if it still had any pulse.


    Though it appeared to have died, who knew if it had another trick up its sleeves? Kyran felt that the worm-like beast could regenerate as long as one of its tails was alive. If that happened, he would definitely die.


    Kyran heaved a sigh after confirming that the beast had really died.


    Using the Void Spear, like how he used a Void Needle, was a gamble. Creating such a huge spear and making it explode took a lot of his magic reserves as well as mentally exhausting him. After all, the needle worked with his Regis Technique, and now that he could not do that, he had to put the new idea he learned about his Void into y. If it did not work, then at least he aimed for the beast''s brain. Maybe the spear would not kill it instantly, but it could dy it, and Kyran could run.


    ''But if that also did not work... will I really die in this ce?'' Kyran wondered as he looked up at the dark starless sky.


    His eyes narrowed as he thought of the reason why he was here in the first ce. What would happen to his n if he died here without aplishing anything? Would the Royal Army stop harassing them, or would they continue to do so in the pretense that they let a ''threat'' live?


    ''I won''t die. I can''t. There are still so many things I had to do,'' Kyran thought as his eyes glinted with resolve.


    Kyran buried his resolve deep within his heart. Without further ado, he studied the worm-like beast''s body and looked for its lungs. Technically, it was his prey. Now, he was just collecting the lungs he needed to enter the clearing to the ck obelisk.


    It took Kyran more than an hour to locate the beast''s lungs. It was his first time dissecting a worm-like beast. He found the experience enlightening, especially on how different its internal body structure was. Its internal organs also looked different, but since blood usually passes through the lungs, he collected those with a dark blue hue.


    Three organs had a dark blue hue, and one of these would definitely be the lungs.


    Because the organs were big, Kyran could only ce them on one of the skulls he found nearby and dragged it with him back to the obelisk, all the while praying that he did not meet any beasts.


    It took Kyran hours before he finally returned to the clearing. He never had issues with direction, but it appeared as if the obelisk had changed location. Kyran was not making excuses. The ck obelisk did move. Proof of that was the carcasses around it had changed. As to how and why it moved, he had no idea. Kyran had no ns of knowing either. All that mattered to him was to understand why the Void path led him to this ce to train.

 Chapter 217 Encroaching Evil (1)

    Before going inside the clearing to the ck obelisk, Kyran first pushed each of the organs within the border to check what would happen.


    The edge of the first organ he pushed in immediately disintegrated, while the second one managed to go in without a problem. This incident prompted Kyran to think that the second organ must be the lungs.


    Kyran left the other two organs on the skull, and after much contemtion, also left his makeshift bag, the bone spear, and the tool belt before passing through the border. He did not believe there was any need for him to use them. Besides, within the clearing, there were rich magic energies in cirction, which meant he would be able to absorb and convert it to Void energy. However, whether the ck obelisk allowed him to absorb it would be a different matter. Hopefully, there would not be any incident that would force Kyran to do so.


    Whatever prevented others from entering the clearing seemed to have given Kyran a pass and did not destroy him with the correct organ in tow. As he walked toward the ck obelisk, the magic energies in the surroundings circled him. He felt somewhat ted by the familiar feeling, and if not for his overly-cautious self, he would have started absorbing it and replenishing his already below half magic reserves.


    The truth, when he molded the Void Spear and used it like how he used the Void Needles, his magic reserves dropped from 90% to 50%. The huge amount pained him, but he would already be dead if he did not do what he did. His magic reserves had dropped exponentially due to the size of the spear and how he covered theck of the Regis Technique to create the same effect it would have with the Void Needles. It was his first time trying it out using the idea he had from Zephyr''s information.


    Because there was no avable magic energy in this ce, Kyran had to use his magic reserve to alter theposition of the spear. But altering itsposition needed different types of magic energies. Thus, he had to first convert the nature of his Void energy. Doing so was mentally taxing. Aside from that, he had to do it within a very short time.


    ''I wonder if the obelisk will allow me to replenish my magic reserves after I give it this huge organ. I mean, this is an organ from arge-sized beast. Compared to the ones that had been offered to it, its size is bigger,'' Kyran thought, trying to justify how big his offering was aspared to the other beasts.


    ''Who am I kidding? I don''t even know what the point of all this is,'' he added, looking at the offered organs below the obelisk.


    With a sigh, Kyran picked up his pace and walked to the obelisk.


    As soon as he was within fifty-meter away from the obelisk, the stench of decaying organs assaulted his nose. He did not smell it before because of theck of wind in this ce, but the foul stench was almost toxic. His expression turned sour, and tears even started to well up at the corner of his eyes. That was how bad it smelled.


    ''I know how bad I smell, but this... makes me smell nicer,'' Kyran thought bitterly, trying to lessen the smell by covering his nose with his hand. However, it did no good, and for the first time aftering to this ce, he was d he could not use any Regis Technique, or else he would have suffered a fatal blow by the smell.


    Kyran endured the smell, and finally, upon arriving within the thirty-meter radius of the obelisk, he sensed an invisible force swept through his body as if in probing.


    Automatically, the remaining magic energy within his body circted, preventing the force from probing deeper.


    Suddenly, a dark red glow started to emit from within the ck obelisk, its rhythm simr to a pulse as its hum reverberated within the thirty-meter radius.


    Kyran abruptly stopped as the invisible force lifted the organ off his hand and flew to the rest of the offering. He did not try to prevent the organ from being taken. It was meant to be offered anyway.


    Before the organ dropped with the rest of the offering, the pulsating dark red glow within the ck obelisk hummed violently. Then a dark red beam shot out from it, directly hitting the dark blue organ. As soon as the beam touched the organ, grayish mists came out from it and were sucked by the obelisk.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he watched the grayish mist enter the obelisk.


    The more grayish mist it sucked, the faster the pulsating red glow became.


    ''Just what is it doing?'' Kyran wondered.


    His question was answered soon after as a massive magic array appeared on the ground, upying the clearing around the obelisk. The magic energies inside the clearing became even richer, and they danced around Kyran as if to rejoice.


    But the magic energies were second only to what piqued Kyran''s interest. Because his heart pounded in excitement as he stared at the magic array beneath him.


    The color of the magic array was purple, and more importantly, they emit the power of the Void.


    However, Kyran''s excitement was immediately reced by doubt. Why would the obelisk require offerings to activate its array? The whole setting was too disturbing; it made him wary of his magic.


    Was the reason why the Void path led him to this ce was to tell him he would soon have to offer things like this to activate his magic? That sounded as if he was performing a very dark ritual.


    ''Don''t tell me this is the reason why my predecessor was named ''Dark Sage''?'' Kyran thought wryly.<sub> </sub>


    As if in response to his snide remark, his Void core trembled in annoyance.


    ''I get it, I get it. Stop nagging. It is only a joke,'' Kyran thought as if his Void core had a mind of its own. But it somehow worked as the trembling subsided.


    When his Void core trembled in annoyance, it was pretty painful.


    Ignoring what the obelisk was doing to the organ he brought, Kyran returned his attention to the magic array beneath his feet.


    Since the magic array could rouse the Void, it meant the runes within it were Void runes.


    Kyran immediately used magic sense to understand the magic array. The surrounding energies reacted at once when he activated his magic sense. However, they did not try to stop him. Instead, they even appear to assist him by amplifying his magic sense willingly. It confused Kyran for a second, but then maybe they felt a certain camaraderie with his magic sense because its nature was simr to the magic array?


    This idea made Kyran mentally scratch his head. It sounded absurd that he seemed to talk about magic energies as if they had a life of their own.


    Shaking his head push the random thought at the back of his mind, Kyran walked out of the thirty-meter radius around the ck obelisk and sat cross-legged on the ground.


    There was no significant reason he had to move away from the ck obelisk. He found the foul stench of the offerings to affect his thinking, so he decided to move away.


    For the next hour or so, Kyran studied the magic array. The ck obelisk seemed to take its time absorbing the grayish mists from the organ he brought as well, so he also took his time in studying the magic array.


    As time passed, Kyran''s expression started to turn sour. He was now beginning to understand why there was an obelisk here and why it needed the offerings. Everything had something to do with the blood-red tower up ahead.


    Kyran learned from the magic array that the array was meant to absorb metal magic only and would reject all non-metal ones. The beasts'' organs were not an offering like some dark ritual to the obelisk. But a way for the beasts to be recognized by the obelisk and be allowed to enter its area.


    The reason why they wanted to get inside the ck obelisk''s area of effect was obviously to absorb some of the rich magic energies within. However, the magic array had to maintain a certain amount of magic energies. Thus, the beasts had to hunt organs that correspond to metal magic and ''offer'' it to the obelisk to make sure it could maintain that. If not, the obelisk would cease to operate, and the magic energies within would also disperse.


    There were four more obelisks apart from this one, and all were located at a specific distance from the red-blood tower. The metal-based ck obelisk was the third farthest away from the red-blood tower.


    Kyran had yet to understand the obelisks'' purpose thoroughly, but he guessed that each absorbed only one type of magic. He came up with this conclusion after confirming earlier that every ten meters, there would be differentmon organs missing in the beast carcasses.


    Previously, it was the stomach.


    As to what magic the stomach corresponds to, Kyran had no idea.


    But regardless of what kind of magic each obelisk was allowed to absorb, Kyran now understood why the magic array was created using Void runes. If the obelisk could only absorb one type of magic, it would not be able to generate rich magic energies that had no particr nature.


    ''I still don''t know why the obelisk had to maintain these magic energies, but it definitely had something to do with the red-blood tower ahead,'' Kyran thought as he looked toward the north direction where he could see the tower.


    ''In any case, this magic array...'' Kyran''s voice trailed off as he smiled faintly.


    The truth, the moment he started studying the magic array, his Void core had begun to resonate within him.


    ''You made this, didn''t you, predecessor?''


    His Void core hummed softly as if to confirm his thought.

 Chapter 218 Encroaching Evil (2)

    Kyran stared at the magic array with a thoughtful expression. He appeared somewhat calm, but his emotions were inplete disarray internally.


    Knowing that the magic array was made by his predecessor, some of the questions he had from the moment he arrived in this ce shed in his mind:


    ''What is this ce?''


    ''Is it a ce the tower ''created'' or somewhere else?''


    ''If it is somewhere else, where exactly?''


    Now, there were additional questions added to these, and they were:


    How did an array his predecessor created be in this ce? How did he make a magic array that functioned simrly to an array formation? If the tower created this ce, did it mean his predecessor also went there and was transported here to train? If this ce was somewhere else, how did his predecessor end up here?


    Kyran closed his eyes before rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    All these questions were giving him a headache. He had not fully recovered from overusing his mental strength during his encounter with the worm-like beast, and now it was getting bombarded with all these questions that he knew would not have an answer soon.


    He suddenly thought of how his predecessor appeared in his sea of consciousness after what happened outside the Chaos Pce.


    If Kyran returned to that ce, would his predecessor appear again? It would be good if he could. When that happened, he would ask him all the questions that had piled up in his mental list.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally stood up before looking at the ck obelisk.


    It already stopped absorbing the grayish mist from the organ he brought. Although it was still pulsating, it had calmed down.


    The magic array was still lit on the ground. Now that the obelisk was charged up, the magic array nourished the magic energies within its area of effect.


    Shifting his attention to the obelisk, Kyran walked up to it.


    He was no longer wary of the obelisk after understanding the magic array. Aside from this, after he used his magic sense to learn the array, he was recognized by it as an ''authorized'' person. If Kyran wanted, he could even change the calctions of the magic array. He would not do it, of course. Not because he did not want to disrupt its purpose, but because his knowledge in Void runes was limited to what he learned from the magic array.


    After arriving in front of the obelisk, while also ignoring the foul stench that lingered in the air, Kyran scrutinized it for a few seconds.


    The ck obelisk had a depth and width of more than a meter and a height of around thirty meters.


    cing his hand on the obelisk''s surface, Kyran used his magic sense to probe inside. Information about the obelisk''sponents and structure entered his mind.


    After a few minutes, his eyes contracted as his expression turned grim.


    ''This...''


    From the outside, the obelisk looked nothing extraordinary. Yes, it appeared a little daunting because it stood tall and unwavering amidst a deste ce full of beast carcasses. But looking at itsponents and structure, even if others did think it was special, it was still an understatement.


    This obelisk was something that not anyone could fully understand just by looking at it. Some might even have troubleprehending it after countless inspections using magic sense or other special means. Because theponent of the obelisk was specially made and its structure was tooplex than others, apart from Kyran, would never fully understand.


    The reason why Kyran was an exception was simple; the obelisk was made out of Void.


    This truth somehow made Kyran feel insignificant.


    How high was the previous Void Master''s magic attainment that he could create something out of the Void?


    "I hope you will find that Void magic is not all about destruction."


    The previous Void Master''s words repeated itself in Kyran''s mind. He thought he already understood what he meant after hearing Zephyr''s remark about an ancient record on the power of nothingness. But it appeared his understanding was only the tip of the iceberg.


    It felt as if the more he found new things about Void magic, the more he realized he never knew anything.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He needed to broaden his mind when understanding his Void magic from now on. If not, he would miss a number of things.


    Keeping this thought in mind, he pulled back his magic sense and lowered his hand from the obelisk before looking at the red-blood tower ahead.


    After learning theponents of the obelisk, Kyran now had a vague idea of its purpose.


    In the Regis Family''s secret record, the record he found in his space storage where the method of creating a transmission scroll was also written, he remembered reading about a device with the sameponents as the obelisk.<sub> </sub>


    Though this obelisk was made out of the Void, it could still be constructed using normal materials. These materials could even be purchased, albeit at a very high price, because of their rarity. And because of its rarity, it confirmed how high-level the device would be once constructed. As to what the device could do was riveting in Kyran''s opinion. It said that if the devices were used with the right array forms and the calctions were done correctly, it could harness the same capability of creation magic.


    However, Kyran also read that such an array was difficult to make. Creating one such device was already expensive; what more if it needed five? That was right; to ensure the array would function correctly, it needed to be supported by five devices. Each of these devices would then focus on absorbing one type of magic. The magic these devices would absorb should alsoplement each other, forming a cycle. If even one device absorbed the wrong magic, it would disrupt the flow of the array, resulting in harnessing not the capability of creation but destruction.


    Of course, Kyran had yet to confirm whether this obelisk functioned the same way as the devices he read. However, the simple fact that the area around the obelisk was able to generate rich magic energies when this ce had none was already a big clue.


    Kyran looked at the patch ofnd behind where he came.


    ''I need to check the previous two obelisks,'' he decided, his eyes glinted with determination.


    His knowledge on which magicplements each other was limited to what he had memorized from the Regis Family''s secret record. So he would have to rely on that to understand whether the previous two obelisks did absorb a different type of magic and if it did if itplemented one another to form a cycle.


    To be honest, Kyran was not optimistic about it. But he did not want to jump to conclusions, especially since he had not yet answered some of his doubts.


    ''The obelisk here absorbs metal magic,'' Kyran noted as he made his way out the obelisk''s area of effect.


    His magic reserves had already been replenished while he was inside, so he did not hesitate to go back. If he met beasts along the way, he would still avoid them, but if he could kill them, then he would.


    Taking the items he left outside the obelisk''s area of effect, Kyran left at once.


    ''If I remember correctly, there is a five-element cycle that includes metal magic. The flow that influences creation is arranged as fire, earth, metal, water, thenst wood. There are five obelisks. The same number of devices needed in the array from my family''s secret record,'' Kyran pondered.


    A thought shed through his mind, which made him smile wryly.


    ''Don''t tell me my predecessor was the one who taught my ancestors about such an array, and since they can''t use Void magic, they tried to find an alternative material in creating the device.''


    Somehow, this idea seemed possible.


    ''Anyway, thest obelisk should absorb earth with the order of creation. Unless the starting point was from the inside going outward, then it should be water.''


    After more than two hours, Kyran finally found the obelisk before the ck one.


    The color of this obelisk was gray.


    Without bothering to look for an offering, as Kyran remembered the carcasses here was missing their stomach organ, he left his things outside the border of the gray obelisk''s area and went straight in.


    Since Kyran had been recognized as an authorized person, he was no longer afraid of the hidden magic array''s barrier. Of course, he still had to leave his things behind. Who knew if they would be destroyed since they were not exactly ''part'' of him.


    Kyran examined the gray obelisk, and a frown immediately appeared on his face.


    The obelisk was inactive.


    However, he confirmed that this obelisk was supposed to absorb earth magic.


    ''The ck obelisk was still active even before I gave an offering. Howe this one seemed... dead?''


    Kyran looked at the decaying organs near the obelisk.


    ''Should I get one?''


    Just thinking about finding another beast to kill made Kyran''s expression turn grim. Still, even though he was against it, he did not have a choice. In order to confirm his theory, he had to find a stomach and let the obelisk absorb it.


    If the obelisk absorbed magic in the stomach, it meant the stomach corresponded to earth magic.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran made his way back to his things. At least his magic energy was back to 100%. It would be easier for him to do a pre-emptive move against a beast.


    "So here you are. I''ve been looking for you everywhere."


    A raspy male voice suddenly spoke from behind.


    Kyran immediately froze in his tracks. He failed to sense the person''s arrival until he had spoken!

 Chapter 219 Encroaching Evil (3)

    "You''ve really done it. Did you know how hard it is to raise that mutated Hydra?"


    The raspy male voice spoke again.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained still. His battle senses kicked up into gear as he tried to pinpoint the person''s exact location. However, he instantly realized that it was impossible to locate the man.


    It was as if the man''s presence hadpletely blended in the surrounding, seemingly there, yet somehow not there as well.


    "But..." The man paused before saying in a cheery sounding voice, "... I was expecting a new mutated beast, not a Numa. Interesting."


    Suddenly, a menacingly immense pressure bore down within a hundred kilometer radius with Kyran at the center. In that instance, all beast carcasses inside got ttened to the ground from the pressure''s power. Even the ground cracked and caved in a few inches.


    The tall gray obelisk also sank at least half a foot in the ground from the pressure.


    Even Kyran would have keeled over if he had not switched into battle mode the moment the man spoke. Still, he fell on his knee, and even his bones creaked from the pressure. The man''s pressure was almost the same as Malek''s. But with Kyran''s circumstances being different on each asion, he was unsure whose more powerful.


    For one thing, Kyran was not wearing the coat that had been super-enhanced by Ste. However, the enhancements on his clothes right now were based on that. Andpared to the original enhancements, it paled inparison. But he still felt the man''s pressure to his bones. Though he could not use any Regis Techniques to alleviate the pressure, his magic energy was circting in his body, cancelling some of it. Still, the ground around him cracked as his feet sank a few inches.


    "Ho~ you''re able to withstand this?" The manmented, sounding amused. "You''re an entric Numa. Which tribe are you from?"


    Thud!


    Surprise shed in Kyran''s eyes as his pupil contracted, but only for a second because he had yet to find the location of the man when he suddenly appeared in front of him.


    Kyran reigned in the sudden fear creeping into his heart as he stared directly at the man''s sharp red eyes.


    Anky man who seemed to be in his early twenties had dark-red spiked hair. He wore a thick ck banda that covered his forehead, a long red coat that seemed big for him, and baggy ck pants. The man was bare-chested, and from his exposed skin, there were runes tattoed on his body.


    At the moment, these runes were glowing faintly in red.


    The man before Kyran was also kneeling in one knee, imitating his stance. He initially had a carefree expression but was instantly reced by a grim one after having a better look at Kyran.


    "You''re not a Numa," the man said, his voice turning cold. "You''re a human."


    Before Kyran could react, thick killing intent erupted from the man. His pressure''s power tripled which bore down on Kyran, instantly making his indifferent expression twist in pain.


    Faint cracking sounds were heard as Kyran''s bones cracked under pressure. His body was forced down again. However, he gritted his teeth stubbornly and circted his magic energy in a frenzy, refusing to fall. Though he was in pain, it was nothingpared to his pain after taking a sip of the Elixir.


    Red veins appeared one after another around Kyran''s dark gray eyes, but they still glowed with a stubborn determination as he stared at the man straight in the eyes.


    Usually, the red color represents warmth or raging emotions. But the man''s red eyes did not reflect any of these but coldness.


    "How did you get here, human?"


    The man asked as his arm shot forward and grabbed Kyran''s neck.


    But.


    The man grabbed nothing but air as Kyran vanished in thin air.


    The man immediately stood and looked around him. He widened the range of his divine sense and yet failed to locate the human.


    "DON''T THINK YOU CAN HIDE! I AM THE SOVEREIGN OF THIS PLANE! YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME!"


    The man''s shout reverberated in the air, making everything tremble from it.


    Meanwhile, Kyran appeared back in his makeshift workroom. His face was pale, and his body ached all over as he dropped on his knees, breathing in short gasps.


    He was not expecting to meet another person in this ce. Not to mention a person who appeared to have a very high magic level. The man likely had the same magic level as Malek or even Nn.


    "DON''T THINK YOU CAN HIDE! I AM THE SOVEREIGN OF THIS PLANE! YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME!"


    The man''s voice sounded like a rumble of thunder, sending the walls and the ground inside the makeshift workroom shook tremendously.


    Kyran frowned at once.


    ''Sovereign? ne?''


    He suddenly had a bad feeling about this ce.<sub> </sub>


    No. Kyran already knew this ce was ''bad'' from the moment he arrived, especially how strange-looking beasts infested the whole area killing each other to eat or take each other''s internal organs. Aside from this, the fact that there were obelisks, and a magic array made by his predecessor right here, meant this ce was already beyond bad.


    Kyran recalled thenky man''s words and his undisguised killing intent when he realized that he was a ''human'' and not a ''Numa.''


    ''This is supposed to be training. What the hell is with that killing intent?'' Kyran thought through clenched teeth.


    To be honest, if he did manage to replenish his magic reserves back at the ck obelisk''s area, he probably would not be able to warp at such a long distance.


    He actually had a choice to warp to the ck obelisk, but though it was a distance away from the gray one, it was still closer than the makeshift workroom. The man would find him immediately if he warped around there.


    Apart from that, he was fortunate that he could perform the warp without the purple disc appearing beneath his feet.


    It was one of the ideas he thought of and wanted to try out after Zephyr''s advice.


    He usually had to summon the purple disc and use it to warp, which took some time. But he wondered if he could use the Void energy within him to warp himself in an instant.


    Good thing it worked. If not... well, Kyran would still warp using the normal way. He would probably end up beaten up before he could find a chance to warp, but he could still do it.


    The reason Kyran decided to escape instead of confronting the man was simple.


    When he was trying to find the man''s locations earlier and failed, he realized that it was not that he could not find him, but that his presence was everywhere. If he had stayed and fought, his death would be the result.


    He did not know why, but at the moment, he assumed it was something like a domain. Or even a technique unique to that man. It could even be an innate ability.


    ''Is this ce real or not?'' Kyran thought, but the truth, he already knew the answer.


    While it might be true the tower could create a ce and even ''beings'' for training; it was impossible to create a perfect being with pure killing intent.


    But this ce had it.


    That man had it.


    The worm-like beast also had it.


    All the beasts he had seen so far had it.


    ''Void path, huh? Just what the hell is it supposed to be?'' Kyran wondered, feeling a little frustrated.


    He already had his hands tied with the matters of his n. Now, this Void path did not look like training at all. It was more like a preview of what he had to expect while treading the Void path¡ªsomething Kyran did not want to know at the moment.


    After a few minutes, Kyran forced himself to calm down. Then he sat cross-legged and started to check his body using his magic sense.


    His internal organs had suffered a bit but not much. The man''s pressure was tremendous, but thankfully, Kyran''s magic energy protected his organs from avoiding getting crashed. His bones had a few cracks but also nothing major. If not, it would be a huge problem for him. Even with injured internal organs, he could still move, not with broken bones or internal bleeding.


    As Kyran thought of these, he btedly realized that he had left all of his things back there.


    Groaning in frustration, he looked over the iron anvil he used as well as the smithing tools he left inside the makeshift workroom.


    He had no time to create new ones. It was tooborious.


    Then he remembered what the obelisks were made of, and his Void core resonated at once.


    Kyran closed his eyes as he leaned forward while resting his elbows on his legs.


    ''Can I do that with limited magic energy?'' He wondered.


    He actually depleted half of his reserves to warp in the makeshift workroom. If he tried creating something from Void, it would definitely require a lot of magic energy.


    ''There is no other way. I can only try that,'' Kyran told himself, his eyes glinting with determination.


    That was right.


    He could not let this kind of setback get in his way. If the tower brought him here for other reasons than training, then so be it. He would deal with it head on.


    He had to runaway now, but next time he see that man, if he ever meet him again, then he would no longer run.


    No matter what, he would redeem himself.

 Chapter 220 True Legacy

    Kyran decided to rest for a few minutes before trying out his idea on Void creation. He also nned to use this time to sort everything he learned about this ce.


    Right now, he doubted a lot of things he initially knew about how the tower works. The man he just met only said a few things, but it roused far too many spections in his mind.


    He already had an inkling that the tower did not create this ce, nor was it located in one of its floors but was, in fact, a different ''ne.''


    When talking about nes, Kyran had been curious about the subject the moment Zephyr told them of the history his ancestor had passed onto him.


    Zephyr talked about a few nes during his exnation. There was the Demon ne, the Spirits ne, and even the Dragon ne. Then their ne, which was the Human ne.


    p This ce was definitely not one of those.</anda>


    Obviously, the Dragon ne Zephyr talked about was filled with dragons, while the Spirits ne was the ne where Spirits lived. As for the Demon ne, it was where the demons that invaded the Human ne hade from.


    Zephyr did not say it outright, but Kyran had a feeling there were more nes apart from these three he mentioned. He recalled te saying something about a Higher Being their master had said. Kyran guessed that ''Higher Being'' must be from another ne as well.


    This tower also appeared to be part of the Human ne, yet it was not. For all they knew, it could actually be part of another ne that somehow ended up in the Human ne. It was pretty much simr to the Regis Terram hidden in the heart of the Regis Ancestralnds. As Zephyr exined, the Regis Terram was part of the Dragon ne that ended up in the Human ne.


    With all of these pieces of information, Kyran spected that one way or another, different nes found their way into the Human ne. The demon invasion was one of its results as well as the Spirits'' seek for refuge.


    Zephyr had exined that a thousand years ago when the Void Master appeared, the Spirits had rejoiced. Then he and the Spirits had ''disappeared'' for a few months, and when they had returned, the demons had already arrived.


    Kyran took note of this fact because of his predecessor''s disappearance. Not only that, it was because of how Lumi almost slipped and said that her domain could notpare to his predecessor''s Void Wo¡ªwhatever the Wo was supposed to be.


    Of course, Kyran had an idea as to what word Lumi was going to say back then. But he did not dwell on it at the time because he had other priorities.


    Thinking about that now, however, he realized that Lumi was not talking about his predecessor''s domain, but what he could do using his Void Wo¡ªwhatever it was. Besides Kyran already knew what his predecessor''s domain was and it was different from Lumi''s because, in her domain, she could create things, while his predecessor could reject the existence of other magic.


    Kyran would not understand what Lumi really meant if he had not seen the obelisks in this ce. Add to that, his predecessor''s words that his magic was not all about destruction, Kyran pretty much knew his train of thought was on the right track.


    If Kyran had to put all of these pieces of information, he arrived at one conclusion.


    The previous Void Master was able to go into different nes and ''create'' things out of nothing. As to why he had to go to different nes and create things, Kyran guessed it had something to do with the reason why the Spirits went to the Human ne to take refuge, and his predecessor''s disappearance soon after.


    ''The Spirits'' ne probably faced something bad, that they needed my predecessor''s help to create something,'' Kyran pondered. Then he recalled the state of this ce and his expression turned grim. ''Did hee here as a request from someone, like the Spirits? Is it a Numa? Like what that man said that lived here? But if that was the case, how did they manage to reach my predecessor? And why would he even bother to help them?''


    Suddenly, Kyran recalled what the founder of the Conve had requested for the new Time Keepers to do once the new Void Master arrived, and that was to make sure he would not die this time. Kyran had a feeling it was somehow connected to what his predecessor could do.


    Kyran''s head throbbed as he pondered all of these things. He rubbed his temples with furrowed brows.


    ''Is the Void path transported me here to understand that the matter of saving my n is the least of my worries? That there are far bigger and more important things in y here that I have to understand?''


    The more he thought of this, the more it became a possibility. His predecessor''s death suddenly became a big conspiracy that did not only affect their ne but also others.


    At least, that was how he saw it now.


    Kyran closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. He knew that saving his n was not the end. But this kind of undertaking was too much for him toprehend right now.<sub> </sub>


    After almost an hour of much contemting, he finally decided, ''Let''s think about it after dealing with this ce first. I need to find a way to get back to the tower.''


    Kyran already had an idea of what he needed to do to finish his training in this ce. It was to fix those obelisks and do something about that ominous-looking blood-red tower.


    ''If I go there, I will definitely see that man again. Can I defeat him?'' Kyran wondered.


    Recalling how that man''s presence was everywhere, how could he even fight? That man could probably adjust to anything in a blink of an eye because he could see any sudden changes with such a powerful presence.


    ''Regardless of whether I can defeat him or not, when we meet again, I will have to do what I can. I can''t fall here.''


    With that in mind, Kyran shifted his mindset. He would think about the restter, but now he first had to put his understanding of Void creation into practice.


    The next few hours, Kyran immersed himself in trying Void creation. He only had limited magic energy, thus, he had to make the best out of it.


    Meanwhile, thenky man Kyran met, arrived at the area where the ck obelisk was.


    The moment he saw the magic array as well as the annoyingly rich magic energies within, his face twisted in an ugly scowl.


    ''It''s that guy...'' He thought with eyes glinting with pure hatred and malice.


    For more than a thousand years, he had done everything to destroy the obelisks that corrupted the rich death aura of his ne. If not for these obelisks, his rule in this ne would have been guaranteed.


    However, a thousand years ago, a weak-looking human had appeared in his ne and built these ursed obelisks that tried to bnce out all of the energies in his ne.


    Soon, rich vegetations appeared and the Numas rejoiced which slowly made the death aura dwindle.


    The man would not allow that. So he did everything in his power to destroy the obelisks. He even created his own tower to counter the flow of the energies of the obelisks. It also influenced the beasts to mutate and tried to disrupt the obelisks.


    Right after, the death aura started to spread once more. The Numas fell into despair and the man once again felt his power regaining. His rule had returned.


    However, destroying the obelisks was difficult to even for him.


    So he ventured out, nurturing some of the mutated beasts to do his bidding. When the death aura had started to return, those beasts had tried to replenish the obelisk by offering their own organs. The man was annoyed. He tried to massacre all of these but they were far too many. That was why he decided to nurture his own beasts.


    Now, these beasts roamed and eat most of the other mutated beasts. They still tried to fight back but it did not matter. The man''s mutated beasts were powerful and intelligent. They were able to find ways to trick and trap the others.


    But then the Numas started to do their own research into nourishing the obelisks.


    The man had to leave his tower and also ventured out again to suppress them and kill those who opposed him.


    Everything was doing fine, and yet, suddenly he lost contact with one of his mutated beasts.


    After looking for it, he found a young Numa wandering around his ne.


    At first, he followed him in silence, he was curious about him. How did he manage to leave and venture outside the tower?

 Chapter 221 Im Coming (1)

    As the man followed the young Numa, he soon found traces of his lost mutated beast''s aura around him. Instead of getting angry, the man kept following him. His curiosity turned into anticipation, the anticipation of knowing how this young Numa killed off his mutated beast.


    Yes.


    The man had long confirmed that something had killed his mutated beast. As soon as he entered the area where he let that particr beast roam free, using his divine sense, he searched for it. He found its carcass mutted and some of its parts missing. That was the reason he initially thought a new mutated beast had killed it. After all, the Numas were far too small to kill his mutated beast, especially mutte it. At most, the man had thought that a new king-level mutated beast had emerged. He would subdue it and make it his new pet if that were true.


    And that was the man''s train of thought when he met the young Numa. Knowing that the young Numa had extraordinary strength, the man even thought of taking him as his sessor.


    Only someone capable of facing danger at such odds and prevail would enter the man''s line of sight. As such, he had yet to choose his sessor even after a thousand years.


    But then, that young Numan turned out to be a human. The same as the one who had created the obelisks.


    That damnable race.


    It had been a thousand years since he had met them. And even then, he only went because of another human''s summons. As much as he did not like humans, ignoring that particr human was troublesome. He did not like troublesome things, so he went. It did not ur to him that the reason why that human summoned him was precisely to destroy the man he despised.


    Since they both shared the same interest, he assisted that human.


    The man''s red eyes glinted malevolently as he stretched his right arm to his side.


    From the direction he aimed at, a growling sound appeared. The ground trembled, and the air hissed with the aura of death. Soon after, a medium-sized beast with the body of a stag and the head of a lion appeared.


    A ck mist wrapped around the beast''s body as it got dragged to the man''s position. The beast roared in anger, struggling to break free.


    When the beast was only ten meters away from the man, the ck mist turned into a huge hand gripping it. The man''s right hand aimed in the beast''s direction made a squeezing gesture, and the beast roared in pain. Its eyes turned bloodshot as its life force gradually squeezed out from it.


    A visible change appeared on the beast''s appearance as its body started to wither, and its golden mane began to fall.


    The man''s glowing red eyes grew fierce as he drained more of the beast''s life force.


    His action was just an insignificant detail of what he wanted to do when he found the ''human.''


    The beast he captured soon became skin and bones. However, the man did not stop taking in the beast''s life force until its body turned gray and slowly ashed. Before the ashes crumbled to the ground, the ck mist circled it, assimting the ashes, taking everything within.


    When the ck mistpletely transformed the ashes, the ck mist flew toward the man''s outstretched hand.


    The man opened its palm, and a slit slowly appeared in the middle. The slit widened and soon turned into a mouth with razor-sharp teeth. It opened its mouth wide as it sucked in the ck mist flying toward it.


    Thick reddish veins appeared on the man''s arms as the mouth on its hand sucked the ck mist. It pulsated, and a violet tint seemed to blend into the man''s glowing red eyes. A faint ck aura seeped out from his body, instantly making the air and the ground tremble.


    The man emitted pressure that swept through the whole area, affecting everything in the vicinity. All the beast carcasses around crumbled as cracks formed on the ground.


    However, within the ck obelisk''s area of effect, the man''s pressure had no effect whatsoever. The glowing magic array formed a faint purplish half-sphere that protected the whole area, neutralizing the man''s pressure.


    Finally, the man closed his eyes while lowering his arm.


    As always, his power had no effect around a fully activated obelisk. Only when the death aura in thend began to recover did the obelisk''s energy start to wane. By then, he had already gathered his mutated beasts and tried to do everything to destroy or disrupt the obelisks'' purpose.


    s, he only managed to disrupt two obelisks even after almost a thousand years, and now someone had arrived trying to revive them.


    Unforgivable!


    The man took a deep breath calming his raging emotion. The young human''s vanishing figure shed through his mind, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    When the man opened his eyes, it no longer glowed malevolently. Instead, his eyes filled with a silent coldness that could petrify anyone who looked into them too long.


    "That ability... could it be after a thousand years... you have returned?"


    The man''s shoulders shudder as a soft chuckle escaped its lips.


    "That bitch failed in the end. It seems I''ll have to visit her soon. I hate it when someone breaks promises. But first..."


    The man looked up. A ck aura burst out from him and directly shot up in the dark skies. Soon, a ck veil slowly spread above to enclose thend below.


    Howls and roars of mourning appeared one after another when all of the mutated beasts around saw the ck veil cover the skies. Their cries reverberated, filling the air like a choir singing a chorus of death.<sub> </sub>


    The man''s lips moved. He did not shout when he spoke¡ªhowever, his words reverberated in the air like thunder, shaking the wholend.


    "I''M COMING FOR YOU."


    During this time, Kyran was still immersed in his study of Void creation. He only had the obelisk as a reference, but it was enough for what he nned to create.


    A formless dark purple energy hovered before him as he tried to shape it into a new object. It proved to be very hard to do, though. He was missing something, and he was unsure what it was exactly, only that it was something very fundamental.


    Suddenly, the ground quaked, and once again, Kyran heard the man''s voice.


    "I''M COMING FOR YOU."


    A cold shiver ran up Kyran''s spine when he heard the man''s voice. Same as before, it shook the wholend, but there was a slight difference. The man''s voice appeared very close this time, as if he was right next to Kyran, whispering directly into his ears.


    Kyran felt his Void core tremble. It was not the same tremble when it resonated with his emotions.


    "Argh!" Kyran doubled over as he felt a searing hot pain spread in his body. The pain started from his heart and slowly spread outward, filling every part of him.


    Cold sweats trickled down Kyran''s face and back as the pain intensified. He btedly realized that the pain he was feeling now was almost the same as when he had taken the Elixir.


    "Guh!" Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    Before his blood touched the ground, the formless dark purple energy moved and drew the blood in. Slowly, the formless dark purple energy began to take shape. However, it appeared unable to sustain its activity and returned to its formless state.


    Though Kyran was in pain, he managed to witness this, and his eyes widened.


    This sudden turn of events overturned the emerging fear he had when the man''s voice reached him. His attention had shifted entirely back to what he was doing.


    ''D-Don''t tell me the missing item is... blood? My blood?'' He wondered. As the thought shed through Kyran''s mind, his Void core stopped tormenting him, and the pain subsided.


    It dawned on him that since he failed to understand what he was missing, his Void core took it upon itself to tell him the answer.


    ''T-This... can''t be right. I mean... my Void core only carried the experiences of my predecessor so why is it... acting like this?'' Kyran thought, his mind reeling at this realization.


    He had thought when he was in danger, and his magic energy appeared to move on its own, it was because it was due to it acting based on the experience his Void core had.


    Now...


    ''Focus, Kyran!'' Kyran suddenly told himself as he got up on his knees.


    ''Blood. I''m missing blood with this...''


    His expression suddenly turned sour. Once again, he needed blood... Just how many techniques required his blood?


    ''No... not exactly my blood,'' Kyran suddenly thought.


    His Void core hummed in agreement after he realized he did not have to use his blood. He could use others, but...


    If this was true, no wonder his predecessor was also named Dark Sage! This kind of technique was too dark!


    With eyes full of determination, Kyran stood up and left his makeshift workroom, leaving the hovering formless dark purple energy inside.


    If he had to be honest, he did not want to leave this ce. Who knew what kind of trick the man he met had to locate him. But since he had a lead on how toplete his first Void creation, then he would see it through.


    ''There are a lot of beast carcasses here,'' Kyran thought, remembering how easy it was for him to gather blood as an alternative to water.


    ''After I finished this, I''ll find the obelisk around this ce and see if I can replenish my magic energy. No, I have to replenish it, or else I''ll be doomed if that man do find me.''


    However, even as Kyran resolved to do this, it seemed he had overlooked something.


    It was unfortunate that the location where he was had few beasts. If not, he would have heard their wails as the ck veil filled the sky.

 Chapter 222 Im Coming (2)

    It did not take Kyran long before he had gathered enough blood. He even found some fresh ones. It made him wonder how many beasts were still around in this part. When he first arrived, he did not see any beasts around this part. To be precise, most of the ces he went had few beasts, which made it easier for him to avoid.


    ''Could it be that my special circumstance works with the beasts here as well?'' Kyran wondered while pulling a small beast''s skull full of dark blue blood. ''If it is, then it''s okay. I won''tin.''


    He made his way back to the makeshift workroom and started creating his first Void creation.


    The idea of Void creation was converting surrounding energies into another. The denser the converted energies were, the better it was to solidify its form. It was how the ck obelisk was made. It wasposed of different types of energies that had been converted into Void energy.


    In this ne, Kyran already understood that although there were no energies in the surroundings, each creature possessed it in their bodies. As long as the part of their body remained intact, they would be able to replenish it. On how it happened, Kyran could only guess that it had something to do with their blood. Since blood flows in every part of the body, it can nourish the energy of any organ. It also answered why blood was needed in Void creation in this ce.


    To make a betterparison, blood in this ne was simr to the surrounding energies in the Human ne.


    ''I will not have any shortage of energy for Void creation in our ne but here,'' Kyran could not help but sigh at how hard it was for a mage to live here, given how hard it was to replenish their own energies.


    Every creature here could not possibly kill each other to collect each other''s blood. Actually, it appeared that was the exact scenario happening in this ce now. However, those offering organs to the obelisks were trying to revive the magic array his predecessor had left behind.


    Thinking of this, Kyran had a better understanding of what his predecessor was trying to do in this ce. He tried to stop all creatures from killing each other by making those obelisks that could create energy in the surroundings.


    Still, Kyran wondered if his predecessor''s obelisk was made to activate only when an organ was activated. He had an inkling that it was not the case. Those obelisks must be working on their own, as long as the cycle of creation was kept.


    Unfortunately, something happened that stopped the cycle of creation.


    ''Is solving problem, my supposed training here? If I seed, will I be able to return?'' Kyran wondered.


    He was full of anticipation to return to the Human ne. He could not wait to practice more of the Void creation. At least in the Human ne, he would not have any shortage of energies in the surroundings and could practice to his heart''s content. Once he managed to perfect the Void creation, it might solve his problem of not possessing a magic weapon.


    If he could create any weapon in thin air, he did not have to rush finding his predecessor''s magic weapon or making one for himself.


    Of course, Kyran still nned to find or create a magic weapon suitable for him, but that would definitely take some time.


    Kyran sat cross-legged on the ground with the skull filled with dark blue blood a few feet away from him and the formless dark purple energy hovering right above it.


    He took a deep breath before lifting both his hands toward the formless dark purple energy with his palm facing forward. Three small purple rings, each at least two-inch smaller than the first, appeared and danced before each of his palms.


    Using his magic sense, Kyran willed the rings to hover around the formless dark purple energy while moving his hand ording to the shape he wanted it to take. As soon as he moved his hand, all the purple rings pulsated. The dark blue blood in the skull started to boil and slowly rose toward the formless energy.


    Beads of sweat trickled down the side of Kyran''s face as he controlled the purple rings.


    As more dark blue blood got absorbed by the dark purple energy, the energy''s formless state began to solidify.


    Soon all purple rings glowed as they moved around the energy.


    Kyran''splexion turned pale as he sensed the remaining amount of his magic energy drop at an incredible speed. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain when his Void core crackled from the strain as his central core squeezed every remaining magic energy within.


    Half an hourter, Kyran doubled over and coughed out a mouthful of blood. His body burned from exhausting all of his remaining magic energy.


    ''But all of this is worth it,'' he thought as a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    A faint blue and purple glow filled the makeshift workroom.


    Using his right arm to support himself, Kyran used his right to wipe the blood off his lips. Then he lifted his gaze before him at his first Void creation.


    He reached out his left hand to touch the glowing object before him.


    ''With this, if I ever met that man, I will be able to¡ª.''


    BOOM!


    The boulder where Kyran was, copsed after an invisible force fell from above.<sub> </sub>


    Around a thousand kilometers of the boulder had been ttened, leaving the wholend in shambles.


    The force had reduced all the beast carcasses within the area to dust. Those still alive had either been crushed to death or fatally wounded. Mournful howls filled the air as these beasts struggled to stay alive.


    Above a hundred meters, ck mist materialized, converging in the middle. They formed into a silhouette which soon revealed thenky man in a long red coat.


    The man gazed at the destruction below with eyes full of unconcealed excitement.


    How many years had passed since hest felt this excitement?


    An excitement that left his whole body trembling and his blood burning, if there was one thing he regretted when he had killed the human he despised, it was the fact that he had lost a powerful nemesis. Though that human left those annoying obelisks that he had yet to destroy even to this day, he missed a good fight.


    The young human might have escaped the first time they met, but it was okay. The man did not mind. Anyone had tried to flee in his presence anyway. He was used to it. But the keyword there was ''tried,'' because, in the end, they all failed.


    Just like now.


    This location was where the man found the young human''s aura. It was very faint, which was why it took him some time to pinpoint the exact location. However, he already knew that a young human would have a faint aura. Because before, that ''human'' also had a very faint aura. And knowing this, thenky man was even more convinced that ''he'' had really returned.


    Thenky man walked down leisurely with a huge grin on his face. Every step he took, a ck mist would appear before him, serving as a foothold.


    "Come out. I know you''re here."


    He had spoken in an average volume. Still, his voice reverberated in the air, shaking thend below.


    Every beast outside the thousand-kilometer radius felt their body shake from fear as soon as they heard the man''s voice.


    One after another, howls ofment filled the air.


    They might not know what was happening, but their instincts told them that the sovereign of thend hade here to kill. The sovereign''s excitement might be overshadowing his killing intent, but the fact he was excited made his appearance more fearsome.


    From where the boulder had been, the rubbles shook.


    "Hm?"


    The man noticed this and immediately turned his attention to that location. His grin widened, and his eyes faintly started to glow.


    "So that''s where you have been hiding."


    As soon as the man had spoken, a mixture of ck, blue, and purple blur shot out from the rubble. The blur went straight at the man who was still in midair.


    Thenky man''s eyes glowed red as he stretched out his arms, weing the iing blur.


    "Good! Very good! Come let me see what you can¡ª."


    The blur stopped right in front of him, but then it suddenly shifted and disappeared.


    The man''s eyes contracted and turned at once. However, he was a fraction of a secondte as a fistnded squarely on his face.


    BANG!


    A clean solid sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded in the air. Shockwaves broke out from the impact, and the man got sted to the ground.


    BOOM!


    Another shockwave spread out as the man hit the ground. Clouds of ck dirt filled the ground below.


    "Sorry, I didn''t say I''ming," Kyran said as he looked at the cloud of ck dirt below.

 Chapter 223 True Void (1)

    Donning two thin dark blue and purple gauntlets, Kyrannded on the ground while keeping his eyes on the spot where the man with the long red coat had fallen. Several hexagonal-shaped tes, which were less than an inch in size and had the same color as the gauntlets, hovered around his body, circling him. Soft humming sounds like a pulse could be heard from within the tes. A few of these tes would sometimes merge, taking on an uneven shape, before unmerging after a few seconds as they hovered around Kyran.


    These tes were the result of his first Void creation.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to create an armor that could withstand the man''s pressure. Then he thought an armor was too big and might use up what was left of his magic energy, so he decided to go for a weapon. But he could not decide which weapon to create. His first choice was still a spear. Without information about the man''s abilities, a spear was better for testing the waters since it had different ranges. Unlike a sword which would only be good in closebat. Short des were also an option since he could aim better if he threw them. Of course, this was only possible if he had a lot of short des to spare.


    In the end, Kyran chose to make shape-shifting tes that he imbued with magic sense to control and shape them at will. The idea came to him as he recalled what he wanted his Void Scales to be capable of before. Too bad he could not use magic sense before; thus, he had limited control over the Void Scales.


    If Nn were here, he would have been shocked and even felt a little uneasy because the function of Kyran''s tes was simr to how he used his ck orbs. The only difference was their shape; Kyran''s tes were hexagonal, while Nn''s were obviously round. And if te were here, she would havemented that they were indeed rted, havinge up with the same idea.


    Luckily, he managed to seed and also finish in time. If the man hade a few seconds early, he might have seeded in ttening Kyran to death.


    That was how Kyran survived when his makeshift workroom got destroyed by the man''s invisible attack. As soon as the workroom started to crumble, he willed the shape-shifting tes and formed a half-sphere around him.


    Initially, Kyran decided to hide within the rubble until the man left. He might have seeded in making a Void item, but fighting the man head-on was still impossible. With no magic energy and no Regis Technique or Draconic magic to boost his physical abilities, how could Kyran possibly fight? He might be fearless most of the time, but he was not suicidal. Kyran would only engage in a battle where he was at a disadvantage if he had a trump card that could ensure his win or at least escape from imminent death, but at the moment, he had neither.


    Unfortunately, the man had a way of tracking Kyran.


    With only two options to choose from, to die inside the rubble, or fight and create a chance to escape, Kyran chose thetter and made his move.


    He willed a few of the shape-shifting tes to attack the man directly, while he went in the opposite direction to attack the man from behind.


    When the shape-shifting tes were finally in front of the man, Kyran had also appeared behind. The tes immediately rejoined the rest and hovered around Kyran while some covered his arms to form gauntlets.


    When his fist hit the man''s face, he was shocked at how much force he exerted.


    Although Kyran had an indifferent expression right now, in truth, his heart was beating heavily in his chest, and he could barely control his breathing. He did not expect his sneak attack¡ªat least, he considered it a sneak attack¡ªwould actually work.


    BOOM!


    An explosion erupted from where the man had fallen.


    Instantly, the shape-shifting tes hovering around Kyran formed an arc in front of him, shielding him from the shockwave that followed after the explosion.


    "Ergh..." Kyran covered his head with his arms while lowering his body. Even with the shape-shifting tes'' protection, he still got pushed back by the shockwave. He dug his feet on the ground, trying to break his movement.


    ck mists crept out from the center of the explosion as a burst of maniacalughter filled the air.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    The cloud of ck smoke dispersed, revealing thenky man. There was no trace that he had been punched on the face, nor was there any clue that he had just fallen. His long red coat flickered behind as his pressure rose.


    "What''s this? You''ve learned to talk back? No, no, no. That is not important. Why did you use your fist? Wait, wait, wait. That is not what I want to ask."


    The man''s smile twisted in an unsightly grin as he took one step at a time toward Kyran.


    "How did you be so weak?"


    A grim look instantly reced the man''s smile.


    Whoosh!


    Kyran''s eyes widened as the man who was supposed to be a few hundred meters away suddenly appeared before him, with only ten meters between them.


    "Disappointing," the man said in a low voice. He raised his right hand before thrusting it down in a quick motion.


    "Asunder."


    At the same time, when the man had made a downward motion with his hand, a bolt of ck lightning, as thick as thirty centimeters, dropped from above toward Kyran.


    p CRACKLE!</anda>


    Kyran barely controlled the shape-shifting tes to form a half-sphere around him before the ck lightning struck down. To be precise, if his instincts did not warn him of the danger the moment the man raised his hand, he would not be able to react in time before the ck lightning struck.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion erupted the moment the ck lightning hit the shape-shifting tes. Waves upon waves of shockwaves shook the whole area, in which every wave the ground cracked or caved in a few feet.<sub> </sub>


    The ground caved in from inside the half-sphere and made Kyran drop to his knee as soon as the ck lightning struck. The shape-shifting tes trembled before sizzling sounds echoed as it turned some of the force of the ck thunder to nothingness. As for the rest, the tes either absorbed the shock or repelled it, which caused bits of the thunder to rebound on the ground and spread out like a spider''s web.


    "AAARGH!" Kyran roared, raising both his hands to support the tes above him.


    His skin burned because the ck lightning hadpletely enveloped the shape-shifting tes. Still, he endured the pain as he exerted everyst bit of physical energy he had.


    Kyran''s eyes bulged as red veins appeared around his eyes. His skin got torn Scabs from where the ck lightning had touched. Blood seeped from his hands and arms. However, because of the scorching heat building inside the half-sphere, his blood immediately turned into vapor. His insides churned, and his bones creaked as his body absorbed some of the ck lightning''s shock.


    Thenky man sneered as he watched the young human struggle inside those weird-looking tes.


    He could have ended his suffering by killing him. But he admitted that he was curious about what he could do. Those weird-looking tes smelled of blood, and it was an item different from ''that'' human''s creation. Besides, he was having so much fun hearing the young human''s despair.


    The man took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He savored the sweet blending of soundsing from the lightning and the young human''s despair.


    "Ah~ yes. This is the right sound. How long has it been since I''ve heard such sounds that could shake my soul."


    He opened his eyes, and they glinted in delight.


    "More. I want to hear more!"


    Thenky man had said as he spread his arms.


    Above, the ck veil parted as thick ck clouds formed around the still falling ck lightning. Then the man waved his hands like a conductor, conducting an invisible orchestra. With each strike of his hand, a bolt of new ck lightning fell from above, adding more force on the first one.


    "Guh!" Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood, and he almost fainted from the sudden increase in the ck lightning''s strength.


    A few shape-shifting tes showed signs of breaking as they shook violently.


    ''N-No,'' Kyran thought, his mind reeled, trying toe up with an idea to escape from this predicament.


    At first, he regretted not escaping as soon as the man fell to the ground. But recalling the absurd speed the man had in crossing hundreds of meters, he knew he would not be able to run far before he was captured and killed.


    For some reason, the man decided to torture him instead of killing him at once. Kyran was notining. As long as he could endure, there would definitely be a chance for him to escape.


    At least, that was Kyran''s initial thoughts.


    Now...


    ''If only I have enough magic energy,'' he thought through gritted teeth as cracks formed one after another on the shape-shifting tes.


    Thenky man''s pupils constricted as his smile broadened.


    "More!"


    Another ck lightning struck the first one.


    "More!"


    A lightning bolt fell again and its diameter thicker than the previous one, shaking the shape-shifting tes.


    "MORE!"


    Three ck lightning bolts fell simultaneously, destroying the shape-shifting tes above Kyran.


    Atst, the first bolt of lightning that got amplified so many times crashed down on him.


    The first thing that registered in Kyran''s mind was not pain but a numbing feeling. It instantly reduced the firstyer of skin on his arms into dust and passed through every part of his body. As the lightning reached his feet, it spread to the ground and into the remaining shape-shifting tes, also destroying them.


    The lightning assaulted every part of Kyran, and even his magic cores started to tremble. And it was only then that his mind finally registered the pain.


    "AAARGH!"


    Kyran screamed.

 Chapter 224 True Void (2)

    Everything in Kyran''s vision turned white as the pain consumed his senses. He could no longer see anything, not the ck sky or his hands supporting the shape-shifting tes earlier. All he knew was his whole body was on fire that even his bones felt they were already melting.


    Amidst the searing white pain, the faces of each Regis n member, as well as all the people that he did not know actually mattered to him, shed through his mind.


    Kyran suddenly recalled the words of one of his team members when he was still in military school. At a critical juncture of their exam, that person fell into despair because of the difficulty of their task. Then he suddenly said:


    "My grandma said, when you face death, some of your memories with all the important people in your life will sh through your mind. I wonder if I''ll get to see that before I die. If I can, I wish I could see Ms. Millie''s smiling face at least."


    ''Does this mean... n-no!''


    Kyran''s heart sank as the reality of dying dawned on him. Though he did not believe what his team member had said before, suddenly seeing the faces of all the important people in his life after being subjected to a myriad of pain scared him. He could not possibly die here!


    Before Kyran could fully register what was happening, an invisible force suddenly pulled his consciousness, making everything around him blur.


    Soon after, his vision darkened, and the next moment, he was standing in front of their courtyard.


    The first thing he noticed was he was no longer in pain.


    No. urately speaking, he could not even feel his body. This state was simr to when his central core went out of control near the Chaos Pce.


    Kyran looked at the courtyard in front of him, and the feeling of nostalgia swept through him. But the scene before him was devoid of color, movements, and sounds. However, as if someone had returned the flow of time and reality, the colors appeared then, followed by the movements and sounds.


    In the courtyard, Kyran saw all of the little ones were running toward the open gates while a few male and female teens tried to stop them. The little ones'' gleefulugh echoed in all directions, drowning the teens'' unconvincing threats to make them stop.


    At the hem of the running, little ones, was a dark-haired cute little girl, dressed in a pink light dress. Her two pigtails bounced around as she giggled while leading all the mischievous little ones toward the gates.


    "You can''t stop us! We shall conquer the outside world and be the rulers of the courtyard!"


    Kyran''s heart squeezed, and he felt a sudden lump in his throat as he stared at the little girl.


    ''Kyra...''


    Kyran''s view shifted without any warning, and suddenly he saw his grandfather''s broad straight back. His long ck hair flowed down his back as he gazed at the massive wall in front of him.


    They were inside the inheritance room of the Regis main house, and Aron was looking at the whole Regis Family Tree painted magically on the wall.


    "Our family had been around for more than forty generations, and your father will soon shoulder all of the legacies left by our forefathers. However..."


    Aron turned, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.


    "...you may be your father''s son, and my grandson, but that doesn''t mean you need to shoulder it as well. Your time wille, but not today. And when it happens, it may even have to shoulder an entirely different legacy. Do not bind yourself to the n, Kyran. Explore the outside."


    ''Grandfather¡ª!''


    Once again, Kyran was not given time to linger on his emotional turmoil as the whole scene dissolved before him.


    He was now in a very dark ce, making it hard to distinguish directions.


    After a few seconds, Kyran finally heard some incoherent sounds from a distance.


    Soon, the voices drew near, and he could finally understand what they were saying. But the moment he heard one of the voices, Kyran could barely keep his emotions in check.


    "Is there really nothing you can do?"


    ''F-Father...''


    "I''m sorry, Master Cade, Patriarch Aron."


    ''T-That''s Chairman Malia''s voice...'' Kyran noticed. He tried everything to move and find where the voices were but failed miserably. He had no control over his body¡ªor consciousness.


    "I am also at a loss. I cannot find the cause of such an illness. But, maybe if we can see how it happened we may have a clue."


    "Please, allow me to have a look with my magic."


    ''President Can?''


    "If it can help understand my son''s illness, then please do."


    It was Kyran''s first time hearing his father sound so desperate. He gritted his non-existent teeth and even clenched his illusionary hands as he tried to contain his emotions.


    "Very well. I will now begin..."


    Can''s voice started to fade out.


    Finally.


    "Kyran..."


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he recognized the owner of the voice.


    From a distance, a small light flickered.


    "Forgive me. I had prayed that I can free you from this fate, but the Fates just won''t allow it. At the very least, we want you to find your own path... No matter what, your father and I will help pave it."


    ''Mother...''


    Finally, the small flickering light burst out, revealing his mother and father''s faces. Both of them looked about ten years or so younger, with eyes filled with tenderness and love.


    It did not take Kyran long to understand that this was a memory he had forgotten. He knew he had fallen ill when he was six years old. However, he had no memory of what had happened. Kyran also did not ask because he found out he could not be a mage after he recovered, and he felt really sad.


    "I will now seal you. If not, you will soon break my son''s body. I cannot allow you to do that."<sub> </sub>


    Cade suddenly said, which made Kyran look on dumbfoundedly.


    ''What?''


    The scene before him blurred, and a blinding light erupted, forcing Kyran to close his non-existent eyes.


    When Kyran could finally open his eyes, he found himself looking at his magic cores.


    ''This...''


    His eyes widened as he realized where he was. He immediately wandered his eyes, trying to find his predecessor.


    Instead, a deep male voice had spoken.


    "You won''t find him here."


    Kyran turned to face the direction where the voice hade.


    Unfortunately, he did not find anyone anywhere.


    The voice chuckled and said, "Just where are you looking?"


    It was then that Kyran realized that each time the voice had spoken, there was a soft huming from his Void core.


    "Don''t tell me¡ª."


    "Why not?"


    Then, a faint purple silhouette of what appeared to be a small round... furball with round clear eyes shot out from the Void core and appeared before Kyran.


    The appearance of the furball instantly broke Kyran''s initial image of a hulking man.


    "Your expression tells me you''re disappointed."


    "I am," Kyran replied without even trying to conceal it.


    Instead of being offended, however, the furball burst outughing.


    "BAHAHAHA! Right? I am too! Seriously, what''s with this form?"


    Kyran furrowed his brows in confusion. Wasn''t the furball its form? More importantly, who¡ªor what exactly was he? Or it? Well, he sounded male, so he should probably consider it a ''he.''


    "But well, this form happened because of your father."


    After the furball said this, Kyran managed to put two and two together, as he replied, "You''re the one my father said he''d seal. I had thought he sealed my magic but it turned out it was you."


    The furball''s round eyes squinted as if it was grinning.


    "He did. He sealed your magic cores. But he did it because after I woke up, I needed a lot of magic energy. I mean, I''ve been out of it for sooooo long, I am starving." He exined and added, "Too bad your little fragile body could not handle it. So yeah, I allowed him to seal me."


    "Why do you need a lot of magic energy? Just what are you?" Kyran asked one after another. "More importantly, am I dying? Or am I already dead?"


    "To answer yourst question, at this moment, that ck lightning is destroying your physical body."


    "Then¡ª."


    "Hold your horses. Right now, you are inside your sea of conciousness. Time flows differently here. Hm..." The furball''s clear round eyes looked up as if in deep thought and added, "Actually, there is no time here. We can talk as sloooow as we want and outside, you''re body is still in the state of being destroyed. But yeah, you''ll die either way."


    Kyran red at him, "Tell me how to leave."


    With big round eyes, the furball looked at him, "And hasten your death? No way! You die, I''m toast. I can''t wait another thousand years to wake again. No wait. You don''t even have any children to pass on your legacy yet!"


    "Huh?"


    "Anyway~," the furball suddenly appeared on top of Kyran''s head.


    "Oi¡ª."


    "Let''s get down to business."


    Kyran did not respond and instead looked at the furball sitting on top of his head. But all he saw was the furball''s furry bulging tummy. The furball was right, though. If Kyran woke up now, he''d end up dead. But if he learned anything from the first time he found himself inside his sea of consciousness, he managed to ovee a dangerous predicament. This time, returning here definitely meant there was a way for him to ovee his situation.


    The furball pointed at Kyran''s central core first before saying, "Remove the seal, and I''ll take care of that ck lightning."


    Kyran''s mind reeled at the furball''s words.


    It turned out there was a way, after all.


    But still.


    The furball sensed Kyran''s hesitation. He was not offended, though; he simply chuckled and said, "That''s right. I haven''t answered your two questions yet. I know you love to ask questions, and don''t worry, I actually love to answer! And to answer your questions, I needed a looot of magic energy simply because of what I am."


    Kyran immediately caught on to how the furball chose to say ''what'' and not ''who.''


    "As to what I am."


    The furball paused for a few seconds before answering, "I am what your predecessor calls, the True Void."

 Chapter 225 True Void (3)

    ''True Void?''


    "Well, if you don''t want a cool and mysterious answer, then I can tell you that I am your predecessor''s partner."


    ''Partner?''


    The furball''s answer mighte as another question to others, but Kyran immediately understood what he meant. In the end, he was right to call the furball an ''it.''


    "Yep~. That''s exactly what I am."


    Ignoring the fact that the furball could read his thoughts, doubts surfaced in Kyran''s mind.


    If the furball was indeed what Kyran thought it was, then how did it end up getting into his Void core? Didn''t the magic cores of mages who had Ancient magic only store the magic experiences of previous generations? How would the furball, which had a corporeal form, be inside his magic core?


    Seemingly sensing Kyran''s doubts, the furball did not wait to be asked any questions. He deliberately exined, "No need to stress about the details. But, I know it will gnaw at you if you don''t get your answers, so let me give you a brief exnation."


    "Before my master, your predecessor left, he absorbed my spirit into his magic core, leaving my physical form hidden in a safe ce. Because if not, and somehow that conniving fox returns and found me first, my master''s sacrifices will be for nothing."


    Kyran felt an iing headache. Meeting someone that, one way or another, had information of when his predecessor was still alive always gave him more questions than answers.


    It was the same with Zephyr. He did tell them about the memories his ancestor passed onto him, but it was only half of the truth. In the end, there were more things that Kyran had to ponder on his own.


    The furball might be able to tell him the remaining half of the truth, but who knew if his memories were still intact. There was also a possibility most of his memories were sealed or erased because technically if he had all of his memories, wouldn''t Kyran be confused about whose memories or experiences were resonating with him from the Void core?


    "Right, conniving fox. You mean the Soul Emperor, right? I''m not sure what you mean about her return, but so far¡ª."


    Cyneah''s face suddenly shed through his mind.


    No. Cyneah was not the Soul Emperor''s sessor.


    "¡ªwe have no news about a new Soul Emperor."


    Kyran was supposed to say there had been no Soul Emperor after the first one, but just what the Regis''s did with him, the Royal Family might have also hidden her sessors.


    "Hm. Doesn''t matter. Regardless if there is a new one now or not, if that whore finds me, do you know how bad it will mean for you? Just wielding a piece of me could ruin a nation. What more if she had the whole thing?"


    Kyran felt the furball shiver as he added, "Ugh! I don''t want her touching me, seriously. That vile double-faced whore! No matter how innocent she appeared to be, she will never fool me!"


    As the furball went into a tirade of how much he despised the Soul Emperor, Kyran, on the other hand, was more interested in what he said about a ''piece'' of him.


    However, before he could dwell more on this fact, he immediately shook his head and rebuked himself, ''Don''t get sidetracked!''


    "Okay, let''s get back to the topic and forget about that whore," the furball cut his own rantings and asked, "Is my answer enough?"


    Kyran did not reply at once. Instead, he pondered for a moment, trying to digest the things he learned from the furball. He also recalled the scenes he saw before appearing in his sea of consciousness and tried to sort them with the rest of what he already knew.


    At this moment, he finally had a better grasp of why his family hid his magic. It was not only to protect him from the Royal Family but also to give him a choice. A choice to find his own path.


    In the end, it did not happen the way they wanted, but still, they prepared so many things before the worse had happened.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally asked, "If I unseal you, how are you nning to deal with that ck lightning?"


    Instead of answering, the furball asked back, "Do you know what that ck lightning is made of?"


    Before Kyran could reply, the furball answered his own question, "Magic energy."


    Immediately, Kyran''s eyes widened in disbelief. He tried to grab the furball on his head to give it a better look, but he remembered he did not have a real body here since he was inside his sea of consciousness.


    Wait. Where exactly was the furball sitting, if that was the case?


    "You n on eating it?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yesss," then the furball chuckled in a very coarse way before adding, "Just imagining how much magic energy that one had makes me drool."


    "Don''t drool on my head."


    "Bahahaha! Even if I did, this isn''t even your real head," the furball replied.


    "You''ll eat it. How exactly? You only have a spirit."


    The furball flew out of Kyran''s head and hovered before him.


    "You have those shape-shifting tes. I can use those," the furball answered with a matter-of-fact tone.


    Kyran frowned slightly, "You... I wouldn''t be in this situation if the tes are still intact."


    The furball fell silent. He was not speechless from the shock of realizing this small detail but from Kyran''s ignorance.


    "You think such an attack can destroy anything made of Void? Are you looking down on your own magic?"


    Kyran only replied with raised brows.


    The furball sighed, seeing Kyran''s confused expression.


    As much as he wanted to scold this new Void Master¡ªwait, he could not even call Kyran a master with such little understanding of the Void, but anyway¡ªthe furball understood that Kyran''s family had tried to give him a new path. And his master was aware of it when he agreed to leave his legacy with the Regis. But because Kyran was given another path, which was the path of the Dragons, he had been forced to view things at face value.


    The path of the Dragons was the real path of destruction, not the Void. Although the Void''s destructive side wasparable to the Dragons because it could return all creations to nothingness, the absolute path of the Void was to give birth to all things. Kyran was only beginning to understand that truth, but his prejudice hindered his view.


    "Anything created from Void remains in the void. If your creations are destroyed, they return to the void. When that happens, then just pull them out from the void!" The furball told Kyran. He suddenly looked at his furred fingers to count how many times he had said the word void.


    Kyran looked at the furball with wide incredulous eyes. He already understood that he could create things from the Void, but it would take some time to form. However, the way the furball phrased it sounded so easy like... err...magic.


    Kyran could not help but mentally scratch his head at the unintentional pun.


    He focused his mind on the topic of his tes being destroyed. How could he recreate them without the blood¡ª.


    "Nothingness gave birth to all things," Kyran suddenly muttered, remembering what Zephyr had said. It was as if a small lightbulb had been lit in his mind.


    The furball hopped around with gusto in an imaginary tform when he heard Kyran, and he replied, "Yes! Yes! You''re finally getting it. All you need is magic energy! As long as there is magic energy, then you''re practically invincible."


    Kyran gave the furball a dull look, "Did you forget I''m drained of magic energy. How will I¡ª."


    Another lightbulb lit in his mind after a sudden realization hit him. His eyes widened as, one by one, the small lightbulbs lit up as ideas popped in his mind one after another.


    The furball had said that he needed a lot of magic energy to stay conscious. He remained somewhat conscious when Kyran finally learned to absorb magic energies in the surroundings, but it was not enough for the furball to take on a form and interact with him.


    Kyran''s magic energy had been drained a moment ago, so how did the furball manage to appear before him?


    It was because after getting hit by the lightning, the furball had started to absorb the magic energy from it gradually. It was also why it failed to destroy Kyran''s body at once.


    "Yes! Yes!" The furball hopped around once more after sensing Kyran''s thoughts. "Oh, right. The fact your body is not destroyed at once after getting hit by that lightning is only partly because of me. I am still sealed, so the magic energy I can absorb is limited. If I have to make aparison, the speed in which I absorb the lightning''s energy is only around 5% of the speed in which the lightning is destroying your body."


    Kyran looked at the furball, "Then how long do I have left, in real-time?"


    "Hmm..." The furs in front of the furball ruffled and lifted three furred fingers.


    "Three minutes? Thirty seconds?" Kyran guessed.


    "Three seconds," the furball replied with a stern voice.

 Chapter 226 True Void (4)

    "What?" Kyran eximed.


    To only have three seconds was practically telling him to return and die. What could he possibly aplish in three seconds?


    "Don''t worry. Your body has been blessed by the Dragon King and¡ª."


    "My Draconic core is sealed right now. I can''t use any Regis techniques to enhance my physical abilities."


    The furball gaped at him again, "Seriously, I don''t know if the lightning had muddled your brain already or you''re simply stupid."


    "Oi¡ª."


    "You have dragon''s blood flowing in your veins! You also drank the Elixir which tempered not only your flesh but your bones! Didn''t you notice your punchnded solidly earlier? That''s because your body is alreadyparable to a baby dragon!"


    ''B-Baby,'' Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Putting the ''baby dragon''ment aside, Kyran felt his head throb from these revtions. He did consume a drop of dragon''s blood when he was younger, but the key phrase there was ''a drop.'' Was having a drop of dragon''s blood enough to say he had dragon blood in his veins? As for the Elixir, how would he know that it could temper his body? He almost died from the pain he experienced then!


    "Your punch can kill normal being¡ªscary, but it can''t kill nor put a scratch on a sovereign that had a puny physical defence."


    "A Sovereign?"


    Hearing it again made Kyran recall how the red-coated man called himself the Sovereign of this ne.


    ''So it was not a self-proimed title? He really is a Sovereign? But what does it mean?'' He wondered.


    The furball stopped hopping around and looked at Kyran. He btedly realized he had said too much. If his master were here, he would chew him alive. But since he was not, then maybe he could tattle some more. Hehehe.


    "The world is vast, new Void Master¡ªerr... Void Halfling."


    "Oi."


    "Sovereigns are mages who seeded in reaching the Higher Realm," the furball continued, ignoring Kyran''s look of irritation. "Once a mage bes a Sovereign he will have the ability to enter other nes. Some sovereigns love to visit, either to destroy a ne, or rule it. Such as what happened to the Spirits ne and this ne, until my master resolved them. Well, the bnce in this ne was supposed to have been restored but that Sovereign, that red-coated man, seems to love this ce and had not given up."


    At first, Kyran listened simply to understand if the red-coated man was someone he could deal with eventually. But the more he heard the furball''s exnation, the more he felt his scalp go numb.


    If the higher realm the furball talked about was the same one Nn told him his predecessor reached, then it meant the red-coated man was higher than a Magus, an Arch Magus, or a Legendary! It also proved that his predecessor did reach a far higher realm, a Sovereign. It would also exin how his predecessor came to this ne. As a sovereign, he could travel into other nes.


    How Kyran looked at the world changed in an instant. All this talk about nes and sovereigns made him realize how small the Ylfaen Empire was. His situation probably appeared trivialpared to what was happening to the other nes.


    However, to Kyran, the Regis n was far more important than anything. He was no savior that would concern himself with matters outside his n. His predecessor appeared to be a busy body who meddled with other nes'' situations, but in the end, did he not die in his original ne?


    The furball sighed, sensing Kyran''s thoughts. As much as he wanted to defend his master, the truth was, he also did not know how he died. Because before the decisive battle with the Soul Emperor, his master already took his spirit. At first, he protested, wanting to stay by his master until the end. s, his master just smiled and told him his end woulde but not that day.


    Pushing all of these sad thoughts at the back of his mind, the furball continued, "Anyway, that''s all I can tell you right now. My master was right, you are not yet ready."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at this. Not many people knew that one of the things he hated the most was being told he was not ready.


    "Don''t get worked up," the furball hastily said, sensing Kyran''s annoyance. "My master did say that, but the truth, he was the one whose not ready. BAHAHAHA! His consciousness can only appear if you''ve met certain requirements, after all. Don''t tell him I told you that."


    Kyran, annoyed by the furball''s previous words, felt like he was doused with cold water by the sudden shift in the mood. But he decided to let it slide because he also understood that there were things that should be discussed at the right time. And now was not the right time to talk about the past.


    There were things Kyran had to do first. Once he settled those, he did not mind devoting himself to finding out the whole truth about his predecessor and what happened in the past. Besides, if he did not set his priorities right, he''d be dead today!


    "Now, will you remove my seal? Though I said we can talk as sloooow as we want here, it will not stop your imminent death," the furball reminded him.


    "Alright," Kyran replied.


    If the furball had requested his seal to be removed before Kyran saw the magic array his predecessor had made, he probably would be a little hesitant.


    After all, the seal he wanted to be removed was made by Kyran''s father. Compared to his father, Kyran''s Array attainment was definitely that of a ''halfling.'' Proof of that; he did not even sense that there was still a seal in his magic cores.<sub> </sub>


    "I''ll start now." Kyran dered, adjusting his mindset at once.


    "Sure~. Don''t take your time, though. Right about now, if your brain is fried, then it''s instant death to both of us. If you wanted to die don''t take me along! Seriously, why did you not even leave any child behind! "


    "Who told you to illegally reside in my magic core? And I''m only eighteen, I''m not even married!"


    "So what? When we survive this, go find a woman and make a child!"


    Kyran ignored him and started focusing on his central core.


    "Onest thing before youpletely ignore me," the furball interrupted his thoughts.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He really could not have any privacy in his sea of consciousness. It was supposed to be his consciousness, yet everything he was thinking got exposed from all the illegal tenants!


    "Stop referring to me as ''the furball,'' okay? I may not be a human, but I already have a spirit. I also get hurt being treated like a furball."


    "Fine. What will I call you then?" Kyran replied. He admitted that referring to this furball as a furball felt a little strange. Like he could not take him seriously.


    "I already told you. Refer to me as True Void. Actually, that''s my name. Pretty cool, right?"


    ''Is it?''


    "Oi!" Now it was his turn to feel insulted.


    "I''m going to work on your seal now, quiet down," Kyran changed the subject.


    He was still worried about recreating the tes as soon as he returned because he only had three seconds to aplish it. If he failed, the result was his death. But amidst his worries, Kyran also admitted feeling a little eager to try it. Once he got a full grasp of creating things and recreating them when they got destroyed, it would be one of his trump cards.


    "Sure, sure."


    But before Kyran could start, True Void spoke again, "Oh, onest thing."


    Kyran frowned, "Just how many onest thing do you have?"


    "This is thest one. Seriously."


    Kyran could only sigh and reply, "Go ahead."


    "Once the seal is broken, focus on summoning those tes. The Sovereign will definitely feel something is wrong once I absorbed the ck lightning. Before that happen, wait for my signal then warp to the tower."


    Kyran looked at him with wide eyes.


    "The red-blood tower? I can''t even get close to it."


    "That is because there are barriers preventing any creature with not enough magic energy from getting close. To pass each barrier, you needed a certain amount of magic energy. Did you notice that you are able to get close until the third obelisk before you felt the barrier''s restriction? It is because your magic energy is no longer enough to enter the next one," True Void exined.


    "I see, that''s why. Once you absorbed the ck lightning, I will have enough magic energy to pass through."


    True Void hopped around, "Yes! That kind of barrier is a signature move of the red-coat Sovereign. That red-blood tower is not there when my master restored this ne. The Sovereign most likely built that to counter the obelisks. Destroy that tower, and I will help re-activate all of the obelisks. Once that happened, magic energy will flow in this ne once again and will gradually restore bnce. The Sovereign will be pissed and will definitelye after you, though."


    "He definitely will want me dead," Kyran agreed. "If restoring this ne''s bnce is the purpose of my training, I will get transported back to the tower. But if not, then I have to stay until I find it. When that happens, I don''t know how long I can run away from that man."


    The thought of running away was not discouraging for Kyran. If running away meant he could keep his life, he would. As long as he was alive, he would be able toe up with a counterattack.


    "Don''t worry, you have me." True Void said pompously.


    Kyran could only look at him with a straight face. At the moment, True Void did not sound convincing with his deep voice yet had a furball form.

 Chapter 227 More Food!

    If anything bothered Kyran after surviving this situation, it was the fact that sovereigns could enter other nes. Wouldn''t that red-coated sovereign go to the Human ne to get even?


    "A sovereign of another ne could not freely enter a ne of another sovereign," True Void said as soon as he sensed Kyran''s thoughts. "Only the ne that sovereign had conquered can be entered freely. Even if the sovereign of this ne forces his way into the Human ne to look for trouble, his strength will get restricted because of the Human ne''s Sovereign."


    "The human ne has its own sovereign?" Kyran wondered. But he was not really looking for an answer. His predecessor was a Sovereign, though he might not necessarily be the Human ne''s Sovereign. Besides, he was already dead.


    Did this mean there was a new sovereign in their ne?


    Nn''s face suddenly popped into Kyran''s mind. He remembered Nn telling him only one person had reached the higher realm, and that was his predecessor. However, there had been a few instances where Nn never made things clear. One of which was how he evaded Kyran''s question about him being a Magus... Could it be that he was...?


    No. No. No. Impossible. Although Nn''s behavior was suspicious, too many factors pointed out that he was not. But what if...?


    ''Argh! Stop thinking about this for now! You''re dying out there for goodness sake!'' Kyran reprimanded himself.


    ''Focus!''


    True Void cleared his throat. Knowing Kyran''s thoughts, he prayed in his heart that his master would not find out he had tattled too much. Now, his master''s sessor had more things to think about because of him.


    Finally, True Void decided to change the subject and said, "Right, right! Let''s talk about that another time."


    "Yeah, let''s do that," Kyran agreed at once. Knowing too much at this point was not good for his current state. It felt as if his death was certain once he knew all of these things at this point.


    Before adjusting his mindset, though, he remembered another person he had not met yet but was shrouded in mystery. Nn only mentioned that person indirectly, but they never really talked about him or her once, the person who possessed thest jade ring.


    Since Kyran had no way of getting his answers right now, he put everything at the back of his mind and added it to his mental list of things he had to find out. After that, he focused on removing the seal on True Void.


    What happened in Kyran''s sea of consciousness seemed to pass for quite some time, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed.


    From when his shape-shifting tes shattered to the ck lightning finally touching his outstretched hands, it all happened in under four seconds.


    Thenky man watched everything happen with eyes glimmering in delight. To him, the young human''s agonizing scream as the ck lightning snaked down his arms had been one of the most exhrating sounds he had heard for a few hundred years.


    Yes. It had been such a long time.


    Thenky man''s blood boiled in anticipation awaiting the young man''s next move. He did not believe that his attack would kill him. After all, he barely used 5% of his power. If he had exerted more than that, his most beloved ne would definitely start to crumble.


    However, thenky man had only started savoring the young human''s scream when it died down as the ck lightningpletely consumed him. With a slight frown, thenky man stared at the scene in front of him with a sudden vignce reflected in his red eyes.


    This kind of attack could not have destroyed the young human. Thenky man did not believe it would be easy to kill him.


    What happened next appeared to flow in slow motion.


    With a foreboding feeling, thenky man immediately flew up into the air. The ck veilpletely blotted out the dark sky once again.


    One.


    The full brunt of the ck lightning fell on the ground, shaking the whole area.


    Two.


    A massive explosion followed, destroying at least a four hundred-meter radius of the surroundings as thest traces of the ck lightning vanished.


    Ripples appeared around thenky man as ck mist rose from the ground outside the explosion.


    Three.


    Suddenly the spread of the explosion froze, and as if someone had pressed a rewind button, it started to shrink back to the center.


    A huge grin reced the frown on thenky man''s face. His red eyes glowed fiercely as he stared zealously at the location where the young human had been.


    "Good! Good! This is how its supposed to be! Don''t disappoint me!"


    Even before thenky man finished his sentence, the explosion below had nowpletely disappeared, revealing a huge crater on the ground. A glowing dark blue and purple orb floated in the middle of the crater.


    On a closer look, the orb''s surface was not smooth but had lines with a hexagon shape all over it.


    Inside the orb, Kyran was on his knees, breathing heavily. His clothes had started to mend. However, his flesh could be seen underneath from the parts that had yet to recover. In some areas, his bones were even visible.<sub> </sub>


    A pained look was seen on Kyran''s blood-stained face.


    The suffering he had endured from the ck lightning attack wasparable to his experience with the Elixir. Both times, he felt his body had been burned and shredded to pieces. However, there was a distinct difference between both experiences. When he suffered from the Elixir''s effect, he had lost consciousness during which his body was healing. Today, he had lost consciousness but managed to regain them, only to feel the excruciating pain again.


    He managed to prevent himself from dying of blood loss, but the external and internal wounds he had were practically killing him.


    [Focus on healing, I''ll cover you.]


    True Void''s voice echoed in Kyran''s mind.


    Kyran could only nod once in response. Breathing was already torture, even more so if he tried to move.


    WHOOSH!


    Outside, one after another, the ck mists around thenky man converged into different-sized shapes. All of these shapes began to take the form of most of the mutated beasts that Kyran had encountered, albeit ck mists swirled around their bodies.


    "Let''s start over."


    Thenky man spread his arms, and the tattoos all over his body glowed. As if in response to his glowing runic tattoos, all of the ck mist mutated beasts roared and charged over to the dark blue and purple orb.


    [Bahaha! Charging valiantly like that doesn''t scare me! Because I, True Void, only see you as treats~!]


    The dark blue and purple orb shifted, and a few hundreds of its tes disengaged from it. Holes appeared on the orb from where these tes had vacated. But the remaining tes shifted as they filled these holes. The orb''s size had shrunk, but it managed to maintain its shape.


    The few hundreds of tes that left the orb reconnected, forming four triangr-shaped shields. All four shields covered the orb forming a pyramid, and their color turned a little transparent in the process.


    All ck mist mutated beasts closed in on the orb with a few with mouths wide opened as a ball of dark energy had started to form. Others had dark energy form on their ws, while the rest transformed their bodies into pure dark energies.


    The beasts gathering a ball of dark energy in their mouth, released their attack toward the orb when they were about twenty meters away. The rest prepared to pounce on the orb after the others destroyed the shield.


    When the ball of dark energies was only five meters away, the four triangr shields glowed light purple as a huge magic array appeared in front.


    An incredible force erupted from the center of the magic array as all ball of dark energies was pulled in.


    However, it did not only pull in the dark energies but everything and anything that came within a ten-meter radius.


    One after another, the beasts within a ten-meter radius was sucked into the magic array.


    Thenky man''s eyes immediately narrowed upon seeing this. He did not look angry, though. On the contrary, his eyes glimmered in excitement.


    "This! This power! You truly have returned! AHAHAHA!"


    Maniacalughter filled the air.


    "Come! Show me more!"


    The ck mist around thenky man thickened, and dark clouds converged outside the ck veil above. Thenky man pointed one finger above, and arge red rune appeared on the ck veil, just beneath the center of the converging dark clouds.


    The dark clouds seeped into the ck veil from therge red rune and spread over the sky, filling more than fifty thousand kilometers radius from where thenky man stood.


    Peals of lightning appeared within the dark clouds, and the temperature instantly dropped.


    All of these changes happened in less than three seconds.


    "Manus," thenky man said.


    In an instant, a huge red hand with bolts of lightning swirling all over it appeared from the dark clouds and went straight to the dark blue and purple orb.


    Others would have despaired the moment they saw such a power-filled hand.


    For True Void, though, it brought more joy.


    [Yes! Yes! More food!]


    Unfortunately for thenky man, Kyran was the only one who could hear True Void''s excitement.

 Chapter 228 Miscalculation

    The huge magic array in front of the semi-transparent pyramid changed position. The void runes written around the magic array rotated as more runes extended outward, making the magic array''s radius wider every second.


    Crackling sounds filled the air as the giant red hand pressed down on the dark blue and purple orb.


    Thenky man spread his arms with glowing red eyes as ck mist shot out from every direction. The ck mists flew toward the visible arm of the red hand, boosting its power. A visible change appeared on the red hand as it grew in size. It was as if the red hand was trying to outgrow the growing magic array above the dark blue and purple orb.


    The wind that was practically non-existent in this ne erupted. It surged with great intensity from under the giant red hand as it rapidly descended toward the dark blue and purple orb. Ripples appeared in the surroundings as crackling sounds filled the air.


    The giant red hand mmed into the magic array, and a massive shockwave erupted in the air.


    BOOM!


    CRACKLE!


    Crackling sounds followed as the magic array resisted the red hand pressing down on it.


    [BAHAHAHA! YES! YES! Thank you for the feast!]


    True Void''s gleeful cheer echoed in Kyran''s head. Dark purple energy formed at the center of the magic array that was constantly rotating and expanding.


    FWIP!


    Half a secondter, a huge amount of dark purple energy shed through from the center of the magic array, instantly piercing the palm of the red hand. A massive vortex formed around the hole that appeared in the red hand. Residues of the dark purple energy mixed with the vortex, and the hole expanded, obliterating the rest of the red hand.


    The direction of the vortex was not upward but downward, slowly getting sucked into the center of the magic array.


    A guttural bellow reverberated above that shook not only the sky but also the ground below. Its intensity affected not only the area in which the ck veil had covered but almost the entire ne.


    Web-like cracks formed above, spreading all over the dark sky; it looked like the sky would crumble any minute. The forearm of the red hand slowly ascended as if trying to salvage what was left of its hand. However, the dark purple vortex seemed adamant on sucking everyst bit of the red hand as the magic array grew once more, strengthening the vortex''s suction ability.


    Every creature on the ne who heard the bellow as well as seen the cracks in the sky immediately prostrated themselves on the ground as if in worship. They knew only one person who could shake the whole ne like this, and it was the Sovereign of Ruin.


    It had been a while since they had witnessed his anger, and they all feared for their lives. Because thest time he was angered, he obliterated more than half of all living creatures in the world.


    While every creature in the ne prostrated themselves to soothe the anger of the Sovereign of Ruin, the subject of their worship was watching the severed red hand.


    The Sovereign of Ruin was none other than thenky mank in the long red coat.


    When the dark purple energy pierced through the red hand he had summoned, a mixture of red with gold blood trickled down the side of his lips. His eyes glistened not with anger but with delight.


    The red hand he had summoned was actually the hand of one of his Seven Sentries.


    Another reason a sovereign was feared and able to conquer nes was their ability to create their own Guardians. As the Sovereign of Ruin, thenky man had created seven which he called The Seven Sentries. Right now, the hand he had summoned belonged to the weakest among the Seven Sentries. But it did not matter since any of his sentries could destroy a ne if they appeared in the flesh.


    For this reason, thenky man only summoned the weakest sentry''s hand to avoid inadvertently destroying his beloved ne. He also used only about 5% of his power to morph it into its original size.


    However, it was still not enough to match the power output from the young human''s weird-looking item.


    To be honest, thenky man was unsure what kind of item the young human possessed. All he knew was it smelled like blood from one of the rarest mutated beasts of this ne.


    But the weird-looking item was not the reason why he was delighted.


    Thenky man was delighted by the young human''s power output. To him, it was indeed the most annoying ability of ''that human.'' The first human he had met, who was only a pseudo-Sovereign, could ignore the restrictions ced on other sovereigns entering a ne of another sovereign.


    Clearly, the young human had that human''s power. But thenky man was aware that all those who died would not retain their abilities once they returned. At most, they had the same type of power and aura.


    For the young human to also retain ''that human''s'' most annoying ability truly delighted thenky man. His decision not to instantly kill the young human earlier had been the right choice.


    ''Your level is still a far cry from your past self,'' thenky man thought. ''As such, I will only y with you. But before that, I need to confirm something.''


    His lips turned up into a wide grin filled with malice as he flew down, leveling himself with the same height as the dark blue and purple orb.


    As he descended, his long red coat whipped behind him. He spread out his arms to the


    Countless same-sized red rings appeared on thenky man''s arms. The red rings extended out, forming a massive circle outline enclosing the dark blue and purple orb. As these red rings connected, ck and red lightning bolts shot out from thenky man''s hands and snaked inside the rings, connecting at the end.


    As soon as the ck and red lightning bolts connected, the countless red rings glowed and rotated at an incredible speed.


    More cracks appeared in the sky and dark clouds where the red hand had descended slowly seeped back to the huge red rune on the ck veil. As the dark clouds retreated, the red hand also started to vanish.<sub> </sub>


    [No! No! Wait! I''m not finished eating yet!]


    True Voidined, and Kyran, who had been silently watching everything from inside the orb while trying to heal his body, could not help but mentally scratch his head.


    If True Void stopped talking, he actually appeared ''cool'' in Kyran''s opinion.


    True Void had been controlling the shape-shifting tes all this time. Kyran, who created the tes to form into different offensive or defensive weapons or barriers, was shocked at how True Void used the tes. It was not that Kyran did not think of using the tes the same way True Void had, but he knew doing so would require a significant amount of magic energy which he did not have. Even if Kyran did have a vast amount of magic energy, he was unsure if his central core would be able to handle the strain.


    It dawned on Kyran just how deep True Void''s ''stomach'' was. No wonder he needed a considerable amount of magic energy. The ck lightning that could kill Kyran was eaten instantly, and yet True Void was not satisfied. Even the ck mist mutated beasts were only ''treats'' to him.


    Kyran wondered if his predecessor named him True Void because of his bottomless appetite,parable to the void. Regardless of his predecessor''s reason, Kyran believed the ability to ''eat'' energies was not True Void''s only ability. There were more that he could not fully utilize since he was not using his real body.


    [Void Halfling!]


    Kyran''s brow made an involuntary twitch from how True Void called him.


    [The red-coated sovereign is preparing something big, have you healed enough yet?]


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once upon hearing his warning. He kept his eyes on the red-coated man hovering a few hundred meters away from them while he confirmed his body''s condition.


    "About 60%," Kyran replied.


    Using the magic energy that True Void shared with him, Kyran was able to circte the dragon blood in his veins to recover most of his flesh. At the moment, all his exposed bones were already covered after his flesh regenerated. His internal organs were no longer bleeding, although they were still damaged. Most of his skin had also regenerated. However, his hands and arms were still underway as his flesh had yet to regenerate fully.


    [Too slow! Too slow!]


    Kyran could almost imagine True Void in his furball form, hopping around frantically.


    "I''m trying. But its my first time doing this without the Regis Technique."


    [Argh! He''s going to pull something really big! This is bad! This is bad!]


    Before Kyran could reply, the huge red rune above grew as the cracks on the sky crumbled, revealing a star-filled night sky.


    Thenky man grabbed the bolts of lightning he had summoned, and the glowing red rings changed into countless pirs that shot up the sky as well as down the ground. It surrounded the whole area with the dark blue and purple orb at the center.


    Ripples formed above the star-filled night sky as a circr door formed. The star-filled sky looked like the circr door''s design. A vast amount of energy filled the air as the doors slowly slid open, and cold dark mist seeped out from the small opening.


    [Argh! I''ll cover your body first! Warp out fast!]


    The shape-shifting tes that formed the orb immediately moved. It shrunk in size and covered Kyran''s whole body like the Void Armor, except this time, his head was also covered, and the armor itself was bigger and looked sturdier.


    [Let''s go! Let''s go!]


    Even as True Void had spoken, Kyran was already circting his magic energy, preparing to warp.


    The huge magic array True Void had summoned disappeared as the semi-transparent pyramid decreased in size, still protectively surrounding Kyran.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as he activated his warp ability, focusing on the red-blood tower in the distance.


    At that exact moment, the man said, "Ruin."


    The circr door finally burst open, and a blinding red light slowly descended, turning everything it touched into a blood-red color.


    [Go! Go!]


    True Void shouted.


    However.


    Kyran''s scalp had gotten numb after realizing a grave problem.


    The red light crept down on them as he said, "I can''t warp!"


    [What?]

 Chapter 229 You Should Have Aimed For The Head

    [What do you mean you can''t warp? Was it sealed? Is it because of this space? No way! No way! This space doesn''t have that sealing ability!]


    True Void''s panic-stricken voice echoed in Kyran''s head.


    But Kyran was not really listening. At this point, he had already forced himself to stay calm while his brain had kicked into overdrive. Half of his attention had started to analyze the reason why he couldn''t warp, while the other half kept a vignt attitude toward the descending red light.


    In just a second, Kyran confirmed his ''warp'' skill was still in the standby mode and was still waiting for a valid location he could warp. All of the information he had gathered when he was researching the limits of his warp ability shed through his mind instantly. Afterwhich, he concluded that the red-blood tower''s location was considered an invalid location for two possible reasons. One, there was a highly-advanced array around the red-blood tower that might have the ability to counter or prevent others to ''warp'' inside. Or, two, the tower itself might not be real; either it was an illusion, or the location was considered ''non-existent.''


    [It''sing! It''sing!]


    True Void''s shouted, looking at the descending red light, which was only ten meters away from the tip of the semi-transparent pyramid.


    Kyran did not need a reminder because he was still aware of the red light''s descent.


    "We''re changing location," he told True Void and immediately thought of the ck obelisk.


    Going back to thenky man, he also moved as soon as the orb changed form and became the young human''s armor.


    With eyes glinting with anticipation, he pulled the ck and red lightning he held on his hands. Immediately, all the pirs curved, with the lower half forced to reduce their area size. The moment the lower half of the pirs moved, everything it touched on the ground below got reduced into a ck mist of mess.


    What thenky man did was simr to how someone would tie a bundle of straws using a rope in the middle. In this case, the pirs were the straws, while the lightning was the rope.


    When True Void saw this, he warned Kyran.


    [He''s trying to force us to move up! Sneaky! Sneaky!]


    That was not all. Since the circumference of the pir''s middle part had been reduced in size, the upper half looked like a long slope connected to the star-filled sky. As if the red light from the opened circr door was made of liquid, it slid down at an increased speed when it touched the pirs.


    [Void Halfling! Faster! Faster!]


    True Void screamed in Kyran''s head.


    "Still no good," Kyran replied through gritted teeth.


    Why couldn''t he warp at the ck obelisk as well? What was he doing wrong? He did not remember the magic array on the ck obelisk to have warp restrictions.


    Instead of dwelling on it, Kyran racked his brain and found another good location to warp. To be honest, he had a bad feeling about the descending red light. He did not know what would happen if it touched them, and he was not eager to find out. Maybe if the circumstances were different, he would not mind looking at it. But with so many limitations on him as well as an injured body, he would not risk it.


    "I''m taking control," Kyran told True Void, and instantly the semi-transparent pyramid moved. Its parts disengaged starting from the top and reconnected into a giant hexagonal shield covering them above.


    "It''s useless," thenky man said sneeringly. "Nothing can stop Ruin once it falls."


    "I see."


    Thenky man froze as soon as he realized the reply he just heard actually came from behind!


    Before he could turn around and check, he felt a p on his back followed by dark purple energy bursting out from his chest.


    "Guh!" Thenky man spat out a mouthful of blood. His blood and internal organs also spilled from his now hole-ridden chest.


    If others received such a fatal wound, they would have died instantly. However, even with a hole on his chest, thenky man''s eyes still glistened in vigor as he burst out inughter.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!"


    His eyes were still looking at the figure wearing a dark blue and purple armor hovering in midair a few hundred meters away from him.


    "You should''ve aimed for the head¡ª."


    A thin line appeared on his neck before thenky man could finish his words.


    "Hm?"


    Time appeared to have slowed down.


    Thenky man''s glowing red eyes widened as blood started to ooze down the thin line on his neck. Reflected on his eyes was the figure wearing dark blue and purple armor.<sub> </sub>


    "You..."


    At this moment, his head had started to slide, and soon after, it plummeted to the ground.


    Blood gushed out from thenky man''s neck. But the figure behind him was not deterred at he watched with indifferent eyes.


    The figure was none other than Kyran, who had warped behind thenky man to make a sneak attack.


    When he warped, he left the armor behind as a diversion. He also controlled the semi-transparent pyramid to shield himself from the descending red light, but in reality, he was preparing to warp.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Kyran replied while he looked at thenky man''s falling head.


    Kyran managed to stay in midair because he had left a few shape-shifting tes on the soles of his shoes. Right now, he could barely control them to stay in the air.


    True Void had seen everything a few hundred meters away and could not help but tremble in excitement.


    "Bahahaha! That''s sneaky! Really sneaky!"


    He, too, was fooled by Kyran''s sudden sneak attack, especially when he just told him he would be taking control. Initially, he thought Kyran nned to use the tes and make a few moves to divert the red-coated sovereign''s attention while he figured out how to deal with the descending red light. He did not expect Kyran to actually warp himself and make a sneak attack.


    Kyran''s quick wit and decisiveness had won over True Void''s approval. Aside from this, Kyran''s strategy was very different from what his master would do. An aggressive Void Master was worth following, in True Void''s opinion.


    Unbeknownst to him, when Kyran decided to make a sneak attack, the reason he aimed for thenky man''s chest first and not his head was to leave a fatal wound only. He did not n on killing him. Kyran''s first attack was him checking if it was possible to hurt the man. If he failed, he nned to warp away again and lure thenky man away from True Void. As to how he and True Void would regroup after that, Kyran would think of a way after he managed to run from thenky man''s pursuit.


    When Kyran finally dealt the blow on thenky man, he did not expect his pure void energy attack to really pierce through him. It reminded him of how his earlier punchnded solidly on thenky man and True Void''s randomment about a sovereign having puny defense. It dawned on Kyran that True Void must have been referring to thenky man.


    Kyran''s mind reeled at that moment, and without dy, he created a short de and severed thenky man''s head.


    His sneak attack had actually seeded. However, Kyran remained vignt as he looked at thenky man''s body that controlled the lightning binding the pirs.


    Soon, thenky man''s hold on the lightning loosened, and the pirs trembled, threatening to crumble.


    After seeing this, Kyran immediately moved and also cut off thenky man''s forearms. Thenky man''s body also plummeted to the ground.


    Without thenky man''s bodypleting the pir''s formation while holding the lightning, the pirs started to crumble. Cracks formed in the star-filled sky as the circr door also began to close. But just as thenky man had said, the red light''s descent did not stop even after his apparent death.


    "True Void!" Kyran called and looked at True Void.


    "Coming! Coming!" True Void replied. He flew toward Kyran''s direction with the hexagonal shield hovering above him.


    Kyran spread his arms as two purple discs appeared on his palms.


    "Ergh," he winced from the strain of moving his arms too much when they had yet to heal fully.


    Gritting his teeth, Kyran endured the pain and increased the size of the discs on his palms. After that, he aimed at the pirs before him and created a huge opening for True Void to get out from.


    BANG!


    SIZZLE!


    CRACKLE!


    A gigantic hand suddenly stopped the circr door above the star-filled sky from closing, and then a familiar voice burst out withughter that shook the whole ne.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    "What¡ª?" Kyran''s eyes widened as he watched the hand forcing the circr door to open.


    The whole ne shook, and multiple cracks filled the entire sky as well as the ground.


    By this time, the pirs had disappeared entirely. However, the star-filled sky remained, and the red light still descended from the circr door.


    "GOOD! VERY GOOD! I AM GOING TO ENJOY SLAUGHTERING YOU, YOUNG HUMAN!"

 Chapter 230 Snap!

    After hearing the thunder-like voice, fear gripped Kyran''s heart. He recognized the voice, and his eyes immediately looked at thenky man''s body that fell below.


    Thenky man''s body was indeed there, but the voice just now was definitely his.


    Once again, Kyran got pped on the face for his naivety. He might not have underestimated thenky man and even looked at him as if he was standing on a very high pedestal. Thenky man was a Sovereign, after all.


    Would a Sovereign be killed just like that? Even if his physical defense was weak, Kyran''s initial attack was magic base. Though he cut off the man''s head in the end, Kyran knew he would not really ''die'' that easily.


    Kyran would never feel disappointed for failing to kill the man. His main reason for attacking was to buy as much time as possible for them to escape.


    This was the reason after cutting the man and seeing him fall, Kyran immediately focused on getting True Void out from the red light''s influence. He even created a hole for him to escape from if those pirs had a way to reconstruct. If his magic had destroyed the pirs, it would not be easy to do so.


    Still, the few seconds Kyran thought he had bought for them were actually pointless.


    It was the feeling Kyran had after seeing the gigantic hand stopping the circr door above from closing.


    That hand was different from the red one earlier. This one looked more solid and real, which made Kyran feel it was the real hand of thenky man.


    All sorts of scenarios ran through Kyran''s mind in an instant. Scenarios that all ended in their gruesome death, and it was all thanks to his naivety.


    True Void, who had ignored the gigantic hand even after seeing it, focused on flying over to Kyran. He might be surprised at yet another turn of events, but it did not hinder him from moving and prioritizing his escape from the red light''s influence.


    However, at this point, he saw Kyran''s look of disbelief and suddenly had a bad feeling. It was okay if Kyran''s look was his regr disbelieving expression, but it was not. The time True Void had finally managed to attain a somewhat conscious state in Kyran''s magic core after learning how to convert Kyran''s life force into magic energy that could sustain him, he had witnessed some of Kyran''s everyday life.


    True Void remembered when Kyran had the same look of disbelief on his face when he was in military school.


    Because of a certain two-faced girl''s schemes, Kyran ended up getting bullied by several senior students in school. However, just when True Void felt pity at how his possibly new master''s life would end at such a young age, the scenes that unfolded before him left him reeling.


    Those senior students managed to escape the worst-case scenario, but only because Kyran''s magic was sealed at that time and the instructors had arrived just in time.


    Now...


    Snap!


    At this point, something snapped within Kyran, and in an instant, his expression turned nk.


    ''This is bad! This is bad!'' True Void thought, and his illusory arms shivered from fear.


    BOOM!


    The gigantic hand had sessfully pulled open the circr door, and a massive pressure fell on the whole ne.


    The ground erupted, and a massive chasm appeared where the bottom could not be seen.


    CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!


    All the cracks in the sky burst, and huge fragments crashed below as if the sky itself was made of ss. From where these fragments had been, star-filled night sky could be seen. These night sky had a feeling of being from another space and time.


    "COME AND PLAY WITH ME, YOUNG HUMAN."


    The thunder-like voice said, and the gigantic hand moved along with the red light glow toward Kyran. It seemed as if the gigantic hand wanted to take Kyran inside the circr door.


    As the gigantic hand and the red light descended, a small ck figure suddenly appeared right underneath their path.


    A deafening pressure erupted as a pure ck mass burst from the small figure and shot up toward the gigantic hand.


    The moment the pure ck mass collided with the gigantic hand and the red light glow, a massive ripple appeared on the sky, which spread out for more than a hundred thousand kilometers.


    The gigantic hand froze midway while cracks appeared within the red light glow.


    BOOM!


    "THIS¡ª."


    The thunder-like voice was cut off midsentence as the small ck figure rushed up toward the frozen gigantic hand. A reddish-purple light formed around the figure giving anyone who saw it the illusion of looking at a zing reddish-purpleet.<sub> </sub>


    As it pierced through the red light glow, sparks flew from every direction. Blood-red color dyed the outer edge of the reddish-purpleet as the red light glow''s effect kicked in.


    As thenky man called it, Ruin had the ability to taint everything it touched into a blood-red world. Any living lifeforms corrupted by Ruin would have their souls crushed, preventing them from being reincarnated, and their bodies turned into red soil. The area where Ruin fell would also be turned into blood-red ruins that humans would never be able to live in again.


    Just as the red light appeared to have overwhelmed the reddish-purpleet, the surroundings crackled as fissures appeared everywhere.


    If one looked into these cracks, one would have the illusion of looking at the depths of the abyss.


    The appearance of these fissures stopped the red light''s advance. It also affected the reddish-purpleet''s breakthrough, resulting in a stalemate in power between the two.


    The huge chasm on the ground shook, and soon more crevices appeared on the ground, looking like a colossalplex spider web. From the crevices, dark gray smoke rose, followed by the eruption of red hotva.


    These crevices were not limited to the area covered by a hundred thousand kilometers, but the whole ne.


    Those creatures that had prostrated themselves were now in a frenzy, not knowing what to do. This urrence was different from when the Sovereign of Ruin was angry. The feeling they got from this destruction was far more sinister. Because the Sovereign of Ruin might destroy parts of their ne when he was angered, but he would never go too far.


    However, this time, they felt as if their ne would face total annihtion.


    "Void Halfling! Stop! Don''t destroy the ne my master had saved!"


    True Void''s pleading voice boomed amidst the sound of crackling and constant eruptions below.


    However, whether it reached Kyran or not was the question.


    That was right, the reddish-purpleet that had rushed toward the gigantic hand and the red light was indeed Kyran, who appeared to have entered a trance.


    Kyran did not fall into a state where he was not in control. On the contrary, when he snapped, his mind suddenly cleared. He could see everything in a new light, which also made him realize that he had the ability to takeplete control of everything. Yes, everything. His emotions, his movements, his thoughts, his magic. Everything.


    It was because of this reason he rushed up toward the gigantic hand.


    When Kyran''s mind cleared, finally understood if he wanted to escape from thenky man and also ''pass'' the training the tower had given him, he first had to close the circr door forcefully because the circr door was thenky man''s domain.


    Thenky man''s domain was in the sky because it could not be summoned inside the ne. If he did, the whole ne would immediately crumble.


    As for the ''body'' of thenky man Kyran had cut earlier, it was only his manifestation or part of his real essence, as others might call it. Killing it might wound his real body, but not fatally.


    If Kyran seeded in closing the circr door, it would take thenky man some time to return to this ne. Because the essence he left in this ne had been destroyed.


    Of course, to close the circr door, Kyran had to deal with the gigantic hand first. He would also have to face the red light head-on. Though he had no idea what the red light''s effect was, he was not afraid. He knew he could handle anything.


    The fissures filled the sky, and the gigantic hand trembled.


    "YOU DARE?" The thunder-like voice boomed in anger.


    It might be his first time seeing those fissures, but he sensed how it was trying to destroy his power.


    Creaking sounds reverberated from the circr door as the fissures finally crept toward it.


    "NO!"


    The pressure the Sovereign of Ruin had released earlier intensified, worsening the state of the ne below.


    WHOOOSH!


    Suction force erupted from the fissures above, and the pressureing from the Sovereign slowly lifted.


    True Void, who had been watching this whole time, felt his illusory body tremble.


    ''This...!'' He recognized that the fissures were absorbing the Sovereign''s power. But what got his mind reeling was not how it was absorbing it but how the power it absorbed was now getting transferred into Kyran.


    The reddish-purpleet grew in size, its power tripled, as it finally broke the stalemate.

 Chapter 231 Parting Gift

    BOOM!


    A massive explosion erupted, riddling the sky with several shockwaves that shook the whole ne. The ground beneath trembled as the red hotva burst from the several crevices, and the chasm intensified, surrounding thend with intense heat.


    If True Void was a human, he might have been blown away by the shockwaves or grilled alive. Since he was not, he remained unmoving in the air with the enormous hexagonal shield. He ignored everything else and watched the scene before him. His illusory heart quivered from both fear for the ne''s destruction, as well as excitement at seeing the explosive strength Kyran had shown.


    The first time True Void had witnessed such explosive strength, Kyran only used his physical strength. Although the dragon''s blood had strengthened Kyran''s body at that time, he did not use any Regis Techniques and purely relied on his physical strength to overwhelm all his opponents. If the instructors were a tadte, the result would have been a one-sided ughter.


    Because of this, True Void knew that when Kyran snapped that time, his mind did not go nk instead, it became clear. If not, he would have indiscriminately attacked everyone while utilizing the Regis Techniques.


    Thinking of this, True Void tried to assure himself that Kyran would definitely not do anything that would result in this ne''s destruction.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    More red hotva erupted from newly formed crevices below.


    ''...''


    ck lines appeared on True Void''s head. Hopefully, Kyran was clear-headed enough to stop before hepletely destroyed this ne.


    "YOU REALLY DARED!"


    The thunder-like voice of the Sovereign boomed both in anger and amusement.


    This young human truly exceeded his expectations. Thrice he was surprised by the young human''s actions. Instead of running, he dared to face him, a Sovereign, against all odds. He would not ughter him this time. This level of power was indeed astonishing, but it was still not enough.


    To contend with other Sovereigns, one must be capable of producing multiple powerful trump cards. Right now, the young human had power, but he was still rough around the edges. He simply attacked head-on with raw strength¡ªa feat unbing of a true mage.


    Among the present Sovereigns who had that kind of mindset?


    Not only that, but the young man''s strong physique was something the Sovereign of Ruin also admired. Most Sovereigns had tried to ovee their weak physique all these lives, but the young human already possessed it. Though only fellow Sovereigns could fatally wound each other, if a non-Sovereign mage could survive their attacks with his powerful physique and also had the power to contend with them, disregarding the gap in their levels, even a Sovereign might have a hard time dealing with him.


    ''And if he bes a Sovereign...''


    The thought made the Sovereign of Ruin''s heart tremble from anticipation. ''Given enough time... he will reach that height. Then ughtering him will be more worthwhile.''


    His decision to visit the human ne soon had been initially to confront the Soul Emperor''s failure in ultimately killing the despicable human. Now, he changed his mind.


    The Sovereign of Ruin would still visit the human ne to meet the Soul Emperor and demand answers, but he would not seek the young human''s death. He wanted to see him grow. If the Soul Emperor had designs on the young human, the Sovereign of Ruin would stop her. Not just her. Anyone who touched the young human would answer to him.


    Because only he was allowed to kill him.


    As for this ne, it was alright to let it go. He worked for almost a thousand years in getting it back, but now he was more interested in the young human.


    The Sovereign of Ruin did not mind letting it go. After all, this was not the only ne he had in possession. He only persisted on this ne because this was the first ne he conquered and having someone else try to take it left an awful taste.


    None of that mattered to him now that he had something else he was more interested in.


    CRACKLE!


    WHOOOSH!


    As the fissures in the sky grew, the Sovereign of Ruin''s power weakened. His power that the reddish-purpleet had gradually absorbed exploded, creating a blinding light that filled the sky.


    This light overwhelmed even the red light and hindered its progress. The cracks that had formed within the red light crept upward until it reached the sides of the circr door.


    CRACK! CRACK!


    All the cracks and the fissures converged on the circr door, and finally, it showed signs of crumbling.


    As if the reddish-purpleet sensed it, its momentum exploded once more and burst through the sky. However, when theet looked on the verge of piercing through thest few meters of distance before the gigantic hand, thunder rolled above, and the gigantic hand slowly withdrew.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!"


    The thunder-like voice of the Sovereign of Ruins filled the air.


    "YOU HAVE WON ME OVER, YOUNG HUMAN. TODAY, REMEMBER THAT I HAVE LET YOU LIVE!"


    As soon as his words fell, the star-filled sky and the circr door exploded, stopping the reddish-purpleet''s advance.<sub> </sub>


    Fragments of the star-filled sky and the circr door began to fall, looking like broken diamonds.


    All of the creatures who saw had witnessed this scene were now in despair. None of them could appreciate how these fragments looked beautiful as they fell from the sky because as soon as the fragments entered the ne''s atmosphere, they turned into ming rocks that riddled the ne''s surface with massive holes.


    If that was not enough, the crevices pouting all theva also erupted, turning the wholend into a fiery hell.


    A huge ming rock also fell in True Void''s direction. But he was not bothered by its size nor the possibility of him getting reduced into smithereens if it hit him. When the ming rock was only ten meters away from him, the hexagonal shield hovering above moved and collided with it. In just a matter of three seconds, the ming rock hadpletely disintegrated.


    At the same time, the energy surrounding the reddish-purpleet began to dissipate and finally revealed Kyran''s figure.


    His eyes glowed reddish-purple as he gazed at the gigantic retreating hand.


    ck mist roiled around the gigantic hand. The mist spread out as if trying topete with the fissures that still filled the sky.


    Kyran currently had a slight frown on his face. He stopped going after the gigantic hand not because he had second thoughts but because he could no longer feel it.


    It was as if the gigantic hand above was another essence of the Sovereign of Ruin, and the real one left as soon as the star-filled night sky and the circr door exploded.


    "BECOME A SOVEREIGN, YOUNG HUMAN. LET US SETTLE OUR GRIEVANCES THEN."


    The ck mist whirled and was drawn into the gigantic hand; a huge red and ck vortex formed with the gigantic hand in the middle.


    Just when the gigantic hand and the ck mist fully retreated into the vortex, the gigantic hand pointed at Kyran.


    "A PARTING GIFT."


    The Sovereign of Ruin had said, followed by a sh of ck lightning shooting out from his finger.


    When Kyran saw this, he immediately lifted his left hand and summoned a hexagonal-shaped Void Barrier.


    However, before the ck lightning collided with the barrier, it swerved further to the left before abruptly breaking to a stop and shifting back toward Kyran''s left arm.


    The ck lightning bypassed his clothe''s magic defenses and went straight into his arm. Since the flesh on his arm had not yet been restoredpletely, the ck lightning prated his bones, shocking his core.


    "Argh!" Kyran groaned in pain. The shock momentarily stopped the flow of magic energy in his body, making him lose control over the shape-shifting tes on his feet.


    "Void Halfling!"


    True Void moved at once after seeing Kyran lose his bnce and fall.


    "HAHAHAHA! YOU HAVE A VERY WEAK AURA BUT WITH MY GIFT, IT HAD GROWN STRONGER."


    The Sovereign of Ruin''s voice added before his gigantic hand, and the red and ck vortex disappeared from the sky.


    True Void disengaged the shape-shifting tes from its full-body Void Armor version and flew toward Kyran. He controlled the tes to turn into a small dark blue and purple floating ind to which Kyran fell with a loud thud.


    The fissures in the sky began to close, and the cracks and the massive chasm on the ground.


    [Void Halfling! Are you okay?]


    True Void''s voice filled with worry sounded in Kyran''s head. But then he paused as if realizing something and corrected himself.


    [No, no. That is not a good question. Obviously, you''re not! Get yourself together!]


    Kyran wanted to tell True Void that he was okay, but his whole body had grown numb from the Sovereign of Ruin''s ''parting gift'' and he could not move at all. He also felt one of his sealed magic cores stir, and it appeared the tower had sensed it and began to reseal it. The process was actually very painful.


    Kyran''s body was numb but his insides were in pain. The feeling was too contradicting, he could only close his eyes and endure.


    [What? What? Have you gone mute or something? Talk to me!]


    For the next few minutes, True Void''s panic-stricken voice filled Kyran''s head.


    After almost three minutes, Kyran''s senses slowly returned.


    "T-True Void. Help me," he said while trying to sit up.


    [You''re alive! You''re alive!]

 Chapter 232 Mark Of Ruin (1)

    With furrowed brows, Kyran hoisted his body with the support of both arms. His arms had not fully recovered, but because his senses were still a little numb, he did not feel much pain from the strain he ced on his arms while supporting his upper body.


    True Void sensed Kyran''s pain. He immediately deployed a few shape-shifting tes from the bottom of the floating ind he had transformed into and covered Kyran''s arms.


    "T-Thanks," he muttered almost inaudible gratitude and tried once more to get up.


    With True Void''s assistance, Kyran finally managed to sit cross-legged, after which he closed his eyes and felt his magic cores. After confirming that the stirring of his magic cores earlier and the tower sealing them again had not left any longsting damage, he began to circte his magic energy throughout his body.


    [What do you feel? That parting gift looked sinister. Did he leave a mark on you or something? Can you properly circte your magic energy? How about all your magic cores? Are they still intact?]


    True Void asked one after another. His concern was understandable. The Sovereign of Ruin might have said that his parting gift would boost Kyran''s aura, but that was already a problem in itself.


    Kyran''s aura was weak because of his magic''s true nature. Void was nothingness and could also be anything; this gave Kyran the ability to adjust his aura, as long as he knew how. But if the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift strengthened his aura, then it might have altered the nature of his magic.


    An altered magic nature meant changes in one''s magic core.


    Unfortunately, now that True Void had been released, he could not freely enter Kyran''s sea of consciousness and check his magic cores. Mainly, True Void was very worried about Kyran''s Void core. After all, the Void core kept all of his master''s experiences.


    After hearing True Void''s questions and how his voice was filled with concern, Kyran did not reply immediately; instead, he rechecked his body and magic cores.


    "I can''t say anything about the parting gift that man left, but apart from numbness in my body and a stirring in my magic cores earlier, I''m okay. My arms are still numb, bu I can circte magic energy again," Kyran finally answered after a few minutes.


    [''Can circte magic energy again''? What do you mean? You suddenly stopped circting your magic energy? When? Before or after that parting gift?]


    True Void''s worry appeared to have only worsened after hearing Kyran''s answer.


    "Right after," Kyran answered, not even bothering to conceal anything from him. It was a strange feeling. If this had happened before he ''snapped,'' he would have brushed off True Void''s concern and only focused on what he had to do.


    [What?]


    True Void eximed, but before he could bombard Kyran with another set of answers that he would probably only answer one at most, Kyran said, "It probably had something to do with the lightning but I can''t determine anything while the numbness in my senses is still present."


    [But¡ª.]


    "There are things we have to do first," Kyran cut off True Void midsentence. He opened his eyes and looked at the scene before him.


    What greeted him was a devastating scene of destruction.


    Thend, which was deste and practically dead, to begin with, was now riddled with holes from the ming rocks. Lava spurt out from several crevices, and the magma flowed on almost all the patch ofnd that was still intact.


    Above, the darkened sky had returned, but the constant damage it received from the arrival of the star-filled night sky as well as Kyran''s summoned fissures, there were still visible cracks left.


    It was as if a huge ss globe contained the ne and the outeryer of the globe was a drawn sky. After getting damaged constantly, the cracks had be permanent.


    Kyran could not see any beasts in the vicinity, but with the ne''s imminent destruction, even if any creatures had survived, it would only be a matter of time before they die.


    Kyran heaved a deep sigh. His Void core resonated inside him as if a memory of his predecessor''s first visit here was stirred awake from the scene. Maybe the ne also looked like this back then. However, Kyran felt that the ne could no longer sustain life this time.


    But as he was thinking this, he saw a small glow from a distance on the side of the vast chasm. Immediately, he willed the floating ind and approached the light.


    [Where are we going, Void Halfling?]


    Kyran did not reply. Instead, he pointed at the small light by the side of the chasm.


    True Void turned his attention to the small light, and when they were only forty meters away, they found that the small light was actually a tiny white flower. Its translucent long white petals produced a soft glow that lit its surroundings, although a little faint.


    It was Kyran''s first time seeing such a flower. But seeing it amidst the devastation on thend, his determination red as he said to True Void, "Give all your magic energy to me."


    Hearing Kyran''s sudden demand, True Void could not help but exim in surprise.


    [What? You want to rob me of my reserved food?]<sub> </sub>


    "I need loads. I''ll help refill it when we get back," Kyran replied without bothering to correct True Void''s choice of words.


    [When we get back, in the Human ne? Void Halfling, the Human ne''s surroundings may be filled with energies, but the amount of magic energy we got from that sovereign would not be able topare to it. We are talking about Sovereign-level magic energy here!]


    Reluctance was heard from True Void''s voice. He continued.


    [Didn''t you notice that that man was able to deploy his magic even without the presence of magic energy in this ne? That''s because he''s practically a walking lump of magic energy!]


    Kyran sighed after hearing True Void''s reply. He knew it would be hard to convince this guy to give the magic energy he ate. He had been deprived of it for such a long time.


    "I see. s, I did not know how valuable the magic energy you''ve eaten is, sorry. If you can''t  give it then its okay. I''ll just make do with what little magic energy I have left," Kyran did not try to refute True Void and instead decided to deal with him using reverse psychology.


    Hearing Kyran''s retort had True Void feeling a little ashamed. The way Kyran spoke made him seem like a stingy unreasonable person¡ªerr¡ªspirit!


    He might be a glutton, but he was not stingy. However, being asked to give all of his food was too much. At most, he didn''t mind giving half.


    [What are you going to do anyway?]


    True Void finally asked.


    A smile tugged at Kyran''s lips. If True Void had asked him as soon as he asked, he was sure he would notin. Good thing, True Void did not dally and ask right after he used reverse-psychology-tactic.


    Before Kyran replied, he turned his head and looked at a distance.


    There he saw the red-blood tower, standing tall and resolute amidst the ne''s destruction.


    After his mind cleared, Kyran finally realized why he could not warp there. All the small clues he found after meeting the Sovereign of Ruin and experiencing his domain, he realized that the red-blood tower itself was not part of this ne. Thend it was standing was most likely part of the Sovereign of Ruin''s original ne.


    It was simr to the Regis Terram that Zephyr mentioned before, where the Heaven''s Conch had been hidden.


    Since Kyran had no way of dealing with the red-blood tower, he could only focus on restoring his predecessor''s obelisks as well as fixing what he did on the ne.


    Just as Kyran was thinking these thoughts, True Void already sensed his intentions, and the former immediately reeled in appreciation.


    [You¡ªyou''re nning to fix this ne?]


    Kyran looked away from the red-blood tower. He then returned his attention to the white flower by the side of the chasm.


    "Yes," he replied honestly.


    It had been Kyran''s intention all along when he decided to confront the Sovereign of Ruin and destroy the circr door. He did not hesitate because he knew he could do it. It would take quite a while, but he knew in his heart he would prevail.


    Besides, it did not sit well with him that he caused this ne''s destruction. Though the Sovereign of Ruin''s actions caused half of the destruction, the fact that Kyran had been careless right from the start made everything that happened here his fault.


    [Bahahaha! You should have told me sooner! Good! Good! You have not forgotten! Take all my food. No, take everything!]


    True Void''s excitement was visible in his voice once more. If he had to be honest, he had been feeling bad at what happened on this ne. It was beyond repair, in his opinion, given Kyran''sck of experience in using Void creation. However, the confidence he sensed from Kyran after he ''snapped'' was there, which gave him hope.


    Thinking of Kyran''s state right now made True Void wonder if this would now be his default state. If that was the case, he felt even more excited to see how his master''s sessor would fare in the future.


    Kyran did not reply and simply smiled after hearing True Void. He felt how much thetter worried over the ne when he collided with the Sovereign of Ruin by force.


    But he could not tell True Void during that time that he was going all out because he nned to restore everything after destroying the circr door and forcing the Sovereign of Ruin to leave.


    "Though thend had be like this, I sense all the obelisks are intact. Can I leave activating the obelisks to you? I''ll focus on fixing the ne''s terrain."


    [Of course! Of course! Leave it to me!]

 Chapter 233 Mark Of Ruin (2)

    Looking at how fast the spread ofva and magma was onnd, Kyran guessed they only had a day to restore the whole nepletely. If this was the case, they had to work efficiently.


    "How do you n to activate the obelisks?" Kyran immediately asked True Void. He had an idea on how to deal with the obelisks, but since True Void knew more about the obelisks, he asked for his opinion first. He might have another way to deal with it.


    [I need to go to the first obelisk and find the exact cause why it is not working.]


    True Void replied.


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgment. Back in his sea of consciousness, True Void told him that the Sovereign of Ruin might have built the red-blood tower to counter the obelisks. For this reason, the easiest way to deal with the situation was to destroy the tower and reactivate the obelisks. But since destroying the red-blood tower was out of the question, they could only investigate on their own.


    "Okay," Kyran willed the floating ind to move, and they started to search for the first obelisk.


    "Was the obelisks designed to move around?" Kyran asked, recalling how the ck obelisk had moved location.


    [Yes! Yes! My master had limited resources at the time, so he could only design the obelisks he created to move around the ne to replenish energy points on the Grand Energy Refinement Array.]


    "Grand Energy Refinement Array?" Kyran repeated with a thoughtful expression. Based on the array''s name, it had something to do with refining energies. Initially, he believed the array was created to replenish magic energies, but it appeared it was designed to ''refine'' it. This meant the ne did notck energies but was unrefined to a point it was impossible to absorb.


    [That''s right. You already noticed there is no magic energy present in this ne''s surroundings. It is because this ne has a different form of energy. In the Human ne, energies are present almost everywhere. Ites from nature and the ne itself. Here energies are in the form of¡ª.]


    "Blood, organs, basically the energyes from the inhabitants of this ne," Kyran chimed in. He already understood this fact after seeing the beast''s behavior.


    True Void paused for the briefest moment. He was aware of Kyran''s ability to understand concepts behind theories, which was one of a kind. His master had initially been a Magic Schr before discovering he possessed Ancient magic. Knowing that his soon-to-be master was fast at understanding concepts made True Void remember his master and feel at ease.


    [Yes. But that is a problem in itself. The only way for this ne to sustain life is by shedding blood. It was a cruel cycle. It even came to a point they had to invade other nes.]


    Kyran frowned slightly as he thought of something from True Void''s exnation.


    "The demon invasion..." he muttered out of the blue.


    True Void sighed.


    [Yes. This ne''s inhabitants did the second invasion the Human ne experienced. They are able to enter the Human ne through the rift my master discovered near the ce where he soon built his pce.]


    As Kyran expected, True Void indeed held the other half of the truth about the past.


    But then, True Void''s revtion made Kyran think of something, and he repeated, "A rift he found near the ce where he built his pce..."


    Realization hit him, and his eyes widened at once, "The Valley of Morte."


    [That''s right.]


    True Void replied without trying to conceal the truth.


    [Though that ce was not called the Valley of Morte before, it is the same ce. My master sealed the rift there and built a sanctuary to conceal it. But it has been a thousand years. The differentw from this ne may have leaked through the seal, causing the mutation of the beasts there.]


    p Kyran took a deep breath. Recalling Byron''s description of the Royal Army discovering a treasure grove that belonged to his predecessor, he suddenly had a bad premonition.</anda>


    What if the rift his predecessor sealed was in that ce? And the Royal Army knew it all along? What were they trying to achieve?


    With a sigh, Kyran temporarily ceased his train of thoughts and focused on the current situation. He still did not know many things, and jumping to conclusions at an early point was not good. All the miscalctions he made while on the run were because he overthought too much and made premature conclusions. He had to learn from those experiences and stay levelheaded.


    "There''s something I don''t understand. If this inhabitants caused the second invasion in the Human ne, then why did my predecessor decided to help them?"


    True Void chuckled.


    [I don''t me you for thinking this way. But I guess... I can at least tell you that the inhabitants of this ne were also victims. The real ones who instigated their desire to invade other nes are from another ne.]


    "The real invaders are called ''demons.'' So the Demon ne Zephyr mentioned is another ne?"


    [Yes. Those demons are the real culprit. Initially, this ne may have misgivings, but they can survive because a Great Tree keeps the bnce. The demons corrupted and eventually destroyed the Great Tree, which slowly killed this ne.]


    Kyran nodded in understanding. If this ne had such a vicious cycle in sustaining life, then what was the point of even having this ne? Even the Sovereign of Ruin coveted this ne; then, there must have been a very valid reason. That reason might be the Great Tree.


    There were still a lot of missing pieces for Kyran to draw a conclusion. For now, he only made a mental note of this information.<sub> </sub>


    "The inhabitants of this ne, are called Numas. Is the name of this ne Numa?" Kyran asked.


    [Bahahaha! So unimaginative Void Halfling. It is close, though. They are called Numas because this ne is called Lignum. In theirnguage, Lignum is tranted as the Great Tree, and Numa, the tree people.]


    Before, Kyran would have felt a little annoyed by True Void''s teasing, but surprisingly, he did not feel annoyed nor offended. He simply smiled at hisck of ''imagination'' and chuckled.


    "Right. I''ll keep that in mind."


    True Void was rendered speechless at Kyran''s response. While they were still in Kyran''s sea of consciousness, he got annoyed at his teasing. Thisck of response... True Void was not sure whether it was a good thing or not. He liked how calm and collected Kyran had be, but if he ended up being a boring guy, that would be no fun at all.


    True Void sighed in his illusory heart. It was true what the ancients had said: ''You can''t have everything.'' Or, ''You win some, you lose some.''


    "Do you know where the Numas lived?" Kyran''s question brought True Void out of his inner thoughts.


    To be honest, Kyran was worried about the Numas. If the sovereign had mistaken Kyran as a Numa, it meant their physical appearance had simrities with humans. With the current state of this ne, he was worried they had already perished. Unfortunately, he had no way of confirming it because he did not know where they were.


    Most of them likely lived close to the red-blood tower, though.


    Kyran''s assumption was not unwarranted. It was the conclusion he came up with after the short exchange he had with the Sovereign of Ruin and the formation of his predecessor''s array.


    He believed his predecessor created the array and had the inhabitants live at the center of the formation to receive the full effect of the array. Currently, the center of the array was where the red-blood tower stood.


    [When my master restored this ne, they lived at the center of the array formation.]


    True Void answered, confirming Kyran''s assumption.


    "Then there''s still time before the destruction gets to them," Kyran said with a sigh of relief.


    His predecessor saved them, and it would be bad if he ended up killing them.


    [Yes, yes.]


    Kyran took a deep breath and started drawing a n in his head. Though the Numas might be safe for the time being, they had to think of the other creatures living in this ne that did not live at the center of the array formation.


    They had to move fast.


    "Okay. I havee up with a n, tell me if you can do it. If not we''ll change it," Kyran told True Void.


    [Sure~. Tell me what to do.]


    For the next half hour, Kyran told True Void his n to activate and restore the ne as soon as possible.


    Kyran suggested they split up in checking the obelisks. Then they would meet up at thest obelisk, where True Void would start the reactivation of the obelisks, while Kyran would focus on restoring the ne.


    True Void agreed. Kyran told him to take more than half of the shape-shifting tes, which thetter controlled to form two dark blue and purple puppets.


    Before they split up, True Void exined how the obelisks worked.


    Just as Kyran guessed earlier, the cycle that the obelisks followed was that of creation. The element of the first obelisk was fire, then earth, metal, water, andst wood.


    His predecessor nned to rece theck of this ne''s Great Tree by utilizing the wood obelisk at the center.


    The other four obelisks moved in a circr motion around the obelisk representing the Wood element to refine the energy points his predecessor had made. Once these energy points were refined, it would nourish the Wood element obelisks, thus, evenly distributing the energies within the array formation.


    Kyran thought of the mutated beasts killing each other and trying to offer each other''s internal organs o the obelisks. While these beasts appeared ruthless, he now understood they were only acting on instincts. They knew that they had to offer enough energy to the obelisks to let this ne survive.


    This discovery made Kyran feel sympathy for the mutated beasts. They had done cruel things to each other, but it was all to make sure their ne kept on living.


    Remembering the mutated Hydra killing off those mutated beasts to stop what they were doing, Kyran vowed to get rid of those things. Of course, he would do that if those beasts were still alive.


    When Kyran and True Void were done talking, they finally split up.


    True Void would use each puppet to check the earth and water obelisks, while Kyran would look for the fire obelisk and ensure all the energy points were intact.

 Chapter 234 Mark Of Ruin (3)

    After Kyran gave True Void most of the shape-shifting tes, the floating ind he sat on had shrunk considerably. Still, it was spacious even with Kyran sitting cross-legged in the middle.


    While Kyran was searching for the first obelisk, he took this time to heal the rest of his body.


    Only his arms felt a little numb at the moment¡ªparticrly the left arm where the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift hit.


    Thinking of how the lightning easily ignored the magic enhancements on his clothes and pierced through his flesh, Kyran made a mental note to improve his magic defences. He had no problem with his physical defence, but if there were a magic attack strong enough to ignore what little magic defence he had, his physical defence would be useless. He initially thought having the Void barrier was enough to cover hisck of magic and physical defences, but now he knew how naive his thinking had been.


    He might have encountered a Magus level mage, Celine and Malek, but he had not fought them to the death.


    ''...''


    Alright, he intended to kill Malek when they fought, but if that fight continued, Kyran would definitely lose because Malek had not used any of his trump cards. He did use his weapon, but after meeting True Void, Kyran realized that Malek did not even awaken the spirit on his weapon. As a matter of fact, when Kyran was about to take his heart, Malek did not hesitate to use his weapon to block him.


    It felt like Malek did not care about his weapon breaking. This convinced Kyran that Malek''s weapon at that time was likely just a spare. Because as a Magus, the chances that Malek''s weapon did not awaken a spirit was low.


    There was also Celine. She never used a magic weapon on both asions¡ªnot even when Kyran threatened her and Dante at the warehouse. There were several possible reasons for this. But Kyran was sure none of the reasons he came up with was because she did not have one. Celine definitely had a magic weapon, but both asions did not allow her to use it.


    Kyran''s conclusion from all these, he was too naive in thinking his Void Barrier and Void Armor was enough. He would be in big trouble if he could not cast them in time, or it was too weak to block a high-level magic attack.


    When the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift hit Kyran, and he ended up unable to move and circte magic energy, if the Sovereign of Ruin used that chance to kill him, he would be dead now.


    Kyran sighed in apprehension. Being spared because the Sovereign of Ruin had taken an interest in him was both fortunate and unfortunate. For now, he would take it as he owed the man but eventually would pay tenfold for everything.


    ''Tenfold... Does that mean I have to spare his life ten times?'' Kyran thought with slight mirth in his eyes. The thought was quite absurd, to be honest. It was not like they would meet that often. At least Kyran did not n to meet and fight that man ten times.


    Pushing all these thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran closed his eyes and felt the healing progress of his body.


    There was still a numbing sense in both his arms, but with the shape-shifting tes, he had no problem moving them. He simply had to control the tes using his magic sense, and it already seemed he was moving his arms normally. The real problem lies in that he could not fully immerse his senses to better look at his body.


    The Sovereign of Ruin said his parting gift would help strengthen his weak aura. Kyran had a bad feeling about it. He just hoped there were no hidden effects on his body.


    ''Gustaff said after each training, there is a reward. I hope there''s a reward that could remove that man''s gift or something,'' Kyran hoped. He was slightly worried that the parting gift strengthening his aura would affect how beasts kept their distance. Or if his magic signature would now be active all the time. Staying clear of the army''s magic detectors would be troublesome.


    ''I''ll have to know what he did to my body after returning to the tower. If I failed to understand the changes it did to me, I might have to forfeit the rest of the training,'' Kyran decided. Though it was a pity to stop when he had only started, if his next training would be simr to this ne, and the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift would affect how he moved, then he would be risking his life. He would rather forfeit than try again after making sure his body would be fine.


    Aftering to a decision, Kyran continued healing his remaining wounds.


    Three hourster, he finally found the first obelisk. Just like the second one, the color of this obelisk was gray. This got him thinking that an inactive obelisk probably had this color.


    Kyran surveyed the area around the obelisk and confirmed it was intact. The barrier protecting it was most likely not affected by the obelisk''s inactivity. It was also quite powerful to have kept the obelisk and the surrounding area safe despite the ne''s destruction.


    Without wasting any more time, Kyran jumped down from his floating ind.


    As hended inside the obelisk''s barrier, he began circting his magic energy. He approached the obelisk and knelt with one knee, and touched the ground with his left hand to feel the magic array when he was close enough.


    ''The magic array is indeed active, but it is barely holding on,'' Kyran thought. ''Originally, the obelisk is the one supplying it with magic energy. Since it has long stopped, the magic array could only make do with its reserves. Once it is drained, then it would only be a matter of time before it can no longer deploy the barrier and the surrounding area would be destroyed and soon the obelisk .''


    Kyran looked at the tform around the obelisk. The second obelisk still had a few offerings on its tform, but it was practically empty here.


    ''Time to work,'' Kyran thought and started channelling his magic energy into the magic array.


    Crackle!


    "Argh!" Kyran groaned as a searing hot pain shot through his left arm.<sub> </sub>


    The pain seeped inside his left arm''s bones, coursing through the rest of his body. It was too excruciating that his bones felt as if they were melting. He might have passed out if he had not experienced simr pain before.


    Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Kyran focused on diffusing the pain. He soon realized that the course it was moving was the same route as to where his magic energy flowed.


    Immediately, Kyran stopped circting his magic energy. The pain alleviated a little, but the feeling of his bones melting was still there.


    He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was evident from the paleness in hisplexion and beads of sweat that trickled down his face how much effort he put in diffusing the pain.


    After a few seconds, his breathing also turned into short gasps.


    Thump! Thump!


    ''T-This...'' Kyran''s mind reeled as he felt a pulsating sense snaked all over his left arm. He was not stupid to not realize that the cause of this was the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift.


    Kyran took a shaky breath and opened his eyes. He looked at his left arm, which he noticed was pulsating with a red glow. As he controlled his uneven breathing, he willed the shape-shifting tes on his left arm to move before rolling his sleeves. On his left arm, he saw red-blood runes circling. Notably, there was one bigger rune that settled on his forearm. It looked very sinister on the Kyran''s forearm with its flesh still exposed.


    ''Ruin... Mark of Ruin,'' Kyran thought with eyes widening. Normally, he would not be able to read runes by other magic, but he could read the runes on his arm.


    p Once again, one of his sealed magic cores started to stir, doubling the pain Kyran was feeling.</anda>


    "Damn it," Kyran cursed under his breath.


    The moment he felt the seal on his magic core was lifted, Kyran immediately circted the magic energy stored inside.


    As soon as he did, his eyes turned silver as his Draconic magic burst out.


    That was right. The magic core that had stirred earlier had been his Draconic core. The cause was likely due to the Sovereign of Ruin''s parting gift.


    "AAARGH!" Kyran roared and circted his draconic magic as fast as he could.


    His intention was simple. He wanted to use his Draconic magic''s rapid healing before the tower sealed his Draconic core again. Another reason was he believed his Draconic magic had a way to suppress whatever the Sovereign of Ruin had given him.


    The instant the Draconic magic burst, Kyran''s whole body trembled and the dragon blood in his veins stirred. His pupils turned into slits, and even strands of gold emerged from his silver eyes, blending in with it.


    All the wounds that had not fully healed at an amazing speed. If one looked closer, the new skin that rapidly filled Kyran''s flesh glinted and even looked suspiciously like small skin-colored dragon scales.


    The red-blood runes circling his arm finally stopped and began to retreat to the big rune that read as Ruin. In over ten seconds, the pulsating red-blood runes faded. However, the Ruin rune remained.


    True enough, Kyran''s Draconic magic could indeed suppress the mark.


    Just when Kyran felt relieved, the tower''s seal finally moved and started to reseal his Draconic core.


    "Guh!" Kyran coughed out a mouthful of blood from the pain.


    After almost half an hour, the pain finally subsided. Like what happened when the lightning struck his arm, he felt numb again. However, this time it was only in his left arm.


    "How troublesome. Why my prominent hand of all ces?" Kyran sighed while looking at the Ruin mark on his left arm.


    He was taught to use both hands, but his prominent arm was still his left. When ites to explosive strength, his left was at least three times stronger than his right.


    ''I have to find a way to remove this seal as soon as possible. If I can''t use my left arm because it will trigger the mark, it will be a pain.''

 Chapter 235 Training Result (1)

    Kyran rested for five minutes and waited for his breathing to return to normal. After that, he sat cross-legged and began circting his magic energy again. This time he did it with utmost caution to avoid stirring the Mark of Ruin, especially with his Draconic core getting sealed again.


    Once he confirmed no signs of the mark getting triggered, he ced his right hand on the ground.


    ''The mark appeared on my left arm because that man''s attack entered from there. If that is the case, I have to avoid channeling magic energy on my left for now,'' Kyran thought and heaved a sigh.


    Suddenly deciding not to use his prominent arm was really troublesome. Even if he was ambidextrous, it felt as if he was missing a part of his body like this. He had to properly check the mark when he returned.


    Kyran took a deep breath and finally started what he set out to do. He channeled his magic energy to his right arm and let it flow to his fingertips. The magic energy flowed out of his fingers into the ground and slowly spread out, filling the magic array.


    The magic array lit up a few minutester, which stirred the obelisk.


    Technically, Kyran had to activate the obelisk first and let the magic energy it generated flow automatically into the magic array. However, he knew it would take some time to activate the obelisk, and the barrier protecting it might run out of magic energy before it had enough magic energy to channel into the magic array. When that happened, then the destruction of thend would catch up on its surrounding area. Thus, Kyran decided to replenish the magic array first before dealing with the obelisk.


    After channeling enough magic energy in the magic array to sustain the barrier for hours, Kyran stood up and walked to the gray obelisk. He ced his right hand on its surface and began channeling magic energy into it.


    Half an hourter, the gray obelisk started to pulsate.


    Simr to what had happened in the ck obelisk, a red glow appeared within the obelisk as gray mists seeped out and wrapped around Kyran''s right arm.


    ''This...''


    Even before Kyran could convert his magic energy into the type it could absorb, in this obelisk''s case, was fire magic. He already felt a suction force absorbing his magic energy.


    Kyran was surprised but was able to recover almost immediately. His understanding of his Void magic had begun to grow from everything he had experienced in this ''training.''


    ''No wonder Void magic is considered an Ancient magic,'' Kyran thought, recalling Ste''s introduction about Ancient magic. About how the world wasposted by Ancient magic.


    Draconic, Time, Soul, and Void.


    Time was ever-present in the world, as with the Soul. As for Draconic magic, Kyran had yet to understand it fully, but if he had to include Void magic with its description, they were opposite and equally important.


    Where there is creation, there will always be destruction. And if there is destruction, new things can be created.


    ''But if Void is used half-heartedly, it appears to be really powerful and destructive.'' Kyran thought with a wry smile.


    Then he shook his head and closed his eyes, ''No. I think in the past, the reason why Void magic is feared, was not its destructive form, but its ability to create things.''


    Nn''s image shed through Kyran''s mind, and he suddenly opened his eyes. A slight frown appeared on his face, ''Nn''s element magic is also powerful to the point it can create things. Although it needed tobine Elements to create things, unlike the Void, it now makes sense why the Royal Family put a lot of attention on his capture.''


    Kyran had a sudden conjecture, but he did not want to make any conclusion with little information. In any case, the Royal Family saw Nn as a big threat. Whether the reason behind their hatred was true or just a front, Kyran wanted to look into it as well. His decision was not because of his rtionship with Nn. But because he felt there was another hidden conspiracy behind everything. He did not know if it was connected to his predecessor or an entirely different conspiracy, but whatever it was, Kyran would definitely unravel all of the Royal Family''s secrets.


    While Kyran was having these idle thoughts, the gray obelisk before him began to change color. Unlike the standard reddish color of fire that Kyran was familiar with, the obelisk had a red-violet hue. The color change started from the bottom, slowly moving upward.


    An hourter, the purple glow on the magic array on the ground grew. Seeing this, Kyran finally removed his hand on the obelisk. His work here was done; next, he had to check all the energy points of this obelisk if they were still intact.


    It took Kyran another three hours to check the energy points of the fire obelisk. After confirming that none of them were damaged, he made his way to the next one, the earth obelisk.


    True Void was the one responsible for reactivating the obelisk. And as Kyran neared, he found that its earlier gray color had now turned reddish-brown.


    After confirming this, Kyran flew around to check its energy points. This time, it took him two and a half hours to check every energy point. Same with the fire obelisk, all of the earth obelisk''s energy points were still intact.


    The next one Kyran went to was the metal obelisk. Since he had already activated the obelisk, what he did was confirm its energy point. After confirming that they were all alright, he flew to the next obelisk, the water obelisk.<sub> </sub>


    The water obelisk was immediately seen by Kyran even from afar¡ªbecause its color reminded him of Tyr''s eyes, aquamarine.


    With a wry smile, Kyran flew around it to confirm all its energy points. When he was sure of their good condition, he went straight to thest obelisk.


    On his way to thest obelisk, Kyran could not help but feel amazed at how fast True Void had worked. Not only did he nourish the magic energy on the two obelisks, but he also provided some to its magic array to ensure it would maintain the barrier without taking any energy from the obelisk.


    ''I just hope his magic energy willst until weplete everything,'' Kyran thought. Thinking how much magic energy he had left to restore the whole ne.


    Just imagining how much magic energy he would need to aplish it was giving him a headache.


    It took Kyran almost half a day before he finally saw thest obelisk.


    ''Well, it seems True Void has already started,'' Kyran thought with a slight smile seeing that thest obelisk no longer had a gray color but green.


    [Of course! I can''t just wait for you to arrive. Besides, you went out to check all the energy points, and if I waited for you, then we''ll be pressed for time to restore the whole ne.]


    Kyran''s brow twitched after hearing True Void''s reply on his head. He did not realize that his thoughts would be invaded as soon as he was close to him.


    No. True Void could not have read his thoughts while he was outside his sea of consciousness, right?


    [Bahahaha! True. True. But right now, I am already channeling my magic energy into your body. So you can say we are now connected in mind and body.]


    True Void exined.


    Kyran sighed and replied, [Even if that is the case, you should stop reading my thoughts.]


    [Bahahaha! Why? Are you afraid I''ll read anything lewd?]


    Kyran raised his brows at True Void''s choice of words. Before he couldment on it, True Void continued.


    [Don''t worry. I can only hear your thoughts. I can''t see any image. If you imagine any lewd things, I won''t see it.]


    Kyran decided to block him out of his mind. This spirit kept on spouting shameless things. He suddenly feared True Void and Nn''s meeting.


    He made a mental note to keep Zephyr away from the two, as to make sure they did not corrupt his innocent mind. Zephyr already had a strange notion that he had two mistresses because of Nn. If True Void''s insistence of Kyran having a child was added in the mix, who knew how Zephyr interpret it?


    As for Byron, Kyran had no intention of letting True Void or Nn meet him.


    Kyran entered the tree obelisk''s area and instantly felt how richer the magic energy inside was. He immediately understood that the reason for this was that the other four obelisks were now active.


    As he flew closer to the green obelisk, he found True Void with two of its puppets still channeling magic energy into it.


    "All the energy points are intact," Kyran told True Void.


    True Void, which was in a form of a small version of the Void Armor, turned to look at him.


    [Oi! Oi! You blocked me out! Why?]


    Kyran chuckled at his greeting. Instead of answering him, he said, "How much time you need?"


    [Give me five minutes. After that, you can have the rest of my magic energy to start restoring the ne.]

 Chapter 236 Training Result (2)

    True to his words, True Voidpleted the activation of the tree obelisk in five minutes.


    However, just when Kyran was already preparing to restore the ne, he sensed faint auras nearby.


    True Void also sensed them.


    [The Numas are approaching, Void Halfling.]


    Kyran turned his attention to their left, where he felt the approaching auras and felt an iing headache. He was not expecting to meet any of the inhabitants of this ne. urately speaking, he did not want to meet them.


    He had a few reasons why. One of which was, he knew his presence definitely would not be weed.


    From what little information he gathered from the Sovereign of Ruin about the Numas, they were separated into different tribes. But Kyran did not know if they were loyal subjects of the Sovereign of Ruin or not. Regardless of the answer, it was still bad for Kyran. Because he could not speak theirnguage.


    Kyran and the Sovereign of Ruin understood each other but that might have been because the tower made Kyran understand him. There was also the possibility as a sovereign, the Sovereign of Ruin knew a spell to make any creatures within the ne understand him.


    Whatever it was, Kyran knew the Numas had their ownnguage. A ne having its ownnguage was a given. Aside from this, Kyran knew that the reason why the Numas'' invasion of the human ne had gotten from bad to worse, was due to thenguage barrier.


    If the humans knew why the Numas wanted to invade their ne, there might be room for negotiation. The humans then might have agreed to let the Numas have a ce to stay within the human ne. After all, the human ne back then was not divided into so many nations and still had many uncharted ces to which the Numas could upy.


    "Release the puppets and have them return to the floating ind first," Kyran immediately told True Void.


    True Void did not ask any questions and did what he was told. He released the puppets at once, turning back into the shape-shifting tes. Some flew and returned to Kyran''s floating ind, while the others went to True Void, who also turned into the shape-shifting tes. True Void controlled the tes and flew back to Kyran. Instead of joining the rest of the tes, turning into the floating ind, True Void circled Kyran''s body and turned into a full-body armor.


    Kyran did not tell him to turn into armor, but True Void could tell that something was wrong with Kyran. In particr, he could sense that Kyran was deliberately avoiding any magic energy cirction in his left arm. Besides, even with a simr body structure, the humans looked different from the Numas. They would immediately brand Kyran as an outsider and might even think he caused their ne''s destruction.


    ? ...


    Okay, so Kyran was indeed at fault. But right now, he was doing his best to restore the ne and they were pressed for time. They could not afford to waste time if unnecessary fighting erupted.


    Donning the dark blue and purple full-body armor, Kyran sat cross-legged on his floating ind while looking at a distance. A few hundred meters away, he saw seven silhouettes flying in midair.


    It only took a couple of minutes for the silhouettes to arrive within twenty meters from the edge of the tree obelisk''s area of influence. But there were still less than a hundred meters from the edge to the tree obelisk.


    From this distance, Kyran managed to see the iing silhouettes. Normally, he would need the use of the Regis Tempering Technique to enhance his eyesight. Surprisingly, the full-body armor was able to improve his sight. Kyran guessed True Void utilized the void to distort the distance, making it easier for Kyran to see at a distance.


    As Kyran had imagined, the Numas had the same features as humans. But their skin looked very different. Their skin looked as if they were made from jade, because of its unusual smoothness and greenish hue. It also made them look like automatons, that Kyran had seen in a book before. The Numas clothes were not that different from human''s, but there were intricate patterns embroidered all over them. The men wore vests or coats but they were bare-chested, while the two women wore tight-fitting short-sleeved vests.


    Their clothes were not what got Kyran''s attention though. It was the rune tattoos seen from their exposed skins.


    The rune tattoos of each numa had different colors; red, blue, green, yellow, gold, silver, and ck.


    Kyran guessed each color represented a tribe.


    ''But it is not necessary that there are only seven tribes. Most likely, they represent seven bigger tribes in this ne,'' Kyran thought.


    When the seven numas reached the edge of the tree obelisk''s area of influence, they all stopped. There was a moment''s pause before one of the men stepped into the barrier.


    This numa was the biggest and most fierce-looking among the group, with ugly scars all over his body and green color rune tattoos.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent as he watched the man enter without any problem.


    The man flew for a few minutes and when he was about forty meters away from the tree obelisk, he finally noticed Kyran sitting on the floating ind. Immediately, the man''s bushy brows creased and he halted in his tracks. He eyed Kyran furtively, sizing him up.


    Kyran refrained from saying anything. He did not want to reveal his human identity at the get-go and decided to let the numa speak first. Besides, what would he tell the man? His presence near the tree obelisk already looked suspicious.


    But given thenguage barrier, how would Kyran exin that he was here to restore their ne? It might be a little different if he could imitate the Sovereign of Ruin''s appearance.


    Add to the current condition of their ne, if Kyran had spoken and exposed his human identity, the man would automatically brand him as the prime suspect of their ne''s destruction¡ªwhich was actually true.


    Finally, the man had spoken.


    "Which tribe are you from?"<sub> </sub>


    Kyran stopped himself from sighing in relief upon hearing the man speak the samenguage. It seemed, he did not look odd by donning full-body armor.


    Instead of answering the man''s question, Kyran had a sudden idea and replied, "I am here to fix this ce. All of you back off."


    [What''s this? What''s this? Are you nning to pick a fight? We don''t have much time!]


    True Void immediately scolded Kyran. He felt a little disappointed, thinking that Kyran had returned to his ''old'' state.


    ''I''m not. Let me handle this,'' Kyran replied.


    The man''s face turned sour as he red, "Who are you to¡ª."


    "I''m the one who should be asking you that question," Kyran cut off the man midsentence, sounding impatient. "Do you want this ne to be destroyed?"


    The man''s expression turned somber upon hearing Kyran''s reply. Initially, he got annoyed when he interrupted him, but his question made him tremble.


    "If you don''t back off, then instead of fixing this ne, I''ll destroy all the obelisks," Kyran continued, trying to sound as high and mighty as he could.


    Then he roused his magic and purple rings appeared vertically behind him. The purple rings glow appeared menacing as they rotated in silence.


    When the man saw the purple rings, his eyes widened.


    True Void also froze in disbelief.


    [Oi! Oi! Are you serious?]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s forehead.


    Could True Void not tell he was acting right now? Or did he sound too convincing?


    "Y-You... a-are you that man''s subordinate?" The man asked, his whole body shivering. The reason why he was convinced Kyran could destroy the obelisks was those purple rings.


    There was a story that had been passed down by their forefathers about the person who created those obelisks. The story mentioned that the obelisks appeared within the glowing purple rings summoned by that person, and the obelisks would also return from there.


    If the man d in armor said he could destroy the obelisks, then the purple rings were enough to convince them.


    "If you understand then leave," Kyran scoffed.


    The man nodded and bowed with sp hands.


    "Yes! We will. Thank you!"


    With that, the man flew back to where the rest of the numas were, excitement, and relief was evident on his face.


    [What? What? What just happened?]


    Kyran did not reply and remained unmoving until the man reached the other numas. It was only then that he heaved a sigh of relief.


    The idea he thought was to let the man misunderstand his identity. Depending on what the man would interpret from his action, Kyran nned to y along. Even if the man thought he was the Sovereign of Ruin''s subordinate.


    Because he did not want to fight and waste even a small amount of magic energy.


    Apart from this, Kyran did not want too much exposure from the numas presence. He did not know why, but he had a feeling that if he stayed around them for too long, he would disrupt something; like the bnce of each ne.


    "I''ll exinter. Let''s start," Kyran told True Void.


    When he was sure the numas had left, Kyran controlled the floating ind and flew down, before jumping down and willing the floating ind to return in their tes form. Then True Void also left Kyran''s body and turned into tes, joining the rest.


    The shape-shifting tes circled Kyran, forming a loose barrier.


    When the tes stopped moving, Kyran finally sat cross-legged on the ground, and with True Void channeling all his magic energy into him, Kyran started.

 Chapter 237 Training Result (3)

    When the man who went inside the tree obelisk''s area returned with the rest of the numas, they all looked at him with grave expressions. To them, his sudden return signified that the tree of obelisk could no longer help them.


    For hundreds of years, their tribe had tried to rely on the tree of obelisk''s energy to sustain what little life left in their world. It was the only thing the sovereign allowed them to do. Once, their predecessors ventured outside their haven and tried to revive the obelisks that had stopped working. When the sovereign found out, he killed all of their predecessors and even destroyed the tribes they belonged to. Since then, they had stopped and only relied on the obelisks left.


    Today, after they witnessed the Sovereign of Ruin''s anger, they did their best to pray. Unfortunately, the destruction of their world became more apparent.


    All the Chief Tribe and Elders had gathered to ask the Head Augur what they had to do. But before the Head Augur could learn how to appease the sovereign''s anger, the world''s destruction had begun.


    The hours that followed had been one of despair. They told all their elites to investigate. Then they heard a piece of strange news from the elites who went to the Sovereign of Ruin''s tower. They said that no one coulde close to it. It was as if the tower was there, yet it wasn''t.


    Then the Head Augur did an augury to find that the Sovereign of Ruin had left.


    Their hope had been dashed.


    But the Chief of one of the bigger tribes made a bold suggestion. He suggested excavating the tree obelisk and cing it in the middle where all the tribes were located, then using it to prevent the world''s destruction froming to them.


    The idea at first sounded good, but the Head Augur reminded them of how the obelisks came to be. He also told them that if the obelisks could be easily excavated, why didn''t the sovereign do it? The Sovereign of Ruin must have thought of it; in the end, he decided to destroy it.


    Then they thought of reviving the other obelisks. This suggestion was rejected by many because they feared that those obelisks had already been destroyed, and letting their people go would be equal to leading them to their death. Aside from this, their predecessor''s method to revive the obelisks was not guaranteed.


    Theirst resort was to keep the tree obelisk from getting destroyed. They knew that doing so did not mean it would stop the world''s destruction. At most, it would dy it. And that was enough because what they needed was enough time to find a way to save their people. After all, it was not the first time their world faced destruction. If they found the path that led them to another world, they would again leave to survive.


    All members agreed to this notion. Thus, the seven bigger tribes selected their most reliable members and had them go to the tree obelisk. Their task was to ensure its good condition, and then they would create additional protection around it.


    It was, for this reason, their heart sunk after seeing the man''s return.


    Just before one of them could ask what he discovered, the man gave said with a slight smile, "Why do you all look like that?"


    "What about you? Why did you return so soon?" One of the women asked back.


    "Change of ns," the man replied still with a smile.


    One of the men, with short red hair, frowned and said, "You¡ªcan''t you be more sensible? This is thest course of action the Chiefs and Elders have decided. If we change our ns again¡ªand will you stop smiling?"


    The man ignored him and continued, "Let''s head back. I have to tell the Chiefs and Elders that that man has sent someone to fix our world!"


    The others looked at him in confusion. While the frown on the man with red hair deepened, "What do you mean that man?"


    "The Void Master."


    His answer was short, but when the six numas heard it, their expressions turned from confusion to disbelief, then to relief.


    "Are you sure?"


    "The Void Master has returned?"


    "Wait, you said he sent someone, who is it?"


    "Is that person even reliable? Can we trust him?"


    The other six bombarded the man with questions.


    However, the man had no intentions of answering and simply said, "He is the Void Master''s subordinate, and he also possesses the Purple Rings. There''s still hope. Let''s go back and report."


    The other woman nodded in agreement, "Yes. They have to know this at once."


    "You guys go back. I''ll stay here and keep an eye on things."


    One of the men said.


    The man who had just spoken was the youngest of the group, and the color of his rune tattoos was gold.


    The man with the green tattoos nodded, "Alright."


    As the man with the gold tattoos watched the other numas leave, he flew away and kept a thousand-meter distance from the tree obelisk''s area of influence. Then faced the direction of the tree obelisk while sitting cross-legged in midair.


    Suddenly, his expression and demeanour changed. His eyes glowed in gold while the rune tattoos on his body disappeared.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as his eyes turned gold and the rune tattoos on his body disappeared. His jade-like skin also changed, turning a little translucent like jade porcin.


    "The subordinate of the Void Master," he muttered as three different-sized gold rings appeared above his head like halos.


    "Someone has brazenly appeared and dere he is the Void Master''s subordinate? It seems, the Coven of The Twelve''s decision to investigate the Sovereign of Ruin''s activities is wise. Now I have found a rogue one, who has the ability to drive back the Sovereign of Ruin''s essence."


    The Coven of The Twelve were an organization that the Twelve Venerable formed. Throughout the history of all nes, they were responsible for maintaining the bnce on all nes. When a sovereign overstepped their bounds, the Coven would either seal or kill the sovereign ordingly. Of course, they had to make a thorough investigation before acting. It was the reason they had done nothing to the Sovereign of Ruin''s antics because his actions were still within limits.


    Anyway, the Coven kept all information hidden regardless of what had be of their subject of investigation.


    It was why the man knew the Void Master from the Human ne had died a thousand years ago. He also knew that a manhunt was done to kill all of his family to make sure a new Void Master would never appear. Even if a mage imed to be the Void Master''s subordinate and could produce purple rings, it did not mean those had ''Void'' properties.


    After all, among the four great powers, Void was the only one that could not be taught. The only ones who could possess it were someone who possessed the Void core.


    While the man was contemting all these things, the whole ne shook, and an immense magic fluctuation covered the entire ne.


    The man''s smile turned into a sneer as he looked up.


    Simultaneously, five massive purple rings appeared in the sky. Within the purple rings, runes began to appear, and each time they appeared, the rings rotated in alternate directions. The first outer ring rotated clockwise, while the next one in counter-clockwise, and so on.


    The man''s eyes narrowed as he watched the purple rings.<sub> </sub>


    "No... not a subordinate. This is the power of the Void Master," he muttered, and his expression turned solemn.


    He nned to report this incident to the Coven and issue a thorough investigation of the man who self-proimed to be the Void Master''s subordinate. He did not expect that he would actually find a new one.


    ''No wonder he could drive back the Sovereign of Ruin... Interesting,'' he thought and lowered his gaze.


    Below, he witnessed the ground lit in a purple glow before a massive array formation appeared.


    It was noticeable that the array formation had not been drawn on the ground because the whole array could still be seen even through the crevices and the magma.


    Once again, a massive magic fluctuation covered the whole ne. Purple semi-transparent pirs fell from the five massive rings above and fell on different points on the array formation.


    The man''s eyes contracted as he witnessed the crevices on the ground begin to close. Even the magma that flowed everywhere stopped and even started to disappear.


    ''Truly a spectacle that only someone with the Void could do,'' the man thought with a bemused smile.


    Meanwhile, at the center of the formation, all the numas who witnessed the whole thing could not help but prostrate once again.


    Even the six numas who came to check the tree obelisk had stopped flying and also bowed with sped hands in the direction of the tree obelisk. All of them were muttering a silent prayer of gratitude in their hearts.


    This event went on for six hours.


    When the massive purple rings above began to fade, the dark sky also cleared, revealing a beautiful bluish-green sky. The sky they had not seen for hundreds of years.


    The sky''s light fell on the ground, now filled with life aura. A greenery scene spread throughout the ne, filling the once dry and destend.


    All the numas could not believe what they were seeing. What had happened was genuinely restoring their world in a state when it still had the Great Tree.


    BOOM!


    When the numas thought the restoration of their world had ended, the whole ground trembled again, and they all turned toward the Sovereign of Ruin''s tower.


    What they saw made them gape in amazement and, at the same time, fill their hearts with the warmth of pure gratitude.


    Because the tower began to fade as a new tree emerged.


    Back at the tree obelisk, Kyran was breathing heavily. He was no longer wearing the full-body armor, and the floating ind was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a miniature Void Armor was sitting in front of him.


    Right at that moment, the Void Armor was pointing at him usingly.


    "Look! Look! See what I''ve be! Now I can only be in this form!"


    The miniature Void Armor was none other than True Void.


    Kyran chuckled as he looked at True Void, "That look is better than your furball form."


    The armor''s face appeared to distort as True Void replied, "Please don''t mention that again!"


    "How much magic energy do you still have?" Kyran asked changing the subject.


    "Just enough to keep myself in this form. You''ve really overexerted yourself. Also recreating the Great Tree... do you know my master did not try it because we''re talking about a divine creation here! Do you want to offend the Higher Being?"


    The reason Kyran recreated the Great Tree was simple, he felt that reactivating the obelisks and restoring the ne was not enough to solve this ne''s problem. Only when this ne became independent would the problem be solved.


    Kyran also adjusted the array formation to protect the Great Tree in case another sovereign took a liking to this ne and nned to destroy the tree.


    "If I offend the Higher Being then so be it, I''ll deal with it when the timees," Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    "You! Argh! Fine! Deal with it then. When the timees, I will not assist you!"


    Kyran chuckled and raised his brows at him, "Are you sure? If I die, you''re also doomed."


    "ARGH! Fine! Fine! You troublemaker!"


    Before Kyran could reply, the ground before him shook, and a gold tablet ascended slowly.


    ''This...''


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he recognized the gold tablet was the same one he entered back in the tower.


    While he was thinking of this, ovepping voices sounded in his head.


    "You have sessfullypleted your first training. You will now return to the tower."


    The gold tablet emitted a blinding light, which made Kyran close his eyes.


    Searing hot pain spread through his left arm as soon as he reappeared in the tower.


    "Argh," Kyran fell on his knees and his breath came in short gasps.


    ''Damn it, its broken,'' he thought and held his left arm. Beads of sweat trickled down his face from the pain.


    "Analyzing all your aplished training tasks...."


    The ovepping voices spoke again.


    "Training Result, SS. You are allowed to receive three rewards...."

 Chapter 238 Three Rewards

    Amidst the pain that Kyran felt, he could not help but gape stupidly after hearing what the ovepping voices had said.


    "What?"


    "Training Results varies from C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, and Z. C and B will allow participants to choose one reward. However, the avable chest participants can choose from will only be a bronze chest for C-results, while B-results grant silver chest.


    "A and S results will allow participants to choose two rewards. A-results will grant silver chests, while S-results grant gold chests. SS and SSS results will allow participants to choose three rewards. The avable chest for SS-results is gold, while SSS-results grant tinum chests.


    "Last, participants who acquired Z-results will be allowed to choose five rewards. Wherein, three of the chests are of tinum chests, and two are of diamond chests."


    The ovepping voices exined.


    Kyran sat on the floor, and his brows creased. What the voices were telling him was beyond his expectations. Gustaff told him about receiving rewards at the end of the training, but he did not expect he had to choose from a ''chest.''


    As he understood, the tower would present a reward, and he could only choose based on the number he was allowed to receive.


    For example, if he got an A-result, the tower would give him three choices: a manual, a potion, and a magic item. Since A-result can receive two rewards, he can choose the manual and the magic item.


    But if he had to choose from a chest, he might pick an item he did not need.


    Gold chests would contain better items than bronze and silver chests, but it would not guarantee that he would get something he needed.


    As if sensing Kyran''s doubts, the ovepping voices spoke once again.


    "Rest assured that every rewards presented will reflect on the path you chose."


    ''The chest will only have rewards beneficial to the path I chose, huh,'' Kyran thought and looked at the gold tablet before him.


    Once again, he thought of the person who created the tower. How could he produce a reward beneficial to someone who possessed Void magic?


    As soon as Kyran thought of the question, he shook his head wryly and shook his head.


    "The world is vast..."


    Kyran remembered True Void''s words. There might be no items in his ne that could help him improve his Void magic. But it did not mean it was the same with other nes.


    Indeed, the world was vast, and the one he lived in was just one of the many worlds out there. How many exactly, he had no idea. But he would not dwell on it for now. He had to deal with the matters in his world first.


    ''Speaking of True Void. Where is he?'' Kyran realized that when he returned to the tower, he was alone. The miniature armor True Void transformed into was not with him.


    With a slight frown, Kyran felt his Void core and tried to sense True Void''s presence.


    After a few minutes, cold sweat trickled down his back because he did not sense him at all. Did he get left behind? That would be bad.


    ''Not necessarily...'' Kyran suddenly thought, recalling how he never once sensed True Void''s spirit. He felt something strange in his Void core from time to time, but never actively. True Void had exhausted most of his magic energy; chances that he could only have self-awareness in his sea of consciousness was likely.


    "Can you tell me how I got that result?" Kyran asked after a moment''s pause.


    He did not ask this question because he thought his result wascking. On the contrary, he felt it was too high because he had been careless and even initiated the Lignum ne''s destruction.


    Honestly, if he had been careful, the Sovereign of Ruin would not know of his presence. Though the ne would remain in its deste and almost dying state, had it not been striving for hundreds of years under the Sovereign of Ruin''s rule?


    "Yes," the ovepping voices replied.


    "The training has three main tasks, in which you havepleted two, with one having SSS-result and the other with S-result. Since you did notplete the third one, your result only reached a B.


    "The first task is to understand the essence of your magic. The second task is to know the cause of the beast''s mutation and restore them to their original anatomy. And the third one is to reactivate all Obelisks, restoring the correct cycle of the ne''s energy flow and ensuring the Grand Energy Refinement Array to work properly."


    Kyran sighed in his heart. There really were tasks he had toplete, and there were three. He could have made preparations if they had told him from the start.


    No. Maybe not knowing about the tasks was part of his training.


    With this in mind, Kyran thought of his results and could guess which task he got a B-result. It was the second one. However, he felt that his result was too high, especially when he only managed to understand the beast''s anatomy but did nothing to understand the cause of their mutation nor restore them to their original form.


    As for the S-result, it was likely the first task, and the SSS-result was from thest one.


    Kyran believed he got an S-result for the first task because heprehended the Void Creation. Others might think he deserved a higher result than an S because Void Creation was one of the main essences of Void magic. But Kyran knew what he learned about Void Creation was too littlepared to what it could do. His clue was in the second task, which he failed toplete.


    For the third task, Kyran guessed he got an SSS-result because not only did he reactivate the obelisks and ensure the Grand Energy Refinement Array would work, but he also restored the whole ne. He even recreated the Great Tree.<sub> </sub>


    "Initially, you only get an S-result. However, you also unlocked a hidden task andpleted it, which automatically granted you an additional three points to your over-all result," the ovepping voices continued.


    "Three points?" Kyran raised his brows in disbelief. Receiving an additional three points to his overall result was a huge one. Because if he received a proper result on the hidden task and included it in getting his average, at most, he would get an S-result.


    "Correct. The hidden task is toplete a spar with a mage with higher magic attainment than you, a minimum of five-level difference and a maximum of ten levels."


    Kyran''s brow twitched at their exnation.


    Did they consider his near-death encounter with the Sovereign of Ruin a spar? And what was with the five-level gap requirement? It was even the minimum.


    ''Maximum of ten levels... On what level am I exactly?'' Kyran wondered. He counted the mage ranks he had read in Ste''s study and only counted fourteen. If he included the two Nn mentioned, there would be a total of sixteen.


    Initiate, Novice, Apprentice, Disciple, Journeyman, Paige, Adept, High Adept, Grand Adept, Master, High Master, Grand Master, Exalted, Magus, Arch Magus, Legendary.


    As for the Sovereign, Kyran was still unsure whether it was the level next to the Legendary or there was still another one before it.


    Nevertheless, if Kyran met the maximum requirement, which was a ten-level gap, it meant he was at the level of an Adept. But if he met the minimum requirement, which was a five-level gap, he was at the Exalted level.


    What if there was another level after Legendary, and he met the minimum requirement? Did it mean he was at the level of a Magus?


    No. No. No. Impossible.


    If Kyran was already at that level, that made him a big bully to those he met since he became a wanted man. However, the more he thought of it, the more possible the notion. It answered how easy it was for him to deal with mages at an Exalted level.


    Truthfully, Kyran never really thought about his level. All that mattered was having enough strength to kill or escape from his enemies. Now that he had an idea of his possible level, it gave him confidence in executing his ns to save his n. With the addition of Void Creation, his chances of saving his n and ensuring their safety had improved by leaps and bounds.


    The only thing he had to worry about now was True Void''s status.


    Hopefully, he did not get left behind in the Lignum ne and, if he were back in his sea of consciousness due tock of magic energy, the surrounding energies in the Human ne would be enough to help him have a temporary form, at least.


    "Do you have any more questions?" The ovepping voices brought Kyran out of his thoughts.


    "No. Let''s continue," Kyran replied without hesitation.


    He actually had a lot of questions, but it was not rted to his training or his results. It made him think the tower would not answer them. Besides, he was still in pain and was hoping one of the rewards he would get had a way to fix his arm.


    "Very well. Please choose your rewards."


    Ten gold chests appeared as soon as the ovepping voices spoke, forming a small circle around Kyran.


    The instant Kyran saw the chests; his brow started to twitch.


    ''I take back my doubts earlier. I understand now what Gustaff meant,'' he thought, looking at the gold chests around him.


    Above the gold chests were projections of what was inside. Whether it was the same item inside, Kyran had yet to find out.


    Among the ten chests, the rewards were three purple slips, two purple with gold weapons, a long staff and a rod, two golden scrolls, one purple with gold ents hammer, one gold ring, and one ck and purple book.


    As soon as Kyran saw these items, his Void core trembled. His heart began to beat fast as he looked at three of the rewards in particr.


    But Kyran did not choose them at once. He first asked, "Can you tell me what those slips and scrolls are?"


    "The slips contained knowledge of your chosen path, while the scrolls contained a one-time use of a Legendary-level attack of your chosen path."


    Kyran''s mind reeled after hearing the answer.


    The slips had recorded knowledge of Void magic, and the scrolls had a Legendary-level Void attack. All of these were beneficial for him. The scroll was one-time use only but could serve as a hidden trump card.


    However, though his mind thought this, he could not deny that he was still drawn to the three items.


    "You may now choose your rewards," the ovepping voices told him.


    After a moment''s pause, Kyran finally made up his mind.


    He took a deep breath and pointed at three chests.


    "I choose those three."

 Chapter 239 Do You Wish To Proceed?

    The three rewards Kyran chose were one of the purple slips, the purple with gold ents hammer, and the ck and purple book. These three were the items that made his Void core tremble. But he did not choose them just for this reason.


    He might not know what the purple slip he chose contained, but he felt that it had Void knowledge his predecessor might not possess. Apart from this, unlike the other two slips, it was the only one with a slight golden glow.


    Then there was the hammer. Kyran believed his Void core trembled not because of his predecessor''s experience resonating with it but because of his own experience. He knew his predecessor had a different specialty different from him. They both learned Array Creation, but Kyran did not focus only on one branch of Array, which was the Array Formation. He wanted to learn Array Forging, which branched out in magic weapon or item crafting and enhancements.


    For this reason, Kyran would need the right hammer to forge his weapon because even a powerful magic hammer could not create a weapon thatplimented his magic. It was true the rod or long staff could solve his problem of not having a magic weapon, but both were not his weapon of choice.


    He did consider learning more magic attacks with a long-range andrge area of effect, but that did not mean he would stop doing what he was best at closebat.


    Last was the book. It was not simr to the slips that contained Void knowledge. Kyran was sure of this. Like the ring, rod, staff, and hammer, the book was a magic item. He was still uncertain about how to use it, but he could always learn.


    Kyran did not choose any of the magic scrolls because he knew using them required an enormous price. Aside from this, it was one-time use only. He decided not to waste his reward for a consumable item.


    Kyran''s reason for not choosing the ring was pretty simple. He knew it was a storage ring, which probably utilizes void space. But he already had a pouch, and it was not an ordinary one.


    Looking at all the rewards presented before him, Kyran realized that one way or another, it represented most of the things he did or needed while he was in training. The slips because of hisck of Void knowledge. The scrolls would have been helpful for him when he fought the Sovereign of Ruin. The ring because hecked space storage. The hammer because of hisck of a proper hammer when he crafted his weapons. And the rest because hecked a weapon or magic item.


    This realization further piqued Kyran''s curiosity about who created the tower.


    How the tower worked was reallyplex.


    "You have chosen the following rewards, one of the Ancient Teaching of Void Magic, the Void Tool, and the Grimoire of Nothingness. ept your rewards," the ovepping voices said.


    After they had spoken, the gold chest that projected the three items, opened and a blinding gold light erupted from the inside. The tree items emerged from the inside with a faint purple and gold glow and slowly flew toward Kyran.


    While the three items went to his side, the remaining gold chests disappeared in a simr blinding light.


    Kyran held out his good arm and took the three items. First, he took the Grimoire of Nothingness which was thickerpared to its projection and had too profound-looking Void runes in its cover. The Void Tool and the slipnded with a soft thud on top of the grimoire.


    Before Kyran could take a better look at the three, the ovepping voices spoke again.


    "Now, for your spoils."


    Kyran raised his brows as he looked at the gold tablet before him. The ovepping voices were not speaking from inside the tablet, but he looked at the tablet just because he did not want to wander his eyes.


    Anyway, he was surprised that he still had some spoils. But what kind of spoils did he acquire?


    "All items you acquired during your training will be given to you. This includes all the items you have created and branded as yours."


    The gold tablet before him emitted a gold light, and a few secondster, all the items he created in the Lignum ne appeared on the floor.


    "This...."


    Kyran was speechless. All the weapons he had crafted, even the tool belt and makeshift bag, were there.


    But what caught Kyran''s eye was the miniature armor with these items.


    "True Void!"


    Cold sweat trickled down his back as ck lines appeared on his head. No wonder he did not see him. True Void had been tagged as his ''spoils'' after using the shape-shifting tes as his temporary body.


    "Void Halfling! Buhuhuhu!"


    True Void''s deep voice eximed in despair while he dashed at Kyran and wrapped his miniature armored arms around his head.


    "I just got out, and you nned on abandoning me?" True Voidined while crying crocodile tears.


    The ck lines on Kyran''s head doubled as he pulled True Void off his face.


    "You know perfectly well I didn''t do it on purpose," he said, feeling somewhat embarrassed at True Void''s disy of grief, especially when he kept on making ''buhuhu'' sounds in such a ''manly'' voice.


    "Now that you have received your spoils let us proceed."


    The ovepping voices spoke, breaking the cringy disy of True Void.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran looked at the gold tablet again and sighed in his heart. If he had to be honest, he wanted to rest for a bit. He also wanted to tend on his broken arm, which seemed to be healing at a very slow-paced even when he had already activated the Draconic magic''s healing ability.


    There was also the case of his bloody and filthy appearance. Some parts of his clothes were tattered because the restorative enhancement on his clothes had been damaged.


    "Do you wish to proceed?" The ovepping voices asked after a short pause.


    "Of course he does!" True Void answered on Kyran''s behalf.


    "Oi!" Kyran looked at him in exasperation. He felt that True Void had warmed up to him too fast to the point he was now trying to decide for him!


    "Do you wish to proceed?" The ovepping voices asked again, ignoring True Void.


    "Oi!" True Voidined, clearly annoyed at being ignored. It was evident at how the eye sockets of the miniature armor had turned sharp and also glowed in reddish-purple.


    "Can I rest and change first?" Kyran asked uncertainly. Then he rephrased his words after recalling that he did not have a change of clothes nor a potion or pill to help him recover fast. "On second thought, I only need a few minutes to rest."


    Even before Kyran finished his sentence, a golden door appeared two meters away on the right side of the gold tablet.


    The golden door stood there as if invisible walls were supporting it. Complex rune writings were written around its edges, giving off a faint glow.


    "You may enter the Recovery Room through that door," the ovepping voices told him.


    ''Recovery Room?'' Kyran thought in surprise. He heard a simr room from Gustaff, but he remembered this room was only offered on higher floors.


    "As for your rewards and spoils, please take it with you."


    All the items before Kyran, including True Void, lit up.


    "Wait! Wait! Stop!" True Void said just before the light covered him, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye with the rest of the items.


    Before Kyran could react, a gold ring appeared before him, recing all the disappeared items.


    "The storage ring can be used inside the tower. Please make sure to return it before exiting," the ovepping voices told Kyran.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He did not expect that the tower also offered storage ring rental services. It made him wonder if Nn confiscated his storage pouch because of this.


    "I will," Kyran replied with a wry smile and reached out to take the storage ring.


    Due to the ring''srge size, he could only wear it on his thumb. He did not mind. He was not used to wearing rings anyway. Wearing it on his thumb did not feel like he was wearing a ring.


    After that, he stood up and walked to the golden door.


    As he opened the door, a different room appeared before him.


    Kyran entered without hesitation.


    The room looked very different from the white room. It looked more like a standard infirmary room, with three beds lined on one side, and on the other side, a couple of cabs filled with bottles with potions or pills.


    At the opposite side of the door was another door.


    When Kyran looked at one of the beds, he was surprised to find a set of clothes neatly folded at the foot of the bed.


    "The tower does have everything," Kyran muttered under his breath. He looked at the door on the opposite side and guessed it was a shower room.


    With a slight shake of his head, Kyran smiled wryly while he walked toward the bed with the new clothes.


    ''Since the tower provided them, then I''ll help myself,'' he thought.


    Just as Kyran picked up the clothes, the ovepping voices spoke, filling the whole room.


    "All consumable items are only effective inside the Recovery Room. You cannot take them out. As for the set of clothes, it falls under the non-consumable item. Please make sure to return them before exiting."


    Hearing the ovepping voices'' reminder, Kyran''s brow twitched once more.

 Chapter 240 Specialty

    Outside the Tower of Tribtion, Nn and Gustaff watched the projection showing the happenings inside. Both wore aplicated expression.


    When they saw Kyran''s condition after returning, they already felt something was amiss. It was only his first training, yet he was in such a state.


    Nn crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression. From Kyran''s condition, Nn could roughly guess the level of training he went through, and it was not a level that the tower typically gave to beginners. The level of training he experienced was simr to those who seeded more than 20 times.


    His suspicion grew when the gold chests appeared. The projection did not show what was on the chest or what Kyran had chosen, but as far as Nn knew, presented rewards in a chest were avable only at a higher floor. Finally, there was the Recovery Room.


    All these clues pointed that as soon as Kyran entered, the level of his training wasparable to higher floors.


    "Nn, this... he jumped levels, did he?" Gustaff broke Nn''s train of thoughts.


    Nn could only heave a sigh in response. This incident exceeded his expectations. No. He did not have any expectations in the first ce as long as Kyran could improve fast; it was all good. However, if Nn had expected the tower would give Kyran advanced level training in his first one, he would not have confiscated Kyran''s storage pouch.


    Kyran managed to survive his first training, but his sorry state after returning worried Nn.


    Nn cleared his throat as he mentally kicked the sentiment off his mind. He would never admit he was worried about that kid.


    "The tower must have judged the lower floor''s training will do him no good," Nn finally spoke after a moment''s silence.


    Gustaff took a deep breath and nodded his head slowly.


    "That''s possible," he replied in agreement. "Anyway, he went inside the Recovery Area. It means he ns on moving up."


    Nn nodded his head.


    "It''s too early to stop," he agreed.


    "But, seeing the state he was at when he returned, his training looked dangerous," Gustaff remarked with a slight frown.


    A teasing smile tugged at the corner of Nn''s lips as he said, "The dangerous his training gets, the better."


    Gustaff looked at him with an unbelieving expression, "Tsk. Tsk. Such a bully. Does master Cade know about this?"


    Then he paused as if realizing something. With a shake of his head, Gustaff answered his own question, "Of course he does. Letting his son train inside the tower is probably his idea."


    Nn''s teasing smile did not falter from what Gustaff had said. But if someone who had an excellent observing skill were with them, that person would have noticed a cold glint flickered in Nn''s eyes for the briefest moment.


    "Too bad we can''t see what kind of training he just had. I''m curious how he ended up looking like that," Gustaff added while looking at the Recovery Room''s closed door.


    Nn remained silent. But he agreed with Gustaff''s sentiment.


    ''I can ask the kid when he goes out,'' he thought. He paused and thought of something. ''As long as he is allowed to share it,'' he added thoughtfully.


    Sometimes, the tower''s restrictions were very troublesome.


    Meanwhile, back on Kyran''s side. After taking a recovery potion, cleaning up, and changing into a new set of clothes, he sat cross-legged on one of the beds and examined the rewards he received.


    He first checked the Grimoire of Nothingness.


    The book was thick and a little heavy because the cover was made of a very sturdy dark purple material. Kyran examined the runes and was amazed at how they had been artistically carved on the cover. What was more, the runes gave off faint Void magic, meaning whoever carved the runes on the book''s cover also possessed Void magic.


    "Does this mean there are others who possessed Void magic?" Kyran wondered out loud.


    "Of course not!"


    True Void''s voice sounded suddenly.


    Then the ring on Kyran''s finger glowed as True Void sprang out, looking a little dissatisfied based on the crooked pout on the miniature armor''s lips.


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows. He was not surprised that True Void could force himself out of the storage ring because the ring did not have any restrictive capability. His reaction was more with True Void''s adamant denial that no other people possessed Void magic.


    Before Kyran could ask about it, True Void had already started exining.


    "The four great power is not something that anyone can possess. As for why that book had faint Void magic on the runes, it is because my master wrote that."


    Kyran''s eyes widened, "What?"


    He looked at the book in his hand. No wonder his Void core trembled when he saw it. This book was not only connected to his predecessor. It could be considered his.


    True Void puffed out his chest, and Kyran could almost see a smug look on his face.


    He said, "Of course. When my master went here in the past, this book was one of his spoils in a very dangerous ne he ventured to. At first, there were no rune writings on the cover. But my master ced a special seal on it, thus, the reason for the rune writings in front."


    After hearing True Void''s words, doubt surfaced in Kyran''s mind.


    "If this book was his spoil, why did he leave it here?" He asked, looking at True Void.


    True Void sighed and shook his head. He replied, "I don''t know. I remember him telling the tower to keep it because he thought he was not strong enough for it."


    ''Not strong enough,'' Kyran repeated in his head and looked at the book again. If his predecessor thought this, he likely entered the tower when his magic level was still low. But once he reached a higher level, why did he not return to take it back?


    Kyran looked at True Void.


    As if sensing Kyran''s thoughts, True Void sat cross-legged in midair before facing him. He said, "My master already had me when he entered the tower. Although at that time, I hadn''t formed a spirit yet, and I am tooooo smallpared to my upgraded majestic form. Anyway, my master was a practical man. He chose to improve my level instead of recing me with a new one he did not even know the origin of. More importantly, what it could do."


    ''This book is considered a weapon?'' Kyran thought in wonder.<sub> </sub>


    He had read so many strange magic items and weapons, but as far as he knew, if a mage had a book with him, it could not be considered a weapon. At most, its pages were made of special parchment with ready to cast incantations. A book like this would greatly reduce a mage''s casting time or even magic array formation. But when a mage reached a certain level, it would be useless. It was for this reason that few actually practiced it.


    Thinking of this, Kyran opened the book. Not even five seconds had passed; he closed it again, his expression turning grim.


    The book''s pages were empty.


    ''Is this why it is called the Grimoire of Nothingness? Because there is nothing written on it?''


    Even as a joke, Kyran was notughing. Did he waste his reward for a useless item? Right now, the only thing he could think of the book''s use was to hit it on his enemy''s head. Given enough force, with the book''s sturdy cover, he could knock anyone out cold. He might even crack their skull open if he had the Regis Blessing activated.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Kyran looked at the book again. It definitely had a use. There must be a reason if his predecessor believed he was not strong enough when he acquired it.


    ''There''s no rush. I can learn it when I get back,'' he decided after a moment''s contemtion and returned the book in the storage ring.


    Next, he examined the Void Tool.


    While Kyran was busy checking the Void Tool, True Void watched him in silence. He was also curious about the rewards Kyran had chosen.


    It did not take Kyran long to understand that the Void Tool was called a ''tool'' and not a ''hammer'' because the tool''s head could change depending on what smithing tool Kyran thought of. This magic item would truly help him in many ways.


    Kyran''s satisfaction with the Void Tool offset his frustration with the Grimoire of Nothingness.


    Last, Kyran checked the purple slip the tower had called the Ancient Teaching of Void Magic. Based on the name, it contained one ancient teaching of Void magic.


    ''...''


    Kyran''s brow twitched at his thoughts. He just repeated the title of the slip when he tried to analyze it and felt a little foolish.


    ''Let''s see what''s inside,'' he finally decided and let his magic sense enter inside the slip.


    The moment his magic sense entered the slip, a great amount of information rushed into Kyran''s mind.


    ''This...!'' His eyes widened at the information the slip was pouring into his head. Soon after, his eyes glowed reddish-purple as the information sank into his mind. He did not expect that Void magic could be used in the way described in the slip. If he mastered it, he would really be a force to be reckoned with.


    "Oi, Void Halfling. Why are youughing like an idiot there."


    True Void''s voice snapped Kyran out of his thoughts.


    He btedly realized indeed he was chuckling like an idiot.


    "Sorry. I''m reminded of how powerful Void magic really is and felt how naive I had been," Kyran replied, still chuckling.


    "Of course, it is powerful! If not, why else would that whore want to get rid of my master?" True Void bragged.


    "Yeah, you''re right," Kyran did not try to refute even though what True Void said was not a good thing to brag about.


    Kyran put the slip and the tool in the storage ring and finally stood up.


    "Let''s go," he told True Void before walking toward the door.


    "Sure! Sure!" True Void replied and followed.


    When the two returned in front of the gold tablet, the ovepping voices spoke.


    "Are you ready to proceed?"


    "Yes," Kyran replied without hesitation.


    "May you enrich your knowledge on your chosen path."


    A blinding light burst out from the gold tablet, and an invisible force wrapped around Kyran and True Void.


    The two were transported to the next training.


    When the light lifted, Kyran gaped at his surroundings in confusion.


    They were transported in a gray painted room with several doors. Labels written in Void runes were seen above each door, and Kyran blinked at what he had read.


    "This room is..."


    True Void also looked at the doors and shook his head, "Tsk. Tsk. s, you are also taken here."


    Kyran looked at him and did not need to ask to understand that his predecessor had also been in this room.


    "Does this mean I have to choose... one specialty?" Kyran asked while looking at thebels.


    Thebels on the doors were different branches of magic learning.


    Alchemy. Array. Astrology. Dark Arts. Divination. Elements. Incantations. Light Arts. Puppetry. Spirit Contract.


    And so on.


    Looking at all the branches written on thebels, Kyran felt the start of a headache.

 Chapter 241 Loophole

    For the next few minutes, Kyran walked around the room. When he was at least five feet away in front of a door, thebel would light up, and rune writings would appear on the door''s surface.


    The runes written on each door were brief descriptions of thebels above them.


    Under the Array showed the study of rune form construction, its relevant materials, and its applications.


    In Alchemy, it showed, knowing all about the 37 million types of herbs and their more than a hundred million variations.


    Astrology; the study of star formation and their meanings.


    Divination; the study of different types of divination techniques and interpreting signs.


    Elements, learning in-depth analysis of all elements.


    Incantations; the study of all runes and their corresponding magic.


    Puppetry, learning how to create automatons and their core system.


    Spirit Contract, learning all about Spirits and the different contract types.


    And so on.


    From the descriptions, Kyran noticed most of them described only the basic things one would learn from each branch. As for the Dark and Light Arts, their descriptions were too vague for Kyran to determine whether it was basic knowledge or not.


    Light Arts; finding the light in every path.


    Dark Arts; learning the true face of magic.


    Kyran looked at thebels with a thoughtful expression. None of them caught his interest. He was also a little disappointed at the big difference between his first training to the next one. Clearly, his next training was to study. But he was not interested in most of the choices.


    He was not even interested in the Light or Dark Arts, which had a vague description.


    "True Void, can you tell me which of the doors my predecessor had taken?" Kyran asked after much contemtion. He decided to avoid picking the same path since his Void core would have the information on it, and it would only be a matter of time before Kyran learned it.


    "Hm... My master swore not to say a word, but I didn''t, so I guess I can tell you. My master chose the Incantation room," True Void replied. He sat down on Kyran''s shoulder and added, "Master is originally a Magic Schr before discovering he had Void magic. He already studied quite a number of different runes, but he thought it best to further his knowledge on it instead of choosing a different branch of magic that will not benefit him."


    Kyran nodded in agreement, "I understand his reasoning. Mastering one branch of magic is no simple feat. Even after studying one branch for several years, one should never im he already knows everything."


    True Void looked at Kyran''s profile and patted his head, "Bahahaha! Yes! Yes! My master thought the same. And he was right. He learned that the things he knew about runes were just a small drop in a vast ocean. After all, he only learned the runes avable in the Human ne!"


    Kyran silently agreed. Now that he was aware of the existence of different nes, he knew there were more runes out there. One example was the runes on the Numas. The strokes on each rune were very different from the runes of the Human ne.


    Initially, Kyran would have settled in entering either the Array or the Incantation rooms if he could not decide. The Array room because he thought it wouldn''t hurt learning more about arrays. As for the Incantation room, he believed knowing how to write different runes would also help him create unique array forms.


    "Just one room," Kyran muttered with a sigh.


    The other branches might not have piqued his interest, but he did not mind learning all. Knowing a few of each branch might be helpful for him in the future¡ªespecially when dealing with different mages with different specialties.


    True Void also sighed and shook his head.


    "I know, right. My master also had the same dilemma. He was very interested in learning about the Elements too. He had an early theory that Void magic could create all elements as long as he understood every element''s essence. He believed the only reason mages could rouse different types of magic elements as long as they knew its runenguage but could not use its full power was because the essence of the magic element was missing. s, he was only allowed to enter one room."


    While True Void prattle on about his master, Kyran could not help but mentally scratch his head. Was he doing it on purpose? Did he not realize he was giving away a lot of information about his master?


    Kyran was not reallyining. He did not mind learning more about his predecessor. For this reason, he remained indifferent and just let True Void talk.


    ''Elements, huh.'' Kyran thought and looked at the Elements room.


    However, before he could decide whether to enter the Elements room, True Void''s words repeated in his mind.


    ''Only allowed to enter one room... only allowed to enter....''


    Kyran''s eyes widened in realization. He walked toward the door with the Arraybel at once. Thebel lit up as he drew near, and he unhesitatingly took the remaining steps before opening the door.<sub> </sub>


    "Oi! Oi! What do your think you''re¡ª."


    True Void was shocked at Kyran''s decisive actions. He wanted to tell him to think carefully before choosing a room but lost his chance.


    As soon as Kyran opened the door, he did not enter but remained outside while looking inside.


    It was a small white room, with several five by two feet tall and a depth of half feet ck marble tablets. Kyran guessed the tablets were simr to the slips he received as a reward.


    There were two significant differences between getting information on books and those recorded on slips. First, reading books was a long, tedious task, but with slips, one only needed to use their magic sense to know all the information inside. Andst, once you read a book, there was a chance one would miss a few thoughts, but with a slip, the information would be ''imprinted'' in one''s mind, making it easy to recall everything.


    Just as Kyran contemted his next move, a monotonous female voice spoke from inside the room.


    "Please know that you are only allowed to enter one room. Once you enter a room, the door will automatically close, and you will be required topletely absorb all knowledge inside. After absorbing all the knowledge, you will be tested. Passing the test will allow you to return to the tower. If you fail, you will be transported to the Task Room, where you will be given a task toplete. Afterpleting the task, you will gain another chance to take the test."


    Kyran listened to what the voice said before asking, "If I don''t enter and I stayed right here, what would happen?"


    He was not expecting an answer, but he asked anyway. Who knew maybe this voice was simr to the ovepping voices back at the tower.


    "Huh?" True Void looked at Kyran incredulously. "If you don''t enter, then how are you going to absorb the knowledge¡ª."


    "No presence has been detected inside. The door will remain open for an hour, after which it will automatically close and will have a half-day cool down before it can be opened again. The timer will start now."


    As soon as the voice finished, a golden sandss appeared floating above the middle of the room.


    "EEEH? That''s allowed?" True Void looked at the opened door inplete shock. He did not know there was a rule like that. Because after his master heard the voice''s reminder, he entered right away.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he looked at the tablets inside the room. He had thought of this after pondering what True Void had said.


    Another reason why Kyran thought of this possibility was the ovepping voices''st words before he and True Void were transported.


    He found their parting words unnecessary, but now he realized a pattern. Their words actually had a clue what he should expect in his training. After confirming that their first and second parting words were different, he noticed this.


    The first one was more generic-sounding. That was why Kyran did not think too much. But thinking back, he now understood why they said, "May you seed in this path" was due to theplexity of the first training. Their second parting words were, "May you enrich your knowledge on your chosen path," which meant his next training was to enrich his knowledge. Not necessarily one knowledge in particr but knowledge on his chosen path.


    Exploiting the rule would be tricky because he only got an hour to exploit it. Obviously, an hour was not enough to absorb all of the knowledge inside. There was also a cooldown of half a day before he could try again, which was too long, to be honest. But he had other rooms to open, and half a day was more than enough to open the rest of the doors and absorb all the knowledge he could before he could re-open them again.


    <o>,m "I find the words you said tricky," Kyran told True Void. "Why did it not say ''I am allowed to open only one room'' instead of ''I am only allowed to enter one room? So, it got me thinking. I can open the doors, but I can only enter one of the rooms. When I do, I can''t leave the room anymore."</o>


    True Void gaped at Kyran with a slight shake of his head.


    "Y-You... Have you been conned before? Do you make it a habit to analyze all meanings behind every word someone tells you?"


    Kyran looked at him awkwardly. He did start overthinking what others told him after what happened when he was in military school. But after his encounter with the Sovereign of Ruin, his mind cleared. Instead of overthinking things he learned, he decided to absorb everything first and think about each if it was necessary for his current situation.


    And today happened to be such a situation.


    "I just realized a loophole in the rule," Kyran replied, avoiding True Void''s usation. "Besides, there is no written rule here that says I have to choose one specialty."


    True Void tilted his head to one side, "Hm. You have a point."


    "I''ll do what I can to absorb all the knowledge I can for the next few days," Kyran said and, without further dy, sat cross-legged in front of the door. After all, the timer had started, and he only had one hour.


    "Fine, fine. Do what you have to do. I''ll keep an eye on the sandss," True Void replied.


    Kyran thought it was unnecessary because the voice did say the door would automatically close after an hour, but since True Void would not be doing anything, he let him be.


    "Alright," he said before closing his eyes. He then roused his magic sense, spreading it inside the room and letting it fill one of the tablets.


    When his magic sense filled one of the ck marble, arge amount of information rushed into his mind.

 Chapter 242 Exploiter? Opportunist? No, Its Being Resourceful.

    True Void hovered in midair as he looked at Kyran lying on the floor in the middle of the gray room. He had his eyes closed and his brows were furrowed as if he was in pain.


    "Tsk, tsk. See what greed can do? You wanted to absorb everything. Did you really think it was easy?" True Void said disapprovingly.


    His reaction was reasonable. For the past few days, Kyran had taken advantage of the training''s loophole and absorbed as many knowledge tablets as he could without much rest. Atst, after five days Kyran was mentally, physically and even spiritually exhausted.


    This event was something unprecedented in the tower''s history!


    The tower had a special mechanism that let their participants not feel exhaustion or hunger which in turn would allow them to stay awake and active for days, weeks, even for months. All these, however, had been thrown out the window because of Kyran''s stubbornness and recklessness.


    Kyran let out a chuckle and opened one eye slightly to look at True Void.


    "Will you believe me if I say this is within my expectations?" He asked.


    True Void snorted, "Regardless if it is within your expectations, are you nning to over exhaust yourself and be the first in history to die from absorbing too much knowledge?"


    "No," Kyran replied with mirth in his voice. True Void was exaggerating. Kyran knew his limits but the special mechanism of the tower messed up what he was used to.


    Finally hoisting his body into a sitting position, Kyran added, "I''m only testing my limits. Now that I know, I will adjust my strategy."


    "Reckless! Definitely reckless!" True Void shook his head with a sigh.


    This side of Kyran was very simr to his master. However, by the time True Void formed his spirit, his master had graduated from his reckless behaviour. After that, there were a few times his master appeared reckless but in actuality, he was only acting the part to fool everyone including those he called his friends.


    Kyran sat and closed his eyes, continuing to rest his mind and replenish his magic energy.


    Unlike in the Lignum ne, the ce where this room was located had rich energy in the surroundings, making it easier for him to replenish the magic energy he used up by overusing his magic sense.


    As for his stamina, he could only rely on his body''s natural recovery ability because his magic cores apart from his Void core had been sealed again. It was not hard to let his body recover, though. Now that he knew the dragon blood in his veins had changed his physique more or less, it had be easier to control his cells to heal.


    While Kyran meditated, he contemted True Void''s concern. He was aware True Void''s concern was within reason. Absorbing all the knowledge in all rooms was practically impossible even if he used magic sense.


    If Kyran really aimed for that, it would take more than a year to absorb everything. It was simply out of the question. He also did not n to take his sweet time in this ce, even with the time difference.


    His reason foring to the tower to train was not to absorb all the knowledge inside but to grow stronger and learn enough knowledge to ovee his weaknesses. It was only in this way could he be prepared to face anything once his n in saving his n was put into motion.


    "Have you decided which room you''d go in?"


    True Void''s question snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    Without opening his eyes, Kyran nodded and replied with a simple, "Yes."


    Based on what the voice inside the room had said, only by passing the test would he be able to return to the tower. The trigger to that was entering the room and absorbing all the knowledge inside.


    "Which one?" True Void asked again.


    Kyran replied with only a slight smile. He did not mean to keep it a secret but he already knew True Void had an idea. True Void was only asking for confirmation.


    "Tsk, tsk. You truly are reckless. The test is not that simple you know," True Void voiced out disapprovingly again.


    "The test in that room likely required toplete one or two samples. If this is true and we follow the pattern when the tower presented my rewards, anything I created will be given to me as spoils. I''m aiming for that," Kyran replied matter-of-factly.


    "You really are an exploiter, an exploiter!" True Void berated. "No. No. Was the right word opportunist? Either way, you are ck-hearted!"


    "It is called being resourceful," Kyran replied and sighed in his heart. True Void was exaggerating again. To be honest, Kyran would not resort to this if he had a lot of resources outside. As of the moment, he could only support his daily necessities. If he wanted to get stronger, he would need a lot of resources.


    Aside from this, the reason why Kyran decided to pick that room was rted to the slip with the ancient teaching he absorbed from one of his rewards. If he mastered that teaching and apply it to the sample he had toplete, it would greatly help one of the ws of his n in saving his n. As long as that w was covered, the rest of the ws would be dealt with as well.


    "Besides, I''m not sure if I have to find the materials myself or this ce would provide it," Kyran added trying to defend his decision.


    "Everything will be provided," True Void told him. "At least, when my master took the test of the Incantation room, all the things he needed toplete the test were there."


    "It''s all good, then," Kyran replied. But he was slightly disappointed. He did not mind being transported in another ne to gather his own materials. Because that would serve as another form of training.


    "You say that but you sounded disappointed. I really don''t understand you," True Voidined.


    Kyran did not reply and just smiled.


    A few hourster....


    When Kyran had rested enough, he continued to absorb the knowledge tablets.


    The knowledge he had absorbed so far already exceeded a mage who had been studying magic for fifty years. Not to mention, the knowledge recorded in the tablets was not limited to the Human ne.<sub> </sub>


    Unfortunately, with the differences of rules in magic theory within every ne, applying the knowledge of another ne in the Human ne might be impossible.


    Days passed inside the gray room, and soon it had been two weeks, then a month.


    With each passing day, Kyran''s knowledge of different branches of magic grew.


    The theory his predecessor had of trying to recreate different elements using Void magic, also became feasible. Kyran had already thought of a n on how to do it, but he did not want to try it here. He decided to try it when they return because he was unsure of the room''s ''magic rules.''


    If Kyran ended up seeding here, it did not mean he would seed in the human ne.


    Two monthster, Kyran finally stood in front of the door he decided to enter.


    True Void sat on his shoulder looking a little nervous which was evident with the crooked forehead on his miniature armor form.


    "Are you really sure about this?" True Void asked without looking at Kyran.


    "Yes," Kyran replied decisively. "Why are you the one nervous? It''s not like you''re the one taking the test."


    True Void looked at his profile and berated, "Even if I''m not the one taking the test, if you failed, we''ll have toplete a task!"


    Kyran looked at him from the corner of his eye, "You make it sound as if my predecessor failed on his test."


    True Void did not reply.


    His silence immediately made Kyran look at him in disbelief, "No way! He failed?"


    "So what if he did? I told you the test is not simple! Besides, don''t lump my master to the likes of you. He was not a genius nor did he have the support of his father''s family. He had always been belittled by others for not possessing any magic. When he did discover he had magic, his peers had already reached a level far above him. No. No. Not just far above. Waaaaaaaay faaaaar above him. Even then, his father''s family did not give him any resources to study or understand his magic. He had to strive all by himself!"


    Kyran''s brow furrowed, he did not realize his predecessor had a hard life even before he was wronged by the Royal Family.


    "Was he always alone?" Kyran could not help but ask.


    "No. No. He is good friends with Master Zane, Lady Ste, and well that La before she showed her whore side¡ª."


    True Void abruptly stopped and immediately reached Kyran''s ears and shouted, "YOU DID NOT HEAR ME SAY THAT! FORGET IT! FORGET IT NOW! OR I''LL BASH YOUR HEAD HARD UNTIL YOU FORGET IT!"


    "Oi!" Kyran grabbed True Void with his left hand and lifted him away, before using his right hand to rub his aching ear. "What''s that for?"


    True Void struggle in Kyran''s hold while saying, "I SAID TO FORGET WHAT I SAID, RIGHT NOW!"


    "Alright, alright. Stop overreacting," Kyran said and released him.


    True Void hovered before him, "Enough about my master!"


    It was him who took the initiative to talk about his master, not Kyran.


    Kyran felt wronged. Still, was him agreeing to forget enough?


    "Anyway," True Void crossed his arms and returned to sit on Kyran''s shoulder.


    "My master has¡ª."


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    Did he not say enough about his master? Why was he talking about his master again?


    "¡ªgained all his knowledge and experience through hard work. Hard work!" True Void said, failing to notice Kyran''s expression.


    Kyran sighed and did not say anything.


    True Void really ced his predecessor on a very high pedestal. Kyran might not be alone or belittled by his family, but he also worked hard.


    ''Forget it. True Void probably did not mean to criticize others, and simply want to defend his master,'' Kyran thought, not taking offense on True Void''s outburst. Apart from this, he added the piece of information about his predecessor in his mind. Right now, he had a clearer image of what kind of person his predecessor was.


    "Then I''ll work even harder, so we don''t have to take the task," Kyran said after a short pause.


    "Bahahaha! Good! Good! If you failed, I''ll kick your ass!" True Void said, his mood turning 180 degrees all at once.


    Kyran only shook his head as he finally moved closer to the door.


    The door with thebel, Puppetry.

 Chapter 243 Second Training Completed

    Outside the Tower of Tribtion, Nn and Gustaff remained inside the makeshift barricade watching the projection.


    It had been almost five hours since Kyran disappeared into the golden tablet, and there had been no signs of him returning any time soon. However, they noticed that numbers were appearing on the tablet''s surface.


    "The second one is taking longer than I expected," Gustaff remarked.


    Nn remained silent. He also felt the second training was long, but he was not worried. How fast or long one finishes his training did not determine the training mode. It all depended on the time difference in this cepared to where one did his training.


    With that in mind, Nn did not think much about it. Instead, he focused on the numbers shing on the face of the gold tablet.


    Those numbers reflected the real-time of where Kyran was doing his next training. If calcted correctly, Nn would determine how long Kyran had been there.


    Just as he was about to identify the correct form in calcting the numbers, the gold tablet glowed with a blinding light.


    "He''s done atst," Gustaff said, sounding a little relieved.


    After the light faded, they found Kyran slumped on the floor, looking exhausted. Unlike his previous sorry state, Kyran''s appearance was the same when he had entered. Although, he looked a little gaunt.


    Nn and Gustaff immediately guessed what training Kyran had justpleted based on his condition.


    ''Knowledge training,'' they thought at the same time, feeling goosebumps run up their arms. It was the only type of training inside the tower that would make one look haggard. It was also the training they did not want to have.


    While they were thinking this, they saw the miniature armor fly above Kyran and appeared to be saying something, to which Kyran replied by waving his hand as if to brush him off.


    Nn and Gustaff''s expression turned nk.


    Watching the projection was simr to watching a no-dialogue theater y where 80% of the time, they had to guess what was happening. It wasn''t very pleasant.


    "Is there even a meaning to this?" Gustaff asked, triggering his ability without meaning to.


    ck lines appeared on Nn''s face as he looked at Gustaff.


    "Don''t ask questions you know I can''t answer," Nn replied.


    Gustaff bted realized what he had done and looked at him while bursting out withughter, "Hahahaha! You''re right. Sorry."


    "Sorry, my ass," Nn grumbled and looked back at the projection. "At least we''re able to see his progress."


    With raised brows, Gustaff nodded in realization, "Ah, you''re right."


    He looked back at the projection and added, "You really cared about him, huh. Makes sense, though. If something happened to him, you''ll have to answer to master Cade. Hahaha!"


    Nn chose to ignore him.


    Inside the tower, Kyran slumped on the floor was obviously due to exhaustion, and the cause was none other than the Puppetry test.


    He had never thought he would feel exhausted after a test. Even when he participated in physical or written tests in the military school or even back in the Regis Estate, this exceeded all hisbined experiences.


    It was true all materials needed would be provided during the test. However, when True Void said ''everything would be provided,'' indeed he meant ''everything,'' meaning every material avable in every ne was there.


    ? It was too troublesome! Because of this experience, Kyran was made aware that having too many materials at one''s disposal was also not good.


    Kyran''s Puppetry test was to create ten puppets with different functions, which was within his expectations.


    However, creating puppets was not that simple. The materials needed must work in harmony. One wrong material could disrupt a puppet''s movement, and it could end up with the puppet going out of control. Thus, before Kyran created his blueprint, he checked all avable materials first. When he realized it was impossible for him to look at all the materials, he had True Void help him move around and be his eyes.


    When that was not enough, Kyran asked True Void to create ''puppets'' using the shape-shifting tes, simr to what he had done back in the Lignum ne. Using these puppets, True Void managed to have mare eyes looking through all the materials and report it back to Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    For this reason, when Kyran passed the test, and they got transported back to the tower, True Void berated at him at once. Truth be told, he only realized that Kyran took advantage of him and was such a ve driver!


    Kyran simply brushed him off by telling him how helpful he was, but honestly, True Void''s task was simplepared to what Kyran did.


    When True Void reported back to him, Kyran took note of everything and grouped them ording to theirpatibility. He also made sure thosepatible materials would not have any issues once he applied Array Forms in them.


    Puppetry was not just aboutbining materials ording to a blueprint. It also required one to have advanced knowledge in Array. Having average knowledge in Array was not enough. Because the puppet''s program relied greatly on Array, it would be impossible to stabilize the puppet''s movements and functions if one could not create the correct forms andplete the proper calctions.


    Because of this, it took Kyran three months before he finally drafted a blueprint of a puppet. Then an additional two months to draft another six. Using the first draft as his base, it had been easier for Kyran to draft the other six. But thest three puppets, Kyran took his time in drafting. He started drafting them the same time he drafted the first one hepleted. After almost six months, he finallypleted the draft for the three puppets.


    The three blueprints, Kyran considered as the prototype of the masterpiece he had in mind. Though the test was to create ten puppets with different functions, he decided to make three puppets that had all-around functions.


    Aside from this, Kyran added a form in which all ten would be able to work together under special circumstances.


    There were still a lot of things Kyran wanted to include, but adding those forms now might over exhaust a puppet''s energy core and would result in a constant recement of the energy core. And the puppet''s energy core was something he had not perfected yet.


    If Kyran created an energy core for the puppets based on what he had learned, if they roused the form where they had to work together, the energy core would not hold out. For this reason, the energy core Kyran created was not only based on what he knew but also included the concept of the ancient teaching of Void magic he had just learned.


    ording to ancient teaching, one of the Void''s greatest features was its ability to absorb anything and everything. Everything absorbed into the Void can be converted and used again if done correctly. Kyran had a vague understanding of this when he absorbed the surrounding energies and converted them into magic energy, back when he was learning how to use magic sense. But Void was not limited to absorbing surrounding energies. Like in the introduction, Void could absorb anything and everything.


    Kyran created a form and ced it into the puppet''s energy cores using this idea. This meant once the energy core''s supply was insufficient, the form would activate, letting it absorb any surrounding energies and replenishing its own energy core. With this kind of energy core, the puppets would be almost like a real mage who could absorb surrounding energies to replenish their magic energy reserves. The only difference was that the puppets could also absorb any attack aimed at them and convert it into energy.


    This feat was simr to what True Void could do.


    When True Void realized this, he was a little annoyed, telling Kyran that was a skill unique to him.


    To appease True Void''s annoyance, Kyran assured him that he was still the original, and though the puppets could also absorb energies, they still had a limit unlike him. Kyran also told True Void since the puppets had simr abilities to him, he would be in-charged of them in the future.


    True enough, True Void liked the idea of having his own ''underlings.''


    Another unique aspect of all the puppets Kyran created was he used Void runes when he included array forms and did the calctions, making others unable to decipher them.


    Even if Kyran had not done this, it would still be impossible for others to decipher his work because it was far too advanced. Not even Noir, who was hailed as an Array Master, would be able to understand it at once. It would likely take him more than ten years before he could understand the form, and the puppets had quite a number of forms.


    Creating all the puppets took Kyran four months. When hepleted all ten, and he thought the test would be over once their functions were tested, it turned out there was also a practical test.


    In the end, it took Kyran a year toplete his test because the practical test was about having him participate in a puppetpetition, which took ce for two months.


    The test''spletion actually took more time than when Kyran was absorbing the knowledge tablets in all those rooms!


    True Void berated at Kyran as soon as they were transported back to the tower.


    "I have never been ved by my master the way you did! I haven''t even acknowledged you as my new master, and yet you brazenly took advantage of me!"


    Kyran chuckled at True Void''s rant. He was too exhausted to argue or even reply to him.


    Finally, the ovepping voices spoke and said, "Analyzing all your aplished training tasks...."


    Immediately, Kyran''s eyes snapped open.


    True Void also stopped ranting and said, "Finally, the results."


    "Training results, SSS. You are allowed to receive three rewards."

 Chapter 244 A Special Place

    "SSS? What?" True Void eximed in disbelief. "My master received an S only! What''s with this preferential treatment?"


    After hearing True Voidin, Kyran could not help looking at him incredulously. Once again, he was revealing things about his master. Was he not afraid of getting reprimanded once Kyran went to Chaos Pce and summoned his predecessor in his sea of consciousness?


    Nevertheless, because of what True Void had said, Kyran was now confident that taking advantage of the training''s loophole was not a bad idea.


    "For this training, youpleted three of the main task.


    "The first task is to acquire 100% knowledge on one branch of magic within a year. Youpleted this within a month; thus, your result is SSS.


    "The second task is toplete the test within two years. Your result is calcted based on how long it took you toplete the test; thus, your result is S.


    "The third task is connected to your second task. Since you have chosen toplete the Puppetry test, the third task is to enter the top 8 of the Puppetpetition. You ced second, acquiring an SS result.


    "Your initial result is SS. However, you have triggered a hidden task to acquire at least 80% of knowledge from the rest of the avable branches of magic. You will gain an additional point depending on the number of branches you have acquired, and the points will be added to your overall result.


    "There are fifteen branches of magic avable in training, and you have acquired at least 80% of knowledge in five branches, receiving an additional five points to your overall result.


    "Do you have any questions?" The ovepping voices asked as soon as they finished exining Kyran''s result.


    Kyran shook his head and replied, "No."


    He more or less guessed why he got an SSS result. That was why he did not ask for an exnation. Since they provided a brief exnation, he did not mind.


    Kyran had expected taking advantage of the training''s loophole might be a hidden task, but he did not expect it would give him many additional points.


    Unfortunately, he only chose six branches of magic to focus on, while the rest he absorbed at least 30-50% only. If he tried to absorb more than 80% knowledge on all branches, he would have gotten a C-result in his first task because it would take at least a year or even more for him to finish all fifteen branches.


    "In that case, please choose your rewards."


    Five tinum chests appeared after the ovepping voices finished their words, forming a circle around Kyran.


    ''Only five chests,'' Kyran thought with a raised brows.


    It was not that surprising. It only meant that rewards from tinum chests were rarer items.


    Projections of the items inside the tinum chests appeared above the lid. The items were as follows, one ck slip, a tinum cauldron, a purple pen, a roll of tinum parchment, andst, a tinum key.


    When Kyran saw the key, his brow furrowed at once. He had no idea what the key was used for¡ªerr; actually, he did know. What he did not know was where or what this particr key was meant to do.


    There was also the ck slip. Unlike the purple slips from his first set of rewards, he did not feel any resonance to his Void core. It might mean that whatever information was in the slip might not be connected to Void magic.


    The tinum cauldron, purple pen, and a roll of tinum parchment were used for either Array calction, Puppetry blueprint, Incantation, or Alchemy.


    All three would be useful for Kyran.


    However, Kyran was a little hesitant to choose them. One big factor of his hesitation was the tower would not include a slip with information not beneficial to him. If he had to guess, the ck slip might have advanced knowledge or theory on Puppetry.


    As for the key, was it a key to a treasure vault of a Puppet Master? Or if not a Puppet Master, a key to his predecessor''s treasure vault? Could it be a key to the Chaos Pce?


    Instead of guessing the answer, Kyran decided to ask the voices. Though he did not expect them to reply, at least he would ask for a clue.


    "What''s the key for?"


    "It is the key to enter a special ce inside the tower," the ovepping voices answered at once.


    "Special ce?" Kyran wondered aloud.


    He was not the only one who did, though. True Void also said the same thing, which made both of them look at each other.


    However, while Kyran had a look of confusion, True Void had a look of horror.


    "Are you talking about the ce in the tower where $%@*(#)!@&*$!!!!!!!" True Void abruptly stopped when the words he wanted to say had sounded jumbled.


    "What in the world¡ªoh, I''m speaking okay again. Anyway, was that ce where $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ª!!!!!"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He already guessed that the tower did not want him to know what True Void wanted to say, so his words had been ''filtered.''


    "Please choose your reward," the ovepping told Kyran ignoring True Voidpletely.


    "Oi! Oi! Don''t brush me off! Or are you trying to get Void Halfling to $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ª! I just want to make sure Void Halfling will not suddenly choose that key because $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ª!"


    True Void tried yet again to speak but to no avail.


    The ck lines on Kyran''s head doubled the more True Void tried to speak, yet the tower could filter his words.<sub> </sub>


    He decided to ignore him for now and replied to the ovepping voices.


    "I... choose those three."


    Still a little hesitant, Kyran finally chose the ck slip, the purple pen, and the tinum key.


    The moment Kyran pointed at the key, True Void went ballistic.


    "NOOOOOO! WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT? You have no idea that the $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ª is such a $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ªOi! Stop filtering what I''m saying!"


    True Void shouted to no one in particr.


    "You have chosen the Lost Manuscript of the Automata System, the Nihility Pen, and the Key to a Special ce."


    True Void''s outburst was once again ignored as the ovepping voices continued.


    The three tinum chests holding the rewards Kyran had chosen burst open with blinding gold light. The items inside emerged and slowly flew toward Kyran, who immediately ced them inside the storage ring with a wave of his hand.


    However, while the ck slip and purple pen went into the storage ring, the key remained, hovering midair. It appeared the key could not be taken into the ring.


    "Would you like to use the key now?" The ovepping voices asked.


    "No!" True Void answered for Kyran again.


    Kyran could only look at him with arge sweat on his forehead.


    Kidding aside, Kyran looked at the key, then at True Void, who was stillining in the background, then back at the key.


    Thinking about True Void''s reaction, the special ce the key led to was definitely a dangerous ce. If Kyran had to choose wisely, the best decision was to keep the key until he had more clue about the special ce.


    Right now, the tower was filtering True Void''s words, but if Kyran asked the right questions, he was confident he could extract bits and pieces of clues from him.


    But if Kyran followed his instincts, it was telling him to use the key. It did not matter whether that special ce was dangerous or not because he would have to go there eventually.


    Not knowing anything about the ce was also not a big deal. Did he not tread through his first training without knowing what was happening and still pass the test?


    Besides, Kyran had seen True Void react like this before, and it was exaggerated, to be honest. That ce might be dangerous to True Void but not to Kyran.


    "Would you like to use the key now?" The ovepping voices repeated when Kyran did not answer for more than five minutes.


    Kyran looked at True Void, who was stillining.


    "I''m telling you! If you use that key now, we are strangers! Strangers! You hear?"


    Smiling wryly at True Void''s attempt to dissuade him, Kyran looked at the key one more time and finally answered, "Yes. Take me¡ª."


    "NOOOOO!!!!"


    "¡ªto that special ce."


    "Your request has been granted."


    As soon as the ovepping voices said this, the tinum key before Kyran lit up, and within three seconds, it shattered to pieces.


    "NOOOOO!!!!"


    True Void''s unmanly wail filled the air once more as the whole room distorted.


    Kyran looked around and watched as the white room began to change.


    Gears that looked like the insides of a clock reced the indeterminable white walls. Even the white floor turned into a gray metal tform. As for the ceiling, countless round cogwheel-like tforms were hovering above.


    Kyran gaped at the cogwheel-like tforms and finally had an idea of what this special ce was.


    Before he could say anything, though, the ovepping voices had spoken.


    "Wee to the Tower''s Battle Arena. You are participant number 7621. A master upies each tform, and you may challenge them to any form of battle.


    "You are allowed to use any techniques and magic items. Killing is also authorized.


    "If you reach the 100th tform, you will be given three choices. The first choice is to continue moving up the tforms. The second is to stop and return to the white room. Or third, you can challenge the Special Room''s Champion.


    "When challenging the Champion and you fail but did not die, you will be transported back to the tower. If you win, you will be the new Champion and have a chance to challenge the Tower''s top floors."

 Chapter 245 Aim To Challenge The Champion

    True Void nearly fainted when they appeared in the Tower''s ''special ce.'' When he first entered this ce, he was only a new magic weapon and had no spirit but the memory of the battles he went through with his master was engraved within his body. It was because of this ce that his master had done a number of adjustments and upgrades on him, and eventually bore a spirit.


    After hearing the ovepping voices exin that each tform had a master, this made True Void reminisce of the time he had been there.


    There were no masters on each tform the first time True Void came here. This meant there was no one to enforce any rules making each tform free for all to anyone who entered.


    However, it was for this reason that this special ce had been a nightmare to True Void.


    Back then, there were more participants inside the tower, and getting a tinum key was not easy, but eventually, participants grew stronger with every training they passed. When they started to acquire SSS-result, the tinum key became avable and more participants got to know about this special ce.


    When True Void and his master entered the special ce, there were already a number of participants who possessed a tinum key. Most had used the key at the same time, which made the whole special room lively. But when they began going up the tform, with no rules on each, it automatically became a battle royale among all the participants.


    It was very brutal and cruel.


    The previous Void Master had always been a timid person, especially with the type of environment he grew up in, but because of this ce, he developed a cold and ruthless side.


    Thinking of this, True Void was worried. He looked at Kyran who was still looking at the hovering tforms. With a sigh, he also looked at the tforms and felt a weight pressing down on him.


    "What happens when a tform master dies?" Kyran asked the ovepping voices.


    Without a pause, the ovepping voices answered at once, "When a participant bested a master, the winner would only move up a tform. But if the master died, the winner had a choice to only moved up a tform, or be the new master. If the winner agreed to be a new master, the winner would have to leave his essence behind before moving up.


    ''Leave an essence?'' Kyran repeated in his head with raised brows.


    If he had not met the Sovereign of Ruin, he would not be able to understand what an essence meant.


    "There is an advantage of being a tform master," the ovepping voices continued with their exnation.


    "After leaving the Tower, their essence would remain inside the special ce, making it possible for them to return without needing another tinum key at any time. Aside from that, all the items they won during their rule would be transferred to their original essence from a special storage item that the Tower would issue to all tform masters. However, if their essence was killed then the storage item would be destroyed and they would not be able to return to the special ce unless they continue with their training and acquire a new tinum key."


    Kyran suddenly felt an iing headache. The advantage of bing a tform master was tempting, but he knew it was not that easy. At the moment, it appeared there were barely new participants going inside the tower. If that was the case, then who would challenge him and ''win'' items when he did be a master?


    More importantly, the current masters might also be thinking the same thing, thus, they would be more cautious and calcting when a new participant arrived on their tform. They would definitely set a favorable rule for them.


    There was also the matter about the ''item'' that one could win. Kyran knew that the item was not provided by the tower but by themselves. It was like a battle and gambling arena.


    You wager something before the battle, and in the end, you either win or lose everything.


    ''Bing a master is not important,'' Kyran finally told himself. ''What matters is taking this opportunity to broaden my horizons, as well as battling different types of mages.''


    He looked at the farthest tform he could see above. If he did not miss his count, the tform visible to him was only the thirtieth one. It meant the 100th tform was still way above and going there was not going to be easy.


    ''I need to be very careful in dealing with each tform master,'' Kyran thought and looked at the storage ring the tower had provided. ''This means I may have to employ everything I have.''


    A thought suddenly came to him, ''Which reminds me...''


    He looked up once again and asked the ovepping voices, "Did I not get any spoils from myst training?"


    "Yes you have," the ovepping voices replied at once.


    When True Void heard Kyran he could not help but look at him incredulously.


    "Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! While I am here worrying about your survival, all you think about are your spoils!" Heined.


    Kyran scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. He could not help it. Being poor and low on resources as he was now, every item he could milk out from the tower was very important to him.


    "Because of your rating, the Tower had decided to give you an additional reward."


    As soon as the ovepping voices finished what they were saying, a ck leather belt appeared before Kyran.


    At first nce, the belt looked ordinary. But upon closer inspection, Kyran saw small runes written on the belt''s edges and there were several small diamond orbs forming fiveyers around it.


    Still, this was not the kind of reward or spoil he was expecting.


    Where were his puppets?


    Just as Kyran was beginning to feel disappointed, the ovepping voices spoke as if to quench it.


    "This is a tool belt specially designed to store your automatons."


    Kyran''s expression brightened at once. That was what he had been waiting to hear. But then his expression turned serious as he noticed something from how they called his creation.


    ''They already considered my work automatons? But they are nothingpared to the real ones,'' he thought, recalling hisst battle in the puppetpetition.<sub> </sub>


    If he had not been matched up with the current champion, he might have been able to win first ce. Unfortunately, he faced the champion who actually possessed five automatons.


    Compared to his ten puppets, his creations were a far cry in terms of the speed and strength of an automaton. The advantage of his puppets was their seemingly inexhaustible energy. But when faced with automatons with more advanced capabilities, having unlimited energy was not enough.


    Kyran''s puppets were ughtered almost at once¡ªat least half of them. He admitted defeat before the automatons could destroy the remaining five. If not, he would not have any spoils left.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was relieved that the three special puppets he made were intact. Recalling the ck slip he took, and about what it was, he could not wait to study it and upgrade his puppets.


    "Thank you," Kyran muttered out of habit before reaching for the belt.


    "You can store as many automatons as there are diamond orbs on the belt. Please remember that upgrading the belt is impossible."


    Kyran smiled wryly upon hearing the ovepping voices'' reminder. He did not expect the tower to give him a freebie he could take advantage of, so he was not surprised that he could not upgrade the belt.


    It did not matter, though. Having limited resources, Kyran would not be able to fill all the diamond orbs with new puppets, anyway.


    "Oi, Void Halfling," True Void called while looking at Kyran nervously. "Are you really sure you want to participate here?"


    Kyran looked at him and smiled. If he did not know better, that the reason True Void was worried about him was that he did not want to ''die'' with him in this ce, he would have feel a little touched. But since he knew, he just said, "Since we''re here, then we might as well enjoy it."


    "Enjoy? Enjoy? Do you think I can enjoy such a brutal and cruel ce?" True Void eximed in exasperation.


    "Rx. It may not be that bad," Kyran told him as he wore the belt around his waist.


    "Are you ready to enter the first tform?" The ovepping voices asked him again.


    "Is there a Recovery Room after each tform?" Kyran answered with another question.


    "There is."


    Kyran nodded feeling more confident in going up. As long as he won each tform, he could rest inside the Recovery Room.


    "Then okay, I''m ready to go," he told the ovepping voices.


    "Very well. Please prepare to be transported."


    "Oi! Oi! Are we not going to have any strategic meeting before going?" True Void began toin at the same time the ovepping voices had spoken.


    Kyran looked at him thoughtfully and replied with a slight smile, "There are only two things. We win on every tform and aim to challenge the champion after the 100th tform."


    "WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME¡ª?"


    True Void''s outburst was cut short because it was at this time that a blinding light fell above them.


    Immediately, the light took control of their bodies and they were lifted off the metallic floor.


    "May you further refine your battle capabilities as you move up in this ce."


    The ovepping voices said just before the blinding light took Kyran and True Void to the first tform.


    Meanwhile, outside the Tower of Tribtion, where Nn and Gustaff were watching the projection. The two had a thoughtful look as soon as Kyran was taken away by the blinding light.


    "He really went up," Gustaff remarked.


    Nn did not say anything but a smile had formed on his lips.


    This ce was actually where he wanted Kyran to train. Getting a key to enter the Tower''s special ce was not easy. At most, Nn guessed it would take Kyran at least ten or so training before he was presented a tinum key among his rewards. Even then, Kyran might not choose it. Fortunately, he got an SSS result which meant he would be presented with a tinum key. Not only that, but he also picked it as his reward.


    ''To think he got an SSS result on his second training, not to mention a knowledge training for crying out loud. He really is a monster,'' Nn chuckled to himself.


    "Speaking of this ce. I guess we''ll be able to see his progress in real-time now. Since the arena is part of the tower," Gustaff pointed out.


    Nn nodded, "Hm."


    Gustaff sighed, recalling his own experience in the special ce.


    "I managed to get to the 100th tform but was too scared to challenge the champion and chose to leave," he said. "I can''t wait to see how he win his way up."


    Nn remained silent, but his smile had turned a little mischievous as he thought, ''Me too.''

 Chapter 246 Ar-Lo

    When the light that wrapped Kyran faded, he found himself on the edge of an empty metal cogwheel-like tform.


    Kyran did not notice it from below, but the tform was quite spacious, having at least a diameter of almost three hundred meters. There were also rune writings around the edges, which formed an array formation.


    Sensing that the tower itself did not employ the array formation, Kyran immediately roused his magic, sending out his magic sense to feel the runes. In just a few seconds, he managed to learn that the array formation was an advanced support array that covered the whole tform like a dome. It had protective, restorative, and even energy replenishing forms. However, Kyran found that these forms might be active on the whole tform, but they actually target only one person.


    Based on the calction, Kyran found that the person''s name was Ar-Lo.


    Kyran frowned slightly. The way the name was written and pronounced was quite different from the names he was used to. It made him think whether the master of this tform was from the same ne or a different one.


    Gustaff said the tower was not in Ylfaen, nor could it be found outside. He also said that only those ''chosen'' could find it and enter it. Thus, Kyran''s guess was not entirely impossible.


    Another possibility was the person in question was from the same ne but a different nation.


    This possibility was far intimidating for Kyran, to be honest.


    Because of his magic, he did not want to meet other participants from the same ne. The masters on each tform might only be an essence, but if there was a way for their original body to receive items their essence had won, there must also be a way to know what their essence experienced and saw.


    One good example of this was the Sovereign of Ruin, who, right after getting his essence in the Lignum ne destroyed, tried to force his way into the ne to get even.


    If Kyran had to choose, he preferred to meet others from a different ne. Though all those who managed to enter the tower were chosen and probably had no ill intentions, it did not mean they did not have any enmity with the ''Dark Sage.''


    For all he knew, the reason some chosen from the same ne wanted to be stronger was that their family''s grievances were rted to the Dark Sage.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. As he learned more about his predecessor''s past, he understood his character a little better. The more he knew about his predecessor, the more he had an inkling that the name people gave him might not be groundless, after all.


    It was not because his predecessor was really evil, but because he wanted others to think he was.


    Kyran could not put his finger on his predecessor''s reason for doing so. However, he had been thinking about it during his second training.


    "What''s this? What''s this? We''re here and ready, yet there is no master to greet us?" True Void''s voice, full of disdain, snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran looked at him incredulously and said, "I thought you did not want toe here? You even said we''ll be strangers from now on. What''s with the ''We''re ready'' statement?"


    True Void snorted as he flew toward Kyran. While sitting on Kyran''s shoulder, he said, "What else can I do? Where you go, I go. We''re stuck together, and it is simply a curse. If I had a pick on who my master''s sessor should have been, I would pick a sessor whose more sensible!"


    Kyran chuckled and shook his head without replying.


    They had been together for more than a year now¡ª urately speaking, they had been together since Kyran was born, but personally, they had known each other for more than a year¡ªand they had been through so many things.


    Kyran never took True Void''s words offensive. Instead, he found his rants entertaining and informative, especially when he talked about his master.


    "Don''t justugh! I''m telling you if you can''t breeze your way up to the 100th tform, we''ll really be strangers!"


    Even before True Void could finish talking, a beam of light descended at the center of the tform.


    As soon as the beam of lightnded, a booming sound erupted, sending out a shockwave that rattled the whole tform.


    True Void immediately went into the defensive. He disengaged the shape-shifting tes in their miniature armor form and turned into arge hexagonal semi-transparent barrier before Kyran.


    Kyran did not make any move. He simply stood in ce even when the thunderous sound shook the tform. He did not even bat an eye when the shockwave came at them because he knew True Void, though he loved to rant andin, would always act to protect or help him.


    True Void''s quick response had been honed from his years of being with the previous Void Master. He might have been in slumber for so many years, but his instincts as the Void Master''s weapon were deeply ingrained in him; not even slumber could cken him.


    The shockwave collided with the barrier and was instantly negated by the barrier''s Void attribute.


    Kyran squinted his eyes and focused on the spot where the beam of light descended. It was a distance away, and he could only make out a blurry silhouette amidst the cloud of smoke without the Regis technique.


    "That''s a nice little item you got there. Can you tell me how you made it change shape?"


    A drudging voice of a man spoke from within the cloud of smoke.


    "You! You! Did you just call me an item? Do you want me to make you into one? Huh?" True Void shouted in annoyance.


    "Oh, it can also talk. Nice," the man, still sounding as if he was toozy to exert any emotion, had said while slowly making his way toward them.


    "What? ''It''? YOU! YOU! Do you want me to¡ª."<sub> </sub>


    ''True Void,'' Kyran called to True Void telepathically. ''I think he is doing it on purpose. Don''t get worked up.''


    [Doing it on purpose?]


    ''Yeah. This is probably his way of gathering information,'' Kyran exined.


    When Kyran said this, True Void looked at the approaching silhouette warily. Though the exchange they had was short and nonsensical even to call it gathering information, if Kyran did not warn him and just let him respond to the man''s provocation, eventually, he would end up telling quite a number of things.


    Such as what True Void could do to deal with him.


    Oh, wait. Just before Kyran interrupted him, he was about to tell the man what he nned on doing to prove he was not an ''it.''


    True Void heaved a sigh. That was too close.


    "''Do you want me to¡ª'' what? That''s not nice. You should not leave a person hanging," the man drawledzily, finally emerging from the cloud of smoke.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the approaching man.


    The man was at least two meters tall, wearing a ragged yellow hooded robe that showed his longnguid arms. His face was hidden under the hood, but his long gray hair flowed on each side of his face.


    But those were not important. What caught Kyran''s eye was the color of the man''s skin. Surprisingly, the man''s skin was red, giving it a bizarre contrast with his yellow robe. Whether the man''s skin was painted or not, Kyran was still uncertain, but one thing he was sure of, the man was not from the same ne.


    "Come on. Don''t make your item stop talking," the man told Kyran as he continued to approach him.


    "For someone who sounded bored, you talk a lot," Kyran remarked.


    The man stopped in his tracks. He tilted his head to one side as if giving Kyran a look over before bursting out inughter.


    "Hahaha! Bored? Me?" The man asked but did not seem to want an answer. Then he heaved a sigh before nodding his head, "Yes. I guess I am."


    Suddenly, different-sized rings filled with rune writings circled horizontally around him.


    "But can you me me?" The man said, resuming his walk toward Kyran. "It has been a long time since anyone came here to fight."


    Kyran looked at the runes circling the man. At first nce, it appeared like a normal magic array, but the more he stared at it, he found it was not that simple. After all, could one create different colored magic arrays at the same time?


    That was right. The rune writings circling the man did have not only different sizes but also colors.


    "I hope you will not say you forfeit and leave just like the guy before you did."


    "I won''t," Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    "Then," the man stopped. He spread his arms and said, "What will you wager?"


    "How about this item you''re interested in?" Kyran replied while pointing at the barrier form shape-shifting tes in front of him.


    "OI!" True Voidined at once.


    "Hahaha! Nice. Alright, then I''ll wager too," the man agreed at once.


    The moment the man said this, the whole tform shook as huge red fissure appeared behind him. Heavy magic fluctuations filled the air, and crackling sounds reverberated all around.


    A wed metallic hand appeared and grabbed the edges of the red fissure as it slowly emerged from within.


    "I''ll wager my greatest work, Ar-Lo."


    Soon a twenty-meter-tall automaton with dragon-like features emerged from the fissure.


    Seeing the automaton and hearing that it was actually the target of the runes around the tform, Kyran''s expression immediately turned serious.


    No wonder it also included a restorative form and not a healing one; the target was not a person but an automaton.


    "If you defeat Ar-Lo, then you can have it, but if you fail, then I''ll get your item," the man said.

 Chapter 247 Dont Sell Yourself Short!

    Kyran tilted his head to one side after hearing the man''s condition for winning. He put on a troubled expression before saying, "That''s not a fair wager at all."


    The man also tilted his head, imitating Kyran while spreading out his palms, "What''s not fair with that? I''m wagering my best creation against your interesting item."


    "No, not that," Kyran immediately shook his head. Then he pointed at the metallic gray dragon-like automaton behind the man. "You wager your best creation, but I have to defeat it to get it. If I end up destroying it, then I will end up getting a scrap after winning."


    "..."


    On the other hand, True Void broke out in cold sweat after hearing Kyranin. He knew Kyran meant to bargain their wager, which made him nervous.


    [Oi, Void Hafling, are you seriously going to wager the tes? These tes are more suitable for me than that ugly-looking puppet!]


    After Kyran heard True Void voice out his opinion telepathically, his expression on the outside remained the same. But internally, Kyran could not help but sweat at True Void.


    If he won the automaton, it meant he did not have to surrender the tes, so why was True Void even worried? Did he really think he wanted True Void to transfer his spirit in the dragon-like automaton?


    ''You make it sound like we''re exchanging items here,'' Kyran replied with a sigh.


    [Oi! What do you mean by item? I am not an item!]


    ''I''m talking about the tes. Besides, I''m wagering the tes, not you. If I end up losing, you can transfer to one of the puppets for the time being,'' Kyran exined.


    After Kyran told him of this, True Void recalled that the wagered item was not him but the tes. Aside from this, he always had a choice to transfer to another one of Kyran''s creations if the tes ended up being lost or destroyed.


    [Bahahaha! Right! Right! I forgot! Being in this body for more than a year rubbed off on me. It almost made me think it is my own body!]


    Kyran did not reply and only mentally scratched his head. At least he had settled True Void''s concern for now.


    As for the man, after being speechless for a few seconds, he finally scratched his head and said, "Just now, you... sound like you will actually win. That doesn''t sound nice."


    Kyranughed lightly and also scratched his head. He looked somewhat abashed while saying, "Of course not. It''s just an ''if.''"


    Seeing Kyran act like this, True Void could not help but get goosebumps up his arms.


    It was not his first time seeing him act this way. During Kyran''s second training test, the two-month-long Puppet Competition made him develop this new skill.


    Yes, it was a new skill.


    Previously, Kyran focused on honing hisbat, magical, and strategical skills by doing the work himself. After participating in the Puppet Competition, the experience broadened his horizons because he was not the one fighting but his puppets.


    While the puppets did the physical and magical fights during thepetition, the puppeteers also engaged in a different form of battle.


    Psychological.


    Kyran had the knowledge and on-hand experience inbat strategy nning and execution. However, when dealing with psychological warfare, he was aplete noob.


    It was for this reason that he almost self-destructed when his reverse scale had been triggered during his ''negotiation'' with Celine, back in the abandoned warehouse. He could somehow read another person''s thoughts even if they put on a facade. But when he got pitted with a real expert, he was like a small frail animal trapped in a tiger''s den.


    Apart from this, Kyran might be good at acting indifferent or putting on a poker face to conceal his thoughts. However, some people were good at deciphering a person''s indifference through minute changes in a person''s mood, or aura, thus, making them appear like an open book.


    Because of the psychological battles, Kyran endured at the Puppet Competition, he developed a new skill. He observed all of his opponents'' tactics and absorbed everything he could to achieve this.


    Although True Void could not say that Kyran was already an expert in psychological warfare, he could at least hold his own now.


    After a short pause, the man replied while still scratching his head, "You have a point. But isn''t it the same with you? If we fight and I end up destroying your item, I''ll also get a scrap."


    Kyran gave him a surprised look and immediately shook his head, "Since I wagered it, I don''t n on using it."


    The man turned still after hearing Kyran''s reply. It took a few seconds before he lowered his hand, which was still on his head, and said in a somewhat confused tone, "If you''re not using it, how will I know how good it is?"


    "I can show it to you after I lose," Kyran replied.


    "Nice. I see, okay." The man nodded in understanding, then he added, "But... I''m still using mine because you''ll lose anyway."


    Kyran sighed. He looked at the man dejectedly and replied, "This is a little troubling. Sorry, but I can''t agree to your terms."


    "Eh? Why?" The manined, his shoulders slumped down in disappointment.


    Kyran did not reply immediately; instead, he assessed what he had gathered about the man''s characteristics.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran realized the man had a prideful side from the short exchange they had. He would notpromise because he was sure he would win. He also had aidback side. This was already evident from his attitude right from the start.


    However, it was precisely because of this that Kyran knew the man also had an unreasonable side.


    ''If that''s the case...''


    "How about we changed the terms a little? I''ll fight your... Ar-Lo, is it? If I lose, you can have this," Kyran pointed at the shape-shifting tes before him, "But if I defeat it, then you have to answer three questions from me."


    [Oi! Don''t sell yourself short? Your tes are more valuable than that ugly automaton!]


    Kyran ignored True Void''sint. He only remained silent while waiting for the man''s reply.


    The man pondered for a moment before finally saying, "Alright. If you''re okay with that. Since you''ll lose anyway, I''ll be generous and still answer one question."


    Kyran only smiled in response.


    "Let''s start."


    As soon as the man said the word start, his magic pressure burst out, and the dragon-like automaton, Ar-Lo, roared mechanically.


    Ar-Lo''s red eyes glowed ferociously as it pped its wings and soared in the air before charging at Kyran.


    On Kyran''s end, when the man''s magic pressure had erupted, True Void had already disengaged the shape-shifting tes from its hexagonal barrier. He circled Kyran''s left arm before turning into an arm bracer.


    When Kyran dered he would not use the tes to fight Ar-Lo, True Void guessed he nned on making it a quick one. So instead of hovering in the way as a miniature armor, he decided to cover Kyran''s arm, which had the Mark of Ruin to help him ''contain it'' once he roused his magic energy.


    It was unfortunate that the mark would always act up whenever Kyran used his magic energy at a certain percent. It happened quite a number of times during his second training, when he overused his magic sense or when he transferred too much magic energy into his puppets during thepetition. This was how True Void suggested helping him contain the mark if he had to exert a lot of magic energy.


    What True Void did, had been seen by the man. He lifted his head a little, and his gold eyes glinted in fascination under the hood.


    "Thanks," Kyran muttered to True Void before rousing his magic energy. He looked up and saw that the automaton had shortened its distance in just a second.


    Earlier, there were more than a hundred meters between them. Now, there were barely ten meters left, and Ar-Lo was more than twenty meters long.


    The speed of this automaton far exceeded Kyran''s expectations. With its huge frame, it should not be able to move that fast.


    Still, Kyran remained calm as he watched Ar-Lo stop and drawback its head before opening its mouth.


    Raw magic energy formed inside its mouth, and almost at once, it turned into a beam of concentrated energy fired at Kyran.


    Kyran waved his right hand in front of him. A purple mist burst out from his palm, instantly covering the space around him. It rapidly spread and finally reached Ar-Lo, lowering its vision.


    The beam of concentrated energy sted through, ignoring the mist, and went straight at Kyran''s head.


    The man could not help but sneer as he watched the scene unfold before him. He did not expect the new challenger to be such easy prey. Ar-Lo might be an automaton, but its prowess was at least 50% the same as a real dragon. It was for this reason that it became his greatest work.


    To use such frail mist magic to counter a concentrated attack from his Ar-Lo? It was simply suicide. Anyone who would think it was only an attacking from an automaton and could be countered by magic was really underestimating his greatest work!


    Ping!


    A loud metallic sound rang out from within the purple mist, which made the man frown at once. The metallic sound was different from the metal sounds his Ar-Lo makes.


    Immediately, the man''s eyes glowed as he spread out his magic sense to see inside the purple mist.


    Sizzle! Crackle!


    Sparks erupted from the purple mist, in different directions even before the man''s magic sense could see what was happening.


    Suddenly, a deafening mechanical roar filled the air as Ar-Lo burst out from the purple mist.


    Sizzle! Crackle!


    "Ar-Lo!"


    The man who had always spoke in a monotonous voice, suddenly eximed in shock as he realized that the one making those sizzling and crackling sounds was actually Ar-Lo.

 Chapter 248 One Small Stomp

    Even as the man shouted, he saw a beam of concentrated energy sted off from within the purple mist and went straight for Ar-Lo. The beam''s path was aimed directly at Ar-Lo''s chest, where its energy core was located.


    Immediately, the man''s eyes glowed as he knelt on one knee and ced his right hand on the ground. All the runes circling on his body converged on his right arm and shrank into small rings before seeping into the tform. As soon as all the runes left the man''s arm, the whole tform trembled as the array he had ced there since he became the first tform''s master activated.


    When the beam of concentrated energy was only a meter away from Ar-Lo, a semi-transparent sphere formed around him like a barrier, protecting him against the attack. The beam of energy collided with the semi-transparent barrier and its st was deflected, sending the beam of energy in different directions.


    Some of the deflected beams struck the metal tform. Others got sted in the air and hit the invisible barrier around the tform. At the same time, one went straight at the man.


    The man snorted, and with a wave of his hand, he also deflected the beaming at him, and it swerved and hit the metal tform.


    Holes with different sizes riddled the metal tform from where the deflected beams had struck.


    All of this happened in only a few seconds.


    A blinding light filled the crackling and sizzling Ar-Lo. The sounds disappeared when the light faded, revealing apletely intact dragon-like automaton. It seemed that any damage it received while inside the purple mist had been repaired.


    "Only aiming to destroy your automaton''s movements will not end this, huh."


    The man''s golden eyes narrowed after hearing his new challenger speak. He stood up and looked at the purple mist.


    Kyran raised his right hand and willed the purple mist to converge around his arm. Soon it formed into different-sized purple rings, circling and pulsating on his right arm.


    "That''s not nice," the man immediately said with a frown. "So your magic is not Mist."


    When Kyran heard the man, he recalled a conversation with Nn where he thought his magic was ck mist. The memory made him mentally scratch his head. He did not expect that from others; his purple mist looked like ''Mist'' magic.


    "No," Kyran replied with an awkward smile.


    "Your magic is weird," the man remarked with a frown.


    Kyran could only clear his throat.


    "As you can see," he started, changing the subject at once. "My magic has the ability to destroy your automaton."


    [Oi, Void Halfing. What''s the point of talking to that guy? Why did you not finish off his ugly automaton in one attack?]


    True Void spoke in Kyran''s head.


    ''If I do that, then I''ll win.''


    [Isn''t that the goal?]


    ''No.''


    [Huh?]


    The man''s face under the hood turned sour. He looked at Ar-Lo hovering in midair and frowned. He initially thought that Ar-Lo got damaged earlier because of the new challenger''s ''Mist'' magic. Mists were formless and could seep into any small openings. Ar-Lo was an automaton. Its joints and metal framing had small spaces that mist could enter.


    However, when the mist turned into rings around the new challenger''s arm, the man started to have doubts. His doubts grew further when the new challenger admitted that his magic was not Mist. There was also the metallic sound he heard within the purple mist.


    The man thought of something, and his expression immediately turned furious.


    "You... you said you will not use your item."


    Kyran raised his brows and lifted his left arm.


    "I didn''t," he replied, giving the man his most innocent-looking expression, which made True Void cringe.


    "It''s not nice to lie," the man growled in his monotonous voice.


    Kyran sighed. He had an idea why the man was suddenly pissed. It likely had something to do with the ''beam'' that went after Ar-Lo''s energy core.


    That one was not his fault. Honestly, it was also an unexpected turn of events for him.


    "I hate liars!" The man roared while light yellow rune writings appeared around him


    The hovering Ar-Lo instantly moved. It roared while pping its wings, creating massive whirlwinds after Kyran.


    Kyran sighed in his heart as he watched the iing wind attack.


    What True Void said was correct. He could end this battle in one move. He was not the same as before, where he had to get close to his opponent before using his magic¡ªsummoning them as rings were unnecessary.


    However, winning was not his goal. To be precise, the purpose of this special ce was not to win all battles. Because all the battles fought here, was also training.<sub> </sub>


    Right from the start, when the ovepping voices had told them about the special ce, and they had to move up, they only mentioned challenging the masters of each tform. Even the ''killing was authorized'' sounded misleading. They might not exactly mean killing the masters was authorized. However, Kyran believed the tower allowed it because there were times when killing was unavoidable. Besides, every master was only essence, and they would not really die. Most importantly, their parting words did not mention winning all the battles on the tform, only to refine his battle capabilities. If the purpose were winning all of his battles, it would no longer be called training.


    [Oi! Void Halfling! Don''t just stand there¡ª!]


    Before True Void could finish what he was saying, the whirlwind had already bear down on Kyran.


    Fierce de-like wind,shed on to Kyran in every direction. However, he only stood in ce and let the whirlwindsh on him. He did not even bat an eye when the de-like wind began to shred his coat to pieces because, just like Ar-Lo, his clothes had restorative enhancements.


    His coat was no longer the one provided by the tower but the one he originally had. He had repaired the enhancements during the second training.


    Another rune appeared on the man and circled him. This time they were light brown.


    At the same time, Ar-Londed on the tform and roared.


    Kyran, who still stood like a deeply-rooted ancient tree, stout and unyielding amidst the fierce winds, watched as spikes made of earth erupted on the tform from Ar-Lo''s roar and went straight at him.


    [Iing!]


    True Void warned.


    "Let''s end this."


    Even before Kyran finished his words, he finally moved.


    As the earth spikes neared him, Kyran stomped his feet.


    It was only one move. One small stomp. However, what happened afterward was something the man would probably never forget, even if he tried to.


    When Kyran stomped his feet, a thunderous sound reverberated on the whole tform. The shockwave immediately dispelled the iing earth spikes and even countered the fierce winds.


    If that was all, the man might not have looked too shocked. But that did not end there.


    After the shockwave dispelled the earth spikes, it continued forward and reached Ar-Lo, who had flown in the air right after it summoned the earth attack. Ar-Lo roared, and a sonic-like wind sted out from its mouth as if to counter the shockwave. However, its counter was a far cry from the shockwave''s force. If the automaton''s sonic-like wind was like a fierce wind, the shockwave was like a massive tornado.


    Ar-Lo immediately flew back to avoid the shockwave, but its decision to do so had been a tad toote. Because the shockwave had reached it, and the pressure it received was tremendous. Huge cracks appeared on its metal frame and even started to disintegrate.


    Not only that, even as Ar-Lo flew back and the array around the tform started to restore its frame, the speed at which the shockwave was destroying its frame was faster than the array''s restorative ability.


    "No!" The man shouted and immediately flew in the air. He spread his arms as a massive ring full of rune writings appeared behind him. Smaller rings with runes formed at the edges, and different colored energy beams shoot out from them. The energy beams hit the tform, creating a new wave of energy shockwave to counter the iing shockwave.


    BOOM!


    A massive eruption urred as the two shockwaves met.


    Ar-Lo gave out a heart-wrenching roar as it got stuck at the center, which resulted in it getting crushed. Even the restorative and protective forms on the tform''s array could not save it.


    "No! Ar-Lo!" The man eximed. He wanted to fly toward his creation, but the shockwave from the massive eruption pushed him back.


    As for Kyran, he just stood there once more. He did not even blink when the shockwave from the collision of the two forces came at him.


    [Tsk. Tsk. I told you not to do that. What will happen if you destroy the whole tform?]


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    This attack was something he learned during the Puppet Competition. He discovered it by ident, not precisely during a match but after.


    His opponent could not ept his defeat and attacked him outside the stadium back then. At that time, Kyran was in the middle of practicing one of the incantations he was interested in and had trouble channeling the right amount of force on his body. So when his opponent appeared, and Kyran stepped forward to stop his attack, Kyran was shocked when his single step actually resulted in a five hundred-meter radius crater and a massive shockwave.


    Fortunately, his opponent did not die. However, he was sent to the emergency ward at once.


    On the other hand, True Void warned him not to do that again.


    Kyran did not respond. But he felt a little awkward after recalling that he had to fix everything he destroyed back then.


    "Ar-Lo!" The man''s shout filled the air.


    The whole tform was still covered in smoke, but the man had already moved toward where Ar-Lo wasst at.


    When he finally arrived, and the cloud of smoke had lifted some more, what he saw made him fall to his knees.

 Chapter 249 Three Questions

    Small bits of scrap metals, screws, and wirings littered the area where the dragon-like automaton had been. In the middle of all these was a glowing metallic gold orb, with runes circling it, which was surprisingly still intact. Upon closer inspection at the energy core, the metallic gold was not the exterior color of the orb but the liquid inside.


    "Ar-Lo..." The man nearly fainted after seeing his greatest work reduced into this. He had never thought that the new challenger he had thought to be easy prey was actually a hidden dragon.


    Unbeknownst to him, Kyran was indeed a hidden ''baby'' dragon figuratively speaking. For this very reason, a dragon automaton trying to pit itself with someone who was blessed by the Dragon King was simply seeking death.


    Taking a deep breath, the man finally stood and walked over to his automaton''s energy core. He knelt on one knee to inspect it. Not even two seconds had passed, a slight frown appeared on his face.


    The energy core was fine, yes, to the point there were no scratches on the surface.


    ''That can''t be,'' the man thought. He roused his magic and different colored and sized rings of runic writings circled him. His eyes glowed as his magic sense spread around the tform to check the array he created.


    The moment his magic sense touched the array, his eyes grew wide in shock.


    ''This!''


    A few minutes back, at the far end side of the tform, as soon as the cloud of smoke started to clear, True Void finally saw what had be of the ugly-looking automaton. He and Kyran vigntly watched the man as he approached what was left of his automaton and inspected it.


    Seeing that the energy core of the automaton was still intact, True Void could not help but snort at Kyran.


    [Did you aim for this?]


    Understanding what True Void was asking, Kyran replied with a shrug, ''I told you I have better control over the incantation. Though I had a little help from the man''s array.''


    [Help? That man''s array? What do you mean?]


    True Void''s confusion was understandable. He was aware there was an array in the tform and the man activated it before his ugly automaton''s beam of concentrated energy ricocheted back at it. But Kyran had not moved from his position right from the start¡ª err, that one step was not counted¡ª, how did he get any help from the array?


    ''When the two forces collided, I made use of that moment to change the man''s array calction,'' Kyran exined.


    [You changed it? You did not even go near¡ª don''t tell me when you use your magic sense earlier you managed to¡ª My goodness! And I mean my goodness! This tform is at least three hundred meters in radius. Did you really¡ª my goodness!]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head from True Void''s exaggerated reaction.


    Having a range of about 300 meters of magic sense was not exactly surprising. The range of a Grand Master''s magic sense could go as far as a 5,000-kilometer radius. If they wanted to have a better grasp of their surrounding, then their range would be reduced in half. Still,pared to that, a 300 meters magic sense range, was quite small.


    Of course, Kyran''s limit range was not 300 meters. It actually far exceeded that of a Grand Master''s range. It even exceeded the range of a Magus which was ten times the range of an Exalted, whose range was twice as that of a Grand Master. The reason for True Void''s reaction was more with what Kyran could do with his magic sense.


    There were actually five levels of magic sense. The first level was the use of magic sense to feel the surrounding energies. The second level was to use it in understanding runes, while the third level was to look and feel his surroundings. The fourth level was using magic sense to manipte the surrounding energies. As for the fifth level, it was thest level and the most difficult one to master, because it did not only let one manipte the surrounding energies, but also change the things his magic sense had touched.


    That was what Kyran did to the man''s array. With just the use of his magic sense, he changed the array''s calction. That in itself was impossible. After all, changing array calction was different from changing a magic array. It needed physical materials to apply the change. But because of Kyran''s Void magic, any materials he needed were easily filled by using Void runes.


    Another reason why True Void was deeply impressed, was the fact that Kyran managed to change a 300-meter wide array formation. It should be noted that the reason why the fifth level was hard to master was itsplexity. Thus, the range most of those who mastered their magic sense up to the fifth level was only around ten meters. It was a huge difference.


    Kyran refrained frommenting and only cleared his throat.


    To be honest, the reason why his magic sense had gotten stronger was due to the second training. In some rooms, there were knowledge tables that had samples he could test. Since he could not enter the room, he could only recreate it using his magic sense and then study it. While he was doing this, he identally learned how to also use his magic sense to change things.


    If others found Kyran learned the fifth level of Magic Sense by ident, they would probably fly into a rage.


    ''Anyway, the original calction of the array could not keep up with restoring the automaton whilst also protecting it from the collision due to its size,'' Kyran continued with his exnation. ''But if the array only aims to restore and protect one part, it is possible.''


    [And you changed the array around the tform to only protect that ugly automaton''s energy core]


    ''Yeah.''


    True Void sighed.


    [You can actually do that, then why bother changing the terms? That energy core may be from another ne, but it can still be used in the Human ne.]


    Kyran shook his head, ''As I said, the purpose here is not winning.''


    Before True Void could ask him what he meant, the man suddenly summoned his runes which made him instantly go on the defensive.


    [Void Halfling!]


    However, same as before, Kyran remained calm, though he kept his vignce.


    ''It''s okay.''


    Just as he said this, the man looked in their direction.


    True Void was itching to change into something else but knowing that Kyran''s mark might go out of control, he refrained from moving.<sub> </sub>


    There was a short pause before the man finally spoke.


    "What''s your name?" The man asked Kyran.


    "Kyran."


    [Oi! Why''d you say your real name?]


    Kyran did not reply.


    The man nodded and replied, "My name is Loar."


    [...]


    Kyran kept a straight face. For some reason, though, he was not entirely surprised by the man''s name. He too was not really good at naming. If Loar named his greatest creation after rearranging his name, then Kyran was not about to criticize him.


    "Which ne are you from?" The man, Loar, asked again.


    Instead of answering, Kyran smiled wryly and said, "I remember the terms we agreed on is, if I win, I will ask three questions."


    Loar snorted, "Not nice. I''m only asking. Stingy."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He was beginning to understand Loar''s character better.


    Loar was indeed prideful and could be an unreasonable person. But it was because he was confident with his creation, and stubbornly believed it would not be destroyed. However, he would not act unreasonably because he lost. He would even be curious to know how he lost. That was how proud he was of his creation.


    "And?" Loar continued, his monotonous voice was back again. "What do you want to ask?"


    Kyran did not beat around the bush, and asked all of his questions at once, "First, how long have you been here? Second, have you ever lost to others? Third, what do you know about the other tform masters?"


    "Whoa! Hold that thought. One question at a time," Loarined as he sat cross-legged on the floor with his shoulders hunched down. "Be nice to my brain cells."


    Kyran cleared his throat and replied, "Sorry. You can answer the first question for now."


    "Before that, why don''t youe closer and sit here?" Loar said pointing at a spot in front of him. "I may have good hearing, but you''re too far, you know. Be nice to my ears, and my throat."


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head at Loar''s words.


    [He had a point.]


    True Void voiced his agreement in Kyran''s head.


    "Alright," Kyran replied and walked closer to Loar.


    Loar, on the other hand, patiently sat there with the different colored runes still circling him.


    When Kyran was only five meters away, he finally stopped and also sat cross-legged on the floor. Then he looked at Loar and repeated his question, "How long have you been here?"


    Loar crossed his arms and took a deep breath, "Hm... That I''m not sure."


    He then looked up, as if thinking of something before adding, "But it has been a while since I had a challenger."


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgment. He already expected Loar''s answer, but he asked anyway to confirm his theory.


    "Have you lost to anyone before?" Kyran continued.


    "Yeah," Loar replied, looking back at Kyran without a hint of embarrassment. As a matter of fact, he sounded proud of losing, which was a little odd. "Quite a number of times."


    [Eh? Then why was he still a tform master?]


    True Void suddenly wondered.


    "I see," Kyran replied. This further confirmed his theory about this special ce. "Last question, what do you know about the other tform masters?"


    Loar heaved a sigh and looked up once again. He did not answer at once but instead took his time to sort his thoughts.


    Kyran did not push him either. He waited in silence.


    Finally, Loar lowered his head and shook his head, "I can''t answer. The Tower does not allow it."

 Chapter 250 Impossible! Simply Impossible!

    Silence followed after Loar answered Kyran''s third question.


    Loar silently observed Kyran''s expression and was surprised that there was neither surprise nor disbelief shown in them.


    The questions Kyran had asked were not heaven-defying. When he first entered the special ce, he asked the same questions from the tform masters he had met. Asking questions was allowed. Although, it did not mean the Tower would allow the answers to be spoken. Just like Kyran''sst question. Loar was about to answer, but he suddenly realized that he could not utter a word.


    In his experience, he was able to ask the same question and got an answer, so he thought the question was okay. However, the Tower suddenly forbid it, which further piqued Loar''s interest in Kyran. He was already interested in him because he effortlessly destroyed Ar-Lo. Then he realized Ar-Lo''s energy core was undamaged, and the reason was his array had been altered to protect it without him noticing.


    Who else could alter it if not Kyran? After all, the Tower would never meddle with a master''s tform arrangements.


    For the first time in a while, Loar had a challenger who actually piqued his interest. He initially thought that Kyran was only an Automasmith. But from how Kyran altered his array, Loar was convinced he was also an Array Master.


    It was not umon to be an Automasmith and an Array Master. One could say that both go hand and hand. However, what made Kyran stand out from the rest was that he was not from Loar''s ne but still managed to alter his array. Apart from that, he had very weird magic, a bane of Automatons.


    Loar paused, ''Ah. He did say his magic is not Mist so... I guess it is not a bane or should I say, it is a new bane for all automatons?''


    On the other hand, Kyran was silent because he fell into contemtion.


    From all the clues he had gathered, either openly or subtly, the tower''s special ce was designed to enhance participants'' battle capabilities, just as the ovepping voices had said.


    Winning was not necessary, but the experience. For this reason, it was prohibited for a tform master to tell participants any information about the other masters. Data gathering was essential in battle, but Kyran''s tant questioning probably was not allowed. He probably had to gather intel differently.


    Then there was the fact that Loar lost a few times but remained a tform master. This might be because he did not ''die'' on those asions he lost to a challenger. This also meant winning would allow participants to move up, and losing might mean going down a tform. But this was only Kyran''s conjecture. It was also possible that winning or losing did not matter for a participant and would allow the participants to move up a tform as long as they did not die.


    As for challenging the special room''s Champion, Kyran believed it was the ultimate goal. The reason participants could only challenge the Champion after winning the 100th floor was by then, they had already gained enough experience to challenge him or her.


    [This doesn''t make sense, Void Halfling.]


    True Void suddenly spoke.


    ''What''s wrong?'' Kyran asked.


    [During my master''s experience in this ce, he $%@*(#)!@&*$¡ªOi! This again?]


    True Voidined.


    Kyran''s brow twitched mentally. It appeared the tower could also filter True Void''s ount of his master''s experience even through telepathy. He only found it weird that the tower would only filter his predecessor''s experience in this ce and not with his other training experiences, like the knowledge training, for example.


    ''Or maybe its because, this special ce is inside the tower while the other trainings happened in a different ce?'' Kyran wondered.


    After thinking about it for a while, he thought it was possible.


    Finally, Kyran said to True Void, whoseints were starting to give him a headache, ''It''s fine. I''ll know the answers eventually. We''ll proceed as nned. I''ll move up and challenge the Champion.''


    True Void sighed.


    [The champion, huh. Seriously, Void Halfling, if he or she is called a Champion, then he or she is definitely a powerful one. You have to be careful. Tsk. If only you have a child¡ª.]


    ''Okay, that''s enough,'' Kyran cut him midsentence with ck lines on his head. To think True Void was still spouting nonsense about a child at a time like this.


    After sorting his thoughts, Kyran took a deep breath and looked at Loar.


    "Thanks for answering my questions," he said while bowing a little toward Loar.


    Frowning at Kyran''s calm attitude, Loar said, "I feel like I wronged you for not giving proper answers."


    Kyran raised his brows and shook his head at once, "No. It''s fine. I just needed a confirmation that''s all."


    With that, he stood and looked above.


    Loar followed his line of sight and saw he was looking at the next tform.


    ''Ah. Such an impatient guy. He already wants to go up...'' he thought, feeling a little exhausted at the thought. Though they did not exactly fight vigorously, he would rather dally for a few hours before going up if it were him.


    "There is no rush in going up," Loar told Kyran. Part of the reason he said this was that it had been a while since he had someone on his tform to talk to. Another was that he wanted to ask some questions of his own and wanted Kyran to stay to answer them.


    Kyran lowered his head and looked back at Loar. He said, "I still had 99 tforms to go to and can''t stay¡ª."


    It immediately made Loar frown.


    "What?" He said in his monotonous voice, making it sound like he was angry when in truth, he was just surprised. "This is your first tform?"


    Kyran nodded apprehensively. If Loar did not ask a question after his ''what''ment, Kyran would think he was annoyed at what he said.


    "Yeah," Kyran answered a little reluctantly. However, this made him realize something, and his mind began to race.


    ''Don''t tell me this is not the first tform?''


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, Loar already said, "That can''t be right! I''m on the 51st tform."


    "What?" True Void, who had been staying quiet because he did not want to talk to the annoying Loar, eximed in surprise.


    "What''s with this preferential treatment again? The 51st? Impossible. Simply impossible!"


    Loar''s initial shock from Kyran''s admittance that this was his 1st tform shifted to his magic item once again.


    He was really fascinated by how Kyran created such a unique item. In his ne, countless Automasmiths tried to create an automaton that could change shape, but the closest they ever did was let it have transformation capability. Even that was limited to three transformations and must conform to the materials and shape of the automaton.


    Kyran''s magic item was different, though. From a small armor, it changed into a hexagonal shield, then now into a bracer. The shape and quantity of all three were all different. And it was not even an automaton since it did not have any energy core. Not to mention, it could speak!


    "It spoke again. Does it have a name?" Loar asked, looking at Kyran.


    "Don''t call me it!" True Void immediately replied and added to Kyran, "Void Halfling, don''t answer him!"


    Kyran''s eyes widened at how openly True Void had called him, and he eximed reprimandingly, ''True Void!''


    Loar''s eyes constricted after hearing what the magic item had called Kyran. He immediately asked, "Did you just call him Void¡ª?"


    "He didn''t!" Kyran denied at once.


    True Void, however, had other ideas. He replied at the same time as Kyran, "Yes! So what? Piss your pants now? I''m telling you to stop calling me it! If you don''t stop, I''ll change you into¡ª."<sub> </sub>


    "True Void!"


    True Void gasped, "Oi!"


    He red at Kyran.


    "You started it."


    "You! You! That''s not nice!"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head hearing True Void''s tant imitation of Loar.


    On the other hand, Loar blinked at the banter happening between the two. His gold eyes glinted in fascination after realizing Kyran''s magic item answered like it had true intelligence.


    It was not a simple magic item. While in Loar''s ne, automatons needed energy cores; maybe in Kyran''s ne, it was not necessary! And there was also how they addressed each other... Void Haf-what? And the item was called True Void!


    "Nice. You''re automaton has birth intelligence! And you two... have rtions to the Void?"


    Kyran and True Void fell silent. The former because he was surprised at Loar''s carefree attitude, while thetter was unsure whether to be happy getting promoted from an item to an automaton.


    Wait, both are still items!


    Kyran cleared his throat and looked at Loar before saying, "Actually... its just how I created his array, and about the Void its just a title..."


    His voice trailed off after hearing how absurd his excuse was.


    Loar was not an idiot. He immediately noticed Kyran was reluctant toment about the ''Void'' remark or even his automaton. But hearing the Voidment made Loar''s blood boil. He already knew Kyran was interesting, but this discovery was a lot more.


    Unbeknownst to Kyran, any information about the Void in Loar''s ne was a mystery. They knew every Rune magic, and Automata knowledge came from the Void. This was why anyone who could find information about the Void and integrate it into their creation could be a true Deus ex Machina. That was the true goal of all Automasmiths.


    Sensing Kyran''s reluctance, Loar had a feeling that in his ne, having any rtion to the Void might mean not a good thing.


    Which was simply not nice.


    "Listen, Kyran," Loar started, then paused, "I can call you that, right?"


    Without waiting for Kyran''s reply, he continued, "I don''t know your circumstances, and I won''t even ask. Rest assured, where Ie from, anyone who knew anything or even is rted to the Void is someone who will be highly regarded."


    Kyran gaped at him. He kind of expected that probably the only ne that did not wee Void magic was the Human ne¡ªbut hearing someone from another ne telling him that Void was highly regarded somehow made him happy.


    "So you don''t have to worry," Loar added, his monotonous voice somehow having warmth in it. "Anyway, since I did not give you proper answers to two of your questions, you can ask me anything again."


    The sudden shift of subject caught Kyran off guard. Even True Void gaped at Loar as if he was looking at someone who had short-term memory.


    "Err... that''s okay. I think, I''ll¡ª."


    "Come on. I have a few questions of my own, what do you say we chat a bit, huh? Don''t worry. I won''t ask too much about your circumstances. I only want to know why your automaton¡ª."


    "I''m not an automaton!"


    "¡ªcalled you Void Haf-what was that?"


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head. It seemed Loar indeed had been bored after not having any challenger for a while. Now, he could not wait to have someone to chat with.


    ''Maybe I should not have proposed the three questions,'' Kyran sighed. On second thought, maybe befriending Loar would be beneficial to him. Who knew, Kyran might end up going to Loar''s ne in another training, and learning about his ne might be a good idea.


    "Halfling," Kyran replied with an amused smile.


    "Hafling? What''s that?"


    "Half."


    "Oh, halfling. That''s a weird name."


    [Oi, Void Halfling, are you really going to talk to him?]


    ''Doesn''t hurt really.''


    True Void snorted.


    [If I did not know better, I''d think you only feel grateful on what he said about the Void.]


    ''That too,'' Kyran admitted.


    With a sigh, True Void finally relented and said, [Fine. Just be careful on what you tell him. Don''t slip too much!]


    Kyran looked at him incredulously. He did not want to hear that statement from him.


    "Come on, sit down. Let''s chat," Loar insisted.


    Kyran chuckled. He initially thought Loar would harbor bad feeling toward him for destroying Ar-Lo. Now, he found him a little interesting.


    Finally, Kyran nodded and sat down again.


    For the next couple of hours, the two chatted. Mostly, it was Loar asking questions and Kyran answering with a somewhatplicated expression. He was unused to being bombarded with questions. However, Kyran found Loar''s carefree attitude, though his voice still sounded bored, refreshing. It was a different kind of devil-may-care attitude Nn had.


    Approximately two hourster, Loar was the one who cut their conversation because the time Kyran had to move up had finally arrived.


    "Word of advice. Try to set your own terms when challenging the rest of the masters," Loar told Kyran.


    Kyran nodded, "Thanks. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Soon, a beam of light descended on him and True Void, lifting them off the tform.


    As the beam of light carried the two to the next tform, Loar''s expression turned thoughtful.


    "Interesting guy. Hopefully my original self, will meet him someday."

 Chapter 251 I Only Need A Few Seconds

    While moving up to the next tform, True Void voiced a question he had mulled over.


    "Void Halfling, have youe up with the answer as to why we started at the 51st tform?"


    Without pausing to contemte True Void''s question, Kyran answered immediately, "I can only guess it has something to do with my training results."


    True Void sighed, "I thought so too. I mean your first training you even encountered a Sovereign for crying out loud. But I find the tower''s treatment on your training strange."


    Kyran did not reply to this. He felt the same way, to be honest. Even the level of difficulty on his previous two training was off. The first one had a Z-level difficulty, while the second one was probably around S-level if he included the test. It was very different from how Gustaff described his experience.


    From Gustaff''s experience, the level of difficulty of his training during the first stretch was more of an adjustment period. It was not that easy, but notplicated where he would not be able to pass. Only when he had adjusted to the training that the difficulty increase.


    In Kyran''s experience, the arrangement of his training was more with his necessity than the level of difficulty. He had a biased view of his magic when he first entered, which made him reliant on his Draconic magic. Thus, the tower gave him training wherein he learned the real essence of Void magic. It goes without saying that his training had a high-level difficulty in order to achieve this result.


    After learning about the essence of Void magic, the tower gave him the knowledge training as his second. It enabled Kyran to absorb as much knowledge and integrate it into what he knew now about Void magic.


    As for this special ce, while it was Kyran''s decision to enter, if he had to recall how that happened, the ovepping voices had asked him whether he wanted to use the tinum key as soon as it was presented to him. They had not evenpleted giving the spoils he got from the training.


    It was as if they were deliberately directing him to choose the special ce as his next stop.


    This sudden realization made Kyran frown slightly. He did not like the idea of others manipting his moves, especially his decisions.


    ''Just what is this tower? Why is the arrangement of my training different?'' He wondered, recalling Loar''s experience was pretty much the same as Gustaff. Their training was different, but the arrangement was the same; ording to difficulty.


    Another thing that came to Kyran''s mind was Nn''s status in the tower.


    Nn was one of the few who had conquered it, and he might have influenced the arrangement of his training.


    The idea sounded absurd even to Kyran, but for some reason, he had a feeling that he might be onto something.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran decided to keep note of this for the time being. Regardless of what kind of training arrangement he got or who was trying to manipte it behind the scenes was not that important. He did not like being manipted, but at the moment, he did not mind continuing with this arrangement.


    The faster he could grow, the better.


    Finally, Kyran and True Void appeared on the next tform.


    With the light still upon them, Kyran began to survey the surroundings through his magic sense. He closed his eyes, and an illusory image of the whole tform formed in his mind''s eye.


    Very different from Loar''s tform, this one was bigger and had more structures. Its radius was about 500 kilometers, and structures such as small and tall buildings, roads, even small sentry towers were visible.


    The structures of the buildings gave Kyran a very familiar feeling.


    At the center of the tform stood a small four-level tower. A red triangr g, with a symbol of several swords in a circr formation, their sword tip facing outward looking like a flower, draped loosely on the side of the wall.


    The instant Kyran saw the swords, his eyes immediately snapped open, and his expression turned grim. He knew that symbol. No wonder the structures around him looked familiar. It resembled a small town in the Human ne.


    ''The symbol of the Aureole faction,'' he thought, his heart began to race nervously. He tapped into True Void at once and said, ''True Void, I need a mask now.''


    True Voidplied without asking any questions because he already sensed Kyran''s apprehension. After being together for more than a year during the second training, they already formed a tacit understanding. Apart from this, True Void was a spirit birthed from a powerful magic weapon. All his umted battle experiences made it easier for him to adjust to the mood of his master. Though Kyran was not yet his master, they had been together for a long time, and True Void had begun to understand Kyran''s moods.


    Disengaging some of the shape-shifting tes on the outer part of the arm bracer, True Void willed them to fly into Kyran''s face, instantly forming into a dark blue and purple mask that covered half of his face.


    It was then that the light around them faded, and Kyran retracted his magic sense.


    A beam of light descended on the tower, followed by a powerful gust of wind sweeping outward, causing the dirt on the floor to scatter. At once, the visibility in the surrounding turned hazy from all the dirt.


    Because Kyran and True Void were pretty much near the outer part of the tform, the force of the wind had already lessened by the time it reached them. Even the dirt did not affect them much.


    When the wind dissipated and the dirt cleared, a voice reverberated in the whole tform.


    "I don''t like beating around the bush," the voice started.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed after hearing the voice.


    The voice belonged to a woman. Though he was not entirely surprised because the Aureole was known to be an all-woman faction, the reason for Kyran''s reaction was more with how the voice sounded youthful. As if it belonged to a youngdy.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, the woman''s essence might have retained the age it was left here, and the original one might be older now, but the fact that the woman managed to get to this ce at such a young age was not a feat anyone could have done.


    "You have reached this far, meaning you are capable," the woman continued. "The rules of this tform are simple. You can use any type of magic or weapon. Approach the center of the tform in half an hour and take down the tower. If you seed, consider yourself the winner. If you fail, then I will have your head."


    [Arrogant! Simply arrogant! Who does she think she is?]


    True Void ranted in Kyran''s head. While imitating the way the woman spoke, he continued.


    [''I will have your head''¡ª]


    Then he paused dramatically before continuing.


    [¡ªshe said. Oh, the nerve! Void Halfling! Don''t beat around the bush. Obliterate that tower right now!]


    The previous tension Kyran had felt was instantly defused by True Void''s ranting. He could not help but chuckle and shake his head at him before muttering, ''Thanks.''


    True Void instantly frowned at Kyran''s response.


    [What do you mean ''thanks''? That''s not how you''re supposed to answer! Say, yes!]


    Kyran only chuckled. After his tension had been diffused, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    To be honest, he did not expect that his emotion would be rattled like this just by encountering something or someone from the Human ne. He was mentally prepared for it, after all, though he was told the Royal Family would not be able to enter the tower, that did not mean others outside the Royal Family would not be able to.


    Gustaff was a good example of this. Now there was another one who also happened to have a connection to the Aureole faction.


    Though the Aureole faction was not in league with the Royal Family, that did not mean they did not have any prejudice against the previous Void Master. This was why Kyran felt apprehensive just now.


    After calming his nerves, Kyran opened his eyes and once again spread out his magic sense before replying, "Your rule is unreasonable."


    The woman frowned. Reigning in her annoyance, she said, "I am the tform master. If you can''t abide by the rules¡ª."


    "No, not that," Kyran cut her off midsentence.


    "Then what?"


    "I don''t need half an hour," Kyran replied, his eyes glowed reddish-purple as he roused his magic and suddenly disappeared. In an instant, he reappeared twenty meters in front of the tower.


    "I only need a few seconds."


    He raised his right hand, and a small purple orb appeared above the tower.


    "Such an¡ª."


    Before the woman could even form her words, the small orb above the tower expanded at an astonishing speed, instantly destroying the tower as it bore down on it.


    SIZZLE!


    An audible gasp from the woman was heard before the whole tower disappeared inside the huge purple orb.


    Kyran closed his fist, and the size of the purple orb instantly shrunk, leaving only a clean round crater where the tower had stood.


    "Impossible!"


    The woman eximed as she appeared, hovering above where the tower had been. Her green eyes looked at Kyran in disbelief.


    As Kyran expected, the woman looked young, probably around the same age as him.


    The woman had a pretty face with long braided brown hair. She wore red full-body armor, and several golden swords with glowing red runes on their des circled vertically behind her. Their formation looked precisely like the symbol of the Aureole faction.


    "The tower''s gone. It means I win."


    Kyran said with a slight smile.

 Chapter 252 Turning A Bad Situation Into A Good Opportunity

    The woman''s eyes narrowed as she looked at the masked young man before her. She could not believe that the arrangement she made to the tform was rendered useless.


    All the sentries around the tform were magic items she specifically set up to shoot different curses and attacks to prevent anyone from getting close to the tower. On top of that, a defense mechanism was hidden at the thirty-meter mark outside the tower, wherein once triggered, offensive-type magic would indiscriminately attack all intruders. It was meant to summon countless magic swords that would rain down on anything within the defense mechanism''s area of effect.


    However, the masked young man standing at least twenty meters ahead did not trigger the mechanism. She did not even sense his arrival or his attack. If she were a tadte in using her teleportation token to move out of the tower, she would have been disseminated to nothing.


    "How did you manage to enter the mechanism?" The woman asked.


    Kyran tilted his head to the side, still smiling slightly. He did not say anything.


    With narrowed eyes, the woman descended and cautiously approached him. Behind her, the several golden swords continued to rotate, giving off a fierce and oppressive aura.


    Seeing the masked young man had no intention of answering her question, the woman sighed. Finally, she stopped rotating the golden swords behind her and said, "I asked because I want to adjust the mechanism''s settings."


    Kyran raised his brows at the unexpected exnation from the woman. It was true he refrained from answering her question because she had kept her vignce around him. He felt her attitude unweing and decided to keep his stay here short.


    Besides, the woman was from the same ne and connected to the Aureole faction. He did not want to stay and give her a chance to scrutinize what he did, which would inadvertently reveal clues about his magic and identity.


    "Not my concern. Can you admit defeat now and let me move up?" Kyran answered with a shrug.


    The woman frowned at once. She did not like the young man''s arrogance. It was not the first time she met arrogant challengers like him. However, most of them acted arrogant eve before getting close to the tower. In the end, they all ended up cursed, paralyzed, or killed by her sentries. However, the young man before her had just reason for his arrogance, which annoyed her.


    "If you don''t answer, then I won''t admit," she told him. When faced with an annoying person, she tends to act unreasonably to get them to taste their own medicine. She added, "You can apany me until you do,"


    Magic fluctuations instantly erupted as the golden swords behind her rotated once again.


    Even before Kyran could react, the woman already charged forward.


    She lifted her right arm as seven of the golden swords behind her flew in his direction. All seven sword tips pointed directly at him. The woman''s eyes glowed green as light gold magic arrays appeared in front of the sword tips. Concentrated magic energies formed at the center of the magic arrays and shot straight at him.


    At the same time, the rest of the golden swords behind her flew out in different directions. The runes on their des glowed as half of them turned into a ming sword, while the other half turned into frozen swords ¡ªthe air where the swords flew sizzled and crackled, leaving fire or ice trails in their wake.


    Without even batting an eye, Kyran waved his right hand. An invisible force burst out from him and went straight at the iing beams of magic energy. Then he waved his hand a second time, and a dark purple spear appeared on his hand.


    By this time, the invisible force had already arrived at the beams causing them to explode midway.


    The woman''s glowing green eyes widened in disbelief. Not from how easily he countered the beams but because of his actions.


    ''He''s not using any magic array!'' She eximed to herself.


    Although she had met challengers from other nes who did not need magic arrays, they had other means of summoning their magic. It could be a magic item, runes tattooed on their bodies, or even long incantations. However, the young man did not have any of these. From the way he summoned his magic, it was as if he was a mage from her ne already at the Magus level.


    Kyran looked at all the iing golden swords. He swung his spear down, summoning another invisible force that went straight at the sword''s magic array. As soon as the force collided with the magic array, they exploded.


    The bacsh of having her magic arrays destroyed was felt instantly by the woman. She abruptly stopped and fell to her knees as she coughed out a mouthful of blood, "Guh!"


    Back at Kyran''s side, the iing ming and frozen swords continued to close in on him. He suddenly disappeared and reappeared above three of the ming swords. With a twist of his body, he swung his spear in midair at the ming swords, instantly shattering them into pieces.


    The woman who had not recovered from the first bacsh again suffered another bacsh. She coughed out a mouthful of blood after getting her swords destroyed.


    ''I-Impossible!'' The woman''s mind reeled in disbelief. If this continued, not only would she lose all her swords, but she would also suffer internal injuries.


    With this in thought, the woman forced herself up and raised her hand, immediately retracting the seven golden swords first, which had already changed course to go after Kyran. She was about to rescind the rest of her swords, but her eyes constricted at the scene unfolding before her.


    Kyran disappeared after destroying three of the ming swords and reappeared five meters in front of the flying six frozen swords. He whirled the spear from his side to his back before sweeping it to the other side than to his front, creating a dark purple vortex. He continued to whirl the spear before him, expanding the dark purple vortex further. Soon, the surrounding air fluctuated as a fierce wind erupted from the vortex. It swept toward iing frozen swords wherein, the moment the wind touched the tip of the swords, the frozen part started to melt.<sub> </sub>


    A piercing and grinding sound erupted as the wind and the sword''s de collided. However, the force of the wind had Void properties. It immediately affected the sword''s edge as several small cracks formed from the tip to the rest of its body. It was followed by shattering sounds as the fierce wind ruthlessly shattered all the swords.


    The woman coughed out blood in session. Herplexion paled at once. However, her eyes that looked on in disbelief were immediately reced with a determined look as she forcefully roused her magic. She expanded her magic sense and took hold of the remaining swords.


    Kyran swung the spear to his side upon seeing the woman struggle to retract her swords. He did not pursue and stayed his hand.


    p As soon as the remaining swords returned to the woman, they circled her defensively, with their tips facing downward.</anda>


    "Admit defeat, or else I will not show mercy," Kyran warned, his voice dropping a note.


    The woman looked up at him. His movements and unstoppable momentum caused her body to tremble in fear and, unexpectedly, awe.


    Right from the start, the young man had the means to kill her in one move. However, he did not. It was for this reason that she also felt awe.


    "You... look very young, yet your level of magic is¡ª."


    "Can we skip this? I don''t want to sound rude, but I am in a hurry," Kyran interrupted her again.


    It caused the woman to remember why she attacked in the first ce. This guy was genuinely annoying.


    "Humph! Then go ahead and kill me. Once I die, the Tower will start with the process of possible new tform master," she replied defiantly while casually taking out a pill and popping it in her mouth.


    Kyran''s brow made an involuntary twitch after sensing the woman''s defiance.


    He already heard from Loar that once a tform master dies, activities within the special ce would have to stop for a few minutes. If he epted bing the new tform master, he would go through a series of imprinting and essence creation which would take more than half an hour. After that, the tower would announce to the rest of the tform masters and introduce him. That would take another half an hour.


    However, if Kyran refused to be a tform master, the tower would revive the ''killed'' tform master. Only when she had been revived and agreed to let him pass would he be able to move up.


    It was such a troublesome process.


    Finally, Kyran sighed. Since he did not want to dally any longer, he agreed, "Fine. I''ll answer your question."


    He recalled the woman''s initial concern and said, "You''ve already seen what I can do. It is easy for me to pass through your mechanism. If you want to improve it, I suggest including an active detection form and changing the attack form to trigger not when an unauthorized person passes through the marker but¡ª."


    Kyran abruptly stopped after realizing what he had just done and groaned inwardly.


    The woman''s expression turned from looking annoyed to shock.


    "You..." The woman''s mind raced as she looked at the young man before her.


    ''He understands the calctions within my mechanism. But the calctions are written in our nativenguage. This means he is someone from the Human ne! And that ability... it''s not Space magic... He also did not use teleportation tokens... Tokens don''t work that way. And from how he destroyed the tower... Aside from that, he''s not using magic arrays... This...''


    Her heart pounded inside her chest as a possibility crossed her mind.


    "W-Who are you?" She asked cautiously. If her spections were correct, this would exin why he deliberately wore a mask to hide his face.


    Indeed, there were challengers whose faces were hidden under their robe''s hoods, or even wearing blindfolds or full-helmets, but not a mask. The mask appeared to be a deliberate way of hiding one''s face.


    If this situation had happened before Kyran met the Sovereign of Ruin''s real body, he might have killed the woman at once. It did not matter whether he had to ept being the new tform master and stay another couple of hours to go through the process. He would take the easy way out.


    But Kyran could see a bigger picture now. Aside from that, it was his fault that led to this. He could feign ignorance, yes, but the woman before him was smart. Not to mention annoyingly unreasonable. So instead of avoiding the matter, he decided to confront it. He knew the acquired knowledge of one''s essence would be transferred to the original within the next hour. If that was the case, he had to turn this situation into something beneficial.

 Chapter 253 Deputy Head, Olivia

    Kyran only replied with a slight smile.


    When the woman saw him smile, she could not help but tremble. It was not a sinister one, but she felt there was some dangerous meaning behind his smile for some reason.


    On the other hand, True Void, who was silent the entire time after Kyran made a move, finally spoke.


    [Void Halfing, I understand why you don''t want to kill her. After all, bing a new tform master was not part of the n. But I think it is better than wasting more time ying mind games with this woman.]


    He sighed before adding in a reprimanding voice.


    [Why do you have to slip at a time like this, anyway? I just told you not to slip! Goodness! My goodness!]


    Kyran could not help but sweat inwardly. What happened was not a slip on his end.


    He was in a hurry to get rid of the woman and voluntarily suggested changes to the mechanism to avoid further discussion. Unfortunately, he overlooked the fact the mechanism was not written in runes but simple humannguage.


    Others might find it an amateur mistake, but Kyran had just gone through knowledge training. He had absorbed several knowledge tablets written in differentnguages and familiarized himself with quite a number of runes. To him, everything looked the same. Apart from this, he had just encountered Loar from another ne who did not appear to be surprised that he, a human, managed to change his array calction. For all he knew, a person from another ne could decipher another ne''s runes or speak theirnguage was normal inside the tower.


    ''Yes, it''s my miss. But, I realized I could take advantage of the situation,'' Kyran told True Void.


    He did not say this to appease True Void''s concern or cover his mistake. It was the truth.


    [How?]


    True Void asked curiously. If Kyran feigned innocence, he would rave at him for getting his hopes high.


    ''Just watch,'' Kyran replied enigmatically.


    Too bad True Void was not in his real form. If he did, he would have rolled his eyes at Kyran''s mysterious act.


    After almost three minutes of silence, the woman managed topose herself. She stayed vignt as she stood with her back straight. Her eyes no longer showed signs of her previous disbelief.


    "Humph. It''s your choice not to answer, of course. But remember that I am the tform master. Without my consent, you cannot¡ª."


    She abruptly stopped as the masked young man, standing a few meters away from her, suddenly disappeared, followed by something hot yet cold at the same time, touching her neck.


    The woman''s breath got caught in her throat as cold sweat trickled down the side of her face. Initially, she wanted to threaten the young man by telling her more about himself while using her status as the tform master. She decided to make use of the fact that he was in a hurry and appeared reluctant to kill her and go through the process of being given a chance to be the new tform master. To think that instead of feeling threatened, he would retaliate.


    Once again, she did not see the young man move. There was not even a wisp of magic fluctuation around him before he disappeared and reappeared behind her back as for the weapon he was holding. She was sure he was holding a spear, but right now, the hot and cold de tip she felt on her throat was not from a spear but a dagger.


    "Let''s get one thing straight," Kyran spoke close to the woman''s ear. "It''s my choice not to kill you out of respect, not because I don''t want to be a tform master."


    "Respect?" The woman asked with a sneer. She knew the young man''s actions were simply to threaten her and reverse the situation. But as long as she was the tform master, he would not do anything drastic.


    "Yeah," Kyran replied. "Because, unlike you, I don''t have any ns on conquering the tower."


    The woman''s eyes widened after hearing him. She did not reply and chose to stay silent. However, her heart had started to pound nervously in her chest.


    Did he notice something? Impossible. She was careful not to show her eagerness to conquer the tower.


    The choice to conquer the tower was presented to all participants. However, few would really aim for it. She was one of the few because she wanted to acquire the Tower''s promise of granting one''s true desire.


    True Void also perked his illusory ears at what Kyran said. The woman had not mentioned wanting to conquer the tower as far as he knew. Was he bluffing his way out?<sub> </sub>


    Kyran was not bluffing. He actually realized this from the woman''s attitude. Although he had only met Loar, andparing hisid-back character to her serious and almost domineering one would not be enough to draw any definite conclusions, what he realized became a possibility if he added the small clues in her tform arrangement.


    "Your heartbeat''s too loud," Kyran continued chuckling as he leaned closer at her ear. "You don''t have to be nervous."


    The woman let out a lightugh, but it sounded forced and even awkward due to her nervousness. She wanted to refute the young man''s provocation, but the words were stuck in her throat.


    "If I''m not mistaken, you''ve already started your path in conquering the tower. In that case, if you die here, you will automatically fail," Kyran went on. He immediately saw the woman''splexion pale from what he said, proving his theory.


    Without waiting for the woman toment or recover from her state, Kyran pressed on, "I''m sure you have some spections about my identity. That''s why you intend to threaten me and use your position as a tform master to get answers. Even my action right now may already prove some of your theories. But I assure you, knowing my identity will only harm your original self."


    "So you admit that whatever theory I have right now is a possibility," the woman spoke. Though she was still feeling nervous, she managed to speak clearly. This only proved that she was someone who would not falter easily, even if there was a dagger pointed at her throat.


    "Why not?" Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    "And? What are you nning to do now? If you don''t want to kill me, and yet I don''t want to admit defeat because I still want a definite answer from you, how are you going to convince me?"


    Kyran chuckled.


    "I don''t have to convince you. I''m not the one who is walking on thin ice here. I have no ns on conquering the tower after all."


    The woman''s brow furrowed. He was right. She might have acted domineering earlier because she had underestimated him. It was not negligence on her part. That was how confident she was with the arrangement she had done to her tform. Apart from this, the mechanism and the sentries were made by craftsmen from different nes she defeated. There was no way anyone would be able to destroy or decipher them that easily.


    Well, except him. How he did, was something she wanted to know.


    "True, but now I know about you. Whether my spection is right or not, if I report it¡ª."


    Kyran chuckled once again and said, "That threat doesn''t work on me. Why do you think I am here right now?"


    The woman frowned at his words. Ideas shed through her mind, each one getting more and more absurd and even frightening.


    ''Could it be...? No, the Royal Family has not decreed a manhunt... wait. There is, but the manhunt was a different person. Could it be a front? No, we''re talking about a person who''s far more dangerous than Gray. Or is the Royal Family protecting him?''


    Even as the thought crossed her mind, she rejected it at once.


    ''Impossible. He is inside the tower meaning the Tower allowed him to find it and enter. That means he is not one of the Royal Family''s pawns. Could it be the Royal Army is... and the rumor about the Grand Marshal''s ns....'' Her frown deepened as she remembered a recent rumor that the Grand Marshal had nned on usurping the Emperor by getting in the good graces of the Crown Princess. There were even rumors that he had been umting wealth and preparing his forces that could easily trample or overpower the other Deputy Marshal into submission.


    ''If that is true, then the Aureole will be...''


    The woman tightly clenched her fist. She suddenly thought of a crazy idea, and her next move would determine whether it would seed. It would also determine the future of the whole Aureole.


    After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and said, "You have worn a mask because you recognized who I am, or at least, the symbol from the tower''s g."


    Kyran remained silent.


    She took his silence as an affirmation and continued, "Then you should know that we are not in league with the Royal Family. As for the Royal Army, we are not afraid of them."


    Kyran still did not reply.


    "I will introduce myself formally. I am Olivia, Deputy Head of the Aureole faction," the woman, Olivia unhesitantly revealed who she was.

 Chapter 254 What Do You Want?

    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after the woman unhesitatingly revealed who she was. He recognized her name from the Conve''s record Ste had showed him.


    The Aureole faction had a rocky rtionship with the Royal Army, especially with those stationed in the north, Deputy Marshal Ingrid''s force. There was a rumor that the feud between Deputy Marshal Ingrid and the Head of Aureole, named Lauren, stemmed from when the former was only a General and tried to recruit thetter when she was only a new graduate. Lauren rejected Ingrid''s invitation saying, she did not want to submit to someone weaker than her. When Ingrid heard that, she felt insulted, afterwich she did everything within her power to hinder Lauren''s progress. Apart from that, in just a short ten years, Ingrid became a Deputy Marshal and was given jurisdiction over the the northern part of the Ylfaen Empire.


    As fate would have it, even with Ingrid hindering Lauren''s progress, thetter managed to get into the Aureole faction, where at that time was slowly growing. Soon, she became the previous Head''s sessor. Lauren''s session happened almost at the same time Ingrid became the Deputy Marshal.


    But although Lauren became the new Head, there were spections that she was not the strongest. In Aureole, there were three Deputy Heads, two of which were active, and one, was low-key. That low-key deputy, was Olivia. ording to the rumors going around, she was also the daughter of the former Head of Aureole and was the strongest among the current generation.


    As for why Olivia did not suceed her mother, publicly it was said she was never interested in bing the Head of Aureole and prefer to immerse herself in improving her magic. However, ording to the the Conve''s record which was backed by information of Olivia''s visits to the Alchemist Association, the real reason for her disinterest in the Aureole''s affairs was because she was busy searching for a cure to an illness that had tormented her mother for a long time.


    Unfortunately, even Chairman Malia could not help. It was not because she did not know the illness, but because even to this day, there had been no known permanent cure to it. Malia could only provide a temporary remedy to stall the progress of the illness.


    Recalling this information, Kyran immediately guessed Olivia''s reason for aiming to conquer the tower. But he could not reveal this to her. After all, the information came from the Conve and he did not want her to think he had ties with them. His cooperation with the Conve had to remain in the shadows.


    Besides, Olivia might have a different ''desire'' he was unaware of. Either way, Kyran could use this. Malia might not be able to cure the illness, but he knew someone that had a far advance knowledge in Alchemy that even the Alchemist Association was trying to win over, his godmother te.


    On top of that, te''s Alchemy knowledge likely had a boost from her experience inside the tower. Kyran also gained at least 80% of Alchemy knowledge and if the worked together, they might be able to produce a permanent cure to the illness of Olivia''s mother.


    All these thoughts shed through Kyran''s mind in an instant. Though he already had a way to get Olivia to his side, he would not actively propose a partnership. After all, he was still unsure of the extent of Olivia''s influence inside Aureole. She might be the previous Head''s daughter, but since she was not interested in the faction''s affairs, her power inside might not be good. At most, she would only end up being a mole he could use to slowly acquire the Aureole''s cooperation.


    Nevertheless, now that Olivia was the first one to step down and reveal something about herself, they were already in a good start.


    "I don''t know how you guess my ns on conquering the Tower, but you''re right. I can''t afford to die. At least not my essence," Olivia started.


    "As one progress into the tower''s training, at some point, if you continue to produce good results, the Tower would present an option to start with the path to conquer it. Once you ept, the Tower would give you a challenge. My challenge is to endure in this special ce. If I achieve a record of 1,000 battles without dying, then I can continue with the next one."


    Kyran frowned at this. The tower''s challenge was not difficult. Achieving a record of 1,000 battles did not mean she had to win all of it. But the question here was, how long would she be able toplete 1,000 battles in this ce? The tower had been here for more than a thousand years, and Kyran''s participant number was 7621. If that was the case, there were only 7-8 participants entering the special ce!


    "That''s why I can''t afford to die. I can lose, but not die," Olivia affirmed with a sigh. "But I am guessing it is also the same with you. Maybe its not about dying in this ce, but you can''t afford to stay for long."


    She paused before continuing, "Let''s say my guess about your identity is correct. But contrary to a possible threat to the whole world the Royal Family made you out to be, when you found the tower it already proved them wrong. A person with no ill-intent will never be a threat, unless, provoked.


    "Then you said you don''t n on conquering the tower, which means you are here to improve yourself. Putting the two together, I can draw a vague conclusion. To date, the Royal Family is not aware of your existence, but someone else does. That person, was likely to be backed by arge force to be able to hide your existence even to the Royal Family. I am guessing, that person is from a big faction, or possibly... even the Royal Army."<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m Olivia paused trying to sense a change from the young man''s emotions. However, from the moment she started talking, he had only remained silent. If she the de was not pointed at her neck, she would have even think he already left.</o>


    Since Olivia failed to sense any change from him, she continued, "If it was the former, it would only be a matter of time before the Royal Family or the Royal Army finds out because of a change on their forces'' activities. But so far, there is no news. The only ones who had a change in activities these past month, were the Royal Army and the Mercenary Hall.


    "With this, I am guessing the ones who discovered you is either from the Royal Army or the Conve. But the Conve has always been a neutral force and even if they discovered you, I reckoned they will not hide it. The Head of Conve doesn''t want anyplications, so they will definitely report you. In the end, I can only guess that the ones to discover you is part of the Royal Army, and that someone has a high position. For that person to not report it to the Royal Family, or even issue an open manhunt means, that person has other ns.


    "My conclusion, you are here to hide from those people after you. At the same time, you have a reason to improve yourself in a short time. Most likely, the Royal Army has gotten hold of something... or even someone important to you. That''s why you are in a hurry to finish your training here and go back," Olivia concluded.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips. He did not expect Olivia to actually draw such a conclusion. There were misses, but it was because she did not know anything about his background. If she was aware he was a Regis, and that what the Royal Army got hold of was not just ''someone,'' she would probably flip.


    Finally, after a moment''s pause, Kyran said, "Did it ever ur to you, if your guess is correct, revealing your thoughts only gave me a reason to kill you? You may think you''re just an essence, and your original self will not really be affected, but... is that really the case with me?"


    Olivia''s expression suddenly turned grim as her heart began to beat erratically once more. He was right. She also thought of that possibility, but she had gambled on the fact he found and entered the tower to gauge his character. He was not evil... or was he?


    Kyran chuckled at Olivia''s sudden silence.


    "Alright, enough fooling around," he suddenly said.


    "Fooling¡ª?"


    "Deputy Head, Olivia," Kyran cut her midsentence and continued, "I still have your life in my hands. As for whether your guess about my identity is correct, from the things you already thought of, I''m sure you''re aware that you can''t use it against me."


    Olivia''s frown deepened. What he said was true. She could not report the fact she knew about him when the Royal Army already knew of his existence. If she reported it to the Royal Family, she would only incite an internal strife between the two. But depending on the truth of the rumor about the Grand Marshal, once the strife between them escted, it would affect all other factions within the empire.


    There would be a great war.


    Unbeknownst to Olivia, Kyran would also be affected if a war did happen. The first casualty would definitely be his n.


    "Fine. What do you want?" Olivia finally relented.

 Chapter 255 Breezing Through (1)

    Kyran sighed inwardly. He did not expect Olivia to relent immediately. Honestly, he was prepared to use drastic measures to make her submit. For example, he could use one of the Dark Arts he learned wherein one could bind another''s essence to force them to submission. The effect of the binding was different from Sigil where one could still retain some of his freedom. The Dark Art was far cruel because it would turn one into a mere puppet. Their persona would have a drastic change and while they would retain their battle experience which would let them make decisions on their own inbat, any order received from their master they would aplish regardless of what might happen to them.


    Of course, Kyran did not want to control others using that method, especially those he deemed innocent. He still had his principles. However, if they were rted to the Royal Family or the Royal Army, unless the rtion was that of hostility, then he would not hesitate to do so if given an opportunity.


    Right now, Olivia could still be considered innocent. Aside from this, it was because of Kyran''s mistake that she managed to guess his identity. Though he had not admitted it, she was not stupid to not notice his silent admittance. Nevertheless, having her relent without him resorting to drastic measures was a relief.


    "What I want..." Kyran finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Honestly, I can''t think of anything right now."


    What he said was the truth. He did consider getting her on his side, but since he had little information of the inside situation of Aureole as well as its current leadership structure apart from what was known publicly, he could not draw a definite n on how to use Olivia. On the other hand, he had a lot to offer to win her over his side. But winning her and having the whole Aureole on his side, was two different things.


    Olivia''s nervousness doubled. If she could not offer him any leverage, how would she negotiate? She recalled how simple he was dressed as well as hisck of a magic weapon. An idea sprung on her mind and she blurted, "I can provide you resources! Whatever you need, I will do everything in my power to provide them."


    Kyran''s eyes constricted at her offer.


    Resources was one of the things hecked the most.


    Currently, he had a number of things he needed listed in his head but had no way of acquiring them at once. He had a n on how to acquire some wealth, but even then, he could only buy some of the items limited to the Human ne. As for those from different ne, he had not thought of it yet.


    It was for this reason Kyran was interested in the gambling aspect of the challenges. Bing a tform master could also get him more, but he did not want to risk having his essence meet more people from his ne. Not to mention from a different ne that his predecessor was known.


    After all, all those who managed to enter the special ce were no ordinary participants. Like Olivia, they would be able to draw some clues about his identity from his moves.


    "Resources, huh," Kyran replied as if contemting her offer using his most indifferent tone.


    Hearing Kyran''s response, True Void could not help but roll his illusory eyes at him. He knew how important getting resources was for Kyran.


    Originally, if Kyran acquired the Blue Lotus, his problem with resources would alleviate a bit. However, Kyran was ambitious and wanted to create his personal army. What was more, the army he had in mind did not include ''human'' mages, but automatons. Just thinking about the materials Kyran needed to create one could bankrupt any small faction, but he actually wanted to make an army!


    "Yes," Olivia confirmed with a slight nod. She remembered the arm bracer on his arm which made her think he was from another ne because the material and design did not look anything from the Human ne, and guessed he might want to upgrade it. She added, "If you needed materials from another ne I can get it in the tower''s marketce anytime. I am also a tform master so I can get a discount."


    Hearing her speak about a marketce, Kyran recalled Gustaff''s business. It was only then that he realized that other merchants might havee from different nes as well.


    ''A tform master can actually get a discount?'' Kyran thought feeling a little regret that he could not be one. If he did not have an infamous predecessor, he would not hesitate in bing a tform master.


    Kyran shook his head inwardly. He should not think like this. In the first ce, if he was not the sessor of that infamous predecessor, he would not be in this situation.


    "You''re offering something uncertain," Kyran remarked.


    "Uncertain? Of course not. I am a deputy head of the Aureole. I have ess to a vast number of materials. As for materials in another ne, I can buy and transfer materials to my original self anytime¡ª."


    "That''s what I meant about uncertain. You can only get those materials anytime if you remain a tform master. If you fail, and your essence is destroyed, you will need to get your original self toe here again. We both know returning to this ce is not an easy task."


    Kyran pointed this out recalling how Nn needed the side effect of Gustaff''s ability to keep the water demons in the sea surrounding the tower, at bay.


    "T-That''s..." Because of Olivia''s anxiousness in getting him to agree, she forgot something as basic as this. However, her mood changed abruptly realizing what he was implying from his words. "I am not going to fail."


    Kyran chuckled at her sudden change in mood. "Did I offend you?"


    Olivia heard the mockery in his voice and replied, "It''s all thanks to your unique magic that you managed to evade the sentries and the tower''s defense mechanism. But to the others¡ª."


    "Hey,dy. I''m not trying to prove any point here, but if you want to offer something uncertain like that, it makes me think you''re not really thinking it through."


    "No! I¡ª."


    "I can help improve your sentries and your tower''s defense mechanism," Kyran interrupted, finallyying out his trap.


    "What?" For some reason, Olivia did not doubt his words. She might not know how proficient he was in Array or Mechanism Coding, but the fact he sessfully decipher what the mechanism could do proved he was knowledgeable.


    "But if I do that, I am also inadvertently helping you with your challenge. I think I am giving you more than what you can offer. Not to mention, your offer was supposed to convince me not to kill you."


    Olivia''s brow furrowed. He was right again. No matter how she looked at it, she was only getting more favors, when in fact, he should be the one receiving them.


    "I..."


    Olivia was at a loss. If she did not say anything about providing materials from another ne, she wondered if they would have already agreed.


    ''No. He appears to be interested in materials from another ne,'' she thought feeling more lost than ever.<sub> </sub>


    Sensing her mood turning grim by the second, Kyran smiled inwardly.


    ''Just a little push,'' he thought and waited for a few seconds before saying, "Looks like the negotiation is off. Let''s not waste time¡ª."


    "Please, spare me. I swear to do anything," Olivia told him.


    Too bad Olivia was not facing Kyran, if she did, she would have seen him smile. A smile that could send a shiver down one''s spine.


    "Anything?"


    Olivia fell silent. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. To her, the voice speaking in her ears at the moment was the devil, coercing her to sell her soul. If she agreed, there was no turning back. Any other time, she would have hesitated and fought to the end. But she did not have that choice here. Conquering the tower was important not just to her, but to the whole Aureole faction.


    Steeling her resolve, Olivia''s eyes glowed with determination and she replied, "Yes."


    "Are you reffering to your essence or your original self?"


    "Both," Olivia answered at once. "If you don''t believe me, I am willing to swear a Soul-Binding¡ª."


    "I have a much better idea," Kyran interrupted her. He was ufortable with Soul-Binding Oaths, and did not trust it.


    "What?" Olivia asked, keeping her apprehension to herself.


    Kyran finally lowered his hand that was holding the dagger at Olivia''s neck. Then he lightly tap the back of her neck. A dark purple mark appeared there which sank into her skin.


    The moment the mark appeared and entered her skin, Olivia felt a piercing hot pain. She yelped in pain, but the pain disappeared almost as soon as it appeared.


    "I''ve marked your essence. If you go back on your words, with just one thought, I can destroy you."


    Olivia''s hands turned cold. Though she had no ns on going back on her words, thinking that her essence''s future could be easily destroyed scared her. She touched the back of her neck with sweat trickling down her face.


    Kyran stepped aside and saw Olivia''s expression. Reflected in her eyes was fear, but there was also anger and even annoyance, which was a little amusing.


    "No need to look like that," he told her. "I won''t take advantage of you. Honestly, I''m the one getting the short end of the stick here."


    Without waiting for Olivia to reply, Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glowed as he roused his magic.


    Olivia looked at him and was about to say something when the whole tform shook and magic fluctuations erupted. She immediately flew back and resumed the rotations of her golden swords.


    Crackling sounds filled the air as Kyran spread out his arms, the tform continued to tremble and the crater in the middle began to reconstruct itself.


    Olivia''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she stared wide-eyed at what was happening before her. Soon, the middle of the tform was restored. If it was only that, she would not be look that surprised. However, after the tform was restored, she saw the foot of the destroyed tower slowly reforming.


    A few minutester, the whole tower had returned. It was as if time had gone back.


    "T-This¡ª!" Olivia looked at the masked young man before her. ''D-Did I get his identity wrong? I... This... can''t be the magic of the Dark Sage.''


    Once the tower had returned, Kyran lowered his arms and looked at Olivia. His eyes returned to their normal color, but with the mask, it was still hard to determine their color.


    "My name is Nar," he told her.


    "N-Nar?" Olivia repeated.


    "Tell your original self that I will meet her soon."


    Olivia frowned slightly but she nodded in response without asking any details, "Alright."


    She took out a golden medallion where the Aureole''s symbol was carved on both sides and threw it at Kyran''s direction.


    Kyran caught the medallion and instantly sensed that inside, there was an imprinted magic signature.


    "That medallion will give you ess to enter any ce under the Aureole faction. Currently, I am in a business trip. But I mostly reside in the main headquearters in Breezeshield," Olivia told him.


    "Okay. I''ll find you," Kyran replied, putting the medallion inside the storage ring. "Give me ten minutes to improve the arrangement of your tform. After that, send me to the next one."

 Chapter 256 Breezing Through (2)

    After restoring the tower, Kyran made his way inside without asking Olivia''s consent. Although, even if he did ask her, she would have agreed with a gaping look. Because as of the moment, she had not recovered from the shock of seeing the tower getting restored in thin air.


    As Kyran went up the tower, Olivia followed him still wearing an expression of disbelief and wonderment. What she had witnessed was something she had never seen before. The closest she had seen something like this was a Transmuter she knew trying to create a weapon. But creating a weapon using one''s magic and adding moreponents into it was different from a tower that had been destroyed, getting restored from nothing.


    ''Did I get it wrong? Could his magic be Time and not Void?'' She wondered suddenly doubting her initial assessment of him. Now that she thought of it, he could also appear and disappear from one ce to another if he used Time magic.


    ''But how did he get past the sentries and enter the tower''s area without triggering its mechanism? If he did use Time magic, he would have to make his way here... Or could his Time magic also stop everything including the sentries and mechanism''s functions?''


    The thought was possible, which made Olivia even confused.


    ''Let''s stop thinking. I''ll know the truth eventually,'' she finally decided after a few minutes of pondering.


    The top level of the tower was a small square room at least ten by ten meters in size, with nothing inside. However, the walls, which looked solid outside, had an array calction that transformed it into a panoramic projection of the outside. Kyran was able to see all the sentries scattered around the tform and even sense the core of the array formation inside.


    Without wasting any more time, he went to the center of the room and immediately sat cross-legged. His eyes glowed reddish-purple as he began to spread his magic sense, filling the whole tform.


    Olivia stood at the back watching Kyran expectantly. Remembering how he arrogantly dered only needing ten minutes to improve her tform''s arrangement, she initially did not think too much about it. However, if his magic was really Time, then it made more sense. He probably wanted to cover the truth of his magic by dering that when in fact he could simply stop time while he improved the tform.


    This thought was running inside Olivia''s head when Kyran''s magic sense swept through her.


    Different from how Kyran concealed his magic sense earlier, this time he did not bother to hide it.


    When his magic sense swept through Olivia, she could not help but gasp at the enormity she had felt. It was as if she had been pulled into a deep abyss. Even the energies in the surroundings felt as if they were being absorbed and renewed at the same time forming a vortex with Kyran at the center.


    After a few seconds, the whole tform glowed light gold, as the Array Formation hidden on the floor was revealed.


    The moment the formation was revealed, Kyran lifted his arms and a miniature version of the formation appeared around him. When he started to move his hands, the surrounding energies which were usually invisible became visible and moved along his every move. Runes in different colors formed at the tip of his fingers which sometimes blended with the rest of the forms within the formation, or changed itpletely. What was more, when the forms in the miniature formation changed, it also urred in the huge formation on the tform.


    Olivia''s eyes widened as she saw the scene before her. Seeing the surrounding energies was not something new, but seeing them in different colors not to mention turning into runes that integrated themselves in a form was something she had not seen before.


    ''Is this something Time magic could do?'' She thought, feeling enlightened by what she was seeing.


    Of course, if Kyran or even True Void realized what she was thinking, they would probably roll their eyes at her. What part of this utilized Time magic?


    Olivia squinted her eyes, focusing her magic on her eyes. She observed Kyran''s every move and noticed how the tip of his fingers was covered by a semi-transparent purple coat.


    Five minutester, the whole tform rumbled as the sentries moved and changed positions. It seemed as if Kyran was not only changing the Array''s form but also the whole formation.


    A few minutester, a new miniature formation appeared hovering vertically before Kyran. At the same time, this very formation had appeared outside the tower.


    Olivia noticed at once that the new formation before him was the coding of the tower''s defense mechanism. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he unhesitatingly removed almost half of the coding.


    "Hey! What are you¡ª?"


    Her sentence was cut short when distortions in the surroundings formed and the whole tower trembled. A huge magic fluctuation covered the tower as the air crackled around them.


    Olivia felt her scalp go numb feeling the distortions trying to consume everything around it. These distortions only appeared when a perfectly working formation was destroyed. Once the surroundings could no longer contain the distortions, it would converge and the whole formation would detonate, destroying everything within a thousand kilometers in its vicinity.


    "Are you insane why did you¡ª?"


    Even as Olivia started to voice herints, Kyran did not stop moving his hands. In a blink of an eye, almost half of the coding that he removed was reced by a new set of codes.<sub> </sub>


    When Olivia saw the codes, her eyes widened once again. Since the codes were written in humannguage, she understood every detail. Previously, the defense mechanism of the tower would trigger when someone entered within the marked area. Now, the code detailed that any magic energy that entered the mark would not only trigger the defense mechanism but would also activate the improved formation of the sentries.


    It should be noted that mechanism coding and array formation was not easy to assimte into one system. After all, both had different core elements. Not to mention, the mechanism used humannguage, while the array formation used runes.


    Olivia was just about to tell Kyran this when the distortions in the surroundings began to stabilize and in a few seconds, it even started to disappear.


    "How...?"


    This was something she had not expected. She looked at Kyran, who was still busypleting the codes, in great astonishment.


    As far as she knew, Chairman Noir of the cksmith Order and his only disciple, Tyr could sessfully assimte mechanism coding, and array formation. But even then, Olivia believed they would need some time toplete everything. Kyran, however, managed it in just a few seconds!


    ''Is this still something Time magic can do?'' Olivia thought as doubts surfaced in her mind.


    After almost ten minutes from the time Kyran went to the tower and performed the tform''s improvements, he finally stopped and lowered his hands. The miniature formations around him slowly faded as their huge counterparts also disappeared.


    "Done," he said, turning his head to look at Olivia. "Now admit defeat and let me go to the next tform."


    Olivia''s brow twitched at Kyran''s bossiness. If she had not been marked, she would have shown him whose boss. Her essence might look young, but she was his senior. His disrespectful attitude was getting on her nerves.


    Reigning in her annoyance, Olivia decided to let it slide. She decided to let her original self deal with him instead once they met. As an essence, she might be incapable of overpowering Kyran, but her original self was different.


    "Fine," Olivia replied begrudgingly. She thought of something and added, "By the way, you can contact me or my original self through the medallion. At the same time, we''ll contact you through that."


    Kyran only answered with a nod as he stood up.


    Olivia snorted at Kyran''s attitude and finally said, "You''ve passed. I admit defeat, you may now go to the next tform."


    As soon as she was done speaking, the tower''s ceiling seemed to have vanished as a beam of light fell down on Kyran.


    Before he was lifted off by the beam to the next tform, Kyran asked, "The business trip your original self went to. Is it in Meliora?"


    Olivia raised her brows. She was surprised that he knew about it. But she did not question him and answered with a nod, "That''s right."


    Kyran nodded, "Alright."


    In a blink of an eye, he and True Void were lifted off by the beam of light to the next tform.


    Olivia watched as Kyran ascended. She still had mixed emotions at what just happened. But she kept telling herself that maybe this encounter was fated and would also be beneficial to the Aureole.


    Meanwhile, outside the tower, Nn and Gustaff watched Kyran''s progress inplete silence. It was something unexpected, especially with thetter who loved to ask questions when he was in doubt.


    However, their silence was understandable.


    The two were surprised at Kyran''s strength. This was especially true with Nn.


    Nn still remembered how Kyran tend to move around, relying on the Regis Techniques and molded Void weapons when dealing with the enemy. Kyran still used the Void weapons, but Nn sensed that there was something different with his molded weapons. To be precise, the weapons looked more solid.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Nn''s lips at the possibility that Kyran had grasped the idea of creation magic. He could not wait to see how Kyran would fare when he challenged the Champion.

 Chapter 257 Breezing Through (3)

    [Void Halfling.]


    True Void''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head. Earlier, he had been silent the whole time Kyran dealt with Olivia. Now that they were on their way to the next tform, he finally got the chance to ask his questions.


    [How did you know thatdy is undergoing a challenge to conquer the tower?]


    Kyran paused for a moment before replying, ''The arrangement of her tform was too detailed. From the sentries, the buildings, even the positioning of trees and roads. I reckoned its cement was there to camouge an array formation. Then there''s the time limit included in her rules.''


    [I don''t get it.]


    True Void replied in confusion.


    ''Compared to Loar''s tform, Olivia had ced too many things in hers. Everything in her tform alsopliments her rules. The sentries are there top stop anyone from getting close to the tower. Even the roads and buildings were arranged as baits.


    "To avoid the sentries, most will look for a breach around the buildings or the roads, but that was their real purpose. Once challengers entered those areas, they will trigger traps. Others who are confident in their stealth abilities or speed will take their chances with the sentries, but the forms encrypted in them were mostly statuses. If in case there are those who managed to go pass the sentries and the other traps, there''s also a defense mechanism around the tower.


    "All in all, it prevents anyone from getting near it. While there is nothing wrong with her arangement, the fact that she ced a time limit, means she did not want to drag the challenge. It also showed how she didn''t want to confront the challengers directly,'' Kyran exined patiently.


    [She''s too cautious. Because one slip from her, means she will fail her own challenge in conquering the tower.]


    ''Yes.''


    [But maybe that''s just her character.]


    ''True. But given how she ced too much importance just to prevent others from passing her tform, even using high-grade materials to set up all the formation says a lot. Apart from that, the arrogance she had shown was just to cover up the real reason behind the time limit she set. She wanted challengers to know she is ruthless and capable of killing them easily, but she''s still giving them a chance to prove they are worthy to pass her tform.''


    True Void sighed. He could not believe Kyran was able toe up with such a conclusion just by Olivia''s meticulous tform arrangement.


    Thinking about it now, it did make sense. She had used too many valuable materials to set up her tform. As if, she did not mind wasting all those resources just to make sure she would stay alive.


    ''We''ve wasted too much time on two tforms. I''ll speed things up starting now,'' Kyran dered as theynded on the next tform.


    True Void snorted.


    [If you did not chat with that Loar guy you will not feel pressured with time again.]


    Kyran only replied with a slight smile. He did not tell True Void that his ''chat'' with Loar was actually to gather information.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran adjusted his mindset and observed the next tform. He stealthily spread his magic sense to inspect the whole surrounding.


    The size of the next tform was about a five-hundred-meter radius. It was bare and Kyran did not detect any array formation. This in itself was a little strange. It was as if the next tform master did not bother making any adjustments or preparations against his or her challenger.


    [Do you still need a mask?]


    True Void suddenly asked.


    Before Kyran could reply, the light covering them began to fade after which, he immediately felt how nauseating the air around the tform was.


    ''This...''


    A beam of light descended in the middle of the tform.


    Unlike how a gust of wind or a powerful shockwave was felt after the beam of light descended from Loar and Olivia''s tforms, this light appeared ''timid.''


    From within the light, a silhouette of a person wearing an oversized ck robe was visible. As the light faded around the silhouette, it revealed a mist-like ck figure, holding a red glowing orb. Small bluish wisp-like orbs floated around the figure giving off a very eerie feeling.


    When True Void saw the robed figure, he remembered something and instantly warned Kyran.


    [Void Halfling, be careful. That man came from the Undead ne.]


    ''You don''t say,'' Kyran replied with a slight frown.


    From one of the knowledge tablets in the Dark Arts room, he found so many studies that came from the Undead ne. Their magic focuses on curses and poisons. Most importantly, Necromancy.


    The ck-robed figure made a wheezing sound as the floating bluish wisp-like orbs glowed.


    Instantly, the whole tform shook, as fissures appeared on the floor. From within the fissures, a dense aura of death seeped out, and growling sounds could be heard. The sounds felt as if they came from the depths of hell.


    The fissures crackled and they expanded, as bony fingers grabbed the edges of the fissures.


    [Oi, oi. Void Halfling, you said you n to speed things up. How are you nning to¡ª.]


    Before True Void could finish his sentence, a huge dark purple disc appeared above their heads.


    CRACKLE!


    Thick dark purple thunder descended from the disc and shot down on every fissure.


    Several purple magic arrays appeared around the ck-robed figure.


    The figure jolted as if in shock, and immediately lifted the red glowing orb it was holding.


    However, before the figure could even make a move, the purple magic arrays shot out countless thunder attacks which instantly engulfed the figure.


    Miserable shrieks sounded as the figure was bombarded by countless thunder attacks.


    All of this happened in less than ten seconds, after which, the thunders that rolled down the tform and engulfed the figure,sted for almost a minute, before finally fading, leaving behind a floor riddled with cracks. As for the ck-robed figure, it fell on the floor unconscious but twitching uncontrobly.


    "What was that? I was busy setting up the formation and didn''t hear you clearly," Kyran suddenly asked distractedly.<sub> </sub>


    True Void blinked twice, before clearing his throat.


    [Nevermind, nevermind.]


    True Void could only sigh in his heart as he btedly realized that as soon as Kyran spread out his magic sense, he had also started setting up an array formation.


    ''This guy is a monster,'' he could not help but say to himself.


    Kyran had only learned about using magic sense as well as the Void magic''s creation aspect recently, but he had already mastered both to such a frightening degree. Though Kyran was able to utilize Void creation quite well inside the tower because of the dense energy here, creating materials out of thin air to use in an Array formation, not to mention at such a short time, was simply inhuman.


    A beam of light descended and covered Kyran after a few seconds and lifted him and True Void toward the next tform.


    This was another way in going up the tform. If the tform master was knocked out cold, the challenger would be transported to the next tform in a few seconds.


    Kyran also had a choice to do the same with Olivia, but he decided against it when he realized he could use her.


    [Let me remind you, if you keep on creating things, you''ll exhaust yourself in no time. This ce has rich magic energies, but these will not help you recover from fatigue.]


    Kyran nodded, ''Don''t worry. I know my limits. Once I feel exhausted, I''ll ask to go to the Recovery Room.''


    [Good. Good. At least you remember there''s a Recovery Room.]


    Kyran only chuckled but felt grateful at True Void''s concern. Even though he knew half of the reason why True Void was concerned about him was that he did not want to ''die'' with him.


    As Kyran and True Void moved to the next tform, outside the tower, Nn and Gustaff had nk expressions.


    "Thunder..." Gustaff muttered in disbelief. "He can use other elements now?"


    "Oi," Nn''s expression turned grim as he looked at Gustaff. "Don''t just spout questions you know I can''t answer!"


    Gustaff bted realized what he just said, and he burst out in heartyughter.


    "Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry."


    Nn sighed as he turned his attention back at the projector.


    "As far as I remember, having powerful magic meant one can no longer call upon other magic," he said, feeling a little lost at how Kyran managed to summon powerful Thunder magic that could incinerate those fissures. Not to mention, Nn felt that the thunder Kyran summoned also contained Void properties, which was simply impossible.


    Excitement glittered in Nn''s eyes, as he looked at Kyran. He wanted to know what kind of training the kid went through for him to grow this fast.


    "Yeah," Gustaff nodded his head in agreement. "I''ve read about that too."


    Then he sighed and shook his head, "As expected of the great master Cade''s son."


    Nn did not reply and only continue watching Kyran''s progress.


    For the next couple of hours, the two of them watched Kyran''s progress with one having an expression of full disbelief, and the other a nk expression. Because Kyran moved from one tform to another at an unbelievable speed.


    Kyran faced a lot of different types of mages and even battled using puppets. There was even a mage who could summon a horde of beasts. However, for some reason, no fighting happened because the beasts refused to listen to their master and stayed as far away as possible from Kyran. In the end, the mage could only fight Kyran head-on. The result was an overwhelming defeat of the mage.


    After almost twenty battles non-stop, Kyran entered the Recovery Room. Then he resumed the challenges before deciding to rest again in the Recovery Room. To be honest, if he had not rested twice, he would have been at least halfway through and soon be able to challenge the Champion.


    Just as they were thinking this, both of them gaped inplete shock when after staying for almost half an hour inside the Recovery Room, Kyran was transported to a ck room.


    This room was no ordinary room because, in the middle, there was a golden door. Behind that door, was where the Champion was.


    "Wait... Why is he already challenging the Champion?"


    "Oi!"


    "Oh. Ahahaha!"


    "Don''t ahahaha me! Tsk," Nn red at Gustaff, but he could only sigh and looked back at the projection. "It seems, he actually started midway."


    Gustaff''s eyes widened, "Whoa! That''s... Whoa!"


    Nn chuckled and said, "This is also good. Now that he''s about to challenge the Champion, let''s see how long he willst."


    Hearing Nn''s words made Gustaff shiver. He said, "Argh! I was too scared to challenge the Champion. You challenged the Champion, right? How was it?"


    Nn raised his brows as he looked at him sideways and only said, "Good."


    Gustaff frowned at him.


    "Whatta..."


    "Just watch," Nn sneered and turned his attention back at the projection.


    Inside the ck room of the tower''s special ce, Kyran stood before the golden door.


    "Are you ready?" True Void asked.


    Kyran nodded, "Let''s go."


    With that, he stepped into the golden door.

 Chapter 258 Challenging The Champion

    As Kyran stepped into the golden door, a blinding light burst out and enveloped him and True Void. Warmth filled their senses as if the emitted light came from the sun. It swept inside them, filling every nook and cranny of their body, which immediately made Kyran frown. Sensing that something was strange about the light, he intended to rouse his magic within his body to counter it. However, without managing to rouse his magic, it had started circting in his body as if working to repel something.


    [Something is inside this light.]


    True Void also noticed and warned Kyran at once.


    ''Yeah. If I''m not wrong, it''s scanning our bodies to gather information,'' Kyran replied after stealthily spreading his magic sense. To his surprise, the light around them had faint traces originating from an advanced array formation.


    Kyran focused his magic sense to enter that faint trace, but to no avail. This instantly made him double his guard. The level of Kyran''s magic sense was already at its highest. If even his magic sense could not infiltrate such an array formation, it meant it was not only an advanced one but already at a saint-tier. Maybe even higher.


    ''Looks like the Champion is an Array Master,'' Kyran remarked. After battling several tform masters, he noticed that at least a quarter of them were Array Specialists. They knew different advanced forms, but they were not experienced enough tobine more than two advanced forms to create a higher level formation.


    Apart from Loar, the Champion was the second person Kyran felt could be at a Master''s level.


    As the light lifted, Kyran and True Void found themselves in a vast rocky valley. The sky was reddish-gray as if the sun had just set, and of a distance, there was a lone floating inverted stone mountain.


    Seeing the stone mountain, Kyran suddenly had a sense of familiarity from it.


    Just as he was thinking this, True Void gasped and said, "T-That looks like the¡ª!"


    "Finally, a new challenger."


    A deep thunderous voice boomed that shook the whole rocky valley.


    As soon as Kyran heard the voice, hisplexion turned pale, then dark, before turning red. It was a sight to see. Then his heart began to pound heavily in his chest as his breathing came in short gasps.


    "V-Void Halfling, that voice..."


    "N-No way..." Kyran replied, but even as he said it, his heart and mind refused to really deny it.


    Deny the fact that he recognized that voice.


    Huge magic fluctuations erupted that originated from the stone mountain. A powerful magic pressure bore down on Kyran and True Void. The force was too much that Kyran was almost forced to his knees.


    "Ergh!" Kyran braced himself through gritted teeth. He circted his magic energy as fast as possible to counter the pressure. But his knees trembled, and even his bones began to creak under pressure.


    "Interesting. This level of pressure can''t force you to your knees. Good," the deep thunderous voice said with a hint of approval.


    RUMBLE!


    The stone mountain rumbled as ad dark figure jumped down.


    BOOM!


    A huge shockwave erupted, filling the whole surrounding with clouds of smoke as the dark figurended fifty meters away from Kyran. The figure''s feet sank a few inches on the ground, with web-like cracks forming on the ground.


    Kyran waved his right hand, and a semi-transparent purple half-sphere shield appeared in front of him, countering the force of the shockwave as well as the cloud of smoke. But even still, he was forced back a few steps, and his feet sank a few inches on the ground.


    Normally, True Void would have disengaged some of the shape-shifting tes and formed a hexagonal shield to protect Kyran. However, he was feeling a little scared right now.


    After all, the man before them was the man who had sealed him inside Kyran twelve years ago!


    Cade Regis.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as he looked at the figure of a younger version of his father within the cloud of smoke. His heart constricted as he tried to control his ragged breathing.


    He already knew his parents, Nn and te, came to the tower and conquered it. To be honest, he was prepared to find traces of their visit inside. But after realizing that their training might be different from him, he already felt it was nearly impossible to encounter their traces. As for the special ce, he admitted expecting to encounter them as a tform master. Never had he considered encountering one of them as the Champion! Not to mention that someone was his father!


    Honestly, if Kyran ever considered one of them the Champion, he would have thought it was Nn. Not his father. Not because he thought his father was not strong enough, but because Nn was already at a very high levelpared to his father.


    Then again, they entered the tower during their younger years. His father might be far more powerful than Nn back then.


    A sense of pride welled inside Kyran as he stared intently at the figure within the cloud of smoke. At the same time, his heart ached, recalling the Royal Army had surrounded the Regis Estate at this very moment.


    Apart from these two emotions, he also felt an unprecedented excitement. He wanted to know how he would fare when fighting his father at his peak state.<sub> </sub>


    A silvery orb appeared within the cloud of smoke and hovered before the young Cade. This orb was the one that emitted the light that covered Kyran and True Void.


    Immediately, Cade''s dark gray eyes narrowed after sensing that his orb failed to gather any information from the new challenger.


    A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he looked at the new challenger fifty meters away.


    ''Interesting,'' he thought. His eyes glowed silver as his magic sense erupted from inside him, instantly filling a 10,000 kilometer radius.


    Kyran''s eyes constricted as he felt his father''s magic sense sweep through him.


    [V-Void Halfling be careful!]


    True Void felt his illusory scalp had gone numb. Right now, Kyran was still wearing the mask. But the magic sense Cade''s essence used right now had a probing nature, which would recognize Kyran''s aura.


    The truth, True Void was scared to have Cade''s essence know about Kyran and transmit what would happen here to his original self. After all, True Void was supposed to be sealed. What if Cade had a way of sealing him again even if he was not present? He did not want to be a spectator once again.


    Kyran also noticed the probing nature of his father''s magic sense. Half of him wanted his father''s essence to recognize him. But half, he was hesitant. He did not want his father to know he was inside the tower. He did not want to add to the things his father had to worry about at the moment.


    As soon as his magic sense swept through the new challenger, Cade''s brow furrowed.


    ''Why...? His aura is a Regis,'' he thought.


    But something about the new challenger''s aura didn''t seem right. No, not that it was not right. It actually felt familiar. Not because it was simr to a Regis, but because it also felt simr to Nn and Rin.


    Cade''s eyes widened at the sudden thought that crossed his mind. However, the surprise in his eyes appeared only briefly. It was instantly reced by a stern look as his magic pressure erupted.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as his knees buckled from the pressure in an instant. Even the semi-transparent shield he had conjured shattered like brittle ss.


    "I don''t have many rules, just one. If you manage to survive my attacks for three hours, you win."


    "T-Three¡ª!"


    Kyran''s sentence was cut short as Cade suddenly appeared before him with his right palm inches away from his chest.


    Kyran instinctively lifted his hands to block the iing palm.


    However, Cade was faster. His palm struck Kyran''s chest, instantly causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood as he was sted off at least three hundred meters behind.


    Kyran hit three thick stone boulders before finally mming to the fourth boulder. He spat out another mouthful of blood as the crack on the boulder where hended crumbled, burying him within.


    "Normally, it''s three minutes," Cade said with a slight smile. "But since you are a Regis. I think three minutes is too short."


    Kyran sted the rubble that had fallen on him and knelt on one knee to look at Cade. He wiped the blood trickling down his lips with his right arm.


    As expected, Kyran could not hide the fact that he was a Regis. He resigned to his fate and decided to focus on seeding in Cade''s rule. He said, "From three minutes to three hours, such a huge leap. You''re giving me too much credit."


    Cade chuckled and said, "Actually, it is just a bare minimum to someone from the same n. If I am really giving you that much credit, I would have suggested three days."


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    [Oh! Oh! Now I know where you got your arrogance from! You sounded so much like him!]


    ''Shut up,'' Kyran replied as he stood up. He wanted to reprimand True Void for not helping him after getting sted but decided having True Void focus on keeping the Mark of Ruin at bay was better. Since he was facing his father, Kyran would have to be serious in this ''challenge.'' This meant that he would have to use his magic at full strength, especially now that he could not use the Regis Technique to aid his physical abilities.


    "Enough talk," Cade said, still wearing a slight smile as he once again disappeared and reappeared before Kyran, who had barely stood.


    Once again, Cade used his palm to strike Kyran on the chest.


    Unlike earlier, Kyran was prepared this time. Instead of trying to block Cade''s hand, he chose to counter with an attack of his own.


    A short de materialized on his right hand as he aimed at Cade''s wrist.

 Chapter 259 Real Strength

    Cade''s silver eyes glinted as he saw the iing short de. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he snorted.


    ''Too naive,'' he thought as a silver magic array crept on his outstretched arm.


    ck spots appeared on his arm, spreading rapidly. It formed into an inch-thick gauntlet protecting his arm.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as his short de touched the gauntlet. The gauntlet should be incapable of countering the short de''s Void property. But to Kyran''s surprise, his short de failed to cut the gauntlet.


    Ping!


    As if his short de collided with a solid metal, Kyran''s hand got brushed off.


    In that shortpse, Cade''s palm had smashed Kyran''s chest, and once again, he got thrown back.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as he mmed his feet on the ground. Dark purple sabatons formed on his feet. Spikes extended at the sole of the sabatons and pierced on the ground, breaking his momentum.


    When Cade saw this, he raised his brows in surprise. Not because his challenger managed to stop his momentum but because he did not use any magic arrays. Initially, Cade thought the summoned short de was a real weapon. Seeing the color of the sabatons and how the spikes formed in thin air on its soles, Cade realized both the short de and sabatons were not items but made from magic.


    His Obsidian magic could do the same, but he would have to use magic arrays.


    ''He is not a Magus... howe he''s not using magic arrays?'' Cade wondered. ''Apart from that, as a Regis, his physical ability is only so-so. Why isn''t he using any Regis Techniques?''


    Cade found the new challenger a little strange. If he was right about the identity of this person, there was no way he could not know how to use the Regis Techniques. Too bad Cade''s probing array failed to gather any information about him. The information would have helped him better grasp this person''s ability and identity.


    "What''s your name, young man?" Cade asked.


    Kyran had just regained his bnce when he heard Cade''s question. He hesitated only for a second before answering, "Kyran."


    Cade nodded and said, "Kyran. Don''t you know how to use the Regis Technique?"


    "About that¡ª" Kyran stopped midsentence as he saw Cade moved again.


    Cade''s eyes glowed as he bolted forward at an incredible speed toward Kyran.


    "Wait! Aren''t you asking a question?" Kyranined. Why couldn''t he wait a few seconds for the answer before suddenly attacking?


    Cade only chuckled in response as seven silver magic arrays formed vertically behind him. The magic arrays glowed and rotated swiftly, creating ripples in the air.


    ck obsidian spears emerged from the center of the magic arrays and flew toward Kyran, who had already begun retreating.


    With brows furrowed, Kyran waved his right hand and summoned seven purple discs. He controlled the discs forward, aiming to block the iing spears.


    Before, Kyran would have used a Void barrier to protect himself from the spears. But since he had no idea what kind of material the ck spears were made of, he wanted to test it out first. Besides, he recalled how his short de got easily repelled earlier.


    If the spears'' material was simr to the ck gauntlet that covered Cade''s arm earlier, his Void barrier would fail to counter them.


    There was also a possibility that the spears could do what Sigma did to breach his Void barrier.


    The purple discs rotated and intercepted the spears.


    A cold glint shed in Cade''s silver eyes. He made an abrupt stop and spread his arms. Simrly, the spears flew out, covering arger area as they zoned in on Kyran.


    The purple disc moved as Kyran controlled each of them to follow one spear each. At the same time, he wracked his brain with ideas on how to deal with Cade''s strange magic.


    Honestly, it was Kyran''s first time seeing his father use his magic. Cade never used his magic during their spars and only utilized the Regis Techniques. As Kyran observed the spears, he was reminded of Nn''s ''Elements'' magic. Although it seemed his father''s magic consisted of only one element. As to which element, Kyran had no idea.


    Just before the discs and the spears collided, Cade dashed forward again and pointed at Kyran.


    A small silver magic array suddenly appeared behind Kyran, catching him off guard. Before he could even curse at his negligence, another ck spear emerged at the center of the magic array and shot toward him.


    Kyran twisted his body to avoid the spear.


    The tip of the spear''s de brushed past his chest. Just when Kyran thought he had managed to avoid it, dark purple energy formed around it, instantly slicing a chunk out of his coat.


    "Argh!" Kyran winced as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. This instantly made him break out in cold sweat.


    It should be noted that the toughness of Kyran''s skin wasparable to a real dragon. It was almost impossible for magic attacks to graze him. However, the energy that formed around the spear actually cut his skin. Just what kind of energy was it?


    [Void Halfling!]


    True Void had almost disengaged the shape-shifting tes to cover Kyran earlier because he had sensed an impending crisis when the spear appeared behind them.


    Truthfully, True Void could not believe Cade would actually aim at Kyran''s vital point. As the champion, Cade would not have to worry about dying for real because he was just an essence.


    Kyran, on the other hand, once pierced by the spear, would mean possible real death!


    ''I''m fine!'' Kyran assured True Void after sensing his thoughts. To him, Cade''s action was normal.


    Even during their spars back at the Regis Estate, Cade never showed Kyran mercy.


    Cade''s eyes narrowed at Kyran''s narrow escape from the spear''s attack. If Kyran had used a Regis technique, he could have avoided it easily.


    ''Why didn''t you use it?'' Cade wondered with a slight frown. His interest in Kyran became stronger by the second.<sub> </sub>


    The seven spears and discs finally collided at that moment, and deafening sounds of metal grinding at each other filled the air.


    Hearing the sound confirmed Kyran''s guess that the spear did have the ability to ignore the other property of Void, which was to turn everything it touched into nothingness.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    In just a few seconds, the spears and discs exploded one after another after consuming each other.


    While this was happening, Cade had stretched out his hand and beckoned the spear that Kyran avoided toward him. Instantly, the spear wheezed through the air, the dark purple energy rotating around it growing thicker as it neared him.


    A powerful magic pressure erupted from Cade as he unleashed the fullness of his magic level.


    The moment Kyran and True Void felt it, they sensed a looming crisis.


    ''This...!'' Kyran had never felt such pressure from his father before. He knew something happened to his father twenty years ago, which stopped his magic from developing.


    The strength of the essence left by Cade in the tower represented his strength when he was at his peak. Nevertheless, because he was only an essence, he could at most exert half of Cade''s real strength. If an essence could already exert such pressure, Kyran could only imagine how strong his father really was.


    Cade grabbed the spear''s shaft, twisting his body to add more momentum to it before releasing it once more toward Kyran.


    [Iing!]


    True Void warned Kyran.


    Kyran did not need telling twice. A dark purple fissure appeared before him. His reddish-purple eyes glowed fiercely as the air around him crackled. Instantly, everything within a fifty-meter radius from him shook and got drawn into the fissure.


    Bits and pieces of stones, minerals, and even the air itself flew before the fissure, forming a vortex. However, all these items did not enter the fissure. They merged within the vortex, and it grew at an rming speed.


    Kyran spread his arms and moved his hands. He twisted and turned his hands that were facing each other. Simultaneously, the vortex also rotated and turned as if imitating the movement of Kyran''s hands.


    At that moment, Cade''s ck spear was closing in on Kyran.


    Twenty meters.


    Fifteen. Ten.


    Soon it was only five meters away.


    At this moment, the vortex had finally merged, forming a simr spear, albeit its color was dark purple. It flew out and collided with the ck spear.


    BOOM!


    A massive shockwave erupted from the collision of the two spears, and everything within a 20,000-kilometer radius trembled. Clouds of smoke spread out immediately, rendering the visibility of the surroundings almost zero.


    Kyran kept his guard up.


    "Good. You didn''t lower your guard."


    Cade''s voice suddenly sounded from behind Kyran.


    Kyran''s eyes widened. Without turning, he roused his magic and createdyer uponyer of shields behind him.


    However.


    CRACK!


    The shields were shattered in an instant as Cade unleashed a punch toward Kyran''s lower back.


    Once again, Kyran was thrown a few hundred meters, crashing into several boulders in the process.


    Cade was not done. Even as Kyran got thrown, he followed closely by. He suddenly appeared in front of Kyran, who had just crashed into a boulder, and with clenched fist, struck him on the head.


    Kyran barely lifted his left arm to his head to somehow block some of the fist''s force. Still, the moment the fistnded on his arm, a few of the shape-shifting tes shattered at once.


    [OW! OW! Spare my old bones!]


    True Void yelped in pain. Although he was only yelping, he was not really in pain.


    Kyran felt the tremor from the fist shake his brain, and he almost passed out as he was flung to the side. If the Elixir had not strengthened his body, he was sure his head would have exploded in that instant even when he tried to block it with his arm.


    Honestly, Kyran''s arm would have been sted to mincemeat as well.


    Even though his head did not explode or his arm turned into mincemeat, Kyran still spat out a mouthful of blood from the strike and even felt a few of his teeth had been broken.


    Kyran''s mind reeled.


    This was his father''s real strength.


    No.


    To be precise, this was half of his real strength, and it was beyond what Kyran had expected.

 Chapter 260 Deluge

    BOOM!


    Kyran hit the ground with a loud boom as he got buried five meters under.


    The surrounding air, which had been covered by a cloud of smoke that had started to lift, was surrounded by it again.


    "That''s three minutes," Cade said. His voice reverberated in the surroundings while he hovered in midair, looking at the small crater where Kyran hadnded. "Are you done?"


    Kyran, who was still feeling dizzy from having his head bashed by Cade,y at the bottom of the crater with his eyes closed. After hearing his father''s mocking tone, he snapped his eyes open and could not help but re at the silhouette within the cloud of smoke above.


    ''Heartless, inhuman, beast!'' He ranted inwardly.


    What did Cade mean that he was done? He was only catching his breath, alright. Besides, they barely started, and he had not even exerted 10% of what he could do. Cade didn''t have to sound as if he had already won.


    True Void could not help but agree with Kyran''s rant. He had been with Kyran for more than a year and was aware of his growth. Right now, he could tell that Kyran getting pummeled like this had something to do with the lingering fear he had with his father. He could not me Kyran though. Cade was a real monster.


    Sighing inwardly, True Void recalled how many shape-shifting tes had been destroyed by Cade''s single punch and he felt like crying.


    The shape-shifting tes were made from high quality mutated beast''s blood from Lignum ne. Each one of the tes was precious that was why he had been careful in using them. Because, if the tes were destroyed, Kyran would not be able to pull out a new set within the void unless he go back to the Lignum ne.


    [Void Halfling. I remember your father''s an abjurer. But what in zes was wrong with his offensive attack?]


    ''He''s using the Regis Technique,'' Kyran replied as he brushed off some of the rubble that fell on him.


    [You mean Draconic magic?]


    True Void gasped.


    Kyran''s face turned sour as he was reminded of the fact that Regis techniques meant using Draconic magic.


    To be honest, the real reason why Kyran did not believe his predecessor''s ims that he was using Draconic magic when he used the Regis techniques was because his father and other selected Regis family members could use it.


    If his predecessor was right, that meant Draconic magic was not rare and his n could use it, although the prerequisite was to drink a drop of dragon''s blood.


    But if this was true, then how were they able to ''store'' Draconic magic energy if they did not have the ''appropriate'' magic core?


    It should be noted that others could summon another type of magic apart from their innate magic, as long as they knew the runes of that particr magic. What about Draconic magic? As far as Kyran was concerned, they had not learned any Draconic runes nor were they using one when utilizing Regis techniques.


    ''I''m not sure,'' Kyran replied.


    [That''s no good. That''s no good. You, yourself, cannot use Draconic magic. If your father is really using it, how will you counter it?]


    ''Can''t you give me some advice? You have been with my predecessor and you also know the Dragon Lord. How did my predecessor deal with him when they fight?'' Kyran asked in exasperation.


    [It''s quite simple.]


    True Void suddenly said, his voice full of pride. Just as he always had when talking about the previous Void Master.


    This would be the first time True Void would share his predecessor''s tactics and Kyran could not help feeling anticipation.


    [My master runs away when the Dragon Lordes.]


    ''...''


    Kyran could not help but look at the shape-shifting tes, in an arm bracer form that looked mangled, where True Void resided. ''What kind of advice is that? You even sound proud!''


    Before True Void could defend his master, a thunderous voice interrupted them both.


    "Are you really done?"


    Cade asked a second time.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked up.


    By this time, the cloud of smoke had lessened and Cade''s imposing figure was already visible.


    He wore an amused expression as he looked down on Kyran.


    Kyran forced a smile and said, "It''s so nice of you not to attack during my vulnerable state."


    Cade chuckled and raised his brows.


    "I don''t think it is necessary," he replied with a slight smile. "Since you could barely keep yourself together."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He did not know his father was such a prick when he was young.


    "We''re just starting," Kyran said as he stood and jumped out of the crater.


    "Good," Cade replied as he disappeared and reappeared five meters in front of Kyran.


    "Don''t disappoint me," he added as three silver magic arrays formed, surrounding Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple. The instant the silver magic arrays had formed, he already summoned three small purple discs. Each of the discs hovered right in the middle of each silver magic array.


    Purple lightning shed from the purple discs and aimed at some points on the magic array''s rune writing and soon they began to crumble.


    Cade noticed this and his eyes narrowed at once.


    More silver magic arrays appeared around them which instantly caused Kyran''s scalp to go numb.


    How was his father able to summon so many magic arrays almost in an instant? As far as he remembered, Dante was the only one who could do something like this.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his head, Kyran summoned several purple discs. Each of the discs once again hovered in the middle of the arrays.


    Cade sneered and he spread his arms, as hundreds more of the silver magic arrays appeared in the air.


    "Oi!" Kyranined and summoned more purple discs to destroy the arrays.


    Right now, he felt as if they were ying a game where they were both creating something and neither one of them wanted the other to create more than the other. It felt a little childish.


    Wait. Did this mean, his father was not taking him seriously?


    The thought pissed Kyran.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Explosions filled the air as one after another, the silver magic arrays exploded after the purple discs destroyed some of their parts.


    As clouds of smoke filled the whole surrounding, Cade made his move.


    He dashed forward with his right hand outstretched. A silver magic array appeared, hovering before his open palm. The magic array rotated at an incredible speed and a ck material slowly emerged from the center.


    Kyran instantly jumped back. He had a feeling that his father wanted to have another melee confrontation which he wanted to avoid. His body might have been strengthened by the Elixir, but if he kept on receiving Cade''s powerful physical attacks, sooner thanter he would end up getting fatally injured.


    [Void Halfling!]


    BANG!


    "Ugh!"


    True Void''s warning came toote as Kyran hit something like a thick solid wall as soon as he jumped back.


    Cade shook his head, "Too naive. You are too focused on me and my magic arrays, you forgot there are other ways I cany a hit on you."


    Before Kyran could recover, several ck thick walls rose from the ground around him. Instantly trapping him from within.


    "You know," Cade started while he stopped in front of the ck walls. "I forgot to tell you. But I am actually an Abjurer."


    Several small silver magic arrays filled the ck walls, and from the inside, as soon as the magic arrays appeared, ck solid steels protruded out from the ck walls piercing Kyran in multiple directions.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed as a purple sphere erupted from within him. This time, he did not hold back and unleashed the full capability of his Void magic.


    BOOM!


    The sphere expanded and instantly obliterated everything it touched.


    Cade''s eyes constricted and he retreated as soon as he saw the expanding purple sphere. He spread out his arms, and a huge golden array appeared above.


    The moment the golden array appeared, the expanding purple sphere stopped. It was as if an invisible force was preventing it from expanding further.


    Anotheryer of golden array appeared beneath the first one, and this time, a powerful pressure bore down on the purple sphere.


    In an instant, the purple sphere trembled.


    A thirdyer of the golden array appeared on the second one, and the whole surrounding vibrated. Cade''s eyes glowed silver as his magic pressure erupted, he moved his hands and the third golden array rotated.


    Crackling sounds filled the air and bolts of lightning shed upward from within the golden array. The bolts of lightning struck the second golden array, and soon this too began to rotate.


    Bolts of lightning appeared on the second golden array which struck the first one.


    Finally, the first array also began to rotate.


    Magic fluctuations filled the air as crackling sounds came from the threeyered golden array.


    As the rotation of the arrays picked up speed, a powerful crushing force bore down on the purple sphere which instantly caused cracks to form on its surface.


    Simrly, cracks formed on the ground around the sphere from the pressureing from the golden array.


    Though all of these seemed to take some time to progress, the truth, only five seconds had passed.


    "Deluge."

 Chapter 261 Temper

    Within the purple sphere, Kyran was forced on his knees.


    The ground beneath rumbled and something gaseous seeped from within filling the inside of the sphere. Kyran immediately sensed the thinning of the oxygen inside, and his expression turned grim. Apart from this, the immense pressure that bore down above was nothing like he had experienced before.


    Kyran once experienced Malek''s magic pressure crushing his insides, but that was different from now. That time, Malek was using his magic''s property which had something to do with airpression.


    The pressure Kyran felt now was different. It was something he could onlypare to what he had read once, about the abyssal zone of the deep sea. Where if a sea creature ventured in, it wasparable to death. The zone was devoid of oxygen and was filled with a high concentration of elements that were harmful to any creature.


    [Oi! Oi! This is no ordinary magic attack! This... this! This is a Saint-tier Array!]


    True Void eximed, his mind reeling in fear.


    "S-Saint..." Kyran tried to say. But with the thinning oxygen inside the sphere, it had begun to affect him.


    [Yes! Saint-tier!]


    True Void replied, his voice full of panic.


    As someone who had been sealed by Cade, True Void knew how terrifying his arrays were. Not to mention, when Cade sealed him, Cade''s magic core was already damaged.


    Though array formations and seals did not require a vast amount of a mage''s magic energy because the materials used in the formation wouldpensate for it, it still required a mage''s magic sense to control it. If a mage''s magic core was damaged, his control over external magic energy from materials as well as his own magic sense would be extremely hard.


    Maybe if the array formation and seal were only a low-tier, it could be manageable.


    But we''re talking about True Void here. He was the spirit of the Void Master''s ultimate weapon. Could a low-tier seal be enough to restrain him? Of course not. However, it was an irrefutable fact that True Void had been sealed. It was not even a simple restraining seal, but a forced sleep!


    And Cade managed to do that with a damaged magic core.


    As for Cade''s essence, he could be considered a clone of the original one.


    With the use of ancient Light Art, one could extract his essence to create another body. This body would have the same body, experience, magic skills, even memories of the original body from the time of the extraction. For short, this essence had the skill and experience of Cade when his magic core was still intact. This meant, his Array skills would be heaven-defying.


    Kyran''s mind was racing. He had gathered bits and pieces of information of his parents'' magic skills from some of Nn and tes''s off-handedments. Sometimes they would even drop some clues when they were talking and they thought Kyran was not listening. Or maybe they knew he was listening, thus, they mentioned some clues to put him at ease.


    Because of this, Kyran found out his father was an Array Master. Same as Nn. Nn even hinted thatpared to him, his father''s Array level was above his, and probably way above Chairman Noir, who was known to be the most powerful Array Master in Ylfaen Empire. The reason why Kyran thought of this, was due to Nn''s disdainful attitude when he found out Kyran learned Array from Noir.


    Kyran could not help but smile bitterly as he recalled this. Cade''s image in his mind was starting to blur. Right now, he felt he barely knew his own father.


    [We''re doomed! I''m telling you. We''re doomed!]


    True Void''s panic-stricken voice brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    ''Calm down,'' Kyran thought, but whether he was saying this to True Void or himself, he was not sure.


    With the oxygen inside the sphere growing thinner, Kyran''s mind had started to go numb.


    Anyone who experienced this numbing sense would have lost all will to fight.


    But Kyran was different. The number he felt, the clearer his mind bes. And the clearer his mind bes, the better he could focus.


    Kyran took a deep breath and spread out his magic sense. First, he checked the state of his body. He confirmed that theck of oxygen and the bearing of the immense pressure had started to damage his internal organs. But it was not something he could not endure for a few minutes.


    ''Five minutes at most,'' he confirmed and closed his eyes.


    [Oi! Void Halfling! Don''t sleep! think of something to get out!]


    True Void said reprimandingly.


    When Kyran did not respond and even had a very serene look on his face, True Void instantly gasped. He felt as if his non-existent blood had been drained out of his illusory body.


    [No! Void Halfling! Don''t die on me! Don''t die on me!]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. If he had not witnessed what True Void could do, Kyran would have doubted his identity as his predecessor''s partner. It was too easy for him to panic and even whine. Such unbefitting of his supposedly the Dark Sage''s ultimate weapon image.


    Ignoring True Void''s whining, Kyran focused all his attention on controlling his magic sense. Since his father had attacked using an Array, Kyran was confident he could survive. Actually, he believed he could also destroy it.


    As soon as his magic sense spread outside, Kyran instantly saw the threeyered golden array above. He felt immense magic energy within the rotating arrays.


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open and his eyes glowed reddish-purple. He forced himself to sit cross-legged, as he spread out his arms.


    [Void Halfling! You''re still alive¡ª eh? Eh? What are you doing?]


    A miniature version of the threeyered golden array suddenly appeared on Kyran, with him at the center.


    True Void gasped, before erupting in excitement after realizing what Kyran nned to do.


    [You want to destroy a Saint-tier array? Bahahaha! Insane! You''re insane!]<sub> </sub>


    By this time, Kyran had already entered into deep concentration and did not hear what True Void had said. Even if he did, he would ignore him.


    Kyran immersed himself within theplex array of calctions within the threeyered golden array. It only took him thirty seconds, to decipher everything and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    None of the vast collection of array formation and calction Kyran learned in the Array room could be seen in the golden array. Meaning, this particr array was something his father had created by himself. This instantly made Kyran feel an overwhelming pride. His father was a real genius.


    If others knew how much veneration Kyran felt for his father, they would have reeled in exasperation. After all, from the perspective of others, Kyran was also a genius. No, to be precise, he was a monster.


    After thirty seconds, Kyran started to move his hands. Soon, the calctions within the golden array started to tremble.


    At that exact moment, outside the sphere, Cade sensed something as he looked at the threeyered golden array.


    "Hm?" His brow furrowed as he saw distortions in the air appearing from different points on the golden array. More importantly, the points where the distortions had appeared were the key areas of the whole formation.


    Cade chuckled as he turned his attention back at the purple sphere below. He crossed his arms across his chest and said, "So you decided to aim for the array."


    With an amused smile, Cade summoned his magic, a five-meter radius silver magic array appeared beneath him and a ck obsidian boulder emerged from within. It hovered in midair, and Cadended there and sat cross-legged.


    "I was hoping you''ll start using your Regis technique but this is also good. Let me see your level of¡ª."


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Cade''s eyes widened after hearing the explosions. He looked up at the threeyered golden array and saw, apart from the bolts of lightning that the array generated, the crackling sounds came from within the distortions, which had infiltrated and begun to corrupt the whole formation.


    CRACKLE! SIZZLE!


    Cade''s shoulder trembled, and soon he burst out inughter from what he was witnessing.


    "Remarkable," he murmured. "It seems the Regis had produced a new generation Array Master. Soon, the Estate''s formation can be revived."


    In just a couple of minutes, the threeyered golden array showed signs of crumbling.


    However, before that happened, Cade lifted his hand toward the array and he made a grabbing gesture which in turn shook the whole formation.


    BOOOOM!


    A massive explosion shook the whole surrounding. The brunt of the explosion bore down on the purple sphere and it also shattered, as another explosion shook the whole ce.


    BOOM!


    The shockwave these two explosions produced instantly obliterated some of the nearby stone walls. Cloud of smoke filled the air once again.


    From the center of the explosion, a silhouette of a young man on his knees could be seen. Soon, the sound of coughing could also be heard.


    Cade''s eyes glinted in amusement as he looked at the silhouette. Of course, he knew the silhouette was Kyran, and he was pleased to find that his body could withstand the detonation of a saint-tier array.


    "You..." Kyran started but then started to cough once again.


    Earlier, he was only two or three steps away frompletely destroying the array. But then, the whole array exploded and he knew at once that his father chose to detonate the array instead of seeing Kyran seed in destroying it.


    "You''re an Array Master. Good. Who taught you?" Cade asked as soon as the cloud of smoke lessened.


    [Argh! Why do I feel like he was just messing with us?]


    True Void ranted.


    Kyran felt the same and he could only smile bitterly.


    "Are you really asking?" He asked as he tried to stand. However, his feet wobbled and he fell on one knee.


    Cade chuckled, "Not really."


    "Then why bother asking?" Kyranined.


    "Your temper reminds me of someone," Cade suddenly said, catching Kyran off guard.


    Then Cade disappeared just to appear ten meters in front of Kyran.


    "It''s only been less than half an hour," he started and walked slowly toward him.


    [Uh-oh. Not good, Void Halfling. Really not good. I have a feeling he''s up to something!]


    Kyran did not need True Void to tell him because he also felt the same.


    "Don''t you think it''s high time you start using the Regis technique?" Cade said and stopped three meters away from Kyran. He looked him over and added, "Your body will not hold much longer."

 Chapter 262 Tower... Tower? Tower!

    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked up at Cade. He wanted to tell him the truth about his identity, as well as the reason why he could not use any Regis technique. At the same time, Kyran was afraid that once he told Cade, Cade would change the challenge''s rules.


    From the few challenges he had beforeing here, Kyran noticed that some tform masters would change their rule depending on their mood, and the tower would not do anything to stop it. For this reason, Kyran decided to deal with the tform masters efficiently.


    However, when it came to dealing with his father, Kyran admitted he had some reservations about going all out. Partly because he was afraid his best was not enough, and another because of the deep respect for his father.


    Cade tilted his head while looking at Kyran. He sensed the young man''s conflicted emotions and wondered if maybe he was not selected to partake a drop of dragon''s blood. This thought immediately made Cade frown.


    He was absolutely sure of Nn and Rin''s aura inside Kyran. Meaning he was rted to them one way or another. Looking back at Kyran''s strange magic, Cade even thought of him as Nn''s son.


    ''...''


    Except, thinking of Nn''s character, he could not imagine him settling down. If Nn did settle down and find a woman for himself, Cade doubted Nn would find a Regis woman.


    As for Rin. Looking at Kyran, Cade did think of the possibility because the temper he had shown earlier was quite simr to her.


    But the question was; if Kyran was Rin''s son and a Regis, who was his father?


    A memory suddenly shed before Cade''s mind.


    It was a memory when Rin found out her fate as a Spirit Child. She had felt great distraught knowing that she would bear a child rejected by the whole world. At the same time, she felt excited to know she would get to have her own family.


    Nn had vowed to find a good man for her and even asked Cade''s help. Cade had always considered Nn and Rin as part of the Regis, and he immediately agreed. If Rin''s child would have a difficult life, Cade wanted to ensure that the Regis could at least keep them safe.


    For this reason, Cade swore to protect Rin''s future. However, Rin had a different take on the matter and said something that made both Cade and Nn gape at her with wide eyes.


    Cade recalled how Rin looked at him in the eye and said with full of determination, "Marry me. Then you don''t have to look for anyone else."


    Seeing the look on Rin''s eyes that time, Cade could only nod in response. Even Nn, who was still gaping at her stupidly, agreed absentmindedly.


    Still, it was not an official agreement. There was a possibility that Rin ended up marrying a different man. Although, that man was still a Regis.


    Cade looked at Kyran and wondered if he really was Rin''s son, then he was the ''child'' mentioned she would bore. This would better exin the strange magic Kyran had.


    Nevertheless, this did not convince Cade.


    If Rin married into the Regis, with him around, there was no way her son would not be selected to partake a drop of dragon''s blood. Cade would have done his best to prepare her son to be chosen by the family. It did not matter whether her husband was from a branch family, as long as her son became Cade''s disciple.


    He believed that by letting her son practice the Regis techniques, her son could forge another path.


    If, in the end, her son still ended up taking his original path, at least he could fend for himself. After all, a mage''s greatest weakness was theirck of physical strength.


    Sighing inwardly, Cade felt conflicted. At this point, he could only make guesses because it had been about twenty years since hest had a connection with his original self. He was unsure what had happened that affected their connection.


    Suddenly, Cade''s eyes narrowed as he thought of something based on this fact. What if something grave happened to his original self? And he ended up unable to fulfill his vow?


    This was possible. Why else would Cade lose connection with his original self and let Rin''s son unable to practice the Regis techniques?


    Kyran also appeared not to recognize him, so maybe this really was the case.


    Taking a deep breath, Cade looked at Kyran and asked, "Kyran. Do you know who I am?"


    Cade''s question caught Kyran off guard. This would be the second time he did that.


    "I do."


    [Oi! Why did you answer him honestly?]


    True Voidined. He had known Kyran''s filial attitude towards his parents, and seriously it was one of his greatest weaknesses!


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head inwardly. He, too, realized how stupid it was to answer honestly. But he could not help it. The look on Cade''s eyes was too piercing; Kyran felt his lie would be found out at once.


    On the other hand, Kyran''s answer made Cade frown.


    ''So he knows me, then why?'' He wondered.


    Seeing that Cade had no intention of attacking, Kyran also stayed his hand. But he did not let down his guard. The truth, when he spread out his magic sense earlier to deal with the threeyered golden array, he had prepared countermeasures. Some of them had been destroyed from the explosion just now, but there were still a number of them left intact. If Cade made a move, he would use them.


    "Let''s take a break," Cade suddenly announced and sat cross-legged on the ground.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. The domineering attitude of his father was not new to him, but right now, he actually resembled Nn''s carefree side, which was rtively new to him. Then again, time might have changed his father.


    "Are you sure you want that? You''re practically giving me time to rest," Kyran said.<sub> </sub>


    Cade chuckled and crossed his arms across his chest. He looked at Kyran with his head slightly tilted to one side and said, "Let''s talk a bit."


    [Uh-oh. Not good. Definitely not good. Disagree at once!]


    True Void warned Kyran at once. His danger sensors had already sounded, but if earlier the sound wasparable to a bunch of crows cawing, right now, it sounded like thousands of vultures crying. There was something about Cade''s piercing eyes that made True Void shiver.


    However, Kyran seemed not to notice anything wrong and immediately answered, "About what?"


    [Oi! Oi! Don''t ignore me!]


    "Sit first," Cade replied, gesturing for him to sit with his hand.


    Kyran took a deep breath and simrly sat cross-legged on the ground.


    A twenty-meter radius silver magic array appeared on the ground with him and Cade at the center as soon as he did.


    [AAAAHHH!! I TOLD YOU SO! I TOLD YOU SO! COME ON! DO SOMETHING!]


    True Void immediately shouted after seeing the array.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained calm.


    ck obsidian materials appeared at the magic array''s edges, which rapidly formed a half-sphere, trapping them inside.


    While this was happening, Cade never left his eyes on Kyran.


    Kyran did the same.


    "You don''t look surprised," Cade remarked.


    Several silver magic arrays appeared on the walls. Their glow provided light inside.


    Kyran gave him a bitter smile and recalled how Nn trapped him inside his domain before talking. He replied, "Someone did something simr. Although, he trapped me first before suggesting to talk."


    Cade chuckled and shook his head, "I bet it''s Nn."


    Kyran raised his brows but did not reply. Inwardly, however, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. How did his father guess it was Nn? When Cade probed him through his magic sense, did he notice anything?


    "I''m doing this to make sure the Tower doesn''t hear us," Cade exined.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after hearing this. Once again, he had that strange feeling about how people he met inside the tower seemed to address it as a living being.


    "The Tower is a gossip, you see," Cade added with an amused smile.


    ''The tower... Tower... Tower? Tower!''


    Kyran suddenly thought of Ste, the Lord of the Tower, because she was from the Tower n. Then, this tower uses Time magic. Could it be that a Time mage really created the tower? But wasn''t there only one Time mage in a generation? Or was the ''Tower'' here an essence? Or a remnant soul?


    True Void was also surprised. During his master''s visit to this ce, he was never interested in finding out the tower''s origin or its creator. But that did not mean, True Void was not curious.


    Before Kyran could ponder more about this information, Cade suddenly said something that almost made him choke.


    "You''re Rin''s son, right?"


    [Goodness! My goodness! Did he find out from that probing earlier? But wait. Why didn''t he realize he''s your father?]


    True Void wondered.


    "I..." Kyran''s voice trailed off. He really was unsure whether to answer or not. But his hesitation was already a big giveaway. Knowing his father, it was impossible for him not to notice.


    Cade sighed, "I guessed as much. Initially, I thought you''re Nn''s son, but¡ª."


    "How''d you evene up with that?" Kyran could not help but blurt out.


    Cade chuckled and continued, "You said he trapped you, and I''m guessing it''s because he did not know you are his nephew."


    Kyran''s heart skipped a beat. His rtionship with Nn was not openly discussed, and hearing ite directly from his father''s essence gave him mixed emotions.


    When Kyran fell silent, Cade sighed inwardly. It appeared something did happen.

 Chapter 263 Sorry, I... Slipped.

    If Nn did not even recognize his own nephew, it was either because he had not met him before, or it had been a while since he saw him. After all, Nn had a bad habit of forgetting people''s faces. Even those people he knew, unless they did not change much or left a big impression on them, would soon be forgotten


    When Kyran said someone ''trapped'' him before ''suggesting'' to talk, Cade was already convinced that someone was Nn. The main reason was his familiarity with thetter''s character.


    Nn did not care about other people. But if he met someone whom he found interesting or was rted to someone he knew, he would give that person a chance to talk. Of course, Nn would make sure he had control over that person''s movement if he did suggest to talk. That was just his character. Once he deemed that person as ''safe,'' he would not entirely lower his guard but he would at least stop threatening him.


    As for Cade, regardless of the person''s identity, he would not lower his guard. He would even appear unguarded but his imposing aura was enough to let any person he was talking to hesitate to make a move.


    Kyran, on the other hand, after Cade guessed his identity, realized something.


    It seemed like his father''s essence had no idea of what had happened to his original self. He was different from Olivia''s essence who seemed to be in touch constantly with her original self.


    It was a little disappointing to Kyran. Truth be told, he was hoping his father''s essence still had contact with his original self. If he did, maybe he could speak or leave a message to his father about his ns.


    There was also another thing that bothered him. It was the fact that his father''s essence did not look ''bothered'' that Rin had a son. Not to mention, he did not consider he was her husband and that Kyran was his son.


    "What''s your story? Howe Nn did not know who you are?" Cade finally asked after a few seconds of silence.


    True Void instantly buckled at Cade''s questions. Without waiting for Kyran to answer he shouted, "What''s the point of knowing the answer to your questions?"


    Kyran''s eyes widened and he lifted his left arm to look at True Void, "Oi!"


    Cade raised his brows as he looked at Kyran and then the bracer.


    "It seems that is not a simple equipment you have there," hemented.


    An illusory vein snapped at True Void''s forehead after being regarded as a piece of equipment. Earlier it was an item, then an automaton, now equipment? What''s next?


    "I''m not an equipment!" True Void burst as he disengaged what was remaining of the shape-shifting tes and turned into a miniature armor. Because of the destroyed tes, the armor was smaller than the previous one. Before he was at least two feet tall, now he was half a foot smaller.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. True Void had been scared out of his wits earlier, but now he seemed to have forgotten his fear and took the initiative to show himself.


    Cade chuckled, "Alright. Who are you then?"


    "I am True Void¡ªmphf!"


    Kyran instinctively grabbed True Void and covered his mouth before he could answer.


    But.


    "What are you doing Void Halfling?" True Void red at Kyran.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he bted realized that True Void was not exactly talking with his mouth and it was useless to cover it.


    "You''re the one who said ''do not slip too much''!" Kyran hissed back.


    "That was Loar! We''re talking to your father here¡ª!"


    "OI!"


    Kyran felt his blood drain from his face.


    True Void also realized what he just said and gasped in a very exaggerated way as he turned to look at Cade.


    Cade, who had been watching their exchange in silence, gaped at them with a nk expression. He initially did not have a nk expression. It only did after hearing the ''your father here'' part of their conversation.


    "... Father?" Cade repeated directing the question at Kyran.


    Seeing Kyran avoid his eyes as well as his hesitation, Cade''s expression turned colder.


    Silence ensued inside.


    A palpable awkwardness lingered between them that True Void even in his spirit form could not help but feel suffocated.


    [Sorry, Void Halfling. I... slipped... ehehe.]


    Kyran wanted to strangle True Void but since it would not change the fact that Cade already heard their conversation, he could only sigh.


    After what seemed like a very long time, Cade finally spoke.


    "Remove your mask."


    Kyran and True Void could not help but flinch at the coldness in Cade''s voice.


    The coldness in his voice was not because he was angry. Kyran was sure of that. It was more with him masking his emotions. The voice Cade was using now was very much the same his father had used on him during their spars. That in itself, caused Kyran to shiver. It meant, his father was very serious now.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was surprised that Cade was more interested by his identity than how True Void called him ''Void Halfling. It was as if he already knew it. Then again, his parents had kept a lot of things from them.


    Could it be that even before Kyran was born, they already had an idea of what he had to go through?


    Kyran reluctantly removed his mask with a slight wave of his hand. The shape-shifting tes disengaged, flying toward True Void, and merged with the rest of the tes. However, even after removing his mask, Kyran refrained from looking at Cade. He might only be an essence, but that did not matter. ''Cade'' was still part of his father.


    The moment Cade looked at Kyran''s face, his expression remained indifferent. However, inwardly, his heart had begun to pound heavily in his chest. Not to mention, the looming dread he felt earlier, had be evident.


    ''No wonder he kept a mask. If I had seen his face, I would''ve recognized him,'' Cade thought as he sighed in his heart.


    Kyran''s resemnce to Cade was impossible to miss. Right now, if others could see them, they would probably mistake them as twins.


    Okay, that was pushing it, Kyran looked younger, people mistaking them as brothers would do.


    Cade closed his eyes and sorted his thoughts. He was worried about his original self and at the same time, the reason Kyran was here. As far as the memories he had of his original self, if he ended up with Rin, he nned to keep their child within the Regis Estate and find a way to seal the child''s magic for good. Clearly, that did not happen. Seeing Kyran''s proficiency in using his magic, was proof of that.<sub> </sub>


    After sorting his thoughts, Cade finally started, "About twenty years ago, I lost connection to my original self."


    Cade did not start with a question. Instead, he opted to start at this point. After all, if not for this reason, he would not be left in the dark about Kyran.


    "Before this day, all I have are conjectures as to why it happened," Cade continued and looked at Kyran. "If I put the pieces of the things I observed at this point from you, I''m guessing something happened that involved Nn, which also affected my original self."


    Kyran looked at Cade incredulously. Would someone really guess something urately with just a simple observation?


    [Uwaah... You''re father''s thought process is way advance than you.]


    True Voidmented.


    "How did youe up with that?" Kyran could not help but ask.


    Cade raised his brows, then an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he exined, "The fact that Nn did not know who you are says a lot. Nn is a siscon, did you know?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. For some reason, he could not see Nn being a siscon.


    "He will never leave Rin''s side for long. Unless it was a situation that staying with her will put her in danger. Nn was forced to leave. Most likely, he was involved in something that had to do with the Royal Family," Cade exined.


    At this point, Kyran could somehow follow Cade''s train of thought.


    As long as Rin and Nn stayed with the Regis, no one would dare to touch them. Not even the Three Noble Families or the other three factions. Only the Royal Family would really dare to, after all, they rule the whole Ylfaen Empire.


    "How old are you?" Cade suddenly asked Kyran.


    Once again, Cade''s question caught Kyran off guard. But he answered almost at once, "Eighteen."


    Cade''s eyes narrowed, "Going neen?"


    "No. I just turned eighteen."


    "I see. That''s what happened," Cade replied with a sigh.


    "Wait, what?" True Void suddenly said, looking first at Cade then to Kyran, before looking back at Cade. "What did you see? What happened?"


    Kyran looked at True Void with a bitter smile.


    Apparently, True Void had gotten over his fear now that he decided to reveal himself.


    "My original self likely got crippled. At most, a damaged magic core. This will exin why I lost my connection with him," Cade answered, looking at True Void in amusement.


    "How did youe up with that after asking Void Halfling''s age?" True Void demanded.


    ''Will you stop calling me Void Halfling?'' Kyran could not help butin.


    [No! To me you are Void Halfling.]


    True Void replied with a snort.


    Cade only smiled at True Void''s question, it seemed he had no intention of answering this time.


    Kyran understood Cade''s reasoning. But decided to keep it to himself. After all, it was personal and had something to do with his parents.


    "What? Not going to tell me? That is not nice! Humph!" True Voidined while crossing his arms and huffed loudly. But he did not insist, because he could tell it was a sensitive topic. Anyway, he would know the answer soon. He would pester Kyran when he had the time.


    "Do you have the rings?" Cade asked Kyran, changing the subject.


    Kyran thought of the jade rings he got from his parents and nodded, "I do. But Nn took them."


    Cade chuckled. "It''s for the best."


    "How?" Kyran could not help but ask with a slight frown.


    "To put it simply, those rings are cheat items, especially inside the tower," Cade replied.


    He paused for a moment before diverting the conversation back to the topic, "Youing in this tower to train, is not my original self''s idea, right?"


    Kyran took a deep breath and nodded slowly, "Yes, you''re right. It was Nn''s."


    Cade paused again before asking, "What happened to the Regis n?"


    True Void, who was listening to their conversation in silence was once again put into a frenzied mood.


    "For cyring out loud! Why is it that only you two could follow the conversation?" Heined. "Did I fall asleep at some point without knowing and missed some important things?"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He immediately told him telepathically, ''I''ll exin itter,'' to pacify him.


    [You better be!]


    True Void replied grumpily.


    Cade observed the short interaction between Kyran and True Void. He could tell that they were talking telepathically, but did not bother to interrupt.


    "About the n," Kyran started after a short pause. He finally looked at Cade directly and replied, "I''ll try to keep it short."


    "That''s okay. Tell me all the details," Cade replied.

 Chapter 264 Five Days

    For more than an hour, Cade and Kyran talked.


    Normally, Kyran did not like people asking him questions, but Cade''s questions made it easy to answer. In True Void''s opinion, however, it was because ''Cade'' was still the essence of Kyran''s father, so thetter was acting partially.


    Cade and Kyran''s talk consisted mainly of what had happened to the Regis n and what Kyran did after the Royal Army raided the estate.


    During Kyran''s narrative, he noticed he no longer felt restless when talking about his n''s situation. At first, he thought maybe he had gotten used to it. In real-time, it was only close to a month since the army raided the Regis Estate, but to Kyran, it had been more than a year.


    The more Kyran talked to Cade, Kyran realized the reason he no longer felt restless was that Cade''s presence assured him. Notwithstanding Cade''s strength, his ability to read ahead of a situation with little data left Kyran speechless.


    For this reason, Kyran now fully understood why Nn said his n''s situation was better offpared to him. As long as Cade was there, the estate would hold.


    Kyran''s grandfather was also there, who he only discovered was a powerful Elementor. As to what level his grandfather was currently at, Cade said that he was already half a step to Magus, and that was twenty years ago. Right now, he might already be one.


    Last but not least were the Regis Elders. This additional information further gave Kyran assurance that even if a Magus attacked the estate, they would hold the fort.


    Kyran did not hold any information from Cade. He told him about the Conve and what he experienced in the Misty Forest. Although he did not say anything about what he and the previous Void Master had talked about, he still mentioned meeting him in his sea of consciousness.


    True Void had not shown any reactions when Kyran said this. Even Cade only listened in silence.


    Because of Cade''sck of reaction, Kyran''s suspicion that his father already knew he would end up inheriting the Void magic even before he was born grew. Kyran still had reservations, though, because this did not appear to be the case when Cade and his grandfather went to the Alchemist Association when his magic had acted up. Deciding not to dwell on the subject, Kyran decided to ask True Void if he knew anythingter.


    Then Kyran continued his narrative by telling Cade his run-in with Byron. He even mentioned his n in acquiring the Blue Lotus.


    Hearing this earned him an amused smile from Cade, something Kyran rarely saw with his father.


    Then he told him about Cyneah and how Nn had met up with te. He also told Cade about employing the help of two other mercenaries, Gage and Ss. When Kyran spoke about Zephyr, Cade finally reacted.


    "So the reason why you''re not using the Regis techniques is that the tower sealed your Draconic core?" He asked.


    Kyran nodded. Though he did not tell Cade about the tower sealing his Draconic core, he managed to guess it just by listening to Kyran.


    "Yes," Kyran admitted. He looked at Cade''s expression and wondered why he was not surprised to know he also possessed Draconic magic.


    "That should not be the case," Cade told him with a slight smile. "Draconic magic energy is indeed stored inside your Draconic core, but you took a drop of a dragon''s blood."


    Cade raised his arms, and his eyes glowed silver. Slowly his pupils turned into slits, and rune writings appeared, circling his forearm.


    "You can use a different type of magic as long as you know their rune form. This is true. The use of Regis techniques are the same; it uses Draconic runes. As to why we don''t need to write them with our magic energy is because it is already written inside the blood of the dragon," Cade exined.


    "The Draconic runes are present in the blood?" Kyran repeated in surprise. He had not thought of that. The Knowledge room did not mention any magic runes stored in the blood.


    Cade''s exnation cleared Kyran''s doubts about selected members of the Regis n using Draconic magic.


    Cade nodded, "Yes. Since you partook of the dragon''s blood, it means you can still use it. Although, the effect will be different when you use it directly using Draconic magic."


    True Void snorted and crossed his arms while sitting cross-legged in midair.


    "I told him about the dragon''s blood, but he doesn''t believe me!"


    Kyran looked at him with a dull expression, "You''re exnation iscking. And what do you mean I did not believe you? I did and even practiced it for a while. I just found it a little hard to do. And the effect is weak."


    Cade chuckled and added, "If you''re having difficulty in using the technique even after utilizing the dragon''s blood, it means the blood flowing in you is weak."


    "He took a sip of the Elixir, so he is in the process of amalgamation. That''s why the Dragon King''s blood is already weakening," True Void interjected.


    Instantly, Kyran''s brain seemed to have short-circuited.


    Once again, True Void was off-handedly spouting important information. What he said answered some of the questions that were bugging Kyran. At the same time, it proved True Void probably knew all the answers to their questions.


    Kyran forced himself to calm down before saying with furrowed brows, "What process? Howe I''m only hearing this now? And how do you even know it when Zephyr never said anything to me?"


    "I am the Void Master''s partner," True Void snorted and replied matter-of-factly. "I know everything about him, including all the people he cared about. Besides, Zephyr is too young. He did not even meet the Dragon Lord. What does he know?"


    ''Young...'' Kyran''s brow twitched. It was true Zephyr''s human form was a young boy, but looking at how long he had been alive, he could be called an elder. Then again, Zephyr was a real Quilin. How they calcted their age was different from humans.


    Cade lowered his arm and looked at them in silence. He had been listening to their conversation, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes. In the end, he shook it off by taking a deep breath. His expression turned solemn as if he was contemting something and was hesitant to say it.


    It was unfortunate that Kyran and True Void did not notice it. If they did, their conversation would have turned in a different direction.


    "Fine. But stop interrupting," Kyran told True Void. Then he looked at Cade with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, we can ignore him for now."


    "Humph! Fine, fine! Ignore me!" True Void grumbled but did not argue further.


    Cade chuckled and said, "I know you have questions of your own. Why don''t you ask me?"


    Kyran fell silent for a moment before replying, "It''s fine. I''ll ask you¡ª I mean, I''ll ask father after saving the n."


    With a nod of his head, Cade replied, "Alright. It''s good that you understand even if I am your father''s essence, I am not him. Thest memory my original self could transfer to me was twenty years ago.


    "This means I can only guess what my original self thought of you."


    Kyran nodded his head but did not say anything. He knew that the Cade in front of him was not his father. Apart from that, he did not have real emotions. His emotions were all based on the memories and experiences of what the original Cade had passed on.


    For this reason, the Cade in front of Kyran did not show any strong emotion about him.


    "Enough of that," Cade suddenly said and gestured with his hand for Kyran to continue, "Tell me the rest."


    Nodding his head in agreement, Kyran continued with his narrative and told Cade about his encounter with the army''s Special Ops.


    When Cade heard of this, his eyes glinted maliciously, but only for a second. His spections were finally taking form.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran ended his recollection with him and Nn meeting with Gustaff anding to the Tower of Tribtion. The reason why he did not continue with his experiences inside the tower was that Cade stopped him. After all, Kyran''s experience inside the tower was not relevant to their discussion.


    "It seems the Grand Marshal is acting by himself this time," Cade said after a short pause.


    Kyran nodded in agreement, "I think so too."


    "When you get into the Blue Lotus, make sure to investigate the treasure trove thoroughly," Cade told him.


    "I will."


    Kyran did n to investigate that ce. After all, it could still be connected to the Lignum ne and might pose a danger in the future.


    "It''s best to know the Royal Family''s movement as well," Cade told Kyran. "I don''t think they will be left in the dark for long."


    Without waiting for Kyran''s reply, Cade waved his hand, and a golden medallion appeared before him.


    The medallion was simr to the one Olivia had given Kyran, except it had the Regis symbol in the middle.


    With a wave of his hand, Cade threw the medallion at Kyran, "If you find anything, contact me through this."


    Kyran caught the medallion with his hand and nodded.


    "I''ll see if I can establish a connection with my original self through a different means. When I do, I''ll let you know," Cade added.


    This immediately gave Kyran something to look forward to. If he could tell his father all about his ns, it would add to its sess.


    "Thank you," Kyran replied as he tightened his grip around the medallion.


    "Alright. Let''s continued with the challenge," Cade suddenly announced as he stood up.


    "W-We''re continuing?" True Void asked, his voice trembling in apparent fear.


    "Yes. I did say, we''re only taking a break," Cade replied with a smile.


    Seeing Cade''s smile made Kyran shiver. He dreaded to hear the change Cade would do with the challenge.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, the half-sphere enclosing them started to crumble.


    "I''m changing the challenge," Cade said and raised his hand with five of his fingers spread out. "You''re staying here for five days."


    "WHAT? FIVE?" True Void was the first toin.


    As for Kyran, he was not surprised. He also did not react much. Except, hisplexion paled at once.


    "In five days, I''ll teach you a number of things."


    Kyran smiled bitterly. Thest time his father told him he would teach him for a week, they did end up learning for a week without rest.


    "Try to keep up," Cade told Kyran with a slight smile.


    "I''ll do my best," Kyran replied with ck lines on his head.


    On the other hand, True Void raised his hand and said, "Can I pass?"


    Kyran red at him, and using his magic sense; he roused the shape-shifting tes into motion.


    "Oi! Oi! Don''t touch my body!" True Voidined.


    The shape-shifting tes disengaged and flew directly to Kyran''s arm.


    "You know what to do," he told True Void.


    "Tsk! ve Driver! You are a ve driver!"


    Cade watched them with raised brows. When the two finally settled, he chuckled and said, "Let''s start."


    And so, the new challenge had started.


    ==================


    Inside the throne room at the Royal Pce, Euan sat on the throne, holding a white orb. His brows knitted as he read through the contents recorded inside.


    "Can we trust this information?" He asked as he looked at the person, kneeling before him.


    The person wore an oversized white hooded robe with golden linens. It was hard to tell what the person''s gender was because of it.


    "It is worth investigating," the person replied with a voice that was also hard to determine if it was a woman or a young man.


    "First, Gray... and now... this," Euan said through gritted teeth. He tightened his grip around the white orb and stood up.


    "Do what you must. Make sure no one else will find out your movements."


    The person in the white hooded robe lowered its head further and replied, "Yes, your majesty."


    A white mist seeped out of the person''s robes, enveloping it which soon turned into a blinding gold light. In just a few seconds, the person vanished into thin air.


    Euan looked at the spot where the person had left and his eyes glinted malevolently.


    ''Regis... to think you have hidden it so well.''

 Chapter 265 Whats Next?

    Nn and Gustaff, who watched Kyran''s progress outside, were left with a nk expression after thetter disappeared into the golden door.


    Gustaff gave Nn a side-way nce and said with a mocking tone, "''Just watch''?"


    Nn looked at him with raised brows and replied matter-of-factly, "The Tower doesn''t allow people who had not challenged the champion to see the fight. What if you decided to enter the tower again and try the special ce? If you already know what the Champion could do, wouldn''t that give you an advantage?"


    Gustaff snorted but did not argue further. He also understood that. But having his hopes of seeing some action dashed because of the tower''s non-spoiler policy was a little depressing. He wanted to vent somehow.


    With a sigh in his heart, Gustaff changed the subject by asking, "What do you think of his progress?"


    Seemingly not bothered that Gustaff had asked another question while triggering his ability, Nn replied straightforwardly, "Not what I expected. We''ve only seen him in action for a few challenges, but it is not enough to gauge how much progress he really had."


    Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Gustaff also voiced his observation, "I am not familiar with his battle style, but if Ipare it to a Regis I am familiar with, the great master Cade, they are very different. How to put it..."


    He paused for a moment with furrowed his brows as if contemting his following words before continuing, "Master Cade overwhelms his opponent with a barrage of never-ending attacks. But, on the other hand, Nar is..."


    A smile tugged at a corner of Nn''s lips as he finished Gustaff''s sentence, "Try to resolve everything with a one-hit attack?"


    Gustaff scratched his head and nodded slowly, "Yeah. Its overwhelming in its own sense."


    Nn chuckled and did not deny or agree to Gustaff''s assessment. Kyran''s battle style indeed seemed that way, but he had seen how the kid fought when he could barely use his magic. While it was not simr to Cade''s continuous attacks, it was pretty close. If Nn noticed a difference between theirbat style, it was how far one could read of the opponent''s movement.


    Cade could attack continuously because he could anticipate their next move and prepare numerous counterattacks. Kyran, on the other hand, could only read so far, and in the end, he tends to overthink, thus disrupting his momentum.


    ''Are you trying to cover for that flow by disabling your opponent in an instant? That won''t do when you face an enemy with a higher level, not to mention a veteran inbat, both non-magic and magic,'' Nn thought.


    It was for this reason that Nn wanted Kyran to challenge the Champion. But, of course, he was aware that Cade was the Champion. Although the ''Cade'' in there was only an essence, he represented Cade''s younger self when his magic core was still intact.


    Remembering about Cade''s magic core, Nn''s expression turned grim. He subconsciously tightened his hold on his cloak pocket as he thought of the wooden slip he got from Ste.


    The information about where Azaloth''s inheritance was recorded in the wooden slip. Unfortunately, it had an advanced array fused in it and would be a challenge even to Nn to decipher. It was not because it was beyond his capacity but because the array itself had been damaged. In order to crack the array, he first needed to restore it. To do this, he would need Kyran''s help because Nn was confident that Kyran''s Array knowledge would improve by leaps and bounds inside the tower. Once Kyran stepped out, the two of them could work on restoring the wooden slip''s array.


    Regarding improving one''s Array knowledge, Nn was reminded of who Kyran learned Array, and he could not help but frown. Nn was not looking down on Noir because he was a powerful Array Master. But Noir''s knowledge was superficial, and Nn did not want Kyran to have a bad ''habit'' because of it.


    Hopefully, everything Kyran learned about Array inside the tower would help fix any bad habit he might have. Not to mention, Nn was sure Cade would also teach Kyran about what he knew once he realized their rtionship.


    "How long do you think Nar wouldst?"


    Gustaff''s question snapped Nn out of his reverie. He turned to look at Gustaff and replied, "Depends. I have a feeling another reason why we can''t watch his progress is because the Champion is not located inside the tower."


    "Oh? You''re right. Hmm... too bad we can''t see it. I really want to see how he would fair with the Champion."


    Nn did not reply to Gustaff''sment and simply turned his attention back at the projection. Currently, it was still showing the room where the golden door was.


    More than five hourster, the golden door emitted a blinding light that rendered the projection full white color.


    After the light subsided, it revealed Kyran,ying on his back on the floor with the miniature armor hovering above him. When Kyran entered the door earlier, he still had a mask on. Now, it seemed he had removed it along the way.


    Nn immediately guessed that Kyran either revealed his identity voluntarily after seeing his father''s essence or that Cade managed to force Kyran to remove it.


    "Oh? He''s back," Gustaff said, a sudden feeling of anticipation filling his heart.


    Nn also narrowed his eyes. They would be transported out of the room when one failed the challenge, which happened to Kyran.


    Looking at the exhausted state of Kyran, Nn thought of what he possibly went through in Cade''s hands. He smiled bitterly and thought, ''Ah, seriously, Cade. Whether it''s the real one or an essence, you really won''t cut others a ck, especially your son.''


    "He seems to be in one piece at least. I always thought the Champion would be cruel," Gustaffmented. "Hm... Maybe I can try it myself. Challenging the Champion."


    Nn did not respond and simply gave a slight smile. If Gustaff knew who the Champion was, knowing his attitude toward Cade, Nn could already imagine him prostrating before Cade, saying he surrendered even before the challenge started.


    "Anyway, I wonder what''s next for him," Gustaff added.


    Nn suddenly sensed something as he touched his cloak pocket. A sinister smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "What''s next for him? It''s judgment."


    "What? Judgement?" Gustaff asked with raised brows. He turned to Nn, just in time to see a golden array appearing underneath Nn''s feet.


    Nn chuckled after seeing Gustaff''s incredulous expression.


    "I told you. He entered the tower through rmendation. Since that is the case, every time he achieved a certain point, he will be judged, by the one who rmended him."


    Gustaff suddenly felt sorry for Kyran as he saw the sinister glow in Nn''s eyes.


    "Please be gentle," he told him.


    Nn burst out inughter and did not reply. Instead, the golded array on his feet spun at an incredible speed, and soon he was engulfed by a blinding light.<sub> </sub>


    Gustaff was forced to close his eyes, and when the light faded and he could once again open his eyes, Nn was gone.


    Back at the tower, after getting transported out of the Champion''s room, Kyrany on the floor.


    He wanted to pass out, but for some reason, his over fatigue body and mind would not let him.


    "We''re finally out of that hellhole! Freedom! Freedom!" True Void rejoiced as he hovered above him.


    Kyran chuckled, but he stopped abruptly because even the slight movement caused his whole body to ache. He actually preferred the pain he experienced when he took the Elixir. At least then, he passed out from the pain, unlike this time, where he had to endure it.


    Still, Kyran felt satisfied. Especially with all the things that he had learned.


    In five days, the things Cade taught were nothing Kyran had expected. Unlike the body-tempering techniques,bat strategies, and defensive techniques his father taught, this time, he learned array assimtion and different types of magicbat.


    Array assimtion was another form of magic battle. It was when an Array Masterbined magic arrays and array formation into one duringbat. Though it appeared simr to what Kyran did in Olivia''s tform, it was actually different. After all, materials would not always be avable for an Array Master to create formations during battle.


    As for the magicbat, Kyran was rendered speechless at Cade''s knowledge. He was not only knowledgeable in dealing with one specialization of mages but all. Even those specializations not present in the Human ne were taught to Kyran.


    This broadened Kyran''s horizon once again.


    Kyran might have learned a lot inside the Knowledge Room, but what he learned were theories. Application-wise, he had not tried everything. He thought challenging all the tform masters would let him practice. Unfortunately, due to the strange moods of most tform masters, Kyran ended up finishing the challenge before they changed their rules again.


    But with Cade''s guidance, Kyran learned and practiced to his heart''s content.


    No. Scratch that.


    Kyran was already content at some point, but Cade continued and did not stop until the fifth day was up.


    Still, when Kyran and True Void were transported out of Cade''s room, he admitted he was a little reluctant. But there was no point lingering and apanying his father''s essence. Kyran had to leave and save the real one along with the rest of the n as soon as possible.


    "Well, it is unfortunate that although you survived the five days, you still failed to win the Champion."


    Kyran looked at True Void incredulously, ''You''re still thinking about that? It''s already good that I cane out of there in one piece.''


    True Void looked at him and tilted his head, "Why are you even talking to me telepathically."


    Kyran gave him a dull expression and replied, ''Do you need to ask?''


    "BAHAHAHA! Are you that tired you can''t even open your own mouth? BAHAHAHA! So weak. Weak! I''ll call you Void Weakling from now on."


    Kyran ignored him.


    Just as he was about to resume his rest, a beam of light appeared above and fell on them.


    "Oh! Are we going to be transported to the Recovery Room now? Good, good. That way Void Weakling here can recover well. BAHAHAHA!"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head at True Void. But he refrained from replying and simply let the beam of light transport them out of the room.


    Contrary to their expectation, Kyran and True Void was not transported to the Recovery Room.


    When the light faded, they found themselves inside a gray space.


    Seeing this space, made Kyran''s scalp go numb.


    He knew this space. He had been here twice in the past, and both times did not start well.


    Ignoring his exhaustion, Kyran sat up. Before he could say anything, he heard a chuckle from behind, and a familiar voice spoke.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll give you time to rest. Since I am such a nice guy, I''ll even give you a pill so you can recover faster."


    Kyran''s eyes widened. It was also the same with True Void as he eximed in Kyran''s head.


    [Not good! Not good! AAAHHH! I''m out! Out! I tell you!]


    With that, he seemed to have ''lost'' control over the miniature armor as it fell on the ground with a loud thud.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he red at True Void. He wanted to scold him for ''running away,'' but in the end, he steeled himself and turned to look at the owner of the voice.


    The owner of the voice, of course, was Nn.


    Right now, his expression was filled with a sinister glow which instantly made Kyran sense an impending crisis.

 Chapter 266 Lurking Crisis

    Kyran crashed into the ground, and a massive explosion rang out. Shockwaves spread out, which in turn instantly destroyed every delicate structure within a thousand-kilometer radius.


    "I''ming."


    Nn''s voice was not loud but echoed throughout the gray space.


    Even before he said the word ing,'' a massive hand had already formed above the spot where Kyran had crashnded. It turned into a fist that smacked down on the ground.


    Another massive explosion rang out as web-like cracks spread out on the ground. Clouds of smoke filled the air that almost hid the gigantic fist.


    "Here''s another one," Nn said once again, and a huge ck hammer formed above, smashing into the fist.


    BOOM!


    The force of the hammer broke the ground, creating a hundred-meter radius crater.


    Shockwaves erupted, which obliterated what was left of the structures standing on the ground.


    A deep sigh echoed in the air. Clearly, it was Nn, and disappointment filled his sigh.


    "Is that all you got?" Nn asked.


    Before Nn could finish his question, a soundless force pierced through the massive hammer from below, instantly rendering it into pieces.


    ? An almost tangible magic sense erupted that filled more than a 100,000-kilometer radius of the gray space. It bore down on everything within the space.


    A dark purple vortex appeared at the center of the 100,000-kilometer radius and instantly pulled everything within. Air, rubbles, and even remnants of magic attacks and energies were drawn into the vortex.


    The vortex movement was simr to a massive forming cyclone from above.


    Nn whistled after seeing the vortex. He felt the immense magic energy in creating that vortex and could not help but smile.


    "It seems you''ve got a lot of magic energy to spare."


    "I do."


    Nn sneered. Without turning around, he unleashed the full extent of his magic pressure.


    Kyran, who had appeared behind Nn, had purple discs hovering on each of his palms. He was about to unleash a powerful magic attack when Nn''s magic pressure bore down on him, which halted his movement for a second.


    That one second was all Nn needed. With eyes glowing bright blue, his cloak sprang to action and whirled off from him. It flew toward Kyran and wrapped itself around him. In an instant, Kyran''s movement, as well as his magic energy, had been sealed.


    "And with that, you''re dead," Nn said as he turned around to face Kyran. As he moved, a ck and gold greatsword formed in his hands, and he cleaved it toward Kyran''s side.


    The greatsword sliced through the cloak, and there was no hint of hesitation from Nn''s eyes. Instead, there was only cold killing intent reflected in them.


    However, instead of the blood and internal organs he expected to find after slicing through the cloak, the greatsword only cut through the air.


    Nn sneered, and he expanded his magic sense. The greatsword in his hand turned into countless particles and seemed to blend into the cloak. Then the cloak flew back at Nn, covering him.


    Kyran appeared out of thin air on the ground three hundred meters away. Hisplexion had gone pale as he fell on his knees and suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    To think he sustained internal injuries after receiving the brunt of Nn''s magic pressure. Its intensity was far greater than the magic pressure of the Sovereign of Ruin''s essence!


    Once again, Kyran wondered what level was Nn really currently at.


    "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk... Just that, and you already sustained internal injuries? Come on. Have you ever learned anything from Cade?" Nn mocked as he flew down and sauntered toward Kyran.


    Kyran wiped the blood off his lips, and he looked up ringly at Nn.


    Going back three hours earlier...


    After getting transported into the gray space, Kyran was shocked to find Nn.


    At first, Kyran thought Nn was an essence, simr to Cade''s. But after confirming that the man under the cloak had the same age and feature as the Nn he knew, Kyran was convinced he was not an essence.


    Nn then exined why he was there and that he was Kyran''s next ''training partner.''


    Without giving Kyran a chance to ask further questions, Nn gave Kyran a pill and told him to rest well because he would ''fix'' Kyran''s greatest weakness.


    As for True Void, he really went ''out'' just as he said and had not spoken to Kyran since then. Moreover, he had not even spoken to Kyran telepathically. It was as if he had just vanished into thin air.


    The truth, True Void had gone back into Kyran''s Void core and was currently hibernating. The reason was simple. Due to Cade''s gruelling five-day training, he had used up a lot of his saved magic reserves. That was why when he saw Nn and realized why he was there, he immediately ran away. Because if he had stayed, it would only be a matter of time before he entirely ran out of magic energy and would once again fall into ''sleep.''


    In half an hour that Kyran rested, Nn roused his magic and instantly filled the gray space with different structures. He exined that the gray space was simr to his domain but was not. It was a space within the tower specifically created to train Kyran.


    Thirty minutester, without uttering a word, Nn suddenly attacked Kyran. His killing intent surged, almost creating a palpable form that suffocated Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, Kyran realized his greatest weakness, which Nn wanted to fix.


    It was killing intent.


    It was not that Kyran had no killing intent, but it was toocking. The cause of this was Kyran''s personality. If he realized there was a way to avoid killing someone, he would immediately move in that direction.


    Kyran''s sensitivity to a person''s killing intent was also the main reason he tended to be ''soft.'' If he found his enemies did not have any killing intent, he would only aim to disable them. With not having enough reason to kill, Kyran would not kill.


    Of course, if Kyran decided to kill, he would not hesitate to do so.


    Unfortunately, Nn found it as a great weakness.


    In a world where Kyran''s magic was rejected, he could not show any weaknesses. If he spared even one person who initially attacked him because that person had no real killing intent, Kyran might end up getting backstabbed by that same person.


    This was the fact that Nn wanted Kyran to understand.


    And so, for the past few hours, Nn had been aiming at Kyran with the intent to kill him.


    "Do you... really have to take this training that far?" Kyran asked. His breath came in short gasps.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed at once. He spread his arms, and several ck orbs shot out from under his cloak. They changed midway and turned into countless swords that rained down on Kyran.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth, and he mmed his hands on the ground. The ground shook as patches of purple light appeared on the ground around his hand.


    These lights crawled out in different directions, and after moving away for three meters, they shot off from the ground and sted off every sword that neared Kyran.


    Nn then stomped his feet. A fissure appeared on the ground from where his feetnded, and it crawled toward Kyran. ck particles erupted from the fissure, which instantly filled the surrounding air.


    ''This...!'' Kyran''s eyes widened as he realized that the ck particles contained toxic elements. He instantly roused his magic and was about to warp away from the ck particles when a set of ck particles appeared underneath his feet. They now solidify, shooting upward and piercing Kyran''s legs.


    "Argh!" Kyran gritted his teeth in pain as he fell forward. His focus had been disrupted because of the pain, thus halting his warping n.


    "And you died again," Nn announced with a dull voice. "How many f*cking times are you nning on dying? You think you have nine lives or something?"


    Kyran could only grit his teeth in response. He grabbed his legs that were still pierced by the ck particles.


    "What? Cat f*cking got your tongue? Are you mad now? Do you want to get even?" Nn taunted as he continued to walk leisurely toward Kyran.


    Some ck particles in the air had now entered Kyran''s system, and he began to feel dizzy. Thebination of the elements was too potent that his immunity to some poisons was rendered useless. Nevertheless, his eyes remained clear. As if the pain and the poison had now be a passing thought. Right now, all that mattered to him was how he could... kill Nn.


    "F*ck you," he told Nn as his magic surged out from him.


    In an instant, the ck particles around him disintegrated.


    Seeing this, Nn stopped in his tracks with a sneer on his face.


    "That''s more like it," he said, as his eyes glowed bright blue. "Come at me."


    Kyran did not need telling twice. His eyes glowed reddish-purple as his magic pressure rose. Then, while he was still on his knees, he spread out his arms, and numerous purple rings appeared in every direction around Nn. A dark purple concentrated magic energy started to form in the middle of the rings.


    Dark purple beams shot out from the purple rings and went straight at Nn a secondter.


    Nn simply snorted as his cloak moved. It circled him and instantly formed into an orb-like shield, "Reinforce!"


    The cloak hardened just before the dark purple beams rained down on him.


    ===================


    In one of the quarters within the pce, a woman with short brown hair in a red officer suit sat on a chair by the window. She had her eyes closed as if she was in deep meditation.


    After a few minutes, she snapped open her eyes which glowed faintly in green as she stared off to space.


    She lifted her hand and a white orb appeared above. For a moment, she stared at the swirling mists within the orb. Her expression slowly turned grim.


    ''Not good,'' she thought as she retracted the white orb and took out a golden medallion from her storage ring.


    The gold medallion had the Aureole symbol on it.


    With the use of her magic sense, she sent an imprinted message into the medallion and when it waspleted it glowed faintly.


    A minuteter, she took a deep breath and looked out the window.


    ''Something is about to happen. You have to meet me soon, Nar.''


    The woman was none other than Aureole''s Deputy Head, Olivia.

 Chapter 267 Ancestral Land

    The results of the new protocol implemented in some selected cities near Meliora had finally yielded some results. They had not captured the primary reason the new protocol had been implemented. But some of the missing or wanted mages in the empire had been apprehended.


    Because of the good results, the Royal Family had decreed that all locations with magic detectors would implement the new protocols. Their target was to have every magic detector be modified with the new calction in a week.


    For this reason, the Royal Family had dispatched their Elite Forces and utilized all active transportation arrays to expedite the modification of all magic detectors.


    The whole empire was thrown into a voicelessint. With the new modifications, most mages andbat mages felt they had no privacy. It was unfortunate that they could only grit their teeth and endure everything because of the fear they had of the Royal Family''s retaliation.


    Of course, some organizations secretly began to create potions, pills, or even array formation in order to counter the modified magic detectors. However, at the moment, these organizations had yet toplete each prototype because there were too few magic detectors currently modified. Therefore, they had no way of essing the detectors to inspect its new calction.


    Except for the Conve.


    Right now, Noir, Malia, and the rest of their respective organizations were busy creating their own counters for the magic detectors. Noir also nned to modify the array formation he set up around Starhorn. He did not intend to do it now. Besides, he had not tested his calction yet. There were also the materials he would need.


    Ste was supportive of their endeavor and told them not to worry about the cost. If the Conve''s funds were insufficient, she would have the Tower n shoulder the rest. In return, they had to make one avable for Kyran.


    When Malek found about it, his expression turned sour. It was unknown whether it was because of the fact that Ste was once again spending a fortune or because she was doing it again for Kyran''s sake. Or maybe it was both.


    Apart from the Conve, there was also one other organization that had begun working in the dark.


    The Blue Lotus.


    The leader was still in Meliora but had already given a directive to Byron to secure the magic detector''s new calction.


    As for their other operation at the Valley of Morte, their acquisition of the spirit stones had been consistent. They had not transported the stones to the headquarters yet, but Byron suggested to the leader to store the stones first near Lebe. Once his master returned, he would ask his help transporting them safely.


    Of course, Byron did not tell the leader he would ask his ''master''s'' help but his long-lost brother. Either way, the Blue Lotus''s leader did not see anything wrong with Byron''s suggestion and agreed without further questions.


    While all of this was happening within the east part of the empire, the Temr Code had also mobilized in the west region.


    After the Royal Family had established the Elite Forces, which consisted of the four major factions in the empire, including the Three Noble Families and excluding the Conve of the East, the Temr Code took the initiative to lead.


    Surprisingly, the representatives from the Three Noble Families had agreed without saying anything. Even the Royal Army had not voiced any objections. For this reason, the Aureole could only agree. As long as it was not the Royal Army leading them, all representatives of the Aureole did not mind.


    As of this moment, the Temr Code had dispatched almost 80% of their forces to every location within the empire with magic detectors. The other forces also sent out some of their members; however, unlike the Temr Code, they mostly dispatched members to selected locations. The Three Noble Families and the Royal Army divided the locations east and south, while the Aureole only focused on the north.


    The Temr Code did not argue. To them, whether the three other factions helped or not did not matter.


    Apart from this, rumor had it that even with the Temr Code dispatching so many of their members to aplish the Royal Family''s goal in modifying all the empire''s magic detectors, they still had a few members stay guard around the Shaiha Ruins, and others were even looking for the intruders who entered it.


    It was te who heard of the rumor after she went to the city with Cyneah to buy new supplies.


    For the Royal Family, they had not dispatched any of their forces because they were still under strict orders to protect the Royal Pce. All leaders and vice leaders of every faction, big or small, were still there, after all.


    Apart from this, a group of Royal Guards and three Royal Knights had left a few days ago to escort the Crown Princess. As to where they went, it was ssified. Only the emperor knew where she went. Not even the empress was told. It was clear that the location the Crown Princess went to was special.


    Several royal guards in a horse lined up in front of a red and gold carriage with the symbol of the Crown Princess, a golden profile of a woman with a crown, printed on the doors and roof. For the past two days, they had been traveling deep into the forest going north of the empire.


    All of a sudden, a rush of thick cold wind swept through them from up ahead.


    One of the leading Royal Knight halted as he raised his hand. The rest of the entourage stopped in their tracks, and they all looked up.


    Up ahead, they could barely make out a valley. The valley itself did not appear to be anything special. However, what was remarkable about the valley was how one could see a snow-fillednd beyond its entrance.<sub> </sub>


    It should be noted that snow did not appear in this part of the empire.


    While snow fell further north of the empire, their current location was too close to the center; thus, the weather was still somewhat warm. Still, it was for a fact that inside the valley was a snow-fillednd.


    "We have arrived," the leading Royal Knight announced.


    Immediately, the Royal Squire that followed the carriage by the side nodded. It was noticeable from the squire''s uniform that the person behind the headgear was a woman. She pulled her horse toward the carriage''s door before saying in a barely audible voice, "Your highness, we are here."


    From inside the carriage, Haylee, who had her eyes closed the entire time, finally opened them. If anyone were inside, they would have seen how her sapphire blue eyes had glowed coldly. In addition to her dark blue clothes, it was a stark contrast to the amiable and lively image she always projected.


    "Thank you, Lira," Haylee replied, her eyes returning to normal. Even the coldness it had shown earlier was gone. "I will proceed by myself."


    Lira, the squire, appeared to hesitate for a moment. In the end, she could only nod in acknowledgment. They came here because of that valley, and Lira knew the crown princess must go there by herself. Not because it was a trial for her, but that she was the only one allowed to enter.


    After all, thend beyond the valley was the Winfrey Family''s Ancestral Land.


    "Yes, your highness." Lira responded and dismounted her horse. Then she opened the carriage''s door.


    The rest of the royal guards dismounted their horses. One royal guard close to the carriage had walked over, waiting for Haylee to alight. When she finally appeared, the royal guard helped her down.


    All at once, the royal guards stood ready with their swords at their sides.


    The three Royal Knights also approached.


    "Your highness," the three lowered their heads in respect.


    Haylee looked at them and said, "Set up camp here. Make sure to keep the surroundings clean."


    Hearing Haylee''smand, the three Royal Knights could not help but feel a cold shiver run up their spine. The way she had said the word ''clean,'' a different meaning came to their minds.


    "Yes, your highness."


    The three Royal Knights replied in unison.


    Haylee nodded, and without saying anything further, she turned toward the direction of the valley and left.


    As the Royal Knights, Lira, and the Royal Guards watched the Crown Princess retreating back; they felt something cold slip through their hearts.


    The leading Royal Knight sighed in his heart as he recalled the previous Captain of the Royal Knight''s words:


    "It has been a long time that the Royal Family had a girl as the firstborn. Whenever it happened, she had to enter the Winfrey''s Ancestral Land. In three days, if the princess returns, you have to make sure to act more with respect, and never question her decisions. But, if she doesn''t return, then you must go back to the emperor, and tell him that the princess has failed."


    When the leading Royal Knight asked what he meant, the captain only smiled bitterly.


    If the rest of the entourage had not been distracted with their own thoughts, they would have noticed one of the royal guards holding a white orb that was emitting a faint glow.


    In a distant, at least five thousand kilometers from them, a man seemed to have appeared out of thin air. He was dressed in all-ck clothes, and his face was covered with a ck mask. He was holding a simr white orb that glowed faintly in his hand.


    Without making any movements, the man turned and vanished in the air.

 Chapter 268 White Lily

    It wasmon knowledge to most citizens of the Ylfaen Empire that there was a concealed antagonism between every faction in the empire. Because of this, the sudden formation of the Elite Force left them shocked. Yet, at the same time, they were also scared, knowing something big was about to change.


    The informationwork of the Conve had identified several movements from almost all factions that had joined the Elite Force. This proved how shallow these forces'' cooperations were.


    Early morning the day after the Elite Forces had gone out to every location with magic detectors in the empire, one white envelope had arrived at the Mercenary Hall.


    There was nothing special about the envelope. The paper used in making the envelope was from amon wood found in nearly every forest. Even some small households probably had it. But it was because of this it drew the attention of H, who immediately told Marley.


    When Marley saw the envelope, she understood why H found it a little strange. However, she also wondered why the white seal on the envelope had no symbol, which wasmonly seen on envelope seals.


    Without wasting any more time, Marley decided to have Hall Master Celine inspect the envelope''s contents.


    Celine, as always, was buried deep into her books when Marley arrived at her office. Usually, Celine did not want others to disturb her and preferred every mercenary hall employee to announce their arrivals first. However, recently her character appeared to have changed. She was waiting for someone toe, and she did not want the employees to prevent that someone from entering.


    Who that someone was, only Celine knew the answer.


    "Hall Master," Marley called as soon as she arrived inside Celine''s messy office room.


    Books, crumpled papers, and even clothes were scattered on the floor. There was even a soft white linen hanging on the chandelier that Marley could not help but sweat at Celine''sck of decorum.


    "Hm?" Celine replied without looking up from her book-filled study table. She was currently reading a thick old worn-out book and appeared to be engrossed in something.


    "We received... a letter to which we think it is a little strange," Marley replied, pausing a bit because she suddenly thought showing the letter might not interest Celine.


    As Marley expected, Celine simply waved her hand and replied, "If you think it is strange, then have one of the hall managers inspect it. Don''te to me every single time."


    "I..." Marley could not help but sweat, "... am a hall manager, Hall Master."


    Celine stopped short and finally looked up. Her long ck hair was currently messy, as if she had notbed or even cleaned her hair for days. As for her clothes, it was still the same one Marley remembered her wearing three days ago.


    "Oh, right. I thought you''re H, sorry dear." Celine said and smiled.


    Although she looked disheveled, her face radiated as soon as she had spoken, and she even seemed very alluring.


    "Please, don''t use your magic on me, Hall Master," Marley replied with a twitch of her lips.


    Celine''s expression turned serious as she cleared her throat. Then she waved her hand, and in an instant, her appearance changed. She looked as if she had just finished cleaning up.


    "Let me see," she said while reaching her hand toward Marley.


    Marley drew near and gave her the envelope.


    However, Celine''s eyes narrowed as soon as she saw the envelope. Before Marley could pass the envelope to her, Celine withdrew her hand and said, "Contact the President. Tell him that we need the Chairman''s guidance."


    "H-Hall Master?" Marley stopped and looked at Celine questioningly. She was not thick-witted to not notice Celine''s apprehension. So she withdrew her hand holding the letter and nodded at once, "Yes. As you wish."


    Before she could turn to leave, Celine asked, "Who else saw the envelope?"


    "H and me," Marley replied.


    With a slight nod, Celine, with a grim expression, warned Marley, "Don''t tell anyone about seeing that letter. Warn H as well."


    Marley nodded, "Yes. Hall Master."


    Celine watched Marley leave and close the door to her office before leaning back on her chair with a sigh.


    ''Thest time I have seen a simr envelope was twenty years ago, soon after Gray''s matter happened,'' she thought. ''I wonder if his appearance was connected to the envelope appearing as well. Or if this time, it is of a different matter altogether."


    Even when she was engrossed in her research, she was aware of the changes within the empire, not to mention the secret movements of other factions. She could more or less guess that something big was about to happen.


    An image of a young man shed through her mind, and her face changed into several expressions which ended with a sour look.


    ''Is it connected to him this time?'' She wondered.


    ===============


    After Marley ryed the envelope to President Can, Can immediately called Chairman Hugh and sent a message to Head Master Malek.


    Three hourster, the aforementioned envelope was now in the hands of Ste.


    Currently, she was seated on the high chair on top of the raised tform in the middle of the receiving area of the Tower of Conve''s South Tower. She was silently looking at the nk white seal with an unreadable expression.


    Before her stood Malek, Hugh, and Can. All of them wearing grave expressions.


    Finally, after a long pause, Ste took a deep breath and lifted her right hand. A small gold ring made up of clocks appeared at the tip of her pointing finger and touched the seal.


    A blinding light erupted from the white seal when the gold ring touched it. Soon after, the light distorted and formed into long white flower petals. The petals swayed and distorted, which in turn began to crystallize. As the crystallization of the petals waspleted, the white flower now looked like a crystal lily.


    The crystal lily shot out a beam of light which soon projected a square transparent screen above.


    They all looked at the screen just in time to find a silhouette of a woman with flowing hair, with a simrly flowing dress appearing on it.


    "Greetings, Lord of the Tower."


    A soft yet powerful feminine voice spoke through the projection.


    Ste looked at the woman''s silhouette and replied, "White Lily, it has been a while."


    The silhouette moved and seemed to cover her mouth and said, "You don''t seem happy to see me, milord."


    Ste smiled. However, her smile did not reflect in her eyes.


    "The previous Lord of the Tower warned me of you."<sub> </sub>


    The woman giggled. Feeling not one bit offended, she replied, "No wonder. But milord, regardless of everything, I onlye with good intentions."


    Ste nodded her head while taking a deep breath. Then, leaning back on her chair, she said, "Fine. So what do you want to tell us this time?"


    The woman leisurely shifted in her position before answering, "The Winfrey''s Ancestral Lands has opened."


    Malek, Hugh, and Can''splexions instantly paled as soon as the woman finished her words.


    Ste''s expression, on the other hand, remained unreadable. However, her eyes narrowed, and even her heart had started to beat heavily in her chest.


    "Since when?" She asked after a short pause.


    "Yesterday afternoon," the woman replied. "You understand what this means?"


    Ste nodded, "We have less than three days."


    The woman nodded slowly, "Correct."


    She paused for a moment before continuing, "If the Crown Princess seeds, the Soul Emperor will arise."


    Ste''s hand tightened around the edge of the envelope.


    "Can we still prevent it?" She asked.


    The woman shook her head, "We all know that one cannot find the exact location of the Winfrey''s Ancestral Land unless the Royal Family has allowed it."


    "How did you know that it is open?"


    The womanughed softly and waved her hand, "I have my ways."


    "Can''t we use your ''ways'' to find the ce and prevent it?"


    The woman sighed.


    "Unfortunately, no," she replied, disappointment visible in her voice. "Besides, if we somehow find the location, right now, the entrance is guarded by the Royal Guards and three Royal Knights."


    "A group of Grand Masters and half a step Magus," Ste replied, her eyes reflecting exasperation.


    "Oh?" The woman tilted her head to the side while giving Ste a look over before adding, "You already know about the level of the Royal Knights?"


    Ste smiled bitterly, "One of the reasons the emperor left for several months is that they found an inheritance. Now that he has returned and even issued a decree without hesitation proves that he had acquired it. Right now, I am 99% sure he is already a Magus. As for the Royal Knights, they are all bonded with the emperor. So when the emperor achieves a breakthrough, they will experience the same."


    The woman nodded and covered her mouth, "Correct. It is best to let our young friend know about this as soon as possible."


    Ste''s brow furrowed at once. She looked at the woman but did not say anything.


    Laughing softly, the woman waved her hand dismally and said, "I also know about him. But you don''t have to re at me like that. I was indeed in love with his predecessor, but he was not him."


    Then the woman leaned forward as if to give Ste a meaningful look before adding, "You too have to understand that fact."


    Ste''splexion suddenly paled as her frown deepened, "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    The woman only gave a softugh before leaning back and covering her mouth. Then she changed the subject by saying, "Our young friend will soon return. You have to tell him what you know."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I know," Ste replied stiffly, apparently bearing a grudge at the woman''s words earlier.


    "Alright," the woman replied softly, seemingly not offended at Ste''s undisguised irritation. "I will then take my leave."


    However, before the woman disappeared she suddenly said, "Right. One of my cute descendants is with you. Tell her I do not take offense to her disrespectful attitude for not greeting me. Next time, however, I will not be as forgiving."


    With that, the projection shimmered, turning into several small crystal lilies that erupted in the air. It filled the receiving area and the scent of lilies assaulted their sense of smell.


    Malek, Hugh, and Can, who had been silent the entire time, finally let out the breath they did not realize they had been holding.


    Ste also took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose before saying, "You heard what she said."


    A small puff sounded as Lumi appeared, her usual stern expression filled with dread.


    "She''s really... scary."


    Ste looked at her with a slight smile, "Is that how you describe, the Fae Queen?"


    Lumi shivered before she spread her arms with a shout, "AAAAAAHHHH!!"


    Countless snowkes erupted from her.


    "That''s why she''s scary!"


    "Milord," Malek started, sounding a little hesitant.


    Ste sighed and looked at Malek, "I know. I cannot interfere even if I wanted to. But we need to let Kyran know about this as soon as possible."


    "I will let you know once we received word of their whereabouts," Malek said.


    Ste nodded, "Thank you."


    Then she looked at the Hugh and Can before adding, "Whatever you heard and saw inside here, must remain here."


    The two lowered their heads, "Yes. Milord."

 Chapter 269 Their Movements

    After Nn got transported inside the tower, the projection he and Gustaff watched also disappeared.


    Left with nothing else to do and a little bit disappointed that he would not be able to watch how Nn nned to ''judge'' Kyran''s progress, Gustaff returned to his stall. By the time he arrived at the market side, he was surprised to see several returnees wandering around. He returned to his own stall and instantly asked his shopkeeper why there was a sudden surge of returnees.


    Knowing about Gustaff''s ursed ability, the shopkeeper, an older man with long white hair tied behind his back and wearing a brown overall, answered immediately. Apparently, there were disputes in hunting and territorial grounds in several locations within Ylfaen. After asking around, it seemed the cause of this was the new protocol made by the Royal Family.


    A number of rogue mages began to avoid cities and towns that had magic detectors, even though they had not been modified yet. Part of their reason was the Royal Family''s treacherous nature. Most of them were convinced that every magic detector in the empire had already been modified, and they were only telling the public there were only a few not to cause panic.


    Now that these rogue mages decisively avoided the cities and towns, several of them banded together to find locations to stay as well as monopolize hunting grounds.


    Aside from this, the activities of most bandit groups had also increased.


    Every rogue mage and even mages of smaller factions were in a state of unrest.


    For this reason, most of the rogue mages who previously entered the tower decided to return and decided to hunt or do business here.


    The following day, more and more returnees had arrived.


    From what Gustaff had gathered, the situation in the empire had gotten worse.


    It was especially true with the small factions that got raided by bandits.


    While everyone was discussing how the bandits formed their own alliance to control most hunting grounds and what they could do to prevent it, suddenly, the whole ind trembled.


    Water from the sea churned and mmed fiercely around the ind''s shore filled with big stones and boulders.


    Every merchant packed their stalls and took their vehicles onshore to avoid getting dragged by the surging waves. Some of them watched the waves with apprehension, while the others could not help but turn toward the Tower of Tribtions.


    The sudden incident left all of them reeling. Some worried that the Tower might not like the idea of several returnees taking advantage of the tower''s surrounding resources.


    All those who looked at the tower found the lightning circling its facade, turned fiercer.


    Before they could tell the others about it, the ind''s tremor intensified.


    The surge of waves at the shore doubled as rumbling sounds filled the air.


    "W-What''s happening?"


    "Is the Tower angry?"


    "Did someone provoke a water demon lord?"


    "I-Is it just me, or does it feel like the ind''s elevation has increased?"


    One after another, the returnees eximed. As soon as they heard someone point out the ind''s elevation, they were shocked to realize that, indeed, it had increased. And it was constantly rising as the tremor intensified.


    "T-There! Inds! New inds have surfaced!"


    It was uncertain who shouted it, but as soon as they heard it, they looked around and found a new stoned path connecting the tower''s ind to several inds in the distance.


    The stoned path was not wide. It was only wide enough for one caravan to pass through. And along the edges, the trail was uneven and unstable that everyone knew if one slipped, that person would immediately be dragged into the waters.


    Apart from this, countless shadows could be seen lurking around the stoned path''s edges. These shadows were water demons, and the sizes varied from medium torge, causing most of them to shiver in fright.


    A lush forest could be seen on every ind, and further ahead, a small tower was also visible.


    A quarter of an hourter, the tremor finally stopped, and they found that the stoned path''s width had increased a little, and the edges were stablepared to earlier.


    "The number of people outside the Tower of Tribtion has met a certain threshold; thus, the Tower has decided to grant everyone ess to the other inds."


    Ovepping voices suddenly spoke, reverberating in the air.


    "Each ind is filled with resources. One may also find treasures and even receive an inheritance. However, please remember that there are no free things in this world. It is to your own discretion to tread through the path to the inds. The Tower will not answer any lives lost in the process. Tread through wisely."


    As soon as all of them heard the voices speak, their eyes glowed with fierce determination. However, none of them showed any form of greed. After all, they were all people who found their way into the tower. None of them would bear any ill-intentions. They only wished to be stronger. As for the resources, treasures, and possible inheritance they might find in those inds, it was something they would need to get stronger.


    Every merchant had their eyes glowed fiercely as well. Though they had profit in mind, they were the rare merchant types who did not n to cheat others. Thus, they also found their way into the tower.


    While everyone was in a frenzy about what they could gain in those inds, Gustaff, on the other hand, could not help but frown. He turned toward the tower and muttered to himself, "Is it really because there are more of us here that the Tower decided to show these inds? Howe I felt there is another reason?"


    Unfortunately, even when Gustaff''s ability was triggered because of his questions, it was a rare instance that he could not direct it to anyone, thus rendering it useless.


    Meanwhile, inside the tower.


    A person wearing a white hooded robe with intricate gold designs, and was holding a crystal long staff, stood overlooking the whole ind from the top floor.


    The top floor was a small white room with ss walls. Outside, the bolts of lightning circling the tower''s facade could be seen but not heard. However, it did not hinder the person in the white robe from looking outside.


    At the center of the room, there were two long white couches facing each other, with a white marbled table in the middle.


    Seated on the right couch was Nn. Whose dark cloak and gruffed appearance were a stark contrast to the whole ce.


    "You''re pretty generous," Nnmented.


    Under the hooded white robe, a smile tugged at the corner of the person''s face. It was hard to determine whether the person under the robe was a young man or a woman.


    "It is the will of the Tower."


    When the white-robed person spoke, ovepping voices could be heard.


    Nn snorted, "Will my ass. Is it also the Tower''s will when you meddle with the kid''s training?"


    The white-robed person chuckled, "I was confident I had concealed that fact. What gave it away?"


    "Are you f*cking with me? It was too obvious I almost want toe directly here and f*cking kick your ass," Nn replied while looking at the white-robed person''s back.


    The white-robed person chuckled once more, "Are you that worried he will not pass his training?"<sub> </sub>


    "Worried my ass. I want to give that kid proper training, so his weakness gets fixed. But no. You f*cking have to interfere. And what was with the tform''s rules? Why did you also send him directly to the middle? Not to mention, why is he the only challenger?"


    With a sigh, the white-robed person shook its head and replied, "It really is the Tower''s will. As of now, there are too few neers. Even from other nes. The Tower did not want the other neers to meet him in fear of unnecessary casualties. Also, if we had used the tform''s original rule, he would end up killing all our tform masters."


    "Who f*cking cares?" Nn snorted. "They are only essences."


    "Those essences still possess part of the original''s soul," the white-robed person replied as it turned to face Nn. "Once the essence dissipates, you know where it goes to and what may happen."


    Nn''s eyes narrowed at once. He understood what the white-robed person wanted to say. Looking out the window where he could barely see the new inds that had appeared, he more or less guessed the Tower''s intentions.


    "The Tower''s raising its own force from all these people," he said but was not directing it to the white-robed person.


    The white-robed person shook its head and replied, "No. The Tower only wanted to give all those it had blessed a chance to survive once the real tribtion happens."


    "''Real tribtion,'' huh," Nn repeated. His brows furrowed as he thought of something, and he stood up at once.


    "Are you nning to go back?" The white-robed person asked.


    "Just me. When the kid wakes up, let him go to that ce. Since you''ve already interfered, take responsibility."


    "That is the Tower''s intention. Everything that he had gone through is only in preparation for him to enter that ce."


    <o>,m "Good," Nn nodded in agreement as ck particles started to seep from under his cloak.</o>


    "He will not be happy when he finds you gone," the white-robed person suddenly said.


    Nn only snorted in response as the ck particles covered his whole body. Then, in a blink of an eye, he vanished.


    With a sigh, the white-robed person turned its attention outside the tower. As the white-robed person moved, its robe shifted, and the hand holding the crystal long staff was revealed.


    On the white-robed person''s middle finger could be seen a jade ring.


    ==================


    Somewhere north of the Ylfaen empire, a silhouette of a person wearing an oversized white cloak could be seen walking up a snow-filled mountain.


    It was noticeable how the person struggled with every step it took. Finally, walking for nearly half an hour, the person stopped and looked up at the snow-filled mountain as if there was something up there that the person was seeing.


    A gust of cold wind blew past the person, which ruffled the person''s cloak, pushing the part hiding its head backward.


    Underneath the cloak was none other than Ss.


    Ss resumed his trek up the mountain as soon as the wind lifted. His face contorted as if he was in pain as he struggled with every step. However, though he looked as if he was about to fall any moment, determination could be seen in his eyes.


    ''I have to get there as soon as possible. Kyran entrusted me to mediate with them. I have to aplish it no matter what,'' he thought through gritted teeth.


    Another gust of wind blew; however, it did not merely sweep through Ss this time.


    It circled him and eventually turned into a small whirlwind of snow.


    "Ergh!" Ss braced himself and covered his head with his arms as the snow whirlwind turned fierce.


    Suddenly.


    "No humans are allowed in this ce. Leave!"


    A feminine voice had spoken. However, though the voice was gentle, the power contained in it made the whole surrounding shake, and the ground rumbled. Even the snow atop the mountain threatened to fall.


    Mustering all the strength he could muster, Ss looked up.


    Though his vision was impaired due to the snow whirlwind, he squinted and looked at the figure hovering outside the whirlwind.


    "I am Ss! From the Svell Family, please, most gracious Snow Spirit, grant me an audience with the Snow Mountain King!"


    "LEAVE!"


    The Snow Spirit said again as the snow whirlwind stopped circling and instantly bore down on Ss.


    "Ergh!" Ss fell on his knees and was almost got buried alive. Still, he did not yield. Instead he circted his own ice magic, a light blue magic array appeared beneath his feet. Soon the snow that had almost covered his body lifted albeit a little.


    "Please!" Ss insisted. Remembering what Lady Rin had told him about the Spirits, he gritted his teeth and gambled on that and he said, "I-I havee because the new Void Master needed your assistance!"


    As soon as he finished his words, the snow whirlwind seemed to have been frozen into ce.


    Even the figure hovering outside the whirlwind appeared to have stopped in midair.


    Ss did not dare look up again. He waited patiently, his heart thundering inside his chest.


    Finally, after what seemed to be a long pause, a deep powerful male voice that shook the whole mountain had spoken.


    "Let hime."


    The hovering figure turned toward the top of the mountain and bowed her head slightly.


    "Yes, my king."


    The hovering figure looked at Ss, she waved her hand and the snow whirlwind vanished.


    "The king had allowed your presence into the mountain."


    Ss finally looked up and looked at the hovering figure, which he could now see clearly.


    A woman in a snowy white flowing dress that looked as if it was made of snow hovered in the air. Her long white hair flowed with the wind, and her eyes were also white as snow.


    "However, be warned, human. If you are lying about the new Void Master, I will have your head."

 Chapter 270 Turning Point

    Kyran woke up inside the Recovery Room. Feeling a little disoriented, he remained still and stared at the ceiling as he recalled his ''training'' with Nn.


    The training itself was not long. It took only a day. However, during that time, Kyran had died countless times in Nn''s hand.


    Of course, Kyran did not really die in itsplete sense.


    To better exin how it happened, after Nn tested Kyran for almost five hours, Nn summoned a massive array that covered 10,000 kilometers of the gray space. After that, without exining anything or even warning, Nn attacked Kyran. This time, the former did not hold back and really aimed to kill Kyran.


    It happened too fast that Kyran ended up getting killed. At the moment of his death, he was left reeling. But even before the thought of dying could sink into his mind, he was suddenly ''revived.''


    The moment he opened his eyes and found he did not really die, Nn did not give him any ck and attacked again. In the end, Kyran died once again.


    This cycle happened for some time until after dying more than ten times, Kyran managed to stay alive long enough for him to spread out his magic sense to inspect the array formation Nn had summoned. Just before his death, he managed to see a form about ''revival.''


    And so, for the remaining time of that one day of training with Nn, Kyran experienced countless deaths. Which was why he was mentally and even emotionally exhausted after Nn called it a day.


    Who else would not feel that way? After experiencing death so many times in a day, it was a marvel how Kyran managed to stay sane. Others would have surely given up after experiencing death ten times in a row, but Kyran was different. The more he died, the more his spirit was kindled. It took at least a hundred death before he managed to stay alive for more than ten minutes.


    Staying alive while facing Nn using almost 100% of his magic was already a feat.


    Kyran''s experience from Nn''s training left him reassessing his own resolve and even his will.


    For the most part, Nn had a point. Kyran was indeed soft. He thought, his experience in killing all those bandits was enough to awaken his sense of killing. However, he now understood that he did not mind killing the bandits because he subconsciously thought of them as ''evil.''


    However, once he subconsciouslybelled a person as ''non-aggressor'' or even ''safe,'' Kyran could end up getting backstabbed. He must change his mindset. He could not show any weakness that his enemies could use against him. Having his loyalty and love for his n as his weakness was enough. But even then, he should not let his enemies use his weakness against him. When the timees, he should be able to decisively kill even when his n was being threatened. He could even use the threat against his n as a kind of tempering to further push himself to his limits.


    Keeping all of these thoughts in mind, Kyran sorted his somewhat unstable emotions.


    A quarter of an hourter, Kyran took a deep breath and finally got out of bed. He inspected his body and was surprised to find a seal imprinted over the Mark of Ruin on his left arm. The seal was new and he was shocked to find he could not recognize the materials used in it. He instantly thought of Nn and felt mixed emotions.


    Kyran did not tell Nn about the mark. To be precise, there had been no time for them to talk about anything during the training. Still, it looked like Nn recognized the mark and even used a powerful and probably expensive seal, to seal it.


    ''He probably realized I can''t properly use my left arm. Father''s essence also noticed it but did not say anything,'' Kyran thought and his brow made an involuntary twitch when he recalled how his father''s essence aimed at his left side more frequently as soon as he realized it.


    Kyran was beginning to see another side of his father. A big bully.


    After inspecting that his body had fully recovered, Kyran inspected his magic cores next.


    The first thing he inspected was his Void core. Obviously, it was his only active magic core and he wanted to check True Void''s condition.


    ''He''s still replenishing his magic energy,'' Kyran thought with a sigh. He looked at the seal on his left arm and felt gratitude toward Nn.


    If Nn did not seal the Mark of Ruin, Kyran was not sure how he could exert his full strength if True Void was not around. Seeing thetter''s condition, Kyran guessed it would take him a few days before he woke up.


    ''That''s if we stay in this tower. The richness of the magic energy here is different from the Human ne. If we go back, True Void will probably need weeks or even a month before he wakes up,'' Kyran thought.


    With a sigh, Kyran left the Recovery Room and once again returned to the white room. He decided to continue with his training to give True Void enough time to replenish his magic energy.


    As soon as he stood in front of the gold tablet with the Void rune, the ovepping voices spoke once again.


    "You have failed to defeat the Champion in the Tower''s Special ce. However, you can still re-enter and challenge the tforms once again as long as you acquire the tinum key.


    "Will you proceed with the next training?"


    "Yes," Kyran replied without hesitation.


    "May you strengthen your heart and resolve in every battle you face."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s brow immediately furrowed after hearing the ovepping voices'' parting words. It was already established that the ovepping voice''s parting words were a clue to what training he would face next. Right now, it seemed as if they were telling him his next training would be full of battles.


    Before Kyran could contemte more, a blinding light erupted from the gold tablet. Soon, an invisible force wrapped around him and he was transported to his next training.


    As soon as the blinding light lifted, Kyran''s sense of smell was assaulted by the mixture of magic attack residues, and metal, which he knew was the smell of blood. After that, he heard shouting and explosions everywhere. The ground even shook every now and then.


    Kyran opened his eyes and instantly felt stifled.


    True enough, the tower indeed brought him to do battles.


    Right now, he was standing amidst an intense battlefield.


    ==================


    Two days after the Crown Princess entered the Winfrey''s Ancestral Land, Lira, the three Royal Knights and Royal Guards had set up a makeshift camp a few hundred meters away from the entrance.


    From time to time, a group of Royal Guards would leave to patrol the surrounding area and kill off any wandering forest beasts. So far they had not encountered any humans during their patrol.


    Nevertheless, if they saw a human or a group of humans, they would clean up the forest. It was ordered by the Crown Princess to keep the area clean, after all.


    Lira, who had removed her armor stood in front of one of the makeshift tents, facing the entrance to the ancestralnds. She was looking at the entrance intensely with her green eyes while subconsciously twirling the tip of her braided long brown hair. From her expression and stance it was obvious she was waiting for someone toe out from the Winfrey''s Ancestral Lands.


    "The princess wille out tomorrow," the lead Royal Knight told her as he approached. "You can rest easy."


    Without looking at him, Lira replied, "She is expected toe out tomorrow. But it was not guaranteed"


    "Are you doubting the princess'' ability?"


    Lira sighed and shook her head, "No. I am just..."


    "You have gotten close to her highness."


    Though the lead Royal Knight did not say anything further, it was obvious what he wanted to tell her.


    "I know, sir Dillon."


    "Get ready. I''ll have you join the rest during night patrol."


    "I understand," Lira replied as she turned to look at Dillon, the lead Royal Knight. She lowered her head in respect, before going inside the makeshift tent to prepare.


    That night, a tremor originating within the Winfrey''s Ancestral Land had shaken the whole forest.


    Curiously, even when the tremor''s intensity looked as if it would affect arger area and might even rm the nearby towns they all realized that the tremor was only felt approximately 500 meters around the ancestralnd.


    The tremorsted for almost three hours, which ended with a beam of light that pierced through the sky.


    Again, the beam of light, which would have been witnessed by every person within Meliora, surprisingly had not been seen. It appeared as if a veil had been ced around the ancestralnd which could conceal everything that happened from the inside.


    Only those within 500 meters around would be able to witness anything. However, with the royal guards patrolling the area, it was safe to say that no outsiders had witnessed what had happened.


    No one knew it yet.


    But that night, was the turning point that would really change the whole Human ne.

 Chapter 271 Return

    A week had passed since the Elite Forces had set out to modify all magic detectors in the empire. As of this day, most people had already resigned to their fate that the detectors would constantly check their personal information as long as they were citizens of the empire.


    Those still against it had banded with others to form their small groups and find refuge deep within the forest.


    Regarding the rumor of all bandit groups forming an alliance, news had already been confirmed.


    Minor factions had verified information of each bandit group leader, meeting a few days ago. However, it was confirmed that the negotiations did not go well.


    The cause of it was simple. The terms suggested by one of the biggest bandit groups called the Devil''s Snare were not weed by the majority, especially the two big bandit groups, the Red Scarves and the Brotherhood.


    Their suggestion went like this: they wanted to assimte the rest of the groups into their numbers. As such, all the bandit group''s umted wealth andnds would be taken by them. Also, their leaders would be stripped of their ranks and be mere members. Of course, they could still ''act'' as leaders to their previous groups, but they would have to bow down to the chief bandit and the Devil''s Snare''s seven leaders called the Seven Sins.


    Soon after, fighting broke out.


    To date, people could still hear sounds of battle during the day and even at the wee hours, deep within the forest¡ªsome citizens living in nearby towns alreadyined to theirndlords because of the disturbance.


    Thendlords were aware of this and had summoned the town''s forces to intervene but to no avail.


    The town and city leaders had reported it to the empire''s Royal Army branches. However, their request for assistance had only been epted, and up to this day, there had been no updates.


    It was as if the Royal Army was not interested in meddling with the bandit''s affairs.


    While this was happening, the Chamber of Commerce suddenly announced an auction that would take ce in a month.


    The Chamber of Commerce hosting auctions were not unusual. Every five years, they would host auctions in different parts of the empire. And this year just happened to be exactly five years from thest auction.


    However, the auction this time had caused a stir. Though it was a stir, it only happened to a limited audience. Because the attendees of the auction this time would onlye through invitation.


    The limited audiences who found out mainly were small factions and merchants, which instantly drew all gossip-mongers among them into a frenzy.


    Of course, they did not openly discuss the reason behind the Chamber of Commerce''s decision of not announcing the auction to the other two big factions, Temr Code and Aureole, the Three Noble Families, and even the Royal Family. But the underground discussion of these small factions had erupted, and most were in unison to the reason.


    The Conve also felt the changes that happened in the empire were unreasonable.


    This situation greeted Kyran as soon as he and Gustaff returned from the Tower of Tribtion.


    Going back a day before.


    After Kyran finally decided to stop his training and leave the tower, Gustaff greeted him.


    Apparently, when Nn left a few days earlier, he told Gustaff to take Kyran back to Starhorn. He even left Kyran''s personal belongings, which instantly piqued Kyran at Nn''s nonchnce.


    Nn might think Gustaff was someone who could be trusted safe,'' but Kyran was different.


    Kyran did not doubt Gustaff''s character. After all, being able to find the tower was already proof that he did not bore any ill-intentions.


    The reason he got annoyed was that Nn did not even bother to conceal his belongings!


    Yes. That was Kyran''s primary concern. Who could me him? The face-altering mask, the two jade rings, and his storage pouch were not even ced in one bag. They were exposed for all to see and inspect.


    Kyran also worried about the jade rings. They were too small and, from what his father''s essence said, were considered cheat items inside the tower.


    What if something happened and it got lost? Regardless of whether they had ill-intentions or not, whoever picks it up would definitely have the mindset of ''finders keepers.''


    As for the face-altering mask, most people outside the tower had experienced a knowledge boost in different branches of magic. If an Array Specialist managed to see the face-altering mask, they would definitely detect the arrays inside. They could even find out what it could do. After all, the concealment array Kyran used there was considered... simple.


    Then there was his storage pouch.


    Kyran had always thought his storage pouch was extraordinary, and his feeling had gotten stronger after seeing the tower''s rewards. Not to mention the items he had seen in all the nes he had been to.


    As for what was inside Kyran''s storage pouch, except for the manuals and a few of the magic items he got inside, it was not worth mentioning. After all, he now had rarer magic items, even real treasures from the rewards he got in the tower. But, aside from those rewards were the spoils he got in some of the nes.


    Kyran would have one more rare item in hand, if not for the fact he had to choose a storage ring from one of his rewards in hisst training. All for the reason he had to return the storage ring the tower provided him.


    Kyran could only reign in his annoyance and thanked Gustaff for keeping his belongings safe.


    After that, Gustaff told Kyran what had happened in the Ylfaen empire while he was inside the tower.


    It was only then that Kyran found he had only been gone for a week in real-time. Technically, though, he trained inside the tower for almost five years.


    Although his appearance had remained like eighteen years old, his mind had experienced maturity of five more years.<sub> </sub>


    After hearing the situation in the empire, Kyran decided to return at once.


    To be honest, Kyran wanted to stay a few more days and visit one of the newly emerged inds around the tower, but he felt a sense of crisis after hearing the empire''s current situation.


    Without asking any questions, Gustaff agreed to take Kyran back.


    "The new modification in the magic detectors may itch a bit," Gustaff said while they were inside his caravan.


    Before getting in, they had stopped a few hundred meters outside Starhorn to prepare themselves.


    "I haven''t experienced it yet, but from what the guys said, the inspection capability of the detector is more thorough than the first modification," Gustaff exined as he turned to Kyran.


    "I don''t mind getting inspected but as for you..." his voice trailed off as he looked at Kyran worriedly.


    Kyran smiled a little and replied, "It''s fine. Let''s go in."


    Gustaff stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding his head. "Alright, if you''re really okay with that."


    Gustaff was unsure why, but the air around Kyran felt very different from the first time they met. Even the look in Kyran''s eyes had changed. Before, his eyes reflected curiosity and even innocence. Now, there was a coldness in them that could only be seen from the eyes of those people who had experienced countless life and death situations.


    Sighing in his heart, Gustaff could only imagine what kind of hell training Kyran experienced inside the tower. He already suspected that the tower had a different arrangement with Kyran''s training. Seeing thetter now, it had confirmed Gustaff''s suspicion.


    Kyran might not have lost a limb, but he definitely lost something during his experiences in the tower.


    Even before the caravan approached the edge of the city''s magic detector, Kyran''s eyes had already turned dark purple.


    It was hard to see the difference with his dark gray eyes, but it was a state that was different from when his eyes glowed reddish-purple.


    When Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple, he was bursting with magic energy. And when they turned dark purple, it meant he was using his magic stealthily.


    Kyran sent out his magic sense and inspected the magic detector''s new calction.


    If Gustaff had looked directly at Kyran''s eyes, he would have seen countless rune writings and forms reflected in them.


    In just three seconds, Kyran closed his eyes.


    After another three seconds, he opened them.


    Kyran''s eyes had returned to normal.


    As for Starhorn''s magic detector, none of the people inside realized that the calction had already changed. The Royal Army inside the tower where the magic detector was located would still see people''s information within the detector''s influence. But now, Kyran hadplete control over all the information it would show.


    The Royal Family probably did not expect that someone could take control of their own magic detector.


    Still, this was only one of the many thousands of magic detectors in the empire. But who said Kyran would settle in only taking control of the one in Starhorn?


    ''Hm?'' Gustaff''s brow furrowed slightly as they entered the magic detector''s influence.


    While he did feel an invisible force entering his systems, it was not as bad as what the guys had told him. It even felt like a cool breeze had swept through his body¡ªnothing like the prickly, itchy feeling the guys had said.


    Taking a side nce at Kyran, Gustaff sighed in relief when he did not react. It seemed Gustaff had been worried for nothing. Kyran was able to hide the fact he had Void magic for years. He probably had a way to conceal his magic signature. The detectors'' modification had to do with prying on one''s personal information through magic inspection. Even if the detectors saw Kyran''s information, they would not be suspicious of a Regis.


    Too bad Gustaff still had no idea of what had happened to the Regis n.


    After half an hour, they arrived at Gustaff''s ce. He invited Kyran to stay, but thetter declined with a slight smile.


    Gustaff might love to ask questions, but there were still moments where he could not be bothered to ask. One could say he simply did not care and had nothing to ask.


    So Gustaff only nodded without insisting.


    Kyran bid farewell and left.


    Before parting, he was already wearing a new set of clothes and his face-altering mask. And currently, the face he was using was not Nar''s but Tyr''s because his destination was the cksmith Order.


    =====


    Important: Please support my story by reading it in Webnovel. And please stop posting it on free online novel sites. Thank you.

 Chapter 272 Blacksmith Order

    It was already high noon when Kyran arrived outside Starhorn City''s market district.


    Kyran, wearing a white hooded jacket on top of a ck shirt and pants, also had a ck cloth covering half of his face to ensure he would not attract any unwanted attention. After all, he was using Tyr''s face right now. He could actually use an incantation to deliberately obscure his presence from other people in a crowded area but decided it was overkill to use it.


    Besides, Tyr did not have such an ability. At most, he was average in terms of magic attainment, even though he was a genius in Array.


    With Kyran''s outfit, he still attracted some curious looks. But that was all. After one look, they did not pay him further attention and went about their own business.


    One would think the change that happened within the empire would discourage people from going around cities; however, Starhorn''s market district was as busy as ever. People were seen entering and leaving different establishments. Some were lined up outside some smaller shops, waiting for their turn to get inside and have someone attend to their needs.


    Every now and then, a noise would erupt as two people, a customer and a merchant was, tried to haggle prices.


    Still, such noise was quite normal in the market district.


    After walking for almost thirty minutes, Kyran finally arrived in front of the cksmith Order''s main branch. It was a three-story building made of metal and ck stones with arge chimney at the center. Engraved in front of the building''s double doors was a golden hammer, the cksmith Order''s symbol.


    Smoke could be seen rising from the chimney, proof that cksmiths were busy at their work.


    At one side of the building, there was an entrance specifically for customers, which was now lined up with people. The entrance led to the public receiving area of the building, where some of the cksmith Order''s work was disyed for customers to view. It was also where they left their requests for personalized magic items.


    As for Kyran, since he had a token, he could enter directly from the building''s double doors.


    When people saw him, they all gave him a furtive look. Of course, they were aware that one could not enter directly there unless they were part of the order, but with Kyran''s stature and even clothing, he did not appear to be a cksmith. Aside from this, most of the customers lined up were regrs, and they knew and was familiar with every member of the order that worked on this day.


    In the end, they could only specte that Kyran was a messenger from the Mercenary Hall and did not have to enter to the side since both establishments were constituents of the Conve.


    While these people were trying to figure out Kyran''s identity, thetter had already entered the building.


    It was Kyran''s first time going to the cksmith Order, and he only knew its policies and such during the few days he was studying under Noir. He also heard some things from Sigma during their spar.


    Since Noir, with the support of Ste, had been very thorough in creating Tyr''s fictional identity, they also had a private workce built for his sole use. Of course, this workce was built the year Noir dered he took in a disciple, and while no one from the order had actually seen anyone enter and use it, they had kept the workce clean.


    The scene that greeted Kyran was an enormous room filled with machines and tools used in armor and weapon crafting. Workstations were built in the middle of the room surrounding the huge furnace that had smaller openings facing each workstation. This furnace was connected to the chimney that could be seen outside the building.


    At the moment, all workstations were upied by Array Specialists. Each was busy working on armor or a weapon ording to the request they received from the customers.


    Far back the first floor was a big metal door that led to the storage.


    On each side of the entrance were two metal staircases that led to the second and third floors. Though it was called ''floor,'' it was a mezzanine on each side where more workstations were located. The second floor had private workstations reserved for higher-ranked members of the order. As for the third floor, it was where Noir and Sigma''s workstations and office were located. It was also where the blueprints archive room was.


    The sweltering temperature, the smell of metal and burning coals, the noise of all the machines and hammers hitting metals instantly caused Kyran to remember his experience in the Knowledge Room when he worked on his puppets.


    A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the other specialists and cksmiths work.


    Seeing their diligent and serious attitude, Kyran did not bother to ask for assistance and decided to find Tyr''s workstation on his own. As far as he remembered, Tyr''s workstation was located on the second floor ¡ªthe biggest workstation at the right mezzanine had been converted to Tyr''s.


    Just as Kyran turned to make his way to the right staircase, the door behind him finally shut close.


    BANG!


    Even with the noises from the machines, the closing of the door instantly drew the attention of almost all the people working inside.


    When the cksmiths and specialists saw a young man in a white hooded coat standing there, looking suspicious because half of his face was hidden, the eyes of most people inside instantly turned red.


    The reason for this was not because they thought the young man was an intruder, but because he looked like a new recruit. After all, the order had an array formation that would not let anyone be able to open the main doors if one did not possess a cksmith Order Token.


    It was for this reason that the order had no one guarding the doors. They were confident that no one would breach the array formation because it was Chairman Noir''s work.


    Anyway, there was also a chance the young man might really be an intruder who stole a token and wanted to sneak in, so they had to put up a front.<sub> </sub>


    "Who the hell are you?"


    A bald bulky man in dark work clothes, holding a huge ck hammer, roared. He was one of the cksmiths closest to the door.


    When the bulky man spoke up, those who were nning to admonish the young man stepped down. Compared to the rest, the bulky man was closer and also looked far more intimidating. Besides, they knew the bulky man had been in a bad mood since yesterday because of his failed craft and only wanted to let out some steam.


    Kyran opened his mouth to introduce himself, but before he could even utter a word, the bulky man mmed his ck hammer on his work table.


    Bang!


    The sound was not as loud as when the door had closed, and it was instantly drowned by the noisesing from the machinery and the burning furnace. However, the impact was enough to frighten most people.


    Some of the cksmiths and specialists only sneered in their hearts.


    "This ce is off-limits! Get your ass out of here!" The bulky man shouted.


    Kyran''s eyes, which was aquamarine at the moment, turned cold. The effect the coldness did on his current eye color was really frightening. If the bulky man were standing close enough to see Kyran''s eyes under his hood, he would likely tuck his tails between his legs and prostrate himself before Kyran at once.


    However, even as the coldness appeared in Kyran''s eyes, instead of responding to the bulky man''s tant provocation, Kyran only lifted his right hand, holding the token and said, "Pipe down. I am a member of the cksmith Order."


    The bulky man and the rest of the people inside could not help but frown at the young man''s words.


    Typically, a new recruit''s reaction would be to apologize profusely while stuttering in his introduction after getting threatened. However, they did not expect the young man actually to sound unaffected by the bulky man''s intimidation and even told him to pipe down.


    Feeling a little annoyed at the young man''s audacity, the bulky man approached him with big long strides.


    Some looked on in silence; others shook their heads, clearly not amused at what was about to happen and resume their work, while the majority sneered and crossed their arms, clearly wanting to see how the bulky man let out his pent up frustration.


    This kind of urrence was actually not new in the order. While there was a strict policy of no bullying allowed, there was also a strict policy of being respectful to their seniors in the order. In thetter''s instance, the senior had the responsibility to ''right'' their junior''s wrongdoings.


    Since they were not familiar with the young man, it was evident that he was a new recruit if he was not an intruder. As such, his attitude was clearly disrespecting his seniors. So, whatever the bulky man did to him, the others would turn a blind eye.


    Kyran was aware of the cksmith Order''s policies. Sigma told him. So he knew why the bulky man was pissed off.


    Since he was not in the mood to talk to this bulky man, Kyran slid up the token he was holding so the bulky man could have a better look at it.


    "You dare to talk like that? I''ll reform your insolent tongue¡ª."


    The bulky man stopped when he got a better look at the token. His expression instantly paled, and he felt he had been doused in cold water.


    The token in the young man''s hand was made of tinum, and the hilt of the golden hammer on the token''s surface was white gold.


    There were only three issued tokens they knew of that were made of tinum with the symbol of the order made of gold. These tokens differed slightly on the hilts to show hierarchy.


    The gold hammer with a diamond hilt was the Chairman Noir''s token, while the hilt on President Sigma''s token was silver.


    As for the third issued token, it was issued a year ago.


    That token was issued for Chairman Noir''s only disciple.


    And the hilt of the golden hammer on the token was bronze.


    "Disciple Tyr! Please pardon my rude behaviour, for I did not recognize you!" The bulky man immediately apologized and bowed his head. But then he shook his head violently and said, "No! Not recognizing you is not an excuse! I, Gunter, will ept any punishment!"


    =====


    Author''s Note: Please support the story by reading it in Webnovel. And please stop posting it on free online novel sites. Thank you.

 Chapter 273 Puppets

    The instant they heard Gunter, almost every eye of the cksmiths and specialists inside bulged open.


    "What did he say?"


    "Who?"


    "Did I hear it right? Disciple Tyr?"


    Conversations suddenly erupted inside.


    Those cksmiths and specialists who chose to ignore what Gunter nned to do also perked up and looked at the entrance again.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. He knew he could not avoid facing these people. But he wanted to work on his ''project'' as soon as possible. He did not want to go through all the trouble of showing his face and meeting the rest of the order''s members. As far as he knew about Tyr''s character, he did not like showing up in front of others. Besides, he was not really Tyr. However, there was not a real Tyr in the first ce.


    Apart from this, Kyran did not want these people to have any ideas of sucking up on him or something, now that he showed up.


    "It''s fine. Just be mindful next time," Kyran told Gunter while slipping the token back in his coat pocket. However, before turning and making his way to the staircase, Gunter stopped him again.


    "Disciple Tyr! This won''t do! I will be troubled if I don''t-."


    "Stop. If you don''t back now, I''ll take it as your second offense and have your token confiscated for a month."


    Kyran cut Gunter midsentence. He really did not want to deal with anyone right now.


    After what he learned from the Gustaff, Kyran had a bad feeling. Like he was running out of time, and if he did not make his move now, his n would be in a very precarious situation.


    Gunter''s expression turned grim.


    A member of the order getting his token confiscated for a month was not a good thing. They all had pre-orders they had to finish, and if they could not work for a month, it would negatively impact their reputation and rtionship with their clients.


    Besides, Gunter had just failed with his creation and had to start from scratch. If he could not work for a month because he did not listen to Tyr, Gunter would be pressed for time once he could resume work again.


    Why did he have to vent out his frustration on Tyr anyway?


    Suddenly, Gunter''s face distorted when he thought of something. He looked at Tyr from head to toe and cleared his throat.


    No one had ever seen Tyr in person. They saw only a small photo of him from when Chairman Noir had announced he had taken a disciple. Gunter even remembered there had been spections that the Chairman''s disciple was not real because as someone as famous as Chairman Noir, why did he not organize a formal gathering to introduce his disciple?


    Seeing Gunter''s expression, Kyran could more or less guess what he was thinking. Since he only wanted to avoid unnecessary attention from people outside, Kyran did not hesitate to lower his hood and removed the ck cloth covering half of his face to show them his appearance. Then he said to no one in particr, "I''m going to my workstation and don''t want to be disturbed."


    Without waiting for a reply, Kyran turned to the right and made his way up the staircase.


    As for the people downstairs, they gaped at Kyran with mixed expressions. Some wore expressions of surprise. Others had nk expressions. Some even had their eyes glow in excitement after finally seeing the Chairman''s disciple in the flesh.


    All in all, everyone looked on in amazement. It was not because of Tyr''s looks but how young he looked!


    They could not help but follow Kyran''s movement as he walked up. Even when he reached the mezzanine area and was now walking toward his workstation, they still looked on with gaping mouths. There was even one who failed to remove the metal he was heating and had now melted.


    Even when Kyran had already entered Tyr''s private workstation, they kept staring at the closed door. It was as if they had been dumbstruck to see the Chairman''s mysterious disciple finally.


    Who could me them? It had been more than a year since the Chairman announced taking a disciple, yet none of them had seen him in person. Not even his shadow.


    The rumor that Chairman Noir''s disciple was not real had even been cleared after Tyr supposedly reported the whereabouts of the one-million-high-grade-ss-bounty. They all knew that the client behind that request would not ept a report without proper identification and proof.


    Finally, after almost five minutes, all cksmiths and specialists burst out in a lively conversation.


    "That is the real Disciple Tyr!"


    "What do you mean the real? Have you even met an imposter?"


    "No, but we haven''t seen him in person and it is a real surprise!"


    "I agree! Goodness, he looks so young! I wonder how good he is to have gotten the Chairman''s favor."<sub> </sub>


    "Argh! Being able to see Disciple Tyr in person is a little frustrating! How can someone have everything? A famous master, talent and looks!"


    "Hush! Who cares about the looks. It''s not like our items will have our looks imprinted on them when we sell them."


    "That''s not the point. Why did he suddenly show up here?"


    One after another, they voiced their opinions.


    Now that they had seen the elusive disciple Tyr, they could not wait to boast to all the ranked members of the order. Because thetter were all in the Tower of Conve, and none of them had seen Tyr yet.


    While the members of the order were busy talking about Disciple Tyr''s sudden appearance, Kyran had already begun to familiarize himself inside Tyr''s workstation.


    The workstation was big and had every machine and smithing tools avable. Using his magic sense, Kyran determined that all the machine and smithing tools were of top quality, albeit in Human ne standard. Back in the tower, the workstation he used to create the ten puppets had far more sophisticated machines and tools.


    But Kyran was not after how good a machine and tool he was about to use.


    A good cksmith could make items even while using low-grade tools. And a good specialist could make a scrap item into something special with the use of their own skills.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran walked over to the middle of the room where the work table was located. The furnace which was already filled with burning coals was attached at one end of the work table.


    ''The furnace''s temperature has reached the minimum,'' Kyran noticed with a slight nod of satisfaction. It appeared even when ''Tyr'' was not around, the members of the order had maintained the furnace.


    ''My target is to finish before sundown. After that, I''ll contact Byron and see if he is still in Starhorn,'' Kyran thought while lightly tapping five orbs on his belt.


    The belt was one of the tower''s special rewards and it was where he stored his puppets.


    With every tap Kyran made, the orb would sh and a bare-skinned puppet with some visible wirings on it would appear before him.


    In a blink of an eye, there were five bare-skinned puppets in front. All five had the body shape of a real human. If not for their metallic features as well as the wirings, one would even think they were real humans.


    However, upon closer inspection, these puppets seemed to have some damaged parts, as if they had experienced countless battles. This conjecture was actually correct.


    Kyran had used them during his heart and resolve training. Initially, he did not want to use them because if their parts were damaged, it would be hard for Kyran to repair them.


    His Void magic might have creation ability, but he could only recreate things that had been created on the ne he was in. Thus, he could not recreate the puppet''s parts in the Human ne because their parts were not created there.


    Anyway, Kyran had alreadypleted the blueprint for the three puppets. That was what Kyran wanted to do here. Before sundown, he nned to apply thepleted blueprint on the three puppets. Afterwhich, he nned to use Light Arts to further enhance them.


    Bearing this in mind, Kyran waved his hand and a rolled-up blueprint appeared, hovering before him. He reached out and spread the blueprint on the work table before he waved his hand another time and several items appeared, instantly filling the floor.


    These items were the new parts and add-ons Kyran would use on the three puppets. These items were not avable in the Human ne, thus, Kyran nned to include a restorative array on all three puppets.


    As for the materials in creating the restorative array, Kyran already had most of them. For the materials he did not have on hand, all of them were avable in the Human ne. Acquiring them would not be a problem.


    ''Apart from this,'' Kyran thought as he waved his hand onest time.


    Three nk masks appeared on the side of the work table. If one would look closely, the masks had intricate lines on the surface and it actually resembled the face-altering mask.


    ''With these masks, my puppets would look more life-like,'' Kyran thought, his eyes glinted mischievously.


    Right now, the masks were also iplete, but once Kyranpleted them, they would also have the same function as his face-altering mask.


    As to why he would let the puppets use face-altering masks, the reason was obvious.


    Kyran''s n would only be perfected with the help of the three puppets with face-altering masks.


    =====


    Author''s Note: Please support the story by reading it in Webnovel. And please stop posting it on free online novel sites. Thank you.

 Chapter 274 Kicking Up A Storm (1)

    Even when Kyran had warned the members of the order working below not to disturb him, that did not stop them from trying to know what he was up to. Some specialists took out their spying tools, while the cksmiths would find excuses to go up the second floor and stop by Kyran''s workstation trying to eavesdrop or spy using some tools they made.


    Unfortunately, no matter what they did, they could not get anything information inside because they could not breach the array they did not know surrounded the room.


    The array was installed by Kyran. It was not something that had been there from the start because it was not advisable to ce an array inside a bigger array.


    If another array were installed inside an existing array, both arrays would disrupt the flow of magic energy that sustained them, resulting in both arrays either exploding or one of them consuming the other.


    As for Kyran, it was easy for him to let both arrays coexist by changing the forms of the bigger array.


    It was simr to how Noir created the defensive arrays on all establishments of the Conve. Since he also created the magic array around the Starhorn City, it was easy for him to let all the city''s arrays coexist. As for the magic detectors, he created an array to camouge the magic signatures of mages under the Conve''s protection.


    Chairman Noir''s ability to do this proved how advanced and powerful his Array attainment was. Of course, this did not mean his arrays were omnipotent.


    Although it would be hard for other Array Specialists to decipher Noir''s Arrays in a short time, given enough time and resources, they could still do it. Not to mention, a Magus-level mage could forcefully destroy his Arrays. But, of course, if Noir were already a Magus and could create Saint-tier Arrays, that would be different.


    This was another reason Nn felt Noir teaching Kyran Arrays was not good enough.


    Either way, Kyran''s Array knowledge had already improved by leaps and bounds. To say that he was more powerful than Noir or even Cade in Array Creation was still uncertain but probably closer.


    While Kyran busied himself with his project, the members of the order were still in an uproar from his sudden appearance.


    Themotion the cksmiths and specialists were doing had already traveled to the other members stationed at the establishment''s front office. The members here mostly handled misceneous and service tasks for the order. Because of this, they did not necessarily have to be proficient in crafting or array.


    When they found out that Disciple Tyr had actuallye in person and was currently locked in his workstation, the one in charge, a thin middle-aged man with sandy blonde hair and dark eyes, immediately sent out a message to President Sigma. After all, themotion it had done to the members of the order had already affected the members'' productivity. Especially the female members from the front office were trying to find excuses to enter the cksmith and Array Specialist Department.


    In the Conve, Sigma was busy adding array form in one of the critical areas of the grand array.


    He was seated in front of a three-meter radius array glowing in light-gold with a floating blood-red stone in its center. If Kyran were here, he would be able to recognize the stone as the so-called Shaiha Rare Stone. To Kyran, however, he knew it was a piece of Zephyr''s horn.


    Sigma was at the crucial part of the array form when he sensed hismunication device lit up inside his storage ring. Frowning slightly, he decisively ignored it and continued with what he was doing.


    After a few seconds, themunication device lit up again, making Sigma''s frown deepen. Once again, he chose to ignore it and resume his work.


    A minuteter, one of the high-ranking members of the order suddenly arrived. He was a middle-aged man with short dark brown hair and ck eyes, wearing the cksmith Order''s ck coat uniform. The symbol of the order stitched on the man''s coat was a silver hammer with a bronze hilt, meaning he was an Artisan.


    "P-Presiden Sigma!" The man eximed, sounding more excited than panic-stricken as he panted.


    This time, Sigma''s frown worsened. Finally, he opened his eyes and scowled at the middle-aged man standing three meters away to his left side.


    "What?" He bellowed in anger.


    Seemingly unaware of Sigma''s rising temper, the middle-aged man replied excitedly, "I-I received a message from the main branch! T-They said, D-Disciple Tyr has shown up and is currently there!"


    "I don''t care!" Sigma roared even before the middle-aged man finished what he was saying. "Can''t you see that what I am doing is crucial to the Conve''s Array¡ª."


    He suddenly stopped short as the middle-aged man''s words finally sank in. His eyes grew wide as he looked at the middle-aged man and demanded, "What did you just say?"


    The middle-aged man''s excitement had turned up a notch as he repeated, "Disciple Tyr is in the branch right now¡ª!"


    Sigma stood up and almost disrupted the magic energy flow in the array form he was doing. However, he managed to control it before it could do any irreversible damage to the whole array.


    "Why did they not tell me as soon as possible?" He bellowed at the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man could only sigh in his heart as he muttered, "They were trying to call but can''t get hold of you. That''s why they called us instead."


    Sigma turned and red at the middle-aged man, "What did you say?"


    "Nothing, President Sigma," the man denied at once, shaking his head. His smiling expression proved he was offended nor afraid of Sigma''s outburst.


    In the order, everyone knew Sigma''s headstrong character. But they also knew that once he acknowledged someone as part of the order, even when he scowled at that person, he was not really angry. His face was just born that way.


    "Take over and make sure to let the stone properly assimte into the form," Sigma ordered the middle-aged man.


    "Yes, sir!" The middle-aged man responded and switched ces with him.


    "Did anyone tell Chairman Noir?" Sigma asked.


    "We can''t tell him. He is still inside the Head Master''s office."


    Sigma only nodded and left at once.


    The reason for his surprise was not because he was excited to know Kyran had returned but because of the Lord of the Tower''s order to inform her at once if they received any news of his return.


    Apparently, a mysterious man arrived a few days ago who brazenly went directly to the main tower. Even when the man did not present any token, he entered the tower and went up to the Lord of Tower''s quarters.<sub> </sub>


    Everyone in the Tower of Conve was thrown into panic, thinking it was the same man who attacked the tower a few weeks ago.


    However, Malek appeared and assured everyone that the Lord of the Tower''s guest was not the same person. Afterwhich, he called every council member and reinforced the Lord of the Tower''s request to inform her of any news about Kyran.


    Her previous request was directed only to the mercenaries, but it had been directed to every council member starting that day.


    Apart from this, the mysterious man apparently told the Lord of the Tower that it was likely that Kyran would appear as Tyr and advised Noir and Sigma to watch out for it.


    This immediately made the council members, apart from Malek, wonder who the mysterious man was.


    In almost a quarter of an hour, Sigma finally arrived in front of Malek''s office. He knocked once before saying, "Head Master, I have received news that Disciple Tyr has returned and is currently in the cksmith Order''s main branch¡ª."


    Even before Sigma finished his words, the door had already burst open, revealing Ste, standing with her face flushed.


    Inside, Malek and the other council members, Noir, Hugh, and Malia, could not help but look at her with a hopeless expression. By now, they had grown ustomed to the Lord of the Tower''s uncharacteristic outbursts when it involved news about Kyran.


    "Is it true?" Ste demanded while looking at Sigma.


    "Y-Yes, Lord of the Tower," Sigma replied while blinking twice.


    Malek cleared his throat from the inside as he said with an unreadable expression, "We can have Chairman Noir return to the order first and¡ª."


    "No need. I''ll go," Ste said at once.


    ck lines appeared on their heads except for Malek, whose brow twitched instead.


    "Milord," Malek started. And though he did not want to remind her of what he was about to say, he continued, "Remember that you cannot leave the Tower."


    Ste took a sharp breath as she turned and red at Malek, "I know that!"


    Malek lowered his head, "Please pardon me."


    Ste pursed her lips. She knew Malek only said that because she was being unreasonable. But she wanted to see Kyran now, and though she knew it was impossible to leave, she still wanted to say it.


    Malia looked at Ste thoughtfully, then she turned to Noir and said, "Chairman Noir. Is it possible tomunicate while sending a projection into the cksmith Order?"


    The projection that Malia was asking was not a simple holographic image but a somewhat real-life projection of someone.


    Hearing this, Ste looked at Noir expectantly as well.


    Understanding what Malia was trying to do, Noir contemted and replied, "It is possible, but at most, I can maintain it for a minute."


    Ste beamed at once.


    The rest of the council did not miss her smile, and though they still felt it was inappropriate for her to show a biased attitude toward Kyran, they could only sigh in their hearts.


    "A minute is fine. What do you need?" Ste asked Noir at once.


    Hearing Ste''s question instantly made Malek''s brow twitched. He felt an iing headache as he calcted the possible cost of creating such an advanced array in a short amount of time.


    Suddenly, a deep male voice cleared his throat from inside the room.


    Only then did Sigma notice a man wearing a gray cloak leaning by the window. The man''s face was hidden under the cloak.


    "No need to waste your time, I''ll go and bring the kid here," the man said.


    Ste''s expression turned solemn, "Are you sure? Right now you are..."


    The man chuckled, "This small thing is a piece of cake even in this form. Besides I also need the kid here as soon as possible."


    He stood straight as ck mists seeped out from under his cloak, "I''ll be back in a minute."


    Ste lowered her head at him.


    This instantly made Sigma''s heart pound. Who was this man that even the Lord of the Tower was being respectful?


    "Thank you," Ste said.


    Malek and the rest remained silent the whole time. They disapproved of Ste''s attitude toward the mysterious man, but they could only stay quiet given the man''s unfathomable level.


    In a blink of an eye, the mysterious cloaked man disappeared in a cloud of ck mist.

 Chapter 275 Kicking Up A Storm (2)

    Back in the cksmith Order''s main branch, four hours had already passed from the time Kyran started with his project.


    Currently, he was almost done installing the updates in the second puppet''s system.


    With an expression ofplete concentration, Kyran addedyers uponyers of array forms inside the puppet''s energy core.


    Previously, the color of the puppet''s energy core was golden. However, it now had a purple tinge after Kyran upgraded its system based on the calctions from the Lost Manuscript of the Automata System andbining it with the Ancient Teaching of Void Magic.


    The initial design of the energy core would allow the puppets to absorb magic energies from magic attacks directed at them. After absorbing the magic energy, the puppets could convert them as their own. It was simr to True Void''s ability. However,pared to him, the puppets had a limit to the magic energy they could absorb. Else, their energy core would overload and explode.


    Aside from this, puppets could not passively absorb magic energies.


    They move based on the stored magic energy in their energy cores. Once their energy supply reached a certain percentage, they would automatically stop moving. It was how most Automasmiths who were also proficient in Array programmed their puppets.


    Kyran''s puppets were the same. For this reason, the initial design he had in mind would somehow give his puppets another way to replenish their energy supply.


    After studying the Lost Manuscript of Automata System, he learned that there was a way for a puppet to passively absorb magic energies without worrying about overloading the energy core.


    The current design of the energy cores of Kyran''s puppet had adopted this concept. Thus, it was safe to say that his puppets now had an almost unlimited energy supply. Almost because Kyran''s design was still in its initial phase, he was unsure if his design had no ws.


    Anyway, he could always adjust the puppet''s system to remove any ws.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran suddenly paused as he sensed something trying to breach his Array.


    Since he was the one who created the array around the room, he was aware of the weak spots in the formation. He did not bother to reinforce these areas because he did not want to waste his limited resources. Anyway, he was confident that they couldn''t do so even when someone tried to exploit these areas and destroy his array unless their Array attainment was at the same level or above his.


    When something trying to breach his Array managed to do just that, Kyran''s eyes narrowed at once. He turned toward his right in a blink of an eye with his hand outstretched. Then he made a grasping motion as an invisible force shot from his hand and went straight to a spot to his right.


    As if the invisible force had taken the shape of a hand, when Kyran made a grasping motion, the force grabbed something at the spot he had aimed.


    Crackling sounds erupted as soon as the force grabbed something. Then, the whole room trembled as Kyran''s array slowly became visible.


    ck mists seeped out from the spot where Kyran had grasped.


    Seeing the ck mists, his expression turned nk, and without even batting an eye, he clenched his fists, and the invisible force exploded along with the ck mists.


    The explosion shook the whole cksmith Order''s building, which shocked all the people, members, and customers alike.


    "W-What''s happening?"


    "Are we under attack?"


    "What was that explosion?"


    "Who dares to attack the cksmith Order when the President is not around!"


    "Did someone fail in crafting?"


    The members inside the cksmith and Array Specialists Department eximed one after another.


    "T-The explosion came from Disciple Tyr''s workstation!"


    It was unknown who said it, but all members looked at the workstation''s door as soon as he did.


    True enough, though there was no visible damage from the outside, the fact that a glowing gold array formation was suddenly visible around the door meant something happened inside, which triggered the room''s array to appear.


    "H-Howe there is an array formation in Disciple Tyr''s workstation?"


    Someone suddenly eximed in disbelief.


    It instantly caused all Array Specialists to gasp in astonishment. After all, it was impossible to have a smaller array formation inside arger formation unless that small Array was part of it.


    "That''s not important! Disciple Tyr needs our help!"


    "But he said not to disturb him."


    "Who cares about that? What if something bad has happened to him? Can you face Chairman Noir''s questioning?"


    Even when some of them said this, others had already run upstairs to check.


    BOOM!


    However, before they could reach the room, the thick metal door to Tyr''s workstation exploded as a ck shadow was sted out and flew to the other side of the mezzanine.


    BAM!


    The ck shadow mmed on one of the walls, which crumbled instantly.


    Some members who saw the shadow and heard it m on the wall then got buried in the rubble could not help but flinch, just imagining how bad that would have hurt.


    However, just as they were sympathizing with the shadow, suddenly, the ck shadow burst out from the rubble and jumped to stand on the mezzanine''s rail.


    "You f*cking assh*le! What was that for?"


    It was then they finally saw that the ck shadow was a huge man wearing a gray cloak that covered his whole body. Even his face was hidden under the cloak''s hood.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    "An intruder?"


    "H-HOW DID YOU GET INSIDE?"


    Before the rest of the members could move toward the cloaked man, ''Disciple Tyr'' emerged from the damaged door of his workstation.<sub> </sub>


    With an expression that was hard to read, ''Disciple Tyr'' looked at the cloaked man and said, "''What was that for?'', as a member of the cksmith Order, if someone brazenly intrudes, it is my duty to apprehend and teach that person a lesson."


    The cloaked man chuckled, "I see. You want to get even like this, huh. Let me f*cking tell you, even with this form I can¡ª."


    Something shed inside ''Disciple Tyr''s'' workstation and flew directly at the cloaked man.


    As soon as that something neared the cloaked man, thetter moved to the side and evaded its kick.


    The kick of that ''something''nded on the mezzanine''s railing and instantly shattered it to pieces.


    The members of the order gasped as soon as they realized what that ''something'' that had suddenly attacked the cloaked man was.


    It was a metal-shaped human.


    "Impossible!"


    "I-Is that a¡ª!"


    "This¡ª That¡ª That''s a human-shaped puppet!"


    Their surprise was reasonable.


    In the Human ne, puppet creation was rare. One of the reasons behind this was the cost of materials in creating one puppet was too expensive. Apart from this, only two known ns in the ne knew how to create a puppet system using Arrays. Even then, it was rare to have a member actually create a puppet system that could move wlessly. Not to mention shaped that puppet into a human.


    It was practically impossible to mold parts of a puppet that could look like a human. For this reason, most puppets were designed to look like beasts.


    The puppet that attacked the cloaked man, obviously Nn, was the first one Kyranpleted.


    At the moment, the puppet was programmed to attack anyone who Kyran considered an enemy. However, Kyran did not need to input the information because he had included a part of his magic sense into the puppet''s energy core. Furthermore, this magic sense resonated with Kyran''s thoughts, so a mere thought from him would be easily perceived by the puppet.


    "Surrender yourself, intruder," Kyran told Nn, his voice sounding expressionless like his face.


    "Surrender, my ass. F*cking kid, I don''t have time to y games. Missy wants me to take you to the tower."


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable even after hearing what Nn had said. Of course, he knew who Nn meant. There was only one person who he called Missy.


    But while his expression remained unreadable, Kyran''s mind was working in full drive and was putting bits and pieces of what he understood of the current situation together.


    ''Nn went to the Conve right after leaving the Tower of Tribtion? As far as I remember, he doesn''t want to involve the Conve with my n''s affair. Meaning, there is another reason why he went to them,'' Kyran thought.


    Before Kyran could say anything, the inner door below burst open as more members of the order rushed in.


    "We heard the explosion! What happened?"


    "Is everyone okay?"


    "Is it true Disciple Tyr is here?"


    "Where is Disciple Tyr?"


    "There! It''s Disciple Tyr!"


    "Oh my goodness! It really is him!"


    The sudden change of focus of the outburst from the newly arrived members who were not part of the cksmiths and Array Specialists Department instantly gave Kyran a headache.


    He was aware that his decision to attack Nn earlier would attract attention. But he had thought by the time the rest of the members arrived, he and Nn would have probably left. Kyran did not expect that the rest of the members would arrive almost in an instant.


    Without looking at the people downstairs, Kyran turned and went back to his workstation while giving an order to his first puppet.


    In an instant, the puppet moved and a magic array formed in its hands as it began to fix the broken rail and then the wall.


    Nn looked at the puppet with raised eyebrows. He was actually surprised that Kyran had a puppet. It was his first time seeing it, and he immediately realized that this puppet was something Kyran had made in the Tower of Tribtion.


    [I''ll go by myself. You can go back first.]


    Nn''s eyes widened as he heard Kyran''s voice in his head. He turned to look at the room right across, barely seeing Kyran''s back. Thetter had actually resumed with his work as if nothing had happened.


    Chuckling, Nn replied.


    [Since when did you learn how to send your thoughts telepathically.]


    [I''ve learned many things.]


    Kyran replied without looking back.


    [Oh, really? It makes me want to see how much you have progressed. Let''s continue fighting.]


    [No thanks. I''m not interested in fighting an essence.]


    Nn stopped short. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said.


    [Did you notice right from the start?]


    Kyran did not reply and instead turned to look at Nn, standing at the other side.


    This was another reason why Kyran knew Nn went to the Conve for another reason.


    As for where the real Nn went, Kyran could only guess.


    Nn probably went to find Azaloth''s inheritance without waiting for him.

 Chapter 276 Kicking Up A Storm (3)

    [Tell Ste I''ll be there before sundown. I still have some things to do and don''t want to be disturbed.]


    Kyran told Nn withoutmenting on his previous question. There was no need to exin his side. He had trained with his father''s essence for five days and had be familiar with the difference between the real one and the essence.


    Besides, when Kyran grabbed Nn earlier, it had been too easy. As if Nn''s defenses were too weak and that his ''cloak'' was not real.


    [Toote, thatst bit will be hard to do.]


    Nn replied while looking at the people downstairs.


    His words made Kyran stop in his work and turned at him. Using his magic sense, he found that more people who were not part of the order had arrived.


    ''To think that people around here as such a gossip,'' Kyran could not help but sigh in his heart.


    ''Hm?'' His brow furrowed after sensing a familiar aura in the crowd below.


    <o>,m If it was any other day, Kyran would not have paid attention to any of the auras downstairs. This time was no different, after all, what he was doing was preparation in putting his n to save his n into motion.</o>


    However, Kyran did not realize that even after so many years, the owner of the aura downstairs could still affect him. He had experienced so much during his training in the Tower of Tribtion that his character had undergone a drastic change, especially when ites to handling grievances. To have this ''person'' still rouse his emotions made him pause for a moment.


    Of course, the reason why he was affected by the ''person''s'' presence was not due to a lingering attachment. The emotion evoked deep in him, had something to do with an unresolved enmity in the past.


    It seemed circumstances had presented him a chance to resolve past grievances.


    Kyran''s eyes glinted with malice, but because of the mask he was wearing, his eyes only appeared colder. If anyone was looking at him right now, they would not be able to read what was on his mind.


    Downstairs, a number of cksmiths had already taken action to control the crowd forming outside their department. The cksmiths and Array Specialists department was not a ce that anyone was allowed to enter, after all.


    A member of the order from a different department entering the cksmiths and Array Specialists department was one thing, however, there were even customers who were among the crowd wanting to look inside.


    As for the other specialists, they were keeping an eye on the cloaked man who was now leaning on an undamaged mezzanine''s railing, looking at the crowd gathered outside the department''s inner door.


    Earlier, they were ready to make a move and surround the cloaked man. However, when the crowd appeared and Disciple Tyr stopped attacking, they were unsure of what to do. Now, Disciple Tyr had gone back inside his workstation without telling them how to deal with the cloaked man. Even the puppet had only focused on repairing the damaged railing and walls,pletely ignoring the man.


    The cloaked man also did not make any move.


    The few veteran specialists were able to see some clues that the cloaked man and Disciple Tyr probably knew each other. Especially from what the cloaked man said about taking Disciple Tyr to some tower. Although, thetter had used the former of being an intruder they somehow sensed that Disciple Tyr only said that because the cloaked man disturbed him while he was working.


    Thinking of this, most of them made a mental note not to disturb Disciple Tyr when he was working.


    They sensed the cloaked man''s magic level was far greater than them, and Disciple Tyr managed to st him off too easily. This proved that Disciple Tyr was not a pushover.


    Come to think of it, Disciple Tyr was also a mercenary and probably the cloaked man as well. They probably knew each other as mercenaries.


    Thinking of this possibility, most of them felt somewhat relieved, although they did not lower their guard.


    Nn, who was watching the crowd below in amusement, suddenly caught sight of something, and in an instant, he cursed out loud, "F*ck! I said I''d be back in a minute!"


    What he saw was actually the time showing on a huge clock on the wall.


    He looked at Kyran from across the room and roared, "Oi, kid! Let''s go."


    Kyran suddenly stood up, and with a wave of his hand, all his items inside the room slowly turned translucent and soon returned to his pouch.


    "Let''s go," he replied.


    Nn stopped short, sensing something was amiss with Kyran''s sudden change of mind.<sub> </sub>


    Meanwhile, the customers among the crowd downstairs finally heard that the explosion was caused by none other than Chairman Noir''s Disciple Tyr. This had caused heated discussions among them.


    Most of them assumed that the explosion was due to a failed creation done by Disciple Tyr. Others believed, due to Disciple Tyr''s diligence in his work, the machinery he was using exploded from overuse.


    A young woman with wavy long blonde hair and olive green eyes wearing a light blue dress, waiting inside the order''s reception area, curiously looked at the gathering crowd at the entrance to the cksmiths and Array Specialists department.


    Another woman who had the same olive green eyes as the young woman, except with short blonde hair sat beside thetter. She appeared a little older than the young woman and was also looking at the crowd, not out of curiosity but with an expression of disdain.


    They had heard most of what had been said among the crowd and knew themotion was rted to Chairman Noir''s disciple.


    "Humph, they are making a mountain out of a molehill from all this fuss," the woman with short blonde hairmented.


    The younger woman''s eyes glowed in excitement as she turned to the other woman, "But, it is the elusive disciple of Master Noir, Mimi. Any news of him is sure to attract people''s attention. Not only because Master Noir has chosen him as a disciple from among all the noble candidates who had done everything to gain his favor, but because no one has actually seen him in person!"


    Mimi, looked at the younger woman sternly and said, "Do I have to remind you that you are one of those noble candidates that wanted to be Chairman Noir''s disciple but failed?"


    Then her expression softened while adding, "And stop calling Chairman Noir, master. He is not your master, Millie. If Master Evan hears you right now, you will break his heart."


    The young woman, whose name was Millie stuck out her tongue at Mimi but then sheepishly said, "I can''t help it. Master¡ª I mean ¡ª Chairman Noir is a real Array Master."


    Mimi''s expression turned stern once again as she said, "Fine. I''ll ept you calling Chairman Noir, master. But stop sounding like a starstruck fool when talking about Chairman Noir''s disciple. Remember, it is because of him that you did not be Chairman Noir''s disciple!"


    Millie giggled at Mimi''s ranting and remembered her reactionst year when Chairman Noir announced he had finally chosen a disciple.


    That year, Millie was very disappointed and wanted to vent her frustration. However, when Mimi flew into a rage for her sake, she was too bbergasted that in the end, all her pent-up frustrations disappeared.


    After that, Millie had wanted to know more about Chairman Noir''s new disciple. She found the post where Disciple Tyr''s photo was there and became interested in him. Mimi, seeing this, went to the Mercenary Hall to request a thorough background check of Tyr. Her reason was simple, she did not want her little sister to be infatuated with a man who had a shady background.


    However, the Mercenary Hall actually rejected their request. Mimi flew into a rage yet again, but before the matter escted, the Mercenary Hall Master Celine exined that Tyr was one of their mercenaries. If she had anyints about him, the Mercenary Hall would be the one to enact punishment.


    After finding out that Tyr was also a mercenary, Millie''s fascination with him grew, much to Mimi''s chagrin. Thetter regretted going to the Mercenary Hall.


    In the end, Mimi could only sigh and vowed to keep watch of her sister''s little infatuation.


    Soon after this incident, because there had been no news of Tyr''s sightings, even within the cksmith Order, rumors circted that Tyr was probably not real. Because of this, any small news of his movements or even rumored appearance had be a hot topic, especially within Starhorn.


    While the two sisters waited at the reception area, with one pretending not to care about themotion while the younger one looking at the crowd with eyes full of anticipation, a powerful deep voice suddenly sounded, reverberating in the whole surrounding.


    "This area is off-limits. Please step back and return to the reception area."


    In an instant, the noise in the crowd died down.


    However, it was impossible to say if they stopped talking because of what the voice had said, or because they were suddenly struck dumb at the very person who had spoken.


    Millie and Mimi stood up as soon as they heard the voice. The two of them were looking at the inner door.


    Even when the crowd blocked the view, as soon as a young man, with auburn hair and very beautiful aquamarine-colored eyes, wearing a white coat had appeared, the two sisters managed to discern him among the crowd.


    "Disciple Tyr...." Millie muttered under her breath.


    Even Mimi looked at the young man, her mouth gaping slightly.


    They had never seen a man as handsome as the one they were looking at now.

 Chapter 277 Kicking Up A Storm (4)

    There was a few seconds of pause before the crowd stepped back.


    It was as if Kyran''s words carried some power that made themply without resistance. Some even felt that if he told them to kneel before him, they would listen to him.


    All the cksmiths trying to control the crowd earlier were left speechless at how Disciple Tyr''s simple words could silence the crowd and even make them step back.


    They all looked at him with eyes filled with awe. Yet, at the same time, fear. Because as far as they knew, Disciple Tyr''s magic had nothing to do with sound or maniption. For his words to carry such power meant his magic level was at a level high above them all.


    Did this mean he was at the same level as Chairman Noir? But he looked too young!


    As soon as the crowd stepped back, Kyran gave a grateful smile that almost made every female present in the crowd swoon.


    "I am Tyr, and my master is Chairman Noir," Kyran continued, then bowed slightly. "I apologize for themotion. Rest assured, the explosion earlier was just a small miss on my part, and none of my fellow seniors was harmed."


    He straightened his back and added, "Topensate for the disturbance, the cksmith Order will not charge any service fees in all requests taken today, and this offer will go on for a week. As for the required materials, if our valued customers provide the materials, the cksmith Order will only take 80% of it, and the remaining 20% will be provided by the Order free of charge. For materials that will be bought from the Order, there will be a 20% discount."


    As soon as Kyran said this, almost all the attention from the crowd had been diverted.


    It should be noted that an ordinary cksmith''s service was already worth thousands of spirit stones. While cksmiths could only create average magic items, they were still expensive. If they could get have a cksmith''s service free of charge, not to mention they were notmon cksmiths but a cksmith Order''s cksmith, they could add the expense of getting a higher grade material.


    It was far more expensive when it came to an Array Specialist''s work. After all, the number of qualified Array Specialists were far lesspared to a Saint Alchemist.


    In the whole Ylfaen Empire, there were only twenty-one Array Specialists, seventeen of whom were part of the cksmith Order. As for the other nine, they were Array Specialists of a n or a faction.


    "A specialist''s work free of charge? That''s insane!"


    "A 20% discount on materials! If I ordered six magic items, does that mean I will only pay the total amount of five?"


    "I have to inform the Patriarch so we can order more items!"


    While the customers were in a frenzy from Kyran''s announcement, the cksmiths and the specialists who heard him could not help but look hesitant.


    Even the members in charge of the front office had looked at each other worriedly.


    An older man with short white hair, wearing the cksmith Order''s ck coat uniform, where the symbol of the order on the coat pocket was a simple white hammer, approached Kyran. He was a front office member and had a senior position among them.


    He whispered, "D-Disciple Tyr¡­ About the free of charge and the discount¡­ I-I''m afraid that is a little too¡ª."


    "I''ll take care of it," Kyran cut the old man mid-sentence. Then he added in a simrly low voice, "I''ll handle all requests starting today until the rest of the week. Deliver all the requirements to my workstation. I''ll look into it when Ie backter."


    The older man looked at him in surprise, but his expression turned hesitant.


    It was not that he did not trust Disciple Tyr''s skills as an Array Specialist, but it wasmon knowledge that after bing Chairman Noir''s disciple, they had never seen his work. Of course, most regr customers might be interested in seeing his work, but that did not mean they were willing to have him work on their requests when they already have a trusted cksmith or array specialist handling theirs.


    While the man pondered how to say this without offending Disciple Tyr, a young man in a blue velvet coat, standing beside him, overheard everything.


    The young man sneered, and with a voice full of scorn, he said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Hear this, everyone! Disciple Tyr has just said he will be the one taking care of all our requests!"


    The moment the young man said this, the crowd''s attention shifted once more.


    At the same time, all present members of the order turned to look at the young man. His condescending tone did not sit well with them, and they wanted to warn him. However, their expressions turned sour upon realizing who the young man was.


    "Young master Matias," the old man talking to Kyran greeted the young man. His expression, just like the rest of the members of the order, was of disapproval. But unfortunately, he could not voice out his thoughts.


    Because the young man, Matias, was the first grandson of the Lumley Noble Family, one of the Three Noble Families of the Ylfaen Empire.


    Matias looked at Kyran from head to toe and continued, "Apologies, Disciple Tyr. But, do you think I will let you handle my request after making such a ''small miss,'' where everyone heard the explosion?"


    After Matias pointed this out, the excitement, some customers felt after hearing Disciple Tyr would be the one to take their request lessened in an instant.


    "To have someone whose work I haven''t seen before create my magic item... I''m sorry to say, but I''d rather create it myself than trust you," Matias added.


    "Young master Matias is right."


    "Though Disciple Tyr said it was a small miss, the explosion was really loud."


    "Right, right. I even thought the Order is under attack!"


    "But we''re talking about Disciple Tyr''s work! He is Chairman Noir''s only disciple!"


    "No one has seen his work, but being Chairman Noir''s disciple meant he had good skills."


    "True. He''s just human and bound to make some mistakes sometimes."


    "That kind of mistake, though. Is he really good enough?"


    The crowd of customers'' opinions was split. Some felt Matias was right; others were still excited to have Disciple Tyr create their magic items.


    The older man''s face darkened, as with the rest of the members of the order. They wanted to speak up for Disciple Tyr. However, what Matias said held some truth.


    "Matias."


    Suddenly, a soft female voice spoke from behind the crowd.<sub> </sub>


    The voice was soft and sounded amiable. However, it carried such authority that everyone could not help but look.


    They saw two youngdies, both with blonde hair and olive green eyes, wearing light blue dresses. One had long wavy hair, while the other, who looked a little older, had short hair.


    At first, none of them seemed to recognize them. After a few seconds, however, someone from the crowd eximed, "It''s Lady Mimi and Lady Millie! The Twin Belles of the Courtenay Noble Family!"


    As soon as the crowd this, surprised gasps filled the air.


    Matias''s expression turned grim at once after seeing the two. Like him, Mimi and Millie''s family were part of the Three Noble Families of the Ylfaen Empire.


    "Mimi, Millie," Matias greeted with a short nod. "I did not know you were here."


    "Unlike you, we prefer to keep a low profile," Mimi replied derisively.


    Matias ground his teeth and was about to say something. However, Millie, who was the one to call him earlier, spoke in the same manner.


    "You said you''d rather create your magic item than trust Disciple Tyr with it. But are you not here because you had failed countless times and want the cksmith Order to create the magic item for you?"


    Silence filled the air.


    None of the crowd, customers, and members of the orders wanted to speak. Some even held their breath in fear that they would add to the suddenly rising tension if they made a sound. Besides, they were aware that the younger generation of the Three Noble Families loved topete with each other.


    Matias''s expression turned ugly. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but then he noticed how Millie, although she seemed to be reprimanding him, was looking at Disciple Tyr.


    A sneer tugged on Matias''s lips as he said, "Fine. You''re right. At least I came here because I want to have the cksmith Order to create a magic item for me. How about you, Millie? I heard your Array attainments are not inferior to the Courtenay Array Specialist, so why are you here?"


    "Of course, I am here to have the Order create¡ª."


    Matias looked at Kyran,pletely ignoring Millie, and continued, "Disciple Tyr. Are you aware that Millie is one of the candidates to be Chairman Noir''s disciple?"


    Upon hearing Matias, Millie''splexion paled as she realized what he was trying to do.


    He was trying to sow discord between her and Disciple Tyr.


    "Y-You¡ª!"


    Kyran, who had remained silent right from when Matias targeted him, finally spoke. Without answering Matias''s question, he said, "Matias...?"


    As if recalling something, Kyran''s eyes widened as he looked at Matias, "Ah, right. I remember you."


    He then pointed at Matias and continued, "You''re that good for nothing, son, who begged his grandfather to convince master in epting him to be his disciple!"


    Matias almost choked at Kyran''s words. Before he could retort, however, Mimi burst outughing.


    "Ahahaha! You want to target my sister about failing to be Chairman Noir''s disciple when you tried to use your grandfather''s influence to be epted! Some!"


    Matias''splexion turned ruddy as he red daggers at Mimi. He wanted to retort but was hesitant. After all, Mimi was the older sister and had more power within the Courtenay Family than Millie. If he targeted her and his father found out, he would be in trouble.


    In the end, he decided to take it all out on ''Tyr.'' After all, he was the one who started it.


    "I, Matias, might have tried to get in Chairman Noir''s good graces with the help of my grandfather, but that only showed how much I wanted to be his disciple! What about you? After getting Chairman Noir''s approval, you haven''t even shown up. Not only that, even after a year of studying under Chairman Noir, you still make ''small misses'' where you end up destroying things!"


    The crowd and the members of the order who had been watching the exchange between the four knew that the situation was about to go out of control. They all turned to Kyran sympathetically.


    Matias was still part of the Three Noble Families. Kyran might be Chairman Noir''s disciple, and the cksmith Order was part of the Conve of the East. Butpared to Tyr''s status, would the Conve do something for him?


    Besides, the Conve was still a neutral faction. They would definitely choose topromise with the Lumley Family. That meant Disciple Tyr would take the me for everything.


    While these thoughts swirled in their minds, they were surprised to find Kyran looking at Matias with a smile.


    "I can''t believe you admitted it. Such an honest person," Kyran remarked.


    Matias, who heard this, almost choked in anger. Instead of retorting, however, he decided to make a move.


    "You little son of a¡ª,"


    A red magic array started to form in Matias''s hand as he reached out to grab Kyran.


    Even before the magic arrays could form properly in Matias''s hand, a long wooden staff had already appeared in Kyran''s hand. Then, with a swift turn of his wrist, the other end of the wooden staff mmed on Matias''s hand, instantly disrupting the formation of the magic array.


    BAM!


    Turning his arm a little, Kyran turned the staff and hit Matias''s back using the other end. Kyran''s movement was too fast but carried such weight that Matias was forced face-first on the floor.


    BAM!


    "Guh!"


    "Violence is not permitted inside the cksmith Order. You may have a high status outside, but here, you are the same as the rest. Consider this as your first warning," Kyran told Matias, with a voice as cold as the color of his aquamarine eyes.

 Chapter 278 Kicking Up A Storm (5)

    "You¡ª! Ugh!"


    Before Matias could even look up and re at Kyran, the wooden staff in Kyran''s hand shifted and the top of Matias''s head.


    "Pipe down," he told Matias and hit his head one more time.


    "Ack!"


    Almost all the onlookers gaped at the scene before them with bulging eyes.


    Even Mimi, who initially did not view Kyran favorably for taking her sister''s opportunity to be Chairman Noir''s disciple, was now looking at him in a different light.


    On the other hand, Millie''s eyes sparkled as she looked at Kyran. She initially jumped to his defenses to appease the crowd''s opinion about him and, at the same time, divert Matias, who was backed by the Lumley Family, attention at her. At least, if Matias''s attention were on her, as a member of the Courtenay Family, any exchange between them would not escte.


    What Millie did not expect, apart from not caring one bit of what others think of him, ''Disciple Tyr'' also would not bat an eye when teaching Matias a lesson, knowing perfectly well who thetter was.


    Millie''s heart pounded frantically inside her. Her admiration for Disciple Tyr seemed to rise at a very dangerous height.


    "What are you doing?" Matias bellowed and tried yet again to re at Kyran. "Did you not hear who I am? I am Matias the son of¡ªack!"


    Kyran struck his head yet again.


    "I heard you the first time," he replied with a frown.


    The older man beside Kyran could not help but break out in cold sweat, seeing the visible round lump piling up on Matias''s head.


    At the moment, in terms of seniority among the order''s front office members, he was the one in charge. Though his jurisdiction did not include the cksmiths and Array Specialists department, he had to take responsibility in instances like this.


    However, he was hesitant to say or do anything because ''Tyr'' was still Chairman Noir''s disciple. In the cksmith Order, his position was almostparable to President Sigma.


    Others might not understand why that was since Tyr was only a disciple. But because of the unique disposition of an Array Specialist, not to mention Chairman Noir''s identity as the top Array Master of the Ylfaen Empire, being his disciple meant a lot. Yet, for more than a year of being a disciple, Tyr had never appeared in public. Because of this, rumors had circted about his identity, and even Chairman Noir''s integrity had been questioned.


    While the older man pondered these things, a thought crossed his mind. Instantly, the look on his eyes changed from fear to approval.


    ''Could it be, Disciple Tyr was making such noise because he was trying topensate for that one year of silence and also wanted to recover Chairman Noir''s reputation?''


    Of course, the older man''s thoughts were his own misunderstanding, and this was not Kyran''s intention.


    The real reason behind Kyran''s actions wasying the foundation of his ns. Of course, others might not understand how this situation would help his ns, but not understanding was proof that Kyran''s nning was already sessful.


    Ignoring Matias''s struggle and constant cursing, Kyran looked at the crowd and bowed his head a little.


    "Once again, let me apologize for such an unsightly scene that you all have to witness," he straightened his back and smiled, "I take full responsibility for what just happened. Topensate for taking too much of your time, how about I make a magic item for everyone you free of charge?"


    The crowd burst out in excitement. Though some of them had been influenced by Matias''s remark earlier, if someone told them they would get a free magic item, it did not matter whether the quality was subpar. As long as an Array Specialist made it, its quality would still be higher than magic items crafted by a cksmith.


    Hearing Kyran''s announcement, the older man was further convinced of his spection.


    By giving people his personally crafted magic items, they would know of his work. Moreover, depending on the magic item''s quality, as Chairman Noir''s disciple, his reputation would also increase.


    Not to mention, Lady Mimi and Lady Millie were among the crowd. If they were satisfied with Disciple Tyr''s work, the Courtenay Family would have to admit that Lady Millie lost to someone with real skills. They might even be willing to back Disciple Tyr. The Courtenay Family had an Array Specialist, but that was it. He was only a specialist, not a master. And that specialist was already an older man. Compared to Disciple Tyr, thetter''s future had greater possibilities.


    Mimi sneered. She was one of the few selected children of the Courtenay main branch who had been taught to lead the Family''s businesses. Because of this, it was impossible for her not to see what Disciple Tyr''s motives were when he offered to craft free magic items.


    Looking at the position of the people among the crowd, most of them held a position in their own n or faction. If Tyr ended up crafting quality magic items, all these people would definitely spread the word.


    ''Crafty,'' Mimi thought. She did not detest Tyr''s actions, though. As a matter of fact, she approved of it. Thinking of this, she stole a sideways nce at her sister and could not help but sigh at the look of admiration on the younger woman''s face.


    ''If Disciple Tyr made a name for himself, maybe the family will consider recruiting him. When that happens, I''ll suggest having Millie personally show him around. In any case, it''s still an if. If Disciple Tyr''s magic item were only so-so, I would convince Millie to stop fawning over him!''


    While these thoughts were swirling in Mimi''s mind, Millie, on the other hand, could only look at Kyran with pure admiration.


    As for Kyran, after announcing creating a magic item for each of them, he instructed the older man to record all their names, except for Matias. Then he asked Gunter to take care of Matias.


    After that, he bowed to the crowd once more before making his way toward the exit.<sub> </sub>


    When he passed by Mimi and Millie, he bowed at them as thanks for standing up to him earlier before pulling his hood over his head.


    "S-So cool...." Millie could not help but sigh as Kyran passed her by.


    This, of course, was heard by Kyran, who gave her an awkward smile before pulling the ck cloth around his neck to cover his lower face.


    Kyran''s action instantly made Millie''s heart skip a beat. Mimi, who saw the subtle exchange, could only shake her head and smile slightly.


    Suddenly, Mimi thought of something, and her smile widened.


    As soon as Kyran passed through the exit and fewer people were paying attention, his demeanor suddenly changed. In an instant, the somewhat amiable look in his eyes was reced by coldness.


    [What you did just now is so unlike you.]


    Nn''s voice suddenly spoke in his head. He had been stealthily following Kyran since he went out from the cksmiths and Array Specialists department.


    [That''s because I''m Disciple Tyr, right now.]


    Nn chuckled. He was already aware of Kyran''s ns, and though they did not discuss every step he would take, Nn could more or less guess Kyran''s intentions.


    [Aren''t you afraid you''d implicate the Conve in what you''ve done? That moronic kid is a member of one of the Three Noble Families.]


    [I know.]


    Kyran replied indifferently as he left the cksmith Order''s premises.


    [If he had a guardian with him, you''d be in a tight position.]


    [I won''t.]


    [Oh? Aren''t you confident.]


    [I already confirmed there were no such people outside or near the cksmith Order before making my move earlier. In any case, you''re there. I can always push those annoying people your way.]


    Nn furrowed his brows at him.


    [Why you little¡ª.]


    [If I can''t use you, I can always have T1 take over.]


    [T1?]


    [My puppet.]


    [Ahahahaha! Such ame naming sense.]


    Nn burst out inughter.


    [Shut up.]


    Kyran replied as he turned a corner.


    As soon as he did, he vanished into thin air.


    When Nn saw this, he smirked and undid his stealth spell. However, soon after, his expression turned sober. He already sensed Kyran''s change, but at the moment, he had not decided if it was for the better.


    Others failed to sense it. But ever since Kyran stepped out of his workstation, he had been exuding such an intense killing intent. Only those who experienced life and death situations countless times or had been exposed to killings and murderings in a long period of time would be able to detect it.


    ''Well, me, you had your wish. The kid''s heart won''t waver now. Just don''t go whining when Rin finds out,'' Nn thought as he transmitted his memories directly to his original self.


    Chuckling at the thought, Nn shook his head as ck particles seeped out from under his cloak.


    Then, he also disappeared amidst ck smoke in a blink of an eye.

 Chapter 279 The Monthly Inspections

    Kyran appeared inside the room he stayed in when he was in the Tower of Conve.


    He wandered his eyes and found the ce looking the same as he hadst seen it, five years ago.


    ''Right,'' he paused his train of thought. ''In real-time, only a few weeks had passed since then.''


    Not even a minute had passed, the door to the room burst open and Ste, wearing a flowing white dress flew in, in a rush.


    "Kyran!" She called, her face was full of smiles.


    Kyran turned to look at her.


    Though it had only been a few weeks in real-time since theyst saw each other, Ste''s expression appeared otherwise. To her, not knowing about Kyran''s whereabouts for weeks felt like years. Truth be told, the reason why some of the council members were not present was because she had asked them to personally look for any traces of Kyran. She would not have resorted to this if Nn just told her.


    Good thing Nn, whether it was the real one or his essence, was not around. Because if he was, and he noticed Ste''s expression, he would have teased her for bing a certified stalker.


    Without caring for her image as the Lord of the Tower, Ste wrapped her arms around Kyran''s neck as soon as she was close enough to do so.


    If this happened before Kyran went to the tower, he would have evaded Ste or even t-out stopped her approach by pressing his hand on her head. This time, however, he did nothing to stop or push her away.


    Truth be told, Kyran felt a littlefort after seeing her. It was as if her presence assured him that he had really returned to the Human ne.


    Apart from this, he actually missed Ste''s excessive and unsolicited concern. Because for the past few years he had stayed in the Tower of Tribtion and experienced a lot of things, one thing hecked was someone asking how he was.


    Kyran was not alone in his training. True Void had recovered after almost two years, but he was not someone who would ask Kyran''s well-being. Besides, they were together all the time so asking how Kyran was, was needless.


    As for the people he met along the way, well¡­.


    "Nn said he''d take you somewhere to train but did not tell me where and he refused to say anything more," Ste said as she tightened her arms around Kyran.


    "Knowing him... I know it is a dangerous ce. But then a few days ago he returned without you..." her voice faltered. As if holding Kyran close to her was not enough, Ste also buried her face in his chest. "But all of that did not matter. I''m d you came back safe and sound."


    Kyran remained silent while she spoke. He could feel her body trembling, as if trying her best to control the torrent emotions she was currently feeling.


    Subconsciously, Kyran lifted his arms tofort her, but when his eyes caught sight of his hands, all of the sudden, a scene seemed to ovep from his field of view.


    His visions blurred and the next moment, he saw his hands full of blood.


    Then, the previously well-lit room, also ovepped with another scene. It was and painted in red, where mutted corpses could be seen scattered everywhere. The sky was also red, and what appeared to be either the moon or the sun, was actually ck. From a distance, there was a wide in filled with thick long stakes impaled with mangled bodies that resembled humans, and human-like beasts.


    Hovering above the in of stakes was a huge ck figure cloaked with what appeared to be a cloud of ck smoke. Its red eyes, though hidden under the cloak of ck smoke glowed menacingly as it stared at Kyran.


    "You brought this cmity... the legacy which you hold will only attract chaos¡­"


    Kyran abruptly closed his eyes, dissolving the scene before him in darkness. However, he knew that closing his eyes would not really make a difference. Even if his physical eyes could no longer see that scene, it would forever be imprinted in his mind''s eye.


    Because that scene happened, and what the huge ck figure had said, was true.


    The past five years he had experienced in the Tower of Tribtion, was indeed a tribtion to him, especially after understanding more about his magic. It even gave him an idea as to why his predecessor ended up dead.


    As Kyran opened his eyes, he saw his hands which were about to touch Ste, suspended midway. They no longer appeared bloody. But after recalling that scene, instead of holding her, he lowered them again.


    Kyran had no thoughts about feeling ''unclean.'' He was not an emotional nor a sentimental person. In the past, he did act out of sorts when it came to his family, but that was different matter. The reason he stopped himself from touching Ste was because he did not want tofort her half-heartedly.


    Besides, Kyran knew Ste had misgivings about being the new Time Keeper. It was for this reason, she would decide things which would be favorable to him. Not to mention, her feelings of ''attachment'' toward him.


    Nevertheless, even if Ste''s feelings might be influenced by the previous Time Keeper''s memories, and was not really directed to him, Kyran still felt grateful for her concern and wanted to somehow repay her.


    In the end, he decided to repay her in the most direct and simple way.


    Taking a slow deep breath, Kyran leaned a little closer at Ste''s ears and said in an almost inaudible whisper, "Thank you."


    Upon hearing Kyran speak close to her ears, Ste''s ears tingled and her cheeks instantly turned red. She btedly realized how tightly she was holding on to him and stepped back at once.


    Ste was not feeling self-conscious of what she was doing, alright. She stepped back because her heart had begun to pound loudly in her chest, she was afraid Kyran would hear it.


    Wait, wasn''t that the same as feeling self-concious?


    "I... I know you already warned me to be mindful of my actions so no one else will misunderstand... Uhm... I... I am just happy to see you are okay. Ahaha... T-That hug just now was¡­ had n-no special meaning. A-Anyway, there are no other people here so t-there''s no one else who would misunderstand," she exined.


    "I know, don''t worry about it," Kyran replied, somehow amused at how she was exining herself by pointing out something so obvious. Besides, he was not misunderstanding her actions because he already knew why she was acting this way.


    As Kyran listened to Ste''s stuttering, he was suddenly reminded of Cyneah, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.<sub> </sub>


    Just a few seconds ago, he had been feeling a little out of sorts after remembering a very bad experience he had in the tower, but now, he admitted Ste''s attempt to mask her embarrassment somehow improved his mood.


    Apart from this, remembering Cyneah also inadvertently made Kyran think of Zephyr and his promise to protect the Shaiha.


    Thinking of this, Kyran resolved to take care of things here in Starhorn as soon as possible so he could go back and fulfill his promise.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran''s expression turned serious. He lowered his hood and removed the cloth covering half of his face, before taking off the face-altering mask.


    Then he started to get down to business, "I''ve more or less understood the current situation. But I think there is a much-pressing matter right now."


    Seeing Kyran changed the subject so soon, Ste could not help but pout.


    ''Typical Kyran,'' she thought and sighed inwardly.


    However, Ste did not want Kyran to think she was acting unreasonable and decided to swallow any retort of discontent she was about to say. Besides, Kyran was right. There was a much-pressing matter they had to deal with right now.


    Ste adjusted her mindset as she looked at Kyran. Nodding her head to acknowledge what he had just said she replied, "You''re right."


    "How much time do we have?" He asked once again.


    Ste sighed, "We just received the letter yesterday. Although its only for formality and we already know when they normally arrive. Anyway, it said they wille here next week but..."


    She paused for a second in hesitation.


    "¡­but that doesn''t mean they will not start the inspection ahead of time," Kyran guessed, while looking at Ste''s expression.


    "¡­ Yes," she finally replied after a few seconds.


    Kyran slowly nodded his head, "Did the letter say when and who will arrive at Starhorn?"


    "No, but previously it will always be at least a Lt. General," Ste replied.


    "Not this time," Kyran told her with a slight shake of his head.


    Ste looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    Instead of answering her, Kyran asked her a question, "I heard the leaders of all factions in the empire went to the pce. Are they still there?"


    "They already left a couple of days ago."


    "Did anything else happened after they left?"


    Ste thought for a moment and shook her head, "Nothing note worthy. I guess, if you think the Emperor meeting with the Grand Marshal and the Deputy Marshals is suspicious, then it is worth taking note of."


    Kyran nodded, and made his way to the door, "I''ll help reinforce the tower''s defensive array. After that, make sure the rest of the council members are in Starhorn. As for Malek, make sure to have him close to you."


    Ste''s eyes narrowed at Kyran''s words. For some reasons, she felt as if he knew something they did not and it was making her feel nervous.


    "Kyran," she called.


    Kyran paused and looked back at her.


    "Do you know something?" Ste asked straightaway. At this point, she would not beat around the bush, after all, it had something to do with the Conve.


    Kyran stared at her for a few seconds, contemting how much he should tell her.


    The truth, Ste''s suspicion was on point. Kyran did know something. And the only reason why he knew it was because, right now, he had control over the magic detector of the army in Starhorn.


    After a short pause, Kyran finally replied, "A couple of hours before I arrived, there is a record of someone with a powerful background entering Starhorn."


    Ste''s eyes widened in shock, "Do you know who?"


    She did not ask how Kyran knew because she already sensed a change in him. Although she had not pinpoint what changes ured to him, she more or less guessed, one of it was his mastery over his magic. After all, he entered Starhorn without triggering its improved magic detector.


    Kyran hesitated for a moment. But then he recalled how True Void had said that Ste''s predecessor was also his predecessor''s friend, and felt it was better for her to be prepared.


    Aside from this, the person with the powerful background was connected to the person who manipted the truth about the previous Void Master.


    "It''s the Crown Princess," Kyran replied.

 Chapter 280 Preparation

    "The Crown Princess?" Ste repeated in surprise.


    The Conve of the East had thergest and most intricate informationwork in the empire. For this reason, it was close to impossible for people to hide things from them.


    As for tracking the whereabouts of known people in the empire, their information was far more reliable than other factions. Though they would not urately pinpoint the exact location of these people, they would at least keep tabs on their activities almost in real-time.


    Note that the keyword here was ''would not,'' meaning if they wanted to, they would be able to. And for this was why Ste was surprised to know the Crown Princess had actually arrived in Starhorn. As far as theirwork was concerned, the Crown Princess had never left the pce.


    Kyran saw Ste''s surprise and somewhat disbelief in her eyes. But he did not try to convince her and went on his way out of the room.


    Seeing Kyran leave, Ste snapped out of her reverie and went after him.


    "Kyran wait!"


    Outside they found Malek, with Hugh, Malia, and Noir had already arrived. Behind them, Nn''s essence was following close by. There were also a few people in the tower training outside.


    When Malek saw Kyran was not wearing any disguise, his brow furrowed at once, and he was about to use his domain to obscure Kyran''s appearance from the rest of the people outside. However, Kyran was a tad faster in moving. With a wave of his right hand, all of them suddenly disappeared.


    And when they reappeared, they found themselves inside the Tower''s conference hall.


    The fluency of Kyran''s movement caused all of the council members'' minds to reel.


    When Malek and the others disappeared back in the training grounds, those who saw them gaped in surprise.


    "W-Where?''


    "Wasn''t Head Master Malek and the others just standing outside the training hall''s entrance?"


    "I think I saw the Lord of the Tower flew in earlier. Maybe the Lord has used the tower''s transportation array to transport them out?"


    "I did not see any array, though."


    "Is that even important? She''s the Lord of the Tower. She can do anything within the tower."


    "Ah, now that you say that. You''re absolutely right."


    The people outside murmured among themselves. Though they were surprised, they did not overthink it because they had seen the Lord of the Tower use the tower''s transportation array in the past.


    Meanwhile, in the tower''s conference hall, the four council members were shaken to their core. Although, Malek and Hugh, being a Magus, were able to conceal their surprise. Noir and Malia, on the other hand, gaped at Kyran inplete shock.


    However, Kyran ignored their look of surprise and made his way to the seat he had taken thest time he was here.


    As he did, he passed by Malek, who gave him a profound look.


    When Kyran saw this, he returned Malek''s gaze and said, "Well, hello to you again. It''s been err¡­ a few weeks now but has your body recovered well?"


    Malek''s brow furrowed in an instant. Before he could retort, however, Ste had spoken first.


    "Kyran, just now¡ª d-did you just¡ª?" She stammered.


    Kyran looked at her, "Warp? Yes, I did."


    Then he paused as if recalling something and added, "Ah, right. Don''t worry. Before I am not familiar with how to warp others along with me, so they tend to get sick. But that won''t happen¡­ unless I intend to."


    "No," Ste started but stopped, then frowned slightly, "What I mean, okay."


    As if realizing something, her expression turned grim, and she shook her head, "No! That''s not what I want to say!"


    Ste looked at Kyran worriedly and pointed, "What if someone recognizes your aura when you use such a powerful magic?"


    "Powerful magic? Warping? You''re thinking too much," Kyran brushed off her concern, "Warping is just a basic skill."


    Upon hearing Kyran''s offhanded remark, the expressions of the four council members turned nk. Their worldview seemed to have gone a dramatic change just by his words.


    Kyran caught sight of Noir, and he immediately stopped to face him before lowering his head in a bow.


    "Master Noir," he greeted.


    Noir snapped out of his stupor and looked at Kyran in mild surprise, "No, please. I¡­"


    Kyran straightened and smiled slightly at Noir.


    "Though I''m only borrowing Tyr''s identity, the fact that you taught me the fundamentals of Array doesn''t change. If you feel ufortable with my address then¡ª."


    "No, that''s fine." Noir replied at once. Then he cleared his throat and added, "I just did not think you''ll feel that way¡­ But well, anyway. Thank you. I may not be your real master, but if you ever needed any help, just let me know."


    Kyran suddenly smiled awkwardly and said, "Actually, I do. But we can talk about thatter."


    Noir gaped for a second before nodding his head in agreement. Howe it felt as if Kyran had led him on?


    Kyran made his way to his seat and looked at them.


    The four council members still looked a little confused.


    "Kyran," Ste started. But then she stopped, clearly unsure where to start.


    Kyran looked at her, then to the rest of the council members before looking to the side, where Nn''s essence was currently leaning casually at one of the columns, silently looking at them.


    Nn had lowered his cloak, but the expression he wore at the moment was unreadable.


    Earlier, the reason why Kyran did not continue to talk to Ste was that he sensed Malek and the other three council members'' presence nearby. Since he did not want to discuss such an important matter in the training room, he went out to take all of them to the conference hall.


    Instead of waiting for them and telling them to change locations, Kyran felt it was faster to meet them halfway and warp them.


    "I''ll make this short, but take a seat first," he told them.<sub> </sub>


    Malek looked at Kyran with a strange glint in his eyes. If he had to be honest, something about the young man before him felt different. Kyran seemed to show his animosity bymenting about Malek''s body, but there was no real ill-intent. To Malek, Kyran even sounded like he was making fun of him, simr to how friends do.


    The thought made Malek shiver inwardly. What the hell was he even thinking?


    After a short awkward silence, Malek was the first to move and walked toward his seat.


    His action seemed to trigger a domino effect, as the rest followed suit.


    Nn, however, remained in his spot and still looked at them with an unreadable expression.


    Once the council members were seated, as well as Ste, Kyran started.


    "Right now, I know you''re all rushing to fix the defensive array because the Royral Army''s monthly inspection is just around the corner. But I can say this now, you won''t make it in time."


    Noir sighed at his words.


    The truth, when Sigma barged in their meeting, they were discussing this very matter. They already anticipated the monthly inspection would soone, but they were confident they would be ready before then. Unfortunately, the letter camest night informing them the inspection would happen next week, almost a week ahead of their expectation.


    "But you don''t have to worry about that. I said this before. Since I caused the array''s destruction, I''ll help fix it," Kyran told them.


    Ste looked at him, "You''ve already done enough."


    "Let''s say I do. Are you going to prevent me from helping and let the army know about the array?" Kyran replied without looking at her.


    Ste fell silent. He had a point.


    It did not matter whether Kyran had already done enough to help them. They needed all the help they could get in fixing the array as soon as possible.


    Malek frowned slightly at Kyran''s attitude toward Ste. But because of the urgency of their situation, he chose to reign in his disapproval and instead asked, "If you help us, will we really make it in time?"


    Malek''s question was asked sincerely. There was no hint of disapproval nor derision from his words that Hugh, Malia and Noir was taken aback. They initially thought Malek would ridicule Kyran.


    Kyran looked at Malek. He was also surprised at thetter''s attitude.


    But then he guessed the urgency of their situation might have influenced Malek''s attitude. Apart from this, Malek was a Magus. He might have already noticed the changes in Kyran''s strength.


    "Yes," Kyran nodded in response to Malek''s question. "And you will have plenty of time to prepare for other things."


    Noir could not help but frown. It was not that he did not believe Kyran''s help would expedite the array''s restoration because he knew Kyran''s talent in Array. However, the other cause of dy in the array''s restoration was a shortage of materials.


    Because of the Royal Family''s decree and the refusal of the Conve to take part in the newly established Elite Force, they agreed to provide for the materials needed in upgrading the magic detectors.


    Unfortunately, some of the materials they needed were also the ones they needed in the tower''s array. In the end, they decided to prioritize the needs of the Elite Force to keep the Royal Family from asking why theycked materials.


    Before Noir could voice his opinion, Kyran had already guessed it, so he said, "You don''t have to worry about the materials."


    Even before he finished what he was saying, he reached out his right hand over to the big round table, and a purple mist appeared. The mist moved, and soon it turned into a perfect replica of the whole Tower of Conve, albeit in purple.


    If Kyran only created the tower''s replica, it would not cause them to look on in shock. However, as soon as the replica of the tower waspleted, it turned semi-transparent, and a dark shade of purple depicting the tower''s new defensive array''s formation ovepped with it.


    "T-This¡ª!" Noir eximed.


    The array formation within the tower''s replica had the exact details of every form and even the areas where it was still iplete because of ack of materials.


    But that was not the only reason Noir or the rest of the council was surprised.


    They were surprised that Kyran could replicate the whole array without even seeing the blueprint.


    "If you''re worried if the array''s blueprint has been leaked, I assure you it''s not. Currently, I replicated what I can see," Kyran told them.


    Malek and Hugh''s eyes instantly narrowed at Kyran''s words.


    As a Magus, they clearly understood what Kyran meant about ''seeing'', and their hearts trembled at once.


    Nn, who was silently looking at them, could not help but sneer. He already knew Kyran''s monstrous magic sense. Thus he was not surprised that Kyran could see a lot in such a short time.


    "Anyway, from what I can see, the array is about 70%plete," Kyran continued.


    "I..." he paused before saying, "I''ll take care of the rest, but I request you pull everyone from the order out."


    "Alright," Malek was the one who agreed at once.


    Noir did not say anything since it was the Head Master''s decision.


    Ste as well remained silent and let Malek handle the rest. She was not entirely clueless about arrays, but at the moment, she was trying to sort her thoughts about the matter regarding the Crown Princess''s arrival at Starhorn.


    Kyran nodded and looked at Noir before continuing, "Master Noir, I will make some changes in the calction. Will that be okay?"


    Noir raised his brows in surprise.


    "I suppose... if it will help the tower''s defenses, then that is alright," he answered. "But can I see it before you do?"


    "Of course," Kyran replied. Then he nced in Nn''s direction before adding, "In case others noticed the array has changed, please tell them he was the one who did it."


    No one objected. They more or less understood why Kyran requested it. Besides, they initially wanted to ask Nn''s assistance after realizing Ste employed his services because he was adept in Array.


    Unfortunately, Nn was not interested in helping them and was only here because he waited for Kyran.


    "Finally," Kyran continued as he lowered his hand. The replica of the tower and its defensive array slowly dissolved in the air.


    "What I''m about to say is just my own conjectures, but I hope you will keep it in mind when you make your own preparations."


    Kyran''s words piqued Malek and the other three council members'' interest.

 Chapter 281 Unexpected Guests

    After telling the council members his intention to fix the tower''s array, Kyran spent at least fifteen minutes telling them his thoughts about the monthly inspection. The expressions of the council members, especially Malek had turned unsightly as soon as Kyran finished sharing his thoughts.


    Their reaction was expected. As the Conve''s council members, if they heard someone telling them that the Royal Family might have some designs on usurping the Conve, would not take it positively. Regardless if the news was true or not. Even more so, if it was said by someone they knew would not say anything just to sow discord.


    Kyran had no proof to back his conjectures, that was why he told them to keep what he said in mind right from the start. After that, he let the council members discuss the matter among themselves. He might have shared his thoughts with them but he had no intentions of meddling with their next course of action.


    They had their own ideas and take on the matter and Kyran would not tell them what they should do.


    From the start, the only reason why Kyran agreed toe in the tower was to check the restoration of the defensive array. He wanted to make sure it would be restored before the monthly inspection to cover the fact that he had been there and made a ruckus.


    Ste understood this well and so she asked Malek and Hugh to continue discussing what they could do before the inspection. As the Lord of the Tower, she knew who to entrust such tasks among the Conve council members. Besides, Malek had been operating the Conve''s business for a long time and knew it better than Ste.


    Of course, Malek was not entirely clueless that the real reason Ste wanted them to handle the matter by themselves, was that she had a different matter to discuss with Kyran and Nn.


    As for the others, they also had some ideas and discreetly refrain from saying anything when Ste excused herself with Kyran and Nn.


    A few minutester, the three, Kyran, Nn and Ste were now inside her office in the South Tower.


    Ste''s office was simrly decorated to the mezzanine area in her study room, except there were no floating candles.


    Kyran did not sit on one of the seat cushions and instead leaned on the windowsill. Nn, on the other hand, chose to lean by the door, standing guard in case others decided to eavesdrop.


    Ste did not insist on them taking a seat and sat at the head of the table. Honestly, she was unsure where to start with the things she wanted to tell Kyran. Especially so with what the Queen of Faes had told her.


    But, even while she was pondering this, Kyran had already spoken.


    "The reason the Crown Princess is here, has something to do with what happened right after all the faction leaders had left the pce."


    Ste''s brow furrowed at once as she looked at Kyran.


    "You mean the meeting I told you about?"


    Kyran nodded. He raised his hand and as purple mist formed above the table. It shifted about and soon formed into a map projecting the whole Starhorn City including a few hundred meters of the forest area around it.


    While the whole map was depicted in purple, currently there were several reddish-purple dots scattered around the forest. There were also a couple of dozens at a certain area inside the city.


    "This is...?" Ste asked her eyes widening in disbelief.


    "I have control over the army''s magic detector. This is a real-time projection of what I can see from their end," Kyran exined.


    Ste stopped short and did a double take as she looked at Kyran.


    "Wait. What did you say?" She asked looking at him incredulously.


    Even Nn raised his brows after hearing Kyran admitted having control over the army''s magic detector. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as hemit this scene in his memory in order to send to his original self.


    "You heard me right," Kyran replied. "But let''s not talk about that. Can you tell me whose mansion is located in that part?"


    Though Kyran had visibility of what the magic detector could see and some of the establishments had records of who owned it, unfortunately, there were some areas where it was concealed. This was the case with the location where there were several reddish-purple dots on the map.


    Ste did not answer at once. Her mind was still trying to grasp the fact that Kyran had control over the army''s magic detector.


    The very magic detector almost every faction in the empire were trying their best to decipher in order to create a device to counter its probing ability.


    Seeing Ste''s expression, Kyran could not help but sigh inwardly. He should not have casually told her about having control over the army''s magic detector.


    "Ste, focus." Kyran called her attention.


    Snapping out of her reverie, Ste took a deep breath and pushed the matter of the magic detector at the back of her mind for now.


    Kyran was right. She had to focus. What he was showing them had something to do with why he believed the Royal Family nned to usurp the Conve.


    Focusing her attention back at the map before her, Ste studied it for a while. Soon her face turned grim as he realized where those reddish-purple dots were currently gathered.


    "That''s the Courtenay residence," she answered.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s eyes flickered only for a second. If Ste was looking at him, she would have seen how his eyes had turned cold and even murderous.


    "So the Crown Princess is staying there?" Ste asked, but was not really asking a question. At the moment, she was beginning to put together some recent information they had gathered in her head.


    If she also include what the Queen of Faes told her, then Kyran''s suspicion was warranted.


    ''But Kyran did not know about the Crown Princess yet,'' Ste wondered as she turned to look at Kyran. Now was the right time to tell him.


    "Kyran, about the Crown Princess. The truth, a few days ago she¡ª."


    Even as Ste had started speaking, a loudmotion could already be heard from the outside.


    Kyran who was the first one to notice this looked out the window.


    ''That''s¡ª!''


    He did not only look using his eyes, but also through magic sense and immediately sensed few familiar auras approaching the Tower of Conve.


    Nn and Ste also used their magic sense to see what was happening outside, but unlike Kyran, Ste''s magic sense could only cover a few hundred meters around the Tower. As for Nn, since he was only an essence, his magic sense was halved and could more or less cover the same range as Ste''s.


    The two immediately frowned as they heard what themotion was about.


    It appeared, the Tower of Conve''s Security Unit patrolling outside had seen three unknown carriages approaching the tower. They were still miles away but since there were no indication outside the carriage of who it belonged to, it had caused quite a stir among them.


    They rarely had outsiderse to the Tower of Conve. And after suffering an unexpected attack just this month, they were all vignt.


    A member of the Security Unit was already on his way to inform Malek, as soon as he received the message. While the rest were busy making their own preparations.


    Kyran sensed the movements of almost every member of the Security Unit, but knew that although the carriage was still miles away, they would not be able to prepare anything in time.


    In that instant, Kyran made a split second change in his ns. He took out his face-altering mask and put it on. Then he took out two pentagon-shaped tokens that were made of jade. His eyes glowed as he input some details on one of the tokens before walking over to Ste.


    Ste was already on her feet and was about to go to the door when Kyran stopped her.


    "Kyran¡ª."


    "Go to the conference hall and tell Malek we have some change of ns," Kyran stopped her mid-sentence.


    [What did you see, kid?]


    Nn who had been silent from the start, asked. But he did not want Ste to know their conversation and opted to ask the question telepathically.


    Without looking at him, Kyran replied.


    [Familiar auras.]


    To anyone who heard Kyran''s reply, they would be confused. However, Nn had been with him for some time and was now quite familiar to some of his habits.


    ? Kyran would not answer this way if Nn would not understand. Meaning, if Kyran was familiar with the auras approaching, then Nn too.


    At the moment, since Nn''s magic sense had weakened he could not determine whose auras were they. Still, he could more or less guess who they were after seeing those reddish-purple dots.


    Kyran handed the pentagon-shaped tokens to Ste and began to bark onemand after another, "Give this to Master Noir and tell him to meet me at the center of the array formation. Then have Senior Sigma gather every specialists inside the tower and stay in the receiving area. As for Chairman Hugh, and Chairman Malia..."


    Kyran paused with a slight frown. He actually wanted to speak with Hugh separately about his condition and help fixed it before the inspection. That way, the Conve had another ''card'' up their sleeves if something happened. Unfortunately, they had encountered an unforeseen situation.


    "... hide them in your quarters."


    Ste frowned at this, "Hide them?"


    "Just trust me," Kyran insisted.

 Chapter 282 Why The Crown Princess Had Come

    Ste looked at Kyran and wanted to say something, but, upon seeing the look in his eyes, decided to keep it to herself.


    She was not entirely clueless as to why he might be acting like this. From all the new information the Conve had gathered these past few days, plus the Queen of Faes'' warning, she could more or less make her own spections of who wasing to the tower.


    Turning her attention back to the real-time projection of the army''s magic detector in Starhorn City still hovering above the table, she saw a few reddish-purple dots moving at a steady but rming speed toward the direction of the Tower of Conve.


    "I did not expect for them toe today," Ste muttered under her breath.


    They already anticipated the army doing an early inspection. But this was way too early.


    The truth was the Conve still had some contingency ns in ce in situations like this. They were not entirely helpless. Though the destroyed defensive array might be something hard to exin, they could stille up with an excuse which in turn would exin why the other council members were there.


    There was no need to hide them. Besides, the army probably already knew some of the Conve council members were here.


    With a sigh, Ste looked at Kyran and said, "Since it has alreadye to this, I''ll activate the tower''srge-scale Time Magic Array and¡ª."


    "There''s no need for that," Kyran told her while shaking his head. "Activating such an array without the tower''s defensive array in ce will only attract the attention of others. They might not recognize what kind of magic it is, but the fact that the Conve has a trump card like that on top of having two Magus''s, will definitely attract trouble."


    When Kyran said others, Ste already knew whom he meant. It was not the army or the Royal Family, but those factions that were also keeping an eye on them. As for having two Magus''s among their ranks, it was true that Hugh had an illness but he was still a Magus.


    "I know you guys have your own way of dealing with situations such as this. Believe me, I want nothing more than let you guys deal with it by yourselves," Kyran continued. "But knowing there''s a small chance they will be able to recognize my trace from the tower''s damaged defensive array, I can''t stay still."


    Nn leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. Others would probably not notice how Kyran subtly revealed who wereing, but he did. Who else would be able to recognize his trace but those people who already made contact with him?


    ''Come to think of it, the kid did not kill that woman,'' Nn thought and inwardly sighed as he recalled the co-creator of the Four-colored Ruin Array. Now Kyran had to face the consequence of his decision back then.


    Ste was able to take the hint and did not argue. However, she still disapprove of Kyran taking everything on his own again.


    Sensing Ste''s reluctance, Kyran changed the subject and pointed at one of the tokens he gave her.


    "Give that token to Chairman Hugh," he said and did not provide further exnation. Then he looked at Ste straight in the eye that even with the gravity of their situation, thetter could not help but turn red.


    "Last, make sure to keep out of sight."


    This instantly rouse Ste''s ire. All her life, she had done nothing but keeping out of sight. Having someone tell her that, even if that someone was Kyran, did not sit well with her.


    "I am the Lord of the Tower, why should I do that in my own territory?"


    "Have you shown yourself when the army does their inspections?" Kyran asked patiently.


    Ste frown slightly and replied, "Well, no. But¡ª."


    "Keep it that way."


    "Keep¡ª Kyran!"


    Kyran looked at Nn who was looking at them with an annoying smirk on his face. He could almost guess what Nn was thinking and could only sigh inwardly. Even as an essence, this uncle still loved to melodramatize what he sees. But Kyran chose to ignore it, else Nn might start spouting nonsense which would fluster Ste.


    Without saying anything and only giving Nn a meaningful look, Kyran warped out.


    "Wait! We are not done here!" Ste shouted. However, Kyran was already gone even before she could finish what she was saying.


    As soon as Kyran left, the real-time projection of the army''s magic detector on the table also vanished.


    In that exact moment, four women sat inside the middle carriage that was fast approaching the Tower of Conve.


    One of the woman was in her mid-twenties with lush reddish-brown hair and emerald green eyes in a green army uniform. She was one of the first auras that Kyran had recognized when he had used his magic sense to probe the iing carriages.


    The woman was none other than, Vera.


    Sitting next to Vera was a woman Kyran had be familiar too that day. She was wearing a light blue dress, and had short blonde hair with olive green eyes. The woman was Mimi and across her, sat Millie, who was also wearing a light blue dress.


    As for the fourth one, the truth, Kyran also felt a sense of familiarity with her aura. But there was also something different that he could not put his finger on.


    The woman, looked young, however, she was also the most beautiful. She wore a white long gown, with intricate golden linings and a matching golden crown. Her wavy long light brown hair hang loosely on her shoulders, and her sapphire blue eyes glowed as if somehow a light was shining upon them.


    She was the Ylfaen Empire''s Crown Princess, Haylee.<sub> </sub>


    "Your Highness, you really need note with us. It is almost nightfall and the forest going to the Tower of Conve might be dangerous," Mimi was saying.


    Haylee looked at her and smiled. A smile that could instantly melt the heart of anyone who sees it.


    "I trust my royal guards," she replied.


    At her words, Vera immediately lowered her head.


    To be honest, she had yet to fully understand how she ended up escorting the Crown Princess to the Starhorn City.


    A few days ago, they suddenly had an order to pull out from the Regis Estate. Vera was disgruntled at the order because they had not established any contact from their people who managed to enter the Inner Walls yet. If they pulled out and their people was able to find a way to send out amunication, how could they respond at once.


    Unfortunately, no matter what Vera told Jax, thetter could only ry the orders.


    Regarding the matter of the Regis n, Vera only knew that another team had taken over. She remembered Jax looking very disappointed when the order had been given. Even Luka looked grim.


    Vera could understand, after all, the issue to pull out was not made by the Grand Marshal but the Emperor himself. Though she did not fully understand the intricate rtionship among the higher ups, Vera knew at least that the Emperor never meddled with the affairs of the Royal Army anymore. For him to suddenly step forward and took over came as a shock to all of them.


    However, this also caused a lot of questions to fill Vera''s mind. She was aware that the Grand Marshal was trying to keep the matter about the Regis a secret to avoid mass panic, and while the Emperor had not announce it, the fact that the Royal Family was now involved, Vera believed it would only be a matter of time before the public knew about the Regis. Especially, Kyran Regis.


    Apart from this, the Grand Marshal''s decision to employ mercenaries to look for Kyran had been revealed.


    It was one of the reasons the Emperor had specifically let the Crown Princess attend the monthly inspection of the Royal Army to the Conve of the East. The Emperor wanted her to investigate how much the Conve knew about the matter with the Regis n.


    As for the Crown Princess, after she had read through all the reports submitted by the Mercenary Hall regarding Kyran Regis, she had wanted to meet the first mercenary who had reported seeing him.


    After finding out that the mercenary who submitted a report was actually the disciple of Chairman Noir, Tyr, the Crown Princess initially wanted toe to the cksmith Order to meet with Chairman Noir and then have him summon Tyr.


    Unfortunately, Chairman Noir had been staying in the Tower of Convetely, and thus, the Crown Princess had decided to go there.


    They first nned to go to the Tower of Conve tomorrow, but then Mimi, the ward assigned by the Courtenay Family to apany the Crown Princess, had told thetter what happened in the cksmith Order.


    The Crown Princess''s interest was piqued after hearing Mimi''s story about Tyr and could not wait for tomorrow to meet him. She immediatelymanded to summon Tyr in the Courtenay residence.


    But Mimi had told her that Tyr had left the order even before they did, and none of them knew where he went or when he would return.


    In the end, the Crown Princess decided to go to the Tower of Conve as soon as possible and have Chairman Noir, call for Tyr.


    "Uhm... your Highness," Millie, who was sat beside the Haylee suddenly spoke.


    Surprisingly, she was not as excited to see Disciple Tyr again. For some reasons, she felt afraid to have the Crown Princess meet him.


    Haylee looked at her, "Yes?"


    Millie instantly averted her eyes. She really had a hard time looking into Haylee''s eyes. It felt as if she could easily look into a person''s soul just by a single nce.


    "I-Is it really necessary to do all this just to meet Disciple Tyr?" She asked with her head lowered.


    The Courtenay Family were not aware of the real reason behind the Crown Princess''s visit to Starhorn. Officially, they only knew that she wanted to request Chairman Noir to create a magic weapon for her now that her magic level had just broken through to a higher level.


    Mimi looked at her sister and sighed inwardly. She could already guess Millie''s concern had something to do with her growing admiration for the young man.


    Haylee tilted her head to one side as she studied Millie''s face. Then she giggled while covering her mouth with one hand, "I am not going there to meet Disciple Tyr, Ms. Millie. I am there to find Chairman Noir. But since I am also interested to meet Tyr, then it wouldn''t hurt to ask Chairman Noir to summon him. Of course, if it was not possible then I won''t insist."


    Millie''s expression seemed to brighten after hearing Haylee''s words.


    However.


    "But... I admit, I have taken quite a bit of interest in him from Ms. Mimi''s story," Haylee said as her eyes glinted while looking at Millie. "Maybe I can ask Chairman Noir to take him with me back to the pce."


    Millie stopped short, as soon as she heard Haylee''s words. After a few seconds, she slowly lifted her gaze to look at her. This time, she dared to look into Haylee''s eyes.


    Haylee simply smiled back.


    To Millie however, Haylee''s smile was not reflected in her eyes. Instead, her sapphire blue eyes pierced coldly at her.

 Chapter 283 Royal Family Recruitment (1)

    Millie shivered involuntarily when she saw the coldness reflect in the Crown Princess''s eyes. Herplexion paled as she once again averted her gaze.


    She was suddenly reminded of some rumors circtingtely.


    While it was unclear to the Courtenay Family what business the Crown Princess had in Starhorn, there had been spections that the Emperor''s move in creating the Elite Force was not only to deal with the matter of Gray, but also to keep all of the different factions in the empire in check.


    It had been said that the Emperor had been nning this move for a long time. There were even rumors that he had decided this right after the incident with the Spirit attacking the Crown Princess.


    Though there were no evidence to back this up, the mere fact that the Emperor had been preparing the Crown Princess at such an early age to be his sessor said a lot.


    Of course, it was normal for the royal family to prepare their sessor at an early age. Even the noble families practiced this. What was worth taking note of, was the fact the Crown Princess possessed the bloodline of the Winfrey Family. The original rulers of the empire.


    And then there was another rumor that shook the heart of the Patriarchs from the Three Noble Families.


    It was said that after the Crown Princess''s birthday, she had left to visit the family''s Ancestral Land. However, no one was able to confirm which Ancestral Land she went to, because both the Arthall and the Winfrey Ancestral Lands had always been d with mystery.


    Either way, the Courtenay Family and the Montgomery Family, the oldest noble family in the empire along with the Regis, were convinced that the Crown Princess visited the Winfrey Ancestral Land. And if their spection was correct, then the empire was bound to face a drastic change in theing days.


    Thinking of this, Millie shivered. She was now beginning to think that the Royal Family''s first target was the Conve of the East. If this was true, it would only be a matter of time before the other noble families would be targeted.


    While the Crown Princess appeared to only be interested in talking business with Chairman Noir, Millie did not understand why she had to go directly to the Tower of Conve.


    She was the Crown Princess, as long as she decreed it, by the authority bestowed by the Emperor, she could summon anyone to the Countenay residence. Even if that someone was the leader of a big faction.


    From across the seat, the short exchange was witnessed by Mimi. The moment she saw her sister''s paleplexion, she was reminded of what the Courtenay Patriarch had told her this morning. She did not put it to heart not because she was making light of his words, but because even if he did not say it, she intended to do it.


    The Courtenay Patriarch''s words were:


    "Be vignt when dealing with the Crown Princess. Do not provoke her in any way."


    Now, Mimi could understand why the Patriarch used the words be vignt, instead of be careful. They truly had to stay vignt. Because the Crown Princess seemed to be showing a side they were not aware of.


    It was not a surprise that their impression of the Princess was different. After what happened involving a Spirit attack, she had never once made a public appearance. Only those approved personally by the Emperor were able to meet her, ever since.


    Those people had said that the Crown Princess was a very amiable and cheerful person. And Mimi also felt the same way when she met her the first time during hering of age birthday. It was still the same when she had arrived in the Courtenay residence this morning.


    However, at this moment, Mimi felt something waspletely different with the Crown Princess. And she honestly felt fearful.


    Suddenly, Haylee giggled at Millie''s reaction, "Ms. Millie, from what I can see, it appears you fancy, Disciple Tyr."


    A shade of red spread across Millie''s pale cheeks as she turned to look at Haylee again, "T-That''s not¡ª I w-wasn''t¡ª!"


    "Ahahaha!" Haylee, seemingly amused at seeing Millie''s difort, burst out inughter.


    Herughter was not exactly loud, it even had a melodious ring to it that all three women inside could not help but gape at her in fascination.


    "This is quite refreshing," Haylee remarked as she smiled at Millie.


    To Millie''s surprise and utter confusion, Haylee''s smile was not like the one she had earlier. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled, that all three of them felt their hearts were also moved.


    "I don''t get a chance to interact with other women my age¡­ or at least someone whose not that old from me. Apart from Macey, that is." Haylee said as she looked at Millie and Mimi.


    "Thank you for keeping mepany."


    "Your Highness¡­" Mimi and Millie were at a loss for words.


    They looked at Haylee with mixed emotions.


    The Crown Princess was such an enigma they could not figure out.<sub> </sub>


    Vera, who was silently observing from her seat, was the only one who realized that the Crown Princess had been testing the two Courtenay sisters from the start.


    And the Crown Princess''s verdict could not be seen from her expression, but the sudden magic barrier that she had summoned around her.


    The Courtenay sisters probably could not see it, but as a mage with Space magic, it was easy for Vera to see. Especially at how the space around the princess had distorted.


    ''From the short exchange the princess had with them, she was able to gauge their personality and thoughts. Princess Haylee determined Lady Millie can be easily manipted because of her childish infatuation. As for Lady Mimi, herck of reaction proved the Courtenay Patriarch already warned her to keep an eye on the princess.


    ''Though I am not sure how the princess was able to understand that, I could more or less guess it has something to do with her innate ability. An ability to understand a person''s heart.


    ''For a future ruler to have such a terrifying innate ability¡­ no wonder the Emperor ced the Crown Princess at such high regard. She will definitely be a formidable ruler.''


    Vera thought and smiled inwardly.


    Four hourster¡­.


    In the Tower of Conve, the Security Team were done with their prepartion. All of them were now wearing metal armors, and even had their magic weapons ready. Each team were now stationed in different key areas within the tower.


    Though most of them had just recovered from their injuries, none of them showed signs of fear. On the contrary, they all looked very determined to properly protect the Tower of Conve this time.


    Hugh and Malia, were now with Ste in her quarters. They were currently in Ste''s study and was watching a huge projection on the wall where all key areas of the Tower of Conve were being shown.


    In one of the key areas, in front of the South Tower, Malek stood with his golden staff, with a dark green spirit stone hovering a few inches on top of it. At the moment, it appeared to be ''sleeping.'' But if one looked closely, ripples of energy surrounded the spirit stone, giving a feeling of bursting into action with just a mere thought from Malek.


    At another projection, they could see all of the Array Specialists and cksmiths from the cksmith Order gathered at the receiving area. This receiving area was the one used when receiving guests, and not the one that Ste uses.


    Then there was the projection of an underground hall of the tower. This hall was where the core of the tower''s defensive array was located, and Noir, Sigma and Kyran were currently inside.


    Kyran sat in the middle of a glowing array calction with his eyes closed, while Noir and Sigma stood at the sides watching with shock expressions.


    For the past couple of hours, Kyran had not done anything but sat on the floor. If Noir and Sigma were not well-verse in array creation, they would probably think Kyran was still trying to analyze the whole calction. However, both of them had a deep knowledge in Array and was able to detect the forms inside the array changing constantly.


    Apart from this, Noir and Sigma could also feel the other key points of the whole array formation located at different areas of the tower was changing at the same time the core array calction was changing.


    Something that both of them knew was impossible to do.


    "In my years of researching all methods of array creation," Noir suddenly said, "I remembereding across a method, wherein one could simultaneously change the different parts of the array formation. In order to do this, however, one must achieved the highest level of control of magic sense."


    Sigma''s eyes widened after hearing Chairman Noir say this, he looked at him and said, "Does that mean this rascal¡ª I mean Kyran, was able to achieve that level?"


    "It is a possibility."


    "No way!" Sigma eximed but then mmed his mouth while looking at Kyran.


    Seeing that he did not disturb him, Sigma sighed inwardly and turned his attention back at Chairman Noir.


    "Chairman, something like that is impossible!" He said while shaking his head. "I''ve sparred with this rascal¡ª I mean Kyran, and he sucks in using magic sense. No. To say he sucks is still giving him credit. He doesn''t even know how to use it!"


    Noir sighed. He could understand Sigma''s doubts, but if attaining the highest level of magic sense was not the reason why Kyran could do this, then what?


    Apart from this, there was something else thatpletely overturned Noir''s worldview. It was the fact that Kyran had not once used any materials when he waspleting the calctions on the formation that could not bepleted due tock of materials.


    In the end, Noir could only smile slightly and reply, "The world is vast."


    Finally, after an hour, the three carriages had arrived in front of the Tower of Conve''s main gate.


    It was time to meet the people inside the carriage.

 Chapter 284 Royal Family Recruitment (2)

    A dozen members of the Tower of Conve''s Security Team formed two lines in front of the main gate. The head of the Security Team, Khalil, stood at the very front as he looked at the approaching carriage.


    The moment the first of the three approaching carriages arrived within 20 meters outside of the main gate, the tower''s defensive array activated, creating a semi-visible light golden half-sphere barrier that covered the whole Tower of Conve''s territory.


    "Please halt and state your business with the Tower of Conve," Khalil said, his voice reverberating outside the defensive array.


    The first carriage stopped at once, and the other two followed suit.


    The coachman of the first carriage leaned back and and turned to his side. His lips moved, however no sounds came out. It was as if he had transmitted his words somewhere else.


    Khalil and the rest of the Security Team members watched the carriages with vignce.


    Head Master Malek had told them the people inside the carriage were likely from the Royal Army and they were feeling a little apprehensive. They had already been briefed to take extra caution when dealing with them because there was a high likeness that their sudden visit was part of their inspection.


    After a few seconds, the first carriage''s door opened and a middle-aged man with short dark hair and simrly dark eyes, wearing a red uniform with golden linings stepped out.


    As soon as the middle-aged man had walked in front of the carriage, Khalil and the rest of the Security Team could not help but break out in cold sweat especially after seeing the five gold badges on his vest.


    In the Royal Army, someone at the level of Lt. General,parable to a Grand Master in mages, possessed five gold badges.


    Unfortunately, Khalil and the others did not recognize this man. That was the cause of their reaction. They were from the Tower of Conve, the faction possessing a vast informationwork and yet, they had no idea who this person was.


    The middle-aged man looked at Khalil and smiled, "We apologize for the sudden visit. I am Lt. General Reid and I am here as the leading convoy of the Crown Princess."


    All eyes of the Security Team members constricted after hearing Lt. General Reid''s words.


    At the same time, Malek, who was watching with his magic sense from the entrance of the South Tower, instantly frown. He was present when the Queen of Faes, White Lily, hade to warn the Lord of the Tower about the Crown Princess''s visit to the Winfrey Ancestral Land.


    That had happened a few days ago, and they had not heard any news after that.


    ''Now, she was the oneing for the monthly inspection?'' Malek thought, his grip on the staff tightened. He did not want to admit it but, it seemed what Kyran warned them was correct.


    Back at the main gates, Khalil stepped forward and lowered his head. The rest of the Security Team followed suit.


    "Lt. General, pardon us for stopping your group. We at the Tower of Conve had to stay vignt, especially with the matter of the bandits running amoktely," Khalil said.


    His words were not exactly a lie. For the past few days, they had seen a few group of bandits lurking around the area near the Tower of Conve. Although, none of the bandits dared to get close to the tower, that did not mean the Security Team had to lower their guards.


    Reid nodded his head and smiled in understanding, "Yes. A concern the Emperor has also taken ount. Rest assured that the Emperor heard the pleas of all the people and is already working on a fix to the situation."


    Hearing Reid''s words, the Security Team members could not help but grit their teeth inwardly. However, they did not let their discontent show on their faces.


    Lt. General Reid talked as if the Emperor was such a righteous leader who was concerned about his people''s welfare, when in the first ce, if he had not ordered to improve all magic detectors the matter about the bandits would not have happened.


    Khalil chose not toment and instead took a few steps forward.


    "Please produce proof of your identity. Afterwhich, we will have to inform the Head Master."


    Reid''s left eye twitched. He did not expect the Conve''s guards, no matter how lowly their position were, would still insist on showing proof of his identity. The Emperor had already warned him that the Tower of Conve might be a neutral faction, but it did not mean that they were pushovers. As a matter of fact, it was precisely because of their neutral status, that they were not afraid of other factions, not even the Royal Family.


    They were able to maintain their neutral status, because they had the power to do so.


    "Of course," Reid replied and raised his right hand.


    As soon as he did, all members of the Security Team lifted their weapons.


    Their action instantly made Reid frown, "Right now, you all are being rude, don''t you think?"


    "We are only doing our duty," Khalil replied unperturbed.


    "Just show him the proof."


    A calm, yet powerful voice of a young woman, suddenly reverberated in the air.


    The Security Team were rmed that they were about to raised their weapon and cast unveiling spells when a powerful deep voice sounded.


    "Calm down. Let them pass."


    As soon as the voice had spoken, Reid and all the coachmen had a sudden feeling of their insides tightening. It was as if the air in the surrounding was beingppressed by a powerful force which in turn affected the oxygen in their body.


    Blood trickled down the side of the lips of the coachmen and their eyes turned bloodshot.


    Reid on the other hand, employed his magic barrier, alleviating the effect of the pressure brought by the mere sound of the person''s voice. With his magic level, to only alleviate the pressure meant, the owner of the voice was someone who had a higher level than him.


    While Reid and the coachmen were feeling this way, all members of the Security Team including Khalil, looked normal.


    After hearing the voice, all of them stepped aside and Khalil gestured toward the main gates before looking at Reid.


    "You may now enter," Khalil said as the main gates slowly opened.


    Reid''s eyes turned red with fury. Being treated like this was something he could not tolerate. He was a Lt. General of the Royal Army and had been personally selected by the Emperor to be the lead convoy of the Crown Princess. To be disregarded like this gnaw at his heart.


    "Get back in the carriage, Lt. General Reid. Let us go in."


    Once again the calm yet powerful voice had spoken.<sub> </sub>


    Khalil and the others could not help but shiver after hearing the voice. It was spoken softly and without hostility, but for some reason, it shook their souls.


    Reid reign in his fury as he turned toward the second carriage and bowed, "As you wish, Crown Princess."


    All the members of the Security Team trembled involuntarily, after hearing Reid address the voice. The sudden fear they felt was not because they did not believe the Crown Princess was inside one of the carriage but the fact that the voice that could pierce their soul was actually the Crown Princess, herself.


    They all knew that the Crown Princess had just turned sixteen. Could a sixteen year old young woman possess such a power that by using only her voice could affect their souls?


    This level of power was almost the same as Head Master Malek!


    Reid returned to the first carriage and the three carriages finally entered the main gate of the Tower of Conve.


    Malek was the one who greeted them at the South Tower''s front steps.


    As soon as Reid stepped out of the carriage, he gave a ring look at Malek. He did not need to ask to know that it was Malek who had spoken earlier and even threatened them with his magic pressure.


    Malek ignored Reid''s re and only looked at the second carriage. He had already sensed that the voice who had spoken earlier, was inside the second carriage.


    Another three men in red uniforms, with three gold badges on their vests stepped out from the first carriage. All of them, including Reid lined up in front of the second carriage before its door opened.


    The first one to step out was a woman in green uniform.


    Malek recognized her from the reports they had gathered for Kyran.


    ''Captain Vera,'' Malek thought and frowned inwardly. As far as they knew, she was part of the army ''guarding'' the Regis Estate. Why would she appear here with the Crown Princess?


    After Vera stepped out, she turned toward the carriage''s door and assisted a beautiful young woman in a beautiful white gown.


    Malek''s pupils constricted as he looked at the young woman.


    The young woman had long wavy light brown hair, and she was wearing a golden crown. But what made Malek looked at her intently were her sapphire blue eyes.


    Though the Tower of Conve was well-lit, the fact that it was already early in the evening made some of the colors in the surrounding change dramatically. However, the eyes of the young woman before Malek appeared to be not affected. It was as if her eyes were being lit by an unseen source of light to make sure it retained its sapphire blue color.


    The young woman looked up at Malek and smiled, "Head Master Malek. I hope all of you don''t mind my sudden intrusion."


    Malek reinged in the uneasiness he suddenly felt as he lowered his head at the young woman, "Please, there is no need for such formality, Crown Princess."


    Then he straightened and gestured toward the South Tower''s entrance.


    "Come in," he said.


    Malek led the Crown Princess, who was followed by nine Royal Army officers including Lt. General Reid and Captain Vera, to the receiving area.


    Once inside, Malek led the Crown Princess to sit on the head of the table while the rest sat on each side of her.


    Malek on the other hand remained standing at the other end of the table, looking at the Crown Princess.


    Seeing Malek''s stiff appearance, Haylee could not help but giggle, "You look too stiff, Head Master Malek."


    Malek could not help but frown slightly and replied, "This... is my normal state, your Highness."


    Haylee raised her brows in amusement, "Is that so? You have to change then. You''ll scare any woman who will look at you."


    Malek did not reply.


    "Tsk, tsk. Such a boring man," Haylee remarked when Malek stayed silent for another few seconds.


    "Your Highness," Reid suddenly spoke from her right side.


    Before he could continue with what he wanted to say, Haylee lifted her hand to stop him.


    "I know, Lt. General. Do not tell me what to do," she said.


    Her voice was light, but it carried a strange power that instantly made all of the officers inside silent. They were silent to begin with, but it appeared as if they had also stopped breathing to ensure they would not make any noise.


    "Apologies, your Highness."


    Haylee ignored Reid and smiled at Malek and said, "Before I start, let me make it clear that I am not here to do an inspection."


    Then she leaned back on her chair and added, "I am here to speak with you and Chairman Noir. He is here, right?"


    "Yes," Malek replied, not bothering to hide it.


    Haylee nodded, "Call him then."


    Malek replied with a bow of his head and was about to call for a messenger when Haylee spoke once again.


    "Ah, right. I heard Chairman Noir''s disciple has returned. Is he also here?"


    Malek stopped short and looked back at her.


    Smiling sweetly at him, Haylee said, "If he is, can you call for him as well?"

 Chapter 285 Royal Family Recruitment (3)

    Malek''s expression remained the same as he looked back at Haylee. However, his brain was running in overdrive as he recalled what Kyran had told him.


    An hour ago, after the tower''s defensive array was fixed, Kyran looked for him, and they talked privately. Thetter''s action was a little strange for Malek. They were previously not on good terms, but Kyran had acted as if they were old friends. Malek had already noticed it during the short discussion in the conference hall, but it became evident the second time they talked.


    Among the council members, Malek was the only one Ste had told about Kyran going somewhere to train. It had only been a week since then, but the change in Kyran that was evident in his ability and attitude felt as if he went to train for years.


    Apart from this, Malek had already witnessed Kyran''s train of thought during his first meeting with the Conve Council. But the things thetter had said during their private talk were beyond that.


    Malek wondered what kind of training Kyran had experienced that made him appear to be a different person in just a week.


    ''Kyran anticipated the army will ask to speak with Noir and will also look for him. The reason is simple, it is all for the Royal Family''s recruitment initiative. The changes happening in the empire are not over. The improvements done with the magic detectors are just the beginning,'' Malek pondered while looking at Haylee.


    ''What exactly is the Royal Family nning by making all this change? As for their recruitment initiative, did they really think they can make Noir agree to work for them? He is not just a member of the Conve. He is one of the Conve High Council. Or... are they targeting Noir''s disciple to make him wield?''


    Malek''s eyes narrowed slightly. However, none of the people inside noticed it.


    As for Haylee, who was still looking at him with a sweet smile, it was unknown whether she had noticed it or not. She just sat there, patiently waiting for Malek to respond.


    However, Reid did not take Malek''s silence well. Even if thetter had a higher mage level than him, he was part of the Royal Army. Not to mention, Malek was currently in front of the empire''s Crown Princess. To act as if he had more power than her just because he was inside the Tower of Conve''s jurisdiction made Reid look at Malek disapprovingly.


    One of the army officers sitting across from Reid noticed his expression.


    As if sensing the former''s gaze, Reid also looked up and gave a meaningful, to which the officer responded with a slight nod of his head.


    The officer looked at Malek and said with a mocking tone, "Head Master Malek, you are in front of the Crown Princess. Not responding as soon as she said something is not only showing disrespect to her but also to the Ylfaen Empire''s Emperor to which she represents."


    Malek replied to the Crown Princess without looking at the officer, "Your Highness. I seemed to notice an annoying buzz just now. Do you wish to change location?"


    The officer''s face twisted in anger as he mmed his hand on the table while ring at Malek, "You¡ª! Ack!"


    An excruciating pressure mmed into the officer, and in an instant, he spat out a mouthful of blood as his internal organs were crushed.


    "Brigadier General Ro!" The other officers eximed as they watched him double over, hisplexion turning dark.


    Almost in an instant, most of the Brigadier Generals pushed back their chairs and looked at Malek with murderous intent. They raised their hands and aimed at Malek as red magic arrays appeared before them.


    "You dare to make a move!" One of them eximed, blood-red mes formed at the center of the red magic array before him.


    Malek''s expression remained the same. He appeared calm by all of the officers'' actions and focused only on the Crown Princess.


    "Enough."


    It was only a single word, and the voice that spoke it was calm, even soothing to the ears. However, upon hearing it, all of the officers who were about to make a move on Malek stopped in their tracks, and their expressions seemed to flicker as if they ''felt'' something that only they could feel.


    The word had been spoken by none other than Haylee.


    "Your Highness! Are you really okay with this insolent man to not show you any respect¡ª," Reid started but stopped short as soon as Haylee turned and looked at him.


    Her sapphire blue eyes glowed and seemed to pierce through Reid.


    "Lt. General Reid, do I look like I am offended?" Haylee asked with a slight smile that did not show in her eyes.


    "T-That¡ª."


    "If you ordered them to make a move without my consent again," Haylee paused and smiled sweetly at him. "I''ll take it as insubordination."


    Reid was about to say something but then shut his mouth. Hisplexion paled, but it was evident with how his brows had furrowed that he felt dissatisfied.


    Malek''s eyes squinted briefly at what had transpired.


    His decision to act just now was not because he felt annoyed, nor was it a result of reckless behavior. He was aware that acting against the army, even if he were a Magus, would be difficult. Especially when facing the bombardment of several Master level mages, not to mention one Grand Master, and an unknown factor, which was the Crown Princess, was something he would not be able to bear.


    The reason why Malek made a move was to confirm what Kyran had told him.


    Kyran had said that the Royal Family likely already assimted the Royal Army.


    Malek doubted his words. After all, they were aware of the power struggle within the Royal Army. Until that was resolved among the Deputy Marshals and the Grand Marshal, they would never wield to the Royal Family. Malek also had his spections that the reason why the Grand Marshal did not report the matter about Kyran and wanted to capture him alive was because of this and his ambition to overthrow the Royal Family once he gotplete control over the army.


    In order to ensure his position within the army, Grand Marshal Gael would need a powerful mage he could control. He could also use the powerful mage as a threat that would force the other Deputy Marshals to submission.


    Who else could be a perfect fit for that but Kyran? The person who possessed Void Magic, which had been categorized as the most forbidden magic of all. For this reason, Grand Marshal Gael had chosen to surround the Regis n. His purpose was to capture all of them and use them as hostages to get Kyran to submit.


    This scene and the Crown Princess''s words confirmed that the army indeed had already been assimted by the Royal Family again.


    It should be noted that after the Royal Family had given the Grand Marshalplete control over the army, they had never meddled with their affairs. Only when it concerned apprehending a fugitive and the forbidden magic would the Royal Family be involved. Because of this, the Royal Army had be a separate faction that contended within the empire.


    "A-Apologies, your Highness," Reid conceded.


    Haylee smiled and nodded her head. She looked at Malek and smiled apologetically.


    "I''m sorry, Head Master Malek. To show my sincerity, please do whatever you want with that person," she said, gesturing at the officer still on the floor writhing in pain.


    "Apology epted," Malek replied indifferently and waved his hand.<sub> </sub>


    In an instant, the officer''s body exploded. But his blood, flesh, and internal organs did not stter out because an invisible force field converged around the body before it exploded, containing it within a three-meter spherical space.


    Then, Malek closed his fist, instantlypressing the spherical space''s size. The spherical space vanished into thin air in a blink of an eye.


    The expressions of all the officers, who were still standing, turned unsightly as they saw what had happened.


    When they moved to attack Malek earlier, they were confident that even if thetter were a Magus, they would not be able to withstand theirbined attacks. They were also confident that Malek would not be able to counter-attack immediately.


    However, after witnessing how Malek easily disposed of the officer on the floor, their minds reeled at how naive they had been.


    Malek was a bonafide Magus. He had been a Magus for years, and though they had not seen nor heard of his battle prowess, it did not mean he was not used to battling.


    Only a mage who had faced countless battles would be able to be a Magus, after all.


    Why did they forget such basic knowledge?


    "Sit down," Haylee ordered the rest of the officers, still gaping at the spot where the officer had just been writhing in pain.


    With an unsightly expression, the officers went back to their seats.


    "Head Master Malek, I''ll take you up on your suggestion. Let''s change location. To ensure there will be no annoying buzz to interrupt us, I''ll only have Captain Vera apany me."


    The rest of the army officers immediately balked at Haylee''s words. It was especially so with Lt. General Reid.


    "Your Highness! I beg to differ. I am your lead convoy assigned by your father, the Emperor of Ylfaen. I will not allow you to leave my sight¡ª."


    "Eh?" Haylee looked at Reid with raised brows. "''Will not allow me to leave your sight''? Then you have already failed since you are not exactly in the same carriage when we came here."


    Reid''s brows furrowed, "Your Highness please be sensible¡ª."


    "I am. That''s why I don''t want you knuckleheads interrupting us."


    Reid clenched his fists. He did not expect it would be hard to handle the Crown Princess.


    Before he could say more, Vera, watching everything in silence, spoke.


    "Your Highness, I believe Lt. General only wants to ensure your safety," Vera started while facing Haylee with lowered head.


    "Of course, I am not saying that the Conve of the East has any designs to harm you in their territory, but we cannot rule out the possibility of other unforeseen factors."


    Haylee looked at Vera with an amused look but did not say anything.


    "And I myself, am not confident I will be able to protect you by myself. Of course, I willy my life to protect you, your Highness but¡ª."


    "Fine," Haylee interrupted. She had taken a liking to Vera because, to her, it was rare to find a person as honest as her.


    Then Haylee looked at one of the Brigadier General who had not made a move earlier.


    He was a middle-aged man with short blonde hair and dark green eyes. Among the officers, he was the only one who had a massive frame. An obvious indication that he was abat mage.


    "Brigadier General Rhys, will apany us," Haylee said and stood up. "The rest of you wait for us here."


    Seeing the Crown Princess had already made up her mind, the rest could only stand and bow in respect.


    "As youmand, your Highness."


    Haylee turned to Malek and smiled, "Shall we?"


    Malek nodded. He turned and led Haylee, Vera, and Rhys out the door without saying anything further.


    "Are we going to where Chairman Noir and Disciple Tyr is?" Haylee asked Malek as soon as they left the receiving room.


    Malek looked at Haylee and nodded, "Yes. I have already sent word to Chairman Noir to wait for us."


    Haylee smiled but did not say anything. It was hard, even for Malek, to know what was currently running in her mind.


    The location Malek led the three was something Haylee did not expect.


    "This...?"


    Malek paused and looked at Haylee. He smiled apologetically and said, "The truth, Disciple Tyr is currently being punished for his impulsiveness this afternoon at the cksmith Order. Sigma, is the one handling his punishment."


    "His punishment is being done here?"


    It was Vera who had asked the question.


    Malek nodded and looked at the building before them.


    At that moment, the four of them were standing right outside the tower''s Training Grounds.

 Chapter 286 I Was Not Talking About Him

    The building on the training ground had two halls. On the left side, there were small to medium-sized training rooms while the right side had a huge arena.


    In the arena, there was a VIP area where the council members usually watched when the Security Team heldpetitive matches at the beginning of the year to select the members of the Elite Team.


    Malek led Haylee and the others into this room.


    The room was located in an elevated section of the arena. The wall facing the arena was made of ss panels. Currently, though, it was covered by a white thick curtain.


    At the center of the room was a two-meter long ceramic table surrounded by floating seat cushions.


    "I''ve seen theyout of the Tower of Conve from past records of the Royal Army''s inspections, I must say, I was surprised to hear that you have an arena built here," Haylee said as she looked around the room.


    "The arena is being used by our Security Team," Malek exined.


    Haylee nodded and sat on a floating seat cushion, positioned in the middle and said, "I read the members of the Security Unit''s Elite Team change every year because you choose the members based on the result of thesepetitive matches."


    "That is right," Malek confirmed with a short nod.


    Rhys and Vera followed Haylee at the floating cushions, but neither of them sat. They remained standing on each side a few feet behind her.


    "What else do you use the arena for? As far as I remember, all joint activities performed by the Conve with the Royal Army are done out in the field," Haylee asked while looking at the wall facing the arena. Although there was a long curtain covering it, her appearance made it look as if she could see beyond.


    Instead of answering at once, Malek, standing close to the wall, waved his hand. The curtains parted at the middle and drew to the sides, revealing the ss panels.


    "It is sometimes being used by members of the Conve constituents that are currently in the tower," he replied.


    As soon as the curtains were drawn, Haylee, Rhys and Vera''s eyes instantly moved and looked out the ss panel.


    What greeted them was a spacious room with a round ck tform at the center. A few meters from the tform were fiveyers of bleaches which were currently upied by several people wearing a variety of armors intently watching two people in the arena.


    In the arena, they saw a huge man wearing a ck uniform which Haylee and the rest recognized as the cksmith Order''s uniform, raising his arms and summoned a seven-meter light-brown magic array that hovered above the man opposite him.


    Rhys and Vera immediately recognized the huge man.


    "That''s President Sigma of the cksmith Order," Rhys murmured.


    Vera''s eyes narrowed as she recalled what Head Master had said before they entered the training grounds.


    ''Then this means the man before him is...'' She thought as her gaze shifted to the man opposite Sigma.


    In front of President Sigma was a young man, wearing a simr ck uniform. He had auburn hair and looked a little pitiful as he knelt on one knee. From the young man''s tattered clothes it was easy to guess that he had been subjected to a barrage of attacks for hours.


    As soon as the light-brown magic arraypleted its rotation above the young man, a massive pressure weigh down on him that he almost doubled over.


    However, he was able to endure and even managed to rouse his own light-yellow magic array which circled around him. Right after the light-yellow magic array circled the young man, as if his strength had been boosted, he lifted his head and looked at Sigma before charging.


    The young man lifted his right hand and a long wooden staff appeared. Several light-yellow magic arrays appeared at the tip of the staff as the young man closed in on Sigma.


    Sigma did not budge from his position. He simply crossed his arms across his chest as a new light-brown magic array formed in front of him.


    Grayish magic energy began to converge at the center of the magic array and soon formed into a huge unibit.


    Upon seeing the unibit, the young man instantly stopped.


    When the young man stopped, Sigma, who appeared to have no intention of moving suddenly disappeared.


    Of course, he did not really disappear. Because of how fast he lunged forward, he looked as if he disappeared from his location.


    As Sigma lunged toward the young man, the light-brown magic array with the unibit did the same. The unibit grewrger and the young man seemed to have said something which made Sigmaugh before he pulled back his right arm and punched out.


    His fist hit the end of the unibit and it shot at an rming speed toward the young man.


    The young man waved his staff and several materials appeared before him. The several light-yellow magic arrays that appeared on the staff converged at one end as the young man pointed at the materials. In an instant, the materials exploded into pieces. Then the young man moved his staff, and when he did, the pieces of materials followed along.


    As the young man moved the staff, a series of runes appeared in the space before him.


    "This¡ª!" Rhys and Vera was bbergasted.


    Vera was also a mage that was well-versed in array formations. She instantly recognized that what the young man was doing was an unpremeditated array creation!


    Even Haylee, who had fallen silent as soon as the curtain inside the VIP area parted, suddenly had her blue sapphire eyes flickered while she stared at the young man below.<sub> </sub>


    As a Crown Princess, she was taught a lot of things. She was also well-versed in Array theory. Her practical experience in Array creation was too few but she at least knew how hard it was to create an Array from scratch. Not to mention during battle.


    Back in the arena, as soon as the young man began writing an Array formation in thin air, the crowd on the bleachers burst out in excitement.


    But even so, the unibit closed in on the young man. When it was only five meters away, the young man had finally finished the Array formation.


    Severalyers of semi-transparent barriers appeared and surrounded the young man seconds before the unibit arrived.


    The unibit collided with the firstyer of barrier, forming a shockwave that rang out in the whole arena.


    Sigma raised his right hand toward the unibit and a light-brown magic array formed on its rear. Crackling sounds were heard as the magic array stirred the unibit''s rotation. In just a few seconds, the unibit rotated at a breakneck speed that instantly pierced through not one but threeyers of the barrier protecting the young man.


    "Such a powerful piercing capability," Rhys murmured while he looked at Sigma''s unibit. It was his first time seeing the cksmith Order''s President in action.


    As someone who would take part in the inspection in theing days, Rhys had read through all the information the army had about the Conve. He was aware of the innate magic and abilities of each of its council members. However, he had to admit that he found President Sigma''s earth magic mediocre, and the only worth taking note of was how he could augment the earth magic''s property into his body.


    At least, that was Rhys''s initial thoughts. Now that he had seen how Sigma''s unibit could pierce throughyers of magic barriers, he admitted underestimated Sigma too much.


    "This match is over."


    Even before Rhys could finish his words, moreyers of the barriers protecting the young man had shattered.


    Vera also nodded.


    No matter how fast the young man could create Array formation, the piercing ability of Sigma''s attack was too powerful.


    Just as the two were thinking this, a smile tugged at the corner of Haylee''s lips.


    Without looking at Malek, she said, "Head Master Malek, what terms will the Conve agree on for the Royal Family to take him?"


    ''Take him?''


    Both Rhys and Vera wondered as they looked at Haylee.


    Before any of them could really react to her words, a massive explosion rang out that also shook the ss panels in the VIP area.


    Rhys and Vera were shocked and turned their attention back to the arena.


    "What just happened?"


    ? "T-That explosion, is it due to President Sigma''s attack?"


    Rhys and Vera eximed at the same time.


    Unfortunately, because the arena was now covered in a cloud of smoke, they could not determine what exactly had happened.


    Haylee giggled. She then looked at Malek, who had yet to answer her previous question.


    "Well, Head Master Malek? What terms?" She repeated.


    Malek looked at Haylee, his expression was unreadable.


    "Apologies, your Highness. President Sigma is part of the Conve High Council. No matter what kind of terms you propose we will not agree."


    Even before Malek could finish what he was saying, Haylee had started tough softly.


    "You misunderstand, Head Master Malek," she said as she looked back out the arena. "I was not talking about him."


    By this time, the cloud of smoke had dissipated a little and silhouettes could be seen at the center of the ck tform.


    Haylee lifted her delicate-looking hands as she pointed at one of the silhouettes.


    "I was talking about him."


    As if a gust of wind swept over the arena, the cloud of smoke was instantly shoved toward the edges of the tform.


    Rhys and Vera frowned slightly as they realized that the Crown Princess, was actually pointing at the young man.


    "You want to take, Disciple Tyr, your Highness?" Vera could not help but ask aloud.

 Chapter 287 A First In History

    Haylee looked at Vera and smiled, "Yes."


    "But your Highness¡ª."


    Vera started. However, she immediately shut her mouth upon realizing that her opinion did not matter this time. The Crown Princess was not really part of the army and they were only there to act as her convoy while she deal with the Royal Family''s business. At the end of the day, what the Crown Princess decided upon was absolute. Her words could even be considered the Emperor''s Royal Decree.


    Still, this did not stop Vera from feeling dissatisfied.


    The young man, who obviously was Disciple Tyr, might appear to be a talent who could create Array Formations on the spot, but that was all. In Vera''s opinion, Disciple Tyr''s Array knowledge was a far cry from those who had been promoted as Array Specialists.


    One reason why Vera thought of this was Disciple Tyr''s decision to create a barrier to protect himself from President Sigma''s unibit. Disciple Tyr should have been aware of President Sigma''s battle capability so the former''s decision to create a barrier was an amateur mistake. The unibit''s piercing ability could destroy any barriers in a matter of seconds. Knowing this, Disciple Tyr should have aimed an array that could disrupt President Sigma''s casting before the unibit fully formed.


    Vera might not be privy to the real reason why the Crown Princess had to meet Chairman Noir, but she could at least guess from what the former had just said, that she wanted to employ the Conve''s assistance in providing talents from the cksmith Order to the Royal Family. With this in mind, it would be a waste to take an amateur. Even if the Crown Princess believed that a younger talent could be nurtured, they did not have the leisure of time nor the resources to waste on such an amateur.


    After all, the reason why the Royal Family needed Array Specialists was not a secret to Vera.


    Brigadier General Rhys was also looking at the Crown Princess with a thoughtful look. Unlike Vera, he could see far ahead and was able to predict why the Crown Princess was interested in Disciple Tyr.


    Disciple Tyr''s ability to perform an Array Formation almost in an instant, albeit simple ones, was only secondary.


    Back in the receiving area, the reason why Rhys did not act when Lt. General Reid nned to bait Head Master Malek into doing something to provoke the Crown Princess, was that he was silently observing the fluctuations in thetter''s mood.


    Sensing a person''s mood fluctuations was Rhys''s innate ability. Because of his ability, he realized the Crown Princess had been feeling annoyed with Lt. General Reid''s attitude from the moment he stepped out to greet the Security Unit of the Conve.


    Rhys was also not privy of the Crown Princess''s purpose ining to Starhorn, but he could guess that she wanted to curry favor with the Conve. And Lt. General Reid''s arrogance almost cost the Conve''s ire.


    The Crown Princess''s decision to let Head Master Malek take care of the Brigadier General who dared speak to him further attested to Rhys''s suspicion. For her to not bat an eye when offering the head of her own subordinate on a silver tter said a lot about how much she wanted to get the Conve''s favor.


    She even asked the Conve to set their own terms when she tried to enlist Disciple Tyr.


    However, Rhys knew the Crown Princess did not do this just to get on the Conve''s good side but because she knew, taking Disciple Tyr would be difficult.


    And the reason was not because of thetter''s ability to create array formation on the spot, or that he was Chairman Noir''s disciple.


    Rather...


    "To be perfectly clear," Haylee suddenly said as she turned to look at Malek. And with an innocent smile added, "Should I say... the person controlling him?"


    "C-Controlling...?" Vera wondered out loud and turned her attention back to the arena.


    The cloud of smoke had mostly cleared and they could now see President Sigma and the young man.


    At the moment, the young man was kneeling on the ground with his head bowed low while President Sigma appeared to be saying something.


    Then the center of the ck tform opened and a white tform emerged with a tall middle-aged man with long ck hair that had gray streaks. He was dressed in a ck robe with silver linings.


    Haylee and the rest recognized him at once.


    He was none other than Chairman Noir. And standing beside him, was a young man, simrly dressed as him. However, what caught the attention of Vera, surprisingly, this newly arrived young man also had auburn hair like the young man kneeling on the floor. The only difference was, that the former had a very handsome countenance noticeable even at a distance.


    "This...?"


    Rhys''s eyes narrowed.


    This was what he had noticed. With his innate ability, he had observed the fluctuations of both President Sigma and the young man''s mood. To Rhys''s surprise, he was unable to detect any fluctuations in the young man. Even when he appeared annoyed, there had been no fluctuations.


    Such an instance was a first to Rhys. He had never encountered a human whose mood did not fluctuate. Unless the person he was using his ability was an illusion or a...


    "Puppet..." Rhys said with narrowed eyes.


    There were no mages in the Yen Empire that could control puppets. Mages like this were found in the western nation. However, they had never heard of a mage who could create and even control a human-shaped puppet.<sub> </sub>


    As far as Rhys was concerned, if Disciple Tyr was really the one controlling the puppet then he would be the first mage in history to have a human-shaped puppet.


    Vera''s eyes widened as she turned to Rhys, "Puppet?"


    Haylee smiled, "Yes. That young man is a human-shaped puppet."


    Vera looked back at the arena.


    In the arena, the handsome young man was scratching his head as he walked toward the ''puppet.''


    President Sigma crossed his arms and was saying something to which Chairman Noir nodded in agreement.


    The handsome young man knelt in front of the puppet and waved his right hand. In an instant, several different-sized array circles burst out from the puppet. Some of the array circles were in gold while some were in red color. ck streaks sizzled out from the red arrays, apparently, the red arrays had been destroyed.


    "This¡ª! Wasn''t President Sigma punishing Disciple Tyr?" Vera eximed in confusion.


    ? Upon closer look at the handsome young man, Vera already guessed he was the real Disciple Tyr. The reason why she mistook the puppet for Tyr was not that they looked the same, but rather, that she was too far. Aside from this reason, the puppet had the same hair color as Tyr.


    "No, wait." Vera abruptly stopped and recalled Head Master Malek''s words before they entered the building.


    Malek had said that Disciple Tyr was currently being punished and that it was Sigma who was handling it. While he did agree that the punishment was being done inside the training ground building, he did not say anything about what kind of punishment it was.


    Vera was the one who assumed the punishment was to have Tyr duel with Sigma.


    "Head Master Malek?" Haylee called when Malek did not respond to her previous question.


    Malek kept a straight face as he looked at Haylee, "Apologies your Highness. Although the members of each of the constituents of the Conve are not bound to us, they are talents that each of our constituents has. We will not force them to be enlisted to other factions."


    Haylee smiled and nodded in understanding, "I am aware of that. Only the council members are bound and reported to the Conve. This is why, even when the Mercenary Hall had other high-level mages, like Celine, for example, they are not included as the Conve''s ''strength''


    "In that case, if we want to employ Celine, all we have to do is propose the terms with her, and the Conve will not interfere."


    Malek nodded, "That is correct."


    "Can I take this as the Conve''s consent then? That I can directly propose terms with Disciple Tyr to take him?"


    Malek did not reply immediately.


    After a short pause, he looked at the arena and replied, "The Conve will not provide any consent whatsoever on this matter. As I said, any member of our constituents are not bound to the Conve."


    "That is good then," Haylee replied as she turned her attention back to the arena and to Disciple Tyr.


    Right now, Disciple Tyr appeared to be fixing a red array circle near the puppet''s head. Because of the fluidity of his actions, Rhys and Vera were now convinced that Tyr was really the one who owned the puppet.


    Not Sigma, nor Chairman Noir.


    Then Sigma looked at the crowd and said something. The crowd instantly burst out in excitement.


    Disciple Tyr, however, turned his head to look at Sigma with an unwilling expression.


    But Chairman Noir looked at him and said something which made Tyr reluctantly nod his head.


    Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glinted as she observed Disciple Tyr with a slight smile.


    As if sensing that someone was looking at him, Disciple Tyr turned and looked at the VIP area.


    His aquamarine eyes immediately found Haylee looking at him.


    Haylee''s smile widened as she held Tyr''s gaze.

 Chapter 288 Taking The Bait

    "Head Master Malek," Haylee called while still looking at Disciple Tyr. "Can the people in the arena see us?"


    "No. The ss panels are enchanted. In the arena, these panels will look like ordinary walls. Only when the enchantment is disabled will they be able to see us," Malek replied with an indifferent tone.


    "I see," Haylee replied with a smile. Then she added, "I''d like to meet them now."


    Malek lowered his head a little and replied, "Very well."


    With that, he turned and left the room. The moment he left, the curtains moved and covered the ss panels again.


    At the same time, in the arena, as soon as Malek left the VIP area, the three, Noir, Sigma, and ''Tyr'' heard his voice telling them.


    [They took the bait. I''ming downstairs.]


    In an instant, Sigma let out a huge sigh as his shoulders slouched.


    Noir''s stern expression also rxed and he let out a sigh of relief.


    Only ''Tyr,'' who was of course Kyran, remained looking at the VIP area. He could not really see inside the VIP area. However, because of his magic sense, he could clearly sense where each of the guests was standing. He even recognized that the woman he fought back in the forest was also there.


    The reason why Kyran was intently looking at the VIP area, was that he sensed someone was looking at him. They already knew Malek and the guests had arrived and were inside the VIP area watching their ''little show.'' So sensing someone watching them was normal. Kyran was also not bothered at first. Only after he started examining his puppet that he sensed one of the guests'' gazes had turned different.


    Earlier, that person only looked at him curiously. But after a while, it turned into a piercing gaze as if that person was trying to read through him. He even felt his soul tremble.


    Of course, the only reason why Kyran realized the gaze changed was due to the fact that his internal magic energy suddenly kicked into gear. It meant that person''s gaze was embued with magic.


    ''A gaze that could read through a person''s soul...'' Kyran''s brow furrowed. He suddenly remembered Ste seemed to want to tell him something about the Crown Princess earlier.


    His frown deepened as a thought crossed his mind, ''Don''t tell me...''


    "Oi, junior. Do we really have to put on such a show?"


    Sigma''s voice snapped Kyran out of his own thoughts. Looking a little disoriented, he looked at Sigma. He adjusted his mindset almost in an instant and replied, "Yes."


    But then Kyran''s expression turned a little uneasy recalling how Sigma addressed him.


    After Kyran finished the Tower of Conve''s defensive array, Sigma had started to call Kyran ''junior.''


    Kyran did not mind at first. But then it had begun to sound like a pet name of some sort that he felt a little awkward. Sigma still sounded gruff yet his voice would soften a tad bit when he called Kyran ''junior,'' it was a little scary.


    Noir sighed and shook his head slightly, "I also feel it was a bit excessive. But I kind of understand your reasoning."


    Kyran looked at Noir and could not help but appreciate the older man''s sensibility.


    Noir was one of the oldest members of the Conve High Council and probably already realized what Kyran did not want to tell them. Instead of feeling disgruntled by this fact, he chose to trust Kyran and did not say anything about it.


    "Thank you for going along," Kyran thanked Noir.


    Noir looked at him with raised brows. But then he smiled kindly and did not say more.


    His actions were a subtle acknowledgment of what Kyran had guessed.


    Sigma immediately snorted and crossed his arms, "Shouldn''t you be thanking me? I am the one who had to work hard in unting my skills and attacked your little ''bait'' in a very convincing manner."


    Kyran turned to him with raised brows, "What work hard? You were enjoying it."


    "Huh?" Sigma growled at him.


    Noir chuckled at their exchange as he turned to look at the puppet still kneeling on the ground. His expression suddenly turned solemn as he recalled what had happened that led to this ''little show.''


    Earlier, the three of them watched the events that happened at the tower''s main gate from Malek''s office.


    After confirming that it was indeed the Royal Army who hade, Noir and Sigma became a little nervous. Their nervousness became more apparent when Lt. General Reid mentioned he was leading the convoy of the Crown Princess.


    Kyran sensed it and understood their concern.


    To be honest, it would be strange if Noir and Sigma would not feel nervous. After all, they were not sure what level of mages were still inside the three carriages.


    On the other hand, Kyran was not really worried about the people inside the carriages. At most, he only counted nine mages. He was actually more concerned with the unknown yet somewhat familiar aura he sensed, which he now knew was from the Crown Princess.<sub> </sub>


    Still, it was not why Kyran thought it was normal for Noir and Sigma to feel nervous. It was because he sensed a group of people who had a far higher mage level than those inside the carriage ''watching'' them from a distance.


    Not wanting to rm the rest of the Conve members, Kyran did not tell them about this group and formted a simple strategy to ensure this group would not make any moves against the Conve.


    His strategy was the ''little show'' they just did at the training ground''s arena.


    Kyran looked at the crowd and sighed.


    The crowd was actually made up of a few people only while the rest were only projections. To make these projections appear real, Kyran used the peculiar stones which he found back at the Misty Forest, as the core of the projection array he created.


    The stones were called the memory soul stones. Its name was a little misleading, especially the memory part, but the function of the stone had nothing to do with memory souls. The stone could detect and mimic the magic energies of living things in its surroundings. It was the reason why the stones reacted to the nt''s magic energies when Kyran was in the Misty Forest.


    Because the stones could mimic magic energies, they would glow a certain color depending on what type of magic energy they detected. It was for this reason that the stone Kyran held back in the forest glowed multiple colors. And the silver and purple glow it emitted consistently, was based on the magic energy the stone detected within Kyran.


    Using these stones, Kyran managed to create almost real human projections that emitted magic energies. Of course, he would still need people for the stones to detect and mimic magic energies, that was why there were real people sitting on the bleachers.


    As for the reason why Kyran wanted the guests to see a crowd in the arena; it was to let them know the Conve had a number of battle-ready mages. If something happened, the Conve would be able to respond well.


    Not to mention, Sigma, whose magic attacks left a deep impression, there was Noir and the mysterious Disciple Tyr who had a ''puppet.''


    Kyran did not want to reveal his puppet too soon. However, he thought of an idea and finally made up his mind.


    If True Void was awake and could read Kyran''s thoughts, he would have already shouted reprimandingly how Kyran was an opportunist.


    Apart from this, once the army saw the puppet, it would make them wonder if there was only one or if there were actually more.


    But Kyran''s main purpose of showing the puppet was to get the army interested in its technology.


    Even Noir and Sigma were shocked when they found Kyran had a puppet. And though they did not harbor any ill-intent toward Kyran, they could not deny the fact that they had wondered what would it be like to mass-produce a puppet.


    "The show has only started," Kyran reminded Sigma as he looked at his puppet. "Next is to convince them."


    Noir looked at Kyran, "They will definitely try to recruit you."


    "That''s good too."


    Sigma''s brow furrowed, "Are you serious?"


    Kyran nodded and did not borate. He already talked to Malek about his thoughts.


    "You said the Royal Family has designs on usurping the Conve, so you believed their first target is to sow discord by recruiting members of the cksmith Order that are not bound to the Conve?"


    It was Noir who asked this.


    Kyran shook his head, "I honestly thought they would target the Mercenary Hall first. That''s why I asked Ste to hide Chairman Hugh."


    Noir nodded his head in agreement, "The Mercenary Hall''s mercenaries are not really bound to the Conve, although they are required to assist, especially those with special positions when the Conve asked for them."


    "The mercenaries are still considered the Conve''s military strength," Kyran replied in agreement. "If the Royal Family employs mercenaries and even offers them handsome rewards, who''s to say their loyalty will not waver?"


    "Humph," Sigma snorted. "Do you think the Conve''s offer is not as good as the Royal Family?"


    "As far as I know, the Conve is currently in the red because of the tower''s defensive array," Kyran pointed.


    Sigma''s brow twitched, "And whose fault is it, huh?"


    "I already paid enough, right?" Kyran replied sighing inwardly.


    Noir chuckled at them.


    "All in all, it seems they did not start with the Mercenary Hall, but the cksmith Order," he said immediately turning the subject back on track.


    Kyran did not reply. But his expression turned grim. He actually thought of a possible reason why the Royal Family wanted to start with the cksmith Order, and the reason made his heart beat uneasily.


    Because the reason had something to do with why the Royal Family was now working closely with the Royal Army. Not to mention, why the woman who was supposed to be part of the team ''guarding'' the Regis Estate had appeared next to the Crown Princess.

 Chapter 289 Meeting The Crown Princess

    After meeting with Noir, Sigma and Kyran, Malek led them back to the VIP area where the Crown Princess and her two guards were waiting.


    "The Crown Princess has a peculiar innate ability," Malek warned them. "It is hard to detect. Even as a Magus, I am only able to detect a small fluctuation around her when she uses it. However, I can more or less guess that her ability had something to do with control over a person..."


    Then he paused and furrowed his brown as he recalled the scene where Lt. General Reid could do nothing but listen to what the Crown Princess says.


    "No... to be precise, rather than control... it is instilling fear in a person''s heart."


    Noir''s brow furrowed as he looked at Malek, "''Instilling fear?'' Can she do that to anyone?"


    Malek shook his head, "I am not sure. We all know innate abilities had limitations. For example..."


    He paused and thought of someone with who the three were familiar, who also had a well-known innate ability. Then he recalled someone while looking at Kyran sideways.


    "Dante from the Mercenary Hall could only use his multiple cast ability with his innate magic. He will not be able to use it with another magic type."


    He turned his attention up ahead before continuing, "So there is bound to be a limitation to her ability. But we''ll need more information and time to urately determine it.


    "However, this is not the only thing you have to be careful of."


    Malek stopped and turned to look at them.


    "Because I have a feeling she has another ability."


    Noir and Sigma looked at him with wide eyes, "Two ''innate'' abilities?"


    Both of them asked at the same time, as they stop in their tracks.


    Kyran also stopped. Unlike the two older men, however, his expression was neutral. He looked neither surprised, nor worried.


    Malek shook his head and replied, "I am not sure if it is another innate ability. You two probably are not aware yet, but if a mage sessfully acquire an inheritance from the Master Mages of ancient times, there is a big chance they will also receive an ability."


    He then looked at Kyran and aplicated expression shed on his face before it turned indifferent once more.


    Kyran noticed it but did not react. He could guess what Malek had thought at that moment.


    Finding an inheritance from a Master Mage of ancient times was rare and could be considered a chance encounter. However, whether a mage could seed in acquiring it would depend on his abilities and skills. It was because of this that most mages that managed to find the location of an inheritance would either sell the information or n for a long time before trying to acquire it.


    But there was a different kind of inheritance where it could not be acquired by just anyone. Most of the time, only mages who had the same bloodline as the Master Mage of ancient times would be qualified to inherit it. The process of inheriting it differed from person to person, thus, this information was not known publicly.


    In a way, Kyran could be considered as someone acquiring an inheritance. He was not the Void Master''s reincarnation but instead someone who inherited his legacy because he was of his bloodline.


    Malek looking at Kyran pretty much meant he was sure thetter probably also acquired a second ability. As to what that ability was, Kyran guessed it had something to do with how most beasts appeared to stir clear from him.


    But Kyran knew the meaning of Malek''s look was not only because of this. If he had to guess, Malek was trying to hint at something.


    Once again, Kyran recalled Ste tried to tell him something about the Crown Princess.


    ''She was from the Royal Family. If she had a second ability because she acquired an inheritance then the Master Mage she acquired it from is likely... the Soul Emperor,'' Kyran thought and felt his Void core tremble.


    "Of course, the Crown Princess having two abilities is only my assumption and I have no solid proof," Malek continued and continued walking. "In any case, she realized almost immediately that Sigma was fighting a puppet earlier. I find it a little strange."


    "Her second ability can''t be seeing through falsehoods can she?" Noir wondered out loud. "I mean, Kyran''s puppet was practically a perfect human replica. The first time I''ve seen it, I was really surprised.


    "For her, to identify it was a puppet in an instant meant she can differentiate a fake from a real one."


    Sigma scowled after hearing Noir''s words, "Then won''t it be dangerous to continue with this lie? If her ability can see through falsehoods, won''t she also realize we are putting on a show?"


    His scowl deepened as he thought of something and said, "Wait. What if she already saw through our lie and we are falling into a trap if we go to her now?"


    "Her ability may not necessary be like that," Kyran finally spoke.


    Sigma looked at him and crossed his arms, "What do you have in mind, junior?"


    "If she really saw through our show, then that means she already knew the crowd is just a projection," Kyran reminded them. "Why did she not react to that?"


    After Kyran pointed this out, Sigma''s expression turned thoughtful.


    Noir also nodded his head in agreement, "True. Then her ability may not necessarily be seeing through falsehoods but..."


    He paused for a moment. In the end, he could only sigh and shake his head, "I think trying to understand her ability at this point is meaningless. If we dwell on it and act cautiously around her, it may be counterproductive and may even cause her to think we are up to something."


    "Master Noir is right," Kyran agreed with a short nod.


    Malek did not say anything but agreed inwardly.<sub> </sub>


    Sigma snorted, "Regardless of what her second ability is. In the end, she is interested in you, junior. You have to be careful."


    Kyran gave him a wry smile, "Why does it feel like your cursing me when you said that?"


    "Why you¡ª! I am genuinely showing my concern and yet you¡ª! Just what do you take me for?" Sigma growled.


    Noir chuckled at them while Malek only raised his brows.


    After a few minutes, the four of them finally arrived in front of the VIP room.


    [The Crown Princess is apanied by two army officers. One captain and one Brigadier General. They have low magic levels, however, the captain possessed Space Magic, while the Brigadier General was abat mage with Fire Magic.]


    Malek switched to telepathy when he said to make sure the people inside the VIP room would not hear them.


    Noir, Sigma, and Kyran all nodded their heads.


    [Then, let''s go in.]


    Malek pushed the door open and entered the room.


    Inside the VIP room, Haylee was still seated on the middle floating cushion while Vera and Rhys stood on each side of her.


    <o>,m As soon as Malek entered, all three of them looked up.</o>


    They already sensed their arrival and differently from how Malek briefed Kyran and the rest, the three had been silent from the time Malek had left the room.


    Haylee smiled at once as she watched Malek and the rest entered the room.


    Kyran was thest one to enter and the moment he looked up and saw the Crown Princess, his heart could not help but skipped a beat.


    The first thing that crossed his mind was a young girl, with short light brown hair and eyes that seemed to reflect all colors in the surroundings, smiling at him.


    ''Cyneah...'' Kyran thought.


    Then the image of the young girl ovepped with the Crown Princess, sitting on the floating cushion before him.


    In Kyran''s mind, Cyneah opened her soft pink lips and said, "Nar."


    At the same time, the Crown Princess opened her soft red lips and said, "Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie.


    None of the people present inside saw how shaken he was just now because his expression remained neutral and even looked as if he was bored. Inwardly, though, his heart still trembled.


    Five years ago, or to be precise, a couple of weeks ago in real-time, Nn said that Cyneah looked like the Crown Princess. Now that Kyran was seeing thetter in person, he realized what Nn said was an understatement. If he did not know better, he would think Cyneah and the Crown Princes were one and the same.


    Kyran looked at the Crown Princess and only replied to her greeting by tilting his head to one side.


    His action instantly made Vera and Rhys frown in disapproval. However, after what happened back in the receiving area, they did not say anything and only red.


    "Your Highness," Noir and Sigma greeted by lowering their head slightly.


    To be honest, they did not want to lower their heads to anyone but the Lord of the Tower. But given how dire their situation was, they had to keep putting on a show.


    "Chairman Noir, President Sigma," Haylee nodded at them, before looking at the rest while gesturing toward the vacant floating seat cushions, "Please everyone, have a seat."


    Malek was the first to move, he waved his hand and four floating seat cushions flew toward them.


    Haylee kept a smile on her face as she waited for them to take their seat. Once they did, she looked at Rhys and Vera who nodded their heads and also took a seat on the floating seat cushions on each side of her.


    Finally, Haylee looked at Kyran and said, "I don''t want to beat around the bush, Disciple Tyr.


    "The reason why I asked to meet with you in front of Chairman Noir and the rest is that I want to take you with me back to the Royal Pce."


    Silence ensued inside the room.


    Noir and Sigma were both surprised to hear this because Malek did not borate on how the Crown Princess had taken the bait which was the ''puppet.'' They did not expect that her taking the bait meant she had taken interest in Kyran, himself.


    On the other hand, Kyran, still wearing an unreadable expression, leaned back and raised his brows.


    "Is that something a Crown Princess should be saying?" He asked, breaking the silence. "It almost sounded as if, you''re hitting on me."

 Chapter 290 Can You Afford Me?

    Kyran''s words instantly peeved Rhys and Vera.


    Regardless of the Crown Princess''s take on what Kyran had said, Rhys and Vera would never tolerate such insolence in front of the empire''s Crown Princess.


    "You rascal!" Sigma suddenly bellowed and smacked Kyran''s head.


    "Ack" Kyran winced as he touched the spot where Sigma''s huge fistnded. There he found a lump forming from the force of Sigma''s fist.


    Sigma''s action made Rhys, and Vera gawk at them stupefied.


    Even Haylee''s beautiful sapphire blue eyes widened in surprise.


    "Do you have to hit me that hard Senior Sigma?" Kyranined.


    The interaction between the two was not scripted. Even Kyran''sint was real. His head was indeed hurting. If he was not pretending to be Tyr, Sigma''s hit would not have hurt. The hit would have even backfired on Sigma and he would end up with broken bones.


    The reason for this was that Kyran''s body had already fully assimted the drop of dragon''s blood he had taken when he was young, making his body simr to that of a dragon. But since Tyr did not possess a tough body, Kyran had to forcefully lower his physical defense. At the moment, his physical defense wasparable to an Adept which was at least five levels lower than Sigma''s level, making thetter''s simple smack very effective.


    Malek and Noir, on one side, did not react much to what Sigma had done. Honestly, if Sigma did not act, one of them would. After all, they might only act respectfully in front of the Crown Princess, but she was still the Ylfaen Empire''s Crown Princess, and if thetter was offended by Kyran''s words, this meeting might end up going downhill.


    "Humph," Sigma snorted and crossed his arms as he red at Kyran. "If not for Chairman Noir''s presence, I would have clobbered you senseless for your unscrupulous tongue. You are talking to the Crown Princess! What the hell are you even saying?"


    It was at this point that Haylee burst out inughter.


    Herughter did not sound unrefined though. On the contrary, the sound of herughter filled the whole VIP room with a melodious sound that seemed to lift their souls.


    This instantly made Malek double his guard. He was a Magus, and his magic defenses would not have been affected easily, but they did. His initial suspicion about the Crown Princess seemed to be correct.


    Kyran felt the same. He might have forcefully lowered his physical defenses but hi


    "President Sigma," Haylee started as she wiped a tear at the edge of her eyes. It had been a while since sheughed so hard that it brought tears to her eyes. "It is fine. I actually find Disciple Tyr''s words intriguing."


    She then looked at Kyran and smiled, "Rather than having an unscrupulous tongue, I felt a slight difort in you when you said that. Can I take it that this is not the first time others tried to recruit you?"


    Kyran raised his brows at her, "What? You''re trying to recruit me? Then you should have just said so. Why make it sound so vague? Saying something like wanting to take me back with you to the Pce... You sound like you want to make me your consort or something."


    Once again, Rhys and Vera almost burst out.


    Even Sigma''s re sharpened as he yet again tried to rebuke Kyran.


    "Why you¡ª!"


    Malek cleared his throat, instantly diverting everyone''s attention to him. That was everyone, apart from Haylee who was still looking at Kyran in amusement; and Kyran who was also looking at Haylee with an indifferent expression.


    "Sigma, you know Disciple Tyr has always been sensitive to the opposite gender trying to gain his favor. There is no reason for you to overreact," Malek said, giving Sigma a meaningful nce.


    Noir also cleared his throat and stood up. He bowed slightly in Haylee''s direction and said, "I hope you will not take offense, your Highness. I understand that you seemed to be interested in my Disciple''s ability. To show our sincerity, we will be willing to hear what you have to say."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at Noir''s action but did not say anything. Instead, he looked away from Haylee and closed his eyes.


    Haylee looked at Noir and shook her head, "None taken, Chairman Noir. I actually find Disciple Tyr''s character interesting."


    "Thank you for your understanding, your Highness." Noir replied and sat back.


    Hayle turned her attention back to Kyran and said, "Rest assured Disciple Tyr. I am not trying to gain your favor... no, maybe I am but not in that way."


    Kyran heaved a sigh and shrugged, "Most said the same."


    "You¡ª!" Vera started.


    However, Haylee lifted her hand, stopping Vera''s outburst.


    "Princess..." Vera wanted to say something, but seeing Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes fixed on Kyran, she could only swallow her words and stand down.<sub> </sub>


    "Kidding aside," Haylee started as she crossed her legs and leaned forward while resting her forearms on top of her leg. "I am here on behalf of my father, Emperor Euan of the Ylfaen Empire, and want to offer you a position as an exclusive Array Specialist of the Royal Family. Name your terms."


    Haylee''s deration made Malek, Noir, and Sigma''s expressions turned grim.


    Kyran had already warned them about what the Royal Family might be up to and was somewhat prepared for it. But hearing it directly spoken by the Crown Princess, still left them shaken.


    Silence ensued inside.


    Rhys and Vera watched the three Conve council members closely. Disciple Tyr might not be bound to the Conve but he was still the disciple of Chairman Noir, who was a member of the Conve High Council. Though the Crown Princess''s decision in recruiting Tyr in front of the Conve council members might be a show of respect, that might not be the case with the Conve.


    After almost a minute of silence, Kyran finally moved.


    He leaned forward and smiled at Haylee, "Can the Royal Family afford me?"


    Rhys could no longer stay silent. He red at Kyran and said, "There is a limit to being brazen in front of the empire''s Crown Princess. Show respect."


    This time, Haylee did nothing to stop Rhys from berating Kyran. It was not because she felt offended but because she knew it would be difficult to negotiate with Kyran.


    For Kyran to say what he did, meant he was confident in his abilities. Although there were no magic items under his name that had been out in the market to fully assess his abilities, the fact that he could make a human-shaped puppet said a lot.


    Kyran''s puppet might be far from perfect, but if he became an exclusive Array Specialist of the Royal Family, they would be able to provide better resources for him to perfect his puppet. Of course, the cksmith Order also had a vast amount of resources, especially with them being part of the Conve, but they had far too many talents and their resources would be split ordingly.


    Malek, Noir, and Sigma also chose to remain silent. This time, they wanted to let Kyran handle the rest.


    "Or else what?" Kyran asked with a slight smile as he turned his attention to Rhys.


    Rhys furrowed his brows. However, he knew Kyran was trying to bait him and refused toply with it. He said, "The Crown Princess is nice enough to ask for you to name your terms. Answer properly."


    "I am," Kyran replied with a shrug. He leaned back and tilted his head to one side, "When I asked if the Royal Family can afford me, I was seriously asking. Because my terms are quite... demanding."


    Rhys sneered, "Is that so? Are you saying that your value is high enough to demand simrly high terms?"


    Kyran shrug and did not reply. However, the confident smile that tugged at the corner of his lips annoyed Rhys. He had met a lot of people and even dealt with people with the same attitude as Kyran. An attitude that believed they were above others.


    "Your Highness," Rhys said and turned to look at Haylee.


    "Yes?" Haylee replied without looking at him.


    Lowering his head, Rhys asked, "Please allow me to test this young man''s abilities. I am afraid that your Highness may end up disappointed if he is not up to par with the Royal Family''s standard."


    When Malek, Noir, and Sigma heard Rhys''s proposal, they could not help but check Kyran''s reaction. Unfortunately, Kyran''s expression remained unreadable. He even looked a little bored even when he had a smile on his face.


    Vera found the attitude of the three council members a little strange. At this point, they should have tried to talk some sense out of Kyran to avoid shing with Rhys. But instead, they remained silent. They did appear a little worried, but Vera could not shake the feeling that they were not worried about Kyran, but something else.


    "Permission granted," Haylee replied and smiled.


    "Thank you," Rhys replied, bowing his head further toward Haylee before turning his attention back to Kyran.


    Kyran looked back at Rhys with an unreadable expression.


    Though it annoyed Rhys, he had to reign in his emotion, after all, he could not detect any fluctuation in Kyran''s mood right from the start. Something that he only noticed around veteran fighters.


    "I hope you don''t mind Chairman Noir, and Head Master Malek," Haylee said while looking at the two.


    The two shook their head.


    "It is fortunate we are already in the training ground," Malek was the one who spoke. "I can prepare one of the private training rooms for them."


    "That will be great," Haylee agreed.


    Malek stood up and gestured toward the door, "Please, follow me."

 Chapter 291 First And Foremost, A Mercenary

    A few minutester, Kyran and the rest were now gathered at one of therger training rooms in the Tower of Conve''s training grounds.


    This room was equipped with a restoration array as well as a magic limiter to ensure that Kyran and Rhys would not end up going overboard. The magic limiter also ensures that even if Rhys had a higher magic level than Kyran, there would not be a definite gap between the two. Of course, the conditions provided by thetter appeared to be Rhys giving Kyran a handicap, but Malek, Noir, and Sigma knew that it was the other way around.


    They were aware of Kyran''s battle prowess and even if he only utilized the recorded ability of Tyr, that did not lessen his chances of clinching a clean victory.


    Inside the training room, Malek, Noir, and Sigma stood at one side, while Haylee and Vera stood at the opposite side.


    In the middle of the room, there was a semi-transparent rectangr barrier where Kyran and Rhys were currently inside facing each other.


    "My name is Rhys, one of the Brigadier Generals of the Royal Army''s East Brigade. Currently, I handle the fifth up to the eighth battalions," Rhys introduced himself.


    Malek''s eyes narrowed. No wonder he did not recognize Rhys. Rhys was part of the Royal Army dispatched to protect the borders of the Ylfaen Empire. It appeared that the information they had within the army''s borders was no longer urate. There was also a good chance that the information they gathered had been intentionally leaked out to stop further investigation. Most likely, it was Deputy Marshal Mannick who ordered the leak, to mask the real military strength of the Eastern Royal Army.


    Why the Deputy Marshal did it was obviously to deceive Grand Marshal Gael and the other Deputy Marshals.


    The Royal Army might appear to function as one unit but in reality, there was four major power within. Apart from Deputy Marshal Ingrid of the Northern Royal Army, the other two Deputy Marshals had been working behind the scenes to oust Grand Marshal Gael.


    When Rhys introduced himself, Kyran was also having the same thoughts as Malek. Although the information he had read from the record that Ste had once shared with him did not indicate theplete military structure, he more or less understood the power struggle three of its four major power were currently at.


    ''East. That''s Deputy Marshal Mannick''s jurisdiction,'' Kyran took note of this information. He was getting more curious as to what had transpired during the meeting the emperor had with the Royal Army. Even more so, with Gael''s group who had secret designs on him and his n.


    "My battle experience is far greater than you, but don''t think I will give you a handicap because of this," Rhys warned Kyran.


    Kyran scratched his head while tilting it to one side, "It''s not like I ask for one. On the contrary, please don''t use the magic limiter in ce as an excuse for getting your ass kicked."


    Rhys glowered at him at once, "It appears you have a serious case of egotism."


    Kyran shrugged, "Say whatever you want to say. I''m just stating facts."


    On the side, the three council members could not help but look at Kyran with nk expressions. If they did not know Tyr was not real, they would be convinced that Kyran was really Tyr. As a matter of fact, while they were listening and watching Kyran''s words and actions, they found he was acting out of character. At least,pared to the Kyran they knew.


    For one thing, Kyran rarely talks back. He prefer to speak with his action. He might be cheeky at times, but this... was too unlike him.


    ''Since when did he learn how to act,'' Sigma wondered with a slight scowl.


    "Enough talk!" Rhys barked, "Take out your puppet. Let me see if it is even worth the Crown Princess''s time."


    Kyran raised his brows, "I thought you want to test my ability? Why do you want to fight my puppet all of a sudden?"


    Rhys snorted, "Humph. Isn''t your puppet proof of your Array ability?"


    "Oh, you mean that?" Kyran chuckled. Then he shook his head, "Sorry but I won''t be using my puppet."


    His deration made Haylee frown slightly. She had been silently watching the exchange between the two from the start and found Kyran more and more unreadable. With her ability it would be easy for him to understand his real character. But for some reasons, she could not read him. It was as if everything about him was shrouded by an invisible veil that even her ability could not prate.


    It was because of this reason that she decided to let Rhys test Kyran first. Haylee needed to understand Kyran''s character better in order toyout terms that he would not be able to decline.


    In this test, Haylee expected Rhys to destroy Kyran''s puppetpletely. This way, she could use it as a reason to ask him toe with her to the pce. She would offer to help fix the puppet at the Royal Family''s own expense without bringing up the recruitment offer. Once they were back in the pce, she would slowly work to get on his good side or even trust her. This way, it would be easier to bring up the recruitment again.


    Of course, that was not the only reason why Haylee wanted to bring Kyran back.


    Once Kyran started working on his puppet, Haylee could have Aiden, the Head Royal Mage, keep watch on him and find information on the puppet''s blueprint. She did not n to have the Royal Family secretly mass produce the puppets, because there was a good chance that Kyran might be the only one who could really create the puppet. But knowing the puppet''s blueprint would be beneficial to the Royal Army''s Research Division. It might give them new insights when creating magic items.


    As for why Haylee wanted to make Kyran an exclusive Array Specialist of the Royal Family; first, was to ensure no one else would be able to get the puppet technology. The cksmith Order might already have it, but that could be remedied easily. They just had to assimte the whole Conve of the East.


    Second, regarding the ability to create array on the spot, Haylee had yet to confirm if it was an ability exclusive to the puppet or Kyran''s, nevertheless, it would be a good addition to them.


    Andst, the Royal Family had a very special task toplete that would need a number of knowledgeable Array Specialists. Of course, if they could recruit an Array Master, it would be for the best. But since they could not, having the disicple of one was good enough. However, Haylee had to first determine if Kyran could be trusted. If he was, she would let him participate on it.


    However, all of this would only be possible if Rhys destroyed Kyran''s puppet.


    For Kyran to say he would not use his puppet was practically cutting off Haylee''s carefully thought of n.


    "Won''t be using?" Rhys scowled at once, "Then how are you going to¡ª!"<sub> </sub>


    Even before Rhys could finish what he was saying, Kyran already made a move.


    Stomping his foot on the ground, Kyran dashed toward Rhys. With his outstretched right hand, a long staff slowly materialized to which he grabbed at once. He whirled the staff on his hand as light-yellow magic arrays appeared and circted on its shaft.


    "This!" Vera eximed.


    The staff and the color of the magic array Kyran had summoned was simr to the puppet earlier.


    Creating a puppet based on something was not that surprising. That was how most puppets were modeled. That was the reason why most puppets looked like forest beasts or even weapons that had almost the same abilities or functions as the real one. But Kyran''s puppet was different. It was in a human-shape. At such, to use a famous mage as its model was the wise thing to do.


    But now that they were reminded that Disciple Tyr''s weapon of choice was a long staff, simr to his puppet. They suddenly felt conflicted.


    Was Disciple Tyr really that confident with his abilities to actually model his puppet after himself? Or was he simply an egotistic young man?


    "Humph," Rhys snorted.


    As he watched Kyran close in on him, Rhys spread out his arms and red magic arrays appeared on his wrists and ankles. The magic arrays circled up and down his forearm and lower leg as red-hot mes formed over them.


    "Come!" Rhys shouted while he mmed his fists together which instantly erupted with mes.


    He crouched down, building his momentum, before dashing to meet Kyran.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips.


    It was not the first time he met a mage whose innate magic was fire. In the Ylfaen Empire, most mages weilded earth, fire or light-base magic after all. It was rare to find a mage who used other types of magic. So knowing Rhys could use fire, even if he was abat mage, was not surprising to Kyran.


    As a matter of fact, the reason why Kyran smiled was because, he loved to fight fire mages. The reason behind this was simple. After finding out he could not get even with the fire mage who had relentlessly went after him the first time he escaped the Regis Estate, he wanted to take out his annoyance to every fire mage he met.


    "Burst!" Rhys shouted as he prepared to punch out at Kyran.


    Kyran, who did not stop in his advance even when Rhys charged at him, moved his staff in front. With deft movements, he met Rhys''s fist with the tip of the staff.


    Kyran''s action immediately prompted a sneer on Rhys''s face. After all, what could a wooden staff do against a punch amplified by fire magic?


    Whish!


    "What?" Rhys''s eyes widened as soon as the tip of the staff touched the edge of his fist.


    Right now, his fist was covered by mes, and anything it touched would have been incinerated. But the wooden staff remained intact as it finally reached his wrist.


    "Such a weak me," Kyran muttered as he pushed down the staff that had touched Rhys''s wrist, instantly forcing thetter to lower his fist.


    "Wha¡ª Ugh!"


    Before Rhys could fully react, Kyran flipped the staff in his hand and mmed the other end on top of the former''s head.


    To Vera and even Haylee''s surprise, the strength in which Kyran had hit Rhys''s head actually managed to force thetter to fall headfirst on the ground.


    BAM!


    Cracks formed on the ground as Rhys''s head mmed on it with such ferocity.


    Kyran''s expression turned serious as he shifted the staff in his hand once more and hit Rhys on the back three times.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Each time the staff hit, Rhys ended up getting buried on the ground.


    "Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" He screamed in pain.


    The restoration array inside the training room that activated the moment Rhysnded on the floor the first time, worked in full force as it tried to restore the floor back to its original state.


    "Don''t think you''re the only one who had battle experience. I am first and foremost, a mercenary, before being an array specialist."

 Chapter 292 An Arrogant Tyr

    Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glinted in amusement as she looked at Kyran.


    He was absolutely right.


    Disciple Tyr was originally a mercenary of the Mercenary Hall before bing Chairman Noir''s disciple. But Haylee had to admit she had forgotten this fact, and most likely Vera and Rhys too because there had not been any recorded noteworthy achievement that Tyr did as a mercenary.


    The only reason they knew of him was that he became Chairman Noir''s disciple.


    "Not anymore," Haylee muttered under her breath as she smiled slightly.


    Kyran''s movements were not extravagant but the mere fact he was able to subdue Rhys, a Brigadier General with a number of battle experience under his belt, showed Kyran was not an ordinary mercenary.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Malek, Noir, and Sigma looked at Rhys sprawled on the floor with an indifferent expression. Internally, however, their minds reeled the moment Kyran hit Rhys with his staff.


    Based on Tyr''s official record, he was a Mercenary whose weapon of choice was a long staff and an innate strengthening magic. From this information, it was safe to say that he was a very ordinary mage with only his good looks as something to take note of.


    As for having a puppet at his disposal, they agreed with the story that Tyr found an intact puppet from one of his mission before he became Noir''s disciple. As a matter of fact, the puppet was the reason how Tyr and Noir met.


    From Chairman Hugh''s rmendation, Tyr went to Chairman Noir to ask for his help in fixing the puppet. Noir was fascinated by the puppet''s intricate array system that he agreed to help Tyr without thetter having to pay. After the two met several times, Noir found that Tyr had a talent in Array. Thus, after the puppet was fixed, Noir offered Tyr to be his disciple, which thetter epted without second thoughts.


    This story was something Malek had thought of and was only possible since there had been no information revealed to the public on how Tyr became Chairman Noir''s disciple.


    Malek was also confident that once this story was leaked, most would believe it because of the puppet''s story. The reason why it was never revealed was obviously that it was a very rare relic that would definitely be coveted by a lot of people.


    As to Tyr''s sudden decision to reveal it, they came up with the excuse that after Tyr had gone on a special mission to strengthen himself under Chairman Noir''s arrangement, he was now strong enough to protect the puppet''s secret as well as defend himself. His battle strength had improved by leaps and bounds, making him strong enough to contend with those people below a High Master.


    Of course, Tyr''s magic level still remained at the level of an Adept. But because of the things he had encountered during his special mission, he could contend with others who had higher magic attainment levels than him.


    While Malek and the rest thought of Tyr''s background story, they did not expect Kyran to actually defeat Rhys in such a domineering manner. It was only the first sh for goodness sake.


    It was true that Rhys was only a Master mage which supported Tyr''s background story but... did Kyran have to overwhelm the poor guy?


    Even if there was supposed to be a magic limiter in ce Kyran should have held back... no wait, the magic limiter should have limited Kyran, not Rhys! Was Rhys really that weak? Kyran was not even using his real abilities!


    This sprung the questions in Malek, Noir, and Sigma''s minds which were, was Kyran even trying to camouge his own magic? Could he actually camouge it? Would he not be in trouble if he could not and kept on unting such domineering pressure? Actually, how was he able to change the color of his magic array? As far as they knew, his magic arrays were purple.


    On the other side, Vera looked on in shock, while the glow in Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes burn more fiercely.


    It was no secret that Array Specialists ended up bing Abjurers. However, from how Kyran carried himself, he was by no means an Abjurer. Most likely, once he became a Master mage, he might end up creating a new mage specialization thatbined the use of a puppet and meleebat?


    Haylee giggled inwardly. Now that she thought of it, Tyr''s innate magic was Strengthening magic. Could it be that he used strengthening on his staff to counter Rhys''s mes? He might have also been using strengthening in his body to amplify his physical strength.


    "Interesting," Haylee muttered under her breath. Her desire to have Kyran grew each second.


    "Argh..." Rhys groaned and was about to stand when Kyran stomped his feet directly on top of the former''s head.


    "UGH!" Blood sprayed out on the floor as Rhys''s head was once again buried on the floor.


    "Stay down," Kyran told him as he stabbed the staff on the floor close to Rhys''s head.


    Then he seemed to have recalled something and he said while lifting his feet off Rhys''s head, "Ah, that''s right. You''re supposed to test my array ability right? Sorry, sorry."


    Rhys who almost lost consciousness earlier snapped awake after hearing Kyran''s derisive tone. His blood boiled as his magic energy surged inside him.


    "Burn, you punk!" He growled.


    A five-meter red magic array formed on the floor with Rhys at the center and a sea of mes burst out, its height reaching seven meters.


    As soon as the mes erupted, Rhys forced himself up and jumped out of the magic array''s area of influence. Since he was the one who summoned the mes, he was not hurt by the mes. However, he still cut a sorry state after suffering from Kyran''s attack. Right now, his face was filled with blood and it even looked as if his nose was broken.


    Seeing Kyran vanish inside the sea of mes, Vera heaved a sigh of relief. Then she stopped short and thought, ''D-Did I just sigh?''


    Btedly realizing how relieved she felt to see Rhys sessfully counterattack was not a good sign. It almost seemed as if she was worried Rhys would be defeated in one attack.


    Noir and Sigma, on the other hand, could not help but look at the sea of mes worriedly.


    The magic limiter inside the semi-transparent barrier lessened the fatality of any magic attacks done inside, however, it did not mean one would not sustain any injuries. Even if Kyran switched to using his real ability to ovee this attack, his abilities would also be reduced. The cksmith Order''s uniform was resistant to fire elements given how their people dealt with fire when crafting items. But natural mes were still different from magic mes. There was no telling if Kyran would sustain long-term injuries if those mes did burn through his flesh.<sub> </sub>


    While the two wore worried expressions, Malek''s expression remain unmoved as he stared at the sea of mes. Actually, he appeared unmoved but if one looked closely, they would see that his eyes reflected disdain. As if he was looking at someone within those mes that he found extremely annoying. He definitely could see something beyond the sea of mes that he was disdainful of.


    Rhys spat out a bloody broken tooth as he red at the sea of mes. He had been surprised by Kyran''s momentum just now which caused him to lower his guard. Earlier, he said he would not give Kyran any handicap. However, he admitted that subconsciously he still underestimated him.


    ''I''ll pay you back tenfold for humiliating me,'' Rhys thought through gritted teeth.


    He smacked his fists together and a red magic array formed between them. It erupted into mes that enveloped his whole arms. Apart from this, his huge torso doubled in size ripping his upper clothes in the process. As of this moment, he looked like a demon with fiery arms.


    Rhys''s usage of his innate magic was something an Enchanter could do.


    Enchanters were mostly support-type. They specialized in illusions or charms. Illusions mostly attacked a person''s sensory perception, while charms attacked one''s internal perception.


    Apparently, Rhys chose to specialize as an Enchanter rather than an Elementor. By using an Enchanter''s ability to charm one''s internal perception, he amplified his body''s structure after infusing it with one of his fire magic''s characteristics. In this case, he used the fire''s intensity to increase his body''s structure.


    Abat mage that specialized as an Enchanter was not exactly unheard of. What made Rhys a little different was the fact his innate magic was an offensive type. Making him an Enchanter with an explosive momentum.


    "I''m not done with you!" Rhys growled as he charged inside the sea of mes.


    But.


    WHOOOSH!


    Even before Rhys neared the sea of the mes, a tempest erupted from within the sea of mes.


    Normally, a tempest would have amplified the mes. However, this tempest appeared to have a suction ability that drew in the mes.


    "What?" Rhys eximed in surprise.


    Haylee and Vera also looked at the sea of mes in rm.


    At the eye of the tempest, a golden array rotated as the sea of mes got sucked in.


    "That''s a small array formation!" Vera eximed. She had already believed the ability to create array formation on the spot was the puppet''s special ability. She did not expect that Kyran could do the same.


    To be precise, Kyran''s array creation was faster than the puppet!


    On the other hand, Haylee''s lips tilted to one side. No one would be able to guess what thoughts were currently running through her mind.


    As the sea of mes lessened, Kyran''s figure became visible.


    Contrary to their expectations, there was no indication of Kyran being hurt by the sea of mes. He even appeared as if he was having the time of his life from the slight smile on his face.


    This was why Malek looked a little annoyed because he had seen Kyran take his time sweet time before activating the array he conjured almost in an instant.


    "Phew," Kyran heaved a sigh dramatically, and even wiped away a non-existent sweat off his forehead. "That was close. A second toote and I might end up getting roasted. Good thing I have such a god-like speed in array creation."


    As soon as Malek, Noir, and Sigma heard Kyran they could not help but look on with dull expressions.


    Tyr''s character was bing more arrogant by the minute. It was the exact opposite of how Ste had defined Tyr''s character! What would she say if she found out?


    "Tsk," Rhys ground his teeth.


    He did not miss the snide tone in Kyran''s remark.


    It appeared, that the magic limiter ced inside the semi-transparent barrier had lowered his magic attack''s fatality by a lot. If not, Kyran would not be left unscathed.


    Reigning in his annoyance, Rhys continued his charge.


    By the time Rhys was only three meters away, the sea of mes had mostly been consumed by the golden array that Kyran created, revealing the haughty look on thetter''s face.


    "RAWRGH!" Rhys roared as he stomped his feet on the floor.


    The floor cracked from his weight as he propelled toward Kyran. The additional momentum from the stomp ignited his fists'' mes as he closed in on Kyran.

 Chapter 293 Probably Could Not Afford

    Kyran''s expression turned serious as he watched. In truth, Rhys''s movement was fast, but in Kyran''s eyes, he was too slow.


    When Rhys''s fist was only a few inches away from Kyran, thetter crouched down.


    As soon as Kyran did, however, a sneer appeared on Rhys''s face and he snorted, "Humph."


    He anticipated all of Kyran''s possible movement and already thought of a way to counter them. If Kyran jumped back, the mes in Rhys''s arms would burst out and follow Kyran. But if Kyran duck, Rhys would aim for his head!


    At an impossible angle, Rhys changed his motion from punching, intounching a knee kick and aimed at Kyran''s descending head.


    "Humph," Kyran sneered as he realized what Rhys nned to do.


    With agile movements, Kyran slipped the wooden staff in between the crook of Rhys''s calf and thigh, before mming his left hand on Rhys''s knee stopping its momentum.


    "What¡ª?" Rhys eximed in surprise.


    Before Rhys could fully register what Kyran had done, a powerful force mmed on the side of his head as thetter deftly yet powerfully twisted the staff on his hand then struck the other end of the staff at the former''s jawline.


    Because the other end of the staff was currently slipped in between the crook of Rhys''s calf and thigh, when Kyran twisted the staff, it also twisted the former''s leg at a nasty angle that an audible snapping sound was heard.


    It was obvious that at such an angle, the staff would have been broken in two. Surprisingly, the snapping sound did note from the staff but from Rhys!


    "ARGH!" Rhys bellowed in pain. Whether it was from how he was hit on the jaw or because of the snapping on his leg, or maybe both, only he knew.


    However, his grueling scream made Sigma''s and also Vera''s expressions twist, especially when they saw Kyran bashing Rhys''s jawline. As if recalling a certain incident where they also experienced a painful bash on their heads.


    Even as Rhys had bellowed in pain, Kyran was not done. Using his right pointing and middle fingers he pressed down different points on Rhys''s huge frame.


    Whenever his fingers touched these points, small light-golden arrays formed, sinking inside Rhys''s body.


    After which, as Rhys''s leg snapped, the other end of the staff hit the floor. Kyran took this chance to hoist his body to the left and force Rhys to fall to the ground by hooking his right leg around Rhys''s hips. Kyran twisted his body and using this movement, he managed to switch ces with Rhys.


    Rhys was once again sprawled on the floor, face first, while Kyran was perched on his back.


    By this time, Kyran already pulled the staff from beneath and whirled it above his head before holding them in both hands. Then he hooked the staff''s shaft over at Rhys''s chin and pulled it up forcing thetter to look up.


    "Ack!" Rhys made choking sounds as the staff hit his throat.


    "Stay down," Kyran said once again with a slight smile.


    Everyone inside looked on with rmed expressions.


    Earlier, Rhys was bursting with vigor as his fire magic amplified not just his body size but also the intensity of the mes wrapped around his arms.


    But then, Kyran subjugated Rhys without showing any concern of the mes that swirled around him.


    "Impossible!" Vera eximed. She might not have experienced Rhys''s mes but she knew someone who had powerful fire magic, Dior.


    During sparring matches among the officers of the Royal Army, when Dior participated and summoned his mes, wearing them like a fiery cloak, no one was able to touch him without getting burned.


    Haylee understood why Vera felt Kyran being unaffected by Rhys''s mes was impossible. However, she sensed something different with Rhys''s mes. It was as if, it appeared to burst out with fierce intensity, but in truth, its essence was empty.


    Noir and Sigma also felt something different with Rhys''s mes.


    Before the two could continue with their own thoughts, Kyran suddenly freed his right hand holding the staff to grab Rhys''s head.


    "You want to test my array ability right? Here you go," Kyran said as different light-golden arrays burst out from Rhys''s body.


    Since no one had seen all of Kyran''s movements a while ago, they did not know that the ces where the light-gold arrays came out from were where Kyran had pressed down earlier.


    As soon as these arrays appeared, Noir and Sigma''s eyes widened. They instantly recognized that the arrays were forms.


    "When in hell did he nt those arrays?" Sigma eximed in shock.


    Noir, on the other hand, recognized some of the forms, and the realization hit him. His eyes widened further and mixed emotions filled his heart.


    ''These forms are saint-tier levels!'' Noir thought, heart racing inplete awe, excitement, and even fear.


    In an instant, a five-meter golden ring appeared above Kyran and Rhys.


    Kyran lifted his right hand at the golden ring. After which, the small light-golden arrays flew toward it and a coalescing process began.


    The small light-golden arrays appeared on different points at the empty part of the golden ring, which was the center. Soon, runes formed connecting each of these small light-golden arrays into the golden ring, slowly forming into a five-meter golden array.<sub> </sub>


    Crackling sounds erupted as the magic energy inside the training room was drawn into the array.


    The semi-transparent barrier that contained Kyran and Rhys also crackled as visible cracks appeared. It looked as if the barrier''s magic limiter capability was on the verge of copse. Apparently, it was unable to limit the magic being formed on Kyran''s array.


    "AAAARGH!"


    Rhys''s grueling scream filled the air. His screams intensified as the golden ring be more like an array.


    "Enough! You are going overboard!" Vera shouted and was about to make a move.


    But it was at this moment that the semi-transparent barrier copsed as the gold ring had finished coalescing the small light-golden arrays. As the barrier copsed, a fierce collision of magic energies erupted from within, sending out a gale of magic energies on all sides.


    "Your Highness!" Vera eximed and immediately summoned a barrier to protect her and Haylee from the onught of magic energies.


    On the other side, Malek also waved his hand to form a magic barrier around him, Noir, and Sigma.


    Amidst the noise made by the gale of magic energies and Rhys''s pain, Kyran''s voice boomed as he shouted, "Constrain!"


    In an instant, the golden array above decreased in size as it descended to rest at Kyran''s outstretched hand.


    The gale of magic energies converged into the golden array at an rming speed.


    Rhys who felt as if his whole body was beingpressed by an invisible force suddenly felt an impending crisis. He had participated in far too many battles at the border. Fought countless mages who had higher mage levels than he was. But this was the first time he had felt that his life was being threatened.


    "N-No! S-Stop!" He screamed.


    His previous bravado was instantly shattered by the threat to his life.


    The truth was he had been trying to summon his magic since Kyran hit him with his staff. But for some unknown reasons, his body could not generate any magic energy. He could not even connect with the magic energy in the surroundings. For this reason, the mes around him were nothing more than a show of strength. But no real me energy was contained inside.


    Not only that. Apparently, his body was incapable of any movements!


    All of the things Rhys was experiencing were all because of the small light-gold arrays that entered his body. The points Kyran aimed at were also important points in the human body where magic energy flowed. As soon as the light-gold arrays entered these points, they disrupted the flow of magic energy in Rhys''s body, immediately turning his mes useless.


    Kyran only snorted at Rhys''s plea.


    The golden array finallypleted absorbing the gale of magic energy and it glowed with an almost blinding light. After which, Kyran lowered his hand to grab Rhys''s head once more.


    "Noooo!" Rhys screamed, his scalp went numb as he sensed Kyran''s hand near his own.


    But then...


    "That is enough."


    The voice that had spoken was soft, even calm. However, as soon as the voice had spoken, the noise that filled the whole room was silenced in an instant.


    Even the movements inside were forced to stop.


    The pupil of Kyran''s eyes constricted.


    The power emitted by that voice had nothing to do with sound magic.


    No.


    It was far more potent than Celine''s.


    However, Kyran had experienced it before.


    It was when Cyneah began to sing.


    A voice that could shake one''s soul.


    Kyran turned his head toward the direction where the voice came.


    Once again, Haylee''s image seemed to ovep with Cyneah''s in Kyran''s eyes. This caused his emotions to stir in turmoil.


    Haylee returned Kyran''s gaze as she smiled gently.


    "There is no need to be so ruthless, Disciple Tyr," she started.


    "You have already proven your abilities. And you are right, currently, the Royal Family probably could not afford you. However, I am willing to negotiate."

 Chapter 294 An Interesting Story

    "Instead of offering a position as an exclusive Array Specialist, I believe it is best to only employ your service when needed."


    As Haylee said this, the training room''s restoration array had started working to restore the damage done inside. However, it was unable to restore the semi-transparent barrier in the middle of the room.


    "I admit, I underestimated you," Haylee continued and smiled apologetically at Kyran. "But now I understand why you said those words."


    While she said these, Haylee indicated for Vera to get Rhys.


    Rhys had passed out even before Haylee used her magic to stop Kyran frompleting his array.


    The reason why Haylee managed to stop Kyran frompleting his array was not that she could affect it. But rather her magic affected the flow of magic energies in the surroundings.


    How she did it, was something Kyran had not figured outpletely. He had an idea, which was simr to what Cyneah did back in the cave to stop the movements of the Mutated Basilisks. Though the targets werepletely different, Kyran sensed that the process was simr.


    This thought made Kyran feel uneasy. He already epted the fact that Cyneah might be rted to the Royal Family and that he would never hold anything against her. As far as he was concerned, she might be a very distant rtive.


    Now that he had seen the Crown Princess in person, and witnessed her use magic, Kyran was not too sure.


    To be honest, Kyran found Cyneah to be more enigmatic. Especially with the fact that she could use magic simr to soul magic without having a magic core.


    ''Does this mean the Crown Princess has it?'' Kyran wondered.


    It was unfortunate that his Void and Draconic cores could not detect it. The magic cores were only able to react to someone his predecessors recognized from the experiences and memories stored in them.


    This had been the case with Ste. The feeling Kyran had when he saw her for the first time as if she was a long-lost friend was proof.


    As for the Crown Princess, apart from the surprise, he felt upon realizing how much she and Cyneah looked so much alike, Kyran had not felt any nostalgia when he saw her. There was not even remorse.


    Knowing that he could not find the answers to his questions at this moment, Kyran decided to keep note of this. He would try to find the answers when the opportunity presented itself. Right now, what was important was to convince the Crown Princess of how valuable he was.


    That had been his target since the beginning.


    Bing the Royal Family''s Array Specialist was all good. As long as he was presented with special privileges. In order to achieve this, he had to give the Crown Princess reasons that he was no ordinary Array Specialist.


    The puppet was only the bait. Kyran''s real card was the array he performed just now. If his assumption about why the Royal Army was now working closely with the Royal Family was correct, then the Crown Princess would recognize the array form he used.


    Seeing the Crown Princess''s reaction, Kyran was now 90% convinced that his assumption was right. And because of this reason that he could barely keep his emotion in check.


    He might have learned how to control his emotions during the five years he had trained in the Tower of Tribtions, but that did not mean he would not feel anything especially when it came to his weakness.


    Kyran waved his hand. In an instant, the golden array in his hand vanished. Then he stood, releasing Rhys as Vera approached.


    Vera was looking at Kyran with such venomous eyes, that if she specializes in poison magic, she would have already inflicted a fatal attack on him. She still could not believe that Rhys was defeated just like that. She even believed that Kyran cheated.


    As to how he cheated, Vera was not sure.


    When Vera was only three meters away from Kyran, Malek stepped forward as if to warn her not to have any funny ideas under his watch.


    Gritting her teeth, Vera only approached Rhys and ignored Kyran. Seeing that Rhys would not wake up any time soon, she took out a thin rectangr silver board that she inserted under Rhys''s upper body. This board was a magic item, used to carry heavy loads.


    Malek recognized it, that was why he did not react when Vera took it out.


    Vera tapped the board''s side button, and a whirring sound filled the air as it came to life. Then she stood up and returned to Haylee''s side, with the silver board carrying Rhys, in tow.


    "The Conve''s infirmary is close," Malek suddenly spoke, "We can have a look at Brigadier General Rhys''s leg. President Sigma can lead you there."


    Vera could not help but frown at Malek''s offer. It was okay if he meant all of them to go to the infirmary, however, from the way Malek had spoken he only meant for Vera, Rhys, and Sigma to go.


    "Thank you for your offer," Vera replied. "However, we can have a look at brigadier general Reese when we get back. It is not like he will die from a broken leg."<sub> </sub>


    "Go, vera," Haylee said.


    Vera looked at her, clearly unwilling to leave, and said, "But your Highness."


    Haylee looked at her with a sweet smile and said, "You did not think that Head Master Malek will do anything to me, right? If the Conve had any thoughts of hurting me they would have done so already."


    "But¡ª."


    "That is an order, Vera."


    It was subtle, but Vera sensed a strong authoritative tone in Haylee''s voice. Thus, she could only reign in her dissatisfaction and salute.


    "Yes, your Highness."


    After Vera had agreed, Sigma gave Malek and Noir a nod before leading her and Rhys out of the training room.


    Once they left, Haylee looked at Malek and smiled, "Thank you for being sensible, Head Master Malek. The truth is, it is a little stifling to have them follow me around."


    Malek did not reply, instead, he waved his hand and a floating seat cushion appeared behind Haylee. He gestured at the cushion and said, "Please."


    "Thank you," Haylee said as she sat on the cushion.


    While she took her seat, Malek spoke again.


    "I have said this earlier, talents from our constituents are not bound to the Conve, thus, you may offer them..." Malek paused and looked at Kyran meaningfully, "... work cements."


    Then he looked back at Haylee and continued, "If you do not feelfortable negotiating with Disciple Tyr in front of me, I can also leave. However," he turned toward Noir before continuing, "Chairman Noir has to stay. After all, he is Disciple Tyr''s master and... I suppose you could say, the cksmith Order''s big boss."


    Haylee giggled at Malek''s words. She found it funny how he tried to put emphasis on Chairman Noir''s position. The truth was she did not need a reminder. Malek calling Noir, ''Chairman Noir'' was enough.


    "There is no need for that," Haylee told Malek. "You can stay, Head Master Malek."


    Turning her attention back to Kyran, she smiled once again and said, "Tell me Disciple Tyr, where did you learn such high-level array forms?"


    Her question caught Malek off guard. His Array knowledge was not broad, but he at least could tell that what Kyran had created was an advanced array. The reason why he was caught off guard, was the fact the Crown Princess was more interested in the forms rather than the array.


    Noir, on the other hand, somehow understood the Crown Princess''s reason and he could not help but feel an impending crisis. Not for the Conve, but for Kyran. And he meant, Kyran as Kyran Regis, not Disciple Tyr.


    Kyran smiled slightly and tilted his head to one side.


    He did not answer Haylee''s question.


    Haylee took the hint and did not pursue the matter. She was not offended either. Having a secret or two was normal. She would not force him to tell her just because she was the Crown Princess. As a matter of fact, if Kyran had answered her, she would feel a little disappointed. Because it meant, he could not keep a secret.


    "It is fine if you do not want to tell me," Haylee said with a smile. "It only proves that you can keep a secret."


    As soon as she said the part about keeping a secret, Kyran''s heart sank. It took almost all his willpower not to let his growing anxiety show on his face.


    "I cannot go into details yet," Haylee continued, all the while watching their expressions as well as, sensing them.


    "Besides, I am not entirely sure what terms to offer. For now, I want to further assess your abilities."


    Kyran frowned at once. Did she not say what she had seen was enough?


    Seeing the dissatisfied look on Kyran''s face, Haylee added, "Do not get me wrong. I am convinced. However, it may take more than what I have witnessed to convince my father."


    She paused thoughtfully before continuing, "My ward from the Courtenay Family, told me an interesting story that happened in the cksmith Order today. She said you have promised to create magic items for all of the people present there. And I''m thinking of getting their statements about your creations'' performance. What do you say?"

 Chapter 295 Not Her

    Kyran raised his brows after Haylee finished speaking. Then he chuckled while shaking his head and said, "Let''s get something straight, princess."


    He looked her straight in the eyes and smiled mischievously.


    "I don''t have to prove myself," he said, "In the first ce, I am not the one trying to get the Royal Family to get my services."


    If Vera or Rhys were still here, with thetter regaining consciousness, they would have berated Kyran for his disrespectful tone.


    But since Malek and Noir were the only ones with them, even when they thought Kyran was being disrespectful, they remained silent. Not because they tolerated his attitude, but because they also thought his argument was valid.


    They also knew Kyran would not recklessly act this way, if there was no reason. There was a good chance he was even trying to ruffle the Crown Princess''s feathers because she had never once shown a different expression apart from the one she had right now; A gentle smile that masked her real thoughts.


    At the moment though, Malek and Noir were able to see the amusement reflected in her sapphire blue eyes. This meant she was not offended by Kyran''s attitude. On the contrary, she appeared to be amused and her interest in him was bing more evident.


    "You are absolutely right," Haylee agreed with a smile. "But having solid proof of your capability will definitely increase your worth, which will also leave too little room for my father to lower the offer we can give."


    Kyran did not reply this time. He only looked at Haylee with the same arrogant air he had shown earlier.


    After a few seconds of silence, Malek finally intervened by clearing his throat.


    "I believed both parties have reached a temporary agreement," he said while looking at Haylee and then at Kyran.


    When his gazended on Kyran, thetter also turned to meet his gaze. A subtle understanding passed between them as Kyran nodded his head and finally turned and went to stand beside Noir.


    Haylee nodded in response. Then she said, "Now the only thing I''d like us to discuss is how long you can make the magic items?"


    As soon as she asked this question, Noir and Malek exchanged looks. They were aware of the number of magic items Kyran promised to give out.


    The report first came to Malek while Kyran was busy working on the tower''s defensive array. To be honest, when he found out the number as well as Kyran''s promise to make it without the other parties providing any materials, he nearly went ballistic.


    They were talking about hundreds of thousands of resources. He had valid reasons to be mad. To Malek, this was one of his reverse scales!


    If not for the mysterious air Kyran exuded when he appeared that day, as well as the domineering attitude he apparently showed as Disciple Tyr in front of the so-called sessors of the Three Noble Families, which was included in the report, Malek would have really gone mad. He might even issue a duel against Kyran even if it meant getting on the Lord of the Tower''s bad side.


    Malek also understood that Kyran never wanted to be indebted to the Conve. Thetter might have tried to conceal it, but it was obvious to Malek.


    Because of this, Malek managed to reign in his growing anger and decided to interrogate Kyran first.


    Then he witnessed how Kyranpleted the tower''s defensive array when they clearly were missing so many materials, and then the array just now. Malek was now convinced that Kyran had done what he did with a n.


    Knowing this, instead of answering for Kyran, the two men looked at him and waited for him to provide the answer.


    Sensing the two older men''s gazes on him, Kyran sighed inwardly and scratched his ears. He pretended to look uneasy as he said, "Aw~ geez, Master, Head Master, you''re both giving me a lot of pressure when you looked at me like that."


    Malek and Noir could not help but look at him with nk expressions.


    They still needed time to get used to Kyran ''acting'' as Tyr. As a matter of fact, they needed time to understand Tyr''s character as portrayed by Kyran. Because apparently, the idea Ste initially had did not fit with Kyran''s ideals.


    Not that the public record on Tyr said anything about his ''character.''


    Kyran looked at Haylee and lifted one finger, "This long maybe?"


    Haylee raised her delicate brows as she tilted her head to one side, "A year?"


    A year to create all those magic items was actually reasonable.


    ording to her intel, the number of people present in the cksmith Order when Kyran announced his so-called pensation gifts,'' numbered at least seventy. For an Array Specialist to produce seventy pieces of magic items in one year was already an almost impossible feat.


    However, Haylee did not have a year. The task the Royal Family had set out to do must bepleted as soon as possible.


    Just when Haylee was thinking of a way to say this, Kyran chuckled interrupting her train of thought.


    "I didn''t expect you to look down on me that much, princess."


    Kyran''s words instantly made all three inside looked at him in surprise.


    "I want to arrogantly say, I canplete all of it in one week but I''m not as good as my master."


    Noir''s brow twitched slightly at Kyran''s brazen words. He could not make so many magic items even if there were materials avable alright! It was not a magic item where he only had to follow one design after all. If it was then he might be able to achieve it.


    Wait. Kyran was not intending to make one type of magic item, was he?


    "One month," Kyran continued as he lowered his hand and gave Haylee a wide enigmatic smile.


    "I need a month toplete the magic items I promised. However, I am not doing it to provide proof for you, princess. If you can''t wait for a month, then I don''t care. If you can, then be my guess. You are free to get their statements. Whether what they tell you convinces you of my worth or not, I don''t care either," he added with a shrug.


    Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glowed once more. Apparently, Kyran''s one month was more than enough for her.


    "Alright," she agreed at once.


    Afterwhich, Kyran stretched his arms and yawned as he turned to Malek and Noir.


    "I guess my presence here is done. I am beat, Master, Head Master, is it okay to excuse myself?" He asked as he slouched his body showing how beat he was.


    Malek did his best not to let his annoyance show and simply look at Noir.


    Noir, on the other hand, could not help but clear his throat. He still had to pretend to be Kyran''s master so he said, "Remember that Sigma is not done with your punishment. You might have diverted his attention by telling him about the improvements you did to your puppet, but that doesn''t mean you''re impulsiveness at the cksmith Order will go unpunished."


    "Eh?" Kyran whined as his body slouched further. "But I am not going to charge the order with the materials I needed! I am doing it at my own expense and hard work!"


    "That doesn''t mean you can act recklessly. Especially when you took care of the grandson of the Lumley Family¡ª err¡ª I mean taught a lesson, did you even stop to think for a moment how it will impact the order? Since that happened, we have received four summon requests from the Lumley Family East Branch, asking for an exnation."


    "They are only scornful by the fact they will not get any free magic items and discounts," Kyranined.


    "That is not an excuse. Why did you even exclude the grandson in the first ce."


    "Because he''s an annoying prick."


    Watching the banter between the two, Haylee could not help but giggle.


    Hearing the Crown Princess''s softugh, the three stopped and looked at her.


    It was also because of this that Noir btedly realized how smoothly he had followed along with Kyran''s act, it almost frightened him. Just now, it felt as if he was really talking to a real Disciple Tyr and not Kyran!


    "Apologies for having you witness such an unsightly banter between me and my disciple, your Highness," Noir said slightly lowering his head.<sub> </sub>


    Haylee shook her head. "No need for that. I actually found your rtionship a little envious. I don''t have a master to call my own."


    Then she looked at Kyran and smiled. Her sapphire blue eyes turned gentle.


    "Besides, I find Disciple Tyr interesting. As the Crown Princess, I am surrounded by people who always lowered their heads or avoided looking at me directly.


    "You may think he is acting disrespectful, but to me, I like how he doesn''t show me any preferential treatment just because of my identity."


    Kyran looked at her with brows furrowed, then his next words nearly made Malek and Noir cough out blood.


    "Please don''t fall for me, princess. I''d hate to have the emperor''s wrath upon me."


    Before Malek or Noir could even berate Kyran, Haylee suddenly burst out inughter.


    "Your Highness?" Malek and Noir said but stopped when Haylee lifted her hand at them, telling them it was alright.


    "True, quite true," she said agreeing to what Kyran had just said. "We really can''t have my fathering after such a talented Array Specialist. Who knows, in the near future, you will also be an Array Master like your master, Chairman Noir."


    Then she stood up and gave Kyran onest look. Before saying, "However, there is no saying you won''t fall for me instead, Disciple Tyr."


    With that, she turned and made her way out the door.


    "Head Master Malek, please guide me to the infirmary to check on my people."


    Malek lowered his head and without saying anything in response, he followed Haylee out the door.


    As soon as the doors to the training room closed, Noir breathed out a sigh of relief as he looked at Kyran.


    "You... did you really have to say that?" He asked.


    Kyran''s expression turned serious as he looked at Noir, "If I don''t, then it will be unlike Tyr."


    "''Unlike Tyr..''" Noir repeated incredulously. "You..."


    Tyr was not even real.


    In the end, Noir could only sigh in response.


    As for the Crown Princess''s response, it appeared Kyran was not one bit affected. It was as if he was immune to responses like that.


    "For the magic items. I meant what I said, Master Noir." Kyran continued as he took off his mask.


    Noir nodded, "I understand. As for the one month. Are you nning to ask the Lord of the Tower''s help?"


    Kyran shook his head and answered, "No. I really can finish it in one month."


    He looked at Noir with a slight smile and said, "Sorry, Master Noir. But I have to go somewhere. Please tell the rest I''ll be back tomorrow."


    Seeing the seriousness in Kyran''s expression, Noir did not ask any questions and only nodded.


    "Alright."


    "Thank you."


    Kyran''s eyes turned dark purple and in an instant, he vanished into thin air.


    When Kyran reappeared, he was standing in a dimly lit room, and he was facing a small window.


    Outside the window, the sky was still dark. However, there were signs of the sun rising soon.


    From the scene outside, it was easy to confirm that he was no longer in Starhorn.


    Kyran lowered his gaze to his left and looked at a person, sleeping soundly on the bed.


    From the dim light that came from a small floral-shapedmp on the bedside table, the person''s features were barely visible.


    The person on the bed was none other than, Cyneah. And the location that Kyran had warped to was the ''cottage'' deep in the forest outside the city of Noser.


    ''Not her...'' Kyran thought, as his expression turned gentle.


    He did not want to admit it, but he was very shaken after meeting the Crown Princess. That was why he wanted so bad to check on Cyneah to ease his nerves.


    Now that he did, his heart became more at ease.


    To be honest, back when he was in the Tower of Tribtions when he experienced a life and death crisis, he always thought of all the people he cared about.


    Cyneah had been one of them.


    The moment he decided to take her under his wing, and even before his godmother took her as her apprentice, he already saw her as one of his own.


    At first, he thought, it was because she reminded him of Kyra. But given the age difference, Kyran realized it was not because of that.


    Most likely, it was because he sympathized with her. Their situation might be different, but both of them were thrown into the outside world with only themselves to rely on.


    But then Kyran met Nn, then the Conve.


    However, Cyneah was all alone. If he had not found her in the cave, she would have died without even getting a chance to really ''feel alive.''


    Kyran took a deep breath and sat on the floor just near the side of the bed. From his position, he could still see Cyneah''s peaceful face and he could not help but smile.


    But his smile was short-lived as he recalled what transpired back at the Tower of Conve.


    He worried about his n. Especially on how the small clues he got from the Crown Princess pointed out that the reason the Royal Family needed talented Array Specialists had something to do with his n.


    Most likely, they already knew howplex the Regis Estate''s array was and wanted to gather talented Array Specialists to deal with it.


    The one month he gave the Crown Princess was actually a deadline he set for himself to find out the truth.


    He did not tell Noir, but he could actuallyplete all the magic items in just a few days. He just did not want to shock the older man senseless that was why he refrain from talking about the details of how he could aplish it.


    Anyway, he needed that one month because he would need to meet Byron and start his n.

 Chapter 296 Additional News

    Because Kyran was deep in thought, he did not notice Cyneah sleeping on the bed slowly stirring awake.


    As soon as her eyes fluttered open, her normally dark world slowly filled with floating lights. These lights were magic energies that were attracted by the small floral-shapedmp by her bedside table.


    Thismp was a magic item was something te prepared for Cyneah. There were also simrmps like this ced on different corners inside the cottage.


    Themp''s purpose was simple. It could attract magic energies and absorbed them to emit a faint golden light.


    Since Cyneah could see energies in the surroundings as long as they were pact together, themp could somehow help her ''see'' her surroundings without using her magic sense.


    ''Hm...?'' Cyneah''s brow furrowed slightly as something seemed to obstruct the flow of magic energies near her.


    Normally, with the help of themp, the darkness around her would be filled with countless floating lights, seemingly like fireflies fluttering in the darkness. However, at that moment, something ck like an abyss filled the space before her. It was not big. But given its size, she could more or less guess if that space unfurled itself, it was big enough for a human to upy.


    To Cyneah, a human would normally have one-colored light floating inside them, so this particr space was something different.


    Nevertheless, instead of being rmed, her mirror-like eyes seemed to grow wide in anticipation as she reached out a hand toward that dark space.


    And as she reached out her hand, she muttered, "Nar... is it you?"


    Hearing Cyneah''s voice made Kyran snap out of his reverie and he turned his head to look at her.


    It was at this moment that her fingers had almost touched his face. Without waiting for them tond on his cheeks, he lifted his right and gently took her hand.


    The moment her hands touched his, a gentle smile spread across Cyneah''s face.


    "It really is you," she said in an almost inaudible whisper.


    Seeing her smile, and hearing her voice, Kyran was once again reminded of the little girl he met in the cave.


    Back then, she looked skinny and weak, with a thick aura of death around her. But that aura of death had lessened from the moment he decided to take her in.


    Now she looked more alive, vibrant even, to the point that he could no longer associate her with that pitiful girl.


    As Kyran studied Cyneah''s face, a warmth he had long forgotten seemed to fill his soul.


    To be precise, as soon as Cyneah had spoken, that warmth had already started to fill him. And Kyran knew she was not doing it intentionally, but that was how potent her magic was. As long as her emotions were carried within her voice, they would affect anyone who heard her.


    "I thought you won''t be back for some time," Cyneah continued as if having Kyran hold her hand was enough of a confirmation that he really was the one in front of her. "It is only been a week though."


    Hearing her words made Kyran smiled bitterly but did not reply. Instead, he only tightened his hand around hers.


    That was right.


    To Cyneah, Kyran and Nn had only left a week ago. But to Kyran, he had been away for years.


    And within those years, he had experienced a lot. He met different kinds of people and endured a lot of hardships and tribtions. Most of all, he realized a number of things that he would have had trouble realizing if he had stayed on this ne, only walloping at the misfortune he and his n was facing.


    A lot of things changed in Kyran, and others might not be able to see it, but others who had met him would be able to feel it.


    That was the reason why Malek hesitated to tell him off. It was the same with Nn''s essence.


    And for a person who could not see, but relied on her other senses to feel, Cyneah also felt it.


    Cyneah slowly got up, not letting her hand leave Kyran''s as she asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Because Cyneah had changed her position, Kyran was forced to look up at her.


    She could not see where Kyran was, and even though she tried to look at the dark space before her, her line of sight was still way off.


    Instead of answering her, Kyran replied with a question.


    "Did I wake you?" He asked.


    "No," Cyneah answered, shaking her head slightly. "It is almost time to wake up anyway."


    Kyran turned toward the window and looked up at the sky.


    True enough, the dark sky was slowly turning into a mixture of bronze and blue.


    "Right," Kyran muttered inaudibly.


    It was then that he spread out his magic sense to check the whole surroundings.


    In an instant, a frown appeared on his face as he realized that neither te nor Zephyr were around.


    "Where is everybody?" He asked.


    "Oh, if you are asking about Master, she usuallyes back after the sun rises. Because she had to go to the city and work."


    Kyran''s frown deepened as he looked back at Cyneah.


    "Work?"


    Cyneah nodded and smiled proudly while saying, "That''s right. Master and I are currently helping out at a pub in the city."


    "Pub?" Kyran asked, his voice rising slightly. "Why is she working at a pub?"<sub> </sub>


    Cyneah tilted her head to one side looking a little confused at Kyran''s seemingly upset tone.


    "What''s wrong with working at a pub?"


    "You¡ª," Kyran stopped short and sighed inwardly. He felt an iing headache.


    No, actually he was already experiencing a terrible headache. Why would his godmother suddenly decide to work at a pub? Wait, Cyneah did say ''Master and I,'' right?


    "You''re also working there?" Kyran asked.


    Cyneah nodded, once again smiling proudly. "Yes! And I did not make any mistake when taking and delivering orders."


    Kyran would have burst Cyneah''s bubble if not for that sweet innocent smile she had on right now.


    Keeping his temper in check, Kyran patiently asked, "Why are the two of you working there? No, why do you even need to work? Are you two short on budget? If you are, why the pub of all ces?"


    "Oh, no, no," Cyneah shook her head at once. "Actually, it is called a pub but in truth, it is...."


    She lowered her head and even cupped the side of her mouth with her other hand as if what she was about to say was top secret. Then she said in a low voice, "... a secret hospice."


    Kyran gave her a nk expression. As far as he knew, there were pubs that also offered lodgings. So the pub being a hospice was not exactly a... secret.


    "You did not answer my question," Kyran replied with a deadpan tone.


    Cyneah slightly frowned.


    "I already did. We are not really working at the pub, but a hospice. Master is an alchemist and she had been out of the loop for some time so she thought it is best to understand the changes that has happened in Alchemy and Medicine by working at a hospice. We are not exactly short on budget.


    "As for me, since, I have also started learning Alchemy, Master thought its best to bring me along. It also served as another form of training my magic sense."


    Kyran stood up.


    Apparently, having to look up at Cyneah from sitting on the floor was doing nothing good for his rising temper.


    He sat down beside Cyneah and could not help but flicked her forehead with his free hand Whether he noticed it or not, he had yet to let go of the hand that held hers.


    "Aw!" Cyneah winced as she touched her forehead.


    "Did you forget what I said about going out?" He asked her.


    During their time together, Kyran had once told Cyneah if she had to go outside, she had to take Zephyr with her. If te was with her then it was also okay, as long as they were disguised.


    "Master made sure I drink her potion when we go out," then she made a sour expression and added, "The potion tastes bad."


    "That''s not the point," Kyran berated her, though his voice no longer sound angry. "The potion will onlyst a few hours and the more you drink the same potion, its effectiveness will drop."


    "I know," Cyneah replied with a slight pout. "Master made sure that I only work for a few hours anyway. Then she would bring me back here."


    "And Zephy?" Kyran asked.


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed in concern as she remembered Zephyr, "He had to leave a few days ago. I don''t know the details, but during dinner, he suddenly shouted words I don''t understand. Master had told him to calm down. But in the end, he said he had to go. Then he said to tell you when you return, that he will wait in that ce."


    Kyran''s expression turned grim. He knew exactly where Zephyr went, and the only thing that could make him lose his calm had something to do with the Shaiha.


    ''Too many things are happening at the same time. It''s as if there is ''someone'' who nned all of these to throw off my n,'' Kyran thought.


    He fell silent as he once again adjusted the n in his head. Initially, he only want toplete the adjustments of three of his puppets. Now, he had toplete all of them.


    ''I also have to make more face-altering masks,'' Kyran told himself as he looked at Cyneah.


    Now that he was aware of how much Cyneah looked like the Crown Princess, having her walk around outside with only a potion to change her looks was not enough. He had to make a mask for her too.


    As for the materials, Kyran was not that worried. He already understood his Void magic''s creation, and would be easy for him to create any materials hecked.


    For the puppets, however, the reason why he could not adjust all of them was because most parts were not avable in the human ne.


    It was not entirely hopeless, though. He had three ways of acquiring the parts he needed.


    One was through Olivia, the other one was through Gustaff, andst, but most likely the one he would use, was his own Void magic.


    That was right. There was a loophole he realized in the restriction in the Void magic''s creation ability.


    True Void had said, that as long as there was magic energy in the surrounding, Kyran could create something out from the void. But, this something must be present in the ne.


    For example, he could not create a nuclear reactor in the human ne since it was not avable here. That reactor was only avable in the Vrien ne.


    But, if that nuclear reactor was ''invented'' in the human ne, then it would be something Kyran could create. That was the loophole he saw.


    Thus, he nned to ''invent'' the parts of the puppets hecked.


    To do this, however, he needed resources. These resources would be provided by the Blue Lotus.


    At least, that was Kyran''s intention.


    One of the real reasons why he made a ruckus at the cksmith Order and even agreed on creating magic items for everyone was to put his idea to practice. As for the other reasons, that would be kept a secret for now.

 Chapter 297 A Moments Rest

    "Nar?"


    Cyneah''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie. As he looked at her he put aside all of his thoughts to make she would not notice anything.


    Yes, Cyneah could not see, but as far as Kyran was concerned, she had ways to know what other people were thinking, or even feeling. He noticed that part of her from the few days they had lived under one roof.


    It was because of this reason that as much as possible, Kyran tried not to think about his worries when she was around her. Doing so was not hard when he was around her, though. If he had to be honest, it was too easy for him to forget his worries when he was around her. He felt more at peace when she was around.


    Kyran believed it had something to do with her magic. Or maybe it was an innate ability she possessed that they had not fully explored yet. Even his Void magic deemed Cyneah''s magic or ability if it was thetter, harmless because it never tried to counter.


    "I can''t really say anything about how your master teaches you," Kyran returned to the subject of her and te''s adventure in the city. "But, you understand that if the potion wore off, someone might recognize you..."


    Cyneah immediately shook her head, "No one will! Master said even without the potion, my body has improved from the first time I arrived."


    Then she got out of her nket and as if trying to unt the changes that had happened to her in just one week, she sat straight and even puffed out her chest proudly.


    "See? I''m no longer skinny!" She said, beaming at Kyran.


    <o>,m Kyran''s brow, on the other hand, could not help but twitch. He had noticed it before, but his godmother was also an entric.</o>


    Trying his best to avoid looking at the part where Cyneah seemed to be so proud, Kyran cleared his throat and said, "That is not the point. But if you want others to recognize you then¡ª."


    "W-Who s-said I want others t-to to recognize me?" Cyneah blurted at once. She hunched down and tugged at Kyran''s hand which, whether the two were aware or not, was still held together. "I-I never said a-anything about wanting to be r-recogni-nized."


    Kyran tried not tough after hearing her signature stutter. He actually said those things on purpose to make Cyneah listen to him. Because he knew how much she did not want to go back. Most especially on being left alone.


    "Then, we have to be extra careful," Kyran said putting on a stern voice as if coercing a child. "I will talk to your master about it and make something that you can use instead of the potion."


    Kyran refrained from calling te, godmother, in front of Cyneah. But whether she heard him call te when he thought she was not looking or listening, was another matter.


    "Okay," Cyneah replied with a reluctant nod. It was not that she did not agree with his suggestion. She just did not like the idea that once again, she had to trouble him for something to help her hide.


    "Right, before I forget. I got something for you," Kyran went on. He tapped his storage pouch and a golden storage ring appeared on his hand.


    Using the hand he still held hers, he opened her palm and ced the ring on top of it before saying, "Since you said you are studying Alchemy, there are a number of rare nts and medicinal herbs inside. Also, that ring is special. Normally, storage spaces are incapable of supporting life. But that ring can."


    Kyran looked up and saw the confusion written on Cyneah''s face.


    "Storage spaces? Ring?" She asked, flushing slightly for sounding innocent. She knew about space storage. But as far as she was concerned, they were still in a form where she could insert things directly.


    The item Kyran had given her, however, was a ring. How was she able to insert things in such a small item?


    She knew the ring was already enchanted but, she really had no idea that these things existed.


    "Yes. Remember thedy who gave you a bag before? That bag is special because you can ce a lot of things inside, right?" Kyran patiently exined.


    Cyneah nodded.


    "This ring can do that and much more. Here," he helped her wear the ring on her middle finger and added, "Use your magic sense to enter the ring."


    Cyneah did what she was told. She was no longer a stranger to magic sense. As a matter of fact, she was someone very gifted in magic sense, just like her master. Because of it, the moment she used her magic sense to explore the ring, her eyes widened as she noticed how vastly different the inside of the ring waspared to the bag she received before.


    "This!" She eximed, her lips breaking into a wide smile, as she looked up in an attempt to look at Kyran.


    The cause of her surprise was because she realized how rich the magic energies were within the ring. It was something simply impossible. Aside from this, the nts and herbs Kyran mentioned, though she could not really ''see'' them, she could sense that they were full of life. As if they were still nted on rich soil.


    Kyran smiled and exined, "You can have your master help you transfer the nts and herbs in the backyard if you want. Or you can also keep them in there. As you''ve noticed, that ring is filled with magic energy."


    "Hm," Cyneah nodded enthusiastically.


    Rare nts and medicinal herbs were very precious because they not only grow from rich soil, sun and water. They also needed to be exposed to magic energies. This way, their medicinal efficacy would increase. And when the time it was good enough for harvest, the nt or herb themselves would also contain magic energies, preserving their medicinal efficacy for some time.


    "You can use also nt more in there. Just use your magic sense to move around the things inside and outside," Kyran paused for a moment.


    He was unsure what level Cyneah was now in magic sense usage. But he was confident she would be able to utilize the ring because she was a fast learner.


    "Can I also put people inside?" Cyneah suddenly asked which almost made Kyran choke.


    "Why would you even want to do that?" Kyran could not help but ask.<sub> </sub>


    He suddenly imagined a strange scene where Cyneah had tried to kidnap people.


    Thinking of this, Kyran recalled how Nn had told him to stop kidnapping people. He was sure Cyneah was awake then, but what if she subconsciously heard that and somehow it stuck...


    Cyneah giggled at how Kyran''s voice sounded flustered just now.


    "I was only kidding."


    Kyran looked at her suspiciously. She did not sound kidding just now.


    To stop her from getting any ideas, he decided not to answer her question and instead said, "There are other items there for you. You can explore it anytime."


    After hearing Kyran said this, Cyneah''s expression turned sober.


    Seeing her expression made Kyran think she was not happy with his gift and could not help but cleared his throat.


    Maybe it was wrong for him to think Cyneah''s taste might be the same as Kyra''s?


    Before, Kyra had been happy with anything Kyran gave her. Whether it was exotic-looking flowers or nts, or even a very strange-looking insect.


    There was even one time when Kyran gave Kyra a glowing beetle. Kyran was so happy she screamed in delight calling it ''Betty.'' Because she was so happy with it, she even took it with her for a bath.


    Unfortunately, the beetle drowned and Kyra was heartbroken.


    "I... As I said, there are still other items inside. So if you don''t like the others you can¡ª."


    "No! I love anything you give me," Cyneah interrupted him at once. Then she flushed, apparently realizing how loud she had been, and added hesitantly, "I just... I just remembered something."


    "What did you remember?"


    "Y-You know..." Cyneah replied, once again stuttering at her words. "R-Remember when y-you a-asked me if I w-want an r-reward? What I meant to say. B-Before you and big brother Nn left¡ª."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. That was right, he almost forgot that Nn had told Cyneah to call him big brother because previously she had called him old man Nn.


    "¡ªyou.. m-mentioned about giving me an r-reward," Cyneah finished flushing slightly.


    Kyran raised his brows. He did say something like that. Because she did her best to heal his magic core, he had asked her what reward she wanted. But then she said she had not thought of anything yet and would tell him when he returned.


    "Ah, that?"


    Realizing what Cyneah might be on about, Kyran chuckled and said, "That''s different. This one is a gift."


    "Oh! T-That''s good!"


    Kyran raised his brows at her, "You look like you''ve thought of something for the reward. And it even seems more valuable than the things inside the ring, or even the storage ring."


    Though Cyneah could not see Kyran''s expression, from the sound of his voice, she could almost guess he was sneering at her.


    With a slight pout, Cyneah replied, "Yes, that''s right. It is more valuable! But. I won''t ask for it yet. I am not ready."


    "''Not ready?''" Kyran repeated in confusion.


    Flushing slightly, Cyneah just said, "A-Anyway. Master ising soon. I-I have to get ready first a-and to make some b-breakfast."


    As she said this, she stood, finally releasing Kyran''s hand.


    "I can help with¡ª."


    "No! You stay here!" Cyneah cut Kyran midsentence as she made her way out of the room.


    Kyran watched Cyneah close the door and could not help but scratch his head. He had only been gone for a week, but it appeared Cyneah had really made progress in using her magic sense to ''see.''


    He turned to the floral-shapedmp on the bedside table and smiled slightly.


    As an Array Specialist, Kyran knew what themp could do and once again reminded him of how te was really going all out when it came to Cyneah.


    Remembering te, however, Kyran''s expression turned sober as he also thought of something.

 Chapter 298 Another Essence

    Cyneah did not go down immediately after leaving the room.


    First, she took her time to adjust her senses from all the magic energies in the surroundings. She leaned on the door and closed her eyes to concentrate.


    In theory, magic energies could not pass through solid materials. As for what was the definition of a solid material it was, depended on the type of magic energy.


    The floral-shapedmps that te ced all over the cottage could attract magic energies, making the whole surrounding pact with it.


    This made Cyneah able to see silhouettes of the ceiling, floor and walls. As for humans, she could see them by the floating lights within them.


    Except for Kyran.


    Taking a deep breath, Cyneah opened her eyes. Her mirror-like eyes glowed faintly and seemed to reflect all the different-colored magic energies around her. Then she tightened her hand which had held Kyran''s earlier. Her expression filled with concern.


    Contrary to what Kyran had expected, Cyneah had sensed something different about him.


    She could not ce her finger on it, but the way he held her hand was simr to how she had held onto his when they first met.


    Back then, Cyneah had unknowingly started to depend on Kyran. And as she held on him, she was looking for an answer, an assurance of some sort, that it was okay to hope, and that everything that was happening was not just her delusion and that he was real.


    ''What assurance were you hoping for when you held my hand, Nar?'' Cyneah wondered.


    It saddened her that she could not outright ask him what was wrong. They might have gotten close, but she still felt there was a wall around him. As far as she was concerned, she had yet to cross that wall. He only allowed her to see a part of himself from a small crack.


    The proof of this was how they would sometimes convene and would not allow her to listen in on their conversation.


    When Cyneah asked her master regarding it, her master only exined it as them being considerate of her own circumstances. There was no need for her to worry about others issues and should focused on her own.


    And her master was right.


    ''Yet, it is okay for them to worry about mine and I can''t do the same for them?'' Cyneah wondered with a slight pout.


    ''It is not like that. Even if you know, what can you do anyway?'' She answered her own thoughts. Sighing inwardly, she finally straightened and went downstairs.


    When Cyneah made her way downstairs, Kyran, who stayed inside her room had been silently checking on her through his magic sense.


    He was still a little skeptic if she really could walk around on her own now.


    Before he and Nn had left, Cyneah had already familiarized herself around the cottage''syout. Since she was a fast learner, she rarely bump into walls, or trip. However, it had only been a week since then.


    ''It seems themps were really helpful,'' he thought after confirming Cyneah made it safely to the first floor without a problem.


    An idea shed through his mind as he resolved to improve themps and amplify it with the cottage''s array.


    Kyran stayed there a few more minutes to sort out his thoughts regarding what he had to do, before finally warping to the room across, which was his room. There he started working on the magic items he promised.


    An hourter, Ate arrived. She was surprised to know that Kyran was upstairs. However, she did not go check on him at once.


    The fact he hade without Nn said a lot of things. And since Ate knew where he had been to, she thought it best to let him be for now.


    Speaking of Nn, the reason why Nn''s essence seemed to have disappeared when the Crown Princess had arrived at the Tower of Conve, was because he was outside investigating the ''people'' who were keeping an eye at the Tower.


    It was alreadyte at night when Nn found the location where these people were keeping watch.


    These group of people were dressed in ck, making it hard to distinguish which faction they belonged to.


    They had also setup several enchanted make-shift camps that surrounded the Tower of the Conve, and was at least fifty thousand kilometers away.


    In truth, it would have been hard for these people to keep watch at such a distance. However, Nn found a red-blood colored obelisks at each of the camps and so he used his magic sense to inspect them.


    If Kyran had been there, he would have recognized these obelisks.


    Surprisingly, they looked like miniature version of the red-blood tower he had seen at the Lignum ne.


    As an Array Master himself, it was easy for Nn to realize that these obelisks formed a connecting array. The array''s main function was to record all activities within its area of effect and project it on a the obelisks.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he watched what was being projected in one of the obelisks. At the moment, he was standing at one of the thickest trees, hiding his presence from the people below.


    They might have put enchantments around the camp, but even as an essence, Nn''s magic level was higher than these enchantments, making them ineffective.


    The obelisk had several projections that hovered around it. Currently, they were showing different locations around the Tower of Conve.


    There were six mages wearing ck coats, standing around the obelisk with floating silver discs in front of them. They were muttering under their breath, and though Nn could not hear them, he could guess they were transmitting the images on the projections into those silver discs.


    ''The array has beenpleted only recently. Most likely, it was when the princess and her entourage was on their way to the Tower,'' Nn observed. ''If that is the case, the Tower''s defensive array had barely beenpleted.''


    The Tower of Conve had already nned to upgrade their defensive array and it was not exactly a secret. After they received the letter of the Royal Army''s inspection, Ste had ordered the Chamber of Commerce to spread the story. In case the inspection happened without thempleting it.


    That was part of their contingency n.


    But because Kyran had appeared andpleted the array before the princess could arrive, Nn was unsure if these group of people had noticed it or even recorded how it happened.


    Although the Tower of Conve''s defensive array did not make any obvious fluctuation upon itspletion, there was no telling if this particr array this group had set up had not detected and even recorded anything strange.<sub> </sub>


    Nn had to know and make sure to destroy it. If not, they might find some clues that the tower''s array did not undergone any improvements but had been created from scratch.


    When that happened, and this group were actually the Royal Family''s people, then they would try to investigate and there was no telling they would not find clues about Kyraning there.


    Thest thing they needed was the Royal Family using the Conve of treason for keeping the matter about Kyran''s visit a secret.


    The reason why Nn thought like this, was because unlike them, he was aware that the Royal Family already knew about Kyran and even the Regis n. He did not tell them because his original self had gave strict orders not to breath a word.


    Nn had not told Kyran why his original self had suddenly decided to find Azaloth''s Inheritance without waiting for him, but it had something to do with how he found the Royal Family already knew the truth.


    The day Nn had returned from the Tower of Tribtion, he used one of the Transmission Scroll and teleported a few kilometers outside the Regis Estate.


    That was right. He first went to the estate.


    The reason why Nn had dyed going there to check the situation himself was because Cade and Rin had a way to sense him. He did not want the two to know he was close. He felt he had no right to be near them after what he had done.


    Even when he had decided toe visit when he first met Kyran. He did not exactly intended to show up in the Regis Estate. He only nned to check on them from afar.


    His way of thinking might be immature to some. But the guilt he felt for causing his sworn brother''s magic core be destroyed and stopped his progress still gnaw at him.


    But that day, Nn had no choice but to go. He let Cade down once, but he would not do the same to his son.


    After steeling his resolve, Nn went to the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls to investigate.


    In only two short hours of looking around the outer walls, Nn left and decided to go find Azaloth''s Inheritance as soon as possible. Before that, he left behind an essence who went to the Tower of Conve to wait for Kyran.


    Nn''s decision was not made on impulse. It was something he thought was the best course of action.


    Because what he found in the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall had left him scared witless.


    As Nn''s essence recalled how his original self warned him not to tell Kyran anything about what he had seen in the Regis Estate, he could not help but sigh inwardly.


    He was feeling an iing headache. The truth, even though he was an essence from his original self, he had his own way of thinking. To be honest, he believed it was high time to let Kyran know everything. Besides, there was a good chance Kyran already guessed what was happening.


    ''No matter¡­ I''ll let my original self handle the matter about the Regis Estate while I handle this one,'' he finally decided.


    Shaking his head slightly to push all these thoughts at the back of his mind, Nn looked at one of the ck tent at the center of the camp.


    He guessed that tent was where the big boss was currently residing, because among the other tents, it was the only one with two mages in ck coat guarding outside.


    If he wanted to find out how much these people knew about what had happened in the Tower of Conve, who else was best to ask but the big boss?


    Nn looked at the two guards as well as the other mages scattered around the camp.


    There were at least twenty people he could see and another ten to fifteen which were inside the tents.


    ''There are also those who were outside the camp patrolling the area.''


    Nn guessed that at most, there were at least fifty people in each camps. And there were six camps in total.


    It might not be a lot, but the reason why Kyran had asked Nn to investigate was because the highest level among these people, was an Exalted. And the lowest being at High Adept.


    Something which was impossible for a small group to have. They should at least have a Paige or an Adept, to do small tasks. But the mages in front of the obelisks were all High Masters, and even the two guards, guarding that one particr tent were both Grand Masters.


    ''Well, it''s not like I''ll have trouble dealing with this guys¡­'' Nn paused as his eyes narrowed while looking at the tent.


    ''However, I can''t sense anything in that tent. If Kyran is right, the big boss is an Exalted. But¡­ why can''t I shake off the feeling that I am dealing with something more I can handle here,'' he wondered.


    This feeling actually stemmed from the aura he sensed around the red-blood obelisks.


    ''Ah, screw it. Let''s just go interrogate¡ª.''


    "Are you done observing? Cause I am."


    Nn''s eyes widened as a man''s raspy voice spoke from behind him.


    Before he could turn, a hand shot out, piercing through his chest from behind.


    "U-gah!"


    Nn coughed out some blood, his mind reeled in shock. He had not felt the person''s presence, nor his arrival. It was simply impossible!


    He might only be an essence, and his magic level was lowered but his original self was not just an ordinary Magus!


    For Nn to not noticed that there was someone behind him could only mean one thing¡­


    The person behind had a higher mage level than him!


    "What? You''re also an essence? Tsk, boring."


    The raspy voice had said and was about to pull out his hand and grab what he could grab from inside Nn, when thetter''s eyes glowed and ck spikes shot out from all over his body.

 Chapter 299 A Curve Ball

    "Tsk!"


    The man behind Nn was forced to jump back as the ck spikes appeared.


    "Ngrgh¡ª!"


    However, the man did not give up the idea of pulling out one of Nn''s internal organs and grudgingly pulled, spilling thetter''s blood and flesh.


    The light from the moon above fell on the man as he jumped down the tree Nn had been hiding, revealing his appearance.


    He was tall andnky wearing a short-sleeved ck hooded coat. Runes glowed all over his exposed arms giving off a very sinister aura.


    Gritting his teeth to endure the pain, Nn willed the ck spikes to shatter. The ck particles instantly circled him turning into a formless shield.


    He knew the man''s attack was not over and this was all he could do at the moment. He might be an essence, but his body was made from his original self and had the sameposition as the real one. It goes without saying that, unlike his thoughts, the pain he felt would also be transmitted to his original self in real-time.


    ''Ergh¡­ he f*cking took out a chunk of my heart.''


    Knowing all this, Nn resolved not to stay and racked his brains for a way to escape. He could not afford to suffer in the hands of this man or his original self would also suffer. As for his initial n to infiltrate the camp and find out what they knew about the Conve, he would have to think of another way.


    If only his cloak was not a cheap trick to look like the original one, he would not have been this critically wounded. Even if others sneaked up on him, the cloak would have activated to protect him.


    As Nn expected, the man was indeed not done with his attack. The same moment that Nn had shattered the ck spikes and turned to a formless shield, ck and red mist had burst out from the man''s palms.


    These mists turned converged and formed into six 30 meter sized strange-looking beasts, with the bodies of a tiger and eagle heads. Three had ck colored bodies, while the other three had red. Multi-colored feathered wings also sprang out from their backs.


    All six beasts cried shrilly as they flew and charged toward Nn. Their eyes glowered with killing intent.


    ''Tsk,'' Nn gritted his teeth as he watched the strange-looking beasts charging at him.


    Others might not be familiar with these beasts. Most likely they only knew a somewhat simr mythical beast that had the body of a horse, with head and wings of an eagle, the Gryffs.


    However, Nn knew these beasts, and they were called Gryphon. There was another kind with the body of a lion, instead of a tiger and they were called Griffins. Both kinds were a much inferior line of Gryffs but that did not make them less violent. As a matter of fact, Gryffs were easier to deal with because they would only attack when threatened. Unlike the Griffins and Gryphons who would attack all outsider.


    These beasts might only be created by the man''s strange magic, but Nn sensed their killing intent were very simr to the real ones. And if those beasts managed tond a hit, he would definitely be doomed.


    Nn took out a high-grade healing pill from his coat pocket and swallowed it down in an instant.


    Without waiting for the beasts to arrive, he spread out his arms and summoned several ck orbs.


    The orbs burst out of the formless shield and turned into ck short swords. These swords then whistled in the air to intercept the iing beasts.


    With a shrill cry, some of the gryphons pped their wings and summoned a fierce wind to blow the swords away, while the rest summoned concentrated energy balls from their mouth and attacked.


    The man''s eyes narrowed as he watched the ck short swords evaded his summons'' attacks and relentlessly attacked them. His eyes glowed red from under the hood as he raised his right hand and pointed at the formless ck shield.


    Whoosh!


    A ck beam of energy shot out from the man''s finger and went straight at the formless shield.


    Before the beam of energy arrived near the formless shield, the shield churned and reformed into a solid pentagon-shaped ck wall to block off the iing beam.


    However, the ck wall seemed incapable of blocking the beam as it shattered so easily like thin ss.


    BOOM!


    A ten-meter wide explosion erupted that shook the whole forest.


    All of the people at the nearby camp heard the noise and went on alert in an instant. They activated the camp''s defensive shield and organized a group of High Masters to investigate.


    Back on the explosion''s site, a mixture of dust and smoke filled the air, instantly dropping the surrounding''s visibility.


    The man glowered at the spot where the formless shield that turned into a solid one had been.


    That spot had a huge tree earlier, but now it had been reduced to nothing. A small crater also formed on the ground from the explosion.


    However, even from all these destruction, there was no sign of a person getting sted by the energy beam anywhere.<sub> </sub>


    The man looked at his summons, which had just finished destroying some ck short swords.


    He looked at how these short swords were sted and turned into ck particles before dispersing into the air.


    Suddenly, the man''s eyes widened as he turned to look at the location where the some of these short swords had been blown away.


    There were no short swords seen there. Not even a trace of these swords stabbing a tree or the ground.


    A smile tugged at the corner of the man''s lips as he muttered, "Well, that''s quite clever. I wonder who that peeping-tom is?"


    It appeared, his prey had managed to escape without him even noticing. And the trick he used were the short des.


    "He actually turned himself into one of those short des. Most likely, when my beasts summoned the winds, he turned into one of the short des that had been blown away. Nice. Very clever," the man guessed and chuckled in delight.


    He waved his hand and his summoned beasts turned into ck and red mists that flew back at his palms. As he closed his palms, he sneered and looked up at the brightly-lit moon.


    "Humans are really interesting!" He eximed andughed.


    If Kyran had been here, he would have recognized the man''sughter.


    Because that man was none other than another essence of the Sovereign of Ruin.


    While the Sovereign of Ruin''s essence were basking in his own delight of discovering another interesting human, Nn had reappeared quite a distance away.


    As the Sovereign of Ruin had guessed, Nn did turn into one of the short des.


    After getting blown away, he masked his presence and before he turned into ck particles, he had crushed a teleportation token to escape.


    When he reappeared a few kilometers away, Nn had crushed another token, and another until the feeling of danger had left him.


    Leaning on one of the trees, Nn touched his chest where the man''s hand had pierced a while ago. The wound had now closed, but he could sense that the chunk of his heart had not fully reformed yet.


    "That f*cking bastard. Who the f*ck is he?" He wondered.


    He scowled as he realized that his revenge list had once again gain another name.


    Err¡­ not exactly a name cause he did not know the f*cking bastard''s name, but for now he would name him f*cking bastard no. 4.


    The truth, the people on his revenge list were mostly not from the human ne. The only one from here was Gael, and to be honest, his name had only been added because he could not kill the f*cking d*ckhead when they fought. He also had to hold back, or else who knew what kind of catastrophe it would envoke?


    Kyran had been out ofmision back then and even if he was not, he was not ready to face the result from Nn and Gael''s sh.


    Pushing all irrelevant thoughts at the back of his mind, Nn recalled everything about the man.


    ''That guy can summon beasts not native to the human ne. He''s definitely not from here. He also said, ''also an essence.'' This can mean two things, either he knew someone whose an essence, or he is also an essence. So far, apart from those who had entered the Tower of Tribtion, no one else knows about human essence creation.''


    Thinking of this, Nn''s expression turned grim.


    Someone turning evil after failing the Tower of Tribtion was not impossible.


    If the man before had been there and became an evil mage, then that would exin a lot of things. If not, then it meant, the Human ne had once again been breached.


    While the former was a possibility, Nn knew thetter was the correct answer.


    After all, the things his original self discovered at the Regis Estate Outer Walls was proof of that breach.


    ''These people are really with the Royal Family,'' Nn thought, his eyes narrowing. ''I have to let my original self know about this. If my guess is right, all those people in the camps are not from the Royal Army, nor are they the Royal Family''s force. All of them came from that breach.


    ''I did not expect the Royal Family has already gathered this many people.''


    He recalled the conversation his original self had with the Tower''s warden. About the approaching ''real tribtion.''


    It seemed, the real tribtion had already started in the Human ne.

 Chapter 300 Anette’s Desire (1)

    The sun had already risen by the time te decided to go see Kyran. Two hours had passed since her arrival and while breakfast had been ready almost an hour ago, they dyed calling for him so they couldplete their morning choirs first.


    Another reason for the dy was due to Cyneah''sint, saying she could not face him yet after realizing she had been in her nightdress when she brazenly unt her so-called no longer skinny figure.


    She felt so embarrassed and needed time to calm down.


    te could only chuckle and assure her there was nothing to be embarrassed about since she had grown into a beautifuldy, inside and outside.


    Unfortunately, instead of assuring Cyneah, te ended up making her feel more embarrassed.


    In the end, Cyneah went back to her room to get ''properly'' dressed as she phrased it.


    Seeing Cyneah get flustered around Kyran, te''s expression turned slightly sober. No one knew exactly what she was thinking. Not even Nn, if he had been there and saw her expression.


    Standing in front of Kyran''s room, te could faintly hear faint metal scraping sounds inside. With a slight shake of her head, she could almost see him working on some magic items and sighed inwardly.


    Howe she was always surrounded by men who loved grease work? Both Cade and Nn were Array freaks. Their master was also one, as well as her father''s side of the family.


    "It''s open, godmother," Kyran''s voice came from inside the room even before te could knock.


    te raised her brows at his call. She was not surprised that he noticed her outside. Any mage could more or less sense another person''s presence, even if there was a thick wall separating them, through magic sense.


    But for Kyran to also guessed who it was, was a different story, especially when he only learned magic sense a couple of weeks ago.


    ''His improvement after a week''s training in that ce is tremendous. But¡­ I wonder how long has he really spent there?'' te thought as she opened the door and let herself in.


    "What? Have you also installed a surveince array outside your door¡ª?" She greeted but then stopped short after noticing the inside of the room.


    She did a double take because the room hadpletely changed.


    Instead of a bedroom, what greeted te was a workroom,plete with a burning furnace and smithing tools. The room even looked bigger than she remembered as if the whole space had been enchanted.


    As she wondered her eyes, te caught sight of three human-shaped puppets sitting on a work bench on one side of the wall, seemingly at rest.


    ''H-Human puppets?''


    Then she found Kyran hunched over at one end of the long work table at the middle of the room, where another human-shaped puppet whose torso was currently open,y. It appeared Kyran was working on the puppet, which was currently emitting faint purple glow.


    "This¡ª?"


    te''s was interrupted by another movement in the room.


    To her surprise, she found a handsome young man with auburn hair in a ck robe holding a round metallic gold cover, walking toward Kyran.


    Because the room only had the fire from the furnace as its source of light, te could not see the young man''s eye color. But she could guess it was in a lighter shade.


    "Master, it is done," the young man had said.


    ''Master¡­?'' te looked at him and then back at Kyran inplete surprise. Since when did he find another person to be his Sigil?


    Kyran looked up and motioned the young man closer.


    "Okay, I''ll let you handle the rest," he told him.


    "Yes, master."


    "Who¡­?" te looked at Kyran questioningly as he approached.


    Kyran looked back at the young man and said sheepishly, "Ah, that''s¡­ I guess, the other ''Tyr''?"


    "''The other what?''" te repeated in confusion.


    "I''ll exinter," Kyran replied. "Let''s change location first."


    Without waiting for te''s consent, he ushered her toward another door.


    The truth, he wanted to warp them to another ce but remembered she was not fond of warping. He might be able to warp people without making them feel wheezy now, but there was no telling that te might still feel bad because of psychological trauma.


    te looked at that door suspiciously. Since when was there a door inside Kyran''s room?


    More importantly, was this room still in the cottage?


    After a few minutes, the two of them were now inside what appeared to be a study room.


    There was a study table, with several rolled scrolls on the table and a few thick books on top, and two single wooden chairs. There were also a bookshelf on one side and a window on the other.


    Kyran chose to lean on the windowsill while te sat on one of the wooden chair.


    "We can talk after breakfast," te started.


    To be honest, her mind had yet to process what she had seen.


    It was not her first time seeing a human-shaped puppet but seeing it in the Human ne was a different story. There was also the young man Kyran brought with him. Why did she not sense him earlier?


    Who exactly was that young man?


    "I think we have enough food for your friend," te added, trying to start the conversation by bringing up the young man.


    Kyran smiled slightly. He already noticed her interest in his ''friend'' and could not help but sigh inwardly.


    Not nning on keeping any secret, Kyran exined, "That friend, doesn''t eat human food, godmother. It runs solely with magic energy."


    Silence followed, wherein after a few seconds, te''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she stood up and eximed, "That''s a puppet?"<sub> </sub>


    Kyran smiled and nodded.


    "It took some time to input human intelligence in its system, and its only in the testing phase, but he can more or less hold a conversation and do more technical tasks now. After a week of testing, I''ll be able to adjust any errors."


    "That''s¡­."


    te was speechless.


    She had seen Cade and Nn create so many things. Cade''s specialty were magic armors, while Nn''s were magic weapons.


    As for Kyran, this¡­ How could she even categorize a puppet? Could it be considered an armor or a weapon?


    Armor because, if done correctly, a puppet could disengage its parts and fuse with its master and be a full body armor. Or it could even be a defensive shield by means of transformation. As a weapon, the puppet could be programmed to wield magic spells. As long as it had enough energy in its energy core, it could cast any recorded spell in its system.


    Nevertheless, all of those were only secondary to te''s shock. The real cause of her shock was the fact Kyran managed to create a puppet and have it act like a real human!


    te''s eyes was even fooled and she had discerning eyes because of her sensitivity to magic energies!


    "Let''s not talk about that," Kyran decided to change the subject, seeing te''s shocked expression.


    The matter about his puppets were not exactly important. What Kyran wanted them to discuss was far more important. Truthfully, he was unsure how to open that topic, so he started with a more recent one.


    "I heard from Cyneah that you two are working in the city?"


    te snapped out of her thoughts after hearing Kyran.


    Knowing that she needed more time to fullyprehend the matter about Kyran''s puppets, te put that aside. She actually felt grateful to him for changing the subject.


    "Ah, yes." te nodded her head, still feeling a little out of sorts. "Cici told me you got angry."


    Then she smiled. A smile whose meaning Kyran was perfectly aware of. If Nn and Zephyr had been here too, they would probably made sidements too.


    Feeling hopeless about how these people seemed to enjoy putting him together with different women, Kyran was about to continue with his exnation but then he realized something and frowned slightly.


    "Cici?" He asked.


    "That''s right," te replied with an amused smile. "Cyneah told me her mother used to call her Cici. So I decided to call her that too, since I am now her master, which makes me her second mother. She doesn''t seem to mind and even looked happy."


    Then she grinned teasingly at Kyran and added, "You can also call her that. Cyneah''s name can be a mouthful sometimes."


    "I''d rather call her Neah, than Cici," Kyran t out rejected the idea.


    "Oh! Neah''s good too. I am positive she will be ecstatic to receive an exclusive pet name from you."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. How did calling Cyneah, Neah, giving her a pet name? Could it not be a new nick name first? Why did it turn into a pet name?


    "I know you have your own arrangements to make sure both of your appearance will not be recognized, but just in case, I made some face-altering masks both of you can use."


    Choosing not toment on te''s off-handedment, Kyran diverted the topic back on track.


    "Masks? Did you mean a mask which is the same with yours?" te asked, not one bit offended at how Kyran ignored her teasing.


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. This way you don''t have to keep on drinking transformation potions."


    "Of, we don''t exactly drink that much. I''ve made sure to drug everyone in the hospice so they will have trouble remembering our face. We mostly needed the potion to change our magic signature and appearance slightly while we travel outside."


    Hearing how te said the ''drug everyone'' part so nonchntly, instantly turned Kyran''s expression nk. He already knew his godmother had made her own contingency n in ce in case the potion wore off while they were in front of other people. But he did not expect that she would resort to drugging everyone.


    Alchemists sure were a scary lot.


    "I see¡­" Kyran replied in a low voice. But then he cleared his throat, and added, "I think the masks are better than drugging them again."


    te nodded her head.


    "Quite true. The ingredients in making the drug is quite expensive," she agreed.


    That was not the point.


    Kyran wanted to say, but instead, he took out two face-altering masks which he hadpleted a few hours ago and let it hover before te.


    "You can adjust the mask to what you two looked like when you drink the potion. I''ve made the mask''s array to also include the hair and eye colors."


    te raised her brows as she took the masks. She examined the one on top and shook her head in amazement, "Don''t you think, us wearing such an expensive and advanced magic item just to conceal our faces are overkill?"


    Kyran smiled bitterly as he took out a semi-transparent white orb and let it float toward te again.


    "You''ll change your mind once you see the image in that orb," he said.


    Looking a little confused, te took the ball and used her magic sense to inspect its content. As soon as she saw the content of the orb her eyes grew wide in surprise.


    "This!"


    She looked at Kyran questioningly.


    In return, Kyran nodded his head and replied, "That''s the Crown Princess."


    "She looks so much like Cici!" te eximed.


    "Yes. That''s why we have to be extra careful. There is no telling what those people affiliated with the Royal Family would do if they found there was someone here who look so much like the Crown Princess.


    The Crown Princess may not have appeared in the public before, but I have reasons to believe that will change from now on."

 Chapter 301 Anette’s Desire (2)

    te fell silent, recalling what she had been hearing from their customers at the hospicetely.


    There had been rumors circting about the reason why the Emperor invited almost all the influential people in the empire during the Crown Princess''s birthday. Some rumors were absurd, others might be a little realistic. But among those rumors, most believed that the Emperor was already preparing the Crown Princess to take on a more active role in the empire''s politics.


    If that was true, Cyneah would really be in danger. Both from the people of the Royal Family, and those from the opposition.


    The Royal Family would see Cyneah as a possible threat that the opposition could use. If they also found that Cyneah''s magic was simr to Soul Magic, a forbidden magic, then the Royal Family would really do everything to either kill or take her, depending on whether they could use her or not.


    "What makes you think that?" te asked after a moment''s pause.


    "Because I just met her," Kyran replied. "Not as Kyran, but as Chairman Noir''s disciple, Tyr."


    te knew about Kyran having other identities, although she did not know any specifics. She did not n to know either because the more she knew about them the more it would be dangerous for Kyran.


    There were a lot of strange abilities out there and te knew of one that could see threads that represented a person''s secret. Those threads were connected to other people who knew that person''s secret.


    There was even an ability that could interpret those threads and understand a person''s secret.


    Fortunately, those people who had those abilities were not from the Human ne.


    Still, that did not mean the Human ne did not have someone who might possess those abilities or simr to them.


    "I''ve heard a rumor that the Emperor may be nning to have the Crown Princess have an active role in the empire''s political side. I guess that rumor has some truth,"


    Kyran shook his head, "I don''t think its that simple."


    te looked at him in confusion, "Why? Do you think the Emperor still has other motives?"


    Kyran did not answer immediately. He was unsure of how much he should tell her. For one thing, he only had an assumption. There were no proof to back it up apart from the subtle meaning behind the Crown Princess''s words.


    But then Kyran thought, te could provide her thoughts from another perspective and finally decided to talk.


    For the next few minutes, Kyran told te what they had learned from the Crown Princess''s visit to the Tower of Conve.


    As Kyran told te about the possibility of the Royal Family''s n in assimting the Conve, she agreed wholeheartedly.


    One of the main reason was definitely the resources andwork the Conve had. They did not operate within the empire only. They also had dealings outside. Even with the borders in ce, only the Conve''s people were allowed to leave the empire and even enter the other nations without being used unjustly.


    Of course, the Conve''s identification token were unique and no other factions could replicate it. Not even the Research Division of the Royal Army, nor the magic technology the Temr Code had.


    And most Conve members who entered other nations were not a native of the Ylfaen Empire. If they were, it would still be a little tricky for them to enter.


    Because of all these power that the Conve had, the Royal Family would definitely go for them first if they wanted to make a move to unite all other factions under their banner.


    However, if this was really the case, then did it mean the Royal Family was not only nning on making a move in the empire but also outside? Was the Emperor nning on expanding the empire once more?


    "I don''t know what the Emperor wants once he unite all factions under the Royal Family," Kyran admitted. "Right now, I only want to focus on why they needed Array Specialists."


    Of course, te already had a guess, and it was not a good one.


    "Kyran¡­" She started but upon seeing his calm and almost indifferent expression, she stopped.


    te did not like how calm Kyran appeared.


    It felt as if, what he was letting others see was the exact opposite of what he was really feeling. If that was true, then the calmness in his eyes, meant his emotions were raging right now.


    "Godmother," Kyran''s voice suddenly deepened, as his expression turned even more serious. "The changes in the empire, is only a camouge to what the Royal Family is really nning. It might have originally really be meant to find ''Gray'' and deal with him, but after they fully assimted the Royal Army, their motives changed. If my guess is right, they needed Array Specialists for three reasons¡­"


    He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.


    "¡­ and one of those was to gather more forces."


    te frowned slightly.


    "''Gather more forces?''" She repeated, looking at Kyran in confusion. "Are they not doing that already? I mean, after getting the Royal Army, then possibly the Conve next, they are already annexing arge force. After that, they will target the other factions, right?"


    Kyran shook his head, "I am not talking about forces in the Human ne."


    As soon he said this, te''s expression turned grim. She immediately said, "What are you trying to say?"


    With a meaningful look at her, Kyran continued, "I am talking about forces from another ne¡­ or nes."


    "Why would they even do that? Are you telling me they are nning a worldwide invasion? What for?" te asked one after another.


    "It''s because they already know about me," Kyran answered even before she could say more.


    te glowered at his answer.


    She already knew that. The moment the Royal Family assimted the Royal Army, it also meant they already knew what Gael had done.<sub> </sub>


    "Why would they even seek forces from another ne just to deal with you?"


    Even before te finished her question, she already realized how stupid it was.


    Of course the Royal Family would seek help from the outside. If they wanted to really get rid of the new Void Master, they could not rely on the forces of the Human ne alone.


    A thousand years ago, did they not do the same to deal with the Dark Sage?


    The Royal Family also had to deal with the Regis n who had been rumored to have been umting their military strength for years.


    There was even a rumor saying that if they had not gone into seclusion, they could be the fifth power in the whole Ylfaen Empire. This rumor was not taken seriously though, as there was another rumor saying their power had been in decline, because none of the new generation of Regis had inherited the ''Regis Blessing.''


    Regardless of the truth, they were still a force to be reckoned with, especially on how firm and resolute they were in protecting one of their own.


    Thinking of this, te''s heart sank. She already guessed that the other reason for why the Royal Family needed Array Specialists were to deal with the Regis Estate''s defensive array to deal with them. But now that she had a better understanding of the situation, even if there was no solid proof to back it up, she was scared for Kyran and everyone in the Regis n.


    "So the other reason was really¡­." te''s voice trailed off, her heart sinking further.


    Kyran already realized te had guessed about the Regis n. But he remained a calm demeanor. Besides, there was no point in raging right now. Even if he went to the Regis Estate and made a move, he would only make it worse.


    The first thing he had to do was prepare all his cards as soon as possible. He would take advantage of the deadline he had set with the Crown Princess.


    After that, he would strike.


    "That''s right," Kyran nodded after a short pause. "They n to deal with my n first to ensure I don''t get any help."


    His voice remained neutral that it was hard to guess what he was really thinking.


    But te knew Kyran could barely keep his emotions in check. It was not because of her discerning eyes, but because of her instincts as a woman.


    "As for the third reason, I''m guessing they are nning to do something about Chaos Pce."


    te closed her eyes. She could not believe that in only a week, the situation had already developed into this.


    "But you don''t have to worry about that, godmother," Kyran said, finally getting the chance to bring the topic he wanted them to discuss.


    "Even if you say that¡­" te replied in exasperation as she opened her eyes and looked at him.


    "I''m more concerned about them learning about you," Kyran told her as a purple-colored array appeared in front of him.


    "Me?" te asked in confusion.


    From within the purple-colored array, a two-inch long obsidian stone appeared and flew toward her.


    "Please make sure to keep that at all times," Kyran instructed.


    With a slight frown, te took the stone and looked at Kyran, "What''s this for?"


    "To camouge your aura."


    As soon as Kyran said this, te''s heart skipped a beat, even herplexion paled and her eyes widen.


    "You¡­" she started but was unsure what to say.


    Seeing te''s reaction made Kyran''s expression turned even more serious. This was the real topic he wanted to discuss with her. Because, if his assumption about the gathering of forces from another ne was true, then the ''people'' from ''that ne'' would be included. And those people had a strange ability that let them find one of their ''own.''


    Finally, after a moment of silence, te took a deep breath and said with a bitter smile, "When did you notice?"


    "The first time you used your magic, I found it strange. Initially, I thought you have a unique ability that affected your magic. But¡­" Kyran paused, and carefully added, "I''ve met others who possessed simrw of magic you do."


    te''s face fell as she closed her eyes. She looked as if she was in the midst of an internal struggle just by looking at her pained expression.


    After another few minutes, she heaved a deep sigh.


    "Of course," she muttered under her breath, "How else would you have known but during your training. However, I was not expecting you to go to that ne."


    "The Myedeo ne," Kyran replied. "That is where you came from. But because of the situation in that ne, what you desired the most was to leave. And when you found the Tower of Tribtion, you aimed to conquer it.


    "Afterwhich, the Tower help you achieve your desire, by letting youe here. I don''t know how the Tower did it, but it also let you retain the use of your magic without being rejected by the Human ne''s different magicw."


    With a bitter smile, te replied, "You''re right, but you''re also wrong."


    Then with eyes and expression firm, she exined, "The Tower did not let mee here. I chose this ne to start a new life. Because the Human ne is special. It can adapt to any magicw. So when I entered the tower, I wanted to conquer it and let it fulfill my desire.


    "That is how I came to this ne and lived here for the past twenty or so years."

 Chapter 302 Solum Tribe

    Silence ensued between Kyran and te.


    After a few moment, te broke the silence and asked, "Tell me. Why do you believe the people where I came from wille here?"


    "I... killed someone very important in that ne," Kyran answered uneasily with a bitter smile.


    te''s eyes widened after hearing his answer. Aplex emotion flickered on her face that she concealed almost in an instant, but not fast enough for Kyran not to notice.


    Seeing her expression made him sigh inwardly.


    One of the main reason why Kyran was positive that te came from the Myedeo ne was because of the well-known story about the current Kaiser of the ruling empire.


    The situation in the Myedeo ne had always been unstable and the ruling empire always changed. This happened because each empire had powerful backing from different Sovereigns. Not Sovereigns of that ne, but from the outside.


    The Myedeo n had never birthed a Sovereign. Thus, foreign Sovereigns had been eyeing their ne for thousands of years due to their abundance of rare nts and herbs. Not to mention, exceptional Alchemy talents.


    Because of their magicw, almost everyone in that ne was an Alchemist. They also had a natural affinity to nts and vegetation which provide better medicinal efficacy when harvesting nts and herbs. But all of this were secondary, because what separated a talented Alchemist to those known as Alchemy Child, were their innate magic.


    Those born with innate fire magic would definitely be a chosen of their kingdom. However, unbeknownst to all, those with innate earth magic had an advantage over those with innate fire magic.


    If an Alchemist had free control over fire during concoction, it would definitely produce high quality pills or potions. But those with innate earth magic could already produce top quality herbs and nts even before they turned it to a pill or potion. During concoction, they could also retain the medicinal efficacy through the help of their magic, because nts and herbs had natural earth magic energies within them.


    Nevertheless, an Alchemist who had innate earth magic was almost non-existent. In all of the Myedeo ne, only one tribe had ever produced them.


    They were the Solum Tribe.


    This tribe also had a unique magic skill where everything they mold could turn into life-like models. Because of their unique magic and skill, many kingdoms had tried to enve them. When one kingdom proposed to protect them instead, the Chieftain readily agreed to ensure the tribe''s future. Unfortunately, the Kaiser of that kingdom had other ns. It was to take the Chieftain''s daughter and marry her off to his son.


    With their union, the Kaiser was hoping to inherit the Solum Tribe''s ability into his own family.


    But something happened and the Chieftain''s daughter had been abducted. And until now, when the Kaiser''s son inherited the throne, he had never married because he was still searching for his missing fianc¨¦e.


    This was the well-known story of the current Kaiser of the ruling kingdom of the Myedeo ne, the Gramen Kingdom.


    <o>,m When Kyran arrived in that ne, he inadvertedly saved the son of the new Chieftain of the Solum Tribe. To show their gratitude, they let him stay and even taught him a lot about Alchemy.</o>


    During Kyran''s stay, he learnedabout the abducted daughter of the previous Chieftain. This story were somehow a sour topic among them, because the previous Chieftain suffered a lot because of his daughter''s abduction. If not for the love the current Kaiser had for the previous Chieftain''s daughter, the whole Solum Tribe would have been beheaded for their negligence.


    One day, Kyran had seen the image of the abducted daughter and his blood froze. Even his scalp nearly went numb because he recognized the daughter as his godmother, te.


    She looked younger and had long flowing hair, but Kyran would never mistake the dark violet hair and emerald green eyes of te''s. It was for this reason that he put two and two together and was convinced that she was originally from that ne and after conquering the tower, she left.


    The Chieftain''s daughter was not abducted. She left on her own ord.


    As for why Kyran ended up killing someone important, it was because te''s younger sister had been subjected to the current Kaiser''s cruelty.


    Because te had not been found, the current Kaiser took her younger sister as a concubine and had been mistreating her.


    Of course Kyran was not stupid enough to kill the current Kaiser. The one he killed was thetter''s father, the previous Kaiser.


    After that, Kyran helped the Solum Tribe hide. As to where, only Kyran and True Void knew. The Tower did not even know what he did.


    With the missing Solum Tribe, every Sovereigns in the Myedeo ne had been rattled.


    The previously six Sovereigns vying for the ne''s ownership suddenly became seven as the Sovereign of Ruin joined the fray.


    No one knew that the Sovereign of Ruin was not really after the ownership of the ne. He was after Kyran.


    When the Sovereign of Deception, backing the Gramen Kingdom, found the real reason why the Sovereign of Ruin hade, she came to him and made a proposal.<sub> </sub>


    The details of the proposal was, of course, unknown. But one thing Kyran was sure of, it had something to do with him. And whatever it was, the Sovereign of Ruin seemed satisfied and agreed readily to the Sovereign of Deception''s proposal.


    A few minutester, te looked at Kyran and asked, "Who... is it?"


    Kyran raised his brows at her question. He did not think she would ask him. For all he knew, she had cut all ties in that ne when she decided to leave.


    It appeared, she still had lingering feelings in that ne.


    ''Her family is still there. That I understand. But when she decided to leave without even thinking of what will happen to her tribe, it shows her attachment is superficial.'' Kyran thought.


    To be honest, he disapproved of te''s decision to leave like that and let her own family suffer the consequences alone. As someone from the Regis n who had a very tight rtion to his people, Kyran could not imagine how te lived without feeling guilty.


    But then he realized, te might not show it but she definitely she felt it. And Kyran was not in the position to judge her decisions, because their circumstances were different.


    The rtionship of each member of the Solum Tribe was different from the Regis n. It was possible that some of the member of the Solum Tribe did not feel any attachment to them because of the situation they grew up in.


    "The previous Kaiser of the Gramen Kingdom," Kyran answered after a short pause.


    te''s eyes grew wide in shock.


    "Y-You¡ª!" She started. But then stopped because to be honest, she did not know what to say. She was not even sure what she felt after knowing it.


    Was she sad? Relieved? Scared? Worried?


    te did not know.


    Heaving a deep sigh, te gave Kyran a grim look and said, "That still doesn''t mean they will definitelye here. If it is the current Kaiser, maybe... but he is only a Kaiser. The whole ne will not move just because you killed one of the previous Kaiser of a kingdom. Even if that kingdom is the current ruling one."


    "I also... took a whole tribe."


    This time, te could not help but stand and eximed, "What? You took a whole tribe?"


    She suddenly recalled how Nn would sometimes remind Kyran not to kidnap people when they leave. Before, she could only shake her head at his nonsense.


    But now, te wondered if taking people with him was Kyran''s hobby.


    Hopefully not.


    Feeling an iing headache, te continued to ask Kyran, "Which tribe are we talking about here?"


    "The Solum Tribe."


    As soon as she heard his answer, te''s heart shook.


    It had been a long time since she had heard the name of that tribe. Her tribe. And she was surprised to learn that she actually cared.


    Now that she thought of it, when Kyran said he killed someone important, was she scared to know if it was one of her people? And when he confirmed it was not, she was actually relieved?


    "Where did you take them? No. Don''t answer that," te shook her head, "More importantly, how did you even manage to take them?"


    "I can''t tell you that," Kyran replied with an apologetic smile. "What I can tell you, is because of the importance of the Solum Tribe, I kind of pissed the one backing the Gramen Kingdom. There is also this... particr person, who is very persistent in killing me and he already told that person about me."


    te''s brow furrowed at this information. She was aware of who Kyran was talking about and her heart sank.


    "You mean to say... those people are now involved in whatever is happening in the Human ne?" She asked.


    Kyran shook his head, "That I am not sure. But I will, when I get back. For now, please wear that at all times. Until I confirm everything, make sure to be extra careful."

 Chapter 303 Disciple Tyrs Work (1)

    te sighed inwardly. She looked at Kyran in silence, with mixed emotions.


    She wanted to know what happened that led him to kill the previous Kaiser. There was also the matter of the ''person'' backing the Gramen Kingdom. But most of all, she wanted to know how Kyran ended up going to that ne.


    ''It took me three years in the tower before allowing me to train in another ne. Then it took me another two years, before learning about the Sovereigns. That is how I came to understand they were the ones who stirred the war to rule the ne in Myedeo. Are you telling me Kyran has already trained for that long in the tower? And his first training outside the tower was in Myedeo?''


    Recalling something Kyran had said, te shook her head inwardly, ''Wait. He said another person has been persistent in trying to kill him. He will not say that if he has not met that person on numerous assions. Don''t tell me...''


    Her mind reeled at the possibility that Kyran had been to a lot of nes beforeing to Myedeo. He and Nn had only left a week ago!


    Just how long had Kyran spent training in the Tower of Tribtion?


    ''Or... has the Tower made him train in another ne early?''


    If te knew that Kyran''s first training took ce in another ne, she would probably flip. She had never met anyone the Tower had allowed to train outside right from the start. Not even Cade or Nn who was known to defy the tower''s standard.


    "I am not going to ask questions about what you have gone through. I''m sure the Tower also forbade you from telling anyone," te finally said after a short pause.


    Kyran shook his head, "Actually, they did not say anything. Only... they told me to not dally and continue with the training as soon as possible."


    "They?" te asked, feeling a little confused. As far as she knew, the tower only had one warden at a time.


    During her time, the warden was only a remnant soul who had been keeping the Tower of Tribtion running for thousands of years. The only reason why he could not pass on was that there had been no one worthy to rece him.


    That changed after one of the five conquerors of the Tower had the desire to train others. The warden offered him to be the new warden, which he dly epted.


    "I don''t know who I am talking to, honestly," Kyran replied with a slight smile, "I only hear ovepping voices. So I call them they."


    te raised her brows in surprise. Remembering their good friend who was now the new Tower''s warden, she could not help but burst out inughter.


    ''So he wanted to conceal his identity by doing that. Might as well,'' she thought.


    Almost an hourter of talking, Kyran and te finally went downstairs for breakfast.


    Cyneah was already there waiting for them and though she was still feeling embarrassed, she managed to act naturally in front of Kyran.


    While having breakfast, te and Cyneah talked about what they had been up to the week Kyran and Nn had left.


    Kyran listened most of the time with a few sidements every now and then. But he never once shared anything about his and Nn''s trip. Even when Cyneah had asked, he managed to divert the topic back to her or te.


    Cyneah could not see, but she was no fool. She sensed Kyran did not want to talk about it, so she did not pursue the matter. Instead, she decided to make sure he could stay at ease while he was there. After all, she was convinced that he would not be staying.


    As she expected, after breakfast, Kyran told them he would be leaving in the afternoon. The two did not ask when he would return. With his ability to warp, he could return anytime he wanted anyway.


    Kyran busied himself with his puppets and a few other things, for the rest of the morning.


    When it was almost time for te and Cyneah to leave for their ''work,'' Kyran met them downstairs to help with setting up their face-altering masks.


    He also asked Cyneah for the token he left with her before and adjusted its array calctions before turning it into a ne, with the token as its pendant.


    Kyran then exined that the token now had the ability to teleport Cyneah back to the cottage once she inserted some magic energy into it. He also told her that the token would only recognize her magic energy and would not activate when others tried.


    As te and Cyneah left, Kyran also made some adjustments to the cottage''s array.


    Previously, it only had defensive and support forms. This time, Kyran added offensive forms just in case. He was not expecting others to find the cottage but in case of emergency, at least te and Cyneah would be safe.


    Of course, the best offensive Kyran could leave with them was still Zephyr. So he nned to get him after taking care of the magic items for the cksmith Order.


    After resting for a couple of hours, Kyran finally returned to the Tower of Conve. By then it was already morning.


    As soon as Kyran appeared in the training room where he had stayed before, he found Ste sleeping on the makeshift bed.


    Just by looking at her, Kyran could guess she had just fallen asleep. She was still wearing the same clothes yesterday, and her hair was somewhat in disarray. Herplexion was also a little on the red side which made Kyran frown slightly.


    Moving as quietly as possible, Kyran went toward her and sat down at the side of the bed. He gentlyid a hand on her forehead and his frown deepened after confirming that her temperature was higher than normal.


    It was then that Kyran realized that Ste must have been silently enduring the pressure the early inspection of the Royal Army had brought. There was also the secret auction they had scheduled for theing month. She also had other things to deal with as the Lord of the Tower as well as the new Time Keeper.


    Thinking about what the Founder of Conve had tasked theing Time Keepers, Kyran sighed inwardly. It was unfair for the Founder to force such an impossible wish.


    With the identity as the sessor of the infamous Dark Sage, it was impossible to ensure his safety. Especially now, when the Royal Family was now aware of him.


    Nevertheless, Kyran would never let others take responsibility for his life. Staying alive was his business. Yes, others could help, but the Founder''sst wish was practically subjecting all the new Time Keepers to a curse.


    From what Kyran had gathered from True Void''s off-handed remarks about the first Time Keeper''s rtionship with his predecessor, it appeared the two of them, including the Dragon Lord and the Soul Emperor, had been close friends.<sub> </sub>


    When everyone else had shunned his predecessor, these three had been his real friends.


    But then something happened, where his predecessor and the Dragon Lord ended up fighting. Most likely, they thought his predecessor had turned evil and the one who plot that was the Soul Emperor. As for the Time Keeper, Kyran knew the reason why Ste had been fixated on helping him was that she was affected by her predecessor''s experience due to the Time core.


    Kyran whose Void core had been sealed for a long time was not easily affected by his predecessor''s experience, thus, he could recognize his own emotions. Ste, on the other hand, could not because she had been constantly in contact with her Time core since the time it had awakened.


    The first Time Keeper might have regretted a lot of things that had something to do with Kyran''s predecessor. This regret had taken root in all the experiences of the Time Keepers and had stayed in the Time core.


    The Founder might have known this regret, thus, making such an unreasonablest wish.


    It was for this reason that Kyran felt the Founder was cruel.


    Ste stirred in her sleep as soon as Kyran removed his hand. When she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her, she smiled and said half-awake, "I prefer seeing you like this."


    Kyran replied with a raised brows.


    Because of his reaction, Ste''s blue eyes instantly cleared as she realized he was real and not a dream.


    "Kyran!" She eximed and abruptly sat up. The moment she did, however, her head spun and lost her bnce.


    "Ugh..."


    Kyran caught Ste before she keeled over.


    "You have a fever," he told her, "Don''t push yourself and just lie down."


    As he said this, he helped her lie down.


    Ste''s face had turned ruddy and it was not because of her fever. However, she only nodded her head and obediently went back to bed.


    "I-Ignore what I said," she told him while avoiding his eyes.


    Ste had thought she had been dreaming when she saw Kyran just now. Yesterday, he had arrived wearing Tyr''s face. Though he had removed his mask and she was able to see his real face, it was only for a short moment because he had to show up in public again and had to pretend to be Tyr.


    Seeing Ste''s embarrassed expression, Kyran did not pursue the matter and simply looked away. Then he said, "Sorry I had to leave."


    "It''s okay. I know you had other things to do so..."


    "I''ll stay in the cksmith Order for a few days to make magic items," he said changing the subject.


    "About that, why don''t you make them here? I can set up a room and use my magic to¡ª."


    Kyran looked at her and shook his head, "There''s no need. Rest and only focus on the inspection. Also..."


    He took out a scroll.


    "I need to ask you for a favor," he started and handed the scroll to her. "This is a blueprint of a magic item that could counter the new magic detectors. Can you put it up for auction? I need some gold coins."


    Ste propped herself up a little as she took the scroll. Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Kyran incredulously, "This... Kyran if this is auctioned, this will cause a stir."


    "I know... the truth I''d suggest to have Master Noir make the magic item and auction it anonymously instead. But I am afraid that others might try to dismantle and decipher it. Once they realized it is created by Master Noir, it may cause some problem on your end."


    Ste fell silent as she looked at the scroll. She understood Kyran wanted to avoid creating the magic item himself. Because he would soon release a number of magic items under ''Disciple Tyr'' and no matter how good Kyran was, he would not be able to change his work style in an instant. There was also a matter of the Royal Family wanting to employ him. If they found he had created an anti-magic detector magic item, it might or might not be beneficial for him.


    In the end, it was better for the anti-magic detector to be known as Master Noir''s work than Disciple Tyr.


    Thinking of this, Ste nodded her head in agreement, "Let me handle this one."


    Kyran nodded his head. He paused for a moment, before taking out a small jade box.


    "I also got you something," he said and handed her the box.


    "I won that item and, I thought of you."


    Ste blushed as soon as she heard him. It was not the first time she had received gifts. But it would be her firsting from Kyran.


    Her heart pounded nervously as she took the small jade box. From the box''s luxurious design, it was obvious it was a small jewellery box. And somehow, Ste had started to imagine finding a ring inside.


    Unfortunately, when Ste opened the box, there was no ring. Instead, there was a pair of diamond studs.


    "That is a magic item. When you wear it and insert some magic energy inside, it can obscure your presence."


    As soon as Ste heard Kyran''s exnation, her eyes widened, realizing what these pair of studs could do.

 Chapter 304 Disciple Tyrs Work (2)

    To obscure one''s presence was slightly different from hiding it. Obscuring one''s presence meant, that person''s presence could still be seen but there would be a change from their original presence while hiding it meant, hiding one''s presencepletely.


    What this magic item could do was different from the stone Kyran gave te.


    That stone could camouge one''s aura, making one''s aura adapt to that ne''s standard aura.


    "I realized from the previous blueprint of the tower''s defensive array that Master Noir included an advanced concealment form that targetted your magic signature. It gave me an idea that as long as you are inside the Tower, the Royal Family will not be able to monitor your activity.


    "However, they are still aware that you are inside, meaning the Royal Family has a way of tracking you down apart from your magic signature. Once you step outside the Tower of Conve, it will be easy for them to monitor you.


    "Hiding your presence will be meaningless. As long as there are magic detectors in cities and towns, it will be impossible for you to hide.


    "But when you wear those earings, when you leave the premises of the tower, even if the Royal Family detects your presence, they cannot connect you to your magic signature or whatever it is they have on you. Because that earings can obscure your presence,pletely changing your magic signature as well as your whole presence."


    As Ste had expected, these diamond studs would let her leave the Tower if she wanted to!


    However, such a magic item was very rare. There were concealing spells and arrays but it was hard to integrate them properly into a magic item because the material they required were notpatible with physical items. Most magic items that had it were part of the base material and were considered rare artifacts.


    With trembling hands, Ste took one of the diamond studs and used her magic sense to inspect it. Immediately, she noticed that most of the materials used in creating the earrings were foreign to her. That immediately got her feeling even more excited and nervous at the same time.


    "Where did you...?"


    Ste started as she looked at Kyran in confusion.


    As she did, his only response was a slight smile.


    Seeing Kyran had no ns on telling her, Ste nodded in acknowledgement and did not pursue the subject.


    Ste was not entirely clueless. As far as she knew, Kyran went somewhere to train for a week and it was likely he got the item from there.


    Nevertheless, her curiosity regarding that ce grew.


    From the sudden improvement in Kyran''s Array and probably magic and physicalbat too, not to mention how far he could read a situation even with little clues had already astonished her and even the Conve council members.


    That ce was definitely not ordinary if a person could improve in such a short span of time.


    Of course, Ste was aware that Kyran was like a sponge with super absorption capability when it came to learning. Normal people might take more time to learn, but that did not lessen how extraordinary that ce was. Because the Array knowledge Kyran obtained was something even Noir and Sigma admitted were foreign to them.


    "The earrings are not without w, though. It needed a lot of magic energy. If a normal mage used it, given their magic energy reserves, it will be drained in an hour. But with you it should be effective for a day or two... maybe even more if you have magic energy replenishing pills or potions."


    "What about you?" Ste suddenly asked, looking at him in concern. This magic item could also be useful for Kyran. He might have a way to control the new magic detectors of the Royal Army, but he could not possibly take control of every one of them. The Royal Army would definitely find out and would soon alert the Royal Family.


    Kyran gave her a wry smile.


    "What about me? I have Void magic, I am immune to any form of identity scans or magic."


    Ste was surprised. It was her first time hearing a definite advantage of Void magic. It was only then that she realized that Kyran could enter other towns with magic detectors without alerting the Royal Army.


    ''Well not exactly. As long as he doesn''t use his magic, the magic detectors will not be able to detect his presence.''


    She then thought of how Kyran was able to use camouge his magic in front of the army officersst night, as well as changed the purple ring''s appearance.


    Rhys was a Brigadier General, he definitely had a mini-magic detector with him. When he fought Kyran, why did the magic detector not react when thetter had used his magic?


    This had been in their minds sincest night. But Kyran took off soon after and they could not get an answer from him.


    "Kyran, about how you are able to use your magic in front of the army officers," Ste started.


    However, Kyran already lifted his hand to stop her even before she could continue.


    "I can''t tell you that," he said with an apologetic expression. "Just know that I have ways to get pass their scrutiny."


    Ste saw Kyran''s firm stance about the subject and decided not to pursue it. The man before her was no longer the same one she had only met a few weeks ago. She had to learn to stop worrying unnecessarily.


    "I trust you."


    Kyran smiled slightly and nodded. Then he stood up and was about to leave when Ste reached out and grabbed his hand.


    "Wait, Kyran."


    Kyran stopped and looked at her.


    As Ste sat up, she looked at him meaningfully and said, "There is something you should know about the Crown Princess."


    Without waiting for Kyran to say anything, she continued, "The Crown Princess went to the Winfrey Ancestral Lands a few days ago..."


    Ste proceeded to exin why the Crown Princess''s went there and what it entailed when she sessfully left.<sub> </sub>


    She also told Kyran that it was the Queen of the Faes who told them about it, although she said this begrudgingly. As if talking about the Queen of the Faes had put her off.


    If Nn had been there, he would havemented how Ste looked like an annoyed wife, refusing to talk about her husband''s mistress.


    Kyran''s interest was instantly piqued when he heard of the Queen of the Faes. He was actually interested in knowing the story of the Spirits because, ording to another off-handed remark from True Void, his predecessor had saved them.


    Unfortunately, Ste was reluctant to talk about the Queen of the Faes when Kyran asked how he could reach her.


    Noticing how Ste''splexion had gotten pale, Kyran guessed her fever might be taking a toll on her and decided to find another way to reach the Queen of the Faes.


    Anyway, he could ask Ss when they meet.


    Speaking of Ss, Kyran inadvertedly thought of Lumi and recalled she was supposed to be staying with Ste but he had not seen her nor felt her presence. Not that it mattered right now.


    After making sure that Ste returned to her quarters to get proper rest, Kyran also left.


    He appeared at an empty back alley which he discovered yesterday, and after donning Tyr''s disguise, he went to the cksmith Order.


    What Kyran dered in the cksmith Order yesterday had already spread to almost all well-known families and factions in the east. All of them had already sent representatives to order more magic items and currently the order''s front office were having a hard time entertaining all of them.


    The number of requests were simply too much and there were moreing.


    Upon Kyran''s arrival the whole cksmith Order was sent in an uproar. Members of the front office and outsiders alike all flocked around him that it took him quite some time to enter the establishment.


    As soon as he entered the workroom area, he was greeted by the cksmiths and array specialists asking for direction.


    With one brow twitching at the expectant looks on their faces, Kyran could only direct them to send all the request to his work station to have a look at everything. Then he told them not to disturb him.


    For the next few hours, Kyran busied himself in sorting all the requests ording to theirplexity. He could not help but cursed inwardly at how shameless specifications of most of the free magic items the customers from yesterday had asked. They were practically robbing the cksmith Order!


    No, wait.


    Kyran had told Noir and Sigma he would shoulder all the expenses!


    Heart heavy, Kyran felt all of the materials he had painstalkingly saved up in the tower would probably end up being robbed off by these shameless people.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and onlyfortingly reminded himself that all of these were part of his n. Besides, once word spread out that his magic items were top-notch, all of the leaders of these shameless people would definitely request for more magic items.


    When that happened, Kyran swore to charge them a fortune!


    Apart from this, he was expecting to earn a good sum once the blueprint of the anti-magic detector was auctioned off.


    With this in mind, Kyran busied himself with his work.


    A few dayster, all of the members of the order were in awe at Kyran''s diligence.


    They had never seen him left his workroom and even when some members hade over to send him some food, he had his human-shaped puppet take it inside.


    They soon realized that Disciple Tyr was a man of his words and was a very hardworking person.


    They also notied that they had never once heard any explosions inside the workroom, meaning all of his work was going smoothly.


    None of them thought that Kyran was cking. After all, when the cksmiths and array specialists downstairs arrived, they could hear tinkering and metal scraping inside his workroom. And when they left for the day, these same sounds could still be heard.


    It even came to a point that they were worried Kyran might be overexerting himself.


    Unfortunately, none of them had the courage toe up. After what they had witnessed on his first day when someone ''disturbed'' him, they had all swore to follow his orders.


    Noir and Sigma had alsoe to the order to deal with the new requests that came in that Kyran had not taken. Initially they wanted to talk to him and see how they could help. However, when they heard how busy Kyran was they did not disturb him.


    Every now and then, Kyran''s human-shaped puppet woulde out and deliver a few magic items. When they did and Noir or Sigma inspected the quality of the magic items, they were thunderstricken.


    They even wondered if it was worth giving out such high quality magic items for free.


    In the end, they could only release the magic items, because they knew Kyran had a reason for doing all this.


    Everyone was simply in awe of Discple Tyr''s work as well as his hardwork.


    It was too bad that while they were all feeling in awe at him, Kyran had actually left the cksmith Order for some time. All of the magic items he had promised to make as well as the ones he had taken, had beenpleted a couple of days ago.


    The noises everyone could hear inside his workroom, were made by his two puppets who were practicing their motor skills by crafting average magic items.


    As for where Kyran went to, he had already warped to the Shaiha Ruins.

 Chapter 305 A Masked Threat (1)

    While Kyran''s work was taking the market in the eastern empire by storm, Kyran had already left three days prior.


    Donning a different set of ck attire and the ck panther mask te gave him, Kyran had warped inside the building where she hid while he went after Zephyr in his first visit.


    Upon confirming that the building and its surrounding were devoid of life forms, he immediately activated his Sigil to connect with Zephyr telepathically. However, even though Kyran could faintly sense him, he could not establish a connection.


    This made Kyran''s expression turned cold.


    There were only two reasons why he could not contact Zephyr.


    One, which was the less rming reason, Zephyr was in a ce forbidding any type ofmunication. This reason would also exin why Kyran could barely sense his presence. Two, which was the more rming reason, Zephyr was in a very precarious situation where his life force could barely hold on making the bond between them through the Sigil fail.


    This was one of the fail safe of the Sigil that favored the one in-control.


    While the one in-control a.k.a. the master, shared some of his abilities and magic energy to his Sigil, further strengthening thetter, if thetter was in the brink of death, the mark would weaken and slowly disappear. This would ensure that even if the Sigil''s body was taken by the opposing side and was inspected, no trace of the person being marked would appear.


    With an expression turning colder by the second, Kyran''s eyes turned dark purple as he used his magic sense to scan the 30,000 meter radius of space around him.


    He could scan further than that, but he did not want to miss anything so he limit it to this number. There was also a chance another mage with a high magic sense was scanning the area and if the two shes, they might find his trace.


    Kyran''s magic sense spread out almost in an instant. With utmost concentration, he inspected every corner it touched.


    In 30,000 meter radius, his magic sense barely reached the area near the temple he and Zephyr had met. The ce was currently surrounded by make-shift tents as well as mobile magic turrets and small towers with restraining arrays. The number of people also exceeded a thousand. All of whom was at least at the Master level, with a few Exalted as the highest.


    Kyran also noticed traces of skirmish nearby where magic fluctuations could still be felt.


    He recognized the magic fluctuations were simr to the ones emitted by the Elite mages of the Temr Code, albeit they were far stronger.


    This made Kyran''s eyes shed with murderous intent.


    It appeared the Temr Code did not spare any expenses and manpower to deal with Zephyr. That was how important the rare stone of Shaiha were to them.


    Kyran still had not found why they needed it, but regardless of their reason, if he found Zephyr''s horn had more cracks than he remembered, he would not hesitate to make a detour and deal with the whole Temr Code first.


    He would not tolerate anyone hurting one of his people. Compared to the Royal Family that had such profound backing at the moment, Kyran was more confident in dealing with the Temr Code by himself.


    Currently, Kyran was sure Zephyr was still alive because the mark of the Sigil at the back of his hand still had the rune number two. Meaning the number of his Sigils were two, which represented Byron and Zephyr.


    If Zephyr falls, or any of the two for that matter, then the number would drop.


    Nevertheless, Zephyr being alive did not mean Kyran would let the Temr Code off lightly.


    ''Zephyr is likely inside the temple,'' Kyran thought.


    He then diverted his focus on the restraining array within the turrets and he frowned slightly.


    Restraining Array calction were not fixed. The Conve''s restraining array would differ from the Royal Army''s even though they had the same effect. All of it was due to the materials used to create them.


    However, the reason why Kyran frowned, he noticed that the form in the Temr Code''s restraining array were simr to the Royal Army''s. He was familiar with their calction because they had used it numerous times during his escape after they raided his n.


    From what Kyran remembered, the Temr Code had a research division of their own and their magic technology could rival the Royal Army''s. Their leader was also ambitious and proud, wanting to create their own set of arrays, magic attack, and even items.


    To see them use the Royal Army''s array said a lot about their current rtionship.


    ''No... the Royal Army has been assimted by the Royal Family again, and there has already been some news about the Temr Code''s partnership with them that is why they managed to get the rights on the Shaiha Ruins.''


    Thinking of this, Kyran had more reason to deal with the Temr Code. This way he could cut off one of the the Royal Family''s ''hands.''


    The Royal Family already had too many hands to be honest. If Kyran did not deal with some of them as early as now, he would be overwhelmed even if he possessed great magic.


    Because his two greatest weaknesses were resources and manpower.


    If Kyran could save his n, it would alleviate his weakness somehow. Unfortunately, the Royal Family knew that and were already preparing to deal with them.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran had been restraining himself to go save his family. But he knew he had to deal with it one step at a time. He bought some time for his family by using Tyr as the bait, and right now, Zephyr''s matter was urgent.


    He had to take Zephyr out and keep his promise of protecting the Shaiha. He already had an idea how he would do thetter, but was not sure it would work. Nevertheless, he would still do it.


    After a few minutes of studying the Temr Code''s makeshift camp, Kyran closed his eyes and also kept in mind the locations of all the Exalted mages he had sensed.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran opened his eyes which glowed silver.


    The first time he hade here, he had not used his Void magic but his Draconic magic.


    This time, he would also do the same. It was time toy out a bait to get the Temr Code running on circles.


    He used Tyr as the bait for the Royal Family. This time, he would use another one, which would be the mysterious masked man.


    At that very moment, in one of therger makeshift tents, a beautiful woman with short sandy blonde hair and olive green eyes wearing a full-body gold armor stood in front of a long table.


    The woman was none other than Freya, the leader of the Temr Code''s Elite Team.


    On top of the tabley a crude map of that showed the Shaiha Ruins.


    A projection was currently shown at the center of the map where the temple was located. In the projection, it showed countless silhouettes of tents, turrets, towers and the cave where the temple was located.


    Inside the tents, there were green lights moving around. There were also some moving about outside the cave. These were clearly a live projection of all the members of the Temr Code.


    Within the silhoutte of the cave, there was a faint red light and it was currently flickering as if whoever it depicted were on a verge of death.


    A man in his mid-twenties with buzz-cut light brown hair and dark brown eyes, entered the room. He also had a scar under his chin. Before it was small cross-shaped scar, but now there was another thin scar that ovepped it making it looked like an asterisk.


    It looked like the scar was new.


    "Lady Freya," he greeted with a salute.


    Freya looked up and nodded her head, "You''ve arrived."


    "Yes."


    More than a week ago, the leader of the Temr Code had ordered Freya to pull out her team from the Shaiha Ruins. However, after attending the meeting in Meliora, a new order had been made cing Freya as the new leader in-charged of the Shaiha Ruins.


    Apparently, they received a new order from the emperor, telling them to harvest more of the rare stone as soon as possible.


    After that, the Temr Code had spared no cost in finding the Quilin, even mobilizing most of the newly developed mobile turrets and restraining towers.


    When they could not find the Quilin, they focused on destroying the temple''s defensive array. They had seeded in destroying two of itsyers, a few days ago and finally the Quilin was forced to show itself.


    As they had expected, he had been hiding inside the temple.


    Soon after the Quilin had appeared, a two-day long battle ensued.


    At first they could not hold a candle against the Quilin''s offensive. However, once its stamina dropped, they finally had the upper hand.


    Because of this, they managed to destroy anotheryer of the temple''s defensive array.


    Then the Quilin emitted a glowing light which reinforced the temple''s defensive array.


    When it did it, Freya managed tond a fatal blow on the Quilin''s chest, forcing it to fall back inside the temple.


    Now, four dayster, the Quilin had remained inside the temple and no matter what they did to the defensive array, they could not seem to put a scratch on it anymore.


    Freya already guessed that what the Quilin had performed to reinforce the temple''s defensive array had something to do with its life force.


    Now it appeared, as long as the Quilin inside was alive, they would not be able to destroy the array.

 Chapter 306 A Masked Threat (2)

    Since there had been no development in harvesting the rare stone, Freya ordered some of her team to return.


    They were not with her this past few days because she had tasked some of them in finding the one who killed Owen and the rest. Because they had conclusive evidence that the one who killed them was not the Quilin.


    At first they thought the killer was among those people who trespassed a few weeks ago. But they had evidence that after the death of Owen, Dess and Quinne''s death, a number of Temr Code members were chasing the trespassers in the forest outside Noser City.


    If those trespassers went back to the ruins, it would be impossible for them to suddenly appear in the forest. The Shaiha ruins was too far from the forest and even if one burned a number of teleportation tokens, it would be impossible to get that far away.


    It was also impossible for those people to set up a transportation array while on the run. Even if they could, they would definitely target a different location to be transported to.


    With this in mind, Reuben, had suggested letting the Temr Code''s Research Department simte the killer''s physique. Then they requested for the Commander''s approval to perform an augury to confirm whether the simted appearance of the killer would show up in the near future.


    However, the augury results had been negative. This piqued the Commander''s interest and ordered the Research Department toe up with more simtion of the killer''s physique.


    To their surprise, after several attempts, when they had used the most unlikely physique of the killer which was a young man with above average build, not too buffed, nor too tall, they finally produced some results.


    Based on the augury results, that young man would appear in the western empire soon. They could not pinpoint the exact location but ording to the augury, that young man would wreck havoc in the west.


    Whether the young man was the real killer or not, just the fact he posed a threat in the west where the Temr Code resides, made the Commander issue an order to review the border records and investigate every young man on the list.


    So far their investigation came out negative. They confirmed the whereabouts of most young man during the crime and those few that could not be confirmed were still being checked.


    Freya had her team focus on finding the killer while she take care of harvesting the rare stone.


    The Commander agreed.


    But now, Freya was forced to call Reuben and Max because of what the Quilin did.


    She did not want to admit it but if the Quilin died, it would be counterproductive for them. For one thing, they would lose the source of the rare stone. Because as far as they knew of the Quilin, even if they cut off his horn, given enough time, it could heal and restore it.


    But if the Quilin died, then its horn would not be restored.


    "How was the investigation?" Freya asked Reuben.


    Reuben nodded, "We managed to narrow down the list. Currently, we are investigating Chairman Noir''s disciple after hearing what he did to Mattias a few days ago."


    Freya''s brow furrowed.


    Chairman Noir''s disciple, Tyr, had been one of the suspicious ones left on their list, because his background was shrouded with mystery. However, his magic record were too average that they could not connect him to the killer that could crush their armor with a single attack.


    "We have to stay put for now because he has been working in the cksmith Order for days now. Apparently, he promised topensate a number of customers who had been ''inconvinenced'' when he dealt with Mattias."


    "He has kept a low profile, why is he suddenly making a noise."


    Reuben shook his head, "We have not found anything yet."


    "Keep me updated."


    "Yes."


    Freya looked at the map ang changed the subject.


    "Have you read the report?"


    Reuben nodded, "Yes, I have."


    Then he frowned slightly recalling what he had read and added, "We have been focused on harvesting the Quilin''s horn we have not checked much on the temple. We all know the Quilin is guarding something inside. But I did not expect the Quilin to willingly offer its life force to protect what is inside."


    Freya nodded her head.


    Since they had no way to destroy the temple''s defensive array they had focused on luring the Quilin and harvesting its horn. But that did not mean they were not interested in what was inside the temple. As a matter of fact, the Temr Code''s Research Department had started researching a magic item that had a capability to bypass the temple''s defensive array and venture inside. They were still in the early stages because the temple''s defensive array were tooplicated for their Array Specialists to decipherpletely.


    "Is there really no way tomunicate with the Quilin? If it dies, we will lose the rare stones. And I have a feeling whatever it is guarding will be destroyed too," Freya said.


    "The Research Department has not yet produced a magic item to trante itsnguage," Reuben replied with a sigh. "And I don''t think it will be willing to negotiate with us after all this time."


    This, of course, Freya already knew.


    With a derisive smile, she said, "If we do establish a means tomunicate with the Quilin. We will not really agree to its terms. At most, we will appear to agree but then force it to submission."


    Reuben''s eyes widened as he realized what she meant. "You mean, have Max try and enve it?"


    One of the ancient ns from the north, the Estyr n, which Max was part of, had a unique ability and that was to enve beasts.


    In thest war that decided where the Ylfaen Empire''s north borders would lie, the Estyr n had yed an active role in stopping the Ylfaen''s advances. The Ylfaen Empire would have lost their north borders if the Regis n had not stepped in to stop them.


    The Regis n also had a technique to tame beasts, and the reason why the Estyr n had fallen was because they managed to reverse thetter''s beast envement seal.


    After the war, internal strife befell the Estyr n. No one knew exactly what was the reason but there had been rumors that most wanted to stop using the beast envement seal and focus on taming techniques like the Regis n.<sub> </sub>


    Because of the internal strife, Max''s family had been ostracized. He was forced to leave after his parents were executed. During his exile, the Temr Code''s Commander found him and seeing how good he was in beast magic, recruited him into the Temr Code.


    Freya nodded, "I know Max said he could not enve the Quilin because it has a very profound background and magic level. But with its weakened state, it is worth a try."


    "Has Max arrived? I remembered he was one of the people the Commander rmended for the Royal Family''s Elite Force and he is in the South."


    "Yes, he is already here. He arrivedst night and I told him my intentions. At this moment, he is preparing for the ritual. As for us, our task is to lure the Quilin," Freya exined.


    This instantly made Reuben smile bitterly.


    Based on the current situation, he doubted the Quilin could be lured easily.


    Seeing Reuben''s expression, Freya already guessed what he was thinking.


    "I know, it is hard," she said with a slight smile. "But at least we know its weakness is the temple."


    "Alright," Reuben replied, sighing in resignation. He was not confident he coulde up with a solid strategy to force out the Quilin, but since Freya trusted him, he would do his best. "I''ll n a strategy that will focus on the temple''s defensive array."


    "Right now, we can no longer put a scratch on the array," Freya reminded him. "But I already have the Commander''s approval that whatever strategy youe up with, we will prepare everything no matter the cost."


    Reuben nodded his head, "Very well. I wille up with the proposals and the three of us can discuss itter."


    Freya nodded in agreement.


    After Reuben left, Freya once again examined the map and also trying to draw out some ideas of her own.


    Suddenly, she noticed some of the green lights near the outskirts of the camp flickering.


    Her eyes constricted when the flickering green lights dimmed and then disappeared. Before she could react, more green lights, a distance away from those that disappeared, flickered.


    Three green lights dimmed and soon disappeared.


    Freya''s expression turned cold as she took out hermunication device, a golden disc at least three-inches wide with the Temr Code''s symbol.


    "Alert everyone! We are under attack!" She shouted.


    In that same moment, from another location in the map, five green lights flickered and soon disappeared.


    Freya''s scalp had instantly gone numb. Not because of how fast their enemies were moving, but because there was no indication of their number whatsoever!


    The map showed a real-time presentation of everyone inside the map. It was an advanced tier array they had set up to keep watch on the reptilian beasts in the vicinity or even possible intruders.


    Not even advance concealment spells could be missed by the array they had setup. For it to fail projecting their enemies¡­ what did it mean?


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As soon as Freya issued the summon, the powerful sound of a gong reverberated in the whole make-shift camp, alerting everyone.


    A few thousand meters outside the camp, Kyran, looking domineering as ever in his all ck attire and the ck panther mask, was currently surrounded by bloody mangled bodies when the sound of the gong filled the air.


    A ruthless smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his glowing silver eyes glinted malevolently.


    "Took your time," he muttered under his breath. After all, the gong sounded after he killed off at least fifty of their members.


    He was aware there was arge scale array that could detect any life force. But since he was not nning to do a covert mission to save Zephyr, he did not disable the array. Instead, he used his Draconic magic and used dragon steps to travel at a distance in such a short time.


    By doing this, he gave the illusion that he was not working alone.


    ''I''ll kill off a few hundred of their members first then I''ll deal with their magic items,'' he thought and vanished in thin air.


    At the same time, inside the temple, a huge beast with half a body of a dragon and half a unicorny in front of an enormous glowing multi-colored sphere. The beast was none other than the Quilin, Zephyr.


    A small pool of blood had gathered beneath him that came from the ugly scar right across his chest. The wound on his chest was the one he got from Freya and it looked as if he was unable to heal it even with his monstrous healing ability.


    As soon as Zephyr heard the gong, it opened its eyes and the usually listless glow in them, they had been reced with what looked like... Hope.


    He had been dealing with the Temr Code and knew that the sound of that gong was meant to alert their members that they were under attack.


    It made Zephyr wonder whether the reptilian beasts had appeared nearby. If they did, hopefully they could buy him some time... Or at least buy ''that person'' some time.


    With great difficulty, Zephyr lifted his head and looked toward the temple''s entrance. With what remaining strength he could muster he spread out his magic sense to check what was happening outside.


    Soon his eyes widened in shock. Then they turned watery as he thought, ''Master... You''re back...''


    A few secondster, a reply came in his mind.


    [Stay put. I''ming.]

 Chapter 307 Repaying Kindness

    Hearing Kyran''s voice made Zephyr feel a myriad of emotions.


    From the moment he had regained consciousness and realized he was the only one left to protect the Shaiha, he was forced to face reality without having the time to dwell on unnecessary self-pity. Then he had to deal with the reptilian beasts who believed they owned the ruins and that whatever was inside the temple was an inheritance awaiting for a chosen one among them to acquire.


    A few yearster, people from the Temr Code suddenly appeared, adding to the mix and making Zephyr''s everyday life full of close-call situations and sometimes blood and gore.


    Dealing with the reptilian beasts had been far more manageable than dealing with the Temr Code. After all, Zephyr was not allowed to kill humans. He could only hurt them. This had been one of his hurdles, especially when the reptilian beasts attacked at the same time.


    Zephyr ended up in several tight situations, and he had no way to vent out his frustration or seek others'' help because he was alone. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and endure.


    When the Temr Code discovered what his horn could do, it alleviated some of the pressure. When they took an interest in him and not what was inside the temple, the Temr Code started to eliminate the reptilian beasts and would no longer try to kill Zephyr¡ªinstead, wanting to capture him and take his horn.


    For this reason, Zephyr managed to pull through somehow.


    Then he met Kyran, and his worldview somehow had changed. His usual stance to only stand guard and protect the Shaiha had been disrupted instantly. It made him realize he didn''t need to stay in the ruins. It would be fine as long as the Shaiha stayed hidden inside the temple.


    After that, Zephyr met more humans who were not interested in his horn. He also learned how most of what he knew of the past was different from theirs.


    A lot changed in Zephyr. But what changed the most was he no longer felt alone.


    However, a few days ago, he felt the firstyer of the temple''s defensive array crumble. This immediately brought Zephyr back to reality. Unfortunately, Kyran was not around, and he could not ask for his help.


    Once again, Zephyr was left to deal with the problem alone.


    Of course, he still believed Kyran would keep his promise to help protect the Shaiha, which was why, when he realized how dire his current situation was, especially when the Temr Code destroyed anotheryer of the temple''s defensive array, he decided to hang on as long as possible until Kyran returned from his training.


    But then, anotheryer of the defensive array was destroyed. The temple was now left with only twoyers of defenses, and after that, the Shaiha''s energy would leak, and the inevitable catastrophe would appear on the Human ne.


    Those ignorant humans had no idea what they were trying to unleash once the defensive array was destroyed. Their greed blinded them that they failed to understand that what Zephyr had done thus far was protect them against the terror of the Shaiha.


    Left with no other options, Zephyr used his life force to reinforce the temple''s defensive array. Due to itsplexity, he was left defenseless and took a fatal blow from a female human.


    A couple of dayster, Zephyr was starting to feel that his life might not be able to hold much longer. He only prayed that if he perished, the temple''s defensive array could hold for a few more days until Kyran returned from his training.


    As for whether Kyran would keep his promise, Zephyr never doubted it. But that did not mean he would not feel disheartened. The more he grew weak, the more he feared Kyran would not make it in time.


    Because of this, Zephyr was overwhelmed when he realized the one making a ruckus outside had been Kyran.


    He had dealt with everything alone for so many years, but now, Kyran, his new master, hade. He did not fail him.


    ''Yes, master,'' Zephyr replied and closed his eyes.


    From a distance away, Kyran stood looking in the direction of the temple after slicing off ahead of one of the Temr Code members who intercepted him.


    Around him, blood and gore filled the ground as more dead, mangled bodies surrounded him.


    "You dare toe here and brazenly kill our people! DIE!"


    A man wearing gray robes holding a silver staff with a red spirit stone attached on top shouted as a red magic array appeared in front of him. The red spirit stone glowed, and magic fluctuations filled the air as the magic energies in the surroundings converged on the red magic array.


    Kyran turned to look at the man. He snorted and took one step.


    In an instant, he arrived in front of the man.


    "Wha¡ª!"


    p Before the man could fully react, his head slid to the side, and a visible slice appeared on his neck. With a shocked expression frozen in ce, the man''s head fell and rolled to the ground. Blood spurted out from his severed body, following suit and the silver staff.</anda>


    At the same time, the red magic array vanished in thin air.


    Kyran looked at the man coldly. He did not use any weapon when he severed the man''s head. All he did was wave his right hand, and utilizing only the pressure of his Draconic magic; it manifested like a sharp de that cut off the man''s head.


    Before, Kyran would have hesitated in killing this man. As long as he thought the man was only following orders, Kyran would only leave him half-dead.


    But Kyran''s mindset had changed after his training in the Tower of Tribtion.


    In a battle of life and death, if one thought the other had no choice but to fight and hesitated to go all out, he would end up dead.


    A person never had only one choice. They had at least two, regardless of the oue.


    When a person chooses to fight and live, then the other choice he did not take is not to fight and, in turn, die.


    For example, the man Kyran killed might only be a regr member of the Temr Code and had no enmity against Zephyr or Kyran, for that matter. He only made a move. As someone from the Temr Code, he had to fight if hisrades in arms were killed because he had no other choice.


    That thinking was wrong.


    Because right from the start, when the man chose to be a member of the Temr Code, he must have known this kind of situation would happen and was already prepared.


    The man already made a choice right from the start.


    That was why Kyran did not hesitate.


    If you choose to side with my enemy, I will cut you down.<sub> </sub>


    This was Kyran''s mindset now.


    Of course, if one voluntarily surrendered, Kyran would not kill him immediately. Depending on what that person had done, Kyran would enact rightful punishment. After all, he was not a mindless killer.


    Today, however, he would strike no matter what.


    The reason for his decision was fueled after confirming Zephyr''s condition.


    Every member of the Temr Code right here was guilty of hurting one of his people. He would not let them off easy.


    "You have some gutsing here to¡ª."


    The man wearing silver armor, who had just arrived, had barely started his speech when Kyran turned and took another step.


    Kyran appeared behind the man, simultaneously mming his fist on his back.


    Not even knowing what had happened, the man''s upper body exploded into bits of armor, blood, flesh, and internal organs.


    With glowing silver eyes, Kyran took a deep breath and sighed inwardly.


    ''Does these people have to make a speech first before attacking? Seriously?''


    Sensing more peopleing his way, Kyran turned and, once again, took another step. As he did, he disappeared in thin air.


    Kyran would not wait for them toe to him. He would go to them himself. If he waited for these guys toe, Zephyr''s condition might worsen. That was something he would not allow to happen.


    At that exact moment, Freya and Reuben, together with more than fiftybat mages with at least a High Master level, made their way toward thest known location where one of the attackers had appeared.


    Three mobile turrets, manned by two Temr Code mages each, followed suit.


    "Is it confirmed there are no other sightings?" Freya asked one of thebat mages in silver armor to her left.


    In response, the man nodded, "Yes, there are no other sightings."


    "And the one who reported thest one?"


    The man immediately contacted the person; however, he could no longer get any response.


    "I¡­ I could not get any response, Lady Freya."


    With furrowed brows, Freya took out a one by three inches, rectangr golden slip.


    The slip had the names of all the members of the Temr Code currently inside the ruins. Their names were written in special ink, which showed their status. If something happened to one of them, their names would fade a little, and if that name darkened, that person had died.


    Using her magic sense, Freya inspected the slip. Soon her hand tightened around the slip as her eyes glowed fiercely.


    The person was already dead. Not only that. When she scanned the slip, she saw at least two hundred names had turned dark. This was an unprecedented event. After all, even when they had dealt with the Quilin, though they had several casualties, none of their members had died.


    But now¡­


    Freya took out hermunication device and practically growled as she ordered, "Do not engage when you find them! Provide the location and fall back!"


    "There''s no need."


    A deep male voice suddenly spoke from above.


    Freya''s eyes narrowed as she turned and looked at the man hovering above one of the mobile turrets. Before any of them could move, a massive pressure bore down on them as the man wearing ck clothes and a ck panther mask jumped down.


    Then he changed into a dropkick motion in midair, striking down one of the mobile turrets.


    As soon as the man''s feetnded on the turret, a massive shockwave rang out as it exploded into pieces, including the two mages inside.


    Turret pieces, blood, and gore exploded out.


    When Freya and Reuben saw this, images of Owen, Dess, and Quinne''s dead bodies shed through their mind.


    "This¡ª!"


    However, the turret''s destruction was only the beginning.


    The man''s momentum did not stop after destroying the turret. His feet soonnded on the ground, after which web-like cracks appeared on the surface and soon exploded, instantly creating a small crater.


    All of the Temr Code members, including Freya and Reuben, employed their armor''s defensive ability as they were forced to jump back.


    Cloud of dust filled the air, engulfing all of them.


    With a voice as cold as daggers, the man spoke from behind the cloud of dust.


    "I''vee to repay your kindness."


    This man was, of course, Kyran.

 Chapter 308 Undying Valkyrie

    The moment Kyran finished speaking, his eyes glowed silver as he locked on to the two Temr Code Elite Team members amidst the crowd.


    He recognized the two from the golden armor and the aura of an Exalted and a Grand Master they exuded.


    Besides the Exalted before him, Kyran sensed three others scattered around the camp. Compared to the one in front, the other three had been staying in one ce, unmoving.


    Since those three had no ns ofing, Kyran would also go to them after dealing with these people.


    "Scatter!" Freya and Reuben ordered at soon as their vision was reduced by the cloud of dust.


    All Temr Code members scattered while rousing their magic.


    "Turrets! Activate Lumina Array! Forward, encirclement formation! Rear, await formand!" Reuben directed one after another.


    The Temr Code members moved as they were told.


    "I''m going in," Freya told Reuben as she took out a golden stave with a de made of diamonds. Without waiting for a response, she cast a haste spell on herself and dashed toward the spot where she could sense the man in a ck panther mask.


    BAM!


    "Ugh!" Freya was suddenly flung to the side as a powerful force mmed at her.


    "Lady Freya!" Most of the Temr Code members eximed as they saw her silhouette get thrown to the side, crashing on three make-shift tents one after another.


    The one who had attacked her was, of course, Kyran who had locked on to her because of her Exalted status.


    Reuben''s brow furrowed as he gritted his teeth and closed in on the silhouette that had appeared right next to the spot where Freya had been. He cast haste and power boost spells as two golden small daggers appeared on each of his hands.


    Crouching slightly, Reuben aimed his daggers toward the silhouette''s legs. Knowing that the man in the ck panther mask had an abnormal speed, he decided to aim for the legs to deal a blow to the man''s movement.


    However, even before he could close in on the man, thetter disappeared in thin air.


    "What?" Reuben''s eyes widened and felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck as he felt an imminent danger closing in on him.


    Instinctively, he moved his head to the side. As he did, something cold and sharp grazed his neck.


    "Ergh..!" Reuben winced feeling a sharp pain as blood trickled down his neck from where the cold sharp something had touched.


    He immediately twisted his body to turn to his side. But then he heard a cold snort before a powerful force mmed on his back.


    Crack!


    "ARGH!" Reuben screamed as the back of his armor broke and his spinal cord cracked. Searing hot white pain shot through his whole body. His vision blurred as he was sted toward the front, hitting one of the nearby make-shift tents.


    Boom!


    It was at this time that the members of the Temr Code which consisted of the ''forward'' team, had finished rousing their magic and summoning magic attacks.


    They all aimed at the spot where Reuben was just attacked, unleashing their most powerful attacks.


    Different colored concentrated magic energy attacks zoned in on Kyran. However, he did not flinch and only turned to look at the iing attacks. His eyes glowed silver as he lifted his right arm.


    Silver-colored dragon scales appeared around him,pletely blocking off all the iing magic attacks.


    The whole surroundings were once again filled with a cloud of smoke from when the magic attacks had hit the dragon scales.


    All the forward team of the Temr Code closed in as they summoned their weapons. They had decided to do abined melee attack.


    "Humph," Kyran sneered as he saw them. He lowered his hand and took one step forward. As he did, a powerful force spread outward starting from his feet.


    The force instantly blew away the cloud of dust and smoke. Then it mmed on all the forward members, their armors instantly smashed into pieces. They all coughed out a mouthful of blood as they were sted toward the back.


    The rear team members of the Temr Code who managed to witness all of this happen in only a short few breaths of time were bbergasted.


    Their minds reeled and even ordered them to escape or make a move, unfortunately, their body refused to listen.


    All of them stood there in utter shock, as the force from man''s step finally swept through the. They were also forced back a few paces, with blood trickling down their mouths.


    With silver glowing eyes, Kyran ignored the rest of the members and went after the woman.<sub> </sub>


    At the same time, Freya managed to avoid getting killed in one hit because her armor was one of the few ones the Research Department had reinforced after studying the force that destroyed Owen, Dess, and Quinne''s armors.


    Nevertheless, Freya sustained internal injuries which instantly sent her mind reeling.


    A simple kick and she was thrown almost thirty meters away, and even broke three of her ribs.


    What kind of monstrous strength did the man in the ck panther mask possess to aplish that?


    ''He''s definitely that man, who killed Owen and his team!'' Freya thought, her whole body flushed with murderous intent. Recalling what had happened to the three made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more to satisfy her need for revenge. However, the still sane part of her was telling her not to engage, because if she did, she would die miserably.


    ''He killed Owen! That man is Owen''s murderer!''


    Nevertheless, Freya''s heart ached to recall how Owen ended up unrecognizable after suffering from such brutality. She could not ept that. What did he ever do to deserve such treatment?


    "I''ll kill you!" Freya growled in anger, her magic pressure instantly bursting out from her as she stood up. "I, Freya, of the Y''Rik n will have your head!"


    The golden stave reappeared on her hand as she turned to look at the iing man.


    She already sensed himing, and she would not back down. Today, she would have her revenge!


    Kyran who heard the woman, Freya, could not help but smile coldly. He had heard about the Y''Rik n. They were not a native of the Ylfaen Empire but the western nation, Valkyria.


    The Valkyria nation focused on magic advancement through technology. Most mages there used puppets. However, there were still those who prefer to strengthen their own magic, in any way possible. Just like the Y''Rik n.


    However, their idea of ''any way possible'' involved live human mage experiments and the recement of body parts. Because of this, the Valkyria government forced them to leave the nation.


    When they left the Valkyria government, the then Ylfaen Emperor took them under his wings and soon the Royal Army''s Research Division flourished. Then some of the Y''Rik members who did not want to be bound by the Royal Army or the Royal Family chose to leave the n and moved to the west Ylfaen.


    Now, it appeared the Temr Code had recruited one Y''Rik n member and was even at an Exalted level.


    Whether this woman Freya possessed the forbidden technology of the Y''Rik n was something Kyran was interested in.


    But he was not that interested that he would not kill her. If she died easily in his hands, then whatever magic technology she possessed from the Y''Rik n was not worth mentioning.


    Golden light filled Freya as she whirled her stave before sting forward to meet the masked man.


    Kyran, on the other hand, did not pause when he saw her approach. Instead, he increased his speed as silver-white energy formed on both his forearms.


    As soon as Freya was only three meters away, she abruptly stopped and spun the stave in her hand above. Golden magic energy formed on the stave, forming a small golden vortex above her. After a couple of seconds, she flung the stave down toward the masked man.


    Kyran, seeing her move stopped in his tracks.


    But he did not n on evading or blocking Freya''s attack. He would counter with one of his own.


    He pulled back his right leg, before shifting his weight on his left as he stepped forward. Then he arched his back, both his arms braced on his sides, before bending forward and mming his fists on the ground, creating massive web-like cracks.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion rang out as Kyran''s fists hit the ground, at the same time as Freya''s attack.


    An enormous shockwave spread out forcing Freya to fall back a few meters. Cracks formed on her golden armor. Even the surrounding make-shift tents had been destroyed just by the force of the shockwave alone.


    "Ergh!" Freya gritted her teeth, forcing her body to stop, and once again pushed forward toward the masked man. She knew the attack did nothing to him and that was fine. It was not like the attack she did was the best she could do. It was one of her powerful attacks, yes, but she was only testing how the man would react and did not use too much magic energy.


    Now she knew the man would rather attack back than block or evade her attacks. If this was the case, it would be better to fight him in his own game!


    Freya''s eyes glowed gold as she roused her magic. The golden light that filled her intensified and the cracks on her armor repaired themselves. Even her internal injuries started to heal.


    This was Freya''s magic.


    Restoration.


    And it was because of this magic, that she became the leader of the Elite Team. As long as there was magic energy avable, she would be able to fully restore herself to the best state she had been.


    This instantly, earned her the nickname, the Undying Valkyrie.


    Kyran straightened as he looked at Freya. He already noticed how the golden light had begun to restore her armor and his eyes glinted.

 Chapter 309 Three Exalted Relics

    Restoration magic worked simrly to a Restoration Array. The three differences were that the array used physical materials to support the needed magic energy, targeting specific conditions to be restored within arge area. On the other hand, Freya''s magic only required her to use her magic energy to restore her target within a specific condition.


    As far as Kyran could guess, Freya''s restoration magic could only target herself and what she was wearing. Or maybe, the armor she was wearing might have been branded by her magic energy, which made it possible for her to restore it.


    Either way, Restoration magic or array were support-type magic that could be helpful in a long-drawn battle depending on how one used it.


    ''Interesting,'' Kyran thought with an amused smile.


    He encountered several different forms of magic during his time in the Tower of Tribtion. Some were weird magic that could jinx people as long as they met the requirements. Others were powerful offensive magic which left him almost in a defensive state for a few rounds of exchanges. There was also powerful defensive magic, although they crumbled before him because of the nature of his Void magic as if it were dried leaves.


    One of the most memorable magic Kyran had encountered was support magic. Others thought a mage with support-type magic could not be an effective ''offensive'' mage, but the truth, with their support magic, they could rely on strengthening themselves even without the help of others.


    Because of this logic, Kyran had developed a differentbat style for Tyr even though he possessed support magic, which was Strengthening magic. That was why most who knew his magic were surprised to see him sweep the floor off others while using only his staff.


    Err... okay, Kyran''s ''Strengthening magic'' was too overpowered than the real one because he utilized the Regis strengthening technique, which technically uses Draconic magic. Still, if other mages with Strengthening magic imitated his style, they could boost their physical ability.


    This concept was what Freya was doing. She most likely had her body enhanced to make sure her magic would work its wonders. After all, if she could notst after one exchange, she would not have the chance to use her restoration magic.


    Being a member of the Y''Rik n, Kyran was almost 99% sure Freya''s body had undergone tremendous change. If not, then maybe the Temr Code had done its best to ensure she had the right resources to strengthen her body.


    ''Too bad, restoration is not the same as true healing,'' Kyran thought as he remembered one fatal difference between the two.


    ? He would not have thought of this if he was not familiar with what restoration array could do and true healing. He had experienced both, with the true healing being Cyneah''s magic.


    Without bothering to move from his spot, Kyran waited for Freya. His eyes glowed silver as he circted the Draconic magic inside his body.


    Now it was time for him to get serious.


    ''How will I break you?'' He wondered as a mischievous smile reced his amused one. ''Speedily? Or in an instant?''


    As Kyran thought this, Freya had already closed the distance between them.


    Freya whirled the golden stave above her head, and another vortex of golden energy appeared. This time, however, it was muchrger than the first one.


    "I''d say..." Kyran muttered under his breath as he finally activated the Regis Blessing. "In an instant."


    The pupils of his eyes turned into slits as the Draconic magic surged all over his body.


    Last time, he had used 80% of the Regis Blessing to deal with the three Elite members of the Temr Code. He was unsure how much power his body could take at that time. That was why he limited the power''s output.


    Today, Kyran was tempted to use it again.


    But, knowing how his body had undergone a lot of change afterpleting the amalgamation of the Elixir, he was no longer borrowing the power of the Draconic magic within the Dragon King''s blood but genuinely using his Draconic magic.


    Utilizing 80% of the Regis Blessing meant a massive leap of strength, different from the 80%st time. If he used that, he might end up destroying the whole ruins.


    That included the temple, even with its saint-tier defensive array in ce.


    "5% should be enough."


    As Kyran said this, a switch seemed to have clicked inside his body, instantly causing a burst of power to surge out from him that shook the whole surroundings.


    Crackling sounds filled the air, and the sky darkened. Silvery white lightning shed above, which looked like small flying dragons.


    ''This...!'' Freya, who was in the motion of releasing her magic attack, saw this.


    In an instant, fear struck her heart.


    However, she was not given a chance to dwell on it as suddenly the masked man disappeared from her field of vision.


    Everything around her seemed to havee to slow motion, her mind reeling.


    ''Where?'' She thought as she turned to her right, then to the left. She even paused for a second to look below, and that was when she noticed a crude round silhouette slowly growing under her feet.


    Her eyes widened at the sudden realization of that silhouette, and she lifted her head to look above.


    There, she saw the masked man descending from above. His right hand balled into a tight fist as silvery-white energy covered his whole right arm.


    But that was not why Freya''s eyes widened. What caught her in surprise was the silver-white energy looked very much like a human-shaped dragon arm which seemed very strange when the man was wearing a ck panther mask.


    The masked man disappeared yet again, and he appeared right above Freya''s head in an instant.


    To be precise, the masked man''s fist had appeared right above her head!<sub> </sub>


    With practically zero time to maneuver, Freya instinctively swung her stave to the masked man''s side, releasing the golden vortex simultaneously.


    TING!


    A metallic sound rang out when Freya''s stave collided with the masked man''s side.


    The masked man did not even flinch when the stave and the golden vortex mmed on him. Undaunted, he mmed his fist on top of Freya''s head.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion rang out that shook the whole surrounding. The ground below also failed to withstand Kyran''s single strike and was instantly decimated, creating arge crater.


    Everything within a fifty-meter radius of Kyran was destroyed, including Freya in her armor and weapon altogether.


    From a distance, Reuben, who managed to recover from being thrown before taking a high-grade healing potion and decisively going after the masked man, witnessed what happened and could not help but feel his heart sink.


    "LADY FREYA!" He screamed in utter shock.


    The masked man''s destructive power was far more potent than when he had dealt with Owen, Dess, and Quinne! At least when he dealt with the three previously, they still had a body left, though they were in pieces and almost unrecognizable. This time, he obliterated Freya,pletely removing her from existence!


    The shockwave from the explosion swept over Reuben, and even with his armor''s defenses activated, he was again flung back and even suffered some internal injuries.


    "Guh!" Reuben coughed out a mouthful of blood as he mmed into the side of the valley.


    Meanwhile, back at the center of the explosion, Kyrannded at the crater''s center, frowning slightly.


    As the cloud of smoke cleared around him, he looked up with piercing, cold eyes.


    "That''s some strange magic item you have there," he said.


    Above was none other than Freya, looking very much the same before Kyran''s attack hadnded that destroyed her.


    "Oh? You realized it is a magic item?" Freya replied.


    Kyran did not reply and instead used his magic sense to confirm that one of the Exalted auras he sensed earlier had disappeared.


    It seemed those three auras were not really ''humans'' but magic items that had the capability of recing Freya inbat when she was in danger. Most likely, those magic items were relics.


    ''Her restoration magic ensures she could stay in a good state, but that doesn''t include her physical condition. It will be easy to take her down once she is exhausted. Once her umted fatigue got to her, it would be possible to win over her. That is the difference between restoration and true healing.


    ''Of course, to seed in this. Her opponent must also have monstrous stamina that can keep up with her. But she already knows her weakness and has prepared a contingency n. This particr magic item saves her from death andpletely restores her body to a perfect state and condition.


    ''But...''


    "You are powerful, that I admit. But as I said earlier, I will have your¡ª."


    Before Freya could even finish speaking, Kyran took a step forward once again.


    Freya''s eyes widened and, in an instant, crushed a teleportation token she had been holding in her hand.


    As Kyran appeared before her, Freya had suddenly disappeared, only to appear ten meters away to the right.


    "You! I am not even done talking¡ª."


    Without even looking at Freya, Kyran again took a step and appeared to her right.


    Freya, who somehow anticipated his appearance, had already moved and swung the golden stave in her hand 360 degrees.


    CRACK!


    The golden stave was instantly shattered in the middle as it mmed on Kyran''s side.


    "Wha¡ª?"


    Kyran mmed his fist, hitting Freya in the chest.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion once again rang out as she exploded into bits.


    "What? You expect me to stop and listen as you bber? Seriously?" Kyran said.

 Chapter 310 Escape

    One of the two Exalted auras in the distance had once again disappeared after Freya exploded.


    Kyran felt a concourse of High Master mages and a couple of Grand Master approaching his location at an incredible speed in several directions. Apart from this, he noticed a few hundreds of them were not ''humans.''


    Ignoring everything else, Kyran focused on locating where Freya would reappear. As far as he was concerned, she still had one more ''life.'' Once he killed her again, the next one would be her end.


    ''If she had a much higher magic level, this battle might be more interesting. Too bad I can''t torture her to death,'' Kyran sighed inwardly. He regretted letting this woman off easy. After all, she was the one in charge of this camp and was the reason why Zephyr ended up in such a critical condition.


    Freya''s body slowly formed, and as soon as she could move her hand, she took out hermunication device and transmitted a message to a number of people. After that, she summoned a small ck steele.


    This steele was another relic that could activate their emergency escape route.


    The decision to use this steele was a huge blow to Freya''s pride. She admitted to underestimating the masked man. Not to mention, she had to reign in her desire for revenge to prioritize the safety of her members.


    In the first ce, Freya did not anticipate the enemies that brazenly entered their camp was actually only one person. Though she had not seen him do all of that alone, after witnessing how fast he could move, she was positive of it.


    Thinking back to when she had seen how the green lights that represented the Temr Code members disappear one after another at an rming speed, Freya should have sensed something was amiss. No, she did feel something strange because there was no indication of the enemy''s presence on the map.


    But why did she believe a group of people did it? Why did she not think of the man who killed Owen, Dess, and Quinne? Their attacker had not left anything behind, did he not? Apart from this, her people died way too fast.


    If Freya had only guessed that the attacker was the same person, she would not order her members to form a group of fifty to move out. She would instead order them to retreat at once.


    No, that was also wrong. Just like how Freya decided to engage the masked man inbat, she was too confident with the Temr Code''s technology as well as her magic and battle experience. She was so sure earlier that she could take him down and exact her revenge.


    In the end, not even a minute had passed, and she had already died twice. If the Commander did not tell her to bring the three Exalted relics as insurance, then she would have joined Owen and the rest and be one of the fatal casualties.


    Freya''s way of thinking had been affected now that she had personally witnessed the masked man''s strength. He did not even seem to put any effort when he killed her.


    Now, Freya understood that Owen''s death was not negligence on his part. He stood no chance in the first ce.


    However, knowing all this did not lessen Freya''s thirst for vengeance. She would have it, but not today. Nevertheless, if she failed to live through today, she would not be able to do that.


    For this reason, she must prioritize their survival.


    The moment Kyran sensed Freya''s presence, he also noticed her actions. He had already anticipated her decision to escape instead of confronting him because there was only one magic item left that could save her.


    Kyran stretched out his right hand toward where Freya had appeared and pointed. His silver eyes turned dark purple.


    One of the downsides of using Draconic magic was his reach.


    Because Draconic magic utilized his body, it was powerful, but he had to get close to his opponent to use it. He could gather pure Draconic magic energy into his hands and st them out or throw them. But this kind of attack was too predictable, and gathering the energy would take a few seconds.


    His opponent would definitely not stand idle while he prepared for an attack.


    Since Kyran nned to deal with her ''in an instant,'' he would not give her time to fight back.


    He might have decided to use his Draconic magic, but that did not mean he would not use his Void magic.


    Besides, his Void magic had an advantage in terms of long-range attacks.


    As soon as Kyran pointed at Freya, a dark purple needle appeared at the tip of his finger.


    This needle was an improved version of the Void Needle. Before, he needed to utilize the Regis''s Strengthening Technique to add a thin coating because Void magic had no form. Now, it was easier to make with the Void''s creation nature.


    With a 5% boost of the Regis Blessing, Kyran flick could travel a few kilometers per second. Thus, the moment he flicked the needle, it shot toward Freya at a speed of light, hitting her forehead.


    Freya felt nothing when the needle entered her forehead. She had barely finished sending her message and taking out the ck steele when her whole head disintegrated suddenly.


    It was another improvement in the Void needle. It would no longer explode but destroy anything it prated from the inside.


    Thest of the Exalted auras disappeared.


    "RAWRGH!"


    It was at this moment that a deafening roar sounded from behind.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran already sensed theming but ignored them to deal with Freya. He had guessed she told them to retreat, but it seemed they were a bunch of stubborn fools who wanted to save her at all cost.


    Witnessing such an act would have made others apud their loyalty.


    To Kyran, however, their act was nothing more than pointless death. If he encountered them in a different situation, he would simply ignore them. But since these people were all equally guilty of hurting Zephyr, he did not mind helping them.


    In the first wave of the attack, a countless concourse of four-legged beasts appeared, medium torge.


    All of them were Max''s beast horde.


    Freya had told Max to stay close to the temple''s entrance and guard it. But when he heard the first explosion, he sensed something amiss and summoned his beasts at once. He also called all of the Temr Code members under hismand. Then they all made their way toward the location where the explosion had urred.


    When they got near, they felt the aftershock of the explosion and were shaken to their core. Soon after, they received an order from Freya not to engage the enemy.


    Instead of retreating, however, her order had fuelled the desire of every Temr Code member to confront the threat that befell their camp.


    With this desire, Max led his team into battle. Ignoring Freya''s second order to retreat, hemanded his beast horde to charge into battle.


    They all roared and pounced at the masked man, with ws glinting with a tint of green. All of the beasts'' ws were coated in poison. One small cut from these ws would be fatal to most.


    As soon as they closed in on Kyran, Kyran simply lifted his head to look at the few before him.


    Earlier, he had been circting the Draconic magic in his body; this time, he switched to the Void magic.


    What happened next was something every member of the Temr Code nearby had not anticipated, especially Max.


    All of the beasts stopped in midair, then a secondter, they all howled in fear and scampered back.


    "Fight!" Max roared. His reddish-brown eyes glinted in anger.


    When he shouted, the retreating beasts wailed, and a glowing red six-sided star appeared on their foreheads. In an instant, the beasts'' eyes glowed red as they roared and charged at the masked man once again.


    This development made Kyran''s eyes glint in amusement.


    "Interesting," he thought as he looked at the burly man who had just roared at the beasts.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he switched back to using Draconic magic. Silver-white energy surged out from him. He bent forward slightly, bracing himself before shooting forward to meet the iing beasts; deep cracks were left on the ground from where he had been.


    Silver-white energy formed on his arms as he charged at the iing beast horde.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    RAWRGH!


    A series of dull explosions filled the air as Kyran punched every beast he met.


    Blood, flesh, and brain matter flew everywhere as the beasts'' heads exploded.


    A sharp pain tugged at Max''s heart each time a beast would fall. His pain was not because of his attachments to the beasts but from the bacsh of having them die.


    "Strong!" Max''s muttered under his breath, his eyes constricted in disbelief.


    The rest of the Temr Code members who saw how the masked man one-sidedly ughtered Max''s beast horde left them reeling.


    The gantry they had earlier was crushed in an instant. None of them dared to get close anymore. Even Max had been rooted in the spot.


    At this moment, a booming voice echoed that filled the whole camp.


    "Activating emergency escape array!"


    The one who had said this was none other than Freya, who managed to gain some distance after Max''s beast horde attacked Kyran.


    A huge holden array appeared on the ground, and the whole camp shook from the surge of magic energy in the surroundings.

 Chapter 311 FIGHT!

    Kyran looked down at the enormous golden array that appeared on the ground.


    From his earlier probing, he was already aware of what the array within the Temr Code''s make-shift camp could do. Two reasons he did not do anything to counter it were; first, he did not want to deal with them covertly, and second, he could not unt his ability in Array.


    As far as the Temr Code was concerned, Kyran was a mysterious masked man with monstrous strength. Besides, he had other ways to deal with their array.


    "Humph," Kyran sneered. Then, without turning, he lifted his right arm and mmed his fist at the iing beast from behind.


    The beast exploded into a mixture of blood, flesh, and organs.


    RAWRGH!


    More beasts closed in on him, and their eyes glowed red in a furious outburst.


    Kyran''s eyes glinted in curiosity. Though he no longer used the Void magic to boost his ability to repel beasts forcefully, his aura was now simr to a dragon.


    The Draconic magic flowing inside him further amplified the dragon-like body he now possessed afterpleting his amalgamation of the Elixir. The aura he emitted alone should have caused these beasts to tremble before him.


    It was a different reaction from his Void''s ability, where beasts stayed away from him. Instead, the response his presence could evoke was the kind that would make a beast tremble both in awe and fear because of the majestic existence that a dragon naturally possessed.


    However, these beasts were not affected. On the contrary, they even seemed to be more enraged at Kyran.


    ''Is it that big guy''s magic?'' Kyran wondered while he charged at another beast. He sped his hands together and bashed the top of the beast''s head.


    Because of the beast''s hard skull, it did not explode like the others but only suffered arge crack. Then, added to the force with which Kyran had bashed the beast''s head, it mmed to the ground, creating a small crater.


    Kyran stepped back with his left leg and, using his right leg, performed a frontal leg axe kick hitting the beast''s back head which finally gave in and exploded into pieces of bones, flesh, and brain matter.


    RAWRGH!


    Threerge beasts roared as they jumped toward Kyran, their poisonous ws outstretched and aimed at his head.


    Kyran looked at the beasts with glowing silver eyes, reflecting a thoughtful look.


    He then recalled what he did after returning to the cottage. While he busied himself with fixing his puppets, he was also thinking of other ways to increase his ''human'' resources. One of Gage and Ss''s tasks was to gather people or at least a force who would be willing to go against the Royal Army.


    But it had only been a couple of weeks since then. They couldn''t gather that many people or force that could rival the Royal Army.


    No, it should be the Royal Family now. Kyran might even be up against all factions that had be part of the Empire''s Elite Force.


    Because of this, Kyran had few options where he could gather people or his force. He had yet to take over the Blue Lotus, but even they were not enough. The puppets would also take some time because he was the only one who could create them.


    That was why he thought of finding a force using a different channel. And he had thought of the mutated beasts in the Valley of Morte.


    Unfortunately, he had not been able to practice taming beasts back in the Tower of Tribtion because the tower had sealed his Draconic magic. However, he did learn about Beast Arts when he trained in the Thualki ne.


    ''I can''t tame beasts because they steer clear of me even without activating my magic,'' Kyran continued to ponder. ''And I don''t think I can force them to submit as I did to Zephyr because of my dragon-like presence.''


    Thetter he learned after training in the Thualki ne. In that ne, most of its inhabitants were beastmasters.


    Because the Elixir caused Kyran''s dragon-like body, he did not need the Draconic magic to be in that state. While he was in the Thualki ne, the beasts had stayed away from him. But when a beastmastermanded his beasts to approach him, all beasts acted with respect. Even when the beastmasters forced their beasts to attack Kyran, the beasts dared not. There was even an incident where a beast chose to take its life than attack Kyran.


    Kyran had earned the title Beast Overlord because of this incident. It was also due to this that he almost failed his training.


    He was sent to the Thualki ne to understand Beast Arts. If all of them believed he was already an Overlord, how would he ask them to teach him?


    Putting this aside, Kyran was very curious as to how the big guy from the Temr Code could still force these beasts to attack him.


    He previously thought of isting a group of mutated beasts and forcefully performing the Sigil, but then he wondered where he could leave them? He also could not take care of their food or have them wander around the forest because they would draw too much attention.


    But now, Kyran wondered if he could get someone else to tame the beasts, he could also let that person take care of them.


    Of course, he would make sure he could control that person.


    While Kyran was lost in his thoughts, the threerge beasts had shortened the gap and were only half a meter away from slicing off his head.


    Kyran stepped forward with his right foot and lifted his left leg; silver-white energy covered his shin. Then he did a roundhouse kick and swept through the beasts'' outstretched ws.


    WHOOSH!


    A beautiful silver-white arc formed that shed toward the beasts, instantly reducing them to dust.


    A hundred meters away, Max coughed out a mouthful of blood from the bacsh of having his beast horde destroyed one after another. He had been suppressing the pain, but after the masked man killed off more than thirty of them, he could no longer stop it.


    "Sir Max!" A few Temr Code members rushed to his side as he fell to his knees.


    "Fine!" Max grunted as he lifted his hand to stop their advance. Then he looked at them and noticed their number had lessened. So he turned to one of them and asked, "The others?"


    "As soon as Lady Freya activated the escape array, they went to assist," the man in a silver armor replied.<sub> </sub>


    Max sighed inwardly. He was unable to monitor his members'' movement earlier and feared they had rushed in with the beasts and died in the hands of the masked man. Knowing that they had left to help out with the array made him feel at ease.


    "Max!"


    A voice suddenly called from the side.


    "Sir Reuben!" The rest of the Temr Code members with Max greeted as Reuben dashed to their location.


    Max also looked at him and nodded in greeting.


    Reuben looked at the rest of the members.


    "There were others with us earlier. Unfortunately, because of the explosions, we got separated. Find them and get them to safety ASAP. Our priority is to leave the camp."


    "Yes, sir Reuben!" They all answered in unison and left at once.


    They would rather choose to get as far away from the masked man. The strength he had shown had left an enormous impression on them that would haunt them for the rest of their lives if they ever survive this day.


    As soon as they had left, Reuben turned to Max.


    "That masked guy destroyed all of Lady Freya''s magic items," he said meaningfully.


    Max immediately scowled at his words. He understood what Reuben meant about the magic items. For that masked person to destroy all in such a short time told he was someone they could not handle.


    Seeing Max''s expression, Reuben could more or less guess what he was thinking. So he exined, "Lady Freya activated the array for this reason. We have to abandon the Quilin for now."


    Max nodded in agreement. Then he looked back at his remaining beast horde, trying to pin down the masked man. Seeing how proficient the man was in clearing his beast horde, he more or less guessed they only had two minutes at most toplete the array''s activation.


    "Who?" He asked Reuben.


    Reuben paused for the briefest moment before replying, "I believe he is the same person who killed sir Owen, Dess, and Quinne."


    "Rawrgh!" Max suddenly roared in anger. But then he coughed out another mouthful of blood as the number of his beast horde went down.


    "Max!" Reuben knelt beside him and was about to take out a high-grade healing potion when Max grabbed his hand and grunted, "Summon the rest."


    Reuben''s brow furrowed as he understood what Max meant. He immediately shook his head and disagreed, "No. If you summon the rest, your body will not be able to take the bacsh."


    "No choice," Max replied, his reddish-brown eyes glinted with determination. "Buy time."


    His decision was fueled by the fact that they still needed time to activate the array. If they could not hold that masked man for another five minutes, then they would not be able to exact revenge for their fallenrades.


    Max looked at Reuben and said what would be the longest he had ever uttered in his life, "I leave the rest to you."


    Reuben''s eyes widened at the realization of what Max wanted to do.


    "No¡ª!"


    Max coughed out another mouthful of blood as thest of his beast horde had been destroyed.


    "Max¡ª!"


    "GO!"


    With that, Max roused his magic. His eyes glowed red as he took out two red pills.


    Reuben knew what those pills were. Those pills could boost a mage''s magic level; one pill meant an increase of one level. However, they were still in the initial testing, and the bacsh of eating one was tremendous. For this reason, it was not advisable to eat two at once.


    Reuben clenched his fists. He wanted to stop Max, but he also knew that they needed someone to keep the masked man busy while theypleted the activation of the escape array.


    With eyes burning with cold determination, Reuben stood up and saluted Max.


    "Leave the rest to me."


    With that, he steeled his nerves and left.


    Max smiled slightly and also stood up. He looked at the masked man, who was now looking at him.


    It was unknown what the masked mas was thinking.


    However, Max was not interested in that. He would do everything to keep the masked man busy and let the rest of the Temr Code escape.


    "FIGHT!" He growled as he took the two red pills.


    In an instant, a surge of powerful energy erupted from him.

 Chapter 312 Trapped

    Kyran looked at the burly man in golden armor with furrowed brows.


    He immediately noticed how the man''s magic level shot up to two whole levels; from being a Grand Master, the man''s magic level was nowparable to a Magus!


    ''That pill just now...'' Kyran thought, feeling an iing headache.


    He was positive the man''s magic level was only at Grand Master. After thetter took the pill, he suddenly erupted with the power of a Magus. This change clearly meant that the pill could forcefully let a mage breakthrough mage levels. But that was not without a cost. Every boost in power meant one had to pay a huge price. It was likely that the cost would even affect the person''s magic core and even his life.


    On one of the nes Kyran had been to, there was a ne called the ''Red ne,'' which he had stayed for almost three years. He met mages,bat mages, and evenbat specialists who possessed items such as magic weapons, talismans, and so on, with the same ability as the red pill. And Kyran had the most challenging time dealing with them.


    It was not because they had an immense boost in strength, but because if a person was willing to use such items no matter the cost, it meant that person was not afraid of death.


    Based on his experience, people willing to throw away their lives to achieve their goals had nothing to lose.


    That was something Kyran could not do.


    He was not afraid of death. He was even willing to go to great lengths to save his n. But he would never throw away his life. He would not even tolerate mutual destruction.


    For one thing, if Kyran died, who would carry on his conquest to save his n?


    There was also the matter of the people he had taken under his wing. Those people might or might not carry on his will. But he did not take them in so they could rece him if something happened to him. On the contrary, he took them in to give them a chance to live differently, not to throw away their lives.


    Yes, he would need their help from time to time, but that was it. After that, he would never ask for more.


    Second, if Kyran''s death caused his enemies'' destruction, others might think it was still a good ending. For Kyran, however, it was not.


    The destruction of his enemies would not be the end. His n that barely survived a huge ordeal would be vulnerable and soon subjected to another opposing faction''s attack.


    Kyran did not want to save his n so that they would once again suffer. For this reason, he would never allow himself to die.


    What Kyran wanted to achieve was no longer a simple matter. He was aware that once he executed the final phase of his n, it would affect the whole Ylfaen Empire. Maybe even the entire Human ne.


    Such was the real world and what the empire would be once he destroyed the Royal Family.


    Looking at the burly man''s increasing power, Kyran sighed inwardly. He could kill the man quickly but was hesitant because he was genuinely interested in his Beast Arts.


    But if the man was willing to die to let hisrades escape, his loyalty to them was something Kyran had to deal with.


    There was one particr Dark Arts where one could erase a person''s emotions and memories, then imnt a new one. But he did not want to use that spell. He still had his principles. Besides, he had never done it, so he was not confident he would seed.


    ''How should I deal with you?'' Kyran wondered as he took a step toward the man.


    He did not use the Dragon steps this time and even deactivated the Regis Blessing. If he did not do this, the man would end up dead before knowing what hit him.


    There was another reason why Kyran did not immediately kill the burly man. Apart from his interest in the man''s Beast Arts, Kyran also realized he did not take part in hurting Zephyr.


    The fact that the man had a number of beasts with him said a lot.


    Zephyr was not allowed to kill humans, but he could kill beasts. If the man had taken part in hurting Zephyr, then he definitely would have lost, if not all, several beasts.


    After battling Zephyr, the man could not possibly retain several beasts in good condition. Even if he had a thousand, the few surviving would be severely injured or on the verge of death.


    But the horde that charged at Kyran were all brimming with vigor. Though beasts heal faster than humans, there would still be signs of their life force weakening if they were injured.


    "RAWRGH!" Max roared as he unleashed his magic pressure.


    An invisible force erupted from him, spreading out in all directions. Then one after another,rge-sized beasts appeared behind him. They roared ferociously, seemingly wanting to destroy everything around them by the sheer sound of their voice alone.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips while he observed these newly summoned beasts.


    At a closer inspection, there were legendary-tier beasts among this horde, all of which were four-legged beasts of the mixed bestial breed.


    Three had the body of aodo but the head of a basilisk, a Komorad. Then two looked very strange because they looked like a golden humanoid with a tortoise as its lower body. They were also known as Kurma. Then thest two wererge monkeys with ck serpent tails, called a Nue.


    ''One... two... seven legendary-tier beasts. Now, how did you get these beauties,'' Kyran thought, looking at the beasts curiously.


    These beasts could not be found in Ylfaen Empire as far as he knew. The Komorad were beasts that could only be found in Archadia. At the same time, the Kurma was from the north and the Nues from the east.<sub> </sub>


    Reigning in his excitement, Kyran now had more reasons to win over the burly man. He would now win him by force. But he had to be careful not to kill his legendary-tier beasts identally.


    It would be a waste to kill them.


    "RAWRGH!" Max roared once again and dashed toward the masked man.


    He only witnessed how thetter destroyed Freya once, but from that one time, he had wondered how such a small frame could possess such monstrous strength.


    Of course, the masked man was not really small per se. However, he was only smallpared to Max, who was about seven and a half feet tall and had a massive frame.


    Kyran''s height was also above average, and his body had been developed quite well at an early age, but once he stood in front of Max, he would have to look up at him.


    Nevertheless, Max was not afraid to lose a limb once he confronted the masked man. His only concern was staying alive for more than five minutes to give the rest time to escape. For this reason, he would use all of his beasts and even took the Red-Demon Pill that could boost his magic level.


    Now that his magic level wasparable to a Magus, he might be able tost.


    "Charge!" Max roared,manding all of his beasts to charge at the masked man.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and looked at the horde of beastsing his way, with the burly man in front.


    The magic aura that emanated out from the burly man was awe-inspiring in that it had taken an almost corporeal form that superimposed on him. It was like he was wearing anotheryer of red armor on top of his golden one.


    Max mmed his fists together as he charged at the masked man, with all of his beasts right behind him.


    The ground shook, creating something like an earthquake as they closed in on the masked man.


    Kyran''s silver eyes glowed. He did not want to waste the burly man''s beasts and wanted to handle them with ''care.''


    ''First, remove the horde,'' he thought as he stepped forward.


    As he did, a silver-white force erupted from his step that spread toward the iing horde and the burly man.


    "Activate!" Max roared and immediately activated his golden armor''s defenses.


    With the superimposed magic aura around him, the golden armor''s defenses ovepped on the red armor, making it look even more corporeal.


    WHOOSH!


    The silver-white force passed through Max''s defenses, and as it did, his supposed red armor was crushed to pieces.


    "Gwah!" Max keeled over as he coughed out a mouthful of blood after receiving the brunt of the silver-white force.


    Behind him, miserable shrieks erupted as the silver-white force collided with the horde.


    Unlike Max, however, the force pushed back his horde.


    Kyran was not done. He took another step, and a fissure appeared on the ground, snaking its way toward the beast horde.


    Max''s eyes narrowed as he jumped to avoid the iing fissure.


    The fissure then split into two and encircled the horde.


    "No!" Max eximed, btedly realizing what the masked man was trying to do. He turned and was about to recall his beasts and resummoned them.


    However.


    BOOM!


    Kyran mmed his right fist within the fissure before him. A surge of silver-white energy erupted from his arms, filling the fissure and instantly forming a barricade of pure Draconic magic energy that trapped the beast horde.


    Max''s eyes glowed as he tried but failed miserably in recalling his beasts.


    "How¡ª?"


    It was only then that he noticed rune writings floating around the silver-white barricade.

 Chapter 313 The Third One

    With the beast horde trapped inside the silver-white barricade, Kyran had more options to maneuver the situation.


    Currently, he was interested in winning over the burly man but had no ns on sparing the rest of the Temr Code, especially those who had hurt Zephyr. However, killing them would mean losing the chance on convincing the man to submit.


    It was such aplicated matter.


    Err... not really. It was only Kyran''s stubbornness that made this whole situationplicated.


    Kyran stood straight and looked at the burly man. Just when he was about to take a step, the man suddenly blurted something that made him stop.


    "Draconic runes!" Max eximed in both wonder and fear when he saw the runes mixed in the silver-white barricade.


    As someone who grew up in a n that dealt with beasts, he knew almost every beast recorded in the whole world. Even the most divine ones, like the Dragons.


    Though his n had only one ancient scroll about them, there was one short passage that showed a Draconic Incantation. It was written in Draconic runes and unfortunately, his n failed to decipher it.


    Max had been mesmerized by the runes and hadmitted them in his memories at a young age. He even began to have a crazy dream of bing the first in his n to decipher the runes and find clues to why the Dragons disappeared.


    Unfortunately, his dream was meant to be just that, a dream, because his family was killed and he was forced to leave the n.


    After leaving the n, it was then he came to know about the Regis n, rumored to have been blessed by a dragon. When he learned about them, he suddenly felt how childish he had been.


    Here he was dreaming of deciphering a short passage of Draconic runes that probably did not hold any clues about the Dragons'' disappearance, while there was a powerful n who had ties with a real dragon.


    Max had almost given up his dream. But then he met the Commander of the Temr Code who told him his dreams were not childish. It did not matter that there were others who already had the answers, what mattered was he dared to find the answers himself. Besides, the Regis n having ties with a dragon was only a rumor. They might showcase a might mimicking a dragon''s strength, but they too had a unique Beast Arts. There was a good chance their abilities were based on other beasts and not dragons.


    Because of what the Commander had told him, Max did not give up and instead put it on hold. For now, he decided to devote himself to developing his Beast Arts. One day, he would once again venture out and find more clues.


    Max was in this mindset when the Temr Code found the Shaiha Ruins as well as encountered a Quilin. Though he was not part of the members who were first assigned in excavating the ruins, he had been waiting for the day they could enter the temple.


    Because there was a high chance that the temple had clues about dragons and the Quilin was guarding them.


    So when Freya had called him to help subdue the Quilin, Max did not hesitate.


    Since the Quilin was in a very precarious condition, he decided not to enve it but perform a Beast Arts he had developed himself, called the Beast Shadow.


    Through this art, he would be able to understand the Quilin and even be one with it.


    This particr art took a lot of resources and even magic energy, thus, preparing it would take some time. It was very unfortunate that he was in the midst of the preparation that the masked man appeared.


    But now that he was in front of the masked man, he was beginning to understand why he hade and started killing hisrades. And the reason he thought of made him quiver; both in excitement and fear.


    Kyran smiled a smile that did not meet his eyes. An idea started to form in his mind, after seeing the man''s reaction. He now knew how to deal with him.


    "Hee~ you recognized them?" Kyran said, tilting his head to one side.


    Max''s eyes constricted at the masked man''s words.


    He was now 99% convinced that the reason he thought of was correct! As for the 1%, he could never be too sure without solid evidence.


    But if he was correct, then this masked man had a valid reason for attacking them. In his eyes, they were real enemies that harmed a part of his kin!


    Thinking back to their encounter with the Quilin, though they had suffered a lot, none of them had died. Meaning, it never had any intentions of killing them.


    Why did they not notice this?


    No.


    They did notice. Unfortunately, their pride as the Temr Code''s Elite Team blinded them, believing the Quilin stood no chance against them.


    Everyone should have known that the Quilin they had been after was far more special than those in Archadia. Its colors were different, its size was enormous and most important of all, its horn was special.


    However, they all chose to ignore this fact and relentlessly attacked it all because they wanted to harvest its horn.


    Now it had suffered a fatal injury and even risked its life in order to protect the temple!


    The masked man would definitely not let them off easy!


    That was right. Max was convinced Kyran was an entity akin to an ''Overlord'' that enact punishments on those people who harmed its people.


    In this case, with the Quilin on the verge of death, ''it'' appeared to exact revenge on its behalf.


    It was the same with Owen, Dess, and Quinne.


    As for the reason why the masked man had only appeared now. Certain conditions had probably been met which made it possible for ''it'' toe out.


    One of the conditions likely had to do with the temple. In both times, ''it'' appeared near the temple.


    Max''s hypothesis was further fueled by the fact that the masked man had a small frame and yet was bursting with power. To him, the masked man only appeared in human form but its identity was likely to be that of a¡­


    ''Dragon!''


    As soon as Max thought of this, he erupted with the aura of a Magus and in an instant employed one of his strongest techniques.


    "Beast Mimicry!" He shouted.


    His body grew in size and surprisingly his golden armor did not break and instead adapted to the change. Apparently, his armor had been enchanted, tailor-made to conform to his techniques.


    "RAWRGH!" Max roared, power erupting from him.


    A translucent ck aura surrounded him, resembling a human-shaped turtle. Translucent ck flippers covered his arms and his back had a ck leathery shell. This beast was called the Luth by people from the north.


    They were known to have one of the greatest defenses among all legendary-tier beasts, and most of all¡­ their fleeing ability was top-notch!


    Max sted away from the masked man in a blink of an eye.


    This sudden turn of events made Kyran gape in shock.


    "Oi!" He could not help but exim.


    The burly man appeared ready to fight to the death but suddenly turned tail and ran!


    Kyran was too shocked, he did not know whether tough or cry.


    Of course, Max was not really running away in fear. He only wanted to gain some distance and inform Freya and Reuben about the masked man''s reason for attacking them. As for its identity, he feared that if he told them, and the masked man learned of it, it woulde to eradicate the whole Temr Code.


    Maybe the Dragons never disappeared but had only gone into hiding. If they were exposed, they would do everything to erase all information, especially witnesses!


    Max also had to warn them to abort the whole mission. If not, and they returned toe after the Quilin again, then a great massacre would ensue!


    Without wasting any more time, Max took out hismunication device. Because of his way of speaking, he only sent coded messages.<sub> </sub>


    His message was: Masked. Unfathomable. Retribution. ABORT!


    When Reuben received the message, his brain went into overdrive.


    Among the members of Freya''s team, only she and Reuben could understand Max.


    "The masked man''s strength cannot be fathomed, and his reason foring is retribution¡­" Reuben muttered,ing to a sudden stop.


    Images of Owen, Dess, and Quinne''s bodies shed through his mind as well as all the details they had gathered on what might have transpired, resulting in their death. Then he recalled the report he had read while he was on his way here.


    In all of those, there was onemon factor.


    During both incidents, the Quilin had been forced to retreat to the temple. Though the Quilin was not on the verge of death the first time, Owen and the others had continuouslye after it, exhausting it.


    "Does this mean the masked man is the Quilin''s guardian?"


    Reuben shook his head, rejecting the notion at once.


    "No, not guardian¡­ could it be its master? It has not shown itself, but something happened that forced it toe out. And now that it has seen what we have done to the Quilin, it is now exacting retribution!"


    He had always wondered why the Quilin was alone in the ruins. Apparently, it was not really alone. Most likely, it was the only one awake.


    Finally, another one had awakened and it hade to repay their kindness!


    Thetter Reuben thought as he recalled the masked man''s words earlier. Now, he understood what it meantpletely.


    He took out hismunication device and called Freya.


    She picked it up almost at once while asking, "What are your thoughts?"


    "The masked man is not human," Reuben replied at once. "Most likely, it is a high-level Quilin, akin to a saint-level... no, maybe even an Overlord existence that can change into a human form. The mask it is wearing is probably a magic item that masks its aura. Probably it is its way to hide its real identity, making us think it is rted to the Quilin but not a Quilin, itself."


    Freya was silent. She had almost the same thoughts. The only difference was that the masked man was a real human with a connection to the Quilin. As for why it was wearing a ck panther mask, there was no specific reason.


    If Kyran knew what both of them were thinking, he might have flipped. He would never have imagined that his simple admission of the Draconic runes within his barricade would result in such a misunderstanding.


    Because of this new information, Freya knew the situation had beplicated. They did not have the means to fight the masked man.


    Going back to the fleeing Max, as soon as hepleted sending out his message, a voice spoke from behind.


    "Who said you can run?"


    Max''s eyes glowed red as he abruptly stopped and made a sudden turn. When he turned, he spread out his arms, reinforcing the translucent ck flippers before cleaving at the masked man.


    Kyran lifted his right forearm and blocked the iing attack.


    TING!


    Max''s arm was thrown back the moment it collided with the masked man''s forearm. Before he could fully react to what had happened, the masked man grabbed his arm and pulled him toward him.


    This instantly caused Max''s mind to reel.


    He was far bigger now than the masked man and yet he effortlessly blocked his attack and even grabbed him as if he was weightless!


    Kyran grabbed the man''s head and mmed him down to the ground using his left arm.


    "Gwah!" Max spat out a mouthful of blood the moment his head hit the ground.


    The ground cracked from the impact. Then Kyran dragged the man with his head still on the ground, leaving behind a bloody trail.


    "SHELL!" Max grunted as the translucent turtle shell on his back disengaged and circled to m on the masked man''s side.


    Since Kyran''s left was still holding the man''s head, and the translucent shell appeared on his left, instead of blocking, he grabbed the man''s head off the ground, bending his left arm. After which, his elbow collided with the turtle shell and surprisingly, a crack appeared on the shell.


    CRACK!


    "What?" Max eximed in surprise.


    Actually, what had happened was not that surprising. If he was correct about the masked man''s identity then the shell''s defenses were like thin sspared to ''its'' defenses.


    ''The fastest way to use the Sigil, is when your target is at a vulnerable state,'' Kyran thought.


    Right now, the burly man was in a simr state after having Kyran countered his attack with ease.


    He initially wanted to use the man''s misunderstanding to coerce him into submission. But the man''s decision to run had been unexpected that Kyran almost thought it would take him a lot more patience in dealing with him. Good thing, the man was still actively retaliating which made it easier for him to ''scare'' the man a bit.


    With glowing silver eyes, Kyran summoned two silver rings that appeared on the ground right below the man.


    As soon as Max saw the silver rings, his scalp went numb.


    "RAWRGH!" He roared and tried to break free from the masked man''s grip.


    But his struggle was futile.


    The masked man''s hand was smaller than his head but its gripping power was too insane!


    Max once again forced out the aura of the Magus in his body. It was unfortunate that his power might now beparable to a Magus, but since he had never experienced being one, his abilities and skills were still that of a Grand Master. He did not even know how to summon a domain.


    The only reason why he insisted on taking the Red-Demon pill was so his magic energy would erupt and he could summon his remaining beasts.


    Too bad, even though he managed to do that, his horde had been trapped almost immediately.


    Knowing the end was near, Max growled under his breath, but then said, "Spare them."


    Kyran raised his brows as he heard his supposed ''parting words.''


    Suddenly a different scene seemed to ovep with the scene before him. In that scene, there was an old man sprawled on the floor while Kyran pinned him down. The man was on the verge of death and on the side was a group of women and children shivering in fear.


    The man had turned to look at Kyran and uttered the same exact words.


    "Spare them."


    Kyran''s eyes turned cold as he pushed the image to the back of his head. It annoyed him how these scenes appeared before him these days.


    Once again, Kyran mmed the man''s head to the ground. At the same time, Draconic writings appeared on his arms.


    "Gwah!" Max spat out another mouthful of blood and his vision blurred.


    When he had regained some of his vision, what he saw nearly stopped his heart because a dark purple dragon came out of the silver rings and circled them.

 Chapter 314 Intercept

    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he saw the dark purple dragon emerge from the silver rings. Apparently, his Sigil also achieved an upgrade in ordance with the boost in his magic knowledge. Though he was a little surprised to see the dragon in the Sigil''s circle had Void attributes as well as Draconic.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran tilted his head to the side as he looked at the burly man''s back.


    A few seconds ago, the man was still struggling, but once the dragon emerged from the silver rings, he suddenly turned rigid.


    Then in an almost inaudible mutter, he said, "Dragon..."


    Silver, gold, and even purple-colored draconic writings appeared on Kyran''s arms which then converged at the back of his hand.


    Previously, the silver and gold writings turned into two ovepping dragons, but with the addition of the purple draconic writing, a purple dragon had appeared enclosing the two ovepping dragons as if securing them in ce.


    A simr symbol slowly formed on the man''s forehead.


    In Byron and Zephyr''s experience, after the symbol appeared on their forehead, they experienced the most excruciating part of the Sigil.


    This time, however, the scene that followed left Kyran looking at the man withplex emotions.


    The reason why Byron and Zephyr experienced intense pain, was due to their defiance. The more they fought the Sigil''s mark, the intense it would seethe through them.


    ''He''s not resisting,'' Kyran thought looking at the burly man with eyes full of doubt.


    He had seen far too many devious sides of humans and ''other'' humans that he doubted the man had fully submitted to him without a fight.


    Kyran''s doubt was reasonable. After all, he was not aware of Max''s dream and how much he revered the Dragons.


    A burning sensation seethed through Kyran''s hand as the Sigil continued to assimte every will within the burly man. On the first two asions, Kyran had felt intense pain during this part of the Sigil, but since this was his third time, and his pain tolerance had improved over the years, he simply ignored it and instead, focused on observing the man through his magic sense.


    As his connection to the burly man formed, he finally sensed what the man was feeling and slowly began to understand what was happening.


    ''That''s what this is all about. He really believed I am a dragon,'' Kyran thought in amusement. Another thing he noticed was the man''s body had begun to weaken. Most likely, the pill he took was now taking a toll on his body.


    While he did think of letting the man doubt his identity, he never expected thetter to be convinced.


    ''This... should be okay, right?'' Kyran thought, suddenly feeling an iing headache as he recalled Byron''s fanatical attitude toward him because of his identity as the Void Master.


    Hopefully, this burly man revered the dragons but was not a fanatic.


    Having one strange Sigil was enough.


    ...


    Zephyr''s strange hobby of seeing any potential young woman as Kyran''s mistress, crossed Kyran''s mind and his expression turned grim.


    That was right. He did not have a normal Sigil in the first ce. Chances that this burly man was also strange were very likely.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran pushed all these unnecessary thoughts to the back of his head and concentrated onpleting the Sigil.


    While Kyran was thinking this, Max, on the other hand, stopped struggling for two reasons.


    One was his understanding of how powerful a dragon could be. No matter what he did at this point would be meaningless.


    He was prepared to die, but that did not mean he would not put up a fight. Unfortunately, the mixture of awe and fear of knowing that the masked man was a dragon had extinguished what remaining will to fight he had.


    The masked man also appeared to be interested in him, and if letting it do what it wanted to him would buy more time for Freya and the rest to escape, then he would dly surrender.


    The second reason was simple. His body had begun to feel the bacsh of taking two Red-Demon pills.


    Max was aware that the side effect of taking one Red-Demon pill was body weakening and a reduction of at least ten years of his remaining life. As for taking two pills, he had no idea. But he knew it would definitely be far worse than those two.


    "Spare... them..." Max muttered once more as he closed his eyes and sumb to the power trying to enter his mind.


    Kyran''s eyes shed coldly after hearing the man''s words again.


    He really had to deal with the man''s loyalty to the Temr Code or else, even if he made him his Sigil, he might choose to die by betraying him.


    Meanwhile, while Kyran waspleting the Sigil, Freya and Reuben jerked to a stop after sensing Max''s life force weakening.


    "No! Max!" Freya eximed.


    It was only then that she realized that Max and Reuben were no longer together.


    Freya had seen Max with his beast horde and team members arriving on the scene earlier. She also received an update from his members that he had stayed behind to keep the masked man busy while theyplete the emergency escape array.


    The Temr Code Elite Team had a special connection that let them sense each other''s life force. It was because of this connection that they knew what happened to Owen, Dess, and Quinne.


    However, when Freya died three times earlier, they had not sensed anything wrong. Because she did not die but the relics.


    "If the masked man''s reason foring is to exact retribution then it is I who should receive them!" Freya said from the other line.


    Reuben shook his head, "You are the leader of the Temr Code''s Elite Team. Sacrificing one of us is but a small feat. Please focus on the array''s activation. I... will go too."


    "No!" Freya disagreed at once. "It is bad enough to lose Max if you are lost too¡ª."


    "The array still needed a few minutes to activate, Lady Freya. Max will not be able to hold for half a minute. Once the masked man moves, he will definitely go to the center of the array and destroy¡ª."


    RUMBLE!


    A powerful tremor shook the whole camp.


    "This¡ª!"


    Both of them eximed as they stared at the glowing gold array which represented the Emergency Escape Array.


    The runes, as well as the key points of the array, started to crumble as huge angry fissures appeared on the ground. After which, silver-white energy erupted from the fissures and as it did, red cracks appeared on the array.


    Both Freya and Reuben''s eyes widened. They clearly understood what those red cracks meant.<sub> </sub>


    The materials used to make the Emergency Escape Array had been damaged, rendering the whole array on the verge of copse!


    Before Freya or Reuben could fully react to what was happening, a thunderous voice reverberated in the air which reached all of the Temr Code members'' ears.


    RUUUUMBLE!


    Intense rumbling sounds filled the air as the tremor on the ground intensified,pletely destroying all the tents around the camp and the surrounding towers.


    The silver-white energying out of the fissures tripled in size, further widening the fissures. Anything it touched was destroyed.


    "AAAAHHHH!"


    Terrified shrieks filled the air as numerous Temr Code members caught in the eruption of the silver-white energy were obliterated.


    "Argh! That bastard!" Freya let out a frustrated scream as she cut off themunication.


    "Lady Freya!" Reuben called.


    Unfortunately, she was already gone.


    Clenching his hands tightly, Reuben looked back in the direction where Max had stayed behind to deal with the masked man.


    He no longer sensed Max''s life force.


    The meaning was all too obvious.


    Max had fallen.


    Looking at the Emergency Escape Array which was now glowing red and filled with angry cracks, it was also all too obvious that they would not be able to escape.


    Max''s sacrifice had been for naught.


    ''And I even told him to leave the rest to me!'' Reuben thought through gritted teeth.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Explosions erupted one after another as the nearby mobile turrets exploded.


    "AAAAAHHHHH!"


    More miserable shrieks sounded as more members of the Temr Code fell victim to the silver-white energy. It was like these energies were alive and were snatching the members one by one.


    Reuben shook his head. He steeled his heart as two golden daggers appear in his hands. His energy surged and his eyes filled with determination.


    Most of their members probably could not escape now, but the important thing was to let the rest of the Temr Code, especially the Commander know what transpired here.


    Because their camp was close to the temple, all outsidemunication had been restricted. In order to send out a message, they had to return to the ruin''s town area.


    ''With my magic, I have better chances of getting there without detection.''


    Thinking of this, Reuben roused his magic.


    A dark-gray magic array formed beneath his feet. The runes in the magic array moved and snaked up his shin, making his gold armor''s leg area appear as if they had been designed with ck runes.


    Crackle!


    The air crackle as Reuben erupted with the full power of a Grand Master, then his eyes sh as the area around him slowly turned ck.


    ''World of Darkness!'' Reuben said inwardly and the ckness around slowly covered him. As the ckness moved up his body, the part where it touched began to disappear.


    Just before his torso waspletely covered by the ckness, the space behind him flicker and soon a ck silhouette appeared.


    A glowing silver-white dragon-scaled arm shot forward and a wed hand grabbed Reuben''s head from behind.


    Reuben''s eyes widened in shock and his heart almost stopped beating as the wed hand tightened around his head.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Silver-white energy erupted from behindpletely destroying the ckness around Reuben. After which, cracks appeared on his gold armor as the defenses were shattered in an instant.


    The silhouette was none other than Kyran.


    And he hade after this guy, after looking through the burly man''s memories.


    Apparently, the burly man, named Max as Kyran learned, held this guy in high regard.


    Max''s reason was simple. Because this guy was one of the few who could understand him. Apart from this, this guy did not participate in hurting Zephyr. With all these facts, Kyran did not mind gifting this guy to Max.


    There was another one who could understand Max. However, Kyran had no ns on sparing that one.


    Because it was the woman who dealt a fatal injury to which Zephyr was now suffering.


    As to how Kyran knew about the injury, he learned of it after taking a quick look at Max''s storage ring and found a white orb.


    Kyran was familiar with the white orb. It was a recording item that by using one''s magic sense, could record data.


    Since the woman was the reason why Zephyr was in a bad state. Then Kyran had no ns of sparing that woman.


    "I''ll have to let you sleep for now," Kyran said and summoned a sleeping rune using the Draconic magic.


    Reuben did not even have time to react as the rune entered his head and fell unconscious.


    "Now then," Kyran looked in the direction where he sensed the woman''s aura.


    "Time to end this."

 Chapter 315 Fólkvangr

    Kyran waved his hand before Reuben fell to the ground, disappearing in thin air. Then he made his way toward the center of the camp, where he had sensed the aura of the woman named Freya.


    His silver eyes shed, and his pupils turned into slits as he activated 5% of the Regis Blessing once again.


    Several hundred meters away, Freya also employed her fastest speed as she flew in midair at that exact moment. She was on her way back to where she had left Max to deal with the masked man. In her hands were several pills, and she took them one after another.


    First, she took two Energy Enhancement Pills that could increase a mage''s magic energy reserves to 10%. Since she took two, her magic reserves increased by 20%. Then she popped two Stamina and Energy Replenishing Pills as well to ensure her body and energy were at their full capacity. After that, she took out three red pills and a blue pill.


    The red pills were the Red-Demon Pill.


    She knew the side effects of taking one pill would make her suffer a huge bacsh once its effect wore off and that taking two would double the bacsh. Maybe even more. But she knew taking one or two pills was not enough if she wanted to keep up with the masked man.


    If she took one pill, her magic level would receive a boost, and she would gain the magic energyparable to a Magus.


    But the masked man was clearly not a Magus. So one pill was not enough.


    Freya knew a Magus was not the highest level a mage could attain.


    Based on an excavated record, in one of the ruins, the Temr Code had found, the highest recorded mage level was a Sage. However, they had not deciphered it yet as to how many levels it was above a Magus.


    But Freya wanted to gamble on the two red pills she would take and see if she could attain that level. If possible, she would add another two on top of thest two. Unfortunately, the Temr Code''s Research Department had confirmed that taking more than three pills would cause one''s magic reserves to explode, resulting in a mage''s instant death.


    It made Freya hesitate. As much as she wanted to power up, she would not risk death before a fight began.


    Either way, Freya was confident that after taking three red pills, she would be able to keep the masked man busy for a few minutes.


    Her target was to hold ''it'' down for at least ten minutes.


    Because in ten minutes, their Commander would definitelye!


    That was right.


    The Temr Code''s Commander, Tritus, was now on its way to the Shaiha Ruins.


    Going back a few minutes ago, after Freya dropped the call she was having with Reuben, she sent a coded message to Tritus.


    Freya was the only one who had amunication device that could send messages outside of the Shaiha temple.


    After the Quilin reinforced the temple''s defensive array, allmunication devices could no longer send messages outside the make-shift camp. Instead, they had to leave the camp''s vicinity first.


    They had already guessed that the temple''s defensive array had an array form that could interfere withmunication signals.


    But because of the unique materials and array incorporated in Freya''smunication device, it was not affected by the change.


    For this reason, Freya was able to send a message to their Commander. And after she had sent it, not even half a minute had passed, the Commander had replied.


    His reply was: Give me ten minutes.


    As soon as Freya read the message, she unhesitatingly took off and went back to where the masked man was.


    She no longer possessed exalted relics, but she still had the Red-Demon Pills.


    Lastly, she also had the blue pill. This pill was called Sedative Pills. This pill would ensure that after she took the Red-Demon Pill and the effect wore off, she would not feel the pain from the bacsh and be able to move for a few minutes.


    ''I also have that onest trump card,'' she thought as she thought of an item in her storage ring.


    The item was something she had saved for a life-or-death situation. She could have used it earlier but did not want to be the only one saved.


    Freya was the leader of the Elite Team, and she could not very well save her hide and leave her people behind.


    "Less than ten minutes," she thought as she finally threw the three Red-Demon Pills in her mouth.


    As soon as she swallowed the pills, her eyes turned gold, and her magic energy erupted.


    Crackle! Sizzle!


    Crackling sounds filled the air as golden lightning swirled around her.


    "AAARRGH!"


    Freya screamed as her body boiled from the sudden surge of magic energy in her body. The surrounding magic energies also trembled and appeared to be attracted to her as they flew in her direction, instantly covering her with a luster of golden aura.


    She stretched out her right arm, and a golden stave appeared in thin air. She grabbed it, and the surging magic energy in her body was also transmitted in the stave.


    The golden stave also erupted with a golden aura.


    Freya had a total of five golden staves in her storage ring, with four serving as reserves.


    Four of them had already been destroyed by the masked man, and this one was thest. And among the five staves, this one was made of rare materials.


    The four staves'' des were made of diamond. This one, however, was made of the Quilin''s horn! She never used the des to cut off her opponent. Instead, the stave''s de was mainly where she drew in the magic energies in the surroundings to create a golden vortex of energy to attack her opponents.<sub> </sub>


    With the uniqueposition of the Quilin''s horn, which was to collect a total of four different types of magic energy, then Freya''s golden vortex would be able to have at least four elements that would boost its offensive.


    The air crackled as Freya flew forward at an incredible speed. She looked like a golden streak of lightning that flew amidst the ground that erupted with silver-white energy now and then.


    "AAARGH!"


    "NOOOO!"


    "LADY FREYA! SAVE US!"


    "AAAAHHHH!"


    Miserable screams filled the air as Freya closed in on the location of the masked man.


    "YOU!" Freya shouted in anger as she heard the screams of her people.


    As her voice reverberated in the air, seven-meter-high silver-white energy erupted from a fissure nearby.


    The silver-white energy flew up and turned into ws that went after Freya.


    "RAA!" Freya growled, and the golden aura surrounding her expanded, forming a sphere of translucent barrier that protected her.


    The ws collided with the barrier, resulting in both exploding, sending a shockwave that spread out in all directions.


    More of the silver-white energies burst out from the fissured on the ground and formed into ws that attacked Freya relentlessly.


    Employing the translucent barrier once more, Freya ignored the ws and proceeded forward.


    Each time a w collided with her barrier and exploded, she would employ more of the barrier before the next w could attack.


    Freya gritted her teeth as soon as she realized how these w-form silver-white energies appeared to follow her around. It did not take long for her to guess that the masked man was likely nearby and doing this on purpose to reduce her magic reserves.


    ''You think I did not notice what you''re trying to do? Like hell, I''ll fall for that!'' Freya had thought as she took out a high-grade energy replenishing potion.


    She drank it in one gulp and threw the bottle to the ground.


    Her energy erupted one more time.


    "COME OUT!" She called out to the masked man.


    A few hundred meters away, Kyran was indeed getting close to Freya.


    He had ''seen'' her route with his monstrous magic sense and controlled his Draconic magic to attack her.


    Different from Freya''s guess, Kyran''s reason for attacking her was not to make her waste her magic reserves.


    In the first ce, he knew the magic reserves were all gathered in the magic core. And though mages might use up their magic reserves, as long as they still call upon the magic energies in the surroundings, they would never be depleted.


    Kyran was simply trying to grab hold of Freya to test her speed.


    After almost a minute of testing, he now had a better understanding of her speed.


    ''Her speed has changed,'' Kyran thought with narrowed eyes. He also noticed how her magic energy had erupted earlier.


    It was simr to how Max''s energy erupted after taking the red pills.


    ''Why did she suddenly decide toe back?'' Kyran wondered.


    He did not believe Freya nned to return so that she could vent out her anger. She seemed to have taken the same red pills as Max to boost her magic level. It meant she was nning to fight him.


    ''Or maybe not really fight, but also buy some time?'' Kyran pondered sensing Freya''s determination from the golden aura she emitted.


    ''Regardless of her reason, I won''t let her get away this time,'' he swore, as silver-white energies covered both his arms. They slowly turned into silver translucent human-shaped dragon arms.


    Finally, Kyran took a step.


    In an instant, he was before Freya.


    Freya who had been on guard from the moment she realized the masked man was nearby, abruptly stopped and shouted, "F¨®lkvangr!"


    FOOOM!


    A translucent golden sphere erupted from Freya and spread out in all directions, instantly covering the whole 100 meters.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he realized what the sphere was.


    It was none other than a Magus''s Domain.

 Chapter 316 Six Minutes!

    "Interesting," Kyran muttered as he observed Freya''s domain spread to thends below.


    Only a Magus could summon a domain. The reason behind it was the enormous magic energy required to maintain it, not to mention, the amount it needed just from summoning it. For this reason, Exalted could not learn it until they be a Magus.


    From these two, it was clear that it was impossible for Freya to summon a domain right after jumping a level to a Magus. In the first ce, her Magus state was only temporary.


    Meaning she had an opportunity to be in a Magus state long enough for her to learn how to learn about her domain.


    Kyran recalled how the Temr Code had several Exalted and only one Magus. He did not find it strange before, but now he did.


    The Temr Code did notck resources to ensure their Exalted members be promoted to a Magus. Kyran was aware that most of their resources were allocated to the Research Department. He did not think much about it, after all, even the Royal Army put a lot of their resources into the Research Division.


    This fact Kyran had confirmed from the records he got from the storage pouches of the three Special Ops he killed.


    The Royal Army was experimenting on a lot of things to enhance their ''special force.'' And it was the same with the Temr Code.


    They were not exactly creating a special force, but they were researching how to suddenly create a team of Magus!


    Promoting one or two Exalted to a Magus would likely reduce half of the Temr Code''s overall wealth. There was also a chance that the promotion would fail. Instead of wasting their resources like that, they chose to invest in creating a pill that could grant a mage the ability to move up a level.


    Having several Exalted among their ranks would not pose a real threat to the Royal Army, or the Royal Family for that matter.


    Because of this, they did not do anything to prevent the Temr Code from promoting their members until they reach the level of an Exalted. Besides, their overall number was too little.


    The Temr Code did not have any reason to cause a rebellion too. Or maybe, the Royal Family''s decision in giving the Shaiha Ruins rights to them was to keep them in line.


    Regardless of the Royal Family''s intentions, the Temr Code was not deterred and was secretly preparing. What they were preparing for, only they knew and even Kyran had not given it some thought. He had too little information at hand.


    Nevertheless, the Temr Code might appear to have an ordinary military strength that the Royal Army could subdue. But the truth, once their Exalted took that red pill, they would then be promoted to a Magus. And a team of Magus, even if they could only be in that state for a few minutes, was more than enough to deal with the Royal Army.


    Kyran shook his head, clearly bemused at the idea.


    ''I never imagined the Commander of the Temr Code to be such an insidious person,'' he thought. ''Now I have more reasons to deal with them now.''


    Kyran''s initial n was to cripple the Temr Code''s force. That changed after learning about the red pill.


    If internal strife happened within the Royal Family''s Elite Force and the instigator was the Temr Code, there was no guarantee that thetter would seed. If they failed and the Royal Family ended up getting the information about the red pill, then that would be a big problem.


    Though the Royal Family''s move in employing outside help to deal with Kyran was only his assumption, he did not want ''those people'' getting a boost in power as well when the Royal Family got hold of the Temr Code''s red pill.


    Kyran sighed inwardly.


    He really needed to make his move soon. If not, it would be hard for him to gather enough force to deal with the Royal Family.


    ''At times like this, I really want to have a human essence,'' he thought as he recalled Nn.


    The real Nn was out there looking for Azaloth''s Inheritance, while his human essence was in Starhorn doing... whatever he thought was worth his time.


    Too bad Kyran did not know how to make a human essence. If he could, he could have his human essence deal with this woman, Freya, while he checked on Zephyr.


    If Freya knew what Kyran was thinking at that moment, she would probably explode with anger.


    Not only was Kyran looking down on her, he actually considered having a human essence deal with her!


    It should be noted that a human essence possessed only half of the original''s strength. And Freya''s current state was more powerful than a Magus. She took three Red-Demon Pills, for goodness sake!


    As soon as Freya''s domain waspleted, motes of translucent golden orbs flew up in the air.


    Crackle!


    The air crackle as the magic energies in the surroundings were attracted to these golden orbs.


    "Arise!" Freya shouted and a golden aura burst out from her.


    BOOM!


    All the golden orbs exploded and turned into soldiers wearing full-body golden armor, with long golden staves on their hands.


    The golden aura that covered Freya also shifted and converged at her hip, helmet, and back. The golden aura on her back turned into a translucent golden cape. As for her hip, it turned into a translucent golden fauld. Lastly, the golden aura converged in front of her helmet and turned into a translucent golden visor.


    Her golden stave also glowed, its de which was made of the Quilin''s horn sparkled as it attracted different colored magic energies.


    ''That de...'' Kyran''s eyes instantly narrowed as he recognized the de on Freya''s stave.


    He had not paid attention to the soldiers that suddenly appeared. He had already guessed what kind of domain she had after thinking about her magic.


    Since her domain covered a huge area of activity, and she chose to summon it in an area where there were members of the Temr Code who had died from Kyran''s attack, then her domain likely dealt with ''restoring'' these members.


    However, because the body of these members was destroyed, Freya would use the magic energies to form a somewhat corporeal form to give them a new ''body.'' This was likely made possible within her domain. If they left, then they would vanish.


    Because they were not revived. Only their will and ability had been restored, and Freya would use them to let them fight and vent their anger!


    "March!"<sub> </sub>


    Freyamanded all the golden soldiers inside her domain.


    "RAA!"


    All the soldiers roared while stomping their staves on the ground.


    RUMBLE!


    The whole ground trembled from the powerful momentum from their staves. A powerful force erupted from them as they took off and went toward the masked man.


    Kyran, on the other hand, still ignored them. He was only interested in Freya''s stave. To him, the existence of the soldiers meant nothing to him, what mattered was the stave.


    To be precise, the de on Freya''s stave!


    "You really dared," Kyran said.


    He had not spoken loudly.


    However, his voice shook the whole surrounding.


    The edges of Freya''s domain even showed signs of crumbling!


    Kyran only said those three words, and the next moment, the sounding from the iing soldiers appeared to have been muted!


    Kyran took a step.


    As soon as he did, an unimaginable power erupted from his feet that swept out in all directions.


    Silver-white force swept over the iing soldiers and all of them crumbled without even a fight! All of them turned into golden specks of dust!


    Freya''s scalp turned numb as she watched her summoned soldiers turn into specks of dust. Though she was not sure what level she was in right now, she was at least two levels more powerful than a Magus! For the masked man to still deal with her attack with such ease, waspletely out of her expectations!


    She really believed three pills would be enough to buy time for their Commander. Yet, not even a minute had passed after taking the pills, using her domain, and even summoning the golden soldiers, the masked man had effortlessly taken out almost half of them.


    "RAA!" Freya roared and charged forward.


    It did not matter that the masked man could deal with them. Their offense was at most at a Magus level. However, their defenses were non-existent. After all, they were only made of magic energy and were made corporeal by her domain.


    But Freya was different, her defenses could withstand the masked man!


    As she thought of this, the masked man''s attack reached her. True to her belief, the silver-white force was unable to destroy her defense. However, her armor did suffer a few scratches.


    If the masked man unleashed more force, then her armor would probably not hold for ten minutes.


    But that was fine.


    From the time she had received the message from the Commander, a good four minutes had already passed.


    She only needed six minutes more!


    Kyran''s slitted eyes shed silver as he stomped on the ground and sted toward Freya.


    He did not use the Dragon step.


    From the time he had dealt with Max, he had not used the Dragon steps.


    His reason was simple.


    As much as he wanted to deal with Freya as soon as possible, he had to make sure she get the right punishment this time. Earlier he did not know to what extent her ''sin'' was and destroyed her in an instant. But now, he was d she did not die immediately.


    Knowing that she not only supervised in hurting Zephyr, and gave him a fatal injury, but also had his horn turned into a de for her weapon, Kyran would not let her off easy.


    He had once regretted killing someone too fast.


    It was the woman who had hurt Cyneah.


    This time, he would not do the same mistake.


    "Raa!" Freya whirled her stave as a vortex of different-colored magic energies formed at the tip of her de.


    As soon as she arrived within three meters of the masked man, she unleashed a powerful concentrated attack by mming the stave toward thetter.


    BAM!


    Kyran lifted his right hand and caught Freya''s stave.


    "I''ll have to make you suffer," he muttered and deftly broke the stave in the middle. He waved his hand the de disappear.


    Before Freya could react, Kyran stepped forward and mmed his left fist on her torso.


    "Guh!" Freya coughed out a mouthful of blood as she flew back from the force, the torso of her body armor destroyed into pieces.

 Chapter 317 Tritus Arrives!

    As Freya was sted backward, Kyran stomped his foot on the ground, leaving behind a deep crack, and followed in pursuit.


    Freya gritted her teeth, and with the remaining golden shaft of her stave, she pierced it on the ground to stop her movement.


    A narrow trail of fifteen-centimeters deep crack on the ground appeared from where she had pierced the stave. As soon as she managed to stop her momentum, she used the remaining force to spin around the shaft and then left her feet tond on one side. Then, using the shaft as her footing, she propelled herself forward to meet the approaching masked man.


    Golden energy covered her as the damage to her armor was restored. Even the blood that trailed down from the corner of her lips vanished.


    "You damnable fiend! I will show you why they called me the Undying Valkyrie!" Freya shouted as she spread her arms to the sides. Golden energy converged at her palm, turning into two golden des made of pure magic energy.


    Kyran did not say anything and pulled back his right arm, preparing to send out a punch.


    "Humph! Only knowing how to use brute force!" Freya chided the masked man. She brought the two des high above her head, crossing them together before shing down.


    de-like gold-colored force flew out from the des and went straight in the masked man''s direction.


    Kyran released his punch, causing a silver-white force that looked like a dragon''s w. The air seethed as the w flew to meet Freya''s attack. It seemed as if the illusionary dragon''s w wanted to tear everything in its way.


    BOOM!


    An explosion rang out as the two attacks collided.


    SHATTER!


    However, amidst the explosion, Freya''s attack shattered first.


    As for Kyran''s attack, it lost a bit of momentum but continued to fly toward Freya.


    Freya''s brow furrowed as she watched the iing w.


    She immediately employed her armor''s defenses, reinforcing the translucent golden aura that protected her, and summoned concentrated gold-colored magic energies. They formed into huge spheres, which she threw to block the w.


    BOOM!


    Once more, an explosion urred from the collision of the attacks.


    But while Freya had employed two attacks now, Kyran had only used one!


    While the dragon w pursued Freya, Kyran was not idle. He followed from behind.


    When the second explosion urred, he stopped abruptly and mmed his fists on the ground.


    BOOM!


    The ground shook as a ten-meter chasm appeared starting from where his fists hadnded. It snaked forward to appear under Freya''s feet. Then, before she could move, silver-white energy shot off from within.


    The silver-white energy also turned into ws that shot off to grab her.


    "Tsk," Freya clicked her tongue as she evaded the ws from below.


    As she did, the first w the masked man had released appeared from behind the cloud of smoke and instantly closed the remaining three-meter gap.


    Freya''s golden barrier that protected her shattered at once.


    "Guh!" She spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving the remaining force of the w''s attack.


    Freya''s eyes glowed before the w could touch herpletely, employing another ability within her domain.


    Switch!


    As soon as she activated the ability, she exchanged ces with one of the golden soldiers in the distance.


    These golden soldiers were the ones the masked man had destroyed instantly. However, within her domain, they had been restored.


    It was the other ability her domain possessed. As long as Freya remained conscious, she could restore anything she willed.


    Now, the golden soldiers were rushing again toward the masked man to attack.


    BOOM!


    The golden soldier exploded as the silver-white dragon w mped down on it.


    Kyran''s silver eyes glinted. He already sensed Freya''s aura disappearing before the w could hit. He also knew the exact location where she had reappeared. It was possible because he used his magic sense to track every movement in his surroundings.


    Even within Freya''s domain, it did not hinder Kyran''s magic sense to ''see'' everything in the make-shift camp.


    That was how he knew that the remaining few hundred members of the Temr Code were gathered at the opposite border of the camp and had been preparing a crude transportation array.


    Kyran guessed that they nned to link the array to the closest one they had.


    Most probably, outside the ruins.


    Such a transportation array could only transport three people at most and needed a lot of spirit stones to activate.


    But because of its small range and simple array calction, it was easy to set up, and the materials needed could be prepared beforehand. It also did not require an Array Specialist, and any Master mage would be enough to set it up. Most of all, they would only need five minutes to set it up and two minutes to activate it.


    Kyran did not do anything to stop them for one reason. He wanted to crush their hopes of escaping right at thest minute.


    As for why Freya suddenly returned to confront him, Kyran guessed it was not to buy time for these people to escape.


    He knew there was something else. But he was unsure of what. Still, he did not mind waiting for Freya to reveal it. Once she unleashed whatever trump card she had prepared, Kyran would like to see the look of despair in her eyes once he crushed it before her.


    Oh, right. Kyran could not see Freya''s eyes because of her helmet and visor.


    When Freya had switched ces with one of the golden soldiers, and thetter exploded, all the transportation arrays the remaining members of the Temr Code were preparing had also beenpleted.


    When Kyran''s silver eyes glinted, he finally made a move.


    Not toward Freya but to the rest of the Temr Code members!


    "None of you can leave," Kyran said in a low voice.


    However, his voice reverberated in the camp, bing a massive force that swept over all living existence. An unsurpassable pressure bore down on the camp that instantly crushed their painstakingly prepared arrays.


    The members of the Temr Code also spat out a mouthful of blood as they were forced to their knees. As the seconds ticked by, the pressure grew stronger, resulting in some of them to cause their knees breaking. Some with weaker defenses even exploded!


    In just three seconds, the air around the camp was filled again with the reek of flesh and blood.


    This was the might of a Dragon''s power.


    Draconic magic was considered powerful and almost unparalleled because of its destructive and oppressive nature. And though Kyran had not trained his Draconic magic during his stay in the Tower of Tribtion, he was able to understand its nature by meeting other mages with almost simr destructive and oppressive magic!


    When Freya heard the masked man''s words, her heart instantly sank. She could almost see the remaining members of the Temr Code fall one after another.


    Not even a second passed after the image of her people falling crossed her mind, and miserable shrieks fleeted in the air.


    Their heart-wrenching cries gripped Freya''s heart, and her killing intent exploded!


    "Bastard!" She screamed as her power rose a notch.<sub> </sub>


    However, before she could move, her domain trembled as an enormous pressure bore down from the outside.


    It felt like a thousand-ton mountain had fallen from above, crashing everything underneath it.


    "Guh!" Freya was also forced to her knees as she coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    Her domain once again showed signs of crumbling as thick angry cracks spread on its surface.


    "I-Impossible!" She eximed.


    "What is?"


    Freya''s eyes widened as she realized the masked man had appeared behind her.


    Before she could turn to face him, he had already grabbed the back of her head and mmed it to the ground.


    Crack!


    Few of Freya''s teeth and her nose broke from the impact, and she let out a pitiful shrill cry.


    Ignoring her cry, Kyran grabbed her left wrist with his left hand while saying, "Was it this hand that did it?"


    His question took Freya by surprise. But because of the pain she was in, it did not fully register.


    Without waiting for her to reply, Kyran broke her wrist as easily as snapping thin dried twigs.


    "Aaaahhh!" Freya cried out in pain once more.


    "My bad, you''re not left-handed, are you?" Kyran continued while releasing his hold on her head to grab her right wrist, "This is the right one, is it?"


    Once again, without waiting for a reply, he broke her right wrist.


    "AAAAHHH!" Freya''s cry was far more pitiful than thest one. Anyone who would hear her would feel very sorry for her.


    Anyone but Kyran.


    Freya''s mind reeled as she tried to make sense of why the masked man suddenly decided to torture her instead of killing her instantly.


    However, because of the pain, her mind could not put together all the information she had.


    "RAA!"


    The golden soldiers rushed toward Kyran. They all raised their staves and pierced through the air, aiming at Kyran from different directions.


    Kyran ignored all of them and did nothing to stop their advance.


    TING!


    As soon as the first group of soldiers closed, a loud metallic sound rang out as soon as their staves collided with Kyran''s skin.


    SHATTER!


    In an instant, the tip of their staves shattered.


    "Hm?" Kyran tilted his head slightly to look at the soldiers. Then, as if he had just realized a group of mosquitoes had tried to sting him, he red at them.


    His silver eyes glowed, and he said, "Scram!"


    A powerful invisible force erupted from him and spread out in all directions, instantly obliterating the soldiers within thirty meters.


    "Guh!" Freya also spat out a mouthful of blood as her internal organs shook from the force.


    Her armor also cracked, but fortunately, she was not destroyed like the soldiers.


    It was not that her defenses were far better than the soldiers; thus, she survived Kyran''s force. But it was because Kyran made sure she did not die from it.


    If she had died, how could he punish her?


    "Where was I?" Kyran said as he turned his attention back to Freya.


    "Ah, right. You did not happen to hurt him using your leg, did you?" he continued to ask as he bent his right leg, resting his knee right above the back ligament of Freya''s knee.


    Though Freya was wearing an armor made of the finest Aurum material, as soon as Kyran applied a little pressure, the armor cracked. It was as if Kyran weighed more than what he was supposed to.


    "AAAAHHH!" Freya screamed as the pressure behind her knee deepened.


    Her domain flickered as her mind reeled with pain. She could not even employ her restoration magic properly!


    It was Freya''s first time experiencing such excruciating pain. She had always relied on her restoration magic to restore herself to a better state before she could even feel the intense pain of getting hurt.


    It had been possible because no one had ever inflicted her with so many injuries in a short period.


    The masked man was the first!


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked at Freya''s back. He was waiting for her to use her trump card, but apparently, she deemed it was not time yet.


    ''It means she did not set up a trap... but is waiting for a person,'' he guessed.


    He instantly thought of someone she might have called, and his eyes glowed in anticipation.


    If he was right, she had saved him the trouble of going to the Temr Code.


    "Ah, this has gotten boring," Kyranined and made a shing motion at the back of Freya''s neck.


    Freya did not even know what happened as her head rolled to the side.


    Blood gushed out from her severed head, and her domain crumbled.


    Kyran waved his hand, and Freya''s head disappeared. Then he looked at her body and summoned a purple-colored me on his hand. He stood up and let the purple me fall to the body.


    In an instant, Freya''s body disintegrated.


    Suddenly, Kyran''s eyes shed as he sensed something, and he looked up at the sky.


    WHOOOSH!


    A thunderous sound pierced through the air as a massive gold and diamond trident appeared from above and went straight at Kyran''s position.


    BOOM!


    The tridentnded, and a massive explosion followed, instantly obliterating at least fifty meters of the ground.


    "YOU DARE KILL MY PEOPLE! I, TRITUS, SHALL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"


    Tritus had arrived!

 Chapter 318 Trituss Real Intention

    The explosion had left an enormous crater on the ground and filled the surroundings with a thick cloud of smoke.


    About 5,000 meters above the crater, a man wearing full-body gold armor with blue ents,plete with a helmet and a visor, hovered in midair. He was seven feet tall, and he exuded an air of regal, especially in how he looked down on the scene below.


    This man was none other than Tritus, the Commander of the Temr Code.


    He had arrived precisely ten minutes after replying to Freya''s coded message. But he was stillte.


    "Freya... five seconds... If she had held on precisely ten minutes then..." Tritus gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No, it is I who failed toe five seconds early."


    When he had received Freya''s coded message, Tritus was in the middle of reading through Evan''s special report.


    Going back to more than a week ago, after Evan, Max, and Jason heard the Research Department''s findings on Owen and his team''s death, Evan had left to do some research on his own.


    Evan might not look like it, but he used to be a magic researcher from the east. If not for his potential in magicbat, Tritus would have assigned him to head the Temr Code''s Research Department.


    What prompted Evan to do his research was because he recalled an ancient record from the east which detailed the truth of the Quilins.


    It was said that genuine Quilins were born between the union of a pureblooded dragon and the mythical beast unicorn. As for the Quilins found in the south, they were only called ''Quilins'' because of their simrities to the real ones. The Quilins in the south were not even born from a real unicorn but a mutated horse that had the semnce of a unicorn.


    Because Freya''s team was not part of the team handling the Shaiha Ruins, they were not privy to all the information inside. It was to prevent any leakage of the truth about the rare stone. For this reason, Evan only knew Owen''s team was also after a Quilin that seemed to have mutated because of the ruins'' unique environment.


    Evan did not think much of it. But after the Research Department said that Owen and his team were likely killed by a ''human,'' he began to have some doubts, especially when they had not detected other magic signatures apart from the Quilin within Owen and his team''s body.


    When Evan went to the Temr Code''s Archive, he could not find materials to proceed with his research.


    And then, before he could request to do his own research, the Royal Family issued an emergency meeting that involved all faction leaders in the empire, and Tritus made every member of the Elite Team return to the headquarters.


    But Evan felt the matter about the Quilin and Owen and his team''s deaths was important, especially if they wanted to continue harvesting the rare stone. So he went straight to Tritus and requested a few days of leave to return to the east and gather some research materials.


    Tritus was against it at first, but after Evan told him his initial assumption about the Quilin''s identity, the former granted him leave. But Tritus told Evan not to tell anyone, not even his team leader, Freya.


    Matters about dragons were a very sensitive topic.


    Unbeknownst to Evan, Tritus already guessed that the Quilin in the Shaiha Ruins was not just a mutated beast. He was also a person looking for clues about the dragons'' disappearance. Because of this, he did everything to win the rights to excavate the Shaiha Ruins. Because Max was fascinated with dragons, Tritus recruited him, and he nned to make a special team that would include Max to uncover the truth about the dragon''s disappearance.


    Unfortunately, a lot of things were happening at the same time that Tritus had lost control over the situation.


    Tritus did not intend to have the Temr Code be the ''leader'' among the Royal Family''s Elite Force. But since the emperor seemed to be suspicious about the Temr Code''s activity, Tritus was forced to split most of the Elite Team members and lead the Royal Family''s initiative.


    All except for Freya and Evan.


    Freya was someone Tritus had raised himself to be the Temr Code''s new Commander, so he let her focus on the Shaiha Ruins.


    Then he had Evan go to the east for a few days to do his research.


    Finally, Evan had sent his special report on this day, and Tritus had been busy reading through them.


    What Tritus found in Evan''s report left him feeling excited.


    But then Freya''s coded message came.


    Tritus'' excitement turned to fear but almost instantly turned into rage.


    His reason for finding clues about dragons was not because of fascination or reverence for their kind. Instead, he wanted to find a clue to where they were now because he needed their heart!


    Because only by consuming a dragon''s heart would he be able to take thatst step into bing... a Legendary!


    A Quilin''s heart was far inferior to a dragon''s, but since it appeared there were two of them and the other one could already transform into a human, it was possible!


    Tritus stretched his hand, and from within the thick cloud of smoke, his nine-foot-long gold and diamond trident flew up and returned to him.


    As the trident flew up, it stirred up a gale of wind, clearing some clouds of smoke in the surroundings and revealing the crater below.


    "Hm?" Tritus''s eyes narrowed as he noticed a three-meter radius piece ofnd at the center of the crater.


    His trident must havended there, but where was the human-form Quilin?


    Just as he was thinking this, Tritus sensed an iing danger.


    His eyes glinted, which reflected from his visor as he whirled his trident.


    ''Above!'' He thought and, without pausing, looked up and flew toward a figure in ck a few meters above him.


    "Prepare to die!" Tritus roared and summoned a massive whirlpool of water magic.


    The whirlpool circled him and rose to his outstretched trident, shooting straight at the figure above.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he watched Tritus''s iing attack.


    There were two things that he found interesting about him.


    First was Tritus''s magic.


    It would be Kyran''s first time facing a mage using water magic in the Human ne. For other Ylfaen Empire mages, dealing with a mage with water magic would be hard to deal with. It was not because water magic was superior to other magic but because they had little experience dealing with it.


    After all, water magic was rare in the empire. However, in the northern nation, it wasmon.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran had dealt with mages using water magic in other nes. To him, they were no different from other mages who use fire, wind, earth magic, or any other type of magic for that matter. They would never pose any threat to him, as long as the level of these mages was below a Sovereign.


    That was right.


    The only ones that could pose a threat to Kyran right now were the Sovereigns.


    On that note, the second reason why Kyran was interested in Tritus was his magic level. If he was right, then Tritus had long been able to break through the barrier of being a Magus.


    He was already an Arch Magus, the level above a Magus!


    However, Tritus was not an ordinary Arch Magus. Most likely, he was already at a juncture where he could step to the next level any minute.


    ''So why haven''t you?'' Kyran thought.


    The distance between him and Tritus''s attack was now only twenty meters.


    It was then that Kyran spread his arms as silver-white energy burst out from him, covering at least fifty meters of his surroundings from behind.


    Then the silver-white energy shifted, turning into an illusory silver-white dragon with Kyran at its core.


    When Kyran stretched forward his right hand, the illusory silver-white dragon''s right arm also moved. Then, as Kyran opened his palm toward the iing whirlpool, the dragon''s hand also opened, its ws glowed with silver light. It looked like a colossal maw ready to swallow the iing attack.


    As soon as this scene unfolded before Tritus, his eyes widened in shock and excitement.


    "You are not a high-level Quilin! You... are a dragon!" He shouted and, in an instant, increased his magic output, adding momentum to the whirlpool.


    The whirlpool increased in size, and the air crackle around it. Then, bolts of Lightning appeared within, transforming the whirlpool into a huge tempest.


    BOOOOM!


    A vast explosion reverberated above the Shaiha Ruins, and multiple shockwaves followed, instantly clearing the nearby clouds.


    The explosion was too conspicuous that the towns heard it at least a couple hundred thousand kilometers away. Most of the people there all turned toward the direction of the ruins.


    Even the soldiers standing guard at the Noser City''s sentries felt the aftershock, and they all looked up in the direction of the ruins.


    In the middle of the forest, at the cottage, Cyneah, who was busy making dinner, also felt it. It caused her heart to skip a beat because she recognized one of the magic energy that came with the explosion.


    ''Nar...'' She thought as she turned toward the shockwave''s direction.


    Back to the Shaiha Ruins...


    Right after the explosion urred, Kyran did not stop moving.


    He willed the illusory silver-white dragon to reform its destroyed arm, and he sprang toward Tritus!


    Kyran had heard what Tritus said and also sensed his ''excitement.''


    Kyran now had an idea of what the Commander of the Temr Code was after from that one sentence.


    Tritus also sped forward. He whirled his trident and summoned its spirit.


    "Come out! Sea Serpent spirit!" He called, and a blue sea serpent emerged from the trident.


    RAWRGH!


    The Sea Serpent roared, growing in size as it circled upward to meet Kyran in his illusory silver-white dragon form.


    Kyran''s eyes squinted. He sneered and said in a low voice, "A lowly sea dragon spirit, actually dares to act brazenly before me?"


    He unleashed 5% more of the Regis Blessing as he said this. In an instant, his blood surged, and dragon scales covered his skin.


    The illusory silver-white dragon turned more corporeal as it let out a thunderous roar.


    RAWRGH!


    The two dragons, one sea serpent and the other a silver-white dragon, shed.


    BOOOOM!


    White and blue colored magic energies that represented each dragon exploded, blotting the sky above the Shaiha Ruins.


    They might be few thousand meters above, but the shockwave bore on thend below, filling more cracks in the already fissure-fillednd.


    The cave where the temple was located also shook. The ceiling would have already caved in if not for its defensive array.


    Zephyr looked up weakly. His eyes glinted with mixed emotions.


    ''Master... I am ever grateful for youing here...'' He thought, feeling an intense emotion welling up inside him.


    ''But please... control your power. Remember that you''re supposed to help me reinforce the temple''s defensive array. Please don''t identally destroy it!'' Zephyr added while he looked at the cave''s ceiling worriedly.


    Kyran told him to stay put because he woulde. But hearing themotion outside, Zephyr wondered if his master nned to literally make him ''stay put'' in the cave by burying him alive!

 Chapter 319 Seize Another One

    Tritus was forced back a few paces from the explosion. However, that did not hinder him to release another attack.


    As he fell, he whirled the trident horizontally before him. The surrounding magic energies stirred and several maelstorms appeared from the ground below. Its height rose at an incredible speed and went straight at what remained of the illusory silver-white dragon.


    The maelstorms pierced through the illusory silver-white dragon, riddling it with holes.


    RAWRGH!


    With a thunderous roar, the illusory dragon pped its wings, unleashing a gale of silver-white energy that smashed through the maelstorms.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The sky burst out with blue and white sparks from the collision of the two.


    BAM!


    "Humph!" Tritus snorted as hended with a loud thud on the ground.


    Ordinary mages would have had troublending unscathed from high above. But Tritus was no ordinary mage, he was a mage who would soon be a Legendary!


    Especially now that he was 90% sure that the masked man above was not a quilin, but a real living dragon!


    The remaining 10% was not because he had any doubts, but that the masked man was not a pureblooded dragon.


    In any case, the masked man showed its dragon form. Though it was only illusory, no human would be able to conjure up such detailed dragon unless it was a spirit.


    But the masked man was clearly not a spirit.


    Apart from that, the raw power it had in such a small frame was simply impossible. The Quilin they had been chasing around the ruins did not possess such power. It was powerful, yes, but its power lies on itsrge area offensive attacks, not melee or physical strength.


    Right now, the masked man appeared to be using its magic, but Tritus could sense raw physical strength with each of its attack.


    "I will take my time studying you and when I am done, I will extract your heart and eat it!" Tritus muttered, his eyes glinted with a sinister light.


    "I see, that''s why you sound excited after seeing my dragon form."


    A deep low voice spoke from above.


    Tritus''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Before he could even fully react, the masked man appeared before him, its right arm glowed silver-white looking like an illusory dragon arms.


    BAM!


    Kyran smacked Tritus right on his face.


    Crack!


    Cracks appeared on the surface of Tritus''s visor which spread in different directions, filling his helmet in an instant. Then his helmet exploded revealing a handsome middle-aged man with long blonde hair and blue eyes.


    However, his handsome face was reced by a cracked nose and broken teeth, as the force of Kyran''s punch prated through.


    "Gwah!" Tritus spat out a mouthful of blood and broken teeth before he was thrown back at least a hundred meters.


    What transpired appeared to happen for a few seconds, but in reality, it only took a second or two.


    Kyrannded on his feet on the ground and watched Tritus rolled off the ground a few times before finally stopping.


    He raised his brows in amazement, seeing that he only managed to break the man''s helmet and a few of his teeth. After all, Kyran was already using 10% of the Regis Blessing. No one would be able to withstand a single of his punch.


    Well¡­ maybe only Nn and his father.


    ''Interesting,'' Kyran thought, his silver eyes glinted in amusement. ''Is this the defenses of an Arch Magus? An innate ability? Or the armor?''


    By now, anyone who had seen his eyes glow like that and had lived to tell the tale could already guess what wasing next.


    There were only two possible oues. Kyran would either ''have some fun,'' or was considering if he could use that person.


    With that in mind, Kyran took a step, using the Dragon Step to appear right before Tritus.


    Tritus, who had yet to recover from getting thrown, stiffened as he sensed the masked man appearing before him.


    Instinctively, he swung his trident aiming to hit the masked man on the shin.


    BAM!


    Before the trident could hit his left shin, Kyran lifted his left feet and stomped on its shaft, pinning it on the ground.


    Once again, Kyran was surprised that the trident did not break from his stomp.


    Tritus was equally surprised at his oppressive strength. However, he could only reign in his surprise and attack! He was not a weak mage that anyone could trample on!


    With his pride on the line, Tritus burst out with magic pressure of an Arch Magus.


    "Rawrgh!" He roared and his trident vibrated with power as the Sea Serpent spirit within awakened once more.


    Tritus lifted the trident.


    Instead of getting swept by the trident, Kyran followed its motion and did a backward flip.


    However, before he couldnd on the ground, Tritus struck the trident forward releasing the Sea Serpent spirit.<sub> </sub>


    RAWRGH!


    The Sea Serpent roared and flew straight at Kyran.


    While still in midair, Kyran forced his body to turn and evade the Sea Serpent''s head. Then he twisted his body so he could face its body from above. He reached out his right hand and tap the Sea Serpent''s back.


    Silver-white energy seeped out of his hand and instantly covered the Sea Serpent''s body.


    RAWRGH!


    With an agonizing roar, the Sea Serpent''s body burst into silver-white mes.


    Even when the Sea Serpent spirit was suddenly engulfed in mes, Tritus did not falter. However, new blood trickled down at the corner of his mouth after receiving the bacsh of having his spirit weapon hurt.


    Tritus''s blue eyes turned to gold as he stretched out his right hand and several vortexes made of water appeared behind him.


    From within the vortexes, three-meter long water des burst out toward Kyran.


    Kyran, who was still suspended in midair, sensed the iing attack and in an instant, released a silver-white barrier which appeared like dragon scales.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Explosions rang out as the water des collided with the barrier.


    As soon as Kyrannded on the ground, he punched the ground with his right fist and shattered it at least a twenty-meter radius.


    RUMBLE!


    Tritus was forced to jump back. But he did not simply retreat and unleashed another attack. He swung his trident vertically, releasing a five-meter blue arc that seemed to sh through the air.


    Without lifting his head to look at Tritus''s follow up attack, the remaining intact dragon scales around Kyran shifted and formed a half-sphere barrier that collided with the blue arc.


    Another explosion rang out and the whole surroundings were filled with clouds of smoke.


    "Humph," Tritus snorted as soon as hended on an even ground. A sinister smile appeared on his face as he pierced the trident on the ground, and then he shouted while looking up at the sky, "DELUGE!"


    RUUUUMBLE!


    Dark clouds formed above, covering the whole make-shift camp of the Temr Code. A massive dark blue sphere appeared above and the intensity of the magic energy within bore down to thend below.


    FOOOOM!


    The silver-white dragon scales that circled Kyran shattered from the pressure brought by the dark blue sphere, and a deafening silence filled the air.


    ''This...'' Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he realized the pressure from Tritus''s attack was very simr to the one his father''s human essence had unleashed during their first encounter.


    The only difference was, that his father''s human essence summoned it using a Saint-tier array, while this one was summoned using pure water magic!


    If he had topare, the former was artificially made, while the former was close to the real one.


    BOOOM!


    The dark blue sphere exploded and a massive outpour of condensed water magic energy fell on thend.


    What few make-shift tents, towers and even mobile turrets that were still left standing were smashed in an instant. Even the ground had been pressed down a few meters from the pressure.


    Amidst the deafening silence, a low sigh reverberated.


    Tritus''s brow furrowed when he heard the sigh. He looked his gaze and looked at the spot where he hadst seen the masked man and his eyes contracted.


    There he saw the masked man walking toward him looking unaffected by the pressure from his attack!


    "Look," Kyran started. "I still have a number of things to do. We will have to stop now.


    "Don''t worry. You piqued my interest so I will not kill you. Instead..."


    Kyran''s silver eyes suddenly turned to deep purple as he disappeared and reappeared behind Tritus.


    "Wha-ugh!"


    Tritus was unable to react as Kyran grabbed his head from behind. An unsurmountable pressure had filled the area around him, making it impossible for him to move.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple and a dark purple rune appeared, hovering before Tritus''s face.


    This rune was Kyran''s original. Its effect was; magic energy istion.


    At the same time, two silver rings appeared on the ground.


    Feeling a sense of crisis, Tritus''s eyes glowed as he decided to unleash his domain. However, it was then that he finally noticed that he could not rouse his magic! It was as if he had been cut off from the magic energies in the surrounding.


    No. That was not exactly correct. Even though he could not rouse the magic energies in the surrounding, he should be able to summon magic by using his magic reserves.


    "I''m turning you," Kyran finally said and two ovepping dragons emerged from the silver rings.


    "NO!" Tritus roared.


    However, no sound came out of his mouth.


    The dragons circled them and at the same time, the dark blue clouds dispersed.

 Chapter 320 What Were You Thinking?

    Half an hour after Kyran dealt with Tritus, he made his way to the temple.


    He did not warp or use the Dragon Step because he was too exhausted.


    Using the Dragon Steps put a lot of strain on his body. Because he was crossing distances multiple times faster than what a human was capable of in an instant, his body might be stronger now. However, fundamentally speaking, his body frame was still that of a human.


    Apart from this, he had used the Sigil twice. Not to mention, the second time he had to perform it was on an Arch Magus. Then he used the Dark Arts he learned to ensure Tritus would stay ''loyal.''


    It was Kyran''s first time; thus, the whole process put a huge mental and physical strain on him.


    Besides, he tried not to change much of Tritus''s memories and personality. Instead, he focused only on changing thetter''s twisted n about dragons and his unyielding persona.


    Of course, Kyran made sure Tritus would only yield to him and no one else.


    Regarding the other guy he took, Reuben, Kyran had not decided whether to turn him to his Sigil yet.


    Kyran wanted to earn Max''s unwavering trust, and making Reuben into his Sigil might produce negative results.


    Kyran had another way to ensure Reuben would not betray him without using the Sigil.


    He could do the same thing he did to Olivia.


    Speaking of Olivia, Kyran made a mental note to have Byron arrange a meeting with her soon.


    As he thought of this, his expression turned grim because he had just remembered themunication device he specifically made to contact Byron. But, unfortunately, he had not checked it yet.


    Hopefully, Byron did not send him useless coded messages.


    Kyran put the matter about Byron aside and began to sort his to-do list.


    So far, he had started a couple of things from his list, but even those were still in progress. So he still had a long way to go before confidently saying he was on the right track.


    Apart from meeting with Byron and Olivia, he had to visit the Chaos Pce once more. Only by going there could he let True Void out. Because he was sure that if he let him out right here, the Royal Family would be alerted of his presence.


    True Void did mention that the Royal Family had ways of tracking him. But the unique atmosphere within the Chaos Pce would ensure they would not be able to sense him.


    Kyran also wanted to visit the man who was in-charged of guarding his n. He already guessed his family''s current situation, but he wanted to understand how it all happened. His intuition told him that it would be wise to talk to that man.


    Another urgent matter he had to attend to was meeting with Nn and finding Azaloth''s Inheritance.


    Kyran guessed that Nn decided to go to where the inheritance was located without waiting for him might have something to do with his n. After returning from the Tower of Tribtion, Nn likely went to the Regis Estate to investigate. He might have seen something which made him decide that finding Azaloth''s Inheritance takes priority.


    Apart from this, only by meeting Nn would Kyran know any updates from Gage and Ss because Nn was the only one who had direct contact with them.


    Thinking of Ss made Kyran remember how he made a new note to find a way to talk to the Queen of the Faes. He had questions he felt she knew the answers to.


    Thinking of all these things, Kyran could not help but sigh inwardly. He had set a month as his deadline before deciding whether to infiltrate the Royal Family as Tyr or not. But he was unsure if a month was enough to determine his course of action.


    After all, he could only know if he was ready to infiltrate the Royal Family by knowing all the cards he could y. Besides, he would not only be going to Meliora as Disciple Tyr. Kyran also nned to enter as ''Nar'' and work for the Blue Lotus.


    ''I wish I could create a human essence,'' Kyran thought dejectedly. He still had his puppets, but making them work perfectly and in sync with him would be challenging.


    As for his resource problem, what transpired here was a fruitful endeavour for him. He could keep his promise with Zephyr and take two new Sigils, and he also got a whole faction with deep resources under him.


    If Kyran got hold of the Blue Lotus, too, he could say he no longer had problems with where he could get resources.


    Err¡­, at least for the time being.


    Anyway, his supposed ''rash action'' back in the cksmith Order would soon take fruit, and he would have another channel where he could produce money.


    There was another reason why he did what he had done. But for now, it was enough to say that he had nted what he would sowter.


    While Kyran was lost in his thoughts, he finally reached the cave entrance that led to the temple.


    ''This is not a saint-tier array,'' he thought when he saw the semi-translucent barrier covering the cave''s entrance. ''This is a Transcendent Array.''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as he approached the barrier.


    He did not immediately send his magic sense to study the whole array to avoid triggering any hidden trap forms.


    ''Zephyr. Can you hear me?'' He asked.


    A few secondster, a reply came.


    [I can, master.]


    Kyran took a deep breath. He worried that Zephyr had passed out from his injury. If that happened, they would end up in a challenging situation.


    Difficult for Zephyr because passing out would soon lead to not waking up for good. As for Kyran, things would be difficult because he would be forced to work on the defensive array and might unknowingly kill Zephyr if he made a wrong move.


    ''About the array,'' Kyran started. ''Can you tell me more about it?''


    [I¡­ am not sure what you want to know, master. B-But¡­ Y-You can check for yourself. Just¡­enter the temple.]


    Zephyr replied. Just by the sound of his voice, it was clear how bad his condition was.


    ''Is it safe to enter?''<sub> </sub>


    [Y-You are my new master. M-My life force will recognize your aura¡­ and let you¡­ pass.]


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at his words.


    From the report recorded in the white orb he found in Max''s storage pouch; he had read how Zephyr used his life force as ast resort to reinforcing the barrier.


    He said, ''Don''t ever use your life force for something like this again. This is a Transcendent-tier Array. Even if it only has the finalyer left, it will take the Temr Code weeks to destroy it.


    ''Transcendent-tier Defensive Arrays are like that. The first threeyers seemed weak and will crumble with little effort. But that is because the fourthyer normally possess a damage assessment form where it calctes the overall damage received by the first threeyers. After that, it will automatically adjust its defensive capability that can withstand the damage umted by the threeyers. The finalyer is also like that. In the end, it will not be easy to put even a scratch on it.''


    Zephyr''s head spun from Kyran''s exnation. But unfortunately, he got lost when thetter started talking about the damage assessment.


    As a servant tasked to guard the Shaiha, Zephyr had to expand his knowledge. That included Array knowledge. But he had never heard nor read about a Transcendent-tier Array. More importantly, was there even a level like that in Array?


    For this reason, Zephyr was convinced the temple''s array was at Saint-tier, the highest Array level he knew.


    Nevertheless, not hearing or learning about Transcendent Arrays did not mean they did not exist. There were far too many nes in the universe, and there were several Magic Laws and Array Theories that Zephyr was unaware of.


    As to where Kyran learned it, Zephyr could only guess it was at the ce Nn had taken him to train.


    [B-But¡­ I did not know how long¡­ it would take you to¡­ return, master.]


    Zephyr replied after a short pause.


    ''Alright, I get it.'' Kyran said with a nod. Now that Zephyr had said it, what he did does make sense.


    He already guessed Zephyr did not know about Transcendent Arrays. So his decision to reinforce the array with his life force was indeed a wise move as a final resort.


    ''Save your strength¡ª and you don''t need to answer,'' Kyran added, sensing how much effort Zephyr had to go through just to reply. ''I''m going in.''


    Zephyr nodded in response before closing his eyes and lowering his head.


    Though Kyran did not see Zephyr''s nod, he had sensed his acknowledgement.


    Not wasting more time, Kyran passed through the barrier.


    An invisible force instantly swept through Kyran as if to scan his whole body. However, when it touched him, his Void core reacted and immediately circted void energy inside his body, protecting Kyran from any probing.


    When the invisible force sensed the Void energy within Kyran, it retracted at once and readily epted him inside.


    This feeling surprised Kyran.


    It almost felt as if the Array itself had its own consciousness.


    ''Or is it because of Zephyr''s life force?'' He wondered.


    It did not matter. Once Kyran worked on the array, he would be able to understand it better.


    If he were not worried about Zephyr''s condition, Kyran would have started deciphering the array. But Zephyr''s life takes priority; thus, he went to find him first.


    p The inside of the cave looked very different from what one could see from the outside.</anda>


    When a person looked inside the cave from the outside, it appeared like an ordinary cave¡ªarge opening in the earth.


    But once inside, one would find an indoor pavilion with floor to ceiling high pirs lined up on each side. Though the walls and ceiling were made of earth, expensive ancient paintings still hung there, giving the whole ce a very ancient and majestic feel to it.


    The pirs were also coated with gold paint...


    Wait¡­ It was not painted; it was made of pure gold! The tiled floor had intricate patterns carved from diamonds! Even the torches on the walls were made of a bronze shaft and silver hilt.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. Looking at all these expensive materials, he was reminded of how poor he was.


    Although he had acquired the Temr Code by making Tritus his Sigil, Kyran could not brazenly rob their resources for his use all at once. It would make the rest of the members, regr ones and the rest of the Elite Team, suspicious.


    He had no ns on exposing Tritus''s condition; thus, he would continue being the Commander of the Temr Code, and the matter about the Shaiha Ruins and the Royal Family¡­ Kyran had already thought of a way to provide the rare stones they needed that did not involve breaking Zephyr''s horn.


    In the end, Kyran could only discreetly ask Tritus for resources to ensure the rest of the Temr Code and the Royal Family did not suspect anything.


    ''I wonder if I can take down some of those pirs and sell them outside,'' he suddenly wondered. ''Or maybe I can melt some and use it in upgrading the rest of my puppets. Are thesemon gold or Aurum Gold?''


    When Zephyr heard Kyran''s thoughts, his eyes snapped open, and he sweated profusely.


    [M-Master! This-This is a sacred temple! W-What are you thinking?]


    Zephyr reprimanded, bringing Kyran back to reality.


    ''Oh, did I not cut the connection? My bad, I''ll be careful to keep my thoughts to myself,'' Kyran apologized.


    Zephyr could not help but twitch.


    That was not the case here¡­. Did Kyran really think of robbing a sacred temple? Was he not worried about receiving divine punishment?


    Humans really thought of some scary things!

 Chapter 321 What Just Happened? (1)

    Kyran continued forward while looking at the ancient paintings on the walls.


    The first two paintings depicted scenes of how dragons came to the Human ne. The first painting showed a group of dragons discovering a golden vortex. The second painting showed the dragons on one side, with one of them, having half of its body going through the vortex in the middle, with the other half emerging at a ce with lush forest trees and a few humans looking at it with frightened expressions.


    From this painting, Kyran guessed the dragon had entered the vortex from the Dragon ne and emerged on the Human ne.


    Intrigued at how the humans responded to the dragon''s sudden appearance, Kyran moved to the next one.


    Unfortunately, the next painting showed a different scene.


    This time, it showed a dragon transcending what appeared to be a tribtion of fire.


    Kyran remembered reading that dragons had to ovee tribtions when they moved up a level. He also read that failure would mean they would never have another chance to improve their magic.


    Dragons were powerful because their way of moving up a level was very difficult.


    Unlike humans who only had to increase their magic energy capacity to move up a level. Dragons had to go through tribtions to break through.


    However, although it was easy for humans to break through, the spirit stones one would need and other materials that resonated with their innate magic to enable it, were astronomical Because spirit stones had magic energies humans could absorb to slowly improve their magic core''s energy capacity. As for other materials that represented one''s innate magic, it was necessary to strengthen one''spatibility with their magic.


    Nevertheless, such a way of increasing one''s magic level was boring in Kyran''s opinion.


    As long as one had resources, it would be easy for them to make a breakthrough.


    ? For Kyran, he would rather experience transcending tribtions just like the dragons. Because only when a person ovees a tribtion would he gain real enlightenment of his magic and genuinely get stronger through his experience.


    Speaking of oveing tribtions, Kyran thought of the Tower of Tribtions.


    The training presented there wasparable to the tribtions a dragon must ovee, and he wondered once more who made the Tower of Tribtions.


    Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Kyran continued to look at the paintings on the walls.


    The next few paintings depicted different kinds of tribtions that a dragon had to go through.


    Kyran noticed that with each tribtion, the dragon participating was also different. There were winged dragons,nd dragons, long-tailed dragons, and so on.


    He had never seen such life-like depictions of so many dragons. Not even the Regis Archive had records such as these. This ce was rich with early records of the dragons that would be beneficial to his n.


    ''If I get a chance, I''ll find a way to transfer this temple to the Regis Estate.''


    Kyran was initially curious as to why a ce like this, despite his n having a rtionship with dragons was far away from theirnd.


    Their n had connections with dragons after all.


    Why would a ce that had something to do with dragons be far away? More importantly, why did the Regis not have any record about the Shaiha?


    It was said that the first Regis Ancestor, the Dragon Lord, did not keep any records from his time. This was the reason why they were unable to confirm many things from the past.


    But the matter about the Shaiha was far too important, which made Kyran believe his ancestor definitely left records. It was likely his ancestor hid the records in a safe ce because of how important it was.


    As for why the Shaiha Ruins were too far from the Regis Estate; during one of Kyran and Zephyr''s talks, thetter had exined that before the first war happened, the Regis Family lived near the Sacred Shaiha¡ª that was the original name of thend before it became the Shaiha Ruins.


    When the war broke, the Regis Family almost died out from an invasion of one of the demon generals. If not for Kyran''s ancestor going up against the demon general even when the odds were against him, then they would have been wiped out.


    The Dragon King, who initially did not want to meddle with the ughter of the Regis Family, was impressed by Kyran''s ancestor''s bold ''stupidity.'' In the end, the Dragon King decided to step in.


    Unfortunately, the demon general managed to flee before the Dragon King could kill him.


    Fearing the demon''s retaliation by harassing Kyran''s ancestor, the Dragon King decided to teach him Dragon magic.


    That was right.


    Kyran''s ancestor was not born with a Draconic core. It had been bestowed to him by the Dragon King.


    From this, Kyran realized his ancestor''s innate magic was definitely different. As to what it was, he had no idea yet.


    After the war, the remaining Regis members migrated to the centralnds, where they took a smallnd and built a new home. A thousand yearster that smallnd expanded and became what was known today as the Regis Estate.


    Thetter end had been Kyran''s assumption from all the information and clues he received from everyone. As for Zephyr''s exnation, it stopped at the migration part.


    After that, the Dragon King followed the Dragon Lord, but the rest of the dragons with their servants, the quilins, remained in the Sacred Shaiha.


    Kyran realized how much of the Regis''s history had not been recorded because of this.


    Nevertheless, what he learned from Zephyr proved that the n history his people knew was iplete.


    Making a mental note to reeducate his n once he saved them, Kyran went further into the temple.


    After a few minutes, he reached an enormous floor-to-ceiling golden double doors with a painting of a group of quilins kneeling in front of a floating golden tablet. Ancient Draconic writings were carved on the surface of the tablet that Kyran barely understood.


    Kyran stood in front of the door and read the few phrases he understood, "Highest order of the Dragons... decreed by the Imperial Council... Guardians of the Shaiha..."


    ''This must be when Zephyr and his fellow quilins were appointed to guard the Shaiha,'' he guessed and carefully looked at the kneeling quilins. At the far end on the right side, he saw the smallest among the quilins and sensed something familiar about him.<sub> </sub>


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he recognized the smallest quilin as the young Zephyr.


    The color of his horn was a lighter shade, meaning his magic level was still low at that time.


    Compared to the rest of the quilins on the paintings who were bigger and had darker horns, it was easy to guess Zephyr was the youngest to have been called to guard the Shaiha.


    ''Right, he did say he was the youngest...''


    Kyran had been unconscious the first time Zephyr had shared his story with te and Nn. He only learned of his story when they left to get Cyneah.


    Recalling Zephyr''s story, Kyran''s expression turned grim.


    Learning how Zephyr woke up alone in the ruins with no clue as to what had happened to his fellow quilins resonated with Kyran. It was the feeling of suddenly facing the world alone, with no clue as to why it happened.


    In any case, Kyran found the disappearance of Zephyr''s brethren, suspicious. Unfortunately, there were no clues and he could not draw any conclusion.


    A sh of inspiration crossed Kyran''s mind as he thought of his new connection with the Temr Code.


    ''The Temr Code invested a lot of their time and resources in exploring the Shaiha Ruins,'' Kyran thought. ''There might be other ces Zephyr had not gone to because of the Temr Code''s presence.''


    Thinking of this possibility, Kyran was convinced the Temr Code might have found some records or clues that exined what might have happened.


    ''I''ll have to ask Tritus to show me everything they have on record about the Shaiha Ruins,'' Kyran decided.


    Without further ado, he took a step toward the center of the enormous doors and opened them.


    Bright golden light filled the surroundings as the doors opened.


    As Kyran stepped inside, the first thing he saw was a gigantic multi-colored sphere that strangely resembled a magic core.


    He guessed the sphere was the Shaiha.


    It hovered and emitted an almost blinding gold light above a bleeding Quilin.


    "Zephyr," Kyran''s brow furrowed when he saw the pool of blood on the ground,pletely forgetting the Shaiha.


    Zephyr opened his eyes and looked at the door. His lips slightly tilted upward as he replied telepathically.


    [Master...]


    Kyran took a step, and in an instant, he was in front of Zephyr. His movement instantly made thetter gape in astonishment.


    ''Dragon Steps!'' Zephyr thought in both awe and nostalgia.


    It had been far too long since he hadst seen that movement.


    On the other hand, Kyran did not notice Zephyr''s expression because he was too focused on the pool of blood and thetter''s wound.


    "M-Master¡ª."


    "Don''t move. Stay still," Kyran cut Zephyr in mid-sentence before thetter made any move that would aggravate his wound.


    Kyran moved closer to Zephyr and touched his snout, before checking his condition using his magic sense.


    Zephyr felt something like a rush of cold breeze fill his body. He knew at once that Kyran was checking his condition.


    After a few seconds, Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as they turned into slits. Then ovepping dragons appeared on the back of his hand as the number two appeared in the middle.


    Silver-white energy seeped out from Kyran and transferred into Zephyr.


    This was one of the Sigil''s capabilities, where a master can heal his Sigil by transferring his own magic energy.


    "M-Master! Please do not waste your own life energy!" Zephyr eximed in fright. He was not aware of the Sigil''s capabilities and thought Kyran was transferring his own life energy.


    Kyran shook his head, "Don''t worry. I''m not using my life energy but Draconic energy."


    As the Draconic energy fill Zephyr, his chest wound started to heal. Even the pool of blood on the floor slowly seeped back into his body.


    "This...!"


    "Your blood is precious," Kyran simply said. "Don''t waste it."


    What he said was true. Since Zephyr was the offspring of a real dragon and a unicorn, it could be considered a treasure.


    Many Saint-grade or even Transcendent-grade potions and pills required his blood. And most of the effects of those potions or pills were heaven-defying. Even some were rumored that could bring back the dead to life.


    Of course, making such a potion or pill would require a high-level Alchemist. And the chances for its sess was close to impossible.


    "Yes, master," Zephyr answered after a short pause, feeling a little emotional from Kyran''s concern.

 Chapter 322 What Just Happened? (2)

    A soft humming sounding from the Shaiha filled the whole room as Kyran continued to heal Zephyr.


    With Zephyr''s huge frame, it was impossible for Kyran to heal him in a short time.


    It took him nearly an hour just to close Zephyr''s chest wound, then three more hours to heal it from the inside. After that, Kyran shared more of his Draconic energy with him, to assist his natural healing ability in adjusting his condition.


    Nearly six hours from the time Kyran entered the temple, Zephyr''s condition stabilizes.


    Only when Kyran was positive of this that he finally asked, "Can you undo the reinforcement on the array?"


    Zephyr looked at him thoughtfully. He knew why Kyran wanted him to undo his reinforcement. Because it was connected to his life force, it would be dangerous to make any adjustments to the array.


    "Is... Is it really safe to do that?" Zephyr asked feeling hesitant.


    Kyran might have told him the defensive array in the temple was a Transcendent-tier and would not be easily breached even without his life force reinforcing it. However, Zephyr was still afraid.


    The Shaiha was far too dangerous and should never be left unprotected.


    Kyran looked at Zephyr in silence.


    He understood his hesitation and instead of feeling annoyed at hisck of trust, he patiently replied, "Yes. It is safe."


    "But... that woman..."


    Zephyr still argued, sounding unconvinced. Kyran raised his brows finally sensing thetter''s fear.


    Zephyr''s real concern was not the defensive array''s capability to keep the Shaiha safe, but Freya. Most likely, the fatal wound he got from her, left a psychological scar on him.


    Kyran waved his right hand without saying anything, and a bloody golden helmet appeared in thin air that rolled on the floor.


    Zephyr watched the helmet distractedly, wondering why Kyran took it out. But when the helmet stopped rolling and he saw inside the broken visor, he realized it was not an empty helmet but a severed head!


    Zephyr took a sharp intake of breath as he recognized the head on the helmet.


    "T-That''s...!"


    His mind reeled from both shock and unbelief as her turned to Kyran.


    "I had a feeling you''d be concerned about her and took her head as proof. Do you want it?" Kyran asked with a shrug after seeing Zephyr''s expression.


    Zephyr''s brow twitched as he looked at Kyran. Though he could not see Kyran''s expression from behind the ck panther mask, he could hear the amusement in his voice.


    "I don''t have a sick hobby of collecting human heads...." He answered with a monotonous voice. His mind had yet to fully register what he had seen.


    At the same time, he also felt amazed at Kyran''s nonchnce. That woman was the leader of the Temr Code assigned to the ruins.


    Was he not afraid the Temr Code would retaliate by spending more manpower and effort on destroying the temple''s defensive array?


    "Master... T-This... Can you reinforce the temple''s defensive array that will ensure the Shaiha''s safety from future attack?" He asked.


    However, Kyran did not answer and instead addressed Zephyr''s answer to his question.


    "I see. You don''t like her head, huh. That''s too bad. I thought you will want to keep it as a souvenir."


    "M-Master..."


    "Don''t worry, I don''t have a hobby like that either," he assured him and looking at Freya''s severed head, finally snapped his hand.


    Void mes instantly covered Freya''s head,pletely destroying it. Not even a speck of dust was left.


    "Alright," Kyran looked at Zephyr again. "As for yourst question. You don''t have to worry about. This is only a Transcendent-tier array, I can¡ª."


    WEEEEEEENG!


    The humming sound from the Shaiha suddenly turned into a deafening ringing sound, interrupting Kyran.


    Zephyr''s eyes widened and immediately looked at the Shaiha.


    <o>,m Its multicolored lights shed erratically as it pulsated violently.</o>


    Kyran also looked at the sphere with his brow furrowed. He had guessed the sphere to be the Shaiha, but because he had been worried about Zephyr''s condition, he had ignored it.


    Now that he was looking at it again, he recalled how it looked very simr to his central core when his Void magic and Draconic magic were trying to upy it.


    The Shaiha''s multicolor lights were definitely magic energies, and something riled it up.


    WEEEEEEENG!


    Before Kyran could think of a possible reason why the Shaiha acted up, a beam of multicolored light shoot out from the center and went straight at Kyran.


    The turn of events was too sudden that Kyran failed to move in time and avoid it.


    No. He did not really fail, but his body felt heavy for some reason.


    "Master!" Zephyr eximed in surprise. However, just as Kyran failed to avoid it, Zephyr could only look on helplessly as the light went past him.


    The ringing sound intensified as the beam of light increased in size before hitting Kyran. It covered him in an instant, then expanded.<sub> </sub>


    "Ergh..!"


    Searing hot pain spread Kyran''s body which started from his left chest. Within seconds, the pain prated his insides and soon after, his bones.


    "Master¡ª! Ugh!"


    A powerful force weighed down on Zephyr from above, forcing him to his knees.


    If Kyran had not healed him, the pressure alone would have aggravated his wound and he would have fallen into aa.


    "ARGH!" Kyran fell to his knees and almost keeled over from the pain.


    Shockingly, the excruciating pain was far more intense than what he had felt when he took the Elixir. It even exceeded the pain he suffered when his arms melted from the Sovereign of Ruin''s lightning attack!


    "Master!" Zephyr shouted helplessly. He was not sure why the Shaiha had acted up, or why it would attack his master. But most important of all, he was afraid of what might happen if the Shaiha did not stabilize soon.


    As the ringing of the Shaiha intensified, so did the light it emitted. Soon the whole room was covered by a blinding multicolored light;pletely enveloping Kyran and Zephyr.


    Zephyr racked his brain for a possible reason for the Shaiha''s behavior.


    However, his train of thoughts was interrupted when the whole room flickered. And just as how fast the multicolor lights had filled the whole room, it cleared up just as fast. The pressure that weighed on him as well, lifted.


    "What...?" Zephyr muttered in confusion as he looked at his surroundings.


    He first checked if what happened did anything to the defensive array. When he was sure it was alright, he sighed inwardly.


    Then he looked at where Kyran had been and saw him on all fours, white steams wereing out of his body as if he had just gotten out from boiling hot water. Although he was panting heavily, it appeared to be alright.


    "Master!"


    A blinding light covered Zephyr as he changed into his human form. After that, he was just about to fly toward Kyran when something caught his eye.


    Stopping in midair, Zephyr looked up and blinked.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    He blinked once more. But when the scene before him did not change, his eyes widened and he shouted in utter confusion, "What just happened?"


    What Zephyr saw nearly made his blood turn cold.


    Because...


    The Shaiha disappeared!


    Zephyr flew up and hovered at the spot where the Shaiha had been. Due to shock and fear, he hadpletely forgotten about Kyran on the floor. He turned to his left and then to his right. He also flew to the ceiling and even checked all the walls of the room.


    "No! The Shaiha!" He finally shouted after a few seconds.


    His mind raced as he recalled every detail that transpired before the Shaiha acted up.


    Kyran appeared and healed him. The Shaiha had been stable during that time. After that, they talked about reinforcing the temple''s defensive array. But since Zephyr hesitated in undoing his reinforcement because of the woman leading the Temr Code outside, Kyran showed him proof of her death.


    ''Was it because of the head? No... that should not be the case...''


    As if something clicked in his mind, Zephyr recalled Kyran snapped his fingers topletely destroy the severed head.


    And that was when the Shaiha''s humming erupted.


    ''The power of nothingness! It reacted to the power of nothingness!'' Zephyr realized and turned his attention back to Kyran.


    "Master! You¡ª!"


    WEEEEEEEEENG!


    The deafening ringing came again but this time it came from within Kyran!


    "This...!"


    Before Zephyr could fully react to what he was hearing, Kyran''s whole body lit up.


    Multicolored lights erupted out from Kyran as his breathing finally stabilized.


    Zephyrnded a few meters in front of Kyran, and he called out cautiously, "M-Master?"


    The ringing sound faded, followed by the lightsing out of Kyran.


    Then, a deafening silence ensued between them.


    After a long pause, Kyran finally moved. He removed the ck panther mask as he slowly stood up.


    Looking at Zephyr with aplicated expression, Kyran said, "Err... I think the Shaiha just entered my body."

 Chapter 323 The First War

    "WHAT?" Zephyr eximed in shock. He sprang toward Kyran and grabbed his head to force his mouth open. "SPIT IT OUT!"


    "Ngrgh!" Kyran scowled and hit Zephyr''s head, making him fall to his knees.


    "A!" Zephyr winced as he crouched down.


    "That hurts!" Heined while clutching his head, where a visble lump appeared from the spot where Kyran''s fistnded.


    Kyran red at him while massaging his jaw.


    "And what you did, didn''t? What do you even mean spit it out? I did not eat it in the first ce!" He berated Zephyr.


    Zephyr looked at him while rubbing his head, "It doesn''t matter how it entered your body, master! Take it out this instant!"


    "I would have done so if I could!" Kyran replied in exasperation.


    The pain he felt after the Shaiha''s light covered his whole body made him ckout for a few seconds. When he came around, he was no longer in pain. However, he felt too exhausted to speak.


    It took him almost a minute before he could catch his breath and check his body for any internal injury. That was when he realized that the presence of the Shaiha wasing out from him. This instantly made him break in cold sweat.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    As he closed his eyes and concentrated to look into his sea of conciousness, Kyran''s bad feeling was confirmed.


    There hovering right above his central core, was the enormous Shaiha. While it hummed and emitted multicolored lights, all four of his magic cores also hummed in resonance.


    "What?" Zephyr eximed yet again as hisplexion paled. "N-No! M-Master, the Shaiha is dangerous! You can''t eat it!"


    "I didn''t eat it!" Kyran repeated ring at Zephyr.


    How many times did he have to say he did not eat the Shaiha? In the first ce, his mouth was notrge enough to swallow it!


    Nevertheless, Kyran understood Zephyr''s worry. And to be honest, he appreciated his sentiment.


    From how Zephyr treated the Shaiha, Kyran could more or less guess that it was something that should never be let out of the temple.


    Yes, it was very dangerous. And although Kyran did not know why it was dangerous, he sensed the danger it pose would not only affect the Ylfaen Empire but the whole Human ne.


    For this reason, Kyran was prepared to reinforce the temple''s Transcendent-tier defensive array and even thought of trying to make it into a God-tier array. In this way, none of the other factions would have the means to destroy it.


    After all, most factions within the human ne only had a Magus¡ª or maybe an Arch Magus, as their core strength.


    Once Kyran made sure the Shaiha was safe, then he would have one less thing to worry about and Zephyr would be more at ease.


    Unfortunately, this turn of events threw off Kyran''s ns.


    Now that the Shaiha entered his body, if he left the temple, what would happen?


    Would he suddenly trigger a world-level catastrophe? Or would his Void magic''s ability to ''protect'' him from other magic attack and probing be enough to keep the Shaiha protected... err no, the right word should be ''sealed,'' right?


    Kyran did not want to risk knowing the answer by leaving the temple and would rather get the Shaiha out of his body and seal it in the temple.


    s, he did not know how to do that.


    For now, it appeared the Shaiha was at home within his sea of consciousness and the humming it did which his other magic cores immitated, even sounded... happy.


    ck lines appeared in Kyran''s head as he felt an iing headache from this realization.


    He recalled how the defensive array''s probing earlier suddenly retreated when it sensed his Void energy and his expression darkened.


    ''No way...'' He thought.


    He was starting to believe the temple''s array indeed had a consciousness and it might be connected with the Shaiha''s will.


    Kyran turned to Zephyr and was about to interrogate him.


    Zephyr was slumped on the ground clutching his head in despair as he wailed, "NO! THIS CAN''T HAPPEN! It is impossible! I know you have the power of nothingness and one of its ability is absorption. But you cannot be a glutton and eat the Shaiha, master!"


    Kyran''s expression turned dull. He had been away for almost five years and felt Zephyr''s character had such a dramatic change.


    Wait. In reality, he had only been away for more than a week. Why did Zephyr change so much?


    The truth, this was Zephyr acting more like himself. Before, he was still a little reserved and acted all knowing like an adult. Nevertheless, he might have lived for more than a thousand years, and had received the memories of his ancestor, but he was mostly asleep.


    His mind had not matured enough to be considered an all knowing adult.


    Zephyr''s maturity level might be simr to Nn.


    ...


    If Nn found out Kyran had justpared his maturity level with Zephyr, he would definitely flip. It did not matter whether Zephyr was a thousand year old Quilin, in Nn''s eyes, he was a brat because of his child human form.


    "Will you calm down?" Kyran berated Zephyr as he sat cross-legged on the floor facing him. "The Shaiha is inside my body, I should be the one in despair, don''t you think?"


    As if Kyran''s words finally got through Zephyr, thetter stopped wailing and looked at him in silence.


    With a slight scowl he replied, "True. So why are you so calm, master?"


    Kyran gave him a slight smile as he raised his brows, "I''m amazed you still call me master after speaking rudely at my face."


    A reddish tint appeared on Zephyr''s paleplexion as he scratched his head. He sat down cross-legged, immitating Kyran''s stance, before replying, "Can you me me? We are talking about the Shaiha! You really have to act more worried!"<sub> </sub>


    "I am worried," Kyran replied with a nk expression.


    Zephyr immitated his look, "Right."


    Then he shifted and stomped one foot down while flipping an imaginary table.


    "PLEASE LOOK MORE WORRIED! YOU ARE WORRYING ME, MASTER!"


    Kyran chuckled at Zephyr''s antics. He had not seen him for years and found hispany refreshing.


    Zephyr gave him an odd look while he returned to his cross-legged position. He suddenly worried if the Shaiha entering his master''s body had also muddled his brain.


    Seeing Zephyr''s odd expression, Kyran cleared his throat and his expression turned serious.


    He was really worried. But after training in the Tower of Tribtion, he now had better control over his emotions.


    "Master," Zephyr started. "This really is a big problem¡ª no, it is a very huuuge problem."


    "Before that," Kyran interjected. "Don''t you think it is high time you tell me exactly what the Shaiha is?"


    ck lines appeared on Zephyr''s head. As he had suspected. Kyran really agreed to protect the Shaiha without knowing what it was!


    "You..."


    In the end, he could only sigh in resignation and slowly nodded his head.


    "Ha.... I think you took a few years off my lifespan, master. I''m afraid, I will notst three years because of your impulsiveness."


    Kyran responded with a slight smile.


    "Fine," Zephyr said after a short pause and looked at Kyran. "But what I am about to tell you... please make sure not to tell anyone else."


    "I won''t," Kyran replied almost in an instant. He had not ns on telling others about the Shaiha anyway. Besides, it was now inside his body. Who knew what kind of trouble he would attract if he told others.


    Zephyr studied him for a few seconds before finally nodding his head, "Alright."


    Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Remember when I told you and the others about what happened a thousand years ago?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yes."


    Back in the cottage, Zephyr had told them about the past.


    He had told them about the First War that shook the whole world.


    In the First War, the Demon ne had invaded the Human ne. It was unknown why they had suddenly arrived or where they hade from, but when they appeared, their magic strength and level were far too advance that the humans almost fell into extinction.


    The humans did their best to keep the demons in the southern area to ensure the rich resources found in the eastern and the westernnds would remain under their jurisdiction.


    Unfortunately, because of the demon''s strength, the humans were driven back time and again, and was forced to build theirst stronghold in the centralnds.


    The downfall of the eastern and the westernnds had been a huge blow to the humans.


    If not for the sudden appearance of the three Hero Families, weilding ancient magic, and a genius Magic Schr, the Human ne would have really fallen into the hands of the demons.


    The genius Magic Schr, was able to decipher the demon''snguage and realized that the ''demons'' attacking them did note from the Demon ne, but other nes. Becaus humans could not differentiate their appearances they all assumed they were all demons.


    They found the reason why these ''demons,''¡ª or let us call them the ''others''¡ª attacked the humans, were because the moment they arrived in the Human ne after fleeing from the real demons that destroyed their nes, the humans started attacking them.


    The ''others'' were only fending for themselves.


    As for the real demons, as soon as they went after the ''others'' and found how rich the Human ne''s resources were, they coveted it and attacked both the ''others'' and the humans.


    It was then that the humans realized that the war happening in the Human ne, was not between two sides, but a three-way war.


    The demons, the ''others,'' and the humans.


    Because the genius Magic Schr managed to establish a connection with the ''others,'' the two sides formed an alliance and fought the demons.


    In turn for the alliance, the ''others'' would be given a third of the Human ne, where they could dwell in peace, after winning the war.


    The war went on for years, but eventually, it ended and the alliance triumphed.


    However, the demons were not driven out of the Human ne.


    Instead, the ''Dark Sage'' appeared and ruled over them. Soon, a new war was on the verge of breaking out.


    The Three Hero Families also had a falling out, because they found out that the reason why the demons and the ''others'' managed to enter the Human ne was because of the Soul Emperor. Because of this, the Dragon Lord issued for the Soul Emperor''s execution.


    When Kyran and the others asked for the details regarding the falling out of the Three families, Zephyr shook his head, because that was the extent of what he knew based from the memories of his ancestors.


    "I... did not tell you this, but there is another reason why the demons had coveted the Human ne apart from its rich resources," Zephyr started.


    "Because of the Shaiha," Kyran guessed.


    Zephyr did not look surprised when Kyran said this. As a matter-of-fact, he would be surprised if he did not realize it.


    "Yes," he nodded in agreement. Then he added slowly, "Because the Shaiha is... the Heart of the Cosmos."

 Chapter 324 Piecing Information Together

    ''The Heart of the Cosmos,'' Kyran repeated in his mind and closed his eyes.


    He has not found any information about the Shaiha in the Tower of Tribtions, but he had read and heard of the Heart of the Cosmos.


    In every branch of magic from Kyran''s third training in the Tower of Tribtion, there would be at least one knowledge tablet that talked about it. There were differences in how they portrayed it, but two things they all had inmon were that one it was a god-level item, and two, it had been lost after the great war of gods that happened a few millions of years ago.


    For example, in Alchemy, the Heart of the Cosmos was known as a god-level material that could enhance a potion or pill grade to god-grade even when the materials used were all low-level.


    Simrly, in Array, the Heart of the Cosmos could act as a catalyst that could easily encrypt any god-tier forms into an array, even if the array level was only a saint-tier.


    There were many others that basically resulted in something heaven-defying.


    Another thing Kyran remembered that made him doubt its authenticity at first, was the information written on the Dark Arts knowledge tablet.


    It said that anyone who possessed the Heart of the Cosmos would no longer be bound by the magicw present in any ne, universe, and even realm.


    If others heard all this from someone else, they would definitely doubt its authenticity. But everything was written inside the Knowledge Room in one of the nes the Tower of Tribtion had ess to. Kyran had no reason to doubt it.


    Apart from this, he discovered that one of the reasons most Sovereigns were fighting over who could rule over unupied nes, was because they were searching for the Heart of the Cosmos.


    Kyran took a slow deep breath after recalling what he knew of the Heart of the Cosmos. Though, his facial expression appeared calm. His emotions were actually in turmoil.


    He was already wanted by a few Sovereigns after visiting a number of nes during his training at the tower. If those Sovereigns learned he had the Heart of the Cosmos in his body, wouldn''t every Sovereign be after him now?


    He had yet to free his n, and now this... would his bad luck ever turn for the better?


    As he cursed his bad luck, he started to ponder the rest of the information he had about what happened a thousand years ago in the Human ne.


    From there he pieced them together and formted a theory of what transpired after the First War.


    ''The Soul Emperor was the one who let the demons and the others entered the Human ne. I still don''t know her reasons, but I can''t rule out the fact that she knew about the Heart of the Cosmos and used that to convince the demons toe.


    ''She was also aware of what was happening in the other nes... As for how she knew....''


    Kyran thought of how the Dragon King bestowed the Draconic core to his Regis ancestor.


    The Dragon King was from the Dragon ne. There was a possibility that the former taught Kyran''s ancestor about other nes and many other things. Even if the Dragon King did not, once they were bonded, then they would each receive some of their memories.


    Such was how bonding with a dragon worked.


    ''If my ancestor did not originally possess Draconic magic, then the Soul Emperor was probably the same. She might have met an ''entity,'' someone simr to the Dragon King who bestowed the Soul core to her. It is also likely that someone taught her many things, including the Heart of the Cosmos and about other nes.


    ''If the Soul Emperor coveted the Heart of the Cosmos, why would she deliberately invite the demons?''


    Kyran shook his head inwardly, ''No, that''s not exactly right.


    ''She might know about it and told the demons it was in the Human ne without knowing it really was here.''


    He sighed inwardly and furrowed his brows, ''But that still did not answer the question of why she would deliberately invite the demons.''


    Since Kyran had too little information about the Soul Emperor, he put it aside and continued to piece together the rest.


    ''When my ancestor found it was the Soul Emperor who let the demons and the outsiders in the Human ne, he executed her.


    ''Zephyr said it happened after the humans and the others won over the demons, but why do I get the feeling that it happened before the First War really concluded?''


    This part had been bothering Kyran. He did not think his ancestor was stupid enough to execute one of the Hero families right after the war. If he did, many who were under the Soul Emperor would retaliate and internal conflict would arise.


    But that was also the case if Kyran''s ancestor executed her during the critical moment of the war.


    ''Unless he found solid evidence of her evil deed... if shown at the right moment, every human would go against her and agree to her execution. Aside from this, with her death, any inside intel provided to the demons would stop, leading to the humans and the others'' alliance victory.


    ''Still, Zephyr said that the ''demons'' did not leave the Human ne...


    ''And ording to Nn, a piece of an ancient record they found mentioned that the Dark Sage ruled over those ''demons.''


    ''However, Zephyr disagreed with him.


    ''Why is there a disparity in this part? The ancient record was found in the Regis Ancestral Land. It was close to impossible to be written by an outsider...''


    An idea shed in his mind as he thought of the Magic Schr in the First War.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran had a feeling that the genius Magic Schr was his predecessor. Because True Void had slipped once that before his predecessor found he had Void magic, he was a Magic Schr.


    If Kyran was correct, then the piece of ancient record found in the Regis Ancestral Land might have been written by his predecessor.


    In this case, as a Magic Schr, he might have used terms that befit a mage knowledgeable in ancient texts.


    ''The ancient word for demons, others, and spirits were the same. It is also the reason why there had been no differentiation between the demons in the First War.


    ''Because the demons and the others refer to themselves using the same word, the humans assumed they were of the same kind!''


    As if a cogwheel had sessfully connected to another cogwheel, one after another, Kyran''s theory started to take form.


    ''The spirits saw my predecessor as their savior. Maybe, the ''demons'' that were spoken in the ancient record that the ''Dark Sage'' ruled, were the Spirits not the demons from the Demon ne!''


    Then he recalled a story of how human families who could summon spirits came to be. It was said that a noble Fae married a human.


    Kyran''s expression turned grim as an absurd idea crossed his mind.


    ''My predecessor did not marry a Fae noble did he?'' He thought, recalling how the Ada, which was his predecessor''s family had fae blood which enabled them to see Spirits without thetter showing themselves deliberately.


    Though Kyran wanted to reject this idea, he recalled Ste''s reluctance of letting him meet the Queen of the Faes.


    ''Don''t tell me...'' He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    And that bad feeling was that if his predecessor did marry a Fae... that Fae did not happen to the Queen of the Faes, right?


    Kyran felt an iing headache. He initially wanted to meet the Queen of the Faes, but after thinking of this possibility, he was reluctant to do so.


    But then Kyran stopped his train of thought as he recalled how True Void seemed to imply his predecessor and the Soul Emperor had something... special. Although, she appeared to have used or betrayed him or something.


    Howe his predecessor''s life was soplicated?


    Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Kyran focused on piecing the rest of the information to finalize his theory.


    ''After the First War, the ''others'' upied a third of the Human ne as agreed. My predecessor as the Magic Schr likely became an emissary of the humans to negotiate with the others. He also ruled over the Spirits... But then something happened...''


    Kyran frowned at this. He could not ignore the fact that his predecessor and ancestor also fought in the past.


    If he recalled what the Remnant Souls in the Misty Forest had said, his ancestor had tried time and again to infiltrate the Chaos Pce and probably kill his predecessor.


    ''Why?'' Kyran wondered.


    After learning more about his predecessor, Kyran believed he deliberately made himself the bad guy.


    As to why, initially Kyran thought it was because of the Soul Emperor. But if his predecessor became the ''Dark Sage'' after the Soul Emperor had been executed...


    No.


    Wait.


    ''Has the Soul Emperor really been executed then?'' Kyran pondered.


    Then he pinched the bridge of his nose as he reprimandingly reminded himself, ''What about the Shaiha? Where does it fit in all of this?''


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran shook his head and muttered, "I stillck information."


    Zephyr, who had been silently waiting for Kyran to ask questions about the Heart of the Cosmos frowned after hearing his response.


    "Master?" He asked cautiously.


    Snapping out of his reverie, Kyran looked at him.


    His face was devoid of any indication of what he had been pondering.


    "Ah, right. The Heart of the Cosmos. Okay. I guess... I''m doomed."


    Zephyr gave him a nk expression as he expressed his sentiment, "You... Don''t look worried at all!"

 Chapter 325 Why The Dragons Had Left

    Kyran paused for a few seconds and sorted his thoughts.


    Only when he had properly put aside what he had pondered to the back of his mind did he reply to Zephyr. He said, "I have read about the Heart of the Cosmos."


    He stopped and smiled wryly before continuing, "It''s a mouthful to say. Let''s stick in calling it the Shaiha."


    "Well, that is how it is originally called," Zephyr agreed with a nod. Then he frowned slightly andmented, "I am surprise you know the Heart of the Cosmos."


    The Human ne was a backwater world that had only been breached once. Normally, after being invaded once, a ne would slowly develop and its magicw would adapt to the change. This was the influence brought by the ''outsiders.''


    But the Human ne was different.


    Its magicw was very profound that the influence of outsiders were not necessary. The only reason the Human ne had not developed much was because of the ne''s unrestrained magicw.


    To make it simple, any outsider could use their original ne''s magicw in the Human ne. This had been one of the Human ne''s attraction.


    "I do. But don''t ask where I learned it because I can''t tell you," Kyran said before Zephyr ask any follow up questions.


    "I won''t," Zephyr assured him.


    Information about the Heart of the Cosmos was not exactly non-existent.


    In nes where magic was far more advance than the Human ne, its information were recorded in almost all private archives of influential factions or family.


    As far as Zephyr could tell, Kyran had a drastic change. It was as if he received a baptism of fire that forced him to grow in a short span of time.


    "Far too many things are said that the Shaiha could do. And while I can''t doubt its source, personally, I don''t know if what has been said about it are all true."


    He closed his eyes and rested his right hand on his chest. Even without fully imersing himself to look inside his sea of consciousness, he could sense the Shaiha''s presence within.


    "But, whether they are true or not, several Sovereigns out there believed at least one of the rumored things the Shaiha could do and will do everything to get their hands on it."


    Zephyr looked at him in surprise. He had refrained from talking about the people who were after the Shaiha before and did not mention anything about them. He did not expect Kyran to know about them now.


    The matter surrounding the Sovereigns was far tooplicated than them knowing about the existence of other nes.


    "You... Also, know about the Sovereigns."


    It was not a question, and Kyran knew it. He already guessed Zephyr refrained from mentioning them because as far as they were concerned, the highest mage level was a Sage.


    As for why Nn and te did not mention anything about them, they were bound by the Tower of Tribtion''s secrecy and could not inadvertently leak any information they had acquired there to people who had no prior knowledge of such things.


    Zephyr heaved a sigh as he nodded, "I told you about the Demon General that came to this area and almost annihted your n. The real reason why he came here was that he felt the presence of the Shaiha. He thought your n knew where it was.


    "The King of the Dragons, at first, turned a blind eye to what was happening. After all, it is better to sacrifice them than let the Demon General find the Sacred Shaiha and eventually expose the existence of the Imperial Dragons and the Quilins guarding it."


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable as he listened to Zephyr. He had guessed as much and though he was seething in anger inside by the Dragon King''sck ofpassion for his ancestors, he understood his reasoning.


    If he was in the same situation, he would do the same.


    The only exception was if he had to choose between the Shaiha and sacrificing his own people. In all honesty, he would not hesitate in giving up the Shaiha, even if it meant the whole world would fall. Because Kyran knew that even if the world falls, he was confident in keeping his people safe.


    As for what would happen to other people, he did not care. He was no hero, after all.


    Zephyr observed Kyran''s expression as he told him about the Dragon King''s decision. Unfortunately, he failed to detect any change in Kyran''s mood.


    Since Kyran did not appear to be angry, Zephyr continued, "You already know what happened next. The King of the Dragons feltpassion for your ancestor''s courage and helped.


    "Unfortunately, the King of the Dragon''s action exposed us. The Demon General escaped, and the news about the Shaiha reached the demons. In the end, all the dragons were forced to join the war to help the humans win."


    "However, even if the humans won, the news of the Shaiha has been leaked. Once the Sovereigns heard it, a war that could shake the entire universe would have urred. In the end, the dragons left the Human ne to throw them off the Shaiha''s trail," Kyran interjected.


    Zephyr smiled wryly and nodded, "As expected of my master. That is correct. The Sovereigns who got the news eventually heard about the dragons leaving with the Shaiha. So they did not go here and instead, went after them. But the truth is the Shaiha never left the Human ne. And a few selected Quilins had stayed to guard it."


    The First War a thousand years ago finally made much more sense to Kyran. He also got a new piece that might answer the Soul Emperor''s motive of inviting the demons over to the Human ne.


    "Don''t you find it odd?" Kyran asked Zephyr.


    Kyran''s question took Zephyr by surprise. He was unsure what prompted his question.


    "What is odd?"<sub> </sub>


    "A Demon General suddenly appeared and sensed the Shaiha. To search for it, that demon almost exterminated my ancestors."


    Zephyr frowned slightly, still unable to follow Kyran''s words.


    Instead of continuing, Kyran let Zephyr ponder what he said.


    After a few seconds, Zephyr''s expression turned grim as he realized something. He looked at Kyran and said, "As far as my ancestor''s memories were concerned, when the Demon General came, the demons were still mostly in the southern part of the ne. A few groups of high-ranking demons were sent out to scout but not a Demon General by himself. And mostly, they would scout the east and the west parts but... the Sacred Shaiha might be located in the ''west'' now, but in the past, this area was on the borders of the centralnds."


    Kyran nodded.


    This had been one of the things that confused him when Zephyr told him how his n migrated to Meliora.


    During the First War, there had been no Ylfaen Empire, nor other nations that ruled in different parts of the world. There was only one Human faction.


    The only reason Kyran did not raise this question, was because his knowledge wascking and he did not want to dwell much on the past. He was far more concerned about the current situation of his n.


    "Someone else let that Demon General here. And that someone might already know something about the Shaiha. In the first ce, the Shaiha had been lost for millions of years. Could a Demon General be able to identify the Shaiha''s presence? The dragons and the quilins are the only ones who knew what the Shaiha''s presence felt like.


    "Let''s say the Demon General only felt a powerful presence but did not know it was the Shaiha. Any wise general would not blindly attack alone inside the human territory just to confirm what he had felt. He would have reported the matter to his superiors first and they could devise a n focusing on creating a path going here.


    "I also found it strange that the Demon General managed to escape, even after the Dragon King intervenes. If I am correct, that Demon General was no ordinary demon. Most likely, he... was an essence of a Sovereign if he could escape from the Dragon King''s grasp. And as to how the demon managed to enter deep into the human territory, it''s either because he was capable or that... someone from the human side let him in."


    Zephyr''s mind almost blew off some steam at Kyran''s exnation. He did not realize that such a conspiracy had been hidden in the First War.


    "But... who in the human side would even...!" He stopped short as he thought of the answer. His eyes widened as he stared hard at Kyran.


    "You don''t mean... the... Soul Emperor?"


    "It is a possibility."


    "But master, at that time, the Soul Emperor had yet to appear."


    "Really? Didn''t my ancestor find proof that the Soul Emperor was the culprit behind the demons and the others entering the Human ne?"


    Zephyr fell silent.


    Kyran was correct.


    The memories Zephyr inherited did not have the information on how the Dragon Lord learned of the Soul Emperor''s deeds. His ancestor did not even witness the Soul Emperor''s execution.


    "Let''s put the matter of the Soul Emperor aside for now," Kyran told Zephyr. "I need you to tell me if the Shaiha''s defensive array was created before the demon came or after."


    Zephyr, caught off guard by Kyran''s question again, scratched his head.


    "I... don''t know. But as far as I could remember from my ancestor''s memories, the Shaiha was not hidden in the temple before."


    Kyran nodded, "I see. That should be enough."


    Then he stood up and looked at the room''s ceiling. He already sensed that the core of the temple''s defensive array was located there.


    "Undo your reinforcement, I need to study the temple''s array."


    Zephyr instantly broke into cold sweats.


    When a mage studies an Array, he would need to use his magic sense. With the Shaiha currently inside Kyran''s body, until they understood how it would affect him, or what changes it might have done to his body, he should refrain from using his magic.


    However, Zephyr was too scared to voice this out. He felt if he said anything, Kyran would use his magic even more.


    "Uhm... master. Is it really okay? I mean you have the Shaiha... It will definitely influence your magic."


    "I know," Kyran replied recalling the things he had read about the Shaiha.


    But currently, it was hovering right above his central core. When he used his magic sense, he only activated either his Void or Draconic cores. As long as he was careful, he would not inadvertently trigger the Shaiha.


    Besides, though it looked like a magic core, it was not... right?


    Kyran would soon find out how wrong he was.

 Chapter 326 The Shaiha Had....

    "H-How about we observe the Shaiha in your body first then n for our next step after determining if it is safe¡ª."


    "Don''t make me use the Sigil to force you to listen, Zephyr," Kyran warned, his voice sounding stern.


    Zephyr flinched.


    He remembered how the Sigil''s mark activated when he tried to harm Kyran and did not want to experience it again. It was not that he could not bear the physical pain but the mental strain. After all, the Sigil''s mark was nted in his core and could possibly rip his soul depending on the intensity of the pain.


    "I..." Zephyr sighed in resignation and finally nodded, "Alright. But please be careful. You taught me about the advancement of human magic detection capability through magic devices. Those people after me may still have some installed devices nearby."


    Kyran nodded and said dismally, "Don''t worry about them. I took care of it."


    "I see," Zephyr nodded and sigh with relief. "That''s good then¡ª."


    He stopped short as Kyran''s words sank in and he did a double-take before looking at him in disbelief.


    "What did you just say?" He eximed.


    "I''ll exinter," Kyran said.


    He did not want to dy anymore. Healing Zephyr had already taken too much of his time and he had to go back to Starhorn as soon as possible. Though he did not think anyone had the capability of deciphering the array he had setup in his workroom in the cksmith Order, he was worried his puppets had umted too many experience that their system would end up going haywire.


    Before Zephyr could insist on hearing an exnation from Kyran, thetter had already closed his eyes and sent out his magic sense to study the temple''s defensive array.


    WEEEEENG!


    As soon as his magic sense entered the defensive array, a deafening ring reverberated in the whole room.


    "What?" Zephyr eximed in fright as he stood up.


    Kyran, on the other hand, snapped open his eyes and was forced to retract his magic sense.


    When he did, the ringing sound stopped in an instant.


    "This..." Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Just now, when he had sent out his magic sense, he was unable to use his Draconic magic energy. Instead, the Shaiha took it upon itself and unleashed its own magic energy!


    Zephyr turned to Kyran at once, his expression grim.


    "Just now, that was the Shaiha, isn''t it?"


    Kyran did not reply and instead, closed his eyes once more. He had to properly check the Shaiha in his sea of consciousness. It would be troublesome if he activated his magic energy just to fail and have the Shaiha took over again when he was outside!


    When Kyran opened his eyes, the scene before him almost made his scalp go numb.


    The first time he checked the Shaiha, it was hovering right above his central core and its hum resonated with his other four magic cores.


    However, right now...


    "Where the hell is my central core?" Kyran eximed in shock.


    That was right. Where his central core had now been reced by the Shaiha.


    Because the Shaiha was enormous to fit in his central core''s previous space, his four other magic cores had to move outward to give it enough space. All four of his magic cores would have looked small around the Shaiha, however, all of them seemed to have gotten a boost and had grownrger.


    "Did you just consume my central core without me noticing?" Kyran muttered in exasperation as he loooked at the Shaiha.


    The Shaiha''s multicolored lights suddenly blinked as if responding to Kyran''s question.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he realized he could ''sense'' what the Shaiha was telling him.


    "I... only returned to where I belong to...."


    ....


    Kyran''s expression turned grim.


    This turn of events had gotten way out of his control.


    "What do you mean you just returned to where you belong to?" He asked again after a few seconds of silence.


    The Shaiha blinked again and it conveyed its message in Kyran''s head.


    "I am that which formed the great circle, without me, the four great magic will not beplete."


    "S-Sorry?"


    Kyran''s mind reeled at the Shaiha''s words. It was as if, it was saying, his four magic cores were supposed to represent the four great magic!


    But that was impossible. Because, his third magic core appeared to be contaminated by several magic energies he had not gotten a chance to understand, while his fourth magic core was still inactive.


    As if the Shaiha had read his thoughts, it blinked again.


    "If one magic core is contaminated, then create a new one."


    Kyran''s expression had now turned nk.


    After spending five years in the Tower of Tribtion, few, if none, could already faze him.


    Today had been the first time, after his return.


    He might have been surprised at how the Shaiha had reced his central core and even imed to belong with his other magic cores, but it was something he could still ''ept.''


    But when the Shaiha told him to create a new magic core if one was contaminated, that was thest straw.


    The Shaiha blinked a few times telling Kyran the following.<sub> </sub>


    "There is no need to rush in understanding everything. You will eventually be able to do everything...."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at what it said.


    But then he shook his head, "That may be true. But in the outside world, I am far from being a match to those Sovereigns. If they know of your existence inside me...."


    His voice trailed off as he recalled how many Sovereigns he had pissed off during his training.


    "There is no need to fret. Since I am now back in my ce, I will adapt your own magic energy."


    "Adapt my magic energy?" Kyran looked at it with a wry smile. "Just now, when I used the Draconic''s magic energy, it is your energy that leaked out and gave Zephyr a fright."


    "That is because the Draconic had to transfer its energy into me, thus, I have to convert it into your energy."


    The Shaiha exined as it blinked.


    "My energy is your energy to begin with. There is nothing to fear."


    It blinked some more as it continued to express its thoughts in Kyran''s head.


    "Rest assured, now that I have returned, others will no longer be able to detect your energy. As for Zephyr, he had sensed my movement because he is connected to you."


    Kyran frowned slightly.


    Zephyr had said: "Just now, that was the Shaiha, isn''t it?"


    His words might not mean he was referring to the Shaiha''s energy. His words might imply that he had sensed the Shaiha ''activating'' or something.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran stopped short as he realized something.


    The Shaiha''s message reyed in his mind and what it had said about others unable to detect his energy came to him.


    "You... Can hide my magic energy?" He asked the Shaiha, his eyes widened in both anticipation and surprise.


    His Void magic energy would normally activate and protect him if there was any magic attack, probing or even magic sense, that wanted to infiltrate his body. But he knew that sooner orter, he would meet a mage whose magic energy was far too profound and would be able to detect clues about the Void energy in his body.


    "Yes. My essence could only assist a little, but now that I have returned. I will be able to fully conceal it from others."


    The Shaiha replied as it blinked several times.


    ''Essence...'' Kyran''s brow twitched involuntarily at this.


    For some reason, he understood the essence it was talking about was his previous central core.


    He never thought that magic cores could also create or have an essence. It would not tell him that magic cores had levels too would it?


    Kyran took a deep breath. The matter about the Shaiha was too much for him to process in a short period of time. But since he could not take his sweet time to learn everything now, he decided to deal with itter.


    "Basically, if you can hide my energy, it means you can also hide your presence," he started. "If that is the case, then its fine. I can''t afford others to sense you."


    The Shaiha did not respond immediately. It appeared to have fallen into silence. But then it blinked a few times in response.


    "I do not understand what you mean about hiding my presence. Since I am now inside you, your presence is the only thing that they can sense."


    Detecting a person''s presence was different from detecting a mage''s magic energy.


    A person''s presence was made up of other factors such as what that person''s mood was, or how he smelled, sounded, or even ''felt.'' Sometimes, when a mage was enraged, he would emit a pressure that could easily affect one of this factors. Especially his mood, making his presence appear ''domineering'' and would also emit an almost visible killing intent.


    Magic energy detection, on the other hand, was affected by a mage''s magic.


    At this point, Kyran still considered the Shaiha as a foreign object in his body, thus, he could not help but think it had a different ''presence'' than him.


    "I... see."


    Kyran replied, but actually he was still a bit confused.


    "Fine, just make sure to... keep yourself under control," he finally told the Shaiha.


    The Shaiha blinked and hummed in response.


    His other four magic cores also hummed as if to agree with the Shaiha.


    Kyran felt his head throb.


    With the Shaiha residing in his body, he felt as if he had now turned into a different species. He did not even felt this way when hepleted the amalgamation of the Elixir and his body.


    Sighing in resignation, Kyran finally left his sea of consciousness.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, Zephyr sprang to his feet and said, "M-Master. How is it?"


    Kyran gave him a wry smile and just said, "Its... fine now."


    "What do you mean its fine now?" Zephyr asked in confusion.


    "I''ll... exin itter," Kyran told him.


    "You said that just now..." Zephyrined.


    Could he me him? Kyran had not even processed everything that he learned himself!


    Without bothering to answer, Kyran looked up at the temple''s defensive array.


    Though he no longer need to study it or reinforce it after what the Shaiha had told him. He was still curious about it.


    After all, he had to confirm the consciousness he sensed earlier.

 Chapter 327 99 Consciousness

    Zephyr watched in silence while Kyran studied the temple''s defensive array.


    At the moment, Kyran was sitting cross-legged at the center of a miniature array formation.


    Most array formation were circr, but this one was a myriad of shape on top of another. The base formation was a square, and on top of it was fouryers of triangle shape with each of point pointing at one of the four cardinal directions. A circle shape was the one keeping these fouryers in ce. Then hovering outside the square were several small shape-shifting orbs. They dance around turning into a diamond, then into a lotus which would tranform into a tear-shape crystal and many others.


    Kyran had his eyes closed as he moved his hands around the formation filling every empty spots with array forms.


    Zephyr could more of less follow what he was doing, which was recreating the temple''s defensive array.


    However, he did not expect that Kyran would literally recreate a visible array he could also see. Apart from this, he could sense that Kyran was not simply recreating the array. Because every time hepleted one empty portion of the array, the whole temple would tremble. Unfortunately, with his limited Array knowledge, he failed to understand the full extent of what Kyran was doing.


    Zephyr''s intuition was correct.


    Kyran was not simply recreating the array but removing it to bring the whole array with him!


    The reason Kyran decided to take the array was because of what he discovered after studying it with his magic sense almost an hour ago.


    As he expected, the whole array had a consciousness. And it was not only one but multiple consciousness!


    Kyran already had an idea who these consciousness belonged to and why they were within the temple''s array formation. The thought made his heart sank. Because it was rted to the disappearance of Zephyr''s brethren.


    Beats of sweat trickled down Kyran''s face as he carefully transfer the one form after another into the miniature array. If this was any normal array, it would only take him a few minutes. But because of the array''s delicate nature, he has to be extra careful in dealing with it.


    After a couple of hours, Kyran was finally at thest phase of extracting the temple''s array. He only needed toplete the extraction of all the shape-shifting orbs, and it was the most delicate part of the whole formation. Because it was in these orbs that those several consciousness resides.


    By now, Zephyr had already sensed a big change in the temple and his guess as to why that was, made his scalp go numb.


    His new master had a canny way of shredding more years off his life!


    Another hour passed before Kyran''s movement stopped. A blinding gold light filled the whole room that forced Zephyr to close his eyes.


    When he opened then again, the miniature array around Kyran was gone and thetter was already looking at him.


    Kyran''s expression was too solemn that Zephyr''s heart began to beat nervously.


    "W-What is wrong master? Why do you have a scary expression?"


    "When you reinforced the array, did you sense anything familiar about it?" Kyran replied with a question.


    Zephyr furrowed his brows at the question. Somehow, his master seemed to ask questions he could not fully follow through.


    "I am not sure what you want to know master. But if you meant if the array itself is familiar then no. It is my first time seeing such advance array. If you meant if the energy in the array is familiar then yes, it is familiar. I guessed the few of my brethren who were the first ones to guard the Shaiha set it up while the rest of us went into deep sleep."


    "How many are a ''few''?"


    Zephyr pondered for a moment before answering, "Four or five."


    Kyran fell silent. His initial guess had now been confirmed.


    The painting he had seen outside that depicted the quilins who receieved the decree to guard the Shaiha amounted to 100. That included Zephyr.


    And the consciousness he had sense within the array numbered... 99.


    That was right. The temple''s defensive array had been created by the sacrifice of all 99 brethren of Zephyr.


    The reason Zephyr did not realize it, was due to hisck of experience in dealing with Transcendent-tier arrays. He was the youngest among the quilins. Most likely, his brethren nned to teach him slowly when it was time for him to wake up.


    Unfortunately, something happened which forced all of them to make a sacrifice and create a defensive array around the temple.


    Then they chose to let Zephyr be thest guardian, for the same reason.


    Zephyr had barely experienced living and his brethren felt it was too cruel to have him sacrifice his life along them.


    The sacrifice of all 99 quilins left a deep impression in Kyran''s heart.


    For them to willingly give their life to ensure the Shaiha was safe made him feel unworthy of taking it with him.<sub> </sub>


    Though it was possible that they had been willing to do that was they were hoping he woulde one day and take it away.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran contemted how to tell this to Zephyr. He might only have a theory for now, but he had to tell Zephyr his thoughts before delving deeper into the array. Because he believed, with the right method, he would be able to extract all 99 souls of Zephyr''s brethren in the array. Once he did, then they could ask them what had happened.


    Unfortunately, extracting souls was a hard task, and since Kyran had too little knowledge in soul magic, his chances of sess was less than 10%. If he was more knowledgeable in soul magic, his chances might increase to at least 50.


    There was Cyneah. But Kyran doubted she understood soul magic than he did. As far as he could tell, she was unaware of the fact she possessed soul magic, albeit, she did not possess a magic core, which was very strange.


    Nevertheless, Kyran felt the need to get Zephyr''s consent before he did anything. They were talking about his brethren, after all.


    "Zephyr, what I am about to say is only a theory. But I am 99% positive that I am on the right track here," Kyran started after a short pause.


    Hearing the sincerity in Kyran''s voice, Zephyr realized that he was about to hear something grave. His heart sank as he thought of one possible subject that would make his master act this way and even appeared hesitant to tell him.


    It had something to do with what might have happened before he woke up alone in the ruins.


    ''M-Master must have seen something or sense something from how the temple''s defensive array was arranged...'' He thought, his heart sinking every second.


    "I want you to keep an open mind, and if you trust me enough, I give you my word that I will get to the bottom of this."


    Kyran continued, his eyes reflected determination.


    Zephyr did not answer at once. He was unsure whether he wanted to hear what Kyran wanted to say. But at the same time, he had to hear him. Especially if it really had something to do with his brethren.


    Finally, Zephyr took a deep breath and nodded.


    "I understand."


    Hearing Zephyr''s consent, made Kyran sighed in relief. He actually feared he already had an idea what he was about to say and would be too afraid to hear.


    "Alright..."


    For the next half hour, Kyran told him his theory.


    Zephyr''s expression remained calm as he listened to Kyran. But his eyes had already turned red and even on the verge of tears by the time Kyran said he felt 99 consciousness in the temple''s defensive array.


    When Kyran finally told Zephyr his n on extracting his brethren''s souls in the array, thetter''s expression became hopeful. But then his face fell when the former admitted his chance of sess was low.


    In the end, Kyran told Zephyr to think about it well. No matter what his decision might be, he would respect it.


    "Thank you for telling me, master," Zephyr said, lowering his head toward Kyran.


    Kyran shook his head, "No matter what, you are my Sigil, apart from this, the Shaiha that your brethren had been willing to protect at the cost of their life is already inside me. I will definitely make sure their sacrifice was not put to waste."


    "T-Thank you."


    Zephyr''s voice broke slightly because of the emotions he had been holding in.


    Sensing how low Zephyr''s mood had be, Kyran pondered how to divert it.


    Then he recalled he had yet to deal with ''someone'' and an idea popped in his mind.


    "Right," he started. "I have taken a couple of new Sigils, and since all of you will work together one of these days," Kyran said and waved his hand.


    The space beside him distorted and a man with long blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a somewhat disheveled golden armor appeared in thin air.


    His face was also bloody but it did not deter the regal air he had. Kneeling with one knee, he bowed respectfully toward Kyran and said, "Master."


    The man was none other than Tritus.


    "I think its high time that all of you meet each other," Kyran said.


    Zephyr''s expression changed from looking forlorn to shock as he sensed the neer''s magic level. It was the second time he had met a mage with such profound magic level, with the first time being Nn.


    Once again, his master had shredded some years off his life span!

 Chapter 328 Four Powers In The Royal Army

    "W-Who...?" Zephyr asked as he turned to Kyran.


    Though his master had said that the man before them was a new Sigil and even acted the part, Zephyr felt something different about him.


    It was the kind of difference that though they were both Sigils, the restrictions ced upon the man were far moreplex than Zephyr.


    Tritus stood up and looked at Zephyr, with a very respective attitude he lowered his head slightly toward him and said, "I am Tritus. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."


    Kyran''s brow slightly twitched at Tritus''s attitude.


    When he removed his memories and used the Novo spell to alter them, he did not expect the result would be like this. As far as he was concerned, the changes he made should not have affected Tritus''s attitude much.


    "Zephyr," Zephyr also introduced himself while looking uneasily at Tritus.


    "Senior Zephyr," Tritus addressed with a slight nod. "I''ll be in your care from now on."


    "Master," Zephyr could not help but look at Kyran worriedly. "This man is... a little scary."


    Kyran chuckled at Zephyr''s words. He looked at Tritus and then to Zephyr and said, "There are two others I will have you both meet, but first I have to deal with something."


    He then looked at Tritus and lifted his hand toward him. A number appeared at the back of his hand as he activated his Sigil.


    The mark of the Sigil appeared on Tritus''s forehead and slowly, his dishevelled state changed.


    All his wounds healed at a visible rate and even his gold armor got fixed.


    Zephyr recognized Kyran''s action. It was very simr to how he had healed him earlier.


    After Tritus had been healed, he respectfully lowered his head and knelt on one knee before Kyran.


    "Thank you for your kindness, master."


    "That''s enough," Kyran told him and added, "Stand to the side. I want you to help me deal with this one."


    "Understood, master."


    Tritus replied as he stood up. He walked to Kyran''s other side and stood at a ready.


    Kyran waved his hand and a person appeared before them once more.


    The man who appearedy unconscious on the floor and was bound with dark purple rope. He was also wearing a gold armor and appeared slightly battered with few areas of his armor destroyed.


    Zephyr guessed that his master had beaten up the man senseless before binding it. The thought made him sigh inwardly. He recalled the first time they had met and how ruthless his master had beaten him into submission.


    It seemed, he was not the only one who experienced it.


    However, the unconscious man was not a Sigil, which made Zephyr wondered what Kyran wanted to do with the man.


    As for Tritus, as soon as the man had appeared, his eyes instantly narrowed. Then he said, "Reuben."


    Kyran raised his brows as he looked at him in surprise.


    With Tritus''s arrogant demeanor, Kyran would not be surprised if he did not know the names of his members. However, if he ever did remember their names, it meant he acknowledged them or had bigger ns in stored for them.


    Seeing Kyran looking at him, Tritus faced him and respectfully replied, "Master, this man''s name is Reuben. He is one of the brightest member of the Temr Code''s Elite Team. I nned to have him infiltrate the Royal Family''s Intelligence Division once he gain enough fame within the Elite Force."


    Zephyr froze as soon as he heard Tritus spoke of the Temr Code. Then his mind reeled after hearing thetter''s ns with the oneying on the floor, Reuben.


    "Y-You are from the Temr Code?" Zephyr could not help but blurt out as he gaped at Tritus.


    Tritus turned to him and said apologetically, "Apologies Senior Zephyr. After epting being master''s Sigil, I have be ashamed of my identity as the Temr Code''s Commander and thus, did not mention it."


    "C-Commander?" Zephyr eximed and looked piercingly at Kyran at once.


    The reason why Zephyr did not recognize Tritus as part of the Temr Code was because of his armor was a slightly different from the ones the other members wore, even though it was also made with Aurum gold.


    It did cross Zephyr''s mind that if Tritus was from the Temr Code, the reason why his armor looked different might be because of his profound level. But the likeness of such a person appearing in the Shaiha Ruins was close to nil.


    So, Zephyr had thought Kyran met Tritus somewhere else, took his as his Sigil, and had him help with destroying the Temr Code''s make shift camp. Thetter thought being the reason why Tritus ended up looking disheveled a while ago.


    It never crossed Zephyr''s mind that Tritus was the Temr Code''s Commander!


    "Ah, right. He is the Commander of the Temr Code," Kyran said dismally.<sub> </sub>


    "Master, please stop shredding what little life I have left!" Zephyrined. Even if Tritus was now Kyran''s Sigil, there was no guarantee he would remain loyal. Though the Sigil would immediately activate when Tritus had designs against Kyran, with the former''s profound magic level, he might have some life-saving item or even technique that could help him escape death.


    Kyran only looked at Zephyr in amusement and refused to say anything.


    To be honest, he did not exin Tritus''s background to aggravate Zephyr once he found out. Only by doing this that Kyran was sure Zephyr''s focus would be diverted away from what had happened to his brethren.


    Kyran turned his attention to Tritus and said, "The Royal Family''s Intelligence Division? Not the Royal Army?"


    Tritus nodded.


    "Correct. After the Royal Family met with all other leaders of each factions within the empire, the Emperor Euan had seen to it that he took over the whole Royal Army''s control again," he exined.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. They already guessed as much. But he did not know how the emperor managed to do that. As far as he knew, the Royal Army''s Grand Marshal might have little influence but he would definitely not be a push over.


    Seeing Kyran''s expression, Tritus continued with his exnation, "I am not sure if you are aware, master, but the Royal Army has always been divided into four powers."


    Kyran nodded, "That much I am aware of¡ª"


    He suddenly stopped short and frowned, "Wait, four?"


    There was the Grand Marshal, and three Deputy Marshals in the Royal Army. But in terms of who wanted to rule the army, one of the Deputy Marshals, Ingrid, had always been silent. The Conve of the East had also confirmed that she had no desire of gathering followers to form a ''fourth side'' into the power struggle in the army.


    Tritus nodded, "Correct. I am not sure how urate is your information, master, but the four powers struggling to take control over the army are the following; Grand Marshal Gael, Deputy Marshal Mannick, Deput Marshal Imman, and Assistant to the Grand Marshal, Fiona."


    "What? The Grand Marshal''s assistant has a power of her own?" Kyran asked. It was his first time hearing the name Fiona. Ste''s record had not shown any information about her. Or maybe, he was not aware of her because the record Ste shared with him was only an overview.


    "Not exactly," Tritus replied with a shake of his head. "She is someone the Royal Family had nted beside the Grand Marshal to keep tabs on his movement. However, because of her special status, she has certain level of authority within the army. In fact, she has been secretly backed by Deputy Marshal Ingrid, because the two are rted. From this, I am sure you can already see master, that the real power which Fiona represented was not her own."


    Kyran took a deep breath. He had always wondered why Deputy Marshal Ingrid was not interested in the power struggle. It was rare to find someone who was not power hungry.


    One good example he could think of was Olivia. She was the daughter of the previous Head of the Aureole but she never once tried to rule them. Instead, she was focused on finding a cure for her mother.


    "All this time, the Royal Family has one of their own hide among the army," Kyran said with a bitter smile. He admitted to have underestimated the Royal Family''s power.


    "That is correct. They have been waiting for the right moment to strike," Tritus agreed.


    However, Kyran was not entirely convinced. Because he could not understand why the Royal Family had to wait until the matter of Gray happened before making their move? There were still missing pieces. And to be honest, he could not help thinking about what Ste told him about Haylee.


    It was for this reason that Kyran felt that Haylee was actually at the center of everything that recently transpired within the empire and not Emperor Euan.


    "Let''s discuss thister," Kyran finally said after a moment''s pause. Now that he had extra hands he could use, there was no rush for him to do everything on his own.


    First, he had to deal with Reuben, and after that, have him and Max go on a special mission.


    "Right now," he looked at Reuben with a thoughtful look. "I am contemting in making him my Sigil or not."


    Tritus raised his brows in confusion, "Why not? Having one more brain at your desposal is a good thing."


    Zephyr who had been silent because his knowledge about the current situation of the humans were too little, finally found something he couldment on. He also nodded his head and said, "I think so too."


    Then he looked at Kyran seriously and said, "You tend to do a lot by yourself, master. From nning, resource gathering and even in getting yourself in trouble."


    Kyran looked at him with a dull expression, "Thatst one was unnecessary."


    "Anyway, you might have asked those two to help gather intel and manpower but they are not enough. You also know it, that''s why you are also doing everything you can to do it."


    When Zephyr said ''those two,'' he meant Gage and Ss. But he was afraid of saying something he should not have in front of a new Sigil so he refrained from mentioning their names. He had learned to be tactful like this. After all, te and Nn had warned him about saying too much.


    Kyran did not answer at once and instead fell silent. Then he shook his head and said, "There is a reason why I can''t forcefully make this guy my Sigil."


    He turned to Tritus before continuing, "It''s because of a man named Max. Do you know him?"


    Tritus nodded, "Yes. I actually nned on having him lead a team with Evan to find clues of the dragon''s disappearance."


    When Zephyr heard this he could not help but look at Tritus incredulously.


    "Just how many ns do you have?" He asked.


    Tritus looked at him and smiled apologetically, "Apologies, senior Zephyr. I used to be an ambitious man, thus, I had devised far too many ns in order to rule the whole world."

 Chapter 329 Reubens Decision

    Kyran cleared his throat. He was the one who altered Tritus''s character and had seen bits and pieces of his memories. There were far too many things Tritus had wanted to do that Kyran could somehow rte to, except their motives were different.


    Everything Kyran wanted to do was to save his n, while Tritus wanted to rule over the world.


    "Going back to the topic," he said shifting their conversation back on track.


    Tritus nodded and replied, " Apologies master. In addition to my answer, I think I may have an idea why you are hesitant.


    "Max is an honest man, and he genuinely respects the dragons."


    Kyran sighed after hearing Tritus. He already knew that and hoped Max would not affect his eptance of the Sigil once he found out Kyran was not a dragon.


    "I''m not sure if you''ve noticed but I am not a real dragon," Kyran said.


    Tritus raised his brows and replied, "Whether you are a real one or not, the fact you can use their magic is enough to gain our respect master."


    Kyran''s brow twitched, he did not n to alter Tritus''s character and make him a fanatic.


    "I have something I want Max to do, but I don''t want to force him," he said and looked at Reuben on the floor. "I am thinking of showing my sincerity by not forcing someone he looked highly upon to be my Sigil."


    "Hm. I understand where you areing from," Tritus replied with a nod. "But, master, Max also respected Freya and you''ve killed her."


    Kyran shrugged, "She hurt Zephyr, she had to pay for that."


    "Master..." Zephyr''s eyes turned teary-eyed after hearing Kyran''s reply. Recalling his master''s little souvenir earlier, touched him.


    "As expected of our master. Following you is the best thing that happened to me," Tritus also agreed.


    "Okay that is enough," Kyran interrupted the two before they started spouting cringy praises. "I want you to convince Reuben to submit to me Tritus."


    "Of course, master. I will do what must be done," Tritus replied.


    "No need."


    A voice suddenly spoke.


    Both Tritus and Zephyr looked at Reuben who had already stirred awake and tried to get up.


    The truth, Kyran had already sensed him stir awake. But he did not change the conversation because he wanted him to hear the truth.


    Reuben managed to change into a sitting position and as soon as he looked up and saw Kyran, he felt his heart skip a beat.


    Kyran''s physical features were too evident it was impossible not to know who he was.


    "You are a Regis..!" Reuben eximed in surprise.


    "I am."


    Kyran replied not nning to hide it from him. Besides he would have to tell the truth anyway


    "Rumors have it that the Regis Blessing can make a Regis use dragon''s magic and¡ª."


    "I''ll have to stop you there," Kyran cut him midsentence as ck lines appeared on his forehead. "Let''s not talk about the rumors and get right to the point."


    He looked Reuben in the eye and said, "You know my intentions, what do you think?"


    Reuben did not reply but instead looked at Tritus.


    It was not his first time seeing Tritus, but each time he did, he could count on one hand the times he had spoken to him.


    Tritus still looked as domineering as ever, however, the fact that he stood respectfully a few steps behind Kyran said a lot. It should be noted that he would never let others stand in front of him. It was not because he trusted the people standing from behind, but because, he did not want others ''blocking'' his path.


    Reuben had always been an intelligent person. He could easily see the right path he could take to get better chances of survival. If surviving meant escaping, he would do it. It was for this reason that he left Max to deal with the masked man earlier.


    He knew the ''unmasked'' young man before could easily kill him. And the only chance for survival was to act ''agreeable.''


    Speaking of the unmasked young man, Reuben looked at him once more and felt mixed emotions. He had not expected that the masked man who possessed such frightening strength was a Regis and looked very young. They had heard stories of a Regis''s strength but never in his wildest imagination did he view their strength could easily wreck a thousand Temr Code members where most were Masters and High Masters, not to mention having two Grand Masters and one Exalted.


    Then Reuben recalled why this young man had done it and turned to look at the youngest one among them.


    It did not take him long to associate him with the huge Quilin they had been after. From the color of the boy''s hair and strange clothing, it was obvious he was the Quilin in human form.


    This prompted several questions in Reuben''s head.


    "You have questions, I get that. I can answer all of them if you swear your allegiance to me," Kyran told him after noticing Reuben''s thoughtful expression.


    Reuben did not reply at once. He only looked at him in silence as his brain was wracked with different scenarios of what might happen if he agreed or disagreed.


    Kyran, on the other hand, did not mind waiting. Reuben was still tied and could only sit there and ponder anyway.<sub> </sub>


    "You did not kill Max," Reuben finally said after a few minutes.


    It was not a question. Based on the conversation he heard as he stirred awake, he already confirmed Max was alive.


    With a short nod, Kyran said, "I still have use for him."


    Reuben immediately frowned.


    "Do you spare people based on their worth?" He asked.


    "Depends," Kyran replied dismally. "I can also spare people without worth as long as they don''t touch my people."


    As soon as he said this, Reuben automatically looked at the boy standing a few steps behind him.


    Kyran followed his gaze and he said, "Right. Let me introduce you."


    He gestured toward Zephyr, "This is Zephyr. The Quilin your leader had almost killed because of the fatal attack she did."


    Zephyr looked at Kyran with a slight scowl, "You make me sound like a weakling, master."


    "That''s your opinion," Kyran replied as he turned to look at Reuben.


    "So... that Quilin can also change into a human¡ª no, that is not right. You are not a dragon that can change into a human form," Reuben said, sounding a little unsure.


    Kyran nodded and said, "That''s right. Zephyr is one of my people, so if you n on chastising me for killing your leader then forget it. Your boss¡ª," he pointed toward Tritus, "¡ªtried that and looked at him now."


    Tritus lowered his head toward Kyran andmented, "I am very much honored to be your Sigil, master. If I get a chance to go back in time, I will do it again if it means I will end up bing your Sigil."


    "Right, right," Kyran waved his hand dismally at him. He was now considering altering Tritus''s character again.


    One Byron was enough, to be honest.


    Seeing his boss acting like this made Reuben break out in cold sweat. Never in his life did he imagine, that one day he would see Tritus like this.


    "I..." Reuben began after a short pause. "Would like to see Max."


    "No," Kyran rejected his request at once.


    When he saw Reuben''s brow furrowed, Kyran added, "Max needs to rest. I... admit I''ve been a little rough on him."


    Zephyr''s brow twitched as he heard Kyran add the word ''little'' in his words. As far as he was concerned, Kyran did not know how to act a ''little'' rough.


    "All the more that I have to see him!" Reuben insisted, "Only when I am sure he is alive that I will agree to be your Sigil."


    Kyran raised his brows after hearing Reuben''s terms. In the first ce, when he asked him to swear his allegiance, he was not talking about bing his Sigil. At most, he would ce a mark on him simr to Olivia.


    "Are you sure you want to be my Sigil?" He asked.


    "Isn''t that what you want to do?" Reuben asked in reply looking at him in confusion.


    Kyran shook his head, "Nope. I know of other ways to ensure you won''t betray me. But if you be my Sigil, well..."


    He looked at Zephyr and Tritus and said, "You will be like them and your life will be tied to mine. Are you fine with that?"


    Kyran looked at Reuben once more.


    "If Max is already your Sigil, then I don''t mind bing one," Reuben replied.


    The truth, he and Max were not really that close. But after hearing Max looked highly upon him, he could not help but feel the need to repay the big guy''s respect. So far, the only way Reuben had thought of how to repay Max was to share the burden of bing another Sigil to the young Regis.


    "Alright," Kyran agreed. If Reuben had decided to be his Sigil then who was he to reject? It was better to have this person be one of his Sigil, to be honest. At least, by being his Sigil, Kyran had better control over Reuben''s life and death.


    "I''ll take you to where he is resting, but, I am warning you. Once you leave that ce and you can''t change your mind, or else..."


    Reuben felt his scalp go numb when he heard the young Regis say thest part. But since he had no ns on going back on his words, he nodded and said, "I understand."


    Kyran did not reply. Instead, he waved his hand and the ropes binding Reuben disappeared. Then his dark gray eyes turned dark purple and in an instant, a purple circle appeared underneath Reuben.


    "This..!" Reuben eximed in surprise. Because he had sensed a different type of magic apart from the one the young Regis had used earlier from the circle. Apart from this, thetter did not use any arrays!


    "Max is awake, but tell him to rest and not worry about his beasts. They are properly taken care of," Kyran told Reuben before he disappeared within the purple circle.


    Zephyr could not help but look at the disappearing purple circle curiously.


    "Master, where exactly does that purple circle leads to? Is it back to the cottage?" He asked, thinking that it was a warping circle that he did not want to experience anytime soon.


    "No," Kyran replied with a slight smile.

 Chapter 330 Domain

    Zephyr looked at Kyran quizically.


    Before he could ask further, Kyran said, "We''ll go there too. In the future, that ce will serve as our meeting ce. I''ll give each one of you ess there."


    When Kyran said this, Zephyr''s expression instantly turned grim. He said, "C-Can I just wait for you guys to return¡ª."


    "No," Kyran interrupted as he turned to look at him in amusement. It had been a few years since he hadst threatened Zephyr in using his warp ability and still found it amusing.


    Thinking of this, Kyran decided not to tell Zephyr that he could now warp others without causing them to feel nauseated. He wanted to ''surprise'' him.


    Zephyr''splexion paled as Kyran rejected his plea without even batting an eye, "M-Master..."


    He sometimes wondered whether Kyran was a good master or evil.


    No, not evil, but a big bully!


    Kyran ignored Zephyr''s plea and continued, "There''s another person I want all of you to meet."


    As he said this, he took out a dark purplemunication disc which was simr to the one he gave Byron a few years back¡ª a couple of weeks ago in real-time.


    "You mean the first one?" Zephyr said. He was not really asking because he knew he was right. His worry about experiencing Kyran''s ''warping'' was immediately reced with anticipation as he thought of finally meeting the first Sigil.


    Zephyr already knew there was someone before him and that Kyran met with that person when he and Nn left a couple of weeks ago.


    Once he had asked what kind of person Kyran''s first Sigil was, but thetter only gave him a nk expression and refused to say anything. After that, Zephyr did not ask again. Besides, Kyran would eventually introduce him when the time was right.


    It seemed the right time was today.


    "Yes," Kyran replied.


    Without waiting for the two to ask more questions, his eyes turned dark purple as he activated the disc on his hand.


    As soon as he let his magic sense enter the disc, Kyran''s expression turned grim.


    His expression rmed Zephyr and Tritus, but before they could say anything, Kyran''s grip on the disc tightened.


    Cracks appeared on the disc and were on the verge of being destroyed.


    "Master, what happened?" Zephyr and Tritus asked at the same time.


    With one brow twitching and the other side of his head full of ck lines, Kyran shook his head, "Nothing. I... Give me a minute, I''ll be right back."


    "Master, let me¡ª."


    Before Tritus could finish what he was about to say, Kyran had disappeared in thin air. This caused his eyes to widen in disbelief.


    "W-What?" He eximed.


    Zephyr also gaped in shock. He had not seen Kyran warped without summoning those purple rings.


    Now that he thought of it, the ability Kyran had shown when working on the temple''s defensive array was different from when he was working on the cottage''s array. Initially, Zephyr had thought the reason might be because the Array level installed at the cottage and the temple were far apart.


    ''His improvement is insane,'' Zephyr thought.


    Tritus looked at Zephyr and asked in confusion, "Where did master go? No, more importantly, just now... he did not use any token when he disappeared. How?"


    With a slight smile, Zephyr looked at Tritus. Then he said, "It''s better to let master exin it."


    "I understand," Tritus replied with a slight nod.


    Meanwhile, when Kyran left, he appeared at a dark corner of a study room.


    Sitting behind the study table that was filled with stacked up documents and scrolls was none other than Byron.


    "Argh! Why is the leader letting me deal with this! I thought I''m already off the hook now that all the executives had returned, but no~. I still have to deal with all of these paper works! Just where are they anyway?" Byron ranted as he continued to read a thick book.


    On the cover, it showed the words ''Ledger'' written in gold.


    All of a sudden, Byron stood up and tossed the book in the air while screaming, "AAAAARGH! I''ve had enough! Master! Where are you! I miss you!"


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Thest few words Byron had shouted were the same words Kyran had read in the disc. If it had been one coded message it would not have annoyed him, but 47 out of 126 messages all contained the same ''Where are you, master! I miss you!'' message.


    "Why did you suddenly show your handsome face to the public? How will I convince you not to use an ugly disguise now?" Byron continued to rant.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He had not expected showing Byron Tyr''s face would make him act like this.


    Besides, Nar''s face was not that ugly okay?


    Nevertheless, all of those things did not matter because whether it was Tyr or Nar, both were not his real face anyway.


    Kyran heaved a sigh. His first Sigil was really... an oddball.


    When Kyran had sighed, Byron''s immediately went on guard as he turned toward the dark corner of the room to his left.


    Light green magic arrays appeared right under Kyran''s feet.


    "You dare to¡ª Gwah¡ª!"


    Even before Byron could threatened Kyran, thetter had waved his hand and the light green magic array under his feet shattered.


    Byron coughed out a mouthful of blood not from the bacsh of having his magic array destroyed but because his Sigil activated.


    "T-This¡ª!" His mind reeled as he stared at the silhouette slowly walking toward him from the corner.


    After walking a few paces, Kyran stopped just close enough for the floormp beside the study table to illuminate his features.<sub> </sub>


    Byron gaped at the young man in ck clothes with cold eyes before him.


    Before Byron could once again make an attempt to attack, the young man suddenly spoke which made immediately made his whole body tremble.


    "I only left for a couple of weeks and now you dare to attack?"


    Byron''s eyes widened as he immediately recognized his master''s voice! His eyes brightened as he once again realized that the face his master was using was also handsome!


    "M-Master!" Byron sprang to his feet and was about to jump Kyran while saying, "Please use that handsome face when I introduced you to my¡ª."


    A huge purple circle appeared vertically between Byron and Kyran, and the moment Byron stepped into the circle, he disappeared within.


    Kyran scowled.


    "The hell I will use my own face," he replied and also disappeared.


    Just as the purple circle where Byron had slipped into vanished, the door to the study opened and a young woman wearing a blue uniform peered inside.


    "Sir Byron? Is everything okay?"


    Back at the Shaiha Ruins temple, a huge purple circle appeared above Zephyr and Tritus and a burly man fell.


    As soon as the man feel, he vomited things that would cause nightmares to small ones if it was described in details.


    Kyran appeared a second after Byron, still wearing a scowl on his face.


    Zephyr and Tritus could not help but gape at Byron. Both had different expressions, the former had a sympathetic expression while thetter wore a shocked one.


    "Now that he''s here, let''s go to where Max is," Kyran said, not even bothering to introduce Byron.


    Since Zephyr had been with Kyran mostlypared with the other two, he already sensed how annoyed he was and thus did not try to argue. As much as he did not want to be warped and suffered like this burly man again, he could only endure than face Kyran''s wrath when he was clearly pissed off at something.


    "W-Wait! M-Master! L-Let me catch my- bleergh..!" Byron vomited once again.


    "Now you remember who I am?" Kyran said looking at him piercingly.


    Byron swallowed the next bout of things his stomach was about to throw up.


    Seeing his action made Zephyr mp his mouth as his stomach churn.


    That was... disgusting.


    "I-I did not recognize your new handsome face, M-Master!" Byron said while looking at Kyran.


    Kyran only gave him a nk expression and waved his hand.


    Byron disappeared again.


    Zephyr and Tritus looked at Kyran with a nk expression.


    Kyran had been very amiable a while ago and they had almost forgotten how cold and ruthless he could be.


    ''Let''s not annoy him,'' the two thought, unknowinglying into a silent agreement.


    "That guy is..." Kyran started but then sighed. Then he shook his head and looked at Zephyr and Tritus, "If you two say anything about how look too, I''ll punish you."


    The two obediently nodded their head, "Yes." But then shook their head and amended their reply to, "We mean.. we won''t say anything!"


    Surprisingly, Zephyr and Tritus were in sync.


    "Alright, enough fooling around," Kyran said. He seriously felt he grew some white hairs whenever he had to deal with Byron. "Let''s go."


    ? Without waiting for the two to reply, his eyes turned dark purple and they all disappeared from the temple.


    When they disappeared, the whole temple also trembled.


    If anyone was above the Shaiha Ruins, they would have seen how a semi-transparent purple half-sphere covered the valley where the temple was located.


    Everything inside the semi-transparent purple half-sphere blurred, and in a blink of an eye, it disappeared, leaving a huge crater on the ground.


    Zephyr tightly closed his eyes as he braced for the nauseating feeling that woulde right after getting warped.


    However, that feeling never came.


    ''This...?'' Zephyr opened his eyes.


    What greeted him nearly made his eyes popped out of their sockets!


    Before him was a vast greennd.


    At one side, there were strange looking buildings Zephyr guessed were houses. And on the other side was an enormous field filled with different types of crops.


    Then up ahead, was a dark purple tower where rune writings circled its facade. It eminated a rich magic energy which Zephyr realized was none other than the Void.


    "Master, this...?"


    The one that had spoken was Tritus.


    Zephyr turned and saw Kyran looking at them with a slight smile.


    "As I said, this ce will be our meeting ce. Whenever you need to report something, just enter this ce and I will know your inside and will appear before you."


    "But this ce is not... in the Human ne is it?" Zephyr chimed in.


    "No," Kyran replied. "Because this is my passive domain, ''Void World''."

 Chapter 331 Meeting The Five Sigils

    "Passive domain?" Zephyr and Tritus repeated.


    What the heck did that even mean? As far as they were concerned there was only a Magus''s domain. There were no categories or whatnot associated with it.


    Seeing their confused expressions, Kyran chuckled and said, "I can''t go into details but just know what your master can do is not bound by normal logic."


    Zephyr''s brow twitched at his words. Did Kyran have to act arrogantly? They already knew he had two powerful magic¡ª ah, right, Zephyr was the only one who knew this¡ª, but did he have to rub it on their faces?


    And why was Kyran even referring to himself as ''your master,'' it sounded really obnoxious.


    "As expected of, master," Tritus immediately replied sping his hands respectfully toward Kyran. "I truly have made the right choice of submitting to you."


    "Right, let''s get going," Kyran said, looking awkwardly at Tritus''s actions. He then proceeded to walk toward the dark purple tower up ahead.


    The two followed suit.


    As they were walking, Zephyr looked around their surroundings.


    This ''Void World'' was such a strange domain. He had known that Spirits could create small personal spaces as their domain, but this ce was really a small ''world.''


    He could sense the rich magic energies in the surroundings, and the wind that subtly caresses them felt fresh and pure. Even the sky above them looked too real. There was even arge yellow sphere that resembled a sun.


    Zephyr then turned to the fields on one side before looking at the vige on the other. He already sensed life moving about in the vige, and the crops growing in the fields were clearly not ''artificially'' made.


    But he was not entirely surprised. After all, their master possessed the power of nothingness.


    Which made Zephyr wonder who those life forces he could sense in the vige belonged. Because they clearly did not feel ''human.''


    Thinking of this prompted Zephyr to look around in search of someone. When he could not seem to find what he was searching for, he turned to Kyran and asked, "Master, where is that strange guy you sent here beforehand? And the tied-up man too?"


    "Them?" Kyran said looking sideways at Zephyr.


    "They are already there," he answered jerking his head toward the tower.


    Expressing his confusion, Zephyr immediately asked, "So you can warp anyone directly there? Why did you make us appear here? That tower looked far."


    Kyran stopped and turned to him. With a nk expression, he raised his right hand and pointed at the ground beneath Zephyr''s feet.


    "I can warp you there right now."


    Purple rings instantly appeared there which made Zephyr jump in fright.


    "N-No! I-I can walk, master! I''ll dly walk! Please allow me to walk there!"


    Tritus could not help but break out in cold sweat at the exchange between Zephyr and their master. His apprehension was not because of Kyran''s threat toward Zephyr, after all, he had yet to fully understand how ''scary'' the expression of being warped feels like. It was because he had heard another word that he sent shivers up his spine.


    The word ''warp'' and ''Void.''


    They were not referring to Void magic, were they? Kyran already had such powerful, the draconic magic, so it was impossible to wield another powerful magic. Logically, it was impossible...


    "...but just know what your master can do is not bound by normal logic."


    What Kyran had just said repeated in Tritus''s head and he sweated more profusely.


    It appeared, that he had underestimated the truth behind their master''s words.


    Kyran retracted the purple rings and without saying anything more, they went to the tower.


    In truth, one of the two reasons Kyran did not make them appear inside the tower was to avoid dealing with Byron''s nonsense. He decided to let the big buy calm down first by warping him in one of the rooms in the tower''s basement.


    As for Reuben, Kyran warped him in one of the private rooms in the infirmary, located on the second floor of the tower. Right about now, the two could be deep in conversation ¡ªright, their conversation would mostly consist of Reuben talking while Max grunted a word or two in reply.


    This was Kyran''s other reason. He wanted to give ample time for Reuben and Max to talk, thus, he warped at a distance away from the tower.


    While they walk, Zephyr had been curiously scrutinizing the vige on one side. In an attempt to fill the awkward silence, he finally asked, "Master, why is there a vige in your Void World?"


    "To let people live in it."


    ....


    "Your exnation iscking," Zephyrined.


    Tritus also agreed albeit subtly.


    Kyran chuckled as he looked at the vige to his left.


    After a short pause, he answered, "I... took some people with me when I visited another... ce. They are living there right now."


    "T-Took..." Zephyr repeated his brow twitching. "Did you not mean kidnap?"


    ck lines appeared on Zephyr''s forehead.


    He recalled how Nn once told Kyran to stop ''kidnapping'' people after returning with an unconscious Cyneah with them.


    Zephyr only thought Nn was kidding. Besides, as far as he knew, the only one Kyran truly kidnapped was him, Zephyr.


    But it appeared that Kyran''s ''hobby'' of kidnapping people had taken a turn for the worse. Now the people he had kidnapped could upy a vige!


    "Kidnap, or abduction, means taking someone by force," Kyran replied matter-of-factly. He gave Zephyr a sideways nce and smiled knowingly before adding "I did not force them."


    "That''s not the point! Master, are you really telling us there are live people living here?" Zephyr eximed in exasperation.


    He had never heard of a domain that could contain people for a long period of time! Not even a domain manifested by the power of nothingness!


    Kyran looked ahead and nodded, "Yes."


    "How is that even possible?" Zephyr asked still looking at him with mixed emotions.


    Tritus was also curious. Every minute that passed that he got to know their master, he was bing more and more curious to learn everything about what he could do!


    However, no matter how much Zephyr pestered him, Kyran did not answer. He only kept an indifferent expression.<sub> </sub>


    After a few minutes, Zephyr finally gave up and stopped asking. It was hard to talk with a block of wood.


    Finally, they had gotten closer to the tower.


    Now that they were only twenty meters away from the tower, Zephyr and Tritus realized how high it was. If their estimation was correct, the tower was about 50 to 60 meters high.


    Apart from these, the letters on the rune writings circling its facade were a foot tall.


    Still, the two realized something was missing.


    There was no entrance to the tower.


    Kyran stopped and raised his right hand. Immediately, the rune writings shifted, and a dark purple vortex about three meters high and two meters wide appeared before him.


    He turned to Zephyr and Tritus and said, "Let''s go," before entering the vortex.


    Zephyr and Tritus exchanged nces. They realized that their master was the only one who couldpel these circling runes on the tower. Meaning, that no one could possibly force their way into the tower.


    He could not recognize every rune, but judging by their color, Zephyr was 100% sure it was Void runes.


    A few weeks back, he remembered Kyran did not even know any Void runes, and yet, right before them were hundreds of thousands of Void runes.


    Taking a deep breath, Zephyr entered the tower with Tritus.


    The scene that greeted them behind the vortex was a square room, with transparent walls that overlooked the wholend below. To their right, was a huge bed where a huge tall man with long dreadlocks in a white shirt and pants clothes sat.


    Reuben was standing at the burly man''s right side looking at them with a slightly uneasy expression.


    Then in front of them was Kyran, where the ''first'' Sigil was currently hugging his feet while wailing.


    "M-Master! Why did you have to lock me in that dark cell! I thought I have done something wrong and you sold me to the enemies!"


    After entering the vortex, Kyran also warped Byron to Max''s private room. The moment he appeared, he crawled and hugged his legsining nonstop.


    "A-And why are there more men here? Y-You''re not building a... a... r-reverse harem, are you? You can''t! It will ruin your manly image!"


    The others looked at the burly man with nk expressions. What the hell was he saying?


    As soon as Byron said thetter part, Kyran''s eyes turned silver and his pupils turned into slits, as he grabbed Byron''s head.


    "Say that again, and I''ll crush your head this instant."


    Byron immediately let his hands go of Kyran''s feet and was thinking of mping his mouth. However, because of the Kyran''s firm grip on his head, Byron tried to yank Kyran''s hands off his head instead while he whimpered in pain


    "O-Ow! Ow! Ow! I-I''m only joking, Master! P-Please, forgive me!"


    Kyran let go of Byron''s head, and thetter hunched forward and hug his head.


    Byron''s oddness was getting worse each time they met!


    Heaving a deep sigh, Kyran then turned to Reuben, who straightened his back instinctively. Then he also looked at Max who was looking at him with mixed emotions reflected in his eyes.


    "I''m sure you''ve already heard from him, but I am not a dragon in human form," Kyran said.


    Max nodded slowly and only grunted in reply.


    "But I give you my word, a time wille where you will stand before one. Not just any dragon, but the King of the Dragons."


    After hearing this, Max''s eyes glowed in anticipation.


    Max was not the only one. Reuben and Tritus also looked at Kyran in both surprise and anticipation.


    On the other hand, Zephyr shivered as he looked at Kyran''s back in fear. He knew exactly how Kyran could do that and he feared the Dragon Venerations who would definitely appear before the King.


    As for Byron, he looked at Kyran in confusion.


    "Why would anyone mistake you for a dragon, Master? You are clearly a human. Besides, you are the Void Master!"


    BAM!


    Reuben and Tritus nearly slipped after hearing Byron. Even Max who was on the huge bed and would be impossible to double over actually did.


    "W-What did you say?" Reuben blurted.


    "Hm?" Max also grunted.


    Only Tritus did not say anything because he already had an idea from the words he had heard, but the confirmation still shocked him senseless.


    Kyran cleared his throat, as he looked at all of them, "You''ve heard it right. I am the new Void Master. However, I also admit to possessing Draconic magic.


    "With this in mind, I want the five of you to listen to what I am about to say. But before that," he looked at Reuben. "It''s time to keep your word."


    Reuben, still looking at him in shock could only nod his head and said, "Y-Yes, master."


    Kyran was not even his master yet!


    Scratching his head, Kyran walked over to Reuben.


    That day marked the first time Kyran met with five of his Sigils.


    ===============


    Early morning in Starhorn City.


    Matias apanied by a group of middle-aged men in white robes and holding long silver staffs appeared in front of the cksmith Order.


    With a sneer on his face, he entered through the gates and barked out, "Come out here, Disciple Tyr, and face me! If not I will kill every member of the cksmith Order here today!"

 Chapter 332 Matiass Ruthlessness

    Because it was early in the morning, the cksmith Order was buzzing with activity. Whether it was in the work area, the receiving area, or the staff office area.


    Long-time customers and even new onese and go.


    At the start of the week, they had more ordersing in from Disciple Tyr''s dered pensation'' that would run until the end of the week.


    However, to ensure that the cksmith Order would be able to provide all requests, the three days, after the start of thepensation, they had made a few changes. Instead of only having Disciple Tyr work on all requested magic items, they were now free to ask for President Sigma or Chairman Noir to create them. Aside from this, they would only ept a total of 200 requests per day. As for when they could receive the item, they had set a turnaround time of a minimum of two weeks to a month.


    They were hoping to lessen the burden on Disciple Tyr''s work by having both President Sigma and Chairman Noir shoulder the requests.


    To their surprise, however, almost 80% of the customers still ask to have Disciple Tyr work on their request.


    This was the effect of the first few hundred magic items made by Disciple Tyr, which they had released at the start of the week.


    More and more people hade to know that Disciple Tyr''s work did not pale from President Sigma or Chairman Noir''s work.


    There were even a few who felt that Disciple Tyr''s work was ingenious.


    While almost every faction was singing praises for Disciple Tyr''s work, there was one particr family who was not convinced.


    This family was none other than the Lumley Family. one of the Three Noble Families of the Ylfaen Empire.


    Going back to the first day of the pensation week,'' because of Disciple Tyr''s instruction not to entertain any requests from the Lumley Family, thetter had to pay an exorbitant price just to get their hands on one of Disciple Tyr''s magic items.


    After that, they did not waste any resources in employing their own Array Specialists in cracking it.


    Two dayster, they dered that it was a wed creation after running some tests.


    They then issued aint to the cksmith Order asking for them for ''exnation.''


    However, the cksmith Order did notply and even said that their im was invalid as they had no solid proof.


    That same day, the Lumley Family showed proof of the said ''wed'' magic item which somewhat swayed the public opinion.


    Not even five minutes after they showed the proof, severalints from different people were sent to the cksmith Order also stating that they had received a wed magic item. They also included images of the wed magic item and their findings.


    This had caused an uproar among the public, to the point where those who had ordered a number of magic items had to check all of them in fear that they had also received wed magic items.


    Nevertheless, the seed of doubt among the public onlysted for half an hour because the cksmith Order issued another statement saying that the said ''wed'' creations were not Disciple Tyr''s work.


    They then revealed that all magic items created by Disciple Tyr had a magic code imprinted on them, which was simr to an identity token.


    All the said magic items on the image that came with all theints did not have the magic code imprint. They also included an image where the code could be seen.


    Aside from this, they also confirmed that the cksmith Order had not released any magic item to the Lumley Family nor to those people who imed to have received a wed magic item.


    After their statement, all those who took bulk orders checked their magic items and confirmed that indeed the magic items had a magic code.


    The public immediately realized that these people''s target had been to defame Disciple Tyr!


    A few minutes after that, the cksmith Order issued another statement that shook the whole eastern empire.


    In their statement, they had cklisted all those people who had sent their false ims, stating that they would no longer do any business with them. However, they were not only cklisted from the cksmith Order but to every establishment affiliated with the Conve of the East, including the Mercenary Hall, Chamber of Commerce, and Alchemist Association.


    The Lumley Family was instantly enraged by the statement.


    Being cklisted by the cksmith Order was one thing, but they actually had the audacity to cklist them from every establishment affiliated with the Conve!


    It was practically sentencing every family business of the Lumley to ruin!<sub> </sub>


    Some medium-sized businesses handling magic items were relieved to not have made a move against Disciple Tyr. To be honest, they had been thinking of smearing his reputation because his poprity was increasing too fast, and they were afraid to lose their customers.


    However, therge-sized businesses and even the Courtenay and the Montgomery Families, the other two families from the Three Noble Families, had thought the Lumley Family''s move had been reckless.


    It was true that they also believed the work of Disciple Tyr was gaining too much poprity that if not dealt with properly could overturn the market of magic items. This would mean a significant decrease in some of their businesses'' profits.


    But they did not dare make a move because they had yet to understand the Conve''s stance on this.


    If they were only dealing with the cksmith Order, they could easily suppress the demand for Disciple Tyr''s magic items. However, if the Conve of the East would get involved, then it would not be worth it.


    It was very unfortunate that the Lumley Family had been impatient. Especially after the first grandson had been humiliated by Disciple Tyr.


    Now, it appeared that Disciple Tyr not only had the cksmith Order''s support, but also the Conve of the East.


    Because of this, every faction had once again issued an investigation on Disciple Tyr''s background.


    They believed that having Chairman Noir as his master was not enough to make the Head of Conve intervene, even though the former was known as one of the Conve''s Council members.


    Everyone waited for the Lumley Family''s next move until the end of the day. But they had been quiet after that.


    However, their silence did not mean they had admitted defeat.


    Any person who was smart enough to read ahead of the situation could guess that this was the calm before the storm.


    True enough, the next day, the Lumley Family had dispatched a number of their high-ranking mages which Matias personally led to the cksmith Order.


    "Come out here, Disciple Tyr, and face me! If not I will kill every member of the cksmith Order here today!"


    Matias''s arrogant voice reverberated through the whole street where the cksmith Order was located.


    Immediately, the expressions of the staff inside the cksmith Order fell.


    Even without checking, they already knew that the one outside was someone from the Lumley Family. In normal circumstances, they would not panic but today, both President Sigma and Chairman Noir had gone to the Tower of Conve to attend an emergency meeting.


    Though they knew the cksmith Order''s Array could protect them and that the Starhorn''s Array in ce would limit the Lumley''s magic, there were plenty of magic items and even Array Formations that could easily counter the restraining effect of the Starhorn''s Array.


    The Lumley Family was also part of the Three Noble Families. They definitely had warned the Royal Army stationed in the Starhorn not to interfere with their business with the cksmith Order.


    As for the matter of the order getting help from the Conve, they had cleverly dealt with it by dering they only wanted to face Disciple Tyr and would ''kill'' members of the cksmith Order.


    If the Conve intervenes, it would appear they were willing to throw away their ''neutral'' status just for a lowly disciple. This would definitely escte and might even affect their overall image. In the end, an open war between them and the Lumley Family might break out.


    Taking a deep breath, the old man from the cksmith Order''s front office stepped out of the building to greet the crowd.


    Right now, most people outside had steered away from the order after seeing the group of mages with Matias.


    As soon as the old man saw Matias, his heart sank. He had suspected that the Lumley Family''s reason for attacking Disciple Tyr had been because of this young master. And seeing him here had only proven his suspicion.


    Matias''s eyes narrowed as he saw the old man walk out from the side of the cksmith Order''s building. He clenched his fists in annoyance as he red at the old man.


    "Greetings, young master Matias," the old man started as he bowed his head in respect. "I am Albert, the one in charge of¡ª."


    "I called for Disciple Tyr, not you!" Matias interrupted and raised his hand where a red magic array had already been summoned. Without blinking, he summoned a ball of fire and aimed it at the old man.


    "Argh!" The old man''s right arm instantly burned from the sudden attack.


    Screams from the onlookers nearby filled the air.

 Chapter 333 Not Qualified

    "Senior!"


    A few of the front office members of the order who were silently watching what was happening outside from inside the opened doors of the order''s receiving area immediately went out save Albert.


    It wasmon knowledge that most members of the cksmith Order were average humans, especially those working in the front office.


    What could they possibly do in front of a mage?


    As for those who could wield magic, they were mostly out on the field gathering materials they could not get from the Chamber of Commerce. The few who remained were Array Specialists who were busy crafting along with the cksmiths.


    However, the moment they stepped out, those white-robed mages with Matias would not let them.


    In an instant, the cksmith Order''s front gate was filled with different colored magic arrays. There were green, light brown, light yellow, but mostly red magic arrays that summoned either the earth, wind or fire elements.


    A small whirlwind engulfed the front office members of the order as arrows molded from earth magic shoot out in midair toward them. Midway, mes appeared on each of the arrowheads when they entered the whirlwind and hit the members of the order.


    "Argh! M-My eyes!"


    "My arm! Help! It''s burning! It''s burning!"


    "S-Someone! Please, call the army officers!"


    Shrill cries filled the surroundings as the members inside the whirlwind were bombarded by burning arrows.


    While crouching on the ground holding his half-burned arm, Albert watched his fellow members burn slowly inside the whirlwind.


    The fire from the arrows was not fierce, but because of the nature of the winding from the whirlwind, its intensity had almost tripled. Aside from this, the fire rapidly spread on the ground leaving minimal space for the members of the order to move.


    Ignoring the pain in his arm, Albert turned his attention to Matias and practically prostrate himself before thetter.


    "P-Please have mercy, young master Matias! W-We are but ordinary people! Please cease your magic!"


    "Huh?" Matias red at Albert. He walked toward him and stepped on thetter''s head, burying his face in the ground.


    Albert winced but did not retaliate. He had no means to retaliate.


    It was very unfortunate that the cksmith Order''s Array would only activate if violence happened inside. Outside, the facade of the building could withstand magic and physical attacks at a certain level, but it had no form wherein it could protect the people from the attack.


    Such a specific form was hard to calcte.


    "You did hear me say that I want Tyr here right? I also mentioned killing each one of you. Is it my fault that you guys readily deliver yourself in front of us?" Matias practically spat out each of his words.


    Albert did not reply but remained prostrated on the ground.


    The onlookers from a distance dare not intervene and only watched. To them, they were curious about how the cksmith Order would handle this predicament.


    Matias was a member of the Lumley Family, and practically everyone in Starhorn already knew of the statement the cksmith Order issued banning the former from all of the establishments affiliated with the Conve.


    After the cksmith Order issued the statement, the Lumley Family did not make a sound.


    Just when almost everyone was convinced the Lumley Family had backed down after the Conve had intervened, they had sent the first grandson with a group of mages to the cksmith Order!


    Though thetter appear to be challenging Disciple Tyr and the cksmith Order only, the Lumley Family''s action clearly showed their stance.


    ''We are not afraid! If you want to ban us, then we will show you just who you are messing with!''


    Of course, both the Conve and the Three Noble Families were arge faction not to be trifled with, but because of the former''s neutral status, the Lumley Family was not afraid to showcase their might.


    Inside the cksmith Order, as soon as Matias had arrived, a few members of the order had ushered their customers to a more safe area inside the building, another went to the working area to report, and another sent a message to President Sigma.


    The people inside actually did not hear Matias''s demand because Noir added a soundproof form in the working area. He did this to ensure Kyran would not be disturbed while he worked.


    When the members of the order found what was happening, all Array Specialists stopped what they were doing to go outside. It did not matter if they were in the midst of a critical phase in their creation, because the matter of protecting the rest of the cksmith Order members were far more important.


    It should be noted that most cksmiths were also ordinary humans. Some possessed weak magic, and thus could not be promoted to an Array Specialists. However, they could still craft simple enchanted magic items because arrays were not only reliant to a mage''s magic energy but the materials.


    The cksmiths who noticed themotion looked on in confusion.


    Gunter, whose workstation was close to the entrance of the cksmith Order could not help but look at big metal doors.


    It was the same entrance that Kyran had entered from the first time he went there, and Gunter was the cksmith who stopped him.


    Just as he was contemting whether to peek outside to see why all the Array Specialists had left, they felt a slight tremor on the ground.


    "Just now, did you feel that?"


    "Where did that tremore from?"


    "I think it came from outside."


    One after another, the remaining cksmiths had eximed.


    Gunter frowned slightly. He knew the tremor had something to do with why all the Array Specialists had left. Looking at the other cksmiths inside, most of them were thinking the same thing.


    "Stop!"


    One of the Array Specialists eximed as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the receiving area and saw the whirlwind and the trapped members of the order.


    One after another, the Array Specialists roused their magic as red magic arrays appeared and circled their hands.


    They did not step outside and instead, used their affinity to fire magic to control the mes inside the whirlwind.


    "Humph!" The earth and wind mages among Matias''s group sneered at the cksmith Order''s attempt to save their fellow members.


    They were aware that all Array Specialists of the cksmith Order were fire mages. As far as they knew, President Sigma was the only earth mage in the order.


    Even Chairman Noir was a fire mage.<sub> </sub>


    The earth and wind mages from Matias''s side moved andunched another attack.


    The wind mages amplified the whirlwind disrupting the flow of air inside. The fire within seemed to have weakened but because of the change in the air inside, the members were now having trouble breathing.


    "You!"


    Two Array Specialists from the order raised their hand toward the white-robed mages casting the wind magic. They summoned fire balls and aimed at them.


    The earth mages who had seen this waved their staff, arge light brown magic array appeared beneath their feet.


    The ground tremble as a mass of earth emerged to block the fire balls.


    Small explosions resounded as the fire balls hit the mass of earth.


    "H-Help us!" The members inside the whirlwind whose bodies had suffered from burns and now was having trouble breathing cried out.


    Matias sneered as he looked at the Array Specialists that did not dare step outside the opened doors of the building.


    "What? I thought the cksmith Order valuedradery. Why won''t you step outside and properly help your people?" Matias mocked. Then he suddenly looked thoughtful and said, "On second thought, are you thinking of sacrificing these people to protect that deceitful Tyr?"


    "Do not go too far! Release them!"


    A master mage among the Array Specialists hissed while he made a move to step outside the door.


    Matias''s smile turned wicked as he waited for the Array Specialist.


    It was meaningless to kill ordinary members of the order. Their real target was the Array Specialists and the cksmiths. This was the mission the Lumley Patriarch, Matias''s Grandfather, gave him.


    Matias did not ask why, but he could more or less guess it was retaliation to the ban statement they dered. As for the matter with Disciple Tyr, it his personal mission.


    With the humiliation he suffered because of Tyr, Matias would definitely make him pay.


    The moment the master mage Array Specialist stepped out the door, Matias''s eyes glinted maliciously and a huge red magic array hovered behind him.


    A fire mage attacking another fire mage was not really ideal. Since both had the same innate magic, they tend to be immune to both.


    However, if the innate fire magic of the other was far more superior, then it was possible.


    "Burn him!" Matias shouted as a huge zing roc emerged from the magic array and flew at an astonishing speed toward the Array Specialist.


    The master mage failed to react on time and was instantly engulfed by the zing roc.


    "Argh!"


    Even with their uniform''s fire resitance and his own fire immunity, the master mage felt the zing roc''s mes burn him.


    "Senior!"


    "Emmet!"


    Ordinary members and Array Specialists alike eximed in fright as they saw how Emmet''s hair and clothes slowly turned to ash.


    "HAHAHAHA!" Matiasughed hysterically. "Weak! You think you just because you are a fire mage you can withstand my mes? YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED!"


    Matias mocked as he stomped one of his feet in glee.


    The foot he had used was the one above Albert''s head, and the older man winced as his face got pressed deeper on the ground.


    In the background, agonizing cries from the members in the whirlwind and Emmet resounded and the rest of the members inside the building fell into despair.


    Albert too cried in despair. If he had not stepped out as soon as he had seen Matias this probably would not have happened.


    No, in the first ce, he had not imagined Matias to act ruthlessly. They were inside Starhorn City, after all. If they ran rampant, the Royal Army would have intervened.


    Wait.


    Where were the Royal Army? Were they not going to intervene?


    As despair filled the heards of every member of the order the air suddenly turned chilly.


    It was then followed by a deep cold voice speaking from out of nowhere.


    "Not qualified?"


    When the members had heard it, their sullen eyes suddenly turned bright in anticipation.


    They knew that voice!


    The voice added, "Let me direct that back at you."


    A huge light golden magic array appeared above the cksmith Order building. In an instant, an immense magic pressure weigh down on Matias and his people, forcing almost all of them on their knees.


    At the same time, their summoned magic disappeared, freeing all the members of the order and saving Emmet on the verge of getting burn to death.


    In the blink of an eye, all of them disappeared. Even Albert who Matias''s had stepped on vanished.


    "You are not qualified to run amock here."


    The huge metal doors at the center of the cksmith Order building slowly opened as a man in a white hooded coat appeared.


    With his handsome features, auburn hair and alluring aquamarine eyes, that glowed menacingly at the moment, Matias and his people recognized him at once.


    "DISCIPLE TYR!" Matias shouted in anger.

 Chapter 334 Tyrs Temper

    Matias shouted Tyr''s name with such zeal his magic energy erupted intensely. He even exuded an immense pressure one would think his innate fire magic could not ept the fact it got overpowered by a support type magic.


    In an instant, Matias lifted some of the pressureing from Tyr''s magic array boring down on him.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent as he witnessed Matias''s magic outburst. He did not seem intimidated by the pressureing from him. He only looked at him and his people in silence and the members of the order who could see him wondered what he was thinking.


    Though Matias lifted some of the pressureing from ''Tyr''s magic,'' the white-robed mages behind him were struggling with most still kneeling on the ground.


    "Y-Young master¡­"


    Some of them started but stopped unsure of what to say. At the moment, they could not exert any magic energy from their body to properly counter the pressure around them.


    Ignoring the people behind him, Matias retorted with a sinister smile, "We''ll see whether I am qualified or not, Disciple Tyr."


    Then he added while his eyes glinted menacingly, "You think your people are safe just because they are inside the building? Or did you think that you alone can take on all of us?"


    Just as he said thetter, his hatred surged once more and his magic energy erupted. A five meter zing roc appeared behind him, at the same time, his eyes turned into a fiery pit.


    "NAIVE!" Matias growled.


    The zing roc behind him roared as it spread its wings defiantly.


    The huge light golden magic array above shook from the outburst of magicing from Matias with his zing roc.


    However, no matter how much Matias''s magic energy increased, he could not seem to rouse his magic and attack.


    It was as if Tyr''s magic array had the ability to restrain him!


    This caused questions to rush in Matias''s mind.


    One question was how such amon support type of innate magic, strengthening magic, could produce such a powerful pressure and restraining effect. It even managed to cancel out his people''s joint attack.


    Another question was how the members of the order outside the building suddenly disappeared.


    Those people could not have been illusions, were they?


    ''Stop!'' Matias forced himself to push all these questions at the back of his mind.


    Those questions could be answered in a bit, after he dealt with Tyr!


    Thest time Matias was here, Tyr overpowered him, resulting in such a deep-seated hatred to take root in his heart.


    His innate fire magic were no ordinary mes. He had the zing roc, after all. Fire mages whose mes manifested into a legendary beast were rare not only within the Ylfaen Empire but throughout the world.


    A beast manifestation of magic was different from a molded beast to form a magic attack.


    Mages whose magic manifested a beast meant it received a blessing, giving a boost to the magic''s property.


    Though it was said that the hottest mes that one could possess was the purple mes of hell, Matias mes were categorized among the legendary beasts. With the roc being the third to possess intense mes.


    However, when Matias and Tyr fought, before he could even summon his magic thetter already knocked him down! Not to mention, Tyr did so without using magic!


    Clearly, the cksmith Order''s Array, which was created by an Array Master, had something to do with Tyr''s unexinable explosive strength. Because Matias''s mes could not possibly be inferior to him who possessed a support type magic!


    Matias would prove it to everyone. He would not fail this time.


    As long as he could force Tyr out of the order''s array, and fight outside, Matias would ughter him!


    Only then would the humiliation he felt that day be appeased!


    Matias was filled with hatred that it clouded his judgment. He even failed to notice that Kyran had long left the area of effect of the cksmith Order''s Array. Not to mention, the ''array'' above was no magic array, but an array formation.


    That was right.


    Kyran simply camouged the color of the Array above to mirror ''Tyr''s magic array.'' If Matias had been calm, he would have realized that the runes on the array above were array forms. One of which was a target-based transmission form.


    This form was the reason the members of the cksmith Order disappeared. They had been transported inside the building.


    As Kyran had his eyes fixed on Matias and his people, he was listening to a voice speaking in his head.


    Surprisingly, the voice in his head sounded almost the same as his.


    [Three ordinary humans are suffering from second-degree burns, six third-degree burns. Two got their limbs severely burnt and one lost an eye. Lastly, one Array Specialist is critically wounded. Master, they all needed immediate care.]


    ''Use all necessary potions or pills from my pouch to apply first aid. I''ll handle the restter. If there''s anythingcking, let me know at once,'' Kyran replied.


    [Yes, master.]


    Kyran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he had been a few secondste, these people would have died horribly. They might not be ''his'' people, but as ''Tyr,'' they were hisrade in arms.


    In the first ce, Matias''s target had been him. But they did not go to him, and even tried to face Matias on their own.


    While Kyran appreciated their thought, he also felt they were too foolish.<sub> </sub>


    Matias was the grandson of the Lumley Family, he would not havee if he was not confident in handling them.


    Kyran already confirmed that there were at least four Grand Masters and two Exalted nearby observing them.


    Though he was unsure whether these Grand Masters and Exalted were with Matias, they were definitely no friend of the cksmith Order.


    In any case, Kyran did not care about those people. Let them observe all they want, but since he was ''Tyr'' at the moment, he would act ordingly.


    He already revealed Tyr''s temper when he first dealt with Matias, and when he sparred with someone from the army in front of the Crown Princess. Going by this two incidents, if he acted up right here, they would not think he was out of character, right?


    Kyran slowly opened his eyes, revealing Tyr''s beautiful aquamarine eyes. However, at the moment, the usual dazzling look reflected on them was reced by coldness.


    "Three, six, two, one and one," Kyran spoke with a voice loud enough for Matias and his people to hear.


    Matias frowned as he heard him. He had no idea what Kyran was muttering about. His confusion was cleared soon after as Kyran continued.


    "That''s a total of thirteen, tsk. Such an ominous number."


    Without taking his eyes off Matias and his people, Kyran added with a smile that did not meet his eyes, "Well, will you look at that. You have the same number."


    "What are you-?"


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "ARGH!!!!"


    Miserable cries filled the air as three of the white-robed mages fell on the ground, their legs twisted in a very strange angle.


    The eyes of all the remaining white-robed mages widened in fear and they broke out in cold sweat as they sensed such intense killing intent behind them.


    The members of the order who were watching from inside the building also looked at the scene before them with bulging eyes.


    They had not seen Disciple Tyr moved! In less than three seconds, he attacked three of the white-robed mages and appeared behind them with his wooden staff held in his right hand.


    Such speed! How was he able to move so fast?


    "That''s three partial fractures? I guess that''s equivalent to a second-degree burn?" Kyran wondered aloud as he stood with his back on the white-robed mages.


    Matias, who was frozen in ce when he realized Tyr had vanished from his view, slowly turned, his heart pounding heavily in his chest, not from fear but from anger.


    He turned to look behind.


    At the same time, Kyran also turned.


    Their eyes met and both of their eyes glowed as they charged forward.


    "Disciple Tyr!" Matias growled and made a dash toward Kyran, the zing roc superimposed on him.


    If he could not release an attack then he would bring his mes to him!


    Kyran, however, ignored the iing Matias and continued to attack the white-robed mages.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "ARGH!"


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "ARGH!"


    "Y-Young master! S-Save us!"


    More miserable shrieks filled the air as six more white-robed mages fell on the ground, blood gushing out from either their leg or arm. If one looked closely, something white with fleshy parts were sticking out from their robes!


    "That''s six disced fractures which can be equivalent to third-degree burn?" Kyran wondered aloud again that everyone who heard him could not help but feel their scalps go numb.


    The cksmiths inside the working area who were helping Kyran''s puppets tend to the injured members of the order also felt their blood run cold.


    Since they were the ones who first had a look at the casualty Matias and his people had done, they knew exactly what Kyran was saying!


    Kyran was injuring Matias''s people ording to the injury their people received, albeit, instead of burns, he was aiming to fracture their bones!


    S-Such a temper! It was good Kyran was on their side! If not... No. No. There was no point in thinking of the if''s. They were just d he was on their side!


    "Rawrgh!" Matias roared as he closed the distance between him and Kyran. He formed his hand into a fist as he aimed to punch thetter.


    The zing roc imitated his stance, but instead of a clenched fists, its wed feet were aimed at Kyran.


    "I''ll kill you!"

 Chapter 335 Do You Dare?

    The zing roc''s w arrived before Matias''s fist did.


    With a ferocious roar that produced heatwaves that swept out in every direction, the zing roc aimed at Kyran''s head.


    "Disciple Tyr!"


    Gasps of fright escaped the members of the cksmith Order watching nearby. The few Array Specialists also moved instinctively to help Kyran.


    Kyran held the staff with both hands as he lifted it vertically in front of him as if nning to block the roc''s ws with it.


    Seeing Kyran''s action made Matias sneer. Heughed and gloatingly said, "Fool!"


    His me was far more powerful, especially in its roc form. How could a wooden staff possibly defend against it? Even if it was made from special materials, his me was not a pushover!


    "BURN!" Matias shouted as his fist erupted with mes that connected with the zing roc.


    The zing roc erupted with angry red mes that instantly blocked Kyran from their view.


    "No!"


    "Disciple Tyr!"


    All of the members of the order shouted in fright. They were all aware of how frightening Matias''s mes were. The reason why Emmet was in a critical condition right now was because of it!


    DING!


    A loud metallic sound rang out as the Kyran''s long staff and the roc''s w collided. This was followed by a blinding gold light that burst out in front of the zing roc.


    RAWRGH!


    The zing roc roared as it got shoved back by the magic array.


    "What?" Matias eximed in shock.


    As the zing roc got overwhelmed by the gold light, Matias was also forced back.


    "Argh...!" Matias tried to fight back the momentum of the gold light but then something shed before him which hit his forehead.


    "Ack!" He eximed in pain.


    It was only brief contact, but whatever hit his forehead was too powerful that he got swept back a few dozen of steps behind!


    Seven golden metallic spheres emerged from the golden light which was still overwhelming the zing roc. The spheres surrounded the zing roc forming a circle. Two light beams burst from the spheres that connected strategically to one another forming a seven-sided star.


    RAWRGH!


    The zing roc roared as if it was in pain as it got trapped in the middle of the star.


    Surprisingly, the seven-sided star created by the spheres was capable of trapping the zing roc!


    Matias stomped his feet on the ground to break his momentum. When he heard the zing roc''s roar he looked up just in time to see it getting trapped inside the star.


    "What ¡ªguh!"


    Before he could exim in surprise, the bacsh of having his magic trapped by another hit him and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Who''s the fool now?"


    As soon as the members of the order had heard Kyran''s voice from within the golden light, they all heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, an overwhelming emotion washed over them, especially the Array Specialists and the cksmiths.


    They had every intention of protecting ''Disciple Tyr'' when Matias and his people arrived. That was one of the reasons they had not gone to report to him at once. The other reason was their fear of getting beaten up if they disturb him while working.


    However, at a critical moment, Kyran suddenly emerged from his workroom. Without asking any of the cksmiths in the working area about what was happening outside, he started making his preparation.


    He took out several strange-looking materials and crushed them. And with a wave of his hand, an array appeared in the small space on the second floor walkway!


    The cksmiths were all bbergasted.


    They had seen Chairman Noir and President Sigma create simple array formations in an instant, but not something as grand as the array Kyran did!


    Since none of the array specialists was present, the cksmiths could only roughly guess what array Kyran had created. They were surprised when they realized the array had simr forms to a transportation array.


    It should be said that a transportation array was not an easy array to create. Not to mention, it required a vast number of spirit stones just to activate one!


    Their initial surprise was soon reced by an even more shocking event when three human-shaped puppets came out from Kyran''s workroom and supplied the magic energy into the transportation array.


    Without wasting time, Kyran went down and instructed Gunter to take the lead in overseeing the injured members of the order once they appear in the transmission array because he would take care of some business outside.


    When they all heard what he said, they initially could not react. But when Kyran made his way to the door and actually opened it, they realized the business he meant was Matias!


    They also btedly recall what Kyran had called the array he just created and they were even more surprised.


    He had said that it was a transmission array and not a transportation array!


    What was a transmission array? Its array form and calction were far more advanced than a transportation array because it was said to dabble with space magic! And Disciple Tyr actually created one in an instant? It was simply impossible! Yet it happened.


    And now, when they all thought Kyran had fallen prey to Matias''s powerful mes, he emerged unscathed. Not to mention, the light golden aura that enveloped him at the moment gave them a feeling of looking at an invincible deity!<sub> </sub>


    As Kyran walked out of the golden light, they all noticed that the wooden staff in his hand which had several small light golden magic arrays circling its shaft seemed to be longer than usual, and was now decreasing back in its normal length.


    Matias looked up and when he saw the staff in Kyran''s hand, he realized that it was what had hit him in the forehead earlier!


    Once again, he had suffered from ''Tyr''s'' despicable staff!


    "YOU!" He growled in annoyance as he felt a small lump forming on his forehead. "FIGHT ME FAIR AND SQUARE!"


    Kyran raised his brows at Matias''s outburst. His eyes turned cold as he said with a voice that could freeze hell, "Fair and square? Youe in here, and hurt my fellow ordinary human members of the cksmith Order. And you''re spouting fighting ''fair and square''?"


    He suddenly whirled his staff and pointed to his right without taking his eyes off Matias. Its length increased at an rming speed and then...


    SPLAT!


    "AAAAHHH!"


    One of the white-robed mages who managed to crawl his way to the side, screamed miserably as he held one of his eyes which had just been pierced by Kyran''s staff.


    "M-MY EYE!" He wailed.


    Matias''s scalp had gone numb as the white-robed mage''s voice seemed to ovep with another voice in his mind.


    Earlier, one of the members of the order trapped in the whirlwind had also screamed after his eye was shot by a ming arrow.


    "You¡ª!"


    "That''s one eye for an eye," Kyran said with a straight face.


    The few remaining members of the order who heard him wondering aloud earlier and was unsure of what he meant, finally understood everything.


    "Three left to go," Kyran added as he looked at the two remaining white-robed mages who were currently cowering a few meters away to his left.


    Some of the array specialists rushed back to the working area wanting to confirm their thoughts as well and were shocked to find Gunter and the rest of the cksmiths helping the three human-shaped puppets in taking care of the injured members.


    They swept their eyes at the injured members and confirmed that the numbers were exactly the same. Kyran did n to avenge their members!


    There were only two unharmed white-robed mages left, and including Matias, the number was three!


    This instantly made Matias erupt in anger. Did ''Tyr'' really believe he was a pushover? Did he think he would just stand idly and let him do as he pleased?


    "FIGHT ME FAIR AND SQUARE, DO YOU DARE?" Matias shouted yet again.


    As far as he was concerned, Tyr only appeared invincible under his ''magic array.'' If the magic array above was removed, Matias was confident he could easily overpower him!


    Right now, he could more or less understand how Tyr''s strengthening magic was helping him appear ''invincible.''


    Matias was convinced now that Tyr''s ordinary-looking wooden staff was no average staff. It was definitely created from special materials. With Tyr''s strengthening magic, he could easily boost the staff''s offensive capability.


    As for Tyr''s speed, Matias attributed that to the former''s physical ability. ''Tyr'' was also a mercenary, and definitely had a lot of opportunities to strengthen his physical abilities. He had developed both his speed and knowledge in wielding a staff bypleting missions. If he used his strengthening magic, the boost both abilities received was unimaginable.


    Most support type magic mages would not think of developing their own physical abilities to take advantage of their support type innate magic. Such a way of using one''s support type of magic was truly ingenious.


    Nevertheless, a support type magic was still a support type. In front of pure offensive magic, it would not be able topete! Because if a mage with offensive magic received a boost from support mages, then he would be twice, no, even ten times more powerful.


    "Your magic versus mine, in a fair fight! Do you dare?" Matias asked.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. The first time he met Matias, he thought he was an idiot. Now, he was convinced, he was beyond saving.


    He somehow understood the logic where a losing side would demand a ''fair'' fight. But normally, this was the losing side''s way of finding an opportunity to reverse the situation. Not to mention, the losing side would normally be the ''good guys.''


    Matias and his people were the first ones who initiated the attack, which made them the bad guys in this situation. Now that the cksmith Order''s side did a reversal, Matias was now demanding a fair fight.


    It was simply... idiotic.


    Kyran was not finished extracting equalpensation from them. If he was not forced to hide his real abilities, he should have been finished by now.


    Another reason why he was not being overly overbearing, was the presence of a few Grand Masters and a couple of Exalted nearby. He was unsure if they were with Matias.


    Initially, Kyran believed two or three of them were with Matias. And once they deemed thetter in a critical situation, they woulde help.


    The reason why they had note to help yet was that they believed Matias still had the situation under control.


    But Kyran was also not convinced.


    Judging from Matias''s idiotic spouting, he might not be aware that he was being followed by higher-level mages of their family. Or maybe, he was not aware because the higher-level mages nearby had nothing to do with them.


    Either way, Kyran had to be careful. Because he was convinced some of them were from the Royal Family which the Crown Princess had ordered to keep watch.


    With a sigh, Kyran finally responded to Matias''s idiotic provocation. He said, "Let''s not waste time here."


    As soon as he was finished, he disappeared and reappeared in front of the remaining two white-robed mages.


    He whirled his staff and moved at once aiming the tip at them.

 Chapter 336 Freaking Retard? Or Plain Retard?

    The tip of Kyran''s staff came down on one of the two remaining white-robed mages, hitting thetter''s vicle at an incredible speed he failed to react in time.


    CRACK!


    The mage''s vicle broke resulting in one of its pointed areas cutting the flesh on his shoulder


    "AAAARGH!"


    He let out a painful cry as blood gushed out from his open wound.


    Before the mage''s arm limped on his side, Kyran whipped the other end of his staff toward thest mage. The light golden magic array circling its shaft glowed as it extended and pierced thetter''s knee cap.


    Crack!


    The force of the staff pierced through the mage''s pate and numerous cracks appeared on its surface.


    "Aaaargh-!"


    Thest mage barely reacted to the pain when Kyran moved in and kicked his shin, aggravating the cracks on the pate to the point where the tibia connected to it got broken off!


    Blood spluttered out as a sharp part of the tibia cut through the mage''s skin.


    "AAARGH!"


    The mage let out a miserable shriek as he fell to the ground clutching his leg.


    The other mage was also sprawled on the ground clutching his limp bleeding arm.


    All of these happened in under four seconds Matias and the rest watching could only gape in shock.


    "That''s twoplete fractures.. err open fractures too? Is thisparable to a third-degree burn?" Kyran once again wondered out loud.


    "DISCIPLE TYR-!"


    "Pipe down," Kyran cut off Matias''s emotional outburst as he turned to look at him.


    "You keep saying my name, do you like it that much?" Kyranined as he scratched his ears.


    Huge sweats appeared on the members of the order watching nearby.


    "You-!"


    "You want a fair fight between our magic?" Kyran continued, ignoring Matias''s attempt to refute. He pointed toward the zing roc that had been trapped by the seven-sided star formed by the golden spheres.


    These spheres were magic items Kyran created as part of ''Tyr''s'' props.


    Yes, these seven golden spheres were merely props to further establish Tyr''s identity as an Array Specialist. Much like the wooden staff as Tyr''s main weapon.


    These golden spheres'' sole purpose was to bind their target.


    "I already subdued your roc, what else do you want to fight for?"


    "Remove your huge-ass magic array above and let''s have a proper fight! I''ll prove to you what real subjugation of magic is!" Matias yet again growled while he attempted to release his magic in hopes of re-summoning it but to no avail.


    ....


    After a short pause, Kyran replied with a nk expression, "Are you freaking retarded? Or just in retarded?"


    cklines appeared on each of the members'' heads as their brows twitched at Kyran''s words.


    Err... What was the difference between a freaking retard to a in retard?


    "You-!"


    "That ''huge ass magic array'' up there represents MY magic. Clearly, you can''t stand it," Kyran interrupted Matias again while giving him an incredulous look. "What else is there to prove?"


    "No! That huge ass magic array has other magic in it! If not, howe all our magic got restrained? It definitely includes restraining magic!"


    When the members of the order heard this, they were all surprised. It was possible to use other magic as long as one knew its runes. That was already a known fact. But its effect should not be as powerfulpared to when it was used by a mage with innate restraining magic.


    Could it be Kyran''s also proficient in restraining magic? Some could not help but look at the golden spheres and how they could bind Matias''s roc with ease. This was not something a mage with strengthening magic could aplish!


    No, wait.


    Was it possible that it was because of the strengthening magic''s nature it could make inferior restraining magic as powerful as the real one?


    If this was true, did it mean ''Tyr'' could use other magic and make it stronger as long as he knew their runes?


    Of course, this was only the members'' own spection and was not Kyran''s intention. In any case, their misunderstanding had already taken form in their minds and caused them to feel more in awe of him.<sub> </sub>


    "Seriously?" Kyran replied with raised brows. "You''reining at my use of restraining magic? Youe here screaming about killing my fellow members and you expect me not to use restraining magic as soon as Ie out?"


    Matias red at him, "I am not talking about that! Fight me, right here, right now! Just your magic and mine!"


    His repeated demand was getting on Kyran''s nerves.


    During his training, he met a lot of unreasonable people and he still considered Matias a mild case. However, regardless of the severity of his unreasonableness had been, Kyran did not like unreasonable people.


    Talking to them was a waste of time.


    As such, Kyran did not bother to reply to Matias and only said, "Is that so."


    Then he released the array above as well as the zing roc.


    When Kyran had done this, the members watching nearby all gasped.


    Initially, they worried that Kyran would suffer in the hands of Matias if he ever epted thetter''s demand. But, right now, after misunderstanding what Kyran''s strengthening magic could do, they were more worried about what would happen if Matias ended up ''beaten up'' again.


    The moment Matias sensed his control over his magic had returned, his face lit up and he summoned a huge red magic array right above Kyran.


    "HAHAHAHA! FOOL! I''ll show you just how inferior you are to me! Feel the power of my¡ª!"


    Even as Matias started talking, Kyran already lifted his staff and pointed the other end at him. The light golden magic array rotated and the staff''s shaft increased in length. At the same time, the other end of the staff shrank and Kyran was pulled with it.


    Before Matias could finish what he was saying, Kyran had already shortened the gap between them by using the staff''s ability to increase and decrease in length.


    When Kyran was only a meter away from Matias, he cancelled the staff''s ability and pierced it on the ground. Using the force that had built up from his sudden stop, he hoisted his body using the staff''s shaft and delivered a straight kick at Matias''s face.


    "Gwah!" Matias''s head was thrown back and blood spurted out of his nose and mouth as the bridge of his nose and a few of his front teeth got broken.


    Matias''s eyes glowed in anger and his whole body erupted in mes.


    He managed to stop himself from fallingpletely on his ass and he reached out a fiery hand to grab Kyran''s leg, who at that moment was still in midair.


    "I''LL F*CKING BURN YOU!"


    As Matias said this, his fiery hand had already grabbed Kyran''s right leg and at the moment of contact, his mes burst out, enveloping Kyran in an instant.


    The nearby members of the order all shouted in fright.


    "Disciple Tyr!"


    This turn of events was something they had not anticipated. No matter how much they were in awe of Tyr''s use of his magic, the fact that it was still a support-type did not change. In front of an offensive and destructive magic like the fire, it was almost impossible topete without using other means.


    While all of them were worried about Kyran, thetter''s expression remained calm as Matias''s mes covered him.


    Then with a voice as cold as ice, he said, "This is the mes you''re bragging about? How disappointing."


    Different sized light golden magic arrays appeared all over his body. In an instant, his whole body glowed gold as he shifted and released one of his hands holding on to the staff to grab Matias''s hand.


    "What?" Matias gasped in shock.


    "It''s my turn," Kyran said and a light golden magic array flickered at the back of his hand.


    He pulled Matias toward him, timing it as when his feet touched the ground.


    Matias tried to pull away. Unfortunately, Kyran''s hand pulling him seemed to weigh a ton and would not budge.


    ''This¡ª!'' His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.


    This was ''Tyr'' utilizing his strengthening magic!


    Another light golden magic array appeared on the back of Kyran''s hand that was still holding the staff, pierced on the ground, and as Matias''s head neared him, he pulled the staff off the ground and smashed it directly at thetter''s head.


    BAM!


    A solid crisp sound resounded as Kyran''s staff hit Matias''s head.


    "UGH!" Matias spat out some blood and he cked out in an instant.


    "Aww... I was hoping to break your skull and have you suffer a severe concussion," Kyran muttered as Matias''s mes died down and he fell face-first on the ground. "s, human skulls are really something. It seems I need more than a wooden staff if I wanted to leave a crack."


    He heaved a sigh and shook his head, "How will I get even for Emmet''s injury?"


    Every member nearby who had heard him could not help but feel their blood run cold.


    After everything that had been said, it appeared that Kyran was only interested in getting even with them!

 Chapter 337 Under Protection

    Kyran looked at Matias sprawled lifelessly on the ground with a cold expression.


    Though there was blooding out from Matias''s nose and from the spot where Kyran''s staff hit his head, Kyran was not satisfied.


    At most, Matias suffered a mild concussion but nothing life-threatening. To Kyran, it was not enough to pay off what he did to Emmet.


    "If my wooden staff is not enough, then let''s use a different one," Kyran muttered. He might have said this in a low voice, but because most of the people nearby, whether they were members of the order or onlookers who were furtively observing from a distance since they were paying close attention to his every move, they were able to catch his words.


    They immediately knew Kyran was not done venting.


    To the members of the orders nearby, they were unsure if this was a good or bad thing. After all, Matias was still from the Lumley Family. If he really suffered too much, how could the cksmith Order defend once the Lumley Patriarch, Matias''s grandfather, retaliate?


    Matias might have been the first one to attack the cksmith Order, but in front of one of the Three Noble Families, whoever initiated the first move did not matter. As long as one of their own was hurt, they would retaliate and no one would be able to interfere. Not even the Royal Family.


    That was the influence one of the Three Noble Families could do.


    The cksmith Order might be part of the Conve, but thetter normally would never meddle with whatever happened to the constituents under them. One of the reasons for their stance was their neutral status. If they were forced to meddle, the Conve would never resort to violence. Releasing a ban statement when the Lumley Family tried to tarnish Disciple Tyr''s reputation was a good example.


    At the moment, it was still unclear why the Conve meddled with the cksmith Order''s predicament. But in order to ensure they would not meddle unnecessarily when Matias arrived with his people, thetter specifically mentioned that their target was Disciple Tyr and the members of the order present on that day only.


    If the Conve still meddled, depending on how they would respond to Matias''s action, it might lead to an all-out war with the Lumley Family, and the former''s neutrality would be questioned. A lot of things would then happen.


    The Conve might have a good business rtionship with every faction in the empire, but the Lumley had both business and military rtionships in most bigger factions, especially with the Royal Army.


    In the end, the Conve would be getting the shorter end of the stick.


    Looking at this scenario, the members of the order were afraid that Disciple Tyr would bring a bigger cmity to the cksmith Order if he hurt Matias further.


    They all understood this, and yet, none of them wanted to step forward and stop Kyran.


    All of them watched Kyran''s movement with expressions ofplete trust.


    Kyran waved his hand and two huge stones appeared hovering in the air. One was golden in color, which the array specialists and the cksmiths watching immediately recognized as the hardest form of gold, Aurum! The other stone was an alloy.


    The array specialists and the cksmiths knew at once what Kyran wanted to do. However, the array specialists were sceptical because forging a harder weapon would take days.


    Every cksmith, however, looked on in anticipation. After all, they had witnessed Kyran make a transmission array in an instant. Witnessing thetter forge something in an instant was something they would love to see.


    Kyran closed his fists and in an instant, the two stones were crushed into bits and pieces. A light golden array appeared horizontally in the middle of the two crushed stones and a force appeared to suck the crushed stones into it.


    The surrounding air crackled as the crushed stones started tobine. Kyran whirled his wooden staff as he looked at the array and pierced the other end toward the array.


    Once the end of the staff hit the array, sizzling sounds filled the air as thebined two crushed stones merged into the staff.


    All the array specialists nearby gaped in shock as a hammer''s head had started to take form at the end of Kyran''s staff!


    Even the onlookers and the rest of the members of the order could not help but gasp in both awe and surprise.


    This was not something an ordinary Array Specialist could do!


    No. Not even a talented Array Specialist could forge a weapon the same way as Kyran was doing! It was simply impossible!


    As a huge head of a hammer formed at the tip of Kyran''s wooden staff, he tightened the grip on the shaft as its weight shifted. His muscles bulged from the weight and he bent his knees to support the sudden addition of weight.


    A cold sneer appeared on his handsome face as his aquamarine eyes glinted maliciously, "This weight should be enough."


    His voice was not that loud when he had spoken, but almost everyone still heard him.


    Especially those white-robed mages who were still conscious nearby.


    All of them seemed to have forgotten the pain they were feeling from their injuries as they all glowered at Kyran. They all tried to rouse their magic as they shouted different things at the same time.


    "Y-YOU! DON''T YOU DARE!"<sub> </sub>


    "What are you trying to do to our Young Master!"


    "Stop it! Or else the Lumley Family will never forgive you!"


    "Senior! Please help!"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he heard one of the white-robed mages call for help.


    The truth, his action just now was partly a show.


    If not for the fact he felt unsettled because the few Grand Masters and a couple of Exalted observing nearby had not made a move even after he thrashed all the white-robed mages and even rendered Matias unconscious, Kyran would not have done such a cringy show.


    A cringy show, to force whoever was with Matias, to show themselves!


    Kyran believed that some of the high-level mages were with Matias. The Lumley Family would not let the first grandsone to the order and make a ruckus without high-level mages keeping watch nearby. Even if they were absolutely sure that Chairman Noir and President Sigma were not in the order today, they still had a few Master level Array Specialists.


    It should be noted that most of the white-robed mages with Matias were only at High Adept, with thetter being the highest one which was a Grand Adept.


    While Disciple Tyr was still known as a Master mage, because of his innate strengthening magic, the Lumley Family believed he would not hold a candle against Matias even though he was one level lower, especially with his powerful innate fire magic.


    Still, if there were any idents or miscalctions, the Lumley would still have a few high-level mages to ensure Matias was safe.


    However, contrary to Kyran''s expectations, none of them actually made a move even after rendering Matias unconscious.


    Did they really think Kyran would not really hurt Matias?


    If that was the case then he would force them out by showing them just how brutal he could be.


    "Here''s for senior Emmet!" Kyran shouted as he swung his newly formed golden hammer toward Matias''s head.


    VHOOOM!


    An immense pressure bore down on them which also appeared to be a huge vacuum that sucked all of the sounds in the surroundings.


    "STAY YOUR HAND!"


    "Argh!"


    A booming voice sounded which rendered all people, except for the white-robed mages and Matias, within a hundred-meter radius of the cksmith Order fell on their knees while covering their ears.


    As for the members of the order, as the pressure bore down, the cksmith Order''s array immediately activated. Silver and golden translucent half-sphere barrier formed around the building, countering the pressure and ensuring everyone inside were unharmed.


    But.


    "Ugh!" Kyran fell on his knee, as the weight of the hammer in his hand tripled.


    "Disciple Tyr!" All the members of the order could not help but shout in fright.


    However, Kyran persisted as he defiantly looked up at the spot where the voice had spoken.


    In that spot, the space appeared to distort and a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue velvet coat. On his right hand was a long golden staff, with a huge red spirit stone shaped like a w holding an orb. His long golden-brown hair was tied on his back, and his dark green eyes looked at Kyran in a condescending manner simr to Matias.


    The space behind the man distorted as two more people appeared.


    They also wore white robes and held long silver staffs. Though both had the same appearance as the white-robed mages with Matias, the magic energy they emitted was far more powerful than theirs.


    Kyran sneered inwardly. As he had expected, the two Grand Masters and one of the Exalted were with Matias. However, he maintained a pained expression as he looked at the man in the middle.


    The middle-aged man looked at Kyran with a cold expression as he said, "Did you really think you can brazenly do whatever you want to young master Matias, on my watch?"


    "Humph," Kyran harumphed as he smiled at him. "Am I not doing that already?"

 Chapter 338 Tobias

    Hearing Kyran''s cheeky reply made the two white-robed Grand Master mages with the middle-aged man seethe with anger.


    The one on the left gritted his teeth while stepping forward and growled, "Such insolence! I will pluck your tongue and use it as feeds to the¡ª"


    The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop the man from speaking further.


    "Master Tobias," the white-robed Grand Master wanted toin. In the end, he held his tongue and stepped back, while looking at Kyran spitefully.


    The people below who heard the Grand Master said the middle-aged man''s name all gasped in shock.


    "D-Did he call that man Tobias?"


    "No way, sir Tobias? THE sir Tobias? One of the only two mages the Royal Family granted a magic amnesty token?"


    "Then this pressure... c-could this be him disying his forbidden gravity magic?"


    The people from the cksmith Order whispered to one another.


    Kyran heard them and frowned inwardly.


    It was not the first time Kyran had met a person who possessed forbidden magic, with the first one being Vera from the Royal Army.


    Because Space magic''s nature appeared simr to Void magic, it was also ssified as a forbidden magic albeit, a low-risk one. Space magic was good for espionage and sneak attacks, after all. If left alone, any mage possessing it could do all sorts of crime.


    There were a number of other forbidden magic categorized as low to medium risk, and Gravity magic was also one of them.


    Most mages who possessed low to medium risk forbidden magic had all been recruited into the Royal Army or the Royal Family''s Royal Guards. Anyone who refused was either executed in public or put into prison depending on the offense they hadmitted.


    Of course, there was another way to avoid public execution or going into prison, other than joining the Royal Army or the Royal Guards, and that was if that mage passed the Royal Family''s requirements in receiving a magic amnesty token.


    Possessing a magic amnesty token meant that a mage who possessed a low to medium risk forbidden magic could roam the empire. In turn, that mage would be closely monitored and had to answer the Emperor''s summon at any time.


    In the Ylfaen Empire, there were only two mages who had been granted a magic amnesty. Tobias of the Lumley Family was one.


    Kyran read about the magic amnesty token before, but because his Void magic was a high-risk, not to mention, that his predecessor was known to be the evilest and most ruthless mage in history, he did not think much of it.


    In any case, if what Kyran heard about Tobias was true, then his initial spection that the other ''observers'' were from the Crown Princess''s side was confirmed.


    It appeared the Lumley Family''s decision ining here was not as simple as Kyran had initially thought. If his new spection was correct, then the Lumley Family''s move to defame him could have been under the Royal Family''s order.


    Kyran was still unsure of the reason but it was probably to test how he would act and also to understand the Conve''s real stance regarding him.


    "I did say, ''not on my watch,''" Tobias said, snapping Kyran out of his reverie.


    His cold expression and refusal toe down from above showed how much he looked down on Kyran.


    This irked Kyran. But he kept his pained expression to keep up with his act, and replied, "Ah, I see."


    He shifted his hands which were still holding the hammer''s shaft as if to show how much it had be a burden to hold, especially with Tobias''s pressure still weighing down from above.


    The hammer''s weight practically tripled from the pressure.


    "You''re telling me that I was only able to do what I want to your..." Kyran looked at Matias before looking back at Tobias, "err... Young master because you were not around earlier."


    "Of course," Tobias replied in a very condescending tone.


    "Is that right? Then you and those two clowns behind you, hiding earlier doesn''t count as ''on the watch.''"


    "You!"


    "Insolent!"


    The two white-robed Grand Masters immediately red, their magic energy rising.


    Tobias smiled at Kyran, but his smile did not meet his eyes.


    "Cheeky brat. Do not test me," he said and summoned a huge dark violet magic array above.


    The moment the magic array appeared, the ground below cracked and everything on the surface within a twenty-meter radius around Kyran sank two feet deep.<sub> </sub>


    This included the white-robed mages and even Matias who was still unconscious.


    Kyran''s knees almost buckled from the pressure and he was almost forced to kneel. However, he gritted his teeth and also summoned several light golden magic arrays which covered almost every part of his body to fight the pressure.


    The barrier around the cksmith Order''s building flickered but remained unscathed.


    Though the pressure from Tobias''s magic array was powerful, it was not enough to put any threat on the cksmith Order''s defensive array. All the members inside remained safe and could only look at Kyran in fear.


    They wanted to help but knew it was impossible. Instead, they send another distress signal to President Sigma and Chairman Noir.


    Meanwhile, Tobias''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Kyran. He initially thought thetter would not be able to withstand his pressure. He did not expect him to still manage to stand after this.


    While watching Kyran thrash their people earlier, Tobias sensed something strange from his use of magic. But he did not think much of it because, at the end of the day, Kyran''s magic was only strengthening type. He might have been capable of fighting equally or even overpowered Matias and the rest of the white-robed mages with him, but in front of a higher-level mage like him, Kyran was nothing.


    And yet, Kyran managed to stay standing.


    Apart from this, Tobias was also surprised that he had sensed them ''hiding'' earlier. If they were hidden by a spell then he would not really be surprised. Cast spells could easily be seen through with another spell, after all. But he had used an ancient relic that was also a Lumley Family heirloom that could manipte space. For short, they hid inside a space distortion, it was impossible for a Master level mage to detect it.


    "I-If you are really here for your young master," Kyran started, trying his best to act in pain. To be honest, he was already exhausted from acting and was itching to throw the hammer at Tobias''s annoying face. s, he had to persevere if not, he might blow his cover. "I would suggest you stop showing off ande down here."


    As Kyran said this, he lifted the hammer in his hand with great difficulty, then he added, "If not, I might just slip."


    Tobias frowned at Kyran''s words.


    "Humph, I do not take orders from a brat like you," he replied. "In any case, you have hurt young master Matias, and will have toe with us."


    Kyran sneered inwardly.


    After all that was said and done, it appeared their main goal was to get him!


    Of course, this was only his spection. He still felt something was off.


    "Come with you?" Kyran replied and snorted, "You think I''ll agree?"


    "It doesn''t matter whether you agree or not," Tobias replied, his eyes glinted maliciously at Kyran. "You have hurt our people and even rendered young master Tobias unconscious, you are guilty of this crime and thus, you wille with us to receive just punishment."


    Kyran heaved a sigh.


    This time he did not mask his annoyance. He did not even bother to act in pain anymore as he stood straight as if the pressure had no effect on him at all.


    "Seriously, are all the Lumley Family members retarded?"


    Tobias and the two white-robed mages behind him, all seethed in anger from Kyran''s words.


    "Such insolence!"


    "You dare to say such¡ª!"


    "Yes, I do dare," Kyran interrupted them before they could say more.


    The dark violet magic array above crackled as additional rune writings appeared.


    Semi-transparent dark violet orbs appeared around every member of the Lumley Family including Matias. At the same time, a ck hole appeared at the center of the magic array.


    ''This?'' Kyran frowned slightly as he sensed a powerful maic force from the hole. Then almost in that same instant, he felt a powerful tug as his body appeared to be attracted to the ck hole.


    Was this not almost the same as his Void''s absorption ability?


    "Tsk," Kyran gritted his teeth, and removing all pretense of acting ''weak,'' he whirled the huge hammer in his hand and mmed it on the ground before him.


    The ground which had been covered by cracks instantly exploded and bits and pieces of earth filled the whole surrounding.


    "Humph, child''s y." Tobias harrumphed as he raised his hand and several dark violet magic arrays appeared almost filling the air.


    In an instant, all the pieces of the earth from the explosion got attracted to the magic arrays.

 Chapter 339 An Old Face

    Different sizes of earth rubble flew toward the dark violet magic arrays. When the rubbles touched the array, a ringing sound could be heard, and the rubbles would then bepressed into a tight ball before turning into dust.


    In just a few seconds, the whole surroundings were filled with a cloud of dust from all the destroyed rubbles.


    Standing at Tobias''s right, one of the white-robed Grand Master waved his staff, and a three-meter wide light brown magic array appeared behind him. In an instant, the cloud of dust converged in front of Kyran, slowly materializing into a ten-meter tall earth golem.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. Before he could lift the hammer in his hand to disrupt the forming earth golem, Tobias raised his golden staff and roused his magic. The red spirit stone on his staff glowed, and the rune writings on the dark violet magic array behind the ck hole began to spin crazily. All the magic energy in the surroundings was sucked into the ck hole, increasing its size.


    "Ergh¡­!" Kyran gritted his teeth as the pull from the ck hole increased.


    The other white-robed Grand Master was not idle either. He twirled his silver staff, and a red magic array appeared horizontally before him. Several fireballs appeared within the magic array and flew toward Kyran, attacking him on all sides.


    "Disciple Tyr!"


    Members of the cksmith Order watching inside the building eximed in fright.


    Kyran''s ''aquamarine'' eyes glowed, and a five-meter light golden magic array appeared beneath him. As the magic array appeared, the pull from Tobias''s ck hole lessened, and Kyran stopped in ce. The moment he had stopped, he stomped his feet on the ground as he lifted the hammer above his head and once again mmed it on the ground.


    Unlike what had happened earlier, only earth rubbles exploded from the impact of the hammer''s force. A massive shockwave of magic energy spread out this time, which countered the iing fireballs.


    The dust that formed the earth golem before him was blown from the shockwave.


    Seeing how Kyran managed to counter the attacks of the Grand Masters with him, Tobias''s frown deepened.


    It was then that he btedly realized that the pressure his gravity magic possessed seemed to not affect Kyran!


    ''Does this mean he was only feigning earlier?'' Tobias wondered, further increasing his deep impressions of Kyran as well as his annoyance.


    When the patriarch announced his intentions to attack the cksmith Order''s Disciple Tyr, Tobias had his misgivings. He did not understand why the patriarch wanted to waste the resources and time of the Lumley Family to defame a lowly Array Specialist.


    Although Disciple Tyr had started to make a name for himself, it was not worth the time and effort of the Lumley Family to pay any attention to him.


    Not long after, the ban statement happened, and Tobias sensed something was definitely not right.


    Why would the Conve protect Disciple Tyr? Even if he was the disciple of a Conve Council Member, banning one of the Three Noble Families was not something they would have normally done unhesitatingly.


    Tobias felt something was definitely up. His spection was further fueled after the patriarch approved Matias''s plea to lead an attack on the cksmith Order, with the primary objective being to injure Disciple Tyr fatally.


    It made Tobias think that the patriarch would not approve of this move without thinking it through.


    True enough, as Matias and his men left the Lumley residence, the patriarch summoned Tobias and told him that the Crown Princess had asked for him. At that moment, Tobias finally understood the patriarch''s actions.


    The Royal Family was involved in everything that had happened.


    Nevertheless, Tobias felt the Royal Family and the Lumley Family conspiring against one Array Specialist was too excessive.


    But now, he somehow could understand why the Royal Family was paying attention to this lowly Array Specialist.


    Because Disciple Tyr''s strength was too abnormal! He was only a Master mage, yet he could stand the pressure of an Exalted mage like Tobias. Apart from this, he could easily counter a Grand Master''s magic attack while only rousing the magic energies in the surroundings!


    This would not do. Tobias''s pride as a forbidden magic-user and an Exalted was on the line!


    "If one ck hole is not enough," he muttered under his breath. "Let''s see you deal with a dozen!"


    Tobias''s eyes glowed as his magic energy increased. He raised his staff and summoned eleven additional magic arrays that appeared surrounding Kyran in almost every direction. A couple of secondster, ck holes also appeared at the center of all these magic arrays.


    Seeing Tobias''s move, the two Grand Masters also moved. However, they did not attack but made a joint summon and aimed at the semi-transparent ck violet spheres below where Matias and the rest of their people were.


    The space distorted around the spheres, and almost in an instant, all of them disappeared.


    Kyran frowned at this.


    Not because their move was unexpected but because he had not given Matias a fatal injury yet!


    If others knew what he was thinking, they would have paled at Kyran''s idea of a fatal injury. But, honestly, Matias''s injury was far worse than Emmet''s because the former might suffer brain damage!


    "Partial Collision!" Tobias shouted, and all ck holes emitted a powerful maic pull.


    Because the pull appeared on almost every side of Kyran, each time a maic pull''s area of effect collided with another a distortion in the surrounding air appeared.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he realized that the distortion increased every time a new maic pull collided. If his guess were correct, he would be blown into pieces once this distortion neared him!


    ''This guy¡­'' Kyran ground his teeth. However, he was not really annoyed. Proof of this was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.


    After returning to the human ne, this would be the first time he felt the thrill of fighting someone. But, of course, this feeling was only possible because he had to hide his actual abilities.


    When Kyran fought Rhys, who was also a Grand Master, he was seriously bored. Maybe the fact that Rhys possessed fire magic which Kyran found too easy to handle, was the reason for his boredom, and Tobias''s magic being different had been a significant factor in the thrill he felt right now.


    Regardless of the cause, Kyran was d he forced this guy out. He would love to see how far ''Tyr''s'' abilities could fair to someone like him.<sub> </sub>


    Meanwhile, while Kyran was feeling thrilled, the members of the orders watching felt the opposite.


    They were all frightened for Kyran.


    As soon as the ck holes had appeared, all the Array specialists who returned to the working area and were now watching the happenings outside from behind the working area''s huge doors wanted to step out to help Kyran.


    A higher-level mage fighting a Master mage was bullying! Of course, the Array specialists might not be able to hold a candle against any of the mages outside, but at least they could lift some of the burdens off Disciple Tyr if they stepped out.


    With this in mind, all the able Array Specialists moved towards the door.


    However, two dark figures shed past them and immediately stood before them, blocking their path.


    These two figures were none other than two of the three puppets that came out with Kyran earlier.


    "Please, stay inside the building," the one standing on the left had said.


    One Array specialist clenched his fists as he stepped forward and said, "We can''t just stand idle and let Disciple Tyr face those people! He had already done enough! We are also part of the cksmith Order and if they want to mess with one of us then they will have to face all of us!"


    The other Array specialists nodded in agreement. They all had been in the order longer than Disciple Tyr and should be the ones protecting the rest. But now, they had to leave everything in the hands of a junior, and it was rather frustrating.


    Disciple Tyr might have a higher position in the order, but he was only a Master mage and also from a younger generation. However, being the older generation, they could not let him suffer alone.


    The puppet on the right shook its head and said, "It is unwise to step out. Even one of the mages outside is far too powerful for all of you to facebined. Rest assured, master is not a reckless person. He will not stay outside if the odds are against him."


    Every Array specialist, even the cksmiths who heard the puppet, gaped at them with an expression of both awe and unbelief.


    Awe, because they could not believe the puppets Disciple Tyr created were so advanced that they were able to converse like real humans. But also unbelief because of how they said their master was not reckless.


    Every since Disciple Tyr decided to appear in public, his moves had all been reckless, in their opinion.


    Seemingly reading what they were all thinking, the puppet on the left also said, "Master''s actions may appear reckless to all of you, but he has a n. Right now, the urgent matter all of you must work on is ensuring all of the injured members are stabilized."


    Hearing the puppet mention the injured members, they turned their attention to the area where they were resting in makeshift beds.


    Most of the cksmiths tended to the others while the third puppet was busy stabilizing Emmet''s condition. They had applied first aid to his wounds, but he was severely burnt, and they did not dress his injuries because the dressing might stick on his flesh and worsen his condition.


    The Array specialists could rouse the magic energies in the surroundings and help stimte the natural healing abilities of their fellow members. They all knew this, yet they could not help worrying about Kyran outside.


    While this was happening inside, the distortions created by the ck holes outside had reached a critical phase.


    Tobias sneered as he watched Kyran, who seemed to have frozen in his spot after seeing dozens of the ck holes.


    This reaction was not new to Tobias. All the mages he fought in the past had been rendered frozen in fear after seeing such a spectacle before them.


    To be honest, Tobias felt Kyran should be grateful to have even witnessed a disy of great power. After all, thetter was only a Master and would not have any opportunity to fight mages at Tobias''s level.


    Too bad Tobias had no idea that this disy of power was not impressive to Kyran. Besides, Kyran had fought Sovereigns before; how would such a disy make him freeze in fear?


    The only reason why Kyran did not react, was because it was no longer needed. He sighed inwardly, feeling a little sad because he wanted to fight Tobias badly.


    Well, he could always find a reason to bully¡ª err¡ªpare notes with him in the future.


    Kyran settled on this idea while watching the distortion finally close in on him.


    "Disciple Tyr!"


    VHOOOOM!


    A vacuum-like ring erupted, which was followed by a soundless explosion that resulted in several shockwaves spreading in all directions.


    A blinding light filled the surroundings, forcing everyone nearby except Tobias and the two Grand Masters to close their eyes while covering their heads with their arms.


    "Hahahahaha! This is what you get from acting insolently!" One of the Grand Masters with Tobias shouted in glee, as soon as the blinding light subsided.


    The other Grand Master alsoughed and chimed in, "Hahahaha! What can a puny Master support-type mage do in front of sir Tobias? Serves him right for hurting young master Matias!"


    "Is that so?"


    A beautiful female voice spoke softly and yet made all of them tremble.


    Tobias immediately raised his staff and summoned a magic barrier protecting himself and the two Grand Masters.


    Finally, the light had lifted and in the spot where they had thought Kyran had exploded, stood two people.


    One was Kyran, standing with the huge hammer on his side, looking unscathed. He even appeared bored. And standing in front of him was a beautiful woman with long wavy ck hair tied in an elegant bun and mesmerizing reddish-brown eyes. The woman wore a long figure-hugging ck dress that would make most men prostrate before her.


    The woman was none other than the Mercenary Hall''s Hall Master, Celine.

 Chapter 340 Familiar Voice

    All the members of the cksmith Order heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Celine.


    A few seconds ago they were almost out of their wits on how to save Disciple Tyr.


    Hall Master Celine''s timely arrival had really saved them from their predicament.


    On the other hand, Kyran furtively looked at Celine''s back, feeling somewhat uneasy seeing her again. He already sensed hering but did not really think much of it at first. But now that she was here, he suddenly recalled how they met a few years ago and felt mixed emotions.


    Kyran admitted that it had not been a pleasant one, especially when he recalled how he had threatened her in the abandoned warehouse. After that, he had to deal with so many things andpletely forgot about her.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran realized how immature and unstable he had been five years ago. Back then he was easily moved by his emotions and yet he could not fully back his recklessness.


    Right now... well as Disciple Tyr, he appeared reckless but only because that was how he wanted to portray him.


    Pushing the random thought to the back of his mind, Kyran observed Celine''s magic energy. He sensed how much her energy had improved thest time they met.


    Most likely, in the short time (based in real-time) he had not seen Celine, she gained enlightenment with her magic and had achieved a breakthrough. Though she was clearly still at a Magus level, she did not appear that weak anymore.


    "Don''t you think you ought to educate your subordinates to avoid speaking such malicious words to other people, little Toby?"


    Celine said with a sweet smile.


    As soon as the people nearby heard how she addressed Tobias, they sensed how the tension in the air intensified. They immediately took a furtive nce over Tobias and sure enough, they saw thetter seething with anger.


    Tobias kept his calm expression, even though he wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug smile off Celine''s face.


    Unfortunately, he knew well enough not to mess with this woman. Not because she was already a Magus, but because she was simply an insufferable person when crossed.


    Anyway, right now, Tobias was more annoyed at the people from the Royal Family hiding nearby. They were supposed to prevent anyone from interfering with their business and yet, Celine bypassed them easily.


    With narrowed eyes, Tobias looked at Celine. He said, "Greetings Hall Master Celine. I would suggest that you do not interfere with our business. This is a matter between the Lumley Family and Disciple Tyr from the cksmith Order. If you interfere again, I just might take it as if the Mercenary Hall is challenging the authority of the Lumley Family."


    Still wearing a sweet smile, Celine chuckled slightly as she looked at Tobias. She said, "Is that a threat, little Toby?"


    A vein popped on Tobias''s forehead as he red at her. But he still kept a calm expression and through gritted teeth, he replied "Hall Master Celine, do not call me little Toby."


    Celine raised her brows and replied, "Why not, little Toby? Are you feeling shy? Don''t worry, I only refer to you as little just like how an older generation endearingly calls a younger one... not because yours is..."


    Her voice trailed as her eyes traveled down a little at Tobias''s body before she chuckled in a very mischievous yet seductive way.


    Tobias red in anger.


    "You!" He growled.


    Unfortunately, that was all he could do ¡ªgrowl in frustration.


    Every female member of the order could not help but redden at Celine''s innuendo, while the male members tried their best not tough.


    Even the two Grand Masters behind Tobias was looking at him uneasily.


    Kyran, on the other hand, kept an indifferent expression but in actuality, he had been silently observing Celine after using her magic when speaking. Everything she had said had been veiled with her magic and even though Tobias had created a magic barrier, it did nothing to prevent her magic''s influence from passing through.


    Seeing that she had seeded in ruffling Tobias''s feathers, Celine''s expression changed suddenly. From looking sweetly at them, her expression turned cold as she said, "You barge in here, hurt one of my people and dare to tell me that I have no right to interfere?"


    The magic energy in the surroundings crackled as soon as Celine had spoken.


    Her magic pressure erupted and instantly shattered Tobias''s magic barrier.


    "Gwah!"


    Tobias and the other two Grand Masters coughed out a mouthful of blood as the magic energy in their bodies became unstable. Unable to properly control their magic energy, all three were forced tond on the ground.


    As Tobiasnded, he recalled what Celine had just said and felt his scalp go numb. That was right. Disciple Tyr was not only an Array Specialist but also a Mercenary! Why had they forgotten that?


    This would not do. It was one thing to make the cksmith Order their enemy, but to also get on the Mercenary Hall''s bad side? That was something they had to avoid.<sub> </sub>


    For one thing, the Lumley Family only had one Magus, while the Mercenary Hall had two! There were rumors that Chairman Hugh was suffering from an illness, but that had not been confirmed yet.


    Another thing was, the Mercenary Hall had a variety of mages andbat mages, and all of their weapons and magic items were made by the cksmith Order and some were even made by Chairman Noir and President Sigma!


    The Lumley Family could not possibly contend with the Mercenary Hall when thetter had the military capability to vie against the Temr Code and Aureole, unless the former could get the Courtenay and Montgomeray Families to help.


    ''No! Stop!'' Tobias shook his head inwardly. He must not entertain such thoughts! He had to prevent this incident from escting further.


    Their actions might be under direct orders from the Royal Family, but they were only asked to attack the cksmith Order''s Disciple Tyr, not the Mercenary Hall''s Tyr.


    "H-Hall Master Celine," Tobias started as he struggled to look up.


    He already knew that the magic pressure Celine exuded was not simple. He had a feeling that the real reason why they could not properly control their magic energy was because she had activated her domain!


    "S-Stay your hand, p-please. I-I never intended to harm one of your people. I was only testing, Disciple Tyr''s capabilities. It is not often that I meet a mage whose understanding of his innate magic is as deep as Disciple Tyr has for his magic."


    Kyran raised his brows after hearing Tobias''s excuse. Thetter''sst attack had the intention of killing him. Though Tobias''s killing intent was not apparent, because of Kyran''s understanding of the former''s magic, he would have ended up getting mutted.


    Of course, that would have been the result if he really only possessed strengthening magic. But Kyran''s ''strenthening magic'' was only a camouge. It was abination of Void magic, Strengthening magic, and also Draconic magic. If Tobias''s attack hit him, he could easily counter it. But if that happened, then he would have to make up a story on how he did that. After all, Tobias''s magic was considered a low-risk forbidden magic. No matter how one looked at it, ''Tyr''s'' Strengthening magic should not be able to defend against it.


    In any case, Celine''s arrival saved him a lot of trouble. And while he wanted to puke at Tobias''sme excuse, Kyran chose to stay silent and let Celine handle it.


    p Besides, Kyran believed Celine came here not because ''Tyr'' was also a member of the Mercenary Hall, but because Chairman Noir or maybe President Sigma had asked her toe.</anda>


    Kyran only wondered how much Celine knew about ''Tyr.'' After all, she was the Mercenary Hall''s Hall Master and was privy to some ssified information.


    "Did you really think I am blind?" Celine retorted, her brows furrowed slightly. Though her voice remained soft, the sudden drop in surrounding''s temperature was enough to understand her mood. "Thatst attack, could easily crush anyone below a High Master."


    Tobias shook his head at once.


    The two Grand Master behind him also did the same.


    "No, no. Though my attack appeared deadly, at thest couple of seconds, I do n on retracting it," Tobias reasoned.


    "Retract it and suffer a bacsh? Do yo think I''m a fool, little Toby?" Celine''s voice dropped in an instant.


    "H-Hall Master Celine, we are under Tobias''s instruction to assist in containing the attack in thest seconds!" One of the Grand Master while lowering his head.


    "T-That is right, Hall Master. Please, be lenient!" The other also chimed in.


    "Humph," Celine harumphed as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You think I''ll believe you after witnessing your gloating when you thought MY Tyr exploded?"


    Kyran''s brow instantly twitched when he heard Celine said, ''my Tyr.'' He could not help but clear his throat because of this.


    Even the members of the order all gaped at Celine and Kyran incredulously.


    Tobias and the two Grand Masters also gaped at Celine, speechless. It appeared, they had stepped on an unexpectedndmine.


    Kyran cleared his throat once again and finally spoke, "Er... Hall Master. If you speak that way, they will get the wrong idea. I know you find me handsome, a lot of people do, but please try to control yourself."


    cklines all appeared on every members'' head upon hearing Kyran''s words.


    Even Tobias and the two Grand Masters looked at Kyran as if he had gone mental.


    While all of them were thinking this, Celine on the other hand was suddenly struck dumb. Not because ''Tyr''s'' words infuriated her but because she recognized his voice!


    Celine possessed Sound magic, thus, it was easy for her to recognize and even remember every sound she had heard before. The only exception was, if a person used a sound altering spell, or concealing spell to mask a sound. The alteration could still affect her senses.


    However, right now, she was 100% positive that ''Tyr'' was not using any sound altering spell. Even if he was, he could not possibly produce the same voice as that ''person''!


    Could this mean... that Tyr''s identity was really...


    Celine''s heart started to pound.

 Chapter 341 Big News

    How many weeks had passed since the first time Celine heard this voice? To be precise, Kyran Regis''s voice?


    Back then, she had been very curious to see the face under the huge cloak he had on. And when she finally saw his face, she was disappointed to find how much younger he was.


    But that was the only disappointing part, for Celine, Kyran''s age. Everything else about him had been perfect in her opinion.


    Even his reckless and domineering side was very attractive, although she admitted to feeling very scared when he had threatened her in the abandoned warehouse.


    When the attack in the Tower of Conve happened, Celine knew it was Kyran''s doing.


    In the end, President Can had to alter the memories of almost every person involved in the Mercenary Hall and the Tower of Conve incident, and Celine''s memories would have been altered too if she had not made an oath with President Can.


    After that, President Can gave her the task to negotiate with the people behind Kyran''s bounty while keeping an eye and ''ear'' out on any clues or news the mercenaries encountered about Kyran''s current whereabouts.


    s, they found nothing.


    Now, after so many weeks, here he was. Or at least, Celine believed it was Kyran disguised as Tyr, and she could hardly contain her excitement.


    Her excitement came as a surprise, because she did not realize how much she had hoped to meet him again!


    Kyran btedly realized something was wrong when Celine did not reply to his cheeky remark. The truth, he was sure she would recognize his voice, given her magic was Sound.


    Though others might think Kyran''s decision not to alter his voice while in Tyr''s disguise was a huge mistake on his part, he did not really care because few people had heard him, as Kyran, speak. He never liked to talk after all. So when he had spoken just now, he had expected Celine to recognize him and went along with his act.


    He had hoped for her to retort in anger or something and turn this awkward incident into a joke. But instead, she ended up getting tongue-tied.


    This made Kyran wonder if his threat had traumatized her to the point that his voice alone could freeze her.


    He made a mental note to talk to Celine privately and maybe apologize for his previous behavior.


    "Er... Hall Master-?" Kyran started to say.


    However, before he could speak his mind, Celine suddenly jerked and forced augh.


    "Ahahaha! Tyr, my Tyr. As always, you are so fast to reject my advances!" She said in a high-pitched voice, it was hard for anyone not to realize her nervousness!


    This made the two Grand Masters with Tobias, break out in cold sweat.


    Just who was this ''Disciple Tyr'' to make Hall Master Celine act nervously?


    Tobias was also bbergasted. He was beginning to think that they had jumped the wagon too fast without fully understanding who Tyr was.


    "Ah¡­ no¡­ that''s¡­"


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Celine speechlessly. Was she really going this route?


    He did not want ''Tyr'' to be adies'' man or something, alright.


    Just as he was thinking this, Celine turned around to look at him.


    As soon as she did, a slight disappointment appeared on her face after seeing a pair of aquamarine eyes, instead of dark gray eyes, looking back at her.


    Kyran, slightly taken aback by Celine''s imploring eyes, recalled Nn''s advice before meeting her the first time.


    ''Don''t look into her eyes.''


    Kyran never knew what Nn meant, but after understanding about innate abilities and such, he now understood Celine''s innate ability might have something to do with her eyes. Most likely, she could detect lies or read other people''s minds once they looked into her eyes.


    Prior to his training in the tower, Kyran would have avoided Celine''s eyes at once. But since he had learned a lot of things in the tower, not to mention, his Array knowledge had practically advanced by leaps and bounds, he was confident the enchantments and array form he ced in the face-altering mask would protect him.


    True enough, Celine''s brow instantly furrowed after confirming that she could not see through Kyran''s disguise. As she made a quick assessment of his physique as well, she felt something was different.


    The Kyran she remembered was a few inches shorter and had more muscle mass. But the man before her looked leaner, and taller. Not to mention, he had a more domineering aura around him. It might have only been caused by a difference in clothing but, Celine was 100% sure there was something different from the man before her.


    If she had to use one word to describe the change, she would use the word ''mature.''


    "Kidding aside, Hall Master, can we go back to dealing with those clowns behind you?" Kyran diverted the conversation.


    He honestly did not want their conversation went down the route Celine seemed keen on going.


    Besides, he still had to expose the remaining hidden ''observers.''


    With this in mind, Kyran telepathically sent a word to Celine.


    ''There are three more people hiding.''


    Celine''s eyes contracted as soon as she heard Kyran''s voice in her head.


    Almost at the same time, she expanded her magic sense and true enough, found a distortion in the space nearby.


    This discovery surprised Celine. It also made her doubt whether she had been wrong about the ''Tyr''s'' real identity.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran could not possibly jumped magic levels in a short span of time!


    Wait. In the first ce, she was not privy to Kyran''s information. Maybe, his magic level had always been high.


    ''Got it,'' Celine replied telepathically and expanded her magic''s influence.


    A soundless explosion seemed to spread in the surrounding which surprised all of the people nearby.


    Tobias and the two Grand Masters also keeled over as Celine''s magic seeped inside their bodies. All three of them spat out a mouthful of blood as their magic energies became more unstable.


    Crackle!


    It was at this moment that a crack appeared on the space above, which had been close to where Tobias and the Grand Masters had appeared earlier.


    "Before that, why don''t you threee out?" Celine''s voice sounded, instantly shattering the crack on the space above.


    "Ahaha!" A woman''sughter filled the air as the space that had shattered revealed three figures.


    "This!"


    All of the members of the cksmith Order could not help but gape in shock after seeing these newly discovered people''s attire.


    All three wore ck hooded coats and an insignia of the Royal Army was embroidered on their vest.


    Kyran''s eyes also narrowed as he saw the three figures. He also recognized the ck hooded coats these three people were wearing.


    He had dismantled a couple after all, to take out the space storage stitched on their pockets.


    Though the ck hooded coats he had dismantled did not have the Royal Army''s symbol on the vest, Kyran was 99% positive it was the same.


    That was right. These three was wearing the same ck hooded coats as the three people from the Special Ops Kyran had fought.


    Celine turned to face the three figures. Her expression immediately turned sour.


    It appeared the current situation here was about to take a turn for the worse.


    The three figuresnded, and the one in front, who obviously belonged to a woman stepped forward.


    The remaining two stood behind her in silence. Both had huge frames and had huge weapons on their back. The one on the right had a great sword, while the other one had a polearm.


    Celine narrowed her eyes as the woman approached.


    Thetter stopped three meters away from Celine before lowering her hood, revealing a young-looking woman with short ck hair. Her eyes were almost the same shade as Celine and though her looks were average, she had a very pleasant smile on her face.


    "Hall Master Celine," the woman greeted. However, she did not lower her head, showing how much she did not care about Celine''s status. Not to mention, her magic level as a Magus.


    "Do not take offense in our decision to ''observe,''" she went on. "We are only here under the Royal Family''s orders to keep an eye on Disciple Tyr."


    As soon as the woman said this, all of the people, excluding Kyran, Tobias and the Grand Masters were shocked.


    Once again, someone had appeared because of Disciple Tyr!


    This¡­ just who was Disciple Tyr to make known peoplee one after another.


    All of which had different agendas, but the fact they all came for him had shocked them.


    "The Royal Family ordered to keep an eye on Tyr?" Celine repeated, looking at the woman in disbelief.


    The woman nodded and looked at Kyran. Then to the surprise of everyone, the woman lowered her head in respect before saying, "Disciple Tyr, her Highness, the Crown Princess has asked us to deliver a message."


    "W-What did she just say?"


    "D-Did she really say the Crown Princess?"


    "More importantly, why did she bow to him and not to Hall Master Celine?"


    The people nearby whispered to one another.


    Kyran felt an iing headache as the woman from the Special Ops had spoken. He had wanted to stir up a storm by appearing as Tyr, but this kind of storm was¡­ too much.


    "What?" Kyran asked curtly.


    The woman did not appear to take offense of Kyran''s curt attitude and kept a pleasant smile. She replied, "The Crown Princess really hope that Disciple Tyr will provide a positive response regarding her personal request."


    As soon as the woman had said this, gasp of surprise filled the air.


    The Crown Princess had sent a personal request to Disciple Tyr?


    This was a big news!

 Chapter 342 Joint Military Exercise (1)

    Kyran smiled bitterly, realizing what the Crown Princess was trying to do.


    This time, he admitted she had pulled a fast one on him.


    During the Crown Princess''s surprise visit to the Tower of Conve, she had brazenly poached for ''Tyr'' in front of the Head Master of the Conve. Her action revealed a little of what the Royal Family''s intentions were.


    In any case, because Kyran refused to give a definite answer to the Crown Princess''s offer, they hade to an agreement that she would assess his work after getting the statements of those people who would receive his work.


    However, it had only been the start of the week and yet Kyran''s work had already taken most factions in the east part of the empire by storm. If this continues, then his worth would really be something the Royal Family could not afford.


    Now, Kyran had more or less understood why the Royal Family made the Lumley Family move.


    If he was correct then the Crown Princess asked the Lumley to overwhelm the cksmith Order their enemy. After that, the three mages from the Special Ops would appear to offer their assistance but in turn, Kyran would have topromise by offering his services to the Royal Family.


    What they did not expect was Kyran to easily turn the tides against the Lumley Family, and even forced Tobias to make a move.


    While Tobias''s appearance seemed to turn the tides in favor of the Lumley Family again, Hall Master Celine suddenly appeared.


    The Special Ops failed to stop Celine from interfering. To be precise, they could not stop her without revealing themselves.


    In any case, now that the Crown Princess''s n backfired, she immediately thought of another n. And that was to have the Special Ops dere in front of many people that the Ylfaen Empire''s Crown Princess actually asked a personal request to ''Disciple Tyr,'' to which thetter had not responded yet.


    Once the whole empire heard of it, ''Disciple Tyr'' would now be forced to ept any request the Crown Princess asked of him. If he chose to ignore or even act arrogantly, he would then face the scrutiny of the whole empire.


    ''You want to use peer pressure to make me ept, huh,'' Kyran thought, in amusement.


    Though he would never be affected by peer pressure, he admitted this approach was somewhat effective if he had to consider his current situation. At the end of the week, Kyran nned to start living as ''Nar.'' But with ''Tyr''s'' predicament, he would definitely not be able to slowly hide in the background and start a new life as ''Nar.''


    To be honest, Kyran had not expected the Crown Princess to put a lot of effort into getting him to work for the Royal Family. After all, he was only acting uninterested, he already nned to ept whatever terms the Crown Princess would offer once they meet again after a month.


    "To show the Crown Princess''s sincerity, she offers to sort the issue the cksmith Order has with the Lumley Family," the woman continued.


    Tobias''s scowled at once after hearing this. He looked at the woman and was about to say something when he froze in ce.


    None of the people around had noticed this, except for Kyran.


    His magic sense had been active all this time after all. He could sense subtle changes in each of the people within his magic sense''s area of effect.


    Tobias''s expression turned sour, but in the end, he only closed his eyes and lowered his head.


    Kyran more or less guessed that someone had just telepathically spoken to Tobias. And seeing how dissatisfied thetter looked, it appeared he did not agree, yet he could not go against that person.


    Most likely, that person was the Patriarch of the Lumley Family, or... someone from the Royal Family.


    Kyran even had an inkling it was the Crown Princess.


    But if that was the case, then did it mean, the Crown Princess was already at a mage level where she could telepathically speak to others? Or was she using a magic item to do this?


    Kyran rejected thetter immediately. After all, he had not sensed any energy fluctuationing from a magic item around Tobias. So his former idea was more usible.


    It might not even be the Crown Princess, but someone powerful under the Crown Princess that an Exalted mage like Tobias was too afraid to defy.


    Nevertheless, Kyran had to be careful in dealing with the current situation. If not, he would be stuck disguising as Tyr which he could not afford to do.


    Meanwhile, all of the people around who heard the woman said this murmured to themselves in excitement.


    Today was the first time they had ever heard anything about the Crown Princess.


    The Ylfaen Empire''s Crown Princess had been lowkey because of the incident where a Spirit had tried to murder her when she was little.


    Suddenly hearing that the Crown Princess personally requested ''something'' from Disciple Tyr came as a big shock as well as entertainment to them.


    There had been rumors that the Crown Princess''s beauty was top-notch. Not to mention, she was a very intelligent young woman. A real worthy sessor to the Ylfaen Empire''s Emperor.<sub> </sub>


    With Disciple Tyr''s rising poprity and good looks, these people had started to put them together. To them, Tyr''smoner status did not matter. As a matter of fact, stories about two people of different standings finding each other were something a lot of people loved to see.


    Good thing Kyran did not have the ability to read minds. If he did and he knew what almost every person there was thinking, he would have already used the Dark Arts he had used to change Tritus''s character.


    Thest thing Kyran wanted was to get involved in a scandal with someone, especially the empire''s Crown Princess. Though the scandal would involve ''Tyr'' and not really Kyran, he still considered the former one of his pseudo.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran could not help but wonder why the Conve had to make Tyr look such a handsome person. The attention he received alone while under Tyr''s disguise was actually suffocating.


    "While I appreciate the Princess''s sincerity, the cksmith Order can deal with the Lumley Family''s matter ourselves," Kyran replied after a few seconds of silence.


    The woman''s expression flickered slightly. She did not expect Kyran to unhesitatingly reject Princess Haylee''s offer.


    Tobias also looked at Kyran skeptically. He could not read what the younger man was thinking.


    Did ''Tyr'' really think the cksmith Order had the means to go against the Lumley Family? The Lumley Family had a Magus, while the cksmith Order only had two Grand Masters. They did not even have an Exalted. How would they deal with the Lumley Family exactly?


    "That''s¡ª."


    "But if I have to impose on the Princess''s sincerity, can she provide some help in healing my injured fellow members instead?" Kyran continued, cutting the woman from saying anything.


    The woman raised her brows in surprise. Kyran''s response was another surprise to her.


    The man with a huge greatsword stepped forward and leaned on the woman''s ears, whispering something to her.


    To Kyran''s surprise, he was unable to hear what the man had said even though he was within the influence of his magic sense.


    On the other hand, Celine''s eyes narrowed. Since she still had her own magic influence and given the nature of her magic, she caught a few words the man had told the woman.


    The man had just told the woman to agree in helping Kyran and still insist on letting the Crown Princess mediate with the Lumley Family.


    This raised a few doubts in Celine. One of which was, to her it appeared as if the Royal Family wanted to protect the Lumley Family.


    That should not be the case.


    After all, Celine was aware of theplicated rtionship among the different factions within the Ylfaen Empire.


    Most of all, the Royal Family never showed any favor to the other factions. It was for this reason that the Royal Family''s influence had dwindled.


    ''Could this mean that the Royal Family was now doing their best to curry favor with the Three Noble Families?'' Celine wondered.


    With a pleasant smile, the woman looked at Kyran again and nodded, "That will not be a problem. However, we still insist on mediating the matter between the cksmith Order and the Lumley Family. The Crown Princess wishes to resolve the matter peacefully."


    After hearing this, the members of the cksmith Order could not help but look at Kyran uneasily.


    To be honest, they wished to have a peaceful resolution to the matter with the Lumley Family. Although they clearly were the ones who had been wronged, if the matter escted, they all knew the cksmith Order did not have the power to fight the Lumley Family.


    In the end, the Conve would definitely be involved and a bigger problem would arise.


    They were all afraid that an all-out war would happen between the two.


    However, Kyran had been protecting them all this time and they also knew how much he cared about the members of the Order. They had witnessed it when he dealt with Matias and his men earlier.


    Right now, Kyran''s opinion mattered the most than theirs.


    Celine also looked at Kyran. She might havee here after receiving Chairman Noir and President Sigma''s plea for assistance, but at the end of the day, this concerned the whole cksmith Order and would eventually affect the whole Conve depending on Kyran''s decision.


    Kyran obviously knew this and also knew how nervous the members of the order were.


    Finally, after a few minutes of intense silence, he sighed and replied, "Alright."

 Chapter 343 Joint Military Exercise (2)

    The members of the cksmith Order heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Kyran''s response. However, their relief was short-lived when thetter continued to speak.


    Kyran said, "I''ll have to trouble the Royal Family to mediate on today''s incident between the cksmith Order and the Lumley Family. But, with regards to their usation against my work, I will settle it myself."


    Most of the veteran members immediately realized what Kyran was trying to do.


    He wanted to tell them that whatever transpired between the Lumley Family''s and Kyran was his responsibility alone. The cksmith Order had nothing to do with it. By doing this, he was ensuring that any retaliation from the Lumley Famly would not implicate the order again.


    "D-Disciple Tyr!"


    "You need not do this!"


    "You are part of the cksmith Order and whatever happens, we will stand by you!"


    "That is right. Please allow us and the Order to protect you!"


    "Don''t be hasty, Disciple Tyr! Let us wait for President Sigma and Chairman Noir."


    Several veteran members of the order eximed, one after another. Other younger members also muttered or nodded their agreement and even swore to protect him when the timees.


    "Presumptuous!" One of the Grand Masters with Tobias scowled.


    "Such arrogance! Did you think you can threaten us?" The other one also expressed his disapproval.


    Tobias, however, remained silent and only looked at Kyran with a malicious glint in his eyes.


    The woman also frowned. Before she could convince Kyran to reconsider, he continued to speak.


    "In the first ce, the Lumley Family''s target has been me all along. The cksmith Order was only dragged in because I am a member and also Chairman Noir''s disciple. They only want to protect me. He even asked the Conve''s help to ensure that, but, I don''t want the Order and the Conve to suffer because of me.


    "And though I don''t trust the Royal Family, having them mediate and resolve the incident today is better, as long as they don''t y favorites, of course."


    His implication did not go unnoticed by everyone and the members of the order all broke out in cold sweat.


    They were beginning to think that nothing could faze nor make Disciple Tyr tremble in fear.


    ? Celine also looked at Kyran incredulously. She had witnessed his bravery before, but back then, the only ones he would provoke were mercenaries. At worst, it would be the whole Mercenary Hall.


    This time, he actually dared to provoke the Royal Family! This was not just any family! They were the rulers of the Ylfaen Empire.


    Was he not afraid the Royal Family would decree his execution for saying such things against them?


    Acting as if he had said nothing wrong, Kyran continued, "In any case, I don''t want to involve the whole order with whatever it is the Lumley Family has against me. I also don''t want to owe the Royal Family."


    The man with the huge polearm behind the woman stepped forward and said, "You''re being stubborn. Are you really nning on taking on the Lumley Family by yourself?"


    Kyran shrugged, "If I say yes, that has nothing to do with you, right?"


    Then he looked at the Grand Masters with Tobias and added, "Besides, I still have some unfinished business with their young master. And¡ª," he looked at Tobias, "¡ª with little Toby, right here."


    "YOU! Do not call me that!" Tobias red up. If Celine had not been there, he would have done more than just re at Kyran.


    But with Celine right in front of Kyran, not to mention, her still active domain which prevented Tobias from using his magic properly, thetter could only reign in his annoyance.


    Kyran ignored Tobias and looked at the three people from the Special Ops.


    "I know the Princess has a way to speak with you guys," he said, giving a meaningful look at the man with the great sword. "Tell her I don''t need her help. As for her ''personal request,'' we can talk again when its time."


    Silence ensued after Kyran finished speaking.


    Everyone member of the order looked at Kyran worriedly. Even if Celine was still there to help him, the three people before them were acting under the direct orders of the Royal Family. If they wanted to take Kyran, they all believed Celine did not have the capability to refuse.


    No one among them could actually refuse.


    Just when the people around felt the tension had risen, a deep voice suddenly erupted inughter, breaking the silence.


    "Good. Very good," the man with the great sword had said. He was also the one whoughed just now.


    The woman closed her eyes and stepped back. Then she stepped back as the man stepped forward and approached Celine and Kyran.


    "My daughter do have a keen eye," the man said as he lowered the hood of his coat.


    Gasps of both surprise and fear filled the air as everyone, except Kyran, recognized the man''s face.


    The man was none other than Emperor Euan!


    "Your Majesty," Celine and the rest immediately knelt on the ground to pay respect.


    She also undid her domain, which gave Tobias and the two Grand Masters the opportunity to turn and also kneel in respect.<sub> </sub>


    Again, only Kyran remained standing as he looked at the man before him. At that moment, he stuck out like a sore thumb with everyone around him kneeling before Euan.


    As another silence ensued, the two Special Ops with Euan felt something was amiss. Emperor Euan was very different from the previous emperor. He was a very amiable person. When his people kneel in respect before him, he would immediately tell them to stand.


    The two Special Ops lifted their heads slightly to see why the Emperor had not asked them to stand. What they saw was the Emperor staring at Kyran with a smile that did not meet his eyes.


    Clearly, the Emperor was dissatisfied with Kyran''s arrogance for not kneeling before him!


    Celine also noticed this and wanted nothing more but to force Kyran to kneel. However, because she knew his situation, she did not have the heart to force him. Even though she knew his action would cause harm.


    Before the two could reprimand Kyran, Euan finally spoke and broke the silence.


    "Judging by your appearance, you are not a native of the Ylfaen Empire," he said.


    Kyran raised his brows but did not reply. He simply looked back at Euan, feeling mixed emotions.


    He would be lying if he said he was not ruffled by Euan''s sudden appearance.


    The real reason why he did not kneel was not that he was acting stubbornly, but because he was too shocked to move.


    s, when he noticed he was the only one standing, it was already toote to move.t


    Nevertheless, Kyran''s mind reeled while he racked his brains for a way to get out of this situation. He did not want to provoke the Emperor. At least, not yet.


    But he knew acting friendly was more suspicious.


    In the end, he could only continue acting arrogantly. The worse thing that could happen was the emperor wanting his head. If that happened, he would just escape and make adjustments to his n, especially once he started living as ''Nar.''


    "My daughter thinks highly of your skills as an Array Specialist. She also said, yourbat ability is good," Euan continued. "But she also said, your arrogance is also top-notch."


    Kyran tilted his head and replied, "Should I say thank you?"


    "Ahahaha!" Euanughed, seemingly unoffended by Kyran''s reply.


    Still, Celine and the members of the order all paled. All of them seemed to only have one thing in their minds:


    There was a limit to one''s bravado Disciple Tyr! Please stand down now!


    "You remind me of my younger self," Euan said and took a step toward Kyran.


    "Because I know I will be the emperor, I never really show any respect to others," Euan continued, giving Kyran a meaningful look.


    The gears in Kyran''s mind immediately kicked into gear.


    Recalling Euan''s remark on how Kyran did not look like a native of the Ylfaen Empire, how he did not address Kyran''s ''disrespectful'' attitude and insteadmented on how he reminded him of his younger self. Andst but most important of all was Euan''s meaningful look after saying hisstment.


    Did this mean, the Emperor believed Kyran, or rather, Tyr, was a person from another nation with a high status?


    Such a misunderstanding, should not be possible if the Emperor had not found other clues.


    This immediately made Kyran doubt Ste and Noir''s im that they had made sure Tyr did not have the same face as someone known.


    Or could it be, that they were only able to confirm this within the Ylfaen Empire?


    Regardless of the truth, maybe Kyran could use this misunderstanding!


    With this in mind, Kyran only smiled slightly at Euan.


    As if Kyran''s smile was a sort of confirmation, Euan''s smile became more friendly as heughed again, "I would like to get to know you better, Disciple Tyr."


    He waved his hand and a gold parchment appeared in front of Kyran.


    "Tomorrow, the Conve and the Royal Army will hold a joint military exercise and I want you to participate as one of the cksmith Order and the Mercenary Hall''s representative."


    Euan''s words immediately stirred amotion among the people present.


    Still wearing a slight smile, Kyran reached out and took the gold parchment.


    "The details are written there, read it ande to the exercise at the Tower of Conve tomorrow."


    What Euan said was not a suggestion, but an order, and Kyran knew he could not say no.


    Seeing that Kyran did not say anything, Euan turned and looked at the Special Ops still kneeling on the ground.


    "Let''s go."


    "Yes, your Majesty."

 Chapter 344 Stirring

    After Emperor Euan and the two Special Ops left, another messenger appeared.


    The messenger was a man in histe twenties, wearing a white coat with the Courtenay Family Crest, a light green five-leaf clover. He told Kyran and Tobias that representatives from both the cksmith Order and the Lumley Family would have toe to the Courtenay Residence tomorrow morning to discuss the resolution of today''s incident.


    After the two sides gave their acknowledgement, the messenger told Kyran that a healer from the Royal Family would arrive in half an hour to amodate his request. As for the matter between ''Disciple Tyr'' and the Lumley Family, the messenger suggested having it discussed tomorrow as well.


    Kyran did not agree nor disagree, he only looked at Tobias, before turning to enter the cksmith Order.


    Seeing Kyran had left, the messenger did not stay and also left, while Tobias and the two Grand Masters followed right after.


    During the whole exchange, Celine did not say anything. Since she was only there to assist and had no say on the matters pertaining to the order.


    Technically, Kyran was also an outsider, but no one knew that except Celine and the Conve High Council.


    When Kyran left, she followed him inside. She also needed to check on the injured members of the order.


    The whole order was silent when Kyran entered.


    Every member felt mixed emotions at what happened, and though they had a few questions of their own, they did not have the heart to ask Kyran. Not when thetter had an unreadable expression and a scary aura, right now.


    They were also wondering about the strange exchange between Kyran and the Emperor.


    While the veteran members could more or less guess what it meant, they were not really a gossip and chose to keep their thoughts to themselves. Time would reveal everything, anyway. At least, they believed that.


    Kyran and Celine went to check on the injured members at once.


    All the injured members were transferred to the infirmary and only Celine and Kyran were there.


    The rest of the members were already busy cleaning up the mess while assuring all customers.


    The moment Celine saw the condition of all the injured members of the order, her expression turned grim. She only had a rough idea of what had transpired before she came. Now that she saw their condition, especially all the ordinary people and Emmet, she could not help but seethe in anger.


    If she had known this earlier, she probably had dealt a heavy blow to Tobias and his entourage.


    "We need to contact the Alchemist Association and ask their help," Celine told Kyran while she sat on the bed where Emmety.


    Kyran shook his head, "No. If we get them involved, who knows what kind of misunderstanding those people targeting me wille up with."


    Celine frowned at once and looked at him.


    Seeing, Tyr''s face still made her feel uneasy, but she could only keep her feelings in check and y along.


    "Asking for their help is not really strange. Both the order and the association are constituents of the Conve. There is nothing wrong with helping each other."


    "The association is also swamped with requests. They will not be able to spare a High Master Alchemist at this time," Kyran reasoned.


    "Emmet''s condition is not something a High Master Alchemist could deal with!" Celine eximed.


    "Exactly, which means, we need at least a Saint Alchemist or higher to check on him and the others," Kyran agreed.


    Alchemists were ranked based on what level of potions or pills they could concoct.


    There were seven levels that alchemists strived for. These were:


    First level - Master Alchemist;


    Second level - High Master Alchemist;


    Third level - Saint Alchemist;


    The fourth level - Venerate Alchemist;


    Fifth level - Emperor Alchemist;


    The sixth level - Exalted Alchemist;


    And the seventh and highest level - was Divine Alchemist.


    As of this moment, the highest Alchemist level in the human ne was an Emperor Alchemist.


    However, in ancient times, there had been a Divine Alchemist.


    Nevertheless, it was unknown if there were other levels above a Divine Alchemist because no one had ever achieved a higher level than that. Up to this day, there had only been two people recorded to have reached the highest level.


    This showed how important a high-level Alchemist was.


    "We can''t ask Head Alchemist Avrum toe here. At least, normally we can''t. But if he knew what happened here, he will definitelye. Who knows, maybe it will be Chairman Malia. When that happens and those people found out, what do you suppose they will think?


    Celine fell silent.


    She understood what Kyran was trying to say. Avrum was a Venerate Alchemist, while Malia was an Emperor Alchemist, any one of theming here would definitely stir unnecessarymotion.


    There was a good chance those people against Kyran would think he was the one who asked them toe. Even if that was not the case, the truth did not matter. To them, as long as they could stir the public to further keep an eye on him was more than enough.


    More and more factions would also want to find out more about ''Tyr.''


    Having the Emperore here already stirred up amotion, and it was only a matter of time before every faction in the empire knew about it.<sub> </sub>


    This, in turn, brought huge headaches to Kyran. This was not the kind of storm he wanted to stir when he made a scene as ''Tyr.''


    "Then what are we going to do? Are we really just going to wait for the Royal Family''s healer? Who could possibly have a better means of healing Emmet and the rest than Head Alchemist Avrum and Chairman Malia?" Celine asked.


    Kyran thought of te but immediately rejected the idea.


    If he called for her help and Emmet and the others got better, it would stir another misunderstanding. Since he could not reveal te, it would look as if he was the one who healed them.


    Thest thing Kyran wanted was rumors circting that ''Tyr'' also had high attainments in Alchemy.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Kyran shook his head and replied, "That''s the only way to prevent any more misunderstandings."


    Celine looked back at the injured members and wondered why things had toe to this.


    All of this happened just because of ''Tyr''s work''? Were they that afraid of his talents?


    "In any case, my puppets had applied first aid. I don''t want to brag, but I am confident in their work. Emmet and the others'' condition has somewhat stabilized," Kyran added.


    Celine shook her head, "That was not the case here. I still don''t think the Royal Family has a healer who can do a better job than Head Alchemist Avrum and Chairman Malia."


    "Rest assured that I will do my best to heal them."


    A mncholic voice suddenly spoke from behind.


    Celine immediately turned to look at the door and was surprised to find a young woman standing there wearing a white hooded robe with red ents.


    She did not even notice thetter''s arrival!


    More importantly, did she hear their conversation?


    Wait, did Celine and Kyran even say anything suspicious?


    Celine recalled their conversation and thought nothing. At least, she believed they had not talked about anything suspicious.


    Kyran, on the other hand, froze the moment he heard the woman''s voice.


    In an instant, his expression turned grim as he turned to look at the young woman. He also did not sense her arrival. Though he did not exactly employ his magic sense, he should have at least noticed something, especially ''her'' presence.


    The young woman closed the door behind her and said, "I''m sorry to surprise you. I actually knocked and let myself in when no one answered."


    "You came early," Kyran replied, not masking his dissatisfaction.


    Celine caught this and looked at him from the corner of her eyes.


    Did he know the young woman?


    The young woman chuckled at Kyran''s unmasked annoyance. She turned to face him and finally lowered her hood.


    As soon as Celine saw the young woman, she could not help but flush.


    She had never seen such a beautiful young woman before. Most of all, the young woman''s eyes were too dazzling she could not seem to look away from them.


    The young woman''s sapphire blue eyes seemed to glow naturally even in a poorly lit room.


    That was right.


    The young woman was none other than Haylee.


    Haylee smiled at Kyran and said, "We meet again, Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as soon as Haylee smiled. Once again, there was another image of a girl ovepping with her face and it annoyed how much it stirred his very core.


    "If I did not know better, I think you are doing this on purpose just to see me, Princess," Kyran replied, still wearing a very annoyed expression.


    Celine''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as soon as Kyran addressed the young woman.


    "P-Princess?" She eximed and immediately knelt on the floor in respect. "Y-Your highness¡ª."


    "No need for that, Hall Master Celine," Haylee immediately stepped forward and helped Celine to her feet. "I came here as Disciple Tyr''s friend and not as the Crown Princess."


    Kyran''s frown deepened.


    "We are not friends," he said.


    Haylee looked at him with raised brows and giggled, "What''s with this unmask animosity?"


    Kyran shrugged and looked away. He really hated the fact that this girl looked so much like Cyneah.


    "Please go ahead and heal them. After that, please leave before anyone realize who you are," Kyran told Haylee.


    Celine''s scalp had gone numb at Kyran''s attitude toward the Crown Princess. But she was too shocked toment and could only watch their exchange in silence.


    "Very well," Haylee replied with a smile. Apparently not taking offence to Kyran''s attitude.


    What happened next made Kyran''s heart sink, making his mood even darker.

 Chapter 345 Healing Magic? Or...?

    Haylee approached the beds and raised her right hand. Several golden magic arrays appeared right above the beds of every injured member of the order.


    The cksmith Order''s array activated the moment Haylee roused her magic. However, sensing that her magic was not harmful, it did nothing to counter her magic arrays.


    Soon the whole room was filled with rich magic energies.


    Kyran furtively checked the runes on Haylee''s magic array and confirmed it was indeed Healing magic. However, that did not mean it was her innate magic.


    Just like him, there was a possibility she was using Healing runes to camouge her real magic.


    Nevertheless, Kyran wondered why she had to enter the Winfrey Ancestral Lands.


    ording to Ste, once a firstborn girl of the Royal Family turns sixteen, she would need to enter the Winfrey Ancestral Lands. In three days, if she managed to get out, then it meant she had seeded in acquiring the Soul Emperor''s inheritance.


    What was the Soul Emperor''s inheritance?


    One would normally think that the inheritance was Soul magic.


    However, Kyran knew it was impossible. Because for one to wield Soul magic, one had to possess a Soul core.


    Basically, if Haylee indeed inherited the Soul Emperor''s inheritance, it meant she must possess a Soul core.


    But, what about the Regis Ancestor?


    The Dragon King had granted him Draconic magic. Did it mean, he received a Draconic core? Or was it through the blood of the Dragon King that possessed Draconic runes that the Regis Ancestor could wield Draconig magic?


    If this was the case, then what about Kyran? Howe he possessed a Draconic core?


    Kyran forced himself to stop thinking of all these questions. He tend to overthink a lot of things before and ended up getting overwhelmed with questions. But now, he learned to force himself to stop not because he did not think it was necessary, but because he knew he would not be able to get answers at once.


    Instead, he took note of all these questions and would find answers along the way.


    While Kyran was thinking these, he saw Haylee close her eyes and open her mouth.


    The whole room was instantly filled with a melodious tune as Haylee started to sing.


    Kyran''s heart skipped a beat as soon as he heard her song.


    Haylee was singing the same song that Cyneah had sung when thetter saved him from the mutated basilisk.


    And it was also then, when Kyran''s soul seemed to tremble, that his Void core reacted. His Void energy instantly circted inside him, as if to protect him from Haylee''s song.


    It would have been fine if that was all. But, almost at the same instant that his Void energy circted, his Draconic core also stirred!


    Once again, his Draconic energy turned chaotic.


    However, unlike before when his central core could not contain it even with the Void energy trying to calm it down, this time, with the Shaiha''s assistance, nothing happened.


    If Kyran was not particrly sensitive to the movements of the magic energies in his body, he would not have noticed anything wrong, to be honest.


    Even his expression remained the same. Though, he still appeared annoyed.


    Nevertheless, with this incident, Kyran was now sure, that the Crown Princess was using Soul magic.


    Meanwhile, Celine also could not help but looked at Haylee in amazement as her song flowed within her.


    Because, Celine sensed her magic reserves had been replenished, and any fatigue she felt slowly disappeared.


    ''This... Is real Healing magic?'' Celine wondered as she looked at Haylee''s back.


    Because of the Spirit incident, all information about the Princess had been tightly guarded. That was why the Conve had no in-depth data on her, especially about her magic.


    To think that she possessed such rare Healing magic!


    It had been said that a mage who possessed Healing magic had natural talents in manipting magic energy. For this reason, they were capable of nourishing and stimting a human''s natural healing abilities. In some cases, they could even reconstruct a person''s damaged cells by converting the magic energy into aposition simr to cells. Open wounds, broken bones, and even missing limbs could easily be healed or regrown because of this capability!


    Celine had never expected the Royal Family to have such rare magic amidst them.


    Her amazement intensified as she saw visible changes in all the injuries of the members of the order.


    A golden veil covered their bodies, and all their injuries healed at an rming speed.


    While Celine was feeling awed at Haylee''s magic, Kyran was feeling the opposite.<sub> </sub>


    Just like the first time he met Haylee, he could not calm down. He even had the urge of warping out of the room and going back to the cottage.


    s, Kyran could only endure and retain his annoyed expression.


    Finally, after almost three minutes, Haylee stopped singing.


    The magic energy in the room slowly eased down as the golden veil that covered the injured members of the order dissipated in the air.


    Once the golden veil waspletely gone, Celine saw all the members looking as if they had not been injured!


    Even Emmet looked the same before he was burned. His hair had also regrown.


    "This..." Celine was speechless. She now felt a little awkward at how she used no one could heal them apart from Avrum and Malia.


    Haylee opened her eyes and turned to look at Kyran and Celine.


    She smiled sweetly at them before saying, "Is this good enough?"


    Celine immediately lowered her head, "A-Apologies, your highness. My remark early was¡ª."


    "It is fine," Haylee cut her midsentence and approached her. Still wearing a sweet smile she added, "I understand why you said that. Even I will have doubts in entrusting the lives of my people to a stranger."


    "Y-You are not a stranger, your highness..." Celine replied. It was funny how she suddenly felt tongue-tied in front of her. She was not usually like this.


    Err... except in front of Kyran.


    In any case, why did it feel as if she could not oppose this young woman in front of her? And it was not because Celine knew Haylee was the Crown Princess.


    There was another reason. But Celine could not ce her finger on it.


    Haylee chuckled at Celine''s reply and ced a hand on her shoulder, "You can rx, Hall Master Celine. Rest assured, I did not take any offence to what you have said earlier."


    As soon as Haylee said this, Celine''s emotions seemed to rx as well. She did not realize how much she had worried about offending the Princess!


    On the other hand, Kyran only looked at them with his unreadable expression.


    "Now, then," Haylee said while heaving a short sigh. She looked up at Kyran and smiled gently before adding, "I suppose I have to leave now or else, I will end up annoying you further."


    Kyran gave her a slight smile, "It''s good that you understand."


    His reply instantly evoked an amused glint in Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes. Her smile widened as she said, "I really find you interesting, Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran did not reply and only returned her gaze.


    Celine suddenly sensed the atmosphere in the room dropping and cleared her throat. She did not understand Kyran''s animosity toward the Crown Princess.


    Though she knew the Royal Family was more or less involved in Kyran''s current predicament, she did not think Kyran would openly show his hatred.


    Hearing Celine clearing her throat, somehow brought some senses back in Kyran.


    To be honest, his dark mood was not entirely because of Haylee. It had all piled up from when he did not get to finish his business with the Lumley Family, and then the Emperor arrived. It just so happened that Haylee''s appearance was thest straw.


    This would not do. Kyran still had to infiltrate the Royal Family. He could not afford to offend the Crown Princess any further.


    Kyran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. By doing this, he could say what he was about to say without sounding fake, "I''m just not in the mood, right now. If I sound offensive, I''m sorry."


    Haylee raised her brows at Kyran''s sudden apology. She took a step toward him while saying, "Don''t worry. I am not offended."


    She stopped at least three feet away from him and added, "Although I admit, I feel a little sad that you don''t think we are friends."


    Kyran opened his eyes and was greeted by Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes.


    With an indifferent expression, he tilted his head to one side and said, "Because we are not¡ª."


    "Not yet," Haylee interjected with a yful smile. She looked up at Kyran and leaned toward him on tiptoes, then whispered in his ears, "I looked forward to the day when the two of us will be good friends."


    Kyran kept a straight face and did not say anything.


    He did not even move nor made a sound when Haylee leaned back and finally made her way to the door.


    "Then, I''ll see you at the Tower of the Conve tomorrow, Disciple Tyr," Haylee said, and without waiting for a response, opened the door and left.

 Chapter 346 Marked

    After Haylee left the infirmary, Celine looked at Kyran with a slight frown and telepathically spoke to him.


    ''I think you went overboard. If you keep acting this way around them, they will keep a tight watch on you and find out why you feel this way.''


    Kyran looked at Celine with raised brows. He did not expect her to speak her mind.


    No.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed the moment his eyes met hers. Earlier, he noticed her uneasiness whenever he looked at her. Right now, however, she looked fine.


    His eyes under the mask turned dark purple as he spread his magic sense to cover the whole room.


    There he found traces of Soul magic lingering inside the members of the order''s bodies and Celine.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he realized what the Crown Princess had done. This could be the truth behind her supposed innate ability to control others.


    It was no innate ability. It was Soul magic.


    Now, the question was what was the Crown Princess'' real innate ability?


    ''I''ll find the answer eventually. There is no rush,'' Kyran thought and approached Celine.


    The moment Kyran started walking, Celine felt her heart skip a beat. She unconsciously stepped back while saying, "W-What is it?"


    "Don''t move," Kyran told her as he raised his right hand and lifted a pointing finger on her forehead.


    A part of Celine wanted to brush his hand away, and at the same time, did not want to.


    It was as if there were two wills within her fighting over control of her movements.


    While Celine was struggling inside, a purple ring appeared at the tip of Kyran''s finger.


    The purple ring turned into a single rune which Kyran gently ced on her forehead. In an instant, a golden mark appeared on Celine''s forehead that caused her to cry out in pain.


    "Argh!" She eximed. She would have fallen over if not for Kyran''s deft movements wherein he grabbed her arm to support her.


    Sizzle!


    The golden mark sizzled as the purple rune seeped into it, slowly turning its color into purple.


    Celine let out a gasp a secondter after the mark hadpletely turned purple.


    Good thing, Kyran held Celine''s arm, if not she would have fallen to her knees.


    "W-What just happened¡­?" She muttered, looking up at Kyran questioningly.


    The moment her eyes met Kyran''s, she could not help but redden. Though Kyran still had Tyr''s face and eyes, the fact that she knew it was him under that disguise, made her flustered.


    ''That girl left a mark on you and everyone inside,'' Kyran replied telepathically as he looked at the still unconscious members.


    His words immediately made Celine scowl in anger.


    ''S-She¡ª h-how¡ª more importantly, she actually did that to me? To all these people here?''


    She might not be a powerful offensive Magus, but she was still a Magus! For such a young girl to secretly leave a mark on her, even if she was the Crown Princess, was disgraceful!


    Seeing Celine''s reaction, Kyran let out a chuckle.


    ''Now you understand how I feel?'' He asked.


    Celine looked at him and fell silent.


    She already guessed the two had met prior to today based on their interaction. And apparently, their first meeting had not been friendly.


    Now Celine understood why Kyran had his guard up around the Crown Princess. It was not only because the Royal Family might now be involved with his current situation, but because underneath her gentle smile was a shrewd person.


    ''I¡­ did not even sense the mark entering my body,'' Celinemented, recovering from her initial shock.


    ''It is normal. That is how Soul magic works. If you do not have a certain level of magic sense, you will not realize it,'' Kyran told her.


    ''Certain level of magic sense?'' Celine repeated in doubt.


    She knew magic sense had five levels.


    Most mages could only master until the third level: using magic sense to ''look'' at their surroundings without really seeing with their eyes, and to ''feel'' the presence of others.


    Celine was also at the third level but she had not mastered it yet. At most, she could look at feel to a certain degree. It was for this reason that she was unable to see the Emperor and the Special Ops hiding earlier.


    The Crown Princess''s magic was Healing, but if she wanted to fully utilize it where she could heal and regrow limbs, she had to have a high magic sense.


    After witnessing how she healed the injured members to their best state, and even regrown Emmet''s hair, then her magic sense was at the fourth level: she could manipte the magic energies in the surroundings.


    Did this mean the Crown Princess had a monstrous magic sense? She could also well be the only person in the whole empire¡ª, or maybe the whole world, that had reached a magic sense to this degree!<sub> </sub>


    No, wait.


    Celine nced at Kyran and wondered what level his magic sense was. After all, He was able to sense the Emperor and the Special Ops'' hiding earlier, so his magic sense was at least at the third level. Except, his mastery was far better than her.


    ''What about you? What is the level of your magic sense?'' Celine thought.


    Or so she thought she did, but then a reply came and made her realize she had asked the question telepathically.


    ''High enough,'' Kyran replied with a slight smile while looking at her in slight amusement. He just told her the Crown Princess used Soul magic but she appeared more interested in his mention of the magic sense.


    Celine frowned at his reply.


    Did he have to give such a vague answer?


    Sighing in resignation, Celine looked away and diverted the subject back to what the Crown Princess had done.


    ''What you did just now... you removed her mark on me, right? Won''t the Princess notice it?'' She asked.


    ''I didn''t remove it. I adjusted it. The mark is still on you, but it will no longer affect you,'' Kyran exined.


    Celine''s eyes widened as she once again looked at Kyran.


    ''Adjusted it...'' She repeated incredulously. ''Just like that?'' She asked while pointing her finger toward his forward.


    ''Yeah, just like that,'' Kyran replied, raising his brows at her.


    Celine gasped and covered her mouth, as her eyes brightened in excitement, ''Unbelievable. Is that the nature of your magic? No, wait. The nature of your magic is not really... Or no, maybe it is! Like, you can ''void'' the effect or something? Am I, right?''


    Now that Kyran was properly talking to Celine, he realized she had a curious and somewhat clumsy side to her. It made him remember the state of her office¡ª not to mention, her appearance¡ª, the first time they had met.


    ''I''ll leave it up to your imagination,'' Kyran replied. He did not have the time to satisfy her curiosity.


    ''Huh? What do you even¡ª.''


    Before Celine couldin, Kyran already walked toward the bed and raised his hand.


    He said, ''If I''m correct, that girl already marked some members outside.''


    His assumption was not without basis.


    The truth was, he was still wondering how the Crown Princess arrived at the infirmary without any assistance from the other members outside, and even enter the room without the two sensing her.


    Kyran already had a theory.


    His vignce inside the order was not that high because he already memorized each of the members ''presence.'' If any of them have any malicious intent, he would sense it even without using his magic sense.


    The Crown Princess had lied when she said, she had let herself in. Most likely, she had concealed her presence well and secretly marked the members of the order who had greeted her then let one of them walk with her to the infirmary, camouging her presence further.


    The one who opened the door and even let the Crown Princess in was a member. An average human, to be precise.


    That was why Kyran did not sense anything. Because his vignce was even lowered around the average human.


    ''What?'' Celine eximed in shock. ''Isn''t that bad?''


    Kyran shook his head, ''I''ll adjust it too. But given their number, it will take me some time toplete it. Especially if I have to do it secretly.''


    Several purple rings burst out from the tip of Kyran''s pointing finger and flew to every member lying on the bed.


    These rings turned into a single rune andnded on their foreheads and forced out the golden mark.


    Simr to what happened to Celine''s mark, the purple runes seeped into the marks, turning their gold color to purple.


    Once that was done, Kyran took a deep breath. As expected, adjusting a mark made from ancient magic was not easy.


    After what happened in the Shaiha Ruins, he was only able to replenish his magic energy to 80% before returning to the cksmith Order. Then he had to activate arge-scale array, not to mention constantly camouge his magic. He had used up 20% of his 80% magic energy after that. Now, after adjusting the mark on Celine and the members inside the infirmary, he had used up 14%.


    This meant, that adjusting one mark used up at least 1% of his magic energy! And he had to adjust the rest of the members outside!


    Celine did not argue further and let Kyran do his work.


    Who knew how bad it would be if the mark the Princess left them was left for too long?


    ? "Hall Master Celine," Kyran suddenly called for her aloud.


    "Y-Yes?" Celine replied and looked at him.


    "After I''m done here, can you station a few mercenaries here? I have to go to the Tower of Conve, right after," Kyran asked.


    "Oh, that can be arranged. I can also prepare a carriage to take you to the Tower¡ª."


    "No need," Kyran replied with a slight smile.

 Chapter 347 Three Unknown Presence

    By the time Kyran finished adjusting the mark the Crown Princess left on several members of the order, it was already two in the afternoon.


    Celine had sent a coded message to Chairman Noir and President Sigma about the current status of the cksmith Order and assured them everything had been taken care of.


    Unfortunately, neither of them replied.


    Kyran guessed they were still in the middle of their emergency meeting.


    Nevertheless, he had to make a few preparations before going there and decided to go to his workroom first.


    One of the preparations he did was replenishing his magic energy.


    When Kyran confirmed how many high-grade replenishing potions he had to take, his heart sank.


    The amount of magic energy his Void core could save was practically ten times more than an average Legendary mage could. And that was only for his Void core. If he had to also replenish his Draconic core and the multi-colored magic core, the amount made him dizzy.


    A high-grade replenishing potion could replenish 30% of an average Magus''s total magic reserves, 10% of an average Arch Magus, and 2% of an average Legendary.


    If Kyran wanted to replenish his Void core then the amount he would need... actually, he did not want to think about it.


    He already used up several high-grade replenishing potions when he recovered 80% of his magic energy earlier. The things he had done at the Shaiha Ruins did use a lot of his Draconic energy. Studying and acquiring the Saint-tier Array also used up a lot of his Void energy.


    Not to mention, Kyran also gave several potions to his Sigils (except for Byron because he did not really need one) because they had a few tasks to do.


    As for the pills and potions Kyran initially took from Max and Tritus, he gave them back for their use.


    Regarding the Temr Code''s wealth, Tritus offered to let Kyran take everything.


    But Kyran rejected it since he could not possibly rob the Temr Code with their resources. Since the transfer of leadership would not be made public, if their resources suddenly disappear overnight, it would definitely cause unnecessary issues if the other factions got wind of it.


    Although what happened at the cksmith Order today was something he had not expected, he really regretted giving out most of his provisions. Because, now, he could only replenish 30-40% of magic energy for his Void core from the remaining provision he had.


    ''It''s times like this that I wish True Void is awake,'' Kyran thought with a sigh.


    True Void had to enter a forced sleep. This was to ensure the Royal Family would not detect his presence.


    Though True Void could hide inside Kyran, there was no telling if his central core could hide his presence without thetter ''draining'' Kyran''s magic energy first.


    No, wait.


    Kyran suddenly thought of the Shaiha and wondered if it could also hide True Void''s presence from the Royal Family.


    If the Shaiha could, then Kyran wouldn''t have to worry about replenishing his magic energy all the time!


    True Void was such a glutton that he was always attracting the magic energies in the surroundings into his body.


    Then again, if True Void did attract the magic energies in the surroundings, wouldn''t Kyran also attract attention? Especially those people whose magic sense was high enough to see the movement of the magic energies.


    With a shake of his head, Kyran pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. He then focused on checking the materials his puppets had used as first aid on the injured members earlier.


    Most of the materials they had used were things Kyran received from the Tower of Tribtions. Seeing that they had only used a few, made Kyran feel somewhat relieved.


    If his puppets used all of these materials without him ''introducing'' them to the Human ne yet, would be a huge loss for him. Because most of the materials he received were only avable on other nes. The only way to get it was to return to the Tower of Tribtions and hoped he could return to those nes for his training. Which was impossible.


    After all, Kyran had never gone to another ne twice during his training.


    He always ended up going to a new one.


    Once Kyran was done checking his materials, he instructed his puppets to continue working on the requests Disciple Tyr received.


    Kyranpleted more than a hundred requests, but those requests were only from the first couple of days. After leaving the cksmith Order to go to the Shaiha Ruins, new requests specifically sent to him had already piled up.


    In any case, he could finish 50-70 magic items in one day depending on his magic energy...


    Recalling he needed magic energy to actually create the materials he would need for the magic items, made him recall his almost depleted stock of potions and pills.


    Heaving another sigh, Kyran made a mental note to rob¡ª err¡ª askpensation from the Lumley Family for everything they had done to him, during tomorrow''s meeting.


    Taking out themunication disc, he also sent a coded message to Byron.


    Once Kyran started working at the Blue Lotus, he knew the problem he had with resources and provisions would be taken care of.


    After all, the Blue Lotus''s other business produces more profit.<sub> </sub>


    When Kyran finished adjusting the program of his puppets, he connected his magic sense to the Royal Army''s magic detector.


    He first had to confirm if there were any Royal Army near or inside the Tower of Conve.


    However, the moment he connected to the Royal Army''s system, what he discovered nearly made his scalp go numb.


    Previously, he had sensed several high-level mages keeping an eye on the Tower of Conve.


    Because of this, Kyran had asked Nn''s essence to investigate.


    Now, after checking the Royal Army''s system, he found several Grand Masters, and even Exalted on standby at least a hundred kilometers away from the Tower of Conve!


    And these mages did not have the signature of the Royal Army or the Royal Guards.


    The Royal Army and Royal Guards were currently at the Courtenay residence because that was where the Crown Princess¡ª and probably the Emperor too¡ª was currently staying.


    Kyran focused on the Courtenay residence, where he found the Crown Princess and the Emperor''s presence.


    He was not surprised that the two had already returned to the Courtenay residence. What surprised him was there was three unknown presence with them.


    Most of all, these three, were at least Legendary mages.


    Kyran''s eyes turned cold as he observed the three unknown mages.


    He did not need to go there to know that those three were not from the Human ne.


    As per True Void, before Kyran''s predecessor, the previous Void Master, died, there was one other mage who possessed a high magic level.


    From what True Void had insinuated, that mage became a Sovereign before the previous Void Master even became a Sage. It was because of this that the former did not meddle in the war between the humans and the demons and only observed.


    However, that mage seemed to be close to the Void Master and had sent out an essence to apany him.


    It was unknown what happened to that mage''s essence after the Void Master died.


    But Kyran could guess that the reason for True Void''s offhanded remark about the Human ne''s Sovereign being useless at the moment, was because he or she was distraught by his predecessor''s death.


    He or she probably went to slumber because of it. If not, there would not have been other Sovereigns who could brazenly enter the Human ne right now.


    That was right.


    The three unknown mages in the Courtenay residence were definitely Sovereigns from another ne.


    When Sovereigns entered a different ne from theirs, if that ne was upied, their magic level would drop two levels. That was how these three mages were only at the Legendary level.


    Kyran closed his eyes and retracted his magic sense.


    The truth, he was not sure what exactly was his mage level. He knew he could now face a Sovereign one on one.


    Of course, he could not exactly kill one. But he could keep up and might even find a chance to win if it became a battle of attrition.


    As long as True Void was with him, Kyran was confident he could win. If he could get True Void''s body, he might really have the strength to fight equally with a Sovereign.


    But fighting three Sovereigns was out of the question. Though these three were currently at the Legendary level, their battle experiences still far exceed Kyran''s.


    Apart from this, Kyran was not omnipotent.


    Others believed Void magic was invincible but that was not the case.


    His greatest weakness was his magic energy.


    Though there was a legend about the Shaiha generating magic energy by itself, Kyran was not sure how.


    The Shaiha told him it could conceal itself but Kyran was still afraid that once he tried to learn how to use it, he would draw the attention of every Sovereign outside the Human ne.


    In any case, Kyran had to be careful in using his magic.


    These three mages were the biggest threat to him and to his n at the moment.


    Nevertheless, knowing they were here, confirmed Kyran''s assumption.

 Chapter 348 Tension

    The Conve High Council Members sat in silence around the round table in the Tower of Conve''s conference hall.


    Malek sat at the head of the table, where Ste normally did, while Chairman Hugh sat to his right and Chairman Noir to his left.


    On the other side of Hugh sat Head Chief Vaness while Chairman Malia sat beside Noir.


    The rest of the second-inmand follows; Can and Avrum to the right, and to the left were Sigma and Emery.


    All of them, except for Malek and Hugh, wore expressions of unmasked disdain.


    Right across them, sat four Royal Army representatives.


    Three of them wore red military uniforms with silver ents, while the other one had red and gold ents.


    From the left, facing Malek, one of the four had short dark hair with white streaks along the side of his ears. His facial features were not sharp, to be honest, he even looked to be effeminate. However, his sharp crimson eyes had a certain ferocity that one would immediately overlook his feminine features.


    Beside him was the only woman with them.


    She had shoulder-length blonde hair and light blue eyes. She did not look overly beautiful, but she possessed a certain charm even when she had a visible pout in her full lips.


    The other man, sitting at the other end, had long reddish-brown hair tied on a high ponytail, and piercing green eyes. He was tall but did not possess a huge frame. However, he was not lean either. One could say, he possessed just the right height and physique, making him look very sharp and handsome.


    However, their features were least of the Conve council member''s concern. All of them looked at them with disdain because they knew who these three people were.


    The six gold badges on their vest, was a dead giveaway if others would meet them.


    As for the one with the red and gold uniform, he was a middle-aged man with blonde hair and amber eyes. He had the same number of gold badges; except he had an additional diamond badge.


    That was right, these four people held the highest position in the Royal Army.


    Deputy Marshal Imman, Deputy Marshal Ingrid, Deputy Marshal Mannick andstly, Grand Marshal Gael!


    Having the four of them appear together and even seemed to have a very good rtionship made the Conve council members recall Malek''s briefing when the Crown Princess hade to visit.


    ? He told them the Crown Princess seemed to possess an innate ability to control others.


    Could it be that the reason why the Royal Family had assimted the Royal Army was because of her ability?


    If that was true, then it would be very troublesome for them.


    Malek admitted not knowing how the Crown Princess activated her ability. If even him, a Magus, could not detect it, then how would the rest of them fair?


    They all remembered Kyran''s warning that the Royal Family was likely making preparations to slowly assimte the Conve.


    Some of them still had doubts. But seeing the four officers before them, made them realize that it was really possible.


    And the Royal Family might even seed without letting the Conve fight back.


    The Conve might not even realize that they had already been assimted by the Royal Family.


    "Have youpleted the list of participants for tomorrow''s military exercise?" Gael asked, directing the question to Malek.


    Malek, wearing an unreadable expression, replied with a monotonous voice, "Not yet."


    Mannick, sitting at the right side of Gael, furrowed his brows as his green eyes glowered at Malek.


    "The proposal was sentst night, and it is already the afternoon of the following day. Don''t you think we ought to have theplete list by now?"


    Sigma mmed his clenched fist on the table and growled in retort, "It''s precisely because you only sent it to usst night that we have notpleted the list! We can''t randomly pick names and have them participate in your unreasonable events!"


    Sigma''s outburst was understandable.


    Last night, a messenger from the Courtenay Family had personally delivered the proposal of the Royal Family to the Tower of Conve. The proposal exined the addition to hold a joint military exercise between the Royal Army and the Conve after thetter''s monthly assessment was done.


    It also listed the events and how many participants both sides had to prepare.


    Previously, their joint military exercise only had two events. The first event being a parade of both side''s Elite team, and the second a friendly field operation.


    Because of this, the military exercise would onlyst for two days.


    However, the proposal given yesterday actually listed eight events: material gathering, beast hunting, alchemy, smithing, array creation, singlepetition, teampetition andst, field operation.<sub> </sub>


    It was clear what the Royal Family wanted to do. They wanted to understand the Conve''s overall strength as well as reveal their talents.


    The Conve had a choice to hide their real talents and only let those that came in second participate. But Ste felt that it might be the Royal Family''s real purpose; to draw out these people and convince them to leave the Conve.


    After all, there was a better chance in persuading these people than those with real talents which the Conve had ced high importance in nurturing.


    Besides, poaching talented mages would require the Royal Family to propose a handsome offer.


    Still, Ste believed this was only one of the possible reasons why the Royal Family had proposed this out of the blue. She felt there was more to it than what they initially believed.


    In order to prepare for this, Ste called for an emergency meeting that morning. She also hoped Kyran woulde.


    Kyran seemed to be able to predict the Royal Family''s ns better than any of them.


    Unfortunately, they could not reach him on themunication channel he had given them before.


    In the end, they were unable toe up with any countermeasure against the Royal Family''s proposal, before these four people arrived.


    When they realized that the top brass of the Royal Army had personallye, Malek immediately told Ste to lock herself in her quarters and no matter what happened, she had to stay there.


    They did not think these four would do anything drastic within the Conve''s premises. Kyran''s defensive array was also something these four would have trouble destroying.


    But Ste''s existence was only known by the Royal Family.


    If any of these four sensed her presence, who knew what would happen.


    Then again, if their assumption about the Crown Princess was correct, then maybe these four already knew about Ste.


    Maybe the reason why they hade here was to ensure that their odds would not entirely be against them if something did happen during their meeting.


    After all, the Conve still had two Magus, even if the other one, Hugh, was rumored to be injured. If they included Ste in their ranks, whose magic level was also unknown, their strength was something the Royal Army would have to guard against.


    Having one Magus and three Exalted attend the meeting was a better choice.


    At least, this was what Malek and the rest of the council members believed.


    None of them really knew what the Royal Family had in mind when they asked these four toe here.


    "Sigma," Malek turned to Sigma, giving him a stern look after thetter''s outburst.


    Still, the four people across them knew Malek''s action was not to appease them. If it was, he would have not let Sigmaplete his outburst and cut him off immediately.


    These displeased Gael and the rest.


    "Head Master, what they want to do is unreasonable," Sigma continued toin as he red at Mannick. "It even looks like they are up to something!"


    The tension in the room immediately doubled at Sigma''s words.


    Malek immediately released his magic pressure and aimed it at Sigma.


    At the same time, Gael''s eyes glowed red and a dark wed shadow had appeared right above Sigma.


    The conference''s hall''s array also activated enveloping all the members of the Conve High Council with a translucent gold light.


    BAM!


    A huge, armored fist manifested in thin air and mmed on the round table, instantly shattering all the magic pressure that were on the verge of exploding.


    It was only then that they realized that Mannick, Imman and Ingrid had also released their magic pressure toward Sigma.


    "Stand down, you three."


    The one who had spoken was Hugh. He was also the one who had summoned the huge, armored fist to block the magic pressure that Mannick, Imman and Ingrid had released.


    As for Gael''s wed shadow, if Malek had not aimed at Sigma with his magic pressure, it would have shed his head.


    Blood trickled down Sigma''s lips after receiving some of the rebound from Malek''s magic pressure colliding with Gael''s wed shadow.


    "Grand Marshal Gael, retract your magic," Malek told Gael, his green eyes bore down on him piercingly.

 Chapter 349 The Real Target

    "I merely want to educate your member, Head Master Malek," Gael said, returning Malek''s gaze while his glowing red eyes slowly changed back to their original amber color.


    "I will handle it myself," Malek replied. Though his voice remained monotonous, the drop in the surrounding''s temperature was enough to know he was not negotiating with Gael but was telling him to listen or else he would not be polite.


    Gael smiled slightly, his expression unreadable.


    The three Deputy Marshals also retained an unreadable expressions and did nothing to interject. They did not even react to Hugh countering their magic pressure. It was unknown what they were really thinking.


    To be precise, most of the Conve council members still wondered what the Royal Army wanted to aplish with the joint military exercise.


    "What President Sigma said is a direct attack to the Royal Army. It is not something your faction must resolve," Gael told Malek after a short pause.


    "Sigma," Malek called Sigma without taking his eyes off Gael.


    Sigma''s brow furrowed. He reigned in his annoyance while also ignoring the pain he suffered from the rebound and answered, "Yes, Head Master."


    "Apologize now," Malek told him curtly.


    Sigma''s frown deepened. He clenched his fist tightly and gritted his teeth.


    After a few seconds, he finally relented and said, "I have said too much, I''m sorry."


    "Grand Marshal Gael, Sigma, together with Can, is the one handling the names of participants," Malek started to exin, right after Sigma had apologized. He did not give Gael nor the three Deputy Marshals to say anything.


    "He is feeling the pressure because most of our people are helping the Chamber of Commerce to gather the materials the Royal Family had ordered. The ones who are present are all low-leveled mages with not much experience.


    "Of course, we can always let the Conve''s Elite Team participate instead. Unfortunately, you have clearly stated that only members from the four constituents of the Conve can enter."


    What Malek had just said was another reason why the Conve council members were looking at the Gael and the others with disdain.


    It was also the reason why Ste was convinced the Royal Family''s real purpose for the joint exercise was to poach their talents.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed at Malek''s words. He was still feeling displeased by Sigma''s brass action and usation. But Malek had already given them a usible reason for Sigma''s behavior. Thetter also apologized and if they pursue it further, it might be counterproductive to what they have been asked to do here.


    "Very well," Gael finally replied after a few seconds of grueling silence.


    The three Deputy Marshals looked at him.


    Mannick looked somewhat discontented and was about to say something. But after opening his mouth, he closed it almost immediately and closed his eyes.


    Gael, Imman and Ingrid also closed their eyes.


    Then Mannick crossed his arms across his chest before leaning back on his chair.


    They all fell silent.


    Their action was immediately noticed by the Conve council members.


    It was easy to guess that something transpired between the four of them.


    Mosty likely, Gael had spoken to Mannick telepathically and said something to make him step down. Imman and Ingrid''s reaction was also because they had heard Gael or was told to control themselves.


    "The event will still go as nned," Gael continued and looked at Malek.


    All this time, Malek had not taken his eyes off Gael. The only time it seemed he was not looking was when he blinked. And even that was not enough for Malek to find any clues of what the Royal Family wanted to achieve.


    "As for the participants, we will give you until tonight toplete the list," Gael went on.


    Sigma''s brow furrowed once more and was about to say something, but Can beat him at it and asked, "Can''t we postpone the exercise? Let''s say, on the day after tomorrow?"


    "No."


    The one who gave a curt reply was Ingrid. Her light blue eyeszily turned to Can as she added, "This is only an exercise. Let those people present here participate."


    "Even if you say that¡­." Can began, but was unsure what excuse to give.


    Apparently, the Royal Army had no ns on negotiating with them.


    [Go ahead and tell them you''ll have the names tonight.]


    A deep male voice spoke in their minds suddenly, when Malek was about to say something.


    All nine of them recognized the voice.


    It was none other than Kyran!


    Their minds reeled at once.


    Was not Kyran in the cksmith Order? Celine already sent an update of the situation but she did not mention anything about Kyraning here.<sub> </sub>


    More importantly, he had spoken to them telepathically? How was it possible?


    Knowing it was impossible to suppress their shock expression, the eight council members all turned to Malek.


    Their incredulous expression made it seem as if they were silently imploring Malek toe up with something to convince Gael and the rest.


    Malek, who was the only one who managed to keep a straight face even when several questions had already surfaced in his mind, finally said, "We shall consider Deputy Marshal Ingrid''s suggestion, then. Tonight, we will submit the names."


    The way Malek had said this was not a question or suggestion but a firm answer.


    "Head Master! You can''t be serious!"


    "Are we really going to let our people present here participate?"


    Sigma and Can eximed at the same time.


    However, their words were all empty. They only said that to act that they were still in the bind. If not, the four people before them might get suspicious if Malek had agreed too easily.


    Before Malek could reply to Sigma and Can, Imman, suddenly chuckled and looked at Hugh then at Noir. Then he turned to Malek and said, "Speaking of your people present here. You have one unbelievable talent here in Starhorn, right? The one who has been making a name in the Arraymunity recently."


    He leaned on the table and scrunched his brows slightly, looking as if he was thinking of something, "I believe his name is¡­"


    "Tyr."


    Mannick, Ingrid and Imman had all said.


    The members of the council saw a dangerous glint in their eyes. However, it only appeared for an instant and made some of them wonder whether they had imagined it.


    Gael smiled and nodded. He chimed in, "That is right. Princess Haylee also said he has good sense ofbat. After all, he managed to take down Brigadier General Rhys."


    Having Kyran''s other persona brought up made the Conve council members feel uneasy. The obvious enthusiastic tone they heard from Gael and even Imman when they talked about ''Tyr'' felt as if, Kyran had been their target all along.


    "He is indeed a rare talent. Which is why, the Conve has ce high importance in nurturing him," Malek replied in a monotonous voice, masking any possible clues to what he might be thinking.


    "Is this why you tried to keep his information under wraps, right after announcing his discipleship to Chairman Noir?" Imman asked while looking at Noir''s direction.


    "No. He was simply out of the radarst year, that is why there hasn''t been any new information avable on him," Malek answered. "In any case, he may not be able to attend the exercise, given he still have things to do in the cksmith Order."


    "Is that so?" Gael replied, still wearing a smile, which Sigma found annoying. "That is too bad."


    However, his expression said likewise. His smiling face seemed to imply he knew something they did not.


    "We shall wait for the final list of names tonight," Gael continued and stood up.


    The three Deputy Marshals followed.


    Gael raised his right hand and nine gold scrolls appeared in thin air. With a wave of his hand, these scrolls flew toward each of the Conve council members. Then he said, "Theplete detail of the events are written there, including the names of the participants from our side. We will see you tomorrow."


    With that, Gael and the three Deputy Marshals turned and made their way to the door.


    Malek looked at Emery, who nodded her head in turn and also left to follow them.


    As soon as Emery closed the door to the conference hall, Malek immediately stood and telepathically sent out a message.


    ''Where are you right now?''


    "Here."


    Kyran replied as he appeared out of thin air behind the chair where Gael had been sitting.


    The rest of the council members looked at him in shock.


    "How did you¡ª?"


    "You can warp in an instant now?"


    "I heard a voice in my head just now, was that you?"


    Malia, Avrum and Vaness respectively asked at the same time.


    With a slightly furrowed brows, Kyran ignored their questions and took out a simr looking gold scroll. Then he said, "The military exercise is just an excuse for the Crown Princess to get close to the members from the Conve''s constituents. The Royal Family wants to control as many of the Conve''s members as possible. However¡­"


    Kyran paused and smiled without mirth before continuing, "Their real target is me."


    As soon as he said this, each of the council members'' expression turned grim.

 Chapter 350 Most Likely Reason (1)

    Malek furrowed his brows. He asked, "When you said ''me,'' do you mean ''you,'' or Disciple Tyr?"


    Pointing this out made the rest of the council members look at Kyran with wide eyes.


    They had been seeing Kyran as Tyrtely they had somewhat forgotten that he, as Kyran, was also targetted by the Royal Army.


    No, it was no longer just the Royal Army but the Royal Family.


    Kyran smiled bitterly and said, "Both."


    "Both?"


    Malia was the first one to react. While the others were a tad secondte before eximing their exasperation.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You''re not telling us they already know about you?"


    "How is it possible?"


    Can, Sigma ang Avrum said almost at the same time.


    Noir and Vaness did not voice their concern, however, they furrowed their brows as they look at Kyran. Both were surprised, yet somehow felt it was possible.


    Malek and Hugh, were the only ones who remained indifferent. Still, it was clear they were racking their minds to how it happened.


    Kyran understood their reaction.


    Going back a few minutes ago, when Kyran warped into the room he had stayed at the Conve, he sensed four unknown auras.


    He also sensed how the tower''s defensive array were keeping an eye on the movements of these four people. It was one of the form he added. This form was a passive array wherein it would keep a close eye on a mage with a level above High Master that ered its area of effect.


    And these four were all inside the conference hall with the rest of the Conve High Council.


    Kyran''s mind clicked into gear and realized that the emergency meeting Chairman Noir ans President Sigma had gone to had something to do with these four.


    To get a better understanding of the Conve''s situation, Kyran decided to talk with Ste.


    Ste''s quarters were filled with enchantments, and a powerful array. However, in front of Kyran, it was nothing. So he did not hesitate to warp directly on her quarters.


    Kyran found Ste standing at the foot of her bed, watching a projection that showed what was happening inside the conference hall.


    What Kyran noticed at once was Ste''s worried expression. She did not even notice his arrival.


    Without making any sound, Kyran also looked at the projection.


    Though he had not met them before, Kyran recognized the three Deputy Marshals. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of their sudden appearance in the Conve.


    As for the middle-aged man, Kyran also recognized him but chose to ignore him for the time being.


    It was at that moment that he witnessed the exchange between one of the Deputy Marshals and Sigma.


    And that short exchange was enough for Kyran to have a grasp on what has transpired.


    In any case, Kyran already knew about the joint military exercise and its detail, from the gold scroll Emperor Euan gave him. It also gave him a rough idea of what the Royal Family was up to.


    But after hearing what Sigma had said, another idea had shed in his mind which made him feel an iing headache.


    The tension in the conference hall doubled when the middle-aged man made a move against Sigma.


    If Kyran had not revealed himself before Ste, she would have already gone to the conference hall and exposed herself.


    Kyran knew how Ste might have felt after seeing one of her people being threatened, not by one, but four mages with higher mage level. The setting might be different, but he had a simr experience when the Royal Army arrived and started attacking his people. In the end, he was unable to help them and even had to escape.


    Ste was shocked to find Kyran in her quarters. The incident on how Nn easily left her quarters was one thing, but Kyran was supposed to be a newbie in magic.


    In the end, Ste stopped her train of thought, recalling Kyran left with Nn a few weeks back to train.


    Nevertheless, finding Kyran''s magic level was pretty much on par with Nn, shocked Ste.


    But Kyran was not there to entertain Ste''s curiousity which was reflected in her eyes. Because they both realized that it was not only the middle-aged man had move against Sigma.


    It was a good call for Malek to release his magic pressure to protect Sigma from the wed shadows and also a good move for Hugh to shatter the looming attacks the Deputy Marshals were about to release.


    Because of this incideny, Kyran finally decided to tell the Conve everything he believed was the Royal Family''s .


    But first, he had to assure them that he was not a liability, nor did he want the Conve to help him. This was why he had spoken to them telepathically to let them understand he was not the same as before. His magic level was high enough to know how to use telepathy whenmunicating.


    Kyran indeed receive a positive reaction fom the members.<sub> </sub>


    After that, the Royal Army had not concealed their interest in Disciple Ryr, further confirming Kyran''s idea.


    Finally, when the middle-aged man and the Deputy Marshals had left, Kyran warped in to the conference hall after tellih Ste to remain in her quarters and only go to the conference hall once the Royal Army left the tower''s premises.


    "Before I exin further, let me ask you a question," Kyran began.


    The council members fell silent and looked at him intently.


    "What do you think does the Royal Family need right now?"


    "Manpower," Vaness replied.


    This was something they already discussed and they all believed it.


    Kyran smiled slight and said, "Yes and no."


    Without waiting for any of them to ask, he continued, "Yes, they need manpower, but no, they did not need several manpower but only one in particr. Because they believed this person has the capability to fulfill their special task.


    "That person was Tyr."


    Sigma scowled, "I kind of get what you mean, but how does everything that has happened so far led to that?"


    "They initially want to get Chairman Noir or President Sigma, to help them, but after doing a background check on Tyr, they believed getting him is better.


    "Because they are convinced Tyr is someone from outside the empire who has a high status."


    "Wait, what?" Sigma asked again.


    The others also felt the same.


    To them, what Kyran had just said did not make any sense.


    However, before any of them could ask Kyran further, thetter continued, "The incident at the cksmith Order today, has been instigated by thr Royal Family. It is to test Tyr''s capability and also understand him."


    Kyran heaved a sigh and shook his head, "It was unfortunate, but I kind of used an advanced array which Emperor Euan witnessed."


    "What?"


    Almost all of them eximed in surprise.


    "I''ll exin everythingter, but, from the emperor''s attitude, he is covinced that Tyr is someone of high importance. This is why they will not dare provoke him in fear of having Tyr''s ''backing'' to retaliate against the Royal Family.


    "Right now, the Royal Family can not afford to do anything drastic because they were preparing for something very big. They don''t want others to know it.


    "As for what they are preparing is, well..." Kyran paused for a second, his expression turning grim. "It has something to do with my n."


    This was something Malek had an idea.


    They knew the Regis n managed to stay safe inside the Regis Estate because their defensive array was powerful.


    The Tower of Conve''s defensive array boasted as one of the most powerful, if not the top most powerful defensive array in the whole Ylfaen Empire. But that was only because none of them had seen the Regis Estate''s defensive array.


    In any case, for the Crown Princess to show interest, not to mention willingness to offer anything that the Royal Family could possible offer to get Tyr to work for them meant they were in need of a powerful Array Specialist to crack the Regis Estate''s defensive array.


    Tyr might only be known as a specialist but he had proven to know advanced areay forms. Not to mention, he was capable of creating an array almost in an instant.


    This clearly showed Tyr''s worth and the Royal Family wanting to target him was reasonable.


    Having a powerful Array Specialist was a good investment.


    With this in mind, what Kyran said was correct. What the Royal Family was doing was indeed to target him as Tyr and Kyran.


    Once Tyr helped them break the Regis Estate''s defensive array, they could then move to pressuring Kyran to reveal himself.


    The Royal Family knew the strongest feat of a Regis, which also happened to be their weakness.


    And that was their inability to leave their own n alone in time of distress.


    Still, how was the joint military exercise fit in this?


    Kyran provided the answer, soon after.


    Author''s Note:


    So I cant''t ess my ount properly due to error in fb login. I''ll make it up to all of you in thr next chapter!

 Chapter 351 Most Likely Reason (2)

    "The purpose of the joint military exercise is to assess the Conve''s ''reserves,'' while also testing the extent of Tyr''sbat and Array knowledge," Kyran exined.


    Without giving the Conve council members to ask questions, he continued, "The Royal Family are already aware of the Conve''s Elite Team''s strength. Even if the members change every year.


    "A person''s progress could only go so far in such a short time, after all. If I remembered correctly, thest joint exercise the Conve had with the Royal Army was onlyst year?"


    "Yes," Malek replied, not masking the indignation he felt while recalling the answer provided by the Courtenay messenger when they asked why the Royal Family want to have the exercise when if they followed their normal routine, it should happen four years from now.


    The Courtenay messenger had replied curtly, "That was a joint military exercise between the Conve and the Royal Army. This time, it will be between the Conve and its constituents, against the Royal Family and he Royal Army."


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgement at Malek''s answer. He noticed thetter''s indignant tone and knew exactly why. Truth be told, he would have balked at once if he was told to hold an exercise after only a year.


    "Which is why, they now want to assess your reserves. In order to do this, they made sure you guys will not have the time to gather your real forces."


    After hearing this, Sigma could not help but m his fist on the table again. He now realized that the arrival of the four high ranked officers in the Royal Army was only to put more pressure on them and rile them up. To think, he had yed right into their palms.


    Everything that had transpired was only an act!


    Seeing Sigma''s annoyance, and the rest of the member''s unsightly expressions, Kyran guessed they understood what he meant.


    "I''ve seen what happened," Kyran said with a sigh. He looked at Sigma and said, "Senior Sigma, to be honest, if you did not y along after Head Master Malek''s warning, those guys would find a way to take you in custody.


    "Their reason is still in line with what they want to do to my n. If they fail to recruit ''Tyr,'' then they will have to make use of you."


    Sigma''s brow twitched at Kyran''s words. A vein also appeared on his forehead and he scowled at him.


    "I don''t like how you phrased that," he growled. At the same time, frustration reflected in his eyes as he recalled how much Kyran''s Array knowledge had improved. It had only been a few weeks but he had already surpassed him!


    However, Sigma was not about to admit that. He still had his pride as his ''senior.''


    "So, I''m only second choice?" Sigma growled in annoyance.


    Avrum looked at him with ck lines on his head, "You''re angry about that?"


    Kyran smiled wryly at him and shook his head, "I did say you and Chairman Noir are originally their target, didn''t I?"


    His smile turned bitter before adding, "The reason why they went through the trouble just to rile you up, is because they already knew it will not be easy to recruit me. Not because they can''t afford me, but because..."


    He paused to look at them meaningfully, "They know the Crown Princess can''t control me."


    A strange silence followed as the Conve council members tried to make sense of what


    Kyran had just said.


    Malek already told them about the Crown Princess''s possible innate ability and they originally thought the Royal Family''s purpose for holding the joint military exercise was to get all their main forces in one ce, they find a way to use her ability on them. Once the Crown Princess seeded in controlling the Conve''s main forces, it would only be a matter of time before the whole Conve would get assimted by the Royal Family.


    Their guess was not fundamentally wrong. But, apparently, their target was not their main forces but their reserves, and Tyr.


    Kyran was not bothered by the silence. He even let the silence drag on because he knew all of them were trying to let this information sink into them.


    "Wait," after almost half a minute, Vaness spoke, breaking the silence. He looked at Kyran and asked, "You said, they ''know'' the Crown Princess can''t control you as if you are 100% positive, why is that?"


    Kyran took a deep breath and replied, "Because she tried to use her magic on me in the cksmith Order."


    He then took this chance to tell them what happened in the cksmith Order.


    Hearing that the Ylfaen Emperor actually appeared made them realize that the Royal Family had indeed finally made their move.


    They only sensed things were changing from the moment the ''improved'' Magic Detectors had been implemented. But they thought the Royal Family would not make any drastic movement until all the magic detectors were changed.


    Kyran proceeded in telling them how the Crown Princess tried to ''control'' him and almost all of them paled, except for Malek and Hugh who only closed their eyes hiding their exasperated expressions.


    "So she intend to ''volunteer'' in giving first aid to our injured members and ce a mark on them?" Malia summarized with an exasperated expression.


    She had not met the Crown Princess in person, but she and Hugh had been watching that day through a projection in Ste''s quarters. They could only watch what happened in the reception hall and not in the training grounds, but Malia believed she had a firm understanding of the Crown Princess.


    The Crown Princess did not strike Malia as a cunning person. The former did appear imperious yet somewhat whimsical. Pretty much like their Lord of the Tower.


    To think the Crown Princess actually tried to pull such an inhumane act. After all, controlling someone was depriving them of their freedom.


    Kyran nodded.


    "So what? They think it is easier to control me then?" Sigma grumbled again.


    Avrum looked at him and shook his head in disbelief, "You''re still hang up on that?"


    "It''s not that it is easy, but it is possible," Kyran answered Sigma, ignoring his unmasked anger.


    "If they detain you, there are plenty of ways to remove your self-awareness making you even vulnerable to Soul magic. Of course, while they do that, they will still find ways to ''recruit'' me."


    "What did you say?"


    "Just now, did you say...?"


    Malek and Hugh asked at the same time, both looked at Kyran with wide eyes and even theirplexion paled.<sub> </sub>


    The others did not seem to notice anything wrong and looked at them in confusion.


    "Head Master?"


    "What''s wrong, Chairman Hugh?"


    It was at this moment that the array on the conference''s ceiling lit up and a semi-transparent golden sphere descended. Inside the sphere was Ste, whose long blue dress with white and gold ents highlighted her beautiful light blue eyes.


    All the council members stood up and bowed respectfully at her.


    Kyran also looked up and their eyes met.


    Ste held his gaze as she maneuver the sphere toward Kyran. The sphere disappeared before shended a few feet away from him.


    As if the two had a private conversation, Kyran nodded his head and stepped back a little.


    Ste faced the Conve council members and said, "Both of you heard him right, Malek, Hugh. The Crown Princess does not possess an innate ability to control others. She is using Soul magic to do this."


    This time, it was not just Malek or Hugh who reacted, but the rest of the council members.


    They did not know about the Queen of the Faes, White Lily''s visit and were not privy of the Crown Princess''s visit to the Winfrey Ancestral Land, after all. Only Hugh and Malek had been present at that time.


    "Soul magic?" They all eximed.


    Seeing their expressions, Ste smiled bitterly and said, "I''m sorry. At that time, it was not yet confirmed if the Crown Princess would seed. Now that she had, I... admit I was feeling hesitant to tell you. Because of the special nature of Soul magic, the more people knew about it, the more it is likely for them to know we are already aware of the truth. When that happens, the Conve will be in greater danger."


    "Special nature of Soul magic?" Can asked in confusion. They knew too little of Soul magic and learning that Ste actually knew something was a surprise.


    "Every living creature has a soul," Kyran was the one who replied, "And all our experiences will be imprinted on it. To put it simply, all our memories are recorded in it. As long as the Crown Princess find her way to any of you and touch you, she will be able to see through your soul."


    This revtion made almost all of them reel in fear.


    They knew Soul magic was powerful since it was Ancient magic and now also forbidden magic. But they did not really expect it to be like this.


    If the Crown Princess could see through a person''s soul she could differentiate between a friend and a foe. If she found that person was an enemy, then all she had to do was ''control,'' that person.


    "How do you even know this?" Malek asked.


    A couple of months ago, Kyran had almost zero magic knowledge. After returning from his training, he was suddenly this overpowered mage who seemed unrivalled in Array as well.


    Could a person really achieve that in a short time? To be precise, in over a week?


    Kyran raised his right hand, and a ck leather book with gold bindings appeared in thin air. It fell on his hand and he showed the cover for them to see.


    Ste''s eyes widened as soon as she saw the book. It was a little different, but the title on the covers as well as the faint aura it projected was simr to...


    "The book on Ancient Magic."


    Kyran looked at her and nodded, "That''s right."


    Then he looked back at the council members and said, "This book is special. Only those possessing Ancient magic can read its pages. Because the runes in this book will change ording to the Ancient magic the reader possessed. In my case, it will appear in Void runes. In Ste''s case, it will appear in Time runes. However..."


    His brow furrowed slightly as if what he was about to say was something he was hesitant to share.


    In the end, he took a sharp intake of breath and said, "I can''t tell you how I did it, but I managed to trigger the book to appear in Soul runes. And well.... I happen to know how to read it."


    "Y-You can read Soul runes?" Avrum and Sigma could not help but exim and gape at him in surprise.


    The others were also shocked but they were able to stop themselves from eximing.


    Kyran nodded, "That''s right. I can''t go into details. In any case, that''s how I know about Soul magic."


    Ste fell silent, the truth, she knew about the nature of Soul magic because she ''remembered'' it. And thought Kyran did too.


    Apparently, the real reason was a very logical one and she admitted to feeling a little disappointed.


    This made her frown in confusion.


    Why did she feel disappointed?


    "Going back to our discussion," Kyran diverted their conversation back on track while storing the book back in his pouch. "The Crown Princess tried to use her magic on me. Not once, but more than once. That is why she was convinced I am ''protected'' by someone. While I find the misunderstanding troublesome, it was better than them realizing the reason why her magic doesn''t work on me is that I possess Void magic. Apparently, my magic is the only Ancient magic that can counter other Ancient magic because of its nature."


    They all fell silent.


    This turn of events was unexpected.


    To begin with, the Royal Family''s n was too ambitious!


    Yet, if Kyran had not been there... what would have happened to the Conve?


    Kyran then smiled and said, "Don''t worry, the Crown Princess can not use her magic on everyone. There is a way. The real reason why they want to start with controlling the Conve''s ''reserves'' is because she can''t control too many mages whose magic level is higher than hers."


    They all looked at him in surprise. If this was true, then, as long as they could help their members increase their magic level then it should be alright!

 Chapter 352 I Know Im Overpowered, But Im Not Omnipotent

    Looking at some of the council member''s expressions, Kyran could more or less guess what they were thinking. Then, with a sigh, he told them, "You didn''t really think that boosting your members'' magic level is enough, right?"


    As soon as he asked this, Avrum and Sigma looked guilty.


    They were one of the few, along with Malia and Can, who did think it.


    "Why not?" Malia asked in confusion. "It is true it required many resources just to break through to the next level, but there are potions and pills that could boost a mage''s magic level, albeit, temporarily."


    Kyran thought of the red pill Max had used when Malia had spoken.


    If Malia was confident to suggest this, it meant she knew how to make one.


    However, of all people, Kyran did not expect her to rmend this because Malia struck him as a very righteous and good person.


    "A medicine like that are double-edge," Kyran pointed, his tone sounding a little cold.


    To be honest, he did not approve of those level-boosting medicines.


    Such medicines were addictive.


    Kyran had met mages who took such medicines and became dependent on them, ruining their future.


    All of them noticed Kyran''s disapproving tone.


    Malia realized why and immediately shook her head, "Oh, I am not talking about those taboo concoctions. I will never suggest such abominations!"


    Malia looked at Kyran and smiled gently. Instead of feeling offended, she appeared relieved.


    The truth was Malia somewhat feard the Kyran before them today. Her fear started from what happened to Brigadier General Rhys.


    She might not have witnessed the spar between them, but she had seen Brigadier General Rhys''s injury report.


    A clean snap of the bones he suffered could only be possible if the person responsible for it had done it without hesitation.


    That scared Malia.


    Though they healed Brigadier General Rhys''s injury, it had left a permanent scar on him.


    The break did not appear fatal, but his bones suffered physical strain and the person himself suffered mental trauma without realizing it yet.


    There was a big chance that if Brigadier General Rhys met ''Tyr'' again, his body would tremble involuntarily, and his mind would remember the pain when his bones snapped. Anything that would remind him of Tyr would make him feel vulnerable if that happened.


    To Malia, a person who could inflict such injury to another human was too cold and ruthless to be considered a human, not to mention causing such a trauma to that person.


    It was why Malia felt relieved, knowing Kyran was against potions and pills that could harm a mage. It meant he had not entirely be a cold and ruthless person.


    Pushing this thought out of her mind, Malia exined, "There are safe potions and pills that a mage can take to boost their magic level. The effect alsosts longer."


    She opened her palm, and a small bottle with light metallic gold liquid appeared. She waved her hand and let the bottle fly toward Kyran.


    Kyran took the bottle and let his magic sense inspect its content while Malia continued with her exnation.


    "The reason why a mage will not suffer a side-effect from that kind of potion, is that the potion must be taken ahead of time. By doing this, the potion will gradually take effect, ensuring the mage''s body can adapt to the changes at an eptable pace."


    Malia then smiled bitterly and added, "The real reason most boosting potions or pills are harmful is because of the use of different opposing medicinal herbs that stimte the mage''s body to improve in almost an instant."


    Kyran nodded. He knew about this.


    In the Red ne, he managed to inspect the contents of a boosting pill and noticed how each of the medicinal herbs was trying to overwhelm each other.


    A medicine made up of nonplementary herbs would end up unstable unless one included a stabilizing herb in the mixture.


    Kyran found a stabilizing agent in Malia''s potion.


    Before, he had little knowledge of Alchemy and could only understand the effect of a potion or a pill by looking at them. Now that he had acquired more knowledge in the Tower of Tribtion, he could now determine the herbs and other items one used in a concoction just by letting his magic sense inspect it.


    Malia did not use one herb to stabilize the potion. Instead, she used a solution¡ª probably an original. The solution was created using different stabilizing herbs, ensuring the rest of the herbs on the potion would not overwhelm each another.


    "Impressive, the solution you came up with can also be used on other concoctions. As expected of Chairman Malia," Kyranmented, looking at Malia with a smile.


    Solutions such as this were hard to make because herbs with stabilizing effects could only be used with specific herbs.


    To seed in creating such a solution, one must understand hundreds of thousands of medicinal herbs and their effects. Studying this would already take up a lot of time. What more if one had to experiment on them to confirm this?


    Kyran''sment immediately rendered everyone inside the conference hall speechless¡ª Ste included.


    Sensing the awkward silence, Kyran looked at them with raised brows and asked, "What?"<sub> </sub>


    "Kyran, you¡­" Ste started and hesitated for a second before continuing with a skeptical tone, "You also know Alchemy now?"


    Kyran btedly realized what his remark implied and cursed inwardly. However, his expression remained indifferent that none of them sensed his internal chagrin.


    It was not that he had forgotten to hide what he could do. It was just that; he was really impressed at Malia''s solution he could not help butment on it.


    "A little," Kyran replied vaguely and decided to change the subject. "But this kind of potion will not be enough. At most, this can only be effective to mages on a verge of breaking through¡­."


    His voice trailed off as he realized that, once again, he was revealing how much he understood Malia''s potion at a nce, which a person who only had ''little'' knowledge of Alchemy could not do.


    It seemed his exhaustion was already rearing its ugly head, making him make stupid misses.


    The others looked at Kyran with a wry smile as they watched him close his eyes in exasperation while rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    Avrum and Sigma also sneered, knowing that Kyran''s ''a little'' answer wasplete bullsh*t.


    They understood why Kyran did not want to tell them how much he had improved.


    A mage who had equally great knowledge in more than two branches of magic was almost impossible.


    Studying one branch took up more than ten years of an average mage''s lifespan, and that was only mastering the basics. Depending on the mage''s progress, one might waste another ten or even double that time to master the next level.


    Kyran was only eighteen¡ª well, plus five years in experience¡ª, but for him to know more than two branches of magic: Array, Alchemy, Runes¡ª this he already proved when he summoned magic arrays and talked about recognizing Soul runes¡ª and who knew what else, was outright impossible.


    Apart from this, Kyran did not only know these branches of magic, but his mastery appeared to be on a level that could rival Chairman Noir and even Chairman Malia, who were an Array Master and an Emperor Alchemist; respectively!


    "Please¡­ keep this a secret," Kyran finally said after a few seconds of contemtion.


    Finally admitting his knowledge in Alchemy, the rest could not help but chuckle.


    Kyran knew he had to show them a portion of his real strength if he wanted to make them trust his decisions in dealing with the Royal Family.


    Initially, he did not want to tell them because he did not want them to guess his involvement in ''Nar''s'' movement once he started his n.


    Another reason he only thought of after meeting the Crown Princess was the possibility that she possessed Soul magic.


    Now that Kyran confirmed this, he was more inclined not to tell anyone else his real strength in fear of the Royal Family getting hold of this.


    s, it seemed he could no longer do this.


    Helping Kyran off the hook this time, Malia smiled gently and nodded, "You''re right. It is not enough. If we only choose our members who are on the verge of breaking through to participate in the exercise, the Royal Family may pick up on something."


    Kyran looked at her and smiled in appreciation. Then he nodded and said, "That''s right."


    "There are magic items."


    This time it was Can who had spoken. This reason made him think it was possible to help their members increase their magic level.


    "Of course, such items are difficult to create and will only grant a temporary increase in one''s level," Can added. "But I think it should be enough for the duration of the joint exercise. We can think of a permanent countermeasure after that."


    "I don''t think it is necessary," Hugh said, looking at Kyran with a slight smile. "Before you told us about the Crown Princess''s limitations, you said there is a way. You are not talking about increasing our member''s magic level, correct?"


    Kyran smiled, "Yes. But for this to work, I need you to let me, or at least us, join in most events."


    The council members looked at him incredulously.


    What did he mean by ''us''?


    Ste also looked at him worriedly, "You''re not nning on disguising yourself and join in all the events are you?"


    Kyran turned to her with raised brows. Then, wearing an expression of disbelief, he said, "I know I''m overpowered, but I''m not omnipotent. If I joined all of the events, I''d exhaust myself."


    A huge sweat appeared on each council member''s head from Kyran''s bold statement that he was ''overpowered.''


    Even Ste gave him a nk look while blinking stupidly.


    Was that something one should say with a straight face?


    Sigma''s brow also twitched. Right now, he had the urge to smack Kyran''s indifferent face.


    The guy was getting on his nerves!


    On the other hand, Malek chose not toment and only gave Kyran a disapproving look.

 Chapter 353 Youre Annoying

    "Besides," Kyran faced them and continued, "If I can have others do it, I will not stress myself over it."


    Then he lightly tap his storage pouch as three silhouettes emerged from within and appeared behind him.


    What greeted them were three ''people'' wearing ck robes.


    "These three are my puppets," Kyran told them, in a tone that sounded as if he was only introducing his friends.


    "Those are puppets?"


    It was unsure who said it aloud since all of them had thought the same thing inplete shock. After all, the only ones who had seen Kyran''s puppet had been Malek, Noir and Sigma.


    The other council members were told about the puppet to ensure they were on the same page regarding its history. They were all surprised but not overly invested in the idea. Theircent attitude stemmed more from the fact that they had not seen it in person or in action. Most of them imagined an ordinary puppet with human limbs and a head to give it a human shape.


    That was all.


    But their initial idea was overturned the more they look at the puppets behind Kyran.


    What made them particrly gape in both amazement and shock was the fact that they sensed different types of magic energy in them.


    "I''ll program my puppets to protect the Conve''s participants in the event they will participate in on any Soul magic attack," Kyran continued not waiting for the council members to recover from the shock. "One will each participate in, Material Gathering, Beast Hunt and Alchemy. For those members participating in the Team Competition, I''ll put an enchantment in their armor. As for Smithing event, since they will be people from the cksmith Order, they should be fine."


    The Crown Princess had marked all of the possible participants Kyran could think of when she went to the cksmith Order. He already adjusted their mark and even if she nned to reinforce her mark during the event, his adjustments could easily adapt to it.


    "For the remaining three; Array Creation, Single Competition and Field Operation, I''ll take part in them."


    His brow furrowed slightly recalling why he had to participate in thepetition, "If you''re wondering why I included the Single Competition, it''s because the Emperor wants me to participate as the cksmith Order and Mercenary Hall''s representative.


    "I can ignore this, yes. But doing so will endanger your people. I have a feeling they will do everything, even resort to underhanded tricks, to ensure I participate in the events the order and the hall will head."


    What he said was included in the detail of the joint military exercise.


    The Conve did not have to include participants in all of the events from each of their constituents.


    For example, the Alchemy event would only require participants from the Alchemy Association. The same went with Array Creation and Smithing. There were events where two or more Conve constituents would head, such as the Material Gathering, Beast Hunt, and Field Operation.


    The cksmith Order and the Mercenary Hall would also head the Beast Hunt event, but Kyran opted not to participate and instead have one of his puppets join.


    His reason was obvious. Because of his special ability to drive beasts away, the team he would join would be on the losing end.


    Winning an event was not exactly important in joint military exercises. However, Kyran knew the Conve members still had pride and wanted to give their all in every event.


    Only by going eye to eye against the Royal Family''s military strength could the Conve maintain its neutral status. By showing off their military strength, the Royal Family would hesitate to force them into joining sides.


    At least, that had been the Conve''s reason, thus far. But this time''s joint military exercise was different. And if not for Kyran they would likely fall into the hands of the Royal Family.


    Anyway, Kyran did not want the Conve to know about his special ability, and to avoid the members from asking questions, he decided to put one of his puppets in it.


    Once Kyran finished telling them his n, all of them could not help but look at him wryly.


    They appreciated the fact that Kyran was willing to help them. After proving what he could do, they were all confident that this n would work.


    Nevertheless, it still left a bitter taste in their mouths.


    They were the Conve''s High Council and should be the ones thinking up ways to protect their people. Yet they had to rely on Kyran whose only in his teens, not to mention, only one person. Err... okay, plus his three puppets.


    However, because of the urgency of the situation, they could only swallow their pride and ept his n.


    The one who broke the silence that followed was Sigma.


    He gave Kyran a wry smile and said, "Why did you not go for Smithing and Team Competition, too? You may have thought of a way to protect our side even without taking part in those two, but given your capability, I''m sure taking part in those events will not be a problem."


    Kyran raised his brows and looked at him, "As I said, I''m not omnipotent. I do get tired. As a matter of fact, I am tired right now."


    He added thest one while giving a wry smile. To be honest, he was not just tired but was dead exhausted.


    There was also the matter of replenishing his magic energy.


    After absorbing the Shaiha, Kyran noticed that his natural magic energy recovery had improved. Yet, his magic reserves did not appear to have recovered much.


    The only exnation he coulde up with why this happened was the fact that all his magic cores got bigger. Filling them up with magic energy would take some time.


    "Besides, in Team Competition, I had to have a good grasp of my teammate''s strengths and weaknesses toe up with a good strategy," Kyran continued after a short pause.


    "I want to observe our side during Team Competition since they will probably end up participating in the Field Operation too. At least, when its time for the Field Operation, I cane up with a good strategy against the opposing side."


    "And the Smithing?" Avrum asked.


    Smithing did not require a mage to use magic energy. It only required a person to know how to craft an item such as armors, essories and weapons.<sub> </sub>


    Instead of answering Avrum, Kyran took out a ck-blue colored short de from his storage pouch.


    The short de was his first-ever crafted weapon.


    That was right, this was the weapon he crafted in the Lignum ne.


    Kyran flicked his wrist and let the short de fly toward Avrum. However, Sigma intercepted it, easily catching the hilt with his hand.


    Avrum did not mind, since he did not have the experience nor the ability to examine a crafted item.


    On the other hand, before Sigma caught the short de, Noir''s keen eyes already saw its quality and eximed in surprise, "That short de is¡ª!"


    "If you want a weapon with that quality to appear here, I don''t mind participating in the Smithing event," Kyran said with a wry smile, noticing Noir''s look.


    Sigma''s expression turned sour as he examined the short de. He could not recognize any of the materials nor the process of how this short de was forged!


    Kyran''s words made the rest of the council members rouse their magic sense to inspect the short de.


    Soon, their faces distorted.


    This short de was only a normal weapon yet it possessed the strength of a mid-grade magic weapon! If something like this appeared in the empire, the market for normal weapons would overturn.


    Vaness was a businessman, yet, he too did not want something like this to appear in the market. The demand for such an item would definitely skyrocket and Kyran was probably the only one who could make it. More importantly, the materials used to make it was foreign to him.


    Sigma scowled at Kyran and said, "You''re annoying."


    Kyran replied with a light chuckle.


    Suddenly, Avrum turned to Kyran with a thoughtful expression and was about to say something but was interrupted by thetter.


    "I forgot to say, that weapon is the first one I''ve ever made. So, if you want me to participate and lower my ability or something, please forget it."


    Avrum''s expression turned grim. That was exactly what he was about to tell Kyran.


    As for Sigma, Kyran''s words made him want to flip the huge round table!


    Even the council members'' expressions turned cid.


    How to put this... they were wondering whether Kyran was able to say these things because he was under Tyr''s disguise, or was this his normal self?


    Malek glowered as well, but all he said was, "Alright. We''ll go with your n."


    The council members who had yet to recover from another revtion of Kyran''s impossible skills forced themselves to prioritize the matter at hand. They were still leaders in their own rights. If they kept on being surprised by every detail Kyran revealed to them, they would lose face.


    In any case, most of them had already gotten numb from Kyran''s ''overpoweredness.''


    "If all of you are okay with it, then let''s discuss who our participants," Ste, who had been silent all this time finally said.


    Kyran looked at her and said, "I''ll let you guys continue, but before that, can you send the information on the Royal Family''s participants?"


    Ste looked at him with a slightly disappointed look, "Are you going somewhere?"


    "Yeah. I just dropped by to share my n," he replied with a nod.


    Sigma scowled, "Aren''t you a busybody."


    Kyran looked at him and replied, "Well Senior, I still have a number of magic items to create after all."


    Noir sighed as he recalled how 70% of the request they received wanted to have ''Tyr'' make their magic items.


    "If you need time to¡ª."


    "No need," Kyran cut Ste midsentence. He knew what she wanted to propose and he appreciated it.


    But he was not exactly going back to the order to make magic items. He already left two of his puppets there for that task.


    Right now, Kyran''s priority was to rest and recover his magic energy. Though Ste''s Time Magic could grant him enough ''time'' to rest, Kyran knew a better way to recover.


    Besides, he also needed to replenish his consumable items. And the best one to ask for help on that was none other than te.


    As for an immediate recovery to his magic energy, who else would be best to ask than Cyneah?


    In any case, Kyran also wanted to check on them.


    Zephyr might have gone back to act as their guardian but Kyran still felt a little unsettled. After all, he would be busy for the next few days and would probably not have time to check on them.

 Chapter 354 Preparing For The Exercise

    For more than five years since Kyran was forced to leave his n behind, he made decisions and even acted on them that he end up regretting.


    One of Kyran''s most regretted decisions was taking Byron as his Sigil. Not because thetter was not helpful but simply because his excessive admiration and loyalty pissed him off.


    Another one he regretted was listening to Nn''s absurd ideas which he ended up acting recklessly. Then again, if not for that he would not have made contact with the Conve and the path he would be treading right now would be different.


    The people he met would probably be different too.


    Kyran would not have met Zephyr and Cyneah. Two of the people he never regretted taking under his wings.


    Then again, there was a saying that people would meet the ones they were meant to. Even if he had not made contact with the Conve, he might eventually meet the two of them.


    Just as he thought this, he recalled the state Cyneah had been when he first met her and could not help but wonder if everything that happened thus far was to meet her.


    Kyran did not believe in fate. But Cyneah was practically dead when he met her. If he did not have a reason for going to the Valley of Morte, he would not have gone there.


    With a wry smile, he recalled the uncanny resemnce Cyneah and the Crown Princess had and felt as if ''someone'' was trying to mess up with him.


    So much for not believing in fate.


    In any case, he did not regret his decision ining back for Cyneah.


    ...


    Alright, so Kyran thought of killing Cyneah but in the end, he decided against it. And because of his decision, he now had a very reliable healer.


    Err... that somehow came out wrong. He did not know she had healing abilities when he decided toe back for her.


    He was just d he did not kill her.


    Nevertheless, it was because of this sentiment that he harbor another regret, and that was hurting her when they first met.


    He recalled how he had thrown a Void Knife which hit her ribcage and left an ugly scar.


    It only scraped her skin but Kyran knew that the scar it left would forever remain, like an ugly reminder of how she had been abandoned in that cave.


    Such was a result when one was hit by his Void magic. Even the most powerful healing potion or pill would not be able topletely let that person recover what had been ''lost.''


    Kyran knew this because he had witnessed it back in the Tower of Tribtion. All those people who suffered a wound from his Void magic ended up unable to regrow their limbs, or cover their scars.


    There was an exception, though. And that was the Draconic magic''s healing ability.


    It was, for this reason, that though Kyran previously wounded Byron when his knee had pressed deeply on thetter''s back while he was wearing his Void Armor after Byron became his Sigil, his wound healed visibly.


    Maybe if Kyran made Cyneah his Sigil then he could remove her scar...


    Kyran immediately rejected the random idea and pushed it out of his mind. Even if it was only temporary, he would never make her his Sigil.


    One might wonder why Kyran was currently mulling over such random thoughts at a crucial time like this. But it was precisely it was a time like this that he entertained such thoughts.


    This was his way of ''rxing'' his mind, after all.


    Instead ofing up with more countermeasures if his n failed tomorrow, he would rather rx his mind now.


    Tomorrow may well be his first encounter with the Royal Family''s military force, but he was still participating as Tyr, and there was only so much that his Tyr persona could do.


    While Kyran believed the Royal Family''s misunderstanding of Tyr''s identity was troublesome, he already decided to go along with it.


    Now that he thought of it, another one he regretted was how he portrayed Tyr''s character.


    Initially, he wanted to showcase Tyr''s capability to ensure the Royal Family would see him as an invaluable addition to their number. But to counter Tyr''s seemingly perfect character¡ª especially since he also possessed an annoyingly handsome face¡ª Kyran decided to make him an arrogant prick.


    Who would have thought it would make the Royal Family think Tyr was some big shot from another nation? In the first ce, the empire''s border was tightly guarded. Would a big shot from another nation risk entering their territory? Why? Did it not cross their mind that he might be a spy?


    All these questions went through his mind giving him a terrible headache.


    Closing his eyes, Kyran leaned back on the three-seater wooden bench he was sitting on.


    It was alreadyte in the evening and he was resting outside the cottage''s front porch, after finishing concocting a number of consumable items.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to ask his godmother to concoct potions and pills for him. But thinking of the possibility that te''s medicine might fall in the hands of the Royal Family and exposed her to thetter''s ''invited guests,'' he decided against it.


    In the end, Kyran made it which resulted in his magic reserves dropping once again.


    The reason why his magic reserves had not been replenished yet was that, when he arrived at the cottage two hours ago, there was nobody there.


    Kyran connected to Zephyr at once and found that the ''pub'' te and Cyneah were working at had an influx of customers and Cyneah had to stay a few more hours.<sub> </sub>


    If Zephyr had not been there keeping watch from a distance, Kyran would have gone there to drag her and te back.


    Regardless of what they say about the pub being a hospice since it was disguised as such, there were bound to be people with shady backgrounds going there.


    Both of them might be in disguise, but Kyran did not want to take any chances.


    Based on Tritus''s report, there were unnamed VIPs from the Royal Family that arrived in Noser the other day.


    Kyran had a feeling those VIPs were part of the ''invited guests'' of the Royal Family. Their reason foring here might have something to do with the Royal Family''s ''Recruitment n.''


    Their first target was the Conve, and the Temr Code might be next.


    [Master, the mistress has left the building. I''ll meet her at the city''s entrance and will return at once.]


    Zephyr''s voice entered Kyran''s thoughts.


    A wry smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips from how Zephyr addressed Cyneah.


    But since he had gotten used to it and Cyneah did not seem to understand what it implied, Kyran did not react to it.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran opened his eyes.


    What greeted his line of sight was the beautiful night sky.


    Because the cottage was situated in the middle of the forest, the stars were visible and shone brightly above.


    It was a beautiful sight.


    A sight Kyran had almost forgotten after being away for years.


    Looking at this scene was especially beautiful if he was in the garden at the main house in the Regis Estate...


    Kyran pushed the thought away and sat up straight, he then replied telepathically to Zephyr.


    ''Alright. Stay alert.''


    [I''ll be sure to escort the mistress safely this time.]


    Kyran sensed Zephyr''s determination from his voice. It appeared he still held himself responsible from what had happened to Cyneah when they went to get her at Hanaan.


    Choosing not to answer, Kyran stood up and made his way inside the cottage.


    Half an hourter, Zephyr and Cyneah finally arrived.


    Normally, it would take a whole day to get to the cottage from the city.


    But Nn had set up a hidden transportation array outside Noser City which was connected to another transportation array a hundred meters away from the cottage''s premises, just before he and Kyran left for his ''training.''


    Kyran instantly noticed Cyneah''s exhaustion, but after she sensed him, her countenance brighten almost in an instant. Still, that did not change the fact that she definitely work herself out at the hospice.


    This made Kyran hesitate in asking for her help in replenishing his magic energy.


    However, as if Cyneah could read his mind, she told Kyran not to worry about her and that she''d be happy to help him.


    It did not take long for Kyran to guess that she probably ''saw'' his magic cores. Hopefully, they did not look that bad because Cyneah''s voice had a hint of concern.


    On the side, Zephyr excused himself before looking in their direction with a knowing smile.


    Kyran, noticing this, shot him with a nk re.


    Three hourster, Kyran could now confidently say he was ready for the joint military exercise.


    Kyran had not noticed it before, but after hearing Cyneah sing the ''Lament of the Souls,'' he now had a better grasp of the difference between her singing from Haylee''s.


    There was something unreal about Haylee''s singing. As if her voice did note from the ''heart.''


    To Kyran, this was a possible clue as to whether Haylee was born with the Soul core or only inherited it.


    Apart from this, he realized that while the sone both of them had the same tune, the lyrics differ slightly.


    The lyrics were sung in the ancientnguage and one would have difficulty noticing the difference, but Kyran acquired a lot of knowledge in the Tower of Tribtion and was able to detect it.


    Because of this, Kyran''s confidence in countering Haylee''s ''mark'' had improved.


    He could not wait to see the look on the Emperor and Haylee''s faces once they realized they could not control the Conve''s members.

 Chapter 355 Opening Event (1)

    The Conve sent the names of their participants to the channel the Royal Family provided, the Courtenay residence.


    Ernst Courtenay, the Courtenay''s Patriarch, replied to their message, confirming receipt of the information and also offered to send a representative to the Conve tomorrow and escort them to the event site.


    Malek initially intended to decline because a detailed instruction on how to go to the site was included in the gold scroll. It also had a detailed map of the site making it easy for all of them to familiarize themselves with the ce.


    However, Ste, who had been with Malek that time, nodded at him meaningfully, prompting thetter to ept the offer.


    Malek did not argue nor question Ste about her decision because he understood her intention.


    Ste intended to have Kyran examine the Courtenay''s representative and find out if the Courtenay Family had already fallen under the Crown Princess''s control.


    The Courtenay Family might be acting as hosts to the Royal Family while they were in Starhorn, but that did not mean they were already under their control.


    The Courtenay Family was still one of older Noble Families in the empire. They possessed artifacts and relics that could protect the whole family, if not their key members. Of course, how these artifacts and relics work against Soul magic would y a huge factor. Which was why Ste wanted to have Kyran confirm it.


    Ste felt regretful that she could only ask Kyran to do this.


    To be honest, she could also sense if a person was under the influence of Soul magic. She could not exin how, but it had something to do with the ''memories'' of her predecessors.


    Ste never told anyone about the memories because she knew Malek and rest of the council members would be worried. Seeing memories of the dead was considered Dark Arts. And she could not possibly tell them that mages who possessed Ancient magic passed down their experiences to the next one through their magic core.


    Anyway, Ste could not confirm if a person was under the Soul magic''s influence because she had to be in close proximity with that person¡ª something that she was not allowed to do.


    Now that the Royal Family had started to make their move, they had to know which faction or family had already fallen under the Royal Family''s control.


    This way, the Conve could make their own countermeasures and preparation to protect their people. They could not rely on Kyran to deal with everything by himself. He is a Regis, not a Conve member.


    As Kyran said he was not ''omnipotent.'' This was obviously true. No matter how powerful he be, he was still a person in a measly human body.


    Besides, the Royal Family''s target right now was the Conve.


    Kyran might be willing to help them because of mutual interest, but as far as they could see, they had been on the receiving end all this time. They had not done anything for him.


    If before they had the destroyed defensive array of the Tower of Conve and its member whom he injured as an excuse. This time, they had nothing.


    Not even letting Kyran borrow Tyr''s identity could be considered an excuse.


    As a matter of fact, having him use Tyr''s identity boosted the cksmith Order''s fame over the past week, and even cleared Chairman Noir''s questionable credibility.


    In terms of resources, Kyran had not asked for anything apart from the consumables andmon materials he requested before leaving for the Valley of Morte.


    Really, they had not done anything worth mentioning for him!


    Because of this realization, Ste had told Malek to spare nothing in providing Kyran what he needed.


    Malek''s expression turned livid at first, but recalling how all of the expenses they spent to fix the Tower of Conve''s defensive array and healing their people, had all been covered by the spirit stones they had ''ripped off'' from Kyran''s bounty, he could only agree.


    After that, they gathered the membersing from the four constituents of the Conve who would participate in the joint military exercise.


    The total number of participants would be fifty. Forty of which were the main roster, while the remaining ten were substitutes.


    Among the fifty participants, the Mercenary Hall was the only one who managed to have five of their ''Elite'' members to join. One of whom was ''Tyr.''


    It went without saying but since Tyr would represent both the cksmith Order and the Mercenary Hall, he was also an elite from the order. However, to fill the headcount, the cksmith Order provided one more member who would serve as a substitute.


    When Kyran returned to the Conve, it was already in the wee hours of the night.


    He was actually a bit suprised to find that his temporary room had more furnitures. There was now a study area, and two dividers were built separating it from the bedroom, and a small receiving area.


    Apparently, Ste deemed the room as Kyran''s quarters since he always warped there.


    Kyran went to work on the uniform the participants for the Team Competition would wear.


    Honestly, he could have make all participants to wear a simr uniform, but doing so would make it conspicious.


    If the Crown Princess noticed that her magic was not working, the first likely item they would suspect protecting them was their uniform.


    Enchanted armors and clothes were verymon. But for an enchantment to work on Soul magic, was close to impossible.


    A magic item or a relic that could counter Soul magic was out of the question.


    In the first ce, information about Soul magic was scarce. There was no way an Array Specialist or even a Master, could know of a material that could attract soul magic energy, not to mention, its Soul runes.


    Relic on the other hand, was even hard to find. The sole ce where one could find one was inside a ruin and the Royal Family had monopolized almost all the ruins in the Yen Empire.<sub> </sub>


    Only the Chaos Pce ruins remained ownerless.


    Once Kyranpleted the uniforms, he busied himself in adjusting the program of his puppets.


    Ste, on the other hand, had sensed his return.


    Knowing he would be busy with his own preparation, she did not go to him, even though she was tempted. And because there was no surveince array installed in the training grounds, she not see what he was doing.


    Still, she kept a close ''watch'' of him through her magic sense.


    At four in the morning, Kyranpleted his preparation.


    Once Ste confirmed this, she ordered Malek to gather their people going to the joint military exercise for a short briefing. They also took this time to introduce everybody and give the uniform to the participants of the Team Competition.


    The one who conducted the briefing was Can, and Hugh, Malia, Noir and Vaness were present.


    Finally, at six in the morning, the Courtenay representatives arrived.


    Surprisingly, they were none other than the Twin Belles of the Courtenay Family, Mimi and Millie.


    Kyran, however, expected this.


    And to be honest, he was d the two of them were there.


    His dark gray eyes glinted under the face-altering mask, as he furtively looked at them.


    He might be busy with a lot of things, but he had not forgotten the other reason why he made a ruckus at the cksmith Order.


    That was right, one of his target had been them.


    Given the opportunity, he would then resolve a past grievance.


    Thirty minutes after Mimi and Millie arrived in the Conve, they left with the Conve''s participants with Can, Malia, Noir and Vaness.


    ====================


    The joint military exercise between the Conve and the Royal Army (as it was known publicly, but in truth was between the Conve and its constituents and the Royal Family), would take ce in one of the Courtenay Family''snds located south outside of Starhorn City''s borders.


    The whole area was roughly five hectares in size and arge four-story dome upied almost a tenth of thend. The dome was located on the north and was surrounded by arge terrainposed of lush forest on the east, an open field on the west, and ake with a small ind on the south.


    "The program will start at two in the afternoon," Mimi was saying as she and Millie led the Conve inside the dome.


    She turned to look at Can and the rest of the Conve council member representatives, and smiled, "There is still a few hours before then. Please feel free to take this time to look around. If you need a guide, we can arrange something for all of you."


    Can shook his head and smiled amiably at her, "There is no need Lady Mimi. Thank you."


    "Very well," Mimi nodded her head and gave a respectful bow at the rest of the council members.


    Beside her, Millie also gave a respectful bow but her eyes darted at a person mingled behind the council members.


    Initially, Mimi was the only one whom Patriarch Ernst assigned to escort the Conve. However, she suggested to bring Millie along.


    Millie had been going to the cksmith Order in hopes of meeting Disciple Tyr again.


    Unfortunately, because of the huge number of requests directed at Tyr, he had not stepped out of his workroom.


    The day Mimi convinced Millie to stop going there, was also the day the Lumley Family made a move against the order.


    News of Disciple Tyr''s heroism reached Millie and regretted not going that day.


    Since then, Millie had been in a foul mood.


    And so, Mimi suggested to bring her along, to pacify her mood.


    Seeing Millie giving furtive nces at Tyr, Mimi could not help but sigh inwardly.


    The girl was obviously smitten.


    Mimi looked at the Conve participants and smiled, "Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the program proper. Keep in mind the time of your event and if you have any questions, you maye to the reception hall to seek assistance."


    All of them nodded their heads and some uttered a short acknowledgment.


    "After the opening program, the first event willmence at four in the afternoon. The Joint Military Exercise will then start with the preliminary rounds for the Solo and Team Competitions," she told them.

 Chapter 356 Opening Event (2)

    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after hearing Mimi.


    The gold scroll did not include the time when the event would happen. However, the Team Competition clearly stated that it would only have one battle.


    Howe it now had a preliminary round?


    Kyran could understand the Solo Competition since there were five participantsing from both sides required for thatpetition. The preliminary round would reduce the number of participants to half, followed by the quarter-finals, then the finals. To give time for the participants to rest, cing the event at the start of the exercise was reasonable.


    On the contrary, the Team Competition only had one team, with six members: five being the main yers and one as a reserve. Since there was only one team on each side, it was not necessary to have a preliminary round.


    Kyran was not the only one who noticed this.


    A gruff male voice suddenly spoke from the far end of the Conve participants.


    Everyone except Kyran turned to look at the man.


    The man was a huge man, with short blonde hair and ck eyes. He wore one of the uniforms Kyran had enchanted, a ck leather suit with a silver chest te, meaning he was part of the team participating in the Team Competition.


    There was nothing particrly intimidating in the man''s presence even with his burly physique, however, the greatsword strapped on his back exuded a fierce pressure. As if unsheathing it could release a magic pressure that any mage below Master could do nothing than kneel before it.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips. After all, he knew the man.


    He was none other than, Dante, the first mage Kyran had ever fought outside the military and the Regis.


    Kyran already noticed him, but chose to ignore him. Besides, Tyr did not know him personally¡ª not that Kyran personally knew him. In any case, he pretended not to know him.


    Mimi looked at Dante and smiled slightly, "Dante correct?"


    Dante looked at her with raised brows. Though he was somewhat famous in the Mercenary Hall, he had not made a name for himself outside that could make one of the Twin Belles of the Courtenay Family remember him.


    Can, Malia, Noir and Vaness also gave a furtive nce at Mimi.


    Information about their members was not considered ssified. It was especially true with their mercenaries. The reason for this, was when a request arrived at the Mercenary Hall, they had to provide brief information on the mercenary who had taken the request to the requestor. This was also to give thetter a chance to decline the mercenary and change to another one if they dislike anything about him.


    However, the information avable in public was superficial. Their photo and other sensitive information would not be revealed.


    For Mimi to recognize Dante could only mean the Courtenay Family had done their own research.


    Seeing Dante''s confused expression, Mimi replied, "I am the Conve''s escort, it is only proper to ensure I am familiar with your names at least."


    Then she lowered her gaze while touching her right ear.


    The silver four-leaf clover earring she was wearing glinted before she answered Dante, "There have been some slight changes in a few of the events."


    Mimi then turned to look at Can and the other council members with an apologetic smile.


    "I am afraid I cannot reveal the details at this time. I can only ask for your patience until the official rules of the events are provided."


    Can narrowed his eyes.


    No matter how one sees this situation, the move of the Royal Family of changing some of the events without letting the Conve know as soon as possible was a clear vition of the true purpose of a joint military exercise.


    The program and rules should be agreed upon by both parties. It should not be a one-sided decision.


    Before Can could open his mouth to point this out, Kyran''s voice sounded in his mind.


    [Someone else ordered her to say this. Let''s avoid making a mountain out of a small hill and get inside first. We''ll discuss our next course of action then.]


    Can was not the only one targetted by Kyran''s words.


    Malia, Noir and Vaness also heard it. Their expression remained unreadable the whole time making it hard for others to realize something.


    But hearing Kyran, Can swallowed the words he was about to say.


    Kyran''s warning was a good call, to be honest. The only reason Can wanted to voice his discontent was influenced by the fact that the Royal Family had been doing what they want all this time and they could do nothing but dance along.


    He hated it.


    Can looked at Mimi without concealing his discontent, and said, "Tell whoever it is that ordered you to answer that way to give the official details before lunch. If not, I don''t care what the Grand Marshal and the Deputies think or say, we will leave at once."


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly at Can. He was not against the older man''s attitude. As a matter of fact, he would have told them to say something along that line if none of them did.


    After all, they still had to let the Royal Family know the Conve was not a pushover. If not, the Royal Family might wonder why the Conve was not retaliating and might arouse suspicion.


    Mimi could only retain her apologetic smile while nodding her head, "I will let them know. Thank you for your understanding."<sub> </sub>


    She looked at the dome which was only a few meters away.


    There were three entrances to the dome.


    A long flight of steps located at the center, led to the lobby, while shorter stairs on both sides led to another two entrances.


    Mimi gestured at the stairs to the right and said, "Please follow me President Can, Chairman Malia, Chairman Noir and Head Chief Vaness. I will show you to your rooms."


    Then she turned to Millie and said, "Millie, please guide the rest of the Conve participants to their quarters."


    Millie beamed at once and nodded.


    "dly!" She replied with unmasked enthusiasm.


    Mimi gave her a hopeless smile before turning her back to lead the leaders of the Conve inside.


    ''I''ll drop by Master Noir''s roomter. We can meet there,'' Kyran told them.


    None of them replied, but that was to be expected. In any case, he had said what he had to so he shifted his focus to the young woman in front of them.


    Millie looked at them and gestured at the stairs to the left, "Please follow me everyone."


    Before she could proceed, however, another Conve participant spoke.


    "Don''t we have to go to the lobby to register first or something?"


    The one who had spoken was a woman, with short ck hair and brown eyes, wearing silver te armor over a red coat. There was a Chamber of Commerce symbol embedded in her armor.


    Kyran looked at her and recalled her name was Carol, abat specialist from the Chamber of Commerce. Most of the members of the Chamber of Commerce were non-mage, even Emery was abat specialist.


    "Oh, no need for that kind of formality," Millie replied shaking her hands animatedly in front of her.


    Carol frowned slightly. As someone from the Chamber of Commerce where they were taught to keep records of their activities at all times, she found the loose management of this supposed joint military exercise displeasing.


    "Uhm... the truth, since the Conve already submitted your namesst night, we went ahead and registered everything. The rooms has also been assigned," Millie exined hastily upon seeing Carol''s displeased look.


    Millie took out a silver disc from her storage ring and said, "I have the information right here."


    Hearing Millie''s exnation, Carol''s expression somehow lifted. However, she still looked a little disgruntled.


    After all, if they did not register and confirm that the names the Conve submitted were correct, then how would they update it if the Conve suddenly changed members?


    "If you have any question, please don''t hesitate to ask," Millie told them with a warm smile.


    But...


    The rest of the participants all turned their gaze at Kyran, all of them wearing a dull expressions.


    Because, when Millie said this, she was looking at Kyran brazenly.


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Once again, he was subjected to such scrutiny because of how Tyr''s conspicuousness.


    Putting on a ''gentle'' smile, Kyran looked at Millie and said, "Thank you."


    Millie''s smile widened as soon as Kyran replied. She nodded and said, "T-Then, please follow me!"


    With that, she turned and led them to the dome''s left entrance.


    Few Conve participants could not help but snicker at Millie''s tant partiality toward Kyran. That was why a few of them jabbed him yfully as they followed behind Millie.


    Some female participants also giggled. They would also find ''Tyr'' handsome, and from the recent news on him, they also found him very likeable.


    But their feelings were more of admiration and respect than romantic. After all, most of them were older than him by a decade.


    Kyran could only ept the teasing of the Conve participants and sighed in resignation.


    But before he could follow them, a thick muscr arm draped on his shoulder as the familiar voice of Dante spoke in a low voice.


    "Oi, brat, Hall Master has a message for you, make sure you drop by my room."

 Chapter 357 Opening Event (3)

    Kyran did not say anything.


    Taking his silence as a form of acknowledgement, Dante lowered his hand and followed the rest of the members.


    Kyran watched Dante''s back with aplicated expression. He could tell the man did not know who he really was. But he was a mercenary and a veteran at that. Staying around him for a longer period of time, might let him pick up some clues¡ª not that Kyran would slip or make a mistake that would expose himself.


    Nevertheless, Dante still had a first hand experience with Kyran''s magic. That time, Kyran was still unfamiliar with his magic and barely knew how to control it, not to mention conceal its signature when he used it.


    The only thing that kept it from getting detected by the Royal Army''s magic detector in Starhorn was Chairman Noir''s adjustment to therge-scale array around the city, as well as a form in the Mercenary Hall''s defensive array.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran followed behind the rest of the Conve members.


    He had a few ideas to what Celine wanted to convey. Either they found some suspicious movements on the Lumley Family while mercenaries from the Mercenary Hall were stationed at the cksmith Order, or it was an update on the discussion of resolution to what happened at the order yesterday.


    The discussion between the cksmith Order and the Lumley Family which would be held at the Courtenay residence, was currently in progress.


    Sigma went there with Albert, and Emmet serving as direct witnesses, as they were two of whom suffered severe injuries.


    Celine had been asked toe since she was there when Tobias attacked Kyran, although her participation to the discussion was a third party observer only.


    Thinking of this, Kyran hoped Sigma would do a good job in extorting¡ª ahem, negotiating somepensations, with the Lumley Family for the damage they had done.


    Because of the Royal Family''s intervention, not to mention, having the Crown Princess heal the injured members of the cksmith Order, Kyran was not optimistic. At least he managed to stop the former in intervening with his matter against the Lumley Family. Kyran could still use that to demandpensation.


    Millie led the Conve participants to the third floor.


    The whole journey was done in silence. There was nothing else to see as the corridor they tread to was empty and devoid of furniture. To be honest, it felt a little suffocating because of the painted wall''s light gray color. It gave most of them the feeling of being enclosed in a steel room.


    Identical ck single doors could be seen alternating on each side, leading to a single room.


    It made them wonder if the whole third floor of the dome only served as a quarters.


    "Sorry for theck of furnishings," Millie suddenly said, breaking the silence.


    She nced at them and smiled bitterly, "This ce has been recently built for the joint military exercise."


    The Conve members were surprised to hear her. Some whispered to one another regarding their own thoughts at the matter.


    Indeed, the dome looked and ''smelled'' new. They did not think much of it at first because there were other reasons why it could look and smell new. One such reason was it had been renovated or cleaned, after not being used for years.


    Millie focused her gaze upfront and continued, "To be honest, thisnd is the Courtenay''s property, but the dome has beenmissioned by the Montgomeray Family while the surrounding terrain has been arrange by the Lumley Family."


    "So this ce is considered the Three Noble Families'' property?" A male Conve member wearing a silver te armor over a red coat, with short ck hair and eyes asked. Just like Carol, he was abat specialist from the Chamber of Commerce.


    Kyran recalled his name as Rob.


    Millie looked at him and shook her head, "No, this is still the Courtenay Family''s property. Instead they asked to¡ª."


    Her eyes widened suddenly and she abruptly stopped talking. She lowered her head slightly before saying, "I''m sorry. I can''t say anything more."


    Her response made all of the Conve members narrow their eyes. Even though they were not considered top talents under the Conve constituents they represented, they were still among the outstanding members. They were able to read between the lines and also understand subtle clues.


    From Millie''s response, most of them already guessed that the changes in the events had something to do with the Three Noble Families.


    Kyran, on the other hand, more or less understood everything and he was felt an iing headache.


    If he was correct, the other two Noble Families acted as additional sponsors for this joint military exercise, and in turn, they could participate in some of the events. One of which was the Team Competition.


    But if this was the case, then it would no longer be considered a joint exercise between two sides but three or possibly even five, depending on if the Three Noble Families would team up or send out a team per family.


    If this was a normal military exercise, the Conve could choose to pull out after another faction joined without them knowing.


    However, the exercise had been the Royal Family was included. They could easily have the Three Noble Families participate as guests. As long as they did not affect the overall purpose of the exercise, having them join a few events was okay.


    Still, Kyran was sure there was more to the reason behind the changes in the event. If this was true, then the Royal Family did not n to only control some of the Conve''s members but there was something else.


    Unfortunately, with ambiguous clues, he could note up with an exnation. Since this was the case, Kyran chose to push any unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind.


    His priority was to observe.


    After a few minutes they reached a spacious half-circr room with a bar located at the far end and high tables and chairs lined up at the center. There were also several numbers of billiard tables and, on another side, five pairs of two tables with long tables could be seen.<sub> </sub>


    At the moment, no one was at the bar, but different drinks were lined up on the shelves mounted on the wall.


    The mercenaries immediately approved of the ce.


    "This area is the lounge area. You will share this ce with the Royal Army''s participants, however, we are confident that it can amodate everyone," Millie exined as she turned to face them. "They have not arrived yet and their roos are located at the hall we have just been to. As for your rooms..." she turned to look at the opposite side near the other end of the half-circr room.


    The Conve members followed her line of sight and saw a path leading to another hallway that likely housed their rooms.


    "... Please follow me," Millie continued and looked back at them with a smile.


    The group crossed the room and continued down the opposite hallway.


    Soon, Millie called them one after another as she issued them a card and a white three by three inches disc. The card served as the key to their rooms while the disc was amunication device wherein the information about the exercise would be sent to.


    They could also input their own schedule into the disc and it would memorize it for them. When the event in which they would participate would start, the disc would advise them ahead of time.


    Millie only advised them to bring the disc with them at all times.


    The Conve members did not mind this, since the disc''s functions were favorable for them.


    To Kyran, however, the disc was like a leash and a tracker that the Royal Family wanted to ce on them


    A leash because the Royal Family would have a better grasp of their schedule once they use it to remind them of their events. A tracker because the disc would let the Royal Family know their current location¡ª thus Millie''s reminder to have the disc with them at all times.


    When Millie finished distributing all the items, she then led each participant to their rooms.


    Unsurprisingly, Millie made sure to have Kyran be thest one to receive a room. Apart from that, the room Kyran had been assigned to, appearrger than the others.


    The few mercenaries who noticed this could only smile wryly. To possess almost all the ideal qualities a woman such as Millie, could ever think of a man, they all knew Kyran got an obvious better treatment.


    To be honest, if they had not been from the same faction, they might feel a little annoyed. But since they were, and Kyran was also Chairman Noir''s disciple, they thought nothing much of it.


    Kyran retained an amiable smile all the time, even when Millie led him to his room.


    Before she bid him farewell, however, she said, "Disciple Tyr, w-will it inconvenient you i-if I...e with you when you decide to look around?"


    "No," Kyran answered at once with a smile. "Having someone who knows the way is actually helpful."


    Millie beamed as she flushed in anticipation, "T-Then¡ª."


    "I''ll let you know."


    Millie''s smile froze sensing Kyran''s curt response. However, she did not take offence and simply nodded her head, "Alright. Uhm... use this channel when you contact me through the disc."


    She waved her hand and a short Array form appeared before her.


    Kyran let the form enter the disc and said, "I will. Thank you."


    "T-Then, I''ll leave you to rest first."


    Kyran only nodded in response, before turning and entering his room.


    As he closed the door, his gentle smile faded as his eyes turned cold.


    A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he muttered, "You haven''t changed at all. Still currying favor to people you deemed ''useful,'' but then..."


    His eyes shed dangerously as he remembered a younger version of Millie, with an angel-like smile calling him...


    "Kyran! Do you have time today? I... don''t understand this part, will you teach me?"


    Kyran closed his eyes and pushed the image out of his mind.


    That was right.


    The very reason why Kyran had issues trusting women who were not part of the Regis was because of Millie.


    The girl who also betrayed him and had the seniors in the military school gang up on him.

 Chapter 358 Opening Event (4)

    Kyran got his hands full that morning. He first met with Dante to find Celine''s message.


    Her message confirmed Kyran''s assumption on why the Team Competition suddenly had a preliminary round. Her coded message said that the Lumley Family''s top talents had gatheredst night and left early in the morning with a Courtenay messenger.


    Since Kyran or the Conve did not have any dealings with the Montgomeray Family, they did not keep watch on their movements. But they did have information that another Courtenay messenger went to visit the Montgomeray Family residence in Starhorn.


    To avoid getting their messages, even coded ones, getting tapped, Kyran gave Dante amunication device he made himself.


    He also avoided giving Dante any response while they were inside his room because there was a possibility that the room was being monitored.


    An Array Specialist could easily perceive a Surveince Array with visuals. So, it was likely that the Courtenay Family was using a Voice Tap array only.


    Kyran did not try to use his magic sense to confirm this yet. His reason was simple.


    The Three Noble Families was a faction that he had little understanding of. However, since he had always believed that his enemies would only involve the Royal Army and the Royal Family, he focused on them.


    Of course, he also gathered enough intel about the Three Noble Families. But they had never proactively made movements. While it was rumored that they supported one of the Deputy Marshals, Imman, there was no concrete proof.


    Even the Conve did not find anything.


    In any case, Kyran did not ask Ste for their information. He already had someone else looking through it.


    With little knowledge of the Three Noble Families, Kyran had to stay lowkey within the Courtenay''s property.


    It went without saying that using magic sense might not be easily detected. However, if there were an Array that would trigger at even a small detection of magic sense, then the Courtenay Family would put up their guards against the Conve. Since they could not trace it back to Kyran, their likely suspects would be the Conve Council Members with the highest mage level among them.


    Besides, even if there were no Array in ce, if high-level mages were hiding in the Courtenay property, his magic sense would get detected¡ª not that there was a high-level enough mage that could detect Kyran''s magic sense.


    To be on the safe side, Kyran would not take chances. He was not in a hurry to ce countermeasures against the Three Noble Families.


    Just as he told the Conve council members earlier, ''there was no need to make a mountain out of a small hill.''


    That was how Kyran saw this situation.


    There might be a lot of things happening at this moment, but what mattered was discovering the Royal Family''s plot.


    To be honest, Kyran had a feeling that the Royal Family was entertaining the Three Noble Families'' hidden agenda to trap them.


    The reason why he thought this, he confirmed that Mimi and Millie had not fallen under the Crown Princess''s control.


    The Royal Family possibly agreed to have the Three Noble Families join in this event to make it easier for them to control their top talents as well.


    A saying went like this: Hitting two targets with one arrow or hitting two birds with one stone.


    It was how Kyran perceived the current situation.


    After advising Dante to stay lowkey while being on guard, Kyran returned to his room.


    Without wasting any time, Kyran worked on cing a Defensive Array in the room. As he expected, there was an Array ced inside; however, Kyran did not try to study or adjust it. Because he already noticed that the Array was only a part of a bigger one that was likely connected to the whole dome and then the entire Courtenay property.


    That was a massive Array that would take even Kyran a while to decipher and adjust.


    No, he could not adjust it. Not because he could not modify it, but because, if he did, he would require a massive amount of magic energy.


    That would rouse the Royal Family, not to mention the Courtenay Family¡ª or the Three Noble Families.


    When Kyran finished cing a defensive array in the room, he left and went to Noir''s room.


    Going there took a while because the Conve members invited him to check the whole ce.


    Kyran convinced them he had to speak with his Master first and let him off after agreeing to meet up at the lounge before the program started.


    Can, Malia and Vaness were already in Noir''s room when Kyran arrived.


    Different from the participant''s quarters, the room the Conve Council Members were staying in was more luxurious. To be precise, the other half of the dome''s third floor was also fully furnished.


    The hallway walls were painted white with carved gold ornaments, and the doors leading to the rooms were not ck and made of ordinary wood but were made of the finest oak steel doors.


    The rooms were also more extensive and had a living room, kitchen, and dining area.


    The four council members were gathered in the living room and were already discussing the matters at hand. They had already received the updated information on the events and the program.


    Of course, Chairman Noir ced a defensive array to counter any Surveince array in the room before they started their discussion. In any case, since he was able to create an array, it meant there was no array ced in the room.


    As Kyran guessed, the Three Noble Families would indeed join some of the events; Solo Competition, Team Competition, Alchemy and Array Creation. Each family would have two teams.


    To ensure it would not jeopardize the purpose of the joint military exercise between the Royal Army and the Conve, the first teams of the Three Noble Families wouldpete with the Royal Army, and the second teams wouldpete with the Conve.


    <o>,m These were true for all the events they would join.</o>


    Whoever won did not matter because the finals and the rest of the events would still have the Royal Army and the Conve as primary participants.


    Kyran smiled wryly at this forced rule. He knew this was the Three Noble Families'' answer to Can''s threat earlier because it destroyed the purpose of the joint exercise if they agreed to let them be included in the results.


    The Conve council members felt the same way. If even they felt like this, the Royal Family likely also did, but they still went with it anyway.


    Clearly, the Three Noble Families still wanting to pursue to have a friendlypetition with them meant they had a hidden agenda. Whatever it was, however, Kyran doubted the Royal Family would let them.


    As for the Lumley Family, Kyran felt he would be their primary target after the events between them and the cksmith Order.


    The Lumley Family still had nerves about targeting him, knowing that the Royal Family had set their eyes on him.


    The Program would go as follows:


    <strong>Day 1</strong> ==========


    <strong>Dome Center Hall </strong>


    2:00 - 3:00 pm - Opening Program


    3:00 - 3:30 pm - Special Intermission by the Three Noble Families


    3:30 - 4:00 pm - Preparation


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 1</strong> (1st Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Royal Army | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 2</strong> (1st Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Conve | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 3</strong> (2nd Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competition (Royal Army | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 4</strong> (2nd Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competion (Conve | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Day 2</strong> ==========


    <strong>Forest (East Terrain)</strong>


    9:00 am - Material Gathering (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 6 hrs.


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 2</strong> (1st Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Alchemy (Royal Army | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 1</strong> (1st Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Alchemy (Conve | Courtenay Family)<sub> </sub>


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 4</strong> (2nd Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Array Creation (Royal Army | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 3</strong> (2nd Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Array Creation (Conve | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Day 3</strong> ==========


    <strong>Dome Grand Hall (4th Floor - Half Side)</strong>


    9:00 am - Smithing (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 6 hrs.


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 3</strong> (2nd Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Royal Army | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 4</strong> (2nd Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Conve | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 1</strong> (1st Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competition (Royal Army | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 2</strong> (1st Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competion (Conve | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Day 4</strong> ==========


    <strong>Small Ind (South Terrain)</strong>


    9:00 am - Beast Hunt (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 6 hrs.


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 4</strong> (2nd Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Alchemy (Royal Army | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 3</strong> (2nd Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Alchemy (Conve | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 2</strong> (1st Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Array Creation (Royal Army | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 1</strong> (1st floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Array Creation (Conve | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Day 5</strong> ==========


    <strong>Dome Grand Hall (4th Floor)</strong>


    <strong>[Right Half] </strong>9:00 am - Alchemy (Royal Army | Montgomeray) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>[Left Half] </strong>9:00 am - Alchemy (Conve | Lumley) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>[Left Half] </strong>12:30 pm - Array Creation (Royal Army | Courtenay Family) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>[Right Half]</strong> 12:30 pm - Array Creation (Conve | Montgomeray) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 1</strong> (1st Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Royal Army | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 2</strong> (1st Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Solo Competition (Conve | Courtenay Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 3</strong> (2nd Floor - Right Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competition (Royal Army | Montgomeray Family)


    <strong>Dome Function Hall 4</strong> (2nd Floor - Left Side)


    4:00 pm - Team Competion (Conve | Lumley Family)


    <strong>Day 6</strong> ==========


    <strong>Dome Grand Hall (4th Floor)</strong>


    <strong>[Left Half]</strong> 9:00 am - Alchemy (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>[Right Half]</strong> 9:00 - 11:30 am - Solo Competition - Preliminary (Royal Army | Conve) - Match Time Limit: 25 mins.


    <strong>[Left Half]</strong> 12:30 pm - Array Creation (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 3 hrs.


    <strong>[Right Half]</strong> 12:30 pm - Solo Competition - Quarter Finals (Royal Army | Conve) - Match Time Limit: 25 mins.


    <strong>Day 7</strong> ==========


    <strong>Dome Center Hall </strong>


    10:00 am - Solo Competition - Finals (Royal Army | Conve)


    <strong>Open Field (West Terrain)</strong>


    11:00 am - Team Competition (Royal Army | Conve)


    <strong>Outdoor Terrain (Courtenay Family''s Land)</strong>


    <strong>Base 1</strong> | Forest (East Terrain)


    <strong>Base 2</strong> | Small Ind (South Terrain)


    1:00 Field Operation (Royal Army | Conve) Time Limit: Indefinite


    ********************


    After going through the program and checking the detailed map of the Courtenay''s Land, Kyran admitted that the whole thing was feasible. However, he was also surprised that they managed toe up with this in such a short time.


    A week-long event like this took months to prepare. The number of resources, whether materials, food, or manpower, an event like this require was huge. To ensure it would bepleted in less than a month meant they burned more resources.


    Kyran smiled bitterly.


    It annoyed him how these people could waste so many resources when he struggled to earn them. True, he already had the Temr Code under him and was nning to take over the Blue Lotus, but they were still a new factionpared with the Royal Family and the Three Noble Families. Thetter''s resources were richer.


    Besides, the Royal Family had full ess to every excavated ruin in the empire.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran pushed the thought to the back of his mind. It was not the time for him to think of his misfortunes.


    He then looked at the council members waiting to hear his opinion.


    They had already discussed their own and now wanted to see if their guess was the same with him.


    "The Royal Family agreed to these changes, making use of the Three Noble Families'' hidden agenda to gather their top talents and also control them," Kyran finally told them his thoughts with a wry smile.

 Chapter 359 Opening Event (5)

    Vaness was the first one to react, he heaved a disgruntled sigh and leaned back on the long sofa.


    "It is also what we have thought of," he admitted.


    Kyran nodded, "There is nothing much we can do. But I admit, with the Three Noble Families joining in the Solo and Team events, the Conve members will get exhausted, even before facing the Royal Army. Especially at thetter end of the program where the Alchemy, Array Creation, Solo and Team Competition are all packed together."


    They all nodded in agreement.


    "Although the same holds true with the Royal Army, whose to say the Three Noble Families will take their matches seriously against them?" Kyran added.


    This made them fall silent. They also thought of this.


    Of course, for appearance''s sake, they would not brazenly forfeit the match. But they would limit their magic consumption and would not exert too much energy.


    They did not have any concern about the Royal Army forfeiting, though. After all, in order for the Crown Princess to seed in controlling someone, her target must be in a somewhat vulnerable state.


    "Avrum and I made sure to concoct extra potions and pills, but I think it is not enough. I also don''t advise our people to take high-grade potions and pills too much. Though it will not really affect their health, if they take such medicines at a daily basis, the effects of the medicine will lessen," Malia voiced her concern.


    Another silence fell on the room.


    Kyran, who remained standing at the far end of the table, also fell in contemtion.


    During times like this, Cyneah always came to mind.


    If they had someone like her who had a huge healing range, even if she get exhausted, she was the only one who needed to take high-grade potions.


    And well... based on te''s assessment, Cyneah''s body had a strange affinity with medicines. The more she drank or take one, the more her body develops. Even if it stopped developing, the only effect it would have on her was, making her look more...


    Kyran suddenly cleared his throat.


    His train of thought was getting off track.


    In any case, Kyran was only thinking this. He would never expose Cyneah to possible danger. Besides, he had another way, but doing so would reveal more of what he could do.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran looked at them and said, "I know a Transcendent-tier array that focuses on wide-range healing. It requires materials that are... well..." He hesitated for a second before continuing, "... hard to find, but I still have some, enough to make a seven-meter array."


    In the end, he was still hesitant to talk about other nes. In truth, there was a flow about not telling others about what one experienced in the Tower of Tribtion.


    Kyran realized that they could talk about some information they learned on the nes they went to, as long as they did not mention how they got there or say anything about the Tower of Tribtion.


    Nevertheless, he felt it was too risky to mention where he got the materials.


    It was fortunate that the Noir and the rest were sensible enough not to ask further.


    At least, that was how Kyran believed since none of them had said anything.


    The truth, the four had not said anything because they were too speechless.


    Ca, Malia and Vaness might not be Array Specialists but they still knew a few things regarding its level and such. Not once had they heard of a Transcendent-tier array. And as they nced furtively at Noir, who had an awkward cid expression, it seemed he was the same.


    "I suggest setting it up either in Master Noir''s room or Chairman Malia, at least, even if the Royal Family or the Courtenay Family noticed it, we can tell them it is to help the member''s recuperate, which was technically true."


    "Then... let us go with that," Noir answered after a short pause. He then looked at Malia and said, "Though I suggest to have the array in Malia''s area. I am afraid my defensive array might affect it."


    His suggestion was of course reasonable. Because it was not advisable to make an entirely different array in the same spot.


    One could only adjust the main array and add new array forms targeting specific locations in the array''s area of effect.


    "It shouldn''t be a problem even if I set it up here," Kyran said, "But, true, it is better to create it in Chairman Malia''s ce since she also have carry the medicines. Might as well have all recuperating and such in one ce."


    They all nodded in agreement, apparently, none of them understood or even noticed what Kyran meant with the statement ''shouldn''t be a problem.''


    "Then, if there is nothing else, let''s ry the information to the rest," Vaness said.<sub> </sub>


    "I''ll have to excuse myself and meet with our mercenaries," Can suddenly said as he stood with a bitter smile. "I am sure they will not be happy with the changes."


    Kyran looked at him and said, "Do you need my help to convince them President Can?"


    Can turned to him and shook his head, "Oh, that is fine. You don''t really have to¡ª."


    He stopped abruptly after remembering that ''Tyr'' was also a member of the Mercenary Hall.


    Seeing Can''s expression, Kyran could not help but smile wryly, "I don''t think the rest of the mercenaries are also aware that I am also representing the Mercenary Hall."


    Can sighed, "I admit most of our elite mercenaries do not think you are qualified to be part of their team. They think your aplishment as a mercenary iscking."


    Kyran chuckled, "Let them think whatever. I''ll just show them whether I am qualified or not."


    Can looked at him with a wry smile, "I suppose action speaks louder than words."


    The rest of the council members chuckled.


    They were already familiar with Kyran''s confidence. Whether he was acting this way as Tyr or not, did not matter. Since he could back his words either way.


    "There is no need for you to join the briefing," Can told Kyran as he made his way to the door. "I can just tell them Chairman Noir required you to attend the cksmith Order''s briefing."


    "Alright," Kyran nodded.


    "Ah, but..." Can paused midway through opening the door. He looked back at Kyran and asked, "The arrangement of the Solo Competition... would you prefer to gost?"


    A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips and he answered, "Its against the Lumley Family, right?"


    His smile turned into a devilish grin as his eyes glinted, "I''ll go first. I believe its best to set the mood at the start of thepetition."


    Malia, Noir and Vaness all shook their head but could only smile hopelessly at him.


    Can on the other hand raised his brows with a wry smile.


    "Very well. I suppose the rest of the mercenaries participating in Solo Competition will not really object. After all, this is also another way for them to assess your strength."


    Kyran replied with a small nod.


    The truth, he did not think the mercenaries were really against him. If they were, they would have already shown hostility toward him while the Conve council members were not looking when they were on their way to their quarters. They were somewhat reserved around him, but that did not mean they bear any ill-intent.


    They were mercenaries and they took pride in bing an elite after epting difficult bounties and requests and then seeding. Having a person like ''Tyr'' who was only written off as an elite but had too few noteworthy aplishments as a mercenary was like a blow to their pride.


    Still, there were many secret bounties and requests so they would not openly show any hostility. Besides, acting hostile to a fellow mercenary for such a thing was too childish. They would rather observe and confirm his strength with their own eyes than ostracize him.


    They were not like those pampered young masters or young mistresses from a noble family, who went into a tantrum when they see amoner with better talents than them, like a certain young master from a well-known noble family.


    Kyran turned to look at the remaining council members and said, "I''ll also take my leave. I have to check the ce."


    "We can also help look around," Noir offered.


    Kyran shook his head, "There is no need. Please go ahead and brief your members."


    Without waiting for their reply, he turned toward the door.


    "By the way," Kyran pause and looked back at them, "Thank you for giving my puppets identities at such short notice. Please make full use of them."


    He did not tell them that the puppets were still in a trial phase and the joint military exercise was a good way to test their capabilities.


    Vaness chuckled at his words. He was probably the only one who understood the hidden meaning behind his words and nodded, "I hope you get the results you want."


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows in surprise. With a low chuckle, he nodded at them onest time before leaving.

 Chapter 360 Opening Event (6)

    The Royal Army arrived at half-past twelve. Unlike the Conve members where Millie escorted them to their quarters, each Royal Army officer went to their assigned rooms without any fuss. This information had been passed to them since yesterday, after all.


    At the same time when the Royal Army arrived, most of the Conve members who returned after walking around the Courtenay Land were gathered at the lounge and waiting for the others.


    There were five attendants by the bar and while the Conve members were not drinking, they still took this time to y a small game of billiard while chatting. Some even tried to get some information from the bar attendants. Though, what kind of information they were looking for was only privy to them.


    As expected, as soon as a few officers of the Royal Army went to the lounge, an almost tangible tension filled the air.


    Still, none of them tried to approach the other and went about their own ways. But it was obvious that each side was already assessing the other.


    Finally, at half-hour before two in the afternoon, Mimi and Millie arrived to escort all of them to the Center Hall, thergest hall upying four floors in the middle of the dome.


    Millie darted her eyes among the Conve participants trying to find a tall auburn-haired man with aquamarine eyes. To her dismay, there had been no sign of him, nor his shadow.


    A young woman with long brown hair tied in a neat bun behind her head, with simr brown eyes, wearing a light blue robe with a cauldron stitched on the right chest, looked at her in amusement. She was from the Alchemist Association and was among the few females who knew Millie''s infatuation with Tyr.


    "Disciple Tyr is not here, Lady Millie. Master Noir called all the cksmith Order members a couple of hours ago and they haven''t returned yet."


    Millie''s expression turned sullen after hearing this. She had been waiting for Tyr to send her a message that morning but never heard anything from him. It was depressing! Did shee to him too strong?


    No, that should not have been the case.


    Back when Matias tried to sow discord between them, Tyr ignored it. He even diverted Matias''s attention away from her and Mimi. Tyr''s action toward them meant he appreciated their help but did not want to involve them with childish banter. It clearly showed his positive attitude toward them.


    So, why did he not call her?


    With a cute pout on her face, Millie did not forget to thank the young woman before returning to Mimi''s side.


    Ten minutester, the group arrived at the dome''s Center Hall.


    The Center Hall was at least 20,000 sqm. in size.


    A stage roughly 80 sqm. in size was located at the center. The front row seats on the first floor were forty feet away around the stage giving enough space for people to move around it.


    More seats were avable on a huge circr balcony on the second floor, while exclusive booths for VIPs were located on the third and fourth floors, overlooking the stage.


    The ceiling was currently opened letting the natural light fill the surroundings.


    Right now, the stage had been decorated with a red velvet backdrop and gold linings. A golden sphere hovered at the center, alternately showing the Conve''s crest, a golden clocktower, the Royal Army''s crest, a ck sword and a red mage staff ovepping on top of a golden hexagonal shield.


    Mimi led the Royal Army to their designated area, on the left side of the stage, while Millie led the Conve to the right.


    Both leaders from the Royal Army and the Conve were already in their designated booths on the third floor.


    For this event, the fourth floor was empty. There wouldn''t be that many people attending since it was a private event between the Conve and the Royal Army.


    After they had taken their seats, the twodies left and went to their designated VIP booth located on the third floor.


    As they were walking along the hallway leading to the entrance to the VIP lounge, Millie''s expression was still sullen.


    All this time, Mimi kept a close eye on the younger woman''s actions. She sighed inwardly upon seeing Millie''s obvious disappointment and knew exactly why she felt this way.


    The truth, Millie''s attitude was the very reason why Mimi convinced herself not to be blinded by Tyr''s handsome looks.


    Yes, the young man''s good looks were very pleasing to the eyes and knowing his Array attainments would not pale inparison to other well-known Array Specialists showed his bright future.


    Such a promising young man was someone any girl of marrying age would love to be acquainted with.


    But Mimi had seen so many young men like him. Though they could not hold any candle against Tyr in terms of looks, the future of those young men was bright. They were aware of it, thus, this got to their heads.


    Because of their smooth sailing paths to a sessful future, they believed they could have any woman they wanted.


    This mindset of most men was the reason Mimi kept a certain distance from Tyr and chose to observe. To be honest, it was not because Millie had her eyes set on him first. After all,pared to Millie, Mimi''s position in the Courtenay Family was higher.


    If she willed it, even if Tyr did not belong to a noble family, she could ask the Patriarch to take him in and be one of her subjects...


    Mimi shook her head inwardly as Patriarch Ernst warned her not to get too involved with Tyr''s matter. He also warned her to keep a close eye on Millie, because the young woman''s infatuation was already known among all the younger generation of the Courtenay. This meant it had also reached the Courtenay Elders'' ears.


    When Mimi asked why Patriarch Ernst told her that the Royal Family had their eyes on him.


    No, to be precise, Patriarch Ernst''s word was: "The Crown Princess has set her eyes on Disciple Tyr."


    Mimi was not surprised to hear this. She already noticed the Crown Princess''s interest in Tyr when they told her about what happened in the cksmith Order. It had also been because of this, that the Crown Princess suddenly decided to go to the Tower of Conve even when it was almost nightfall.


    Anyway, getting involved with Disciple Tyr would definitely be a messy business.


    Mimi knew this and yet... She looked at the young woman beside her and let out another sigh.


    "What do you even see in that guy?" She started.


    Millie looked at her with a slight pout and said, "He is like a hero to all of us wanting to be an Array Specialist! He was only a year older than me but his aplishments in Array is-."


    "Too little," Mimi interrupted her midway. "He has only made a name for himself recently because of the pensation'' he promised for the disturbance that happened in the cksmith Order."<sub> </sub>


    At the moment, Mimi could not trust Millie''s judgement when she was looking at Tyr with bright colorful flowers and lights in the background.


    "That is not true!" Millie objected at once.


    Mimi looked at her in exasperation, "What is not true? That his aplishment is too little or that he has just recently made a name for himself?"


    Millie opened her mouth to refute her, but then closed it almost immediately.


    What Mimi said was true. But Millie did not like how she said it and wanted to retaliate.


    "Anyway, it is not appropriate for ady to approach a man so brazenly. You will only feed their over-sized ego," Mimi continued, appearing stern but her voice remained gentle.


    "Disciple Tyr doesn''t have an over-sized ego..." Millie still tried to defend Tyr, but her voice trailed off a bit. It only urred to her that she indeed acted too friendly when they barely knew each other.


    Tyr might think she was a weird girl and was trying to keep his distance!


    "How would you know? You barely know him. Besides, with a face and talent like that, it is impossible for him not to notice how much it affected the opposite sex. I will not even be surprised if there are a few same sex people who are attracted to him."


    Hearing Mimi point this out made Millie paled.


    "Y-You... you''re absolutely right! I... I should watch out for those kinds of people! I must protect Disciple Tyr at all cost!"


    Mimi looked at Millie hopelessly, "Ah... you''re missing the point here, dear cousin."


    Unfortunately, Millie was no longer listening and turned around to go in the opposite direction.


    She looked at Millie and said, "I remember I have to do something! I''ll see you at the function hall twoter!"


    Mimi sighed as she watched the younger woman''s retreating back.


    "Our family is supposed to have a friendly match against the Royal Army''s team, dear cousin. And it will happen in function hall three," she replied but knew it had gone to deaf ears. She knew Millie would rather watch the Solo Competition in function hall two because Tyr''s name was listed among the participants.


    With a shake of her head, Mimi turned and entered the VIP booth.


    Her cousin''s behavior was the reason why she had a very bad image of young men with handsome looks.


    =====================


    Kyran did not attend the opening program. He felt it was a waste of time. Besides, he was not interested in what the Emperor had to say, or the Three Noble Families'' supposed intermission.


    Besides his puppets were there to tell him if there was anything worth taking note of.


    A quarter before four in the afternoon, Kyran went to the male locker room assigned for the male members of the Conve.


    It was a rectangr room, with lockers on the sides and eight benches in the middle. At the back of the room was a metal door, leading to a shower area.


    This room reminded Kyran of his time in the military school.


    They had rooms like this one whenever they do practicalbat. He also remembered that the locker room did not distinguish between males and females.


    However, the Courtenay deemed it appropriate to have separate rooms for them.


    Not that Kyran wasining. He did not care either way. To be honest, he did not get why females make so much fuss when a man sees their body.


    Yes, they had different body structures but it was not as if there was any harm in ''seeing.''


    Just as he thought of this, he recalled an incident when he saw a certain girl covered in blood and was naked, who clung to him tightly after realizing who he was.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once and shook his head to push the image away.


    Why was it thattely, his mind had been drifting too much?


    It seemed he had not rested enough. He had to take note of that.


    The other three members participating in the Solo Competition were already there, with thest one, a female member, in the female locker room.


    When the three saw Kyran, they gave him a short nod. An action that did not seem hostile, yet not too respectful either.


    Kyran returned their nod and sat on the bench closest to the door.


    He had nothing with him so he did not use the locker.


    Soon the door adjacent to the bath door opened and a male attendant wearing a light green uniform with a matching cap appeared.


    "Conve participants, the Solo Competition is about to start, please follow me inside," the attendant called them


    p Without further ado, the four of them followed him and went out the door.</anda>


    What greeted them was a 150 sqm. square arena, and a long metal bench lined on the side.


    A balcony was built above where a few spectators were already seated.

 Chapter 361 Solo Challenge (1)

    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he looked up at the spectators.


    He had expected there would be spectators watching thepetition. But he did not expect to be this many.


    They arrived at their side of the arena and looked at the people up the balcony.


    Looking at the obnoxious expressions these people had, Kyran guessed they were from the Three Noble Families.


    "Tsk," a disgruntled gruff voice came in front of Kyran.


    Kyran looked at the owner of the voice, before turning to look at the rest of the mercenaries. All of them wore annoyed expressions.


    "This is apetition, why the f*ck are these stuck up nobles here? Do they think we are some show to pass their time?"


    The one who had spoken was a seven-foot-tall buffed guy with a Skrillex reddish-brown hair, a bare top, and dark loose pants. A thick ck scarf was wrapped around his neck covering half his face, giving emphasis to his sharp ck eyes.


    The man''s name was Styx, known as the strongest elite member of the Mercenary Hall. He also had the highest mage level which was already a half-step to Grand Master.


    "Having people watch our matches doesn''t make sense to me," a man around five feet tall with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes, wearing an oversized ck coat, with a silver halberd on his back, responded to Styx.


    "What are you even talking about, Deo?" A muffled reply responded to Deo. "This whole joint exercise doesn''t make sense in the first ce, so don''t expect anything that happens here to be any different."


    Kyran looked at the man who had spoken.


    He was also tall, standing only a few inches short than Styx, with a faded bandage wrapped around his head, wearing a red leather coat and ck army pants. A ck leather magical belt was wrapped around his waist which housed, if Kyran guessed correctly, several short weapons.


    "Rake is right," a female voice agreed from the back.


    All of them turned to look at a woman walking toward them.


    Kyran knew the woman as the only female participant in the Solo Competition, Tilda.


    She was a huge woman with short blonde hair and brown eyes, wearing a brown leather coat. Her weapon strapped behind her back was a huge ax.


    Kyran had read all of their files and knew that the elite members of the Mercenary Hall were all Master or High Master mages. Those who got promoted to a Grand Master would then be executive members whose authority was second only to Hall Master Celine.


    In normal cases, these people would not be seen in one ce. They were either out on a SS mission or helping the Chamber of Commerce on a hunt to gather rare beast items.


    Anyway, the reason why Kyran¡ª or rather, Tyr, was suddenly part of the elite member of the Mercenary was the fact that they had to update his profile as a new Master mage.


    After all, Kyran had beaten a Brigadier General.


    Although there was an array in ce to restrict Brigadier General''s level, in the end, getting whacked by a mage easily who happened to be a couple of mage levels lower than him was a huge p on his face.


    Thus, they had to say that Tyr had broken through to a Master mage, thus, automatically promoting him to the elite team.


    "Tilda," Deo nodded at her, "You''re lucky. You have the locker room all by yourself."


    "Humph, what''s lucky about that? I got bored staring at the walls. I''d rather go back to the lounge and y another round of billiards."


    Styxughed, "Right. And I''m also winning. I don''t mind winning more gold coins from you."


    Tilda red at him, "I''ll win them backter!"


    Deo and Rake snickered.


    Kyran could not help but smile at them.


    He really respected how these mercenaries jumped from one topic to another. As if the matter of the joint exercise was no big deal and could be forgotten in a blink of an eye.


    Thinking of this, Nn crossed Kyran''s mind. He had not heard anything from Nn''s essence and admitted he was getting a little worried.


    ''He did not get lost in the forest did he?'' Kyran thought recalling how bad Nn''s sense of direction was.


    Pushing the random thought aside, he cleared his throat and looked at Styx and the rest. He said, "In that case, would you like to end thispetition early?"


    As soon as he had spoken, the four mercenaries looked at him and fell silent.


    President Can told them about Kyran''s promotion to the elite members.


    They knew the Mercenary Hall would never y favorites. ''Tyr'' might be the disciple of Chairman Noir, but they would never promote him for baseless or unjust reasons.


    Nevertheless, that did not stop them from feeling a little aggrieved. They had not seen him in action or his aplishments as a mercenary, after all. Of course, that did not mean they would ostracize him, but they would not see him as an equal either.


    "Oh?" Styx looked at him with raised brows, "You have something in mind?"


    Kyran smiled but did not meet his eyes, "I do. But it would mean you guys might not get to y here, is that okay?"


    "Ahahahaha!" Tilda suddenly burst intoughter as she looked at Kyran with a knowing smile. "What you have in mind is crazy, you know. You''ll offend the other side..." her voice trailed off as she looked at the participants they were against who had juste out from their locker room. She chuckled and continued, "I guess you don''t care since you already offended them."


    The other mercenaries also sneered. They were aware of what happened to Kyran and the Lumley Family yesterday. It had been one of the talked topics in the pubst night especially when an Exalted appeared, followed by Hall Master Celine whose a Magus.


    Tyr''s fame had skyrocketed overnight with how he single-handedly thrashed the Lumley mages. That was the very reason why a Lumley Exalted had to interfere.


    Kyran chuckled, "That''s right. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to tell them that its my own idea so the Mercenary Hall will not be¡ª."


    "Are you f*cking with us?" Styx interrupted and crossed his huge arms across his chest. His smile turned into a devilish grin as he looked at the Lumley participants, who were now on the opposite side of the arena looking at them with unmasked hostile eyes. "We don''t give a damn whether they think it is our idea or not. We mercenaries will not run away with tails between our legs just because we are up against one of the Three Noble Families."


    Most members of the Three Noble Families detested mercenaries for their ambiguous background and barbaric living.


    Of course, that did not stop them from employing their services to aplish a dangerous mission. It was better to sacrifice other people than their own, after all.


    Tilda snorted and said, "I feel the same, but will you not use that phrase. I don''t have tails between my legs."


    "Ahahaha!" The three men burst intoughter.


    Because of Tilda''s big frame and alto voice, they always forget that she was not a man.<sub> </sub>


    Besides, Tilda might not care about her appearance, but she still considered herself a woman. As a matter of fact, she was already married and had two kids.


    "Right, right," Styx agreed and looked at Kyran. "Go ahead, little boy. Show us what you''ve got."


    Kyran smiled bitterly at the nickname.


    To be exact, it was not even a nickname. In the first ce, he was not a little boy. Well, he supposed his age and body frame was a little boypared to theirs.


    No, wait. Deo''s height and body frame were the smallest among them so...


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran nodded his head. He was not about to head butts with Styx just because he called him a little boy.


    "I''ll go then," he replied and made his way to the arena.


    At that exact moment, the center of the arena opened and a man wearing a matching light green robe and hat, with a half-mask covering his eyes appeared from below.


    The man hovered in the air, as the opening he came out from closed.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the Solo Competition will start in five minutes. Please have your participantse up the arena," the man announced, looking at the Mercenary Hall''s side and then to the Lumley.


    On the Lumley''s side, a man in a white mask, wearing a blue velvet coat with matching headgear, turned his head at the tallest member of the Lumley Family.


    Unlike the Mercenary Hall which only had its memberse to the function hall, the Lumley Family had an elder go with them.


    "You go first, Illias."


    The tall man, looking to be in histe twenties and also wearing a blue uniform with the Lumley Family''s crest, stepped toward the arena and nodded.


    "Yes," Illias replied. His contempt reflected in his eyes as he looked in Kyran''s direction.


    ''Matias would havee today, if not for this barbarian,'' Illias thought through gritted teeth.


    "Participants, pleasee on the arena."


    The announcer called.


    Kyran and Illias went to the arena and as their feet touched the floor, a circr golden array lit up above. At the center of the array, the number 25 was lit.


    "While we wait for the start of thepetition, let me exin the rules for everyone''s reference."


    The announcer said and gestured at the array overhead.


    "Each participant from both sides will have a one on one match that willst for 25 minutes. Of course, the duration is only a time limit set in case both sides are evenly matched and a winner cannot be determined. There will be a five minutes interval before the start of a match to give time for each participant to assess their opponent ande up with a strategy. Once the five minutes are up the timer above will activate, signifying the start of the match."


    "Hey," Kyran called the announcer''s attention as soon as he finished talking.


    "Yes, Disciple Tyr?" The announcer replied."


    As soon as he said this, however, most of the spectators turned their attention to Kyran.


    Most of them only knew Tyr from photos and rumors and had not met him in person. Earlier, when he arrived with the rest of the mercenaries, he was practically hidden behind Styx and Rake so they did not have a closer look.


    And when the announcer had asked for Kyran and Illias toe up to the arena, all of them were distracted by the array overhead and then focused on the announcer who exined the rules. They did not have time to really look at Kyran.


    But now, seeing him, most of them instantly seethe in anger. Surprisingly, some females were also ring at him in contempt.


    Then again, these women were all part of the Lumley Family and it would be strange to even admire ''Tyr'' after what happened yesterday.


    Then there were the members of the Courtenay Family who were distinguishable by their light green robes. Most of them looked at Kyran with reservation... except for one young miss whose eyes were looking at him with zeal, Millie.


    The Montgomeray Family, who were identified by their light violet clothes and a ck mask that covered their faces, were all silent.


    Even among the Three Noble Families, they were a mysterious family. Few had actually seen their faces because they always wore a ck masks to cover their whole face. They only knew that the Montgomeray Family all had dark violet hair. As for the color of their eyes, none had seen it.


    "The proposed rules are boring," Kyran said not bothering to filter his words. "And I have a suggestion to make it better."


    The announcer''s brow furrowed slightly, but when he spoke, his voice remained indifferent that it was hard to know what he was thinking, "I''m sorry. But the rules have already been agreed upon by¡ª."


    "By the Royal Family and the Three Noble Families," Kyran cut in. "The Conve who are supposed to be one of the main participants of the joint military exercise was not included when the rules are made."


    An awkward silence fell among the Three Noble Families.


    Event the announcer''s brow furrowed further.


    On the other hand, the mercenaries behind Kyran were now looking at him in a different light.


    This guy had a nerve of steel! It seemed nothing could faze him!


    "The leaders of the Conve had not raise any questions when the rules has been presented and thus, gave their silent consent..."


    The announcer''s voice trailed off as the four-leaf clover earring he was wearing blinked a few times.


    After another awkward silence passed, the announcer took a deep breath before clearing his throat.


    "Very well, let us hear your suggestion."


    Kyran''s smile widen. He already saw the four-leaf clover the announcer was wearing and knew it was amunication device, simr to what Mimi and Millie wore.


    He also guessed that the people these guys were connected to were either big shots from the Courtenay Family or the Royal Family themselves.


    The announcer''s behavior just now confirmed Kyran''s guess, but now, he was convinced the person on the other end was either the Emperor or the Crown Princess.


    After all, these two were the only ones who would agree to his whims unconditionally.


    Kyran looked at the Lumley participants and pointed at them, "Let''s make it a solo challenge. The yer who wins stays and challenges the next side''s yer."

 Chapter 362 Solo Challenge (2)

    "As long as that yer keeps on winning, then he will not step down and will continue the challenge," Kyran continued.


    Even before Kyran finished what he was saying, the Lumley Family at the spectator''s end erupted in anger.


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "Solo Challenge? Such audacity! Do you think you can threaten our family?"


    "Looking down on us! Wait until the Lumley Elders make their final decision, you''re dead after this event!"


    One after another, the members of the Lumley Family eximed in anger. Others were even spouting curses targeting Kyran¡ª or rather, Tyr''s family and ancestors.


    Most of the Courtenay Family members were also looking at Kyran as if he had gone mental. While others¡ª especially, their female members, all looked at him with amusement. To them, they did not mind an arrogant man when he could back his arrogance with action.


    On the other side, the Montgomeray Family still remained silent. But a man with flowing long dark violet hair crossed his arms as he piercingly gaze at Kyran. At least, that was how it seemed to others. Because of the mask, he was wearing, it was hard to confirm.


    However, no matter how much they shout their discontent, the subject of their anger ignored them and was only looking at the announcer with raised brows.


    "What did your boss say?" He asked.


    The announcer''s brow furrowed further, but he did not respond. Instead, he was silent while listening to his ''boss.''


    Finally, the announcer''s brows loosen as he looked and addressed them again, "The headmittee of the joint military exercise, believed that a solo challenge will not serve its real purpose in testing each participant''s capability."


    Hearing the announcer''s response, the Lumley Family all sneered at Kyran and relentlessly spout spiteful words for his impudence.


    But Kyran remained indifferent to their outburst and only looked at the announcer.


    "However."


    As Kyran expected, the announcer was not done.


    On the other hand, the announcer''s ''however'' immediately silenced the Lumley Family''s outburst.


    "Because the Three Noble Families participation here is not part of the joint military exercise, the headmittee deemed that changing the rules for the Solo Competition against the Three Noble Families is fine."


    Styx and the other mercenaries sneered, at the same time, this turn of events confirmed a few doubts they had regarding Tyr.


    President Can told them a brief exnation of Tyr''s promotion, which had something to do with facing and even winning against a Royal Army Brigadier General.


    The reasoning was lost to them, however.


    Why would the Mercenary Hall promote Tyr only to justify how a Royal Army Brigadier General lost to him?


    Now, after hearing how the ''headmittee'' agreed to Tyr''s suggestion so easily, while even giving a sound reason to back their decision, Styx and the others were now convinced that Tyr''s promotion was to ''protect'' him, instead of giving the Royal Army face for losing.


    This meant, the Royal Army valued Tyr and likely had its eyes on him.


    By making Tyr an elite member of the Mercenary Hall, even the Royal Army would not brazenly make a move on him.


    The reason Styx and the other three mercenaries thought of was actually correct, however, instead of the Royal Army, it was actually the Royal Family who had designs on Tyr. In any case, only the Conve High Council knew that the Royal Army and the Royal Family were now under one leadership, so this small mistake was reasonable.


    "As such, the first challenge will nowmence in 30 seconds. Participants, please get ready," the announcer finished and flew to the side.


    At the same time, the counter above changed and turned into 25:30, with the 30 decreasing every second.


    In the background, the members of the Lumley Family spectating thepetition continued to shout theirints. However, their unrelenting shouts had gone on deaf ears.


    The headmittee had spoken. And even if the announcer could sympathize with the Lumley Family, he had no say on the matter. Besides, unlike the non-participant members of the Lumley Family, the five participants including the elder, serving as their coach, remained indifferent.


    So the announcer chose to ignore their shouts.


    The opinions of the people directly involved in the match mattered more, after all.


    That was right.


    The Lumley Family''s participants remained indifferent to the change because they deemed it unimportant. What was important to them was to take revenge on what Tyr had done to their fellow members. The process did not matter.


    As a matter of fact, they would even feign defeat, if it meant all five of them could inflict ''unseen'' damage on Tyr!


    Truth be told, they felt indignant toward their fellow family members shouting their protest. Because their outburst felt as if they believed Tyr could single-handedly win against them!


    "You may use your magic and magic weapon to fight. However, usage of outside materials and pre-arranged Arrays are prohibited. The timer above will stop as soon it deemed one of the two sides unable to continue. This is also the fail safe that will ensure no one will suffer grave injuries."


    The announcer reminded them as the timer above fell to 25:10, telling them that there were only 10 seconds left before the match.


    Hearing the announcer''s reminder, Kyran sneered and said, "The rules are even tailored to look unfavorable to me, but the truth its the opposite."


    Illias''s brow furrowed at Kyran''s idle chat and replied, "Disciple Tyr, piece of advice. Don''t lump us with the white mages with Young Master Matias yesterday."


    Kyran raised his brows at him.


    With eyes narrowed Illias continued, "I, Illias, will prove that mages from the main branch are not weak¡ª."


    Before he finished what he was saying, the timer gave a loud DING! sound signaling the start of the match.


    The next moment, Kyran bent over and a wooden staff appeared in his right hand, light golden magic arrays circled the staff''s shaft.


    By the time Illias said the ''are not weak,'' Kyran swung the staff horizontally as it increased in length, aiming at Illias''s leg.


    "Tch!" Illias reacted as soon as he saw the iing staff. He jumped back, a three-meter radius red magic array appeared in front of him as he roused his magic.


    However, before Illias''s magic array couldplete processing the magic attack it was supposed to unleash, Kyran''s smile widen as he raised the wooden staff and directed it to pass through a point in Illias''s magic array.


    Several runes appeared on the wooden staff''s shaft which then flew out and forcefully integrated into Illias''s magic array.


    "Ngh!" Illias''s eyes widened as the red magic array in front of him turned into gold.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran raised his left hand and aimed at Illias, who appeared to be frozen in midair. With a slight smirk, Kyran said loud enough for the people within and near the arena to hear, "Burn."


    The magic array in front of Illias lit up, and red hot mes shot out from the center.


    "Aaaargh!" Illias let out a painful shriek as he was engulfed by the mes.


    He fell to the ground, rolling as he tried to take it out but to no avail.


    The Lumley Family''s participants stood from their seats and gaped in shock. Even their coach stood up. Though it was hard to tell his expression because of the mask he was wearing.


    All the members of the Lumley Family on the balcony who were jeering a second ago fell silent and gaped stupidly at the arena.


    To be precise, the whole arena had fallen silent with the exception of Illias''s undignified shrieks.


    Event Styx, Deo, Rake, and Tilda were gaping at Kyran''s back with open mouths.


    Kyran straightened and looked at the announcer who was also stupidly gaping at the shrieking Illias before looking at the slowly disappearing gold magic array that shot out the mes that took him down.


    "Err... referee, the timer''s stopped. This mean its my win, right?"


    Because of the silence, Kyran''s words were heard easily¡ª even with Illias''s screaming in the background."


    All of them snapped out of their shock and looked at the hovering timer above the arena.


    The timer above stopped at precisely 24:57. It seemed, that it deemed Illias as unable to continue and already stopped the match.


    ''T-Three seconds...''


    A cold sweat trickled down the announcer''s face as he pointed his right hand toward Kyran, "F-First challenge, Tyr of the Mercenary Hall wins."


    What greeted the announcer''s words was utter silence. Because as soon as Kyran was announced the winner, Illias was transported out of the arena with the mes wrapping him extinguished.


    "He cheated!"


    Aint from one of the participants of the Lumley Family broke the silence.


    "He had a pre-arranged array! That is a clear vition of the rules! He cheated!"


    The one who shouted was a young man in his early twenties. He had the same blonde hair as the rest of the Lumley main branch family and brown eyes.


    When the audience heard this, most of them also felt something strange.


    Most of the people watching heard of Tyr and his support type magic, Strengthening. The attack he did just now if it was not a pre-arranged array, how was he able to change his opponent''s magic array and even direct it against him?


    The Lumley Family erupted in anger from this realization.


    Kyran sighed. He looked at the audience and was about to say something when a very melodious gentle voice filled the whole hall.


    "What Disciple Tyr did is not a pre-arranged array," the voice said.


    Almost all of the audience stopped talking as if the mere sound of the person''s voice had the ability to influence them.


    "It''s his unique ability, isn''t that right, Disciple Tyr?"


    Kyran only smiled in response, while closing his eyes. He really did not like hearing this ''person''s voice.''


    "On the spot Array creation..."


    The voice trailed off dramatically, which gave a melodramatic effect when it was followed by gasps of surprise from the audience.


    Was there such an ability? No, even if there was, for it to fall in the hands of an Array prodigy was just... too unfair.


    The Lumley Family''s coach also fell silent. They had been told about Tyr''s abnormally fast Array creation, from Matias''s run-in with him yeterday¡ª when Tyr reconstructed his staff into a hammer. However, they all deemed it was a pre-arranged array where the speed of its formation was further amplified because he was in the cksmith Order.


    Who knew Tyr really possessed a rare ability?


    "Your staff contained the necessary materials you needed and used them to create array runes. Then you target points of Illias''s magic array to change it before reversing the magic attack''s target. After that, you used your Strengthening magic to ''strengthen'' the me attack''s power. Which is why, Illias failed to defend against it even with he had certain immunity to fire, being a fire mage."


    Kyran gave an exaggerated sigh and looked up pretending not to know where the person was. The truth, he knew exactly where the ''person was¡ª hiding among the Montgomeray Family.


    "Please, don''t expose my trick so early in the game. How am I suppose to outsmart my opponents now?"


    The person giggled at his words, "I don''t think letting them know will change anything. After all, you have a lot of tricks even I can''t predict."


    All the people inside the hall, including the mercenaries could not help but gaped at how ''friendly'' these two were talking to each other.


    "Where''s the fun when others can easily predict my moves?" Kyran replied, his ''aquamarine'' eyes glinted mischievously.


    The person giggled again and finally said, "Very well. Since this matter is now settled, continue with the match."


    The announcer immediately nodded and raised his hand.


    "T-Then, with the head of themittee validating the previous match''s results, we will now proceed to the next challenge," he said with a slightly trembling voice. The truth he had yet to recover from the initial shock of seeing a member of the Lumley Family main branch get owned in three seconds.


    The announcer looked at the Lumley Family and said, "Please send in your next participant."


    Before the coach could tell who would go next, the young man who imed Kyran had cheated, jumped to the arena.


    "vias!" The coach shouted.


    But the young man, vias alreadynded on the arena, immediately resetting the timer above to 25:30.


    "I''ll be your opponent next!" vias said, ring daggers at Kyran.

 Chapter 363 The Montgomeray Family

    The other match for the Solo Competition and Team Competition started on a good note.


    At the dome''s Function Hall 1, the first match in the Solo Competition between the Royal Army and the Montgomeray Family was underway.


    A burly man in his early thirties, against what appeared to be a child mage.


    Same as the members of the Montgomeray Family watching the Solo Competition at Function Hall 2, the child wore a mask, hiding his or her face. While they could not determine the child''s age and gender, they were sure the child was at least ten years old. Because the arena''s ''Array setting'' would not have allowed a mage below ten years old to enter.


    Although the arena''s settings were only known by the Courtenay Family and the Royal Family.


    But none of those really bothered the others because masks were something they associated with the Montgomeray Family since their Patriarch and even their Elder Council changed.


    That was right. The Montgomeray was not originally the main branch that was known along with the Courtenay and the Lumley. Originally, the Montgomeray was a ''servant'' family under the real member of the Three Noble Families, the Dinaeri Family.


    However, twelve or so years ago, the incident with the Crown Princess getting attacked by a Spirit forced the Dinaeri Family''s Patriarch and Elders into seclusion.


    The reason was obvious, the Dinaeri was known for being a Summoner with deep roots with the Spirits. When the Svelli Family fell, instead of getting the whole family implicated for being associated with the Spirits, the Dinaeri Patriarch and Elder Council took the fall alone.


    After half a year, a deration was made after the interim-Patriarch who was from the Montgomeray branch,pleted their negotiation with the Royal Family. In the deration, it was announced that the Royal Family agreed to the Dinaeri Patriarch''s proposal, in turn, to spare the rest of the Dinaeri family members.


    The proposal was to have the Montgomeray Family rece the Dinaeri Family.


    Four years after that deration, the Montgomeray finally started using their family instead of the Dinaeri. However, the members of the Montgomeray still saw the Dinaeri family members as the real ''face'' of the third member of the Three Noble Families. This was one of the reasons why they wore a mask to hide their faces.


    Anyway, the Montgomeray had been keeping a low profile ever since. But it was obvious that some of their members were from the Dinaeri. After all, some of them could summon Spirits.


    Just like the participant of the Montgomeray in the arena, right now.


    Behind the child, a Spirit that looked simr to a summoned Fire Golem stood with its hands spread out.


    In front of the child, the burly man wearing a red Royal Army uniform with three gold badges pinned on his vest, showing the man''s position as a Brigadier General, was on his knees with both his arms lifted. A light brown magic array was lit beneath him while a semi-translucent light brown magic barrier protected him from the five-meter radius fireball overhead.


    "Ngrgh!" The burly man groaned as his arms lowered as the oversized fireball inched down on his barrier.


    Crackle!


    Cracks began to appear on the barrier''s surface as the fireball''s overwhelming heat.


    The Fire Golem behind the child slowly brought its huge hands together. As it did, the fireball above the burly man shrank in size.


    But the more it shrank, the heat it emitted intensified, further increasing the cracks on the burly man''s barrier.


    "Sir old man," the child suddenly spoke.


    The child''s voice was a bit high-pitched. But it had a slight deep note, that could mean the child was a male. Most likely, he was around eleven or twelve. After a could of years or so, his voice would start to deepen.


    "Please don''t be stubborn and admit defeat," the boy continued, with an almost monotonous tone. "You see, Ignis is still a baby and could hardly control his fire. He''ll soon lose control over that fireball and you''re barrier will be destroyed."


    The boy sighed, "I don''t have to tell you what will happen after that, right. Sir old man."


    The burly man looked at the boy and gritted his teeth.


    Spirit mages were rare and were very special. Because their magic strength depended on the Spirit they were contracted with.


    At the moment the boy could only summon one Spirit, but if he became a High Master, he would be able to summon more. But even so, with only one summoned Spirit, the boy could already suppress a Master mage.


    A feat that was impossible for someone at such a young age.


    ''First that Disciple Tyr, who only turned twenty defeated Rhys. Now, this boy....'' The burly man could not help but think helplessly.


    It appeared the new generation was far stronger than the older generation.


    Whether it was good or not, the burly man was unsure.


    "It is fine now."


    A slim man in a red Royal Army uniform, with four gold badges on his vest, proof of his position as a Major General, spoke from the Royal Army''s side.


    "We admit defeat," the man added while turning to look at the announcer at the adjacent side.


    The announcer in the hall was a woman.


    The announcer nodded her head and raised her hand toward the boy.<sub> </sub>


    "First match of the Solo Competition between the Royal Family and the Montgomeray Family, the Montgomeray Family wins," she announced.


    The timer overhead stopped at 23:47.


    The Courtenay and Lumley Families were shocked. From the start of the match, it only took one minute and thirteen seconds for the Montgomeray participant to defeat his opponent.


    "Ignis," the boy turned to look at the Fire Golem, Ignis.


    Almost at once, the huge fireball''s energy scattered when Ignis lowered its hand.


    The burly man fell on all fours as he panted. He could still feel the heat of the Fire Golem''s fireball. His magic was Earth, which should have a certain anti-fire effect. Unfortunately, he still failed to defend against it.


    With a wry smile, the burly man looked at the boy and said, "Young boy, what is your name."


    The boy who was about to leave the arena stopped in his tracks as he looked back at the burly man.


    "Lev, sir old man," the boy replied.


    Without waiting for the burly man to say anything, Lev turned and left the arena and the Fire Golem turned into a fiery haze which soon vanished in thin air.


    "Lev... such a young age, and already a Master mage," the burly man muttered under his breath as he stood up and also left the arena.


    As the announcer watched the participants from each side leave the arena, themunication device she was wearing on her ear blinked a few times. Because half of her face was covered by a mask, no one noticed how it grew wide for a few seconds, before turning back to its normal size with a hint of awe reflected on them.


    "For the second match," she began. Then she looked at the leader of the Royal Army which was the man who admitted defeat on behalf of the burly man, before turning to look at the Montgomeray''s leader, a woman with long wavy dark-violet hair and was the only one sitting on the bench.


    "I have received a word from the Head Committee that the Solo Competition held at Function Hall 2 between the Conve and the Lumley Family had some few changes to the rules. Would the two participants like to hear the change and also adapt to the change?"


    The leaders from both sides looked at each other, seemingly awaiting what the other side would answer. In the end, because the Royal Family''s leader was unable to read the Montgomeray''s leader''s expression behind her mask, he decided to answer, "Tell us the new rule and we''ll decide from there."


    The announcer nodded and replied, with unconcealed nervousness, "V-Very well..."


    As soon as the announcer told them the new rule the Conve and the Lumley adapted, everyone in the Function Hall 1, fell into an awkward silence.


    "A-As such... the headmittee decided to agree on this change between the remaining matches between the Conve and the remaining Three Noble Families. The Royal Army can also adapt to it, unless they prefer to continue with the original rules."


    "Who among the Conve proposed it? And what is the oue of the first match between the Conve and the Lumley Family?"


    The one who asked the question was surprisingly the Montgomeray Family''s leader.


    "I-I''m sorry. The headmittee prohibited us from saying the name of who proposed the change of rule. As for the results of t-the Solo Competition at Function Hall 2..." the announcer gulped nervously before answering, "The five matches has already concluded thirty-three seconds ago. The oue is... five to zero, in favor of the Conve."


    Another awkward silence fell in the room.


    After a short pause, the whole room burst into a frenzy, with most of the audience trying to contact who they knew were present in Function Hall 2 to confirm the results.


    On the other hand, the Royal Army and the Montgomeray participants remained silent.


    "What is your decision?" The announcer asked the leaders after noticing both seemed to be lost in thought.


    "We will continue with the original rules," the Montgomeray leader answered at once.


    The Royal Army leader also nodded, "I agree."


    Then he looked behind him as a woman in a simr red Royal Army uniform nodded and went to the arena.


    Simrly, a young woman with short wavy dark violet hair from the Montgomeray side also went to the arena.


    "It''s him..." Lev murmured, for once his monotonous voice seemed to appear ''happy'' as he sat beside their leader.


    "Yes," the woman replied, with a simrly ''happy'' tone.


    "Sister Zuri," Lev addressed their leader. "Can I change to team two?"


    The other members of the Montgomeray Family team one also looked at Zuri. It seemed, they also wanted to request the same.


    "There is no rush," Zuri replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Eventually, we will all stand before him."


    She paused for a few seconds, before adding in a low voice, "After all... he is the son of the Spirit Child."

 Chapter 364 A Threat Or…?

    The information of what happened during the Solo Competition in Function Hall 2 spread like wildfire to the other factions.


    In particr, the Lumley Family seethed in anger for having their team two wiped out by a single mage. Their anger increased by the fact that the said mage was the very person they wanted to teach a lesson, Disciple Tyr.


    The Courtenay Family who had a neutral stand at first, being the one hosting the whole event under direct supervision of the Royal Family, was also rattled.


    Patriarch Ernst gave strict orders to stay clear off Discple Tyr because he knew the Royal Family had their eyes on him. But, given how he single-handedly defeated five of the Lumley Family''s top talents, their pride as one of the Three Noble Families were threatened.


    Tyr was amoner. For him to defeat mages from a noble family''s main branch was disgraceful. At the same time, it was something that the other members of the Three Noble Families could ignore.


    If the Lumley Family was defeated by the Conve as a team, then their lost could be justified as their members''ck of information against their opponent. But they were defeated by Tyr, a mage who their young master Matias and even Tobias recently encountered. They could not justify their lost as being unprepared.


    Aside from this, their members'' were all defeated in less than 5 seconds!


    Truth be told, the only reason it took Tyr a minute to defeat the five Lumley members were because his second match started 30 secondster. The third match, would have taken another 30 seconds to start if not for the Lumley family''s coach suggesting to remove the 30 seconds countdown before the start of the match.


    Initially, the coach thought the 30 seconds was too long, giving Tyr ample time to rest and recover his magic energy before the next match. Unfortunately, even if the 30 seconds were removed, Tyr still defeated the rest in less than 5 seconds.


    Calcting the total time Tyr defeated the five members of the Lumley Family, it was only 17 seconds.


    Patriarch Ernst had to rethink his order. If not, the Lumley Family might think they were favoring Tyr. At the moment, the Ernst was convinced that they were the only noble family who knew the Royal Family''s real motive. The Lumley Family might have gathered some clues from how the Emperor revealed himself back at the cksmith Order, but his appearance also appeared as a way to ''save'' members of the Three Noble Families from further ''embarrassing'' themselves.


    In any case, Patriarch Ernst knew they could not stay neutral. Unfortunately, he was still a little hesitant to make a decision because so far, the Montgomeray Patriarch had not done anything.


    Because the Team Competition between the Conve and the Montgomeray Family in Function Hall 4 that happened at the same time with the Solo Competition, ended in a draw. There were no changes in the rules as well and the matchsted for almost forty-eight minutes. A clear sign that there was a bnce between the two sides because the Team Competition''s time limit was set to an hour.


    For the record, the Team Competition between the Courtenay Family and the Royal Family also ended in a draw, with the match ending because of the time limit.


    In the end, Patriarch Ernst could only tell the members of the Courtenay who would participate in tomorrow''s Alchemy to stay on guard. Tyr might not be listed as a participant but the names the Alchemist Association submitted were unfamiliar.


    There was even one Alchemist whom they believed was a newbie. Because among the unfamiliar names, it was the only name that they failed to find any information.


    An Alchemist named Len.


    They also took note of two names they failed to find information from another events. One participant named Aki participating in the Material Gathering and another named Neo, in Beast Hunt. While the Three Noble Families would not participate in these two events, finding new names among the Conve''s talents would pique their interest.


    Nevertheless, the first day of the event ended with a hanging tension from what Tyr had done.


    The second day marked as the real start of the joint military exercise between the Royal Army and the Conve.


    In the morning, the Royal Army and the Conve participants for the Material Gathering event gathered at the east terrain of the Courtenay Land, the Forest.


    There were five participants on each side for this event and a list of materials scattered in the forest was given for them to collect. The event was set to have a time limit of six hours.


    The Conve assigned the Chamber of Commerce to provide their people, with the exception of one named Aki that came from the Conve''s own ranks.


    Among the five participants of the Conve, only Aki and a man named Feldon, was the only ones who could use magic. But that was alright, after all, Material Gathering''s purpose was to test the knowledge of each side.


    However, the Courtenay Family still released a few small to medium-sized forest beasts to serve as an obstacle for both sides while also testing their teamwork.


    Five seven-floor high open towers were built at the border of the Forest.


    Each towers were upied by the five sides; from the one at the farthest right were as follows: Lumley, Courtenay, Royal Army, Conve, Montgomeray.


    Hovering in front of the towers, were translucent sphere-shaped projections showing different views of the forest.


    In the tower upied by the Conve, Vaness and Can were the only Conve council members.


    Malia and Noir were not there because they were asked by the Courtenay representative, together with Ingrid and Imman from the Royal Army to check all materials that would be used in the Alchemy and Array Creationpetition in the afternoon.


    The rest of the mercenaries were there since they did not have an event today. As they took their ce behind the two council members, their eyes were also drawn to another person standing between them.


    If yesterday morning, they still feel a little reserved around this person, after the events of the Solo Competition yesterday, their feelings of reservation were reced by a mixture of apprehension and wonderment.


    The object of their mixed feelings was none other than Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    This was especially true with the four mercenaries who participated- err, was part of the Solo Competition.


    It was their first time seeing a mage fight utilizing Array Creation and they realized how formidable it was. Of course, it was only possible because of Tyr''s unique ability.


    But those were not the reason they were looking at Kyran, right now. It was because they were wondering why this guy looked at ease standing in between the Conve council members!


    Not to mention, the three seemed to be engaged in a serious discussion.


    No, wait. Kyran would participate in an event in the afternoon. Was he not supposed to be resting since he just fought five matches yesterday?


    ...


    Fine, so it was an easy win and he did not break even a tiny sweat, but still¡­ Array Creation required more than spending a lot of materials and magic energy. It involved problem solving.


    Should he not take this time to condition his mind?


    While the mercenaries were pondering this, Can, Vaness and Kyran continued their discussion in low voice.


    "We have avoided exhausting our members yesterday thanks to your help. But the number of people from the Three Noble Families who had to go to the infirmary numbered to thirteen, including the five people from the Lumley Family you defeated and a couple from the Royal Army," Can was saying. "I understand you alreadyid out a countermeasure to prevent these people from being affected by... her magic. But won''t they suspect you in the process?"


    Can''s worry was justified.


    Kyran had made himself the eye of the storm, if the Crown Princess ended up failing to control people he defeated, she or the Emperor would definitely find something strange.


    "Hm," Vaness also nodded in agreement. "The same goes with the Team Competition. Our people are the only ones who did not have to go to the infirmary."


    "No, we''re not. There''s also the Montgomeray Family," Kyran told them feeling a little uneasy.


    Yesterday, after the Solo Competition, he had been feeling ufortable. As if someone, or something was looking at his every move. Of course, if it was a detection magic or even a magic sense trying to pry information by inspecting his physical body, his Void magic energy would definitely protect him.


    But it was not the case. It was as if, an unseen presence was keeping a close watch on him.


    Kyran was not entirely bothered by it, but only felt ufortable.


    Anyone in their right minds would have felt the same way when you constantly sense eyes looking at you.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was positive it was not the Royal Family or the higher-ups from the Royal Army. It was also not the Lumley Family or the Courtenay Family.


    That left him with the Montgomeray Family.


    There was also the matter of why the Crown Princess was hiding amidst them during the Solo Competition.


    The Montgomeray Family was definitely not under the Royal Family''s control yet. That much, Kyran was sure of. But that did not mean they were not working with them.


    Anyway, he nned to keep a close eye on them on tomorrow''s Solo Competition. He nned to check on them during the Team Competition but the match had already started when he arrived at Function Hall 4 and also failed to ''watch'' using his magic sense.


    Because of the feeling of being watched, Kyran had refrained using his magic sense, in case whoever or whatever it was watching him could some clues about his Void magic.


    ''No, I''m not worried about them sensing my Void magic, because of the Shaiha. What I''m worried about is the Shaiha itself,'' Kyran thought and sighed inwardly.


    If not for this joint military exercise, he would be busy studying the Shaiha while slowly transitioning into ''Nar.''


    "Right," Vaness agreed. He did know the Montgomeray did not suffer much in yesterday''s Team Competition. Both sides ended up in a tie, but that was the decision of the announcer because by then they were only wasting their magic energies while being in equal footing.


    "The Montgomeray Family is a strange one instead of being a real mysterious family. We have information on their members but as far as we can tell, most of their members are Dinaeri hiding behind those masks."


    "Dinaeri¡­" Kyran frowned slightly as he muttered the name.


    After a few seconds of silence, a sh of inspiration crossed his mind when he remembered something.


    "That''s right, the Dinaeri Family are Summoners!"

 Chapter 365 What The Montgomeray Patriarch Said

    As Kyran recalled this small but probably very important detail, his expression turned grim.


    When he guessed that his predecessor might have been married to the Queen of the Faes, he felt reluctant to meet her, even when he initially asked Ste if it was possible.


    He was not ready to meet his predecessor''s possible old me, especially when those people who knew his predecessor seemed to see them as one person¡ª so far, that had been the case with the other Sovereigns and not a Ste-only case.


    However, even if Kyran felt this way, he knew he would have to meet her. That had been Ss''s task: make contact with the leaders of the Spirits. Eventually, Kyran would have to meet their Queen.


    With an inward sigh, he decided to deal with it when the timees and not dwell on it now. Because after the Montgomeray''s connection with the Spirits was added to the equation, Kyran now had a rough idea why the Crown Princess was with them during the Solo Competition.


    Being a Royal Family, meant the Crown Princess knew the real story behind his predecessor¡ª including his death.


    Putting himself at the Royal Family''s feet, he would also keep a close eye on those who had a tight rtionship with Spirits who saw the ''Dark Sage'' as their savior.


    The fact that the Crown Princess was not with the people from the Montgomeray watching the Material Gathering did not mean they were not being watched. Besides, two of the Royal Army Deputy Marshals were present.


    In any case, Kyran wondered if the Spirits had a way of confirming his real identity. He might possess the Shaiha, but because he had yet to understand what it could really do and hide, there was no saying that the Spirits had no way of bypassing the Shaiha''s concealment.


    ''I''m sure Lumi already sent news to the Spirits about me,'' Kyran thought. He paused for a second after recalling something and shook his head, ''No. They already know about me even before I was born. So even if Lumi say nothing, they already know me, but...''


    He turned his head slightly to his left and was taken aback when he caught a man with long dark-violet hair seemingly looking in his direction.


    Before Kyran could decide whether the man was really looking at him or not, the man nodded his head slightly as if in greeting.


    To show Kyran thought nothing of it, he returned the greeting and also nodded, before looking away.


    This exchange was witnessed by Can and Vaness.


    Even the mercenaries behind who were observing the three since their arrival saw it and could not help but look furtively in the Montgomeray''s direction.


    Dante, who was one of the mercenaries who fought them yesterday frowned slightly. The truth, among the Three Noble Families, he did not want to face the Montgomeray Family. After all, he was still part of the Mavin Family who were connected to Spirits. Their family was a small one and since he was only a branch family and did not inherit any fae blood, he could not summon or see Spirits. In the end, he chose to be a mercenary and not burden his family for being ''useless.''


    Anyway, that was the only reason why he did not like to face the Montgomeray. It was not because he harbored any ill intentions.


    Seeing the exchange between Kyran and one of the Montgomeray members, who appeared to be one of their leaders, Dante suddenly recalled how one of their members had asked if he was close to Tyr, after the match.


    Dante did not reply but only look at the member.


    When he returned to the locker room with the rest of the mercenaries, Ghid, anky man wearing tight-fitting overalls underneath the uniform coat President gave them, asked why Dante looked at the Montgomeray member earlier.


    It was only then that Dante realized that particr member did not speak to him directly, but likely, telepathically. If it was true, then what was that person''s real magic level? And why was he interested in Tyr?


    Dante immediately ridiculed himself after thinking about the second question. After all the things Tyr had done this past week or so, it was almost hard to find someone who was not interested in him.


    Nevertheless, Dante felt there was more to why the Montgomeray was interested in Tyr. As a mercenary with at least eight years of experience under his belt, he was positive about this.


    And seeing how the leader of the Montgomeray still kept on looking at Tyr, even after thetter turned away was proof.


    Dante took a slow deep breath and resolved to tell Tyr about it. He did not think much of it yesterday and did not seek him out, but now, he had an inkling something was brewing.


    Apart from this, the Conve would be facing the Montgomeray Family in the Solo Competition tomorrow. There was no harm in advising his team member to be on guard.<sub> </sub>


    "They are," Can said after a somewhat long pause after Kyran''s short realization about the Dinaeri Family.


    "Is there anything wrong about that?"


    "Nothing," Kyran replied looking at him with a wry smile. "I just found it stupid of me to forget about that."


    "If I remember correctly," Vaness chimed in. "Your mother used to be a Summoner."


    Kyran nodded and looked at him, "Yes. Although, I am not sure if I inherited her ability to see Spirits. Because as far as I remember, Lumi is the only Spirit I have ever seen, and she was not even trying to hide her presence that time."


    Vaness furrowed his brows in contemtion and said, "I met the Montgomeray Patriarch once¡ª if I remember it correctly, it was two years ago. That time they had requested a number of rare materials and I suggested asking the Mercenary Hall''s assistance in securing some of them."


    ? He looked at Can as if to confirm what he said.


    Can raised his brows, his expression lit up as he recalled that time, "Ah, yes. I remembered that. Because most materials needed a group with at least a High Master mage, I had to ask Chairman Hugh''s opinion on the matter. In the end, he went to the Chamber of Commerce and the three of you negotiated."


    Vaness nodded, "The truth, he asked Chairman Hugh something strange at that time. We both did not think much of it, because as far as we are concerned, it was only idle chat. But I''ll let you decide whether it really is just that. "


    He looked at Kyran before continuing, "The Montgomeray Patriarch asked us if there are others who had the same requests as he did. If yes, he wanted the same group that collected the materials to be the ones to collect it again."


    Kyran did not need Vaness to exin the rest. With just his words, he already saw the things Vaness did not say.


    The group who looked for those materials was likely from his n. From what Ste had told Kyran, and based on what Celine had first exined about the rtionship between the Conve and the Regis was; when a request for materials was impossible for a mercenary to aplish, they would ask the Regis n''s help.


    If this was happened, there were probably instances where the client would request to speak with the people who the Mercenary Hall assigned their request.


    Did that mean the Montgomeray Family was trying to establish contact with the Regis n? If yes, then why?


    No, it was not necessary that the Montgomeray was talking about the Regis. After all, no one was aware of the rtionship between the Conve and the Regis n.


    In any case, what the Montgomeray Patriarch asked might only be idle chat and they "might be reading too much into it.


    ''But there may be something,'' Kyran thought. There was no harm in investigating the matter.


    "Thank you for telling me," he told Vaness before looking at the projection in front of them. "I''ll keep that in mind for now. In any case, I only have spection of their status from all this. I don''t want to jump to any conclusions without looking through it."


    "Of course," Vaness agreed. "That is for the best."


    The two also looked at the projection.


    "Anyway, this event will take some time toplete. Are you sure it is alright for you to stay?" Vaness asked. He also knew Kyran had to participate in Array Creationter.


    Kyran might be gifted, but he did say he was not omnipotent and that he still gets exhausted. With all the thinking and preparation he had done to help the Conve since the day before yesterday, he was worried he had overworked himself already.


    "Yes, I am fine. I have rested enough. Besides, I want to keep an eye on... you know. Just in case," Kyran replied with a bitter smile.


    Vaness and Can chuckled. Both knowing perfectly well who or ''what'' he meant.

 Chapter 366 The Visitor (1)

    Before the Material Gathering event began, there was amotion at the Royal Army''s tower.


    A trumpet sounded, and then a loud voice reverberated, saying, "Salute, the Ylfaen Empire''s Emperor and Empress, have arrived."


    Upon hearing the announcement, Kyran and the rest turned toward the Royal Army''s tower.


    The rest of the people in every tower did the same.


    A tform was built at the tower''s center, where two high chairs were ced.


    Kyran watched as the Emperor, wearing a red royal robe, assisted a woman who appeared to be wearing a simrly red royal robe. The woman had a dark shade of brown hairpared to the Emperor, and from a distance, one could not fully determine the color of her eyes, but Kyran could tell her eyes were not blue.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as a thought surfaced in his mind. It was a random thought he once had when he was on a ne named Alveah whilepleting training. At that time, his training''s purpose was all about Rune application, and that ne had a vast number of records on different Runenguages and applications.


    As always, with every ne he went to, he got mixed up with that ne''s problem.


    At that time, Alveah was under a political struggle between three powerful kingdoms: Cervil, Lumra, and Trillum. Each of them was trying to im an ancient ruin their archeologists found at the borders of each of their territories. Unfortunately, it was hard to determine who owned it because the ruins'' location was equally divided among these kingdoms.


    The leader of the Lumra Kingdom was a woman who was said to have killed her blood rtive to get the throne. She was made out to be a ruthless ruler; however, when Kyran met her in person, he found her to be a very reasonable and even intelligent leader.


    The Lumra''s current leader''s contradicting persona piqued Kyran''s interest, and he investigated the truth behind her so-called ruthlessness.


    As it turned out, the Lumra Kingdom''s previous First Princess was a promiscuous woman who changed hand maids frequently because they ''disappear'' too often.


    However, when one handmaid who was reported to have been missing appeared suddenly while looking disheveled and almost half-dead, the truth about the disappearance of the handmaid was revealed.


    The handmaids were actually tortured and were drained of their blood which the First Princess would ''drink'' to ensure she remained vibrant and youthful.


    Most of the kingdom''s citizens were left aghast by the truth, and a revolution followed.


    One after another, the truth about the Lumra Kingdom''s Royal Family came to light. It was also found that the First Princess was actually a twin. But because the King feared having two princesses would result in an internal conflict when the time to choose the next ruler, he disposed of the younger twin.


    But during the revolution, it was revealed that the twin sister was still alive.


    The people who initiated the revolution managed to find her and even convinced her to overthrow the whole Royal Family.


    To make the story short, the unwanted twin led the revolution and won, bing the new ruler of the Lumra Kingdom.


    After discovering this story, Kyran recalled how Nn said that Cyneah looked so much like the Crown Princess.


    Then, he began to wonder if Cyneah was like the Lumra Kingdom''s new ruler: an unwanted ''daughter'' of the Royal Family that might cause internal conflict within them.


    Kyran dismissed the thought at once since he had not yet met the Crown Princess and only had Nn''s words¡ª which usually could not be trusted, to rely on.


    Looking at the Empress with the Emperor, Kyran remembered how Cyneah always mentioned her mother but never a father.


    Kyran knew the Empress was not the Crown Princess''s maternal mother and that the previous Empress died after ensuring the Crown Princess recovered from the curse inflicted on her by the Spirit that attacked her.


    But after meeting Cyneah and remembering the story of the Lumra Kingdom''s new ruler, questions began to swirl around Kyran''s head.


    What if the previous Empress never died? What if¡­ the Crown Princess, or at least Haylee, was not the one who received the curse? What if it had been Cyneah all along, and the Empress left to find a cure for her? No, what if the Emperor himself tried to dispose of Cyneah? Since a ''damaged'' princess was not needed, and the previous Empress did not like it? Thus, they were ''disposed of'' together?


    "Someone took her eyes¡­. Each great magic corresponds to a human body part¡­ Soul corresponds to the eyes. If someone took her eyes, it meant someone took her magic."


    Zephyr''s words surfaced in Kyran''s mind, and he could not help but wonder whether the Spirit''s curse had something to do with ''taking her eyes.''<sub> </sub>


    Kyran immediately pushed all these questions to the back of his mind as a terrible headache threatened to ovee his senses.


    He did not have the time to think about this at the moment but knew he would eventually need to find the answers because his intuitions were telling him that he was onto something. And that something might even help him improve his chances of overthrowing the Royal Family.


    Kyran closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.


    He initially did not want to overthrow the Royal Family because his only target had been the Royal Army.


    But after returning and finding out a lot had changed in the Ylfaen Empire after only being away for one week in real-time, he had to shift his target to the Royal Family.


    Doing so would mean overthrowing them.


    Ss and Gage thought Kyran''s n was ambitious when they first heard of it, and at that time, he was only targeting the Royal Army. He wondered what the two of them would think if they found out their target was now the Royal Family.


    "The Material Gathering willmence in fifteen minutes."


    A male announcer from the Courtenay Family announced, snapping Kyran out of his reverie.


    He opened his eyes and looked at the projection but stopped short when a soft, gentle voice spoke in his head.


    [Won''t you join us for a tea after your event in the afternoon?]


    Kyran''s brown furrowed. He was unfamiliar with the voice speaking in his head but had an idea of who it belonged to.


    His eyes drifted to the right, and as expected, the Empress was looking at him with a gentle smile.


    [Don''t worry. I only want to talk to you in person. My husband and daughter talked a lot about you, and I became interested in meeting you.]


    Kyran had the urge to tell her off but refrained from doing so. After all, his mage level was supposed to be only at the ''Master'' level, and telepathy was something he was not supposed to know.


    Besides, even if the Empress appeared to be asking his permission to join her, he had a feeling he was not allowed to refuse.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran slightly nodded in confirmation.


    There was no harm in talking to her.


    No, actually, this might be a trap, but Kyran had been expecting something like this to happen. Albeit, he had thought it would be the Emperor or the Crown Princess who would ask him.


    The Empress smiled; the corner of her eyes creased slightly, giving her a more amiable appearance, like a loving mother smiling at her child.


    Kyran looked away at once, trying his best not to show how much his emotions were suddenly stirred by that smile. He did not want to admit it, but the Empress''s smile made him remember his mother.


    ''If this is a trap, it''s working,'' Kyran thought with a wry smile.


    While others did not notice the exchange between Kyran and the Empress, some people did.


    One was Euan, but as Iulia''s husband, he already knew her intentions of asking Kyran for tea and did not oppose it. Having her talk to Kyran might help change thetter''s perspective on working with the Royal Family.


    Another person was the Lumley Family''s coach with the five members who fought Kyran yesterday. Because he was wearing a mask, it was unknown what he was thinking. But it was definitely not a good one, knowing Kyran''s current rtionship with their family.


    The next person who noticed the exchange was from the Courtenay Family. A young woman who seemed to have her eyes glued on Kyran wherever he went, Millie. Her expression turned dark, but it was only for a split second that none of the Courtenay Family members with her saw it. But that look, Kyran would have recognized if he had seen it. It was the same look she gave him back in military school when she coldly called him a traitor and that he should just drop dead.


    Finally, thest person who saw this was the same person with whom Kyran had exchanged a greeting earlier; the long-haired man in the Montgomeray Family. Under the man''s mask, his dark violet eyes glinted.

 Chapter 367 The Visitor (2)

    The rules of the Material Gathering event were simple enough that no one expects to find any noteworthy incident.


    The participants would encounter some small to medium-sized forest beasts the Courtenay Family released, that was for sure, but those beasts were amon type of forest beast that even a group of average humans could handle on their own.


    And yet...


    For those encounters, an unknown mage caught the attention of most top brass watching the event from the towers.


    It was especially true with the people in the Royal Army''s tower.


    Even Emperor Euan showed interest in that mage.


    A mage named Aki, from the Conve.


    It was easy to draw attention by performing well. In events such as this, one could do well by how fast the materials were gathered while retaining their quality. A person''s dismantling and collecting skills yed arge role in this.


    So one would assume that in this event, the participant to showcase extraordinary skills in these two would definitely shine.


    Thus, it came as a surprise that the one taking the spotlight was not a person who excel in these two skills but how one could find materials hidden in the most dangerous and even obscure ces.


    That was how Aki caught the attention of most top brass in the audience.


    Apart from this, he was able to detect the location of each forest beast near the materials and avoid them without rming them.


    As it turned out, the Royal Army had to deal with the forest beasts they encountered and even had to abandon some materials that got damaged during the skirmish. On the other hand, the Conve lured the forest beasts away from the materials thanks to Aki''s urate detection,pletely avoiding a fight against the forest beasts.


    The Material Gathering was focused on herbs, misceneous items, and stones, after all, beast parts were not included, thus, it was unnecessary to engage the beasts.


    If this was the Beast Hunt event then fighting and even collecting their parts was important.


    Can and Vaness kept an indifferent expression, concealing the shock they felt from the performance of Kyran''s puppet. They also maintained such an expression to ensure those leaders giving them furtive nces would not notice anything strange.


    Aki was supposed to be a talent directly from the Conve. Can and Vaness should have a good grasp of what they could do. If both of them had a shocked expression from seeing Aki''s performance, those leaders would definitely think something was wrong.


    While everyonemended how the Conve continue to collect the materials without any problem, the Royal Army already received the first casualty. It was not life-threatening, though. But their pace was affected to ensure his injuries would not be aggravated further.


    This turn of events made the eyes of both Ingrid and Imman narrow.


    It seemed, that the Conve had hidden talents even among their reserve members.


    Euan also watched in great interest. However, from his expression, it was still hard for anyone to really guess what was going on in his head.


    Kyran, on the other hand, was looking at his creation with a slight frown. He initially programmed all his puppets to be sensitive to beast energy, to avoid needless encounters with them. Because if they ended up facing a beast they could not win and end up in shambles, then their real identity would be revealed. After all, instead of flesh and blood, they had mechanical parts and even liquified spirit stones.


    But this particr program seemed to draw too much attention.


    If Len and Neo also showed skills simr to Aki, then these oldies from the other factions would think the Conve might be ''nurturing'' a group of mages with simr skills. As for their reasons... well, who knew what kind of twisted ideas the other factions woulde up with to make the Conve seem like they were up to something.


    ''I''ll have to adjust Len and Neo''s programs,'' Kyran thought, sighing inwardly.


    Len should be safe since she would be participating in Alchemy.


    Neo was the one Kyran had to make further adjustments because he would participate in the Beast Hunt.


    The Material Gathering was set to have a six-hour time limit.


    But four hours and a halfter, the Conve alreadypleted their list and thus, the event ended early.


    Of course, the Royal Army could still continue, because the event was not made to only judge how fast one grouppleted their list but also the quality of their collected materials. But because the Royal Army already had three casualties by then, they already admitted defeat.


    Thus, the status of the official joint military exercise was one to zero, in favor of the Conve.


    With a couple more hours to spare before the next events that the Three Noble Families would also participate in, the Courtenay Family decided to open the dome''s Center Hall and have lunch served there instead of delivering it to each of their rooms.


    Empress Iulia had another idea though.


    As soon as Kyran made his way back to the dome alone¡ª since Can and Vaness had to meet with the Material Gathering members¡ª, Iulia sent him another telepathic message to move their ''tea'' early.


    Kyran did not refute.


    So, a Royal Family messenger appeared before Kyran and led him to the room where the Empress was staying.


    The room where Iulia was staying was on the same side of the dome where Noir and the rest of the Conve council members were staying.


    However, being the Empress of the Ylfaen Empire, her room was more spacious and even had a better view of the Courtenay Land''s surroundings.


    The Royal Family messenger lowered her head and left, the moment she fulfilled her task of taking Kyran to Iulia''s room.


    Iulia was seated on a carved gold and white long sofa on the balcony just outside the living room. Small single chairs, simrly carved like the sofa, were ced on each side, and a matching tea table was in the middle.


    Without looking at Kyran, Iulia spoke, "Don''t worry, it is only me and you in this room at this moment."


    Kyran gave a wry smile while he looked at Iulia''s profile.


    Iulia finally lifted her head and looked at Kyran, with a gentle smile.


    "I have a feeling you don''t like meeting my husband and my daughter, based from the stories I heard from them," she added with a soft chuckle.


    "I don''t like meeting royalties in general," Kyran replied, refusing to act differently in front of her. "The same goes with you."


    For all Kyran knew, this woman would be plotting something against him.


    After all, Iulia was still the Empress of the Ylfaen Empire, a member of the Royal Family.


    Apparently not taking offence from Kyran''s words, Iulia nodded in understanding, "Most people have the wrong impression that one has to act respectfully in front of the Royal Family.


    "I suppose, how the previous Royal Family ruled greatly affected the mindset of the people."


    Iulia looked him in the eye and smiled apologetically, "I only have my words as proof of my sincerity, which I know cannot be trusted given I am part of the Royal Family. However, I do hope you will keep an open mind, while we speak."


    Kyran raised his brows at her words but did not say anything.


    From the information the Conve had about the Empress, she came from an old noble family. But their power had declined for more than a hundred years and they were rarely ever mentioned.


    What was interesting about Iulia was that, apparently, she was Emperor Euan''s first love and wanted as the Empress. But the previous Emperor did not approve of it because she did not possess the Winfrey bloodline, who were the real rulers of the empire.<sub> </sub>


    In any case, Euan married the Crown Princess from the Winfrey bloodline and Iulia''s name was forgotten.


    It was not until the death of the first Empress that Iulia''s name resurfaced and the first couple of years had been a struggle for her because some noble families were convinced the first Empress''s death was nned by Euan to make Iulia his Empress.


    The Mercenary Hall also received a ''secret mission'' to reveal the truth.


    In the end, no foul y was found during their investigation and slowly but surely, the people epted Iulia as the new Empress.


    "That will depend on the topic you want to talk about," Kyran replied with an indifferent expression.


    Iulia smiled, "Of course. Please, Disciple Tyr, have a seat. I hope you don''t find my greeting you while seated, rude."


    "Don''t worry. You''re expecting, that much I understand," Kyran replied and did not stand on ceremony and took a seat on the single chair on Iulia''s right. "I get that its tiring to stand with that big baggage right there."


    He added while looking at Iulia''s bump.


    Iulia chuckled at his words, "Baggage, huh. Are you not fond of kids, Disciple Tyr?"


    Kyran''s face distorted at the question.


    How was he supposed to answer that?


    Seeing Kyran''s expression, Iulia chuckled, "Looking at your expression, it seems I have asked something you are ufortable with. I am sorry."


    Kyran looked at Iulia, his eyes glinted uneasily.


    He could not read her.


    No.


    Rather than read, he should use the word ''sense.''


    There was no ill-intent whatsoevering from Iulia that it made Kyran even more wary of her.


    It was simply impossible for a person not to emit anything. Even if Iulia did not have any ill-intent, she should at least appear guarded.


    But just as Iulia said, it was only her and Kyran in the room. There was not even any array in ce to protect her, or any hidden Royal Guard.


    While Kyran pondered this, Iulia''s expression turned sober and chose this time to open the topic she wanted them to talk about.


    "Disciple Tyr, I know you find my daughter and my husband''s way of doing thins strange and full of... malice, I suppose. However, I hope you keep an open mind when I tell you their reasons."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at once.


    He nned to infiltrate the Royal Family because he wanted to investigate what the Emperor and the Crown Princess was nning to his n, but it seemed, he might get a chance to hear it from the Empress today!


    When Kyran did not respond, Iulia took it as an acknowledgement and continued, "Are you aware of the tyranny of the previous Emperor?"


    The sudden question left Kyran reeling. He was expecting for an explosive revtion but heard a question one would usually hear in history ss.


    With a disgruntled sigh, Kyran shrugged and leaned back while saying, "I only know he was an asshole."


    Iulia chuckled, apparently not taking offense at Kyran''snguage.


    "Yes. I suppose that sum up how people viewed him. I myself, agree... however, I would use the word detestable."


    She lowered her gaze and waved her hand.


    The tea set on the table moved.


    "Do you drink tea, Disciple Tyr?" She asked while looking at him.


    Kyran shook his head, "No. I''m okay."


    "Would you rather have something else? Coffee? Hot chocte?"


    A bitter smile appeared on Kyran''s face from Iulia''s question. It was not because he did not like any of those, but it was because he recalled his mother would usually offer something simr to their guests.


    "I..." Kyran initially wanted to say ''I''m okay'' again, but then said, "I''ll have juice then."


    Iulia looked at him in surprise, but then smiled and nodded, "Alright."


    With a wave of her hand, the tea set disappeared and two tall sses and a crystal pitcher appeared.


    "Any particr vor?"


    "No."


    "Alright."


    The crystal pitcher soon turned the color of very light pink. Then it poured some on both the tall sses. After that, one of the tall sses flew toward Kyran, who took it with his right hand, while the other hovered toward Iulia''s direction.


    "As I was saying," Iulia started after seeing him take the ss, "Because of the previous Emperor''s tyranny, Euan... my husband, wanted to be a better Emperor."


    She paused and looked at Kyran with a wry smile, "I suppose it is rather impossible to believe given how there has not any visible change seen in the empire... yet."


    "Yet," Kyran repeated.


    Iulia smiled and nodded, "Yes. Yet."


    She stared at the tall ss hovering in front of her and continued, "The Royal Family''s authority has been declining over the years because of the previous Emperor''s tyranny. Euan knew the root of all this and is doing everything he can to regain its authority.


    "All because, he wanted to unite all differing factions in the empire."


    Iulia looked at Kyran.


    "However, in order to do this, he would need someone¡ª," she paused, and hesitated only for a moment before finally saying, "No. Not someone... but another powerful ally."


    It took every ounce of willpower in Kyran, to stop himself from crushing the tall ss in his hand. Because he already guessed which powerful ally Iulia was referring to that Euan needed.


    "You may or may not know about them, because they had been in seclusion for years. However, they are one of the oldest and noblest, noble family in the empire¡ª maybe in the whole continent," Iulia continued.


    "The Regis n."

 Chapter 368 The Visitor (3)

    "Regis n?" Kyran repeated in an unwavering voice, which inwardly surprised him because his heart was pounding heavily in his chest.


    A part of him wanted to force out everything Iulia knew about the current status of the Regis n with no regard to his identity as ''Tyr.'' But he knew well enough not to let that part of him run amok.


    Kyran was not the same confused and unstable boy five years ago who snapped at the mention of his whole n getting killed. Right now, he had a better grasp of his own heart and could endure any emotional strain.


    That was why he could still keep up his facade and appear as if Iulia said something that piqued his interest.


    In any case, ''Tyr'' was not a native of the empire and the Regis n entered seclusion even before Kyran was born. Few people of the new generation ever bring up a topic about the Regis. Only those veterans and families who worked with them did.


    It would be strange for ''Tyr'' to know about the Regis n.


    The rtionship between the Conve and the Regis n was a secret. And unless someone requested it personally, the Mercenary Hall would not release information about the Regis n.


    Iulia nodded. She looked at Kyran and said, "Hundreds of years ago, a misunderstanding between the current Emperor and the Regis n''s Patriarch, forced thetter to close off their doors. They left the parliament and though they remained in the empire, they no longer took part in what was happening in the empire."


    "And the emperor was okay with that?" Kyran asked, diligently ying his part. With a slight sneer, he added, "If the emperor that time was as tyrannical as the previous emperor had been, I don''t think he would let that n stay in seclusion."


    Iulia smiled bitterly and nodded, "You are right. That is why the Regis n was stripped of their rights to build their military force. It was not until that emperor died that the next emperor agreed to let the Regis ''recruit'' new disciples. But even then, the progress of their recruits were monitored closely. Even now."


    Kyran knew this.


    He once wondered why there were n members who did not possess the distinctive features of a Regis¡ª ck hair and dark gray eyes. Even his mother possessed silver-gray hair and light blue eyes. It was his cousin, Pheobe, who exined to him their family would recruit outside disciples, who given the time, could choose to stay in the n or leave.


    None of their outside disciples ever left, thus, the Regis n grew.


    "Still, the strength of the Regis n is not measured by the number of their recruits or capable members. It has more to do with how they stayed true to their moral principles, which in turn won over the trust of the people.


    "Euan believed that if he have the Regis n''s support, uniting all factions will be less strenuous. Having the Regis n at the center of the unified empire will mark the Ylfaen Empire''s new regime."


    Kyran furrowed his brows.


    "You... make is sound as if you want the Regis n to rule the empire..." His voice trailed off as an idea crossed his mind.


    Iulia smiled, "That is right. Euan will propose to unite the Royal Family with the Regis n by means of marriage, between the Crown Princess and the Young Master of the Regis n."


    It took everything in Kyran to keep an indifferent expression. However, one of his brow did twitch ever so slightly, thankfully Iulia did not notice it.


    Iulia lowered her head and reached out for the tall ss. She did not drink it, but only held it tightly with her hands. As if by doing so, she would receive some strength.


    Strength to continue what she had to say.


    "However..."


    Iulia finally said after a moment''s pause.


    "Something unfortunate happened in the Regis n and Euan is doing his best to save them," she said and looked imploringly at Kyran.


    "You may find my rambling irrelevant to you. But Euan believes you can be one of the people who can help him save the Regis n."


    Kyran fell silent and only stared at Iulia.


    From the time she began talking about the unification of all factions in the empire, Kyran had been observing her expression for any signs of falsehood.


    He did not detect any of that.


    It meant, that what Iulia said was possibly true¡ª at least, it was something she knew to be true.


    After a short pause, Iulia broke the silence and said, "I really hope you will give Euan and my daughter a chance and hear them out."


    ======================


    Fifteen minutes before the start of the afternoon events, Noir, Vaness, and the two members of the cksmith Order participating in the Array Creation were already inside the locker room at Function Hall 3, while Malia with Can and three members participating in Alchemy¡ª including Len, Kyran''s puppet¡ª, were in Function Hall 1.


    The Conve would face the Courtenay Family in Alchemy, and Lumley Family in Array Creation.


    They knew the matchup was decided beforehand, but to face the Lumley Family with Kyran in their lineup again... how to put it... it felt as if they were truly targeting them.


    Still...


    Noir looked at the entrance to the locker room with furrowed brows. There were only a few minutes left before the start of the event but Kyran was nowhere in sight.


    "There is still no answer from him, Chairman Noir, Head Chief Vaness," Owen, one of the other two Array Specialists from the cksmith Order informed Noir and Vaness, lowering hismunication disc.


    Owen had short dark brown hair and green eyes, with a small stature. He was also present in the order when the Lumley Family attacked.


    Hamish, another Array Specialist in histe twenties with medium-long wavy blonde hair which he tied in a half-up ponytail to ensure it wouldn''t block his dark blue eyes, looked uneasily at Owen. He stammered, "D-Do you think the Lumley Family has done something..."


    His voice trailed off and shook his head at once. He should not think of such ominous things right before theirpetition. Besides, they were talking about Disciple Tyr, he would definitely put up a fight against the Lumley Family if they ever tried anything to harm him.


    Noir heaved a sigh. They were aware that Kyran was doing things behind the scenes to ensure the Conve would not be affected by the Royal Family''s hidden plot. But they felt it was so unlike him to bete without telling them.<sub> </sub>


    At least, he hoped Kyran was onlyte.


    Vaness looked at Owen and Hamish and asked, "Have you gone to his room beforeing here?"


    "Yes, Head Chief," both of them replied.


    "His room was locked though and even when we called him and knocked on the door, there was no answer," Owen added.


    "I asked the others staying at the lounge if they saw him go back to his room, but no one had seen him," Hamish also said.


    Before Noir or Vaness could ask more, the inner door leading to the function hall opened and a female Courtenay attendant entered.


    "Good afternoon, Chairman Noir, Head Chief Vaness, pleasee this way. I will lead you to your seats. And also," the woman paused to look at Owen and Hamish. She opened her mouth to continue what she was saying but apparently seeing they were short one member, she stopped short and looked at Noir and Vaness again.


    "May I ask where is your third member?" She asked.


    "About that¡ª."


    "Sorry, I''mte."


    The door opened suddenly, interrupting Noir.


    All of them turned to see Kyran enter the room. He removed his white coat and was wearing the cksmith Order''s uniform.


    He gave Noir and Vaness an apologetic smile and added, "I lost track of time while wandering around. Sorry."


    Noir and Vaness did not say anything but did heave a sigh of relief, seeing that Kyran did not appear to be injured.


    The female attendant looked at Kyran and though she was wearing a mask that covered half of her face from the nose up, it was noticeable how herplexion turned slightly red upon seeing him smile.


    It was her first time meeting the infamous Disciple Tyr and thought the story of his looks was exaggerated. But seeing him up close, she now understood why most of the female Courtenay attendants wanted to exchange assignments with the other attendants where he would be present.


    The story of Tyr''s handsome looks did little justice to the real one.


    "As long as you are fine," Noir said with a slight smile. He admitted feeling a little bit worried that Kyran had met with some misfortune.


    It might not be with the Lumley Family as Owen and Hamish thought, but with those who posed a much bigger threat; like the Royal Family.


    "T-Then," the attendant cleared her throat realizing how she suddenly felt nervous, "Please follow me inside."


    They all nodded and followed with Kyran at the back.


    Vaness gave a sidelong nce in Kyran''s direction, and with a voice almost like a whisper, he asked, "Did something happen?"


    Without looking at him, Kyran replied telepathically, ''I''ll tell it with the restter.''


    Vaness nodded slightly in acknowledgement.


    When Kyran replied, he also sent the message to Noir.


    Noir turned his head slightly to observe Kyran''s expression. He could not help but feel, that something seemed off about him. As if a sleeping beast was threatening to wake up.


    Noir was unsure why he had that feeling, but the indifferent expression Kyran had or even the smile he wore earlier, felt... scary.


    Vaness might have also sensed it that was why he asked if something happened.


    Nevertheless, Noir chose to wait tillter to address it. They still had apetition to attend, after all.


    A total of six workstations¡ª with three stations facing each other¡ª, were arranged inside the Functional Hall 3.


    There was also one station at the far end of the hall where non-participants could stay. That was where Noir and Vaness, together with the Lumley Family''s coach were staying.


    At the center of the room, there was a small tform where the announcer would likely stay for the duration of thepetition.


    Members from the Three Noble Families and the Royal Army already filled the balcony.


    Kyran looked up and noticed the audience number increasedpared to yesterday.


    After the attendants of the Courtenay Family led their assigned team members to their designated workstations, the announcer for thepetition appeared on the tform.


    The announcer this time around was a female. As soon as she appeared, the function hall turned silent.


    "I wee all of you to today''s Array Creationpetition between the Conve and the Lumley Family," she greeted. "With the remaining time before the official start of thepetition, allow me to exin the rules to everyone."


    However, Kyran was not paying attention to her, because he was looking at the Lumley Family''s participant who was stationed right across from him.


    It was none other than Matias, who was looking at him piercingly.


    Kyran returned the stare, albeit, he was smiling in a very annoying matter. To further annoy Matias, he also waved at him while mouthing, "Yo~ seems you want another beating, huh?"

 Chapter 369 Another Change

    As expected, the short-fused Matias ground his teeth in anger and pointed derisively in Kyran''s direction.


    "Just you wait you sorry excuse of a human! I''ll shave that smirk off your face, gouge your eyes and use it as feeds to the pigs!" Matias growled just when the announcer opened her mouth to start exining the rules.


    An awkward silence filled the hall from Matias''s sudden outburst.


    Kyran, on the other hand, simply raised his brows at his childish outburst.


    The four-leaf clover earring the female announcer was wearing glinted, and after a few seconds, she cleared her throat and looked at Matias.


    "Please refrain from speaking provocative words targeting other participants due to personal reasons. This is apetition where you are representing not only yourself but the Lumley Family. Consider this your first warning," the female announcer sternly told Matias, before looking in Kyran''s direction.


    "On behalf of the Courtenay Family, we apologize for letting such a thing happen and cause you any inconvenience. Rest assured, this will not happen again."


    Matias saw the female announcer''s attitude toward Kyran as giving him special treatment, making his mood worsen even more. But this time around, he managed to keep his tongue in check after the female announcer''s reminder that he was representing the whole Lumley Family in thispetition.


    "No need for that," Kyran told the announcer and waved his hand dismissively. Thest thing he wanted was the Courtenay Family currying favor. He already experienced such from one of their Twin Belle in his military school days and that did not end well.


    To Kyran, the Courtenay Family currying favor was equivalent to lifting up their overinted egos. The more they show favor towards you, the more they would expect you to surrender everything you ''are'' and have to them.


    The female announcer nodded her head, "Very well."


    She returned her attention to the audience and continued, "Now then, allow me to exin the rules of thepetition.


    "The rules are simple and straightforward. Each team will have three participants will enchant the ready made items in front of them. The time limit of enchanting the items will be two hours. Afterwhich, one of their member will participate in a mock battle against the other team using the enchanted magic items. Before the start of the mock battle, the participants will be given thirty minutes to create their own Array, for example, a defensive or an offensive array. But do take note that the materials one can use will only be the ones provided. Personal materials will are prohibited. Finally, the mock battle will have a time limit of thirty minutes."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed after hearing the rules.


    He did not mind thest one, especially in prohibiting personal materials when creating Arrays. He weed any rule that would allow him to save his own resources.


    What did not sit well with him was the first part. Because it was different from the rules they were given on the first day.


    To properly enchant items, the Array calction should be included during the forging process not after. This was to ensure the materials used in the Array waspatible with the item. Enchanting ready-made items were not advisable because the Array calction would likely contradict the item''sposition and would end up bing unstable. This would result in the item crumbling after exhausting the effects of the Array.


    In the original rules Kyran and the others had read, they were supposed to be given items that had undergone the initial process of forging. By doing this, they would not need a lot of time in crafting the item from scratch and could focus on enchanting it bypleting the final crucial phase of forging.


    Still, it would take some time, thus, it was mentioned in the rules that the results would be announced the following day. What was important in thepetition was that people had to see the participant''s skills in enchanting the items and that the time limit would be three hours.


    There was no mention of a mock battle.


    Kyran nced in Noir''s direction and saw him talking to Vaness with a disapproving expression. Then he looked at the two Array Specialists from the cksmith Order, Owen, and Hamish, and also saw them with troubled expressions.


    Finally, Kyran nced at the Lumley participants and saw their expressions with unmasked amusement. It almost seemed as if they already knew the change and were not bothered by the change.


    He looked at Matias who was still ring at him but was now mixed with a malicious glint in his eyes.


    ''I see...'' Kyran thought recalling Matias''s outburst.


    The way Matias had said it, Kyran initially thought the former was only saying it in anger. Bute to think of it, Matias''s ''just you wait'' deration almost sounded as if he knew he would have an opportunity to do the things he said he would do to Kyran; the shaving the smirk off his face and gouging his eyes.


    ''So this is what you meant.''


    A yful smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he returned Matias''s mischievous smile.


    If Kyran was correct, the Lumley Family requested to include a mock battle in the Array Creationpetition. Just like what Kyran did yesterday in Solo Competition.


    "Are there any questions?" The female announcer asked while looking at the participants, then at the leaders of both sides.


    Noir looked at the announcer and apparently wanted to object when he caught Kyran looking at him. Thetter shook his head slightly, and the older man fell silent.


    Kyran gestured toward Owen and Hamish, who caught on and looked at him as well.


    He mouthed, "Let''s talk first before you start working on your item."


    The two nodded in acknowledgement.


    The female announcer, seeing the exchange, looked at Kyran and asked, "Is there anything you want to say Disciple Tyr?"


    Kyran looked at her and said, "There is no rule that prohibits us from talking to one another right?"


    The announcer''s earing glinted, to which Kyran noticed and sneered inwardly.


    Seriously, the ''headmittee'' was such a busy body that she could not even let the female announcer answer by herself.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes," the announcer replied.


    "Thanks. That''s all."


    The announcer nodded her head and regarded the audience once more.


    "We will nowmence with the Array Creationpetition," she announced.


    A circr golden array lit up overhead. It was simr to the timer used in the Solo Competition. However, the timer this time around had a series of numbers written on it. It showed: 2:00:30.


    Kyran guessed the 30 was the seconds, while the 2:00:00 was supposed to be the two-hour limit for the item creation.


    As the timer started its countdown, the furnace on all six workstations burned and the work table rotated.


    Clicking sounds were heard as the table shifted and opened up revealing the ''item'' they were supposed to enchant from within.


    The three items were as follows: A headgear, a te, and a sword.


    Both teams were given the same three items.


    Kyran looked at the item before him with an indifferent expression. Apparently, he was to enchant the headgear. He looked at Owen and Hamish, who was also looking at their respective items with aplicated expression.


    Owen got the te, and Hamish got the sword.


    ''Owen is better at crafting essories, while Hamish excels in defensive magic items,'' Kyran thought with a wry smile. ''Talk about a mismatch of items.''


    Without touching the headgear before him, Kyran made his way to Owen, who was closest to him.


    When Hamish saw Kyran make his way to Owen, he followed suit.


    This was the first time he and Owen would be working closely with Kyran, and to be honest, he was both excited and nervous. Obviously, he caught on that the change in the rules was a plot by the Lumley Family to get even with Kyran. And he was positive that Kyran would not run away and represent their team in the mock battle.


    However, Kyran would be using the items he and Owen would enchant. That was Hamish''s concern.


    They could not possibly let Kyran use a half-assed enchanted item. Not to mention, the items assigned to them were different from the ones they were used to forging.


    Well, if they were forging the item from scratch they could still make a passable magic item. But the items were ready-made ones that they were not familiar with.


    "Disciple Tyr, I am sorry. I will do my best to enchant this item but... I am afraid, it will only hold for one or two attacks," Owen told Kyran as soon as he arrived within earshot.


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows, and before he could reply, Hamish, who just arrived also chimed in and said, "Me too. I am not really good with weapons. At most, it can unleash two or three strikes before it crumbles."


    Owen and Hamish exchanged nces and could not help but let out a dejected sigh.


    Kyran had been helping the cksmith Order since the day he decided to appear in public. And during those times, he had shone brilliantly, like an inextinguishable me.


    If the two of them let Kyran use their half-assed creation, who knew what would happen?


    Kyran could not help but give a slight smile.


    "You two... who said anything about me doing the mock battle? And what, the hell is with those expressions? It''s not as if the item in front of you is fixed," he told them.


    As if the two had only realized this, their expression lit up at once, and said, "You mean we can exchange?"


    But then they stopped short after recalling Kyran''s first words:


    ''Who said anything about me doing the mock battle?''


    Owen and Hamish''s eyes widenedically as they gaped at Kyran and eximed at the same time, "What? You''re not doing the mock battle?"


    Kyran chuckled at their reaction.


    "Any of us can do the mock battle. I don''t have to go," he told them. Then teasingly added, "What? Are you two scared of those Lumley pisspants?"


    The two gave a wry smile.


    "Well, Disciple Tyr, after what happened yesterday? Besides, we are Master mages, yes, but so are they..." Owen''s voice faltered slightly as he looked at the Lumley''s side.


    "Wait. Young Master Matias is not a Master mage, right?"

 Chapter 370 Array Competition (1)

    Kyran smiled and nodded, "That''s right."


    He looked at the Lumleys, who were gathered as well, to have a meeting.


    "That is a vition of the rules, right?" Hamish said with a slight frown.


    As far as they knew, the minimum mage level that could participate in the events was a Master mage, with the exception ofbat specialists.


    "That doesn''t apply with The Three Noble Families," Kyran said with a slight shake of his head. He looked back at them and continued, "The rules on participants only applied to us and the Royal Army."


    Owen and Hamish felt cheated by this.


    The night before yesterday, when they received a call from President Sigma, telling them they would represent the cksmith Order together with Kyran in a joint exercise, they were both nervous and honored.


    But, the moment Sigma exined the whole situation, they felt somewhat indignant.


    A joint military exercise between the Conve and the Royal Army never included the cksmith Order or even the rest of its four constituents. In the first ce, the military exercise never required the participation of an Array Specialist.


    True a mage knowledgeable in Array Creation might be included among the ranks of the representative during the parade or the Field Operation exercise, but never a known Array Specialist.


    In any case, the Concalve and the Royal Army already conducted a joint military exercise recently. Why did they have to do another one in such a short time?


    Owen and Hamish had been with the cksmith Order for years and they had a rough idea of the rtionship the Conve had with the other factions.


    The Conve remained neutral in power struggle between the other factions in the empire but that did not mean those factions did not provoke them.


    They knew that somewhere in the background the other factions ced great pressure in the Conve and the Conve High Council were doing everything to hush things up so their members would not be affected.


    With the Royal Army''s request for another joint military exercise that included talents from the Conve''s constituents, it was obvious they were up to something.


    To make matters worse, the Three Noble Families were also included in the mix.


    Just what was really happening here?


    Anyway, Owen and Hamish was not in the position to voice their discontent. And to be honest, their indignation fueled their will to protect the cksmith Order''s honor. Besides, it was not them in such a situation but all four constituents of the Conve.


    They did not know what the Royal Army was trying to aplish in this joint military exercise, or if it was a conspiracy between them and the Three Noble Families to put an even greater pressure for the Conve.


    Those did not matter to Owen and Hamish. What did matter was preserving the honor of the cksmith Order.


    The Mercenary Hall¡ª though it was entirely because of ''Tyr''s'' performance¡ª, and the Chamber of Commerce showed positive results yesterday, so Owen and Hamish would definitely continue the momentum.


    At least that was the n.


    But then, the sudden change in the rules, which clearly favored the Lumley Family was clearly unfair.


    Seeing the indignant expressions on Owen and Hamish''s faces, Kyran could not help but chuckle.


    The two look at him questioningly. They were oblivious to the reason for Kyran''s apparent amusement.


    "You both look as if we are at a disadvantage when clearly we''re not," Kyran told them and pointed at them one at a time. "Both of you are Master magesand Array Specialist."


    Though Kyran appeared to have said something grand, Owen and Hamish looked at him still at a loss.


    With an exasperated sigh, Kyran exined, "Those three pisspants are not Array Specialists. At most, they only know the fundamentals of Array Creation. No, their knowledge is likely not even on a cksmith''s Amateur level, because if they are, they will not have suggested enchanting ready-made items."


    Kyran''s words felt like a an arrow that struck Owen and Hamish.


    That was right, why did they forget that important part?


    There were only a small number of Array Specialists in the empire, and most were part of the cksmith Order. Other factions might have one Array Specialist, with two at most. So most of their Array experts were only mages with Array Knowledge.


    For the record, for one to be an Array Specialist, they not only have to be well-versed in Array Knowledge but also crafting. It was for this reason that they were well sought for.


    But crafting was not something one could learn overnight¡ª even Kyran who was adept in grasping theories needed practical experience to truly know how to craft items.


    However, unlike Array, crafting could be learned by ordinary humans. And they were known as cksmiths.


    Of course, not all cksmiths were ordinary humans with no magic affinity. There were also those who possessed magic. These cksmiths were the ones, given time, would be an Array Specialist.


    However, before they achieve that they first have to attain the cskmith level''s Master Artisan. And to be a Master Artisan, one had to go through three levels: Apprentice to Amateurs, then Amateurs to Journeyman, finally, Journeyman to a Master Artisan.


    Once a cksmith became a Master Artisan, they could learn how Array Creation.<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, only when a Master Artisan sessfully create an Array on his own, could he be an Array Specialist¡ª at least, the first level of an Array Specialist which was an Amateur.


    For the record, to be an Array Master, there were three levels to ovee. Amateur, Veteran, Expert, and finally, Master.


    But an Array Master was not the end of the road for an Array Specialist. There were still three more levels; Legend,Saint, and finally, Deity.


    "They probably think, it is enough to enchant a magic weapon that can unleash a powerful attack utilizing Matias''s fire magic," Kyran continued. "So, a ready-made weapon is fine with them."


    "But we know it is not enough," Owen chimed in.


    "A mage cannot utilize his real strength using a half-assed magic weapon," Hamish also agreed.


    "Correct," Kyran replied and looked at the ready-made item on Owen''s work table. "Hamish, you are good with defensive items, you can work on this te."


    Then he looked at Owen and said, "The item on that table¡ª," he gestured behind his back, "¡ªwas a headgear. You are adept with essories and headgears are considered as such."


    Owen nodded, "Yes. Unless the headgear is ''attached'' to the dress, it is considered an essory."


    Kyran nodded, "Alright. You can work on that one."


    He looked toward the workstation where Hamish had been and saw the sword on the table. He said, "I''ll work on the weapon."


    "Okay," both Owen and Hamish answered.


    Kyran looked at both of them with a smile, "It goes without saying but, you two know that there is a way to enchant a ready-made item while giving it a quality simr to a forged magic item from scratch, right?"


    Owen and Hamish looked at Kyran and nodded, not one bit offended at his question. Their eyes burned with years of umted experience in Array and Crafting.


    "The rules only stated that we can work on the ready-made items in front of us. It did not say anything about prohibiting, the repetition of the heating phase of the item, or adding anotheryer to it."


    Hamish was the one who said this.


    Kyran nodded in agreement, "That''s right."


    Then he smiled at them and added, "You both seemed to have ovee your initial nervousness."


    Hisment made the two exchange bewildered nces.


    True, after being reminded that they were Array Specialists, their confidence returned.


    "Alright. I''ll leave the two of you on that, as for who will do the mock battle..." Kyran paused and gave them a wry smile, "I don''t mind going but..."


    Owen and Hamish let out a dryugh. They could almost guess Kyran''s real reason for not wanting to do the mock battle. Apart from he weapon given to them was a sword, which they remembered was ''Tyr''s most undesirable choice of weapon, he appeared fed up with the Lumley''s constant harassment.


    "I''ll go," Hamish stepped up at once. He witnessed Matias''s mes and to be honest, he was scared to be the object of those me''s attack.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to test how much his defensive enchantment couldst against Matias''s mes. In so doing, he coulde up with a new calction to upgrade their order''s uniform to withstand such mes.


    Owen looked at Hamish. He could see thetter''s determination and felt he should not trample on it. However, he also wanted to see what he could do to counter Matias''s mes in case he targeted the cksmith Order again.


    He looked at Kyran and also said, "I can also go."


    Seeing the resolve these two had, Kyran''s smile widen. If they did not volunteer, Kyran would stop at that and let them do their work. But since they did, he did not mind imparting a little of what he knew.


    "Alright, let''s decide on thatter," Kyran told them and looked at the timer overhead. Almost three minutes had passed from the start of thepetition.


    "I know the durability of the item will suffer if a second heating process is applied, so, I''ll show both of you theArray calction that can prevent that. If you have questions on the forms I used, I can exin themter."


    Owen and Hamish''s faces lit up at once. For Chairman Noir''s disicple to teach them was an honor!


    "Yes!" They both replied with unmasked zeal.


    Kyran would not have proposed this if the rules prohibited them from ''talking.''


    Without wasting any more time, he told them the materials they would need and the calction. As to how they would integrate it to their work, that would be entirely up to them.


    Array Specialists had their own way of enchanting items. Kyran could not possibly tell them how to do it. Besides, his enchantment skills were too advanced for a Veteran Array Specialists. To be honest, Kyran had a feeling that Master Noir would have some time to learn it as well.


    At 1:55:00 on the timer, the three separated to start working on their items.

 Chapter 371 Array Competition (2)

    The people gathered on the balcony, watching the Array Creationpetition, for once, were silent. They intently watched the participants while they worked, especially Kyran, Owen, and Hamish, who were bonafide Array Specialists.


    To most, this kind of event was an excellent opportunity to observe their work. If they were fortunate enough, they would gain enlightenment or learn a thing or two about Array.


    Although the former was only possible if they were observing an Array Master.


    Nevertheless, the three Array Specialists below were from the cksmith Order, not to mention one of them was Chairman Noir''s disciple. They were bound to learn something.


    As these thoughts upied the minds of most people in the audience area, magic energies gathered within the participant''s area as all sorts of materials were being prepared for Array.


    The two people with Matias unted their Array skills as they enchanted the items they chose: one a headgear, the other a te. It seemed Matias had chosen to enchant the sword, just as Kyran did.


    "Oh?" Few people eximed in awe while watching Matias, and the other two Lumley members enchant their items.


    Matias also wore a gloating smile while breaking the material he needed to write his array forms.


    He had chosen a material called an Udrium that looked like a stoned magma. It was a semi-rare stone found in Archadia only, which, when used as a catalyst to enchant weapons, could amplify a mage''s fire magic.


    The Ylfaen Empire and the Archadia were at war. Thus the only way for each side to acquire materials avable within their borders was by raiding each other''s borders.


    If one side was lucky enough to raid a camp with intact stored supplies, they usually get semi-rare to rare items.


    It had been the case with the Udrium.


    Few people from the audience recognized the Udrium, but they could sense the rich fire magic energy it emitted. If one was not careful enough and got too close to an Udrium without any protection against fire, one might end up getting burned.


    That was how intense the fire magic energy within an Udrium was, assuming the stone was about a foot in size. If the stone was much bigger, a human might end up in mes, even when wearing protection against fire.


    Matias''s reason for using this to enchant his weapon was too apparent. He wanted to amplify his already powerful fire magic. This time, he wanted to unleash a powerful one strike that would burn ''Tyr'' without giving him a chance to counter.


    It would not kill him, which was regretful. But the damage Matias would inflict would be too severe; it would destroy his ''bright future.''


    That was enough for now.


    With this in mind, Matias looked at the most-loathsome-guy-to-him with a devious smile.


    s, the said loathsome guy was so engrossed with his work that he was oblivious to Matias''s re.


    Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Matias made a loud ''tch'' sound before focusing on his work as well.


    He thought, ''Just you wait, Tyr. I will return the humiliation you did to me ten-fold this time.''


    As for the subject of Matias''s hate, ''Tyr.'' It was not that he was too focused on his work but that he chose to ignore him.


    Kyran developed a new skill wherein he could easily sense other people looking at him from a distance. This particr skill he developed after being exposed to different people who directed such powerful killing intent his way.


    Because of this skill, he also sensed someone¡ª or something¡ª watching him since the end of the Solo Competition yesterday.


    In any case, Kyran could feel Matias''s eyes on him but cared nothing of it. In the first ce, he had no ns to participate in the mock battle.


    Though he was worried that Owen or Hamish might suffer with whatever the Lumley Family was plotting against him, he would just need to warn them. Besides, he wanted to see the disappointment on Matias''s face once he realized he would not do the mock battle.


    With an inward sigh, Kyran looked at the materials he selected to enchant the weapon in his hand.


    He had picked up twomon materials that left the people watching him speechless and one unknown yet familiar stone. Because all three were verymon, one would find them even in towns: a bundle of cinnamon ferns, a pile of dirt, and a stone that looked simr to a spirit stone yet seemed different.


    Just what was he up to?


    Apart from this, Kyran was the only one among the cksmith Order who had yet to do something worthy of being called an Array Specialist. Because,pared to him, Owen and Hamish already finished gathering their materials and taking the parts they would need. Even the base liquid they would need to mix the materials were ready.


    Right now, they had already started the reheating process on their item and simultaneously added new materials to it.


    The audience was at a loss for words.<sub> </sub>


    They initially thought they had to keep a close eye on Kyran because he was Chairman Noir''s disciple, but to think the three members of the Lumley looked more promising with them already starting with their enchantments.


    Even Millie, who was among the Courtenay audience, looked at Kyran dubiously.


    At Noir and Vaness''s side, they watched their side''s progress with furrowed brows. They did not hear what the three had discussed, but they more or less guessed Kyran was giving them some pointers and assuring them about something.


    Both older men were curious about the two identical materials among the rest Owen, and Hamish took.


    "Those two materials aremon fire serpent scale and wolfram," Vaness remarked, recognizing the two materials.


    "Hm," Noir nodded with a difited expression. Wolfram was a type of metal that was hard to work with. Because of its brittleness, one should purify it first.


    "I understand they n on reheating the item to achieve a forged magic item from scratch somehow, but..." His voice trailed off as an idea crossed his mind.


    "No... maybe it is because of the wolfram''s brittleness that they are using it?"


    Vaness looked at him, "What do you mean?"


    A wry smile appeared on Noir''s face as he nced in Kyran''s direction. It went without saying, but both guessed that Owen and Hamish picked those two items based on Kyran''s suggestion.


    "Instead of adding the wolfram into the item, they will use it as another level or coating. Since the initial state of wolfram is brittle, it crumbles easily, making liquefication easier," Noir exined.


    Vaness''s eyes lit up in understanding. He might not be an expert in Array, but he was well-versed in materials and their uses, "Wolfram is brittle, but once it undergoes forging..."


    "It will be one of the hardest metals out there," Noir replied and looked at Vaness. "I am guessing the fire serpent scale is needed to ensure the mes during the heating phase are maintained at the highest point to expedite the whole process."


    "If I remember correctly, wolfram also has a high melting point."


    Noir nodded and looked at Owen and Hamish as they started preparing their ink to write their array forms.


    "That is right. So its innate fire resistance is one of the best. But the most important point here is that, if they use the wolfram as anotheryer to the ready-made items, it can resolve the durability issue of the item during reheating process."


    Vaness shook his head and looked in Kyran''s direction, "To think he was able toe up with that."


    "To be honest, I understand the theory behind it, but the calction needed to ensure these two materials achieve their intended effect is something I have yet to form in my head."


    "You mean to say he knows a calction that you...?" Vaness looked at Noir and saw him smiling bitterly.


    "It appears the disciple has already surpassed the master."


    Though Kyran was not really his disciple, Noir admitted seeing him as one. He might have taught him only the fundamentals of Array, but Noir cherished those days he was teaching Kyran. After all, it was his first time meeting a younger generation who was really keen on learning Array.


    Vaness saw the look in Noir''s eyes and smiled wryly. He could somehow understand thetter''s feelings. Seeing one''s ''disciple,'' even if it was in name only, achieve greater heights was a sort of pride for anyone.


    At least, most masters would feel that way to their disciples.


    Noir smiled contentedly as he looked in Kyran''s direction again. He was about to say more praise-worthy words for the younger man when he saw him break the sword on the work table.


    "Ah," Kyran uttered a monotonous gasp as he stared at the broken sword on his table.


    ....


    An awkward silence filled the hall as everyone''s eyes turned toward Kyran.


    Noir''s contented smile was frozen on his face in a veryical manner while Vaness gaped with aplicated expression.


    Owen and Hamish were also looking in Kyran''s direction with their eyes wide as saucers.


    "D-Disciple Tyr..." they both muttered.

 Chapter 372 Array Competition (3)

    Matias''s boomingughter broke the silence in the hall. Gloatingly he said, "So this is the real skill of the disciple of the reknown Array Master Noir!"


    The Lumley Family members among the audience sneered at his words, while others from the Courtenay Family and the Royal Army, furtively nced in Master Noir''s direction.


    To think Matias would brazenly say such a bold remark in front of Master Noir! It was one thing to say bad things about Tyr but he even mentioned Noir''s name as if to mock him.


    Noir''s expression turned dark, but he said nothing.


    Instead of trying to guess what he was thinking, they shifted their gaze on Kyran and were all rendered speechless.


    Because Kyran appeared to have not heard anything and continued inspecting the broken sword. He even looked at the announcer and said, "I won''t get disqualified just because the sword broke, right?"


    Noir, Vaness, Owen, Hamish, and the rest of the audience could not help but look at Kyran with dull expressions.


    They were wondering if he was too worried about breaking the sword to even notice the sudden change in the atmosphere. Not to mention Matias''s mocking.


    Speaking of Matias, the young man gritted his teeth at Kyran''s nonchnce. It really rubbed him the wrong way each time this loathsome guy ignored him. He was the young master of the Lumley Family, he would not tolerate amoner like him ignoring him like this!


    The announcer looked at Kyran uneasily.


    "Well... there is no rule saying that but to continue with thepetition with a broken item is..." as the woman hesitated, her four-leaf clover earring glinted. She fell silent for a moment and replied, "The headmittee has spoken. You can still proceed withpetition so long as you still use the broken sword."


    Kyran raised his brows at the announcer''s reply. If he had known it would end up like this, he would have told Owen and Hamish to break their items too! Then he could teach them a fast way to craft an item and enchant it in less than two hours!


    However, Kyran rejected the idea at once. After all, a fast way to craft would require an enormous amount of magic energy or spirit stones. There were also countless materials they had to prepare.


    The materials needed weremon items, but what Kyran did not like was the fact that there were countless eyes watching them right now. How he crafted or forged items was a trade secret, after all.


    In any case, using a broken item that had already undergone tempering was not advisable. To simply put, the quality of the item would suffer. Of course, this would be the case if an average Array Specialist tried to ''recycle'' the item.


    In Kyran''s case, with his vast Array and Material knowledge, he could easilye up with a calction to ovee this small problem.


    "I see," Kyran replied with a nod. "Basically, as long as I use the provided item as the base of the weapon it is eptable."


    The four-leaf clover blinked once more before the announcer nodded in acknowledgment, "That is correct."


    "Alright," Kyran turned his attention back to the broken sword.


    Owen and Hamish could not help but exchange perplexed nces before looking back at Kyran.


    The only way for Kyran to fix the sword was to melt it again and redo the whole forging. Given their two-hour limit¡ª which was now down to 1:37:00 ording to the timer above¡ª, it would be impossible for him to enchant the sword. Crafting a weapon from scratch would take half a day at thetest.


    As if sensing their concern, Kyran nced at Owen and Hamish with a slight smile. He mouthed, "Don''t worry," at them before resuming his work.


    Seeing the exchange between them, Noir and Vaness''s felt somewhat relieved.


    It went without saying, but they already knew Kyran would not say or do something for no reason. They already knew he sometimes act recklessly or even made decisions that did not make sense to them, but in the end, they benefited from them.


    They just had to trust him.


    Besides, in the eyes of the empire, Kyran was Chairman Noir''s only disciple, Tyr. Being an only disciple spoke volumes and if Noir showed even the slightest doubt of what he could do, people would definitely spread another unnecessary rumor.


    While Kyran returned to his work, Matias who finally snapped at being ignored for so long shouted, "Stop acting presumptuously! I may not be a cksmith or an Array Specialist¡ª yet¡ª, but I still know that it is impossible to use a broken item!"


    As soon as he had spoken, some of the audience who were waiting for some drama to unfold looked at them once more.


    There were more people in the audience because those who witnessed Kyran in the Solo Competition spread the news among their factions. And because the Courtenay Family did not prohibit the other factions ining to watch the matches, a lot hade to check if Kyran would do something again.


    Kyran finally looked up at Matias wearing an incredulous expression, "Seriously? I did not realize you actually have some brains in you."


    "You¡ª!"


    "Are you sure you have the time to ''admire me while I work,'' young master Matias? There is only an hour and a half left before the end of the first phase of thepetition and you haven''t purified your Udrium yet. You probably did not know but if you want to use that to enchant your weapon, you have to purify it first before adding it to your ink. If not, the rest of the materials in your ink mixture will react to the Udrium''s heat and lose its effect, rendering it useless once you write your Array calction on the weapon''s surface."


    "DISCIPLE TYR!"


    The audience could not help but grimace at Matias''s grating scream.


    Some could actually sympathize with Matias because Kyran''s ''advice'' was a huge blow to his ego as someone aspiring to be an Array Specialist.


    Kyran grinned at Matias and said, "No need to thank me. Please go ahead and continue with your work."


    With that, Kyran turned his attention back to his work.


    The audience could almost see steams shooting off Matias''s ears from the angry expression he was wearing.


    But just when they thought the short-fused young master would raise all havoc, the female announcer spoke interrupting all their thoughts.


    "Please refrain from disturbing the other participants."


    Though the announcer did not mention any names, her gaze fell on Matias first before shifting to the rest of the participants, "There is at least one hour and a half left before the first phase of thepetition. Please focus on your work to ensure youplete your task ahead of time."<sub> </sub>


    Matias red at the announcer.


    But then he suddenly froze, his eyes widening, before lowering his gaze.


    Millie who saw this squinted her eyes toward the area where the Lumley Family''s coach was seated.


    Their coach seemed to not have moved but she was positive, he sent a telepathic message to Matias which forced him to stop.


    Somehow, Millie could not shake off the feeling that something bad would happen to ''Tyr'' during the mock battle. Just thinking of this possibility scared her.


    "You don''t have to look so scared."


    Suddenly, a familiar female voice spoke beside her. Millie turned and found Mimi smiling at her wryly, "Looking at your expression, I can more or less guess what got you scared."


    As she said this, she also looked at the Lumley Family''s corner.


    "Mimi! Why are you here?" Millie eximed in surprise. "I thought your asked to watch the Alchemy Competition."


    Instead of answering her question, Mimi continued with what she was saying, "Our people are no pushovers. The Lumley Family will not be able to make any offhanded moves on our watch."


    With a slight frown, Millie asked, "So you also think the Lumley Family is plotting something?"


    Mimi heaved a sigh, before saying in a low voice, "The Patriarch told me toe here instead. Apparently, the headmittee sensed the Lumley Family is up to something."


    "Why are they still targeting Disciple Tyr? They already know the Royal Family has their eyes on him, right?"


    "I don''t know either. But you know how much the Lumley hated being looked down upon," Mimi replied, shaking her head. "From what I know, the Conve rescind the ban order on the Lumley Family to its three constituents except for the cksmith Order. It seems it is because Disciple Tyr does not want to settle the matter with the Lumley Family.


    "And the cksmith Order has also spoken that they will stand by Disciple Tyr''s decision."


    Contrary to Mimi''s expectation that this news would scare Millie, thetter actually beamed in delight as she said, "So cool. As expected of Disciple Tyr! He is not scared of the Lumley Family!"


    Mimi sighed inwardly at the younger woman''s blind admiration.


    Deciding to ignore Millie''s fangirling, Mimi looked at Kyran below. She furrowed her brows as she observed him working on the broken sword.


    At the moment, Kyran had finished mixing the three materials he took earlier and was now heating the broken sword. With his left hand, holding the tongs that held the broken sword, his right hand also moved. He waved his hand toward the mixture and started writing a series of Array calctions that hovered in midair.


    The other participants also started writing their Array calctions, however,pared to the others who were meticulously writing the forms in fear of writing a wrong sequence of forms, Kyran was not even looking as he write.


    Apart from this, the others started writing their calctions ahead of time, and yet, they were still on the second or thirdyer of the calctions, while Kyran was already approaching the fifthyer.


    His Array writing was simply too fast!


    "S-So pretty..." Millie muttered while she gazed at Kyran''s array.


    Mimi, who rarely agree with Millie when it came to Tyr, could not help but agree this time.


    Compared to the arrays the other participants were writing, the arrangement of the array forms in Kyran''s array looked more elegant as if he was not merely writing array calctions but was ''painting'' a series of magic codes.


    The audience was also mesmerized by the sight. So much so that they failed to notice how the magic energy in the surroundings stirred toward Kyran''s array, enriching its effect further.


    Noir and Vaness were also surprised.


    Kyran was merely writing an array calction to enchant a single weapon, yet it seemed he was making arge-scale array that drew in an immense amount of magic energy.


    "He... only picked threemon items, right?" Noir asked Vaness.


    Vaness nodded, albeit, a little hesitant, and added, "Yes... But the magic energy it is attracting..."


    "Theoretically speaking, those items will not be able to attract such an amount of magic energy. However..." Noir furrowed his brows. The more he see Kyran at work, the more he grew excited at the prospect of them talking about Arrays. "I am curious as to where he went to train."


    Vaness chuckled at Noir. He too felt the same way. But because Kyran was not really a member of the Conve, he felt asking the younger man such a question was out of line.


    "I honestly, want to see his Alchemy skills," Vaness admitted.


    Noir turned to him with a wry smile, "Malia also said the same thing. She even said that he probably knew a way to heal Hugh''s illness."


    The idea made them fall silent.


    They already owed Kyran so much and could not possibly ask to also heal Hugh.


    None of them realized that they were not simply wondering if Kyran had a way to help Hugh but were already convinced he knew a way.


    The audience remained silent the whole duration of the first phase of thepetition.


    Finally, the timer stopped.


    The second phase of thepetition would now start.

 Chapter 373 Array Competition (4)

    "Hamish, you''ll do the mock battle," Kyran decided during the ten minutes break before the start of the second phase of thepetition.


    The three of them were told to wait where Noir and Vaness were staying and they were currently discussing their strategy for the mock battle.


    "Hamish?" Noir repeated looking at Kyran in surprise.


    Hamish, on the other hand, was not surprised and instead said, "I will do my best."


    Noir opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it after realizing what he wanted to say was inappropriate.


    He initially wanted to ask Kyran why he would let Hamish do the mock battle when having him go was the better choice. But Kyran was not really part of the cksmith Order or even the Conve. Letting him always take the role of the vanguard in their lineup was not right.


    It was as if they were running him down and were taking advantage of him.


    Kyran looked at Noir with a slight smile. He could more or less guess what the older man was thinking. It was true he was not part of the cksmith Order or the Conve. But as long as he used Tyr''s identity, he would act the part of being Chairman Noir''s disciple. It did not matter if Tyr was real or not, he had the means to support his identity so it was fine.


    Besides, Kyran had personal reasons for using Tyr''s identity, and it was not just so he could freely move around.


    Owen looked at Hamish and said, "I don''t doubt your capabilities, Hamish. I only want to follow through with our ns moving forward," then he looked at Kyran and asked, "Why Hamish?"


    Kyran looked at him before looking at the armor that Hamish enchanted. He could see the Array calction thetter used and understood its effect.


    "The key to this battle is the armor," Kyran started. He looked over the Lumley Family''s corner, before continuing, "Matias used an Urdium to enchant his weapon. I don''t have to exin what the Urdium can do, right?"


    He looked at Owen and Hamish again, who nodded in response. Having witnessed Matias''s fire magic, with the addition of the Urdium''s effect, his mes would be more devastating. There was no telling how long their uniform plus the enchanted armor could hold.


    "Since Hamish is the one who enchanted the armor, he knows its limitation better. He can easily judge when to forfeit. I am not saying that you can''t Owen, but as much as possible, I want to avoid casualties from our side."


    He heaved a sigh before adding, "As for me, I can''t do the mock battle simply because they set up a trap for me. I don''t even know why they are confident that I will do the mock battle, but since they are that confident, it means they have something prepared against me.


    "I am guessing they have a good countermeasure against my strategy. Yesterday, they witnessed how I can redirect the targets of their magic attacks by adjusting their magic arrays."


    Kyran defeated the Lumley Family using the same strategy he used against Illias. It did not matter if they kept their distance or hide their magic arrays so he could not change it. Kyran found ways to touch their magic arrays and redirect their attacks back to them.


    "But, I can only do that because my staff isposed of the materials required to change their magic arrays. And well, they are using pretty much the same fire runes so it is easy to change them. In any case, without my staff, I can only take Matias''s attack head-on. I can probably endure for a few seconds, but..."


    Kyran smiled wryly.


    "As much as I hate to admit it, I have a very terrible temper. Not to mention, I am also very vengeful. If I get hit, I hit back. And they know that. If I am correct, they are waiting for the moment where I snap and hit back. They want me to use the same strategy I did yesterday. Redirect Matias''s enhanced mes back to him, while using my ''strengthening magic'' to further amplify it.


    "When that happens... then I will end up severely wounded."


    Owen and Hamish both looked amazed and confused by his words.


    They were amazed at how Kyran came up with that by simply observing the other side, and confused because he did say he could only redirect magic attacks because of his staff. The Lumley Family also knew that, so then why would they still expect Kyran to use the same strategy without his staff? Thepetition rules did not allow them to use personal materials. Apart from this, why did Kyran say he would end up getting severely wounded?


    However, Noir and Vaness were able to understand Kyran''s train of thought.


    Noir said, "Before the mock battle, the participants are given thirty minutes to prepare their own Arrays."


    "Oh!" Both Owen and Hamish eximed in realization.


    That was right.<sub> </sub>


    Even without Kyran''s staff, as long as he included the form where he could redirect magic attacks in the array he would prepare before the start of the mock battle, it was still possible. They could still use the materials provided by the Courtenay Family. Even if the materials Kyran needed were not present, he was an Array Specialist and knew other alternatives.


    "So they are betting that you know other calctions that can redirect magic attacks and include it on the defensive array you will create before the mock battle," Vaness chimed in, looking at Kyran.


    Kyran nodded in response and also said, "Yeah. And they want me to do that, because..."


    He paused to look at the Lumley''s corner. His gaze stopped specifically on one of their members. But it was not Matias, rather it was the one who enchanted the armor.


    "...that guy put a reflect enchantment on the armor."


    All of them gaped at him in surprise.


    Earlier, Noir and Vaness were not only paying close attention to their members but also to the Lumley members. Vaness focused on observing the materials they gathered, while Noir deciphered the enchantments they were nning.


    The Lumley member who enchanted the armor did not take any materials in making a reflect enchantment.


    Seeing the look of doubt on their faces, Kyran gave a wry smile and looked at Noir, "Master, I am sure you already know what I am talking about."


    Noir fell silent because he failed to follow up on his words. But he more or less understood that Kyran said this as part of his current identity as ''Tyr.'' After all, a disciple could not possibly be more knowledgeable than the master.


    Noir smiled bitterly in response and did not say anything. Or more like, he could not say anything.


    Kyran sensed the older man''s hesitation to lie in front of his men and made a mental note to apologize to himter.


    Looking at Owen and Hamish, he continued, "That guy possessed support-type magic. I guess you can say I know it because I also have support-type magic. In any case, remember that they are not Array Specialists, at most, they can only embed enchantments on a ready-made item. If I have to guess, he used the materials to form anotheryer on the armor and embed his own magic array on thatyer."


    Owen and Hamish took a sharp intake of breath. They kept on forgetting that their opponents were not Array Specialists and thus were not that knowledgeable in Array calctions.


    "But that is not the only thing they prepared," Kyran went on. "If my guess is correct, the enchantment on the headgear is to enhance Matias''s magic defence. After all, reflect magic will only work if the magic attacknds on the target. If Matias fails to withstand the magic attack, then it will not be reflected."


    Owen''s expression turned sour as he sighed, "So they used the headgear to enhance one''s magic defence instead of the armor. Well, magic essories are usually made to enhance a mage''s ability so the idea is not exactly wrong."


    "But they managed to trick us into thinking otherwise," Hamish remarked, feeling a little peeved.


    "It doesn''t really matter. Their trick will only work if I go out there," Kyran told them.


    Initially, Owen and Hamish thought Kyran did not want to go because he getting harassed by the Lumley Family again. It turned out, that he guessed the other side''s plot right from the start.


    It made them wonder how Kyran even guessed it. Did the Lumley Family make a slip and he managed to pick up on the clues?


    "Now then," Kyran looked at Hamish, "They may still do their original n even if I don''t do the mock battle."


    Being reminded of this fact made Hamish''s throat run dry.


    "True, but I don''t know how to redirect attacks so the ''reflect magic'' part will be rendered useless," Hamish agreed.


    "Right. But Matias''s mes will still be painful especially with the Udrium amplifying it."


    Kyran paused and smiled slightly, "That''s why, instead of taking on his attack, you will go on the offensive."


    Seeing Kyran''s smile made Hamish shiver slightly.

 Chapter 374 Field Array

    Hamish''splexion paled the more he listened to Kyran''s strategy. The feeling of failing to execute the n weighed down his heart. This would be the first time he would have to do something for the cksmith Order.


    To be honest, he was not pressured by the fact that Chairman Noir was present. In the order, none of them had any thoughts of currying favor or showing off their abilities to get his attention. Because all of them, Array Specialist and cksmiths alike, respected Chairman Noir at the bottom of their hearts.


    They knew of the hardships he had to endure just to be an Array Master.


    Most of all, they knew of Chairman Noir''s efforts to have the cksmith Order''s reputation reach the state it was in now.


    If Hamish failed as an Array Specialist of the cksmith Order, he was afraid it would tarnish the reputation of the whole order.


    Such was human nature after all. If a failure of one member was too great, most people tend to see it as the failure of the faction he was part of.


    Add up to the fact that Kyran''s reputation was growing, people would love to find something to gossip about.


    In this case, Hamish could easily guess that they would somehow find a reason to fault Kyran if he failed in this mock battle.


    Though Kyran said the key in this battle was his armor, that was only because he had to survive Matias''s attack long enough tounch his attack. And when we say attack, it would all depend on the sword that Kyran enchanted.


    Actually, Owen''s headgear would y an important role in this. Apparently, Owen''s headgearplimented Kyran''s weapon.


    The coincidence was too uncanny it felt like Kyran nned it all along.


    It made Hamish wonder whether the breaking-of-the-sword incident was something Kyran did on purpose to change itsposition to ensure it would be the same with the headgear.


    His suspicion was further backed by the fact that Kyran was initially in the workstation where the headgear was. There was a good chance he checked the headgear''sposition first before meeting up with them.


    Err... or not. Kyran did not touch the headgear. One could inspect it with magic sense, but it would take a while to check it so...


    Hamish shook his head, pushing the thought out of his head. He had to focus. There was only a few minutes left before they start creating their Array.


    "Have youe up with what kind of Array you''ll create?" Kyran asked Hamish after concluding his exnation on thetter''s strategy.


    Hamish looked at him and nodded, "Yes."


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgement, "Alright. Don''t approach the arena yet." He added at once when Hamish made a move toward the arena.


    The reason for the ten minutes break was to give the Courtenay Family time to remove the workstations and create an arena.


    "Wait until there is only a few seconds left before going to the arena. This way, they will not have enough time to change their strategy."


    Hamish stopped immediately, feeling a little embarrassed, "R-Right."


    Noir looked at Hamish with a smile and ced a hand on his shoulder, "Loosen up a bit, Hamish. There is still a couple minutes left."


    Looking up at Noir, Hamish reddened slightly before nodding in response, "Y-Yes, Chairman Noir."


    Owen lightly hit Hamish''s other shoulder and said, "Go show them we are no pushovers."


    "Of course!" Hamish replied with a grin.


    Finally, when there was only 30 seconds left, the female announcer flew at the center of the arena. While in midair she said, "Representative of both teams for the mock battle, pleasee to the arena."


    As expected, Matias represented the Lumley Family. He jumped straight to the arena, donning a matching red te and headgear. Even his sword''s coating was red, evidence of the Urdium.


    Wearing a gloating smile, he looked toward Kyran and said, "Come up here, Tyr. I''ll burn you this time."


    Kyran replied with a raised brows and said, "Uwa... You say such scary things, young master Matias. But can you really back that up?"


    Matias sneered, "Come up and I''ll show you¡ª."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Hamish already approached the arena.


    With a look of determination, he said, "Sorry, young master Matias. This is a teampetition between the cksmith Order and the Lumley Family. Please don''t expect Disciple Tyr is the only member here."


    As he said this, he jumped to the arena. The headgear, te and sword appeared out of thin air. All three items were coated in ck.


    The moment he did, the timer above appeared. Its numbers were: 30:30.


    Matias''s face distorted at once.


    The two members of the Lumley Family also red in surprise. Even their coach stood up in his seat. If not for the mask he was wearing, his shocked expression would have been a sight to behold.


    "YOU ACTUALLY DARE TO...!" Matias growled at Kyran. "ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY?"


    Kyran shrugged and replied, "Please. As Hamish said, this is a teampetition. I don''t know why you guys think I''ll always be the first one to fight."


    "You are Chairman Noir''s Disciple! Don''t you have any pride? Will you let others fight your own battle¡ª."


    "What? Fight my own battle?" Kyran cut him midsentence with an incredelous expression. "Does it say that I have to be the one to fight? Besides, being Master Noir''s disciple doesn''t mean I have to be up all the time. I mean,e on. I fought five matches yesterday, you know."


    He rubbed his shoulders as if to show he still felt fatigued from yesterday''s matches. But then he smiled slightly before adding, "Besides, if you let me win all the time, even I will feel bad for your people."


    Several audible intake of breaths filled the hall and soon after, thunderous angry shouts erupted.


    "Know your ce! Commoner!"<sub> </sub>


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "Arrogant!"


    "Don''t think you are Master Noir''s disciple! No one will be able to protect you once the Patriarch ordered the first son to move!"


    "You just got lucky yesterday!"


    "''Win all the time?'' The other day, if the Mercenary Hall did not interfere, sir Tobias would have finished you off!"


    Mimi also gaped at Kyran, speechless.


    She had never met such an arrogant man before! While she always saw him as arrogant even when he appeared ''nice'' the first time they met, she did not expect his arrogance to be in this level.


    No, wait. This was not really arrogance. This was ''Tyr''s'' confidence in himself.


    On the other hand, Millie''s eyes glistened in admiration while she looked at Kyran. It appeared, the more Kyran acted this way, the more her admiration for him grows.


    As for Noir, Vaness, Owen and Hamish, their expressions were devoid of emotions. The first two because they knew this was not Kyran''s real character, while thetter two simply did not know how to react.


    Because what Kyran said did make sense and well... he might be mocking the Lumley Family but he genuinely sounded apologetic when he said he felt bad for winning all the time.


    "Silence!"


    The female announcer''s voice reverberated in the hall, silencing the Lumley Family members at once.


    It was at this moment, that the timer above the arena turned 30:00. She then said, "Participants, please start creating your Array."


    Hamish, who had stayed silent from the moment he stepped on the arena did not waste time and went to the containers ced at the side of the arena where the materials were ced.


    Matias gritted his teeth while ring at Hamish. Then he looked at Kyran one more time before making going to the opposite side to gather his materials.


    Now that Kyran was not the one in front of him, they already failed their objective.


    To be honest, they all believed Kyran would do the mock battle simply because of the bad blood they had.


    To think he would use the excuse that this was a teampetition to avoid fighting him while also not losing face.


    ''If that is the case, then I''ll burn you instead!'' Matias thought as he stole another nce at Hamish.


    The tension in the hall rose at an incredible height while the twopleted their array.


    As soon as the timer struck zero, the female announcer lifted her hand and said, "Stop!"


    ? Hamish and Matias looked at her, both havingpleted their array ahead of time.


    The timer appeared overhead, with numbers: 30:05.


    "The mock battle will nowmence. Participants, please get ready, in three... two... one!


    "Battle!"


    Matias pierced his red sword on the arena ground and a five-meter radius red array appeared.


    "I''ll burn you to a crisp!" He yelled at Hamish, a zing red roc appearing behind him.


    His headgear, armor and sword burst into mes.


    Simultaneously, Hamish knelt and ced his free hand on the ground. A twenty-meter radius light blue array appeared with him at the center.


    Shockingly, the moment the edge of his array touched the border of Matias''s, Matias''s array crackled.


    "Field Array, activate!" Hamish shouted.


    Kyran smiled. It seemed Hamish fully understood the significance of Owen''s headgear and his swordplimenting each other.


    Making a Field Array, that could utilize both items was the correct choice.


    Field Arrays were pretty simr to a Magus''s domain.


    Depending on the nature of the Field Array, it would amplify a mage''s ''element.'' In this case, Hamish created a water-type Field Array, which would immediately counter Matias''s Fire element!


    Noir, Vaness and Owen also smiled in appreciation especially when they heard gasps of surprise from the audience.


    "F-Field Array?"


    One of them eximed.


    The Lumley Family''s coach immediately looked at Noir''s side.


    "You! Since when can your people make a Field Array!"

 Chapter 375 Disqualified!

    The concern felt by the Lumley Family''s coach was understandable.


    Field Array was a new concept that had recently be a hot topic in the Arraymunity. The idea was proposed with the purpose of imitating a Magus''s Domain.


    But because a Magus''s Domain relied on the mage''s magic energy capacity, it was almost impossible to replicate it. Besides, a domain''s effect differ from each Magus, making it even more impossible for a Field Array to have fix materials.


    Because of this reason, that the required materials and array calction to create a Field Array was still under debate. And only a few selected factions with their own Array Specialist were able to conduct their research.


    To date, only the Royal Army''s Research Division seeded in its creation. Unfortunately, they could only create a six-meter radius array and its duration onlysted for about a minute.


    The reason behind its short duration was he materials used in the calction. It failed to gather the magic energy required in maintaining the array.


    No one hade up with the rightbination of materials to support the enormous magic energy required by the array.


    At least that was what most present in the audience believed.


    Until today.


    Because Hamish''s Field Array had arge area of effect. Not to mention, the amount of magic energy inside the array was too vast, anyone who knew the supposed problem of a Field Array''s duration realized had already been solved.


    This was the reason why the Lumley Family''s coach was shocked.


    "What is that array¡ª?"


    Matias''s words were cut short when he saw Hamish made a sudden dash toward him.


    "Tsk!"Gritting his teeth, Matias brandished his ming and also moved to intercept Hamish.


    "What¡ª?" He eximed in surprise as he realized that as Hamish closed in on him, the Field Array visible on his feet also moved.


    "How is that possible?"


    It was unknown who shouted the question. But it was obvious that this question also crossed everyone''s mind.


    CRACKLE! SIZZLE!


    Crackling and sizzling sounds filled the air as Hamish''s Field Array and Matias''s Magic Enhance Array shed.


    However, the Field Array''s tier level was obviously higherpared to the Magic Enhance Array. Cracks began to form on thetter array, it would not be a surprise if it crumbled any time.


    This was the biggest difference between an Array created by a mage only to an Array created by an Array Specialist.


    At most, an Array created by a mage could only be a low to mid-tier level. But an Array Specialist could increase the tier level of an array ording to his own level.


    "RAWRGH!"


    Ignoring the cracking sounds made by his array, Matias lifted his ming sword and aimed it at the iing Hamish.


    The air around Matias sizzled as the ming red sword in his hand gathered more of the fire magic energy in the surroundings. The circling mes on the sword intensified and the ming Roc behind Matiasbined with it.


    "BURN!" Matias roared and struck the ming sword at Matias.


    "I''m not afraid of your mes!" Hamish yelled in defiance, as he also brandished his ck sword.


    There was nothing note-worthy on the ck sword.


    However, as he swung the sword to meet the roaring mes, a beautiful light blue arc appeared on its de, leaving a fine cut in the middle of the mes.


    Some of the Lumley Family members snickered at Hamish''s pitiful attack. Because, soon after the light blue arc touched the mes, the mes'' ferocity swallowed it.


    "Hahahaha!" Theirughter filled the air.


    Even Matias sneered.


    He admitted being surprised by the Field Array, but at the end of the day, his magic was far too superior.


    "Focus Matias! It is not over yet!"


    The Lumley Family''s coach yelled from the side.


    SHATTER! CRACKLE!


    However, his warning came toote as the Magic Enhance Array shattered, and at the same time, the roaring mes froze in midair and slowly turned into blue!


    The headgear on Matias''s head glowed as the magic energy in the surrounding gathered around him.


    "Don''t underestimate the cksmith Order!" Hamish yelled, as he swung his sword, breaking the frozen mes in front of him. Without stopping, he charged at Matias, light blue concentrated energy gathered on the sword''s de.


    "YOU THINK YOU''VE ALREADY WON?" Matias who had just recovered from the shock of seeing his mes turned into ice, bellowed. He raised his right hand and summoned a three-meter radius red magic array.


    "I''LL BURN YOU!" He roared.


    The distance between the two were only a meter, and as Hamish swung his sword, a ming roc already appeared behind Matias.


    However, because of the Field Array that was still active, not to mention, Matias, being inside its area of effect, the light blue magic energy in the surroundings gathered around the roc.


    RAWRGH!


    The roc roared as its wings began to freeze. This turn of events did not stop Matias from brandishing his sword and summoning more red magic arrays.<sub> </sub>


    But...


    "Stop!"


    The female announcer shouted just as Matias and Hamish''s swords were about to crash.


    Abovehead, the timer had already stopped and a huge light green array, which everyone recognized as a Restraining Array, activated.


    "Wha¡ª?"


    "Ngh!"


    Both Matias and Hamish eximed in shock as their movements suddenly stopped.


    The audience fell silent, and the only sounds that could be heard was the crackling mes and ice on the stage.


    "Because the Lumley Family''s representative has roused his own magic, without utilizing the enchanted items and his created array, he is disqualified. The Conve wins the match!"


    Matias''s face distorted at once and he red at the female announcer.


    "DON''T F*CK WITH ME!" He roared.


    In an instant, his magic energy rose, and the light green array above the arena flickered.


    The female announcer furrowed her brows and raised her hand.


    "Stand down, if you don''t want to¡ª."


    "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY ME!" Matias cut her off. The roc behind him who was on the verge of bing an ice sculpture suddenly burst into mes.


    "Oi!" Hamish was bbergasted at Matias''s sudden shift of target.


    No. To be precise, he was surprised that Matias''s summoned roc managed to free its self from the Field Array and the Restraining Array''s influence.


    "Matias stop!"


    However, before the Lumley Family''s coach could make a move a low yet audible sigh filled the air which followed by a disapproving voice saying, "Such a sore loser."


    "HUH? WHO F*CKING SAID THAT¡ª?"


    BAM!


    "¡ªAck!"


    Matias''s eyes rolled back at once as something heavy hit the back of his head. The Roc roared behind him, but then began to dissipate in the air as he fell on the floor, unconscious.


    "YOU!" The Lumley Family members all eximed while looking at the silhoutte¡ª no, that loathsome guy, who knocked out their young master with a wooden staff.


    "Ah~ seriously this guy. His temper is worse than mine!" Kyran shook his head disapprovingly while looking at the unconscious Matias. He looked at Hamish and asked, "You, okay?"


    Hamish''s brow twitched at his question but still answered, "Y-Yeah... but..." he then looked up at the announcer who, even with half of her face covered by a mask, was gaping incredulously at Kyran.


    She had not seen him move at all!


    All members of the Courtenay Family tasked to be an announcer in eachpetition had a higher mage level than the participants. This was to ensure they could handle any unforeseen events, such as this, by themselves.


    But then this guy...


    Seeing Hamish looked in the direction of the announcer, Kyran also turned to look at her, "Ah right. Sorry. I didn''t mean to step in but the match is over, right? There is no penalty if I hit this idiot? I am actually itching to do that since the start but because we''re in the middle of thepetition I could only endure."


    One after another the Lumley Family members in the audience as well as the participants standing at one side of the arena, burst in anger.


    "Who are you calling an idiot?"


    "You actually dare to say that in front of us!"


    "How dare you knock out our young master?"


    Noir, Vaness and Owen, who had been silent since the start of the mock battle turned pale. They did not notice Kyran''s movement, and was not expecting him to provoke the Lumley Family right after thepetition!


    Kyran looked at the Lumley Family''s coach who had not spoken, or made a move after knocking out Matias. He guessed this man was one of the family''s elders and was here to protect Matias at all cost.


    However, he found the man''sck of initiative a little suspicious. There was also how he seemed to have a good hold of Matias earlier.


    If Kyran''s guess was correct, then this man was not simply an elder, at the least, he was Matias''s master, or an older cousin, like Tobias. But at most, he was his father. After all, Matias was an only child.


    "Silence!"


    The female announcer''s voice reverberated in the hall and the Lumley Family members fell silent at once.


    Shended on the arena while looking at Kyran with a slight smile, "Thank you for your help. However, I believe knocking him out cold is going too far."


    Kyran only responded with a slight smile.


    "The Array Creation Competition between the Conve and the Lumley Family has concluded. Thank you."


    She waved her hand, and Matias disappeared from the arena and reappeared at the Lumley Family''s side. Then she looked at Kyran and Hamish and smiled, "The headmittee wishes to speak with you, Disciple Tyr. Please follow me."

 Chapter 376 Reflection Meeting

    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after hearing the female announcer''s words. He already knew who was in the ''headmittee.'' The Crown Princess was one for sure, but that did not mean she was the only one. It involved some people from the Royal Family, including the emperor, and one or two elders from the Courtenay Family, since they were the host.


    But Kyran was not in the mood to meet with them. To be specific, he did not want to meet any of the Royal Family.


    The conversation he had with the empress was still fresh in his mind and if he had to be honest, the real reason why he did not want to do the mock battle was because that conversation bothered him and knew he would not be able to focus on the match.


    A good proof of his lost of focus was when he broke the sword while inspecting it. It was the reason why he did not hesitate to let either Hamish or Owen do the mock battle.


    Without waiting for Kyran''s reply, the announcer turned and started to leave.


    "Sorry, I''m feeling unwell right now and want to rest after reflecting on today''spetition with the rest of the team," Kyran said, loud enough for the announcer to hear.


    The people from the Lumley Family were within earshot and he did not want them to find another reason to harass him. He made Tyr appear arrogant and reckless, but that did not mean he was actively seeking trouble for himself.


    Kyran''s main reason for making Tyr act in this way was to bnce out his good looks. Unfortunately, he underestimated Ste''s preference¡ª since she came up with Tyr''s appearance he assumed that was her preference in men¡ª, and now he only made trouble for himself.


    Honestly, he wanted to switch identities as soon as possible because the attention ''Tyr'' was getting was stressing him out. And he was not talking about Tyr getting attention because of his Array abilities. Because if it was only about that, he was quite happy with the results.


    After all, his main objective in using Tyr''s identity was not to move around freely but to spread his ''work'' in the market.


    However, Tyr''s ''looks'' were equally¡ª if not better at, gathering attention and that was the stressful part.


    Kyran was not good at dealing with the attention of the opposite sex. Well, if you count the female attention he get from his rtives then yes, he was not entirely clueless on how to deal with it¡ª except those female rtives were around four to ten years old and were all Kyra''s ymates.


    In any case, the amount of attention Kyran was getting while walking around in Tyr''s disguise was suffocating. It was a mystery why the opposite sex found Tyr attractive, to be honest.


    The announcer stopped in her tracks and looked back at Kyran. Before she could open her mouth to speak, he noticed her four-leaf clover earing blinked a few times. Afterward, she smiled slightly and nodded, "Very well. The headmittee extends their wish you good rest tonight. Hopefully, it will not affect your participation in tomorrow''spetition."


    Kyran gave a wry smile, "Such an understanding boss you have. Thanks."


    The announcer simply bowed her head before turning to leave.


    Hamish, who had only released the Field Array and acted inconspicuous behind Kyran, finally spoke, "Is it really alright to turn down the invitation from the headmittee?"


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows. He was surprised on Hamish''scent attitude from what he just witnessed. It made him wonder if Master Noir warned them about who the ''headmittee'' were.


    If this was a normal joint military exercise, one of the Conve High Council should be part of the headmittee. But since it was not, at the very least, the headmittee members must be from an unrted party from the Conve and the Royal Army.


    "Why? Are you worried they will cause troubles for us?" Kyran asked.


    Hamish looked at him and shook his head, "No. Chairman Noir told us that no matter how unfair we find thispetition, the Conve will make sure we''re protected."


    "I see."


    It was as he expected from the Conve''s council members. Being a neutral faction for so long, they knew how to assure their people.


    Kyran looked over to the Lumley Family''s corner and found a Courtenay Family medic already looking at Matias''s condition. He found this excessive, since he only knocked him out with his staff.


    Pushing the random thought at the back of his mind, Kyran told Hamish, "Let''s head back. We still have things to reflect on."


    Hamish could not help but sweat at his remark. This was till apetition and showing a Field Array right off the bat would only lead the other participants to raise their guards against them.


    "Okay," he replied.


    Thirty minutester, they gathered in Chairman Noir''s room.


    The other council members, and acting leaders of each team were also gathered there.


    Styx, was the acting leader in the Solo Competition and, Dante, was the acting leader in the Team Competition.<sub> </sub>


    In the Material Gathering, it was the woman named, Carol. For the Alchemy Competition, the acting leader was a man in histe twenties, with wavy short blonde hair and light green eyes. His name was Emir.


    The acting leader for the Smithing was a huge middle-aged man, with long sandy blonde hair tied in a ck leather bandana, brown eyes, and a simrly sandy colored beard. His name was Decan. Last, Kyran was the acting leader of the Array Creation Competition.


    As for the remaining two events that had yet to happen, Beast Hunt and Field Operation, the leaders would be discussed today.


    Yesterday, the only one who had an event was the Mercenary Hall. That was why they did not hold a meeting after the match. Today, the Chamber of Commerce, Alchemy Association and the cksmith Order all had their events, thus, it was a good time to hold a meeting.


    At least now, most of them had a good grasp of what to expect in the following days.


    Kyran sat at one of the single chairs in the living room and remained silent as Noir opened the meeting.


    It was decided that Carol would go first. Since the Material Gathering even was consideredplete, it was only fitting to discuss it first.


    They had won the event but they had a few things to reflect on especially after seeing how efficient Aki''s strategy was.


    Kyran tried his best not to show a pained expression. After all, Aki''s strategy was only possible because that was how he programmed it.


    After Carol, they let the Mercenary Hall follow.


    The first one to report what happened was Styx.


    Since all of them already knew what Kyran did in the Solo Competition, nothing much had been discussed. Apart from the fact that Can suggested having Kyran abstain from participating on the next match. Styx also agreed. But Kyran did not agree nor disagree, he simply listened to their suggestion.


    After Styx, went Dante.


    This time, Kyran silently listened to his report. He had watched a recording of their match against the Montgomeray, in the disc provided by the Courtney family. But he still wanted to know what Dante had to say.


    Nothing beats a first hand exnation of the match, after all.


    ording to Dante, their match against the Montgomeray was a close one. Though it ended in a tie before the timer ends, if it had continued, he was positive that they would lose.


    The reason was simple enough. Dante and the rest of the mercenaries'' stamina was limited.


    But the members of the Montgomeray Family did not show any signs of fatigue. The only reason why it ended in a tie, because Dante summoned a defensive wall made of magma in which the Montgomeray members could not destroy.


    "The Montgomeray Family is known to have ties with Spirits because of the Dinaeri Family. None of you seen one?" Vaness asked.


    Dante shook his head, "We did not see one, Head Chief Vaness. But well..." He hesitated for a bit and gave a wry smile. "Who knows if they deliberately hid their presence from us."


    Spirits were mischevious in nature. They tend to hide their presence especially when they were ying pranks on humans.


    Of course, there were ways like an array, or item, even a rare flower, to provide humans the ability to see Spirits. But the materials required to make any of this, especially the flower was too expensive. Besides, once the Spirits realized they were seen because of such items, they would definitely destroy them first.


    "Quite true," Can agreed. He had watched the match yesterday and failed to find any traces of a Spirit''s presence. "However, what''s really troubling about them was their stamina."


    "Well, if their stamina is not affected after such a long match, then we can rule out the possibility of them summoning Spirits, right?" Malia chimed in. "For one thing, Spirits tend to waste a lot of their ''master''s'' magic energy."


    "The Solo Competition between the Royal Army and the Montgomeray Family ended with the former''s defeat," Vaness suddenly spoke. "A young man... I assume he is already a young man, summoned a Fire Golem Spirit that defeated the Royal Army member."


    As he said this, he waved his hand and a white orb appeared, hovering on top of the table.


    The orb lit up and showed the recording of what happened.


    Kyran watched in silence, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 377 The Conclave’s Stance (1)

    Information of what happened to the other events a team participated in were avable through the disc provided by the Courtenay Family. It included footages and list of the partipants including a brief information on them.


    On the other hand, if they wanted to gather information on the results of other teams they had to collect it themselves. It was one of the reasons why they allowed other members; participants or non-participants, to watch the matches of others.


    Kyran did not participate in the discussion of who would scout the other team''s matches.


    The Conve Council Members made their own preparations to ensure they could get enough data, by assigning some of their members to watch the matches.


    "Is he... really a young man? His build is that of a boy and yet... To actually have a Spirit of that level..." Malia voiced her doubts after the footage of the first match of the Solo Competition ended.


    Vaness waved his hand and the orb flew back to his hand.


    "Yes," he agreed. "I also found it hard to believe. But this is exactly what happened."


    Dante raised his hand to which Can looked at him, "Yes, Dante?"


    "Sorry, President Can. While I understand that it is rming to know that the Montgomeray Family can employ the help of Spirits, its not like we really have to win against them, right?"


    Kyran nced sideways in Dante with a slight smile.


    He had a point.


    In the first ce thispetition was only a show to showcase each faction''s strength. Apart from bragging rights when one side wins, there was nothing much to gain.


    At least, that was how most of the members of the Conve saw this.


    "Is that why you guys only aimed for a draw?" Styx chided Dante.


    Dante furrowed his brows, but still replied respectfully, "No. It is really hard to win against them with their abnormally unlimited stamina.


    "To be honest, if not for the nature of my defensive wall, we would have lost in the end."


    "Your innate magic is Earth magic which has a negating effect to Fire magic if used correctly," Carolmented.


    "Yes, but their Fire magic is destructive and can easily pierce through my defensive wall if I only used Earth magic. So, Ibined it with my version of Fire magic, to add a certain level of immunity against their attacks."


    "In the end the timer stopped, deeming your match as a draw," Emir surmised.


    Dante nodded, "Yeah."


    Kyran remained silent during the whole discussion. As much as possible he did not want to participate in their discussion because he already had a n of his own and the council members already knew of it¨C at least some of it anyway.


    However, he did not want the members of the Conve to keep averting their eyes on what was really happening in thispetition.


    They were aware of the injustice of the whole thing, that was true, but because they never doubted the Conve would protect them no matter, they unknowingly ''epted'' everything as if everything was matter-of-fact.


    With this in mind, Kyran knew he had to join in the discussion.


    "The match could have ended with our win, in my opinion," he said.


    All eyes zoned in on Kyran at once.


    Styx looked at him with a raised brow but did not say anything. After witnessing how he single-handedly dealt with the Lumley members yesterday, he developed a certain respect toward him.


    Dante, on the other hand, frowned as he said, "You got something to say Disciple Tyr?"


    Kyran did not miss the irritation in his voice.


    Though Dante acted civil around Kyran, that did not mean he acknowledged him as one of their own. Proof of that was how he put emphasis on the word ''disciple'' when he addressed him. To him, Kyran was first and foremost Chairman Noir''s disciple before a mercenary.


    Of course, Dante was only acting this way because he did not witness the Solo Competition against the Lumley Family. He heard what happened, but he was convinced people had exaggerated it.


    "All I''m saying is that, there is another way for you guys to force them to forfeit," Kyran replied while raising his hands to show he meant no harm.


    "But we can discuss that amongst ourselvester. We still have to hear the reports from the Alchemy and Array Creationpetitions," he hastily added just as Dante opened his mouth to refute.


    The four council members understood Kyran wanted to avoid unnecessarily conflict or them veering out of topic. Although, they could not help but think that if he had not made that remark in the first ce, Dante would not have reacted.


    Still, they knew Kyran did it for a reason, and the only reason they could think of was to change the mindset of their members.


    Dante''sment earlier was enough for them to understand that there were members who were not really taking thispetition seriously.


    "Tyr is right," Noir agreed, putting a stop to Dante''s attempt to confront Kyran. "We''ll have the Alchemy report next."


    Reigning in his indignation, Dante leaned back on his seat. Though he shot Kyran a sharp look before looking at Emir.


    Emir nodded at Noir''s direction, before respectfully bowing his head toward the rest of the council members. Finally, he looked at the rest of the members and started his report.<sub> </sub>


    The Alchemy Competition ended with not much ''drama.''


    The Courtenay Family also excelled in Alchemy and was able to produce good results. However, the level of their potions were still underneath the Alchemist Association''s alchemists. Thus, it ended with them winning¡ª as expected.


    Finally, it was Kyran''s turn to report the Array Creation''s results.


    With a slight smile on his face, he addressed them and said, "I don''t think we need to go through the details. You guys just need to know that because of the Lumley Family''s representative''s hotheadedness, they got disqualified and we won."


    ck lines appeared on a everyone''s forehead as they looked at him grimly.


    Almost all of them already heard what happened because the Courtenay Family sent a reminder to everyone, reiterating that though the matches between the Royal Army and the Conve against the Three Noble Families were considered a friendly one, everyone must still follow the rules.


    Because of the message, all those who did not witness what happened in the Array Creationpetition asked around.


    Soon after, they all found out what happened and felt somewhat sorry for the Lumley Family for falling victim again in Tyr''s hands¡ª the fact that it was Hamish who participated in the mock battle and not ''Tyr'' did not matter to them. Apparently, anyone from the cksmith Order was now synonymous to ''Disciple Tyr'' in most people''s eyes.


    Noir cleared his throat, breaking the sudden awkward silence that befell them after Kyran finished speaking.


    "Allow me topliment what the three of you have done earlier, by telling the rest of the strategy you three came up with against your opponent," he said with a gentle smile.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he said, "No need for that Master¡ª."


    "I actually want to hear what exactly happened in that mock battle," Vaness interjected.


    Kyran wanted to let out a groan at these two older men''s insistence. He wanted to move on this topic and get down to business.


    But then he thought that he could use this chance to change the mindset of the other members.


    "Fine," he finally relented after a short pause.


    "Basically, the Lumley Family requested a change in the rules even before the match started¡­"


    Kyran then exined what happened to the match. He also exined the enchantments he, Owen and Hamish did to their items.


    The reason why Hamish pulled off the Field Array was due to the enchantment Owen ced in the headgear.


    Basically, the effect of the headgear''s enchantment was to continuously attract the magic energies in the surrounding, supplementing the mage with an almost infinite supply of magic energy. Of course, it was only an ''almost'' infinite supply because it would onlyst for ten minutes.


    That was why Kyran told Hamish to go on the offensive.


    Unfortunately, Hamish''s innate magic was also fire. Andpared to Matias''s it was obviously weaker.


    But Kyran instructed Hamish to avoid rousing his own magic energy and only focus on unleashing sword attacks.


    He then exined that the weapon he enchanted would be able to draw enough magic energy in the surroundings to unleash an attack that could counter Matias''s mes.


    Owen''s enchantment yed a big role in this part. Since it actively attract the magic energy in the surroundings, Kyran only had to include an array form into the sword that would allow it to ''draw the water magic energy'' the headgear would attract. This water magic energy then supplemented the sword to unleash water-attacks.


    But Kyran knew water attack was not enough to counter mes, powered up by the Udrium. Thus, he changed the sword''sposition¡ª after it broke identally, to possess ''ice'' nature.


    It was because of this that when Hamish attacked, the sword unleash an ice attack instead of water.


    Kyran did not exin the intricate details of how the sword could unleash an ice attack strong enough to freeze the powered up mes of Matias. If he did, he would somewhat reveal that the forms he used were saint-tier level.


    To be honest, he knew the reason why the ''headmittee'' requested to meet him right after the match was because of this.


    "You might be wondering why we went through all the trouble just to defeat the Lumley Family, to the point where we have to reveal cards which you probably deemed unnecessary, like the Field Array," Kyran suddenly changed the course of the discussion.


    Decan nodded, "I¡­ actually think it is not good to reveal that early in thepetition."


    "True," Kyran agreed. He actually did not expect Hamish to go for a Field Array. But because he did, it boosted his attack further, rendering Matias''s mes ineffective. "But this is necessary to ensure the Lumley Family will not underestimate us."


    His statement made the other members fall silent.


    Kyran let the silence drag for a bit, before continuing, "You all know how unfair this event is. If we don''t show them what we can really do, then they will keep on stepping on us.


    "The Conve is a neutral faction, yes. But for how long?"


    Another silence befell the room.


    The four council members exchanged nces. As they expected, this was what Kyran was aiming for.


    "In the first ce, the purpose of a joint military exercise is to showcase each side''s military strength, as well as, exchanging of information. The Three Noble Families said they only want to participate in a ''friendly match'' but in my opinion, pitting their best members against us is by means not to have a friendly match, but to assess us for real."

 Chapter 378 The Conclaves Stance (2)

    "It is not only the Three Noble Families but also the Royal Family," Kyran continued.


    The four council members exchanged nces. They understood Kyran''s reasons for directing their discussion in toward this topic, but they were unsure if it was a good idea to let him continue. Putting aside, the Lord of the Tower''s opinion because she had a soft spot for Kyran, the Head Master was not there, nor did he tell them to disclose anything to the other members. Not that he prevented them from saying anything, either.


    However, the members here did not represent the opinion of the rest of the members of each constituent. Yes, they were the acting leaders, but it was only during the events.


    "You may be wondering why they would bother to assess the Conve''s ''reserves,'' and they should be assessing the Conve''s main talents. But, I know you already have an idea as to why that is," Kyran paused to let his words sink into the minds of each member.


    "They already know the strength of the Conve''s main talents."


    Though Kyran was not exactly asking them a question, Styx responded to his words.


    Kyran nodded in agreement.


    Emir leaned on his chair with a thoughtful expression, "As I thought... they also want to see how strong the ''reserves'' of the Conve are..." he smiled wryly and looked at them, "I honestly did not like to be called a ''reserve,'' though."


    "But why assess us?" Carol asked. "The Conve is neutral, even if we show them what we can do, we will not be a threat to them."


    Decan shook his head, "Knowing that the Conve possessed a strength that can rival or even overwhelm theirs, is already a ''threat'' on its own."


    "Well... you have a point..."


    "Hold up!" Dante suddenly raised a hand as if to stop them from further jumping to conclusions. He then looked toward the council members, before looking at Kyran. He continued, "It''s disrespectful to spout your personal thoughts when the Conve Council Members are present."


    "It is fine."


    A feminine voice suddenly spoke from the door.


    All of them¡ª except for Kyran, turned toward the door.


    "I-Impossible¡ª!"


    "This¡ª!"


    "How?"


    "L-Lor¡ª, w-why are you here?"


    Noir, Malia, Vaness and Can all eximed at the same time and stood up in shock.


    Their reactions baffled the members but they also stood up, looking at the neer curiously.


    "I told you not to move around," Kyran finally spoke, looking at none other than Ste.


    "It''s my first time leaving the Tower, and you want to hide me again?" Ste replied yfully.


    "Who is this woman?"


    Styx blurted while looking at Emir.


    Ste was currenty wearing an Alchemist robe, so it was easy to mistake her as someone from the Alechemist Association. Not to mention, she had changed the color and style of her hair.


    But even with that change, the council members still recognized her.


    Emir shook his head in confusion while looking at Malia.


    However, Malia, including the other three council members, were still gaping at Ste in shock and was unable to see Emir''s questioning look.


    Looking at the council members with an apologetic smile, Ste said, "I''ll exin itter. Before that...," she turned to the rest and said, "It is nice to meet the five of you. I am Ste, the Lord of the Tower."


    "Lord of the Tower?" They all asked in confusion.


    "Ah, right. I suppose I should say Tower Family? Oh, you don''t probably know my Family, so maybe I should say¡ª."


    "Lady Ste, you''re interrupting us now, you know," Kyran could not help but say in exasperation.


    Ste frowned slightly, "It''s your fault for not returning immediately. You''ve been gone for more than four hours."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. While having Ste here would make it easier to convince them of the things he was about to say, her showing up too suddenly might be counterproductive.


    "Lord of the Tower!"


    Malia was the first one to recover. She approached and said, "W-Why are you here?"


    The other three council members also snapped out of their initial shock and also looked at Ste with a mixture of fear and surprise.


    Styx and the others who saw their expressions were even more confused.


    Ste raised her hand to stop Malia and the other three from saying anything further before looking at Styx and the other members again.


    "Let me introduce myself properly," she started.


    This time Kyran did not try to stop her. The faster she told them her identity the better he could proceed.


    "As I was saying, I am the Lord of the Tower, and the Lord of the Conve."<sub> </sub>


    This time, Styx and Dante could not help but choke in surprise while Carol, Decan and Emir gasped.


    "Head Master Malek works for me, so I guess you can consider me the big boss of the Conve?" Ste added in a very.


    "L-Lord of the Tower!" Can and Vaness tried to stop her from saying anything more but was toote.


    Malia and Noir on the other hand could only sigh in exasperation.


    Once again, Ste''s willfulness was on full disy.


    "Please listen to what Disciple Tyr is about to tell you," Ste continue, suddenly turning serious. She then looked at the council members and added, "I agree to everything he is about to say. And don''t worry, Malek also knows."


    She walked to an empty seat adjacent to Kyran''s and sat before gesturing for him to continue, "Disciple Tyr, you may resume."


    They all returned to their seats and looked at Kyran.


    However, Styx, Dante, Carol, Emir and Decan kept stealing nces at Ste''s way. They still had trouble believing her identity. The only reason why they were forced to ept it was how the council members treated her.


    Err... they all recalled how ''Tyr'' responded to her earlier, and wondered just how ''arrogant'' could he be?


    Then again, he did not even flinch in front of the Ylfaen''s emperor so maybe they should not be that surprise.


    "Going back to our discussion," Kyran started as soon as they have seated. "Decan is right. Just the mere fact that the Conve has the power to rival the Royal Family or the Three Noble Families is a threat on its own. Being a neutral faction will protect the Conve, yes, but not in the long run. Especially now."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed, remembering his conversation with the empress.


    Going back a few hours ago, after their conversation, he left the Courtenay Family''snd, and warped back to the Tower of Conve.


    To be honest, he initially wanted to sort his thoughts by going back to the cottage and maybe talked to his godmother. But given the time difference, he knew she was still in the hospice.


    Cyneah and Zephyr might be the only ones there and he did not want them to worry unnecessarily by showing up there again.


    Kyran decided to speak with Ste and Malek, in the end.


    What the empress told him about the emperor wanting to save the Regis n shook him. It did not align to what he understood of the situation.


    There was a good chance the empress was lying, of course. But there was no signs that she did, and she did not have any reason to lie.


    Maybe if the empress was talking to ''Kyran'' and not ''Tyr,'' then it was really possible.


    But Kyran was there as ''Tyr.'' And ''he'' had no rtion with the Regis. Why would the empress lie about the emperor''s desire to save the Regis n? To convince him, by showing he had good intentions of recruiting him? ''Tyr'' did not know the Regis Can in a personal level, so why would he care?


    Because of this, Kyran could only listen to the empress as she vaguely tell him the circumstances that prompted the predicament the Regis n was in.


    Apparently, there were ''outsiders'' that appeared and took the Regis n hostage.


    The whole Regis Estate was enclosed in an unknown array the Royal Army Research Division failed to decipher.


    Because the Royal Army attempted to decipher the array, one of the leaders of the outsiders appeared and almost killed everyone in the Research Division.


    If not for the timely arrival of the emperor and the crown princess, an all-out war against these outsiders would have happened.


    Emperor Euan negotiated with the ''outsiders,'' and let them think they were on the same side. It had only been possible because the Regis n''s young master was currently missing, and the outsiders wanted him.


    Now, the emperor and the crown princess was doing everything they could to unite all factions to prepare for the worse. Of course, they were doing this in secret. Apart from this, they were trying to locate the missing Regis Young Master.


    Kyran did not respond to the empress''s plea, even after she told him what she knew. Because at that moment, his mind was in turmoil.


    Somehow, his assumptions coincide with the empress''s story.


    Except for the part that the emperor was only pretending to work with the outsiders.


    But because of this, Kyran had an idea why the Crown Princess wanted to control them using Soul Magic.


    It would take more time to convince every faction in the empire to work together.


    The situation of the Regis n might be getting worse, prompting the emperor to make such a drastic move.


    It did not matter how he unite all the factions in the empire. If it would mean they could drive back the outsiders and save the Regis n.


    But there was no guarantee that the outsiders would not try to get the other factions on their side, as well.


    Still, if the emperor seed in saving the Regis n, thetter would be more open to the idea of uniting both families through marriage, to change the empire.


    Nevertheless, Kyran felt something was amiss. He could not ce his finger on it, but his desire of ensuring the Conve would not fall in the hands of the Royal Family became stronger.


    That was why, though his mind was in turmoil by hearing news about his n, Kyran decided to meet with Ste and Malek at once.


    Kyran wanted to convince them to prepare for the worse.


    "Something big will happen," Kyran said, "And if the rest of the members of the Conve remainedcent, we''ll fall in the hands of the other factions."

 Chapter 379 The Conclaves Stance (3)

    Kyran had no ns of telling them who they were up against. At this point in time, they did not need to know that. His only goal was to open their eyes and stop beingcent.


    "Most of the factions in the empire have started to move. Not to mention, they started to form alliances."


    What he said was not entirely a lie. While the Royal Family began their conquest by assimting most of therge factions in the empire, most small to medium factions had begun to form alliances.


    This was something Kyran learned from Byron.


    But Kyra did not n on telling the members of the Conve all the details. They did not need to know all the details at this point in time. They only need to understand the gist of the situation and hopefully, improve their mindset before it was toote.


    "This all started after the emperor organized a meeting," Kyran paused to let them recall this incident, before continuing, "You know what happened after that, right?"


    "They suddenly upgraded the magic detectors all over the empire," Styx replied, recalling how inconvenient it had been the first few days that the Starhorn''s magic detector was improved.


    As a mercenary, he possessed items with questionable backgrounds. Some of which exuded magic energies that were considered forbidden. Previously, because of Master Noir''s Array in ce, the army''s magic detectors failed to detect them. But with the improved detectors, it was impossible topletely conceal it.


    In the end, Styx and a few other members of the Mercenary Hall were forced to find a hidden location to hide their items. Whenever they wanted to enter a city or a town, they had to leave their items there first.


    "But the reason behind the improvement of the magic detector is to catch the infamous Gray, isn''t it?" Emir asked looking at the others questioningly as if trying to confirm his knowledge was correct.


    Carol and Decan nodded in agreement but was looking skeptical.


    "True, but that is not the only reason," it was Can who answered him.


    He continued, "This information is considered ssified. I trust that everything you hear here stays here."


    Carol, Decan, and Emir all nodded.


    "I am willing to do a Soul-binding Oath," they all said at the same time.


    Styx and Dante on the other hand did not respond. As part of the Elite members of the Mercenary Hall, they possessed a certain level of authority and were privy to ssified information up to the 2nd level.


    Since Can only addressed Carol, Decan, and Emir when he spoke about the information, Styx and Dante guessed the information was, at least, in the 2nd level.


    "No need for that," Can replied with a smile. "As I was saying, after investigating the detector''s calction, it is concluded that it also possessed a tracking form of some sort."


    Noir nodded, before he could say something, however, Kyran spoke up.


    "The tracking form is connected to the Royal Army''s branch office in the city, wherein it disys in real-time, each and everyone''s movements within the magic detectors area of effect."


    "What?" Styx and the other four members eximed with wide eyes.


    This was the first time they were hearing this.


    Actually, this was also the first time the Conve council members were hearing this.


    Noir, Malia, Vaness, and Can all looked at Kyran, trying their best to conceal the shock on their faces.


    Ste looked at Kyran, her brows furrowed slightly as she recalled how he summoned a purple projection of the map of the whole Starhorn City in her office.


    At that time, Kyran mentioned having full control over the army''s magic detector in Starhorn, but before she could ask anything further, he cut her short.


    Ste did not tell the other council members of this because she knew it was a piece of highly ssified information. That was why she felt somewhat troubled when Kyran told them about it without batting an eye.


    "This..! Then does it mean they know our movements even now?" Carol asked.


    Kyran shook his head, "We are already outside the area of effect of the magic detector in Starhorn. We''re safe."


    With a wry smile, he added, "Then again, I doubt the Courtenay Family will suggest a location to host the joint military exercise within the magic detector''s area of effect."


    "Does that mean they know about the tracking form?" Emir asked.


    "I don''t have proof, but it is highly likely. The Three Noble Families has had close ties with the Royal Family for years, after all."


    "Royal Family? Wait a moment, are you saying the improvement on the magic detector is the Royal Family''s idea? I mean, nowadays, the emperor does not have a tight reign on the Royal Army, right?" Decan voiced his doubts. "We all know the Royal Army is under the Grand Marshal''s rule."


    "Oh, but it is a decree of the emperor. The Grand Marshal may have full reign over the army, but under the Royal Family''s Royal Decree, they can''t say no," Emire told him.


    "You don''t have to dwell on those things for now," Kyran told them, ensuring the discussion would not go off track. "Just know, that once the other factions finalized their alliance, the Conve will not remain unaffected by any changes in the empire just because of its neutral status."


    "He is right," Ste finally spoke after remaining silent.


    She looked at each one of them, "We believe the Three Noble Families'' wanting to participate in this event is to assess whether they can oust the Conve''s neutrality and, who knows... maybe ''threaten'' us into forming an alliance with them."


    To be honest, this was something she, Kyran and Malek came to conclusion only a few hours ago.


    Kyran confirmed that the Three Noble Families was not under the Royal Family''s control yet. And so far, the Crown Princess had not taken any actions in marking them.


    With the emperor''s ''supposed-real-purpose,'' in seeking a talented Array Specialist, Kyran had to re-evaluate the whole situation.<sub> </sub>


    But right now, he first wanted to prepare the Conve for the worst-case scenario, which was an all-out war in the empire. As to who their opponent would be, that was something Kyran still needed confirmation.


    "Having the Conve as an ally will not only boost their influence within the empire, but will also secure resources, both manpower, and materials," Ste added.


    "Does that mean the Three Noble Families wants to overthrow the Royal Family?" Carol asked as soon as the idea crossed her mind.


    They all knew the Royal Family''s authority was on the decline over the years and many guessed that it would only be a matter of time before arge faction dere hostility and overthrow them.


    "Let''s not jump to conclusions," Kyran told them. "The alliance might only be due to the fact that they wanted an assurance once the Royal Family make another big movement."


    "Quite right," Noir agreed. "The improved magic detector is only the beginning. What the Royal Family wants to aplish... well, we don''t know that yet."


    "If I may ask," Dante spoke up after falling silent for a while.


    They all looked at him.


    "Go ahead," Ste gave him the go signal to continue.


    "Who really organized the joint military exercise against the Royal Army?"


    "The Royal Family," Kyran answered at once Ste and the rest of the council members could not help but look at him sharply as if to tell him:


    ''Oi! Stop giving them ideas!''


    Dante looked at him with a slight frown, "And the Royal Army¡ª, no, the Grand Marshal and the Deputies agreed? Just like that? Without a catch?"


    "As I said, you don''t have to dwell on those things for now," Kyran replied with a meaningful smile. "In any case, it is better to show those noble families we are not to be trifled with."


    "Yes," Ste agreed. "And to be honest... I... no, Malek and I, feel that it is only a matter of time before we are forced to break out of our neutral status."


    The effect of her words was visible among the people in the room, except for Kyran.


    They fell into a tense silence as they waited for Ste to continue.


    "When that timees, the Conve will stand as another faction, opposing the other factions."


    None of them tried to ask which faction they would end up against. Because it was easy to guess and at the same time, horrifying to consider.


    And that was, the Royal Family backed by the Royal Army.


    Their discussion shifted after that and focussed on the strategy they would do for the next events.


    It took them a couple of hours to finalize their strategies, with the council members sharing their insights. They also voted who would lead the Beast Hunt and the Field Operation events.


    Styx was voted to lead the Beast Hunt, which was headed by the Mercenary Hall and the Chamber of Commerce. As for the Field Operation, which would have members from all constituents of the Conve, Styx, Dante, Carol, Decan, and Emir all agreed to let Kyran lead.


    Their unanimous decision had something to do with the suggestions he pitched in while they were finalizing their strategies for the rest of the event.


    After dismissing the acting leaders of each event, Ste and the rest of the council members remained in Noir''s room.


    Kyran also left, but only for show. Instead of openly showing his ''special'' status in the Conve, he decided to show he was only a regr member, or at least, as regr as a disciple of one of the council members could be.


    When he returned to Noir''s room, he warped all of them back to the Tower of Conve to continue their discussion.


    There they discussed countermeasures.


    Surprisingly, none of the council members opposed the idea of the Conve leaving its neutral status when the timees.


    Surprisingly, even Hugh looked determined. When Malis saw his expression, she became determined to find a real cure for his condition. If she had to seek Kyran''s help, she would do so.


    When they adjourned, Kyran, Noir, Malia, Vaness, and Can returned to the Courtenay Family''snd. Of course, Ste promised toe again tomorrow.


    To be honest, Noir and the others did not even know why Ste went to the Courtenay Family''snd in the first ce. While her presence would prevent the council members from asking unnecessary questions to Kyran, she could have sent them a coded message exining the situation.


    But recalling Ste''s excitement of being able to leave the Tower of Conve, the rest of the council members¡ª Malek included¡ª, decided to keep their thoughts to themselves and let their young Lord do as she pleases.


    As Kyran entered his room, he opened one of his storage rings where he stored all of hismunication devices. He took out a two by two inches purple disc, which blinked continuously, meaning it received a coded message.


    He opened the disc and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips upon reading the message.


    ''So he has decided,'' he thought. ''But then, he understands better than anyone that with his current condition he will not be of much help to the Conve.''


    The coded message came from Hugh, and it was a response to Kyran''s invitation.


    Kyran sent this invitation the same day the Crown Princess visited the Tower of Conve. It was inside the token he asked Ste to give to Hugh after telling her to hide them in her quarters.


    ''With this, I have one more card up my sleeve,'' he thought.

 Chapter 380 Dont Make The Same Mistake (1)

    The Smithing Competition between the Royal Army and the Conve was scheduled for the morning of the third day. Simr to the setup in the Array Creationpetition, six workstations, with three on each side, were prepared at the Courtenay Family''s dome, on the half side of the 4th floor Grand Hall.


    Decan, and two other cksmiths from the cksmith Order were already waiting for the start of thepetition. The Royal Army''s representatives were also there.


    The four Conve Council Members in the venue were also present, as well as the three deputy marshals of the Royal Army.


    Other representatives of the Three Noble Families were in the audience to witness thepetition.


    As for the Royal Family, the one in attendance was the Crown Princess. Her presence drew the attention of most people in attendance. After all, this could very well be her first public appearance.


    The only ones who were able to meet her at present were members of the Three Noble Families in high positions. Simrly, only selected members of the Royal Army had met her in person.


    "We hope you will be able to enjoy thepetition, your highness," one of the Courtenay Family attendants assigned to look after Haylee''s needs said.


    Haylee, sat in a high chair prepared by the Courtenay Family that overlooked the hall. She paid little attention to the attendant, who clearly wanted to curry favor for the Courtenay.


    "I''m interested in smithing myself, watching thepetition will be educational for me," Haylee gave a nomital response while she wandered her eyes below.


    "Ah..." She stopped short when her gaze caught sight of the people she was looking for. But then her brows furrowed slightly after realizing that the person she wanted to see was not present.


    "Your highness?"


    Hearing Haylee''s disappointed sigh, the attendant looked at her in concern. He was instructed to ensure the princess remained in high spirit. If she was in low spirit even before the start of thepetition, he would definitely hear a handful from his superiors.


    "All participants are here now," Haylee replied. "Let us begin."


    "Y-yes, your highness."


    Haylee leaned on her chair and closed her eyes before falling into her reverie.


    After the Array Creationpetitionst night, it was she who requested to meet Disciple Tyr. She had only found that her mother talked to him and felt it necessary to clear some things up. To be honest, she did not agree to the empress meeting with him.


    Iulia did not say what they discussed and it gave Haylee a headache. Thest thing she wanted was for Tyr to know about the matter with the Regis n.


    Her reasons were a little unreasonable. But she did not want Tyr to know about the matter of her father''s ns to marry her off to the Regis young master.


    For this reason, she wanted to talk to Tyr and probe for the details of his talk with her mother. s, thetter refused to meet her.


    And now, he was nowhere in sight.


    Haylee opened her eyes and looked at the people below. However, she was still preupied.


    ''He said he was not feeling well,'' she thought. ''Is it the reason why he is not here? There is no record of him going to the infirmary though.''


    Malia''s image crossed her mind and let out a sigh, ''Right, Chairman Malia is here. If he is unwell, there is a much more capable person with them to check on his condition.''


    Shaking her head slightly, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind for now. She had to focus on thepetition at hand and decided to watch the Solo Competitionter.


    While the Smithingpetition was underway, the subject of the Crown Princess''s reverie was currently outside.


    That was right, Kyran was not in the Courtenaynd.


    Going back to what happenedst night, after Kyran received the coded message, he left to meet that person; Chairman Hugh.


    Hugh made up his mind to help Kyran in exchange, thetter would help heal him.


    Of course, Kyran was not the one who would heal Hugh.


    It was Cyneah. After all, the reason for Hugh''s illness was the erosion of his magic core.


    Although Kyran gained vast knowledge in the Tower of Tribtion and knew a number of concoctions that could help Hugh, with the limitation of materials in the human ne, he would not be able to concoct it.


    And even if he could, the moment Kyranbined all the materials, a rift would appear in the human ne because the concoction was at least a transcendent grade. If that happened, it would rm the ''outsiders.''<sub> </sub>


    It was unfortunate that Kyran could not use the Void World for this kind of thing. That ce was rich in magic energies and was an ideal ce to grow any herbs or some beasts. One could say, it was an ideal world. s, anything created in that world, could not be taken to the ''real world.'' After all, anything created in that world by default had the ''Void'' nature.


    Still, Kyran had yet to ask Cyneah''s opinion regarding the matter of healing Hugh. Knowing her character, though, he was positive she would agree to any of his requests.


    The thought of taking advantage of Cyneah did not sit well with Kyran, to be honest. But given the situation, he did not have much choice. With that in mind, he promised himself to agree to anything she ask of him in return for her help.


    Nevertheless, revealing Cyneah''s existence to Hugh might put her in danger. So Kyran had to make ample preparation before he take the older man to her.


    After the two came to an agreement, Kyran left to find someone. Or to be precise, he went to get someone he noticed was loitering near the location they met: Nn.


    As Kyran expected, Nn got lost.


    Unsurprisingly, Nn had been wandering the forest for more than a week now. But Kyran did not have the opportunity to make fun of Nn, because he realized thetter was severely injured. With Nn being an essence, Kyran had a rough idea of how it would affect the original body.


    Kyran warped straight to the cottage.


    Based on the time difference, it was already morning in Noser when Kyran and Nn arrived. te was already there with Cyneah and both were preparing breakfast.


    When te saw Nn''s condition, she turned pale and had Kyran take him to her Alchemy room. She already noticed Nn was an essence, but it was precisely he was one that she panicked.


    The injury he had that began to fester because it had gone unattended for more than a week would not be good for the original body.


    If the original body was injured, the essence was not affected. However, if an essence was injured, there was a good chance the original body would also suffer the same thing.


    Knowing of this, Kyran stayed until he was sure Nn was safe.


    He did not want to admit it in front of the older man, but now that he knew how they were rted, he was worried¡ª no matter how annoying Nn was.


    While te attended to Nn, Kyran asked Zephyr on an errand to meet Tritus.


    On the other hand, Cyneah, knowing she could not be of help, busied herself in the garden.


    Kyran took this time to sort his thoughts.


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon. Kyran sat on the bench on the front porch, with his eyes closed and his back leaning on the chair.


    The things the empress told him still filled his mind.


    Right now, he had yet to decide how much of her words he could trust. But looking at the overall situation regarding the ''outsiders,'' Kyran judged that the Conve would suffer. For this reason, he focused on helping the Conve make their countermeasures first.


    He might not want to make full use of the Conve''s strength, but they would still be a good addition when the time to face his real opponentses.


    ''Real opponents...'' Kyran thought as he opened his eyes. His heart almost leaped out of his mouth when he realized Cyneah''s face was inches away from his.


    He had not even noticed her approach. Had he been too absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice her presence?


    "What is it?" Kyran asked and was quite surprised his voice did not betray how fast his heart was beating right then.


    Cyneah tilted her head, looking innocently at him. She had no idea what he actually did to him.


    s, being blind had some perks. Well, Kyran was d she did not see the look on his face.


    Err... actually, he was not even sure what kind of look he had right now.


    "Nar," she said as she sat on the empty seat on his right.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed slightly. For some unknown reason, hearing her call him ''Nar'' was making him feel uneasy.


    "Uncle Nn... He... I don''t know how to say this, but... when you two arrived, I sensed him, and yet I don''t. Is his condition really that bad?" Cyneah started. "If it is, why didn''t master ask for my help? Is my healing ability... unreliable?"

 Chapter 381 Dont Make The Same Mistake (2)

    Kyran could not help but smile at Cyneah''s concern.


    He already knew how much she wanted to prove her usefulness to them.


    Her desire stemmed from her disability. Because of this, most people found her a liability. Even her rtives wanted to get rid of her.


    Then again, was the uncle she mentioned before really her rtive? Being around the Royal Family, and having a past thought about her identity resurfaced in his mind, Kyran started to doubt her origin. He was starting to believe she was not just a distant rtive of the Royal Family, but could directly be rted to the Crown Princess.


    And if that was the case... well, it was not really a big deal to Kyran. He never cared about Cyneah''s origin in the first ce. But if she was really rted to the Crown Princess, Kyran knew Cyneah would be in danger.


    Because only one person could possess Soul Magic¡ª to be precise, a Soul core, at one time.


    This fact actually scared Kyran.


    What would happen if Cyneah¡ª who seemed to be using Soul magic but did not have a Soul core, and the Crown Princess¡ª who inherited the previous Soul Emperor''s will and might possess a Soul core, met?


    A disturbing thought crossed Kyran''s mind and he banished it at once.


    No matter what, he would not let anything¡ª or anyone, harm Cyneah. Kyran already considered her as one of his own. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe.


    "It''s not like that," Kyran assured Cyneah after a short pause.


    He hesitated for a moment, before adding, "As you said, you sensed¡ª," his brow twitched slightly recalling how Cyneah addressed Nn, "¡ªerr, Nn and yet you don''t, because he is not really... real."


    Cyneah''s eyes widened slowly, her brows raised in surprise.


    "You mean ''that'' Uncle Nn is an essence?"


    This time, it was Kyran''s turn to look at her with raised brows.


    "You know about essences?" He asked.


    "Yes, master taught me. Oh, and sometimes Zephy will teach me about magic," Cyneah answered with a nod.


    Kyran''s brow twitched as ck lines appeared on his forehead.


    Just what was his godmother and Zephyr teaching her?


    "I see..."


    "So that is how an essence looks like..." Cyneah muttered under her breath with a thoughtful expression.


    Her words piqued Kyran''s interest, and so he asked, "How different is it from a real one?"


    Cyneah tilted her head to one side as she pondered for the right words to exin what she saw. "Hm... well, you know how I can see these lights, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, uncle Nn''s light is usually about this big¡ª," she did a circr motion using her hands, drawing at least a two feet radius circle, "¡ªand shines really brightly. But the uncle Nn upstairs, only has about this size¡ª," she made another circlr motion, drawing a six inches radius circle, "¡ªlike most humans, and it isn''t as bright."


    Her brow furrowed slightly before adding, "And there is a small symbol at the center, I don''t recognize. At first, I thought uncle Nn is cursed or something that''s why his presence looks weak in my ''eyes.''"


    ''A symbol, huh... If I can see the way she does, I can determine if I am facing an essence or the real one,'' Kyran thought. ''Then again, only those who managed to enter the Tower of Tribtion knows about it, and probably father and Nn knows how to use one.''


    However, the idea might be helpful to him in the future. Thinking of this, he made a mental note to himself to learn an alternative way to ''see'' like Cyneah.


    "That''s a drastic change in size," Kyran remarked.


    "Master said, an essence is made from a mage''s soul," Cyneah replied. Her expression turned sober as she continued, "If... If the lights I see are a person''s soul, maybe, the reason why the uncle upstair''s light being small, means, that is the size uncle Nn has to take out from his soul to make his essence."


    "Did your master also tell you that?"


    "No."


    Cyneah fell silent.


    Kyran studied her for a second and decided not dwell on the subject. He could sense her uneasiness and guessed, talking what she could ''see'' was not exactly a good topic for discussion.


    After all, Cyneah was blind.


    Just as Kyran decided to change the subject, Cyneah suddenly said something that made him stop.


    "Zephy said, my magic has been taken away from me. But that I can still use it... and its... Soul magic."


    ''That Zephyr...'' Kyran scowled. It seemed he had to have a nice little talk with Zephyr when he returned.


    "I heard Soul magic is forbidden magic," Cyneah continued. "This is why my uncle¡ª my real uncle, abandoned me, right?"


    Kyran fell silent. He did not know the circumstances around Cyneah that led her uncle to abandon her. To be honest, he was not interested to know her past because he initially did not want to take her with him.


    But after what happened in the cave, and the events that followed, he was forced to reassess the situation. That time, he thought leaving her in a ''safe ce'' to live while still keeping tabs on her, was the best he could offer.


    This changed after meeting te.


    Kyran admitted that keeping Cyneah close, was the best course of action.


    In any case, even though the probability of Cyneah being directly rted to the Royal Family increased, Kyran did not regret agreeing to his godmother''s decision in taking her in.


    Come to think of it, it was then that Kyran became protective of Cyneah. It was also then that he hoped she would forget all the bad memories she had to endure.


    He did not expect she would still be thinking of it.


    Then again, it had only been almost a month¡ª at least in real time, since they met. Maybe it was too soon for her to really forget or not feel troubled by her past.


    "Was it Zephy who told you your magic is forbidden?" Kyran asked.


    Cyneah shook her head, "No. I heard it from the people in the hospice."


    "I see."<sub> </sub>


    The hospice was disguised as a pub. It was not really a surprise to Kyran if such an information was being discussed in that ce.


    "Aren''t you... afraid of me?" Cyneah suddenly asked, catching Kyran off guard.


    "Afraid?" He repeated ncing at her sideways, "Why should I be afraid? You saved me."


    Cyneah looked at him. Her line of sight was a little off but Kyran saw the confusion reflected in her mirror-like eyes.


    "Saved you...? But it''s you who saved me, Nar. And I can never repay you for that."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed slightly. Before he could say anything, she continued, "I don''t think healing you is the same as saving you. Because all I did is help relieve any physical ailment you are feeling. But you... to me... you..."


    She suddenly stopped, feeling her face burning. Not to mention, her heart felt as if it was about to burst from all the emotions she was feeling at the moment.


    Cyneah looked away, trying to calm her heart.


    She initially wanted to tell him that he was her saviour, because he saved her from despair.


    In that cave, Cyneah was already resigned to her fate. Yes, she still clung to life, but knowing it was futile, she was only counting the time until she sumb to death.


    Kyran''s appearance, gave Cyneah hope.


    It overwhelmed her with myriad of emotions the more she recalled all that happened. The incident where she and Zephyr escaped from a strange woman, her ending up wounded and on the verge of death once more, when Kyran found her, she realized then that she would never be able to repay him. More importantly, she realized how much she wanted to stay by his side.


    That was why, she swore to herself that she would do everything to be useful to him. Because if she was not useful he might abandon her too.


    Hearing Kyran say ''she'' saved him, sounded wrong. It even scared her.


    Cyneah did not want Kyran to think that healing him from time to time would even out how he saved her. Because if they end up even, he might stop asking for her help. If that happened, he might stoping to the cottage. They would end up not ''seeing'' each other again.


    That thought scared her.


    "Cy...neah?" Kyran called out to Cyneah, pausing at a weird moment.


    Cyneah straightened her back and look at him again, "I-I j-just remembered... y-you still o-owe me f-for healing y-your magic core."


    Kyran could not help but chuckle at her stammering. Obviously she wanted to change the subject again and he found it strange. But he did not mind. If it would take her mind off any bad memories, he was fine with it.


    "Yeah, I do."


    "I a-already know w-what I want. A-And I''ve been practicing... But... I''m not c-confident yet."


    "Confident?" Kyran asked in confusion.


    "Y-Yes. But I think I h-have to let you know w-what it is, i-in case you d-don''t agree, I-I''ll think of another request."


    "Alright. What is it?"


    Cyneah clenched her fists, resting on herp. Then bracing her self, she said, "W-Will you let me see you?"


    "..."


    Kyran gaped stupidly at Cyneah.


    Too bad she could not see howically he looked at the moment, with his wide eyes and opened mouth.


    "N-Nar? D-Did I ask for too much?" Cyneah asked when Kyran did not respond after a few seconds of awkward silence.


    Kyran blinked twice before shaking his head, "N-No. S-Sorry, I¡ª."


    "So it''s a yes?"


    "Well... that''s¡ª."


    "So it''s a n-no."


    "N-No. I mean," Kyran shook his head. He was caught off guard from her request. So much so that his mind had gone nk for a few seconds. "Are you sure that''s what you want?"


    Cyneah sighed in relief and smiled slightly, "Yes. You probably forget, but... you''re the only one I can''t see. At least, your light."


    ''Ah, right. Because of my Void magic...''


    "So, I''ve been practicing my magic sense," Cyneah exined. "I think I''ll be ready soon."


    Kyran finally understood what she nned to do to ''see'' him.


    Using the magic energies in the surroundings, Cyneah could have them ''cover'' him. By doing this, his image would take shape and she could ''see'' him.


    "So you''re magic sense is already at that level?" Kyran asked in both surprise and respect.


    Cyneah nodded, "Yes. But I still have a long way to go."


    "Given you''ve only started learning about magic sense recently, that is already a huge progress."


    Cyneah giggled and leaned back on the chair. She looked up, as if she could see the view before her and said, "I can only learn all this things because you saved me."


    Kyran only looked at her profile and did not say anything.


    But then...


    [s... to think you have found her.]


    Kyran stopped short as a voice spoke in his mind.


    [My beloved Void Master, don''t make the same mistake....]

 Chapter 382 Day 3 - Solo Competition

    Kyran stood up abruptly, looking at his surroundings with caution.


    The cottage''s array had forms in ce that prevented anyone from the outside to see or hear anything inside its area of effect. There was even an illusory form that forced anyone getting close to the cottage to change direction. No one should be able to see anything from the inside.


    But the soft feminine voice that filled his head spoke to him as if she was looking at him¡ª looking at them.


    The ''her'' the voice addressed was definitely Cyneah, and thinking about it made Kyran''s blood run cold.


    Just now, he had been thinking of ensuring Cyneah''s safety and suddenly someone was close by who saw her and even knew her.


    Apart from this, the fact that the person could see them and even send a telepathic message to him, meant her magic level was high enough to prate through the cottage''s array. A mage level that was higher than Tritus¡ª a Legendary mage or even a Sage!


    "Nar?" Cyneah turned her head in his direction, surprised at the sudden movement. "What is¡ª?"


    "Get inside," Kyran cut her midsentence. His voice was stern yet quivered ever so slightly from the uncharacteristic fear he was feeling.


    Because of her disability, Cyneah''s other senses were sharper, and she noticed Kyran''s agitation. It pained her to think she was being a burden again, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and nodded.


    Without saying anything, Cyneah stood up and retreated inside the cottage.


    As soon as the door to the cottage closed, Kyran''s eyes turned dark purple as he activated his magic sense, forming a protective sphere around the cottage.


    Since it hade to this, he did not care whether the person outside recognized his magic signature¡ª no, in the first ce, the woman already knew about it since she called him ''Void Master.'' What he did not care about was the possibility of other people detecting his magic signature.


    And while all those who addressed him as Void Master were considered his ''allies,'' the fact that he sensed the woman''s hostility toward Cyneah through her words, made her his enemy.


    [You don''t have to look that scary.]


    ''Who are you?''


    [It pains me to see you like this, my beloved Void Master¡ª.]


    ''Who are you?'' Kyran repeated, his voice turning colder.


    An audible sigh filled the surrounding, causing a gust of wind to spread toward the cottage.


    [The Smithingpetition is about to end. It is almost time for the Solo Competition. Let us meet then.]


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    The Conve''s opponent for the Solo Competition today, was the Montgomeray Family, and from this, it was easy to guess the woman''s identity.


    A Spirit, who possessed a high mage level.


    Kyran already confirmed that the woman was not human from the presence she exuded. But confirming it at the same time, knowing there was only a handful¡ª maybe even less¡ª, who possessed a high mage level among them made him apprehensive.


    If the woman was not the Queen of the Faes, who else could it be?


    After telling Kyran to meet, the voice went silent. It appeared she had already left.


    Kyran did not rx though, he spread his magic sense outside the cottage, covering at least a 50-kilometer radius.


    When he was sure there was no threat nearby, he retracted his magic sense. Then he waved his hand and a crude-looking puppet appeared before him.


    He frowned slightly while staring at the puppet.


    At the moment, all of his working puppets were in Starhorn. Three were acting as Conve members, while the other two that were still work-in-progress, were back in the cksmith Order practicing their motor skills by crafting magic items.


    Because of theck of materials for Puppet creation avable in the Human ne, Kyran could notplete the rest of the puppets he had in his inventory.


    Nevertheless, he could not leave the cottage without leaving another form of protection for te and Cyneah, especially now that he knew the cottage''s array might not be enough to protect them from the eyes of mages in the Legendary level.


    Zephyr was not here at the moment. His errand was equally important so Kyran could not tell him to return, though he was tempted.


    The only option Kyran had was to leave one of his iplete puppets in the cottage.


    His limited resources once again gnawed at him. It was exactly because of this that he could not make a big move against the Royal Family. The people he asked to search for his prospective force, had not contacted him yet. As for Gage and Ss, Nn was the only one who couldmunicate with them and he was not here.


    Kyran doubted Nn left themunication device to his essence.


    ''It''s better than nothing,'' he thought, after hesitating for only a second.


    He only needed the puppet to keep watch and defend the cottage for a few minutes until he returned. Besides, the puppet was only a preventative measure.


    With the remaining time he had left before returning to the Courtenaynd, Kyran adjusted the puppet before him as much as he could.<sub> </sub>


    Back in the Courtenaynd, the Smithingpetition had already concluded.


    As stated in the rules, the winner would be announced tomorrow. Nothing noteworthy happened during thepetition. The members of the cksmith Order did all their best without holding back. This was one of the things that had been agreed upon during the reflection meeting.


    After thepetition, the Conve members gathered and met with the council members for lunch.


    They all noticed Kyran''s absence.


    The acting leaders were informed of Kyran''s condition and could only ry the message to the rest to cate their suddenly growing nerves.


    Apparently, Kyran''s presence had be a ray of light of some sort for most of them.


    Finally, Styx and the rest of the mercenaries participating in the Solo Competition made their way to the dome''s Function Hall 4.


    Previously, there were no Conve members in attendance during their first Solo Competition against the Lumley Family because most went to watch the Team Competition.


    Today, more than half went to watch their match against the Montgomeray Family.


    The reason was obviously due to Kyran''s performance in the match against the Lumley Family, and at the same time, the Montgomeray Family''s performance in the Team and Solo Competitions.


    Apart from this, they had won their match against the Royal Army.


    Styx and the others entered the locker room. They were surprised to see Kyran already there, sitting on the bench with his eyes closed and arms crossed, as if lost in thought.


    "Are you feeling better, Tyr?" Deo asked.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at them, "I''ll manage."


    His reply came as a surprise to them. He had always exuded overwhelming confidence that all of them could not keep up, but now, he sounded a little off.


    Looking at him closely, he also looked a little pale.


    "You look like sh*t," Styx told him and sat on the empty space to Kyran''s right.


    Kyran looked at him wryly but did not reply.


    "We''re still doing the solo challenge?" Rake asked while leaning on one of the lockers in front of Kyran and Styx.


    "No," Styx replied shaking his head. "We''ll do it normally. There is no harm in learning more about the Montgomeray."


    "Hm," Deo nodded also sitting on the bench beside Styx. "We have little information on the Montgomeray Family and this is a good chance to gather some."


    Rake nodded, "Alright."


    Then all of them turned to Kyran who had remained silent during their exchange.


    "Do you have anything to add, Tyr?" Styx asked.


    They already discussed their course of action on today''spetition during the reflection meeting, but Styx still asked Kyran''s opinion in case he had anything to add.


    "Hm... I guess, just a piece of advice."


    "What is it?"


    "There''s a small chance the Montgomeray Family has asked the headmittee for a change in the rules. Be careful."


    The three exchanged puzzled looks.


    Of course, they already expected this. The Lumley Family did request a change in the rules during the Array Creationpetition. But so far, it had only been the Lumley Family and the other two noble families remained silent.


    "That''s already a given," Styx said as he stood up. He looked at Kyran again and said, "In this round, you''ll gost. You f*cking look like you''d faint if you so much as summon your magic, to be honest."


    Deo and Rake burst out inughter.


    Kyran scratched his head. It was true he looked pale because he once again used up quite an enormous amount of his magic energy, adjusting his puppet. But his condition was not as bad as how Styx made it out to be.


    "I''m good with that," Kyran replied, but then added with a slight smile, "But I have a feeling the Montgomeray Family will not want that."


    Deo and Rake raised their brows at his words.


    But Styx''s eyes only narrowed. He did not respond but truth be told, he also felt the same.

 Chapter 383 Levs Challenge

    As Kyran and Styx feared, the Montgomeray Family requested a Solo Challenge.


    Since they were the ones who requested it, it was only natural to think they were confident with their first yer. It would not have mattered much because Kyran and the mercenaries had studied what little information they got on the Montgomeray members.


    Unfortunately, apart from requesting a Solo Challenge, they also made ast-minute change in their line-up.


    The Three Noble Families had two teams each, representing their families. Their first team faced the Royal Army, while the second team was against the Conve.


    But then the Montgomeray exchanged two members of their second team with two from the first team.


    It was easy to guess why they did. These two members likely were interested in Tyr and wanted to y with him.


    Styx and the others knew the appeal Tyr had shown during their match against the Lumley Family. They knew it well, yet it did not sit well with them.


    It was as if the Montgomeray Family was only interested in this match because of Tyr, and they were only extras.


    To make their intention even more apparent, the Montgomeray''s first yer brazenly called for Tyr to enter the arena.


    Snapping sounds, like thin ropes breaking, entered Kyran''s ear, and the temperature dropped dramatically in his surroundings.


    With ck lines appearing on his forehead, Kyran nced at the four mercenaries beside him as cold sweat trickled down his back.


    Styx, Deo, Tilda¡ª and probably Rake, but since bandages covered his head, it was hard to tell¡ªhad distorted expressions, indicating their apparent indignation of the matter.


    The male announcer from the Courtenay Family cleared his throat while looking at the Montgomeray Family''s first yer.


    Their first yer was someone who also gained quite the attention from the other factions during their Solo Competition against the Royal Army.


    It was none other than the young boy who summoned a Fire Golem spirit: Lev.


    The male announcer for thispetition was the same as when Kyran brazenly suggested a Solo Challenge against the Lumley Family. While he assumed the Solo Challenge would continue during matches, including the Conve, he did not expect the Montgomeray Family to be the first one to dere it.


    Why did he have to be involved in two troublesome teams? It was the question that ran through the male announcer''s head at that moment.


    Sighing inwardly, he turned his attention to the Conve''s side and said, "The first participant of the Conve, pleasee to the arena."


    Kyran and Styx exchanged nces. They knew what the boy could do. After all, they had watched the footage of his match against a Royal Army officer yesterday. Still, they were not expecting him to be their opponent since he was part of the Montgomeray''s first team.


    The line-up Kyran and Styx discussedst night were meant for the second team''s line-up, and even the countermeasures they came up with did not include this guy.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. The truth, he did not think the headmittee would allow the exchange of team members, so he miscalcted this part.


    No matter, there was no point in crying over spilled milk. Since it hade to this, they could only grit their teeth and adjust their n on the spot.


    "Go Rake," Styx finally decided.


    Given Rake''s magic, he could easily avoid getting caught up by the Fire Golem''s attack.


    Initially, Styx was thinking of letting Deo go. With his small stature and speed, he had the best chance of avoiding the Golem. However, Deo''s magic was the worse match-up with Fire: Wood magic. On the other hand, Rake possessed a rare sublimation ability, whichplemented his Wind magic. His ability would ensure he would not suffer from any critical wound.


    Still, the fact that Wind''s nature could boost Fire remained and might pose a danger to Rake.


    "Right," Rake answered and stood up.


    Just as he was about to move toward the stage, Lev suddenly spoke, "What? Are you running away from a challenge, Disciple Tyr?"


    The audience fell silent at once.


    Even Rake stopped.


    Because his head was covered in bandages, it was hard to see his expression. But the sudden movement of his back muscles indicated his tension and, likely, rising temper.


    Kyran sighed. He found it strange that people believed he would be moved by such provocation.


    First, it was Matias, now this boy, Lev.


    Heck, if running away from a fight meant he remained safe, he would. He was not suicidal after all. The only reason he never ran away from a fight was that he was confident in winning.


    Of course, this was only applicable in a one-on-one fight, and no one else was involved.


    In any case, Kyran wondered if he gave them the wrong impression about Tyr''s arrogance. If that was the case, then it s*cks.


    "Think whatever you like," Kyran replied in a deadpan voice. "I don''t feel good fighting a little kid."


    Rake looked at him sharply, "And it''s okay if its me?"


    "Ahaha..." Kyranughed uneasily, "Sorry. That''s not what I meant."


    "You..." Lev''s aura began to rise.


    With the mask covering his face, they could not see his expression. However, just from the tone of his voice, it was easy to guess that he was pissed.


    "Don''t call me a little kid!" Lev burst, and an intense heat spread out from him, filling at least a ten-meter radius of his surroundings.


    "That''s your concern?" Kyran could not help but sigh. "Fine, fine. Sorry for calling you a little kid. Please, be a good boy and y with Rake, alright?"


    "Oi!" Rakeined.


    Kyran only grinned at him.


    The male announcer cleared his throat once more. He could not believe that these people seemed to ignore his presence! This match might not be part of the main event of the joint military exercise, but this was still an official one!<sub> </sub>


    "Tsk," Lev clicked his tongue as he red at Kyran. "Fine. Stay there for now. In the end, I''ll force you to enter the arena."


    "This guy..." Rake gritted his teeth in anger. He had not met someone as arrogant as this little boy. At least not as arrogant as ''Tyr.''


    "Humph, f*cking shrimp is looking down on us," Styx spat, ring at Lev in the arena. "Don''t hold back."


    "Of course," Rake replied and jumped toward the arena.


    As soon as his feetnded on the arena''s floor, the timer overhead started to move: 25:10.


    "As exined earlier, the rules of the match are the same as the previous match between the Conve and the Lumley Family. Participants, please get ready," the announcer said and flew away from the arena.


    "Begin!" He shouted at the same time the timer hit 25:00.


    "Humph," Rake crouched down and whipped two metallic dark-green short des from his belt. Simultaneously, light yellow magic arrays circled his arms and legs.


    Lev, on the other hand, simply raised his hand and said, "Go."


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he stood up and shouted, "Senior Rake¡ª!"


    BOOM!


    Something massive mmed on the space, separating Rake and Lev, resulting in the arena''s floor erupting into bits and pieces. A powerful heatwave spread out from all directions, pushing everything it came into contact with.


    "Wha¡ª?" Rake, too surprised to defend against the iing heatwave, was instantly thrown back and out of the arena.


    "This¡ª?"


    "F*ck!"


    "Oi!"


    Deo, Styx, and Tilda eximed at the same time.


    Kyran, on the other hand, sprang to his feet, and together with Styx, they ran toward Rake before he hit the wall.


    "First challenge, Montgomeray Family wins!"


    Came the announcer''s verdict as soon as Styx and Kyran caught Rake.


    The audience gaped at the arena, which was covered in dirt and smoke, in a mixture of awe and confusion. Since they could not see what was happening in the arena, most turned their attention to the timer glowing above.


    24:57


    Silence filled the hall.


    In three seconds, Lev defeated Rake. The process was different, but Kyran also defeated Illias in three seconds.


    "Ack..." Rake grimaced as he touched his head. He was not injured, but his head mmed on Styx''s chest, and the man''s body was hard as steel.


    "You okay, Rake?" Styx asked.


    "Y-Yeah, thanks," Rake replied. "But... what the hell just happened?"


    "Tsk, three seconds, huh? I was aiming for a two-second win," Lev''s voice spoke from the smoke-filled arena.


    His words immediately made Styx and the rest of the mercenaries re at the arena.


    The dirt and smoke in the arena slowly cleared, showing Lev, who had not moved from his position.


    "I guess, Ignis''s movement is still slow."


    A giant Fire Golem slowly became visible. It had its massive hands on the destroyed arena, indicating that it made the sudden attack earlier.


    "Sh*t," Deo muttered. "That''s right. The most annoying part of a Spirit. They can hide their presence from humans."


    Tilda gritted her teeth, "This will be tricky."


    Kyran, who had stayed silent after the ordeal, stood up while keeping his eyes on Lev.


    The truth, right from the start, he already saw the Fire Golem standing with Lev in the arena. He did not say anything because he thought everyone else could see it.


    To think that the Fire Golem actually hid its presence and attacked in such a fashion.


    A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This incident answered his previous question if he could also see Spirits.


    And the answer was that he could. But that in itself was a problem because Kyran was ''Tyr'' right now.


    "Leader Styx," Kyran said without taking his eyes off the arena.


    Styx closed his eyes. He did not need to hear the rest of what Kyran was to say. It was annoying to admit, but with Kyran''s Array knowledge, there was a good chance he had a means to ''see'' the Spirit if it decided to hide again, unlike him, Deo, and Tilda.


    "Fine. Go," Styx replied.


    "I''ll make this quick."


    Styx and Rake snickered but did not say anything. They only watched Kyran as he made his way to the arena.

 Chapter 384 The First Move

    A smile tugged at the corner of Lev''s lips, beneath the mask. There was a short interference, but at least, he managed to force Kyran to face him.


    Initially, he was excited to meet Kyran. But after watching the match between the Conve and the Lumley Family, he was disappointed.


    There was no way that he, the son of the the Spirit Child could be that weak.


    It was true that Kyran defeated his opponents with ease, but that was because he was really good at Array. If not for his ability, and Array knowledge, he would never have defeated the Lumley Family members.


    Most important of all, there was no way the son of the Spirit Child possessed such a weak support magic!


    However, that man told the elders about ''Tyr''s'' real identity. While Lev was also excited when he first found out, now, he felt nothing but disdain. He was beginning to doubt that man''s words.


    In the first ce, they only had that man''s words to rely on. There was no definite proof that ''Tyr'' was the son of the Spirit Child. Even the Spirits with them was not reacting to ''Tyr.''


    For this reason, Lev decided to unmask ''Tyr''s'' facade. Who knew, maybe he was actually working with that man¡ª the one with flowing dark violet hair standing with the rest of the Montgomeray Family in the audience, and was trying to deceive their family.


    They might be working with the Royal Family and was looking for a reason to ''take them down,'' as what they had done to the Svell Family.


    The reason for Lev''s doubts, was simple.


    If ''Tyr'' was the person the elders were looking for, why did he have to hide? Why did he note to them sooner? It was impossible for him not to have the memories of that person, if he was real.


    "The next participant for the Conve, pleasee to the arena," the male announcer said.


    While he was speaking, the light golden array above the arena glowed, and the destroyed area on the arena repaired itself.


    But Kyran was not paying attention to that, he kept his focus on Lev as thoughts swirled around his head.


    He had to be careful when dealing with this kid. If not, he would end up exposing his real identity in front of all these people... No, maybe not his real identity, because none of the people present here knew the rtionship between the Spirits and his predecessor.


    Needless to say, that was only applicable if the Three Noble Families did not know what happened a thousand of years ago. Then again, it was unlikely they knew the truth, because apart from the families that birthed the four mages with Ancient magic; the Ashton¡ª which now became the Ada, the Regis, the Tower, and the Winfrey¡ª which was now under the Royal Family, Arthal, none of the current noble families lived a thousand years. They only appeared at least two to three hundred years ago.


    Come to think of it, even the Regis Family and the Tower Family who had survived for a thousand years got their history messed up. All due to the fact that they did not leave proper records of the family''s history. Or maybe, the Winfrey Family made sure the history was not properly recorded.


    In any case, it was this reason that Kyran was not that worried about his real identity getting exposed. Nevertheless, he did not trust the thought process of these people. Thest thing he wanted was the Royal Family thinking that he was not only some big shot from oustide the empire but was connected with the Spirits too.


    Kyran pushed aside all irrelevant thoughts in his mind as he arrived at the edge of the arena, where the stairs were located.


    ''Now then, let''s start,'' Kyran thought as his eyes met the Fire Golem''s fiery eyes.


    The moment Kyran stepped into the arena, the timer above appeared, showing a 25:10. When he made his way to the center, it started its countdown.


    Lev crossed his arms while he watched Kyran leisurelye up the arena, he said, "Don''t pull off the same stunt you did with the Lumley Family. Let''s have a proper match."


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and raised his brows turning his attention in Lev''s direction, "Is that your way of admitting you don''t have a countermeasure against the ''stunt'' I did?"


    "Tsk," Lev clicked his tongue, annoyed at Kyran''s words. "Don''t twist my words."


    With a slight shrug, Kyran continued walking toward the center of the arena.


    "I''m not. I just find it a waste of time to tell me that. In the first ce, whether I do the same strategy or not is entirely up to me. Your opinion does not matter. Second, saying you want to have a ''proper match'' with me is inappropriate. This is apetition. Having a proper match is a given. Or what? Were you expecting I''ll take it easy because your a kid?"


    Lev did not reply to his question.


    However, the Montgomeray members participating in the Solo Competition as well as the ones in the audience who were familiar with Lev on a personal level, could sense his displeasure at Kyran''s words. He was not displeased with what Kyran had said per se. Rather it was because thetter made sense that Lev was annoyed.


    He would not admit this, though.


    "Enough nonsense," Lev told Kyran instead.


    The male announcer lifted his hand, and as he did, Kyran''s eyes turned dark purple. No one saw the sudden change, because of his mask. If someone did notice anything, they would only see his aquamarine eyes turning a darker shade.<sub> </sub>


    "Second match of the Solo Competition, begin!" The announcer dered just as the timer turned 25:00.


    Everyone braced themselves in anticipation for Kyran and Lev''s first move.


    To most, this match up was something to look out for. Both did make quite a noise during their first appearance.


    But then...


    "..."


    "..."


    Silence filled the hall as the two yers in the arena remained still. Even the Fire Golem, which was standing menacingly a few feet in front of Lev, and a few distance away from Kyran, remained silent.


    "What is he doing?"


    It was Tilda who muttered the question the rest of the mercenaries were thinking, breaking the silence in their end.


    Styx furrowed his brows but did not say anything. He was not that familiar with Kyran to have a good grasp on his thinking. But one thing he was sure of was that thetter would not do something for no reason. So, Kyran''s silence must be one of his strategy.


    "Is he trying to annoy the other side?" Deo wondered aloud.


    ck lines suddenly appeared on their heads.


    Yes. They could see Kyran doing that.


    The silence soon made the audience restless.


    Among them, Millie and Mimi who were with the rest of the Courtenay members was starting to sense something was wrong.


    Especially Mimi.


    Just a few seconds ago, she sensed something ''invisible'' past through her. But seeing that none of the people around her reacted, she might have imagined it. Besides, with the Arrays in ce in the whole dome, it was impossible for anyone to suddenly make a stealth move.


    On one side, the members of the Lumley Family snickered. To them, they did not care what the Montgomeray Family would do, they might be part of the Three Noble Families but that in itself made them their unspoken rivals. They were only interested in what Kyran was going to do.


    Anyway, seeing his uncharacteristic move made them believe he was suffering from something. Maybe an internal injury of some sort. Being able to participate in the Array Creation was one thing, but Kyran did not participate in the mock battle. His refusal to Lev''s earlier provocation was questionable too. If this was true, then they would definitely not let this pass.


    The Montgomeray Family was also silent. However, some of them stole furtive nces toward the man with long flowing dark violet hair, who was intently watching the arena.


    The rest of the people from the Conve and the Royal Army was also bewildered.


    "Argh!!!"


    Suddenly, Lev''s scream broke the tension. He stomped his feet like a child having a tantrum as he pointed at the Fire Golem before him.


    "Attack him, now!"


    The Fire Golem made grunting sounds as it turned to face Lev.


    "You dare defy me, Ignis?" Lev growled in anger. He lifted his hand with his palm facing toward Ignis.


    A red symbol three by three inches in size appeared in his palm.


    The same symbol appeared on Ignis''s forehead and it roared as if in pain.


    Kyran, who had remained silent the whole time finally made a move. His eyes had turned reddish-purple, but because of his mask, it only made his aquamarine eyes glowed in a very strange light. He crouch down then stomped his feet on the floor, moving toward Ignis at a startling speed.


    "Humph," Lev snickered. He knew Kyran would use this opportunity to attack. Unfortunately for him, Lev was not reliant to Ignis. Yes, he let Ignis do his battle, but that did not mean he was vulnerable without it!

 Chapter 385 Igniss Flames

    Spirits would never ept a mage weaker than them to be their contracted mage.


    Others believed a contracted mage would be that Spirit''s ''master.'' But that was not entirely true. A contract gave equal rights to both the Spirit and the mage.


    Earlier, it might appear as if Lev had punished Ignis for not listening to him. In truth, he merely cut off Ignis''s provision of magic energy. A Spirit would feel an excruciating pain if its magic energy were cut off while physically in the Human ne.


    Anyway, Lev made it appear as if he was punishing Ignis to fool Kyran into thinking he and Ignis had a falling out. In this way, he would ''draw'' in Kyran and then he would strike!


    "Fool," Lev snickered and rouse his magic. He spread out his arms and five small red magic arrays appeared behind him, forming a pentagram formation. Small ming orbs sprang out from the center of the arrays and flew toward Kyran.


    The ming orbs spun in the air, attracting the fire magic energies in the surroundings, slowly affecting the temperature in the arena.


    The air sizzled as the temperature went up.


    [Do it now, Ignis.]


    "Wha¡ª?"


    Lev''s eyes widened in shock as he heard a voice in his head.


    Before he could react further, Ignis, who was grasping its head as if in pain earlier suddenly lifted its head and howled.


    Arge red magic array appeared on the ground, covering the whole arena. ming walls spread from the edge, forming a half-sphere, instantly covering the whole arena.


    Everyone gasped as the arena was engulfed by angry mes, making it impossible for them to see what was happening inside.


    Styx and the other members of the Conve all wore worried expressions. However, their unwavering belief in Kyran helped them remain calm.


    On the contrary, the Montgomeray Family who had been watching indifferently from the start could not hide their shock.


    The amount of magic energy a Spirit could manifest depended on their contracted mage. For Ignis to summon arge area of me was impossible in Lev''s magic reserves!


    Zuri, the other member from team one who got transferred to team two stood up. Beneath her mask, her light blue eyes were wide in both fear and awe.


    She was not the only one, the man with flowing long dark violet hair in the audience stared at the arena as his hand tightened around the rail. A gleeful smile appeared beneath the mask.


    "Finally..!" He muttered under his breath.


    "Mimi!" Millie turned to Mimi in fright.


    Mimi, on the other hand, was frowning at the mes that enveloped the whole arena.


    mes summoned by a Spirit were fundamentally different from mes summoned by humans. Because Spirits'' affinity to the elements was greater given how their body''sposition was simr to their element.


    A good example was the Fire Golem, Ignis. Its whole body was made up of mes.


    In theory, when a Spirit attacked a human, it would leave a fatal injury or worse, could kill in an instant. The only reason why the Spirits were unable to pose a threat to the humans was thews of magic in the Human ne restricted their magic. In order for Spirits to use their magic in the human ne, they would need a contracted mage. Even then, the amount of magic they could use depend on their contracted mage.


    Aside from this, establishing a contract was also hard. Because the only way for Spirits to form a contract with a human was if that human possessed fae blood.


    In the history of mankind, there had only been one person who managed to bypass this requirement. And that person was the one who married a Fae noble, giving birth to the human families which now possessed fae blood.


    "If this keeps up, Disciple Tyr will be in danger!" Millie eximed in panic, turning her attention back to the arena.


    Mimi did not respond.


    She understood the gravity of the situation if the Fire Golem summoned these mes to attack Kyran. However, she could not shake the feeling that Lev did not approve of this move. To be precise, it appeared to her that the Fire Golem made a move that Lev had not told it to make.


    Nevertheless, it was not good to let this continue.


    Tapping the four-leaf clover earing on her right ear, Mimi connected to the channel where the headmittee and the other Courtenay announcers use to ry messages.


    As soon as she connected, she heard Patriarch Ernst talking to the male announcer for details.


    <Are you sure you can''t ''see'' inside those mes?>


    ''No can do, patriarch. The mes are summoned by the Montgomeray kid''s Spirit. It is hard to prate with only magic sense.''


    <The arena''s array did not trigger to stop it¡ª?>


    <<The arena''s array is designed to prevent mages from summoning ''fatal magic attacks,'' am I correct?>>


    A soft female voice suddenly spoke, interrupting Ernst.


    Mimi''s brow furrowed, recognizing the Crown Princess''s voice.


    <Y-Yes, your highness.>


    Ernst replied.


    <<If it did not trigger, it means what the Fire Golem summoned is not fatal. The timer did not stop as well, correct? Meaning both participants are still fine inside those mes. Or did I have a wrong understanding in this regard?>>


    ''You are correct, y-your highness,'' the male announcer replied, knowing the question was directed at him. ''So far, the timer is still counting.''


    <<Then there is no cause to panic.>>


    <But your highness, this kind of magic is rather¡ª.>


    <<I don''t see why we have to make a fuss on this when Patriarch Ezra is not saying anything. Or am I wrong to think your silence means you are not worried, patriarch?>>


    Mimi''s frown deepened. She was not aware that the Montgomeray Patriarch was also connected.


    <<<Just as her highness has said, there is no cause for panic. Spirits will never harm a human.>>>


    <<<<Humph. You say that when a Spirit tried to assassinate her highness a few years ago¡ª.>>>><sub> </sub>


    <


    >


    Haylee''s voice turned cold as she called out to Garsias, the Patriarch of the Lumley Family.


    Garsias cleared his throat and fell silent.


    <Then, as advised by her highness, we will not do anything and will continue to observe the situation.>


    <<Yes. If we make any move now, everyone here will really believe the rumor that we are treating Disciple Tyr differently.>>


    An awkward silence filled the channel, and Mimi could almost see the ridiculed expressions on the Patriarchs'' faces from the Crown Princess''s words.


    It was not only a rumor. Everyone was convinced the Royal Family was giving Disciple Tyr special treatment.


    <I understand.>


    Mimi closed her eyes and tapped the earring, disconnecting to the channel.


    Millie, watching her expectantly said, "What did they say?"


    "Wait and see," Mimi replied with a slight shake of her head.


    Millie''s expression distorted, "Wait and see? Do they not care about Disciple Tyr?"


    Mimi shot her a warning look, "Stop it, Millie. This is apetition and incidents like this are bound to happen. But that doesn''t mean the headmittee does not care about the well-being of the participants. Arrays and restrictions are in ce to ensure their safety."


    The sudden reprimanding tone Mimi used to tell her off, caught Millie off guard. She was somewhat hysterical right now, but not so much that she did not notice Mimi using the term ''participants'' rather than saying ''Disciple Tyr'' to point out that the headmittee did not favor one side.


    They were all equally watching after the participants. Not just one particr participant.


    Millie lowered her head and muttered, "I''m sorry."


    "It is alright to worry about the other side, but remember you are part of the Courtenay Family. Watch yourself," Mimi added.


    Seeing the younger woman''s forlorn expression, Mimi forced a slight smile and said, "This can be a good opportunity for you to approach Disciple Tyrter, don''t you think? To check for his condition."


    Hearing her remark made Millie look up at her. Her expression brighten at once at the idea and nodded, "You''re right!"


    Inside the wall of mes, when everyone else was either shocked or worried, Kyran and Lev''s match continued.


    Lev who realized Ignis was being manipted by someone did not hold back and summoned more ming orbs.


    Kyran, who had stopped behind Ignis looked at the ming orbs and raised his hands.


    Purple discs appeared above all the ming orbs which instantly absorbed the orbs.


    "What in the¡ª?" Lev''s eyes widened after seeing the purple discs.


    And then, Kyran suddenly disappeared from his line of sight, catching him off guard.


    "You want a proper fight, right? I''ll give you that. But first, tell me why are you targeting me?" Kyran asked from behind Lev. He grabbed thetter''s neck from behind, lifting him a couple of feet off the floor.


    "Guh¡ª!" Lev gasped, feeling Kyran''s grip tightening around his neck. "W-What are you¡ª? Guh!"


    Lev grabbed Kyran''s wrist and tried to break free. However, this only made thetter tighten his grip even more.


    "I''ll count to three. If you don''t tell me, I''ll break your neck."


    "Y-You¡ª! W-We are in the middle of a match! I-If¡ªg-guh!"


    Kyran''s grip tightened onest time. Any tighter would kill Lev.


    Lev''s eyes bulged and turned red as the blood rushed to his head.


    "One."


    "W-Wait¡ª!"


    "Two."


    Lev''s mind reeled. Kyran was counting too fast!


    "I-I''ll s-speak! B-But l-let go first¡ª!" He choked out the words.


    Kyran''s grip loosened but did not let him go.


    "Talk."


    "Y-You..."


    For some reason, Lev felt as if the Kyran behind him was different from the one he was talking to earlier. And those purple discs.... what were those?


    Most importantly of all, was Ignis.


    Ignis, who was standing in the middle of the arena was looking at them.


    Normally, as the mage it was partnered with, it would have made a move to save him.


    But Ignis was looking at him indifferently. As if the contract they both shared was no longer valid.


    And the voice Lev heard in his head before Ignis summoned this wall of mes.


    He did not recognize it earlier, because it was a tad bit different. But now that he thought of it, that voice sounded simr to Kyran''s!

 Chapter 386 News From A Dear Friend

    Initially, Lev wanted to buy time for himself by giving Kyran a random answer to his question. But thinking this guy could actuallymunicate with Ignis, could it really be he was the real deal?


    Those purple discs were different from the magic arrays Kyran usually summoned when using his magic.


    No, wait.


    More importantly, those discs¡­ were they even magic arrays? If not¡­ Did it mean Kyran just summoned his magic without magic arrays? How about that time when he spoke in his head¡­ that was telepathy right?


    This¡­


    Cold sweat trickled down Lev''s back as he finally realized the situation he was in.


    Why did he even think that he could buy time for himself? Judging by Kyran''s grip, it was enough to actually squeeze the life out of him if he wanted!


    All these thoughts seemed a lot to ponder, but it only shed in an instant in Lev''s head.


    ? "I want to know who you really are," Lev choked out his answer.


    Kyran raised his brows upon hearing Lev''s answer. He sensed thetter''s honesty when he answered, thus, he did not doubt him. But he admitted to being slightly surprised.


    It should not have been the case, because the ''Spirit'' who spoke to him at the cottage, was rted to the Montgomeray, and she called him the Void Master. Their family elders might have mentioned something to Lev regarding Kyran''s identity but felt skeptical. Thus, the former''s decision of wanting to know his real identity.


    This was also not an isted case among the Montgomeray members because ording to Dante, there was someone from the Team Competition who asked about him.


    "Why? Who do you think I was?" Kyran asked, digging for more information.


    Lev hesitated for a second, before answering, "The son of the Spirit Child."


    Kyran furrowed his brows.


    "Spirit Child?"


    [He meant the child who gave birth to you, Void Master.]


    A deep hollow voice responded in Kyran''s head.


    Kyran recognized the owner of the voice; Ignis. He lifted his gaze to look at him.


    When he made eye contact with Ignis earlier, they had spoken to each other.


    To be precise, Ignis called Kyran and he responded by making eye contact. After confirming he really knew who he was, Kyran formted a strategy based on this fact to deal with Lev while ensuring his real identity was not exposed.


    "¡­ child who gave birth... my mother?"


    Kyran felt a little strange to hear someone call his mother ''child.'' But then again, to the Spirits whose lifespan amounted to hundreds of years, she was indeed a ''child.''


    "Wha¡ª?" Lev made a pathetic yelp as his eyes widen in disbelief. Then he looked at Ignis, before turning his attention back to Kyran.


    The other Spirits kept addressing ''Tyr'' Void Master, whenever his name came up in discussions, so Lev was not surprised when Ignis called him that.


    What was surprising was the fact that Kyran acknowledged Ignis''s address and inadvertently admitted it by calling the Spirit Child his mother.


    Did it mean, ''Tyr'' was really the new Void Master?


    But... no! It was too soon to judge. Or maybe not. After all, Kyran managed tomand Ignis to defy Lev... or not!


    "Y-You! Did you really respond to Ignis when it called you Void Master?" Lev blurted.


    Kyran looked at him, his frown deepening. Using his other hand, he knocked the back of Lev''s head with his knuckles.


    "Ow!"


    "Don''t call Ignis, it. You clearly know his gender."


    [It is fine, Void Master. We Spirits are used to being addressed by the Dinaeri''s as such.]


    Kyran looked at him and growled, "It''s not fine."


    He sighed and suddenly let go of Lev.


    "Wha¡ª?"


    Lev yelped yet again as he fell, his butt hitting the hard asphalt with a loud thud.


    "Ack! Oi, that hurt!" Heined as he turned and red at Kyran.


    But then, he froze and shuddered in fright when his eyes met two cold eyes staring back at him.


    "You''re actually from the Dinaeri Family, huh?"


    Kyran spoke, in a voice so cold it sent shivers up Lev''s spine.


    "Let me guess, those who have Spirits are the Dinaeri Family posing as a Montgomeray. And because you all wore masks, it is impossible to really see the difference."


    Something within Lev snapped, after hearing Kyran''s theory.


    What Kyran had guessed was not really wrong.


    All Montgomeray members who had Spirit contracts were indeed part Dinaeri.


    The key word there was ''part.''<sub> </sub>


    They were mostly sons or daughters born between a Dinaeri and a Montgomeray but were not recognized legally. Because the elders of the Dinaeri Family only saw the Montgomeray as their ''ves.'' This was one of the main reasons up till now, there were conflicts within the Montgormeray family.


    Lev swallowed down the angry retort he wanted to say, and instead replied, "I am a Montgomeray.¡­ yes, I suppose the right term is, half-Montgormeray because my mother is a Dinaeri."


    Seeing the loathing reflected in Lev''s eyes, Kyran guessed there were internal conflicts within the Montgomeray and the Dinaeri just like most noble families. But he was not interested in that, so he simply shrugged and said, "Fine. And? How do your family know about me?"


    "A few days ago, the Spirits told us about you," Lev replied evasively.


    Kyran looked at him with a nk expression, Lev''s evasive answer was too obvious. And because Kyran was not in the mood to y games with this kid, he turned to Ignis again.


    "How does the Montgomeray know about me?"


    "Oi¡ª!"


    He could not believe Kyran would turn to Ignis for the answer.


    [A few days ago, a messenger from Snow Mountain arrived at the Montgomeray Residence...]


    "¡ª don''t ignore me¡ª! Wha¡ª? Why are you answering him¡ª?"


    [¡­and he possessed the Snow Mountain King''s token.]


    ''No way¡­'' Kyran did not need to hear the rest to understand the full gist of the situation. Not to mention, the identity of the messenger possessing the Snow Mountain King''s token.


    There was only one person who knew about him, who went to the northern part of the empire in order to have an audience with the Snow Mountain Spirit King.


    Ss!


    "Where is he?" Kyran asked.


    He did not ask for the messenger''s name. Ignis might be willing to answer his questions but he could not tell if thetter made a secret pact or something not to disclose the name of the messenger as a safety measure.


    "I said don''t ignore me¡ª!"


    Lev abruptly stopped when Kyran shot him with a piercing look.


    There was something about Kyran''s ''aquamarine'' eyes that gave Lev the impression of looking into something he was not supposed to look at. It filled his heart with inexplicable fear.


    "Uhm¡­"


    "Where is he?" Kyran repeated, his voice turning cold once more.


    This time he addressed his question to both Ignis and Lev.


    Lev''s throat went dry in an instant.


    Howe when he was talking to Kyran, his voice was cold? Yet when he talked to Ignis it was not?


    "H-He is here. Among the audience."


    Kyran scowled at Lev''s answer. He did not sense Ss''s presence in the audience.


    [He carries the Montgomeray Patriarch''s token which camouges his appearance and presence.]


    Ignis exined.


    Kyran looked at him with a thoughtful expression.


    His magic sense achieved the highest level possible, but that did not mean he could detect hoaxes and magic traps in the surroundings. Factors that formed these yed a big role as to the reason, especially if such a hoax or trap was due to a saint-grade magic item or a relic.


    Nevertheless, it was not entirely impossible to detect them. Kyran only needed more time, than normal, to analyze everything his magic sense could ''see.''


    Besides, Kyran had not used the full capability of his magic sense in the open while disguised as Tyr. During the time when he detected the Crown Princess mingling with the Montgomeray Family, he only sensed her because of her magic presence.


    Soul magic was special, and since Kyran was familiar with it. he did not need his magic sense to confirm she was watching nearby.


    ''This¡­?'' Lev was suddenly rendered speechless when a rare genuine smile appeared on Kyran''s face. It was as if knowing the messenger was near was equal to hearing a piece of good news from a very dear friend.


    ''Good, he seeded in making contact with the Snow Mountain King,'' Kyran thought with a smile.


    "S-So you really are¡­?" Lev''s unbelieving utterance made Kyran look at him again.


    ''Well now¡­'' Kyran thought, suddenly feeling a little uneasy at their current situation.


    If the messenger the Snow Mountain King sent was indeed Ss, Kyran was positive thetter would not tell the Montgomeray Family about him being a Regis.


    ''Though the Montgomeray Patriarch may already know soemthing if he wanted to make contact with the Regis,'' he thought recalling what Head Chief Vaness told him.


    In any case, revealing he was the new Void Master while disguised as Tyr would raise too many questions.


    Besides, he had been preparing bait to force those ''people'' to make a move. He could not afford to make a mistake at this point. After all, he was still unsure of the Montgomeray''s stance.


    Who knew if they were looking for him and was nning to use him as a bargaining chip? As to what they would bargain for, and who, Kyran hade up with a few theories. But that was all. He had no proof.


    There was also a possibility that Lev would be willing to cooperate with him if the Montgomeray Family was on his side.


    But....


    "Why don''t we finish thispetition first, then we''ll talk more," he finally suggested after a few seconds.

 Chapter 387 Mutual Destruction?

    News of what happened in Function Hall 4 spread among the leaders of the factions participating in the event.


    The Conve council members gathered in Noir''s room were anxiously watching the projection showing a live feed of the match between them and the Montgomeray Family.


    This sudden turn of events came as a shock to them. As far as they knew, the only ones who had open hostility against Kyran were the Lumley Family.


    The Courtenay Family remained civil even with one of their Twin Belles''s evident admiration for Kyran- or at least for Disciple Tyr.


    On the other hand, it was the first time Kyran had anything to do with the Montgomeray, and thetter had been indifferent. At least, that was how the council members saw this.


    But seeing the current match, they began to realize that the Montgomeray hid their motive well. They came up with this possibility from Dante''s off-handed warningst night and how Can and Vaness witnessed one of the Montgomeray leaders nodding at Kyran''s direction during the Material Gathering event. While these two incidents were not enough to draw a conclusion, because they could purely be interested in Kyran like the rest because of the recent events that involved him, it was enough to know they were up to something.


    "The match has started more than 15 minutes ago," Malis broke the tense silence. The concern in her voice was also evident from her expression while she watched the projection. "What do you think is happening inside?"


    "This is unlike him," Can also voiced his doubt. "Do you think something happened that is keeping him from ending the match?"


    He turned to Noir as if waiting for his opinion.


    Noir shook his head with a slight frown.


    "I may be posing as his master but I also have no clue whatsoever as to what his reasons may be for prolonging this match."


    "Maybe it is not him who is prolonging the match but the boy from the Montgomeray Family?" Vaness suggested. "We already know that the Montgomeray Family is interested in him. So maybe this wall of mes is their way of isting him with the rest to talk to him?"


    "Hm... it is a possibility," Noir agreed. "There is nothing more effective than to fool others right under their noses. Maybe the Montgomeray Family does not want the other noble families to know they wanted to talk to him and set this up."


    Malia frowned and looked at Noir, "You sound as if they don''t mean him any harm."


    "We all know the rtionship between him and Spirits... well, it is only my assumption but if there is a possibility that the Spirits have a way to identify him even with a disguise, then the Montgomeray going through all this while being cautious around the Courtenay, Lumley and even the Royal Families, is understandable."


    Can and Vaness also nodded their heads in agreement with Noir''s reasoning.


    "But..." Malia, however, was not convinced. "Being inside those mes is not good. If this continues then his body..."


    "Hm..." Noir leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew what Malia was worried about. Such mes required more than the magic energies in the surroundings to maintain¡ª that included oxygen that the human body also needed.


    If the oxygen within the mes was already drawn to the wall of mes, then how would a humanst inside?


    "The same hold true with the boy, is it not?" Vaness pointed.


    Noir opened his eyes and all of them turned to Vaness.


    "He is the Spirit''s contracted mage, so maybe he is being protected to a certain extent? After all, Spirits cannot harm their contracted mages, even inadvertently," Malia insisted.


    "Regardless, I agree with Chairman Noir''s sentiment. Besides," Can smiled wryly before adding, "I have a feeling he will not allow himself to fall into a disadvantageous situation."


    Malia lowered her head. What Can said, she understood based on her own understanding, so she could not refute it.


    "Right... he has a far important thing to do, which is why he will never allow himself to be careless. He may act reckless, but everything he does has reasons," she agreed.


    They all fell silent again and continued to watch the live feed.


    It might be unconsciously but all four of them refrained from mentioning Kyran''s name all throughout their conversation. The room might be protected by Noir''s array, but now that there was a possibility that ''Spirits'' were anywhere, there was no harm in being extra careful.


    As long as they were not clear of the Montgomeray''s motive, they still had to keep up appearances, whether there were other people listening or not.


    Back to the dome''s Function Hall 4, the timer above continued to count down.


    There were less than two minutes left before the timer ends, and yet there was no change whatsoever to the wall of mes. It did not seem as if it would disappear anytime soon.


    This already exceeded the expectations Styx and the other three mercenaries had on this matter.


    "Could something really have happened to Tyr?" Tilda asked no one in particr.


    The other three did not respond. But they could not me her for worrying too much. After all, she was still a woman, and also a mother. She probably saw Kyran as her own given thetter''s age.


    Deo was the one to finally respond after a few seconds, "The array around the arena will activate if any of the yers inside are fatally injured. We''ll just have to trust in him."


    "But this situation is not good for us, right?" Rake voiced his doubts. "If the timer ends with both yers not admitting defeat, it will either end in a draw, or based on the injuries of both yers, the arena will decide who wins. If it is a draw, we can still reverse the situation. But if that kid wins...."


    Rake''s worry was warranted.


    If it was a draw, then there were only three yers left in their numbers while the Montgomeray would have four. But if Lev won the match, even if the Conve''s next yer managed to defeat him, the Montgomeray would still have four yers.<sub> </sub>


    Apart from this, they had no idea what the other three yers were capable of. The woman who got transferred from team one with Lev was a pure mage using Fire magic, so they could easilye up with a strategy against her.


    Fire mages weremon in the empire, after all.


    But if any of the three yers possessed a Spirit then...


    "Then I''ll f*cking win the remaining matches," Styx snorted. "I can''t even trust you guys to do a proper job, seriously."


    "Oi!" All three protested and red at him.


    Styx only snickered good-naturedly at their expressions, proof that he was not serious about his words.


    Or at least, half of it anyway.


    "Anyway, I don''t think Tyr will let this match end with a loss. At worse, he would go for a mutual destruction."


    Deo, Rake and Tilda narrowed their eyes.


    Yes, they could definitely see Kyran doing just that.


    However, mutual destruction sounded too brutal, even to them mercenaries. If possible, they prefer it if Kyran came out of those mes in one piece.


    Finally, the male announcer moved. With his eyes, still fixed on the timer, he hovered in the air and flew near the wall of mes.


    As the timer was down to thest 10 seconds, everyone braced themselves for the result.


    The Lumley Family were all snickering in anticipation.


    Millie''s brows were furrowed with worry. Mimi looked indifferent, but doubt was reflected in her eyes.


    WHOOOOSH!


    A gust of powerful wind erupted from the middle top of the mes, forming a vortex of mes.


    Heatwaves filled the air and everyone in the audience including the participants were forced to use their magic barriers to protect themselves. Because the heatwave was too hot they felt their skins would burn just from it.


    "Errgh..." The male announcer lifted his arms and covered his head while employing his most powerful magic barrier. He was the closest to the vortex, after all.


    However, he still kept his eyes open and fixed on the timer.


    3...


    2...


    1...


    0


    The moment the timer turned 0, the vortex of mes dissipated revealing two figures kneeling opposite each other near the arena''s edges. On the arena''s floor was a remnant of arge-scale array.


    Both of them were almost out of breath and looked rather pale, but apart from this they were practically unharmed.


    The male announcer did not need to confirm anything with the arena''s array, he lifted his right arm and shouted his verdict, "Second match, Solo Competition between the Conve and the Montgomeray Family, end with a draw!"


    Everyone gaped at the arena.


    Some wore an expression of mixed awe and wonder.


    Given the situation, the match ending with a draw was reasonable.


    Both looked unharmed.


    However, with Lev''s Spirit nowhere to be seen and the wall of mes getting countered by the array on the floor¡ª at least, most of them believed the array was meant to counter the Fire Golem and its mes¡ª, and Kyran probably deploying all the materials he had on hand to make thatrge-scale aray, not to mention exhausting all his magic energy, both would not be able to fight on the next match.


    "T-This...!"


    "I-Impossible! Disciple Tyr cannot lose!" Millie could not help butin.


    Apparently, in her eyes a draw was considered a lose, and was uneptable especially when it involved Kyran.


    A blinding light engulfed Kyran and Lev and both were transported out of the arena and toward their respective sides, signifying that the match indeed ended with a draw.

 Chapter 388 Next Up

    "How are you feeling, Tyr?" Tilda asked as soon as Kyran appeared.


    Kyran only responded with a slight smile.


    They understood at once that his condition was worse than they expected. Initially, they thought his paleplexion was only because he used up most of his magic energy. Upon closer inspection, they noticed the beads of sweat dripping on the side of his face and the back of his neck. His lips were also chapped which was understandable given how he was trapped inside a wall of mes for more than twenty minutes.


    There were no visible injuries on Kyran, but that did not mean he was not injured. He might have suffered internal injuries.


    Rake took out a bottle of water and handed it to Kyran, who replied with a "Thanks," in a cracked voice.


    The effect of a Spirit''s mes was different than mes summoned by humans, thus, Rake decided to hand Kyran water first, instead of a healing potion. If they were not careful, Kyran''s condition might worsen rather than get better from a possible negative reaction of an ingredient in the potion from a Spirit''s mes.


    After that, he offered Kyran a hand, but thetter only raised a hand and shook his head before going to the bench by himself.


    Styx looked at the other side and noticed Lev was also not doing well.


    He was currently surrounded by his fellow participants and the woman, who transferred with him from team one to team two, was waving her arms animatedly and pointer a finger at Lev or the other three members.


    The Montgomeray Family were all wearing masks, making it hard to read their expressions, but Styx only needed to check their body movements to get a good grasp of what they were feeling or even discussing.


    From the way the woman was moving her hands, it appeared she was instructing the other three on something, while also reprimanding Lev. Thetter Styx guessed from Lev''s clenched fists and lowered head.


    Styx only had a rough idea of why the woman was angry. It might be because of Lev''s recklessness, or for failing to win against Kyran?


    No. Maybe it was not about winning against Kyran but something else.


    Turning his attention to Kyran who was now sitting on the bench with his eyes closed and arms across his chest, Styx wondered what happened between them.


    However, the male announcer chose that moment to speak, breaking Styx''s train of thought.


    "The third match of the Solo Competition, will continue in five minutes. Due to the rules of thepetition, with both participants unable to continue with the challenge, both teams will have to choose a new yer."


    As soon as he said his piece, the array above the arena lit up and began to repair the damage to the stage. Because the damage was greater than when the Fire Golem destroyed the arena''s floor, the repairs would take at least five minutes.


    "And? Who''s going next?" Deo asked while looking at Styx.


    Currently, all four with the exception of Rake were seated on the bench.


    "Hm," Styx furrowed his brows and looked at the other side once more. "There is a good chance the next up on their line up is that woman over there."


    He jerked his head toward the woman who still appeared to be instructing the other three.


    "Are you sure? She looked as if she is telling the others what they have to do because one of them will go next," Tilda disagreed with a slight shake of her head.


    "Humph," Styx snoted and crossed his arms. "If you don''t believe me, then go up next and see for yourself."


    Deo, Rake shot Tilda a look, as if to say ''You know this ising, why did you even ask?''


    They had known Styx for years and knew he did not like it when others found faults in his judgment.


    Tilda only shrugged in reply. In the first ce, she was not finding fault in what Styx had said but was genuinely asking a question.


    Hearing this exchange made Kyran open his eyes and look at them.


    Truth be told, he was not exhausted. But in order to keep up with appearances, he had to pretend to be one. It was part of his agreement with Lev.


    In any case, this was not the time to let Styx and the rest waste their time arguing who would go next.


    Kyran cleared his throat.


    Styx and the rest looked at him at once. It was not that they unconsciously view Kyran as their leader because to them Styx was the only one they would ept as their leader. However, because of Kyran''s exploits, they now view him as one of them and respect his words.<sub> </sub>


    "Leader Styx is right," Kyran told them while looking over the Montgomeray''s side. His voice still sounded a little cracked, which was not an act. But it was not only because he was exposed to extreme heat, but because he had been talking non-stop after beating the hell out of Lev inside the mes.


    Still, Kyran did not stumble on his words as he speak because he believed doing so might sound unnatural. He continued, "And... if we want to end this in one go, its best to have Leader Styx fight next."


    "Why¡ª?" Tilda started but abruptly stopped noticing how talking was taking a lot of effort on Kyran''s end. "No, you don''t have to exin. I sense that woman''s hiding something¡ª call it a woman''s instinct. Even if I go up there and aim to whittle down her stamina, she may already be anticipating that and have a countermeasure in ce."


    Rake nodded in agreement, "Compared with the Lumley Family who are interested only in getting revenge on Tyr, and the Courtenay Family who are trying to act as docile as possible, the Montgomeray Family are taking thispetition seriously. I will not be surprised if they have a detailed n in ce to deal with us."


    "s, we are at a isadvantage because they have information about us, while we have nothing on them," Deo also voiced his thoughts.


    Kyran nodded, "That''s why it is better to let Leader Styx go now."


    He looked at them before adding, "And given how that woman has been giving out instructions to those three, there is a good chance, she is expecting Leader Styx to go next."


    Tilda raised her brows in realization, "Oh! Then this means, those three may be one of those family members, right?"


    Deo frowned slightly. "''One of those family members?''" He repeated in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"


    "She meant, those family members who are only filling in toplete the required number of participants," Rake answered with a derisive smile. "They may be taking thispetition seriously, but it seems they are not taking us¡ªthe Conve seriously."


    Styx shrugged, "I bet those f*ckers considered only Tyr and me as real threats and not you three."


    "Is that right?" Tilda growled as her furrowed brows merge further. Clearly, she did not like the sound of that.


    Deo on the other hand simply shrugged and said, "Then it is good for us, right? They can look down on us all they want. What matters in the end, is the result."


    "Ho~, you say some nice things every now and then, Deo," Rake teased.


    "Shut up."


    Styx and Tildaughed at their exchange while Kyran suppressed a smile.


    At least, the tension Deo, Rake, and Tilda were feeling a few seconds ago had now lessened.


    "Alright," Styx said after a few seconds, pping both his hands on his knees before standing. "Just as Tyr said, our best choice is me."


    He looked at Deo and Tilda before adding, "You two wanna have a go? If yes, I''ll forfeit thest match to give you chance toe on stage."


    The implication in his words was noticed by Deo and Tilda at once.


    "Oi, Styx. You bastard. What are you trying to say, huh?"


    "What do you mean st match''? Are you saying one of us is not enough to deal with thest yer?"


    Deo and Tilda growled at the same time.


    Styx only burst out inughter. He ignored theirints and headed to the arena.


    The male announcer noticed Styx''s approach, so he turned his attention to the Montgomeray side and asked, "Montgomeray Family, have you decided on your next yer?"


    The woman named Zuri, who seemed to have only finished instructing the other three, turned to face the announcer. She said, "Yes. I''ll go next."


    As she said this, she caught sight of Styx at the other side of the arena. A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Just as they expected, Styx was their next yer.


    One might say the two of them were the worse possible match-up.


    Zuri was an Elementer, while Styx was an Abjurer. One had a powerful magic offense, while the other had a powerful magic defense.

 Chapter 389 Heavens Fall

    But that was not why Styx and Zuri were a worse possible match-up.


    It was because Zuri knew Styx had a monstrous strength thatpensated for hisck of powerful magic attacks.


    If she were not careful, she would get caught up in his momentum and be defeated without thetter exerting an effort.


    ''Now then....'' Zuri thought, the wry smile on her face turning impish. ''Do I proceed as nned? Or...?''


    They already made contact with ''Disciple Tyr,'' and further entanglement with the Mercenary Hall''s people was unnecessary.


    As a matter of fact, they wanted to avoid facing members of the Conve as a whole in a match, which was why Lev told Ignis to attack the floor and force Rake¡ª Zuri recalled his name was Rake from the information they had on them¡ªout of the arena.


    By doing so, they could avoid getting on bad terms with the Conve in the future. Disciple Tyr seemed to be on good terms with them, and it was in their family''s interest to avoid getting on their wrong side.


    Anyway, Lev had kept quiet about what he and Tyr discussed within the wall of mes, but he confirmed Tyr agreed to meet with them after thepetition.


    Apparently, Tyr was interested in meeting with the Snow Mountain King''s messenger first. Though he had not confirmed his identity yet, the fact that he could coerce Ignis into submission without so much as a fight spoke volumes.


    Zuri was aware of Lev''s doubts regarding Tyr''s real identity, but she did not share the same sentiment. She always felt something was off about him, especially with his impossibly strong support magic and absurd innate ability of spontaneous Array creation.


    Tyr was too abnormal.


    Because of this, Zuri was convinced there was more to him than he let on. So it was easy for her to ept the possibility that he was the person they were waiting for.


    But she also understood Lev''s doubts. Some of their people were also skeptical and asked questions such as: how Tyr could use Strengthening magic when it was not his innate magic, or how he could easily make Arrays so long as he had the required materials on hand.


    With Patriarch Ezra''s strict order to listen to the Snow Mountain King''s messenger, they had to suppress their discontentment andplete what they were tasked to do.


    Their mission actually ended the moment Lev seeded in making contact with Tyr and thetter agreed to meet them.


    But since they had to keep up appearances because the Royal Family was closely watching them, they had to continue with thepetition.


    If they were not careful, they might get Tyr in trouble if the Royal Family suspected anything about their purpose.


    ''... Better end this at once,'' Zuri thought, sighing inwardly as she approached the arena.


    They might have appearances to uphold, but she also knew every member of the Montgomeray Family wanted to meet Tyr as soon as possible.


    Something far more important was at stake with this meeting, after all.


    The timer started as soon as Zuri stepped onto the arena.


    Unlike the previous match, where Kyran and Lev started talking upon entering the arena, Styx and Zuri only looked at each other.


    As the timer neared the 25:00 mark, the announcer lifted his hand and shouted, "Third match of the Solo Competition, begin!"


    Styx''s eyes instantly glowed dark red as he spread out his arms. His sudden movement made therge scarf around his neck flutter. Two one-meter radii dark brown magic arrays appeared at the same time on his right and left sides. It was followed by several smaller magic arrays on his torso and arms.


    The way these magic arrays appeared on his bare upper body made them look like he was covered in tattoos.


    "Nemean armor," he muttered under his breath, and a translucent armor that resembled a giant lion enveloped his whole body.


    Tworge translucent bouche shields made of pure earth magic formed at the center of the magic arrays on Styx''s right and left sides.


    Zuri was not idle either. She raised her right hand and summoned her long staff.


    The staff''s shaft was made of pure gold, and a glowing crudely shaped icosahedron reddish-orange crystal was attached to its head.


    Magic energies gathered around her, forming a gentle whirlwind at first, that soon turned fiercer as more and more of the energies were attracted to her.


    Her short wavy dark violet hair blew around her head along the whirlwind.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Styx''s lips as he mmed his fists together.


    BAM!


    A metal-like sound rang out, which made some of the audience grind their teeth and cover their ears.


    "Give me your best shot, kid," Styx told Zuri.<sub> </sub>


    Zuri''s brow furrowed at Styx''s words but decided to ignore them. She was not a kid butpared to Styx, she was indeed one.


    Focusing on gathering as much magic energy she could get from the surroundings, her eyes soon glowed red, and a one-meter radius heptagon magic array began to form above her.


    One after another, fire magic runes filled the magic array. The glowed fiercely from the huge amount of magic energy it was absorbing.


    From the Conve''s side, Kyran watched the scene indifferently.


    Because this was a ''friendly''petition, it was not necessary to go all-out at the start. Styx and the others were also adamant about gathering intel on the Montgomeray members, thus Kyran understood thisck of action.


    However, time was of the essence, and he wanted this match to end as soon as possible.


    He wanted to meet with the Montgomeray and find out whether they were his allies or foes. Because he still considered the Spirits a threat after his encounter with one of them at the cottage, as long as they posed a threat to his people''s safety, he could not rest easy.


    The whole ce shook as a blinding gold light formed in the middle of Zuri''s magic array.


    <o>,m "Isn''t that...?" Mimi gasped as soon as she realized what the gold light was.</o>


    One after another, the audience also realized what the gold light looked like and was equally astonished.


    Kyran also gazed at the gold light and smiled.


    There were interesting people among the Montgomeray Family, and if he could get their support, he could put them to good use.


    Indeed, it was interesting to find a low-ranking mage¡ª in Kyran''s standard, anything below a Magus was low-ranking¡ª that could summon a miniature sun!


    "Senior," Zuri called out at Styx while the gold light above increased in size. "This is my most powerful attack. If you can withstand, I will admit defeat."


    Styx cocked one brow and grinned, "Are you looking down on me, kid?"


    "Not at all. I am only being practical. In a battle of attrition, I will definitely lose, because my magic reserves are limited. As for you, I know it takes minimal magic energy to maintain your Nemean Armor."


    Styx''s expression did not falter even after hearing Zuri named his armor. The Nemean armor was one of his signature defensive moves, after all.


    "So, instead of acting stubborn and saying something along the line of ''I will fight to the end,'' or ''I will not admit defeat until I die,'' I''d rather end this in one move."


    "That is what I f*cking meant when I said you''re looking down on me, brat."


    In an instant, Zuri wasbelled as a brat by Styx.


    Ignoring the sarcasm in his voice, she continued, "My little brother has suffered internal injuries after Ignis fell, and I want to take him back as soon as possible."


    It was unknown who reacted first, but some of the audience eximed in shock upon hearing her reason.


    "I knew it! Disciple Tyr will not lose to anyone! He inflicted a fatal attack on that boy by destroying his Spirit!" Millie also eximed in excitement. Apparently, in her eyes, Lev''s Spirit ''falling,'' was equivalent to it getting destroyed. Thus, confirming that Kyran did something incredible.


    Mimi regarded her with an inward sigh. She had already long lost all hope of saving this younger woman from her one-sided infatuation.


    Back in the arena, Styx''s eyes narrowed at Zuri''s words. He cast a sidelong nce toward Kyran and once again wondered what he did to defeat Lev and his Fire Golem.


    Kyran who caught Styx''s look only shrugged. However, he soon noticed several eyes boring down on him from the audience and felt an iing headache.


    Thest thing he wanted was peopleing up with an absurd story like how he ''killed off'' a Spirit and rendered his master on the verge of death.


    Looking at the woman before Styx, Kyran made a mental note to have a good long talk with herter.


    "I aming, senior," Zuri said, the miniature sun before her reaching a three-meter radius in size.


    "Humph," Styx snorted and crossed his arms, without budging an inch.


    Lifting her staff above her head, the miniature sun rose higher in the air.


    She shouted, "Heaven''s Fall!" and swung her staff downward.


    The miniature sun came crashing down toward Styx.

 Chapter 390 Abjurer Vs. Elementer

    "Humph!" Styx''s eyes bulged as he manipted the two bouche shields on his sides.


    One mmed a meter before him while the other hovered diagonally above to meet the iing miniature sun.


    "RAA!" Styx roared and punched out toward the hovering shield. In an instant, the shield multiplied into severalyers that increased in size.


    BOOM!


    The miniature sun mmed on the firstyer of the douche shield, creating an earth-shattering sound that filled the hall.


    All kinds of magic defensive spells and items were cast out and deployed from the audience to avoid getting hit by the shockwave after the collision.


    One of the participants from the Montgomeray side deployed a red translucent barrier that covered the rest of them.


    On the other side, Deo mmed his feet on the floor, and a light green magic array appeared beneath their feet. Afterwhich, thick tree roots sprang from the floor and snaked around them, forming a wood barrier.


    Rake roused his magic, and light yellow magic arrays circled on his forearm. A gust of wind enveloped the area a few inches from Deo''s wood barrier to soften the shockwave in their direction.


    The male announcer also deployed his most powerful magic barrier and remained hovering on the side to watch the match.


    SHATTER!


    BOOM!


    After four seconds, the first barrier shattered from the miniature sun''s weight and mmed on the secondyer.


    Styx''s expression remained the same as he watched the firstyer of his defensive shields shatter. There were multipleyers left, so he was not really worried. However, he was still surprised that the firstyer did not evenst five seconds.


    SHATTER!


    BOOM!


    Once again, the secondyer shattered. This time it did notst for four seconds.


    ''So it''s like that,'' Styx sneered and licked his lips.


    As one after another, four moreyers of his defensive shields, he raised his right hand toward the space between him and Zuri.


    Arge brown magic array appeared on the ground, and thick earth boulders sprang up toward Zuri''s direction.


    Seeing the iing attack, Zuri cast a speed spell on herself and dashed to her left to avoid the boulders.


    But as soon as she turned to her left, a two-meter brown magic array appeared over her head.


    "What¡ª?" She gasped and abruptly stopped.


    A huge boulder mmed down from the magic array, and if Zuri had been a millisecondte in reacting, she would have been squashed t by it.


    "You''ve got some pretty fast legs there, brat. I like''em," Styx hollered with a sneer. His intention was obviously to rile her up.


    Zuri red at him in disgust, but she failed to convey her intentions with her mask.


    "Huh¡ª?" She stopped short as a glowing brown light appeared over her head.


    She moved to the side even as she lifted her gaze. Above, she found another two-meter brown magic array, and a pointed boulder descended from it.


    "Ergh...!" Zuri mmed her staff on the ground and barely managed to summon a red magic array beneath her. mes whirled up from the magic array and collided with the boulder.


    BOOM!


    The boulder shattered into pieces.


    At that same moment, more earth-shattering explosions resounded in the air.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Three more defensive shields shattered above, leaving only sevenyers left.


    ''Less than seven seconds,'' Styx thought and finally made a move.


    ''One.''


    "RAA!" He roared as he mmed on the bouche shield in front of him, charging toward Zuri.


    "What¡ª?" Zuri eximed in surprise.


    There were a good twenty meters between them, yet Styx shortened the distance in just a couple of seconds.


    ''Two.''


    BOOM! BOOM!


    Two more defensive shields shattered above.


    Styx abruptly stopped, his feet digging a few inches on the asphalt.


    ''Three.''


    He arched his back with his right arm, poised to hit the bouche shield.


    BOOM!


    Another defensive shield shattered.


    Zuri mmed her staff on the ground, a three-foot red magic array appearing beneath her.


    "me Pirs!" She shouted as pirs of fire sprang out on the open space before her and Styx.


    ''Four.''


    But Styx ignored the iing mes. It was not because he was overly self-confident with his defenses¡ª because it was already a given¡ª but because he knew her me attack had weakened.


    That was the assessment he gathered after observing the miniature sun above.<sub> </sub>


    It took her some time toplete the miniature sun''s formation due to the magic energy the attack required. After cutting off the miniature''s sun magic energy supply after Zuri released it, she was now the sole supplier, using her internal magic reserves.


    She also told Styx that she would admit defeat if he withstood the attack because her magic energy would have been depleted by then, rendering her unable to fight.


    Aside from this, there was the matter of how fast the miniature sun''s momentum shattered his defensive shields with each passing second.


    In Styx''s opinion, this meant the miniature sun was increasing in power the more it absorbed Zuri''s magic energy. Her remaining magic energy would get depleted faster if that was the case.


    To test his theory, Styxunched a pre-emptive attack on Zuri.


    When sheunched a counter at his unexpected attack, he noticed how the miniature sun''s momentum got dyed slightly.


    It was a minuscule difference, and probably few people would notice it. Since Styx understood his defensive shield better than anyone, he could detect this.


    If Zuri wanted to continue consistently supplying her magic energy to the miniature sun, then her magic attacks would no longer be as powerful.


    But Styx did not want to take any chances. That was the reason why he got another defensive shield to block any magic attacks.


    BOOM!


    ''Five.''


    The me pirs hit Styx''s defensive shield, which rattled from the collision. However, the mes'' intensity was not enough to cause any damage to his shield.


    "RAA!" Styx jumped the remaining three meters and punched his fists toward Zuri.


    "Ngh!" Zuri jumped back and summoned a red translucent magic barrier to protect herself.


    But.


    ''Six.''


    Styx snickered as he saw Zuri''s attempt at summoning a magic barrier.


    As an Abjurer, assessing a barrier before him was easy. In his eyes, he saw how fragile Zuri''s barrier was.


    BOOM!


    Styx''s fist mmed on Zuri''s barrier shattering it like poorly made ss, at the same time, the miniature sun above hit the second to thestyer of his defensive shields.


    "Ack!" Zuri yelped as she got thrown back by Styx''s powerful punch.


    Styx tried to avoid hitting her directly but miscalcted as his fist hit her mask.


    Crack!


    Zuri mmed on the wall outside the arena, "Guh!"


    Her cracked mask fell apart revealing a surprisingly delicate pretty face of a young woman. She spat out a mouthful of blood while she slid down on the ground.


    "Sister Zuri!"


    All the Montgomeray participants, including Lev, eximed in fright.


    BOOOM!


    p Just then, the miniature sun finally destroyed thest defensiveyer of Styx''s defensive shields and hit the arena''s floor.</anda>


    Half of the arena''s floor exploded, causing a powerful shockwave to spread in all directions.


    Since the first collision of the miniature sun and the shields, the audience and the rest of the participants were forced to reinforce their barriers countless times.


    For thest explosion, they all worked together to summon a protective shield.


    However, it was at this moment that the Function Hall''s defensive array activated and contained the aftershock from the miniature sun and the shield''s collision.


    "Conve wins the third match!" The male announcer''s voice was heard amidst the confusion.


    Everyone looked at the arena and found the announcer was still hovering in ce, while Styx stood a few feet just before the edge of the still-intact part of the arena.


    Behind him, a translucent white half-sphere was trying to contain the remnants of the explosion. Yet, they were able to see that half the arena had been destroyed.


    Such a powerful magic attack was rarely seen in apetition such as this one. Thus, most gaped in astonishment at the aftermath.


    Most had mixed emotions between Zuri''s disy of a powerful Heaven''s Fall and Styx''s defensive magic that tried to withstand it.


    In the end, Zuri lost the match but won the war.


    Because Styx was unable to fully neutralize her Heaven''s Fall.


    But then again, there was no saying that Styx gave it his all. After all, he had only employed one form of his defensive magic.


    "The next match will resume in twenty minutes. Please take this time to check for any possible injuries you may have sustained from the aftereffects of the magic collisions and proceed to the infirmary for immediate care," the announcer told everyone.


    Styx watched as two Montgomeray participants went to Zuri''s side. He did not expect her to be this young. He initially thought she was already in herte twenties or even early thirties.


    Seeing her delicate features, however, it was clear she was only in her early twenties.


    ''Her mage level is almost the same as mine and she is only at this age...?'' He thought with furrowed brows. He nced at their side where Deo had only finished removing his wood barrier and looked at Kyran.


    ''That guy is also in his twenties...''


    Then he looked at Lev who had stood up from his seat looking over at Zuri. Even with the mask covering his face, Styx was sure the kid had a worried expression.


    ''And that shrimp is still wet behind the ears...''


    With a wry smile, Styx turned around and went back to their side.


    ''F*ck, this generation has a lot of monsters.''

 Chapter 391 Second Time

    The remaining three matches went by without much suspense.


    As a matter of fact, before Styx could announce his intention to forfeit thest match to give Deo or Tilda time to join in the fun, thest Montgomeray member forfeited.


    So the Solo Competition between the Conve and Montgomeray Family concluded with 1 loss, 1 draw, and 4 wins in favor of the Conve.


    With the conclusion of the Day 3 Solopetition, the members of each faction watching from the audience left to report the result to their leaders.


    The result would be shared through the white disc the Courtenay Family distributed, but because it did not include a detailed report on each match, each faction tasked its members to keep a record.


    This way, each faction could have a good grasp of each other''s strengths.


    The results for the Team Competition had been shared early because it ended much earlier than the Solo Competition.


    Both the Royal Army and the Conve won their matches against the Lumley and Courtenay Families respectively. As for the Solo Competition between the Royal Family and the Courtenay Family, the former won as well.


    The results were as follows:


    <strong>Day 1==========</strong>


    <strong>Solo Competition</strong>


    (Royal Army | Montgomeray Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Montgomeray Family


    (Conve | Lumley Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Conve


    <strong>Team Competition</strong>


    (Royal Army | Courtenay Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Royal Army


    (Conve | Montgomeray Family) = <strong>Draw</strong>


    <strong>Day 2 ==========</strong>


    <strong>Material Gathering</strong>


    (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 6 hrs. =<strong> Winner:</strong> Conve


    <strong>Alchemy</strong>


    (Royal Army | Lumley Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Royal Army


    (Conve | Courtenay Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Conve


    <strong>Array Creation</strong>


    (Royal Army | Montgomeray Family) = <strong>Draw</strong>


    (Conve | Lumley Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Conve


    <strong>Day 3 ==========</strong>


    <strong>Smithing</strong>


    (Royal Army | Conve) - Time Limit: 6 hrs. = To be announced


    <strong>Solo Competition</strong>


    (Royal Army | Courtenay Family) = <strong>Winner: </strong>Royal Army


    (Conve | Montgomeray Family) = <strong>Winner: </strong>Conve


    <strong>Team Competition</strong>


    (Royal Army | Lumley Family) = <strong>Winner: </strong>Royal Army


    (Conve | Courtenay Family) = <strong>Winner:</strong> Conve


    <strong>==========</strong>


    Based on the current standing, it was not hard to see that the Conve was dominating the whole event.


    This result took Kyran by surprise, but in the same time, it was something he intended. With this kind of result, even if the Three Noble Families were nning anything against the Conve, they would have to think twice.


    The same goes with the Royal Family. Their desire to assimte the Conve would deepen but given how unexpected the Conve''s reserves had performed in their respective matches, they would have to reassess how they go about their n.


    That had been Kyran''s goal.


    The more the Conve defy the Royal Family''s expectations the more they would get drawn into the Conve''s pace. This in turn would give Kyran enough room to execute his ns.


    Although Kyran knew the main reason why the Royal Family was interested in the Conve was because of Tyr, and most likely, Ste, he was not worried about being forced to continue pretending to be Tyr.


    He already collected enough data for ''Tyr,'' the puppet he prepared that would take over once he left. Of course, leaving a puppet all on its own was not a wise decision. That was why he would have to leave an insurance.


    Initially, he nned to make use of Millie''s infatuation and use her to get the Courtenay Family. But recalling that woman''s ''other self,'' he decided against it.


    In any case, the matter with the Montgomeray Family was a timely one. If they were proven to be his allies, then they would be his hidden card. Getting the Spirits'' cooperation was very convenient for him, to be honest. With their own means of travel, and ability to hide their presence, they were the best group to do covert missions.


    Now the only two things that bothered Kyran was the Royal Family''sck of ''movement.''


    So far, he had yet to find anyone the Crown Princess had marked among the Three Noble Families members.


    The Conve members were okay because Kyran had countermeasures in ce.<sub> </sub>


    However, if even the Three Noble Families were unmarked... had he read the Royal Family''s real intentions wrong? Could the empress be telling the truth about the emperor''s ideals?


    Kyran already knew the empress was not lying, but that did not mean the emperor did not lie to her.


    But regardless of the truth, Kyran only had one goal in mind.


    And that was to save his n.


    It was already eight in the evening when the Conve finished their second reflection meeting. During this, the council members and the rest of the acting leaders asked Kyran what happened inside the wall of mes.


    Kyran only gave a brief exnation of battling Lev inside, which he ended up exhausting all his magic energy and materials to inflict a fatal blow on the Fire Golem, forcing Lev to release him. Then he made quick work of destroying the wall of mes.


    Whether the council members believed his story or not, he did not care. But the acting leaders seemed to be convinced.


    Kyran did not join in the discussion on their next course of action for tomorrow''s matches. He left by giving an excuse about still feeling exhausted from his match with Lev.


    Noir and the rest did not argue, because they believed Kyran deserved a good long rest given how pale he was.


    After leaving, Kyran went to his room first. He did not go there because he needed to get something. After all, he always carried his things with him.


    The reason why he went there was that he felt a familiar presence entering his room.


    One of the forms he ced on the array he set up in his room was to alert him when anyone entered without his permission.


    He might have the ess card to his room, but that did not mean others could not force their way in.


    Besides, there was one particr woman from the Courtenay Family whom he knew would dare use a master ess card to sneak into his room.


    So far that had not happened yet, and hopefully, it would not happen because he had other ns for that woman.


    In any case, the presence in his room was not her. If it was he would not bother to check.


    Kyran entered his room and immediately saw the intruder.


    It was none other than Ste.


    Ste was wearing the diamond studs he gave her obscuring her presence from the others. She was dressed in an Alchemist robe, just like yesterday, but did not change the color of her hair.


    Whether she did it intentionally or forgot to change it, Kyran was unsure. But what he was sure of was she looked distracted.


    Because Ste did not budge when he entered. She remained seated at the foot of the bed, with her head low.


    "I don''t mind youing in and out of this ce, but you have to be consistent in your disguise. If others sees you we''ll have to work President Can to the bones to clean up your carelessness."


    With a slight frown, Ste looked at Kyran but did not respond to his attempt at a yful jab.


    Her light blue eyes were filled with apprehension as she opened her mouth to speak. But then she hesitated and closed it again.


    Kyran did not rush her. Though he only had half an hour before the agreed time to meet the Montgomeray Family, he sensed whatever was bothering Ste was important. Thus, he waited for her to speak.


    Kyran sat on the two-seater couch across from Ste and leaned back. He noticed subtle changes in her demeanor. Most especially, her eyes looked different somehow.


    Once he was seated, Ste took a deep breath before opening her mouth once more.


    What she said made Kyran''s expression turn cold.


    "The Queen of the Faes visited me this afternoon," Ste started, her expression distorted with different kinds of emotions she was unable to hide.


    Recalling how White Lily suddenly appeared without notice and told her about Kyran ''hiding'' that ''person'' made her blood run cold. Memories shed through her mind. Everything that ''person'' did in the past, filled Ste''s heart with terror.


    "She... asked me to speak with you about not getting involved with that woman...." Ste''s voice trailed off as she noticed Kyran''s expression.


    Whether Kyran was aware of how he was looking coldly at her or not, made her heart sink.


    Ste swallowed in an attempt to moisten her suddenly dry throat. She always knew he disliked people confronting him, especially when it came to his decisions.


    But she had to speak up. If not... then she would forever be stuck, unable to move forward...


    "C-Can?"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at the way Ste called him.


    This was not the first time.


    The first time had been during their first meeting.


    Back then, Kyran did not know who she was, yet she appeared to be very familiar with him.


    When Ste called him ''Can,'' he initially thought she pronounced his name incorrectly.


    But now... seeing the zed look in her eyes, he realized that right now, just like the first time, Ste was not seeing him, but that ''man.''


    Yes, Kyran now understood whom she had called the first time.


    He had always wondered what his predecessor''s name was, and all this time, Ste had actually told him, albeit unintentionally.


    "That''s the second time."


    "What...?"


    "I am not him."

 Chapter 392 Stella’s Unexpected Move

    Kyran''s words seemed to have gotten a response from Ste as her eyes suddenly cleared and widen in trepidation.


    "I... I..." She stammered, cing a hand on her head as if suddenly confused at something.


    Kyran heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.


    After the things he experienced in the Tower of Tribtions, he learned how to control and hide his emotions. But somehow, he was unable to do so the moment Ste mentioned ''that person.''


    Who else did she mean but Cyneah?


    That got Kyran riled up at once. He did not even notice Ste telling him the identity of the Spirit that spoke to him in the cottage was the Queen of the Faes.


    No, maybe he did notice but chose to ignore it. Or maybe, he already expected it thus he was not surprised. He was far more concerned by the fact that one more person knew about Cyneah, even if that person was Ste who vowed never to betray him. Because Kyran knew Ste was affected by the Time core and worried her judgment would be clouded upon meeting Cyneah.


    The possibility that Cyneah was part of the Royal Family was almost certain, based on the Queen of the Faes'' reaction. But to Kyran, Cyneah was only an unwanted child left to die in a cave at the Valley of Morte. Even if, for argument''s sake, she was the Crown Princess''s rtive, even if they were biological sisters, meant nothing to him.


    Cyneah was his godmother''s disciple. A person whom he viewed as one of his own. That was why he would protect her no matter what.


    For this reason, if someone would threaten her safety, Kyran would not stand aside and watch. It did not matter if that someone was Ste or the Queen of the Faes. He would remove them at all cost.


    Of course, thetter one was ast resort.


    Right now, Kyran had a few options on how to proceed from here. The ideal one was to convince them Cyneah was not a threat. But this would only be possible if they were not biased about her.


    ''Just as well,'' he thought as he opened his eyes. ''This is actually a good opportunity to talk to Ste about her emotions.''


    "Forget it," Kyran said while looking at Ste. The coldness in his eyes was gone. It was as if his expression earlier had been an illusion.


    Ste looked back at him, still with a slightly dazed expression.


    "I-I''m sorry¡­ Just now¡­"


    "You are prone to getting affected by the memories of your Time core, Ste," Kyran told her right from the start.


    "Huh?" She replied in confusion.


    He took a deep breath before continuing, "I know you are aware how our predecessor''s experiences remains in the magic core, so when the timees for a new ''Time Keeper'' or ''Void Master'' to appear, they get an absurd boost in magic knowledge because they inherit their predecessor''s knowledge."


    Sensing that this discussion was important, Ste did not interrupt Kyran and continued to listen in silence.


    "But included in those experiences, were some of their memories and most of all¡­ strong emotions."


    Kyran did not say emotions in a general sense. When his Draconic core went out of control, it happened because of his ancestor''s strong hatred for the past Royal Family''s schemes. It was not an emotion that targeted the Royal Family in general. It was for this reason that he did not feel intense hatred toward the current Royal Family even when he was in close proximity with them. Yes, he could sense his Draconic core trembling sometimes, but it was not as strong as when he was reminded of the betrayal the Royal Family of the past had done.


    Ste''s brow furrowed slightly. From her expression, Kyran guessed she was beginning to understand what he was on about and probably disagree. But he ignored that and continued.


    "You have been exposed to the Time core at an early age, unlike me who have only recently be aware of it. Chances of getting your own emotions mixed up with the Time core''s ''experience'' is greater."


    "That is not¡­"


    Ste''s voice trailed off even before she could argue. A few minutes ago, she had just called Kyran by a different name without her realizing it, so her arguing right now would be pointless.


    ''No¡­ that is not exactly right. I think I have always known¡­ but¡­.'' Ste thought biting her lower lip in frustration.


    "I am not the person whom the first Time Keeper met. But I don''t me you for getting me confused with him¡­ err¡­ Can," Kyran paused and hesitated for a second before deciding to say the next bit, "I''ve met him¡­ at least in my sea of consciousness and saw our resemnce."


    Ste gaped at him.


    "W-What? M-Met him? Sea of where¡­?"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head, seeing Ste''s confusion.


    Yes, this was exactly what he wanted to avoid, telling her, of all people, about his first meeting with his predecessor.


    Ah, that was right, his name was Can. He should get used to calling his predecessor that.


    Then again, maybe it was just as well since telling her would make it easier to exin her mixed-up emotions. Maybe, telling her could result inforting the memory of the first Time Keeper that constantly intersects with hers because of all the regret thetter had.<sub> </sub>


    In the next five minutes, Kyran told Ste the brief version of his meeting with Can. He also exined how she was more prone to getting affected by her predecessors'' memories because there had been countless Time Keepers before her. Unlike Kyran, who apart from his Void core sealed for years, only had one predecessor, Can.


    After Kyran finished talking, Ste fell into contemtive silence.


    He gave her time to digest what he said, and after a minute or two, she finally said, "I''m sorry. But¡­"


    Kyran raised his brows. He did not expect her to be this stubborn. Was telling her about his meeting with Can not enough to convince her? No, thinking back, why did he even think it was enough to convince her?


    Argumentative speaking, he had a point. However, he only had his experience to back his understanding of the matter.


    "¡­ I think that is not entirely true."


    Kyran did not respond but tilted his head to the side, in a subtle gesture of letting her continue.


    "I understand about the memories bit and that sometimes, maybe my emotions are really getting swayed by my predecessors. I think I''ve always known about that, so hearing your exnation does make sense. But¡­"


    ''Again with the but statement,'' Kyran thought.


    Ste looked Kyran straight in the eyes. However, instead of continuing with what she wanted to say, a frown appeared on her face.


    "Can you remove your mask first?" She suddenly asked.


    Confused at her sudden request, Kyran only cocked an eyebrow.


    For the first time, Ste gave him a deadpan re. She had shot him with all kinds of res but this seemingly emotionless expression was far more¡­ sinister.


    "Humor me," she insisted.


    With a slight disgruntled sigh, Kyran took off his mask. He did not see the point but arguing was only a waste of time.


    As soon as he did, Ste smiled.


    "What was all this about¡ª?"


    "I don''t agree with one thing."


    Kyran paused midway while lowering his mask to look at her.


    "And that is¡­ I am not affected by my predecessors feelings. What I feel for you, Kyran, is real."


    Few things could faze Kyran.


    Unexpectedly, this one right here¡ª or at least, what was about to happen, was one.


    Seeing Kyran freeze in an almostical manner, Ste let out a softugh.


    "I have been convincing myself that I only feel this way because of the Founder''sst wish, but I know it''s not like that. For the record, I have yet to awaken my Time core when I began taking an interest in you¡ª or rather, Can''s past. But, I started developing feelings for you the more I get to know you, Kyran, not Can.


    "Ah, that''s right. I guess saying I have ''feelings'' for you is to vague, yes? So, I''ll make it clear. I like you, Kyran. No¡­ maybe I''ve already fallen in love with you. So¡­ Don''t ever think that this feelings are being affected by my predecessors, because they are my own, and they are real."


    Kyran was rendered speechless.


    He was formting a speech in his head on how to convince Ste that Cyneah was not a threat. He was even prepared to defend his reason while knowing the hidden dangers of keeping Cyneah under his wings.


    However, instead of smoothly directing the topic in that direction, Ste decided to make a different move and threw him a curveball.


    Finally, after what seemed like a very long pause, Kyran stammered, "Y-You¡­"


    Ste could not help but chuckle at his flustered expression, "Sorry. Was that too much?"


    Kyran frowned, "Why now¡­?"


    "Because I feel threatened."


    Ste''s honest answer rendered Kyran speechless once again. With a slight smile, she added, "I just learned you are hiding a woman in some highly secured and secret ce. How do you think I''d feel?"

 Chapter 393 The Test (1)

    The Montgomeray had a secret residence outside of Starhorn and near the Courtenay''snd. Lev gave him a map, and it was where Kyran was supposed to meet them.


    Ste also went with him. Apparently, the Queen of the Faes asked her toe.


    As they made their way there, Ste insisted to walk at the back since Kyran had the map.


    She had a point.


    And Kyran would have epted her reasoning without thinking too much of it if the ''curveball'' did not happen.


    But the truth of the matter was that it did happen and Kyran knew she did not want him to walk behind her because she was feeling extremely self-conscious right now.


    "You don''t have to answer this confession. I just want you to know how I feel, so when you are with her, you''ll think of me."


    ''Is what she said...'' Kyran thought, with a slight frown.


    Their conversation ended on that note.


    The ''confrontation'' he expected about making the same mistake as Can because of Cyneah, did not happen.


    In any case, Kyran was somewhat confused. He had not expected the first confession he''d receive was from Ste.


    Yes, there were others who had flirtingly told him they liked him or at least insinuated they did. But Kyran was smart enough not to take them seriously.


    Besides those people flirted with ''Tyr,'' not him.


    Kyran was aware of Ste''s feelings, to be honest. But he knew she was affected by the First Time Keeper''s feelings for Can and did not think much of it.


    Being aware of Ste''s feelings was one thing. But to have her affirm it in words was too much for him.


    He did not want this kind ofplication.


    No.


    It was not that he did not want it, but he could not have one, especially when his n was still in danger.


    Besides, Ste telling him to think of her when he was with Cyneah? What was that all about?


    Kyran did not see Cyneah that way. To him, she was someone he had to protect because she was his godmother''s precious disciple.


    ''What are you saying, master? She''s your mistress!''


    Somehow, Zephyr''s annoying voice popped in his head, resulting in his frown deepening.


    Kyran considered Cyneah as one of them; that was why she was important to him.


    That was all.


    Besides, Cyneah was only.... was only...


    Wait.


    How old was Cyneah again?


    Kyran btedly realized he did not know her correct age. As a matter of fact, he did not know much about her.


    Feeling a pang of guilt upon this realization, Kyran made a mental note to know Cyneah better when he returned to the cottage.


    In any case, Kyran had always seen Cyneah as a... kid.


    Physically they were not that far apart, but mentally they were different. So he could not possibly harbor feelings for her.


    ...


    Why did it feel like he was making excuses right now?


    Pushing all these thoughts to the back of his mind, Kyran heaved a sigh.


    "Kyran?"


    Ste''s voice snapped him out of his reverie.


    Turning his head to look at her, Kyran asked, "What is it?"


    Ste frowned at him.


    Did he think she did not hear him sigh just now? She knew he was distracted, and obviously, it was because of what she said.


    Instead of feeling guilty or regretful, Ste was happy. It was all good if this was all it took to make him think of her.


    ''No, that''s not why you called his attention!'' Ste scolded herself.


    "Don''t you think it''s a little strange?"


    "Strange?"


    Ste scanned her eyes at their surroundings, which had been eerily tranquil.


    That was right. Ste called him out not because she heard him sigh but because they had been walking in the forest for some time now, yet there were no signs of other ''creatures.''


    "The forest is too quiet... this is not normal."


    Forest during nighttime was far more dangerous than during the daytime, which was why she suggested teleporting to the Tower of Conve first, then using a transportation array to get to where they were supposed to meet the Montgomeray Family.<sub> </sub>


    The map included the coordinates of their secret residence, which was required when creating transportation arrays.


    However, Kyran rejected her idea at once, saying going by foot was faster. Besides the Montgomeray''s secret residence was only an hour away from the Courtenay''snd.


    He had a point so she did not argue then. But thinking back on it, she realized she had forgotten to ask a very important question.


    Did he mean one hour on foot or travel by carriage?


    If it was thetter, then she agreed to soon. No, even on foot, it was still too far!


    Ste''s expression darkened at the realization.


    This was a huge mistake. She should have insisted on going back to the tower!


    Seeing Ste''s expression, it was easy for Kyran to guess what she was thinking.


    He chuckled and nodded in agreement, "You''re right. The forest is too quiet."


    Ste looked at him in fright, "Let''s go back then! If you''re worried about not making it on time, I''ll give you all the time you need!"


    She was, after all, the Time Keeper.


    Kyran scratched his head at Ste''s determination behind her fear. It was his first time seeing her like this, and he found it endearing.


    The truth, he suggested going on foot because Ste had always lived within the Tower of Conve and thought it would be nice to let her experience the ''outside.''


    Since he led the way, he chose a path where the stars in the night sky could be seen in their fullness.


    Ste probably enjoyed the stars even in the tower, but there was a big difference when one was watching them surrounded by nature. s, it appeared she was too concerned about the forest beasts to even noticed the starry sky.


    But Kyran was not about to tell her that. Not after hearing her confession. He did not want to give her the wrong idea.


    "Ah... no. It''s fine. There are no forest beasts because I made sure to avoid the ones I can sense nearby. Besides, I think we''re almost there," Kyran lied.


    He was not the one avoiding the beasts but the other way around. But she did not need to know that.


    Ste sighed in relief, "Is that so? That''s good then."


    "If a beast does appear, I won''t let anything happen to you, so don''t worry."


    Kyran realized what he had said toote after seeing Ste''s flushed face.


    He only realized how misleading his words sounded.


    Trying to salvage the situation, Kyran looked away and added, "I don''t want to deal with a demented Malek if he found out."


    Ste''s expression immediately darkened.


    "Do you really have to say thatst part?" Sheined.


    Kyran chuckled despite himself.


    After a few more minutes, Kyran stopped and looked up ahead.


    It was faint, but he sensed the scene before them was not ''real.'' It was not an illusion. Thend before them distorted. As if what was supposed to be there had been removed and reced by another.


    "We''re here."


    Ste looked ahead. She also sensed the distortion in the space before them.


    "Aren''t they going to meet you out here?" She asked.


    Kyran shook his head, "There is no need."


    "But how will we enter? This ce clearly has spells and restrictions in ce."


    Kyran could not me Ste for having doubts. She was unaware of what he had learned in the Tower of Tribtion. Most of all, she did not know he knew more about Void magic now.


    He looked at her and said, "I can bypass this kind of restriction."


    As he expected, Ste gaped at him incredulously.


    Kyran hesitated for a moment before reaching his hand toward her, "Let''s go."


    Ste, taken aback by his action, stared at his outstretched hand. She flushed slightly but nodded wordlessly and took his hand.


    She initially thought confessing would not be a big deal. But now, it appeared she became much aware of the fact that Kyran was a ''man.'' It was not the first time she had held his hand, but the mere thought of it was too stimting for her.


    She had seen him practically naked before (although she was too shy to ogle at his body because he was unconscious and Nn was there with an annoying smirk), but after confessing, she became self-conscious.


    This feeling was very foreign to her. It was simr to the books she used to read when she was still in her teens.


    ''Ack... this is embarrassing. You''re already twenty for goodness sake! Why are you acting like a lovestruck teenager!'' She scolded herself.


    As soon as their hands touched, she felt an invisible veil cover her body.


    It was a cool sort of sensation, different from the ones the magic detector in Starhorn did.


    Suddenly, the scene before them changed.

 Chapter 394 The Test (2)

    The scene unfold before Kyran and Ste as butterfly-shaped cracks dissipated in the air. It revealed a porcin stairway with a trailing fire on its side, leading to a medium-sized fortress suspended in midair.


    Surrounding the fortress were several three-meter wide marbled cauldrons lit by deep-red mes, bringing light to its vicinity.


    Three massive golden rings of Array calction, circled the fortress in a rhythmic fashion.


    Judging from the forms included in the calction, Kyran deduced it was a Legendary-tier Array. It was also this Array which hid the fortress from other people''s sight.


    "This..." Ste muttered breathlessly.


    For as long as she could remember, the Tower of Conve and its surrounding forest was the only ce she knew.


    She did see ces through unclearmunication projections, recordings, and books. But this would be the first time she had seen another ce, or rather, another stronghold which housed another faction.


    Going to the Courtenay''snd was different. Because she had only been in the dome. She had yet to explore the whole ce. Besides, it was not one of the Courtenay''s stronghold.


    In any case, seeing the secret residence of the Montgomeray Family brought Ste an unprecedented thrill. It was only at this moment that made her truly feel she had left the vicinity of the Tower of Conve.


    "¡­ how are they keeping such a huge fortress afloat?"


    Kyran cocked a brow as he looked at her. Seeing her child-like facination at the sight of the Montgomeray''s fortress made him wonder what kind of expression she would have if she saw the Chaos Pce.


    Compared to the Chaos Pce, the Montgomeray''s fortress was small. The pce was also floating above an endless abyss and no visible path led to its gates, making it almost impossible to enter.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, maybe the reason why there was no path there was because Can did not need one. He could simply warp in and out of the pce and even take anyone and anything from the outside whenever he wanted.


    "It''s not floating. Its sitting atop that sleeping huge stone guy over there," Kyran said pointing at the space between the fortress and thend below.


    He said this with the thought that she could not see Spirits.


    Ste''s expression darkened as she looked at him.


    "Do you really have to burst my bubble?" Sheined.


    Kyran raised his brows. "What? You can see that guy and pretend not to?"


    The way he said it made her redden. He did not have to make her seem like a delusional child.


    True, she saw the silhouette of something underneath the fortress. But she was somewhat hopeful that something was made out of magic which made the fortress stay afloat.


    ''Wait,'' Ste stopped her train of thoughts recalling what Kyran had said. "You can clearly see what is underneath the fortress?"


    "Yeah, can''t you?"


    "Just its silhouette. Actually, if you did not say it is a golem, I would have thought it was something else and not a Spirit," she replied with a slight shake of her head.


    Kyran frowned slightly, "You''re also calling them, it."


    "What?"


    "Nothing."


    Without bothering to argue, Kyran looked away and approached the stairway. He could not me Ste for referring the golem as it. She did initially thought it was something else and not a Spirit, so he dropped the topic.


    "What do you mean, ''nothing''? It doesn''t seem like it is nothing," Ste pointed as she followed behind him.


    Kyran did not respond.


    He might not have plenty of interactions with Spirits but it rubbed him the wrong way when other people refer to them as it. As if they were genderless non-living things. They were alive and were also part of families. They worried about their kin and also had the ability of reproduction.


    If they were a genderless non-living thing, could they be capable of these?


    But this was Kyran''s point of view, he dislike forcing his ideals on other people. That was why he refrain from arguing.


    In any case, he was not acting as Tyr right now, so there was no reason for him to be ''talkative.'' To be honest, his throat was alreadyining from all the talking he had to do whenever he was ''Tyr.''<sub> </sub>


    It was one of the many reasons why he wanted to stop pretending to be Tyr.


    "Kyran¡ª."


    Before Ste could form the words she wanted to say, Kyran abruptly stopped. Just like a chain reaction, she stopped in her tracks and looked at him.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked.


    "Stand back," he told her without looking back.


    Ste did not ask questions and moved back at once. She was like a helpless little chick out in the open for the first time and was unfamiliar with a lot of things. It was best to follow someone she trust than act all knowing.


    As soon as Kyran sensed Ste moved back, he lifted his hand and using his pointing finger, touched a spot in front of him. The spot was adjacent to the stairway''s entrance.


    Suddenly, the spot where his finger touched distorted, revealing a series of runes that formed a barrier that prevented intruders from crossing the stairway.


    The barrier did not cover the whole surrounding. Just the area around the stairway''s entrance.


    "What are those runes?" Ste asked while looking at the rune writings before them.


    They glistened in multicolor and generated a faint humming sounds.


    She had been living in the tower all her life and had no choice but to enrich her knowledge through reading countless of books. This gave birth to the vast collections of books she now possessed in her study. Because of this, she memorized several magic rune writings, even if she could not use any of them given the nature of her magic. Yet, she did not recognize the magic runes she was seeing right now. It could be rune writings she had not yet seen.


    Ste''s question was met with silence.


    With a slight frown Ste looked at Kyran, who seemed to have forgotten her presence and was looking at the runes with utmost concentration.


    Seeing Kyran like this, her frown turned into a gentle smile. She knew about this side of him. Whenever he found something interesting, or when he was in the middle of studying something, he tend to forget everything else.


    She witnessed it back in her study, when she left him for a while only to find him in almost the exact same position and doing the same thing. It was fine if she had only left for a couple or three hours, but in reality, because of the Time magic ced on her study room, she had left him there for days!


    After a few seconds, Kyran summoned a purple disc on his right hand. Then using his left hand, he used his pointing and middle fingers which were now glowing with a purplish glow to touch a magic rune at the center of the barrier. As soon as his fingers touched the rune, it shook restlessly.


    To Ste''s amazement, an exact replica of this rune slowly formed above the purple disc in Kyran''s right hand. The only difference was, the rune on the barrier were multicolored while the replica was purple.


    Just as Ste was thinking this, the multicolored rune turned purple, and the four runes surrounding it from left, right, top and bottom, trembled.


    These runes soon appeared on the purple discs and simr to what happened to the first one, the runes on the barrier changed into purple soon after. Like a chain reaction, this process happened.


    Ste watched in awe at how the runes on the barrier before them slowly turned to purple. It did not take long for her to understand that Kyran was changing the attributes of the magic runes, converting them into his own, in order to break it.


    However, if he did this won''t the Montgomeray Family be offended?


    "K-Kyran, are you sure this is fine?" Ste tried to ask again.


    This time, Kyran answered her, "Yes. This is the Montgomeray''s way of affirming my identity."


    Revealing the Montgomeray''s fortress was also a test for him. He realized that it would only allow his presence to enter. That was why he had to hold Ste''s hand while letting his magic sense cover her body. If not, she would not be allowed to enter.


    Ste heard a hint of annoyance in his voice. But recalling his answer, made her frown, "What? So they still doubted your identity even when the Queen of the Faes already confirmed who you were?"


    "I don''t really me them. Spirits are prone to y tricks on humans, and well... I''m not exactly using my real identity when they found me. There are too many inconsistencies in the information they have about me so far."


    "Inconsistencies?"


    "There is someone else who made contact with them. A messenger from a different Spirit. I don''t know theplete details, but he probably gave information different from the Queen of the Faes."


    "Who is this someone else?"


    "You''ll know soon enough."

 Chapter 395 I Did Not Come Here To Eat

    "Fine," Ste grumbled at Kyran''s dismal attitude.


    But Kyran acting dismal was better than seeing him flirt with other women while wearing Tyr''s face.


    "Let''s go."


    Kyran''s voice brought Ste out of her musing, and she realized the runes on the barrier at the stairway''s entrance were nowpletely purple.


    Without waiting for Ste to reply, Kyran stepped into the stairway.


    Ste followed.


    The moment Ste stepped into the stairway, the surroundings shifted, followed by a blinding light that forced her to close her eyes.


    When she opened them again, she saw a different scene.


    There was no longer a stairway before her, and the fortress sitting atop a golem was nowhere in sight.


    As a matter of fact, she was no longer outside but inside what appeared to be a receiving area of a building.


    Standing before them were three people wearing light violet robes and ck masks.


    The one on the right was a man with long flowing dark violet hair, while the one on the left was a woman with short wavy dark violet hair. Between them stood a tall, slender man with a sleek brush-up hairstyle, and unlike the other two, his hair was silver gray.


    The man''s feature immediately made Kyran''s brow furrow because his hair color was the same shade as Nn and his mother.


    ''It can''t be...''


    Ss also had silver hair, but it was a different shade. Kyran was not 100% clear on how bloodlines of old families went, but even if others possessed simr features, they would still have subtle differences.


    That was why even though his ck hair and dark gray eyes appeared ordinary, most would still recognize him as a Regis.


    "It is good to finally be able to meet with you, new Void Master."


    The man in the middle said as he stepped forward to greet them.


    Kyran looked slightly different from Tyr''s face and dark hair, so he was surprised this man recognized him.


    Then again, he probably saw him when he bypassed the restriction outside and changed the attribute of the magic runes on the stairway.


    "I''m guessing your the Patriarch," Kyran responded, choosing not toment on how the man addressed him.


    "Yes," the man nodded. "My name is Ezra, and I am the current Patriarch of the Montgomeray Family."


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgment before looking at the other two.


    He recognized them.


    The woman was Zuri, while the other was the guy who nodded at him during the Material Gathering event.


    Noticing Kyran''s action, Ezra looked at Zuri first before turning to the other man.


    "That''s right, you have met them already. But let me formally introduce them," Ezra said, looking back at Kyran. He gestured a hand toward Zuri and said, "This is Zuri, my eldest daughter and..." he gestured toward the other man, "This man, is Salis, the Snow Mountain King''s messenger. I believe my son, already mentioned him to you...?"


    His voice trailed off when he noticed Kyran suppressing hisughter.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "Sorry," Kyran apologized before looking at ''Salis'' with mirth in his eyes. "''Salis''? Seriously?"


    ''Salis,'' who usually had a serious demeanor, suddenly scratched his head andughed uneasily. "Well... I could note up with a better name at that time," he replied while taking off his mask. "And I could not use my other pseudos."


    Ste, silent from the moment they appeared, released a surprised gasp.


    "You are...!"


    Without the mask, ''Salis''s'' dark violet hair changed back to its silver color. The face beneath the mask was handsome with light blue eyes.


    ''Salis'' who was actually Ss, bowed his head toward Ste in a gentleman curtsy, "It is a pleasure to meet you again, mdy."


    Knowing Ste''s identity was also top secret, he refrained from saying her name.


    Then he faced Kyran again with an awkward smile, "It''s been a while."


    Kyran smiled, "It is."


    ''Hm?'' Ss was mildly surprised seeing the smile on his face. He could not put his finger on it, but his smile seemed relieved.


    Unbeknownst to Ss, his ''it''s been a while'' was different from Kyran''s. They had only parted for more than a month, after all.


    However, for Kyran, it had been years since theyst saw each other.


    "Pardon me, but... thisdy is...?" Ezra turned his attention toward Ste.


    Ste straightened her back. The Montgomeray Family seemed unaware of the invitation White Lily extended to her.


    Before she could introduce herself, Kyran interrupted, "She''s no one. Just ignore her."


    Ste''s brow twitched as she looked at Kyran, "Hey!"


    Kyran looked back at her, "What?"


    "''I-Ignore her,'' t-that''s a bit...." Ss also remarked with an uneasy smile.<sub> </sub>


    Seeing this exchanged, Zuri looked at them in confusion.


    Kyran looked at Ezra and said, "That being said, shall we get down to business?"


    Ezra did not seem to mind Kyran''s disrespectful attitude and replied, "How about we move to the dining hall first? We have prepared a small feast for you. The rest of the family are currently¡ª."


    "I did note here to eat," Kyran cut him midsentence. His voice suddenly lost the warmth it had while talking to Ss.


    Ezra and Zuri suddenly felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at Kyran''s eyes.


    His eyes were a beautiful shade of aquamarine, like the color of the sea under a clear sky.


    Tranquil and serene.


    However, his eyes did not look tranquil right now. On the contrary, it was as if they were looking at the edge of an endless abyss.


    ''So this is the new Void Master...''


    Initially, Ezra wanted to insist they dine first. In the end, he swallowed the words he was about to say.


    Zuri, on the other hand, tightened her fists. She had always thought ''Tyr'' had a very carefree attitude. But looking at him now, it felt as if she was looking at a different person.


    Ste and Ss looked at Kyran apprehensively. It was the first time they had heard him use that tone of voice, and they also felt a cold chill run down their spines.


    Ste remembered the first time she had seen Kyran in an almost madden state. It was when Malek spoke vague things about what happened to his n which triggered his reverse scale.


    But Kyran was not in that state. In fact, he was calm as a millpond. Like nothing could faze him. Not even when someone cursed his n, which was his reverse scale.


    It made Ste wonder what training Kyran underwent to achieve such transformation.


    "I understand," Ezra replied after a few seconds of tense silence. "Then let us go to my office. From there, we can talk business."


    "I have a better idea."


    The whole surroundings distorted, and in the blink of an eye, they were suddenly standing in a middle of a vast field.


    "This¡ª!"


    "H-How¡ª?"


    "W-Where is this ce?"


    Ss, Ezra, and Zuri eximed at the same time.


    Ste, on the other hand, reached out her hand and grabbed Kyran''s coat.


    "K-Kyran... this is?" She hissed softly.


    Above, they could see the sun, but somehow it seemed different from the one they were familiar with.


    On the left, they could see what appeared to be a vige with strange-looking buildings, and on the right were fields with different types of crops.


    Far north, they could see a dark purple tower with rune writings hovering around its facade.


    Instead of answering Ste, Kyran regarded Ezra and said, "I''d rather talk business in a ce I''mfortable with."


    Ezra looked at him. Kyran could not see his expression because of the mask, but he sensed his fear.


    "Judging from how you treated Ss, you don''t seem to be a bad person," Kyran started.


    "Ss..?" Ezra looked at Ss and finally understood Kyran''s remark earlier. "I see... Salis... Ss, huh."


    Ss responded with a wry smile.


    Turning his attention back to Kyran, Ezra said, "I understand."


    Kyran nodded and waved his hand.


    They were taken once more to a different location in the blink of an eye.


    This time, it was inside a circr room. The room was empty, apart from a study table and two long couches facing each other.


    "Take a seat," Kyran told them while he went to the study table and sat on its edge.


    Ezra looked at Zuri, who still seemed confused at what was happening. He nodded at her, and both of them went to sit on the couch.


    On the other hand, Ste and Ss walked toward Kyran and stood on each side of him.


    Both their action caused Kyran to smile inwardly.


    It might have been a coincidence, but Ste and Ss choosing to stand by his side might be because they sensed something strange.


    ''Now then...''


    "Come out," Kyran suddenly said. "If you don''t, I''ll throw you out."


    Ezra and Zuri exchanged confused nces, but then they heard a gentleugh that echoed throughout the room.


    "I was confident you will not be able to detect me. s, it seems I overestimated myself."

 Chapter 396 Discussion (1)

    "Are you sure it''s not because you underestimated me?" Kyran replied with a smile that did not meet his eyes.


    The truth, when he warped all of them to his domain, he already knew someone else came with them. He could have warped them directly to his tower, but did not because of this stowaway passenger.


    He had to prepare the tower''s defenses in case the stowaway would not cooperate, after all. So while they were standing in the vast field, he was already working to change the tower''s array.


    Apparently, he was overly cautious, seeing how the stowaway had no intention of hiding further.


    However, hearing that voice, Kyran could not let his guard down. After all, that was the voice who had spoken to him back at the cottage.


    Kyran fixed his eyes on a spot a couple of meters above Ezra and Zuri''s heads.


    "I would never dare."


    The spot where Kyran was looking cracked. Surprisingly, the crack was shaped like a giant lily and glowed with a faint silver glow.


    Seeing this shape turned Ste''s mood a little sour.


    "White Lily," she said.


    Ezra and Zuri stiffened upon hearing this name.


    It was a name known to all mages aiming to be a Summoner. The name who ruled over all Spirits for more than a thousand years, the Queen of the Faes.


    Ss was equally shocked. As a young boy, his elder sister would always tell him stories about the Queen of the Faes. It was easy to tell how much his sister revered the Queen of the Faes. She even dreamed of bing an exemry Summoner to get a chance to meet her.


    Unfortunately, her life ended without realizing that dream. Yet... how ironic it was that Ss, who never dreamed of meeting the Queen, would get a chance to do so.


    "Yes, my dear Time Keeper. Thank you for apanying our beloved Void Master."


    "T-Time Keeper?" Zuri gasped in fright as she looked at the ''woman'' Kyran rudely told them to ignore.


    Ezra''s mind reeled at this revtion.


    Once again, he heard a title that he only heard from his ancestors.


    It was written on one of a crude ount that the Time Keeper, Ste, was one of the Void Master''s closest friends.


    Ezra had not expected that the woman with Kyran, who looked to be only in her twenties was someone who had lived for a thousand years. Still, he felt relieved to know she was able to find the new Void Master. Because in the ount they had, it appeared as if she had regretted a lot of things and had wanted to make amends if given the chance to meet again.


    If Ste knew what Ezra was thinking she would have flipped an imaginary table... or probably tortured him the same way she did when Malek said misleading things that angered Kyran.


    The crack overhead slowly turned into a real giant lily, seemingly carved from diamond crystals. Its petals creaked open looking like a flower about to bloom. At the center of the lily, a silhouette of a woman with flowing hair and a simrly, flowing white dress slowly emerge amidts its silvery glow.


    Ezra and Zuri stood up, bracing themselves as they watched in great anticipationg.


    Ss also held his breath. He might not dreamed of meeting the Queen of the Faes, but he was still part of the Svell Family and held great respect to the ruler of the Spirits.


    The woman that emerged from the giant lily possessed an almost unparalleled beauty. A beauty that could not be defined in human words. Her skin glistened as if they were sprinkled with diamond dusts. Her lush lips were in a shade of coral and the sclera of her eyes were of the same color as her pupils, they were light pink and also appeared to be carved in diamonds.


    The crown that decorated her long white hair was made from white gold with lilies carved in diamonds. Even her white flowing dress shimmer as if they were made of pure diamond dusts.


    "I have shown myself, I believe it is only fitting for you to remove your disguise as well," White Lily said looking at Kyran with a somewhat yful smile.


    Kyran returned her smile and cocked an eyebrow but did not say anything.


    "Wait, disguise?" Zuri could not help but ask and turn toward Kyran. "You are in disguise?"


    "Zuri," Ezra spoke with a warning tone.


    Zuri immediately lowered her head, "I''m sorry."


    Kyran nced at them for a second before returning his attention back to White Lily. This time however, he was devoid of emotion as he looked straight at her.


    "Don''t go to that ce again," he told her, his voice deepen and an almost palpable killing intent oozed from him. "Don''t even go near it or have your people spy on her."<sub> </sub>


    The others immediately felt the tension between them and fell silent.


    Ste shot Kyran a sidelong nce, feeling somewhat conflicted.


    She went to see him today to talk about that person whom White Lily warned her. However, Kyran managed to divert the discussion and she ended up saying something different.


    In the end she failed to convince him of the danger it would bring him by keeping that person around. She also failed to understand how much Kyran care for that person.


    But seeing him now, Stell could already guess how much that person already ingrained herself to him.


    "This is the only warning I''ll give you," Kyran told White Lily.


    The smile on White Lily turned sober. He did not say it outright, but she understood that if they continue to keep an eye on that person, even if to observe only, he would not think twice to cut all ties with them.


    That was something they could never afford. Whether Kyran was aware yet or not, the whole Spirit Realm rely on the Void Master''s authority. Once they lose that, the whole Spirit Realm would fall.


    White Lily gaze at Kyran for a few agonizing moments before finally replying with a soft sigh, "I hope you know what you''re doing, beloved Void Master."


    "I do."


    White Lily took a deep breath and nodded slowly, "Very well. However, if she ever poses danger on you, no matter what you say, we will not stand by and let you experience the same fate as your predecessor."


    Kyran did not respond, but the stubborn look in his eyes was enough to let her know his answer.


    "Such a stubborn man... this trait you share with him... And while it is one of his good points, it had be his greatest weakness."


    "It''s assuring to know you''re levelheaded. I was fretting over what to do with you if you see him in me, too."


    Hearing him say this made Ste stomped her foot and scowl at Kyran, "Hey!"


    White Lily chuckled, "I had warned her about it. Has my words gone on deaf ears?"


    Ste looked at White Lily, "No. But I don''t need you to tell me that, besides..." She looked at Kyran and continued, "I already told you it''s different!"


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips but he did not look respond to her or look at her.


    At one side, Ezra, Ss and Zuri who watched the exchange between them were at a loss.


    Ss and Zuri could not follow their conversation. Especially at how the tensed atmosphere suddenly turned into a banter between friends.


    Only Ezra had an idea of what transpired.


    As a patriarch, he was privy to far more confidential information on the Spirits and the Void Master. Although, most of the information were taken from unreliable sources, such as written ounts by an unknown author, or broken tes written in ancient writings which was hard to decipherpletely.


    "Let''s get down to business," Kyran changed the subject at once and looked at Ezra.


    "I''m surprised you did not react to what she said about me wearing a disguise," Kyranmented.


    Ezra shook his head, "I am. But I thought, it is reasonable. The Royal Family has already set their sights on you, so it is not wise to appear before them in your true identity."


    "How much do you know about the Royal Family''s situation?"


    "Probably more than you do," Ezra paused for a second and shook his head, "No, maybe you already know everything and only needed confirmation which is why you are willing to meet us even at the risk of exposing yourself to possible danger."


    Kyran regarded Ezra in silence. Just as he said, he did not find the older man a bad guy.


    He treated Ss well and showed fear in front of the Queen of the Faes.


    However, Kyran still had reservations, and one of the reasons was how the Montgomeray treated the Spirits as a whole.


    If the Montgomeray treated the Spirits like magic tools, then he might have to resort in using a certain spell to ''change'' their attitude a little.


    Of course, that was only a thought. It would still depend on whether the Montgomeray were of use to him, or not.

 Chapter 397 Discussion (2)

    "Let''spare notes," Kyran told Ezra.


    Zuri furrowed her brows at how Kyran said it. He did not say it as a suggestion but more like amand. Initially, she had thought Kyran was a carefree guy who was not easily provoked, but when people important to him were in danger, he would get serious and do everything in his power to protect them.


    That was their assessment of him after observing his movement for the past few weeks.


    During those time, some of them started to doubt the authenticity of the message the Snow Mountain King''s messager gave them. After all, Kyran had only disyed support magic and array capabilities.


    Then again, would the Void master unt his magic when the Royal Family had tagged it as forbidden? Besides, the more he defied the odds, the more Zuri was convinced there was more to him than he let on.


    And she had been right.


    She had been there when her father and other family elders watched Kyran appear outside their secret residence. They witnessed how easily he entered the borders without having to do anything to counter the restrictions.


    Then, they saw him change the attributes of the runes that made up the stairway''s barrier and easily passed through.


    By then, most of those who doubted his identity were silenced and were more or less convinced.


    But the biggest factor that convinced most was how the Montgomeray guardian ignored everything he did and let him pass.


    It was said that the Montgomeray guardian only ever listened to two people. One was his contracted mage, and the other, the Void Master.


    As someone who never doubted Kyran''s real identity, this excites Zuri.


    Because, with the appearance of the new Void Master, their family would finally be able to free themselves from their stigma.


    However, the carefree Void Master she thought Kyran to be, was nowhere in sight. She had thought he had sometimes acted way too arrogant to give others the wrong impression about him. But now, she realized it was not arrogance but unyielding will. He was someone who would not bow down to anyone, and he had the power to back it up.


    That in itself was enough to instill fear in her.


    "Alright," Ezra agreed at once.


    Zuri looked at her father and was about to object. They would lose their card if theypared notes even before they negotiated.


    But she held her tongue. After witnessing the exchange between Kyran, the Queen of the Faes, and the woman whom they refer to as the Time Keeper, Zuri knew they were at a disadvantage in this ce.


    Ezra was not even a Magus, which caused the Courtenay Family and Lumley Family to look down on them. How would he ''fight'' the Void Master along with the two, White Lily and the Time Keeper¡ª not to mention Ss, all on his own?


    Zuri''s presence could also be used against her father. She had now be a liability, a burden that Kyran could take advantage of to control Ezra.


    Kyran gestured for Ezra to start.


    Without hesitation, the older manplied.


    "The Royal Family has simultaneously started their n to assimte all big factions within the empire, except the Three Noble Families."


    Kyran''s expression did not betray his emotions. But when he heard this, he now understood the real reason behind establishing the ''Elite Force.''


    Upgrading the magic detectors in the empire was only a front. Most likely, they were already doing something behind the scene to ''control'' their key members.


    Some members of the Aureole faction were also part of the Elite Force.


    Thinking of this, Olivia crossed Kyran''s mind.


    He gave the task of making contact with her to Byron since he was the most inconspicuous person among his Sigils and he had not heard from him yet. Hopefully, Olivia was not one of Aureole''s representatives chosen to be part of the Elite Force.


    "The only reason the Three Noble Families are not included is that the Emperor wanted the noble families to support the new regime once it happens."


    Kyran smiled wryly.


    "You mean the new regime where the Crown Princess and the Young Master of the Regis n be the new ruler of the Ylfaen Empire?"


    Gasps of surprise filled the room.


    Zuri probably gasped because it was the first time she was hearing this information.


    She knew how influential the Regis n was even when they decided to close their doors. On the contrary, the Royal Family suffered several setbacks through the years which lowered their influence not only among the noble families of major factions in the empire but also themon people living in Ylfaen.<sub> </sub>


    If the Regis agreed in marrying to the Royal Family then thetter''s influence would improve, and controlling every faction in the empire would not be an impossible feat.


    As for the others Ste, Ss, and White Lily, it went without saying, but they were shocked at how casual Kyran acted while saying saying the bit about the ''Young Master of the Regis n'' and the Crown Princess ruling the new regime of the Ylfaen Empire as if it had nothing to do with him!


    Of course, the Royal Family did not mean for them to rule as two separate leaders, but together. And the only way for that to happen was through marriage.


    The thought made Ste''s insides hum in defiance.


    Ezra was taken aback, "So... you are aware of it."


    Kyran only shrugged in response. He did not want to tell them the empress had told him about it. While he did not think the older man was a bad person, that did not mean he would trust him with everything.


    "You are correct. Emperor Euan wanted to change the empire by uniting all factions, and have the noble families support the Arthall and the Regis." Ezra agreed with a sigh, "I admit involving the Regis''s is indeed a good move for the empire. They may have closed their doors to the outside, but when their members go out, the things they do are something most of us look forward to.


    "They are well-respected by the masses and are feared by the noble families.


    "However, none of the Three Noble Families have ties with them anymore. Other noble families still do businesses with them, but ording to our intel, it had been more than a month since theyst made contact with them."


    "Why?"


    "ording to an anonymous report, the Regis n is currently in turmoil. As to the reason why we have no information yet. Since the report was submitted anonymously, we must consider this false."


    "I see... so you guys are not aware the Regis''s young master is missing?"


    "Missing?"


    "What?"


    Ezra and Zuri mused aloud.


    It was the first time they were hearing this. Though information about what was happening within the Regis Estate was hard to get, they were aware of how practically all key figures of the Regis n doted on the young master. It was almost impossible that they had not heard anything after their young master went missing. Apart from this, with all key figures of the n doting on him, would anyone be courageous enough to abduct him?


    Kyran did not say the Regis''s Young Master was missing because he got abducted. But Ezra assumed this because how else would a person doted by almost everyone in his family suddenly go missing?


    There was also the fact that this happened as soon as Emperor Euan dered he wanted the Regis''s Young Master to be the Crown Princess''s betroth.


    He could smell a conspiracy on all these.


    Kyran crossed his arms and studied Ezra and Zuri''s bodynguage. Their surprise upon hearing this news was not an act. He could easily discern their emotions even if he could not see their expression. They were inside his domain, after all.


    "K¡ªTyr," Ss corrected himself before he could call Kyran by his real name. "Is it true?"


    Kyran looked at him, "The source of that information is reliable. But I don''t know the full details."


    "So the Royal Family doesn''t know why the Regis''s Young Master is missing... but how do they even know that? Where did they get the information? Have they made contact... with the Regis?" Ste asked.


    The Conve boasted a wide range ofworks, yet they were unaware of this information, even if it was a rumor.


    Kyran shook his head, "I don''t have information on that."


    "...and..." Ste looked at him uneasily.


    Just looking at her eyes, Kyran could guess what she really wanted to ask.


    ''Are you okay?''


    Kyran only smiled. A smile that could mean anything and nothing at all.


    Ezra noticed this subtle exchange, but he chose to remain silent.


    Kyran turned his attention back to Ezra, "What do you think of this?"


    Ezra hesitated for a second before shaking his head, "I cannot say at this point, but I do see a conspiracy behind his disappearance."


    "Like someone plotted it?" Kyran asked.

 Chapter 398 The Regis Young Master (1)

    Kyran knew this was not the case, of course. But since he did not know what happened between the Royal Army and the Royal Family before the assimtion happened, he wanted to understand how the noble families saw this event.


    "There is that," Ezra agreed. "After all, Emperor Euan''s n is known by most noble families, and some opposed the idea of the Royal Family''s union with the Regis n. Their opposition is mostly because of the fact that the Winfrey bloodline is very evident in the Crown Princess..."


    His voice trailed off, an evident indication of his hesitation to continue. But then he took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and finally said, "The truth, most noble families are aware how the Winfreys coveted the Regis bloodline in the past."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. Not because it was the first time he heard this, but because his Draconic core began to hum inside him.


    It seemed his ancestor was aware of this fact and had a very strong opinion about it.


    "It was said, the Regis possessed something that the Soul Emperor feared. That was why the Winfreys chose to form a union with the Regis instead of having to deal with them. At least, that was their goal until the tragedy happened."


    Ste suddenly grabbed Kyran''s arm. As if not doing so would result in him going far away. Even the air around White Lily dropped to a dangerous level.


    Ezra and Zuri noticed this and were perplexed. It appeared this information was true if it could invoke powerful emotions in both White Lily and the Time Keeper.


    Kyran felt Ste''s hand tremble while she clung to his arm.


    Ste''s reaction reminded Kyran of an incident when his Draconic core resonated with his emotions when Zephyr was getting bullied by the Temr Code Elite Team. Before he knew what he was doing, his body moved. At first, he did not want to heed his Draconic core''s will, but in the end, he followed it in fear of his core getting out of control again¡ª just like when his Draconic core and Void core got influenced by the experiences of his predecessors.


    It was one of those moments in life he never wanted to experience again.


    For this reason, he could only imagine how much regret the First Time Keeper had felt for his predecessor, Can, to have made Ste react strongly in that instant.


    "... treated as a friend and yet..."


    Kyran heard her mutter under her breath. He knew that the four people who possessed Ancient Magic were all friends. But the Soul Emperor secretly plotted many evil things, which resulted¡ª at least ording to Kyran''s understanding¡ª in both the Dragon Lord and the Time Keeper believing Can had gone evil.


    Ultimately, the truth came to light after Can''s death, and the Dragon Lord and the Time Keeper viewed the Soul Emperor as the true evil.


    Nevertheless, Kyran could not shake off the feeling that Can never thought the Soul Emperor to be evil. Because the stronger emotion he could feel in his Void core when the Soul Emperor was being mentioned were great sadness and... affection.


    Because of this, Kyran could not genuinely get angry at Ste or White Lily for acting the way they did when they found out about Cyneah.


    "How do you know about this?"


    Kyran asked after falling into contemtion for a few seconds.


    He first wanted to ask if Ezra knew what that ''something'' the Soul Emperor feared because he felt that thetter did not fear the fact that a dragon blessed the Regis n, but rather, the dragon that blessed the Regis n was the Dragon King. Kyran noticed it from how Ezra said ''instead of dealing with ''them'' as if he was referring to an entity and not anything immaterial or material things.


    Dragons evoked awe and fear among humans and even other creatures. It would not be surprising if the Soul Emperor were also wary of them. And the fact that the Dragon King seemed to hold the Dragon Lord in high regard meant the Regis was a threat to the Soul Emperor.


    The second thing that piqued Kyran''s interest was when Ezra said ''until the tragedy happened'' but decided against it. There were far too many inconsistencies in the stories of the truth that happened a thousand years ago. Thus, Kyran decided to confirm the authenticity of the information first instead of asking Ezra what he knew because in case the older man shared his thoughts on the matter instead of giving him the real facts.


    "One of our founders found an ancient record which we believed was written when the previous Void Master was still alive. Unfortunately, because the record was written in ancient runes, we could only decipher a few of the information and the record itself was broken and iplete."


    This information instantly piqued Kyran''s interest.


    Nn told him about his family investigating a broken ancient record that a past Patriarch of the Regis n had found in theirnd. The Regis found out that the record dated back to when their ancestor, the Dragon Lord, still lived, and the ''Dark Sage'' was still known as the Void Master. Because of this, they chose the elite members of the Regis to search for the missing pieces of the record.


    Kyran''s father, Cade, his mother, Rin, Nn, and te were thest ones who were tasked to continue the search. Unfortunately, their search got dyed because of Nn¡ª or rather ''Gray''s'' supposed ''death.''


    In any case, if the broken record Ezra mentioned was one of the missing pieces of the record his n was searching for; once they retrieve this piece then they would have more puzzle pieces to piece together and get a better image of what happened in that era.


    Going back to the Chaos Pce and attempting to trigger an event where Kyran could meet his predecessor again in his sea of consciousness was another option. But since he did not know the ''requirements'' in triggering that event, it could not be considered a reliable option.


    Getting the record had now be one of Kyran''s priorities now. Having a better understanding of what happened in the past would help him grasp the Royal Family''s real intentions.<sub> </sub>


    If he had to be honest, Kyran had an inkling that Emperor Euan and the Crown Princess''s objectives were not aligned.


    However, Kyran could not bring up the record at this point. He had not heard what the Montgomerays were after for meeting him, after all.


    True they agreed to meet him because of the Snow Mountain King''s rmendation, but the fact that Kyran had yet to observe how the Montgomerays treated the Spirits was preventing him from fully trusting them.


    Kyran was not afraid the Montgomerays would sell him to the Royal Family though. If this discussion fell out, he already had a countermeasure in ce.


    In the end, his identity as the Void Master and ''Tyr'' would remain a secret.


    "I don''t really trust what you say until I see it for myself," Kyran started.


    Ezra nodded in agreement, "I can understand that."


    "In any case, I want to confirm the truth about the Winfreys'' coveting the Regis bloodline."


    "Hm," Ezra touched his chin in contemtion, "I agree. If we don''t, depending on the truth, you may end up bing the Regis n''s enemy especially when their Young Master is found and he with the Crown Princess bes engaged¡ª."


    "That won''t happen."


    "Uneptable!"


    "That woman will receive the wrath of the Spirits if they insist on doing that."


    Kyran, Ste and White Lily replied at the same time.


    An awkward silence followed, leaving Ezra and Zuri at a loss of why the three reacted in this way.


    But then, the older man''s eyes widened as he thought of something and he replied, "D-Don''t tell me..."


    He looked at Kyran and asked, "Have you anticipated this and already made contact with the Regis? Could it be that the Regis Young Master has not been abducted but is currently under your care?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...."


    Another awkward silence followed, before Ste, White Lily and Ss all turned toward Kyran.


    Zuri noticed this and frowned slightly. While Ezra looked at the three before looking back at Kyran. He too noticed their reaction and knew he had said something wrong. Or maybe he was a tad bit off from hitting the middle mark.


    Before Ezra could say anything, Kyran said, "The Regis n will not be a problem. That''s all you need to know."


    "Void Master," Zuri chimed in.


    "Zuri!" Ezra looked at her. Judging from the tone of his voice, he sounded displeased by Zuri''s sudden interjection.


    "I don''t mean to sound disrespectful. However, if you treat my father like that..."


    The moment he heard her words, Ezra''s blood had run cold. He looked at Kyran and was about to apologize on her behalf when thetter shifted his attention to Zuri and asked, "Like what? How do I treat your father in your eyes?"

 Chapter 399 The Regis Young Master (2)

    When Kyran''s ''aquamarine'' eyes fixed on Zuri, she felt a chill run down her spine. It was as if his gaze alone could see through her, causing her mind to reel in fear.


    "I... I was only¡ª."


    "Please ignore her, Void Master. I apologize for her rude words. I am guilty of not educating her well."


    Kyran regarded the two with aplicated expression. When he questioned Zuri, Kyran was genuinely asking. He did not expect the two to react like this.


    "I am curious about what she said. That''s why I''m asking. Don''t overthink it."


    "But..."


    "Well?" Kyran asked Zuri again.


    It caused Zuri to look at him in confusion. But she answered, "I... father is still the Patriarch of the Montgomeray Family. Though our family cannotpare to the Courtenay or the Lumley Families, given how they all have a Magus, we are now part of the Three Noble Families and have the Spirits'' support. So, please don''t treat my father like he is some lowly servant."


    "Zuri!"


    Kyran raised his brows, "Is it offending to be treated like a servant?"


    His question made Zuri''s brow furrowed.


    "You¡ª."


    "Enough, Zuri!"


    "But¡ª."


    "I already said enough," Ezra sternly said, after which he looked at Kyran and lowered his head in apology, "Please pardon her rudeness, Void Master. She stillcks in many things, but I will make sure to¡ª."


    "Stop. I don''t care how you n to educate your daughter, but I don''t think she is wrong."


    His words and tone of voice sounded sincere that both Ezra and Zuri stopped.


    "I heard your family served the Dinaeri Family."


    "Used to."


    "Zuri!"


    "..." Kyran sighed inwardly. He was beginning to understand Ezra''s submissive attitude and Zuri''s somewhat defiant attitude.


    The Montgomeray Family only became the leading family for more or less ten years, and the older generation had yet to ovee their nature of being servants after being freed from their servitude. As for the new generation, most were still young or at an age where they could barely understand what was happening in the family. When the Montgomeray resumed the Dinaeri''s activities as the new head, they were the first to adapt to the noble life.


    But the fact that the Montgomeray family had been known as servants for a long time, most noble families treated them with false reservation. They were neither friendly nor hostile. Yet, they never saw them as equals.


    Because of how these nobles treated them, the Montgomerays were more determined to prove themselves, especially the younger generation.


    Being a new patriarch, Ezra probably wanted to find a way to lessen the pressure the younger generation felt. He likely considered partnering with other noble families who did not treat them with false reservations. In this way, he could secure the safety of future generations, and they would not get pushed around.


    To put it simply, Ezra would not hesitate to sacrifice his pride and be submissive in front of others as long as he could secure their support to protect the current and new generations of the Montgomeray Family.


    While the Montgomeray could employ the assistance of the Spirits, their mages had low magic levels and did not pose a threat in front of mages with higher magic levels¡ª not to mention in front of a Magus.


    Aside from this, the Montgomeray did not have a Magus.


    In Ezra''s search for the right family, he realized the Regis n was one of the best candidates. It was why he tried to reach them through the Conve.


    The other one was finding the Void Master, whom the Spirits revered. Of course, thetter was risky due to the Royal Family''s decree regarding Void magic.


    There was also no guarantee that a new Void Master would appear after his whole family was executed.


    Knowing this fact, Kyran already had two reasons to get Ezra on his side: He is from the Regis n and the new Void Master.


    "I don''t really care whether your family used to be servants," Kyran cut them off while emphasizing the words ''used to be,'' "I only care whether your family will be of use to me or not."


    Ss looked at Kyran, his expression turning grim. He had feared Kyran going down the dark path from how cold and indifferent he appeared at times. Just like now. Ss wanted to talk to Kyran about this but did not get a chance. Hopefully, he could find time after this.


    Sensing Ss''s eyes on him, Kyran turned to him and could guess what he was thinking from his expression.


    ''You don''t have to look at me like that. It''s not like I will do something inhuman to the Montgomerays. They still had the pact with the Spirits my predecessor saved, and I will not harm them.''


    Ss''s pupil constricted upon hearing Kyran''s voice in his head. But he recovered immediately and lowered his head to prevent the others from seeing his surprise.


    Unable to respond telepathically, Ss nodded his head once.


    Kyran looked at Zuri, who appeared to have frozen from what he said. He could more or less guess her indignation upon hearing his intentions, but at least she was smart enough not to argue.


    It was a subject she had no control over, and only Ezra or other elders of the family could have a say.


    Ezra remained silent. He did not react because he knew it was futile to y dumb.


    "Let''s go back on topic," Kyran diverted the discussion. "Who was it that said the Winfreys coveted the Regis Bloodline?"


    Ezra shook his head, "I don''t know. It is only a story passed down by the elders from different noble families. As for the authenticity of it, from the broken record one of our ancestors found, there is a part where it talked about the Soul Emperor and someone with a suitable bloodline. However, because the record was broken, we failed to make sense of this phrase."<sub> </sub>


    "Where is the record?" Kyran finally asked.


    "It is kept hidden in the First Ancestral Tomb. I can take you there if you want to see it."


    "You don''t hide anything, do you."


    "I believe it is best to tell you the truth if I want to convince you of our worth," Ezra replied with a slight smile. "Besides, I don''t think there is anything that can escape your eyes."


    Kyran did not respond and only regarded the older man in silence.


    Having the Montgomeray on his side would be helpful. He could use them as liaisons when working with the Temr Code and the Aureole once he got them to work with him.


    After this, the only thing Kyran needed was to take over the Blue Lotus then he was ready to execute his n.


    After a moment''s silence, he said, "Is there anything else you can tell me?"


    Ezra did not respond immediately. He lowered his head as if contemting his following words.


    Finally, he said, "We found the Winfrey Ancestral Lands and noticed a great deal of magic energy inside. We do not know what is happening inside, but we found several areas with the same magic signature as the one in the Winfrey Ancestral Lands near the Conve headquarters and inside the Valley of Morte."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed.


    It was the first time he was hearing this.


    Kyran was unaware of it but whether this activity had anything to do with the others was a possibility.


    In any case, he had Max and Reuben go to the Valley of Morte. If they found anything there, he was sure they would tell him at once.


    As for the activity near the Conve''s headquarters, Kyran thought of the ''outsiders'' stationed around the tower. This fact was why he considered it connected with them because, as far as he knew, they were the only ones who went near the tower.


    "Is that everything?" Kyran asked.


    "Yes," Ezra replied with a nod. "Rest assured that when we find something new, we will ry it at once."


    "That is fine. But first," Kyran took a deep breath. "There is something we need to clear first."


    Ezra did not respond. Instead, he straightened his back as if he already knew what wasing.


    "I could more or less understand why you want to meet with me. And you already know I needed workforce."


    "Yes," Ezra replied with a nod.


    Ss already told them a brief version of why Kyran wanted to gather all Summoners and their Spirits. The Snow Mountain King already agreed and gave Ss a token that would help him meet the leaders of every family in the empire that had contracts with the Spirits.


    Ss first made contact with the Montgomeray. Once Kyran and Ezra came into an agreement, his next stop would be the Mavin Family.


    "If you swear your allegiance to me, I will protect you and everyone in the family," Kyran paused and looked meaningfully at Ezra before adding. "However, you must understand that I am only doing this because of every Spirit with your family right now.


    "With that in mind, I have a few conditions."


    "I''m listening."


    "I want you and your family to stop treating the Spirits like they are non-living."


    Ezra frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"


    "Stop referring to them as it."


    White Lily looked at Kyran with mixed emotions. After Can''s death, most of the families the Spirits had made a contract with started to dwindle. The fae blood in the family grew thin, and only a few were left.


    Among those who managed to survive was the Svell Family, who treated them like actual family members. However, the other families started to forget the original contract and stopped treating them as equals.


    Because they no longer had Can''s protection, they could only endure in silence.


    Ezra lowered his head in apology. Zuri also followed.


    "I apologize if you found my family''s treatment of the Spirits unjust. I will make sure to convey your desire to everyone."


    "Aren''t you even going to negotiate? The way you talk gives me the impression that you already agreed to swear allegiance."


    "I am."


    "It is a big decision to make. You don''t wish to talk with the rest of the elders in the family first?"


    Ezra shook his head firmly, "There is no need. We have all agreed that I can make the call without their consent."


    Kyran fell silent. He looked at him and then at Zuri, who had remained silent throughout the rest of their exchange.


    Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "Alright. As for the next condition."


    "Yes."


    Kyran pointed at his face. "I want you two to remove your masks. After that, I will perform the pact and tell you everything."

 Chapter 400 The Regis Young Master (3)

    Just as Kyran suspected, Ezra did possess the same features as his mother and Nn. While his facial features differ slightly, with a defined jawline and high nose bridge, he had the same shade of silver gray hair and light blue eyes as them.


    It gave Kyran mixed emotions. But remained indifferent and continued as if seeing them without a mask was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Ss was also somewhat surprised. After all, he had met Kyran''s mother and felt Ezra had the same air as her. It was slightly different, but it was there. It made him wonder if the Montgomeray Family had any ties with the Ada Family.


    Zuri also had light blue eyes, but her hair was dark violet. She likely got it from her mother.


    After that, Kyran proceeded to create the pact.


    The ''pact'' Kyran created was simr to what he had with Olivia, though slightly different. It would give him control over Ezra''s life and death and the Montgomeray Family.


    Typically, performing arge-scale target pact was close to impossible. Apart from requiring an enormous amount of magic energy and resources, all targets must be present when the pact is cast. The caster must also be able to shoulder the mental strain of connecting to several targets at once.


    With Kyran''s Void magic, he covered most of these requirements. Because he was inside his domain, he had no problem with resources and magic energy. As for thest one, he had performed far more severe rituals during his training in the Tower of Tribtions that the mental strain from the pact was considered normal.


    Kyran also included a Shared-Connection incantation in the pact.


    The Shared-Connection incantation was a Dark Arts magic wherein a group of people, including the caster, would be able to sense each other''s thoughts and feelings on a specific subject. For example, if the leader were wounded, the rest of the group members would know this and experience the pain he felt.


    This pact was the same connection all Temr Code''s Elite Team members had. Kyran confirmed that Tritus knew the incantation and taught each leader of the Elite Team.


    Tritus also admitted to Kyran that he learned the incantation from an ancient tablet he found in one of the ruins in the western part of the empire. Unfortunately, the Royal Army took over jurisdiction of the ruin soon after it was discovered. In the end, Tritus could only learn one incantation, and he was unable to grasp itsplete concept.


    For this reason, the Shared-Connection the Temr Code Elite Team had would only trigger when one of their members was in grave danger or had fallen because they did not know how to set the subject of the incantation.


    As for the pact Kyran performed with Ezra, he set the subject of the Shared-Connection incantation to the Montgomeray''s allegiance. Its scope was as follows: If any one of them thought of betraying the family or exposing the truth about Kyran, or if one of them were being tortured while being subjected to forced extraction of information by magic, Kyran would know it.


    If that happened, another incantation included in the pact would trigger, where all information about Kyran would get filtered.


    The same went with the person subjected to forced extraction of information.


    The extracted information would not include anything that would point toward Kyran. For example, the person would fail to recall Kyran''s name or face or how Ezra made contact with him.


    Of course, such an incantation was not without w.


    If the mage who did the extraction had a higher mage level than the caster of the pact¡ª in this case, Kyran¡ª they could still find some clues.


    This w was something Kyran had no control over and had no ns on preparing countermeasures.


    Besides, he was positive the Royal Family already knew the ''Regis''s Young Master'' was the new Void Master. The only thing Kyran wanted to keep hidden from them was the fact that he and Tyr were the same person.


    Once the pact was made, a mark of five interlocking circles that was visible only to all involved parties would appear near the soft hollow portion of their necks.


    It took Kyran two hours toplete the pact and another ten minutes to perform it on Ezra. After which, the mark appeared on his and Zuri''s neck.


    Kyran also had the mark. But instead of it appearing on his neck, it appeared on the back of his left hand.


    Two hours after the pact waspleted, Kyran had Ezra exin the structure of the Montgomeray Family. He also asked about the current rtionship between the Montgomeray Family and the Dinaeri Family.


    Initially, Kyran was not interested in thetter subject. However, upon recalling Lev''s attitude after calling him a Dinaeri in disguise, Kyran thought it would not hurt to understand the Montgomeray''s situation a little better.


    When Ezra finished exining the structure and the current situation of the Montgomeray and the Dinaeri, Kyran told them about the outsiders.


    As soon as he exined the possibility of the Royal Family working with the outsiders, the expressions of everyone inside turned grim.


    Ste and White Lily already knew this but remembering it still caused them grave concern.


    After that, Kyran gave them a rough exnation of his current manpower. He did not tell them who he was working with, but the fact that he had already made contact with two other forces and already established an agreement with them was surprising.


    Ste, White Lily, and Ss were equally surprised.


    In the first ce, White Lily had other Spirits keep watch of Kyran''s activity as soon as he appeared as Tyr.<sub> </sub>


    However, there were instances when Kyran disappeared to who knew where and they ended up not knowing what he did.


    As of this moment, White Lily was unaware of Zephyr''s existence, or that Tritus was now his Sigil. The same was the case with Byron and the Blue Lotus, which was all good in Kyran''s opinion. He would tell them everything when hepleted his preparation.


    To think he had been busy looking for another way to gather his own military force.


    Ste somehow felt saddened that Kyran did not consider the Conve his ally. Then again, as long as the Conve remained neutral, she could not reallyin.


    While it was true she had already dered the possibility of the Conve leaving its neutral state; it was only that¡ª a possibility. Depending on what the Three Noble Families¡ª excluding the Montgomeray Family¡ª would do after the military exercise, they could still retain their neutral status.


    "If you needed a detailed record on all members of the Elder Council, I could send over the information," Ezra told Kyran.


    Kyran shook his head, "There is no need. I''ll let you handle the rest."


    "I understand."


    "I''ll set up a time where you can meet the others," Kyran told Ezra.


    [Is our presence needed in that meeting, beloved Void Master?]


    White Lily asked Kyran telepathically.


    ''You cane if you want. But Ste must not know.''


    [Why are you excluding the new Time Keeper?]


    Kyran hesitated only for a second before answering, ''I can''t let them meet yet.''


    He did not expound on his words, but White Lily understood.


    Kyran nned to let Ezra meet not only the other people he was working with but also ''her.''


    The woman he was hiding in that cottage.


    [Very well.]


    "I will await your instruction," Ezra replied.


    "Onest thing," Kyran looked at both Ezra and Zuri meaningfully. "About the matter of the Regis not being a problem."


    Ezra looked at Kyran in anticipation.


    When he dered those words, he felt Kyran''s confidence and was curious why. To be honest, if he were given a chance to make contact with the Regis n, he would dly ept it. Because they were sheltering the Spirit Child, and he had wanted to meet her for a long time now.


    After all, both of them might be rted.


    Kyran touched his mask (in Ezra and Zuri''s case, however, it only looked like he was touching his face), "Here''s why."


    As soon as he removed his mask, the room fell silent.


    Seeing the face under the mask left Ezra and Zuri''s minds to reel in shock.


    The face under the mask was also handsome. While Tyr''s handsomeness had a feminine touch to it, the one they were looking at now was more manly and younger. And instead of aquamarine eyes, dark gray eyes were looking at them.


    "ck hair... dark gray eyes...." Ezra muttered, his eyes widening inplete shock.


    This turn of events was something he had not anticipated. To think the new Void Master appeared in the Regis n!


    The same n that birthed the Dragon Lord!


    "Yes. That''s right. I am a Regis... And not just any Regis. I am that ''Regis Young Master'' that the Royal Family has said to be ''missing.''"

 Chapter 401 Return To The Montgomeray

    Because Ezra and Zuri had been away for more than an hour, with no news about where they went or how they were, an almost palpable tension filled all of the elders and the rest of the Montgomeray Family members.


    Lev and the rest of the members still in the Courtenaynd returned to their secret residence after receiving a call about the matter.


    As soon as they arrived, one of the elders filled them in on what had happened.


    They also informed them that Ezra and Zuri disappeared along with Kyran and his people¡ª the woman with him and the Snow Mountain King''s messenger.


    To be precise, Kyran warped them, confirming his identity as the new Void Master.


    Lev was silent throughout their exnation. In the first ce, he was already convinced of Kyran''s identity during their fight.


    At that time, Kyran did not hold back and employed his Void magic at every turn, even using the infamous warp ability of the Void, rendering all of Lev''s surprise attacks useless.


    Unbeknownst to Lev, Kyran not holding back was only his opinion.


    Lev failed to notice that Kyran never once directly aimed his attack on him. If he did, he would realize that Kyran had only been ''ying around'' by defusing his attack even before he could release it. The truth was Kyran could not go all out because if he did, Lev would not havested one move.


    While the elders exined what happened to Lev, they noticed the boy''s silence. His behavior came as unusual because he had always acted condescending.


    "They will be back," Lev told the elders afterwards. "Let''s not jump to conclusions and remain calm while waiting for them."


    After saying this, Lev leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. His action clearly meant the end of the discussion.


    Everyone inside the room was stunned. It was their first time seeing Lev like this.


    The members who had been with him during the match with the Conve put two and two together and realized Lev''s attitude changed right after his match with Kyran. They already guessed something happened during his match, but for him to still act this way even though his father and sister might be in danger spoke volumes.


    After a couple more hours, they all felt a burning sensation on the hollow part of their neck. They soon noticed a dark purple mark of five interlocking circles on their necks.


    The elders were once more thrown into a state of panic. They had been alive long enough to know what this mark meant.


    Nevertheless, Lev red at the elders and told them off by saying, "Such an unsightly disy. So we received a mark, what of it? It''s not like we are going to die because of it. Now, get a hold of yourselves and act like real adults!"


    Being told off by a boy made the elders feel ashamed and fell silent.


    They already gave Ezra the go-ahead when deciding the best course of action for the family''s survival. And truth be told, they already guessed the mark could be the result of Ezra finally agreeing to work with the Void Master.


    But receiving a mark without knowing the agreement''s content still left them unsettled. They could not help but feel scared. It was unsightly, just as Lev said, and they had no excuse to defend themselves.


    Two hours after the mark appeared, an enormous magic fluctuation appeared at the reception area where Ezra and Zuri disappeared with Kyran and his people.


    All the elders, including Lev and the members representing the Montgomeray Family in thepetitions, went there at once.


    Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Ezra and Zuri and, to their shock and horror, a beautiful female Spirit with a regal aura and a handsome young man with the distinct features of a Regis!


    Aside from this, Ezra and Zuri were not wearing their masks!


    Kyran regarded the elders of the Montgomeray in silence before turning his gaze at Lev and the rest of the younger members.


    "Is this everyone?" Kyran asked without looking at Ezra.


    "Yes," the older man replied.


    Kyran already knew the Montgomeray''s main force were few. It consisted of five elders, and eight adults who were Ezra''s siblings or cousins. Then finally, a dozen younger generation that Zuri led together with Lev.


    Kyran used his draconic sense to feel out their magic level and sighed inwardly.


    "Too weak," he said in a voice loud enough for most of them to hear.


    Ezra could only smile bitterly in response.


    The elders who heard him felt somewhat ashamed and did not say anything. On the other hand, the younger generations felt indignant, and one of them said, "What did you say? Who are you calling weak?"


    Zuri''s eyes narrowed. She took a step forward and was about to reprimand the man when White Lily delicately lifted her pointing finger and said, "Know your ce, young man."


    Suddenly, the man let out a muffled scream as he grabbed the mask on his face.


    The mask twisted and seemed to blend into his skin, sealing his eyes, nose and mouth. In an instant, the Montgomeray members were scared witless.


    "White Lily, stop," Kyran said and looked at her helplessly.


    Before warping himself, Ezra and Zuri back to the Montgomeray''s secret residence, White Lily insisted oning with him. When he said there was no need for her to do so since they were not bound by a pact or something simr, she replied there was no need.


    After all, she had already made a pact with Can, and it would remain for all eternity. When she said it, her eyes softened, and her cheeks even turned rudy as if reminiscing the past.


    White Lily''s reaction instantly made Kyran shiver. He did not need to ask what kind of pact she had with Can. Just as he feared, it seemed the two did tie the knot.


    White Lily sighed butplied.


    The man''s mask returned to normal, and he fell to his knees, trembling while gasping for air. Two youth knelt on both his side and supported him.


    The others looked on in horror. But their feelings of horror were not caused by what they had witnessed but more by the fact the beautiful female Spirit with the Regis young man was named White Lily!


    There was only one Spirit alive named like that, and it was the Queen of the Faes!


    "A-Are you really¡­" Lev stuttered, feeling somewhat hesitant to look White Lily in the eyes.


    White Lily looked at Lev and smiled, "Ignis has told me about you, little boy. He said, while you appear to act aloof and uncaring about others, you actually have a kind heart."


    "I-I¡­"


    Lev was d he was wearing a mask, or else everyone would have seen his face turn bright red.


    Kyran looked at Lev with emotionless dark gray eyes and muttered, "Kind heart, huh."


    Lev looked at Kyran with a slight frown. He wanted to tell him off, but the moment he gaze at his dark gray ones, the words were stuck in his throat, and his body trembled involuntarily.<sub> </sub>


    "P-Patriarch Ezra¡­. T-This¡­?" One of the elders cautiously stepped forward and looked at Ezra.


    Ezra looked at the elder and raised his hand to stop him from saying anything further. He then looked at Kyran, who returned his gaze and nodded.


    Looking at the elders and the rest of the adults, Ezra started, "Elders and fellow leaders of the Montgomeray Family." Then he turned toward the younger members, "And the promising talents of the current generation. Starting today, we will now be under the new Void Master."


    Gasps of surprise filled the air.


    "T-This¡­ but¡­ Where is the Void Master?"


    "Wait a moment... the young man with you is... he is a Regis, isn''t he?"


    "D-Don''t tell us the Void Master has already allied with the Regis n?"


    "It can''t be. The Crown Princess is already betrothed to the Regis Young Master, so how¡ª."


    One after another, the elders voiced their doubts.


    However, when one of them mentioned the betrothal of the Crown Princess and the Regis Young Master, White Lily moved her delicate finger once more, and the elder who had spoken was instantly lifted in midair.


    "Waaaa!" The elder shrieked in fright.


    The others gaped in shock but were too scared of receiving the ire of the Queen, thus, they did not make a move to save the elder.


    "I dare you to say that again, human. I will remove your very existence this instant."


    "White Lily," Kyran called her out again in exasperation.


    He should be the one reacting to the elder''s words since he was the one involved. Howe White Lily was more affected?


    White Lily did not reply but released the elder. Her light pink diamond-like eyes glistened maliciously as she looked at the elders.


    Two elders caught the elder White Lily released. All the elders stopped talking and looked at her in fear. There was no doubt in their minds. The female Spirit before them was the Queen of the Faes if she could act like this.


    Still.


    Why was she listening to the young man of the Regis n?


    Ezra, who remained silent the whole time, turned to Kyran and White Lily and lowered his head, "I apologize on their behalf, please pardon their words."


    Kyran shook his head, "It''s fine."


    Then he turned his attention to the rest of the Montgomeray and said, "You''re all confused, I get that. I hate repeating myself so I''ll let Ezra exin everything. However..."


    His dark gray eyes suddenly turned reddish-purple as his expression turned cold.


    Everyone looking at him flinched unconsciously.


    "I did not let you see my face for nothing. If any of you breathe a word about me," Kyran smiled at them.


    A smile that did not meet his eyes.


    He touched the hollow part of his neck, and in an instant, they all felt a burning sensation on their necks, right where the mark of interlocking circles was.


    Realization hit them as they looked at Kyran with mixed emotions.


    Lev also looked at him with wide eyes. Why had he not noticed it sooner? The air around the young man was simr to the ''Tyr'' he had battled inside Ignis''s wall of mes.


    "You are..."


    Without confirming their thoughts, Kyran tilted his head to one side and looked at White Lily.


    "What do think?"


    "They all possessed fae blood but some were too weak to make proper contract with my kin."


    "Then we''ll just have to improve their fae blood."


    White Lily smiled wryly.


    "Yes, I suppose. It is possible with you around."


    Kyran nodded and looked at Ezra.


    "You can exin everything to them. Choose five members you want to go with first, and tomorrow night I will return with White Lily and Ss."


    Ezra lowered his head, "Leave it to me."


    Zuri did the same, and soon the rest of the Montgomeray members also lowered their heads.


    "Alright."


    Before all of them could straighten and look at Kyran and White Lily, the space before them distorted.


    In the blink of an eye, both of them disappeared.


    The room instantly fell into a tensed silence.


    The first one to break the silence was Lev.


    "Father!" He said, "T-That young man is... is he really...?"


    Ezra looked at him first before turning his attention to the rest. All of them looked at him with mixed emotions. After all, it was one thing to finally meet the Void Master and the Queen of the Faes, but realizing the real identity of the former was too much to take in.


    "As you have seen, that young man is the new Void Master," he started. "He is also a Regis. It is a bitplicated but I will exin everything. First thing''s first, I want you all to keep in mind that what I am about to tell you is of utmost importance and must not be disclosed to anyone."

 Chapter 402 Beast Hunt

    With the Beast Hunt event taking ce on the Small Ind in the southern terrain of the Courtenaynd, the Courtenay Family prepared five medium-sized ships to carry members of each faction who wanted to watch.


    Crystal orbs were scattered all over the ind, which acted as surveince that projected feeds on a translucent panel on every ship.


    Because the Courtenay Family released the beasts to be hunted for the eventtest night, they deployed a golden translucent barrier to prevent them from escaping. A Magic Interference Array covering the whole ind was also deployed to avoid any form of magic from entering the ind.


    The array was put in ce to prevent outside interference. Though both sides were expected to y by the rules, there was no telling if a third party would disrupt the event.


    Nevertheless, both sides could scout the area using projected feeds from the surveince orbs scattered over the ind before entering.


    While the exercise between the Conve and the Royal Army in thest two events concluded without any problems, the Beast Hunt event was slightly different. After all, they would be dealing with live beings this time.


    The beasts used in the Material Gathering event could notpare with those in the Beast Hunt. The beasts range from medium torge-sized and included three legendary beasts released at the ind''s heart.


    The rules for the Beast Hunt event were simple.


    Each side must capture as many beasts as they can in six hours. After which, the score will be tallied ording to the points corresponding to the level of the captured beast. The side that received the highest score would be dered the winner.


    Still, hunting for six hours was taxing to the human body, even to the most physically fit mage. Thus, a special rule had been included wherein they could end the exercise early: If any team managed to subdue one of the three legendary beasts on the ind, then the event would end with the side who subdued the legendary beast as the winner.


    Last night, Styx suggested taking on one of the legendary beasts. The Conve Council Members and the rest of the acting leaders all agreed. It was the best action to take if they wanted to continue dominating the whole event.


    Kyran received the details of the Beast Hunt''s strategy after returning to his quartersst night. Afterwards, he went to Neo''s room and adjusted his programming to support Styx''s strategy.


    Not to brag or anything, but Kyran was confident Neo alone would be enough to subdue the legendary beast. However, that was not part of the n. He did not want to draw attention to Neo and expose his identity as a ''puppet.'' Thus, he made sure to limit the level of magic Neo could summon.


    Neo also specialized in short des and hand-to-handbat, which was good for scouting.


    Afterpleting the adjustments in Neo''s programming, Kyran made his preparation for the Array Competition against the Courtenay Family.


    Half an hour before the start of the Beast Hunt, the participants for the Royal Army and the Conve were ferried to the ind''s dock by the Courtenay representatives.


    During the trip, both sides started feeling each other out.


    Styx, leading the Beast Hunt, sensed something was a miss while observing the Royal Army members. For one thing, the ones participating in the Beast Hunt looked unfamiliar.


    Both sides were given information on each other''s members participating in every exercise. As the leader of the Solo Competition and the Beast Hunt, Styx made sure to memorize the information about the Royal Army members they would be up against.


    However, the five members they were with now seemed different.


    ''No, that''s not exactly right. It''s them, alright. But something seems different about them,'' Styx thought, correcting his train of thought.


    "Leader."


    Styx turned to his left and looked at the young man who called for his attention.


    The young man was about six feet tall with dark hair and brown eyes. He wore a ck coat over brown leather armor.


    This guy was a representative from the Conve named Neo.


    Styx found the guy''s information to be pretty average.


    They both use Earth magic, except Styx was an Abjurer, and Neo was an Elementor. This arrangement was good in its way. At least they could have different assignments during the hunt.


    Apart from this, though Neo''s magic ability appeared average, he was the only one among them who possessed an innate ability which was good in scouting: Stealth.


    In Styx''s opinion, Neo might be the key yer to win the Beast Hunt today.


    "What is it?"


    "I received a message from Chairman Noir," Neo said, taking out a dark purple disc under his coat.


    Styx''s eyes narrowed.


    The cksmith Order did not send any members to participate in the Beast Hunt. Obviously, it was due to the fact that the next Array Creation would happen in the afternoon. But they would still help gather intel before the event starts and ry it to them.


    Recalling this made Styx''s mind wondered toward Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    Yesterday, Kyran did not attend the meeting to rest. Styx wondered whether resting for one night would be enough for Kyran to recover and be able topete in the Array Creation.


    Pushing the sudden thought to the back of his mind, Styx took the disc from Neo and scanned his magic sense inside to check the message.


    His expression suddenly turned grim upon reading its content. He closed his eyes to mask his emotions and replied to Neo, "Thanks."


    Neo nodded and took the disc back from Styx before turning to leave.


    Styx took a deep breath and avoided looking toward the Royal Army''s side.


    The intel that Chairman Noir had sent did not include information on the beasts they might encounter inside the small ind. Instead, it was an updated intel of the Royal Army members.


    Previously, the information about them mentioned they were all Master mages. But now, it appeared three of them had been promoted to Grand Masters, and the other two were already half-step toward bing Grand Masters.


    The Royal Army did not give their real information from the start. It never crossed their mind that these five had made a breakthrough before the beginning of the exercise. Because mages who had only made their breakthrough would usually lie low to slowly get used to their new mage level, they would not recklessly join in a taxing event like beast hunting and end up damaging their body.


    Styx smiled bitterly as a thought crossed his mind, ''It seems the Royal Army will also use the same strategy. Aim to subdue a legendary beast.''


    His guess was not without basis. First, since their members consisted of three Grand Masters, it would be easier for them to take on a legendary beast. Second, the Royal Army had been on a losing streak against them (early this morning, it had been announced that they had won the Smithing Competition), and it would not be a surprise that they wanted to showcase their strength in today''s exercise.


    And to be honest, with the Royal Army''s lineup, it was almost inevitable that they would win.


    After all, the Conve did not have a Grand Master in their lineup. Even Styx was only half a step to bing one.


    Just as Styx was adjusting their strategy in his head, Neo came to him again and said, "Leader."


    "What is it?"


    "Uhm... I received a message from Disciple Tyr."


    Styx frowned slightly and looked at Neo.


    "I didn''t know you have his contact detail."


    "I don''t, he is using Chairman Noir''s channel."


    "Ah, right," Styx smiled wryly. After being around ''Tyr'' these days and seeing him in action, Styx had unconsciously forgotten that he was Chairman Noir''s disciple.


    "And? What did he say?"


    "Err... well..."


    Instead of giving the disc to Styx and letting him read its content through magic sense, Neo replied in a voice loud enough for the others to hear.


    "Disciple Tyr said that one of the legendary beasts has been sighted at the coordinates 345, 421. He said it is a baby Echidna and wanted us to aim for it because he wanted its blood."


    Styx''s brow twitched as soon as Neo finished saying his piece.


    How could he not realize that this was Kyran''s plot to mess with the Royal Army?


    His thought was soon confirmed as he noticed the Royal Army members exchanging nces before standing up and moving to one corner of the ship to talk.


    Styx looked at Neo with a nk expression and said in a low voice, "You did that on purpose."


    Neo scratched his head, "Uhm... Disciple Tyr told me to say it like that."


    "You realize those guys are not easily fooled by what you said, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why bother?"


    "Disciple Tyr said, as long as we ruffle their feathers, then everything will go ording to n."

 Chapter 403 The Island Hunt (1)

    "Aside from this, the blood of the Echidna is already a tempting subject. It is enough to rouse a person''s greed."


    Styx furrowed his brows.


    True to what Neo had said, the Echidna''s blood was a rare ingredient that if used righteously could lengthen one''s lifespan, or if used differently, could shorten it. It was considered one of the most potent poisons in the whole world.


    However, Echidna beasts were only found in the northern nations, because they could only live in cold ces. In any case, it was hard to capture an Echidna, much more so to kill it.


    How did the Courtenay Family get hold of such a legendary beast? Unless ''Tyr'' lied about the Echidna and there was no such thing lurking in the coordinates he provided.


    "True, it is hard to believe that the Courtenay Family could have a legendary beast that can only be seen in the northern nations. But its only a baby Echidna. They might have bought an egg in the ck market and raised it themselves."


    Styx''s brows creased further as he looked at Neo.


    "Wait. Are you telling me that Echidna bit is true?"


    Neo raised his brows, wearing a somewhat hurt expression, "Why did you think I would lie about that?"


    Styx''s brow twitched once more. That was right, Neo was only rying Kyran''s message.


    Scouting the ind before the start of the event using the Courtenay Family''s crystal orbs was permitted. In real life, beast hunting included scouting the beast''s terrain after all. But he did not expect the Courtenay Family to include a beast that possessed a rare ingredient.


    It should be noted that the materials one could get on every hunted beast would be imed by the side who had defeated it. In this case, if the Echidna did fall in the hands of the Royal Army, then they could im it as their own.


    ''And those royal dogs is probably asking their side if they also saw the baby Echidna to confirm its authenticity,'' Styx thought. But then he stopped his train of thought as he recalled the exact words Neo had said.


    "Oi."


    He called Neo''s attention in a voice loud enough for him to hear.


    "What is it, Leader Styx?"


    "Did Tyr tell you to say those exact same words, just now?"


    Neo suddenly smiled, "As expected of Leader Styx."


    Then he nodded while looking at Styx meaningfully.


    "I''m sure you already know, but the Royal Family has set their eyes on Disciple Tyr. If that is the case, the Royal Army will likely try to hunt down the baby Echidna because Disciple Tyr wanted its blood."


    Styx sneered, "That sly kid. In the end, he wanted the Royal Army to focus on the Echidna, so we can focus on the other two."


    "Er... actually he really wished for us to get the baby Echidna."


    "Why?"


    "Because he wants its blood of course."


    Styx''s expression turned nk as he stared at Neo.


    "Are you messing with me?"


    "No, no. Not at all. You are the leader of the Beast Hunt team, Leader Styx. It will still be up to you. Disciple Tyr''s opinion can be ignored. Besides," Neo leaned closer and added in a low voice, "Now that we know the baby Echidna''s coordinates, it will be easier to pinpoint the location of the other two legendary beasts."


    Styx nodded in agreement.


    Legendary beasts were territorial, and at the same time, they respected other legendary beasts'' territory. Once a beast of their level imed a territory, they would steer clear of that ce.


    "Hm. The Echidna is near the northern part of the ind. So the other two are in the west and east areas."


    "Yes," Neo nodded. "The rest of the medium torge-sized beasts will definitely be scattered at the south area where the dock is located."


    "Hm," Styx also nodded and crossed his arms. "There''s still a few minutes before the start of the event. Keep me updated if Chairman Noir and the others send out more information."


    "Roger that, Leader."


    Neo gave a clumsy salute before turning to leave.


    Styx could have directlymunicated with Chairman Noir and the rest of the Conve members doing the initial scouting. But they opted to only have Neo receive their update.


    The main reason was to limit the number of people who receive the information from the outside which could cause differing interpretations and details being cascaded to their team. Second, was to ensure the other side would not be able to tap onto their channel. Since they were using only one channel, it would be easier to notice if there was anyone trying to peep into their conversation.


    In any case, once the event started, anymunication from the outside would be cut off and the five members participating would be left at their own devices.


    Styx leaned on the rail of the ship. He gazed toward the nearing dock of the ind and continued adjusting their strategy in his mind.


    Meanwhile, Neo sat at one of the reserved seats for their team in the deck cabin. ''He'' closed ''his'' eyes and soon a voice was transmitted into ''his head.''


    [How is it?]


    ''They took the bait, master.''


    The voice belonged to none other than Kyran.


    [Can you hear their conversation from where you are?]


    ''Yes, clearly.''


    That was right. Neo''s enhanced hearing could clearly hear the conversation the Royal Army members were currently having after they went to a corner to talk among themselves.


    When Neo told Styx about the Royal Army likely going after the baby Echidna, ''he'' said so because ''he'' heard them discussing how to capture it alive.


    [Did theymunicate on the outside to confirm the coordinates you said?]


    ''No, master. As you have suspected, they already know where the legendary beasts are located.''


    Kyran chuckled.<sub> </sub>


    [So much for ying by the rules, huh. It seems the Royal Family can no longer stay idle while the Conve thrashes the members of the Royal Army.]


    ''If I may add my opinion of the matter, master, I believe the results of the Conve as the whole are causing both the Three Noble Families and the Royal Family unrest.''


    [That''s right. If not, the Courtenay Family will not agree in giving the Royal Family the locations of the legendary beasts beforehand.]


    ''We... are not at a disadvantage, right master?''


    [Of course not. It''s not like we don''t know where the legendary beasts are.]


    ''Ah, that''s right. With master''s magic sense, locating every beast on the ind is a piece of cake.''


    Kyran suddenly fell silent on the other end.


    ''Master?''


    After an awkward silence, Kyran spoke again.


    [I don''t recall setting yournguage in that manner.]


    ''Oh, I am merely adapting this way of speaking after observing some of the Conve members.''


    [...]


    After another awkward silence, Kyran spoke with a slight sigh in his voice.


    [Try not to overdo it. I don''t want you picking up strange habits.]


    ''Yes, master.''


    [In any case, while Styx wanted to subdue a legendary beast to show the Conve''s dominance, I have another idea.]


    ''Please do tell, master. I will find an opportunity to suggest it to Leader Styx.''


    [While it is true that subduing a legendary beast would end the event early, there is another way to do that without dealing with one while still unting the Conve''s dominance.]


    ''Oh? Please enlighten me, master.''


    [This is the Beast Hunt. What is the main objective of the event, disregarding the hidden rule of subjugating a legendary beast?]


    Neo paused. The clogs in ''his'' head whirred double time as ''he'' processed Kyran''s question. ''His'' eyes snapped open, with ''his'' brown eyes glowing slightly after arriving at the answer.


    ''Hunting all medium torge-sized beasts on the ind.''


    [That''s right. If there are no more beasts to hunt, apart from the legendary beasts, then they will be forced to end the event.]


    ''Oh, but hunting all the beasts in such a short time...''


    [Why do you think I mentioned the baby Echidna instead of another legendary beast?]


    ''Er... Is it not because you want its blood?''


    [...]


    Kyran sighed on the other end.


    Neo was not sure but his master''s sigh sounded somewhat helpless.


    ''Master?''


    [I only said that to bait them. I don''t really care about its blood. The reason why I chose the Echidna is because of its characteristic as a reptile.]


    Neo''s eyes glowed once more as it finally understood Kyran''s ns.


    ''Echidnas are reptilian beasts with a head simr to a beautiful woman and a body of a snake. But since they are reptiles, they share the same quirk as the other reptilian beasts.''


    [Yes. Male reptilian beasts are drawn to the scent of female humans, and vice versa. The Royal Army consists of five males, and their scent will definitely be a great stimnt to the Echidna, which in turn enhances all of its magic and abilities. I doubt the Royal Army will be able to deal with it in such a short time even if they have three Grand Masters.]


    ''But master, won''t the Royal Army be aware of this as well?''


    [Yes, but that won''t stop them from trying to take it.]


    ''Because they want to get its blood.''


    [That''s right.]


    ''Then, master. How are we going to hunt all the beasts on the ind?''


    [I''ve adjusted your programming to be able to handle that task efficiently. You only have to convince Styx that dealing with the rest of the beasts is the easiest way to win the event. Besides, do you have any idea how many materials and ingredients we can haul if you hunted all the beasts?]


    ''Ah... in the end, master, is only interested in the materials we will get. I can see why the Echidna''s blood is not really that tempting. Since it is a rare ingredient, master, is probably the only one who can concoct a potion out of it without wasting its value.''


    [Actually, godmother can concoct one too.]


    ''Ah, of course, Lady te. In the end, it is best to aim for quantity than quality.''


    Kyran chuckled.


    [Right. Now that you know, make sure you handle the beasts properly. Don''t waste any of their precious parts.]


    ''Yes, master.''


    Just as Neo finished talking to Kyran, the Courtenay Family''s representative went inside the cabin and finally announced their arrival.


    The Beast Hunt was about to begin.

 Chapter 404 The Island Hunt (2)

    Styx''s team consisted of Neo, who was responsible for scouting; Addie, a female Mercenary Hall member with short wavy blonde hair and light brown eyes, specializing in wind magic; and two Chamber of Commerce members. They were twins who both had dark brown hair and green eyes. Mitchel possessed support magic Bind; the other was abat mage specializing in crossbow, Archel.


    All of them wore ck coats on top of their usual uniforms for this event.


    The coat was embued with magic and physical enhancements and protections prepared by Chairman Noir.


    Of course, Neo was the only one who knew that the one who actually made the enhancements was Kyran. But they did not need to know that.


    As soon as the Courtenay representative, who also served as the event''s announcer, dered the start of the hunt, the Royal Army made a beeline toward the ind''s northern area.


    Styx and the rest, perplexed by their sudden action, followed suit.


    They pretended to follow because they were supposed to look for the baby Echidna. After all, Disciple Tyr had ''asked'' them to.


    Soon after they entered, they encountered a group of medium-sized beasts called Cretan bulls. These bulls hadrge frames, almost the size of the ''smaller''rge-sized beast. Their furs were white and had dark red horns on their forehead.


    These bulls were not hard to deal with. However, they still had to be careful because their attack could be troublesome. Because their horns could shoot outser-like fire magic randomly, and if they were not careful enough, they would get hit by it, which could easily drill a hole in thick metals.


    The moment they made contact with them, Mitchel used his magic to bind the bulls in ce. Then Archel made use of this chance to aim at their horns. In this way, they could no longerunch an attack.


    After that, Addie summoned de-like wind attacks and aimed at their neck, cutting their heads and making quick work on them.


    The leaders from the other factions watching them through the live feeds were amazed at how fast and efficient they had disposed of the bulls. Not to mention, two of their members, Styx and Neo, had not even made any move.


    Still, most of their attention was focused on the five members of the Royal Army, whopletely ignored the beasts they encountered and continued moving toward the northern part of the ind.


    They immediately understood that the Royal Army aimed to clear the event by subduing a legendary beast.


    Styx frowned slightly as he nced in the direction where the Royal Army went.


    They had just finished storing the Cretan bulls in a space storage the Courtenay Family supplied them with to collect their hunt. After the event, they would then score them ording to the number of beasts they had umted inside the space storage.


    "Leader, it seems they are really going after the baby Echidna," Addie remarked, looking in the same direction. "If they used the coordinates Disciple Tyr told us..."


    "Something doesn''t seem right," Styx''s response differed from what they expected.


    "What is it?" Archel asked while securing the crossbow at his back.


    "They got the coordinates from us, and they probably confirmed its authenticity from their end, but the way they just charged into the heart of the ind seemed to me as if they knew exactly where they had to go."


    Mitchel crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression, "Now that you point that out... They did move very decisively."


    Styx turned toward Neo, who had been silent all this time, "What is the first thing you would have done onceing into unfamiliar terrain?"


    "Confirm my position."


    "Exactly."


    "Oh!" Addie, Mitchel and Archel eximed in realization.


    "All the more so, since we have just travelled by sea beforending. The Courtenay Family might have told us the dock''s located at the south but since our sense of direction is pretty whacked up after travelling through the sea, we have to get a proper hold of our sense of direction."


    ? "And those guys did not do that," Archel supplemented.


    "So you mean to say¡ª."


    "Stop," Styx interrupted Addie before finishing what she was about to say.


    They all looked at Styx, whose eyes furtively looked to the right.


    Immediately, they noticed a glittering orb floating nearby and understood why Styx had told them to stop.


    There was no telling if the people from the Royal Army were trying to read their lips and spying on their conversation.


    While the Magic Interference Array was currently active within the ind and outsidemunication was prohibited, there was another form ofmunication that the array would not be able to stop.


    And that was through telepathy.


    Right now, there was no one on their side watching the Beast Hunt who could telepathically send messages to them. But that was not the case with the Royal Army.


    Because of this, as much as possible, Styx wanted their conversation not to leak outside. They did not wish the Royal Army to find out that they already knew something was amiss.


    "What are we going to do then? If they are going after the baby Echidna, then we will have to fight them," Addie said instead.


    "Neo," Mitchel looked at Neo and asked, "Do we have any information on where the other two legendary beasts are?"


    "Nope," Neo answered with a shake of his head. He turned to Styx and said, "Leader, I think we should go for n D."


    In an instant, Addie, Archel and Mitchel frowned at him.<sub> </sub>


    Styx told them four ns while waiting for the Courtenay representative who would take them to the ind that morning. Before disembarking the ship, he said there were a few changes, but they had not discussed them yet.


    In any case, for Neo to suggest going for n C when they had not tried n B yet did not sit well with them.


    For the record, n A; was to target a legendary beast that Chairman Noir''s side found before the start of the hunt¡ª in this case, the baby Echidna. If that was not possible, they switch to n B, where they search for a different legendary beast.


    It would take a while to aplish. But since they had the baby Echidna''s coordinates, they could use that as a reference to pinpoint the location of the other two (legendary beasts were territorial, so there was no way the other two beasts would be near the baby Echidna).


    n C was to go after the Royal Army, disrupt their hunt, and try to ''steal'' their prey.


    And finally, n D was to discard the thought of looking for a legendary beast and instead aim to kill as many medium torge-sized beasts as they could before the time was up.


    Seeing the displeasure on his teammates'' faces, Neo immediately raised his hands as if in surrender.


    "Please, don''t look at me like that. I have a reason why I said this."


    Styx, who did not react to his suggestion, finally spoke and asked, "Depending on your reason, I may consider it."


    "Alright. Please wait a moment," Neo said and went under a huge tree that was obscuring the view of the nearby crystal orb.


    "Please stay where you are," Neo said when Addie moved to join him. "We don''t want the ''others'' to think we are discussing something very important."


    Addie raised an eyebrow at him, "I think us staying here like this is already suspicious."


    "Ah! You are quite right, Ms. Addie."


    The three could not help but exchange nces. They found Neo quite entric as if he was sometimes missingmon sense.


    Styx, however, did not find Neo''s behavior strange and gestured for him to continue.


    "Actually, I realize a w in the rules...."


    And for the next few minutes, Neo told them about Kyran''s suggestion, albeit he made it sound like it was his own idea.


    Once he was done exining, Styx and the rest wore thoughtful expressions.


    What Neo had said made sense, but at the same time, it was easier said than done.


    Hunting all medium torge-sized beasts would also take time.


    But Neo was also right to point out that if they went for n B, they would still encounter some beasts along the way.


    Apart from this, their mage level was not high enough to evade the detection of most beasts on the ind. They were not like those Royal Army who could easily ignore the beasts, not to mention they appeared very familiar with the ind''s structure.


    n C was also a no-go for the same reason as those mentioned earlier.


    The Royal Army members'' mage levels were higher than theirs. They would not be a real threat or even seed in stealing their prey.


    "To aplish this before those guys subdue the baby Echidna, we will have to split up," Archel was the first to voice his opinion.


    "Not necessarily," Neo told them with a smile.


    "What do you have in mind?" Mitchel asked.


    Neo smiled, "It''s simple. We just lure them in one location and make quick work on them."


    Addie, Archel and Mitchel looked at him with wide eyes.


    And as for Styx, he sneered and looked at Neo in amusement, "You got some fucked up ideas. But I like it."


    "Huh? Are you serious?"


    "Its one thing to hunt them around, but luring all of them in one ce? That is impossible!"


    "There''s no way we can aplish that without exhausting ourselves first."


    Addie, Archel and Mitchel said one after another.


    "What are you all talking about? We have Leader Styx. With his magic it will be a piece of cake. Besides, luring them all in one ce will be my responsibility so you guys will not be exhausted," Neo insisted.


    Styx nodded his head. He could somehow follow what Neo had in mind and told the other three, "Let''s not waste time. We''ll find a good location to set up an ambush."


    Then he turned to Neo again and said, "I''ll leave the rest to you."


    Neo did a clumsy salute, "Leave it to me."

 Chapter 405 The Island Hunt (3)

    [There are three wolverns to the right and two mantises up ahead, the mantises will probably try to prey on the wolverns. Observe for now and avoid getting caught up in their fight¡ª no, on the second thought, get them all. I''ll need their parts.]


    ''Understood,'' Neoplied without the slightestint from his master''s seemingly unreasonable request.


    A huge light brown magic array appeared behind him, which produced three six-inches golden brown orbs. He lifted his right hand and manipted two of the orbs toward the mantis''s direction while running toward the wolverns.


    The remaining golden brown orb circled him as he took out a short de. Rune writings appeared on the dark bluish surface of the de, which glowed with a golden light.


    A few secondster, Neo saw the wolverns his master mentioned.


    One of the wolverns appeared far more considerable in size than the two.


    Wolverns possessed the same feature as a regr dark gray wolf but had a bulkier frame, ws, and fangs that were sharper as des. Most wolverns were categorized as medium-sized beasts. However, there were cases where they grewrger and eventually became the pack leaders. Those wolverns were then called crowned wolverns. The name originated from the crown-shaped crystal that formed on the wolverns foreheads. It was unknown how the crystal formed on their foreheads, but it was discovered that specific requirements were involved in wolverns to grow these crystals.


    As soon as Neo neared them, the crowned wolvern lifted its head, its ears perked up having heard Neo''s approach and its nose twitched upon smelling a foreign scent.


    Soft growling sounds escaped its throat, and immediately after, the other two wolverns growled as well. All three crouched down and looked in the direction Neo was approaching.


    Neo''s indifferent expression did not falter upon having his presence detected by the wolverns. In the first ce, his programming did not include an emotion called ''fear.'' He could show an expression that could be interpreted as fear if certain conditions were met and his current situation did not meet them.


    <Activating Stealth Array>


    Neo''s dark brown eyes glowed, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the wolverns line of sight.


    The two medium-sized wolverns were instantly confused. However, the crowned wolvern stomped its front paws on the ground and howled.


    "OWOOOO!"


    The dark blue crystal on its forehead glowed, and an almost palpable sonar wave spread out in every direction.


    <Iing anti-stealth sonar attack¡­. Stealth Array mode two triggered¡­ calcting the anti-stealth sonar attack''s level. Anti-stealth sonar attack level unable to prate Stealth Array''s module. Anti-stealth sonar attack failed. Stealth Array mode two canceled¡­ reverting to mode one.>


    Neo''s Stealth Array had three modes. The first mode consisted of standard Stealth calction that enabled a target to conceal its presence.


    The second mode activated the secondyer of Stealth calction, which consisted of saint-tier forms. In this mode, the target''sposition would be converted into magic energy allowing it to blend into the surroundings thoroughly.


    Last, the third mode would activate the thirdyer of calction, which consisted of transcendence-tier forms. This mode had arge area of effect where after the target''sposition was changed into magic energy; it could prate any object within its area of effect and attack it from within.


    The crowned wolvern scanned its surrounding with a perplexed expression.


    SLASH! SLASH!


    The heads of the two wolverns behind the crowned wolvern flew in the air, and blood splurted upward as their bodies fell on the ground, spasming.


    The crown wolvern growled in anger as it turned.


    Whish! Whish!


    A golden brown orb appeared overhead, and two brown shards, made from earth magic, shot down from it. One shard hit the crowned wolvern''s muzzle while the other pierced the center of its head.


    The crowned wolvern made a pitiful yelp before it fell to the ground.


    Yet, it was still alive. It was fatally wounded, but it survived.


    <Stealth Array deactivate¡­ returning to regr operation.>


    Neo''s figure slowly reappeared before the crowned wolvern''s field of sight. He approached the wolvern with unhurried steps, the de on his hand dripping with blood from the two wolverns after slicing off their heads.


    Neo looked at the crowned wolvern with emotionless glowing dark brown eyes.


    The crowned wolvern growled at Neo''s approaching figure. Ignoring the piercing pain it felt from the wounds on its head and muzzle, it got up on its feet¡ª albeit with great difficulty, and protracted its ws.


    "It is futile," Neo told it. Whether he believed the crowned wolvern could understand his words or not did not matter. He swung his de downward, dashing the blood off it before pointing it toward the crowned wolvern. "ept your fate and offer your parts to my master."


    [Oi, Neo. What the hell are you even saying?]


    ''Oh, master. You''re still there.''


    [¡­]


    Before Neo could reply, the crowned wolvern roared and leaped, its thick angry ws shed toward him.


    Neo sidestepped, avoiding its attack. He lifted his arm, de on hand, and shed toward the crowned wolvern''s neck.


    A beautiful light brown arc streamed out from the de and cleanly sliced down through the crowned wolvern''s neck.


    The crowned wolvern froze in midair, and in a split second, its head slid off its body as blood sttered out.


    "Oh!" Neo let out a surprised yelp and jumped back just in time to avoid the wolvern''s blood spilling on his coat. He wiped the non-existent sweat off his forehead, saying, "That was close. I almost got soaked in its blood. Not good, not good."


    [¡­]


    The crowned wolvern''s body was the first to fall on the ground, spasming while blood gushed out of its neck. A secondter, its head rolled on the ground with its eyes frozen in what appeared to be a mixture of disbelief and fear.


    [Oi, don''t waste its blood. We can still use it.]


    Neo raised his brows in realization and said, "Oh, you are absolutely right, master."


    He waved his hand, and a ten-meter radius light brown magic array appeared on the ground. The blood which had seeped into the ground from the three wolverns suddenly converged in the middle of the magic array. It rose in midair that looked like mercurial-like blood.


    Neo raised his right hand, palm facing toward the gathered blood. The golden ring, space storage, he was wearing on his middle finger glowed, and the blood was sucked into it.


    After that, he turned toward the corpses of the three wolverns and willed them into the space storage ring.


    [The two mantis up ahead are also finished. Go collect their bodies and get ready. There are a group of bigfootsing your way. They likely smelled the wolvern''s blood and got drawn to it.]


    ''Roger that, master.''


    Neo sprinted toward the location of the two mantises.


    There, he found the two dead mantises, which had been riddled with brown shards of different sizes.


    The mantis was huge, with dark green coloring and two massive de-like arms.


    Currently, both of their arms were sliced off.


    The two golden brown orbs that took care of the two mantises flew toward Neo and joined the one hovering around him.


    After collecting the mantises corpses, Neo activated his Stealth Array and approached the bigfoots.


    [You don''t have to finish them off. Lure them back to Styx. They have alreadypleted creating the site for the ambush. After that, go east and assist Archel in luring the horde of beetle bears and giant ants chasing him.]


    "Oh. Archel managed to lure that many? Impressive."


    [There is nothing impressive about that. If you take your time, he will end up getting squashed to death.]<sub> </sub>


    "s, humans sure are brittle."


    [¡­]


    Meanwhile, Styx had used his magic to change the terrain fifty meters from the dock. He created a small canyon where Neo and Archel would lure the beasts. There, Mitchel would bind the beast while Addie unleashes arge-scale wind magic attack to finish them.


    If there were beasts who managed to survive Addie''s attack, Styx would take care of them.


    Standing on top of a makeshift watchtower, Mitchel scanned the surroundings below. He used a sight enhancement spell to improve his eyes sight.


    On the other hand, Styx and Addie stood behind him while conserving their magic energies.


    Soon, Mitchel saw Neo''s silhouette followed by a group of medium torge-size bigfoots.


    "Neo''sing with a group of bigfoots. Contact in three minutes."


    "Hm."


    "Alright."


    Styx and Addie responded.


    "Err¡­ make that two¡­ err... a minute¡­ How the hell can he run that fast?" Mitchel corrected himself twice after seeing Neo''s speed.


    "Ready!" He said after a few seconds and raised his hand.


    Neo entered the canyon with the bigfoots trailing behind him.


    The moment all bigfoots entered the canyon, arge light green magic array appeared on the ground, and green streams of light shot out from it, wrapping around the bigfoots'' arms, legs, and torsos.


    Afterward, an enormous light yellow magic array appeared above, and a gale of de-like wind swept through the bigfoots, slicing their torsos in half or cutting off their heads and limbs.


    Wails of death echoed through the canyon, and the air was instantly filled with the metallic smell of blood and the pungent smell of internal organs and flesh.


    Amidst the carnage, Neo slipped out while shouting, "We have an iing horde of two types of beasts! Please make sure to clean up the mess as soon as possible!"


    His reminder was reasonable. If they did not remove the mess and the smell of death lingered in the air, the beasts they were luring might end up retreating out of fear.


    "Just do your job well," Styx growled at him.


    "Roger that, Leader!"


    Addie lowered her hand and took a deep breath. Summoning arge-scale attack was draining her magic reserves at an astonishing speed. Good thing they brought several high-grade magic energy replenishing potions. If not, she could only summon two more of those, and she would be useless.


    Their group cleared three more rounds of the beast horde for the next half hour.


    Surprisingly, the beast horde was pretty close to their ambush site, and Archel did not have to venture deep into the ind to lure more beasts.


    Unbeknownst to most, the only reason the beasts near their ambush site were still alive was that Neo ignored these beasts and went after the ones deep into the ind.


    Proof of this was that the horde Neo lured were four-legged beasts upying the ind''s inner part, while Archel mostly lured insect-type beasts that preferred to stay near the ind''s coast.


    The only one who noticed this was Styx, and he was looking at Neo with profound eyes.


    Two hourster, the number of beasts that Archel could lure significantly dropped. However, that was not the case with Neo. The number of beasts he lured in numbered around fifteen to twenties, and at times, Addie could not keep up with how fast he returned to the site.


    "Oi, Neo! Slow down will you? I can''t even take a breather!" Sheined after finishing the beasts Neo had just lured.


    Neo stopped in his tracks and looked up at the makeshift watch tower with a puzzled look.


    "We are trying to clear the ind as fast as we can. I can''t afford to ck."


    "You¡­" Addie let out an exasperated groan. "Mitchel and I are exhausted! Aren''t you?"


    "Er¡­ no?"


    Addie gave him a dull look, "Are you even human?"


    Neo returned her gaze. Her remark rendered him speechless.


    She had no idea how close her words were to the truth.


    "How many beasts are still left over on your end?" Styx asked, changing the subject.


    Neo tilted his head to one side, "Three more hordes left¡­ I think."


    He added thest bit after realizing Styx''s questions sounded strange. His answer to him also sounded too ''specific.''


    "Right," Styx replied and gestured for Neo to go.


    As Neo left, Mitchel looked at Styx with mixed emotions, "Styx."


    "What?"


    "Don''t you find it strange? Archel has only lured insect-type beasts but Neo..."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Styx''s lips, but it was concealed by the oversized ck scarf he wore around his neck. Still, Mitchel noticed how the aide of his eyes wrinkled as if in a smile.


    "F*cking hell it is."


    Addie, hearing their exchange furrowed her brows. This topic had been going around now, except the subject was not Neo but Aki and Len.


    "He is a representative from the Conve. I don''t know if you''ve noticed but he and the other two from the Conve have abilities above the rest."


    "Yes, and they have to appear now of all times," Styx agreed, his eyes glinting with a strange light.


    His implication did not go unnoticed by the two. They exchanged nces thinking the same things.


    As far as they knew, the people the Conve sent in this joint exercise were reserves. However, if theypared their abilities to the main talents of the Conve, all three could easily outshine them.


    While they were lost in their own thoughts, a sudden shrill cry shook the whole ind.


    "What was that?" Addie and Mitchel eximed in surprise.


    But their words were drowned out by an enormous magic fluctuation swept throughout the ind.


    Styx, Addie, and Mitchel tensed up from the frightening aura behind the magic fluctuation. They turned toward where it came from and gasped after realizing where it was.


    "T-That''s where the Royal Army went to!" Addie eximed.


    Styx''s eyes narrowed.


    There was no mistaking. Styx had not encountered an Echidna before, but that shrill cry and frightening aura definitely came from the baby Echidna the Royal Army targeted!

 Chapter 406 The Counter (1)

    Neo stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard the shrill cry. He looked toward the ind''s northern direction just in time when the powerful aura that came with a fierce gale of wind swept through the whole surrounding.


    His gears went into overdrive as he processed the magic signature and transmitted it to his master.


    [It''s the baby Echidna.]


    ''You don''t know, master?''


    [The Royal Army set up an array around the baby Echidna''s territory, probably to ensure none of you can interrupt or interfere while they deal with it. In any case, I can''t see what''s happening inside their array with just my regr magic sense. I will have to use my Void or Draconic sense to get a better look.]


    ''And doing that is impossible with the ind''s Magic Interference Array¡ª ah, not quite. With master''s Void magic, you can bypass the array without a problem. But if you did the Courtenay Family will be able to detect it.''


    [... Yeah, that''s right. Still, if the baby Echidna has unleashed its real power, it means the Royal Army has put a lot of pressure on it. It will only be a matter of time before they subdue it.]


    Neo''s expression turned grim, ''That is not good, right master?''


    [No, definitely not.]


    ''Please give me your orders, master.''


    Neo waited.


    However, even after a few seconds, his master remained silent on the other end.


    ''Master¡ª?''


    "Neo!"


    Neo turned and saw Archel approaching.


    Because of the powerful aura still surrounding the whole ind, Neo''s senses got disrupted, and he failed to notice Archel''s presence.


    "Archel," he responded before looking behind him and noticing no beasts were chasing after him.


    Noticing his gaze, Archel gave him a wry smile and said, "I lost the beasts chasing me after that insane aura swept the whole ce."


    His face then turned grim as he added, "That''s the baby Echidna, right?"


    Neo nodded, "Yes. Let''s regroup with Leader Styx and the rest."


    "It seems we underestimated the Royal Army''s abilities."


    "Actually, I feel that the current situation is happening not because of their abilities but because of their privilege as a member of the Royal Army."


    Archel''s eyes narrowed upon realizing the implication behind Neo''s words.


    "An artifact or a relic, huh."


    Neo nodded, "Yes."


    His guess was not without basis. When he processed the magic signature earlier, he noticed it was tinged with two residual auras that did not belong to the Royal Army members or other ''living'' creatures on the ind. If this was the case, the only usible reason was that the Royal Army summoned those auras.


    It was unfortunate that Neo failed to determine exactly what those auras were. But, his master might know something. He transferred all the information to him, after all.


    Neo and Archel met Styx, Addie, and Mitchel on their way back to the ambush site.


    "Leader."


    "Styx."


    Neo and Archel both greeted.


    "Neo, go north and see what is happening," Styx told Neo as soon as they were within earshot.


    Neo raised his brows in surprise. He did not expect Styx to give him such an important¡ª and also very dangerous¡ª task.


    "We will continue hunting the rest of the beasts by ourselves."


    "Huh? Wait a moment Styx," Archel balked at once. "We don''t know how many beasts are left on the ind. Besides, at this rate, the Royal Army might subdue the baby Echidna before we finish!"


    Styx ignored Archel and looked at Neo.


    Neo returned his gaze, and for some reason, a phrase appeared on his head that best described it.


    A piercing gaze that could make others tremble.


    Styx smiled, but itcked any mirth. Neo''sck of response to his gaze confirmed one of his ''assumptions.''


    Others found his gaze intimidating. Even if that ''other'' had a high mage level or even a beast. One way or another, they would show a reaction.


    Yet, Neo''s expression remained cid. Because of this, Styx was convinced the former was no ordinary ''Master mage.''


    "You..." Styx continued and tapped the side of his temple, "... have someone speaking to you here, right?"


    Neo''s eyes constricted, but overall, his expression remained nk.


    Styx''s smile widened.


    "Huh?"


    "What are you saying?"


    "Oi, are you serious?"


    Addie, Mitchel, and Archel blurted at the same time.


    "It''s just a hunch, but I can''t help but notice how you appear to know where to find the beasts, as if someone is telling you where to go."


    Addie and Mitchel exchanged nces. Compared to Archel, Neo came back more often to the ambush site with several beasts behind him.


    "Not to mention, you avoided insect-type beasts."


    "You mean he...?" Archel looked at Neo as well. He was too busy luring beasts that he could not spare a nce at Neo''s work.


    A tensed silence suddenly filled the air around them.


    Suddenly, Styx chuckled and approached Neo. He patted his shoulder and said, "I am not interested in finding out whose giving you instructions... ah, f*ck¡ª actually, I am very curious. But that can wait until we win this hunt."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Neo''s face.


    "Oh, so Leader Styx does not have any doubt that we will win."


    Styxughed, "You f*cking bet I do."


    "Wait a moment!"<sub> </sub>


    Addie interrupted and grabbed Neo''s shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "Are you really talking to someone right now? Isn''t that cheating?"


    Neo and Styx looked at her with a somewhat perplexed expression.


    "Cheating?" Neo asked.


    On the other hand, Styx snorted and said, "Cheating my ass. Those royal dogs are the ones cheating. They already know beforehand the locations of the legendary beasts. Not to mention, they easily evaded the small fries. Chances are they have a lot of magic items that can assist them."


    "Err... I don''t think being equipped with magic items can be called ''cheating,''" Mitchel chimed in.


    Archel also nodded his agreement.


    Styx red at them, "I know that. My point is if they don''t know what kind of beasts are in here, do you think they can prepare the right magic items to avoid them?"


    "Oh, you''re right. As expected of Leader Styx."


    "You!" Addie red at Neo''s nonchnce. "Be as it may, are we really going to resort to cheating ourselves?"


    Suddenly...


    [Is there a rule in the Beast Hunt that prohibitsmunication through telepathy?]


    Addie, Archel, and Mitchel gasped in surprise while Styx''s smile widened even further.


    Unfortunately, none of them knew how to respond to the voice that suddenly spoke in their heads. They could only look at Neo, who closed his eyes.


    ''Master, are you sure about this?''


    "You know how to respond?" Archel hissed in disbelief.


    "M-Master...?" Addie could not help but mutter under her breath.


    Styx''s sneered inwardly. After all, he recognized the voice speaking to them right now. The truth, he had his suspicions, especially about how Neo addressed him as ''Leader Styx.''


    Still, he was slightly surprised after hearing Neo address him as ''Master.'' It appeared he had only seen the tip of the iceberg.


    [Yeah. I can only do so much with only you to instruct. But with them, we have more hands.]


    "This voice...? Where did I hear it before....?" Mitchel said.


    Archel furrowed his brows. He, too, found the voice familiar.


    [You''re probably hesitant to listen to me, but right now, if the beasts aside from the legendary ones are not cleared in the next hour, then the Royal Army will win.]


    "So that cry just now is really the baby Echidna''s ''rage'' mode?" Mitchel asked.


    [Not really. But depending on how the Royal Army acts, they can subdue the baby Echidna soon.]


    "Stop with the crap and tell us what you have in mind," Styx interrupted.


    [Alright. I agree with Leader Styx''s idea. You four can deal with the remaining beasts on the ind while Neo will go to where the Royal Army is fighting the baby Echidna.]


    "But can we really finish the remaining beasts in such a short time?" Addie voiced her doubts.


    [Yes. At the moment, there are only 62 beasts remaining.]


    "That''s an urate number. Are you sure?" Archel asked.


    "Er... instead of asking every doubt you have. Why not let my master finish?"


    [...]


    "Fine."


    [The objective is to clear the beasts before the Royal Army subdues the baby Echidna. Leader Styx and Addie will go east, while Archel and Mitchel will go west. I''ll tell you where the remaining beasts are. Neo can take care of the ones along the path to where the Royal Army went. In any case, Neo will improvise if somethinges up.]


    "Improvise, huh." Styx said, "Can he do it alone?"


    [Yes.]


    Styx sneered, "Such a quick answer."


    He looked at Neo and said, "It seems I am right about you being the key member in winning this event. Go do your best."


    "Roger that, Leader Styx," Neo said while doing his clumsy salute.


    [Right, before you guys split up. Neo, summon some of your orbs and let them take it.]


    ''Yes, master.''


    Arge light brown magic array appeared behind him, and ten golden brown orbs slipped out.


    "This...?"


    They watched the orbs circle them while looking at Neo questioningly.


    Neo smiled, "I may not look it, but I am an Elementor. These orbs will assist you while you deal with the beasts."


    As he said this, the ten orbs evenly split up and circled Addie and Mitchel.


    [The orbs are insurance. I know you guys are also running low on potions.]


    "And Neo will be fine while these orbs follow us around?" Archel asked.


    Neo could not help but scratch his head at Archel''s question, "You can directly ask me on that, you know."


    "Ah, right."


    "To answer your question, yes, I will be fine. My orbs can supply themselves with magic energies in the surroundings. I don''t have to supply them myself. They will also move on their own ording to the instructions I have given them before summoning."


    "You already include their movements with the rune writings in your magic array?"


    "Yes."


    "That level of magic mastery... Are you really a Master mage?"


    "Can I abstain from answering that question?"


    "...."


    "Alright, enough of that. Let''s get moving," Styx changed the subject, cutting Archel''s interrogation.


    "Hm," Mitchel agreed with a nod.

 Chapter 407 The Counter (2)

    SPLAT!


    Styx mmed the two small translucent shields he summoned on one of the mantises before them, crushing its head into a mass of broken exoskeleton, brain matter, and mucous.


    Addie also took care of the smaller mantises using her de-like magic attack.


    Without pausing, Styx lifted his hand and sucked their corpses into the space storage ring in his possession.


    [Leader Styx, Addie, there are five hoppers around forty meters ahead. One is a jeweled one, so be careful.]


    Hoppers were insect-type beasts that looked like giant grasshoppers. They were categorized as medium-sized beasts and simr to the wolverns. When one evolved, its size would double, and a crystal-like coat would appear on its wings. The coating glistened like diamonds as if they were an ornament that clung to their wings, thus the ''jeweled'' name.


    "Humph, I don''t need you telling me that," Styx growled, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he picked up his speed.


    Addie followed Styx in silence. She had yet to understand the events that led to this setting.


    Honestly, she still felt a little dissatisfied with having ''him'' help them. It was not because she still considered his help cheating, but more with the fact that this event was supposed to have only five participants.


    But with ''him'' helping them, albeit remotely, wouldn''t this be considered six vs. five?


    Ah, in the end, she still saw their action as cheating.


    "Addie."


    Styx''s voice snapped Addie out of her thoughts.


    "Yes, Leader?" She asked.


    As a Mercenary Hall member, she looked up to Styx and saw him as the leader of the elite members. She was not addressing him as such because he was the leader of the Beast Hunt team.


    "Stop dwelling on unnecessary things," Styx told her. "I already told you guys that we have to win every event in this f*cking exercise. And that guy can help us make it happen."


    Simr to Addie''s sentiment, Styx, as the leader of the Mercenary Hall elite members, knew her character well. She was a High Master and had a bright future. However, her adverse to doing the right thing could be troublesome at times.


    It was one of her strong points and, at the same time, a weakness.


    Following his intuition, Styx believed in building a good rtionship with the person instructing them right now. He felt there would be far more opportunities to work with ''him'' in the near future.


    The joint military exercise was only the beginning.


    "Do you trust him, Leader?"


    "He is someone from the Mercenary Hall."


    Addie frowned, and a slight pout appeared on her lips. That was not the answer she was expecting. Besides, she already recognized who ''he'' was.


    Just like Archel and Mitchel, she, too, found ''his'' voice familiar. The only reason she failed to recognize it immediately was because of his suddenck of ''arrogance.''


    That was right. She recognized that guy was Tyr. Yet, he did not sound like him at all.


    She was not particrly close to him; to be honest; she hated the idea. But having seen him and even heard a lot of things about himtely, it was impossible to avoid or even not get used to him.


    Especially his arrogance.


    "How did you know he is the one instructing Neo, Leader?" Addie asked.


    Styx snorted, "Didn''t youin about Neo''s inhuman stamina? Luring beasts is a very exhausting task. Archel can barely lure the minimum number of beasts but after repeated luring, he is already nearing his limits."


    "Yes. The number of beasts he had lured toward the end has dropped to less than five."


    "Whether that is due to the beasts dropping in number can be considered a factor, but indeed it is also because Archel knows that is his limit at his current condition. Any more than that will drain his stamina further. Anyway, I also found Neo''s strange reaction at times weird as f*ck. When you questioned him about being human, something clicked in my head.


    "I happen toe across Hall Master Celine''s incident report that night after the Lumley Family targeted the cksmith Order. In that report, it said that three ''others'' assisted Disciple Tyr in protecting and applying first aid to the injured cksmith Order members. But there are three interesting fact about those three."


    Addie furrowed her brows, but then her eyes widened in realization after recalling Styx''s remark on how the three members from the Conve appeared ''now of all times.''


    She might not be privy to the report Hall Master Celine submitted, but she had heard some things. She had friends in the cksmith Order, after all. As far as she remembered, the three ''others'' that assisted Tyr at that time were¡­


    "Wait you mean Neo is one of those three¡­?"


    Styx sneered and looked at Addie. Her incredulous expression was enough to confirm that she knew exactly what he was on about.


    "F*cking right. Neo is one of them and that guy''s handiwork.''"


    Addie''s mind reeled. If this was true, ''Tyr''s'' addition in their number was not cheating. Neo could be considered Tyr''s magic weapon¡­ err¡­ item?


    "Let''s talk moreter. Our prey is on sight."


    Addie looked ahead, and just like Styx had said, the hoppers Kyran told them appeared in her line of sight.


    "Okay," she agreed and spread her arms. A light yellow magic array appeared and circled her hands as wind magic energies gathered around her.


    "I''m moving in."


    Styx did not respond. Instead, he stopped in his tracks and summoned a shield before Addie. It moved along with her protecting her from any possible frontal attack directed at her.


    "Wind Dance!" She shouted and made throwing motions with her hands. A fierce wind swept toward the direction of the hoppers, slicing through every tree, small boulder, and even the ground in its way.


    Two hoppers nearby failed to defend against the fierce wind, instantly slicing their wings and neck.


    A greenish fluid gushed out from their bodies as they dropped to the floor.


    SCREEEECH!


    The jeweled hopper suddenly made loud grinding sounds with its hind legs that brushed through its glistening wings.


    The two remaining hoppers with it did the same as they charged toward Addie.<sub> </sub>


    Addie stopped in her tracks as dark golden silhouettes sped past her from behind.


    "Humph," Styx sneered as he watched these silhouettes release several brown crystal shards that rained on the hoppers.


    The hoppers, including the jeweled one, let out a pitiful screech as the shards pierced their bodies.


    In just five seconds, all three fell to the ground with their bodies riddled with holes. Their greenish blood spilled on the ground.


    Addie and Styx lifted their right hands, and their storage rings lit up, sucking in the hoppers'' bodies.


    [Three more hoppersing from eleven o''clock and two centiersing from four o''clock. Hoppers'' distance is twenty meters, and the centiers are at least fifty meters.]


    Centiers were beasts that looked like giant centipedes. They had blood red exoskeleton, a ming antenna, and could grow up to five meters long.


    "I''ll take care of the hoppers," Addie told Styx.


    "Hm," Styx replied and turned around to wait for the centiers. "Are there more of these bugs left?"


    His question was directed at Kyran, who replied almost in an instant.


    [No. That''s thest of the insect-type beasts. You can go west and help eliminate the rest of the beasts there.]


    "Alright," Styx said. He clenched his fists and dashed toward the centiers'' direction.


    Meanwhile, Archel and Mitchel had just finished dealing with a group of Vulbear.


    Vulbear were bears that wererger than average forest bears. Their furs were the shade of dark violet, and their eyes appeared to be made of moltenva.


    Mitchel collected the vulbears'' remains and looked at the golden brown orbs circling above them.


    "These orbs doesn''t feel like summoned magic," he remarked.


    Archel smiled wryly at him and nodded in agreement, "It looks more like a magic weapon to me, to be honest."


    [Seniors.]


    Their hearts almost jumped out of their mouths as soon as they heard ''him'' speak in their heads.


    "Oi! What gives?"


    "What the hell? Are you trying to give us a heart attack?"


    [¡­]


    Mitchel was the first to recover. After clearing his throat, he asked, "Where to next, Disciple Tyr?"


    He and Archel already guessed who the voice belonged to. And to be honest, they were feeling mixed emotions.


    [Sixty meters ahead is a cave. There are seven whurtigers outside, and a sabelking is lurking inside.]


    "Argh, those are allrge-sized beasts," Archelined.


    Both beasts Kyran mentioned looked like a tiger except with white, red, and ck furs. The whurtigers had a dark blue stone embedded on their foreheads, while the sabelking had a dark violet horn right between its eyes.


    [Move ten meters to your left first and wait. Leader Styx and Addie will be on their way there in a while.]


    "Alright," both of them replied and left.


    While Styx and the rest were busy moving around and killing off the beasts on the ind, Neo was only two hundred meters away from the border of the array the Royal Army had set up.


    [Continue to move forward. There are no beasts on sight.]


    ''Yes, master.''


    [I will allow you to use Stealth mode three if you can''t break the Royal Army''s array.]


    ''Am I allowed to do that master? What if those crystal orbs hovering around the ce sees me?''


    [Don''t worry, I already took care of them.]


    Neo suddenly made a sudden stop and surveyed his surroundings. Just as his master said, there were no crystal orbs nearby.


    ''Er¡­ what did you do exactly master? As far as I know you can only resort to instructing us because you can''t use your magic with the Magic Interference Array around the ind.''


    [It''s not that I can''t. I can use it, but facing the consequences is too troublesome. Besides, there are other ways to deal with those crystal orbs without physical contact.]


    Neo''s eyes contracted as he came up with a possible answer.


    ''I see. So master dealt with it from the outside. Did you per chance destroyed the source magic of those crystal orbs?''


    [¡­]


    ''Oh, but then, does it mean everyone outside are currently in a state of panic?''


    [You sure have a wild imagination¡­ I have to check your programming when youe out of there.]


    ''Master, I am only acting by the sequence of instruction you have entered into my programming. These sequence included ''active learning and observation'' and ''real-time application.''''


    [¡­]


    [Stop idling around and go.]


    ''Ah, you''re right. I''m sorry, master,'' Neo apologized with a slightly goofy expression and continued on his way.

 Chapter 408 The Counter (3)

    Standing on the front deck of a ship prepared by the Courtenay Family for the Conve was Kyran. His eyes were closed as several dark purple orbs circled him. Within the orb''s surface were glowing runic writings ovepping each other.


    Behind him stood Ste, disguised once again as a member of the Alchemist Association, and the rest of the Conve Council members overseeing the joint military exercise since day one; Can, Noir, Malia, and Vaness.


    They all wore a concerned expression as they watched Kyran in silence.


    Almost an hour had passed from when the baby Echidna released its frightening aura and shook the whole ind, rendering every leader of the factions watching the event rattled.


    As soon as it happened, the Courtenay representatives reinforced the barrier around the ind and activated the ships'' defensive array to protect everyone.


    To what exactly, none of them had any clue then.


    After that, Patriarch Ernst summoned all their representative to an emergency meeting. The Royal Family and the Royal Army''s deputy Marshals attended that meeting.


    The Conve was also invited. However, Noir declined the invitation and told them they had to contact the Head of Conve first.


    Truthfully, Noir wanted to join the meeting because their members were inside and worried for their safety. They were aware of the Courtenay and the Royal Army''s conspiracy, but that would not stop them from joining hands with them to ensure their people could leave the ind in one piece.


    But Kyran telepathically asked him not to go, and without asking for an exnation, Noir acknowledged his request.


    The Lumley Family and the Montgomeray Family remained silent. Their leaders were rattled, but since none of their members were inside the ind, they decided to stay put. Of course, if the matter escted and the emperor issued an order for them to help, they would lend a hand.


    After ensuring that the ships carrying the representatives from the Courtenay Family, the Royal Family (the Crown Princess), and the Royal Army (all deputy marshals) left to return to the dome, Kyran summoned Ste, who had not left his domain after meeting with Ezra.


    The council members were shocked. But after witnessing several shocking things about Kyran, they were already numbed to it.


    Kyran told them he had been in contact with Neo from the start. He also told them there was a high chance that the Royal Army would be wiped out and Conve members would follow if they did not make a move as soon as possible.


    Ste and the council members did not question him. They were aware of his monstrous magic sense and were sure he had already checked what was happening on the ind.


    Before any of them could devise a n, Kyran announced he would reveal what he could do to the Conve members inside the ind.


    They all understood his decision.


    It was better to reveal what he could do to a few people than risk having everyone in the Courtenaynd caught on his real identity if he made a move from the outside.


    As for why Kyran asked for Ste''s presence, he needed her to revert his time while instructing Styx and the others on the ind.


    After all, he could not instruct each side at the same time.


    Initially, Malia was against having Ste use her magic, but after exining what the diamond studs she was wearing could do, it assured her, albeit a little. Kyran also told them he added an array within the ship''s defensive array to ensure Ste''s magic aura was concealed from the outside and camouged their action from the inside.


    In any case, the target of Ste''s magic was Kyran alone, so her aura would only appear within the ship.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at the ind up ahead. The dark purple orbs surrounding him were surveince orbs transmitting information his magic sense picked up on the ind. He needed them to record everything as Ste rewound his time to ensure he did not miss a thing.


    "How is it?" Ste asked.


    Unfortunately, Kyran was the only one among them whose magic sense''s range could cover the whole ind.


    "Neo has started work on the Royal Army''s array, while Styx and the rest regrouped to deal with the rest of the beasts," Kyran replied without looking at her.


    "Is this really alright? Legendary beasts are not something three Grand Masters can handle," Malia asked.


    His concern was reasonable. As far as they knew, the legendary beasts the Courtenay Family let loose on the ind were incapable of overpowering themselves.


    But a legendary beast was still a legendary beast.


    Their innate ability and magic were far stronger even to a mage. Only Exalted mages and above could fight them. For this reason, the event''s requirement when dealing with the legendary beast was to subdue and not kill it.


    "Hm¡­" Vaness agreed. "The strongest from our side is Styx whose half-step in bing a Grand Master. While Archel, Mitchel and Addie are all High Masters."


    Vaness knew that a mage''s level did not dictate the oue of a fight. It would only affect it. What was important was to have a solid strategy.


    However, one''s strategy might be rendered useless in front of raw strength.


    The baby Echidna unleashing its power could be counted as such an instance for Styx and the rest.


    Noir suddenly chuckled, making the others except Kyran and Ste look at him.


    "Vaness, I understand your concern. However, have you forgotten? Neo is not an ordinary mage."


    Vaness knew this. But to ensure the Courtenay representatives would only detect Neo''s mage level as Master, Kyran purposely lowered its magic input and output. Even if Kyran had a way to increase its magic level remotely, such a sudden change would not go unnoticed.


    "I do remember," he replied while looking at Kyran. "But, it is one thing to reveal what you can do to Styx and the rest. If Neo''s identity is revealed as well it will not be good for you."


    "Styx already knows Neo is a puppet. He already told Addie," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "That geezer''s intuition sure is good."


    Kyran knew that showing his puppets in the cksmith Order was a mistake. But its consequences would not make a big difference, so he did not dwell on it. Besides, the Royal Family already knew about his puppet. The only thing they were not aware of was how many puppets he had.


    "Thank you for worrying for my sake, Head Chief Vaness," Kyran said and looked at him, "But I already have thought of a story if others discovered one of my puppets."


    Ste smiled wryly and said, "You don''t n on saying; since the joint military exercise was proposed on such short notice, the Conve could not gather enough members, and thus, ''Tyr'' suggested using his puppet?"


    Kyran shrugged, "That''s another option. There is no rule that says we can''t use puppets. Honestly, I am thinking of going with this excuse; since they requested Tyr to participate as representative for both the cksmith Order and the Mercenary Hall, technically he counts for two heads. There is nothing wrong with having his puppet participate with him."


    All of them let out a dryugh.


    The way Kyran sometimes talked about Tyr as if they were two different people was a little strange. Nevertheless, he did have a point, although it was ridiculous.


    "Still, Neo''s abilities are restrained right now because I was not expecting this to happen. I am positive the Courtenay Family and the Royal Army will try something in this event and will not make a mistake like this. At least, I thought they properly sealed the legendary beasts'' real power since they know the Royal Army will aim for them."<sub> </sub>


    "That''s true," they all agreed.


    ''Unless they sealed only one beast...''


    Kyran''s eyes widened at this sudden thought. He spread his arms and let his magic sense seep into all the orbs circling him.


    The orbs expanded as the runic writings inside shed in rapid session. Kyran''s eyes turned reddish purple as he scanned all the information stored in the orbs.


    "Kyran? What happened?" Ste asked but got a curt, "Shh," response from Kyran.


    But she was not offended. It only meant Kyran saw something very urgent and had to concentrate.


    The council members looked at him with grim expressions. They stayed as silent as possible to ensure they did not disturb Kyran.


    The runic writings shed rapidly in Kyran''s eyes as he looked through the information.


    ''There!''


    Finally, he found what he was looking for and checked its detail at once.


    Because of the ind''s Magic Interference Array, Kyran could not use the full extent of his magic sense. At most, he could only see the location of each beast, but further ''examination'' of their bodies was impossible. Or at least, he could not do it at the moment. He would have dealt with the Royal Army''s array himself if he did. But then, doing so would likely trigger the Magic Interference Array and alert the Courtenay Family.


    A one-meter radius purple magic array spread out from his waist as he used his Void magic to recreate the images of the legendary beasts on the ind.


    He could not examine the beasts inside the ind, but if he recreated them outside, it was possible.


    The council members gaped incredulously at the legendary miniature beasts that formed before Kyran.


    Their size was only a foot long, but their details made them look real.


    "So the other two legendary beasts are a baby Chimera and a baby Manticore...." Malia muttered under her breath.


    "Where did the Courtenay Family got hold of these beasts?" Vaness wondered aloud.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as soon as he found what he was looking for, "The Courtenay Family sealed all the legendary beasts'' real power alright, but the seal on the baby Echidna and the baby Manticore are tooxpared to the baby Chimera."


    "No!" Ste eximed, finally realizing what was happening, "The Royal Army is aiming for the Chimera, but when you baited them to go for the Echidna..."


    Kyran lowered his hand and looked at her, "That''s not really important right now. Just think, if their initial n went ordingly, and our side also went after the legendary beasts..."


    "Styx and the others will be in danger."


    "The Royal Army probably did not know the Courtenay wasx with the seals on the other two beasts, but... tsk," Kyran clicked his tongue and looked at the ind again. "They were not onlyx. The seal on both the Echidna and the Manticore has a duration."


    "What?" They all eximed in fright.


    That was right. There was a good chance the seal on the Manticore had also been removed. But since the Echidna was the one in active battle, it was the first to release its real power.


    However, if the Manticore felt threatened, it might also release its real power.


    Kyran was tempted to go to the ind. However, it was not because he was worried about Styx and the others.


    He was worried Neo would be destroyed if it ended up facing two legendary beasts! He did not have any spare parts to fix him!


    If the others knew what he was thinking, they would probably flip.


    "I''ll go to the meeting right now and tell them to stop the event at once," Can suddenly said.


    "And what will you tell them? The Courtenay Family will not admit their seals arecking. If they did, then it will implicate the Royal Army as well," Noir said.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and connected to Neo while checking on the position of the two legendary beasts.


    At the moment, Neo was still busy with Royal Army''s array.


    ''Neo, how long do you need to remove their array?''


    [Master, I will still need at least fifteen minutes.]


    As soon as Neo replied, Kyran checked on the Manticore''s position.


    The baby Manticore was only a hundred meters away from Neo''s location. It seemed after the Royal Army trapped the baby Echidna within their array, the Manticore ventured toward the north. It probably thought the beast upying the northern part was no longer there.


    ''That''s not fast enough.''


    [Apologies, master. I will do my best to cut it down to ten minutes.]


    Kyran did not reply. Ten minutes was still not enough.


    If they could forfeit the whole thing and have Neo and the others leave the ind, they would have done so already. Unfortunately, the Courtenay Family''s barrier on the ind forced them to stay inside. They could not destroy the barrier with magic either because of the Magic Interference Array.


    In short, they were trapped on the ind.


    Finally, after a tense few seconds, Kyran took a deep breath.


    He unsummoned all the orbs and sat down on the floor.


    Ste and the council members looked at him. But before any of them could ask what he nned to do, he said, "Ste, can you keep an eye out for when the Courtenay and the Royal Armyes back? I''m going in."


    "Wait, what?" Ste eximed.

 Chapter 409 The Counter (4)

    In one of the medium-sized rooms on the dome''s 2nd floor, the five Courtenay representatives, deputy marshals of the Royal Army, the Crown Princess, two of her personal royal guards, and Ernst were gathered.


    They were seated on carved chairs around a simrly carved, long wooden round table. At the head of the table was an ornamented high chair where Haylee sat. Her two personal guards, Lira and a man named Fye, stood behind each side of the chair. To her left sat the Royal Army''s Deputy Marshals; Mannick, Ingrid, and Imman. And to her right sat the Courtenay Family members. Patriarch Ernst, a middle-aged man with short wavy blonde hair and olive-green eyes wearing a white cored coat, and five Courtenay representatives.


    After Patriarch Ernst exined the situation to Haylee, the whole room fell into a tense silence.


    They all looked at Haylee, who remained silent with her eyes closed the whole time. Her expression was unreadable.


    Finally, after a long strained pause, she said, "So, it''s like that?"


    The moment she spoke, the room temperature dropped tremendously, making Ernst and the five representatives of the Courtenay Family cower in fear.


    "P-Please forgive us your H-Highness..." The five representatives stammered an apology.


    "W-We did as you instructed and prioritized the seal on the baby Chimera."


    "Are you telling me that the poor seal you ced on the Echidna and the Manticore is my fault?" Hayley asked as she opened her eyes.


    The room was not particrly dark. However, her sapphire blue eyes seemed to glow despite the properly lit room and pierced through the Courtenay representatives'' olive-green eyes.


    "N-No, that is not what we meant, your Highness," one of them denied at once.


    "Please, your Highness," Ernst finally spoke up, "The seals on the baby Echidna and baby the Manticore are not poor per se. Since we did not think your people will face them, we only ced just the right amount of seal materials that wouldst for three hours. We estimated your people would have dealt the baby Chimera by the time the effects of the Echidna and the Manticore''s seals are removed and so...."


    "In the end, you''re also ming me Patriarch Ernst?"


    "T-That''s..."


    "Permission to speak, your Highness," Imman suddenly spoke, turning toward Haylee with his head lowered.


    "Speak," Haylee replied, without taking her eyes off the Courtenay Family members.


    "Initially, if we have stuck to the initial n this will not have happened," he said. "I do apologize for that. I admit it was I who approved of them changing their target."


    Haylee finally looked at Imman with furrowed brows.


    "Why did you approve it without asking for my permission?"


    Imman shivered involuntarily after Haylee''s cold sapphire eyes shifted on him. He cleared his throat and lowered his head further, "W-We heard Disciple Tyr wanted the baby Echidna''s blood."


    Haylee''s eyes narrowed, "What?"


    "Yes, your Highness. Major General Man called us to report hearing the conversation between the Conve participants about Disciple Tyr telling them the baby Echidna''s coordinates and to get its blood."


    Haylee shifted her gaze back to Ernst.


    The older man immediately shook his head, sensing the unspoken doubt in her eyes.


    "We did not tell them anything your Highness. Besides, if we did and their team got injured in the process, the Courtenay Family will get in trouble."


    Haylee closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation.


    Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she said, "It seems I underestimated the Conve. I did not expect them to also aim for a legendary beast."


    Initially, she wanted the Royal Army to deal with the Chimera and let the Conve members deal with the rest of the beasts on the ind. The n was to exhaust the Conve members before the Royal Army dered their sessful subjugation of the Chimera.


    p As to the reason they had chosen to target the Chimera instead of the two other legendary beasts, it was all because they had more information on the beastpared to the two.</anda>


    Anyway, the objective of today''s event was to get the Conve members'' Beast Hunt leader, Styx, exhausted, thus affecting his performance in the remaining events he would participate in.


    Haylee was sure that even with Chairman Malia helping them reduce their physical exhaustion, she would not be able to help much with their mental condition. Physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion were different, after all.


    Finally, once most of the key members of the Conve were exhausted, she could make a move on thest event of the joint military exercise.


    The Chimera could be found in some ruins within the empire, after all.


    "To think they would be so bold," Mannick growled, both feeling annoyed and awe at the Conve''s bravery. "Even if the Courtenay Family sealed the abilities of those legendary beasts, and all three are ''babies,'' they are still legendary beasts. Their members did not even have a Grand Master with them."


    Haylee sighed once more and leaned on her chair.


    "If this continues, it is us who will suffer the consequences. It is a good thing Chairman Noir declineding to the meeting now," she said.


    "How long will the baby Manticore''s sealst?" Haylee opened her eyes and looked at Ernst.


    "To be honest... with how the baby Echidna unleashed its aura earlier... I am afraid the seal will notst for long either."


    "Your Highness," Ingrid looked at Haylee. "I believe it is best to call off the event and let us deal with the beasts."<sub> </sub>


    Haylee looked at her with a slight smile, "I do not doubt your capabilities, Deputy Marshal Ingrid." She also looked at Mannick and Imman, "The same goes with you both."


    Her smile turned wry as she continued, "Unfortunately, even if all three of you steps in, it will not be enough."


    "Your Highness, we only need to deal with the Echidna," Imman pointed. "We can still try to reseal the Manticore. As for the Chimera, with its seal in tact, we can leave it be."


    Haylee shook her head.


    "No, it is one thing if the first one to unleash its aura had been the Manticore, but of all legendary beasts in there, it had to be the Echidna...."


    "W-What do you mean your highness¡ª?"


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Ernst was interrupted by a loud banging sound on the door. It was followed by an almost out-of-breath deration of one of their members outside.


    "P-Patriarch! There is an unprecedented development on the ind!"


    Everyone in the room looked at the door as the person who had spoken outside entered without waiting for permission.


    "A-An unknown... e-entity appeared on the ind a-and i-it seems to be on a rampage!"


    "What?"


    A few minutes earlier, on the ind.


    A ck silhouette shrouded in silver and dark purple aura hovered several meters above the ind.


    To be precise, the silhouette was not hovering but standing on top of the translucent barrier covering the ind.


    None from the Lumley Family nor the Montgomeray Family noticed the silhouette. Not even when it knelt on one knee, its right hand filled with silver and purple energy, and touched the translucent barrier.


    CRACK!


    A deafening crack resounded as thick cracks appeared on the ind''s barrier. A gale of fierce aura seeped from the cracks'' gaps, sending multiple shockwaves in every direction.


    "What in the¡ª?"


    The ships around the ind shook violently from the shockwaves.


    The defensive arrays on the ships activated, and a translucent light golden sphere enveloped them. However, because of the continuous shockwaves that rammed through it, cracks began to appear on its surface.


    Before any of the people in the ships could make a move, another loud, shattering sound exploded, making all of them look toward the ind again.


    SMASH!


    The barrier on the ind crumbled into bits, and another round of violent shockwaves shook the surroundings. It was followed by a fierce wind that bore the baby Echidna''s malevolent aura that the barrier had tried to contain.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    An ear-splitting hiss filled the air with an evil aura.


    They all recognized the hiss as the baby Echidna''s cry.


    In just a few seconds, the sky above the ind turned dark, with a few shes of thick angry bolts of lightning appearing here and there.


    The magic fluctuations in the ind expanded, filling an additional fifty-meter radius of the ind''s surroundings.


    Everyone still on the ships around the ind looked at the scene before them with fear.


    It was only then that they noticed the ck silhouette that hovered above the ind, seemingly affected by the immense magic fluctuation in the air and the baby Echidna''s evil aura.


    "W-What is that?"


    It was unknown who had asked this question. Since they were on different ships, it was safe to say that at least one member of each faction had uttered the same question.


    The ck silhouette suddenly jumped, and as it did, it raised a fist¡ª or at least, that was what it looked like to them.


    As the silhouette plummeted on the ind, its raised fist extended downward, and to everyone''s horror, it grew in size and turned into a massive wed hand of a beast!


    Then.


    BOOOM!


    The whole ind shook as the silhouette''s massive w hand collided with what appeared to be an enormous red barrier.

 Chapter 410 Making An Appearance

    "This is impossible!" Patriarch Ernst eximed as soon as he took out the Courtenay magic detector.


    Their family''s magic detector could notpare to the army''s current one, especially on its range and vast data on magic signatures stored in its memory.


    However, it should be enough to alert Ernst if there was any major magic fluctuation inside the Courtenaynd.


    The Deputy Marshals also took out their devices. Even Lira took out her device to check.


    "This...!" Ernst''s expression turned grim as he looked at the magic detector in his hand.


    To be precise, the expression of everyone who took out their magic detectors turned grim.


    Their devices were abnormally silent which should not be the case.


    They were having the meeting in the first ce because their devices detected arge amount of magic energy on the ind. After checking they found out the energy belonged to the baby Echidna. The amount was ridiculously high that the barrier around the ind failed to contain it. That was why their magic devices should be showing an insane reading right now.


    Ernst looked at the Courtenay member who barged in to report the incident.


    "Tell me in details¡ª!"


    He stopped short when an immense yet silent amount of magic energy spread in the room, rendering their devices to burst.


    It did not take long for him or the others to know who released the frightening aura because the man suddenly stiffened.


    "Ack!" Letting out a stifled cry, the man''s face distorted while he grabbed his head as if in pain.


    "Show me what you saw," Hayleemanded.


    Everyone inside except for Lira and Fye held their breaths as they turned to look at Haylee.


    Her right hand was outstretched toward the man, and her sapphire blue eyes glowed with such ferocity it sent shivers up their spine.


    "AAAAARRRHHG!" The man screamed, his eyes turning red and threatening to pop out of their sockets from the immense pressure of magic that rushed through his very core.


    The pressure seemed to be scanning every part of his memory.


    No. That was not exactly right.


    He could feel his soul getting squeezed by the pressure while forcing out images of the scenes he had witnessed.


    A smile slowly appeared on Haylee''s beautiful face. However, unlike her usual angelic or sometimes impish smile, the one she was wearing right nowcked any mirth. Instead, it was filled with malice.


    Haylee let go of the man, who fell to the floor unconscious. The Courtenay representative seated near the door was telling himself to help the man, however, he was frozen in fear.


    "As of this moment, the Beast Hunt is canceled. Issue a retreat to all remaining factions within the vicinity," she dered without looking at Ernst.


    "Y-Yes," the older man croaked a shaky response and turned to the representative beside him.


    "Mannick, Ingrid, Imman, go to the ind and make sure to keep that ''entity'' inside."


    "Yes, your Highness," the three responded at the same time. Without asking any questions, they stood up and left.


    "Lira, contact my father, and Gael."


    "I''m on it, princess," Lira replied, holding a glowing crystal disc.


    "Fye, find a way to get them here as soon as possible," Haylee continued to give out orders.


    Fye did not reply. He simply stepped back, knelt on one knee, and in the blink of an eye sank into the concrete floor.


    The Courtenay representatives were frozen in their seats. They only had spections about the new rtionship between the Royal Family and the Royal Army, however, after witnessing the deputy marshals'' submissive attitude toward the Crown Princess, confirmed it.


    This ced the Three Noble Families in a very dire position in the future.


    While the representatives were thinking this, however, Ernst was frozen because of Haylee''sst order.


    Yes.


    Ernst was more worried about those people she referred to as ''them.'' The three mages who visited the Courtenay Residence a few days ago and met with Emperor Euan and Haylee.


    He was not privy to what they had discussed, but that was the least of his worry. What he was worried about were their unknown origin and otherwordly auras.


    The appearance of those three mages was what drove Ernst to seek the Lumley Family''s cooperation. As for the Montgomeray Family, he was still feeling them out. Their rtionship with the Spirits made them hesitate to seek their cooperation.


    "Ernst."


    Haylee''s call brought him out of his reverie. He looked at her with all the courage he could muster and replied, "Yes, your Highness."


    "I know you have questions. But you don''t have to worry too much," she said before looking at him. Her eyes still glowed, but the malice reflected on them a second ago was now gone.


    She smiled at him and added, "I only have the empire''s best interest at heart. Whatever happens today, I am on the empire''s side."


    "Y-Yes."


    Haylee stood up and left the room, with Lira following behind her.


    Ernst followed after a few seconds, his mind reying what she had just said.


    Especially when she said, thest part as if she only represented herself.


    Meanwhile, on the ind.


    The silhouette that tried to smash the enormous red barrier with its right ws, jumped back after dealing a massive crack on it.


    It charged back into the barrier after gaining enough momentum and mmed its massive ws on it again.


    CRUMBLE!<sub> </sub>


    This time, the barrier crumbled like a fragile ss.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    A deafening hiss echoed, resulting in the ind shaking tremendously.


    The nearby ships also felt the shockwave that came with it and shook. More cracks appeared on the now beaten-up barriers surrounding it.


    About ten minutes earlier on the ind.


    After dealing with the whurtigers and the sabelking, Styx and the others took cover in the cave while the situation on the ind worsened.


    Neo also appeared afterward, telling them they were advised to stay in the cave for now.


    Multiple translucent light brown shields covered the cave''s entrance as Styx protected them from the relentless assault of magic energies.


    Neo also reinforced the cave''s ceiling to ensure it would not cave in on them.


    "T-This..." Mitchel''s mind reeled. "T-This level of magic energy is from the baby Echidna?"


    "Oi, Neo. Any update from your master?" Styx chose to ignore Mitchel''s question and asked Neo instead.


    Neo shook his head, "None apart from what I already said. However, from what I understand of the situation outside the ind. It seems the Head Committee issued an emergency meeting but the Conve Council Members decided not to attend. They did have a meeting by themselves and it has not concluded yet."


    "Emergency meeting, huh," Archel smiled bitterly. "So the ind''s situation has gone from bad to worse for them to issue an emergency."


    "The Beast Hunt has likely been canceled. If they want us to stay here, they may be nning a rescue," Addie voiced her thoughts. "But... I don''t understand. How did the baby Echidna''s power increase in an instant?"


    "True. This massive magic energy in the surrounding is worrying," Mitchel chimed in. "I can''t help but think we are not dealing with only the baby Echidna anymore."


    "Er... that''s because we''re not."


    "If you know something, just say it," Styx growled at Neo.


    "Er... Just know that master and the others are doing their best to get us out of here in one piece."


    "The f*ck?" Styx red at him. They had already established that bit and it was not the answer he was looking for. "You want me to dismantle you? Just tell us what else you know."


    "Ahaha..." Neoughed uneasily.


    His master warned him about Styx and Addie discovering his identity, but not Archel and Mitchel. After meeting up with them though, he realized all of them were already aware of it. If not, Styx''s words would have confused Archel and Mitchel. But they were not.


    "Leader Styx, you may be an Abjurer and possess above-average Array knowledge, but you can''t dismantle me. You''ll only hurt yourself if you try."


    "You..."


    Addie, Archel, and Mitchel looked at him incredulously.


    "I am not an Array Specialist because I chose not to undergo the process of bing one. But my Array knowledge will not lose to any of the other Array Specialists in the order!"


    "Oh, that is quite a generous deration. You did not say you can rival my master''s abilities. Impressive. But that is the very reason why you can''t dismantle me."


    "..."


    It appeared Neo had a knack for rendering others speechless.


    "Enough bullsh*ting. Tell us what you know."


    Neo sighed. He was about to reply when they heard a shattering sound followed by the baby Echidna''s deafening hiss.


    CRUMBLE!


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    The cave''s ceiling trembled but with Neo''s reinforcement, it managed to withstand the shockwaves that followed it.


    "D*mn it," Styx cursed under his breath as three of his shields shattered from the shockwaves. He summoned additional shields and gritted his teeth. Maintaining the shields was draining his magic energy at a frightening speed.


    RAWRGH!


    Suddenly, a different kind of cry shook the ind that brought shivers up their spines.


    "T-That doesn''t sound like the baby Echidna..."


    "Just how many beasts left on the ind can make such a loud cry?"


    Addie and Mitchel wondered aloud.


    Outside the cave.


    After the red barrier shattered the ck silhouette retracted its huge ws and charged inside.


    Within the barrier, a huge red and ck serpent beast, at least 50-meters long and five meters thick, with its torso and head in the form of a scaly beautiful woman looked at the iing ck silhouette. Its ruby-like red eyes glowed as it let out another deafening hiss and charged.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    Behind the ck silhouette, a three-meter radius magic array appeared as something white emerged from it.


    The serpent, which was the supposed ''baby'' Echidna opened its mouth, revealing a set of massive fangs.


    Red concentrated magic energy formed at the inside of its mouth and a beam of magic energy shoot out toward the descending ck silhouette.


    The white ''thing'' that emerged from the ck silhouette''s purple magic array suddenly grew in size and enveloped the ck silhouette.


    Looking at the white thing... it somewhat resembled a massive furball!

 Chapter 411 Sovereigns Cradle

    The massive white furball covered the ck silhouette just in time before the Echidna''s attack reached.


    As the magic attack hit the furball, the explosion one would expect did not happen. Instead, the magic attack seemed to seep into the furball, instantly dying its white fur red.


    An angry wail escaped the Echidna when it saw its attack was ineffective.


    The massive furball, which had now turned red, spread its fur and revealed the ck silhouette inside. Silver concentrated energy gathered on its left, and a dark purple concentrated energy gathered on its right.


    The two energies ovepped as the ck silhouette aimed it toward the Echidna.


    Even before the ovepping silver and dark purple energies descended, the Echidna slithered away to avoid the attack. At the same time, it employed a red translucent scaly barrier for additional protection.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion resulted after the ovepping energies mmed on the spot where the Echidna had been.


    Even with the barrier, the Echidna got caught in the explosion''s shockwave and thrown several meters away. The shockwave also destroyed the trees and ground within a fifty-meter radius range.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    The Echidna made a pitiful hiss as it mmed into a small mountain hundreds of meters away from its original spot.


    BOOM!


    The whole surrounding was instantly covered with dust and ck smoke.


    The ck silhouette suddenly stopped midair, and the red furball behind it changed form into several dark blue and purple tes. They circled the ck silhouette and clung to its exterior, forming a dark blue and purple full-body armor.


    From the change, one could now see that the silhouette had a human body. However, instead of a human head, it had the head of a ck panther.


    The ck silhouette, of course, was Kyran. And the furball-turned-tes-then-armor was True Void, who had finally awakened from his slumber!


    [Goodness! And I mean, goodness gracious! I just woke up, and this is the situation I see. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, huh?]


    Kyran''s expression behind the ck panther mask turned nk.


    ''Again? You sound like I always find trouble for myself.''


    [Well, isn''t it? What is that beast anyway? More importantly! This air... we are back in the Human ne, and you did not even try to wake me up?]


    ''Let''s Talkter,'' Kyran told him. He then looked at the Echidna and added, ''Let''s deal with that Echidna first.''


    That was right. the supposed ''baby'' Echidna was not a full-fledged ''adult.'' Kyran was unsure how it happened, but if he had to guess, the Royal Army members probably triggered its growth. Seeing that those five had likely perished, their corpse and magic energy likely nourished the Echidna further.


    A baby Echidna was not that hard to deal with due to its smaller frame. But an adult one was troublesome.


    It was like how the Temple Code members tried to subdue Zephyr in his Quilin form. Even if several mages with High Master to Grand Master levels worked together, it would not be easy. Having Exalted mages or a Magus might lighten the pressure. But it would still take days to deal with it.


    Aside from this, Echidna used poison magic attacks. If one was not careful, they would end up getting poisoned to death.


    [Humph!]


    True Void harrumphed and was about to reprimand Kyran further, but thetter did not give it a chance and charged toward the Echidna, who regained its bnce and hissed at them.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    Its ruby red eyes shed as it spread its scaly human-like arms. Magic fluctuated in the air as a ten-meter reddish-green magic array appeared behind it. In an instant, all nearby trees withered as its life force got sucked by the magic array behind the Echidna.


    The magic array increased in size, going from a ten-meter to a forty-meter radius in just a few seconds. Several five-meter dark green magic arrays appeared at the magic array''s edges. These magic arraysunched reddish-green concentrated magic energy attacks at Kyran.


    [Evade! Evade! No! No! What am I even saying? Warp directly out of their path! What are you even waiting for?]


    True Void''s hystericalints filled Kyran''s head.


    Kyran, on the other hand, ignored him and evaded the iing beam-like magic energy attacks from the Echidna.


    All the attacks that missed Kyran hit the ground, riddling the ind with several holes of poisonous scorches.


    "Oi! Void halfling! Why are you holding back? Warp now¡ª!"


    True Void stopped reprimanding Kyran telepathically and started to shout at him instead. However, he was interrupted by thetter by pointing above.


    True Void looked up, and it was only then that he noticed the darkened sky, and there was a massive golden. Upon closer inspection, the strings that made up the were actually several gold runes.


    He furrowed his imaginary brows and muttered, "That is... the Sovereign''s Cradle."


    The Sovereign''s Cradle was the ne''s current Sovereign''s ultimate authority. It limits non-human mages'' magic output and lowers any foreign Sovereigns'' mage level managed to enter the ne.


    Kyran did not reply. He only focused on evading the Echidna''s iing attacks.


    "Wait." A thought crossed True Void''s mind, "You should not be affected by the Sovereign''s Cradle. You are not a Sovereign. Besides, you possess Ancient Magic so..."


    Still ignoring True Void''s monologue, Kyran managed to shorten the distance with the Echidna.


    The Echidna, seeing this, hissed in anger. The writings on the dark green magic arrays changed, and all turned dark red. Several dark red and green serpents sprang out from the middle of the magic array, and with a chorus of hisses, they rushed toward Kyran.


    Kyran abruptly stopped and raised his left hand toward the rushing serpents. Silver runes circled his right arm, and a massive wed hand projection formed before him. He manipted the projection, grabbed the first nearby three serpents, and mmed them toward the onesing from behind.


    HIIIISSS!


    Angry hisses filled with air as the serpents mmed on each other.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    The Echidna let out an angry hiss of its own. It lifted its tail and swept it toward Kyran.


    Using his right hand, Kyran summoned a three-meter radius dark purple magic array in front of him. Numerous dark purple chains filled with ominous energy sprang out from it. The tip of these chains were sharp ck des with purple runes on them.


    These des pierced the Echidna''s tail before it could even hit Kyran.


    The Echidna let out a pitiful wail as dark red and green blood gushed out from its tail. Its ruby red eyes glowed as it opened its fanged mouth.


    Dark green smoke shot out from its mouth, covering a hundred-meter radius of its surrounding like a smokescreen almost instantly.


    "Not good, not good! Don''t breathe! It''s poisonous!" True Void warned Kyran.


    Kyran jumped back to move out of the smokescreen''s range with cklines appearing on his head.<sub> </sub>


    He could not help but sigh inwardly at True Void. He missed thetter''spany. But it seemed True Void had slept too much because his mind was still muddled.


    Kyran was wearing True Void and on top of that, he was wearing the panther mask. The shape-shifting tes had void properties that easily filter any harmful substance outside. Even if he intentionally tries to inhale the smoke, he would not be able to.


    Of course, inhaling it while removing the mask and the armor would be a different story.


    ...


    Or maybe not.


    Kyran''s resistance to poison was actually excellent after fully fusing with the Elixir and the dragon blood. So far, he had yet to take a poison that showed any effect on him.


    Kyran summoned more dark purple magic arrays filling the entirety of the green smokescreen. Simr chains shot out from the magic arrays.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    The Echidna hissed in pain from within the smokescreen as the chains pierced its body.


    "Oi, Void Halfling," True Void started his monologue again, "Why are you intentionally holding back your magic? That''s a legendary beast. You can''t becent when attacking it. While you sessfully summon the Chains of Erce'' to stop its movement, the only reason why you managed to pierce that beast''s scales is by using Void magic. You infused the des with void property, right? If not, it would have recovered and grow stronger."


    One of the annoying ability of the Echidna was the more it uses its magic, the powerful it would be. Unfortunately, knew of this. Because none survived when facing the Echidna.


    At least, in the Human ne.


    "You talk too much," Kyran sighed and willed the tes on the sole of his feet to descend. He had not learned the ability to levitate and the only reason he appeared to be ''flying'' was because he was using his magic sense to control the tes. In turn, it was draining his magic energy.


    He badly wanted to learn levitation, but had a feeling he could never learn it. As to why, well, he was not sure either.


    From within the smokescreen, Kyran and True Void could hear the Echidna struggling to free itself from the chains.


    However, the Chains of Erce'' held it in ce.


    The Chains of Erce'' was a restraining spell using the Dark Arts. There was also a restraining spell using Light Arts, but summoning it was difficult. The Light Arts'' restraining spell was far more powerful and required enormous light magic energy which was limited in the Human ne.


    "You are acting way unreasonable. I can''t just stay quiet!" True Void retorted. "The Sovereign''s Cradle does not affect you, so deal with that beast as soon as possible. Besides, it''s not like the humans know about the Sovereign''s Cradle. They cannot even see it."


    "I know. But there will be ''others'' who can," Kyran replied as he looked toward the east where a loud roar sounded a few minutes ago. He was positive that was the Manticore breaking its seal. Now that he restrained the Echidna, his next stop should be restraining the Manticore before the Courtenay Family, Royal Army and the Royal Family return.


    But first, Kyran had to get Neo and the rest off the ind. That was his main objective in going to the ind. Save Neo! Err... Save them all!


    "Others?" True Void repeated. Then his imaginary eyes widened as hee into realization, "You mean... those guys found their way into the Human ne?"


    Kyran smiled bitterly, "I''m not sure if it''s them. But one of them is definitely that guy."


    The Sovereign of Ruins.


    "Oh my goodness... Why are you using your magic then? Use Draconic magic as much as you like but don''t use your Void magic! Oh no, oh no! ME TOO! HIDE ME! MY PRESENCE IS THE VOID THEY WILL FIND YOU!"


    Kyran chuckled at True Void''s reaction.


    "Rx."


    "I CAN''T! YOU SHOULD NOT BE LAX EITHER!"


    Kyran sighed, "Calm down. Can you even detect my presence?"


    "THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW! GO AND HIDE¡ª wait... what did you just ask me?"


    "Can you detect it?" Kyran repeated.


    It was only then that True Void realized that indeed, he could not detect Kyran. Even when he attacked the Echidna, all he detected was thetter''s overwhelming presence.


    "How...?"


    "I''m trying out the... er... uhm... the Shaiha''s ability." Kyran hesitated to tell him about the Shaiha but then, True Void probably noticed the massive change in his central core, literally.


    "The Sha- what- ability?"


    "The Sha-ee-ha," Kyran repeated, slowly pronouncing its name.


    "..."


    True Void fell silent and Kyran sensed the former''s growing apprehension.


    "YOU ALREADY ACQUIRED THE SHAIHA?" True Void eximed suddenly.


    "It seems you know about it."


    "Of course I do! Master tried acquiring it. Unfortunately, his body constitution was too weak and failed."


    Kyran''s eyes furrowed. He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    As if, the reason why ''he'' was born in the Regis n was so he could inherit the Regis n''s powerful body and seed in acquiring the Shaiha.


    If his assumption was true, did this mean his predecessor had nned everything for this to happen? No, was it even his predecessor who did this? Or...


    Suddenly, Ste''s words shed through his mind.


    "The Founder knew there would be a new Void Master.... and the Founder''sst wish is to make sure the new Void Master doesn''t die this time..."


    Kyran clenched his fists. Just who was the Conve''s Founder? One of the things he hated was someone trying to manipte his life.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, pushed all these thoughts to the back of his head.


    He would have to think of it at ater time. He could not afford to get sidetracked.


    "I see, I see... You already acquired it. No wonder you are pretty bold in unting your Void magic... But why are you holding back then?"


    Kyran tilted his head to one side, "I have to put on a show that I am affected by the Sovereign''s Cradle."


    "Why?"


    Before Kyran could answer, Ste''s voice sounded in his mind.


    [Kyran, we received a message from the Courtenay Family. The Beast Hunt is canceled and we are asked to fall back. Also, the Royal Army''s deputy marshals areing and it looks like they n on dealing with the baby Echidna.]

 Chapter 412 The Most Fateful Shield (1)

    Mannick, Ingrid and Imman arrived at the docks where a ship that would ferry them to the ind was waiting.


    The Courtenay Family had a transportation array in the dome that connected to the ind but because of the Magic Interference Array, it could not be used.


    Following the events when the ck silhouette appeared and destroyed the ind''s barrier, the Magic Interference Array also got destroyed. After its destruction it should allow them to use the transportation array.


    But for reasons still unknown, the transportation array in the ind was not responding and finding the cause and fixing it would take time.


    Since they could not afford to waste time, Ingrid suggested they go by ship.


    From the docks, Mannick, Ingrid and Imman could already see the dark sky above the ind. Even from a distance, they could also feel the ominous aura of the baby Echidna.


    Mannick''s brow furrowed as he stared at the sky. He clenched his fists and muttered, "That''s..."


    "Yes..." Ingrid, standing to his left, agreed while staring at the dark sky as well. "The magic fluctuation in the ind was too enormous; it influenced such a change in the surrounding."


    "Princess Haylee ordered us to keep the ''entity'' on the ind. It is curious why she said that instead of subduing the baby Echidna."


    Ingrid looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Even after sensing that malicious aura from the ind you still call that beast a ''baby''?"


    "Humph," Imman crossed his arms. "Don''t tell me you guys are not curious about that silhouette''s identity."


    "Enough with the nonsense. Let''s go," Mannick told them off and hurried to the ship.


    Ingrid and Imman looked him over. Both understood the weight of the task Haylee gave them and knew exactly why Mannick was in a hurry.


    Without further dy, the two followed suit.


    RAWRGH!


    A ground shaking roar suddenly sounded from the ind. It was followed by the ominous presence they knew was from the baby Echidna to suddenly be reced by another far more ominous one.


    Mannick stopped in his tracks as he looked back at the ind. His brows furrowed further. Ingrid and Imman also looked at the ind.


    "The manticore''s seal has also been broken," Ingrid muttered.


    "Keeping the entity in the ind will be tricky if a legendary beast is on the rampage," Imman also said.


    The Courtenay members keeping an eye on the ind said that after the entity seeded in destroying the ind''s barrier it dropped directly above the baby Echidna''s location.


    After that, they noticed arge amount of activity inside. Unfortunately, every surveince orbs in the ind got destroyed and they were unable to get any visuals of what happened.


    "Then we split up. You two can deal with the Manticore, while I find and stall the entity,''" Mannick told them.


    Imman looked at him with a frown, "Dealing with the beast is not our priority but the entity. We can ignore it."


    "No," Ingrid shook her head and looked at Imman. "Mannick has a point. But¡­" She looked at Mannick and smiled slightly, "I''ll go find the entity while you two deal with the Manticore."


    Imman''s frown deepened. Before he could protest, Mannick gave a short nod and said, "Fine. Let''s go."


    He did not need to ask Ingrid why she preferred to find the entity instead of dealing with the Manticore. She was also an Exalted, but her magic output was stillckingpared to him and Imman who were closer to bing a Magus. If they wanted to deal with the Manticore as soon as possible, it was better to have him, and Imman go.


    However, the reason Mannick first suggested finding the entity was also because his magic output was higherpared to them.


    While a rumor went around that Imman found something that would help him breakthrough to the Magus level, he had not used it yet. In the end, Mannick''s magic output was still stronger because he was an Exalted for a much longer period.


    Imman wanted to protest, however, seeing the two go up to the ship, he could only swallow his discontent and follow.


    Back on the ind.


    Kyran smiled after hearing Ste''s warning.


    ''Thanks. Retreat with the rest. I''ll take Styx and the others to safety.''


    [Okay. But... Kyran... Are you sure it''s alright to have him pretend to be ''you''?]


    Kyran chuckled.


    The ''him'' Ste referred to was the person who acted as ''Tyr''s'' recement.


    Ss.


    Using transformation magic, Ss shortened his hair and changed its color. Then he wore the face-altering mask to have ''Tyr''s'' face. As for their build, Ss was on the average side, while Kyran possessed a well-toned body. However, it could easily be remedied by having Ss wear a long coat, with thick inner clothing.<sub> </sub>


    Their height was pretty much the same. Kyran used to be a few centimeters shortpared to Ss, but after five years of training in the Tower of Tribtion, Kyran got taller.


    ''Yes, Ss can pull it off,'' Kyran assured her. ''There may be a few who might notice something different but by the time their suspicion grows, ''Tyr'' can rece him."


    To be honest, Kyran had thought of getting one of the puppets working at the cksmith Order to act like Tyr. But currently, the puppet ''Tyr'' was employed as one of the Conve members.


    That was right. Currently, the ''Tyr'' who te saw back in the cottage was there. And the reason Kyran could not use it was because the puppet was none other than Neo!


    It was one of the reasons Neo''s learning abilities were far more superior than Aki and Len. Because he already possessed more data than the two.


    It was also one of the reasons Kyran was forced to make his move to save it.


    [''Tyr''? You mean you? Or are you referring to one of your puppets?]


    Kyran did not respond but the slight smile on his face was a dead giveaway. Unfortunately, Ste could not see it.


    ''I''m close to them. I''ll warp them to the ind''s transportation array and transport them out.''


    [Transportation Array? There is a Transportation Array there? Howe the Courtenay or the Royal Army is not using it to go to the ind?]


    ''It''s because they can''t use it. I haveplete dominion over the whole ind, and all the array inside.''


    [You¡­ Fine. But where are you nning on transporting them to? The ind''s transportation array is sure to be connected to one of the Courtenay''s¡ª.]


    Ste suddenly stopped and sighed.


    [Nevermind.]


    Kyran chuckled. He knew what Ste was about to say. But she probably realized how absurd she sounded given his Array knowledge.


    Changing the target location of the ind''s transportation array would not be a problem to Kyran.


    [Kyran, I understand why you don''t want to hide them in your ''world.'' But given the urgency of the situation can''t you make an exception? I''m worried about the Royal Family picking up on your magic if you warp Styx and the others. If you''re worried about one of them bing a traitor, I can have Can remove their memory.]


    Kyran chose not to answer her.


    Hiding Styx and the others in his domain was never an option. Not because he did not trust them, or the Royal Family might find his trace, but because of the consequences.


    Besides, exining how Styx and the others left the ind and survived the ordeal would be troublesome if he hid them in his domain,pared to if they escaped through the ind''s transportation array.


    ''I''ll be upied once the deputy marshals arrive. I''ll contact you when everything has settled.''


    Kyran went on his way after saying his piece. He was not expecting Ste to respond. In any case, she would never interrupt him when she knew he was in the middle of something.


    After a moment of silence, Ste told him in a soft voice.


    [Be careful.]


    Meanwhile, in the cave where Neo and Styx with the other three were hiding, they were in the middle of a discussion on how to leave the ind.


    To be precise, Styx, Addie, Archel and Michel were talking while Neo watched them in silence.


    "We''ve dealt with most of the beasts on the ind so going back to the docks will not be a problem."


    "The problem is the roar just now. That is definitely not from the baby Echidna."


    Michel and Archel said while looking at Styx.


    <o>,m "Hm," Styx agreed with a short nod. "Let''s not dwell on which of the remaining two legendary beast made that. Both have probably been affected by the baby Echidna''s rampage and a three-way battle is likely to happen."</o>


    Archel smiled wryly, "If that''s the case then it would be good for us. Let them fight amongst themselves."


    "Er... I have a new message from Master," Neo suddenly spoke. "He said the Conve sent someone who will take us to the Courtenay''s transportation array."


    "''Sent someone''?" Styx repeated with a frown. Was it really that easy to send someone in the ind?


    "Please don''t ask questions because I can''t answer them."


    Addie, Archel and Michel exchanged nces but did not say anything.

 Chapter 413 The Most Fateful Shield (2)

    Kyran found Neo and the rest a few minutester.


    Still donning a dark blue and purple armor with a panther mask, Kyran wordlessly entered Styx''s shields.


    His sudden appearance shook them except for Neo.


    Before any could make a move, Kyran warped them out of the cave to the transportation array near the ind''s docks.


    Styx was just about ready to confront Kyran but was left bbergasted after being warped so suddenly.


    Even Addie, Archel and Michel were speechless.


    Neo was the only one who retained hisposure.


    Then again, getting surprised was not really possible given what he was.


    Neo could act surprised. But since Styx and the others knew what he was, he did not have to put on an act.


    Styx was the first to recover from the shock and, after noticing the transportation array, realized Kyran was probably the help sent by the Conve.


    Hearing another roar from a distance, they refrain from asking Neo questions and decide to leave the ind first.


    As soon as they left, a ship approached the docks.


    The ship that ferried Mannick, Ingrid and Imman.


    RAWRGH!


    Another roar sounded from deep on the ind as they disembarked the ship. They turned in the east direction with narrowed eyes, sensing the growing aura of the Manticore.


    "I''ll keep in touch," Ingrid said and looked toward the north direction. The aura of the Echidna was still there, and they could hear faint hissing sounds in the distance.


    Mannick and Imman responded with a nod. Without saying anything, the three of them went their separate ways.


    Meanwhile, Kyran, standing outside the cave, looked in the direction of the ind''s docks.


    [We got a newpany.]


    Kyran responded to True Void''s warning with a short nod. Ste had already told him of the deputy marshals'' arrival and was not surprised.


    [Hm?]


    True Void furrowed his imaginary brows and focused on the new auras that appeared.


    [This aura... where did I sense this before?]


    Kyran, who sensed two auras going toward the Manticore while a single one flew in the Echidna''s direction, raised his brows upon hearing True Void.


    ''What?''


    [Hmm...]


    True Void crossed his imaginary arms.


    [I can''t put my finger on it. But I can sense a familiar presence.]


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. Apart from the Courtenay members operating the ship and the arrival of the deputy marshals, there was no other presence nearby.


    However, it would not be impossible for the ''outsiders'' to conceal their presence. Then again, Kyran would know if they were close. Or, to be precise, he would know if that red-cloaked man was nearby because of the mark he left him.


    ''Where did it go?''


    [To the Manticore''s location.]


    Kyran frowned.


    He had not met the Royal Army''s deputy marshals in person, but he more or less remembered their aura from when they visited the Tower of Conve. If he had to guess, the two auras that went to the Manticore were Deputy Marshals Mannick and Imman, while Ingrid went to the Echidna.


    With this in mind, Kyran could assume that the familiar presence True Void had sensed came from either Mannick or Imman.


    True Void had not met the two, so he couldn''t recognize their auras. If this was the case, it was safe to say that one of them possessed something¡ª most likely a magic item, artifact or a relic with an aura of its own¡ª that True Void recognized.


    However, Kyran did not sense the third source of aura.


    Then that leaves him with one possible reason.


    A mage already infused with the magic item.


    This possibility made Kyran recall the rumor that Imman had acquired something and was close to bing a Magus.


    Could it be rted to the familiar presence True Void sensed?


    The likeness that it was an Inheritance was also there.


    In any case, they did not have the time to analyze it.


    ''Will it affect us?'' Kyran asked True Void as he made his way toward the Manticore.


    [Hmm... I don''t know yet. I can''t even remember why this presence is familiar.]


    ''Don''t dwell on it then. We''ll deal with the Manticore first.''


    [Those guys are obviously after it too. Can''t we just let them deal with it?]


    ''And lose a potential Sigil? No way.''


    True Void froze.


    Why did he not think Kyran''s decision not to kill the Echidna strange? Because Kyran''s answer convinced him that he was pretending to have been weakened by the Sovereign''s Cradle?


    He had been careless!


    Who was Kyran? He was an exploiter! An opportunist! He would never do something that would not benefit him.


    While Kyran might really be wary of the ''outsiders'' and pretended to be affected by the Sovereign''s Cradle, True Void should have questioned how it triggered in the first ce. It should not have appeared because Kyran did not have the capability to trigger it. He was a native of the Human ne, and his magic level had not reached the Sovereign realm.


    Factoring these two reasons, True Void realized that the legendary beasts were what triggered the Sovereign''s Cradle. The moment the Echidna broke its seal, the Human ne realized its origin.<sub> </sub>


    The same was probably true with the other two legendary beasts. They were beasts from a different ne!


    After the Echidna broke its seal, the Human ne sensed the abnormality of its magic and origin, thus triggering the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    Nevertheless, even with the Echidna''s level and magic getting restrained, if the other two legendary beasts broke their seals as well, then the Human ne would suffer a great catastrophe.


    After all, three legendary beasts on a rampage were equivalent to a Sovereign throwing a tantrum!


    [You want to make them a Sigil? Goodness! My goodness! Right now, these beasts pose the greatest threat to your ne! Are you not worried?]


    ''They are not the greatest threat but those ''outsiders,'''' Kyran corrected True Void. ''In any case, having three additional legendary beasts as a pet doesn''t sound too bad. Unfortunately, two possessed Poison magic. It will have been nice if they all have different specialties.''


    [... I am simply speechless by your train of thought. I''ve only been asleep for a short time. Howe it feels your thought process has gone from bad to worse?]


    ''Oi.''


    [Fine. Fine. I get it. We just have to stop those guys from handling the beasts, right? Then let''s hurry. Actually, I can take care of the Manticore by myself, and you can get to the other one. What beast is it? Right. Right, a Chimera.]


    Kyran could not help but smile bitterly at True Void''s ''monologue.''


    Then he said, ''I can''t let you leave my side. The only reason your presence has not been found is because I''m wearing you.''


    [Ack! You are absolutely right.]


    True Void sighed.


    [In the end, I have to stick close to you for the Shaiha to conceal my presence too.]


    ''Yes, that''s right¡ª!''


    Kyran''s eyes widened suddenly as a red blur shed before him.


    BAM!


    An explosion urred as a massive bloodred great sword mmed down on the spot where Kyran had just been.


    The ground, including the trees nearby, exploded into pieces.


    Kyran managed to dodge the attack and jumped a few meters away.


    However, before he could fully grasp what had just happened, a gigantic stone hand appeared behind him, which made a grasping motion as if to capture him.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran gritted his teeth and stretched out his left hand. Silver rings circled his arm as a massive projection of a w hand materialized before him. He shed his hand toward the gigantic stone hand, which the w hand projection mirrored, slicing the former.


    [Behind you!]


    True Void shouted. However, he did not wait for Kyran to evade. Instead, he manipted several shape-shifting tes around Kyran''s torso and made an arc barrier covering his body.


    CLANK!


    A loud teeth-shattering metallic sound rang out as the bloodred greatsword''s de hit the shape-shifting tes.


    "RAAA!"


    A powerful voice shouted as the force of the greatsword, still in contact with the shape-shifting tes, increased, and Kyran got thrown to the side.


    "Ngh!"


    Kyran, failing to stop the greatsword''s momentum, got thrown several meters and hit several trees.


    ''True Void!''


    Without needing Kyran to tell him what to do, True Void manipted the tes to protect Kyran''s body while also helping him regain his bnce.


    Kyran stretched out his right hand. Small purple rings appeared on his palm. He raised his hand to his right side, where stone-made knight statues emerged from the ground. These statues raised their hands, each holding a long broad sword and aimed it at Kyran.


    Dark purple orbs shot out from the rings on Kyran''s hand and flew toward the broad swords of the statues.


    Before the swords could hit him, they crumbled into dust.


    The statues, unable to regain their stance after Kyran destroyed their broad swords, were in a motion of bending forward.


    Silver rings circled Kyran''s left leg, and a projection of a big wed foot materialized in front of him.


    Making a sudden stop, Kyran put all the weight he could on his left leg and did a 360-degree round kick while aiming at the statues.


    The projection cleanly hit the bending statues and was smashed into bits and pieces.


    "Rawrgh!"


    The same powerful voice shouted above as the bloodred greatsword descended on Kyran''s head.


    [Ack! Annoying! Too Annoying!]


    True Voidined while manipting the shape-shifting tes and formed an arc above Kyran.


    BAM!


    An explosion followed as the greatsword''s momentum managed to force Kyran almost to his knees after colliding with the tes.


    [Ugh! That hurts!]


    ''Tsk.''


    Annoyed at the sudden bombardment, Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he let the Draconic magic fill his body. With the greatsword still above, he pushed it away using his left forearm and stomped his right foot on the ground.


    CRACK! BOOM!


    The ground cracked from Kyran''s stomp and exploded from the massive force he generated.


    Clouds of dirt and smoke filled the air as everything within a twenty-meter radius around Kyran turned into rubble.


    As the smoke lifted, Kyran straightened and red at the two hovering silhouettes.


    These two were none other than Deputy Marshals Mannick and Imman!

 Chapter 414 The Most Fateful Shield (3)

    Mannick stretched his right hand, and the massive bloodred greatsword blown away from Kyran''s stomp flew back into his hand. He waved the greatsword to the side before heaving it up, resting its big hilt on his shoulder.


    "A dark armor with a ck panther mask, possessing monstrous strength. You are the culprit behind the Shaiha Ruins incident," Mannick said while eyeing the ''entity'' below them.


    The incident in the Shaiha Ruins was only known to a few higher officials of the Royal Army, including the Royal Family.


    Temr Code''s Commander, Tritus, submitted the report yesterday. When asked why he reported it only then when the incident happened weeks ago, he replied with:


    "It was my men who got killed in that incident. I have to investigate what happened myself and find the bastard who did this."


    It was clear how much Tritus loathed the perpetrator of the incident.


    From a single damaged surveince orb that the Temr Code found on the scene, it showed an image of a ''man'' in ck clothes wearing a ck panther mask, ruthlessly killing members of the Temr Code one after another.


    The army''s Deputy Marshals, Grand Marshal, the Emperor and the Crown Princess had seen the short footage, and two words that described what happened came to their minds after watching.


    One-sided massacre.


    Though they did not know how the panther-masked man killed Freya, Max and Reuben, the remaining members of their Elite Team sensed their demise. Ultimately, they could only attribute their deaths to the panther-masked man.


    Nevertheless, having the members of the Temr Code wiped out was not the most frustrating part of the incident.


    It was losing the rare stone''s source.


    Emperor Euan and the Crown Princess were frustrated.


    The emperor nned to return to the Royal Pce and organize another parliament meeting to discuss how to deal with the panther-masked man.


    At the moment, the emperor knew he had to deal with the matter differently. He could not dere another decree for another arrest when he had just decreed one for Gray a month ago.


    In any case, Mannick and Imman did not expect that the ''entity'' Princess Haylee had told them to detain was none other than the panther-masked man.


    Then again, recalling how she told Lira to call her father even after knowing he had his te full now made sense.


    [The Shaiha Ruins incident? So you did do something terrible while I was asleep! Was it when you absorbed the Shaiha? You''re giving me a heart attack! Heart Attack, I tell you!]


    Kyran ignored True Void''s using words. He did not even have a physical heart. What was heining about?


    "You... are you one of the outsiders?" Imman suddenly asked.


    Mannick frowned at his question, but instead of voicing his discontent, he brandished his bloodred greatsword and pointed it at Kyran.


    "Prepare to die!"


    Without waiting for Kyran to react, Mannick swung the greatsword downward at Kyran.


    Instead of trying to avoid the greatsword, Kyran stomped his feet and rushed toward it. He clenched his left fist, mustering his Draconic magic, before pulling his arm back to build momentum. His muscles bulged as heunched a punch toward the iing greatsword.


    Imman''s crimson eyes glowed while raising his right hand toward Kyran. A light gray-beige magic array appeared before him as two stoned hands emerged on the ground and grabbed Kyran''s arm to stop his punch.


    However, as soon as the stoned hands were inches from grabbing Kyran''s forearm, True Void manipted the shape-shifting tes on his leg. They expanded and rotated, shredding the stoned hands in an instant.


    CLANG!


    Kyran''s fist collided with Mannick''s greatsword, and the impact caused the ground beneath Kyran''s feet to crack and press down a few feet.


    The result of this sh sent Kyran''s mind reeling. Typically, any ordinary or even above-average magic weapon would get broken by the force of his fist with Draconic magic.


    However, Mannick''s greatsword was harder than Kyran anticipated. Even if he only used 5% of his strength, that percentage had been enough to break human bones and skulls¡ª not to mention above-average magic items.


    Mannick''s green eyes glowed as the greatsword''s size increased. Simultaneously, the muscles on his arms bulged as he applied more force on the greatsword, forcing Kyran''s feet to sink into the ground a couple more inches.


    Before Kyran could push Mannick away, Imman spread his arms, and a light gray-beige magic array appeared on the small crater Kyran was standing on.


    [Be careful!]


    True Void warned while he manipted the shape-shifting tes on Kyran''s soles to assist him in pushing the greatsword away and freeing himself in the process.


    ''You''re overreacting,'' Kyran told True Void with a slight smile.


    While increasing the Draconic magic circting in his body, Kyran''s silver eyes also shed. He grabbed the greatsword''s de and mmed it on the ground.


    "Ngh!" Mannick was forced to let go of the greatsword to avoid getting mmed to the ground. Then he jumped back.


    However, he jumped back not because he wanted to avoid Kyran''s follow attack but because Imman had finished creating his magic array.


    "Stone spikes!" He shouted, and thick stone spikes shot out from the magic array on Kyran''s feet and pierced him.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    A cloud of dirt and smoke filled the air as the stone spike pierced and destroyed each other along with Kyran.


    "It''s not yet over!" Mannick warned Imman while he raised his hand and drew his greatsword back to him.


    From within the cloud of smoke, a ck blur jumped out and went toward Imman.


    It was, of course, Kyran who was unharmed by the stone spikes. His left arm was drawn back as a huge wed hand projection ovepped on his left arm.


    Kyran was poised to punch Imman.


    "Humph," Imman harumphed as several stoned hands emerged on the ground and tried to grab Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran evaded the iing hands, but because of this, it gave Imman time to retreat.


    "RAAAA!"


    Mannick swung his greatsword horizontally. A deep red glow shot out from its de and went straight in Kyran''s direction.


    RAWRGH!


    Suddenly, a st of ming green attack from a distance appeared behind Kyran, surprising him and Mannick.


    [ACK! This is a poison me attack! Don''t breathe! Retreat! Retreat at once!]


    The radius of the attack was too massive that Kyran and Mannick got swallowed by the st.


    "Mannick!" Imman shouted as he looked back at Mannick after sessfully dodging the attack.


    Everything the ming green attack hit burned, leaving a trail of green mes and a cloud of dark green smoke on the ground.


    RAWRGH!


    Imman noticed the shadow on his feet increasing in size and looked up.


    Above, a golden brown beast with a head of a human head, a lion''s body, and a scorpion''s tail descended.


    "That is¡ª!" Imman gritted his teeth and escaped to the side as the beastnded on where he had just been standing. ''... the Manticore!''


    There was nothing ''baby'' about the beast before him! It was clearly a full-fledged adult Manticore that stood at least twenty meters!


    BAM!


    The ground shook as the beastnded.


    "Ngh!" Imman rolled on the ground from the aftershock of the beastnding.


    RAWRGH!


    The beast roared in anger as it spun its head toward the direction where Imman escaped in. Its long scorpion tail lifted as it pointed at Imman. A dark green magic array appeared on the tail''s tips, and several dark green spines shot out.


    Imman summoned several stone-made walls as he ran to the left to avoid the spines. The spot where the spines hit the wall eroded instantly.


    To think he had not noticed the Manticore''s presence.


    No, more importantly, Mannick and the ''entity'' also did not react to its arrival.


    It was not because they had not sensed it.


    It was because the Manticore''s aura was too strong and was spread out in such arge area they failed to pinpoint its exact location!


    The Manticore pulled back its head before stomping its front paws on the ground while opening its mouth wide.


    RAWRGH!


    As it roared, it breathed out another ming green poisonous attack while following Imman''s movement. Everything the green mes touched burned, leaving a trail behind Imman.


    "Tsk!" Imman spread his arms and summoned an eight-meter radius light gray-beige magic array just beneath his feet. From the center of the magic array, a stone head emerged, lifting Imman as more of its body appeared from it.


    Soon, a fifteen-meter tall stone golem emerged, and Imman stood at the top of its head.


    The moment the Manticore''s ming green breath stopped, Imman ordered the stone golem to stop in its tracks and attack.


    It then charged toward the Manticore with its hands sped together


    NGOOOAA!


    The stone golem made a hollow scream as it opened its mouth at the Manticore. Then it raised its fists and mmed the Manticore''s head.


    However, even before the stone golem could hit the Manticore, the Manticore''s tail swung and hit the golem''s torso.


    "Argh!" Imman jumped back just in time before the stone golem''s torso crumbled.


    While in midair, Imman spread his arms and summoned two massive magic arrays on each side of the Manticore and in a blink of an eye, a square boulder-like stone sprang within.


    But sensing the danger, the Manticore swiftly turned and mmed the tip of its poisonous tail on the magic arrays, instantly dissolving the stone boulders.


    ''Its Poison magic is too potent! My Stone magic could not keep up,'' Imman thought as he retreated further.


    He had been busy looking after himself that he was unsure of what had happened to Mannick and the ''entity.''


    But Imman was sure Mannick did not die from that surprise attack. He hated to admit it, but with Mannick''s almost perversive magic, even Gael would have trouble killing him.


    As for the ''entity,'' if he were the same one that massacred the Temr Code members, it would not go down easily.


    ''So... what happened to them? Where are they?''


    RAWRGH!


    Imman''s thoughts were interrupted by the Manticore''s angry roar. But he did not look back and instead focused on putting some distance from it first.

 Chapter 415 The Most Fateful Shield (4)

    Kyran reappeared a few hundred meters from where he fought off the army''s deputy marshals, his expression grim.


    He had not intended to warp. But old habits die hard.


    After being forced to use only his Void magic in the Tower of Tribtion, he stopped relying on his body''s endurance and utilized what he could do with his Void magic. Without the Draconic magic supporting his body strengthening techniques, his body''s endurance had limits. For this reason, he got used to teleporting and warping for longer distances. He also learned how to warp others with him without them suffering.


    Unfortunately, when facing a surprise attack, he believed his body could not endure; even with numerous protection, his mind automatically ordered him to warp.


    And that was what happened.


    Because Kyran did not know if his body couldst the attack, by reflex, he warped.


    As soon as he did, however, he felt an overwhelming disappointment.


    But the cause of his sentiment had nothing to do with having his Void magic detected. With the Shaiha converting Kyran''s magic energy, his magic signature was undetectable.


    The real reason Kyran felt disappointed was that Mannick witnessed him warping after his mask got destroyed.


    Going back a few seconds, while engulfed by the continuous ming green attack, Kyran and Mannick were both taken by surprise.


    They did not sense the Manticore''s approach nor its attack.


    Thinking back, Kyran realized that it was not that he did not sense the Manticore, but because it did not move when it unleashed its mes. It meant it was Kyran and Mannick who entered its firing range.


    Not even a second after the mes covered them, Kyran''s shape-shifting tes and the mask began to melt.


    The same went for Mannick. His magic barrier got destroyed in an instant and his uniform burned. When the mes touched his skin, it also showed signs of melting.


    Yes. Melting, not burning.


    Mannick''s body ''melting'' at that point had nothing to do with the mes but his magic or innate ability. However, Kyran had no time to confirm this because his situation was not doing well.


    His physical and magic defenses were high, but there was no guarantee he could survive the attack unscathed. Aside from this, his defenses were one thing, but what about the shape-shifting tes and the panther mask? Most important of all, True Void was currently residing in the tes. He could return inside Kyran''s Void core, but finding a new vessel for him would be troublesome. There were no materials in the Human ne he could use to create more of the tes.


    Factoring all this, Kyran deemed the best course of action was to warp. This way, he could escape the mes without further exposing the tes and the mask. Besides, even if he ran away from the mes, Imman was waiting outside. If an ident happened and his mask crumbled, it would be troublesome.


    Sensing the panther mask dissolving at an unbelievable speed, Kyran warped to a safe distance.


    Yet, he did not warp fast enough before the mask got destroyed. At that moment, Mannick, who adjusted to the mes, made a move of charging forward to grab him.


    Kyran sighed as he remembered Mannick''s expression when his mask broke, and a purple light covered his body.


    Mannick''s eyes widened. In a blink of an eye, his eyes lost their coldness and were reced with...


    [That guy''s eyes looked strange at thatst moment, Void Halfling.]


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie and regarded True Void in his head.


    ''What?''


    [I said that guy.]


    True Void repeated.


    [Near the end, when he made thest attempt of charging toward you, he actually looked scared. I guess any human will make that kind of expression in the face of death.]


    Kyran raised his brows, ''You think he is scared of dying?''


    True Void crossed his imaginary arms and harumphed.


    [Humph! No human below a Magus can survive that poisonous me¡ª hm?]


    He stopped suddenly and repeated Kyran''s words in his head before continuing.


    [''Is?'' Not ''was''?]


    ''When he charged at me, he didn''t look like someone attempting ast attack. I''m not sure, but his body turning like that might be because of the nature of his magic or innate ability,'' Kyran answered.


    [No way! That green mes may look average, but that was an attack released by a legendary beast. Regardless of his magic or innate ability, he shouldn''t be able to survive it given the gap in magic level.]


    ''You have a point, but...'' Kyran smiled bitterly. ''He survived that, and I also have to find him.''


    [Well, I don''t sense him anymore. That''s why I''m positive he died in those mes.]


    ''No. He''s still out there and is hiding. It is faint, but I can still sense his presence.''


    [You and your annoying monstrous magic sense. Ha....]


    True Void sighed after realizing another problem.


    [I''ve lost too many tes... and you can''t even make new ones. I can''t even make a full-body armor with the ones remaining. Now I will have to adjust them and cover only the most critical areas of your body¡ª oh my goodness! Void Halfling! Your face! Your face is showing! Where is your mask? Why are you using your real face!]


    Kyran smiled bitterly, ''You speak as if my real face can be ''removed'' by how you say ''using.'' And seriously, you are only noticing my mask got destroyed?''


    A thought crossed True Void''s mind, and he yelped in frustration.


    [Wait. Then¡ª! This is bad. Really bad! You''re not going to tell me that the look on that guy''s face just now is because he saw your face...!]


    ''Yeah. When my mask broke, he probably recognized me too.''


    [Why aren''t you wearing your face-altering mask then?]<sub> </sub>


    ''Ss is wearing it while pretending to be Tyr.''


    [UGH! Let''s go then! Take a deep breath and concentrate. Find that guy now! We have to remove any witnesses! No. Now that it hase to this. That guy might have already warned the other two. Stop holding back and get rid of them now!]


    ''...''


    Kyran did not respond and only stood there in silence.


    [Oi, Void Halfling! This is not the time to dally! Let''s go.]


    ''I know. But...''


    Using his right hand, he grabbed his left arm, which had started to throb a few seconds ago.


    True Void noticed this and gasped after seeing Kyran''s arm.


    [I-Isn''t that¡ª?]


    A cold sweat trickled down the side of Kyran''s face. He had been holding the pain while keeping his energy cirction at a minimum. However, it seemed he was also nearing his limits.


    ''Yeah... that guy''s mark. It''s acting up.''


    That was right. The gift the Sovereign of Ruins had left him.


    The Mark of Ruin.


    ''Nn''s seal probably got done in by the Manticore''s attack.''


    [B-But you have the Shaiha. If the mark can empower your aura with the Shaiha, it should have neutralized the effect...]


    ''That is not what I am worried about. With the mark acting up, I can''t make full use of my Void magic. Also... I can''t help but have a bad feeling right now.''


    True Void fell silent. He knew very well what Kyran''s ''bad feeling'' meant. It was not an innate ability, but True Void guessed Kyran developed it after being exposed to so many dangers.


    Nevertheless, there were times when Kyran''s ''bad'' feeling was not bad per se. Sometimes, what would happen was simply a prelude to another encounter. Whether the subsequent encounter would end up good or bad depended on Kyran''s choice.


    [Let''s escape then. Forget about the beasts. As for the Echidna, take it to your domain. Now that the Chains of Erce'' are restraining it, it would not be able to fight back¡ª.]


    WOOSH! WOOSH! WOOSH!


    Three golden pirs appear twenty meters from Kyran on three different points, forming a triangle.


    [Ack! It''s another ambush!]


    True Void panic-stricken voice shouted in Kyran''s head.


    [Run!]


    However, the moment he said this, multi-colored runes emerged from the golden pirs, filling the spaces between the three points.


    Any sane person seeing this would stop the runes from filling the space or escape before getting trapped inside the pirs. And Kyran did make an attempt. However, his body suddenly stopped for some reason, and a mild tremor spread in his core.


    It did not take long for him to realize the soft tremor came from his Void core. If this was true, then these pirs were something his predecessor had encountered before.


    Whether the encounter ended up good or bad, Kyran was unsure. Still, he did not sense any ill-intenting from them.


    Five meters away in front, the space distorted as the magic energy inside the enclosed space converged. Slowly a human''s silhouette formed from the converging magic energy.


    "This presence...!" True Void muttered as his imaginary eyes widened while looking at the silhouette in front. "This is the familiar presence I felt earlier...! Y-You are...!"


    His voice trailed off as the silhouette finally took form, revealing a somewhat familiar face. The only difference was his hair and eye colors were different.


    Instead of having long reddish-brown hair, it had ash blonde. And the green eyes were now golden brown.


    That was right.


    Standing before Kyran was none other than Mannick. And his golden brown eyes reflected the same expression he had when he witnessed Kyran warping.


    His eyes did not look scared.


    No.


    The correct word to describe them would be anticipation.


    A bitter smile appeared on Mannick''s face after hearing True Void''s words.


    "You have sensed my presence, and yet you did not try to call for me."


    "How would I know?" True Void retorted while disengaging the shape-shifting tes on Kyran. Then he turned into a miniature Void Armor.


    "Oi!" Kyran eximed.


    What was this guy thinking exposing him in front of Mannick?


    "Rx, Void Halfing," True Void said whilending on Kyran''s shoulder.


    "I told you before that I am Master''s Ultimate Weapon. But Master can wield me with no worries because someone trustworthy stood in front to protect him, and that person is...


    "Master''s right-hand man, the Most Fateful Shield, Azaloth."

 Chapter 416 Azaloth Is The *^$)%#@!!!

    Kyran looked at Mannick with mixed emotions. Today was the first time they met, and it was not peaceful. Mannick did attack him with the intent to kill just a few minutes ago.


    After finding out who Kyran was, the man''s attitude turned 180. Maybe True Void''s presence was another deciding factor to why thetter epted his identity without questions, as much as his ''warping'' disy.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was hesitant to trust him. There were too many things that did not fit right now, and until he got his answers, he would have to keep his guard around Mannick.


    "You have questions," Mannick broke the silence after True Void introduced him to Kyran. "But given the current situation, it is not the time to answer them."


    "I know," Kyran replied.


    There was still on the ind, and the two deputy marshals were nearby. If Mannick did not show up, the two might do something drastic or report it, resulting in further headaches.


    "Azaloth, Void Halfling wants the legendary beasts. Can you do something about it?"


    Kyran looked at True Void with a frown. Before answering, ''Mannick'' also looked at True Void with a scowl.


    "Void Halfling? You dare call the new Master like that?"


    "Bah! He is a Halfling because he is. Anyway, he wants them alive," True Void ignored Azaloth''s piercing gaze and exined.


    Mannick¡ª for now, Kyran would tentatively continue to address him as such until he confirmed if he could trust him¡ª looked at Kyran questioningly.


    "Those beasts are not native of this ne. I can''t let them wander."


    "I''m going to tame them," Kyran said without borating. Still, he noted how Mannick said he ''can''t let them wander'' as if it was his duty.


    "''Tame them''..." A bitter smile crossed Mannick''s face as he nodded in understanding. "Right. You have the Regis blood flowing in you. Taming beasts is possible."


    "Can you help?"


    "Imman is on his way to regroup with Ingrid. If you want to take the Manticore, now is the time. I will restrain its movement, and you may do whatever you like afterwards. But we have to move fast.


    "The Anima Novitiate has called the outsiders. They will arrive soon."


    Kyran raised his brows.


    Anima was another ancient word meaning Soul. The novitiate was a term used for a novice being taught by a master. It was not hard to guess who Mannick was speaking of.


    The Crown Princess.


    But if she was only a novitiate, then a ''master'' was behind her. Or could it be that she was only a novitiate because she was not the original sessor of the Soul Emperor?


    ? Kyran immediately banished the thought from his mind. He would never consider that idea. No. He would never allow that.


    In any case, if the Crown Princess was the one who had called for the outsiders, then Kyran had underestimated the authority she had.


    The outsiders could be considered the empire''s honored guests. The emperor should be the only one who could call for them.


    Or...


    The things Empress Iulia said shed in Kyran''s mind.


    Could it be that one of his guesses was correct? That Emperor Euan genuinely wanted to save the Regis n because he wanted to change the empire? However, the Crown Princess knowing all this, had another idea and was plotting behind his back.


    If this was true, the arrival of the outsiders to the Human ne could very well be the Crown Princess''s handiwork.


    "She''s the real one working behind the scenes."


    His words were not a question but a statement. Thus, Mannick was not required to answer. With only a short exchange, an understanding seemed to pass between them.


    "New Void Master, after you have taken what you needed, leave the ind at once. I wille find you."


    "No," Kyran shook his head. The Shaiha was concealing his magic energy, even with the Sovereign of Ruin''s mark acting up right now.


    Mannick would not be able to find him.


    "I wille to you," Kyran told him instead.


    Mannick nodded, "I understand."


    Then he looked at Kyran''s arm and said, "But before that..."


    He raised his right hand, and magic energy circled Kyran''s left arm.


    "Let me take care of that."


    Kyran''s eyes widened because as soon as the magic energy wrapped around his arm, the throbbing pain stopped, and the mark calmed down.


    It even felt as if the mark was never there.


    However, what surprised Kyran the most was the energy he sensed when Mannick made a move that strangely felt simr to the mist surrounding the Misty Forest!<sub> </sub>


    Could it be that Mannick was the one who created the massive array that emitted the mist which protected the Chaos Pce?


    It made Kyran recall what True Void called him.


    The Most Fateful Shield.


    Even after Can''s death, Mannick¡ª or rather, Azaloth still protected his master''s pce.


    It made Kyran feel a little sad yet grateful.


    "Oh! That''s right. That''s right! He''s the best one to seal the Sovereign of Ruin''s mark! After all, in the Human ne, Azaloth is the *^$)%#@!!! OI! Whose filtering my words?"


    Mannick looked at True Void with a wry smile, "I will be the one to tell him everything. You don''t have to spoil it."


    "Azaloth! You dare put a spell on me? I am only going to tell him that you are *^$)%#@!!! Gah! So annoying! What''s so wrong about telling him you have be the *^$)%#@!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!"


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head as he tilted his head to the side to avoid True Void''s screaming.


    He grabbed True Void''s small ''head'' and lifted him while saying, "Do your tantrumter, we need to move now."


    "Oi! Where are you even holding? And what did you say? Tantrum? Me? TANTRUM? WHY WOULD I DO SOMETHING CHILDISH LIKE THAT?"


    Kyran gave him a nk look and was about to scold him again when Mannick approached and knelt in front of him.


    Mannick''s action made True Void stop iling his arms and regarded him in silence.


    Kyran also looked at him and waited for him to speak.


    "New Void Master," Mannick started. "I am d to have met you before they did. Yet, I am also ashamed that I can only greet you in this form. The seal on your mark is also temporary. It may sound like I am making an excuse, but I can only do so much while in this form. I promise to do a better job the next time."


    ''''In this form''...'' Kyran repeated in his mind with a slight frown.


    But then his eyes widened as something clicked in his head. It was only then that he noticed something about Mannick.


    Kyran had not noticed it before because Mannick''s aura was that of an Exalted.


    But if Mannick was really Azaloth, and he was able to protect Can when he was alive, then his mage level should be higher.


    Can died as a Sage. So Azaloth might be a Legendary or even at the same level as Can!


    If this was the case, then Mannick was only an essence! It would exin a lot of things!


    While there was a spell that could disguise a mage''s magic level, it would not be enough to fool the eyes of the Anima Novitiate. She could see through one''s soul, after all.


    Kyran was different, though.


    Cyneah even said she could not ''see'' his light, which was why Kyran always had a memory soul stone with a Master level aura and attracted Strengthening magic energies. This was how he managed to fool others.


    The same went with his puppets. All of them had memory soul stones installed in them.


    But if Mannick was only an Essence, his actual magic level was lower than his real self. As for his magic energy, that was something Kyran had not figured out yet.


    "You in this form is better than some furball I know," Kyran replied.


    Mannick looked at Kyran quizzically, "Furball¡ª?"


    "WAAAAH!" True Void shouted again. With Kyran still holding his head, True Void hoisted himself and wrapped his legs around Kyran''s forearm before gnawing at his hand. "What are you telling him?"


    "Oi! Don''t be rude to the new master!" Mannick growled at True Void.


    Kyran ignored them and sighed inwardly.


    He did not know Mannick well enough but knew he also had a strange quirk.


    After all, every Magus and above he met possessed a quirk unique to them.


    Nn''s quirk was his inability to remember others'' faces. te had a bad sense of direction. Malek was his ''psychotic'' side after seeing the future. Tritus''s with his obsession. True Void''s was his childish antics.


    And many others.


    Kyran only hoped that Mannick''s quirk would not be too strange.


    "Return to the others first. I''ll leave it to you toe up with a story. True Void and I will make a quick work on the Manticore and the Chimera," Kyran said, stopping the two with their argument.


    "I wish you luck, new Void Master."


    With that, Mannick left, and the gold pirs that surrounded them vanished in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 417 I Only Used 20%...

    [Void Halfling, you said we''d make fast work on the other two legendary beasts but can you really do that if you''re holding back?]


    Kyran could not help but regard True Void with a nk expression. True Void started his statement with a ''we'' but ended it with a ''you.'' Was he nning on letting Kyran deal with the legendary beasts alone?


    True Void continued as if knowing Kyran was giving him a dirty look.


    [Don''t look at me like that. Now that Azaloth has appeared, I got reminded that I am not a shield. I am a weapon. But as I am now, and I really hate to admit this, I can''t help with the offensive.]


    ''Are you still muddle headed from sleeping too long? Have you forgotten the reason I made the shape-shifting tes'' size small? It is to ensure I can change them however I want. Whether a defensive or an offensive item, it is made to be able to change into them. That''s why it''s called the ''shape-shifting'' tes,'' Kyran reminded him.


    [Ack! You''re right. You are absolutely right! Be that as it may, I will not be able to make a decent big weapon with the remaining number of tes. At most, I can only make decent small weapons. You will need a big weapon to deal with the legendary beasts, right?]


    ''I''m not aiming to kill,'' Kyran chuckled. ''Besides, I''ve been using my fists when I''m in this disguise. If I suddenly show I can use weapons, I''ll lose a possible trump card when an unforeseen event happens.''


    [Ha¡­ I don''t know anymore. It feels like I can''t keep up with your thinking now that I am awake. Have I missed a lot of things that you''ve undergone another transformation?]


    ''What transformation? It just happens you are not aware of the circumstances behind my new disguise. If you know, you''ll understand why I am being careful,'' Kyran sighed. ''In any case, we can catch upter. We''re getting close to the Manticore. Use some of the tes to make a panther mask. As for the rest, change them into greaves, vambraces and a breastte. That should be enough as protection.''


    [Fine.]


    True Void grumbled and did what Kyran asked him to.


    [In the end, I still have to stand in as Azaloth''s proxy, huh? Bing a shield when I am supposed to be a weapon!]


    A strange image of a shield with Mannick''s face crossed Kyran''s mind, and he shivered involuntarily.


    ''...You know, depending on how you use it, shields can also be a weapon.''


    [I don''t care! I have no intention of changing my majestic form into a shield just for the experience!]


    ''''Majestic,'' huh,'' Kyran repeated with a slight smile.


    It had been more than five years since they met, yet True Void managed to keep his actual form a secret. The only thing he let slip was how even a small part of him could pose a huge threat.


    Honestly, the way True Void said kept insisting on how majestic his form was, made Kyran think that maybe he was using the term to refer to his ''size'' rather than its meaning at face value.


    [Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just look at this mess...]


    True Void clicked his tongue as soon as they returned to the area where the Manticore started its rampage.


    A considerable part of the forest was rendered in green mes. The terrain had been levelled and scorched with the ground tinged in reddish-green tint.


    RAWRGH!


    At least 80 to 90 meters ahead, the Manticore breathed another round of green mes, rendering its surroundings aze.


    To others, the Manticore might appear to be on a rampage. However, Kyran knew it was burning everything around it to draw out its enemies. The Manticore''s mes were poisonous, thus, contaminating the air.


    With the wind blowing in every direction, the mes were not the only thing spreading upon this part of the ind, but also its poison. If this went on and reached the other side of the ind, there was a chance the Chimera would get agitated.


    The Manticore''s mes seemed to possess the ability to destroy seals, and the proof was how it destroyed the seal on Kyran''s arm. If this were the case, it would also destroy the Chimera''s seal.


    Keeping this in mind, Kyran circted the Draconic magic in his body, activating the Regis Blessing.


    ''I''ll use 20%,'' he thought.


    In an instant, his eyes turned silver which soon glowed fiercely.


    [Is it ok to use¡ª! AAAHHH! SLOOOW DOOOWN!]


    True Void''s sentence got cut off as Kyran rushed toward the Manticore.


    In just three seconds, he crossed the 80-90 meter distance, taking the Manticore by surprise.


    Sensing something the danger, the Manticore abruptly stopped its ming attack and turned its head.


    However, it was at this moment that Kyran jumped and using his clenched bare fists, smacked the Manticore''s forehead.


    BAM! CRACK!


    Raw-uuugh...!


    The Manticore''s pained scream was cut short as a loud crack sounded.


    ''Ah.''


    Kyran and True Void stared dumbfounded as the Manticore fell with a loud thud on the ground. Its eyes were rolled back with blood and foam oozing down its nose and mouth, respectively.


    [Ack...! You killed it!]


    True Void shouted in exasperation as Kyrannded on the ground.


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at the Manticore. It was not yet dead. At least, not for the next 40 seconds or so.


    ''Ugh! Such a brittle skull. Its a legendary beast, right?'' Kyranined.<sub> </sub>


    True Void regarded him with a nk expression.


    [You hit it too hard! Why are youining? More importantly, what''s with that insane strength?]


    ''I only used 20%...''


    That was right. A 20% boost in strength using the Regis Blessing was equivalent to using 100%¡ª maybe even more¡ª from before.


    With a sigh, Kyran jumped on top of the Manticore''s head. Then he knelt and ced his right hand on its head, summoning the Sigil''s mark.


    Leaving the Manticore to die was such a waste and at the moment, the only way he could save it was to turn it into a Sigil. In this way, the Manticore could share Kyran''s healing abilities and could heal slowly.


    ''Keep an eye out,'' Kyran told True Void. ''I''ve once tried performing the Sigil on a legendary type beast and it took quite some time.''


    [Humph.]


    True Void harumphed and crossed his imaginary arms as he disengaged a few tes on Kyran''s legs, turning them into three short des. He manipted the short des to circle around Kyran.


    [You say that, but with your magic sense it is impossible to take you by surprise.]


    Kyran smiled wryly.


    ''Have you already forgotten? The Manticore''s attack took me by surprise just a few minutes ago.''


    [That is only because you are not aware of its attack range. Anyway, do what you have to do.]


    ''Thanks.''


    While Kyran dealt with the Manticore, Imman and Ingrid finally met.


    Imman gave Ingrid a brief exnation of what happened as they made their way back to where he managed to outrun the Manticore.


    "I haven''t confirmed Mannick''s condition, but I am sure he escaped from the Manticore''s attack," he said.


    "That guy''s magic is to perverse," Ingrid agreed. "He will not die from that. Although, I am not too sure about his tolerance against poison."


    "Either way, we have to deal with the Manticore fast. The entity was hit by its mes but I am sure it also survived and is hiding somewhere."


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed. She was unsure whether the two of them could handle the Manticore if the entity showed up. All the more if the reverse happened; they encountered the entity first before the Manticore.


    Mannick had a short fuse but his hotheadedness rivalled his battle sense. With his melee and mid-range attacks, it would be easier for Ingrid and Imman to throw in their long-range magic attacks. s, with him missing, the two would just have to do what they could.


    Anyway, they still had secret cards at their disposal. They were not entirely helpless. It was just that, as much as possible, they would not want to use their cards too early in the game.


    ''Hm?'' Imman''s eyes narrowed as he sensed something in the air. ''This...!''


    He stopped abruptly, pulling Ingrid with him.


    "What¡ª?"


    "The air is poisoned!" He told him.


    Ingrid''s eyes widened and immediately strengthened her magic barrier.


    Imman on the other hand took out two bottles of high-grade antidote and gave one to Ingrid.


    "Antidotes can give us a certain level of poison tolerance. But to be honest, I am unsure if this kind of potion will work on the Manticore''s poison."


    "It''s better than nothing," Ingrid said and took the potion.


    As the two drank the potion, the space before them distorted.


    "Hm?" They both looked at the distortion, however, none of them showed any signs of vignce.


    Soon the distortion took the form of a man.


    Mannick.


    Most of his clothes got charred, with only his pants left intact. His exposed skin was red and scorched, with visible flesh and even bones showing.


    "F*ck that bastard. Took me by surprise," heined while gathering the magic energies in the surroundings letting them cover his whole body.


    Seeing Mannick''s action, Imman and Ingrid could not help but exchange wry nces. He looked to be in a bad condition. But after only a few seconds, his skin began to repair by itself and even his magic energy began to replenish.


    That was right. Mannick''s magic was perverse because his magic was energy itself.


    They were not entirely sure how it worked, but Mannick could manipte the magic energy in the surroundings as easy as breathing. He could not summon the surrounding energies'' elemental state, but he could use their nature.


    For example, right now, he was gathering the light magic energy in the surroundings and using its healing nature to rapidly heal his wounds.


    Of course, such perverse magic was not without ws. Apart from him unable to summon the energy''s elemental form, he could only use their nature on himself or items imbued with his magic signature.


    "Right," Mannick looked at them. "The Manticore is about a hundred meters away and currently facing the ''entity.'' Do you guys want to join in their fun? Or we take down the Echidna?"

 Chapter 418 One Of The Outsiders Identity

    When Mannick suggested splitting up earlier, Ingrid agreed because they did not know the entity''s objective ining to the ind. She also did not want to get attacked by the entity and the legendary beasts on both sides.


    Dealing with the Manticore while covertly checking the location where the entity wasst seen, which was at the Echidna''s location, was better.


    Unfortunately, Mannick and Imman met the entity before getting to the Manticore. They were forced to change their target and fight the entity. As luck would have it, the Manticore joined the fray forcing Imman to run with Mannick''s status unknown.


    But now that Mannick had returned and apparently found the reason for the entity''s appearance on the ind, they could now n a better strategy.


    "So the entity is after the legendary beasts," Immanmented.


    "It would coincide with its reason in going to the Shaiha Ruins," Ingrid agreed with a nod. "Its real target was probably the Quilin, and since the Temr Code defended thetter because of the rare stones, then they became the casualties."


    Imman frowned, "The Temr Code suffered a lot in that incident."


    "Three Grand Masters and several hundreds of Master and High Master mages," Ingrid supplied. "You two are Exalted, which are already half-a-step to bing a Magus, what''s your take of the entity''s power?"


    "Nothing I can''t handle."


    "Brute force."


    Mannick and Imman replied at the same time. The two exchanged nces but did not say anything.


    With a sigh, Ingrid continued, "Base on the footage provided by the Temr Code''s Commander, Tritus. The entity can manifest parts of beast using his magic."


    "The beast he can manifest into can be anything," Imman agreed. "If my guess is correct, its another manifestation of Beast magic."


    "Humph," Mannick crossed his arms. "I don''t think so."


    They both look at him, with Ingrid wearing a curious expression while Imman, an annoyed one.


    "Well, what do you have in mind?" He asked in a challenging tone.


    "That guy is not human," Mannick replied and looked at them meaningfully. "You''ve seen how I look after surviving the Manticore''s attack. Let''s face it, you both also think my magic makes me inhuman. But when I saw that guy fighting the Manticore just now, he doesn''t even have a scratch on his body. A human can''t heal in such a short time."


    He paused and smiled wryly before adding, "No, that''s probably not right either. He probably did not need healing. His clothes are intact."


    Ingrid and Imman''s expressions instantly turned grim.


    "Are you telling us that entity is..."


    Mannick shrugged.


    "It''s a possibility. But if that guy''s clothes are intact even after getting burned, his clothes are either a very rare higher than a saint-tier magic armor, or its part of its real self."


    "... a legendary beast that can shapeshift into a human..." Ingrid muttered.


    "Anyway, we are here to keep that entity from leaving," Mannick veered their discussion back on topic. "If the entity is here to deal with the other legendary beasts, then I suggest to let it do as it pleases while we set up a countermeasures around the ind."


    "Have you forgotten? That entity broke the Courtenay''s barrier in one go. Did you think its easy to¡ª."


    "Come on, Imman. Try to use your head for once," Mannick cut him off mid-sentence.


    "What did you just say¡ª?"


    With an exasperated sigh, Mannick ignored him and turned to Ingrid, "I will keep an eye on the entity while you and Imman create fortresses all around the ind."


    Ingrid and Imman looked at him with wide eyes, "You mean to say..?"


    "If there is one thing the entity is not capable of, is anticipating long range attacks it can''t see," Mannick said with a slight smile. "Combining Imman''s Stone magic and your Artillery magic, create as much fortresses as possible. Once the entity is within range, bombard it with your joint attacks. It might not be enough to hurt it, but it can at least keep that guy busy."


    With a slight smile, Ingrid shook her head at Mannick, "I''m surprised your letting us deal with the entity. Aren''t you afraid we''ll receive the Crown Princess''s recognition from this?"


    "Say that after we seed. I may only be watching from the sides, but that is only because if you two messed up, I can step in and clean up your mess. Who do you think will the Crown Princess recognize then?"


    "Annoying prick," Imman red at him.


    Mannick ignored him and summoned his blood-red greatsword. "Get going. Who knows how long that guy can deal with the Manticore."


    "Right," Ingrid nodded and left.


    "Humph," Imman harumphed, but he turned and followed Ingrid.


    As soon as the two left, Mannick sighed inwardly. He looked back where Kyran and the Manticore were and sighed inwardly.


    ''I''ve bought you some time. You may do as you please, new Void Master.''<sub> </sub>


    But then his expression turned grim as he thought of the outsiders. He could not sense them yet, meaning Fye was still on his way to getting them, or maybe he had not found them.


    Either way, Mannick hoped those three and Kyran would not meet today. Because as he was now, he would not be able to help. The only thing he could do was restrain those three''s magic.


    He hoped someone would receive his inheritance before the new Void Master arrived. That was the only way he could help him.


    After all, Mannick was already...


    Looking up in the sky, reflected in Mannick''s eyes were none other than the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    ====================


    RAWRGH!


    A few minutes after Kyran performed the Sigil on the Manticore, it let out a guttural cry as it received the Sigil''s mark on its forehead.


    Kyran jumped down and watched the Manticore struggle to its feet before regarding him with a respective bow. It even wagged its tail like a dog.


    [Oh, now that it did not have a crazed look on its eyes, it''s pretty cute.]


    ''...''


    [Now what? Are you going to use it to subdue the Chimera?]


    Kyran shook his head. With a wave of his hand, a purple light enveloped the Manticore''s body and vanished.


    ''The manticore''s a he, you can refer to him as that from now on.''


    [Again, with that. What''s with you and ''it'' anyway?]


    True Void asked, recalling an incident in one of their training on a different ne where Kyran got in an argument just because one mage called its summoned beast ''it.''


    Kyran shrugged, ''It just don''t sit well with me. It''s fine if they use it because they don''t know the beast''s gender, but if they use it even when they know, it just doesn''t feel right...''


    [Fine. Fine. Where do we go next? The Chain of Erce'' should have reduced the Echidna''s magic power by half now. Do you want to make it your Sigil first?]


    Kyran shook his head, ''No. Not yet. I only performed the Sigil on the Manticore because he''s already too weak to fight. But the Echidna is different. It would definitely not be docile.''


    The truth, there was another reason why he resorted to binding the Echidna first¡ªbut telling True Void that would only make thetter panic.


    As a matter of fact, the most troublesome legendary beast on the ind was the Echidna. He confirmed it after its ''energy'' got absorbed by the Chains of Erce''.


    Because it made Kyran discover the identity of one of the ''outsiders.''


    That outsider''s specialty was beast reproduction, and the Echidna was one of its most remarkable creations.


    The Sovereign of Savagery.


    Kyran looked in the direction of the Chimera and then checked the auras on the ind.


    Kyran already sensed ''Mannick'' joining two other auras while he was turning the Manticore into his Sigil. One of the auras Kyran recognized as Imman; the other was likely thest deputy marshal, Ingrid.


    Right now, Ingrid and Imman had left, while Mannick remained.


    Kyran could more or less guess that Mannick made the two leave to set up some traps or countermeasures around the ind while he kept an eye on him. If this was the case, then he did not have to worry about them for now.


    True Void sighed. Not wanting to drop the matter about the Echidna, he continued.


    [Can''t you just smack it the same way you did with the Manticore?]


    ''I can''t control my Draconic magic yet... Actually, I don''t have a full grasp of my regr strength either. I have to be careful in using my physical strength, for now, if not, I might end up really killing a potential Sigil. That will be a waste.''


    [You... why do I feel all living you spare from now on will end up bing your Sigil?]


    ''That''s not true... I didn''t make the whole Montgomeray Family my Sigil.''


    [The whole what?]


    ''I''ll exin to youter.''


    With that, Kyran turned and went to the Chimera''s location.

 Chapter 419 Baiting A Sovereign (1)

    p The Chimera was a legendary beast that looked like an enormous lion, with a goat''s head protruding on its back and a snake for its tail.</anda>


    It was bigger by a few feet than the Manticore, and its main element was Fire. But it could also use poisonous attack through its tail, albeit not as lethal as the Echidna or the Manticore.


    When Kyran arrived at the Chimera''s location, he confirmed its seal was still intact. However, the poison from the Manticore''s mes that reached its territory caused it to feel agitated.


    The Chimera was immune to poison, but the seal could dissolve if exposed to the poisonous air for too long. In any case, the Chimera was agitated not because it feared the toxic air but because it could not wait for it to have its seal removed.


    At least, that was how Kyran interpreted it.


    Without wasting time, Kyran charged in and knocked out the Chimera in one hit. This time, he did not use his Draconic magic and only used his normal strength. Nevertheless, one hit was enough to render the Chimera unconscious.


    Kyran took out a memory soul stone and let it absorb and memorize the Chimera''s magic energy. He nned on leaving the stone in the Chimera''sir. This way, Kyran could let the others think the Chimera was still on the ind.


    The range of Ingrid''s and Imman''s magic sense probably could not cover the whole ind. But Kyran sensed them moving around the ind, building fortresses.


    So far, the two were still in the south area going west, but if they closed in on the Chimera''s location, they might check if it was nearby.


    After all, they probably did not want to deal with the Chimera at this point. The threat of Kyran suddenly appearing behind their back would keep them away from confronting the Chimera. Else, they would end up dealing with a pincer attack.


    To be honest, Kyran had thought of killing the Royal Army''s deputy marshals to cripple their main forces. But after meeting Mannick, he changed his mind. If, in case, he killed Ingrid and Imman, the Anima Novitiate would definitely doubt Mannick.


    Kyran also did not want to stage Mannick''s death. After all, having him remain in the Royal Army benefited him. As for Neo, Kyran would still have it infiltrate the Royal Family as ''Tyr.'' The Royal Army''s leadership might have returned to the Royal Family, but there were still things the Royal Army was unaware of. That much Kyran was sure. Especially now that he found out the Anima Novitiate could call for the ''outsiders'' as if they were partners.


    After reinforcing the Chimera''s seal, Kyran sent it to his domain. Then he telepathically talked to the Manticore, instructing him to keep an eye on the Chimera.


    When all of that was done, Kyran and True Void returned to the Echidna''s location.


    [What now, Void Halfling?]


    True Void asked as soon as the Echidna appeared in their field of view.


    At the moment, the Echidna was silent, with the Chains of Erc¨¦ pierced its scales from different points. Reddish green blood oozed down its scales, and its head hung low as if all the fight it had earlier got drained by the chains.


    [The Echidna looks docile now. Do you want to try and make it into your Sigil?]


    Kyran shook his head at True Void''s suggestion.


    The Echidna was far more special than the Manticore and the Chimera. This Kyran had confirmed after making the Manticore his Sigil.


    The Manticore and the Chimera did not have the Sovereign of Savagery''s mark. With the Echidna being one of that person''s greatest creations, that guy couldn''t leave its creation unmarked.


    For this reason, Kyran could not turn it into his Sigil casually. He first had to remove the Sovereign of Savagery''s seal. Or else, once he used the Sigil on the Echidna and his Draconic energy and forcefully overwrote the Sovereign of Savagery''s seal, thetter would definitely ''sense'' Kyran.


    Kyran did not want another Sovereign gifting him another mark.


    One mark was enough.


    Besides, Kyran still did not know why the Royal Family agreed to use the outsiders'' legendary beasts in today''s Beast Hunt. They should have expected something like this to happen and ced proper countermeasure.


    They did ce a countermeasure. However, it had been useless.


    ''...''


    Okay, their countermeasure was actually not at fault. To be honest, the barrier the Courtenay Family created on the ind was powerful enough to keep the rampaging legendary beasts inside. Except if they let it be, the casualties would not be limited to the Royal Army but the Conve as well.


    That was why Kyran had to step in. Now that he thought of it, the situation had gone from bad to worse because of his meddling. He was the one who destroyed the Courtenay Family''s countermeasure after all.


    Sighing inwardly, Kyran pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Truth be told, he would rather suffer the consequences of his meddling today than let Neo get destroyed. There was also the deal he made with Chairman Hugh. Because of it, he now considered the whole Mercenary Hall his people.


    Styx and Addie were from the Mercenary Hall, and Kyran would not leave them to die. Aside from this, they had the potential to achieve a higher level. Kyran was not about to waste that.


    [So, then what? Are we going to just stand here and watch it?]


    Kyran regarded True Void with a dull look.


    ''I''m still thinking,'' he told him.


    [What? You still haven''t thought of a way to deal with the Echidna? After everything you told Azaloth about wanting to take all these beasts and making them as your Sigil?]


    ''As far as I remember, it is you who told him I want the legendary beasts alive. I only told him I want to tame them.''


    [Details, details. Who cares about the details.]


    Kyran gave him a nk look. He sounded like Nn.


    [Anyway, just take the Echidna to your domain and think of what you want to do with it there.]


    Kyran shook his head, ''I can''t. To be precise, I can''t afford to do that.''


    [Why not?]<sub> </sub>


    With a sigh, Kyran finally decided to tell True Void the truth.


    ''If I sent the Echidna to my domain, that person would notice it.''


    [That person?]


    ''The Sovereign of Savagery.''


    [...]


    Kyran did not wait for True Void to digest this information thoroughly. He willed some of the shape-shifting tes, ced them on his shoes'' soles, and jumped, hovering in the air as he approached the Echidna.


    [T-T-T-That guy is here?]


    True Void asked in an unusually timid voice.


    Kyran smiled bitterly and nodded, ''Yeah. I told you there are outsiders here and one of them is the Sovereign of Ruins. As for the other two...''


    He paused before continuing, ''Echidnas are not rare in other nes, and there are other Sovereigns who own one as a pet. But after checking the energy the Chains of Erc¨¦ absorbed from this particr Echidna, I recognized its signature, which came from that guy.''


    [Oh my goodness...]


    ''Don''t worry. I won''t let that guy take you.''


    That was right. The Sovereign of Savagery was not interested in Kyran but in True Void.


    It all happened when Kyran trained in the Beast ne, which happened to be the Sovereign of Savagery''s ne. Thetter found them and took a liking to True Void while looking like a ''furball.'' Apparently, True Void could not merge with the shape-shifting tes back then because of the ne''s magic rules and was forced to appear as a furball.


    In the end, Kyran and True Void were forced to run around the ne to avoid the Sovereign''s clutches. It was not easy. Because that guy practically had eyes all over the Beast ne.


    As a Sovereign, that person could not meddle in the Beast ne''s affairs; instead, it could take anything it fancied.


    Kyranpleted his training and escaped the Beast ne because of the Tower of Tribtion''s unique system. But not until hearing the Sovereign of Savagery''s vow of finding him and taking True Void.


    ''Thest one... well, I am not sure which of the Sovereigns we encountered in the Myedeo ne it is yet.''


    True Void gulped nervously.


    [Seriously, Void Halfling. I never expected all these guys to get here so soon. This is why I told you to keep a low profile. You made far too many enemies.]


    Kyran ignored him.


    It was not his fault most of the Sovereigns took an interest in his affairs. It was all because they were all curious how a ''new'' Void Master appeared even after all the plotting the Soul Emperor and the Sovereign of Ruins did to ensure Can would not be able to pass on the Void core.


    Kyran stopped ten meters away from the Echidna.


    The Echidna lifted its gaze, and upon seeing Kyran, its supposedly dead eyes suddenly burned with madness as it hissed in anger.


    KWWWIIIISHHH!


    The Echidna''s poisonous breath seethed from its mouth as it red at Kyran.


    Kyran, on the other hand, hovered unaffected even when the poisonous air reached him.


    For the next few minutes, Kyran remained unmoving even when the Echidna hissed at him. True Void knew he was lost in thought and did not bother him. Instead, he vigntly kept an eye out for a possible ambush.


    Finally, Kyran spoke and asked, ''Hey True Void.''


    [Yeah? Have youe up with a n?]


    ''I think so.''


    [You ''think so''? Oi.]


    ''I can''t say it''s a n in dealing with the Echidna. But I''m thinking of using it as bait.''


    [Bait?]


    True Void repeated. But then, his imaginary eyes widened as he soon realized what Kyran might be nning.


    [Oi! Oi! Oi! You''re not really thinking of...?]


    ''Yes,'' Kyran replied without affirming whether True Void did guess his n correctly.


    [No! No! Absolutely not! Do you think that guy will take it nicely on being baited using one of its creations? No. That guy will definitely go ballistic!]


    Kyran smiled slightly, his eyes turning reddish-purple.


    He said, ''Don''t worry. I have a n. But first, I need to create a new world.''

 Chapter 420 Baiting A Sovereign (2)

    ? Creating a new world was not synonymous with creating a new ne. Not even a highly skilled mage, or even Sovereigns, could create a new ne.


    What Kyran intended to do was create a ''world'' within the void of an existing ne.


    One good example of such a world was the Spirits world; it was situated within the Human ne but did not ovep. Such an urrence could be likened to two realms coexisting in the same ne, but was different from a parallel world.


    Nevertheless the Spirits world could not absorb the magic energy in the Human ne and needed its own magic energy source to sustain life within. Because of this, the Spirit world had an artificial magic energy source called the ''heart'' to supply it with magic energy. After all, a world could only flourish if there was enough magic energy circting within.


    [And what will you use as the ''heart?'' As far as I know, you have to prepare a potent and stable item for that. When master created the Spirit world, he had to fuse a part of his original co¡ª no! I did not say anything! No, no! No! I managed to stop before I slipped this time!]


    True void spouted hysterically. Then, as if nothing had happened, he took a deep breath,posed himself and continued.


    [Aren''t you using your own magic cores to sustain your domain? You have to prepare a simr one if you want to create a new world.]


    Kyran regarded True Void with a nk expression. It was not the first time True Void said things he should not have and Kyran was already used to it. Besides, he already guessed Can created the Spirits world from the way they treated him.


    Kyran chose to let True Void''s strangeness slide and went back on topic. He shook his head and replied, ''You''re overthinking it. I only need a decent item with enough magic energy to create the new world. Besides, I will only use that world to imprison the Echidna until the Sovereign of Savageryes. I don''t n on keeping it after.''


    As he said this, he took out an energy core. The energy core was precisely the same one he used on his puppets. Using the knowledge, he got from the purple slip¡ª one of the first rewards he chose in the Tower of Tribtion, he learned how to create an energy core that could absorb and convert energies.


    Kyran nned on using the energy core as the new world''s heart. As to where the energy core would absorb its energy, it woulde from the Echidna. This way, he could ensure the Echidna would not be able to recover its strength fully.


    [Right. That bloody energy core. A stupid replica of my unique ability. Humph.]


    Kyran chuckled at True Void''s rant. He remembered appeasing his foul mood by letting him be the ''leader'' of the puppets.


    ''Now that you''re awake, you''re now in charge of thepleted puppets,'' Kyran said to appease him.


    [Humph. Do you think I''m a fool? I know you are only trying to pull my leg by saying that. Anyway, where are the puppets? If you havepleted ones, you should have told me sooner!]


    Kyran chuckled. Instead of replying to True Void''s demand, he said, ''Keep an eye out.''


    [Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead and make your world.]


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glowed, and simultaneously the energy core on his hand emitted a soft light.


    Then Kyran opened his mouth. His lips moved. However, no sound came out. Instead, purple runes appeared one after another. A long string of purple runes rushed out and circled him like purple ribbons dancing with the wind.


    Soon the string of purple runes increased and covered at least a five-meter radius of space around Kyran.


    The light from the energy core intensified and spread in different directions. It did not take long for the light to arrive at the still hissing Echidna.


    After a few seconds, the whole northern area of the ind glowed with a blinding light.


    From a distance, Ingrid and Imman stopped midair and looked in the direction of the light.


    "That''s where the Echidna is," Imman said, his brows furrowed slightly.


    Ingrid took out hermunication device and contacted Mannick.


    "Is the entity still fighting the Manticore?" She asked as soon as Mannick''s silhouette appeared.


    "I looking for them," Mannick replied, his silhouette blurred slightly as if he was on the move. "I lost sight of them a few minutes ago, and when I got close to where Ist saw them and retrace heir tracks, I didn''t find any."


    "Tsk. Useless," Imman scoffed loud enough for Mannick to hear.


    Mannick sneered, "I''d like to see how ''close'' you have to be just to ''spy'' on those two."


    Mannick jabbed at Imman''s sore spot, thetter''s smaller magic sense range.


    "And?" Ingrid interjected before Imman could respond to Mannick''s jab. "Any luck?"


    Mannick shook his head, "No. But I am nning on checking that light up north."


    "You can also see that light from where you are, huh."


    "I can. I''ll let you know if I find anything¡ª."


    "That won''t be necessary."


    Suddenly Mannick''s silhouette split, and another silhouette appeared next to him. It wore a ck fitted hooded robe, and judging from thezy yet amorous sounding voice and the silhouette''s shape, it was a woman.<sub> </sub>


    Ingrid and Imman''s eyes narrowed at once.


    They had only met this ''person'' once and felt their profound magic level.


    It seemed, Fye seeded in bringing ''them''¡ª or at least one of ''them'' to the Courtenay Land in a short time.


    "Haylee issued your retreat. I will take care of the rest."


    After saying her piece, she disconnected.


    From Mannick''s end, he stared at themunication device in his hand, which only showed Ingrid''s silhouette after the ''woman'' disconnected.


    Ingrid wore a discontent expression and said, "That woman... How dare she call the princess by her name."


    "It seemed our effort has gone to waste," Ingrid said. But then she shook her head and told Mannick, "We''ll retreat as adviced and leave the fortresses in ce."


    Mannick nodded, "Got it.''


    With that he disconnected. His expression instantly turned grim as he descended on the ground and lowered his hand.


    As soon as hended, he closed his eyes and ''looked'' at the whole ind.


    ''I can''t see them...'' he thought and opened his eyes again.


    Looking in the north direction, Mannick noticed the slowly fading light.


    As the previous Void Master''s shield, Mannick knew the Void Master''s abilities. It was not an exaggeration to say that Mannick and True Void were the only ones alive on the Human ne that knew the extent of the Void Master''s magic.


    For this reason, Mannick was not worried about Kyran''s disappearance. As a matter of fact, he knew thetter could hide his presence to the point that even he, given who he was, could not sense him. Nevertheless, he hoped Kyran''s disappearance was because he had already finished what he had to and left.


    If not, Kyran would inevitably encounter that woman, one of the outsiders.


    ''And if that happens... I can only help by restricting the level of her summons...'' Mannick thought and clenched his fist.


    As he was now, he could not directly meddle in Kyran''s affairs because all that was happening could have a huge impact on the Human ne''s future. At most, Mannick could only observe on the sidelines.


    With eyes filled with determination, Mannick turned and left.


    ====================


    The air crackled a thousand meters above the ind, and slowly the space distorted and split. A woman in a ck fitted hooded robe appeared and stayed suspended above.


    She was one of the outsiders, the Sovereign of Savagery.


    The fierce wind above blew down the hood of her robe, revealing a hairless young woman with porcin-like white skin. Her eyes were full, crimson, reminiscent of the Echidna''s ruby red eyes. Small ruby stones were lined from the tip of her nose to above her brows, forming a letter T. Her lips were the same color as her skin, with only a crimson line painted at the center of her lower lip.


    She lifted her delicate white hands with her ns facing upward.


    The magic energies in the surroundings circled her arms and slowly converged on her palms. They dance on top of her palms and soon two miniature odd-looking beasts formed.


    One of the beasts looked like a purple and ck panther with glittery butterfly wings, while the other was a lizard with spider limbs attached to its back.


    "Go forth, my babies," she said in azy-amorous tone while letting the two beasts fall from her hand.


    PUFF! PUFF!


    Soft puffing sounds filled the air as the miniature beasts grew fifteen meters.


    "Find that bastard who kidnapped your brethren," the woman added.


    RAWRGH!


    KWIIISSH!


    The panther and the lizard roared and hissed, respectively, before descending to the ground with deft, agile movements. In a blink of an eye, the two disappeared into the ind.


    The woman also looked toward the location where the Echidna had been. With eyes glowing with malice, she sped toward the north side of the ind.

 Chapter 421 Baiting The Sovereign (3)

    Within the temporary world, the Echidna was still restrained by the Chains of Erc¨¦¡ª which was then connected to the energy core to absorb the beast''s magic energy.


    Kyran sat on a boulder a few meters away from the Echidna with his eyes closed. True Void, currently formed into several short dark blue and purple des, circled him.


    Overhead were three translucent projections of what was happening outside. Currently, it shows three locations on the ind. The right projection showed the panther with butterfly wings, while the lizard with spider limbs on the left. Last, the center projection showed the Sovereign of Savagery, who was fastly approaching their location.


    "That guy really came..!" True Void whimpered. His apprehension was evident from how the short des shook.


    Because True Void used most of the tes to create the short des, the only tes left Kyran had on was the panther mask. True Void could only help him by providing additional offense when things got too dicey.


    But with how he was trembling in fear of the Sovereign of Savagery, Kyran doubted he could be of help at all.


    Not that it mattered.


    As long as the Sovereign of Savagery entered the temporary world, Kyran could have the advantage.


    Fighting the Sovereign of Savagery in the Human ne was not a bad idea. With the Sovereign''s Cradle restricting its power, Kyran was confident he could fight her on equal footing. He could win as long as he could freely use his Draconic and Void magic.


    Well, that was, if the other two outsiders could not provide back up the moment he got the upper hand.


    For this reason, Kyran decided to bait the Sovereign of Savagery into the temporary world. At least he had more control over this world. He was not even afraid that the Sovereign of Savagery would not take the bait because he knew her attitude when it came to her creations. She would never let anyone have one of her greatest creations for fear of that someone finding a way to reproduce them.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at the projections on both sides before looking at the middle. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he said, "That guy really has a unique taste whenbining beasts. You think those two will be useful as a Sigil?"


    "Are you serious? Genuinely seriously asking that question?"


    Kyran looked at True Void, who had stopped circling him, "Rx. I can let you lead them too."


    "You..." For the first time, True Void was speechless. But then, as if realizing something, True Void tilted his imaginary head to one side and asked, "By the way. Why are we still calling ''her'' ''that guy''?"


    "...? Because we don''t know ''her'' gender...?"


    "Is she a woman, though? I mean she did not sound female nor male when we first heard her speak."


    When the Sovereign of Savagery went after them, she did not appear before them and only spoke to them from afar with a powerful gender-neutral voice.


    "Some natives in the Beast ne are hermaphrodites," Kyran replied, recalling that the Sovereign of Savagery was a native of the Beast ne who became its Sovereign. "We can''t be too sure."


    Thinking of this reminded Kyran of the Human ne''s Sovereign.


    True Void once said that the Human ne''s Sovereign had be useless. But he or she was adequately ''protecting'' the Human ne by employing the Sovereign''s Cradle, so Kyran was not sure why True Void said that.


    In any case, he hoped to meet him or her in the near future. While bing a Sovereign of a ne would prevent that person from meddling directly in the Human ne''s affairs because he or she would have to focus on protecting the ne from other Sovereigns, it did not hurt to befriend him or her.


    Maybe bing friends with that person would help Kyran deal with the Sovereigns who were after him.


    Pushing the random thought to the back of his mind, Kyran stood up and said, "Now then... Shall we wee our guest of honor?"


    p True Void shivered inwardly andined, "Stop that. You''re making me feel even nervous."</anda>


    Kyran chuckled while raising his hand toward the projection showing the Sovereign of Savagery.


    "I will use 30% of the Regis Blessing to start. Try to keep up," he told True Void as a dark purple vortex slowly appeared at the center of the projection.


    Outside, the Sovereign of Savagery was about one hundred meters from the Echidna''sst location.


    "Hm?"


    The bits of rubies above her eyes crunched, making them appear as if those were her non-existent brows.


    "A distortion in space... this feeling... a domain? No... it is different, but..." Her eyes glowed maliciously as her magic aura exploded, "My missing baby is in there!"


    Soon, a five-meter dark purple vortex appeared in her line of view.


    Raising her right hand, she roused her magic and summoned three three-meter rings made of runes with the colors yellow, green, and red. The distance of each ring was five meters. She sped into them, making her body glow depending on the color of the ring she passed.


    These rings were buff spells, increasing her magic output, speed, and defense. She did not know why, but when she looked at the vortex, it felt like something¡ª or someone inside was looking back at her.


    Someone whose aura and presence she could not determine.


    The more she stared at it, the more her senses tingled. As if whatever it was inside that vortex would be her undoing.


    ''If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.''


    A very old saying crossed her mind.


    The vortex was nothing like the abyss. However, the longer she looked, the more it did appear to be one.<sub> </sub>


    ''Nonsense! I am Savagery, the Sovereign of the Beast ne! I will not be afraid of a mere thief!'' She thought and sped right into the vortex.


    The moment she entered the vortex, an invisible veil covered her body, stifling her.


    Her eyes, as well as the rubies on her face, glowed, and at once, her whole body exploded with a bright red aura dispelling whatever it was that stifled her.


    As soon as it did, a blinding light appeared in front, forcing her to close her eyes.


    "Piece of advise, never close your eyes in front of your enemy."


    A deep male voice suddenly spoke, which made Savagery snap her eyes open.


    BAM!


    As soon as she did, a huge translucent wed fist smacked her from above, hurting her to the ground.


    "Gwah!" She spat out a mouthful of blood as she got buried a couple of meters on the ground.


    Snapping her eyes open, she stared at the silhouette above with anger and disbelief.


    The silhouette above was none other than the entity with the panther mask.


    "YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!" Savagery roared and, in an instant, got off the ground and flew toward the entity. She spread her arms wide as three silhouettes of beasts formed in front of her.


    The one on the right looked like a lizardman. In the middle was a whurtiger, and aodo.


    "That''s disappointing," Kyran said, loud enough for Savagery to hear. He was disappointed because she summoned three normal beasts. To be honest, he really considered making some of Savagery''s creations into his Sigil.


    Or he could also keep them and have Max tame them.


    With a quick flick of his hand, Kyran created three Void needles and threw them in the still-forming beast silhouettes. It had been a while since he used the needles, but it was one of the covert moves he created that appeared anything but Void magic.


    BOOM!


    Savagery gasped as her beasts exploded even before they finished forming.


    ''Then!''


    A red ring made of runes appeared behind Savagery. In seconds, it expanded into a ten-meter radius ring where magic energies converged at the center.


    RAWRGH!


    A huge head of what appeared to be a bull emerged from the ring, followed by two huge scaly, wed hands that grabbed the ring''s edges.


    Judging from the size of the head, Kyran guessed the beasting out from that ring would be as big as the Chimera or the Manticore.


    A cruel smile appeared on Savagery''s face as she looked at Kyran. Then she said, "I also have a piece of advice for you. Don''t just look ahead."


    HIIIISSS!


    Suddenly, a simrly ten-meter radius red ring appeared behind Kyran. From the center of the ring filled with magic energies, a huge basilisk slithered out, its huge fanged mouth wide open as it came at Kyran.


    Too bad Savagery could not see the wry smile on Kyran''s face because of his panther mask. If she had, then maybe she had chosen a different approach in attacking.


    "Too bad, I would have liked to have a pet minotaur and basilisk," Kyran said and snapped his fingers.


    SPLAT!


    RAWRGH!


    HIIISSSS!


    The magic energies generated within the red rings disappeared instantly, cutting the two beasts in half.


    Several glittering dark blue and purple short des appeared in every direction on the half-cut beasts'' bodies, slicing and turning both into minced meat.


    Blood, flesh, and internal organs rained down from the mutted basilisk and the minotaur bodies.


    SIZZLE!


    A translucent silver and purple scales circled Kyran, causing the blood and flesh raining down on him to sizzle and disappear into nothing.


    Savagery gawked at the scene before her eyes. She had not expected her summons to be cut off yet again. It was simply impossible.


    Seeing the Sovereign of Savagery''s disbelief, Kyrana could not help but chuckle and say, "This is my domain. Do you think I will let you do as you please?"

 Chapter 422 Interrogation (1)

    ''Domain...?''


    Savagery''s crimson eyes contracted.


    Impossible.


    How could she unknowingly let herself enter someone else''s domain? She was a Sovereign. No matter how the Sovereign''s Cradle restrained her magic abilities, it could not affect her experience.


    There was no way she would fall into a trap.


    Kyran did not give Savagery a chance to process the hows and whats of her situation. After all, he did not bait her into entering his temporary world to ''talk.''


    He only had one reason for luring her here. And that was to kill her!


    It did not matter whether she ended up being an essence only; he would still kill her!


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver, with a reddish-purple tinge around them.


    A full purple and silver human-shaped dragon-scale armor manifested and covered Kyran''s entire body as he charged toward Savagery.


    Savagery''s eyes widened at the sudden change in the entity''s appearance.


    When they saw the footage of the Shaiha incident, they spected that the entity was an ancient beast that could shapeshift into a human. They also thought it wore a panther mask as a testament to its ''real form.'' Its dark clothes and bestial parts projection was proof.


    Seeing the entity in full-body armor that resembled a human-shaped dragon was not something Savagery had expected!


    It changes everything!


    Savagery had only met a dragon once, and it was something she never wanted to experience again.


    Back then, she had only be the Beast ne''s Sovereign and wanted to add as many beasts as possible from other nes to her collection.


    However, Savagery was arrogant and reckless and believed in bing a Sovereign; she could now catch any creature she fancied. That was why she ignored her forefathers'' warning about staying away from the Dragon race and went to find one for herself.


    However, Savagery''s hunt ended with her losing limbs and barely escaping alive.


    It was then that she finally understood why their forefathers told them to stay away from dragons.


    Dragons are insurmountable beings; their very existence is the definition of power.


    The entity''s appearance reminded Savagery of her experience. Her whole body shook with fear!


    "No!"


    Savagery roused her magic runes, and three three-meter radius green rings appeared behind her. She had increased her speed earlier, but if she was to fight a dragon, she needed to be faster!


    ''Run! I need to get away from it!'' was the first thing Savagery thought to do.


    But she would not run because she wanted to escape. She would run because she needed time to think of a n to deal with the entity.


    No, that was not quite right.


    Savagery did not possess the strength to deal with it alone, and she needed the help of the other two. So she had to tell them where she was and the entity''s real identity.


    Savagery stepped back and passed through the rings to boost her speed further. After which, she did an about turn and fled. In a blink of an eye, she flew fifty meters away.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He did not expect Savagery could still summon her magic after cutting off her ess to this world''s magic energy. Then again, she was a Sovereign; she could store enormous magic energy in her magic core as reserves and use it in emergencies.


    But Kyran was not worried. Savagery could use her magic all she wanted, and she could even summon her beasts. In the end, Kyran would destroy them all, and he would squeeze her magic reserves dry.


    With a smile that did not meet his eyes, Kyran unhesitatingly used the Void''s warping ability and appeared behind Savagery in an instant.


    Before Savagery even realized Kyran had already closed the gap between them, he clenched his fist and hit the back of her head.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran furrowed his brows. He was expecting his fist tond solidly. However, Savagery turned into red mist, which instantly surrounded him.


    "You think you cannd a sneak attack? I''ve fought your kind once! I know exactly how fast you are!"


    The red mist converged into several different points and turned into dozens of slithering snakes, their scales glittering like rubies.


    HIIISSS!


    The snakes hissed and struck Kyran''s body, but then.


    SIZZLE!


    HIIIISSS!


    As soon as the snakes'' fangs bit Kyran''s armor, their fangs sizzled, and in a matter of seconds, the snakes burst into red mist.


    "What¡ª?" Savagery eximed in disbelief, forcing the remaining snakes to retreat at once.


    WHOOSH! WHOOSH!


    Several glittering dark blue and purple des appeared, slicing the escaping snakes.


    HIIIISSS!


    "Tsk!"


    Savagery turned the snakes into red mist and willed them to cover a hundred meters of space surrounding the entity.


    The mist thickened and turned into a gigantic head of a lion.


    RAWRGH!


    It opened its huge mouth, revealing Kyran inside.


    Red magic energies converged around the gigantic lion''s inner mouth before snapping close with Kyran still inside.


    BOOM!


    The gigantic lion''s head exploded, causing a cloud of red dust to cover the sky.


    Savagery suddenly appeared out of the red dust. Without confirming the entity''s status, she turned and fled again.


    WHOOOSH!


    Several dark blue and purple des went after her.


    ''Tsk!'' Savagery clicked her tongue in annoyance and summoned five three-meter radius red rings made or runes.


    Countless jewelled hoppers flew out of the red rings, keeping the dark blue and purple des at bay.


    Savagery nced back and smirked after seeing the des slicing the jewelled hoppers before turning her attention up front.<sub> </sub>


    Then.


    Time seemed to have stopped as Kyran appeared before Savagery.


    Savagery''s eyes widened as the entity''s image reflected on her crimson eyes, and he was poised to strike her down.


    BAM!


    This time, Kyran''s fistnded solidly on Savagery''s head, and she plummeted to the ground at neck-breaking speed.


    BAM!


    Kyran disappeared and reappeared behind Savagery, still in the motion of falling, and did a 180-degree kick.


    "Gah!" Savagery spat out a mouthful of blood and was blown away horizontally in midair.


    Not satisfied with a two-hitbo, Kyran disappeared and reappeared right next to Savagery before her body began to fall and kicked her upward.


    "Gah!" Savagery spat out another mouthful of blood.


    Kyran sped up and delivered another side kick.


    Then a right punch to her face.


    A left elbow to her nape.


    A right knee to her stomach.


    A double hand bash on her head.


    Another side kick.


    "Gah!" All the while, Savagery could only respond by coughing out blood.


    All these seemed to have gone for some time, but it all happened in less than seven seconds.


    Finally, Kyran stopped following Savagery and let her fall head first on the ground.


    BAM!


    Cracks appeared on the ground from the impact of Savagery''s fall.


    Kyran willed the tes on his feet to descend two meters to where she had fallen.


    Savagery remained motionless, but she was conscious. At the moment, she was still rattled by the entity''s continuous melee physical attack.


    Yes. All of its attacks were physical; there was not an ounce of magic on each of its blows. Her body would have been broken from the first strike if it did.


    Why? Why did it not go for the kill? Did it want to torture her to death?


    ... Again?


    Sensing the approaching entity, Savagery''s pulled herself up and looked at it. Her appearance looked pathetic, with dark violet bruises and blood on her porcin white face. Nevertheless, her crimson eyes glowed defiantly.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and returned Savagery''s look.


    He intended to kill her by only using 30% of the Regis Blessing. But it seemed 30% was not enough to destroy a Sovereign''s body. Savagery might be at the Legendary level right now, but it seemed her defences remained that of a Sovereign.


    This fact would have disheartened others, but to Kyran, it was proof that the Sovereign of Savagery before him was indeed the real one.


    His reasoning was not without basis. After all, when he fought Ruin, he managed to destroy Ruin''s body even when he was not using the Regis Blessing.


    Then again, his Void magic''s attack was too perverse it easily bypassed Ruin''s defences.


    In any case, now that Kyran knew Savagery was using her real body, then he would no longer hesitate to use his real magic.


    But before that, he needed to ask her some questions. If she answered, then maybe he might let her off easy by killing her in one strike.


    "Why does a Sovereign from another ne be interested in the Human ne?" He asked.


    Savagery''s eyes widened. It seemed that the entity did not use any magic in its attacks because it still needed something from her.


    If this was the case, then she would buy some time and... and then what?


    Earlier, she managed to send out a coded message to her colleagues. But whether it went through or not, she did not know. She did not manage to understand what kind of domain the entity had. Still, it would not hurt to buy time.


    When Savagery failed to answer in three seconds, Kyran raised his left hand and swiftly swung down. An almost visible silver w-like sh rippled through the air and went straight at Savagery''s right arm.


    "Aaaahhhhh!" Savagery screamed as her right arm was ripped apart.


    The slits of her eyes constricted, recognizing the entity''s attack was now embued with magic.


    To easily slice off her arm without even touching it was something she did not expect!


    "We are only invited by the novitiate!" Savagery hurriedly replied when the entity raised its left hand again. "She said she was after a certain n in this ne!"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at once.


    "The Regis n?"


    "H-How...?"


    "Why?"


    "I-I don''t know."


    SLASH!


    "AAAAAHHH! I-I really don''t know! M-Maybe Ruin knows! H-He worked with the novitiate before! H-He would know more than me!"


    "Tell me what you know."


    "I-I... R-Ruin seems to be looking for someone. T-The novitiate said that person is crucial to her release."


    "''Her release?''" Kyran repeated. "What do you mean?"


    "I-I don''t know¡ªAAAAHHH!"


    Savagery screamed as a chunk of her left arm was sliced off again.


    "I-I really d-don''t know! All I know is the novitiate will not beplete without that person''s sacrifice!"

 Chapter 423 Interrogation (2)

    It was information new to Kyran, and it did not sound good.


    Kyran''s first question was to give Savagery a false impression of his identity. Any native of a ne would have asked that question from the start unless he already knew their reason, and Kyran did not want to appear he knew why they hade.


    His following questions were all made based on her answers. But now that she answered something new, he could not help but feel a sense of dread.


    Kyran had a feeling the person Ruin was looking for was not ''him.'' Because if it were, the Conve would have noticed someone seemingly ''powerful'' from the Royal Family was looking for him.


    Eyeing Savagery apprehensively, Kyran tried to find any indication of a lie. He knew she was trying to buy some time while confirming if her coded message managed to go through¡ª yes, he knew she sent a message while hiding within the red mist; he saw all these with his magic sense¡ª but he felt she would not lie about this just to buy time.


    Savagery seemed wary of Kyran''s appearance. Her attitude somewhat changed upon seeing his ''dragon armor.'' After all, she tried to run during their battle instead of confronting him.


    Still, what she said also made some sense to Kyran.


    One good example is Ruin''s behavior.


    That guy had been in the Human ne for more than a month, yet he had not made any move to find Kyran. He had been silent all this time.


    Ruin''s gift might be sealed now, but Kyran knew he had other ways to find him if he really wanted to.


    But knowing Ruin was not after Kyran did not put thetter in a good mood. It only proved that whatever task Ruin was doing was far more important than ying with Kyran.


    ''The novitiate will not beplete without that person''s sacrifice...''


    Recalling Savagery''s words made Kyran''s brow furrowed. To be honest, he had a pretty good guess of who the person was. And knowing it was making his mood worse.


    Instead of squeezing out information from Savagery with things she did not know, Kyran decided to gather information on the two other Sovereigns. Especially their whereabouts.


    "This Ruin you talked of, who is he?"


    "T-The Sovereign of the Damned ne. Sovereign of Ruin."


    "Another Sovereign..."


    "T-That is..."


    "I''m guessing there is a third."


    Savagery mmed her mouth as if determined not to provide more clues. But as soon as Kyran lifted his left hand, she eximed, "Yes!"


    "Who is he?"


    Kyran had an idea of who it was, but he had to know for sure. This way, he could prepare for the worse.


    "Deception... T-The Sovereign of the inPorteo ne."


    As Kyran expected, that guy hade.


    Deception was the Sovereign backing the Gramen Kingdom from the Myedeo ne, and Kyran guessed inPorteo ne was her original ne.


    Knowing Deception and Ruin hade gave Kyran an idea of what he had to do after this.


    Find a new hiding ce for te and Cyneah.


    Kyran was not going to let them stay in the cottage anymore. The cottage''s array would not be enough to protect them against Sovereigns, even if their level went down to Legendary. Zephyr and his puppet would also not be enough as bodyguards.


    While Deception''s arrival in the Human ne might be because of Kyran, Kyran was positive that if she knew te was alive, she woulde after her instead.


    As to why Cyneah also needed to move when it seemed te was the only one that held value between them was because...


    "I sensed three powerful presences more than a month ago. It seems those three are you guys," Kyran decided not to think about it for now and continued his interrogation.


    "W-We are only invited¡ª"


    "You already said that," Kyran cut her off. "I don''t care if you three were invited here. You said Ruin is looking for someone. What about the other one? Where is he?"


    Kyran knew Deception was female but addressed her as he to make Savagery believe he did not know her.


    "I-I don''t..."


    Savagery''s eyes darted about. It was clear she did not want to answer and, at the same time, worried that if she did not, Kyran would do something.


    Kyran raised his left hand to help make up her mind.


    True enough, Savagery replied at once, "Deception is with the novitiate, waiting for news of my victory."


    Kyran could not help but chuckle.


    "''News of your victory,'' huh."


    Savagery tensed as she looked at him. A small part of her wanted to rip the smugness out of the entity. But the more significant part of her trembled in fear.


    The cause of her fear had nothing to do with her experience with a dragon.


    Back then, she managed to regenerate her missing limbs. However, this time, the arm the entity had severed was not showing any signs of recovering! It was the same with her other arm. It might have stopped bleeding, but there were no signs of regeneration, which was impossible.


    She might only be at a Legendary level now, but that only affected her magic output. It did not affect her abilities, yet she could not regenerate her limbs!


    "I-I was arrogant. Spare me this time; I will see this as an act of mercy and repay your kindness. I can even gift you my baby¡ª m-my creations, I mean."


    Savagery rephrased her words after seeing the entity tilt its head to one side, looking somewhat amused.


    The way she said it did sound off if others heard her.


    "What makes you think I''m interested?" Kyran asked.<sub> </sub>


    "That''s... Did you not take my Echidna because you are interested in it..?"


    "I only took that ugly beast to lure you."


    Savagery''s brow twitched involuntarily after hearing it spoke of her creation as ugly. But she reigned in her anger. After all, she now sensed hermunication device heat up inside her storage space.


    It was an indication that one of her colleagues had replied!


    "By the way," Kyran added after seeing Savagery''s eyes losing some of their despair and even looking like they had regained some of her arrogance. "Your device heating up is not because someone replied to your message."


    Savagery''s eyes instantly widen in shock.


    "That''s me destroying it."


    What Kyran said was not a bluff. He did use his magic sense to destroy every device in Savagery''s space storage.


    Space storage could only be opened by the person whose magic energy was imprinted into it; this was true.


    However, Kyran seeded in opening Savagery''s space storage because he imprinted some of his magic energy on Savagery when she was in her red mist form. Then while he appeared to be busy asking her questions, and she appeared to be readily answering but, in truth, was also checking her space storage, Kyran also took this time to further corrupt her magic energy.


    Of course, doing this was only possible inside his world. Because the magic energy here was under his full control, he could not do this if they were in the real world.


    Savagery struggled to take out her device at once, but before she could even sit up properly, a dark purple spear appeared in Kyran''s hand as he said, "You should have said ''please'' when you asked to be spared."


    Before Savagery could react, Kyran stepped back and drew the spear, impaling it directly to her forehead.


    A look of disbelief was frozen on Savagery''s face as the spear, made of Void magic, turned her brain into nothingness.


    From a distance, a guttural scream sounded in the whole ne as the Echidna, having lost its connection to its master,mented.


    Kyran pulled out the Void spear, and Savagery''s body crumbled in an instant. But her body did not crumble into dust. It actually turned into small¡ª about two by three inches¡ª scaly or glittering eggs.


    Yes, eggs.


    "Oh, you seemed to have gotten yourself quite a haul this time, Void Halfling," True Voidmented as he flew in to join Kyran.


    Kyran looked at him with a nk expression.


    "Where have you been? Why are you only appearing now that it''s over?"


    "What?"


    The short des disengaged as the shape-shifting tes turned into a huge head or at least the Void armor''s helmet. Though it was not visible given the helmet''sck of facial contours, True Void managed to make the helmet look hurt.


    "You make it sound like I am cking! I was busy, alright. I was dealing with this guy''s beasts above."


    Kyran did not respond. Clearly, he did not believe in True Void.


    Deciding not to dwell on it, he knelt and looked at the eggs on the ground. He estimated that there were at least a thousand of them.


    "These are my spoils, huh."


    True Void turned into a miniature Void armor again and hovered above Kyran''s head.


    "You seemed interested in that guy''s beasts. Congrattions! Congrattions! You now have more than a thousand right here."


    "They''re still eggs," Kyran replied in exasperation and looked at True Void. "I don''t have the time to¡ª."


    He stopped abruptly as Ste crossed his mind.


    "No... maybe..."


    But then, Ste''s voice seemed to say in his mind:


    "I like you, Kyran. No... maybe I''ve already fallen in love with you."


    Kyran''s expression turned sour after recalling her confession. He had acted indifferent after that and tried not to bring it up, but that did not mean he had forgotten about it. He wanted to but knew it would be rude.


    In any case, if Kyran asked Ste''s help again, he would appear like he was taking advantage of her feelings.


    This was too troublesome.


    Kyran waved his hand and stored all the eggs in his storage pouch. He decided to think about the eggster.


    "Oh, you really hauled some good stuff," True Voidmented after seeing what was underneath.


    Kyran raised his brows. Indeed, he had.


    Underneath was Savagery''s space storage pouch, which he guessed would have plenty of stuff inside. Then there were Savagery''s robe and essories.


    "But the robe is fitted for a female, so you can''t wear it," True Void remarked. "Oh, the essories may be good, though. Check it. Check it!"


    "I''ll do thatter," Kyran said while shaking his head. He waved his hand and stored Savagery''s items on a separate space storage ring.


    "Spoilsport. What''s the rush? Are you worried that Echidna would rampage now that its master is dead? Or are you itching to turn it into your Sigil now?"


    "I''ll do that tooter."


    "GAAAAH! Why do you keep on saying that? You''re making me nervous."


    "I have to go somewhere first."

 Chapter 424 Stella And Millie

    An hour after the incident on the ind happened, the Courtenay Family representatives gathered all participating factions in the event at the Courtney Land''s dome. And then, together with the Royal Family''s people, the Courtenay dispatched armed ships to patrol around the ind while they waited for the three deputy marshals to return.


    However, not even an hour had passed, the Crown Princess issued an order to retreat, and an unknown member of the Royal Family entered the ind alone.


    The deputy marshals returned and were told to return to the dome and wait for further instructions.


    Soon after the unknown Royal Family member entered the ind, the Courtenay Family noticed the magic fluctuation on the ind decreasing. And within an hour, there was an evident change in activity inside.


    The noises on the ind had stopped.


    Because of this, the Crown Princess selected five people from the Courtenay and the Royal Family to investigate. Because so far, they had not heard anything from the member of the Royal Family.


    Meanwhile, everyone gathered at the dome felt the tension. Though the Royal Family issued a gag order to all who knew what happened on the ind to avoid causing unnecessary panic, keeping a tight lid on things was impossible because most of the people in the Courtenay Land had felt the ominous auraing from the ind.


    The Lumley Family representatives even made a scene, demanding the Courtenay Family to give a proper ount of what happened, which earned them the ire of the other factions. In the first ce, if anyone had the right to demand a proper ount, it should be the Conve and the Royal Army because it was their people who were affected by the incident.


    Finally, two hourster, news came that the Conve members were found. They were all exhausted and had few injuries. But overall, they were fine.


    This caused the Royal Army to look at them suspiciously.


    Finally, three hours after the incident on the ind, the Courtenay Family issued a brief statement of what happened. Afterwhich they announced that the rest of the events would be postponed after the investigation on the ind wasplete.


    Each of the factions was then permitted to use the dome''s function halls to gather and meet among themselves.


    Thus the Conve, Lumley Family, and Montgomeray Family did not hesitate and did just that.


    Noir gathered all the Conve members in Function Hall 2 and, with Ste''s permission, exined the details of what happened during the Beast hunt that the Courtenay Family did not tell.


    Of course, before telling them anything, Noir and the other council members ensured there was no Surveince array or simr spells around the hall. They also ced their own Protective arrays to ensure no one would enter or eavesdrop on their discussion.


    Can and Malia left in the middle of the discussion after finally getting word of Styx and the other Conve members'' release from the Courtenay''s custody due to questioning.


    When they joined the rest in Function Hall 2, Noir let Styx tell their experience.


    The Conve members were all shocked to learn that the ominous aura they had felt was due to a legendary beast breaking its seal. Nevertheless, knowing that the beast had been taken care of, the tension they felt had lessened, and they were able to return to their rooms in a better mood.


    After dismissing the rest of the members, Ste had Styx, Addie, Michel and Archel stay with the rest of the Conve council members and ''Tyr.''


    Ste contemted whether to have Can manipte their memories, but then, ''Tyr''¡ª who was really Ss in disguise¡ª said it should be alright.


    Neo, who also remained, agreed with Ss.


    The exchange between the three confused the others, especially Addie, Michel and Archel. After all, these three were unaware of Ste''s identity. She was even discussing erasing their memories right in front of them.


    Others might find the encounter rude and feel anger, but Addie, Michel and Archel more or less guessed they might have seen more than they were supposed to.


    Only Styx remained indifferent to everything. And was the first one to voice the question that all of them had since leaving the ind.


    Styx looked at Ste and said, "Lord of the Tower, pardon my disrespect, but I want to know if you are the one who sent that person to save us."


    Addie, Michel and Archel all looked at Styx in confusion from how he addressed Ste. So far, they only thought she was a low-profile high-ranking member of the Alchemist Association. However, how Styx addressed her sounded like she had a much higher position.


    Ste looked at Styx apologetically and said, "If that is what he said, then yes."


    Her answer confused them.


    "I''m sorry. I can''t say much, but I''m sure he will speak to all four of you when hees back," Ste added.


    Styx smiled slightly, "''When he es back.'' You say you can''t say much, but you are giving us a generous answer, Milord."


    Then he looked at Ss, who, in turn, straightened his back.


    Ste only smiled at him. She already knew Kyran was interested in Styx; that was why he decided to step in and save them.


    Now she understood why. The older guy''s senses were sharp, his insights deep, and he was a sensible man.<sub> </sub>


    With no further updates from the Courtenay Family, Ste dismissed them.


    Because Ste was not a participant, she did not have a designated room. Malia offered to let her stay in hers, but Ste declined and said she would wait for Kyran''s return to his room.


    Malia reluctantly let Ste go only because Ss would also be there. The truth, Malia had noticed a subtle change from how Ste looked at Kyran that morning, and it worried her. Hopefully, it was nothing and that it was all just her being paranoid.


    Ste and Ss went to Kyran''s room in silence. They actually had a lot to talk about, but since there was no telling who might hear or see them, they decided to keep their thoughts to themselves until they arrived at Kyran''s room.


    However, when they arrived at the corner of Kyran''s room, they found a young woman with wavy blond hair in a light green dress standing in front.


    "That woman is...?" Ste asked in a low voice.


    Ss stopped in his tracks, beads of cold sweat appearing at the back of his neck. He knew who the woman was; given who he was supposed to be right now, this encounter might turn into something... well, bad.


    Sensing a few eyes on her, Millie turned in time to see ''Tyr.'' Her olive green eyes brightened in an instant, and she ran to greet him, "Disciple Tyr¡ª."


    But then she saw a woman standing behind him¡ª a beautiful woman with long brown hair and beautiful light blue eyes.


    Millie looked at her with obvious dislike.


    <o>,m The woman wore an alchemist robe, so Millie guessed she was a member of the Alchemist Association. But that was unimportant. What Millie wanted to know was why this woman standing so close to Tyr.</o>


    "Lady Millie," Ss greeted Millie with a slight nod. He did his best to imitate Kyran''s respectful yet indifferent attitude toward Millie.


    "I... did not see you this morning," Millie started, furtively eyeing the woman who seemed to be scrutinizing her as well. "And yesterday... I heard you are unwell?"


    Ss did his best not to let his apprehension show on his face. The truth, he could feel the temperature behind him starting to drop.


    With a smile that Ss believed Kyran would use at times like this, he replied to Millie, "Well, I am feeling a bit under the weather¡ª."


    "That''s why Chairman Malia asked me toe with him to his room and properly check his condition," Ste cut Ss midsentence and stepped forward to face Millie.


    "A pleasure to meet you Lady Millie," she added while extending her hand, "I am E, Tyr''s very close friend."


    Millie blinked at Ste''s tant provocation, especially from how she emphasized her rtionship with Tyr.


    "Hi, E," Millie replied with a forced smile as she shook her hand once. Then turning her attention to Ss, she added, "I did not know you have a ''female'' close friend, Disciple Tyr."


    "I¡ª."


    "We go way back, actually," Ste interjected as she wound one arm on Ss''s arm.


    Her action caused Ss to break out in cold sweat. He only agreed to act as Tyr because of the emergency situation earlier. Kyran even said that all Ss had to do was stay quiet and let Ste and the others handle the rest. But this situation... Letting Ste handle the rest might not be a good idea!


    ''K-Kyran... Hurry back, please!'' Ss prayed.


    "But since I have been busy with my Alchemy training and him with Array training, we could not catch up these days."


    "Is that right, Disciple Tyr?" Millie addressed the question to Ss, but once again, it was Ste who replied.


    "Yes. Of course."


    She pulled Ss toward Kyran''s room and told Millie, "Well then Lady Mille, we''ll have to excuse ourselves. Tyr has to rest now. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to stay with him all night to make sure he gets proper rest."


    Millie''s brow twitched as she turned to follow them.


    "Actually, if Disciple Tyr is really sick, I can take him to the infirmary."


    "There is no need. I am more than enough to help him get better," Ste replied. And with that, she opened Kyran''s room, pushed Ss in and entered.


    With onest look at Millie, Ste smiled and said before closing the door, "Good day, Lady Millie."

 Chapter 425 Cyneah And Haylee

    There were three ces Kyran thought of when thinking of a safe location.


    First was the Tower of Tribtion. Of course, this was subjective since most people who entered the tower would disagree with him. But the reason why Kyran believed it was safe was that only ''righteous people'' could find and enter it. The second one was the Regis Estate. While it was true that the estate was surrounded by the Royal Family''s people and the army brought by the outsiders, the fact that they could not destroy its Defensive Array spoke volumes.


    However, going to these two locations was impossible, and Kyran could not warp there. In the first ce, if he could warp back to the Regis Estate, he would have done so and tried to warp his people to the Tower of Tribtion and avoid the Royal Family and the outsiders'' pursuit.


    For this reason, Kyran could only consider the third option.


    The Chaos Pce¡ª or to be precise, the ce outside the pce, the Misty Forest.


    Unlike the first two options, Kyran could warp in the Misty Forest.


    The mist around the forest was harmful, true, but with Kyran''s Array knowledge, he now had a better understanding of how the mist works. And if he were right about Azaloth''s magic having the same feeling as the mist, then it would be easier.


    Even if Kyran failed, he could ask Azaloth to lift a portion of the mist where Kyran nned on ''cing'' the cottage.


    That was right. Kyran would not waste his time building a new cottage from scratch. He''d warp the whole cottage¡ªnd, trees and all¡ª and ce it in the Misty Forest.


    Before he did that, though, Kyran had to find the perfect spot. If possible, a spot in the forest close to the Chaos Pce.


    That was where Kyran went after leaving the ind.


    "This brings back memories..." True Void sighed as he surveyed the scene before them.


    Kyran had warped at the ravine''s edge, the first time where his magic cores went out of control.


    He looked at the floating Chaos Pce and felt his Void core hum softly within him.


    ''Yeah, I know...'' Kyran thought, responding to his Void core. ''I know you also want to enter that ce again. But not yet. I''ve got other things to take care of first.''


    True Void, in his miniature Void armor form, sat on Kyran''s right shoulder and said, "So this is where you n to hide your godmother and mistress?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched as he gave him a sidelong nce.


    True Void looked back at him and shrugged, "You don''t seem to mind others calling that little girl your mistress. Why are you giving me that look?"


    True Void had not personally met the people Kyran knew before he was unsealed. But he had been conscious from time to time and learned about them.


    During their days in the Tower of Tribtions, Kyran would also tell True Void stories about himself, albeit in passing only.


    In any case, True Void knew almost every person Kyran had met beforeing to the tower. But after returning, True Void had been fully asleep. Thus, he had little knowledge of what Kyran had been up to after returning to the Human ne or his new acquaintances.


    "She''s not my mistress," Kyran told True Void with a sigh.


    Lately, he felt like some invisible force had been paying close attention to his ''personal life'' and kept throwing curveballs. First was meeting Millie again and then Ste''s confession. Then there was also Cyneah¡ª which Kyran wondered why she kept getting added to the mix¡ª who Zephyr insisted on calling Kyran''s mistress.


    "She''s my godmother''s disciple, and... I¡ª we are the closest to a family she has right now," Kyran exined.


    "Ha... I''ve heard my master say the same thing about that whore. Look what happened."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed, "Neah is not the same as that woman."


    "Don''t get me wrong, Void Halfling. I didn''t say she is. I''m not an expert when ites to human emotions cause duh, I''m a weapon spirit. But what I know for sure, is that blindly protecting someone, will do you no good," True Void said, his voice full of mncholy. He sighed and looked at the Chaos Pce before adding, "My master did that and ended up dead in the very same hands as the one he was trying to protect."


    Kyran fell silent.


    What True Void had said was probably something he was not supposed to tell. But it did not matter to Kyran because he had already guessed as much.


    The previous Soul Emperor, La¡ª if Kyran remembered correctly¡ª was probably not a bad person. Something might have changed her, and Can, Kyran''s predecessor, believed he could save her. But the more he tried to save her, the more Kyran''s ancestor, the previous Dragon Lord, Zane, and the first Time Keeper, Ste, believed Can had gone evil.


    At least, that was how Kyran understood what happened.


    There were still things he did not understand to which he knew Azaloth and True Void had the answers. Except, Kyran knew Can probably told them not to tell him anything unless it was the ''right time.''


    "I won''t end up like your master," Kyran said after a short pause. "But you''re right... I... do want to protect Neah but not because she''s special to me or anything like that. I want to protect her because I think she''s the person Ruin is looking for."


    True Void looked at him, the Void armor''s head with its limited facial feature contorted slightly to show his confusion.


    "Ruin, that guy is looking for someone? What for?"


    True Void had been far when Kyran interrogated Savagery, so he did not hear what they spoke of.


    "Savagery said, the person he''s looking for can make the novitiateplete."


    True Void''s eyes narrowed, its dark purplish glow dimmed slightly, "When you say the novitiate did you mean...?"


    Kyran nodded. He continued their talk while looking for a good spot to relocate the cottage and started walking around the ravine.


    "Yes. When Azaloth referred to the Crown Princess as the Anima Novitiate, I thought that was his codename for her. But Savagery also talked of a novitiate. They''re likely referring to the same person."


    "But there is also a chance they''re different."


    "...True. But let''s not talk about that."


    "Right. Go on. Why do you think they''re looking for the mistress?"


    Kyran paused at how True Void still addressed Cyneah as ''mistress.'' In the end, he ignored it and continued, "You''ve also felt Neah''s magic."


    "Yes. It is without a doubt, Soul magic. Yet it also felt a little different from that whore''s magic."


    Kyran nodded, "I think so too. My theory is, what if, there are two sides of Soul magic? What if, the reason why the Crown Princess has yet to be the new Soul Emperor because, she only awakened ''half'' of it?"


    True Void''s eyes widened, "You don''t mean... You think mistress has the other half?"


    Kyran did not answer his question; instead, he said, "More than a decade ago, a Spirit attacked the Crown Princess and she almost died. I have a feeling that the person who got attacked had been Neah. And somehow, she ended up leaving the pce, and a new ''Crown Princess'' took her ce."


    "Whoa, hold it right there Void Halfling. That''s some messed up idea."<sub> </sub>


    "Not really. The Queen of the Faes, White Lily, warned me about Neah and that I should not keep her by my side."


    True Void''s jaw dropped literally as he gaped at Kyran.


    "Wait just a moment. WAIT JUST A MOMENT! What do you mean the Queen of the Faes? Y-You already met her?"


    "Ah, right. You were still asleep when we met. Yes, I already did. She even saw Neah at the cottage."


    "A-And you are fine with that?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "W-Well..."


    Somehow True Void''s cheeks seemed to have gone a shade of red.


    "Didn''t she tell you that..."


    "She''s Can''s wife? She did. Err... indirectly. But yes."


    True Void''s jaw dropped once more. "Y-You! D-Did you just say m-master''s name..."


    "Ah, Can? Yeah. I actually know his name way back. At least Ste said it before but I didn''t know it was his name."


    "Ha...." True Void sighed. His energy seemingly dropped to a very dangerous level, and he limped on Kyran''s shoulder.


    "My goodness! And I mean my goodness! Just what happened while I was asleep?"


    "I''ll tell you everythingter," Kyran told him with a slight smile. "Going back on topic."


    "Ah right, right," True Void straightened his back. "I suppose, it kind of make sense, your theory that is. Now the question is, who is the ''new'' Crown Princess exactly?"


    "She''s Neah''s twin. At least, that''s what I think. Honestly, with how much they look alike, I can''t think of another possible connection they have."


    True Void fell silent. He had not met the new Crown Princess but to say that the two looked so much alike was a little suspicious.


    "Void Halfling."


    "What?"


    "They don''t look 100% the same, right? I mean, they should have some slight differences, right? Like, one had a slightly uplifted nose, and the other had smaller breasts."


    Kyran gave him a dull sidelong nce, "Just what in hell are you trying to say?"


    "I mean, they can''t have the same look even if they are twins! There had to be some differences."


    "They have different eye color."


    "Eye color?" True Void repeated.


    Kyran nodded, "Neah''s eyes... well... her eye color is tooplex. I mean, they seemed to reflect all colors. Even in the dark, they seem to sparkle."


    "Listen to you. You sound like a lovestruck young man describing the love of his life."


    "..."


    True Void snickered at Kyran''s silence. Deciding not to tease him too much, he continued, "And? The new Crown Princess?"


    "Blue."


    "Uwa... such a huge difference in the description there. Tsk. Tsk. I say you had it bad with the mistress, Void Halfling. Really bad."


    "..."


    "BAHAHAHA! You''re face!"


    "d you found this amusing."


    "BAHAHAHA!"


    "They have different eye color, is that enough of a difference you''re looking for?"


    "Nah."


    Kyran''s eyes furrowed, "What do you mean?"


    "If it is any other mage, then I''ll probably think its enough. But we are talking about the Anima Novitiate here."


    Then it hit Kyran.


    Something Zephyr had once told him.


    "Are you aware that each great magic corresponds to a human body part? The Time corresponds to the brain, Draconic corresponds to the heart, while the Soul corresponds to the eyes. If someone took her eyes, it meant someone took her magic. No wonder I feel her magic doesn''t belong to her."


    Then Savagery''s words shed through his mind.


    "All I know is the novitiate will not beplete without that person''s sacrifice!"


    "You mean Neah and the Crown Princess is..."


    True Void sighed, "I think the Spirits tried to remove the mistress'' magic but ended up separating only a portion of it. We are talking about ancient magic here, not to mention its ''Soul magic.'' Since it got separated from its host, it manifested into another form which is simr to the original one. So there is a high chance that the new Crown Princess is not the mistress'' twin but..."


    "Neah''s essence..." Kyranpleted with a grim expression.

 Chapter 426 Real Threat Of The Soul Emperor (1)

    Kyran and True Void resumed their search in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They came up with only a theory but felt it was close to the truth.


    Half an hourter, they finally found a clearing to relocate the cottage.


    The Chaos Pce was close, but so was the ravine. Thetter could be remedied, though. te could use her magic and make a barricade against the ravine.


    Kyran could do this too but reckoned his godmother might have other arrangements, like extending the path instead of barricading to make more patches for her medicinal herbs.


    After that, Kyran warped them to the cottage. By then, it was already nighttime.


    Using his magic sense, Kyran confirmed that Cyneah was already asleep in her room with the puppet keeping watch outside her door.


    On the other hand, Zephyr, who had returned afterpleting his errand, was watching over te while she worked at the hospice.


    "This puppet..." True Void could not help but look scornfully at the naked puppet sitting cross-legged in front of Cyneah''s room. "Is that one of thepleted puppets you''re boasting about?"


    "Of course not," Kyran replied with an exasperated sigh. "This one is iplete."


    Not knowing True Void was looking down on it, the puppet stood and knelt in front of Kyran.


    Kyran admitted he got frantic when White Lily found the cottage and even failed to give the puppet a proper covering, which was why it was naked. But Kyran would not tell that to True Void, in case thetter used that to tease him again.


    "I don''t have much choice back then," Kyran said, waving his hand to return the puppet into his pouch. "Zephyr was out on an errand that day when White Lily found this ce. I have to return to thepetition but I can''t leave Neah alone."


    True Void shivered, "Uwa... the legal wife found the mistress, huh. That''s scary. I''m surprised you''re still in one piece."


    "Will you stop talking like that? You sound like Nn."


    "Bahahaha! You''re concern about that and not what my words implied?"


    "That''s because I decided to ignore all your nonsense."


    "Bahahaha! Fine! Fine! Oh? But the mistress isn''t really alone, is she? This aura..." True Void looked up toward the cottage''s attic. However, his expression dimmed slightly after sensing something was off, "Wait, is something wrong with your uncle?"


    Hearing True Void refer to Nn as his uncle made Kyran feel strange. It was not the first time, but Kyran was still not used to it.


    Looking up at the attic where Nn''s essence was still recovering, Kyran answered, "That aura your sensing is Nn''s essence."


    "Oh, no wonder. But with Nn''s magic level, his essence should not be this weak."


    "... Yes," Kyran agreed. As they went downstairs, he added, "The truth, his essence was wounded. I''m not sure what happened, but..."


    Kyran told True Void about the real Nn leaving to search for Azaloth''s inheritance and that he left an essence to wait for their return.


    He also exined how he found Nn''s essence badly wounded near the Courtenay Family''snd. That was why he took him to the cottage for te to see. Thankfully, Nn''s essence showed signs of recovering from te''s potions. If not, there was no telling what could happen to Nn''s original self.


    True Void agreed. He then urged Kyran to find his uncle soon because a mage whose essence got wounded would definitely suffer a bacsh. Nn might not be in danger if he had been in a safe location when it happened. But if he was in the middle of a fight, not to mention in a very dangerous ce, he might have ended in a tight spot.


    Kyran remained silent. He did n to look for Nn. If the joint military exercise did not happen, he would have searched for him between ''visiting'' his targets as Nar.


    Because Kyran wanted to help Nn find Azaloth''s inheritance, he believed his uncle''s decision to look for it was not on a whim. The inheritance was crucial in saving the Regis n, and Kyran had an idea why.


    It was definitely not for Nn to achieve a breakthrough with his magic level. He could do that even without relying on any inheritance. But likely, he wanted it for Kyran''s father.


    To fix Cade''s broken magic core.


    "Do you know what Azaloth''s inheritance is?" Kyran asked after a moment of silence.


    They were now outside the cottage, and Kyran was observing the surroundings with his magic sense.


    "I don''t know, to be honest. But if I have to guess, it''s rted to his magic," True Void replied while flying to observe the area from above.


    "His magic, huh," Kyran repeated and fell into contemtion.


    Recalling his short exchange with Azaloth before he knew who he was, Kyran admitted feeling thetter''s magic a little strange. There was also how he manipted the magic energies in the surroundings to seal Ruin''s mark on his arm.<sub> </sub>


    Usually, when a mage manipted magic energies using their magic sense, their innate magic would respond, inviting it to move ording to the mage''s will.


    For example, if a wind mage used his magic sense, the wind magic energy would respond. This was why mages using their magic sense had a high chance of being detected just from observing the shifting of magic energies in the surroundings.


    But that was not the case with Azaloth. To be precise, no particr magic energy responded to him.


    It was quite simr to Kyran, yet also different because Kyran could attract all types of magic energy and convert them into his own, turning it into Void magic energy. In contrast, Azaloth simply attracted the magic energies without converting them.


    Kyran wondered whether this happened because of Azaloth''s ''special identity,'' or his magic.


    "What''s Azaloth''s magic?" He tried asking True Void, though he knew thetter would probably not answer.


    "Energy magic."


    Stunned, Kyran looked at True Void, who began his descent afterpleting his observation above. "That''s fast."


    True Void looked at him derisively, "What''s fast? It''s not like his magic is a huge secret. Unlike me, who was supposed to be the most feared weapon yet had no record whatsoever, Azaloth''s fame rang throughout the Human ne. I''m sure there are numerous records of him everywhere. Besides, he is the most infamous Abjurer and the right-hand man of the terrible Dark Sage. Isn''t your uncle looking for his inheritance because he believed it''s something really powerful?"


    "Actually, there are only a few records about Azaloth, and none about his magic."


    True Void gasped upon hearing this, "Seriously?"


    "But you''re right. Unlike him, there are no records about you."


    "Oi!"


    Kyran chuckled and abruptly directed the discussion back on track, "Energy magic... So he can use magic energies in the surroundings at will."


    "You can ask yourself once you talk to him."


    Kyran heard a hint of annoyance in True Void''s voice and could not help but smile.


    True Void respected Azaloth as Can''s right-hand man. But as Can''s Ultimate Weapon, he also saw Azaloth as a rival. After all, thetter was dubbed as Can''s Most Fateful Shield.


    To appease True Void''s annoyance, Kyran changed the subject and said, "That''s right, after thepetition, I''ll be heading to the Blue Lotus."


    True Void''s expression dimmed. He knew about the Blue Lotus because he was conscious in Kyran''s core when he met Byron.


    Still, True Void never told Kyran his suspicion about the Blue Lotus''s founder, the Dark Sage''s ''left-hand man.'' Because as far as he was concerned, there was no such person.


    "I know you trust that Sigil since he is loyal. He''s a nutjob, but loyal to the core nheless."


    Kyran could not help but sweat for Byron. Then again, True Void had a point. Byron indeed acted foolishly at times¡ª err, most of the time.


    "However, you have to stay on guard," True Void warned. "Don''t trust any of the other members of the Blue Lotus just because they im to be my master''s followers."


    With a snort, he added, "But my word! iming to be my master''s followers. What are they? Some kind of cult? My master would never approve! He would wantpanions... real colleagues! Not followers! Calling themselves his followers yet hiding in fear of the Royal Family? Humph!"


    "I''m hiding too, you know. Though not in fear."


    "You''re different! You need to hide because the whole world would definitely fall into a state of trepidation if they know there is a new Void mage! You''ll cause a widespread panic!"


    "Wow, thanks."


    True Void sighed and sat on Kyran''s shoulder while he went to the flowering tree, the core of the cottage''s array.


    "Don''t get me wrong, Void Halfling. Because of the lies, the Royal Family spread about my master, the mere thought of a mage possessing the Dark Sage''s magic will cause unnecessary panic."


    "I know."


    "No, you don''t," True Void replied, sounding somewhat sad, "Not really."

 Chapter 427 Real Threat Of The Soul Emperor (2)

    Kyran stopped in his tracks and nced sideways at True Void.


    True Void asked, "Do you know why humans panic?"


    Before Kyran could reply, True Void continued, "Because they worry¡­ they fear. And after fear they despair. Eventually, their despair would lead to madness..."


    Kyran did not know where True Void''s talk would lead. But sensing it was necessary, he remained silent.


    "Humans who went mad end up doing outrageous and unspeakable things. In the past, when the demons invaded, a lot of humans had gone mad. Some who stayed sane went to war and fought the demons, but most gave in to madness and fell into the hands of the demons.


    "Amidst the turmoil, the appearance of rifts worsened.


    "You already know this while training in other nes, but rifts appear when a ne''s magicw and bnce is disturbed."


    True Void paused, "... Back then, humansck a Sovereign, thus the demon''s invasion escted. In the end, the war intensified. The death toll, innumerable. No matter what the humans did, the demon''s number never fell. Instead it increased¡­ However, they were not aware they were no longer at war with demons alone. They were at war with other ''outsiders'' and¡­ humans."


    Kyran furrowed his brows. The way True Void said ''humans'' felt as if he was referring to them as a different species.


    "You''re confused. That''s natural," True Void said as if reading Kyran''s thoughts. "But when I say they were at war with humans, I don''t mean internal fighting.


    "No, it is far worse than that. Because they did not know they were fighting their fellow humans. Or at least, fellow humans who had already fallen."


    Kyran''s eyes widened, finally realizing what True Void was trying to say. He muttered, "Human souls¡­ The Soul Emperor summoned the souls of the dead and led them to war."


    True Void smiled bitterly, "That''s right. A mighty army of undying souls... In the First War, humans, because of their ignorance, believed the invading demons were all the same. They thought the increasing number of demons came from the rifts alone. But that was not entirely the case.


    "Because the Soul Emperor summoned the souls of the fallen humans and demons alike and led them to war. Using empty vessels modeled in the image of different beasts, she allied herself with the demons and went on a massacre.


    "Can you imagine? Those possessed empty vessels that know no pain, marching into war? It was hell back then.


    "No matter how many were destroyed, as long as the souls were intact, then the Soul Emperor could ce them in new vessels to fight again."


    True Void''s expression turned hard as if recalling a scene from the past when humans were at war with these so-called demons.


    A futile endeavor that drove humans to the verge of extinction.


    "Finally, a lone mage possessing the power of the Void appeared, putting an end to the Soul Emperor''s reign. Because only a Void mage could return the souls of the dead to the void..."


    Kyran had always wondered why the Soul Emperor feared the Void Master. Now, he finally knew why.


    As for the vessels of the souls, he guessed they were puppets.


    No wonder the Crown Princess was interested in Tyr. Combining her magic with Tyr''s puppetry, she could recreate her undying army. All she needed was a new set of souls.


    A thought crossed Kyran''s mind, and he said, "Speaking of undying souls... Can also had them, too, right? The first time I went to the Misty Forest, I met a lot of remnant souls."


    True Void shook his head, "Master could not control the souls of the dead. He could only free them from the Soul Emperor''s control, releasing them back to the void. Those remnant souls you spoke of were the ones who decided to stay.


    "They were distraught about what they had done, you see. After realizing they were made to kill other humans, destroying innocent lives and even their own families, they decided to help my master. They swore loyalty to him, to help him until he seeded in destroying the Soul Emperor.


    "But well... Obviously, his battle with the Soul Emperor did not go well, which is why the remnant souls never left."


    "Can failed to destroy La."


    True Void sighed and nodded in agreement, "Knowing how much my master adored that whore, he probably decided to seal her instead of destroying herpletely. Ha.... that insufferable softie. If I had been there, I would have... I would have..."


    Unable to think of what he would have done, True Void sighed again. "In the end, my master was the one who died. The Dragon Lord was the one who killed the Soul Emperor but did not kill her whole n, which was why a new Soul Emperor appeared.


    "But I suppose master knew it would end up like that and prepared a backup..."<sub> </sub>


    He looked at Kyran meaningfully.


    "You think I''m Can''s backup?" Kyran responded, returning his gaze.


    "Why not? The Royal Family supposedly killed off my master''s n to ensure no mage could inherit the Void core. But here you are. It''s all because they did not know about my master''s marriage to the Queen of the Faes.


    "Honestly, I did not understand why he married her, until now."


    Kyran fell silent.


    p When True Void mentioned that Can had once tried to absorb the Shaiha but failed because of his weak body constitution, a disturbing thought crossed his mind.</anda>


    It was a thought that someone nned for the next Void Master to possess a stronger body to absorb the Shaiha sessfully. And that someone was none other than Can.


    As this possibility took shape in Kyran''s head, he thought of a theory.


    Three critical pieces of information supported his theory.


    One was how only a male Ashton could possess Void magic; two was that Can was an Incantation expert; three was how the Spirits called Rin the Spirit Child.


    What if Can managed to create his original Incantation, forcing his Ashton lineage to produce only females? What if the condition was his female descendant had to be the Spirit Child? And only when the right conditions were met would the incantation be lifted, allowing his descendants to birth males to inherit his Void core?


    So far, this was the only exnation Kyran came up with to answer why Nn did not inherit the Void core even when he was Can''s male descendant.


    Because Rin and Nn''s mother, Kyran''s maternal grandmother, was not the Spirit Child.


    "What''s wrong, Void Halfling? Are you feeling disheartened by the possibility of you being who you are right now, was due to my master''s handiwork?"


    "I''m not disheartened. Just pissed off."


    True Void snorted, "You look pretty calm for someone whose pissed off. Then again, you are scary like that. Don''t let this bother you, though. Whatever is the truth, master was the only one who probably knew it."


    Kyran shook his head, "No. There are probably three others who knew the truth."


    "Oh? Who?"


    With a wry smile, Kyran replied, "White Lily, my ancestor, and the Conve Founder."


    True Void''s eyes widened, "Hm... Now that you said that. You might be right."


    Kyran had been suspicious about the Conve Founder''sst wish, not to mention ''The List'' they followed, which included things about supporting the Regis n. As if that person had always known the new Void Master would be a Regis. Which was also the reason Kyran believed his ancestor was aware of it.


    There was also the possibility of a Regis and the Spirit Child''s union being another condition for the new Void Master to appear. After all, who else in the Human ne could possess a bloodline with a strong body constitution than the Regis n¡ª The n that birthed the Dragon Lord?


    Whether Kyran''s ancestor and Can nned for the new Void Master to be the new Dragon Lord too was still a question. At least, for now. If he met the Dragon King, he might know the answer. He could summon the King and ask, given he survived the descent of the Veneration Dragons until the King arrived.


    As for why Kyran thought White Lily knew Can''s n, the reason was simple; she was Can''s wife. Though, she was probably asked to observe on the sidelines and watch for theing of the new Soul Emperor and the Spirit Child.


    In any case, though all of this was only a theory, he hated the thought of being manipted.


    But instead of rebelling and not following the path Can had wanted him to take, he would take it and pass it with flying colors. Doing so was another form of revenge. He''d exceed his predecessor''s expectations and shove it in his face.


    Besides, Can might have prepared the path, but Kyran was the one walking it.


    The detours and turns that appeared along the way resulted from his choices. And he could choose to make a detour or create a new path altogether.


    The important thing was the result anyway.

 Chapter 428 Odds

    "Why did you suddenly decide to tell me all these?" Kyran asked after a moment''s pause.


    True Void looked at Kyran in silence.


    Kyran returned his gaze with raised brows, "What?"


    "A new Soul Emperor has appeared, even if she is still a novitiate or as you say, only halfplete. She wille after you. It is high time you learn truth and understand the legacy master has left you."


    "Legacy, huh," Kyran repeated with a bitter smile. "It''s more like a burden, to be honest."


    True Void responded by patting Kyran''s head while saying, "There. There."


    Kyran red at him but did not shove his small robotic hand, "Were you keeping things from me because the Soul Emperor has not awakened yet?"


    "Partly," True Void admitted. "You know what they say, if you unnecessarily talk about things that has note to pass, you might end up inviting the Fates to make it happen."


    "That''s partly the reason, what''s the other?"


    "You were not ready to learn the truth. If you learned the truth back then, could you have stayed rational? I don''t think so. You would have went on a suicidal charge to save your n."


    Kyran did not refute because True Void was right. If not for his training in the Tower of Tribtion and encounters with other Sovereigns, he would not learn how to control his emotions and stay calm even in the face of death.


    In any case, the reason Kyran could remain calm after finding the truth was that acting recklessly would only get his n killed. When that happened, they would turn into the very beings he was trying to prevent them from bing¡ª undying souls under the Soul Emperor.


    Kyran suddenly thought of something, and heughed in disdain.


    "Oi, don''t go mental on me, Void Halfling," True Void remarked after hearing him.


    "I''m not. I just realized I''ve got everything wrong."


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    Kyran took this chance to tell True Void what happened while he was asleep. He also shared his previous theories of what the Anima Novitiate might be plotting.


    After a few minutes, he said, "I had thought the Anima Novitiate''s reason for arranging the joint military exercise was to stealthily find a way to mark and control the Conve members while they are still ''alive.'' But now, I think her real objective is to sow discord amongst all factions and have them kill each other. Then she could start building her new army from their dead."


    With a wry smile, he added, "She is even using Tyr to build up the tension between the Lumley Family and the Conve."


    "That is definitely something the Soul Emperor would do. The previous one also sowed discord between my master and the Dragon Lord. That was how they almost ended up killing each other."


    "Are you going to tell me their story too?"


    "No. Forget I said anything just now."


    "..."


    Kyran sat a couple of meters in front of the flowering tree and sighed, "I thought you said it''s high time I understand the truth."


    "The truth of what the Soul Emperor could do, yes. Not everything that happened in the past. Anyway, knowing the past will not help you. It will only confuse you."


    <o>,m Kyran did not respond but agreed with him.</o>


    He needed to understand the bigger picture. Eventually, the whole truth would be revealed, so there was no rush. What mattered was to know as much information about his opponent.


    While he thought this, another disturbing idea crossed his mind, and a cold chill suddenly gripped his heart.


    It was a thought of why the Royal Family decided not to reveal the appearance of a mage possessing the forbidden Void magic to the public. Knowing the Soul Emperor''s modus operandi was to sow discord, she could have revealed a new Dark Sage was on the rise and sent the whole empire into a state of panic. But she did not because, in her iplete state, the number of dead souls she could control was limited.


    But if Ruin seeded in finding Cyneah. If the Anima Novitiate becameplete. The first ones to be her new army of undying souls would definitely be the Regis n.


    Kyran shook his head and pushed the disturbing thought to the back of his mind.


    He tried to tell himself that all of these were only spections and stop jumping to conclusions. But a small voice was telling him he got most of it correct.


    Nevertheless, there was still a question bothering Kyran:


    Did the Soul Emperor cause the demon''s arrival and sow discord in the Human ne only to gather an army of undying souls? Is that all there was to it?


    No. She was definitely after something and was preparing an army for it.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He knew too little of the Anima Novitiate to draw any conclusion.


    Even if she might be Cyneah''s essence, they were different.


    They had to be different.


    ''Because Neah is not that kind of person,'' Kyran thought.


    Shaking his head slightly, Kyran reigned in the fear that gripped him. He would not wallow in his fear. Instead, he had to use today''s knowledge to improve his odds of saving his n and then...


    ''No, let''s focus on saving my n first. I''ll think of the rest after that,'' Kyran decided.


    At the moment, his sess rate is 15%. It used to be 5% after umting the Temr Code, but after killing Savagery, it gained an additional 10%.


    It shot up to 15 because killing Savagery meant the Anime Novitiate also lost her beast army.


    Kyran believed the thousands of eggs that came out of her after death was her army. They lived off Savagery''s magic energy, but when she died, they regressed into eggs after their supply got cut off.


    The 85% failure rate was mainly because the Anima Novitiate still had two Sovereigns with her, each having their own army. There was also her army, consisting of the Royal Family Guards, the Royal Army, and the rest of the factions¡ª big and small in the empire.


    Of course, this was not Kyran''s final odds.<sub> </sub>


    He sent his Sigils on errands to increase his odds.


    Max and Reuben went to the Valley of Morte to replenish Max''s stock of beasts. Kyran would also find a way for Max to tame and cultivate Savagery''s eggs as soon as possible.


    Tritus, on the other hand, was Kyran''s eyes inside the Royal Family''s Elite Force. He would also feed them information that would benefit Kyran. As a matter of fact, Tritus already sent the Royal Family a slightly amended report of the Shaiha incident under Kyran''s order. That was Zephyr''s errand when he met Tritus the other day.


    Byron''s task was to establish a connection with Olivia''s original self. If Kyran could get the Aureole on his side, too, he would gain the assistance of two prominent factions.


    When Kyran said two, he meant the Aureole and the Conve. The Temr Code was not included because they were technically under hismand now.


    Then there was the Montgomeray Family.


    Based on Kyran''s assessment of their military strength, they were only considered a small faction. Unfortunately, their number, even with the addition of their contracted Spirits, did not pass a medium faction. But Kyran made arrangements with White Lily to improve the number of summoners in their family.


    White Lily was the Queen of the Faes, and it was easy for her to awaken the Fae''s blood sleeping among the Montgomeray members'' veins.


    This way, the number of summoners would increase, allowing more Spirits to enter the Human ne.


    Spirits were more than willing to help Kyran. Unfortunately, due to ack of human summoners, most could only stay in the Human ne for a limited time. But once there were more human summoners, Kyran could expect more help from them.


    Kyran also nned to infiltrate most small and medium factions and find something he could use to get them to his side. By coveting these factions, he could lower the backup forces the Anima Novitiate could tap into.


    Infiltration was a tedious task and would need one to devote a considerable amount of time to infiltrate one faction. But Kyran did not have to waste his time doing these alone. He also did not need his Sigils to step in and do it. Besides, even if he employed all five of them, they could only infiltrate five factions.


    For this reason, Kyran devised another way of infiltration. That was the first thing he had done after appearing as Tyr.


    That was right. Kyran''s infiltration started when he released his magic items to the public.


    All his magic items had his signature, and he could tap into it and ''read all information'' it came across whenever he wanted.


    Of course, his magic signature was hidden. And he would not make a careless decision of hiding it within ''Tyr''s signature.'' Thetter''s signature was only a disguise. Kyran''s real signature was hidden inside the magic item''s array calction and was undetectable.


    Whenever Kyran had time, he would connect his magic sense to all these items and check for any updates.


    So far, he had already gathered enough information on a few dozens of small and medium factions. He nned to visit them and then convince them to sign a temporary alliance while working as Nar in the Blue Lotus.


    Speaking of the Blue Lotus, they would still be Kyran''s main force


    Keeping in mind True Void''s warning, Kyran decided that if the Blue Lotus''s head was untrustworthy, he could do what he did to Tritus and make him a trustworthy Sigil.


    Finally, there was Gage.


    Gage''s task was to gather all hidden factions willing to fight the Royal Army. These were rebels waiting in the dark for their chance to revolt.


    Gage and Ss both hated the Royal Army after what they did to their families.


    Kyran did not know what happened to Gage''s family, but the older guy''s hatred for the Royal Army was real. It was enough for Kyran and even Nn to trust him with the task.


    Kyran believed once he gathered all of these forces¡ª his target was in a month¡ª he could increase his odds to 50%.


    A 50% sess rate was better than his initial 5%.


    There were other factors Kyran did not include in his estimation. They were Nn, True Void and Azaloth.


    The reason was simple.


    Kyran considered them as his trump cards. Well, two of them, to be precise, because the other one had a ''special identity'' and would not be able to do much.


    In any case, Kyran still needed to find True Void''s real ''body'' for him to really appear as a trump card. At the moment, his ability to absorb an enormous amount of magic energies was the only reason Kyran considered him one.


    As ast resort, Kyran would release True Void and absorb all the magic energies in the surroundings to stop all mages from tapping into their magic.


    There was another trump card Kyran had in possession that his father''s essence had taught him. But he could use that one at a specific ce with the correct number of participants, which was why Kyran did not include it.


    Nevertheless, it was something he would do if an opportunity presented itself.


    "Void Halfling, are you okay? Did your brain happen to short-circuit after all those information?" True Void''s voice snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran looked at him with a raised brow, "No. Come on, help me maintain the cottage''s array while I warp this whole ce."


    "Aren''t you going to tell your Sigil, Zephyr was it? About relocating?"


    "I''ll get him and godmother after. The cottage takes priority."


    "You mean the mistress''s safety takes priority," True Void teased, his eyes glowing mischievously.


    Kyran ignored him and activated the cottage''s array.


    "Bahahaha! You don''t have to be embarrassed. You are a young man. I''d be worried if you are not interested in a woman. Even my master used to think about that whore all the time."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head while adamantly ignoring True Void''s nonsense. He wondered how Can nurtured his weapon to produce such a... strange spirit.


    When True Void failed to get any response from Kyran, he chuckled and finally settled down to help.


    From a distance, if one looked at the forest outside Noser from a very high ce, they would have noticed a vast purple light enveloping a massive part of it. But the light only flickered once that one would think they imagined it.


    That night, a huge part of the forest unknowingly disappeared, leaving only arge stretch of emptynd behind.

 Chapter 429 The Competition Resumes

    Patriarch Ezra made an appearance at dinner in the Courtenay Land. He told everyone that the investigation on the ind was still underway, although they were almost done. They would then share a detailed report with the leaders of each faction in a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning.


    As the hushed discussion started among them, Ezra added that thepetitions would resume tomorrow. All events canceled that day would resume tomorrow afternoon, while the rest of the events would resume the day after tomorrow following the exact schedules.


    Ezra''s second announcement caused the tension that had started to dwindle to build up again. After all, there was no telling if another incident would happen again.


    Ste and Ss received the updates while waiting in Kyran''s room.


    The continuance of thepetition had Ste worry about another ident happening again. She actually believed that the Echidna''s seal-breaking incident was not an ident and was staged to draw someone out¡ª like Gray or Kyran.


    Her theory was only based on intuition, though.


    Recalling how Kyran fell unconscious for days after overusing his magic, Ste worried that he had lost consciousness resulting in his capture.


    If not for Ss''s continuous reminder that Kyran would not let himself be captured while his n was still in danger, Ste might have done something that could end in another ''incident.'' She actually considered using Time magic to go back in time just to check on Kyran.


    Ss pointed out that if she did this, she might end up disrupting Kyran''s ns instead of helping.


    Kyran got dyed returning to the Courtenaynd, mainly because of te''s scolding and refusal to stop working at the hospice. She said working at the hospice was good for Cyneah''s Alchemy training and improving her social skills. Forbidding them to work would hinder Cyneah''s progress and her chance of having a normal life.


    The discussion would have been avoided if Kyran had been honest with te about Ruin and his theories. However, he did not want her to worry and do something reckless¡ª like revealing her identity to divert their attention away¡ª once she realized Cyneah might be in danger.


    Sometimes ignorance was better than needless worrying.


    In the end, Kyran agreed to create a transportation array that would allow them to return to Noser, only if te agreed they would only work during the day.


    te initially protested, but after Kyran pointed out that the Royal Family had doubled their effort in searching for ''Gray'' and all possible individuals rted to him, she agreed. Apparently, this information had been going around the hospice as well. te even agreed to Kyran''s additional protective measures, especially for Cyneah.


    Before Kyranpleted the transportation array, he sent a message to Hugh and Noir.


    Once all the protective measures were in ce and telling te he''d be back again, Kyran returned to the Courtenaynd.


    Upon his return, he found Ste and Ss (still in Tyr''s disguise) in his room. Before they could question him, he warped them to Noir''s room.


    Kyran''s message to Noir was to gather everyone who participated in the Beast Hunt and the council members in his room. He also instructed his puppets toe.


    However, Noir and the other council members were not ready when Kyran warped into the room with Ste and Ss. All of them¡ª except for Kyran''s puppets¡ª gaped in shock because Kyran was not in disguise, and Ss was still dressed as ''Tyr.''


    Before they could recover, Kyran warped again, taking them to the Tower of Conve''s conference hall, where Malek, Hugh, and the rest of the council members were already gathered.


    Hugh was the one who gathered the rest of the council members after receiving Kyran''s message.


    With the addition of the Beast Hunt participants, Sigma had to create additional seats around the conference table.


    Styx, Addie, Archel, and Michel were still dazed at what was happening.


    Especially Styx and Addie because they recognized who Kyran was. Though he looked a bit different, they recognized him as the one-million-high-grade-spirit-stone-bounty.


    Archel and Michel also knew the bounty. But unlike Styx and Addie, who kept a poster and tried looking for him, the former two had only seen Kyran''s poster once and thus failed to recognize him.


    Seeing how the Conve council members, especially Malek and Ste, acted normal around Kyran, Styx, and the other three had no choice but to keep their thoughts to themselves.


    Malek had other thoughts, though. He immediately questioned Styx and the others'' presence there. Ste exined that they were the members present during the Beast Hunt incident. Thinking that Kyran wanted to erase their memories, Malek turned to Can at once.


    However, Kyran stopped them and took that chance to exin why he asked for them.


    Kyran did not go through all the details of what happened on the ind nor share his new theories. What he did tell them was the high chance of the ''headmittee'' changing the rules of thest event: the Field Operation.


    He told them that the Three Noble Families would likely join the event and when that happens, the Lumley Family would being after ''Tyr.''


    Before Malek and Noir could voice their suggestions to counter the Lumley''s n, Kyran stopped them. He admitted that thetter was part of his n.


    When Addie, Archel, and Michel heard it, they could not help but look at Ss in confusion.


    Styx was the only one who remained indifferent. He guessed who Kyran was when he warped them to the Tower of Conve. Styx recognized him as the man in the ck panther mask who helped them escape the ind. He also realized why Kyran had to hide his identity and was wanted by the people behind the bounty.


    Ss, on the other hand, flinched when Addie, Archel, and Michel zoned in on him. It only urred to him that to them, he was still ''Tyr.''


    "I''ve been baiting the Lumley Family to target Tyr," Kyran exined. "We don''t have to make any countermeasures against them."


    Hearing Kyran said this, Styx frowned slightly and looked at Kyran.


    Sensing his gaze, Kyran nced at him with a slight smile, "You have a question, Leader Styx?"


    When Kyran called Styx, thetter''s eyes widened and abruptly stood up with an expression of utter disbelief.


    Addie, Archel, and Michel also looked at him in disbelief.


    They had been bothered about something from a while back. It was how ''Tyr'' had turned mute.<sub> </sub>


    Even in the meeting back in the Function Hall, ''Tyr'' never spoke more than three words.


    Then, this guy in ck¡ª obviously a Regis with extraordinary ability (at the moment, they still believed his ''warping'' was a unique ability and not magic), appeared out of nowhere and acted as if he was some VIP who sounded oddly familiar.


    And now, he called Styx the way ''Tyr'' would call him.


    ''This..!''


    "Y-You are..?" Styx gaped at Kyran both in shock and confusion.


    Most of the council members shifted at Kyran''s decision to reveal his identity to them.


    Only Malek, Hugh, Noir, and Sigma managed to remain indifferent. They were already used to Kyran''s seemingly ''impulsive decisions.''


    Still, Malek looked at Kyran and asked, "Are you sure about them?"


    Kyran nced at him and nodded, "Yes." He then looked at Hugh and said, "Chairman Hugh, I''ll take this opportunity to tell them the news, too."


    Hugh nodded, "Alright."


    Kyran did not give anyone time to interrupt. He turned his attention back to Styx and the other three and said, "Yes, I''m that Tyr. And this guy..." he looked at Ss, who got the message and removed his mask, "Is Ss, a member of the Mercenary Hall."


    "Ahh! I know you!" Addie blurted while pointing an using finger at Ss.


    Ss looked at her with raised brows, "Pardon me, Ms. Addie, I don''t personally know anyone from the Mercenary Hall''s Elite members."


    As a lower-ranked member of the Mercenary Hall, Ss was familiar with the Mercenary Hall''s Elite members. But that was not the case with thetter.


    Addie flushed and lowered her hand, "No. Of course not. I... just know you that''s all."


    Malek cleared his throat, and they all fell silent. Even Styx returned to his seat, albeit still in shock.


    Kyran addressed them again.


    "As I was saying, I am Tyr, and I''m a Regis, which I think you already guessed," he then looked meaningfully at Styx and Addie, "And I''m sure, you recognized me from the bounty posters."


    ''Bounty posters?'' Archel and Michel exchanged nces. It was only then they realized what he meant and almost jumped out of their seats.


    "I can''t go on details right now, but I''m sure you already guessed why I am wanted and who are after me. You can ask questionster but know this, your memories are intact because I need your help. For now, I need one of you to be part of my team for the Field Operation event."


    Kyran looked at Michel, "I''m thinking you can help."


    "Me?" He looked at Styx, then Addie. "But..."


    "It''s either you or Archel."


    "Why not Styx or Addie?" Michel asked. "Do you have another reason not to remove their memories."


    "Yes."


    "..."


    "Why not have all four of us?" Archel also asked.


    "No. The other factions saw you in action today. I don''t want theming up with a strategy against all my members. One should be enough."


    "Are we even allowed to change members?" Addie asked.


    "Yes," Kyran said with a bitter smile. "At least, the headmittee will allow it on the day of the event. As for the other three..."


    He paused and pointed at his puppets standing silently on the side, "It will be them."


    "The other factions may have prepared a countermeasure against them too," Michel pointed.


    "Yes, but unlike you guys. I can easily change their programming."


    "P-Programming?"


    Neo, Aki, and Len stepped forward and said, "As you wish, master."


    Then Neo added, "If I may be so bold to request, master. Can you remove some of my restrictions?"


    "..."


    Only then did the four realize that the other two with Neo were also puppets.


    Ignoring Neo''s request, Kyran told Michel, "I''ll exin our strategy tomorrow. For now..." He turned to Hugh, who nodded his head in turn. "I have an announcement to make."

 Chapter 430 Employment

    "I will employ the Mercenary Hall''s assistance," Kyran told them, then looked at Ste before adding, "The payment will be the amount the item I gave you will fetch."


    Ste''s eyes widened, "T-That''s a lot of money!"


    Knowing the item Kyran spoke of, Vaness also agreed, "We already released an updated brochure of the auction, which included that item as one of the highlights. So far, the feedback from our usual patrons is huge."


    "Yes," Emery second the notion. "Many sent their intentions of buying the item before the auction, and the offer had gone up to fifty million spirit stones."


    Kyran raised his brows at the amount. He did not realize the Array Calction he prepared to counter the new magic detectors could fetch that sum. Although the amount might have gone up because the Conve made a prototype, he was positive fifty million spirit stones were a huge amount.


    Nheless, that amount definitely did note from one faction alone. At least three medium or six to seven small factions could be working together to produce that amount.


    "The truth, we are thinking of ''renting'' the item instead of auctioning it. Because there is a possibility that those who bought the item might re-sell it at an even higher price after deciphering it," Emery added.


    Kyran shook his head, "It''s impossible for anyone to crack the calction as long as the prototype followed my design to thest detail. But I agree they will sell it at an even higher price, not because they decipher it, but because they could not. And..."


    His brow creased slightly, "There is a chance it will fall in the hands of the Three Noble Families or worse, the Royal Family."


    "Yes, we thought so too," Vaness nodded with a sigh.


    "Let''s talk about this separately, Head Chief Vaness."


    "Very well."


    Kyran turned his attention back to Ste, "But I stand with what I said. The amount it will fetch will be used as payment for employing the Mercenary Hall''s assistance."


    Before Ste could protest, Kyran added with a bitter smile, "I actually think the amount is reasonable. Because I will employ them with the idea of sending them to war."


    In an instant, the whole room fell into a cold silence.


    Malek''s eyes narrowed while the rest¡ª except for Hugh¡ª looked confused or nervous.


    Kyran expected this. He initially wanted to keep the Mercenary Hall''s involvement a secret. But after Ste dered the Conve''s future stance, it could hinder Kyran''s n when the time of war came. After all, the Mercenary Hall was the Conve''s main military force.


    "Are you serious?"


    Sigma was the one who broke the silence. He looked at Kyran with a slight frown.


    Kyran nodded his head, "Yes. But I will only employ the members for one day."


    "Except for me," Hugh added, his expression sober.


    They looked at him in confusion.


    With a bitter smile, Kyran nodded in agreement, "Yes. Except for Chairman Hugh. He will work for me until I free my n."


    "Wait just a moment!" Ste stood up and looked at Kyran and Hugh in confusion.


    On the other hand, Malek heaved a sigh and leaned on his chair, "I knew this ising after realizing your Alchemy skills may be on par... no, maybe even exceeded Malia''s."


    Kyran did not respond.


    Malia looked at Kyran, then to Hugh, realizing what Malek meant, "So he offered to cure your magic reserves."


    "Yes," Hugh answered, smiling slightly, "Don''t take offense, Malia. I appreciate all your effort in keeping me alive all this time."


    He looked at Ste before continuing, "And I am grateful for all you''ve done for me, milord. However, in order to serve you with the utmost of my abilities, I need to recover my magic reserves."


    "Hugh..." Ste bit her lower lip.


    Hugh was one of the oldest members of the council and had supported her father when he was still alive. To her, he was like family.


    "When Hugh''s magic core is healed, there is a big chance he''ll also achieve a breakthrough," Kyran said and looked at Ste. "It will benefit him."


    Ste returned his gaze. With brows furrowed slightly, she asked, "Are you the one who will heal him?"


    Kyran''s expression did not falter, but his heart skipped realizing the unspoken question from her eyes.


    "No."


    Malek frowned, "No? Then who? Is there anyone else who can concoct a potion that can heal Hugh?"


    Kyran turned away from Ste to look at Malek.


    "Initially I was thinking of doing it myself, but the materials needed for the potion are not avable¡ª rather, they are too expensive and hard to find. If we have more time, maybe we can look for it, but as we are now, the Royal Family would have made a move before Chairman Hugh is healed."


    "If time is all you need, then¡ª."


    "Don''t start, Ste," Kyran cut her off in exasperation. "Your magic must not be used on arge-scale operation. If you do, you''ll end up..." Kyran paused, deciding to leave it.


    Steering the topic back on track, he continued, "In any case, the person who will heal Chairman Hugh is someone I trust, and the process will only take a short while. He will not need any recovery time, too."


    "But Kyran, she''s¡ª."<sub> </sub>


    "Ste, please," Kyran interrupted and looked at her pleadingly. He did not know how she guessed Cyneah was the person who would heal Hugh, but it made him realize just how formidable a woman''s instinct was.


    The short exchange between the two had not gone unnoticed. The council members wondered who their lord spoke of that she had to make such a pained expression.


    Styx, Addie, Archel, and Michel were silent on one side. They could not follow the discussion but the bits and pieces of details they heard sent their minds reeling.


    Especially when they heard Kyran''s Alchemy level could be on par or even higher than Chairman Malia''s, and the unspoken ''magic'' Ste possessed that might be associated with ''time.''


    "No."


    Apparently, Ste would not back down this time.


    "Hugh is one of my people. He is family. So unless I meet... t-that person, and I judged Hugh would not be harmed in any way, then I will not agree. I don''t care how expensive the materials you will need to concoct the potion. I''ll find a way to get them and have you heal him."


    Kyran''s expression turned grim. He knew Ste would not agree easily if Cyneah were involved. No, to be honest, he knew Ste would have agreed if Cyneah''s identity had remained ''unknown.''


    It was all due to White Lily''s unnecessary meddling.


    With a sigh, Kyran relented and said, "Fine. I''ll take you to her."


    "Let''s go now."


    "No."


    "Why? Are you going to ''prepare'' her first? Tell her what she can and cannot say. Or... or... I don''t know. Find a different woman and have her pretend to be her?"


    Kyran looked at her incredulously. He was starting to feel bad for Hugh because Ste did not sound worried for him but was simply jealous of Cyneah!


    "No," Kyran replied patiently. "I just fought legendary beasts today, the army''s deputy marshals and one guy from the Royal Family. I need rest. I''m exhausted."


    Ste stopped at once, "Oh."


    How could she have forgotten that?


    Actually, the others seemed to have only remembered it as well. They felt uneasy when the two started their exchange, which sounded like a couple quarrelling and were busy thinking of an excuse to leave.


    With a low voice, Kyran added, "Can we not talk about this? They might get the wrong idea."


    Ste''s face turned rudy after realizing they were still in the presence of the council. Not to mention Ss, Styx, Addie, Archel, and Michel were unrted parties.


    But then, Ste held her head high and replied, "Well, they are not entirely wrong. I don''t like her healing, Hugh, because I''m jealous. Is that clear enough?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He knew women could be unreasonable, but this was too much for him. In the first ce, he had already experienced a fair share of it from te early this evening.


    Malek''s brow also twitched. Once again, Ste''s bad habit was showing, and while he was annoyed that she had decided to be open about her feelings for Kyran, he also felt a little ''sorry'' for thetter to have fallen into a tight spot.


    Malia and the other council members also felt a little sorry for Kyran. At the same time, they were worried about this woman of who their lord was jealous.


    There were few women who they knew had contact with Kyran these days. However, there was only one who had healing ability.


    The Crown Princess.


    "That is all I have to say today," Kyran decided not toment on Ste''s words. "I''ll take you with me when I visit her again before the Field Operation."


    "Again? Were youte because you went to see her again?"


    "We''ll take our leave then," Kyran ignored Ste''s usation and warped everyone¡ª who came with him from the Courtenaynd except for Ste¡ª before anyone could say anything.


    "Kyran¡ª!"


    As soon as Kyran and the others reappeared in Noir''s room, they all turned to him with aplex expression.


    On the other hand, Styx and the other three felt they heard things they should not have and were uneasy.


    Kyran looked at Noir, Vaness, Can, and Malia and said, "Master Noir, Head Chief Vaness, President Can, and Chairman Malia, I''ll take them with me to talk."


    Noir nodded, "Go ahead. We can talk another time."


    "Yes," Vaness also agreed. "It is also gettingte.


    "Thank you."


    He then looked at Styx and the others, "Let''s go."


    They looked at him and nodded. However, just as they were about to make their way to the door, Kyran waved his hand, and all of them, including Ss and his puppets, disappeared.


    "Neo already filled me in on what happened earlier. I''ll drop by in the morning before the scheduled meeting."


    "Alright."


    Kyran nodded at them and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

 Chapter 431 Deciphering

    Thirty minutes before the Alchemy and Array Creationpetition started, all participants went to their respective locker rooms.


    The match-up on today''s Alchemy was as follows:


    Royal Army - Courtenay Family (Dome Function Hall 4)


    Conve - Montgomeray Family (Dome Function Hall 3)


    As for the Array Creation, the match was:


    Royal Army - Lumley Family (Dome Function Hall 2)


    Conve - Courtenay Family (Dome Function Hall 1)


    Bothpetitions will start at four in the afternoon and end at seven in the evening.


    Inside the left locker room at Function Hall 1, Owen, Hamish and Kyran sat in silence on the bench at the center of the room. This room was reserved for the Conve, while the right locker room was reserved for the Courtenay Family.


    Chairman Noir and Head Chief Vaness, overseeing them during thepetition, were called by the Courtenay Family representative a few minutes ago for a short meeting.


    The meeting was for formality''s sake and a newly implemented precautionary measure that all leaders agreed on during that morning''s meeting.


    Conducting a meeting before a match would also minimize sudden changes in the rules without the knowledge of the other team. The leaders of both teams would also inspect all safety measures ced in and out of the function hall to ensure no foul y would ur.


    In the first ce, this kind of meeting should have been conducted right from the beginning of the event. Unfortunately, because of each faction''s hidden agenda, they avoided meeting with the others for fear their motives could be seen.


    While waiting for Noir and Vaness, Kyran, Owen, and Hamish made idle talks.


    The two mostly asked Kyran about his health. Recently, it had bemon knowledge how Tyr was still suffering from mana depletion after battling Lev from the Montgomeray Family.


    Because of this, the participants of the Courtenay Family believed they had a better shot at winning the Array Creation this round.


    "If the rules are the same, I can do the mock battle," Owen dered.


    Hamish nodded in agreement, "True. So far, they already saw me in battle. Though I only seeded with the Field Array with the support of the magic item, there is no telling if we can redo that."


    Kyran shook his head and said, "We won''t do the same tactics."


    He looked at them with a slight smile and added, "There will not be a mock battle this time."


    "Why do you say so?" They both asked.


    "After what happened yesterday, the Courtenay Family would not want a confrontational battle. Besides..." Kyran looked at the door that led inside the hall. "They changed the hall''s Array Formation."


    Owen and Hamish also turned toward the door.


    With slight perplexed yet respectful expression, they looked back at Kyran.


    "You could see the hall''s Array Formation from here?" Hamish asked.


    "Rather than ''seeing'' it from here," Kyran lifted his hand where he was holding a white disc, themunication device issued by the Courtenay Family, "Master just sent an update."


    "Ahehehe..." Owen and Hamish let out a foolishugh.


    A few minutester, Noir and Vaness entered with grim expressions.


    "They changed the flow of the Array Creation," Noir dered as soon as Vaness closed the door.


    Upon hearing his deration, Owen and Hamish stood up and waited for Noir to continue.


    Kyran remained seated, mainly because he was still ''acting'' unwell. He even adjusted the face-altering mask''splexion to make him look pale.


    "What has changed, Chairman?" Owen asked.


    "You will not craft a magic item nor do a mock battle. Instead, each of you will be given three Array Calction you have to decipher within an alotted time; one hour per calction."


    Kyran, Owen and Hamish all frowned at this at once.


    Deciphering an Array Calction took time depending on its level. However, that was not the reason for their discontent. It was more with the fact that they had to do it in front of people.


    Deciphering was a crucial ability that distinguished a real Array Specialist to a mage with Array knowledge. Because deciphering was an ability developed through experience and not by reading books. For this reason, a mage could acquire vast Array knowledge but unless he learned how to decipher a calction, then he would not be promoted to an Array Specialist.


    Apart from this every Array Specialist had their own deciphering techniques. Which was why, Array Specialist would only decipher in private, not in public.<sub> </sub>


    Thinking of this, Kyran probably was the only odd one. Since he openly showed his deciphering technique in front of Noir, Sigma and many others. Then again, most people who had seen Kyran in action, were trustworthy. Besides, his deciphering technique was only possible because he possessed Void magic.


    "This is supposed to be an Array Creationpetition, why would they ask us to decipher?" Owen asked no one in particr.


    Hamish also nodded, "I''m not belittling our opponents but can they even do the task? Aren''t we the only Array Specialists here? If they can''t do it, can this even be called a match?"


    "Our opponent having the ability toplete the task is not the real problem," Kyran joined the discussion.


    "What do you mean?" Hamish asked.


    "It''s what they want us to decipher," Kyran replied with a bitter smile. "Apart from this, every match we have with the Three Noble Families are considered a ''friendly exchange.'' They can do whatever they want during a match and not care about the results. The way I see it, they are using thesepetitions to check our abilities and ''learn'' something from us."


    Noir nodded, "That is right. In the meeting just now, Vaness and I wanted to object. However, the Crown Princess asked us to think of thepetition as a way to improve everyone''s mood by sharing one or two things on Array."


    "What? Even the Crown Princess is asking us to teach others?" Owen asked in disbelief.


    "More or less."


    "This is insane," Hamish muttered in exasperation. "It''s like they are asking us to share trade secrets!"


    "It is. Unfortunately, we cannot say no after what happened on the ind," Noir said, his expression turning hard. "The Courtenay Family insisted that because our members in the Beast Hunt event ''tweaked'' the Transportation Array on the ind and used it to escape, the members from the Royal Army failed to use it and escape themselves."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at once. As far as he was concerned, the Royal Army members were already dead by the time he warped Styx and the others to the Courtenay''s transportation array.


    It seemed, the headmittee would do anything to force them to shown their deciphering techniques.


    "They also said, because of what we did, the Courtenay''s people failed to provide immediate assistance which led to the deaths of the Royal Army members."


    "That is unreasonable!" Hamish blurted. He did not know what happened, but to me their members because they used the Transportation Array?


    "Not to them," Kyran said with a bitter smile. "Now they want us topensate by teaching them."


    "Yes," Vaness replied with a sigh. "They said, if others know how to decipher an array, if an incident simr to what happened on the ind urred, then they will not be stumped at what to do."


    Kyran chuckled. He did not expect the headmittee to ckmail the Conve.


    No. The way Kyran see this, it was only ame excuse to force ''Tyr'' to showcase his ''deciphering'' ability.


    The Royal Family was now in a desperate position and wanted to confirm if Tyr could really help them with the Regis Estate''s Defensive Array.


    Kyran realized it when Savagery''s body turned into several thousands of beast eggs. She applied the Beast ne''s Array Formation to assimte all the beast eggs in her body.


    That was right, Savagery was an Array Master. To be precise, she was an Array Saint.


    Unfortunately, Array fundamentals in the Human ne was different from the Beast ne, thus, she had to learn from scratch if she wanted to decipher the Regis Estate''s Defensive Array.


    "If that is what they want, then let''s go do it," Kyran told them.


    Owen and Hamish looked at him in disbelief.


    "Are you really okay with this?" Owen asked.


    "Of course not. But instead ofining, its best to go out there and do what they want us to do."


    "But if they learn how we do things..."


    "Who says anything about letting them learn?" Kyran cut Hamish midsentence.


    The two looked at him in confusion.


    On the side, Noir and Vaness also smiled. They did agree with the change in the rules but that did not mean they would freely let others learn how they do things.


    Instead of exining, Kyran looked at Noir and said, "Master, what''s the condition in winning thepetition?"


    "If all of you seed in deciphering all three Array Calctions assigned to you before the time runs out, then our side will win."


    "That''s it?"


    "That''s it," Noir replied with a smile.

 Chapter 432 Target: Thirty Minutes

    Function Hall 1 had been redesigned for the Array Creation''s new rules. Cabs full of materials were lined on each side, and six ten-meter radius Array circles were drawn on the floor. Three were lined up on the right, and the others on the left.


    It was not active yet, but Kyran noticed the circles had threeyers. The outeryer was a Support-type Array, and theyer after it was an Offense-type. Last, the third innermostyer was a Defense-type.


    ''So these circles are the calctions we have to decipher,'' Kyran thought. He was surprised that the Courtenay Family managed to create a multiyered Array.


    So far, there were only three people he knew who could do something like this; Noir, Nn, and his father, Cade. His father hinted his grandfather, Aron, was also good in Array, but Kyran had not seen any of his works yet, so he could not tell.


    ''The level of each Array circle is only at low to mid-tier, so a mage studying Arrays could more or less follow its calctions. But it will still be impossible for them to decipher. In the first ce, if they can do that, they can be promoted to an Array Specialist. Unless...''


    Kyran looked to the right side of the hall where the Courtenay participants were gathered.


    ''...they achieved that level without dering it to the public.''


    Such an instance was not unusual. One good example was Styx. Being an Abjurer, his Array knowledge was above average. If he took an assessment, he could be an Array Specialist.


    Cade and Nn had their assessment under the Regis n, although they probably did not want their level reassessed after acquiring more knowledge in the Tower of Tribtions. Both would likely have been promoted to an Array Legend or even a Saint if they did.


    In any case, Kyran knew the Three Noble Families all employed at least one Array Specialist. It was not impossible to nurture a couple more if their Array Specialist took on disciples.


    ''Right, that person is also studying Array,'' Kyran thought as his gaze fell on one of the Courtenay Family''s participants.


    Millie.


    Millie''s face brightened and waved enthusiastically when Kyran made eye contact with her.


    Kyran already noticed her gaze when they entered the hall but chose to ignore her. But now that he had looked over their side, it was impossible not to make ''eye contact,'' so he returned her smile and nodded his head slightly.


    "Ah, Lady Millie... One of our regrs with Lady Mimi. To think she is one of the Courtenay''s participants," Owen sighed. "Then again, Lady Millie''s Array knowledge is actually good. It is a little regretful that Chairman Noir did not take her as a disciple. I remember she had been the strongest contender."


    "Oi," Hamish elbowed Owen.


    "Ow," Owen protested and looked at him. He was greeted by Hamish''s stern look, who was also furtively tilting his head toward Kyran. Realizing what he had said, Owenughed uneasily and added, "Ahaha... It is just a ''little,'' though. Just a ''little.''"


    Kyran chuckled and looked at Owen, "Rx. She was a strong contender, but in the end, I am the one who became Master Noir''s disciple. That means her talent is so-sopared to mine. She''s not impressive enough. That''s why she was not chosen."


    Owen and Hamish could not help but twitch at Kyran''s arrogant answer.


    Right. They almost forgot about ''Tyr''s'' arrogance because he had been quiet since his match with Lev. Because he was feeling under the weather, he also looked a little docile. In the end, his being sick did not affect his arrogance.


    Anyway, they did not intend to refute him. After all, ''Tyr'' could back up his arrogance.


    ''Tyr'' did own all the events he participated in. He might have tied against Lev in his previous match, but thetter had been unstoppable. Moreover, ''Tyr'' was not an Abjurer and only possessed support magic, yet he could hold his own against Elementors, not to mention a Summoner, by utilizing his Array knowledge.


    In their opinion, ''Tyr'' was setting up a new specialization for mages.


    "Do you know anything about those two?" Kyran decided to change the subject.


    He furtively nced at the two men with Millie.


    Just like Millie, both men had blonde hair and olive-green eyes. One had short curly hair, while the other had long straight hair tied in a ponytail.


    Kyran recalled their names were Malcolm and Deite, respectively. But the Conve''s information on them was superficial¡ª like both came from the main branch and were studying Array under the Courtenay''s Array Specialist.


    "Malcolm and Deite," Hamish replied. "Apart from the information provided by the Conve, they are also regrs of the order. But they rarelye in person. Their Array knowledge is averagepared to Lady Millie''s. Though, from what I''ve heard, both are smart and can achieve better results if they are really serious about studying Array."


    "They''re studying Array just for fun?"


    "More like, the elders of their family require them to study it."


    "You probably are not aware of this, Disciple Tyr, but most prodigies from the main branches of the Three Noble Families can''t choose their specializations. The elders will choose for them depending on the family''s needs," Owen chimed in.<sub> </sub>


    "The only exceptions are those geniuses like Lady Mimi," Hamish added. "The level of her innate magic is high that''s why they let her be. Although, she has been studying under the Patriarch because she is one of the future leaders of the Courtenay Family."


    "What about Millie?" Kyran asked. He remembered the level of her innate magic was not that high; thus, she was sent to the military school instead of the magic school.


    Owen sighed, "She is only from the branch family, so whatever she chose did not matter. But her innate magic is not that powerful. That''s why she really devoted her time to studying Array."


    Owen and Hamish did not notice it, but Kyran''s expression changed slightly. His eyes narrowed as he fell into contemtion.


    ''From the branch family? Impossible, I remember she is from the main branch. That''s why when that happened, the Courtenay Patriarch did everything to hush things up,'' Kyran thought. ''He even wanted to silence me. That did not happen because the headmaster told him I am a Regis. In the end, he left me be and I was able to stay in military school.''


    Still, if Millie came from a branch family, Kyran could not execute his n.


    Kyran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to revise his n.


    ''No,'' Kyran opened his eyes and looked at Millie again.


    Millie, who seemed not to have taken her eyes off him, smiled at once.


    Kyran did not return her smile this time. He only looked at her in silence.


    ''She is definitely from the main branch. Something might have happened. In any case, the fact she is always with Mimi must mean something. I need to understand the Courtenay Family''s structure,'' Kyran decided.


    He could not leave the Courtenay Family alone, given how they were invested in studying Arraypared to the other noble families.


    "We will nowmence with the Array Competition!" The Courtenay representative announced as soon as he arrived.


    The crowd inside consisted mostly of the Three Noble Families. There were few from the Royal Army and none from the Conve.


    After what happened on the ind, Noir and the other council members forbid their members from watching the matches. It was to ensure their members would not be in danger when something like that happened.


    And they knew something would happen again. Kyran had already warned them of it.


    Though he only told them the Three Noble Families would participate in the Field Operation event, that already said a lot.


    Field Operation was the main highlight of the joint military exercise. idents on or before the event would definitely ur.


    "I will now exin the rules of thepetition," the announcer continued.


    Theyers inside the six Array circles lit up one after another.


    "Each participant will be assigned to one of these circles. On each circle, three types of Array had been created. The firstyer is a support-type array. The second is an offensive type, and the third is a defensive type.


    "The participants will be given an hour to decipher eachyer. In the event that a participant fails to decipher ayer during the given time, his or her score will automatically be counted as 0. Theyer will then be removed, and he or she can decipher the next one.


    "Participants, please keep in mind that it is forbidden to ask your fellow members for assistance. If you require any items, please feel free to take them from the materials cab provided on your side.


    "Last, the first team who seeds in deciphering all nine, or at least the one who deciphered the most Array, will be the winner."


    The rules were pretty straightforward. To the point, it had many ws. But Kyran was not about toin. They were here toplete what they were asked to do without giving away too much of their ''trade secret.''


    Kyran nced at Owen and Hamish, who both nodded in return. They already devised a strategy for deciphering the Arrays without ''showing'' the crowd their techniques.


    This had only been possible because the rules were too straightforward.


    If the headmittee hade up with a meticulous one, Kyran would not have suggested doing it.


    "Thirty minutes," he said. "Let''s finish early."

 Chapter 433 The Defense-Type Array

    Deciphering an Array consisted of three basic steps known as Tri-S: scan, sort, and solve.


    Scanning is when one has to review the whole calction. After which, one must sort all forms ording to their conditions. When all the forms are sorted, it will be easy to solve how the Array works.


    However, an Array Specialist had their ways of performing the Tri-S. For example, they could use their magic sense to scan the calction or use a magic item.


    Sorting forms could also be done using magic sense. However, only those with a high-level magic sense could do this. Another way to sort forms was to re-write them manually or record them on a magic item.


    Finally, a mage had to utilize all of his Array knowledge to solve the Array correctly. It would require a lot of time.


    However, once a mage seeded in deciphering an Array, he could shorten the process in which he arrived at an answer and create his own ''technique.''


    To put it simply, these techniques were ''shortcuts.''


    For this reason, Array Specialists did not decipher Arrays in front of other people because anyone could use these shortcuts as long as they had enough understanding. If that happened, anyone who used these shortcuts could have their Array knowledge assessed and be promoted effortlessly.


    "I will now assign each participant to their Array circles."


    Glowing gold numbers appeared in the middle of the circles when the announcer said this.


    "From the right, numbers 1-3 start from the left facing the door. Please proceed to your respective circles, Millie, Malcolm, and Deite."


    The announcer paused as the three moved to their circles, Millie being the one assigned to the first circle.


    "Next, numbers 4-6 start from the right facing the wall opposite the door, Owen, Hamish and Tyr. Please proceed to your respective circles."


    The three followed.


    Once they were in front of their assigned circles, the announcer raised his hand, and three golden timers appeared above the hall.


    "The Array Competition begins now!"


    As he lowered his hand, the timer at the far end of the hall started its countdown.


    The three Courtenay participants approached the firstyer of their circles.


    Although the firstyer was a Support-type Array, all six circles had different colors.


    Starting from the first circle, the colors were green, light green, yellow, light yellow, gold, and golden brown. This meant that they had different effects.


    That was their task right now; find out what the Array does.


    <o>,m Suddenly, noise erupted from the crowd.</o>


    Confused at the sudden noise, Millie, Malcolm and Deite looked around. They then noticed Kyran, Owen and Hamish going to the materials cab without checking their Array circle first.


    Even the announcer was looking at them curiously.


    Usage of materials during thepetition was allowed, so their actions were not entirely strange. What was curious was gathering the materials before they could check their Array circle.


    It made most of them wonder if Array Specialists had a way to scan an Array without touching it and prepare the second step at once.


    Unbeknownst to them, the reason why Kyran, Owen and Hamish went to the materials cab was so they could make a Concealment Array. This was how they would hide their techniques from all the eyes watching them from the crowd.


    Concealment Array used advanced forms that Owen and Hamish probably would have trouble understanding.


    But since Kyran already knew how to make one. And after enriching his Array knowledge, he discovered easier ways to create it usingmon ingredients and in a short time.


    Then, using the remaining time before the start of thepetition, Kyran taught Owen and Hamish how to make it.


    It was a shame that Kyran had to resort to using a Concealment Array. If he had a choice, he could easily add anotheryer to the circles they would work on to alter the crowd''s perception.


    Unfortunately, Kyran was not allowed to do that. If not, he might alert some ''eyes'' watching nearby. He had already noticed them, which was one reason he wanted to finish thepetition as soon as possible.


    He would definitely draw their attention, but it did not matter. He was doing all this to show his appeal anyway¡ª at least, Tyr''s appeal as an Array Specialist.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. Pretending to be someone else was pretty exhausting, especially when he had to hide his real strength. If not for the fact that Neo would rece him as Tyr soon, he would not ce a huge limitation on himself. s, if he did not limit himself and showed more of what he could do, he would have to reprogram Neo''s Array knowledge again.


    That was pretty troublesome.


    In any case, the thirty minutes time limit he had set for them was not based on Neo''s capability alone but on Owen and Hamish. It went without saying but alone, he could finish in a shorter time.


    The Array''s level was mostly mid-tier and would not work up a sweat.


    With Owen and Hamish''s level, they could finish the firstyer in less than five minutes. For the secondyer, that would depend, but they would not take more than ten minutes. The same went for the innermostyer.


    Thus, a thirty-minute time limit was already generous.<sub> </sub>


    Hushed discussions filled the hall as the crowd watched the three go back to their assigned circles, but instead of working on them, they began creating an Array.


    The announcer''s brow furrowed. No rule forbade participants from creating an Array, so he could only watch them in silence. However, this was not what the headmittee had in mind. It was good if they understood what the three of them were working on, but he had no idea what it was so far.


    Malcolm and Deite also had a frown on their faces. But since they had their own arrays to take care of, they chose to ignore Kyran, Owen and Hamish.


    Millie also chose to start with her task; however, she would furtively nce at Kyran from time to time, wondering what he was up to. She was actually more interested in checking his work than working on her Array. If not for her father''s warning not to do anything unbefitting a Courtenay representative, she would have already approached him.


    After three minutes, Kyranpleted the Concealment Array.


    He used a three-by-three round disc as the array''s medium. He could not very well ce it on his skin. He could, but it would draw unnecessary attention.


    Once set, he activated the array and began working on his assigned circle''s firstyer.


    Owen and Hamish followed a couple of minutester.


    When the timer above turned 53:57, the firstyer on Kyran''s circle flickered and disappeared before he moved to the next.


    The time it took him to decipher the firstyer shocked everyone. They had not even seen what he had done, and he was already on the secondyer!


    The four-leaf clover earring worn by the announcer blinked a few times as the headmittee asked questions.


    <<Have you seen what Disciple Tyr had done?>>


    With a frown, the announcer could only reply, "I''m afraid not, Patriarch Ernst."


    <<What about the array he created? We saw the materials they collected, and they were all the same. However, we did not see what they did. How about you?>>


    "I''m sorry, Patriarch. I saw them working on it, but I could not understand the forms they had used."


    Suddenly, someone giggled on the other end, and a serene female voice spoke.


    <<<We have been had, Patriarch Ernst. To think they can make something like this to hide what they are doing.>>>


    <<Your Highness?>>


    <<<They are using a Concealment array to prevent us from properly seeing their work.>>>


    The announcer''s eyes widened in surprise, and in a low voice, he said, "Concealment Array? T-That''s an advanced array."


    <<<Yes. We had beenx when we wrote down the rules. We should have anticipated this.>>>


    <<Do you think Chairman Noir taught them how to create the array before the start of thepetition?>>


    <<<I do not think so. Concealment Array is not something one can learn in one go. They also needed hands-on experience to make one sessfully.>>>


    <<Then it means the Array knowledge of those three is already at such a high level? Putting aside Disciple Tyr, those two are not the main talents of the cksmith Order.>>


    <<<This only shows we have given the Conve too much freedom. They even managed to develop thetent talents of their reserves.>>>


    <<They have an Array Master. Chairman Noir might only have one disciple, but those Array Specialists working in the order are exposed to his work one way or another. It might have raised the level of all their specialists.>>


    Instead of answering Ernst, Haylee spoke to the announcer.


    <<<There is nothing to be done. When Disciple Tyrpletes the secondyer, you know what to do.>>>


    "Yes, your highness."


    When the timer turned 48:21, the secondyer Kyran was working on flickered and disappeared.


    The crowd was in an uproar.


    Even Malcolm and Deite stopped what they were doing and looked at Kyran with a frown. They had only started sorting the firstyer while thetter had alreadypleted deciphering the secondyer!


    Moreover, Owen and Hamish had finished deciphering the firstyer of their Arrays and had now started with the second one.


    Finally, Kyran moved to the thirdyer. The color of the thirdyer was golden. However, its sheen slowly turned silvery, and if he had not been paying close attention to the forms from the start, he would not have noticed it changing.


    With furrowed brows, Kyran lifted his hand and touched the thirdyer, letting his magic sense cover it. The moment it did, however, his pupils shrank, and his heart drummed heavily in his chest.


    ''This...!''


    His body trembled.


    It was only a replica, but the form within the thirdyer had simrities to the defensive array he found in the Shaiha Ruins. But what riled him up was the hidden magic signature on the array because it was none other than his father''s!

 Chapter 434 Who Do You Think I Am?

    Kyran closed his eyes, lowered his hand touching theyer, and sat cross-legged on the floor. Then he took a few slow deep breaths to calm himself.


    After a few seconds, when his mind cleared again, he began reassessing what he had just sensed.


    A replicated array would carry the magic signature of the Array Specialist who re-created it. It was almost impossible for one to replicate an array, including the previous Array Specialist''s magic signature.


    But the key point there was ''almost'' impossible. There were ways to replicate it with the previous Array Specialist''s magic signature intact.


    One way was to find an Array Specialist with an almost simr magic signature to the previous one to recreate the array.


    Magic signatures were unique to each mage, but wavelengths and such could be the same, especially when both mages came from the same bloodline.


    It made Kyran think of one possibility.


    A Regis replicated the array.


    However, even as the thought crossed Kyran''s mind, he rejected it at once. No Regis could replicate his father''s work. That much he was sure of. For argument''s sake that there was someone who could, and he was either captured by the Royal Family, Kyran was positive he would choose death over betraying the n.


    With this in mind, Kyran thought of another possibility.


    The Royal Family had someone with a unique ability that had a great understanding of magic signatures and managed to replicate it. Apart from this, that person must have great knowledge of Array.


    But this possibility had a huge w and was also one of the main reasons a Regis could not have replicated the array.


    No one from the Royal Family''s side whose Array knowledge was high enough to understand Cade''s array.


    Nn might be the only one who could replicate it, but then the magic signature on the array should be...


    ''No, wait. There is one...'' Kyran thought as Mannick crossed his mind.


    Mannick is Azaloth, a powerful Abjurer and Array Master. No, not just a Master. He may even be an Array Transcendent.


    But Azaloth as Mannick was abat mage, not an Abjurer. From the limited information the Conve had about him, his Array knowledge was average, and he was only good with battle tactics.


    The Royal Family would not ask Mannick to replicate Cade''s array. If there were one thing they would seek his assistance with, it would have to do with his unique magic.


    ''That''s right...!'' Kyran balled his fists. He had to think of this from a different perspective.


    From the start, he was looking for a person. But what if the Royal Family employed two?


    For example, Mannick and Savagery?


    Savagery''s an Array Saint at most. She might not be knowledgeable about the Human ne''s Alchemy, but if it was only to replicate arrays, it was easy. As for the magic energy used in creating the array, Mannick might have helped by gathering simr magic energies from Cade''s array during its creation.


    It was an absurd idea, even Kyran thought so. But it might be the only answer.


    Unless...


    ''What if this is not a replication but a projection?'' Kyran frowned and touched theyer once again.


    Projections possessed echoes of the real one. It was why sometimes, even a projection could emit a powerful pressure.


    Instead of trying to cover theyer with his magic sense, Kyran targeted the circle itself.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    As expected, the part of the circle which housed the thirdyer was a hugemunication device.


    The device was not made using the Human ne''s Array but a foreign one. Kyran would not have noticed it without his vast Array knowledge and experience from different nes.


    Nevertheless, this projected array of his father''s work somewhat put his mind at ease.


    No wonder the Royal Family¡ª rather, the Crown Princess¡ª was getting desperate.<sub> </sub>


    With this kind of defensive array protecting the Regis Estate, it would be difficult for others to decipher.


    Even more so, destroy it.


    It was not surprising that Ruin, Deception and Savagery did not force their way into the estate the first time. Based on Kyran''s understanding of his father''s array, its defenses grew stronger the more it gets bombarded by powerful magic or non-magic attacks. No one could also get near since the array included a restriction and admission forms, which when used together result in the array restricting people from passing through. Without the acknowledgement of the array''s creator, anyone who tried to pass would be killed.


    Even Kyran would not be allowed to pass if his father did not acknowledge it.


    But knowing all this still did not put Kyran''s mind at ease. It actually put him in a dilemma because if he did not manage to show any progress in deciphering the array the Royal Family might change their mind employing his assistance. But if he did show progress, they might use his work as basis to start their own research. He might be using a Concealment Array now, but if they checked which of the forms he managed to sorte, they might find a clue.


    They might have lost Savagery but if there was anyone scarier than a high-level Array Master, it was a group of overly enthusiastic Array Specialists. Their Array knowledge might becking but with more heads scrutinizing his work, they might gain insight and find clues on how to decipher the whole array.


    Before Kyran could decide, Owen and Hamish also finished the secondyer. He looked up and realized that it had been more than eight minutes since he began working on the thirdyer.


    The timer was now 39:49. They only had nine minutes and forty-nine seconds before their agreed thirty minutes deadline.


    Kyran smiled bitterly. He was deep in thought he wasted more than eight minutes just trying to understand how his father''s array had appeared here.


    However, the pressure of knowing he only had less than nine minutes to think of a strategy how to avoid deciphering the array and still appeal to the Royal Family actually gave him a sh of inspiration.


    Kyran did not have to do anything. He would make his move when Owen and Hamish finished deciphering their respective circles. He was positive both would seed because they got a normal defense-type array unlike him.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, the crowd erupted in cheer. The ones who cheered the loudest were the Courtenay Family.


    Kyran looked up and immediately found the reason. Millie had seeded in deciphering the firstyer of her circle.


    As if noticing Kyran''s gaze, Millie turned and beamed at him. Her expression seemed to say ''Look, Disciple Tyr! I did it! Please praise me!''


    Kyran simply nodded his head at her before returning his attention to the thirdyer. The moment he looked away however, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    Millie sessfully deciphering the firstyer of the circle meant his guess was spot on. The Courtenay Family indeed had mages whose Array knowledge was good enough to be an Array Specialist.


    The crowd cheered once more, as both Malcolm and Deite seeded in deciphering the firstyer of their circle.


    From the Conve''s side, Noir and Vaness looked at the Courtenay representatives with aplicated expressions.


    To find three unregistered Array Specialists in thispetition spoke volumes.


    The Courtenay Family had been secretly raising their own Array Specialists. Now that they were being open about it, it meant they were about to make a move. A move they were unaware of but definitely nothing good.


    Kyran, on the other hand, was feeling apprehensive. If the Courtenay participants could decipher their assigned arrays, then wouldn''t that mean the Conve would lose?


    They managed to decipher the firstyer in less than thirty minutes, if they went with this momentum, they could finish allyers in less than three hours. Moreover, they seemed to have gotten easier arrays to work on.


    It was a little annoying.


    "You dare do this in front of me?" Noir suddenly said as he stood up.


    His tone was obviously angry.


    Everyone turned to look at him at once. Even Owen and Hamish, who managed to ignore the uproar from the Courtenay representatives seeding in their arrays, stopped what they were doing to look at Noir.


    The announcer also perked up, and said innocently, "Is there anything wrong, Chairman Noir?"


    Noir glowered at the announcer, "Do not y dumb. Who do you think I am?"


    Kyran, who remained silent, smiled inwardly. Noir''s intervention was a timely one!


    "I am afraid I cannot understand¡ª."


    "Both Owen and Hamish worked on low-tier arrays for their firstyer, while Tyr worked on a mid-tier. The level of their secondyer are mid-tier while Tyr had worked on a high-tier array! Apart from that, Owen and Hamish are working on mid-tier defense-type arrays while Tyr has been given a saint-tier array! Clearly, my disciple has been assigned to a much moreplex circle! If you are not testing my disciple, then what is with this huge difference?"

 Chapter 435 Millie’s Scheme

    After hearing Chairman Noir''s outburst, the crowd went into an uproar.


    "S-Saint-tier array? Is there even such a thing?"


    "Disciple Tyr has been given a saint-tier array? How will he decipher such a highly advanced array?"


    "What are you even saying? That''s an array only spoken in legends! How can one decipher it?"


    "I found it strange that Disciple Tyr had suddenly gone silent. No wonder!"


    Remarks from the crowd reverberated throughout the hall, resulting in the announcer''s face distorting in annoyance.


    "That is enough!" His magic pressure erupted, rattling theyers of arrays Kyran and the rest were working on.


    The crowd was silenced in an instant.


    Noir did not react to the announcer''s disy of power and looked at him. Sitting to his left, Vaness was silent the whole time but also looked intently at the announcer.


    It was not a surprise that both were acting cautiously. Because when the announcer erupted with magic pressure, they noticed thetter''s magic level was that of a Grand Master. However, though they were at the same level, the announcer was already close to bing an Exalted.


    The announcer took a deep breath before addressing Noir once more. All the while, his four-leaf clover earring blinked a few times.


    "Apologies for the confusion Chairman Noir. Rest assured that this is only a misunderstanding," he started. "It has not been announced, but the headmittee indeed included a few advance-tier arrays on the circles. However, it is at random."


    He waved his hand toward Malcolm''s circle. The golden sheen that covered the circle''s secondyer glowed.


    "For example, the secondyer of Sir Malcolm''s circle is a legendary-tier. And," he paused and waved toward Millie''s circle.


    The thirdyer of her circle lit up. Then the announcer continued, "The thirdyer of Lady Millie''s circle is also a saint-tier array."


    Noir looked over and indeed noticed both arrays had advanced forms. However, he knew that had not been the case earlier. Somehow, the circles were set up in such a way the headmittee could change the level of the arrays.


    With narrowed eyes, Noir nced furtively at Kyran and wondered if he should point that out. If he did, would it benefit the Conve? Or would it disrupt Kyran''s n? In the first ce, he only intervened because he noticed thetter''s troubled look. It was only then that he realized the array he was working on was a saint-tier.


    "Wait just a moment! A saint-tier array? How do you expect us to decipher such an advanced array?" Millie''s sudden outburst made everyone in the hall look at her.


    The announcer frowned slightly before he could say something. Millie continued with her protest, "I can understand including advanced arrays on the circles to spice things up but a saint-tier?"


    "Lady Millie¡ª."


    "Chairman Noir," Millie ignored the announcer and looked at Noir. She then lowered her head and said, "As a member of the Courtenay Family, please allow me to apologize."


    "Oi, Millie!" Malcolm and Deite called her out.


    <o>,m However, Millie ignored them and stood straight; then, she looked at Kyran before Lowering her head. She said, "Disciple Tyr. I admire your resolution in studying Array, but please allow me to apologize to you as well."</o>


    She straightened her back and continued, "You have a choice to point out thepetition''s obvious partiality between participants, knowing well that themittee are aware of the level of the arrays assigned to each of our circles."


    "Lady Millie¡ª!"


    "However, you did not. Your decisions greatly showed how much you abhor needless disputes and would rather continue thepetition while challenging yourself by facing the saint-tier array head on."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly. He did not have such thoughts. "Err... Actually¡ª."


    "You are really the role model of all Array Specialists."


    "Ah, no. I¡ª."


    "Lady Millie¡ª!"


    "I feel ashame of what my family had done¡ª."


    "That is enough, Millie!"


    "¡ª that is why, I will now forfeit thepetition."


    "Millie!"


    "..."


    Millie looked at Malcolm and Deite, "I wish you two good luck."


    Then she looked at the announcer with disdain, "Please tell the headmittee that I am disappointed in them."


    With that, she turned and left.


    The hall fell into an awkward silence.


    Noir and Vaness, who were prepared for the worst, were left bbergasted. While they did not mind this turn of events, it was so sudden that they felt like someone had doused them with cold water.


    Even the announcer could only gape at Millie''s retreating back.


    On the other hand, Owen and Hamish exchanged confused nces while Malcolm and Deite gritted their teeth and followed Millie.


    If Millie forfeited, even if they continued with thepetition, it would have been impossible to win. Didn''t the announcer say the level of Malcolm''s secondyer was legendary-tier? That alone was enough to seal their fate. They hated to admit it, but even if they were as good as Millie at Array, they couldn''t decipher such an advanced array!


    <<<Announce the winner.>>>


    The announcer snapped out of his reverie and cleared his throat.


    "Since the Courtenay Family had forfeited the match, the winner for today''s Array Competition is the Conve!"<sub> </sub>


    As soon as he announced the winner, the timer above stopped.


    The crowd remained silent. They were too shocked at what happened, especially the results.


    A few minutes ago, they felt thepetition was starting to get exciting. After all, the Courtenay Family''s participants managed to decipher the firstyer of their circles!


    But then...


    Kyran took a deep breath and stood up. He approached Owen and Hamish, still somewhat confused at what had happened, and said, "Let''s go back."


    They looked at him and nodded, albeit they were somewhat reluctant. To be honest, they were starting to enjoy what they were doing. After all, they were not often asked to decipher arrays they were unfamiliar with.


    Once they arrived at the locker, the result finally sank in on both Owen and Hamish.


    "W-What the hell just happened? I was just getting started!" Owenined.


    Hamish sighed, "Me too. I was actually enlightened by the first two arrays I worked on. It is my first time seeing a support-type array that can increase a mage''s magic energy capacity within its area of effect. The offense-type array too, it was my first time seeing one that can auto-cast a mid-tier fire magic attack."


    "Oh, you''re arrays are pretty interesting. My support-type is a target-oriented one. It can increase its target''s attack power. While the offense-type array can emit sonar attack to approaching enemies."


    "Those are interesting arrays too," Hamishmented. He looked at Kyran and asked, "What about yours, Disciple Tyr? Chairman Noir said the array levels assigned to you is higher than ours."


    "Hm," Kyran replied, somewhat a little distracted. "The firstyer can reflect magic attacks, the second is an enervation array."


    "What?" Owen and Hamish eximed.


    "Doesn''t the enervation array a support-type array? While reflect magic is offense?"


    "Depending on how it is used," Kyran replied, still distracted.


    Owen and Hamish exchanged nces. They were curious what the form for both arrays was but seeing Kyran''s distracted look; they felt it was not the right time to ask.


    "I''ll teach you the formster," Kyran said, looking at them with a slight smile. He was distracted, but not so much that he could not notice both of their hesitations. Besides, he did not mind teaching them.


    "Thank you, Disciple Tyr!" Owen and Hamish beamed and bowed at him in respect.


    Before Kyran could help them up, the door that led to the hall opened, and Noir and Vaness entered.


    "Chairman Noir, Head Chief Vaness," Owen and Hamish bowed at them.


    Noir gestured for them to stand straight while Vaness closed the door.


    With a bitter smile, Noir started, "This is not the conclusion I had expected."


    "Yes," Vaness agreed. "I don''t think it was supposed to end like that."


    Owen and Hamish looked at them in confusion.


    "No," Kyran agreed. "Millie did not follow the script. I''m sure the ''headmittee'' is now seething in anger."


    Noir and Vaness did not need to hear him specify which of the ''headmittee'' he was referring to. They already knew he meant the Crown Princess.


    Of course, Patriarch Ernst might also be seething in anger at Millie''s forfeiture, but the Crown Princess was the one looking forward to testing Kyran''s Array ability.


    "They will definitely do the same thing for tomorrow''s Array Competition," Vanessmented with a sigh.


    "It''s okay," Kyran said with a smile, "We are facing the Montgomeray Family."


    "Hm... Among the Three Noble Families, the Montgomeray Family''s Array knowledge is only average," Hamish remarked.


    Kyran shook his head, "That''s not what I mean. But, yes, you''re right. We can face them head on and we can win as long as the headmittee does not¡ª."


    Tok! Tok! Tok!


    Three knocks on the door interrupted Kyran before they could react; the door opened at once.


    "Good afternoon Chairman Noir, Head Chief Vaness," Millie greeted as she let herself in.


    "L-Lady Millie!" Owen eximed in surprise.


    Hamish gaped at her as well. As far as he knew, they had locked the door! How did she manage to enter?


    Kyran narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. He had sensed her near the door, but he thought she would wait for them outside. He had not expected her to take the initiative toe inside.


    Noir and Vaness''s expressions turned grim, but they nodded at Millie''s greetings.


    "Don''t you think it is inappropriate for a youngdy to enter a room with only males inside?" Vaness asked.


    Millie looked at him, "I''m sorry Head Chief Vaness. But I don''t think I''ll get another chance to meet Chairman Noir and Disciple Tyr together."


    "And what do you need from us?" Noir asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.


    Millie looked at Kyran before looking back at Noir and said, "I came here to propose something for tomorrow''s Solo Competition."


    "...? And what makes you think we will listen?"


    Millie smiled, "I did make that scene earlier, Chairman Noir. Don''t you think I deserve a littlepensation?"

 Chapter 436 Wager

    Noir frowned slightly as he studied Millie''s expression. He did not expect her forfeiture to be intentional.


    One of the reasons he did not ept her as his disciple even though her Array knowledge wasmendable was because he could not read her. She looked innocent and without w. However, Noir sensed underlying darkness around her. He could not put it into words before, but after today, he now understood.


    Millie had a maniptive nature.


    While her forfeiture was unnecessary, Noir could not deny her action saved them. Because if he had followed through with his intervention earlier, the end result would put the Conve in a dire situation. He would have received the ire of both the Courtenay Family and the Royal Family and jeopardized their members'' participation in the remainingpetitions. After all, both families were part of the headmittee.


    Nevertheless, Millie''s action ended up with them owing her a favor.


    They could ignore what she did, but there was no telling what she would do afterward. Such was the nature of a maniptive person. It did not matter who they ended up sacrificing as long as they got what they wanted and still managed to get away with it.


    If Noir had been privy to Kyran''s past, he would realize how on point his intuition had been.


    After all, Kyran had fallen victim to Millie''s maniption before.


    When Kyran diverted from the scenario Millie had in mind, she acted like a victim and got practically every student in the military school to ostracize him. That incident made Kyran cautious around women not part of the Regis n. He also realized how crooked people''s thoughts could be and swore never again to leave the walls of the Regis n. He would rather live the rest of his life in seclusion than be in thepany of other people. s, fate had a different idea, and Kyran was forced to leave the estate.


    "Please, don''t make that face, Chairman Noir," Millie said, looking worried and somewhat offended. "I may have done something unnecessary, but seeing Disciple Tyr looking lost, I could not stand it."


    Kyran raised his brows and fought back a snort. Even Hamish could not help but frown at her words. Owen, who seemed to harbor a special feeling for Millie, also looked a bit uncertain. They could not imagine Kyran showing a lost expression even when faced with an unexpected situation.


    "That''s why I decided to intervene. Of course, this is only a friendly exchange, and my forfeiture seemed irrelevant. However, you both know¡ª," she paused and gave a meaningful look to Vaness and then to Noir, "¡ªhow the result of this particrpetition will affect the rtionship between our factions."


    Noir''s eyes narrowed, "You appear innocent, Lady Millie, but it seems I am mistaken about you."


    Millie''s eyes widened at once. With an innocent expression, she shook her head, "Oh no, please, Chairman Noir. Do not misunderstand. I may have demandedpensation for what I did, but I will not ask anything unreasonable."


    "What is it that you want then?" Vaness asked.


    Millie regarded him before answering, "As I said, I have a proposal for tomorrow''s Solo Competition. It is still up to you whether you ept it or not. You listening to my proposal is enoughpensation for what I did."


    She looked at Kyran and smiled, "Disciple Tyr, I will also participate in tomorrow''s Solo Competition."


    Kyran tilted his head but did not reply.


    "Please have a match with me."


    Kyran raised one brow and asked, "I may not look it, but I don''t fight women."


    "''Don''t,'' not ''can''t,'' meaning you can fight, but as a man, your ego won''t let you, is that it?"


    "No," Kyran replied with a slight smile, "I am not good at holding back, you see. I don''t want to end up disfiguring a woman''s pretty face."


    Millie giggled while the others looked at Kyran with ck lines on their heads.


    Just what in the world was Kyran even saying?


    "So Disciple Tyr does say some silly stuff," Millie remarked.


    "...."


    "Anyway," Millie''s expression turned serious, "Please consider it, Disciple Tyr."


    "...?"


    Instead of answering Kyran, Millie looked at Noir and said, "Chairman Noir, it is unfortunate I cannot learn from you. I admit feeling disappointed when you did not choose me as your disciple. However, after seeing Disciple Tyr''s work and witnessing him in action, I realized how ambitious I had been. Disciple Tyr''s talent in Array is head and shoulders above mine. Still...."


    She lowered her head and said, using a louder voice, "Let me face Disciple Tyr in a match, Chairman Noir! If I manage to hold my own against him with my Array abilities, please allow me to be his disciple!"


    "W-Wha?"


    "Huh?"


    "Eh?"


    "D-Dis- What?"


    "..."


    Owen, Hamish, Vaness, Noir, and Kyran uttered, respectively.


    Millie straightened and continued, "You can only take one disciple, so I cannot ask you to take me in. However, Disciple Tyr doesn''t have a disciple, right? Given his aplishments, he can already ept a disciple, so¡ª."


    "B-But you already have a master..." Owen muttered.


    Millie shook her head and looked at him, "I don''t. I am indeed learning under Master Evan, but I am not his disciple. He taught Array to most younger members of our family, and that includes me. But at the end of the day, he only has one disciple, which isn''t me."


    "Be that as it may," Noir started, "Tyr is still learning and so¡ª."


    "Please, Chairman Noir! Please consider it!" Millie pleaded and lowered her head once more.


    "Rather than talking to my master, why are you not asking for my opinion?" Kyran asked.


    They all fell silent.


    Kyran had a point.


    Millie slowly straightened her back and looked at him bashfully. With slightly flushed cheeks, she said, "I... just thought it appropriate to ask Chairman Noir''s approval first..."


    Hamish looked at Millie with a somewhat nk expression. Seeing her flushed face, coupled with going to Chairman Noir first than to Kyran, she seemed to be asking the older man to be Kyran''s bride instead of a disciple.


    "Tyr is right," Noir said with a sigh. "He is my disciple, yes. However, I cannot decide for him to take in a disciple. It is a decision he has to make on his own."<sub> </sub>


    "But¡ª."


    "I''m curious," Kyran said while looking at Millie intently. "Normally, one would challenge someone in a fight to win. But instead, you only said, ''to hold your own against me.'' Do youck the confidence about winning?"


    Millie lowered her gaze, "I... cannot win. I know my limitations."


    "Yet you want me to take you as a disciple. That is not very convincing¡ª."


    "I know my limitations, but that is under Master Evan''s guidance. I-If you... If I learn from you, I know I will be able to break through my limits and grow!" Millie blurted; her eyes shone with determination.


    Kyran fell silent as he studied her. He could feel Noir''s eyes on him and knew the older man was waiting for him to decide.


    Looking at Millie''s olive-green eyes brought back unpleasant memories to Kyran. He was positive she had other motives for wanting to be his disciple, and he had a few ideas. None of which was pleasant.


    Nevertheless, Kyran and Millie had amon ''enemy.''


    The Crown Princess.


    Knowing Millie''s true nature, she would never get along with Haylee. Both had hidden darkness, and while thetter was more open about her intentions, both liked to manipte others. Still, Millie''s reasons were mediocrepared to Haylee''s.


    In Kyran''s opinion, Millie''s reason for manipting others was to gain influence and power within the Courtenay Family. On the other hand, Haylee was doing it to gain loyal followers and an undying army to take on... well, Kyran was unsure yet, but whatever drove her was definitely not on a mere ''family level.''


    It was definitely something bigger and might not even be limited to the Human ne.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He did n on getting Millie''s interest and used it to gain ess to the Courtenay Family''s higher echelon, so her wanting to be his disciple would make things easier.


    However, taking in a disciple at this point in time might hinder his n to infiltrate the Royal Family. Millie also went against Haylee''s scenario, so thetter probably disliked the former. Kyran did not want to get caught up in their infighting.


    "You said that hearing your proposal is enough topensate for what you did," Kyran finally spoke after a long pause.


    "Yes."


    "And it will be up to us whether to ept it or not."


    "That''s right."


    "Then the answer is no. We don''t ept it."


    Millie''s expression instantly fell. She opened her mouth and was about to argue; however, Kyran lifted his hand to stop her.


    "Let me finish," he continued.


    Hearing his words, Millie looked hopeful and closed her mouth to let him continue.


    Kyran took a deep breath and said, "Let''s wager instead."


    Millie''s eyes widened in confusion, "Wager?"


    "I don''t like bullying women, so let''s fight using Array only. If, as you said, you manage to hold your own against me within five minutes, it''s your win. But if not, then it''s my win."


    "That''s..."


    "As to our wager. If you win, I''ll teach you Array."


    Millie''s expression immediately lit up.


    "Let me make it clear. I will only teach you Array. I will not take you as a disciple."


    "Okay! That is more than enough!" Millie replied, nodding her head in excitement.


    "But if I win..." Kyran paused and smiled.


    However, Noir and Vaness saw how his smile did not meet his eyes.


    "You''ll have to do something for me. What do you say?"


    Millie''s expression remained the same. However, Kyran saw her eyes dim slightly.


    If there was one thing a maniptive person did not like, it was being asked to do something.


    "Can I ask what it is?"


    "Don''t worry. I will not have you do something you can''t or don''t want to do."


    Millie giggled, "Don''t get me wrong, Disciple Tyr. I don''t mind doing anything you ask me to. But while I trust you will not let me do something unreasonable, I am still part of the Courtenay Family. I am afraid they will not be happy."


    Kyran chuckled, "There it is again. Lack of confidence. You sound like I''ve already won the wager. Not that I''ll lose tomorrow."


    Millie pursed her lips. But then she took a deep breath and said, "I-If you agree to at least let me watch you work for a few days if I lose, then I don''t mind doing anything you ask. I don''t care what my family says."


    "Deal."


    "T-That''s fast."


    "What? You don''t want to?"


    "N-No! I''ll wager!"


    Kyran smiled, "Then let''s meet in the arena tomorrow."


    Millie returned his smile, "Alright. Just wait, I''ll have you teach me Array!"

 Chapter 437 Dont Hesitate

    "Disciple Tyr," Owen approached Kyran as soon as Millie left the locker.


    "Hm? What''s wrong?"


    Owen hesitated for a second, then steeled himself and said, "Do not take offense, but I hope you will not ask Lady Millie to do...um... anything inappropriate."


    Noir and Vaness''s expressions turned nk at Owen''s implication.


    On the one hand, Hamish paled and was about to say something. However, Owen suddenly lowered his head at Kyran and shouted, "I''ll ept any punishment for speaking out of line!"


    When he was greeted by silence, he looked up and almost twitched when he found Kyran looking at him with a slightly gaping mouth.


    "D-Disciple Tyr¡ª?"


    ".... When you say inappropriate things, you... didn''t mean that, did you?"


    Owenughed uneasily, "Ahehehe... Well, you had a scary look when you said it. Your expression reminded me of a pervert looking at his prey¡ª ack! H-Hamish! W-What was that for?"


    Owenined when Hamish hit his head with a knifehand strike.


    "What are you even thinking? Disciple Tyr is not that kind of person! Yes, he is arrogant and may act like a scoundrel who ys around with women¡ª."


    "Oi."


    "¡ªbut in truth, he is an honorable man who respects them and will never do anything disgraceful!"


    "If you don''t stop, forget about teaching you two the arrays I deciphered back there, I won''t even teach you other arrays I know!" Kyran scowled at them.


    Owen and Hamish''s countenance changed instantly as they faced Kyran andughed uneasily.


    "We are just fooling around, Disciple Tyr."


    "Right. Right, I suddenly went serious there but it was just to lift the mood. Really."


    Noir and Vaness, who watched their exchange in silence, chuckled.


    "You three seemed rx," Noirmented.


    Owen and Hamish looked at them both looking a little embarrassed.


    "Since we finished early, let''s go watch the Alchemypetition," Vaness suggested.


    "That''s right, the Alchemypetition is still on going," Noir agreed.


    "I''ll have to excuse myself, Master Noir and Head Chief Vaness," Kyran said apologetically. "I''ll take advantage of this time to rest and prepare for tomorrow''s matches."


    They all looked at him, their expressions turning sober.


    "You always appear in control we keep forgetting you are feeling unwell. Tomorrow, you''ll also participate in two events," Owen recalled. "Will you be alright? I mean, you probably can survive tomorrow but the day after tomorrow, the Solo Competition''s quarter finals will happen at the same time as the Array Competition."


    Kyran smiled, "I''ll manage somehow. Hopefully, the rules in the Arraypetition remains the same, and we don''t get a random advance array mixed in on the circles we are assigned to."


    "Hm" Vaness nodded his head. "What happened earlier is our mistake. We did not confirm the level of the arrays used in the match."


    "Yes," Noir agreed, "To be honest, I did not notice that array beforehand. At most, there had only been mid-tier arrays. To think they actually hid those advanced arrays. It was uneptable. We will not allow anything like that to happen again."


    He looked at Kyran and smiled apologetically, "Go and rest. Later, I''ll ask Malia to concoct a potion for you."


    Kyran bowed his head toward Noir, "Thank you, master. I''ll take my leave."


    After exiting the locker room. Kyran returned to his room. Of course, the exchange between him and Noir had only been an act because he was not really sick. Noir and Vaness knew he had other things to do, so they did not insist on him staying.


    Because the Arraypetition ended early, Kyran took this chance to visit the Montgomeray''s secret residence. He was supposed to returnst night, but because of the Beast Hunt incident yesterday, he had to postpone.


    Though he did not inform Ezra, Zuri already informed thetter of what happened and knew Kyran would not be able toe.


    In any case, Kyran sent a message of hising, using the token Ezra gave him.


    The token worked as identification and amunication device. With it, Kyran could contact Ezra anytime and enter the Montgomeray residence without being questioned. It also allowed Kyran to warp anywhere inside the residence so long as he had already stepped foot there.


    As soon as Ezra received Kyran''s message, he called for the elders and asked about the progress of the first five talents whose fae blood had been reawakened by White Lily.


    So far, the five talents were adapting well to their contracted Spirits. White Lily had also been there to observe them while checking the rest of the Montgomeray members for more prospects. To date, she identified 23 talents who had weak fae blood but had powerful innate magic.


    After Kyran arrived, Ezra, the rest of the elders, and White Lily held a meeting. They discussed future ns on how to strengthen the Montgomeray''s overall military strength.


    During their meeting, Kyran noticed the elders acting docile and timid around him. It was understandable. He did leave a mark on all of them.


    Still, having them act like this was a little unsettling. They acted like servants rather than subordinates, which did not sit well with Kyran.


    In the end, Kyran decided not to do anything and let Ezra change their mindset.


    When the meeting ended, Kyran left and returned to the cottage.<sub> </sub>


    By the time Kyran got there, Cyneah was already asleep. He stood at the side of the bed and silently watched her sleep.


    Calcting the time difference in Noser, it had only been an hour from when Cyneah returned home after working in the hospice. Seeing how soundly she was sleeping, Kyran guessed they had a busy afternoon.


    Kyran sighed and sat noiselessly at the side of her bed. He intended toe early to speak with her about healing Hugh''s magic core. s, he was a few minuteste.


    Just as he was thinking this, Cyneah stirred in her sleep, and her eyes fluttered open.


    Kyran straightened and held his breath, waiting to see if she would wake or go back to sleep. A part of him wanted to wake her but felt she was probably tired, so he decided to remain still.


    "Nar...?" Cyneah called out sleepily as she turned her head toward Kyran.


    Kyran''s brow creased slightly. Lately, he felt slightly irritated when she called him ''Nar,'' and found his behavior unreasonable. After all, he was the one who told her his name was Nar.


    He initially thought it was unnecessary to tell her the truth because he did not n on keeping her. But the situation had changed. He could have told her the truth when te took her as a disciple, but he ended up dallying¡ª actually, he just did not want her to know.


    Back then, Kyran saw her existence as a big risk, wherein if she ended up in the hands of the Royal Army, she might unnecessarily leak information about him. This thought came after the Special Ops got hold of her back in Hanaan.


    But now.


    "How did you know it''s me?" Kyran asked, reigning in his irritation.


    Cyneah smiled sleepily and slowly sat up, "Your smell."


    Kyran raised his brows and unconsciously smelled his clothes, "Do I smell?"


    "No," Cyneah replied with a giggle. "You don''t smell like medicinal herbs, like master, or like a cool breeze like Zephy so I know it''s you."


    Kyran frowned, "I can understand your master entering your room unannounced but Zephy? Does he enter your room too?"


    Cyneah nodded, "Yes, when master asks him to." She tilted her head to one side and asked, "Why?"


    "Don''t let him in from now on. He can wait outside your door. Make that everyone except your master."


    "Everyone? Does that include you?"


    "Obviously, I''m exempted."


    Cyneah chuckled, "Exempted, huh? To be honest, you''re the only one who suddenlyes into my room unannounced."


    "...."


    She was right.


    "As I said, I''m exempted."


    Cyneahughed, "Fine."


    Kyran''s expression softened after hearing herugh. "Sorry foring again."


    "It''s okay," she replied, shaking her head slightly. Then her expression turned sober as she asked, "Is there something wrong?"


    "You sound like I onlye here when something is wrong."


    Cyneah did not respond and only looked at Kyran in silence.


    Kyran looked at her eyes, which seemed to glisten even with minimal light in the room. Her line of sight was a little off, but her gaze bore on him.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. Honestly, he did not want to start their conversation by asking her for help. Though he did not like beating around the bush, he had been asking for her help whenever he returned to the cottage and felt bad.


    After a moment of silence, Kyran said, "You''re right. I... need your help with something, but I¡ª."


    "Then tell me," Cyneah cut him off as she reached out to him. "You don''t have to hesitate."


    Kyran reflexively raised his hand and took her hand, and said, "You should."


    Cyneah raised her brows, "What...?"


    Kyran smiled slightly, "You''re the one who should show some hesitation."


    "Why should I hesitate? I am blind, Nar. I can never help you with other things. Only through my abilities can I be of help, so why should I hesitate?"


    "Because I may end up taking advantage of you."


    "Then take advantage of me," Cyneah replied with a smile. "Without you, I would have died in that ce. I wouldn''t have met my master and learned about many things. You are my savior, Nar."


    Kyran frowned again after hearing her call him Nar. Yet, he did not try to correct her.


    "So don''t hesitate to ask. I''ll do anything in my power to help you."

 Chapter 438 Dual Array Creation

    The talk Kyran had with Cyneah left him feeling a little upset. He already knew she would readily agree to anything he asked her. But hearing her tell him not to hesitate and take advantage of her did not sit well with him.


    Cyneah was not a tool, and Kyran had no ns of taking advantage of her.


    Yet, all he ever did was take advantage of her ability.


    First was his magic core. Then whenever he needed to replenish his magic energy, she would dly use her ability to help him even when she was exhausted.


    Now, there was Hugh.


    With a heavy sigh, Kyran looked at Cyneah, who had gone back to sleep after agreeing to heal Hugh. She did not even ask who thetter was and immediately agreed to meet and heal him.


    Kyran wanted to repay her, but she never asked for anything other than to ''see'' him.


    Recalling Cyneah''s request, Kyran finally made a decision. She intends to see him using magic sense, but he will find a way to return her eyes.


    Zephyr said they were taken from her, and Kyran would get them back. It would not be easy, and Kyran was aware of it, but he would do it anyway.


    But first, he needed to ask White Lily the truth of that day when a Spirit attacked the ''princess'' because he needed to confirm something.


    In any case, restoring Cyneah''s sight would be one of the top things Kyran would do after saving his n.


    Kyran stood up and warped back to his room at the Courtenaynd.


    That evening, Kyran spent time sorting through all the information he had. He meticulously read through all the information on every faction (small, medium andrge) he got from the Conve, Byron and anything new his magic items came in contact with.


    Based on everything Kyran gathered, apart from the factions he set his eyes on, most small and medium factions adopted a ''wait and see'' attitude toward the recent changes made by the Royal Family. None of them were aware of the new power structure in the whole empire; thus, most believed it would only be a matter of time before one of therge factions¡ª in particr the Temr Code and the Royal Army, would break the status quo and lead a rebellion.


    While Kyran finalized the list of stops he would go to after assuming Nar''s identity, he sensed hismunication lit up. A sign someone sent him a coded message.


    Kyran checked the message and discovered it was from Byron. As he scanned through its content, a smile appeared on his face.


    The next day was a busy one. Four events were happening¡ª two of which would happen simultaneously¡ª and several matches lined up for the day.


    The rules for the Alchemypetition remained the same, and it ended with the Royal Family and Conve winning against the Montgomeray Family and the Lumley Family, respectively.


    As for the Array Creation, it adopted the rules from yesterday, albeit the level of arrays was fixed.


    The Conve won their match against the Montgomeray Family. As for the match between the Royal Army and the Courtenay Family, surprisingly, thetter managed to draw with the former.


    Finally, the Solo and Teampetitions drew a lot of attention in the afternoon.


    All four Function Halls were filled to the brim with spectators.


    In particr, Function Hall 2, where the Conve and the Courtenay Family Solo Competition wouldmence, was overly crowded. Almost every Courtenay family member went there to watch.


    To ensure everyone could watch the match properly, the headmittee opened the Dome Grand Hall and prepared a live feed showing the matches happening in all function halls.


    Ten minutes before the start of the Solo Competition, Kyran, Styx, and the rest of the mercenaries entered the hall and sat on the bench reserved on their side.


    Without looking at Kyran sitting to his right, Styx asked, "What do you think? Will they adopt the Solo Challenge?"


    "Nope," Kyran replied at once. "I think we will all have a proper match."


    "Hm," Styx nodded. "The Courtenay Family has been conservative in all their matches, so I see where you areing from. But I still think they will ask for a change in the rules."


    "Rather than a change in the rules, they will probably have their members choose who they want to fight."


    Seated to Kyran''s right, Rake looked at him, "What makes you say that?"


    "Yesterday, someone already asked me for a match in today''spetition."


    Deo, who had been listening in on them and was seated to Rake''s right, whistled while shaking his head. "It''s really hard to be popr. I just hope not all of them will request to fight you."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head, "I''ll decline if that happens. I justpeted in the Array Creation and didn''t have the strength to fight two matches. To be honest, I don''t think I''llst for more than five minutes in one match."


    Sitting at the far right side of the bench, Tilda leaned forward and peered at Kyran.


    "You do look like sh*t. Are you sure you''re getting enough rest? You look far worse than our match with the Montgomeray Family," she remarked.


    While studying Kyran''s profile, Deo nodded and said, "I also think so."


    Kyran looked at them from the corner of his eyes and, with a slight smile, said, "I''ll be fine."


    Before the three could say more, Styx cut them off by saying, "The fact he''s still sitting with us is proof he has enough strength to fight in a match."


    Then he looked at Kyran and added, "But you''ll have to gost."


    "Okay."


    The announcer appeared, and all noise died down at once.


    "Greetings to all! Without further ado, we will nowmence with the Solo Competition!" She announced and hovered above the arena.


    "The rules for today''spetition are simple. The leaders of each team will draw lots. The side who drew the ck orb will be the first team who can decide which among the members of the opposite side will fight."


    Rake, Deo and Tilda all turned to look at Kyran after the announcer had spoken.<sub> </sub>


    Once again, Kyran had been on point.


    "At the end of each match, the loser team will be the one to pick the member among the opposite side who will fight next."


    "Hm?" Tilda frowned, "Shouldn''t it be the other way around? Since the winning team won, they should be the ones picking?"


    "They already won. It will be unfair if they also choose for the next match. What if they choose the other side''s weakest member and have their strongest fighter fight?" Deo told her. "This is to bnce out the chances of both sides."


    "I still think it''s strange," Tilda grumbled.


    "Please remember that you can only choose a member once. Well then, leaders of both side, please draw lots," the female announcer said and waved her hand. A golden box appeared on each side and flew toward the Conve and the Courtenay corner.


    Styx stood up from the Conve corner and drew on the golden box. While a man with brushed-up blonde hair and olive green eyes in a light green robe drew on the golden box from the Courtenay''s corner.


    Styx and the man lifted their hand to show the announcer the orb they drew.


    "The Courtenay Family drew the ck orb and will be the first to pick the member who will fight from the Conve''s side," the female announcer said.


    "We choose, Disciple Tyr to fight first," the man dered at once.


    Deo, Rake and Tilda''s expressions turned nk as they all looked at Kyran.


    "Yep, popr alright. S*cks to be you."


    "So much for goingst on today''spetition."


    "Why does this scene feel like deja vu?"


    Deo, Tilda and Rakemented, one after another.


    "Disciple Tyr, pleasee on stage," the female announcer called for Kyran. Then she turned toward the Courtenay side. "Please choose your first yer."


    On the Conve corner, Rake looked at Styx and smiled wryly. He could sense Styx had been raring to go. Unfortunately, they skipped him again and went after Kyran.


    "They don''t want you to fight first because they fear you," he remarked.


    "Humph," Styx replied and sat down. "F*cking wusses."


    "I think they are targetting Tyr for a reason," Deo replied. "He had been looking like sh*t so they probably think he''s the weakest among us right now."


    Styx shrugged, "That''s why I said they are f*cking wusses. Aiming for the weakest member."


    Kyran chuckled, "Doesn''t matter. At least, I can rest after my match."


    "Go show them we''re not pushovers," Styx told him.


    Kyran chuckled and stood up.


    At the same time, Millie stood up from the Courtenay''s side. She was smiling as she made her way to the arena.


    The female announcer looked at Millie but did not say anything.


    The timer overhead began its countdown as the two went into the arena.


    "Thank you for epting my request, Disciple Tyr," Millie said.


    "Even if I don''t agree, we''ll end up fighting with this setting, don''t you think?" Kyran replied meaningfully.


    What he said was not without reason. Even if Millie did not make a scene yesterday, if their side ended up getting the ck orb, there was still a chance they would get matched up.


    Millie shook her head, "That may be true, but that will not be the case in your end, right? If your side drew the ck orb, I''m sure you will end up fightingst. As for me, I''ll definitely be picked as the first yer because of my poor magic talent."


    Kyran raised his brows but did not reply.


    As soon as the timer turned 25:05, the female announcer lifted her hand and dered the start of the match.


    "First match of the Solo Competition between the Conve and the Courtenay Family start!"


    Millie spread her arms at once, and several crushed materials appeared hovering around her. She took out a golden brush from her pouch and began writing array calctions in the air.


    As she wrote in the air, the crushed materials responded and trailed along the lines her brush touched. Golden liquor also seeped out of the brush.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained still. With narrowed eyes, he watched Millie draw her array calction.


    He noticed the pen she was using was a magic item that automatically ejected golden ink needed by Array Specialists to write forms.


    "Offense-type, Fire Pool Array!" Millie shouted and pushed the vertical array formation toward Kyran. The array lit up, and mes began to seep within.


    Kyran lifted his right hand, and his wooden staff appeared in his hand. He apuded Millie for managing to create an array in less than twenty seconds. It was only a low-tier array, but in a battle, if an Array Specialist could create several low-tier arrays at this pace, they might be able to control the flow of the match.


    However, this was only possible if they matched up against someone who was not good with Array.


    The moment, Kyran summoned his staff, Millie made her next move. She raised her left hand, and another golden brush appeared. She took out more sets of crushed materials from her storage ring and began writing two array calctions simultaneously.


    The crowd gasped at Millie''s Array disy. It was their first time witnessing someone perform on-the-spot dual array creation!

 Chapter 439 Unexpected Ending

    Kyran remained indifferent after seeing Millie create two different arrays.


    The crowd, on the other hand, were left speechless.


    It was not a surprise that most felt awed at witnessing Millie''s move.


    Creating a single array took a lot of mental strain on the mage. One wrong form would cause the array to copse and backfire on its creator. When that happened, the mage would either be fatally wounded or even crippled for life.


    For this reason, Array Specialists never attempt to create two arrays simultaneously.


    Aside from this, it was the same reason that another array could not be created inside an already active array. The new array would disrupt the magic energy flow of the already active array, and the whole formation would copse. When that happened, the magic energy in both arrays would get rebounded, and the creators of the arrays would receive the brunt of it, resulting in either a fatal wound or even death.


    The first array Millie created and pushed toward Kyran was now fully activated.


    Three circling fire pools shot off from its center straight at Kyran.


    Still wearing an indifferent expression, Kyran swung his wooden staff horizontally. Light golden runes emerged from the staff''s shaft and hovered around him before flying toward the iing fire pools.


    As the runes got within two meters from the fire pools, Kyran waved his hand, and in an instant, the runes stopped. They spread out before forming a one-meter radius array.


    A thin golden veil appeared in front of it as the fire pools mmed on it.


    SHATTER!


    Millie''s first array shattered when the fire pools mmed on the veil.


    The array Kyran created flickered and dispersed after serving its purpose of blocking the fire pools.


    But Kyran did not stop and watched. When the veil was formed, he already whirled the staff in his hand and mmed it on the ground. Several light golden rune writings shot off from the bottom of the staff and spread on the floor. Each rune writings were five feet long, and in every twelve inches, a golden ring with one rune could be seen.


    These runes lit up one after another. As they lit up, a golden line extended from its side and connected to the ring beside it. In a second, all these lines connected, and the rune writings now looked like aplete array formation.


    When the array waspleted, Kyran''s eyes glowed. He pushed his feet on the ground and dashed toward Millie. Seemingly attracted to him, the array emerged on the floor and followed, hovering an inch beneath his feet.


    Millie''s eyes widened, seeing Kyran''s fast approach. She was still in the middle of creating her two arrays. However, judging Kyran''s speed, Millie only had three seconds toplete her arrays before he closed in on her.


    Gritting her teeth, Millie roused her magic. She incorporated her own magic energy into her brushes to stimte them. A secondter, both arrays glowed, indicating theirpletion. She waved her arms and willed each array to block Kyran''s path.


    Without stopping, she once more took out another set of crushed materials and created a new array.


    Kyran raised his staff toward the first of the two arrays.


    Even without using his magic sense, Kyran recognized the forms Millie had used in both arrays.


    Both were offense-type arrays. The array in front was a fireball, while the one behind it was an earthnce attack. Millie''s strategy was simple. Even if Kyran blocked the fireball with a barrier, the piercing nature of the earth could break the barrier. Once the barrier was destroyed, she would strike again using the array she was currently creating.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. The way Millie was fighting was too expensive! Although she created only low-tier arrays, they were all offense-type arrays and required mid to high-grade materials.


    In any case, if a mage fought like this, once his materials were exhausted, then he would lose.


    Kyran knew Millie had enough materials tost for more than five minutes. That was their agreed time limit, after all. Nevertheless, Kyran had no intentions of prolonging their match.


    With this in mind, Kyran raised his glowing staff and touched a point on the array before him. In an instant, the array crumbled before it could even activate.


    Millie''s eyes widened.


    She had seen Kyran change and even destroy magic arrays. But magic arrays were different from arrays. One had to decipher the array first before one could destroy it.


    "This...!"


    Kyran flipped his staff and let the other end hit the following array. Just like the first one, it crumbled even before activating.<sub> </sub>


    Because Millie had been distracted, she failed toplete the array she was working on.


    "W-Wait¡ª!" Millie shouted, immediately stopping what she was doing to run back.


    Kyran, on the other hand, stopped abruptly. However, he did not do this because Millie asked him to ''wait.'' He stopped to jump back.


    This time, the golden array that seemed to be attracted to his feet did not follow. It flew and went straight at Millie.


    Millie clenched her fists and raised both her hands. She ran backwards while hastily creating a defensive array using her brushes. Since she did not have enough time to take out more of her crushed materials, she used her own magic energy as the materials to create the defensive array.


    It was unfortunate, but Millie''s innate magic was weak. Too weak that she could not even summon a proper magic array. Thus, she could only rely on arrays to summon magic.


    "Millie!"


    Millie heard someone call out her name but ignored it. She poured all her concentration intopleting the defensive array.


    But.


    "Ah¡ª!" Millie gasped as she slipped backwards. She turned and realized toote that she had arrived at the arena''s edge.


    Kyran, who had justnded, looked at Millie with a slight smile. At the start of the match, he had already noticed she was a bundle of nerves. That was why he decided to keep their match simple. While he agreed to fight her with Array, he would definitely end up hurting her. He did not care what happened to her, but if she got hurt and was sent to the infirmary, there was no telling if the Crown Princess would leave her be.


    After what Millie did yesterday, it would not be a surprise if the Crown Princess decided to mark her ahead of time. When that happened, Kyran would not be able to do the same thing he did with the members of the cksmith Order to Millie. Thetter would be around the Crown Princess more frequently than the cksmith Order members, after all. The Crown Princess would definitely notice her mark had been tampered with, and it would be easy for her to narrow her list of suspects. All she had to do was know who Millie made contact with after she had marked her. And Kyran would definitely be included in the list.


    When that happened, and the Crown Princess investigated all the people she had already marked, she would find the ones she gave the cksmith Order members had been changed.


    Kyran would definitely be her main suspect.


    Besides, the Crown Princess tried to mark Kyran but failed. So it was not a stretch to think he had a way to counter her mark. If that were the case, it would be hard for him to gain her trust¡ª or at least, it would be hard for Neo to gain her trust and infiltrate the Royal Family.


    To avoid all that, Kyran decided not to hurt Millie. As a matter of fact, he made such a spectacle when creating the array he aimed at her when in truth, the array was only a...


    Millie''s expression turned serious as she spun her body in midair. She might have failed to study at a magic school because of her weak innate magic; instead, she studied in a military school.


    She was physically fit and had more physicalbat experience than most mages!


    While in midair, Millie waved her hand and took out a long sword from her storage ring. She grabbed the sword and flicked her wrist, aiming to pierce the sword at the side of the arena to stop herself from falling.


    But.


    Kyran''s array finally arrived at the edge.


    TING!


    The tip of Millie''s sword mmed on the array and was pushed back.


    "No¡ª!" Millie gasped as her hand holding the sword got flung backwards after getting deflected by the array.


    Which turned out to be a simple defensive array!


    Unable to regain her bnce from being deflected by the array, Millie fell off the arena.


    The timer above the arena stopped, and the announcer, though a little reluctant, shouted, "Participant Millie had... fallen off the arena. In the first match of the Solo Competition, between the Conve and the Courtenay Family, the winner, Tyr from the Conve!"


    "..."


    "..."


    The hall had fallen into an awkward silence. This was not the result they had been expecting!

 Chapter 440 Mimi Steps In

    Millie blinked dumbfoundedly at the golden array, looking like an imposing round wall at the arena''s edge. She had been worried the array Kyran made was a powerful offense-type that could knock her out in one shot.


    To think, she had been worried by such a simple defensive array!


    "Millie!"


    The person who had called out to her a few minutes ago shouted once more.


    It was then that Millie realized it had been Mimi watching the match from the spectator''s side. She looked up and found thetter looking at her worriedly.


    "Mimi..."


    "Lady Millie," one of the participating members of the Courtenay Family approached and helped Millie up. She was a young woman with short blonde hair and olive-green eyes, wearing a simr light green robe.


    As Millie stood up, she saw Kyran making his way back to the Conve''s corner. Her heart immediately tightened. She clenched her fist and pursed her lips.


    This was not the result she had in mind! Her chances of winning were low, but she never expected to lose because she fell off the arena!


    What was more, she created almost five arrays while Kyran created only two!


    Before Millie could say anything, the announcer resumed thepetition.


    "Because the Courtenay Family lost the first match, they will get the chance to choose the next member from the Conve who will fight next."


    "Let''s go, Lady Millie," the young woman urged Millie to return to their corner.


    Feeling indignant about her match''s result, Millie followed the young woman. However, she was already thinking up a way to get Kyran alone.


    "That''s such a half-ass match," Styxmented as Kyran returned to his seat.


    Kyran chuckled, "I don''t fight women."


    "Sexist," Tilda spat, clearly annoyed.


    "I''m not," Kyran replied with cklines on his head. He did not want to use the same excuse he told Millie, so he left it at that.


    "We choose Styx from the Conve," the leader of the Courtenay Family dered after a short pause.


    "Please choose your member ande up on the arena," the announcer told them.


    "Humph," Styx sneered and stood up. "How about I show you what a match should be?"


    Kyran responded with a slight smile. For some reason, Styx had been itching for a fight. Kyran even sensed that Styx would have challenged him for a match if they were not teammates.


    Could it be that he triggered the older man''spetitive side now that he knew his real identity?


    No, wait. Wouldn''t others normally avoid challenging him because he was the new Void Master?


    Kyran pushed the thought to the back of his mind. There was no point in dwelling on stuff that had not even happened. Styx might want to challenge Kyran to test his limits, but being an insightful guy, he was aware there was a right time for that.


    The next participant from the Courtenay Family was a man with braided long blonde hair. His eyes were also olive green and he was wearing a robe with a dark shade of green.


    In an instant, Styx''s eyes burned intensely. The magic energies in the surrounding also stirred as if they got agitated at his fighting spirit.


    The two did not speak. They simply waited for the timer above to strike 25:00.


    The crowd braced themselves for the next match!


    "Second match, of the Solo Competition between the Conve and Courtenay Family begins!"


    Styx''s whole body erupted with his magic energy as he took a step toward his opponent.


    "I forfeit," the Courtenay participant dered and bowed his head at Styx.


    "Geh¡ª!" Styx almost slipped but managed to regain his bnce in time. He straightened his back and red at the man, "You¡ª!"


    "The Courtenay Family has forfeited! The second match of the Solo Competition, Styx of the Conve wins!"


    The hall had once more fallen into an awkward silence.


    From the Conve corner, Kyran and the rest also wore nk expressions.


    What were the Courtenay Family ying at?


    "They are getting rid of the people who they think are hard to deal with first, aren''t the?" Deo voiced his opinion through gritted teeth.


    "First, Tyr, then Styx. Since we only have five matches, it is hard to imagine them forfeiting the third match too, huh," Rake chimed, his voice turning cold.


    "What? They actually think we three are¡ª!" Tilda growled in frustration. She shot a nce at the Courtenay''s corner and red fiercely. "I''m gonna pound them to death!"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he sensed the rising magic energy from the three mercenaries to his right. He wanted to say something, yet decided it was best to remain silent.


    Millie might not forfeit their match, but it was obvious she was the weakest member among the Courtenay. Matching her up with one of the ''stronger'' members of the Conve was better. Then they would have their strong members fight the ''less than strong'' members of the Conve. By doing this, they had a better chance of clinching a triple win.


    The result of thepetition might not matter officially, but it would still have an impact especially when the Conve had been dominating thepetition.


    Styx returned to their corner. They could almost see imaginary dark energy rising from his body. None of them said anything for fear of getting on his bad side.


    "You three¡­"


    Styx stopped in front of Deo, Rake and Tilda.<sub> </sub>


    "If you f*cking lose to those wusses, I''ll apany you back in the Mercenary Hall''s arena," he warned them, his voice cold and murderous.


    Cold sweat trickled down their backs as their brows twitched.


    Kyran, on the other hand, smiled bitterly and said, "I''m sure they will not lose, Leader Styx."


    "Hm?" Styx shot Kyran a nce.


    "We have an advantage, after all."


    "Advantage?" Tilda asked.


    Kyran smiled and looked at the Courtenay participants, "Experience."


    Styx''s fierce expression loosened slightly.


    Kyran was right. Compared to them mercenaries who had taken up far more dangerous missions in the wild, those prissy young masters and young mistresses of the Three Noble Families, were likely to have only experienced a few easy missions set by their elders.


    Deo, Rake and Tilda sneered.


    None of them replied to Kyran''s words, because what he said was obvious. Anyway, even if he did not point that out, they had no ns of losing to the Courtenay Family.


    "Humph," Styx snorted and finally went to his seat. "You three go wreck them, now."


    They all chuckled. Even if he said that the three of them could not possibly go up on stage at once.


    Finally, the leader of the Courtenay Family chose the next member of the Conve.


    "We choose, Rake."


    The Solo Competition ended with the Conve winning all five matches. However, Rake, Deo and Tilda barely managed to win because the Courtenay appeared to have prepared a good counter for them.


    As for the Team Competition, the Lumley Family put up a good fight against the Conve and managed to end the match in a draw.


    Dante was dissatisfied with it, but he admit they were caught off guard by one of the Lumley members, udias, whose fire magic was on another level.


    Just like Matias, udia''s fire magic had manifested into a legendary beast. A Pheonix considered the second most powerful fire-type legendary beast.


    On the fifth day¡ª technically the sixth day¡ªpetitions ended, with the Conve still in the lead.


    That night, Kyran did not wait for Millie to find him. He knew she was dissatisfied with their match and would find a way to talk to him alone. There was also the matter of settling their wager.


    Kyran who had been staying in his room after the Solo Competition ended, went out to hang around themon room.


    Members of both the Conve and the Royal Army who shared themon area at the dome''s left wing went back to their rooms early. As if both sides had a silent agreement to avoid each other because starting tomorrow, allpetitions would be against the Conve and the Royal Army''s matches.


    None of the Courtenay members who usually stayed at the bar to assist were present. They might have anticipated that the participants of the Conve and Royal Army would return to their rooms early and decided not toe as well.


    Because there would be less people in themon area today, Kyran decided to make an appearance. He had a feeling that Millie would try to sneak into their quarters and he wanted to avoid hering directly to his room.


    Kyran went to the bar and checked the bottle of liquors disyed on the wall rack.


    He was not a fan of alcohol because he never get drunk. But that did not mean he don''t drink. In any case, since he was here, there was no harm to have a ss or two.


    Kyran grabbed one bottle off the rack, took a ss from the counter, and fill the ss half-full. Judging from the alcohol''s smell, it was vodka which likely had been fermented by the Courtenay Family.


    Just as Kyran lifted the ss to take a sip, a light female voice spoke from his side.


    "This is the first time I''m seeing you here, Disciple Tyr."


    Contrary to Kyran''s expectations. The female voice did not belong to Millie whom he was hoping to meet.


    After downing his drink in one go, Kyran turned and smiled at the owner of the voice, "Yeah? I didn''t know you are keeping tabs on me, Lady Mimi."


    Mimi frowned slightly. Instead of replying to his words, she said, "I know you''re hoping to meet Millie. But she won''te."


    Kyran raised his brows but did not respond. Turning his head away, he poured another drink.


    "Do you want one, Lady Mimi?" He offered.


    "No, thanks."


    "Suit yourself," he replied and downed it again.


    Mimi''s frown deepened, "Don''t you think your drinking too much? You have a match in the morning."


    "Why are you here?" Kyran answered her question with another of his own. "You didn''te here just to tell me about your cousin, right?"


    "Millie was too rash when she agreed to your wager."


    Kyran chuckled, "I see. So you heard about it."


    "I want you to forget about the wager. Do this, then I don''t mind owing you a favor."


    Kyran stopped midway of pouring himself another drink. He turned sideways to look at Mimi.


    Seeing how Mimi would willingly owe him a favor just to get Millie out of their wager showed how much she cared for thetter. Yet, when Millie was in the military school, she never mentioned her. It made Kyran question the authenticity of their ''friendship.''


    Or maybe, Mimi''s real purpose of being around Millie was to keep her in-check. Just like what she was doing now.

 Chapter 441 Mimi Makes Her Move

    "That''s a tempting offering from someone who would lead the Courtenay Family in the future," Kyranmented while looking away and half-filling his ss with vodka.


    "I''m d you understand¡ª."


    "But," Kyran cut her off and raised the ss to his lips. "I gave my word when I made that wager. I can''t just ''forget'' about it because someone asks me to, in turn, for another favor. Besides, we''re not even close to be offering each other favors."


    He looked at Mimi from the corner of her eyes and said before downing his drink, "Also, I don''t want to receive any favor from someone from the Courtenay''s main branch."


    Mimi furrowed her brows, "You¡ª!"


    She bit her lower lip to stop herself from cursing aloud before taking a deep breath to calm herself. Then she asked, "Why not?"


    "Did your cousin tell you the content of our wager?" Kyran asked instead of answering.


    "Of course," Mimi replied. "Why do you think I''m asking you to forget¡ª."


    "If you did, I don''t get why you are against it. To be honest, your family will actually gain from it."


    "What do you mean?"


    Kyran put down his ss and looked at Mimi with a slight smile, "Ah... it seems you haven''t heard all of it."


    "I did!"


    "Then did you know that even if she lost, I agreed to let her watch me work on arrays for a few days?"


    Confusion shed in her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak. However, understanding soon shone in her eyes, and she immediately closed her mouth.


    The change in Mimi was subtle, but Kyran saw it from the corner of his eyes. Acting as if nothing had happened, he filled his ss with vodka again.


    Seeing him pour another drink, Mimi frowned, "You are drinking too much."


    "I''ve got a high tolerance," Kyran replied with a wry smile. "More importantly, it''s gettingte. You better leave. If someone sees us, who knows what scary rumor will circte about us."


    "What do you mean scary?" Mimi scowled at him.


    Most would want to get involved with her, even if it''s only a rumor, for the sole purpose of gaining fame or her family''s attention. If the rumor had enough substantial proof, the Courtenay Family could even give that person a huge sum of money to silence them. However, this guy actually thought it was ''scary''? He got some nerve!


    Anyway, Mimi would not approach Kyran without making countermeasures. She had ensured no one woulde to the dome''s left-wingmon area until she finished her business with him.


    An idea crossed Mimi''s mind recalling what Kyran just said. She could use it to make him agree.


    "Agree to my request, then I will leave you alone."


    Kyran sighed in his heart. He knew Mimi would not be moved by him acting like an ass.


    To be honest, receiving Mimi''s favor was better than asking Millie to do something for him. But Kyran''s target had always been Millie. The asking-something part was only an excuse to get her alone. His real purpose was to change her into a tool he could use.


    Getting a tool was far better than asking someone a favor; tools could be used in any way and would notin or reason out.


    An excellent example of a useful tool was Tritus. But Kyran would not make Millie his Sigil. Doing so would mean they would share a bond¡ª something he never wanted to share with her.


    Still, Kyran admitted that Millie''s current status in the Courtenay Family didn''t make her an effective tool. He had to boost her value so she could rise in her family''s ranks. In this way, she would be privy to more confidential information. However, doing this would require some time.


    Kyran had yet to devise a good n to boost Millie''s worth. At least, that had been the case until Mimi appeared before him.


    Mimi''s status in the Courtenay Family was higher than Millie''s, making her more valuable to Kyran in intel gathering. After all, she was privy to more confidential information.


    For this reason, Kyran would capitalize on this chance to get her too.


    Yes, too.


    Because Kyran would not leave Millie be. He still had to settle past grievances with her.


    "I don''t think so," Kyran replied as he downed his ss again.


    "What do you even want from Millie?" Mimi asked in exasperation.


    Kyran looked at her and smiled mischievously, "What do you think?"


    "Pervert!" Mimi red at him.


    Kyran widened his eyes and said, "Please, Lady Mimi. Whatever is it your thinking?


    "Lady Millie and I are both Array Specialists. What else would I want from a fellow Array Specialist apart from exchanging notes? I may be studying from the best, but there are advanced array formation every noble families possessed that my master doesn''t know. I wanted to have a look at them."


    Hearing his reason made Mimi redden up to her ears. She felt ashamed to have thought Kyran had impure designs on Millie.


    "Besides, if I am ever in need of whatever it is your imagining right now, I got a number of women lined up that would dly help me with that."<sub> </sub>


    "What-? Lined up¡ª!" Mimi took a sharp breath at Kyran''s follow-up words, and she red at him again. She just couldn''t handle this guy!


    "You really are despicable!"


    Kyran chuckled in response. Without saying anything, he turned to return the bottle of liquor to the rack and made his way to the counter''s sink.


    "If there''s nothing else, please go on your way."


    "I am doing this for your own good," Mimi said after a short pause. She had to convince him, no matter what, to forget about the wager.


    Kyran''s hand stopped midway from opening the faucet.


    Mimi continued, seeing she got his attention, "Forget the wager and stay away from Millie. Suppose you don''t want to receive a favor from someone in the Courtenay Family''s main branch, then fine. Just think of it as me owing you a personal favor."


    Kyran looked at her without saying anything. However, Mimi could see the unspoken question reflected in his eyes.


    He wanted to understand why she was doing this. However, Mimi could not tell him. Her reasons were something her family wanted to keep under wraps at all costs.


    "''Stay away from her.'' ''This is for your own good,''" Kyran repeated. Then a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he asked, "Does this have something to do with that incident?"


    Mimi''s eyes constricted in surprise. However, she reigned in her emotions at once and kept an indifferent expression. She was someone who would lead the Courtenay Family in the future.


    Kyran would not bait her easily.


    With a slight smile, she replied, "I don''t know what you''re trying to make me say, Disciple Tyr but¡ª."


    "The incident in the Milfiore Military School that forced Millie to withdraw in her first year."


    Mimi''s expression turned serious as she looked at Kyran menacingly. In just a matter of seconds, her priorities had now changed.


    No matter what, she had to take him back to the Courtenay Residence!


    As much as she wanted to kill him, he was still Chairman Noir''s disciple, and the Crown Princess had her eyes on him. She could only take him back and let the elders deal with him. Most likely, they would erase his memories once they found out where he got his information on Millie.


    "You don''t have to make such a scary face¡ª."


    Kyran''s words were interrupted by Mimi''s sudden array activation.


    Array calction suddenly filled the ceiling, floor, walls, and both entrance and exit of themon room.


    Mimi''s eyes shed, and her magic level erupted from her body at full force.


    Surprisingly, she was already half a step to bing an Exalted.


    A restraining array also appeared beneath Kyran''s feet, instantly locking his movements and magic.


    "Oi¡ª!"


    Because the array restrained his movements, he dropped the ss, which shattered on the floor.


    "Your arrogance is your undoing, Disciple Tyr," Mimi said as she took a step toward him. "You should have agreed when I am still asking nicely. Today, I will show you what the Courtenay Family could do!"


    A ringing sound filled their surroundings as soon as her footnded on the floor.


    Kyran, who had not shown any reaction from the start, finally showed what appeared to be fear the moment he sensed her magic.


    "Your magic... isn''t a simple Wind magic...!"


    Mimi smiled, "I''m surprised you''ve noticed."


    She spread her arms, and five half a meter radius of yellow-green magic arrays appeared, surrounding them.


    "Correct, my magic is not Wind. It''s Air!"


    The ringing sound was actually caused by the air beingpressed around the space where her magic arrays had isted.


    Most people were not familiar with the difference between Wind and Air magic. Thus, they tend to think that as long as there was movement in the air, it was called Wind magic. However, that was not the case.


    Air magic was broader, while Wind magic was only one of its branches. Simrly, the Air Pressure Malek possessed was a branch of Air magic. Whether Malek had Air magic or just its branch, Kyran did not know, but that was irrelevant right now.


    Because the important thing right now was that Kyran found a human mage with the same magic as Zephyr! It could be something good.


    "Ugh..." Kyran gasped as he dropped to his knees and grabbed his neck.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. I just want you to pass out cold. After that, I''ll take you back to the Courtenay Residence."

 Chapter 442 You Talk A Lot, You Know

    Mimi deactivated her magic as soon as she saw Kyran had fallen unconscious.


    She touched her four-leaf clover earring, set it to a specific target, and said, "I had to resort to n C. He seems to know things about Millie. I''m taking him to the main residence."


    <<Very well. Change the array sequence in the back room, from 2 to 0 to use the transportation array. It has been set to go directly to the main house.>>


    "Yes, Patriarch."


    <<We''ll see you in a while.>>


    ''''We?'''' Mimi wondered to herself. But instead of asking, she replied, "Yes."


    She disconnected the call and looked at Kyran one more time.


    "I did tell you not to drink too much. If you had listened, you would have been sober enough to react before the restraining array fully activated. And you wouldn''t have fallen for such a weak attack."


    ====================


    The Courtenay Family had several residences, and their main one was located near the heart of the Starhorn City.


    Compared with the other residences of the family, the main one was actually the smallest. It was only about an acre with no outdoor field. It consisted of five buildings, four six story buildings stood on four sides, with one eight story building at the center.


    The main residence was small because it used to be the original home of the Courtenay ancestors. When their influence grew, they decided to build more residences outside Starhorn than expand the main house. It was also where the Patriarch, Elders and all main family members resides. The central archive of the family was also there.


    In the central building, it also had four-level basement, each levelparable to three-stories. The two lowest levels served as the family''s prison, while the one above it was the interrogation hall.


    The interrogation room was made of ck stone walls. Currently it was covered in darknes with only a faint green light at the center,ing from an activated restraining array. At center of the array was a solid ck chair with ck chains pierced on its back, arm rest, and bottom. These chains were connected on different points on the restraining array.


    Kyran, who appeared to be unconscious was on the stone chair. His hands were chained at the back of the chair as well as his feet.


    "The interrogation will start now," a brittle sounding void of an old man echoed in the darkened room.


    The hall''s walls lit up, showing a mezzanine made of ss. Seven people wearing a light green robe with golden ents sat on a transparent solid chairs, which looked to be carved on the same materials as the mezzanine.


    The person at the middle was none other Patriarch Ernst, and to his left and right side were the elders of the Courtenay Family.


    Standing beside Ernst was Mimi and she was looking coldly below at Kyran.


    Something moved at the bottom of the mezzanine, which approached the restraining array.


    Soon, a dark hooded figure was revealed the moment it got close to the restraining array. The figure was huge and more than two-meters tall. Judging from its stature, the figure belong to a man. Behind his back, was a huge ck and green axe.


    He released the strap on his axe and weild it with both his hand. A dark green magic array formed at the tip of the axe as he swung it at the edge of the array.


    BANG!


    A gust of wind erupted from where the axe hit and flew straight at Kyran, rattling the chains in the process.


    "Ergh..." Kyran stirred awake.


    Ernst stood up and walked over the edge of the mezzanine to look at Kyran below.


    "I have always wanted to meet you personally, Disciple Tyr. However, I never expected the setting of our first meeting would be in our family''s interrogation hall.


    Kyran, having recovered some of his rationality raised his head to look at Ernst.


    "Patriarch... Ernst..."


    Ernst smiled, "Good. You recognized who I am."


    As if only realizing what situation he was in, Kyran''s eyes widened and tried to stand. However, the chains binding him, rattled, as he was forced to stay in his seat.


    "T-This--!" Kyran looked at the chains around him, as well as the restraing array on the floor.


    Ernst smile widened, "Don''t worry. Those are just for insurance. We are aware of your temper, you see. And we don''t want you running rampant while he ask you some questions."


    "Ask?" Kyran growled as he looked at Ernst again. "Is this how the Courtenay ask someone a question?"


    "As I said," Ernst repeated. "We know of your temper. If you want to return in one piece, I''d suggest you stay put and answer us honestly."


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, his eyes narrowed further as his re intensified.


    "Don''t worry. We will keep our promise," Ernst told him. Then gestured to his right and left toward the elders seated behind, "I, and all the Elder of the Courtenay Family assure you of this."


    "All the elders?" Kyran repeated as he looked at the six people sitting on the chair behind Ernst.


    Kyran''s eyes had already adjusted to dark, and from his seat, normally he would not be able to see the elders. But because the mezzanine was made of ss, he was able to see all of them.


    A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "So you also question people with all the elders of your family present?" He then looked at the huge dark robed man near the edge of the restraining array. "You even have a high-level mage close by. Why? If I don''t answer will you guys resort to torture?"


    The dark robed man grunted inaudibly and lifted his axe then rest it on his shoulder.


    Ernst chuckled, "We value our partnership with the cksmith Order, as much as possible, we want you to return in one piece."


    Kyran did not respond and only red at Ernst.


    "Now then," the smile on Ernst face vanished as his expression turned grim, "My young sessor told us something quite... disturbing. It seems, you know something about my eldest daughter."


    Kyran looked at him in confusion, "Daughter?"


    "You''ve met her in the arena today," Ernst replied, "By the way, I appreciate how you ended that match without hurting her. She may be a handful, but she is still my flesh and blood."


    "Lady Millis is your...?" Kyran smiled bitterly, "I''m guessing you telling me this doesn''t really pose a threat."


    "Oh, no," Ernst agreed. He gestured to one of the elders to his right, "Just like the Conve, we have someone whose good at Memory magic, you see."


    "So, that''s how you n on preserving your rtionship with the cksmith Order. As long as you wipe my memory and return in one piece, everything will be fine."


    "You are a smart young man, Disciple Tyr. If not for the Crown Princess''s obvious interest in you, I don''t mind poaching you. I don''t even mind if you want to take my young sessor as your wife."


    "Uncle," Mimi protested at once.


    "The Crown Princess only want to make use of my Array knowledge."<sub> </sub>


    Ersnt shook his head, "No. Well, technically, yes. But... the Emperor is..."


    He sighed as if feeling bad that he could not say more. But then, his eyes glinted mischievously and he continued, "Well, I suppose it won''t make a difference even if I tell you."


    "Uncle," Mimi protested again as she made a step toward him.


    Ernst raised his right hand, stopping Mimi on her tracks.


    "It is fine, Mimi. We''ll wipe his memory clean after the interrogation, anyway."


    "But..."


    "Do you doubt my magic, Mimi?" The elder sitting on the chair on Mimi''s right asked.


    Mimi looked at him and shook her head at once, "N-No, uncle. Of course not."


    "Then stay down. You brought that man here, you too want his memory erased, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Ernst, make it quick."


    "Of course, elder brother," Ernst replied without looking back. He kept his gaze at Kyran and continued, "The Emperor wanted to marry the Crown Princess to the Young Master of the Regis n. However, she doesn''t like the idea."


    "..."


    "You see, the Emperor has a grand dream. A dream that most noble families are not... fond of. After all, it concerns the future of the empire."


    "You don''t want another noble family to rule."


    Ernst chuckled, "Not quite. I suppose if its another noble family, then it is fine. But the Regis? No. Anyway, the Crown Princess believes you are someone... with a very powerful background, and I am not talking about the Conve."


    His eyes narrowed as he added, "You are from the Cagar Nation, aren''t you?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly, yet he did not say anything.


    However, his silence only made Ernst smile.


    "The Cagar Nation is currently in a perilous situation. They may possess numerous Array talents however, it is not enough to keep the nations from the Northern regions from expanding their territory toward the western region. I''m sure your resources have suffered a great deal.


    "Here''s my theory. You actually came here, to seek help from the Conve. Since they are a neutral faction, they will not care whom they do business with. I''m guessing, you are imparting the Cagar Nation''s Array knowledge, in turn for the Conve providing resources to the Cagar Nation."


    "That''s a very farfetched theory."


    "No, it''s not. After all, we know of the Conve''s movements as well as the resources that came in and out of the Chamber of Commerce. When the Royal Family asked for materials to assist the Elite Force, it seems to be not enough. So where did all the materials went to? Even most of the mercenaries as well as several of the top talents of all constituents of the Conve are not here. So where are they?"


    Seeing Kyran went silent, Ernst smile widen again, "Don''t worry. It is not my ce to meddle with your affairs. But the Crown Princess is very interested in you and your nation. If my guess is correct, she wanted to make a deal with you. A marriage of convenience. If both of you are bound by marriage, you can have the power to dispatch the military force of the Ylfaen Empire and help the Cagar Nation win the war against the Northern nations. In turn, you will help the Ylfaen Empire expand, and who knows, in the future, maybe the Ylfaen Empire and the Cagar Nation will rule over the whole world."


    Kyran''s face turned into disgust, "So in the end, you guys are only after expanding the empire''s territory, because the more it expanded, the more your families will also benefit."


    "Of course. Unfortunately, the Emperor doesn''t see that. He only wants to unite every faction in the empire and have it ruled by... some old decrepit family. He has no desire to expand the empire like his father."


    "Bunch of fools."


    Ernst eyes narrowed, "I can see that you don''t believe."


    "Because its a load crap," Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    Ernst face distorted. But he reigned in his annoyance and changed the subject, "Anyhow, you are quite lucky to have the interest of the Crown Princess. For that reason, we will not hurt you. At least not much."


    He gestured his arms toward the ck chair, "That chair and chains are made from anti-cast material. It is futile to try rousing your magic. Although, even if you can, with your measly support magic, what can you do? Apart from this, as long as you are connected to the restraining array below, you will not be able to rouse your magic reserves, or even the magic energies in the surroundings."


    "For short, it is futile to try and escape."


    Ernst chuckled, "That''s right. It''s good that you are quick to understand your situation.


    "Now let us get down to business," his tone turned colder. "How did you know about Millie?"


    Kyran only smiled in response.


    "I suggest you answer at once. I said ''as much as possible we want you to return in one piece,'' but I say nothing about not resorting to violence to make you speak."


    "Aren''t you afraid others will know what you''re doing here?"


    "We are the only ones here, Disciple Tyr. The matter about Millie is very delicate you see. We had made sure to take care of all people who knew it. Even family members."


    "When you said, ''only ones here,'' did you mean the whole Courtenay Residence?"


    "Of course."


    "And all the elders are present."


    "Yes."


    "That''s good."


    Ernst tilted his head, "Hm?"


    "You talk a lot, you know," Kyran said hauntingly. "Thank you for telling me all that."


    CRACK! BOOM!


    In an instant, the interrogation hall''s floor cracked and a powerful shockwave erupted from the center.


    Web-like cracks spread from the floor to the walls, and the mezzanine.


    Everyone was caught off guard and barely managed to rouse their magic and summon their magic defenses.


    Below the mezzanine, the dark robed man was the first to recover. He grunted in anger and charged toward the smoke-filled center of the hall.

 Chapter 443 Ill Start With You

    "Hanes! Detain Tyr!" Ernst shouted amidst the confusion.


    Hanes, the dark-robed man did not need telling twice. He raised his arms and charged into the center of the array, "Rawrgh!"


    "Evan, reinforced the array! Mordin, close off the whole floor! Elder brother, and the rest, let us assist Hanes!" Ernst barked out his orders one after another. It was unnecessary though because all of them moved as soon as they regained their senses.


    Six went down the mezzanine, and apart from Evan and Mordin, four including Ernst went to surround the center of the room. Mimi and Ernst''s elder brother remained, with the former creating a magic barrier to protect thetter.


    DING!


    A metallic sound shook the whole room.


    "What¡ª? Ugh!" Hanes eximed as both of his arms received a huge shock after hitting his axe on what seemed like a solid metal block.


    "That''s dangerous."


    "Huh¡ª?" Hanes widened at what he had seen through the smoke. But before he could make out what it was, something solid and heavy mmed on his abdomen, hurling him back with such ferociously. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he mmed on the wall.


    "Guah!"


    "Hanes!"


    Hanes fell down and was buried in the crumbling wall.


    "Clear the smoke!"


    It was unknown who had said this, but as soon as it was said, one of the elders summoned a powerful gust of wind.


    Mimi was not idle either. To ensure the smoke would disperse at once, she roused her magic and summon a huge magic array above the center of the hall.


    In an instant, the smoke gathered by the wind was contained at one point and started to disperse.


    "Use restraining spells and aim at the center, he couldn''t have¡ª."


    "ARGH!"


    Ernst''s words were drowned out by an elder''s agonized scream, as a small figure mmed on him. The elder still had his magic defences up, however, the moment the figure hit, it shattered and he was thrown helplessly into the wall.


    "Guah!" He spat out a mouthful of blood as the walls crack and cave in on him.


    "Evan¡ª gah!"


    The small figure changed course and hit the elder who had been beside Evan, Mordin. His magic defences shattered and he, too, was thrown into the wall.


    "You dare!" Ernst shouted as he roused his magic. A two-meter light green magic array appeared in front of him. It glowed as several light green snake eagles shot out from the center of the magic array and flew toward the small figure.


    However, the small figure flew around the hall and avoided the snake eagles. The small figure''s speed far surpassed the snake eagles as well. It manoeuvred to avoid the walls, which thetter failed to do and mmed on the walls resulting in small-scale explosions all over the hall.


    "Ernst! Ignore that and focus on Tyr!" Ernst''s elder brother shouted as the rest of the elders aimed at the spot where Kyran had been.


    Three light-green magic arrays surrounded the now almost cleared center of the hall. Several light-green de-like winds flew toward the spot Kyran had been.


    CRACKLE!


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE SIZZLE


    A powerful magic fluctuation emerged from within the smoke and instead of hearing the wind-de attacks sliced through human flesh, they heard sizzling sounds.


    Before any of them could summon more wind-de attacks several crackling dark purple energy-filled arcs shed from within the smoke and toward the light-green magic arrays.


    The three elders evaded just in time when the energy-filled arcs hit the magic arrays. All three magic arrays got sliced in the middle and dispersed.


    "Guah!"


    The three elders who summoned the magic arrays suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and they fell to their knees.


    p "Elder Fidel! Elder Haram! Elder Jimall!" Mimi gasped in surprise.</anda>


    Active magic arrays were still connected to the mages that summoned them. And if it was cancelled out abnormally, there was a chance the mage would receive a bacsh. That was what happened to the three elders.


    Ernst witnessed what happened after his elder brother had shouted.


    "TYR!" He shouted in anger, resulting in his magic pressure erupting.


    Magic fluctuations grew heavy in the air as he charged toward the center.


    It was at this moment that the smoke finally dispersed.


    Ernst, his elder brother, and Mimi gaped in surprise.


    ''Tyr'' stood at the center of the now destroyed restraining array. The solid ck chair and the chains were also destroyed, and there were silver and purple scales rotating around him, like a shield.


    What was more, ''Tyr''s'' eyes had turned reddish-purple, and for some reason, they all knew he was not using his ''Strengthening magic.''


    "You hid your real magic!" Ernst growled. Instead of stopping, he increased his speed and summoned small light-green magic arrays that hovered behind him. Wind gathered at the center of the magic arrays and he molded them into several short des.


    Kyran looked at the short des and smiled. Behind him, the air crackle as several fissures appeared. From within the fissures, he also summoned the same amount of short des Ernst created.<sub> </sub>


    "This¡ª!" Ernst''s elder brother eximed in shock. Most did not notice it but he did. Kyran did not use any magic arrays when he summoned those short des!


    Hanes, who got disoriented after getting buried in the debris, finally regained his senses. He looked up just in time when Ernst was only two-meter away from Kyran and he shouted, "Patriarch! Don''t go near him! That guy''s body is abnormal! Magic or physical attack may not be effective against him!"


    Hearing Hanes''s warning, Ernst stopped in his tracks at once and instead,unched his short des toward Kyran.


    Kyran, on the other hand, released his barrier and alsounched his short des.


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    As soon as the short des collided, instead of hearing metal hitting against metal, Ernst''s short des sizzle and dispersed in the air.


    "What?"


    The three elders who received a bacsh looked at the scene before them. Their eyes widened in confusion at what they were seeing.


    "W-What is the nature of his magic?"


    Kyran waved his arms and the short des flew in different directions, each on all the elders.


    "Humph! You dare underestimate us!" Ernst shouted.


    His magic pressure erupted and he summoned a powerful gust of wind that expanded out immediately disrupting the direction of the short des.


    The three elders also summoned their magic arrays. Magic energy gathered at the center of the magic arrays, forming concentrated wind magic energy.


    Ernst flew up and summoned a huge magic array above. The wind started to gather in small circles at different points on the array. As they gathered momentum, they began to gather at the center of the array, looking like the beginning of a powerful whirlwind.


    The three elders released their concentrated magic attacks.


    Hanes, who had now stood up also summoned his magic array and integrated his wind magic into his axe. Wind magic coated the axe''s des and an almost visible light-green arc flew from it as he swung his axe downward. The arcs also went straight at Kyran.


    Amidst all the iing magic attacks, however, Kyran remained still. When Ernst''s whirlwind was about to shoot down from above, he said, "It''s time to eat."


    Kyran''s voice was low, yet, it reached the ears of every person inside the hall. Their expressions distorted in confusion, but then...


    "GAHAHAHA!"


    A deep male voiceughed and shook the hall.


    Then the small figure that had been flying around earlier, returned. It stopped in front of Kyran, and it was only then they were able to see what it looked like.


    It was a small dark blue and purple armor, and its eyes were glowing reddish-purple, just like Kyran''s.


    All magic attacks finally arrived and suddenly, the small armor opened its mouth wide and took a deep breath.


    As it did, all the magic attacks got sucked into its mouth. Even the direction of Ernst''s whirlwind changed. Like a huge vacuum, the small armor sucked in the whirlwind''s tail and Ernst''s magic array above fluctuated and trembled.


    Mimi''s eyes looked at Ernst''s magic array in concern. She was reminded of how the three elder''s magic arrays got destroyed and they received a bacsh.


    "Everyone! Please, release your magic array!"


    However, her warning came toote.


    As more of the magic attacks got sucked in by the small armor, cracks formed in their magic arrays.


    All of them received a bacsh and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Impossible!" Ernst''s elder brother suddenly burst and stood up as realization hit him.


    The sizzling sounds that echoed after Fidel, Haram and Jimall''s wind-de attacks ''hit'' Kyran. How the short des appeared behind him through fissures in the air. Finally, the small armor ''sucking in'' all the magic attacks like a powerful vacuum.


    "Uncle Eoin?"


    "Everyone! Retreat! Summon Gael and the deputy marshals at once¡ª!"


    "I don''t think so."


    Eoin and Mimi froze.


    Time seemed to have stopped as they felt an ominous presence appear behind.


    Ernst, the three elders and even Hanes turned toward the mezzanine, their expression stiff.


    Kyran, who had been standing behind the small armor, suddenly appeared behind Eoin and Mimi.


    The air around him crackle, as a dark purple fissure started to close behind him.


    Kyran reached out his hand and touched Eoin''s neck, who stiffened in response.


    His movement was not fast, it even appeared slow.


    No. Maybe, to Ernst and the rest, time suddenly had slowed down.


    "Well then," Kyran said as if he was not in a hurry. "I guess, I''ll start with you."

 Chapter 444 Powerful Purple Flames

    "TYR! YOU DARE!" Ernst growled. He ignored the pain inside his body after the bacsh and rushed toward the mezzanine.


    Hanes and the three elders also ran, with the former being the closest. He took out a pill from his storage ring and popped it in his mouth while brandishing his axe to the side. Three different-sized magic arrays circled the axe''s shaft and wind magic gathered around it. With a loud grunt, he jumped to the mezzanine, further aggravating its already cracked ss floor.


    "I''ll kill you!" Hanes roared and raised the axe above his head while running toward Kyran.


    Hanes''s arrival also shook Mimi out of her shock. She turned and summoned a one-meter radius yellow-green magic array right beneath Kyran''s feet.


    However, Kyran ignored them. A dark purple rune appeared right before Eoin''s forehead.


    "Elder brother!" Ernst shouted. He waved his hand and a long sword appeared on his right hands, wind magic runes could be seen on the de''s surface. He infused his magic energy into the sword and it vibrated with wind energy.


    As to Eoin, the reason he did not make a move, was because he could not. He could not even speak. His magic being weak had nothing to do with it. Because depending on how he used his Memory magic, he could deal a powerful trauma on his target. Kyran also did not put a spell on him. The real cause of Eoin''s state was the fact that he now confirmed Kyran''s identity. Just the thought, filled him with terror.


    The evil Dark Sage had returned.


    The Crown Princess hinted that there was a new Dark Sage, which the Royal Army was after. But Eoin did not expect it was actually Disciple Tyr! Could it be the real reason the Crown Princess was interested in him was because she suspected his real identity? But what about the Emperor''s information about the heir of the Cagar Nation missing? And the fact that Disciple Tyr''s features were simr to him?


    "Release Elder Eoin!"


    "Air Compression!"


    Hanes and Mimi attacked at the same time. A powerful whirlwind shot off Hanes''s axe as he cleaved it downward toward Kyran, while the air around Kyran began topress.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glowed as he stomped his foot.


    CRACK! BOOM!


    The already cracked mezzanine exploded and crumbled. Because of this, Hanes''s attack missed and Mimi''s magic array got destroyed.


    "Guah!" Mimi spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving a bacsh from her destroyed magic array. She fell down along the crumbling mezzanine, but Hanes managed to summon his Wind magic and willed it to cussion her, before he jumped to grab her and move away.


    "Mimi! Hanes!" Ernst and the three elders shouted in shock. However, their expression immediately distorted as their anger rose.


    "TYR!"


    The three elders used wind magic to speed up, while Ernst shed his sword three times in the air, forming three wind arcs that converged in the middle. It went into the smoke and straight at the spot where Kyran and Eoin had been.


    Anyone who had seen Ernst move would have thought he did not care about Eoin. However, his sword was special. His attacks would only hurt those he deemed an enemy. This meant that the wind attack would pass through Eoin and would only hit Kyran.


    WHOOSH! BOOM!


    A powerful magic aura erupted from where the mezzanine had been and in an instant, a smoke dispersed.


    WHEEENG!


    Ringing sound filled the whole room as a five-meter radius dark and purple sphere appeared.


    All of them stopped in their tracks as they gaped inside the sphere.


    Hovering at the center, was Kyran and Eoin was nowhere to be seen.


    "TYR!" Ernst''s magic pressure exploded once more, and he moved again toward the sphere.


    "I won''t do that if I were you¡ª."


    SIZZLE!


    "..."


    "GAAAAAAH!"


    An agonizing scream filled the air as Ernst''s body sizzled the moment it touched the sphere''s surface.


    "Patriarch!"


    "Uncle!"


    "Ernst!"


    Hanes, Mimi and the three elders shouted at the same time.


    Ernst flew back and fell down, while the closest elder, Jamall knelt to support him.


    Jamall gasped seeing how Ernst''s body appeared to have been scorched. This shouldn''t have been the case because his robe had been enchanted to withstand magic attacks. As a matter of fact, all of them were wearing enchanted robes that had high magic defenses. Still, Ernst''s robes were destroyed and his skin scorched, showing his flesh and bones.


    What kind of barrier did ''Tyr'' summoned?


    Jamall took out a high-grade healing potion and helped Ernst drink it. Normally, someone who took such a high-grade potion would immediately notice a change. Yet, nothing happened, with Ernst''s wounds.


    "T-This...."


    "T-The most powerful fire... T-The purple mes of hell..."


    Thetter one was spoken by Evan, who had only regained consciousness after getting buried on the wall''s debris.


    His words, petrified all of them.


    Yes.


    The sphere might not look like mes, but its color was indeed purple. None of them had seen the a purple mes before, so none of them knew how it looks. Thinking back at how the sizzling sounds they heard earlier when they attacked Kyran, and how Ernst''s short des got destroyed, they were beginning to think what Evan had said was correct.


    "..."


    Kyran, however, was speechless.


    It amazed him how people coulde up with their own version of reality that best suited their limited knowledge.


    Mimi, however, paled at this realization. Guilt surfaced in her heart for being shortsighted. Her decision to take ''Tyr'' to their residence caused a tragedy to befall her family.


    Why were they convinced that ''Tyr'' being the heir of the Cagar Nation only possessed weak support magic? Why did they not try to gather more information about his real magic?


    Just as she was about to fall into depression, a deep male voice echoed in the hall.


    "Bah! Purple mes of hell? What in zes are these people even thinking?"


    Mimi recognized the voice at once. It was the one whoughed earlier!


    But who and where was he?


    Kyran sighed, "True Void. You don''t need to exin."


    "Why not?"


    A small figure appeared a few feet in front of the purple sphere. It was none other than the small armor.


    "That first one realized who you are but these ignorant fools keep oning up with absurd theories of their own. Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!"


    "T-The... armor is... talking..."


    "A-A puppet who gained its own sentient..."


    "..."<sub> </sub>


    "..."


    Now, even True Void was speechless.


    But then.


    "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PUPPET?" True Void roared. His eyes glowed fiercely as he red at Haman, the one who said he was a puppet. "I AM MY MASTER''S ULTIMATE WEAPON! I AM NOT A PUPPET!"


    As he said this, the whole room trembled and all the elders shivered in fright.


    Now that Eoin was gone, and Ernst was fatally hurt, there was no way they stood a chance against ''Tyr'' and his ''puppet.''


    They should have called at least one of their three Magus. If they did, they would not be in such a dire situation.


    "Y-You..." Mordin, who also lost consciousness along with Evan, also regained consciousness. He gaped at Kyran and the small armor inplete shock.


    The others probably failed to register what Kyran called the ''armor.'' But Mordin, who had only emerged from the debris heard it loud and clear.


    "V-Void... Y-You..."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he looked at Mordin. He released his barrier and willed the shape-shifting tes at the soles of his shoes to go down, all the while keeping his attention on the man.


    "You seemed smarter than the others," Kyran said and raised his left hand toward Mordin.


    "N-No!" Mordin screamed in fright. "P-Please spare me!"


    The others also gasped as a purple light appeared beneath Mordin and he vanished in a blink of an eye.


    "Mordin!"


    "E-Elder Mordin!"


    "...no...."


    True Void sighed and flew toward Kyran. He sat on his right shoulder and crossed his arms.


    "What are you even doing? It''s not like you won''t change them all."


    Kyran shrugged, "They''re smarter. I need to be careful when turning them."


    "You will pay for this, Disciple Tyr!" Fidel suddenly shouted. He took out a small statue of an angel with ck wings and raised it up.


    Seeing his action, the other elders seemed to snap out of their reverie and also took out simr items like this.


    "You think you can save yourself by using that lowly relic to teleport?" True Void snorted.


    Hearing his words, Kyran also chuckled and pointed at the items in their hands. A small purple sphere appeared in the middle of the item.


    "N-No!"


    They released the statues as the sphere expanded, destroying the statuespletely.


    "Run away!" Evan also screamed and made a mad dash toward the door.


    "Who said you can leave?" Kyran said as his magic pressure erupted.


    In an instant, an invisible powerful force crashed down on them, forcing all of them to their knees.


    "Argh!"


    Mimi gritted her teeth and tried to stand but to no avail. In the end, she could only summon what little courage she had left to re at Kyran.


    She said, "W-Why did you have to kill uncle Eoin and elder Mordin? You even hurt uncle Ernst! I''m the one at fault for bringing you here. If you want to vent, then take it out on me!"


    "Lady Mimi!" Hanes tried to calm her.


    Kyran looked at Mimi, his eyes devoid of emotion as he said, "You think highly of yourself. Did you think you brought me here?" He sneered, "No. I let you bring me."


    His words seemed like a sharp de that pierced Mimi''s very soul. Her eyes widened as realization hit her.


    Kyran was right. With powerful magic and likely a higher magic level than her, it was impossible for her to knock him unconscious, much more, take him to the residence.


    It had been too easy. Why didn''t she realize it then?


    No. She knew why.


    All this time, they had looked down on ''Disciple Tyr.'' Mimi in particr only regarded him as a pretty boy who liked all the women''s attention. Yes, he was talented in Array and had some decent moves. Yet that was all there was to him.


    Or so, Mimi thought.


    "Y-You nned this..."


    Kyran did not respond, instead, he turned his attention to Ernst, who was gravely injured but was still conscious.


    "Ernst," he started.


    Ernst''s body shivered the moment his eyes met Kyran''s.


    Jamall, too, felt the intensity of Kyran''s gaze and felt his heart palpitate in his chest. If he did not care about Ernst, he would have tried to get as far away as possible from Kyran.


    "I''ll humor you onest time," Kyran continued as he walked toward him.


    "P-Please... s-spare my f-family...." Ernst tried to say.


    Kyran ignored his plea.


    "G-Get away from the Patriarch!" Hanes shouted.


    "Noisy! Too noisy!" True Voidined but only shook his head. "Get on with it, Void Halfling. They''ll definitely talk less if you turned them now."


    True Void''s words were like cold water that doused all of them.


    It was only then that they finally understood Eoin''s seemingly hopeless state and Mordin''s words.


    "V-Void...." Ernst spat out, his mind reeled.


    ? Kyran smiled and knelt in front of Ernst and Jamall.


    "That''s right, Ernst. Took you some time to realize it. Your elder brother has already recognized who I am when I appear behind him."


    Ernst and Jamall gaped at Kyran, their expression pale from fear.


    "You asked me why I know about Millie," Kyran said.


    Ernst''s eyes constricted. He wanted to tell him it did not matter anymore and instead, he hoped he would spare his family. However, his words were stuck in his throat.


    Kyran touched his face. Suddenly, lines appeared on his skin as he ''peeled'' off his face!


    "It''s because of who I am," Kyran finished and lowered his hand, which now held the face-altering mask, revealing his real face.


    The moment Ernst saw Kyran''s face. His blood drained out of his face.

 Chapter 445 Settling Scores

    Kyran and Mimi returned to the dome using the same transportation array they used to go to the Courtenay Residence.


    True Void, still sitting on Kyran''s shoulders, stretched his body and yawned. He said, "That was exhausting! Using that arts is far more energy draining than fighting Sovereigns!"


    Mimi looked furtively at True Void. She still could not fathom what kind of ''creature'' this little armor was. Aside from this, ''it'' would sometimes say things she could not understand. Just like now. What did he even mean about fighting ''sovereigns''?


    Finally, Mimi turned her gaze on Kyran''s back, who had not said a word to the little armor''s ranting. She wondered if he was even listening.


    Sensing Mimi''s gaze on him, Kyran turned to look at her and raised his brows questioningly.


    Mimi nervously stepped back, which caused an amused smile to appear on Kyran''s lips. Annoyed, she immediately steeled her heart and looked at him straight in the eyes. However, her face heated up at once, and she looked away.


    Mimi found it hard to look at ''Tyr''s'' real face.


    ''His name is not Tyr but Kyran. Kyran Regis...'' she corrected herself.


    ''Tyr''s'' aquamarine eyes looked mesmerizing. But being born into a family with different colored eyes, Mimi was used to them. While Kyran''s dark gray eyes were unusual, and his gaze seemed to pierce through one''s core, it was pretty unnerving.


    Herte grandfather had once told her about his experience after meeting the Regis''s Patriarch. He said:


    "His dark silver gray eyes pierced through me, and I was left frozen in ce. He seemed to look through me and no matter what I say did not matter. Nothing could escape their dark silver gray eyes."


    Mimi did not understand what herte grandfather meant back then; now, she did.


    "W-Why didn''t you change me, too?" Mimi asked after hesitating for a second.


    The change she meant was her personality and view.


    Truth be told, when they found Eoin was still alive, they thought Kyran would force him to manipte their memories through Memory magic before enving them.


    To their utmost confusion, Kyran left their memories intact and only changed their personality and view.


    At least, that was the case with Ernst, Hanes, and the rest of the elders. Kyran did not use the Dark Arts to change Mimi, Eoin, and Mordin.


    After a few seconds and no answer came from Kyran, Mimi looked at him again. Her expression turned sour at once after realizing he hadpletely ignored her. He even started fiddling around the still-activated transportation array as if it was the most curious thing in the world.


    "Did Evan create this array?" Kyran asked after a few minutes of silence.


    Mimi frowned. She wanted to ignore Kyran. But while he did not change her, along with Eoin and Mordin, they had sworn allegiance to him.


    They could not defy or ignore his orders. Right now, Kyran asking her a question seemed to be an order.


    "No," Mimi replied, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "The whole array formation is one of our Family''s Treasure, recorded in the Ancient Tablet. Elder Evan, along with all Array talents of our family, studied it for years and seeded in replicating it."


    "I see. No wonder the Courtenay Family managed to promote several Array Specialists. It''s all due to this array."


    "You make it sound like that array was why my people got promoted."


    Kyran looked at her and said, "That''s exactly what I meant."


    Mimi frowned, "Many of our family members have talents in Array! Apart from this, most are very diligent and-."


    "It''s gettingte," Kyran cut her midsentence. "Head back to your room first. I''ll stay here for a while to check this array."


    Mimi''s frown deepened at Kyran''s tant dismissal. She wanted to argue but knew it was futile. It only urred to her that, unlike when Kyran was acting as ''Tyr,'' the real him was far more aloof and disliked being asked questions.


    With a sigh, Mimi turned and went to the door. Then she paused and said, "Just as you said, it''s alreadyte. You have apetition tomorrow morning. Is it alright for you to stay upte?"


    "I''m fine," Kyran replied without looking at her.


    "G-Good night then," Mimi said and hurried out the door.


    True Void, who watched the whole thing in silence, jumped off Kyran''s shoulder and hovered above. He shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Void Halfling, it is one thing not to tell that girl your reasons, but I''m wondering the same thing. Isn''t it risky to leave three people with only a Mark of Allegiance?"


    "They know fear better than the others. It''s fine not to change them," Kyran exined while checking the array on the floor. "They are also smarter. They will not make the stupid mistake of telling the Crown Princess about me. Besides, they are always around her and the Emperor. They may not recognize the Dark Arts spell I used on them, but what about Ruin and Deception?"


    True Void sat cross-legged in midair and crossed his arms, "I kind of get the two elders being smart, but that girl just now... what''s her name again? I don''t think she''s smart, especially after falling on your cheap trick."


    Kyran chuckled, "She hated Tyr, and that clouded her judgment. Anyway, she''s smart enough to keep her mouth shut around the Crown Princess. That''s enough."


    "Ah, right. That Ernst guy bbers a lot."


    Kyran nodded.


    "Wait. Ernst is the Courtenay Patriarch, right? Wouldn''t he be around the Emperor and the Crown Princess, too?"


    "Not much as Eoin, at least."


    "Eoin?"


    Kyran nodded, "Eoin holds the highest position in the Courtenay, not Ernst. Ernst is the Patriarch, but Eoin is the one making decisions."


    "Eh? Do you mean Ernst is only a puppet?"


    "Not entirely. It''s just that with Eoin''s magic, he could not be a real pir of the Courtenay Family. On the other hand, Ernst, a Wind mage, is almost an Exalted; eventually, he will be a Magus. Even if Eoin managed to be a Magus,pared to Memory magic, Wind magic looks more powerful."


    "Hm... But that is not true."


    Kyran smiled and nodded, "Yes. Unfortunately, because of human''s prejudice, they all think offense magic is superior than support magic."


    True Void, "True that. There is really no weak magic. Its just how mages utilize them."


    He looked at Kyran and added, "And there is no evil magic either. People are only ignorant."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran looked at him but did not say anything. With a bitter smile, he turned his attention back to the array.


    After a few minutes, Kyran stood up with an appreciative look. He deactivated the array and said, "This array is quite good. It has seven sequences. Depending on the active sequence, its effect changes."


    "Oh?" What Kyran said piqued True Void''s interest. "That''s not something a normal human with Array talent coulde up with."


    "Yeah," Kyran agreed. "I read this kind of array back in the Tower of Tribtions."


    True Void''s eyes widened, "You don''t say... Could the person who came up with this entered the tower at some point?"


    "It is a possibility," Kyran replied, and with a bitter smile, he added, "It just meant that not every member of the Courtenay Family is evil. The one who made this array is one of the few who were righteous and found their way to the Tower of Tribtion."


    "Hm," True Void agreed. "But I''m surprised you didn''t ask Eoin or that Ernst to hand you all the Courtenay''s information or even visit their archive to read through all their records. You could have checked the original array formation there instead of checking a replica."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at True Void.


    "Their archive contained probably about half a millennia worth of records. Do you think I have the leisure to read through those in one night? I still have things to do."


    "Oh? What''s this? Void Halfling is actually admitting he was incapable of doing something?"


    "..."


    "BAHAHAHA! You''re face!"


    Kyran sighed. He ignored True Void''s teasing and took out his face-altering mask.


    "By the way, Void Halfling. What are you nning to do with their family''s Magus? That Eoin admitted, there are three in their family."


    Kyran looked at him, "What about those three?"


    "Oi. Those are three Magus, you know," True Void said in exasperation. "It''s not about you unable to handle them, but the Royal Army is definitely monitoring them."


    Instead of answering True Void with a long exnation, Kyran only said, "Tritus," as if that was enough to put the former''s mind at ease.


    "GAH! Seriously!" True Void blurted. "What does that even mean?"


    "Tritus is an Arch Magus, almost at Legendary," Kyran exined patiently. "He is being monitored by the Royal Army, too. But I still managed to make him my Sigil. Why does a three Magus be any different?"


    "It''s one thing to deal with one, but we''re talking about three!" True Void insisted.


    "Then I''ll deal with them one by one," Kyran replied and finally put on his face-altering mask.


    "Oh, right. There''s that option. Gah! It''s cause you drained my newly acquired magic energy, my thinking slowed! I NEED MORE MAGIC ENERGY! DO YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK TO SLEEP DUE TO INSUFFICIENT MAGIC ENERGY?"


    Kyran scratched his head.


    Using the Dark Arts spell to change Ernst and the others required a lot of magic energy. Then he also ced a mark on them simr to the ones he gave the Montgomeray. That also required a lot of it.


    Since Kyran had apetition tomorrow, he had to use his magic energy sparingly. In the end, True Void supplied the required magic energy toplete the spell and the mark.


    "I''ll find time to talk to Azaloth. I''m sure he knows a ce here in the empire with richer magic energy."


    "Of course there is! Just go inside the Chaos Pce!"


    "You know I can''t enter there yet," Kyran reminded.


    "How about we ask mistress''s help?" True Void asked teasingly. "She can sing and replenish my magic energy!"


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he waved his hand and forced True Void back into his Void World.


    [Oi! I''m not done yet!]


    ''Stay put there for now. I''ll find a ce where you can eat, don''t worry.''


    [Fine. Fine.]


    When True Void had settled down, Kyran returned to his room.


    Outside his room, he found Millie waiting for him.


    Kyran smiled inwardly. His business with the Courtenay Family would only bepleted after he dealt with Millie. And her appearing before him was no coincidence.


    He told Ernst to allow Millie to meet with him.


    As soon as Millie saw Kyran, she beamed and ran to greet him, "Disciple Tyr!"


    Kyran smiled slightly and nodded, "Lady Millie."


    Tonight. He would settle the score with her.


    ====================


    The following day, all faction leaders, elders, council members, non-participant faction members, and guests gathered at the dome''s fourth floor, Grand Hall. Inside the dome, this was the secondrgest hall after the center hall.


    Several seats, which could amodate thousands of people, surrounded the hall''s first floor. The second level had additional seats which could amodate around five hundred people. On the third level, there were six executive booths reserved for the leaders of each faction who would be watching the whole program.


    The executive booth at the north side of the hall was where the Royal Family was staying. In previous matches, either the Emperor or the Crown Princess would be present to oversee it. But today, both were already there, including the Empress. Their presence showed how important today''s matches were.


    The center of the hall had been divided into two. On the left side, six alchemy furnaces, tables, and cabs full of ingredients were lined up. At the same time, the right side had a four hundred square meters arena with two steel benches on each corner.


    For today''s event, it was apparent that the Courtenay Family made it so everyone could watch all matches.

 Chapter 446 Conclave Vs. Royal Army

    Two sets of golden numbers hovered above the hall. One set was timed for three hours and hovered on the left side. While the other still had three zeroes, hovered on the right.


    These were the timers for the uing Alchemy and Solo Competitions.


    At ten minutes before nine in the morning, all participants finally appeared at the hall''s center.


    Six participants in total for the Alchemy Competition, three on each team, and ten for the Solo Competition, five on each.


    As all participants arrived, a female Courtenay member walked to the hall''s center. She flew midair and faced the booth where Euan, Iulia, and Haylee were. She bowed in respect and said, "Greetings to His Majesty, Emperor Euan, Her Majesty, Empress Iulia, and Her Highness, Crown Princess Haylee."


    Sitting on a gold high chair with red ents, Euan nodded in acknowledgment.


    Iulia and Haylee, who sat on simrly designed high chairs, albeit smaller by a foot than Euan''s, also nodded their heads in response.


    The female announcer regarded the audience before continuing.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin with today''s event. For this morning, we will witness the Alchemy and the Solo Competition between the Royal Army and the Conve of the East.


    "I will first exin the rules of the Alchemy Competition.


    "Each participant will be given a medicine to concoct. It can be a potion or a pill. All ingredients will be provided. Participants, please remember that you are not allowed to use your own furnace or ingredients," the female announcer said thetter while looking at the Alchemy participants sternly.


    "This is to ensure that all of you are using the same quality of ingredients and furnace," she added before looking at the audience again.


    "Participants will be given three hours toplete their assigned medicine. After which, they will be graded ording to the level of their concoction.


    "Five points for low-grade pill or potion, ten points for mid-grade pill or potion, and twenty points for high-grade pill or potion.


    "If a participant concocted a legend-grade pill or potion, they would receive fifty points and an additional ten points in their team''s total score. If it is above a legend grade, they will receive one hundred points and an additional thirty points for their team''s total score.


    "After all participants are graded, each team''s total score will be tallied, and the team who scores the highest will win."


    The female announcer looked at the Alchemy participants before asking, "Is there any question?"


    Most of the participants shook their heads or remained silent.


    Seeing that no one had questions, the female announcer continued.


    "Now, for the Solo Competition rules, please listen carefully participants." She looked at the Solo participants before turning her attention back to the audience.


    "So far, the rules of previous Solo Competitions had varied ording to the request of each team," she started.


    As soon as she said this, most of the audience could not help but look at Kyran.


    While it was true that the headmittee had changed the rules of mostpetitions, Kyran was the first to request additional changes, which was then followed by the Lumley Family.


    Those guests watching thepetitions for the first time looked confused. Murmurs started among the audience as they asked around.


    The female announcer cleared her throat and said, "Which is why in today''s Solo Competition we will strictly follow the rules set by the headmittee and the leader representatives of both factions participating today."


    She looked at the exclusive booths where the Conve council members, the Royal Army''s Marshal, and Deputy Marshals were staying.


    Then she turned her attention back to the audience.


    "The Solo Competition will adopt a round-robin bracket. Each team member will have a chance to fight the opposite team''s members.


    "For example, a member of the Conve team will get a chance to fight all members of the Royal Army, and each match will onlyst for five minutes. This means each member will fight for no more than twenty-five minutes. After which, the top four participants will take part in the quarter-finals.


    "Please take note, that with this set up, a team may have three members participating in the quarter-finals. It may even mean that all four finalists are from the same team. Nevertheless, the quarter-finals will stillmence, until only one participant will be dered the champion of the Solo Competition."


    As soon as the female announcer finished her statement, the audience murmured in excitement.


    Among the Solo Competition participants, Styx also smiled. A smile that could send anyone trembling. His fighting spirit exploded as he turned to his right, where Kyran was standing with ck lines on his head. Even Rake, Deo, and Tilda, who only realized Styx''s intent today, felt cold sweats trickle down their backs.


    All of them sent a silent prayer for Kyran.


    Kyran already sensed Styx''s intent from theirstpetition and thought he did not have to worry about it too much. Who knew the headmittee woulde up with this kind of rule for the Solo Competition?


    More importantly, Kyran was surprised the Royal Army agreed to it. Then again, the Royal Army likely thought they would end up having four of their members participating in the quarter-finals. As for the Conve, he also wondered why Malia did not protest. After all, if they fought five matches today, even if it would onlyst for five minutes, they would all end up exhausted.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, the female announcer spoke again.


    "To ensure that each participant of the Solo Competition will be able to fight in top form on each of their matches, they will be given five high-grade healing potions and energy replenishing potions, which they can take after each match. These potions has been generously provided by Alchemy Assosciation''s Emperor Alchemist, Lady Malia."<sub> </sub>


    Kyran chuckled. No wonder the Conve agreed.


    "Is there any questions so far?" The female announcer asked while looking over the Solo participants.


    When no one answered, she turned her attention back to the audience.


    "Now that the rules have been provided, we will nowmence with the Alchemy and Solo Competition!"


    The crowd cheered, and all participants went to their respective waiting corners.


    Below the timer for the Solo Competition, a projection appeared showing the round-robin bracket. Each member had been assigned a number and was already matched against the opposing team.


    Kyran''s number was, and his matches were as follows: 5,4,3,2,1.


    With a bitter smile, he looked at the Royal Army participants.


    They had information about their members beforehand. However, same with what happened in the Beast Hunt, the ones they had about them probably were not updated. If that was the case and all five of them were supposed to be High Masters, then most likely, there were already Grand Masters among them.


    Right now, Kyran could not sense their level. They probably had a magic item that concealed their level and for it to even block Kyran''s probing meant it was a high-level item. It might have been provided by Ruin or Deception.


    Kyran looked at Rake, Deo, and Tilda. To be honest, he did not have much hope for them. As much as possible, he also wanted them to forfeit their match instead of having them try too hard. He did not want them to have an ident.


    "Tyr," Styx called, snapping Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran looked at Styx and almost jumped back after seeing a palpable aura rising from him.


    "Let''s have a good match."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head.


    "Our opponents are those guys, Leader Styx," he said while pointing at the Royal Army''s corner.


    Styx grinned, "Doesn''t matter. In the quarter-finals, we''ll definitely face each other."


    Rake, Deo, and Tildaughed bitterly at them. They already knew there was no way they could be one of the four finalists. Still, that did not mean they would not do their best. At the very least, they would do what they could for Styx and Kyran to advance. They could do this bysting as much as possible and have Kyran and Styx see all the Royal Army''s moves.


    "Right..." Kyran replied with a bitter smile.


    "Participants for the first match, Tilda of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Ganza!"


    Tilda looked at her team and grinned, "How about I set a good momentum for our side?"


    Styx looked at the Royal Army''s corner and watched as a huge man wearing a red army uniform approached the arena.


    "No need. Just try to stay alive," Styx told her.


    Tilda red at him, "Is that something a leader should tell his team member!"


    "Humph. That guy is a Major General, but there is no telling if he is still a High Master."


    "Hm. Styx is right, Tilda. Be careful there," Deo agreed.


    "Humph! No trust at all. Fine, fine!" Tilda grumbled and made her way to the arena.


    The timer above immediately turned 5:00 when Tilda and Ganza entered the arena.


    "First match, start!"


    "I will show you that¡ª! Hey!"


    As soon as the female announcer said the word ''start,'' Ganza summoned a red magic array and molded a spear made of mes.


    "RA!" He grabbed the spear with his right and spun three times before throwing it straight at Tilda.


    Tilda hastily unsheathed her weapon, however.


    BANG!


    "GAH!" Tilda spat out a mouthful of blood as the ming spear pierced through her magic defenses, directly through her chest.

 Chapter 447 Not Against The Rules

    "Tilda!" Deo and Rake shouted and sprang to their feet. Both were shocked as the momentum of Ganza''s attack forced Tilda near the arena''s edge.


    Even the audience who were interested in watching the Alchemy Competition only was shocked at the suddenmotion and was surprised at the scene. It seemed the Solo Competition would have interesting matches today!


    Tilda fell to her knees, mming the head of her axe on the floor and using it to support her weight.


    "Gah!" She spat another mouthful of blood and touched her chest where the ming spear went through before dissipating in the air behind. She winced after feeling a one-and-a-half-centimeter-scorching hole close to her heart.


    "Hmm... That attack is supposed to force you out of the arena," Ganza said loud enough for the Styx and the others on the bench could hear. "I guess I miscalcted. This arena isrger than the previous one."


    "That was a fatal attack!" Deo shouted and looked at the female announcer who was overseeing both the Alchemy and Solo Competitions at the same time. "He vited the rules of thepetition!"


    The female announcer looked at Deo and said indifferently, "Since it is apetition, killing is forbidden. This is an unspoken rule. However, in the agreed rule by the headmittee with the representatives of the Conve and the Royal Army, there is no rule that forbids participants from inflicting their opponent with a fatal attack. This may be apetition; however, keep in mind that this is also part of the Joint Military Exercise of the Conve and the Royal Army. Such things are bound to happen."


    "What¡ª?"


    "Sit down, Deo, Rake," Styx''s voice was calm. Yet, the temperature around them seemed to have dropped.


    Deo and Rake looked at Styx to protest; however, their words were stuck when they saw an almost palpable killing intent rising in his body.


    "The b*tch is right. This is no longer the ''friendly''petition we y around with the Three Noble Families," Styx continued, his eyes looking straight at the acting leader of the Royal Army; a man in a red uniform with short sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes, sitting on the far left side of the bench.


    The man''s name is Kairo, also a Major General.


    The female announcer''s brow furrowed after hearing what Styx called her. She was a Grand Master, while Styx was only a half-step. Normally, she would have taught him a lesson by now. However, she received strict orders from the Patriarch not toment on anything both teams would do or say to her. That was why she reigned in her anger and ignored Styx''s provocative words.


    Deo and Rake sat down reluctantly, with thetter looking furtively at Kyran on his left.


    At the moment, Kyran had not reacted. Rake could not even read his expression. Kyran was simply looking at the arena with an indifferent expression. Nevertheless, Rake did not think Kyran did not care about what happened. He even thought the younger man''s indifference was the calm before the storm.


    Back in the arena, Tilda looked at Ganza with narrowed eyes. If she did not manage to deflect his attack with the de of her axe earlier, that ming spear would have pierced through her heart, and she would have been forced to retire.


    Yes, retire. Not forfeit.


    Chairman Malia might have been providing high-grade healing potions, but it would not be enough to treat a wound in the heart. If she retired, the remaining members of the Royal Army would gain a free win from her. That did not sit well with her.


    "Bastard," she growled through gritted teeth. Her magic rose and was about to stand when Ganza dashed toward her, another ming spear in his hand.


    He brandished the ming spear and aimed at Tilda.


    "I won''t fall for the same¡ª!"


    But.


    Instead of throwing the spear, Ganza made a sudden stop. However, he used that sudden stop to increase the momentum of his arms as he swung the ming spear, hitting Tilda''s body, which had brought up her axe to block his attack.


    DING!


    The mes on the spear disappeared, revealing a real spear instead of a molded one.


    "Ngh!"


    Ganza''s arm muscles rippled as he thrust the spear, forcing Tilda up to her feet. "RA!" He shouted and threw her out of the arena.


    "No!" Tilda tried to reach her axe on the floor to stop her momentum. However, a red magic array appeared below, and a ming wall emerged.


    Tilda barely managed to reinforce her magic defenses, but that couple of seconds where she changed her movement had been enough to force her out of the arena.


    "Round-robin bracket, first match, Major General Ganza of the Royal Army wins." The female announcer said. "Next match will begin in 30 seconds!"


    Gasps of surprise filled the hall. It was not because they were surprised at how the match ended but because the timer had stopped at 4:24. It meant the first match had ended in less than a minute!


    To think there was such a huge gap between the participants of the Conve and the Royal Army!


    Tilda mmed her fist on the floor in frustration. She did not want her first match to end like this! It was true she had been wary of Ganza''s ming spear that she failed to realize that he had been holding a real weapon.


    "Tilda, get back to your seat."


    Styx''s voice brought Tilda back to her senses. She took a deep breath, stood up, and returned to her seat.


    "Sorry. I let down my guard," she apologized.


    "No," Styx responded without looking at her. "It is not that you let your guard down. Right from the start, we had been led around."


    "''Led around''? ''Right from the start''?" Deo repeated while looking at him.


    "Yes. The friendly matches we had with Three Noble Families has dulled our senses," Styx replied.


    Only then did they realize why the Royal Army agreed to let the Three Noble Families join the military exercise. It was not because they were the event''s sponsor or that one of them owned the venue. They were using them not only to exhaust them but also to muddle their sense of danger!


    Still, why would they go through all this trouble?


    This question remained on Deo, Rake, and Tilda''s minds.


    As for Styx, he already knew more than them of what was happening behind the scenes. He also knew that this was only the beginning.


    "Two days," Styx said and grinned. "These two days. The Royal Family is going to strike."


    Deo, Rake, and Tilda looked at him in confusion.


    ''The Royal Family? Not the Army?''<sub> </sub>


    "Seniors."


    After staying quiet for some time, Kyran had finally spoken.


    "Please, prioritize in defending rather than winning."


    Before they could react, the female announcer called the next match''s start.


    "Participants for the second match, Deo of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Osman!"


    Deo balled his fists and stood up.


    "I think I get what you mean, Tyr. But we are mercenaries. We don''t cower just because the odds are against us. Anyway, this is no longer a friendly match. As representative of the Conve, I will do my best to win."


    With that, he jumped toward the arena.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent.


    Deo and Osman faced each other near the center of the arena. The timer restarted, and before it reached 5:00, the female announcer raised her hand and said, "Second match, start!"


    Meanwhile, on the Alchemy side, three medicine forms were provided. A form for transformation, internal bleeding, and a truth serum.


    The first form was only a first-level medicine that low-ranked Alchemists could easily concoct. The second form was a second-level and would require an Alchemist to be at least a mid-level.


    On the other hand, a truth serum was considered an advanced-level medicine because most of the required ingredients had different properties, making the first process a little hard to do.


    As soon as the members of the Alchemy Association got the forms, Len volunteered to make the truth serum. The other two had no qualms because they saw what he could do. While they could sessfully concoct one, its grade would definitely not go higher than mid-grade. Since they were aiming to get a high total score, they could have Len concoct the serum. After all, he had been concocting nothing but high-grade potions.


    Most of the audience did not understand why the Courtenay chose to have bothpetitions happen in the same hall. It was actually hard to focus on which side to watch closely. However, those who were aware of theplexity of Alchemy knew that having the Solo Competition in the same hall was part of the ''obstacle'' the alchemists had to ovee during the concoction.


    An Alchemist''s ability to concentrate.


    Since the Alchemy Competition did not have much going on, most of the audience was focused on the Solo Competition.


    Back in the arena, Deo was aware that among his team, he had the lowest chance of going up the list because most army officers were Fire mages, which was the worse match-up with his Wood magic.


    Nevertheless, that did not mean he would not be able to put up a fight.


    A light green magic array appeared on both Deo''s palms and he mmed it on the arena''s floor. The floor shook as several five-inch diameter thick tree roots emerged and went toward Osman.


    Osman spread his arms and summoned a one-meter radius red magic array on front of him. A whirl of mes converged at the center of the magic array before it shoot off and collided with Deo''s attack.


    Crackling sounds filled the air as the two attacks collided.


    Without waiting for the fire to burn his initial attack, Deo ran toward Osman using the tree roots he summoned as his footing. A short sword appeared on his right hand as he jumped. He raised his hand and aimed at Osman''s head.


    However, before Deo could even close the gap, the whirling mes from Osman''s magic array doubled in size and also shoot off at his direction.


    "Tsk," Deo gritted his teeth and brought the sword in front of him. He activated the sword''s magic and whirl it in his hand. In an instant, a thin water vortex appeared before him, blocking Osman''s whirling mes.


    "A water elemental sword. We don''t have that in our records. Interesting," Osmanmented.


    Deo frowned slightly after hearing Osman. He knew the Royal Army also had their records. But he did not like how Osman said it. As if their records were absolute and it was impossible for it to have any error.


    ''Focus!'' Deo told himself and pushed all unnecessary thoughts to the back of his head.


    The moment the collision of the two attacks dissipated, Deo brandished his sword and hacked downward. A beautiful blue arc flew out of its de and went straight to Osman.


    Osman, seeing the iing attack, only smiled.


    Then.


    FOOOM!


    Osman''s body burst out in mes as he stomped on the ground and shoot toward Deo who was still suspended in midair.


    "You¡ª! Gah!"


    Deo failed to put up his magic barrier and Osman''s body mmed at him.


    "Burn," Osman whispered the moment their body collided. A sinister smile stered on his face.


    "AAAAAARGH!" Deo screamed in pain as mes covered his whole body.


    "Deo!" Rake and Tilda shouted as they sprang to their feet and went near the arena.


    "Stand back. You are not allowed to enter within three feet off the arena," the female announcer stopped the two.


    "You¡ª!"


    "Participant Deo resigns. Stop the match at once!"


    A female voice reverberated throughout the hall.


    Hushed discussions spread in the audience as soon as they realized the voice came from the Conve''s executive booth.


    The female announcer nodded her head in acknowledgement and said, "Round-robin bracket, second match, Major General Osman of the Royal Army wins!"

 Chapter 448 Shattered

    Two members of the Chamber of Commerce took Deo as soon as the match ended. They did not stop and chat with Styx and the others and made their way out.


    Styx and the others knew Deo would be taken to Chairman Malia''s quarters instead of the dome''s infirmary. That had been one of the instructions given to them by the Conve High Council Members. No matter how trivial it was, they would go to Chairman Malia''s quarters, not in the infirmary when they were injured.


    Rake gritted his teeth in anger as he red at Osman in the arena. Thetter had already released his mes and was on his way back to their corner. Not once had he shown remorse at what he did to Deo.


    Suddenly, Rake heard grinding soundsing to his left. He turned to look at Kyran but only found his indifferent expression. However, when he looked further to the left, Rake realized that the grinding sound hade from Styx.


    Styx gripped his arms so tight that he already left finger marks on his arm bracers. It went without saying how much his killing intent had risen.


    But Rake did not react. He had a feeling he was next to go up. He did not want to retire early and give free wins to their enemies (at the moment, he already viewed the army as their enemies, not opponents in apetition). Not to mention, if they wanted to get two of their people in the finals, the most likely candidate for that was him and Styx, not Kyran and Styx. Because no matter how domineering Kyran appeared in his previous matches, the truth, his magic level was his greatest disadvantage. There was also the matter of his Support-type magic. Kyran managed to fend for himself against the members of the Three Noble Families because they likely did not have any actual life and death battle experiences. However, the army officers were different. They were veterans in that regard. Their red uniform was a testament of that.


    Red uniformed officers are vanguards. All of their members are offense mages. They are normally assigned in the frontlines at the empire''s borders or the Forbidden Magic Control Squad. As for the green uniformed officers they are normally scouts with their members specializing in support or defense magic.


    Knowing all this made Rake understand that Kyran would definitely be at a disadvantage. At the very least, he had to do a better job at securing a spot in the finals.


    "Participants for the third match, Tyr of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Vanadin!"


    Rake took a sharp intake of breath as he looked at Kyran. Tilda also looked at thetter with concern in her eyes.


    Tilda had the same thoughts as Rake about Kyran''s disadvantage in thepetition. Forget about her and Deo having a slightly lower mage level from Rake and Styx, Kyran was only a new Master mage! Even if the army officers were High Masters, they were likely half-step to bing a Grand Master. Some of them might even already be one.


    "Dammit," Styx muttered.


    Both Rake and Tilda looked at Styx. They initially thought thetter had cursed because he also worried about Kyran''s situation. Upon seeing his annoyed expression however, it did not look as if he was worried. Could it be Styx was annoyed because he had been itching to fight yet ended up not going up again? Or, maybe...?


    Kyran did not react to Styx. Still wearing an indifferent expression, he stood up and walked to the arena.


    The Royal Army''s next participant, Vanadin, jumped from their corner to the arena. He was a buffed man with short red hair and green eyes. On his back was two steel sticks with rune writings on its body.


    The moment Kyran stepped into the arena, the timer above restarted to 5:10.Before itpletely turned to 5:00, the female announcer raised her hand and said, "Third match, start!"


    Vanadin moved at once. He took both steel sticks off his back and the rune writings glowed light brown.


    Kyran, on the other hand, took out his wooden stick and unhurriedly mmed it on the ground.


    "Humph," Vanadin sneered. To him, Kyran looked as if he had given up all will to fight and had openly epted his defeat.


    When the distance between the two had reached five-meters, Vanadin stomped his feet and jumped, leaving a deep angry dent on the arena''s floor. The tips of his steel sticks suddenly formed into tworge hammerheads. To increase the weight of his attack, Vanadin arched his back, and flexed his back and arm muscles.


    It was at this moment, that the ground where Kyran''s wooden stick had touched, glowed. A six-inches radius light gold array appeared on the floor. Simultaneously, a simr array appeared and hovered inches from the side of Vanadin''s head.


    Failing to notice the array from his peripheral view, Vanadin brought down the two steel sticks with such ferocity toward Kyran''s head and shouted, "RAAA!"


    BAM!


    "--Gah!" Vanadin''s shout turned into a surprised yelp as a wooden stick emerged at the center of the array and solidly hit his right temples.


    The surprise attack disrupted his momentum, forcing his body slightly to the side and missing Kyran''s head a couple of inches.


    "You--! Argh!"


    But Vanadin recovered at once. He twisted his wrist and hacked the steel sticks horizontally, aiming at Kyran''s face. However, a light gold array appeared an inch away from Kyran''s face, a wooden stick emerging at the center. It hit Vanadin squarely on his wrist, forcing him to fling his arm to the side.


    "Ngh--! What in the-- GAH!


    In an instant, small several light gold array appeared, surrounding . The wooden stick then randomly emerged on these arrays and hit him in different parts of his body.


    BAM!


    Knee.


    BAM!


    Hips.


    BAM!


    Shoulder.<sub> </sub>


    BAM!


    Chest.


    BAM!


    Back.


    BAM!


    Forehead.


    The wooden stick''s attack continued, hitting more parts of the Vanadin''s body.


    While it seemed that this happened for some time, the truth, it only took a few seconds. However, in that short time Vanadin had received more than fifty hits from the wooden stick!


    "GAH!" Vanadin choked as thest attack


    hit his throat. He was thrown a few meters backward and fell on the floor with a loud thud, unmoving.


    The timer above had also stopped.


    The hall had fallen into an awkward silence. Only the sounds made by the participants in the Alchemist Competition filled the hall.


    The first one to recover was the acting leader of the Royal Army, Kairo. His expression distorted as he red at Kyran.


    "You went too far Disciple Tyr!" He growled.


    Kyran, who had worn an indifferent expression right from the start finally smiled. However, his smile did not meet his eyes. He said, "Did I?"


    He looked at the female announcer, hovering above who was looking at the arena in confusion, and said, "This is not against the rule, is it?"


    The female announcer snapped out of her reverie and looked at Kyran. She, just like most of the audience failed to understand what just happened.


    "T-This...."


    "Major General Vanadin will resign from thepetition."


    Just like what happened in Deo''s match, a female voice had spoken. This time, it came from the Royal Army''s booth.


    The audience suddenly erupted in discussion.


    None of them understood what happened. They witnessed Vanadin''s body suspended in the air as he screamed in agony. Then he was thrown back and fell unconcsious on the floor.


    Two non-participant army officers hurried inside the arena and approached Vanadin. They were about to wake him, but stopped midway and instead let out a gasp of surprise. They looked at Kyran in anger and fright.


    "Y-You! Were you trying to kill him?"


    The moment one of the army officer said this, the noise in the audience doubled.


    Kyran ignored the officer and frowned at the announcer.


    "Oi. How long are you going to gape there stupidly? The timer had stopped, and that guy''s resigning. Announce the winner."


    Before the announcer could say anything, the officer on the arena stood up and continued to argue.


    "Disciple Tyr had attacked Major General Vanadin with the intent to kill. This is clearly a vition of the rules!"


    "Shut up and bring Vanadin to the infirmary at once!" Kairo reprimanded the officer.


    The officer looked at Kairo and intended to argue but seeing the rising killing intent from thetter, the officer balked at once and shut his mouth.


    Without saying anything further, the two officers took out a stretcher and very carefully lifted Vanadin off the floor using their magic sense. It was the only way they could ensure his body''s trauma would not be aggravated further.


    Only then did the audience notice something strange. Vanadin''s body limped as if he did not have any bones! To be precise, it appeared the force of the hit he received had shattered all his bones!

 Chapter 449 Fifth Match

    "R-Round-robin bracket, third match, Tyr of the Conve wins!" The female announcer finally announced after a short pause. "Next match will begin in 30 seconds!"


    Instead of erupting in cheers, the gallery remained silent.


    Most already heard what Tyr had done to some members of the Lumley Family after thetter hurt some of the members of the cksmith Order. However, most thought the story was exaggerated.


    How could a Master mage with only Strengthening magic possibly fatally injure those people?


    Now that they had seen what Kyran could do, they could only ept that the story was not exaggerated.


    Meanwhile, Kyran returned to their corner as soon as the female announcer dered the winner. Personally, he did not care whether she announced it or not, but as ''Tyr,'' it meant a lot to him. Tyr was now known to have a ''temper,'' after all.


    Then again, he admitted he was annoyed at the Royal Army''s obvious intention and wanted to get even.


    "Don''t think you can act as you please on my watch," Kairo said loud enough for Kyran to hear.


    To be precise, he made it so that only Kyran could hear him. It was not telepathy, though. Rather, it appeared to be an innate ability.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Kairo. With a slight smile, he mouth a reply, "An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth."


    Leaving it at that, he turned his back and went down the arena.


    Kairo balled his fists to suppress his annoyance.


    It was their n to get the Conve''s members to retire one by one. Their analysis of thetter''s battle strength showed Rake, with his unique, innate ability and Styx''s overwhelming defensive prowess, as the two with the highest chance of getting into the finals. Deo and Tilda were slightly inferior to Rake and Kairo, and the others deemed they would not be a threat. Apart from this, Deo''s Wood magic was a bad matchup with their Fire magic, while Tilda''s straightforward character would be her undoing. As for Tyr, they did not even need to delve into his information. He was only a Master mage with Strengthening magic. Though he had a unique, innate ability thatplemented his Array talent, so long as they prevent or disrupt him from creating an array, it would be easy to take care of him.


    At least, that had been their intention.


    Who knew Kyran did not have to ''take out'' materials before making an array? Kairo and the other officers knew Kyran kept pre-prepared materials within his wooden staff. But there had to be a limit to the materials he could carry in his wooden staff. At most, Kyran should only be allowed to carrymon materials. He should not have been able to carry unique or rare materials.


    Like some of the materials used in creating a Transportation array!


    Kairo had guessed that the array Kyran created to attack Vanadin was a Transportation array. Thetter''s wooden staff could increase in length, and he made use of this fact and his unique, innate ability to create several transportation points that surrounded Vanadin, with the main point being the array under the wooden staff. That was how Kyran attacked Vanadin without moving from his position.


    Still, the barrage of attacks Kyranunched should not be enough to break Vanadin''s bones. If Kairo guessed correctly, Kyran strengthened the weight and force of his wooden staff using his Strengthening magic. Kairo would not be surprised if Kyran''s staff surpassed the weight of Vanadin''s weapon after it turned into hammers.


    Nevertheless, for Kyran toe up with such a cruel way to get even with them was something Kairo had not anticipated.


    Kairo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He returned to his seat and shook his head inwardly, ''No. We should have anticipated it. Based on what happened between him and the Lumley Family, didn''t he ruthlessly attack after the Lumleys attacked the members of the cksmith Order?''


    Kairo opened his eyes. Without looking at the others, he said, "We''ll go with n C."


    Ganza, Osman, and Rivka, a small-statured officer with short brown hair and dark blue eyes, nodded their heads.


    What they had been doing till now was n A. They would execute n B, which was to have all their members apart from Kairo forfeit their matches against Styx if thetter decided to retaliate after realizing their intention. As for n C, if they encountered something unexpected, they would deal with it ording to their own judgment.


    Kairo deemed Kyran fatally injuring Vanadin as an unexpected situation. Thus, they would now move ording to their judgment. It might seem cowardly, but right now, they had to endure. Their priority was the finals, after all.


    "Participants for the fourth match, Rake of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Rivka!"


    Rake stood up just as Kyran arrived at the bench. With an appreciative look, Rake walked passed Kyran, then pat his shoulders.


    "Thanks," he said before going to the arena.


    Tilda also looked at Kyran with an appreciative smile. Styx, however, glowered at him.


    "That should have been me," he growled as soon as Kyran sat down.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s brow twitched but decided not to respond. Seriously, this older man''s grumpiness was simr to a child having a tantrum after his toy got stolen.


    The next match between Rake and Rivka started with both feeling out each other''s moves. None of them made any major attack that would result in someone getting heavy injuries. In the end, the time ran out, and the match ended with a draw.


    This caused the audience to feel disappointed because they expected to see more actions. But their disappointment was short-lived because the next match was between the two acting leaders!


    "Participants for the fifth match, Styx of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Kairo!"


    The two stood up and jumped their way to the arena.


    The arena shook as soon as the twonded, and an almost palpable pressure erupted from them.


    Knowing how much the tension between the two sides had intensified after what happened to one of their members, the female announcer did not dally. When the timer above restarted, she raised her hand and shouted, "Fifth match, start!"


    In an instant, Styx and Kairo exploded with magic pressure. Gasps filled the hall as the audience sensed the surging magic energy from both of them.


    "Your members sure did a good job taking care of my team," Styx growled.


    "Please," Kairo replied with an indifferent tone. "Your member practically reduced one of my member into a pulp."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure that other guy will have the same fate," Styx sneered while jerking his head toward Osman, the guy who burst into mes and injured Deo.


    Kairo smiled, "I see. So Mercenary Styx also has a temper."


    "F*ck, right!" Styx answered and made a sudden dash toward Kairo. "Nemean armor!" He roared and unleashed his signature translucent armor. A translucent giant lion materialized and roared before turning into an armor that enveloped his body.


    Styx summoned a one-meter radius dark brown magic array, and threerge translucent bouche shields materialized in front. These shields moved along with him as he closed the gap between him and Kairo.


    "Humph," Kairo sneered. He did not make a move to avoid Styx. Instead, he raised his arms. In an instant, the surroundings crackled, and two long zing swords materialized, one on each of his hands. Without pausing, Kairo brought down the two swords at the approaching Styx.


    Styx''s eyes narrowed, and he made an abrupt stop. He willed two of the bouche shields to block the iing zing long swords from above. At the same time, he stomped his right foot, summoning a half-meter radius magic array on the floor.


    The arena shook, and an earth spike snaked its way to Kairo.


    BAM! Whoosh!


    The two zing long swords collided with the bouche shields, causing red-hot mes to erupt downward from the swords and engulf Styx.


    "Ngh!" Styx gritted his teeth as a sea of mes surrounded him.


    Meanwhile, the earth spike, which was halfway toward Kairo, had also been drowned by the sea of mes and exploded.


    Kairo''s eyes glowed as he jumped with two zing swords in each of his hands.


    "RAA!" He shed downward and unleashed more of its mes toward Styx, who had yet to recover his footing.


    Styx summoned another magic array as more bouche shields appeared around him just before the mes fell. Then he summoned another magic array on the floor. An earth boulder emerged where he was standing and carried him upward to where Kairo was.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Styx roared as he willed the bouche shields to keep the mes around him at bay.


    "No," Kairo replied with a slight smile. "We are only starting."


    Still suspended in the air, he brandished the two long swords to his side and started to twist his whole body. The mes from the long swords erupted and danced along with him, slowly creating a human-made ming hurricane.

 Chapter 450 A Safe Approach

    Kairo continued to spin midair, increasing the range of the fire hurricane. In an instant, the temperature in the surroundings rose to an astonishing level, and the arena floor showed signs of melting.


    "Tsk," Styx gritted his teeth and halted the ascent of his summoned boulder. He summoned more bouche shields and surrounded himself, making him appear like a pangolin atop a boulder.


    The fire hurricane had now mostly covered the middle of the arena, and Styx was trapped inside.


    If Styx had not summoned more shields, he would have been burned alive. It was not an exaggeration. Styx might be wearing the Nemean armor, but its magic defense was not highpared to its physical defense. He summoned it in the first ce because Kairo was a Firebat mage using dual swords, thinking that they would have more melee exchanges.


    He did not expect Kairo to use fire elemental swords and create a wide area attack.


    "Ngrgh!" Styx summoned more shields after sensing the outeryer of his defense melting.


    The audience, watching the match, was shocked at Kairo''s attack. It should be noted that he was only using the mes from the two long swords to create such a powerful fire hurricane. He had not used an ounce of his Fire magic yet! If he had, how much power could this hurricane have?


    Rake and Tilda watched the match in trepidation. They did not expect Kairo to possess powerful elemental long swords. More importantly, they were positive those swords were not crafted. To be precise, they were not crafted by any Array Specialists of this era. If they guessed correctly, those swords might be ancient magic weapons used during the old era. It would not even be an exaggeration to think they were weapons during the Dark Sage''s era.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained indifferent. He already sensed something strange when Kairo took out the long swords. If he knew what Rake and Tilda were thinking, he could tell them they were not far off with their guess. After all, those long swords were not crafted by a human.


    That was right. Those long swords were products from another ne.


    ''Ruin and Deception is already supplying the Royal Army''s weapons. If this goes on...'' Kyran''s brow furrowed slightly. Even if he managed to gather more people on his side, if he could not supply them with armor and weapons that could rival the quality of those from other nes, they would only end up as cannon fodders.


    Kyran had to meet with Gustaff and see if he had materials from other nes that he could use to craft armor and weapons. For the other materials he could not get, Kyran would have to ask Olivia. But first, he had to meet her. That had been Byron''s message to him the other night.


    Byron had already made contact with Olivia. However, after showing the token Kyran received from Olivia''s essence, she still insisted on meeting his ''master'' in person.


    Kyran took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could almost guess how the Field Operation would unfold tomorrow. It was good that he decided to have one human as a team member. He was confident in his puppets'' defenses. As for Mitchel, Kyran would have to craft something to ensure he would be protected in case he had to face an attack from those weapons.


    "Damn it! When will that guy exhaust his weapon''s fire power?"


    Rake''s voice snapped Kyran out of his reverie and opened his eyes.


    "True," Tilda agreed. "No matter how good Styx''s could defend against those mes, if this continues..."


    Rake looked at the timer above. It had already been more than two minutes since the match started and more than a minute from when Kairo trapped Styx inside the fire hurricane. Suddenly, his eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind.


    "D-Don''t tell me he''s trying to suffocate Styx to death?" He eximed in fright.


    Tilda also gasped in realization.


    That was right. This scenario was pretty much the same as Kyran and Lev''s match, was it not? After that match, Kyran ended up in bad shape. Was this Kairo''s intention? To ensure that even if Styx survived, he would be in very bad shape for his next matches?


    "Just like what happened to Tyr during his match with that Lev!" She eximed.


    "You guys are overthinking," Kyran told them calmly.


    The two looked at him in disbelief.


    "How can you stay calm at a time like this?" Tilda asked.


    Kyran shrugged while keeping his eyes on the arena. "Those mes are not enough to suffocate Leader Styx to death," he replied. "Besides, I ended up like that during my match with Lev because I used a lot of magic energy. Leader Styx''s magic energy reserves are definitely far greater than mine."


    Rake touched his chin in contemtion, "You have a point."


    "But still," Tilda, however, was not convinced. "That fire has consumed the air around Styx. It will only be a matter of time before he runs out of oxygen--."


    BOOM!


    Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted, resulting in a mixture of heatwave and shockwave spreading out from the arena in different directions.


    Rake immediately summoned his magic and created a wind barrier to protect the three of them.


    From the gallery, gasps of surprise filled the air, and threeyered magic barriers appeared around the gallery to protect the audience.


    Some mages who did not know about the barriers in front of the gallery also deployed their magic barriers or used different magic items to protect themselves.


    In the arena, clouds of smoke filled the center.<sub> </sub>


    Rake and Tilda strained their eyes to see what had caused the explosion.


    Kyran remained indifferent. However, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    As the cloud of smoke cleared, two silhouettes could be seen within. One figure was midair, holding two zing long swords, while the other was standing below, looking up.


    "You f*cking bastard," Styx''s foul mouth rang out, and immediately Rake and Tilda''s expressions somewhat rxed. "Come down here and fight!"


    Kairoughed at Styx''s provocation. He was not one to be provoked easily, but he did descend, albeit very slowly.


    "You managed to withstand that. Impressive," hemented.


    "I''m not here to impress!" Styx growled and summoned translucent arm bracers. They hovered half an inch on his arms as he mmed his fists together and jumped.


    As Styx jumped, a five-meter radius dark brown magic array appeared on the floor, and a small boulder sprang up. He used this boulder as a foothold and jumped again.


    More boulders emerged on the floor, and Styx used them to get closer to Kairo.


    Seeing Styx''s actions, Kairo simply smiled. He halted his descent and changed course to meet Styx.


    He brandished the zing long swords to his side before swinging inwardly, creating two ming arcs that intersect in the middle toward Styx.


    The ming arcs were released just when Styx was in the motion of jumping. Instead of evading or summoning a bouche shield to defend, Styx pulled back his right arm, poised to smack the iing attack. He arched his back and flexed his muscles as a dark brown magic array formed above his right arm bracer.


    "Rawrgh!" Styx roared and punched out. As he did, a concentrated earth magic energy shot off his hand, which turned into a translucent huge fist that collided with Kairo''s attack.


    BOOM!


    The explosion once again sent the midair with smoke.


    Within the smoke, Kairo and Styx did not stop. They still went after each other, unleashing fire shes or earth punches.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    With each collision of their attacks, small explosions urred, making the smoke thicker.


    The audience strained their eyes as they tried to see through the smoke. Unfortunately, they could barely see what was happening and could only rely on the silhouettes that seemed to change positions every second.


    Styx had no ability to fly. Thus, he continued to summon boulders to use as his foothold while attacking Kairo.


    On the other hand, Kairo maintained his distance while sending out me shes at Styx. At times, he also aimed at thetter''s summoned boulders to lessen his foothold.


    "F*ck! Stay still, you coward!"


    Styx''s foul mouth could be heard within the smoke-filled arena. As for Kairo, he did not seem intent on replying and only focused on attacking Styx at a distance.


    "Argh! The time!" Rake suddenly eximed as the timer above caught his line of sight.


    Hearing his exmation, Tilda also looked up. She frowned at once, seeing that only a few seconds were left before the match would end. To be precise, there were only 9 seconds left!


    "I see," Kyran suddenly said. "Looks like, after their first n failed, their next is to force the match into a draw."


    Rake and Tilda looked at him.


    "What?" Tilda asked in confusion.


    But Rake somehow understood; after all, his match ended in a draw!


    "Time''s up!"


    The female announcer''s voice rang out as soon as the timer turned 0:00.


    "Fifth match! Draw!"

 Chapter 451 F*Ck, Are You Guys Those Army Dogs Spies?

    The next round of the round-robin bracket got postponed for five minutes. The short break was due to the arena getting destroyed by Kairo''s fire hurricane and Styx''s boulders. The Courtenay activated the arena''s array. At the moment, the array was restoring the arena to its original state.


    Styx sat on the bench while ring at the Royal Army''s corner. He was not satisfied with the oue of his match with Kairo, and it peeved him after realizing he had fallen into his scheme.


    "A forced draw. That f*cking bastard! I''ll skin him alive," he growled before downing the high-grade energy replenishing potion one of the Courtenay representatives handed after the first round of the round-robin bracket matches.


    "Tyr said that''s their likely n now that their first n failed," Rake replied while fixing the bandage around his mouth. He had only finished drinking his share of energy replenishing potion.


    "I don''t know about you, but I think they will only adapt that move with both of you," Tilda differed and downed her share of high-grade healing potion. Since she did not use much of her magic energy in her match, she decided to reserve her share of energy replenishing potion forter. "They will definitely try to eliminate both me and Tyr."


    Styx''s furrowed brows deepened at her words. He felt the same way. However, knowing Kyran''s real strength, Styx was not worried about him. The actual cause of his displeasure was when Kyran eliminated those guys, including Osman, before he could make them pay for hurting Deo and Tilda.


    If Rake and Tilda knew what Styx was thinking, they might have flipped on the spot. They might even tell him that if Kyran did eliminate Osman, it also counted as revenge for Deo.


    "Hm?" Styx grunted as he realized something. He looked at the two and asked, "Where in hell is he, anyway?"


    Tilda chuckled and pointed her thumb to her side. Where she had indicated was Kyran''s location. Right now, he was hunched on the floor, preupied with crushing different materials scattered around him.


    "What the f*ck?" Styx blurted. He abruptly stood to have a better look at what Kyran was doing.


    Rake and Tilda could not help but smile wryly at Styx''s reaction.


    "He used up too many materials just to create that small-sized transportation array, he said. Now he had to replenish the materials inside his wooden stick," Tilda exined.


    "I can''t believe he created an array of that level in a few seconds," Rakemented, his voice tinted with awe. "I''ve seen him use his innate ability, but those had been low to mid-tier arrays."


    "I''m also surprised he could auto-create a Transportation array," Tilda agreed. But then she shook her head and said, "Actually, I''m more surprised by the fact he had materials to create a Transportation array!"


    Styx did not respond to them. Now that he knew Kyran''s identity, Styx knew that the Transportation array was just a camouge. Using Kyran''s real magic, warping that wooden stick was as simple as breathing. Seeing thetter''s serious expression while diligently crushing different materials around him, Styx thought trying to camouge magic was more troublesome than making a real array. So maybe, Kyran did make one, and the speed at which he managed to do that was astonishing.


    Then again, Kyran was a Regis. The n to whom Cade Regis, known as the most powerful Abjurer of their generation, belonged. As an Abjurer, Cade''s Array knowledge definitely would not fall behind President Sigma of the cksmith Order. It might even be on par with Chairman Noir.


    Anyway, Styx was convinced that Cade had taught Kyran about Array.


    Of course, this was only Styx''s idea. If Kyran knew what thetter was thinking, he would only give him a wry smile.


    "Humph," Styx sat back and crossed his arms. "He pulled a fast one on me. I can''t believe he eliminated one of those army dogs before I did!"


    Rakeughed uneasily, "You''re not seriously angry about that, right?"


    Tilda snorted, "Of course he is serious. As if you don''t understand his character, Rake."


    Styx ignored them and returned to ring daggers at the enemy''s side. That was correct. At this point, he already sees those people opposite them as his real enemies.


    Meanwhile, Kyran was busy refilling the small tubes inside the wooden staff with crushed materials while contemting his next move. He already had the whole arrangement of their next opponents in his head.


    The clue had been the arrangement of their opponents versus how they were called.


    When the list of matchups was shown earlier, there were only numbers from 1-10. These numbers had been provided to them before the start of thepetition. The list also showed their side only. Meaning it had been enchanted to only show information about their team''s match.


    It was not that hard to predict which number belonged to who. They only need to note the number of who their member had fought; from there, they could write down a rough list.


    Unfortunately, the matchup list was only briefly shown, and none of them had the leisure to examine their fellow members'' opponents.


    Except, Kyran, that is.


    Kyran was given the number 10, and his opponents were listed as 5,4,3,2,1.


    Tilda''s number was 9, and her opponents were listed as 4,3,2,1,5.


    Deo was 8, with opponents listed as 3,2,1,5,4.<sub> </sub>


    Rake was 7, and his opponents were 2,1,5,4,3.


    Finally, Styx''s number was 6, and his opponents were 1,5,4,3,2.


    Just from looking at this, Kyran could see a pattern. ording to their number and their opponent''s number, it appeared ''Tyr'' was considered the ''weakest.'' This made him smile bitterly.


    That was right. The numbers they received were their ''level'' rankings.


    The number 1 had been given to Kairo. Rivka was number 2, Osman was 3, Ganza was 4 and Vanadin was 5.


    Though the announcer did not call them ording to their ranking, the pattern was easy to see.


    In any case, Kyran did not want Rake or Tilda to end up like Deo, and ording to the number of their next opponent, Rake would be matched against Kairo, while Tilda would face Osman, the guy who burned Deo.


    For this reason, Kyran had to convince them to forfeit the match.


    As for Kyran, he would be against the man who hurt Tilda, Ganza. That guy would definitely try to eliminate him after what he did to Vanadin.


    Not that it mattered.


    Kyran would wee any hostile act from them. That way, ''Tyr'' would have a valid reason to retaliate.


    Truth be told, it was getting harder for Kyran to hold back his killing intent. These people were the Crown Princess''s people, after all. Once Kyran set out to save his n, these guys would be dispatched along with Ruin and Deception''s army to murder his n. Reducing the number of his enemies before that happened was a wise move.


    s, Kyran could not do this while disguised as Tyr. At most, he could only aim to half-kill them, just like when he broke most of Vanadin''s bones.


    With this in mind, Kyran racked his brains on how he could ''half-kill'' his next opponent. It was a pity he could no longer use the move he did with Vanadin because he had already exhausted his materials in creating a Transportation array.


    At this point, Styx had guessed right. Instead of trying to camouge his ''warp'' ability, Kyran had created a genuine array.


    One and a half minutes before the match resumed, Kyran finished replenishing his materials and thinking up his next moves. He returned to his seat, where the other three seemed to be waiting for him.


    Kyran''s intuition was spot on.


    Instead of discussing with Rake and Tilda their next move, Styx chose to wait for Kyran to return and speak his mind first.


    In the span of a minute, Kyran shared his thoughts. Afterwhich, he told Rake and Tilda to forfeit their next match.


    After hearing who their opponent for the next match might be, Rake and Tilda exchanged nces. Reflected in each other''s eyes was determination.


    "If what you say is true, then we have more reason to fight," Rake replied while looking at Kyran. "We can''t let them do as they please. Besides, you said it yourself. They may aim for a draw or take us out. We can adjust our movements now that we know what they are after."


    Tilda nodded her head, "Yes. Deo said it earlier, and I agree with him. We are mercenaries. We don''t cower just because the odds are against us."


    Kyran frowned slightly. He respected their strong will to fight, but right now, they were only being stubborn. And there was a fine line between stubbornness and stupidity. If they kept spouting nonsense about wanting to fight, they would only receive a fatal injury and give the other side more free wins once they ended up retiring the wholepetition.


    "Let''s listen to him," Styx finally spoke after staying silent since Kyran began to exin his thoughts.


    Rake and Tilda looked at him incredulously.


    Styx then responded with a re of his own, "What? Do you want to get your ass kicked and retire like Deo? F*ck, are you guys those army dogs'' spies? Are you here to sabotage the Conve? You want to give them free wins?"


    Hearing him say those words, Rake and Tilda fell silent. They already knew that. But wouldn''t they still be giving them free wins if they forfeit?


    "Tyr has a n," Styx added after seeing their reluctant expressions. He looked at Kyran and said, "I''d rather do it myself, but with the current lineup you mentioned, it''s unlikely. It pisses me off, to be honest. But, as long as we get to fight each other in the finals, then it''s fine."


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head at Styx''sst sentence, but then he smiled and nodded, "Yes. I do have a n."


    He looked at Rake and Tilda before adding, "But it will only be worth something as long as you both stay in thepetition."

 Chapter 452 Sixth Match

    During the five minutes break, Kairo and the other army officers also had their discussion. They sessfully eliminated Deo, but with Vanadin also out in the running, they barely maintained their advantage, with two wins and two draws.


    Their wins would not be counted as a group because this was the Solo Competition. But if they did not y their cards well, Ganza and Osman would be the only ones moving to the Finals with an advantage of one win each.


    Initially, they n to have each one eliminate a Conve member. Kairo would be forced to use 50% of his real strength to deal with Styx, but he was confident of winning against him. In any case, if they seeded, they would all gain a win. Then Vanadin would resign to let the rest of them move up to the finals.


    s, they miscalcted Disciple Tyr''s strength. Though Vanadin getting eliminated was not a huge blow, the real problem was letting the former gain a win.


    Their main objective was to have four members move to the finals. The reason they were doing this was simple. The Crown Princess promised to assign them their own divisions, with at least 2,000 officers, if they managed to eliminate the Conve early in thepetition.


    It should be noted that, although Kairo and the rest had the rank of Major General, they did not have any men under them. The Royal Army had several mages with the same rank as them and no assigned divisions because most senior officers had yet to resign. Having their own division was equivalent to having more authority within the army, which was why they were willing to do anything, even agree to participate in the Joint Military Exercise though it seemed pointless to them.


    "With Vanadin out, the matchup will move," Kairo told them. "Ganza, you already have one win, but your next opponent is Tyr. He will do something to win against you."


    Ganza snorted, "I''d like to see him try."


    "Your strength is not that much different with Vanadin," Osman said while looking at him with a slight sneer. "Tyr is only a Master mage but he managed to waste Vanadin. I heard he managed to hold his own against Lumley''s Exalted mage. Honestly, I did not believe it. But now, I think that rumor has some truth."


    Ganza scowled at him, "The Mercenary Hall Master saved his ass. That Exalted was not even trying."


    "He won against Rhys," Rivka suddenly said, with a nk expression and a monotonous tone.


    Among the five of them, Rivka mostly keeps to himself. He rarely joined in their discussion and would mostly be lost in his own thoughts. Then again, maybe because he was the only one who''s not under Deputy Marshal Imman, like them, which was why he did not mingle with them much. Nheless, Kairo did care little about his character as long as he followed his arrangements.


    "Rhys is a wuss. He''s been a Master mage for years and is too scare to breakthrough," Ganza retorted.


    "Tyr was only a High Adept when he fought Rhys," Rivka added.


    His words immediately made the rest frown.


    "What are you talking about? Tyr''s mage level has not been updated after being away for more than a year, but he''s already a Master mage when he fought Rhys," Ganza said.


    Rivka did not respond. He only looked at them with a deadpan expression before looking away and staring into space.


    Kairo looked at Rivka in silence. All of them knew about Tyr being a Master when he fought Rhys and found it strange thetter was unaware of it. But Kairo was not about to ask Rivka. He could already see how thetter would only look at him with a nk expression, anyway.


    "... I see."


    Rivka''s monotonous reply made all of them look at him awkwardly. To be honest, they thought he decided to ignore them again.


    "No matter," Kairo diverted the topic back on track. He looked at Ganza and said, "Drag the match and aim for a draw. He will face Osman next but the one who will take him out will be Rivka."


    Ganza frowned at this, "Why?"


    "You already have a win. If we want all four of us to move to the finals, Rivka will have to win at least once."


    "He can aim for Tilda then."


    "Osman will take her out."


    "Osman? Then he will have two wins!"


    Osman snorted, "Does it matter? Even if I win twice as long as the other side doesn''t have anyone left, we all go to the finals. Besides, it''s your fault for not giving her a fatal wound."


    "Humph," Ganza crossed his arms, "She got lucky and evaded my sneak attack. Anyway, I wanted to throw her at least several meters and let her have a bad fall. But I miscalcted. I didn''t realize she was that heavy."


    "Excuses," Osman snorted.


    "Shut up," Ganza retorted. He looked at Kairo and asked, "What about Styx? Who will take him out?"


    "If all his matches ended with a draw, he will not advance," Kairo answered matter-of-factly.


    "And you? Are you going to go after that Rake?"


    "Yes."


    Ganza heaved a deep sigh, "Fine. I''ll y around that Tyr." A sinister smile appeared on his lips as he added, "As long as the match ended with a draw I can do anything to him right?"


    "Do whatever you like. The Crown Princess values his Array Talent so just make sure you keep his head intact."<sub> </sub>


    Ganza let out a mischievousugh, "Alright. I''ll just aim for a limb or two."


    "Be careful with his Teleportation array," Osman reminded him.


    "It is fine. I don''t think he will be able to make another one," Kairo said while looking over at the Conve''s corner. Right now, the subject of their conversation had already finished replenishing the materials inside his wooden staff and had returned to sit with the rest of the Conve members.


    "I''ll take my time with him then," Ganza said. But then he chuckled and said, "Ah, right. We only have five minutes each match. Such a pity."


    "Yes," Rivka suddenly said. "Such a pity."


    The three looked at him. But seeing him looking into space again made them wonder if what he said were meant to agree with Ganza or if it was because of something entirely different.


    In the end, the three ignored him and waited for the Courtenay announcer to resume the match.


    A minuteter, the arena had been restored, and the female announcer announced the continuance of thepetition.


    "Participants for the sixth match, Tilda of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Osman!"


    As soon as the matchup was announced, Tilda could not help but look at Kyran''s profile. She had some doubts when he told them how the matchup had been arranged, but hearing the announcer just now, it seemed he really was correct.


    "You know what to do Tilda," Styx said.


    Tilda took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah."


    Kyran told them Osman would likely try to take her out because her surviving the first match was not part of the army''s n.


    The timer above started when Tilda and Osman entered the arena, and the announcer raised her hand before it struck 5:00.


    "Sixth match, start!"


    Tilda immediately took the axe on her back and held it in front of her with both hands.


    On the other hand, Osman summoned a red magic array behind him and charged at Tilda. Small fireballs appeared and hovered on both his side. With a wave of his hand, these fireballs shoot forward.


    "Rawrgh!" Tilda roared as light yellow magic arrays circled her arms. In an instant, both her arm muscles increased, which in turn made her body grew a few inches.


    This was Tilda''s magic, Augmentation.


    She raised her axe above her head and, ignoring the iing fireballs, mmed it on the ground.


    BAM!


    The ground exploded, with chunks of asphalt flying in different directions.


    "ORA!"


    Tilda stomped her foot on one of the bigger chunks of asphalt on the ground, forcing it up to block her path. The moment Osman''s fireballs arrived, they hit the asphalt, which served as her shield from the bombardment.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The makeshift shield was riddled with holes from the fierce attack. Smoke filled the air, obscuring both Tilda and Osman''s view.


    "Humph," Osman sneered. He knew Tilda nned to use the smoke to hide her movements beforeunching a sneak attack. But he would not let her do as she pleases.


    Without stopping his initial charge, he changed the rune writings on the active magic array behind him and in an instant, his body erupted in mes.


    From within the smoke, Tilda ran toward her left while keeping an eye on her surroundings. She gripped her axe tightly before making a sudden stop and then changing direction.


    The range of her magic sense was not thatrge, only about five meters. But it was enough to know when someone was near. Just now, she sensed Osman closing in, and it appeared he was enveloped in mes again.


    Using her Augmentation magic, she further increased her body''s muscle fibres before dashing out of the smoke and toward Osma.


    "Rawrgh!" Tilda roared as she jumped, with her axe high above her head, poised to hit Osman''s head.


    Osman sneered as he turned to his right. He already sensed where Tilda was. He looked up to see hering down at him with her axe.

 Chapter 453 Next One

    Osman grabbed the shaft of Tilda''s axe with his right, then using his left, he grabbed the side of her coat.


    "RAA!" He roared while flexing his arm muscles before hurtling her toward the ground.


    "Ngh!" Tilda gritted her teeth and immediately let go of her axe. She grabbed Osman''s left hand with her right, then shifted her body to wrap her legs around his waist. A light yellow magic array circled her right arm as she hooked it around his neck.


    "I''m not afraid of your mes, you assh*le!" She growled before utilizing her Augmentation magic to increase her muscle mass and body size.


    The sudden increase in Tilda''s weight and size made Osman lose his bnce and start falling forward.


    "B*tch!" He roared. In an instant, the mes in his body increased, engulfing Tilda.


    However, Tilda only sneered as her body further increased in size.


    BAM!


    Cracks formed on the ground as the two crashed.


    Tilda pushed Osman''s body upward, and in an instant, their position switched. Osman nowy t on the ground with Tilda sitting atop him.


    Osman''s head hit the ground with a loud thud, muddling his senses for a few seconds. And that short vulnerability was enough for Tilda tounch her attack.


    Tilda summoned two light yellow magic arrays, which formed around her wrists. She straightened her back, and using her oversized fists; she started to pound Osman''s face.


    Right cheek! Left cheek! Nosebridge! Right temples! Left Temples!


    "Gah! Gah! Argh!" Osman screamed in pain as Tilda''s fists rained down on him. He raised his arms to block her attack, but to no avail. Her huge fists mmed relentlessly on his forearms, and he could barely keep up his physical defences.


    Dull sounds of flesh hitting flesh resounded within the arena.


    Seconds passed, and Tilda''s clothes started to burn. She knew then that her time was up.


    Going back a few seconds...


    After Kyran told them he had a n, he asked Tilda to attack Osman as recklessly as possible. When she asked why he answered:


    "When I say I want you to forfeit, I did not mean you do it as soon as the match started. If that happens, they will adjust their n again. Let''s avoid that. But if you attack Osman recklessly, they will only think your recklessness is because of what he had done to Deo."


    Tilda first reasoned that she could not get too close to Osman because he could wrap his whole body in mes. Apart from this, the way he burned Deo meant his mes were of a high level.


    Kyran then performed a quick enchantment on her clothes to ensure she would be protected from his mes. However, with his materials on hand, he could only make a temporary one, which would automatically be removed after being exposed to intense fire for a minute.


    In any case, with that short time, Kyran asked her to deal enough damage on Osman before pulling back and forfeiting. Then in the next round, Kyran would be the one to finish him off.


    After hearing Kyran''s n, Tilda realized he meant for her to forfeit the wholepetition, not just during her match with Osman.


    Rake and Styx also realized this and felt it was for the best.


    Tilda agreed.


    Still.


    That did not mean she would not try to take Osman with her!


    "RAWRGH!" Tilda roared as she pulled her right arm to add more momentum and weight to herst punch.


    But.


    "Burn, you b*tch!"


    Osman, who could barely defend himself from her punches, suddenly unleashed the full force of his magic level. His mes erupted and blew Tilda off him.


    "Ngh¡ª guh!"


    Tilda crashed on the arena floor and rolled off a few meters, destroying the floor.


    An intense heatwave from Osman''s mes shook the arena. Gasps filled the gallery as they, too, felt the intensity of his mes even from afar.


    From the side, Kyran''s expression turned grim as he finally sensed Osman''s magic level.


    ''Grand Master,'' he thought and clenched his fists.


    He turned to Styx and was about to ask him to surrender Tilda''s match when a familiar female voice spoke from one of the exclusive booths again.


    "Tilda of the Conve resigns. Please stop the match."<sub> </sub>


    The audience erupted with hushed discussions once more. Their reactions were reasonable. After all, this would be the third time a participant resigns after their leader intervenes. However,pared to the previous matches, the match right now has barely started.


    "Sixth match, Royal Army wins!" The female announcer dered, stopping the timer at once. "The next match will begin in 30 seconds!"


    Rake rushed to the arena to check on Tilda. He worried because she remained on the ground after being thrown by Osman''s aura.


    On the other hand, Osman was still looking at the spot where Tilda had fallen. His face was swollen, and blood trickled down the side of his face, nose, and mouth. He was breathing heavily, and his expression showed he was not satisfied that his match ended like that.


    "It''s fine, Osman. Get back here."


    Kairo''s voice somehow snapped Osman out of his angered state. Reluctantly, he left the arena.


    "Tilda!" Rake knelt beside Tilda.


    Tilda groaned as Rake helped her up. Her body had returned to its normal size. However, her clothes and skin were scorched ck.


    Two members of the Conve rushed to the arena.


    "We''ll take it from here," one of them said, taking the half-dazed Tilda with them.


    Rake could only nod and watch as the three left. He returned to their corner and found Kyran and Styx with grim expressions.


    "You sensed it, too?" Styx asked.


    Kyran only replied with a nod.


    Rake knew what Styx meant. His magic sense might not be powerful, but he knew something was off from Osman''s magic aura.


    "A f*cking Grand Master," Styx said through gritted teeth.


    Just when Rake thought Styx would begin to say something about how unfair or bad their odds were, a smile appeared on thetter''s face.


    "Good. It makes it all worthwhile to kill him."


    Rake looked at Styx nkly, "If you kill them, you''ll be disqualified."


    "I don''t f*cking care. He has now moved up my list of¡ª."


    "Leader Styx," Kyran cut him midsentence. "He''s my next prey."


    "What?" Styx growled as he red at Kyran beside him.


    Kyran looked at him with a wry smile, "After my next match. He''s the next one."


    Rake sighed inwardly while shaking his head. He sat beside Kyran and said, "You two, seriously. This is still apetition. If you want to kill them, do so after."


    Styx burst out inughter, "F*ck, right. I''ll do that if you don''t, Tyr."


    This time, Kyran did not respond. He only replied with a slight smile.


    "Participants for the seventh match, Tyr of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Ganza!"


    As soon as Kyran''s name was called, cheers erupted from the gallery. They had heard about him from the Lumley Family''s incident and had been curious ever since.


    After witnessing Kyrans''sst match, several of the audience looked forward to his next one. Who wouldn''t? He was a Master mage, yet he beat a High Master. Such a feat was rare among matches between mages. The reason was obvious, a mage with a higher level had more experience and was far more adept in using their innate magic. But not only did he win against a higher-level mage, but he did so while using Array and his support-type magic.


    Kyran stood up and went to the arena. He still wore an indifferent expression, but his eyes glinted malevolently as he looked at Ganza. This guy started everything.


    Ganza, who was walking toward the arena, was also looking at Kyran with a smile on his face. When they first heard that Disciple Tyr was among the Solo Competition participants, they did not care much. That was why they let Vanadin, their weakest member, handle him.


    Their decision was reasonable. Tyr was a low-level mage. And instead of wasting their time on him, it was better to focus on the other four.


    Ganza was given the task of taking out Tilda. Honestly, he did not like being paired with a woman. He only agreed, thinking he would get an easy win. At least, it brought him closer to his goal of having his own division.


    Tyr was also an easy target, but he would not degrade himself in fighting someone with a low mage level. Who would have thought that Tyr could actually put up a better fight than Tilda?


    At least, that was how Ganza saw it. Especially on how Tyr dealt with Vanadin. The former did not move from his spot when he bombarded thetter with attacks. Because of this, he found Tilda, the Conve''s weakest member.


    Ganza did not care about what happened to Vanadin, so he would not fight to avenge thetter. Instead, he would make sure to have fun ying with Tyr.


    Kyran and Ganza stood in the middle of the arena, and the timer above restarted.


    "Seventh match, start!"

 Chapter 454 Overbearing

    Kyran''s wooden staff appeared on his hand as soon as the female announcer dered the start of the match. A loud yet soft hum shook the arena when the staff''s tip hit the ground.


    The audience from the gallery widened their eyes after sensing a powerful aura emanating from the staff. There was a difference between thetter''s aura from Kyran, making them believe that the staff might have started to form its spirit!


    How was it possible? Normally, a weapon would only form its spirit after being used by a single mage for several decades.


    Clearly, Kyran was not more than twenty years of age. How could his staff form its own spirit? Even if he started using his staff at the age of eight or ten, a decade was not enough to master and advance his staff''s level!


    Several different-sized light golden arrays circled the wooden staff''s shaft, with five of therger arrays converging around the bottom.


    An amused smile appeared on Ganza''s face. He also noticed the aura from Kyran''s staff, and it filled him with anticipation.


    ''It seems I''ll get to have more fun than expected,'' he thought and licked his lips.


    To answer Kyran''s disy, Ganza also took out his spear. At the same time, a half-meter radius red magic array appeared behind him as seven molded fire spears with a length of 1.8 meters formed at the magic array''s edges. The fire spear''s head pointed outward, and they formed a half moon behind Ganza.


    Ganza''s disy brought gasps of awe from the audience.


    Indeed, he looked like a fire warrior ready for battle.


    BAM!


    A loud breaking sound filled the air just as Ganza was revelling at the audience''s attention. He immediately switched into a battle stance and looked in front.


    Ganza''s brow furrowed after seeing Kyran make a powerful leap that destroyed the floor he had been standing on. What was more, thetter''s leap had shortened the twenty or so meter distance between them in just a second!


    Such a powerful pair of legs to have made such a high leap!


    "Humph," Ganza sneered and jumped to meet Kyran midair.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent as he raised his staff. As he did, its tip, where therger arrays had converged, glowed and rotated, and in a blink of an eye, a t head of a hammer formed on its tip.


    But this head was different from the one Vanadin did to his sticks because its size was dozen timesrger!


    "Wha¡ª?"


    Before Ganza could react, the head of the huge hammer hurtled down to him, mming him back on the arena''s floor.


    BOOM!


    Ganza crashed into the arena with a loud explosion. The sudden attack was too sudden and too powerful that he failed to put up any physical defence!


    The gallery was thrown into an awkward silence as they watched Kyrannd on his feet with the huge hammer resting on his shoulders. They then looked at the small crater Ganza had crashed into, and blood seemed to have drained out of their faces.


    Kyran only hit Ganza with that huge-size hammer and did not even summon his magic, yet it sent thetter crashing to the ground. What kind of attack did he do?


    The female announcer looked at the crater, still covered with smoke.


    "Oi."


    Kyran calling to the female announcer broke the silence.


    Thetter looked at him, still in a daze, and said, "W-What is it?"


    "Aren''t you going to announce the winner?" Kyran asked.


    "...?"


    Kyran pointed at the timer.


    "The timer has stopped."


    His words snapped everyone out of their reverie.


    What did he mean the timer had stopped?


    The audience looked above the arena and saw that the timer did stop at 4:54.


    Loud hissing sounds filled the gallery as most of the audience took a sharp breath. Six seconds in the match, and it already ended? It was simply impossible!


    Kairo, who had been sitting calmly on the Royal Army''s corner a while ago, abruptly stood with a look of shock on his face.


    "You¡ª!" He looked at Kyran ringly.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran looked at him and tilted his head with a shrug before saying, "What can I do? He''s too weak and passed out after one hit. It''s not my fault."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The gallery was once again sent into an awkward silence.


    Even Rake gaped stupidly at Kyran''s back. Only Styx had a small smile on his face. But realizing that Kyran had once again beat him into beating one of the army dogs, his expression distorted.


    "Humph, annoying prick," he muttered.


    Kyran looked at the female announcer and said, "What? Are you going to gape there in space again? Is it that surprising I can defeat my opponents in a few seconds?"


    The female announcer reddened slightly. She did not mean to gape, but she could not believe that he had made his opponents lose consciousness in the two matches.


    Those two were Major Generals, equivalent to High Masters, while Kyran was only a Master mage. It was simply impossible for a low-level mage to win easily against someone with a higher mage level!


    The smoke had now lifted from the spot where Ganza had crashed. True enough, she saw thetter sprawled on the ground. His eyes were rolled back as he stared nkly into space. Blood seeped out from his ears and gaping mouth, and she could see a few of his teeth had been knocked off.


    "This..." The female announcer was speechless. But she reigned in her surprise and cleared her throat.


    "Sixth match, Tyr of the Conve wins!"


    BOOM!


    The gallery erupted with cheers and shouts of disbelief.


    Seriously. What just happened there? Kyran had only made one move, right? Or did they miss something?


    Once the winner was dered, Kyran did not bother to confirm Ganza''s condition and made his way back to their corner.


    Kairo balled his fists in anger. Was their information outdated? How could ''Tyr'' deal with two of their members easily?


    Vanadin''s defeat was still eptable. After all, he was still half-step from bing a Grand Master. But Ganza was different. He was already a Grand Master! This meant two whole mage levels of difference from ''Tyr.'' Even if Ganza had been careless and did not put up any defensive spells, ''Tyr'' should not be able to shatter the former''s default defenses.


    Before Kairo could say anything to Osman and Rivka, Osman suddenly stood up and jumped into the arena.


    "Osman!" Kairo called back. However, it was toote.


    "Stop, right there," Osman growled at Kyran when hended on the arena.


    The noise in the gallery suddenly stopped after seeing a new development happening in the arena.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and looked back.


    "I don''t like what you said," he said while mming his fists together. "I''ll teach you not to act rampantly in front of us. Let''s fight."


    At Osman''s words, the audience erupted in excitement. It seemed Kyran''s words had earned the ire of the Royal Army!


    On the other hand, the female announcer frowned at Osman.


    "Major General Osman, please refrain from acting on your own. This is apetition. And as I said in the beginning, we will now strictly follow the rules and will not allow anyst minute¡ª" she stopped midsentence as the four-leaf clover earring she had on blinked multiple times.


    When Kyran saw this, a smile crept at the corner of his lips. He then looked toward the executive booth where the Royal Family was staying. There he could barely make out the Crown Princess speaking. Even Emperor Euan was looking at her and even nodded his head slightly.


    The female announcer''s expression turned grim. Clearly, she did not like being told what to do. But still, she looked at Kairo, then at Styx before saying, "Leaders of both teams. The Royal Family has decided that if both of you agree to let Disciple Tyr and Major General Osman proceed with their match, we will rearrange the next matches."


    Styx''s brow furrowed at once. He wanted to say ''F*ck no. I want to fight.'' However, he knew that Rake''s next opponent was Kairo. Truth be told, he did not want Rake to be matched against that guy. Kairo was a pain in the ass to deal with since he could levitate in the air, summon powerful mes using only his long swords, and unleash powerful me attacks from a distance. Being a Wind mage and melee specialist, Rake would have trouble closing in to deal Kairo an effective attack. Not to mention, Kairo was a Grand Master.


    Thinking of this fact, Styx suddenly thought of something and looked at Rivka over at the Royal Army''s corner.


    Rake held his own against Rivka because thetter did not make any powerful moves. But, ording to Kyran, Rivka was given the number two, meaning he was the second among the Royal Army who had a higher mage level.


    Styx pushed this thought to the back of his head. It was not the time to ponder over it, after all. He looked at the female announcer and said, "I''ll let Tyr do what he wants."


    As soon as he said his answer, the audience erupted in agreement.

 Chapter 455 Interesting

    "Major General Kairo, what about you?" The female announcer asked, looking at the Royal Army''s corner.


    Kairo remained silent. He was looking at Osman, who returned his gaze.


    Intially, Kairo wanted to refuse. Even if the crowd used them of being scared of a Master mage, he did not care. They would not be swayed by the public''s opinion. Apart from this, Kairo did not want Osman to fight Tyr in anger. Anger would only muddle one''s judgment and would likely make a mistake, which inadvertedly result to letting his opponent win.


    However, seeing the look of determination, not to mention rity in Osman''s gaze, Kairo realized that thetter did not challenge Tyr out of anger. Thetter had stepped on their pride as officers of the Royal Army with his words and that was something Osman would never tolerate.


    All of them had been in the army for several years. Because of their work, many viewed them as cruel, loyal dogs. However, that was not all there was to it. Few understood that the army was a den full of lions. If they did not do their best, they would be devoured alive, not only by its corrupt system but also those officers who had bigger ambitions. For this reason, they worked hard to improve their mage level and move up thedder. It was their only option to avoid bing prey to the whims of those above them.


    That was why, none of them were weak. Kairo believed this, and so does Osman. Vanadin might be the ''weakest'' member but that was only inparison to the five of them. The same went with Ganza. Honestly, Tyr just happened to utilize a battle tactic they were not familiar with; the utilization of Array Creation duringbat.


    So far, Tyr had only utilized Array Creation in all of his matches. He might have applied his magic but it was only secondary. Kairo and the others knew this but thought it was a small matter. They did not expect that it would be very effective in dealing with them.


    After a few seconds, Kairo took a deep breath and finally looked at the female announcer.


    "Major General Osman may do whatever he pleases," he replied.


    Kyran smiled inwardly. He did not expect the chance to get rid of Osman would appear so soon. If they had followed the flow of thepetition, he would have to wait two more matches before getting matched with him.


    "Very well," the female announcer acknowledged their responses and looked at Kyran. Since Osman initiated the challenge, there was no need to ask what he want to do. That left Kyran''s response. Would he agree to face Osman?


    "Disciple Tyr, what do you have to say."


    "I''ll fight," Kyran replied at once.


    His decisive answer was received by the audience positively.


    The female announcer sighed inwardly. As much as she hoped to have a fairpetition, in the end, if the participants were an unruly bunch, and the people-in-charge loved to cater to their whims, she could only reign in her dissatisfaction and follow.


    "Alright," she nodded before addressing the audience. "Since both sides agreed to have their match ahead, the eight match will be between Tyr of the Conve against Major General Osman of the Royal Army!"


    The audience cheered at once. So far, the fight between the two was something they would want to witness. After all, both had two wins under their name.


    "You two are allowed to take an energy replenishing potion and¡ª."


    "No need."


    "I don''t need it."


    Kyran and Osman interrupted the announcer, respectively.


    The announcer frowned slightly. In the end, she did not try to argue and instead, continue the match.


    "Very well, the next match will begin in thirty seconds!"


    The timer above restarted after her announcement.


    The audience cheered once more. At the moment, everyone had their focus on the Solo Competition. No one was paying much attention to the Alchemy Competition! Not even the VIPs in the executive booths.


    Nevertheless, the participants in the Alchemy Competition continued as if none of them were aware of the ruckus happening in the Solo Competition. Their attitude proved how much control they had over their mental concentration.


    In the thirty seconds break, two army officers took the unconscious Ganza out the arena. Seeing that he did not seem to suffer much damage, he was ced on a stretcher. If he failed to wake up before his next match, then there was nothing they could do.


    In a way, Kyran and Osman''s match was good for them. At least, Ganza would be given more time to regain his consciousness.


    "Eight match, start!"


    Contrary to the audience''s expectation, Kyran and Osman did not make a move after the announcer dered the start of the match.


    Instead, the two stood thirty meters apart and stared at each other.<sub> </sub>


    Osman had been observing Kyran in silence, from the moment he had entered the arena. Thetter still had the huge hammer resting on his shoulders, and seeing his indifferent expression, it did not seem like he was having any problem carrying such a huge weapon.


    Logically speaking, with Kyran''s stature, it would be impossible for him to carry such a huge-ass weapon. Judging from the hammer''s material and size, Osman roughly guessed it weighed at least a ton.


    How could such a small stature be able to carry a huge hammer and even explode with such power?


    This brought Osman to observe Kyran''s weapon. Initially, he thought the wooden staff serving as that hammer''s shaft would not be able to support it. But recalling how it did not break after unleashing such a powerful hit on Ganza, Osman guessed the ''wooden'' staff might be a made from a special material and was not really a ''wood.''


    There was a huge possibility that it had been enchanted or ''strengthened'' using magic. It would also exin how Vanadin ended up with several broken bones after getting hit by that wooden staff.


    Base on these clues, Osman decided that the best way to handle Tyr was to destroy his staff first. His decision also stemmed by the fact that the materials thetter used in Array Creation was kept inside the staff.


    ''No matter what kind of material that staff is made off, I doubt it will be able to withstand the heat of a high-level me!''


    Osman was the first one who broke the status quo. He summoned a red magic array and his whole body instantly erupted in mes.


    Gasps filled the gallery, not because of Osman''s sudden movement, but because, the color of his mes looked different. Earlier, it was the normal orange-red color. Now, it actually had a tint of violet.


    This showed that Osman''s mes were no ordinary mes!


    It should be noted that the deeper the color of the mes are, the hotter it would be.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips. He decided to wait for Osman to make his first move, and it seemed he made the right choice. Honestly, he found Osman''s mes interesting. For thetter to sessfully ''burn'' Deo, and destroy the enchantment on Tilda''s coat in less than a minute, meant his mes were of a higher quality.


    It might not be as high as Matias, or Ignus'' mes but it was close.


    But that was not the reason Kyran paid attention to him. It was because a mage with such powerful mes with an ordinary background was considered a ''genius.'' If this was the case, then someone with a high-rank in the Royal Army was definitely keeping an eye on him.


    A high-rank officer that might have ess to confidential records.


    ''Interesting,'' Kyran thought as his eyes glinted in amusement.


    If Tritus had been there to see him, he would have already guessed what would happen next. After all, the look on Kyran''s face was exactly the same one he had before the former ended up bing his Sigil!


    While it was true that Kyran could easily ask Azaloth''s essence to provide him information, his position made it hard for them to meet. There would definitely be many eyes watching thetter''s move.


    If this was the case, Kyran had to find a way to contact him without drawing too much attention. And the best way to do that was find someone who was already inside the army. It would be good if he also found someone who was a direct subordinate of the other two deputy marshals. Azaloth might already nted some of his people to spy on them but it would not hurt to nt more.


    In any case, Kyran wanted to take revenge on what Osman had done to Deo and Tilda first.


    With this in mind, Kyran raised his arm holding the hammer''s shaft and let fall to the ground. Cracks appeared on the floor as the hammer''s head fell.


    The arena shook from the hammer''s weight, causing most of the audience'' minds to reel.


    Just how heavy was that hammer?


    Kyran raised his left hand toward Osman, his palm facing upward, before gesturing him to e,'' while wearing a very smug smile.


    Osman''s brow furrowed at Kyran''s lofty attitude.


    ''Let''s see how long you can act that way!''


    BAM!


    Osman finally made a move. He made a mad dash toward Kyran. Each step he took left a trail of angry fire prints on the ground.


    Cheers erupted from the gallery. The match would onlyst five minutes but that did not matter. All that mattered was for them to witness something good!

 Chapter 456 Relentless

    Kyran watched as Osman covered half of the distance between them in a matter of two seconds. His aquamarine eyes glowed brightly. But under his face-altering mask, the cause of this was his eyes had already turned silver. A clear indication of him utilizing the Regis''s Body Tempering technique.


    Without bothering to wait for Osman, Kyran also dashed forward.


    The audience cheered at the scene unfolding in the arena. They apud Kyran''s bravery for not avoiding a melee confrontation after seeing Osman''s body covered in mes.


    Kyran summoned four small light golden magic arrays, which circled his legs and arms, camouging his use of the Regis''s Body Tempering technique. In truth, these magic arrays had no effect whatsoever.


    Osman''s eyes narrowed, seeing Kyran approach him without his weapon. If thetter believed he couldnd a hit on him with just his bare fists, Osman would not stop him. He would readily ept whatever attack thetter would use and teach him a lesson!


    ming gauntlets appeared on Osman''s fists. He was actually a hand-to-hand specialist and his weapon was an elemental fire gauntlet.


    Pulling back his right fist, Osman''s arm muscles bulged as he prepared to punch Kyran''s head.


    Kyran, seeing Osman''s action, prepared to duck and avoid the punch.


    "Humph."


    Sneering at Kyran''s amateurish reaction, Osman suddenly changed his action from punching thetter to grabbing his shoulder. Afterwhich, he raised his knee and aimed at Kyran''s dipping head while using his right hand to keep him from evading.


    BAM!


    Instead of hitting Kyran''s chin, Osman''s knee struck thetter''s two hands, which he brought up to protect his chin.


    Kyran took advantage of the pause in Osman''s action to straighten and aim his head toward thetter''s chin.


    Whoosh!


    Osman recovered just in time and pulled back his head to avoid Kyran''s head.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he used this opening in Osman''s stance to grab thetter''s right wrist, whose hand was still holding his shoulder. He tugged at his arm, and made a quick turn, his back now facing Osman''s, before lifting thetter''s huge ming body and performing a shoulder throw.


    "Ngrgh!" Osman grunted as Kyran mmed him to the ground.


    Without waiting for Osman to recover, Kyran began to twist his arm.


    However.


    The moment Kyran started to twist Osman''s arm, thetter moved his body to counter the twist while aiming to kick Kyran''s left leg.


    Retaining hisposure at Osman''s quick counter, Kyran used thetter''s arm as leverage to hoist his body upward and evade the kick.


    "Agh!" Osman groaned in pain, feeling the bones on his arms creak from Kyran''s weight. In an instant, the mes on his body increased.


    But Kyran ignored the mes, even as the air around him crackled and sizzled.


    Since Osman was still sprawled on the floor, Kyran deftly moved and shifted in position. He pinned the former on the ground, using his knee to press on the former''s back, while his left hand kept a tight hold on the former''s arm.


    Using his right hand, Kyran grabbed Osman''s head, pulled it, then mmed it on the ground.


    ? BAM!


    A loud dull sound filled the hall.


    BAM!


    Another dull sound came.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    BAM! BAM!


    Seemingly not content in hitting Osman''s head on the ground twice, Kyran did it three more times. Then another two times, finally rendering the cheering audience into silence.


    In the beginning, they were still cheering in anticipation. Even when the two finally approached each other and exchanged moves.


    Thinking Kyran had fallen from Osman''s feint, the crowd was surprised. But then their excitement soared after realizing that the former managed to counter thetter''s feint and even initiate an attack.


    Both Kyran and Osman''s next actions filled their heart with anticipation until the former mmed thetter''s head on the ground.


    Their reaction was not because they could not believe Kyran was able to sessfully attack Osman, but because when the former did it, they only realized his expression remained emotionless. Kyran did not even blink when he mmed Osman''s head on the ground several times.


    What was more surprising was the fact that Kyran did all of these while being engulfed by Osman''s mes!


    The ground where Osman''s head had hit already turned to a mixture of rubble, blood, snot, and what seemed like broken teeth.


    "RAWRGH!" Osman shouted as his magic aura exploded with the full force of his mage level.


    FOOM!


    A powerful and almost tangible force surged out from Osman''s body in different directions.


    "Ergh..!" Kyran used his arms to protect his head as he got thrown off Osman''s back.


    HUM!


    The hammer, unmoving on the arena''s ground, vibrated and its shaft increased in length. Kyran grabbed the shaft and deftly circled it beforending on the ground.


    Osman slowly stood up. His face was covered in bruises and blood. With his magic aura increasing further, he turned and red at Kyran.


    Kyran smiled slightly. It seemed that mming Osman''s head on the ground was not enough to take him out.


    Good.


    It only proved Osman''s physical defenses and strength were good.<sub> </sub>


    "I''ll f*cking kill you," Osman hissed.


    BOOM!


    The mes covering his body intensified as he dashed toward Kyran.


    The length of the hammer''s shaft shrunk as Kyran lifted it off the ground.


    "Ngrgh!"


    With the hammer in hand, Kyran did a three-hundred-and-sixty turn, before throwing it at the iing Osman.


    "RAAA!" Osman did not avoid the hammer. Instead, he made a sudden stop with his left foot, then shifted his body''s weight to his right, before pulling his right arm tounch a punch.


    BAM!


    Osman''s ming fist mmed on the hammer''s face.


    DONG!


    A massive shockwave rang out, spreading in different directions.


    When Kyran threw the hammer, he did not pause to watch and dashed forward. After Osman punched the hammer''s face, stopping it in midair, Kyran already arrived. He grabbed the hammer''s shaft and exerting every muscle on his arms, hurtled it forward, pushing Osman back.


    "Ergh!"


    "Ngh!"


    Osman''s right arm was thrown upward as he was flung backward. However, he used the mes covering his body to stop his momentum.


    Not waiting for Osman to recover his bnce, Kyran rooted his feet on the ground and raised the hammer above his head. The shaft increased in length as he dropped it over Osman''s head.


    Osman looked up and raised both his arms to block the hammer.


    DONG!


    Another massive shockwave erupted as the hammer''s head hit Osman''s arms.


    CRASH!


    Osman''s feet sunk to the ground from the weight of the hammer.


    "Ngrgh!" He gritted his teeth as he felt the bones on his knees creak in agony. At this moment, his mind was reeling at the fact that Kyran was able to keep up with him. Not to mention, he punched the hammer with all of his might, yet, not a scratch appeared on its surface. As a matter of fact, he felt the bones on his hand crack instead.


    "RAAA!" Osman''s mes erupted once more as he pushed the hammer off his head.


    Instead of letting go of the hammer after it got pushed upward, Kyran took advantage of it and let its shaft shrink, pulling him forward at an astonishing speed. He shifted his body and raised his right foot, poised to kick Osman in the face.


    Osman, who had yet to fully recover his baring, looked up and was met with Kyran''s feet.


    BAM!


    "Guah!" Osman''s head got pulled back by the force.


    Kyran did not try to jump back after sessfullynding a kick at Osman''s face. Instead, he used the added weight of the hammer to push thetter down on the ground.


    But Osman was no pushover. Knowing what Kyran was nning to do, he grabbed thetter''s ankle and willed his mes to slither toward his body.


    "Burn you bast*ard!" Osman shouted.


    "I don''t think so," Kyran replied and let the hammer fall on the ground. He twisted his waist and using his free feet, he hooked it around Osman''s neck, forcing him toward the ground.


    BAM!


    Osman was again thrown head first on the ground, "GUAH!"


    Kyran deftly used the shaft to shift his body before letting go, dropping his knees on Osman''s chest.


    "GAH!" Osman spat out a mouthful of blood from the force.


    Kyran grabbed Osman''s face and pulled it before mming it on the ground.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    The familiar dull sound echoed in the hall once more. However, unlike earlier when it happened several times, this time, it only sounded three times before stopping.


    Silence filled the hall.


    Osman appeared to have lost consciousness.


    Kyran''s aquamarine eyes turned dark. Under his mask, it had now turned reddish purple as he subtly left a mark on Osman''s forehead. Once done, he let go and stood up. Then he looked at the female announcer who was once more gaping at them in shock.


    Sensing Kyran''s gaze on her, the female announcer recovered and looked at the timer.


    It had already stopped at 4:33.


    She looked at Osman''s unmoving body, before raising her hand and announcing, "Eighth match, Tyr of the Conve wins!"


    Her announcement was greeted by grim silence.


    The audience remained dazed at what they had witnessed. The exchange between the two happened too fast and even defied logic. Mostly, thetter was due to Kyran not receiving any damage after being exposed to Osman''s mes for some time.


    Kyran took a deep breath and left the arena without so much as another look at Osman, or even a nce over the Royal Army''s corner.

 Chapter 457 Accusation

    "I request to speak with Disciple Tyr."


    Kairo''s powerful voice broke the silence.


    Hushed discussions filled the gallery as soon as he said this.


    The female announcer looked at him with a slight frown.


    "You can speak with Tyr after thepetition," she said.


    "This can''t wait. After all, it affects the remaining matches we will have," Kairo insisted.


    Kyran, who ignored Kairo''s words, went down the arena. It appeared he did not care what thetter had said and chose to let the Courtenay announcer handle the rest.


    "''Affect the remaining matches''?" The female announcer repeated dubiously.


    Kairo nodded, "I feel Disciple Tyr''s attacks are very... ruthless and unbing. As if he''s attacking base on personal biases."


    The gallery erupted in chatter, with the audience''s opinion split in half.


    Looking back at all of Kyran''s matches, indeed, his actions were too ruthless, resulting in his opponents retiring from thepetition or losing consciousness.


    In the first match, he ruthlessly broke Vanadin''s bone. For the second match, he smashed Ganza out ofmission. He only hit thetter once, but looking at the huge hammer and the intensity of thetter''s fall, the hit was a sure-kill if Ganza''s defenses were weak.


    Lastly was Osman. How Kyran smashed thetter''s head felt like he intended to break thetter''s skull.


    Nevertheless, some did not see Kyran''s actions as ruthless. In the first ce, Kyran had a huge disadvantage against his opponents, which was his mage level. Not only that, his magic was far inferiorpared to theirs. The Royal Army officers also exuded an overbearing pressure that anyone faced with such had no choice but to exert everything they had in order to snatch a win.


    Besides, in the very first match, didn''t Ganza almost fatally wounded Tilda? Even Osman ended up burning Deo in the second match. The few wiser members of the audience saw the Conve''s actions were only a retaliation after the Royal Army''s tant provocation at the start of thepetition. In their opinion, Kyran''s attacks were justifiable.


    Rake stood up while ring at Kairo, "You son of a¡ª."


    "Rake, stop," Styx had also stood up to grab his arm.


    "But Styx," Rake turned to look at him. "That son of a b*tch is trying to twist the truth."


    Styx looked at him meaningfully and shook his head. He then jerked his head toward Kyran, who had stopped in his tracks.


    Rake followed Styx''s line of sight and saw Kyran with his head lowered, making it impossible to see his expression properly. Not that there would be any change. So far, he had only seen thetter wear an indifferent expression since the start of thepetition.


    "That is a huge usation, Major General Kairo," the female announcer said, still wearing a slight frown.


    "Don''t get me wrong. I am not using Disciple Tyr of anything, which is why I wanted to speak with him first," Kairo exined with a smile.


    Others felt the sincerity of his words and also agreed. Indeed, if Kyran was attacking his opponents due to personal biases, then Kairo and Rivka, thest two members he had to fightter, might end up in the same condition as the previous three. Only by talking to him would they get things right.


    Or at least, that was what others believed.


    Most actually thought talking was pointless.


    Would Kyran openly admit that his attacks were due to his personal biases? Of course not. Once he denied that, what would Kairo do?


    He would most likely demand proof or request Kyran not to use his ''weapon.'' Because as far as they could see, thetter could only keep up with his opponent because of his weapon, which seemed to have started forming its own spirit.


    The female announcer clearly understood what Kairo was nning. She was about to reiterate that they were still in thepetition and could talk after when her four-leaf clover earrings blinked a few dozen times. Soon, her furrowed brows deepened.


    After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and looked at the Conve''s side.


    "Disciple Tyr, do you have anything to say?" She asked.


    The audience fell silent. They were all curious about how this scene would unfold. While most only wanted to witness the drama in thepetition, others knew that every action made by the two would definitely affect the rtionship between the two major factions in the empire.


    Kyran looked back at Kairo, and with a slight smile, he said, "An eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth."<sub> </sub>


    As soon as he said these words, the gallery went into an uproar.


    Kyran was clearly admitting to Kairo''s usation!


    The female announcer was also shocked. She started, "Disciple Tyr, your words just now is a clear indication of¡ª."


    "¡ªof what?" Kyran cut her midsentence. He looked at her with such piercing eyes that she fell silent.


    "As far as I remember, the rules of thepetition are:


    "The Solo Competition will adopt a round-robin bracket, with each team member having a chance to fight the opposite team''s members. Each match willst five minutes, and the top four participants will participate in the quarter-finals.


    "Because of the setup of thepetition, there is a chance where all participants moving to the quarter-finals are from the same team. But that will not affect the matches. They will still face each other until one emerges as the victor.


    "Based on these, I don''t see why it''s wrong to act ording to my own convictions. Ah, right. I prefer to call it conviction rather than ''personal biases,''" Kyran said with a shrug. "In the first ce, your members are the first to show hostility towards us.


    "Don''t think because the Conve being a neutral faction meant we''ll take everything you throw and not do anything. As far as I remember, being neutral doesn''t mean we''re pushovers. We simply do not like to meddle with the power struggle you guys are so adamant at ying. As long as you don''t cross the line, then we will not do anything. However, once you do, then we will not be polite. At least, I won''t be polite."


    BOOM!


    As soon as Kyran said these words, the audience went wild.


    They all knew thispetition was part of the Joint Military Excercise between the Conve and the Royal Army. Even without anyone confirming it, this event was done in order for the Royal Army to show its dominance over the Conve. For this reason, most of them expected the Conve to be meek and endure anything the Royal Army did in thepetition.


    In the first two matches, that had already been the case. The Royal Army had shown its might by winning twice in a row. They even showed their ruthlessness by forcing Deo to retire. Honestly, most of the wiser members of the audience were already expecting the Conve leaders to stay silent and sacrifice their members to preserve their ''neutrality.'' The only thing they could do to protect their members was to dere their resignation in the wholepetition on their behalf. Even Chairman Malia provided some high-grade potions to ensure their members could receive immediate healing.


    In any case, this had always been an unspoken rule in every Joint Military Exercise the Royal Army conducted with the other factions. Yes, the other factions could win a few matches, but they would never dominate the whole exercise.


    They never imagined that someone from the Conve would openly say such things and even dere that they had no intentions of pulling back.


    Kairo''s eyes glinted wickedly, "I''d be careful of the things I say if I were you, Disciple Tyr. using us of such things will get you in prison."


    Kyran shrugged, "I could say the same thing to you Major General Kairo. Can you really say that you guys have no ill-intent when you attacked my seniors?" He turned toward the Alchemy Competition side before adding, "They''re making a Truth Serum, right now. Do you dare take one with me and confirm you have no ill-intent?"


    The noise in the gallery doubled yet again.


    Kyran looked back at Kairo and smiled; however, it did not meet his eyes, "What do you say, Major General Kairo?"


    Kairo balled his fists in anger. Initially, he only wanted to ''scare'' Kyran. Afterwhich, he would demand thetter not to use his weapon to show his ''sincerity.''


    He did not expect Kyran to reverse the situation against him!


    "I suggest you two refrain from deciding the course of thepetition."


    The female announcer interrupted, prompting the noise in the gallery to drop.


    "Though Disciple Tyr admitted to acting ording to his ''conviction,'' it is also true that there is no rule that prevents him from doing so," she continued, looking at Kyran before turning to Kairo. "While it is true we cannot prove his usation about your members attacking with ill-intention, it also cannot be refuted. Even if it can, no rule prevents one from acting this way.


    "The only unspoken rule in thispetition, is that no killing is allowed."


    Kairo did not respond. He only looked at Kyran with daggers in his eyes.


    On the other hand, Kyran retained a veryx attitude.


    "Nevertheless, in order to prevent attacks that seemed ''out of line,'' the headmittee decided that all participants will not be allowed to use any weapon during their match."


    The audience was again thrown into an uproar.


    Such a decision clearly indicated that the headmittee was biased toward the Royal Army!

 Chapter 458 Its My Turn Now

    Before Kyran could say anything, a pleasant female voice reverberated in the hall.


    "The Conve agrees."


    The moment Kyran heard the voice, his brow involuntarily twitched.


    Unlike the previous two asions where the female voice that had spoken on behalf of the Conve belonged to Malia, this one obviously belonged to Ste!


    Recalling how he ''escaped'' in the middle of her ''outburst'' during the meeting with the Conve High Council Members, Kyran felt an iing headache.


    Why did shee here again? While nothing happened in her previous visits, that did not mean she was safe. Especially today, when the whole Royal Family is present and in very close proximity? It was okay if Ste kept a low profile, like on her previous visits. But she went ahead and even spoke on behalf of the Conve. Did she not have any self-awareness of the danger of being in the presence of the Royal Family? To be precise, in the presence of the Crown Princess?


    Feeling his head throb from the impending headache, Kyran massaged his left temple.


    Kairo and the others mistook Kyran''s action as him feeling troubled by the headmittee''s decision to ''seal'' their weapons.


    With a sneer, he nodded and replied, "We understand."


    On the other hand, Styx, who did not use a weapon, grunted a curt, "Fine."


    Since the council members already agreed. There was nothing much he could say.


    Rake also had noints. He used short des but rarely utilized them in battle. Besides, his control over his Wind magic was good enough tounch fierce de-like attacks.


    As for Kyran.


    Styx nced furtively at Kyran, who had now sat beside him. In an instant, his face distorted as a question crossed his mind.


    Was there even a difference between whether this guy had a weapon or not?


    Styx did not think so.


    After hearing the two leaders'' acknowledgment, the female announcer nodded and resumed thepetition.


    "Participants for the ninth match, Rake of the Conve against Royal Army''s Major General Kairo!"


    Rake stood up with his eyes burning with determination.


    "Don''t be a hero and get your ass kicked," Styx reminded him. "He will not use those annoying swords, but he is still a Grand Master. It''s only one level, but you know how huge that gap really is. Not to mention, he is originally a Fire Elementor."


    "Please forfeit as soon as possible, senior," Kyran added with a smile.


    ck lines appeared on Rake''s forehead, and he looked at them, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, you two."


    Still, he knew his Wind magic would not be able to extinguish Kairo''s mes. With a gap between them, thetter''s me was a tier higher than his. Honestly, even if they were on the same level, Wind magic was still at a disadvantage because wind magic''s attribute naturally boosts fire magic.


    "You still have a chance," Styx insisted. "Tyr made that f*cking Ganza lose consciousness but he is not out of thepetition. If he did not wake up before your match, then you will win by default."


    "That doesn''t really sit well with me, winning by default."


    "Does it matter?" Styx shrugged. "What matters is we get to the quarterfinals."


    Styx was right. Rake''s next opponent after Kairo was supposed to be Vanadin. If they were still considered participants, thetter''s withdrawal already gave them one win. But there was no telling if the headmittee would dere that since they were already out of thepetition, then their matches would be voided.


    In any case, the sooner the next match pushes forward, the better. This way, Ganza would have less time to regain consciousness.


    Rake nodded his head after a short pause and said, "You''re right."


    "F*ck right, I am."


    Rake only chuckled and went to the arena.


    "Tyr," Styx called as soon as Rake was out of earshot. "That bastard Ganza will not wake up, will he?"


    Kyran chuckled, "No."


    "And that f*cking Osman? Sh*t, why did you even let that assh*le live?"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Styx, "Do you want me to be disqualified?"


    "That Crown Princess loves your ass, she will find a way to keep you in thepetition."


    More ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. Styx''s way of speaking reminded him of Nn.


    "She is interested in Tyr''s talent," Kyran corrected him. "If I had killed Osman, they will likely use that chance to ckmail me in submission."


    Styx snorted, "As if that will work."


    Kyran chuckled and chose not to respond.


    In the arena, Rake and Kairo stood in the middle of the arena. The wreckage from the previous matches was still present. However, the female announcer deemed it would not affect the next matches and, thus, did not call for a break to restore the arena.<sub> </sub>


    Not that Rake or Kairo cared. To them, this match would be a quick one.


    The timer above had already restarted, and the announcer raised her hand, "Ninth match begin!"


    Rake was the first one to move. He summoned light green magic arrays on his feet and dashed toward Kairo. Another two small light green magic arrays appeared and hovered on his palms. He made swiping motions with his arms, each swipe producing de-like wind attacks that went toward Kairo.


    Kairo smiled and deftly evaded Rake''s attack. Though wind attacks were usually invisible, minute changes in the magic energies in the surroundings would allow one to know where the attack woulde from. Besides, Rake''s arm movements were already a dead giveaway of the direction of his attacks.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Rake''s lips. Unfortunately, with the bandage covering his head, Kairo did not see it.


    Making a sudden stop, Rake suddenly made a grabbing motion with his hand, and the de-like wind attacks that Kairo evaded returned.


    Kairo''s eyes narrowed after sensing dangering from behind. He jumped to evade it. However, he misjudged the distance, and his sleeves got torn.


    Before Kairo couldnd on the ground, Rake swung his arms to the right, controlling the de-like winds to go after the former. His fluid movements looked as if he was dancing.


    "Tsk," Kairo gritted his teeth and summoned two magic arrays on his palms. While in midair, he aimed at the grounds, and his palms shot out whirling mes that forced him up, evading Rake''s attack again.


    After failing three times, the wind attack started to disperse, and finally, Kairo couldnd on the ground.


    From the sides, Styx''s eyes narrowed at once.


    "He did not levitate," hemented.


    "No he did not," Kyran agreed.


    "So earlier, when fought and he remained midair, that was not his ability?"


    "He''s shoes are probably enchanted. I''m not sure yet."


    "Useless," Styx snorted.


    Kyran could only look at him with a bitter smile. What did he even mean about that? Ignoring Styx''s disdain, he added, "Besides, I don''t think levitation is his innate ability."


    He recalled Kairo speaking to him, which was simr to telepathy but was not, and wondered what thetter''s innate ability was.


    Back in the arena, as soon as Kaironded on the ground, he looked at Rake. Thetter, who stopped attacking, stood straight and looked back at him.


    "When fighting against Rivka, you did not show that level of control over your magic," Kairomented. "Not only with him. But with your previous matches."


    Rake shrugged, "It''smon sense to not show all your cards all at once. If that happens, there will no longer be an element of surprise, don''t you think?"


    Kairo chuckled, "You are quite right."


    Before he finished his sentence, a red magic array appeared before him, and a long ming sword emerged at the center.


    Rake immediately changed his stance. With the two light green magic arrays hovering on his palms, he spread his arms outward and produced a mighty wind that flew toward Kairo. He aimed to disrupt thetter from molding a weapon.


    Kairo raised his left hand and simply unleashed his magic aura, negating Rake''s wind attack in an instant.


    "How?" Rake''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "It''s my turn, now," Kairo said as he pulled out the long sword with his right.


    Rake braced himself.


    But.


    WHOOSH!


    Kairo disappeared from his line of sight.


    "Rake!" Styx shouted after seeing this. His expression was one of shock because...


    "I don''t mind dragging this match. But your little friend over there has humiliated us time and again. I need to do something or we''ll lose face."


    Kairo said after appearing silently behind Rake.


    "Ngh!" Rake gritted his teeth and turned, but Kairo had already struck with his long ming sword.


    WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!


    "Argh!"


    A hot searing pain spread on Rake''s back as Kairo struck three times. In an instant, the former''s body was engulfed in mes.


    "You son of a b*tch!" Styx growled.


    Kairo looked behind him at Styx and Kyran. With a smile, he said, "What was it? An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, right?"

 Chapter 459 Conclusion

    "The Conve concedes this match. Please stop!"


    Ste''s voice echoed from the executive booth.


    Without waiting for the female announcer to dere the winner, Styx jumped to the arena. He summoned his magic array and a translucent bouche shield appeared before him.


    The female announcer frowned at once and reprovingly said, "Stay your hand."


    However, Styx ignored her and growled at Kairo, "Move!" He pushed the bouche shield toward Kairo to keep him away from Rake.


    "Humph," Kairo sneered and sidestepped, avoiding the shield.


    Rake, who received a powerful blow from Kairo''s mes, dropped to his knees before falling head first on the ground. He was still conscious but it only made it worse.


    A translucent bucker shield appeared before Rake''s head hit the ground.


    Two Conve members also rushed into the arena and checked Rake''s condition.


    "Ninth match, Royal Army wins!" The female announcer still dered, albeit her voice was full of indignation toward Styx.


    Styx looked at Kairo.


    If looks could kill, Kairo would have been dead by now.


    That was how piercing Styx''s eyes were. At the moment, he was thinking up several ways to assassinate Kairo.


    "S-Sorry..."


    Rake''s weakened voice brought Styx out of his mullings. He looked at him and said, "Don''t speak."


    "His condition is not as bad as Deo''s but we''ll need Chairman Malia to check on him," one of the two Conve members said.


    The other one took out a stretcher and they prepared to transfer the wounded Rake.


    "I''ll check on them after thepetition," Styx told them and stood up.


    However, Rake grabbed his arm and tried to pull him.


    "Oi! Stop moving!"


    "You''ll aggravate your wounds."


    Rake ignored the two and looked at Styx meaningfully, "T-Tell Tyr... K-Kairo''s s-sword... t-they d-don''t feel like m-molded f-fire," Rake told him with much difficulty.


    Styx''s mood worsened upon hearing his words. He shot a look at Kairo, who already went back to the Royal Army''s corner.


    "H-He needs to be careful..." Rake added as the two Conve members finally managed to transfer him to the stretcher.


    Styx looked back at him and squeezed his hand, "You don''t have to worry. Circte your magic energy and heal your wounds as much as you can."


    "T-Tell him."


    "I will."


    Styx watched as the two Conve members took Rake out of the hall. He nced onest time at the Royal Army''s corner before leaving the arena. As he approached the bench, he found Kyran also looking at the Royal Army''s side. Thetter''s expression remained indifferent, and he even appeared calm. However, Styx knew inside, Kyran was seething with anger. Just like him.


    Before Styx could ry Rake''s message, Kyran beat him by saying, "Kairo is not an Elementor. He''s a Transmuter."


    Styx''s brows furrowed in disbelief.


    Transmuter is one of the hardest mage specializations to master. One of the reasons for this is the nature of the innate magic of a mage. Mages who possessed innate magic whose nature can be ''shaped'' are the only ones who can choose this specialization. However, even then, it would be very difficult to master.


    Because of this, what Kyran said about Kairo was impossible.


    Kairo''s innate magic was Fire. One of the magic whose nature could not be shaped.


    "You''ll be up next," Kyran changed the subject while looking at Styx. "Are you nning to take out Rivka?"


    "Yes."


    It was at this moment that the Crown Princess stood up and made an announcement.


    "The Solo Competition has now concluded."


    The moment she said this, the gallery went into an uproar.


    Even Styx looked at the Royal Family''s booth and roared, "It can''t conclude like this!"


    From the Royal Family''s booth, Haylee addressed the audience before raising her hand.


    In an instant, the hall fell silent.


    "Judging from the condition of both Ganza and Osman, they will not be able to continue. Thus, they will have to retire. With this, we can dere that the participants moving to the Quarterfinals will be, Major General Kairo, Major General Rivka, Styx, and Tyr.


    "They are the quarterfinalist of the Solo Competition."<sub> </sub>


    The gallery once again erupted into hushed discussions.


    "You can''t be f*cking serious!" Styx roared and already took a step toward the executive booth.


    However, Kyran stood up and grabbed him by the arm to stop him.


    "Calm down, Leader Styx."


    Styx looked at him and growled, "Are you okay with this? I haven''t even fought twice! No, I haven''t even won a match and now I''m a quarterfinalist? "


    "The same goes for Rivka. He only fought senior Rake and it was a draw remember," Kyran reasoned.


    "No, I don''t! And I don''t f*cking care! I don''t ept this!"


    "It''s already been decided. I don''t really care what they are up to, but now that thepetition has concluded, don''t you think it''s best to go check on the others?"


    Kyran''s reminder somehow lessened Styx''s anger but only a little.


    "Tsk," he clicked his tongue in annoyance and marched out of the hall.


    Kyran took a deep breath while watching Styx''s retreating back. After a few seconds, he looked toward the Royal Army''s corner where more army officers had gathered.


    Currently, these officers were checking Ganza and Osman''s conditions.


    Just as the Crown Princess said, the two could no longer participate in thepetition. Kyran had made sure of that. However, their real condition should not be easily ''judged'' from afar. How did they know the two could no longer continue?


    Kyran smiled wryly. He did not believe they knew their real conditions. Most likely, they decided to change their tactics.


    In any case, the Crown Princess was doing a good job in sowing discord between the Conve and the Royal Army. It would not surprise Kyran if some army officers would get attacked by ''unknown'' people one of these days.


    That was something Kyran had to prevent. They could not make a move like that.


    Not yet.


    With this in mind, Kyran looked at the Royal Family''s executive booth. There he found Haylee smiling down at him.


    Neither of them made an attempt to look away.


    After a few seconds, Haylee closed her eyes and returned to her seat.


    Kyran also looked away and left the hall.


    In the Conve''s executive booth, Ste had seen the subtle exchange between Kyran and the Crown Princess, and her expression immediately turned grim.


    It was not only her who saw it. Malek, who was standing beside her, had also seen it.


    "Milord," he started, but then paused as he was unsure what to say next.


    They already knew the Crown Princess was interested in Tyr. In Malek''s opinion, the former''s interest in thetter was only rted to his Array talent. But Ste might not see it that way.


    It was for this reason that Malek did not want Ste toe here.


    Thinking back, he only agreed to let her visit for a day. Unfortunately, she did not return to the Tower of Conve and stayed for another day. If not for Malia''s assurance of keeping her safe, Malek would have gone to take her back.


    However, who knew that in the span of a few days, something would happen between Ste and that rascal, Kyran?


    Malek would not have realized it if Ste did not make that scene during their meeting. The way she acted against the person who would heal Hugh, was very strange. Then she actually admitted that she was jealous of that person!


    To be honest, Malek almost had a heart attack after Ste''s admission. But what made a huge impact on him was the rascal''s reaction.


    That rascal actually dared to run!


    Malek had the impulse to capture Kyran then and torture him to death!


    How dare he y with their lord''s feelings?


    Crack!


    Malek snapped out of his thoughts after realizing his grip had destroyed the headrest of the chair in front of him.


    Clearing his throat, Malek said, "Milord, it is best to return to the Tower. It is not wise to expose yourself in front of the Royal Family."


    "I know," Ste replied. She also did not mean to speak up earlier. However, she had been worried for her people and spoke up without thinking. Nevertheless, what was done is done. She could not do anything about it.


    "But, I can''t go back yet," she said and looked at Malek apologetically. "The Crown Princess is up to something. I have to be here in case something happens."


    "We will take care of it," Malek insisted. "You have to understand. If the Royal Family found out you left the Tower. No, if they even realize you have a means of leaving the Tower without them knowing, it will not do good for the Conve."


    Ste looked away and clenched her fist. She knew that too. But she was worried about the Crown Princess''s schemes. She could tell thetter was up to something.


    The decision of the quarterfinals was too suspicious.

 Chapter 460 Not An Ability

    Kyran left the function hall and went to Malia''s quarters.


    Upon entering, he found Styx leaning by the wall while watching three people, in an alchemist robe, moving around three makeshift beds. Lying on two of these beds were Deo and Tilda. Rake, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.


    But Kyran was not worried as he sensed his faint aura in a separate room to the right. He could also hear Malia''s voice, instructing someone on what to do. Since Rake was thest one to arrive, Malia was still treating him.


    Styx turned to look at him and gave him a slight nod. He left the hall seething in anger, but it seemed his mood mellowed after confirming Deo and Tilda''s conditions. As for Rake, he was still worried, but with Malia tending to him personally, everything should be fine.


    Deo was still unconscious. Half of his body had already been bandaged with a cloth dipped in a solution, a good first aid remedy for burns, that Malia prepared. Two male alchemists were currently bandaging the rest of his body.


    Kyran used his magic sense to inspect Deo''s condition. Based on thetter''s exposed skin, which was red and swelling with some visible blisters, he was suffering from second-degree burns. However, from the areas that had already been covered, Kyran sensed some charred parts. A clear indication of a third-degree burn. Such burns would normally take time to heal and would leave an ugly white scar.


    But well. The key word there was ''normally.''


    With Kyran''s vast Alchemy knowledge, he knew a few remedies that could heal burns and leave no scars. He could make some in less than an hour, but currently, he did not have the ingredients. In any case, he could get these ingredients from te''s garden so it was fine. Right now, he had to confirm Deo, Tilda and Rake''s condition first.


    After confirming Deo''s condition, Kyran checked Tilda''s. So far, her condition was betterpared to Deo and Rake. She only received light burns from when Osman unleashed his full mage level. A female alchemist was currently tending her arms, applying an ointment, Kyran guessed had been prepared by Malia as well.


    Sensing someone''s eyes on her, Tilda looked up to see Kyran looking at him. She smiled wryly and said, "I thought I can take him down with me. Stupid, huh."


    Kyran only responded with a bitter smile.


    "I heard from Styx you took him down," Tilda said.


    "I did."


    "Did you give him a good beating? Deo''s already stable, but that bastard left him scarred."


    "I beat him up. But I''m not done with him."


    Kyran''s answer caused Tilda''s brow to furrow in confusion, "Not done?"


    Styx snorted, "Did you change your mind after I said, I''d kill him if you don''t?"


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows, "I won''t let you kill him."


    "What?" Styx growled. "After what he did to Deo and¡ª."


    "He''s still useful," Kyran replied and made his way to the room where Malia was tending to Rake. "Don''t worry, I have a better way of having him pay."


    Without waiting for the two to ask questions, Kyran entered the room.


    Inside the room, Kyran found Rake lying on his stomach. Three alchemists, one female and two males were assisting Malia, as she applied some gel-like solution on Rake''s back.


    Rake groaned in his sleep. But because he was biting on a cloth, his voice came out muffled.


    Malia was too focused on what she was doing that she did not notice Kyran''s arrival.


    p The two male alchemists, directly assisting Malia in applying the gel-like solution, did not notice him too. As for the female alchemist, mixing the solution to one side, she looked up and only gave him a faint smile.</anda>


    Kyran raised a finger to his lips, signalling the female alchemist to not say a word when thetter was about to announce his arrival.


    The female alchemist nodded and turned back to her task.


    Using his magic sense, Kyran checked Rake''s condition. His expression turned grim at once after confirming thatpared to Deo, Rake''s condition was far worse.


    It should not have been the case, since Osman''s me was more powerful than Kairo''s. Unless...


    Kyran delved his magic sense further into Rake''s wounds. After a few seconds of probing, he noticed a different magic energy residue in thetter''s sword wounds.


    Soon after receiving the sword wounds, Rake erupted in mes. However, his body only received at most, second-degree burns. The problem was the wounds on his back. Kyran sensed another type of magic in them.


    Kyran recalled Kairo''s ''molded'' ming long sword and his brow furrowed.


    During thepetition, Kyran had to limit the use of his magic sense because did not want to alert the Crown Princess, Ruin or Deception in case his real aura leaked.<sub> </sub>


    After seeing Rake''s wound, Kyran regretted his decision. He should have tried sensing Kairo''s mes.


    Kyran noticed something different in Kairo''s mes, which was how he knew thetter was not an Elementor but a Transmuter. In any case, thetter''s mes were special because it could take a ''solid form.''


    Contrary to what most people in the Human ne knew, any mage with elemental magic could be a Transmuter. However, one had to understand the very essence of their innate magic in order to seed in creating something.


    For example, Fire magic''s nature is indeed formless. But, one has to understand that Fire magic is not simr to natural fire. The former is made of pure fire magic energy, and if one manage to condense this magic energy, Fire magic can have a solid form. Of course, this concept is easier said than done. One has to understand the essence of fire as well as have a high level of magic sense.


    Could it be that Kairo mastered the use of his magic sense up to the fourth level?


    No, that should not have beeb possible. Kairo''s mage level was too low. Mastering one''s magic sense up to the fourth level required one to have a vast magic reserve, and Kairo did not strike Kyran as someone who had this.


    "Chairman Malia," Kyran finally called her attention.


    Malia perked at his call and turned, "Ky- Tyr! What are you doing here? Don''t tell me thepetition is¡ª."


    "Leader Styx and I made it to the quarterfinals," Kyran cut her in midsentence.


    He almost broke out in cold sweat when she almost slipped and spoke his name. He did not know thetter had a tendency to slip if taken by surprise. He had to take note of that. That was really a close one.


    "Right. Okay, sorry..." Malia stammered, realizing how close she was in blurting out Kyran''s name.


    "Can I have a look at senior Rake?" Kyran asked at once.


    Malia looked at him sternly and was about to refuse when she remembered Kyran''s Alchemy knowledge had already surpassed hers.


    She looked furtively at her assistants, who were looking at them in silence.


    Seeing Malia''s reaction, Kyran added, "I recently found another form of Array creation that can stimte a person''s natural healing ability. I''d like to try it on senior Rake. That way, the effects of your remedy will increase."


    Malia gave him a wry smile. The way he said that did not sound like an excuse at all. If she guessed it correctly, he genuinely knew ways using Alchemy or Array that could heal Rake.


    "Alright," she agreed at once, surprising her three assistants.


    "Chairman?"


    "Is it really alright?"


    "We''ve already applied the salve, chairman. Is it really okay to stop?"


    Malia frowned at them, "I know what you want to say. But you two also realize that the wound on Rake''s back is not a simple burn. If Tyr has a way to stimte his natural healing ability, then the treatment will be more effective."


    "S-Sorry, chairman. I''ve spoken out of line," one of the male alchemists apologized.


    Malia smiled, "It is fine. I know you all are worried about Rake''s unstable condition. That is a good quality of an alchemist. But Tyr is Noir''s disciple and I trust his judgement. I don''t think he will offer help without basis. Besides, Tyr is one of us, he will not do anything that will harm Rake."


    "Yes, chairman."


    Malia looked at Kyran and nodded, "We''ll be outside."


    Kyran nodded in appreciation.


    It was good that Malia was sensible and readily left the room with the others.


    After the four left, Kyran approached the unconscious Rake. His ''aquamarine'' eyes turned dark, an indication that his real eyes had turned dark purple. After which, he gathered the surrounding magic energies using his magic sense and attracted the residue in Rake''s sword wound.


    By doing this, Kyran would be able to determine what type of ''magic'' the residue belonged.


    Thirty secondster, a small smile appeared on his face.


    "It''s not an ability..." he muttered, recalling how Kairo spoke to him, which resembled ''telepathy.''


    "Interesting," Kyran added, his eyes glinting in excitement.

 Chapter 461 Three Advanced Arrays

    The Alchemy Competition concluded without much drama. The Conve won by arge margin with a total score of 90 points against the Royal Army''s 60.


    All the participants from the Royal Army managed to concoct high-grade potions earning them twenty points each. However, Len from the Conve concocted a legend-grade truth serum, which earned him 50 points. The other two alchemists concocted a mid-grade and a high-grade potion, earning 10 and 20 points, respectively. Because one of them concocted a legend grade, 10 points were added to their total score.


    The individual performance of the participants in the Alchemy Competition surprised everyone. If they ignored the total score and only looked at their individual ability, it was easy to see that the Royal Army''s alchemists were more stable than the Conve. All of them did concoct high-grade potions. Nevertheless, with the Conve producing a legend-grade potion, it could be said that they were able to produce geniuses.


    Currently, the standing of both sides could still be considered even, and the audience was looking forward to thepetitions that wouldmence in the afternoon. Most of them were wondering the same thing:


    Who would excel in the uingpetitions? Would it be the Conve or the Royal Army?


    The afternoonpetitions would proceed in the same venue.


    There would be a one-hour break before it starts. Taking up 45 minutes of this break, the Courtenay family members reconstructed the left side of the hall. They removed the alchemy furnaces and tables but left the cabs. After that, six twenty-meter radius circles appeared on the floor. It was the same setup as the previous Array Creation Competition. The only difference was, there was no Array formation inside these circles.


    The audience, who were not aware of the setup from the previous Array Creation Competitions, curiously looked at these circles. Today would be the first time they would witness an Arraypetition between the Conve and the Royal Army and most of them tried to guess the rules.


    As for the right side of the hall, the Courtenay family members activated the arena''s restoration array to restore it to its initial state.


    Ten minutes before the start of thepetition, a male Courntenay announcer appeared before them. The VIPs also returned to their seats at their respective booths.


    "The second half of today''s event willmence shortly," the male announcer dered.


    The audience was filled with anticipation as they awaited for the participants to appear.


    Five minutes before the start of thepetition, the participants entered the hall.


    As soon as they arrived, murmurs filled the gallery.


    Their reactions were reasonable. After all, Kyran, who was a quarterfinalist for the Solo Competition, appeared in the Array Creation Competition side. Styx was the only one who appeared as the Conve''s participant at the Solo Competition.


    Most wondered if Kyran forfeited during the one-hour break.


    Once all participants entered the hall, the male announcer started to speak.


    "We wee everyone, to the Array Creation and Solo Competitions. Before we begin, let me give you a brief exnation of the rules. First, I will exin the rules of the Array Creation Competition."


    He paused to look at the six circles on the floor and then he said, "The six circles on the floor, with approximately a twenty-meter radius in size, are the participants'' work area.


    "As the name of thepetition suggests, the participants will be required to ''create'' an Array Formation."


    Hushed discussions spread among the audience. All of them knew how precious it was to witness an Array Specialist while working. So long as one managed to follow an Array Specialist''s work, they would gain a very valuable experience. If they were lucky, they might even find a clue on how they could break through.


    A good example of this was when Array Master Noir had a public demonstration at Starhorn City. When he created the Mercenary Hall''s Array Formation, many mages watching were able to gain insights and actually broke through. The stirring made by these forms to the magic energies in the surroundings could also affect a mage''s internal magic energy. This stirring could help a mage further understand the nature of their innate magic, thus, achieving a breakthrough.


    Apart from this, Array Formation involved writing forms, which were simr to a mage creating their magic arrays. If one paid good attention, they might also gain new insights on how they could create their magic arrays.


    "Simr to the Alchemy Competition, each side will be asked to create three Array Formations: one for each type of Array: defense, offense, andst, support. However, we will not provide the forms in creating the formations. You will be then given three hours toplete your assigned Array."<sub> </sub>


    The male announcer gestured over the cabs lined up on two sides, three on each side, "All materials will be provided, and on the asion that a material is not avable, please inform us and we shall find the material. However, do take note that the time will not be stopped while we look for your material."


    None of the Array Creation participants reacted to this. All of them were veterans of Array Creation. There were times when they had to create Arrays with limited resources, thus, they came up with other materials to use as an alternative.


    Some of the wiser members of the audience found this rule interesting. They already guessed that the announcer would not point this out if it would not happen. Most likely, the cab was missing some materials. And the reason they did this, was to test a participant''s in-depth understanding of a material''sposition and nature. It would also test their mentality when facing an unexpected situation.


    In any case, most of them now understood that the Array Creation Competition was not a mere show of one''s ability to create Array Formations.


    "The three Array Formations that each side will create are as follows: Defense-type, Absolute Barrier, Offense-type, Rive Effect, andst, Support-type, Mass Regeneration."


    The gallery went into an uproar as soon as the Array Formations were announced. Even the participants'' expressions turned grim.


    Those formations were all Advanced Arrays! Not to mention, all of them required rare materials and three hours would not be enough toplete them!


    Before any of the participants could react, the male announcer continued, "As for the grading, the participant''s work will be graded ording to the percentage of the Array''spletion."


    The Array participants heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this part. It was one


    "Ten points will be given, if the Array is at least 50 to 60%plete. Twenty points, if it is 61 to 70%plete. Thirty points if it is 71 to 80%. Forty points, if it is 81 to 99%. Fifty, if it is 100%plete."


    The audience could not help but frown at thest part of the grading. Following the earlier pattern of grading, they had thought as long as one of them achieved 91%pletion, they would receive fifty. But it seemed, they would only ept a 100%pletion before giving out a grade of fifty.


    "Simr to the Alchemy Competition, once each participant is graded, it will be tallied ording to their team and the side who received the highest point will win."


    The male announcer looked at the participants, "Do remember that if any of your members fail to achieve at least 50%pletion of their assigned Array, he will not receive a point. However, the total score of your team will have a fifty points deduction."


    "What?"


    "That is a huge number!"


    The ones who protested were from the Royal Army''s side.


    Nevertheless, Owen and Hamish were also feeling a little indignant about the huge deduction. What if both of them failed to achieve a 50%pletion? Even if Kyran received fifty points, they would end up with a negative point!


    Too bad Kyran was unaware that these two were already convinced he would receive a perfect score.


    The male announcer addressed the Royal Army''s participants and coldly said, "If you have anyints, you can direct them to the headmittee. For your reference, the rules of thepetition have been approved by the headmittee, and your leaders."


    His words shut them up at once. After confirming that the six had no questions, he looked at Kyran and said, "Participant Tyr, as you are a quarterfinalist in the Solo Competition, you have a choice of stopping midway with your work to participate in your match. However, your time will not be paused."


    Kyran looked at him and nodded, "I know."


    The male announcer nodded, "Very well."


    The audience was surprised to hear that Kyran would participate in bothpetitions. If he stopped midway, wouldn''t it disrupt his Array creation? Aside from this, after the drama that happened in the Solo Competition earlier, it was impossible for Kyran or even Styx to finish their matches in one piece. Wouldn''t that mean he would have to forfeit? If that happened, then the Conve would surely lose the Array Creation!

 Chapter 462 Double Elimination

    It appeared that even if the audience had not seen Kyran''s performance in Array they already believed that he would be the key member for the Conve to win the Array Creation. Then again, it was not really a wonder. Most of the people in the audience had bought Kyran''s magic item and could testify of its quality. These people were also among the few who thought it was wiser for him to forfeit the Solo Competition instead of risking getting hurt and losing in thetter and the Array Creation Competition. To them, Kyran might have shown his capability in solo battle, but his prowess was mostly due to what his weapon could do. His use of Array during battle was truly exemry and showcased a new way for mages to battle, but was it not because his staff could carry materials the reason he could do this? Styx could still represent the Conve and snatch a win. If they followed this arrangement, the worse thing that could happen was for the Conve to lose the Solo Competition, but would still win the Array Creation. At least, this was their take on the matter.


    Ignoring the ruckus among the audience, the male announcer looked to his right, where the participants of the Solo Competition had gathered.


    Styx crossed his arms and focused his attention on the announcer. The fact that he could ignore Kairo and Rivka''s presence beside him, was proof that his anger had subsided. His mood had greatly improved after Kyran assured him that Deo and Rake would recover without a problem. It was not that Styx had little faith in Chairman Malia''s ability as an Alchemist, but his instincts told him that Kyran''s Alchemy knowledge was likely as advanced as his Array knowledge. The way Chairman Malia allowed thetter to check Rake''s condition without making a fuss was Styx''s proof.


    Chairman Malia was not a proud person. But she was still an Emperor Alchemist. In the whole empire, she held the highest level among the Alchemists. If someone like her did not question another person''s request to check on her patient, it showed how much she trusted and even respected that person.


    At first, the other alchemists assisting Malia felt a little indignation toward Kyran. After all, thetter might be a genius, and technically one of them, since he was a member of the cksmith Order, but he was known as an Array genius, not Alchemy. While there were Support-type Arrays that could assist or even heal a person, it was inferior to Alchemy-based treatment. The reason was simple, an Array-induced treatment was only temporary. Not to mention its effect would be removed the moment the patient leaves the Array''s area of effect. Of course, an Array could be nted on an item and let that person carry it around to maximize its effect, but such an item was hard to craft.


    Nheless, these alchemists were left dumbfounded after Kyran left the room and announced that Rake''s condition had stabilized. Did he not say he would only try to stimte Rake''s healing ability? They had notpleted applying the remedy to his wound, how did Rake''s condition stabilize?


    They wanted to ask Kyran what he did, but if Chairman Malia was not saying anything, how could they voice their doubts?


    In the end, they went inside to double-check Rake''s condition and were further shocked to find that his sword wound had already started closing.


    Realizing that Array could actually do something like this, these talented alchemists started to question their very existence. What have they been doing all these years?


    Kyran also checked on Deo''s wounds, and after a closed door talk with Malia, she started concocting a potion for him.


    In any case, Styx was now in a better mood all thanks to Kyran. His eagerness to fight him had also increased. If Kyran''s Array and Alchemy knowledge was this outstanding, Styx could not help but shiver in excitement to witness his realbat strength. Others might think that with Kyran''s Array and Alchemy knowledge, he probably had little room to improve hisbat strength. But Styx did not think so. Kyran was a Regis after all. A n known for their outstandingbat mages. Recalling the short exchange thetter had with Osman during their match excites him. Styx was positive that Kyran had to hold back his real strength because the Marshal, deputy marshals and the Royal Family was watching. Hopefully, when the two fight Kyran did not have to hold back. Else, Styx would definitely find another way to get him to fight him seriously!


    If Kairo knew that Styx already believed that he and Kyran would win the quarterfinals and faced each other in the Finals, he would have flipped. s, Styx''s had already deemed Kairo as someone not worth his time.


    "Now, I will exin the rules of the Solo Competition Quarterfinals," the male announcer said. "The quarterfinals will no longer adapt the round-robin bracket. Instead, it will adapt a double elimination bracket."


    The audience who had not recovered from the news of Kyran participating in bothpetition was once more sent into an uproar.


    A double elimination bracket was not really that surprising. What got them riled up was the fact that, they were just wondering how Kyran could survive, thepetition and now it was actually answered by the Solo Competition''s set up. Even if Kyran forfeited his first match, he still had one more chance to move to the finals. But using such a bracket when there was only four participants? It was unthinkable. All participants had little time to recover!


    "The losers of the first two matches will not be eliminated. Instead, they will fight each other, and the winner will have a chance to fight the loser in the match between the first two winners. To simplify this, the two yers who managed to win twice will move to the finals.


    "Each match willst twenty-five minutes, and the rest of the rules in the previous matches will remain the same."


    The male announcer then looked meaningfully at them and added, "That includes the headmittee''s decision to ban the use of weapons."


    "What?"


    "Still no weapon?"


    "Then, Disciple Tyr is doomed!"


    Simr conversation could be heard in the gallery.<sub> </sub>


    Styx''s brow furrowed. He finally looked at Kairo, who stood to Rivka''s right.


    Wearing a slight smile, Kairo appeared unaffected by the rules. The evident confidence he exuded made him look as if nothing could deter him.


    Annoyance surged within Styx, seeing the confident smile on Kairo. He wanted so bad to punch him right then, but knew it would only bring him a moment of satisfaction. For all the things this prick had done, a moment''s satisfaction was not enough.


    In the end, Styx reigned in his annoyane and ignored them again. But then he stopped and furtively looked at Rivka. Thetter stood in silence. To be precise, he was silent because he was staring off to space!


    This guy¡­


    Frowning slightly, Styx recalled this guy''s match with Rake. There was nothing noteworthy in their match. As a matter of fact, their match was a good textbook example of a ''normal'' solo match. Based on Rivka''s performance, one could say he was an average Fire mage.


    But Styx was not about to let his guard down on this guy. After all, this guy was given the number two, meaning he was the second highest member in terms of mage level.


    "The final two winners of today''s Solo Competition, will then face off tomorrow," the male announcer continued. "Do you have any questions?"


    "Weapons are ban but anything I make with Array is fine, right?"


    Kyran''s asked from the left side.


    The male announcer looked at him, "It should be fine."


    Kyran smiled slightly while looking toward the Royal Family''s booth. "Are you sure you don''t have to ask the headmittee?"


    Frowning at Kyran''s doubts, the male announcer said, "Yes. The headmittee and the leader representatives of both sides has agreed that the participants may use ''weapon-like'' items in match. Simr to what Major General Kairo had done in hisst match."


    "That''s good then."


    "Anything else?"


    Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head.


    "Very well," the male announcer addressed the audience again and raised his hand, "The Array Creation and the Solo Competition Quarterfinals will begin in three minutes!"


    Cheers erupted in the gallery. The audience were filled with anticipation. Most wanted to witness what Kyran would do. They were no fool. The question he had raised got them thinking.


    Could it be that Kyran nned to craft a weapon during his match? Using Array?


    These were the questions that yed in the minds of most people. They had witnessed Kyran''s innate ability as well as the speed he could create simple Arrays. Though each match would onlyst for 25 minutes, he might actually have the capability of crafting a weapon in a short time!

 Chapter 463 Double Elimination: First Match!

    In the next few minutes before the start of the Array Creation and Solo Competition, all participants went to their respective sides.


    Owen and Hamish immediately turned to Kyran for directions.


    Kyran inwardly scratched his head. While he appreciated the trust these two gave him, he also felt guilty for lying to them. Both looked at him as a pir of the cksmith Order because he was Chairman Noir''s disciple. However, it was all a lie, which made Kyran feel bad.


    Suppressing the guilt within him, Kyran focused on the matter at hand. He knew there was a good reason the headmittee wanted to use three Advanced Arrays to test them in thepetition. When the announcer said they would not provide the forms, Kyran already sensed a conspiracy behind it.


    They did not want to give the form not because they wanted to test their Array knowledge but because they did not know the whole form themselves.


    Thinking back on the three advanced arrays, Absolute Barrier, Rive Effect, and Mass Regeneration, Kyran remembered the Defensive Array projection of his father''s work during the deciphering match against the Courtenay Family.


    He was familiar with the three Advanced Arrays'' whole calction. He could already guess that after sorting his father''s array, the Royal Family believed these three were part of the Regis Estate''s defensive array.


    The Absolute Barrier had the same effect of rendering any attack useless. Simrly, the Mass Regeneration''s effect was pretty straightforward. Anything within its area of effect would regenerate to its original form. It was simr to the effect of the Restoration Array, albeit the Mass Regeneration''s area of effect was massive and had a reinforcing result. Then there was the Rive Effect. This array was a very cruel offense-type array. Once someone entered its area of effect, regardless of how powerful their magic and physical defenses were, they would turn into ashes. Kyran believed this was likely what the Royal Family thought to be the restriction and admission forms in his father''s array.


    They likely mistook Cade''s defensive array as abination of these three advanced arrays.


    Unfortunately, they were far off because all forms in Cade''s defensive array were far greater than these three Advanced Arrays. As a matter of fact, Kyran was convinced it was an original array that his father invented.


    In any case, knowing this fact put Kyran in a dilemma once more. And the dilemma was pretty much the same when he was faced with trying to decipher his father''s work or not.


    If he did not show off his Array skills, the Royal Family might change their mind. But if he did, the Royal Family might round all of their ''unregistered'' Array Specialists and study the form he created. Then they couldpare it to the Regis Estate''s array and try to decipher it.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. It seemed he could only aim for a 71 or 81%pletion. Higher than that might be a problem.


    But in order to win thepetition and establish the superiority of the cksmith Order''s Array Specialists, Kyran had to make sure Owen and Hamish couldplete 61-71% of their arrays.


    "Disciple Tyr," Hamish started. "I''ll be frank. I am good with defense-type arrays. However, I have only heard of the Absolute Barrier. My skills are beyond that."


    "The same goes for me," Owen chimed in, his expression grim. "I am good with support-type arrays, but a Mass Regeneration array was beyond me."


    Kyran smiled bitterly and said, "It''s not really a surprise."


    He looked to the Royal Army''s side and said, "Look. They are also having a very serious discussion about it."


    Owen and Hamish looked at the Royal Army''s representatives with a slight frown.


    It appeared that the headcount they all knew about the number of Array Specialists in the empire was obsolete. If the Courtenay Family had produced three unregistered Array Specialists, the Royal Army definitely also had their own.


    Then again, the Royal Family held all the records of the Array Specialists in the empire, so they might have concealed their numbers. They prioritizedbat abilities as well, so they might have officers who also excelled in Array but were not given a license as Specialists.


    Regardless, their Array Specialists seemed stumped at the three Advanced Arrays.


    "What about you, Disciple Tyr?" Owen asked, looking back at Kyran.


    Kyran shrugged and said, "Master Noir drilled a lot of Array theories and calctions in my head so I could more or less create those three. But I can''tplete them. Three hours is just too short."


    The two looked at him with a bitter smile. Didn''t he realize that just the fact that he could create any of those three arrays was already amazing? They did not even know what forms they had to use!


    Kyran looked at them with a slight smile, "Look at your faces. Try to recall the rules. While each of us will focus on one array, they did not prevent us from helping each other."


    Owen and Hamish''s eyes widened as soon as he pointed out this fact.


    That was right. The announcer did not mention anything about not allowing them to help each other. In their previous matches with the Three Noble Families, the announcer would always say this part.<sub> </sub>


    "Then!" Hamish could not help but beam in excitement. Even Owen was grinning like a child who had just been given a new toy.


    Kyran nodded his head, "I can teach you the forms. But it will be up to you toplete the calctions."


    Owen and Hamish nodded their heads, "Leave it to us."


    Kyran smiled. He already knew their capabilities in learning. They were not the main talents of the cksmith Order, but their ability to absorb information was exceptional. Apart from this, they genuinely loved learning Arrays. This was a very good attitude of an Array Specialist.


    "Alright. Since both of you already picked the array type you are good at, you can focus on those. I''ll focus on the Rive Effect," Kyran started.


    Owen and Hamish nodded their head.


    As if on cue, it was at this time that the male announcer raised his hand and finally dered the start of thepetition.


    "The Array Creation and Solo Competition Quarterfinals will now begin!"


    The audience erupted in cheers.


    "Array Creation participants, you may now take any materials you require in the Materials cab. Afterwhich, please find an empty circle where you can start your work."


    After saying what he had to the Array Creation participants, the male announcerpletely ignored them and turned his attention to the Solo Competition side.


    "Double elimination bracket, first match! Tyr of the Conve against Major General Rivka!"


    BAM!


    The audience was shocked. They did not expect Kyran to be up for the first match of the Solo Competition!


    Styx, who had taken a seat on the Conve corner, was disgruntled. Was the headmittee picking up a fight? Why did they call for Kyran at the start of thepetition? He had nothing to do d*mn it. Why did they not ask him to go first?


    On the other side, ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He, Owen, and Hamish were about to start their discussion when he heard the announcer call his name.


    Just what in hell was the headmittee ying at? Did they not want to test if he could create any of those Advanced Arrays? Why would they want him to fight the first match?


    Were they being considerate and thinking it was better to let him fight in the first match than interrupt him midway through creating the array?


    Kyran raised his head and nced at the Royal Family''s executive booth. He found the Crown Princess standing near the ss window, looking at him. She was wearing a very pleasant smile that could make any person smile in return. However, Kyran did not feel like smiling back. As a matter of fact, even from a distance, he could see the mischievous glint in her sapphire blue eyes.


    This girl is messing with him.


    Kyran could almost hear Nn''s voice spouting a string of very creative and profound words to describe and curse her at the same time.


    "Participants of the first match, please enter the arena," the male announcer said while shooting Kyran an indifferent look.


    Owen and Hamish looked at Kyran in concern. If he went now, they would have to wait until he ended his match before they could start their work. It would not be good for them! They only had three hours, and if even Kyran could notplete an Array in three hours, what more if it was them?


    "Disciple Tyr..."


    Kyran looked away from the VIP booth and returned his attention to Owen and Hamish. With a bitter smile, he said, "Don''t worry. I''ll be quick. In the meantime, you can listen to this guy first."


    As he said this, he waved his right hand, and a silhouette of a person in a ck robe appeared beside him.

 Chapter 464 This Is Acceptable?

    Owen and Hamish took a sharp intake of breath as soon as they recognized the silhouette beside Kyran.


    A human-shaped puppet.


    They had seen Kyran use them during the Lumley Family''s assault in the cksmith Order. At that time, all of them were awed at the sight of the three puppets moving about, performing first aid, maintaining an array, and even talking like real humans. It was truly a divine experience for an Array Specialist to see such an almost wless creation.


    But after the incident in the order, Kyran had not used them again. Because of it, they sort of forgot all about them. Well, that was not exactly correct. They did not really forget the puppets but after being asked by the Chairman to represent the Conve in the Joint Military Exercise, they could barely hold themselves together from the pressure.


    Now that Kyran summoned one of them, the two felt ecstatic. After all, this would be the first time such a creation would appear in the public!


    Although the status of most people present in the gallery was not remarkable, most of them still represented small to medium factions all over the empire. After today, regardless of the results of thepetition, Owen and Hamish were positive that the news about Kyran''s human-shaped puppet would spread like wildfire. Thetter''s fame would increase, and who knew, the Royal Family might even recognize his Array aplishment and instate him as a new Array Master!


    True enough, the audience looked curiously at the ck-robed young man beside Kyran. None of them had realized what it was yet. Though they had seen the ''young man'' appear out of nowhere, an urrence like that was not rare.


    There were mages whose innate ability let them appear and disappear out of nowhere. An innate magic''s nature could also let a mage to travel from one point to another. Of course, thetter would depend on the mage''s level.


    The male announcer also witnessed this and he immediately frown at Kyran and the ''young man.'' Thepetition had already started. Why was there an outsider appearing out of nowhere?


    s, if Kyran knew what the male announcer was thinking, he would likely give him an incredulous look. Did he not see him ''take out'' the so-called ''young man'' out of his storage space? His ring did light up before the ''young man'' appeared; a clear indication that he used his storage space.


    "You there," the male announcer started, pointing at the ''young man.'' "Leave thepetition area at once. Only the participants are allowed inside."


    Even he was not allowed to approach their side and could only hover in the air. Yet this guy brazenly approached the Conve participants.


    Who does he think he is?


    In any case, if the young man hade to assist the Conve, then he would not hesitate to revoke the Conve''s participation in thepetition. Though there was no rule about outsiders approaching the participants, it wasmon sense that outsiders must not approach the participants during an ongoingpetition.


    "Disciple Tyr, if you don''t go to the arena in twenty seconds, I will take it as you forfeiting the match."


    Forfeiting the first match was actually a good choice for Tyr. If he fight now and ended up getting hurt, it would affect his performance in Array Creation.


    The male announcer nced at the Royal Family''s booth. To be honest, he did not understand what the Crown Princess was trying to do. Initially, he felt that she was giving Tyr preferential treatment. But somehow he had a feeling she was toying with him.


    Just what exactly does the Crown Princess want with Tyr?


    Kyran looked at the male announcer with a wry smile, "Before that, please get your facts straight. There is no rule forbidding us from using our items during thepetition is there?"


    The male announcer''s brow furrowed as he looked back at Kyran. He did not like thetter''s tone, but as a professional, he reigned in his discontent and replied, "No, there is not."


    "Then there is no problem. I''m using my creation, which for your reference is something I made using Array, thus, it is considered part of my ''items.''"


    The male announcer''s brow twitched slightly. Kyran''s condescending tone was getting to him. He did not expect this guy to be a real prick.


    It was his first time facilitatingpetition with the Conve. Based on the feedback of his fellow announcers, allpetitions that ''Tyr'' took part in had a 90% chance of something happening. Such as a change in the rule or the members of the opposing team getting pissed off because of thetter''s attitude. Most of the time, those who failed to reign in their emotions, would even end up in the infirmary for trying to ''teach'' him a lesson.


    To make it short, Tyr was a troublemaker. He also had a knack for trying to exploit the limitations of the rules set by themittee, which gave the Courtenay representatives a huge headache.


    Just as the male announcer was about to warn Kyran about his attitude, thetter''s words repeated in his head and his eyes grew wide btedly.


    Even the audience who heard the exchange between them was shocked.


    "Item?" The male announcer repeated. "What do you mean? Wait, made using Array? Y-You...!"


    Kyran only nodded and without giving out any exnation, he turned to Owen and Hamish and said, "This guy is Six, this guy will exin the forms of the two Arrays. I''ll be back in a few minutes."


    "No problem."


    "Don''t worry and focus well on your match."


    Owen and Hamish said respectively. Honestly, their minds kind of stopped after hearing the puppet''s name. If its name was Six, did that mean there was One, Two, Three, Four, and Five?


    Kyran actually had six puppets? How did he even do that?<sub> </sub>


    "I''ll leave it to you, Six." Kyran patted the puppet''s shoulder before turning and making his way to the other side.


    "Yes, master."


    The male announcer whom Kyran ignored said, "Disciple Tyr. That item is..."


    "Ah, geez. I only have a few seconds left, please don''t waste my time and just check for yourself," Kyran replied, sounding a little annoyed.


    The male announcer almost choked in anger. But he could only reign in his emotion because he was the one who told Kyran he only had twenty seconds left before the start of the first match in the Solo Competition.


    While the male announcer was lost in his thoughts, gasps of surprise erupted from the gallery.


    "T-That!"


    "Am I seeing correctly? Or is my eyes ying tricks on me?"


    "A puppet? Is that really a puppet?"


    "How is that possible? A human-like puppet?"


    "Disciple Tyr is actually a puppetmaster?"


    These words entered the male announcer''s ears and he immediately looked at the ''young man'' he used of being an outsider.


    At the moment, the ''young man'' had removed his ck robe. Although, ''he'' was still wearing a ck shirt and pants, ''he'' was clearly not human! Its bald metallic head and the light gold lines flowing on its limbs like veins were not something a human possessed!


    Kyran ignored themotion and finally arrived at the Solo Competition''s side. He nodded toward Styx, who seemed to be in a foul mood again, before walking up to the arena.


    Rivka was already standing in the middle of the arena, waiting. He usually had a nk look on his face, but right now, he was actually looking at Kyran attentively.


    "Sorry for the wait."


    "Don''t worry about it," Rivka replied. Afterward, he lowered his head and said, "I am Rivka. Nice to meet you, Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran could not help but raised his brows. He did not expect Rivka to act in a very amicable way at him. Others might find thetter''s action suspicious and put up their guard at once. But Kyran did not sense any ''fighting spirit'' within Rivka.


    The feeling Kyran got from him was pretty much the same as when he met Empress I.


    Clearing his thoughts to ensure he would not be distracted, Kyran looked at the male announcer and said, "Oi. Can we start the match now?"


    The male announcer who had yet to recover his wits after realizing the ''young man'' was actually a puppet, looked at Kyran. A little distracted, he replied, "Ah, yes. Right."


    He raised his hand, and said, "First match of the Solo Competition Quarterfinals, start!"


    As soon as the male announcer dered the start of the match, Rivka fell to his knees and bowed his head at Kyran.


    "I forfeit. Please spare me."


    The gallery who had yet to recover from the puppet''s appearance over the Array Creation side fell into an awkward silence.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The timer above, which had just turned 25:00 stopped at 24:59.


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at Rivka bowing before him.


    This... Is eptable?

 Chapter 465 An Impossible Feat (1)

    In the executive booth of the Royal Army, Imman had burst out inughter the moment Rivka knelt on the floor and asked to be spared. "That is one of your talents? I almost couldn''t tell he is one of your men!" Immanmented as he turned to look at Mannick.


    Mannick did not respond. Instead, he leaned back on his chair and rested his head before closing his eyes.


    Imman sneered, "Quite the opposite in character to his superior."


    "I don''t think his action is that simple," Ingrid interjected, her eyes staring fixedly at the arena.


    Imman looked at her with a slight frown, "And what makes you say that?"


    Ingrid nced at him, then at Mannick, before turning her attention back at the arena. Seemingly thinking of something, she replied, "Just my intuition."


    Imman looked unconvinced by her answer. Honestly, he had his thoughts about Rivka''s action.


    Initially, he was in charge of the Beast Hunt and Solo Competition against the Conve. The Alchemy and Array Creation were under Ingrid, while the Team Competition and Smithing were under Mannick. However, the day before they were required to submit the final list of names, the Crown Princess decided to have at least one officer from another deputy participate in their assignedpetitions.


    Mannick provided one officer each in Solo Competition and Array Creation. Ingrid had her two trusted talents participate in Team Competition and Beast Hunt; for Imman, it was Alchemy and Smithing.


    Rivka was under Mannick. That''s why Imman warned Kairo to keep an eye on him. In the end, Kairo did not find anything suspicious about Rivka. Thetter was a little entric, but apart from that, he was very docile.


    Imman wondered if Mannick ordered Rivka to forfeit his match against Tyr. If that were the case, for what reason would he do that? Then again, there was the Crown Princess, who had been biased toward Tyr right from the start. Could she have ordered this arrangement because understanding the extent of Tyr''s Array knowledge was far more critical to their ns than confirming hisbat abilities?


    Since the Crown Princess did not react to Rivka''s action¡ª evident by how the Royal Family had not called for the announcer''s attention¡ª Imman felt histter thought might be true.


    Back in thepetition, the male announcer looked at Rivka skeptically. The male announcer felt a little indignant if the Royal Army premeditated thetter''s action under the Crown Princess''smand.


    "Because Major General Rivka had forfeited, the first match goes to Tyr of the Conve."


    None of the audience reacted to this. They were now in the Quarterfinals of the Solo Competition. They all anticipated a good match between the Conve and the Royal Army. Pretty much how the matches in the preliminary round had been. s, the first match actually left them feeling disillusioned.


    Rivka stood up after hearing the announcer''s deration. He looked at Kyran, who was looking at him indifferently yet cautiously. With a slight smile, he said, "Master has a message for you, Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran''s pupils contracted for a second upon hearing him. Nevertheless, none was able to see any change in his expression. Rivka''s words surprised him. However, what surprised him the most was his lips did not move when he spoke.


    Rivka actually spoke in his head.


    "Tonight, he will wait for you in that ce."


    Kyran wordlessly closed his eyes before turning to leave. Rivka also returned to the Royal Army''s corner.


    Kairo looked at Rivka as he approached. Wearing a stern expression, he asked, "Who told you to forfeit your match?"


    Rivka tilted his head to one side and looked at Kairo nkly.


    "Who told me?" He repeated.


    Kairo sneered, "Why else would you do that if someone did not order you to?"


    Rivka scratched his head before saying, "Because Tyr is scary? I don''t want to end up like Ganza and Osman. I actually like to keep my face intact."


    Kairo frowned at his answer. Was this guy ying dumb?


    Before Kairo could ask Rivka further questions and unravel his real intentions, thetter had already taken a seat. In a second, he was once more staring nkly ahead.


    Kairo could not help but look at him with a simrly nk expression. He really could not understand this guy. Deputy Marshal Imman warned him to keep an eye on this guy because he was Deputy Marshal Mannick''s people.<sub> </sub>


    The rumor that these two Deputy Marshals were at odds with each other was true. As a matter of fact, it was rumored that theirpetition started even before they became the army''s Deputy Marshals. Some even said that it happened even before they entered the army.


    Mannick and Imman were known as top mages from the empire''s famous magic schools: Azure Magic School and the Imperial Magic School. During their time, theypeted in almost all their schools'' joint activities.


    As to why they were keen on proving they were better than the other, no one really knew.


    Honestly, there were times Kairo believed only Deputy Marshal Imman thought Deputy Marshal Mannick waspeting against him. In this Joint Military Exercise where the two were almost together, Kairo witnessed the former taunting thetter but ended up getting ignored.


    "The next match will begin in thirty seconds."


    The male announcer''s voice shook Kairo out of his reverie.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind, Kairo returned his focus to thepetition.


    With only four participants in the quarterfinals, the participants in the next match were already obvious.


    Kairo smiled wryly. He did not expect to have another match against Styx so soon. If their n had seeded, Styx and Kyran would not have been in the quarterfinals. It should have been him, Ganza, Osman, and Rivka.


    "Participants Styx and Major General Kairo, pleasee to the arena," the male announcer said while looking at the two.


    Styx stood up from his seat. The smile on his face was enough to scare the living lights out of most brave adults. He was actually feeling a little peeved for not being called to fight in the first match. But now, he realized how fortunate he had been. At least now, he could fight that bastard Kairo again. This fact alone was enough to make him happy.


    Kyran paused and looked back at Styx. Initially, he thought of stopping and giving him some advice on how to deal with Kairo. But after seeing the excited look on his face, Kyran decided against it. Styx''s strong personality really amused him. At the same time, it gave him a headache, mainly when thetter directed his attention to challenge him to a fight.


    The atmosphere in the gallery changed slightly after the next match was announced.


    The match between Kairo and Styx left a good impression on them. Although their match ended up in a draw, none of them were disappointed. As a matter of fact, it actually added to their anticipation of witnessing a rematch between the two.


    It was good that each match would nowst for 25 minutes. The match between Kairo and Styx would definitely have an actual conclusion this time.


    "Second match of the Solo Competition Quarterfinals, start!"


    The male announcer''s voice reverberated in the hall.


    This time, the audience erupted in cheers.


    Meanwhile, Kyran already arrived at where Six was exining the forms to Owen and Hamish.


    The two listened attentively to Six''s every word that they did not notice Kyran''s return.


    "... thus, this form has the same effect as the Absolute Barrier. However, please take note that although this form has the same effect, it cannot be used as a basis to derive the correct form of the Absolute Barrier," Six was saying as he drew a series of rune forms on the ground.


    Kyran checked the forms on the ground and found there were actually three different forms that had the same effect as the Absolute Barrier. The two forms had the same handwriting, and Kyran guessed it was written by Hamish, while the other form was written by Six.


    "Then, if we try to remove this variable and instead change it to this one," Hamish said and changed a rune on the second form he had written.


    The rune he reced it with was a rune that represented the variable that the barrier would render useless.


    Six nodded his head and said, "Yes. That variable is actually a key part of the right form for Absolute Barrier. Please remember that this Array is supposed to render all attacks meaningless, the meaning of all attacks does not cover magic attacks alone but also physical, and even mental attacks."


    Hamish''s eyes widened in realization, "I see! That''s why I could not understand the first part of the form!"


    Owen also nodded his head. Six''s exnation was actually straightforward and easy to understand. Even someone like him who did not excel in defense-type arrays could follow.

 Chapter 466 An Impossible Feat (2)

    Just by listening to the two, Owen received enlightenment on how he should tackle the Mass Generation Array.


    Kyran observed the three from the side. He stopped short of announcing his arrival because he did not want to interrupt them.


    However, Six sensed him and looked up. He lowered his head in respect and said, "Master, you''ve returned. I have yet toplete what you have asked of me."


    Owen and Hamish also turned to him and smiled.


    "Disciple Tyr," they greeted.


    "I may already be up to something," Hamish continued his eyes glowed in excitement. "I''ll write down my ideas first."


    Kyran nodded his head, "Go. If you have questions, just ask Six."


    "Okay. Thanks!" Hamish bowed slightly to Kyran and without realizing it, toward Six as well, before going to the materials cab. He hopped from one cab to another with a thoughtful look before taking some items. Once he was satisfied he found an empty circle and started working on his ideas.


    Kyran chuckled inwardly. Watching Owen and Hamish''s eagerness in learning Array, was like a breath of fresh air to him. People like them were worth nurturing. Both came from well-off families and were only a level below in status of the nobles. However, they were not stuck up like most young nobles. Proof of that was their willingness to work in the cksmith Order instead of getting employed by one of the noble families. It should be noted that the cksmith Order was filled with low-status members of the empire. Even Chairman Noir came from a poor family. Nevertheless, they were not bothered by it. All that mattered to them was to learn Array from qualified people.


    Looking at them made Kyran remember Noir''s reluctance in taking in a disciple among the many noble families who presented their ''genius'' family members. It was rare to find someone who was as diligent and eager as Owen and Hamish, among the young nobles of the empire after all.


    Millie was not an exception either. While she was eager to learn Array, she had ulterior motives for doing so. It was very different from Owen and Hamish who wanted to learn for the sake of learning.


    p Kyran looked at Owen, who was looking at him hesitantly. But when their eyes made contact, he steeled himself and finally opened his mouth to say something.</anda>


    "Disciple Tyr¡ª."


    Kyran raised a hand to stop him. He already knew what Owen was about to say and he did not really mind. With a smile, he said, "Go ahead and discuss your thoughts with Six. Once you''re satisfied you can try it out like Hamish."


    "Thank you!" Owen beamed.


    Six bowed toward Kyran and replied, "I will do my utmost to assist him, master."


    Kyran nodded wordlessly before ushering the two to proceed. After which, he went to the materials cab.


    Just like Hamish, Kyran stood in front of the cab with a thoughtful expression. Without taking anything from the cab, he moved to the others. By the time he reached thest cab, Kyran''s expression had already turned grim.


    The highest grade of the avable materials was mid-grade! Forget about creating an Advanced Array with these materials, one would even have problems creating a High-tier Array!


    Kyran sighed in his heart. It was not entirely impossible to create Advanced Arrays using mid-grade materials. With the correctbinations of low-grade to mid-grade materials, one could achieve the same effect of high-grade to semi-rare materials required in Advanced Arrays.


    But Array knowledge in the Human ne was limited. Only those who attained a higher level of understanding in Array would know what to do.


    In this generation, only Chairman Noir could do it.


    Kyran looked toward the Royal Army''s side. Two of their three officers were still huddled in one corner, while thest one was checking all the avable materials in every cab.


    This guy caught Kyran''s attention at once.


    Sensing someone was looking at him, the officer looked toward Kyran.


    Kyran did not avoid his gaze and brazenly looked back.


    Judging from the officer''s appearance, he was around the same age as Ss. He also had long hair, albeit, it was brown and tied in a ponytail. As for his eyes, it was darkerpared to Ss.


    Somehow, the officer''s dark blue eyes looked familiar to Kyran.


    A secondter, Kyran realized why he felt that way.


    ''Could it be...?''


    To test his idea, Kyran smiled faintly at him.


    The officer returned his smile and nod his head once, before turning his attention back to checking the materials in the cab.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran chuckled under his breath. Though their short exchange was simple. It actually held a lot of meaning.


    One thing to note from the officer''s smile was how his eyes glinted meaningfully. Not to mention, his smile looked simr to Rivka''s.


    With the appearance of Rivka, and now this guy, Kyran more or less had a good grasp of the Royal Army''s distribution of officers participating in apetition.


    Looking back at the two officers huddled at one corner, Kyran was at least 80% sure that each deputy marshal was assigned to handle an event, with one officer from under a different deputy being added to their mix.


    In any case, Kyran did a quickputation in his head, each deputy marshal was likely assigned two events to handle. Simrly, they had to provide one officer to two different events; one under different deputies.


    ''It seems, Mannick has done a good job in infiltrating the Royal Army,'' Kyran thought and turned his attention back to inspect the materials in thest cab. ''If I yed my cards right, I can cripple the Royal Army and stop them from providing reinforcements to the Royal Family, Ruin and Deception''s armies.''


    Nevertheless, crippling the Royal Army was not enough. After all,pared to their overall strength, Ruin and Deception''s armies were far stronger than them.


    Kyran pushed all these thoughts to the back of his head. He would think about that after speaking to Mannickter. For now, he had to focus on thepetition.


    With this in mind, he took out a few materials from different cabs before looking for an empty circle to start working on the Rive Effect.


    Meanwhile, in the Solo Competition, after Styx summoned his Nemean armor and bouche shields, he did not attack Kairo immediately.


    Now that he knew Kairo was not an Elementor but a Transmuter, Styx had to change his tactics when dealing with him. Normally, he could attack his opponents head-on. As an Abjurer he was meant to be in front disrupting the opponent''s rhythm and giving his allies opportunities to exploit.


    However, this was a Solo Competition, not a Team Competition. As such, being an Abjurer, Styx''s disadvantage was evident. Transmuters were all-rounded, after all. They could create powerful defensive items to counter the powerful magic attacks of an Elementor while adjusting and adding more substance to their magic attacks in order to prate an Abjurer''s defences.


    The only way for an Abjurer to handle such a pain-in-the-ass opponent was to prevent him frompleting his transmutation!


    Abjurers were also knowledgeable in Array, and they knew more rune writings than most. Because of this, Styx was familiar with the runes used by a Fire mage.


    Though he could not do what Kyran had done during his first match against the Lumley Family, where he managed to change thetter''s own magic array and used it against him, Styx could at least find a weak spot to exploit in one''s magic array!


    Kairo looked at Styx. Judging from thetter''s cautious attitude, Kairo guessed that Rake likely realized something about his ''long sword'' earlier.


    ''Not that it mattered,'' Kairo thought and smiled slightly. ''Rivka did an inappropriate thing, but that will not affect my goal in moving to the finals!''


    With this in thought, Kairo roused his magic as he raised his right hand. A red magic array appeared before him and a zing long sword slowly emerged in the middle.


    ''Now!'' Styx''s expression turned fierce, as he stomped on the floor before making a mad dash toward Kairo.


    Kairo simply needed Styx''s action. To him, it did not matter if thetter charged at him now, orter. He would simply destroy all of his shields.


    "Die you f*cking b*stard!" Styx cursed as he willed all three bouche shields that were hovering close to him toward Kairo.


    "Humph."


    Kairo looking smug, leisurely pulled out his zing long sword.


    Styx sneered at thetter''s confident smile. He released his magic sense, and used its maximum range, before summoning a very small dark-brown magic array close to Kairo''s magic array.


    Just as Kairo pulled the long sword out of the magic array, a few runes on his magic array flickered. A secondter, the zing long sword''s form distorted.


    "Wha¡ª ngrgh!"


    Boom!


    Before the long sword exploded, Kairo made the right judgement to abandon it and jumped back.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The moment he jumped, three bouche shields hurled at him at an astonishing speed in three different directions.

 Chapter 467 An Impossible Feat (3)

    "Tsk," Kairo spread his arms. Red magic arrays circled his forearms. A red translucent arc-shaped barrier appeared, shielding his sides and front. He crossed his arms across his head and braced himself. The red translucent barrier blocked the iing bouche shields.


    An explosion urred upon contact, the force of which sent Kairo crashing down to the ground. Before hitting the ground, he summoned small red magic arrays that appeared on his palms. He aimed his palms downward, shooting off whirling mes to break his fall.


    The moment Kairo regained his bnce, he changed direction and flew toward Styx. He sped at an unbelievable speed with the help of the mes shooting off from his palms.


    Styx was not idle either, as soon as his shields got blocked, he summoned a fifty-meter wide dark brown magic array on the ground. He spread his arms as soon as Kairo changed direction and went after him.


    The arena''s ground rumbled as numerous solid earth emerged from the magic array.


    Sweats trickled down Styx''s face. Such arge array and continuous summoning of earth magic were way out of his capacity. However, if he did not push his limits, there was no way he couldpete properly with a Transmuter.


    Kairo waved his hand toward the earth that emerged, blocking his path.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    With each wave of his hand, the earth exploded, sending rubbles all over the ground.


    Styx dashed toward Kairo. Making use of the rubbles that now litter the arena''s floor, he either picked them up and punched or kicked them in Kairo''s direction.


    Kairo stopped in midair and waved his right hand, sending the mes shooting off from his palms toward the iing rubbles.


    Another series of explosions urred, filling the surrounding with dust and smoke.


    Taking advantage of the smoke, Kairo hid back and took this chance to summon his ming long sword.


    "Like hell, I''d let you do that!" Styx growled as he suddenly appeared at Kairo''s left, with a bouche shield before him.


    "Humph," Kairo sneered. Ignoring Styx''s advance, he pulled out the ming long sword''s hilt from the center of the magic array.


    However, just like what happened at the start, the magic array flickered and the hilt distorted.


    "You!" Kairo glowered at Styx. "What did you do?"


    Styx only sneered. "Why should I tell you? Dumbass!" He retorted before mming the bouche shield at him.


    Kairo, however, easily dodged to the side.


    Styx gritted his teeth. He initially thought Kairo would not be able to dodge while in midair. Who would have thought he could still dodge? And annoyingly easily too.


    As Kairo stepped to the side, he grabbed Styx''s outstretched arm, where the bouche shield was attached, using his right hand. With his left, he hooked his hand at Styx''s belt.


    "Without a proper offensive magic attack, what can you even aplish? You can never defeat me!" Kairo shouted before lifting Styx.


    "Such skinny arms, dared to lift me? Don''t make meugh!" Styx snorted as Kairo''s attempt to lift him failed.


    "What--?" Kairo''s eyes widened.


    Styx was huge, true, but Kairo had experienced lifting others who were farrger than him and even take them down in one hit. However, the feeling Styx gave him when he tried to lift him was an unmovable mountain!


    Styx hooked his arm under Kairo''s armpit before twisting his body to lift thetter using his shoulder.


    "This is how you lift someone! ORA!" Styx shouted and mmed Kairo to the ground.


    "Argh!" Kairo winced as his back hit the uneven ground.


    "I don''t have a good offensive attack, but my defense are superb. Don''t look down on me!" Styx pulled back his right arm, his muscles contracting, and then he brought down his fist straight at Kairo''s face.


    BAM!


    The spot where Styx''s fistnded, cracked and even exploded.


    But Kairo was not there. A second before Styx''s fistnded, he rolled to the side.


    Styx turned his head to the side where Kairo had rolled until he was up on his knees.


    While still crouching, Styx sprang toward Kairo.


    But it was then that Kairo''s eyes glowed. It did not change color, but turned into an almost amber shade.


    Kairo''s magic aura exploded, sending out ripples of an almost palpable shockwave and forcing Styx to stop in his advance. As a matter of fact, the shockwave was too powerful that Styx was forced back a few meters.


    "The f*ck!" Styx blurted, sensing Kairo''s rising magic energy.


    Even the audience could not help but held their breaths in shock.


    At the moment, the magic energy Kairo gave off was not that of a High Master. It was not even that of a mere Grand Master!


    "Half-step to Exalted!"<sub> </sub>


    It was unknown who said it, but the moment everyone heard it, they were all sent into an uproar.


    The participants'' mage level in the Joint Military Exercise was supposed to be between Master to new Grand Masters only, right? Why was there a half-step Exalted in the mix?


    The male announcer frowned at this realization. With Kairo''s mage level, he was already disqualified from the whole exercise. However, the timer above the arena had not stopped.


    Others were not aware of it, but as a member of the Courtenay Family, he knew how the timer was made. It had a set of rules that needed to be followed. If one of these rules were broken, then the timer would stop. The rules were also not limited to the ongoingpetition. It also included uses that the headmittee and the leader representatives of all factions participating in the exercise agreed upon.


    If the timer was still moving, it meant Kairo did not break any of these unspoken rules. Did it mean his Grand Master level magic energy rivalled that of a half-step Exalted? Then, if he actually became an Exalted, just how powerful would his magic energy be?


    Rivka, who always seemed to be staring into space, suddenly looked at Kairo with profound clear eyes. It was unknown what he was thinking. But one thing was for sure. It was not pleasant.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, as soon as Kairo''s magic energy erupted, all of them stopped what they were doing and turned toward the Solo Competition''s side.


    Owen, who was still talking to Six, suddenly looked worried. Hamish''s expression also turned grim.


    On the other hand, Kyran looked at the other side with an indifferent expression.


    At the start of the Solo Competition, he could not gauge Kairo and the other''s mage level. But after Osman''s outburst, he more or less guessed, all of them were at least Grand Masters. Now that Kyran could clearly sense Kairo''s magic energy, not only did he realize thetter''s real mage level, but also the fact that there were two types of magic energiesing out of his body.


    That was right.


    The reason why Kairo could levitate and even change the nature of his mes, was because he was one of those very rare mages who managed to ''attract'' two types of magic energy!


    Kairo only had one magic core, but somehow, the fire magic energy and the other magic energy managed to coexist. Kyran guessed that the cause of it was that Kairo''s second magicplimented his fire magic.


    And what magic couldpliment fire, other than wind?


    When Kairo also spoke to Kyran, the former used the wind and let his voice travel at such a distance with only thetter as the recipient.


    If no one knew the trick, others would think it was Kairo''s innate ability. Not to mention, Kairo''s levitation ''ability.''


    It was such an impossible feat.


    Kyran turned his attention back to the materials scattered around him. With a sigh, he knew Styx would not be able to continue. s, thetter''s wish to fight him would not happen.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, Ste already spoke from the Conve''s executive booth.


    "Please stop the match. This match is Leader Styx''s defeat."


    Back at the arena, as soon as Ste had dered Styx''s forfeiture, the timer had stopped.


    Styx, however, grunted in dissatisfaction and looked at the Conve''s booth.


    "I can still fight!" He shouted in anger.


    "Styx."


    This time the voice that spoke from within the booth was a male.


    In an instant, the audience, who had yet to recover from Kairo''s disy of power, shivered in fear.


    It was only one word, and though the owner of that voice sounded calm, it carried such power that could stifle any grown-up man.


    Styx also recognized the voice. With a slight frown, he lowered his head and replied, "Chairman Hugh."


    The gallery erupted in hushed discussions. It had been a while since Chairman Hugh had appeared in public most already believed the rumor of him falling ill and was close to death''s door. However, with the power Hugh projected through his voice, it seemed the rumor was just that, a rumor.


    Kairo''s brow furrowed too. Unlike the rumor the public heard about Hugh, most high-ranking officers in the Royal Army knew thetter was indeed ill. For Hugh to possess such power just by speaking, could it be Malia already found a cure to his illness?


    "You have done enough," Hugh told Styx. "Winning is not important. The experience is."


    "Yes, Chairman," Styx lowered his head.


    There were few people whom Styx would lower his head in respect and Hugh was one of them. Though he was still feeling dissatisfied, he also understood why the Conve Council Members would rather have them forfeit than continue fighting.


    Even if there was a small chance Styx could win this match, he would likely end up in very bad condition.


    If Styx forfeits now and fights Rivkater, he might have a better chance of winning. After that... Wait, if he won against Rivka, and Kyran won against Kairo, wouldn''t that mean he would have another chance to fight Kairo?


    This... how should he put it. Would it be like what those superstitious people used to say? The third time''s the charm?


    Somehow, the thought did not make Styx feel any better.


    "With the Conve admitting defeat, Styx of the Conve and Major General Rivka of the Royal Army will fightter for another chance to participate in the finals," the male announcer said.

 Chapter 468 Kairos Magic Array

    To ensure both participants for the next match were in top shape, a thirty-minute break was announced following the match between Styx and Kairo.


    During this time, some of the audience turned their attention to the ongoing Array Creationpetition, while some recounted the match just now.


    Most of the audience wondered why Kairo did not fight Styx using a long sword. They believed the match would have ended much earlier if he had done so.


    Of course, some noticed Kairo trying to mold a long sword but failed twice. But they only thought it was because Styx had put a lot of pressure that he could not concentrate and mold a weapon properly.


    Only a few actually realized that something had happened between the two.


    The Conve Council Members who came to watch thepetition also discussed the match in their exclusive booth. Unlike the audience, they understood the exchange between the two at a deeper level.


    "Styx used the same trick Kyran did in his match against Illias," Vaness said.


    Noir nodded in agreement, "Yes. However, there is a little difference. Kyran changed the runes that directed the target of Illias''s magic. The change resulted in Illias attacking himself."


    "Hm," Sigma crossed his arms. "Doing that required materials. Styx clearly did not use any. But I did notice him maximizing the use of his magic energy."


    "I see," Noir nodded. "You both possessed innate Earth magic and can better sense the fluctuations of earth magic energy in the surroundings."


    Sigma looked at him and nodded, "Yes. But apart from that, I am not sure what he did exactly. He is too far."


    "He made full use of his magic sense," Malek interjected.


    They all looked at him.


    "Then he directed his magic energy to disrupt the flow of Kairo''s magic array," he told them.


    Sigma frowned slightly, "That''s a little strange. Earth magic is naturally weak against Fire magic. Technically, earth magic energy will not be able to disrupt fire magic energy."


    Malek looked at him nkly and said with a deadpan tone, "Are you doubting what I saw."


    ck lines appeared on Sigma''s head, "No. Of course not Head Master. It''s just... err... nothing."


    "Wait," Avrum spoke up. He looked at Malek with eyes glistening excitedly before turning his attention back to the rest of the council members. "Head Master Malek only said Styx used his magic energy to disrupt Kairo''s magic array. He did not say anything about Styx using earth magic energy to disrupt Kairo''s fire magic array!"


    Malek smiled slightly. Avrum was half right. He did not mention Styx using ''earth'' magic energy simply because there was no need to emphasize his innate magic. What Malek found rather interesting was Kairo''s magic array. Thetter used a fire magic array, yet its color was slightly different.


    Sigma scowled, "Avrum, are you color-blind or something? The color of the magic arrays is already a dead giveaway of what elements are in y here."


    Avrum tilted his head to one side, "Aw, Sigma, I think you are the one who''s color-blind."


    "Huh? Are you picking a fight?"


    "Oh, wait." Ignoring Sigma''s threat, Avrum continued, "Maybe not color-blind but shortsighted? Because as far as I''ve seen, whenever Kairo mold that long sword, his magic array had a green tinge in them."


    "Green?" Noir repeated.


    As soon as he repeated those words, the rest of the council members, except for Malek, Ste and Hugh, thought of something.


    "N-No way," Vaness muttered in disbelief. "Green magic arrays represented many different magic types. One is definitely Wind magic, Restraining magic, Poison magic and many more. But..."


    "It is Wind magic."


    Ste, who had been silent since the start of their discussion, spoke atst. She looked at them with a bitter smile and added, "Kairo has two innate magic."


    Most of the council members were shocked at this.


    Malek nodded and said, "If my guess is correct. His Wind magic amplified his Fire magic."


    "However, he is not using it just to amplify his Fire magic," Hugh also broke his silence and voiced his doubts. "He uses it to let his Fire magic have a more definite shape."


    Avrum nodded his head thoughtfully, "No wonder Chairman Malia said Rake''s wound was strange."


    They turned to him with raised brows.<sub> </sub>


    "You already received news from Malia yet did not tell us?" Sigma scowled at him.


    Avrumughed uneasily, "Ahaha... I was too focused on the match that I forgot."


    "What else did she say?" Ste asked.


    She did not know all the Conve participants personally, but because they were part of the Conve, she worried about them.


    "She said not to worry since Kyran helped stabilize Rake''s condition."


    "That''s..." Ste was speechless.


    Previously, Kyran had owed them for rampantly attacking the Mercenary Hall and the Tower of Conve, which resulted in both establishments'' defensive barriers getting destroyed. But now, it seemed they kept imposing on him and ended up owing him a lot.


    Malek also frowned after hearing this. However, he refrained from speaking his mind in front of Ste. But if Malek had a say on the matter, he would point out that they ended up owing that rascal because he was always finding trouble for them.


    For example, if Kyran had kept a low profile and avoided attracting the ire of the Lumley Family, the cksmith Order would not have given out discounted magic items. The Lumley Family would not have done something that forced the Conve to ban them.


    For short, all the bad things that were happening to them had been instigated by Kyran!


    Malek cleared his throat.


    Ah, but well.


    That rascal indeed instigated all that, but the Conve would have already fallen in the hands of the Royal Family if he had not done what he did. At least because of Kyran, the Conve''s military strength appeared to be on par with the Royal Army and the Three Nobles Families. Maybe even better.


    However, Malek knew it was only an illusion. After all, Kyran was not really part of the Conve. There was no real ''Tyr'' who was Chairman Noir''s genius disciple and a big troublemaker. Malek knew Kyran''s preparation for saving his n was almostplete. If not, he would not have told them his desire to hire the whole Mercenary Hall. In any case, Malek had an inkling that Kyran would make his move soon.


    "That''s good then..." Ste finally said after a short pause. Then she said, "Anyway, with Kairo having two innate magic, I am afraid there is more to what he could do than we could see."


    Hugh nodded in agreement, "I think so too. As an Elementor, I feel that his magic attacks arecking."


    "Maybe he''s not really an Elementor," Noir suggested. "I also found his attacks mediocre. It''s as if, as long as he isn''t using his swords, he will not be able to disy his full strength."


    "Uhm... Is it just me who thinks Kairo isn''t the only one suspicious? I mean, that guy Rivka. I don''t understand why he would avoid fighting Kyran. But recalling how ruthless Kyran had been with all his matches, even if someone paid me a million high-grade spirit stones, I would definitely avoid fighting him. Anyway, what if that Rivka is targeting Styx? Shouldn''t we tell Styx to forfeitpletely?" Avrum asked while looking at Hugh.


    "That is the wisest thing to do. However, Styx is headstrong. Even if the odds are against him, he will not back down. And well... I''ve witnessed him grow in each of these encounters, so I am also reluctant to force him to forfeit," Hugh admitted.


    "We''ll just wait and see," Malek also said. "For now, I want to see more of Kairo''s magic. He just might be a threat in the near future."


    Meanwhile, in the Array Creationpetition, after Owen satisfied his curiosity by talking to Six, he collected materials and started his ideas. On the other hand, Six approached Kyran and helped arrange the materials gathered around him.


    "Master," Six spoke while separating each material ording to their form.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran replied telepathically. He sounded a little distracted as he crushed the remaining materials lined up on the ground before him.


    "The Solo Competition will resume in less than thirty minutes," Six replied. "Please leave this array to me and take this time to prepare for your match."


    Kyran chuckled as he looked at Six, ''You think I''ll lose to that guy if I don''t rest?''


    Six froze. Its eyes widened and contracted frenziedly before saying, "I would never dare, master."


    Kyran smiled wryly at Six''s response. Because thetter was iplete, its facial expression wascking. But if it wasn''t, Kyran could almost see an incredulous and frightened expression stered on its face.


    ''Then it''s fine. Honestly, I am only doing this for show. I can leave it to you, but with so many eyes watching, they will definitely realize you are not an ordinary puppet.''


    Six gasped. As if offended by something, it said, "I don''t mind being called a puppet, master. However, if it is like that, they are disregarding your real talent!"


    Kyran only replied with a smile.


    What Six meant to say was that Kyran''s creations were not just puppets but automatons. Unfortunately, Kyran believed his Puppet Mastery was stillcking; thus, he felt uneasy calling them automatons.


    In any case, letting Six, an iplete puppet resume the creation of an Advanced Array would definitely pose a problem. Kyran could almost see the Crown Princess''s covetous eyes looking at his creation hungrily. When that happened, even he was unsure what underhanded tricks she would do to get him to create more for her.

 Chapter 469 Convincing Styx

    After the Beast Hunt incident, the Royal Family, particrly the Crown Princess, was agitated. With Savagery''s untimely death, Deception likely put enormous pressure on her. As for Ruin, he was likely getting more serious in searching for the person the Crown Princess had asked him to find.


    Kyran and True Void guessed Ruin was looking for Cyneah.


    Honestly, even if Kyran prepared several safety measures to protect Cyneah, he knew that if Ruin got serious, all his preparations would end up useless. Apart from this, when the two met, he would not stand a chance. To be precise, ''Tyr'' did not stand a chance against Ruin.


    In any case, chances that Ruin would not recognize Kyran was slim. In the end, he would be forced to reveal his real identity and when that happened, his ns would fall out.


    Kyran remembered Rivka''s words. If Mannick had went through all that trouble just to ask for a meeting, then the situation within the Royal Family might not be good¡ª at least not good for Kyran.


    Worse case scenario, Kyran would leave the remainingpeitions of the joint military exercise in Neo''s hands, then he would start his n. As for who would rece Neo, Kyran would transfer thetter''s information to Four, who was currently with Five creating magic items to test their motor skills back in the cksmith Order. Then Kyran would let Six help Fiveplete all the remaining magic items he owed. At least, Six could also start practising its motor skills there.


    Kyran actually had a choice to do this early on. But because he was concerned about what the Royal Family had nned for the Field Operation, he was reluctant to leave.


    "Master, there is only fifteen minutes left before the start of your match," Six''s reminder brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    ''Yeah,'' he replied while looking at him. With a slight smile he added, ''You don''t have toplete the real Rive Effect array.''


    "As youmand, master."


    Without further ado, Kyran stood up and made his way to the other side.


    The audience, watching the progress of the participants in the Array Creation looked at Kyran in confusion. They were aware of his uing match against Kairo, but was it really okay for him to leave the array in the hands of his puppet? While they saw the puppet talking to Owen and Hamish earlier, and even appeared to be ''teaching'' them some forms, knowing the form was different from creating them.


    One of the crucial part of Array Creation was ensuring that the materials used during the whole process was properly sustaining magic energies in the surrounding. If not, then even if the formation waspleted, it would not be able to activate.


    Could it be that Kyran did not care about that as long as they could create the array? Since the points would be based on the Array''spletion and not its activation?


    That was a careless thing to do!


    Seemingly aware of the doubts surfacing in each of the audiences'' minds, the male announcer turned his attention to Kyran and said with a slight frown, "Disciple Tyr. Though the point system of the Array Creation only needed one to provide a certainpletion rate of the array, remember that if it cannot activate it is considered a failed formation."


    Kyran stopped in his tracks and looked at the male announcer with an increduluous expression.


    "Why are you suddenly adding this rule?"


    "I am not!" The manle announcer retorted. "Though I did not mention anything about activating the array, it should have been obvious."


    "Obviously," Kyran snorted, looking at the male announcer disdainfully. "I''m an Array Specialist, you think I don''t know that? Though an iplete array cannot fully exert its supposed effect, it can still be activated."


    "You¡ª!"


    Kyran chuckled. It might sound like he was a bully but he really liked messing around with the Courtenay Family''s announcers.


    "Please don''t belittle my cute puppet. I created it with having an assistant in Array creation in mind. Besides, if it can''t even do a proper job as an assistant, would I even use it now?" Kyran said matter-of-factly and continued on his way.


    The male announcer''s brow twitched in annoyance. If not for Patriarch Ernst''s warning to stay asposed as possible when dealing with the participants, he would have already taught Kyran a lesson.


    This guy was such a smart ass.


    Ignorng the male announcer''s piercing re, Kyran finally arrived at the Conve''s bench.


    Sitting there with his eyes closed and arms crossed was Styx. An almost palpable murderous aura leaked out from him.


    Kyran smiled bitterly.


    It seemed, Styx was still disappointed at how his second match with Kairo had ended. In his next match, he would likely go all out and take down Rivka even if it meant going down together.


    Such a troublesome guy.


    How would Kyran convince Styx to forfeit his match against Rivka?


    The truth, Kyran had a guess as to why Rivka forfeited. It was definitely not because he did not want to fight him. Most likely, Rivka''s real target was Kairo. Kyran did not know if it was a good thing for Rivka to target one of their own, because if the Royal Family realized his n, it would implicate Mannick.


    Then again, with the internal conflict between Mannick and Imman being amon knowledge in the whole empire, maybe the Royal Family would only think of it as Rivka wanting topete with Kairo.


    Still, if Rivka could talk to him telepathically, then it meant his mage level was way above Kairo. If the two fought, wouldn''t it seem like the former was bullying thetter?


    Whatever. Kyran would not waste his brain cells trying to make sense of Rivka''s actions.


    Kyran sat beside Styx and was about to say something when thetter asked a question that rendered him speechless.


    "Why did that guy forfeited?"


    Kyran studied Styx''s profile in surprise. As expected, Styx''s intuition was really sharp.


    After a short pause, Kyran decided to reply telepathically in case someone was trying to ''listen'' or even ''read'' their conversation.


    "Dunno."


    ''He is one of my predecessor''s right man''s man.''


    As soon as Kyran replied this. He could not help but scratch his head. His answer confused him.


    "What the f*ck?" Styx opened his eyes and looked at Kyran. He heard him answer aloud, but then said something different in his head.


    Since he could not reply telepathically he could only try to convey his question using his eyes.


    "What the f*ck are you even saying?"


    Kyran smiled bitterly.


    ? ''My predecessor''s right hand man, is still alive. And Rivka is one of his man.''<sub> </sub>


    Styx''s eyes contracted in surprise, hearing Kyran''s exnation.


    It went without saying that Kyran''s predecessor was the Dark Sage. But to have one of the Dark Sage''s man to still be alive? What kind of sorcery did that guy use to live for a thousand years? More importantly, how did that guy even managed to stay alive all this years? The Royal Family did a thorough job at killing everyone connected to the Dark Sage.


    No.


    Wait.


    Styx was missing the point here.


    The Dark Sage''s right hand man?


    Styx almost choked after recalling who the Dark Sage''s right hand man was.


    The infamous Abjurer of all time, Azaloth!


    Azaloth is still alive? How is that possible?


    Styx''splexion was naturally tanned, but then it turned a deeper shade of brown, before turning green, and then finally, ghostly white.


    Kyran found it amusing.


    ''Seems like you understand what I said,'' he said.


    "F*ck right, I do. But..."


    Styx glowered at Kyran as if to say, "How is that even possible? Are you trying to mess with me? I''ll f*cking kill you if you are!"


    Kyran chuckled and looked at the Royal Army''s corner.


    Right now, Rivka was sitting with a nk expression, while Kairo was meditating beside him.


    ''I''m not. That''s why in your next match, you don''t have to fight. Just forfeit.''


    "The hell I''d do that," Styx scowled and looked away. He also looked at Rivka and could not help but scowl further after seeing thetter with a nk expression.


    Was this really Azaloth''s man? More importantly, why would Kyran tell him such a big secret?


    Suddenly, Styx felt cold sweat trickled down his spine. He wanted to have a serious fight against Kyran because he admired the Regis n''s strength and wanted to experience it himself. However, Kyran''s identity was not only a Regis, but also the new Dark Sage¡ª rather, the new Void Master.


    Styx admitted that Kyran''s identity as the new Void Master had not fully registered to him yet. However, hearing about Azaloth and the fact that he was alive, not to mention Kyran speaking about it as if it was no big deal, got Styx''s mind reeling in fear.


    Yes. Fear.


    ''I told you about Azaloth hoping to convince you to forfeit,'' Kyran''s voice broke Styx''s reverie.


    "You read minds, too?"


    ''I don''t,'' Kyran replied with a chuckle. ''But your expression spoke volumes.''


    "F*ck!"


    Kyran smiled, ''Don''t worry. I know how to erase memories that''s why telling you about Azaloth will not pose any risk.''


    "Is that a threat?"


    ''No.''


    "F*ck," Styx growled in exasperation.


    ''Consider it a testament of my trust. In any case, Rivka''s likely target is Kairo. If you don''t forfeit, he might fight seriously and you will get hurt. I''d like to avoid that.''


    Styx did not respond. Unlike his stubborn refusal to forfeit earlier, he was now trying to weigh his chances properly.


    Kyran studied him for a moment. Why was Styx adamant about winning and moving up, anyway? To bring honor to the Conve? Maybe. But that was definitely not something he would risk his life doing.


    Suddenly, Styx''s words earlier shed in Kyran''s mind.


    "Tyr. Let''s have a good math."


    ''That''s right. What he really want is that simple,'' Kyran thought.


    With a smile, he said to Styx, ''After the Joint Military Exercise, let''s have a good match.''


    Styx''s mood immediately changed. He looked at Kyran and replied without hesitation, "Deal."


    Such a fast response, Kyran was speechless.


    Was Styx''s real motivation in winning to fight him? Seriously?


    Kyran did not realize Styx had a childish side in him. It was rather surprising.


    In any case, with Styx finally agreeing to forfeit, Kyran had one less thing to worry. If the scenario in his head yed out well, the Solo Competition finals would be between him and Rivka.


    "Participants for the next match, Tyr of the Conve and Major General Kairo of the Royal Army, pleasee up to the arena."


    The male announcer finally said, which caused the audience to be filled in excitement.


    Finally, they would witness another good match!

 Chapter 470 Wrong Perception

    "How do you n on dealing with that guy?" Styx asked, gesturing toward Kairo.


    Thetter had already stood up and approached the arena with a slight smile. He swaggered as if he had already won thepetition, and Styx had an impulse to rush over and punch the living lights out of him.


    Kairo''s arrogance was really getting on Styx''s nerves.


    Kyran looked over at Kairo, "The usual?"


    His nonchnt reply, coupled with a nomital shrug, almost made Styx slip out of the bench.


    "What do you even mean by that?" Styx asked in exasperation. He thought he already understood Kyran''s character. But now that he thought of it, maybe what he understood was ''Tyr''s'' character but not the real Kyran. If it was the case, then what exactly was Kyran''s usual? What was even Tyr''s usual?


    Kyran looked at Styx and smiled. Then he telepathically replied, ''I can only deal with him using Tyr''s capabilities, thus the usual. Several eyes are watching, after all.''


    "Weapons are not allowed," Styx reminded him with a scowl.


    As far as Styx understood, Kyran used the wooden staff to establish ''Tyr''s'' battle style. Without it, how could he utilize his Array creation? Though Kyran could take out ready-made materials from his storage space, rearranging them ording to the mixing procedure of forms would take time. Styx might not have the identification of an Array Specialist, but his Array knowledge was above average. If he wanted, he could easily pass the test of bing one.


    Kyran raised his brows questioningly, "Do I need a weapon to deal with that guy?"


    Styx''s brow made an involuntary twitch. The way Kyran asked the question while wearing a genuine innocent expression almost made Styx cough out blood. He did not know whether Kyran''s arrogance was part of ''Tyr''s'' character or genuinely his own.


    If Styx knew Kyran was genuinely asking and not trying to act cool or arrogant, the former would have flipped from anger. His anger was reasonable, though. After all, he was unaware that Kyran''s body was nowparable to a dragon''s. Few magic attacks could actually hurt Kyran. Apart from this, while Kairo''s magic aura wasparable to a half-step Exalted because of his dual-innate magic, such a level of magic attack could not put a scratch on Kyran.


    It should be noted that Tritus, a half-step Legendary, failed to wound Kyran. What could a Grand Master even aplish?


    Then again, Kyran could not me Styx''s way of thinking. To thetter, his mage level was not that high. He only seemed powerful because of his n''s techniques and innate magic.


    Still, Kyran''s real mage level was something he, himself, did not know. All he knew was he could hold his own against a Sovereign in a one-on-one battle. Winning was out of the question, but he could survive or escape. But if against two, he would have to employ everything he had, including True Void''s ability, just to escape.


    One thing Kyran was sure of, he was not yet a Sovereign. If he were, the Human ne''s stability would have already suffered because it already had a Sovereign it recognized.


    True Void once told him that the Human ne already had a Sovereign, but that person was useless at the moment. Nevertheless, the Human ne still recognized that person as its Sovereign. To be honest, Kyran did not know what would happen if a ne suddenly produced two Sovereigns. So far, he had not encountered a situation like that on the nes he had visited.


    Multiple Sovereignsing together in a ne wasmon. But that was only possible on a ne that had no Sovereigns. To nes already ruled by a Sovereign, others would not be able to enter without suffering a decrease in their mage level.


    "I can craft a new one using Array," Kyran hastily added after seeing Styx''s annoyed expression. Seriously, this guy had a strange temperament. Not that he minded really. Compared to Nn, or Sigma, Styx''s temperament was more honest and straightforward.


    "And you think that guy will let you?"


    "I don''t see how he can stop me, to be honest."


    Styx''s fierce re greeted Kyran''s nonchnt reply.


    "Even if you re at me like that, what else do you want me to say?" Kyran said in exasperation.


    Without waiting for Styx to ask further questions, Kyran stood up and went to the arena.


    The male announcer watched Kyran make his way to the arena. He did not force him to hurry because there was still a little over five minutes left of the thirty-minute break. Honestly, he did not understand why they had to call for a thirty-minute break. To him, a five-minute break would be enough.


    Though Kairo and Styx had just finished their match, it was not as if they had used up all their energy and would require Kairo to rest. Besides, with Chairman Malia''s potions, he could easily recover even if he sustained some injuries.


    Even fixing the arena did not take thirty minutes.


    s, the male announcer could sense the headmittee''s bias over the Royal Army''s side. Initially, he thought the thirty-minute break was meant to let Kyran recondition himself since he was juggling between twopetitions. However, a break did not mean much. He might be able to recondition himself, but since he was sustaining his puppet''s activity, he could not conserve his magic energy.


    The audience cheered as the two participants stood at the center of the arena. There was a thirty-meter distance between the two. This distance was neither far nor close to starting an attack. But it would all depend on the range each could summon their magic arrays.


    A mage could summon magic arrays at most at a distance of ten to twenty meters away from them. Any farther than that would reduce the magic attack''s stability and be useless. Of course, if the mage''s magic sense level were higher, then that would be a different story. Unfortunately, most mage''s magic sense was at level two only. That was why, at most, the range they could summon their magic array and still manage tond an effective magic attack was ten meters, with twenty meters as the known limit.<sub> </sub>


    The timer above appeared. However, with a few minutes left from the break, it was still stuck at 25:10.


    Kairo looked at Kyran with a slight smile. He had never imagined he would end up fighting him. If their n had gone ordingly, Vanadin should have taken care of him. He never imagined the result would get reversed. Kyran took care of Vanadin instead.


    Because of this, Kairo''s interest in Kyran was piqued. Initially, his interest was all due to anger. But now, it changed. The reason was that Deputy Imman contacted him during the thirty-minute break and told him to thrash Kyran seriously.


    Kairo was surprised at Deputy Imman''s words.


    Earlier, when Ganza mentioned taking out one or two of Kyran''s limbs, Kairo did not think much of it. After all, the Crown Princess valued Kyran''s Array talent only. If Ganza seeded, his actions could be considered ''thrashing'' Kyran.


    However, to Deputy Marshal Imman, ''seriously thrashing'' Kyran was different. He was practically telling Kairo to half-kill him.


    Why would Imman ask him to do that? Was he not worried about the Crown Princess''s wrath? Or did the ordere from the Crown Princess?


    Regardless of the real reason, as a soldier, Kairo would not ask questions and would carry out his mission.


    "Disciple Tyr," Kairo suddenly spoke after a few seconds of silence. "I look forward to what you have in store for me."


    Kyran raised his brows at him and tilted his head to one side. However, he did not respond. There was nothing to say anyway.


    "Too bad I will not be able to experience the might of your weapon," Kairo continued, seemingly unperturbed by Kyran''s unresponsive character.


    This time, Kyran reacted and smiled, "Is that so? Should I make one as soon as the match starts? That way, you get to experience it."


    Kairo chuckled, "Ah, but the things your wooden staff can do is still better."


    Kyran chuckled in response. He replied with a smile that did not meet his eyes, "I see. Seems like you have a wrong perception there."


    Kairo kept his smile. However, the subtle twitch of his brow meant Kyran''s words piqued his interest.


    "How? You''re not going to tell me that even without using the wooden staff, you can still disy the level of strength you''ve shown during your match with Osman."


    Kyran shrugged, "There''s no point in correcting your perception. You won''t believe me, anyway."


    Kairo''s brow furrowed. He did not sense any deceit in Kyran''s words.


    No. This might very well be thetter''s way of messing up his rhythm. He was a Major General and already a Grand Master. Did Kyran really think he could fool him?


    Just as he was thinking this, the timer above had already started.


    Seeing this, the male announcer raised his hand and dered the start of the match.


    "Quarterfinal match between Tyr of the Conve against Major General Kairo of the Royal Army, start!"


    Kairo made a move at once. A red magic array appeared before him, and he immediately pulled out a zing long sword.


    During the break, Kairo saw Kyran and Styx talking. It was not a stretch to guess that the two had talked about how to counter his magic array. If that were the case, Kairo would have to summon his magic array as soon as possible and produce his long sword before Kyran could act.


    Murmurs spread to the gallery at the same time that Kairo had already pulled out his long sword.


    Ignoring the noise made by the audience, Kairo looked at Kyran and was about to taunt him. Instead, what he saw rendered him speechless.


    Kyran had not moved from his position. He was only looking at Kairo with a smile.


    No.


    Judging by Kyran''s nonchnt stance, he did not seem to be looking at Kairo alone. He was actually waiting for thetter to finish summoning his long sword!

 Chapter 471 Strange Physique

    "Are you done transmuting your weapon?" Kyran asked with a smile that did not reach his eyes.


    Kairo''s eyes widened in surprise. It was one thing if Kyran had used the word ''summoning,'' but he used the term ''transmuting.''


    This...


    Even the audience who heard Kyran thought they had misheard him.


    An undaunted smile soon reced Kairo''s surprised expression, and he said, "Oh? I did not think you would realize my trick."


    Gasps of surprise filled the gallery. They did not mishear Kyran after all! But transmute? Most of them were mages and would not misuse that word. Did it mean that Kairo was actually...?


    Kyran shrugged and said, "Was it meant to be a secret? It was too obvious. I thought you wanted everyone to know."


    Kairo''s brow twitched. Before he could fully react, Kyran had already made a move and ran toward him.


    Light golden magic arrays appeared and circled Kyran''s forearms and lower legs.


    "Humph," he sneered. Did this kid think he could take him by surprise? How immature.


    When Kyran ran toward Kairo, his speed was still average. When the magic arrays appeared, his speed doubled, and he managed to cross the remaining twenty-five meters in a second!


    Instinctively, Kairo shed out his long sword, drawing a ming arc before him.


    Kyran bent backwards, avoiding the ming arc by a hair. After which, he twisted his waist, letting his upper body face the ground while sending his right leg at the side of Kairo''s head.


    Seeing Kyran''s iing kick, Kairo gritted his teeth, barely avoiding it by lifting his chin and pulling back his head.


    The tip of Kyran''s toes brushed past Kairo''s chin, grazing him slightly.


    But Kyran did not stop after this. As soon as he missed, he dropped his hands on the ground, used them to turn his whole body forcefully, and then sent out his other leg. With the help of his hands, he stretched his body further to maximize the range his leg could reach.


    "Ngh!" Kairo raised his ming long sword to deflect Kyran''s other leg.


    Ding!


    "What--? Gah!"


    A momentary surprise caused Kairo to receive the brunt of Kyran''s kick and was sent flying a few meters to the side.


    The audience was shocked. From their view, they clearly saw Kairo''s long sword touching Kyran''s calf. But instead of getting sliced, Kairo''s long sword bounced back after hitting what sounded like solid metal.


    Blood trickled down Kairo''s lips from receiving Kyran''s kick. The hit ignited his fighting intent, and his eyes glowed brighter. His magic energy rising. He pierced the ming long sword on the arena''s floor to break his momentum.


    Meanwhile, after sessfully kicking Kairo sideways, Kyran did not stay idle. He dropped to his feet and immediately went after Kairo. The strength with which he dashed forward left a deep crack on the arena''s floor.


    Seeing the approaching Kyran, the mes on Kairo''s long sword burst in different directions, filling the arena''s floor with a sea of mes in a matter of two seconds.


    Before the mes could reach Kyran, he had already jumped. Then he arched his back and pulled back his right arm, preparing tounch a punch.


    Kairo, who finally regained his bnce, looked up. He unpierced his long sword on the ground and jumped, meeting Kyran in midair. He waved his ming long sword horizontally, sending out another ming arc at Kyran. But Kairo did not stop at this. Using the ming arc as cover, he pressed onward and followed up a normal strike.


    Ignoring the iing ming arc, Kyran sent out his right fist.


    DIIIING!


    As if Kairo''s long sword and Kyran''s fists were made of metal, a loud metal sound rang out. A shockwave followed, resulting in the sea of mes below being blown away.<sub> </sub>


    With both attacks ending up in a draw, the two separated andnded on the ground with a loud thud.


    When the two had separated, most of the audience finally managed to let out the breath they unknowingly held back. Some instinctively looked at the timer above and were shocked to realize that the exchange between the two had happened in only eight seconds!


    Kairo''s brow furrowed as he stared at Kyran in disbelief.


    "You..." he started through gritted teeth. "Howe your skin is as hard as metal? What kind of physique do you have?"


    Twice he tried to slice him but failed, and both times he heard a metallic sound during the collision.


    Earlier, Kyran summoned his magic arrays and let them circle his arms and legs. Obviously, he used his Strengthening magic to strengthen parts of his body. It was due to this strengthening that he was able to speed up and increase his physical strength. But could his innate magic really make his skin as hard as metal?


    It was unfortunate that Kairo failed to realize that the magic arrays Kyran summoned did nothing. The reason for Kyran''s burst of speed and strength, as well as his physical defence, was because of his Body Tempering technique.


    Kyran only replied with raised brows and a small smile. Without further ado, he ran toward Kairo again.


    Kairo''s stood up and summoned a one-and-a-half meter radius magic array before him. Several short swords appeared within the magic array''s border and circled behind him. He raised his ming sword in a clockwise motion, and as it passed through a short sword, its des burst into mes. After that, he also charged forward to meet Kyran, the short swords hovering right before him.


    With a wave of his hand, Kairo let the short swords fly toward Kyran.


    Kyran seeing the iing short swords, did not pause. Instead, he met each one and struck it with his fist and leg.


    Ching! Ching! Ching!


    Every short sword he hit had fallen to the ground with a loud ng. Some of them also pierced the floor.


    Kairo, who was still advancing, waved his long sword several times in midair and sent out me shes at Kyran. At the same time, he summoned more short swords and ignited their des with mes before sending them out at Kyran as well.


    Kyran deftly dodged the iing me shes while also hitting the short swords that came at him in different directions.


    Most of the audience was stunned at Kyran''s disy. It was as if they were watching abat specialist performing acrobatic stunts. Some already had their jaw hanging open at how agile and skilful Kyran could move around, dodging the me shes and hitting the sword shorts.


    "Tsk," Kairo gritted his teeth after witnessing Kyran''s movements.


    He waved his long sword again, sending out more me shes and summoning more short des. However, no matter how many times he did this or how many me shes and short swords he threw out, he still could notnd a hit on Kyran!


    Kyran''s movement was not something a normal mage could do! As a matter of fact, even an experiencedbat mage or abat specialist would not be able to move like him. Kairo''s short des and me shes were not only embued by Fire magic. They were also embued with Wind magic. Just by this, their skin would be torn even if someone tried to dodge the shes or the swords. Their clothes would also end up getting shredded to pieces!


    As the rain of ming short swords and me shes continued, Kyran started getting annoyed. Was Kairo nning to continue attacking him like this?


    Truth be told, Kyran was waiting for Kairo to summon the ming whirlwind. Earlier, Styx could not do anything apart from enduring the attack''s mes. It made Kyran wonder just how fierce it was. After that, he nned on breaking it just to despise Kairo.


    However, Kairo did not seem keen on using it. Or could he only summon the ming whirlwind because of the two long swords he had used? Regardless of the answer, Kyran decided not to dwell on it. He had some things to do, after all.


    When he finished hitting the previous set of me shes and short swords, Kyran bent his knees andunched himself at Kairo. All the while ignoring the iing shes and swords.


    On the other hand, Kairo was only ten to fifteen meters away and continuously summoned the short swords or shed out me attacks using the ming long sword.


    As soon as Kairo spotted Kyran ignoring his multiple attacks, he pierced the long sword on the ground. A two-meter radius red magic array span out, with the long sword and Kairo standing in the middle. Weblike cracks spread out on the arena''s floor. From within the cracked floor, mes spew out.


    Boom!


    Kyran, who had been ignoring the cracks, did not realize mes woulde out of them and failed to avoid the mes'' eruption.


    Gasps of surprise spread throughout the gallery. Even the Conve council members, watching the match from the executive booth, were shocked.

 Chapter 472 Preparation

    On the contrary, Ste, who always got flustered when she witnessed Kyran in danger, was rtively calm. She looked at the wall of mes that engulfed him in silence.


    Whoosh!


    Kyran emerged from the wall of mes, not one bit daunted by it. His ck clothes were intact; heck, even his hair and brows were not singed.


    How was it possible?


    The audience was not the only one who was shocked. Kairo, in particr, felt a tremor course through his body upon seeing the unscathed Kyran emerge from the mes. He could understand thetter''s clothes not burning because it was enchanted to withstand mes.


    The cksmith Order''s uniforms were all tailored that way since most of them dealt with fire when crafting items. But the clothes'' enchantment should not cover Kyran''s skin and hair. So how was he fine after all that?


    The tremor coursing through Kairo''s body intensified as Kyran closed in on him.


    Kairo did not move. But it was not due to fear. The tremor in his body was also not because of it. As a matter of fact, what he felt was akin to excitement!


    This was the person Deputy Marshal Imman had given the order to thrash. Though Kairo was aware of the Crown Princess''s interest in Tyr, since he did not directly report to her, Deputy Marshal''s Imman was his priority. The Royal Family could only override his direct superior''s order when they issued a Royal Decree.


    So far, there was no such decree that could protect Tyr. Thus, Kairo would not be afraid of receiving any punishment due to insubordination. Deputy Marshal Imman probably knew this as well. That was why he made such an order.


    Kairo''s magic aura exploded, fully unleashing the extent of his mage level.


    Unlike what others knew, he was not a half-step Exalted. He got promoted to a Grand Master a month ago and consolidated his magic level without trouble. The cause of his powerful magic aura was that he consolidated two magic; fire and wind.


    "Come!" Kairo shouted, his eyes glinting in excitement.


    Kyran retained an indifferent expression as he shortened the distance between him and Kairo. mes were still erupting from the cracks on the floor. However, he ignored them and ran toward Kairo in a straight line.


    Kairo was not only watching Kyran''s approach. He raised his left hand and summoned another red magic array, then pulled out a second ming long sword.


    When the distance between the two was reduced to ten meters, Kairo jumped. At the same time, Kyran also jumped, his right arm pulled back.


    Kairo raised his two ming long swords. Fire and wind magic energies gathered on the des, causing the magic fluctuations to cover the surroundings.


    Ignoring all these, Kyran arched his back to add momentum to his punch.


    The next second, Kairo released a powerful concentrated fire and wind magic energy toward Kyran.


    Instead of dodging, Kyran stubbornly moved in a straight line to receive the concentrated attack with his punch.


    Everyone braced themselves. Most had felt Kyran''s stubbornness to receive Kairo''s attack head-on as foolish. Others criticized hisck of mage battle knowledge. Who would attack concentrated magic energy using his bare hands? At least summoned a magic barrier or a defensive array. He could create an array in a matter of seconds, right? Was his Array creation in seconds just for show? Or could he only do that when using his ''powerful'' wooden staff?


    Just as these thoughts circled through the minds of the people watching the match, a powerful shockwave, akin to apressed air bursting out, appeared when Kyran punched toward the iing magic energy.


    In an instant, this shockwave prated the center of the concentrated magic energy, splitting it into two.


    The audience was rendered speechless.


    What punch was that? Did Kyran summon his magic without them noticing it?


    That was right. When he was within the wall of mes, did he try to amplify the strength of his fists further using his Strengthening magic? More importantly, could his magic make his punch produce such a powerful shockwave?


    Before the shockwave arrived at Kairo''s position, he had already utilized his wind magic and dodged to the side while still in midair.


    On the other side, after punching Kairo''s attack, Kyrannded on the ground with a loud thud.


    s, without his shape-shifting tes, Kyran could not stay in midair. Would he ever learn how to ''levitate''?<sub> </sub>


    Kairo would have gone crazy if he knew Kyran''s thoughts had wandered off while they were still in the middle of the fight!


    Before the two attacks dispersed, Kyran had already made his next move.


    After determining Kairo''s position above, Kyran ran toward him while avoiding the mes gushing out from the cracks on the floor. Earlier, he did not avoid the mes because he wanted to approach Kairo, who was rooted in his spot, as soon as possible and avoiding the mes would take up some time. However, with thetter moving around midair, Kyran had no choice but to give chase ordingly.


    Kairo flew in the air while preparing a new sequence of magic array. With his magic level, he could only transmute two items at the same time. The reason was simple; his magic reserves were insufficient to sustain more than two items.


    Several different-sized red magic arrays appeared around Kairo, and a ball of mes emerged from them. He stopped midair and turned his attention to where Kyran was relentlessly avoiding the mes below while trying to catch up to him.


    With a smile, Kairo raised his arms to his side, each hand holding a ming long sword that pointed outward. Rows upon rows of balls of mes lined up on each of his sides and above his head. As he pointed the ming long swords toward Kyran, they all flew out at an astonishing speed.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed slightly, seeing the ball of mes. These balls of mes were not simple ''fireballs.'' They were mes with homing abilities and would only explode after hitting their target.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he weed the ball of mes. His whole body emitted a light golden sheen as he jumped and punched at the first ball of mes that came in contact with him.


    Boom!


    An explosion urred upon collision, and the audience in the gallery held their breath as they imagined Kyran exploding into pieces.


    However, none of their imagination happened because soon after the explosion, amidst the cloud of smoke, Kyran emerged. What''s more, he was once more unscathed!


    Two balls of mes came hurtling toward Kyran the moment he emerged from the smoke.


    Boom! Boom!


    Kyran punched one of the balls of mes and followed up with a roundhouse kick to hit the other.


    Three more balls of mes barrelled toward him.


    Whoosh!


    However, before these balls of mes could hit him, mes erupted from the crack just a couple of feet in front of Kyran, fully engulfing them.


    BOOM!


    Clouds of smoke erupted, which instantly filled the surroundings.


    In the Conve''s executive booth, Sigma sneered, realizing what Kyran had done there. While others believed Kyran was attacking the ball of mes head-on, they did not notice how he positioned himself close to the cracks on the floor. By doing this, Kyran used the eruption of mes from the cracks to help him deal with the balls of mes.


    Styx, sitting on the Conve''s corner, nodded his head in approval. To be honest, dealing with the bombardment of such mes was exhausting. Since Kyran put a limitation on his real strength, if others saw him deal with those bombardments bare hands, they would definitely begin to doubt his identity.


    Could amon support-type mage do such a thing? Even with the Conve backing him up, it had only been more than a year when that happened. The Conve could not possibly nurture him to such an extent.


    Going back to the match.


    The rest of the balls of mes entered the cloud of smoke.


    From the gallery, the audience could hear sounds of explosion and saw silhouettes from within the smoke. They saw Kyran''s silhouette punching or hitting the balls of mes, and sometimes mes erupted on the floor, resulting in more balls of mes exploding.


    Meanwhile, Kairo did not simply watch Kyran getting bombarded by his mes. After all, his attack was only a decoy. He had to keep the kid busy while he prepared for arge-scale magic attack. If he had his weapon, he would not have had to do such a troublesome thing. After all, the weapon Grand Marshal Imman gifted him was special. Without consuming his magic reserves, it could generate and release powerful fire and wind magic energies. That was how he maintained such a powerful ming whirlwind during his match against Styx.


    But there was no point in dwelling on what he did not have. Since he could not use the long swords, he had to make the ming whirlwind using his personal magic reserves and the magic energies in the surroundings.


    Creating the magic array took some time, though, which was why he had to keep Kyran busy.

 Chapter 473 A Treat

    Kairo positioned himself at the center of the arena. With the ming long swords on his sides, he closed his eyes and began umting the fire and wind magic energies in the surroundings.


    The fire magic energies were especially easy to draw because of the constantly bursting mes from the cracks on the floor.


    Magic fluctuations rippled in the air as the magic energies gathered around Kairo.


    Meanwhile, roughly fifty meters away from him, Kyran was still busy fending himself from the balls of mes.


    Or at least, that was how it looked from the outside.


    Within the thick cloud of smoke, Kyran''s silhouette was slowly getting hard to see because of the continuous explosions of the balls of mes. After more than a minute, the audience could only hear the explosions and no longer see him.


    Unbeknownst to them, Kyran had already stopped moving inside and had sat cross-legged on a still intact floor. As for what was taking care of the balls of mes, apart from the erupting mes from the cracks, seven golden metallic spheres were flying around, eliminating them.


    These seven metallic gold spheres were the same items Kyran used to bind Matias''s zing roc. Apart from binding, they could also force activate magic attacks with specific requirements, such as the balls of mes exploding after hitting their targets. Unfortunately, these spheres could only work on ''magic attacks,'' not people.


    It was for this reason that Kyran only used it to bind Matias''s zing roc. Nevertheless, he found it curious that the arena''s array did not seem to recognize the spheres as ''weapon.'' Because as far as Kyran was concerned, these spheres were considered auxiliary weapons. Or maybe, it was not considered a weapon since it would only work on magic attacks?


    Regardless of the reason, Kyran was not about toin. With these, he could rest and n his next move. His match against Kairo had already gone for too long and he was worried about Six. He had to go back to the Array Creation side as soon as possible.


    Kyran was not worried that Six would not be able to do the array. He was actually worried that Six would do a very good job! Although he told Six not to finish the array, he forgot to mention ''dying'' the array''s creation. Six might end up finishing at least 80% of the array all by himself and in a short span of time.


    That would definitely rouse the Royal Family''s curiosity.


    s, Kyran thought he could handle participating in bothpetitions at the same time, however, it seemed his focus was already slipping.


    Kyran took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He only had to win this match and then he could focus on the Array Creation. Afterwhich, he would use the rest of the afternoon to rx and catch up on sleep. As for whether he would participate in the Solo Competition Finals and the Field Operation tomorrow, it would depend on what Mannick had to say.


    The air in the surrounding bagan to churn as the magic fluctuation intensified.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at Kairo. Though he was still within the cloud of smoke, he could clearly see what thetter was doing.


    Kairo began to wave his long swords and started to summon a red and green magic array. At first, the magic array was only at one-meter radius around him, but as he turned, new rune writings started to appear half a meter around the original.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he ''look'' at Kairo''s magic array, using his magic sense.


    ''Finally he''s going to summon that whirlwind,'' he thought and stood up. He tap his space pouch which he always hid under his coat, and True Void''s miniature Void Armor appearance appeared.


    [Gah! Finally, fresh¡ª cough! cough! What in the world is this ce?]


    True Voidined the moment he came out and saw they were surrounded by thick cloud of smoke.


    ''Bear with it for a while,'' Kyran told him. ''I have some food for you.''


    The moment True Void heard the word ''food,'' the armor''s eyes glowed in excitement.


    [Food? Where? Where?]


    True Void asked while looking around. He might haveined about the thick smoke around them, but it did not really affect his eyesight and well... he did not really have ''lungs.''


    However, as soon as he realized where they were, he gasped and wrapped himself on Kyran''s head.


    [Oi, Void Halfling! Why did you take me out when the Royal Family is right there!]


    He eximed while pointing to the direction of the booth where the Royal Family was. Then he saw the Crown Princess''s standing close to the edge of the booth and his glowing eyes turned dark red.


    [GAAAH! That woman is looking right at me! She has sensed me! Take me back! Take me back!]


    Kyran pulled True Void off his head with a slight frown.


    ''Rx. She can''t sense you. No one can. I have the Shaiha remember?''


    [Fine! Fine! Even if no one can sense me, what about seeing me?]


    ''A few minutes ago, I just revealed to everyone ''Tyr'' has a puppet. Compared that that puppet, your current self look... ordinary and unimpressive. Don''t worry¡ª oi! Stop that!''


    True Void started hitting Kyran''s head with his small hands.


    [Just you wait! After I return to my majestic form, you will eat your own words!]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. He did say ''current self,'' right? Why was he throwing a tantrum?


    Kyran chose to ignore True Void''s hits since it did not really hurt.


    ''There are only a few balls of mes left. Change into gauntlets,'' he started. ''I''ll rush in and¡ª.''


    [Wait.]<sub> </sub>


    True Void stopped hitting Kyran.


    [Those balls of mes look delicious.]


    Kyran''s brow twitched, ''You can''t eat them. They are our cover.''


    [But¡ª.]


    ''Let''s go!''


    [Argh! Stingy! So stingy!]


    True Voidined but disengaged the shape-shifting tes anyway. He changed into two dark blue and purple gauntlets, covering Kyran''s fists and forearms.


    The magic array Kairo was preparing had already grown to forty-meter radius in size. The crack area on the floor did not appear to affect the magic array. However, mes no longer flew out from them.


    The whole gallery, as well as the VIPs watching from the executive booths had fallen silence. After all, creating a forty-meter radius magic array was something a Grand Master would have trouble making. Not only that, it appeared, the size of the magic array was still increasing.


    "There are no longer explosions inside the smoke!"


    Someone from the gallery shouted.


    True enough, explosions had stopped from within the cloud of smoke. Even the smoke had began dissipating.


    Kairo finally stopped and lowered his long swords. He looked at the cloud of smoke just as Kyran dashed out from within.


    Everyone held their breaths upon seeing Kyran wearing a dark blue and purple gauntlets. They all guessed that was how he managed to hit the balls of mes. However, what made all of them surprise was the fact he looked the same.


    There was not even any burnt marks on his clothes!


    Kairo smiled, "Impressive. You managed to survive that unscathed."


    "Stop talking and activate your magic array. You''re done preparing, right?"


    "Still acting pretentious," Kairo said through narrowed eyes. "We''ll see if you can still act that way after! Fire Gale!"


    In a blink of an eye, another twenty meter worth of rune writings was added at the edge of the forty-meter radius magic array.


    Kyran''s eyes widened seeing as he unknowingly entered Kairo''s magic array. Before he could react, a zing whirlwind erupted from the magic array,pletely engulfing him.


    The audience gasped in horror as Kyran could not even manage a scream before the mes ate him up. They did not even see his silhouette, meaning that Kairo''s attack was too concentrated that anything inside, except for him, would be obliterated.


    Ste let out a soft gasp after seeing the fire whirlwind. The other council members also looked at the scene below with grim expressions. They knew Kyran could withstand that mes. However, he was not ''Kyran'' right now, but Tyr. If he managed to survive that, how would they exin it?


    Haylee''s delicate brows furrowed at the scene below. Before she could look at the Royal Army''s booth, she noticed something strange in the direction of the fire whirlwind.


    "W-What is that?"


    "Hey, there''s something strange about the mes."


    "Does any of you notice how the mes seem to drop in size?"


    Doubts started to spread among the audience.


    Kairo''s smile also froze. Since he was the one controlling the mes, he had better grasp of what was happening within his mes.


    "This...?"


    True enough, the direction of his mes seemed to be slowly gathering at one point. What was more, that point was where Kyran had supposed to have been ''eaten'' by the mes!


    [GAHAHAHAHAHA! This mes are actuallyposed of two magic energies! It''s pretty tasty!]


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s forehead after hearing True Void''s ecstatic voice.


    Right now, he had his arms outstretched, while True Void in gauntlets form, absorbed the mes around them.


    [Gahahaha! This is a real treat. A treat, I tell you! Then again, that guy''s attack is a feast. I want another feast Void Halfling!]


    More ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head. Though True Void did not mention the ''guy''s'' name, Kyran knew he was talking about Ruin.


    In any case, this had been Kyran''s target all along. To have Kairo summon his mes and let True Void eat.


    s, if Kairo knew Kyran only saw his ''powerful'' me whirlwind as True Void''s food, he would likely faint in anger!

 Chapter 474 Doubt

    "What''s happening?" Kairo realized that the direction of the whirlwind was not the only thing strange right now. He could even feel his mes weakening. To be precise, the momentum of the magic energies inside the fire whirlwind was decreasing.


    What exactly had caused this?


    Just then, Kyran''s image shed in Kairo''s mind.


    ''It can''t be!''


    Kairo''s eyes widened as he recalled Kyran''s outfit. Because he had been preupied withpleting his magic array, he did not pay much attention to Kyran''s outfit. He only took note of the fact that thetter survived the bombardment of balls of mes unscathed. In that split second, Kairo epted this oue because he knew the cksmith Order''s uniform had a certain immunity to fire. But he neglected the fact that the cksmith Order''s uniform did not include dark blue and purple gauntlets!


    Kyran must have created those while he was inside the cloud of smoke. And he told Kairo to activate his magic array right aftering out, not because he was acting pretentious but because he was waiting for it. The gauntlets might have a special means to counter his fire whirlwind!


    Kairo instantly turned his attention to the spot where Kyran had been ''eaten by the mes. But when his eyes fell on the said spot, his scalp went numb.


    Standing on the spot was none other than Kyran, unscathed. His arms were outstretched, and his gauntlets appeared to suck in the mes of the whirlwind!


    Impossible!


    Everyone in the audience, as well as, in the executive booths, except a few from the Conve, was shocked at the scene in the arena.


    Even the male announcer gaped with his mouth hanging open. He had a bird''s eye view of what was happening in the arena, and while everyone saw Kyran look helplessly as he got eaten by the mes, he saw him standing gantly amidst the mes. He even saw him raise his arms, seemingly unaffected by the heat of the mes.


    That was right. There was not even an ounce of sweat on Kyran''s face!


    On the other hand, Kairo was practically sweating in buckets. Such a huge magic array consumed enormous magic energy, after all.


    Apart from the crackling sounds in the arena and some movements on the Array Creation side, the function hall had fallen into an almost deafening silence.


    That was why, when someone had spoken, it echoed throughout the hall clearly.


    "Is that a magic item that has absorption capability?"


    It was unknown who had said it, but the meaning of his words shook almost everyone out of their trance.


    A magic item with absorption capability? Such an item was unheard of! But the gauntlets Kyran was wearing were clearly ''sucking'' Kairo''s mes. Could it really be an absorption ability?


    These words also reached Kairo, and he snapped awake. He looked at the male announcer and said, "Weapons are not allowed! Tyr has vited the rules!"


    Distracted by Kairo''s using tone, the male announcer looked at him with a frown.


    "The timer has not stopped. Thus, Disciple Tyr''s gauntlets are not ''weapons.''"


    The minds of the audience reeled after hearing the male announcer. They did not expect him to defend Kyran because of their earlier exchanges.


    Kairo''s expression turned ugly as he looked at Kyran once more.


    By this time, the fire whirlwind''s diameter had already shrunk to twenty meters, and they could now see Kyran clearly. Like before, he did not seem to have suffered from the mes. Apart from this, when someone was absorbing an active magic attack, they would likely show an expression of difort. However, his indifferent expression was still ever present. As a matter of fact, he even looked a little bored.


    Was Kyran still a human?


    Some actually started to harbor thoughts that ''Tyr'' had already modified his body and turned himself into a puppet!


    Kairo was starting to feel apprehension, especially when Kyran did not appear exhausted. Compared to thetter, he had already exhausted 70% of his magic energy reserves just to create the fire whirlwind. He could no longer unleash another powerful attack. Apart from this, he could only sustain his ming long swords for another minute or two. Afterwhich, he and Kyran could fight in a melee.


    But Kairo had already witnessed thetter''s meleebat. He might have the advantage of a ''real'' weapon, but Kyran''s every move was equivalent to several lethal weapons!


    Kairo was suddenly gripped with almost palpable fear. It tightened around his heart, and Kyran''s image began to distort in his mind''s eye. Slowly, thetter''s visage was starting to resemble a demon.


    Just as Kairo was about to fall into despair, Deputy Marshal Imman''s order rang in his head.


    ''That''s right. The Deputy Marshal had given me an order!'' Kairo''s eyes, which had started to lose their glow, suddenly turned bright. As a soldier, he had to fulfill what he was ordered to do! He was not allowed to sumb to his fears.


    Grinding his teeth and reigning in his fear, Kairo finally decided.


    So what if Kyran''s melee was formidable? Kairo''s mage level was still higher. Regarding lethality, his sword''s me attack would be more fatal upon contact than melee attacks. Kyran might be able to strengthen himself using his innate magic, but that did not matter.


    Support magic was still just Support magic, and it would never win over Offense magic!


    And Kairo''s thinking was his undoing.


    While Kyran was busy absorbing the mes, Kairo seemed to disappear just to reappear behind Kyran.


    It was not teleportation nor space maniption. It was simply Kairo utilizing his Wind magic.


    He raised his hands that held the ming long swords to his right side and aimed at Kyran''s neck.


    Kairo was not ordered to kill Kyran. He had aimed at his neck but would only use the blunt side of his swords to inflict a devastating blow. At least, thetter''s neck was not protected by the cksmith Order''s uniform, and his mes would be effective.<sub> </sub>


    s.


    Because Kairo was too focused on winning as soon as possible, he had forgotten a very important detail.


    DING!


    "What¡ª?"


    Kairo''s swords were flung back after hitting Kyran''s neck, which appeared to be as solid as metal!


    "Oi, I''m not done yet. Stay put."


    Kyran''s low voice sounded colder in Kairo''s ears.


    Without even looking back, Kyran''s flung his left arm behind, hitting Kairo''s cheeks with the gauntlets.


    "Gwah!" Kairo spat out a mouthful of blood. A few teeth flew out of his mouth as he got thrown to the side.


    The force of Kyran''s punch was so strong that when Kairo fell to the floor after getting thrown twenty meters, he skidded for another fifty meters before stopping.


    Kairo was already unconscious, blood trickling down his nose.


    The whole gallery fell into another silence. Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    What the hell was that punch? They had seen Kyran kick Kairo, and thetter flew a few meters but did not lose consciousness. Yet this punch actually threw him farther and even wasted him. Just how powerful was Kyran''s punch? During his fight with Osman, he had not used his left hand. Could it be his left was more powerful than his right?


    [Void Halfling! You used your left! The left! Isn''t Tyr supposed to be right-handed?]


    ''Ah.''


    Kyran froze after hearing True Void''s reminder. He was too focused on helping True Void absorb the fire whirlwind as fast as possible he made another slip! Kairo was leaning more to the left, and hitting him with his left seemed appropriate; he did not think much about it!


    ''Just finish eating,'' Kyran could only say.


    [Toote. The magic array''s disappearing. You knocked him out. Tsk. Tsk. You are a real handful, you know?]


    ''...''


    True enough, the fire whirlwind had started to disappear.


    "I have underestimated your physical strength, Disciple Tyr."


    A soft and mellow voice broke the silence.


    [Gah! T-T-That woman is¡ª!]


    Kyran sensed True Void tremble. But he ignored him and looked at the owner of the voice.


    The Crown Princess, Haylee.


    "A punch that could subdue even a Grand Master. Your physical strength is remarkable."


    Kyran smiled slightly, "Don''t get it wrong, princess. It''s all thanks to my Strengthening magic.


    "Besides, this newly crafted item weighs at least 200kg each. It can easily knock anyone with low physical defenses out cold," he added while lifting his arms to unt his gauntlets.


    Haylee looked at Kyran with a smile. Her blue sapphire eyes glinted as she said, "And you can actually lift such a heavy item."


    Kyran shrugged, "I used my magic to strengthen my muscles."


    "Is that so."


    "How else would it be?"


    "For a second, I thought you were using some kind of strengthening technique."


    Kyran''s eyes contracted at once. Even True Void appeared to have gotten cold.


    "Right. Speaking of strengthening techniques, I am suddenly reminded of a n which possessed an almost heaven-defying strength because of it."


    "Oh? Which n?"


    Haylee''s smile widened, "Who else am I referring to but the Regis n?"

 Chapter 475 Meeting With Mannick

    Most of the older generation in the audience broke into hushed discussions after Haylee mentioned the Regis n.


    Their reaction might seem exaggerated. But after the Regis n went into seclusion, mention of them had not been made in public, especially from a member of the Royal Family. There were rumors that the emperor of that time had harbored deep resentment over the Regis''s decision. None knew how much of the truth was contained in them. For the Crown Princess to mention them after witnessing Kyran''s strength was a little puzzling. After all, the Regis n was not the only one with strengthening techniques. A few surviving oldbat families within the empire managed to preserve their body techniques.


    Could it be that Kyran''s strength resembled the Regis''s techniques?


    None knew the answer to that because they had never seen a Regis in action before.


    "The Regis n again?" Kyran tilted his head to one side. "I keep hearing that n these days."


    Haylee''s smile faltered.


    "''Keep hearing''?" She repeated. "When? From who?"


    Kyran only shrugged in reply.


    "He''s talking about me. I told him to keep it a secret."


    Iulia suddenly spoke from behind.


    Without turning to look at her, Haylee asked, "You talked to him?"


    "Yes," I answered with a nod. With an apologetic smile, she added, "Have I done an unnecessary thing?"


    Before Haylee could reply, Euan reached for Iulia''s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "You have done nothing of the sort."


    He looked at Haylee and changed the subject, "You know how much I love you, Haylee. And as much as I want to indulge you, thepetition between the Conve and the Royal Army is still ongoing. You seem to enjoy teasing Disciple Tyr but do thatter, after today''spetitions are over."


    Haylee looked at him with a smile, "Yes. Father."


    She turned her attention to the arena and said, "Have dinner with us, Disciple Tyr. I am very interested in how adept you are at utilizing your magic. I would like to hear more of your insights."


    The audience went into an uproar at once. Did they hear it correctly? The Crown Princess actually extended an invitation to Disciple Tyr for dinner. She mentioned being interested in his magic application, but they were not stupid. They all knew it was only a pretense. The rumor about the Crown Princess''s interest in Disciple Tyr seemed true!


    From the Lumley Family''s booth, all eligible bachelors the elders asked to watch the matches frowned in discontent. They knew the Crown Princess was interested in Disciple Tyr, but for her to invite him in front of all these people made them wonder what she was really nning.


    Simrly, those who already knew Kyran''s identity within the Courtenay and Montgomeray Families and the Conve felt restless. In particr, Mimi, Ste, and Zuri.


    Mimi also felt a little perplexed at her sudden concern. She always detested Kyran, especially because of Millie''s blind admiration toward him.


    No. That was not entirely correct. Her sudden concern was not really a surprise. She did not care about ''Disciple Tyr,'' but she could say the same about ''Kyran.'' Her sudden change of heart was due to the realization that Kyran had only been acting when he was disguised as ''Tyr.'' Talking to the real him was pretty different. At least to her, he seemed different.


    On the other hand, Zuri was worried that the Crown Princess was plotting something. When thetter mentioned the Regis n, Zuri broke out in cold sweat. It felt as if the Crown Princess had noticed something. Zuri was still trying to figure out what and how she did.


    Ste''s restlessness was already obvious. She was afraid that the Crown Princess had already realized Kyran''s real identity. Of course, she knew this was not the case. Haylee might only be making an offhanded remark when she mentioned the Regis n. After all, the Regis n was indeed a good example when topic about strengthening techniques are mentioned.


    "No, thanks."


    Gasps of disbelief from the audience greeted Kyran''s forthright rejection of the Crown Princess''s invitation. They all nced at Haylee and were even more surprised to find her giggling in amusement.


    Did she find Kyran''s rejection amusing? Was she not offended? Or was she only keeping up appearances? Why did it feel this was not the first time he rejected her?


    Mimi could not help but look at Kyran helplessly. His attitude toward the Crown Princess did not seem like ''Tyr''s,'' but his real self. What was he doing?


    Ignoring themotion, Kyran turned his attention to the male announcer and said, "Can you announce the result? I need to go back to the Array Creation."


    The male announcer snapped out of his thoughts and red at Kyran, "Do not be disrespectful of her Highness!"


    "It is fine," Haylee replied. "Disciple Tyr is only being shy."


    When she made that remark, the imagination of those who loved to gossip among the audience went wild. How to put it. She sounded very affectionate, like the two knew each other for a long time.


    "Please proceed. I apologize for interrupting the match," Haylee added. Then she looked at Kyran once more and said, "Let''s talkter."


    ''This girl...'' Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Murmurs of shock and disbelief filled the gallery again.<sub> </sub>


    As for the rest of the VIPs, all of them had mixed emotions at the exchanged between the two.


    Meanwhile, True Void, who had been nervous a second ago, had already recovered and started teasing Kyran.


    [Youdykiller, you! Did you actually seduce her while I was sleeping? You''re a fast worker!]


    Kyran ignored True Void''s teasing.


    The male announcer sighed inwardly. To think the Crown Princess did not mind Kyran''s disrespectful attitude toward her. Then again, after witnessing Kyran''s disy of strength, he could somewhat understand why she acted that way. After all, Kyran''s talent was not only in Array but alsobat and in-depth understanding of his own magic. The Royal Family likely want to ''snatch'' him from the Conve.


    "The quarterfinals match between Disciple Tyr and Major General Kairo, has won by Disciple Tyr. He has officially entered the Solo Competition''s Finals!"


    The gallery erupted in loud cheers. To be honest, most had already stopped paying attention to who would win. They were more interested in witnessing more drama between the Conve and the Royal Army.


    As for Kyran, he already left the arena and went to the other side.


    "The next match will be between Styx of the Conve and the Royal Army''s Major General Rivka. The match will begin in five minutes!" The male announcer dered.


    Another five-minute break was needed to restore the arena.


    Two officers from the Royal Army had gone up on the arena to check on Kairo. Honestly, they were scared to know thetter''s condition. After seeing the state of Ganza and Osman after fighting Kyran, they were worried Kairo would also end up getting disqualified.


    However, upon checking, Kairo''s condition was betterpared to Ganza and Osman. Now that they thought of it. Kyran hit him using his left arm. The strength of his left arm, likely was not as powerful as his right.


    s, these guys inadvertedly help cover up Kyran''s mistake.


    As a matter of fact, Kairo would have suffered brain damage when Kyran hit him. The only reason why that did not happen was because True Void helped minimized the force.


    When Rivka confirmed that Kairo could still fight in the next match, he inwardly sighed in relief. Honestly, he had been worried that Kyran would finish him off and he would lose his chance to face him.


    Kyran had been right. Rivka''s target was Kairo. And as for the reason, it was quite simple. Thetter was one of Deputy Marshal Imman''s promising recruits. Rivka had to ensure thetter would not have a chance to increase his ''internal force.'' After all, Mannick knew about the Crown Princess''s promise to Imman''s officers.


    Although the Royal Army was again ruled by the Royal Family, the internal strife between each forces within was still there.


    A couple of hourster, thepetitions finally ended.


    The result in the Array Creation did not really surprise them. The cksmith Order won, with a total of eighty points. Owen and Hamish achieved 70%pletions, earning them twenty points each. While Kyran managed an 82%pletion, earning a forty points.


    The Royal Army was actually only behind by ten points. With two of them achieving 65%pletion, thus earning twenty points each. As for the officer that Kyran guessed was one of Mannick''s men, he achieved a 74%pletion, earning him a thirty points.


    It had really been a close one between them.


    As for the result in the Solo Competition, it actually came as a surprise to them.


    Rivka won his match against Styx. The two actually did not exchange too many moves. After almost ten minutes, Styx admitted defeat after exhausting his magic reserves.


    Another thirty-minutes break was announced before thest match between Kairo and Rivka.


    By then, Kairo had already recovered. Although, the audience saw arge red bump on his cheek. It seemed, the final hit that knocked him out needed time to heal.


    Honestly, the match between the Royal Army participants did not excite the audience. They all felt that they would only put on a show and the end would be Rivka surrendering and letting Kairo move to the finals.


    They were surprised to have actually witnessed Rivka thrashing Kairo! The former did not even Kairo a chance to summon his fire whirlwind and ended the match in an overwhelming manner in thirty seconds!


    Imman could not help but huffed in indignation at the result. He even used Mannick for having nurtured a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    Unfortunately, Imman''s rant went to deaf ears as Mannick ignored him and left as soon as thepetition ended.


    Thus, the Day ''6'' of the Joint Military Exercise ended without any ident.


    That night, Kyran went to the Ind. When he arrived at the spot where Mannick revealed his real identity, Mannick was already there.


    Mannick, sitting on a boulder under a broken tree, looked at Kyran. With a slight smile he said, "I know you said you will find me. But the current circumstances isn''t looking well that''s why I have to seek you myself."

 Chapter 476 Fault

    Kyran''s blood ran cold after hearing Mannick''s words. But he did not let it get to him and managed to say calmly, "What happened?"


    Mannick stood up and took out a golden cube, "First, let''s change location."


    The cube emitted a blinding light, and in an instant, he and Kyran disappeared.


    Kyran barely closed his eyes. But when he reopened them, they were now inside a golden room. Its size was approximately one hundred square meters. A mirror with a diameter of ten meters was embedded in the middle of the room, and currently, it showed a very familiar view.


    The Regis Estate.


    At that moment, the mirror showed the estate in bird''s-eye, and Kyran could see a silver with gold translucent barrier covering the Inner Walls. However, there were visible cracks that snaked around the lower edges of the barrier, and every now and then, the whole image appeared to flicker. Not because the mirror experienced some issues but because the whole estate was bombarded on all sides.


    Kyran''s heart was suddenly gripped with trepidation. Still, he managed to reign in his emotions and stay calm.


    "What you''re seeing right now is a live projection of what is currently happening in the Regis Estate," Mannick did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.


    "The other day, those cracks are not yet visible. But just this morning, after a powerful attack, those cracks appeared."


    "Who?" Kyran asked.


    Mannick did not need him to borate on the question. He already understood what he meant and replied, "Ruin."


    Kyran shot Mannick an astonished look, "Him? But isn''t he out on an errand? Savagery told me he is searching for someone."


    He did not mention Cyneah''s name, though it was not because he did not trust Mannick. At least he decided to give thetter the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Mannick was Can''s right-hand man, and True Void even called him the most fateful shield.


    Kyran did not tell Mannick because there was still a small possibility that Ruin was not looking for Cyneah, and Kyran did not want to create unnecessary confusion if he was wrong.


    Mannick nodded and turned his attention to the projection.


    "That''s what all of us knows, too. But before the start of thepetition, I discovered that Ruin returned the night after Savagery''s defeat," he paused before rephrasing his words, "To be specific, I felt Ruin unleashing a powerful magic attack and saw this."


    He gestured at the projection with a grim expression.


    "As for the errand of searching, Deception leftst night and took up the task."


    Kyran''s mind reeled at Mannick''s words. His interest was first piqued after he said ''seeing'' Ruin unleashing a powerful magic attack.


    Kyran had already guessed that Azaloth''s mage level was really high to have an essence at an Exalted level.


    An essence''s mage level was normally halved by the original''s level. A mage could manipte his essence''s level, but he had to have a very high magic sense to do that. As for the maximum difference of level an essence could have from the original, it would be five levels.


    Based on this fact and the rumor that Mannick had been stuck as an Exalted for a long time and was looking for a way to break through, it was easy to guess Azaloth''s level by simply doing the math.


    Exalted. Magus. Arch Magus. Legendary.


    Sovereign.


    Azaloth is the Human ne''s Sovereign.<sub> </sub>


    This also exined True Void''sment about the Sovereign being useless at the moment because Azaloth''s original body seemed to be in a deep slumber, and only his essence was keeping watch on the Human ne.


    If not for the current situation, this confirmation would have left a bigger impression on Kyran. However, because of what Mannick said about Deception resuming Ruin''s task instead of having thetter pick it up after dealing with the Regis''s defensive array, Kyran could only take note of the reveal of Azaloth''s status.


    Kyran''s mind went into overdrive as he processed the information Mannick had told him while also taking into ount Ruin and Deception''s character and magic.


    Just like her name suggested, Deception is good at deceiving others. It is not because she is good at lying but because she is an Enchanter and her innate magic is Mind Illusion. She is also someone who hates being asked what to do and also wasting time. That is why, when she makes a move, it is usually because she wants to do it, and it is meant to be easy work.


    Ruin is good at reducing everything within his reach into ruins. However, he is not an Elementor; instead, he is a Summoner. What he summons are not Spirits but scourge creatures. These creatures are the remains of the inhabitants of one of the nes Ruin has taken over. As for his character, contrary to the impression he exudes, Ruin is very patient and does not mind doing tedious tasks.


    From these facts, Kyran could guess why Haylee initially asked Ruin to do the search. With the help of his scourge creatures, gathering information would be a breeze. After all, these creatures were no ordinary summons. Ruin could connect with them and even see through their eyes. As for Deception, her abilities were not good for searching or even intel gathering.


    So why would Ruin return while Deception left to continue his search?


    There were two possibilities.


    One, since their priority was to destroy the Regis Estate''s defensive array and Savagery, who was originally taking care of it, had died, the Crown Princess needed Ruin''s destructive power to deal with the Regis''s defensive array. Ruin''s magic was good at offensepared to Deception, after all.


    However, Kyran knew the Crown Princess''s search for Cyneah was equally important because the former would not beplete without thetter. Unless the former becameplete, she could not fully use her magic.


    Which brought Kyran to the second possibility. A possibility that riled him up and tested his control over his emotions.


    Ruin had already found Cyneah, and even if he returned and had Deception continue where he left off, with her Illusion magic, it would not be a problem to take Cyneah. As a matter of fact, Deception''s magic would be good for aplishing such a task without raising unwanted attention.


    Mannick silently waited for Kyran to digest all this information. Initially, he wanted to buy some time for Kyran. He might only be an Exalted, but the knowledge of his original self remains. He could still help reinforce the Regis''s defensive array and ensure it couldst another day or two. That was the maximum time Mannick could give Kyran because the level of his Array would still depend on his mage level.


    Unfortunately, Ingrid had been keeping a close eye on himtely, so he could not make a move.


    Among the Deputy Marshals, Ingrid had personal ties with the Royal Family. Because of this connection, she had always been neutral when it came to the power struggle within the army. Influence and power meant nothing to Ingrid but serving the Royal Family wholeheartedly.


    Nevertheless, even if Ingrid was not keeping a close watch on him, Mannick could not make a move without letting Kyran know about the situation first. Kyran definitely had a n, and Mannick''s identity would be revealed if he made a move.


    When that happened, would Kyran''s ns be disrupted? If it wouldn''t, then it would be fine. But if it would, then Mannick would definitely regret it because he would not be able to help Kyran afterward.


    Azaloth''s identity prohibits him from meddling too much in the ''local'' affairs of the Human ne. And at the moment, what the Crown Princess was plotting was still considered a local affair. She might have sought assistance from other Sovereigns, but since the Sovereigns had no intention of ''invading'' the Human ne, Mannick could not do anything to them.


    This restriction was actually the very reason why Azaloth chose to fall into a deep slumber. He had been disillusioned after what happened a thousand years ago. At that time, when his master needed him the most, he failed to protect him because of his newly acquired identity.


    What was the use of bing the most powerful mage in the Human ne when he could not even protect the one person he wanted to protect the most?


    After a few minutes, Kyran closed his eyes. To be honest, Kyran waited for Kairo to unleash his most powerful attack during their match because he wanted to feed True Void as much as possible.


    Kyran was prompted to make this decision in preparation for any ''emergency'' on what Mannick would tell him. He did not expect what thetter had to say to result in aplete change of n on his part.


    ''This is all my fault. All of these are happening because I have beencent,'' he thought.

 Chapter 477 Rampage (1)

    Kyran thought he had learned his lessons. He could judge the situation properly and save his n by staying calm and not letting his emotions get the best of him. He had judged that staying low andpleting his preparations was the top priority. By doing so, he could minimize the casualty on his end after making a move. However, this very mindset made him misjudge his enemies'' intentions.


    Why did he not try to find the real reason Haylee had not made any move during the first couple of days of the joint military exercise? Why had he epted it without verifying when he had thought of a possible reason? Why did he waste time building the Conve''s reputation by acting as ''Tyr''?


    Because of Kyran''s cency,'' he neglected a very important point.


    While he is busy taking his sweet time preparing, his enemies are also making a move. They will not wait for him.


    "Don''t think this is your fault."


    Mannick''s sympathetic voice shook Kyran out of his self-reflection.


    Kyran looked at him and smiled slightly. He did not say anything. Instead, he let True Void out of the Void World.


    True Void looked at Kyran worriedly. He heard and saw the conversation between them, and for the first time, he was rendered speechless. As someone spiritually connected to Kyran, True Void could sense the self-loathing and silent anger building within thetter. It was not a foreign emotion. During their time in the Tower of Tribtions, there had been a couple of instances that Kyran had felt this way. But most of the time, he managed to ovee them. Or so True Void had thought until he witnessed Kyran genuinely snap. Kyran''s state that time was different from when he rid his mind of all unnecessary things. When it happened, he simply ''let go.'' It was a state that True Void was afraid of seeing again.


    A blood-soakednd and skies filled with corpses, a world of carnage. The thick scent of death that permeated the air called up the Sovereign of Death...


    "You brought this cmity... the legacy which you hold will only attract chaos...."


    "Kyran..." True Void started.


    "Stay here, True Void," Kyran said, not giving him a chance to continue. He looked at Mannick before continuing, "Please help him find a good ce to replenish his magic energy."


    "Alright."


    "Oi, Kyran-."


    "Don''t worry. This space can hide your presence," Kyran interrupted him again.


    But True Void had no intentions of letting him go when he could sense him so close to falling into that ''state.''


    "No! Let me and Azaloth go with you!"


    "No," Kyran replied, his void dropping to a dangerous tone.


    True Void shivered involuntarily as he saw Kyran''s eyes. Right now, it was still dark gray. However, his pupils had already turned reddish-purple. A clear sign that he was barely keeping his emotions intact.


    "Ss already met up with Byron. After you have enough magic energy, meet up with them. I''ll find you afterward."


    "Then at least tell us your n," True Void said in an attempt to make him ''think'' and not be rash.


    Kyran only looked at him in response. He was still smiling. However, his eyes spoke differently.


    Without saying anything more, a dark purple rift appeared behind him.


    The moment the rift appeared, the whole room shook, and crackling and grinding sounds echoed as if something big was trying to eat the whole space.


    Kyran entered the rift, and as it closed, the noise died down, and the tremor stopped.


    *


    It was the wee hours in Noser, and the market district was still lively as ever. Lights and banners decorated the streets, and all sorts of people were entering or leaving the shops. Merry sounds of people gathering to drink or eat could be heard outside the pubs. Stalls of every kind lined up the side of the streets with all sorts of people, hunters, and mages alike, looking at the items.


    The reason for such a festive atmosphere was that the Noser City had an annual bazaar. During this time, all sorts of goods, foods, and even live creatures could be seen.


    Amidst the buzz of activities, a crackling sound rang out, drowning the noise.


    People gathered on the streets, whether they were looking at the goods being sold in the stalls or eating some exotic-looking foods, stopped in their tracks to look at the surroundings.


    "Did you hear that?"


    "What was that noise?"


    "There is supposed to be some fireworks, right? Is it about to start?"


    Some looked up above to check for any signs of fireworks. However, apart from the night sky filled with stars and the dazzling lights that lit up the streets, they did not see any spark from a firework.


    But then, the grinding noise mixed in with the crackling sound, causing some to furrow their brows in confusion.


    The hunters nearby felt the hair on their skin stand on ends. Suddenly, they had a bad feeling.<sub> </sub>


    All the mages that heard the noise also stopped in their tracks, sensing a sudden change in the magic energy in the surroundings. They subtly roused their magic and let out their magic sense.


    "T-There!"


    A middle-aged man wearing a dark gray robe pointed above the tallest building in the street.


    Above the building, a small rift had appeared. They failed to see it the first time because it blended well into the night sky. However, they could now see it because a silhouette of a young man, wearing a ck windbreaker with eyes glowing reddish-purple, had stepped right out of it!


    Those who saw it held their breaths. Others were so shocked that their body froze on the spot.


    Once the young manpletely stepped out, in a blink of an eye, the rift increased in size! Within the rift, eight huge glowing reddish-purple slitted eyes snapped open.


    That was when the hell broke loose.


    "BEASTS!"


    "A northerner has appeared! There is a northerner that appeared from the sky! Run!"


    Frightened screams filled the air as people ran as fast as they could away from the building.


    Even most of the hunters and mages ran in fright. The mages'' decisiveness was reasonable because the aura those eyes belonged to was unfathomable. As for the hunters, they might be experienced in dealing with beasts, but they were still average humans. If those mages, who had the advantage of using magic, decided to run, why would they stay?


    "Hm?"


    A group of local city guards patrolling the market district heard themotion.


    One of the older city guards frowned upon hearing the noise.


    The Noser City''s Annual Bazaar had always been a pain in the ass for them. With hunters and mages dominating the crowd, chances of a fight between them were verymon. The cause of their fight ranged from differences in views, wanting to buy the same goods and even small trivial things like whose weapon looked cooler.


    "Ugh! Those arrogant mages and stupid hunters are at it again! I swear I''d have them locked up for months if I find they are fighting over something trivial again!"


    Another city guard snickered at the older man''sint and said, "If you do that, the cell will be full in no time."


    "Who cares? Those people act high and mighty just because they have the advantage of life-and-death experiences! So what if we are only guarding the city? It is not like we haven''t encountered realbat!"


    The two younger guards with them could not help but smile bitterly at the older man''s ranting. They understood his reasoning yet could not see the connection. In any case, the two decided to remain silent and followed the two as they went toward the direction of themotion.


    However, they had only taken a few steps when several people rushed out from the corner of the street.


    "Run! A northerner hase!"


    "Beasts on the loose! Call the army! There are beasts in the city!"


    The expressions on the city guards'' faces darkened at once. Instead of running away with the rest of the people, they steeled their hearts and ran to where these people hade from. Unlike those hunters and mages, they were the city''s first line of defense. They could not run. Else, if what was happening escted, themunity district would suffer! In any case, they first had to confirm the situation, after which, if they could not handle it, they would stall for time until the Royal Army arrived.


    The older man took out hismunication device and immediately reported what was happening to their supervisor. However, since the situation had not been confirmed, the rest of the city guards on duty would still be on standby.


    "Yes. We are already near and-."


    Rawrgh!


    An earth-shaking roar echoed throughout the night, making everyone in the vicinity panic.


    Meanwhile, the young man standing on the building''s rooftop looked at the people running below with a deadpan expression.


    This person was, of course, Kyran.


    The beast that had roared just now was the Chimera, whom he had already tamed, but he and the rest were still inside the rift.


    "Not yet," Kyran told them. "I need to draw them out first."


    He turned to look within the rift. His reddish-purple eyes flickered as he looked at the four beasts waiting within.


    The silhouettes inside consisted of two familiar beasts, the Chimera, and the Manticore. However, the other two surprised Kyran.


    They were the mutated basilisks he had absorbed in the Valley of Morte.

 Chapter 478 Rampage (2)

    The appearance of the two mutated basilisks surprised Kyran. He only remembered letting the Chimera and Manticore into the rift, but surprisingly these two had appeared. No hostility could be sensed from them either. Kyran could even sense great tion from these two. As if they had been waiting for him, like two pets that had not seen their owner for a long time.


    Seeing that these two were docile, Kyran would not hesitate to use them. As for how they ended up lurking within the rift, he would have to find the answerter. For now, he had a far more important thing to do.


    A few minutes earlier, aftering out of the rift, Kyran had already used his magic sense to observe the surroundings. At the same time, he searched for Tritus''s and Zephyr''s aura through his Sigil. Kyran confirmed the former was not in the city.


    Tritus probably left yesterday to watch thest day of the Royal Army and Conve''s Joint Military Exercise. Since it was already thest day tomorrow, all factions, big or small, were invited to watch thepetitions. It was actually a good thing. Because Kyran had no ns on messing around, and if Tritus were here, they would have to put on an act of going against each other. Noser was the Temr Code''s base, after all. As themander, Tritus had to protect it.


    In Zephyr''s case, if he was here, it meant te, Cyneah, or even both, were still working, which would really worsen Kyran''s mood. It meant his godmother did not uphold their agreement of not workingte at night.


    te said she wanted Cyneah to learn more about Alchemy and master the use of her magic sense. Only by doing this could she be able to experience a normal life. It would not be perfect, but at least she could live without being a burden to others. However, given the situation, if te insisted on being stubborn about this, she would not be helping Cyneah. Instead, she had exposed her to more danger. After all, when Kyran spread his magic sense, he sensed Deception nearby.


    The fact that Deception was here meant they were really searching for Cyneah.


    How much they knew about Cyneah''s connections, Kyran did not know. And he did not want to find out.


    Whether they knew about te, Zephyr, or their connection with the ck panther man, Kyran did not care anymore. He was done hiding. At least, ''Kyran'' was done hiding. Since they could not wait to destroy his n, as the son of the next Patriarch, he could not stand idle. His mother told him to run, to live because only by living could the Regis n survive. Her implication had gone unnoticed by Kyran, but now he finally understood it better.


    The Regis n was prepared to die. When they decided to barricade themselves within the Inner Walls, they were only trying to buy some time for Kyran. They also gave their enemies the false notion that they had no ns to die. This false notion would also prompt Kyran to do his best to improve. That way, he could find a way to ''save'' them.


    Realizing this fact left Kyran feeling like he had eaten something very bitter and the taste would stay forever in his mouth. It finally made Kyran understand why his father did not contact his essence in the Tower of Tribtion. It was not that he could not, but that he chose not to because he was prepared to die. This had proven to Kyran how cruel his father''s way of thinking was.


    Kyran looked at the street below. By now, all those unrted people had left, but there were new ones gathering nearby. He closed his eyes and tried to feel the auras of these people. Soon he found that a few did not emit magic energies, meaning they were ordinary people. Not to mention, based on their clothes, they were not from the Royal Army.


    It reminded Kyran that local management employed local guards to protect the people in every big city.


    This would not do.


    Kyran might have decided to stop hiding, but he had no ns of killing innocent people. If they were from the Royal Army, he would not hesitate. They might not have any direct link to what was happening to his n, but the fact that they were from the Royal Army showed they had chosen to work for them. They had chosen to side with the Royal Army and the Royal Family and uphold their justice. Just with this, Kyran would not hesitate to get rid of them.


    It was better to rid the world of people who failed to choose the rightpany. Of course, if they decided to surrender, Kyran would not kill them immediately. However, if they surrendered just so they could retaliate again, then those people would be his first sacrifice to show his stance.


    ''Right, I heard someone calling me a northerner earlier. So they likely think I am like Max, huh?'' Kyran thought as he opened his eyes. He was amazed at how adept humans were ating up with their own ideas to fit their limited understanding.


    Kyran had no ns to wait for them to realize who he was. Since they had the wrong idea, then he would spell it out to them.


    Raising his left hand in the direction where the local guards were gathering. His reddish-purple eyes glowed and summoned a huge purple disc on the ground where they were standing.


    "Huh?"


    "Oi! W-What is this?"


    "R-Run! Evade the purple light! It''s emitting a crazy amount of magic energy. This is likely a--!"


    The startled yelps drowned out as Kyran warped those people away. As for where they reappear...


    A sinister smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips.


    *


    Because of the time difference, it was still early in the evening in Starhorn City. The Courtenay members were busy preparing the venue for tomorrow''spetitions.


    The location of the Solo Competition Finals was in the Dome''s Center Hall. It was the same venue where the opening ceremony urred. Because it was the Finals and was one of the highlights of the Joint Military Exercise between the Royal Army and the Conve, more people were invited.


    A dozen members gathered at the hall''s center to prepare the array on the circr arena. Three members each sat cross-legged on four cardinal points whileying out the materials for the array.


    Crackle!


    As they were about to start drawing the firstyer of the formation, crackling sounds echoed out instantly, prompting all of them to look above the arena.


    FOOM!


    Suddenly a massive purple disc appeared overhead as several people in simple heavy armor andnce fell down, shocking everyone inside the hall!


    *<sub> </sub>


    Haylee was feeling a little indignant.


    Dressed in a long white silky sleeping wear, she paced around the suite the Courtenay Family allocated her. She had extended an invitation to Tyr in public to let everyone know of her intentions. She was his for the taking. However, he did not even give her face and rejected her forthrightly. He could have at least agreed, even if he would note.


    A softugh escaped her lips as she sat on the edge of the king-size bed before flopping herself down with her arms spread to her sides. Raising her right arm, she rested her forearm on his forehead and sighed.


    To be honest, Haylee only mentioned the Regis n to Tyr to see his reaction. Based on their information regarding his country''s current affairs, he was looking for manpower.


    The Regis n might have gone into seclusion, but their strength was still known worldwide. It was also confirmed that the Regis Patriarch still epted missions outside and would dispatch their members every now and then.


    Haylee wanted to see if Tyr would be interested in seeking the Regis n''s help. If he had, she would offer to introduce them. Of course, she would only bait him. After all, her real aim was to forge an alliance.


    s, Tyr did not seem interested at all.


    Why?


    Actually, Haylee somewhat understood why. Tyr preferred to find help from neutral factions like the Conve. If her guess was correct, he likely did not know that the Regis n was a neutral faction in the empire.


    Haylee recalled Iulia''s admittance of talking to Tyr and frowned. She had yet to confirm what they talked about, but if Iulia mentioned the Regis''s current situation, then she had really done something unnecessary.


    Thinking of the current situation within the Regis Estate, Haylee heaved another sigh. She did not want to destroy the barrier forcefully. Because the creators of that barrier would also be affected, she did not want to waste such talents.


    Haylee sat up and looked out the balcony to her left. A sinister glint shed in her blue sapphire eyes, "If the Regis n stopped being stubborn and sumbed to me at once, I would not be wasting my time."


    Haylee stood up and was about to go out the balcony when she sensed an unknown powerful magic fluctuation nearby. Her eyes widened at once.


    With a wave of her hand, a beige velvet coat appeared on top of her sleeping wear, and she rushed outside.


    "Fye, contact Ruin and Deception."


    A shadow flickered from outside the door. Without replying, the shadow sank into the floor and disappeared.


    Lira, who was also staying outside, looked up. It seemed she had not sensed the magic fluctuation. Meaning the origin of the fluctuation was something Lira''s magic sense could not recognize.


    An impish smile appeared on Haylee''s beautiful face.


    Could it be the ck panther-masked man had returned?


    "Lira, call my father. Then gather the headmittee to the center hall at once."


    Lira looked a little surprised, but she recovered at once and lowered her head, "Yes, your Highness--."


    Before she could even finish her sentence, they both sensed a massive fluctuation outside the dome, after which an explosion urred.


    BOOM!


    An aftershock swept throughout the field outside the dome, and all the windows shattered.


    Lira moved and covered Haylee at once.


    Though they were far from the balcony, the shockwave still swept into the room, sending it into disarray.


    "Who?" Haylee bellowed. Her soft demeanor forgotten, she rushed toward the balcony, her magic aura exploding.


    "Princess!" Lira followed after her. When she looked out the window, she gasped in surprise.


    On the field, outside the dome, was a huge chunk of a city!


    At that same moment, Kyran, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the tall building, wiped the blood trickling down the side of his lips. His reddish-purple eyes glowed while he looked at the scene below indifferently.


    A good chunk of the market district had now disappeared.

 Chapter 479 Rampage (3)

    ''Seems like warping more than a hundred-meter radius ofnd puts a lot of strain on my body, not to mention it consumed quite a lot of magic energy,'' Kyran thought expressionlessly.


    Previously, when he transferred the cottage to the Misty Forest, he had True Void''s and the array''s help. Doing it by himself was actually more energy-consuming.


    However, he was not worried about draining his magic core''s energy. He was careful in exhausting his magic energy because he could not actively replenish his magic cores. If he did, he would definitely attract unwanted attention from his absurd ability to absorb surrounding magic energy.


    Today, Kyran did not need to be careful. Frankly, he wanted to draw as much attention as possible in a short time.


    Too bad the first ones who gathered were the Noser''s city guards.


    Stimting the Shaiha in his body, the magic energies in the surrounding came rushing into Kyran. His body absorbed the magic energies like a vacuum, replenishing the Shaiha''s core and all four magic cores.


    The Shaiha masked his magic signature. However, Kyran willed it not to do so. Obviously, if he let it mask his magic signature, it would beat the purpose of drawing attention to himself.


    Nheless, Kyran was getting impatient. He was tempted to remove the seal Mannick ced on his left arm to draw Ruin''s attention as soon as possible. In the end, he did not do it. If he did, the Mark of Ruin would disrupt the Void magic energy cirction in his body and affect his actions, inadvertently cing a huge handicap on himself.


    Judging by Kyran''s train of thought, it was clear that he had not sumbed to his raging emotions. At least, not yet. Because he was still able to make a sound judgment.


    A tangible, thick different colored magic energies circled Kyran within a fifty-meter radius. The beasts inside the rift behind him gave out a soft growl in appreciation as their bodies were also basked with renewed energy.


    Back in the Courtenay Land, the explosion and appearance of the chunk of the city drew the attention of everyone inside the dome.


    Shouts of pain and surprise could be heard within the city, confirming people within.


    At the Crown Princess''s balcony, Lira squinted her eyes and let her magic sense observe the city and the people within.


    "Those people are Noser City''s city guards!" She eximed in shock.


    How did they end up here?


    Even before Lira finished talking, Haylee had already made a move. She ran to the balcony''s edge, and her sapphire blue eyes started glowing. Then she jumped off the edge, shocking Lira.


    "Your Highness!"


    But Haylee did not fall. As soon as her feet left the edge, she levitated and raised a delicate hand toward the city.


    ''Show me what you saw!'' Haylee thought, directing her magic to a female city guard who was still feeling disoriented.


    From the city, the female city guard suddenly felt her whole body tense up.


    "Ugh!" She grasped her head and crouched down, feeling a crushing force grinding her head.


    "Dane? Are you okay¡ª?"


    An older female city guard beside her looked at her in concern, but before she could even finish her question, the young female guard screamed as she arched her back and was lifted in the air.


    "Aaaahhh!"


    Haylee''s expression distorted as images shed through her mind''s eye.


    People were running in fear. A blinding purple light appeared at a corner of the street. Several groups of city guards gathered and ran in a deserted market district.


    Finally, there was an image of a young man in ck sitting on the edge of a tall building. Eight huge glowing reddish-purple-slitted eyes peered within the massive rift behind him.


    This young man raised his hand, and a massive purple light covered the ground. Soon after everything, people and buildings came tumbling down.


    Haylee released her connection with the young female guard as a nauseating feeling overcame her senses.


    The invisible force that lifted the young female guard disappeared, and she fell straight to the ground. If not for the older woman with her, she would have hit her head hard and might suffer a severe concussion.


    Haylee hastilynded on the ground and almost doubled over. The flow of magic energy inside her body was in disarray, affecting her sense of bnce.


    This was the problem with looking into other people''s souls. Everything, including what one had felt during the experience, would also be conveyed to Haylee as if it was her own.


    Haylee tried her best not to throw up. She did not expect to be this affected by a nauseating experience. But that was not important right now. What was important was the young man!


    There were some slight differences, like the young man''s build and the contours of his face, but that was definitely Kyran Regis! Haylee recognized him easier because he was starting to look more like Cade Regis in his youth!


    "Princess!" Lira alsonded on the ground and rushed to Haylee''s side.


    Looking at the approaching Lira, Haylee tried to stand but almost stumbled forward. But Lira reached her just in time to break her fall.


    "Ugh..." Haylee covered her mouth as another bout of nausea overcame her.


    "Princess!"


    "Haylee!"


    Euan''s worried voice could be heard approaching them.


    After the explosion, Euan, other faction leaders, most of the participants of the joint military exercise, and members of the Courtenay Family rushed out of the dome to see what had happened.


    Seeing the chunk of a city appearing out of nowhere shocked them to their core. At the same time, fear slowly gripped their hearts.


    It was not impossible for people or items to appear suddenly. But when they appear, most of the time, there would be an active transmission or transportation array in the area.


    No such array could be seen. Apart from that, the city''s rough edges were visible, which meant it was part of a whole before being ''transported'' to this ce.


    That was simply impossible.


    Unless...


    "Father..." Haylee looked at Euan.


    Euan looked at her meaningfully before looking at the city.


    "They are from Noser, your Majesty," Lira reported.


    "Your Majesty!" Ingrid and Imman also went to them, and they bowed their head toward Euan and Haylee.


    "This is..." Ingrid started but was unsure if she was allowed to say more.


    The rest of the leaders from the Courtenay, Lumley, and Montgomeray Families had also arrived.


    Euan looked at them meaningfully and said, "Immediately contact our people in Noser and find out what is happening. Gather all avable troops. We will set out at once."


    "Father," Haylee reached out her hand to touch Euan. "I think it is best to let me go instead."


    Euan looked at her with a slight frown, "Certainly not."<sub> </sub>


    "We have to understand the situation first. If you go there personally, and the people of Noser see you, they may think we are dealing with a national-level cmity."


    "Forget about national-level, whatever or whoever could do that¡ª," Euan pointed at the city, "¡ªis not something or someone we can deal with haphazardly!"


    Haylee shook her head, "I can have them take care of it."


    Euan, Ingrid, and Imman''s expressions immediately turned rigid.


    The leaders of the other factions noticed it but could not follow. All of them looked at each and saw doubt in each other''s eyes.


    Haylee also eyed the others before looking at Euan and the two deputies meaningfully, "She and Gael are nearby, and I can ask them to go there at once."


    Euan''s frown deepened. To be honest, he had a bad feeling about the outsiders. However, Haylee assured him they were part of her inheritance in the Winfrey Ancestral Lands. Since it was the first time a first princess seeded in receiving the inheritance, Euan could not confirm its reliability. If not for his trust in Haylee, he would have ordered to lock them up. Nevertheless, it was true those outsiders were listening to her words. Thus, he could only let her deal with them while Lira kept a closer watch to ensure her safety.


    Before Euan could decide, someone spoke from behind.


    "Your Majesty."


    They all turned and saw Mannick running toward them. He actually came out from the middle entrance of the dome, meaning he had been in the hall instead of the quarters.


    Behind him, more people came running, including people from the Conve.


    Malek and Noir were the ones leading them. Tagging behind them were Tyr and the other Conve''s acting leaders.


    "Mannick," Euan looked at Mannick.


    Mannick bowed his head before straightening his back to report, "Before the explosion, someone reported people appearing in the center hall."


    Imman, who was looking at him disdainfully, said, "Humph. Excuses. When we all came rushing out, I did not see you in your room."


    Mannick looked at him indifferently, "How would you know? Did you peek into my room?"


    "Stop."


    After Euan''s warning, the two lowered their head, "Your Majesty."


    "What did you say about people appearing in the center hall?"


    Mannick straightened again and nodded, "Yes. All of them are wearing the Noser city guards uniform."


    Patriarch Ernst, who was among the Courtenay leaders, let out a gasp.


    "T-That can''t be... Though there is a transmission array in the center hall for an emergency, it is not connected to Noser...."


    "Are we really going to act like we don''t know what is happening?"


    Someone from the crowd said.


    The expressions of those who knew could not help but distort further, while others who knew but were unsure looked unsettled.


    They all looked at the person who had spoken.


    When all eyes rested on him, Tyr gave a slight shrug and said, "What? Do you want me to spell it out? If those guys did note here through a transmission or transportation array, then it''s through teleportation using Space magic."


    Then Tyr smiled but did not reach his eyes as he continued, "But we all know that''s impossible. Because teleportation using Space magic can only ''shorten'' the distance between two points. Noser is on the other side of the empire, which means it''s not teleportation but through..."


    He paused dramatically before saying, "Warp."


    An oppressive air swept through the group.


    Haylee looked at Tyr. She wanted to smile like she usually would, but at the moment, she could not. She said, "You seemed to be enjoying this, Disciple Tyr."


    Tyr only shrugged in reply.


    "Isn''t it about time youe clean as well, your Majesty?" Malek suddenly said while looking at Euan.


    Euan''s eyes flickered, but he did not react to him. Instead, he looked at Haylee and said, "Tell them to stall for time. I will mobilize the army and wille as soon as possible."


    Haylee nodded, "Yes, Father."


    "Mannick, Imman, follow me. Ingrid, take care of those people."


    "Yes, your Majesty."


    The four left at once.


    Haylee also turned to leave with Lira. As she passed beside Tyr, she stopped and opened her mouth. However, she closed them again and left without uttering anything.


    The leaders and members of the Lumley Family also left in a hurry. It was unknown what they wanted to do.


    Those who stayed behind looked at each other without saying anything. Then they, too, hurried back to the dome.


    *


    Back in Noser City, Kyran''s actions had already attracted people in the residential district, sending them into a panic. Because of this, the Royal Army stationed there finally made a move. They mobilized their people and immediately went to the market district.


    As soon as Kyran sensed the approaching army, his reddish-purple eyes shed viciously, and a smile appeared on his face.


    ''Three... Four... At least seven squads. Tsk,'' he tilted his head to one side. ''They are underestimating me. Guess I''ll have to convince them otherwise.''


    He turned his head slightly to his right to look at the rift and said, "Manti, you go first."


    The manticore roared in excitement as he stepped out of the rift.


    Ripples of magic energy surged out from the rift as the air crackle from the sudden rise of magic fluctuation.


    Manti, the manticore, looked at Kyran and growled softly as if asking for something.


    Kyran raised his brows and looked in the direction of the approaching army, and he said unhesitantly, "I don''t care. Do what you want."


    RAWRGH!


    Manti roared as he looked toward the approaching army. He jumped down from the building, and in a sh, he arrived at their spot.


    In a matter of a second, hair-splitting screams filled the air.

 Chapter 480 Rampage (4)

    Kyran watched Manti rip the officers one after another. From his location, there was still a good distance from where Manti was rampaging. But even without activating his Draconic magic, he could easily see what was happening.


    A whimpering and hissing sounds came from within the rift, and Kyran could not help but sigh.


    These sounds came from the Chimera and the two Mutated Basilisks. It seemed they could not wait to get out as well. Unfortunately, there were too few enemies. While letting them out and going on a rampage would attract more attention, Kyran still wanted to avoid implicating innocent people.


    At present, the city guards are still evacuating the people in the residential district.


    ''More prey will eventuallye,'' Kyran assured the three inside the rift. Just as he said this, he sensed a group possessing a far more powerful presence approaching from the rear.


    ''Speak of the devils.''


    Kyran smiled as he turned to look at the rear. The pupils of his eyes turned to slit, and a silver tinge surrounded his reddish-purple eyes.


    Apparently, even if Kyran activated the Draconic magic to enhance his physical abilities further, as long as the Void magic energy was circting freely within his body, the reddish-purple would dominate the color of his eyes.


    Not that Kyran cared. Whether the enemies discovered he possessed Void and Draconic magic was unimportant to him, and it would even be better. That way, they would fear him more.


    To install fear in others did not seem bad. This sudden realization made Kyran understand why some rulers tried to rule with an iron fist. Nevertheless, such a person would never have a good ending.


    Kyran inwardly mocked himself. Even without trying, as long as others knew he possessed Void magic, they would immediately fear him. Something that the Soul Emperor would love to see because she could use that fear to start the mes of war and amass her army.


    Too bad she would not be able to do so at the Soul Emperor''s current state. As long as she stayed iplete, she would not be able to control the souls of the fallen. For this reason, Kyran was not afraid of ughtering several Royal Army officers.


    "Bas, go."


    HIIISSS!


    The bigger basilisk hissed in excitement and slithered out of the rift. He slid down the tall building and immediately went to greet the approaching group.


    For the record, before the second group of city guards arrived earlier, Kyran decided to name his beasts since he did not want to keep calling them ''you.'' But because he did not have the leisure toe up with a cool-sounding name, he decided to use their ''kind'' as the basis; Manti for the manticore, Mera for chimera, Bas for the male basilisk, and Iss for the female.


    Yes. Kyran was really bad at naming. He even named his adopted sister after him, Kyra, because, in his opinion, it was easier to remember. As for his puppets, their initial codes were TP-1, TP-2, and so on, thus the naming One, Two, Three, etc. The T was short for Trial, and P for Puppet. To Kyran, those five-and-a-halfplete puppets were only his trial puppets, so giving them names was not really necessary. Even Len, Aki, and Neo were temporary names that Malek provided.


    Putting the matter of names aside, Kyran looked at Bas.


    The mutated basilisk looked nothing like the one he had met in the Valley of Morte. His scales were no longer dark green with gold and red tint but were dark purple and red.


    Come to think of it, the manticore''s fur had also changed. From golden brown, his furs were now covered in dark purple and gold. This had not been the case when Kyran turned it into his Sigil, and it was only after he let him into the rift...


    Kyran looked at the rift. He never gave much thought about this rift, but now, this might not be a simple rift he conjured to appear at one point to another. Now that he looked at it, when he tried to absorb attacks, and even when he absorbed the two mutated basilisks, it looked the same as the rift.


    <o>,m Could this rift be...?</o>


    Kyran shook his head at once. He could not afford to get sidetracked. The mystery about the rift would have to wait until after he took care of everything. He knew his decision toe out in the open was only the beginning, and whether he could save his n after this depended on how the other side responded. So far, the other side had not let him down because the group approaching now was Deception''s army.


    Their number did not exceed a hundred. However, they were all Grand Master level, and the aura they emitted was different.


    Because of the differences in the magicws of each ne, if other mages from another ne go to another, their magic usage would be restricted. However, as te had said, the Human ne was special and could adapt to any magicw.


    That had been the case when Kyran fought with Savagery. Thetter was able to summon her beasts and magic as she did in the Beast ne. On the other hand, when Kyran entered a different ne, he had to adjust how he used his magic ording to thew of that ne. If not, he would not be able to use his magic properly. It was actually a good thing that after entering the Lignum ne, his next training focused on magic knowledge, which made it easier for him to understand the different magicws of other nes and adjust ordingly.


    With a sigh, Kyran stood up while keeping a close eye on Bas. Since the Human ne would not restrict the magic usage of Deception''s army, their magic would definitely be more powerful than the average human mage Grand Master. They were from the Myedeo ne, after all.


    But simr to the empire, most of the mages in Myedeo had fire affinity. The only ones who were different were the Solum Tribe te belonged to, which had earth affinity.


    In any case, Kyran did not want to lose any of his beasts. He only had four, so if Bas were overwhelmed, he would step in at once.


    Just as he was thinking this, Bas had already shortened the distance between him and Deception''s army by fifty meters.


    HIIIISSS!


    Without wasting a moment, Bas hissed andunched a preemptive attack. His reddish-purple eyes glowed as he opened his mouth to hiss. He released an almost visible shockwave from its mouth, reducing everything it touched into pieces.


    Deception''s army immediately summoned their barriers. However, either they were toote, or their barrier was too weak; the first thirty or less in the front disintegrated at once.


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. He had experienced Bas''s shockwave attack before, and it was something he did not want to repeat. That was the first time he witnessed his Void Scales close to breaking; truth be told, it had been a close call.<sub> </sub>


    Still, Kyran was surprised at how powerful Bas''s shockwave attack had gotten. It seemed he did not have to worry about thetter getting overwhelmed.


    The seventy or so members of Deception''s army scattered at once. Their action was not done in a panic but as part of a strategy. Though they were shocked by the beast''s surprise attack and lost a third of their members, that did not lower their morale nor scare them. All of them were trained soldiers of the Sovereign of Deception.


    At once, the remaining members formed into small groups of five or six and bombarded Bas in different directions. Fireballs, ming arrows, and ming swords rained down on him. ming chains were also hidden amidst these attacks to bind his mouth. They did not want him unleashing another one of his shockwaves.


    HIIISS!


    However, Bas only hissed at the iing attacks, and a translucent purple barrier covered him.


    SIZZLE!


    All attacks, no matter how powerful, disintegrated.


    Kyran gave a faint smile. It seemed Bas now possessed Void magic as well. Or maybe, he could tap into it since they were connected? Or could it be the nature of Bas''s magic had changed to Void?


    Kyran pushed these questions aside and turned his attention to Manti.


    More army officers had arrived, and thetter happily pounced or breathed poisonous purple-colored mes at them.


    Seeing the purple-colored mes made Kyran wonder if he had inadvertently changed the nature of their magic to Void.


    Not that it mattered at the moment.


    While Kyran was waiting for more reinforcements, back in the Courtenay Land, Ste, with the rest of the Conve council members and the other leaders from Courtenay and Montgomeray Families, were gathered in Noir''s quarters.


    The Conve council members were looking at the others cautiously, even though they had already confirmed each other''s identities a few minutes ago.


    Going back a few minutes before the explosion. After Kyran left, True Void asked Mannick to go to Ste.


    At first, Mannick did not want to. Because of the situation''s urgency, True Void told him what happened in one of the nes he and Kyran went to train. Though it was only a brief recollection, Mannick did not need convincing and finally agreed.


    When Mannick appeared before the Conve, Malek''s initial reaction was to hide Ste. However, when True Void appeared and flew straight to Ste, saying the diamond studs she was wearing were a prize Kyran had won, she stopped them.


    Ste''s intuition also made her sense that something was wrong, and she had Noir call Neo.


    When Neo arrived, Mannick reinforced Noir''s array as Ste summoned her Time magic. For some reason, she felt that what True Void had to tell them would take some time, but they could not afford to waste even a second in real-time.


    Ste''s intuition was on point.


    True Void first told them who he was but did not tell them Mannick''s real identity, except that he was loyal to Kyran. After this, he told them the situation.


    After hearing the situation, Ste asked Neo to change into Tyr. Neo did not need telling, though. Even before True Void finished his exnation, Neo started changing its program into Tyr''s.


    Then True Void advised Ste to contact Patriarch Ezra and Patriarch Ernst.


    When they heard Ernst, they wondered if they had misheard True Void. However, True Void affirmed that the Courtenay Family was now under Kyran''s control.


    The truth, Kyran also nned to get the Lumley Family during the Field Operation. It was for this reason he pretended to be feeling under the weather. To get them to make a move. s, it seemed that would not happen now.


    In any case, True Void told Ste they had to make a move. If not, Kyran might end up exhausting himself to death. Of course, that was not until he reduced the whole empire to ruins.


    Malek and the other council members were still skeptical. They had seen what Kyran could do, but they did not think he alone could ruin the empire.


    True Void did not want to waste his precious breath to exin more to them, so he only looked at Ste and spoke to her telepathically, ''He trained in the Tower of Tribtion.''


    As soon as Ste heard this, her eyes widened for an instant. But she recovered at once and finally ordered the Conve to listen and prepare.


    Since the Lord of the Tower had given her order, as members of the Conve High Council, they all abided without exception.


    Thus, they agreed to meet in person after sending a message to the Patriarch of the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families.


    Showing their faces and ''Tyr''s'' in front of the others was to give them and Kyran an alibi. After that, they all gathered to discuss their course of action finally.

 Chapter 481 Rampage (5)

    Traveling from Starhorn to Noser through the regr route would take a few days. For this reason, transmission arrays were crucial. In the early years of the empire, small torge-scale transmission arrays were avable in all main cities. Other medium-sized cities also had small transmission or transportation arrays. However, because of the previous emperor''s fear of rebellion, he ordered the destruction of all arrays.


    Only after Euan seeded the throne that new transmission arrays were created, nevertheless, the location of these arrays was limited, and their route was restricted to two-way. Apart from this, the arrays could only be used with the emperor''s consent.


    Of course, there are transportation arrays that medium torge factions possess nowadays. But those arrays are closely monitored.


    The Royal Family''s attitude toward transmission arrays showed their confidence in ruling the empire. Obviously, they had considered a transmission array would be needed for emergencies; a good example was the army deployment. Because of this, the location of the transmission arrays had been thought of well. Each end points of the transmission arrays were close to the Royal Army Headquarters.


    In any case, if a crisis urred, all Royal Army Headquarters had over ten thousand officers that could take action. Apart from these, the Combat Hall and Magic Schools could deploy their own forces if the need arises.


    The Royal Family, and other leaders of the army believed that a crisis that could exhaust all these forces in a short time was unlikely to happen.


    Until now.


    Euan, d in his red and gold armor, was inside the royal carriage along with the Mannick and Imman. Thetter two had also changed into theirbat uniform, a ck and gold armor.


    The three of them along with fifty thousand officers from the east were on their way to the City of Timen.


    The transmission array in Timen was connected to Thunlough, a small city near Meliora.


    Currently, two hundred thousand army officers had gathered in Meliora and were preparing to go to Mourchton.


    Mourchton is also a small city located in the west of Meliora and is connected to Thunknam Peak, another city in the west that is five hours away from Noser.


    Euan, Mannick and Imman, with fifty thousand officers, would also go there after arriving at Thunlough.


    Thinking of the number of transmissions they had to do before they could arrive in Noser gave Euan a headache. It made him regret not having more transmission arrays built around the empire.


    Even hidden arrays would have been good.


    Anyhow, Euan would only waste his time by thinking of such sentiment. Pushing all unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind, he looked at the white recording orb on his hand and let his magic sense read through its content.


    What Euan was holding was Gael''s report about the young man the army found, possessing Void magic.


    ording to the report, this young man had stayed in the Regis n for years. But then a month ago, something happened during the Regis Young Master''s birthday. It was said that the young man caused a disturbance within the Regis Estate and took the Regis''s Young Master hostage before fleeing.


    Due to a series of misunderstanding, the Regis and the Royal Army fought, which ended with the Regis n activating its defensive array to protect themselves.


    Euan was seething mad when he first discovered what happened. Because of this, he reimed full authority over the Royal Army and dismissed the leading officer who ordered the attack to the Regis n. Then he ordered Gael to look for the young man and ensure to bring back the Regis Young Master alive.


    Euan believed it was the only way he could show the Regis n his sincerity. But then, the outsiders arrived,plicating matters even more.


    Haylee assured him that the outsiders were part of the Winfrey''s inheritance and that they would listen to her.


    Nevertheless, Euan had seen through the outsiders'' ill-intentions toward the Regis n, especially that man called Ruin. Apart from this, there was something suspicious about the story of the young man and the Regis n.


    For one thing, the Regis n was known for their moral code. It was because of this that their members, who were not direct descendants of the Regis n, were very loyal to them. So why would the young man cause a disturbance? Because the Regis n discovered his magic? Euan believed that if that was the case, the Regis would still do their utmost to protect him. That was how bing a member of the Regis n meant. They would never abandon you.


    If for argument''s sake, the young man indeed caused a disturbance. What prompted him to do so? And why would he take the Regis Young Master as hostage?


    Euan could not put it into words, but he felt something was definitely amiss.


    Closing his eyes, Euan retracted his magic sense from the recording orb and leaned on his seat.


    It was not the time to get distracted by these questions.


    The young man he ordered Gael to find suddenly decided to reveal himself. Apart from this, contrary to what the report says about him not knowing how to use magic, warping a good part of the Noser''s market district clearly showed he had a certain mastery over his Void magic.


    Why would the young man appear now? And where is the Regis Young Master?


    These questions lingered in Euan''s mind. Of course, he coulde up with a few guesses as to the young man''s reasons but with little information about his character, it was impossible to draw a usible conclusion.


    Most importantly, for what purpose did he ''warp'' those city guards in the Courtenay Land? Why didn''t he just kill them?


    As far as the updates Euan received in Noser, the young man had started killing his men. But why did he not kill the city guards?


    What was even more curious, was the update that the young man avoided the residential district.


    This clearly showed the young man had been affected by the Regis n''s moral code.


    But then... why attack only the Royal Army?<sub> </sub>


    Euan opened his eyes. It seemed he had to observe the situation with his own eyes.


    *


    Gael, with two hundred army officers stood outside the south entrance of Noser City. Beside him stood a woman wearing a tight fitting red dress and a long veil. Looking at her seductive figure, one could easily imagine that she was also a beauty. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell given the veil covering her face.


    The woman was Deception.


    "I can''t hear anything anymore," Gael said with a slight frown.


    Half an hour had already passed since the time Deception''s army entered the city. After only a few minutes, they heard sounds of fighitng. But it only took about ten or fifteen minutes, before the sounds disappeared. Yet, Deception did not say anything.


    "Hm," Deception finally replied. She had not exactly spoken, but the sound of her voice put most of the officers nearby in a trance.


    Gael''s frown deepened. He also felt the potency of Deception''s alluring voice and he was already a Magus. Just how high was this woman''s mage level?


    "I will go and check the situation," he dered, wanting to stay away from this woman as soon as possible.


    Deception let out a sultryugh, sending ripples down their body.


    "No," she said while taking a step forward. "I will go. He is my prey, after all."


    Suddenly, a thick murderous intent swept through them, almost choking them to death. In their mind''s eye, countless scenes of death and murder shed through and sent them doubling over in fear. Those who were new and had yet to see a real battlefield even vomitted.


    Gael also fought back the influence of Deception''s voice. If not, he might also keel over. Of course, he would not vomit like the others, but keeling over just from experiencing the murderous intent within her voice was humiliating.


    "The Crown Princess wants him alive."


    Deception giggled, "Ruin wants him, too. But do I care? No."


    In a blink of an eye, she disappeared.


    The moment Deception left, something heavy seemed to have been lifted from them and the army officers snapped out of their senses.


    As for Gael, he could only grit his teeth and reign in his annoyance before sending a coded message to Haylee.


    Inside Noser.


    Kryan, standing in one of the tallest building in the market district¡ª or to be precise, the only remaining tall building in the market district¡ª, sensed a familiar approaching.


    The speed was not rushed, but it was not slow either.


    Bas, who had slithered his way back to the tall building also sensed the iing aura and he turned toward the south and hissed.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips and he said, "Bas, go join Manti. There are more officersing his way."


    HISS!


    Bas seemed reluctant to leave, however, after seeing Kyran''s indifference, he slithered away to join Manti.


    RAWRGH!


    HISS!


    Mera, the chimera and Iss, the female mutated basilisk reacted from within the rift. They could sense the approaching aura and though they were afraid, they did not Kyran to face whoever it was alone.


    ''It''s fine,'' Kyran assured them before jumping down the building.


    Suddenly, a soft sultryugh echoed throughout what was left of the deserted market district.


    "It has been a while."


    Kyran looked in front.


    "Deception."


    A distortion appeared a few meters away from Kyran and Deception slowly appeared.


    "Young man~ return what you''ve taken and I might let you live."

 Chapter 482 Rampage (6)

    Kyran only replied with a smile. Then in the next instant, he disappeared and reappeared right before Deception, his fist inches away from her.


    BAM!


    Kyran''s fistnded on the ground, turning it into a small crater in a blink of an eye. Different-sized pieces of earth exploded in all directions, forming a cloud of smoke that obscured one''s vision.


    Deception had vanished in the air just before Kyran couldnd a blow. Obviously, he already knew the Deception in front of him was not real, but he had wanted to hit her face even if it was an illusion.


    Sultryughter echoed throughout the district once more as Kyrannded on the crater. He observed his surrounding with his magic sense. Deception''s magic could easily deceive a person''s five senses, and only by utilizing one''s magic sense could one have a better grasp of her location. Still, one''s magic sense level had to be high enough to seed.


    "You seem bolder this time," Deception''s remark had a tinge of mockery. "You had only fled away when in my territory."


    "The Myedeo ne isn''t yours," Kyran replied indifferently.


    What he said was correct. At the moment, Deception''s party might have the upper hand on Myedeo, but she had not won the ne yet.


    "Yet," Deception replied, her sultry voice suddenly turned a little cold. It appeared her failure to secure the Myedeo ne because of Kyran''s interference left a bad taste in her mouth.


    Truthfully, if Kyran had not taken her things, she would have already ruled over the ne with the new ruling Kaiser, acting as the local ruler. There had been some dys in her ns after the daughter of the previous Solum Tribe''s Chieftain went missing. It took some time for Deception to rectify this. Finally, after the new Kaiser seeded, her sess was within reach. She did not expect that a snotty brat''s appearance could easily destroy her hard-earned work!


    "Return what you''ve stolen, and I will spare your pitiful life."


    Kyran ignored her and silently observed his surroundings. One of the reasons he did not want to draw Deception''s attention was that he had little information about her. The only two things he knew were that she was an Enchanter and possessed Illusion magic. Kyran had no idea how she employed her Illusions. Was it through her voice? He did sense magic mixed in whenever she spoke.


    Kyran rejected the idea almost immediately. His body was immune to harmful magic that would try to influence him from the outside. It had been the case when Celine had tried to control him before. Thus, even if Deception''s voice had magic mixed in with it, it was not the trigger to her Illusion magic. If it were, his Void magic energy would have circted frenziedly in his body to nullify it.


    So how would she employ her illusions?


    "There is no point in thinking. Else, I''ll hand you over to Ruin."


    Even before Deceptions finished what she was saying, Kyran''s eyes shed, and he turned at once while sending out a kick behind.


    Another illusory image of Deception that sprang behind him vanished in the air. Then, Kyran noticed that the cloud of smoke around him, which somewhat obscured his visions, had yet to dissipate. Apart from this, he could no longer sense his pets.


    After Kyran realized this fact, the cloud of smoke thickened, slowly turning into a silvery-white mist. In an instant, Kyran''s expression turned grim. It seemed he had already fallen into Deception''s illusion.


    Most mages would have already panicked at this sudden turn of events. However, rational ones would calmly assess the situation and find a way to break the illusion.


    Kyran was neither. He took a deep breath and straightened his posture.


    Illusions were tricky business, especially if a Sovereign created them.


    But they were in the Human ne, and Deception''s level was suppressed. If she were an essence, then her mage level would only be, at most, Exalted. If not, then it would be around Legendary. If this were the case, it would be easier for Kyran to ''void'' her influence.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes turned dark purple as his magic sense expanded. Soon, he was able to confirm the range of Deception''s influence.


    It was exactly a hundred-meter in diameter. Not a veryrge range, in Kyran''s opinion. From this, he was able to confirm Deception''s magic level. Apparently, she was only an Essence.


    A pity.


    The color of Kyran''s eyes turned back to reddish-purple as he roused his Void magic. He had no time to y with an Essence. For all he knew, he was only in this space for a few seconds, but half an hour or even a few hours had already passed in real-time, or vice versa.


    "Nar...?"


    Kyran suddenly stopped. His eyes widened in shock.


    That voice... impossible!


    "T-That''s you, right? I-I can''t seem to gather any magic energies a-and can''t see well... Where exactly are we?"


    Cyneah!


    Kyran turned, and as if the mist was taunting him, they parted to reveal Cyneah standing at least five meters away. She was dressed in a long white dress under a light blue hooded robe. Her arms were outstretched in front of her as she groped her way around.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran''s mind was telling him that the Cyneah in front of him was not real. But his magic sense was active, and he could faintly sense her. Really, sense her.


    Illusions could affect the five senses, which was why it was better to use magic sense when making judgments.


    But how could Kyran properly judge what he saw if even his magic sense seemed affected? Or could it be that Deception had already taken Cyneah, and she was using her against him?


    No.


    A Void Knife materialized in Kyran''s left hand, and he instantaneously threw it toward ''Cyneah.''


    "Master, no!"


    Another familiar voice. Even Kyran''s inner sense, that natural connection he had to his Sigils reacted!


    "Zephy?" ''Cyneah'' called out as she turned to her left. Because of the sudden movement of her head, she barely avoided the Void Knife. However, it still grazed past her cheeks.


    "Ah," ''Cyneah''s'' brow furrowed slightly as she winced in pain. She brought one hand to touch her cheeks but removed it at once after feeling a slight sting.


    Kyran''s hand that had just thrown the knife froze. He stared at the ''Cyneah'' before him, and in his mind''s eye, he remembered how he had thrown a Void Knife at Cyneah in the cave, hitting her ribcage. Then another image shed in his mind. This time, it was when they went to a pool in the cave, and he saw the scars and wounds on Cyneah''s skinny body. Kyran had noticed the wound his Void Knife had inflicted. He did not know it then, but now he knew that even if Cyneah''s wounds and past scars could heal, the wound inflicted by his Void knife would leave a permanent scar on her.


    That was how damaging getting hit by his Void magic was. Kyran felt guilty because of it.


    Looking at the graze on Cyneah''s cheeks, Kyran felt guilty again.


    ''Stop!''


    Kyran closed his eyes at once, and at the same time, his magic pressure exploded, causing a shockwave that spread in every direction, with him as the eye.


    "Ergh..!" ''Cyneah'' raised her arms in an attempt to protect herself from the shockwave. Her clothes and hair fluttered violently. She fell to her knees and was pushed back a few feet because of the force''s momentum.


    Using his magic sense, Kyran sensed the mist dispersing. However, the ''Cyneah'' before him did not. Even the ''Zephyr''s'' connection was still there.


    It was simply impossible.


    Finally, Kyran opened his eyes. As he did, he felt as if he had been doused with cold water.


    The view that greeted him was not Noser''s almost empty market district but a patch ofnd. To be precise, it was a barend soaked in red. The night sky, which was supposed to be filled with stars, had turned red. From a distance, what appeared to be the sun had turned ck.


    Mutted corpses were scattered around the spot where ''Cyeanh'' was. Currently, she was still on her knees and was covering her head with her arms. But she had started to lower her arms.


    Kyran''s heart seemed to have stopped as he looked at the scene before him.


    "Kyran?"


    A young girl called out to him.


    Kyran''s body tensed after hearing yet another familiar voice. He did not want to look at where the voice came from. But he knew ''she'' was standing right behind him.


    "It is you!"


    The young girl spoke again. Then she ran happily and wrapped her short chubby arms around Kyran''s waist.


    "Where have you been? We missed you!"


    The arms around his waist were warm, sending a myriad of emotions through Kyran''s heart.


    This was not real.


    Kyran told himself.


    Yet everything... seemed real.

 Chapter 483 Rampage (7)

    Kyran lowered his head and, with shaking hands, touched the young girl''s arm wrapped around his waist.


    As if sensing his agitation, the young girl shifted and held Kyran''s hand in herfortingly.


    "It''s okay. I am here," the young girl''s soft voice said.


    Kyran''s head dipped further as he ground his teeth.


    Warm. The young girl''s hands were warm.


    "Nar? Are you still there?" Cyneah suddenly asked, prompting Kyran to lift his head and look at her.


    Cyneah, with her mirror-like eyes that seemed to reflect all colors in the surroundings, was looking back at him. She was no longer kneeling on the ground but was standing. The blood from the mutted corpses around her flowed like a river, dying the hem of her clothes in red.


    Kyran did not respond but simply looked at Cyneah. She lifted her right hand and began to walk toward him, her every movement sending ripples in the pool of blood on her feet. Using her hand, she tried to feel her way to him.


    Subconsciously, Kyran raised his left hand and reached for Cyneah''s when she was only five feet away. And as his fingertips touched hers, a familiar warmth coursed through him.


    Cyneah smiled, and she said, "Found you."


    "Hm?" The young girl behind Kyran peered at Cyneah and said with a hint of displeasure, "Who is she? Did you get a girlfriend after leaving us? Didn''t you promise to wait for me until I grow up?"


    From hearing the young girl''sint, Kyran could vividly imagine the pout on her cute elven face, and he could not help but smile bitterly.


    That was right.


    The young girl was not a human but a Vateeh, an elf race in the Vates ne. Vateehs'' body were simr to humans, except their skin glow vibrantly even in the dark. They also possessed powerful magic and had strong affinity to light magic. The young girl was even more special among the Vateehs. Because she had the gift of foresight. She was revered as the reincarnation of Rhiima, the Vateehs'' goddess of future. Thus, she was well-loved, and every saw her bright future. She was meant to be their great spiritual leader and lead them to triumph over their enemies, the Gaduquar, another elf race in the Vates ne except they embraced the dark magic.


    Nevertheless, even with the disagreements, and at times, skirmishes the Vateehs had with the Gaduquar, all of them were able to live well.


    Until that tragedy happened. And it all happened because Kyran came to that ne. To be precise, because he had been reckless and misjudged the situation the young girl....


    Kyran closed his eyes. He lowered his hand, which still held Cyneah''s and said in an almost inaudible voice, "I''m sorry."


    "Sorry?" The young girl repeated in confusion. "Why are you sorry? Because you''re cheating on me? We can easily remedy this. Just let go of her ande back."


    Kyran opened his eyes, and was once again greeted by Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes. She had not uttered a word and only looked at him with a gentle smile. As if she could see him, and was aware of the myriad of emotions that did not quite show in his expression, but was reflected intensely in his eyes.


    "Come back, Kyran," the young girl repeated and her arms tightened on his waist.


    The surroundings seemed to shrink, as the blood on the ground rose. At first, it was only about half an inch high, but it had rapidly reached Kyran''s ankle.


    Cyneah''s hand also tightened around Kyran''s hand as she said, "Let''s go home, Nar."


    In a matter of a few seconds, the blood had reached Kyran''s knee. At the same time, the whole ce shrank even further, making thend and the dark-red skies seemed within reach.


    "Master!"


    Suddenly, Zephyr''s voice echoed once more from the distance.


    However, this time, Cyneah did not react to it. Nor did the young girl. Their hold on Kyran only tightened, as if afraid that he would escape from them.


    By this time, the blood had already risen to Kyran''s waist.


    *


    Deception looked at Kyran''s unmoving figure. Her red eyes flickered as she materialized ten meters away from him.


    "Such a fragile heart," she muttered and walked, her hips swaying seductively, toward him. "But I am surprised. I never expected to find clues about the littlemb on you."


    Rawrgh!


    Hisss!


    From the tall building, the chimera and the female mutated basilisk, growled and hissed at Deception from within the rift. It was unfortunate that they were unable to step out of the rift without their master''s approval. Apart from this, the manticore and the male mutated basilisk could not return, because more army officers had arrived.<sub> </sub>


    Deception stood half a feet before Kyran and smiled. She looked deep in his reddish-purple eyes that still flickered malevolently and yet, his overall expression was devoid with emotion.


    "Now then," she said in a very alluring voice that could make most men tremble in anticipation. On tiptoes, she leaned at Kyran''s ear, her hand slid up his face, and whispered, "Show me where you hid my things¡ª."


    BAM!


    "¡ªUGH!"


    Even before Deception could finish her words, a powerful force mmed on her stomach, sending her flying backward for several meters. She spat out a mouthful of blood as she mmed on building wall upon building wall. Finally, after mming on the sixth building she slid down on the ground as the broken wall fell on her.


    "AAAAARGH!" Deception''s magic aura exploded sending the rubbles flying. She stood up and looked at Kyran.


    "W-Wha¡ª?" She frowned seeing that he did not seem to have any intentions of following up on his sneak attack.


    No.


    To be precise, Kyran remained unmoving. As if the force that mmed on to her was not made by him!


    ''Impossible¡ª!''


    Just as she was thinking of this, Kyran''s unmoving figure disappeared.


    From Deception''s perspective, time seemed to have slowed. Her eyes widened and instinctively, her magic sense spread out, and at the same time, her magic and physical defenses increased to protect herself from any sudden ambush. She could turn her whole body into mist, but that required an enormous amount of magic energy.


    Still.


    BAM! CRACK!


    "Guah!" Deception spat out a mouthful of blood as another powerful force mmed on her back, breaking her spinal cord. She mmed face first on the ground and almost lost consciousness from the pain.


    Sensing dangering down to her back once more, Deception''s red eyes flickered, and in an instant, her whole body seemed to turn into mist, no longer concerned about her magic energy consumption.


    BAM!


    Kyran''s fistnded on the ground, destroying the ground in an instant. Pieces of rubble and dirt flew everywhere. A small piece flew toward his face, but he simply tilted his head to the right to avoid it.


    Deception materialized on one of the nearby empty buildings and fell on her knees. She spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately circted her magic energy to heal some of her internal injuries.


    ''Impossible!'' She thought, her mind reeling at how she was unable to defend herself from not one but two sneak attacks from Kyran. She knew he could warp, but she did not even sense any ripple of magic energy in her surrounding before he appeared. It was simply impossible. Apart from this, she did not expect his physical strength to be this powerful. He actually destroyed her magic and physical defenses, not to mention her clothes'' enchantment!


    Deception gritted her teeth as Haylee''s impish smile crossed her mind. She did not tell them anything about the boy''s monstrous strength!


    No. Kyran''s physical ability was not as simple as having monstrous strength. If he could destroy magic and physical defenses, not to mention, enchantments, then his attack was inflicted with ''magic.''


    BOOM!


    Deception snapped out of her reverie, as the wall to her right exploded. She raised her hand to block the bits and pieces of debris that came at her and without trying to look at what or who destroyed the wall, she turned into mist.


    Only when her mist form started to dissipate into the air, did she took a nce at the destroyed wall.


    There a huge boulder was embedded on the hole. Deception guessed, Kyran had thrown that boulder with the intention of hitting her. s, he miscalcted. After all, the boulder was too huge and might have destroyed the wall, but failed to prate through it.


    Crackle!


    The air where Deception''s body had just started to blend to, suddenly crackle as purple colored mist blend in. These mist touched a portion of her mist-form and in an instant, she felt as if her whole body was on fire.


    "AAAAAAARGH!"


    Deception''s whole body sizzled and at she immediately materialized. Her red dress was now riddled with holes and scorched patches. Her pale jade-like skin were swollen, with burnt patches of skin, showing flesh underneath.


    Suddenly, Deception felt her scalp go numb.


    Above her, Kyran had appeared with his leg aimed at her head.

 Chapter 484 Rampage (8)

    Several ck tentacle-like substances sprang in every direction, wrapping around Kyran''s limbs and and torso, binding him in ce.


    Before Deception could grab this chance to escape, her shadow suddenly increased and shifted, swallowing her in an instant.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glowed and a translucent purple light seeped out of his body, disintegrating the ck tentacle-like substances in an instant.


    Five ck-hooded figures rushed at Kyran in different directions, all of them wielding different weapons. Two figures holding ck scythes swung horizontally and vertically respectively on each side of Kyran. Three wereing from behind, holding a two-handed sword, a dagger, and a short sword respectively.


    Most mage would have already panicked in front of a sudden attack. However, Kyran remained expressionless as he stood his ground. The pupil of his eyes turned into silver slits, and they flickered as a dark purple armor materialized and covered his whole body. The attacks of the five ck-hooded figures connected, striking his body, which was now wearing the Void Armor.


    SIZZLE!


    Sizzling sounds filled the air as their weapons started to disintegrate upon contact.


    Kyran did not stay idle. His arms and legs struck, destroying the figures in a less than two seconds.


    However, before thest figure got destroyed, more ck-hooded figures materialized from the shadows.


    Not waiting for these figures topletely materialized, Kyran dashed forward and punched out. A dark purple force shoot off from his fist, destroying three ck-hooded figures that had yet to materialize in front. After which, he disappeared and reappeared six meters to the back where four hooded-figures holding a sword or a dagger was stilling out of the shadows. Kyran did a roundhouse kick, shooting off a dark purple force. The force sliced through the hooded figures'' heads and their bodies instantly sank back to the shadow.


    Kyran''s eyes shed while following the movements of these figures. He arched his back and pulled back his left arm. Under his Void Armor, his muscles contracted, gathering momentum on his arms, before punching the shadow on the ground.


    CRACK! BOOM!


    Web-like crack appeared on the ground when Kyran''s fist connected on the ground, before it exploded out. Bits and pieces of earth flew in every direction and a cloud of dirt and smoke formed.


    Upon closer look on the pieces of earth, the shadow shifted erratically and tried to fly out.


    Unfortunately, in Kyran''s current state, such movements were easy for him to spot. His hand shot out, grabbing the shadow.


    SIZZLE!


    The shadow disintegrated as soon as Kyran''s hand touched it. After all, his Void Armor was made of Void and Draconic magic.


    By these time, the other ck-hooded figurespleted their materialization, each holding different types of weapons, and flew toward him. Some aimed at Kyran''s neck, others aimed at his torso, while the rest aimed at his limbs.


    BOOM!


    Kyran''s eyes shed, and his magic pressure erupted, destroying all the figures in a blink of an eye.


    From a distance, Gael fell on one knee as blood trickled down the side of his mouth. His glowing red eyes were wide in shock as he watch Kyran destroy his summons one after another.


    Was that really the boy Dior and the others had said to not even know how to use magic?


    Gael could understand Kyran''s monstrous strength, not to mention his inhuman reflex because he was a Regis. He also graduated at the best military school in the empire with such an unprecedented record. But for him to integrate his magic well in hisbat, it was simply impossible! Did he not learn about his magic more than a month ago?


    No, wait. Dior mentioned about Kyran being able toprehend theories really well. Could he really have improved his magic to this level just by understanding the theory behind how to use magic?


    Impossible.


    Maybe if his magic wasmon, where several manuscript and theories were avable for anyone to study, it might be possible. But he possessed Void magic. A magic that did not have any record in the whole empire. How was he able to learn it?


    Gael shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was missing the point here. It did not really matter if there were no records about Void magic. For argument''s sake, let us say that the Regis actually had some ancient record about Void magic, even if Kyran managed to read those andprehended them, it would be impossible for him to learn it to this extent.


    Gael''s disbelief was reasonable. For Kyran to mold his magic into an armor, not to mention when he changed its nature from solid to particles when countering Deception''s mist-form, only a mage who had attained a very high level could do that.


    Speaking of level, Gael actually could not sense Kyran''s mage level. He was already a Magus! It was impossible for others to hide their magic level in front of him.


    Unless that mage was the same level or had higher mage level than him. Like Deception and the other outsiders.<sub> </sub>


    This realization made Gael''s scalp go numb. But then, his disbelief and uneasiness turned to apprehension then to displeasure.


    Today, Kyran has to die.


    Gritting his teeth, Gael summoned more of the hooded figures to keep thetter busy. He had to buy more time for Deception to heal.


    Speaking of her, Deception was currently hiding in Gael''s domain and was healing her wounds. Killing the boy would require more people. He could not attack Kyran head on. Just witnessing his summons getting destroyed like they were nothing after making contact with thetter''s magic sent shivers down his spine. Apart from this, they had little knowledge of Void magic.


    For now, Gael only had tofocus on gathering information. Getting his summons destroyed also affected him, but it did not matter. A small sacrifice was better than attacking blindly and ending up dying without knowing what had happened. Besides, he only needed to buy more time until the emperor arrived.


    From the information he received beforeing here, Mannick, Imman and a number of their army officers were with the emperor and were already on the way.


    ''Still¡­'' Gael looked toward his left where he had sent his army.


    There were actually two beasts rampaging there. ording to the earlier report, these beasts were summoned by Kyran as well. This report made Gael recall that the Regis n knew taming techniques.


    ''But where did he tame such powerful beasts?'' Gael wondered.


    From thest report the Special Ops had sent him, there was a chance that Kyran went to the Valley of Morte. Could he have found the beasts there?


    If that was the case, then what about those eyes peering at the rift above the tall building?


    Gael turned his attention to his left and looked at the said tall building. The huge rift was still there, and two more beasts were growling and hissing as if pleading to be let out.


    Gael''s brow furrowed. What exactly was that rift? How many more beasts were inside? Was Kyran the only one who could let those beasts out? Or was there a duration of some sort before they could leave it on their own?


    All of these questions annoyed Gael. Not knowing anything about the enemy was equivalent to suicide.


    Shaking his head in frustration, Gael pushed all unnecessary things to the back of his head and turned his attention back to Kyran.


    And that was his mistake.


    Turning his attention even for a few seconds away from Kyran.


    BAM!


    Kyran appeared in front of Gael and sent out a kick.


    Gael barely willed his robe to protect his side. But being a full-pledge mage, he was unable to defend himself from the force of kick and was sent flying several meters to the right.


    "Guah!" He spat out a mouthful of blood as he hit several buildings.


    But Kyran did not seem to have any ns of letting Gael off easy. Without waiting for thetter to stop. Kyran disappeared and reappeared on the bulding where Gael was about to hit next and received thetter with a punch.


    BAM!


    "Gah!" Gael''s momentum was broken but was sent back again. However, he had no ns on bing Kyran''s punching bag. Earlier, he was caught off guard and he admitted thetter''s kick muddled his senses for a minute. But the second attack had awakened him.


    Gael''s red eyes glowed and he summoned his magic weapon. To break his momentum, he pierced the end of the scythe on the ground. The ground cracked as the scythe''s shaft sank a few inches before finally breaking Gael''s momentum.


    Without bothering to check Kyran''s location, since he would definitely being, Gael summoned his magic and shadow spread from the tip of his scythe that was pierced on ground, forming a ten-meter radius of ck murky substance.


    Kyran disappeared and reappeared a few feet above Gael and was poised to kick.


    But it was at this time that a huge ck hand emerged from the ck murky substance and reached for Kyran.

 Chapter 485 Rampage (9)

    SIZZLE!


    The moment the murky ck substance got hold of Kyran, it sizzled and disintegrated.


    Surprisingly, when it happened, Gael''s skin turned a shade of gray and red-purplish veins appeared on his neck, which snaked through to his temples. Blood also oozed down from the side of his mouth as if experiencing a magic rebound after the murky ck substance started to disintegrate.


    Such a phenomenon was not surprising. The murky ck substance was part of Gael''s domain, and he could turn it into anything, from offensive to defensive maneuvers. He could even use it as storage to detain his enemies or protect and hide his allies. This was the move he employed earlier to save Deception while keeping Kyran in ce.


    If others only looked at the nature of Gael''s Shadow magic, they would find it impossible for him to be a Transmuter. And the truth, Gael did think that way before. When he got promoted to a High Master, he aimed to be an Elementor. But after delving into his magic further, he realized that even though the nature of Shadow did not have any ''physical form,'' as long as he could find a way to concentrate his magic in one point, he could use ''light'' as a medium to let it take form. Even so, Gael did not possess an affinity for Light magic. But that did not stop him from understanding it. Through diligence, he finally learned how to incorporate ''light'' into his Shadow runes, turning them into something that could have a definite form. Because of this, he made a breakthrough and finally achieved his domain, promoting him to a Magus.


    Still, Gael''s domain was not without fault. The greatest w of his domain was it''s dependent on his own magic energy. He could replenish his magic energy by absorbing the natural magic energies in the surroundings. However, he would not be able to supplement it in his domain. He could supply his domain by constantly converting this newly absorbed magic energy and incorporating ''light'' runes into them. Because of this w, Gael''s domain could be considered limited. Once his own magic energy got depleted, he could not use it again. If he wanted to summon it again, he would need time to supply it with new magic energy with light runes. Of course, Gael had found a way to lower his domain''s magic energy consumption, and that was by using his own life force. For short, his domain was connected to his life force. It was precisely because of this reason that when his domain suffered, he would also sustain damage, albeit a little.


    Gael immediately blended into the murky substance and tried to erase his presence as much as possible before relocating to another position.


    BAM!


    Gael managed to escape just before Kyran''s kicknded. The ground where thetter''s feetnded exploded, turning it into another small crater.


    Meanwhile, the first group from the Royal Army stationed in Thunknam Peak was already close to Noser. These officers were at the bottom tier of the Royal Army, with the highest rank being three Majors, with nine lieutenants, and several officers. They were the first to be dispatched after receiving the first distress call almost an hour ago.


    Travel from Thunknam Peak going to Noser would typically take five hours. They could utilize teleportation tokens or ready-made short-range transportation arrays to reduce travel time.


    Using teleportation tokens was out of the question, and the reason was apparent. They had limited supplies, and teleportation was done in a random straight line. As for the short-ranged transportation arrays, medium-sized torge-sized businesses had them. These arrays were usually used solely for transporting standard goods to nearby minor cities, with the farthest being a city called, Milldawn, which was fifteen minutes away from Noser. The Royal Army closely monitored these arrays, and the businesses were only allowed to use them once a month. However, due to the urgency of the current situation, coupled with the emperor''s order, these businesses could only open these arrays and let the Royal Army pass through.


    Nevertheless, these arrays could only transport fifteen to twenty people, and recharging took at least three minutes. It was the reason it still took them almost an hour to finally arrived in Noser.


    As soon as this group arrived, they split into three groups, with one major leading three lieutenants and more than a hundred officers. One group assisted the local city guards and army officers in evacuating the residents, while the second group assisted the remaining local army officers in keeping the two beasts away from the residential district. The third group, which also consisted of the more experienced officers, went to find the main culprit of the disturbance.


    All the officers came to a sudden halt after witnessing Gael, the very Grand Marshal of the Yen Empire, escape the attack of a man d in dark purple armor.


    They all felt their heart palpitate upon seeing the man in armor kick, which destroyed the ground as if it was made of brittle material.


    Gael sensed the arrival of this group and decided to relocate near them. But then he thought against it, seeing how close they were to Kyran''s current location. He chose to stay within his domain and observe. He also had to assess his next move properly, especially now that he discovered thetter also had monstrous detection skills.


    ''Wait,'' Gael frowned slightly as he realized something strange.


    Earlier, while observing the situation while his shadow summons held off Kyran, he was approximately two hundred meters away. As soon as his summons were destroyed, thetter came after him. It was the same when with the summons. Kyran had been relentless and did not stop until he destroyed them. There was not even a pause in his movements.


    So why did Kyran note after Gael when he escaped? Could it be that Kyran could not detect him while he was inside his domain? No, that should not have been the case. When his summons retreated to his domain, didn''t Kyran go after them at once? Could it be because Gael erased his presence? Maybe? But what about Deception? When Kyran went after her, Gael had trouble detecting her because she could hide her presence well.


    While Gael was caught up in these thoughts, the cloud of dirt from the explosion dissipated, revealing Kyran standing in the middle of the crater, unmoving.


    Gael frowned at once and looked at the army officers standing only about sixty to seventy meters from Kyran.


    ''Why isn''t he moving? Why won''t he attack them?'' Gael wondered while looking at the army officers.


    Suddenly, a movement came from within the army officers. An officer in a red uniform dashed out while letting out a battle cry and ran toward Kyran.<sub> </sub>


    As soon as the officer moved, Kyran also moved. He disappeared and reappeared before the officer, grabbing thetter''s head and mming it on the ground.


    "AAAARGH!" The officer let out a pitiful wail before his head exploded, his body spasming for a moment before finally lying unmoving on the ground.


    The officers who saw this were petrified. However, they were all soldiers, and after witnessing one of them die at the hands of a person who posed a huge threat to the citizens, many followed suit.


    Five more officers dashed out while ten others scattered to surround Kyran.


    Gael''s brow furrowed because when these people moved, Kyran had not made a move. He only straightened and remained in his spot.


    The fifteen officers roused their magic and summoned their magic arrays.


    As soon as these magic arrays lit up, Kyran finally moved. He did not go to them but simply waved his arms. When he did, fifteen dark purple short des appeared in thin air and instantaneously flew rapidly at the officers.


    The officers were surprised and moved to evade, but they were toote. The short des hit their head almost at the same time. They passed through the middle of their foreheads, leaving a vertical hole behind. No sound came from these officers and no blood; they simply fell dead on the ground. As for the short des, as soon as they hit their targets, they dissipated into thin air, indicating that the des were not weapons but made out of magic.


    The rest of the officers gaped in fright. These officers did not make a move because they were afraid. On the contrary, they were the ones who realized something was wrong.


    Initially, they came here after receiving a report that a man from the north had appeared and let loose his beasts. But from the scene where the man in armor forced the Grand Marshal to retreat, then his unbelievable speed where he disappeared and reappeared in front of the first officer that attacked him, most of them already realized something was not right. Finally, after witnessing the man summon those short des without even summoning a magic array, they now understood what was wrong.


    Summoning those short des without magic arrays. Forcing a Magus to retreat. Dealing with the officers as if they were nothing but buzzing flies around him.


    This man was not someone they could fight. As a matter of fact, if he had forced the Grand Marshal to retreat, then no one in the empire could fight him.


    No!


    Suddenly, the highest-ranked officer among them, the major, made a move. He was a soldier. No matter what, he vowed to protect the empire and its people, even if it meant throwing away his life. He might not be able to make any difference by attacking the man, but at least he could divert his attention away from the others.


    "Do not engage and wait for the others!" The major shouted as he ran toward the man. As he ran, he spread his arms and summoned red magic arrays on his palms.


    Crackle!


    Time seemed to have slowed around the major. Not even a second had passed, and he could still see the man standing unmoving around fifty meters away. But then the man disappeared and was now in front of him, his hand inches away from his head.


    The courage the major had mustered vanished at once. That was something fear could do. His magic arrays dissipated as his knees caved in.


    But then something strange happened.


    The man, whose hand was only an inch away from his head, had stopped moving.


    This...?


    The major fell to his knees and stared at the man in fear. But the man did not make another move. He only lowered his hand and stood straight.


    From a distance, Gael''s eyes shed. A smile appeared on his face after discovering what was wrong.

 Chapter 486 Rampage (10)

    Kyran was unconscious.


    This was Gael''s conclusion after assessing all the clues from Kyran''s strange disy.


    Gael discovered something odd about Kyran when thetter did not pursue him after hiding in his domain. Initially, Gael thought Kyran could not detect him because before entering his domain, he concealed his aura as much as possible. But recalling the scene when Kyran relentlessly went after Gael''s summons even after they were about to retreat in his domain did not concur to this notion.


    So why did Kyran not pursue him? What was different from Gael and his summons?


    With too little data to go by, Gael decided to observe.


    When the first batch of officers arrived, Gael found more clues.


    Kyran reacted to the first soldier. That soldier did not conceal himself and even shouted before attacking. Alerted by the noise, Kyran moved to intercept him. Did this mean that Kyran reacted to the noise? If that was the case, why did he not act at once when fifteen officers followed suit and attacked? With fifteen people moving, even if they tried to conceal their movements they would still produce some kind of sound. As someone who specialized inbat, Kyran definitely had other means to ''hear'' his opponent; for example the sound of their breathing and even the beating of their heart. Though the fifteen officers were at least forty to fifty meters away from Kyran, Gael knew thetter''s hearing ability could be amplified through the Regis Blessing.


    In the end, Kyran ignored these officers, and only reacted after they rouse their magic. Did it mean Kyran reacted to the presence of magic? Gael rejected this at once because the first soldier did not even summon his magic arrays before charging at Kyran.


    Then what could possibly be the cause?


    The answer came to Gael from Kyran''s behavior when the officer with a silver badge, denoting his position as a major, made a move.


    Though the major charged in, like the first soldier, Kyran did not react at once. He only reacted when the major roused his magic array with the intent to kill!


    That was right.


    With Gael''s magic sense, he was able to sense the intent of the officers. When the first soldier charged in, even without rousing his magic array, his killing intent was evident. Most likely, thetter''s emotions were roused by his own indignation of the situation. Next, the killing intent of those fifteen officers were concealed when they left the formation. But as soon as they summoned their magic arrays, their killing intent leaked out, prompting Kyran to attack. As for the major, his killing intent was also concealed while he barked out amand to the remaining officers. Only when he roused his magic array did it leak, which in turn forced Kyran to go after him. But when the major had suddenly came face to face with death, his killing intent dropped. With no killing intent to react to, Kyran had been forced to stop.


    For someone to move in such a fashion even while unconscious made Gael rediscover the monstrosity of the Regis n. No wonder all the previous emperors had been wary about the Regis n. Just what kind ofbat training and upbringing did their people go through for them to have such a reflex even after falling unconscious?


    Nevertheless, though Kyran''s movement appeared frightening, it had a very obvious w: Kyran''s movementcked initiative. He would only react to attacks with obvious killing intent.


    As to why Kyran had fallen unconscious, Gael guessed it had something to do with Deception. He knew that woman was an Enchanter, so it was easy to guess that Kyran probably fell to her illusion.


    ''Still, even after falling into her illusion, he managed to reduce her into that state,'' Gael thought with a grim expression, recalling Deception''s condition before he saved her.


    Honestly, Gael could not be bothered to help that woman. However, after sending a coded-message to Haylee, she replied almost immediately and told him to keep an eye on Deception and help her if necessary. That was how Gael ended uping to her aid when she was about to get crushed by Kyran.


    Putting all those aside, now that Gael knew Kyran''s condition, he would take advantage of it.


    Gael looked at the major who had fallen on the ground still looking at Kyran in fear and sent an order telepathically, ''Stay calm and retreat slowly. That man will not attack you unless you attack first.''


    The major reacted upon hearing a voice spoke in his mind. He recognized it immediately; Grand Marshal Gael. The former did not doubt the voice and retreated at once. Still, his mind reeled at Gael''s words.


    Will not attack unless they attack first? Just what is this man? Or is it even a man? The man was d in a dark purple armor, and they assumed it was a human in armor. Could it be that it was not human at all? But if it was not then... a puppet? Impossible!


    Gael kept his presence hidden as he connected his domain in a nearby shadow close to the remaining eighty or so officers.


    When he emerged from the shadow, all the officers saluted at once.


    "Grand Marshal Gael!" All of them greeted.


    Gael, his back on them, only raised his hand in acknowledgement.


    The major walked in front of him in shame, "Grand Marshal, I¡ª."


    "I don''t want to hear any excuses," Gael cut him midsentence.


    The major felt even more ashamed. He had wanted to sacrifice himself and let the others retreat, but when death became apparent, his resolve crumbled. It was actually a miracle he did not piss himself and further adding to his shame.


    "Don''t get me wrong," Gael continued. "That man will be hard to deal with. If you have not retracted your intent to kill, you would have died in vain like those who went before you."


    The nearby officers who heard him were shocked.


    "I''ll takemand. All those who are not confident in concealing their killing intent, stand back and wait for his Majesty''s arrival. The rest, follow me."


    Most of them did not understand what Gael was on about, but theyply at once. They were all experienced inbat, but only a few could be considered veterans who could conceal their killing intent.<sub> </sub>


    Twenty-seven officers, including the major and the three lieutenants remained while the rest retreated.


    "All of you, just have to remember one thing," Gael started. He still did not face them. After experiencing Kyran''s sudden attack, he did not dare take his eyes off him even if thetter would only react to killing intent. "When attacking, conceal your killing intent. Else, you will be lucky if you can survive in the next few seconds."


    "Yes."


    "Move out!"


    Without further ado, the twenty-seven officers spread out. They were all mages but could wield a weapon or two. Of course, theirbat strength could notpare to those realbat mages, but they could at least defend themselves in melee. However, they did not have any ns on fighting that monster in closebat. The safest way for their attacks to connect was long range attack.


    Twenty-seven officers surrounded Kyran, hiding in the buildings and debris at least twenty meters away. With concealed killing intent, they rouse their magic and summoned their magic arrays. Most possessed Fire magic while a couple had Restraining magic.


    Gael was not idle either. He retreated to his domain and checked on Deception.


    Deception was in suspended animation. Her body was floating inside a semi-transparent red orb. The semi-transparent orb illuminated a faint red glow in the middle of the dark space. Gael looked at her curiously. She appeared to have fallen into aa but her magic energy was actively circting in her body, thus, he roughly guessed she was healing herself.


    Gael was correct. In order to heal her body as soon as possible, Deception entered this state. Unlike the mages in the Human ne, in Deception''s original ne, they were capable of healing themselves by entering into suspended animation and letting their internal magic energy course through their body. In the Human ne, only by employing an ancient body technique could one achieve a simr effect. In any case, she only needed a few more minutes to fully recover.


    "Are you awake?" Gael asked.


    Deception opened her eyes and looked at him, but did not speak.


    "You have to tell me what you did to him."


    Deception closed her eyes and did not respond. This human might have saved her, but she had no ns on working together with him. That boy was her prey. Only after she get what she wanted would she let him off.


    Right. Ruin wanted the boy as well and to honor her promise, she would deliver that boy in a silver tter to him. But she would not be able to do so if this human interfered. Although this human might be under Haylee''s control, Deception could sense his intentions. This human wanted the boy for himself. To be precise, he wanted the boy to be his puppet.


    Gael''s brow furrowed when Deception ignored him. He could easily crush her within his domain, but since Haylee told him to help her, he could only grit his teeth and endure.


    "That boy is still unconscious¡ª."


    Deception''s eyes snapped open at this at once.


    "¡ªand to detain him we have to align our attacks and¡ª Oi!"


    Deception ignored the rest of Gael''s words and immediately remove her protective barrier then burst out of his domain.


    Meanwhile, the twenty-seven officers had alreadyunched their attacks. Two used restraining magic to keep Kyran in ce, while the rest bombarded him with long range attacks.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Continuous fireballs attacked Kyran in all directions. The explosion creating a thick cloud of smoke in just a few seconds.


    Due to the low magic level of the officers, the most powerful attack they could employ was fireballs. They had yet to learn how to mold their magic.


    After more than a minute, all of them stopped their attacks. The smoke was already too thick and they could no longer see Kyran''s silhouette. Nevertheless, they did not expect the Grand Marshal''s words to be true. To be precise, they did not want to doubt Gael''s order, but they were still skeptical about the man not attacking them.


    Gael''s conclusion was indeed sound. However, he failed toprehend everything. While Kyran did react to others when they had the intent to kill, he was not reacting to killing intent. What he was reacting to, was hostility directed at him!


    BOOM!


    Kyran suddenly appeared in front of an suspecting officer, his left hand struck at once. The officer''s head flew out. No blood and no sound came out of the officer as he fell to the ground.


    As soon as the others saw this, only one word came to their mind.


    RUN!


    And that was what they did. The remaining twenty-six officers scattered at once.


    But their escape was futile in front of someone who could warp in session.


    The twenty-six officers fell one after another, as Kyran went after them. Though they no longer directed any hostility, since theyunched an attack, Kyran would retaliate.

 Chapter 487 Revolt

    The reason Kyran did not go after Gael when he escaped into his domain, the answer was simple: Kyran could not enter Gael''s domain. It was easy for Gael to miss this important fact and only think that Kyran would react to killing intent. However, if Gael had considered Kyran''s summons, he would have realized that if Kyran were reacting to killing intent, then he would have been attracted to the amount of killing intent from where his beasts and the army were currently engaged in a fight.


    s, Gael was unaware that in Kyran''s state, he could not distinguish between friend and foe and was purely reacting to any hostility directed at him. One could say that Kyran was like a puppet with only one program: to kill any hostiles around him.


    Thest of the twenty-seven officers dropped dead as Kyran severed his head. Like those before him, no blood oozed out from the body. If one looked closely at these bodies, one would discover that the wound from where the head had been cut off was scorched, preventing the blood from flowing out. Such was the result of being cut off by Kyran''s Void magic. Because of this, anything it touches would not be healed or regenerated. The only ones who would probably have the ability to recover after suffering from a Void magic attack were those possessing Draconic magic. After all, thetter was also Ancient Magic, and its healing attribute was second to none.


    With no hostiles around, Kyran again stood straight and remained unmoving.


    From a distance, Mera and Iss growled and hissed in concern as they looked at Kyran. Others could not see it, but as a special and mutated beast, they could see that a red mist enshrouded Kyran. They knew their master was under the influence of someone else''s magic.


    Whoosh!


    A red sh emerged from the shadow five meters away behind Kyran. A delicate hand holding a crystal red dagger swept through, aiming for his neck.


    It was none other than Deception, who had already recovered 90%.


    Sizzle!


    However, the de passed through the Void Armor and sizzled. It was impossible tond a hit on Kyran as long as he wore his armor.


    "Tsk!" Deception clicked her tongue in annoyance. This would be the first time she had encountered such troublesome armor.


    As an Enchanter, Deception had to have other means of dealing damage to her enemies. After all, others were either immune to illusions or possessed unique body constitutions that could counter her medium. Because of this, she had trained her body forbat and specialized in the use of daggers. Few could master the use of daggers. Its short length and reach were best for sneak attacks. But if one had to use it for sneak attacks, they had to kill their enemies in one strike. For this reason, Deception went to great lengths to have a unique dagger crafted for her.


    Deception''s dagger was no ordinary one. It was a magic weapon crafted from the blood and scales of a Tanagran, a legendary sea creature from her original ne. Tanagrans were famous for their sharp scales, and their blood was corrosive. All those who were sliced by her dagger died without them knowing.


    And yet, this boy''s armor withstood her dagger''s corrosive effect. Not only that, her dagger appeared to have been damaged!


    Deception instantly turned into a mist as Kyran twisted his body with one arm extended, aiming for her head.


    Sizzle!


    "Ugh..!" Deception winced when Kyran''s armor swept past her mist form.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed. In an instant, the armor on his extended arm turned into mist and intermingled with Deception''s mist form.


    "Aaargh!" Deception shouted in pain.


    Why did she forget that this boy could also do this? No. It was not that she had forgotten. She did not think his armor could change form at will. Not to mention, he could do it while still unconscious!


    Deception retracted her mist form at once and did multiple back somersaults to escape from Kyran.


    But Kyran would not let her. He did a half-turn and stomped his feet, instantly closing the gap between them. He reached out his right hand to grab her head.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Several ck tentacle-like substances emerged from their shadows and pierced through Kyran''s bare forearm. Blood splurted out from his arm. Then the ck tentacles wrapped around his arm and body to hold him in ce. More ck tentacles emerged from the shadow to rece the disintegrating tentacles.


    Deception turned into mist again and disappeared, reappearing twenty meters away.


    Beside her, Gael emerged from the shadow and bellowed, "Don''t be rash! His armor is made of Void. Unless we understand the nature of his magic, we cannot do anything to him!"


    Deception red at him, "You said he was unconscious!"


    "He is!" Gael growled back. "He is only reacting to our killing intent!"


    Deception frowned at this. She looked back at Kyran, currently destroying the seemingly endless ck tentacles. She heard he was part of a powerful n full ofbat mages, which exined his physicalbat. But for him to have such a monstrous reflex even after falling unconscious, what kind of environment did he grow up in?


    "I don''t think he''s reacting to killing intent," she said after a short pause.<sub> </sub>


    Now it was Gael''s turn to frown, "What do you mean?"


    Deception did not reply. Instead, she closed her eyes and spread her magic influence. True enough, she found Kyran still trapped in her illusion. It was quite a spectacle.


    For the record, Deception''s illusions were not pre-made. She had no control over what her target saw. Using her medium, she could only stimte her target''s dark secrets and their most hidden emotions. The more traumatizing a memory or important an emotion was, the deeper her target would fall into the illusion.


    A smile appeared on Deception''s delicate face. She opened her eyes and looked at Kyran with renewed interest.


    "I wonder what he is reliving right now," she muttered. Initially, she only wanted to make him suffer until he confessed where he had hidden her things. But seeing his state, even under her illusion, made her want him too. Besides, he was the new Dark Sage. Having him under her control would increase her chances of winning the uing War of the Sovereigns.


    ''Is this why Ruin is also interested in him?'' She wondered. Haylee''s image crossed her mind, and her smile vanished instantly. ''That little girl as well. She wanted him alive... could it be that she also...''


    Deception''s expression turned solemn. The air crackled as her magic pressure increased.


    Her sudden change made Gael''s frown deepen.


    "Oi. I already told you not to--."


    "Silence."


    Deception flicked her hand, sending a whiff of soft wind toward Gael.


    A sweet smell infiltrated Gael''s sense of smell, and his eyes zed over instantly. He could not even put up any defences and had fallen into Deception''s illusions.


    That was right. It was hard to guard against her illusion because she used scent as her medium. Not many were aware, but the scent was the most effective way to trigger one''s emotion or memory. It could easily let someone recall emotions and memories as vividly as if it was happening in real life.


    For this reason, Kyran could not discern the fake from the real.


    Gael fell to his knees. But then his scythe glowed, activating his domain at once. His shadow darkened and swallowed him whole.


    Deception did not make a move to stop his escape. She did not care if he nned to tell that human girl Haylee about what she had done. In the first ce, she was only here because she wanted to get back the things Kyran took from her. But now that her interest in him was piqued, she might as well take him too. If he became hers, everything he had would automatically be hers.


    After Gael had escaped, the ck tentacles keeping Kyran busy stopped reproducing and were destroyed in a few seconds.


    Deception did not approach and maintained her distance. She watched Kyran in silence with a curious smile on her face.


    With theck of hostiles in his surrounding, Kyran stopped moving and straightened again.


    The air continued to crackle around her, and the night sky started to distort.


    Everyone in Noser felt the sudden change in the air.


    "L-Look! The sky!"


    Someone shouted.


    Those not engaged in fighting the manticore and the mutated basilisk looked up and saw cracks appearing in the night sky. Magic fluctuations spread throughout the city, sending everyone trembling in fear. Such magic fluctuations only urred when a Magus was about to unleash a powerful spell.


    Most of them knew Gael was there. But for reasons unknown, they felt that the magic fluctuation was not because of him.


    At that exact moment, Mannick snapped his eyes open. He looked out the carriage''s window, and his eyes narrowed at once.


    A golden could be seen up in the sky from a distance.


    The Sovereign''s Cradle had been activated.

 Chapter 488 Arrival

    Deception looked at the night sky, and an alluring smile appeared on her delicate face.


    Unlike Savagery and Ruin, she did note to the Human ne in her real form. She only came with her essence. That was why she was not affected by the Sovereign Cradle. The downside, her mage level was only at Exalted. Normally, it would not affect the use of illusions. But she miscalcted her prey''s ability. She thought it would be easy to get her things back as long as she pried into his memories. s, her prey had not only a monstrous physical ability but also possessed beast-like reflexes while unconscious.


    In any case, Deception did n oning down to the Human ne in her real form. But she was waiting for Ruin to make a move first. She was not invested in that little girl''s game, after all.


    However, now that she was interested in Kyran, the only way for her to take him was toe down herself. Normally, it would be hard for her original self to find the Human ne, but using her essence as the end point, she could easily locate its coordinate.


    The only annoying part would be creating a distortion so she could slip inside.


    Cracks appeared in the night sky as several golden lightning struck, their angry roar sending chills down the spines of all the remaining people in Noser.


    RAWRGH!


    HISS!


    Manti and Bas roared and hissed at the skies. Even Mera and Iss paced back and forth inside the rift while looking at the sky. Their beast senses told them that a threat to their master was fast approaching.


    No.


    It was already here!


    CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!


    All the cracks in the sky connected, forming a huge one. The Sovereign''s Cradle shook violently. Bits and pieces that made up the golden fell from the sky but quickly dissipated in the air, filling the sky with what looked like golden stardust.


    It was quite a spectacle.


    s, the people watching the sky failed to see it. Only those who knew the existence of other nes could actually see the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    "W-What is that?"


    Someone eximed among the remaining people in Noser while pointing at something from beyond the crack. Gasps of fright soon followed as they realized what it was.


    A huge but delicate finger was pressing down on the crack, trying to pry it open!


    WHOOOSH! BOOM!


    A ck figure flew into the crack andunched a powerful punch, sending an almost visible shockwave that pushed the ''finger'' back.


    The crowd from the ground was bbergasted by what they had seen. What, or who was that ck figure?


    Deception''s eyes narrowed at once after looking at the figure. Judging from its stature, it was a man. A young man. And for some reason, it was very familiar!


    Deception looked back at Kyran at once.


    However, Kyran was still standing in the same spot. Not moving an inch.


    ''Then who...?''


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The ck figure continued his assault on the crack. Sending ripples of concentrated magic to push the ''finger'' further.


    "AAAAHHHH!"


    An ear-piercing scream sounded from the crack, and a force akin to a powerful gust of wind burst out, sending all the people below to fall to their knees while clutching their heads. It felt as if their brains would explode just by the intensity of the scream!


    A dark reddish barrier formed around the ck figure, defending himself from the surge of pure magic energy from the crack.


    Deception looked back at the ck figure in the sky. She did not have time to recall where she had seen that figure. While he appeared to be simr to Kyran, she could be mistaken. After all, the former was up in the sky. Putting her doubts aside, she immediately flew up to intercept the ck figure. She could not let him hinder her original self''s descent!


    But.


    BAM!


    "UGH!"


    A sudden sneak attack came from her left side, and she was sent flying to the side, hitting several buildings in the process.


    RAWRGH!


    The sneak attack came from the Manti, who had been ''asked'' to keep an eye on Deception!


    On the other hand, Bas slithered his way to the remaining army officers and took advantage of their muffled state tounch an attack.


    HISS!


    He opened his mouth and released a powerful shockwave, reducing all of the officers within his range into pieces.


    Screams of agony filled the air.


    As for the ck figure in the sky, he nced at the two beasts gratefully. Surprisingly, the ck figure was wearing a ck panther mask! Except, the color of the mask was slightly off. It was not pure ck but dark blue and purple, and upon closer inspection, hexagonal lines could be seen on the mask''s surface.


    "No time to waste! Let''s close the crack as soon as possible!"


    "Humph! I only listen to my master!"


    "If you don''t listen to me, then you will not have a master to listen to!"


    If Kyran were conscious, he would have recognized the voices of the two.


    They were none other than True Void and Zephyr!


    "Tsk," Zephyr clicked his tongue but did not argue. True Void was right. Zephyr knew that the woman, or at least the owner of that huge finger in the sky, was a Sovereign. Such a powerful existence was definitely not something they could deal with. If Kyran were conscious, then that would be a different story.<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, if that woman entered the Human ne, even if the Sovereign''s Cradle managed to suppress her mage level, she would still be too powerful for them to handle. Tritus, Kyran''s Sigil with the highest mage level, would not be able to hold a candle against her if he was here.


    "I''ll absorb any attack sheunches. Just focus on releasing your punches to that crack," True Void instructed Zephyr.


    "Wouldn''t the crack widen from my punches?"


    "Don''t kid yourself. Your not really Void Halfling. With such half ass punches, all it could do is tickle that woman!"


    Zephyr felt some veins on his forehead pop in annoyance. So, his punches were not as powerful as his master''s. But it was not half-assed, alright? Did he piss that woman off just now?


    "Anyway, can you talk to Void Halfling?"


    "The connection is there."


    "Good, good. Go and wake him. My goodness, and I mean my goodness. He is such a handful at times!"


    Zephyr decided to ignore True Void''s ranting. Frankly, his patience was growing thin by this guy''s pompous attitude. From his arrival in the cottage, he had tested Zephyr''s patience.


    Nevertheless, Zephyr was really grateful for True Void''s timely arrival.


    When they were having dinner earlier, Cyneah suddenly froze before falling into a trance, saying ''Nar'' was in danger; Zephyr also had a bad promotion. Good thing, before te could leave to find Kyran, True Void arrived.


    Since True Void could enter the cottage, Zephyr and te knew he was not an enemy. Besides, Zephyr felt Kyran''s ''branding'' on him, so they decided to listen. Thus, after learning what happened, the two of them left to find Kyran.


    Zephyr did not expect that his master had actually fallen into an illusion!


    No matter. Since his master needed his help, then Zephyr would do his best!


    With clenched fists, Zephyr gathered his magic energy and sent out another punch into the crack.


    *


    "Ky....n."


    Distant voice.


    "Hey! Kyr..n!"


    Seemingly unfamiliar yet cordial.


    "Wake up, Kyran! It''s already time for breakfast!"


    Kyran snapped his eyes open. What greeted him were two round silver-gray eyes that belonged to a chubby little elf girl. She was about nine or ten years old with long wavy silvery hair tied in cute pigtails. On her cute face was a simrly cute pout, a clear sign of her displeasure.


    "Are you nning to ditch training again?"


    "Ellys..."


    Kyran heard himself say. The name sounded foreign to his lips, not because it was his first time saying it but because it had been some time.


    Some time...? Why?


    He felt his heart tighten but had no idea why.


    Ellys, the little elf girl''s pout, instantly turned into a bright smile, and she said in a sing-song voice, "Good morning, sleepyhead~."


    Kyran sat up, and his head was immediately assaulted by excruciating pain.


    "Ugh..." He sped his head with his left and keeled over from the pain.


    "Kyran!" Ellys eximed in concern. She touched his head at once and closed her eyes. A soft golden light formed in her little cubby hand. Upon closer inspection, small gold runes were dancing within the light.


    Slowly, the pain Kyran felt eased, and he looked at Ellys with a slight smile, "Thanks."


    Ellys opened her eyes and looked at Kyran in concern, "Are you still not used to our ne?"


    Upon the mention of the ne, memories flooded Kyran''s head, and his eyes widened.


    That was right. Three days ago, he was transported to this ne for training. His training objective was to learn the use of Light and Dark Arts and understand their bncing effect. Of course, the tower did not tell him this. Kyran came up with it after staying on this ne for a few days.


    Came up with it? Was it he who came up with that objective?


    Somehow Kyran felt he was missing something.


    Kyran shook his head and decided to push the thought to the back of his head. There was no point in understanding it now and worrying Ellys further.


    "No. I just feel like I had a very long dream," Kyran answered Ellys with a smile.


    It was not a lie. He did feel as if he was dreaming before she woke him up. But he could not remember what dream it was. In any case, it was not really important. He had to master the use of Light and Dark Arts as soon as possible because he had to...


    He had to... What? What exactly is it that he had to do?


    ''Master!''


    "Ugh..!" Kyran grabbed his head with both hands as another splitting headache assaulted his senses.


    "Kyran!"


    ''It''s not real! Please, wake up!''


    Snap!

 Chapter 489 Let’s Go

    Scenes of carnage and death streamed through Kyran''s mind. They flowed like an old film reel where each frame depicted scenes of Vateeh and Gaduquar people getting killed. Though each frame showed different people, there was one person who appeared in all of them.


    Kyran.


    And in all these frames, he was the one killing them.


    ''Stop!'' Kyran screamed but no sound came out from his mouth. He shut his eyes tight but it was of no use. Because these scenes were ying back on his mind.


    It was strange.


    The tragedy in the Vates ne had happened three years ago and Kyran had alreadye to terms on what he had done. It was his sin and he nned to atone for it by not making the same mistake, especially when saving his n. As a matter of fact, that experience prompted him to change, to stop acting reckless without a back up n or the strength to support his actions.


    Yet, why was he feeling guilty once more? The guilt weigh on him, making him fall into an empty bottomless pit.


    No.


    It was not empty but filled with water. Water that weighed a lot and tasted like metal.


    Like blood.


    "¡­Nar!"


    Kyran took a sharp intake of breath as he woke up with a start. Then he coughed several times, spitting a mouthful of water.


    No, not water. But blood.


    "Nar¡­ thank goodness!"


    Kyran turned to his right and saw Cyneah kneeling beside him. Her lips and clothes were smeared with blood and even her mirror-like eyes had turned dark red.


    "Neah¡­ what¡­?" His voice trailed off after seeing her condition. The first thought that came to him was she got hurt. But then his focus shifted in the surroundings and realized that he had returned to the first scene after falling into Deception''s illusion.


    That was right, he was just inside an illusion. This ce was not real and he had to escape from it.


    "I heard you struggling. As if you are drowning," Cyneah replied, her voice cracked slightly, showing how worried she had been.


    Kyran looked back at her with wary eyes.


    "I¡­" Cyneah''s voice trailed off. Suddenly feeling a little abashed, she took a deep breath before continuing, "¡­ h-had to¡­ re-resus¡ª um. A-Anyway. I-It''s good t-that you''re okay n-now."


    But Kyran could barely register what she was saying because he was busy staring at her. Why did it feel like she was not an illusion? He then caught sight of the small scar on her cheek from when he had thrown the Void Knife and he frowned slightly.


    "Nar?"


    "You''re not real."


    Cyneah''s eyes widened in confusion.


    Seeing her expression only deepened Kyran''s frown. Deception should only be an Exalted right now, but for her illusion to be this potent. How was she able to trigger such vivid memories, not to mention, depict people he knew to such extent?


    ''Master!''


    Kyran looked up as he heard Zephyr''s voice again.


    That was right. He heard him too at the start. But wondered why he did not see him?


    "Zephy?"


    Kyran looked at Cyneah in surprise. The first time, she had also reacted to Zephyr''s voice, which was why he believed she and Zephyr were part of the illusion.


    "You can hear him?"


    Cyneah looked at him and nodded, "Yes."


    Kyran looked at her again. The reason why he was convinced she was an illusion was because Cyneah never looked straight at him. To be precise, her line of sight was a little off. But this Cyneah was looking at him as if she could genuinely see him.


    ''Please, master! Wake up!''


    Cyneah''s eyes widened at once, as if remembering something.


    "That''s right," she said and grabbed Kyran''s arm. "You''re right. This isn''t real. Please, wake up!"


    "You¡ª."


    "There is no time to exin. Actually, I don''t understand it myself. But you have to wake up now!"


    Kyran looked at her but did not ask anymore. He had felt something off from the moment she had appeared in front of him. But she never reacted to ''Ellys'' when that girl appeared. Not even when Ellys called him ''Kyran.''<sub> </sub>


    In any case, Cyneah and Zephyr was right. He had to wake up. But the question was, how?


    Looking up at the sky painted in red, he focused on the connection he had with Zephyr and called out.


    ''Zephyr.''


    [Master! Finally!]


    ''I can''t seem to wake up. What is happening outside?''


    [It''s pretty bad. A sovereign is trying to enter the Human ne. If this continues distortions will appear in other ces and who knows where it will connect to.]


    Kyran felt an iing headache. He was getting a lot of those recently.


    Distortions happened when a foreign magic forced its way into a ne. If the bnce of power in the ne shifted, then more of these would appear. Frankly, distortions would close on their own even if left alone. But the real concern was not how to close it but where it was connected to and what or who was drawn to it.


    Kyran could guess the sovereign trying to enter the Human ne was Deception. But why? As a matter of fact, what was happening to his body right now? And why was Zephyr able tomunicate with him? He did not sense him earlier. Did he go to Noser? Why?


    Kyran was just about to ask more questions but changed his mind. Those questions were unimportant right now. What he had to do was to wake up from this illusion.


    He stood up surveyed his surrounding. It did not seem like Deception was actively controlling this illusion. Did it mean this space was not created by her?


    Sensing Kyran stood up, Cyneah followed. Her sudden movement made him look at her again. He suddenly had a feeling that she knew how he could leave this illusion.


    "Why do you know this is not real?" He asked.


    Cyneah looked at him, not one bit surprised to hear his question. She replied, "Because I can see your silhouette more clearly."


    Even her answer seemed real. This made Kyran somewhat confused. Why would the Cyneah in this illusion be this real? Actually, why was she even here?


    This question made Kyran recall what he had read about illusions.


    There were different types of illusions, and triggers. The most potent of all was triggered by real memories and emotions.


    When Kyran fell into Deception''s illusion, he failed to guard himself. At that time, he was only thinking of making as much noise as possible to get the Royal Family and the outsiders'' attention. But the emotion he felt was probably simr to that time, before the tragedy in Vates ne happened. Which was why Deception''s illusion revolved around it.


    So where did Cyneahe into the equation? Because he was also worried that Deception had already taken her? Of course not. He had confidence in Zephyr. Besides, if they got in trouble, even if he was far from them, he would know. He had ced several safety measures on Cyneah after all. To be more urate, he modified the token he gave her. If she was ever in danger, he would know.


    Kyran shook his head. He really had no idea. In any case, seeing that she was aware this was not real, then maybe she might also know something to get out of the illusion. He did not know what she did, but she was the one who woke him up from the dream-like state he was in when he saw Ellys.


    Kyran looked at Cyneah and was about to ask her how he could wake from this illusion when he realized how stupid he would sound.


    "Nar."


    Sensing Kyran''s hesitation, Cyneah called out to him and reached for his hand.


    Kyran looked at her, a little taken aback at the sudden contact. Her warmth and even the feel of her touch did feel real.


    "Let''s go home," she said and smiled.


    And that was all it took, for Kyran to finally understand why Cyneah was here. The realization however, was something that caught him off guard. At the same time, he dared not admit. He could not. At least, not yet.


    "Yeah," Kyran replied after a short pause. "Let''s go."


    Crack!


    Cracks appeared on the red sky, as if it was made out of ss. The ground shook as fissures appeared. Soon, the glittering shards of the red sky fell down, while the ground fell apart.


    But Kyran ignored all that and only held Cyneah''s hand.


    He closed his eyes, and the world was plunged into darkness.


    *


    Rawrgh!


    Manti charged at Deception, but she easily turned into mist to escape from him.


    She let herself drift with the wind and finally turned back to her human form after appearing on top of a building.


    BAM!


    "Tsk," Deception clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked at the sky once more.


    The ck figure was still punching at the crack in the sky, preventing her original self from getting in.

 Chapter 490 Counter

    Bas opened his mouth and let out a shockwave toward the building Deception was standing on.


    Deception''s red eyes flickered and jumped to avoid the shockwave''s attack range. She flicked her fingers, a translucent fume whirled out from her fingertips and a sweet smell permeated slowly in the air. All the while, she felt a little indignant by the reaction speed of the beasts. With no cannon fodders¡ª a.k.a. The Royal Army officers¡ª around, the two beasts had been pursuing her non-stop. It also appeared that whether she was in her human or mist form they could still determine her position and adjust ordingly.


    The building Deception had just been on crumbled to pieces from Bas''s attack, at the same time, the sweet smell swept toward Bas.


    But it was at this moment that Manti appeared to the left side. With opened maw, revealing razor sharp teeth, he pulled back his head and breath out abination of green and purple mes. Except he did not aim at Deception. Instead, he aimed at the space between the her and Bas.


    Manti''s ming breath easily countered the translucent fume that Deception produced.


    Deception red at Manti. It seemed these beasts also knew when she was using her medium to trigger her illusions and also knew how to counter it. mes could easily purge the fumes in the air.


    The two was getting on Deception''s nerves. Unfortunately, she could not ignore them. Now that they had already finished off all the officers, she had no one to order around and keep them busy. Her only constion was the fact that the other two was still inside the rift.


    *


    A tallnky man in a ck short-sleeved ck hooded coat hovered above the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall. Below the silver barrier, which was the inner wall''s defensive array, was filled withrge cracks and appeared to be on the verge of copse.


    However, this man was not looking at the barrier. Three hours ago, he had unleashed his third concentrated attack on the barrier, and would need another four hours to replenish his energy. But although there was only an hour left before he could release another attack to the barrier, his thoughts were no longer there and was already upied by the news he had received more than an hour ago.


    More than an hour ago, he received a coded message from the Crown Princess, Haylee. The content sent him reeling in excitement, to the point that he wanted to attack the silver barrier with normal attacks. In his opinion, if he relentlessly unleashed normal attacks on the barrier, it would only be a matter of time before it copsed. When that happened, he would massacre everyone inside the barrier and present their heads to him; the young man who ruined his game in Lignum ne.


    His prey.


    After all, what would be the most effective way to rile up his prey than show him the heads of his people?


    But then, while he was basking at this happy news, a huge magic fluctuation appeared in the west. He was not that overly familiar with the Human ne''s current geography but he could more or less identify the location of the magic fluctuation. It was closed to the old city he once attacked on his first visit. That old city was now in ruins, and the closest city there was Noser, the ce where Deception and Gael went to seize Haylee''s target.


    In an instant, his sharp red eyes turned into slits, his rage rising.


    This man was none other than the Sovereign of Ruin. And because of his identity, it was easy for him to recognize who caused that magic fluctuation.


    "Deception, you b*tch!" He growled under his breath. "I''ll let you experience a thousand death if you touch my prey."


    He and Deception had an agreement where the former would help thetter in conquering the Myedeo ne. In turn, she would help him locate his prey. Although Ruin knew his prey had offended Deception after taking the Solum Tribe, Ruin was confident that she would not do anything without his consent.


    Ruin''s confidence stem from the fact that Deception had no ability to overpower the other Sovereigns eyeing the Myedeo ne. With her magic, it was not enough to win against the others especially against the Sovereign of Decay. That guy was a real neurotic. If one day he woke up in the wrong side of the bed and decided he did not want the Myedeo ne anymore, it would definitely turn into a wastnd, losing its value. Ruin was the only one who could keep Decay in check.


    Though their magic appeared simr, Ruin could also target ''people'' while Decay could only target nature.


    Frankly, Ruin no longer needed Deception''s assistance now that his knew his prey had returned to the Human ne. However, he thought having Deception here would put more pressure on his prey and would stop running away. Knowing his prey''s character, he would not runaway if he knew three Sovereigns was threatening his n.


    But it seemed, Ruin had made the wrong decision. Because of an unknown being''s interference, Savagery died and now, Deception had revolted.


    Ruin would definitely kill her if she touches even a strand of his prey''s hair.


    Ruin lost interest in destroying the Regis Estate''s barrier. In the first ce, he was only helping Haylee because she promised not to touch his prey. Besides, killing all this people would mean nothing if that b*tch Deception took his prey.


    Dark energy circted around Ruin''s body. His intention was clear, he would destroy the space in this ce to get to Noser at once.


    WHOOOOSH!


    Ruin''s sharp red eyes shed as he stopped the dark energy''s cirction and evaded the ck spear that suddenly rushed out from a huge crack on the barrier.


    "Don''t be in a hurry to leave."


    A deep powerful voice spoke from inside the barrier.


    Ruin looked down and saw a man, in a ck armor standing on the surface of the barrier. In an instant, a sinister smile appeared on the former''s face. Especially when the man shared an uncanny resemnce to his prey!


    *


    RAWRGH!


    Mera let out a distressed roar. He wanted to go out and eat that despicable woman for harming their master. Iss also slithered restlessly at the entrance of the rift, having the same sentiments as Mera. Unfortunately, they could only watch as Bas and Manti run around attacking that woman.


    CRACK! SIZZLE!


    A loud earth-shattering sound echoed above followed by sizzling sounds as the crack in the sky was pierced by a sharp metal object.


    "Ack! What is she doing? What is she doing?" True Void eximed in fear. His question was not really a question because he knew exactly what the real Deception was doing.


    That sharp metal object was the tip of her magic weapon, and True Void was aware of its corrosion ability. If they could not push back that weapon, the crack would not be able to hold!<sub> </sub>


    That was right. Deception possessed not one dagger, but two. The truth, she was known to wield dual daggers. However, she had let her essence take one while she kept the other.


    Initially, Deception had no intentions of using her dagger to forcefully widen the crack, but if she dallied longer Ruin would definitely not stay idle. If hees, she would never get a chance of taking Kyran. That guy was an obsessive freak. He might appearid-back, but his temper was worse than her''s.


    In any case, Deception did not want to fight Ruin, but if he knew she decided to take liberty on his prey¡ª even though Kyran was also her prey¡ª he would definitely go ballistic.


    No. Not just ballistic. He would likely start a war right here in the Human ne.


    Deception had to move fast and take Kyran with her. After that, she would return to her own ne. Ruin did not know where her original ne was located. By the time he found it, she would have already done what she wanted to Kyran.


    As for the matter of who get to conquer the Myedeo ne, none of that mattered now. In the first ce, Deception was only interested in that ne because of the Solum Tribe. Since Kyran took them, then she no longer needed the Myedeo ne.


    Zephyr''s brow furrowed and sent out another concentrated punch toward the crack. This time, he aimed at the edge of the dagger, with the intention of destroying it. s, his attack did nothing but make it tremble.


    In human form, the magic energy Zephyr could exert was at most a Grand Master. Although True Void was currently boosting his energy and the effect of the Sovereign''s Cradle was also assisting him, it was not enough to be of threat. If he used his real form though, that would be a different case. But at the moment, he was not allowed to. As True Void said, with him pretending to be the man in ck panther mask, they could divert further suspicions about Kyran''s other identities.


    Not that Zephyr cared. After this incident, he was sure the Ylfaen Empire would be thrown into turmoil and Kyran''s other identities wouldn''t matter. Actually, it would not only be the empire but the whole Human ne.


    SIZZLE! CRACK! CRACK!


    "Oi, oi, little guy. Don''t space out and focus!"


    "I''m not a little guy!"


    "Compared to me, you are! Now focus!"


    What did True Void meanpared to him? Did he think Zephyr was blind? Wasn''t he just a miniature armor?


    "Argh! You''re annoying!" Zephyrined. Before punching out this time, he utilized his Air magic, creating apressed air magic energy on his fist. As he released it toward the crack, a poweful st shook the sky, widening the crack!


    "ACK!"


    "OI!"


    With the crack widening, the dagger slid further, now showing almost half of its length.


    Deception twisted the dagger, sending pieces of the sky falling like shards of ss.


    FOOOM!


    Suddenly, ck, gold and silver particles gathered around the dagger''s de.


    "Move!"


    A deep and somewhat gruff voice ordered Zephyr and True Void.


    Zephyr''s ears perked upon hearing the voice and immediately retreated.


    "Oi!" True Voidined but then his magic sense confirmed the identity of the owner of the voice and heaved a sigh of relief!


    From below, Deception''s essence, who had done nothing but escape from Bas and Manti''s constant harassment, sensed a powerful presence and looked up.


    The ck, gold and silver substance merged transforming into arge thick tongs. Then it grabbed the edges of the dagger sending sparks to fly out in all direction as the metal collided against metal. It then hoisted the dagger upward back into the other side of the dagger.


    Deception let out an angry wail as she exerted more force on the dagger.


    However, the tongs would not budge!


    Deception''s essence instantly released her magic sense. Her red eyes flicked in anger, searching for the location of the neer.


    "No need to search, I''m right here."


    The owner of the gruff voice spoke from behind Deception. In an instant, she turned into mist. However, different-colored particles moved along her, forcing her to return to her human form!


    "Argh! What is this?" Deception eximed in annoyance.


    "Heh, you''ve got guts changing into that form in front of me. Don''t you know what my magic is?"


    The man sneered, "It''s Nn''s magic!"

 Chapter 491 Prelude (1)

    Deception struggled to free herself from the particles that forced her to return into her human form but to no avail.


    ''Just what kind of magic is this?'' She thought through gritted teeth.


    In less than three seconds, Deception had reverted unwillingly to her human form and the particles that surrounded her also took form. They turned into a multicolored thick wire that wrapped around her body.


    Deception''s real self let out another indignant wail as she retracted the dagger from the crack before drilling it back with added fervor. She did not believe that she would not be able to force her way into the Human ne!


    DING!


    A loud metallic sound rippled through the sky as the dagger collided on an enormous ck shield with gold and silver ents.


    The ck shield was the huge tong that held the dagger in ce just a few seconds ago. When Deception pulled out the dagger, the huge tong returned to ck, gold and silver particles and changed form into a shield almost instantaneously.


    "IF YOU INSIST ON INTERFERING I WILL KILL YOU AND THROW YOUR PITIFUL HUMAN BODY TO THE ORCUS!" Deception bellowed from the within the crack. Her voice was like thunder that shook not only the sky but also thend below.


    Simultaneously her essence echoed her words as she red at Nn.


    All evacuated citizens of Noser along with the local city guards and leaders, trembled in fear. Everyone living in nearby cities who already noticed the anomaly in the sky, also heard Deception''s bellow, were equally spooked. They were spooked not only by hearing such a voice filled with immense powering from the above but also her words. To be precise, when Deception mentioned the Orcus, it invoked vivid images of a dark wastnd where order was non-existent and every inhabitants were being tortured in thousands of ways.


    None of them knew what Orcus was. Was it the name of that dark wastnd? Or was it the name of the people living in that ce who were torturing the rest of the inhabitants? Regardless of what Orcus was, the images that shed through their minds was enough to strike fear to their very core.


    Nn was no exception. He also saw vivid images of that wastnd. However, he did not fear nor was he affected by it like most people.


    He had been there before, so there was no need to fear.


    Nn sneered and replied with a voice simrly magnified, "I don''t f*cking care what you f*cking say, you f*cking b*tch. Go back to your f*cking ne and f*ck yourself."


    True Void and Zephyr who heard Nn could not help but look at him in exasperation. Just how many times would he used the word f*cking in a sentence? This man''s tongue was as audacious as ever! Was he not afraid to face the wrath of a Sovereign?


    RUMBLE!


    The whole sky shook violently as Deception''s magic pressure erupted. It seeped in from the crack, sending everyone within a thousand meter radius keeling over and vomiting in blood.


    "I''LL SHRED YOU TO A MILLION PIECES!"


    Deception''s essence echoed her real self''s words as she continued to re at Nn.


    Nn''s expression turned serious as he looked at Deception''s essence.


    "I''d like to see you try," he said. This time he did not magnify his voice but simply uttered them normally.


    However, his voice was just loud enough for Deception''s essence to hear, thus, it was still transmitted to Deception, sending her into a fit of rage.


    "YOU¡ª! GUH! AAARGH!"


    Deception''s bellow turned into a pained muffled cry as her essence burst into a cloud of flesh, blood and bones.


    The thick wire that was wrapped around Deception''s essence had turned into several spikes that riddled her body with holes. After which the spikes rotated like a meat grinder turning her body into ground meat in a matter of seconds.


    Nn did not even blink when he watched Deception''s essence exploded.


    From the side, True Void and Zephyr watch the whole thing with wide eyes. While they did not feel squeezy by seeing such a scene, both were looking at Nn in a different light.


    Although True Void had seen this man killed his own nephew without even a shard ofpassion during their torture session¡ª err, training session¡ª in the tower, he could more or less guess that Nn''s attitude stemmed by the fact that Kyran would not really die because that space''s had a special array. But this time, although Nn only killed an essence, that was still an essence of a Sovereign. His decisiveness in killing her was testament that he was not afraid to offend a Sovereign.


    ? ''I knew about the saying like father like son, but this¡­ To think Kyran''s temper was closer to his uncle,'' True Void thought randomly. Then he recalled Nn was Rin''s twin. Could it be that Kyran actually got his temper from Rin?


    On the other hand, Zephyr gulped nervously. Was this still the same guy he used to threaten to cut off his tongue because of his foul mouth? Maybe he should tolerate his insolence more.<sub> </sub>


    Nn might have only killed an essence, but it was at the maximum level of essence a Sovereign could produce, possessing close to half of her real soul. Deception definitely suffered a huge bacsh. She was forced to withdraw her dagger while her muffled cry was echoed from within the crack.


    With an exasperated expression, Nn picked his right ear with his pinky finger before looking at it then blowing a non-existent earwax.


    "You''re too f*cking noisy," Nn grunted.


    Sensing Deception''s withdrawal, the Sovereign''s Cradle second purpose activated. It glowed and immediately started to repair the distortion in the Human ne. Visible changes could be seen as the crack in the sky began to close, as if an invisible hand was stitching it back together.


    Nn did not retract the huge ck shield in the sky in case Deception attempted to force her way again. Besides he did not believe that she received a fatal injury after her essence was killed. At most, her magic core would receive a small crack, thus, requiring her to slow down her magic energy cirction until it healed. Nevertheless, this would buy them some time and prepare for what wasing. Because the real threat was not Deception but the guy his essence met.


    Nn lowered his gaze and with a smirk, tilted his head slightly to the side and said,"How long are you going to pretend to be in a daze there, huh?"


    Ten to fifteen meters away from where Nn was standing, which was a bombed-out buiding, Kyran stood motionless. But unlike earlier where he was looking straight ahead, his head was now raised as he looked at the sky.


    Kyran turned to look at Nn. His eyes had already turned to dark gray and he was wearing an exasperated expression, "Looks like I worried for nothing. Having your essence fatally injured didn''t seem to affect you at all."


    Kyran regained consciousness around the time when Deception¡ª her original self¡ª used her dagger to widen the crack in the sky. Before he made a move, he had sensed Nn''s aura nearby, and so he decided to stay put. Judging from the intensity of Nn''s aura, Kyran knew he was the real deal. Besides, with the level of Nn''s essence, it would have been impossible for him to deal with Deception''s real self and essence at the same time.


    Nn raised his brows as he looked at Kyran.


    "That superficial wound?" He snorted in disdain before adding, "An annoying itch on my back."


    "Annoying itch my ass, you were looking pale when you arrived at the cottage."


    A female voice spoke from behind.


    "And what''s with your introduction earlier? Nn''s magic? How childish. Just say it''s Elements magic!"


    "Don''t spoil my fun," Nn grunted and looked at the owner of the voice.


    Kyran also looked and was surprised. Then again with the stone he gave her, it could easily camouge her aura. At the moment, her aura actually blended with Nn that was how he did not notice her.


    "Godmother."


    te walked over to Nn and stood by his side before looking at Kyran with a stern look.


    "You should''ve said something before making a move," she said. But then her face soften and added, "I know you don''t want to expose my identity knowing that Deception is one of the outsiders, but did you really think I will be a burden?"


    Kyran did not respond. Frankly, he could not answer. It was not that he thought she was a burden. He only want to make sure she would not be exposed to danger. Because if something happened to her, Cyneah would definitely be sad.


    Kyran cringed inwardly. He did not realize how much he cared about Cyneah''s feelings.


    ''Right,'' he stopped short upon realizing something. ''If te and Zephyr are here, what about Neah?''


    "Where''s Neah?"


    "Neah?"


    "You f*cking kidnap another one?"


    te and Nn said at the same time.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He subconciously called Cyneah ''Neah'' just like in the illusion. Knowing Nn, Kyran would definitely suffer some teasing once the former realized thetter gave Cyneah a different nickname.


    te red at Nn, "Will you stop with that kidnap nonsense?" She then looked at Kyran with a knowing smile. She did hear him mention that he would rather call Cyneah ''Neah'' than ''Sisi.''


    "Don''t worry. She is in the cottage, waiting for our return."

 Chapter 492 Prelude (2)

    "Oh I get it. Sisi is Neah, what a cute petname," Nn said emphasizing Cyneah''s ''nickname'' then her ''petname'' given by Kyran.


    Kyran decided to gnore him. But inwardly he was cursing at himself. He just hoped Nn would not be so childish as to tease him with Cyneah around. This, of course, was wishful thinking given Nn''s character. In any case, Kyran did not want to make Cyneah feel awkward. She did not even know he took the liberty of calling her that way.


    Come to think of it, the Cyneah in Kyran''s illusion had been too real. With this in mind, he looked at te and asked, "How is she?"


    Nn snickered on the side while te answered, still wearing a knowing smile, "She seemed to have experienced a trance right after sensing you are in danger. She has fallen asleep before we left."


    ''A trance... Don''t tell me she really appeared in my consciousness?'' Kyran frowned slightly. In the end, he pushed the thought aside. He could not waste his time figuring out the answer to such a phenomenan. He had more pressing matter to attend to.


    By this time, True Void and Zephyr had approached them. Even Bas and Manti had appeared, both stood on guard behind Kyran.


    te looked at the two beasts skeptically. Though she berated Nn to stop talking about Kyran kidnapping others, seeing two special beasts simr to Zephyr made her wondered if he had gone and indeed ''kidnap'' more beings like thetter.


    "Master!" Zephyr greeted and ran toward him. He was about to change back into his human child form but True Void''s reminder stopped him at once.


    "Don''t you dare change back! We are not sure if there are no eyes, looking, and ears, listening in."


    Zephyr frowned, "With you shouting like that, they would have understood the situation."


    Hiss...


    Rawrgh...


    Bas and Manti hissed and roared softly as if agreeing with Zephyr.


    Zephyr looked at them and felt excited once again. It was his first time meeting other higher beasts and he could sense there were more of them. At the moment, he already knew Bas and Manti''s name because he was able to talk to them telepathically. The other two still in the rift, Zephyr could notmunicate with them yet because technically the other side of the rift was ''out of range.'' Kyran was the only one who could since that rift could be considered a part of him.


    "Master!" Zephyr started again, "You have taken in more Sigils!"


    Even with the panther mask hiding Zephyr''s expression, Kyran could imagine his excited face.


    Kyran nodded, "In the future, I''ll have you lead them."


    "I will do my best!"


    Seeing Zephyr''s excitement, made any doubts Kyran felt about ''taking in'' Savagery''s beasts, disappeared. At least, when the time came that he had to remove Zephyr''s Sigil, he would let the rest of the beasts apany him. That way he would not feel alone anymore.


    "Let''s continue this warm and fuzzy reunionter shall we?" True Void suddenly said with great urgency. "The army is already moving and they will likelye in a few hours!"


    "It will beat the purpose of mying in the open if they don''t," Kyran replied while looking at the rift where Mera and Iss were still at. He willed them out and the two left the rift to join them.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed while looking at the beasts behind Kyran. He did not react when he saw them because he sensed Kyran''s branding on them. Now that he could observe them up close, Nn could not help but feel a little worried.


    Taking a Quilin as a Sigil would already put a lot of strain on a human, but Kyran dared to take more. It should be known that beasts had a different level system. Their level could not be rated using human''s standard. For example, if a beast was determined to be a Grand Master based from human''s level system, their real prowess did not mean it was equivalent to a human mage Grand Master. Other factors like their bloodline and physique must be considered. It was because of this that Zephyr survived the constant harrassment of the Temr Code''s Elite Team even when he only appeared to have a somewhat low mage level.


    The reason Nn was worried was because, having more beast Sigils would mean one had to ''sustain'' their needs. Of course, he knew Kyran also dared take a human Sigil, but humans were capable of finding ways to breakthrough on their own. But a beast''s breakthrough was different, and with one bing a Sigil, it would then be dependent on its master.


    s, Nn had yet to know that Kyran''s ''human Sigils'' had grown from one to four. And as for his beast Sigils, there were more inside his Void world. If Nn knew he would likely go insane.


    Nevertheless, since Kyran did not seem to be suffering from overexhaustion Nn could only keep his opinion and decided to keep a close watch.


    "Kid," Nn started. "I roughly understand the current situation from te, but your decision to be bait will not necessarily make all their forces focus on you."


    Kyran looked at him. He knew this too. Frankly, the people he wanted to lure were Deception, Ruin and their armies since they were the real ones who could pose a threat to his n. Unfortunately, Deception was the only one who responded. While she brought along a few of her army, they were likely the weakest. Kyran also knew Deception would return. Nn might have injured her but that would not deter her.


    "Kyran," te also voiced her opinion. "That woman''s insistence in entering the Human ne is likely because she wanted to force you in surrendering the... S-Solum Tribe." She faltered slightly while thinking of her tribe. From what Kyran had told her, he was the only one who knew where the tribe was hiding.


    Kyran shook his head, "That is already her reason foring in the Human ne. But now I think she want to take me too."


    "What do you mean?" te asked in rm. Deception definitely saw Kyran as her ''prey,'' but Kyran''s meaning seemed different because knowing Deception''s character, she always killed her prey, never ''take'' them.


    "She can''t kill me because Ruin is also after me. They were working together in the Myedeo ne. I don''t know what agreement they had but from how Deception avoid hurting me the first time she appeared, it means she did not want to cross Ruin. But seeing how she tried to force her way into the Human ne, something might have happened while I was unconscious, which changed her mind," Kyran paused and looked at the four beasts behind him, hissing and growling silently. "Based on what my beasts had witnessed, Deception''s mood changed after falling out with a guy with Shadow magic."


    Nn scowled, "That f*cking d*ckhead was here?"


    "I''ll wash your mouth with poison one of these days," te could not help but berate at him.


    Nn acted as if he had not heard her and waited for Kyran''s reply.


    Although Kyran did not know who ''f*cking d*ckhead'' was, he knew the Royal Army''s Grand Marshal possessed Shadow magic.


    "Deception used her magic on him but he managed to escape."


    "That did seem like something that woman would do," te remarked.<sub> </sub>


    "Do you really not know why she took interest on you?" True Void joined in the conversation.


    They all looked at him.


    "You know something?" Kyran asked.


    "Goodness, seriously, you..." True Void was speechless. "Did you really think your Sigils killed off all the army soldiers that came here?"


    When Kyran did not react, True Void sighed in exasperation and said, "You were going on a killing spree even when you were under her illusion. Of course she would be interested! Besides, you are the new Dark Sage! When will you understand the gravity of that?"


    Kyran frowned slightly. True Void would normally call him the new Void Master not Dark Sage. Why did he use thetter suddenly?


    On the other hand, Nn and te seemed to have thought of something and their expressions turned grim at once.


    Both had ventured into the Tower of Tribtions and was aware of some matters in the outside world. They had heard about a Dark Sage but none of them tied it with the ''Dark Sage'' in the Human ne. After all, there were plenty of mages that turned evil who was given that psuedo in other nes. Could True Void be referring to that ''Dark Sage''?


    "You know something," Nn said to True Void. It was not a question but a statement.


    "I do. But now is not the time to talk about that," True Void surprisingly did not attempt to lie.


    In Kyran''s opinion, True Void likely realized how pressing the situation was now and keeping secrets would be counterproductive.


    "Nn," True Void addressed Nn. "You went to find Azaloth''s inheritance. How did it go?"


    Nn was already familiar with True Void back in the Tower of Tribtion, although he only knew that thetter was connected to the previous Void Master.


    "I managed to find the room where it is being kept," Nn replied.


    True Void gaped at him in disbelief. But since he was still in panther mask form, they only saw the mask''s face distorted.


    "What? You didn''t take it? Why did you even find it if you''re not going to take it?" He burst. But then a thought crossed his mind as he gasped, "Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! You managed to stop a Sovereign from entering the Human ne without even taking Azaloth''s inheritance?"


    Nn sneered and smugly said, "Piece of cake."


    te was also speechless. She had thought Nn decided to take in Azaloth''s inheritance, thus, achieving a breakthrough. His strength might still be far from being on par with a Sovereign but he could at least hold his own. To think that he did not take it for himself, and still managed to stop a Sovereign''s descent. She did not realize his mage level had improved this much!


    Then again, te knew Nn wanted Azaloth''s inheritance for Cade to restore his damaged core. Cyneah could heal a mage''s magic core, but Cade''s damaged core was not something she could healpletely. At most, Cade could circte magic energy again without feeling any pain, but he likely would never be able to achieve a breakthrough in mage level.


    "Just what is your mage level?" True Void asked Nn.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. The same moment Nn replied, Kyran also thought of it.


    "What do you think?"


    ''What do you think?''


    Typical Nn to answer that way to avoid the topic.


    The panther mask''s expression turned nk.


    "You want to take my father in that ce and receive Azaloth''s inheritance," Kyran veered the conversation on track.


    Nn looked at Kyran. Surprisingly, his expression turned solemn as he answered, "Yes."


    Kyran heaved a sigh. He guessed as much. When Nn made a fuss about wasting his Transmission Scroll, Kyran already guessed he was nning to use it for something very important. Given Nn''s bad sense of direction, it was already a miracle to find Azaloth''s Inheritance. This also proved how much effort Nn exerted just to find it. But going back there might still be hard and to ensure he could return there with Cade without any trouble, Nn needed the Transmission Scrolls.


    "All the more now," Nn added.


    If Cade could restore his damaged core with the help of Azaloth''s inheritance, there was a possibility he could also receive a breakthrough. He might even directly breakthrough to a Magus or even higher. It might not be enough to threaten a Sovereign but it was not necessary for him to fight thetter either. There were other high-leveled mages to be wary of in their current situation.


    "What are we waiting for?" True Void said, "Let''s go get your father and take him to Azaloth''s Inheritance!"


    "Easier said than done. Ruin is probably still in the Regis Estate. I can''t directly warp inside either."


    "Of course you can''t," Nn snorted looking at Kyran as if he was an idiot. "If you can then what was the point of all these."


    Kyran fought the urge to punch him. He was only stating facts, Nn did not have to look at him like that.


    Seeing Kyran''s expression Nn was quite amused. Then he said, "Cade and I know an array form to counter warp-like abilities. Knowing you, he will definitely include that form in the estate''s defensive array to prevent you from returning. Anyway, if the defensive array is in the verge of copse, Cade will definitely leave the barrier to face the enemy alone."


    Kyran also thought of that, which was why he was tempted to remove the seal on the Mark of Ruin to draw Ruin away from the Regis Estate as soon as possible. He was afraid his father would suffer in Ruin''s hands.


    "Don''t worry, master," Zephyr said after sensing Kyran''s emotions. "Your father also received the King''s blood, right? Then he is not entirely helpless."

 Chapter 493 Prelude (3)

    True to what Zephyr had said, Cade was indeed not helpless even when he could not fully exert his innate magic. With the help of the dragon blood flowing in his veins he could utilize ''Dragon'' magic.


    Dragon magic was not as powerful as the Draconic magic. To provide a clear distinction, the former was considered simplified magic while thetter was Ancient magic.


    In any case, only a handful of the Regis could fully utilize the dragon blood in their veins. There were more who were given the opportunity to take a drop of a dragon''s blood, but their body could not withstand more than 5% of its power.


    Among the current generation, Cade was the only one who could utilize it to more than 50%. As a matter of fact, he was the only one in the Regis''s family history.


    Kyran was a different case. He was not using the drop of blood to utilize Draconic magic. He had a Draconic core and the dragon blood he took acted as a stimnt to activate it.


    "Father''s essence said they do not require rune writings when using Dragon magic because its present in the dragon''s blood," Kyran recalled.


    Zephyr nodded, "Yes. That is the Dragon''s magicw. They do not need rune writings.You probably already know that each ne had different magicws."


    Kyran nodded in acknowledgement. The only reason Deception, Ruin and Savagery could still use their magic ording to their magicws here, was because the Human ne had a special nature.


    "So you don''t have to worry too much."


    Kyran did not respond. While he get what Zephyr was saying, he was still worried.


    Ruin was a Sovereign. His mage level might have been suppressed because in the Human ne, but his strength was still at a Legendary level. Could his father really hold his own by relying only in using more than half of the Dragon magic flowing in his veins? For argument''s sake, even if his father could fend against Ruin, what if the Royal Family decided to send more high-leveled mages to assist Ruin? Could his father still manage?


    True Void felt the same. He did not doubt Cade''s strength because he had witnessed it inside the Tower of Tribtions. Although that Cade was only an essence, he had mostly used his innate magic while using the Dragon magic as support. However, if he was not as strong, how could he fight Ruin? True Void also had an inkling that thetter might have broken through the barrier of a Sovereign. If he was correct, Ruin''s mage level would be higher than a Legendary when suppressed. Actually, Ruin might no longer be affected by Azaloth''s suppression. If the former''s mage level was higher than a Sovereign then he could easily break out of Azaloth''s suppression.


    As if sensing Kyran and True Void''s doubts, Zephyr added, "Master, let me tell you a secret about my old masters."


    Kyran looked at Zephyr with raised brows. Thetter had been tight-lipped about the Dragons, thus, it piqued Kyran''s interest at once.


    "Dragons are entities that reigned supreme even among the Higher nes."


    ''Higher nes?'' Kyran thought at once. He already knew Dragons were supreme beings that was why he was more intrigued by the mention of higher nes. If there were higher nes then there were lower nes. But what was the difference? Could the Human ne be part of thetter or the former?


    Kyran decided to take note of this information for now. He would first resolve the issue with his n and the Royal Family before trying to understand the rest. He had a feeling that the matter about higher and lower nes might be rted to the Soul Emperor''s reason for wanting an army.


    "One good reason is because their magic is really powerful. The Dragon King could easily destroy a ne with a flick of a finger," Zephyr continued. "And that powerful being''s blood is coursing through your father."


    te looked at Zephyr in surprise, "How did you know the blood Cade took is from the Dragon King?"


    "How else could master inherit the Draconic core?"


    True Void''s eyes lit in realization, "Same as how there are certain things that needs to achieve before a new Void Master is born, the new Dragon Lord is the same!"


    Recalling their theory about his origin, turned Kyran''s mood sour.


    "What are you talking about?" te asked, feeling slightly perturbed at the implication that Kyran''s birth had been premeditated.


    Kyran shook his head, "Let''s talk about that another time." He did not want to discuss how Can, and probably his ancestor too, nned to have the new Void Master possessed the Regis Family''s powerful physical body. Besides there were other things that did not make sense to Kyran. Especially the fact that only one could possess Ancient magic at a time. Nevertheless, now was not the time to ponder these things so he decided to push the thought aside.


    te looked at him in concern. In the end she decided to drop the subject since Kyran did not want to talk about it. Besides, they had a far more pressing matter at hand.


    "Alright!" Nn mmed his palms together, creating a thunderous sound that forced all of them to look at him.


    "We''re getting sidetracked," he said before looking at Kyran. "I know what you''re worried about. But instead of worrying, trust Cade. Even in his current condition, he is strong."


    "He is right. Besides, a person who has something to protect will not lose easily," te also added.


    Kyran did not respond. He knew that but also knew these were empty words in front of real power.


    "Let''s n our next step," Nn continued. "That Ruin guy likely sensed Deception''s attempt in entering the Human ne. He might already be on his way here or not. We have to understand our enemies'' movement."


    Nn paused for a moment and Kyran sensed his magic sense erupting. The former''s eyes turned light blue and sealing runes could be seen from his exposed skin. Nn''s appearance also seemed to have aged a few years.


    This was Nn unsealing his real magic.


    Kyran had already seen Nn unleashed his real magic. But he was still surprised at thetter''s magic intensity and magic sense range. If Kyran was correct, Nn''s magic sense range was wider than his!


    True Void was speechless. This guy was still hiding his real strength when he prevented Deception''s descent? Just how powerful was he?


    Could he be...<sub> </sub>


    "I could more or less sense an army of more than twenty thousanding this way. I don''t sense any powerful mages among them though. At most, Grand Masters," Nn frowned. "F*ck, since when did the Royal Army have so many Grand Masters?"


    "Don''t rely on the Conve''s information. Base from the Royal Army''s participants for the joint military exercise with the Conve, most of their High Masters are now Grand Masters."


    "Tsk, Grand Masters as cannon fodders?" Nn shook his head. Promoting one to a Grand Master required enormous amount of resources. Yet the army was using them as cannon fodders. Such extravagance. "Anyway, they will arrive in less than two hours."


    "Then we only have two hours to get to the Regis Estate, find my father and get him to take Azaloth''s Inheritance."


    "That''s the gist of it. But we don''t know the current situation in the Regis Estate. If that Ruin is still there, and Cade decided to leave the barrier, I can divert Ruin''s attention while you take Cade to Azaloth''s Inheritance."


    Kyrab frowned, "Why me? I don''t even know where it is."


    "I only have one transmission scroll left."


    Nn''s words was enough for Kyran to guess his intention.


    Nn nned to take Kyran to Azaloth''s Inheritance using thatst scroll. In this way, Kyran could warp back to that ce anytime. However, the scenario Nn said had a fatal w. Even if Nn seeded in diverting Ruin''s attention away from Cade, once Kyran revealed himself, Ruin would definitely shift his attention to him.


    Unless...


    Kyran looked at Zephyr.


    Nn smirked as soon as he saw Kyran''s reaction, ''As expected, this kid could really read far ahead.''


    Since there was no guarantee that Cade was outside the estate''s barrier, they would have to make a scene and force their way in. Kyran could not do that as ''him,'' because they would draw all the enemy forces to the estate.


    Kyran had to put on a disguise, while also letting the Royal Family believed that he was still in Noser.


    Seeing Kyran looking at him with a thoughtful expression, Zephyr broke out in cold sweat, "W-What is it, master?"


    Instead of answering, Kyran looked at the four beasts behind him and said, "I need all of you to stay here."


    The four hissed or growled, they were reluctant to be away from Kyran but could only ept his request.


    Kyran looked toward Zephyr and addressed True Void, "Did you meet up with Ss and the others?"


    "I did. The Conve, Courtenay and Montgomeray Families are also on standby."


    Nn had heard from te about all the ''allies'' Kyran had gathered. He was surprised at the things Kyran had aplished in less than a month after returning from training.


    "You mean the mercenaries of the Conve."


    "Nope. Everyone from the Conve, including Malek."


    Kyran was surprised. He did not expect Ste to mobilize the whole Conve. If they survived today, he would find a way to thank her.


    "And Chairman Hugh?"


    Kyran had yet to ask Cyneah to heal Hugh.


    "Also done. Seriously, in the end you forced all the menial task on me!" True Voidined. "Azaloth healed him. The mist in the Misty Forest affecting Hugh is his handiwork, after all."


    "What did you just say?" Nn looked at them with furrowed brows.


    Kyran looked at him with a slight smile, "I''ll exin on the way."


    Without giving Nn time to ask further questions, Kyran looked at te and said, "Godmother, please help me."


    te raised her brows, feeling somewhat surprised at Kyran''s attitude. Suddenly, she had an inkling as to what he needed her help with. With a helpless smile, she nodded and said, "Alright."


    For the next few minutes, Kyranid out all the cards he had at present. Frankly, his side was stillcking. It was a pity he could not meet Olivia and ask her assistance. Aside from her, there was the Blue Lotus and Max and Reuben. As for Tritus, Kyran decided to leave him for emergency. Besides, he might have taken Tritus as a Sigil but the members of the Temr Code had no idea of it.


    In any case, Kyran had to put in his all on today''s main event.


    After today, the whole Ylfaen Empire- no, the whole Human ne, would experience a drastic change.

 Chapter 494 The Red General

    ck mist-like beasts were either evading from or lunging toward several small ck spears moving around in the air.


    Ruin also dodged a ck spear, which was bigger and thicker than the flying spears that was after his summoned beasts. His red eyes shed as he turned to face the ck spear that wheezed past him. With a wave of his hand, a red glow enveloped his right arm, he punched out, sending a red beam of light toward the spear. Just before the red beam touched the spear, the spear swerved to the left then turned one hundred and eighty degrees back at Ruin.


    A smile appeared on Ruin''s face. He did not n on evading the spear this time. His red eyes shed. A faint red glow enveloped his whole body before he rushed toward the spear. He reached out his right hand and made a grabbing motion at the spear and suddenly, an invisible force like a huge hand seemed to grab hold of it.


    "Break~," Ruin muttered under his breath, and in an instant, the ck spear exploded into ck smoke. Just as he was thinking of going after the man who had summoned the spears, the air around the cloud of ck smoke caused by the spear''s explosion suddenly shifted and whirled around like a small tornado. The smoke turned into pieces of ck materials before transforming back into the ck spear again.


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed the moment he saw the ck spear had reformed. If one was only looking at his eyes, they would likely think he was annoyed. But the amused smile on his lips betrayed such notion. It appeared he was enjoying his encounter with the man in ck.


    ''You forced your spear to explode before I could destroy it. Interesting,'' Ruin licked his lips. ''Initially, I thought these spears are real weapons, but it seems all these spears are made of magic. Human ne''s magicw is really interesting.''


    "Haven''t you gathered enough intel on what I can do?" Ruin asked, addressing the man in ck standing on the silver barrier protecting the Regis Estate''s inner wall.


    The man in ck only looked at Ruin in silence. He looked rxed and even appeared like he had no intentions of fighting Ruin in closebat, as the ck spear flew back and hovered beside him.


    This man was none other than Cade. And just as Ruin had said, Cade had summoned several spears to test the waters. With little information on the enemy, Cade would not attack blindly.


    Of course, Cade had been observing Ruin from when he started attacking the barrier. Jax also provided initial intel of his identity. However, it was not enough to understand the full extent of Ruin''s magic.


    Cade sighed inwardly as he recalled how much Jax had suffered just to inform them about the ''outsiders.'' Thetter''s face was full of blood and bruises when he called Cade. Apparently, the Emperor discovered the Royal Army''s attempt to destroy the Regis n after suspecting that they were hiding a person with forbidden magic. Gael plead innocence and Jax was made as the scapegoat, being the highest ranking officer leading the attack. After detaining Jax, he was tortured and barely managed to escape. Initially, Cade had thought the army discovered Jax had been working with them and let him escape on purpose to catch him red-handed, but after learning about the outsiders'' arrival, Cade realized the current situation in the army and the Royal Family was not that simple.


    When Jax mentioned Gael''s change happened after meeting the Crown Princess, who had just returned from the Winfrey''s Ancestral Lands, Cade and the rest of the Regis Elders already guessed the gist of the situation. Their suspicion was further realized when Jax told them the Emperor knew the new Void Master was not a Regis but a different ''made-up'' person by Gael.


    After letting Jax inside the barrier, Cade sent Raya and Myst to get Jax''s family and take them back to the estate. They managed to take them before the army arrived to raid Jax''s home.


    As for the group of officers they detained during the army''s first attempt to infiltrate the inner walls, the Regis no longer need to worry about them. After staying within the inner walls for weeks, these officers realized the ''injustice'' of the army''s higher-ups decision in attacking the Regis n. They realized that if the army had not attacked, the so-called threat of the ''Dark Sage'' would not have happened. After all, Master Cade had been doing a good job in sealing his magic. Also, when they discovered the new ''Dark Sage'' was Master Cade''s son, they could sympathize to the Regis''s decision of hiding the truth. A family with genuine bond would definitely not sell out their own flesh and blood.


    Another cause for the officers'' change of heart was due to the fact that the Regis did not treat them as prisoners. They were not locked up in cells but was staying in a house with decent aodation. Although they were being closely watched and their magic were sealed, they were treated humanely. They were eating three times a day and was served delicious food. It even felt like they were there for staycation. Nevertheless, when Jax arrived and they discovered the truth, as well as the current affairs outside, they were determined to fight alongside the Regis if a war would ensue. They expressed their desire to Patriarch Aron. But thetter only smiled and thanked them.


    Pushing these thoughts aside, Cade recalled the little information they had about Ruin and included it on his recent findings. Frankly, he found thetter''s magic troublesome. It was not easily measured and understood like the six basic elements; air, earth, fire water, light and dark. Ruin''s magic could be considered special in the Human ne, but Cade knew better. As someone who had been to other nes, Cade was aware of different magic ang magicws from other nes. Though he did not know which ne Ruin hade from, Cade could more or less guess that Ruin''s magic had already ''evolved.''


    Magic evolution ured when one attained high mastery of their magic''s nature. A mage would normally take hundreds of years before they could achieve such mastery. Unfortunately, not all mage could achieve a breakthrough in mage level and be granted more lifespan. Because of this, mages who achieved a high master of their magic would also have a high mage level.


    Ruin spread out his arms and ck mist spread out of his palms. These mist flew toward the summoned beasts and in an instant their eye turned red, their bodies growing in size.


    In less than five seconds, the beasts swept over the flying spears and destroyed them, causing bits and pieces of ck dust to explode in the sky. The explosion in the sky looked like a painting of a red sky with ck clouds.


    "Come on, don''t be a sissy. Let''s y," Ruin coaxed.


    Cade chuckled, "You say y, but your wearing your murderous aura like a damn coat."


    Ruin grinned, "What better game to y than a game with one''s life on the line?"


    Cade did not respond but his expression turned serious. The truth, he had no way of defeating this guy. He was aware that he was a Sovereign and although Ruin''s level had been suppressed, he still had no chance of defeating him. Cade was only buying some time until all surviving nonbatant Regis members escaped.


    When Ruin failed to get a reaction from Cade, the smile on his face disappeared. It was then reced by a sinister expression, as his aura rose.


    "You look so much like my prey, but unlike him, he is more responsive to my wishes."<sub> </sub>


    Cade''s brow furrowed at once, upon hearing Ruin''s words. But he was not given time to digest this information. Ruin had suddenly disappeared from his line of sight!


    Cade''s dark gray eyes instantly turned into slits as he unleashed the Regis Blessing.


    BAM!


    Cade lifted his left arm just in time to block a huge ck fisting from the left with such ferocity.


    "Ergh...!" Cade gritted his teeth as his body absorbed the fist''s power. However, alhough he seeded in blocking it, the attack''s momentum was too fast and heavy that he was thrown several meters away.


    Cade lowered his stance and mmed his right fist on the silver barrier to break the momentum. A deep gash was left on the already crack-filled barrier from where his fist had dugged.


    Three of Ruin''s summons, which resembled arge three-eyed wolf, pounced at Cade before he could make a full stop.


    Cade''s eyes glowed silver as the ck spear moved and sped toward the three-eyed wolves. However, the spear was still a few meters away.


    ck obsibian particles circled Cade, forming a semi-circle barrier around him just as the wolves'' ws shed down. With the sturdiness of the obsidian barrier, the wolves ws failed to dug into it and only managed to leave a superficial scratch. Before the wolves could retreat, ck spikes shot out from the surface of the barrier, piercing them and destroying them.


    Ruin squinted his eyes. The man''s magic felt strange. He clearly did not have a high mage level and yet, it managed to destroy his summons.


    "Good!" He eximed in glee, "Its no fun if you fall easy. Entertain me more!"


    Ruin appeared above the ck barrier. He raised his fists, which he had joined together, a faint red glow wrapped around them. He mmed his fists on the barrier just as the spikes retreated back.


    BAM!


    Cracks instantly appeared on the barrier.


    But before it gotpletely destoryed, the ck spear arrived and attacked Ruin.


    Ruin jumped back to avoid the spear. However, the exact moment he jumped, the ck barrier exploded and three ck swords shot out from within, hurtling toward him.


    He waved his right hand and ck mist came out of his palms. It turned into hands that grabbed the swords'' hilt, stopping their progress.


    Ruinnded on the silver barrier. The ck spear already flying toward him again.


    Ruin raised his right hand and a reb beam of light shot through the spear. This time, the spear did not explode. Instead, the momemnt the red beam of light pass through it, the spear turnedpletely red and fell on the ground.


    Cade''s brow furrowed. He lost control over the ck spear. Although it was only a molded spear, for him to suddenly lose control over it made him wary of Ruin''s magic.


    Ruin raised his left hand and another red beam of light shot toward Cade, who had just retreated from where the ck barrier had been. Cade barely managed to dodge the beam of light and the side of his coat got caught in it. That portion of his coat had turned red and an instant, it crumbled into dust.


    ''This...''


    Seeing how Ruin''s red beam left a red mark, Cade was suddenly reminded of a passage in the broken tablet they discovered. That passage talked of a scene in the past, where a demon managed to infiltrate the human''sst stronghold. That demon wreck havoc in the western continent and Cade remembered it because one of the ces it destroyed was the Regis''s previous Ancestral Land.


    That demon was called the Red General.

 Chapter 495 Ruin’s Magic

    The tablet the Regis found mentioned how the Dragon Lord came to be. It said that one of the most trusted General of the Dark Sage infiltrated the Human''sst stronghold and singlehandedly destroyed several mage families. This included the Regis Family. The Dragon King, which had been living in secret in a nearby temple feltpassion after witnessing the Regis''s ancestor''sst stand. The former bestowed thetter with a blessing and because of that, sessfully defeated the Demon General. However, the old Regis Ancestral Land was left deste, the wholend tinted in blood-red ruins, which forced them to leave and find another home in the centralnds.


    The blood-red ruins was caused by the Demon General, thus, he was given the name the Red General.


    Cade had always believed the ''blood-red ruins'' mentioned in the tablet was metaphoric. But seeing Ruin''s magic, somehow made him think that maybe it was a result of a magic attack rather than the oue of bloodshed.


    s, Cade was not given the leisure to ponder these things as the air surrounding Ruin crackled.


    Ruin roused his magic, his body emitting a faint red glow. Magic fluctuations distorted the air around him, making it look as if he was covered by an intense heatwave.


    ''Not good,'' Cade thought, sensing an ominous aura shrouding Ruin. Thetter''s bloodlust also increased any person who had yet to experience bloodbath would likely hallucinate of countless deaths.


    Cade increased the Regis Blessing''s percentage to 30% at once. The truth, though his body could withstand the Regis Blessing''s power to more than half, he could not sustain it for long. Initially, Cade believed 10% was enough to endure Ruin''s attack andbuy time for his father and the rest to escape. After all, Ruin had wasted a lot of magic energy when he attacked the Regis''s barrier and he had notpletely recovered it. However, seeing the ever rising magic energy within Ruin, Cade realized that he had miscalcted thetter''s ability to recover his magic energy. Or maybe, it was not that he miscalcted but Ruin deliberately drag recovering his magic energy because he was not that motivated in destroying the barrier.


    Cade cleared his mind with unnecessary distractions and with a burst of power, he made a mad dash toward Ruin.


    Ruin''s eyes glowed red and his smile widened.


    "I really find you familiar," he said unhurriedly. He appeared unbothered by Cade''s frontal attack. "Not just because you and my prey bore an uncanny resemnce~."


    Cade ignored Ruin''s words. His arm muscles contracted as the dragon''s blood in his veins reinforced his whole body. With glowing silver slitter eyes, Cade delivered a right punch on Ruin''s face.


    Still looking as rx as ever, Ruin sidestepped to avoid the punch. As he did, a knee came from behind, aiming at his backbone.


    Ruin bent his body backward, following the direction of the knee kick and avoiding by a centimeter.


    Cade was not fazed by Ruin''s unbelievably agile body. Without stopping, he bent the arm that had delivered a punch and aimed his elbow at Ruin''s exposed abdomen.


    However, Ruin dropped both his hands on the silver barrier and performed a backward somersault.


    Because of Ruin''s movement, instead of hitting his abdomen, the moment he hoisted up his lower body, Cade''s elbow only grazed Ruin''s torso.


    Nevertheless, Cade remained calm as he followed up by lowering his right leg and using his left hand, grabbed Ruin''s leg, which was still suspended in the air. Cade''s silver eyes shed as he pulled Ruin with him and dashed forward. While he wanted to m Ruin around, doing so while staying above the Regis''s barrier was unwise. He would end uo destroying the barrierpletely.


    Ruin let out an unrestainedugh while he dangled on Cade''s side.


    "A change in location?" He asked. "Are you afraid that our fight will destroy the barrier?"


    Cade ignored him.


    As soon as they arrived on the terrain outside the barrier, Cade finally mmed Ruin head first on the ground.


    Bam!


    But Cade was not done. He continued to m Ruin on the ground like a ragdoll.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Bits and pieces of the ground exploded in all direction as Ruin hit the ground.


    However, amidst auch a brutal attack, Ruin''sughter could be heard.


    "Ahahahaha! That''s right! I remember now! You''re aura! It''s simr to that guy who I fought back then!"


    Cade''s eye widened when suddenly Ruin hoisted his body to face him just before he could hit the ground.


    With a somewhat crazed look in his eyes, Ruin eximed in excitement, "The human''s Dragon Lord!"


    Cade''s brow furrowed as he released Ruin, before using his other hand to punch him on the face.<sub> </sub>


    Ruin''s face distorted from the force of Cade''s punch and he was sent tumbling several meters away.


    Without waiting for Ruin to recover, Cade dashed forward and followed closely. The moment he caught up with Ruin, he grabbed thetter''s head with his left hand and mmed it on the ground, dragging it along with their momentum.


    When they finally stopped, Cade''s right hand glowed silver, before the glow turned into a translucent image of a dragon''s w. He pulled back his arm and aimed to rip Ruin''s head apart.


    "Aww~ don''t be in a hurry to end our fun," Ruin said as he peeked at Cade from within the ground where half of his head was buried.


    Cade''s wed hand stopped a couple of centimeters away from Ruin''s neck. His handsome face suddenly paled as his brow furrowed. Bits of sweat trickled down the side of his face. Almost at once, he jumped back and did a backward somersault to gain some distance from Ruin.


    Ruinughed as he propped himself up with both his elbows. Even though Cade had thrashed him around, there were no visible damage on him. His clothes did not even get wrinkled. The only telltale that he had been thrashed around was the dust covering his body.


    "Come on," he said while looking at Cade. "That''s not all you''ve got, right?"


    Ruin sat up and raised his right hand which was covered in blood. His eyes squinted in delight at the sight of blood. He brought it to his lips and licked it before saying, "Ah~ thought so. You''re blood tastes like his too. So are you the new Dragon Lord?"


    Fifteen to twenty meters away from Ruin, Cade was down on one knee while clutching the side of his torso. He was shocked by the fact that Ruin easily tore through his ck armor. The ck armor was made from a dragon''s scales! Though the dragon who had gifted the scales was not of a high-rank, a dragon''s scales were one of the toughest materials not just in the Human ne but to the rest of the nes. Apart from the armor, Ruin also tore through his skin which had been enhanced by the Regis Blessing! Though he was only using 30% of the dragon''s blood, it meant that 30% of his body was already simr to that of a dragon!


    It appeared that Ruin''s magic had a formidable prating power.


    ''So this is the Sovereign of Ruin,'' Cade thought while taking small deep breaths to stimte his body''s healing ability.


    Ruin stood up with a slight pout, "Don''t just ignore me. I''m really curious."


    He took a step forward and continued to speak, "You see, I had been here before. And I must say, so many had changed. Even that hag Soul Emperor looked like a young girl now! Hahaha. I feel so old!"


    Though Ruin had said this, his appearance was that of a young man. Simr to how he was a thousand years ago.


    "Anyway, I just discovered that girl is not the hag I met before. They don''t look the same either. Her magic is also half-assed. Tsk, tsk. But the new Void Master," Ruin paused, his eyes glinted in excitement, "Now that one is better." He tilted his head to one side, "You two look the same. Though, if I changed his hair color and eyes he does look like my old friend, too."


    Cade''s expression remained indifferent as he watched Ruin''s approach. He continued to take small deep breaths to heal his body. Nevertheless, he was intently listening to Ruin.''The girl is definitely the new Soul Emperor. So she only awaken half of her magic? As for the new Void Master...'' Cade could not help but smile inwardly while the image of his son crossed his mind. ''I doubt they met here in the Human ne. The only ce they could have met is in another ne. Looks like he managed to find the tower.''


    "Wait..."Ruin suddenly stopped. His expression turned thoughtful as he realized something. "If my prey is rted to you, the family favored by the Dragon King, does that mean the king''s blood is also running in his veins?"


    Suddenly, Ruin burst out inughter.


    "HAHAHAHA! Hag! You were toote! It seems my old friend seeded in taking the physique you longed for! It looks like the War of the Sovereigns will be fun this time!"


    Cade frowned inwardly at Ruin''s words. But he did not let this information distract him. The moment the bleeding on his torso stopped and the wound had closed, he immediately made a move. He sped both his hands that turned into dragon ws and lifted them above his head preparing to m them on the ground.


    "Wait. I''m not done talking."


    Ruin said, his eyes shed as he pointed at Cade.


    A red beam of light appeared above Cade. His eyes widened as he recalled what the beam of light could do.


    Time seemed to have slowed as the beam of light descended on him.


    The dragon blood in Cade''s veins surged as he activated 50% of the Regis Blessing. His body bulged as he attempted to move out of the beam of light''s range. However, the moment Cade''s body shifted, the trajectory of the beam


    followed him. His body turned cold as he sensedthat 50% of the Regis Blessing would not be enough to withstand the beam of light''s destructive ability. In a split second decision, Cade decided to unlock the maximum percentage of the dragon blood he could endure:70%!


    Boom!


    Cade''s body gave off a light silver glow and just as the red beamof lightpleted its descent, he disappeared from the spot. A deep feet mark was left on the ground, which had also turned red after the beam of light fell on it.


    In an instant, the ground turned dried and the ruble that protruded from the mark turned to dust. It was obvious that if someone tried to poke that spot, the ground would cave in and turn into dust.

 Chapter 496 Castling

    Ruin pped his hands as he looked at Cade who appeared several meters away from his original spot.


    "Impressive," he said. "If I didn''t know better I would have thought you had ''warped'' just now. That is an impressive split second movement technique."


    Cade''s glowing body returned to normal as he deactivated the Regis Blessing. Red steams wasing out of his body as if he was on fire. He fell on one knee, his breathing came in short gasps. It was obvious the dragon blood''s power had taken a huge toll on his body.


    Although Cade could unleash70% of the dragon blood''s power, he could not sustain it for more than five seconds. If he overused it his body would have really be set on fire from the enormous amount of magic stored in the dragon''s blood.


    Nevertheless, now that he had used it, he would need at least ten to fifteen minutes to regte it again.If Cade could circte his magic energy, he would not have to do this. All he had to do was direct the magic energy in his body to stabilize the dragon''s blood and he could activate it again. s, with a damaged core, he could no longer circte magic energy. As for how he could still use his innate magic, it was actually the dragon blood in his veins that was attracting the magic energy in the surrounding. As long as he applied the runes of his innate magic in the surrounding magic energy, he could easily mold shields and weapons.


    But all of those was not of importance at the moment. Because in his current state, he was practically an easy target. If Ruin decided to attack now, Cade would die in one normal attack.


    "Now where was I?" Ruin continued as if he had not been interrupted. "Right, the new Void Master having the physique that hag had coveted in the past. As my prey, I really want to torture him to death, but knowing my old friend seeded in achieving the ultimate physique a mage could have, and my prey possess it, if I kill him now, I will not be able to enjoy the uing war!"


    Cade looked at Ruin. He had no idea of the things thetter was spouting. However, he did not need to be on the loop to understand that it concerned matters outside the Human ne. A huge event that involved all Sovereigns. Apart from this, Cade had an inkling that what happened in the past could be rted to it. Just the fact that Ruin confirmed he had been in the Human ne and even fought the Dragon Lord before was enough for Cade to see a connection. Others might not be able to see the connection with too little information, but it was easy given Cade''s insight. Nevertheless, Cade could only take note of this information. Given his current situation, he could only rack his brains on buying some time until he could reactivate the Regis Blessing again, while also ensuring Ruin did not discover his condition.


    Since thetter loved to talk, Cade did not mind indulging him.


    "You speak as if hewill participate in that war."


    Ruin raised his brows as he looked at Cade. "Oh? Are you finally talking to me? Hahaha!"


    Before Cade could respond Ruin already continued talking. He really loved to talk!


    "Of course he will join. He can''t help but join. If not, the whole Human ne willbe-," Ruin suddenly paused as if a thought crossed his mind. He tilted his head to one side and said, "Ah, but the Human ne already has a Sovereign. So which ne will he represent?"


    Cade frowned. Bits and pieces of information he and his fellow Tower of Tribtion participants had heard or seen during their time there came shing in his mind.


    Sovereigns fighting to conquer nes that had no ''Sovereign'' ruling over them. War guing the realms, all in ordance to the Higher Beings'' whims. The war that drove the Human ne on the verge of extinction, with demons and other foreign beings entering the ne trying to upy it. A certain ''Dark Sage'' who brought chaos to the higher realms.


    ''This...!''


    "Then again, he did seed in saving the Lignum ne a few years back. He could be that ne''s Sovereign..." Ruin''s voice trailed off as another thought crossed his mind. "But has he be a Sovereign?" His expression distorted, his red eyes flickered dangerously. "If not, that will spoil everything."


    Suddenly, the air crackled around him as red thin fissures resembling lightning appeared. These fissures were a visible manifestation of his rising magic pressure.


    Feeling as if a huge boulder had mmed down on him, Cade gritted his teeth and clenched his fists while he fought to stay upright. However, the increasing pressure from Ruin was something Cade in his current state could not handle. His other knee buckled and he was forced to kneel on both knees. As if the gravity around him had been multiplied several times, his bones creak and his upper body was also forced down. He could only fight the pressure by bracing both his arms on the ground. But relying only in his body''s defences was strenous.


    "y time''s over. I need to see whether he has broken through. If not, I''ll just torture him to death. But first, a present..."


    Ruin took a step forward. However, that single movement distorted the space between him and Cade. The next moment, the former was already kneeling before thetter.


    Though Cade managed to conceal the excruciating pain his body was enduring by wearing an indifferent expression, the moment Ruin appeared, his eyes widened and his pupils contracted, betraying his indifference.


    "I''ll be taking your head."


    Without any pause, Ruin raised his left hand that emitted a faint red glow. It was sharp and had a frighteningly cold aura as he swipe it toward Cade''s neck.


    Cold bits of sweat trickled down Cade''s neck. He was frozen in spot as he watched Ruin''s hand that had suddenly stopped midway. Still, the tip of the red glow had grazed him and blood trickled down his neck.


    Cade watched Ruin''s expression distorted as he lowered his gaze to his forearm.


    Following thetter''s gaze, Cade also saw the reason why he had stopped.


    ck spikes with gold and silver ents had pierced Ruin''s outstretched arm. Not only that, there were also simr spikes sticking out from all over his body.


    "Not on my watch."


    Cade''s eyes widened after hearing a familiar voice he had not heard in years.


    "You-!" Before Ruin could explode in anger, a ck silhouettended between him and Cade.<sub> </sub>


    When the silhouette appeared, time seemed to have slowed around them.


    Cade looked at the silhouette and barely make out a ck mask covering hisface. But Cade was not really interested in figuring out what the mask was. He was more interested to know the person behind it. Because the silhouette might have concealed hisaura but for some reasons, Cade foundhisbuild and presence familiar.


    ''Don''t tell me...!''


    The silhouette wordlessly tapped Cade''s shoulder, and something akin to a suction force pulled Cade from within. In the blink of an eye he was already in midair falling.


    "F*ck!"


    The familiar voice Cade had heard cursed.


    "That kid... Don''t go running on your own-!"


    "Nn!"


    Nn grabbed Cade the instant he appeared in midair. He looked at him with a wry smile and said, "You looked f*cked up."


    Before Cade could respond, a thunderous sound reverberated below, forcing him and Nn to turn their attention back to the ground.


    At the spot where Cade had been, the silhouette, which now Cade saw was a man in ck wearing a ck panther mask, unleashed a powerful punch that seemed to tore through space. Histarget was none other than Ruin.


    The man''s punch was too powerful and sharp that its explosive force left several meters of ditch on the ground. As for Ruin, he was blown away several meters backward and was engulfed by a sea of dust.


    "Tsk," Nn clicked his tongue as he looked at Kyran, who was obviously disguised as the man in a panther mask. "I said not to do anything unnecessary! Just who did you get that temper from?"


    Going back a few minutes, after warping at the edge of the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall, Kyran and Nn rushed to the Inner Wall. They did not encounter anyone on the way. It seemed the army camping around the estate''s Inner Wall that Nn had seen on his previousvisit had left. Most likely, they were also summoned to go to Noser.Not that they wereining. After all, they were pressed for time and did not have the leisure of dealing with them.


    When the two arrived near the Inner Wall, they sensed shing auras and the scene that greeted them was Ruin having a monologue while Cade was down on his knees, looking as if he had suffered severe internal injuries.


    Nn had warned Kyran not to do anything unnecessary. He said this because Kyran might look calm, but he knew the calmer he looked the angrier he was.


    That was why when Ruin was about to attack Cade, Nn immediately moved to stop the former''s movement. Who would have thought Kyran had another n. He suddenly warped and reappeared in between Cade and Ruin, exchanging ces with the former to deal with thetter!


    "I want to punch his annoying face just once," Kyran replied through gritted teeth.


    True Void refrain frommenting because he could sense Kyran''s seething anger. In any case, True Void could understand where he wasing from. Kyran had always seen his father as a towering mountain, unrelenting and strong. Seeing Cade in a tattered state must have shocked Kyran. It was also a testament of his father''s determination to protect the n.


    BOOM!


    An ominous aura exploded from the sea of dust. From within, shes of red beam could be seen as Ruin''s silhouette stood up.


    <o>,m Within the sea of dust, Ruin''s face had been disfigured. His cheek was bloodied and torn, revealing flesh, bones and teeth underneath.</o>


    "WHO DARED INTERFERE WITH MY GAME?" Ruin shouted, his voice reverberated, sending the surrounding ground to tremble violently.


    Nn''s brow furrowed, "Kid! Go!"


    Kyran did not need telling twice, he approached them and pulled Cade along as he made a mad dash to escape.


    "YOU!" Ruin bellowed upon seeing the neer that attacked him about to leave.


    BOOM!


    Before Ruin could take a step and destroy the space to catch up with the neer, an oppressive magic pressure erupted that caused him to stay rooted in spot.


    "We''re only changing yers," Nn said, his light blue eyes glinted malevolently. "I''ll y your game."

 Chapter 497 A Peak Sage

    Kyran did not warp immediately after taking Cade along to prevent Ruin from recognizing him. After confirming Ruin did not go after them, Kyran finally to Azaloth''s Inheritance with Cade in tow.


    Azaloth''s Inheritance was hidden at a ce Kyran was familiar with; at an inconspicuous cave in the ravine near the Chaos Pce.


    Somehow, he was not surprised that Azaloth chose to hid his inheritance close to the pce. Given thetter''s ties with Can, it was understandable that he wanted to hide his items near Chaos Pce.


    It now made sense why Azaloth created the mist around the forest. It was to protect the Chaos Pce and his inheritance.


    In Kyran''s opinion, Azaloth likely had no intentions of giving his inheritance. However, if there was really a person who could survive the mist then it was proof of that person''s capability and deserved to be rewarded.


    s, the one who first discovered the location of the inheritance was Hugh. He found it by coincidence while searching fortheir people who went into the Misty Forest but was unfortunate to have entered at a time when the mist was more potent. None of their people survived and even Hugh suffered from the mist''s effect. Others might think that finding Azaloth''s Inheritance countered their misfortune. However, Hugh had no use for Azaloth''s inheritance, which obviously favored Abjurers. They could offer it to Noir and the cksmith Order, but since going back to that ce meant venturing back into the mist, they decided against it.


    The cave was surprisingly spacious. With both walls, ceiling and floor made of white marble. Several thirty meters high columns with gold ornaments, lined on each side, supporting the celing. Floating light orbs lit up the hallway, which led into the inner part of the cave.


    After Kyran and Cade appeared at the middle of the hallway, the former immediately took out a saint-grade healing potion and gave it to thetter.


    "Please, drink this father," Kyran said while cing a bottle filled with light golden liquid on Cade''s hand. "It will heal your wounds at once."


    Cade looked at the bottle in silence. Truth be told, he was at a loss by their unexpected reunion.


    Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Kyran paused and removed his mask.


    True Void decided to stay put, giving the two time to talk.


    "I... know you don''t want me to return," Kyran started. "At least, not at this point in time. But, I..."


    When Kyran paused, unsure of what to say next, Cade lifted his head to look at him.


    With a rare gentle smile, Cade finally said, "You''ve grown."


    Like a floodgate that had been forced open, all the emotions Kyran kept hidden deep in his heart surged out. His chest felt like bursting and tears threatened to pour down from his eyes.


    Kyran was surprised at how little restrain he had left with his emotions. Although reliving the tragedy of the Vates ne in the illusionary world probably yed a crucial part in his self-restraint''s weakening.


    "Father..." Kyran paused and gritted his teeth as he fought back the tears that were on the verge of falling. However, it was a futile attempt because they soon streamed down his face.


    Feeling somewhat embarrassed, at the same time, unable to put a stop to his tears, Kyran lowered his head and covered his eyes with a hand, while clenching the other tightly above his thigh.


    Cade watched in silence. It was not the first time he had seen his son cry. The truth, Kyran was a crybaby when he was small. However, he would only cry when no one was around. At least, when he thought no one was around. But Cade had seen him, yet, he did not attempt tofort him. Knowing how his son''s future might y out, Cade decided to steel his heart and turned a blind eye to his pain. After which he focused on teaching him everything he needed to survive when the time came.


    Kyran learned to endure and conceal his pain. But today, Cade realized he was already at his wits end. Thus, he let his son vent.


    To the whole Regis n, the raid that startedit all had happened roughly three months ago. But that might not be the case with Kyran.


    After learning Kyran met Ruin in another ne, and also met Nn, it was easy for Cade to guess what Kyran had went to the Tower of Tribtions. This meant Kyran had suffered and endured for several years in the tower, all the while, worrying about his n, which might be destroyed at any time.


    Nevertheless, Cade was d to know that Kyran managed to find his own path and it even seemed his magic andbat strength had grown exponentially.


    Kyran roughly wiped his tears and took a deep breath to stabilize his emotions. Now that he had let out most of his pent up emotions, it had be easier for him to suppress them again. Besides, given their situation he could not afford to lose focus.


    Looking back at Cade, Kyran said, "Father, at the end of this hallway is the room to Azaloth''s Inheritance. Nn discovered it can restore your damaged core."


    Cade raised his brows upon hearing this and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "That''s very Nn, alright. It seems he had suffered as well, all these years."


    When he helped Nn escape from the army''s pursuit twenty years ago and ended up with a damaged core, Cade never ned Nn. Apparently, that had not been the case with thetter. Nn felt responsible and tried to find a way to restore Cade''s magic core. The fact that there was little information about Azaloth and yet Nn managed to find it, was a testament of his determination to take responsibility.<sub> </sub>


    "There is also a high probability for you to advance directly to a Magus. Even if that doesn''t happen, as long as you can properly use your magic, we''ll be able to deal with Ruin. Then we can save the whole n-."


    Cade raised a hand to stop Kyran.


    "Dealing with that guy will not be simple. His magic is too strange. Apart from him, the Royal Family still have several powerful mages hiding among their ranks. We have reliable information that the Royal Family have three Arch Maguses, and an elder whose at a Legendary. Although thetter is said to have fallen into a deep sleep after the death of the previous emperor, the fact that he is still alive pose a huge threat."


    Kyran was surprised to hear this. He did not doubt the authenticity of the information because he knew his father would not have told him if it was unreliable. In any case, it was no wonder the Royal Family was not afraid if the Royal Army, or even the other three big factions, the Conve, Aureole and the Temr Code, would stage a revolt. Just the presence of three Arch Maguses was enough to suppress them.


    "Another thing we have to consider is the other big factions. I have no information about the Aureole, but the Temr Code had ties with one of the Deputy Mashal, Imman. Aside from this, we have intel that themander of the Temr Code is at the peak of an Arch Magus."


    Kyran knew about this, but already confirmed that the connection the Temr Code had with Imman was solely due to the Rare Stone. Imman was the one in-charge of collecting the army''s share, thus, he had to work with Tritus.


    "There''s no need to worry about Tritus. He will not make a move unless I tell him to."


    Cade, who was just about to exin other factors they had to be wary of, fell silent.


    What did he mean ''unless he tell him to''?


    But Cade''s insight had always been good, thus he was able to find the answer to his question even before it formed in his mind.


    "You made him your Sigil?"


    Kyran had no ns of hiding anything to Cade, and nodded at once.


    "Mannick is also on my side."


    He did not say their side because given the restrictions Mannick had as the Human ne''s Sovereign, he would not be of any help. "As a matter of fact, he is Azaloth''s essence. Although he can''t make a move himself, I am sure he will not let his people join the Royal Family''s forces when an all out war happens."


    Unlike Nn who was shocked beyond belief of this revtion, Cade managed to stay calm.


    "Mannick''s forces is actually bigger than Ingrid and Imman''sbined together."


    Kyran did not know that, but it did not matter to him.


    Cade studied Kyran for a moment. He initially intended to tell Kyran all the intel they gathered through Jax''s help, but apparently Kyran had not been idle.


    "Tell me everything you know."


    In the end, he decided to hear all the development from Kyran''s side. It would be easier toe up with an action n by understanding all their cards.


    While Kyran felt it was better for Cade to take Azaloth''s Inheritance first, he also knew that doing so would take a while. It was better for them to talk first before Cade entered the inheritance room. At least, while Cade was inside, Kyran could makest minute preparations rather than stay in the cave to wait.


    Kyranid out all his cards to Cade. He also mentioned True Void''s ultimate move.


    To say Cade was shocked to learn all the preparation Kyran had made was an understatement. However, he could not revel at his son''s achievement nor he could offer his praise because they still had pressing matters at hand.


    "We can trust Nn to keep Ruin busy," Cade said with a wry smile. "That guy has always acted like he cannot be bothered to advance his level but I know he worked harder than anyone else."


    "He''s not just a Magus, is he?"


    Cade shook his head, "No. When he left twenty years ago, he was already on the verge of breaking through to a Magus. If my guess is right, given how he easily pierced through Ruin''s defences, Nn is already a Sage, and not just a simple Sage but at the peak. Almost half-step to bing a Sovereign."

 Chapter 498 The Regis’s Grand Array

    Kyran was stunned after hearing Cade. He only thought Nn''s an Arch Magus or a newly advanced Legendary, but never thought of him as someone close to bing a Sovereign.


    But this possibility raised a lot of questions.


    If Nn was already a Sage why did he have to hide his strength? His magic pressure alone could easily send his enemies to their knees. Why did he not offer to save the Regis right from the start? Why did he let things escte?


    Nevertheless, even with these questions, Kyran could more or less guessed the answers.


    Nn was ruthless but he was not bloodthirsty to initiate a bloodbath by meddling. If he had helped free the Regis n before, a war would ensued. Countless innocent people would be caught in the crossfire and it would have escted to other nations. After all, he would be seen as a threat not only because he was a peak Sage but also for trying to protect the new ''Dark Sage'' and his family. Hidden high-leveled mages would appear not only within the empire but all around the world just toexterminatethe threat that he posed.


    Nn might be a peak existence at the Sage level, but whose to say if there were others like him hiding in other nations? Kyran was not familiar with the affairs and status of the other nations but Nn who had been running away from the Yen Royal Army definitely had an idea. As someone wanted by the Ylfaen Royal Army, he likely wandered in other nations.


    In any case, Kyran had a feeling Nn had another genuine reason to avoid using his real strength. He just did not know why and was not really inclined to know. Knowing that Nn had what it means to keep Ruin in check was enough for Kyran.


    Cade''s voice turned solemn as hemented,"Taking an inheritance from master mages of the past would have been enough to help restore my damaged core. It may be hard to find one but it is definitely easier than finding Azaloth''s Inheritance."


    Kyran looked at Cade in puzzlement. He was unsure what his father was on about.


    "I don''t necessarily have to take Azaloth''s inheritance," Cade went on.


    Kyran frowned slightly. If that was true, why did Nn insisted on finding Azaloth''s Inheritance? Then again, discovering what magic thetter had, Kyran guessed Nn not only wanted to restore his father''s damaged core but to let him achieve enlightenment and advance.


    "Azaloth''s Inheritance is definitely a top existence among other inheritance by other Abjurers. If Nn took it for himself, he can be promoted to a Sovereign directly," Cade smiled bitterly.


    That was when Kyran understood what his father was trying to tell him.A Sage on a verge of bing a Sovereign would need tremendous energy and a higher enlightenment to advance. Azaloth was a Sovereign and his inheritance would surely provide the necessary energy and enlightenment Nn would need to advance.


    Why didn''t he?


    Kyran already arrived at the answer.


    "Nn does not want to take it because once he bes a Sovereign he will not be able to meddle in the Human ne''s internal affairs."


    Cade nodded. "That''s right. Others may think he doesn''t have lingering attachments, but..." he hesitated for a moment before adding, "Did he tell you who he is?"


    Kyran suddenly felt a little awkward. He had not openly treated Nn as an uncle because he acted like a total jack ass most of the time. But discovering what Nn had passed up on so he could still meddle in the Human ne''s affairs, made Kyran see him in a new light.


    Nn cared about his rtionships. Especially his family. He did not try to save the Regis n because, alone he could only do so much. Even as a peak Sage, he would not be able to protect everyone. He needed help and one person he trusted the most was Cade. Thus, he did what he can to help restore Cade''s damaged core and also help him advance.


    Inwardly, Kyran could not help but smile wryly.


    Nn had really hidden his intentions well.


    "No," Kyran replied to Cade''s question. It was not a lie. Nn neither admitted nor denied their connection. "I did guess it, after talking to godmother."


    Cade raised his brows and chuckled. "So you''ve also meet te."


    Kyran wanted to ask why they never mentioned her or even Nn before but refrain from doing so. As a matter of fact, he had a lot of questions.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Cade said, "I know you have many questions. But we''ll talk again after this is over."


    "Yes, father."


    Cade sat cross-legged on the marbled floor and rxed his body. His wound had already closed and he could activate the Regis Blessing. The potion in his hand was no longer needed.


    Before Cade could return it to Kyran, Kyran already said, "Keep it for emergency."


    Cade looked at him in silence. Though he could not detect his son''s level, he was positive he had already achieved a greater understanding of his magic andbat abilities based on the things he told him.


    "Alright," Cade answered after a short pause and put the potion in his storage pouch."Since you''ve met my essence in the Tower of Tribtions, I''m guessing he taught you a secret about the Regis Estate."


    The moment Cade opened this topic, Kyran''s eyes lit up at once. That was right, why had he forgotten about that?


    Cade''s essence had taught him a lot of things, and one of the most important lessons he taught him was about the Regis''s Grand Array.


    The Grand Array was designed by the Regis''s ancestor and was said to provide protection to the n in the most perilous time. It was unknown what kind of protection it was, but there had been spections that it was a very powerful magic weapon. However, activating the array was not easy. It required three mages with very high Array attainments just to activate it.


    "It can''t be activated with just three ordinary Array Masters. We needed at least three Array Saints with a Regis bloodline."


    Kyran was surprised. Cade''s essence did not tell him about thest part. Not only that, he did not expect it required three Array Saints! Kyran''s Array attainment was too profound that his level could no longer be measured. Cade was also the same. Initially, Kyran had thought Nn could be the third Array Master, but if it required a Regis bloodline then it was not possible.


    "Is there someone else in the family?" Kyran asked, feeling an iing headache.


    Cadeughed, seeing Kyran''s worried expression. Instead of answering directly, he said, "Most of the Regis members found their way to the Tower of Tribtions and trained. Your uncle Jared was one of them."


    Kyran recalled his uncle Jared was proficient in Alchemy. However, what Cade said next left him reeling in surprise.<sub> </sub>


    "But instead of focusing on improving his Alchemy further he chose to learn Array. Did you think it was easy tocreate a storage pouch? The onr he gave you as a gift?"


    Kyran''s eyes widened. He always felt his space pouch was special. However, he did not expect his uncle Jared to have created it himself, using Array!


    "Then... with uncle Jared, we can activate the Grand Array!"


    Cade nodded,"But first we have to let Jared know our intentions. Currently, they are creating a passageway underground to leave the Inner Walls. Contacting them will be tricky."


    Kyran smiled, "I didn''t you tell much about the Montgomeray Family apart from them swearing allegiance to me. But the truth, the reason why they did is because of their connection with the Spirits."


    "Spirits have their own way of transport. They are the best in delivering messages at a distance," Cade said in agreement.


    "Yes, I''ll ask their help to deliver the message to mother. She... is with them, right?"


    "Yes," Cade replied with a slight smile.


    "Alright. I''ll help Nn buy more time until you acquire Azaloth''s Inheritance, father. When you are done, you can contact me through this," Kyran took out one of his own-mademunication device and gave it to Cade. As he did, he caught sight of True Void, still in a mask form and was uncharacteristically silent all this time.


    "Right," he said and reached for the mask he ced beside him. "I forgot to introduce you to-."


    [There is no need! No need at all!]


    True Void''s frantic voice screamed in Kyran''s head, he almost had a migraine.


    "-True Void."


    However, Kyran ignored True Void''s plead and showed Cade the mask.


    Cade''s initial response was to gape indifferently at the mask. Kyran told him True Void''s ultimate move was to absorb any type of magic energy. Of course, Cade was already aware of it because True Void had almost killed Kyran twelve years ago, when the former continuously absorbed the magic energy in the surroundings the moment he woke up. Buthe had not expected True Void''s form was a panther mask.


    "Oi, go change back to your true form."


    [N-No!]


    "Why you-."


    Cade suddenly chuckled. He already guessed True Void did not want to appear before him after he sealing him for years. Still, he found it amusing that the ultimate weapon of the previous Void Master would be scared of him.


    "It is fine."


    [Yes!]


    "I''d like to meet and have a talk with himter."


    [No! Definitely no!]


    "I have rested enough," Cade diverted the topic back on track and stood up. "I go do my part and sessfully take Azaloth''s Inheritance. You go do what you need to do."


    Kyran stood up as well and nodded, "I will. Please take care, father."


    Cade only smiled in response. But inwardly he was feeling mixed emotions. To think a time woulde that his own son would worry about him like this. He had to seed in taking the inheritance and advance his mage level. Though it was impossible for him to be promoted any higher than a Magus, with the addition of the Regis Blessing, his strength would beparable to an Arch Magus or even a Legendary. It might not beparable to his son''s current level, but at least he would not drag him down.


    Kyran wore the mask and warped, leaving Cade alone in the cave.


    The moment Kyran had left, an oppressive and ominous aura surged out from the innermost part of the cave.


    "I see. It seems you have been suppressing your aura because you sensed the newVoid Master. Now that he has left, the trial for the inheritance has officially started."


    "Do not think that being my new master''s father will provide you an advantage. Only a worthy Abjurer could receive my inheritance."


    A thunderous voice echoed from inside the cave.


    Cade smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.


    "You are just a consciousness. Don''t talk as if you are the real Azaloth."


    "Enter the chamber and find for yourself whether I am a mere consciousness or not."


    Cade ignored the voice''s threat. Even without telling him to enter, he would. His sworn brother passed up on the opportunity to take such a valuable inheritance and his son was doing everything he could to save the n. He had no ns on retreating. Seeding the trial was his only path.


    With that in mind, Cade made his way to the depths of the cave.

 Chapter 499 Split

    An army of twenty thousand officers with at least two thousand Grand Masters marched into Noser.


    Zephyr took a deep breath. Using his ability to transform, he was now disguised as Kyran. However, though they looked the same, he could not use Void magic. Of course, his role here was to only pose as his master, and the fighting would be left to Manti and the others. But that did not lessen his nervousness.


    In Zephyr''s opinion, as long as the ones charging him did not include any of those people who were familiar with his master, like the Grand Marshal, or the Crown Princess, he might be able to pull it off. But if any of those people were among the army, he might slip.


    Hiss...!


    Iss suddenly hissed on Zephyr''s left. Because of his nervousness, Iss''s hissing almost made him jumped out of his skin.


    "W-What is it?"


    Hiss...!


    Iss repeated.


    Zephyr suddenly felt moved. Iss was trying tofort him. That was right. There was no point in worrying of things that might happen. When it happened then tough luck. But since it had not happened yet, he only had to do a better job to prevent a worse case scenario from happening.


    Rawrgh...!


    Manti and Mera, who had left to scout the area around theby market and the residential districts, returned and reported to Zephyr.


    Most of the residents of Noser had left the city and the local city guards built a low wall to barricade the perilous of thetwo districts. Apart from that, the army of twenty thousand were already closing in from the eastern gates of the city.


    Zephyr stood up after hearing Manti and Mera''s report. His eyes glowed, but instead of reddish-purple it was a deep shade of red. Using the memory stone that had Kyran''s aura, Zephyr''s disguise was practically impable.


    "Get ready. Those people are only the forerunners. More wille depending on how we deal with them."


    If others heard him, they might think he was overthinking. To have twenty thousand soldiers acting as forerunners were unthinkable.


    However, Zephyr was aware that thebined forces of the Royal Family and the Army would definitely be more than a million. There were also those stationed at the empire''s border. Thus, twenty thousand soldiers were nothing.


    Hiss...!


    ? Rawrgh...!


    The four beasts hissed or roared softly in response.


    "Let''s ensure these guys continue sending in their army here to lessen the burden on master''s side."


    Hiss!


    Rawrgh!


    They replied in unison.


    *


    Outside the transmission array located in Thunlough, Euan, Mannick and Imman were gathered inside a makeshift tent, while the army of fifty thousand officers waited outside.


    A middle-aged man in red army uniform with four gold badges, indicating his rank as a Major General was also with them and currently reporting the progress of the two hundred thousand officers that went to Mourchton.


    "Twenty thousand soldiers have sessfully arrived in Thunknam Park and were already on their way to Noser," the middle-aged man reported. "Based on the report forwarded by themander of Noser''s city guards, the first batch of soldiers and the few hundred that responded on the first distress call had already been killed by two extremely powerful beasts. However, the person controlling them had yet to make a move."


    Euan''s brow furrowed. He was seated at the head of the small square table with Mannick and Imman sitting on his right and left, respectively.


    "Isn''t Gael and Deception, among the first respondents?"


    "Yes, your Majesty. However, their whereabouts are unknown. Although..." the middle-aged man''s voice trailed off as he hesitated to continue.


    "Speak!" Imman hissed at him.


    "Yes!" With a somewhat incredulous expression, the middle-aged man replied, "A strange scene had happened before they were confirmed missing. Based on the report, a... giant finger tore through the sky, then a man in ck appeared pushing it back..." He then ryed the rest of what had happened in Noser based on the report. However, the more he spoke the more his expression twisted in unbelief. After all, it sounded absurd.


    None of the report indicated the golden that helped prevent Deception''s descent, though. Since only those who knew the existence of other nes would be able to see the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    When the middle-aged man finished rying the strange report, he braced himself for the emperor''s censure. He might not be the one who sent the report but it sounded absurd. As someone who received the report without much of a qualm, he was somewhat responsible for it.<sub> </sub>


    However, the censure the middle-aged man was expecting did note. Instead, Euan asked an entirely unrted matter from the events in Noser.


    "What is the current status in the Regis Estate?"


    The middle-aged man was perplexed. But he recovered immediately and responded, "Her royal Highness, Crown Princess sent an order to withdraw our army there and to join the rest in going to Noser. From thest update of Lt. General Faux''s second-inmand, Major General Zol, they were already ten to fifteen minutes away from entering Mourchton. The report came in thirty minutes ago. They likely have joined the remaining two hundred thousand soldiers by now and is preparing to be transmitted to Thunknam Peak."


    Mannick leaned back on his chair after hearing this.


    While it appeared that Haylee deemed apprehending Kyran was far more important than dealing with the Regis n, Mannick was aware of Ruin''s movements. She likely wanted to deal with both as soon as possible before Euan could do anything.


    Mannick closed his eyes and silently observed Euan through his magic sense.


    Euan wore a poker face, which made it hard to tell what he was thinking. However, if one had a high level of magic sense, it would be easy to sense another''s mood by observing usually hard to see clues, such as the heart beat, breathing, and minuscule changes in one''s temperature.


    Judging from Euan''s controlled breathing, yet erratic beating of his heart, it appeared he did not approve of Haylee''s decision.


    No.


    To be precise, it was not that he disapproved but he felt suspicious.


    Mannick arrived at this conclusion after sensing Euan''s lowered temperature. The dropped in Euan''s temperature was likely caused by a gripping coldness in his heart. A feeling akin to a bad premonition.


    Mannick opened his eyes and looked at Euan. Countless thoughts whirled in his mind but he refrained from speaking his mind. Not with other people present.


    "Please give your order, your Majesty," Imman took this chance to show his fealty to the empire by taking the initiative to ask for Euan''s order.


    Euan was silent for a few seconds. After a short pause, he finall nodded his head and said, "Go to Mourchton and lead our soldiers in Noser.l, Imman. Capture the intruder alive. As for the beasts, deal with them ordingly."


    Imman stood at once and lowered his head in abination of respect and salute.


    "I will bring you victory, your Majesty."


    Without further ado, Imman turned and left.


    "Tell all the soldiers with us to prepare. In ten minutes, we will head to the Regis Estate," Euan told the middle-aged man.


    Looking somewhat surprised thetter asked, "To the Regis Estate, your Majesty? Not in Mourchton?"


    Euan gave him a piercing look without saying anything.


    "I- I will ry your order at once, your Majesty."


    When the middle-aged man left the makeshift tent, Euan leaned on his chair and said in a low voice.


    "I want to hear your opinion on all these, Mannick. You don''t have to hold back and tell me your honest thoughts."


    Mannick lifted his gaze and looked at Euan.


    One of the reasons he decided to enter the army and move up the ranks was because he found Euan a just ruler. He decided to influence the army and provide a simrly just soldiers to support Euan. After all, the corruption within the army and the Royal Family was deeply rooted that it was not rare for a just ruler to suddenly end updead within a decade of his reign.But Mannick had not expected for Euan to be the first to approach him. As far as he was concerned he was the ''ck sheep'' in the army that even Gael was wary off. Even if Mannick''s forces were greaterpared to Imman and Ingridbined, he did not think Euan would think highly of him given his reputation.


    As if reading Mannick''s thoughts, Euan said, "Compared to Gael, Imman and Ingrid, I find your characterreal."


    He paused before continuing to exin his side, "Gael and Imman are a cast in the same mold. They are both ambitious and only wanted to increase their influence and power. Ingrid, on the other hand, is loyal but only toward the Winfrey Family. I can tell she wants a person with the Winfrey bloodline to rule the empire again. And as for you..." He looked at Mannick with a bitter smile. "Your reputation may not be ideal but the trust your subordinates had for you spoke otherwise. I''d really love to learn from you."


    "You give me too much credit."


    Euan did not respond and only look at Mannick solemnly.


    Mannick returned Euan''s gaze while weighing his options. If he speak up, it would it be considered as him meddling in the Human ne''s internal affairs? Frankly, he had yet to see the definitive line of until when he was allowed to act.


    Finally, Mannick replied, "Are you sure you want to hear my honest thoughts?"


    Mannick''s toneck respect, however, Euan did not mind as he nodded his head, "Yes."


    "I might sully your virgin ears, your Majesty, so be prepared."

 Chapter 500 Macabre (1)

    Although Haylee requested to take care of the matter in Noser, she did not immediately go there and instead, ordered Deception and Gael to mobilize with their group to scout the situation. After that, she asked Ruin to expedite the destruction of the Regis''s defensive array while dispatching the army stationed outside the estate to join Gael in Noser.


    When Haylee was sure she had ced her people where she wanted them, she and Lira went to the Royal Army''s Headquarters. Her objective was the secret basement Gael, and a few leaders of the noble families in the empire had been protecting right under the Royal Family''s noses.


    Haylee stood in front of the big floor-to-ceiling gates. Her sapphire blue eyes still glow brilliantly in the dimly lit hallway.


    Standing behind her were two figures. One was Lira, who came with her from the Courtenay Land, and the other was Fiona, the Combat Hall personnel that the Royal Family ced to keep an eye on Gael''s activities. However, she had another identity. She was Ingrid''s half-sister. Like Ingrid, Fiona shared the same desire to get a person with Winfrey''s blood to rule the empire again. For this reason, Fiona''s submitted reports to the Combat Hall, which Euan also received, were iplete. Then she would send Haylee anonymous tips to let her know Gael''s movements.


    Haylee started receiving Fiona''s tips two years ago. Initially, she ignored them but began paying attention when she became aware that some old noble families wanted a Winfrey to rule the empire.


    It was only recently that she started tomit.


    After receiving Fiona''s tip to go to the Mercenary Guild to understand what Gael was doing, Haylee started to proactively understand the whole situation between the Royal Army and her family. She reread all the tips Fiona had sent her and soon arrived at her own conclusion.


    By the time Haylee went to the Winfrey Ancestral Land, she had already felt wary of everyone around her.


    Even Macey, the handmaid that her stepmother handpicked for her.


    After seeding in the Inheritance Rights in the Winfrey Ancestral Land, Haylee experienced a qualitative change in character. Apart from this, she became aware of the memories of the past Soul Emperor and everything she did.


    Haylee discovered how much of a fraud the Royal Family was.


    What Dark Sage? What Hero family that put an end to his evil rule? The Winfrey Family, or to be precise, La, the previous Soul Emperor, was the one who crafted an insidious n to make the Dark Sage the enemy of all humanity.


    Surprisingly, Haylee didn''t resent La. Instead, she pitied La because everything she did was for a noble cause. Ultimately, La failed because she neglected one crucial point. She did not handle the matters with the Regis properly.


    Haylee found that La was betrothed to Zane, the Regis ancestor who became the Dragon Lord. If La had first married him, she could have controlled him and prevented him from discovering her ns.Ultimately, La''s failure led to her death.


    ''But things will be different this time,'' Haylee thought, her eyes glowing with determination and zeal. After receiving La''s memories, Haylee learned a secret that could ultimately help her deal with the new Void Master. That secret was hidden deep within a chamber underground in Meliora.


    After researching the chamber''s location, Haylee found the Royal Army''s headquarters had been built above it and that Gael had already found it. Because of this, Haylee decides to make Gael her loyal servant rather than kill him. At least, her decision made her discover the identities of six influential figures conspiring with him.


    Those six had already been dealt with ordingly.


    "I will go in for an hour. If I don''te out then, Lira," Haylee paused to look at her.


    Lira straightened and replied, "Yes, your highness."


    "You''ll be in charge of the matter in Noser."


    Lira''s brow furrowed slightly, and she asked, "What about your father?"


    "Let him do what he wants. If I openly object to his decisions, he might get suspicious."


    "And the Regis?"


    "Ruin can handle that alone."


    However, Lira looked unconvinced. Haylee noticed this and asked, "What is it?"


    After some hesitation, Lira finally said, "Your Highness, I think you are being toocent about your father. He is the emperor, and you must not underestimate his insights. I don''t think it is wise to let him be."


    Haylee frowned, "Are you telling me to take care of my father?"


    Others might not find her words strange. However, those who had seen the cruel truth knew her meaning was different.


    Lira shook her head immediately, "No, your Highness. Please pardon my callousness. I am only afraid that the emperor will do something to harm you."


    "He dotes on me. He may suspect me eventually, but never lift his hand against me. At most, he will feel betrayed and disheartened, but as long as I exin everything to him, he will understand and support me. Anyway, I already gave him a chance to change his heir, yet he insisted on having me. He will never let anything happen to the empire''s sessor."


    "Yes, your Highness. Please forgive my shortsightedness," Lira said and lowered her head in apology.


    However, Haylee''s eyes flickered slightly, and she said, "You are not fully convinced."


    This time, Lira did not respond nor lift her head to look at Haylee. Frankly, she did not care about the politics in the empire. All that mattered to her was Haylee''s safety. She pledged to protect her with her life when she became her Royal Knight.


    Seeing that Lira did not admit nor deny herment, Haylee sighed and said, "If my father does something that deviates from my original scenario, then do as you see fit."


    Lira finally straightened and answered, "Thank you for your trust, your Highness."<sub> </sub>


    Haylee nodded at them and walked to the gates.


    The gates were usually operated by activating a panel located on each side. However, Haylee did not require that. Her magic signature alone would allow her to enter the chamber easily.


    Haylee ced her hand on the gates'' surface and inserted her magic energy. In an instant, the huge gates opened inwardly.


    A cold and ominous aura sted from within the gates, and Lira and Fiona trembled. Fiona even fell to her knees.


    On the other hand, Haylee did not share the same reaction. Instead, her sapphire blue eyes glinted in excitement. Carrying that sentiment, she entered the gates.


    *


    In the middle of the forest near Thunknam Peak, Gael materialized and leaned on a tree. His face was pale, and his breathing came in short gasps, proof of his unstable condition.


    ''Curse that woman!,'' he swore, thinking of Deception.


    Gael would have suffered far more than exhausting his magic energy if not for the attentiveness of his magic weapon''s spirit. He managed to wake from the illusion because of their connection.


    In any case, Deception''s action proved her so-called allegiance to the Crown Princess was superficial. If Gael had to assess the outsiders'' attitude, Ruin was the only one who appeared to be genuinely helping the Crown Princess achieve her goals.


    Once Gael recovered his bearing, he immediately took out hismunication device and began writing a coded message detailing Deception''s treacherous act and the current situation. However, just before sending the message. He sensed several auras approaching from the nearby service road.


    Gael roused his magic and immediately saw that they were from the army.


    ''I see. The reinforcements have finally arrived in Thunknam Peak,'' he thought and approached the army while adding this information to his coded message.


    Not long after he had sent the message, he received a response.


    However, it was not from Haylee but from Lira. She told him the Crown Princess was upied at the moment and would deal with Deception''s matter afterward.


    Gael frowned slightly and felt he had been doused by cold water. In the end, he decided to put the issue of Deception''s betrayal to the back of his mind and focus on leading the reinforcements back to Noser. They would only be marching to their deaths if they entered the city without understanding the real situation.


    Unfortunately, Gael did not know his information was outdated because he had been under Deception''s illusion for more than two hours.


    *


    When Kyran left the cave to Azaloth''s Inheritance, he went to the Montgomeray Family''s secret residence to ask for White Lily''s assistance in delivering a message to his mother.


    White Lily, who was already aware of the situation in the Regis Estate, readily agreed. She then updated Kyran on Emperor Euan and the Royal Army''s movements.


    After learning that the army was using a transmission array in Mourchton to transfer to Thunknam Peak, Kyran started to formte his next move.


    Kyran then asked White Lily and Ezra to gather their people and go to Noser. He wanted them to assist Zephyr in keeping the army busy.


    The two did not ask any questions. However, Kyran sensed their apprehension. Thus, he told them what the Spirits'' were infamous for; ruthless pranksters.


    They took the hint, and White Lily felt amused.


    When Ezra asked about the Temr Code''s possible intervention, Kyran only said not to worry about them. Seeing White Lily''s knowing smile, he added, she could exin the details on the way.


    After giving his instructions to them, Kyran left and went to the Courtenay Land.


    True Void had told Kyran that Neo had already converted its settings to ''Tyr,'' thus, keeping Tyr''s identity safe. Neo was also with the Courtenay members, waiting for Kyran.


    Kyran asked the Courtenay to handle the army''s progress to Noser. Of course, he did not ask them to wage war on them openly but to disrupt the transmission arrays in Mourchton and Thunknam Peak. With the Courtenay''s talent in Array, it would not pose a problem. As for how they would do it, Kyran left Eoin and Ernst to devise a n. The two did not have any qualms. They even felt grateful for Kyran''s trust.


    Frankly, Kyran said this not because he trusted them. His reason was simple. Kyran did not need mindless puppets, but real people who could think for themselves.


    In any case, Kyran did not have to worry that Eoin would betray him. Millie''s fate was tied up to their actions, after all.


    When Kyranpleted his business in the Courtenay Land, True Void thought his next stop was the Tower of Conve since Ste and her council members were already preparing to return before he left.


    To True Void''s surprise, Kyran actually warped to the cottage.


    However, when they arrived at the cottage- to be precise, in Cyneah''s room- they found it empty.

 Chapter 501 Macabre (2)

    Kyran was instantly ovee with fear as several grim thoughts crossed his mind.


    "Seriously, Void Halfling. Can''t you warp outside her room? I know she''s the first mistress, and it''s fine for you to warp in her room. But you''re not warping alone right now. I may be a weapon spirit and have no interest in human, but what if she''s in the middle of getting dressed or even undressing? She''s a young woman, you know. You haven''t even bed her. She will be embarrassed if others see her naked apart from you!"


    True Void''s nonsense snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    "Stop talking nonsense. What do you even mean apart from me?" Kyran snapped at him.


    "You don''t have to be shy. You already saw her naked. Even held her in your arms when she was stark naked."


    Kyran''s frown deepened. "How did you know that."


    "Duh, I can see and sense- actually, you''re right. I am spouting nonsense. Really? You already seen her naked? Even held her naked? Wow, Void Halfling, I didn''t expect you had it in you. I almost thought you swing the other way," True Voidughed uneasily after sensing Kyran''s mood turning sour. "A-Anyway, she isn''t here. When Zephyr and I left, te took her to her room."


    Kyran the rest of True Void''s rambling and only focused on thetter part. Using his magic sense, Kyran checked the whole cottage. True enough, he sensed Cyneah in the room next door.


    When they went next door, they found Cyneah sprawled weakly on the floor. Though the room was dimly lit, they noticed her paleplexion. Beads of sweat covered her forehead and neck, and she looked in pain. Her breath also soundbored.


    "Neah!" Kyran rushed inside and gently pulled her up.


    ''She''s cold as ice!'' Kyran thought as soon as he touched her.


    His initial reaction was to summon te from the Void World and have her check Cyneah''s condition but decided against it. After all, te was doing something vital to their situation inside the Void World.


    Kyran lifted Cyneah and was shocked at her limp figure. It was as if all her bones had been removed from her body.


    "Void Halfling, something''s wrong with her," True Void''s said while watching Kyrany Cyneah in bed.


    "I can see that," Kyran snapped. His mood appeared to be worsening.


    True Void did not take offense because he already sensed Kyran''s fear. Instead, he said, "Then can you sense the magic energy flowing inside her?"


    It was then that Kyran noticed the magic energy circting within her was different. He was already familiar with how her magic energy felt, like a gentle spring breeze full of life and vitality. Previously, Cyneah had a thick aura of death around her, but now that she had recovered, she was brimming with light and life.


    Nevertheless, even though the magic energy flowing in Cyneah was different, it was not foreign either because¡­


    "This¡­"


    "That''s right, Void Halfing. Its Void energy."


    Kyran''s mind reeled, recalling how Cyneah appeared in his consciousness while trapped in the illusion world. Could the Cyneah back then really be her? And entering his consciousness somehow made her ''absorb'' his magic energy?


    No. That was not feasible. Unless Cyneah directly made contact with his magic energy and took it in, it was impossible. The illusion world was created from Deception''s magic. Thus, being there did not mean she had direct contact with Kyran''s magic energy.


    So when?


    When he held her hand?


    No way.


    Kyran suddenly recalled attacking Cyneah with a Void Knife. Could grazing her then be the cause? After all, the Void Knife was made of pure Void magic.


    Kyran checked Cyneah''s cheek. However, apart from being pale, there was no indication of a cut on her skin.


    Then when did Cyneah take in his magic energy?


    "This is absolutely impossible. Truly, an impossibility," True Void muttered. He flew above Cyneah''s head and observed her closely. "I mean, if you did that, I would know about it."


    Kyran frowned. Initially, he thought True Void was also baffled at Cyneah''s condition, but his words sounded otherwise.


    "If you know something, say it."


    True Void looked at Kyran, the eye socket on the miniature armor grew wide as a small saucer.


    "You tell me. How did you find time to make a move on her?"


    "What move?"


    "Duh, Void Halfling. Unless both of you shared an intimate physical contact, how else would you transfer your energy to her?"


    "Intimate¡­" Kyran''s brow twitch.


    He had never touched her, alright.


    Seeing, Kyran''s baffled expression; True Void was suddenly at a loss.


    "No way. You didn''t? But then how...? You''re not going to tell me that I''m the one who did it, right?"


    "I''ll f*cking kill you if you did."


    True Void gasped. "Oh my goodness. And I mean, my goodness. That''s the first time I heard you curse that way."


    Anyhow, he did not take Kyran''s cursing to heart because he could not really kill him.


    Unless Kyran destroyed his real body.


    ...


    True Void subconsciously gulped nervously.


    "Can''t you just tell me how to remove it. It''s clearly Void energy but I can''t redirect it out of her body."


    "Of course, you can''t. Though it originally belonged to you, her body already took it. The only way to remove it is to take it forcefully."<sub> </sub>


    "How?"


    "Tsk. Tsk. Have you forgotten what I''m good at?"


    Kyran''s eyes lit up. "Right. Absorb- no, wait." He paused after remembering how True Void almost killed him when he was a kid after thetter woke up.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, True Void huffed in annoyance and said, "I was hungry that time, okay. Besides, I honestly believed your body can endure it because your a Regis."


    "I was six years old. I have yet to learn tempering techniques then."


    "Yes. Yes, and I was a huge glutton. Anyway, don''t worry because I am full right now and will not make an amateur mistake and will only absorb the energy I have to," True Void said. With a solemn expression he added, "But her body is quite strange. She doesn''t possess a magic core yet she can attract magic energy. She will not have any trouble absorbing raw magic energies because all excess will naturally leave her body. However, if she absorbed converted magic energies like yours, it will be a poison that her body had no way of releasing."


    "Talkter, help her first."


    "Fine. Fine," True Voidnded on the spot between Cyeanh''s head and the bed''s headboard. He ced his hand on her forehead and began absorbing the Void energy in her body.


    Mist-like purple magic energy flew out of her body and into True Void''s hands.


    "Hmm. The quality of Void energy in her body is very potent. If you two want to be intimate with each other make sure to control yourself, else you''ll end up killing her."


    "We didn''t-."


    Kyran stopped short after recalling the time Cyneah woke him up. He remembered feeling as if he was drowning before waking up with a start. After that Cyneah looked a little flustered and was trying to exin something but then deliberately changed the subject.


    It did not take long for Kyran to put the clues together and arrive at a conclusion.


    To be honest, Kyran still had reservations about Cyneah appearing in that illusion world. But now, it seemed she really did. Not only that, apparently her good will had endangered her life!


    She only performed a mouth to mouth to resuscitate him. How was that an intimate contact?


    When True Void spoke of Cyneah not possessing a magic core yet able to attract magic energy, Kyran realized he never really gave a thought about it.Would Cyneah''s body continue to endure the strain of circting magic energy without a magic core?


    Kyran felt troubled by the thought.


    After a few minutes, Cyneah''splexion started to show improvement. She still looked pale, but not as pale as before. Her breathinghad also stabilized. However, her temperature remained cold. Kyran''s brow furrowed. It was good that he went here to check on her. If not, what would''ve happen to her? In any case, now that he knew her condition, he could not leave her alone in the cottage.


    "We can''t leave her here."


    "You can''t take her in your Void World," True Void warned him at once. "That world is basically made from your Void energy. Beings with magic core can stay in that world without any problem because they can easily avoid the Void energy in the surroundings. But not her. Besides, we still don''t know if she and the Crown Princess share a connection like how an essence is connected to the original body. If they do, she will be a human tracking device."


    "I know. But the original can remove that connection. Just like what father did to his essence."


    "Point taken. But Void Halfling. I never said this because I don''t think it''s necessary given your intelligence. But now that I can see how she can easily affect your rationality, I am incline to remind you," True Void''s voice suddenly became serious, "There is a chance that Cyneah is the essence, and the Crown Princess is the original."


    Kyran did not respond. The thought did ur to him. He had wanted to confirm it with White Lily, but with so many things happening almost all at once, it slipped out of his mind.


    Kyran closed his eyes and mockingly thought, ''No. It didn''t slip your mind... it''s because you never want to consider it.''


    "I know," Kyran finally said as he opened his eyes. After confirming that Cyneah''s condition was far from good, he said, "We''ll take her to the Conve. I¡­"


    Kyran suddenly frowned and felt ufortable. Just imagining how Ste would react if he asked her to look after Cyneah was giving him a headache.


    True Void sighed. He noticed how easy it was to see through Kyran''s emotions today.


    What exactly did Kyran experience in Deception''s illusion for his self-restraint to drop like this?


    True Void only hoped it would not affect Kyran''s decision-makingter.


    "I''ll ask Ste to let Cyneah stay in the tower," Kyran said after a short pause, "Then have Aki watch over her."


    Apart from Neo, the rest of Kyran''s puppets went with Ste to the Conve.


    True Void nodded. "Yes, that should work."


    Kyran carefully carried Cyneah then warped to the Tower of Conve.


    Kyran chose to warp in his temporary room with the intention of leaving Cyneah there with True Void while he go to Ste and exin the situation. Unfortunately, when he appeared, the first thing he heard was Ste''s worried voice.


    "Kyran-."


    Ste stopped short upon seeing Kyran carrying a woman. It did not take long for her to notice the woman''s likeness from the Crown Princess and instantly guess her identity.


    She is that woman.


    In an instant, Ste''s heart tightened and she fought to keep a straight face.


    True Void whistled in Kyran''s head. He knew how scary a jealous woman could be so he decided he did not know Kyran until the ordeal passed and turned into a bracer beforetching on Kyran''s right forearm.


    [I''ll y dead for now. Good luck.]


    Kyran wanted to curse True Void but knowing it would not improve his situation, he could only sigh in his heart.


    "Ste-."


    "What happened to her? She looks pale," Ste asked and rushed to Kyran''s side. As soon as she touched Cyneah''s hand, she was shocked at how cold she was, "She''s freezing!"


    Kyran, who was still thinking of how to exin the situation, was left perplexed by Ste''s attitude. But hearing herment about Cyneah''s temperature, he pushed his uneasiness aside and said, "Yes. She got infected by- a bad energy, and fell sick. True Void already took it out but apart from herplexion turning better, her temperature has not improved."


    "Alright, I''ll have Malia look at her. Let''s head to my quarters."

 Chapter 502 Macabre (3)

    After contacting Malia, Ste took Kyran and Cyneah to her quarters using the tower''s transmission array.


    When they appeared, Kyrany Cyneah down on one side of the bed while Ste went to the bathroom. She brought a white basin filled with lukewarm water and a handtowel. Then she sat on the side of the bed, soaked the handtowel in water, and wrung it once before wiping Cyneah''s arms.


    Ste''s brow was slightly furrowed. Cyneah did feel frighteningly cold. Ste could not say it in front of Kyran, seeing how worried he was, but Cyneah felt like a corpse. That was Ste''s impression when Kyranid Cyneah on the bed; her body appeared tock bones. If not for the slight heaving of her chest as she breathed, Ste believed her to be dead.


    True Void disengaged himself as a bracer and turned into miniature armor before sitting on Kyran''s shoulder.


    [What are you thinking, Void Halfling?]


    He asked, seeing how Kyran had fallen silent while looking at Cyneah and Ste.


    ''I''m just thinking howcking my Alchemy knowledge is. I can diagnose sickness, even rare ones ande up with a potion to help them, but seeing Neah''s condition¡­ I can think of a few reasons that have simr symptoms like hers, but none of them is rted to magic energy poisoning.''


    [Don''t beat yourself up. It''s not that your Alchemy iscking but that this situation involves the Void. Even in the Tower of Tribtions, information about Void magic is rare. So how will you know of a remedy to heal illness or injury rted to Void? Remember, a limb cut using Void magic cannot regenerate. Your magic has infected her, and we''ve already taken it out. We can only observe the situation.]


    ''I know,'' Kyran only curtly responded before falling silent again.


    True Void felt helpless. His master''s weakness was a woman, and now the new Void Master''s weakness was this young woman. Apart from this, they were both rted to the Soul Emperor. Would history repeat itself?


    ''The future sure is bleak,'' he thought with a sigh.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. True Void did not share his thoughts, but his sigh vividly conveyed his unspoken concern to Kyran.


    ''I won''t deny that Neah is important to me, but she won''t be my weakness. I''m not Can.''


    True Void did not reply and only looked at Kyran''s profile.


    "Kyran," Ste called out after straightening her back. She looked at him and asked, "What kind of energy infected her? Howe it''s too potent?"


    "Mine."


    Ste''s initial reaction was to gape at Kyran. When he did not borate and even looked uneasy, she realized he was not joking. She blinked several times, and said, "I''m sorry?"


    Kyran sighed inwardly.


    As much as possible, he did not want to talk about it because his guilt over what happened to Cyneah was already gnawing at him. He did not want to end up making Ste feel bad as well if she knew how it happened.


    Then again, with True Void no longer pretending to be dead, who knew what kind of exaggerated exnation he would say?


    "You heard him right," True Void, as Kyran expected, started. "Kyran infected her with Void energy. Its already removed, but as you can see, she has not woken up and her temperature is still cold."


    Before Ste could ask any further, or True Void started spouting unnecessary information, Kyran said, "I don''t think Chairman Malia can heal Neah, but I want to hear her thoughts. I may have missed something."


    Ste did not reply, but the deep frown on her beautiful face showed her displeasure. She was not a clueless girl, and she more or less guessed something had happened between this woman and Kyran. Even if Kyran did not say it, Ste could sense his branding on her!


    Do not underestimate a woman''s intuition!


    Anyway, the branding Ste felt was not simr to the ones Kyran had with his Sigils and pets. It was more of a feeling:No one is allowed to touch Cyneah, or they will suffer grievous consequences.


    "She will need to hear what happen. If not how can shee up with her own ideas," Ste said matter-of-factly, but True Void felt a biting chill from her voice.


    ''I should''ve yed dead longer,'' he sighed resentfully.


    Malia arrived soon after. She was surprised to see Cyneah because she resembled the Crown Princess, but she put aside her curiosity upon seeing her weak state. For a good two minutes, Malia checked Cyneah''s condition while Kyran gave a perfunctory exnation of what had happened.


    Ste pursed her lips in annoyance after hearing Kyran''s exnation. Did he not know that the more he avoid giving out a detailed exnation, the more he appear suspicious?


    Oblivious to the awkward atmosphere inside, Malia announced her diagnosis.


    "Her temperature exceeded that of the normal," she started while looking at Kyran. "If not for her present vital signs, I would have thought you''re asking me to examine a dead body."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. It was subtle, but Ste, who had been watching him, noticed it.


    "However," Malia continued. "If we put aside how she got infected by a bad energy, I could think of one reason for her condition."


    ''I thought of seven,'' Kyran thought in dismay. He could not me Malia for providing only one reason. Unlike him, who had the advantage of training in the Tower of Tribtions, her Alchemy knowledge was limited to the Human ne. Still, he had hoped she could provide something different.


    Without waiting for them to ask, Malia exined, "I once read my grandfather''s alchemy journal from the time he worked at one of the noble families in Meliora." She paused and frowned slightly, seemingly unsure how to continue. But after a few seconds, her expression cleared, and she said, "Actually, my grandfather used to work for a branch family of the surviving Winfrey Family."


    The others were shocked to hear this. However, unlike Ste, who was more expressive, Kyran and True Void managed to conceal their shock.


    "Anyway," Malia continued, "The first miss of the family had sleep paralysis. However, it was also a little different from the usual sleep paralysis. Her whole body was not stiff like how people suffering from that condition had. Instead, her body was limp and her temperature was very low."


    Herst statement made Kyran and Ste look at Cyneah.


    The symptoms were the same.


    "My grandfather concocted several potions but failed to find a real solution. He was only able to relieve her difort after she woke up."


    "How long did it take for her to wake up? Did your grandfather write that?" Kyran asked at once.


    Malia nodded, "It was random, with the longest four days, and the shortest, six hours."<sub> </sub>


    ''I can''t wait that long,'' Kyran thought with a sigh of resignation.


    Frankly, he would not have considered what Malia had said if not for the fact that it involved a Winfrey, possibly making Cyneah''s condition hereditary.


    In any case, Kyran had hoped to see Cyneah regain consciousness before leaving. However, even though he worried about her, he could not stay long. He was still here only because he was waiting for an update from the spirit messenger White Lily sent to the Regis Estate to deliver his message.


    "Actually."


    Malia''s voice brought Kyran out of his mullings.


    With a thoughtful expression, she said, "There was something else my grandfather mentioned about the first miss. He wrote that every time she woke up, she would tell him things she had seen and experienced in her sleep. My grandfather noted that most of the things she told him, actually happened in real life."


    Kyran''s eyes widened as an idea crossed his mind. Before he could voice his thoughts, someone else beat him at it.


    "Soul projection," Ste muttered and looked at Cyneah. As if in a trance, she continued, "That''s right. Your family has always thought you are ill when you suddenly fall into a deep sleep for days. But actually, it is you using your soul to move around and spy on others."


    "Ste."


    "Milord?"


    Kyran and Malia called out to Ste at the same time.


    Malia looked at her in concern, while Kyran felt uneasy. He had witnessed Ste act this way before, and he was worried that leaving Cyneah with her like this might not be a good idea.


    Ste took a sharp intake of breath as she snapped out of her trance-like state. She felt a little dizzy and rubbed her temples, saying, "I-I''m sorry. I need some time to think. I''ll take my leave first."


    "I''ll bring Neah back to my room, rest here," Kyran immediately said and walked over to the bed to take Cyneah.


    "N-No need. I can-."


    "It''s fine. This is your room. Neah can stay in mine. I''ll have Aki watch over her," Kyran insisted. Then he looked at Malia and added, "Chairman Malia, can I trouble you to concoct the potion your grandfather used to make for the first miss? If not, you can give the instructions to Len."


    Finally feeling the awkwardness between them, Malia looked at Ste uneasily before looking back at Kyran, saying, "It is fine. I can do that. I''ll bring the potion over."


    "You don''t have to worry," Ste suddenly said before Kyran could leave with Cyneah and True Void. "I only need some time to sort my thoughts. I won''t hurt her."


    Kyran only nodded in response before returning to the makeshift room in the training ground.


    As soon as they appeared, Cyneah''s body started to convulse.


    "Neah? Oi, what''s wrong?" Kyran tried to shake her awake. But it was useless.


    True Void levitated in midair and looked at Cyneah with a frown.


    "Void Halfling, its okay. I think she is about to wake-."


    Before Kyran couldy Cyneah on the bed, her eyes snapped open and she gasped for air.


    He sat on the bed and held her while saying, "It''s okay. Calm down and slowly take a deep breath. Slowly control your breathing."


    After a few seconds, Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes seemd to regain focus as she said, "N-Nar?"


    "I''m here."


    "Nar!" Cyneah wound her arms around Kyran. She was still having trouble breathing, her whole body trembled, and she clung to him as if her life depended on it. "Y-You''re real, right?"


    "Yes."


    "N-Not a dream."


    Kyran paused, wondering if he should mention the illusion world. In the end, he decided against it and said, "That''s right."


    "I-I just had a s-scary dream."


    "It''s okay. It''s just a¡­" Kyran recalled what Ste had said about soul projection and hesitated. He also thought the same because it could also exin how Cyneah appeared in the illusion world.


    "N-No¡­ I-It can''t be a dream," Cyneah continued, her voice quivering in fright. "J-Just now, you just called me Neah. T-The you in that dream a-also called me Neah."


    "Yes, that''s right. But its okay now," Kyran did not think what happened in the illusion world would scare her like this. Then again, howe she had only woken up from that?


    Cyneah shook her head as she leaned back, "No. T-That was not scary. B-But the one after that."


    Kyran frowned at once.


    True Void''s eyes also squinted as he sent a telepathic message to Kyran.


    [Ask her what she saw.]


    Kyran did not need telling and had already asked, "Tell me."


    "I-In t-that dream¡­ I-I can see Nar. I-I can actually see!"

 Chapter 503 Macabre (4)

    "Not with my magic sense. But with m-my own two eyes!"


    Kyran had a bad feeling. True Void shared the same sentiment as he sat cross-legged in midair. They did not speak and only let Cyneah continue.


    "A-After parting with you, I found myself in a c-carriage and t-there were people I don''t know with me. But they didn''t look like bad people and t-they were very respectful. W-We went to a ce, with tall buildings. The whole ce was buzzing with activity but t-there were still a few of people¡­" Cyneah shivered recalling the huge people in red that greeted ''her.'' "Who greeted us. T-Two big m-men and a woman. Then the woman led us to an underground ce. Her, me and t-this strict-looking woman I c-called Lira. T-The underground''s hallway was very dark and at the end¡­ there was a very big door, t-twin doors¡­." Cyneah''s voice trailed off, and her whole body trembled with renewed zeal. She lowered her head and tightly held onto Kyran''s coat before saying, "My thoughts as I stood in front of those doors¡­ were very unsightly. I¡­ kept thinking of wanting to control everyone. T-That all opposition s-should be... k-killed."


    Kyran held Cyneah''s hand and said, "That''s not your thoughts. You don''t have to worry."


    True Void looked at Kyran with aplicated expression. Although, with the limitation of the armor''s face, his expression only distorted slightly.


    Obviously, Cyneah was talking about Haylee. It seemed while she was in her so-called sleep paralysis mode, her soul and Haylee''s connected. It was not really impossible since they were one and the same. Which technically meant, Haylee''s thoughts were also Cyneah''s.


    Of course, an essence may have their own way of thinking. But ultimately, they are still part of the original.


    True Void paused for a moment after recalling how Cyneah and Haylee had been apart for many years. Could they have developed different personalities because of it?


    Thinking of the two people True Void knew who had their essence lived away from their original selves for several years, Azaloth and Cade, he rejected the idea at once. Their essences still acted and thought like their original selves.


    So what was the difference with Cyneah and Haylee? Was it because she was meant to be the next Soul Emperor, making hersoulspecial?


    Cyneah tightened her grip on Kyran''s coat. She remembered ''her'' talk with Lira and shut her eyes at once. Something dark hidden deep inside her seemed hardpress on surfacing in her memories. However, Cyneah stubbornly pushed it back while recalling what Kyran had just told her like a sacred mantra.


    ''That''s not your thoughts. You don''t have to worry.''


    Yet. The words the woman named Lira had said kept haunting Cyneah.


    ''What about your father?''


    ''Your Highness, I think you are being toocent about your father. He is the emperor, and you must not underestimate his insights¡­''


    Cyneah buried her face on Kyran''s chest and said, "Nar¡­ w-what will you do if I¡­end up not being the person you think I was?"


    Kyran''s heart sank. One of the things he feared was Cyneah realizing her connection with Haylee.


    If Cyneah is the essence, and she starts to doubt her existence, Haylee can easily get rid of her. But if Cyneah is the original but also starts to doubt herself, Haylee might end up influencing her thoughts.


    "You''re Neah¡­ Cyneah. And that will never change. At least, not to me, or your master, or Zephy," Kyran told her while pulling her close. It was not the first time he had held her in his arms. However, it would be the first time he did so, with the intention of conveying how he felt. Maybe it was not enough to assure her, but he wanted to feel his warmth and that warmth was real. Just as she was real to him.


    Kyran''s words shook Cyneah''s heart. It was like a powerful warding spell, that easily vanquished the darkness inside her. After a short pause, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes before continuing, "That person¡­"


    Kyran was relieved after hearing Cyneah treat what she saw as not her own but someone else.


    "... entered through the twin doors. The ce was dark, but she was able to see somehow."


    Because of Kyran''s assurance, Cyneah''s stuttering disappeared. She spoke more clearly and fluidly.


    "It was a very big room, and in the middle, there was a very big mirror suspended in midair by thick silver thread-like silk¡­"


    [No way! No way! S-She''s not talking a-about that m-mirror, is she?]


    As if Cyneah''s stuttering got transferred to True Void, he stammered in fear, allowing Kyran to sense his apprehension.


    What kind of mirror could scare True Void?


    "At first, the mirror showed a very g-grotesque scene of c-carnage. There were countless humans and¡­ non-humans k-killing each other. Somehow, their movements appeared as if they were being controlled¡­ like they were dancing¡­ a dance of death.


    "But then the mirror''s reflection changed. It then showed a white room. It''s white because it was filled with silver thread-like silk. In the middle of that room, was a figure. At least I think it was a human figure, wrapped in that thread-like silk, like a cocoon. When that person saw the cocoon, she felt exhilirated¡­ then her thoughts¡­ an image shed through her mind. A photo of a boy¡­ he looked a bit skinny, with dark hair and gray eyes¡­ Then she said¡­ she would eventually have him dance in the m of her hands."


    Kyran''s expression turned cold. Obviously, Haylee was talking about him. He had seen his bounty and knew it used an old photo of him, and hearing Cyneah''s description of the boy made him recall it.


    "Then she spoke some incoherent words¡­ When I heard it then I kind of understood her, but now¡­ I couldn''t remember what she said."


    Kyran more or less guessed Haylee spoke the runguage of Soul magic. Cyneah could use Soul magic by singing the words from the song her mother taught, but she did not understand them. Apparently, not understanding the words, did not hinder her from using it.<sub> </sub>


    "She kept saying those words, until the mirror shed and emitted a strange ripple. The ripple possess a powerful energy and when it entered my body, it made me feel like bursting. I tried to get away and just when I thought it was futile, I woke up."


    [It really is that. This is not good, Void Halfling. Not good at all!]


    True Void eximed inside Kyran''s head. The former remained sitting cross-legged in midair but because of his agitation he had started moving up and down.


    On the other hand, Kyran contemted Cyneah''s words. It appeared Haylee went to that ce to activate the mirror. Obviously, that mirror could be an artifact or a relic from ancient times. It could even be a magic weapon. Haylee knew how to activate it. When she spoke until the mirror reacted, that was the impression Kyran had. Could the mirror be the Soul Emperor''s magic weapon? Kyran had once read that mirrors were a way to one''s soul.


    But why did it show a scene of carnage? Did it show that scene after Haylee stood before it? Did the mirror show the carnage depicting her soul''s desire? Or was the scene a memory possessed by her Soul core? A memory by the previous Soul Emperor?


    Kyran did not know the answers to that. True Void might know and hopefully he would not try to hide the truth because he did not have the leisure of time in finding the answers himself.


    In any case, the mirror seemed to realize Cyneah was looking through Haylee and tried to destroy her. It was a good thing Cyneah managed to escape before that happened. If not¡­ Kyran did not want to think about it.


    "You did good by waking up," Kyran told her with a smile. What he said was not to make Cyneah feel better. He was genuinely relieved that she escaped and woke up.


    Cyneah leaned back and lifted her head. Her line of sight was a little off, but her eyes looked imploring at Kyran.


    "That wasn''t a dream."


    It was not a question but a statement.


    Kyran hesitated for a second, but ultimately answered, "No."


    "That woman¡­"


    "You don''t have to think about it."


    "I have to!" Cyneah replied, her mirror-like eyes glowed stubbornly. She did not tell Kyran how she had seen the woman''s reflection in that ''dream.'' There were some differences given the age, but the woman had some simrities with her mother. Cyneah was not blind by birth so she still had an early memory of how her mother looked like. And her mother used to say how much she take after her.


    Obviously, Cyneah''s mother was already dead and could not be that woman. And though there was a chance that woman might be rted to her mother, Cyneah felt a connection with that woman when she looked at her reflection. That dream also did not feel like a memory. If that was the case, then it was an experience quite simr to how she met Kyran.


    "She''s me. But also not me. An essence. Just like the uncle Nn resting in the attic."


    Kyran frowned. He knew Cyneah was smart, but he did not expect her toe up with this conclusion easily.


    A thought crossed Cyneah''s mind and her expression dimmed. In a small voice that Kyran and True Void almost failed to hear, she asked, "Am I¡­ an essence?"


    "No," Kyran replied with such certainty, True Void looked at him strangely.


    [Void Halfling-.]


    ''I''m not saying this to make her feel at ease. I believe she is not an essence. I have my reasons, but I can''t prove it yet.''


    [All the more reason not to give her false hope.]


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he gently squeezed Cyneah''s hand and said, "Don''t think about it too much. That woman isn''t you. Focus on recovering instead. Aki, one of my puppets will be here with you. Chairman Malia, will also arrive to give you a potion that can relieve some difort. I''m sorry I can''t stay, or that your master can''t be here with you. We... still have things to do."


    "You''re preparing for battle...."


    Kyran frowned and could not help but shot a look at True Void. Did they discuss the situation in front of Cyneah?


    [No use ring at me, Void Halfling. It was urgent. You didn''t expect me to wait for her to leave so we don''t taint her innocent ears. Besides, she''s not as clueless and innocent as she looks. She manage to describe her dream in full details. Even using words like grotesque and carnage.]


    Kyran wanted to retort that Cyneah had a traumatic childhood, being abused by her so-called rtives after her mother''s death. In the end, he kept his thoughts to himself.


    [Putting that aside, I know you have confidence in your Sigils to keep the army busy and your uncle to keep Ruin in check, but that mirror is bad news. Really bad news!


    [That is the Macabre cier. A demonic magic weapon created by The Dark Sage. My master managed to seal it and... ugh! I was sure he hid it well. How did it end up in their hands?


    [Anyway, that mirrror can bring out the ugliness in people. As long as their reflections appeared in the mirror, they will lose their mind and will go on a killing spree!]

 Chapter 504 Stalemate

    Nn summoned several ck spikes with gold and silver ents, which flew in the air, attacking Ruin''s summoned ck beasts.


    The beasts Ruin summoned, resembled a one-horned wolf, a medium-sized beast found in Archadia possessing wind magic. However, Ruin''s beasts hadrger frames, and instead of wind magic, they spat out ck mes. Obviously, these beasts were not native to the Human ne but to one of Ruin''s nes.


    Two one-horned ck wolves appeared on each side of Nn and breathed out ck mes. Without so much of a movement, ten by ten inches of hexagonal-shaped ck tes materialized around Nn, instantly forming a barrier to block their attack. After which, silver-colored concentrated magic shot off from the tes and pierced the one-horned ck wolves'' bodies.


    <o>,m The wolves let out pitiful roars before disintegrating in the air.</o>


    Ruin evaded some of the ck spikes that flew toward him while watching his summoned beasts being chased around by the rest. His expression turned livid, seeing how these ck spikes could easily pierce and destroy his beasts as if they were made of paper.


    Although Ruin''s summoned beasts appeared to be created from the mist, the truth was they were not. The mist-like energy covering their bodies was attributed to them being scourge beasts. After all, his beasts were long dead and had be nourishments to his magic.


    Ruin found Nn''s magic perverse. At the same time, he sensed thetter''s magic level was high. If not the same with him, after being suppressed by the Sovereign''s Cradle, maybe even higher.


    ''A Sage?'' He wondered with a frown. ''Could the Human ne have produced a Sage while already possessing a Sovereign?''


    A ne would only produce one Sovereign at a time. The reason behind this logic was still being debated in the Lower and Higher nes. One said it was because a ne''s natural energy and resources could only sustain one Sovereign. Another said it was to preserve thew of bnce. If a ne produced a Sage that could advance to a Sovereign when it already had a Sovereign, these two would destroy the ne''s bnce.


    It was simr to an old saying:A servant cannot serve two masters. Theservant being the ne, while the master was the Sovereign.


    Regardless of the reason, when a Sage was born, it usually happened after a Sovereign died. Obviously, the Human ne''s Sovereign was still alive and kicking for the Sovereign Cradle to activate. Hoe there was also a Sage?


    As for the existence of the Soul Emperor and the Void Master,Ruin was aware their existence defied logic. The Human ne''s bnce would not be affected by their presence because they possess ancient magic. Their level would not be measured using normal standards.


    The Human ne really was special. Not only was it able to adapt the magicws from other nes, thus, not restricting outsiders like Ruin from summoning their magic, but it was also where a human wielding ancient magic could appear.


    While Ruin was bothered by Nn''s level, thetter was also deep in thought.


    Nn''s experiences in the Tower of Tribtions made him aware that the five specialties of a mage were a general concept in all the Lower nes. There were slight differences, mainly with a ne sometimes favoring one of these specialties over the others. An excellent example was the Beast ne, where most of their mages were Summoners.


    However, some nes were not limited to having five specialties. Such nes were located in the Higher nes, like the Dragon ne.


    In any case, Nn found Ruin''s magic and specialty different. Could this guy''s native ne locate in the Higher nes? If it was, then dealing with this guy without the Sovereign''s Cradle would be tricky.


    Unbeknownst to Nn, Ruin''s native ne was indeed located in the Higher nes. Unfortunately, because of the great War of the Sovereign that happened more than a thousand years ago, his ne was destroyed, and all surviving natives were forced to find a new ne in the Lower nes to conquer.


    Ruin''s native ne was called the Demon ne.


    *


    Approximately one hundred and fifty kilometers from the east, Euan and Mannick, with fifty thousand army soldiers, were on their way to the Regis Estate. Their speed was very fast, running more than two hundred kilometers per hour. If they could maintain their speed, and nothing happened along the way, they would arrive in less than an hour.


    Sitting inside the leading carriage were Euan and Mannick. Euan''s expression was unreadable while he looked out the window.


    It was already dark outside, and soon all nocturnal medium-sized forest beasts would wake up and start their hunt. Euan was not worried that they would encounter them because, given their number advantage, it would be too easy to deal with them. What he was concerned about was getting dyed in the process.


    The talk he had with Mannick opened Euan''s eyes to many things. He already knew how deep-rooted the corruption in the Royal Family and the Royal Army was, but he was still shocked.


    What shocked Euan the most was the possibility that his daughter had already been corrupted by the ''inheritance'' she received in the Winfrey Ancestral Lands.


    The truth was that Euan only let her go to that ce because it was necessary. As the first daughter with a Winfrey bloodline, she had to experience the Winfrey Family''s Trial by Fire. ording to the remaining elders of the Winfrey Family, Haylee''s sess would strengthen her magic.


    When a Spirit attacked Haylee a few years back, it affected her potential in awakening her magic to the point that when she could finally attract magic energy they could not identify the nature of her magic. She could still use other magic but could not bring out their real potential. Thus, when Euan heard of it, he agreed, albeit a little reluctantly. After all, he was worried something would happen to his beloved daughter.


    When Haylee returned, and her magic did receive a great boost, Euan was d. They said her magic was Mind Maniption, which he found strange, but that was the least of his concern. What mattered to him was his daughter returned safely.<sub> </sub>


    Euan never expected that the inheritance she would receive was actually from the Soul Emperor!


    First, someone who possessed the forbidden Void magic appeared. Then the Winfrey Family insidiously plotted to have the Crown Princess obtain the forbidden Soul magic.


    Was it not the Royal Family who forbade the existence of this magic? While it was true they let the Tower Family continue producing a mage with Time magic, they managed to keep them under wraps. But what about the person who possessed Void magic? The Regis n tried to suppress that person, but it backfired due to the army''s intervention.


    Euan had pointed it out to Mannick, but thetter did notment and told him not to let his prejudice hinder his judgment and go to the Regis Estate.


    Mannick''s words sounded like a foreboding to Euan.


    "Aren''t you going to ask why I decided to listen to your advice?" Euan suddenly asked. He stopped looking out the window and looked at Mannick, silently observing him from across the seat.


    With unwavering and seemingly profound eyes, Mannick replied, "The only way for you toe to a conclusion is to see things yourself. It''s not that you decided to heed my advice. It''s because you deemed going to the Regis Estate is the right course in discovering the truth."


    Euan did not respond. Mannick was right.


    "Anyhow, not ordering the withdrawal of the army going to Noser shows your current stance."


    "Haylee is my daughter."


    "She is."


    After a short pause, Euan added, "If what you said is true, then I have to stop her all the more."


    This time, it was Mannick who refrained from responding.


    Euan then directed his attention to the coach outside and telepathically ordered to speed up.


    *


    After ensuring Cyneah''s safety, Kyran and True Void met with Malek, Hugh, and Noir.


    They briefly discussed the Conve''s role in the uing battle. Since the Conve had branches all over the empire, he asked them to stop the army branches in those cities in sending reinforcements to Noser. After that, hehandpicked a few mercenaries to do covert missions targeting the army''s supplies.


    Styx and Dante were included in the team and would act as the leader and vice leader, respectively. Neo, Owen, and Hamish would also apany them as their Array Specialists, who would counter any Array-rted defenses the army had.


    As for Malek and Hugh, the two would remain on standby and would wait for further instructions. Initially, it was only Hugh, but after Ste dered the whole Conve would assist Kyran, Malek volunteered. Of course, he did this not because he had a change of heart but because he did not want Ste to volunteer herself. She possessed Time magic, which would significantly increase their chances of formting the best strategy against the enemy. However, overusing it would mentally and physically drain Ste.


    Malek heard from the previous Lord of the Tower that Time magic was not as mighty as it seemed. While a female Tower possessed the constitution to use Time magic, it was not without fault. Whenever Time Keepers forced Time to change, it would affect their time. Malek was afraid the time the previous Lord meant was synonymous with one''s lifespan.


    Would overusing Time magic reduce Ste''s lifespan?


    Thinking of this also made Malek wonder whether Kyran''s use of Void magic had an adverse effect on his body. If it did, what would it be? Since Time magic affected the Time Keeper''s own time, would using Void magic affect the Void master''s¡­ emotions, maybe? Could Kyran''s indifference, at times, be a result of his Void magic slowly eating away his ability to feel emotions?


    Regardless of the truth, Malek would not let Ste suffer for that rascal. Besides, she had lived within the confines of the tower. She would be a burden than be of help when the situation turns for the worse because she was inexperienced.


    In a way, Ste''s sheltered life was a great contrast to Cyneah''s, who experienced the cruelty of the world at a tender age.


    Kyran shared the same sentiment as Malek; thus, he did not say anything when thetter insisted that Ste would not take part in the battle.


    After their meeting, Kyran finally addressed the matter regarding the Macabre cier. It was not that he was unconcerned about it that he put it aside, but because there was no means of dealing with it at the moment. To be precise, he could not think of a way of dealing with it with jusy him and True Void sharing ideas.

 Chapter 505 Blitz: Opening

    The first time Kyran stayed in the Conve, Ste had Malek prepare a room for him. But because he was busy training, he did not use it and stayed in the training room, thus turning thetter into his temporary room.


    Currently, Malia had Cyneah stay in the room Kyran was supposed to stay in with his consent.


    Although Malia did not say it, Kyran knew Ste suggested it. He did not say anything, but secretly, he was grateful because the temporary room might be liveable, but its atmosphere was not ideal for a recuperating patient.


    With Cyneah staying in the room, Kyran did not have to go to the training grounds to check on her. At least she stayed close to the room he and True Void were in, discussing the mirror.


    Kyran did not tell Malek and the others about the mirror. For one thing, he did not want to rm them and until he could understand Haylee''s intentions, he did not want them to worry about it.


    After True Void told Kyran what he remembered about the Macabre cier, thetter fell into contemtion.


    ording to True Void, during Can''s training in the Tower of Tribtion, he received a reward item that enabled him to travel to other nes without the assistance of the tower''s strange mechanism. After achieving his goal of improving his magic, Can stoppeding to the tower.


    Using the reward item, Can frequented a ne called Ortus. It was a ne Can had been to during his training in the tower. True Void had already gained sentient then, but his memory of Can''s first visit to that ne was hazy. What True Void remembered was that Can returned there because he found something that piqued his interest. A yearter, when the Human ne was inplete chaos because of the demon''s invasion, Can returned to Ortus, taking True Void, who had evolved since his awakening.


    Can, along with more than a thousand mages, confronted a withered-looking mage. However, that withered mage was so powerful that Can, True Void, and the rest of the mages could barely keep up. If not for True Void achieving his initial evolution, he would not be able to keep up with the withered mage''s attack. After some time, with thebined efforts of Can and the remaining thousand mages, they finally got the upper hand .


    Then the decisive moment of the battle happened. The withered mage summoned the Macabre cier and in a blink of an eye, all the mages within the mirror''s range went rabid. As if they were injected with some kind of stimnt, their level rose and their magic exploded. But then, they started to attack and kill each other, which shocked Can. After which, the soul of the dead mages entered the mirror, which in turn, supplemented the withered mage. In an instant, his withered body turned youthful, and his magic rose to an unimaginable level.


    In the end, Can was forced to release True Void''s seal and use his ultimate move; absorb the magic energies in the surroundings. The momentary shock the mage felt after seeing True Void''s move gave Can a chance to seal the mirror and deal the former a fatal wound.


    Because True Void absorbed too many magic energies, he fell asleep right after. Thus, he did not know what happened after Can wounded the mage.


    True Voidter discovered that the withered mage was called the Dark Sage.


    As for why Can ended up being called the Dark Sage, it seemed he ended up killing thetter, and with him also taking thetter''s infamous mirror, it was almost equivalent to him inheriting his will.


    Somehow, Kyran had a feeling True Void was not telling the whole truth about the Dark Sage thing, but he did not pursue the subject.


    At least not now.


    "Void Halfling¡­" True Void looked at Kyran. "I am telling you, we really, and I mean REALLY, have to deal with the mirror pronto!"


    Kyran remained silent. He did not need True Void''s reminder. After hearing his story and discovering what the mirror could do, Kyran more or less guessed what Haylee nned to do.


    The Macabre cier seemed to be Haylee''sst resort to advance her level. Since she could not find Cyneah and beplete, she nned to use the mirror to supplement herself with the necessary energy to advance.


    Haylee''s target was likely the Regis n. Absorbing their souls would definitely boost her magic tremendously. She could get rid of them, while also achieving a breakthrough.


    But Kyran felt that Haylee had another purpose for taking out the mirror. The reason he believed it, was due to the things Cyneah had said regarding Haylee''s thoughts.


    Haylee seemed intent on controlling him. If that was the case, killing his n would do the opposite. Instead of controlling him, Kyran would hate her and would want her dead no matter what.


    Even if she was Cyneah''s essence or vice versa.


    Then, could Haylee be nning to threaten him using the mirror?


    There were still too many things Kyran found confusing so he could not be sure.


    "Activating a magic weapon like that definitely required a huge amount of magic energy," Kyran finally spoke after a long contemtion. "We''ll secure the estate first and activate the Grand Array. With the array in ce, it will be our stronghold. After that, we can discuss how to deal with the mirror with Nn and the rest."


    Kyran would not be careless to dere he could deal with the mirror alone. He was not clear about his magic level and was not confident in confronting such a perverse magic weapon. Apart from this, even if he could use True Void''s ultimate move too, thetter was in his true form back then. Kyran had a feeling that True Void''s ability to absorb magic energy were limited in his furball formpared to his real form.


    "What makes you think the Regis Grand Array has the capability of ensuring the estate''s safety? Don''t tell me you''re betting the Grand Array has means to counter the mirror''s effect."


    "Whether it has the means or not, I''m sure it can at least keep it at bay."<sub> </sub>


    "You don''t even know what the array can do. What if it is only a reinforced defensive array?"


    "Father said it is an ultimate weapon."


    "''Rumored,'' Void Halfing. Don''t just blindly believe what the rumor says!"


    "I am not. My father doesn''t believe in rumors. I''m sure he had reasons why he told me."


    "Argh! You and you''re blind faith¡­! Fine. Fine. But even then, just in case, and I mean IN CASE, you are wrong and the Grand Array is just a reinforced defensive array, we need a countermeasure!"


    "There is one," Kyran replied.


    "What?"


    "We''ll destroy it."


    True Void gave a dryugh and said, "If it can be destroyed easily, did you think my master would seal it? That mirror is considered a Sovereign-level magic weapon. While Void''s nature can send almost anything into nothingness, that mirror has a certain immunity to it. Remember that was a magic weapon created by the Dark Sage."


    "Did you forget I have Draconic magic?"


    "That''s not-," True Void suddenly stopped.


    That was right. Void magic''s nature was not destruction, instead it was the Draconic magic.


    "I haven''t tried using 100% of the Draconic magic, and can''t say much," Kyran paused, recalling that he also had not used 100% of Void magic. "In any case, if Ibined Void and Draconic magic, I may have a chance."


    True Void fell silent. Somehow, what Kyran had said made him see hope. Aside from this,pared to Can, Kyran''s magic knowledge was vast. He might really find a way to eradicate the mirror.


    Maybe.


    Before True Void could voice out his thoughts, a small puff appeared between them, and a male sprite with green and blue scales flitted out, respectfully bowing to Kyran in midair.


    "Void Master, I am ry, the messenger the Queen of the Faes sent."


    True Void''s expression turned sour at once. He and Kyran were not done talking! Why did this little guy have toe at such a time?


    For the record, ry''s height was actually taller than True Void''s current form. He was, by no means, little.


    Kyran nodded at ry in acknowledgment. Since he was expecting White Lily to send someone over, he added a temporary form in the tower''s defensive array to allow spirits to enter.


    "I am sorry to interrupt your important conversation-."


    "If you know your interrupting, then don''t butt in!"


    "-however, I have an urgent message I believe is equally important."


    Kyran gave True Void a warning look before looking at ry again, "Tell me."


    ry lowered his head respectfully and said, "Several soldiers from the army are currently on their way to the Regis Estate. While sir Nn is still engaged and seems to be in a deadlock with the enemy."


    Kyran stood up at once. Even True Void''s expression turned solemn.


    Kyran asked, "Which direction are theying from?"


    "The east, Void Master."

 Chapter 506 Blitz: Uprising (1)

    Because of ry''s worrying news, Kyran returned to the estate ahead of time. Initially, he wanted to meet with Byron and Ss before returning. But given the situation, he asked ry to deliver a message to them instead.


    ry did not mind. As a matter of fact, he was ecstatic to be of help to Kyran.


    Since Kyran could not warp directly inside the estate, he warped near the main gate of the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall.


    ry said that the army woulde from the east. If Kyran wanted to intercept them, the estate''s main gate would be the best point to do so because it was located in the east.


    The night had fallen, and the Regis Estate was shrouded in darkness, making it appear eerie and, at the same time, seem lonely.


    Approximately two months ago, the estate would have been brightly illuminated by themps installed on the wall by this time. But after the army''s first raid, most of thosemps had been destroyed. Even when the army tried to make the estate appear ''normal,'' they did not bother fixing the wallmps and only fixed the ones on the main gate. After they made a temporary camp within the estate''s Inner Walls, they no longer turned on the main gates'' lights.


    Kyran, with True Void sitting on his right shoulder, stood in front of the main gates. Because of his dark clothes, he blended well in the darkness, and True Void''s dimly lit purple eyes were the only indication of their presence.


    Sounds of rustling leaves from the nearby trees filled the air as a gust of wind blew past them.


    [Void Halfling, if they areing from the east, Azaloth may be among them.]


    ''Maybe,'' Kyran replied.


    [Are we really going to intercept them?]


    ''Nn and Ruin are in a deadlock. Even if Mannick is there and will not attack, it doesn''t mean the others will do the same.''


    [Point taken. Anyway, I find the army''s movement a little strange. Azaloth said Ruin''s and Deception''s armies were camping outside the estate''s inner wall with the rest of the army. Why did they leave just to have others to rece them?]


    Kyran shared the same doubts. But thinking about Iulia''s words and Eoin''s information, Kyran was aware that Euan and Haylee did not see eye to eye. At least, thetter had her own agenda, which the emperor was unaware of. In any case, Kyran hoped to stop the army''s advance to give Nn a breather. He would have gone to help him, but if Ruin realized who he was, thetter might do something unpredictable.


    It made Kyran recall the first time he met Ruin. Especially when his essence died, and he went to the Lignum ne with his real body. Because the ne was in a bad state, Ruin did not immediately enter, but the pressure from his hand alone gave Kyran goosebumps. Though Kyran''s limited magic knowledge gave him a huge disadvantage, he did not think that gaining a better understanding of his magic gave him an advantage now. At the very least, he could hold his own, but he still would not win.


    Ruin was already using his real body, and while the Sovereign''s Cradle had suppressed his level, there was no telling if Mannick could maintain it. He was only an essence, and Azaloth was still asleep. Kyran had an inkling the Sovereign''s Cradle would eventually lose its effect.


    ''Focus on what''s in front of us first. We''ll think about the restter.''


    [Fine. Fine.]


    True Void grumbled.


    [And? Who are you going to portray this time?]


    ''Nar.''


    True Void looked at Kyran''s profile.


    [What? You haven''t even tried that one.]


    Kyran did not respond and took out his face-altering mask. He changed its setting to Nar''s face and altered his clothes a little, adding a ck scarf to cover his lower face.


    [Right. What is Nar''s profile again? I don''t remember you telling me about it.]


    ''It''s fine,'' Kyran told him. ''Just turn into a breastte or something.''


    [Why you¡­]


    True Void might have sounded annoyed, but he did move and disengage the miniature armor. But instead of a breastte, he turned into a shoulder guard that covered Kyran''s right shoulder and a bracer, which covered his left forearm.


    Kyran took out the two obsidian swords from his pouch.


    Soon after, the ground started to tremble, and Kyran looked ahead. He spread out his magic sense, and after a few minutes, he finally sensed several war chariots and infantries speeding from the east side.


    Kyran frowned.


    ''This¡­''


    [What is it, Void Halfling-?]


    Even before True Void could finish his question, Kyran had already moved. He sprinted forward. His dark brown eyes glowed because beneath the mask; his eyes had already turned silver.


    A whirlpool of fire shot down from above.


    Kyran''s eyes widened, and he rolled to the side to dodge the mes at once. Before he could regain his bearing, several short spears suddenly appeared in midair and flew at him. Their des glinted red, reflecting the mes nearby.


    Kyran crouched down and spun three hundred and thirty degrees; his two obsidian swords danced around as he deflected the short spears.<sub> </sub>


    Ching! Ching! Ching!


    Metal against metal resonated in the air as the swords and short spears shed.


    As Kyran deflected thest spear, his brow creased and somersaulted at once. When he did, another whirlpool of fire shot toward him horizontally up ahead.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Another set of short spears appeared out of nowhere, and Kyran barely dodged them by twisting his body in midair. The ground where he was supposed tond trembled. Soon after, another whirlpool of fire shot upward in his direction.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He did not want to warp and give away his identity. But he was not entirely hopeless. He had other movement techniques he could use during ties like this.


    His body suddenly blurred as he disappeared and reappeared twenty meters ahead. He had no intentions of escaping into the estate because he was here to intercept the army. That was why instead of retreating, he chose to advance!


    Just now, when Kyran was trying to perceive the army''s location, he had sensed three forerunners instead. These three were no ordinary forerunners because two of them were Grand Masters, and while the other had a low mage level, her magic was a little troublesome.


    That was right. Kyran knew that mage. As a matter of fact, he was familiar with all three of them.


    Ganza, Kairo, and Vera.


    "So nice of you to deliver yourself to me!" Ganza shouted as he wielded his long spear with ming tips and attacked from above.


    Kyran did not look at him and simply sidestepped to avoid the spear''s tip.


    BANG!


    The spear hit the ground, creating a web-like crack from the force.


    [Void Halfling!]


    True Void warned as Ganza recovered at once and swept the spear toward Kyran''s legs.


    But.


    DING! CRACK!


    The spear''s ming tip broke as soon as it hit Kyran''s calf.


    "Wha- ngh!"


    Devoid of emotions, Kyran mercilessly struck Ganza''s neck. However, before his sword could go deeper, thetter''s body shifted, disappearing in a blink of an eye.


    [Oi, oi! Just now, did he just¡­]


    Kyran sighed inwardly. Magic that somewhat resembled his magic''s ''warp'' ability was genuinely troublesome.


    ''It''s Space magic.''


    [What?]


    Instead of addressing True Void''s question, Kyran did a reverse somersault, dodging another whirlpool of fire that came hurtling toward him from behind. While in midair, he saw the whirlpool''s edge disappearing and reappearing right before him.


    Whirling the two obsidian swords in his hand, Kyran repelled the whirlpool of fire, redirecting their trajectories on each side. Using his magic sense, he sensed an iing dagger aimed at the back of his head.


    Kyran''s eyes shed. He used his movement technique and reappeared in front of Kairo, who had summoned the whirlpool of fires.


    Kairo did not look surprised when Kyran appeared before him. He even had a smile on his face as he raised his long swords and struck downward, aiming to slice off Kyran''s arms.


    This time, Kyran decided to counter instead of staying put because he knew what these long swords could do. He would not get injured, but it would definitely damage his clothes. He could not afford to lose his clothes, or else they would discover they were not as strong as his real flesh. When that happened, it would definitely raise many questions about his identity. Then again, since he did not need Nar''s identity. He could pretend to be a member of the Regis n.


    Bam! Bam!


    Kyran deftly struck the hilt of Kairo''s long swords before he could strike them down.


    "Ngh!" Kairo gritted his teeth.


    Because of Kyran''s move, the angle of Kairo''s strike changed, missing their targets by a wide margin.


    The moment Kyran struck Kairo''s hilt, he did not stop. He lowered his stance and changed his sword grip into reverse before hacking at Kairo''s torso.

 Chapter 507 Blitz: Uprising (2)

    Kyran did not kill Kairo during the solopetition- or, to be precise, he was not allowed to kill.But that was no longer the case. He kept tabs on the things Kairo plotted during the solopetition and would settle all due payments with him.


    As a matter of fact, Ganza was the same. Kyran failed to sever his head because of Vera''s intervention, but that did not mean he would let him off.


    Time slowed down as Kairo watched Kyran''s sword nearing his torso. Instantly, he bit his lip, and blood trickled down the side of his mouth. A rune appeared on his forehead just before the tip of the swords cleaved his waist. His body suddenly turned into mes, resulting in the two swords sweeping right through him.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as his swords cleaved at Kairo''s body, which had turned into mes. He was a secondte in seeing the rune on Kairo''s forehead, which was the fire rune for transfiguration. Thetter had transfigured his whole body into mes so he would not be able to cut through him.


    The rune on Kairo''s forehead blinked just as Kyran''s swords passed through his waist.


    But Kyran was determined to finish off Kairo. Thus, he cleaved his swords outward as soon as the rune on thetter''s forehead disappeared.


    Seeing Kyran''s movement, Kairo prepared to jump back and dodged. However, his reaction speed was a tad bitte, and the swords seeded in cutting his sides at least two inches deep.


    "Ngh!" Kairo winced in pain as he left the swords'' range.


    But Kyran was just getting started. The moment he realized his swords would not be able to cut deep into Kairo, he was already prepared to use his movement technique.


    Dragon Step!


    Kairo''s eyes widened as he watched Kyran''s figure, hunched down a while ago, blur before appearing right before him. Thetter''s eyes glowed with so much killing intent as he raised his swords and struck Kairo.


    de cutting through flesh and bones rang out in the fiery battlefield, followed by Kairo''s agonized scream as he fell to his knees.


    "AAAAAARGH-!"


    But Kairo''s scream was cut short as Kyran swung his right sword and emotionlessly beheaded him.


    "KAIRO!"


    "Major General Kairo!"


    Ganza and Vera shouted in shock from a distance.


    *


    Multiple magic attacks rained down on Zephyr. With slightly furrowed brows, he countered the iing attacks by summoning his orbs and shooting concentrated magic energy beams at them. Though he could not imitate his master''s Void magic, he could at least use his orbs to shoot off magic beams since they were pure magic energy and would be hard to detect its nature.


    Given the current situation, he did not believe the army had the leisure to analyze the nature of his magic attack.


    RAWRGH!


    Manti roared ferociously and spat out a mouthful of green and purple mes, destroying the remaining magic attacks that came at Zephyr.


    Zephyr looked at him with a grateful smile and said, "Thanks."


    Manti gave a short nod before jumping in front of him to block another volley of magic attacks.


    RAWRGH!


    Meanwhile, Bas and Iss were busy covering the back and left positions. Any soldier that tried to approach was reduced to ashes after being hit by their shockwave attacks.


    Mera was also busy dealing with the soldiersing from the right side. His tail shot off poisoned gas while he breathed out reddish-purple mes. Agonized screaming filled the air as soldiers were burned alive after being hit by his mes. Even the buildings nearby were reduced to moltenva from the mes.


    While hundreds of low-ranking soldiers were killed inside Noser City, Gael and the other Grand Masters were still outside the city. They were gathered inside a makeshift tent, watching the scene through a magic projector.


    Contrary to what Zephyr had thought, the army took time to analyze them. Although they did not managed to analyze the nature of their magic, they had sent low-ranking soldiers as cannon fodders just to gather information on their abilities.


    Gael furrowed his brows as he watched the beasts protecting Kyran. He did not expect his beasts to be this strong. He had seen them quickly kill his and Deception''s people and believed it was only due to their sidecking in number.


    But watching the beasts in action, Gael realized he had been wrong about them. Their strength was equivalent to an army battalion. If they could not find their weakness soon, twenty thousand soldiers would notst an hour.


    "Getting rid of the beasts will be harder even if we joined hands," one of the Grand Masters inside said.


    Another nodded in agreement and said, "Our people are well-equipped with powerful magic armor. These armors are not inferior to the Temr Code''s golden armor. Yet, they still died miserably. It even look as if they are not wearing anything."


    "What did you all expect?" A female Grand Master snorted at them. "They had low magic level. Even if they were equipped with a piece of saint-level equipment, having such low level, do you think they can bring out its potential?"


    "She is right. Just having these guys test them is not enough. We need to gather more high-leveled mages."


    Gael shook his head, "The first group to engage them inbat died miserably just like them, and there were High Masters among them."


    A tense silence followed Gael''s statement.<sub> </sub>


    "First, we set up a restraining magic array. Then we try to lure them into that array one by one," Gael broke the silence.


    Gael did not suggest setting up a magic array around the city because it would take too long, and they did not have enough manpower to maintain such arge formation. Besides, he did not believe Kyran would just sit there and let themplete the magic array.


    The Grand Masters inside nodded in agreement, "Yes, Grand Marshal."


    *


    Mannick jumped and mmed his great sword to the ground, turning it to rubble in an instant. His move produced a shockwave, sending the soldiers surrounding him to fly backward.


    "RAAA!" Without pause, Mannick heaved the great sword and spun, sending a powerful sword arc energy at the soldiers, who were still in midair.


    "AAAARGH!"


    Miserable cries filled the air as their bodies were cut in half. Their blood and internal organs littered the ground as their bodies fell to the ground.


    Behind Mannick, Euan was also under attack.


    Holding a golden sword in hand, Euan brandished his sword and sent out sword energy beams, slicing the soldiers that tried to attack him.


    "ARGH!"


    Blood sttered everywhere as the energy beams cut through their bodies.Their miserable cries were just among the few that reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Your Majesty!" Mannick approached Euan while keeping an eye out for a possible ambush.


    "I''m alright," Euan replied as he straightened and looked at the scene before him.


    Soldiers wearing the same red uniforms were fighting with each other. Mixed in with them were soldiers in ck and red or green uniform.


    It was a scene Euan had feared after hearing Mannick''s opinion; an uprising among his own people.


    Going back half an hour ago, when they were less than a hundred kilometers away from the Regis Estate, an army of a hundred thousand suddenly appeared from the direction of Meliora. Initially, Euan had thought they were reinforcements that Haylee sent because he saw Lira in front.


    However, when the distance between the two was only a hundred meters, Lira stopped, and with raised sword, she ordered the army behind her to attack them.


    Euan thought Lira did not recognize them because of the darkness, but he already had a bad premonition. He still went out to show his face, but an arrow shot at him as he did. Given his level, he easily deflected it, but that shot alone confirmed his premonition.


    What happened next escted to the scene before them. If the fifty thousand soldiers they rallied in the east were not Mannick''s people, Euan probably had died already.


    The truth, Euan might have advanced to a Magus, but he had yet to assimte his new powerspletely. At most, he could let out an immense magic pressure, but his body had not fully adapted to the growth of his magic.


    "Protect the Emperor at all cost!" Mannick shouted to his men.


    Determined battle cries responded to his call as they fought without caring for their own welfare.


    Euan looked in the direction where Lira stood among the other high-ranking soldiers on the other side. His expression was cold, but his eyes glistened in confusion and hurt.


    Did Haylee order this attack? Why?


    On the other hand, beside Lira was Fiona, and she held amunication device.


    "You have done well to have learned of the emperor''s move to go to the Regis Estate instead of Noser," Lira said expressionlessly.


    Fiona sat on her horse and watched as soldiers fought against each other. She said, "I only told you the update I received in Thunlough. But¡­" She looked at Lira in apprehension, "Do we really have to attack the emperor?"


    "Isn''t this what your people wanted? Dispose the emperor and have her Highness ascend the throne?"


    "True. But such a tant move is-."


    "If the emperor goes to the estate and hinders sir Ruin frompleting his task, do you think the emperor will just stay outside and not talk to Patriarch Aron? The emperor used to go to the same magic school as Master Cade, and though they are not particrly close, they are civil enough. With Patriarch Aron and Master Cade''s temperaments, they will definitely try to talk to the emperor. When that happens, what do you think he will feel after learning the truth."


    Fiona frowned, "Emperor Euan is still a member of the Royal Family. If he discovered the truth about Kyran Regis being the new Dark Sage, he would act as a Royal Family would."


    "Then why do you think Princess Haylee went through all the trouble of hiding the truth to him?"


    Fiona fell silent.


    Lira was not waiting for an answer. She continued, "It''s because her Highness knew her father. The emperor will not immediately condemn the new Dark Sage. Instead, he will resolve the matter in a way that will benefit each side."

 Chapter 508 Blitz: Uprising (3)

    Fiona did not rebut Lira. To be precise, she did not have an argument because that was something Emperor Euan would do. His temperament was the reason her family did not support him. Although Princess Haylee was said to take after her mother, thete Emperess, said to be the embodiment of goodwill, they were confident that if she awakened the will of the Soul Emperor, she would be an ideal ruler.


    "Anyway, you were there when her Highness gave her orders," Lira ended. "She gave her consent to let me act upon my judgment when the emperor does something that will hinder her ns."


    "Very well," Fiona replied. Though she still felt they had rushed in attacking the emperor while he was in thepany of Deputy Marshal Mannick, she had little say on the matter.


    Lira spared Fiona a side nce. After seeing thetter had no intention of pursuing the subject, she turned her attention back to the battlefield.


    "Any news from our forerunners?"


    Before Lira engaged Emperor Euan''s army in battle, she ordered three soldiers to scout ahead. Initially, she only nned to let Vera and two High Masters go. But recalling that Ganza and Kairo were with them and knowing they were ced there by Deputy Marshal Imman as moles, Lira had them go with Vera instead. Her reason was simple; she wanted to limit their involvement with her Highness as much as possible. Imman was overly ambitious like Gael. However, unlike the former, Princess Haylee hadplete control over thetter. Anyway, one ambitious pawn was enough.


    Kairo, Ganza and Vera had left almost an hour ago, and should have entered the Regis Estate''s premises. However, they had not heard from them.


    Fiona looked at themunication device in her hand. She did not have any magic, thus, her device was an ordinary one. After checking the messages inside, she shook her head and said, "None."


    Lira looked at her and frowned. It was her decision to have Fiona handle the ry of information. Though using themunication devices of mages were far more convenient because it only required the use of magic sense to enter coded-messages, there were still risks of having their message viewed by the wrong people becausethey all used the army''s private channel. Lira did not have the authority to make a new channel. Even if she could make one, to have more than one hundred thousand soldiers switch to that channel was time consuming. In the end, she decided to use an ordinarymunication device for the forerunners and let Fiona handle the ry. Besides, an ordinarymunicatication device used a static system, thus, messages were sent one-way and would not be easily traced.


    "They should have entered the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls minutes ago," Lira said.


    "The Outer Walls has been deserted after the Regis n moved to the Inner Walls. There is nothing much to see there because the army outside the Inner Walls left hours ago."


    "How long would it take to reach the Inner Walls from the Outer Walls?"


    "Putting to consideration their speed, twenty to thirty minutes."


    "I never expected the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls to be huge."


    "Many said that the estate isparable to a medium or probably the minimum size of arge city in the empire."


    Lira frowned but did not reply anymore. She was not concerned about the size of the estate but the abled fighters of the Regis n.


    The Regis Family used to be one of the Three Noble Families in the empire, possessing military strength that could rival the Royal Army. The information was probably exaggerated especially when the Regis n''s overall poption was only equivalent to 10% of the army''s poption. Apart from this the Regis Family onlyposed less than 10% of the whole poption of the n and all nonbatant took up more than 70%. Looking at these numbers, it was impossible for them to rival the army.


    Nevertheless, the rumor about the Regis Blessing still worried Lira and she wondered if the army she took with her were enough if a battle broke out.


    Lira sighed inwardly. She would not have this problem if she could contact Ruin directly and understand the situation inside the estate. Unfortunately, even the Crown Princess had to go through Fye to send messages. Lira did not know where that guy went. But Fye was one of Ruin''s men and probably joined the rest going to Noser.


    ''But why did Her Highness decide to let Ruin handle the work alone? Is that guy really enough to deal with the whole Regis n?'' Lira wondered. Her doubts were reasonable. Her knowledge about the power of a Sovereign was nonexistent. As a matter of fact, most human, Lira included, believed that the highest level of a mage was a Magus.


    "Inform me at once if they made contact with Ruin," Lira told Fiona.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay."


    *


    Ganza''s eyes turned red with anger, his aura rising with murderous intent.


    "YOU''RE DEAD!" He shouted and rushed toward the mysterious man.


    Without looking at Ganza, Kyran used the Dragon Step. He blurred for a second before arriving in front of him.


    "No!" Vera immediately roused her magic to distort the space between them. But because of her almost depleted magic energy, she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    That dy had been enough for Kyran to brandish his left sword and sever Ganza''s head.


    Blood spurted out of Ganza''s body like fountain as his head fell to the ground.


    Vera''s eyes widened in both shock and fear. Witnessingthis mysterious man kill Kairo, she had med herself for not properly conserving her usage of magic energy. When she saved Ganza earlier, she still had enough magic energy to distort space around Kairo, letting him gain some distance from the mysterious man. However, she had been too eager to deal a fatal attack on thetter that when she saw a chance for Kairo''s mes to burn him, she distorted the space path of Kairo''s mes and redirected it to the man. Who would have thought the man could easily divert the mes with just the use of his swords? What kind of sword could deflect Kairo''s mes? After that, Vera followed up by throwing her dagger. Yet, the man still avoided it. Vera immediately thought of drinking a magic energy replenishing poition but before she could do that, the manunched a relentless attack on Kairo.


    In the end, Vera failed to save Kairo and now Ganza too, because her magic energy was not enough.


    Kyran did not spare a look at Kairo or Ganza''s corpses and instead turned his attention to Vera. Five years ago, when he was running away from the army, he spared this woman''s life. Nn told him he was too soft. But at that time, the only reason he did not kill her was because she did not have any killing intent. Nn did not say more, but Kyran knew he did not approve his action. After experiencing many things in the Tower of Tribtions, Kyran now understood why Nn was disappointed.


    Vera might only be following orders and did not emit any killing intent, but the mere fact that she had chosen to serve the army, regardless of her reasons, already made her his enemy.


    Vera might have a noble reason by joining the army. But what did that matter to Kyran?


    Nothing.


    Thus, by letting Vera live that time, Kyran gave her a chance to grow sande after him again. There was also the report that the people he left for dead and eventually dying, were her men. She might evene after him with revenge in mind.


    In any case, now that Kyran had a chance to meet her, and seeing how troublesome her Space magic was, he would not let her go.


    Vera tensed as the mysterious man made his way to her. Her initial thought was to send a coded message to Lira and tell them they encountered a mysterious and powerful person outside the Regis Estate. But recalling hermunication device was only an ordinary one, and she had to input the code manually, she rejected the idea and chose the next thought that crossed her mind.


    Run!


    Using the remaining magic energy she had, Vera roused her magic and distorted the space between her and the man. When she gained an additional ten meters, she took out a magic energy replenishing potion and smashed its cap, downing its content in one gulp. Then she roused her magic once more and distorted the space between her and the man. With more magic energy to consume, she was able to gain more distance- more than a hundred and fifty meters.


    Vera did not want to take any chances because she had seen the man''s strange movement technique- it was not magic but pure physical ability- so after she gained that distance, she took another magic energy replenishing potion and roused her magic.

 Chapter 509 Blitz: Reversal (1)

    Kyran stopped and watched Vera gain another hundred or more distance from him. He could not help but apud her decisiveness to run away. Initially, he was surprised to find she had enough magic energy to escape because he was convinced she had already used it up. If not, she would not have let Kairo or Ganza die. But after seeing her throw an empty bottle before using her magic to gain more than a hundred meters, Kyran realized she had used up her remaining magic energy to gain some distance and use that time to replenish her reserves.


    Most people who had witnessed someone ruthlessly slice up people would have already panicked or lost their will to fight. Especially when that person killed people who were considered ''powerful.''


    But Vera did not panic nor lose her will. She even acted on her instincts in an instant and ran. Coupled with her magic, she could be a powerful asset. s, she was a member of the army. So regardless of her potential, she would have to die.


    Kyran turned his attention to the escaping Vera. By now, she had already gained a distance of more than five hundred meters, nearly half a kilometer. Logically speaking, that distance was good enough to shake off her pursuers.


    But not Kyran.


    Dragon Step!


    With a single step, Kyran reduced the distance between them by a hundred meters. He took another step, and the distance went further down to less than four hundred meters.


    Vera shivered involuntarily.


    ''This feeling,'' she thought, as an ill-boding feeling racked her body. What Vera was feeling at the moment was simr to a feeling she felt when a fugitive they were after had turned the tables and began killing her men one after another.


    Keep moving. Don''t look back. Use your magic again.


    These thoughts repeatedly swam through Vera''s thoughts. The moment she had these thoughts was also the moment she realized why she felt this way.


    The mysterious man was catching up to her!


    Vera gritted her teeth. She had thought gaining more than five hundred meters distance was enough. But the mysterious man''s strange movement technique could easily catch up to her.


    With more than half of magic energy, Vera decisively used her magic, distorting the space between her and the mysterious man again. She pushed her magic to the limits and gained a distance of three hundred meters.


    Bam!


    "Stop running," a deep male voice suddenly spoke. He was so close Vera almost felt his warm breath on her ears.


    Vera''s eyes shed, and a dagger slipped from her hand as she turned and shed the space behind her.


    Kyran leaned back, easily evading Vera''s dagger. Holding the swords in a reverse grip, he aimed the hilt of her dagger with his right sword and deftly flipped it out of her grip.


    "Ngh!" Vera gritted her teeth as she crushed a teleportation token she had taken out at the same time she turned.


    Kyran''s left sword hit the air as Vera disappeared before him. He sighed inwardly as he stopped and looked behind him, deflecting two daggers that suddenly flew toward him. Vera had thrown these daggers after she teleported ten meters behind him.


    Vera turned to her right before breaking another teleportation token. She teleported ten meters to her right and drank another magic energy replenishing potion before using Space magic to gain about a hundred-meter distance from the mysterious man.


    Kyran watched Vera''s retreating, his eyes glowing coldly in the darkness.


    [This is getting annoying, Void Halfling. She thinks fast on her feet and is pretty resourceful. Of course, she can only survive this far because you''re not using your Void magic. But if this continues, there''s a good chance she will lead us into a trap. Probably an ambush.]


    ''I know,'' Kyran replied.


    [Just use your magic, and kill her. It is not like she will detect your magic, right? With the Shaiha concealing your magic energy, no one will be able to detect the nature of your magic.]


    ''Being detected isn''t the problem,'' Kyran exined as he turned and continued pursuing Vera. ''I detected a magic veil on her and its pretty powerful. And this magic appears to be watching her.''


    True Void frowned.


    [Why can''t I sense it?]


    ''It''s faint,'' Kyran replied. ''I barely detected it whenever she used her magic.''


    [Ah! Come to think of it, her magic is also forbidden, right? Could that veil watching her is the army''s seal or something to keep tabs on her? Unlike those mages caught possessing one of the three most forbidden magic, those possessing low to medium-risk forbidden magic are being watched by the army instead of getting killed, right?]


    ''If they agreed to join the army, they are not killed,'' Kyran replied. However, if it was the case, then killing Vera would alert someone from the army. The veil was quite powerful, so it must have been ced by a high-leveled mage.


    Kyran felt an iing headache. Unfortunately, all the things he learned about the army from the Conve were rendered useless. After learning about Mannick''s identity, Kyran wanted to learn the new structure of the army. Unfortunately, they didn''t get the chance to talk.


    [Anyway, dealing with her will be tricky then.]


    ''I only have to be careful not to leave a trace of my magic on her.''<sub> </sub>


    [Oh, that also works. But didn''t you change the property of your swords?]


    ''I did. But as long as I don''t infuse them with magic, they''re considered normal weapons. In any case, alerting someone from the army is least of my worries.''


    [Right.]


    True Void agreed. With many things happening, especially with the supposed threat in Noser from the new Dark Sage''s appearance, they would not pay much attention to Vera''s death.


    [What you have to worry about right now is being lured into a trap.]


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he performed the dragon step again to close in on Vera.


    The truth, he was not worried about being lured into a trap. He preferred to be lured. This way, he did not have to run around looking for the others. But apart from taking out daggers, potions and tokens, Kyran did not see Vera take out amunication device. She did not even seem to attempt to send a message.


    Why?


    Vera''s nape tingled. As if the god of death''s scythe were always hanging close to her neck. Cold sweats trickled down her face as she took another replenishing potion and used her magic again. If she had not turned to the right, she only had to endure for another twenty to thirty minutes before returning to the others. But since she changed direction, she needed another ten minutes or so.


    Vera did not attempt to message Fiona because she was busy running away. But seeing she could not shake off the mysterious man''s pursuit, she decided if she got caught, at least she had to inform them about him.


    A sudden thought crossed her mind while taking out the regrmunication device and a teleportation token from her storage ring in case of emergency.


    That was right. Just who was this mysterious man? What was he doing in front of the Regis Estate? Wasn''t the Outer Walls deserted? Vera had been part of the first group to infiltrate the estate, so she was sure of that. Why did the man suddenly go after them and attack?


    To be honest, when they sensed the man, they had nned on circling around him. However, the man was shrouded with such intense killing intent that Kairo and Ganza decided to attack.


    ''Hisbat strength is clearly above average. Could he be a Regis n member?'' Vera wondered while she hastily entered a brief report on themunication device.


    She was about to send the message when the cold feeling she had constantly been sensing grew intense, and a sh caught her peripheral view. She turned her head to the side and dodged the man''s sword. However, the sword still grazed her cheek as an intense pain racked her mind.


    "Ugh!" She winced and reflexively crushed the teleportation token she was holding.


    But.


    Whoosh!


    As soon as she teleported ten meters behind the mysterious man, something glinted from her right, and a sword struck the side of her neck.


    An unbelievable pain racked Vera''s body as she fell to the ground, a ck sword stuck out from one end to another on her neck. No blood seeped out from the cut, but that did not make her feel any better. She wanted to pull out the sword but could not move her arms. As a matter of fact, her whole body started to go numb.


    "Ah.. ah..." Vera tried to speak but to no avail. How could this be possible? Why did she not notice the man had thrown his sword?


    Tears fell from Vera''s eyes, both from shock and disbelief. Somehow, the man''s sudden attack was familiar.


    True Void whistled in Kyran''s head.


    <o>,m [I do find it amazing how you throw things randomly at times and still hit your target.]</o>


    Kyran ignored him as he looked at the item Vera dropped before she teleported. He picked it up before turning his attention to her.


    Vera started to convulse on the ground. Her senses started to muddle.


    Kyran approached Vera and looked coldly at her profile. He pulled the sword out from her neck and said, "You know. I hit you once with a broken wood and spared your life. But you just had to appear before me again and cause trouble."


    Vera''s eyes widened as she heard the mysterious man''s voice. When she was running away, she did not pay much attention to it. But now that she was on the verge of death, she found it familiar.


    It ovepped with the voice of a young man she had chased a few months ago.


    "Look,dy. I''m not looking down on you by saying this, but I really don''t want to kill you."


    Vera could not believe what she was hearing. No, it was simply impossible!


    However, it was toote for her to process anything as her consciousness drifted away...

 Chapter 510 Blitz: Reversal (2)

    [Void Halfling, get back!]


    True Void''s warning suddenly rang out in Kyran''s mind.


    Kyran did not need the warning, though. The moment he sensed something was wrong, he used the dragon step to move more than five meters away from Vera. This distance was far enough to retreat or attack, depending on the situation.


    A blinding red light enveloped Vera''s body illuminating the darkness. Her body also levitated as if two huge invisible hands had lifted her off the ground.


    The space around Vera distorted, and Kyran felt a familiar presence on her.


    ''Ruin''s aura!'' Kyran''s eyes narrowed. Could it be that the veil around her was Ruin''s doing? If yes, then why?


    No. It was not really hard to guess what was happening. Ruin was probably interested in Vera''s magic. Instinctively, Kyran even felt that Ruin was interested because of her magic''s simr trait to his magic''s ''warp'' ability.


    Ruin''s obsession with Kyran was downright creepy.


    In any case, Kyran would not let Ruin take Vera. His eyes darkened as he roused his Void magic. Since the veil on Vera was from Ruin, Kyran did not need to be cautious because Ruin was aware of his appearance.


    A dark purple Void rune appeared on Vera''s forehead; in an instant, the blinding light covering her body copsed.


    Kyran initially nned to kill Vera. But now that he knew Ruin had taken an interest in her, he wondered if he could use her. With this in mind, the Void rune he ced on her was his original one, the magic energy istion rune he once used on Tritus. This way, any external magic energy would be removed from Vera''s body.


    [O-Oi Void Halfling, you''re not thinking of taking her in as¡ª!]


    Before True Void couldplete his sentence, two silver rings appeared beneath Vera; at the same time, Kyran''s eyes glowed.


    Soon, two ovepping dragons appeared on the two rings and circled Vera''s body.


    True Void was speechless. He watched in silence as Kyran turned the dying Vera into a Sigil.


    Because Vera was already half dead, she did not experience the pain of being turned into a Sigil. When the ritual waspleted, Kyran waved his hand and brought her into the Void World.


    Meanwhile, a few hundred kilometers away, Ruin''s brow furrowed as he sensed one of his newfound toys'' connections disappear. Normally, it would not bother him much. After all, these new toys only had low mage levels and a lowly human. However, this particr toy was special. Apart from her possessing somewhat simr magic to his prey, she also seemed to bore deep hatred for his prey, and Ruin nned to use it when nurturing her.


    Teaching a vengeful woman was exciting, in Ruin''s opinion. She was willing to do anything, even sell her soul to the devil to grow stronger and achieve her goal.


    "Don''t look away, dumbass."


    A deep hoarse voice broke Ruin''s mulling as the enormous ck with gold and silver ent golem''s hand appeared above him.


    BOOM!


    The golem''s hand smashed the ground, resulting in a powerful tremor that spanned almost two hundred meters. A huge crater in the shape of the golem''s hand was left on the ground as it lifted its hand.


    Ruin appeared in midair, a few meters away from the golem. He spread his arms, and a huge ck Alkonost, a legendary bird with a head of a beautiful woman and a bird, appeared behind him.


    The Alkonost opened its mouth, and a beautiful sound escaped from it. ck mist formed around a two-hundred-meter diameter from it, which also covered the golem and the man in a dark cloak.


    In an instant, the whole surrounding was shrouded in deep darkness.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he spread his magic sense.


    Ruin had started to summon more powerful legendary scourge beasts, and all of them seemed to retain their original magic and had their own magic energy supply. It felt as if Nn was fighting several high-level mages at the same time!


    Any mage faced with someone like Ruin would have felt despair right about now. Ruin was already a handful. To also deal with his scourge beasts that had their own magic energy supply and different magic abilities that would break any mage''s will. Even if that mage had the same mage level as Nn, it would not be easy when faced with several high-level beasts.


    Sages are not omnipotent, after all.


    However, Nn was no ordinary mage. He would not cower when faced with a huge disadvantage. Besides, he possessed a powerful innate ability. He rarely used it, not because it ced a huge toll on his body but because he never had the chance to put it to good use.


    Today, Nn finally had a chance.


    ''You want to exhaust my magic energy, huh? I''d like to see you try, f*cking prick,'' Nn thought as two runes appeared on his body. These runes looked like human stick figures with arms and legs spread apart. They emitted a faint light blue light in the middle of the darkness created by the Alkonost.<sub> </sub>


    In an instant, the magic energies in the surroundings were attracted to these runes and increased in size. Soon, they turned into a light blue, glowing human-shaped torch.


    The two rushed out while rousing the magic energies in the surrounding. The magic energies turned into a faint blue translucent armor that covered the two human-shaped torches.


    A beautiful sound filled the darkness, and an invisible shockwave attacked the two armored human-shaped torches. However, thetter two did not budge as they flew in the direction where the shockwave came from.


    One of the armored human-shaped torches raised its hand, and concentrated magic energy slowly formed above it. While the other continued to fly forward, its body turning into a blinding blue light that sped through the darkness at an astonishing speed.


    Ruin was not idle as the two armored human-shaped torches appeared. He had already summoned several scourge harpies, another legendary beast with half-human and half-bird bodies. They flew together and went after the approaching armored human-shaped torch.


    Nn sneered as he sensed Ruin summoned another group of scourge beasts.


    When the scourge harpies were about to collide with the armored human-shaped torch, thetter stopped and expanded.


    Ruin''s eyes widened, and he immediately ordered the Alkonost to protect him.


    BOOM!


    The huge explosion drowned the scourge harpies'' miserable shrieks. But the explosion did not break out. Instead, the other armored human-shaped torch raised its hand and absorbed the explosion, its body increasing in size. Then it opened its mouth, and a condensed magic energy beam sted toward Ruin''s direction, where the Alkonost already had its huge ck wings covering Ruin.


    BOOM!


    Another massive explosion rang out as the condensed magic energy broke the Alkonost''s protective barrier.


    The ground shook from the explosion''s aftershock.


    A few hundred kilometers away, Kyran turned his attention toward the direction of the Regis Estate. He felt a powerful tremor and guessed Nn and Ruin did it. His expression turned grim, recalling how fragile the defensive array of the Inner Wall had looked.


    If Nn and Ruin kept unleashing powerful magic attacks, wouldn''t the barrier copse because of them?


    [It doesn''t look like those two are nning to hold back.]


    True Void remarked, also sensing the tremor.


    Kyran did not respond and focused his attention on Vera''s dropped item. He immediately recognized the item.


    It was a regrmunication device¡ª amon staticmunicator that could only send messages. Kyran knew the device because he was taught how to use it. Since he believed he did not have any magic, he could only use a regrmunication device.


    True Void looked at the device. With a slight frown, he voiced the question Kyran also thought of.


    [Why is she using a regrmunication device?]


    Kyran shook his head in response and checked its content.


    The device only had two messages, and both were saved in draft.


    When Kyran read the first draft, it felt like a note.


    It said: "Scout the premise and find Ruin. Ry the n and rendezvous in point X."


    The second message, Kyran guessed Vera was supposed to send just before he attacked, had said: "Met a mysterious person. MG Kairo and Ganza dead. On my way back. Being pursued. Need back up."


    Kyran frowned slightly after reading the message. Clearly, the message was meant to be sent to someone in-charged of the army going to the estate.


    By the looks of it, the army also had high-leveled mages if they actually sent mages like Kairo and Ganza as forerunners, and Vera requested backup to deal with him.


    Kyran put the thought aside and looked at another item he had taken from Vera; space storage.


    It was simple to crack a storage space''s seal, especially after its owner''s death. A mage only had to infuse his or her magic energy in it to overwrite the previous owner''s signature. However, it was a little different if the owner was still alive.

 Chapter 511 Blitz: Reversal (3)

    The Magic Energy Istion Rune Kyran created was a powerful counter against beings who uses magic energy. It prevented the rune''s target from essing the magic energies in the surroundings and even circting those within their bodies.


    It lived up to its name, Magic Energy Istion.


    Because of this state, any item connected to the target through magic energy would be temporarily cut off. This included magic weapons, armor, summons, and space storage.


    Thus, Kyran had no problem taking Vera''s space storage. When he used the Magic Energy Istion Rune on her, he did not remove it. One of the main reasons was Ruin''s veil. Kyran had no way of removing the veil, and the only way he could temporarily remove Ruin''s aura inside her was by cutting off all magic energies around her.


    Only Kyran''s magic energy could enter Vera''s body. After all, he created the rune and knew how to bypass it.


    With the rune still active in Vera''s body, Kyran easily essed her space storage and checked its content.


    The space storage size was about 20 inches on all sides, approximately 34.6 inches diagonally. It was amon space storage where one could easily store small weapons and other misceneous items.


    Vera''s space storage had seven daggers, several teleportation tokens, some scrolls, orbs, and healing and magic energy replenishing potions.


    Kyran swept his magic sense on the scrolls and orbs and saw that the former were handwritten reports while thetter was called recording orbs with battle data and logs from operations she took part in.


    [Found anything useful?]


    Kyran was just about to shake his head when he swept through some data in the orb regarding the infiltration of the army in the estate. It detailed how several army members seeded in infiltrating the estate but failed to establish a connection with them. Vera added a note of her personal thoughts regarding the matter.


    In her note, Kyran sensed her deep-seated hatred for him and the Regis n. She even recorded how she wanted to payback Kyran for killing her subordinates when they were pursuing him in the forest.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once. As far as he remembered, he did not kill anyone then. Although the injuries he inflicted were fatal, they should be able to survive as long as the army found them and administered first aid.


    With a sigh, Kyran ced the storage ring in his pouch.


    Once Vera woke up and realized the person she hated had turned her into a Sigil, her hatred alone would likely trigger the Sigil''s seal and kill her. Kyran wondered if he should perform the arts he did to Tritus and change her view a little because he still had some use for her.


    Kyran felt that Ruin put a protection veil and kept a close eye on Vera for a reason.


    For now, Kyran could only put the matter aside and devise a strategy for dealing with the army that Kairo, Ganza, and Vera were part of.


    [Oi, Void Halfling. Don''t wander off on your own. Tell me what you found.]


    True Void''s voice brought Kyran out of his musing.


    ''Nothing helpful. I''m just amazed at how many teleportation tokens she had. Aren''t those things expensive?''


    [She is from the army, so maybe she got it for free?]


    Kyran could not help but inwardly give True Void an incredulous look. He might not be knowledgeable about matters within the army, but at least he knew they would not provide all items for free. If they did, wouldn''t the army end up getting bankrupt? Besides, teleportation tokens were expensive because stocks were limited.


    Opting not toment on True Void''s words lest they get sidetracked, Kyran turned and went after the army.


    *


    In Noser, Gael ordered several High Adept to Master mages to set up the restraining magic array. At the same time, all High Masters led the lower-ranked mages to enter the city and exhaust the four powerful beasts protecting Kyran.


    They nned to exhaust the beasts before luring them to the magic array and then killing them.


    Zephyr sat on the edge of a three-story building with a slight frown. With his extraordinary senses, he already knew what the army was doing near the city''s borders.


    ''Don''t wander too far, and don''t exhaust your energies,'' Zephyr telepathically warned Manti and the rest.


    Hiss!


    Rawrgh!


    All four replied and stayed within a hundred-meter distance from Zephyr.


    ''Hm?'' Zephyr''s eyes narrowed as he sensed a change in the air. He looked up and immediately told Manti and the others, ''Iing above!''


    Manti and Mera jumped on top of the building where Zephyr was sitting and looked up at the sky. As for Bas and Iss, they remained on the ground, but with their long bodies, when they looked up, they were almost at the same height as the others.<sub> </sub>


    The stars in the sky had started to fade as the first light of the day began to creep from the east. However, because of this, they could see several magic-infused arrows raining down from the sky.


    The first to respond was Bas and Iss. They opened their mouths and let out a shockwave that instantly destroyed the arrows that entered their range.


    Next, Manti and Mera breathed out green with purple and reddish-purple mes, sending the rest of the arrows into explosions.


    Zephyr looked at Manti and the others, ck lines appearing on his head.


    Didn''t he tell them not to exhaust their energies just a moment ago? Why are they wasting too much energy to get rid of these arrows?


    From all sides, army soldiers appeared while throwing several ck hexagonal-shaped stones at them.


    Zephyr''s eyes narrowed when he saw the stones. He was familiar with those stones because the Temr Code had used them on him countless times when they were chasing him in the Shaiha Ruins.


    Anti-cast magic stones.


    Zephyr''s eyes glowed red as he summoned his orbs. Normally he would only summon ten orbs. However, he could not destroy all those stones in time with just ten orbs. Thus, he summoned a hundred orbs at once.


    The air was suddenly filled with ck hexagonal stones and dark red orbs.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Red concentrated magic energy beams shot out from the orbs destroying the stones at once. In an instant, their surroundings were filled with clouds of smoke, reducing their visibility.


    Realizing this fact, Zephyr instinctively roused his magic. The air in the surrounding instantly stirred as a powerful wind surged out, forcing the cloud of smoke outward.


    "ARGH!"


    Agonized screaming followed as the powerful wind pushed outward, affecting all soldiers who actually took the chance to close in on them by hiding within the cloud of smoke.


    Zephyr controlled the orbs and aimed at the soldiers, shooting them with concentrated red magic energy beams.


    Manti and the others were also enraged after seeing so many soldiers seed in approaching their territory. They released magic attacks, instantly reducing the enemy''s numbers.


    Outside the city, in the makeshift tent, the expressions of Gael and the other Grand Masters changed suddenly.


    They had seen ''Kyran'' release a powerful attack to rid the surrounding cloud of smoke. However, that was not an attack that a Void mage would use.


    "That''s... Wind magic."


    One of the Grand Mastersmented, breaking the silence.


    "Impossible!"


    Another shouted.


    "Did he learn Wind runes and summon Wind magic?"


    "He is a forbidden magic user," Gael replied with a scowl.


    The others looked at him in confusion. Some army members possessed low to medium-risk forbidden magic, and they could still use other magic they knew the runes, albeit not as powerful as their innate magic.


    What did the Grand Marshal mean when he said that?


    Gael saw the confusion on everyone''s faces. It was no wonder. Not all of them were aware that Kyran''s magic was Void. They only knew that Kyran was a forbidden magic user that could control powerful beasts. For all they knew, his magic was Mind Control or something along that line. Thus, he was able to control powerful beasts. But at most, his magic could only be considered a medium-risk.


    Feeling an iing headache, Gael was in a dilemma. Should he tell them the truth? However, after witnessing ''Kyran'' use Wind magic, Gael felt something was a miss. Princess Haylee had told him that Kyran could not use other magic like her. Thus, as long as he kept a close watch on Kyran''s use of the Void magic, they should be able to subdue him.


    Unfortunately, Gael had only seen Kyran use his magic a few times when he fought Deception. Nevertheless, he was positive Kyran''s magic could not produce wind-like effects.


    "Expedite the magic array creation, and continue with the operation. I need to contact someone," Gael said after a long pause and left at once.


    All of them could only watch him leave the tent before ncing at each other; confusion reflected in each of their eyes.

 Chapter 512 Blitz: Crisis (1)

    As Cade ventured deep into the cave, he was met with several trap array formations. Normal Array Specialists would have trouble deciphering the formations. At most, it might take them months to decipher one formation. But with Cade''s vast Array knowledge, it took him two hours to crack the whole system and simultaneously disable all of the traps inside. Nevertheless, his mental fatigue after deciphering the system left him in shock.


    He was already mentally drained by the array system outside the chamber and had not started the inheritance''s trial. How would he fare once the trial started?


    Cade cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts. There was no point worrying about obvious things. If he was mentally drained, he only needed to find a way to meditate and recover without being idle.


    With that in mind, Cade walked deeper into the cave and finally found a huge circr metal door protected by a highly advanced array formation at the end of the hallway.


    Ancient runes were carved around the edges of the metal door''s frame. They let out a faint golden glow, and a gentle hum could also be heard from them. It felt as if these runes were alive.


    Cade did not approach the metal door at once. He observed the runes first and tried to understand what they said. However, it proved difficult, as his knowledge of the ancient runes wascking. The most challenging part of ancient runes was how some of their runes looked the same but actually had a different meaning whenbined with the runes before or after it or even both. Sometimes, the rune itself had subtle changes, like the second stroke was longer or thinner than the original, changing its meaning altogether.


    In the end, Cade sat in front of the metal door and slowly studied the runes. He would rather take his time studying the runes than try to enter the door with half-hearted understanding and end up failing the trial.


    Although Cade knew he could not waste too much time here, given their current situation, he also knew the importance of seeding in the inheritance''s trial. He could only leave his utmost faith in Nn and Kyran to keep the situation under control while hepleted the trial.


    While Cade was immersed in studying the ancient runes on the metal door, more runes appeared on the walls on each side of him. However, these runes were invisible, and if one tried to move back to look at the runes as a whole, one would realize that they actually formed faces.


    It was hard to tell whether the faces made of runes were female or male. They only watched Cade in silence.


    *


    Kyran travelled east for almost fifteen minutes before his magic sense picked up several auras more than fifty kilometers ahead. He frowned when he discovered that apart from sensing several auras, there were active magic fluctuations in the air. A pungent and metallic smell also permeated the air, telltales of an ongoing battle. Also, the battle must have gone on for hours if the smell had spread this far.


    [Void Halfling, Azaloth is there!]


    True Void told Kyran the moment he sensed the aura of Azaloth''s essence, Mannick.


    Kyran''s frown deepened. He also noticed it; apart from him, the emperor was there. He roused the Draconic magic in his body, his eyes glowed, and his sight improved to an astonishing level in an instant. Even when he was several kilometers away, he could see the people within the vicinity.


    He was shocked to see soldiers fighting amongst each other.


    Just what was the current situation? He did not recall asking Malek and Hugh to make a move and intercept the army. As a matter of fact, he left right after he received ry''s news and did not tell anyone from the Conve.


    Kyran''s brain suddenly went into overdrive as all the clues he had thus far came rushing through his head.


    Could it be...?


    Kyran took out the normalmunication device Vera had. He had wondered why she would use a normalmunication device to send a message when she could easily do so using amunication device for mages. It only dawned on him that the reason was quite obvious.


    The message she wanted to send was not meant to be shared within the army''s channel.


    At first, Kyran did not consider the idea because any army officer with enough authorization could create a new channel. They could also create private channels if they had a high rank within the army.


    But what if the message was not meant for someone in the army? What if it was for someone who did not have the authority to create private channels?


    Kyran did not think a low-rank officer could order or influence Kairo, Ganza, and Vera. Besides, there was someone technically not part of the army but had enough power to order a portion of the army.<sub> </sub>


    But why would they not want their message to go through the army''s channel? Obviously, they did not want the message to be read by others outside their circle.


    From the battle up ahead, this group''s target was the emperor.


    Kyran stopped his train of thought and shook his head. He should not make any definite conclusion early in the game. The emperor might not necessarily be their target. Or at least, he was not their target in the beginning. Because the first draft in Vera''smunication device clearly told them to scout the Regis Estate and find Ruin. If their target had been the emperor, they would have scouted the emperor''s route, not the Regis Estate.


    [Oi, Void Halfling. Why aren''t you saying anything? We need to move fast! If Azaloth''s essence dies in battle, his original body will also be affected!]


    Kyran snapped out of his musing and inwardly scowled at True Void. Thetter was clearly exaggerating. Though the battle ahead appeared fierce, no high-level mages were going all out. Besides, as far as Kyran could sense, Mannick and the emperor possessed the highest mage level.


    ''No one can kill Mannick. He doesn''t seem to be fighting the emperor, either. At least their auras are not shing with each other. If my guess is right, someone outside the army caused a mutiny.''


    True Void gasped.


    [T-That''s bad, right?]


    Kyran did not respond at once as he contemted the matter in his head. Several scenarios yed out in his head, all depending on the step he would take. After a short pause, he answered, ''Not if I can help it.''


    Hearing Kyran''s answer sent chills up True Void''s nonexistent spine.


    [O-Oi, you''re not thinking of doing something crazy, are you?]


    Instead of answering his question, Kyran replied, ''Just stay put.''


    [Are you going there as Nar or...?]


    Kyran did not respond. The truth, his initial thought was to pretend to be Vera. He had themunication device on hand and could send a message to lure away some opposing soldiers from Mannick and the emperor. After which, he would take them out one after another.


    However, doing so would be time-consuming. After all, the opposing side''s leader would have to regroup before assigning who would go and reinforce Vera. Even if the reinforcements managed to arrive soon, Kyran would not be able to catch them off guard. After all, he did not look anything like Vera. He also could not use Vera because she was practically hanging by a thread before he decided to take her as a Sigil and was still recuperating. Besides, Kyran was positive she would rathermit suicide than help him.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. It was a pain at times that he could not do transfiguration or transformation magic. He could use puppets, but all of them had male bodies. It was not that he did not know how to create puppets with female bodies, but just thinking of the excess material he had to use in making their bust and such pained his heart. He was already short on resources. He could not waste them on those parts.


    In any case, Kyran rejected his first idea and thought of a more direct approach. He would ambush the opposition''s weakest nk.


    Dragon Steps!


    Kyran used the Dragon Steps to approach the warring sides. In less than a few minutes, he was only three hundred meters away from them. He observed for a few minutes and identified the men with Mannick and the emperor.


    Others might have trouble identifying them, but not Kyran. Knowing Mannick''s magic had something to do with magic energy, Kyran easily found traces of Mannick''s protection on some of the soldiers.


    Kyran took out the two obsidian swords and slowly walked out from his hiding spot in the woods.


    True Void''s nonexistent scalp practically went numb. He wanted to stop Kyran''s advance by reminding him that they would attack him indiscriminately if he came out now. After all, he was an outsider with a questionable identity.


    However, before True Void could muster his voice, Kyran had already dashed forward.

 Chapter 513 Blitz: Crisis (2)

    [AAAAHHH! You and you''re recklessness! Why do you always risk your life like this? You don''t even have an heir to pass on your magic cores!]


    Kyran ignored True Void''sints and aimed his swords at two soldiers in front.


    The two soldiers were so busy fighting each other that they failed to notice Kyran''s arrival.


    sh!


    "Gah!"


    Blood suddenly gushed out from one of the soldier''s necks, and he fell to his knees with a loud thud.


    Hack! Bam!


    "Guh!"


    The other one received a deep cut on his armor, followed by a powerful kick, resulting in him bumping into another soldier.


    "Oi-!"


    The two soldiers toppled over, with thetter soldier avoiding his opponent''s sh in the process.


    Without stopping, Kyran moved to the soldier who missed and ruthlessly sliced off his head.


    The soldier did not even know what hit him before he was beheaded. Blood gushed out of his severed neck, flowing like a fountain to the two soldiers that fell to the ground.


    The two soldiers were left dumbfounded as they bathed in the soldier''s blood. They barely recovered their wits before a figure shed before them. From their peripheral view, they saw something sh before two heads flew up in the air, followed by a bloody rain.


    For the next few minutes, cries of death filled the air as more heads flew or fell to the ground. More soldiers started to take notice of the arrival of a third party, as more soldiers ended up with deep wounds or dead.


    With the only lighting from the mes that resulted from constant fire magic attacks cast by their allies or enemies, they failed to recognize the figure. Nevertheless, few soldiers realized that the figure had only killed enemies, not part of the emperor''s army. They were left reeling because, although most of their allies were also attacked, their wounds were not life-threatening.


    Was it deliberate or a coincidence? Regardless of the answer, they immediately informed their superior. The figure''s actions were too questionable; his motive was unknown.


    The message these soldiers sent did not pass through the army''s main channel because they had already switched to a new private channel under Mannick''s order. It went directly to one of the fourmanding officers reporting directly to Mannick.


    After more than an hour of fending against the army''s ambush, Mannick and his men regrouped and formed a defensive formation with the emperor in the middle. However, that was all they could do. Defend. They were unable to take the upper hand with their little number.


    One of themanding officers was Rivka, who was currently close to the center but was assigned tomand the west nk.


    Rivka had just sted the head of a High Master, who managed to advance deep into their formation when he received several messages. His usually emotionless expression turned grim as soon as he read them, and he immediately ordered the men around to keep the formation before retreating to where Mannick was.


    The center of the formation was divided into three sections. The first section, on the right side, was dedicated to receiving wounded soldiers, while the second section, located in the middle, was where their supplies were. Lastly, the third section was an open makeshift huddle area.


    Euan and Mannick were currently in the middle section, with two teams of four members. They were huddled in front of a makeshift table with a map at the center of the formation. They were discussing a breakthrough n against the enemy''s encirclement.


    The first team would scout the situation in the Regis Estate and Noser, while the second would check the status in the pce and the Three Noble Families.


    If Lira was leading this ambush, it was impossible that the other noble families were unaware of it. At least Euan believed that if she acted ording to Haylee''s order, those noble families backing the Winfrey Family were definitely involved. If it were the case, the noble families who had ties with the Three Noble Families would also make a move.


    Worst-case scenario, the noble families backing the Winfrey Family had already won over the Three Noble Families and were preparing to attack the pce.


    Euan was worried that Iulia was in danger. After all, he had left her in the Courtenay Land, and the only one there was Ingrid, whose family supported the Winfreys for generations. The only thing that kept him from making any drastic move in returning to the Courtenay Land was Mannick''s reminder that although Ingrid was there and the Courtenay might already ally themselves with the Crown Princess, the Conve was also there.<sub> </sub>


    Mannick''s reminder did put Euan at ease. After witnessing the Conve''s performance during the joint military exercises, he was convinced that thetter would not sumb to any of the Three Noble Families or even Ingrid''s ploy. He just hoped the Three Noble Families would not join hands, which would surely put the Conve at a disadvantage. Besides, although the Conve would not leave the empress on her own if they realized the current situation, there was no guarantee that they would protect her to death.


    Too bad they could not check any updates on the current situation using the army''s main channel. To be precise, Euan decided not to rely on it anymore since he did not know who else they could trust in the military. As a matter of fact, he believed Mannick was the only one he could trust right now. There was also a chance that the updates were being withheld to ensure Mannick, who was with Euan, would not see them.


    Mannick could see Euan''s distress but could not tell him that the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families were not enemies. If he did, then he would have to exin so many troublesome things and might end up overstepping the boundary to how much he could meddle in the Human ne''s affairs.


    s, if only Mannick had a way to contact Kyran and inform him of the emperor''s situation.


    Or maybe not.


    Maybe informing Kyran of the emperor''s situation would be overstepping his boundaries.


    While they were finishing up the n, Rivka rushed in and said, "Deputy Marshal, I just received an update from one of our people near the west nk." He did not bother with formalities before saying what he came for, not because he was not respectful or that the update''s urgency superseded formalities; rather, Mannick did not care about such formalities among his men.


    Everyone in the huddle area looked at him.


    Without waiting for Euan or Mannick to ask questions, Rivka continued, "An unknown person appeared and has been killing off soldiers one after another."


    Euan''s eyes narrowed at one, "Indiscriminately?"


    Rivka looked at him and lowered his head before replying, "No, your Majesty. At least that person is not killing our people. Although they also suffered, the soldiers killed were all from the other side."


    Mannick''s eyes glowed at once, "The west nk."


    Rivka looked at him and nodded, "Yes."


    Mannick roused his magic sense at once and checked the west nk of their formation. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he sensed the unknown person.


    To be precise, he did not sense him but noticed movements without leaving any aura traces. There was only one person he knew who could do that.


    Meanwhile, at the west nk formation, Kyran continued to rain havoc. He moved so fast, weaving through the crowd while brandishing his swords. A trail of corpses or wounded soldiers was left in his wake.


    Different magic attacks rained down on him, but he either ignored them or evaded them before killing or wounding the soldiers who dared attack him.


    [Void Halfling!]


    True Void suddenly called for Kyran''s attention when he sensed Mannick''s magic sense swept past them.


    Kyran also felt it even before True Void had spoken. He stopped and sent out his magic sense to confirm Mannick''s exact location.


    In the center of the formation, Mannick felt Kyran''s magic sense, and his smile widened. With thettering to them instead, things would be easier. Just as he was thinking this, he heard a voice speak in his head.


    [Order your men to make way. If not, I might end up eventually killing one of them.]


    ''Alright,'' Mannick replied telepathically.


    Euan looked at Mannick and noticed the smile on his face.


    "What did you find, Mannick?" He asked after sensing Mannick used his magic sense. Euan could also do the same, but he dared not to. If the intruder was ced there by Lira to mislead them and he tried to observe that person''s movement, they would find his location and mightunch a sneak attack. Although they could determine Mannick''s location too, they would notunch a sneak attack at once because there was a probability that he and Euan were not together.


    Mannick looked at Euan and said, "We''ll hold the line. There is someone I want you to meet."

 Chapter 514 Blitz: Crisis (3)

    Because the battle did not appear to be ending soon, Lira, with the remaining high-ranking officers under Gael and Ingrid not participating in the battle, gathered in a makeshift tent to discuss their next course of action.


    Inside the tent, empty boxes of supplies were lined together to form a makeshift table. On top of it was a map filled with lines and marks indicating the positions of their people and the emperor''s army. The markings on the map had two distinct colors. Lira''s side was blue, while red represented the emperor''s.


    From above, it was obvious that the red marking was outnumbered and was gathered at the center. A huge ck X was at the center of the red markings with a question mark on the side. It was the location they presumed to be where the emperor was at.


    "They managed to regroup and surround the emperor in a short span of time. Their adaptability to the situation and quick movements show how strict Mannick had disciplined them," one of the officers said. He was huge and had five gold badges pinned on his vest, proving his rank as a Lieutenant General.


    "It''s Deputy Marshal Mannick," a woman with simr numbers of gold badges on her vest looked at the man disdainfully. "Until he is not proven guilty of treason he is still a Deputy Marshal."


    The man returned her disdainful re and said, "He abducted the emperor and fed his Majesty''s head with lies. The moment he retaliated already proved his guilty."


    "That is enough, Lt. General Bo and Lt. General Esme," Lira told them with a slight frown.


    In order to mobilize the army, Lira showed them the Crown Princess''s decree, which also had the Grand Marshal''s seal. However, she still had to give them a good reason. They would be attacking the emperor, after all. Ingrid was the one who said that Mannick had plotted against the whole army and fed the emperor with lies. It was unknown what his motives were, but because of this, the emperor suddenly changed his mind about going to Noser and, instead, went to deal with the Crown Princess''s confidante, who was currently handling the matter in the Regis Estate alone.


    Lira found the story farfetched and questionable. But these people bought it. It appeared that Ingrid''s neutral stance in the power struggle within the army did not diminish her fame. As a matter of fact, most saw her as the most trustworthy Deputy Marshal among the three.


    "Putting aside the matter of Deputy Marshal Mannick''s treason, we have to find a way to get to the emperor," Lira reminded them.


    Another man, whose build was smaller than Bo, with four gold badges on his vest, spoke up and said, "Have we found who shot the arrow earlier?"


    "No," a man with the same number of gold badges replied.


    They were Major General Tate and Major General Musa, under Gael and Ingrid, respectively.


    Lira furtively nced at Fiona. Thetter stood by the side and had her eyes closed. It was Lira who asked Fiona to order one of their family''s men to shoot the arrow at Emperor Euan, which started the whole ordeal.


    "That person is likely Mannick''s mole. We have to find him as soon as possible," Bo said.


    "As I said, that is not our main objective," Lira said with an exasperated sigh. She looked at them and said, "We have to get to the emperor as soon as possible. There is still a way to clear this misunderstanding and save him."


    Of course, Lira only said this to express the Crown Princess''s fealty to her father. She had no ns to keep the emperor alive.


    Esme looked at her and slightly shook her head, "It is difficult to break through the current impasse. Deputy Marshal''s men are far more resilient and battle-ready than we imagined."


    Initially, they had thought that with their advantage in number, it would not be long before Mannick surrendered. But they did not expect his men to hold their formation.


    "We can form two spearhead teams consisting of high-rank officers that will break through to the left and right wings," Lira suggested and drew two lines on the map. "After that, we only need to send our Scout team and nt the anti-cast stones around the enemy''s middle formation to ensure Mannick and his highly offensive mage officers will not be able tounch any magic counteroffensive."


    "Are you ordering us to sortie, Miss Royal Knight?" Bo asked as he looked at her indignantly.


    A Royal Knight''s rank was equivalent to a Brigadier General, and to Bo and the rest of the officers inside the tent, that was one or two ranks lower than them. Lira might have the Crown Princess''s Decree with the Grand Marshal''s seal, but that did not mean they had to listen to her.


    Fiona opened her eyes when she sensed the sudden tension inside the tent. She wanted to avoid this situation, so she questioned Lira''s decision to attack the emperor. But now that it came to this, as someone from the noble family supporting the Crown Princess, she had to step up and pacify the situation.


    "Lt. General Bo, Ms. Lira only wanted to save the emperor. Whether you decide to go into battle is entirely up to you," Fiona said. "However, if we look at it from a different perspective. If any of you lead the spearhead team and save the emperor. He will definitely reward your meritorious action."


    The four officers did not respond. They only looked at Fiona with unreadable expressions.


    Unlike Lira, they all knew Fiona served as Gael''s secretary as well as the Royal Family''s keeper. She did not possess any magic, but her status within the army could not be underestimated.<sub> </sub>


    Lira looked at Fiona with aplicated expression. She thought thetter was only an ordinary mole the noble families nted within the army. To think that these officers treated Fiona with such high regard surprised Lira.


    Before any of them could respond, a badgeless soldier hastily entered the tent.


    "U-Update from the left wing battalion! A-An intruder appeared!"


    All of them looked at the officer with a scowl. Initially, Bo nned on reprimanding the soldier, but upon hearing his report, his focus shifted.


    "What did you mean by an intruder?" He asked.


    "An unknown person appeared in the left wing and has been targeting both our men and... t-the others," the officer hesitated to call the others ''enemies.'' It seemed not all of the soldiers viewed the emperor''s army as enemies.


    It was quite understandable. Most low-ranked soldiers were new and had little knowledge of the internal conflicts within the higher management. These soldiers swore to protect the empire under Emperor Euan''s regime and being ordered to attack thetter was contradicting. Unfortunately, they could only follow orders and had no right to question their superiors.


    Bo''s frown deepened. He approached the soldier and demanded, "What does he look like? Is he a mercenary? A fugitive?"


    The soldier shook his head, "I-It is unclear. We tried to ask for additional information but failed to reestablish connection with our people. Upon checking their tracking signals..."


    The soldier hesitated for a second before blurting, "W-We lost more than 15% of our people in the left wing in less than an hour."


    Everyone inside took a sharp intake of breath. Each wing consisted of 15,000 soldiers, and losing more than 15% of their people was not a small number. Though the battle had been waging for hours and casualties had piled up, thest update only showed less than 1% death. For it to suddenly shot up to 15% in less than an hour meant the intruder was not an ordinary person.


    "I am in-charge of the left wing. I will go take a look," Musa said and was about to leave when Esme stopped him.


    "Wait, I aming with you."


    She looked at the others and said, "If the intruder is attacking indiscriminately, then the left wing is mostly cleared. We can use the intruder''s momentum to break through the center."


    "U-Um... actually..." The soldier stammered as he looked at them uneasily. "We also received a strange report. It seems the o-other side suffered casualties, but their number has not decreased. There are no deaths on their side."


    *


    Kyran found themanding officers of the enemy''s side and killed them at once.


    The moment the enemy in the west nk lost their leaders, their formation fell. Mannick''s men took advantage of the chaos to plow through the enemy and reduce their number in an rming momentum.


    They also ignored Kyran when he continued toward the middle formation. Apparently, they already received Mannick''s order to let him pass.


    [It seems Azaloth managed to hold their formation. As expected of the most powerful Abjurer.]


    True Void said after getting a good grasp of the battle''s situation.


    [Are you going to reveal your identity to the emperor, Void Halfling?]


    Kyran was busy charging into the middle of the formation, killing all hostiles. He did not respond to True Void because he had not decided yet. Though the current situation showed the Crown Princess had finally bared her fangs against the Emperor and Kyran could capitalize on this opportunity and get his support, it might not be simple.


    There were several reasons the Crown Princess coulde up with to turn the Emperor into the empire''s public enemy number one. If that happened, how many would support the Emperor? Apart from that, what if the Crown Princess ced a spell on the Emperor that enabled her to see or know what he was up to? If Kyran revealed himself, wouldn''t that put Zephyr and the others in danger? They were only cautious about Zephyr because they did not want him to unleash his ''Void'' magic. If those in Noser found the real Kyran was in Meliora, they would definitely attack Zephyr without reservations.


    Nevertheless, to have Mannick on his side was one of the things Kyran was grateful for. The former might not be allowed to meddle in the Human ne''s affairs directly, but that rule did not restrict his men.

 Chapter 515 Blitz: Crisis (4)

    Mannick''s men guarding the middle formation''s west side watched Kyran approach their defensive line. To them, he looked like abination of a god of war and death in a ck suit, holding two ck swords dripping with blood. A thick veil of bloodlust and death seemed to flutter around him like a coat.


    Kyran gave them a nod before making his way to the third section of the middle formation.


    The soldiers standing guard could not help but hold their breaths as Kyran passed through. His oppressive presence was too much for them to handle.


    Kyran immediately saw Mannick and Euan in the third section. There were a few officers with them. But when they saw Kyran, they excused themselves and cautiously left.


    Mannick wore an indifferent expression while Euan was looking at Kyran with furrowed brows.


    Kyran noticed Euan''s look but ignored it. Clearly, the emperor was sizing him up.


    "I may have caused this situation," Mannick said when Kyran was only two meters away.


    "For sharing too much?" Kyran responded.


    Mannick sighed, "Would you believe me if I say that I only said what was on my mind?"


    "That''s what I meant about sharing too much."


    Mannick chuckled helplessly. Indeed, their situation was the result of him speaking his mind to Euan. That much, Mannick was aware of. Although, he was still unsure if this result meant he already broke the limit on how much he could meddle in the Human ne''s affairs.


    Euan was somewhat surprised at Mannick''s attitude toward the neer. Thetter had been respectful to Euan but there was still an unbridled aura about him. However, this aura was not present in Mannick when he spoke to the neer. There was even a feeling of awe and unwavering loyalty from his gaze.


    Just who was this man? He did not appear to be older than Mannick. As a matter of fact, Euan felt the man was very young from his built and voice. Nevertheless, his domineering presence was visible in the naked eye.


    Euan found the man''s temperament familiar.


    An image of a young handsome man with short ck hair and dark gray eyes wielding a ck spear while fighting in a training arena filled with other students shed through Euan''s mind. His eyes widened as the image appeared to ovep with the man before him.


    Though this man was not carrying a spear, his temperament was simr to a Regis!


    "You''re from the Regis n."


    It was not a question, but a statement. The more Euan observed the man, the more he was convinced thetter was a Regis. And not just an ordinary n member, but a real family member.


    True Void whistled. He was not entirely surprised that Euan guessed half of Kyran''s identity just by his temperament.


    [Looks like even if you decided to hide your identity as a Regis, the emperor will only tacitly ept that you did not want to reveal yourself.]


    Kyran was a Regis through and through. It was because of this reason that Haylee also thought of the Regis n when she watched him fight. Even when Kyran merged his own techniques, which he developed after years of training in the Tower of Tribtion, with the Regis techniques, Haylee still noticed something. But what she noticed first was his temperament, not his techniques.


    Kyran looked at Euan with raised brows. For him to recognize Kyran was a Regis meant he had been around one for some time.


    Though the man before him did not have the Regis''s signature gray eyes, Euan was positive he was a Regis.


    Withoutmenting on Euan''s statement, Kyran looked at Mannick again and asked, "I had a rough idea of what''s happening but I still want you to tell me everything."


    "Alright," Mannick replied.


    Euan did not mind that Mannick did not bring up the topic of introduction, nor was he offended when the man did not confirm his identity. Thetter''s silence could be considered his tacit acknowledgment.


    The three sat on boxes, which served as makeshift chairs. Mannick exined the current situation to Kyran while Euan silently observed from the side.


    [Looks like the princess isn''t the one who ordered the attack.]


    Kyran did notment on True Void''s thoughts. Both knew the Crown Princess was busily unsealing the Macabre cier and left the rest to Lira.


    Mannick said they had seen Lira among the enemy''s ranks before the attack. Logically speaking, even if Lira were the Crown Princess''s personal Royal Knight, she would not have the power to mobilize the army. Thus, Mannick and Euan believed Haylee issued a Royal Decree with the Grand Marshal''s seal¡ª only this could override the Emperor''s authority. With the decree, Lira could act as Haylee''s representative and have the army mobilize ording to the Royal Decree.<sub> </sub>


    Technically they were right. But Kyran and True Void knew the Crown Princess did not specifically order the attack on Emperor Euan. It was Lira''s decision.


    "Let''s not rule out the possibility that Lira is moving ording to her own judgment," Kyran said after much contemtion. He did not say this to defend Haylee, but because he could not directly tell them what Cyneah told them, he could only hint that the former had a different n.


    Kyran could not tell them what Cyneah saw because he did not want to reveal her existence. He still had reservations about the Royal Family''s involvement in her situation. She said she had been living with her mother. But who was her mother? Was it thete Empress? Or a trusted handmaid of the empress who took her away? Why didn''t the Emperor know about Cyneah? Was he not a doting father? Why did he not know that another ''princess'' was born during the attack on the princess years ago? Why did Cyneah''s supposed uncle want her dead? Was that her real uncle? If not, who was he? Is he rted to the ''mother'' who took care of Cyneah, or was he someone sent by the Royal Family?


    Until Kyran knew the answers to these questions, he could not trust Euan fully.


    Euan looked at the man skeptically. Normally, he did not like it when others casually called his daughter by her name or even showed any disrespect toward her, but surprisingly he did not feel that way toward thetter. He even felt that this man''s attitude toward his daughter was familiar.


    "As a father, I still hold a sliver of hope that this is only a misunderstanding and that my daughter has not bared her fangs at me. But as an Emperor, I cannot ignore the facts before me."


    "How well do you know your daughter," Kyran asked while looking at Euan.


    "Honestly, I don''t know anymore," Euan replied with a bitter smile. "Since she is my heir, I taught her all the things she had to know in order to rule the empire, especially on how to conceal her emotions and thoughts before her enemies and subjects alike. She is a genius, yet before me, she is still inexperienced..."


    His voice trailed off, and his expression turned grim, "At least, I thought she was..."


    Kyran studied Euan for a moment. As the Emperor, thetter would definitely not show any weaknesses, especially in front of other people. However, the Euan right now was wearing his heart on his sleeves.


    "We don''t know to what extent the noble families'' plot against his Majesty is on the way. For now, we must find the situation within the pce," Mannick told Kyran. "At least, we n to have a team of four covertly enter the pce and understand the situation."


    Kyran shook his head at once, "If Haylee issued a Royal Decree, it is likely that she already won over the parliament and the council. Going there will only result in falling into a trap.


    "Rather than waste time understanding the whole situation, it is better to focus on strengthening our side. With the situation in Noser, the army''s military strength is split. We must take this chance to rendezvous with the others and secure supplies while they are busy there."


    Euan was surprised that the man knew about the situation in Noser. They had already considered what thetter had said, but Euan was hoping that Haylee''s matter had not escted yet.


    As he pondered this, Euan realized what the man had said and repeated with a slight frown, "Rendevouz with the others?"


    He looked at the man and asked, "Are you suggesting to join forces with the Regis n?"


    Kyran looked at him with aplicated expression. But with half of his face covered, the two men did not see any change on his face.


    Technically, what Euan said was not wrong. They would eventually join forces with the Regis n. But not at this moment. They could not go there because Ruin was still there. Even if Nn were there to keep him busy, that guy was too unpredictable. His summons was far more sinister than Savagery''s.


    Besides, there was still Deception''s threat. Kyran did not believe she had given up. She would definitelye back. She might have offended Ruin when she tried to make a move on Kyran, but that would not discourage her.


    [I think we can trust him, Void Halfling. I also don''t sense the princess''s aura on him. He''s safe.]


    Kyran already knew that. He was only wary of Euan because of Cyneah. Nevertheless, True Void was right. It wouldn''t hurt to have one more person he could use.


    "We''re not joining forces with the Regis n," Kyran started. "Not yet. Instead, we''re going to join up with the others."


    Before Euan could ask what he meant, Kyran lowered his scarf and removed his mask.


    Euan was taken aback when he saw the man remove his ''face.'' But his initial surprise was nothingpared to the shock he felt when he realized who the man was. Just as he was about to confirm the man''s identity, thetter spoke, instantly leaving Euan dumbfounded.


    "But I don''t trust you."


    Euan did not know how to respond. He thought Kyran did not trust him because of the army''s mistake of attacking the Regis n. So he said, "I know what the army did to your family is unforgivable. And I will not make an excuse. But I will definitely make things right¡ª."


    Kyran shook his head, "I don''t need you to make things right. The damage has been done. But that is not the reason why I don''t trust you."


    Without waiting for Euan to speak, Kyran raised his left hand, and a purple ring appeared above his palms.


    "I can decide to end your life here, and no one will stop me."

 Chapter 516 Blitz: Crisis (5)

    Euan''s expression turned solemn.


    Kyran did not say ''can'' but ''will,'' implying that Mannick and his men would not stop him, rather than they could not stop him.


    Seeing how Mannick did not react to Kyran''s words, Euan realized the rtionship between the two was not simple.


    If such audacious words were uttered before Euan before this day, he would haveughed it off. If not, the Royal Knights would have already made a move and killed Kyran on the spot. But with the current situation, not to mention his Royal Knights were not present, even if he had the advantage of mage level, he had a feeling Kyran did have the ability to kill him.


    What made Euan believe this was because of the unfathomable pressure surrounding Kyran. There was also the fact that he single-handedly devastated the west nk, killing several soldiers in a short amount of time.


    The purple ring on Kyra''s hand also gave Euan an ominous feeling. He had never seen anything like it before. He could not sense what type of magic it was.


    Hold on.


    Magic?


    Because of Kyran''s uncanny resemnce to Cade, Euan already knew who he was. Cade''s son, Kyran Regis. But wasn''t Cade''s son failed to be a mage? That was how he ended up studying at the Milfiore Military School instead of the empire''s Validen Magic School.


    More importantly, wasn''t Kyran missing? To be precise, was he not abducted by the fugitive wreaking havoc in Noser at this time?


    In an instant, all the doubts Euan had regarding Gael''s report finally came to light. His eyes narrowed as realization struck him.


    Euan stared at the purple ring in Kyran''s hand. Though he could not sense any magic fluctuation around it, it was definitely made of magic energy-- magic energy condensed into a purple ring without the use of runes.


    "You''re supposed to be in Noser."


    Kyran raised his brows and tilted his head slightly to one side. An amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips; however, he did not acknowledge nor deny Euan''s ims.


    Euan looked at Mannick as he wondered if everything he told and showed him was all an act and was part of the Regis n''s conspiracy.


    Did he actually fall into their trap?


    Euan rejected the idea as soon as it crossed his mind. When the enemies attacked them, Mannick and his men genuinely risked their lives to protect him. It was not an act. That much, he was sure of.


    Still, Kyran''s appearance and the revtion of his ''magic'' brought more questions to Euan than rity.


    Kyran propped one leg on the chair, resting the arm that held the purple ring, and said, "This is boring."


    Mannick chuckled.


    The sudden change in their behavior dissolved the tension in an instant.


    Although Euan''s expression did not change much, he was inwardly confused.


    "Do all emperors act as if nothing can deter them?" Kyran asked as he retracted the purple ring on his hand.


    "Ignorance makes a person indifferent to the world."


    Euan''s expression finally changed as he scowled at Mannick''s words. Before he could say anything, Kyran had already steered the discussion back on topic.


    "Now that you know who I am, you should understand why I don''t trust you."


    Euan looked at Kyran and said, "Because of the Royal Family''s decree about forbidden magic users."


    "That''s one. As part of that family, can you in wholeheartedness work along us?"


    Euan fell silent. If Kyran''s magic was those low to medium-risk forbidden magic, he could easily answer ''yes.'' For years, the Royal Family had pardoned a few of these mages as long as they served in the army. But Kyran''s case was different. Apart from being a Regis, his magic was the most feared and forbidden of all, Void.


    When Euan still failed to answer after almost half a minute, Kyran said, "If you had answered yes, I would have killed you without batting an eye. But since you are undecisive, that is more than enough."


    Mannick looked at Kyran with a slight frown, "Are you sure?"


    Kyran shrugged, "Being undecisive can be good. It means he is still considering his answer. He can only decide after understanding the whole picture. In any case, it''s not toote to kill him if he bes a pain."


    Euan looked at Kyran with narrowed eyes, "You sound as if you can really kill me."


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows, "I only spoke the truth."


    Euan could not help but hold his breath. Kyran''s response actually made him see an illusionary figure behind him. This figure was shrouded with darkness and had a very ominous presence to the point that it was enough to suffocate him to death.


    "I''m sure you already realized that Mannick is not working for you," Kyran continued. "Don''t worry. He is not working for me, either.


    "He knows my identity. That''s why he is being respectful. But that''s unimportant."<sub> </sub>


    "He might think otherwise," Mannickmented as he looked at Kyran.


    "The army attacked the Regis n because of you. But in the end, your family let you escape, and they barricaded themselves."


    Kyran looked at Euan with a slight frown, "Yes."


    "Did you know about your magic then?"


    "Does it matter? The fact that my family hid the truth about me can already be considered an act of ''treason,'' right?"


    "Your family only wanted to protect you. I, for one, understand how the Regis n will do everything to protect one of their own. Personally, I will never judge them because of that."


    Kyran did not respond and only looked at Euan with a thoughtful expression.


    [The more I hear him, the more I believe he is a decent emperor, Void Halfling.]


    True Void, who had stayed silent, suddenly shared his thoughts.


    Seeing that Kyran had no ns on answering, Euan continued, "I am beginning to understand the whole picture. And you are right; I am still considering my answer to your question. However, I will have to put it on hold, not because I still have reservations, but because... I really do understand your family''s decision."


    Euan''s expression turned solemn as Haylee''s image crossed his mind, "I am currently in that situation, after all."


    "Did you just learn about it?"


    "Yes," Euan replied. He paused before adding, "It may seem like an excuse, but it is true."


    Kyran only nodded before looking at Mannick, "I want you to order your men''s retreat in the next half an hour. All of you will rendezvous with the others. I will deal with the army here."


    "What do you mean by that? You n on taking the whole army alone?" Euan asked in shock. No matter how strong Void magic was, there was a limit to how much a mage could use their magic. Besides, Kyran''s mage level was...


    Euan stopped short. What was Kyran''s mage level?


    Kyran looked at Euan, "I barely differentiate Mannick''s men from the other side. If you guys stayed here, I might end up killing a few."


    "Alright. Where will we meet them?" Mannick asked before Euan could reply to Kyran.


    "For now, Malek and Hugh are gathering in the tower. Although, I don''t think the tower can hold all of you. Besides, those annoying guys, probably a few remaining members of Ruin or Deception, are still keeping watch outside the tower."


    "Hold on," Euan cut in, failing to process Kyran and Mannick''s conversation. Actually, it was not that he could not process them but that he could not believe that what he was hearing was correct.


    "Malek? Hugh? Tower? You are not talking about the Conve, are you?"


    "Who else will they be?"


    "As a matter of fact, he is."


    Kyran and Mannick answered respectively with deadpan expressions.


    "We can stay outside the tower. I can hide my men using my magic," Mannick said as if they were not interrupted.


    Kyran nodded, "Okay. I''ll let Malek know about your arrival. Else, he might think the tower is under attack."


    Mannick smiled wryly and said, "I already revealed myself to them. They will not think that way."


    "The emperor is with you. Not to mention, you have more than forty thousand army soldiers."


    "Hm. You have a point." After a short pause, Mannick asked, "When do you want to go to the Regis Estate?"


    "Ruin is still there, and Nn is keeping him busy but..." Kyran paused. "For now, just focus on joining with the rest. You can exin the situation to your men. I don''t want to ce a mark on them. I could barely keep the ones from the Montgomerays."


    Euan, who decided to keep his mouth shut, could not help but gape at Kyran again.


    "You... are not talking about the Montgomerays of the Three Noble Families?"


    Kyran looked at him with aplicated expression. Then he looked at Mannick and said, "Can you also exin everything to him?"


    "Alright."


    "Your Majesty," Kyran finally turned his attention to Euan. "There are things you will learn that will probably confuse you more, but bear with it."

 Chapter 517 Blitz: Crisis (6)

    Even without Kyran''s warning, Euan was already extremely confused. The people Kyran spoke of sounded familiar but at the same time, unfamiliar. Thus, he was left confused.


    Anyhow, Euan could still keep a straight face after hearing their discussion. However, he was not in favor of Kyran''s n to stay and face the army alone.


    While it was true that Kyran managed to break through the west nk singlehandedly, it should be noted that the soldiers stationed there had low mage levels. As much as Euan did not want to demean the might of the army, he was aware of Kyran''sbat skills. It was easy for him to overwhelm all the low-ranked officers. But that might not be the case once the high-ranked and more experienced officers of the army joined the fray.


    Euan knew that Lira and they were only figuring out his exact location beforeunching a surprise attack. Apart from this, if they wanted Mannick and his men to retreat safely, sacrifices were still inevitable. To minimize this, Euan nned to use himself and bait Lira''s side.


    With this in mind, Euan looked at them, his eyes glowed with determination. He said, "To ensure Mannick and his men can retreat with minimum sacrifices, I will stay. I am their target. Once they know my whereabouts, they will focus most of their offensive mages on me."


    Kyran and Mannick could not help but look at each other. Euan had a point. However, sacrifices were not needed. Kyran could warp all of them with no problem. He might have problem warping non-living objects, but for some reason, he did not have that much problem when warping living things.


    Without answering Euan, Kyran looked at Mannick, "I guess I could use some help in drawing their attention. At most I can warp five thousand people at once," he paused and did a quick calction in his head before continuing, "I''ll need to do that at least ten times given your number."


    The moment Kyran said the word ''warp,'' Euan''s brow twitched slightly.


    That was right. Kyran''s magic was Void magic and one of the reasons why it was feared by many was its ''warping'' powers.


    Mannick nodded, "My men are about to change formation. The ones in the forefront are already weary and are heavily injured so it is best to have them leave first."


    Kyran nodded, "Okay. We''ll do that." He hesitated for a moment before turning to Euan and said, "I actually have my own n in getting their attention away from this ce but what you said is right. Although I can divert most of their attention, they will probably only use cannon fodders to deal with me. If you really don''t mind risking your life, I can take you with me."


    "I am the emperor, why would I mind risking my life for my people?" Euan said in a dignified manner. He then added, "My words may sound contradicting given how I am about to dispose some but it is something I have to bear."


    Kyran did not say anything and only nodded. He understood Euan''s position. Being an emperor was a really a troublesome upation, which was why Kyran never wanted to be one. To be honest, although his father would eventually be the next Regis Patriarch, Kyran had no ns in seeding him. He was happy to support his father in the background and build connections with people who he could trust and ask assistance.


    Kyran subconciously looked at Mannick when he thought this and sighed inwardly. It was a pity that he could not ask Mannick''s full assistance. Though thetter had said that he caused this situation because he said too much in a joking manner, Kyran knew the severity of what he did.


    If Mannick did not say anything to Euan, then thetter would have been in Noser by now and was trying to deal with Zephyr. Lira would not have made a drastic move that could very well cause a three-way war.


    In any case, Kyran still had to stall for time. He could not draw too much attention in the Regis Estate until his father seeded in taking Azaloth''s Inheritance. It was a pity that he could not directly ask Mannick to just give the inheritance to his father. It was not because he believed Mannick would not be able to do so, but that he was positive Mannick would not mind. But when that happened, something more scary than Lira making a drastic move against the emperor might happen.


    "We need to discuss your n and make adjustments," Euan said, breaking Kyran''s train of thought.


    Kyran raised his brows. He looked at him and repeated, "Make adjustments?"


    "You said you have a n to divert their attention. Tell me, if we coordinate our moves we can gain more time for Mannick and his men''s retreat."


    Kyran immediately shook his head, "We don''t have to. Although I said I have a n, its not as grand as you think it is."


    Euan frowned slightly, "What do you mean¡ª?"


    Before Kyran could answer, Rivka appeared again and hurriedly said, "Deputy Marshal, we have an emergency in the west nk!"


    Euan and Mannick looked at Rivka at once. As for Kyran, he immediately wore his mask and covered his face before looking. There was no need to expose his identity to all of Mannick''s men.


    "Lt. General Bo and Lt. General Esme has appeared and is currently leading several Master level soldiers toward the center of our formation."


    The three exchanged nces.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He did not think their enemies would make a move too soon. Although he knew that his action of only killing their side would not go unnotice, he initially believed they would first try to probe the situation instead of sending a high-ranked officer.<sub> </sub>


    "Bo and Esme," Mannick''s brow furrowed. "Those two are peak Grand Masters. There are even news that Esme is already half a step to bing an Exalted."


    "We have to deal with them as soon as possible," Euan said. "If not, your men will not be able to hold."


    "What are those two good at?" Kyran asked them.


    "Bo is abat mage, specializing in ming Fist magic, while Esme is a rare Ice mage," Mannick exined. "One loves destruction, while the other one is good inrge area attack."


    Euan sighed inwardly. It seemed he had to make a move now. Frankly, after bing a Magus, his body had not fully adapted to the overwhelming magic energy. Even now, he could only use magic pressure to overwhelm others. If he tried to use his magic, there was a chance he would not be able to control it and would end up harming others. He did not mind unleashing his magic when he was within the enemy''s line, though.


    Meanwhile, True Void shook his head inwardly as hemented.


    [Fire and Ice. It is not a goodbination, but when faced together, they can be very devastating.]


    ''The fact that they are not a goodbination is the reason why they can be devastating,'' Kyran corrected him.


    "I''ll go."


    "I''ll handle them."


    Euan and Kyran said at the same time. The two could not help but nce at each other.


    Before Euan could insist, Kyran said, "I can deal with them more efficiently than you."


    Rivka, who had been silently awaiting for orders, could not help but blinked at the man incredulously. As a person who rarely get agitated or show emotions, he apud the man''s bravery of saying those words in front of the emperor.


    Euan always had a very high tolerance with arrogant people, not to mention he knew how to handle them. But for some reasons, he had no way of refuting Kyran because his arrogance was not empty words but was born from his self confidence.


    Mannick cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Why don''t I go instead? I am more than enough to handle them."


    Kyran frowned as he looked at him, "You already created this situation. Are you nning to make it worse by meddling again?"


    Rivka''splexion paled after hearing the man''s impertinent tone. He had seen plenty of impertinent people talk that way to their leader and all of them ended up not talking for good


    Shoving these thoughts to the back of his head, Rivka reminded them with great urgency, "Pardon me, but our situation is dire. The west nk has already regrouped, however, most of our men are exhausted and injured. Please approve the change of formation."


    The three exchanged nces before looking at Rivka.


    Rivka was right. Now was not the time to argue who should intercept the two.


    On the other hand, True Void could not help but sneer. Rivka failed to see that the real reason these three could still argue was because they did not think Bo and Esme posed a threat.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran could easily deal with them with a wave of his hand. Unfortunately, he could not use his Void magic and could only deal with them using his Regis techniques.


    "Have your men retreat," Kyran told Mannick. "I''ll deal with¡ª."


    Kyran stopped short as he sensed hismunication device heat up. His eyes widened as soon as he read the contents using his magic sense.

 Chapter 518 Blitz: All-Out (1)

    Kyran cursed inwardly as he read through the message.


    The message was a footage Ezra''s people recorded. It was a footage where several Grand Masters and High Masters were gathering to deal with Zephyr. From the loose conversations they managed to record, they already discovered Zephyr was an imposter.


    Noticing Kyran''s cold expression, Mannick guessed something had happened. He immediately said, "We can still handle the situation here, you go do what you have to do."


    Kyran gritted his teeth. Compared to the situation in Noser, it was easy to resolve the situation here. However, they could not waste too much time.


    For one thing, Lira had sent three forerunners to the Regis Estate, if she did not hear anything from them soon, another group would be sent out. When that happened, there was no one to intercept them. If they managed to get to Ruin and inform him about the situation, it was possible that he would drag his fight with Nn to where Mannick andpany were at and kill them. Kyran was confident in Mannick''s ability to escape. He might even take Euan with him. But Kyran was not worried about them. The reason he wanted to save Mannick was because of his people, not them.


    It was at a time like this that Kyran hated the fact he could not produce an essence. Even if his essence would suffer a level down, he was confident his essence could whittle down the army''s military strength before wasting away.


    Before Kyran could say something, a male sprite with blue and green scales suddenly appeared before him.


    Euan and Rivka were shocked to see the Spirit appear out of thin air. As far as they were concerned, a spirit would only show itself if they were up to no good.


    Euan''s initial reaction was to draw his sword. After all, he had bad blood with them from what happened to Haylee. However, upon seeing the Spirit kneel in midair before Kyran, he stopped short from drawing his sword.


    "Void Master, you need not hesitate and give us amand to go to battle."


    Rivka who had gone pale from seeing the spirit, almost choked after hearing how it addressed the mysterious man. Countless questions swirled around his head, but was too scared to voice them out.


    Kyran looked at ry. He did not notice when thetter had arrived. In any case, ry''s words gave him mixed emotions.


    After reliving what happened in Vates ne, Kyran admitted he was scared to send all of his people to battle.


    Sending them to battle was no trifle matter. It was equivalent to him sending them to their deaths. Though his rtionships to most of them were not deep, that did not lessen the responsibility he would feel if they died.


    A person only had one life. Once lost, it could never return.


    Although, Haylee could not take their souls, there was still the Macabre cier. If the mirror took their souls, what would happen?


    Kyran now understood what Euan had said earlier, about bearing the responsibility of ''disposing'' his own people. Their situation might be different, but fundamentally, the idea was the same.


    [Void Halfling, what is the point of you gathering all these people? Isn''t it to use them? It may sound cold, but its the truth. You said it yourself. You are not omnipotent. That is why you needed these people to help you.]


    Kyran did not respond, but knew True Void was right. It was only that, he did not realize how huge the responsibility he had to bear until it was now right in front of him.


    Euan observed Kyran in silence. He knew from experience how thetter felt right at this moment. It was a numbing experience Euan had to get used to.


    After a tensed moment, Kyran finally took a deep breath and said, "Tell White Lily and Ezra to help Zephyr."


    ry lowered his head further before replying, "As youmand, Void Master."


    With a small puff, ry left. Kyran then turned to Euan and Mannick and said, "I''ll make it quick."


    Before Euan or Mannick could say anything, Kyran disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    *


    Bo an Esme, with several master mages had already destroyed the line Mannick''s men had managed to recover. There were still far from the middle of the formation, but because they had the advantage of stamina and number, it would only be a matter of time before they could break through.


    Red magic arrays circled Bo''s forearms as deep red mes enveloped his golden gauntlets. These gauntlets were magic items that amplified Bo''s fire magic. The moment the red mes merged with the golden gauntlets, the gauntlets emitted a golden light. In an instant, the red mes turned into gold and Bo mmed his fists together.


    He charged into the enemy line like a bull while smacking and swiping his fists on anyone that tried to stop him.


    On the other side, Esme held a long silver staff with a light blue crystal hovering at the top. Cold mist formed around the crystal, giving anyone who saw it the feeling of how terrifyingly cold it was.


    Several soldiers surrounded Esme, all of them held their weapons and attacked her from all sides.


    Esme''s eyes glinted maliciously as a thirty-meter diameter blue magic array appeared on the ground, with her at the middle.


    "Move out!" Someone shouted.


    However, only those who were still within the border was able to retreat before a powerful snowstorm surged out of the magic array.


    "AAAHHH!"


    Mournful wails filled the air as those soldiers who failed to move out of Esme''s magic range was covered by the snow. They tried to use rouse their magic and strengthen their magic barriers, however, it was useless. Soon, their bodies had turned into ice sculptures.<sub> </sub>


    "Shatter," Esme said in a very soft voice.


    BOOM!


    The soldiers that turned into ice sculptures exploded.


    In just a few minutes, Bo and Esme killed off countless soldiers, allowing the other master mages with them to charge into the enemy line.


    "RAWRGH!"


    BOOM!


    Bo jumped and mmed his fists on the ground, creating a three-meter radius crater of golden mes. All of the enemy soldiers nearby were sent flying or even crushed to death.


    Esme slowly advanced forward and summoning another snowstorm, turning more enemy soldiers into ice sculptures before shattering them to their deaths.


    Their magic attacks devastated the west nk.


    As soon as the second line of defence was taken care of, Bo and Esme stopped their attacks. They stood at the back of their formation and let the master mages advanced.


    Bo and Esme did not stop their attack because they believed it was not necessary to take action anymore, but that they had to replenish their magic energy. Their shy attacks consumed a lot of magic energy, after all.


    Frankly, Bo and Esme did not want to expend so much magic energy at the get go. However, they did not want to give the enemy soldiers a chance to regroup or send more soldiers to hold their formation. They also had to show their might and draw out the mysterious person that killed their people.


    Though that person was attacked both sides indiscriminately, Bo, Esme and the rest were not stupid to realize that the former had no intentions of killing Mannick''s men. They did not know what that person''s rtionship with Mannick was but it actually proved thetter had hidden his connections well.


    "You think this is enough to draw that person out?" Esme asked without looking at Bo.


    Bo drank a high-grade magic energy replenishing potion in one gulp before throwing the bottle to the ground.


    "If not, we''ll just have to kill more."


    "What if Deputy Marshal Mannickes instead?"


    "All the better," Bo sneered. "So what if he''s an Exalted? What if he is known as the most powerful Deputy Marshal?"


    He took out a small ck stone and deftly rolled it between his fingers, "If he can''t cast magic, its useless."


    Esme looked at him with a frown. It was their n to use the Anti-Cast stone on their target, regardless of who it was. However, there was a possibility they would also use it against them.


    Seeing Esme''s look, Bo chuckled, "Rx. There are two of us. As long as one of us used the stone before our target makes a move, it will be fine."


    Esme took a deep breath and looked at their advancing formation.


    "True, but what if they also sent two people to deal with us? Deputy Marshal Mannick is not stupid. Who everes, he will definitely tell them toe after me first since my Ice magic can stop movements. When that happens, I need you to quickly use the stone to disable at least one of¡ª."


    FOOOSH!


    Esme stopped as water sttered to her face.


    No. Not water. Because water did not have a metallic smell.


    Before she could turn her head, something rolled and touched her feet. As she subconsciously looked down, she realized her view seemed to be getting closer and closer to the ground.


    ''Wha...''


    Thud. Thud.


    Bo''s and Esme''s bodies fell to the ground and blood sttered around them.


    Behind them was none other than Kyran, who brandished his swords to the side and rid of their des of blood.


    "Lt. General Bo! Lt. General Esme! We have already broken through¡ª."


    A soldier came running at the back to report. When he saw Bo''s and Esme''s headless bodies on the ground, his blood ran cold. A figure shed past him and his head also flew in the air.

 Chapter 519 Blitz: All-Out (2)

    Gael tried to contact Haylee again but failed. After which, he reached out to Lira. But when he also failed to connect with her, he tried contacting Fiona. When that failed again, Gael started to feel indignant. It made him feel that they were doing something behind his back. Of course, he only felt that way about Lira and Fiona.


    Since he could not contact them directly, Gael entered the army''s main channel and tracked the army''s recent activities. Prior to that moment, he could not connect to the army''s main channel due to ack of signal. The tower in Noser had long been destroyed and if not for the arrival of the army, which always had a mobile tower, he would not be able to connect.


    With Gael''s rank, he had full authority to check all channels. He could even see all private channels. But he did not n on checking all of them. He only went to the army''s recent assignments and logged dispatch history. Soon he found the information about Emperor Euan''s arrival at Thunlough. Gael already knew that so he browsed through the content and checked thetest entries.


    There were two new updates. The second to thest update was a confirmation of Imman''s arrival in Mourchton. After that was the confirmation of Imman and five thousand additional soldiers'' departure from Mourchton going to Noser.


    Gael frowned in disappointment. He could not find any information about the Crown Princess.


    After much thought, he checked the Headquarter''s channel and finally found information that the Crown Princess went to the Meliora Headquarters with Lira. After reading through the entries after that, Gael was stumped. Thest entry showed Lira ordered a dispatch of one hundred thousand soldiers and their destination was the Regis Estate.


    Gael''s initial reaction was anger. He could not believe Lira would take advantage of the Crown Princess''s Royal Decree with his seal to order 80% of the soldiers in the HQ. His anger was reasonable. If something happened, with only 20% of soldiers left behind in Meliora, how could they defend it? Apart from this, as he looked through the names of the officers who went with her, Bo and Esme were included but the Crown Princess was not.


    What were they thinking? Putting aside Esme, since she was Ingrid''s subordinate, Bo was technically under Gael. When Gael was not around, Bo must resume the responsibility of overseeing the Meliora Headquarters. Why did he leave his post?


    But then Gael stopped his train of thought when he recall their destination, the Regis Estate. As far as he was concerned, the Crown Princess ordered all remaining army stationed outside the estate''s Inner Wall to assist in Noser. Why would Lira order one hundred thousand soldiers to go there and leave the Crown Princess behind?


    Could it be that something happened in the estate that forced Lira to make this decision? Lira said the Crown Princess was upied and from that, Gael more or less guessed thetter might have taken this chance to visit the underground chamber in the headquarters. Gael had no qualms in that regard. But if that was the case, and the Crown Princess gave Lira the authority to make decisions in case of emergency on her behalf, thetter''s actions were reasonable.


    Then what was the emergency?


    It did not take long for Gael toe up with a possible answer. Thinking about the time he lost after being trapped in Deception''s illusion, followed by the strange abilities ''Kyran'' had shown which were very different from the ''Kyran'' he fought, Gael started to see the big picture.


    If Gael took into ount Kyran being a Regis, who put the safety of their n above all else if thetter knew what Ruin was currently doing, would he let it be? Thinking back on it now, why did Kyran decide to appear? Why in Noser?


    Obviously, it was to divide the army. Once the army''s military strength was split, he would then go to the estate and find a chance to save his n. With Ruin the only one left there, he would definitely be at a disadvantage once Kyran freed his n. It did not matter whether Ruin was more powerful than them. Gael knew the Regis had ways to deal with Ruin. They were able to create such a powerful barrier, there was no telling if they also have a powerful offensive array to deal with him.


    Gael immediately took action aftering to such a conclusion. Although he did not have any proof, there was a way for him to test if the ''Kyran'' inside Noser was the same. He only needed to summon some of his shadow puppets and see how thetter would react.


    True enough, after sending a group of his shadow puppets once, Gael confirmed his doubt; the ''Kyran'' inside Noser was an imposter.


    If that ''Kyran'' was the real one, destroying Gael''s shadow puppets was as easy as stepping on ants. However, ''Kyran'' needed the help of the four beasts to dispose of Gael''s puppet. ''Kyran'' did not even use his fist, but only controlled those orbs.


    After this little test, Gael immediately ordered all Grand Masters to sortie. He decided to lead them personally and deal with the imposter. He did not wait for Imman to arrive. Knowing Imman, Gael knew that guy would only make thingsplicated because he wanted to find the opportunity to snatch recognition.


    Anyhow, dealing with those legendary-level beasts would be a pain, thus, Gael would still need the restraining magic arrays. They would lure and restrain them while they deal with the imposter before the real one returned. Gael might now know how strong Ruin was but if the Crown Princess entrusted the destruction of the Regis Estate''s barrier to him, then he was strong enough. In any case, Lira was already on her way with one hundred thousand soldiers. It was impossible for the real Kyran to deal with them all by himself. Even if the Regis n joined the fray, the army had the numerical advantage.<sub> </sub>


    Although the Regis had the physicalbat advantage, they were still human. They would be exhausted sooner orter.


    With this in mind, Gael, along with almost fifty Grand Masters and several High Masters, marched into Noser.


    Meanwhile, Zephyr already knew that things were going south when Manti and the others reported several high-level mages entering the city. To make matters worse, the one leading them was a Magus.


    It did not take long for Zephyr to realize the mistake he did, which led to the army''s decisive decision in confronting them directly.


    Zephyr was put in a dilemma. If he continued to pose as Kyran, he would not be able to protect Manti and the others, much less fend for himself. As a matter of fact, he could sense that Manti and the others were nearing their limit. It might not be the case if Kyran was here. One of the benefits of being a Sigil was they could share their master''s magic energy and healing abilities. As long as they were within Kyran''s range, they would seem invincible.


    s, Kyran was hundreds of miles away from them and could not take advantage of the Sigil''s benefits.


    Hiss!


    Bas slithered back to Zephyr and told him the army was closing in. Based on their speed, they would arrive in less than ten minutes.


    Zephyr closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They might have discovered he was not the real Void Master, but that did not mean he was afraid of them. Frankly, he was more afraid of what Kyran would do to him if he found out he had failed.


    ''No,'' Zephyr thought as he opened his eyes. ''I haven''t failed yet. No matter what, I will keep them here.''


    Zephyr looked at Bas, Manti, Mera, and Iss and said full of determination, "I will face them alone. You guys stay here and rest."


    The four immediately hissed or growled in protest, but Zephyr would not listen to any of it.


    "When you guys have rested enough, you can join again. But with your current condition, you will only be a burden. You have to understand that if one of us dies here, our master will also suffer a bacsh. So stay put and rest."


    When they heard Zephyr tell them Kyran would suffer if one of them died, they had no choice but reluctantly agree. None of them wanted their master to suffer because of them.


    With a nod, Zephyr stood up and levitated. His eyes glowed red as his magic energy exploded. In an instant, the air around him stirred, creating incredible magic fluctuations.


    Slowly, his body started to grow as the ck clothes he was wearing blended with his skin.


    At the east part of the city, Gael''s expression suddenly turned grim as he sensed a powerful magic fluctuation ahead.


    The Grand Masters also sensed it and they all shivered involuntarily.

 Chapter 520 Blitz: All-Out (3)

    While Cade was immersed in studying the ancient ruins, the hall started to change. The hallway vanished and instead, it looked as if he along the metal door had been transported into a very dark room.


    Calling it a dark room might be an understatement. Due to the darkness, it was hard to determine whether there were walls or a ceiling beyond the darkness. Apart from the area where Cade was sitting cross-legged, everything else was pitch ck.


    Previously, when Cade was still in the hallway, faces on the walls, which were made of runes, observed him in silence. Now, these faces were still there. But instead of appearing on walls, which the room likely did not possess, they were all hovering in midair, creating a circr barrier around Cade.


    As Cade''s understanding of the ancient runes around the metal doors deepen, theyers of faces made of runes increased. Each time ayer was added, it add more light to the darkness.


    After almost an hour, one could now see that Cade was sitting on top of a steep slope, resembling a mountain. Crude stone steps could be seen behind him going down the slope. Each of the steps had a strange rune on them, however, only three were lit in a golden light.


    With each passing minute, whenever a newyer of rune faces appeared around Cade, a new rune would appear down the stone step. It glowed faintly at first but then would glow brighter whenever Cade''s understanding of the ancient runes on the metal door deepened.


    Cade was oblivious to these changes. He only had his full attention on the metal door''s ancient runes. It was not that he found these runes interesting. As a matter of fact, he found them strange. Not because the meaning behind the runes was too profound, but because, each time he felt he grasped the meaning of the runes, it would contradict the previous meaning. Whenever it happened, he would go back to reading the previous runes and would realize that the runes'' meaning had changedpletely.


    In the end, Cade stopped re-reading the runes from the start. Instead, he focused on reading them slowly and whenever he felt their meaning would contradict the previous statement, he would still keep on reading.


    After doing this for some time, Cade realized that the ancient runes appeared as if they were entries in a person''s research journal. The more the person who wrote them discovered new things, that person would not hesitate to change his or her way of thinking to adopt the new idea.


    If Cade had to describe the person who wrote them, he found that person flexible, unrestrained by normal standards. Most importantly, he found that person a true genius.


    As time went by, the dark room started to grow brighter. The light slowly illuminated all the unseen objects that surrounded the steep slope.


    Objects that resembled stone-like giant legendary beasts, their eyes all trained at where Cade was seated.


    *


    Kyran was like a human cyclone that broke through the enemies'' line in an instant. With Bo and Esme out of the picture, it was easy to recover the west nk''s formation.


    Frankly, Kyran did not expect to find Bo and Esme the moment he warped in the west nk. He initially nned to catch the enemy''s rear off guard by reducing their number before the two noticed anything. To think that both were standing at the rear, seemingly rxed as they casually talked about their ''ns.''


    Kyran was a little annoyed at their attitude of acting as if they had the whole situation under their control. That was why he killed them before they even knew he was there.


    Recalling how the two idiots nned to use the anti-cast stone on Mannick if he arrived made Kyran sigh inwardly at their ignorance. Mannick''s magic was rted to pure magic energy, a mere anti-cast stone would not be enough to stop him from using magic.


    As Kyran killed another enemy, he stopped midway through cutting another one after seeing a faint golden shield symbol hovering above the soldier''s head.


    The soldier also retreated in fright. Clearly, he realized how close he had been to losing his head for trying to help the mysterious man. He with the rest already received an order to move out of thetter''s way. But he found it unreasonable to let one person deal with the enemies alone.


    Actually, the soldier was part of the group that reced the previous group who were already worn out from the battle. Thus, he did not know the terrifying might of the mysterious man.


    Kyran lowered his two swords and studied his surroundings. At the moment, there were only a few enemy soldiers engaged in battle with Mannick''s men. Unlike earlier, where he could barely distinguish each side, Kyran saw a faint golden shield hovering above the heads of the other soldiers.


    The shield had Mannick''s aura, so Kyran knew they were his men.


    Because of those symbols, it was now easier for Kyran to attack without hurting Mannick''s men.


    Before Kyran could continue dealing with the rest of the enemy soldiers, he felt a prick on the back of his hand as the mark of the Sigil appeared.


    [Void Halfling?]


    True Void sensed the change in Kyran''s demeanor as he looked at the mark.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. The mark on his hand was the number two written in Draconic rune. It was Zephyr''s representation being his second Sigil. The rune lit up, for a second, before slowly dimming, then would light again after a few seconds.


    Noticing the rune on Kyran''s hand, True Void''s expression also turned solemn.


    [Is he in danger?]


    Kyran did not reply immediately. He probed the seal first and after confirming that the reason why it started to blink was that Zephyr had changed back to his real form.<sub> </sub>


    To be honest, it was the first time Kyran had seen the Sigil react.


    ''No,'' he finally answered as he lowered his hand. ''At least not for now.''


    [I know you''re worried. But we still have to¡ª.]


    ''I know,'' Kyran cut him off. ''But...''


    Kyran returned the two ck swords to his pouch as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    At that moment, an enemy soldier behind ran toward Kyran. With a ming sword in hand, he attacked.


    Kyran''s eyes slowly opened. Because of the mask, whenever his eyes turned silver, ''Nar''s'' dark brown eyes would appear dark gold. But now, they had turned almost ck, as his eyes underneath the mask turned reddish-purple.


    "DIE!"


    The enemy soldier cleaved his ming sword down at Kyran. However, the enemy soldier hit nothing but air.


    "What¡ª?"


    Before the soldier knew what happened, a searing hot pain broke through his chest. He did not even have the time to understand what happened as he fell to the ground, dead.


    Kyran looked at the young man''s body. A hole appeared on thetter''s chest, but there was no blood that seeped out.


    [Oi, oi! Void Halfling, what are you doing?]


    ''Zephyr has been forced to change back to his original form. It means, the situation there is bad. Even if Ezra joins, given their level and numerical disadvantage, I''m afraid they will notst for long.''


    [So what? Are you now going to reveal your identity and lure them again? What about Mannick and the emperor? If Lira and the others know that you are helping Mannick and the emperor, you will only give the Crown Princess a reason to turn the whole empire against you and the emperor!


    [Right now, the Crown Princess''s actions are still discreet. But once it gets out, she can use this incident as an excuse to make the emperor and you the bad guys. Then she can convince the other factions to fight by her side!]


    Kyran smiled bitterly, ''It will happen eventually. Why not do it now?''


    [O-Oi, are you serious?]


    ''If she can get the other factions to her side, fine. At least, I can openly use my side as well.''


    True Void fell silent. Kyran had a point. However, it also meant that an all-out war would happen.


    No matter how True Void looked at it, Kyran''s side was not ready.


    For one thing, Cade was still undergoing the Inheritance. Secondly, Nn was still in a stalemate against Ruin. Then there was Zephyr, who already failed in pretending to be Kyran and now had to reveal his true form. The Montgomeray Family and the Spirits had yet to arrive in Noser. Styx, Dante, and the rest of the mercenaries with Hamish and Owen had yet toplete their covert task of destroying the army''s supplies. The Courtenay Family had not yetpleted their preparations in disrupting the army''s transport. Tritus was on standby. And even if Kyran decided to use him, Tritus might not necessarily be able to order the Temr Code to battle because by then Kyran and the emperor would have be the empire''s new evils. As a matter of fact, now that Zephyr had revealed himself, Tritus''s secret might also be revealed soon and he would lose the Temr Code altogether.


    As for the Royal Army, they might be scattered right now, but there was still the Royal Family''s own military force. Not to mention, there were still hidden high-ranked mages among their ranks.


    Thinking of all these, True Void regretted not forcing Kyran to find his real body first. If he had his real body, even if the Crown Princess had the numerical advantage, he alone was enough to bridge the gap.


    ''Don''t worry,'' Kyran said as he looked in the direction where Lira and the rest of the enemy soldiers were gathered. ''Even if I reveal myself here as long as there are no witnesses, there will be no immediate danger, right?''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple beneath his mask. Although he agreed to bring Euan along once he confronted Lira and the others, he changed his mind.


    True Void shivered inwardly. Although he could not see Kyran''s expression, the dense killing intent he exude was enough to scare him.


    That''s right. Dead men don''t talk.

 Chapter 521 Blitz: All-Out (4)

    Ezra and a few talents of the Montgomeray Family, along with their contracted Spirits, arrived in their family residence in Moor, a city located in the west near Mourchton.


    Although Spirits could travel at a distance in a short time, they could not bring a human along with them. The rules of the Spirit''s world were unsuitable for the human body, after all. However, the Spirits knew a magic formation that could transport others. It would require an enormous amount of spirit stones, but the Montgomeray did not hesitate to use their resources. After all, the new Void Master had given his order.


    All members of the Montgomeray in Moor had already finished their preparations.


    Without further dy, Ezra, his people, and the Spirits marched into Noser.


    Normally, it would have taken them more than an hour to get to Noser, even by carriage. But with the Spirits'' blessings, they arrived a hundred meters outside Noser in just half an hour.


    They did not directly march into the city because the army was camped outside and had barricaded it.


    "S-Such powerful magic fluctuations..." an elder of the Montgomeray Family, standing beside Ezra, remarked as they looked ahead toward Noser''s border.


    Ezra furrowed his brows as he looked at the barricade the army built around Noser. He knew why Kyran suddenly ordered them to help Zephyr in the open instead of their previous agreement to help in the dark. Judging from the magic fluctuations in the city, he was positive that Zephyr and Kyran''s beasts were currently engaged in a fierce battle with several high-level mages from the army.


    With a poof, a red female sprite appeared on Ezra''s shoulder. She had shiny red scales and translucent golden wings. Crossing her small scaly legs, she sat on Ezra''s shoulder.


    The red sprite''s name is Silth, and she has a high rank among the spirits.


    "No good. The army has surrounded the city pretty well. We can only go in by force if we want to enter."


    As soon as the elders and other members of the Montgomeray Family heard her, they could not help but turn pale.


    Their reaction was understandable. Ever since the establishment of the family, they had never gone to a real life-or-death battle. Although some of them experienced hunting, which at times could be dangerous depending on the beasts, they were after; once they realized they could not win the beast, they would immediately opt to hire mercenaries or even buy the items they needed.


    Ezra sensed the apprehension among his people, and to be honest, he also felt the same way. But he had already made up his mind. Even if Kyran did not ce a mark on them, he was willing to risk his life. The Montgomeray Family''s military strength had improved greatly in such a short time, and it was all thanks to Kyran''s rtionship with the Spirits.


    Without him, they would still be the hopeless new member of the Three Noble Families.


    While it seemed unreasonable to risk their lives when they had only started improving their strength, Ezra knew that even if they did not go to battle now, it would only be a matter of time before being pulled into it. It did not matter whether they went to battle now orter. The empire would soon end up in chaos.


    "If that''s the case, then we will break through by force," Ezra dered after a short moment of silence.


    All of the Montgomeray family members took a sharp intake of breath. However, none of them protested. It was even a wonder that none of them felt any hard feelings about being thrown into battle. Though they were scared, their resolve to help the new Void Master was as strong as Ezra''s. Their attitude might have stemmed from growing up as ves to the previous Dinaeri Family, but those only apply to the older generation. The younger talents'' resolve stemmed from their fear and awe of being subordinates of the new Void Masters.


    After hearing Ezra''s words, Silth stood up and nodded, "Alright. We found a weak point in the army''s barricade at the south gates."


    Ezra nodded. He looked at all the members of the Montgomeray Family behind him and said, "We will force our way in from the south. Squad one to three of all Fire mages and Spirits target the supplies and camps. The rest will join me and help sir Zephyr."


    "Yes, Patriarch!" They all answered in unison.


    "Let''s go!"


    *


    Inside Noser.


    Ten minutes had passed since Zephyr had changed into his real form.


    Gael, and the rest of the Grand Masters and High Masters with him were shocked after seeing a human turned into a huge legendary beast.<sub> </sub>


    They recognized Zephyr''s form at once, even though they had not seen one in the empire. Nevertheless, they did not expect to find such an enormous Quilin.


    Only Gael felt mixed emotions after discovering the imposter''s real form. He knew about the incident in Shaiha Ruins, and the odds of having two Quilins appearing in the west were unlikely. For this reason, Gael was convinced that the imposter was the same Quilin from the ruins.


    But didn''t the man in a ck panther mask take the Quilin away? Then why was it with Kyran?


    A scary idea crossed Gael''s mind as he considered the possibility that Kyran was in cahoot with that powerful man in a ck panther mask.


    He was not far from the truth. However, it was fundamentally incorrect since Kyran and the man in a ck panther mask are one and the same.


    In any case, all the mages were initially wary of the Quilin. If it could change into a human form, its level would be high. Even though Gael, a Magus, was with them, it did not ensure their advantage.


    Their reaction was normal. After all, they did not know anything about the Shaiha Ruins. But not Gael, since he knew that the Quilin in the ruins was more or less at a Grand Master level.


    Nevertheless, Gael did not say anything because there was no telling if the Quilin had advanced a level or two after being saved by the man in the ck panther mask.


    In the end, after a few minutes of probing, they determined that the Quilin''s range and offensive power were devastating. As such, they immediately adjusted their formation and aligned their attacks.


    A few High Masters focused on attacking Zephyr with magic that had status effects. In particr, some summoned Ice magic to slow him down. None of the mages possessed innate Ice magic. But with their number, the effects piled up and started to affect Zephyr.


    With the slow status ailment affecting his movement, Zephyr could not attack them directly. He was not bothered, though, because he did not specialize in meleebat. Using his orbs, he managed to get rid of several High Masters at once.


    Unfortunately, he could not easily kill the Grand Masters. Besides having more powerful magic barriers, they were more experienced in battle and could easily dodge his orbs.


    Zephyr wanted to use his pressure wave but did not find any opportunity. He also did not want to use it because once he did, he would be immobile for a few seconds, giving the army a chance tounch more powerful attacks. Apart from this, the Magus had not made a move. If he used the pressure wave, which would definitely not have much effect on the Magus, he would only give thetter a chance to unleash a powerful attack.


    Nevertheless, Zephyr wondered why the Magus had not summoned his domain. If he did, Zephyr would be at a disadvantage right from the start.


    The reason why Gael had not summoned his domain was simple. He had already used his domain twice, when he saved Deception from Kyran and when he escaped from the full influence of Deception''s illusion.


    A Magus''s domain was not omnipotent as some would think. There were limitations to how many times one could use their domain. Sometimes, a Magus would also be restricted in using their domains depending on location.


    For example, Gael''s domain would be more powerful during the night, given the nature of his magic. However, in the morning, his domain would be limited. Apart from this, he could only summon his domain in thend. If there was a body of water nearby, his domain was useless. As a matter of fact, he also hated fighting mages with innate Water magic.


    Because of this, Gael did not want anything to do with the Temr Code''s Commander, Tritus. One could say that thetter was Gael''s bane.


    Fortunately, although the Temr Code was not his enemy, or, to be more urate, Tritus was not their enemy.


    "Grand Marshal!" A low-ranked officer approached Gael.


    Gale was standing at a three-story building and watching the other Grand Masters and High Masters battling the Quilin.


    "What is it?"


    "All squads are in position, we are ready to activate the formation at any time."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Gael''s lips.


    "Good. Let''s make this quick."

 Chapter 522 Blitz: Crescendo (1)

    A badgeless officer hastily arrived in front of the makeshift tent where Lira andpany were currently at.


    "U-Update from the battlefield!" The officer announced, and without waiting for an answer inside, he entered the tent and knelt on one knee.


    Fiona, Lira, Musa, and Tate turned their attention to the officer. Before they could say anything, the officer had already delivered his update, "We failed to infiltrate the left wing. The intruder killed l-Lieutenant General B-Bo and L-Lieutenant General Esme¡ª!"


    Musa and Tate''s expressions turned grim while Fiona and Lira looked at the officer incredulously.


    When Bo and Esme left, they confirmed the intruder had already entered the core of the enemy''s formation. Knowing how formidable the intruder was, they decided it was high time to attack Mannick''s people and reduce their number.


    If they attacked the left wing, they calcted that Mannick would need at least an hour to gather reinforcements to recover the left wing. The intruder would also need time to join the fray. Besides, the whole formation was besieged on all sides, and the right wing was also close to falling. In any case, Bo and Esme would have gone deep into the enemy formation before Mannick could dispatch reinforcements.


    The main objective of Bo and Esme was to enter the formation''s core and eliminate Mannick. To do that, they nned on forcing Mannick''s focus their forces on the left and right wings. Then after reducing the left wing''s line of defense, they would spread their forces and assist their people in breaking through the rest of the enemy formation. Bo, Esme, and the scout members of their team would proceed in the core formation. Then, the scouts would covertly nt anti-cast stones around the left wing while Bo and Esme acted as bait. They would draw Mannick away from the core formation and use anti-cast stones to keep him from using any magic. As for the intruder, they were confident that Mannick would have him help defend the other sides.


    s, they underestimated the intruder''s movement speed, not to mention his strength.


    Bo and Esme, together with an army battalion, had only left less than an hour ago, and now, all of them were dead.


    "I-Is that person a Magus?" Musa could not help but voice his disbelief.


    "No."


    Everyone inside the makeshift tent suddenly froze in fear. Their eyes widened, and blood seemed to drain out of their body because they did not recognize the voice that had answered Musa''s query.


    Though they were consumed by fear, Musa and Tate were veterans. No matter the situation, they would not fall without a fight. The two immediately drew their weapons. The former unsheathed the sword tied on the side of his waist while thetter took out a halberd from his space storage ring.


    Lira and Fiona were not idle either. Lira unsheathed her sword, and Fiona took out a teleportation token.


    The badgeless officer also made his way out of the tent. He was not escaping. On the contrary, he nned to alert the others.


    Lira, Musa, and Tate roused their magic and faced the ''intruder.'' However, they had yet to fully turn their bodies when an invisible force passed through them instantly.


    Fiona, a regr human, also sensed it and her heart skipped a beat.


    The badgeless officer also sensed the invisible force and fell to his knees in fright.


    As soon as the invisible force passed through their bodies, Lira, Musa, and Tate, even the badgeless officer, felt their magic energy stop circting in their bodies. Even the teleportation token in Fiona''s hand seemed to have lost its power.


    ? But most importantly, the five of them could not move their bodies.


    Fiona, Lira, Musa, and Tate looked at the person that suddenly appeared in the tent.


    It was a young man wearing all ck, with a shoulder guard and left bracer. Half of his face was covered, but from the top half they could see, they found the person''s familiar, yet unfamiliar. On his forearms, several purple rings circled and emitted a very ominous glow.


    The person''s reddish-purple eyes swept through the room before tilting his head to one side.


    "This is disappointing."


    Before they could react, the young man raised his left hand and pointed at Musa, Tate, and the badgeless officer. In an instant, the three disintegrated, making Fiona and Lira break out in cold sweats. Their knees had already turned to jelly, but they could only look at the young man helplessly since they could not move.


    Lira, in particr, already guessed the man''s identity. Who else in the empire, or even the whole world, could appear out of thin air? Who else could ''kill'' without living any trace? Not even a bit of their body behind?<sub> </sub>


    "Kyran Regis."


    Fiona trembled as soon as Lira spoke that name. She, too, already guessed the young man''s identity. Not because of what he had done so far but because she was the one who sent the bounty request to the Mercenary Hall and saw his photo. Although there were slight differences, given how he looked skinny and younger in that photo, she would not mistake the shape of his eyes or nose.


    "Lira, right?" Kyran said while looking at Lira.


    Lira did not reply. No. To be urate, she could not answer. She was too frightened to speak.


    It was a surprise and a big humiliation. Lira was a Royal Knight. Not just any knight, but the Crown Princess''s knight. She was trained to be one since she was four years old. Though she had few life-and-death experiences, she was not afraid to face adversity. She was willing to offer her life to protect the Crown Princess.


    But now, all she could do was look at the young man before her in despair.


    Fiona felt the same way. As a regr human, who was at odds against mages, she trained hard in covert arts. She was one of the best. That was how her family chose her to be the one to make contact with the Crown Princess. Nevertheless, she would not dare say she was fearless. As a matter of fact, she was always afraid. But after going through many near-death experiences, especially when she went on missions to gather information, she learned to discard emotions like fears. Such feelings would only jeopardize her mission.


    Yet now, the emotion she thought she had discarded came crashing down on her. And as the young man''s attention turned to her, she felt a cold, sharp knife pierce her heart.


    Kyran furrowed his brows slightly as he said, "I don''t know you."


    When Fiona saw him move his hand, the fear in her heart seemed to fuel her courage as she eximed, "Kill me, and you will wake our family''s ancestor."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He did not speak, but Fiona seemed to understand his unspoken question just from looking at his gaze.


    "I-I am from the Boyd Family, a branch family of the Winfrey Family. And I have our ancestor''s protection. I-If you kill me, h-he will sense it, and he will wake up."


    Lira looked at Fiona from the corner of her eyes. She was shocked to learn about her possessing the Boyd ancestor''s protection.


    There was an old legend in the Royal Family. In that legend, it was said that a loyal branch family of the Winfrey had sworn to protect the Royal Family for eternity. Because of the absurdity of the legend, no one took it seriously. Since it was a legend, no one paid much attention to it.


    But the Royal Knights were different. Their records stated that a powerful mage from the Boyd Family had entered a statis. The reason was simple, that powerful mage wanted to live and see the day a Winfrey ruled the empire again.


    A mage''s lifespan was limited. Even if one advanced to a Magus, he would only gain an additional hundred years of life, at most. But when he entered a statis, that powerful mage was already three hundred years old. This information showed that he was at the pinnacle of a Magus.


    In any case, because that mage entered a statis mode, the record said, he would only wake when the Royal Family was threatened. urately speaking, if a Royal Family member with the Winfrey bloodline got threatened, he would wake up. The only one who could wake him was another member of the Boyd Family who possessed the protection seal.


    "Ancestor will wake, huh? The slumbering Legendary."


    Fiona''s eyes widened, "Y-You knew...?"


    Lira was also shocked.


    What did he mean by a Legendary? Was that a level higher than a Magus? More importantly, was there such a thing? Howe they did not know it? Yet, Kyran knew? Even Fiona knew.


    This...


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he took a step toward Fiona and said, "What makes you think I care?"


    "Wha¡ª?"


    Before Fiona could finish what she was saying, her arms disintegrated.

 Chapter 523 Blitz: Crescendo (2)

    Fiona''s eyes widened as her heart palpitated. Actually, her whole body had already gone numb from fear.


    "N-No! Please wait! I-I know things! Aside from being part of the Boyd Family, I''m also Grand Marshal Gael''s secretary. I know things most people don''t know. Secrets... Hidden plots... S-Spare me and I will tell you everything I know!"


    Lira gritted her teeth and red at Fiona from the corner of her eyes. She never expected thetter to be such a shameless b*tch. To think that she had looked at her in a different light when she helped pacify the situation with Bo and the others earlier. But in the face of death, she did not even bat an eye and decided to betray her family and the army.


    Fiona''s arms stopped disintegrating. Beads of sweat trickled down her face as she gritted her teeth to endure the pain. Her arms were not bleeding, but it did not lessen the pain from when Kyran took them. Inwardly, she was also cursing. She hated Kyran from the bottom of her heart. But given the current situation, she could only endure, swallow her pride, and do whatever it takes to survive.


    Kyran looked at Fiona. An amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Her change in tactics only confirmed his suspicion. Frankly, he already knew she had lied about being protected. Because when he activated his domain, he did not sense any seal or even magic energy on her body. True she was a regr human, but if a powerful mage ced a protection seal on her, that mage''s magic signature should have been imprinted on her. But there was nothing like that on her. For this reason, Kyran had no qualms about killing her.


    In any case, since Fiona offered to share what she knew, Kyran would y along. It would not hurt to know more about his enemies.


    After a short pause, Kyran said, "Tell me what you know. If I find them useful, I''ll consider sparing your life."


    Fiona cursed inwardly. Truth be told, she was only bluffing. She had no n of telling him anything. She only wanted to buy some time while probing Kyran''s situation.


    Kyran''s sudden appearance here, when they all believed he was in Noser, was definitely a plot. Fiona wanted to know why and how he ended up here.


    It was not hard to guess that Kyran''s original destination was the Regis Estate. Fiona also guessed that the reason Vera and the others failed to send any updates was because they had met him, and he killed them. If Fiona put herself in Kyran''s shoes, he would have interrogated them first before killing them. He might have discovered there was an army marching toward the estate, and so he came here to scout on them.


    That was right. Kyran''s purpose ining should have been to scout the enemy not join the fray.


    Obviously, the intruder that killed their people was Kyran. Fiona already guessed that much. But even if Kyran decided to join the fray so he could reduce the enemy''s number, the report they received said something else.


    ording to the report, Kyran only killed soldiers from their side and not Mannick''s.


    Why?


    Lira only made up the story of Mannick turning hostile and abducting the emperor. But Kyran''s strange action made Fiona think that they knew each other. Or could it be that Kyran knew the emperor?


    Impossible.


    Fiona wanted to know the answers to her questions, thus, she could not afford to die. Because the answers to these questions would definitely help her family and the Crown Princesse up with a more convincing story to get the rest of the neutral families to her side.


    s, Fiona underestimated Kyran. Apparently, the information about thetter being an innocent sheltered young master of the Regis n was not true. Yes, he was good inbat but ording to their information, he was a pacifist. There had been an incident where he injured a few seniors in military school, but ording to the investigation, he only fought in self-defence. Although there was a recent report that Vera submitted about Kyran ruthlessly killing her subordinates when he was on the run, ording to the coroner, those soldiers died from blood loss.


    Fiona shook her head inwardly. She should not treat Kyran as a pacifist. Didn''t he kill Musa and Tate without even batting an eye?


    Suddenly, Fiona''s eyes lit as an idea crossed her mind. That was right. Although Kyran had no qualms about killing people, he was still a Regis. As a Regis, he had a bottom line. If Fiona could make the most of that fact, then she could find a way to reverse the situation.


    Fiona looked at Kyran and wore her most innocent expression and said, "Ask me anything. I will tell you everything I know. Just promise me... d-don''t kill me."


    Lira glowered at Fiona. What she could not stand the most were people who had no dignity.


    Apparently, Fiona''s act was quite convincing that Lira genuinely thought she had turned traitor.


    Unfortunately, even if Lira was convinced, Kyran was not. The mirth in his eyes disappeared at once. He knew Fiona was only trying to buy time.


    For what reason? He did not know, and truthfully, he did not care.


    "First, you tell me I can''t kill you because you are being protected. Since I didn''t care, you wanted to use what you know as leverage to survive. When I told you to tell me what you know, you then throw the question back at me."


    "I-I''m not," Fiona said in fright. However, deep inside she was cursing inwardly.


    "I just thought that it is better to ask you what you want to know than go around in circles."<sub> </sub>


    "Aren''t we going around in circles now?" Kyran said with a smile that did not meet his eyes.


    Fiona tried to shake her head. But since she could not move, she looked at Kyran pleadingly while saying, "I-I''m sorry. I-I will tell you what I know then. But at least, ask me where to start."


    She paused as if contemting something before adding, "As I said, I''m Grand Marshal Gael''s secretary, I know a lot of things. I''m also considered an informant. I know things about the noble families within the Royal Family."


    Kyran sighed. The only reason he stopped midway through killing Fiona was because he thought she possessed crucial information. s, he thought too much.


    Did she really think she could negotiate with him with that kind of information?


    Kyran did not care about the internal conflict between the noble families. If he ever needed the information though, he could just ask Mannick, or better yet, he could ask Euan directly. Besides, with the current situation, Kyran already had an idea of what the noble families were after.


    He even believed that his understanding of the whole situation was better than anyone.


    With this in mind, Kyran no longer bothered with Fiona. With emotionless eyes, he turned his attention back to Lira.


    Fiona''s eyes widened as she felt her whole body start to disintegrate.


    "No¡ª! Wait! I really have crucial information you¡ª!"


    In a blink of an eye, her body disappeared, just like the other three.


    Lira shivered as she watched Fiona disintegrate before her eyes. She felt her scalp go numb as she recalled how Musa and the others disintegrated earlier.


    Kyran pointed at them but he did not do so with Fiona. Meaning, he could kill without lifting a finger. It was simply impossible!


    How did he do it? Did the invisible force that passed through their bodies have something to do with it?


    Lira did not know the origin of that invisible force because there was no magic fluctuation in the air. As a matter of fact, the magic energies in the surrounding vanished after that force appeared.


    With too little data, Lira could not draw any conclusions. But even if she knew, what''s the use? She would not be able to counter it anyway.


    "It doesn''t matter even if you kill us. You will not prevail. Her Highness will defeat you, and this time around, she will seed in removing you for good," Lira told Kyran.


    Kyran did not respond. He only looked at Lira in amusement. The way she spoke those words felt like he was a great demon king and the Crown Princess was the hero who would put an end to his evildoings.


    "Why did you go after the emperor?"


    Lira frowned at him. She did not expect him to ask her a question, especially about her reason for attacking the emperor.


    "His actions are against her Highness''s will."


    "He is the emperor."


    "And he is working with someone like you!"


    Kyran raised his brows but did not say anything.


    "Anyway, her Highness has a way to deal with all of you," Lira went on. "After that, she will definitely be a better ruler of the Ylfaen Empire."


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn. It seemed, Haylee was a righteous princess in their eyes.

 Chapter 524 Blitz: Crescendo (3)

    Kyran had a reason for not killing Lira at once.


    If Haylee hadplete control over Lira, Kyran would not hesitate to kill her. But when his domain passed through her body, he discovered she was not marked. Meaning Lira was purely acting on her own judgment and ord and was not influenced by Haylee''s mark.


    It then led to Kyran questioning Lira why she went after the emperor.


    Due to Cyneah''s vision, Kyran and True Void knew Haylee did not order Lira to attack the emperor. Haylee did give Lira permission to act however she saw fit if the emperor did something, but that did not mean the former did not have any influence over thetter''s decisions.


    Decisions made by a marked person would be greatly influenced by the person who marked him or her.


    But since Lira was not marked by Haylee, Kyran was curious why Lira would still prioritize the Crown Princess''s will rather than the Emperor.


    As a personal Royal Knight, Lira had a huge responsibility. It was not only to protect the Crown Princess but also guide her so she would not go astray. Every personal Royal Knight had this responsibility. They also made a binding oath, simr to the Soul-binding Oath, to ensure they uphold their duty.


    In the past, because of this responsibility, many Royal Knight tried to ''right'' the wrongdoings of the emperor. It was for this reason that thete emperor removed this practice. But Emperor Euan restored it because he believed a rightful ruler, needed a just confidant.


    If Lira still insisted on following the Crown Princess''s will, it meant she was convinced that thetter''s actions were right. But why?


    Kyran had an inkling Lira knew more about Haylee''s real ns, which was why she judged that thetter had done nothing wrong. If that was true, he could not kill her. Not until she told him everything she knew.


    On the other hand, True Void had no idea what Kyran was thinking. It was reasonable because his way of thinking was still different from humans. He failed to see the connection Kyran had picked from Cyneah''s vision to Lira''s actions.


    To True Void, Cyneah establishing a connection with Haylee was purely idental. Kyran''s Void energy affecting Cyneah''s physical body was nothing but a series of unfortunate event. It started when Kyran made a reckless move, before getting trapped in an illusion. True Void did not know how Cyneah entered Kyran''s illusion world, but when she ''left,'' she should have returned to her body without a problem. However, because of Kyran''s Void energy infecting her body, her soul failed to return, and instead, tried to find the closestpatible ''vessel'' he could find; Haylee''s body.


    In any case, the only impression True Void got from Cyneah''s vision was the discovery of the Macabre cier.


    Because of this, True Void could not help but frown inwardly and voiced his doubt to Kyran.


    [Void Halfling, why are you even talking to this woman?]


    Kyran did not reply. He did not mean to ignore True Void, but he could not exin his thoughts at the present time.


    "A better ruler, huh," Kyran muttered with a bitter smile.


    Before Lira could affirm her im, Kyran raised his left hand and pointed at her forehead. Her eyes widened in fear. However, it was only for a second. In a split second, she bit her lip and blood oozed down her lips.


    [Void Halfling, she''s trying to activate a pre-made spell!]


    True Void warned Kyran at once the moment he saw her.


    Kyran''s domain only prevent others from rousing the magic energy in their bodies and in the surroundings. In turn, it prevented them from using their magic. He could also restrain their movements. It could be said that his domain was an upgraded version of the magic energy istion rune, because it could target several people.


    Nevertheless, his domain could not prevent others from casting pre-made spells because their activation might not necessarily be through one''s magic energy. Just like the one Lira had. The spell on her could be activated through her blood.


    The blood on Lira''s lips seemed to have a life of its own as it oozed up to her forehead. An ancient rune appeared on her forehead that Kyran recognized as the rune for ''Unseal.''


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. A small dark purple orb appeared right before Lira''s forehead, which then turned into a Void rune, ''Seal.''


    The moment the Seal rune collided with the Unseal rune, it crackled as a dark red energy seeped out from thetter. However, the energy dissipated at once due to Kyran''s domain.


    "Ngh!" Lira greeted her teeth and tried once again.


    This time, Kyran was faster, he flicked his finger that was pointing at her and in an instant, a Void rune passed through her forehead.


    "You won''t get away with this¡ª!"


    Since Lira could not read Void runes, and did not know what effect that rune had. Nevertheless, she was helpless, and in her indignation, she could only curse at Kyran as the rune entered her forehead.


    In a blink of an eye, Lira fell unconscious to the ground.


    ? With no other people around, True Void disengaged from the his shoulder guard and bracer form and turned into a miniature armor. He flew in front of Kyran and berated, "What are you doing, Void Halfling? Sleep? Why did you only put her to sleep? Don''t tell me you have a soft spot for her because she can be someone the mistress knew being the Crown Princess''s Royal Knight!"<sub> </sub>


    That was right. The Void rune Kyran used was Sleep. He did not dare destroy the rune on Lira''s forehead in case he ended up destroying a part of her brain. She could experience memory loss if that happened.


    Kyran ignored True Void''s rant as he walked over to her.


    "AAAAHHH! Even after being with you for years, I still find it hard to understand your thinking sometimes!"


    After confirming that Lira was deep asleep, Kyran summoned the chains of Erc¨¦ and bound her before warping her toward Mannick''s end. When he was done, he finally turned to True Void who was ring daggers at him.


    "Don''t talk nonsense," Kyran told True Void. "If Neah knew her, she should have said something when she saw her in the vision."


    "Aha! So you admit that you would have spared her if the mistress knew her!"


    "No," Kyran gave True Void an exasperated look. "I just think she knows what Haylee is really up to. Since there are those who loves to keep things from me, I decided to find the answers myself."


    What Kyran''sst sentence shut True Void up. It was clear Kyran was directing those words at him.


    "It''s not that we are keeping things from you Void Halfling. But the time is just not right. Besides, there are things that confuses me, too. There is no point in telling you those things," True Void told him earnestly.


    Kyran only looked at him in silence for a few seconds, before turning toward the tent''s exit.


    "I know. I won''t force you... actually, I can''t be bothered to talk about it at this time. We still have things to do," he said as he paused at the exit to look at True Void.


    True Void sighed, "Right. So what are you going to do with the soldiers outside?"


    Kyran smiled, "What do you think Ick right now?"


    True Void''s brow twitched. He knew that smile all too well. It was a smile Kyran would wear when he was about to exploit something, or someone.


    "Didn''t you tell Mannick you could barely keep the seal on all the Montgomeray Family?"


    Kyran shrugged, "That''s because one of my magic cores could only hold that much."


    ck lines appeared on True Void''s head. He took note that Kyran did not mention about using the Void core or the Draconic core when he created the seals on the Montgomeray Family.


    "So you still have plenty to spare given the number of magic cores you have."


    "You just replenished your magic energy, right."


    More ck lines appeared on True Void''s head, "What? You want to use me as medium in sealing these guys?"


    "You''re magic core is definitely bigger than mine."


    "YOU HAVE THE SHAIHA FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"


    Kyran ignored True Void''s rant and left the tent.


    "AAAAAAHHH! You and your unreasonable requests¡ª Gah! Wait for me, Void Halfling!" True Void turned into a dark purple light as he flew out the tent and wrapped around Kyran, turning into a shoulder guard and a bracer.


    *


    Back in Noser, Gael had the Grand Masters and High Masters fighting the Quilin to lure it at a specific spot. After which, he gave the order to activate all the magic array formation to restrain its movement.


    The moment Zephyr felt the activation of the magic arrays, he willed his orbs to destroy them. However, with the constant bombardment of the other mages, he ultimately failed to destroy them.


    Ezra and the Montgomeray Family had just entered the periphery of the barricade the army had build when they saw a blinding green light erupting from inside the city. It was then followed by a heartwrenching roar of a beast, as if it was in so much pain.


    Ezra and the others could not help but gasp in fright because when the beast had roared, the seal on their bodies burned. As if it was resonating with the beast''s agony.


    Without further ado, he led his people and charged toward the barricade.

 Chapter 525 Blitz: Crescendo (4)

    The moment Cade finishedprehending the ancient runes on the metal door, a huge golden array lit several meters above his head. However, he did not get the chance to study the array because his attention was drawn to the stone figures of legendary beasts surrounding the steep slope he was sitting on. Their sizes wereparable to a small mountain.


    RAWRGH!


    Cade''s eyes widened and he cursed inwardly after realizing that those beasts were not stone figures but actual beasts, which seemed to have been frozen. Apparently, afterprehending the metal door''s ancient runes, these beasts had been triggered by something, presumably the array above, and brought them back to life!


    As the legendary beasts roared at the same time, one of them, which looked like a hybrid between a sea serpent and a turtle moved. Cracks appeared on its body as it shed the stone that covered its outer skin. It straightened its back and pulled back its head and roared indignantly at Cade.


    RAWRGH!


    The serpent with a turtle shell spat out a concentrated Water magic energy beam at Cade.


    Cade was not idle. The moment the stone beasts roared, he took out four silver discs from his space storage and threw three on the ground, and thest one above his head. These discs served as the four points that formed a translucent silver pyramid. The surface of the pyramid was full of glowing ancient runes and they emitted a powerful golden-silver glow.


    The serpent-turtle beast''s concentrated magic attack collided with the pyramid. Its force shook the pyramid, but it was not enough to break it. The barrier parted the beam, which passed through and destroyed the sides of the steep slope Cade was on.


    Cade''s brow furrowed as he knelt on one knee and started to stand. The silver pyramid protecting him expanded as he moved. His gray eyes had already turned silver and he roused the Regis Blessing in his blood and amplify the defensive array protecting him.


    Before the serpent-turtle beast''s attack eased, another strange-looking beast shed the stone covering its body.


    The beast looked like a hybrid between an ape and an elephant. Its body looked like an ape, but its head was an elephant with tworge golden tusks.


    RAWRGH!


    The elephant-ape beast stood on its legs as it raised its gigantic fist. Its fists illuminated a blinding white glow before mming toward Cade.


    BOOM!


    Cade gritted his teeth as he withstood the force of the elephant ape''s fists. Cracks formed on the surface of the pyramid, however, the ancient runes circted frantically, fixing the cracks. Nevertheless, Cade sensed the silver discs were close to getting destroyed. He immediately roused the Obsidian magic energy in the surroundings to reinforce the silver discs, because without it, even if the ancient runes could fix the cracks in the barrier, it would be destroyed.


    However, Cade soon realized that he could not rouse any magic energy even with the help of the Regis Blessing.


    ''This...!''


    Cade was not given the time to ponder this problem, because the third beast had broken from its stone covering.


    The beast this time looked like a hybrid between a goat and an eagle. Its body was clearly an eagle, but its head was a horned goat.


    Strangely, this beast did not roar but let out a bleat. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Cade would have found it odd. Unfortunately, the moment the goat-eagle beast bleated, a sonar-like attack swept through the whole surrounding, rendering several thick ugly cracks on the steep slope and on Cade''s barrier.


    Cade took out another set of silver discs. If he could not reinforce them, he could only deploy more barriers to withstand the bombardment of the beasts, until he coulde up with a way to deal with them. Because the attacks from these beasts were just the beginning. Behind them, there were still several stone figures that had yet to break out from their stone covers.


    In any case, Cade was aware this was part of the Inheritance''s trial and that the ancient runes on the metal doors hold the key to oveing this phase. He would just have to figure out how while enduring the bombardment of these beasts.


    *


    Several long ck spikes struck Zephyr''s body. These ck spikes were formed from Gael''s Shadow magic.


    Deep red blood trickled down the ck spikes from where it pierced through Zephyr''s body. However, his blood did not spill on the ground but was absorbed by the spikes.


    Gael, hovering a few hundred meters away from Zephyr smiled as he saw this. His eyes glowed red as he summoned a thirty-meter-wide shadow on the ground. The shadow stirred and made plopping sounds as a dark figure slowly emerged from within. Surprisingly, the shadow resembled Zephyr, albeit, its color was pure ck.


    When the others saw this, they all rejoiced. They were convinced that with Gael''s move, they now had the upper hand.


    BOOM!


    Towering mes suddenly erupted from outside the city, shocking all of them.


    Gael looked in the direction of the mes and his expression turned grim in an instant.


    "That direction is where the supplies are!" One of the soldiers shouted.


    Gael shot a fierce look at one of the Grand Masters near him, "Where are the other beasts?"


    "W-We haven''t seen them after engaging the Quilin."


    "Hurry up and find them!"


    "Yes, Grand Marshal!"<sub> </sub>


    HISS!


    RAWRGH!


    Before any of them could make a move, Bas, Manti, Mera and Iss appeared andunched a preemptive attack. In a matter of seconds, several High Masters and low-ranked soldiers were turned into dust or engulfed with mes.


    "AAAHHH!"


    Miserable cries filled the air, while the others who had evaded the attackunched their counter-attack. Fire and Wind magic-based attacks rained down on Manti and the others. However, they easily evaded them. They countered the army''s counter while making their way toward Zephyr to save him.


    Gael furrowed his brows and released the Shadow Quilin he had just created.


    RAWRGH!


    The Shadow Quilin charged toward Manti and the others while summoning several orbs.


    Manti roared in anger, sensing that the Quilin had Zephyr''s aura yet did not appear to be one of them. After all, they did not sense their master''s branding on this one. He opened his mouth and breathed out purple and green mes, instantly submerging the whole area with poisonous mes.


    The Shadow Quilin roared as the orbsunched concentrated magic energy attacks at Manti and the others.


    HISS!


    Bas let out a shockwave attack, freezing the orbs in the air.


    Having lost their mobility, the frozen orbs fell to the ground and were burned by Manti''s mes.


    Mera and Iss, on the other hand, went after the other soldiers.


    Seeing how the four beasts easily destroyed their line, Gael felt indignant. They had the numerical advantage and yet they failed to get the upper hand. He summoned several shadow puppets and attacked the beasts while barking out orders.


    "Get a team of two to check what happened to our supplies! All odd squads who are maintaining the restraining magic arrays changed targets and aimed at the other four beasts! Squads one, three, five and seven aimed at the two basilisks! Squads nine, eleven, thirteen and fifteen, aimed at the two four-legged beasts!"


    "Yes, Grand Marshal!"


    The soldiers followed Gael''s orders at once.


    There were fifteen squads of low-ranked soldiers maintaining the restraining magic array that kept the huge Quilin in ce. Frankly, they could barely hold it down, but now that it was gravely injured, they believed it did not need all of them to restrain its movement. The squads with odd numbers changed their targets ording to Gael''s instruction.


    Zephyr, who appeared limp while being pierced by several ck spikes, snapped his eyes open as he sensed the restraining magic holding him down lifted a little.


    ''GET BACK!'' He told Manti and the others.


    The four already moved even before Zephyr asked them to. Their aim had been to direct the army''s attention away from Zephyr and hopefully, loosen the restraining magic aimed at him. That way, they could give him the chance for a counter!


    Gael suddenly felt something was amiss as he turned his attention to the Quilin. His eyes widened as he saw the Quilin''s glowing red eyes looking at him. Light converged on its horn as magic fluctuation crackled around it.


    "RETREAT!" Gael shouted.


    RAWRGH!


    FOOOM!


    A powerful pressure wave erupted from Zephyr, instantly reducing a thousand-meter radius of space around him into dust.


    The buildings around and those soldiers who failed to retreat were instantly turned to dust.


    Gael also retreated. He did not expect the Quilin to have a powerfulrge-scale attack that could instantly obliterate anything around it within a thousand meters. The Shadow Quilin he had just created actually failed to escape.


    Bas, Manti, Mera and Iss did not stop attacking. When they moved out of Zephyr''s range, they spread out and went after the squads who were still maintaining the restraining magic array formation. In one fell swoop, they killed them all and then returned to Zephyr''s side. Though thetter did not mention anything, they knew that unleashing that powerful attack would definitely leave him defenseless.


    Meanwhile, Noser''s border was also sent into chaos.


    With the stealth ability of the Spirits, the fire sprites destroyed the army''s supplies. Then Ezra led the rest tounch a pincer attack to whittle down the army''s soldiers.


    Ezra did not believe that they could win against them. Thus, after spreading the fire and reducing the soldiers'' number, he ordered his people and the spirits back before breaking through the city''s south gates and rendezvous with Zephyr.

 Chapter 526 Blitz: Respite (1)

    With no high-ranking superior to give them orders, around 72% of the army Lira had brought chose to surrender. The remaining 28% chose martyrdom, believing that death was better than betraying the empire.


    Most soldiers that belonged to thetter were part of Ingrid''s force. The rest were all under Gael. It was ironic that the resolve of those under the Grand Marshal was far weaker than those under a Deputy Marshal.


    Since most soldiers chose to surrender, Kyran did not go on a killing spree. He might be ruthless when ites to dealing with his enemies, but he did not delight in mindless killing. Thus, he chose to make good use of everyone who was smart enough to surrender.


    However, before Kyran could let True Void cast a mark on them, Euan stepped forward, pleading to let him speak with them. Euan pointed out that controlling them through fear could only get Kyran so far. Instead, Euan wanted to let them understand the situation. He wanted to believe that these people chose to enter the army with the genuine intention of protecting the empire.


    At first, Kyran refused. He did not trust Euan, nor was he at ease to let these guys roam around without putting a leash on them. What he hated the most was always being on the lookout for someone who would betray them at the drop of a hat. But when Mannick spoke up for Euan, and True Void also voiced his agreement¡ª while emphasizing that he was not agreeing because he did not want to use his magic core as a medium to mark all of them¡ª Kyran finally agreed, on one condition; Kyran would leave a mark on Euan.


    Euan agreed without hesitation.


    After Kyran marked Euan, a mark which was simr to the one he gave Olivia''s essence, thetter spoke to the soldiers. Mannick and True Void had kept a close watch on any fluctuations in the soldiers while Euan spoke to them. When thetter finished his speech and the soldiers still chose to follow the emperor, the former two could finally rx.


    Kyran also sighed in relief. He did not expect Euan would tell them the truth about him. Although they all looked at Kyran with fear in their eyes, Euan assured them that Kyran only wanted to save his family, and changed how people view him.


    When Euan said thetter, Kyran could not help frowning because he did not care how people viewed him at all. In the end, he did not say anything and made preparations to warp them to the Tower of Conve.


    Warping all of them by himself would take too much time. Thus, Kyran had True Void assist him. True Void refused at first, saying that he had to conserve what little magic energy he had left. However, when Kyran pointed out that he had not even done anything major and that his magic energy was still intact, True Void could only agree.


    Of course, before they warp Euan, Mannick and the rest of the army, Kyran already informed Malek. He also gave a brief exnation of what happened.


    At first, Kyran thought the Conve Council must be very busy, thus Malek failed to read his coded message at once. But after a few minutes, thetter replied with one sentence: What the hell have you done?


    Kyran ignored Malek''s query and decided to let Mannick exin the rest.


    Finally, after almost two hours of working non-stop, Kyran and True Void warped Euan, Mannick, and the whole army to the Tower of Conve.


    Thankfully, the Shaiha concealed, the massive magic fluctuation from thebined magic energy of Kyran and True Void. If not, they would have alerted Ruin who was only a few hundred kilometers away.


    After that, Kyran used the Void magic''s true nature by restoring the wreckage that resulted from form the battle. He also sent all the corpses into the Void, to avoid Haylee from summoning their souls back. While it was true that at Haylee''s present state, she likely could not do that yet, it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Finally, Kyran and True Void warped to Noser.


    The two appeared right above Noser, giving them a bird''s eye view of the current situation.


    What greeted them, was a scene of destruction amidst a sea of mes. All of the tall buildings in Noser had been levelled and different-sized craters could be seen everywhere. There was also a massive crater close to the east gates of the city. Although it was not deep, it was obvious from how nothing was left there, that a powerful magic attack crushed everything within that crater.


    Kyran activated his Sigil in an instant. The back of his hand burned as he connected with Zephyr and the rest. After sensing their condition, his expression turned grim. Zephyr was badly hurt. Manti and the other three were also injured and their magic energies were almost depleted, however, they were in a much better conditionpared to Zephyr.


    Kyran scanned the whole city using his magic sense. In less than a minute, he confirmed Zephyr and the others'' whereabouts. He found them outside the city''s southern gates, with Ezra and the rest of the Montgomeray Family, and the Spirits.


    A magic barrier created from Spirit''s magicw was currently protecting them.


    As for the army, Kyran did not sense them inside the city. He expanded his magic sense and looked for them. Finally, he found the army had retreated to a town at least seven hundred kilometers east of Noser.<sub> </sub>


    With a small puff, a red sprite with shiny red scales and translucent golden wings appeared and curtsied before Kyran.


    "Greetings, new Void Master. I am Slith, leader of the Fire Sprite n under the Queen''s Seelie Court. My n and a few from the Wind Sprite n hade to answer your call."


    Though it was not the first time a Spirit addressed him respectfully, Kyran still felt a little awkward. Given the situation, he could only nod in acknowledgment and put aside his awkwardness.


    "Fill me on the situation," Kyran told her.


    Because the Spirits had ced traps all over the ce, Kyran had tond on the ground and follow Slith to where the others had taken refuge.


    While walking, Slith gave a brief exnation of what had happened before and after they had rendezvous with Zephyr and the others.


    After reinforcing Zephyr, the army did not retreat immediately. Gael made full use of his Magus status and overwhelm them with shadow puppets. A devastating battle between Ezra''s people, together with the Spirits, and the army ensued.


    Although the army''smunication and supplies were cut off after the Spirits destroyed the mobile tower and their supplies, they still managed to hold their advantage for a couple of hours. Apparently, every soldier was equipped with space storage filled with potions, tokens, and weapons.


    However, the longer the battle went on, Ezra''s side finally gained the upper hand. Although they failed to reduce the army''s number, they managed to inflict fatal wounds on those who survived.


    Ezra''s side also suffered. Though none died in battle, a few of his family members were fatally wounded. This in turn made it hard for them to maintain the connection they had with their bond Spirits. These Spirits were then forced to leave the Human ne.


    The ones who really suffered a beating were Kyran''s Sigils. Slith already asked a few Water Sprite Spirits toe and assist in healing their wounded. But since they did not have any bonded humans, they were unable to provide proper healing.


    By the time Kyran and Slith entered their encampment''s barrier, she had also finished exining the situation.


    "I will take you to Ezra, Void Master," Slith said.


    "Take me to the wounded first," Kyran replied.


    Slith paused and gave Kyran a thoughtful look. She was only a few hundred years old, thus, she did not personally meet the previous Void Master. However, she knew quite a lot about what thetter could do. For this reason, she did not ask why he wanted to meet them and led the way at once.


    Ezra, actually guessed that Kyran would want to go find his Sigils first, so after hearing that thetter had arrived, he also went to the infirmary.


    Slith took Kyran to a small tent near the back of the encampment.


    Kyran looked at the tent suspiciously because no matter how he saw it, it was impossible for more than twelve people to fit inside. Based on Slith''s exnation, there were quite a number of Montgomeray who were injured. Even if Zephyr changed into a human form, since the rest of his Sigils could not adjust their sizes, it was definitely impossible for all of them to fit.


    Then again, the whole encampment was under the Spirit''s magicw. So, Kyran could more or less guess that the tent had been enchanted.


    Kyran''s suspicion was answered the moment they entered the tent.


    The interior of the tent looked like the inside of a huge hollowed tree.

 Chapter 527 Blitz: Respite (2)

    The whole ce was lit up by fireflies that danced around the ce.


    Wooden cubicles, with one or two beds inside, lined up the walls. Almost all the beds were upied by a human or a Spirit, while different types of small-sized Spirits moved about, taking care of their needs.


    At the farthest end, Kyran saw Manti and the others forming a two-line while looking at a cubicle on the highest floor. Inside, three Water Sprites with aquamarine scales and glittering fins on their ears and feet, wore solemn expressions as they aimed their healing magic at the person lying on the bed. Even without using the connection he had with his Sigils, Kyran knew they were healing Zephyr.


    The thought instantly made Kyran sigh inwardly. He felt as if Zephyr was fated to suffer every time he got involved with humans. The incident in the Shaiha Ruins, then the time they went to Hanaan, and the back at the Shaihay once again involving the Temr Code.


    Now, this.


    Kyran suddenly had the urge to help Zephyr advance his level to prevent him from suffering like this again.


    "Greetings, Void Master," a Wind Sprite, with yellow-green scales, and translucent green wings stopped in his tracks and greeted Kyran as soon as he entered.


    The Wind Sprite''s voice was not loud. However, as if all Spirits inside had ridiculously sharp ears, they stopped and turned their attention to the entrance.


    "Void Master!" They all eximed in both excitement and relief.


    When the Montgomeray Family members heard this, those who only suffered mild injuries also looked at the entrance of the infirmary and bowed their heads in respect.


    "Master."


    Some who could stand stood up before bowing their heads.


    Hiss!


    Rawrgh!


    Even Bas, Manti, Mera, and Iss turned and looked at him.


    [Aren''t you one popr guy.]


    Seeing everyone''s reaction, True Void could not help teasing Kyran.


    Kyran chose to ignore him and nod slightly to address everyone. After which, he immediately went toward Zephyr''s cubicle.


    "Void Master," the Water Sprites greeted as Kyran arrived.


    "I''ll take it from here."


    "Yes."


    All of them bowed and left to assist the others.


    "They restrained his movement and magic preventing him from escaping from a Magus''s attack. That Magus''s magic is also a little strange. It absorbed his blood and created a creature simr to him," Slith exined as she hovered at Kyran''s right.


    [That''s not good. A Quilin''s blood is very special. He possessed the legendary Unicorn''s blood and also a dragon. Anything created using his blood will not have any problem receiving its own sentient.]


    True Void voiced his concern.


    Kyran furrowed his brows as he looked at Zephyr.


    Zephyry on the bed and was breathing heavily. Reddish ck veins could be seen all over his exposed skin. Because of these veins, Kyran had trouble sharing his healing abilities with Zephyr.


    Hiss... Hiss...


    Bas hissed toward Kyran as if saying something.


    Kyran looked at him and did understand what he said. Apparently, the four of them heard what True Void had said. Thus, Bas confirmed that the Quilin created by the human Magus had been destroyed by Zephyr''s attack.


    [What did he say?]


    True Void asked when he sensed Kyran''s relief.


    "The creature was destroyed though, so there is nothing to worry about," Slith added before Kyran could answer True Void''s question.


    True Void sighed.


    [That''s good... really good.]


    "Still, we don''t know why our healing magic isn''t working on him. Void Master, can you tell?"


    Kyran was not surprised that Slith and the other Spirits failed to understand Zephyr''s condition. They were not that proficient in Human magic, after all.


    "It probably has something to do with the nature of the Magus''s magic," he replied without looking at her. "I''ll take care of him myself, as for the others..." he paused before looking at Slith and asking, "How stable is this world?"


    Slith looked at Kyran in surprise. But then she smiled and slightly shook her head, "As expected of the Void Master. Yes, this world is stable enough. We have used her Majesty''s Diadem as the medium."


    True Void was surprised to hear Slith. He did not realize that the inside of the tent was actually a small ''world'' created by the Spirits. He thought it was a spell or ability that Spirits had.<sub> </sub>


    Kyran nodded his head, "Just in case, have your people on standby. I''ll open my world for a few minutes. We have to take care of the wounded as soon as possible."


    Slith was exhrated when she heard him. She had heard from her elders about the Void Master''s ''Void World.'' One could say that it was also an artificial world like this infirmary, yet, it could also be considered genuine. Magic energy was present there, and people could grow any type of nt and raise livestock. Any living being who entered there could live there for years. The only downside was, anything naturally created and harvested there could not be taken to the real world.


    Without asking any questions, Slith nodded and gathered all free sprites to be on standby.


    When Kyran saw them, he slowly opened his Void World. However, just as a small fissure appeared in the infirmary, the whole ce shook.


    "Impossible!" Slith eximed in shock. As far as she knew, the Fae Queen''s Diadem was a very powerful magic item. It could produce its own magic energy, making it a very good medium to create artificial worlds, albeit only a small ones. To think that it would show signs of cracking when Kyran had yet to open his Void World.


    "Everyone, support the medium''s magic energy supply!" Slith ordered the sprites at once.


    All of them aimed their magic energy at a glittering item inside a golden orb embedded in the ceiling. Inside that orb was White Lily''s Diadem, a small beautiful crystal crown made purely from morning dew. The sprites'' magic energies gathered on the orb, supplementing the Diadem.


    Kyran tried to widen the passage to the Void World, however, it aggravated the Diadem again.


    "True Void," Kyran called out suddenly. He could not afford to dy further. Besides, he did not want the Spirits to be drained of their magic energies by supporting the Diadem further.


    True Void sighed, "Seriously, you. What do you take me for? I am an Ultimate Weapon, not a magic energy bank!"


    When they heard them they all felt excited. They knew about True Void being the previous Void Master''s powerful magic weapon. But from what they heard, he had been missing for millennia. Surprisingly, the new Void Master had already found him!


    All the sprites were ecstatic to finally be able to meet True Void!


    Though True Void hadined, he still disengaged himself from Kyran and turned into miniature armor before flying toward the orb to supply it with magic energy.


    The sprites who were excited to meet True Void were suddenly rendered speechless. Seeing his miniature form made them feel disillusioned. The previous Void Master''s Ultimate Weapon did not look impressive.


    But Kyran and True Void were not interested in what others thought. As a matter of fact, they did not notice their expressions. True Void was busy maintaining the infirmary''s stability while Kyran opened his Void World.


    After a few minutes, several figures rushed out from the fissure and appeared behind Kyran. Since the space in the cubicle was notrge enough, the rest of the figuresnded on the first level.


    When Kyran was sure he had taken them all out, he closed the fissure at once.


    All the sprites looked at the figures that came out from the fissure warily.


    "We more or less understand the current situation," a woman spoke beside Kyran. "Leave it to us."


    Kyran looked at her and smiled apologetically, "Thank you, godmother."


    The woman was none other than te, and the others that went out with her from the Void World were the rest of the Solum Tribe who had been living in the Void World all this time.


    Earlier, Kyran had asked te''s assistance in convincing the Solum Tribe to help him. He might have taken them away from the Myedeo ne, but when they all agreed toe with him, he promised not to take advantage of their unique abilities and Alchemy. Thus, he could not ask for their help directly. With te as the mediator, Kyran believed it would be easier to get his attention across. He only wanted their help in tending to their wounded and would never expose them.


    An old man with long gray hair and a long white beard, wearing a light brown robe with strange symbol designs, scowled at Kyran.


    "Young man," he said. "You dare go back on your word? Even using my own daughter to coax us!"


    te looked at the old man, who was the previous chieftain of the Solum Tribe, and her father, Atti. She had a strange look in her eyes as she said, "That''s not what you said earlier. You said, he need only ask and all of you will happily agree to help!"


    "Humph! I said no such thing!"


    Another woman, who had the same green eyes as te, and short wavy light violet hairughed softly as she looked at Kyran, "Ignore him. He''s just shy."


    Kyran looked at the woman and smiled. She was te''s sister, Anaya.


    "I am not!" Atti denied.


    "Alright then, our bad," Anaya said and winked at Kyran.


    te smiled but her expression turned solemn as she turned her attention to Zephyr. The rest of the Solum Tribe also looked at the other wounded people and spirits, their expressions filled with pain, as if recalling a certain situation they had once lived.


    "Everyone," a middle-aged man wearing a simr robe to Atti except there was a violet tippet with embroidered golden symbols, proof of his status as the tribe''s Chieftain. "Let us do our best in assisting, Ihra."


    Kyran looked at the middle-aged man named Murad. Ihra was the title they gave him after saving them, their nativenguage''s term for a benefactor.


    "Thank you," he said. "Tell me what you need. I''ll have it ready."


    "It''s okay," te said while sping a hand on his shoulder. "I''ll handle this one."


    Without giving Kyran a chance to refuse, all of them approached the spirits and asked for details. te and the rest of the Solum Tribe in Zephyr''s cubicle also went down to join them.


    Seeing that these people showed a certain level of respect toward Kyran, Slith and the rest of the sprites put aside their wariness and worked with them.


    As for Zephyr, te sensed Kyran wanted to handle him himself, so she did not say anything.


    Thus, for the next few hours, the Solum Tribe healed all the wounded.

 Chapter 528 Blitz: Respite (3)

    Kyran unsummoned Bas, Manti, Mera, and Iss to let them recuperate in his Void World. After which, he focused on examining Zephyr and healing him.


    It did not take long for him to discover the crux of the problem of why he could not share his healing ability with Zephyr even with the Sigil''s help. A remnant of the restraining energy had taken root in his blood streams. Normally, this would not have been possible, however, the energy merged itself with the magic that managed to infiltrate Zephyr''s body.


    Using simple words to exin it, a different energy with a restraining effect was coursing through his body that prevented him from circting his own magic energy.


    It was a case simr to Cyneah''s but also different. Because the nature of the magic that infiltrated Zephyr had no such capability. It just happened that the restraining energy of another magic managed tobine with it, resulting in a simr effect.


    True Void, sitting on Kyran''s shoulder also realized this and could not help but let out an exasperated sigh.


    "It may have only been a coincidence, but if they discover a way tobine these two magic energies freely, it can be a problem for you and your Sigils," hemented.


    Kyran did not respond. He retracted his hand, which was ced on top of Zephyr''s forehead and stood up.


    What True Void said was true. If the enemy knew how to use thisbined magic energy, they could easily seal his connection to his Sigils, preventing him from offering them the Sigil''s advantage-- sharing his abilities and magic energy.


    "Anyhow, it''s not entirely difficult to counter. You''ll just have to provide them the protection that has the same effect as how by default you can counter any external energy from entering your body."


    Kyran frowned slightly. He was about to remind True Void how he reminded him not to infect others with his magic energy or another case like Cyneah would ur, when a thought crossed his mind.


    If Kyran did apply a simr protection he had to his Sigils, they would not really have trouble attracting magic energies, because he could provide that using the Sigil. Basically, the magic energy he could share with his Sigils through the Sigil was not Void energy but raw magic energy. Since the Sigil, which was inside their body, would act as the medium for them to gather magic energy they would no longer need to attract the magic energy in the surroundings. Even if there was ayer of protection made of Void energy covering ayer of their body, it would not affect them much.


    Of course, this was still a theory. Kyran still had to create an item that could activate the Void protectionyer on his Sigils when they were within his range. He did not have to create a permanent protection because the Sigil acting a medium to gather magic energy was only possible when he was within their range. If he was not near them, then the Void protection would be a weakness that could eventually kill them since they could not gather natural magic energies.


    "I may be able to do something like that, but not right now."


    "Of course, of course. What I said is only one possibility," True Void replied with a shrug. He paused and begrudgingly added, " If you talk to Azaloth about it, he may be able to give you a much better idea."


    "Hm," Kyran grunted in reply. "I''ll remove the two energies first."


    True Void looked at his profile and raised his brows, "You''re not going to ask me to absorb it?"


    "That Gael''s Shadow magic is a little insidious. Its best for you not to absorb it," Kyran said.


    "Hmm... I suppose so. Not that it matters. I mean, I can nullify magic energy''s nature with my own magic energy since I also possess Void energy."


    Kyran still shook his head, "Doesn''t matter. I''ll remove it myself."


    "Alright, then."


    True Void did not insist and only watched from the side as Kyran activated his Sigil. He inserted Void energy into the Sigil, guiding it toward Zephyr''s Sigil. Soon after the Void energy connected to Zephyr''s Sigil, the remnant magic energies that blocked him from fully connecting with Kyran disintegrated.


    Seeing that it was effective, Kyran controlled the amount of Void energy entering Zephyr''s body lest he also suffered a simr fate to Cyneah.


    After almost half an hour, Kyran seeded in removing more than half of the remnant magic energies. With this, Kyran could finally establish a proper connection with Zephyr, activating the former''s healing ability and sharing it with thetter.


    Kyran heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Zephyr''splexion turned to normal. The reddish ck veins seen on his exposed skin also disappeared. When the harmful remnant magic energies werepletely removed from Zephyr''s body, Kyran retracted his Void energy and stimted thetter''s healing ability through the Sigil.


    "Void Halfling," True Void suddenly called, sounding unusually solemn.


    Kyran turned his head to look at him.


    True Void kept looking at Zephyr as he continued, "You can actually help Zephyr advance. He is no ordinary Sigil...." he paused before rephrasing his words, "Actually none of your Sigils can be considered ordinary. Even your first human Sigil.


    "Unlike how normal Sigils can only advance by themselves, you can personally assist your Sigils'' advancement."


    Kyran frowned after hearing this. He had always thought True Void knew things he dared not share. But that was only in rtion with his predecessor. He was not expecting him to say something that had something to do with his ancestor, the Dragon Lord.


    Then again, Can and Zane were bestfriends. So it would not be a surprise if thetter shared some things about the Sigil with the former.<sub> </sub>


    "Tell me what you know," Kyran replied.


    True Void shook his head, "Sorry. I can''t tell you." Then he hasitly added, "Not because I ''can''t'' like I am not allowed to say anything, but because I don''t know how. What I do know is, being the new Dragon Lord, you''re Sigil is far more powerful. You have to try and understand it. Better yet, why don''t you tell your father that you also have Draconic magic? As far as I can tell, he is not really aware that you are the new Dragon Lord."


    "I never considered myself as the Dragon Lord," Kyran replied with a slight frown.


    "It doesn''t really make a difference whether you consider yourself one or not. You have the Draconic core, that is living proof that you are the new Dragon Lord."


    Kyran wanted to argue, but decided against it. There was no point int arguing because he knew he had to face having the Draconic Core eventually. But that was the key word. Eventually.


    When Kyran did not respond, True Void dropped the subject.


    "Anyway, what''s your n now? Currently, the army is only a few hundred kilometers away and might be awaiting for reinforcements. However, our side doesn''t have that. Apart from this, you already revealed the Montgomeray''s alliance with you. There is a big chance that the army will target all the residences of the Montgomeray Family."


    "There is nothing to worry, I ordered my people to hide in all our secret residences."


    Kyran and True Void turned around to face the person who had just spoken.


    Ezra smiled at Kyran and lowered his head in respect, "Void Master. I''m sorry we are unable to reduce the army''s number and could barely save sir Zephyr and the others."


    Kyran shook his head, "You and your people have done more than enough."


    "With you helping us take care of the aftermath, and taking care of our wounded, I''m afraid, we have caused you inconvenience."


    "It''s part of my responsibility when I decided to take you guys in," Kyran replied while looking at the scene around them.


    The infirmary was buzzing with activity and every now and then, te''s voice, barking orders, could be heard from an empty cubicle below. The cubicle had now turned into a makeshift Alchemy room, and te with a few Solum members assisted her in concocting potions.


    Although pills were far more effective, it took too much time to concoct some, so they had to make do with potions. Besides, one concoction of pills would only produce around ten to twelve, unlike potions where they could brewrge amounts.


    Kyran observed all the wounded, while he fell into contemtion.


    At the moment, their side was at a disadvantage. Even with the Solum Tribe helping in healing the wounded and te providing the materials needed for the potions, and such, their resources could notpare to the army.


    As for the army, even if they also suffered, they could still dispatch new soldiers.


    Nevertheless, Kyran knew that if they did not do anything now, they would only end up letting the army regroup and gather more resources.


    Ezra refrained from saying anything when he saw Kyran was deep in thought. Initially he wanted to voice his opinion, but he decided to let Kyran share his thoughts first.


    True Void was the same. Being around Kyran for some time, he was already aware of his habits of suddenly falling silent when he was deep in thought. If he said something, he might disrupt Kyran''s train of thought.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally looked at Ezra and said, "How many abled members do you have?"


    Ezra smiled. He had wanted to suggest gathering a small group that would venture into the town where the Royral Army retreated to. Then eitherunch a sneak attack or intercept their supplies route. However, he was unsure if Kyran would allow them especially when they would definitely need the Spirits help to do this.


    But it seemed like, Kyran had the same idea as him.


    "At least three squads if we only have four members each team."


    "That''s more than enough," Kyran replied. "I''ll take one squad with me. As for the other two, I need them to do something. Let''s discuss it first, and tell me what you think."


    "Of course, Void Master."


    Kyran looked up and after finding Slith, who was helping in distributing potions, he telepathically called for her as well.


    They had to take advantage of this lull if they wanted to gain advantage.

 Chapter 529 Blitz: Raid (1)

    The Royal Army set up camp outside an army-owned small building in a town called Trill, east of Noser. Tworge tents were prepared where all the wounded were being treated, while those who were only exhausted stayed in medium-sized tents scattered all around the small building.


    Due to their number, they already upied the town''s za. The townspeople had been transported to the next town to ensure there were no civilians inside.


    Gael, Imman, and the remaining seven abled Grand Masters gathered inside the small office that served as a huddle room.


    Gael looked at the grand masters inside the room and could not help but grit his teeth in anger. There were more than fifty abled Grand Masters at the start of their operation, and now it had gone down to seven. More than fifteen of them died, while the others were fatally wounded.


    Gael''s brow furrowed when he thought of the scene when they got bombarded by attacks from unseen perpetrators. He knew at once the attacks were caused by Spirits. It was only then that he recalled Kyran''s mother was a Summoner and it wouldn''t be a surprise if the Spirits would side with him because of this.


    He also saw people. They were dressed in all ck and there were wearing masks he did not recognize, thus, he did not know who they were. Nevertheless, the appearance of these people made it clear that Kyran had been busy when they thought he was only ''running.''


    It made Gael wonder whether the reason the Special Ops who were after Kyran disappeared was because of these people.


    Gael shook his head and put aside the matter about the Spirits. They first had to check the condition of the rest of the soldiers and their resources. He nced at Imman, who appeared to be wearing a solemn expression, but with eyes gloating over his failure.


    Imman looked at him and seemed to send a message: ''If you have waited for me, this wouldn''t have happened.''


    In the end, Gael ignored Imman. Even if thetter felt that he would have made a difference if he had taken action, Gael did not feel the same. Imman''s Stone magic was not that extraordinary. Even if he could mold huge Golems, any of the first four legendary beasts could easily crush it to death.


    "Let''s hear your reports, starting from our array,munication tower, personnel, andst our supplies," Gael opened the meeting without further ado.


    All the grand masters nodded.


    "Yes, Grand Marshal."


    "I''ll start then," the first one to speak was the grand master seated at the far right of the small rectangr table. "The firstyer of the defensive array around town has beenpleted and we are over 65% inpleting the secondyer. We should be safe from any sneak attacks in the meantime."


    Imman scowled at him, "You make it sound like we would be in danger if they decided to sneak up on us."


    The grand master lowered his head in apology at once, "That is not... I''m sorry, Deputy Marshal Imman."


    "Humph."


    "Next," Gael looked at the grand master, sitting beside the one who had reported first.


    Gael''s dismal attitude toward Imman did not go unnoticed by the grand masters. However, they could only turn a blind eye lest they might suffer.


    The second grand master nodded and continued as if they had not been interrupted, "One of the two mobilemunication towers we managed to salvage is beyond repair, thus we decided to integrate the other one with the town''s tower. Although we have notpleted the integration, we are already connected to the Meliora Headquarter''s main channel. Still, the signal is a bit weak and can only reach this area. As long as we are inside this building we should be able to connect to HQ without any problem."


    Gael furrowed his brows.


    "How long will it take for the integration toplete?" He asked because they could not possibly return to the building just to connect to the HQ.


    "I''m sorry, Grand Marshal. We cannot determine it yet," the grand master apologized while looking at the two grand masters sitting across from him, who happened to be the ones in-charged in reporting the personnel and supplies status respectively. "Due to our limited manpower and materials, we can only use the salvageable parts of the other tower."


    Gael also looked at the two grand masters.


    Without waiting for him to call them out, the third grand master already spoke.


    "He is right, Grand Marshal. Most of our men who knew how to fix towers had been killed during the sneak attack. Although not all soldiers who can fix it had stayed close to the towers and the supplies, the others assisted in creating the restraining arrays and were either killed or fatally wounded."


    Gael leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he sensed a terrible headacheing.


    "Proceed with the personnel," he urged the third grand master to continue.


    "From our original twenty thousand head count, we are down to sixteen thousand. 26% of this number is currently receiving medical care, 62% are resting with a few suffering light injuries, and the rest of the soldiers are fulfilling misceneous tasks, such as Array Creation, integration of the two towers, inventory of supplies, escorting the townspeople to the next town and guard duties."


    Gael opened his eyes and looked at him. Instead ofmenting on the report though, he addressed the fourth grand master, "How''re our supplies?"


    "We only salvaged 35% of all our supplies, Grand Marshal, and most of them are medical supplies, which are now being used to treat the rest."


    "What about energy-replenishing potions?"


    The fourth grand master hesitated for a second before replying, "It is one of the items that got destroyed first by the fire."


    Gael mmed his fist on the table, resulting in web-like cracks appearing on the surface where his palmnded.


    All the grand masters could not help but shrink back in their seats in fright.<sub> </sub>


    "Can''t any of you tell me something good?"


    "The ones with me are not ounted for, am I correct?" Imman asked the third grand master.


    "Yes, Deputy Marshal."


    "So that''s around 31% addition of abled soldiers."


    "That''s right."


    Imman looked at Gael and said, "With this number, we canunch a preemptive attack."


    "No," Gael responded without looking at him.


    "Why not?" Imman replied with a frown. "You may be my superior but the emperor ordered me to head this operation."


    Because Lira hid the fact she had targeted the emperor, even Gael, the two were unaware of what had happened.


    "If he did, then where is his official decree?"


    "Grand Marshal Gael¡ª!"


    "Since you don''t have one then shut up and follow my orders."


    Imman gritted his teeth. Unfortunately, he had no way of retaliating. Though it was true that the emperor ordered him to lead the soldiers, Gael possessed a written Royal Decree from the Crown Princess. It was impossible to counter it with just the emperor''s words.


    The seven grand masters fidgeted in their seats and nced at each other apprehensively. They had only heard of the tension between the Deputy Marshals and the Grand Marshal and never expected they would one day bear witness to it. Although the two had only exchanged words, the tension between the two was suffocating.


    Ignoring Imman''s re, Gael looked at the grand masters and said, "Gather the soldiers who arrived with Imman¡ª."


    "You¡ª!"


    "¡ªI will give you five minutes to brief them on what happened to Noser. After that, I will meet all of them."


    "Yes, Grand Marshal."


    Gael looked at Imman and said, "Stay here and contact Ingrid and Mannick. I need them here, too."


    "Mannick is with the Emperor. I am not sure when they wille, but the three of us are supposed toe here."


    "Are they still in Mourchton?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Then find out," Gael ordered. Without giving Imman a chance to retaliate, he stood up and said, "Dismiss. I will meet all of you in ten minutes."


    "Yes, Grand Marshal."


    The seven grand masters stood up and saluted before leaving the tent in a somewhat hasty manner. They could not bear to stay in the room with the two in fear of receiving Imman''s ire.


    Gael left soon after while Imman stayed for a bit to control his anger. Then he also left to find where Mannick and the Emperor were.


    Crackle!


    A small fissure appeared above the small rectangr table. It was then followed by three soft puffs as two Fire Sprites and one Wind Sprite appeared.


    ''Void Master, we have sessfully entered the town. We are inside a building where the Shadow old guy had just met with the other ugly humans,'' the Wind Sprite telepathically sent a message to Kyran.


    Two hundred meters outside Trill, Kyran looked up after hearing the Wind Sprite''s report.


    ''Good. Proceed as nned.''


    The three Sprites giggled and replied in unison.


    [Yes, Void Master.]

 Chapter 530 Blitz: Raid (2)

    Kyran turned to look at the eight people behind him. Five of them had Fire Sprites sitting on their shoulders.


    ''You guys know what to do,'' hemunicated to them telepathically.


    The five with Fire Sprites, nodded and took out scrolls.


    These scrolls are called, Coordinate-based Transmission scroll that Kyran recently created. The concept is simr with the Regis''s transmission scroll, but instead of using one''s memory for the target destination, a coordinate is required. Another change that Kyran did to the scroll''s creation is the use of the Regis blood. After removing this problematic requirement, as long as he have the materials, them he can make more of them.


    After creating several scrolls, Kyran asked Slith to deliver a few to Styx.


    Kyran gave Styx, Dante and a few mercenaries a task to covertly destroyed every warehouse the army had in the empire. He had Owen and Hamish with them to create transportation arrays in order to lessen the time they needed to travel through cities.


    But now that the army were aware Kyran had not only been hiding all this time, they would definitely investigate every factions who had transactions with his family in the past. Although the Montgomeray Family had been in disguise, the fact that there were Spirits with them, it would not be hard for the army to narrow down who they were.


    With this in mind, Kyran had found a way to ensure Styx and his squadplete their task as soon as possible. If they took care of the army''s resources, it would definitely be a huge blow on them and reinforcements would slow down. Thus, he created the scrolls with thest bit of resources he had left.


    The remaining few, Kyran would use in dealing another blow to the army close to them. If not for the fact that he did not want Gael to know that he had already returned, he would have went by himself and wreck havoc. Apart from this, he wanted to avoid hurting civilians. So until he was 100% sure there were no civilians around, he would not act recklessly.


    Who would have thought that by letting three Spirits stealthily enter the army''s temporary camp in Trill, and had them find Gael, he would discover the general situation of the army?


    Now that Kyran knew Gael had not heard of Lira''s action, and about the Emperor and Mannick, he started to devise a new n.


    Kyran had to buy more time for his father. He also needed to get back to the Regis Estate and reinforce its barrier before Nn and Ruin destroyed it from their battle. Because of this, Kyran could not let Gael or the whole army know about what happened between Euan and Lira. If they did and the whole army in every part of the empire mobilizes, Kyran would not be able to handle the army''s assault on different sides.


    Being unable to create more puppets or even create his own essence had always been a sore spot for Kyran. Because of it, he could only do so much. Although there were now people he could trust to handle the army''s assault, their strength was outnumbered. Even if Styx and his squad seeded in destroying the army''s warehouses, it would only dy their response time but not the army''s number.


    Unless, of course, Kyran had Styx and his squad assassinate the army leaders. Unfortunately, thetter was impossible given their mage level disadvantage. Besides, Styx''s and Dante''s magic and abilities were notpatible for assassination.


    In any case, since Gael and the army was not aware of Lira''s action, Kyran could let Euan and Mannick return. But that was still his musing. After all, Kyran did not know if the noble families supporting the Crown Princess, like the Boyd Family, had already made their move.


    For now, Kyran had to connect to the army''s channel.


    While Mannick could do it himself, due to his special status in the Human ne, he could not meddle anymore. Lira''s action was caused by his meddling, if he let Kyran connect to the army''s channel through him, who knew what kind of butterfly effect such action would result.


    Kyran looked at the five Sprites and reminded them, ''You guys only had three minutes. Don''t y around and return after you are done.''


    The sprites giggled while beaming at Kyran and replied with a yful salute, ''Yes, Void Master.''


    Their coltish response worried Kyran. Most Sprites under Slith were one of the best Fire Sprites, however, unlike her, who had lived longer and had already matured, these Sprites were still young. They were at most, only a hundred years old and their yful nature was still evident.


    ''I''ll give you guys a treat when you get back. Go,'' Kyran added, recalling Slith''s advise on how to handle them if he found them too ''happy.''


    The moment they heard him say the word ''treat,'' like a magic word, their attitude change somehow. Although they were still acting coltish, they had a determined look in their round glowing red eyes, ''Alrighty~.''


    The Montgomeray family members, who were aware of the nature of their sprites could not help but smile apologetically to Kyran.


    Without further ado, the Sprites roused their magic and sprinkled reddish-gold dust around the five members. Soon after, their bodies turned invisible. The five Sprites follow suit, and the five members used the scrolls on their hands to go to their assigned locations.<sub> </sub>


    When the five had left, Kyran looked at the remaining three as they took out the mour Potion te had concocted. Because their innate magic were Fire or Wind, their transformation spell was unstable, unlike those with Earth innate magic. Apart from this, there was a good chance that they others would detect their disguise, thus it was better for them to drink a potion to change their feature.


    ''You have half an hour at most, I''lle back for you after then.''


    Since the three did not know how to respond telepathically, they could only nod in response. After which, they took the potion and their appearance changed almost in an instant.


    After confirming the potion was in full effect, Kyran wore his mask and also changed his image. This time he used a random setting.


    ''Let''s go.''


    Without waiting for the three to reply, he warped, taking them all inside Trill.


    If Gael knew that the barrier was useless to the Spirits and Kyran, he might have already flipped in anger. s, his men did not know any form that could keep Spirits away, not to mention, they did not know how to counter warp abilities. Thetter was understandable, after all, there were close to nil information about Void magic.


    Since Kyran could not warp into a ce he had not been before, he could only warp them in an inconspicuous spot behind a storeroom he had seen when he was scouting the area a few minutes earlier.


    After that, they stealthily made their way to one of the small makeshift tent Kyran found who housed six soldiers. The soldiers inside the tent were sleeping. However, as someone who graduated in military school, Kyran knew that these soldiers were not deep asleep. They would definitely wake up if they sensed danger or even heard noise.


    Thus, before going inside, Kyran ced his palm on the ground and roused his magic. Soon, light purple dusts circted inside the tent. The dusts converged on each of the soldiers'' forehead and turned into the Void rune, Sleep.


    The rune prate their foreheads, sending all of them into deep slumber. Snores could then be heard inside, after a few seconds.


    Kyran led the three inside the tent and had them take the soldiers'' clothes. Because they could not find an intact uniform among the army''s dead in the Noser''s battlefield, they could only get ones now.


    As to why Kyran did not outright kill the six soldiers, it was because there were a few soldiers scouting the area and checking the tent every now and then. He still needed half an hour or so to do what they came here for and did not want to alert them unnecessarily.


    After the four of them had changed into the army''s uniform, they made their way to the za and into a tall building where themunication tower of the town was located.


    Based on what they heard from the meeting, they were integrating the mobile tower they salvaged from the sneak attack into the town''s tower. The task of the three Montgomeray memebrs with Kyran was to tap into the army''s channel and establish a hidden route toward Kyran''s personalmunication device.


    Although Kyran could do it himself, since he already knew the structure of the tower, which was also based on the magic detector towers in the cities, he did not want to take a risk especially when Gael''s magic influence was all over the za.


    If Kyran roused his magic, Gael would definitely sense it.


    The three Montgomeray members entered the tent and introduced themselves as additional helpers. Probably because of the workload, none of them questioned them further and let them in.


    After confirming there was no danger inside, Kyran also left.


    Initially, he was only meant to wait for them toplete their task before making a move. But since he overheard Gael and the others'' meeting, he obviously had toe and find what he was up to.


    It did not take long for Kyran to find where Gael and the abled soldiers had gathered. With fluid movements, he easily entered and fell in line.


    Soon after, Gael stood in a small podium ahead and addressed all of them.

 Chapter 531 Blitz: Raid (3)

    "You have been briefed about the situation in Noser. But let me ask you, how many of you understand the severity of it?" Gael started the moment he stood in front of the soldiers. "In our long history¡ª or let''s be more specific¡ª in your career as a soldier of the Royal Army, how many of you have experienced life-or-death situations?"


    Imman, who had been ordered to contact Ingrid and Mannick and was on his way to his tent, stopped in his tracks and went to hear Gael talk to the soldiers. He hid in a nearby tent that overlooked the podium and he looked at Gael''s profile in silence.


    The only sound that could be heard in the open field where the soldiers stood, was the chirping of the birds announcing the start of a new day. The blowing wind carried a mixture of warmness and coolness reminiscent of the sun''s warmth spreading over a town that had just been enshrouded by the coldness of the night. Nevertheless, none of the soldiers standing outside the za noticed it. Not because their uniform''s magic enhancements prevented them from feeling the cold or the warm but because their attention was focused on Gael.


    "Only those who had gone to the western and the southern battlefronts had such experience. Not even those who have been assigned to the Forbidden Magic Control Squad..." Gael paused and gave the soldiers a meaningful look before adding, "...until a few months ago."


    Imman furrowed his brows. Only a few high-ranking officers of the Royal Army along with the Royal Family knew about the appearance of the new Dark Sage. Obviously, Imman knew about the incident in the Courtney Land where a piece ofnd carrying several Noser city guards was rted to that person, but as far as the emperor was concerned, he did not want to cause panic thus he refrain from telling everyone the truth.


    They did not have any problem covering this fact because few saw what happened in the Courtenay Land and apparently the army only encountered legendary beasts in Noser. Well, that was until they suffered sneak attacks from the Spirits.


    Imman admitted that he found the Spirits'' actions suspicious. Then again, it wouldn''t be a surprise if the Spirits and their Summoners were using themotion in Noser to also deal a blow in the army after they executed the Svell Family. But the reason this was only a passing thought was the fact that the Spirits that had attacked them specializes in Fire magic, not Ice which was the Svell Summoners were known for.


    "We have been trying to keep this information under wraps to avoid a world-spread panic," Gael continued. "For a few months now, some of your brethren had already fallen victim and more will fall."


    As soon as he said this, some of the soldiers nced furtively at each other. Most took note of Gael''s use of ''world-spread'' and not ''empire.'' It appeared that the perpetrator of the Noser attack could very well affect not only the Ylfaen Empire but the other nations.


    In an instant, a few came up with their thoughts about the matter.


    Gael obviously noticed how some of the soldiers'' expressions turned grim. But he did not take his time to observe them as he went on, "I can see that most of you havee up with your own assumptions, but there is no need to ponder further because I will tell you now what the real reason is.


    "A new Dark Sage has appeared."


    Boom!


    As soon as Gael said this, the silent field erupted in agitated murmurs. Those few who hade up with their own guesses paled because the appearance of the Dark Sage never crossed their mind. At worse, they thought a fugitive from a nation in the north managed to infiltrate deep into the empire. The perpetrator might even be from the west since there was an ongoing civil and colonization war among them. The perpetrator might have wanted to drag the empire into the ongoing war.


    But to think that the attack in Noser was done by the Dark Sage... it was beyond their expectations.


    "Although we have the advantage in number, weck the intelligence, and he is using that against us. He has thrown our army into disarray by using powerful legendary beasts while also attracting the ire of the Spirits to deal a blow to our army.


    "If we don''t stop his momentum, it will only be a matter of time before the rebels got wind of this and will also make a move. When that happens, then the empire will fall into chaos.


    "Which is why, three hours from now, once the rest of the soldiers in Mourchton arrives, we will march back to Noser and eradicate the beasts he seemed to have control over. After which, we will also take care of the Spirits.


    "At the same time, we will mobilize the army and raid the Montgomeray and the Mavin Families who have ties with the Spirits.


    "But most important of all, after this, we will prepare for arge-scale war."


    Gael took a deep breath as he turned his head slightly to look over at Imman.


    Imman was surprised that Gael had noticed him. However, he steeled his heart and did not look away.


    Gael turned his attention back to the soldiers.


    "As for the target of our war... we will eradicate the Dark Sage''s family..." he paused and narrowed his eyes, "The Regis n."


    Gasps of disbelief escaped from the soldiers.


    Imman also looked at Gael in shock. When they were told to keep an eye on the Regis Estate, they were made to believe that it was to ensure they would be prepared when if in case the ''Dark Sage'' who had abducted the Regis young master returned. And the reason behind the Regis''s activation of their defensive array was because of the Royal Army''s mistake when they attacked them without knowing the whole story about the ''Dark Sage.''


    But based on Gael''s words, the Dark Sage was really part of the Regis n.


    Wait.


    Being part of the Regis n did not mean one was born as a Regis. However, Gael said that they would eradicate the Dark Sage''s ''family.'' Did he say that because the Dark Sage''s whole family had be part of the Regis n or because he was part of the Regis Family?


    "Make sure you drill that information into your heads," Gael said as he red at the soldiers. "I don''t want any half-assed soldiers on my battlefield."


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Imman, too, left and went to his tent. He wanted to talk to Ingrid and Mannick and asked whether they were aware of the real rtionship of the Dark Sage with the Regis n.


    The seven grand masters took over and gave out squad assignments. Since they lost most of their supplies, some of the squads had to go to nearby towns and gather supplies. For the supplies that could easily find in the forest, the other squads left to hunt.


    As all soldiers moved about, one lone soldier, who appeared to be petrified in his spot, caught the attention of two grand masters.


    "What are you still standing here? Report to your squad and prepare to move out," one of the grand masters berated.


    The lone soldier did not respond. He remained rooted to his spot, with his head lowered.


    One of the grand masters sneered as he thought the soldier got scared by what the Grand Marshal had said. He could not me him because most were shocked to learn about the Dark Sage''s appearance. However, as a soldier, one should be able to adjust their mindset at a drop of a hat. Because if they were unable to cope with unexpected news or even order, they would only end up a burden on the battlefield.


    "What''s your name? Who is your squad leader?" The grand master who sneered walked over to the soldier and asked a series of questions. "If you can''t even handle the pressure, leave. We don''t need a soldier who has weak resolve."


    The soldier finally moved and raised his head.


    Before the grand master could say more, he suddenly felt something was a miss. His voice failed toe out when he wanted to speak and his view tilt slightly.


    "ENEMY ATTACK!"


    The grand master behind him suddenly shouted. But somehow thetter''s voice was distant as his view continued to tilt and his vision blurred. He did not even realize that his head had been sl


    ? Thud.


    Kyran coldly look at the mage''s head as it fell to the ground. No blood gushed out of the mage''s body as it, too, fell to the ground.


    A red magic array appeared on his feet and a whirlpool of fire erupted at the center, engulfing him in an instant. However, the mes disappeared with a simple wave of the soldier''s hand.


    The nearby soldiers who witnessed the whole thing did not stay idle and also made their move.

 Chapter 532 Blitz: Saltare (1)

    Kyran was surrounded by several red, green, and yellow magic arrays in a blink of an eye. However, he did not attempt to dodge the attacks. It was not because he underestimated the offensive power of the soldiers'' attacks but because he was busy monitoring the Montgomeray members'' and sprites'' movements.


    Apparently, the Montgomeray had alreadypleted what they needed to do and Kyran wanted to give them some leeway to move around the encampment by drawing the army''s attention to himself.


    That was right.


    Kyran''s sudden action was not because he was triggered by Gael''s ''eradicate-his-n'' talk. Although he admitted, getting annoyed by thetter''s extravagant ims.


    Restraining and strengthened Fire magic attacks rained down on Kyran.


    Not waiting for these attacks to hit, the soldiers nearby brandished their weapons, an assortment of cold weapons such as short swords, staffs, mace, daggers, spears and more.


    Concentrated magic energy attacks shed out from the de or tip of their weapons and also went straight at Kyran.


    When the first volley of magic attacks was only five meters away, a translucent purple barrier appeared, instantly covering a two-meter radius of space around him.


    "Move back and stay on alert!" A grand master ordered and all the soldiers nearby jumped back.


    Based on their experience, if several magic attacks collided on a magic barrier, a huge explosion would ensue, followed by a powerful shockwave. When that happened, if they got caught up in the aftershock and engulfed by the cloud of smoke, if the enemy survived then he could use it as a smokescreen and attack them.


    The soldiers immediately deployed their magic barriers to protect themselves from the explosion and aftershock.


    However, contrary to their expectations, the explosion did not happen.


    As soon as the magic attacks collided with the magic barrier, they heard crackling and sizzling sounds. After which the magic attacks seemed to disappear.


    To be urate, all the attacks disintegrated into the air.


    This oue immediately sent the soldiers, gaping at the enemy in shock.


    Meanwhile, Kyran furrowed his brows inside the Void Barrier. His change in expression was not caused by the attacks but by his discovery of something amiss in three of the Montgomeray members, targeting the army''s remaining supplies.


    The task of the five Montgomeray members with the five sprites was to ce Kyran''s pre-made disc inside the army''s storage rooms. The reason they needed five people toplete the task was that Kyran discovered five storage rooms where the army supplies were kept. Apparently, the army wanted to avoid a repeat of the Spirits'' sessful burning of their supplies because it was kept in one location. It was not hard to aplish the task, which exined why Kyran only gave them a three-minute time limit. As for the sprites, they were only responsible to keep their human contractors ''invisible.''


    When Gael was doing his pep talk, Kyran confirmed that there were only low-ranked officers standing guard outside these storage rooms. But now, these guards were reced by High Masters. Aside from this, the sprites determined thetter few possessed innate abilities that could detect ''unseen entities.''


    The sprites could roughly sense the range of their innate ability, but because of it, they could not leave the storage room. As for the other two, they managed to leave the storage room but could only hide in one of the empty houses nearby to wait for Kyran.


    This situation gave Kyran a headache. Initially, he thought keeping six improved transmission scrolls was enough for their raid operation. Most of the scrolls were sent to Styx and his squad because they needed them more.


    s, Kyran did not expect the army to keep their supplies in five locations. It was the main reason he could only give one scroll to the five Montgomeray members. As for thest scroll, he gave it to the other three, in case of emergency.


    If they had more time scouting the encampment, they could have found a safe location to meet up and prepare an escape route. In any case, Kyran was confident that he could take them out of the encampment by utilizing his magic sense and warping ability. Unless someone in the army who, like Cade or Nn, knew an array form or even magic to counter his warp ability, Kyran would not have trouble warping to where the Montgomeray members were, and then warping out of the encampment.


    But seeing the situation the three were in, Kyran knew he had to do something or they could end up getting into bigger trouble.


    Kyran had two options. He could run amock to the point that the army had no choice but to focus all their forces on him and let the Montgomeray members and the sprites escape by themselves, or he could perform a continuous warping, taking them one after another, before warping back to their camp. However, even if Kyran chose thetter, the fastest he could aplish this would be less than fifteen seconds. And even if he could do it, there was no guarantee the Montgomeray member he would take first would not suffer any side effects for getting warped around several times.


    Kyran had improved his warping''s stability which was why few people get nauseous when he takes them with him now. Unless he did it on purpose, they would no longer feel nauseous. But warping continuously would affect the stability whether Kyran wanted to or not.


    Although the thoughts running through Kyran''s head would normally take a lot of time to process, he only needed the amount of time it took for all the attacks raining down on him to end toplete his thoughts.


    As soon as the attacks ended, Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple. Because he was wearing a mask and the color of his eyes was ck, none of the soldiers who could see through the thin cloud of smoke noticed any change in his face.


    FOOM!


    Kyran increased the Void magic energy concentration of his barrier, before expanding it.


    In a blink of an eye, the ground around him disintegrated, creating a huge pit.


    "RETREAT!" The grand masters ordered.


    But the soldiers need not be told twice. When they saw the barrier expand and passed through the grand master''s corpse the enemy killed, disintegrating it into nothingness, their scalp tingled in fright and they retreated post haste.


    Meanwhile, Gael who had returned to his tent to rest and replenish his magic reserves already run back to the open field.


    When he saw the running soldiers, he suddenly had a bad inkling. Soon he found a purple sphere growing and increasing in size and was reminded of Dior''s report about Kyran unleashing a simr sphere, which reduced the surrounding into a huge crater.


    Without wasting any time, Gael made full use of his Magus strength and unleashed a very powerful magic pressure. Although he tried to avoid the soldiers nearby to ensure they could escape from the expanding purple sphere, those with low mage levels were unable to escape the pressure and fell to their knees.


    Gael''s eyes shed red as he activated his domain. The shadow beneath his feet expanded at an rming speed, turning the ground into a sea of shadow. Those soldiers who entered the shadow''s range were pulled inside at once.


    On another side, Imman had also returned. When he saw themotion, he roused his magic at once. The ground trembled as boulders made of stone erupted forming a stone wall fifty meters away from the still-expanding purple sphere.


    Gael saw the stone wall and knew it was done by Imman. However, he did not stop the influence of his domain and magic pressure. He approached the expanding sphere while spitting out the soldiers who fell into his domain a few hundred meters away.


    "Grand Marshal! Please retreat! That sphere is strange, anything it touches would turn into nothingness!" A soldier warned Gael when he saw thetter jump on top of the rising stone wall.


    "Follow Deputy Marshal Imman''s orders," Gael told the soldier without looking, before jumping inside the stone wall.


    "Grand Marshal!"


    "Regroup and prepare for battle!" Imman ordered the soldiers as soon as he finished summoning a twenty-meter-high stone wall, barricading and disrupting the purple sphere''s expansion.


    The soldiers responded at once and regrouped with their squad. The grand masters also barked orders to get them into different formations.


    Kyran raised his head when he sensed a somewhat familiar aura closing in on the edge of his Void Barrier. He recognized it as Gael and a small smile appeared on his lips. He was d thetter was not like those cowardly leaders who would prioritize their lives and run instead of fighting the enemy head-on.


    Since Gael came knocking on his doorsteps himself, Kyran would respond in kind. Besides, after what he had done to Zephyr, Kyran would definitely not let him off the hook. Gael also posed a threat to Kyran''s connection with his Sigils, if the former learned how tobine the nature of his magic with restraining magic.


    Kyran stopped the expansion of his Void Barrier and looked in the direction where Gael was, his eyes glinted malevolently.

 Chapter 533 Blitz: Saltare (2)

    Gael only managed to replenish his magic energy to 85%. If he was only dealing with an average enemy mage, it would have been more than enough to subdue, and even kill that person. However, looking at the massive purple sphere before him, and the kind of magic it was made of, Gael knew he would be at a disadvantage if he did not use give his all. On the other hand, he still had to use his magic energy wisely. It was a headache just thinking of how he should proceed with it. Nevertheless, Gael could not drag this confrontation after witnessing Kyran''s terrifying physicalbat ability. And that was when he was unconscious, he could only imagine how terrible it would be if he was conscious.


    One should know that a person who only responded using his reflexes could only go so far because his movements had little depths in them. However, if that person moves with ''depth''¡ª or to be precise, more thought behind them, then it would be more troublesome to deal with.


    For this reason, Gael must seize the upper hand right at the start and also avoid dragging their confrontation. If it did and he ended up exhausting his magic energy, he would definitely be doomed because his normalbat ability was practically nonexistent. After all, Gael was a perfect example of a pure magic mage.


    It only took Gael a few seconds to make up his mind on how to treat this confrontation he was about to face against Kyran. With no hesitation, he roused the fullness of his magic.


    In an instant, intense magic fluctuation covered the more than a hundred-meter radius of space where he and Kyran had been ''isted'' by Imman''s stone wall.


    The sky, which had only started to wee the new day, darkened once more as if it was already night.


    All the soldiers raised their heads after feeling the surging magic energy within the stone wall. They all trembled, especially those who had yet to digest the gravity of Gael''s revtion earlier. When they recall the strange ability of the purple sphere, they also started to realize who the enemy was.


    Frankly, most of them had thought the enemy was another fugitive who wanted to take advantage of the army''s confusion andunch a sneak attack. It was quite reasonable since most of them believed, the new ''Dark Sage'' would never appear in the middle of their encampment, much more when the Grand Marshal was present.


    s, they underestimated the new Dark Sage''s courage. It was then that they fully understood the weight of what Gael said about thetter being part of the Regis n.


    A member from the Regis n would not be easily intimidated by the fact that there were more than twenty thousand soldiers in the encampment¡ª not to mention, the Grand Marshal, a Magus was there.


    Imman''s expression turned grim.


    As much as he wanted to overthrow Gael and be the new Grand Marshal, Imman knew he was stillcking as a mage. Yes, he established enough influence within the army and his achievements would notg behind the other deputy marshals. It could even be considered he was a step ahead of them.


    However, when faced with an enemy that could threaten the empire''s future, Imman admitted to not having confidence or the ability to do so. Among the three deputy marshals, the only one who had this ability¡ª which he would never be caught admitting it in that person''s presence- was Mannick.


    This fact was a sore spot for Imman, which was why he was obsessed with finding a way to break through and be a Magus.


    A few months ago, Imman already found his path. However, given his current strength, it was impossible to seed, thus, he could only put it on hold and focus on exposing himself to more life-and-death situations and gaining more experience.


    Unfortunately, the situation they were in now could not be considered a life-and-death situation. Knowing who the enemy was, Imman could only see death as a result if he ever decided to go in and confront the enemy with Gael. He might even only be a burden to thetter, which was a little frustrating.


    But instead of mulling over his own inability, determination filled Imman''s eyes and he looked at one of the grand masters. He said, "Keep watch, I need to do something."


    "Yes, deputy marshal," the grand master replied at once.


    Imman left in a hurry.


    Inside the stone wall, as soon as Gael unleashed the full force of his magic, a dense Shadow magic energy appeared on his feet. It blended with his own shadow before creeping up his body. In a blink of an eye, the shadow turned into a ck hooded coat that covered his whole body.


    Gael waved his hand and his magic weapon, a ck and silver scythe also materialized in his hand. He also equipped all the magic essories he possessed to boost his magic power output, strengthen his magical and physical defences, and most of all, reduce his magic energy consumption. After which, he summoned several Shadow puppets, wielding different types of weapons.


    Kyran, standing inside the purple sphere, looked at the puppet shadows covetously.


    Due to the Void magic''s nature, Kyran could not create summons. He could ''mold'' human-shaped Void magic energy, but because of its pure energy, it would destroy everything it made contact with. Once, Kyran tried to make it take a step only to end up for it to reduce the ground to nothing. It was very frustrating.


    Kyran also tried tobine it with Draconic magic, just like how he did with his Void Armor or the Void Scales¡ª to give it a more ''definite'' substance and shape. However, maintaining it and even making it move was physically and mentally draining. Kyran could only give up.


    In any case, summoning was not Kyran''s style. He would rather mold several weapons and control them using his magic sense and destroy his enemies in one fell swoop.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran also summoned his army of Void weapons. Using his magic sense, he easily determined the number of Shadow puppets Gael created. While expanding the Void Barrier could easily obliterate those puppets, he decided against it. With everything Gael had done to his people, especially to Zephyr, Kyran would not let him off easily.


    If True Void was there and knew what Kyran was thinking, he would have already gone ballistic.


    Gael flew in the air. His ck coat blew with the wind, giving him a sinister aura. As if he was the god of death who had descended into the Human ne.


    Eyes turning bright red, Gael finally made his first move. He raised his scythe, which immediately attracted the magic energies in the surroundings. With a swift wave of his scythe, a powerful concentrated magic energy burst out from its de and went straight at the purple sphere.


    When the de-like concentrated magic energy was only a couple of meters away, it suddenly multiplied and distorted the surroundings with the intensity of its momentum.


    Kyran immediately released his Void Barrier before these de-like magic energy attacks collided with it.


    Gael''s eyes widened as soon as the purple sphere disappeared, revealing several dark purple weapons hovering in midair.


    Almost at the same time, Kyran released the Void Barrier, he willed all the Void weapons to target Gael''s Shadow puppets. When the de-like magic energies passed through some of the Void weapons, crackling sounds came from the former as cracks appeared on them.


    Gael was not idle. After seeing the counter Kyran created against his Shadow puppets, he released his domain, instantly engulfing the surface area in a dense shadow.


    When the Void weapons rained down on the Shadow puppets, instead of riddling them with holes, thetter managed to withstand the former and stopped their momentum. The Void weapons drilled into the Shadow puppets, however, as if thetter''s exterior was made of a hard carapace, the former could only continue drilling, resulting in sparks due to the collision.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. But then there was a hint of amusement in them, which meant he was not entirely surprised by this oue or even at a disadvantage.


    The Shadow puppets were not idle. While the Void weapons tried to drill into their armor, they already unleashed attacks to destroy them. Unfortunately, all their attacks only sizzle and disintegrated, clearly showing how ineffective they were.


    Meanwhile, Gael''s de-like magic energy attack already arrived five meters in front of Kyran.


    But Kyran was not even looking at them. Though the de-like attack had already lost most of its momentum after getting sliced by the Void weapons along the way, it still had enough power to hurt anyone.


    Gael did not wait for the de-like attack to hit Kyran. He already flew toward thetter while waving his scythe.


    HISS!


    Hissing sounds reverberated in the air as the scythe''s spirit flew out from it and went straight at Kyran.

 Chapter 534 Blitz: Saltare (3)

    Kyran immediately recognized the white snakesing straight at him were no ordinary magic attack. They exuded a simr presence to True Void, meaning they were the spirit formed from Gael''s scythe after developing its sentient.


    Without a change in expression, Kyran raised his left hand toward the iing de-like attacks. A purple ring shot out from his palm, which increased in size as it neared them. Soon the center of the purple ring was alreadyrge enough for the de-like attacks to pass through.


    When Gael saw this he frowned. Obviously, he did not believe Kyran wouldunch an attack only to let them pass through. Thetter definitely released that purple ring for a reason.


    Unfortunately, Gael could not control the route of the de-like attacks. He could not retract after releasing them. Even if he could do this, he would not stupidly retract them because that would result in him receiving a bacsh.


    Gael''s doubt was answered in the next second.


    When the de-like attacks passed through the middle of the purple ring, they crackled and soon their ck color turned purple. After which, they stopped in midair for a second before suddenly retracing their route back to where they hade from.


    Gael''s eyes widened at once. Only a few seconds ago, he could still sense the de attacks'' energy as his own, but now it hadpletely changed. It was inconceivable! Could it be that Void magic could change a magic attack''s energy? If that was true, then Kyran was practically invincible against any mage!


    Impossible! No magic should have such omnipotent ability. There must be a catch or a requirement Kyran had to fulfil to pull this off.


    However, Gael had no time to ponder on it because judging by the route the ck-turned-purple de attacks had taken it would collide with his weapon''s spirit in the next few seconds.


    The white snakes'' hissing intensified and soon sounded like shrieking as they glowered at the iing purple de attacks.


    Kyran remained standing in his spot, watching as the distance between the snakes and the de attacks was reduced to ten meters. At the same time, he was also monitoring the progress of his Void weapons.


    The Void weapons failed to prate the defences of the Shadow puppets. They could only keep attacking one spot on the Shadow puppets'' bodies until they seed in piercing through their defences from there.


    The Shadow puppets struck at the Void weapons in defence, and when an opportunity presented itself, they would strike with the intent to destroy the Void weapons. Unfortunately, same as how the Void weapons could not pierce through the Shadow puppet''s defences, thetter also failed tond a significant blow on the former. urately speaking, the puppets'' attack easily disintegrated after passing through the weapons.


    Both sides were in a stalemate.


    Kyran more or less guessed that the dense ck shadow that covered the ground had something to do with the Shadow puppets'' abnormally powerful defences. To prove this idea, he saw a Void weapon identally forcing a Shadow puppet at the border of the ck shadow''s range and was soon cleaved apart¡ª or to be more precise, disintegrate in less than three hits.


    From this, Kyran deduced that the ck shadow''s influence was weaker at the edges and if he could make his Void weapons force these puppets in that area, then it would only take a few seconds to destroy all of them.


    While these thoughts coursed through Kyran''s head, he had a third of his attention on the snakes and the purple de attacks.


    By this time, there were only two meters before the two collided.


    All the while, Gael was not stupidly watching the whole thing happen before his eyes. Hended and pierced his scythe on the ground. The ck shadow wriggled and soon ck snakes emerged ten meters away from Kyran on all sides.


    The white snakes pulled their heads and opened their mouths, revealing sharp fangs. White and ck-colored concentrated energy beam shot out of their mouths and went straight at the purple de attacks.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after seeing the white snakes'' attack easily riddling the purple de attacks, destroying them in just a couple of seconds.


    Just as Gael suspected, Kyran did change the magic energy property of the de attacks. The ability of the purple ring he summoned was simr to how he could convert the magic energies that entered his body to Void. However, there was still a slight difference. Since the purple ring converted magic attack formed by one magic¡ª in this case, Shadow magic¡ª its strength was reduced. Aside from this, it could only convert pure magic energy attacks. It could not convert magic attacks from magic arrays.


    Nevertheless, even if the strength of the converted magic attack was reduced, it should not have been easily destroyed especially when it possessed the property of Void magic.


    Previously, he only knew Ruin''s magic, which could destroy his Void magic. Apparently, there was also someone in the Human ne and judging from his aura, he was only a Magus. If he advanced further, he could be an existence simr to Ruin that might have the ability to counter Void magic.


    A smile appeared on Kyran''s lips. Instead of feeling threatened, the thought actually excites him. He even entertained the random thought that crossed his mind, which was to let Gael go so he could advance. They could fight again once thetter bes stronger.


    Of course, this was only a fleeting thought. If Kyran really let Gael go, who knew how many of his people this old guy would kill along the way?


    While Kyran was deep in thought, the ck snakes had already closed in on him. They opened their mouths and breathed out ck-colored fog, instantly reducing the visibility to zero.


    In only three seconds, Kyran was shrouded in darkness.


    Gael advanced with the white snakes and they simultaneouslyunched Shadow magic attacks at the ck fog.


    Inside the fog, Kyran''s smile widened. He did not expect Gael to create such an advantageous setting for him when they had only started their confrontation.


    Without dying any further, Kyran took out a memory soul stone, which had his magic energy. He ced it inside a magic orb Nn had once given him before putting it down to protect it from the ck shadow that covered the ground. After which, he confirmed the situations of all the Montgomeray members and warped.


    That was right.


    From the start, Kyran did not n to go all out against Gael. Of of the reason he made such a huge move by expanding his Void Barrier was to stage a scenario that would convince thetter he was here to destroy all of them, thus, forcing Gael to focus all his attention on him. The other reason was to ensure the soldiers on the other side of the stone wall would focus on their ''confrontation.''


    After confirming that all of the soldiers were stationed outside the stone wall, Kyran telepathically instructed the Montgomeray and Spirits to stay put and that he woulde for them soon.


    It was also because of this that Kyran only had a third of his attention on Gael. The other third was with his Void weapons shing with the Shadow puppets, and thest third was keeping an eye on the movement outside the stone wall.


    One could say that Kyran had sessfully made Gael dance in the palm of his hand the moment thetter created the ''fog.''


    Without dying any further, Kyran instructed the five Montgomeray members to head toward the town''s south exit. Then he instructed the first three sprites who entered the encampment to get ready to leave before warping to where the other three Montgomeray members were at. He took the three with him and warped to the south exit where the five members and five spirits were already waiting.


    ''Head back to the camp now,'' Kyran told the three sprites.


    [Yes, Void Master.]


    Back inside the stone wall, Gael frowned after hisbined attacks with the white snakes failed to incite any retaliation from Kyran.


    Feeling as if something was amiss, Gael inspected the fog with his domain. His face immediately turned grim after confirming that Kyran was still inside, seemingly unharmed. It made him wonder whether thetter was leaning towards bing an Abjurer. But he immediately rejected the idea after recalling the perverse nature of the Void that could easily turn everything it touched to nothing.


    The white snakes shrieked and burrowed deep into the dark shadow on the ground, and then they emerged from the spot where Kyran was. Three of the snakes opened their mouths wide and bit into Kyran, while the remaining two breathed out ck concentrated energies.


    However, the five white snakes immediately hissed and retreated in anger after sessfully destroying ''Kyran.''


    Since Gael had a connection with the white snakes as they were the spirit of his magic weapon, he sensed this and immediately knew something was amiss. He dispelled the ck fog and realized that where the white snakes had attacked were shards of a broken orb.


    A glowing purple stone was there, which soon turned ck. It was too strange.


    But when the stone had turned ck, Gael sensed ''Kyran''s presence'' disappearing.


    ''This...!''


    Gael''s eyes turned red figuratively and literally speaking.


    "KYRAN REGIS!" He bellowed in anger.


    "Don''t shout, I''m right here."


    Gael almost choke when he heard the voice speak behind him. His magic energy erupted in both anger and frustration as the sky above crackled. But before he could unleash his magic energy further or turn to face the owner of the voice, he felt something pierce through his chest.


    His breath caught in his throat. The white snakes also shrieked in pain.


    A purple sh passed through the heads of these snakes, which made Gael spit out a mouthful of blood.


    That was right.


    After Kyran warped the Montgomeray members back to their camp in Noser, he warped back in Trill. He did say he would not let Gael off, after what he did to his people¡ª particrly, to Zephyr.


    "That''s for hurting my people."

 Chapter 535 Blitz: Overture (1)

    A gust of wind blew, instantly turning Gael into a cloud of ck smoke. The same thing happened with the white snakes. They suddenly turned into white smoke.


    Kyran frowned and cleaved the Void Dagger he pierced through Gael''s back, hoping to destroy the ck smoke before it escaped. When it only passed through the smoke without a result, Kyran willed it to change form. In a blink of an eye, the dagger shattered and turned into purple mist, which mixed into the smoke. However, as if the wind was alive and helping the ck smoke, it blew once more with much ferocity this time, sending the ck smoke away from the purple mist in an instant.


    The ck shadow on the ground also retracted a few meters. It seemed to follow the ck smoke''s route as it pulled the Shadow puppets along.


    With the sudden retreat of the puppets, the Void weapons followed in pursuit. However, most Shadow puppets had already sunk into the ck shadow.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed, and he warped closer to the retreating ck smoke. At the same time, he willed the Void weapons to change targets and go after the ck shadow.


    The Void weapons went after the retreating shadow. However, they missed it by a hair''s breadth and only pierced the ground. In an instant, the ground, which had turned into arge crater from Kyran''s purple sphere earlier, was now riddled with holes.


    Kyran warped several times, trying to get close to the ck smoke. But thetter managed to evade him every time. Even if Kyran warped above the ck shadow, it veered away from him as soon as he appeared. It was getting a little annoying.


    The ck smoke was only five meters away from the stone wall.


    Seeing this, Kyran spread his arms and summoned two purple spheres, one each on his hands. He threw the spheres with much precision, not at the ck smoke, but at the wall, the ck smoke was likely to go through.


    Obviously, the retreating cloud of smoke was Gael. Kyran already guessed that turning into a cloud of smoke was not an ability of Gael''s magic but something thetter''s armor could do. Earlier, Kyran did not aim for Gael''s head simply because he did not know what thetter''s armor could do.


    Since Gael was adamant about going to the stone wall, Kyran took the initiative to destroy it. Not to help Gael escape but to use the soldiers on the other side to force him to stop.


    Although Kyran had little information about Gael, he noticed how thetter cared a lot about his position in the army. As the Grand Marshal, he disliked people defying him, especially those below him. He wanted to dominate all of them. He also liked to bask in the glory of being the man with the highest authority in the army. If this was the case, would he want his men to witness such an unsightly disy where he was forced to flee from his enemy?


    Kyran was 80 to 90% sure that Gael disliked showing his weakness, especially in front of his subordinates. The only reason for the 20 to 10% doubt he had was because Imman had left and had yet to return. As a person who was eyeing the Grand Marshal position, Gael did not want Imman to see him retreat.


    The purple spheres, initially only three inches in diameter, expanded ten times before hitting the stone wall and creating two huge holes. However, the momentum of the spheres did not stop. As soon as they destroyed the wall, they continued straight at the soldiers, who held huge magic shields lined up in rows, forming several defensive lines.


    The grand masters immediately barked out an order for the soldiers to reinforce the shields with their magic. Soon after, their shields burst with concentrated magic energy, turning into a wall of mes blocking the iing purple spheres.


    However, such mes were no threat to Kyran''s spheres.


    Watching the scene unfold before him, Gael finally materialized from within the cloud of smoke. He shouted, "Don''t let the spheres touch you!"


    However, Gael''s warning came toote. As soon as the spheres touched the mes, they sizzled and easily created a chink in the wall of mes. Seeing the purple spheres'' momentum had not shown any signs of stopping, the soldiers in the first row broke out into cold sweats. Their dread worsened when the purple spheres touched their magic shields, easily reducing them to dust.


    "Retreat!" The grandmasters shouted.


    Unfortunately, the first line of defence failed to retreat in time and disintegrated as the purple spheres swept past them.


    Miserable cries filled the air but were cut short when the purple spheres passed them.


    Gael gritted his teeth as he realized one of the greatest ws of the Royal Army. Aside from most of their soldiers having few life-and-death experiences, they also had few Abjurers. As a matter of fact, the whole empirecked Abjurers.


    The main reason behind this was that most of the mages born in the empire possessed Fire and Wind innate magic. Because of the property of thetter two, they could not form a definite shape, making it almost impossible to create defensive magic.


    Although Fire and Wind magic could create walls that could serve as a barrier to counter other magic attacks, they did not possess the ability to stop the momentum of other magic attacks. For example, high-level Fire magic could easily pass through a Fire Wall created from inferior mes. And even inferior mes could pass through high-level Fire magic barriers as long as they target its weak areas.


    It was the same with Wind magic.


    Thus, innate magic that could have a definite shape was usually better at creating defensive magic.


    Since the empire had had only peace in the past hundred years, most mages chose to specialize in offensive or support magic. In the whole empire, there were far more Elementor and Enchanters. Even those with Earth innate magic aimed to be an Elementor. Few sought to be an Abjurer because it also required them to have high attainments in Array Creation. And achieving thetter would take years.


    Seeing how easily Kyran destroyed the defensive formation using two purple spheres, Gael felt the severity of this w.


    No one could me Gael for thinking this way. He was unfamiliar with the Void magic''s other nature of turning anything it touched into nothingness. Thus, he had felt the army''sck of Abjurer was their greatest w. In reality, even if there were powerful Abjurers in the army, it would have been impossible to stop the Void spheres'' momentum.


    Gael''s Shadow puppet only defended against the Void weapons because of his domain''s protection.


    Gael''s eyes turned blood-red as he willed his domain to cover the ground where the soldiers were standing. The ck shadow spread at an rming speed. At the same time the shadows connected with the soldiers'' shadows, they crept up and covered their bodies.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He recalled how the defences of Gael''s Shadow puppets withstand his Void weapons'' prative ability after entering the ck shadow''s range. Such a strange ability piqued his curiosity. However, he could only force his curiosity out of his head and focus on the battle.


    Kyran did not bother to summon several Void weapons this time. Since the reason his weapons could not prate the defences of the Shadow puppets was because of the ck shadow, it was useless to target it or the soldiers. Instead, he should do his all to defeat Gael since he controls the ck shadow.


    The pupil of Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes turned into slits before turning silver. Both the Void and Draconic magic circted within Kyran and into the Shaiha. After which, he summoned his Void Armor, as well as several purple and silver rings. The rings circled Kyran''s body, and they expanded and contracted rhythmically.


    Magic fluctuations crackled in the air as Kyran''s magic pressure erupted.


    By this time, the two purple spheres had already failed to kill off the soldiers and soon lost their momentum and dissipated in the air.


    Gael gritted his teeth as he looked at Kyran. Frankly, he barely escaped thetter''s sneak attack earlier. If he had not been wary of Kyran''s meleebat ability, he would have failed to activate the cloak''s ability before thetter struck.


    Nevertheless, with his weapon''s spirit getting struck, he also received a lethal blow. He initially wanted to gain the upper hand before he over exhaust the usage of his domain. But it seemed he could no longer go for that.


    ''There is no choice but to do that,'' Gael thought as a rune appeared on his forehead.


    Although Gael''s head was covered with a hood, Kyran still managed to see the rune that appeared on the older man''s forehead. His eyes immediately widened as he understood what it was.


    Devour.

 Chapter 536 Blitz: Overture (2)

    Gael''s Devour ability was definitely not the same as True Void''s absorption.


    Kyran more or less guessed that this was Gael''sst resort move rather than a trump card. Apart from this, thetter was forced to use it now because it required something that he did not have when they were within the stone wall.


    People.


    As much as Kyran did not care about what would happen to these soldiers it would not be wise to let Gael do what he wanted. It was not because he was not confident he could win against Gael, but because he did not want to alert Ruin.


    Kyran was Ruin''s prey. If anyone tried to touch him, thetter would definitely go to great lengths to ensure no one gets ahead of him.


    It had been the case with Deception. If not for Cade stopping Ruin from going to Noser at that time, thetter would have already shed with Deception and Noser would not only suffer but literally be wiped out of the empire''s map.


    Even if Ruin could not sense Kyran''s magic with the Shaiha concealing it, Ruin believed Kyran was there. If another mage suddenly powered up, the only cause would likely be him.


    With this in mind, Kyran did not hesitate and charged at Gael. At the same time, he summoned a five-hundred-meter radius purple ring above Trill. This size roughly covered the whole field where most of the soldiers were gathered.


    Upon seeing the purple ring above, the soldiers'' felt their scalp tingle in fright. Nevertheless, even if they were inexperienced, they were still soldiers and knew they could not retreat just because they were afraid.


    The grandmasters immediately barked out orders to the support side to summon a magic barrier. They also ordered the rest of the soldiers at the back which formed the offensive formation tounch range attacks.


    However, before the soldiers could even do anything, the ck shadow that wrapped around their bodies started to feel heavy. As if the shadow itself was made of lead. After that, they felt their feet sink into the shadow.


    "W-What is happening?"


    "I-I can''t move my body!"


    "H-Help! I-I... My magic energy is¡ª AAAHHH!"


    "AAAHHH! G-Grand Marshal! W-Why?"


    Miserable cries suddenly filled the air as the soldiers were swallowed by the ck shadow.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as the purple ring above filled up, turning into a huge disc at an rming speed. It then lit up and shone down on everyone below, with a brilliant purple light.


    As the purple light descended, all those who were touched by it disappeared one after another.


    Since he would fail to kill them because of the ck shadow''s protection, Kyran could only warp them away. However, he could not summon a huge purple disc on the ground with the ck shadow dominating it. He did try but failed. And it was then that he realized why. The ck shadow was not arge-are magic attack nor was it a passive ability of Gael''s Shadow magic but his domain.


    It was the first time Kyran had seen such a domain. Normally, a domain could not be seen but felt. Only when a mage had already entered another mage''s domain would he see what kind of domain thetter had.


    In any case, Kyran had no intentions of sparing the soldiers. To prove his point, the ce where he warped them was at a ce that would kill them in an instant; The Misty Forest.


    It took the purple light a couple of seconds to warp the soldiers it shone upon because Kyran could not warp several people at once. At most, he could warp 5,000 in one go but even then his magic energy would almost be depleted. If there were more than 5,000 people then he would need time to replenish his magic energy before he could continue. It was because of this reason that he needed True Void''s help when they warped Euan, Mannick and the rest to the Tower of Conve.


    In any case, the soldiers in Gael''s domain were more than 10,000. Although Kyran could warp almost half of them in one go, he did not want to end up depleting his magic energy. Thus, he resorted to summoning a huge disc above and letting it warp the soldiers in a timely fashion.


    Basically, the side of the disc that shone down on the soldiers could warp them, while the other side, which was facing the sky, was attracting the magic energies in the surroundings to naturally sustain it.


    It was the only way Kyran could think of to prevent Gael from devouring these soldiers while also preventing himself from exhausting his magic energy.


    Gael''s eyes turned bloodshot as he realized what Kyran was doing.


    "YOU DARE!" He growled as the time it took for his domain to devour the soldiers doubled.


    By this time, Imman, who had left to contact Ingrid and Mannick hade out of his tent when he heard themotion. When he saw what was happening he was petrified. At the same time, he felt outraged at the enemy''s action.


    s, after Imman saw Gael in a different light earlier, he failed to understand the truth of what was happening. In his eyes, Gael was trying to protect the soldiers while Kyran was killing them using the light from the purple disc in the sky.


    "What inhumane thing are you doing? To think you came from the Regis n!" Imman demanded as he charged to the battlefield. He red fiercely at the man wearing a full dark purple armor with purple and silver rings circling his whole body.


    In a blink of an eye, Imman equipped himself with all the magic items he had. A red-painted metal armor materialized and covered his whole body as a long golden staff appeared on his right hand. He also wore a set of essories, a ring, a ne and a bracelet that boosted his magic output while reducing his magic energy consumption.


    Imman roused his magic and summoned stone golems that charged at Kyran before he could approach Gael.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. It was not hard for him to understand that Imman had misunderstood the current situation. However, he had no intentions of exining himself. After all, he was warping the soldiers to their death.


    Seeing the iing Stone golems, Kyran lifted his left hand. Three purple rings circling his forearm shot off toward the direction of the golems while turning into purple spheres.


    The purple spheres expanded and hit the Stone golem''s torso, destroying it at once.


    However, Imman did not stop. He continued to summon Stone golems and even huge cold weapons made of stone that flew toward Kyran.


    As if the purple spheres that destroyed the Stone golems had a mind of their own, they flew back and went after Imman''s newly molded golems and weapons.


    Kyran did not stop to watch. He vanished into thin air, only to reappear right before Gael. His left hand was already pulled back, and the silver ring had already turned into a huge gauntlet that ovepped with the Void Armor''s gauntlet.


    The middle of Kyran''s slit pupils shed silver as he delivered a punch at Gael.


    Gael only sneered under his cloak as he turned into a cloud of smoke to evade Kyran''s melee.


    "I am immune to physical attacks!" He shouted gloatingly at Kyran.


    Kyran did not respond. As a matter of fact, he had expected Gael to use his armor''s ability to evade. But that was unimportant. After all, he was not really delivering a normal physical punch.


    Kyran''s fistnded on air, but, as if an invisible force waspressed within his fist, a violent shock wave went straight to the ground, which was covered with Gael''s domain.


    BOOM!


    "What¡ª?"


    Gael and Imman were shocked when they saw how Kyran''s missed punch instantly destroyed the ground.


    At the same time, Gael spat out a mouthful of blood as he sensed his domain crack.


    "Impossible!"


    Earlier, Gael noticed that Kyran''s summoned weapons failed to prate his domain. Howe his single punch could easily leave a crack on it now?


    Gael''s eyes contracted as he stared at the silver gauntlets wrapped around Kyran''s hand.


    ''Could it be that Void magic has several levels and this silver color can be said to be its concentrated state and had far more destructive power?''


    Just as Gael thought this, he rejected it at once. Although they had close to nil information about Void magic, it was impossible for it to produce such destructive force. As far as Gael knew, Void magic could destroy without producing shock waves. Kyran''s move just now obviously produced one.


    A thought crossed his mind as his eyes narrowed.


    ''Or did hebine Void magic with the Regis Blessing to produce that effect?''


    s, because no one knew that Kyran also possessed Draconic magic, Gael could only give a half-assed guess.


    Meanwhile, a few thousand miles away, Ruin''s eyes shed as he sensed something. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sky.

 Chapter 537 Blitz: Overture (3)

    Because of the intensity of the sh between Nn and Ruin''s magic attacks, the two had subconsciously moved to arger space.


    After confronting each other for hours, the area around them had already been deformed. It was likely that any local who saw the surroundings would have trouble recognizing it. They might even think it was no longer part of the city. It was the proof of the power the two shing mages had unleashed thus far.


    Anyone who was aware of how long the two had been confronting each other would also believe they were already nearing their limit. However, neither showed any signs of exhaustion. As a matter of fact, both were as lively as ever.


    The two had just destroyed each other''s magic attacks¡ª Ruin summoned a scourge that looked like a ck snake with translucent silver wings while Nn created a golem made of gold, silver, and obsidian, which ended up blowing each other after shing for a few minutes¡ª and now they kept a distance from each other.


    After that, Nn saw Ruin pause and look up to the sky before showing a sinister smile.


    Before he could continue attacking, Nn''s eyes narrowed and he also nced at the sky. His heart suddenly turned cold from what he had sensed.


    "Did you also feel that?" Ruin suddenly asked while turning his attention back to Nn.


    Nn did not respond. He simply looked back at Ruin with a grim expression.


    Ruin''s smile turned even more malicious as his red eyes squinted in glee, "No need to show such a scary face. I didn''t call for them. I don''t mind working with others, but I will never make a sneaky move as to call for others'' help."


    That was right. What Nn had sensed were powerful auras approaching the Human ne.


    As a mage who was on the verge of bing a Sovereign, Nn was far more sensitive to the auras of all existences outside the Human ne. Although he was not usually sensitive to them when he was with Kyran and the others because he deliberately sealed his magic, now that he had unsealed it, he could sense them clearly.


    There were at least three powerful auras outside the Human ne.


    One of them, Nn was already familiar with. It was Deception, whom he had forced to retreat not long ago. As for the other two, he did not know them. But he had an inkling that Kyran might know them if he was there.


    Nn''s guess was not without reason.


    Kyran was more acquainted with Deception because of what happened in the Myedeo ne. Thus, Nn guessed the other two with her were fellow Sovereigns that had some rtion to that ne. They could also be rted to Deception and Kyran from another incident, but the point was, they likely knew each other. Otherwise, she would not have convinced the other two toe help.


    "I came here because I want to find my prey," Ruin continued, appearing quite rxed while sitting cross-legged in midair. It was as if he and Nn had not been fighting for hours but were only chatting like old friends. "That b*tch Deception swore to help find and take him without damaging his body, as repayment for my assistance in her ns to acquire the Myedeo ne."


    A gust of wind blew sweeping Nn''s cloak. He only looked at Ruin in silence, seemingly with no intention of resuming their fight. As a matter of fact, he even appeared interested in what thetter had to say.


    "But it seems, that b*tch has decided to go back on her words because she has also developed an interest in him."


    As Ruin said these words, his aura turned cold and the air around him crackled as he affected the magic energies in the surroundings. A thought crossed his mind as he red at Nn again.


    "You''re not here because you''re also interested in my prey, are you?"


    "F*ck, no," Nn finally replied grouchily. It was as if he would die if he did not get that cleared out. "I don''t even know who your prey is."


    "Then why did youe here and stop me?"


    Nn did not reply.


    "Is it because of that person? The new prey I am interested in?"


    Nn remained silent.


    "It doesn''t matter if you don''t tell me. Obviously, you cared about that person, and he happened to be rted to my prey. However, I am only interested in taking his head and presenting it to my prey."


    Nn''s brow twitched slightly after hearing Ruin admit what he wanted to do with Cade. But he did not make a move and simply continue to listen in silence.


    "If that person is important to you, I can understand why you wanted to save him," Ruin continued with a slight shrug. "Anyway, you already saved him, and as you already noticed, my powers may be suppressed in this ne but you can''t kill me. I think there is no point in us wasting our time."


    "Now you''re telling me that?"


    Ruin chuckled and nced at the sky again, "I only realized it after sensing those pesky guys above. Besides, even if we continue fighting, we will only end up exhausting ourselves and letting those b*stards take advantage of the situation."


    He looked back at Nn and smiled meaningfully, "Since you don''t seem to be interested in my prey. How about we stop this nonsense?"


    Nn furrowed his brows, "You sound as if you have something on your mind"


    "If I do, are you interested?"


    "Cut the f*cking crap and get to the point."


    Ruin smiled. But his smile did not meet his eyes.


    "I''m proposing a truce."


    When Nn did not respond, Ruin continued. "Don''t worry, I won''t ask for something unreasonable. I won''t ask you to surrender my prey. Knowing he is rted to that person you saved, I won''t be shameless as to ask you to surrender him.


    "I will stop cooperating with the young b*tch, and can even offer my service to you¡ª free of charge, of course. As long as no one else gets my prey but me, I''ll help you hold back those three."


    Nn could not help but give Ruin a strange look. He had met quite a lot of entric people, but it was his first time meeting someone who could be this obsessive and possessive about his prey. What was even strange was that Ruin did not seem to be adamant about killing Kyran. Which kind of ruined the meaning behind calling him ''prey.''


    So what exactly is it that Ruin wanted with Kyran?


    "What do you even want with him?" Nn could no longer help but ask. Still, he did not outright say Kyran''s name because he did not understand Ruin''s magic or where thetter came from. Names were very powerful and mages from some nes could curse their target as long as they knew their full name.


    Spirits could do this, which was why the Royal Family had tried to hide the Crown Princess''s real name.


    Although Ruin might already know Kyran''s name, there was still a chance the Crown Princess had not mentioned it directly or had given him a pseudo. In any case, there was no harm in being cautious.


    Ruin shrugged.


    His action made Nn believe he would not answer his question. But the next second, he was surprised at his answer.


    "He and I go way back¡ª let''s say about a thousand years?"


    "Don''t f*ck with yourself," Nn scowled. "That kid is still wet behind the ears. What are you even saying?"


    Ruin suddenly let out a hystericalugh.


    Nn''s expression darkened but he did not dare interrupt thetter because he wanted to understand.


    "You''re f*cking right," Ruin said as soon as he regained hisposure. "I didn''t mean him per se, but the him that lives inside him."


    "What do you mean?"


    Ruin looked at Nn and smiled mischievously, "Since you know he is a kid, which is still ''wet behind the ears,'' it means you really understand the situation far better than anyone."


    Nn fell silent. He did not refute nor deny Ruin''s ims.


    "However, I had a feeling that you people still don''t know why the young b*tch is after him."


    "Just get to the point," Nn growled.


    "That guy has something in him. He possessed something that the Soul Emperor wants. Of course, he from a thousand years ago did not possess it. Now, he does."


    Nn suddenly had a bad feeling. He more or less had a feeling that Ruin was talking about Kyran''s bloodline. Or to be more precise, how he belonged to the Regis n, which gave birth to the Dragon Lord.


    It made him remember the reveal of Rin being the Spirit Child and how she would give birth to a very special child but was shunned by the world.

 Chapter 538 Blitz: Overture (4)

    Back when Rin discovered she would give birth to a child that the world would shun, both Cade and Nn already guessed the child would possess forbidden magic. And with the Spirits'' rtionship with the previous Void Master, it was not hard to guess the kind of forbidden magic the child would possess.


    Because of this, Nn swore to find a suitable husband for Rin. In his opinion, Rin needed a loyal, responsible, and trustworthy man to ensure he would not shun his own child. Knowing that such a person could only appear from a family like the Regis, which possessed high moral values, Nn asked Cade''s help to find that man among his people.


    Cade agreed at once. Even Patriarch Aron gave his consent. Thetter''s consent actually gave Nn and Rin assurance that no matter what happens in the future, the Regis n would protect them and the child.


    While looking for that ''suitable man,'' Nn realized a huge problem. Most of the eligible male members of the Regis Family could barely pass his assessment. As to which part they fell short, it was in terms of battle strength.


    Even the ones who were give the opportunity to partake a drop of dragon''s blood was unable to defeat Nn, and to him, only someone who could defeat him would be worthy of his sister. He would not settle for anyone less.


    s, the only one who could defeat Nn among the Regis Family was Cade¡ª at least, among their generation that is.


    However, Cade was the next Patriarch of the Regis n. Nn might be shameless, but he would never take advantage of his friendship with Cade and ask him to marry his sister. Besides, the three of them practically grew together and he knew Cade treated them like his real brother and sister.


    That was why Nn was shocked senseless when Rin easily resolved their problem by boldly asking Cade to marry her in front of the Patriarch and the elders. Cade was speechless. But nodded in agreement in the end.


    It was then that Nn realized his sister had always admired Cade, and vice versa. But because Nn had always been a¡ª ahem, siscon¡ª he failed to see it. In any case, knowing that his sister and his sworn brother would be a real family, Nn felt more at ease.


    So what was the point of all these thoughts that shed through Nn''s head after hearing Ruin? It was quite simple. In Nn''s opinion, Kyran being born in the Regis n was a result of their circumstances. But the way Ruin brought the topic, it felt as if the Soul Emperor and the previous Void Master had coveted the Regis bloodline since before.


    Nn recalled a passing remark True Void mentioned about how Kyran acquired the Draconic core. Quoting True Void''s exact words, he said:


    "Same as how there are certain things that needs to achieve before a new Void Master is born, the new Dragon Lord is the same!"


    te reacted after hearing his words, but Kyran deliberately avoided the subject.


    Nn did not think much of it because he was busy sorting his own thoughts at that time. But now that he was reminded of those seemingly trivial words, he realized why te reacted.


    Frankly, if others heard it, True Void''s remark sounded like him speaking his own mind. But as far as te and Nn was concerned, True Void would not have said those words if the subject about how Kyran be the Void Master had not been brought up.


    It was possible that Kyran and True Void had discovered something and had a conversation about it, resulting in thetter saying such words as a passing remark.


    Nn felt his blood run cold when he thought of something.


    But he made sure to conceal his emotions. He would not let Ruin dictate the flow of their conversation.


    "Tell me what you know," he demanded.


    Ruin raised his brows and said, "Can I take it that you agree to my proposal?"


    "F*ck, no."


    "Oh, then¡ª?"


    "Don''t get me wrong. I agree to a truce on the premise that you don''ty your f*cking hands on my family."


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed upon hearing that.


    "You are also rted to my prey?" He asked, seemingly putting the subtle clues together.


    "What if I am? Are we going to resume our fight?"


    Instead of bing annoyed, Ruin suddenly burst out inughter.


    "Interesting! This is such an interesting turn of events! No, actually it is not really that strange for you to be rted. Though I don''t get why you only appear now?"


    Ruin''s eyes widened as he thought of something, "Could it be that you and my prey... Yes. Of course.... No wonder I can''t seem to find my mark. It''s you..."


    "What the f*ck are you even saying?"


    "You sealed the mark I gave him!"


    Only then that Nn recalled Kyran received a powerful mark on his left arm. Nn sealed it when they were still in the Tower of Tribtion, because it was getting in the way of their ''training.''


    s, Kyran actually told Nn about the mark. Unfortunately, Nn could not be bothered to recall the f*cking names of other people thus he did not expect Ruin was that guy.


    Suddenly, Ruin sighed exaperatedly, "Ha~, it can''t be helped. I''ll agree to your condition. I won''ty a f*cking hand on your family."


    "Really? Your prey, is my nephew."


    Ruin chuckled. He already guessed as much. Though this guy had runes all over his body¡ª even his face had a few¡ª Ruin could see some semnce. It was not as distinct as with the previous guy, because they had different hair and eye colors. Nevertheless, his nose and brows did seem more simr to his prey.


    Suddenly, Ruin thought of something and burst out inughter once again.


    "I get it now...! That guy, who punched me earlier. That''s him!"


    To think he did not recognize his own prey. No wonder he punched him with such zeal. Just recalling how a single punch managed to destroy his defenses made Ruin shiver in excitement.


    Even so, Ruin could only suppress his emotions. With Deception asking for help from two other Sovereigns, even if Ruin used his full strength, he would not be able to hold them back if he was also dealing with this guy.


    With the restriction in the Human ne, he would definitely be at a disadvantage if he fought them alone. He could only propose a truce for now.


    At least, by doing this, he could prevent anyone from snatching his prey.


    As for agreeing to not ying a hand on his prey,'' well, there were plenty of ways to deal with that.


    With this in mind, Ruin smiled at Nn.


    "Tell me, after saving that man, did he went back there to continue luring the army?" He asked while pointing at the west direction.


    Nn only shrugged in response.


    "Fine. You don''t have to answer, since I agree not toy my hand on him now, I will keep my word."


    "Swear an oath if you really agree."


    "I swear by my name as the Sovereign of Ruin, that I will noty a hand on my prey."


    Nn scowled at him.


    "Oh, right. You''re family. What is your name again?"


    When Nn only red at him, Ruin sighed and shrugged before saying, "Fine. I swear not toy my hand on your family. If I go back on my words, then I will be judged by the Fates and the Higher Being that presides over the Higher and Lower Realms."


    "Such an ambiguous oath."


    Ruin shrugged, "I am not from this ne. That is how we do it from where I came from."


    "Doesn''t matter," Nn also shrugged. But then his eyes turned bright blue and he suddenly flicked his hand toward Ruin.


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed and raised his hand to block a dark object that Nn threw at him. His face distorted at once as he lowered his hand to look at his palm.


    The moment he grabbed the object Nn threw, Ruin already felt it seeped into his skin. His defences actually failed to stop it from entering his palm.


    "You¡ª!"


    "That''s an assurance. If you leave this ne, it will automatically leave your body."


    "What did you do?" Ruin growled while he roused his magic energy and tried to search for any anomaly on his body.


    "It''s pointless. My magic already fused into your body," Nn exined and sneered. "I''m actually surprised that though there are different creatures in other nes, our bodyposition are quite the same. Don''t get me wrong. I''m notining, because its actually good for me."


    Before Ruin could refute, the thunderous roar sounded above as the Sovereign''s Cradle appeared.


    Nn and Ruin looked up. Their expression turned solemn as fissures started to appear in the sky.

 Chapter 539 Blitz: Overture (5)

    Since Gael''s domain could offset his Void magic''s nothingness nature, Kyran decided to use Draconic magic instead.


    After all, Draconic magic does the job far better than Void magic when talking about forcefully destroying something.


    Imman''s scalp turned numb after seeing Kyran''s punch that seemed to hit ''air'' but still managed to destroy the ground beneath. Such power was simply impossible.


    Usually, people who could produce such destructive strength hadrge frames and bulging arms that looked as firm as steel. But even they had tond their fist on a solid object before releasing a destructive force.


    However, Kyran¡ª though he was not precisely skinny ¡ª his body was nothing like those people.


    A good example was Sigma from the cksmith Order. With hisrge frame, if he stood beside Kyran, thetter would appear small. Nevertheless, the power Kyran''s skinny-looking arms produced was packed with destructive force, which was logically impossible.


    The pupil in Imman''s eyes constricted as he recalled a rumor about the Regis n.


    "Could that destructive power be the rumored Regis Blessing?"


    Like Gael, Imman''sck of knowledge resulted in a half-assed conjecture. It was no wonder Euan described them as two people created from the same mold. They think and act alike at times.


    Looking at Kyran''s domineering figure, another person seemed to ovep with him in Imman''s mind. However, he could not remember where he had seen that person before.


    While Gael and Imman were stunned by Kyran''s shocking disy, thetterunched a follow-up attack. A Void Knife appeared on his left hand as he disappeared and reappeared behind Gael, who had just materialized a few meters away.


    Gael managed to snap out of his shocked state before Kyran''s knife swept at his neck, and he turned into a cloud of smoke once again.


    In the background, the purple disc that emitted light above continued to warp the soldiers to Misty Forest. But Gael''s domain was also working double time to devour the others.


    The more soldiers that sank into Gael''s domain, the more he felt his strength was increasing. But that did not stop him from running away from Kyran. After witnessing how thetter''s punch could destroy his domain without evennding a solid hit, Gael knew that his cloak''s ability might not be effective against it as well.


    Imman also snapped out of his reverie as he heard more soldiers agonized screaming. He roused his magic and summoned several stone golems that instantly surrounded Kyran.


    When Kyran saw the stone golems, he ignored them because the purple spheres he released earlier already flew toward them and destroyed them one after another.


    On the other hand, Kyran was starting to get annoyed at Gael''s cloak. Unfortunately, he had yet to find a way to counter it. He tried using the mist form of his Void magic earlier but had a feeling it would not work.


    His Void magic''s mist form worked against Deception when she used a simr ability to avoid himnding a physical attack. But Kyran remembered Gael''s cloak materialized from the ck shadow¡ª thetter''s domain. Since that domain could reinforce the defences of Gael''s Shadow puppets, then there was a possibility its ck smoke form could also do the same.


    Although the Void mist failed to mix with the ck smoke earlier due to a sudden gust of wind, the wind might not be coincidental.


    To find the answer to this, Kyran summoned new purple spheres and scattered them.


    Seeing the purple spheres appearing at Gael''s location, another gust of wind blew past and immediately pushed the spheres away.


    As Kyran expected, the gust of wind earlier was not coincidental. It might be another ability of Gael''s armor.


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not have the leisure to study it. He could only continue with his n¡ª find an opportunity to use Draconic magic on Gael.


    The purple spheres erupted and turned into purple mists covering a wide area. The mist affected the soldiers that had not yet been warped by the purple disc''s light or sank into Gael''s domain. As the mist touched them, its seemingly corrosive-effect, started to disintegrate the soldiers'' clothes, hair, and skin.


    "AAAHHHH!"


    "S-SAVE US!"


    "D-Deputy Imman! P-Please, help us!"


    Cries for help filled the air.


    Imman''s eyes turned bloodshot and his magic energy erupted. The magic fluctuation around him intensified as he summoned several magic arrays that hovered above several soldiers. After which, he spat out a mouthful of blood because of overexerting his capacity.


    Imman was only an Exalted, yet he forcefully summoned more than fifty magic arrays with a radius of one and a half meters. It was practically suicide. Nevertheless, he endured the excruciating pain from inside his body to maintain the magic arrays. Then he summoned smaller stone golems to shield the soldiers while also pulling them out of the ck shadow.


    "Stay your hand, Imman!" Gael growled the moment he saw what Imman was doing.


    The gust of wind blew fiercely around him¡ª while he was still in the cloud of ck smoke¡ª before flying toward Imman.


    Confused at Gael''s order, Imman looked at him and said, "Why? We have to save them!"


    "Idiot."


    The one who had spoken was not Gael but Kyran. Though thetter only said it in passing, using a very low voice, Imman heard it loud and clear.


    "What did you say?" Imman demanded ringly.


    Kyran ignored him. As more purple spheres appeared, as soon as his reddish-purple eyes shed, they would explode, resulting in the increase of mist around them.


    However, apart from the soldiers and Imman''s stone golems, the purple mist failed to affect the cloud of ck smoke.


    When Gael finally reached Imman, using the fierce wind as a barrier, the former materialized and summoned a couple of Shadow puppets to restrain thetter.


    "What are you doing?" Imman demanded, caught off guard by Gael''s action.


    "Be quiet and stay put!"


    Gael growled and the Shadow puppets immediately dragged Imman into the ck shadow.


    "You¡ª!"


    Before Imman could utter his protest, he was already pulled into Gael''s domain.


    However, Gael did not devour Imman. As much as he disliked thetter, he could not touch him yet. The Crown Princess still had a use for him. Thus, Gael could only keep Imman in an isted space in his domain.


    BAM!


    "Guah¡ª!" Gael''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he felt something solid hit him from the back. He coughed out a mouthful of blood and was thrown several meters forward before colliding with a small building in the za.


    The attack obviously came from Kyran. The silver slits on his reddish-purple eyes shed as he took a step forward.


    Dragon Step!


    In an instant, he was already in front of Gael. His right leg was raised and with a swift and powerful movement, he delivered a dropkick, hitting Gael''s head.


    Before Kyran''s feetnded, Gael turned into a cloud of ck smoke.


    Boom!


    Kyran''s feet hit the ground, instantly turning it into arge crater. Then the shockwave that came after the destruction blew away the cloud of ck smoke.


    This time, Gael actually felt the might of the shockwave. He was forced to materialize, coughing another mouthful of blood. After which, he fell and rolled on the ground before hitting a wall.


    But Kyran had just started. With an indifferent expression, he turned and took another step, appearing before Gael again.


    Gael''s mind reeled in fear as Kyran appeared before him.


    It was impossible!


    How did Kyran force him out of the cloak''s ability?


    Not only that. Earlier, when he took Imman into his domain, it only took a few seconds¡ª or to be more urate, he only materialized for at least three seconds. How did Kyran appear behind him andnd a powerful punch on his back?


    Yes, Kyran could warp. But the wind protecting Gael could detect magic fluctuations, which in turn would automatically trigger his cloak''s ability. It was impossible for anyone¡ª not even Kyran who could warp¡ª to sneak an attack on him.


    Such was the ability of Gael''s cloak. It was also one of the reasons he was not afraid ofbat mages. He admitted he was shocked by the power of Kyran''s punch but he believed his cloak could handle it.


    However, not only did his cloak fail to notice Kyran''s appearance, but it also failed to activate.


    Could it be that the reason the wind did not detect any magic fluctuation was that Kyran did not warp but simply used his own speed? Was it because of the Regis Blessing? The one rumored to allow the Regis to possess the strength of a dragon?


    ? Just the thought sent shivers up Gael''s spine.


    The power of a dragon was something out of a myth¡ª a legend.


    Nevertheless, no matter how much Gael tried to reason to himself that it was impossible, the things he had witnessed told him otherwise.


    Apart from this, Gael''s cloak already activated its ability, yet Kyran''s kick¡ª which did not even hit¡ª actually forced him to materialize!

 Chapter 540 Blitz: Overture (6)

    Using his left hand, Kyran grabbed Gael''s head and lifted him. After that, he kicked him on the side using his right knee.


    Crack!


    "ARGH!" Gael cried out in pain as he felt his lower ribs crack. He even felt his lumbar vertebra get dislocated after receiving the brunt of the kick.


    Kyran did not stop there. Right after kicking Gael, he punched him¡ª not once, or twice, but several times.


    If this had been any other time, Kyran would not have bothered to take his time dealing with Gael. He would have ended it real quick by using his left. After all, even if he utilized 1% of the Draconic magic, he could exert more force with his left and easily destroy, not only Gael''s bones but also turn his internal organs. When that happened, Gael would definitely die from internal bleeding.


    Err... that is if Gael''s torso remained intact after getting punched by Kyran''s left.


    In any case, Kyran did not want to give Gael the easy way out. Not when he had yet to punish thetter for hurting Zephyr and the others.


    "You aimed for his torso, did you remember?" Kyran asked, but he was not really waiting for a response.


    Blood splurt out of Gael''s mouth with every punch Kyran delivered.


    Suddenly, Kyran straightened his fist before slicing through Gael''s sides as if his hand had turned into a de.


    "AARGH!" Gael felt excruciating pain as his side was sliced open and blood gushed out from it.


    "You also made him bleed," Kyran continued, his voice dropping to a very dangerous level. Even his eyes had gotten colder as he watched Gael''s expression distort in pain.


    "There are a lot more things that you guys had done to my people, and I am having trouble with where to start."


    Gael felt his body turn cold after hearing Kyran''s words. Had he not started torturing him? What did he mean by having trouble where to start?


    Regardless, Gael was not about to let Kyran do as he pleased. In an instant, his eyes glowed red as he released the full might of his mage level.


    His domain only devoured 25% of the soldiers, but that was the least of his worries. If he did not make a move now, his body would crumble.


    Shadow puppets emerged from the ck shadow and rushed toward Kyran.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The purple spheres that had just finished destroying the stone golems that had not been warped by the light, flew at an rming speed toward the Shadow puppets.


    The mist also moved and clung to the Shadow puppets'' robes, dying their ck robes to purple color.


    With the augmentation of Gael''s domain, the Void mist failed to destroy the Shadow puppets. Even the purple spheres were repelled by them.


    But Kyran did not think much of it. Frankly, he already had an idea why Gael''s magic appeared to have the ability to offset his Void magic.


    The ck shadow was Gael''s domain. Kyran already knew this. Thus, it was no longer simple Shadow magic.


    A domain was a manifestation of a Magus''s understanding of his magic. In order to seed, mages had to have a deep understanding of their magic and also their nature. From there, they could create their own magic concepts. A concept which would be unique to each one of them.


    In other words, two mages with the same innate magic could not create the same magic concept.


    From this, Kyran guessed that Gael''s magic concept for his Shadow magic could have been inspired by his obsession for power¡ª to have control over everything and dominate everyone. Thus, his domain boosted his magic, particrly, its nature.


    When we talked about one of Shadow''s natures¡ª an absence of light¡ª was it not a result of one of Void''s natures? Since shadow was produced because there was an absence of light, it could also be said that it appeared out of ''nothing.''


    Thus, Kyran''s Void magic was unable to prate Gael''s Shadow magic because two magic of like nature would repel each other.


    As Gael''s magic energy increased, his domain gathered around his feet. In a blink of an eye, he and Kyran were already in the middle of a thirty-meter radius ck shadow.


    All the Shadow puppets that emerged from the ck shadow, which the purple spheres and mist failed to destroy, had already surrounded Kyran. Using their cold weapons, they thrust and hack at Kyran''s body, aiming to cut him into pieces.


    The silver rings circling Kyran''s body reacted before the Shadow puppets'' weapons hit. They meld into the Void armor, its color turning from dark purple to silver gray. And when the weapons finally hit, sounds of metal hitting metal filled the air.


    Ding! Ding! Ding!


    Crack! Crack!


    Breaking sounds also resounded as the Shadow puppets'' weapons broke after failing to even scratch the surface of the armor.


    Frankly, Kyran could simply release the Void armor and tank the Shadow puppets'' attacks with his own flesh. But while his body could withstand weapon attacks, his clothes might not. After all, he was not wearing his enchanted ck clothes but the army uniform.


    Kyran had no confidence in their uniform''s enchantments and did not want to end up half-naked when he was in a middle of a fight.


    As to why he used the Draconic rings to cover his Void armor, it was to prevent any idents. Since the Shadow puppets'' weapons were also reinforced by Gael''s domain, there was no telling if they could pierce through the Void armor. Thus, Kyran reinforced his armor with ayer of Draconic magic.


    Seeing that Kyran had stopped attacking him, Gael waved his hand and a scroll appeared in his hand.


    When Kyran saw this, he immediately reacted by using his right hand as a de and slicing off Gael''s hand holding the scroll.


    "AARGH!" Gael screamed in excruciating pain.


    The scroll fell to the ground.


    But then the ck shadow shifted and devoured the scroll. Soon, Gael''s domain emitted a blinding light, instantly reducing both his and Kyran''s vision.


    BOOM!


    Following the blinding light, Gael''s domain exploded and forced Kyran to release his hold on thetter.


    The moment Gael was freed from Kyran''s hold, he took out another scroll and immediately activated it by inserting his magic energy.


    With a sh of gold light, his body blurred and soon vanished amidst the explosion.


    As the cloud of smoke from the explosion dissipated, a lone figure, in silver gray armor stood unscathed in the middle of arge crater.


    Kyran lifted his head and looked at the sky, which had started to clear after Gael''s magic influence disappeared.


    "He actually activated the scroll inside his domain to induce such a powerful explosion to escape...." Kyran muttered, somewhat speechless.


    He jumped out of therge crater andnded on the edge before scanning the surroundings with his magic sense. However, he failed to find any trace of Gael.


    Kyran could not help but frown. It actually left a bitter taste knowing that Gael had escaped.


    Honestly, the only reason Kyran did not kill Gael was because he had not tortured the old man enough.


    After standing there for a few seconds in a somewhat dazed state, Kyran finally released his Void armor and made his way to the makeshift tents that had not been destroyed.


    There were still several army soldiers in those tents. Soldiers who had been badly injured from the battle in Noser.


    Since Kyran failed to vent all his anger on Gael, he had no choice but to settle on these soldiers. After all, these soldiers were equally guilty of hurting Zephyr and the others. They were injured because they participated in the battle, after all.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    Kyran stopped short as he heard crackling sounds from above.


    The already-clearing sky darkened once more as a powerful magic fluctuation converged above.


    Kyran looked up and his expression turned grim at once.


    A little over the east, the Sovereign''s Cradle could be seen. It covered arge area, which was why Kyran could still see it even when he was in the western part of the empire.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as realization hit him. Judging by the position of the Sovereign''s Cradle, it was actually leaning toward the north than the east.


    If this was true then the Sovereign''s Cradle had appeared somewhere in Meliora!


    Kyran suddenly felt his body turn cold. There were two reasons the cradle had appeared. Either a power akin to a Sovereign appeared within the Human ne, or a Sovereign wanted to enter from the outside.


    If it was thetter, it could have something to do with the Macabre cier. Haylee might have already seeded in activating the mirror, thus triggering the cradle to suppress its power. However, if the cause was the former, then Deception had likely returned toplete what he failed to do earlier.


    Either way, both reasons did not spell anything good.


    All kinds of scenarios, of cause and effect from his next course of action, shed through Kyran''s mind at an rming speed. When he found the most suitable action he could take, he sent a message to Ezra, Eoin, Malek, and all his Sigils.


    After which, Kyran disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    *


    An ancient castle with five towers, forming a pentagram shape around a tall circr building, stood on a snowy mountain in the Ylfaen Empire''s northern part.


    On the tower, facing south, a woman in her early thirties, with long brown hair tied in a tight bun and wearing full red armor, looked out of the window. Her green eyes shed as they reflected something gold in the sky.

 Chapter 541 Blitz: Krieg (1)

    Inside the Tower of Conve''s conference room, Malek and the rest of the Conve council members gathered for an emergency meeting. Because more people were present for the meeting, Sigma created additional chairs to amodate everyone.


    Seven chairs had been added around the table, and the council members pushed their chairs to make room. With the addition of these chairs, the usually spacious table appeared crowded.


    An awkward tension also hung in the air as most of the people at the table¡ª specifically, Malek and his side¡ª looked at the people upying the seats opposite the head seat, where Ste was.


    These people were none other than Euan, Mannick and five aides under thetter''s leadership.


    On the other hand, Ste looked at them with a calm yet unreadable expression. Her attitude had been the same even when Euan and Mannick arrived with thousands of soldiers at such short notice.


    Although Malek was the only one who received Euan, while the rest of the council members handled the rest of the aides and soldiers, Ste had made sure to let her presence known.


    Nevertheless, only Euan and Mannick knew who she was, so her presence only made the others wonder who she was.


    Euan was also calm and wore an unreadable expression. His attitude came naturally because of his upbringing.


    "I apologize for not providing a much better ce for your people to stay," Ste said with an amiable smile. "We''ll find a suitable ce for them as soon as possible."


    The rest of the army soldiers were currently staying at an encampment the council members had prepared at the location Kyran and True Void warped them. It was located thirty meters away from the northeast entrance of the Tower of Conve.


    Since Kyran had already told Malek about them, they agreed on where the former would warp them. After that, Malek asked Noir and Sigma to make a concealment array around that area to ensure that no people spying on the Tower of Conve would see them.


    Euan shook his head with a simrly calm smile, "It is more than enough, to be honest. It is I who should apologize for inconveniencing your people."


    "If there is anyone who should apologize, it''s that rascal Kyran," Malek quipped, his disdain evident from the tone of his voice.


    "Malek," Ste warned, ncing at him from the corner of her eyes.


    ? Malek responded with a slight shrug before leaning back in his chair.


    Mannick''s eyes flickered slightly at Malek''s attitude but did not say anything.


    "Let us address the current situation," Ste started the meeting immediately.


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Rivka, one of the five aides Mannick took to the meeting, was the one who recounted the events of what happened that led them here.


    Throughout Rivka''s exnation, the council members'' expressions made several changes. From looking confused to feeling indignant, then finally concerned.


    Kyran already hinted that Emperor Euan''s and the Crown Princess''s objectives might differ. When the council members heard it, some hoped it was all his spections and that he was only overthinking. But now that it was confirmed, they could not help but be concerned for the empire''s future.


    "There are still things that we don''t understand, which I hope you can exin," Euan said after Rivka finished exining. "Mannick already exined some, but Kyran said there are still things he isn''t aware of."


    Ste could not help but smile bitterly. Malek already told her that Kyran had asked him to exin what they could to Euan. However, Kyran did not tell them how much they were allowed to say.


    Although Ste immediately concealed her bitter smile, Euan and Mannick had seen it. Euan immediately said, "There is no pressure when answering my questions. Just tell me what you can, and I will ept it."


    "Your Majesty," Ste replied, carefully choosing her words, "Do not misunderstand. It is not that we are unwilling to provide the answers. We just don''t know how much we can tell."


    She looked at Mannick as if asking for his opinion.


    Seeing Ste''s imploring look, Mannick smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Thest few times I spoke my mind, things had escted."


    What he said was not without basis. After all, if he did not show Kyran the situation at the Regis Estate, Kyran would not have been forced to change his ns. If he did not speak with Euan, Euan would not have changed his mind about going to Noser. Ultimately, they went to the Regis Estate, which resulted in Lira going after them.


    Honestly, Mannick was still confused about how his meddling could affect the Human ne. He only had a vague sense that the Fates were watching his every action and might be influencing the cause and effect of everything.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Ste looked at Mannick in confusion. However, Mannick remained tight-lipped and did not borate on his words.


    The other council members looked at Mannick with aplicated expressions.


    The first time they met, Mannick came with the other Deputy Marshals and appeared unbridled. He and Sigma almost ended up shing. Then the next time was when True Void introduced him to them. They were all blown away by the reveal of Mannick''s real identity. While they did not doubt True Void''s words, they had not fully digested the truth. Even when Mannick healed Hugh, they still had reservations.


    Mannick knew this; thus, he decided to be a bystander this time.


    "If you don''t mind, milord, allow me to answer his Majesty''s questions," Malek proposed.


    "Very well," Ste agreed almost at once. After all,pared to her, Malek had a better understanding of the current situation. Kyran did talk to him and the others before he left. It pained her a little that he did not ask for her, but after what happened with Cyneah, she knew it was her fault.


    Euan''s and Malek''s voices were the only ones heard inside the conference room as they continued the discussion for the next few minutes.


    Malek answered most of Euan''s questions. The only ones he refrained frommenting on were the things he had little knowledge of. Kyran might have spoken to him and the others before he left, but he did not reveal many new things.


    Euan finally had a better grasp of what happened that led to Kyran''s situation and fumed inwardly. He did not expect people from the army and the Royal Family to scheme behind his back.


    What angered Euan the most was how Haylee covered for Gael while thetter swore his allegiance to her. Finally, there was the matter of Kyran''s bounty and the reappearance of ''Gray.''


    Euan was shocked to learn everything he knew about ''Gray'' was wrong.


    Honestly, he already knew Gray''s rtionship with the Regis n. He discovered it recently and admitted feeling angry about it. It was one of the reasons he wanted to meet with the Regis Family and demand to know why they hid this fact.


    But after talking to Iulia, Euan calmed down and tried to change his perspective. He came up with a few conjectures, but ultimately, he could only meet with Patriarch Aron to find out the truth.


    After talking to Malek, however, Euan inadvertently found the answers he was looking for. Malek offered to show him the Conve''s findings of Gray''s supposed murder and theft, but Euan declined and encouraged Malek to tell him.


    The truth made Euan despise his father to his very core.


    Though Gray did kill someone, he did not do so intentionally. He did not even steal the artifact which that person possessed.


    The truth was that Gray''s matter became sensational because the person he killed was a man who received the Royal Family''s Legendary tinum Badge. Thetter was awarded the badge after discovering an artifact on which the emperor ced great importance.


    Thete emperor believed that the artifact held great knowledge and, when deciphered, would assert the Royal Family''s rule over the empire for the next thousand years.


    For this reason, when the artifact got stolen by Gray, the emperor was enraged and ordered an extensive manhunt.


    After several years, they failed to find Gray, and the artifact remained lost. Even when they finally discovered Gray''s ''corpse,'' they did not discover any clues on where he had hidden the artifact. In the end, thete emperor died, and when Euan seeded to the throne, he ordered the matter closed.


    But now, Malek actually confirmed that Gray had never stolen the artifact. ording to their investigation, before the night of the murder, thete emperor visited the victim. After that, the emperor left the victim''s house with a very expensive antique.


    The Conve spected that the artifact might be hidden in that antique.


    From this information, Euan more or less guessed that the man might have been murdered by his father and that Gray was only a scapegoat. Of course, this wouldn''t have happened if Gray did not go into the man''s house.


    s, Malek could not tell Euan Gray''s reason. Euan did not insist on it, but that did not mean he had given up. He only decided to put aside the matter about Gray for now and focus on what was most important: how they should proceed from here.


    However, Mannick abruptly stood up before they could continue their discussion. His action immediately drew everyone''s attention to him.


    Mannick stood up because he sensed the Sovereign''s Cradle activated. If its scale had been simr to the ones during the Beast Huntpetition, or the one at Noser, Mannick would not react. However, the scale of the cradle was enormous.


    With a grim expression, Mannick said to no one in particr, "We have visitors."

 Chapter 542 Blitz: Krieg (2)

    When Kyran left Trill, his destination was the Tower of Conve¡ª specifically, where he and True Void warped Mannick and the others.


    Since he was still wearing the army''s uniform and had a mask on, no one paid close attention to him.


    There, Kyran learned that Euan and Mannick were in a meeting with the Conve. Thus, he decided to warp into the conference room.


    When Kyran appeared, he did so discreetly. He did not materialize the void likest time. There was not even a fluctuation in the air when the void opened, and he stepped out. None of the people inside the conference room noticed Kyran. Not even Ste, who would usually react whenever she sensed him nearby, nor Mannick, whose magic was very sensitive to magic energies. Everyone''s attention was directed at the center of the table, which projected a holographic rendition of the empire.


    Euan, Malik, Hugh, and Noir were leading the discussion, while Ste and the others¡ª except for Mannick¡ª voiced their opinions from time to time.


    Kyran did not announce his presence when he heard their topic. Instead, he listened to their discussion in silence. It appeared that they were aware of the anomaly in the Regis Estate. He guessed Mannick might have told them something.


    After learning that powerful mages were arriving at the estate, Euan and the others started to devise a strategy on how they could safely evacuate the Regis n.


    "If we lure Ruin in here, we may have a chance to lead the Regis n out of their estate," Euan was saying while pointing at an area west of the empire.


    As soon as Euan pointed at the map, the projected map responded and zoomed in on the location. It also provides detailed information about the location, including the name, size, poption, businesses, and more.


    Kyran looked at the information and saw the town was called Ravenpass. It was a town surrounded by two steep valleys with a river flowing in the middle.


    Kyran knew the town. It was where the Milfiore Military School conducted theirbat examination in his third year.


    "Ravenpass is the Doylie Family''s private property," Malek said while looking at Euan. "Won''t we implicate them if we lure Ruin there?"


    Euan shook his head, "It is fine. We purchased the Ravenpass from them and are supposed to build a new training facility for the Royal Guards there. But because of the matter about Gray, the construction got postponed. At most, there are only a few guards stationed there. We can easily evacuate them when the timees."


    "But will luring that man be enough?" Hugh asked with a slight frown. "From what we know, he''s a very powerful Magus. If I remember correctly, he is also one of the three outsiders. Though we don''t fully understand what that implies, it is not wrong to think that he is someone simr to the Spirits, correct? He is not a native."


    Mannick sighed inwardly. When he and True Void first appeared before the Conve, True Void avoided saying anything about the Sovereigns. It was not that he could not be bothered to exin but that talking about them might scare them.


    Mannick wanted to tell them the truth about Ruin but was scared the Fates would do something. He had no proof that the Fates had influenced their situation because of his meddling. But the fact that he could sense them watching was enough for him to be wary.


    s, it would have been better if True Void were here to run off his mouth. At least he was not restricted by his identity.


    Euan sighed as he remembered how he epted everything Haylee told him about the three outsiders. She said they were part of her inheritance and would aid her in everything. But now, he knew better. They were not part of the inheritance but her coconspirators. If only he had not been too epting of what his daughter told him, he might have discovered more information about the outsiders.


    "I don''t have information about them," Euan said, addressing Hugh''s remark. "But you are correct. The outsiders are not native to thisnd. Apart from this, their mage level was unfathomable, especially that Ruin. I''ve seen how powerful the Regis Estate''s defensive barrier is, but I will not be surprised if Ruin seeds in destroying it."


    "As far as I can tell, the Regis Estate''s barrier is at least a Saint-tier Array," Noir started, slightly startled at Euan''s words. "If Ruin can destroy that array, I can only imagine how high his mage level is."


    "I can help lure him," Ste suddenly said, prompting the Conve council members to protest.


    "Absolutely not, milord."


    "You must not leave the tower!"


    "Over my dead body."


    "Please do not be rash."


    One after another, the council members said.


    Ste looked at them in exasperation.


    "You know well enough that apart from Kyran, I am the only one who has the ability to keep Ruin in check," she started.


    Her words caused Rivka and the other aides to look at Ste closely.


    Frankly, they did not know who this woman, who was clearly years younger than the other council members, was. They initially believed she was a new deputy or maybe Head Malek''s daughter or something. That was why the other council members were respectful toward her. But it seemed her identity was not that simple.


    On the other hand, Euan and Mannick decided to keep their opinion to themselves. This matter was something the Conve had to sort out on their own.


    "Besides, it is not like I''m going to fight him head-on," Ste argued. "With my magic, I can restrain him. Then it will be easier to evacuate the Regis n¡ª."


    "No," Malek responded with a firm voice. "You did not know this milord, but I only agreed to full cooperation because Kyran assured me he would not ask for your help."


    "Malek¡ª!"


    "No, Ste."


    The rest of the council members could not help but look at Malek in surprise.


    Ste was also taken aback when Malek called her by her name. Malek had never defied her before. Although he asionally disagreed, Ste would have her way in the end. But this time, it was different. He was obstinate and would not back down no matter what.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Kyran, who had been listening in silence, was supposed to step in when Ste suggested luring Ruin by herself. But he lost his chance after the council members expressed their objection.


    With the ensuing silence growing ufortable, Kyran finally decided to step in.


    "There is no need to worry about Ruin."


    Everyone inside looked at Kyran in surprise. They had not sensed his arrival.


    Even Mannick was stunned.


    It should be noted that although he was only an Exalted essence, with his magic''s nature, he would have detected Kyran''s arrival. Mannick was far more sensitive to any change in the surroundings'' magic energies. Even if Kyran warped into the room using minimal magic energy, Mannick would still sense it.


    Ste was relieved to see Kyran and was about to call him when she recalled the incident with Cyneah. She tried to make up for her mistake by asking Malia to transfer Cyneah to Kyran''s room, but looking at him now, she somehow felt it was not enough.


    ''Focus,'' Ste scolded herself and pushed the unnecessary thoughts to the back of her head. She had to focus on the urgency of their situation and must not let her personal feelings distract her.


    Malek frowned at once. From Kyran''sment, he must have arrived a few minutes ago. Why did he keep mum and stay at the back if that was the case?


    Before, Malek could berate Kyran for not speaking as soon as he arrived. However, someone else beat him at it.


    "You rascal! If you are here, speak up at once. Why are you hiding over there?" Sigma scowled at Kyran.


    Kyran only nodded toward Sigma to acknowledge him but did not respond to hisint. Instead, he walked over to where Mannick stood and said, "It''s been hard on you."


    Mannick chuckled, then smiled apologetically, "I don''t want to cause further damage."


    "Toote for that, don''t you think?"


    "True."


    The others looked at them in confusion. Only Euan did not seem perturbed. After all, he witnessed the two talk about things that only made sense to them earlier.


    "Why did you say that about Ruin?" Malek asked Kyran, veering the discussion back on track.


    Kyran looked at him before addressing the rest and said, "Nn is keeping him busy. We need to focus on rendezvous with the rest of my family, then prepare for the arrival of the Sovereigns."


    Upon hearing his words, Malia was the first to react, "Are you saying that the Regis n has already left the estate?"


    Avrum''s face fell when he heard Malia''s question. Obviously, Chairman Malia did not realize the odd thing Kyran had said.


    "Not yet. But ording to ry, they are currently creating a passage underground," Kyran replied and pointed at a spot on the projected map.


    Avrum looked around and was shocked to find that apart from him, everyone else did not seem bothered about the odd thing Kyran mentioned.


    The map reacted to Kyran''s action and erged the spot he pointed at. It was a barrennd west of the Regis Estate. And if one looked at the area close to it, one would notice it was at least five hundred kilometers away from Ravenpass.


    "So we''ll still go to Ravenpass," Noir nodded. "Very well, we will set up a defensive array there and have¡ª."


    "Argh! You guys!" Avrum burst in exasperation.


    Everyone looked at him in confusion.


    "Is it just me who noticed Kyran saying something ''odd''?" Avrum demanded while clutching his head and looking at Kyran. Without waiting for the others to ask what he was on about, he added, "Who did you say is going to arrive?"


    Kyran looked at him and, without a change in his expression, replied, "The Sovereigns."


    It was then that they recalled this bit. However, it was not that they did not notice it because most of them have. But the matter about the Regis n was their priority.


    Or at least, that was what most of them believed.


    "Sovereigns?" Malek repeated while also looking at Kyran in confusion.


    "To be honest, I don''t think it is good for you guys to know about them. But I also don''t want to see you act recklessly because of ignorance."


    Sigma scowled after understanding Kyran''s inference.


    "Oi¡ª."


    "Let him continue, Sigma," Noir stopped Sigma before he could say more. He knew Kyran would not say things like that for no reason.


    The discussion that followed became a real eye-opener for all of them.

 Chapter 543 Blitz: Krieg (3)

    Gael emerged from a shadow of a giant oak tree a hundred miles away from Trill. The tree was located in the deep part of the forest, separating the west of the empire from the center.


    As soon as he appeared, he spat a mouthful of blood and fell face-first on the ground. Hisplexion had turned deathly pale, and his breathing came in short gasps.


    Because of Kyran''s ''controlled'' punches, several of Gael''s lower ribs had been shattered. This exined why he had difficulty in breathing. Apart from this, most of his internal organs were beaten to ck and blue.


    With great difficulty, Gael got up slightly and crawled toward the oak tree''s thick roots. The action nearly made him lose consciousness. After a gruelling five or more minutes, he finally reached the tree root and leaned on them.


    After catching his breath, Gael took out two high-gread healing potions and downed them. Then he closed his eyes and rxed his body to let the potion circte in his bloodstream properly.


    Truth be told, it was quite a feat for Gael to survive after receiving such a ruthless beating from Kyran. He even managed to activate his Shadow magic''s Shadow Travel ability, and escape.


    But Gael knew better. He had a feeling that Kyran held back his punches. After all, Kyran''s goal was not to kill him immediately but to torture him to death.


    If Kyran did not hold back, Gael would have died after a couple of punches.


    Apart from this, Gael had devoured several army soldiers. With their magic energy and stamina greatly boosting his own, Gael managed to withstand Kyran''s punches.


    Unbeknownst to Gael, while Kyran did hold back, if his control of the Draconic magic''s energy in his body deviated even a little, Gael''s body would have exploded.


    When Gael''s body absorbed more than half of the high-grade potions'' effect, his bones finally started to mend by themselves.


    As soon as he could move again. Gael went back to the Royal Army''s HQ.


    It was quite unfortunate that Gael could not see the huge golden hovering in the sky. If he did, he would definitely not go back to their HQ.


    *


    Although Ruin was feeling indignant toward Nn, he could only reign in his emotion after seeing the Sovereign''s Cradle in the sky.


    Nn immediately struck a palm out toward a nearby fissure in the sky.


    ck, gold and silver particles suddenly converged above. It was then followed by crackling sounds, as they closed out the fissure.


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed after seeing Nn''s action.


    It was impossible for a mage, apart from the ne''s Sovereign to fix fissures caused by another being from outside the ne. After all, these fissures were distortions in the ne''s zone, which only a Sovereign could ess. They were not physical cracks that anyone could fix.


    Once again, Ruin could not help but scrutinized Nn. Then again, they were in the Human ne, which was known to be very special.


    What was impossible in other nes might be possible here. Nn was a living proof of that. In other nes, there could only be one Sovereign. If a ne''s Sovereign was close to their death, it was only then that the ne would birth a new Sage that had the potential to be a new Sovereign. However, the Human ne''s Sovereign was clearly still alive, but it already had a Sage.


    ''But where is the Human ne''s Sovereign? Why has he not show up and fix the cracks himself?'' Ruin wondered as he sat cross-legged in midair while watching Nn worked on the fissures in the sky. ''Simply relying on the Sovereign''s Cradle to fend other Sovereigns is impossible.''


    CRACKLE! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Thunderous sound reverberated above as more fissures appearedpared to the ones Nn had fixed.


    Suddenly, an ominous aura leaked out from a three meter thick by eight meter long fissure in a distance. As the aura leaked out from it, the fissures around connected with it, elerating the speed at which the fissure expanded.


    "This is getting f*cking annoying," Nn muttered through gritted teeth. He summoned more Elements to deal with the huge fissure.


    "Oi, c*cks*cker, don''t just stand there!"


    Ruin raised his brows and said with a scary-looking innocent eyes, "''I''ll help you hold back those three,'' is what I proposed. I never said anything about preventing them from entering."


    "You f*cking c*cks*cker. Wait until I get my hands on you and I''ll skin you alive!"


    Ruin erupted inughter as he looked at Nn in amusement, "You know some interesting words. Do you always give other people such interesting petnames...."


    His voice trailed off as his skin began to crack. Instantly his expression turned ugly as he red at Nn.


    "F*ck. That''s right, I don''t need to free my hands to skin you alive," Nn continued, a rune on his neck glowed bright blue. "I only need to rouse the rune I ced into your body."


    "You really dare...!" Ruin growled, his magic energy erupted at once.


    In the next second, he struck a punch toward the biggest fissure in the sky. A beam of red light shed out of his fist, and shot through the fissure.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The ominous aura leaking from it retreated at once. It was then followed by a guttural roar from the other side.


    Apparently, the Sovereign who emitted that aura got hit by Ruin''s attack and got pissed off.


    "Wait until you leave this ne," Ruin growled at Nn. "I''ll show you how I skin humans alive."


    Nn snorted, "Go f*ck yourself."


    While the two were busy keeping the three Sovereigns out of the Human ne, while also threatening each other, more and more people had noticed the anomaly in the sky.


    None of them could see the golden. But they could see the fissures. It was hard not to see them as they have blotted almost half of the sky. Apart from this, the cracking noise they made was deafening, it was hard to miss.


    Those who could see the fissures were not limited around Meliora''s vicinity.


    All small and medium cities around could see the fissures. With the Meliora closer to the northern part of the empire, most of the people who noticed the fissures were from there.


    At an ancient castle in the north, three female mages wearing cream-colored robes rushed inside the south tower. Stiched on the back of their robes was an emblem of the Aureole faction, several swords in a circr formation, the tip of their des facing outward like a flower.


    "Lady Olivia," the three mages knelt on one knee as soon as they entered arge hall.


    Standing close to the window was none other than Olivia, who had been observing the Sovereign''s Cradle since earlier.


    "How''s the situation in Noser?" Olivia asked without looking at the three mages.


    The female mage in the middle raised her head and looked at Olivia. She replied, "Our people stationed there had just send in their update. When they received news about the fissures appearing in Meliora, and saw what they looked like, they confirmed that a simr fissure had appeared in Noser. Which is why they strongly believed the mastermind behind the surprise attack in Noser is not from the north as initially reported. "


    Olivia frowned after hearing about the fissure in Noser. If it was a simr fissure with the ones in Meliora, then the Sovereign''s Cradle must have appeared there as well. Unfortuantely, ordinary people could not see it, thus, she was unable to confirm it.


    "When did the fissure appear in Noser?"


    The female mage looked at the other mage to her right. The mage on the right stood up at once and delivered a white recording orb.


    "They had transported a recorded feed of what happened. Judging from the sky, it was close to dawn when the fissure appeared in Noser."


    Olivia took the white orb and inspect its content with her magic sense. Her brows furrowed when she saw the recording was somewhat distorted. The distortion was not caused by a malfunction in the recording orb but a veil. Since the person recording the orb had no knowledge of the world outside the Human ne, it only showed things that the person could understand.


    However, Olivia was different. Soon, the distortion in the recording vanished and she saw the Sovereign''s Cradle in the sky. Soon after, a huge finger trying to enter through the fissure. It was then followed by an image of a young man in ck punching the fissure.


    When Olivia saw the young man, her eyes widened in shock.


    ''This young man... could it be...?''


    When the three female mages saw Olivia''s surprised expression, they could not help but nced at each other.


    "Lady Olivia?"


    Olivia took a deep breath before returning the recording orb to the female mage. Thetter bowed in respect before receiving the orb. She then returned to the other two mages and knelt.


    "How is Noser now? The army dispatched more people there, correct? Have the Temr Code made a move?"


    The female mage in the middle shook her head, "The Temr Code has remained silent. It is unknown if any of their leading figures are present. But if they are, it is impossible for them not to make a move."


    "It is under normal circumstances. However, they had only received a huge blow after the Shaiha Ruins got destroyed...." Olivia''s voice trailed off as she recalled the information her people found regarding that incident. Once again, the young man in the recording shed in her mind.


    Somehow, she had an inkling that all of these events were tied together.


    "As for your other questions, Lady Olivia," the female mage continued. "Apparently, the battle in Noser escted, resulting in the army retreating to Trill."


    "To force the army to retreat... Who is it?" Olivia asked no one in particr.


    The three mages could only look at each other in wonder.


    After a few seconds of silences, Olivia finally made up her mind as she said, "Prepare my chariot. I want to see the current situation with my own eyes."


    "Yes, Lady Olivia."

 Chapter 544 Blitz: Krieg (4)

    Olivia and the three female mages left the south tower and went straight to the main hall.


    The chariot had been prepared and was waiting outside the main hall''s entrance.


    Upon reaching the main hall, Olivia stopped in her tracks after seeing a tall woman in golden armor standing at the bottom of the stairs. Seven female mages wearing the same cream-colored robe as the three mages with Olivia stood respectfully behind the woman.


    "Lady Lauren," the three mages with Olivia also stopped and bowed respectfully at the woman.


    On the other hand, Olivia did nothing and only looked at the woman indifferently.


    The woman they called Lauren raised her head before pulling up the visor of her armor''s helmet.


    Beautiful light brown eyes met Olivia''s green ones.


    "It is the wee hours. Where are you heading to?" Lauren asked her. "Something big is happening in Meliora. It is best not to wander off alone at this time."


    "I could ask and say the same to you. Where did you go that you have only returned now?" Olivia replied and sized up Lauren''s full-body armor. "You''re even geared for battle. I almost thought you went to Meliora to stir trouble."


    Lauren shrugged, "I am the Head. It is only natural that I gear up when I leave because there is no telling when the assassins from other factions wille knocking on my door."


    "For someone overly cautious about getting assassinated, you sure love to go out. Not to mention, stay out for a long time," Olivia replied with a smile that did not meet her eyes.


    That said, Olivia resumed descending the stairs and ignored Lauren.


    One of the seven female mages with Lauren spoke disapprovingly, "Lady Olivia. Please know your ce."


    Olivia stopped and looked a the mage, "Right back at you."


    "That is enough," Lauren said with a sigh. Without looking at Olivia, she continued, "What happened to Master is not my fault. When will you ever believe me?"


    Olivia only snorted in response before moving on. The three female mages looked at Lauren uneasily but ultimately followed Olivia.


    Lauren heaved another sigh before saying out loud, "A letter requesting a meetup came this morning."


    Olivia ignored her and kept walking.


    "Initially, I want to ignore it. But included in the letter was a disc that appeared to have a simr feat to a memory orb," Lauren continued, even when thetter appeared uninterested. "Interestingly, the disc recorded an image of a medallion with the same design as our faction''s old one."


    Upon hearing thest part, Olivia finally showed some interest and stopped.


    Sensing Olivia had stopped, Lauren turned around and looked at her, "I epted the letter''s request and agreed to meet that person, which is why I left."


    Olivia frowned as she turned to look at her, "I don''t care where you went¡ª."


    "The sender initially wanted to meet you."


    Olivia''s frown deepened after hearing that, and she growled, "You dared read a letter meant for me? Need I remind you that though I am not actively participating in the Aureole''s affairs, I am still a Deputy Head? You may be the Head, but you have no right to poke your nose in my business."


    "That medallion is simr to Master''s keepsake. I can''t ignore that person''s origin¡ª."


    "I don''t want to hear your excuses. Tell me what that person wants."


    Lauren shook her head, "I don''t know."


    "Lauren¡ª."


    "Let me finish," Lauren hastily added when Olivia hissed at her angrily. Without waiting for thetter to calm down, she continued, "That person did not show up. We searched the vicinity but ultimately failed to find anyone."


    "Where''s the letter?" Olivia demanded.


    Lauren looked at the mage who had spoken out to Olivia. The mage bowed respectfully before taking out a rolled-up parchment from a pouch tied around her waist. She went to Olivia and offered the parchment.


    Olivia took the parchment before saying, "And the disc?"


    The female mage hesitated and looked at Lauren.


    "Give it to her," Lauren told the female mage.


    The female mage reached inside her pouch and reluctantly took out the disc.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Olivia snatched the disc from the mage''s hand without waiting for her to offer it. Then she red at Lauren onest time before turning to leave.


    The three mages with her followed suit.


    Lauren let out a defeated sigh as she watched Olivia and the three mages walk out the door. She knew how much thetter med her for her mother''s illness. But she really had nothing to do with it. All she could do was prove her innocence through action. Going after the letter''s sender was something Lauren believed to be showing her sincerity because she guessed that the person who sent that letter was another one of those people who wanted to take advantage of Olivia''s weakness.


    Lauren believed that the person wanted to extort Olivia by offering a cure for her mother''s illness. It had happened in the past. That was why Lauren wanted to protect Olivia from those types of people.


    "Send some people after them. Report to me if something happens," Lauren ordered one of the female mages with her.


    "Yes, Lady Lauren."


    The mage left, and the other five followed her.


    Only the female mage who had spoken out earlier remained. She bowed her head at Lauren and said, "Lady Lauren, what about that matter?"


    Lauren furrowed her brows when she heard the mage. She shook her head and walked up the stairs.


    "I''ve already given my reply. I will not meet her. Do not broach that matter again."


    The female mage lowered her head further before replying, "Yes, Lady Lauren. Please forgive myck of judgment."


    Lauren waved her hand dismissively and left without saying a word.


    s, if she had nced back at the female mage, she might have seen thetter''s piercing gaze.


    Olivia left the castle with the three female mages. Now and then, she would gaze out the window of the chariot to look at the sky.


    The Sovereign''s Cradle was still there, and the booming crackling sounds continued as more and more fissures appeared.


    Seeing the fissures made Olivia anxious. She leaned back and grasped the small disc in her hand. True to what Lauren had said, it showed an image of an old medallion. But unlike Lauren, who only thought it looked simr to her mother''s keepsake, Olivia knew it was the same. After all, she left that medallion to her essence in the Tower of Tribtion.


    Recalling the image of a young man punching the huge finger in the fissure from the memory orb sent by their people in Noser, then this letter, Olivia was starting to consider her initial guess that the fissures in Meliora and in Noser were rted. And both incidents were rted to the person her essence had met in the tower''s special ce.


    Ever since she recovered her essence''s memory of that young man, Olivia had been waiting for thetter''s visit. Unfortunately, more than a month had passed, yet she had not heard from him.


    Now that she had, it seemed something big was about to happen.


    *


    With more people witnessing the fissures in the sky, more factions had begun dispatching their members to investigate. Some medium-sized factions, who had people in Meliora, were already in the know about the army''s reserves, leaving the main headquarters and heading west.


    Those who knew about the fissure incident in Noser started to specte that the army''s movement and the fissures were rted.


    Soon, news came to the few factions around Meliora stating that Bo and Esme led thest batch of reserved soldiers. While they were surprised that two known figures in the army had personally led these soldiers, that was not the most crucial news. What got these factions reeling in excitement and, at the same time, in fear was the destination these soldiers went to.


    Apparently, Bo and Esme had marched south of Meliora, not west.


    This immediately made people believe that the army had received an update regarding Gray and was on its way to taking him into custody.


    However, these factions received an anonymous report stating that Gray remained atrge and the army was not dispatched because of him.


    This made most factions scratch their heads trying to figure out the army''s destination. To the more experienced leaders and veteran members of these factions, however, they soon figured that the army''s destination was the Regis Estate.


    With this in mind, they immediately organized a team to check if this was true.


    Not long after these factions made their move, however, they received another anonymous report stating that the incident in Noser had escted, and the army stepped in. What was even more surprising was that the one who led the army was none other than Grand Marshal Gael.


    *


    Somewhere in the west, a figure was floating above the sky.


    The figure wore full-body armor, and on his hand was a trident that emitted a very oppressive aura.


    This figure was none other than Tritus. And he was looking at the sky ahead, which was continuously riddled with fissures.

 Chapter 545 Blitz: Krieg (5)

    The anomaly in the skies of Meliora had reached the nearby cities. The city lords, along with the city guards, had already gathered, preparing for any emergency.


    All factions who sent out a team to take a closer look at the location where the fissures had originated, were also waiting for an update. At the same time, they sent out orders to each of their branches near Meliora and its surrounding cities, to prepare for the worse case scenario.


    At the Royal Army Headquarters in Meliora, the remaining personnel and soldiers staying there were on edge. With only a few High Masters supervising them, they were at a lost of what to do.


    These High Masters knew they had to investigate the cause of the anomaly. But none of them possess a clearance high enough to dispatch soldiers. Even if one of them had such clearance, there were already less than a third of the original number of soldiers left in the headquarters.


    Army protocol stated that in any given situation the number of soldiers stationed in the army headquarters in Meliora must not go lower than thirty thousand¡ª the same number staying there at the moment. This number was to ensure the army could respond in emergency situations such as surprise attack, unexpected cmity etc. that might befall the capital of the empire.


    Although the anomaly could be considered an unexpected situation, it could not be considered a ''cmity.'' At least, it had only brought disturbance in the sky and had not done any damage.


    While the remaining soldiers in the headquarters were mulling over this fact, the noble families led by the Boyd Family had already sent a few of their members to retrace the tracks Lira and the others had taken.


    It had been a few hours¡ª more than three hours to be precise¡ª since Fiona had reported to them and so far, there had been no word of their progress.


    On one side, the Lumley Family called for a meeting with the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families after the incident in the Courtenay Land. Although what happened there had not spread yet, with the news of Noser''s fall, they believed it would only be a matter of time before the whole empire would fall in a state of unrest, especially when the identity of the perpetrator was revealed.


    Unfortunately, only a couple of elders from the Courtenay Family and a young representative from the Montgomeray Family, attended the meeting. This infuriated the Lumley Family who had their Patriarch and some of their Elders present.


    In any case, the Three Noble Families agreed to form a group consisting of their most promising and talented mages to investigate.


    When the group was formed, Mimi and Zuri led the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families respectively. The one leading the Lumley Family was udias, the female representative whose Fire magic manifested the legendary beast Pheonix.


    With these three young women leading the investigation, the leaders of each family believed they could produce result faster than the other factions. Frankly, the Lumley Family was only worried of the Conve getting hold of crucial information before them.


    Meanwhile, the Lumley Family secretly dispatched another group. The objective of this group however was to keep an eye on the Conve''s movement. Leading this group was none other than Tobias, with Matias following his lead.


    The attack in Noser and the anomaly in Meliora had not reached the farther cities in the east, south and west regions of the empire. As a matter of fact, a different situation happening there, which mainly affected the Royal Army. Details of the situation was yet unknown to the public, however, there were already rumors stating that the situation involved the army''s supplies.


    In Kilead Town, a small town south of the empire, two figures¡ª one big one small¡ª in a ck and white hooded robes walked down the market ce. Since it was still a few hours before the sun rises, the streets were quite empty. Only a couple of locals preparing their stalls were awake and was moving about. Nevertheless, they did not pay attention to the two figures walking down the middle of the street.


    After walking for some distance, the two figures finally arrived at the town''s north gates. However, when they passed through the gates, none of the sentries looked at them. It was as if they did not even notice the two passing by.


    As the two figures went to a secluded part of the forest outside the town, the smaller one took out a dark purple disc before examining the surroundings.


    "It should be here somewhere. Let''s split up and find it."


    The bigger one only grunted in reply before going to the left.


    These two, were none other than Max and Reuben. They hade to this town after receiving Kyran''s coded message telling them to return and meet up. As to where they would meet up, thetter had not told them. Instead, he instructed them toe to Kilead Town and find a remnant array outside the northern side of the town''s forest.


    Apparently, there was an old transportation array there that they could use to go to the ce where Kyran would meet them.


    Reuben knew Array theories. However, knowing the theory behind an Array was different from understanding it. Thus, he did not know how to create arrays, much less revived an old one. He told Kyran this, and was assured by thetter that the array would activate if they used the purple disc he gave them. Reuben did not know how such a small disc could revive an old transportation array. But it did not matter, since he had no way of understanding the logic behind how Kyran''s magic work. At the very least, Reuben knew the disc in his hand was made of Void magic.


    Ten minutester, Max called Reuben after finding the said array.


    When Reuben met up with Max, his brow did an involuntary twitch after seeing the array.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    There was nothing ''old'' about this array. Even if he only knew Array theories, he could still recognize a recently created array. And the array before them was one.


    Max was also uncertain about the array, which was why he called for Reuben to check it. They only needed to check if the disc Kyran gave them would resonate with the array.


    Actually, the ''old'' transportation array Kyran mentioned was not that old. He only said that because ording to his ''time,'' he created that array five years ago. In real-time though, he only created it two to three months ago. It was the transportation array he created to help the Chamber of Commerce transport materials to the Tower of Conve.


    Reuben moved at once. He roused his Sigil''s mark and inserted some of his magic energy in the dark purple disc before cing it at the center of the array.


    The disc emitted a light purplish glow as soon as it touched the array. Soon after, the array responded and also emitted a faint purple light.


    "Well, it seems this is really the array he talked about."


    "Hm," Max grunted in disbelief.


    "Let''s go then."


    As the two stepped inside the array, the faint purple light enveloped their bodies. Soon, the dark purple disc at the center began to spin. Slow at first, then faster by the second. There was a sudden sh, and in a blink of an eye, the two, including the dark purple disc disappeared.


    Fifty meters south of the Tower of Conve, Kyran stood at a small clearing. On the ground before him was an array formation.


    The array formation was actually one of the transmission points connected to different transmission arrays that each of the Conve constituents had in each of their buildings. Normally, this array would only connect to one point. But after Kyran made a small modification, it could now serve as a receiving point of any transportation array he created. Of course, this was only under the premise that the person using the transportation had a dark purple disc.


    A fluctuation appeared on the array formation and Kyran felt the back of his hand where the Sigils'' mark turned warm.


    Soon the array formation glowed and with a sh of purple light, Max and Reuben appeared.


    The moment the two regained their bearings and adjusted their eyesight, their mouth fell open in shock.


    They were not shock to see Kyran meeting them, but of the thing they could see behind him.


    A few meters from where they were standing, Max and Reuben could see a tower. As they were part of the Temr Code''s Elite Team, they were privy to information on other factions. Because of this, they recognized the tower behind Kyran.


    "You.... this ce...." Reuben started but failed to properly convey his words. Though Kyran already told them about his connection with the Conve, he did not think he would have them appear in their homeground!


    "Don''t space out, we''ve got things to do," Kyran told them and turned.


    "Wait, aren''t you going to exin first what..." Reuben''s voice trailed off as he caught sight of something in the sky.


    Max had noticed it first given his height, and his expression turned grim.


    "What in the world is happening here?"


    Kyran looked back at them. Seeing both of them looking at the sky, he also gazed up. His eyes flickered with emotion as he looked at the fissures.


    No.


    He could not call them fissures anymore because a huge jagged hole had already tore up the sky.

 Chapter 546 Blitz: Krieg (6)

    Nn''s light blue eyes shed as he spread his arms, palms open wide, and roused his magic. Different colored elements sprang from the ground and formed three gigantic spears that flew toward the jagged hole.


    Ruin waved his right hand at the spears. His red eyes glowed with intense light, and his magic energy flew out of his outstretched arm. The magic energy turned into red lightning before circling the spears and reinforcing them.


    A guttural scream, seemingly done by an ancient beast from the abyss, sounded from the other side of the hole. The sky shook, and a terrifying beam of grayish-green light shed through.


    The moment the grayish-green beam and the spears had made contact, the space between them crackled. Terrible magic fluctuations tore the surroundings, sending out a thunderous sound.


    The Sovereign''s Cradle, which hung over the jagged hole, emitted a sanguine light and quickly smothered the grayish-green beam.


    A deafening roar filled with anger sounded from the other side of the jagged hole. As if the one who fired the beam got angered by the timely action of the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    With the removal of the grayish-green beam, the gigantic spears filled with red lightning energy pierced through the hole sessfully.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Powerful sts could be heard from the other side, and Nn and Ruin saw different colored shes of lights radiating from the hole.


    Nn''s brow furrowed slightly while trying to observe the spears'' movements with his magic sense. However, he failed to sense anything. As a matter of fact, the moment the spears passed through the Sovereign''s Cradle and into the jagged hole, he could no longer perceive them.


    It was not that surprising. The other side of the hole was not an extension of the Human ne, nor was it part of another ne. It was the very cosmos where all nes coexisted.


    In any case, although Nn lost control over the spears, they continued targeting the Sovereigns.


    Meanwhile, Nn wondered why the three Sovereigns had not attempted to enter the Human ne now that there was a massive hole in the sky. Sending essences to attack him and Ruin was now possible, but the three Sovereigns remained outside and only unleashed powerful, concentrated magic attacks.


    Unbeknownst to Nn, it was not that the Sovereigns stopped their attempt to enter the Human ne but that the Sovereign''s Cradle had already imprinted their magic signatures, preventing them from moving beyond it.


    Unless they could destroy the Sovereign''s Cradle, they would not be able to advance through the hole.


    Nn looked at Ruin, who hovered cross-legged in midair. With a slight frown, he said, "Oi, are you nning only to reinforce my magic and not push them back head-on?"


    Ruin looked at him with raised brows, "Your ne''s Sovereign is already doing a good job at it. Why should I do something so troublesome?"


    Nn was slightly surprised to hear his reply. It was not that he underestimated the might of the Sovereign''s Cradle. However, from what he knew, the cradle could only reduce an outsider''s mage level and magic output, preventing them from unleashing powerful destructive attacks that could easily destroy the ne''s bnce.


    Nevertheless, Nn was sure that the cradle alone could not hold back the three Sovereigns. It would only be a matter of time before it got overwhelmed. Maybe it would even get destroyed.


    Just thinking of the possibility of the Sovereign''s Cradle getting destroyed made Nn''s scalp itch. Because when that happened, those three could easily destroy the Human ne.


    Of course, the restrictions on Ruin would also get lifted, and maybe he could finally be of help. But there was no telling if Ruin would keep his word. After all, once his full strength got restored, the mark Nn left on him would no longer work.


    ''If I could reinforce the cradle, it mayst a bit longer,'' Nn thought. But then he frowned in exasperation and cursed, ''Just where the f*ck is the Sovereign of the Human ne anyway? Why won''t that guy show up?''


    s, Nn had yet to know that Azaloth was the Sovereign and that he was still in deep slumber.


    After some thought, Nn finally made up his mind and said, "I''m going out."


    "Take care. I won''t see you off."


    Nn red at Ruin, "You''reing with me."


    A sinister smile appeared on Ruin''s face, and he said, "Are you sure you want me to leave and be freed by the cradle''s restrictions?"


    Nn understood Ruin''s implication. If thetter left the Human ne, he would regain his real strength. At the same time, it would remove Nn''s mark. If Nn also went out, there was no telling if Ruin would hold back the other three or join forces with them and deal with him.


    In the end, Nn only shrugged as he made his way toward the jagged hole. There was no point in dwelling on the matter. Nn knew how much Ruin wanted Kyran. Thus, he was 99% sure that thetter was only spouting empty threats. As for the remaining 1%, Ruin was untrustworthy. With that being the case, Nn just had to be on guard.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    In any case, Nn would not decide on something and put himself in danger. He was confident in his abilities and magic, after all.


    Seeing his words did not affect Nn; Ruin''s smile disappeared. However, his eyes glowed in amusement as his interest in Nn increased.


    ''Looks likeing back here is not that bad,'' he thought.


    Finally, Ruin also moved and went after Nn.


    *


    In a forest near the east border of Meliora, Kyran, Mannick, Max, and Reuben were gathered. Behind them were around a hundred peopleposed of Conve members and Army soldiers.


    Their group would serve as the advance party scouting the situation in Meliora.


    As they circled around a town that separated the Meliora from Starhorn City, Mannick suddenly raised his head toward the direction of Regis Estate. He frowned slightly before looking at Kyran, standing a few steps before him. After which, he leaned forward and whispered, "Just now, I sensed Nn and Ruin passing through the cradle''s restriction."


    Kyran frowned after hearing Mannick''s news.


    Kyran knew Nn was a shrewd person and would not do something that would put him at a disadvantage. However, Kyran could not think why Nn would voluntarily leave the cradle''s restriction and even seemed to lure Ruin with him.


    ''Don''t tell me he ns on using thest Transmission scroll to return after sessfully luring Ruin?''


    As soon as he thought this, Kyran rejected it. After all, Ruin could also be considered a shrewd person. He was also a psycho; thus, luring him out of the Human ne was nearly impossible. Even if Nn did seed, Ruin would likely have a way to return.


    Since Kyran could not understand Nn''s train of thought, he put the matter aside.


    Nn was a Sage. Though there was a considerable gap in magic prowess between a Sage and a Sovereign, Kyran believed Nn would not die easily. Even if thetter ended up fighting four against one, Nn had the capability to escape.


    "Are you able to tell what is happening outside that hole?" Kyran asked Mannick.


    Mannick shook his head, "With this body, I can only detect faint activities within the cradle''s area of influence."


    "Let me know if you sense anything more."


    "Alright."


    On another side, Malek and Hugh led quite a number of Conve members and used the transmission array to appear in the basement of the Mercenary Hall. They would wait for Kyran''s update there.


    Kyran was not the only one who had finally made a move.


    Gael, who had yet to return to Meliora, had already received the news of the anomaly after entering a medium-sized city called Mour. After going to the army''s branch in that ce, he also learned the overall situation and could not help but frown slightly.


    It appeared most of the people who had witnessed the attack in Noser believed that an intruder from the north did it.


    Frankly, Gael was unsure if this was good or bad. After all, he had already decided to disclose Kyran''s identity. Unfortunately, because of thetter''s sneak attack, the people who learned of it had all perished.


    ''I have to return to Meliora,'' Gael thought as he decided to visit a small business under a local businessman. The army had granted thetter authority to create a small transportation array in his shop, connecting it to one of his business''s branches in Meliora.


    While Gael was still on his way back to Meliora by utilizing the transportation arrays the army had control over, Tritus had already arrived near Ravenpass by simply flying in the air.


    Tritus was already half-a-step to bing a Legendary, which was why travelling by air at an unbelievable speed was as easy as breathing.


    Tritus circled through Ravenpass and rushed toward the Regis Estate. His gazended on the massive hole in the sky, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

 Chapter 547 Blitz: Krieg (7)

    Only those with first-hand experience of the existence of other nes and Sovereigns could see the golden covering the sky. Logically speaking, Tritus should not have the ability to see them too. However, after bing Kyran''s Sigil, they shared a bond and enabled Tritus to utilize thetter''s abilities.


    It was one of the advantages of bing a Sigil. Of course, Tritus could only share Kyran''s abilities if thetter was nearby. If their connection was too far, it was useless.


    In any case, now that Tritus could see the golden, he knew Kyran was near. He focused on his Sigil''s mark and faintly sensed Kyran''s location.


    But he did not change course. Instead, he continued toward the massive hole.


    At the same time, Kyran also noticed Tritus''s presence, but he did not try to contact him because it was unnecessary. A few hours ago, when the Sovereign''s Cradle activated while he was still in Trill, he sent messages to all his Sigils. Because of this, Max and Reuben returned from the Valley of Morte and rendezvous with Kyran. As for Tritus, Kyran asked him to head toward the Regis Estate, assess the situation, and act ordingly.


    Kyran continued to lead his group.


    Although it would have been easier to warp directly in Meliora¡ª preferably a town near the Regis Estate¡ª Kyran did not do so. He did not want the teams dispatched by the other factions to know of their movement. For all they knew, the Conve and the Royal Army had not yet made any movements about investigating the anomaly. Everyone with Kyran was already dressed differently, but there was no telling if others would recognize them. After all, the people with Kyran could be considered top mages.


    As Kyran and his group sessfully entered Meliora, a loud explosion erupted from the jagged hole. It was then followed by massive shockwaves that swept through thend below.


    Trees were uprooted, and the ground was riddled with deep crevices. If the heart of the explosion had been close to a town, that town would have already been turned to dust.


    The Conve and the soldiers with Kyran paled as soon as the shockwave''s aftershock swept past them. If they had been any closer, they would have been blown away or even died from it.


    "Not good," Mannick said as he looked at the jagged. "The explosion just now affected the cradle."


    When Reuben, standing behind Mannick and Kyran, heard the former''s words, he could not help but size him up before looking at the sky again. On the other hand, Max''s expression turned grim.


    Like Tritus, Max and Reuben could see the golden because of Kyran.


    Kyran did not respond to Mannick''sment. He was more concerned about who caused that massive explosion. But their current situation prevented him from pondering over this question. He had to focus on getting to their destination as stealthily as possible.


    Max''s eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Kyran suddenly.


    A huge shield that looked like a turtle''s shell, except it appeared to be made of scales, appeared on Max''s forearm, shielding Kyran from above.


    Whoosh! Bam!


    A powerful gust of wind circled them, followed by an invisible object that fell from above.


    Instantly, more than half of the people with Kyran fell to their knees and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Those who managed to stay upright did not escape unscathed. Most of them felt a huge weight on their shoulders, and their bones creaked in protest. Their magic barriers could barely protect them.


    Max gritted his teeth. His feet sank a few inches on the ground as he bore most of the brunt of the impact. Every bone in his body creaked, but he endured.


    Mannick grabbed the hilt of the greatsword strapped on his back. His eyes glowed as he brandished the weapon upward. A de beam formed from magic energy shed out and collided with the invisible object.


    ss shattering sounds reverberated above, and a powerful suction force whirled at them, pulling most of them upward.


    Before any of them got pulled up, Kyran raised his hand, his eyes darkened, turning a deep purple and a simrly invisible force enveloped the whirling force. Crackling sounds reverberated and the air distorted. Soon, the whirling suction force disappeared, and everyone affected by it regained their bearings.


    p! p! p!<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Impressive."


    A male voice filled with arrogance spoke amidst the pping sounds.


    Kyran, Mannick, and the others looked up and saw a figure in a dark red hooded robe holding a ck and gold staff hovering above. His robe fluttered gently with the wind as he looked down at them. They could not see the person''s appearance because it was hidden under his oversized hood. However, from the sound of his voice, they more or less guessed that he was a middle-aged man.


    "I have been told toe here because he said I will meet someone interesting," the man continued speaking in a very rxed way. "I never expected to find more capable humans."


    Mannick and Max''s expressions turned solemn upon hearing the man''s words.


    From how he addressed them as humans, it was obvious he was not from the Human ne. They also noticed the man''s unfathomable mage level. Apart from this, his rxed attitude spoke volumes. It might appear as if he was looking down on them and did not bother putting up his guard. But the truth, he showed no openings.


    Proof of this was Reuben not making any move. The truth was he had already hidden his presence in the dark and was waiting for the moment the enemy showed himself to deliver a lethal strike. Unfortunately, when the man appeared, Reuben failed to find an opening for him to exploit.


    Kyran observed the man. Though his expression remained indifferent, he was actually shocked. After encountering different things during his training, few things could shock him. But this man indeed shocked Kyran because he did not sense his arrival. As a matter of fact, he still could not sense the man''s presence. And if the man had not openly addressed them as ''humans,'' Kyran would have thought the man was human. But if this was the case, could he be an essence by one of the Sovereigns outside? More importantly, how did he enter without Mannick sensing it?


    The rest of the people with Kyran, who managed to regain their bearings, were also reeling at the man''s words and attitude. First of all, to these people, existences like Malek, Hugh and even Gael were the pinnacle of allbat mages and pure mages alike. Even without unting their magic pressure, these three had an imposing aura about them. However, the man before them was different. He had this unfathomable aura about him, making him equally or far more scarier than Malek, Hugh and Gael.


    Secondly, the man calling them ''humans'' shook them to the core. As far as they were concerned, non-human existences but had the appearance of one could be found among the Spirits.There was another cause that only appeared in legends.A legendary beast achieving a certain level of their evolution and could change their appearance. But thetter was impossible. Because for a legendary beast to achieve that level, they had to be at least a thousand years old.


    It was quite easy for these people to think this way. After all, they had no knowledge of other nes, which made it hard for them to understand the concept of other non-human having human appearances.


    The man''s gaze swept at Mannick, then to Max before finallynding on Kyran.


    "You managed to counter my magic attack without exerting any aura. Do you have it, too?"


    Kyran did not respond. He only looked at the man without showing any emotions.


    But that did not mean he was not considering the man''s question.


    What did he mean by ''having'' it, too? If Kyran considered what the man said before asking that question, it was easy to understand that he was talking about the ability of making one''s aura invisible- or to be precise, undetectable- but Kyran was not doing it on purpose. It was all thanks to the Shaiha that his magic attack and his presence did not emit any aura.


    A thought crossed Kyran''s mind and he frowned slightly.


    The man was not talking about the Shaiha, was he? That should not be the case, because Kyran already had the Shaiha.


    Kyran recalled something he had read about mages in other nes trying to replicate what the Shaiha could do. Could this man possess something like that?


    Kyran felt an iing headache. Unexpected things kept happening that he could barely keep up.


    All he wanted was to save his n, why were there so many things cropping up each time, making such a simple thing turn into plicated andplex matter?


    The man chuckled after failing to incite a reaction on Kyran. He then said, "No need to worry your little head. If I really wanted to kill, all of you would have died from that strike. I only came here for one thing."


    The man''s voice turner solemn as he continued, "New Dark Sage, are you interested in making a deal?"

 Chapter 548 Blitz: Krieg (8)

    "Not interested," Kyran t-out rejected the man''s proposal.


    On the other hand, the rest of the people with them were looking at Kyran in disbelief. They were surprised by thetter''s blunt response, but that was not the reason behind their reaction. Instead, it was how the man called Kyran.


    The truth, all of them did not know Kyran''s identity. They only knew that the Conve and the Emperor decided to help him because he was from the Regis n. Although Kyran''s feature was different from that of a Regis (he had worn the face-altering mask and had used Nar''s image when he had faced everyone), they knew that the Regis n took in disciples each year and that all of them ended up staying and bing official members. Because of this, the Conve members and Army soldiers never doubted Kyran''s identity.


    In any case, the Head of the Conve and the Emperor did not persuade everyone to help. They agreed willingly after knowing Kyran''s circumstances. Apparently, the Royal Army and the Royal Family, particrly the Crown Princess, conspired against them.


    Emperor Euan exined that he did not know the Crown Princess''s ns. But after some turn of events, he discovered the truth and decided to stop them.


    Basically, the Emperor wanted to save the Regis n.


    Coincidentally, Euan and Kyran met, and from thetter, he discovered that the Conve had a very good rtionship with the Regis n and wanted to help.


    Most of the Conve members and Army soldiers could rte to Kyran''s situation, which was why they were here now.


    But what did the man call Kyran just now? And why did thetter respond without denying how the former had addressed him? Moreover, the people with Deputy Marshal Mannick did not bat an eye.


    Could it be Kyran was really the new Dark Sage?


    Thinking back on how he easily countered the man''s attack, could that be the infamous Void magic?


    The man chuckled at Kyran''s blunt response. Seemingly, unconcerned by thetter''s attitude, the man replied, "Don''t be in a hurry to reject it. I''ll give you time to think it over. After you resolve the Human ne''s situation, I wille back."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He was not interested in what the man had to say, nor would he be interested after resolving the matter in the Human ne. But Kyran was toozy to say this. Since it was the case, then there was no point in talking.


    With that in mind, Kyran disappeared and reappeared before the man. His dark purple eyes had already turned reddish-purple, with the pupils turning into silver slits.


    With one arm extended, Kyran grabbed the man''s face. A thinyer of purple light covered his palm.


    When the purple light touched the hem of the man''s hood, it disintegrated. However, thetter vanished into thin air before Kyran could touch his flesh.


    "It seems you dislike talking. He did say you are a man of few words."


    Kyran spun around, intending to hit the man who seemed to have appeared behind him with the back of his forearm. However, Kyran hit nothing but air.


    "It''s futile. Once I use my magic, you will not be able to touch me."


    Kyran''s eyes shed. A purple sphere expanded from within him, forming a full barrier around him.


    The man let out a yelp before chuckling and said, "As expected. When I said what I could do, you used your magic''s nature to regain the upper hand. This is how you countered my invisible attack earlier."


    Kyran dispelled the Void sphere as hended on the ground. He observed his surroundings while following the man''s voice. Void short des appeared behind him and aimed at a spot seven meters away.


    Seeing Kyran''s movement, Max dashed and summoned two beasts that looked like mutated bats. Both let out sonar attacks that shook the surroundings.


    "Tsk," the man clicked his tongue. Distortion appeared in the space where Kyran had aimed his short des as the man''s silhouette appeared.


    Mannick also made a move and dashed toward the man''s silhouette spot. He leaped and raised the greatsword above his head before cleaving it downward. Concentrate magic energy shed out from the greatsword''s de and sted down.


    "RAA!"


    The man''s invisibility was affected by the mutated bats'' sonar attack. His silhouette could be seen as he jumped back and evaded Mannick''s attack.


    As soon as he jumped back, a ck figure appeared behind him with a dagger in his hand.


    After waiting for a long time, Reuben finally saw an opportunity to attack. He shed at the man''s silhouette from behind, aiming at thetter''s neck.


    Just as Reuben''s dagger could touch the man''s silhouette, thetter released his magic pressure, forcing Reuben, the mutated bats, Max, and Mannick back.


    Kyran jumped and aimed his right hand above the edge of the man''s magic pressure. A thin purple light appeared, forming a purple veil around the area where the man''s pressure had expanded. He aimed to contain the man''s attack and try to destroy him.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    But then the manughed as cracks appeared on the purple light before shattering. It was followed by an eruption of magic energy that instantly forced everyone to their knees.


    "Gah!"


    Most of the people with Kyran spat out a mouthful of blood as they fell to the ground.


    Kyran, Mannick, Max, and Reuben managed to hold their own, but their body still felt the powerful force from the man''s pressure.


    "I did say that I don''t have the intent to kill. If I did, all of you would all be dead," the man said with a powerful and oppressive tone.


    His every word sent ripples in the air that seeped into their bodies, rupturing the blood vessels of thosebat mages and mages whose constitutions were too weak.


    "I am the Sovereign of Dusk, and I am an existence that cannot be seen and touched easily."


    Kyran gritted his teeth and summoned a huge purple ring above.


    "Enough, Dark Sage."


    As the man spoke, the world plunged into darkness. Or at least that was how it seemed to them.


    "Let us not burn the bridge before crossing it, Dark Sage," the man''s voice echoed in the darkness. "I admit it is I, who attacked first, but I am only trying to confirm your identity."


    Even after being plunged into darkness, Kyran did not lower his guard. He continued to observe his surroundings and find the man''s location. He was aware that the world did not really fall into darkness but that all of them entered the man''s domain.


    Nevertheless, without grasping the man''s magic, Kyran would not know how to deal with it. He initially wanted to gather some information by attacking him. But the man''s movements were too hard to see, literally and figuratively speaking.


    The man''s aura was also concealed, making it hard to determine what type of magic energy was responding to his magic attacks.


    "I am the Sovereign of Automa''s colleague, and he said you know each other. A good friend."


    "I don''t know any Sovereign," Kyran denied at once.


    If he really knew a Sovereign and they were ''friends,'' would he even have a problem dealing with the current situation in his n? While Sovereigns could not meddle in the affairs of their own ne, they were not bound to that in another ne. Even if that ne already had a Sovereign, their mage level would be restrained at most. But if a battle happened, and they took it outside the ne, there would be no cradle to restrain their levels.


    The man chuckled and said, "No. Of course, you don''t. He is a new Sovereign. But before he was known as the Sovereign of Automa, he was known as Loar."


    Kyran''s eyes constricted after hearing this. Yes, he did know Loar. He met that guy in the Tower of Tribtion''s special ce. Thetter was a tform master who excelled in automatons. He was also excited to learn about Kyran''s Void magic.


    Kyran had a good impression of Loar, but unfortunately, that was not the case with his colleagues.


    "From the look in your eyes, you do know him," the man remarked in amusement. "I had doubts, but now I can confidently say this trip will be fruitful."


    ? "If your words are true about Loar, release your domain."


    "I will, as long as you swear not to do anything rash."


    "Release it, or I will do exactly that."


    "I may have said I came here with no ill intent, but that does not mean I will be gracious."


    "Is that so."


    "I know the situation in the Human ne demands your attention, and I don''t really want to take up much of your time. So let us¡ª! Oi! What are you doing!"


    Kyran''s eyes had already turned dark purple as his magic sense spread throughout the darkness. Soon, reddish-purple cracks appeared everywhere.


    "Even if you are a Sovereign, currently, you''re in the Human ne. At most, you''re only at Legendary level. And Legendaries can''t stop me."

 Chapter 549 Blitz: Krieg (9)

    "Tsk," the man clicked his tongue and released his domain before Kyran could destroy it. True to what thetter had said, his domain was only at a Legendary level because of the cradle''s restraining effect. Because of this, if someone with a simr mage level or higher were to destroy his domain, he would definitely receive a bacsh¡ª something he could not afford at the moment.


    A bacsh from a destroyed domain could be fatal. If he wanted to escape the Human ne''s periphery without ident, he had to be in top shape. Else, if other Sovereigns ambushed him, it could spell trouble to all his nes.


    After the man released his domain, Kyran roused his magic and created a Void barrier around the Conve members and Army soldiers. The only ones who remained outside the barrier were him, Mannick, Max, and Reuben.


    The three stood behind Kyran. Though thetter was in front, the three''s stances could easily make them react to any sneak attack that woulde at Kyran.


    The space ten meters in front of them distorted and soon revealed the hooded-robed man.


    "Loar did not mention your temper," the manined through gritted teeth.


    "You hurt my people," Kyran said coldly. "Being Loar''s colleague doesn''t exempt you from receiving what was due for hurting them."


    Besides, there was a small chance that this man was not telling the truth. But Kyran decided to give him the benefit of the doubt since no one else knew he and Loar had met apart from a selected few. There was no way this man would know about Kyran if Loar had not told him personally.


    The man did not respond, and though they could not see his expression because of his oversized hood, it was easy to sense his displeasure.


    After a short pause, the man finally spoke, "You are clearly not a Sovereign, yet your mage level is unfathomable. It should be because of that, right?"


    Instead of answering the man''s question, Kyran diverted the topic by asking one of his own, "How did you enter the Human ne?"


    The man pierced his staff on the ground and leaned on it while crossing his arms across his chest. "Loar said you''re quite a stingy person. I don''t really understand it at first, but I think I do now. You don''t like answering other people''s questions and prefer to do that instead¡ª asking questions."


    If Nn or True Void had been there, they would have agreed to the man''s remark.


    Kyran did not respond. He only looked at the man with a straight face.


    When the man failed yet again to incite a reaction in Kyran, he heaved a sigh before lifting two fingers.


    "There are two universally known ways of entering a ne that is already upied by a Sovereign without triggering the cradle''s appearance," the man started.


    "First is if a native from the ne ''called'' for that Sovereign," he paused as if trying to think of a simpler analogy. In the end, he said, "You can consider it as the native ''summoning'' the Sovereign. In any case, thetter''s strength would still be restricted. However, the Sovereign''s Cradle will not ''appear.''"


    [That is how the Crown Princess called for Ruin and the others.]


    Mannick''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    Without looking at thetter, Kyran nodded slightly in acknowledgment.


    Frankly, he already guessed as much. White Lily also mentioned in passing that there was enormous magic energy within the Winfrey Ancestral Lands during the Crown Princess''s Inheritance Ritual. It even manifested and shot up to the sky. White Lily felt that the concentrated energy was not part of the ritual. But she could also be wrong because of all the rituals she had witnessed; it was the first time it happened, and it was also at a time when someone seeded. That energy light might have indicated that the inheritance had finally found its sessor.


    After hearing the man''s exnation and Mannick''s input, Kyran felt that the beam of light was probably a signal the Crown Princess sent to call for Ruin.


    "The second one is through a rift that appeared on a ne, which connects it to a different ne. Of course, the premise is that the rift had been there before the ne birthed its Sovereign."


    Kyran frowned at once. He remembered one of the things he wanted to do after infiltrating the Royal Family was to find the location of the rift that appeared a thousand years ago between the Human and Lignum nes.


    Initially, Kyran guessed that the rift was in the Valley of Morte. He reasoned that the energy leaking out from that rift might have caused the beasts in that valley to mutate. His father''s essence also exhorted him to close that rift before it posed any threat. In any case, in the oft chance that the mutation in the valley was not because of that rift, or if that rift was connected to a different ne, Kyran wanted to check the Royal Family''s archive.


    "From these two, how do you think I entered your ne?" The man asked Kyran in a teasing manner.


    But Kyran was not in the mood to y along and replied with a question, "What''s the third way?"


    "Didn''t you hear me? I said there are two¡ª."


    "¡ªuniversally known ways of entering a ne," Kyran cut the man midsentence and repeated what he said. "You wouldn''t have said ''universally'' without reason. Besides, I can think of another way, but I want to hear your answer first."


    "It''s not wise to be a ''smart-ass,'' Dark Sage."


    Instead of replying with words, Kyran summoned several purple spheres around the man.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Threatening another Sovereign is also a big NO."


    Kyran raised his left hand but stopped short when the man disappeared again.


    Mannick, Max, and Reuben immediately observed the surroundings and tried to determine where the man had gone again.


    "Let''s just say you''re ''third way'' is the correct answer."


    The man''s voice echoed in every direction, and it was hard to determine his exact location.


    Kyran did not move and simply looked at the spot where the man had just been.


    "I don''t think you can do anything about it."


    "Maybe. But at least it gave me an idea about some things."


    The man chuckled and said, "You''re annoying and have a very bad temper. However, I find you interesting. Let us meet again."


    By then, the man''s echo sounded faint. As if he was already a distance away.


    Kyran lowered his hand and willed the purple spheres to hover around them just in case.


    "A piece of advice, Dark Sage."


    The man''s voice spoke once again. However, it was already too faint and seemed to flow with the wind.


    "The Sovereigns outside are part of the Radical Order. They aim to revolutionize theing War. You have to be wise in choosing your allies. Anyhow, that Sovereign of Ruin is not part of any order. However, he is a loose cannon. It is best not to associate with him. You are wee to join us, though. Let''s meet again."


    After a few minutes of silence, Kyran and the others deemed that the man had really left. But the things he said was something they could not ignore.


    Especially to Kyran. After hearing the man mentioned a ''war,'' he recalled how the Soul Emperor seemed intent on amassing her own army. Could it be that she was preparing for that? But what exactly happens in that war?


    Max and Reuben nced at each other and saw the confusion reflected on each other''s eyes. The conversation between Kyran and the man left a deep impression on them. It even forced them to change how they perceive the things happening around them. It was as if a new door had been opened to them and they they had barely glimpse the vast expanse on the other side of that door.


    "Do you know anything about what that man was talking about?" Kyran asked Mannick.


    Mannick shook his head and answered, "Soon after my original self advanced, he fell into a deep slumber. My original self barely had time to create an essence that will watch over the Human ne."


    Max and Reuben looked at them, their expression slightly distorted. Most would not understand the context of their conversation. But after what they had learned from the man, and the talk about Sovereigns and the like, Max and Reuben had more or less filled in the gap and managed to get the gist of what transpired between the two.


    But understanding it did nothing to their sanity. As a matter of fact, it left them reeling in shock.


    It seemed, the rumored ck sheep Deputy Marshal of the Royal Army had a much higher and likely important existence in the world¡ª or should they say the ''Human ne?''


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He now had a better understanding of what was happening. At least, some of his questions had been answered.


    But as his understanding of the overall situation finally took form, the more he also realized the truth of Can''s reasons for not resenting the previous Soul Emperor.


    Her ways were evil, but she did it for something much noble.


    At least, that was what the Soul Emperor believed.


    Nevertheless, Kyran had a different take on it. Regardless of the reason, what the previous Soul Emperor did was massacre.


    Now, the new Soul Emperor was trying to do the same thing. There were slight differences, but basically, instead of indiscriminate killing, she chose genocide.


    ''And the target of her genocide is likely my n,'' Kyran thought, his expression turning colder.

 Chapter 550 Blitz: Krieg (10)

    Styx and his team continued sabotaging the army''s supplies in every city. They had sessfully infiltrated and destroyed four army storages in the east going south of the empire. After this, they went to their fifth target in the empire''s southern region.


    Having sessfully destroyed four army warehouses, the army could no longer becent. They were aware that their enemies were targeting them. Still, they had yet to identify which faction was after them and could only tighten their security while dispatching people to investigate.


    Some of their people went to check on the bandits, while others searched for the rebels. There was also a chance that the ones targeting them were local noble families and forces or small to medium factions. Thus, the army leaders sought their cooperation in guarding the warehouses. By doing so, they could also keep an eye on them.


    With the help of the noble families and local forces, they tightened the security of their warehouses.


    The additional security put Styx and Dante in a spot. Because of their tall height andrge frames, others would easily spot them even if they used stealth spells. Left with little choice, they decided to let the other members do the infiltration while they secured their escape routes.


    Styx and Dante had them separate into three smaller teams, with one Array Specialist each. Each of them targeted a warehouse, with Styx and Dante ensuring the escape route of the two teams. As for the third team, they only said that Neo¡ª or rather, Tyr¡ª would be enough to ensure both. Since Owen and Hamish also agreed to Styx and Dante''s notions, the rest of the members did not argue. Frankly, they never intended to argue. After all, they had all heard about Tyr''s unbelievable feat during the Lumley Family''s attack on the cksmith Order and the recent Joint Military Exercise with the Military.


    The three teams did not encounter any problems entering the army''s warehouses. Even when the security had increased, and all kinds of Array formations were ced around the army''s headquarters, it was not hard to decipher the formations and bypass them because of Owen and Hamish. In the first ce, those Array formations were created by the cksmith Order''s Array Specialists. If they could not decipher them, they would not be able to show their faces in front of the order.


    As for Neo, since he was posing as Tyr, and his identity was Noir''s disciple, deciphering those arrays were already a given.


    Although there was a risk that the army would suspect the cksmith Order to be involved in the attacks if the intruders could decipher the array formations, that was the least of their worries. Besides, even if they suspected the cksmith Order, by the time they decided to do something about it, the situation in Meliora, particrly in the Regis Estate and in Noser, would have already reached the southern region or might have already escted. When that happened, the Conve would not feign innocence to protect their neutral status. As Chairman Hugh said, since the Mercenary Hall agreed to ept Kyran Regis''s employment request, it meant that they were willing to go down with him as their patron. Apart from this, the request had been approved by the Head of Conve and the Lord of the Tower.


    In one of the army warehouses, Neo and the rest of the mercenaries with him had already entered its vicinity. However, only Neo entered the warehouse to ce the explosives.


    It was not because Neo was worried the mercenaries with him could aplish the task. He had no emotions, to begin with, and was acting only ording to the best course of action he determined after calcting all the probabilities. In any case, ording to his calctions, he had a higher percentage of aplishing the task and leaving the warehouse in the shortest time possible.


    <We received an update from Leader Styx and Vice Leader Dante>


    Neo''smunication device sounded in his left ear. Hismunication device was modelled after the Courtenay Family''s four-leaf clover earing, except it was a in metal stud.


    After hearing the update from one of the mercenaries with him, Neo replied in a hushed tone, "I''m also done. Let''s meet at point C. If I don''t arrive in ten minutes, proceed as nned and rendezvous with the others."


    <Copy that, Disciple Tyr.>


    <


    >


    <<<We''ll see you there.>>>


    All three mercenaries with him replied one after another.


    The pupils on Neo''s aquamarine eyes shrink before expanding, making a slight whirling sound. Soon, his vision reflected all information inside and outside the warehouse as he scanned his surroundings. He checked the array formation written within the walls while also observing the situation outside.


    Outside, six army soldiers marched around the warehouse in a double file, with three soldiers each. Four mages on nearby towers observed the warehouse from four different cardinal directions.


    Earlier, Neo managed to approach the warehouse by exploiting the blind spot on the east side. After which, he made use of the warehouse''s array formation to conceal himself as he climbed the walls and entered through a lone window above.


    However, Neo could not use the same route because the Array formation outside the warehouse differed from the inside. If he exited through the same window, the Array would activate and trap him inside. Of course, he could change the calction on the formation, but that would take quite a lot of time. Something that they did not have.


    Neo checked all the entrances and confirmed that only the west entrance had no trigger forms. The north entrance had a lightning trigger; the east had a sound rm, and the south entrance would trigger a trap that could instantly transport anyone to a cell inside the army''s underground prison.


    After processing all this information, Neo straightened and unhesitatingly went to the south entrance.


    When the patrolling soldiers turned a corner, Neo walked in front of the south entrance and touched the door.


    If this had been any other day, the formation''s south trigger would activate, and the small transportation array on the ground would light up. After that, the person or people standing on the transportation array would be sent to the army''s underground prison.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    However, nothing of the sort happened when Neo stood in front of the door. The transportation array did light up, but he was not sent to the underground prison. He easily exited the door and once again used the formation outside the warehouse to conceal himself and avoid the watchful eyes of the mage watching the south entrance through the nearby tower.


    The reason behind this was simple. When Neo checked the trigger form of the south entrance, it only targeted ''living things.'' It was very specificpared with the other triggers of the others.


    Neo was a puppet. To others, he might already be considered a ''living thing;'' however, without flesh and bones, the array could not determine that. The array only detected that Neo was an object with mechanical parts.


    When Neo was at least fifty meters away, he activated the devices he nted inside, and the warehouse exploded.


    At once, the soldiers guarding the warehouse fell into disarray. The other representatives from the local noble families, local forces and small to medium factions also appeared.


    But Neo did not stay to watch. He immediately left the army branch headquarters and went to where he and the others had agreed to meet.


    "Well, look who we have here."


    A youthful and haughty voice suddenly spoke as Neonded on the street outside the army''s headquarters.


    Information shed through Neo''s brain as he found a match to the voice''s frequency.


    Neo''s eyes narrowed as he straightened and looked to his left.


    "Matias."


    Matias grinned as soon as Neo called his name.


    "Deputy Marshal Ingrid is right. She said you would be here," he said with a smile that did not meet his eyes.


    The information on Deputy Marshal Ingrid shed through Neo''s brain, and he frowned at once. As far as he knew, the former was still in the Courtenay Lands. As a matter of fact, it should have been the same with Matias.


    How did he end up in the southern region? Neo and the others could only do this after receiving the new transmission scrolls from his master. Could it be that the Lumley Family also possessed a transmission scroll?


    But based on the information in Neo''s data bank, only the Regis Family knew how to make one because it required their blood. To be more urate, it required the blood of a Regis member who had taken a drop of the dragon''s blood.


    Or, could it be that they possessed a relic that enabled them to travel at a distance in such a short time?


    As for the matter regarding Ingrid. How did she know that he would be here? Had she anticipated their move? Or did someone tell her?


    Matias''s smile vanished as he saw Neo''s indifferent expression.


    The truth, Neo was still processing the situation. Thus, his expression had turned nk.


    Apparently, his nk expression appeared indifferent in Matias''s eyes.


    "You still wear that expression," he said through gritted teeth. "I hate it when you look at me like that."


    Neo finally reacted to Matias''s words. He raised his head and said, "Oh, sorry. For a moment, I forgot you were there."


    "Why, you little b*stard!" Matias growled at once. Red magic arrays appeared all over his body as his body burst into mes. A ming roc also appeared behind him that pped its wings while letting out a loud cry.

 Chapter 551 Blitz: Krieg (11)

    ''For a moment you forgot I was here? How long has it been since I spotted you, you b*stard!''


    Matias waved his hand, and the zing Roc behind him flew toward Neo. It let out a mighty howl and left a trail of deep red mes that instantly turned the surroundings into a fiery scene.


    Neo took out a short wooden staff from his storage space. He grabbed its shaft as several light yellow magic arrays of different sizes circled it. In a blink of an eye, the shaft increased in length.


    Neo whirled the now one-and-a-half-long wooden staff vertically in front, and it emitted a faint light gold light. A translucent golden barrier materialized before him seconds before the zing Roc closed the distance.


    The zing Roc collided with the translucent barrier and exploded into deep red mes, smothering Neo in one fell swoop.


    Matias dashed forward without even checking whether Neo survived the zing Roc''s attack. As he passed through the trail of deep red mes that the Roc left behind, the mes that covered his body turned a deeper shade of red, further enhancing the power of his Fire magic. In just a few seconds, the color of his mes changed into a shade of red violet.


    If others could see Matias, they would probably think that his mes got an upgrade and entered the highest me level that was said to have only existed in legends, the purple mes of hell. However, those who had personally seen the purple mes of hell would know that it was still far from it. After all, the purple mes of hell could easily reduce everything on its path to ashes, while Matias''s mes could only leave deep burnt marks in the surroundings.


    Red magic arrays circled Matias''s forearms, and two ming gauntlets materialized, covering them. He unleashed a one-twobo, releasing powerful ming beams at the spot where Neo had been.


    Seven orbs flew out from the sea of mes and went toward Matias. They surrounded him and formed a seven-sided star.


    "I''ve already seen that move before!" Matias growled. "Don''t think your move will work on me twice!"


    The mes on his body erupted, breaking the seven orb''s formation as they swerved out of the mes'' range.


    "Really? I remember hitting you more than twice using my staff."


    Matias''s eyes widened as he looked up.


    Inches away from his head was a huge head of a hammer hurling down at him. He barely raised his forearms to block the iing attack before it hit him square on the head.


    "You b*stard!"


    The mes on Matias''s gauntlets erupted, seemingly intent on turning the hammer on Neo''s hand to dust.


    The hammer emitted a faint golden light, rendering the mes useless.


    Matias''s eyes constricted after seeing his enhanced mes do nothing to the hammer. He had heard that during the Solo Competition between the Conve and the Royal Army, ''Try''s'' staff had been confirmed to have already received a sentient. But Matias refused to believe it. In his opinion, the army only gave an excuse after being defeated by a mage with a lower mage level. Not to mention, his innate magic was only a support type. Seeing how his mes could not even touch it, Matias was at least 70% convinced that the staff might really have gained its own sentient.


    But how old was ''Tyr''? How did he manage to upgrade his weapon''s level? As far as they knew, mages needed at least twenty years to gain weapons'' sentient.


    That was not all. Matias only realized that Neo looked perfectly fine after getting smothered by his enhanced mes!


    ''Damn those enhanced coats of the order!'' Matiasined through gritted teeth. In the end, he could only curse at Neo''s fire immunity to the cksmith Order''s uniform.


    Light yellow magic arrays circled the hammer''s head. It then grew in size, and its weight increased by a second.


    "Ngrgh!" Matias gritted his teeth as his knees buckled and his feet sank a few centimeters on the ground. "You and your annoying staff!"


    Red magic arrays circled Matias''s gauntlets, and two small zing rocs flew out. They went after Neo, who was suspended in midair while holding his hammer.


    Neo released one of his hands that were holding the hammer''s shaft. He gestured toward the seven orbs, and they flew toward him while emitting a faint golden light. The orbs doubled and whirled on each side of Neo. Light golden lights connected the seven orbs, forming the heptagon sides. Then the light spread in the middle toplete a heptagon-shaped barrier.


    The heptagon-shaped barrier whirled, and the small zing roc mmed on them.


    A small explosion urred, which was then followed by a shockwave.


    Neo was forced to jump back from the explosion, but the two heptagon-shaped barriers shielded him from the front to reduce the impact of the explosion''s shockwave.


    Matias also jumped back, crossing his forearms to protect his head from the shockwave.


    As Neonded on the ground, his sensors sounded after detecting several iing attacks from all sides.


    ''One, two, three... seven different magic attacksing from different directions,'' Neo processed the data his sensors had detected and made a move.


    The original seven orbs doubled again, instantly increasing the number of orbs circling around him to 21. Neo waved his hand, and the 21 orbs formed into three groups, forming a triangr barrier. After which, they scattered and blocked the iing magic attacks.


    At the same time, Neo scanned the magic energy from these seven attacks and looked up his database to find a match.


    Before he could receive the result, another attack came from above.


    Neo failed to react on time.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    To be precise, he was unable to react because the range of this attack was too huge, and his processing capability could not deduce his next course of action in a short time.


    BAM!


    Neo fell to his knees as the gravity around him multiplied. Based on hisputation, the gravity within fifty meters of his surroundings had multiplied seven-fold.


    If Kyran had not used the best materials when he created his puppets, Neo would have already been ttened.


    "We are not here to y around, Matias."


    Neo''s eyes contracted as he recognized the person who had just spoken. In his eyes, the information on Tobias appeared.


    And written under Tobias''s information was a priority code. In case Neo encountered Tobias, Kyran had input a priority to escape code on its system.


    Matias scowled as he looked up. But he did not refute and undid his magic immediately before standing straight.


    "Yes, cousin Tobias."


    Tobias looked down at Neo as he flew down from above.


    Neo remained on his knees. The 21 orbs were also stuck on the ground, and no matter how much magic energy he drew from the surroundings and into the orbs, they were still unable to rise.


    Tobiasnded two meters from where Neo knelt. A haughty smile formed on his lips as he walked slowly toward thetter.


    The increase in gravity did not cause his slow movements. After all, he was immune to his magic''s nature. He only wanted to relish the sight of ''Tyr'' kneeling before him and was taking his time.


    "Ah... How I love the sight of you kneeling."


    With great difficulty, Neo looked at him.


    Seeing Neo''s indifferent expression, Tobias felt a little peeved.


    Like Matias, Tobias also hated how ''Tyr'' always wore an unfazed expression. As if nothing could deter him, and even when he was in a bind, he would emerge as the victor in the end.


    The two had no idea Neo''s expression was his default face. Besides, he was currently assessing the situation and was forming a n to execute Kyran''s escape code. After formting several ns, Neo rejected them because the probability of sess was below 30%.


    Frankly, his requirement for a sessful escape was not many. He only needed to escape in one piece. Getting injured was out of the question. Apart from getting injured meant exposing what his body was made of, recing the ''injured'' body part would likely make his master go ballistic.


    If Matias and Tobias joined forces, there was a bigger chance that Neo would end up with a destroyed limb or two.


    Left with no good option, Neo opted for the safest route: stall for time by gathering intel.


    "You two are not supposed to be here," Neo started.


    Tobias sneered at him and responded at once, "Nor are you. And yet here you are."


    Based on Tobias''s reply, he appeared unaware of the situation in the army''s warehouses. But there was also a chance that he was feigning ignorance.


    "How did you find me?"


    Matias scowled, "Trying to stall for time? It''s useless. Even if you call for others, they cannot help you. My cousin is an Exalted; even if your masteres to save you, he is only a Grand Master. In front of my cousin, he is nothing."


    "I never expected you to say those words to the person whom you wanted to be your master."


    "Shut up! Since he did not take me, I don''t care about that old man!"


    "Do not let him rile you up, Matias," Tobias warned him with a slight frown. Then he looked at Neo and said, "There is no point in talking. Sleep."


    He flicked his hand, and a talisman flew out of his hand andnded on Neo''s forehead.


    The talisman glowed green as it activated.


    What happened next left Matias and Tobias to look at Neo in disbelief.


    The talisman''s Sleep spell would have affected even an Exalted mage. However, the spell did not seem to work on Neo!

 Chapter 552 Blitz: Krieg (12)

    "What¡ª?" Tobias looked at Neo with wide eyes. A thought crossed his mind, and his expression turned ugly.


    Before he could say something, Matias screamed at Neo in disgust.


    "Y-You... You lied to us, did you not? Y-You are not a Master mage! Y-You hid your true mage level!"


    "..."


    "..."


    Neo and Tobias looked at Matias, speechless.


    "Matias¡ª."


    "An Exalted would have been affected by that spell!" Matias continued spouting in disgust. "Y-You are already a Magus, aren''t you? No wonder I can''t get the upper hand! You have advanced your level but you did not gain a two-level advancement! You broke through the Magus level! Did you have fun bullying those below you? You b*stard?"


    Neo looked at Matias with an incredulous expression. As a puppet, his expressions and emotions reflected what his programming deemed appropriate in his situation. And currently, his programming deemed Matias''s assumption absurd and regarded thetter as aplete idiot. No wonder his master could not be bothered to take this person seriously.


    His master will only lower himself if he strikes an idiot.


    "Stop talking, and do not interfere for now, Matias!"


    Tobias could no longer tolerate Matias''s bbering and flicked his hand. Two talismans flew out of his sleeves and went toward Matias. Thetter did not even have the chance to react as the talismans stuck to his forehead.


    "C-Cousin Tobias, what are you¡ª?"


    Matias''s shock was cut short as the talismans lit up and activated. His eyes rolled, and he fell unconscious to the ground instantly.


    One of the talismans was a protective spell created with Tobias''s magic, preventing Matias from being harmed by the Gravity magic''s nature. While the other was a Sleep talisman, simr to the one Tobias threw at Neo.


    Neo watched them in silence. He approved of Tobias''s decision to silence Matias; else, thetter might spout more nonsense that would overload Neo''s processor because of its absurdity.


    Tobias turned his attention to Neo.


    "You are not Disciple Tyr, " he said through narrowed eyes. It was not a question but a statement.


    Initially, he had no doubts that the person before him was ''Tyr.'' With Deputy Marshal Ingrid''s mark ability, it was impossible to miss her target.


    Going back a few hours ago, after the meeting that the Lumley Patriarch organized with the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families, he had a private talk with Deputy Marshal Ingrid.


    It took a while to convince thetter he had no ulterior motives in approaching her. In the end, the Lumley Patriarch swore allegiance to put Ingrid''s doubts to rest. Only then did she tell him, along with a few Lumley elders, the truth.


    Just recalling what they learned sent chills up Tobias''s spine. After all, the appearance of a new Dark Sage was a matter they could not take lightly.


    After learning of the truth, the Lumley Patriarch ordered Tobias to keep an eye on the Conve. Because he had an inkling that thetter might have already made contact with the new Dark Sage, and with the Lumley Patriarch''s foreshadowing ability, they could not ignore his instinct. Apart from this, they were bothered by what Disciple Tyr had said to Emperor Euan after a chunk ofnd from Nosernded in the Courtenay Land. Tyr sounded as if he was already aware of the new Dark Sage''s existence.


    Ingrid agreed with the Lumley Patriarch''s n. Thus, she used her mark ability on Disciple Tyr. This ability enabled her to monitor Tyr''s movement. While she could have used it on one of the Conve Council Members, Ingrid chose Tyr because he was also someone the Crown Princess needed to ensure her ns seeded. In any case, the Conve had ced great importance on Tyr, so there was a big chance that following him would let them learn more about the Conve''s intentions.


    Ingrid also gave Tobias an additional order; if the situation turned at an unpredictable course, he was to detain Disciple Tyr and bring him back to her.


    It was then that the Lumley Patriarch realized that Deputy Marshal Ingrid had been eyeing their family''s cooperation right from the start. Because only they had the ability to follow someone and bring them back in a short period of time without arousing suspicion.


    To be more precise, the Lumley Family heirloom had that ability.


    The Lumley heirloom is a relic that can only be used by a pureblooded Lumley blessed with high-level Fire magic. Currently, only two people in the Lumley Family can use it; udias and Tobias. The three Magus in the family are not qualified, even if they have improved their Fire magic to the highest level they could reach. Because,pared to them, udias and Tobias''s mes have manifested as two of the top fire legendary beasts; the Roc and the Pheonix.


    The relic had the ability to travel from one location to another in a short period of time. It was not teleportation, nor was it the infamous ''warping.'' It was because the relic could record a location and have its wielder open the door to that ce whenever he wanted.


    With the Lumley Family heirloom, Tobias could have Matias use it and move around the empire as long as the location they wanted to go was recorded in it.


    In any case, that was the least of Tobias''s concerns. After all, the Disciple Tyr Ingrid had used her ability on was not the real one.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Unlike Matias, Tobias already guessed why the talisman did not work. Considering what Disciple Tyr was good at, it was easy for Tobias to guess that the one before him was not a real human. After all, talismans would only work on living beings.


    "You''re a puppet," Tobias finally said, still feeling a little hesitant. Frankly, though he had guessed the identity of this ''Tyr'' before them, he was having trouble epting it.


    As far as he knew, puppets'' movements were a little clumsy and, at times, predictable. However, the one before them was not. Tobias was even convinced thetter was really Disciple Tyr.


    Neo''s eyes constricted as he processed Tobias''s words. An action code appeared on his system, and after scanning through it, he sighed dismally and said, "Ha... master will be mad at me for failing."


    Tobias''s eyes widened because ''Tyr'' had started to stand as he said those words. It was as if thetter was not affected by the Gravity magic''s nature.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    Lightning-like magic energy fluctuations appeared on Neo''s body as he straightened up.


    ''Not good!'' Tobias thought and immediately made a move.


    A threeyered enormous magic array appeared above them as the gravity around Neo multiplied tenfold.


    The crackling sounds on Neo''s body intensified.


    "Executing Emergency Action Code: Destroy. Do not leave any witnesses."


    Neo''s eyes turned reddish-purple as his energy core''s magic output changed.


    "No¡ª!"


    Tobias waved his hand at once, willed the unconscious Matias toward him, and flew out. Now, he regretted forcing Matias to sleep. They could have escaped in an instant if he had been awake by using the relic.


    The magic energy in the surroundings surged into Neo''s energy core. Then he released a powerful magic pressure that sent out shockwaves in the surroundings.


    BOOM! CRACKLE!


    The immense pressure from the shockwave shattered the threeyered magic array Tobias created.


    "Guah!" Tobias spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving the bacsh of having his magic array destroyed. He was so focused on escaping that he forgot to release his magic array.


    No, that was not entirely correct. He did not forget it. He had believed his magic array could restrain ''Tyr'' for a few minutes until he could escape with Matias.


    Neo''s reddish-purple eyes locked on to the escaping Tobias and Matias.


    "Target, escaping. Activating, warp ability."


    Neo''s energy core whirled with purple magic energy that filled every point on his body. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Tobias.


    Tobias''s eyes widened as soon as Neo appeared. In that instant, time seemed to have slowed around him as a thought crossed his mind.


    Tobias was hailed to be the most intelligent member of the Lumley Family. If he had been born in the Patriarch''s line, he would have been a candidate to be the next Patriarch. s, he might be from the main family, but the one born directly under the Patriarch''s line was Matias.


    At that moment, one could say that Tobias was the first one to realize the truth about Disciple Tyr''s identity.


    Because of this, he had to survive no matter what!


    Tobias''s eyes turned dark violet as he released his magic pressure. When Neo paused to protect himself from receiving the magic pressures'' raw energy, Tobias summoned two magic arrays on both of their backs. Two two-meter diameter ck spheres appeared from within the magic array behind them.


    Like a huge ck hole, a powerful suction force came from the two spheres, pulling both backward.


    Neo''s eyes narrowed as he realized what Tobias had done.


    By utilizing the suction force of the ck spheres, Tobias seeded in distancing himself from him.

 Chapter 553 Blitz: Krieg (13)

    Neo tried to move his body but could not shake off the ck sphere''s suction ability behind him.


    The energy core within Neo was created using the Ancient Teaching of Void Magic. It had the ability to absorb any type of magic energy in the surroundings and convert it into a specific type. The conversion was something Kyran had input within the energy core separately. The converted energy would differ if a certain code were activated in the puppet''s programming.


    For example, every time Neo''s energy core absorbed the magic energy in the surroundings, it would be converted into the magic energy of Strengthening magic. The same concept was applied to Kyran''s other puppets. Because of this, if there were a mage who had the ability to read another mage''s magic energy, Kyran''s puppets would not be found out.


    Currently, Neo''s program has started the emergency action code: Destroy. This meant that the magic energies it absorbed were being converted to Void energy. Nevertheless, Neo was not Kyran. He was still a puppet and could not use Void Runes. Thus, he could only use the Void''s warp ability and certain nullifying effects against other types of magic attacks. It was because of thetter that Neo could move around Tobias''s increased gravity attack.


    However, the suction ability of Tobias''s magic was far more powerful than the increase in gravity. Thus, Neo was unable to nullify it at once.


    Seeing Neo being restrained by the ck sphere, Tobias immediately released the ck sphere behind him before escaping in the opposite direction.


    Neo''s eyes narrowed as they followed Tobias. His energy core whirled, giving out the same purple color energy before he disappeared.


    Tobias felt something cold creep up the back of his neck. It was the same feeling when he knew danger wasing. By reflex, he turned around while leaning his head to the side. As he did, a light shed and grazed the side of his neck. Tobias''s eyes widened as he realized that the light was actually a spear''s de. It would have pierced him if he had not leaned his head to the side.


    The moment Tobias identally evaded Neo''s sneak attack, thetter did not stop his movement. He swung the wooden staff-turned spear horizontally, aiming at Tobias''s neck.


    Tobias might have been stunned by Neo''s sneak attack, but it was not enough to make him lose his head. He ducked the moment he saw Neo''s wrist shift slightly and barely dodged the spear''s de. A two-meter diameter magic array appeared beneath Neo, and the gravity inside its range multiplied, forcing him to a stop.


    Without waiting for Neo to recover his bearing, Tobias took out a teleportation token from his storage ring and crushed it, instantly gaining a ten-meter distance.


    Neo whirled the spear in his hand and mmed it on the magic array on the ground. Purple-colored magic energy erupted from the bottom tip of the spear, destroying the magic array at once.


    "Guh!" Tobias spat out a mouthful of blood after his magic array got destroyed but chose to endure. He took out two more teleportation tokens and a scroll before crushing one of the tokens.


    When Tobias crushed another token, Neo had already leaped forward with the spear raised above his head. His reddish-purple eyes shed as he disappeared and reappeared above the spot Tobias had teleported before striking the spear downward.


    BAM!


    The spear''s de hit the ground, leaving a deep crack on thetter''s surface from the collision. Unfortunately, Tobias had used the second token before Neo''s spear could hit him, and he had already teleported another ten meters away.


    Without looking in the direction where Tobias had teleported, Neo''s eyes shed again, and he disappeared.


    By this time, Tobias had already activated the scroll in his hand, and a two-meter diameter golden magic array appeared above his head and beneath his feet. After which, he summoned several small ck spheres around him.


    The moment Neo appeared in front of Tobias with his spear in the motion of cleaving his side, the ck spheres'' suction ability activated, restraining the former''s movement.


    With narrowed eyes, Tobias said, "Did you think I would only passively escape? I''ll be taking you with me!"


    Neo''s eyes shed. However, before he could warp away, the golden magic array activated, and a blinding light enveloped them.


    In a blink of an eye, they disappeared. No one would have known they had been there if not for the aftermath they had left behind.


    A few minutester, Styx and Dante appeared. Both wore grim expressions as they surveyed the surroundings.


    Seeing the scorched ground, remnants of activated magic energies, and telltale ofbat before them, it was easy to guess that a battle had happened not long ago.


    "We''rete," Dante said with a deep frown.


    "Tsk," Styx clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    When all of them had met at the rendezvous point, and Neo had not appeared at the agreed time, both already had a bad feeling. Especially Styx, who knew what Neo was.


    Fortunately, he and Dante had experience in tracking and was able to find Neo''s tracks.


    Unfortunately, they were stillte.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Do you recognize the aura from the magic energy?" Styx asked Dante.


    Unlike Dante, Styx was an Abjurer and had little knowledge of sensing another mage''s aura. On the other hand, Dante, although he was a new Master mage, was an Elementor. They both had Earth innate magic, but Dante could also use Fire magic. It was not wrong to ask for his opinion in this regard.


    Dante looked at the mes with narrowed eyes, "No. But judging from the color and intensity of the mes, it is of a high level."


    He fell silent for a second as he recalled something and said, "The color of the mes... It is simr to udias."


    Styx scowled and shot him a look, "Huh? Are you sh*tting with me?"


    Dante''s brow twitched as he looked back at Styx, "Will I sh*t about this stuff? I know what you''re thinking. udias is part of the team investigating the matter in Noser, that''s why I only said it is simr to hers. Besides, we''ve fought her, so I am quite familiar with her aura. This me is simr to hers, but it is not hers."


    Styx growled in annoyance but did not refute. Dante had a better say on this stuff since he got to fight udias during the teampetition between the Conve and the Lumley Family.


    "Anyway, if this me is simr to hers, then we can narrow down who had designs against Disciple Tyr," Dante added.


    "No, sh*t," Styx replied in exasperation.


    The only ones they knew who could possess high-level Fire magic were from the Lumley Family. And as far as they were concerned, one was still in Starhorn while the other was on their way to Noser.


    Styx shook his head inwardly. His train of thought was a little off. While it was true that they had seen two Lumley Family members using high-level Fire magic during the Joint Military Exercise, it did not mean that there were only two of them. There was a possibility that more of them were hidden among the Lumley family members who had not participated.


    Apart from this, the Lumley Family had a few Magus. They could have mobilized them as well.


    In any case, the Lumley Family had bad blood with ''Disciple Tyr,'' so it was not hard to believe they had reallye for him. But if this was true, it also meant they had been keeping an eye on his movements.


    Since they had followed Neo and not Kyran, they had only started after the incident in the Courtenay Land. Could they have also realized ''Tyr'' was involved in the army warehouse sabotage incidents? Since they knew ''Disciple Tyr'' was proficient in Array and could easily create teleportation arrays, it was not hard for them to be convinced that thetter could move around the empire quickly and infiltrate the army warehouses.


    But this roused another set of questions. How did the Lumley Family track Neo''s movement? How were they able toe here and even catch him off guard?


    What about Neo? Did he get destroyed?


    Just as Styx thought this, he rejected it at once. That was a puppet created by Kyran. It was impossible for anyone to destroy it easily.


    ''So, did they capture him? Why?'' Styx wondered.


    Based on the past actions the Lumley had done against Kyran, they wanted him dead. They would not capture him without reason.


    A disturbing idea crossed Styx''s mind as his expression turned grim.


    ''Did they realize he was not the real Disciple Tyr and took him?''


    It was a possibility.


    Styx took out hismunication device and sent a coded message to Chairman Hugh, exining what happened at once.


    No matter the reason, they could not leave Neo in the hands of whoever had taken him. Even if they were not the Lumley Family, other existences wanted to get their hands on ''Neo.'' Or at least, of what it was.


    "I''ve sent a report to Chairman Hugh. We''ll wait for further instructions on how to deal with Tyr. For now, we''ll continue with the n," Styx said after contemting their situation.


    Dante nodded, "Yes. We can''t stay idle."


    "Let''s go."


    Before leaving, they used their magic to remove the mes and clean up the traces of the skirmish. They could not possibly leave behind clues of what transpired in this ce to ensure none of the other factions would try to exploit it.

 Chapter 554 Blitz: Krieg (14)

    Kyran, Mannick, and the others avoided being seen by the teams sent by the other factions to investigate the anomaly in the sky.


    It had not been an easy journey. After all, almost every small torge faction wanted to know what was happening. Aside from this, a few wanted to go to the Regis Estate. Because of thetter, Kyran and the others had to do everything to divert their attention.


    Although there was no longer a threat of getting caught in the crossfire between Nn and Ruin¡ª with thetter two leaving the Human ne and going outside, the majority of the empire did not know what happened to the Regis n.


    Kyran preferred it that way¡ª at least for the next few hours. Because he did not want the army to take advantage of the situation and use what little information these factions would discover to manipte the truth. If that happened, his n would really end up being the enemy of the whole empire.


    With the impending threat of the Sovereigns outside the huge hole in the sky, Kyran did not want the situation to escte further.


    There was also the matter of the ''other'' noble families supporting the Winfrey Family, like the Boyd Family. Kyran had little information about them and did not know what they were up to. The information they got after infiltrating the army''s channel was not enough.


    By now, the people with Kyran were already aware of his identity. Surprisingly, none of them showed any negative thoughts about him. As a matter of fact, they had be more respectful toward him. It was thanks to Kyran protecting them by creating a barrier when they were up against the unusually powerful mage. They were grateful for his action and realized that even if he was the new ''Dark Sage,'' he possessed the Regis n''s morals.


    If Kyran knew what they were thinking, he would likely look at them strangely. He initially created the barrier to ensure they would not hear their conversation. Protecting them was only an afterthought. It was not good to have more people knowing about matters between the Sovereigns. Besides, the things the Sovereign of Dusk had said were irrelevant to their situation. There was no need for them to know about them.


    It was already dawn when Kyran andpany entered the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall. Along the way, they saw remnants of a battle.


    The army soldiers more or less guessed that the battle had urredst night. Most likely, it resulted from someone intercepting the scout team Lira had sent toward the Regis Estate.


    Kyran could not help but frown after confirming something.


    ''I didn''t see their bodies,'' he thought, recalling how he failed to destroy Kairo and Ganza''s bodies. Since he had not seen their corpse, there were only two possibilities. Either a forest beast ate them, or someone took them.


    Thetter possibility gave Kyran a headache.


    Putting that matter about Kairo and Ganza''s bodies aside, Kyran led the way into the outer wall.


    As soon as they entered the gates, Kyran expanded his magic sense to scout the whole area. After confirming that there were no problems, they proceeded forward.


    Reuben observed the surroundings and noticed traces of battle. Based on what Kyran told them back in the Void World, the army raided the Regis n a few months ago. Thus, most traces were already gone. Still, with the little he could see, it was not hard to imagine how fierce the fighting had been.


    Most buildings they passed through were reduced to rubble. Scorched marks were everywhere, and some even looked like human remains. Thetter few they saw were too charred to identify, so it was unknown if they were from the army or the Regis.


    Reuben nced at Kyran and tried to read his expression. However, thetter kept a straight face. He also appeared calm, with no energy fluctuationsing out from him. Kyran''s attitude was not something one would find in someone who had only returned after being away for a few months only to discover the state of his home had been in.


    Reuben suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned and saw Max shaking his head with a solemn expression.


    With a smile, Reuben said, "It''s okay. I won''t ask."


    Max grunted and lowered his hand before ncing at Kyran''s profile. He could somehow empathize with thetter because his whole family had been murdered. Though there were slight differences, how they had been ostracized because of his family''s belief and then persecuted because of it was a little simr.


    "I don''t see any Regis corpses," Mannick suddenly said.


    Max and Reuben could not help but shoot Mannick a strange look. They were trying to be considerate here, but he just brought up the topic they were trying to avoid.


    "My family likely brought them along when they entered the Inner Walls," Kyran replied indifferently.


    However, Max and Reuben somehow sensed an underlying coldness from Kyran''s indifference.


    "If they managed to do that, they had the upper hand."


    "Yes."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    An awkward silence followed their short exchange. But that was only perceived by Max, Reuben and the other members who were close enough to hear their conversation. The people involved did not share the same thoughts.


    After more than an hour, Kyran stopped and said, "We are now at least fifty meters from the army''s makeshift camp based on the map used by the army."


    One of the soldiers nearby raised his hand and said, "Permission to speak, sir Nar."


    Kyran looked at the young man.


    Since all of them had changed into a different uniform, it was difficult to identify who belonged to the army or the Conve. But none of that mattered. They all agreed to help; thus, Kyran would consider them his people, albeit temporarily. However, if anyone betrayed them, he would not hesitate to kill.


    That was the difference in treatment Kyran had with those he had personally left a mark on.


    "What is it?" Kyran asked the young man.


    The soldier saluted in respect before saying, "I was meant to join the encampment outside the Regis Inner Wall but was called to join Lady Lira on her supposed conquest. But that was unimportant," he hurriedly added after seeing Kyran''s expression change slightly. "When I read my new assignment, there is information about newly formed Array formations around the encampment. Someone might have already reported it to you, but I want to let you know just in case."


    Mannick looked at him, "I didn''t sense anything. Did it show the locations of the arrays?"


    Although there was a chance that the army removed the array formations when they left the encampment, if a few had not been removed, it could be troublesome.


    "It''s fine," Kyran said before smiling slightly at the young man. "There are indeed several arrays around. But they are all gone now."


    ''Gone now...'' Mannick looked at Kyran and smiled bitterly, realizing the meaning behind it. He was supposed to be the Void Master''s shield, yet he could not do his job properly.


    Apparently, Kyran had been silent from the start because he had been busy destroying the Array formations he found.


    Reuben also realized what Kyran did not say, and he and Max exchanged a helpless look. They knew their ''master'' was impressive, but seeing it time and again made them insecure. They were his Sigils, yet they feltcking. What was even the point of making them his Sigils if he alone could aplish many things?


    Reuben immediately stopped short when he thought of this. It had not been that long since he became Kyran''s Sigil, yet he already epted his fate wholeheartedly. He nced at Max, who did not seem to share the same thoughts. To be urate, thetter seemed to have epted bing Kyran''s Sigil right at the beginning.


    ''Could the Sigil''s mark have begun to affect my emotions?'' Reuben wondered.


    On the other hand, Kyran tried to ignore Reuben''s mullings. But that did not lessen his uneasiness because, as the ''master,'' Kyran could sense their emotions and, from there, guess their thoughts.


    After a few minutes, they finally arrived in front of the estate''s Inner Walls.


    The Inner Walls were covered by a silver barrier filled with cracks. Obviously, it had recently received a beating.


    Poof!


    A small cloud of smoke appeared, and ry materialized before Kyran. Others could not see him, except for Kyran, Mannick, Max and Reuben.


    "Void Master, I have already delivered your message. They are waiting inside."


    Kyran clenched his fists after hearing ry. The emotions he had held back finally came crashing down on him. It was almost suffocating.


    To his family, he had only been away for a few months¡ª more than three months at most¡ª but to him, he had been away for more than five years. As much as Kyran wanted to see them again, he also dreaded it. Because he would definitely check if anyone were ''missing.''


    "Your uncle has disabled the restriction for warp ability on the barrier. You may now warp inside."

 Chapter 555 Blitz: Krieg (15)

    Mimi, Zuri, and a few selected members of the Courtenay and Montgomeray Families, silently followed udias and the Lumley Family representatives.


    After arriving at Cordale, a small city located five thousand kilometers south of Noser; udias suggested going to the Lumley Family''s residence there.


    "You may feel slightly disoriented due to the time difference," udias said while they were on their way. "I have arranged a vi for each family. Rest for a few minutes while I arrange our transportation to Noser. Take the time to adjust yourselves to the difference in time. When the transportation is ready, I will have someone call for you.


    "Thank you, Lady udias," Mimi replied with a slight smile. "However, resting is not necessary. I, for one, am used to travelling and am not bothered by the sudden change in time. As for transportation, the Courtenay Family owns a business here; before we left the Courtenay Land, uncle Eoin had advised them to prepare the transportation array there so we could go directly to Penshaw. From Penshaw, we can transport to Woodpine."


    Zuri did not reply, but she nodded toward Mimi, showing her acquiescence to thetter''s proposal.


    Penshaw is a small town near the outskirts of Sudbury, another small city north of Cordale and is the closest city to Noser, at least a thousand kilometers away. Penshaw is also the closest town to Woodpine, and thetter happened to be the closest town to Noser, only less than six hours'' travel by carriage.


    If they wanted to get to Noser, transporting to Penshaw and then to Woodpine was their best option. Of course, if this was any other day, they could directly transport to Noser from Woodpine. Because the Courtenay Family had an approved transportation array at Noser that was connected to Woodpine. Unfortunately, the transportation array in Noser got destroyed, and they could only go there by carriage.


    udias stopped in her tracks and looked at them. She smiled slightly and said, "There is really no rush. The truth, our family had already dispatched a few of our members there. We only need to wait for their news, after which we can decide whether there is really a need to head in Noser personally."


    Because Zuri wore a mask, udias did not see her displeasure.


    It was obvious the Lumley Family was up to something. If their situation happened before the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families had sworn allegiance to Kyran, there was a good chance that Mimi would find a way to negotiate with udias and take advantage of thetter''s motive for their own benefit. Ultimately, as a member of the family with the least authority among the Three Noble Families, Zuri would not have a say and could only follow their lead.


    After hearing udias''s exnation, Mimi did not hide her displeasure and said, "I''d rather go now and investigate ourselves. I can''t trust someone else to tell me things without confirming them myself. Besides," she paused and smiled sweetly at udias. "We received news that a few members of our family were in Noser for a business when the intruder attacked. Because of themotion afterwards, we haven''t heard from them. But we have already confirmed that all evacuees from Noser were transported to Woodpine. I want to go there and find them. We can start the investigation by interrogating them."


    udias''s brow twitched slightly. She had thought she would have a hard time talking to Zuri. Unexpectedly, it was Mimi who openly opposed her.


    Before udias could respond to Mimi''s suggestion, Zuri voiced her agreement, "If they can tell us what happened, we can narrow down the things we have to investigate."


    Mimi looked at Zuri and nodded, "That''s right. Since we are pressed for time, it is best to act efficiently."


    "Let''s do that then."


    Mimi and Zuri looked at udias as if waiting for her to voice her agreement.


    This made udias frown inwardly. If she did not know better, she would have thought that the two were conspiring against her.


    Initially, the Lumley Patriarch could not wait for them to find the truth of what happened in Noser. However, just before they left, he gave udias a different order, which confused her. He told her to stall for time. Still, if udias continued to insist on having her way, Mimi and Zuri would definitely notice something. To avoid any suspicion, she had to find another way toply with the patriarch''s order. Anyway, Mimi already gave her an idea. She would stall for time by preventing Mimi from finding her people in Woodpine.


    "Alright. Let us be on our way," udias replied after weighing her options. She then turned and looked meaningfully at the Lumley member standing on her side.


    The member nodded once.


    Their group went to the marketce and to a building owned by the Courtenay Family. After which, they used the transportation array there and went to Penshaw.


    After arriving at Penshaw, the group had to wait until the Courtenay members adjusted the transportation array. When they were done, they were transported to Woodpine.


    All in all, it took them three hours at most to arrive in Woodpine.


    In Woodpine, a Courtenay member was already waiting for their arrival. The member then led them to an encampment the locals built for the evacuees in Noser.


    As soon as they entered the encampment, udias, Mimi and Zuri were surprised at the density of people inside. Then again, the poption in Noser was greater than the Woodpine could cater to.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Without further ado, the group split up to look for the members of the Courtenay Family.


    udias watched Mimi''s and Zuri''s group go their separate ways before ordering her people to slow down their progress. After that, she sent a coded message to their patriarch.


    Unfortunately, she did not receive any response.


    On the other hand, Mimi and Zuri rendezvous at a small tent that had been prepared for them beforehand by the Montgomeray members who had been staying in Noser.


    That was right. After they received the Lumley Patriarch''s request to meet and investigate the matter in Noser, Eoin and Ezra had a private talk. They nned a diversion to keep the Lumley Family from getting to Noser.


    If one had to look closely, udias''s n to stall for time actually conforms to the Courtenay and Montgomeray''s ns. However, they could not openly agree to the former''s suggestion; else, they might appear too eager.


    After Eoin exined the situation to Ezra, thetter ordered a few of his people to go to Woodpine and make preparations. The reason they did not want udias and her people to get to Noser was simple; currently, Noser had be the Montgomeray and the Spirits'' base. Besides, the remnant magic fluctuations there were screaming with the Montgomeray Family''s magic signature and the Spirits.


    If udias possessed a magic detector, it would be easy for her to discover that the Montgomeray Family was involved in what happened in Noser.


    With this in mind, Eoin and Ezra had to ensure that the Lumley Family was kept in the dark while ying along with their scheme.


    Since the Spirits were good at pranks, they easily misled udias''s people, following Mimi and Zuri.


    "You don''t have any members here, right?" Zuri asked the moment she and Mimi were left alone in the tent.


    Mimi smiled slightly and looked at Zuri, "It is the only excuse I can think of to ensure udias will not refute."


    Zuri sighed. She sat on one of the small chairs before removing her mask, "I understand why we don''t want udias and her people to enter Noser, but earlier, she is clearly up to something."


    "True. She wants to stall for time."


    "If we agreed to y along, we don''t have to go through all this trouble."


    Mimi fell silent. She looked at Zuri with aplicated expression before saying, "True, but did you really think they are only nning to stall for time?"


    Zuri frowned slightly. She did not respond at once. Instead, she tried to reassess the situation silently.


    If they had agreed to stay in Cordale, there was a good chance the Lumley Family would do something to them. From what they know about thetter''s assets, Cordale was one of the cities under the Lumley Family.


    "You think they will do something to us?" Zuri asked Mimi.


    Mimi shook her head, "Not us. But you."


    Zuri frowned after hearing her reply but did not retort. After all, she had a feeling that it might have really been the case.


    "From what I can see of the situation," Mimi continued, "udias probably did not know the n. But I am convinced they will try to do something to you and your people because we saw the Lumley Patriarch meet up with Deputy Marshal Ingrid. Unfortunately, we can only specte what they might have discussed.


    "Anyway, there is a good chance they are already suspecting you. Or maybe, the Crown Princess has ordered to eliminate you guys just because of your rtionship with the Spirits."

 Chapter 556 Blitz: Krieg (16)

    Mimi''s thoughts were not entirely wrong.


    Only a few people knew about the Spirits'' rtionship with the previous Void Master, and the Royal Family was definitely one of them. Or at least those members who had blood rtions with the old Royal Family¡ªthe Winfrey Family.


    As the new Soul Emperor, the Crown Princess would definitely want to eliminate every existence that could aid the new Void Master.


    Zuri shook her head, seemingly unconvinced by Mimi''s theory.


    "I feel that there is more to this than that. Why would they start with me? I may be the Patriarch''s daughter, but I don''t have a contracted Spirit," she reasoned.


    "I don''t think that matters," Mimi replied. "As far as I know, the Crown Princess has grand ambition. I don''t know the full details, though."


    "What about you? I heard from the Void Master that your family works for the Crown Princess. Now that you openly oppose udias, they might suspect something."


    Mimi shook her head, "I''m not too sure. Uncle Eoin has not received any news from the Crown Princess."


    Zuri leaned on her chair and looked up at the tent''s ceiling. Her expression turned solemn as she said, "I don''t know about you, but I feel like we are up against more than one faction."


    The reason she thought this was because their ''enemies'' were uncoordinated. A good example was the Emperor. Initially, they thought he knew about the Crown Princess, but after he made a different move from the army, they realized he was also oblivious to the truth.


    Then there was the Crown Princess''s Royal Knight, Lira. What she did to the Emperor seemed to be ording to the Crown Princess''s order, but at the same time, it felt like she did it on her own ord. They had thought of this because the Grand Marshal did not know what Lira had done.


    Speaking of the Grand Marshal, Gael also seemed to have continued the attack in Noser on his own ord.


    Now, there was Deputy Marshal Ingrid. The Courtenay Family was clearly already working for the Crown Princess, so why did she not approach them and instead target the Lumley Family?


    Mimi looked at Zuri thoughtfully. She also felt the same. However, her knowledge of what was happening was superficial. Thus she could not draw any conclusion.


    "I get what you want to say," Mimi replied after a few seconds.


    Zuri looked at her and smiled slightly, "You know, I never imaged a time woulde that I''d get the chance to talk to you like this."


    Mimi was slightly taken aback by her words. Then sheughed softly and agreed, "I feel the same. It is also my first time seeing you without a mask on."


    Herst remark made Zuri raise her brows in surprise. Typically, she would not remove her mask in front of other people. One could say that she removed her mask without thinking much of it.


    "Well... since you are helping the Void Master, I just..."


    Mimi''s expression turned solemn, and she asked, "I heard Patriarch Ezra willingly swore allegiance to... him."


    "Yes, and we all agreed."


    "Aren''t you afraid? If you ever thought of betraying him, you all will¡ª ."


    "You know how our family used to be ves of the Dinaeri Family?"


    "Yes."


    "I guess you could say we still have it in our blood. As ves, we only serve and will never think badly about our Master. Of course, we of the new generation wanted to change that. But in the end, we are still a Montgomeray."


    Mimi fell silent at Zuri''s exnation. The way she had said thosest words felt like being a Montgomeray was equivalent to having a mindset of a ve. Somehow, that made her sad.


    "You''re a little different from us," Zuri continued, looking at Mimi curiously. "You don''t have a mark."


    "I don''t," Mimi replied, not wanting to hide the truth.


    "So you are free to do what you want," Zuri said with a slight smile, "Yet, here you are. Showing concern about us, who have the mark. I wonder why."


    Mimi''s cheeks turned slightly red, "I may not have a mark, but most of our elders do."


    ''Besides, that guy has Millie,'' she added to herself.


    Zuri tilted her head slightly and said, "So you''re being threatened in cooperating because your family elders are marked."


    "Yes."


    Zuri chuckled and said, "For someone being threatened, you don''t look the part."


    Mimi''s cheeks had turned into a deeper shade of red, "I know what you''re implying, and you''re wrong."


    Zuri shrugged. Then she smiled teasingly and said, "I''m not implying anything. But the fact you thought I am makes you guilty of something."


    "I-I''m not¡ª !"


    "Don''t worry," Zuri could not help but chuckle at Mimi''s flustered look. "I won''t tell anyone. Besides, given his personality, I don''t think he will notice anyway."


    Then with a slight pause, she added, "When I said ''his'' personality, I meant his ''real'' personality. Not the one he shows when posing as Tyr."


    "W-What are you even saying¡ª?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    A member of the Montgomeray family entered the tent at that moment and said, "Lady Zuri, we have lured away the Lumley family members. I can escort you both to Noser to meet with the others."


    "Okay, let''s go," Zuri responded and stood up. She put on her mask and looked at Mimi, who was still looking at her with a red face, "You''reing, right?"


    "I am!" Mimi replied a little too loud.


    The Montgomeray member was slightly surprised but did not think much about it. He then gave both a coat.


    "Please put on the coat. It will hide your presence and change your body appearance."


    Zuri took another mask from her storage ring and handed it to Mimi, "Wear this too."


    Mimi took the mask with a slight frown, "Won''t this make us attract more attention?"


    "If the mask is worn without the coat, it is just a normal mask," the Montgomeray member exined patiently. "But together, the mask will let others see you with a different face."


    Mimi was somewhat surprised, "So these two form a set."


    Zuri nodded while putting on the coat, "Yes. It is enchanted using Spirit magic."


    "I''ve always thought you''re only wearing masks to hide your faces," Mimi remarked and also put on the coat.


    "There is that, but it''s also a way for Spirits to recognize we are one of them."


    Mimi wore the mask and said, "That kind of make sense. At least they will not end up ying a prank on you."


    Once they were done, the Montgomeray member escorted the two out of town. With the assistance of the Spirits, they all went to Noser.


    As for udias, she and the Lumley Family remained oblivious.


    *


    Kyran heaved a sigh after hearing ry.


    "You take Max and Reuben with you," Mannick said before Kyran could say anything. "We''ll secure this area."


    Kyran looked at him and nodded, "Thanks."


    He looked back at ry and asked, "Did they say where I should meet them?"


    "The Regis Throne Room, Void Master."


    "Alright," Kyran looked at Max and Reuben and said, "Let''s go."


    Without further ado, Kyran warped to the Regis Throne Room with Max and Reuben.


    Inside the Regis Throne Room, three people were waiting inside.


    Patriarch Aron, Rin, and Jared.


    Jared also possessed ck hair and dark gray eyes. However, unlike most Regis members, he had a slightly smaller frame and delicate facial features. He wore a long ck robe, and a small white pouch dangled at the side of his belt. At a closer look, the pouch looked simr to the one Kyran had.


    Aron, sitting on the high chair, raised his head and said, "Here theye."


    True enough, crackling sounds reverberated at the center of the room as a purple light shed before revealing three figures.


    As soon as the light disappeared, Kyran raised his head and looked ahead. He immediately saw his grandfather and uncle. However, his eyes were drawn to his mother''s smiling face.


    The moment he saw her, a myriad of emotions filled him, but ultimately, the only thing that stood out was how much he had missed her.


    Wearing a gentle smile, Rin walked toward Kyran and said, "How long has it been? Three, four... years?"


    When Kyran heard her, his eyes widened as his emotions threatened to burst out like a floodgate. However, he managed to hold it in this time, unlike when he was with his father.


    With a slight smile, Kyran replied, "More than five."


    "You''ve done well," Rin said while crossing thest few steps and embracing him, "Son."


    Kyran returned her embrace and said, "I missed you, mother."


    *


    Meanwhile, in a huge, dimly lit hall, a golden light appeared at the center, revealing two silhouettes.


    Several galleries with people in red hooded robes filled the hall.


    As soon as the silhouettes appeared, one of them disappeared and reappeared a few meters away, resulting in gasps of surprise from the gallery.

 Chapter 557 Blitz: Krieg (17)

    Neo''s sensors picked up fifty presence inside the hall, apart from Tobias and Matias. After that, he checked theyout of the building and determined the exit. He also checked if there were any active array formations.


    ? After confirming that the building''s Array formation was only a basic defensive array, he calcted his chances of achieving his objective.


    That was right. He had no ns of escaping. Besides, he could not warp to a specific location. His memories were made up of numbers, and he was only using the nature of the Void energy when he warps.


    With a solemn expression, Neo eyed the gallery. Since the emergency action code was still active, everyone inside had also be his target.


    Neo determined that his best course of action was to find the exit and make them believe he wanted to escape. After which, he would eliminate his pursuers one after another.


    Doing so would not require over-extensive use of his energy core''s capacity.


    If there were any person in the hall who would note after him, he would find and eliminate them instead.


    When Neo found the exit, his reddish-purple eyes shed, and, at the same time, his energy core whirled with Void energy. However, before he could warp toward the exit, several ck chains shot out from the floor, instantly binding him in ce.


    A warning message appeared in Neo''s vision, advising him that the chains were made of a material that prevented a mage from using their stored magic energy.


    But the warning message was only to let him know about what the chains could do. He was not really affected by them. After all, the active magic energy in his energy core was the Void, and its nature made him immune to any status attack.


    Nevertheless, Neo decided to stay in ce because he determined that this situation could provide him with a better move to deal with these people.


    A few meters opposite Neo, Tobias ced the unconscious Matias on the floor and stood up. He looked at Neo and sneered, "You won''t be able to escape."


    The people in the gallery looked at Tobias and the unconscious Matias and more or less guessed the situation.


    Initially, they thought Tobias was with the intruder because they did not recognize his silhouette. Apparently, they failed to recognize him only because he was carrying Matias.


    Hush discussion filled the gallery as they looked at the man bound by the chains.


    Suddenly one of them shouted, "I-Isn''t he that... impertinent Disciple from the cksmith Order?"


    After hearing this, the hushed discussion was raised up a bit.


    Overlooking the whole hall was arge gallery. A woman in a red full-gown and a white mask was standing close to the edge of the balustrade, looking at the scene below.


    "Tobias," the woman spoke, and in an instant, the noise died down. "Is this person really that detestable disciple?"


    Tobias lifted his gaze at the woman and respectfully lowered his head.


    "Your Grace," he greeted and continued, "Although he looks like him, he is, in fact, a mere pup¡ª."


    A ck-blue glint shed past the side of Tobias''s neck. It was followed by a chill that ran down his body and then a splurting of deep red liquid.


    It was unknown who reacted first, but the next thing that happened was a blur of chaos.


    The woman in therge gallery screamed in anger as her magic pressure erupted. Surprisingly, the pressure she emitted was that of a Magus.


    Several magic arrays filled the air as magic attacks rained down at the center of the hall.


    As for Neo, the chains that bound him had long left his body, and he was like a phantom, appearing and disappearing while waving the short ck-blue de in his hand.


    Blood soon filled the hall as screams of death filled the air.


    Tobias might have thought that taking Neo back to the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Hall was a good move. Instead, he had doomed his family.


    A middle-aged woman in a red and ck gown desperately fled the Lumley Ancestral Hall. She broke several teleportation tokens to gain distance. When she reached a few hundred meters, she took out a scroll and infused her magic energy into it.


    The scroll was simr to the one Tobias had used.


    It was different from the Regis n''s Transmission Scroll. But it also had the ability to transport anyone inside the array at a certain location.


    Tobias''s scroll allowed him to be transported to the ancestral hall, while the woman allowed her to be transported to her real ''family.''


    The moment the scroll activated, golden magic arrays appeared, and the woman disappeared.


    *


    Inside a darkened room, Ingrid leaned on her chair with closed eyes.


    A magic fluctuation appeared a few meters before her, and a golden light shed before the middle-aged woman who had escaped from the Lumley Ancestral Hall appeared.


    "Lady Ingrid, I have returned."


    Ingrid opened her eyes and looked at the woman.


    "You are...?"


    The woman lowered her head and replied at once, "I am one of your father''s aides, sent to infiltrate the Lumley Family fifteen years ago."


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed while she looked at the woman. She indeed heard from her father about several trusted Boyd family members infiltrating other noble families fifteen years ago. However, it would be the first time that one of them had appeared before her without a prior appointment.


    Seeing Ingrid''s expression, the woman immediately knelt on her knees and took out a bronze token. The token had an ovepping rifle engraved on its surface, the insignia of the Boyd Family.


    "This is the proof of my identity, Lady Ingrid."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ingrid lifted her hand and beckoned the bronze token out of the woman''s hand.


    The token flew into Ingrid''s hand, and she examined it carefully.


    The woman eyed Ingrid anxiously. She was not worried that thetter might think the token was fake because it was real as it gets. What worried her was Ingrid''sck of urgency because it might result in the destruction of the Lumley Family.


    After a few minutes, Ingrid finally lowered her hand, looked at the woman, and said, "It seems real enough."


    The woman could not help but frown inwardly at thetter''s words.


    "And? Why have youe?"


    "Lady Ingrid, I beseech you," the woman put aside her displeasure and replied. "The Lumley Family is under attack. If we don''t send assistance, they will likely be destroyed."


    "Did I hear it correctly? You are asking me to help the Lumley Family?"


    "Yes, Lady Ingrid¡ª ugh!"


    Ingrid''s eyes shed, and the woman mmed to the wall in an instant.


    The woman fell to the ground as bits of rubble from the wall fell on her. She looked at Ingrid with questioning eyes as she said, "W-Why...?"


    "Are you part of the Boyd Family or the Lumley Family?"


    The woman took a sharp intake of breath as realization hit her. That was right. Her duty was to keep an eye on the Lumley Family and assess if they could be useful to the Boyd Family, not the other way around.


    If the Lumley Family was under attack, she had to assess the situation calmly, and if there was a way to save them, she had to make a move herself. But if the chances were slim, her priority was to secure all the information she had gathered while staying with them and remove her tracks before returning to the Boyd Family.


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed after seeing the look of realization on the woman''s face.


    "Judging from your expression, you seemed to have forgotten your priorities," she said while rousing her magic. She raised her hand, and a dark-brown magic array appeared before her. Slowly, a cannon''s muzzle emerged from the center of the magic array, and concentrated magic energy began to form within.


    The woman''s eyes constricted, and although her whole body protested in pain, she prostrated on the floor and hastily said, "T-The one attacking the Lumley Family is Disciple Tyr from the cksmith Order, Lady Ingrid! I-I heard her Highness, the Crown Princess, is interested in him!"


    Ingrid''s hand froze. At the same time, the light from the magic energy forming inside the cannon''s muzzle dimmed slightly.


    "Why is he there?" Ingrid asked and immediately used her ability. "I clearly told them to find an opportunity to..."


    Her voice trailed off as she confirmed that ''Tyr''s'' presence had changed from the southern part of the empire and back to the east.


    "Tobias, one of the Lumley Family''s talents, had transported to the ancestral hall with Disciple Tyr," the woman replied. "Based on Tobias''s condition and the unconscious little Matias with him, they seemed to be in a middle of a fight. However, I don''t know why Tobias decided to transport them to the Lumley''s Ancestral Hall. Still, t-that Disciple Tyr is a monster, Lady Ingrid! H-He also seemed to possess spatial abilities."


    "What do you mean?"


    "One moment, he is there, and the next, he is already in a different position."


    "That young man is an Array Specialist. No, he may as well already reach the same level as Master Noir. In any case, he knew how to create transportation arrays and could even create them in a few minutes... maybe even seconds. Because of his Array knowledge, the Crown Princess needs him," Ingrid reasoned.


    "I-I am not sure about that... but... because of that... he can actually hold his own and kill people without a change in his expression!"


    A smile appeared on Ingrid''s lips.


    "Interesting," she said. "No wonder the Crown Princess is interested in him."


    She waved her hand, and the magic array in front of her disappeared.


    "I don''t care what happens to the Lumley Family. But since our target is there, we will take him back with us."


    *


    Kyran briefly introduced Max and Reuben to his mother, grandfather and uncle before getting down to business.


    "Father is still taking Azaloth''s Inheritance," Kyran told them. "I don''t know when he willplete it, but we can''t wait much longer. At least, we have to take everyone to safety first."


    Aron looked at Kyran and asked, "Is the situation outside really that bad?"


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows.


    "Are you not aware of the situation outside?"


    Jared heaved a sigh and answered, "Unfortunately, after the barrier got damaged, we lost visuals outside. We can''t use anymunication devices as well."


    He paused before adding, "As a matter of fact, we can''t use any type of magic device. It''s like the Inner Wall has been contaminated by a strange magic that rendered everything useless."


    Kyran fell silent as he thought of Ruin''s strange magic. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked at them in concern, "How about arrays? Is it working inside?"


    Jared shook his head, "We tried to activate an old transmission array connected to the Regis''s formernd, but the array won''t work."


    Kyran felt an iing headache as soon as he heard his reply. But then he paused at the mention of the Regis''s formernd. He looked at them and asked, "When you say the Regis''s formernd, you''re not talking about that town close to the Shaiha Ruins, are you?"


    Aron arced his brows as he looked at Kyran, "I don''t remember telling you about that ce."

 Chapter 558 Legendary Mage (1)

    ''My guess was right,'' Kyran thought after seeing his grandfather''s reaction.


    After hearing bits and pieces of what happened in the past from Zephyr, and other clues from several sources, Kyran guessed that the red-painted town he and te arrived at when they went to the Shaiha to look for the rare stone was the Regis n''s firstnd. And the valley, where the temple of the Shaiha had been, was the Dragons''ir.


    The distance between the two locations was rtively close, so most believed the town was part of the Shaiha Ruins.


    Because the two locations were close to each other, when a demon general attacked the Regis''s homnd, the King of the Dragons witnessed the Regis Ancestor''s fight. Ultimately, thetter''s strong will moved the King of the Dragons, and he blessed him, resulting in the birth of the first Dragon Lord.


    "I met a Quilin in the Shaiha Ruins," Kyran replied. "He told me some things he knew."


    Aron and Jared were startled by what Kyran had said.


    "You..." Aron started, but in the end, he was rendered speechless.


    Due to theck of a historian in the Regis in their early days, there was noplete ount of the Regis''s history. There were only stories that had been passed down through word of mouth. If not for the first Regis schr who decided to put those stories in writing, they would have also been lost in time.


    The Regis Family realized the need to find their lost history, so they gathered their elite members to do this. Because of this initiative, they found the iplete tablet in the Regis Terram. After deciphering some of its content, they found where the Regis''s first homnd was.


    However, by the time they learned of it, the Royal Family had already decreed that newly discovered ruins would have to be surrendered to them.


    The Regis Patriarch at that time decided not to pursue the matter, believing the Royal Family would use their old homnd as leverage to keep them under their control.


    s, though the Regis Patriarch''s decision was reasonable, it actually stopped them from discovering the Quilin living there. A real Quilin who likely had the answers to most of their questions, if not all.


    "... are you telling the truth? Is he a real Quilin?" Aron asked Kyran.


    Kyran nodded. He looked at Max and Reuben and said, "They can attest to it. They tried to kill him because of his horn."


    Aron and Jared''s brows furrowed after hearing that, and they shot Max and Reuben a sharp gaze.


    As a family who has a history with dragons, the Regis Family are very protective of anything pertaining to them. Even if Quilins are only part dragon, they are still the Dragons'' offspring. It doesn''t sit well with Aron and Jared to hear others had designs of killing one.


    Cold sweats trickled down Max and Reuben''s backs after seeing Aron and Jared''s expressions.


    "We never n to kill him," Reuben exined hurriedly. "Our superiors only wanted to harvest his horn at that time."


    "A Quilin''s horn is part of their life force. Harvesting it is the same as subjecting him to death," Aron said coldly.


    Reuben paled and looked at Kyran immediately for help.


    Kyran was slightly amused. Frankly, he only told his grandfather and uncle about the history between Zephyr and the Temr Code in passing. He never expected them to react this way. It made him sweat inwardly, thinking how they would react if they found he turned that Quilin into his Sigil.


    Kyran cleared his throat and hurriedly changed the subject, "That matter has been resolved. We can put that aside for now since we have far more pressing matters to discuss."


    Aron took a deep breath and nodded, "You are right. First, we have to get everyone to safety."


    "Regarding the old array transmission," Kyran looked at Jared. "Have you tried using it before?"


    Jared shook his head, "No. We only discovered it recently inside the Regis Terram."


    "Then there is a chance it is not working because of the strange magic that contaminated the Inner Walls."


    "That''s right," Jared agreed. "But previously, we can still activate the array. Now it is unresponsive."


    "Since when?"


    "Well," Jared paused for a moment before continuing, "We only tried to activate it after the barrier got damaged, so I can''t say if it became unresponsive before that."


    Kyran fell silent. If the transmission array stopped responding before Ruin damaged the barrier, then the real cause might be Kyran. Most likely, when he saved Zephyr from the Temr Code, he unknowingly destroyed the array.


    "Kyran?" Rin, who had been silently listening to their discussion, spoke after seeing Kyran''s expression.


    Kyran looked up and saw them waiting for him to say something. It only dawned on him that he had been talking to his grandfather and uncle as if they were equals. Thinking back, he also sounded a little impertinent.


    "I''m sorry," he suddenly apologized, startling the other three.


    Max and Reuben also looked at Kyran in confusion. They were used to Kyran''s seemingly, ''bossy'' attitude and did not find anything amiss about his behavior, so his apology was a surprise.


    "What''s with the apology?" Aron asked with raised brows.


    Kyran lowered his head at him and said, "I just realized I''m being rude. My questions sounded somewhat blunt."


    His answer rendered the three speechless.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After a few seconds, they burst intoughter.


    "You are anything but rude," Aron told him with a smile. "Besides, your questions also help us reevaluate our line of thinking."


    Jared nodded, "That''s right. There were things that seemed obvious, but we failed to see them because we didn''t realize we were feeling anxious. A good example is the transmission array. Initially, I thought it was unresponsive due to the strange magic that contaminated the Inner Walls. But thinking about it now, the Regis Terram is considered a different ''space.'' So the strange magic can''t possibly affect it."


    "You don''t need to worry about sounding rude. Just speak your mind," Rin said with a smile.


    Kyran took a deep breath and smiled slightly, "Got it."


    He looked at his grandfather and continued, "Grandfather, please allow me to enter the Regis Terram."


    "You are already of age," Aron replied with a smile.


    "You may now enter it as you please. However..." He looked at Max and Reuben before continuing, "They cannot go with you."


    "Is it because they don''t have the Regis bloodline?"


    "Because they are outsiders. Unless they receive the mark of the Regis n, then they are not allowed there."


    "There''s no problem then," Kyran replied. Retaining a straight face, he added, "Since they are my Sigils, they are considered to possess the Regis''s mark."


    Aron crossed his arms in contemtion, "Hm... I suppose it is. Since a Sigil is...."


    He suddenly froze after realizing what Kyran had just said.


    Jared''s jaw dropped as he gaped at Kyran, "My dear nephew. Just what have you been doing after leaving the Regis Estate?"


    Max and Reuben shifted uneasily when Aron and Jared''s gazes zoned in on them again.


    Only Rin kept a calm look as sheughed softly, "It''s not like the Sigil can''t be used on humans. It''s just that no one has tried."


    Jared looked at her incredulously, "There is a reason why no one has tried! Taking a human as a Sigil consumes a lot of magic energy, and sustaining their growth requires...."


    He looked at Kyran in disbelief, "How are you able to sustain their growth?"


    Kyran looked at his uncle with a troubled expression, "Can we talk about thatter?"


    Aron cleared his throat. Clearly, he was also curious how Kyran managed to turn a human into a Sigil. But his grandson was right. They could talk about that in great detailter.


    "He is right," he said while looking at Jared. "Try to contain your curiosity, Jared. We have things to do."


    Jared scratched his head.


    "Okay, alright," he looked at Kyran and added, "Let''s go to the Regis Terram then."


    Kyran nodded.


    Before they could leave, Rin suddenly called him, "Kyran."


    Kyran stopped and looked at her.


    "Do you have that with you?" She asked vaguely.


    Nevertheless, Kyran knew what she meant and replied, "Yes."


    "When we gave it to you," Rin continued. "It is because we never expected this turn of events. But now that you have it and we are still... Never use it, no matter what."


    Kyran could not help but frown at what Rin did not say. He had known that when his family decided to let him escape, they were prepared to die. That was also the truth behind his mother''s parting words; only when he stayed alive could the n be saved.


    Basically, she was telling him as a ''man'' he had the ability to revive his n even if they all died.


    Kyran nodded at her, "I won''t."


    Rin took his hand, "Promise me."


    Kyran was slightly taken aback by his mother''s imploring words. But he did not get to answer her because, at that moment, he sensed the device he created that monitors the activity of his puppets lit up inside his pouch.


    His eyes widened as he realized which puppet caused the device to light up.


    ''Neo''s in danger!''

 Chapter 559 Legendary Mage (2)

    Neo gave off crackling sounds and sparks after his body went into overdrive.


    Fighting more than fifty mages was not easy, even to an Automaton like him. Aside from this, they used Fire magic that possessed a very destructive force.


    As a matter of fact, apart from Tobias, all Lumley members in the hall used Fire magic. Their strengths differ in firepower and mage level. In any case, most of them were already High Masters, with six Grand Masters and two Exalted.


    Frankly, if not for the energy core created with Void knowledge that Kyran acquired in the Tower of Tribtion, Neo would have already been destroyed.


    But that was a few minutes ago. After all, those people were already dead, apart from the white-masked woman in a red gown and two neers.


    Neo looked at the three, hovering in midair, with a face devoid of expression.


    The two neers, a man and another woman, also wore white masks and were dressed in a red suit and a short red robe, respectively. The man was standing on a carpet-like item, a foot-tall dark red crystal ¡ª which seemed to be a magic item rather than a raw stone ¡ª hovered before him, while the woman had small ming wings fluttering at each side of her ankle. She held a bronze bow with a ming string.


    The white-masked woman in a red gown also had wings, but it was sticking out of her back, and their mes were a deep-shared of red, almost violet. On her hand was a ming golden sword.


    All of them were Magus.


    The three red daggers at Neo. If looks could kill, thetter would have already died a hundred deaths.


    They did not expect such a tragedy to befall their family today.


    In particr, the woman in a red gown was angered by how ''Tyr'' was unaffected by her magic pressure. She was a Magus! Only a mage with the same level as her could have the chance to counter her pressure.


    What was even more uneptable was that the person they had detested these past few months caused it.


    Was he not supposed to be a newly promoted Master mage?


    "The Conve has hidden you well," the woman in a red gown said through gritted teeth. "Has they finally decided to change their neutral status?"


    Neo did not respond. He only looked at them while his body was checking his overall status.


    [Left arm''s capacity has been reduced to 30%. Recement of joints required. The right and left leg have suffered first-degree burns. Their exterior material''s capacity is reduced to 43%. Immunity to Fire attacks has also been reduced. Avoid taking direct hits.]


    Neo''s indifference unnerved the three Lumley Magus.


    The woman brandished her ming sword and said, "Don''t think this day will end with just your death! We will turn the Tower of Conve into hell!"


    She charged at Neo while striking her sword horizontally. A ming beam emerged from the sword''s de and flew toward Neo.


    The man also made a move while the woman in a red gown charged. He waved his hand and willed the ming carpet downward. ming shards fired off from his crystal and flew in Neo''s direction.


    The woman in a short red robe also moved. She raised her bow and summoned a fiery arrow before aiming at Neo. The moment she released the arrow, it multiplied and rained down below.


    Neo raised his head and looked at the attacksing down at him. He raised his hand, and a translucent purple barrier appeared and protected him.


    The attacks from the three Magus collided with the barrier and was easily countered. To be urate, they passed through the barrier but disappeared as soon as they collided.


    These surprised the three Magus. However, it was not enough to make them stop attacking.


    One after another, they released magic attacks at Neo.


    [Warning. Void energy has been reduced to 70%...]


    [Warning. Void energy is down to 67%... 64%... 61%...]


    [If Void energy drops to 50%, the barrier''s capacity will be reduced.]


    [Warning. Void energy is now at 55%...]


    [Warning. Void energy has now entered the critical level.]


    Although the warnings kept popping into Neo''s vision, he ignored them. With the two neers relentlessly releasing range attacks while the woman in a red gown released melee attacks using her ming sword, there was little Neo could do.


    Their Fire magic''s destructiveness was a far cry from those he had easily disposed of just a few minutes ago. If he took their attack head-on, his exterior would be reduced to dust. When that happened, his metal frame would be exposed.


    Not that it mattered. But Neo already assessed that the probability they would escape once they realized he was a puppet was 70%. If they escaped, tracking them down would take some time. By the time he tracked one of them, the news about what happened to the Lumley would have spread, and there was a good chance other noble families would attack the Conve.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Until his Master gave the signal, Neo could not expose the Conve in danger.


    For this reason, Neo could only endure their bombardment.


    It was not like he waspletely helpless because his energy core was different from normal puppets. Although his system warned him of the Void energy depletion, the energy core had an advantageous capability.


    Absorption.


    The moment the Void energy in his energy core went down to 35%, its absorption ability activated and began to absorb the energy from the three Magus''s attacks.


    The woman in a red gown narrowed her eyes, sensing something was amiss. No matter how much they attacked Neo, thetter had not budged from his position. His barrier showed signs of crumbling, but it seemed to have recovered in over a minute.


    How was it possible? Although the variety of their attacks was not wide, the heat of their mes was alreadyparable to magma. Proof of that was the floor''s destruction after their mes hit. However, with the barrier protecting him, Neo now looked like he was standing on a lone ind.


    Just how powerful was his barrier? The energy it emitted was different from his Strengthening magic. To them, it looked like a barrier made from Array. That was the only exnation they coulde up with after it endured relentless attacks from three Magus.


    "This won''t do. I''m going to destroy his barrier!" The woman told the other two.


    "We''ll lend you our energy," the man replied.


    Without waiting for the woman to agree, he and the woman in a short red robended on the ground and formed a triangle seal on their hands. A Fire rune, which read ''Transfer,'' appeared at the center of the triangle.


    Soon, the ming wings on the woman''s back erupted with magic energy. Her eyes zed red as she raised her ming sword above her head.


    Strings of Fire runes circled the ming sword''s de, and a blinding light wrapped around it. The length of the blinding light increased upward. In five seconds, its length had already reached ten meters.


    Neo looked at the woman. His sensors were already warning him of how much power the woman''s ming sword had gathered. He estimated that after the woman finished umting the sword''s power, she could easily infiltrate the barrier and split his body in half. As a matter of fact, she would likely end up destroying half of the hall once she cleaved down that sword.


    In any case, Neo had two choices. Warp at thest minute, or release the barrier before the woman finished umting her strength and charged while she was in a vulnerable state. Doing the former was a little tricky. With the Void energy at a critical level, he might fall short on his targetted location and still suffer from the woman''s attack. If Neo chose thetter, he could take the woman by surprise and kill her in one hit.


    After weighing his choices, Neo decided to do that second one. But just as he was about to move, he suddenly realized that he had gone deaf.


    To be precise, the surrounding seemed to have lost the ability to produce sound.


    "This¡ª!" The woman tried to speak, but no sound came out.


    The other two also looked at their surroundings cautiously. Sound couldn''t disappear without reason!


    Just as they were thinking this, a ringing sound reverberated in the surrounding that threatened to destroy their eardrums.


    "ARGH!" The three immediately fell to their knees as their magic defences failed to defend them from the sudden assault.


    Of course, with them falling to their knees, their initial move to attack Neo was cancelled.


    "AAAAARGH!" The woman in a short red robe howled in pain as blood seeped from every orifice of her head.


    "No¡ª!"


    SPLAT!


    The woman''s head exploded before the woman in a red gown could even move.


    The pupil of Neo''s eyes constricted as he surveyed the surroundings. Unlike the three, he was unaffected by whatever made the woman''s head explode.


    "I don''t understand why the Crown Princess values you. But I think I do now."


    An ancient-sounding male voice suddenly spoke.


    Neo''s sensors instantly erupted in several warning messages. As a puppet, he did not know fear. However, his system had deemed that his situation was something he should fear.


    After all, his system had discovered that the magic level emitted by the ancient-sounding voice was far greater than the three Magus.


    Based on his energy level, the neer was definitely a Legendary mage.

 Chapter 560 Enter The Fray (1)

    Even with Neo''s inhuman sensors, he failed to locate the ancient-sounding voice''s position. urately speaking, thetter''s presence appeared to be nowhere near them but, at the same time, was everywhere. As if he could see and hear their every movement.


    It was a very ufortable feeling.


    "Your magic level is also unfathomable," the ancient-sounding voice continued. "You don''t have the aura of a Magus. Yet, you are able to hold your own against them."


    Unable to endure the oppressing feeling the ancient-sounding voice instilled in them, the man in a red coat''s magic pressure exploded, instantly covering his whole body in deep-red mes.


    "You dare enter the Lumley Family''s, Ancestral Hall¡ª."


    "Stop! Don''t speak!"


    "¡ªand even brazenly kill one of our¡ª!"


    SPLAT!


    The man''s head also exploded, sending brain matter, blood, flesh, and crushed bones everywhere.


    A few of the man''s brain matter sttered on the woman in a red gown''s face and her eyes constricted in disgust. But the fear and shock she felt for witnessing two Magus exploding to their death were far greater than thetter, so she kept her thoughts of disgust to herself.


    As a matter of fact, she had decided not to provoke the owner of the ancient-sounding voice because she already had an idea of his identity.


    The woman in a red gown is actually the previous Matriarch of the Lumley Family. That makes her the current Patriarch''s aunt and sister of Matias and Tobias''s grandfather.


    Publicly, the Lumley dered her death twenty years ago, but the truth was she decided to be the ''keeper'' of the Lumley Ancestral Hall. But thetter was only a title. The real reason she wanted to hide was to focus on breaking through the limits of a Magus. In this way, she could be the Lumley Family''s trump card when the time to usurp the Royal Familyes.


    Her idea was not exactly original because most noble families wanted to do the same. Unfortunately, it was near impossible to produce a Magus in a generation.


    In any case, these noble families hade up with an insidious n like that due to a story they had uncovered in the Boyd Family.


    It was the story of a Boyd ancestor who went into a deep slumber but would return if their family was in danger. If that ancestor were only an ordinary Magus, the other noble families would not really think much of it. But it was said that the slumbering ancestor was actually a Legendary mage.


    Because of this ''story,'' the other noble families were inspired to produce a powerful mage of their own. However, few had the ability to do this, which was why the craze soon faded in time. It was not exaggerated to say that the woman might be the only one who pursued the idea.


    Soon, her obsession with the rumor led to the discovery that it was not a mere ''story'' fabricated by the Boyd Family to keep the Arthall Family in check.


    There really is a Boyd mage who reached the level of a half-step Legendary a few hundred years ago. If that mage is still alive, then the probability that the mage has reached the Legendary level is high.


    With this in mind, the woman in a red gown felt that the owner of the ancient-sounding voice is definitely that mage from the Boyd Family. She was convinced of this from how he mentioned the ''Crown Princess'' so endearingly. As if her existence was the only thing that mattered to them. A feat that had stayed with the Boyd Family members even when the Winfrey Family had declined.


    Apart from this, the man said the Crown Princess valued Disciple Tyr. A fact that almost every noble family in the empire was already aware of. As a matter of fact, it had been one of the reasons they detested Disciple Tyr.


    "Y-Your Grace," the woman said as she prostrated herself on the floor. "Please, stay your hand."


    A cold silence followed the woman''s request.


    When the woman was about to speak again, an ear-splitting sound entered her ears, threatening to crush her eardrum. She hurriedly covered her ears and concentrated her magic defenses there before shouting.


    "P-Please! S-Stop, your Grace! W-We are not your enemy!"


    "No? Yet you tried to kill our young Mistress''s man."


    "I-I''m sorry! T-This young man entered our Ancestral Hall and went on a rampage! You, yourself, are part of a prestigious family. A-At least, I presume you are. So you understand how it feels when your people are killed one after another before you... We¡ª I am only trying to defend my family!" The woman hurriedly reasoned, targeting the man''s empathy by reminding him of how he went into slumber but promised to help his family in a dire situation.


    The man erupted inughter, and his ancient-sounding voice shook the whole ce.


    Neo''s eyes constricted as his sensors picked up a powerful vibration from underground. With this discovery, he focused 70% of his sensors on observing the ground.


    Soon, he noticed that the vibration came from the northwest direction of the hall and was several kilometers deep underground. A reading that was simply impossible for Neo to detect urately. Not to mention, it was a depth that a mage would be unable to reach and stay alive.


    In any case, he entered this information in his database and tried finding out if he matched any of the mage information his master recorded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Meanwhile, the man finally stoppedughing and said, "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in a long while."


    A ringing sound reverberated in the hall, and the woman''s body was thrown in the air.


    "No, I¡ª guah!"


    Invisible pressure assaulted the woman''s body in every direction, making her spit out mouthfuls of blood in the air. Her eyes turned bloodshot as her magic barrier was rendered useless from the invisible pressure''s onught. In a matter of ten seconds, her whole body was turned into a bloody pulp.


    "If my family is killed before my eyes, it serves them right for being weak. The Boyd Family doesn''t need weaklings," the man said. His voice sounded so cold it could freeze anyone who heard him.


    At least, anyone but Neo.


    Neo''s indifferent expression made the man''s interest in him piqued further. The former did not even blink when the woman''s body fell to the floor with a loud st.


    A few of her flesh sprayed in Neo''s direction. But it only touched the bottom part of the barrier before turning to dust.


    "You have an interesting barrier," the man said.


    "Thanks, I guess."


    The manughed again and said, "You look unfazed even after witnessing how I easily disposed of them, who you seem to have some difficulty dealing with."


    "Old man," Neo replied, sounding a little annoyed. "Don''t tter yourself. Can''t you see the bodies littering the floor? That''s my handy work. I may be a mage, but I am still ''human.'' I do get tired. That''s why I want to exhaust the three of them, so we are in the same state. Then I''ll strike back."


    "I see," the man did not seem to have taken offence at Neo''s impertinence and conversed with him as if they were talking in a normal setting with no corpses around. "So you enduring their attacks is a bid to regain some of your magic energy."


    "Why else would I endure their attacks?" Neo said while rolling his eyes. "Don''t state the obvious, old man."


    The manughed once more, shaking the hall once again. It was then followed by invisible pressures that bombarded Neo in every direction.


    Neo''s pupil constricted as warning messages appeared behind his vision.


    [Warning. Recovery of Void energy has been disrupted... Stopping at 73%...]


    [Warning. Void energy has been reduced to 68%...]


    The pace at which the Void energy decreased was far greater than when the three Magus had bombarded him with several attacks. This was a testament to the man''s strength, which paled inparison to the joint attacks from thetter three.


    If this continued, the barrier would be destroyed in less than a minute. Neo had to do something before that happened.


    Just as he was trying to devise a n, the lone ind he was standing on finally crumbled, forcing him to lose a stable foothold. However, he did not release the barrier. Instead, he opened a small space at the bottom to ensure he would not ''destroy'' his feet once he stepped on the barrier.


    This was actually the downside of using the Void barrier. Since Neo was not really born with the Void magic energy, he was not immune to it and would suffer if he touched it.


    Basically, Kyran was the only one immune to the Void energy because he possessed the Void core.


    As soon as a small opening appeared at the bottom of the barrier, a loud ringing entered Neo''s ear, and his system almost shut down from the strain. He fell to the floor, and the barrier flickered, and at that moment, the invisible pressure came pouring down at him from every direction.


    *


    "Kyran?" Rin looked at Kyran in concern. She thought he did not respond to her plea because he had reservations about using the conch. Thus, she decided to make him change his mind.


    "You are not really thinking of using that to..."


    But Rin''s voice trailed off because Kyran suddenly said something that baffled her.


    "Mother, Grandfather, Uncle Jared, they have now made their move."

 Chapter 561 Enter The Fray (2)

    Although Kyran did not borate, Aron and Jared seemed to understand what he meant. Their expressions turned solemn, and Aron turned to Jared and said, "Go take Kyran to the Regis Terram and see if the transmission array can be fixed. If not, go to the underground shelter. I will gather the rest and prepare the council."


    "Yes, father."


    Aron''s words made Rin realize something, and she immediately looked at Kyran and said exhortingly, "No matter what, you have toe with your uncle after checking the transmission array. Don''t try to run off on your own. I know time is critical right now, but that is not a reason not to discuss your ns with your family. Understand?"


    Max and Reuben looked at Rin in awe. As expected of a woman''s instinct¡ª or, to be precise, a mother''s. They had only known Kyran for a while, but they more or less had a grasp of his character after fighting him and listening to his ns when they were in the Void World.


    Kyran had the tendency to act based on his emotions. Even if he had a solid n at hand when he got pissed, the n was practically thrown out the window, and he would improvise. And though they said it, he was improvising; it was basically him going on a rampage and bullying everyone who pissed him off.


    The way Rin exhorted Kyran showed how much she knew her son.


    Kyran looked at Rin and smiled slightly, "I''m sorry, mother. But I will have to disappoint you."


    "Kyran¡ª."


    "We don''t have the time to check the transmission array now," Kyran felt bad for interrupting his mother, but he really was pressed for time. If Neo got destroyed, he did not have the materials to fix him. Losing a fighter with strengthparable to a hundred Exalted was such a huge loss.


    Kyran looked at his grandfather and uncle and continued, "I have two ways to get you out of this ce. One is to take down the barrier and rendezvous with Mannick outside. He can help create arge transmission array to send everyone to a safe location."


    He paused, thinking about the possible effect Mannick''s help would incur because of his special identity, before adding, "This one I won''t really rmend because his identity is a little troublesome."


    Although Kyran did not borate, Aron, Jared and Rin agreed. However, they only thought Kyran meant Mannick''s identity as a Deputy Marshal was troublesome, not because he was the current Sovereign.


    In any case, Kyran did not try to correct their thinking and continued, "The second one is far more reliable."


    He looked at Jared and said, "Uncle, I have an improved form of the Regis''s transmission scroll. With your Array attainment, it will be easier to create several scrolls simultaneously."


    Jared raised his brows in surprise. He knew the family''s transmission scrolls and how its core ingredient was their blood. Creating several scrolls was practically telling him to forfeit his life¡ª not that Jared minded. If it would help the n, he would dly do so. However, he still needed to activate the Regis Grand Array with Cade and Kyran, so he could not die yet.


    Seeing the hesitation on Jared''s face, Kyran guessed what he was thinking and exined, "I''ve improved the form and will no longer need our blood. Although it will still require a Regis to create them for it to seed."


    "Seems like you haven''t been idle all these years."


    Kyran''s response to Rin''s greeting earlier already confirmed their assumption that he had been away for several years. And the likely ce he had gone to was the Tower of Tribtions.


    Unfortunately, their situation did not allow them to really catch up, and Kyran had yet to confirm it.


    "Keep the barrier intact to give our enemies the idea that everyone is still inside. But warp outside and rendezvous with Mannick. Just don''t ask him to do anything, or our situation will turn out for the worse. Also, don''t worry about getting seen. There are others outside securing the ce."


    Aron, Jared and Rin finally sensed from Kyran''s words that he was not talking about Mannick''s identity as the Deputy Marshal. But they refrain from asking questions and let Kyran continue.


    Kyran had another option: to take all of them in his Void World. However, because of what happened to Cyneah, he was worried that those little ones who had yet to awaken their magic cores might not have the ability to protect themselves from the rich Void energy in that world, thus he did not mention it.


    "There are so many things happening outside now. I''ll leave Max and Reuben here and let them brief you on everything."


    Kyran looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandfather, I need a couple of people toe with me if I leave them here. Initially, I''d like to ask you toe, but the family needs you here."


    Aron sighed inwardly. As much as he wanted to go outside and check the situation himself, Kyran was right. His people needed him.


    "Take Myst and Raya with you. They are well-informed of the Regis''s situation and can assist you well."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Kyran knew Myst and Raya. The two used to spar with him when Cade was not around. Regarding theirbat abilities, they were indeed good candidates to assist him. As for their innate magic, he had no idea, but that was unimportant. He could ask them after meeting up with them.


    "Thank you," Kyran said. Finally, he looked at Max and Reuben and said, "I''ll leave my people with you two. Protect them."


    The two lowered their heads and replied respectfully, "Yes, master."


    Before Kyran could say more, he paused after sensing ''something'' closing in outside the Regis''s barrier, and a smile appeared on his face.


    Kyran turned his attention back to Aron and Jared and said, "Another of my Sigil will arrive in a moment. He can help find a better ce to hide everyone. When everyone is settled, gather all abled Regis members. When I get back, there is a good chance we''ll go to war."


    *


    Neo''s energy core emitted a blinding light, countering most of the invisible pressure before it could damage his body.


    By the time the blinding light receded, Neo''s system had already recovered, and he put up the barrier at once. Nevertheless, his insides received some damage, and warning messages kept popping up in his vision, telling him which part of his body had suffered.


    "Impressive," the ancient-sounding voicemented after seeing Neo recover almost immediately after receiving his attack.


    Although it appeared that Neo avoided it, the man was sure that he still suffered internal injuries. But the man was surprised to see that although Neo had suffered, no blood or visible physical trauma could be seen.


    If Neo knew the man''s thoughts, he might have given him an incredulous expression. He was a puppet; there was no way he would spit out blood, nor would his body show deformation. His exterior was made of the best materials from another ne, and his inner parts received superficial damage because the exterior received the brunt of the invisible pressure''s might.


    "For someone skinny, you have a very sturdy body. Something that most mages failed to possess."


    Neo let out a pained grunt before saying, "Yeah? I know a number of mages with huge sturdy frames nowadays. Which era are you born in, old man?"


    "Those mages, or to better differentiate them, thosebat mages, cannot be called natural mages. They intentionally improved their physical bodies, but because of this, their magic output has suffered."


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, old man. But I''m not a ''natural'' mage, myself. My body is not buffed up as them because I am utilizing my Strengthening magic."


    "That is why I said what I did," the man replied. "Now, if you possessed a far more powerful innate magic, if you became the Crown Princess''s consort, you two would definitely produce a powerful heir."


    Neo''s database was far richerpared to the other puppets. Nevertheless, he failed to understand what the man meant and could not provide an appropriate response.


    Because of Neo''sck of response, the man thought he was stunned by the idea of bing the Crown Princess''s consort. Somehow, the man found that uneptable. Before he could punish Neo again, he received a telepathic message, changing his mind at once.


    "You are lucky young man, to have gotten the Crown Princess''s favor."


    As the man said this, Neo noticed the pressure and vibration that covered the hall lifted slowly.


    "Since the time is nigh, we can stop this nonsense."


    "Nonsense¡ª oi!"


    A two-meter radius light golden array appeared on Neo''s feet.


    Without even checking the whole array, Neo already knew that it was a transportation array. And wherever the old man was nning to take him was definitely not a good ce.


    "I''m taking you back. The Crown Princess has called."

 Chapter 562 Enter The Fray (3)

    After meeting with Myst and Raya, Kyran warped to where Neo was at once. However, the scene that greeted them reeled in shock.


    "This..." Kyran''s expression turned grim as he looked at the bodies that littered the floor.


    Raya could not help but swallow in fright while Myst''s mouth hung open in shock.


    Kyran knew he had programmed Neo to kill anyone that discovered his identity. But this was something he did not expect. Not that Neo did not have the capability of mass murder...


    Kyran tilted his head to one side, feeling slightly uneasy at the thought he just had. He should probably review the emergency action code he installed in Neo; otherwise, he might inadvertently create a real killing machine.


    In any case, the matter of Neo bing a killing machine was unimportant right now. Because Kyran warped to where Neo was, apart from the remnant energy it had, confirming that it had been in this ce, Neo was clearly nowhere to be seen.


    "Young master, Raya can use his magic to recreate what happened here," Myst suddenly said, turning to Kyran before looking at Raya.


    Kyran raised his brows and looked at them, "I haven''t asked about your innate magic yet." He looked at Raya and added, "Can you really do that?"


    Raya scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Well, my innate magic can be considered offensive and support type. I can do it, but it requires a huge amount of magic energy. I will need to..."


    His voice trailed off as he sensed the magic energies in the surrounding became dense.


    Kyran, who had raised his left hand to attract the magic energies, looked at Raya again and asked, "Will this be enough?"


    Raya''s brow twitched slightly.


    A few months ago, this young master of theirs had his magic core sealed and was not allowed to attract magic energies because doing so could kill him. But now, simply raising his hand could attract them without affecting his body.


    "Y-Yes... it''s more than enough," Raya replied.


    Myst shared the same feelings as Raya. After all, as someone who reported directly to Cade, he knew almost everything about Kyran. Frankly, when they saw him a few minutes ago, they already sensed how much he had changed, and that was not only in physical appearance.


    Raya got to work at once, he roused his magic, and a fifty-meter radius light gold magic array appeared on the floor.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed when he recognized the magic array''s runes.


    ''This is Memory magic!'' he thought, recalling the only person he knew who possessed Memory magic was President Can.


    Kyran had no idea that among the Regis n, they also had someone who had Memory magic. Not only that, but based on the magic fluctuation in the magic array and concentration of magic energy, Raya''s understanding of his magic was very high. It made Kyran wonder what Raya''s mage level was. Because as far as Kyran knew, the Regis Special Force''s uniform had the ability to conceal its wearer''s mage level.


    Little light golden orbs emerged from the magic array and passed through the corpses on the floor. After that, these little orbs converged and turned into a mist-like projection of the corpse.


    Kyran now understood why Raya needed arge amount of magic energy. In order to sustain the form of these mist projections, he had to supplement them with enough magic energy.


    Ten minutester, Raya had already created a mist-like projection of every corpse on the floor. His eyes glowed silver, and he made circr motions with both hands. The magic array on the floor circted, following his hand''s movement.


    Kyran observed the magic array and noticed that some of the magic runes on the array had disappeared and been reced. It made him realize that Raya was performing a sequence of magic array formation.


    Basically, instead of creating a new magic array, Raya used the same magic array and slightly changed its rune to create a new effect.


    Kyran understood the reasoning behind Raya''s action. If thetter had summoned a new magic array, the mist-like projection of the corpses would disappear. To avoid that, he kept the original magic array and only adjusted it to add a new effect.


    When Raya stopped moving his hands, the magic array also stopped circting, and the mist-like projections moved on their own. They seemed to re-enact the scene that happened before their death.


    The three watched the whole scene in silence. They immediately noticed how most of the projection fell without seeing who attacked them.


    "I don''t think your man is among the corpse, young master," Mystmented. "If he were, we would have seen it."


    "Not really," Kyran replied with a wry smile. "''He'' is a puppet, so I don''t think it will produce any ''memory.''"


    Myst and Raya looked at Kyran with a nk expressions. Somehow, they were already numb to thetter''s ''achievements.''


    "Actually, it can, as long as my magic array picks up its magic energy," Raya told Kyran. "However, my magic cannot reproduce its form. Probably only a wisp of its movement but not a whole body projection."


    Kyran looked at him and fell silent for a moment. Then he asked, "Can your magic produce any type of magic energy?"


    Raya thought for a moment before replying, "I want to say yes. But my magic array can only recognize magic energies that I am familiar with."


    "If not, then it can''t produce it."


    Raya nodded, "Yes."


    "Neo''s energy core had already circted Void energy," Kyran replied. "You can''t recognize it yet, can you?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Raya scratched his head and said with a sheepish smile, "I don''t think so. As a matter of fact, I don''t think my magic can recognize Void magic energy even if I am already familiar with it."


    "That''s fine," Kyran replied and continued watching the scene before them.


    At thetter end, their expressions turned nasty after seeing three powerful mages die in a manner different from the rest.


    "Someone else came," Kyran said with furrowed brows. He looked at Raya again and asked, "Can you reproduce that person?"


    Even before Kyran asked him, Raya had already adjusted his magic array''s effect. However, even if he widened the magic array''s range, he could not pick up any other magic energy.


    "I can''t find it," Raya said with a frown. Before he could say more, Myst suddenly looked on the ground and said, "Below. I sensed remnant magic energy below."


    Raya immediately adjusted his magic array to also locate any magic energy below. However, the result was the same. He failed to project an image of the person.


    "It''s strange. Whoever killed these three is powerful enough to hide its presence below."


    Myst shook his head, "I don''t think that mage is hiding below."


    After saying this, he roused his magic energy and spread his magic sense below.


    Kyran did not say anything and let them investigate themselves. Frankly, he already checked below and discovered the remnant magic fluctuation Myst mentioned. However, he also failed to pinpoint its location. He also felt that the person was not exactly hiding below but that the person''s magic attack only prated through the ground.


    After a few minutes, Myst shook his head with a sigh of resignation, "I can''t pinpoint it either."


    "It''s fine," Kyran said. "At least we know someone else came here and likely took my puppet."


    Myst looked at him in concern, "Won''t they realize it''s a puppet?"


    "I... don''t know. But, if they took my puppet, it means that person believed it was ''Tyr.''"


    "Tyr?" Raya asked in confusion. "Like the disciple, Master Noir announced more than a year ago?"


    "Yes," Kyran nodded and gave them a brief exnation of how it happened.


    As Myst and Raya listened, their expression turned grim the moment they realized who had taken ''Tyr'' and for what reason.


    "If the Crown Princess''s people took Neo, there is a good chance she is already out of that room," Kyran muttered.


    The two heard him but did not understand what he meant.


    "I have to take Neo back," Kyran continued before they could even ask what he meant. "But doing so will be tricky."


    He looked at the corpse-- or to be precise, the lump of flesh and two corpses with missing heads-- on the ground.


    "Whoever killed these three is likely someone whose mage level is higher than a Magus."


    "An Archmagus?" Raya asked.


    Unlike most people, the Regis family members knew there was a higher realm after a Magus.


    "No," Kyran replied, shaking his head slightly, "I think it''s that slumbering Legendary mage."


    The two looked at him with aplicated expressions. Clearly, they were aware of that mage. They were the ones who found the information about him, after all.


    "If that''s true, then it exins why his magic seemed toe from below," Myst said.


    Raya also nodded and said, "Yeah. It''s because underground, there is a winding path of water."


    "You mean that mage''s innate magic is Water?" Kyran asked in surprise.


    "Yes."


    Kyran did not doubt their information. After all, his father was the one who told him about the Legendary mage''s existence.


    In any case, knowing that mage''s magic was beneficial to him. He remembered that Tritus was also a Water mage. If that was the case, if Tritus and that mage shed, the former might gain some insight to help him break through to the Legendary.


    Thinking of this, Kyran began to formte a strategy that, if he were not careful, would likely result in an all-out war.

 Chapter 563 Enter The Fray (4)

    In a dark room, a lone light, like a spotlight, shone down on a kneeling figure. Thick ck chains and several ck talismans with red writings bound and covered the figure.


    The ck chains were clearly made of anti-cast stones, and the talismans were magic seals that prevented the figure from rousing magic energy.


    A woman''s soft, almost narcotic voice spoke from within the darkness, addressing the kneeling figure. She said, "I never imagined we''d be in this situation, Disciple Tyr."


    The figure, who was none other than Neo, lifted his head with great difficulty. Using his sensors, he tried to determine the voice''s location but failed. Nevertheless, he was able to determine the owner of the voice. Though there were slight changes¡ª because she sounded more mature than before¡ª there was no doubt that the voice''s sound frequency was still the same.


    The Crown Princess, Haylee.


    "Could have fooled me. I''ve dreaded this moment since you said you want to employ my services."


    Haylee giggled at Neo''s obnoxious reply.


    "I find it hard to imagine the fearless ''Disciple Tyr'' to feel dread."


    "I''m good at hiding my emotions," Neo replied. If not for the chains that bound his body, he would have shrugged too.


    The temperature in the surroundings dropped dramatically, and Haylee''s voice turned cold, "Enough jesting, Tyr."


    She had only removed one word when addressing him, but it meant a lot more. Before, she was still lenient in ''Tyr''s'' attitude toward her, but that was no longer the case after she addressed him using only his name.


    "As much as possible, I don''t want you to be a mere puppet," Haylee continued. "Swear allegiance to me, and I promise to give you enough freedom."


    Neo did not respond. He simply recorded their conversation and tried to establish a connection with his master. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so. It was the same when the man with an ancient voice arrived at the Lumley Ancestral Hall. Before he could leave a recording of what happened there, his system failed to release it. As if an invisible barrier was preventing him from sending out any form ofmunication signals.


    Haylee sighed when Neo did not respond, even after waiting for a few minutes.


    "You have until tonight to think it over. If not, then I will turn you into a puppet."


    Neo''s expression distorted slightly from Haylee''s choice of words.


    Talk about irony. He was already a puppet. How could he turn into one again?


    "Just so you know, it is already early in the morning," Haylee paused before adding, "I await good news."


    Right after that, the temperature in the surroundings turned normal, and Neo was sure Haylee had left.


    Neo closed his eyes.


    His system already determined that he was in a dire situation and that his reaction should reflect a person determined to hide his fear. But as a puppet, he did not really feel fear. This was why the moment Haylee told him, ''he only had until tonight to make up his mind,'' he already started scanning his database to find a way to break through the chains that bound him.


    Frankly, the talismans were ineffective because they only sealed the magic circting in his exterior parts. Severalyers of high-quality materials protected his energy core to ensure it would not be easily damaged or detected by any type and form of magic device, item or spell.


    The energy core could still circte magic energies. However, because of the chains, Neo could not release it. Until he could create a powerful magic attack that the chains could not withstand, he could break free from the chains and then...


    Neo suddenly tilted his head to one side.


    Did he really need toe up with a powerful magic attack?


    He suddenly remembered one of the things his master was good at.


    Brute force.


    Without any hesitation, Neo used his body''s raw strength and broke free from the chains.


    The thick ck chains shattered like fragile ss. Its pieces were sent in every direction.


    Neo stretched his neck to the left and then to the right while taking a deep breath.


    "Master will probably be disappointed if he discovers it took me a few minutes to find out how to break free from those chains," he muttered while tearing the talismans off his body.


    As he was deciding how to find his way out, his sensors suddenly detected an iing danger, and he summoned the Void barrier at once.


    A massive pressure that weighed down from above descended. Neo was forced to fall on his knees even with the Void barrier. Some of his internal circuitry crackled from the strain of the pressure.


    "You really are something."


    The ancient-sounding voice spoke from the darkness, and Neo frowned at once.


    After Haylee left, Neo kept his sensors active to check if there would be mages nearby. To think that his sensors failed to detect the man''s presence.


    Then again, he also failed to locate the man when they were in the Lumley Ancestral Hall. Apart from that, it was impossible for Haylee to leave Neo on his own without a proper guard.


    Still, Neo did not expect Haylee to have this man guard him. How much importance did she ce on ''Disciple Tyr'' for her to delegate such a powerful guard to keep watch on him?


    "G-Give me a break, old man. It''s not like I can escape from this ce," Neoined. "How do you expect me to think properly if I am bound like that?"


    "Then continue to think in that position," the man responded matter-of-factly. "Her Highness may show leniency over you, but that is not the case with me. Rest assured, I will only use the bare minimum when using my magic pressure. This way, your body will not break."


    "Y-You call this pressure the bare minimum?" Neo grumbled. "Who are you kidding?"


    But he kept note of this and nned to let his master know as soon as he found a way how to send a message.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The man only chuckled in response and seemed to have left without lifting the pressure around Neo.


    ''Master, please find me soon. I don''t think my body will hold much longer.''


    *


    Going back to a couple of hours...


    After Ingrid received news of Tyr wrecking the Lumley, she sent word to her father about it before gathering enough people on her side to make a follow-through.


    Her father, Wayde, informed their slumbering ancestor of the Lumley Family''s fate at once, and thetter went to the Lumley Ancestral Hall.


    Contrary to what the others knew, the ''slumbering'' ancestor of the Boyd Family had long awakened. The moment Haylee seeded in receiving the Soul Emperor''s Inheritance, the Boyd Family''s ancestor also woke up.


    However, he had been upied with recovering his motor skills for the past month. After all, he had been asleep for hundreds of years. He also had to be updated on the world''s affairs. For this reason, the Boyd Family kept silent all this time and only chose to make a move after Haylee decided to move.


    In any case, they only needed a few things done before they could really set their ns into full motion.


    One of the few things they needed to do was to capture Disciple Tyr. As a matter of fact, they also needed the Lumley Family''s cooperation. With Tyr killing most of their core members, their usefulness was gone.


    The Crown Princess needed mages with high mage levels, after all. Now that the Lumley Family had lost their three Magus and Exalted, they were already removed from their ns.


    They still had the Courtenay Family, who had three Magus and a few Exalted, so it was still fine.


    Now, if they could have gotten the Conve, Temr Code and Aureoule as well, they would have everything.


    High-level mages, Array Specialists, Alchemists, and all kinds of resources.


    Of course, what the Crown Princess wanted most of all, apart from Disciple Tyr, was the whole Regis n. This n was the only one in the empire that failed to gather real information about their mages andbat mages'' levels.


    They only knew that Patriarch Aron was close to bing a Magus and that their elders were all Exalted. The members of the Regis Special Force were also said to be all at the Grand Master level.


    The Crown Princess, though, believed otherwise. Her reasoning was simple. The Regis n possessed the Regis Blessing. It was impossible for their members who possessed it to have a low mage level.


    Why would the Crown Princess need them? This question could only be answered by her, and probably, Lira, her Royal Knight and most trusted aide.


    Not even the Boyd Family knew. But that was unimportant to them because their loyalty to the Crown Princess would never be questioned.


    Ingrid and several Boyd family members arrived at the Lumley Ancestral Hall.


    Their expressions instantly turned nasty after seeing the sea of corpses littering the floor.


    "He really did this alone?" Ingrid could not help but mutter.


    The woman, who reported what happened, stood beside Ingrid and lowered her head, "Yes. At least, that had been the case before I escaped."


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed as she studied the corpses. Only three of the corpses below showed signs of exploding. She already guessed that it was the handy work of their ancestor. This made her frown slightly.


    ''The ancestor definitely knew her Highness wanted the Lumley Family''s high-level mages,'' she thought. ''Why did he kill them?''


    Even before the question formed in her head, she already thought of the possible answer. These three likely threatened Disciple Tyr''s life. And as far as they were concerned, thetter was far more important than the rest.


    Disciple Tyr''s importance to the Crown Princess''s ns was likely second only to acquiring the Regis n.


    "No matter," Ingrid finally said after a few minutes of silence. "Clean up the whole ce."


    "Yes, Lady Ingrid."


    All of them got to work and destroyed all the corpses.


    Ingrid turned to the woman beside her and said, "Have you gathered the rest of the Lumley family members?"


    "Yes, Lady Ingrid. A few are still on the way, but the remaining council and the Patriarch are already in the main house."


    "Good," Ingrid said and turned to leave. "Let''s leave no one alive."


    "As you wish¡ª."


    "Such a scary thing to say."


    A deep male voice suddenly spoke and echoed throughout the hall.


    In an instant, Ingrid and the other Boyd family members took out their magic weapons and prepared for battle.


    "You guys sure respond well."


    Another male voice spoke.


    Ingrid''s brow furrowed at once because she failed to sense where the voices came from.

 Chapter 564 Enter The Fray (5)

    "Show yourselves!" Ingrid demanded with narrowed eyes. The glint in her light blue eyes was as cold as ice.


    The owner of the voice who had spoken first replied, "Why would we? When it''s much easier to deal with you guys when we''re hidden like this?"


    "Insolent fools!" The woman beside Ingrid growled in anger.


    By the time the second voice had spoken, she had already roused her magic and took out several gold talismans with a Fire rune, search, written on them in dark-red ink. So when the first voice replied to Ingrid, fifteen two-feet red magic arrays appeared before her.


    Fireballs emerged from the red magic arrays, with a size of one and a half feet. She threw talismans on the first batch of fireballs and they stuck on them without showing signs of burning.


    The fireballs flew out and hit several galleries on the second floor.


    The woman was not done. She continued to throw talismans on the fireballs that came out within her magic arrays.


    The other Boyd members were not idle either. They would never tolerate anyone who spoke that way to the daughter of the Head Family.


    Several magic arrays in red, brown and light green appeared in the hall. They also made use of talismans with Fire, Earth and Wind runes for search, more fireballs, earth arrows, and wind des aimed randomly at the galleries.


    The hall shook from the magic bombardment and was soon covered in a cloud of smoke.


    Ingrid was the only one who did not make a move. Or, to be urate, she did not summon her magic but focused on observing the surrounding with her magic sense. After all, even if a mage used a concealment spell, they were not truly untouchable. Their bodies were also not truly gone. They would still leave traces of their presence or silhouettes once they made contact with something.


    Like smoke.


    ''There!''


    Ingrid''s light blue eyes shed as she noticed a silhouette of a man hiding behind a pir in one of the galleries on the third floor. She raised her hand and aimed at the spot, releasing a small red butterfly that formed at the tip of her finger.


    The red butterfly was not made from magic but was Ingrid''s ability. She called it the Red Kiss of a Butterfly. Once the butterfly attached itself to her target, no matter where the target went, she would be able to locate that person. Apart from this, when Ingrid aimed her magic at that person, she would never miss.


    The red butterfly flew toward the pir, and when it was only a few inches shy of sticking to her target, a light brown magic array appeared before Ingrid. She touched the magic array and pulled out a golden rifle. Without aiming at her target, she fired a bullet made of concentrated magic energy.


    The bullet immediately changed direction and aimed at the silhouette behind the pir, and a mighty explosion erupted when it hit.


    Boom!


    A powerful shockwave followed right after the explosion, scattering the cloud of smoke nearby.


    Dust from the destroyed pir reced the cloud of smoke, obscuring their view in an instant.


    "Whoa... that''s a pretty nasty move. But, err... who exactly are you aiming at?" The first person who had spoken asked as his voice reverberated in the hall.


    Ingrid''s face turned livid as she realized the person was standing behind her. She turned at once, her rifle at the ready and pulled the trigger.


    However, the concentrated magic energy bullet only went past a cloud of smoke that had gathered behind her.


    "Argh!" A pitiful scream followed as Ingrid''s bullet hit one of the Boyd members behind.


    The member grabbed his abdomen as he fell to his knees in pain.


    "Scatter the smoke!" Ingrid ordered at once.


    The members with Wind innate magic did not need telling twice. Before Ingrid finished giving her order, they had already summoned a joint magic array and created a powerful gust of wind, blowing away the smoke cloud.


    "Thanks."


    The owner of the second voice said, which confused most of them.


    However, their confusion was cleared right after as a force akin to an increase in gravity fell upon the Wind mages of the Boyd family. They were forced to their knees, and an invisible barrier appeared around them, separating them from the rest.


    The joint magic array they created disappeared as well.


    Ingrid''s eyes constricted as she recognized the magic that restrained them.


    "Gravity magic! But.. how...?"


    She already confirmed with the Lumley spy that Tyr killed had killed Tobias. As a matter of fact, she had seen thetter''s body among the corpses on the floor.


    But if this was the case, the second concealed person possessed a medium-risk forbidden magic that the army was unaware of. After all, Tobias was the only one who had been written in the empire''s magic registry to possess Gravity magic. Not to mention, Tobias was one of the two people whom the empire had given a magic amnesty token and was allowed to roam around.


    "Release them!"


    The other Boyd members growled in anger and released another set of magic attacks.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Stop attacking!" Ingrid warned at once, realizing the real reason the second concealed person had thanked them and restrained their Wind mages.


    They were aiming for their Wind mages all along!


    When they firstunched seemingly random attacks, the two concealed people probably wanted to use the cloud of smoke to move about. However, they probably did not expect Ingrid''s actions or her ability. Although she failed in the end, they decided to deal with their mages, who could remove their smokescreen first. Besides, even if they could not counter Ingrid''s ability and magic, they could still use the smoke and make her fire friendly shots at her own people¡ª just like what happened a moment ago.


    However, Ingrid''s warning was a few secondste because the Boyd members'' attacks had already randomly hit the hall''s interior, and another cloud of smoke obscured their vision.


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed, and she ordered her people at once, "Gather around me!"


    The Boyd members followed the sound of Ingrid''s voice and gathered around her. After confirming that the presence around her was the same number as the Boyd members with them, apart from the few Wind mages trapped in an invisible barrier a few meters from them, Ingrid summoned a fifty-meter diameter light brown magic array.


    The size of the magic array wasrge enough to include the location where the Wind mages were trapped.


    Ingrid''s magic aura rose as her magic energy burst from within her. Magic fluctuations gathered around her, and several cannons formed around the magic array''s border.


    The muzzles of the cannons were facing different directions. Some were even pointed at the ground.


    "Die!" Ingrid shouted, and all the cannons fired concentrated magic energy balls in every direction.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    A series of explosive firing reverberated in the air, and the Lumley Ancestral Hall was instantly riddled with holes.


    With such loud explosions, it was impossible for anyone within several hundred meters not to hear anything.


    However, none of the Lumley family members in the nearby residence seemed to have heard a thing. It was as if the Lumely Ancestral Hall had a huge soundproof array, preventing others to hear anything happening within.


    After about ten minutes of continuous firing, Ingrid finally stopped.


    By then, the Lumley Ancestral Hall was already in ruins, and the corpses they failed to destroy were already turned to dust.


    "Stay on guard!" Ingrid ordered her people.


    The Boyd members all held their magic weapons and focused their magic sense outside Ingrid''s magic array.


    They were surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke, and it was almost impossible to see beyond it.


    "T-The invisible barrier is still there!"


    It was unknown who had said it, but when the meaning of her words got through to them, they all turned to the side and looked at the trapped Wind mages.


    True enough, the invisible barrier trapping them was still there, and the Gravity magic restraining them was also active.


    When Ingrid saw this, she immediately shouted, "Headcount!"


    "Less than twenty now, I think?"


    A man''s voice answered behind her.


    Ingrid''s eyes widened in shock. The rest of the Boyd members also turned and gaped in fear.


    A thin dark purple de hung near Ingrid''s neck as a man in a full ck suit stood behind her.


    The man''s face was only half-covered, and they could clearly see the dark-gray eyes that stared at them.


    "D-Dark gray¡ª gah!"


    Before the Boyd member could evenplete what she was saying, a short silver de flew and pierced her right at the middle of her forehead.


    "SShhh, none of you are allowed to speak."


    The one who had spoken was the owner of the first voice, and he had appeared a few meters to the left.


    "Don''t say that. The young master needed information. If they are not allowed to speak, how can they answer?"


    A third man in ck appeared a few meters to the right, and his voice was simr to the second.


    Now that they thought about it, the man behind Ingrid did not sound like any of the previous two voices.

 Chapter 565 Gathering (1)

    Kyran could not help but wear aplicated expression after hearing the exchange between Myst and Raya. They were part of the Regis Special Force and knew the importance of hiding one''s identity and avoiding speaking of things that could be used against oneself.


    However, the exchange between the two clearly disregarded these. Besides, Raya killing the Boyd member who noticed Kyran''s eye color was unnecessary.


    ''Could this be their way of intimidating their enemies?'' Kyran wondered. ''By showing we won''t hesitate to kill, they will cooperate more.''


    In a situation where one of two opposing sides sessfully dominated the other to continue showing their might. If not, the defeated side could regain theirposure and find a chance to turn the situation.


    Kyran had done this move quite a number of times, intentionally and unintentionally, especially when he intended to make the other side his Sigil.


    Then again, after interrogating them, they did n on silencing them for good. Or, depending on Kyran''s mood after the interrogation, he might be more merciful and ask Raya to erase their memories and imprison them.


    As for the possibility of taking them as his Sigil, Kyran never considered it. In the first ce, even if the Sigil seeded, he was sure their intense hatred for him would immediately activate the Sigil''s seal and kill them on the spot.


    In any case, for them to subdue the Boyd Family that fast was thanks to Myst and Raya.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to destroy the corpses and fix the Lumley Ancestral Hall to buy some time before the Lumley Family realized what had happened. But he immediately dropped the idea because the Boyd Family already knew what happened and already made a move. Aside from this, if they took Neo, they definitely would try to send their own people to the Lumley Ancestral Hall to clean up and remove any evidence of their involvement.


    When he shared his thoughts with Myst and Raya, the two agreed and proposed to hide and wait. Kyran then told them he wanted to interrogate them. Thus, Myst and Raya told him to leave everything to them.


    Frankly, Kyran was surprised to learn that Myst also possessed forbidden magic. He even wondered if there were more Regis members with forbidden magic. This possibility reduced Kyran''s guilt of putting his n in danger, albeit a little.


    Knowing that there were more forbidden magic users in the family meant the n was not forced to sacrifice their lives just because of him. Well, his magic was far more dangerous than the others, but once word of the Regis n hiding more forbidden magic users went out, it would still spell their doom.


    Myst and Raya''s n on how to subdue the Boyd Family appeared puzzling at first. Others might point out that Myst could have used his magic and subdued them right from the start. Why did they have to go through all that trouble?


    However, Kyran knew they were trying to grasp what the Boyd family members could do first. Besides, Ingrid was with them. There was no telling if she had an item of ability that could counter Myst''s magic. With her position in the Boyd Family, she could also easily send a distress call.


    There were too many unknowns. Thus, Myst and Raya chose to observe first.


    Raya taunted the Boyd family members so they would randomly attack the surroundings and create a smokescreen for him and Myst to move around. Then Myst subdued the Wind mages because they could easily summon a gust of wind to remove it.


    It could also be said that Myst was testing Ingrid when he used his magic. If thetter had a means of freeing the Wind mages, he and Raya would adjust their strategy.


    In the end, Ingrid did nothing but gawk before gathering her people in one spot andunching an explosive attack.


    Unfortunately for Ingrid, when Myst subdued the Wind mages, he waited for them to gather at one spot for a reason. Even Raya''s taunting, which led to Ingrid firing a friendly shot at one of her people, was premeditated.


    It was all to ensure that they would gather in a tight circle at the right moment so Kyran could easily move around them and reduce their number.


    Although Kyran could use the Dragon Steps to move at an inhuman speed, Myst and Raya did not know that. They only knew Kyran could warp, and they wanted to avoid making him use that. It did not matter whether their identities were revealed. But at the very least, they wanted to protect Kyran''s identity.


    Ingrid''s eyes almost popped in anger after witnessing one of her people killed in her presence.


    Was there really a need to kill her? Even though she did not get to finish her sentence, what she was about to say was too easy to guess. Besides, there were other Boyd members who could clearly see the person behind Ingrid. Not to mention, she could also see the two other people with him.


    Ingrid could clearly see the color of the two men''s eyes.


    Dark gray.


    Although there were other people who possessed dark gray eyes, the Regis Family''s dark gray ones had that piercing look that easily distinguished them from the rest.


    "Your people are supposed to be locked up in your own little world," Ingrid said through gritted teeth. "What are you doing in the Lumley Family."


    Kyran pressed the de in his hand on Ingrid''s firm neck, "Seems like you''re intel''s far behind. We''re already freed."


    "Impossible¡ªngh!" Ingrid winced after feeling something cold, followed by a hot searing pain in her neck.


    The woman, who infiltrated the Lumley Family, ground her teeth in anger and roused her magic. A one-meter diameter red magic array appeared behind her as she growled, "Let go of Lady Ingrid¡ªguah!"


    She suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to her knees.


    Myst''s eyes glowed silver while he coldly looked at the woman. His right hand was raised, and a dark blue-violet array hovered before his open palm.


    "Just because we are kind enough not to restrain all of you doesn''t mean we can''t," he said coldly.


    "The Regis n is truly insidious! To have hidden two forbidden magic users!" Unafraid of Myst''s warning, the woman red at him and spat out hateful words. "The rumor that the Regis n is nning to usurp the Royal Family is true¡ª!"


    A thin red line appeared on the woman''s throat even before she finished talking. Then, her expression froze as her head rolled on the ground.


    The Boyd members near her could not help but scream in fright as they backed away from her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, the blood they expected to gush out from her severed head did not appear. Her body simply fell on the floor.


    Every Boyd member turned toward the man behind Ingrid. They did not see him move. But they knew it was he who killed the woman based on his finger that was pointing in her direction.


    Even Ingrid tried to have a good look at him from the corner of her eyes.


    All of them felt an unprecedented fear creep through their bodies after seeing the coldness in the man''s eyes.


    Now that they had a better look at him, they realized that he did not seem to be even in his twenties.


    Myst and Raya also gaped at Kyran in both astonishment and fear.


    It was their first time seeing their young master kill someone as if it was something he did in passing. They could not help but recall the times they had sparred with him. He did not bear any grudge against them even after they had pummeled him back then, right?


    "If any of you say anything against my n, you''ll end up like her," Kyran warned them.


    Ingrid clenched her fist and tried to activate hermunication device inside her storage pouch, using her magic sense.


    "Ngh...!" She winced again as the de on her neck pressed harder.


    "You think I won''t notice what you''re trying to do with your magic sense?"


    Boom!


    Ingrid and the others nearly jumped in shock as all their storage spaces exploded.


    "If you answer my questions, I''ll spare your lives," Kyran continued. "If not, just die."


    Ingrid''s eyes narrowed.


    "Kill me, and you will face the wrath of¡ª."


    "That slumbering ancestor of your family?" Kyran cut her midsentence.


    "How¡ª?"


    "Someone used the same threat on me."


    Ingrid''s eyes widened after hearing this. Even without him saying who it was, she already had an inkling, and it made her heart turn cold.


    "Y-You¡ª! What did you do to her?"


    "Let''s not waste time," Kyran ignored Ingrid''s question and looked at the other Boyd members. "Tell me where you''ve taken Disciple Tyr."


    The reason Kyran asked this question was simply that he could not find Neo. No matter how much he tried to establish a connection with thetter, it was impossible. Frankly, the only reason he managed to warp in the Lumley Ancestral Hall was because it was Neo''sst recorded coordinates in his tracker.


    Kyran could normally warp to where a person he thought of was, but he wondered whether the reason Neo was not really a ''person'' prevented him to do that.


    The Boyd members looked at Ingrid uneasily. Though they were not afraid of death, if there was a chance they could survive, they did not mind taking that. However, Ingrid was with them, and they could not very well betray the Boyd Family in her presence.


    "You will not get anything from us!" Ingrid growled. She was not afraid of death. Even if she was, the fact that these people needed something from them meant they would not kill them at once.


    Raya looked at Ingrid with aplicated expression, "Hey, miss. Our young master already said we''ll spare your lives. Don''t make things harder for you."


    Ingrid did not respond and simply gave meaningful looks at the Boyd members. If any of them betrayed the family, she would personally dispose of them.


    Kyran did not want to waste any more time.


    While he was itching to kill Ingrid, he knew it was unwise to rm the Boyd Family''s Legendary mage. Not to mention, with the Boyd Family making their move, the possibility that Haylee had sessfully awakened the Macabre cier was high.


    No matter how Kyran saw the situation, Haylee appeared to have alreadypleted her preparations. She had also taken custody of ''Disciple Tyr.''


    As for Kyran''s side, even if the Conve, Courtenay, Montgomeray, and Euan''s side hadpleted their preparations, the Regis Family was far from it.


    There was still no news from his father, and Nn was still outside, his status unknown.


    With this in mind, Kyran looked at Raya and said, "Take over."


    Raya politely saluted and replied, "Leave it to me."

 Chapter 566 Gathering (2)

    With the use of his Memory magic, it only took Raya less than five minutes to gather the answers to Kyran''s question.


    That was right. Answers.


    The Boyd family members actually gave different answers, giving Kyran a massive headache.


    Apparently, depending on the Boyd family member''s ess token, the information they received was different.


    Among the people Ingrid had taken, there were at least four levels of ess tokens, meaning they received four different locations.


    Ingrid probably was the only one who knew the correct location. However, Kyran excluded her from Raya''s memory extraction.


    Kyran might not have bought Fiona''s im of possessing a mark of some sort that would alert the Boyd Family''s ancestor if she was in danger, but Ingrid was different. Ingrid''s identity in the Boyd Family was definitely more important than Fiona''s, so the former''s im earlier was likely true. If Raya used his magic on Ingrid, the Boyd ancestor would likely notice it since Raya''s magic would have to enter Ingrid''s body for it to work.


    Kyran wanted to avoid alerting the Boyd ancestor. Thus, he had Myst torture her with his five-fold gravity while also letting her watch the other Boyd family members suffer the memory extraction.


    Ingrid was seething in anger and cursed the young man to her core. But she was also reeling in shock after discovering the first man possessed Memory magic.


    She racked her brains for information they had of the Regis n''s mages and did not recall anyone who possessed Memory magic. The young man who pointed a de at her also possessed an unknown magic. It appeared to be a type of Wind magic, but it also felt a little different because when he used it, there was no movement in the air.


    These three were from the Regis n, right? Or was she mistaken?


    Ingrid was beginning to doubt their identities. She did not doubt that they had a blood of a Regis per se, but she did not understand how they knew Disciple Tyr.


    As far as Ingrid was concerned, when Disciple Tyr made a name for himself, the Regis n was already trapped in their own barrier. They could not possibly know about him. They might have known about him from Master Noir''s announcementst year, but would that be enough for the Regis n to show interest? Besides, the Conve had not even made a move after they had taken Disciple Tyr. They might not even know they took him.


    But these three knew. How?


    It was said that Tyr had been out on an errand for almost a year. That was why no one had ever seen him before. Because of this, a rumor that he was not real had circted for some time. There was even some talk that Master Noir made him up to stop the other noble families from pestering him to take their ''genius'' young master or mistress as his disciple.


    Could it be that the ''errand'' Tyr had done for almost a year was to stay with the Regis and study?


    Ingrid recalled Princess Haylee''sment about Tyr''sbat ability appearing to be simr to the Regis n.


    Could this really be the reason? Disciple Tyr learnedbat techniques with the Regis Family. If this was true, he could be considered a member of the Regis n!


    This thought left Ingrid reeling in fright.


    ording to Gael, Tyr was the first to advise the army about Kyran Regis''s whereabouts. If Ingrid''s guess was right, that Disciple Tyr was part of the Regis n, then his information might have been deliberate. After all, there was no way a member of the Regis would betray their own, especially their young master.


    The more Ingrid thought of this, the more she saw the possibility.


    Then what about the Conve? It was impossible for them not to know about Tyr''s rtionship with the Regis because it was Master Noir who asked him on an ''errand.''


    Ingrid then recalled how the Conve chose to protect Disciple Tyr against the Lumley Family, disregarding their ''neutral'' status.


    ''They Conve knows!'' Ingrid thought, reeling at the realization. ''They would rather cut ties with the Lumley Family than face the wrath of the Regis n.''


    Another thought crossed Ingrid''s mind, and she almost yelped in shock. Fortunately, she was being tortured by gravity at that moment, so her yelping was not surprising.


    In any case, Ingrid had to find a way to inform her family about what she had discovered. Even if there was no solid proof, all her conjectures were based on facts. Especially thest one she had thought of, the possibility that the Conve knew what happened to the Regis n all this time and was already plotting something.


    Their performance in the recent Joint Military Activity was also too shocking. Apart from this, Ingrid knew Tyr had been moving around the empire.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ingrid also recalled Tyr''s peculiar remark after a chunk of Noser City appeared in the Courtenay Land. Based on his words, he clearly knew something.


    Why did they not realize it then?


    Frustration took over Ingrid. If only she had paid more attention. s, she had been so busy keeping an eye on Mannick that she missed such important clues.


    In the end, Ingrid could only endure while trying to think of a way how to escape the gravity''s influence. With her discovery, her priority now was not to save her people but to escape alive.


    Theirmunication devices were destroyed, so sending a message was no longer an option. She could not even let the other Boyd member deliver it because the information and reasoning were all inside her head. It was impossible to exin everything with the three Regis around. In any case, the safest way to inform her family was for her to tell them personally.


    All she had to do was find an opportunity to use herst burst of strength and escape from the gravity''s influence. That was the most realistic thing she could do. If she managed to escape from the gravity but could not shake off the three''s pursuit, she could force activate her protection seal and alert their ancestor of her situation. Doing this was also tricky because she had to stay alive until he arrived.


    But Ingrid soon realized that it was impossible to escape from the gravity''s influence. To be urate, her supposed st burst of strength'' was rapidly depleting because she was maintaining a magic barrier to protect her body from receiving the brunt of the gravity''s influence.


    The fact that the man''s gravity magic could affect her this much left Ingrid in shock. She was an Exalted. Even if she had almost used up her magic energy, her natural magic defenses and her uniform''s enchantments should have protected her enough. But that was not the case.


    ''No,'' Ingrid''s eyes burned with determination. ''I have to find a way to escape!''


    While Ingrid was having these thoughts, Kyran silently observed from the side.


    s, he could do many things but read minds. If he knew what kind of thoughts were running through Ingrid''s mind, he might have already knocked her unconscious.


    Such thoughts would only worsen the situation if Haylee''s side heard it.


    "No good, young master," Raya said with a slight shake of his head. He looked at Kyran and added, "I can''t find any clues as to which of the locations they mentioned is the correct one from their memories."


    Kyran looked at the Boyd family members sprawled on the floor. Most of their mouths were already foaming from the strain of having their memories extracted. Since Raya could not find anything, it was useless to delve further.


    With this in thought, he looked at Ingrid.


    When Ingrid felt the young man''s gaze on her, she red at him and spitefully growled, "Even if you kill them in front of me, I will not tell you what I know."


    "Is that so?" Kyran said and pointed at the nearest Boyd member.


    The man was already wasted; thus, he did not react when Kyran pointed at him.


    Ingrid could only grit her teeth and endure as she watched a thin line appear on the man''s neck before his head rolled slightly to the side.


    Myst and Raya exchanged nces. They never expected to see Kyran''s ruthless side. If it was Master Cade, they were sure that he would have resorted to beating up Ingrid until she spoke, then threatened her by killing her people. Even if she did not say anything in the end, Cade would have still found a way for her to tell him.


    When Ingrid did not budge, Kyran pointed at another Boyd member.


    This time, it was a woman. Among the members, she was the only one who still looked normal. She was slightly conscious and aware of what was happening. When she saw the young man point at her, she let out a pitiful cry. She even looked at Ingrid pleadingly. But when Ingrid only looked to one side, she bit her lower lip and closed her eyes. She seemed to have epted her fate.


    When Kyran saw this, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He looked at Ingrid and said, "The Boyd Family''s Vi, south of Meliora, was it?"


    Ingrid''s expression remained unreadable. However, Kyran saw a minute change in herplexion. Even the pupil of her eyes slightly contracted.


    Myst and Raya seemed to have noticed something as well and looked at Kyran with a smile. It seemed their young master was not as ruthless as they had thought.

 Chapter 567 Gathering (3)

    During the memory extraction, Kyran was not idle. He silently observed from the side while taking note of Ingrid''s reaction to each person Raya would perform the extraction.


    Kyran knew that Ingrid went through intense training to control her emotions, which was why he asked Myst to ''torture'' her with his magic. In an exhausted state, cracks would appear on a person''s facade. No matter how much they try to hide their emotions. Such was human nature. But on an off chance that there was such a person, and Ingrid could be that one, Kyran also judged the magic energy fluctuation around her to determine her mood.


    When Raya extracted the memory of the woman Kyran pointed at, there was a slight change in herplexion, and the magic energy fluctuation around her lowered. Her reaction was a tell-tale sign that she had a good rtionship with the woman.


    Kyran then recalled the members of the Royal Army that participated in the Joint Military Exercise and recalled the woman was also listed there. The woman was supposed to participate in the Field Operation.


    The woman''s inclusion in thatpetition meant Ingrid considered her a trustworthy aide. After all, Kyran knew that the Royal Army and the Lumley Family nned to do something during thatpetition. But because of Kyran''s ''rampage,'' their ns were ruined.


    With the woman''s rtionship with Ingrid in mind, Kyran felt that she likely knew where Neo was being held.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran''s guess was on point. Ingrid was shocked at how thetter managed to guess the correct location. Now, she was in a dilemma about whether to speak up. Because if she reacted, it was almost equivalent to admitting the truth. But if she did not react, they would still go there.


    While Ingrid was contemting her next move, the young man already spoke.


    "Take them back," Kyran told Myst and Raya without looking at them. "Grandfather will know what to do. Be back in five minutes."


    "Yes, young master."


    Ingrid panicked, although it did not show in her expression. Before she could say anything, the floor suddenly lit up with a purple light.


    Seeing the light made Ingrid recall something the Crown Princess warned them of. She said:


    "If you see a purple light, try to avoid it. It may be his doing."


    Ingrid gasped as she looked at the young man in shock.


    The two men called him ''young master.'' He also spoke of a ''grandfather.'' Did this not mean that the young man''s identity was...?


    "You are--!"


    Before Ingrid could even finish what she was about to say, she disappeared with the rest of the Boyd members, with Myst and Raya apanying them.


    Once they were gone, Kyran looked at the messed-up hall and sighed. To be honest, if he had to choose between facing Ingrid or Imman, he would choose thetter. In Kyran''s opinion, an ambitious person was easier to deal with.


    There were two types of people that Kyran hated dealing with, an observant person with a twisted sense of justice and a diligent one with a twisted personality. Basically, he disliked dealing with people associated with any type of ''twisted.''


    A good example of the former type was Ingrid, while thetter was Ruin.


    Kyran was sure Ingrid had realized his identity. Although the way Myst and Raya called him young master was already a big giveaway, plenty among the Regis Family were referred to as young master, too. Most of them were Kyran''s second to fourth male cousins.


    In any case, since Kyran showed his ''warping'' ability, he was not really worried about exposing his identity. As long as they stayed where he could see them, it was fine.


    Heaving another sigh, Kyran pushed aside his thoughts and began cleaning up the hall.


    Once Myst and Raya returned, they would then meet the Lumley Family. Since Ingrid rounded them up to be killed, Kyran did not mind doing it for them. The Boyd Ancestor or Haylee likely ordered their death; if they discovered they were still alive, they would know something happened to Ingrid.


    Of course, unlike Ingrid, who likely did not n on negotiating with the Lumley for their lives, Kyran was different. He did not mind sparing their lives if they agreed to put aside their grievances and swore allegiance to his n. Besides, with Matias and Tobias dead, Kyran no longer held a grudge against them.


    Now that he thought of it, he never really held a grudge. Frankly, he only wanted to fight Tobias in a real battle because he was interested in his Gravity magic.


    It was a pity Tobias died in Neo''s hands. Then again, if he was killed easily by a puppet, then it was no longer worth battling him. Besides, there was another mage with Gravity magic who was far morepetent inbat than him; Myst.


    Kyran could ask Myst for a spar and then study Gravity magic all he wanted.


    If Myst knew that he became Kyran''s new spar target, he would likely tremble in fear. After all, thetter''s improvement was too exaggerated, and no longer the young master they feared would be bullied by others.<novelnext></novelnext>


    For short, Kyran was now the bully.


    Five minutester, Myst and Raya returned. With the cleaning of the Lumley Ancestral Hallpleted, the three immediately went to where the rest of the Lumley Family members were gathered.


    *


    It took Olivia some time to find the ce indicated in the letter. At first, she was hesitant to go since Lauren had already said no one showed up when she went there. But then Olivia thought that maybe the person who sent the letter did not show up because it was not her who had arrived.


    Such a response was something the young man her essence met would have done.


    With that in mind, Olivia read the letter again to confirm the location.


    However, the moment she inserted her magic energy into the orb, she was surprised at how the content changed. It seemed the orb itself had a defence mechanism wherein, if a person, apart from the one who the information in the orb was intended for, read through its content, it would show different information.


    After checking the new content, Olivia changed course.


    Olivia''s carriage stopped outside a dpidated mansion in an abandoned town north of Meliora called Autumn Reach.


    Contrary to its name, the town was far from having an ''autumn'' feel because it was still within the northern region of the empire that only experienced one season year-round; winter.


    In any case, the town used to be a well-known ce because it might be called a town, but it was actually a private property of an old tyrant a few hundred years ago. The old tyrant did not have any noble blood in him, but the wealth he amassed could be said to not pale inparison to a few noble families.


    Nevertheless, when the old tyrant died, his servants plundered his wealth and left the town in ruins.


    The old tyrant''s oue was not really surprising because he did not have any heir to pass on his wealth, nor did he have blood rtives to take over his possession. He was so obsessed with his money that he never married or had a child. He believed that these things would only make him lose his fortune.


    Unfortunately, he failed to see that even if he amassed such wealth, he could not bring it to his grave. He did try, but his servants took everything themselves.


    Still, there were rumors that the old tyrant had an illegitimate child, which the servant who had plundered most of his wealth knew. It was even rumored that the servant did not take the old tyrant''s wealth for herself but gave it to that illegitimate child. After all, that child could be considered the old tyrant''s only heir.


    The rumor was never confirmed.


    Looking at the mansion from the outside, one would really believe that it was abandoned for hundreds of years. However, Olivia disagreed. Because she could sense a rich magic energy source and vitality inside the mansion.


    Whether the three female mages with her also noticed it, Olivia did not know.


    "Wait here for me," Olivia told the three female mages.


    The leading mage frowned slightly and protested, "But Lady Olivia."


    "I will meet that person alone. If anything happens, alert Lauren''s people following us," Olivia told them. She snorted in disdain, thinking about Lauren keeping an eye on her like a child.


    "At the very least, please take one of us with you," one of them pleaded.


    Olivia shook her head and opened the carriage''s door, "No. Since the person who sent the letter wants to meet me alone, I will meet that person alone."


    Olivia alighted the carriage and walked toward the mansion''s rusted gates without waiting for the three mages to continue their protest.


    As soon as Olivia touched the mansion''s rusty gates, she sensed arge-area array formation activate. Initially, she wanted to destroy the array. But after confirming that the array''s level was not something an Array Specialist who had not entered the Tower of Tribtion could make, she no longer bothered.


    If the person waiting for her inside the mansion were really that young man, then even if her Array attainment were high, she would never be able to counter it, much less decipher it. After all, that person easily dealt with the array formation her essence created in the tform.


    Olivia took a deep breath and pushed open the rusty gates. Then she made her way to the mansion''s entrance.

 Chapter 568 Gathering (4)

    Kyran appeared before the Patriarch and the remaining elders of the Lumley Family only. This was because, ording to the memory Raya extracted from the Boyd members, there were still a few Boyd members hiding among the regr Lumley members.


    Simr to what Kyran had done to the Courtenay Family, he only made the Lumley Patriarch and the remaining elders swear allegiance. As for the rest of the family members, their patriarch and elders'' fate was connected with them.


    The arrangement was simr to the Montgomeray Family. However, the effect was the opposite. Because in the Montgomeray Family, if Ezra betrayed Kyran, all of the Montgomeray Family would suffer with him. As for the Lumley Family, if any of their members betrayed the Regis n, they would die along with their patriarch and elders.


    The Lumley Patriarch and Elders surrendered with no resistance. They had already lost their family''s three Magus, which were supposed to be their trump cards, not to mention several of their talents, including Tobias. They never stood a chance.


    One of the oldest Elders even muttered that this was retribution for what they had done in the past. Apparently, the Lumley Family caused the Regis Family to lose their status as one of the ''Three Noble Families.''


    Kyran was not interested to know what the Lumley did in the past. As far as he was concerned, his family decided to leave the noble circle on their own ord. Others did not influence it.


    Besides, leaving that noble status proved to be a real blessing. The past Regis Patriarch likely thought the same. After all, being one of the Three Noble Families bound them to the other nobles, especially the Royal Family.


    After affirming the Lumley Family''s allegiance, Kyran had Eoin and Ernst manage them.


    When the Lumley Patriarch and Elders found that among the Three Noble Families, both the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families had already allied with the Regis n, they were even more afraid.


    Seeing them act more subservient because of this, Kyran did not bother clearing the misunderstanding: the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families were directly under him, not the Regis n.


    Regarding udias, Kyran had her stay put in the western region.


    Since the investigation in Noser was the Three Noble Families initiative, there was nothing to worry about, even if the Boyd Family took an interest in their activity.


    udias was still doing what she was ordered, and Kyran was okay with that. Mimi and Zuri had arrived safely in Noser, and the n to use them as bargaining chips to make their families submit to the Boyd Family had been ruined.


    That was right. The Lumley Patriarch thought of this move to show his loyalty to the Boyd Family. Initially, he wanted to wait for Tobias''s return and have him assist udias in taking Mimi and Zuri. Unfortunately, his ns were foiled, albeit inadvertently. And Ingrid did not seem to ce much importance on the Lumley Family when she decided to kill their leaders.


    Kyran believed Ingrid nned to take over the rest of the Lumley family members who were not in Starhorn. Whether it was a decision by the Boyd Family leaders or Haylee, he did not know. But that was unimportant.


    Since Ingrid was supposed to take over the Lumley Family, the Boyd Family would definitely wait for her update. However, taking over a prestigious family like the Lumley was not something anyone could aplish in a day. No matter howpetent Ingrid was, she would need a couple of days to do that.


    Nevertheless, the Boyd Family was definitely expecting news from Ingrid for the next few hours. And those few hours were Kyran''s time limit. Once it was up and they still did not hear from Ingrid, they would likely make a move.


    If not for the fact that Ingrid possessed a protective seal, Kyran would have controlled Ingrid for a moment and had her send the Boyd Family a message that everything was going ordingly. But since she possessed that seal, and he could not directly influence her with his magic, he decided to let his grandfather determine what to do with her.


    Kyran might not have had a means of dealing with Ingrid, but that did not mean his grandfather was the same.


    Regardless of his grandfather having a way of dealing with Ingrid, Kyran did not n on relying on that. He would still prepare for the worse.


    Before Kyran left the Lumley residence, he received a coded message from Ezra confirming that most Montgomeray members in the infirmary had recovered. Zephyr also regained consciousness and was recovering steadily.


    This news somehow put Kyran at ease.


    So far, everything was still going ording to his scenario. There were unexpected developments, such as Emperor Euan''s addition and the appearance of the Boyd Family. But everything was still within his expectations.


    The only missing variables in the equation were his father and Nn.


    If Kyran could only confirm their status, it would help them prepare better. Unfortunately, Mannick could not see what was happening on the other side of the hole, so Nn''s status was still unknown.


    As for Cade, Kyran initially nned to check on him, but Mannick exhorted him not to warp back to the cave.


    With the Inheritance along the way, the cave had be an independent space. If Kyran warped there, the Void magic energy that came with his warp ability could affect it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In the end, Kyran could only wait for his father to return.


    "Are we going to save¡ª err... Disciple Tyr now, young master?" Raya asked after leaving the Lumley Family''s residence.


    Kyran did not respond. He wanted to save Neo as soon as possible but admitted feeling a little hesitant.


    For one thing, although the location of the Boyd Family''s vi was south of Meliora, it was pretty close to the Royal Army''s headquarters. If a fight ensued¡ª which would likely happen¡ª Kyran did not know if the three of them were enough to fight all of them.


    Yes, Kyran appeared overpowered because he possessed not only Void magic but also Draconic magic. He also received baptism after the Elixir had fully amalgamated into his body. But ultimately, he was still one person. He could do everything by himself.


    As a matter of fact, he was already feeling the fatigue of moving about constantly. Although he could now replenish his magic energy without worrying about getting caught, mental and physical fatigue was catching up on him.


    While Kyran was contemting this, Myst suddenly said, "Young master, why don''t we head back first? We can discuss what to do with the rest of the n members."


    Seemingly taking a hint, Raya also nodded, "Yes, young master. Honestly, you don''t have to take action to save Disciple Tyr. You can leave that to us. All you need to do is tell us."


    "You may not know this, but with Master Cade away, your authority is second only to Patriarch Aron," Myst added. "You can order the Regis Special Force to move out."


    Kyran looked at them with a slight smile. How would he not realize they were subtly asking him to rest? Was his fatigue already that obvious for these two to notice it?


    "Okay. Let''s head back," Kyran finally replied after a short pause. "I also need to check how far along the evacuation has progressed."


    Myst and Raya already felt relieved when Kyran agreed. But their brows twitched when they heard histter words. Seriously, they had one workaholic young master.


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Raya assured. "When we went back earlier, all the civilians and the little ones had already been taken out of the Inner Walls."


    Myst nodded in agreement, "Your Sigils are a great help."


    Kyran looked at them uneasily. It felt strange hearing them praising his Sigils when they clearly knew their identities.


    "Enough of that," Kyran told them and started walking. "I know what you two are trying to do, but it is unnecessary. Since the Lumley Family did not put up any resistance, I am able to rest."


    "Young master," Myst responded with a solemn expression. "That is not resting. You need a proper shut-eye."


    "Right," Raya suddenly thought of something. "I remember Lady Pheobe''s sleeping potion is pretty potent. Not that it will knock you out for hours, but because it takes effect almost instantly, and you can wake up rejuvenated even after an hour!"


    Kyran could not help but give them a bitter smile. These two were really trying too hard. Withoutmenting about his cousin Pheobe''s sleeping potion, he said, "Let''s go."


    Myst and Raya looked at each other helplessly. If their suggestion had been offered a few months ago, Kyran would have likely relented.


    How did he change so much in just a few months?


    Since they could not convince Kyran, the two could only follow.


    BOOOM!


    Suddenly, a thunderous explosion erupted from the sky.


    They looked up and immediately saw a huge fiery ball trying to get past the huge hole in the sky.

 Chapter 569 Descent (1)

    The massive fiery ball in the sky could be seen in every corner of the empire, instantly sending every person who saw it to tremble in fear. Some felt despair, thinking that the other nations had made a move to attack the Royal Family.


    The concerns of these people were reasonable because the direction of the massive fiery ball from their position was in Meliora.


    Unbeknownst to the citizens of the Ylfaen Empire, the other nations in the north, west and south were also rattled by the explosion. They could not see the scene in the sky of Meliora; however, they felt the massive shockwave of magic energy that erupted from the fiery ball''s collision in the sky to their side.


    Meanwhile, the people that each faction in the empire had sent to investigate the hole in the sky were the first victims of the fiery ball''s initial descent.


    Although the hole in the sky was too small for the fiery ball to fall into the Human ne, the heat and magic it emitted already burned the forest beneath it to dust. Even the Fire mages that normally had fire immunity did notst for three seconds.


    Everything was burned down.


    When the factions lost contact with their people, they were all shocked. They all had one thought in mind: if that fiery ballpletely descent on the ground, what would happen to them?


    In just over a few minutes, the whole empire was sent into a state of panic.


    At the Boyd Family''s vi south of Meliora, the leaders and council elders of the family were gathered in a round conference hall. They were all facing the huge round table, where a projection of the fiery ball hovered.


    No matter how one looked at it, such a huge ball could easily reduce Meliora to dust if it managed to squeeze through the hole.


    Some of them wore indifferent expressions. However, most could not mask the dread they were feeling. They furtively nce toward the chair where a good-looking man with long ash-blonde hair and light blue eyes in a white with gold ent robe sat, seemingly unconcerned about the possible cmity the fiery ball in the sky would do to their empire.


    Though the elders looked at the middle-aged man secretly, thetter still sensed it and shot them a nce at once.


    The elders avoided the middle-aged man''s gaze. Some cleared their throats in embarrassment, while others lowered their heads as if seeing something far more interesting on the table.


    "You lot sure fret over the most trivial things," the middle-aged man said with a slight chuckle.


    The voice that came out from him was a little surprising because he sounded ancient, very different from the age he seemed to exude.


    One of the elders could no longer bear the fear in his heart and said, "Ancestor, that massive ball of fire is clearly very advanced Fire magic. I am afraid even if we dispatched all our Fire mages to somehow prevent it from descending, we will fail."


    The Boyd Ancestor raised his fine brows; his expression mirrored confusion.


    "And why do we have to do that?"


    The council elders looked at each other, also confused at his answer.


    "B-But, Ancestor..." the previous elder stammered. "If we don''t, then... what do we have to do to prevent it from falling?"


    "That!" The Boyd Ancestor pointed his hand toward the elder with much zeal. "That exactly is why I asked my question."


    "P-Pardon?"


    "You keep saying that we have to prevent that thing¡ª," he pointed at the projection of the fiery ball at the center of the table, "¡ªfrom descending, when we clearly need not do."


    "But if we don''t, we will all perish," another elder pointed.


    "What nonsense?" The Boyd Ancestor waved his hand dismally. "With me around, and Her Highness, what harm can possiblye to our family?"


    He looked at the projection with narrowed eyes and added, "Besides, with the location of that thing, do you think that person will remain idle?"


    When he mentioned ''that person,'' the expression of every elder inside changed slightly. They showed contempt at the same time, fear.


    "Still," another elder spoke up. "Where did that Fire magice from?"


    The Boyd Ancestor leaned on his chair and closed his eyes. Then he said solemnly, "You need not know. What you lot have to focus on is expediting Her Hignhess'' request."


    "Yes, Ancestor."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Boyd Ancestor opened his eyes and looked at an older man with simr ash-blonde hair, albeit it was filled with white streaks. The color of thetter''s eyes was also the same. As a matter of fact, his facial features had some resemnce with the former.


    "Have you heard from little Ingrid?" He asked.


    The older man was Wayde, Ingrid''s father.


    Wayde lowered his head respectfully before replying, "Not yet. But I did receive a message from one of my aides that they had already rounded up the Lumley Family leaders. I''m guessing she and the rest are busy with... cleaning up."


    The Boyd Ancestor snorted, "I still don''t know why you let that snake family be part of the nobles. There is nothing noble in them anyway."


    "That is..."


    "I am only making idle chatter. You don''t have to answer."


    "Yes, Ancestor."


    "Besides, who among you lot is alive when the previous emperor bestowed their nobility other than me?"


    "No one," they answered in unison.


    The Boyd Ancestor snorted again before looking at the projection again with narrowed eyes as he recalled what the Crown Princess had told him before they gathered every Boyd leader and council elder:


    "Some people will soon descend. There is nothing to fear. I have it under control. Still, I need that person before they arrive. Else, I''ll have a harder time getting him under my control."


    When the Crown Princess told him that, he did not fully understand her meaning. But when the fiery ball appeared, he was enlightened.


    "I am leaving," he announced suddenly and stood up.


    Without waiting for the rest to react to his words, his whole body turned into blue liquid and seeped into the small cracks on the floor.


    The Crown Princess might not have directly told him what to do. He knew she wanted him to find that person. However, the whereabouts of that person were still unknown.


    They had just received an update from Noser that the army had suffered a great deal. Apparently, their target was not there, and only a few legendary beasts were there.


    From the detailed report he read, it seemed one of the legendary beasts had already achieved enlightenment and could transform into a human. What was more, that beast turned into that person.


    The Boyd Ancestor cursed Gael for his ipetence. After suffering in the hands of those beasts, they retreated to Trill. But until now, they have yet to update them again.


    Nevertheless, the fiery ball in the sky was actually a good opportunity for them. He was sure the people the Crown Princess mentioned made that appear in the sky. Was it that guy called Ruin? No, that man was already here, and from the sound of the Crown Princess, the people who were about to descend were new.


    Anyway, using the fiery ball in the sky as bait, the Boyd Ancestor knew that person would definitelye and deal with it. After all, the Regis Estate might still be hundreds of kilometers away from that hole, but it was the closest. If that ball did fall, they would be the first casualty.


    ''Her Highness said that person has only awakened his magic. But it has been almost three months since then and based on his profile, he has a very powerful learning ability. There is a good chance he has better control over his magic now,'' the Boyd Ancestor contemted while traversing the winding water beneath the ground.


    ''He possessed that ursed Void magic, too. Dealing with him definitely will not be easy,'' he paused slightly before confidently thinking, ''But I can still handle him.''


    With this in mind, he continued traversing underground toward the location of the fiery ball.


    *


    Kyran felt something amiss when the fiery ball appeared in the hole. It was impossible for Nn to have let thate close to the hole if he was okay.


    ''Could something have happened to him?'' he wondered.


    Nn might already be half a step to bing a Sovereign, but the ones he faced outside the Human ne were real Sovereigns. And there were more of them. He might have the edge because he was an Abjurer and a Transmuter. Not to mention, his Array attainment was very high. But Kyran could not shake off the feeling that Nn might have bitten more than he could chew when he decided to lure Ruin outside.


    Because when they were in the Human ne, Ruin''s level was restrained by the Sovereign''s Cradle. But outside, there was no cradle to suppress thetter.

 Chapter 570 Descent (2)

    The more Kyran pondered, the more he felt anxious. He did not doubt Nn''s strength, but he was up against Sovereigns. Apart from this, he had no information about them.


    "Young master! Please, slow down!" Raya''s call snapped Kyran out of his reverie.


    As soon as the three saw the fiery ball appear, they immediately decided to go there.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to warp directly to the fiery ball''s location, but Myst reminded him that other factions were observing nearby. If they appeared in a location where those people were hiding nearby, the news of the new Dark Sage would really spread throughout the empire and cause an additional problem.


    Kyran no longer cared about hiding his identity, but he did not want to cause unnecessary panic. With the appearance of the fiery ball, the empire was already in an uproar. If news of the new Dark Sage''s appearance added into the mix, his enemies could also pin this incident on him and add fuel to the fire.


    In the end, Kyran agreed to go there on foot. Although they went there on foot, the three possessed the Regis Blessing. Kyran also confirmed that they knew how to use the Dragon Steps, albeit to a certain degree only. Nevertheless, it was enough for them to get there in a short span of time.


    Kyran slowed down and turned to look at the two. Only then did he realize there was already at least seventy meters of distance between them.


    ''I''m doing it again,'' Kyran thought, inwardly kicking himself.


    One of his bad habits was overthinking. While it was true that he could control it better now. But once his emotions were in turmoil, he tended to neglect the things around him.


    ''I guess I can no longer see him as an annoying prick,'' Kyran thought with a bitter smile after realizing that he was feeling anxious because he was worried about Nn.


    "I know you''re worried about the estate, young master," Raya said as he and Myst finally caught up. "But you don''t have to worry. With the speed at which our people are working, it would only take another hour or two to evacuate everyone."


    "I''m not worried about that..."


    Kyran''s voice trailed off as he realized an important point he failed to tell them.


    ''That''s right, I didn''t tell them about Nn!'' He thought, groaning inwardly at his forgetfulness.


    No, that was not entirely correct. He unconsciously decided not to tell them, especially his mother, so as not to cause unnecessary worry.


    "He''s right," Myst also agreed. "If Patriarch encountered any problem, they would have already sent word."


    "I know," Kyran replied. "But there is someone who went out that hole to lure the Sovereign attacking the estate''s barrier."


    Myst and Raya knew the few Sovereigns working with the Crown Princess. They also knew that one of them nearly destroyed the Regis barrier, thus, forcing Cade to confront the culprit. As for the hole in the sky, they only knew that new Sovereigns were trying to get in but failed because of the Sovereign''s Cradle. This was why they were surprised to learn that another person actually lured the culprit who almost destroyed the estate''s barrier.


    "And I''m worried about him," Kyran admitted. Of course, he would not be caught dead saying it in front of Nn.


    Myst and Raya fell silent. Since they were young, they were taught how to fight and react ording to the situation. Which was why they knew what it meant if someone lured their opponent away.


    There were two possible causes. One, their confrontation was already at a level they could no longer hold back; thus, one lured the other to a much better location. Two, the other person could no longer keep up with his opponent and lured him away before finding a chance to escape.


    Myst and Raya looked at each other. Both had the same thoughts.


    If the reason the person their young master spoke of lured the Sovereign outside the hole was the second possibility, then with the fiery ball blocking the hole, that person''s path of retreat had been cut off.


    "Whatever happens to that person, all of us will share the burden, young master," Myst dered.


    Kyran smiled wryly, "That''s a little ominous. Besides, can you really share the burden and tell his sister what happened?"


    "Yes," the two replied at once. Since that person made a huge sacrifice for the Regis n, the least they could do was ensure that person''s family was well taken care of in the worst-case scenario.


    Kyran could not help chuckling at their solemn response.


    The two were somewhat confused. They even felt Kyran''s reaction was inappropriate. It even bordered on acting insensitive about the situation.


    "Alright," Kyran said with a slight nod. "If the worst-case scenario does happen, I''ll let you two exin it to my mother."


    With that, he turned and continued.


    Myst and Raya gaped at Kyran''s retreating figure dumbfoundedly. But then their expressions turned dark and cold sweat trickled down their backs.


    That person''s sister was Lady Rin. Did that not mean he was Lady Rin''s twin brother, Nn? That sir Nn who was Master Cade''s sworn brother turn brother-inw?


    "Y-Young master! Please don''t tease us like this!"


    "T-That''s right, young master."


    Raya and Mystined, respectively, as they continued to follow Kyran.


    Kyran took a deep breath. That short pause helped clear his mind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Myst had a point. Nn had the means of fending for himself, even against a Sovereign. But ultimately, they had to share the burden. With this in mind, Kyran had to find a way to lessen the burden on Nn and get him to return to the Human ne.


    It was really a pain that Nn refused to give Kyran a means to contact him. Nn would always tell him, ''I''ll contact you.'' In the end, he never did. Not even once.


    Then again, even if Kyran could contact Nn, with thetter upied in confronting the Sovereigns, he probably could not respond.


    Kyran looked at the suspended fiery ball and noted that one of the Sovereigns outside could summon a powerful fire-concentrated magic attack. That Sovereign did not necessarily possess Fire innate magic, but he or she probably had an affinity to it.


    It was simr to Ruin, whose strange magic Kyran still did not know produced red lightning. However, Ruin was not a Lightning mage. He only had an affinity for it.


    Probably.


    The probably bit was only because Kyran did not know if Ruin possessed a Lightning-only affinity or more. After all, thetter seemed to have an affinity to Darkness and Shadow magic too.


    After a few minutes of traveling, Kyran, Myst and Raya arrived at the periphery of the fiery ball.


    They were shocked at the scene that greeted them.


    "It already scorched thend below and it hasn''t evennded yet..." Raya muttered his expression a mixture of disbelief and solemnity.


    Myst furrowed his brows when he noticed a few charred bodies a few meters away.


    Kyran also saw the bodies and said, "Those people are probably the ones sent by the other factions."


    Raya''s face twisted in agony after seeing the bodies. He was used to seeing dead bodies, but it was his first time seeing burned ones. There was something eerily different from seeing a corpse with flesh and bones to those that were burned.


    Kyran looked at the fiery ball again and took a deep breath, "You two guard the periphery. Prevent others from getting close. If you also find anything or anyone suspicious that goes in, let me know. I''m going in."


    "You can''t!" Myst and Ray protested at once.


    It was not that they doubted Kyran''s ability to survive the heat that wasing from the fiery ball that was why they disagreed. It was because Kyran was their young master and Master Cade''s son. If anything happened to him, it was equivalent to endangering the future of the Regis Family.


    "Let me go in and investigate," Myst added. "There is no need to endanger yourself."


    Kyran looked at Myst with a slight smile, "I''ll be fine."


    "This isn''t right, young master," Raya insisted. "We already said you don''t have to do things yourself. Give the word, and we''ll do it."


    "I know," Kyran said. "But this is just another one of my bad habits."


    That was right. Apart from overthinking, his other bad habit was doing everything by himself. It was not that he did not want to rely on others but that he was afraid of endangering them.


    Kyran already tried to let others do things by themselves and ended up getting hurt badly.


    A good example was what happened to Zephyr.


    This was why, as much as possible, Kyran did not want to let others do something he could do himself.


    Kyran took out two purple tokens and handed one each to them.


    "Insert your magic energy into the token if you find anything amiss. I''lle as soon as possible," Kyran told them.


    Myst opened his mouth, wanting to try persuading him again to let him go instead. In the end, he closed his mouth and sighed in resignation. One thing Kyran got from Lady Rin was her stubbornness.


    "Alright. But young master, if you also encounter any danger, let us know. We''lle to your aid."


    "I will."


    Kyran left before they changed their mind. When he was at least twenty meters away from them, his expression turned dark, and he warped at once.


    He was already close to the middle of the fiery ball when he reappeared. His dark gray eyes flickered slightly as he looked straight ahead.


    "As expected, with the threat of this thing being close to the Regis Estate, you really can''t stay out of it."


    A handsome man in a white robe with an unearthly aura floated in the air. A thin light blue magic barrier surrounded him, protecting him from the fiery ball''s heat.


    The real reason Kyran did not let Myst go was because he felt the man''s presence. Seeing how thetter was unaffected by the scorching heat meant his innate magic could easily counter it.


    ''A rare Water mage, like Tritus...''

 Chapter 571 Descent (3)

    The Boyd Ancestor scrutinized the young man before him. There was no barrier around thetter; however, he appeared unaffected by the fiery ball''s heat.


    ''Could it be an innate ability of a Void mage?'' He wondered with narrowed eyes. ''Or is it a special body tempering technique... The infamous Regis Blessing, maybe?''


    Regardless of the reason, he was somewhat surprised to see how different the young man before him looked from the profile the Crown Princess shared.


    There was nothing skinny about the young man. His build was simr to a Regisbat mage¡ª not too buffed, but still exuded raw power. As for his aura, if the Boyd Ancestor had topare it with others, it was simr to a veteran mage¡ª no, it wasparable to an expert.


    Others might doubt whether the young man was really Kyran Regis but not the Boyd Ancestor because only those mages with a powerful physique or rare innate magic could withstand the heat of the fiery ball. A magic item might be able to reduce the scorching heat, but such an item would have emitted a special type of magic energy¡ª nothing of the sort could be detected by the Boyd Ancestor.


    "I am impressed," he said while looking at Kyran with an amused smile. "I heard that selected members of the Regis Family are granted a blessing... the Regis Blessing. Is it the reason you can withstand the heat?"


    Kyran did not respond. He simply stared at the Boyd Ancestor with an unreadable expression. Then again, with half of his face hidden, it was already impossible for others to see his expression.


    "Choosing silence, I see."


    "Do you relish the fact you can speak again after slumbering for too long?"


    The Boyd Ancestor raised his brows in surprise. He did not expect Kyran to know who he was. It appeared the Crown Princess''s concern about the Regis n was correct. For them to be able to find out about him when the Royal Army or the Arthall Family could not, meant their intelligencework was far superior to thetter two.


    After a short pause, the Boyd Ancestor burst intoughter. He said, "Interesting observation. To be honest, I am quite happy. I have been sleeping for far too long. You see, when I went into deep sleep, I thought I would at least experience a dream. I am not asking for a beautiful one, but any dream would do. Even a nightmarish one is eptable."


    He heaved a dejected sigh before continuing, "s, all I remembered was darkness. As a matter of fact, it felt like I had just fallen asleep when someone forced me to wake."


    Kyran remained silent. It was still unknown what he was thinking.


    The Boyd Ancestor did not seem to mind. He even let out an amusedugh as he said, "How rude of me. I forgot to properly introduce myself."


    He looked at Kyran with a slight smile as he bent his waist forward, his back straight, and greeted, "The name is Osric, thest living member of the first generation of the Boyd Family."


    WHOOOSH!


    Several sea serpents made from water magic burst from the ground and attacked Kyran in different directions. Even with the surroundings'' high temperature, the sea serpents'' bodies showed no signs of dissipation.


    Osric made another move without waiting for the sea serpents toplete their attack. He whirled his body, and blue-green water materialized from the ground. It rose around him as he continued to whirl. His movements were akin to a dance dedicated to the gods.


    When the sea serpents finally mmed on Kyran, the surge of water around Osric had already reached a height of forty meters. It then formed into a huge sea serpent, which roared in the sky before gliding toward Kyran''s direction.


    Several arrows made of water appeared around the huge sea serpent and shot off toward the torrent of water, which resulted in several smaller sea serpents mming on Kyran.


    The water arrows appeared to have taken a more solid form as they wheezed past and into the torrent of water as if aiming at something within. Of course, they were aiming at the spot where Kyran had been.


    RAWRGH!


    The huge sea serpent roared as it opened itsrge jaw and snapped at the torrent of water.


    BOOM!


    With the huge sea serpent colliding with the torrent of water, powerful waves erupted, instantly filling the scorchednd with water.


    Osric levitated in the air while observing the scene before him. He had initiated an attack to gauge Kyran''s battle reaction and magic skills.


    Even someone like Osric who had been born during the time when the Dark Sage had ruled the world in fear, had little knowledge of thetter''s Void magic. None of their people managed to understand the essence of Void magic and ended up victims of it. For this reason, he wanted to understand how Kyran would use his magic first.


    However, Kyran did not even move when the sea serpents appeared and aimed for him. He did not attempt to evade or create a magic barrier to protect himself.


    This made Osric very intrigued.


    Obviously, he did not believe that Kyran was underestimating him. At the very least, the fact that he could withstand the scorching heat without any obvious protection meant he had some sort of ability to counter it.


    If this was true, could this ''ability'' be why Kyran did not evade Osric''s attack? Was it not a tempering technique? Was it a Void ability?


    Osric''s eyes narrowed as faint purple lights appeared from the water. Soon, purple cracks appeared on the surface of the water before another explosion erupted.<novelnext></novelnext>


    BOOM!


    The water surged up, but it never flowed back. It slowly dissipated while suspended in midair.


    When the water cleared, Osric saw Kyran standing in the same spot from before, unscathed.


    A huge smile appeared on Osric''s handsome face.


    "Is that the Void magic''s ability?" He asked.


    Again, Kyran did not respond.


    Osric chuckled, "Don''t be like that. Indeed your advantage is that we have little knowledge of Void magic. But you know, your magic is not omnipotent. At least, I had heard from my beloved cousin that no matter how fearsome the Dark Sage was, he would always run when the Dragon Lord appeared. I reckon it is because Void magic is weak against the Dragon Lord''s magic."


    Kyran still kept mum. He only looked at Osric as if he found looking at thetter very interesting.


    "No reaction? Even when I said something that might be of great value to you?" Osric asked, looking at Kyran incredulously. "This is unexpected."


    His reaction was reasonable. Whenever hemented about events from the past, people around him would look at him in disbelief. Then their disbelief would change into curiosity. After all, who would not love to hear things that happened in the past? Especially during the Chaos Era?


    A thought crossed Osric''s mind as he sized up Kyran.


    Could it be that Kyran already knew what happened in the past? No, not just him, but the Regis n?


    If this was true, it might be problematic for the Crown Princess. If the truth was revealed to the world, there was a big probability that the mass would believe the Regis n. After all, thetter''s credibility was far better than the Royal Family.


    "Are you done testing?"


    Osric snapped out of his reverie after hearing Kyran. He chuckled and replied, "So you knew I was only testing you?"


    "There''s no killing intent."


    Osric raised his brows in amusement, "You sound like a wild beast when talking about such things. You see, I find a beast''s instincts stronger than humans."


    When Kyran did not respond, Osric continued, "Come to think of it. The Dragon Lord had powerful animal instincts." He paused and, while chuckling, added, "No offense."


    Kyran only tilted his head to one side in response.


    Since he failed to incite any real reaction in Kyran, Osric sighed in resignation and straightened his back.


    "Fine. Let''s stop talking nonsense."


    Kyran could not help but frown slightly. What did he even mean? He was the only one talking.


    Osric''s aura suddenly changed as his expression turned solemn. The carefree attitude that he exuded earlier could not be seen.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He appeared to have acknowledged Osric''s deration and was also getting ready.


    "You are still a fledglingpared to me. Know your ce," Osric''s ancient-sounding voice turned deep as the aura of a Legendary erupted from his body.


    In an instant, an invisible pressure pressed down around Kyran, forcing him to his knees.


    Others would have long knelt down by the pressure. However, Kyran remained standing. Seemingly unaffected by it.


    "I met a promising young man earlier who has a very powerful physique," Osric remarked. "It is really remarkable to have such a powerful body. Her Highness does know who to value."


    "Thank you."


    Osric frowned slightly at Kyran''s response. He found it somewhat baffling.

 Chapter 572 Descent (4)

    Kyran did not borate. However, he had two reasons for being thankful to Osric.


    First was because Osric inadvertedly confirmed Neo''s status.


    Although Kyran used the durable materials he could acquire during his stay in the Tower of Tribtions when creating his puppets, he was still worried if it was enough to withstand a Legendary mage''s magic attack and pressure. So far, he only had himself to test his puppet''s durability. However, he knew deep down that he had held back his strength because it pained him to see such rare materials destroyed.


    The way Osric praised Neo¡ª Kyran was positive he was talking about thetter¡ª it confirmed that Neo''s body was still intact if the former still considered him a ''young man.''


    As for the second reason...


    "I havee as you ordered, master."


    A powerful male voice spoke from behind Osric.


    Kyran smiled as he looked at the person who had just arrived.


    The neer was none other than Tritus.


    The second reason Kyran was thankful to Osric, was thetter''s love to bber. If it was any other enemy, Kyran would have already made a move to kill him. But after confirming Osric was also a Water mage, he did not want to waste such a precious resource to help one of his Sigil, Tritus, advance.


    s, if Osric knew Kyran treated him as an advancement resource, he might have already flown into a rage. No matter how much Osric considered himself a patient man, such treatment would likely push his buttons.


    Initially, Kyran was still contemting how to buy time for Tritus. But because Osric offered the solution himself, Kyran went along.


    Osric''s pupils constricted as he heard a different voice speak from behind. He had not felt the other person''s arrival¡ª a feat that had not happened to him after advancing to Legendary.


    Before he could react, Kyran responded. Obviously, he was not responding to his earlierment but to the neer.


    "You came just in time."


    ''Don''t tell me...!'' Osric narrowed his eyes as realization hit him.


    All this time, Kyran''s inaction was actually to buy some time for the neer. Osric was surprised that Kyran actually called for someone to help.


    Why Kyran would ask for help baffled Osric. Could he be wary of him?


    Impossible.


    Osric rejected the idea as soon as it came to him. If Kyran had been wary of him, Osric would have detected it. No matter howposed one was, there would definitely be telltale signs of mood fluctuations around him. However, none of those signs appeared in Kyran. As a matter of fact, his calm attitude could easily send others into despair.


    "He''s the same as you," Kyran continued, ignoring Osric''s puzzled look.


    "Hmm... now that you mentioned it. We do possess the same type of magic energy."


    Osric immediately understood why he did not sense the neer''s arrival from their short exchange.


    Falling into a deep sleep was not to halt one''s time. It was to help a mage immerse himself in his innate magic and grasp its profundity that one could not sense during his waking hours.


    The more one immerses himself in his magic, the more he bes sensitive to its magic energy. Soon, one would feel as if one had be part of it.


    However, such a feeling had a downside, especially when one was in slumber. It was the inability to differentiate his own magic energy from simr types. Of course, one would eventually be able to tell the difference, but at the moment Osric had yet to aplish this.


    He had only awakened and the first thing he did was recover his motor skills. Besides, there had not been any mage in the empire who possessed Water magic so he did not believe it would be any concern.


    Osric''s eyes widened in realization.


    ''No,'' he thought. ''There is one...''


    Just as the name of the person came to Osric, Kyran said something that almost blew his top.


    "I''ll leave him to you. I''ve got better things to do."


    "Yes, master."<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''... have better things to do...?'' Osric''s mind reeled at Kyran''s words.


    In the end, Kyran thought nothing of him!


    The thought infuriated Osric. He was thest of the first generation of the Boyd Family. In terms of seniority, everyone in the empire should show him respect. They should bow before him when they see him. Prostrate on their knees before talking to him. No one was allowed to show him disrespect, nor disregard him!


    BOOM!


    Osric''s magic pressure erupted in all its force.


    Tritus, who had just arrived was immediately forced to the ground at the intensity of Osric''s magic pressure. Even Kyran felt his knees tremble, surprising him.


    "You seem to have the wrong impression that I am someone you can easily deal with," Osric started. His ancient-sounding voice reverberated with power, sending ripples in the air.


    Every second that passed by, the pressure intensified.


    Crackling sounds filled the surroundings as the magic fluctuations around Osric increased.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He did not expect Osric to possess such powerful magic pressure.


    A pressure of this quality was no longer considered an average Legendary. Could it be that after slumbering for years, his mage level had progressed? Could he already attain the level of a Sage?


    No.


    Kyran rejected the idea at once. It was not easy to break through to the next level after advancing to the Legendary realm. At most, Osric''s magic energy that had not been used for years umted, allowing him to possess the might of a top Legendary.


    After analyzing Osric''s magic pressure, Kyran was more convinced of this. Although a top Legendary was far from being a peak Legendary, which meant he only needed to take a step to break through to the Sage realm, such a gap in level might be too much for Tritus to handle.


    Kyran looked at Trituts and was about to remind him of the Sigil''s effect. But after seeing the look on thetter''s face, he could not help but smile wryly.


    Tritus, who was forced to the ground after Osric''s magic pressure erupted did not look worried. Even if he was wearing a helmet and it was impossible to see his expression, Kyran could sense Tritus''s excitement.


    ''Right,'' Kyran thought. ''I may have changed his way of thinking, but his desire to break through to the Legendary realm remains the same.''


    "Master, leave this one to me. I will not fail you," Tritus assured Kyran.


    Before Kyran could respond, Osric already made a move.


    Water pirs erupted from the ground around Kyran, forming a cage after they merged from above. Then Osric waved his hand, without looking back at the person behind him and summoned three sea serpents that glided in the air.


    Tritus barely raised his arms to protect his head when the three sea serpents appeared before him. They opened their jaws and snapped at him and they dragged him backwards.


    Without looking at the neer''s fate, Osric focused his attention on Kyran.


    If the neer''s magic was simr to his, then it was useless to take him seriously.


    When two magic of the same attribute shed, the mage with the higher realm would obviously prevail. After all, the understanding of the mage with a higher realm to that magic was far greater than the mage with a lower realm.


    Osric raised his right hand and a two-meter-long bluish crystal staff appeared before him. A sea serpent''s head decorated the top of the staff and its eyes were made from sapphire-blue magic stone. They emitted a cold glow that could send ordinary people gasping for breath if they directly looked at it. It was not an illusionary effect but the stone''s ability. As if its very existence was analogous to the deep blue sea.


    Kyran could tell that the magic stone was not ordinary. During his second trial in the Tower of Tribtion, when he was studying all kinds of materials one could use in Array, he read about a series of rare stones that had the ability to emte different types of elements.


    One was called the Eye of Pontus, a stone that at first nce could be mistaken for a sapphire because of its blue color. However, if one looked into it, one would find themselves unable to breathe properly as if they were thrown into the depths of the sea where the air was non-existent.


    Kyran frowned after realizing what the stone was. After all, the Eye of Pontus was not a stone that could be found in the Human ne. How did Osric get his hand on it?


    ''It seems his ims of being thest member of the first generation of the Boyd Family is true,'' Kyran thought, thinking that the only way for Osric to possess such an item was from those ''demons'' that invaded the Human ne.


    But this discovery gave Kyran the idea that the previous Soul Emperor was not working alone. It seemed there were other humans who willingly worked for her.

 Chapter 573 Descent (5)

    There were still questions that puzzled Kyran regarding the Chaos Era. He initially thought his questions would be answered after meeting Zephyr. In the end, he ended up with more questions after thetter shared what he knew.


    Most of Kyran''s questions were answered after entering the Shaiha temple. But there were still key events that did not make sense to him.


    Then there was Mannick¡ª or, to be precise, Azaloth''s essence. After discovering thetter''s identity, they had yet to sit down and talk about things from the past. Thus, Kyran was still left to mull over his questions alone.


    Although there was True Void, Kyran could not rely on him to tell him the truth. If not for the appearance of the Macabre cier, True Void would not even tell him how Can got the name ''Dark Sage.'' Nevertheless, Kyran still believed there was more to the story than inheriting the title from the mage who owned the Macabre cier behind Can''s title.


    Kyran had wanted to return to the Chaos Pce and see if he could trigger another event where he could speak with Can in his sea of consciousness. But thetter said they could only meet because Kyran met certain conditions. As for the conditions, Kyran had a few ideas, and none were good. After all, they all had something to do with making his magic cores go haywire and putting himself on the brink of death.


    Kyran eyed Osric, hovering outside the water cage. If thetter told the truth about being a member of the Boyd Family''s first generation, could Raya extract his memories and find the truth?


    Fortunately, Osric could not read minds. If he did and he read through Kyran''s musings, he would have been KO''d because his blood pressure would have shot up to an unbelievable level.


    Osric''s light blue eyes turned cold as he looked at Kyran. Even after being trapped inside a water cage, thetter remained indifferent. If this had been earlier, Osric would have apuded Kyran''s ability to stay calm regardless of the situation. But after discovering he was underestimating him, Kyran''s indifference only served to infuriate Osric further.


    "You are still too young," Osric said loud enough for Kyran to hear. "You don''t even see death when you are already staring at him."


    "I could say the same to you," Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    "Impertinent!" Osric glowered at his response.


    Osric roused his magic in an instant, and his light blue eyes shed with killing intent.


    The magic fluctuations around him intensified as he raised his staff. The sapphire-blue magic stone that formed the sea serpent''s eyes glowed, and a massive torrent of water materialized and circled above and below the cage.


    In an instant, the air around Kyran thinned as the rotating torrent of water inside the cage increased.


    "Even if you possess Void magic, if you cannot rouse your magic energy, it is impossible to do anything!" Osric said. "My Water cage has the ability to block other magic energies apart from Water magic. After that, it can increase the magic output of any water attack inside."


    "Thanks for telling me," Kyran said, still wearing a slight smile.


    Good thing Osric could not see the smile on Kyran''s face. If he did, he might have already vomited blood from anger.


    "But I don''t n to use my magic...."


    Osric sneered at Kyran, "If you think your body is enough to withstand the pressure of my water, then you are dead wrong."


    "... because there is no need."


    Before Osric could understand what Kyran meant, he sensed something fast approaching him from behind. Without looking back, he waved his staff, and a three-meter thick and five-meter high wall made of water appeared around him.


    WHOOSH!


    A deep blue sh pierced through the wall of water and went straight to Osric''s back.


    rmed, Osric turned and whirled his robe. Just as the deep blue sh pierced through him, he turned into water that seeped into the ground.


    The sh that came at Osric did not stop. It continued toward the water cage and pierced through it.


    BOOM!


    The water cage, along with the deluge of water magic, erupted in an instant, turning into something akin to water droplets that scattered in the air.


    "Master, please ept my sincere apology for not protecting you properly," Tritus flew back, his hand raised as the ''deep blue sh'' returned to him.


    Now that the sh no longer spun crazily, it revealed its form as Tritus''s trident.


    Kyran gave Tritus an odd look when he knelt on one knee before him.


    "Can you not? Focus on the enemy," he told him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, master¡ª."


    Before Tritus could finish what he saying, small sea serpents erupted from below, their jaws wide open as they snapped at him.


    Tritus immediately whirled his trident horizontally around him, slicing through the sea serpents'' heads. The trident gave off a beautiful deep blue glow as water seeped out from its shaft, forming water-like afterimages as he whirled it about.


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. It had only been a week or two since hest saw Tritus and thetter''s aura seemed to have improved greatly. Then again, Tritus''s improvement might also be due to the Sigil taking effect. Either way, as long as Tritus was within Kyran''s range, he could share some of his abilities with him.


    For example, his monstrous healing ability and senses.


    The water drops that had yet to dissipatepletely converged above, revealing a silhouette of a man.


    "Leave the rest to me, master. And do what you need to do," Tritus said. Without giving the silhouette to formpletely, Tritus had already moved. He made a mad dash toward the converging water while whirling the trident above his head. A sea serpent formed around the trident, except its color was bluish-green rather than the bluish-white that Osric used.


    The bluish-green sea serpent roared as it shot out from the trident and flew toward the silhouette.


    Obviously, the silhouette was Osric, who was reforming after turning himself into water to escape.


    Even with him still in a state of reforming, Osric circled his hands before him, summoning another torrent of water magic around him. He raised his hands, and the torrent of water magic that formed around him erupted, turning into a massive whirlpool.


    Contrary to what others might expect, when the bluish-green sea serpent collided with the whirlpool, it did not explode. Instead, it entered the whirlpool and swam inside.


    Tritus deftly whirled the trident in his hand and summoned several water spears that flew toward the whirlpool.


    However, like the bluish-green sea serpent, the spears did not erupt. They also entered the whirlpool and seemed to glide within.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes after realizing what Tritus was trying to do. He could not help but smile wryly and thought, ''This guy is really something. In order to advance, he learned some spells that could easily raise the ire of conservative mages.''


    Just as he thought this, the area that the bluish-green sea serpent had passed through had already adopted its color. It was the same with the path that the spears were traversing. The whirlpool that Osric had summoned had the same bluish-white color, but now it was slowly turning bluish-green.


    By then, Osric had finished reforming and had already noticed something was amiss. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the man in full-body golden armor whirling a trident levitating a few meters before him.


    The man''s face was covered, but Osric had already guessed his identity. Besides, only one person in the empire possessed the same magic as him, who also happened to possess gold armor and a trident.


    Tritus, themander of the Temr Code.


    "To think that the Temr Code''smander has already sided with the Regis n," Osric said disdainfully. "You have hidden your cards well."


    His words were obviously directed at Kyran.


    However, Kyran ignored him and only walked toward the middle of the fiery ball.


    That was right.


    He walked.


    As much as Kyran wanted to act cool and fly away while the two battled it out, he did not know how to fly, much less levitate in the air. He could only do something simr if he controlled a shape-shifting te attached to the heels of his shoes with his magic sense.


    Unfortunately, True Void did not allow him to take two small tes with him, saying that his pitiful self would look even smaller with two missing tes.


    In any case, Kyran did note here to waste time with Osric. His main purpose was to remove the fiery ball.


    Seeing Kyran leave without even ncing at him, Osric red up.


    Osric already knew that Tritus was trying to contaminate his water magic with his own. To the conservative types of mages, a move like that was very despicable. However, Osric believed it was a very effective move, especially between two fighting mages with the same attribute.


    ''But,'' Osric''s eyes narrowed as his magic aura increased again. ''Did you think I will let you do as you please?''

 Chapter 574 Descent (6)

    Crackle!


    Osric''s body crackled with magic energy, and his glowing light blue eyes slowly turned white.


    Tritus furrowed his brows as he felt his control over the bluish-green sea serpent and water spears decrease.


    ''This...!'' His pupils constricted, sensing several thin magic threads entering the sea serpent and spears.


    The magic threads surprisingly possessed the same energy wavelength as his, which was impossible since they were produced from Osric''s magic energy.


    Although both of them possessed the same innate magic and could attract magic energy with water attributes, once the magic energy entered their magic cores, there would be some changes. This was because two mages with the same innate magic could not possess the same body structure andposition.


    However, the magic threads that Osric summoned had the very same wavelength as Tritus. How could this be?


    The truth was Osric did not create the magic threads from his magic energy but from Tritus''s sea serpent and spears. Mages with an in-depth understanding of their magic were the only ones who could do this. As a matter of fact, in this generation, Osric was probably the only one who could-- so long as it concerned Water magic.


    Osric used the magic energy from Tritus''s sea serpent and water spears to influence them. It was only a matter of time before he could fully control them.


    Tritus narrowed his eyes as he cancelled the water spears. As for the bluish-green sea serpent, Tritus could not help but give a wry smile and thought, ''If you want to control it that much, then be my guess.''


    He removed the restrain on the bluish-green sea serpent, letting it do as it pleased. After all, the sea serpent was not a molded creature from his magic but was his trident''s soul.


    RAWRGH!


    Osric''s eyes widened as he sensed an indomitable willing from the bluish-green sea serpent.


    ''This...! Don''t tell me...!''


    He realized that the magic threads that had almost covered a quarter of the sea serpent''s body shattered as a different magic energy erupted from it.


    ''A magic weapon''s soul!''


    Osric gritted his teeth as he glowered at Tritus. He did not expect thetter to release his magic weapon''s soul right from the start.


    As a matter of fact, mages molding their magic into creatures that were known to possess the same attribute wasmon. Thus, Osric did not expect that the sea serpent that came out of Tritus''s trident was a magic weapon''s soul. Apart from this, mages rarely use thetter as an attack at the start of a battle. After all, magic weapons with sentient were rare. However, they were not invincible. If the magic weapon''s soul were destroyed, then the ''magic weapon'' would end up bing a normal one.


    Osric waved his own magic staff and awakened its soul. The sapphire-blue magic stone on the sea serpent''s eyes let out a blinding light, and a bluish-white sea serpent emerged.


    RAWRGH!


    The moment the bluish-white sea serpent appeared, the bluish-green sea serpent let out another fierce roar.


    Its roar carried a powerful killing intent, sending ripples in the whirlpool around Osric.


    Tritus did not remain idle after releasing the trident''s soul. He gathered his magic energy and summoned several water pirs surrounding the whirlpool. A huge blue magic array appeared above when the pirs reached approximately fifty meters in height. After which, the center of the magic array stirred as a bluish-green light illuminated the ground.


    The magic array Tritus summoned was a support magic that amplified his trident''s power. Normally, he only summoned small magic arrays around the shaft of his trident when doing this, but since thetter''s soul was released, he had to create a bigger magic array to amodate it.


    The ripples on Osric''s summoned whirlpool intensified, and the bluish-green sea serpent''s aura received a sudden boost.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-white sea serpent that emerged from Osric''s staff roared as it circled the whirlpool and went toward the bluish-green sea serpent. The former''s roar also sent a series of ripples that countered thetter.


    The bluish-white sea serpent''s sapphire-blue eyes glowed in anger as it red at the bluish-green sea serpent. It appeared to have been angered by thetter''s intrusion into its territory.


    In a blink of an eye, the two sea serpents collided, followed by a powerful shockwave spread out in every direction.


    The whirlpool exploded, sending water sshing out in all directions and soaking the driednd again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As soon as the whirlpool was destroyed, Tritus brandished his trident and flew toward Osric.


    Osric was already prepared for Tritus''s rush. He waved his staff and summonedrge water arrows that shot toward the iing Tritus.


    Tritus whirled the trident in front of him, creating a vortex-like water barrier that easily deflected the iing arrows. Using his free hand, he molded a whip that he flung toward Osric.


    Seeing the water whiping his way, Osric whirled around while waving his staff. As he stopped, he pierced his staff into the ground and created a ten-meter jagged crevice on it. Water erupted from the water crevice that shot upward, seemingly intent on blocking the water whip''s path. Surprisingly, after the water touched the whip, it solidified and trapped thetter''s advance.


    Tritus''s eyes narrowed. Obviously, Osric had used another type of magic energy to make his water magic turn solid.


    This was one of the downsides of a battle between mages above a Magus. Since both parties could summon without magic arrays, it was impossible for the other side to predict what kind of magic attack the other side would make.


    Then again, in a fast-paced battle, even if they could predict what type of magic attack their opponent would use, it would have been toote to counter it.


    ''So he can also utilize Air magic,'' Tritus thought.


    If it were only a simple Wind magic, Osric''s Water magic would not have solidified like that. It actually looked simr to Ice magic.


    Tritus smiled wryly as he struck the water that had solidified with his trident before rushing in toward Osric.


    Osric waved his staff, and another set of water arrows appeared behind him and shot toward Tritus. After this, he summoned three sea serpents that emerged from three different directions surrounding thetter in an instant.


    Tritus''s eyes narrowed. He made an abrupt stop and whirled his body along with his trident. Soon he became a human whirlpool that mmed at the iing water arrows and sea serpents.


    Meanwhile, while the two were upied with each other, the two sea serpents also shed from above.


    They roared at each other as they opened their jaws wide and bit each other. However, because they were both made of water, they only passed through each other as water surged from every direction upon collision.


    Their bodies reformed almost instantly, and they collided with each other again.


    From the corner of Osric''s eyes, he was observing his magic weapon''s soul shing with Tritus''s. He was surprised that thetter could withstand the pressureing from the former. After all,pared to Tritus''s trident, his magic staff was forged during the Chaos Era and had experienced the baptism of war. Although there were still wars happening in this era, especially at the empire''s borders, their magnitude could not bepared to the wars they experienced during the Chaos Era. It was called the ''chaos'' era for a reason.


    With the advantage of the baptism of such war, Osric''s magic staff could be said to have acquired more power and killing intent. Nevertheless, Tritus''s trident did not seem to becking this.


    Frankly, Osric faintly sensed that the bluish-green sea serpent''s killing intent was far more powerful than his magic staff.


    A thought crossed his mind as he observed Tritus''s trident again.


    Could Tritus''s trident also be a magic weapon from the Chaos Era? This was actually possible. However, Osric was familiar with all the mages that fought during the Chaos Era and did not remember anyone using a trident. It was also impossible for a magic weapon with a sentient to be reforged into another.


    Besides, as far as Osric was concerned, every powerful Water mage in that era had died in his hand. It was the reason how he managed to achieve a rapid breakthrough at that time.


    "Don''t space out."


    Osric snapped out of his reverie the moment he heard Tritus speak. He looked up and was surprised to see thetter had already closed in on him, and his trident had already extended out and was about to pierce his chest.


    Whoosh!


    As soon as the trident pierced through Osric, it passed through without much resistance.


    A smile appeared on Osric''s face as he looked at Tritus, "Did you really think you could pierce me that easily?"


    Slowly, Osric''s body turned to water as it sank into the ground.


    Tritus''s expression distorted slightly as he watched Osric disappear into the ground.


    It was quite annoying to deal with someone who could turn themselves into water.

 Chapter 575 Descent (7)

    At the same time that Osric and Tritus were battling each other, Kyran had already arrived below the center of the fiery ball. It took him some time to reach his destination because he did not use the Dragon Steps to move.


    He did not use it to avoid showing all his cards to Osric, in case thetter still kept a close watch on him using his magic sense.


    If Tritus fell short of obtaining the upper hand against Osric, Kyran could instantlye to his rescue. Though he could also achieve this using his warp ability, there was no telling if Osric had a way of countering it.


    Osric was a person born in the Chaos Era, and the possibility of him possessing items that could counter Void magic was there. In any case, if such things were really avable, they probably could not mass produce them. Such an item would definitely be rare.


    Kyran had considered all of these things after hearing that the Royal Family had ''close to'' nil information about Void magic¡ª meaning they did have information, albeit too little.


    Aside from this, his father and Nn knew an array form that could counter warp-like abilities. Obviously, they learned it from the Tower of Tribtion. However, there was no telling if an advanced form that came from the tower would not be leaked to the outside. Such an item could quickly be auctioned, especially during the Chaos Era.


    Kyran pushed these thoughts aside as he observed the fiery ball above. He wanted to determine the distance of the ball to the ground first. However, it soon dawned on him that it was impossible for him¡ª or anyone at that¡ª to measure the ball''s distance to the ground.


    The reason behind this was the presence of a space distortion around the fiery ball.


    The space distortion looked like a thin translucent veil, like a flimsy wall that cushioned the fiery ball, separating it from the Human ne. Since it was translucent, people or even mages with poor eyesight could not see it. As a matter of fact, those with good vision would have a hard time seeing it even up close.


    The only reason Kyran noticed the distortion was because Void magic had simrities to Space magic. To be honest, he first sensed the distortion before seeing the translucent veil.


    In any case, the space distortion was not part of the fiery ball but originated from the hole in the sky.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, it did make sense.


    The hole in the sky resulted from an outside force trying to break into the Human ne''s space. Not to mention, the hole was not considered something corporeal. Even if one flew up in the sky, as long as they had not grasped the truth about the existence of Sovereigns and other nes, it was impossible for them to ''arrive'' before it.


    Simrly, the fiery ball had only touched the periphery of the hole. Thus, it could be said that the fiery ball had not entered the Human ne yet.


    Based on all these facts, the fiery ball could be said to be visible to the eye but had yet to appear there physically.


    Discovering that the fiery ball had yet to enter the ne did not put Kyran at ease. He recalled the scene that greeted them upon their arrival, and his expression turned grim at once.


    With only a projection of the fiery ball, the ground beneath it had been reduced to a scorchednd; if it sessfully entered the Human ne, did it not mean it could easily destroy a quarter of it?


    Frankly, the quarter destruction was the minimum scale that Kyran imagined. In the worst-case scenario, the scale could destroy half of the Human ne.


    Kyran could not let something like that happen. He racked his brain on how to destroy the fiery ball, or at least push it back without aggravating what was left of the flimsy veil that kept it at bay and prevented the hole in the sky from expanding.


    Initially, he wanted to reduce the fiery ball into nothingness using his Void magic. However, he remembered Mannick''s warning about how Void magic could affect ''space'' because of its nature. If he used Void magic, would he not destroy the flimsy veil as well?


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn as he thought of using Draconic magic.


    Although Draconic magic''s nature was destruction, if Kyran could control it, he could target the fiery ball alone.


    A wry smile appeared on his face as he remembered that he could barely control the output of his Draconic magic. His training in the Tower of Tribtion focused on improving his control and knowledge about Void magic, not Draconic magic.


    So far, Kyran had treated his Draconic magic like the Regis Blessing and only amplified his physical strength. As for the dragon-like parts that manifested when unleashing a punch or a kick, those were simply him molding the Draconic energy in his body.


    Kyran was still hesitant about using his Draconic magic. After all, it could be considered one of his ultimate trump cards.


    ''How can I remove that fiery ball without affecting the space distortion?'' Kyran wondered.


    CRACKLE! SIZZLE!


    Before Kyran coulde up with a solution, crackling and sizzling sounds echoed in the surroundings. After which, he noticed the size of the fiery ball increased slightly.


    ''Not good!'' He thought as he took out what was left of the rare materials he used to create the energy cores of his puppets.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The reason Kyran could only use the shape-shifting tes when ''hovering'' and ''gliding'' through the air was because it was the only item in his possession that could withstand his magic''s nature. If he used other things, it would not be able to withstand the pressure of his magic.


    ''The only other material that could withstand the Void magic''s nature is the ones I used to make the energy core,'' Kyran thought while rummaging through his item.


    Kyran managed to create two small tes from the leftover materials in over twenty seconds and immediately stuck them to his soles.


    Nevertheless, the crackling and sizzling sounds had intensified in that twenty seconds. The fiery ball also increased in size.


    The increase was not obvious, but Kyran sensed it through how the space distortion crackled. To him, the crackling sound seemed like a distress call.


    Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple as he roused his magic energy. He inserted Void magic energies into the small tes at the soles of his shoes and used his magic sense to control it. Soon, he shot upward to the hole in the sky.


    But.


    WHOOSH!


    Kyran''s eyes widened as a pir of red light pierced through the center of the fiery ball from the other side.


    CRACKLE!


    Red lightnings swam within the red light as it sessfully pierced the fiery ball and continue to infiltrate through the hole in the sky.


    Kyran''s eyes recognized the red light and the lightning that came within it at once. It was a simr move Ruin once did that almost reduced his whole body into dust.


    Summoning two purple spheres, one on each hand, Kyran threw them toward the descending red light with lightning. If that move hit the ground, there was no telling how much destruction it would do to the Human ne. The fact that it easily pierced a hole into the fiery ball was proof of how strong it was.


    The two purple spheres that Kyran released increased in size as they picked up speed. Soon they were only meters away from the descending red light with lightning.


    Kyran raised his hand toward thetter two.


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion followed as the two magic energies collided.


    As soon as the explosion erupted, Kyran summoned a massive magic barrier to cover the sky, preventing the shockwave from spreading to the ground. Normally, his magic attacks would disintegrate other magic attacks. Only when the magic energy from the opposing magic attack was far greater than his own would it result in an explosion.


    In any case, if Kyran did not prevent the shockwave from spreading outward, this ce would definitely be razed to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Osric and Tritus also noticed themotion and could not help but look in the direction of the fiery ball.


    ''This...!'' Osric was stunned to see a hole appearing on the fiery ball. At the same time, a light purple barrier covered the sky.


    Tritus was also shocked. However, he regained hisposure at once and aimed his trident at Osric.


    "Humph!" Osric waved his hand that held his staff to block Tritus''s trident. "Don''t think I have lost my focus just because I have looked away."


    Tritus did not respond, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he shifted the tip of his trident and pointed at something behind Osric.


    Osric''s eyes widened as soon as he realized what Tritus was really after.


    "You¡ª!"


    However, it was already toote. A blue with gold concentrated magic energy shot out from the tip of the Tritus trident and went toward the bluish-white sea serpent that the bluish-green sea serpent had already pinned.

 Chapter 576 Descent (8)

    Tritus''s objective right from the start was the subjugation of the bluish-white sea serpent. By doing this, he could advance his magic weapon, inadvertently boosting his own firepower.


    Osric''s conjecture about Tritus''s trident was not that far off. The trident was indeed an ancient weapon from the Chaos Era. However, its wielder was not a human but an unknown ''demon.'' As a matter of fact, the trident''s soul was a demon that refused to be the Soul Emperor''s puppet after dying. It chose to fuse with its trident''s awakening sentient to avoid such fate.


    Because of the special circumstance of which the trident''s soul came to be, its thirst for blood was far stronger than any magic weapons. With its strong personality, it also had problems bowing down to its owner. It did not even considered Tritus its owner.


    The only reason it was willing to let Tritus wield it was because thetter agreed to provide it with ''nourishment.'' And at the moment, it saw the bluish-white sea serpent as its target.


    Frankly, the trident had somehow mellowed after Tritus became Kyran''s Sigil. It seemed to have realized Kyran''s real identity even before Tritus. It also appeared to believe that only by following Kyran would it realize its dream to enact its revenge on what the Soul Emperor did to its people.


    "You--!"


    Osric realized Tritus''s real goal toote. Even when he tried to unsummon his magic weapon''s soul, the blue and gold light that shot off from the trident and enveloped the bluish-white sea serpent already bound it in ce.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-green sea serpent roared, seemingly delighted upon sessfully subjugating the bluish-white sea serpent. The bluish-green sea serpent jaw opened wide and bit down on thetter''s neck.


    RAWRGH!


    Unlike their earlier shes, the bluish-green sea serpent''s fangs had pierced through the bluish-white sea serpent''s neck. After that, a suction-like force came from the former''s mouth and pulled in thetter''s body.


    Osric felt the connection of his magic weapon to its soul started to weaken. His eyes turned blood-red in anger, and in an instant, his magic pressure surged again.


    ''Ngh..!'' Tritus was instantly forced to kneel. However, he released his own magic pressure to resist, and barely seeded in preventing his knee from touching the ground.


    "To dare touch my magic weapon''s soul...!" Osric roared in anger. The hatred in his heart deepened as he recalled Kyran''s treatment. Now, Tritus dared to take his magic weapon''s soul right under his nose.


    He had never suffered such insul in his life!


    "Did you think I will allow such insolence happen on my watch?" Osric continued as his magic pressure continued to increase.


    The magic fluctuation in the surroundings intensified as the oxygen around them thinned.


    ''This...!'' Tritus''s eyes widened as he realized that Osric had finally unleashed his domain.


    In an instant, the suction-like force from the bluish-green sea serpent''s stopped and the bluish gold light that bound the bluish-white sea serpent shattered.


    Tritus gritted his teeth as he realized that the oxygen in the surroundings was growing thinner every second. His expression turned grim as he realized that Osric''s domain was like a manifestation of the sea''s abyssal zone.


    Truth be told, Tritus had wanted his domain to manifest in a simr way. However, his knowledge of the sea''s abyssal zone was superficial. In the end, his domain was only able to manifest the deep blue sea. It amplified his Water magic output, and also slowed down his opponent''s movement because it gave them the feeling as if they were moving underwater.


    However, Osric''s domain was different. Since it was a manifestation of the abyssal zone, the output of his Water magic was far colder than before, making it easy for him to mold more solid Water attacks. Apart from this, the movements of his opponents would not only slow down, but would be restrained because of the absence of oxygen. Their bodies would also soon turn to ice, because of the low temperature from the abyssal zone.


    Of course, Osric''s domain was only a manifestation. It did not exactly mean that the abyssal zone would appear above ground. Nevertheless, it was enough to weaken and kill his enemies as long as the weakening effects of his domain kicks in.


    A few meters away, Kyran sensed Tritus''s predicament. Unfortunately, he could not provide any immediate help because he was keeping an eye on the hole in the sky. He was also maintaining the Void barrier above.


    Kyran frowned slightly as he looked at the Sovereign''s Cradle that covered the sky.


    When the red light with lightning descended, the cradle glowed, meaning it took effect and restrained the red light''s strength. However, the fact that Kyran''s purple sphere exploded upon contact with the red light meant thetter''s strength was still superior.


    ''Does that mean even with the cradle''s suppression, Ruin''s magic output still possess such firepower?'' Kyran wondered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He rejected the thought at once. In the first ce, if Ruin''s magic output was that potent even with the suppression of the Sovereign''s Cradle, then one move would have destroyed the barrier protecting the Regis Estate. But that had not been the case.


    In that case, Ruin''s magic output was not the problem but the Sovereign''s cradle.


    ''Even a mere projection of power from the fiery ball burned the ground to this state,'' Kyran thought while looking at the barren ground. ''Does it mean... the cradle''s effect is weakening?''


    The idea immediately made Kyran''s heart turn cold.


    There were only two causes for the Sovereign Cradle''s effect to weaken. One, the magic energy sustaining the cradle had dropped to a level it could no longer maintain 100% effectivity. Two, something bad happened to the Sovereign.


    Kyran was leaning towards the former reason. After all, the cradle had been in effect for days now.


    However, Kyran had a bad feeling, especially when his father was currently undergoing Azaloth''s Inheritance.


    The thought made Kyran want to check on Mannick. If something did happen to Azaloth''s real body, his essence would somehow manifest it.


    Kyran clenched his fist as he stared at the hole in the middle of the fiery ball. He was tempted to rush outside and see how Nn was doing. But he also felt that everything might also be a trap.


    As much as Kyran wanted to know how Nn was, he could not leave the Human ne. One of the main reasons was definitely Ruin.


    Without the suppression of the Sovereign''s Cradle, Kyran was not confident about fighting Ruin head on. Besides, Deception was also there.


    Though the two had a falling out, they might have also agreed to a truce.


    Kyran shook his head at once while recalling Ruin''s character. As far as Kyran was concerned, Ruin hated topromise with someone who betrayed him. Deception also called for reinforcements, meaning if a battle was really happening outside, then Ruin would definitely take that as a deration of war.


    An idea crossed Kyran''s mind and his expression turned somewhat hopeful.


    No matter how powerful Ruin was, fighting two or more Sovereigns would definitely be hard. Not to mention, Nn was there. He might only be a Sage but his Elements magic was too perverse, he could practically create anything as long as he knew that item''sposition. If this was the case, Ruin might have proposed a truce with Nn!


    Kyran looked at the pierced fiery ball again and felt that his idea was possible. Ruin appeared unruly, but when he works with someone, he was a real team yer. If he had reconciled with Deception, then he would not have pierced the fiery ball with his magic. As a matter of fact, he managed to avoid destroying the flimsy veil that prevented the hole from expanding.


    As for whether Ruin and Nn was working together, Kyran felt that if Nn was really at a disadvantage, he would have already retreated back to the Human ne. He might have also used the opportunity Ruin did to the fiery ball to return.


    Of course, there was a possibility that Nn could not do that because he might already be dead. But for some reasons, Kyran knew Nn was still alive.


    With this in mind, Kyran somehow felt more at ease. He took a deep breath and cleared his thoughts before looking back at the Sovereign''s Cradle. Now, he was more worried about the possibility of the cradle losing its effect.


    ''Can I reinforce the cradle with my Void magic?'' Kyran wondered. Frankly, he had no idea how the Sovereign''s Cradle was created. All he knew was that it was made of the Human ne''s magic energy.


    ''But won''t my Void magic corrupt it if I reinforced it?''


    Kyran felt an iing headache. While Void magic''s true nature was not to destroy, he had not fully grasp the meaning behind its nature of ''turning nothing, into something.'' He could easily revert any damaged item as long as they had a physical form, but magic energies were nonphysical. Besides, they wereposed of different types of magic energies and Void was only one of them.


    ''Does turning nothing to something mean, my Void magic has adaptability nature? If this is true, can I make my Void magic adapt into the Sovereign cradle''s nature?''


    Kyran rejected the idea at once. If Void magic could adapt the nature of other magic, he would not have problemsing up with a way of mixing his Void and Draconic magic to create a simr effect like the Strengthening magic...


    ''Wait... mixing Void and Draconic magic...?''


    Kyran''s eyes slowly widened as he realized something.

 Chapter 577 Descent (9)

    Kyran always thought that the reason he couldbine the two was because both were his Innate magic. He remembered that every time hebined them, he would use Draconic magic as the base while Void magicplemented it.


    For example, the Void Scales came to be afterbining the Regis''s defensive technique¡ª which he soon learned was Draconic magic¡ª with Void magic.


    There was also the Void Needle. To ensure that they would expand without ''disintegrating'' the insides of his target, before making them explode, he applied the Regis''s tempering technique with the Void magic.


    But now that he thought of it, using Draconic magic as the base was not really necessary. With the Void magic''s nature, there was a possibility to affect the nature of any magic that made contact with it. That had always been the case with other magic.


    Then again, Draconic magic was different; it was Ancient magic.


    But what about Soul magic?


    Kyran could neutralize Haylee''s Soul magic, and it was also Ancient magic. As for Cyneah, the only reason she was able to use the Soul magic''s healing nature was because Kyran lowered his guard on her.


    Kyran inwardly shook his head and thought, ''I''m getting side-tracked.''


    This was not the time to ponder those things.


    Basically, Kyran believed that the only reason he couldbine Draconic and Void magic was because they were his Innate magic.


    But what exactly did it mean to possess ''innate'' magic?


    Based on the universally known fact, a mage would know their innate magic from the magic energy their magic core attracted.


    Then what about Kyran? Who possessed not only two but four magic cores?


    Kyran remembered how the ovepping voices back in the Tower of Tribtion offered him several paths during his training.


    Strength. Light. Poison. Draconic. Void. Fire. Wind. Space. Elements.


    The Tower definitely gave these choices for a reason.


    Kyra furrowed his brows as he recalled one of his magic cores was contaminated by several magic energies. He did not think much about it, but now, he wondered whether the presence of those magic energies was the reason the Tower offered those other seven paths.


    But how did those magic energies enter his magic cores?


    The Void magic''s absorption ability shed through Kyran''s mind.


    The first time he used the Void''s absorption ability, he absorbed the concentrated energy from the Four-Colored Ruin Array. The second time was when he fought the Theihorns in the Valley of Morte. Then there was the time when he absorbed the two mutated basilisks.


    Now the two mutated basilisks had be his Sigils, and their poison magic seemed to havebined well with Void magic.


    Could it be that anything he absorbed, whether they were magic attacks or beasts, could be used by him?


    Then Kyran recalled the Elements path the Tower offered. As far as he was concerned, he had never absorbed Nn''s magic before. So why did that one appear?


    Kyran inwardly shook his head again and pushed aside all questions that could not be answered straight away. He focused on the crucial part of his contemtion, which was understanding the Void magic''s nature of ''turning nothing, into something.''


    Kyran looked at the Sovereign Cradle, ''If I absorbed a part of the cradle, will it allow me to circte the magic energies within and reinforce it?''


    While he was pondering about it, Kyran already approached the Sovereign''s Cradle and summoned his magic. A small dark purple vortex hovered on his palm, and he raised it toward the cradle.


    Distortion appeared on the cradle as the dark purple vortex attracted it.


    Kyran controlled the amount of energy the vortex would absorb from the cradle¡ª else, it would copse, and the Human ne would lose the only thing that prevented the Sovereigns from descending with their magic levels intact.


    Outside the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall, Mannick looked up after sensing a slight fluctuation from the Sovereign''s Cradle. However, whatever caused it disappeared after only a few seconds, making him frown in confusion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As soon as Kyran retracted the dark purple vortex, he observed the magic energies he absorbed and just as he guessed, they entered his third magic core.


    At first nce, his third magic core looked translucent¡ª simr to his fourth magic core. However, if he looked at it using his magic sense, he could feel different types of magic energies swirling inside.


    Kyran guessed these magic energies did not have any color because he had never used them. They only reflected the experience he had of using them, which was basically ''none.''


    Kyran gathered the magic energies he absorbed from the Sovereign''s cradle and let it circte within the Shaiha. Soon, the multi-colored Shaiha glowed splendidly. After that, Kyran noticed several magic energies circting within his body along with his Void magic. These magic energies were indeed simr to the ones that made up the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    ''This...'' Kyran''s face darkened. If he had learned how to use the Void magic''s nature of ''turning nothing, into something'' earlier, he wouldn''t have gone through all the trouble ofbining his Void magic with Draconic magic to produce magic akin to Strengthening magic.


    Kyran was unsure when he absorbed Strengthening magic energy and could only guess that it might have been part of the Four-colored Ruin Array, but he already possessed it and could circte it within the Shaiha.


    ''What''s done is done,'' he told himself with a sigh of resignation. ''There is no point in dwelling on it.''


    In any case, with this, Kyran actually had another trump card. As long as he absorbed other people''s magic attack and their magic energy, he could circte that magic energy and summon its corresponding magic.


    ''I still have to study it, though. This Void''s nature definitely has a limit. For now, I can use it to reinforce the Sovereign''s Cradle,'' Kyran thought.


    Without wasting time, he circted the different magic energies from the cradle in the Shaiha. After that, the Shaiha attracted the surrounding magic energies, and Kyran gathered and aimed them toward the Sovereign''s Cradle in the sky.


    The Sovereign''s Cradle crackled as the magic energies within received a boost.


    Again, Mannick sensed the change in the cradle. But upon realizing it was not harmful and was even helpful to the cradle, he let it be. He already guessed that it had something to do with Kyran.


    Kyran heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that the cradle''s effect on the remaining force from the red light with lightning and the fiery ball increased. The space distortion around the hole also started to repair.


    ''It looks like the reason the cradle cannot repair the hole in the sky is because it has lost too much energy,'' he thought.


    With the reinforced Sovereign''s Cradle, the size of the hole in the sky slowly shrunk. Although it would probably take some time before it was fully repaired, at least the threat of the fiery ball''s untimely descent could be prevented.


    In any case, Kyran still nned on destroying the fiery ball once the cradle repaired the hole to a certain extent. By then, the size of the ball peaking from it would have gotten smaller. Even if he used his Void magic or Draconic magic to destroy it, he would not aggravate the space distortion. He could even use Strengthening magic to enhance his physical strength. Using only his raw strength would not cause any problems. Even if Osric saw him, he would only think that Kyran used the Regis Blessing to punch the ball.


    Speaking of Osric, Kyran remembered Tritus''s situation. He turned and was about to check on him when a sh of dazzling light appeared from the sky.


    Kyran already had his back on the fiery ball the moment the dazzling light appeared. As if in slow motion, his eyes widened as he tried to look back at the sky again. However, by the time he turned, the whole surrounding was already covered in a blinding light, reducing his vision in an instant.


    The blinding light touched the ground, and a powerful explosion followed.


    BOOM!


    Osric and Tritus, who were locked in battle, noticed the dazzling light. But because they were focused on each other, they ignored it.


    That was their mistake.


    As soon as the explosion erupted, the shockwave spread out, blowing away everything in its path.


    Osric was stunned by the explosion''s might because his domain got destroyed in an instant. He waved his magic staff, and the bluish-white sea serpent returned inside; then, his body turned into water that seeped into the ground.


    Tritus also unsummoned the trident''s soul and pierced the trident on the ground to prevent himself from getting blown away. Still, he was pushed back a few hundred meters before stopping.


    The Sovereign''s Cradle in the sky crackle as gold lightning enveloped it.


    As the blinding light disappeared, a figure was revealed, hovering in the sky.


    "Finally, I managed to get in," the figure said.

 Chapter 578 Sovereign Of Light

    From the figure''s somewhat deep yet gentle voice, it was hard to determine whether it was a young man or a woman with a deep voice.


    It wore a golden hooded robe with white ents that covered its face. On its hand was a two-and-a-half meter high golden staff. The staff''s design was in; however, the golden orb on top of it looked like a miniature sun.


    The golden-robed person looked at the surroundings and let out a snort.


    "So this is the ne of the Ancients," it muttered. Then it added in a disappointed tone, "Indeed, there is an abundant flow of magic energy here. However, there doesn''t seem to be anything special about it."


    Its reaction was based on the scene that greeted it upon its descent. The fiery ball scorched approximately a hundred kilometers of thend below, and when the blinding light descended, it left a hundred-meter crater, making thend look more deste.


    It raised its head, snorted at the Sovereign''s Cradle, and said in disdain, "So much for the suppression of the ne''s Sovereign. If not for that traitor Ruin teaming up with that lowly human, we have long entered the ne and destroyed it."


    The figure recalled how it, together with Deception and another Sovereign, Toad,bined their attack to create a massive ming ball. Their n was to shatter the Sovereign''s Cradle by overwhelming it with theirbined magic. Unfortunately, the lowly human who teamed up with Ruin, actually created a huge mp that pinned the ming ball from the outside. Then, Ruin aimed at the ming ball with the goal ofpletely destroying it. If not for Toad''s timely attack, resulting in a slight deviation in Ruin''s aim and attack output, he would have really suceeded in destroying the ball.


    With Toad keeping Ruin in check, and Deception taking on the lowly human, the figure managed to aim at the hole Ruin created and force its way toward the Human ne.


    Nevertheless, the cradle''s suppression took effect the moment the figure entered the ne, albeit, it was only suppressed by one level.


    "It seems the Sovereign of this ne is already at thest stretch of its life," the figure sneered. "If not, my level would have gone down to Legendary."


    Rumble...!


    ''Hm?'' The figure paused as it nced at a clearing below where it heard the rumbling noise.


    Before it couldnd on the ground, the clearing exploded, sending several pieces of rubble upward.


    The figure instantly veered to the side to avoid the rubbles that came its way. With a slight frown, it raised its golden staff and was about to unleash a magic attack at the spot where the rubbles exploded when a silhouette shed out from underneath.


    Without confirming what the silhouette was, the figure already sensed its approach.


    ''Humph,'' the figure could not help but sneer. It appeared, another lowly human managed to survive the st it created to descend on the ne.


    However, just because the lowly human survived did not mean the figure''s attack was not powerful. The only reason the former survived was because the Sovereign''s Cradle cushioned most of thetter''s attack.


    ''How bold,'' the figure thought and casually cast a magic barrier. ''It appears, humans still remained ignorant about the true horrors in the Lower Realm¡ª guah!''


    The figure spat out a mouthful of blood as the magic barrier it cast was shattered and a fist smacked it right on the face.


    ''Ngh...!''


    The force of the smack sent the figure flying. It mmed on the ground and rolled for several meters before finally stopping.


    The figure''s mind reeled as the pain from the punch it just received seeped into its senses.


    "AaaaaAAARGH...!"


    Soon, the figure let out pitiful cry from the pain it felt.


    ''H-How is this possible?'' The figure thought in shock as it recalled how the silhoutte it had thought was still meters away, appeared suddenly and sent out a punch.


    Frankly, the silhouette''s fast movement was not that surprising. Even the lowly human working with Ruin movement were very fast and at times unpredictable. What really shocked the figure was the fact that a simple punch, which did not emit any magic energy actually shattered its magic barrier andnded a solid hit on its face.


    "Who¡ª?"


    The figure had yet to regain its bearing when the silhouette shed before it, thetter''s leg was raised above for a drop kick.


    The figure''s eyes narrowed as it pitifully rolled to the side before the silhouette''s feetnded.


    BOOM!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The ground exploded from the force of the kick, leaving behind a two-meter crater.


    The figure was also blown away from the explosion and rolled to the side for another several meters.


    ''This humiliation...'' the figure gritted its teeth. ''Uneptable!''


    BOOM!


    The figure''s magic pressure erupted as it pierced the staff on its hand on the ground to force itself to stop.


    "You will regret acting¡ªguah!"


    Before the figure could even say anything, the silhouette already appeared in front and sent out a roundhouse kick, sting the figure to the side.


    The silhouette was obviously Kyran, who survived the figure''s descent after getting buried in the ground. At first, he only nned on observing the figure. However, after hearing thetter''s monologue, he could not help bute out of hiding and kick its ass.


    Kyran admitted feeling somewhat peeved when it said that the Human ne''s Sovereign was already in thest stretch of his life. Not to mention, he hated how it called humans as if they were the lowest and weakest creature among different races in all the nes.


    Nevertheless, thanks to the figure''s monologue, Kyran confirmed Nn''s status. It seemed, thetter managed to hold his own against the Sovereigns with Ruin''s help. Kyran''s initial guess that the two agreed on a truce and was working together had been correct.


    Kyran wore an odd expression as he thought of Ruin. He really could not understand that guy. It felt somewhat awkward knowing that the person who was after his life was now working with his uncle. Kyran''s face darkened as he thought of their characters.


    They did not agree on something perverse, which likely involved him, so they could work together, right?


    Kyran pushed aside the scary thought and focused on the pitiful figure of the Sovereign that descended from the sky. His eyes narrowed after noticing that the figure might looked pitiful, with its white robe now covered smudges of blood, but its body remained intact.


    Although Kyran did not use the Draconic magic to amplify his strength, and only used his raw strength, few could withstand his kicks.


    The figure finally regained its bearing after the silhouette stopped its assault. It spat some remnant blood on its mouth and stood up while properly sizing up the silhouette.


    It admitted that it had beencent after descending to the Human ne. No one could me it. After all, Deception told it that the level of the mages in this ne was too weak.


    The highest mage level most believed was a Magus, which to them Sovereigns, or to be precise, to both realms, were considered the lowest entry point of a true mage. All those level below a Magus were considered nothing but categorization of how much their magic cores had progressed. Only when an individual turned into a Magus, could one really be called a true mage.


    "You are not an ordinary human," the figure said, looking at the human with narrowed eyes.


    Its anger from being thrashed already disapated after confirming that the human before it was not ordinary. To be able to break its personal magic and physical defenses to the minimum degree, was proof of it.


    "You are the new Dark Sage," the figure continued, still sizing up the human.


    Kyran only tilted his head to one side, while also observing the figure. He still could not guess whether the figure was a male or a female¡ª not that it matter. Regardless of the figure''s gender, he would show no mercy.


    When the human did not respond, the figure chuckled, "You don''t have to be secretive about your identity. After all, all the Sovereigns of the Lower Realm has already been talking about your return."


    Kyran remained silent. There were things he still did not understand about the existence of different pleanse even after visiting some to train.


    It was to be expected because the people Kyran met during his training were also oblivious about the ''outside.''


    From what the figure had said, the Human ne was part of the Lower Realm. This already coincides with Kyran''s guess based from the small details he heard from True Void and Zephyr.


    Then what about the Higher Realm?


    Kyran shook his head and reprimandingly thought, ''This is not the time to think about those. Focus on the situation right now.''


    The figure straightened its body and said, "Most of the Sovereigns wanted to gain your favor. I am also one of them. We may have started in the wrong side, but let me introduce myself. I am the Sovereign of Light."

 Chapter 579 Ulterior Motives

    What the Sovereign of Light said was the truth.


    During Kyran''s first year of training, a number of Sovereigns had already been aware of him. What happened between him and Ruin had been big news not only to all the factions in the Lower Realm but also in the Higher Realm.


    For one thing, Ruin was known as a powerful rouge mage who sessfully acquired several nes all by himself. With only an essence guarding each of those nes, he also seeded in warding off other Sovereigns'' attempts to conquer them.


    That was until Kyran arrived in the Lignum ne and freed it. What baffled them further was Ruin did not try to retake the ne even after it was restored.


    While Sovereigns nned to conquer the Lignum ne after it lost its owner, they discovered something amazing¡ª The Coven of The Twelve actually took it upon themselves to protect the Lignum ne. Such a thing had not happened before.


    The Coven of The Twelve were Venerables from the Higher Realm. They only meddle in the Lower Realm''s affairs concerning the activities of the Sovereigns, never in protecting a ne. The only possible reason was the Lignum ne''s matter might have involved someone from the Higher Realm.


    After discovering their involvement, almost every sovereign in the Lower Realm finally took an interest in the person who usurped Ruin¡ª Kyran.


    Initially, they only kept an eye on him because the harsh environment of some nes he dared appear in could very well spell his doom. Although his magic could counter Ruin, his low mage level and great talent for attracting trouble were like a double-edged sword.


    However, when the matter of Kyran abducting the Solum Tribe, which was considered a tribe with unique skill among the Lower Realm tribes, the Sovereigns started to have doubts about Kyran''s origin.


    After all, it was impossible for such a person to abduct those people under the watch of some known Sovereigns, especially with his low mage level.


    When they found that Ruin agreed to work with Deception to ''get even'' with Kyran, the other Sovereigns, still hesitant to meddle, made up their minds and finally investigated thetter''s origin.


    Soon they found a piece of news in the Automata ne that shook them to the core. Apparently, that ne''s new Sovereign advanced after meeting a mage¡ª whose description was simr to Kyran¡ª who gave him enlightenment. But that was not the surprising news but the magic the mage possessed: Void magic.


    When this news broke out, all Sovereigns who had been alive a thousand years ago recalled how one lone mage with Void magic usurped the Dark Sage and inherited everything thetter possessed¡ª including all his knowledge and magic items.


    This discovery led to differing opinions among the Sovereign factions. The majority wanted to form a partnership with Kyran. Others wanted to exploit him by first gaining his favor. There was also a minority who wanted to control him or kill him.


    Kyran was now famous in the Lower Realm. To be precise, his identity as the new Dark Sage was now known by almost every Sovereign. Nevertheless, few really knew what he looked like.


    Ultimately, the reason for all this buzz was because of a known rumor¡ª that in the history of the War of the Sovereigns, the side of the Dark Sage always won.


    Kyran looked at the Sovereign of Light with an odd expression. Only recently, another Sovereign had appeared before him, asking for a meeting. He was not expecting another one to appear, wanting to gain his favor.


    Was not this guy here because Deception asked for its help?


    As if sensing Kyran''s doubts, the Sovereign of Light said, "You may be wondering why I hade."


    Without waiting for Kyran to respond, Light continued, "Deception asked us to assist her in something. Since the three of us can be considered ''close'' within our faction, we agreed. However, her interest in this ne already deviates from the faction''s objective."


    "And you''re saying you''re here to uphold your faction''s objective?" Kyran asked, speaking for the first time.


    "That is correct," Light confirmed with a slight nod. "Toad and I are here because we can''t let Deception do as she pleases. After all, the faction''s objective only involves you and the Soul Emperor."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as soon as he heard it mentioned the Soul Emperor.


    Could it be that this guy knew Haylee and was aware of her real ns? Or could it be that Haylee''s ns were influenced by the faction this guy''s faction right from the start? Did that mean she was already one of them? Was Deception, Ruin and Savagery helping Haylee unconditionally because they all came from the same faction?


    No, that was not right.


    Ruin was not the type to work with others. Although he eventually worked with Deception to find Kyran, it was under the premise that Deception would not do anything to Kyran because he was Ruin''s prey.


    Besides, Haylee and Deception only met because of Ruin.


    Based on Ruin''s reaction when he and Kyran first met, the former had been to the Human ne before. The things Kyran discovered about the Shaiha Ruins and his n''s history also showed that Ruin was likely the Demon General Kyran''s ancestor had fought in the past.


    In any case, Ruin was linked with the Soul Emperor¡ª not Deception, making it impossible for Haylee to be part of their faction.


    What if Deception recruited Haylee after arriving in the Human ne? And after learning of the faction''s objective, shebined it with her ns.


    Kyran rejected the thought at once. Whatever n the Soul Emperor had cooked up was not influenced by others. That much, he was sure of.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But then, what did Sovereign of Light mean about Kyran and Haylee being their faction''s objective?


    "You are confused," Light said, after noticing Kyran''s silence was not his usual ''don''t want to reply to your nonsense'' attitude.


    "I am aware I sound ambiguous, but that can be remedied easily."


    Light extended its free hand to Kyran, saying, "The Soul Emperor has been waiting for our arrival. Why don''t youe with me and meet her? We can talk more after."


    "She knows you''reing?"


    "Of course. You see, before Deception came to us for assistance, the faction had already decided to approach the Soul Emperor. Unfortunately, we are not supposed to approach you yet, but that is unimportant now that you are here."


    Kyran could not help but frown at Light''s words.


    ording to Light, they had their own reason foring to the Human ne. They were not here to help Deception achieve her goal.


    What was their reason? Obviously, it was not to properly introduce themselves to Haylee.


    Kyran sensed something was amiss, and his expression darkened as an idea formed in his mind. Each and every one of them had its own ulterior motives.


    After some thought, Kyran asked, "Are you aware of the situation in the Human ne?"


    Without lowering its outstretched hand, Light tilted its head and replied, "Of course. That is why we are here."


    Kyran''s frown deepened as he repeated, "''That''s why you''re here?''"


    Light nodded, "Deception told us the gist of the matter."


    "Did Deception tell you exactly why she needed help?"


    Light chuckled, "Of course."


    "Then why aren''t you doing anything?"


    Light paused at Kyran''s question.


    Judging from how Light''s outstretched hand twitched slightly and its silence, it did notprehend his question.


    Kyran shook his head and let out a dryugh, "You said Deception''s interest deviates from your faction''s objective. I initially thought it was because you wanted to gain my favor, while on the other hand, she wanted to capture me."


    "What did you say?"


    "It seems she lied to you¡ª or no," Kyran paused dramatically before adding, "She withheld information from you."


    Light''s magic energy slowly surged as its eyes, hidden beneath the hood, turned golden.


    "Her interest deviated from the faction''s objective, yes, because she was supposed to gain the favor of the Dark Sage and the Soul Emperor, yet she was interested in an unknown mage''s ability and magic. She needed our help because the mage she was interested in was protected by another powerful mage who easily disposed of her essence. She wanted us to kill that powerful mage and then capture the mage she wanted."


    "The powerful mage she mentioned was the one you called a lowly human, working together with Ruin out there," Kyran told Light while pointing at the hole above. "And the unknown mage she wanted to capture is me."


    "You are sowing discord!" Light growled as a blinding light erupted from under its golden robes.


    Kyran had to squint his eyes because it was getting harder to look at Light.


    As expected of the Sovereign with the title of Light.


    "You said she exined the situation here," Kyran continued. "Howe you don''t know that the so-called ''Dark Sage'' is actually at odds with the Soul Emperor? And right now, a war about to happen."

 Chapter 580 A Gullible Person

    The blinding lighting out from Light dimmed slightly upon hearing Kyran''s words.


    True to what he said, Deception did not tell them about the new Dark Sage being at odds with the new Soul Emperor. What Deception did say was that a war was about to happen that could put the Soul Emperor''s life at risk, which was why they left for the Human ne as soon as possible.


    Deception also said that the mage she wanted to capture was part of the faction that threatened the Soul Emperor''s life. Thus, Light and Toad had no qualms about helping her so long as they prioritized their objective.


    s, it appeared Deception had indeed withheld such crucial information. If Light and Toad knew the mage she wanted to capture was none other than the new Dark Sage, they would not have agreed to assist her.


    Light felt an iing headache and subconsciously looked at the hole above. But then, a thought crossed Light''s mind.


    "That''s right... you never really introduced yourself," Light said and looked at Kyran. Once again, the light around its body glowed fiercely.


    Light wanted to believe that Deception was telling the truth and that this guy in front took advantage of a loophole in Light''s exnation to sow discord.


    "Because you managed to destroy my magic and physical defenses, I unwittingly presumed your identity as the new Dark Sage."


    Light''s eyes narrowed as it red at Kyran.


    "But then you said that the lowly human outside is the powerful mage that destroyed Deception''s essence and is protecting you¡ª the mage she wants to capture.... And that lowly human is now working with that Ruin, who we all know wanted to find the Dark Sage and exact his revenge."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He already guessed what Light was trying to say.


    Since Kyran did not admit his identity as the Dark Sage, he could use Light''s misjudgment to sow discord. Light believed something was amiss, especially when Kyran said that Ruin and Nn were working together.


    Sometimes, talking to a smart person could be troublesome.


    ''Is this guy a new Sovereign? Doesn''t he or she know Ruin''s odd character?'' Kyran wondered in exasperation. He stopped his train of thought after realizing he inadvertently admitted to understanding Ruin better even when they had only met.


    The thought made Kyran shiver inwardly.


    "You think I will not notice how inconsistent your words are?" Light continued. Its magic aura rose at an incredible pace. "You made the wrong choice of plotting against a Sovereign¡ª."


    FOOM!


    A translucent purple force expanded out from Kyran''s body.


    It happened so fast that Light failed to react in time and avoid the force. As soon as the force entered its body, the light it emitted vanished.


    "W-What¡ª?" Light eximed in shock, realizing that not only did its magic aura vanish, but the magic energy in its body stopped circting.


    Kyran found it troublesome to talk sense with this guy and decided to prove his identity by using his domain.


    "Inside my domain, no one can use magic," he told Light.


    "You¡ª!"


    "You don''t seem to be interested in wreaking havoc in the Human ne," Kyran continued and ignored Light''s attempt to curse him. "And as much as possible, I don''t want to have another Sovereigning after me. Ruin''s already a pain in the ass, and seriously, I don''t know why he is working with my unc¡ª protector. Can we leave it at that and go our separate ways? Actually, I''d appreciate it if you leave at once."


    Light looked at Kyran dumbfoundedly. It was then that Light recalled Ruin tended to do things that did not make sense to them. For this reason, most Sovereigns did not want to cross paths with him.


    Could this young man be telling the truth?


    Light looked at Kyran in silence. Judging by the domain he released, it did possess Void''s nature. This alone was enough to prove Kyran''s identity. So what he said about being at odds with the Soul Emperor might also be true.


    It was unfortunate that they did not know anything about matters regarding the Human ne. A thousand years ago, when the Void mage defeated the Dark Sage and inherited everything thetter had, he returned quietly to the Human ne.


    They had never heard of him since then. There were rumors that he had died. But since no one knew where the Human ne was, they never confirmed it.


    In any case, if the new Dark Sage and Soul Emperor were really at odds, it would pose a problem to their faction''s objective. Frankly, such a situation never crossed their mind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Light was suddenly thrown into a dilemma. Who was far more important to their faction? The Dark Sage or the Soul Emperor? If Light had to choose, it was definitely the former. Since Kyran inherited everything the Dark Sage possessed, then his value was definitely higher than the Soul Emperor.


    However, the Soul Emperor''s participation in their objective was also crucial. Her Soul magic was not to be trifled with, and together with the Macabre cier that the Dark Sage had in his possession, the two were practically a force that could easily instill fear in the hearts of every Sovereign.


    Winning the War of the Sovereigns would not be difficult.


    Before Light could respond to Kyran, someone suddenly spoke from behind.


    "Sovereign of Light, I have been waiting for your arrival."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after recognizing who had spoken.


    It was none other than Osric, who had returned after getting blown away.


    Kyran already sensed Osric''s approach while he was talking with Light. As a matter of fact, he stopped himself from calling Nn his uncle because he knew Osric was eavesdropping on their conversation. Kyran also activated his Void Domain because Osric wanted to get closer.


    To ensure thetter would not do anything stupid, like sneak an attack or interrupt their conversation, Kyran set his domain''s range within a hundred meters and in a circr fashion to prevent Osric from sneaking in by turning into water and using the water pathway underground.


    Kyran did not expect Osric to be thick enough to interrupt their conversation by amplifying his voice with magic and making his presence known to Light.


    If Osric were not Tritus''s prey, Kyran would have already attacked. But since he wanted Tritus to advance, he refrained from doing anything. In any case, Tritus was also nearby and was looking for an opportunity to attack Osric.


    Light also noticed Osric and Tritus but ignored them because they did not pose any threat.


    "You are?" Light demanded, turning its attention to Osric.


    Standing a hundred meters from behind Kyran, Osric lowered his gaze.


    "Sovereign of Light," he greeted in respect. "I am Osric, one of the new Soul Emperor''s trusted aides."


    Though Osric sounded calm andposed, inwardly, he was agitated.


    In the first ce, he came here to seize Kyran and bring him to the Crown Princess before the people on the other side of the hole descended. s, because of Tritus'' arrival, he ended up wasting too much time.


    Now, it would be harder to take Kyran under the Sovereign of Light''s watch. If Osric''s understanding of the things he heard during their conversation was correct, these people equally valued the Dark Sage and the Soul Emperor. Making any attempt to capture Kyran would not be a good idea.


    Osric''s handsome face distorted slightly as he recalled how his heart palpitated when Kyran released his domain. If thetter''s force had hit him, he probably would not have had a chance to do anything anyway.


    All this time, he had been confident that with his high mage level, he could restrain Kyran anytime. But seeing this Light person could do nothing against Kyran''s domain when the former''s mage level seemed unfathomable even to Osric, then what more with him?


    Osric knew the Crown Princess wanted Kyran under her control. Initially, he thought it was because Kyran was the son of the next Patriarch of the Regis n. If the Crown Princess could have him, she could use him as leverage to get Aron, Cade, and the rest of the Regis n, to work for her. However, after Osric discovered how powerful Kyran''s physique was, he realized the Crown Princess''s reason was definitely not as simple as using him as leverage.


    Kyran alone wasparable to an army corps unit. To have a mage like him under her control would boost her military force by a huge margin.


    In any case, Osric had to do something about the current situation. Unfortunately, Kyran was such an honest person and told Light about his current rtionship with the Crown Princess. If he did not say anything, Osric could have found a way to make it seem that Kyran was not the Dark Sage Light was looking for.


    Osric shook his head inwardly. There was no point mulling over spilled milk. He just had to go improvise.


    Light narrowed its eyes at Osric before looking at Kyran.


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly. The way Light turned to look at him seemed as if it wanted him to confirm if Osric was telling the truth. It only urred to him that the Sovereign of Light might be a gullible person.


    "He''s telling the truth," he replied. Then he thought of something and added, "For the record, before you came, we were in a middle of a fight."


    Osric''s brow twitched.


    What Kyran was telling Light made it hard for Osric to do anything!

 Chapter 581 Choice

    Kyran said what he said because he knew Osric was up to no good.


    If Osric convinced Light that Kyran and Haylee might be at odds, but only the former was hostile towards thetter, Light might side with Osric to detain Kyran.


    Of course, this was only Kyran''s guess, and Osric might have a different n in mind, but that was unimportant. What mattered to Kyran was preventing Light and Osric from working together.


    Though Light was inside Kyran''s Void domain, it was impossible to imprison the former for long. The Void domain only prevented all mages inside from using magic or circting their magic energies. However, it did not stop people inside from moving. The domain was also immobile; thus, if Light decided to leave, it was not that hard to do so.


    Kyran could adjust his domain, but it would be impossible to sustain it. Besides, Kyran did not want to use his domain mainly because his movements would also be restricted. He could not move around as long as the Void domain was active. Although he could still use his Void magic to attack, his range would be limited. Most of all, the Void domain drained his magic energy at an rming pace. And since the magic energies in the surroundings could not enter the domain, he could not replenish his magic energy naturally.


    "Why are you at odds with the Soul Emperor?" Light asked after a short pause.


    Before Kyran could respond, Osric beat him at it.


    "It was all a misunderstanding," Osric said with a wry smile.


    Kyran frowned. But in the end, he did not say anything and only turned to look at Osric.


    Osric focused his attention on Light and ignored Kyran''s gaze. He continued, "Another aide of the Soul Emperor acted without her consent, resulting in the misunderstanding. However, my mistress has been trying her best to rectify the situation. s, there are just too many meddlesome people getting in her way."


    Kyran could not help but chuckle at Osric''s story. In the end, thetter chose to make Gael the scapegoat.


    Light looked at Kyran with a slight frown, "Do you find his story strange? Why are youughing?"


    Kyran only shrugged his shoulders without saying anything. No matter what he said at this point would only sound like a child whining at the situation he was in. Besides, it was true that Gael did act without telling anyone the truth.


    Kyran also knew Gael had ulterior motives, which was why he wanted to capture Kyran without the whole army and the Royal Family knowing. He even dispatched the army''s Special Ops, that only listened to his orders as the Grand Marshal, to find him. Ultimately, Haylee found the truth, and Gael''s n was ruined. Then thetter was marked by the former to ensure he would not do anything against her scenario again.


    At least, that was how Kyran guessed what happened to Gael. As for being marked by Haylee, he confirmed it during his fight with Gael at Trill camp.


    "It is reasonable for him to think what I am saying is strange," Osric pressed on, trying to keep Kyran from saying anything. "As I said, there are too many meddlesome people getting in my mistress way, preventing her from establishing a civil discussion with his side."


    Light fell silent. If Osric was telling the truth, then taking Kyran with him to meet with the Soul Emperor was a good opportunity to fix their rtionship.


    As much as possible, Light wanted to avoid a scenario where their faction had to choose between the Dark Sage and the Soul Emperor. The treasures which the Dark Sage possessed were something their faction coveted, while the nature of the Soul Emperor''s magic was very crucial to their ns in using the Macabre cier.


    If there was a chance for the Dark Sage and the Soul Emperor to reconcile, then it was the best possible oue.


    "Fine," Light said after falling into contemtion for a moment. It looked at Kyran again and extended its free hand, "Come and let us meet the Soul Emperor.


    "You said war is about to happen, but such a petty war need not happen. If you two can reconcile, it is for the best. Besides, when the War of the Sovereigns happens, it will not be good for your ne to lose too many fighters."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after hearing Light''s words. It was not just him. Osric''s eyes also constricted especially when he heard about the War of the Sovereigns. It was his first time hearing it.


    Osric remembered a talk he had with the Crown Princess and fell silent.


    The Crown Princess mentioned something about creating her own army. When Osric told her it was unnecessary because they could easily take the Royal Army and all of the Noble Families'' military, the Crown Princess said such an army was not enough. She needed an army that could crush any adversaries. For this reason, she wanted the Regis n.


    As for Kyran, the Crown Princess did not mention anything, but his strength was definitely necessary. A mage with a physique that could win against anybat specialist. Even thosebat mages paled inparison to what Kyran could offer.


    At least, that was how Osric saw it.


    ''Then,'' Osric thought as realization dawned on him. ''Does she want the Regis n because she was preparing for that war?''


    "What''s with the war of the sovereigns?" Kyran asked Light.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When True Void told him about the real horror of the Soul Emperor, Kyran had wondered why the Soul Emperor was trying to sow discord to create an undead army. Hearing Light talk of war, Kyran could not help but think that this might be the real reason.


    Light tilted its head to one side and said, "You do not know about the War?"


    Kyran did not respond and simply looked at Light.


    ''Could this be why the faction said it is best to contact the Soul Emperor first?'' Light wondered.


    Deception already confirmed that the new Soul Emperor was aware of the War of the Sovereigns. So talking about it with her would be easier. As for Kyran, Light was now hesitant to tell more.


    "Thene with me to meet the Soul Emperor and we will tell you."


    ''''We,'''' Kyran repeated in his mind with a slight smile. He was sure that Light did not refer to their faction when it said ''we'' but together with the Soul Emperor. This proved that Haylee did know about the war.


    Kyran was now 90% convinced that Haylee was doing all of this to prepare for the war.


    Unfortunately, when Kyran went on a ''rampage,'' Haylee''s preparations were disrupted. If his guess was correct, Haylee nned to activate the Macabre cier after she got ''Disciple Tyr'' to create several puppets for her.


    Kyran''s face darkened as all the clues and guesses he made seemed to fall into ce.


    All this time, Haylee was not going to use his n as leverage to make Kyran submit to her.


    No, it was only part of it. She was after his n because she wanted to use their souls and transfer them to the puppets. Thus, creating a real powerful undying army.


    Kyran was sure that Haylee was not only nning to use his n. Since she believed Tyr was from another nation, she nned to dere war on the rest of the other nations and find more suitable souls to add to her undying army.


    ''But why?'' Kyran wondered while clenching his fists. ''Why does she want to create such an army for the War of Sovereigns? What is so special about that war that she doesn''t even care about sacrificing others to create her army?''


    Obviously, Haylee believed what she was doing was for the greater good. A noble deed. It was likely the reason why Lira supported her.


    But Kyran thinks otherwise. Regardless of her reason, what she was doing was genocide. A ruthless massacre. Targeting powerful mages and taking their souls...


    Kyran took a deep breath to calm his raging heart.


    "Now then, Dark Sage, let us be on our way."


    Light''s voice pulled Kyran out of his reverie.


    Kyran looked at Light, who had started to walk toward him. Since the Void domain was still up, Light could not use its magic and could only walk to him like a normal person.


    From behind, Osric waited for them in anticipation. In his head, as long as Kyran and Light left the domain, he would make his move and seize Kyran. If Light made a move, Osric could convince thetter that he was only preventing Kyran from using his magic. After all, he was still hostile toward the Soul Emperor''s people.


    Kyran watched Light walking toward him in silence. At the same time, the range of his domain retracted slowly.


    A smile appeared on Osric''s face upon seeing the shrinking domain.


    "Sorry, but no."


    BOOM!


    An explosion suddenly erupted, sending both Osric and Light stumbling backward.

 Chapter 582 Conflict Of Interest

    It all made sense to Kyran now why Sovereigns wanted to conquer nes with no Sovereign. They wanted to gather people from that ne and use them as pawns for the war.


    If Kyran''s guess was correct, when the Demons appeared in the Human ne, it was after they lost their ne to another Sovereign. Their ne''s Sovereign probably died in the hands of another Sovereign, or the Demon ne did not have a Sovereign and got conquered by one in a short amount of time.


    Kyran discovered the reason behind the demons'' invasion was that their ne got destroyed. But up till now, Kyran did not know why it got destroyed. Initially, he thought it was an internal conflict. Now, he had an inkling it was likely due to several Sovereigns trying to conquer the ne and ending up devastating it instead.


    Before the Demon ne got destroyed, one of the leading demons likely found a way to enter and transport every surviving demon to the Human ne. The previous Soul Emperor might have been involved in how the demons found the Human ne and entered it sessfully. And then, after transferring over, they agreed to help her with her goal in return for allowing them to live in the Human ne.


    As for her goal, it was none other than to cause discord in the Human ne, allowing her to amass more souls to control.


    At this point, all of these were still guesses. Kyran had no proof, but he felt it was the closest to the truth. Nevertheless, Kyran was not interested in knowing if his guess was correct. At that moment, a boiling feeling had been brewing deep in his guts. He could not fathom how the previous Soul Emperor could stomach sacrificing innocent lives to get what she wanted.


    If what Kyran guessed about why the previous Soul Emperor had done what she did in preparation for the war Light mentioned, then what motivated her? Did she want to win it? Why? What could she gain from winning that war? Did she really think that sacrificing innocent lives and using their souls for that war was eptable?


    Though Kyran no longer bats an eye when killing someone, he only kills those who cross his bottom line. He would never kill others for such a twisted reason.


    Kyran now knew why he could never understand Haylee. She was one of the two types of people he hated dealing with. Like Ingrid, Haylee was an observant person with a twisted sense of justice.


    Haylee''s observant trait Kyran proved after she discerned ''Disciple Tyr''s''bat style was simr to the Regis during the solopetition. As for her twisted sense of justice, she believed everything she did was for a noble cause.


    In any case, Kyran realized that he could never see eye to eye with her or every Sovereign, including Light, who was part of a faction with Deception. Because he now realized the most likely reason thetter was hung up on the Solum Tribe. It was not because of their Earth affinity that boosted their potion and pill concoctions, which Kyran initially believed. It was their ability to create things from y and gigantify them. Their creation could move and do things golems or molded magic could not do. Such creation was definitely a game-changer if used in war.


    For all of these reasons, Kyran had finally made his choice.


    "Sorry, but no."


    BOOM!


    An explosion erupted with Kyran at the center when his domain waspletely released. The shockwave that followed sent the unsuspecting Osric and Light stumbling backward.


    "Ngh-!"


    "You-!"


    RAWRGH!


    A bluish-green sea serpent emerged from the explosion and circled Kyran protectively.


    Tritus, with his golden armor, appeared behind Kyran and said, "Master, I havee as you said."


    After Kyran realized what Light intended to do, he sent a telepathic message to Tritus, who had been hiding underneath. The moment Kyran released his domain, Tritus summoned his trident''s soul, forcing Light and Osric back."Focus on Osric, and absorb every magic knowledge he had. It may enlighten you and help you advance."


    "Yes, master. I will give it my all."


    "Go," Kyran waved his hand, and a light purple disc appeared beneath Tritus.


    A purple light bloomed from the disc, covering Tritus''s body before he vanished in thin air.


    At the same time, a purple disc also appeared above Osric, and the purple light it emitted shone down on him. Before he could react, he disappeared.


    Kyran transported the two away so Tritus could focus on his fight with Osric.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was also to prevent Osric and Light from working together now that Kyran likely pissed thetter, and the former would definitely use that opportunity to gain thetter''s trust.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-green sea serpent roared as it glided upward before diving back to the ground with a loud ssh.


    The same moment the sea serpent seeped into the ground, a blinding light erupted from the location where Light was forced back.


    "Don''t think I will not dare offend you just because the faction hopes to work with you!" Light growled.


    A human-shaped blinding light dashed toward Kyran. Its hand holding a golden staff was outstretched, and the miniature sun-like orb at the staff''s tip was pointed at him.


    Light runes materialized on the miniature sun-like orb and shot at Kyran. As soon as a rune emerged from the orb, it increased in size and emitted a blinding orange-gold light. They circled each other while flying toward Kyran.


    Kyran raised his hand. If this had been any other time, he would have already summoned purple orbs or Void weapons to counter the iing Light runes. However, it was such a rare opportunity to fight a mage with Light innate magic. He was curious if absorbing Light''s magic attack would help him gain more Light magic knowledge and improve the Light magic energy circling inside his third magic core.


    A dark purple vortex formed above Kyran''s palm. Its size increased to five by five inches before he aimed it at the iing Light runes.


    FOOOSH!


    The moment Kyran faced the dark purple vortex forward, a powerful suction force erupted from within, pulling the Light runes at an rming speed.


    Light was stunned for a moment. Sensing something was amiss with the dark purple vortex, it waved its hand and controlled the Light runes to veer to the sides.


    However, the Light runes did not even budge from Light''s attempt and were sucked into the dark purple vortex in a blink of an eye.


    Kyran sensed the Light runes enter his third magic core. They immediately attracted the Light magic energies circling within, and he felt his Light magic affinity increase. Besides that, knowledge about Light runes and their nature seeped into his mind.


    ''It really works,'' Kyran thought enthusiastically.


    He was already knowledgeable in different runes from his training in the Tower of Tribtions-- Light runes were no exception. But recognizing and understanding them were two different things.


    If a mage used magic arrays, Kyran would be able to recognize what that mage''s innate magic was by reading the rune writings on the magic array. As for what kind of effect the magic array would do, Kyran would only have a rough idea because his understanding of other runes-- apart from Void magic-- was only at a superficial level.


    But now that Kyran absorbed more Light magic energies-- not to mention he absorbed them in their rune form-- his in-depth understanding of Light magic increased.


    Earlier, he did not know what the Light runes would do if they hit him. Now, he knew that those Light runes had the ability to pass through his body. After passing through his body, they would then emit a blinding light that would seep into the part of his body it passed through before exploding. What was even more frightening about these runes was that, although they increased in size, making it easier for one to evade them, one could not do sopletely. They had a homing-like effect wherein they would not stoping after their target.


    Kyran would have been severely wounded right from the start if he had countered it with his Void spheres or weapons because the Light runes could avoid them.


    "Tsk," Light could not help but click its tongue after seeing what happened to the Light runes. It summoned more Light runes from the miniature sun-like orb and flew into the sky. The Light runes circled Light before turning into a pir of light that rushed downward at Kyran''s location.


    Kyran looked up and raised his right hand where the dark purple vortex formed. It expanded in size, and another suction force erupted from within, instantly pulling the pirs of light inside.


    "Humph," Light snorted and waved its staff. A miniature sun slowly formed behind it, hovering in the sky. The air around Light crackled as the miniature sun expanded. Soon, its size reached ten meters in diameter.


    "Since you want to take them so much, then I will let you take more!" Light shouted and willed the miniature sun to fall at Kyran when its size doubled.

 Chapter 583 When It Rains, It Pours (1)

    Seeing the miniature sun drop from above, Kyran immediately retracted the dark purple vortex. No matter how much he wanted to absorb Light''s attack, Kyran couldn''t absorb such a massive magic-concentrated attack.


    In the past, when Kyran absorbed the concentrated attack from the Four-colored Ruin Array, he nearly fainted in exhaustion. The second time he was forced to absorb two mutated Basilisks, it nearly destroyed his magic cores. Kyran wanted to prevent that from happening again. It was not easy to use his magic freely with damaged magic cores. Even a small amount of cirction left him reeling in pain.


    After retracting the dark purple vortex, Kyran jumped. Several dark-purple orbs shot out of his body, and he willed them to circle the miniature sun. He might be afraid to absorb the miniature sun in one go, but that did not mean he would stop trying.


    If he could not absorb it in one go, he would do it in several segments!


    When the dark-purple orbs circled the miniature sun, a suction force erupted from them, absorbing it on different sides.


    Light frowned after seeing the scene below. But before Light could do anything, it sensed danger from behind and btedly realized that Kyran had disappeared below.


    The light, Light emitted increased in its brilliance, making it hard for others to look at Light. Thetter was like a sun shining above the sky; when others looked at it, they would suffer an intense re.


    It became harder to look at Light after emitting such brilliance. Ultimately, Kyran gave up looking with his eyes. Closing his eyes, Kyran appeared and disappeared from behind Light. Initially, he nned on striking Light from behind, then constantly warping to attack thetter''s body in different spots. However, he realized that not only did Light''s body glow increase in brilliance, but its body had turned incorporeal. With such a body, it would be impossible for Kyran to touch Light.


    Light swept its staff horizontally, creating a beautiful, almostplete arc. Light runes streamed out from the golden staff and flew toward Kyran.


    Kyran''s eyes constricted at the speed and strength with which the Light runes hurtled toward him. He barely evaded three Light runes by spinning his body once before bending backwards at an almost impossible angle to avoid the third one.


    However, even after evading the runes, cuts appeared on Kyran''s clothes, where they almost touched. It made him realize that these runes were simr to the earlier ones he absorbed, except thetter would result in an explosion, while the former resulted in a deep cut.


    Light observed Kyran from above. Since thetter tended to use the suction-like attack to deal with regr Light magic attacks, Light decided to observe what Kyran would do with other forms of Light attack.


    Kyran''s agile body could deftly evade the Light rune des¡ª proving that regr Light magic attacks were ineffective. But since they still left traces of cuts on Kyran''s clothes, as long as Light added more speed to the des and had them produce an unpredictable trajectory, it might not be impossible tond an effective attack on Kyran.


    Before Kyran could regain his bnce from the Light runes'' de-like attack, more streamed out from Light''s staff.


    The runes looked the same. They curved at a strange angle, with one end longer and pointed than the other. They glided in the air but did not attack Kyran at once. First, their short ends merged, forming several beautiful golden wheels with curved des sticking outward before hurtling after Kyran.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Crackle!


    As the Light runes turned into rotating Light wheel des, they glided in the air; slicing sounds reverberated, seemingly capable of ripping the space they had traversed.


    Kyran''s heart throbbed anxiously upon hearing and seeing what the rotating Light wheel des could do.


    Jagged cracks appeared in the surrounding space from where the wheel des passed through. It was Kyran''s first time seeing Light magic showing such a powerful ripping effect that could tear through space.


    If Kyran was not careful, no matter how agile he was and confident at evading them, he might ultimately fail to judge the distance and be sliced up by them properly. The wheel des'' trajectory was also unpredictable, making it harder for him to judge where they woulde frompletely.


    Kyran''s magic sense erupted as he observed his surroundings using them. With the rotating Light wheel des emitting a blinding light, it was impossible to continue looking at them using his eyes. The only way for him to grasp their distance without letting his eyes suffer was through his magic sense.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Light sensed Kyran''s magic sense expanding. His action proved that using Light magic in this way was somewhat effective since he had to use his magic sense to find them.


    ''To think he already thought of using his magic sense after only seeing the Light wheel des for a few minutes. His judgement ismendable. Along with having hard-to-counter magic, his fast thinking and powerful physique are troublesome,'' Light thought and brandished its staff to summon more Light runes that turned into Ligh wheel des.


    The newly summoned wheel des joined the first few, instantly filling the surroundings with blinding rotating lights that came after Kyran.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed after sensing more wheel des. Above, the dark purple vortex was still absorbing the miniature sun while he moved around below, evading the wheel des.


    Frankly, Kyran thought of summoning more dark purple vortex and absorbed all the wheel des. However, he soon realized that he could not produce them. It seemed there was a limit to how many he could summon the dark purple vortexes. It was not a limit to how often he used it, but its size.


    If the dark purple vortexes absorbing the miniature sun merged, its size was only a few feet short of the size of the two dark purple vortexes he once summoned to absorb the two mutated basilisksbined.


    That had been the only time Kyran summoned two vortexes that could absorb suchrge beasts. Since there had been repercussions afterwards, he believed theirbined size was likely the limit he could summon.


    For this reason, Kyran decided to evade the wheel des until the dark purple vortexes finished absorbing the miniature sun. He did not even dare summon his Void spheres to destroy any of them because he wanted to absorb as many wheel des as possible and gain more experience and insight into Light magic from them.


    Absorbing such a powerful Light magic attack would benefit Kyran in the future.


    Fortunately, Light could not read Kyran''s mind or else, finding out that thetter had used Light as a subject to absorb more Light magic-rted attacks would probably result in the former erupting from anger.


    A distance from Kyran and Light, Osric and Tritus was also entangled in a fight.


    Following how Kyran had warped him, Osric was shocked. He once witnessed the previous Dark Sage warp his hundreds of thousands of army members in a blink of an eye, but it never urred to him that thetter could also warp his enemies.


    Kyran''s way of using Void magic differed from the previous Dark Sage as well, proving they were twopletely different people.


    Can''s experience and upbringing influenced how he utilized his magic¡ª Kyran was the same. Though both were born from a prestigious family, the Ashton Family Can originally belonged to did not ept him, while Kyran was not only epted but protected by the Regis n.


    Can made full use of his magic withrge-area attacks and devastating his enemies in a show of dominance. On the other hand, Kyran could use arge area attack to deal with Osric and Light in one fell swoop, but instead, he decided to deal with them one at a time. He even made one of his allies buy time while he dealt with Light first.


    s, Osric failed to fully understand that Kyran only wanted Tritus to gain insight and advance. Besides this, Kyran also wanted to buy some time for his father, Cade, who was still undergoing Azaloth''s inheritance. There was also the ongoing evacuation of the Regis members from the estate and the few selected mercenaries and Array Specialists that Styx and Dante led, destroying the army warehouses in the whole empire.


    As for rescuing Neo, Kyran was still in the process of formting a n. He was constantlying up with a n while he was fighting Light.


    Kyran''s innate ability had always been about grasping concepts and theories of things easily and applying or executing them with minimal error. However, there were moments he could also multitask. It was a wonder whether it was his second innate ability or something that developed over the years.


    With two pairs of mages with high mage levels fighting at such a conspicuous location, it was impossible for others not to notice.


    At that moment, Myst and Raya discovered several mages andbat mages approaching.

 Chapter 584 When It Rains, It Pours (2)

    One would think that after losing a few mages from the fiery ball''s appearance, the several small to medium factions would be discouraged from sending out their members. But no. They even gathered most of their talented high-level mages to investigate what happened. These mages were considered high-level, but the highest ones among them were only High Masters.


    "Should I take care of them, or do you want to do it yourself?" Raya asked Myst as they looked at the mages approaching the periphery of the fiery ball''s site.


    The mages were still a distance away and did not see nor sense Myst and Raya''s presence. However, thetter two could see them clearly due to the Regis Blessing enhancing their eyesight.


    Myst shook his head and replied, "If I use my magic, it may disrupt the formation we created here. Instead, I''ll control the array formation while you tweak with their memories."


    After Kyran left, Myst and Raya busied themselves with creating an Array Formation within the periphery. The array was one of their countermeasures to prevent others from getting close to the center.


    "Makes sense," Raya agreed with a nod. "Smokescreen with a confoundment spell, then?"


    Myst nodded and replied without looking at him, "I''ll only activate those two forms. Give me twenty minutes to adjust the sequence."


    Raya gave him a wry smile and said, "They will be here in fifteen minutes at most."


    "That''s why I said to give me twenty," Myst repeated with a wave of his hand. After which, he left without waiting for Raya''s reply.


    "Five minutes, huh," Raya scratched his head and heaved a sigh. "That''s a lot to ask, given their number advantage!"


    Though heined, he still used a camouge spell and ventured forward to meet the approaching mages.


    Myst made his way to the heart of the Array formation. As he did, sounds of shing magic attacks and powerful magic fluctuations could be heard and senseding from the center of the site.


    Myst felt bad for not being a good assistance to Kyran.


    When the three of them arrived a few minutes ago, Myst and Raya failed to sense the presence of the mage Kyran and Tritus were battling. They only realized it after seeing thetter flying toward Kyran''s location at an rming speed.


    To think that Kyran had to rely on another person to assist him in dealing with the mage. It made Myst and Raya feel somewhat helpless. The feeling was simr to when they were out on a mission with Master Cade but ended up in the backseat after encountering a very powerful foe¡ª a legendary beast or a mage.


    Nevertheless, Myst knew that Kyran gave them the task of guarding the periphery because he trusted them. Thus, he did not have qualms about dealing with the other curious catsing their way.


    One could say that the feeling of helplessness they felt did not dampen Myst and Raya''s will. It even ignited their motivation to improve and grow stronger.


    ''Do what you have to do, young master. We''ll make sure that no one else disturbs you,'' Myst thought and continued toward the array formation''s center.


    *


    At the south border of the northern region leading to Meliora, Olivia sat at the other end of a long table inside a dimly lit dining hall.


    A young man in a white robe sat at the other end of the table while a burly man stood respectfully to the side of the chair.


    Because of the dimly lit room and the distance, Olivia failed to see the young man''s features. However, judging by his demeanour, she was one-hundred percent sure he was not the young man her essence fought in the tform.


    The biggest giveaway was the young man''s choice of clothes. Olivia remembered that the young man her essence fought wore an all-ck attire. He also had dark hair, while the one before her had light hair¡ª Olivia was unsure what color they were because of the poor light.


    "You are not that person. Why do you have my token?" Olivia demanded.


    Right now, she had not decided whether to trust these two. In her opinion, the young man her essence met in the tower should inform her beforehand about letting these two meet her instead of him.


    Nevertheless, Olivia knew the young man''s circumstances. Thus, she was civil enough not to attack these two¡ª who had low mage level than her¡ª before hearing them out.


    The burly man lowered his head and whispered something to the young man in a white robe.


    The young man nodded at what the burly man said before looking at Olivia with a smile.


    "Rest assured that we have your token because it has been entrusted to us," he started.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He waved his hand, and something appeared in the air, glittering with slight snow.


    Olivia''s eyes narrowed after seeing the snow-like effect. She knew such a result was not caused by the thing the young man had taken out but by his magic.


    ''A rare Ice mage?'' She wondered.


    "This is proof of my identity," the young man said. "My name is Ss, and this is the token I received after bing the Regis n''s Retainer."


    Olivia sucked her back inwardly. She already had an inkling of the young man''s identity, but her essence never spoke it out loud. Hearing the young man in front was really from that n shook her. It made her fear for the empire''s future if the Royal Family did find the truth.


    Or could it be that all these were because the Royal Family already knew and there were already movements happening in the dark? Could the hole in the sky be part of the movements the Royal Family had nned?


    "Are you sure it is fine to tell me your identity? I may be a different person."


    Ss chuckled, "I dare introduce myself because we already confirmed your identity. Besides, if a different person managed to arrive here, that person would not be able to meet us."


    Olivia''s eyes narrowed after hearing this. She was reminded of the advanced array that protected the whole mansion. She did not bother understanding what forms the formation had. Apparently, there was a form that could recognize her. Only when the formation confirmed her identity could she enter the mansion and meet with Ss and the burly man.


    As if reading Olivia''s thoughts, Ss added while turning toward the burly man beside him, "To be precise, this guy here recognized you."


    Olivia raised her brows in amusement, "Is that right? You recognized me? It is not because of an advanced array form that is part of the formation protecting this ce?"


    The burly man shook his head and replied, "The array around the mansion will only give other people a different view. Basically, it camouges what is happening on the inside.


    "For your other question. I do recognize you, Lady Olivia. The memory orb master created is tailor-made to react only when your magic energy enters it. The orb will then leave a mark on you that only I can see."


    Olivia frowned, "You dare mark me using that orb?"


    "Please do not be offended, Ms. Olivia," Ss immediately tried to soothe her sudden rise in mood. "For theck of a term, my friend here used the word ''marked,'' but if I may give another exnation..."


    Ss paused to sort his thoughts before continuing, "After the orb confirmed your identity, it stimted your magic energy which my friend here managed topare to the one the young master showed him."


    "Young master?" Olivia eximed, seemingly forgetting her initial annoyance at having others secretly leave a mark on her.


    Her reaction was reasonable. Although she had an inkling of the young man''s identity¡ª someone from the Regis n¡ª she had yet to confirm his status inside.


    After hearing Ss call that young man ''young master,'' Olivia was somewhat frightened.


    There were several young masters in the Regis n, but only one would have the authority to dispatch retainers to meet with others secretly.


    "Ah... that''s...."


    "See what you''ve done!" The burly manined, "You told me to let you speak to her, but what did you do?"


    Ssughed uneasily, "Ahahaha... Sorry, my bad."


    Olivia gave them a dull look and said, "You know, you could have denied it and just said it was a different young master."


    The burly man shook his head, "No need for that. It''s not really important whether you know my master''s identity. We''ll tell you eventually, anyway. I only wanted to make sure that you are someone we can trust. I don''t want to endanger my master''s life further."


    Ss nodded and looked at Olivia solemnly, "My friend is right."


    "Stop referring to me as your friend. You''re giving me the willies," the burly man shivered as if to make his point. He looked at Olivia and added proudly, "My name is Byron, and I am master''s first Sigil."

 Chapter 585 When It Rains, It Pours (3)

    Olivia was surprised to hear that this burly man was actually a Sigil. She knew about the Regis''s ability to tame beasts and make them their Sigils, but she had never heard of a person bing one.


    Then again, it was said that a high-level beast¡ª or, to be urate, a legendary beast who had lived for hundreds of years could transform into a human. Could it be that this burly man was a legendary beast? His physique and temperament did seem like one.


    Good thing none of the two, Byron and Ss, had the ability to read minds. If they knew that Olivia had considered Byron to be a legendary beast, Ss might have already rolled on the floorughing, while Byron might have fainted in shock.


    In any case, Olivia''s assessment of the young man her essence met improved both in a bad and good way. Good, because sessfully taming a legendary beast that could turn into a human meant his strength was not limited to possessing forbidden magic. Bad because it meant the threat he posed to the Royal Army and the Royal Family increased as well.


    s, Olivia was somewhat right about Kyran taming a legendary beast that could turn into a human, but she was referring to a different person.


    Olivia concealed her shock and looked at Byron and Ss with her most poker face before replying, "Am I right to think that letting his first Sigil and a n retainer meet me is his way of showing how he ces the matter of doing business with me is important even if he cannote himself?"


    Byron and Ss''s expressions turned solemn after hearing Olivia. Her words could mean two different things. One, she understood the situation Kyran was in, thus, did not take offence to hising in person. At the same time, it could also mean that she was very offended by Kyran''sck of professionalism when they were about to discuss business.


    Nevertheless, Byron and Ss were not flustered. Their expression only turned solemn because they had already expected it.


    Ss was used to such things after working as a mercenary for quite some time. When he was younger, and his family was stillplete, simr incidents also happened that his sister had to take care of. At that time, Ss was still young and should not know of such happenings. He only knew about it because Lumi would rant and use him as an object to vent her frustrations.


    Byron''s reaction was somewhat surprising, given his seemingly goofy character when Kyran was around. Because the leader of the Blue Lotus trusted Byron very much, the former would sometimes let Byron attend important business meetings. Few of those meetings, he received the same reaction Olivia had with prospective business partners. Since the leader of the Blue Lotus still let Byron attend such meetings, it meant how thetter dealt with the situation was good.


    With a gentle smile, Ss replied, "Your insight is on point, Ms. Olivia. Because the young master ced great importance on this matter¡ª particrly establishing a good partnership with you¡ª he asked us to meet you in person."


    Ss agreed to Olivia''s words, emphasizing the positive meaning and not the negative. He thought it best to stop her from focusing on this point and instead move to the next topic.


    Byron had a different take on the matter, though. As soon as Ss said this, he added, "It is also very important that we meet you in person, Lady Olivia. After all, what he and your essence agreed on has to be fulfilled. I do hope you remember that my master holds your essence''s life in his hands."


    Olivia''s brow twitched.


    It was not only her. Ss also could not help but break out in cold sweat. He looked at Byron from the corner of his eyes and was surprised to see how serious thetter''s expression was. Frankly, when he met Byron, he admitted feeling somewhat skeptical about his reliability. Byron''s worshipped Kyran to the point of creepiness. In any case, Ss was sure that he had to take the lead in talking to Olivia. He did not expect Byron to change so much.


    But then, this guy was someone Kyran chose as his Sigil. Not only that, he was Kyran''s first Sigil. There must be a reason behind it that Ss failed to see.


    Kyran would have corrected Ss if he had been there and known what thetter was thinking. After all, turning Byron into a Sigil happened on a whim¡ª a result of Kyran''s musing that he wanted to test. It was not because he had seen Byron''s potential.


    "Seeing that you know about the deal my essence made to your master proves my initial doubts about your master''smitment in this meeting are unwarranted. I''ll apologize for that," Olivia replied, although inwardly, she was annoyed. She did not expect this Byron to threaten her right off the bat.


    Ss was surprised at Olivia''s attitude after Byron''s threatening words. He initially believed it would be difficult to talk to her, given the information he had about her. It appeared he had been worried for nothing.


    Truth be told, Olivia backed down only because she was convinced Byron was a legendary beast in human form. It meant that her initial observation about his mage level could not be trusted.


    Levels of Legendary Beasts differ from humans. The strength of a Grand Master Legendary Beast could be equivalent to several human Grand Masters or three Exalted. It might even beparable to a Magus, but that was only Olivia''s opinion.


    Byron smiled, "There is no need for that, Lady Olivia. My master is a very forgiving man. Besides, since he honestly wants to establish a good rtionship with you. Anyway, why don''t we get down to business? I''m sure you already saw the scene in the sky of Meliora on your way here."


    Olivia''s expression turned grim as she nodded in agreement, "I have. I roughly know what caused it, but I want to confirm if you two are aware."


    She was still bound by the tower''s rule and could not freely talk about the experiences and knowledge she had gained inside. If these two were unaware of it, there was a good chance her essence would suffer repercussions. She could not afford that, especially when she was taking the challenge to conquer the Tower.


    "We are aware of some things, but we also know that you cannot tell us anything," Ss was the one who replied. "The young master already told us."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s good then," Olivia said in relief. "Judging from the situation in Meliora, outsiders are approaching."


    Byron and Ss shook their head at the same time.


    "It''s not ''are approaching,'' Ms. Olivia. A few have already entered, and more areing," Ss corrected while Byron nodded in agreement.


    Olivia''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "It is impossible! How can they enter the ne without triggering the... Tell me everything you know."


    "Does this mean that you are interested in making your partnership with the young master official?" Ss asked.


    Olivia narrowed her eyes, "I wouldn''t havee if I wasn''t. Besides, if outsiders are already here, I can''t sit still and do nothing." She thought of something and nodded before correcting herself, "No. It''s not just me. If my guess is correct, every faction in the empire have to make a decision soon."


    "A few of those factions has already made theirs," Byron told Olivia.


    "Byron, I don''t think we should tell her¡ª."


    "It is fine," Byron told Ss. "I know my master very well. Now that Lady Olivia said she is interested in the partnership, he would not withheld any information from her."


    Ss fell silent. Byron had a point. At the same time, Ss felt telling her too much right off the bat was risky.


    Olivia leaned back on her chair and looked at Ss, "Sir Retainer, I understand your concerns. But as Byron here had said, your young master had my essence''s life in his hands. Even if I know more than what I should, I will not leak it."


    Ss looked at Olivia and shook his head, "I am not worried about that."


    As if realizing what Ss was on about, Byron could not help but gasp at his shortsightedness.


    "You''re right. I forgot about her ability."


    Olivia frowned and repeated, "''Her ability''?"


    Ss nodded, "We have intel that your faction has been infiltrated by the family backing her. If by any chance, that person gets to you and takes you to her¡ª she could easily read your... memories because of her magic."


    "A rare Memory mage?"


    Ss smiled bitterly, "It would not be that worrying if it is as simple as using Memory magic because we have items here that can counter Memory magic attacks, but it is not that simple."


    Olivia''s frown deepened. She did not need Ss to continue so she could understand what he could not say. She smiled wryly and said, "It seems the situation in the empire has escted without us knowing."


    "We can tell you what you need to know," Ss told her. "However, because of the mole in your faction, I''m afraid it will put you in danger, as well as our young master''s ns."


    Olivia shook her head, "I already know about the moles in the faction. I never attempted to expose them because I don''t want to have anything to do with... that woman. But given the current situation, I''ll do something about it."


    Ss nodded, "If that''s the case. We''ll assist you."


    What followed was a somewhat long exnation from Ss and Byron on the current situation.

 Chapter 586 When It Rains, It Pours (4)

    "We could not find her, Lady Lauren," the female mage, who was leading the team of four that was following Olivia, reported to Lauren the moment they lost track of her.


    Lauren, whose silhouette was projected on themunication device, frowned slightly.


    "What do you mean you can''t find her? Did they discover you''re following them, and they made a different turn to lose you?"


    The female mage lowered her head both in shame and respect, "They may have noticed us. But they did not change their route or use any spells to throw us off their track. They just suddenly vanished from our radar after entering Autumn Reach."


    Lauren''s frown deepened after hearing about where Olivia and her team had gone. She asked, "They did not go to the Western Patten but to Autumn Reach?"


    "Yes, Lady Lauren. There might have been a hidden message in the letter that we failed to decipher. And that message likely asked Lady Olivia to go there," the mage replied, feeling a little helpless.


    Lauren fell silent after hearing her guess.


    What the female mage said made sense. However, Lauren personally checked the letter and the memory orb and did not find anything amiss. Her mage level made it impossible for her magic sense to miss anything.


    Unless the person who wrote the letter and created the memory orb had a higher mage level than her.


    But Lauren was already a Magus. Who else could surpass her level within the empire?


    ''No,'' Lauren''s expression turned grim as she thought of an old rumor. Since there was no evidence, she did not take it seriously. But now that something like this had happened, she was reminded of it and felt anxious.


    The rumor only circted among the medium torge factions, and it was about who was the most powerful mage in the Ylfaen Empire. There was also a survey at that time, and Lauren did not participate because she believed it was all nonsense. She also felt the survey was being manipted by the army behind the scenes to see if names would appear on the list, which was not in their database. In any case, the Aureole did not submit any¡ª at least, none that Lauren was aware of¡ª and mostly the ones who participated in were from medium factions.


    When the survey was out, the result was sent to all the leaders of the medium torge factions. It did not matter if that faction did not participate in the survey. They still received the result.


    The result showed not only one name but three. This caused somemotion in their circle for some time. Apart from that, they did not recognize their names. When the leaders saw the result, most tried to find out who they were. Ultimately, none of them found anything. They did not even know who submitted their names and what was the reason they were named as the most powerful mages in the empire.


    But then an anonymous personmented that these three were named as the most powerful mages in the empire because their mage level far exceeded that of a Magus. When they tried to find who made thatment, they could not trace it. Thus, they all believed it to be hogwash.


    Lauren clenched her fist as she recalled this and could not help but feel an iing headache. If that rumor was true, could Lauren have made contact with one of those three mages? For what reason?


    ''She did not get herself in trouble, did she?'' Lauren wondered anxiously.


    After contemting the situation for a few more seconds, she finally decided.


    "Give me the exact coordinates of your location. I am going there," Lauren told the female mage.


    "Yes, Lady Lauren."


    *


    All n members of the Regis had already been evacuated. Some of the Regis family members had also been transferred, and only a few were left outside the Inner Wall.


    Most of the ones who were transferred first were the little ones, the younger generation and older people. As discussed with Emperor Euan and the Conve, all of them were transferred to the Ravenpass.


    Can, Noir and Sigma were in Ravenpass, getting them to settle down. Euan and Malek were also there to ensure that even if a problem cropped up, someone with a high enough mage level could respond to the emergency as soon as possible.


    The people who also went with Kyran earlier were already in Ravenpass and were dispatched to different sides to guard the area. In any case, the feud between the Emperor and the Crown Princess had yet to be revealed, but there was no telling if thetter''s camp was already making a move and dispatching people in every part of the empire.


    As a matter of fact, the Ravenpass being a Royal Family property, was a risky ce for a hideout. But Euan, Malek and even Kyran thought hiding right under their enemy''s noses might be more effective than hiding in apletely isted space. Besides, their setup was only temporary. As long as the Regis Grand Array in the estate was activated, Kyran said he would warp everyone to a much safer ce.


    When Malek and the others asked where it was so they could already make preparations, Kyran kept mum.


    Seeing he had no intentions of telling them, they were not offended. They even believed it was a good call. At least, if any of them were captured and Haylee tried to look into their souls to get information, they would not be able to leak anything.


    As far as they could tell, Haylee had something big nned for the Regis n. Because of this, Euan and Malek wanted to keep them safe.


    "There are less than a hundred members left to be transferred," Jared reported to Aron while looking at a t transparent magic device in his hand.


    Aron and Jared stood outside a huge tent where arge transmission array had been created, connecting it to the transmission array in Ravenpass.


    The device on Jared''s hand showed all the names of the Regis family members, and the box beside a few of these names was already checked. "We''ll be able to transfer everyone in less than half an hour."


    "Alright," Aron nodded and looked at the remaining members staying in another tent behind them.


    Mannick walked out of the tent with a grim expression and joined them.


    Aron and Jared immediately noticed it and felt somewhat anxious. They wanted to ask what was wrong, but after Kyran told them not to expect anything from Mannick, they were unsure if it was alright to do so.


    As if reading their minds, Mannick gave them a bitter smile and said, "Don''t worry. It is nothing serious. However, it is best if we speed things up."


    "We''re replenishing the magic stones for the transmission array. Then we can transfer forty people over. After replenishing the array again, we only need two more transfers, and we should be good," Jared told him.


    Mannick''s brow furrowed, and his gaze subconsciously looked at the sky above.


    Aron and Jared, who had previously trained in the Tower of Tribtions, could see the Sovereign''s Cradle. They knew Mannick was also looking at it but did not ask why he looked worried. It was not because they feared they might ask something they should not but because they more or less guessed why thetter was looking anxious.


    The two already knew that Kyran had gone there with Myst and Raya. Tritus had told them before leaving. They would not have been worried if Kyran had gone there only to investigate. However, he actually asked Tritus toe. This meant something big was happening there.


    Their guess was soon answered when they witnessed a red light with lightning piercing through the fiery ball. After which, a blinding light descended from it. Along with the blinding light''s descent were powerful magic fluctuations that Aron and Jared felt even when they were a distance away.


    They wanted to go there and assist Kyran, but they also knew their priority was to evacuate the rest of the Regis members to safety first. Ultimately, they stayed and tried to get everyone to safety as soon as possible.


    "We don''t have much time," Mannick told them. "Even after master reinforced the cradle, it can only hold for another ten to fifteen minutes. After that, it will copse."


    "That''s not good. If the cradle copses, the outsiders can enter the ne freely," Jared said in fright.


    Mannick agreed, "That''s right. But it''s not all bad. Because once the cradle copses, it means Master Cade''s trial will be on itsst phase."


    Although Mannick did not borate on the details, his statement already gave Aron and Jared an idea of who the Sovereign of the Human ne was and who Mannick might be.


    This realization gave them a fright.


    No wonder Kyran told them not to expect anything from him.

 Chapter 587 When It Rains, It Pours (5)

    It ismon knowledge to those who know about the existence of the Sovereigns that they are not allowed to meddle in the affairs of their original ne. Once a Sovereign oversteps their authority, the Fates presiding over the path of life would reverse or change the supposed oue of the Sovereign''s meddling¡ª and the oues were never good.


    Frankly, Aron and Jared guessed why Kyran told them not to expect anything from Mannick. They also knew that thetter was only an essence because although his mage level was low, his Array knowledge was pretty advanced. Jared even felt that Mannick''s Array knowledge far exceeds his own, which few people could actually achieve. Cade and Nn were the only ones who exceeded his Array Knowledge in the whole empire. That was, of course, before he met Mannick.


    After hearing Mannick''s statement about what would entail once the cradle copses, Aron and Jared confirmed his identity. But what surprised them was how Mannick inadvertently admitted that he was Azaloth''s essence.


    Others might not catch the subtle hint, but the two did because they possessed knowledge that others do not.


    Aron''s expression turned grim after realizing something from Mannick''s statement. While it was good news that Cade would enter thest phase of Azaloth''s Inheritance once the cradle copsed, did it mean that thetter would perish?


    As far as Aron knew, the Sovereign Cradle would never copse as long as the ne''s Sovereign lived. There were times when the cradle''s effect would weaken, but as long as the Sovereign replenished their magic energy, it should be fine again.


    Mannick sensed Aron''s doubts and smiled at him, "There is no need to think about those things. The truth is even I do not know what will happen once someone seeds in Azaloth''s Inheritance. If what you''re thinking does happen, then so be it. He has lived far long enough."


    Jared was initially confused about what Mannick was saying. However, thest few of his sentences hit him with realization, and his expression also turned grim.


    "Regardless, if that does happen, the Human ne will be vulnerable," Aron replied solemnly.


    Mannick heaved a regretful sigh and nodded, "That is true. I can only ce my hopes in master."


    Then, as if thinking of something, he smiled bitterly and added, "That oue might very well be the Fates decree after meddling in the ne''s internal affairs."


    "Do you know how long thest phase of the inheritance will take?" Jared asked.


    Mannick shook his head, "It will all depend on Master Cade. I only hope master can hold the forth until then..." He paused after recalling something. "Right. I also hope sir Nn can survive before then."


    Aron and Jared looked at him in surprise.


    "Nn is here?"


    "Nn? Like Rin''s brother?"


    Aron and Jared asked, respectively.


    Mannick nodded his head and looked at the hole in the sky, "Technically, he is out of the Human ne, but he is helping master hold the fort."


    The two did not need him to borate further. They managed to fill in the gaps that Mannick did not tell them.


    Hold on.


    Does sharing all this information count as meddling in the Human ne''s affairs?


    The thought made Aron and Jared''s expressions darken.


    "We are now down to less than ten minutes," Mannick said, forcing Aron and Jared out of their own thoughts. "I''ll help replenish the array''s magic energy and let more people enter it."


    "Won''t you be..." Jared stopped short as he felt somewhat conflicted.


    "I honestly don''t know. But I think it''s toote to be cautious now."


    Aron looked at Mannick and said, "In one of the Ancient Records of the Regis Family, it says quite a lot of things about how Fates dislikes disorder. However, without thetter, there will never be bnce in the universe. And although my knowledge is limited, I do know one truth about the universe... Nothingness gave birth to all things. But the first that came out of nothingness was Chaos, and Chaos gave birth to Order."


    Jared looked at his father in confusion. He felt like he understood what Aron was trying to say. At the same time, it left him confused.


    On the other hand, Mannick seemed to understand Aron''s words and smiled at him gratefully.


    It did not matter what the Fates did. They might like Order, but Chaos was far older than that. What was more was that thetter was the first existence to have appeared from Nothingness.


    "Thank you."


    Aron shook his head before respectfully lowering his head toward Mannick, "I should be the one thanking you."


    Mannick only smiled and decided to direct the topic back on track, "Let''s go. We don''t have much time."


    The two nodded and entered the tent together.


    *<novelnext></novelnext>


    At one of the sleeping quarters in the Boyd''s Vi, Haylee was lying on the bed, sleeping. Herplexion was pale, and she seemed to have lost weight since leaving the Courtenay Land. There was a certain magic pressure that covered her. The magic pressure was noting from her. As a matter of fact, it seemed to weigh down on her, wanting to crush her alive¡ª like a powerful curse.


    Nevertheless, the magic pressure could only cover her but not touch her. But it was obvious that she was still affected.


    The magic pressure actually came from the Macabre cier.


    One must understand that a powerful magic weapon like the Macabre cier was not easy to ''tame.'' If it were, Can would have done so a long time ago. Ultimately, he could only seal it throughyers of protection and hide it from the prying eyes of the noble families.


    s, after almost a thousand years, Gael found its location, and after years of feeding it with magic stones, it had started to awaken. In the end, he, along with a few noble families who conspired with him, failed, and the Macabre cier fell into the worse possible person¡ª Haylee. After all, the Macabre cier''s abilities and effects were verypatible with Haylee''s Soul magic.


    If not for the Macabre cier already possessing a sentient, who only acknowledged the previous Dark Sage as its master, Haylee would have long been able to control it. She could only use 10% of the Macabre Galcier''s power, but it was more than enough. She was only interested in one of its abilities, and as long as she could use that, it did not matter whether its soul acknowledged her.


    Haylee''s beautiful brows creased slightly as she stirred awake. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the bed''s ceiling for a few seconds.


    Sensing the magic pressure around her, she frowned slightly and muttered, "I don''t care what you want. You will do as I say when the timees."


    Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept inside the room, sending the bed''s curtains fluttering.


    An almost palpable magic pressure gathered above Haylee. A grayish mist formed, and a human-like figure that seemed to be covered in a cocoon-like silk materialized, hovering over her.


    The human-like figure''s head waspletely covered with cocoon-like silk, but where its mouth should be, there was a huge slit.


    RAAAWRGH!


    It uttered an unearthly scream while facing Haylee before mming down at her.


    The grayish mist shattered and scattered all around. But it ultimately failed to touch Haylee. It was because a soft golden glow covered her body, protecting her from any harmful elements.


    Haylee did not blink when the grayish mist mmed on her. Her sapphire blue eyes even glinted in amusement.


    The unearthly scream echoed inside Haylee''s quarters, alerting the Boyd members standing guard outside. They immediately called out to her wanting to break into the room.


    "Your Highness, pardon us. We will open the doors!"


    "It''s fine. There is no need," Haylee replied from the other side.


    As soon as they heard her, they hesitated. However, one of them still grabbed hold of the door''s knob and was instantly thrown back.


    Bam!


    "Argh!"


    The Boyd member mmed on the wall opposite the door to Haylee''s quarters, creating web-like cracks.


    The others immediately came to assist the mage before he fell and was buried by the debris.


    "Y-Your Highness!"


    After seeing what happened to the Boyd member, the others were even more afraid of Haylee.


    However, before they could attempt to open the door again, Haylee had already stepped out.


    They immediately knelt on one knee and lowered their heads in respect.


    Haylee scanned her eyes around before looking at the mage who got mmed into the wall.


    The mage was not really badly injured, but grayish mist wasing out of his body, and his eyes were out of focus.


    Haylee waved her hand without saying anything, and a golden light enveloped the mage. The grayish mist instantly left thetter and dissipated in the air.


    "How are the preparations?" She asked as if nothing had happened.


    The Boyd member, who appeared to have a higher rank in the family, replied at once.


    "We are only waiting for the Ancestor''s return, your Highness."

 Chapter 588 When It Rains, It Pours (6)

    Haylee met with the rest of the Boyd''s elders, and they told them what happened while she was sleeping.


    The truth was she already expected the Sovereigns outside the Human ne to force their way in because it was impossible for them to enter normally with the Sovereign''s Cradle in ce.


    If it was a month or two ago, Haylee could have them enter the ne the way Ruin, along with Deception and Savagery, had. However, that entry was inside the Winfrey''s Ancestral Lands. And the ancestralnds could only be opened during the Winfrey Inheritance''s trial. Now that Haylee had acquired the Inheritance, the ancestralnds had closed and could not be opened again.


    Because of this, Haylee could only wait and had Osric keep an eye on their arrival so he could greet them.


    In any case, Haylee knew that checking the fiery ball in the sky was only an excuse Osric gave to calm the rest while not disclosing the arrival of the Sovereigns. Aside from this, she more or less guessed Osric went there as soon as he could because of her other decree, which was to capture Kyran.


    Haylee guessed Osric believed Kyran would go there because the fiery ball''s location was close to the Regis Estate. Thetter would definitely not sit idly, knowing it could threaten his n.


    The Regis Family''s character was one of the reasons many feared and respected them. However, it also became a good factor that helped others guess their next move and exploit it as a weakness.


    Still, Haylee felt that Osric had underestimated what Kyran could do by going there without any backup.


    She thought this way because, having both past and present knowledge about the Regis Family, Haylee was aware of thetter''s power.


    Most people believed the Regis Family had a powerful physique andbat techniques thanks to the Regis Blessing. But Haylee knew better.


    The Regis Family could utilize the Regis Blessing¡ª or, to be urate¡ª the drop of the dragon''s blood because their bodies could withstand its power. During the Chaos Era, one of the reasons the Regis Ancestor, Zane, received the Dragon King''s favor was because of his strong physique.


    That was right. Zane''s strong physique was an inborn quality of every Regis male.


    Haylee knew all these because of the previous Soul Emperor¡ª La''s memories that she received along with the Winfrey Inheritance. La knew the truth about the Regis Blessing because Zane never kept secrets from her. They were betrothed then, and thetter was unaware that the former was the Soul Emperor.


    But Haylee had an inkling that La was not the only one who knew the truth. Can, the previous Void Master and Ste, the first Time Keeper, likely knew the truth too.


    The four of them were very close friends, after all.


    Considering the rtionship the four had, Haylee found it ironic how Zane and Can were involved with the same woman, yet both considered each other best friends. Although Zane had no romantic feelings for La, he had already treated her as family. Can, on the other hand, had an unrequited love for La while also betrothed to Ste. These two women were also best of friends.


    The four had a veryplicated rtionship, in Haylee''s opinion.


    Putting aside all these, Haylee could not help but shake her head at La''s inability to take advantage of the situation in the past. Although she did take advantage of Can''s feelings for her, she ultimately failed to see through his heart. If she did, she would have realized he had known she was the Soul Emperor from the start and had been nning to ''save'' her.


    In any case, Haylee now had a chance to do what La failed to aplish. She also had the advantage of plotting against only one person rather than two since Kyran was a Regis and possessed Void magic. She did not have to go out of her way to find the right ''creatures'' to use as vessels with Tyr in the equation.


    Of course, she had to convince him first.


    With this in mind, Haylee went to check on Tyr.


    Neo was still on his knees, enduring the pressure that Osric created. The fact that the pressure remained without thetter''s presence was a testament to Osric''s strength.


    Haylee hid in the darkness as she looked at Neo. She immediately noticed the destroyed anti-cast stones around him and the torn talismans.


    "You have been busy since I left," she said with a slight smile. She already guessed that Neo tried to break free, but Osric caught him and used magic pressure to restrain him.


    "I had Osric keep an eye on you because I trust you will not stay still."


    Neo kept his eyes shut. He had already noticed Haylee''s arrival even before she had spoken but ignored her. His system deemed it pointless to talk to this woman, and it was better to focus his attention on keeping the magic pressure from destroying his outer frame.


    Instead of feeling offended because Neo ignored her, Haylee found it amusing.


    "You can ignore me all you want, but time is up. Tell me your answer."


    Neo''s brow creased slightly after hearing Haylee. Was it already nighttime?<novelnext></novelnext>


    Earlier, Haylee gave Neo a time limit to decide. If he did not give her a positive reply, then she would turn him into a puppet.


    But Haylee also said that it was only morning then. Based on Neo''s system, it was still in the afternoon. Did Haylee think Neo would lose his sense of time while being imprisoned in the darkroom?


    "You gave me until nighttime," Neo said, breaking his silence.


    "It is nighttime."


    "Not on my time."


    Haylee giggled, "To me, it is. Now give me your answer."


    "I see, so you are going back on your words?"


    "It is futile to target my conscience. Since I''ve decided to move, I will do everything to get what I want."


    "Such a scarydy. You''ll scare off all the men if you act this way."


    "I don''t care. As long as I don''t scare you off, it is more than enough."


    Neo chuckled, "Are you seriously trying to hit on me at a time like this, Princess? I did tell you not to fall for me, right."


    "Don''t worry. I haven''t. I only want to keep you by my side."


    "What''s the difference?"


    "To me, it is different. That is all that matters."


    "I see, so everything you say will be thew... the ultimate truth."


    Haylee did not reply, but she smiled at Neo''s words.


    "Your answer," she repeated for the third time. As much as she enjoyed bantering with Neo, she had a tight schedule. Finding another opportunity would be difficult if she did not capture the whole Regis n while Osric kept Kyran busy. Besides, she was also feeling restless since Ruin had not contacted her yet.


    Neo fell silent. It seemed he could no longer dy.


    Frankly, he had tried to send an SOS-coded message to his master, but the pressure that filled his surroundings prevented him from sending it.


    It was subtle, but Neo felt a thin barrier outside the magic pressure that prevented any transmission of messages from going out. He wanted to analyze it but could only focus on protecting his body''s outer frame from shattering due to the magic pressure.


    Haylee sighed inwardly. She really did not want to turn Tyr into a puppet. To her, thetter was someone she needed in order to find more talented mages outside of the Ylfaen Empire. With his identity, it would be easy to recruit those mages.


    Up to now, Haylee was still convinced that Tyr was from the nearby nation and possessed a high status. It was somewhat reasonable because ''Tyr'' had always given off the aura of an unreasonable person¡ª a trait that most of the nobles from the nearby nation possessed. Aside from this, his features did resemble a missing young master there.


    Haylee pushed all her thoughts to the back of her head and started to make her way toward Neo.


    Neo raised his head toward the direction where Haylee was approaching and could not help but sigh in resignation. The truth was he still had onest card up his sleeves.


    But such a move could be considered fatal. At least to Neo, it was because if he survived, his master would likely wipe his system clean.


    ''Master, I don''t have any solutions left at the moment. If I don''t do this, she will discover her magic doesn''t work on me because I don''t have a soul she can control. Not to mention, the barrier around me is made of Void magic energy,'' Neo thought, making ast-ditch effort to encode all his thoughts into his system for when Kyran found it.


    "Take one more step, and I will blow myself up," Neo warned Haylee as light golden light burst out of his body.

 Chapter 589 When It Rains, It Pours (7)

    Haylee''s heart turned cold the moment she heard Neo''s threat. She did not expect thetter to choose death over joining hands with her. It made her wonder why he was so adamant about rejecting her.


    From the start, ''Tyr'' did not try to hide his hostility towards her. At first, she thought it was because she was royalty. However, after discovering his identity, she believed it was just how he was.


    But now, Haylee believed there must be another reason ''Tyr'' would rather die than join hands with her.


    "Why are you making things difficult?" She could not help but ask through gritted teeth.


    Neo did not answer.


    He could not give her an answer. After all, he was only a puppet substitute, and all his memories were based on the data his master entered into the system and information about his interactions with the Crown Princess.


    In any case, Neo deemed that answering was unnecessary. It would even help establish that whatever reason he had, it was something far too important and deep-rooted in his bones to the point he did not want to tell her.


    Haylee''s brow creased as anger slowly formed in her heart. She rarely got angry, and when she did, it was never a good event.


    She was usually a very tolerant person, but ''Tyr'' had pushed her to the limits time and again.


    If her conversation with him happened before taming the Macabre cier, she could easilye up with a way to convince him without aggravating the situation. s, she could not do that right now. Her brain''s ability to think ande up with a solution was spent, and she had yet to recover from the strain of taming the Macabre cier.


    The light golden light grew brighter by the minute, and if Haylee would not stop, Neo would blow up in less than a minute.


    Haylee gritted her teeth so hard that she could already taste blood. Suddenly, she stopped short after realization struck her.


    If others threatened her like ''Tyr'' did while she was in a foul mood, she would have alreadyshed out. She would even challenge that person and let them do what they said they would do.


    But then why was she acting differently toward Tyr?


    Haylee''s eyes constricted as she stared at ''Tyr'', who was already covered by a blinding light.


    Could it be that she had really fallen for him? That no matter how unreasonable he acted, she would eventually relent and match his pace? No, that should not be the case.


    Apart from Tyr''s looks, there was nothing worth mentioning about him.


    He is a talented Array Specialist and invented a new way for support-type mages to fight. But he also has a foul mouth and temper¡ª which would usually appear when someone stepped over his bottom line.


    Like the incident in the cksmith Order. Or the Solo Competition against the Royal Army.


    ....


    Why were all these reasons appear to be good qualities if one considers looking at them from a different angle?


    BOOM!


    An earth-shattering explosion from above forced Haylee out of her reverie.


    The ground shook, and dust and small debris from the ceiling fell at her and Neo.


    "What¡ª?"


    Haylee almost fell as she lost her bnce from the fierce shaking of the ground.


    On the other hand, Neo''s eyes lit up as he realized the magic pressure weighing down on him had disappeared as soon as the explosion urred. He immediately cancelled the self-destruct sequence he had activated and scanned the surroundings above.


    BOOM! BOOM!


    Before Neo couldplete his scanning or Haylee find her bnce. Two consecutive explosions sounded, and the shockwave that followed worsened the shaking of the ground.


    "Your Highness!" A Boyd member guarding the darkroom rushed inside with three more people. With a panic-stricken voice, he continued, "The vi is under attack. Please follow us. We''ll escort you to the Boyd''s escape passage."


    Haylee frowned at once as she looked at the Boyd members, "What do you mean we are under attack? Who dare attack the vi?"


    Before any of the Boyd members could answer, one of them was suddenly lifted in the air by an unseen hand as he spasmed as if an insect had crawled inside his head.


    Another Boyd member gasped as he noticed Haylee''s hand raised and poised as if she was holding something invisible. It was not hard for the member to understand that she was the one who ''attacked'' the other Boyd member. Most likely, she was using her magic to ''look inside'' thetter''s mind.


    "W-We have not seen the perpetrator, your Highness," the Boyd member hurriedly exined. He was afraid that the more she pried into the mind of the other Boyd member, thetter would end up in aa.


    Hearing the Boyd member''s words deepened Haylee''s frown. She let go of the man, and thetter fell to the ground, retching.


    The other two Boyd members helped him up while trying to inject their own magic energy into his body to help him recover.


    Haylee''s sapphire blue eyes glowed fiercely as her magic sense erupted.


    Simr to Neo, she also wanted to know what was happening outside.


    However, before her magic sense could even observe what was happening, one of the Boyd members gasped and eximed, "H-He¡ª D-Disciple Tyr is gone!"


    Haylee''s mind reeled as she turned to look at the only area in the darkroom that was illuminated by a soft light, like a spotlight.


    True enough, ''Tyr'' was no longer there.<novelnext></novelnext>


    CRACK! BOOM!


    Before Haylee could even react to Neo''s disappearance, the ceiling caved in.


    "Princess!"


    Two of the Boyd members rushed forward and summoned a huge magic barrier to protect Haylee, while the third one protected the other, who had not recovered from Haylee''s soul attack.


    Meanwhile, when the Boyd members appeared, taking Haylee''s attention away from him, Neo warped and left the darkroom. Since the warp ability was part of the Void''s nature, he could use it as long as he circted the Void energy in his energy core. However, he could not direct where to warp.


    After warping, Neo ended up at the Boyd Vi''s courtyard, where several high masters were gathered as they maintained the vi''s defensive array.


    Neo looked up and finally saw the culprit behind the explosions¡ª actually, there were two culprits.


    Two massive sea serpents¡ª one bluish-green, the other bluish-white¡ª were locked in a fierce battle, rendering everything around them smithereens.


    A distance away, Neo sensed two familiar auras, and he could not help but smile bitterly.


    These two auras obviously belonged to Osric and Tritus. Neo did not know why these two appeared here and seemed to be engaged in a deadly battle. But thanks to that, he managed to escape from the darkroom.


    Honestly, he had thought his master had arrived to save him, but it appeared it was one of his Sigils. As a puppet, he could not feel disappointment, but with Tyr''s program running in his system, it deemed his situation to be somewhat disappointing and, at the same time, gratifying.


    "YOU!"


    A call from behind made Neo turn. There he saw more Boyd members, and a few of them were looking in his direction.


    Neo immediately took out a wooden staff¡ª Tyr''s signature weapon¡ª from the storage ring and circted his energy core. The color of the magic energy in his energy core immediately changed from purple to light yellow after retracting the destroy mode in his system. After that, he activated Tyr''s magic and a series of Strengthening runes appeared around his body and the wooden staff.


    The wooden staff then turned from a regr-sized staff into a huge hammer.


    When the hammer was big enough, Neo mmed it on the ground.


    BAM!


    The ground exploded, resulting in a five-meter crater. The shockwave that followed also forced back the Boyd members who saw him and were running toward him.


    "Argh!"


    A cloud of dirt and smoke filled the surroundings, reducing their vision.


    "Someone catch Disciple Tyr!"


    "Don''t let him get away!"


    Voices from within the cloud of smoke shouted at the other Boyd members who were too far to be affected by the shockwave.


    Before they could react, a soft yet powerful voice reverberated in the whole vi, shaking their soul.


    "Disciple Tyr has escaped. Catch him at all cost!"


    The Boyd members, who had not seen Neo, were rmed at the voice''s order. They obviously recognized that voice as the Crown Princess, and a few immediately took action.


    That was right. Only a few heed her call. Not because they did not want to follow her but because the rest still had to maintain the defensive array of the vi, or else, the magic pressureing from the two battling sea serpents would destroy the whole ce.


    The leaders of the Boyd Family split into two groups. The first group focused on maintaining the defensive array of the vi, while the second went after '' Disciple Tyr.''


    They were getting into formation when suddenly, a blinding light fell from above and nearly destroyed the vi''s defensive array.


    "AAAARGH!"


    "KEEP UP YOUR OWN MAGIC BARRIERS! HOLD IT DOWN!"


    "Don''t let go! Maintain the formation!"


    The Boyd elders exhorted all their members who were maintaining the defensive array.


    The blinding light continued to descend, boring down a powerful magic pressure that forced everyone under the vi''s defensive array to their knees.


    They had yet to recover their bearings when another explosion sounded from the northern part of the vi.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The Boyd elders'' faces turned grim.


    An ancient saying crossed their mind after experiencing one sudden attack after another.


    ''When it rains, it pours.''

 Chapter 590 Pre-Emptive

    Going back an hour ago, after Kyran warped Osric and Tritus away and thetter two started their fight, their fierce battle took them a few kilometers closer to the border entering Meliora City.


    It was unknown if Kyran warped the two near the border because it was close to the Boyd''s Vi, where they imprisoned Neo. But one thing was sure; he had never been to or seen the vi.


    In any case, due to the fierce battle between Osric and Tritus, they had already arrived at the Boyd Family''s Vi.


    The first to have arrived at the vi''s periphery were the two sea serpents. Initially, the bluish-white sea serpent dominated the battle, but soon, the bluish-green sea serpent slowly turned the tables.


    Such a turn of events was not surprising if the former knew thetter''s abilities. The truth, the bluish-green sea serpent had the ability to grow stronger as time went by. Its strength increased the more it fought. Apart from this, as soon as it got the advantage, it would slowly drain its opponent''s magic energy, weakening it in the process.


    That was the situation of the bluish-white sea serpent as their fight dragged on. In the end, it tried to escape toward the Boyd Family''s Vi. After all, it knew that there was a defensive array there that could protect it from the bluish-green sea serpent.


    Unfortunately for the bluish-white sea serpent, it did not anticipate that the bluish-green sea serpent had the ability to ignore the array''s restriction and entered along with the former.


    When the bluish-green sea serpent rammed into the bluish-white sea serpent, they mmed into the main house, destroying it. The shockwave that followed prated the underground area where the darkroom was located.


    Sensing that the Boyd Family''s Vi was in a bad situation, Osric tried to shake off Tritus''s pursuit to return. However, Tritus managed to keep up with Osric''s speed despite the level gap between the two.


    It should be noted that although there was only one level between an Arch Magus and a Legendary mage, the bridge between them was almost worlds apart.


    There were three reasons behind this. First, their umted battle experience. The second was their magic energy capacity. Andstly, was the difference between their magic knowledge.


    Tritus managed to keep up with Osric because the first two reasons did not disadvantage him. It meant that the former''s battle experience was not inferior to thetter. As for the magic energy capacity, it was something that the former could not bridge easily. But with the Sigil''s effect in y, Tritus did not have to keep track of his magic energy consumption.


    As for the third reason, Tritus was certainlycking. Although he studied a lot about Water magic, there were spells, incantations, and rune writings that he did not know. It was the limitations of his level and magic understanding.


    Kyran knew this, which was why he told Tritus to absorb as much experience as he could with Osric. He believed that the only way for Tritus to advance was to absorb every magic knowledge Osric possessed.


    There were two ways to do this. The first one was Tritus had to continue fighting Osric, observe every magic attack he unleashed, and take it upon himself. Doing so was tedious, and there was the possibility that Tritus''s body could not hold on. But thetter had no problem with thetter as long as he was within range of Kyran.


    With the Sigil''s effect, any wound his body umted would heal quickly.


    At the moment, he was still within Kyran''s range, so it was still alright. However, he knew that once they neared the Boyd''s Family Vi, the benefits he received from the Sigil would no longer be in effect. For this reason, he had to stop Osric from leaving the range of the Sigil''s effect.


    Otherwise, he could only resort to the second way: kill Osric and use Dark Arts to absorb his magic core.


    The second way was risky because, as Can once told Kyran, magic cores did not hold the magic experiences of the mage only but also the emotions and even some of their memories.


    If Tritus chose the second way, there was a huge chance that Osric''s memories would sabotage him every time he used his magic.


    Nevertheless, there was a way for Tritus to absorb Osric''s magic core without going through such risk. But Kyran was the only one who could do this. Apart from this, even if Kyran knew how to do it if Tritus was not the one who killed Osric, it was impossible for him to do anything.


    It was quite unfortunate that Tritus did not have the same ability as the bluish-green sea serpent. If he did, he would have long turned the tables against Osric and not only kept their battle in a stalemate¡ª neither one could gain a huge advantage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Moving to the matter of the blinding light, Kyran was the one who summoned it.


    After confirming the location of the Boyd Family''s Vi from the bluish-green sea serpent, he immediately attacked using the Light magic he learned from Light.


    As for the matter of how Kyran knew the location of the bluish-green sea serpent, thetter was actuallymunicating with him.


    That was right.


    The bluish-green sea serpent recognized Kyran as the new Void Master and had opened up to him. One could say that he recognized Kyran as its master instead of Tritus. But since Tritus was morepatible with using the golden trident that served the bluish-green sea serpent''s body, it had no choice but to let Tritus use it in battle.


    In any case, they had an agreement, and after Tritus became Kyran''s Sigil, the bluish-green sea serpent had been more agreeable.


    Moving to the attack that came from the north of the Boyd Family''s Vi, the ones who did this were none other than Styx, Dante, Owen and Hamish, and the rest of the mercenaries with them.


    How they arrived there was all thanks to Ste. She used her magic¡ª without Malek''s knowledge because he was busy assisting the evacuation of the Regis n¡ª and discovered where Kyran, Myst, and Raya nned to go. She then advised Styx and Dante of the location and to find a way to save Neo.


    Initially, Ste did not want to interfere with Kyran''s ns. However, she discovered a very bad oue after using her magic to look into the future.


    Matters about Time, and interfering with it never had a good oue. The Fates were always watching, and they would notice even a small change in the flow of the events in every person''s path. When something like this happened, they would punish the person who instigated the change. This was what happened to Sovereigns who meddled with the affairs of their original ne.


    But Ste seemed not to be affected by the Fates'' punishment. The only exnation she knew was that her Time magic was Ancient magic. Besides, those who tried to imitate what Time magic could do usually performed Dark Arts. It was a forced effect and was not a natural urrence. Or at least, as natural as it gets¡ª because her innate magic is Time magic.


    When Styx and Dante received the news, they used a transmission scroll and directly appeared within the Meliora border. After that, they sneaked their way to the Boyd Family''s Vi.


    At first, they nned to sneak attack the vi, but after witnessing the two sea serpents fighting inside, they decided tounch a frontal pre-emptive attack.


    With the unexpected turn of events between the two sea serpents'' fight and two pre-emptive attacks, the Boyd Family was instantly thrown into a dire situation.


    The blinding light that attacked from above was too abnormal, slowly destroying the vi''s defensive array.


    Nevertheless, a few Boyd family members could do nothing but endure the Light magic''s attack, while the rest split up to either go after the escaping Tyr or intercept the perpetrators who attacked from the north.


    The elders alerted their nearby allies to help them fend off their enemies as soon as possible. Because if they could not counter or stop them, themotion would reach the other factions, and who knew what would happen if they discovered that the Crown Princess was there. Not to mention Disciple Tyr, whom they ''abducted.''


    While the Boyd Family was in disarray, the meeting happening in Autumn Reach had far ended.


    Olivia did not return to the north at once. Instead, she sets up a n with Byron and Ss to catch the spy that the Boyd Family put inside the Aureole faction while also convincing Lauren to side with the Regis n when the time of wares.


    Of course, they were not saying they were hoping for a war to happen. As much as possible, they prefer the situation not to go to that point.


    But even if a war did not happen, the Aureole still had to make a decision because every faction in the empire would be divided once news about a new ''Dark Sage'' and ''Soul Emperor'' reached them.

 Chapter 591 Kill The Mole

    Olivia did not know the truth about what happened between the ''Dark Sage'' and the Soul Emperor during the Chaos Era; frankly, she did not care about it. She was willing to side with the Regis n if a war broke out because she understood their reasons for hiding the truth about Kyran''s magic. If it had been her, she would have done the same. She did not have a sibling or offspring; the only rtives she considered were her mother and most of the Aureole members. But if something like that happened to the faction, she would do everything she could to protect that member.


    If Lauren found the truth, Olivia would rebel if Lauren ever tried to ''do the right thing'' and report the member to the Royal Army.


    Then again, rebelling against Lauren was normal to Olivia, so she did not have any qualms about it. But her displeasure against the former would double.


    After Byron, Olivia and Ss finalized their ns, Olivia left with her entourage.


    When they left the mansion, Olivia immediately noticed Lauren''s presence along with her entourage and several Aureole female mages nearby.


    As Olivia suspected, Lauren indeed had people watching her every move. However, due to the special array around the mansion, thetter''s people could not locate the former.


    After leaving the mansion''s periphery, Lauren and the others finally found them.


    Lauren sat on a white horse and silently watched Olivia''s carriage approaching. Because she was wearing her full body armor, no one could see her expression. Nevertheless, the mere fact that an almost palpable pressure loomed over the rest of the Aureole members meant she was angry or worried¡ª it could even be both.


    "Lady Olivia, your orders?" The leader among the female mages in Olivia''s entourage asked when she saw Lauren ahead.


    "I will meet with Lauren alone. Follow us at a safe distance and watch over that person."


    "Yes, Lady Olivia," the three female mages replied in unison.


    Without further ado, the carriage stopped, and Olivia and her entourage alighted.


    Lauren raised her visor to look at Olivia.


    Olivia returned her gaze before turning to the left side and left.


    "Such a rebellious woman. Does she not realize the trouble she caused?"


    One of Lauren''s entourage murmured behind.


    "Stay here and wait for my return."


    "Lady Lauren?"


    "What do you mean, Lady Lauren...?"


    Before the rest could even voice their question, the first female mage who managed to ask a question¡ª albeit iplete¡ª was answered.


    Lauren dismounted from her horse and followed Olivia.


    "Lady Lauren, please wait¡ª!"


    "I will talk to Olivia alone. None of you is allowed to follow," Lauren cut them off at once. She knew there were a number of female mages with her who disapproved of Olivia, especially of how she was always disrespectful toward Lauren. For this reason, she preferred to talk with Olivia alone.


    Lauren wanted to avoid escting matters between them when there was no issue in the first ce.


    It was true that Olivia med Lauren for what happened to her mother, but that was not really an issue between them. At least, Lauren believed that it was not an issue that would force them to fight.


    She also believed that Olivia only acted disrespectfully toward her whenever the female mages who disliked her talked behind her back to prove their point. It was as if she wanted them to have more reasons to dislike her.


    The two walked for almost thirty minutes inside the woods before stopping at a small clearing with a small pond to the side.


    Olivia looked up at the sky, which had already turned into a pale tint of orange, before finally speaking, "It is easy to see the sky from this position."


    Lauren did not respond, but she looked up and saw the pale orange sky.


    If this were any other day, she would have admired how beautiful the sky looked because it possessed a certain charm during sunset. Few people would agree with her, though, since it was far more attractive to see the sky when the sun was rising. The feeling both moments instil in a person was also different. Thetter gave off a feeling of hope, while the former sometimes gave people the sense of something ending¡ª of course, this ending did not have to be a bad one.


    Anyhow, the current setting did not allow Lauren to admire the sky. She even felt a little annoyed because she could also see the hole in the sky, with a fiery ball¡ª frankly, it did not look like a ball anymore but a ring because of the massive hole in the middle¡ª filling almost a quarter of the view she was seeing.


    Realization hit Lauren as she furrowed her brows and looked back at Olivia.


    Olivia was never the person to start an idle talk. If she pointed out the sky, it meant whatever she wanted to talk about was rted to it.


    Olivia had her back on Lauren while she continued to look at the sky. She asked, "How far are you able to see or sense from here?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Far enough to know powerful magic fluctuations wereing from that direction. Moreover, the magic fluctuations did note from one person but several people."


    "Good," Olivia nodded. "Our talk will be quick then."


    "What is going on, Olivia?" Lauren could not help but ask. After all, Olivia did not have her usual hostile attitude toward her.


    Olivia finally lowered her gaze before looking back at Lauren. She smiled wryly and said, "A lot is going on right now, and the Aureole will be in danger if we don''t do something soon."


    Her words immediately confounded Lauren. She frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "Before I answer your question, answer mine," Olivia responded, wearing a solemn expression.


    "Ask."


    "How long will you feign ignorance on that woman''s deceit?"


    Lauren''s expression turned serious as soon as she heard her question. As expected, Olivia was also aware of the mole inside the faction and that she was part of Lauren''s entourage.


    "When have you known about her?"


    "Answer my question first."


    Lauren fell silent. She studied Olivia''s face for a few seconds before heaving a sigh of resignation and said, "A powerful family is backing her. I can''t do anything to her until I am 99% sure I can keep the Aureole faction safe."


    Olivia shook her head, "What are you even afraid of? A powerful family? It''s just the Boyd Family. Why are you even hesitating?"


    "There are far more powerful people involved this time," Lauren told her with a bitter smile. "I can''t tell you much because I don''t have proof yet."


    Olivia fell silent after hearing Lauren''s response. Frankly, she did not expect thetter to tell her that. To be precise, she did not know Lauren was already looking through the people working with that ''powerful family.''


    Obviously, that powerful family was the Boyd Family, and the ''far more powerful people'' involved were the Royal Family. The Boyd Family being a branch family of the Winfrey Family was no secret.


    With narrowed eyes, Olivia said, "How much do you know?"


    Lauren smiled wryly and said, "It''s your turn to answer my question."


    "I''ve known from the beginning," Olivia replied with a nonchnt shrug.


    "How?" Lauren asked in confusion.


    "Answer my question, and I''ll tell you."


    Lauren sighed inwardly. Initially, she thought that Olivia wanted a truce and would work with her unconditionally. But it seemed Lauren had been mistaken. The kind of back-and-forth they had was no different from when Olivia showed her annoyance toward her.


    "My information is stillcking, but I know that apart from the family backing that powerful family, twenty-seven more noble families, a few old noble families and new ones, working for them. They are also recruiting several small to medium factions. As far as I know, if you know about what happened to Master Noir''s disciple, Tyr, and the Lumley Family¡ª well, they are making use of that incident to recruit the Three Noble Families to their side."


    Lauren paused as she remembered something. After a short silence of pondering, she added, "I don''t know why they are recruiting families and factions to their circle. But judging from the number of people they already gathered, it''s like they are preparing for something big."


    Olivia could not help but let out a derisiveugh from Lauren''s judgement. She could say Lauren realized the gist of the situation by only relying on the movement of the Boyd Family and their conspirators. However, Olivia also realized that Lauren''s imagination was far too limited.


    "''Preparing for something big''? You''re right. It is big because a war can very well happen if this continues."


    Lauren''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets from shock.


    The Ylfaen Empire had been peaceful for a few years, and although most had recovered, if a war broke out, what would happen to those factions, families and such?


    "If you know something, tell me everything."


    "I will, but I want you to do something first."


    "What?"


    "Kill the mole."

 Chapter 592 Ascending Realm (1)

    Light wore an unbelieving expression while staring at Kyran, after witnessing him unleash a powerful range Light magic attack.


    Light''s reaction is justified.


    If Light was using magic arrays, Kyran''s sudden use of Light magic attack could be justified. Any mage could summon other magic as long as they knew that magic''s rune system. If that mage also hadh in-depth knowledge in Runes, the power output of their attack would be better. However, it was still uparable to mages with innate magic unleashing an attack.


    Light''s understanding of this fact was shattered by Kyran with one simple move.


    Because the strength of Kyran''s Light magic attack is not inferior to Light''s¡ª an impossible feat especially when Kyran possessed Void magic, which was considered too perverse but limits its user from using other magic.


    It made Light reassessed Kyran''s worth to their faction''s objective.


    If Kyran could use other magic as effective as others possessing innate magic, then he might be able to use Soul magic.


    At least, that was what Light believed¡ª which was actually a valid reasoning since Light magic was considered rare magic yet Kyran seemed to have mastered it to a certain level just by fighting Light.


    Aside from this, Kyran actually managed to keep up with Light.


    It should be noted that although thetter could not fathom Kyran''s level, it was still inferior to him.


    There was also the fact of howplex Light magic''s nature was, almost every enemy Light fought in the past could do nothing but perish or surrender.


    It was Light''s first time experiencing someone who managed not only to counter Light magic but also ''assimte it.''


    ''Is this the true nature of Void magic?'' Light wondered, full of disbelief and envy. Recalling how Kyran stubbornly absorbed all Light magic attack during their fight, Light added, ''Could it be that the more he absorbed my attacks, he''s able to learn Light magic?''


    No matter how much Light thought of it, the idea was absurd. But then, how could anyone exin Kyran managing to release a magic attack akin to Light magic?


    ''This can''t go on,'' Light decided feeling somewhat frightened.


    If they continue to fight, wouldn''t Light''s threat decrease? And when that happened, Light could no longer hold the advantage.


    ''But how can I redeem the situation when even my domain doesn''t seem to work on him?'' Light wondered, feeling an iing headache.


    While Light was lost in thought, Kyran continued to study all the experience he absorbed about Light magic.


    As the two fought, Kyran started to use Light magic attacks. In order to


    Light''s fear intensified after confirming that Kyran not only learned the magic attacks Light unleashed, but was also learning new magic attacks.


    ''This guy...''


    Light indeed feared Kyran''s magic but at the same time a liberating feeling engulfed Light''s very core. If they managed to get Kyran''s cooperation, then the Soul Emperor was no longer required.


    With this in mind, Light made a decision.


    Light would get Kyran to cooperate with them.


    A beam of light concentrated magic attack shed toward Light.


    Light waved a hand and summoned a simr attack.


    BOOM!


    When the two magic attacks met, an explosion ur, followed by a shockwave that swept around the two.


    As the shockwave swept through their bodies, a light sheen¡ª a tell-tale sign of a magic barrier¡ª appeared on Light. Kyran on the other hand did not summon a Void barrier. Instead, a thin dark purple vortex appeared around him and absorbed the shockwave.


    "Let us stop here, new Dark Sage."


    Although Osric had tried to trick Light in thinking that Kyran was probably not the new Dark Sage, their fight already proved thetter''s identity.


    Kyran did not respond and only looked at Light.


    "We are only wasting time like this," Light continued and released its barrier after the shockwave dissipated.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You said that you could not see eye to eye with the Soul Emperor and I now respect that. I also wanted to apologize for saying that the impending war in the Human ne is pettypared to the real war outside," Light paused as if choosing how to continue. "It was insensitive of me. After all, this ne is your original ne and everything that happens here is significant to both you and the Soul Emperor.


    "I don''t know why you two are oppose to each other, and I don''t really want to know. But I am now convinced that talking to you should be a priority over meeting the Soul Emperor."


    "Does that mean you are willing to answer my question about the War of the Sovereigns?" Kyran asked, cutting Light for a moment.


    Light feel silent for a few seconds but in the end nodded, "Yes. If that is your requirement in order to listen to us."


    Kyran raised his brows innocently, "I never mention about having a requirement."


    Light''s brow twitched slightly in annoyance but then said could, "You are absolutely right. But I believe talking to you will eventually lead to something."


    Hearing Light put an emphasis to the word ''something,'' Kyran could not help but smile wryly. Obviously, the former''s objective remained the same¡ª have Kyran cooperate with their faction.


    Nevertheless, with Light willing topromise byt talking to Kyran without meeting with Haylee yet, was definitely because of how he seemed to have the ability to use other magic even if it was not his innate one.


    Kyran knew his worth increased because of this and Light probably believed he could also learn how to use other magic. He did not know why Light wanted to recruit Haylee, but obviously it had something to do with her magic.


    Could it be that Light thought Kyran could learn how to use Soul Magic? Kyran could not help but smile wryly at the thought.


    In the first ce, Soul magic was Ancient magic. If he could learn how to use it, he would have already done it. He had the book on Ancient Magic and there were information there about Soul magic.


    Unfortunately, Kyran could only trigger the book to show contents about the other two magic¡ª Soul and Time. He could not ''learn'' how to use them from the information he read about them there. After all, he did not possess the their magic cores.


    ''Come to think of it, I haven''t tried reading the information about Draconic magic in that book,'' Kyran thought. His suddenly wandering thoughts was testament that he no longer felt threatened facing Light.


    Good thing Light did not make a move when Kyran did not respond immediately. As a matter of fact, the former thought thetter was thinking over what the former had said.


    Putting aside the matter about reading the information of Draconic magic in the book, Kyran studied Light for a few seconds before finally replying.


    "Tell me about the War of the Sovereigns first. I''ll judge whether there is any worth in continuing the discussion."


    Light smiled after hearing Kyran''s response. With thetter showing a more lenient attitude, Light believed there was a good chance to salvage the current situation.


    "Alright. I''ll follow your lead," Light said and answered Kyran''s earlier question soon after.


    "The War of the Sovereigns is a battle between several Sovereigns in order to ascend to the Higher realm."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once. He heard about the Higher realm before and believed it was only a ssification of where a ne was located. He was somewhat surprised and also wary that the War of the Sovereign had something to do about ascending to the Higher realm.


    Before Kyran could ask any question, Light continued.


    "I don''t know if you are aware but the Human ne belonged to the lowest part of the Lower Realm."


    This information did not surprise Kyran. However, he felt somewhat indignant at how Light sounded smug by pointing out the Human ne''s standing.


    As if sensing Kyran''s displeasure, Light let out an amusedugh and said, "Don''t worry about such things. There are several powerful Sovereigns who belonged to a ne ced among the bottom-tier of the Lower Realm. Nevertheless, their strength was not inferior to the Sovereigns who belonged to the middle and top-tiers."


    ''Besides, the Human ne is special. It is the ne of the Ancients, after all,'' Light added inwardly.


    "Continue," Kyran urged Light.


    "Alright," thetter nodded. "Anyhow, in that war, every Sovereigns teamed up with one another to clinch victory."


    Seeing the look of understanding reflected in Kyran''s eyes, Light smiled and nodded, "That''s right. The War of the Sovereigns is not about winner takes all. It is how several Sovereigns in one faction wins the war."


    "Winning means ascending the Higher Realm," Kyran started. "What does that mean?"


    "Simple," Light answered and paused dramatically before continuing. "The faction who won the war will have all their nes under their authority ascend the Higher Realm and receive the benefits of bing part of it."


    Kyran frowned at the simplicity of what Light said. He even felt a little disappointed, "That''s it?"

 Chapter 593 Ascending Realm (2)

    Light gaped at Kyran in disbelief.


    ''''That''s it?'''' Light repeated inwardly while gaping at Kyran in disbelief. To think that someone from a Lower Realm would act as if being promoted to the Higher Realm was not a big deal.


    Light could not help but reassess the new Dark Sage because the first appeared to be his exact opposite.


    The first Dark Sage would not bat an eye and destroy a ne if he could gain some benefits. It did not matter whether the benefits he''d reap were cheap or grand so long as it would help him advance.


    Thinking of this point, Light came to a sudden realization.


    ''Could it be this guy doesn''t know...?''


    With narrowed eyes, Light coughed lightly and finally responded to Kyran, "It seemed you are unaware of what receiving benefits from the Higher Realm entails to a mage... no to a whole ne."


    "Isn''t it just higher quality of resources that could help a mage advance? If it involves the whole ne, then probably they too would receive a baptism of some sort and have their magic foundations improve, resulting in better chances of breaking through to the next level."


    Light''s expression turned ugly after hearing Kyran''s matter-of-fact answer.


    What Kyran had said summed up the benefits the winner of the war would receive pretty well. With regards to the ''higher quality of resources,'' it meant higher quality magic stones. Maybe one could even receive magic crystals or rune stones, which possessed better quality magic energy, rare abilities or power enhancement.


    Some mages were born with an innate ability. If a mage possessed an innate ability, they had a better chance of gaining the upper hand when fighting against a mage who did not have one. Still, it was not a sure win because most innate abilities could be countered. Since a mage could only possess one innate ability, it would be easy for others to get used to it if a mage used it several times.


    But that could change if that mage got hold of a magic crystal or rune stone.


    Magic crystals alwayse with an ability. If a mage sessfully absorbed the crystal, they would acquire its ability. It did not matter whether the mage that absorbed the magic crystal already had an innate ability. They would gain a new ability to help them have more varying attack patterns in a battle.


    The only downside to this was one would not know what ability the magic crystals had.


    If a mage absorbed a magic crystal with the same ability as the mage''s innate ability, it would only receive a boost. Nothing would happen if that mage absorbed a second crystal with simr abilities. One could only receive a boost after absorbing one crystal.


    The same concept applies to rune stones, albeit better, if not the best. This was because rune stonese with rare abilities and power enhancement.


    Rare abilities were considered good stuff. Although there were also rare abilities that appeared useless. It was not because they were weak but because their usage might be limited¡ª which might disadvantage a mage in a battle of attrition unless that mage had more than one rare or regr ability¡ª or the ability could only be used after fulfilling certain requirements.


    As for the power enhancement, depending on what particr attribute the rune stone had, it might help enhance a mage''s magic energy, magic or physical defences, magic output and more.


    Another difference between the magic crystal and rune stone was that one would immediately know what rare ability thetter had. This way, if the mage did not need the rare ability in the rune stone¡ª which was highly unlikely¡ª they could exchange it for a different one. Of course, this was if a mage knew others with a rune stone. After all, rune stones were rarer than magic crystals.


    As for the rune stone''s power enhancement capability, it could not be determined. But that was unimportant because any form of enhancement it possessed could be a game changer in a battle.


    Of course, all of these advantages were on the premise that a mage had a rune stone they could absorb. Since it was a rare itempared to magic crystals, it was practically impossible for a mage to possess two or more rune stones.


    With these two being one of the few benefits a ne or a Sovereign could receive after their faction won the war, it was already a very good deal.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Apart from the magic crystals and rune stones, every beast avable in the Higher Realm was a legendary beast. If one sessfully killed one and dropped a rune stone, the ability in the rune stone could be an innate ability of that beast. One could also tame these beasts¡ª of course, the beast should first acknowledge the mage''s strength to tame one sessfully.


    As the saying goes, a powerful being would never bow down to someone weaker than them, and the minimum level of legendary beasts in the Higher Realm was at the Legendary¡ª no pun intended.


    Unless one is a Sovereign or higher, they might not be able to tame a legendary beast.


    Then there was the highly advanced magic knowledge avable in the Higher Realm. A mage discovering a new magic attack that could change the tides of a battle in the Lower Realm might only be amon attack in the Higher Realm. The same goes with Array, Alchemy and other branches of magic.


    There were more things the Higher Realm had to offer, including a state-of-the-art weaponry system, high-quality materials for Alchemy and Array creations, and more. But the most appealing benefit of bing part of the Higher Realm was having a chance to visit the top nes where the most powerful beings in the whole universe reside.


    One good example of a top existence was the Dragons.


    Rumored had it that if a mage managed to bond with one, that mage could possess the same abilities as the Dragon it was bonded with. If a mage could bond with one, their ability and magic prowess would receive a tenfold upgrade¡ª maybe even more.


    "You... You have no idea how huge the resources in the Higher Realm arepared to the Lower Realm! If you do, you will not call them ''just higher quality.''"


    Kyran did notment.


    Frankly, his nonchnt reaction toward the benefits offered in the Higher Realm was not because he looked down on them. Just as Light said, he did not know the difference between the quality of each realm''s resources possessed. But since the Higher Realm was called as such, they definitely had better qualitypared to the Lower Realm.


    To Kyran, this was to be expected. Thus he was not surprised.


    Then again, if he knew what kind of resources the Higher Realm had, it might not move him either.


    For one thing, the advantage of having only one innate ability did not apply to Kyran. Since he inherited Can''s Void core, it came with thetter''s innate ability. Although Kyran had not confirmed what innate ability he inherited from Can. There was also another inherited magic core¡ª Zane''s Draconic core. Kyran believed the innate ability that came with it was his abnormally sturdy physique. Since he was already a Regis, he already possessed a sturdy physique. But because Kyran inherited Zane''s innate ability, his body was sturdier than the other Regis family member.


    As for other rare abilities that one could inherit from a legendary beast after killing it and it dropped a rune stone, Kyran was not interested. No matter how many rare abilities or talents he had, if he was only one person, there was no point in possessing all of them. He would rather have that legendary beast be his Sigil and make full use of its abilities.


    This was also the very reason Kyran would not be interested in ''trying'' to tame a legendary beast. As long as he used the Sigil, he could easily subdue a legendary beast and make it his Sigil.


    Last but not least, visiting other nes where the top existences in the Higher Realm reside might somewhat be appealing to Kyran. But not because of the possible benefits he could receive if he interacted with them. Based on Kyran''s character, he would likely end up causing a ruckus and forcing them to attack him. Then he would absorb their magic attacks and take them for himself.


    As for the rumor about the benefits of bonding with a dragon, Kyran was not interested. He possessed the Draconic core. As long as he studied it, he could be considered a dragon with a human body.


    After a short pause, Kyran decided not to dwell on the subject of the benefits one would receive. After all, there was something he was far more interested in.


    With a solemn expression, he looked at Light and said, "Putting aside the matter of benefits the winners will receive¡ª tell me, who are the ones organizing the war."


    The answer to this was what Kyran wanted to know most.

 Chapter 594 Ascending Realm (3)

    Light did not answer Kyran at once¡ª not because the former did not know who organized the war, but because it was a veryplicated subject to discuss.


    The War of the Sovereigns was not organized by one person or an association. It was an affair that would ur after certain requirements were met. As for who would announce itsmencement, there was no one. Sovereigns were only aware that it would start soon by instinct.


    Regarding the requirements, there were two that needed to happen. First, the alignment of every ne in the Lower Realm and second, the number of Sovereigns it birthed.


    Alignment of every ne did not mean a linear formation of every ne, but their ''time'' and magicw.


    Each ne had differing times. When a Sovereign entered a ne, and stayed there for a day, once he or she returned to his or her original ne¡ª depending on the location of the ne and the distance between the two nes¡ª more days might have passed, or only a few hours since he or she left.


    When all nes began their alignment, the time difference would disappear.


    As for the matter of alignment in magicw, every ne had differing magicws. Because of this, some outsiders who ended up entering a ne might have their magic restricted. This restriction was different from a Sovereign''s Cradle because even those nes with no Sovereigns would restrict outsiders'' usage of their magic.


    The only ne that appeared to not have any restrictions to outsiders in terms of that was the Human ne. It was because of this that Ruin and the others could freely use their magic albeit their magic output was restricted because their levels were suppressed by the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    However, as long as all nespleted their alignment, these restrictions would also disappear.


    Obviously, the reason behind this was to ensure all participating Sovereigns would not have any advantages especially when it came to the time difference.


    A good example of how one could take advantage of the time difference was war nning and preparation. If one Sovereign faction used a ne with a longer time difference, they could have more time strategizing and preparing for the war. They might even have a chance to nurture more ''pawns'' and have them advance to Magus before participating.


    The next requirement was the number of Sovereigns in the Lower Realm.


    The Lower Realm had to produce enough Sovereigns to form several factions. A faction would normally have ten Sovereigns at a minimum and twenty-five to thirty at a maximum. If the Lower Realm only had five factions with a minimum of Sovereigns each, the War might not happen.


    ''Might not happen,'' because there was also a possibility it would happen, depending on the strength of every Sovereign and the nes they govern.


    Clearly, if there were only five factions with a bare minimum of members, arge-scale war might not be possible. A five-way war could already be considered rge-scale,'' to be honest. However, those beings in the Higher Realm might not feel the same. In their vocabry, such a war was not worth their time.


    That was right. Even those in the Higher Realm only saw the war as a form of entertainment. But it was not something they would bother organizing. Besides, the Higher Realm had its own affairs that these powerful beings had to focus on.


    When Light did not reply to Kyran even after thetter waited for more than a minute, he said, "Forget it if you don''t want to tell me."


    Light frowned at the unspoken meaning in Kyran''s words and said, "It''s not that I don''t want to tell you... I just don''t know how to exin it."


    "What''s there to exin? I only asked who organized the war. I didn''t ask you to disclose any information on the war itself."


    "I know, but," Light''s frown deepened, sensing their discussion might go south if Kyran''s questions were not answered satisfactorily.


    With a sigh of resignation, Light finally decided to say, "The truth, is the war will happen on its own. We don''t know when it started but every Sovereign in the Lower Realm as well as those beings in the Higher Realm only know that it will start soon."


    "Basically, no one organized it."


    "That''s right."


    Kyran frowned slightly. He understood why Light chose not to answer because there was no answer, to begin with. Nevertheless, he still managed to wring a good piece of information from Light''s response.


    When Light referred to the beings in the Higher Realm, Light did not use the word ''Sovereign.'' Meaning, the level of those beings from the Higher Realm was higher than a Sovereign.


    It answered a previous thought Kyran had regarding if there was a higher level than a Sovereign.


    Kyran sighed inwardly as he thought of the Dragons that once lived in the Human ne.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When the Human ne was on the verge of falling into the hands of the Soul Emperor, who joined hands with the outsiders, the Dragons did nothing. The only time they had truly interfered was after the Demon General¡ª Ruin¡ª almost ended up finding the Shaiha.


    Kyran even had an inkling that the Dragon King favoring Zane, the Regis Ancestor, was only an excuse to have them use humans to fight off the outsiders and force them out of the Human ne. The other dragons then used the excuse of ''bonding'' with the Regis family members and taught them dragon techniques, but in truth, they did not want to lift a finger themselves.


    Of course, this was only Kyran''s spection. He did not have proof and was not invested in knowing the truth.


    Just as he was thinking this, Kyran thought of something and asked Light, "When did thest war happen?"


    "More than a thousand years ago," Light answered without any qualms. As if recalling something, Light added, "At least, to most nes it happened more than a thousand years ago."


    "To most nes?"


    "That''s right."


    Light proceeded in exining the requirements in order to trigger the War of the Sovereigns.


    But Kyran was only half listening to Light because he was beginning to understand the truth of what happened during the Chaos Era. He already had an inkling even before learning about the War of the Sovereigns. But now he felt he was getting closer to the truth.


    Kyran guessed that the reason the Dragons could not make a move themselves during the invasion of the demons was because of the War of the Sovereigns. They were originally from the Higher Realm, if they made a move it would obviously change the war''s oue. And once it was discovered by the other beings residing in the Higher Realm, at first they would likely think that the Dragons were ying favorites. However, their focus might change and they would instead focus on the question ''why were the Dragons¡ª especially the Dragon King¡ª in the Human ne? When that happened, there was a possibility that the Shaiha would be exposed.


    The more Kyran thought of this, the more he was convinced his guess was on point.


    Ultimately, the Dragons left the Human ne before any news about them ''bonding'' with humans spread to the outside.


    Kyran could not help but break out in cold sweat, knowing the Shaiha was now inside his body. When it entered his body, he felt indifferent about it. But now that he learned more things about what happened during the Chaos Era, he was beginning to understand Zephyr''s reaction when the Shaiha entered his body.


    Initially, Kyran considered ''causing trouble'' to the people who organized the war which was why he asked Light about them. But since there was none, he was thinking of directing his focus on the beings in the Higher Realm. He felt that as long as he could step into that realm, he could warp there anytime. And when that happened, he would cause some ''disturbance'' just to vent his annoyance.


    However, that idea was no longer appealing to Kyran. He believed that once he entered the Higher Realm, those beings with higher mage levels than the Sovereigns would definitely know that he had the Shaiha. His reasoning was based on the fact that the Dragons did not stay in their own realm to hide the Shaiha and instead chose to hide it in the Human ne. When they left, they did not even take it with them and instead, left a few of their servants to guard it.


    Kyran could not help but groan inwardly in exasperation.


    Being the predecessor of the Void Master a.k.a. the Dark Sage already gave him a hard time and it became worse after learning he was technically the predecessor of the Dragon Lord as well. Now it seemed, having the Shaiha in his body was far more dangerous than his not-so-wee inherited titles.


    Kyran pushed aside all his thoughts and contemted his next move. First, he decided not to have anything to do with the War of the Sovereigns because he did not want to endanger everyone he hold dear.


    Although he was talking to Light, Kyran never considered joining them. In the first ce, he only thought of detaining Light and buying time for his father, while also letting his people do what they had to do without worrying about being targeted.


    Second, Kyran was starting to see Light in a different ''light.'' He did not find thetter a bad person and felt it best if they stayed on good terms.


    ''But if I don''t join their faction, this guy will definitely turn hostile again, and when that happens...'' Kyran looked at Light and felt regretful if they did end up fighting for real.


    ''Looks like, I could only do that,'' Kyran thought while looking at Light with aplicated expression.


    Kyran was now considering taking Light as a Sigil. But thetter was a Sovereign while the former was undetermined, which meant turning Light into a Sigil was a risky move.


    If Kyran failed to turn Light into a Sigil, thetter would definitely turn hostile.


    ''Then... let''s not fail,'' he thought with eyes full of determination.

 Chapter 595 Dragon Spawn

    But before making a move, Kyran decided to ask another question about the next thing he was curious about the War of the Sovereigns. After turning Light into a Sigil, he would eventually know the answer to that, but in case he failed, at least, he already had an idea.


    "What would happen to the losing factions?" He asked.


    Light''s face darkened at Kyran''s question. Obviously, Light knew the answer to that but felt a sense of foreboding if Kyran did not like the answer.


    Based on what Light observed about Kyran''s character and all the other information they collected starting from when he made a name for himself, he disliked dishonest and plotting people. Thus, lying was not an option. Light also could not opt to remain silent, because doing might affirm Kyran''s thoughts¡ª if he had one.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Light finally answered, "There is nothing much to say. Only one oue befalls the Sovereigns from the losing side¡ª death. As for their nes, it will depend on the Sovereigns who won if they want to keep them or destroy them."


    Kyran turned livid at Light''s answer. He had expected the first one, but not the second.


    For argument''s sake, if the winning side decided to destroy every ne under the losing side, did that mean 80% of the nes within the Lower Realm would be destroyed? And that 80% was if there were only five factions participating in the war.


    Even if the winning side decided to keep some of the nes, would the beings from the Higher Realm allow that many nes to ascend? What about the Lower Realm? Would it end up with only a few nes in its system?


    That did not make sense to Kyran.


    As if sensing Kyran''s doubts and fearing any follow-up questions, Light hurriedly said, "I can guess most of your doubts. But even if you ask them, I can''t give you a satisfactory answer. In terms of tenurial, I''ve only have a few hundreds under my belt, so I don''t know much about what happened in the previous war."


    Light paused for a few seconds before continuing, "What I do know is that more than half of the nes in the Lower Realm was destroyed after the war and only one ne ascended. The nes that got left behind are ungoverned ones that did not participate in the war. Anyway, the reason only one ne ascended was because the faction that won the war only had one Sovereign left. And that Sovereign also had one ne left under him."


    After Light finished exining, Kyran was silent for a long time, and the foreboding feeling the former felt intensified as time went by.


    On the other hand, Kyran already turned numb by the time Light finished talking.


    To be honest, he was not surprised at the oue of thest war. Mutual destruction was not umon during wars especially when the strength of two or more sides were equally matched.


    Nevertheless, Kyran felt something amiss from thetter half of Light''s exnation. He was not saying that Light lied to him but something seemed off.


    As if having only one Sovereign and ne left at the end of the war was premeditated.


    If this was true, then what was the use of joining a faction?


    Apart from this, Kyran felt that the War of the Sovereigns happening was not to give those from the Lower Realm a chance in ascending to the Higher Realm but was a roundabout way to reduce the ever-growing number of Sovereigns and poption of the Lower Realm¡ª like a self-preservation move.


    Then did that mean the one ''organizing'' the war was the Lower Realm itself?


    Kyran immediately stopped his train of thought. He had little information about the war and did not want to end up overthinking things.


    Nothing good would happen if he overstress himself on things he had little knowledge of. In any case, the more he heard about the war, the more he wanted to distance himself from it. But he knew he could notpletely stay out of it now that two Sovereign factions had reached out to him.


    "Thank you for answering my questions," Kyran finally said after a short pause.


    Light''s expression darkened after hearing Kyran''s words because they did not soundforting but threatening.


    Just as Light was thinking this, Kyran suddenly disappeared. Simultaneously, the foreboding feeling Light had been feeling erupted.


    In an instant, Light''s body turned into a blinding light that expanded at an rming pace. Everything the light touched crackled.


    "I see, Light magic can actually detect my magic''s warp ability. This is good to know."


    Light froze as soon as Kyran had spoken. Just as he said, the light Light emitted was to determine Kyran''s trajectory and prevent him from sessfullyunching a sneak attack. Even if thetter used the Void magic''s warp ability to move from one spot to another, Light would still be able to detect it.


    However, that did not happen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    For some unknown reason, Light failed to determine Kyran''s position¡ª not to mention the magic fluctuation that the light magic detected from thetter was different from the Void fluctuation Light sensed earlier.


    It was not even the same fluctuation as Light''s light magic that Kyran learned not too long ago. It was apletely different fluctuation but was simrly powerful and suppressive like the Void magic.


    How was this possible?


    But Light was not given the chance to dwell on the subject as two simr energy fluctuations moved within the light. These fluctuations circled Light''s body. After which, the lighting out of Light''s body was dispelled in an instant.


    Light''s eyes widened in shock as soon as the blinding light disappeared because the two fluctuating energies earlier became visible.


    Initially, Light was expecting to see Kyran as one of the fluctuations, while the other was a summoned item or even weapon. Instead, there were two miniature dragons circling Light''s body.


    "I-Impossible! These two are¡ª!"


    What was even more shocking from seeing two miniature dragons was the fact that thetter two did not feel fake, as a matter of fact, they appeared to be real dragons. Though Light had not fought a true dragon before, there were artefacts stored in their faction''s hideout that emitted true dragon magic.


    Just as Light thought this, Kyran appeared in view.


    Kyran looked at Light with a slight smile. The reddish-purple glow in his eyes earlier disappeared and was now reced by a silver glow.


    The moment Light saw Kyran, was the moment it finally made sense to her.


    That was right. Now that Kyran had the Sigil activated and had them wrapped around Light''s body, he finally discovered that thetter was a woman.


    Light stared at Kyran in disbelief as she shouted, "Y-You¡ª don''t tell me you''re actually a dragon spawn!"


    Kyran raised his brows at Light''s words. The term was not really foreign to him.


    He read once that some dragons who had taken a human form would find a mate from other races. When that happened and the two mated, their offspring would then be called dragon spawn.


    These dragon spawns would then have the ability to use dragon magic.


    Unfortunately, Light''s guess was a little off because Kyran was not using dragon magic, but Draconic magic. Apart from this, his parents were 100% humans¡ª regardless of how many people would say his father was a ''monster'' or his mother was the ''Spirit Child.''


    "Sorry," Kyran started. "I don''t want to join your faction or any other faction at that. But I don''t want you going hostile right now."


    Light gritted her teeth as she looked at Kyran. She tried to break free from the two miniature dragons but to no avail. It was as if all her magic and physical energies had been drained out of her body.


    What she was feeling was to be expected because the Sigil was also embued with Void magic albeit its effect was to nullify their target''s magic.


    Nevertheless, Light did not want things to end like this. She also did not want to be Kyran''s enemy not only because his strength far surpasses their faction''s expectations but also because she realized thatpared to the Soul Emperor, he was more ''humane.''


    Yes, he made full use of the people around him, but he looked after them when the going gets tough. Not to mention, all his questions made Light see what kind of person he was.


    "If that is true, you should have just told me and not do this!" She said.


    At that moment, Light was convinced Kyran wanted to ''harm'' her.


    Kyran could not help but look at Light skeptically. He was expecting a fierce fight between them but it seemed he expected too much. She was not even fighting the Sigil as theypletely took hold of her body.


    s, it was not that Light did not want to fight. It was just that she no longer had the ability to do so, because thest move she did, had drained her remaining reserved magic energy.

 Chapter 596 Agreement

    Light still had saint-tier magic energy replenishing potions, which were in her space storage that could help recover her drained magic core. However, opening the space storage required a little amount of magic energy so she could not take them out.


    She could use the magic energies in the surroundings to replenish her magic energy, but the miniature dragons prevented her from attracting the surrounding magic energies.


    Such an effect was obviously due to Kyran''s Void magic. However, that was not the only magic energying from them.


    Simrly, Kyran''s magic energy had changed, scaring the living daylights out of ''Light.'' Because not only was his ''main'' magic the mysterious Void magic, but he also possessed ''Dragon'' magic.


    In the past few hundred years, more and more mages from different nes were born that could attract two types of magic energies, turning them into dual-magic users. However, most of these mages could only make full use of one magic while the other one would y a more supporting role.


    This had been the case with Kairo. He possessed both fire and wind magic, but could only make full use of the former while thetter served as an enhancer.


    But that did not seem to be the case with Kyran.


    First of all, the Void and Dragon were two rare and powerful magic¡ª ignoring the fact that Void magic only appeared twice in history, even the Dragon magic could only be used by dragon spawns from the Lower Realm. And those dragon spawns were Legendary beasts possessing characteristics of a dragon and another powerful mythical creature¡ª two good examples were the Quilins and Sea Serpents. The former was an offspring of a dragon and a unicorn, while thetter was of a dragon and sea creature.


    But that was the thing. These two examples were beasts, not humans. They might have the ability to turn into humans given enough time, but they were still beasts.


    Kyran was definitely a human. Apart from possessing monstrous strength, which Light now believed was probably due to his ''dragon blood,'' Kyran did not possess any obvious dragon characteristics.


    For this reason, Light was caught off guard after discovering Kyran also possessed Dragon magic.


    Light could not help but smile bitterly in her heart.


    When she first descended into the Human ne, she had thought she had an overwhelming advantage against its native mages. Even if the ne''s Sovereign appear before her, she was confident in taking care of him without breaking a sweat. With the weakening Sovereign''s Cradle, she believed the Sovereign of the Human ne was on thest verge of his life. It also exined the reason the Human ne already had a Sage¡ª the human who was working with Ruin outside.


    Light believed that the only possible threat to her was that human. But since Deception and Toad were keeping thetter and Ruin busy, no one could pose any threat to her.


    Not even the Soul Emperor or the infamous new Dark Sage.


    But Light''s beliefs were shattered after the revtion of Kyran''s dual magic.


    To think that the first person Light encountered had to be this guy. She initially thought she had the situation under control even after Kyran revealed the nature of his Void magic by ''learning'' how to use Light magic. In the end, what she had seen was only the tip of the iceberg. Kyran actually had a far more sinister trump card.


    Learning how to use other magic was obviously a powerful trump card. However, Kyran would need time to learn it by prolonging the fight. Light had guessed it was the reason Kyran never tried to use his Void magic to counter her attacks but kept on ''absorbing'' them.


    In a fast-paced battle, Kyran would not really be at a disadvantage because of his Void magic. But now, he also possessed Dragon magic. He was such a cheat!


    "Why won''t you fight it?" Kyran asked Light with a slight frown.


    If Light was someone who would easily surrender, Kyran felt she would be a problematic Sigil, thus, he was now having second thoughts.


    Light smiled bitterly as she said, "Do you even have to ask? Your Void magic is preventing me from circting magic energy. I can''t even use my space storage and use an item to help me out of this predicament."


    "You can still summon your magic weapon''s soul."


    Light''s eyes constricted upon hearing Kyran''s suggestion.


    ''Does he want me to use my magic weapon to try and take it from me?'' she wondered.


    Apparently, Light''s understanding of Kyran''s had made a strange turn.


    Light closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation, "I would have already done it if I could."


    Kyran pointed at the golden staff in Light''s hand, "You''re already using it, right? Do you have to do something different before you can summon its soul?"


    Light opened her eyes and tried shaking her head, but with her body restrained by the miniature dragons, she could only shake it slightly.


    "This magic staff is a spare weapon only."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly at Light''s reply.


    A mage using spare weapons was not umon. Those with higher magic attainment would normally use their spare weapons when probing another mage upon initial contact. Thus, Light using a spare weapon was not really surprising.


    What surprised Kyran¡ª or to be precise¡ª what made him feel somewhat indignant was the fact he felt a sentient residing in Light''s staff.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Did this mean that her spare staff also produced a sentient?


    That was a little annoying and depressing. Kyran only had True Void, and he was not even his but Can''s. Yet, Light had two magic weapons with a sentient?


    "You sure are confident to havee here and fought me using a spare weapon," Kyran could not help butment in indignation.


    "You''re right. I am confident¡ª no... I was confident," Light corrected herself. "In the end, because of my own arrogance, I failed."


    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again.


    "Anyhow, I hope you know what you''re doing. Killing a Sovereign is no small feat. Our leader will definitely not let my death lying around."


    "Who said anything about killing you?"


    Light''s eyes snapped open as she looked at Kyran in confusion, "Did you not summon these two to kill me?"


    Kyran''s gave her a nk look, but because half of his face was still covered, she did not see it clearly.


    "Why would I deliberately find people toe after me? I already have a few after my ass, I don''t n on getting more."


    Light''s face lit up slightly as she asked, "Then why did you summon these¡ª."


    "Don''t get me wrong. I don''t want to increase my enemies, but I don''t mind having more people to work with me."


    Light frowned slightly after realizing something and said, "Did you n to use these dragons to threaten me into submission?"


    Kyran chuckled, "That''s an interesting thought. But why would I do that when I have a better way of making you submit."


    "What do you mean¡ª?"


    Before Light couldplete her question, the miniature dragons started to move again.


    Kyran''s eyes shed silver as he said, "If you agree to be my Sigil, I will keep your personality intact. What do you say?"


    ? *


    The defensive array protecting the Boyd Family''s Vi was on the verge of copse as the two sea serpents resumed their battle.


    Currently, the bluish-white sea serpent was already in a sorry state after getting thrashed by the bluish-green sea serpent. Apart from this, the former''s size had a significant change. It seemed to have lost weight and had shrunk several meters. On the other hand, thetter turned more majestic and powerful.


    With the bluish-white sea serpent in this state, it was impossible for Osric not to notice.


    Although the fight between him and Tritus was in a stalemate, Osric still had a slight advantage.


    ''This can''t go on. I have to get closer and unsummon my weapon''s sentient,'' Osric thought through gritted teeth whileunching several small sea serpents toward Tritus.


    Tritus whirled the golden trident before him and summoned a beautifully arced water barrier, protecting himself from the onught of the sea serpents.


    While Tritus was busy fending against the sea serpents, Osric took this chance in using a teleportation token. He broke several tokens and together with his speed, he managed to gain more than a hundred meters of distance from Tritus.


    Tritus already sensed Osric''s escape before he finished off all the sea serpents.


    Whoosh!


    Tritus struck thest sea serpent and it exploded into water before dissipating in the air. He looked up in the direction where Osric had escaped with a thoughtful expression.


    The truth, Tritus was aware of what happened to Neo and that thetter was taken to the Boyd Family''s vi. He did not hear about the situation from Kyran because there was no time for them to catch up. The reason he knew about it was because of the Sigil''s other effect¡ª the empathy link.


    Due to this, Tritus more or less knew what the other Sigils and Kyran were thinking. This link helped all beast tamers coordinate his Sigils attack without barking out orders.


    "Going there will put me at a disadvantage because my link to master will disappear. However," his eyes narrowed as an excited glint shed in his eyes under the visor of his headgear. "I have a feeling that the pressure that came with fighting at a disadvantageous position is thest push I needed to advance."

 Chapter 597 At The Villa (1)

    Tritus took out several potions, scrolls and talismans then ced them in every hiddenpartment of his golden armor. This way even if his magic energy got depleted or its cirction was forcefully sealed he could still fight by manually replenishing his magic energy or using scrolls or talismans to summon premade spells.


    After that, he sent a telepathic message to Kyran before going after Osric.


    Osric knew Tritus woulde after him and that was what he was hoping for. If they fought inside the Boyd Family''s vi, he would have a home advantage. It would not boost his magic output. Instead, he could activate every array formation in the vi, which could inflict status ailments against intruders.


    He just hoped that the battle between the two magic weapons did not develop to the point where they destroyed the formations.


    Unfortunately, Osric''s concern was on point. Except, the array formations were not destroyed because of the battle between the bluish-white and bluish-green sea serpents. Their battle indeed escted, and because of that the vi''s defensive array was on itsst leg, they had not touched the formations for the status ailments.


    The ones who destroyed these were none other than Neo, Owen and Hamish.


    Their actions were not premeditated but done on instinct because as Array Specialists, their main objective was to look for arrays that might cause problems in their operation.


    In any case, the three were moving separately. As a matter of fact, Neo had yet to rendezvous with them and was working alone.


    While the three were busy dealing with the Array formations inside the vi, Styx, Dante and the rest of the mercenaries dealt with the small fries of the Boyd Family. They did not hesitate to kill if the Boyd family members attacked them with killing intent. However, they would also spare those who asked to be spared but they made sure they were tied and locked up.


    Meanwhile, the leaders of the Boyd Family met up with Haylee and led her to the safe room.


    Haylee initially did not want to hide and also want to look for ''Tyr.'' However, the sentient of the Macabre cier pestered her non-stop, making her feel light-headed.


    "Find him no matter what it takes," Haylee exhorted the leaders of the Boyd Family escorting her to the safe room.


    "We will, your Highness."


    An elder woman in a white robe assured her, "We know how crucial he is to your goals and will do everything to ensure he is captured."


    Haylee frowned slightly, sensing the unspoken threat to the elder woman''s words. Knowing how the Boyd Family operates in such missions, she also knew that upon ''Tyr''s'' capture, they would definitely find a way to ensure he would not be able to escape the second time.


    In any case, the only reason Neo managed to escape was because the dark room''s ceiling caved in and Haylee and the Boyd family members had been rattled by the sudden attack they did not notice Osric''s pressure on Neo had been lifted. If that did not happen, they would have taken Neo along with Haylee and had him join her in the saferoom.


    "Capture him alive and in good condition," Haylee ordered them, her voice sounding threatening. "Hurt him and I will have your life to answer to it."


    The leaders present could not help but warily looked at each other. Just as Haylee noticed, they nned to fatally wound ''Tyr'' to ensure he could not escape a second time. But now that she openly threatened them if they hurt him, they had no choice but to throw the idea out the window.


    "Your Highness, will it be alright to use a numbing poison just to make sure he¡ª gah!"


    Before the Boyd leader couldplete what he was saying, Haylee shot him a look while raising a hand. In an instant, an invisible hand seemed to wrap around the Boyd leader and he mmed to the wall. He grabbed his throat and gasped for air as his eyes slowly turned bloodshot fromck of air.


    The leaders felt their hearts turn cold as they watched from the side. They were unable to retaliate for fear they would meet the same fate.


    "I already said to capture him in good condition. What part of good did you not understand?"


    "I-I''m s-sorry, y-your High-highness...!" The Boyd elder choked out his apology.


    Although he only wanted to use the numbing poison to ensure that ''Tyr'' would not be able to retaliate, it was still considered a poison. Even a small dose could be fatal if they were unaware of their target''s body constitution.


    They did not know ''Tyr''s'' body constitution. If he ended up having a special condition and had low tolerance to poison, a small dose of numbing poison could be lethal.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Haylee lowered her hand and the Boyd elder fell to his knees, gasping for air.


    The elder woman who had first spoken to Haylee helped the Boyd elder before looking at Haylee and saying, "Your Highness, I''m sorry for myck of understanding. We will definitely capture Disciple Tyr without using any poison. However, we only want to set expectations. Knowing what he can do, it might take some time before we can aplish yourmand."


    "He can be a pain because his melee ability is one of the best I''ve ever seen," Haylee agreed. "But that is the only advantage he has at the moment."


    "However, he is the first mage we''ve seen who sessfully infuse his Array knowledge into his battle¡ª."


    "He can''t use Array. At least, he can''t make an offensive array because he did not have enough materials," Haylee cut the woman midsentence. "His stamina is supposed to have been mostly exhausted but he may have taken a stamina potion to ensure he has enough strength to retaliate and then escape.


    "But no matter how many stamina potions he drinks, his body is the only one feeling invigorated. His mental strength will eventually tire¡ª so, I suggest forming an encirclement to limit the area where he can move and wait until he is mentally exhausted. After that, close in and capture him."


    "Yes, your Highness," the elder woman agreed and lowered her head.


    s, the subject of their discussion was neither physically nor mentally exhausted. If there was one thing Neo was worried about breaking down, it was his body¡ª in every literal meaning.


    Neo had been working non-stop since the day before, going from one ce to another along with Styx and the rest, targeting the army''s warehouses. After that, he was attacked by Tobias and was captured. After retaliating he had to endure the bombardment of numerous powerful magic attacks from the Lumley mages while eradicating them while on Destroy mode. Finally, he was captured yet again, and this time it was the Boyd Family''s Ancestor, whose magic pressure was enough to strain Neo''s body to its limit. Neo was even made to endure Osric''s magic pressure for almost half a day.


    Basically, Neo''s body was in shambles and although he could still move around and fight rigorously, he would not be able to endure another powerful attack simr to Osric''s normal attack.


    Neo already sent out a coded message to his master, but whether it reached thetter or not, he could not tell. While he was waiting for a response, he busied himself in destroying every Array formation he came across.


    He was actually surprised that the vi was installed by so many formations. Based on Neo''s knowledge, Array Specialists with high attainments were pretty rare within the empire. It did not even exceed twenty or twenty-five mages.


    Of course, this was excluding every unregistered Array Specialist, which was discovered during the joint military exercises.


    But that was unimportant at the moment. Because what Neo discovered was far more intriguing. Every Array formation he found was all advanced-tier arrays and their forms could be considered ''ancient.'' This meant that these were made a long time ago, yet, surprisingly, they were still intact.


    Neo wanted to find more formations and record them in his system so he could show them to his master. He believed that Kyran could determine the exact time these formations were created and find the answer to who created all of these advanced-tier formations.


    After destroying another array formation, Neo moved while avoiding every patrolling Boyd member.


    After a few minutes of looking, he found another formation.


    ''Just how many Array formations does this ce have?'' Neo wondered.


    "There he is!"


    A hoarse cry echoed inside the room Neo had just entered.


    Instinctively, or to be precise, Neo''s programming immediately reacted.


    Without waiting to see who those people were, Neo already tightened his grip on the wooden staff in his hand.


    Earlier, he had it transform into a huge hammer but now it had returned to its original size.


    Neo whirled the staff on his hand and swung toward the iing Boyd members.

 Chapter 598 At The Villa (2)

    The approaching Boyd family members sneered at the size of Neo''s wooden staff. At most, it was only about two meters long and would not reach them as they were still around fifteen meters away. Apart from this, the staff was made from wood. Even if it reached them it would not pose any threat. It might even snap after hitting any one of them.


    Their confidence stemmed from the fact that they were part of the Boyd Family''sbat mages. They had been nurtured at an early age and their bodies were made to endure most physical and magic attacks from High Master mages and below.


    As far as they were concerned, ''Disciple Tyr'' was only a Master mage. His attack would not be able to inflict much damage.


    Too bad these members did not witness Neo''s staff changing and turning into a huge hammer and sting away a number of Boyd family members after mming it on the ground.


    And Neo did just that. As he swung the staff toward the approaching Boyd family members, the staff''s length suddenly increased. At the same time, the tip facing them expanded, revealing a huge head of a hammer.


    Most of the Boyd family members did not even have the time to gape in shock at the abrupt change in Neo''s staff before being sted away.


    "Aaaahhh!"


    A couple of Boyd family members sessfully evaded.


    But before they could rejoice as the staff-now-turn-hammer missed them, Neo suddenly appeared in front of them and performed a double roundhouse kick, sending the two flying to the side.


    "Ack!"


    They mmed on a nearby wall and were buried in its rubble as it copsed from the impact.


    Neo did not check their status and immediately turned to leave.


    Meanwhile, Styx, Dante and the rest of the mercenaries were busy wrecking the north area of the vi. They split up into a team of two and spread out.


    Using his great sword, Dante cleaved it down at the approaching fire magic attacks from the Boyd family members. As the great sword mmed on the ground, earth spikes emerged, forming a snake-like trail that met the fire magic attacks.


    BOOM!


    As the magic attacks collided, an explosion urred, sending ripples of aftershocks. The aftershocks forced the few Boyd family members nearby to fall back.


    BAM!


    "Argh!"


    However, as soon as they were forced back. A huge wall made of earth sprang a few feet behind them and they mmed right into it.


    Another wall made of earth sprang in front and mmed at them, sandwiching them in the process.


    This sudden attack was made by Styx.


    As an Abjurer, his offensive attack was weak. As a matter of fact, he did not know any offensive attacks apart from molding his magic into a weapon or boulders and willing them to attack his enemies. But such moves were too simple and easy to predict. It would not be an effective attack.


    However, if Styx took advantage of the flow of the battle and his enemies'' positioning he could still knock them unconscious.


    "That''s got to hurt," Dante could not help but wince, seeing how the Boyd family members got sandwiched by Styx''s move.


    "Just enough to knock them out," Styx snorted in disdain. He then looked up slightly and added, "Let''s go. We have to find Tyr as soon as possible and leave at once."


    It was not that they were worried about their identities being discovered. Their magic attacks and the weapons they were using were practically an obvious giveaway of who they were. What made Styx said this was the two sea serpents fighting in the middle area of the Boyd Family''s Vi.


    Dante also looked in the direction where Styx was looking and nodded in agreement. He said, "Yeah. I don''t want to get caught up in that fight."


    Apart from the fact the sh between the two sea serpents was on a different level from what Dante could take part in, they both possessed Water magic which was also not a good match to his Earth magic. He could also use Fire magic andbined it with his Earth magic, but the former was even at a disadvantage to Water magic.


    The two continued forward while avoiding the area where the two sea serpents were fighting.


    Meanwhile, around fifty kilometers away from the Boyd Family''s Vi, Osric gaped at the scene he was seeing from where he was.


    Now that he was closer to where the two sea serpents were fighting, Osric had a better idea of their standings.


    To his utter disbelief, it was his magic weapon''s sentient who was at a disadvantage, while Tritus''s magic weapon had almost sessfully consumed the former.


    RAWRGH!


    As if sensing Osric nearby, the bluish-white sea serpent let out a roar and flew toward his direction.


    RAWRGH!


    However, the bluish-green sea serpent had no ns of letting it go. It opened its mouth and released a concentrated magic energy attack that shot toward the escaping sea serpent. Simultaneously, it flung its tail toward thetter, wanting to coil it around it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-white sea serpent let out a pitiful roar as the bluish-green sea serpent''s attack pierced its back. Thetter then took the chance when the former was in pain to sessfully coil its tail around it.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-white sea serpent roared in retaliation as it tried to break free from the bluish-green sea serpent''s hold.


    RAWRGH!


    But the bluish-green sea serpent already umted far more power after fighting the bluish-white sea serpent for some time and could not be outpowered easily. It opened its mouth and roared and bit thetter''s neck.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-white sea serpent let out another pitiful wail as it mmed its tail on the ground, destroying several buildings in the process and causing a tremor that momentarily halted the movements of every person within a hundred meters around them.


    Osric''s eyes widened the moment he sensed the waning aura and will of the bluish-white sea serpent. He finally understood why his magic weapon''s sentient was suddenly on the losing end. Tritus''s magic weapon had been feeding on thetter''s magic energy!


    His eyes glowed fiercely and he shot forward at an rming speed.


    "I''LL DESTROY YOU!" Osric shouted in rage as his magic aura exploded.


    Immediately, the Boyd family members nearby sensed Osric''s approach and rejoiced. After suffering from one unexpected attack to another, they were starting to lose hope.


    To be honest, it was not that they did not have other powerful mages to help contain the situation. But they had their own things to do and were not in the vi.


    In any case, there was not enough time for them to return.


    Osric whirled his staff and forcefully unsummoned it''s sentient.


    The bluish-green sea serpent immediately sensed its prey slipping away.


    RAWRGH!


    Its eyes shed green as it roared toward the direction of the approaching Osric. It seemed to have issued a challenge against him.


    Without awaiting for Osric to ept the challenge, the bluish-green sea serpent sprang to meet him.


    Osric waved his hand and his magic staff disappeared. It was then reced by a different staff, which likely was a spare magic weapon. However, the magic energy it emitted did not lose out to the previous staff.


    The staff in Osric''s hand was made of pure diamond, with a huge sapphire-blue stone at the top end. The staff''s design was a little crude as if an amateur had carved a huge block of diamond and taken out a chunk to use as a staff.


    Obviously, such a thing was impossible. After all, no amateur had the ability to cut a diamond, which was considered one of the hardest materials in the world.


    As for the sapphire-blue stone, surprisingly, it was also made of diamond and the reason its color was blue was that a thinyer of deep blue water enveloped it like a second coating.


    Osric''s eyes shed the same moment he waved his staff.


    As soon as he did, a powerful surge of pure Water magic erupted from the ground below and toward the approaching sea serpent.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-green sea serpent let out a powerful roar that seemed to contain a sonar effect, sending ripples of soundwaves toward the tidal wave.


    The sonar attack from the sea serpent had little effect on the tidal wave. However, it managed to stop its advance.


    Osric was surprised to see the sea serpent use Sound magic when it was clearly a Water-type magic weapon. But he did not dwell much on it and waved his staff again.


    The tidal wave immediately regained its momentum, its height rose to almost a hundred meters and rushed toward the sea serpent.


    The bluish-green sea serpent swiped its tail horizontally at the iing tidal wave, splitting it in half.


    As soon as the tidal wave was split, it seemed to turn into ordinary water that fell down like two ovepping waterfalls.


    WHOOOSH!


    When the water fell to the ground, it converged right beneath the sea serpent''s body and several water spikes sprang up, piercing the sea serpent''s body.

 Chapter 599 Rise (1)

    RAWRGH!


    The sea serpent roared as if in pain.


    It was likely due to the fact that the water spikes that pierced its body were hard as diamonds.


    The Boyd family members who saw the scene unfold rejoiced at once. They were worried that the vi''s defensive array would not hold if the two sea serpents continued to go on a rampage. But with the bluish-white sea serpent returning to Osric''s side, and the bluish-green sea serpent defeated by thetter, then they had nothing to worry about. Regarding the other intruders, as long as they restored the vi''s defensive array it would only be a matter of time before they captured and killed them. When that happened, they only had to detain Disciple Tyr then everything would once again be under their control.


    Crack! Crack!


    However, before they could savor the joy of seeing the troublesome bluish-green sea serpent getting pierced by the diamond-like water spikes, its body suddenly melted as it turned into water.


    They were all shocked at what they witnessed because the sea serpent turning into a body of water was simr to the Boyd Ancestor''s escape ability. As far as they knew, such ability could only be achieved after one attained a very high realm in understanding their innate magic.


    Osric also attained the ability after waking up from his deep slumber.


    Could the sea serpent have a simr experience with Osric and attained a very deep realm in Water magic?


    They were not given the chance to ponder this question because as soon as the sea serpent turned into water, a powerful surge of water spread on the ground, turning everything it passed into ruins.


    The Boyd family members nearby fled in a hurry. Some who failed to do so were swept away by the wave, their condition unknown.


    One would expect that Osric would try to save the Boyd family members. However, he ignored their cries for help and even prepared arge-area magic attack.


    The water spikes that pierced the bluish-green sea serpent exploded and turned into diamond dust that mixed with the surging water. Osric waved his staff and the diamond dust shimmered, instantly forcing the surging water to a standstill.


    RAWRGH!


    An almost unearthly cry reverberated in the air that came from within the water.


    Osric waved his staff and the water surged upward in several pir-like forms. Upon reaching a certain height, they converged at the top. From afar, one could see that the water had taken a huge cage-like form.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-green sea serpent that turned into water and was now trapped by the diamond dust let out another sonar attack. However, the diamond dust managed to withstand the attack and only shook slightly.


    "You brazenly took my weapon''s experience and vitality. I will have you return them with interest!" Osric growled and his eyes shed in silent anger.


    The movement at which the water converged at the top increased and the bluish-green sea serpent''s anguish cry continued to echo within the water.


    At the core where all the water pirs converged, a diamond orb was slowly forming. This orb was the diamond dust that spread throughout the water. They were now merging with one another after absorbing the sea serpent''s vitality.


    More and more diamond orbs appeared at the core of the water pirs every second.


    After almost a minute, Osric took out his other staff using his left hand. He raised the staff toward the direction of the diamond orbs. One by one, the orbs flew toward Osric and entered the staff. As it did, the staff on his hand lit up, seemingly feeling invigorated after absorbing the orbs.


    These orbs that were now filled with the sea serpent''s vitality were akin to a magic replenishing and stamina potion that restored the weakened sentient of Osric''s main magic weapon.


    By this time, the bluish-green sea serpent went silent. It was as if what was absorbed from it was not only its vitality but also its ability to resist.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Osric''s lips. However, his tion was short-lived as a voice spoke from above.


    "Don''t just forget about me," Tritus said as soon as he arrived.


    Osric''s face distorted in annoyance as he looked up. He was just about to unleash a powerful magic attack using the diamond staff but the moment his eyesnded on Tritus, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets from what he saw.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When Tritus had spoken he never really stopped. He only said his piece and flew past Osric, flying straight to the core of the merging water pirs.


    Tritus''s tone just now sounded as if he was raring to have a go at Osric, but then he actually ignored him!


    As soon as Tritus arrived around a hundred meters away from the core of the water pirs, he made an abrupt stop and arched his body. He pulled back his right hand that was holding the golden trident and aimed at it before throwing the trident like a javelin.


    Whoosh!


    The trident flew toward the core at an rming speed. It should be noted that Tritus''s trident was made of pure gold and it weighed more than 100 kg. While it was ideal to throw heavier objects was better because it improves one''s muscle power, a normal person would not be able to throw such a heavy item much less carry it. The only reason Tritus was able to do such a feat was due to his armor, and the improvement in his physical body after bing a Sigil.


    Osric immediately understood what Tritus wanted to do. He waved the diamond staff, summoning a water stream while simultaneously going after thetter.


    The water stream flew out of the diamond staff''s tip and as it gained momentum, it changed into a ten-meter-long white translucent dolphin. Its body slowly turned into a diamond the further it went, leaving trails of diamond dust in its wake.


    Even without looking, Tritus sensed the appearance of Osric''s diamond staff''s sentient through his magic sense. As he expected, thetter indeed birthed a sentient to his spare weapon. Apart from this, the aura it emitted was no less the bluish-white sea serpent.


    Water mages were already rare enough. To have a water-type magic weapon birth a sentient was even more precious. But Osric actually managed to do it twice and both have two unique abilities. Apart from this, this dolphin-looking sentient seemed to have the ability to turn anything it touched into a diamond and restrain its movement-- as it did to the bluish-green sea serpent. It even ignored the level and power advantage of thetter and beautifully restrained it.


    Tritus could not help but feel goosebumps up his arms. However, he was not afraid but excited.


    The more Osric showed his hidden cards, the more motivated Tritus be to win.


    As for the trident''s sentient, if there was one-word Tritus would describe its temper it was headstrong. The more it was restrained and appeared to be at a disadvantage, the more it would retaliate and rise up to the challenge. When that happens, he would not be able to keep up with it.


    Which was why he decided to release the trident and let it do as it pleases!


    By this time, the trident was only five meters away from the core with the diamond dolphin right on its tail.


    Just when the dolphin''s beak touched the trident''s tip, something inside the water pirs caused them to ripple violently.


    It was obviously the sea serpent who had gone silent right after Tritus had arrived.


    Because of the ripples, the cage-like form of these pirs distorted and the forming diamond orbs at the core stopped.


    Sensing something was amiss, the dolphin let out a cry and opened its beak-- instantly attracting the diamond orbs and flew toward its opened mouth.


    Meanwhile, Osric already arrived behind Tritus and waved his crystal staff.


    A mage with no magic weapon would always be at a disadvantage against a mage with one. And if the mage possessing the magic weapon also had the advantage in mage level, then the former only had one oue-- death.


    With no magic weapon in hand, not to mention, a level disadvantage anyone would think Tritus was done for.


    s, with his face covered by his armor''s headgear, no one could see the smile of anticipation on Tritus''s face.


    Several small sea serpents rushed out of Osric''s crystal staff and coiled around Tritus.


    "Die," Osric muttered, his whole body emitting massive killing intent.


    The sea serpents opened their mouths and were about to bite Tritus to death when he said, "I don''t think so."


    CRACKLE!


    A sh of lightning suddenly struck from above. It fell directly on Tritus but was unharmed by it because his full body armor was made of Auron-- a higher version of gold. Since gold was a good conductor of electricity, the electrical discharge from the lightning only went passed it.

 Chapter 600 Rise (2)

    Tritus was fine, but that was not the case with the sea serpents coiled around his body. They roared and pain as the lightning discharge spread over their bodies at an rming speed. Since they were still connected to the crystal staff, and Osric was still holding thetter, the lightning also came toward him.


    Reason told Osric not to let go of his staff because Tritus was likely aiming for that to happen. But instinctively, his body knew that he would not be able to endure the Lightning attack because it was Water magic''s weakness. He could not even use his ability to turn into water and escape because he had a feeling that once he do the lightning would strike again.


    Osric''s worries were on point.


    The Lightning strikes had been prepared by Tritus and there were several simr scrolls that were waiting to be activated all over the ce.


    When he threw the trident, the Lightning scrolls he wrapped around its shaft also got thrown off. The reason no one saw them was that he cast a camouge spell on them. He also imprinted his magic energy on their body so the moment they were thrown off the trident, he could manipte them into position.


    The Lightning attack that struck Tritus was only the first among several scrolls he hid above. And depending on how Osric would react, he could move the remaining scrolls and adjust his moves ordingly.


    In the end, Osric''s intuition won as he let go of the crystal staff before the lightning attack touch him. Then he waved his diamond staff, urging the diamond dolphin to attack Tritus.


    Meanwhile, it was at that moment that Tritus and the bluish-green sea serpent moved.


    Tritus activated several scrolls in session. The first to activate was a Storm scroll, which covered a twenty-meter radius with Osric at the center. The second ones to activate were five Lightning scrolls. They struck five points around the border of the Storm''s area of effect, blocking off Osric''s possible escape route. Then the third scroll to activate was a Lock-on scroll. This scroll was slightly different from the first one because it was not an offensive scroll but support. Its aim was to ensure that the first scrolls that activated would not lose their target even if a new escape route appears.


    Osric''s scalp went numb the moment he saw the five Lightning attack strike down. With the Storm attack in effect, as long as the Lightning touched a part of it, its discharge would spread around the Storm''s area of effect.


    Meanwhile, the bluish-green sea serpent emerged from the cage-like water pirs and collided with the golden trident. With a blinding light, the former returned to the golden trident. After that, it turned and went after the diamond dolphin which appeared to be stuck in ce after Osric failed to give it apletemand.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The golden trident immediately attacked the diamond dolphin. But with thetter''s diamond body, the former failed to even leave a scratch on it.


    Going back at Osric''s side, his initial shock from Tritus''s attack was soon reced by a sneer. He waved the diamond staff in its hand once again and his body turned to a diamond in an instant.


    Tritus was stunned after seeing Osric''s move. Frankly, he had expected thetter to have the ability to use some of the diamond dolphin''s abilities. However, he did not expect that he could also turn into a diamond because water and diamond were twopletely different forms.


    ''No, you are confusing something here,'' Tritus suddenly stopped his train of thought.


    In the first ce, the diamond staff was a Water-base magic weapon. Water magic energy flows within the weapon, which was the reason Osric could use it. The weapon''s diamond appearance, as well as its sentient diamond form, was likely a manifestation, or an effect only¡ª or maybe a unique ability. Either way, it was not caused by Diamond magic. Thus, Osric turning into a diamond was due to the magic weapon''s effect¡ª or ability, and not because he also understood the Diamond magic''s nature to an extremely high level.


    Nevertheless, Tritus''s expression immediately turned solemn. He now realized Osric''s weakness. Or to be precise, what hecked.


    Osric had been in slumber for several hundred years and only focused on nurturing his innate magic. Though he did notck battle experience¡ª as he was born during the Chaos Era and likely fought numerous wars, that was all he ever had time to do. He might have learned battle tactics and such, but his knowledge about different types of magic wascking.


    It was not because Osric did not bother to learn them but because the environment at which one was in during the Chaos Era prevented them from doing so. After all, with too many wars happening at that time, there was little time to do personal research.


    Aside from this, Tritus guessed from Osric''s reaction upon seeing the lightning that thetter had little to no experience fighting a Lightning or Thunder mage¡ª actually, Tritus had no experience as well, but since he knew it was his innate magic''s nemesis, he did a lot of research on these two magic. Because of this, Tritus knew that Lightning and Thunder magic could melt diamonds better than Fire magic!


    Just as Tritus was thinking this, Osric''s expression turned nasty as the lightning discharge neared him.


    There were still a few centimeters before it touched Osric, but his diamond skin already showed signs of melting. rmed by this, he instinctively took out a teleportation token and moved at least ten meters away.


    Whoosh!


    The Lock-on effect passively activated and the Storm and Lightning attacks also adjusted their positioning about ten meters.


    "Ngh!" Osric let out a painful wince as the lightning discharge touched his forearms. He immediately took out three teleportation tokens and a scroll. At the same time, he broke one teleportation token while releasing the staff''s diamond mimicry effect. Before the diamond effect waspletely removed, and he phased in after teleporting another ten meters, he finally took out a scroll and activated it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Boom!


    Just when the lightning touched Osric, the scroll emitted a blinding light that covered his body in an instant.


    ''This...!''


    Tritus''s eyes widened the moment the blinding light covering Osric vanished. A sphere with a translucent metallic sheen protected thetter from the onught of lightning.


    From within the sphere, Osric looked at Tritus with a smile and said, "I admit not knowing that Lightning can easily pierce through the defences of Diamond. But did you really think I don''t have other means to protect myself from it?"


    Obviously, Tritus had thought of it. But his setup was to prevent him from using it. Besides, he did not know about the diamond staff''s ability so that had been a plus to his setup. Ideally, the Lightning attacks would have easily kept up with Osric''s speed, and the Storm and the Lock-on effect prevented thetter from escaping using teleportation tokens or transmission scrolls. The Storm also had an effect that inflict slow movement albeit minimally.


    Tritus had calcted Osric''s speed and his setup but apparently, it was still not enough.


    Did this mean that Osric had not been using his fastest speed when Tritus was chasing after him?


    If there was anything Tritus miscalcted, it was likely Osric''s real speed.


    ''Is this the gap between an Arch Magus and a Legendary?'' Tritus could not help but wonder.


    "This ambush would have dealt a great deal of damage on me if not for our gap," Osric taunted as if reading Tritus''s mind. "You have used quite some rare scrolls, but their strength will only reflect your level. If you had been a Legendary then these Lightnings, would have been stronger and faster. It goes without saying, but the Storm''s range and effect will also be stronger."


    Tritus did not refute it because there was nothing he could say.


    Osric was right.


    The scrolls Tritus had used were indeed rare. Since there was no known Lightning or Thunder mage in the Ylfaen Empire, he had to find a way to get the scrolls from the western nations. Though it was still umon,pared to the empire, there were three known nations in the west that had Lightning or Thunder mages.


    In any case, the power of these scrolls would normally only possess the strength of the mage that created it. But Tritus, using the magic technology that the Temr Code possessed, managed to find a way to increase the strength of such scrolls if activated by a mage with a different type of magic energy and level.


    Ultimately, the level at which Tritus had used was still far from enough.


    RAWRGH!


    CLICK! CLICK CLICK!


    A powerful roar followed by a pitiful clicking wail immediately drew Osric and Tritus''s attention toward the sea serpent and the diamond dolphin.


    Crack! Crack!


    But as Osric turned his head to look at the direction they were in, he spat a mouthful of blood and the crystal and diamond staff he was holding cracked. His eyes widened at once as he realized what had happened.


    "NOOO!" He growled at the scene that greeted him.


    The bluish-green sea serpent had grown in size as it easily chomped half of the diamond dolphin''s body. Apart from that, its tail was coiled around the core of the water pirs and had crushed the diamond orbs there, which in turn seeped into the bluish-green sea serpent''s scales.


    The moment Tritus saw this, his eyes glinted in excitement. It seemed the trident''s soul had sessfully taken two powerful sentients! Just as he was thinking this, he felt something within him warm up. His light lit up as he realized what was happening and he could not help but look at the sea serpent both in amazement and shock.


    Apparently, the bluish-green sea serpent did not take the diamond dolphin and diamond spheres¡ª which were supposed to have formed from the former''s vitality that originally powered up from consuming the bluish-white sea serpent''s magic energy and vitality¡ª all by itself. It shared some of the excess energy with Tritus using their bond. And this ''excess'' energy was what thetter needed in order to break through his shackles and rise to the next level!

 Chapter 601 Finally, We Meet

    One of the requirements a mage had to aplish before they could advance to a Magus, was understanding a domain. Once they seeded, then they could finally take thest step and be promoted.


    To advance into the Arch Magus, a Magus had to create a unique move. It could be an offensive move, defensive, or even a supportive move as long it was unique to them, then they could advance.


    However, advancing into the Legendary realm seemed easierpared to thetter two. But in fact, it was far moreplicated because one had to have a deeper understanding of their innate magic.


    That was the only way an Arch Magus could advance. It was also the reason Kyran told Tritus to learn all he could from Osric during their fight. Because what else was a better way to learn and understand one''s innate magic than during a fight? Aside from this, learning from Osric who had the advantage with mage level was beneficial to Tritus.


    Nevertheless, Trituscked the means to fight Osric in a head-on battle. He could only rely on setting up formations and using scrolls to get thetter in a disadvantageous situation.


    In the end, Tritus still failed, and without a proper magic weapon, he was like a sheep awaiting ughter once Osric got serious.


    Who would have expected that the trident''s soul, the bluish-green sea serpent, was willing to share the experience and energy he had umted while fighting the bluish-white sea serpent with Tritus in order to help him break through to the next level? The energy the sea serpent shared with him was probably only an excess it could no longer absorb. Still, it was more than enough to assist in Tritus''s advancement.


    A surge of magic energy erupted from the bluish-green sea serpent as itpletely devoured the diamond dolphin.


    "YOU REALLY DARED!" Osric eximed through gritted teeth as he spat another mouthful of blood at the same time the diamond staff shattered after losing its soul.


    Before he could cast a magic attack using the crystal staff, he noticed another surge of magic energy nearby. It did not take him long to realize that the surge of magic energy actually came from Tritus.


    At the exact moment that the bluish-green sea serpent erupted with magic energy, Tritus''s body also did the same. Because of this, all of the scrolls he had set up were destroyed by the fierce magic fluctuation in the surroundings.


    Realization dawned on Osric as he turned his focus on Tritus¡ª his expression distorted.


    ''They actually n on advancing at the same time!'' He thought, feeling indignant at the thought that the reason they were going to advance was due to his magic weapon''s magic energy and vitality. Not to mention, he found their guts unbelievable to dare perform an advancement in the middle of their fight! Did they think he was a pushover?


    Osric''s eyes shed with killing intent while he glowered at Tritus and then at the sea serpent.


    "Not on my watch!" He growled and released the full force of his magic pressure.


    Two whirlpools of almost palpable concentrated magic energies appeared, which were caused by the bluish-green sea serpent and Tritus. And at the point at which these two whirlpools were about to meet, another surge of magic energy erupted. This one came from Osric as he was about to unleash his ultimate unique move.


    With the new whirlpool of magic energy eating away the ones released by the bluish-green sea serpent and Tritus, thetter two felt a possible bacshing their way.


    This was obviously Osric''s aim. Disrupt the flow of magic energies between the two and stop their advancement. At most, he could cause the two to receive a bacsh and instead of advancing their level might suffer a degradation. If not, the foundations of both the bluish-green sea serpent and Tritus would suffer a bacsh and they would never be able to advance no matter what happened.


    But Osric was not simply aiming for these two possibilities. If any of the two seeded, he would still unleash his ultimate unique move and make them pay for what they did to his two magic weapons.


    "I''ll make you suffer fate worse than death!"


    "''Not on my watch.''"


    Osric almost choked after hearing someone echoed his words. His reaction was not because he felt embarrassed or indignant after someone mimicked him, but because the owner of the voice was someone he believed to be in a far more precarious situation.


    Kyran Regis!


    What did his appearance there entail? What happened to Sovereign of Light?


    Unfortunately, Osric did not have the leisure to dwell on his doubts as he felt a strange tingle at the back of his neck. His heart turned cold, and his eyes widened in fear. Because he only ever felt this kind of tingle when he was close to losing his life!


    Osric immediately turned into water and drop to the ground with a ssh. Right after that, a beam of light shed past the spot where he had just been.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The beam of light that missed him had the characteristics of Light and Void magic.


    Light magic can pass through objects¡ª even the human body¡ª so long as they are not ''opaque,'' while Void magic can turn anything it touches into nothingness.


    Kyran did not want Osric to die just yet. He still wanted to wring as much information about the Chaos Era from thetter. That was why he was thinking of aiming at thetter''s bones, which Light magic could not affect. Kyran aimed to cripple him in a way that he would not have the ability to move, especially once he asked Raya to look into his memories.


    In any case, Kyran''s arrival was not that surprising. As a matter of fact, he was aware of the situation because the bluish-green sea serpent kept sending him updates. That was why when the sea serpent sessfully devoured the diamond dolphin, Kyran asked it to share some of its umted magic energy and vitality with Tritus to ensure thetter could also advance.


    Tritus also epted the sea serpent''s goodwill and did not worry about Osric sabotaging their advancement because he already sensed the Sigil taking effect¡ª meaning Kyran was within his range again.


    No matter what trick Osric does, Tritus knows his master would be there to stop it.


    Meanwhile, Light followed Kyran while in her ''light'' form. This prevented others below the Sage realm from noticing her presence. But she did not follow Kyran because she had already be his Sigil. Because, in the end, Kyran decided not to turn her into one.


    Instead, he left a mark on Light, simr to the ones he left on Olivia and Osman. As to the condition of the mark''s trigger, it was for Light to follow Kyran and see for herself the real situation between him and the new Soul Emperor. Depending on what she decided upon understanding the current situation, the mark would either disappear or kill her.


    Honestly, Light would not have agreed for Kyran to mark her. But because she feared Kyran''s parents¡ª or at least one of his parents¡ª would discover her brazen move on Kyran and descend from the Higher Realm to deal with her.


    That was right. Light was still convinced that Kyran was a dragon spawn and the reason he remained human was that the dragon that sired him was a noble among the dragons from the Higher Realm.


    Kyran did not know Light''s misunderstanding. He only had an inkling but did not dwell on it because he did not want to expose the truth about him possessing the Draconic core.


    To him, it was better for Light to misunderstand his birth, rather than expose that the supposed ''Dragon magic'' he circted was actually ''Draconic magic.''


    "To think you''d be so willing toe here," Osric said as he materialized a few meters away from where Kyran stood.


    Kyran looked at Osric with an amused smile. Currently, he was circting not only the Void magic but the Draconic magic and could sense Osric''s apprehension behind the brave front.


    Because Kyran''s face was half covered, Osric did not see the former''s amused smile. He continued, "You were even againsting here, but now, you are here. As expected of someone born from the Regis n. You can''t just leave one of your own when they are in danger."


    Kyran did not respond and only tilted his head to one side. His action was actually not meant as a response to what Osric had said. However, that was what thetter interpreted and felt his fear vanish, which was then reced by indignation.


    But Kyran was half oblivious about Osric''s feelings because he was busy using his magic sense to scan the Boyd Family''s vi.


    Immediately, Kyran''s brow furrowed after discovering Styx, Dante, Owen, Hamish and other mercenaries present in the vi. He also located Neo and realized how badly damaged its exterior was.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, a powerful aura erupted from inside the vi.


    In an instant, Kyran warped Tritus and the bluish-green sea serpent away to ensure their advancement would not be affected if a battle ensued.


    "I''ve heard stories about it. And my predecessor showed me plenty of instances of how it is done. But that does not stop me from being amazed at it."


    A somewhat alluring yet powerful feminine voice reverberated in the surroundings.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed upon recognizing the owner of the voice.


    "The new ''Dark Sage.'' Finally, we meet."

 Chapter 602 We Already Met

    The owner of the voice was none other than Haylee, who emerged from the saferoom the Boyd family leaders escorted her to.


    Going back a few minutes ago, after the Boyd family leaders left Haylee in the saferoom, she was supposed to rest. But after sensing themotion outside, and the arrival of people with two familiar auras she left to take a look. She did not care much about the other aura because it was Osric''s but the second aura somewhat gave her a bad feeling¡ª the aura belonging to Tritus, themander of the Temr Code.


    Her bad feeling was soon realized after witnessing the battle between Osric and Tritus from afar. What was more, she could not see through Tritus''s soul. It was as if there was a ''void'' that prevented her from peaking at his soul.


    Frankly, Haylee would not have let Osric handle Tritus by himself if she could see through thetter. Tritus was one of the few people she find somewhat troublesome to control. Apart from breaking through the Arch Magus realm, he was far more ambitious and sinister than Gael. Because thetter only had thoughts of taking full control of the Royal Army while ''threatening'' the Royal Family, but never really had the guts to overthrow thempletely, while Tritus was secretly nurturing several Exalted mages in preparation to take over not only the Ylfaen Empire but the other nations in the world. He nned to do this by forcefully advancing his people to Magus using a pill he was researching for years. Using the pill, it would appear like he had an army of Magus.


    Anyway, the Royal Family was aware of Tritus''s ns but kept mum because thetter had yet to show his true nature. Not to mention, they did not have any solid proof of his ns apart from research materials on the pill.


    Nevertheless, Euan decided to keep an eye on the Temr Code''s movements by ordering them to lead the Elite Team that was supposed to oversee the upgrades of every magic detector in the empire.


    Tritus''s appearance in the vi did not bode well for Haylee. Initially, she was worried that Tritus might have discovered the current situation regarding the Dark Sage and was nning to take advantage of it and put his ns into motion. But Haylee no longer thought this way after she failed to see through his soul.


    In any case, her doubts were answered as soon as she noticed that person''s arrival¡ª the new Dark Sage, Kyran Regis.


    The truth, Haylee did not sense his approach. If not for his magic sense sweeping through her as if someone was trying to spy on her everything, she would not have noticed him. Strangely, being spied on did not seem offensive to her. Rather, his magic sense felt nostalgic¡ª making her feel excited.


    This feeling surprised Haylee but only for a second. She immediately understood that the nostalgia she felt was due to the memories of the previous Soul Emperor stored in her Soul core. Now she was sure that her predecessor did value the previous Dark Sage and was not entirely indifferent to his feelings. At most, she felt the same but her ns were far more important to her.


    Anyway, Haylee decided to show herself because she wanted to meet the new ''Dark Sage'' personally. Besides, her father did want him to be her betrothed¡ª further inciting her curiosity.


    Haylee walked out of her hiding spot, not taking her eyes off Kyran who was also looking at her in midair.


    Osric''s scalp went numb with fear upon seeing Haylee. He immediately shouted, "Please, your Highness! Let me handle this for now. Retreat with the others."


    Just like the rest of the Boyd family leaders, he was aware that Haylee was in a bad condition. It was actually quite obvious. Her paleplexion and the dark circles under her eyes were sure telltale signs.


    Kyran might be a Regis who valued their moral code. But after what Haylee had done to his n, there was no telling if he could still keep his moral code and take advantage of her condition.


    Haylee simply raised her hand to silence Osric. With her eyes still focus on Kyran she said, "Kyran Regis. You may not know, but I am¡ª."


    "Haylee, the Crown Princess of the Ylfaen Empire. I already know who you are."


    Haylee raised her brows in surprise. She was truly surprised that Kyran knew who she was. To be urate, Kyran likely recognized her as the new ''Soul Emperor'' but instead of calling her that, he outright said her name and her title.


    It should be noted that no one knew what the Crown Princess looked like. Even her name was changed and hidden from the public to avoid being cursed by others.


    "How did you¡ª?"


    "We already met, Princess," Kyran emphasized thest word and used the same tone as he did when he called her that while acting as Tyr.


    Haylee felt as if someone doused her with cold water as she heard Kyran. She obviously did not miss the meaning behind his words and a myriad of emotions shed through her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first emotion she felt was regret. She had just realized that the man she was likely interested in was actually the same person her father want to be her betrothed¡ª the skinny and weak-looking boy.


    Apart from this, she felt somewhat confused because she had just spoken to ''Tyr.'' And all the information she had of him was definitely not made up. The ones who discovered Tyr''s identity were people from the Boyd Family and it was impossible for them to make a mistake.


    But then Haylee recalled that in their findings, they only found an old photo of the missing young lord from the west. His features were the same as ''Tyr,'' thus, they believed he really was the same person. His arrogance and demeanour also convinced them that he was not amoner but came from nobility.


    Haylee shook her head and red at Kyran.


    "You are trying to confuse me!"


    Kyran tilted his head to one side, feeling slightly amused. He did not intend to reveal his identity as Tyr at the get-go. But after discovering Neo''s body was already in a precarious state, he wanted to divert the attention of the Boyd family members after him.


    Apart from this, he was trying to get Styx, Dante, Owen, Hamish and the rest of the mercenaries to leave. So the more Boyd members he could attract, the better. He wanted to warp them away, like what he did to Tritus and the sea serpent, but they were too far from his range and could not do so.


    "Why would I do that? Then again, I don''t really care whether you believe me or not" Kyran said and shrugged¡ª a rather signature action of ''Tyr,''


    "You can''t be him!" Haylee insisted with such zeal that it surprised her. "I just spoke to him and he even tried to¡ª."


    "Blow himself up?" Kyran interrupted as hended on the ground in a rather leisurely way it made the Boyd family members nearby indignant.


    Did he not realize that he was inside their territory? How could he act so calmly? And why was he trying to mess up the Crown Princess''s mind?


    These thoughts circled through Osric and the rest of the Boyd family members nearby. Because they did not know that ''Tyr'' really tried to blow himself up when Haylee tried to ''change his mind'' in epting her offer.


    Haylee could not help but tremble after hearing Kyran''s words. She was still unconvinced of his im, but if he was not telling the truth then how did he know about ''Tyr'' trying to blow himself up?


    s, it appeared Haylee never thought that the ''Tyr'' they captured and she had spoken to was only a puppet. To her, he was as real as one could get.


    Kyran let out a sigh and added, "Yeah, its decision to blow himself up is pretty ingenious. I''m impressed. But I think I''ll have to delete that part in its system because I seriously don''t want to lose a very good puppet."


    The Boyd family members, especially Osric were shocked at Kyran''s implication.


    No. It was no longer an implication because he practically admitted what ''Tyr'' was.


    Haylee was also shocked. But unlike the others, she managed to retain herposure. Although, herplexion seemed to have turned even ghastlier.


    Did she really have interacted with a puppet? No. That was not entirely correct. Kyran did say it was not the first time they had met. Meaning, at some point, they did meet¡ª with Kyran pretending to be Tyr.


    The more Haylee thought of this the more she was convinced that it was the truth. And the only time she interacted with the puppet Tyr was during the time Kyran went to Noser and made a scene.

 Chapter 603 Breakdown

    ''No, he can''t be Tyr,'' Haylee still refused to believe Kyran''s im. If she did, she had to admit that she had been deceived- not only by him but by the Conve.


    Correct. The Conve was involved because right from the start they had been proactively protecting ''Disciple Tyr.'' Not to mention, when Gael sent an anonymous request to hunt down Kyran, ''Tyr'' was the first one to submit a report on thetter''s possible location. If they were the same person, then it meant they got yed by the Conve and Kyran¡ª or could it be that the Regis n knew this would happen right from the start and had conspired with the Conve?


    Haylee also had to ept that apart from them, the Temr Code already got the Regis n on their side¡ª or, was it the other way around? Could it be the Regis n won over the Temr Code and had Tritus swear allegiance¡ª probably through something simr to a Soul-binding, which was why she could not see through him?


    If it had been the Soul-binding Oath, Haylee would have known. After all, it was a binding spell that originated from Soul magic.


    ''No, no!'' Haylee refused to believe that she failed to see through the Regis n''s ns.


    The predicament thetter was in was not fake. There had been casualties and as far as Haylee was concerned, Ruin almost destroyed the Regis n''s barrier...


    Wait.


    Where is Ruin? What''s the current progress in the Regis n''s defensive array?


    Suddenly, the situation before Haylee went to awaken the Macabre cier shed through her mind. She had been away for many a few days and Ruin was already on the verge of destroying the Regis Estate''s barrier. It was the reason she did not ask him to go join Deception in Noser. What about Deception? Haylee only knew that thetter retreated and called for other Sovereigns toe. But what made Deception retreat?


    What about Gael? Thest time Haylee heard of him, he was with Deception.


    And Lira? Where is she?


    All these questions shed through Haylee''s mind, giving her a very bad headache.


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a gray mist exploded from Haylee''s body and circled her.


    The mist was none other than the Macabre cier''s sentient, who took advantage of Haylee''s vulnerable state and attack her mind relentlessly.


    "Aargh!" Haylee grabbed her head and fell to her knees.


    Every Boyd family member was thrown into a frenzy after witnessing Haylee in pain.


    "Princess!"


    "Your Highness!"


    "Quick! Protect her Highness!"


    They shouted almost at the same time.


    Osric also fretted at the sudden turn of events. If this had been any other time, he would have acted indifferently. But the one in danger was the Crown Princess¡ª La''s heir. He would never let anything happen to her. It took more than a thousand years before an heir to her legacy appeared, and he had to ensure that she survives in this lifetime.


    Kyran furrowed his brows after seeing Haylee''s apparent breakdown.


    Was his revtion too stimting that she actually broke down? That should not be the case, right?


    Unbeknownst to him, his revtion was only the trigger. Although most of the reason why Haylee was in such a state was all because of him.


    Kyran also looked at the gray mist that seemed to twirl around Haylee.


    One would think the mist was trying to protect her. But Kyran knew better. He could sense something sinister and even familiar with that gray mist. It was definitely not trying to protect Haylee but was actually attacking her.


    Before Kyran could examine the mist further, the surroundings suddenly turned heavy as an unbelievable magic pressure fell down on them.


    Kyran recognized the pressure was from Osric. However, this pressure was different from the one he used during their fight. It was far more powerful than that time and the killing intent swirling within was far more concentrated, to the point it was almost palpable it was suffocating.


    Obviously, Osric was finally getting serious.


    The thought somewhat surprised Kyran and even made him slightly in awe because this meant the times Osric fought him and then Tritus, was not yet his true strength. Or at least, he had not truly given his all.


    Now that Haylee was in a vulnerable state, Osric snapped and was willing to burn away his life force in order to protect her.


    Kyran had no ns on going all out with Osric. It was not that he was afraid. It was because he could sense something approaching from the hole in the sky. Aside from this, he could sense Light''s apprehension and it was definitely not because of Osric''s ''serious mode.''


    The Boyd family members circled Haylee and created a protective shield. They did not try to touch the mist, since they were already aware of what it could do. Nevertheless, they wanted to ensure that no outside harm woulde to their princess.


    They looked at Kyran with eyes full of determination. Without them saying anything, it was clear that they were ready to die for her if Kyran made a move.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, Osric would not let Kyran approach the princess, but that did not mean they would ck off. It was better to worry excessively than to be sorry.


    ''New Void Master.''


    Light suddenly sent out a telepathic message to Kyran.


    ''I don''t really care if you want to fight these people. But there is something you need to know.''


    ''What?'' Kyran asked curtly. Although he did not have the leisure to think of other things, he knew anything Light had to say was important and rted to what was happening outside the Human ne.


    ''More Sovereigns from our faction have arrived outside. The Sovereign''s Cradle is already weakening, if it is not reinforced at once, then those guys will ascend without their mage levels being suppressed.''


    Kyran''s face darkened as he thought of Nn outside with Ruin. He cared less about thetter, but if something happened to Nn... Kyran did not want to think about it.


    In any case, his mother would definitely not like it. And he also did not want to deliver such a piece of gruesome news just when they had just gotten over a predicament.


    As if sensing Kyran''s thoughts, Light said, ''You don''t have to make such a scary face. Although I said they have arrived. I don''t think they n on making a move against Ruin.''


    ''Ruin?''


    Light was somewhat surprised, ''You don''t know?''


    ''Know what¡ª?''


    "For making our mistress suffer, I will cripple you!" Osric growled at Kyran.


    Kyran frowned slightly. He was not annoyed at Osric''s words but at being interrupted. To Kyran, his discussion with Light was far more important than Osric''s tantrum.


    "I don''t have the time to deal with you," Kyran told Osric in a low deadpan tone, the Boyd family members who managed to hear him felt indignant.


    This guy was still looking down on them? Was he really that powerful?


    That was a stupid question.


    Obviously, Kyran was powerful because he was not only someone from the Regis n but also the new Dark Sage. Such an existence was practically invincible to most of them.


    Nevertheless, they equally knew that Osric was no pushover. He was someone who lived in the Chaos Era. He was their Ancestor, whose mage level was likely the most powerful in the whole world.


    Even if Kyran possessed the most powerful forbidden magic, the Void, to the Boyd family members, he was still greenpared to Osric.


    "That doesn''t matter. When I say I''ll cripple you, then I will cripple you¡ªOI!"


    Before Osric could even continue what he was saying, Kyran already warped and left the vi.


    "KYRAN REGIS! COME BACK HERE!"


    Osric''s powerful voice boomed in the air, shaking the whole vi and the nearby buildings almost copse.


    In the end, Kyran did not return.


    It was to be expected. Just because Osric told him toe back, did not mean he would listen.


    It was simr to a person trying to escape someone, and that someone actually asked that person to stop. Would that person stop? Of course not.


    "AAAAARGH!"


    Osric''s magic energy exploded, nearly destroying everything¡ª except the area where the Boyd family members were protecting Haylee¡ª within a hundred meters from him.


    Meanwhile, Kyran warped and appeared where Styx and the others were at. They had already rendezvous after Hamish found Neo.


    As soon as Kyran appeared, the other mercenaries were surprised. They had been told of the situation but they had yet to meet Kyran. Only Styx, Dante, Owen and Hamish had met him in person and knew who he really was. Or at least, they knew that the Tyr with them was not the real one but one of Kyran''s puppets.


    "What are you doing here¡ª?"


    Before Styx could even finish what he was saying, Kyran waved his hand and took all of them to his Void world. After which, he warped again and went back to the Tower of Conve.

 Chapter 604 My Name Is Stella

    When Kyran appeared inside the biggest tent in the temporary encampment outside the Tower of Conve, he was greeted by Hugh and Malia. It was as if they were expecting his arrival.


    After that, they took him at a private tent near the huge tent. The tent was meant for the Emperor Euan, but since he went in the Ravenpass, no one was there. At least, that was what Kyran thought.


    Before they could reach the tent''s entrance, Kyran already sensed who was inside and he could not help but frown.


    Obviously, Hugh and Malia was going to take him to Ste. But at the moment Kyran did not want to meet her. Not because of the little scene with Cyneah, but because Light was still around.


    Kyran did not bring Light with him when he warped to the Tower of Conve. Nevertheless, she was able to follow him because of the nature of her magic. As long as there was the presence of light near Kyran, Light could easily find him.


    Of course, this was also because Kyran did not bother to hide himself. With the presence of the Shaiha and the nature of Void magic, it would not be hard for him to hide from Light.


    In any case, Kyran did not want Light to know about Ste because he had a feeling that no one knew about the ''Time Keeper'' during the Chaos Era. As a matter of fact, even in the Human ne, few remembered about the Time Keeper. It might be because, the first Time Keeper knew how dangerous and risky her magic was and never participated actively in the war during the Chaos Era, or maybe her existence was deliberately hidden.


    This was only Kyran''s spection but he believed there was a reason why few talked about the first Time Keeper.


    ''I have to meet someone. Stay here,'' Kyran told Light telepathically before entering the private tent.


    Light frowned slightly, ''Didn''t youe here to speak with your people and discuss countermeasures once my fellow faction mates descend?''


    ''We''ll get to thatter. I will introduce you to them when that timees.''


    ''No need. I don''t want to reveal myself.''


    ''Then stay here. If youe with me, the person inside will notice your presence and I don''t want to exin why you''re with me. That''s too troublesome,'' Kyran reasoned.


    ''Humph. Very well,'' Light replied, still feeling a little annoyed. However, she was annoyed at how Kyran treated her, not because he was withholding things from her.


    Their rtionship had yet to be determined, since they were only in a temporary agreement, so Kyran withholding information was understandable.


    Light was the same. She only shared information that she believed would benefit her if they did agreed to pursue a partnership.


    With that said, Kyran entered the tent and Hugh and Malia followed behind.


    The tent had a small makeshift bed and a small table with two bench. Sitting at the foot of the bed was Ste.


    The moment Kyran entered the tent, Ste had kept her eyes on him.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes, realizing the solemn expression on Ste''s face.


    "Thank you Hugh, Malia. I''ll take it from here," Ste dismissed the two at once.


    The two did not say anything and only lowered their heads in respect before leaving the tent.


    Just like Ste, Kyran kept his attention on her.


    As soon as Hugh and Malia left, and was out of earshot, Ste gestured toward the bench close to the bed and said, "Take a seat Can."


    "You''re not Ste."


    Ste could not help but let out a lightugh while covering her mouth with her right hand.


    "Oh? But my name is Ste."


    Kyran''s expression turned grim. He immediately understood what she meant.


    She was not the ''Ste'' Kyran knew but the ''Ste'' Can knew¡ª the first Time Keeper.


    ''Speak of the devil,'' Kyran thought wryly since he was just thinking about her.


    In any case, he had a bad feeling as to why this ''Ste'' was here suddenly. When he discovered Styx andpany in the Boyd Family''s Vi, he already had an inkling.


    Few knew about his ns in going to the Boyd Family''s Vi and none of them was from the Conve. It was also impossible to make Styx act, if it was not ordered by Hugh, Malek or Ste¡ª meaning the Conve found Kyran''s destination by themselves.


    Kyran guessed Can did the same thing Raya had done to gather information. After that, Ste dispatched Styx andpany to the vi. As to why she did that, it was definitely not to assist Kyran because she thought he would be at a disadvantage.


    To be honest, if Kyran did go to the vi and Styx andpany arrived things would have turned bad if their identities were revealed in the process. Because at that time, Kyran did not want his rtionship with the Conve to be revealed yet.


    But since the fiery ball incident happened before he could go to the vi, everything had changed. With how things were developing at the direction that even Kyran could not predict, it no longer mattered whether his enemies discovered every faction involved with him.


    Just as Light said, what was happening in the Human ne¡ª specifically, between Kyran and Haylee¡ª was petty,pared to what was about to happen.


    Going back to Ste''s reason for sending Styx andpany to the vi, Kyran guessed she had used her magic and saw something. Kyran did not want to dwell much on what she had seen, but the aftereffect of using her magic to look into the future.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Malek did not say it outright but Kyran guessed that using arge-scale Time magic would affect Ste''s life. And looking into the future was considered a rge-scale'' in a sense.


    Kyran met Can in his sea of consciousness after his magic cores went haywire and he almost lost his life. If the same conditions applied to Ste, then after using Time magic to peek at the future, likely put her life in danger, thus, bringing out the ''Ste'' before him now.


    As if sensing his thoughts, Ste smiled slightly and said with a somewhat pained expression, "As always, nothing escapes your eyes."


    "Let me get this straight, I am not Can."


    "I know. But I also know he is inside you, observing."


    Kyran frowned, "What are you talking about?"


    "Unlike my sessor, who had been exposed to the Time core the moment she awakened her magic, you were not because your Void core has been sealed."


    Kyran did not respond but he could not help but scrutinize her.


    "I know what my sessor knows... I see what she sees, and feel what she feels."


    "It''s because of it that your emotions are affecting her at times."


    "I did not mean those times."


    "Your presence confuses her," Kyran told her.


    "I know," Ste did not deny it. "But are we really going to talk about that?"


    "You''re the one who started it."


    Ste chuckled and shook her head slightly, "Now you sounded like Zane."


    "Stopparing me to them," Kyran said feeling slightly annoyed.


    "I''m sorry," Ste apologized with a sad smile. "It is strange seeing you with Can''s face, yet Zane''s color."


    "How''s Ste?" Kyran decided to change the topic.


    As much as he was curious about his ancestor and predecessor, he had his priorities. He did not have the leisure to reminisce about the past with this ''Ste.''


    Ste smiled, "I''m d. You care about her."


    Kyran frowned in response.


    Ste chuckled at Kyran''s apparent dissatisfaction and replied, "She is resting. Although she used Time magic to peek into the future, it was not the reason her Time core suffered. It was because she tried too hard in controlling the possible side effects of ''traversing through Time.''"


    Kyran opened his mouth to ask her more about ''traversing through time,'' but stopped at once. This was not the time to talk about such things.


    Before Kyran could speak, Ste continued with a solemn expression, "You had the chance. But you did not kill her."


    Kyran did not need her to borate on her words to understand what she was talking about. Her words also inadvertently exin what Ste¡ª the one he knew¡ª saw when she peeked into the future. It was likely she ordered Styx andpany to go to the vi because there was a chance for Kyran to take advantage of the situation, meet Haylee, and... kill her.


    In any case, Ste was right.


    When Haylee broke down, Kyran had the opportunity to strike.


    Light still wanted to meet Haylee, but even so, she would not be able to stop Kyran if he decided to attack. Besides, Light was far more afraid of Kyran''s supposed ''parent'' living in the Dragon ne.


    "I can''t."


    "You can''t. Or you don''t want to?"


    Kyran did not respond.


    Ste sighed in resignation when he refused to answer. She said, "It is because of the young woman resting inside the Tower of Conve''s walls, isn''t it? Are you afraid that killing that woman will destroy her?"


    Kyran still chose not to answer. But what she said was correct. Although he sounded confident when he told True Void that Cyneah was the ''real'' one if there was an off chance that she was not, then killing Haylee would spell Cyneah''s death. Nevertheless, if Cyneah was the real one and Haylee was killed, the former would still suffer.


    "Why does it have to be her again?"


    "Don''t confuse me with Can."


    "Fine. But the fact that you have chosen her of all people, can''t be denied."

 Chapter 605 Juncture (1)

    Without giving Kyran a chance to speak, Ste went on.


    "I want to tell you a story," she started. "It was a story about four friends...."


    Kyran did not attempt to interrupt Ste, realizing that what she was about to tell him was the story about the four people he was most interested in.


    Ste went on to tell Kyran the story between herself, Can, La, and Zane.


    As Kyran already knew thanks to True Void''s unexpected slip of the tongue, Can was ostracized by his family because he did not possess any magic. He was also treated unfairly because his father never married his mother. Nevertheless, he grew up in his father''s family because he was the first ''male'' of the first son who could carry the family name.


    It was a strange practice of the Ashtons where the first male of the first son had to marry outside of the family to spread their influence. No matter the circumstances of the first male. It was for this reason that Can was betrothed against his will to the eldest daughter of the Tower Family¡ª who at that time had gathered enough military strength and influence.


    One would think that being betrothed to someone who did not possess any magic, the Tower Family''s eldest daughter¡ª Ste, would be against it. However, they were somewhat surprised that she epted the news pretty well.


    The reason was definitely not because she was smitten by Can. It was more with Ste''s nature and the fact that she already knew about him by then and even considered him as a close friend.


    Being ostracized by his family did not prevent Can to find people he could call real friends.


    Can met them during a gathering. At that time, he was bullied by his cousins and was saved by Zane. After that, the two became best friends.


    Zane was already good friends with La and Ste because their families were business partners. La was also betrothed to him not because he liked her, but to strengthen the bond between the Regis and the Winfrey Families.


    The Regis Family was only an average family at that time, but they were known for their powerful physique¡ª a feat that magesck.


    The Winfrey Family coveted their physique but also did not want to be overly tied with them, thus, they betrothed the youngest Winfrey daughter who had a weak body constitution.


    In any case, the four became friends with Zane at the lead.


    During that time, the Human ne had yet to experience any war, and most people were busy with expanding their territories or establishing connections.


    However, when Can turned thirteen, the first invasion finally happened and in a short span of time¡ª a little over two years, the number of mages who had the ability to fend for the humans was greatly reduced. Ultimately, they started to enlist mages who had only graduated from school. There were even people who had yet to graduate but were already called to the military.


    Zane and Ste were one of these mages because they were pretty powerful even though they were still underage.


    With the two being dispatched to different ces to participate in war, Can and La, who were both considered ''weak'' because one was an ordinary human, while the other was always sick¡ª were left to wait for them.


    Soon, the two became close. One could say they were somewhat of a kindred spirit because both had a ''weak'' constitution.


    However, Can soon began to notice something strange about La. He once told Ste and Zane about it but never really borated on why he thought so.


    Soon, the war escted and even average humans were drafted into service. Nevertheless, these people did not participate in the war itself but provided assistance by infiltrating enemy camps, assisting in intel gathering, or doing magic research.


    Can joined thetter and focused on deciphering the enemy''snguage.


    But during his research, he discovered something that he did not tell Ste or Zane. It was also connected to the strange behavior he noticed in La.


    Finally, Can managed to decipher thenguage of the invaders and discovered a way to ''stop'' the war.


    Up to this point in Ste''s story, Kyran had already guessed most of it. It coincides with what Zephyr had said, True Void''s offhanded remarks, and some information he found in the Shaiha temple.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ste continued rying the story by saying that Can became an ambassador of some sort between the humans and the invaders.


    ? Finally, Ste confirmed Kyran''s guess about who these invaders were.


    They were White Lily''s people, the Spirits who had just lost their ne to the ongoing Sovereign War.


    As Can interacted with the Spirits, he discovered that the invaders consisted of three factions. He tried to exin this to the humans leading the war against the invaders, but no one believed him. Part of the reason no one believed him was the fact that he was known as the ''illegitimate'' heir, as well as the fact that he did not possess any magic.


    At that time, Zane alreadymanded a toon. He was considered the youngestmander then, and when he heard Can''s discovery, he believed him and did his own research by going to the ces Can had mentioned to capture a few of the invaders.


    Ste also did the same. Although she did notmand a toon, she was assigned to logistics, making it easier for her to move around different human strongholds all over the continent.


    After a few years, they finally proved Can''s discovery by presenting two different races who possessed different magicws from the Spirits.


    But by the time Zane and Ste seeded in proving Can''s discovery¡ª unbeknownst to them¡ª thetter was already in the middle of a ''transformation.''


    The transformation actually started the moment Can interacted with White Lily and the Spirits. Because, unlike humans, White Lily and the Spirits were far more sensitive to magic energies and they exined to Can that it was not that he did not possess any magic, but that it was too potent he was practically ''sending'' the magic energies in his surroundings into the void.


    At this point in Ste''s story, Kyran noticed something amiss. He remembered Zane received the Draconic core from the Dragon King, thus, making Zane not a naturally born mage with Draconic magic. This meant that Zane''s innate magic was different. As to what it was, he had yet to ask Ste.


    Apart from this, Ste never mentioned possessing an innate Time magic.


    Kyran had an inkling that like Zane, Ste likely inherited the Time core from someone else. Just like how it was implied that La also received the Soul core from someone else.


    Then what about Can? Who did he receive the Void core from? Because so far, from the way Ste was rying her story, it appeared that Can did not receive it from anyone but had it right from the start. He only failed to understand how to ess it because of the Void''s nature.


    As much as Kyran wanted to ask Ste about this, he had a feeling she would not be able to tell him. Can had kept far too many secrets even to the people he considered ''friends.''


    Going back to Ste''s story, she then exined how Can disappeared for a couple of years, and when he returned, he was already a different person¡ª at least, that was how it seemed to them.


    But the truth, Ste knew Can remained the same. The only change that happened was he now possessed a strange magic that even the other invaders seemed to fear.


    In any case, when Can returned, one of the invaders, White Lily, and her people, suddenly disappeared. At that time, Ste and Zane did not know why they had disappeared, but eventually, they would know that it was because Can created a new ''world'' for them to live in. Thus, it was no longer necessary for them to stay in the Human ne.


    Or to be precise, the Spirits'' new world existed in the Human ne but was not physically in the same ''line.''


    After White Lily and her people left, Can went to ''negotiate'' with the second race trying to invade the Human ne.


    However, negotiating with the second race was somewhat hard, because they did not possess any ''body.''


    The moment Ste said this, Kyran immediately recalled the Remnant Souls hiding in the Misty Forest.


    All this time, Kyran had thought those Remnant Souls were humans who had died during the Chaos Era and then the Soul Emperor forcefully summoned their souls to use for her undying army.


    Just as Kyran was nning to interrupt Ste''s story to ask about it, he remembered the bluish-green sea serpent who became the soul of Tritus''s trident.


    Could it be that the second race was actually Remnant Souls from another ne that the Soul Emperor forcefully took to the Human ne?

 Chapter 606 Juncture (2)

    The more Kyran thought of it, the more he was convinced that they were really not originally from the Human ne¡ª or at least, most of them.


    One of the reasons he thought this, was that the Remnant Souls in the Misty Forest seemed to be waiting for Can''s return after he left to confront La. They did not seem to have recently ''joined'' Can''s side as well, making Kyran believe Can won over the Remnant Souls from another ne, while La''s undying army was mostly made up of the human souls who had died in the ongoing war.


    While Kyran pondered these things, he continued to listen to Ste''s story.


    Ste continued to tell him how Can eventually won over the second invaders. When he did, the humans thought they could finally turn the tables against the third invaders by having Can asked their assistance. However, before any of the human representatives could even talk to Can, the second invaders'' attack became more ruthless.


    What was more, they had teamed up with the third invaders.


    Soon, news that Can had betrayed the humans circted.


    When Ste began rying that part of the story, her expression had turned miserable. As if that part made her recall things she would rather not remember. Or maybe, she regretted something during that time.


    Kyran roughly guessed the reason behind her expression though.


    Thus far, he knew three versions of what happened in the past; Zephyr''s iplete version¡ª which involved two major incidents; another iplete version that could be a continuation of Zephyr''s version that Kyran found in the Shaiha temple; andstly, the lie that the Royal Family made everyone believed.


    In any case, if Kyran considered the information he got from Zephyr and the Shaiha temple ¡ª he decided not to include the Royal Family''s lies¡ª the ones who turned against the humans were La and not Can. Meaning, the one who teamed up with the third invaders, which Kyran already guessed were Ruin and his people, was La. As to why humans mistook her undying army as the second invaders, it was simply because the souls she managed to gather did not possess anybody and were using temporary bodies that Ruin''s people provided.


    Ste continued that she and Zane were devastated when they found that Can had turned against them and sided with the invaders. However, unlike Ste, who seemed to have been convinced too easily about Can''s betrayal, Zane did not believe it. He tried every possible way to infiltrate the ce where Can wasst seen but to no avail.


    Soon, thends that the humans managed, decreased because the number of invaders seemed to increase while the humans suffered.


    After that, one of the Generals of the invaders managed to infiltrate the human territory and targeted the Regis Family. The reason the General went after the Regis Family was obviously to remove Zane, who by thenmanded the most powerful toon.


    When Kyran heard this, he guessed at once that this part of Ste''s story was not true. Or to be precise, the incident did happen, but the reason behind the General''s infiltration was different. It was possible that it was the truth that La''s people cooked up to hide the real reason the General entered the human''s territory. And judging by Ste''s odd expression, she likely knew the truth as well but had to ry it as such for the sake of rying the story of what happened ording to how it was known publicly.


    With a bitter smile, Ste then affirmed Kyran''s thoughts by saying that the General''s infiltration was obviously not to target the Regis Family but to find something.


    Kyran already knew that the General Ste was referring to was Ruin. And he only happened to go to the Regis Family''s first ancestralnd because it was close to the Shaiha temple where the Shaiha was being kept.


    Ste continued her story without Kyran voicing his thoughts. He reckoned it was best to let her finish her story before he say anything.


    Because of the General''s infiltration, the Regis Family suffered. However, what happened was not all bad because Zane managed to break through.


    Hearing this, Kyran knew what Zane went through was not as simple as advancing a level but receiving the Draconic core from the King of the Dragons.


    At the time that Zane was dealing with the General, something also happened to Ste. Her team was ambushed while on an errand to transfer supplies. She got lost in the process and when she woke up, she was already in a lone ind surrounded by water.


    Kyran immediately thought of the ind where the Tower of Tribtions was located and wondered if Ste received the Time core there.


    Unfortunately, Ste did not dwell on the subject and only said that she managed to leave the ind after breaking through.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Kyran did not pursue the matter either because he knew she would tell him eventually.


    Ste continued to tell Kyran how Zane tried to find Can to talk sense with him but failed to locate where he was hiding.


    It was not until Ste stepped in to help Zane that they finally found Can.


    By then, the human situation had turned for the worse. They were driven to the north and their supplies were running low. The number of mages who could fight the invaders had been reduced greatly.


    Finally, Ste and Zane found Can''s ''pce'' where several invaders were keeping guard. But Ste and Zane found these invaders somewhat different from the ones attacking the humans.


    First, they did not exude much killing intent, and second, they were still in their bodiless form.


    Besides this, judging by their number, if they were to join the ranks of those attacking the human''sst stronghold, the humans would not havested a few days before finally sumbing to them.


    It was then that Ste and Zane realized that the invaders guarding Can''s pce were different from the ones who sided with the third invaders. After some time and effort, Ste and Zane finally convinced the invaders guarding the pce that they were not there to kill Can but to talk to him.


    Eventually, Can allowed them to enter the pce and they finally managed to talk properly.


    Their meeting had been the turning point for human survival. After hearing the truth about La, and how she ''received'' guidance from an unknown entity, the three cooked up a n on how to expose her and defeat her undying army.


    However, unbeknownst to Ste and Zane that while Can seemed to be actively sharing his insights, he already had a n on how to ''take care'' of La.


    When Ste and Zane returned and were about to expose La''s betrayal, they were already toote because a few remaining leaders were already under La''s control.


    Ste and Zane decided to openly oppose La but before they could even do anything, Can made his move. He appeared and went on a rampage, killing many of the invaders in the process.


    Unfortunately, the remaining humans believed that Can was killing indiscriminately and did not even realize that he never killed any humans. As to the humans who disappeared from their ranks, they did not die but were warped by Can.


    After that, Can used a magic item to take care of the invaders.


    However, before Ste or Zane could rejoice, La finally revealed her true nature and managed to fatally wound Can by stabbing him in the heart. But thetter already anticipated her move and had not nned on evading. As a matter of fact, everything Can had done up to that point was to ensure La would stab him herself.


    Ste and Zane were devastated because they failed to see through Can''s n. Nevertheless, with Can stabbed by La, he seeded in getting close to her and sealing her Soul core. After this, Can had Zane kill him to hide the truth about La.


    Kyran was surprised when he heard this. He did not expect that Can was the one who wish to hide the truth about La. All this time, he had thought it was the Winfrey Family.


    Seeing Kyran''s expression, Ste more or less guessed what he was thinking and said with a wry smile, "That''s right. Can was the one who wanted to protect La''s reputation even in the end. However, the fact that the Winfrey Family distorted what really happened back then was also true. They made it so that Can was the bad guy while La and Zane became the heroes."


    Ste paused, her expression turning sad as she continued, "Zane was against it, of course. But many surviving humans witnessed Can''s rampage and, the humans he warped to safety, were never seen again. If Zane insisted that Can was not the ''Dark Sage'' as people called him, Zane would not be the only one who would receive the ire of the survivors but also his whole family."

 Chapter 607 Juncture (3)

    Kyran obviously understand what Ste wanted to say. But that did not change the fact that Can was such a pain in the ass for leaving Zane to deal with the aftermath of what he had done.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, he suddenly recalled something and could not help but frown.


    During Kryan''s discussion with True Void about the possibility that Can nned everything so his sessor would be born into the Regis Family, he guessed that his ancestor¡ª Zane¡ª knew about it along with White Lily. But if Can died before the war truly ended, when did the nning happen?


    Even as this question crossed Kyran''s mind, he also thought of a possible answer. And the answer he thought of seemed absurd. At the same time, it was the only exnation he could think of as to why Ste suddenly started telling him this story.


    As if reading what was on Kyran''s mind, Ste smiled and said, "Something seems to be bothering you."


    Kyran looked at Ste without saying anything. He might have suspected that Can nned for him to be born as a Regis, but that was it¡ª a suspicion. There was no definite proof apart from the seemingly deliberate development of things around him.


    After a short pause, and Ste still waited for Kyran to respond, he said instead, "I''m just thinking why you decided to tell me all these things."


    "What''s wrong with sharing it with you at this point in time?"


    "I don''t understand what you mean about ''at this point in time.''"


    Ste chuckled, "You don''t have to make me say things. You only need to ask, and I will answer. I won''t hide anything from you."


    "Then answer why did you tell me all of this."


    "As I said because we are already at this point in time."


    Before Kyran could reply in exasperation, Ste continued, "As you already suspected, Ste¡ª my sessor, peeked into the future. The reason she had Styx and the rest go there, was because your precious puppet was destroyed before you arrived in the vi."


    Kyran did not respond. He had guessed as much but he still did not see why Ste would suddenly tell him about the past.


    Most of the people he knew who truly know what happened in the past had been trying to avoid saying anything, but Ste¡ª this Ste¡ª after meeting her for the first time, had started spilling what she knew.


    She definitely had a reason and Kyran guessed it was connected to what Ste saw.


    "When that happened, Haylee seemed to have¡ª for theck of a proper term I''ll use the word ''snap.''"


    Kyran frowned at once. He remembered how Haylee broke down after he revealed Tyr''s real identity. He initially thought the reveal was too stimting for her and could not handle the truth. But after hearing that she actually ''snap'' because Neo¡ª who was posing as Tyr¡ª was destroyed.


    Was it because she discovered they captured a puppet?


    "Do you know how Neo was destroyed?"


    "It blew itself up."


    Kyran''s frown deepened. If Neo blew himself, there was a possibility that Haylee did not discover he was only a puppet. But why would she snap just because ''Tyr'' blew himself? Was it because she lost the person who could create the bodies of her undying army?


    But even if there was no Tyr, as long as Haylee joined Light''s faction, there were plenty of options to be her undying army''s bodies. As a matter of fact, her options would have been better. Even if she would not be able to find an Automaton master to create human puppets, just like how La used what the demons provided for a temporary body, Light''s faction would definitely be able to provide her with what she needed.


    "What happened after Haylee snapped?" Kyran asked, pushing aside his doubts. It was best to gather more information beforeing up with a conclusion.


    "She unleashed the Macabre cier."


    Kyran''s heart immediately turned cold. If Styx andpany did not arrive in time to cause amotion and Neo blew himself up, then a great cmity would have befallen the Human ne one after another. Because at the time that Neo decided to blow himself up, Kyran was still confronting Light...


    No, wait. Styx andpany''s arrival was not the reason Neo was interrupted. Based on what Kyran had seen in Neo''s system as soon as he located him back in the vi, the one who interrupted Neo''s decision to blow his system was the arrival of the sea serpents.


    "You''re right," Ste suddenly said as if answering Kyran''s thoughts. "However, there had been no sea serpents fighting in the vi when your puppet wanted to destroy itself."


    "Then a change already happened."


    "Yes."


    "Don''t tell me Ste did not peek into the future once but¡ª."


    "That''s right. The first time she peek and intervened, she managed to stop Neo from blowing up from Styx andpany''s arrival. However, while she saved Neo, she sacrificed Styx and the others."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Kyran clenched his fist. Basically, Styx andpany died in exchange for Neo''s safety.


    Although Neo''s worth could be said to be higher than Styx andpany because of the things Neo could do, it was not a reason to justify their deaths. They were real humans and their lives were far more important than a puppet.


    At least, Kyran thought so, too. It would pain him to lose Neo, but he would never exchange its safety for Styx andpany.


    A thought crossed Kyran''s mind as his expression darkened, "Don''t tell me she had done something to lure the sea serpents to the vi."


    "That''s right," Ste responded at once. Just like she said, she seemed to be willing to answer any question Kyran asked as long as she knew the answer. She had no intentions of hiding anything.


    "By doing that, she also gave you enough time to deal with Light."


    Kyran suddenly felt bad. He knew how powerful Time magic was and felt it was too risky for Ste to use. It was, for this reason, he only asked her to use her magic for ''small'' things like when he needed to train and he did not have enough time, or if he needed to create something but did not have enough time.


    Basically, Kyran would only ask Ste''s help when he did not have enough time. He never asked her to go back in time or peek into the future so he could better prepare his strategy against his enemies. Besides, if he asked her that, who knew what the Fates would have done?


    Kyran had heard about them countless times, especially how they would do anything to prevent others from meddling in future events.


    In any case, Kyran did not expect Ste to have done so many things behind the scenes while he was busy ''absorbing'' and ''learning'' Light''s magic.


    "You asked me why I did not kill Haylee then. Does that mean, Ste created the situation back then?"


    "Yes. After trial and error, she finally found the correct move to ensure you will have that chance."


    "''After trial and error,''" Kyran repeated, his expression darkened even more. "How many times did Ste actually peek into the future?"


    "Do you really want to know?"


    "Forget it," Kyran replied somewhat feeling irritated. "In the end, I didn''t take the chance, she''s probably disappointed."


    Ste shook her head, "She knew you would not do it. But she did it anyway."


    "You should have stopped her."


    "I can''t."


    "Why?"


    "Because I am only a sliver of consciousness that was left in the Time core. To be honest, I could only appear before you like this for a short period of time. This is why I wanted to tell you about the past as much as possible."


    This led Kyran back to the question of why Ste suddenly told him about the past which actually gave him more questions...


    Kyran suddenly realized something.


    With narrowed eyes, he asked, "You... did you do the same in the past? Peek into the future?"


    "I did," Ste replied with a smile.


    Kyran felt as if he had been doused with cold water. He had initially thought Can was the one who nned everything but what if it was not him but actually the woman¡ª or, to be precise¡ª the first Time Keeper?


    Of all of the things Kyran heard about the past, they were things about the Dark Sage, the Dragon Lord, and the Soul Emperor. There had been no ''exploits'' made by the Time Keeper.


    But the reason behind her apparent inaction was all because she had been doing things behind the scene without people realizing it.


    "Are you the one who..." Kyran could not help but grit his teeth just thinking about what he wanted to ask.


    Ste did not rush him. She waited patiently for him to continue.


    "...Are you the one who made it so that the new Void Master appears in the Regis n?"


    Ste shook her head, "That is not my idea. However, I did have a hand on that."

 Chapter 608 Juncture (4)

    ''Had a hand...''


    "The past you just told me. Which one is it?"


    "Your insight is really something," Ste remarked with a smile. Just as she told Kyran, she had no intentions of hiding what she knew from him. She continued, "As you may have already guessed, the past I told you was the first one. After Can''s death, I... regretted not doing anything.


    "That''s why I... reversed the time flow and did everything I could to change his future."


    For the first time in a while, Kyran felt real fear. He once considered Ste''s Time Magic to be far more powerful than his because of its nature, and hearing ''Ste,'' confirm what he believe Time magic could do, he was both in awe and in fear.


    As far as he knew, the Fates did not like people trying to defy the predetermined path for everyone. If someone overstepped their authority, the Fates would mete out appropriate punishment. But Ste did not seem to be restricted by the Fates'' order. If she did, then the result would not have been ''sessful.''


    Ste gave a bitter smile as if remembering a painful memory as she went on to say, "In the end, Can still chose death. Even though he listened to my advice, he still decided to leave everything up to his sessor."


    "Can''s legacy."


    Ste nodded, "That''s right. He left his legacy for you to fulfill."


    Kyran did not respond but his heart had already turned cold. He hated people telling him what to do, but what he hated more was peopleying out a predetermined path for him to take.


    Yes, each person had their own ''destiny'' they had to walk in at some point in their life, but Kyran felt that his destiny was not the predetermined path the Fates were guarding, but one that Ste and Can had created for him.


    "Zane..." Kyran started. "How much did he know?"


    Ste did not answer at once, instead, she replied with a question of her own.


    "How much do you think he knew?"


    Kyran gritted his teeth. She was basically telling him, Zane knew everything.


    Ste took a deep breath after sensing Kyran''s declining mood. She already expected his reaction. Frankly, if she was still in control, once she confirmed Kyran''s negative reaction, she would revert time and try again.


    Unfortunately, she was only a sliver of consciousness and could only watch everything unfold as how it should. If her sessor recovers and her consciousness was still intact, maybe she could convince her to revert time to an earlier state. However, she had an inkling her sessor would not listen, in fear of getting on Kyran''s bad side.


    "I know how you feel-."


    "Do you?"


    "Kyran-."


    "I don''t want to hear your reasons. I get that you wanted to stop your friend from repeating the same mistake and implicating her sessor. To be honest, I don''t really care if what I am now is the result of your meddling. I''m also not entirely against what I am now. But I hate how you disregard other people''s ability to decide for themselves. Things happen for a reason, but you three..."


    Kyran let out an exasperated sigh. To be honest, he felt angry. But he did not know why or who it was directed at. As he said, he understood their reasons. Only by preparing a suitable ''opponent'' for the Soul Emperor could they achieve their objective of stopping La''s sessor from bing a second ''La.'' However, now that Kyran knew Ste could influence what would happen without receiving any form of punishment from the Fates, it made him wonder if all his decisions had really been his doing or were a result of their intervention.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Ste said, "We might have done things that affected the turn of events up to this point, but I assure you, all of your actions and decisions are your own."


    Kyran frowned and looked at her. But instead of addressing what she had just said, he actually pointed out something else.


    "You said it again, ''at this point in time.''"


    Ste smiled bitterly, "That''s because starting at this point, what we did in the past and what my sessor tried to do, no longer affected the things that will happen. As a matter of fact, it has started for some time now."


    Kyran''s frown deepened, "What do you mean?"


    "Have you already forgotten?" Ste asked somewhat amused at his reaction. "You met Can''s consciousness ahead of time."


    Now that she pointed that out, Can did say they met too soon and that Kyran was not yet ready.


    "How did you know about that?" Kyran asked feeling somewhat perplexed.


    He met Can''s consciousness around five years ago and he honestly forgot if he told Ste about it. But he recalled refraining from telling anyone about their meeting because it sounded too absurd.


    "I can sense Can''s consciousness within you. But it was already faint that''s why he could only observe now. That would not have been the case if you two have not met yet."


    Kyran fell silent. He more or less understood what Ste meant about Can observing was simr to her and ''Ste''s'' situation - she felt the things thetter felt and saw what she saw. But Can and Kyran were different. Because Ste could affect her sessor''s emotions, while Can could not do the same with Kyran. This was definitely due to Kyran''s Void core being sealed for a long time, thus, he was not exposed to Can''s emotions and memories.


    In any case, Kyran could still sense his Void core stirring at times. It was likely Can''s consciousness reacting to things he could see or experience through Kyran.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You already know he never really affected me as in the case with you and Ste."


    "I suppose. But there really is something different. I can''t exin it properly, but it''s simr to how simr people could sense each other''s presence."


    "Whatever," Kyran dismissed the topic at once. He did not want to dwell on it and wanted to get back on the right track. "Is there anything else that happened that was not part of your scenario?"


    "You don''t have to make it sound as if we nned everything to turn this way."


    "No matter what you say, what the three of you did eventually led to this day."


    "Fair enough."


    "And?"


    "Your meeting with Haylee''s other half," Ste replied with a reluctant sigh.


    Kyran frowned. She was obviously talking about Cyneah and not Haylee''s ''partner'' or something.


    Upon seeing his expression, Ste exined, "I can''t tell you whether the girl resting inside the tower''s walls is the real one or not. But it is true that she is Haylee''s other half. Neither one isplete without the other."


    "What happened to her, was it part of your scenario?"


    "As I said, you don''t have to make it sound as if we nned everything to¡ª."


    "Just answer the question."


    "No. However, it may have been White Lily''s scenario."


    "It''s not her."


    "How can you be sure."


    "I just know."


    Ste did not respond. She admitted having a prejudice against White Lily because of her rtionship with Can, thus she refrain from dwelling on it.


    "What else is different?"


    "Your ability to grasp the nature of both Void magic and Draconic magic to an entirely different level."


    "What do you mean? I am able to use them and grasp them because Can and Zane''s experiences were stored in my magic cores."


    "True, but the way you have used them was very different from how they used their magic. An example is how you used the Sigil."


    Kyran''s face darkened. Indeed, he used Sigil in a different way. For one thing, he had used it on humans, unlike how his family only used it on beasts.


    "Giving an example to your Void magic, you actually used it to learn other magic."


    "You also know about that?" Kyran had only learned the nature of his magic and was surprised that Ste already knew about it.


    "Did you forget?" Ste said with a wry smile. "My sessor peeked into the future."


    That was right. She did tell him that Ste gave him enough time to deal with Light.


    "What else?" Kyran decided not to dwell on the subject and diverted their discussion back on track.


    ? "I suppose, we also did not anticipate the appearance of different Sovereigns. They also appeared to be keen on recruiting you and the Soul Emperor to their side."


    Kyran''s interest was piqued at once. The way Ste had brought up the subject of the Sovereigns and how they wanted to recruit them sounded to him like she knew something about their reason¡ª the War of the Sovereigns.


    "Have you... witnessed what the War of the Sovereigns is like?" Kyran asked Ste.


    For the first time, Ste fell silent. As a matter of fact, she also appeared hesitant.


    Seeing her reaction, Kyran was convinced that Ste indeed witness the ''war.''

 Chapter 609 Juncture (5)

    Seeing Ste''s hesitation, Kyran did not pursue the subject. He might be interested in learning more about the War of the Sovereigns but it was not his priority at that moment.


    "What else?"


    Ste looked at Kyran in surprise. She was not expecting him not to dwell on the subject.


    "You¡ª," she began to say but stopped at once. "No... nevermind."


    She paused for a moment before responding to his question. With a slight shake of her head, she replied "That''s all I know."


    Kyran studied her expression for a few seconds and said, "Alright, I''ll believe you."


    "I told you, I have no ns on keeping what I know."


    Kyran did not react to her words and instead turned to leave.


    "Wait," Ste was surprised at his sudden decision to leave. "You returned here for a reason. Why are you already leaving without addressing it?"


    Kyran paused at the exit and without looking back, replied, "I do want to say something, but since you already said Ste peeked into the future. I''m sure she already knows what I want to say."


    Ste immediately shook her head, "You''re wrong. As I said, we never affected your decisions. You made them yourself. To be honest, I am convinced that most of the things we have not anticipated happened because of you."


    Kyran turned around to look at her but did not say anything.


    Now that he thought of it, it was indeed the case.


    Meeting Cyneah, how he used the Sigil on humans, his own understanding of both his innate magic¡ª Draconic and Void, and the Sovereigns being keen on recruiting them.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, they all happened because of the things he did and the decisions he made.


    If this was the case, then what Ste meant about no longer affecting how events would turn out starting at this point in time because of him was reasonable.


    Thinking about this made Kyran wonder what Ste''s real purpose was in telling him about the past and what her sessor had done.


    Before Kyran could even ask Ste about it she admitted, "I wanted toe clean with you about what we''ve done because I''m afraid Haylee will find the truth and use it to influence your decisions."


    ''I see,'' Kyran thought, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Ultimately, Ste was afraid Kyran would end up being manipted by Haylee if he discovered what she along with Can and Zane had done.


    Just as this thought crossed Kyran''s mind, his magic cores stirred. He then realized it was both his Draconic and Void cores. It actually felt as if they did not agree with his musings.


    This confused Kyran.


    But he did not voice his doubts and only said, "In the end, you only cared about achieving your goal."


    "Kyran¡ª."


    "Don''t worry. I don''t know why you hated La or her sessor so much¡ª," he suddenly stop, thinking that it was not that he did not know but that he did not want to know. "No. Actually, I do have an idea why you hated her¡ª."


    "You''re wrong. I don''t hate her¡ª."


    "¡ª And I don''t really care," Kyran ignored Ste''s protest, even when she pursed her lips in displeasure. He continued, "But never assume that I will lower my guard against Haylee just because Neah''s important to me."


    Ste showed a pained expression at Kyran''s admittance regarding his feelings for Cyneah.


    "As for how I will handle Haylee and the one guiding her, that''s my problem. Tell Ste not to interfere."


    "''The one guiding her...?''" Ste repeated in confusion.


    Kyran only replied with raised brows. Did she really think Haylee was acting by herself?


    There was definitely someone guiding her from behind the scenes. It was different from being manipted though.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, Haylee''s actions were donepletely on her own ord, which makes dealing with her troublesome. Also, the one guiding her was definitely not from the Boyd Family.


    From what Kyran had seen, The Boyd Family were dispensable pawns to Haylee.


    But Kyran had little intel on Haylee so he did not know who was guiding her. Even Euan failed to notice what she was doing. One thing was sure though, Haylee changed after entering the Winfrey Ancestral Lands.


    Kyran pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. Just as he said, all of these were not his priority.


    "I''m surprised you did not realize that there is someone guiding her. So much for peeking into the future. Why didn''t you try looking into hers?"


    "It is impossible," Ste replied with a shake of her head. "My sessor did try but failed. To be more urate, she tried to gather more intel on Haylee but was met with obstructions."


    "I see. Then, just watch how things unfold from now on," Kyran told her and turned again.


    "Kyran, wait¡ª."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "More Sovereigns areing and I will prepare for their arrival. As to what the Conve will do about it, I''ll leave it up to you or if Ste returns."


    "Can''t you tell me what you want to do?"


    "And risk having you go back in time and interfere again?"


    Ste was rendered speechless. She did not have such thoughts, but the fact that she could do it if things did not go as nned, remains.


    Kyran did not wait for Ste to respond and left the tent.


    After talking with Ste and how she confirmed that Cyneah was Haylee''s other half, Kyran felt somewhat restless. He could not shake the feeling that there was something off about it even though he did agree as well. Savagery did mention that Haylee was looking for Cyneah so she could be plete.''


    The reason Kyran felt somewhat restless was the fact that Cyneah did not possess a Soul core. Why did Haylee need Cyneah in order to plete'' herself?


    Though it was true that even without a Soul core, Cyneah could still use Soul magic albeit only one nature of it, which was to ''heal,'' Haylee could also use her magic the same way.


    Kyran pushed all these thoughts to the back of his mind and telepathically called for Light.


    ''Tell me who are the Sovereigns that arrived outside.''


    The moment Light heard Kyran''s voice in her head, she could not help but frown. But she did not tell him off for fear of annoying him and using the mark he ced on her to mete out punishment.


    ''Are you nning to meet your people with me around?''


    ''I''m not stupid to let you listen in on our strategy.''


    ''Humph,'' Light could not help but harrumph in displeasure. ''And you expect me to sell out my faction mates?''


    ''Choose. Either that or I use the mark.''


    ''You!''


    Kyran ignored Light''s protest and said, ''Tell me everything you know.''


    ''Fine,'' Light replied in exasperation. ''Where do you want me to start?''


    Kyran suddenly recalled something and said, ''Earlier you said that they have not made a move yet and are only observing because Ruin is there. Why?''


    ''You really had no idea who Ruin is, are you?''


    Kyran did not respond and only waited for Light to answer his question.


    With a sigh of resignation, Light said, ''Ruin is known as a rogue mage.''


    ''I already know that.''


    ''Yet you don''t understand why we do not want to cross paths with him.''


    ''I remember, you, Deception, and that Toad guy had no qualms in facing him in battle.''


    Light scowled, ''That was an exception. We have to enter the Human ne no matter what and make contact with the Soul Emperor. Even if we do not want to cross paths with Ruin, we have to do it. Besides, he''s working with a lowly human. We believe we can exploit that.''


    ''I don''t care about that. Let''s not get sidetracked.''


    ''Humph, fine.''


    Light then told Kyran about some of Ruin''s exploits and how he managed to keep several nes under his rule all by himself when most Sovereigns would ally with others.


    ''I see. You guys are afraid of Ruin''s strength,'' Kyran summarized it.


    ''You...!'' Light started but failed to follow through. After all, he was actually correct.


    ''How many Sovereigns are even there? Three? Four?''


    ''Seven in total, including Deception and Toad.''


    Kyran frowned. He could still understand why they would not make a move with Ruin around if there were four Sovereigns. But there were actually seven Sovereigns and they were still afraid to face Ruin?


    Not to mention, by this time, Ruin was likely exhausted. It would not be hard to take advantage of his condition and deal with him.


    ''I know what you''re thinking,'' Light said, guessing Kyran''s doubts. ''But exhaustion is not in Ruin''s dictionary.''


    When Kyran did not respond and appeared to be waiting for her to borate, she could not help but sigh in exasperation. In the end, she exined, ''We all believe that Ruin has unlimited magic energy and doesn''t know how to feel tired.''


    Kyran did not react. He already knew this about Ruin.


    ''Is that so? Alright. Then let''s talk about what your faction mates are good at.''

 Chapter 610 Four Vs. Seven?

    Light felt indignant at Kyran''s reaction to the reveal of one of Ruin''s strengths. He acted as if he could not care less when he was the one who asked about it.


    In the end, Light did not dwell on it andplied with Kyran''s demand to know about what the Sovereigns outside could do.


    Kyran entered an empty tent and listened to Light''s exnation in silence. But as he listened to her, his expression began to darken.


    The seven Sovereigns possessed different types of magic that the Human ne had not seen before. If Kyran had to categorize them, they would fall under the unconventional magic type, making it harder for humans to deal with them.


    In general, mages in the Human ne possess element-type magic: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Light-- support-type magic actually falls under the Light element-- and so on. The only ones that do not fall under this category are the Ancient magic that Kyran, Haylee, and Ste possessed.


    In any case, humans had no experience dealing with mages with unconventional magic. Not to mention, their mage level far exceeded the level they were ustomed to.


    There was also the matter of the Sovereign Cradle not being able to hold as Light had said. If that happened, then those Sovereigns outside would retain their level once they descend to the Human ne and no one would have the ability to fight them one on one.


    Kyran was no exception. He was strong, yes. But at most, he could only fight one Sovereign at a time, and winning or losing was undetermined. Of course, he would do everything in his power to win, but he was still at a huge disadvantage in terms of magic items and battle experience. Yes, he had a few battles under his belt but most of those were against mages below Sovereign level. His battle with Savagery was not even counted as a battle against a Sovereign because thetter''s level was suppressed and she was unable to unleash her real strength.


    Apart from the Sovereigns outside, there was still the threat of Haylee''s side taking advantage of their arrival to join their ranks. Although Haylee seemed to have broken down, Kyran did not believe it would hinder her from making a move.


    Kyran made a mental note of everyone he knew that had a high enough mage level.


    His grandfather, Aron, which Kyran felt had broken through the Magus realm. Even if Aron was an Arch Magus, with the help of the dragon blood in his veins, the strength he could exert would beparable to a Legendary.


    There was also Kyran''s uncle Jared. Frankly, he did not know if Jared had broken through the Magus realm. If he did, then the same with Aron, he might be able to exert the strength of an Arch Magus with the help of the dragon blood. Apart from this, Jared was an Array Master. If he was able to make full use of his Array knowledge in battle, then he would also beparable to a Legendary.


    Then there was Tritus.


    Just as Kyran thought of him, he could not help but frown slightly. Tritus was still in the process of breaking through to the Legendary realm. If the Sovereigns descended before Trituspleted his advancement, Kyran could not count on him. As a matter of fact, even if Tritus advanced before the Sovereigns arrived, he still had to stabilize his foundation, or else, he would suffer a bacsh.


    Tritus''s situation would be simr to Euan who had only advanced to Magus and was still consolidating his power. He would not be able to summon anyplex magic because his control over his magic energy was unstable.


    Putting Tritus under the sub list, Kyran still needed four or five more mages.


    He had thought of including Malek, but Malek was under Ste and Kyran did not know if he would agree to fight the Sovereigns. Besides, Kyran was unsure if Malek had what it takes to face a Sovereign. At most, he was an Arch Magus. However, he did not have dragon blood so even if Kyran did something to help boost his strength, it would not be enough.


    Kyran thought of te but immediately rejected the idea. His main reason for not including her on the list was Deception. Apart from this, even if te had a high enough level-- as Kyran believed she was a Legendary at most-- she was a support mage. He could more or less guess how she would fight if she did join the battle, but with her limited battle experience, she would not be of much help in the offensive.


    There was also the matter of Cade, Kyran''s father, and Mannick, Azaloth''s essence.


    Mannick obviously could not be counted on the offensive. His level was way too low. He was not even a Magus because he was only an essence. There was also the possibility of losing him entirely if Cade sessfully received Azaloth''s Inheritance.


    Truth be told, Kyran was afraid that his father''s sess meant Azaloth''s death. When that happened, then the Sovereign Cradle''s destruction would definitely happen.


    Kyran wanted his father to seed but was also afraid that Azaloth would die. If he had a choice, he wanted to keep both of them. Having Azaloth, the Human ne''s Sovereign, with them would assure them of their win because as long as he was alive, Kyran could help him restore his strength so he could maintain the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    Currently, Kyran could only put his father, and Azaloth under the sub list along with Tritus.


    Finally, there was Nn.


    If Nn could survive outside and return to the Human ne, Kyran believed the two of them could somehow find a way to support the rest and keep the Sovereigns at bay.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Still, Kyran had to consider Nn''s condition. He had been fighting for more than a day now and there was no telling if he was already at his limits.


    ''What are you thinking, Dark Sage?'' Light suddenly asked, interrupting Kyran''s train of thought.


    She already finished exining what the six Sovereigns-- excluding Deception, since Kyran already knew her magic-- could do. As soon as she was done, Kyran fell silent and stayed still for more than a minute-- it made Light wonder if he had fallen into despair without her knowing.


    Anyhow, she knew he was contemting the things she had told him.


    ''I''m thinking,'' Kyran answered and returned to his musing.


    Light''s brow twitched slightly at his answer. She already knew he was deep in thought, did he have to state what was obvious?


    ''This guy is really...!''


    s, Light could only keep her annoyance to herself because she still fear Kyran''s origin.


    Continuing with his thoughts, Kyran sighed inwardly when White Lily crossed his mind.


    White Lily was likely a Legendary or even a Sage. But since she was a Spirit, she could not stay in the Human ne without a contracted mage. As far as Kyran knew, her contracted mage had been Can but their contract was not passed on to Kyran-- not that he wanted to be her contracted mage. After all, he had yet to get used to the fact that she had been Can''s wife.


    If White Lily did not find a suitable mage to be her contracted mage, then it was impossible to ask for her help.


    ''I''m still short on people that can fight the Sovereigns.''


    Technically speaking, the people in Kyran''s list were still at a disadvantage against the Sovereigns if their mage level was not suppressed. Kyran only nned on using arge-area effect Light Arts array that would boost their magic defense, output, and physical constitution. At most, their strength would increase by a level. As for Nn''s case, his strength would probably beparable to a Sovereign.


    At least, that was the idea.


    ? There was actually a w in this n because creating, activating, and maintaining such a massive array would require a huge amount of magic energy and its creator''s undivided attention.


    Kyran had no problem with the former, but thetter would be difficult even for him. Though he was confident he could multi-task while fighting a Sovereign, there was no telling if the Sovereigns would fight ording to his pace. He could very well be under siege by two or more Sovereigns, which would definitely put a huge toll on him.


    If only True Void could activate the array instead of Kyran, then Kyran did not have to worry about losing his concentration and destabilizing it. Unfortunately, True Void was a weapon, not a mage. He did not have the ability to cast runes different from what his body was made from-- Void.


    With few options left, Kyran suddenly thought of something and let out an audible sigh.


    Light looked at Kyran curiously because it was the first reaction he made after her exnation.


    As for what Kyran had thought of, it was actually one of his trump cards-- well, it could be considered as such as long as he survived after using it.


    ''I wonder if the Regis''s Grand Array can fight against a Sovereign,'' Kyran thought. ''If not, should I ask Ruin''s help?''


    Even as he thought it, Kyran rejected the idea at once. He could already imagine the manic look in Ruin''s eyes once Kyran asked for his help. There was a good chance thetter would ask for something unreasonable in return for his help.


    Thinking of this made Kyran wonder what kind of agreement Nn and Ruin had that they actually agreed to work together.


    ''If a war ensued, what do you n to do?'' Kyran suddenly asked Light.

 Chapter 611 Another Plane In The Human Plane

    Light fell silent.


    If the ones waiting outside the Human ne were Deception and Toad only, Light would not hesitate and answer she would not participate in the battle. She could expose Deception''s lies and tell her she did not want to take part in her schemes. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones waiting for an opportunity to descend. There were five others with two having a high position in the faction.


    When Light failed to answer even after Kyran waited for a few minutes, he said, ''Forget it. If you can''t avoid but join them, I won''t stop you. Just don''t expect me to be lenient.''


    ''Calx and Gemini are there,'' Light reasoned with an exasperated sigh. ''If the ones outside are ordinary members, I can still pretend to be working with them. But those two have high perceptions. It is impossible to hide my intentions.''


    Calx and Gemini were the two high-rank Sovereigns in Light''s faction. ording to Light, their ranks were determined ording to their tenure as a Sovereign and not on how powerful they were. Nevertheless, the former two possessed unconventional magic that even Kyran deemed troublesome.


    ''That''s why I said I won''t stop you from joining them,'' Kyran repeated. In the first ce, the mark he ced on her would not be triggered as long as she did not have real killing intent directed at him.


    With that said, Kyran stood up and added, ''Keep me posted. I have to go somewhere.''


    ''You have people working under you. Why do you still do things yourself?'' Light could not help but ask.


    The mage who fought Osric was obviously one of Kyran''s underlings but after warping him and the sea serpent, he had not called them back.


    Light found Kyran''s treatment of his underlings a little odd.


    ''Does having people under you mean you should stop doing things on your own?'' Kyran retorted.


    Light pursed her lips but did not refute. He had a point, at the same time, she still felt it was a waste having people under you if you did not make use of them.


    ''You can choose to follow me, or guard the hole in the sky.''


    ''Humph,'' Light snorted and the space behind Kyran distorted slightly, revealing her silhouette. ''Do you think I enjoy following you around? I can take a hint. I''ll watch over the hole and let you know of any updates.''


    ''Alright,'' Kyran agreed.


    The distortion behind Kyran vanished as Light left. After confirming that she had truly left, he also warped¡ª his destination was the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall where he sent Tritus and the sea serpent.


    Upon arrival, Kyran felt an enormous amount of magic energy and fluctuation in the surroundings. He then saw the two enveloped by a huge sphere of pure water magic energy- apparently, they were still in the middle of their advancement.


    Kyran set up a defensive array to ensure Tritus and the sea serpent could advance without meeting any problems. After which, he waved his hand and summoned Neo out of the Void world.


    "Master," Neo greeted and knelt on one knee. The moment he did, crackling noises could be hearding out of his body.


    Neo''s external and internal frames and circuitry were filled with cracks. The only reason no one noticed that was because of its coat.


    Kyran immediately felt his heart tighten. He already knew how damaged Neo''s body was. When he used his magic sense to probe the Boyd Family''s vi, he confirmed Neo''s state and was already troubled by it.


    After all, Neo''s parts could not be found in the Human ne.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to recreate these materials using the stones avable in the Human ne. This way the items he needed to fix his puppets would be new materials in the Human ne, making it easier to recreate them using his Void magic. However, with so many things he had to take care of since his return from the Tower of Tribtion and having too little time, he was unable to do so.


    Currently, Kyran could only get these materials either from Gustaf or Olivia, who had ess to the Tower of Tribtions. Unfortunately, Kyran did not find an opportunity to visit Gustaf and Byron had not yet sent an update about his and Ss''s meeting with Olivia.


    "Stay still," Kyran ordered Neo before raising his hand. Several purple rings appeared and circled Neo''s body, fixing some of the cracks.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. If Neo''s parts were made of materials avable in the Human ne, he would not have any problem creating them using one of Void''s nature. But since they were not, he could only provide a temporary fix on the cracks.


    ''I wonder if I can go back to the Tower for a few hours and request to train in Loar''s ne...'' Kyran thought, recalling that Loar''s ne was basically a haven for mages mastering puppetry. The parts he needed to fix Neo would definitely be avable there.<novelnext></novelnext>


    s, even if he went back to the tower, his request to train in Loar''s ne would never be granted because he did not need to train his puppetry knowledge but his Void magic. The tower would be the one to decide which ne best suited Kyran''s growth.


    To be honest, Kyran had the option to dismantle his other puppets and use their parts to fix Neo. But if he did that, he would lose a possible advantage of having a few ''undying'' mages that possessed infinite magic energy.


    Although some might think that instead of dismantling his other puppets, Kyran could just transfer Neo''s¡ª or rather, ''Tyr''s'' program to another intact puppet, it was impossible. Becausepared to the other puppets, Neo''s body and frame were tailored made to fit what Tyr could do. If Tyr''s program was used by the other puppets, they would notst.


    With this in mind, Kyran still considered returning to the Tower of Tribtion and entering another ne to train. Though he still had the option of asking Gustaf or Olivia for materials, they would still need to check their inventories. There was also the possibility that they did not have most of the materials Kyran needed and would require some time to gather them.


    If Kyran entered a ne to train, at least he would not really waste too much time given the time difference between nes.


    At the moment, Kyran did not consider asking for Ste''s help given her current condition.


    In any case, as long as Kyran could enter a different ne, he could find a way to create the materials not present on that ne and use his magic to¡ª.


    Wait.


    Kyran suddenly recalled something and could not help but kick himself for forgetting it.


    He did not have to return to the Tower of Tribtion to enter a ne that had a low chance of possessing the materials he needed. There was already a ne avable within the Human ne that would definitely have the materials he needed and more¡ª and it was hidden in the heart of the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall!


    A floating patch ofnd¡ª the Regis Terram!


    ''The Regis Terram is a piece ofnd from the Dragon ne. Light said that resources in nes from the Higher Realm are betterpared to the Lower Realm. The chance of creating the materials I needed but with better quality is higher if I enter the Regis Terram,'' Kyran could not help but feel excited at the idea.


    Without further ado, he got Neo to return to the Void world and went to the Regis''s Inner Wall.


    The remaining members of the Regis Family had already been transferred sessfully to the Ravenpass camp, thus, the camp outside the Inner Wall was already empty.


    Kyran received the update much earlier from Mannick. He nned to check on them after fixing Neo and adjusting his program. He was thinking of using him as an addition against the Sovereigns once they arrive¡ª and they would definitelye. As long as there were five people that could hold off the Sovereigns, they could buy more time for his ''subs'' to prepare and join them.


    Kyran looked at the cracked silver barrier surrounding the Inner Wall. They had not taken down the barrier to ensure others would not be able to enter.


    Ignoring the silver barrier, Kyran roused his Draconic magic before entering the Inner Wall. Soon, he arrived at the periphery of the central area of the Inner Wall and looked at the entrance that led into a dense forest.


    Kyran remembered going inside the forest as a child in hising of age. At that time, he was only allowed to roam around the forest''s perimeter. His grandfather once told him that the reason he could only roam there was due to stronger beasts living at the center of the forest. He was only a child at that time and though he was trained at a much earlier age inbat, it was impossible for him to fight more than one beast with higher levels.


    Now that Kyran was grown, he realized how gullible he had been to believe his grandfather. In any case, it seemed the real reason he was not allowed to go deeper into the forest was because of the existence of the Regis Terram.


    Kyran entered the dense forest and arrived at the heart without much suspense. He was unsure if his uneventful journey was because there were no beasts living there, or because the beasts were keeping their distance from him.


    ''So this is the Regis Terram,'' Kyran thought as he looked at the inverted floating piece ofnd up ahead.


    Kyran found the scene familiar because the scene before him especially the floating piece ofnd from the Dragon ne looked very much like the location where he fought his father''s essence.


    It was not hard to guess that his father likely modeled the tform to look the same as this ce.


    As Kyran looked at the floating piece ofnd, he felt his Draconic core stir.


    Apart from it, he also felt the Heaven''s Conch heat up inside his storage pouch. Obviously, both were resonating with the Regis Terram.

 Chapter 612 Radical Order

    The Regis Terram was roughly five hundred square meters with a hundred-meter wide and twenty-meter high steep cliff in the middle.


    A smallke was located above the cliff, with its excess water streaming down like a short waterfall to the side that led to the river below the cliff. Even though there was no other body of water that pushes water into theke, the water it produces and was streaming down the river seemed endless.


    Lush trees surrounded the river and it went all the way to the periphery.


    Without wasting any more time, Kyran roused his Draconic magic before jumping and entering the Regis Terram.


    Even before Kyrannded, he felt the change in gravity as soon as he entered the periphery of the floatingnd. In an instant, his body felt heavy and he almost mmed head-first to the ground.


    ''Ngh...!'' He felt every bone in his body protest under the gravitational pull. ''This gravity...!''


    Kyran''s eyes widen in shock as he roughly estimated that the gravity inside the Regis Terram was at least hundred times that of the Human ne. If his body had not fully amalgamated after drinking the Elixir, he would have already been crushed to death the moment he entered the terram''s periphery.


    ''Don''t tell me this is the Dragon ne''s normal gravity,'' Kyran wondered. If it was the case, then it would exin why dragons had a huge advantage in terms of their raw strength and speed when appearing in other nes- at least, in the Lower Realm.


    Most nes in the Lower Realm had the same gravity as the Human ne while some probably were two or three times stronger. ''Probably'' because Kyran had only been to a few nes and all had simr gravity to the Human ne, thus, he could not really say.


    To most, this piece of information was considered valuable. With this, they could gauge the dragon''s real strength while also determining a possible counter to the difference in gravity. But to Kyran, the information about the Dragon ne''s gravity was only secondary. What was far more valuable to him was that the Regis Terram retained its property. The change in gravity inside the Regis Terram was proof that it was not part of the Human ne. This also meant that the chances of creating the rare materials he needed while inside the terram ¡ª as long as it was avable in the Dragon ne too¡ª were higher.


    It took Kyran almost a minute to gain his bearings. He had to utilize 50% of the Regis Blessing in his body and even then, the gravitational pull only decreased by fifty to sixty percent. He roughly guessed that if he could use 100% of the blessing, the gravity inside the terram would no longer affect him.


    Unfortunately, Kyran had never used 100% of the Regis Blessing for fear of possible repercussions. His body might already beparable to a baby dragon''s. But that was it. It wasparable to a baby only¡ª not an adult, and the Regis Blessing he possessed was not as simple as possessing a drop of dragon''s blood. He literally possessed Draconic magic but he always felt that his body was still not strong enough to use it 100%.


    ''If I want to train my Draconic magic, this is the best ce to do that,'' Kyran suddenly thought. He began to consider taking the Regis Terram out of the Regis Estate. Maybe transfer it to the Chaos Pce.


    Kyran put the matter of taking the terram and made his way to the center. He jumped up the cliff and found a small t clearing right in the middle of theke.


    ''That''s...''


    Kyrannded on the clearing and looked at a small red sphere floating in the middle. He found the sphere somewhat strange because it did not seem to be made of stone. It actually appeared to be made of liquid.


    ''Could that be the dragon''s blood?''


    Kyran''s Draconic core stirred as the thought crossed his mind. It was as if it wanted to confirm his guess.


    To avoid anything untoward happening if he got too close to the sphere, Kyran stayed close to the edge of the clearing. There he sat cross-legged and started to rouse his Void magic.


    He did not release the Draconic energy in his body when he roused the Void. If he did, then the gravity pulling his body would return to normal, and his body would barely survive the strain.


    Using the Shaiha, Kyran bnced the two magic. His only fear was the terram rejecting the Void magic, preventing him from using it.


    Fortunately, his concern was unfounded, and he was able to rouse and summon Void magic without any problems.


    After confirming that the two magic energies circting inside the Shaiha were stable, Kyran began his work in creating the materials he needed.


    Soon, he discovered that he could create all of the needed materials to fix Neo. This made him ecstatic and even more determined to take the Regis Terram with him.


    Before Kyran began working on Neo and, if time would allow it,pleting the rest of his unfinished puppets, he sent a coded message to Myst and Raya. He asked them to continue guarding the periphery leading to the hole in the sky.


    Light was already there, but Kyran did not trust her to deal with the people investigating the hole. Thus, he asked Myst and Raya for this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Apart from them, Kyran also sent a coded message to his grandfather, Euan, Malek, Ezra, and Byron.


    The content of his message to them was the same. He told them about the possibility of more Sovereigns descending from the hole in the sky and asked them to make preparations. After that, he also sent some items to them. Being at a ce that helped him create items without worrying if that item could be produced was very convenient. The more Kyran stayed in the Regis Terram, the more he wanted to keep it for himself.


    In any case, after sending them coded messages and materials, Kyran started working on Neo and his puppets.


    *


    Nn and Ruin stood near the hole that led to the Human ne. Both of them were looking straight ahead toward the seven figures several hundred meters away from them.


    Starting from the far left, dressed in a red flowing dress, was none other than Deception. Beside her was a huge gold and green toad dressed in a red cloak with gold ents. Both its arms were glowing in red as if they were made of magma. This toad was who Light referred to as Sovereign of Toad.


    Next to Toad appeared to be a huge rectangr ck steel, with a huge fan attached to its back. Its title was the Sovereign of Squall.


    Beside Squall was a translucent white robe that seemed to flutter with an invisible wind. The robe was the Sovereign of Frock.


    Standing next to Frock appeared to be a human, but also not so human because, from the waist up branched out to two torsos¡ª a male and a female. It was dressed in a blue and green flowing robe, and where their faces should be, were masks. The mask of the one with the male body had a male symbol, while the female had a mask with the female symbol.


    This was the Sovereign of Gemini.


    Next to Gemini was a huge steel tower with a head of a horse engraved in front of its body.


    This was the Sovereign of Calx.


    Lastly, the one on Calx''s right was an old crooked-looking staff. There was nothing much of note to it, but its title was the Sovereign of Club.


    "F*ck," Nn could not help but mutter under his breath after sensing the auras that the five neers emitted.


    In particr, two of them emitted a very oppressive aura that made his body want to squirm in fear.


    Fear.


    ''Ah, f*ck,'' Nn repeated inwardly. His eyes narrowed upon realizing the fear in his heart.


    When was thest time he felt this emotion?


    Actually, he felt it recently. However, the fear he felt then was different from the fear he felt at that moment.


    The former fear Nn felt after almost failing to find the location of Azaloth''s Inheritance. He failed not because of his bad sense of direction but because his essence was fatally wounded, and he received the bacsh while battling a golden ape legendary beast.


    Nn managed to survive with the help of his cloak. If not for that, he would have lost a limb or two just to escape from the golden ape.


    Now, the fear Nn felt was because of the unknown.


    That was right. He did not fear the auras emanating from the two neers but the unknown magic they possessed.


    The most troublesome thing to happen in a battle was not knowing what your opponent could do.

 Chapter 613 War (1)

    As for the other three, Nn was wary of not knowing their magic, but he was not as worriedpared with the two. At the very least, he sensed the three Sovereigns were inexperienced based on their auras and would not pose much threat.


    Honestly, even at his level, he was confident in dealing with them with no problem.


    Of course, that was on the premise that a battle would ensue between them. So far, they kept their distance upon arrival. Even Deception and the Toad stopped attacking and pulled back.


    Nevertheless, Nn could not seem to rx his nerves. They did not seem keen on attacking, but for how long¡ª well, that''s the question.


    On the other hand, Ruin appeared rxed. He was grinning at the neers¡ª whether he knew who they were or if he was taunting them, only he knew the answer.


    But while Nn felt uneasy and Ruin felt rxed, another person was feeling a different emotion¡ª apprehension.


    Deception ground her teeth as she furtively looked at Gemini, Calx, Club, Frock and Squall. She was not expecting more Sovereigns toe. When she asked for help, she only informed Light and Toad. Apparently, one of them reported her situation to the faction leaders and dispatched more people to assist them.


    Unfortunately, Deception had lied about her situation. She knew how much the faction wanted to get on the new Dark Sage''s good side. But she could not be bothered about it. In the first ce, she only joined the Radical Order because they promised to help her retrieve the Solum Tribe. But she had been in the faction for some time, and they had done nothing.


    Of course, one of the reasons they did nothing was because Deception had eluded on providing aplete ount of her situation.


    Because her faction did not take any action, she had an agreement with Ruin and went to the Human ne. If she could retrieve the Solum Tribe from the new Dark Sage, what happened to thetter did not matter.


    s, Deception also developed an interest in Kyran and wanted him for herself, breaking her agreement with Ruin in the process. She thought having Light and Toad''s help would resolve her disadvantage against Ruin. But it seemed she had miscalcted, and now more people from the faction were getting in her way.


    To think Ruin would join hands with the despicable human that killed her essence! That was a huge miss on Deception''s part. More importantly, why was that despicable human so powerful? He actually managed to fight head-on with a Sovereign.


    Although Deception''s magic was not offensively powerful, when Light was still with them¡ª she and Toad''sbined magic could take on Ruin.


    If Ruin knew Deception was belittling him, he would have broke out in a fit ofughter.


    Even without Nn''s help, Deception, Light, and Toad''sbined power would not put any pressure on Ruin.


    After a few minutes of silence, Gemini finally spoke.


    "Ruin," Gemini started, a male and female voice ovepped as it spoke. "What are you doing ying house with a lowly human."


    Ruin raised his brows and tilted his head, "ying house, huh? Does it seem like that to you? Unfortunately, I can''t understand how your heads work."


    Nn nced slightly at Ruin.


    ''So he does know them. Is that the reason they did not attack at once?'' He wondered. But then he thought of a possibility that they would try to reason out with Ruin, and Nn once again felt uneasy.


    Ruin was obsessed with Kyran. If these people negotiated with him and agreed to surrender Kyran as long as he helped them out, Nn would be in a f*cked situation.


    "I heard your people once tried to win over the rights in the Human ne. You even received assistance from someone inside. But in the end, your race failed, forcing you to flee for your life."


    Ruin chuckled and crossed his legs, appearing to sit on an invisible chair.


    "Is that an attempt at taunting? You have two brains, and yet that''s the level of taunt you can manage? Pathetic," he said.


    Since Gemini was wearing two masks, they could not see its expressions. However, the sudden drop in temperature around it was enough to guess it did not like what Ruin had said.


    Calx and Frock could not help but look at Gemini cautiously. They were the closest to thetter and felt its rising aura.


    "Don''t you have any pride as a Sovereign?" Gemini asked through gritted teeth.


    "F*ck pride," Ruin snorted.


    Nn''s brow twitched slightly because he sensed Ruin''s eyes fleeted toward him. Then he added, "Ah~ I see why you like to say that word now. It does make you feel refreshed after saying it with gusto."


    Nn decided to ignore him.


    "Ruin!"


    Ruin scowled at Gemini, "Don''t act too familiar, you half-half. I''ll destroy you."


    Gemini let out a soft growl but did not try to refute.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This made Nn look at Ruin differently. It was not a look of respect or anything simr. It was actually an apprehensive look.


    Nn only heard about Ruin from Kyran. Although Nn found Ruin''s magic very powerful, he did not believe he would be disadvantaged if they truly fought to the death¡ª even if the Sovereign''s Cradle did not suppress Ruin''s level.


    Truthfully, when they fought earlier, they had not given their all. Proof of that was their ability to fight against Deception, Light and Toad without being disadvantaged.


    But now, Nn felt that Ruin''s identity and even strength were not that simple. Of course, he already knew Ruin''s magic was strange and nothing simple, but it was now on a different level. After all, Gemini was not the only one being cautious around Ruin, but all seven were. If Light had been there, she would probably have acted the same.


    "Sovereign of Ruin," Calx suddenly spoke.


    Based on its voice, Nn deemed Calx as a male.


    "We have note here to argue with you. Our business is in the Human ne," Calx continued. "We promise to give you a proper ount for Deception, Light and Toad''s behavior but for now, won''t you let us pass?"


    "What business do you have in the Human ne?" Nn asked. Though he felt somewhat fearful, that did not stop him from voicing his doubts.


    "I am not talking to you, human," Calx growled at Nn.


    Nn could not help but grunt in amusement, "Not talking? You just did."


    Calx frowned at him, but instead of responding, he directed his attention to Ruin.


    "We understand that you are here because of the new Dark Sage," he continued as if he had not been interrupted. "To be honest, the faction leader wanted to have a word or two with him. However, we promise not to do anything to him apart from talk."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Ruin''s lips, and he said, "You say that, but one of your people is ring daggers at me."


    Deception ground her teeth again as she scowled at Ruin.


    Toad also understood Ruin''s words and turned to look at her.


    "''One of our people?''" Calx repeated and looked at the rest of the Sovereigns.


    Sensing his gaze sweep at them, Deception tried to fix her expression. Unfortunately, it was toote, and the rest immediately noticed it.


    Nn narrowed his eyes. He put two and two together and realized Deception had not been honest with her people.


    ''I could exploit this,'' he thought with a sneer.


    Before he could say anything, though, Ruin beat him at it.


    "Yeah. Deception tried to take my prey," he told them.


    "Lies!" Deception denied at once.


    Ruin smiled, which did not meet his eyes, "Lies? You dared im my prey when I was upied with something. You even tried to enter the Human ne using your real body. If not for this human with me, destroying your essence and even injuring your real body, you would not have retreated and sought Light''s and Toad''s help."


    "Ruin! You bastard! You''re sowing discord among us!"


    The six Sovereigns were appalled after hearing Ruin. Although they did not want to believe him, he did not seem to lie. At least they did not sense any false emotion from his words. Apart from this, Ruin''s im that a human destroyed and injured Deception conformed with her report. However, they did not expect the human fighting alongside Ruin to be the same person.


    If that were true, it would exin how he survived while fighting Deception, Light and Toad. It was not because Ruin was covering for him but because he had the capability.


    "Am I? Who''s the one with the name Deception?" Ruin asked with a sneer.


    "You¡ª!"


    "I''ve heard enough."


    These three words were spoken gently¡ª almost like a whisper. However, it carried such weight that the surroundings seemed to freeze in an instant.


    It was then followed by an overwhelming pressure that weighed down on all of them.

 Chapter 614 War (2)

    Deception''s body stiffened, not only from the pressure that suddenly fell from above but also from fear.


    She knew who that voice belonged to and feared the judgment he would mete out.


    No one knew she wanted to capture the new Dark Sage for herself until Ruin spilled the beans. If the ones who heard him were only the six Sovereigns beside her, she could stille up with a convincing lie to make it sound like Ruin was lying. If a normal lie was not enough, she could use her magic to make them change their perspective. Her magic was not powerful offensively, but in this type of situation, no one could top her¡ª at least, no one among the six Sovereigns.


    But he was different.


    After all, he was one of the leading figures of the Radical Order.


    Sovereign of Obstruction.


    His magic could easily obstruct the magic influence of Deception.


    "Deception," Sovereign of Obstruction''s calm yet deep and power-filled voice shook the surroundings, creating an almost palpable ripple that affected the seven Sovereigns.


    Surprisingly, Nn and Ruin were not affected by Obstruction''s aura. However, they still felt his strong pressure.


    The truth, the reason they were not affected was simply because Obstruction directed his aura toward the seven Sovereigns¡ª especially on Deception.


    "You have truly caused an irreconcble situation to the Radical Order."


    "Argh!!" Deception let out an agonized wail as she fell to her knees. The rim of her eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and her breathing turnedbored from thebined strength of Obstruction''s magic aura and pressure.


    "O-Obstruction! Y-You don''t really believe what he said!" Deception tried to reason. "I will never do something that may hinder the order''s goal!"


    "There is no reason for Ruin to lie," Obstruction reasoned calmly. "Tomb warned us of your character and Flos made the right judgment to have mee here."


    Deception ground her teeth.


    Sovereign of Tomb was also a leading figure of the order and she was one of the members Deception stirred clear from. The two had known each other for hundreds of years and although they never fought before, and were civil with each other, they were also wary of each other.


    As for Flos, he was the Radical Order''s founder. He was a new Sovereign that only a few had seen in person. He was quite elusive but when he made a sound, it would usually cause a huge stir in almost all of the nes in the Lower Realm¡ª which was owned by a Sovereign. It was all because his actions would always result in a radical event.


    For example, Flos once entered a ne that the Coven deemed to be off-limits. It was said that the ne had a strange energy that was poisonous to Sovereigns and above. The Coven sent out a few of their members to investigate the ne but in the end, they announced it was a dangerous ce and sealed it.


    Due to the danger, the Coven did not ce a guardian to guard the ne.


    Flos made use of this and entered the ne. No one knew what he did inside, but it resulted in the ne''s destruction.


    In any case, if Deception looked at Flos''s character based on his exploits, she was convinced he would not pay much attention to her. Unfortunately, she failed to recognize Flos''s dedication to watching every member of the order.


    Deception shook her head. This was not the time to think about those things. She had to find a way to convince Obstruction she would not do anything to hinder the order''s ns.


    "P-Please," Deception started. "W-Why would I even have designs on his prey? E-Everyone¡ª not just me¡ª would never want to get on Ruin''s bad side¡ª! AARGH!"


    Even before Deception couldplete was she was saying, the space around her distorted, and an almost visible hand grabbed hold of her.


    "If you have anything to say, tell it to Flos," Obstruction said.


    FOOM!


    The distortion around Deception shrank, taking her along and in a blink of an eye, she vanished along with signs of distortion.


    Toad could not help but break out in cold sweat. Though he was unaware of Deception''s real goal, he had agreed to help her. Would Obstruction mete out another punishment directed to him?


    "You can rx, Toad. Flos will only punish those who cause trouble to the order."


    "T-Thank you..." Toad croaked, sighing in relief.


    "However."


    Toad''s body tensed at once after realizing Obstruction was not done.


    "You are to return and reflect on yourck of foresight."


    "I-I¡ª Guah!"


    The space around him was also distorted and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared too.


    Nn, who was watching the events unfold right in front suddenly felt his scalp go numb.


    He met mages using Space magic before, but Obstruction''s magic might appear simr to it, yet felt different. At the very least, the magic energy that responded when the space around Deception and Toad distorted was different.


    But that was not the reason Nn had gone numb. It was the fact that Obstruction had used his magic without even revealing his location. There was not even a fluctuation of magic when he attacked. Such an attack would definitely be trouble¡ª not just to him, but to Kyran and the others.


    Basically, if a mage attacked without even a telltale sign that he or she made a move, it could be fatal to whoever his or her attack was directed.


    "What''s this?" Ruin suddenly let out a dryugh as he flew¡ª while still sitting cross-legged¡ª close to the middle separating him and Nn from the remaining Sovereigns.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gemini and the four remaining Sovereigns squirmed at the approaching Ruin in fear he would suddenly use his magic on them.


    "You''re making such a huge scene just to take your people to safety?" Ruin continued as he stopped a few minutes after leaving him behind.


    Nn''s eyes turned bloodshot as he red at Ruin''s back.


    ''F*ck. Don''t interrupt him, d*mn it! If he wanted to take his people away then let him! The fewer there is the better chance I can work with Kyran and the others to defeat those remaining!'' Nn could not help but curse Ruin inwardly.


    As if sensing his thoughts, Ruin turned to look at him with an odd expression.


    Nn only stared back with a slight smile. His expression was unreadable as always.


    "You know such taunts won''t work on me, Ruin," Obstruction''s response brought Nn and Ruin''s attention back to the demons.


    Ruin grinned and said, "It was worth a try."


    "I had them retreat because of the mess they have caused. If you would allow me to enter the Human ne, I also want to retrieve Light. After that, we will talk again."


    "Talk?" Ruin snorted. "But I don''t want to talk to you."


    "Ruin¡ª!"


    Ruin''s aura and magic pressure erupted, seemingly fighting off Obstruction''s own.


    "If you want war. Come. Stop hiding behind your men."


    Nn''s expression turned nk. This guy was acting as unreasonable as always! Even he¡ª Nn, known as a person who acts recklessly¡ª felt Ruin''s behavior was far too reckless.


    If this was any other time, Nn would not mind Ruin''s behavior. However, their situation was somewhat different from normal.


    There was only one Sovereign on their side while their enemies had five or six. They were clearly outnumbered.


    Even if Nn called for Kyran to help out, they were still short on people.


    "There is no rush," Obstruction replied to Ruin''s taunting. "Everyone is ready¡ª thanks to you and your little friend here keeping them at bay."


    Ruin''s expression did not change from Obstruction''s reply. However, his eyes glinted in anger.


    "In the end, there are still six of them," Nn suddenly said, directing his words to Ruin.


    "You take three, I take three."


    "Go f*ck yourself," Nn replied to Ruin almost in an instant. "Don''t spout the impossible."


    "You can handle these small fries."


    "True, but I don''t f*cking want to. In the first ce, I only have beef with that b*tch for setting her eyes on your prey. But to the rest, I don''t f*cking care what they want to do in the Human ne."


    As the two continued to converse, the five Sovereigns who were still enduring Obstruction''s aura and pressure all felt indignation toward Nn and Ruin.


    How could they even converse and act rxed in front of them? Were they not afraid to offend Obstruction? More importantly, why were they looking down on them?


    The five of them were far strongerpared to Deception and Toad.


    "Human," Obstruction turned his attention to Nn. "You are wise. We have note to wage war. However, we want to go down to the Human ne."


    "To find that Light guy right?"


    "Yes."


    "I can find him myself. There is no need for you toe."


    "That won''t do."


    "Why?"


    "We also have some business to attend to."


    "What?"


    "That is none of your concern."


    Nn chuckled, "Then the answer is no."


    "You do not have a choice."


    "F*ck, yes, I do," Nn replied, and also unleashed his magic aura and pressure.

 Chapter 615 War (3)

    BOOM!


    A loud explosion erupted from the sky of the Ylfaen Empire, creating powerful ripples above. It was soon followed by a shockwave that spread in every direction, with the location of the hole in the sky as the starting point.


    Those people who persisted in investigating what was happening under the hole in the sky were the first ones to receive the brunt of the shockwave. Although no one died, all of them were blown away several hundreds of meters along with the trees and dirt, and sustained quite a number of internal and external injuries.


    Myst and Raya were no exception. They were also blown away by the shockwave. However, they managed to escape unscathed after using the transmission scroll they kept with them for emergencies. They were then transported outside the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall.


    "W-What the hell was that just now?" Raya cried out in rm as soon as he appeared. He directed his attention toward the direction of the hole at once.


    Myst appeared a few feet from his left just in time to hear him. He too was looking toward the hole''s direction.


    "No matter what that was, it doesn''t look good!" He said with furrowed brows.


    He was not being an rmist. The reason he said it was because even after they were transported hundreds of kilometers away from the heart of the explosion, the ground before they still shook and the shockwave seemed to be approaching at an rming speed.


    "Young master... escaped from there, right?" Raya could not help but voiced his concern.


    "I don''t know," Myst replied. "But we have a more pressing matter."


    He looked at their surroundings in concern and added, "If the strength of that shockwave is not reduced beforeing here, it will likely destroy the Regis Outer Wall."


    Raya gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. As much as he was worried about Kyran''s welfare, Myst was right. They could not allow that explosion to destroy the Outer Wall. It was not because they were attached to thend itself but because they were given strict orders to keep the Outer Wall safe.


    They did not know the full details but there was something in the Outer Wall that they had to protect.


    Honestly, when the Regis n decided to retreat inside the Inner Wall, Patriarch Aron had done something to ensure that whatever it was they needed to protect in the Outer Wall would still be ''safe.'' He also gambled on the fact that outsiders would not be able to recognize what it was and would likely ignore it.


    "We have to let the Patriarch know," Raya agreed and immediately looked at the camp near the Inner Wall''s gate.


    "Crap, they already left."


    As if realizing his words seemed off, Raya''s expression turned odd as he rephrased, "I mean, it''s good that everyone has left but¡ª."


    "Keep your rantings to yourself," Myst interrupted him. "Have you been to Ravenpass?"


    "Just close to its border."


    "Then go. I''ll stay and keep watch. Inform Patriarch about the situation here¡ª."


    "There is no need."


    A voice cut him midsentence from behind.


    The two turned and saw Mannick appear before them.


    "You are...."


    Myst and Raya obviously knew who Mannick was, but they only knew him as the Royal Army''s Deputy Marshal.


    "There is no time," Mannick told them. "I''ll protect this ce. You two go to the Ravenpass and prepare."


    Myst and Raya''s expressions turned solemn.


    There were a number of interpretations of Mannick''s usage of the word ''prepare.'' However, Myst and Raya knew the correct one. Given the situation, there was only one reason they had to prepare.


    War ising.


    "Will you be fine?" Raya could not help but ask.


    As far as he was concerned, Mannick was only an Exalted. No matter how perverse his magic seemed to be, or how powerful his greatsword skills were, it was not something that could counter the approaching shockwave.


    "You need not concern about my welfare," Mannick told him with a slight smile. "What''sing is just a form of unrestrained magic energy. I can handle that."


    Raya did not understand what Mannick meant, but he did not dwell on it and said while lowering his head, "We have the responsibility to protect this ce. However, we also have a responsibility to our people. If you can protect this ce, we will be forever grateful."


    Myst also lowered his head.


    "Go," Mannick told them. He did not mean to sound dismissive, but time was of the essence.


    The two nodded, not taking to heart Mannick''s dismissive attitude.


    Raya took out a transmission scroll and used it, taking Myst along with him to the Ravenpass''s border.


    Mannick faced the approaching shockwave, his expression turning cold.


    Unlike Myst and Raya, Mannick knew why it was important to protect the Regis Outer Wall. Few knew it was because the Regis Grand Array was there.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The array was too precious and could not be easily fixed if the Outer Wall was destroyed. Frankly, it was not wrong to say that the Outer Wall was part of the array itself.


    Mannick roused his magic and the magic energies around him stirred. His eyes turned to gold as he levitated in the air while still facing the direction of the shockwave¡ª which was now only a few hundred meters away.


    With how things had turned out, Mannick no longer cared about overstepping the boundary at which he could meddle in the Human ne.


    Besides, the explosion clearly was a form of threat directed at him as the Sovereign of the Human ne. There was no way he would let it slide. He might not be able to fix the hole or prevent those Sovereigns outside from descending, but he could at least reduce the damage they would inflict.


    ''Now.''


    Mannick''s body emitted a blinding light and the magic energies around him became visible to the naked eye. After that, they circled him and expanded outward.


    As it did, he noticed an array formation nearby and immediately recognized that it was created by Kyran.


    With a wave of his hand, Mannick manipted the magic energies to ensure they would not disrupt the flow of magic energy around the formation. If the formation received a surge of magic energies, there was a possibility it would explode.


    Soon, the magic energies covered the whole Regis Estate.


    *


    The shockwave also arrived at the Boyd Family''s Vi.


    Osric and the rest of the Boyd family leaders were already outside, reinforcing the vi''s barrier to endure the shockwave.


    However, even before the shockwave touched the vi''s border, a light golden sheen-like veil suddenly appeared, covering the wholend.


    Actually, it was not only the Boyd Family''s Vi that had been covered by the light golden veil but the whole of Meliora City.


    Osric and the Boyd family leaders were both in awe and confused as to who summoned such a huge barrier. However, their doubts were soon answered as they saw a floating figure above.


    "Y-Your Highness!" Osric shouted in fear.


    Only a couple of hours had passed since the time Haylee broke down and suddenly she was right before them and they did not even notice it until now.


    Haylee turned and lowered her gaze to look at Osric, she smiled slightly and said, "Osric, you have done well in protecting my body."


    Osric''s eyes immediately widened as he realized the voice that came out of Haylee''s lips was a little different. However, it did not sound foreign to him. It even sounded familiar, which brought tears to his eyes.


    "Mdy... La."


    Haylee¡ª or rather, La smiled, "It took a while. But I''m back now."


    "L-Lady La!" The Boyd family leaders prostrated on the ground and with zealous expressions looked at La. "We have long awaited your return!"


    "I know," La said and slowly descended to the ground. "My sessor has a very strong will and it took me some time to take over. But that is unimportant now."


    She looked at Osric, who had already genuflected.


    "Is everyone ready?"


    "Yes, mdy," Osric answered at once. "We only await your orders."


    La nodded and wandered her eyes among the Boyd family leaders. With a slight frown, she said, "I don''t see little Ingrid."


    "She is currently in the Lumley residence, taking over their family."


    "Is that so?" La waved her hand and a light golden sphere appeared before her. Her sapphire blue eyes glowed and small white lights came out of the sphere. They gathered above it, seemingly trying to form into a shape. However, they stopped midway and scattered.


    La''s beautiful face instantly distorted in anger.


    "I can''t find her."


    Osric and the others looked at her in shock.


    "Someone took her," La said through gritted teeth. She crushed the sphere and said, "Dispatch our people near the Lumley residence. I want to know what happened there."


    "Yes, mdy."


    "Gather the rest here. We are going to the Regis Estate."


    *


    Meanwhile, inside the Regis Terram, Kyran was oblivious to what was happening outside.

 Chapter 616 War (4)

    When the explosion urred, Hugh and the other Conve council members were inside thergest tent in the encampment outside the Tower of Conve. Although the shockwave that came after the explosion did not reach the borders of Starhorn, they still felt the intensity of it, and the ground trembled fiercely.


    The quaking of the ground went on for a few minutes, during which Hugh received a call from Malek, Eoin, and Ezra. Apparently, they all experienced the same thing in their current location¡ª Malek andpany in Ravenpass, Eoin and a few Courtenay family members still in the Lumley Family residence, and Ezra and his people in Noser.


    Not long after, the four sides opened a channel, connecting them all and sharing visuals of their locations.


    Hugh and the rest of the Conve council members were still inside the tent. However, the image being projected only showed him.


    On the other hand, Eoin was inside the Lumley Family''s council room. There were a couple of Courtenay elders with Eoin, along with the remaining Lumley family council but he was the one being shown in the projection, just like Hugh.


    The same was projected in Ezra''s end, but te, True Void, and Zephyr were with him. Apart from this, while Hugh and Eoin were indoors, Ezra was in an outdoor setting. From behind, they could see the result of the battle that happened in Noser.


    Then there was Malek. He was inside a small conference room in the onlypleted building in Ravenpass. Aron, Jared, and Euan were with him but did not appear through the projection.


    "Kyran is there?" Malek asked with a slight frown.


    Hugh had just finished updating them on what transpired over the Boyd Family''s vi and how Kyran took Styx andpany back to the encampment.


    "Was," Hugh corrected him with a sigh. "He was summoned inside Lady Ste''s tent as soon as he arrived, but when we went back, he had already left. We thought he returned to where he had been prior to what happened in the Boyd Family''s vi."


    Aron sighed heavily and said, "Myst and Raya arrived a few minutes ago and confirmed that Kyran was not there. We also received coded messages and materials from him but..."


    Again, Aron sighed before adding, "The messages were unreadable, and only the materials were intact."


    "We received coded messages from him too. And simrly, we couldn''t read it," Eoin chimed in.


    They looked at Ezra, who smiled bitterly and said, "It is the same with us."


    "Mannick said the only possible reason his messages did note through properly was due to a powerful interference. As for why the materials were intact, he warped them using his magic, which did not go through the same ''route,''" Euan told them. "Anyhow, we don''t know where he is right now, and our situation doesn''t allow us to wait for him."


    Their expressions turned grim from Euan''s words. It was obvious, even without anyone pointing it out, given their situation, that the explosion was not good news.


    Mannick also told them that a few Sovereigns were close to the hole.


    Euan and Malek did not understand what he meant, but Aron and Jared''s expressions turned solemn after that. Obviously, a few Sovereigns were synonymous with bad news.


    "I agree," te voiced her agreement at once. "You may not know, but that explosion... That is actually Nn releasing his full power."


    "Nn?"


    "No way!"


    "How did he...?"


    "That guy?"


    Euan, Jared, Aron and Malek said, respectively.


    The others were also confused but did not say anything and only let te continue.


    "Yes, Patriarch Aron, Jared. Nn is outside and keeping the Sovereigns at bay."


    "Is he already at that level?" Aron could not help but wonder aloud. "No, that is unimportant right now. If it was as you said, then the strength of the Sovereigns outside forced him to use his full power. That doesn''t sound good. We don''t have any active Sovereigns to assist him."


    "Can you tell us what those sovereigns are?" Malek asked with furrowed brows. "I''ve been hearing that word for some time, and I get that it''s some title of some sort. But who are they exactly?"


    Aron, te and Jared hesitated for a moment. They were bound to secrecy by the Tower of Tribtions. If they said anything...


    "GAAAH! Screw the Tower''s rule!" True Void suddenly joined the conversation. "This is not the time to withhold information!"


    His figure fleeted into Ezra''s projection as he continued, "Sovereigns are mages whose level far exceeds a Magus!"


    "What?"


    The members of the Courtenay and Lumley Families were shocked. They knew that a Magus was not the end of the line for mages. However, it was the first time they heard about a Sovereign.


    "And those Sovereigns are the same as those who you called ''outsiders.''"


    Euan frowned, "You mean those three people that came out from the Winfrey Ancestral Lands?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    True Void shook his head.


    "They did note from that ce. They are natives from different nes¡ª don''t ask for details, just know there are plenty of nes outside the Human ne," he said in one breath, not giving any of them a chance to ask questions.


    "You probably think those outsiders don''t appear strong, but that is only because the Sovereign''s Cradle restrained their level..."


    True Void then briefly exined what a cradle was and how it operates. He also told them that the Human ne had a Sovereign, but for how long, he did not know.


    They noticed how his glowing reddish-purple eyes dimmed when he spoke of thetter. The expressions of those who knew about Azaloth also darkened.


    "Once those people descend, they will probably join hands with that girl."


    Euan had a pained expression, knowing who True Void was referring to.


    "But that is not the most urgent thing we have to deal with," True Void continued.


    He turned to look at Ezra, who nodded in return.


    "We received an update from the Spirits keeping an eye on every noble family working with the Crown Princess. They are now on the move," Ezra told them. He looked at them and said gravely, "We checked their movements, and judging from their routes, they will march toward four locations.


    "The Lumely Family Residence in Starhorn, the Tower of Conve, the Temr Code''s HQ in Noser, and the Regis Estate."


    Malek scowled at once, "Why will they go to the Tower of Conve? Even though Styx and the others took part in themotion at the Boyd Family''s vi, they are in disguise."


    "I may have the answer to that," Aron replied.


    He told them how Ingrid assumed Disciple Tyr''s rtionship with the Regis n and was convinced that the Conve already sided with them.


    "We hid Ingrid under severalyers of array formation, but the Boyd Family might have other means of locating her. She might have also sent her initial findings to her family before isting herpletely."


    "Her guess is off, but it also made sense," Hughmented. "Since we know they are on the move, it is best to intercept them."


    "No," Euan disagreed at once. Before they could ask further, he continued, "At least not everyone can intercept them. Since Haylee already decided to move, she probably had those three join."


    "''Those three?''" They asked in unison.


    Euan nodded, "Yes. The Three Archmaguses of the Royal Family."


    Most of them fell silent. Although the Royal Family appeared to be in decline the truth, they had hidden powerful mages amidst them, and only a few knew about it.


    "Seriously, can''t you order those guys to back off? Technically, you are part of the Royal Family, and those three will listen to you," True Voidined to Euan.


    Euan shook his head and clenched his fist.


    "I relinquishedmand over them, fearing I will be tempted to use their strength for personal gain. s, I made the wrong decision to give full authority tomand them over to Haylee too soon."


    "If they are heading to four locations, if we include the Boyd Family''s Legendary mage, then these four are likely the ones leading the group," Malek said, doing the math in his head.


    Euan nodded in agreement, "Yes."


    "Our advantage is that the Crown Princess has not realized Emperor Euan already knows the truth," Hugh said. "If we do this right, his Majesty''s army can be a trump card."


    "His Majesty doesn''t have to join the battle," Aron voiced his opinion. "Instead, our family will join. I feel that the Crown Princess will also join, and the likely person she will go with is the Boyd Family''s Legendary mage. Her target is pretty obvious as well."


    "The Regis Estate," Euan agreed with a nod.


    "Yes."


    "Alright, let us go get ready."


    "Wait a moment," True Void stopped them before anyone could disconnect. "If anyone of you sees Kyran. Please, tell us. Honestly, even if he is far from me, I will still sense him. But I can''t do that right now. It''s like he is not in the Human ne."


    Aron, te, and Jared seemed to realize something, and they looked at True Void with wide eyes.


    Could he have gone back to the Tower of Tribtions? Or did he go out of the Human ne to help Nn?


    As if reading what was on their minds, True Void shook his head and said, "I don''t think he went back to that ce or went out to help Nn. All I know is, he doesn''t seem to be in the Human ne."

 Chapter 617 War (5)

    "Am I the only one who has an idea where master went?" Zephyr, who had not reacted to Kyran''s MIA status, asked no one in particr.


    True Void scowled at him, "If you know something, just say it! Why are you only speaking up now?"


    "No one asked," Zephyr replied matter-of-factly.


    Everyone''s expression turned nk at the banter between the two.


    Aron cleared his throat and said, "Tell us where."


    Zephyr tilted his head to one side and replied, "You should know where it is. Since you guys thought he could have returned to ''that ce,'' where else in the Human ne would one be¡ª at the same time¡ª not entirely in?"


    Aron and Jared seemed to realize what Zephyr was saying, and their eyes lit up.


    "That''s right!"


    "Right? What''s right? Can we please not talk in riddles?" True Voidined.


    Zephyr shrugged, "That ce is the Regis Family''s jurisdiction. I cannot disclose anything in front of other people."


    Euan, Hugh, Malek, and the rest did not refute. Though they were currently working together, it did not mean they could share everything about each other.


    "I''m surprised you know about that ce," Aronmented, looking at Zephyr skeptically.


    Zephyr pursed his lips and turned his nose at Aron, "Humph, don''t say you are my master''s rtive. Why can''t I know about it? It may only be a small patch ofnd, but it is still where I came from!"


    ''What happened to not wanting to disclose anything in front of other people?''


    This thought crossed everyone''s mind while wearing a nk expression.


    However, the expression of most people present in the meeting changed to shock the moment they realized Zephyr''s implication. As far as they were concerned, he was only a child mage that Kyran probably picked up somewhere. It did not ur to them that he was someone from a foreignnd.


    That was right. To most, the conversation between Aron, Jared, and Zephyr only sounded like the Regis Family got hold of a ce connected to another ''world'' and that thetter came from there. None of them truly understood Zephyr''s implication.


    Even those who already knew Zephyr was a Quilin were also shocked. Initially, they thought he was a mutated beast from the south. But now they believed he could be considered an ''outsider.''


    Only True Void, te, and the selected few that knew Zephyr managed to keep their shock to a minimum.


    As for Aron and Jared, they were reeling in both amazement and shock. If their understanding of Zephyr''s origin was correct, and he considered Kyran, his ''master,'' did that mean Kyran had bonded with a¡ª?


    "Don''t get ahead of yourselves," Zephyr''s cutting words instantly brought them out of their reverie. "I am not what you think I am¡ª at least half of it anyway."


    He paused briefly before continuing, "Let''s not get sidetracked. Master is probably in that ce to find help. He definitely realizes that dealing with the enemies alone with only this level of military strength is not enough."


    True Void''s illusionary brow twitched at Zephyr''s straightforwardness. He could almost imagine Kyran hitting him on the head to shut him up or warping him away as punishment.


    "Find help?" Jared asked, his brows furrowed. "How can he find help in that ce when it is only a¡ª ah!"


    Realization dawn not only on him but also on Aron and te.


    "Did you mean to say he ns on using that?" Jared and te asked in unison.


    On the other hand, Aron seemed to recall something and shook his head, "No. Kyran may have entered that ce for an entirely different reason. Let us not jump to a conclusion."


    "I don''t really understand what you are talking about, but since we now have a lead to where Kyran is, someone has to go find him," Malek diverted the discussion back on track.


    "We''ll take care of that. Just as he said, that ce is under our family''s jurisdiction and can only be entered by us," Aron consented.


    "Alright," Euan also nodded. "Now that we have that covered, let us reconvene after we¡ª."


    "Urgent report from the pce, your Majesty!"


    A soldier''s booming voice followed by a loud knock, cut Euan midsentence.


    Aron, Euan, Malek, and Jared exchanged nces inside the small conference room, and without saying a word, Euan gestured at the soldier standing guard by the door to let the soldier outside in.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The soldier opened the door, and the one outside immediately entered and knelt on one knee.


    "Please forgive my intrusion, but an urgent report came from the pce with the Queen''s seal."


    As the soldier said this, he took out a rolled parchment tied with a golden ribbon. On the ribbon was the Queen''s seal¡ª a purple iris.


    Euan waved his hand, and the parchment flew to him. He caught the parchment with his right hand and immediately removed the ribbon.


    A soft sizzling sound was heard as he undid the ribbon, a telltale sign that the ribbon was enchanted. The enchantment was likely to prevent others apart from Euan from opening the parchment. If others opened it, the parchment would probably catch fire and turn to ash.


    When Euan unrolled the parchment, it gave off a faint golden light, and a voice spoke in his mind.


    "Your Majesty, let me start by putting your heart at ease that my people, our son, and I are safe. Please forgive my intrusion on the matters pertaining to the Royal Family''s and the empire''s welfare. However, my people noticed suspicious activities among the nobility and even members of the Royal Guards, which caused me to make my move in your absence. My people discovered several nobilities meeting with the Royal Army''s Research Division representatives in several locations inside and outside Meliora. Such meetings would not have piqued my interest. However, the locations they frequented made me wary because it was where the old transmission arrays were located..."


    Euan''s eyes widened after hearing I mention the told transmission arrays. Without waiting to hear the rest of her letter, he looked at the rest through eh projection and said at once.


    "Scout your perimeter! Haylee''s people may have already been transported near your location¡ª!"


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Euan was midway through his sentence when a series of explosions rang out from the other end of the line.


    It was unknown where the explosion came from or if it actually sounded from all three locations. Nevertheless, as soon as it sounded, Eoin''s projection disappeared while Hugh''s image distorted slightly.


    Malek mmed his fist on the table as he said, "They actually dared start their assault in Starhorn!"


    "T-This...!" Ezra paled at the sudden turn of events. He was the one who gave them the news about Haylee''s people finally making a move and somehow felt responsible for not affirming their current locations.


    No. That was not entirely right.


    As far as Ezra and the Spirits were concerned, Haylee''s people had not left their camp. If this was the case, then it meant they misjudged how many nobles were under hermand.


    "Don''t worry about us, Head Master. We''ll handle this side," Hugh told Malek, and without waiting for thetter to respond, he disconnected.


    BOOM!


    Not even a second passed after Hugh and the rest of the Conve disconnected, a faint explosion was heard from Ezra''s end.


    Ezra''s projection shook as he looked at them with a bitter smile. "Just as Chairman Hugh said, please do not worry. We''ll handle this side."


    With that, Ezra also disconnected.


    Euan clenched his fists as he looked toward the now-projectionless table.


    "Haylee had the Royal Army''s Research Division and other noble families reactivate the old transmission arrays," he exined. "It will be easier for them to move around the empire in a short span of time."


    "How are they able to reactivate those arrays?" Malek demanded. "Don''t tell me more noble families and the Royal Army are hiding unregistered Array Specialists? More importantly, why are those old transmission arrays still there? Didn''t your father order those to be destroyed?"


    Euan did not take offense at Malek''s attitude toward him. He also knew that histe father had destroyed the old transmission arrays. However, the ones who executed the order were not from the Arthall Family but the Winfrey Family.


    Seeing Euan''s agonized expression, Malek more or less figured out the answers to his questions.


    "As far as I remember, the old transmission arrays had direct ess to other transmission arrays close to the headquarters of the four big factions in the empire," Jared started to say.


    "Yes," Euan agreed. "This exins why they attacked Starhorn and Noser first."


    Malek stood up and looked at them with furrowed brows, "The Crown Princess and the Boyd Family are likely to march toward the Regis Estate. We should prepare as well."


    He was worried about Ste and the others. But Hugh and the rest of Euan and Mannick''s men were there, so he could only calm his raging heart and focus on other matters.


    The three also stood up.


    Aron said, "I will leave guarding this ce and the rest of our nonbatant n members to you both. The rest of my people and I will return to the estate."

 Chapter 618 Soll

    Explosions reverberated outside the Lumley Family residence in Starhorn as mages wearing red and ck robes summoned different types of offensive magic spells and attacked the residence''s walls. A faint golden veil enveloped the Lumley Family''s residence, protecting it from the bombardment.


    However, cracks could already be seen on the surface of the golden veil, proof that the attacks of these mages were effective.


    It was not that strange, to be honest. Judging by the type and destructiveness of the magic spells attacking the residence, the red and ck-robed mages possessed Fire innate magic and were at least at the level of Masters or High Masters.


    Frankly, a line-up like this could only be seen within the Royal Army. None of the other leading factions in the empire had so many mages at that level. The only advantage thetter three had was that their mages'' magic varied, and they had powerful Grand Masters. With the exception of the Conve, the Aureole and Temr Codes also had a few Exalteds in their ranks.


    But such an advantage was no longer limited to the three factions after the Royal Army revealed that they now possessed several Grand Masters during the joint military exercise.


    Possessing several Grand Masters was not really that surprising. Since the Royal Army was known to have a number of Master and High Masters among their ranks. It was not strange if a few of them seeded in advancing.


    But the fact that these mages were not part of the Royal Army and belonged to a few noble families that the Three Noble Families were unaware of, was the surprising bit.


    How did they not notice that several noble families actually seeded in nurturing several mages and advanced to the level of a Master or High Master in a short span of time? Not to mention, these mages did note from a single noble family, yet they were able to sync their attacks with one another to achieve a stronger spell.


    Did this mean that the Crown Princess did not only hide the fact that there were noble families working under her but also nurtured them to such levels, but also had them ''practice together'' without the Emperor knowing?


    Then again, if they consider the fact that the Winfrey and Boyd Families had been working behind the Arthall Family''s backs all these years, it was not really impossible.


    Thinking back on it, the previous emperor''s paranoia was actually reasonable.


    Twenty meters inside the border of the residence''s defensive wall, several Lumley family members with mage levels between Adepts to Grand Adepts, were lined up and reinforced the residence''s defensive array.


    Though Adepts, High Adepts, and Grand Adepts were lowerpared to Masters and High Masters, since they only needed to supply their magic energy into the defensive array, there was nothing to worry about getting overwhelmed.


    Further back from these mages, members from the Courtenay Family present in the residence, with mage levels of Masters and High Masters, retaliated withbined Fire magic attacks on their own against the mages outside.


    Apart from them, the remaining members of the Lumley Family operated the residence''s magic weapons to bombard the back formation of the mages outside.


    The magic weapons installed on the walls and a few towers of the Lumley''s residence were simr to huge mounted cannons. These cannons were actually made from the Boyd Family''s magic weapon that the Lumley Family bought in an auction. Thetter seeded in reverse engineering the magic weapon and creating their own version that could be used by their Fire mages.


    Still, with the other side possessing high magic-resistant robes, not to mention, each and everyone seemed to possess magic items focusing on personal defensive walls, they were able to withstand most of the joint attacks from the Courtenay and the Lumley Families'' mages and magic weapons.


    Inside the conference room at the Lumley residence''s main house, Eoin, a few of his family leaders, the Lumley Patriarch, and elders were gathered and observing the scene outside.


    The reason their connection to the meeting with the rest of Kyran''s allies got disconnected was that the other side usedmunication jamming spells to prevent them from seeking outside help. They did this without knowing that the Courtenay was there and that their leaders, together with the Lumley family leaders were in a middle of a meeting.


    In any case, though the attack against them happened way ahead of time, the Courtenay and the Lumley Families were not that worried. As a matter of fact, they had no ns of seeking assistance. In a situation where they were defending against an enemy, they were actually in a much more favorable position. After all, the attacking side tended to exhaust more resources than the side defending against their attacks.


    The only thing that they had to worry about is that they could not replenish their resources with their enemies surrounding them from all sides.


    Or at least, this was something that the enemies were expecting to be the Lumley Family''s concern.


    Because they did not know that there were Courtenay Family members with them¡ª who already confirmed that their mages were quite knowledgeable in Array¡ª they only prepared jamming spells to stop the Lumley Family from sending out a distress call to the rest of their allies and did not prepare any jamming spells to stop their transportation arrays.


    Eoin frowned as he observed the number of mages outside the Lumley residence.


    "At least two hundred Masters and High Masters," he roughly estimated. "There is also a possibility that there are more hidden from the back. Or the rest has yet toe."


    A Lumley elder nodded in agreement, "Before the call got cut, Emperor Euan was saying something about reactivating the old transmission arrays. If this is the case, then we can expect them to send more mages at any time, anywhere."


    "It is also possible that they started their attack simultaneously," another elder agreed.


    Eoin nodded, "The Conve is probably under attack as well."


    He then paused and sighed, "Unfortunately, attacking them is a bad choice."


    A few of the people inside could not help but smile bitterly. They did not need Eoin to borate on his words because they already knew what he meant.


    With the emperor''s soldiers camping outside, it was impossible for anyone wanting to attack them to escape unscathed. To be precise, they would not let anyone escape. They had to prevent them from informing the Crown Princess or anyone with a higher position among them from reporting that the emperor already knew what she was up to and had already defected.


    "Let us continue discussing the strategy," the Lumley Patriarch diverted their subject back to the situation.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes."


    "Alright."


    The rest replied in unison.


    Meanwhile, three hundred meters away from the Lumley Family residence, arge number of mages andbat mages were on standby.


    Floating twenty meters above this group were three mages. The two mages on each side, wore gray with res ents hooded robes while the one in the middle wore a white robe with silver and red ents.


    The two mages'' faces were hidden under the robe''s huge hood but the one in the middle was visible.


    It was a man with short wavy reddish brown hair that seemed to dance with the wind like wildfire.


    The glow in his amber eyes also made it look as if they had caught on fire. His looks were pretty average, instead, the aura exuding from him could make any mages with levels below a Grand Master go weak on the knees.


    Such an aura was truly frightening.


    But the most frightening part of all was the mages below managed to stay upright even from the aura the man emitted.


    With this in mind, then one could already guess that the reason they were able to endure the man''s aura was that all of them were Grand Masters.


    "Archmagus Soll, the first group seems to be struggling in destroying the Lumley''s defensive array," one of the hooded robe mages with Soll, said while observing the scene hundreds of meters away.


    "We should make our move."


    Based on thetter''s voice, it was obvious she was an older woman.


    "There is no rush," the other mage said.


    This time, the voice belonged to an older man.


    "Currently, the Lumley family only uses their low-leveled mages to sustain the defensive array. They haven''t even made their Grand Masters move."


    "Humph," the older woman snorted and crossed her arms. With a voice full of disdain, she said, "So what? Just a few Grand Masters cannot stand a chance against a thousand of ours."


    She gestured toward the mages andbat mages on stand-by below.


    "Besides, Legendary Osric already took care of their Sovereigns, how can they even win against us?"


    The older man did not refute and only looked at Soll.


    Instead of following through with their discussion, he said something entirely different, "I don''t sense Deputy Marshal Ingrid''s aura inside."


    "Then...?"


    "Could they have already...?"


    Soll shook his head before any of them could voice their doubts.


    "She''s still alive. If not, Senior Osric will definitely sense it. But she is not here."


    "That''s a little troubling," the older woman remarked. "We are told to find her."


    "She is not here, but that doesn''t mean the Lumley Family doesn''t know anything," Soll said. He straightened his back before adding, "I am going alone¡ª."


    "But¡ª."


    "¡ªif all of you go with me, the battle will escte. As much as possible, I want to avoid spilling too much blood."

 Chapter 619 Predicament (1)

    The two mages fell into an awkward silence. It was obvious they did not share Soll''s sentiment. To them, every family that opposed the Crown Princess was better off dead.


    Sensing their dissatisfaction, Soll said with an indifferent tone,


    "With the current strength of her Highness, she could not bring back the dead to life yet. It will be a waste to kill them now."


    What he said made sense and both epted his decision better.


    "That''s true," the older woman agreed. "Although their mage levels are so-so, once her Highness revive their souls, their mage levels will also receive a huge boost."


    The older man sighed, "If only her Highness can also boost our levels, I don''t mind bing her puppet."


    "From what I know, the previous Soul Emperor did something simr," the older woman replied thoughtfully. She looked at Soll furtively, checking his reaction regarding their topic.


    Because their rank within their respective families was not that high, the information they were able to ess was limited. They knew too little about the previous Soul Emperor.


    But that was not the case with Soll.


    Soll was a hidden trump card by the original Royal Family-- the Winfrey Family. He was not a family member but an orphan they took in. They nurtured him after discovering his talent and basically gave him a new leash in life. The gratitude he had for the Winfrey Family made it so he could never betray them. Because of this, the Winfrey Family was not afraid to share far more confidential information with him.


    The older woman wanted to know more about the previous Soul Emperor and was hoping to get some information from Soll.


    Unfortunately, Soll''s expression remained indifferent. It was unknown if he was feigning ignorance, or he simply did not care about their topic.


    Failing to take the hint of what the older woman was trying to do, the older man replied with a slight shake of his head, "I heard that one too. But it was a piece of unconfirmed information."


    The older woman could not help but shot the older man a re. But because both were wearing hoods, they failed to see each other''s expressions.


    "Wait for my return," Soll ignored their conversation and prepared to leave. He roused his magic energy and in an instant, his robe turned into mes as he shot forward toward the Lumley Family residence at a speed that almost surpassed what abat mage with enhanced sight could follow.


    The two older mages were astonished. But their reaction was short-lived because Soll''s speed was something to be expected given his mage level and innate magic.


    In only a few seconds, Soll was already near the rear of the first group of mages attacking the Lumley''s wall.


    "Stand aside," Sollmanded the mages below. His voice was not loud, but everyone heard him loud and clear.


    In an instant, the mages below stopped their attacks and retreated.


    At the same time, Eoin and the other leaders felt something was amiss when the bombardment abruptly stopped.


    The Lumley Patriarch also felt something was wrong and gave amand, "Tell everyone to deploy the Lumley Family''s second to fifth defensiveyer."


    "Yes, Patriarch."


    A Lumley family member waiting on the side replied and sent out the order at once.


    The walls around the Lumley residence lit up and fouryers of light golden arrays appeared on their surface. After which, four moreyers of the residence''s veil-like barrier appeared.


    Soll, saw additional barriers appearing but did not care much about them. He simply roused his magic energy and raised his hand.


    A fireball, created from magma rather than mes, formed before him. In a blink of an eye, the less than half a meter diameter fireball expanded into a fifty-meter diameter.


    The mages who were still within thirty meters'' range of Soll, immediately felt their clothes burn, and their skin tingle in pain, from the fireball''s heat. Their scalps almost went numb in fear of getting burned to death, but they managed to stay calm enough and reinforced their magic barriers.


    As soon as the fireball grew, Soll made a throwing movement using his raised hand and the fireball flew toward the Lumley''s wall at an astonishing speed.


    Everyone inside the conference hall gaped in shock at the iing fireball.


    "Activate the additional defensive array!"


    "Fall back, everyone!"


    Eoin and the Lumley Patriarch''s blood turned cold as they shouted at the same time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    BOOOM!


    CRACKLE! SHATTER!


    The magma-like fireball collided with the firstyer of the Lumley''s barrier and was shattered in an instant.


    SHATTER! SHATTER! CRACK!


    The second and thirdyers also shattered easily against the magma-like fireball. The fourthyer managed to withstand thetter''s momentum but still receivedrge angry cracks. It was obvious it did not have enough substance to fully stop the magma-like fireball''s momentum.


    Just before the fourthyer of the barrier shattered, the additional defensive array that the Courtenay Family set up around the Lumley residence lit up above. After which, a faint silver color veil enveloped the whole residence starting from above, forming a silver-colored barrier.


    Soll''s eyes narrowed as he saw the silver barrier. Others might not recognize that barrier, but he could. He had just read a report that included such a barrier.


    ''That barrier looks like the one protecting the Regis Inner Walls...!'' He thought with furrowed brows.


    That was right. The defensive array the Courtenay Family created around the Lumley residence was a replica of Cade''s saint-tier defensive array. Although it was a replica, it did not possess most of the effect in Cade''s defensive array because the Courtenay Family was still working on deciphering it.


    The truth, the Crown Princess had ordered the Courtenay Family to lead the project in deciphering the Regis Estate''s defensive array. Her intention was not for them to have the ability to destroy it but to use it. Having such a potent defensive array would be good to have at her disposal.


    Unfortunately, Kyran managed to turn the Courtenay Family to his side before they could even share a prototype of the defensive array with Haylee. Apart from this, thetter seemed confident about the Courtenay Family''s loyalty that she did not leave any mark on them or even a fail-safe measure in case they revolt against her. If she did, she would have long known they were no longer on her side and would have tried to deal with them early.


    Anyhow, Soll recognized the barrier but felt something was also amiss.


    ''No... it is a little different,'' he thought. ''The silver sheen of this barrier iscking... It is only a replica...''


    The mes around his body intensified as realization hit him.


    It was impossible for the Lumley Family to know about the situation with the Regis n or even the form on how to create a replica of the Regis''s barrier. They had only joined-- or at least, they were supposed to have joined the Crown Princess''s side. The only ones who knew about the barrier were the Courtenay Family and they were working on deciphering it.


    ''Did they defect?''


    Although the Lumley Family was suspected to have already fallen under Kyran, they did not believe he would give them a saint-tier defensive array formation which was why Soll thought of the Courtenay Family''s involvement instead.


    With no way of proving his theory, Soll did not dwell on the matter of the Courtenay Family defecting from the Crown Princess''s side. Instead, he sent a coded message to her and focused on his task.


    Soll''s magma-like fireball finally collided with the silver barrier and the ground shook from the intensity. However, before he could boost the magic energy within the fireball and let it continue in destroying the silver barrier, the fireball seemed to have lost its momentum entirely and cracks appeared on its surface.


    BOOM!


    A surge of scorching hot shockwave spread in all directions as the fireball exploded.


    Soll was undaunted as the shockwave came at him. His magic barrier easily protected him. He continued to look at the silver barrier with a cold expression.


    While the defensive array appeared omnipotent, Soll did not believe it wouldst because it was only a replica andcked the real capability and effect of the original one.


    Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!


    More magma-like fireballs appeared above the Lumley residence after Soll summoned more.


    If one fireball was not enough, how about several at the same time?


    When Eoin and the rest saw this, they felt their blood run cold.


    Just as Soll guessed, their silver barrier was a far cry from the original. Nevertheless, they were confident it could withstand an Archamagus''s attack.


    But having several Archamagus-level attacks fall on the barrier at the same time was a different story. There was no telling if the barrier wouldst for ten seconds.


    While the Courtenay and Lumley Families were in such a predicament, something simr was happening in Noser.

 Chapter 620 Predicament (2)

    After confirming the Temr Code''s headquarters were empty, Haylee''s people marched toward the city where Ezra andpany had set up a temporary encampment.


    Soon, the city of Noser was once again enveloped with fiery lightsing from magic attack collisions.


    Still, even though the encampment was being protected by the Spirits magic barrier, with the number of magic spells attacking it, cracks already appeared on its surface. The Montgomeray mages who contracted with the Spirits that were maintaining the barrier could only endure and continue providing them with their own magic energies.


    Fortunately, with te and the rest of the Solum tribe there, the energy-replenishing potions and stamina potions avable to them were of higher grade and managed to sustain their needs. The only shoring they had against their enemies was their mage level, which meant they had lesser magic energy.


    But even after all these, the barrier could barely sustain.


    Because of this, Zephyr wanted to go out and attack but because he had only recovered, te stopped him. Instead, Kyran''s beasts Sigils, Bas, Iss, Manti, and Mera were the ones who initiated a counter.


    They left the barrier and started their attack.


    Hisss!


    Bas and Iss hissed and let out arge-area shockwave attack.


    Due to their sudden appearance, the mages nearby failed to react in time and disintegrated in an instant along with the surrounding buildings.


    Rawrgh!


    Manti and Mera also jumped out of the barrier and spat out fiery mes at the iing magic attacks. Their mes possessed Void properties and defuse the mes into nothingness. After which, the smoke that came from Manti''s mes covered the air. Due to his mes possessing poisonous property, every mage nearby that inhaled the smoke was poisoned.


    "Gaaah!"


    "Ugh!"


    The mages let out a mournful shriek as they grasped their throat. Their eyes turned bloodshot and the veins in their bodies became visible the more the poisonous air entered their bodies. A few fell to their knees and wed at their throats in pain while most fell to their death in an instant.


    Seeing this situation, others would have retreated in fear. However, the enemy mages were not fazed by the poisonous air and continued their attack. They also summoned protective barriers that covered their bodies like a human-shaped veil to counter the poison.


    Since they were all Fire mages, they were confident their mes could ''purge'' the poison in the air. And their actions were actually correct.


    With the poison being countered easily, they did continue attacking the barrier.


    Manti and Mera wanted to burn the nearby mages. But since they were outnumbered and even if they killed off the enemy mages close to them, the others not in their range would still attack the barrier. It would then be a cycle where eventually their side would lose because of their disadvantage in number.


    No matter how many Manti and Mera killed, the mages they could not kill would continue to attack the barrier.


    In the end, Manti and Mera decided to focus on countering the iing magic spells.


    Seeing the four beasts struggling to defend the frontline, the rest of the Sprites could no longer stay still.


    Most of these Sprites did not have a contracted mage and were only observing from within the Spirit world. But seeing how the four beasts were doing, they decided toe out.


    "Aaack! These annoying fire mages! They actually think they can overwhelm our side with their puny mes?" A fire sprite spat out in annoyance as he rushed out of the Spirit world. "Don''t underestimate us!"


    Invisible Fire sprites rushed out of the Spirit world as well and joined Kyran''s beast Sigils, throwing fire magic attacks at the enemy mages. Some even manipted the fire magic energies in the surroundings to decrease the fire magic power of the enemies.


    te, Ezra, True Void and Zephyr''s expressions turned grim after seeing the Sprites easily countering the enemy mages'' attack.


    Others would have rejoiced because as soon as the Fire Sprites joined the fray, the magic attacks hitting the barrier decreased significantly. But not them. Because the fact the Sprites were able to use their magic without the Human ne restricting their levels and output meant the Sovereign''s cradle had really stopped functioning.<novelnext></novelnext>


    True Void''s expression was darkerpared to the rest. The armor made of shape-shifting tes he used as a body was originally dark in color and frankly, it was almost impossible to see it change color. However, it still happened which testified to how affected he was by the cradle''s status.


    Obviously, True Void was worried about Azaloth. After all, if thetter dies, the Human ne would be a warzone wherein its downfall was inevitable. Because nothing would restrain the outsiders anymore. Aside from this, True Void was worried about Kyran''s mental state. True Void had reasons to believe that thetter would me himself for Azaloth''s fate.


    Kyran''s mental fortitude might have improved, but True Void knew he would crumble at the simplest reason. In Azaloth''s case, True Void sensed that Kyran would me himself for not understanding the real intention of the Inheritance. Kyran might even think that his own inability and weakness caused everything.


    In any case, True Void wanted to prevent that. And the more he tried to think of a way to prevent the worst-case scenario, the more he felt annoyed.


    If only he could retrieve his real body! Just where did his master hide his body?


    In any case, with the sudden change in the current situation, several enemy mages in leadership positions were at a loss on what to do. Even though they were fearful of receiving punishment for their inability, they still sent an update of the situation to the main group standing by hundreds of meters outside Noser.


    Inside a makeshift tent, a woman wearing a tight-fitting white robe with red and gold ents scowled at the report she received. Her short wavy auburn hair fluttered as though there was a light breeze present inside the tent. She looked young, but the look in her olive green eyes reflected deep knowledge only one who had lived for a hundred years would have.


    "Four mutated beasts and invisible enemies are killing our men?" She asked the kneeling mage before her.


    "Yes, Archmagus Ane. Wepared the report provided by the Royal Army about what happened in Noser the other day and confirmed the four beasts were the same ones they had fought and lost to. As for the invisible enemies, they are probably Spirits contracted by the Montgomeray Family. We also believed they are the ones who ambushed the army''s supplies that time."


    "Impossible," Ane shook her head in disbelief. "Based on the report, there are several hundreds of invisible enemies out there. This number far exceeds the number of Montgomeray family members who could form a contract with them."


    The mage did not refute it because he thought so, too. However, the truth was right before their eyes.


    "Unless...." Ane''s eyes narrowed as she thought of a possible reason. "They do not have contracts and are still able to unleash powerful magic attacks on our side without restrictions."


    The mage before her let out a gasp of surprise as he understood what thetter was trying to imply. He said, "D-Do you mean to tell that the magic level of those Spirits are far above the ones we are ustomed to, and thus, even if they are being restricted they can still unleash powerful attacks?"


    Ane did not reply. What the mage said was the first thing that shed through her mind. But she thought of another possibility and felt somewhat conflicted.


    The restriction on the Spirits had weakened. If this was true, did that mean the Spirits could easily enter this side and attack them without them knowing?


    "Send a coded message to her Highness, the Crown Princess, and exined the situation here at once," Ane ordered the mage.


    The mage lowered his head, "Yes, Archmagus Ane." Although he wanted to ask a question, he did not ask it and left immediately toply with the new order.


    Ane also left the tent.


    Two mages in dark gray robes, standing on each side of the tent''s entrance outside greeted her at once, "Archmagus Ane, please give us your orders and we shall¡ª."


    Ane waved her hand at them dismissively and said, "There is no need. I will check the situation myself."


    The two mages looked at her in shock.


    "There is no need for you to make a move yourself, Archmagus Ane," the one at the left said imploringly. "Let us go."


    "Not yet. Stay here and wait for my signal before joining."


    "W-We understand," the two agreed albeit reluctantly.


    Ane roused her magic energy and a gust of powerful wind enveloped her. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared before the two.


    Back in Noser, the Sprites continued to push back the attacks from the enemy mages.

 Chapter 621 Predicament (3)

    With thebined forces of the Fire Sprites and Kyran''s beast Sigils, they managed to gain the upper hand.


    The enemy mages'' screaming was interrupted halfway because they got caught in magic spells, which disintegrated or burned them alive.


    Ane had arrived in such a scene after appearing above the city of Noser. She wandered her eyes and confirmed that most of the fire attacks killing their mages wereunched by invisible enemies.


    If before she was still in doubt if the Spirits were involved with Kyran Regis, currently, Ane was convinced. However, she thought this way, not because there was no other exnation for how fire magic attacks appeared out of nowhere and killed the mages on their side. The main reason was that she saw¡ª not just one, but several Montgomeray family members standing behind the barrier protecting the makeshift camp.


    It was no secret that the Montgomeray Family was the only noble family who had dealings with the Spirits after the incident with the Crown Princess. But as far as Ane was concerned, the number of Montgomeray members who contracted a spirit was limited, and the Royal Army was keeping an eye on them.


    Apart from this, Ane was surprised that they were actually working together with the beasts that were said to have been tamed by Kyran Regis.


    Ane''s reaction was actually not a surprise. The truth, after Gael''s defeat which resulted in his side retreating to Trill, they had yet to provide aplete report of what had happened. Before Imman could send a report, Kyran had already infiltrated their side. After that, the Montgomeray Family busied themselves with sneaking into the army''smunication channel and manipting the information circting inside.


    It was because of this that no one knew what had happened to Euan or even Lira.


    Haylee ced great importance on Lira. Proof of which she asked her to take care of things while she was busy with the Macabre cier. Still, aftering out of the underground chamber, she did not insist on having her by her side. Haylee did ask where Lira went but did not ask the Boyd Family to take thetter to the vi.


    Others might say Haylee trusted Lira that much, which was why the former did not restrict thetter''s actions. But there were likely some who would think that Haylee could not be bothered by what Lira was up to because she did not really care about her.


    Regardless of the truth, Haylee failed to discover what really happened to Lira and her father. Thus, her side had little information about Kyran''s allies and suffered because of this.


    ''The Regis Family sure prepared a deep plot against the Royal Family!'' Ane thought through gritted teeth.


    Unfortunately, Haylee¡ª or, to be precise, La¡ª managed to move the three Archmagus of their family because she convinced them that the Regis Family was plotting to dethrone the current Royal Family and even hid their trump card, which was a mage who possessed Void magic.


    There were ws in La''s ims, but because of the nature of Soul magic, it was easy for her to convince most people with her train of thought without manipting their souls.


    ''This has to stop!'' Ane let out a low growl as her magic energy erupted from her body.


    The air crackled with magic fluctuations as most of the people nearby sensed how powerful she was. As a matter of fact, those who had yet to witness her use magic were already aware that although her innate magic was Wind, she would not be at a disadvantage with Fire mages.


    Inside the spirit barrier, Ezra and the other family leaders felt their hearts turn cold, and their scalps went numb in fear. Most of them already knew how powerful a Magus''s aura could be. Yet, the auraing out of Ane was far stronger and more potent than they had ever felt.


    "So this is an Archmagus..." Ezra muttered under his breath. His face paled a little at the possibility that this person alone could wipe his whole n today.


    Nevertheless, he would not falter. As long as True Void, along with legendary beasts, spirits, and the Solum Tribe, were there to support them, Ezra was convinced that they could endure any attacks the Archmagus would direct at them.


    te, True Void, and Zephyr also looked at the neer, who emitted a very intimidating aura while floating above the city.


    Nevertheless, unlike Ezra and his people, they were not intimidated by the neer''s arrival. In particr, Zephyr was looking at her with disdain.


    His reaction was quite reasonable because he possessed a much higher realm of magic than hers¡ª Air magic.


    Sensing Zephyr''s disdain and guessing what he might do next, te beat him at it and warned him, "Do not do anything rash. You have not fully recovered. Even if her magic only branches out to your innate magic, that does not mean you are invincible against it."


    Zephyr looked at te with a slight frown. He understood what she meant but was somewhat reluctant to back down. Besides, he promised his master to protect these people while he was away. If he stood down now, how was he to aplish this?


    "Goodness, my goodness. Have you been inflicted by Kyran''s sense of duty or something?" True Voidmented and clicked his non-existent tongue at Zephyr.


    Without waiting for thetter toin, the former continued, "Right, you are part dragon, so it truly does run in the Regis Family''s blood, huh? Being an egotistical duty-bound idiot."


    "Oi! You dare say something like that about my master?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Technically, he is my new master... err... but he is still under probation. Anyway¡ª!"


    True Void faced Zephyr, who was still mad at what he had just said.


    "¡ª Leave that woman to me," True Void continued ignoring Zephyr''s fierce look. "I have used too much magic energy because Void Halfling was such a ve driver! I need more sources besides the magic energies in the surroundings to replenish my body."


    "What does that have to do with¡ª?"


    "I''m off~," True Void ignored Zephyr, and he added toward te, "Tie this guy up, will you? I can''t have him running around getting hurt again, or Void Halfing will have another reason to go on a rampage!"


    Without waiting for te''s reply, True Void flew and made his way out of the barrier.


    Meanwhile, Ezra and the other leaders listening in on True Void and Zephyr''s conversation had nk expressions on their faces. They were already prepared to die today, yet these two spoke of the neer as if she was not a suspected-Archmagus but their everyday normal Wind mage.


    "Oi! I said I will¡ª."


    "You wanted to help my godson gain the advantage in this situation, right? Then rest and let True Void do what he has to do," te cut Zephyr''s objection midsentence.


    "But¡ª."


    "This conflict has just started," te told him solemnly. "It will still escte into a full-fledged war. When that happens, I''m sure you don''t want to be left behind because you over-exhausted yourself here."


    Zephyr no longer refuted because he understood what te was trying to say.


    te smile when Zephyr seemed to have calmed down, "Good boy."


    Zephyr scowled at her, "Don''t treat me like a kid!"


    Just as the two were talking, a powerful gust of wind swept around the edges of the spirit''s barrier.


    Bass, Iss, Manti and Mera looked back after sensing a powerful magic fluctuation enveloping he barrier and were about to retreat and attack. However, they saw something about toe out of the barrier and stopped midway.


    That was right. They saw True Void and judged that their going back to help would be a waste of time.


    As soon as this wind touched the fire spells cast by the Fire mages on her side, the mes ignited further, giving off far more potent firepower.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Several fire spells that Ane''s Wind magic had amplified continued to bombard the spirit''s barrier.


    "Not good the barrier will not hold for another hour if such firepower continues to erupt¡ª!"


    Ezra could barelyplete what he was saying when True Void, who was about five meters away from leaving the spirit barrier, suddenly opened his mouth wide and took a very deep breath¡ª or, to be precise, he sucked the magic energies in the surroundings. At the same time, he manipted a few shape-shifting tes on his end and attacked Ane.


    Ane furrowed her eyes when she sensed a powerful killing intent directed at her. It was her first time encountering such an aura. Not even after killing indiscriminately, no one directed such a powerful killing intent at her.


    Could she have missed an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?


    Ane waved her hand, and a huge crystal staff with several gold ornaments appeared before her. She grabbed the staff''s shaft and whirled it before hitting the bottom of the staff into an invisible surface.


    A light green veil spread out in the air from where the staff''s bottom had hit and instantly enveloped the whole city of Noser.

 Chapter 622 Predicament (4)

    In an instant, Ane''s magic energy surged out from her body, amplifying the veil that covered the city. An abnormally powerful hurricane descended below rendering the whole ce into destruction.


    The strength of the hurricane extinguished the mes summoned by the Fire Sprites. At the same time, they were thrown along the trajectory of the wind.


    "Aaahh!"


    "W-What is this wind?"


    "S-Such a powerful wind! I-I can''t control my body!"


    The sprites''ints echoed throughout the city.


    Bas, Iss, Manti, and Mera were also affected by the wind. Not even their size could help them stand their ground against the wind. Nevertheless, thetter two pierced their ws into the ground and endured theshing of the fierce wind, while the former two burrowed half of their bodies into the earth.


    True Void also had trouble manipting the shape-shifting tes and failed in his attempt to attack Ane.


    Meanwhile, not everything¡ª or everyone¡ª was affected by the hurricane. The mages under Ane''s side were protected by a light green barrier and were unaffected by the fierce wind. Even their fire spells continued to receive a boost from this barrier.


    The hurricane''s whip-like windshed out onto the surface of the barrier protecting Ezra andpany. But the threat was short-lived because True Void''s action from earlier finally took effect.


    The suction forceing from True Void''s opened mouth finally affected not only the magic energies but also the energying from the hurricane. To be more urate, the hurricane was using the wind magic energies in the surroundings to sustain its fierceness, and this particr magic energy was basically part of the ''magic energies'' True Void was absorbing. Because of this, it was not really a surprise that the hurricane''s momentum would soon be absorbed by him.


    Ane sensed her attack weakened by the second. She was expecting to destroy the barrier using the hurricane''s fierce momentum but instead, her spell started to lose it and failed.


    ''What the hell is happening?'' She wondered as she also sensed her magic energy depleting at an rming speed.


    An idea crossed her mind and she surveyed the city again using her magic sense. With her mage level, her magic sense covered a far wider range thus it took only a few seconds for her to check the citypletely.


    Ane had initially thought that Kyran Regis hade to Noser. They might have limited information about Void magic, but based on the Royal Army''s initial encounters with him, they were able to surmise some of its nature.


    With this in mind, Ane wanted to confirm if he had reallye and wanted to report back to the Crown Princess. But while she sensed where her magic energy was being drawn to, she did not find a person but a strange-looking... toy.


    In that instant, she recalled that the Regis Family had a few Array Specialists. It would not be odd if Kyran Regis had been taught about Arrays and could create magic items thatplemented his magic.


    Anyhow, Ane was not interested in Array so she did not know how he was able to create such an item. Frankly, she was not interested in what Kyran could do in general because she was not crazy enough to think of fighting him head-on. Even if she had the advantage in mage level, he was the new Dark Sage¡ª a mage possessing the most fearsome forbidden magic in the empire''s history.


    Ane knew from experience that it was unwise to consider that the level of a mage with forbidden magic could be measured the same way as mages with ''regr'' magic. Which was why if he was there, she would pull out from Noser.


    Besides, the Crown Princess wanted to face him herself. Ane would dly obey her wishes. However, since the cause of her predicament was only a magic item, then she would destroy it.


    Ane''s eyes glowed red as she whirled her staff. Several distortions appeared behind her as the wind gathered and formed several spears. She then aimed these spears at the point where she sensed the magic item was positioned.


    But.


    "W-What¡ª?" Ane eximed in shock because as soon as the released wind spears entered the veil she created, they were unable to maintain their form and turned into pure wind magic energies that also got sucked in along with the hurricane''s momentum.


    It was only then that she realized that it was not only her attack that was being drawn in by the magic item but the rest of the mages below.


    "Argh!"


    "M-My energy is¡­"


    ? "W-What is going on¡­?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The mages below''s confused cry could be heard as not only were they unable to maintain the magic spells they were nning tounch toward the barrier but the magic energies in their body seemed to be leaking out.


    No. Not ''leaking out.'' It was being absorbed!


    te, Ezra and the rest could not help but gape at True Void. To be honest, even though they were aware that he was the previous Void Master''s magic weapon, because of his current appearance, they could not seem to imagine his supposed reputation of being the formidable weapon of the ''Dark Sage.''


    Now that they were witnessing True Void''s absorption ability, they were able to see a glimpse of his true self.


    With Ane and her side''s attack stopping, the Fire Sprites and Kyran''s beast Sigils took this chance to kill as many mages as they could.


    Seeing that their numbers were decreasing at a very stable yet frightening pace, Ane had not choice but to call for the rest of her people standing by outside.


    Back in the temporary camp created by the noble families with Ane, the moment they received hermand to move out, they immediately marched into Noser. Ane already warned them about the magic item Kyran left behind, but they were not afraid.


    To them, such an item had a limit. They believed that as long as it absorbed enough magic, it would stop working. It might even explode from absorbing too much.


    Anyway, they were all Grand Masters. Their magic spells were far strongerpared to the ones cast by the first group. If they let the magic item absorb their magic, it would only be a matter of time before it explodes, or if not, stoppletely.


    s, they would soon realize that they underestimated True Void''s absorption ability. After all, he was a glutton with a bottomless appetite.


    While this was happening in Noser, and the Courtenay and Lumley Families were enduring Soll''s attack, the Conve also defended their frontlines.


    Contrary to their initial expectation that the Conve would not have much trouble especially when Euan''s army was there, they were met with an overwhelming number of mages andbat mages.


    As soon as they were within range, they began bombarding the tower relentlessly. Hugh and the rest of the Conve council members then discovered that the level of the enemy mages andbat mages were all Grand Masters. As a matter of fact, there were Exalteds added into the mix.


    Because the temporary encampment was located outside the Tower of Conve, it was not protected by the Saint-tier defensive array Kyran created. Instead, it only had a regr defensive array.


    Nevertheless, the defensive array around the encampment was prepared by Mannick. Although his mage level was low, his Array knowledge retained that of his original self¡ª the Sovereign Azaloth, also known as the most powerful Abjurer in history. Thus, Mannick was able to prepare a Saint-tier ''regr'' defensive array.


    This was one of the advantages of being an Array expert. As long as they had the right materials, their mage level did not matter, they could still create highly advanced Array formations.


    Hugh and the rest of the Conve council members stayed inside therge tent where they monitored the scene outside.


    A projection of the map around the Tower of Conve wasid on the huge table and green dots indicated their side as well as their location, while red dots were the enemies.


    Hugh scowled as he saw the dense number of red dots on the map. No matter how powerful the barrier Mannick created, it could only protect them from magic attacks. It was not impossible for their enemies to get inside.


    That was right. If their enemies realized that their defensive array could only do this, if they marched into the barrier without rousing their magic energy, they could pass through without any problems.


    This was the predicament that Hugh andpany were facing.


    "We can onlyunch a preemptive attack," Vaness said solemnly.


    Hugh sighed and nodded, "Yes."


    Although he affirmed Vaness''s words, Hugh did not seem to be keen on the idea.


    "Although we have a Magus among us, outside are several numbers of Grand Masters. There are even Exalteds among their ranks, how can we evenunch such an attack?" Malia asked worriedly. "Yes, we have several mages right here thanks to Emperor Euan''s and sir Mannick''s army. But their mage level was not enough."


    The others did not refute her because what she said was true.

 Chapter 623 Mistake

    Against several Grand Masters, they would end up overwhelmed. Even if Hugh led the attack, the n would ultimately fail if the ones supporting from the back could not follow through properly due to the gap in power.


    They all fell into a tense silence. If they only had Malek with them, they had a better chance of seeding in a preemptive attack. Every council member shared the same sentiment- including Hugh.


    It was not because they did not trust Hugh enough or because they believed Malek was stronger. Both had different specialties. The former''s offensive ability was more effective in a battle of attrition, while thetter was effective pre-emptively.


    Malek could make wide-area magic attacks and easily disable enemy movements. But Hugh could not do that. He could target multiple enemies at the same time, but he could not disable their movements.


    Hugh knew this better than anyone. Releasing his magic pressure was not even an alternative. At most, the Grand Masters would quiver in fear if they were trapped inside a Magus''s magic pressure, but it would not stop them from countering.


    At the moment, the Crown Princess''s side was only probing their defences, but if they decided to move in an attack seriously, their only chance of survival was to retreat within the walls of the Tower of Conve. Unfortunately, with the sheer number of soldiers from Emperor Euan and sir Mannick''s army, it was impossible to have them retreat in a short span of time.


    Yes, they had the choice to retreat now, but once the enemy noticed their movement, they would definitely know something was amiss and wouldunch a more direct attack.


    While pondering what they had to do, a Conve Security Team member rushed inside to give a report.


    "M-Message in the frontline!"


    The member had yet to give his report, but everyone inside the tent already had a bad feeling. After all, they could see the enemy''s movement from the projection.


    "At least two hundredbat mages from the enemy side are marching toward the Tower of Conve. The estimated time of contact is in ten minutes!"


    "Ten minutes is more than enough to prepare for battle," Emery replied, adjusting her sses.


    The others gaped at her in surprise and thought, ''That''s a bold statementing from you.''


    None of them voiced it in case she took it the wrong way. They never saw Emery be disillusioned for being a non-mage council member, but that did not mean she never felt dejected.


    Unfortunately, there was one who failed to keep his thoughts and actually voiced them out.


    "That''s a bold statementing from you," Avrum said aloud, gaining the ire of most inside.


    However, Emery did not react to that. Instead, she said, "We can continue discussing here or start preparing¡ª right, we''ve done our preparations long ago. We can fight anytime."


    "Those are Grand Masterbat mages," Malia reminded her.


    "So what? Does that mean we have to cower just because they have the level advantage?" Emery replied resolutely. "Being a non-mage, I know very well how disadvantageous my position is against a Grand Master. However, the winner of a battle is not determined by one''s level but by one''s resolve.


    She paused before adding, "I think most of us have forgotten amon fact aboutbat mages because we''ve witnessed someone''s performance who far exceeded ourmon knowledge. But one person''s performance does not define the standard of everybat mage. Remember what you know about them. Their magic output is far weaker than mages. Their only advantage is being able to fight even if they can no longer use their magic. For short, they are not that scary."


    Emery''s pep talk made the rest of the council members feel ashamed.


    Hugh was not an exception. He did not realize it until now, but he became a coward after his magic core was damaged. Although he kept up his strong facade to keep the other factions from threatening the Conve if they discovered his condition, fear had taken root in his heart. Now that his magic core was healed, that fear had held on.


    But hearing Emery somehow gave Hugh a chance to vanquish that fear.


    "She is right. We have been dazzled by Kyran''s performance and unknowingly forgotten thatbat mages are not really scary," Hugh said while giving Emery a grateful smile.


    The others also smiled. Though their smile appeared crooked, they could still regain theirposure.


    "We told the Head Master that we will take care of this side, and we will," Hugh continued. "The Lord of the Tower is also here; we are her vassals. We will protect her and everything within her territory at all costs."


    "Yes."


    The rest replied in unison.


    "Let''s go."


    As Emery had said, they were already prepared for battle. Thus, after leaving the tent, Hugh joined the first line of defense, consisting of thirty Grand Masters and seventy High Masters.


    Most of them had Fire innate magic. However, among the Grand Masters, at least ten possessed Earth innate magic. Using these mages, Hugh ordered them to create a thirty-meter-high wall made of earth that would cover the whole periphery of the Tower of Conve. Of course, the periphery included the temporary encampment.


    With thebined magic of these ten Earth mages, summoning a five-meter-thick, a thirty-meter-high wall was easy.


    When the enemybat mages saw this, they responded at once. Most were Firebat mages, with at least a quarter using range weapons.


    Arrows imbued with fire magic lit up the sky as they rained down on the wall. Simultaneously, the rest of them charged at the wall. Their weapons, which included a variety of melee-type weapons, were mostly imbued with mes.


    Support-type mages cast their supportive spell at every range or meleebat mage.


    Soon, the air was filled with battle cries from the enemy side while Hugh and the others remained unmoving behind the walls.


    ming arrows, knives, spears, and even stones, hit the wall. However, thanks to the thickness of the wall, the attacks failed to pierce through. Nevertheless, ming arrows managed to enter the encampment because their trajectories were higher than the others. The joint efforts of the mages with Hugh then destroyed these arrows.


    After the first volley of attacks stopped, the meleebat mages shortened the distance between them and the wall.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But.


    "Stop! There''s a strange distortion in the ground!"


    It was unknown who shouted the warning, but it came toote, and the first few who crossed a specific distance from the wall stepped on and fell into hidden fiery pits.


    The Earth mages who created the wall required a great amount of magic energy to cover the whole tower. Even with their magic energy capacity as Grand Masters andbined effort, it would still be inadequate.


    Since they were fighting against time, they could not gather enough magic energy from their surroundings. Instead, they manipted the earth around the tower and extended them using a chunk of it from other areas.


    After which, the Fire mages left fire spells on these pits to serve as hurdles or traps against the enemies.


    With at least twenty meleebat mages falling into these traps, the rest avoided the pits and pressed forward.


    A few got close enough to jump over the wall or attack using theirbined physical and magical strengths.


    However, it was then that Hugh made a move. He unleashed the full strength of his magic pressure, instantly stopping thebat mages'' movements.


    Hugh knew he could only stop them for five or ten seconds, but that was more than enough.


    Within that span of time, he roused his magic energy and summoned several huge steel armors¡ª or, to be more urate, ''half'' armors¡ª that situated themselves on top of the wall.


    These steel armors were Hugh''s magic. His innate magic was Steel, but after bing a Magus, he developed them into Armor magic.


    It was called as such not because he focused on equipping himself with armor but because he summoned steel in the form of armor and manipted them to fight.


    Every armor raised its arms. They sped their hands together and rammed their fist into the ground, where the enemybat mages still stood rooted in spot.


    Screams of death filled the air as the enemies were killed one after another by the armor.


    "Seems like the rumor about Chairman Hugh falling ill is unfounded, seeing how powerful his Armor magic is. Destroying abat mage Grand Master who possesses better defenses, not to mention wearing armor with far more powerful magic and physical defenses as simple as killing an ant, is surely a scary guy."


    An ancient-sounding voice echoed throughout the forest.


    When Hugh andpany heard this, their heart was suddenly gripped with fear. The ''man''s'' words did not cause the fear they felt, but the power they felt from his voice.


    If Kyran or Tritus were there, they would recognize that voice.


    After all, they fought with him for some time¡ª Osric, the Boyd Family''s Ancestor.


    It was a mistake on their part.


    They had thought he would go with Haylee. But apparently, thetter deemed it necessary for him to go personally to the Tower of Conve.


    Hugh andpany looked up and saw Osric hovering above, his white robe fluttering in the wind.


    "I don''t want to waste my time on insects. So, I will make this quick," Osric said.


    "You¡ª!"


    Before any of the others could react, Osric''s magic aura and pressure erupted.


    In that instant, everyone below was forced to their knees.


    There were a few who endured the pressure. However, their knees still shook and bent, albeit slowly.


    Frankly, if not for the defensive array, some of them might have already been crushed to death just by Osric''s pressure.


    "Oh? My aura and pressure actually failed to destroy the barrier. I''ve had suspicions from our initial probing, but this barrier is saint-tier, isn''t it?"


    Hugh''s eyes glowed as he managed to break free from Osric''s magic pressure. He manipted the half armor on the wall as spears appeared on their hand. Without even a pause, they raised their spears and aimed at Osric.


    Osric smiled slightly while looking at the iing spears.


    "Such fragile-looking magic," he muttered.


    FOOOM!


    An invisible force erupted from within Osric and spread out in every direction. As soon as this force touched the spears, they copsed like crumpled papers all the way to the armor.


    "Guah!" Hugh spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving the bacsh of having his magic attack stopped forcefully. He fell to his knees and was almost pressed down by the invisible force when it reached him. But he managed to stop his body from fallingpletely by propping his arms.


    "What a stubborn old man," Osric remarked, looking at Hugh in amusement.

 Chapter 624 Futile

    "ARGH!"


    While no one died or met the same fate as the armor created by Hugh, they all ended up being pressed to the ground.


    "Oh? I still failed to kill anyone after activating my domain? Such a powerful barrier," Osricmented while sizing up the barrier again.


    To be honest, Osric felt dissatisfied about being ordered toe to the Conve rather than joining La in confronting the Regis n.


    Even though destroying the Conve and capturing the Time Keeper was important to prevent any mishap in La''s n, Osric would rather stay by her side.


    He had waited for her return for a long time, and wanted to spend as much time as he could with her to make up for all those wasted years.


    "I suppose destroying this barrier takes priority," Osric muttered and took out his magic weapon.


    The moment the magic staff appeared, an illusory image of a bluish-white sea serpent appeared behind him and roared to the sky.


    The sea serpent''s roar shook thend, sending ripples of energy waves that passed through the bodies of every mage andbat mages below indiscriminately.


    Everyone, with the exception of a few Grand Masters, Exalteds, and Hugh spat out a mouthful of blood. Several mages from the Conve''s side who were below Master keeled over, and their status were unknown.


    Such power rendered those who witnessed these mages felt their scalp go numb. After all, these people suffered such fate with the Saint-tier defensive array protecting them.


    Hugh with the rest of the council members and leaders of both Emperor Euan and Mannick''s side who stayed behind felt their heart ache sensing the deaths of some of the low-level mages andbat mages from their side. They were already prepared to sacrifice a few of their people, knowing an Archmagus was likely to appear. But this level of attack- no, it was not even an attack but an eruption of magic energy and yet it already resulted in deaths.


    Hugh tightened his fists as he red at Osric. This guy was not an Archmagus. That much he was knew. Before his magic core was destroyed, Hugh was already at the peak of a Magus. And even after his magic core was destroyed, he never stopped understanding his magic. However, given the state of his magic core, he could not rouse his magic energy for too long or summon high-level and advanced spells. Nevertheless, all of his umted knowledge was enough for him to reach the peak of a Magus.


    After his magic core recovered, Hugh''s level did receive a great boost and reached this level. It was because of this reason that he felt it would not be impossible to hold off an Archmagus.


    But looking at the one before them, Hugh knew he was not the Archmagus they were expecting but the Legendary mage from the Boyd Family, Osric.


    They only heard a brief introduction of him from Kyran since Styx and the rest who went to the Boyd Family''s vi did not meet him personally.


    To think that a Legendary mage could easily deal with the low-level mages with the mere releasing of his magic energy.


    ''No,'' Hugh corrected himself. ''The eruption of magic energy just now did note from him but the sentient of his magic weapon!''


    This meant, they were dealing not with one but two Legendary-level enemies.


    The bluish-white sea serpent somersaulted in the air before it flew back to Osric. As it neared him, it shrank and entered the staff in his hand.


    "S-Senior Osric, please be careful in unleashing your magic weapon''s sentient! It will not do good if we also suffer from its potent magic energy!"


    A woman in a red and gold-ted heavy armor below reminded Osric. She looked petite and the armor she wore seemedrge but the fact she was not affected by Osric and his weapon''s overwhelming power.


    Osric scowled and looked at the woman.Normally, he would have killed anyone who talked to him in that manner. However, he did not do anything to thetter and only said, "Her Highness doesn''t need weaklings."


    His attitude toward the woman spoke volumes.


    This woman was one of the few remaining Winfrey family members. Thus, Osric was very respectful even when her level was beneath him.


    Nevertheless, after replying to her, he diverted his attention back to the Conve members and ignored herpletely. He then waved his staff and summoned several water pirs on different points surrounding the periphery of the Tower of Conve.


    Truth be told, Osric almost lost the sentient of his magic staff. The only reason it was able to revive was because of La''s magic.


    Osric wanted to refuse, not wanting her to waste her magic energy on his staff since she had just awakened. Besides, as long as he rested enough, and replenished his magic reserves, his magic weapon would eventually recover. However, with the sentient of his spare staff gone, Osric would not be of assistance to La. Thus, he epted her good will and swore to aplish everything she asked him to.


    s, it was because of this that he could not refuse when La told him to destroy the Conve and seize the Time Keeper.


    Seeing the water pirs, Hugh andpany further confirmed the identity of their enemy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But they did not despair. There was no time for that. In the first ce, the task Hugh and those in the frontlines had to aplish was to buy time while Malia and the others lead the rest into the Tower of Conve.


    Hugh popped two pills in his mouth; a high-quality magic replenishing pill and a high-grade healing pill. After which, he summoned as many and asrge enough armors to deal with the water pirs. Every armor wield huge broadsword and as soon as they appeared, they cleaved horizontally at the pirs.


    However, after the broadswords passed through the pirs only reconnected.


    Hugh gritted his teeth in frustration. He had known it would not be easy to destroy the pirs, but for them to reconnect easily made one feel it was futile no matter what they do.


    Nevertheless, Hugh did not stop and manipted all armors to continue attacking the pirs.


    He was not the only one who attacked. After regaining their footing and intaking two pills like Hugh, the Grand Masters and High Masters with himunched their attacks.


    They knew their magic was useless toward the water pirs, thus they targeted the enemybat mages.


    Thebat mages with Osric were not idle either. After recovering they also continue attacking. But they did not get too close to the barrier thinking that it had another effect.


    Osric ignored Hugh''s futile attempts and focused on sustaining the water pirs until every point connected at one point, turning into a huge water cage.


    This was the same cage Osric used to trap Kyran. It had the ability to render other magic energy apart from water useless. Which meant that the magic energy supporting the saint-tier barrier would be removed as soon as the water cage waspleted. After that, all of Osric''s attack would be amplified inside.


    Though this move drained a great amount of his magic and physical energy, it would stop the Conve''s attempt at offensepletely and he could aplish his task more efficiently.


    After shing at the pirs for a few seconds and still having no result, Hugh changed his tactic and aimed all armor at Osric.


    With their broadswords above their heads, the armors cleaved down at Osric.


    Osric only looked at the iing broadswords and simply waved his magic staff.


    RAWRGH!


    The bluish-white sea serpent emerged from the tip of the staff, its size increase as it gained momentum upward.


    Hugh braced himself as the sea serpent collided with the broadswords.


    BOOM!


    Since Hugh reinforced the armors'' defenses before the collision, they did not explode andonly their broadswords were pushed back.


    Two of the armor that received minimal force from the collision, recovered their bnce and attacked Osric from each side. They cleaved their broadswords horizontally, aiming to cut him into two.


    However, the sea serpent shifted and using its tail like a whip, swept the broadswords one after another.


    The momentum of getting hit by the sea serpent''s tail sent the two armor flying sideward. They skidded on the ground, destroying the trees and leaving a shallow rift on the ground.


    Another armor regaind its bnce and jumped, its hand aimed high as it brought the broadsword in its hand downward.


    At the same time three armor hacked their broadswords horizontally aiming to pierce Osric.


    Whoosh!


    Osric did not bother to put up a barrier. He turned into water and the broadswords passed through his body without issues.


    Hugh''s expression turnef grim. It was his first time seeing someone turn themselves into another ''substance'' and guessed this might be a Legendary mage learned upon breaking through.


    But knowing this only proved that any attack against Osric was also futile!

 Chapter 625 Did You Know…?

    While Hugh andpany defended the periphery of the Tower of Conve, Ste had already retreated inside.


    The current Ste would have insisted on staying with them and fighting alongside them, but ''Ste''¡ª the first Time Keeper was different. She knew when to fight and when to retreat. And at the present state of her body, she had to do thetter.


    After retreating into the tower, Ste did not return to her quarters as Malia asked but to the chamber prepared for Kyran to stay in. Her reason for going there was obvious¡ª to visit Cyneah, La''s descendant.


    Initially, Ste wanted to avoid meeting Cyneah because she was only a fragment of consciousness in the Time core and might trigger another episode that would affect the current Ste''s emotions even when ''resting.''


    Frankly, the reason the current Ste was affected by ''Ste''s memories'' was not because the Time core was triggered because Cyneah resembled La. As a matter of fact, thetter two looked nothing alike. The real cause was Ste getting jealous of Kyran''s attitude toward Cyneah, resulting in the Time core resonating with her along with ''Ste''s'' memories of being jealous of La.


    Putting aside the matter of the current Ste''s emotions, ''Ste'' wanted to visit Cyneah to confirm something. Just as she told Kyran, she did not know if Cyneah was the real one or if it was Haylee. But the fact that the former did not possess the Soul core¡ª or any magic core and still stayed alive¡ª meant she was different.''


    The reason behind this is simple. An essence is formed using a mage''s life force. One does not possess a magic core but will possess a ''core-like'' area in their body to store magic energy. Because of this core-like area, they can attract the same magic energy in the surroundings corresponding to their original body''s innate magic.


    Cyneah could use Soul magic, yet she could not store them. That fact already showed she was not an essence.


    It was also the reason Kyran believed Cyneah could not be an essence. Nevertheless, this alone did not prove she was not one. Thus, it was a mystery why he was convinced she was real.


    Anyhow, while Kyran could not prove it yet, Ste might.


    Kyran might be the only one in the history of the Tower of Tribtions to have learned around 80% or more about every Branch of Magic during training, thus making him far more knowledgeable than anyone. However, Ste had the advantage of Time¡ª not to mention that her family''s origin was connected to the Tower of Tribtion itself. She had far more experience in practical magic and traveling to other nes than Kyran.


    For this reason, Ste knew how to confirm Cyneah''s state.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Ste stopped in her tracks and looked outside the window as explosions could be heard outside.


    One of the array forms Kyran included in the enhanced Tower of Conve''s defensive array was to prevent magic fluctuations and shockwaves from invading inside. Thus, Ste could hear the battle but could not feel the amount of magic fluctuations that resulted from the collision of magic attacks outside.


    Nevertheless, Ste still knew things were not going well outside. And although the Tower of Conve''s defensive array had been enhanced by Kyran, if the worst-case scenario happened and it was destroyed, she was not the only one who would be in a perilous situation but also Cyneah.


    s, even if Ste wanted to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening since the current situation was something her predecessor had never witnessed when she used Time to look into the future, there was nothing she could do.


    Nevertheless, that did not mean she could note up with something now. First, she had to confirm Cyneah''s state.


    With this in mind, Ste continued toward Kyran''s room and, at the same time, pondered how she could keep them both sage.


    ''But it is easier said than done,'' she thought and sighed inwardly. ''In my present state, I am far more useless than her.''


    Ste''s concern was reasonable. She was only a small consciousness and could not use magic as she pleased.


    She continued on her way and soon reached her destination.


    Ste knocked once before entering, not even waiting for Cyneah to invite her in.


    Inside, Cyneah was still in bed but was already wide awake. She was looking, yet not really seeing, toward the window as the explosions continued to ring from outside.


    Sensing Ste entering the room, Cyneah turned toward the direction of the door. Judging from her calm expression, she did not appear surprised at Ste''s arrival.


    On the other hand, Aki, Kyran''s puppet who had been standing guard to protect Cyneah if something happened, faced Ste. Its expression was cold, and it was watching Ste''s actions attentively.


    Ste looked at it but did not say anything.


    "You don''t look surprised to see me," Stemented, walking toward the bed.


    "I heard youing," Cyneah replied.


    "You have a very good sense of hearing. You still heard my approach even with all the noise outside."


    Cyneah did not respond and only smiled slightly. If this had been any other time, she would have replied with amon, ''I''m blind, so my other senses perform better than most.'' However, she did not respond like this because there was something ''uninviting'' about Ste.


    The truth, themotion outside woke her up, and the myriad of lights everywhere dazzled her unseeing eyes. But amidst all of those, for some reason, there was a somewhat still and gentle sound slowly approaching from her side.


    To Cyneah, Ste''s footsteps were like a chime of a small bell. It rang out with a gentle ripple, dissolving the sounds around her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Do you know who I am?" Ste continued without waiting for Cyneah toment on what she had said. She did note here for idle chat, after all.


    "Yes."


    Ste was surprised at Cyneah''s response.


    As if reading Ste''s thoughts, Cyneah added, "I don''t mean to say that I know you personally or your name. But I feel like I know you."


    "That is impossible."


    "I know... but that is how I feel. At least, somewhere within me... feels this way."


    Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Ste changed it deliberately, "Did you know you can use Soul magic."


    "Yes."


    "Did you know what it entails?"


    Cyneah did not answer immediately. Her brow furrowed slightly. It was obvious she did not know how to answer Ste''s question.


    Ste was not expecting an answer anyway, so she continued, "It means you should have been the next Soul Emperor."


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed deeper as she looked toward the direction where she heard Ste stop and stand still.


    "You looked confused."


    "It''s because I understand what you want to say, but I am confused about why you think it."


    "You do not have the Soul core, meaning you should not have been able to use Soul magic. Thus, my words."


    Cyneah fell silent. She felt she had had this conversation before. Or at least, she remembered hearing others talk about it. But her memory was a little hazy, and she could not remember when that happened. Actually, she was not even sure if what she remembered was real.


    The truth, although she had been in a trance when Kyran and True Void talked about her state, unbeknownst to them, their conversation had been registered to her memory.


    "You''re not surprised to hear this. Did anyone tell you about it?"


    Cyneah only smiled bitterly.


    Ste sighed inwardly. She had been afraid she would also see La''s shadow while talking to Cyneah. However, that did not seem to be the case.


    Although Cyneah was blind. The way her eyes reflected knowledge and understanding was different from La''s innocent and clueless ones. Apart from this, there was a certain confidence and strength exuding from her which was also different from thetter''s fragile yet traitorous ones.


    Ste suddenly let out a quiet bitterugh, recalling someone''s words.


    ''''She''s not her,'' huh?''


    Ste took a deep breath while pushing aside all unnecessary thoughts, before re-addressing Cyneah.


    "Let''s talk for a bit, shall we?"


    Outside, the situation had gone from bad to worse.


    More Grand Masters from the enemy side had joined the battle, while fatal casualties continued to pile up on the Conve''s side.


    The only thing keeping them from being killed at once was the barrier that the enemy had yet to discover would only protect them from magic attacks.


    Osric looked at the scene below with narrowed eyes. He felt something was amiss while looking at the barrier around the Conve. The Water Cage was already in effect but for some reason, the barrier was still working.


    Did he miscalcte? Or was one of the barrier''s effects to render attacks like his Water Cage ineffective? Could it be that the barrier itself had water-magic properties?


    No. That should not have been the case.


    But then what?

 Chapter 626 Dont Make Me Laugh

    La had her people attack not four but five locations: the Tower of Conve, the Lumley Family Residence, the Temr Code Headquarters, the Regis Estate, andstly, an abandoned town north of Meliora, Autumn Reach.


    After agreeing to deal with the mole in the Aureole, Lauren did not dally and ordered her people to detain every mole with them.


    A battle ensued with the resistance of the moles. The Aureole was then taken by surprise when fifty High Master mages appeared out of nowhere and assisted the moles.


    The Aureole''s side would have been reduced to a small group if not for the timely assistance of Byron and Ss. Seeing thetter two made Lauren and the rest of the Aureole wary, but with Olivia dering that they were with her, they willingly epted their help.


    Although Byron and Sials were only Master mages¡ª with thetter advancing only recently¡ª their strength was good enough to restrain the enemy''s movements while Lauren, Olivia, and the three High Masters among their ranks moved in for the kill.


    Apart from this, with Lauren and Olivia leading the attack, it was impossible for the fifty or so enemy mages to really gain the advantage. The former two were Magus and had far more offensive power and their magic could easily deal with multiple targets¡ª Lauren with her Lotus Fire magic, and Olivia with her Sword magic.


    However, before they could clinch victory, more enemy mages arrived, forcing the almost concluding battle to enter a second round. The only difference was, the enemy now had the advantage in mage level with them having several Grand Masters.


    The Aureole faction was put at a huge disadvantage even with Lauren and Olivia.


    Apart from their side only having three High Masters with the rest at Adept and High Adept levels, they were already exhausted. Their potions and pills were running low and the number of their wounded mages kept piling up.


    Lauren and Olivia ordered the dispatch of the Aureole''s main legion long before the arrival of the enemy''s reinforcement. But with the restriction of transmission array usage, it would take three to four hours before the main legion reach Autumn Reach.


    Before then, Lauren and Olivia had to do everything to stay alive.


    A huge fiery lotus bloomed behind Lauren as she roused her magic. She charged toward three Grand Masters as the petals of the lotus behind her scattered and attacked.


    The Grand Masters waved their staffs and summoned barriers to protect themselves from the iing attack, but they underestimated the prating power of the fiery lotus petals.


    The lotus petals were like zing fireflies that lit up the surroundings while performing a beautiful massacre. They danced around the Grand Masters, easily piercing through their barriers and slicing up their bodies.


    Not far from Lauren, Olivia also attacked several Grand Masters at once. The twelve golden swords circling behind her, flew out, slicing every enemybat mage along their way.


    "Guaaah!"


    "Aargh!"


    Pitiful cries of pain echoed throughout the forest, which was now covered with mes and burnt or mutted bodies.


    From the shadows, Byron and Ss continued to provide assistance.


    Using his magic, Byron summoned several thick vines that curled around the enemy mage''s ankles and wrists. Ss would then mold ice swords and cut them up.


    Cutting them up took quite some time because their physical and magical defenses were far stronger than the prating strength of Ss''s magic.


    It was quite reasonable because Ss was only a Master mage while their enemies were Grand Masters.


    "There is no end to them!" Lauren growled as shended on the ground and looked at the iing enemies.


    Olivia waved her hand and the twelve golden swords flew back and circled behind her again. She also looked at the enemies upfront with a scowl.


    "There are far too many Grand Masters among them... no, they are basically an army of Grand Masters. Where did theye from?"


    Lauren shared the same sentiment. As far as they were concerned, the Ylfaen Empire did not have that many Grand Masters. To be precise, their headcount should be about the same number if every faction''s Grand Masters were added together.


    "There is nothing really surprising about their number," Byron told them after restraining a few High Masters nearby. "The army has been researching a way to force a mage to advance two levels at most."


    Ssnded on the ground after killing off a few High Masters that Byron restrained. He also said, "That''s right. As a matter of fact, the Temr Code already seeded in creating a pill that can temporarily advance a mage''s level by one. If they can do it, then the army who had far more people and resources can do it too."


    Lauren looked at them while waving her arms, sending several fiery lotus petals toward the remaining High Mastesr being restrained by Byron''s vines.


    "I''ve heard about the Temr Code researching a Red Pill that can force a mage to gain a level during battle. But I did not know they already seeded," shemented with a frown. "Where did you get that intel?"


    "Does it even matter right now?" Olivia interrupted them. "The Temr Code is not our enemy but these guys."


    "How do you know they are not our enemy? Some of these mages may be from the Temr Code," Lauren reasoned.


    She pointed this out because she remembered Emperor Euan put the Temr Code as the leader when he created the Elite Team that was supposed to upgrade every magic detector in cities and towns. The Temr Code might have already agreed to work for the Royal Family.


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Byron said, sounding a bit haughty. "The Temr Code''s Commander is already my master''s loyal subordinate."


    Lauren gaped at him in shock, "What did you say?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Can we not talk about this now?" Olivia interrupted them yet again. She looked at them in exasperation and said, "Focus on the enemy before us!"


    After saying this, she dashed forward to meet the approachingbat mages.


    Lauren sighed inwardly. Everything that was happening was beyond the things she knew. She wanted to understand the current situation, however, Olivia was right. They had to deal with their enemy upfront first.


    "Rest assured, Lady Lauren, we will exin everything after this," Ss assured Lauren with a smile. "We will assist you with everything we can until then."


    "Alright. I will take your word for now," Lauren replied looking at Ss thoughtfully, before adding, "Young master from the Svell Family."


    Ss was taken aback. He did not expect someone to recognize he was from the Svell Family. Although Ice mages were few in the Ylfaen Empire, they were not limited to the family in the north¡ª nor were they limited to the Svell Family.


    Seeing Ss''s surprised reaction, Lauren only smiled slightly and said, "Let us talk moreter."


    With that, she also dashed toward the approaching enemies.


    Ss too reigned in his surprise and joined them along with Byron.


    *


    A slight frown appeared on La''s beautiful face as she looked toward the Regis Estate at a distance.


    "I don''t sense Ruin anywhere," she said to no one in particr. "Did you not tell him my arrival?"


    A middle-aged man with long flowing auburn hair and light green eyes in a white robe lowered his head respectfully toward La and said, "We sent a message to sir Ruin''s vassal Fye, your Highness. However, we don''t know if he already delivered it."


    "Sent a message to Fye?" La asked, her frown deepened. She looked at the man beside her and added. "Why send it if you can tell him in person?"


    The truth was La could send a direct message to Ruin. But for some unknown reason, she failed to get through to him. So she ordered the man to have Fye deliver the message to Ruin.


    "We don''t know where he is," the man answered hesitantly. "We tried to summon him by calling his name but he did not appear."


    "Fye," La tried calling Fye.


    Just as the man had said, nothing happened when she called for him.


    La suddenly had a bad feeling as she turned her gaze toward the hole in the sky. Haylee had been busy with the Macabre cier when the hole appeared, so she did not know if Ruin was drawn by it and left the ne to check. But even so, she should still be able to sense him if he went outside.


    Recalling the reason Ruin returned to the Human ne and proposed to work together with Haylee again, La had a bad premonition.


    ''Don''t tell me he went back on his word because Haylee did not allow him to go to Noser when that kid appeared there? Tsk.'' La wondered and could not help but click her tongue in annoyance.


    So far, there were so many things that had deviated ording to her scenario. It was all due to Haylee''s inability and naive thinking.


    Frankly, La knew everything Haylee thought of her. Especially on how she failed to make full use of Can''s feelings toward her or her rtionship with Zane.


    However, Haylee only discovered ayer of what happened back then. Haylee did not know what Ste had done to hinder La''s n.


    In the first ce, if not for Ste''s first attempt to change what happened in the past, Can and Zane would not have devised a more foolproof n to counter La''s. La would have seeded in amassing her army and preparing for the War of the Sovereigns.


    "Forget it," La said after a short pause. "I''ll deal with the Regis Family myself."


    "Your Highness, you can rely on us in handling them," the middle-aged man said.


    Laughed derisively at him and said, "On you and the rest of these people?" She looked behind her where the rest of the Boyd Family members and the newly joined members from several noble families were kneeling on the ground.


    La looked back at the middle-aged man, her expression losing any mirth it had, "Don''t make meugh. Even if you are an Archmagus, it is impossible for you to subdue the Regis Family. If you guys really joined in, it will only result in a bloodbath. It''s either them or you."


    The middle-aged man frowned slightly but did not refute.


    "You don''t look convinced," La remarked but did not dwell much on it as she looked in the direction of the Regis Estate. "It doesn''t matter. If you guys want toe, then kill the rest of the Regis n members. However, capture their family members. I will deal with them myself."


    The middle-aged man knelt on one knee, "Yes, your Highness."


    *


    Meanwhile, Aron and the rest of the Regisbat mages had arrived outside the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall gates.

 Chapter 627 Ignite

    Aron sent a coded message informing Mannick of their arrival. When they arrived, thetter was already waiting outside the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall gates.


    "They are currently within five hundred meters from the estate''s outer walls," Mannick informed Aron, the Regis elders, and the other leading officers upon their arrival. "But they have not sent any scouts and remain on standby."


    They entered a tent they had used earlier and opened up a projection of the Regis Estate''s map, including its surroundings.


    The map was simr to the one the Conve had. But this was because both were made by Kyran.


    This map was one of the things Kyran sent to Aron, along with the corrupted message.


    Aron and the rest immediately saw the location where the Crown Princess''s army was waiting. They also saw several smaller groups of red dots in different locations.


    "These people¡­" Aron started.


    Mannick looked at the smaller groups of red dots with a bitter smile and said, "I already checked on them. They belong to either small or medium factions and are observing the situation."


    With all the movements made by the noble families under the Crown Princess, it was impossible for the rest of the factions not to take notice.


    Apart from this, the situation that started from Noser took them all by surprise, and more incidents happened one after another.


    From all these events, it was obvious something major was happening behind the scenes¡ª a situation involving every major faction of the empire.


    Depending on how the situation develops, every faction in the empire would be affected, and soon they would have to choose who to side with.


    Currently, most of them believed the Royal Family had a better chance of prevailing since they were the ones who made the first move. They were also the rulers of the empire, and it would be impossible to win over thempletely.


    Nevertheless, a few felt something¡ª or someone¡ª bigger than the Royal Family was involved in all of this and believed it was too soon to make a conclusion.


    "Regardless of who they are, we can''t ignore thempletely," Aron said with a thoughtful expression. "They might be troublesome once their leaders make a choice."


    Others might not understand what Aron meant, but all of them did.


    If the leaders of these factions chose to side with the Royal Family, they would be at a disadvantage. It was not about being outnumbered but about how they had to deal with them without killing.


    Although the Crown Princess could not utilize her magic fully, their intel was outdated. A few days had passed since the time they hadst confirmed her state, and she might have already regained more, if not all, of what she could do.


    "Should we send a squad to inform them of the situation?" Arabe asked Aron.


    "Arabe''s right," Greer also agreed while looking at the projection. "Letting them know of the situation can minimize the chance of these factions from joining the fray. They do not know what is really happening and might end up as unnecessary casualties if they join the battle prematurely."


    "True," Aron nodded. "However, what can we tell them? We cannot say anything that will reveal Kyran''s magic. It will backfire on us."


    "That''s..."


    The two shifted in their seat uneasily. They did not intend to remind them of how delicate Kyran''s current identity was to the empire.


    "Send a message instead," Aron continued. "Tell them to make a wise decision. Else, if they target any of our members, we will view them as hostiles."


    Mannick could not help but look at Aron with a wry smile. He witnessed how the Regis Family entered seclusion and slowly faded into the background. But from his original self''s memories, he knew how ruthless the Regis Family was during the Chaos Era.


    Aron''s ''message'' could still be considered a soft move because if it had been Zane¡ª he would not bother sending a message. Any signs of hostility toward the Regis Family would be dealt with no further questions.


    "Yes, Patriarch," Arabe and Greer replied, immediately sending word to the Regis Special Force waiting outside.


    Aron then continued giving out orders.


    "Eleanor, establish a securedmunication channel for our side."


    "Yes, Patriarch."


    "Abe, Zeniff, Greer, I''ll leave the nning to you three."


    "Alright."


    "Rest assured."


    "Don''t worry."


    "Arabe, make sure to dispatch the right people based on their n."


    "Yes, Patriarch."


    "Jared will be here to oversee the rest while I check on Kyran."


    "W-What?" Jared almost fell off his chair as he gaped at Aron. "C-Can''t I go check on him instead?"


    Aron looked at him and said, "You know very well how strict the rules are inside the Regis Terram. Although every Regis member who received a drop of the Great Dragon''s blood can enter that ce, moving around will be difficult."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Jared could only sigh in defeat.


    "Communication is impossible in that ce. Thus, I''ll leave the decision-making to you while I''m gone."


    "I''m afraid of that part..." Jared replied.


    But Aron only smiled at him, "I trust your judgment."


    After that, Aron left, and the rest went about their tasks.


    On the other hand, Mannick and some of the members of the Regis Special Force kept an eye on the enemies movements.


    *


    La had grown tired of waiting for news of Fye''s whereabouts. Since she did not know where Ruin was, she decided not to rely on him.


    Osric told him that Light, one of the factions who reached out to Haylee, had already descended. However, he did not know what had happened to him because Kyran had warped them in different ces.


    La guessed that Kyran defeated Light and forced thetter to escape. Initially, she thought that the burst of magic energy from the hole was due to Light escaping from the Human ne. But thinking about it now, the shockwave came from outside, not inside. Meaning the shockwave originated from another mage.


    A mage who was outside the ne.


    La knew from Haylee''s memories that three Sovereigns wanted to enter the Human ne. But so far, only one had descended. If this was the case, someone else prevented them from entering.


    La guessed it was Ruin.


    Regardless of the truth, La did not dwell on it. She just had to find where that Light went. After that, she could have him destroy the barrier while she ced a mark on every normal member of the Regis n. Once she marked enough members, she would use them against the Regis Family and have them surrender.


    At least, this was La''s ideal n. The Regis Family would definitely not let her get close to their normal members. After all, they knew that her mark would not work with them since they possessed the blood of the Dragon King. It was one of the reasons La could not control the Regis Family during the Chaos Era¡ª with the other reasons being Zane keeping a close eye on her every move and Can finding ways to stop her from using her magic.


    ''But this time is different,'' La thought as she looked at the middle-aged man beside her. ''Because this time, I have the Macabre cier.''


    "How''s the transportation of that thing?" She asked.


    "The array is almostpleted, your Highness."


    La scowled at him, "You''ve said the same thing before leaving the vi."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Bring that thing here in half an hour."


    "Yes, your Highness," the middle-aged man replied while lowering his head.


    Without waiting to be dismissed, he straightened his back and turned to leave.


    La turned her attention up front. Although she could not see the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall, she was obviously looking in that direction.


    "Dispatch the scouts," she said to no one in particr.


    The three mages who were close to where she was standing immediately knelt and replied, "As youmand."


    "Tell them also to get rid of all the people brazenly observing from the shadows."


    "Yes, your Highness."


    After the three mages left, a soldier from the Royal Army came running and knelt on one knee.


    "Your Highness, we have received a coded message from the Grand Marshal."


    La raised her brows as she looked at the soldier, "Oh? That old man is still alive?"


    The soldier was slightly distressed about how to respond, but La continued as if she did not make any remark, "What did he say?"


    "Well... it is somewhat a little confusing. But in his message, he mentioned seeing the Emperor in Ravenpass."


    "Ravenpass?" La repeated with a slight frown. She had no idea where that ce was and why the Emperor would be there.


    "That''s right. But one of the confusing parts of the Grand Marshal''s message is that... he did not see any soldiers with the Emperor; instead, there are quite a number of civilians there. And also..."


    La red at the soldier when he hesitated to continue, "Just tell me what it is."


    "T-The Grand Marshal said the Emperor is with the Conve''s Head Master, Malek."

 Chapter 628 Rage (1)

    The scene that greeted Aron upon his arrival outside the Regis Terram made him reel in wonder.


    Gold and silver pirs of light surrounded the floating ind as an otherworldy aura emanated from within.


    ''Could Kyran have really used the Heaven''s Conch to seek the Dragon King''s assistance?'' Aron thought, recalling Zephyr''s notion of why Kyran would enter the Regis Terram.


    Aron initially rejected the idea because Kyran could have entered the terram for an entirely different reason. A reason that only thetter would know. But seeing and sensing the state of the floating ind made Aron reconsider Zephyr''s notion.


    ''If he really used the Heaven''s Conch... could the Dragon King be speaking to him at this moment? Will my arrival interrupt their meeting?''


    To be honest, Kyran was supposed to be the only one who could sound the Heaven''s Conch because of the alternative path they painstakingly nned for him to take. However, Kyran had already epted his original path, which was to be the next Void Master.


    Could Kyran still sound the Heaven''s Conch if this was the case?


    Maybe. He might still be qualified since among the Regis family members who had taken a drop of the Dragon King''s blood, Kyran took arger amount. But would the Dragon King listen to him? Kyran might be Zane''s descendant, but he was not the next Dragon Lord.


    Aron''s doubts were quite reasonable. As far as they knew, Kyran epted his original path and had not chosen the path of bing the next Dragon Lord. None of them knew that it was possible for Kyran to receive both paths. After all, they did not know Kyran possessed both Draconic and Void cores.


    Aron pushed all these thoughts aside and circted the dragon blood in his body.


    There was no point dwelling on his own doubts. It was better to enter the Regis Terram and find the answer himself.


    With this thought in mind, Aron flew toward the floating ind.


    *


    Unlike what others spected, Kyran had not used the Heaven''s Conch. Besides, he only had one reason for entering the Regis Terram: to create materials that would not be found in the Human ne. After confirming he could create the needed materials, Kyran focused on creating magic items that would benefit his side. After that, he proceeded to fix Neo andplete the rest of the unfinished puppets he kept in his storage.


    At the moment, Kyran had already finished Neo''s repair, and thetter was already assisting inpleting the remaining puppets.


    Kyran estimated it would take at least twenty to thirty minutes toplete one puppet, even with Neo''s help. He could reduce the time by half if he were in his workroom. However, he could not open the path to his workroom while inside the Regis Terram. He wondered if it was because his workroom was connected to his Void World.


    Kyran could warp the items he created in the terram outside but could not take them into his Void World for some reason. He could not take out the items he ced in the Void World to the terram as well. Good thing the items in his storage space and pouch could be taken out. Thus, Kyran was able to work on his unfinished puppets.


    In any case, Kyran nned to limit his stay in the Regis Terram to three hours. He would leave regardless of how many puppets he wouldplete within that time. He also believed three hours was enough for Tritus and his weapon toplete their advancement. After that, he would take them and go to the Ravenpass.


    Of course, Kyran had already learned his lesson that his enemies would not wait for him toplete his preparations. That was why he left coded messages to every key person on his side informing them of his whereabouts and to call him if there were any developments from the Crown Princess''s side.


    s, Kyran did not consider his messages to be corrupted. Because of this, no one knew where he was and what he was doing. They could not even inform him of the current situation.


    One thing Kyran also failed to consider was the time difference.


    Since the Regis Terram was still part of the Dragon ne, it followed thetter''s time.


    That was right. Half an hour inside the Regis Terram was equivalent to three hours in the Human ne.


    Aron and the others who had entered the terram to collect some of the Dragon King''s blood did not notice the time difference either because they never stayed longer than a minute.


    As always, as soon as Kyran started doing something, he became oblivious to his surroundings. But knowing this side of himself, he ordered Neo to take note of the time.


    With the two absorbed in the task on hand, they did not notice the change in the magic fluctuation around the Dragon King''s blood.


    Rather than ''not noticing,'' they did not sense any change in the surroundings because the signature of the fluctuation was simr to Kyran''s¡ª or, to be precise¡ª when he was using his Draconic magic.


    Soon, the magic fluctuation around the Dragon King''s blood took form. But the form was translucent and almost impossible to detect. Nevertheless, from the distortion in the space around it, one would recognize the form as a head of a huge seven-horned dragon¡ª and its piercing gaze was focused on Kyran.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Kyran, oblivious of this, was currently surrounded by different shades and sizes of purple-colored magic arrays. Each time the space at the center of these magic arrays distorts, several puppet parts would form. After which, Neo would collect and connect them to an unfinished body of a puppet.


    After a few minutes, the translucent silhouette of a seven-horned dragon''s head shifted and slowly turned into a human.


    Based on the shape of the human, it could easily be likened to a woman.


    Unlike the earlier translucent form, she appeared solid as soon as she changed into a human. The magic fluctuations converged into her body before turning into a gold and silver flowing dress, which appeared to have been showered by diamond dust by the way it glistened.


    The dragon-head-turned-human did not look 100% human. Although her face, which possessed an unearthly beauty, was human-like, her seven horns protruded from her head, appearing like a diamond crown. Her piercing golden eyes were also made of diamond, and her skin seemed to glisten. Upon closer look, one would realize that her skin was actually skin-colored dragon scales.


    The woman did not speak, nor did she make any noise when she looked at Kyran.


    After a few minutes and Kyran still did not notice her presence; her beautiful brows creased slightly. Finally, she took a step forward.


    Time seemed to slow down as soon as she took a step, and the whole terram crackled with magic energy.


    Kyran finally snapped out of his focused state. Sensing the iing danger, he waved his hand, taking Neo along with the unfinished puppets and newly created materials to his storage pouch. Then he released his domain, instantly removing all the harmful magic energy directed at him that entered its range.


    He turned toward the direction where the magic energy came from and was taken aback after seeing the woman.


    The woman''s magic energy was enough for Kyran to realize what she was¡ª he no longer had to check whether her ''crown'' was really a ''crown'' or her horn.


    The woman before him was a bonafide dragon.


    But the question was, how did she arrive there? Or had she been there all along?


    No. That was impossible. Kyran would have noticed her presence upon his arrival if she had been there all this time. However, he did not sense anything apart from the dragon king''s blood...


    Kyran''s blood turned cold as his expression turned odd.


    This woman could not havee from the dragon king''s blood, right? Because if that was true, then this meant the woman was...


    "Such insolence," the woman said. Her voice alone carried such power that shook the whole Regis Terram. She raised her hand toward the rapidly increasing range of the Void domain, and in an instant, it stopped.


    Kyran''s scalp tingled as a crushing power pressed down around him as soon as his domain stopped. The power was so overwhelming that it did nothing, even when his domain was supposed to stop any cirction of magic energy within. Besides this, Kyran felt his whole body protest from the pressure and was about to get crushed.


    "Ngh!" Kyran''s eyes turned silver as he roused his Draconic magic.


    He already knew that his Void magic was ineffective against Draconic magic, just like Soul magic was ineffective against Void magic. Thetter he confirmed from True Void after he proudly admitted Can would always run away when Zane was around.


    Nevertheless, Kyran did not expect the difference between the two. Fortunately, even if Kyran were attacked by Draconic magic, he would not be as helpless as Can. After all, he also possessed Draconic magic!


    Translucent silver scales slowly merged into the dark purple surface of the Void domain.


    "Hm?" The woman''s creased brow deepened upon sensing the Draconic magicing from Kyran.


    In that instant, her golden diamond-like eyes glowed, and her magic aura erupted, sweeping through everything in the Regis Terram.


    As soon as her aura passed through the Void domain that had been reinforced by Draconic magic, it shattered like fragile ss.


    Kyran was taken aback. Before he could react further, his Draconic core stirred, and he almost keeled over from the sudden pain that shook his whole body.

 Chapter 629 Rage (2)

    The woman reached out her hand at Kyran, and an invisible force grabbed him, lifting him off the ground.


    Because of the racking pain in his body caused by the Draconic core''s stirring, Kyran failed to react to the woman''s movement.


    The moment the invisible force lifted Kyran off ground, the woman motioned him closer. In just a short while, the two were already a foot apart.


    The woman glowered at Kyran, her golden eyes piercing through him as if wanting to know every nook and cranny of his being.


    In that instant, the Void core stirred and the Void magic energy circted along with the Draconic magic energy within the Shaiha. Kyran did not stop circting his Draconic magic because he sensed the power of the woman''s ''hold'' was enough to crush his body to death if not for the Draconic magic reinforcing his body.


    This discovery shocked Kyran since his body had already gone through an enhancement after intaking the Elixir.


    In any case, with the Void magic simultaneously circting in his body, the woman''s probing was countered.


    ''Hm?'' The woman frowned as she stared Kyran in the eyes.


    Kyran was still reeling in pain, but he did not avoid the woman''s eyes. He believed if he did, she would continue to see him as a suspicious person.


    Frankly, it would have been easier to tell her who he was. But because of the woman''s dominating power, he was unable to utter a word.


    The woman''s frown deepened as she leaned closer to have a better look at Kyran.


    Kyran wanted to pull away but was unable to break free from the woman''s hold.


    When the woman''s face was only inches away from him, she suddenly sniffed¡ª not once, but three times. Her golden eyes gradually widened as she leaned back and looked at Kyran again.


    "You have Zane''s smell and color... But... You''re clearly not him."


    ''This again...'' Kyran thought, recalling how Ste¡ª the first Time Keeper¡ªmented how he had Can''s face, but Zane''s color. He found such remarks a little rude, to be honest.


    "And your power..." The woman felt displeased again, before continuing, "You clearly possess that annoying power of nothingness, but why are you not hurt after getting hit by my power?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched inwardly. Did that mean the woman''s ''probing'' was actually meant to hurt him?


    "More than that... howe I can''t sense your aura?" The woman''s eyes narrowed and she added, "And why are you able to resist my authority?"


    ''Authority?'' Kyran wondered. ''Did she mean the force she''s using to hold me down?''


    He paused after recalling what she said about not sensing his aura and was reminded of the Shaiha''s ability. He felt apprehensive by this and wondered whether it was a blessing to have it or not. Because, if the woman could not sense his aura, then she also could not recognize that he also possessed the same magic energy she had.


    ''More importantly, who is this woman? She knows our ancestor... does this mean she really is...''


    "Answer me, human."


    Kyran''s brow twitched at the woman''s demand. Did she not realize he could not speak because of her power?


    "Ah."


    Seemingly realizing something, the woman froze for a second before her frown vanished and was reced by a nk expression. She then said, "I permit you to speak, human."


    "Ngh...!" Kyran let out a short cough as the pressure around him decreased. Confirming that he had regained the ability to speak, he did not answer the woman''s questions and instead said, "Who the hell are you?"


    The woman''s expression immediately turned cold as she red at him, "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Don''t you know who I am¡ª?"


    "I don''t, that''s why I''m asking."


    "Ah."


    The woman''s expression froze for a second again, realizing Kyran''s point, and then said, "You''re right."


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as he looked at the woman skeptically. He was initially feeling nervous because of the woman''s possible identity. But now...


    This woman was not the Dragon King... or is she?


    As soon as he thought this, his Draconic core''s stirring intensified and he almost keeled over if not for the woman''s ''authority'' keeping him in ce.


    Kyran understood at once what his Draconic core was trying to convey. It first reacted after the woman''s aura swept through his body, meaning it recognized the woman. However, when he first wondered who she was, it did not react. Meaning, she was not the Dragon King. But why was she here?


    Before that, how did she appear here? As far as Kyran was concerned, there was no other presence in the terrram when he arrived.


    The woman noticed Kyran''splexion paled slightly as if he was in pain but was trying to conceal it. She extended her hand and touched his chest. Soon after, her raw energy entered his body.


    "O-Oi¡ª ngh...!"


    Kyran felt his whole body burn as the woman''s raw energy circted into his body. However, the excruciating pain only happened for a few seconds, because the Shaiha stirred and absorbed the woman''s energy. It then converted the energy, which then turned into his own Draconic magic.


    The woman was taken aback as she pulled out her hand.


    "This...!"


    She looked at Kyran in disbelief and demanded, "Why do you have the Shaiha?"


    Kyran gritted his teeth and red at the woman, "Can you stop asking questions and release me first? Since you already know I have the Shaiha you should be able to tell why you can''t sense my aura."


    The woman red coldly at him but deemed his reasoning was sensible and loosened her authority around him.


    The invisible force holding Kyran down disappeared and he fell to the ground. However, the woman''s energy still loomed over him, threatening to hold him down again if she found him an eyesore.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When the woman''s authority eased a little, the stirring of Kyran''s Draconic core also decreased and finally, he could decipher what his Draconic core was trying to convey clearly. However, the moment he understood it, cold sweat trickled down his back and hisplexion paled.


    He dared not look at the woman again, because she was...


    "Now, answer me, human," the woman demanded again. "Why do you have the power of nothingness while having Zane''s smell at the same time?"


    She paused for a moment but continued without waiting for Kyran to answer, "Judging by your color, you''re also family. But I don''t remember ever having that annoying guy''s blood mingle with ours."


    That was right.


    This woman is family. And she was Zane''s wife.


    Kyran felt his worldview shatter yet again by this unexpected revtion.


    He had thought nothing could rival the shock he felt after confirming White Lily was Can''s wife. To think that the reveal that Zane actually married a dragon.


    Not to mention, this dragon is the Dragon King''s¡ª.


    "Answer me, human!" The woman demanded forcing Kyran''s thoughts to a stop.


    "My father is a Regis, while my mother is an Ada, thest family to carry the previous Void Master''s bloodline," Kyran answered.


    "What?" The woman growled instantly sending the whole terram to tremble as her aura erupted again.


    Kyran guessed the reason she was angered was because of the danger the union between two families connected to different Ancient magic would entail.


    Unfortunately, her concern had alreadye to pass.


    Before the woman could trap Kyran again, he circted the Draconic magic once more while forcing the Shaiha not to conceal his aura. This way, she would realize how useless it was to get angry now.


    As soon as he did, the woman''s rising aura came to a sudden stop. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Kyran.


    "You..."


    Finally, Kyran raised his head to look at the woman. However, he did not say anything and only look at her meaningfully.


    The woman''s aura eased slowly as shended on the ground a few feet away from Kyran. She looked at him scrutinizingly before finally heaving a deep sigh.


    "So it''s already toote, huh?"


    Kyran did not respond. He simply looked at her in silence.


    The woman sighed again, saying, "Since you possess the Draconic core, I''m guessing you already know who I am."


    "Ames, the White¡ª daughter of the Dragon King."


    Ames nodded as she took a step closer to Kyran.


    "Do you understand how dangerous your existence is?"


    Kyran remained silent.


    "Your existence could very well cause the end of all realms, and destroying you now will prevent that from happening."


    "Do that, and the new Soul Emperor will seed in conquering the Human ne. After that, she will join theing War of Sovereigns," Kyran started. "After winning that war, she will ascend to the Higher Realm. When that happens, she will cause a huge storm to every ne in your realm."


    "Are you threatening us?"


    "No," Kyran said with a slight shake of his head. "It''s the truth. The new Soul Emperor has appeared in the Human ne. Just like how a new Void Master hase."


    Kyran gave her a brief exnation of the current situation in the Human ne. All the while, Ames was looking at him in disbelief.


    "I am here because I am trying to gather enough firepower to fend against the Sovereigns. I won''t do anything other than that."


    Ames did not respond. She continued to look at Kyran in disbelief.


    "Can you let me continue work on my puppets? I will leave the terram after."


    "Are you saying you n to pit your puppets against Sovereigns?"


    "Yes."


    "You understand that using a puppet against a Sovereign is useless."


    "I know. But I''m not aiming to win, only to buy time until we can find a way to restore the Human ne''s Sovereign''s Cradle."


    "What about the Soul Emperor? How will you deal with her?"


    Before Kyran could answer, the space distorted behind him and soon revealed a silhouette.


    "Grandfather?" Kyran looked at his grandfather in surprise.


    As if not noticing Ames''s presence, Aron looked at Kyran and said, "We need to head back. Haylee had already taken action."

 Chapter 630 Rage (3)

    "Who is Haylee?" Ames demanded, shifting her piercing gaze to Aron.


    It was only then that thetter saw her and was taken aback.


    As the Patriarch, Aron knew almost every family secret that the Regis n had. That included why and how the Regis Terram appeared in the Human ne.


    At that moment, Aron recognized the woman from an old portrait that the third Patriarch was safekeeping.


    Ames, the White Dragon and only daughter of the Dragon King.


    But why was she here? ording to the journal entry of the third Patriarch, she had stopped appearing in the terram after the Dragon King deemed it was for the best if they cut allmunications with Zane''s descendants. There were no details about what the Dragon King meant by his words, but because of that, Ames had truly stoppeding to the Regis Terram.


    Thinking this, Aron reflexively looked at Kyran sideways.


    Could it have something to do with Kyran''s presence? Or was it because Kyran took out the Heaven''s Conch, and Ames, upon sensing it, appeared at once?


    Hopefully, it was not thetter because they could not deal with the other Venerate Dragons'' wrath, especially in their current situation. Although, Ames appeared because she sensed Kyran''s presence was also not good.


    Dragons are very territorial and hate another powerful existence entering their territories.


    Kyran might be a Regis but he was also the new Void Master.


    All of these passed through Aron''s thoughts in split seconds. He was also able to process the scene before him in an instant and deemed that although Ames''s power was looming over the whole terram, ready to bore down on them at any moment, with Kyran still in one piece, then it meant she had yet to see him as an enemy.


    Aron respectfully lowered his head toward Ames and replied, "Haylee is the name of the current Soul Emperor, Lady Ames."


    Kyran, on the other hand, did not register that his grandfather knew Ames. Instead, he was still reeling over what he had said about Haylee because, as far as he was concerned, thetter had just broken down and¡ª.


    Realization hit him as he recalled what had happened to Ste.


    After Ste exhausted herself from going to the future and trying to change what would happen, ''Ste'' took over.


    If Haylee was in a simr state, could it be that ''someone'' also took over her body?


    Kyran gritted his teeth in frustration. He thought he already understood how the magic cores passed on to them worked. But to think that he still failed to anticipate such a possibility from happening¡ª it was very frustrating.


    To be honest, it was not an oversight on his part. Because when his magic core went haywire and he fell unconscious, such a thing did not happen. Can did not take over, nor did Zane. The only reason Ste''s and Haylee''s bodies were taken over was that both ''Ste'' and La not only left pieces of their consciousness into their magic core but also their ''soul.''


    "Let''s go," Kyran did not bother to ask Aron for details. He could ask for it once they got out.


    "Wait," Ames stopped them before the two could turn to leave.


    Without waiting for both to say anything, she continued, "You kept saying a new Soul Emperor has appeared, but that is impossible."


    Kyran frowned. But Ames did not give him a chance to react and said, "The Soul Emperor never died in the first ce. How can she appear again?"


    Aron and Kyran looked at Ames dumbfoundedly.


    *


    Osric looked indifferently as he stood in the middle of the wreckage.


    Burnt or mutted bodies littered the ground while the tents burned or got sted to pieces.


    Looking from above, the saint-tier barrier had been shattered after Osric destroyed it from within.


    That was right. After a mishap which led a Grand Master to step inside the Conve''s barrier, Osric andpany realized that the barrier''s sole purpose was to prevent magic attacks from the outside from passing through. It did not prevent outsiders from entering.


    The discovery annoyed Osric because if he had realized it sooner, he would not have wasted his magic energy creating a huge Water Cage, nor did he have to sacrifice so many Grand Masters.


    He had to admit that the Conve made aplete fool of him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But that was unimportant now.


    With the barrier out of the way, the real battle finally started.


    No. Frankly, it could not be called a battle but a one-sided ughter.


    Hugh, along with the other council members and leaders of each squad, tried their best to fight back, but the sheer number of Grand Masters with Osric was enough to sweep through their ranks.


    In the end, Hugh andpany were forced to retreat into the Tower of Conve''s gates, and now Osric and the Exalted leaders with him were on their way to destroy yet another barrier.


    A middle-aged man in a red robe frowned slightly after looking at the defensive array around the tower.


    They were aware that the defensive array of the Tower of Conve boasted as one of the most powerful ones in the empire. It was, after all, created by the one Array Master in the empire, Chairman Noir.


    However, every noble family in the empire had been hiding their Array Specialists, and some had already nurtured their own Array Masters. Although they admit they were stillckingpared to Chairman Noir, with them working together, it would not be a stretch to say that they had the means to decipher or even destroy the most powerful array Chairman Noir could create.


    Or at least, that was what they believed until they stood before the real deal.


    "Did Chairman Noir really create this defensive array?" the middle-aged man asked no one in particr.


    Hearing hisment, Osric looked at the man and asked, "Why? Is there a problem with it?"


    "That''s the thing," the middle-aged man replied as he turned to look at Osric. "I don''t see any problem!"


    Osric scowled at him. Before he could reprimand the man for sounding in awe, the rest of the Exalted with him, who were also the hidden Array Masters of the other noble families, nodded their heads in agreement.


    "He is right," another middle-aged man agreed.


    The previous one had short dark brown hair and light green eyes, while the other had shoulder-length ash blonde hair and dark brown eyes.


    "I''ve seen a rough draft of the Tower of Conve''s defensive array, and it is very different from what I see right now."


    Another man, who seemed to be in histe twenties with short brown hair and dark brown eyes, chimed in and said, "ording to our intel, the Conve recently enhanced their defensive array. Initially, I had thought the saint-tier barrier Senior Osric had destroyed was the result of that enhancement, but it seems that is not the case."


    Osric glowered at them and said, "I don''t care what you think."


    He looked at the gates of the Tower of Conve, now covered by a powerful multi-colored magic barrier. The gates were not made of stone, so they should have been able to see what was happening inside. However, because of the multi-colored magic barrier, they could only see what the gates looked like but could not see past through it.


    This was definitely caused by the defensive array possessing an advanced form within its formation.


    "Do your job and destroy that array!"


    The other Array Masters did not refute and only lowered their head in respect toward Osric. After that, they approached the barrier and took out each of their own devices to start deciphering it.


    Osric red at the tower''s gates. He did not believe Noir could make such a highly advanced defensive array. If his guess was correct, that sted young man enhanced this defensive array. Or if not him, maybe Cade.


    Because Osric knew that one of the things the Regis Family was good at was Array Creation. Even if there were only a few Array Specialists among them now, it was only because most chose to be Abjurers.


    Cade was one of them, and based on what Osric read about him, if his magic core was not destroyed in an ident, he would have been the youngest Magus Abjurer in the empire.


    With this in mind, Osric believed Cade would not be idle after his magic core got destroyed. He might have developed his Array and had already surpassed Chairman Noir.


    The more Osric thought this, the more he was convinced that Cade was the one who enhanced the Conve''s defensive array.


    But if it was the case, then the Regis n had been plotting with the Conve against them for a long time. After all, why would Cade enhance the Conve''s defensive array if the Regis Family had no good rtionship with them?


    In any case, these thoughts passed through Osric''s mind as he stared at the Conve''s defensive array.

 Chapter 631 Rage (4)

    Simr scenes of death and destruction were witnessed in the locations La''s people attacked.


    The defensive array the Courtenay Family set up around the Lumley Family''s residence had already been destroyed, and members from both families with low mage levels fell victim as soon as Soll entered. Eoin and the other leaders of both families did everything in their capabilities to stop thetter''s advance, but the more they resisted, the higher the casualties on their side piled up.


    If Soll had not suddenly stopped his advance and let the Grand Masters with him deal with the rest, both the Courtenay and Lumley Families would have been wiped out.


    When the Grand Masters and the Soll''s two assistants took over, Eoin and the remaining members of both families found a chance to retreat into the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Hall and regroup. As soon as they entered the hall, they activated its defensive array and were saved for the time being.


    Although the ancestral hall''s defensive array was not as advanced as the replicated defensive array of the Regis n, it managed to fend off the attacks made by the Grand Masters. As long as Soll did not join the attack, the defensive array would hold for a longer period.


    Eoin and the others did not know why Soll did not join the Grand Masters in attacking the residence, but they were notining. At least they could tend to their wounded while the others rested.


    The great hall had been hastily divided into four sections. The first section was where the fatally wounded were being treated, while the second section to its right was where those who were lightly wounded were resting.


    The third and fourth sections at the back were where the leaders and the Array Specialists gathered. Thetter were busy reinforcing the hall''s defensive array while the leaders discussed their following action.


    Eoin looked at the rest of the sections, and a deep pain filled his heart.


    There were less than 300 members of the Lumley Family left, while the 100 Courtenay members he took with him were down to 61. That included the leaders and the Array Specialists. Compared with the enemy forces outside, they were outnumbered by a great margin.


    "Ourmunications are still jammed," one of the leaders of the Lumley Family said, looking very distressed.


    Actually, he was not the only one who looked distressed¡ª all of them were.


    "If this goes on..." The leader''s voice trailed off, not wanting to voice his thoughts.


    None of the others needed to hear it anyway because they knew what he was about to say.


    They would all die if they could not sendmunication outside and ask for reinforcements.


    "There is only one way," the Lumley Patriarch said with a grave expression. "Gather our fastest members and create an opportunity for them to escape and ask for help."


    The rest of the leaders fell silent.


    What the Lumley Patriarch had said was sound. Frankly, most of them were thinking the same. However, gathering the members was the problem. Not to mention, creating the opportunity would definitely be hard. There were hundreds of Grand Masters outside, and more had already surrounded the ancestral hall. If, for example, they did gather their fastest members and create a chance for them to leave the ancestral hall, they would definitely be killed before they could escape the Lumley residence.


    Eoin shook his head, "They don''t necessarily need to escape. As long as they can leave the range of the magic attack preventing us from sending outmunication, we can ask for assistance."


    One of the Lumley Family elders could not help but snort and said, "So much for being forced to ally with the Regis n."


    "Oi."


    "Be careful what you are going to say!"


    Two other elders warned while looking furtively at their Patriarch.


    The elder scowled at them and leaned back on his chair, "What? Are you afraid of the seal that brat left?"


    "You know the Patriarch will suffer if you keep acting this way!"


    The elder mmed his fist on the small round table where they were gathered and growled at the elder who had just spoken, "Why can''t I act this way? Don''t you see? We are forced to ally with them, but can you really call this an alliance?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The other Lumley members shifted in their seats while Eoin and the other Courtenay members remained silent. They did not stop the Lumleys from venting their frustration because they did not have the right to do so.


    The Lumley Patriarch also remained silent. He was the one who would suffer if any of his members thought of betraying the Regis n. However, the seal on him had not reacted, meaning the elder venting out right now had no such thoughts. He was simply venting his frustrations about their situation.


    "I''m sure they are aware of our situation. Yet they have not done anything to assist us!"


    "They are likely in a simr situation," another more sensible Lumley elder pointed. He understood what they were feeling but did not think it was right to use the Regis n of not doing anything to save them because the attack from the Crown Princess''s side came as a surprise.


    Before themunication got cut off earlier, they were already aware of several movements from her side, so it was not hard to guess that she could have ordered the attack on different locations simultaneously.


    "But the Regis n is in a safe location, right?" the elder continued to reason. "They can still dispatch their members and help!"


    "That is enough," the Lumley Patriarch finally spoke.


    "But Patriarch¡ª."


    "Just as you said, the Regis n is in a rtively safe location. They are no longer in the Regis Estate, so they can easily dispatch members from the Regis Special Force to assist us."


    The Lumley Patriarch paused and looked at every elder and leader of the Lumley Family before continuing, "However, if the Crown Princess indeed ordered to attack all four locations simultaneously, do you think the Regis n can go to all these locations at once? Do you view their n as superior beings that can do the impossible?


    "You are all elders of the Lumley Family! Keep your wits about you!" The Lumley Patriarch growled at them. "Besides, when did we ever leave the fate of our family in the hands of another? Have you all turned cowards for living leisurely all these years?"


    The Lumley family members shifted uneasily. It was not about turning cowards. The truth, never in their entire lives had they imagined they would be in such a dire situation. Although they had designs on overthrowing the current top factions in the empire, most did not expect such arge-scale attack to befall their family.


    Apart from this, their family had already suffered after losing their trump cards and powerful mages.


    In the end, they only felt indignant that the ones responsible for theirck of strength had not done anything to save them. One could say that all of them were on edge, seeing that Death was already peeking at them from behind the gaping doors of death.


    Eoin cleared his throat to break the awkward silence and said, "Although I can''t really say I know how all of you are feeling, let me just say we are in this situation together. You might think I can stay calm because the Courtenay Family is not suffering right now, but that might not be the case now.


    "To be honest, I have an inkling that the mysterious mage who destroyed the defensive array we have set up has not joined the attack right after because he might have gone to the Courtenay residence.


    "I don''t believe he did not recognize the array he destroyed."


    Upon hearing Eoin''s words, the Lumley elder who had beenining felt somewhat ashamed. Truth be told, he was a little annoyed that only the Lumley Family was on the verge of getting wiped while the Courtenay and the Montgomeray Families were still safe.


    "In any case, even if I am worried about the welfare of our family members, I cannot waste time thinking about them. As I said, we are in this situation together. Thus, we will do our best to survive this.


    "That being said, if we can find a way to leave the range of the magic jamming themunications, I believe we can survive."


    The Lumley Family Patriarch nodded, "I propose letting an Array Specialist do this task. This way, he or she can deal with any array-rted interference if the jamming magic attack has a secondyer."


    "Before we decide on who to send, let us discuss how we can assist in letting them escape."


    "Alright."


    The rest of the members from both families nodded in agreement.


    Meanwhile, in Noser, the situation was somewhat reversed. The ones suffering were not Ezra and his people but the Crown Princess.

 Chapter 632 Rage (5)

    Ane was petrified by how none of their attacks hit the encampment inside Noser. The barrier she believed would notst as long as she assisted with the attack remained intact. Not to mention, none of their attacks hadnded on it after the opposing side employed the suspected item created from the new Dark Sage''s magic, which possessed the ability to absorb magic attacks, was employed.


    After almost three hours of an unproductive assault, and meaningless loss of resources and manpower, Ane ordered a retreat.


    At first, the other leaders in her army were unwilling toply after losing so many of their people. However, they relented and left after she assured them the retreat was temporary.


    Ane wanted to gather information about the four legendary beasts and the ''magic item'' that prevented them fromnding an attack first. She also wanted to know the Crown Princess''s reply to her initial report.


    Kyran''s beast Sigils¡ª Bas, Manti, Mera, and Iss¡ª and the Fire Sprites also retreated inside the Spirit barrier.


    True Void, on the other hand, remained on standby. Although he had already absorbed a great amount of magic energy from the enemy''s bombardment, absorbing more was never a bad move.


    Besides, he wanted to protect everyone in Noser as much as possible.


    Now that the Crown Princess had finally taken action, the one who managed to preserve more of their forces would definitely have the advantage in the long run.


    In any case, even if True Void was on standby, it did not prevent him from joining the meeting with te, Ezra, and the others. He only needed to send a piece of the shape-shifting tes to where they were and connect his consciousness to it so he could hear and speak with them.


    te and the rest were gathered inside one of the enchanted tents inside the Spirit barrier.


    "We still could not establishmunication with the others. That includes Emperor Euan and Patriarch Aron, who are in Ravenpass," Ezra told them anxiously.


    Initially, they could still send coded messages in Ravenpass after the surprise attack started. However, more than a half hour ago, they had not received any response.


    "They might be busy with the preparation. Or they probably arrived in the Regis Estate and are already engaged in battle," an elder suggested. But he did not sound convinced and even appeared to be waiting for others to support his suggestion. "I remembered the Regis''s defensive array has the ability to interfere withmunicationsing from the outside, right?"


    te, who had a slight frown, shook her head and said, "Although the defensive array protecting the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall filters outsidemunication, themunication device Kyran sent a few hours ago could bypass that. The emperor or Patriarch Aron could still have received our messages, and they could still respond to them."


    True Void suddenly had a bad feeling.


    It was not only him feeling this way. te, Ezra, the Spirits inside, and even Zephyr were already restless.


    "What are the chances that the Crown Princess already discovered Emperor Euan had learned the truth?" another Montgomeray elder could not help but ask. "And she already sent an army to deal with them in Ravenpass?"


    "The Conve is also under attack," another elder interjected. "If the emperor''s army joins the battle, they may have discovered their identities. So, this possibility is likely."


    "I don''t think the Conve''s situation is as dire as in the Lumley Family''s Residence," the first elder pointed. "Even without Emperor Euan''s army joining the battle there or not,pared with the sheer number of mages in each location, the Conve has far more people. In terms of Array Formations, they also have far more effective arrays that can keep them safe."


    "That may not be the case," Ezra suddenly said, his expression turning grave. "Precisely because of the Conve''s might, especially after what they had shown during the joint military exercise, the Crown Princess might have sent more of her people to deal with them."


    Hearing Ezra point this out, the others felt it might really be the case.


    "Emperor Euan''s and sir Mannick''s people would be forced to join the battle if that happens."


    te suddenly gasped as she thought of something and eximed, "What about Lira? She is being held inside the Tower of Conve, right?"


    "Yes," True Void confirmed, frowning inwardly after recalling how Kyran reluctantly let Euan deal with her. Frankly, True Void would rather have that woman dead. But Kyran insisted he still had to interrogate her regarding Haylee''s real objective.


    ''As if that woman had another objective,'' True Void sighed inwardly. ''Even if she does, it''s not like knowing her real objective will change anything.''


    Although he thought this, True Void knew Kyran wanted only to find more clues about the ''truth,'' which was why he wanted to speak with Lira. For this reason, the former did not object entirely to thetter''s decision to keep her alive.


    "How likely is it that Lira has also escaped from the tower and reported the truth about Emperor Euan to the Crown Princess?" Ate continued.


    True Void shook his head¡ª or, to be urate, the shape-shifting te hovering beside te shook slightly.


    "Impossible," he answered, full of confidence.


    ? "Void Halfling is the one whopleted the Tower of Conve''s defensive array. Unless an outsider with advanced knowledge in Array was the one who would try to decipher and destroy the defensive array, it is impossible for anyone in the Human ne¡ª" he paused and corrected himself, "¡ªbesides Void Halfing''s father, uncle, and Nn, that is."


    "Don''t get sidetracked," Zephyr told them with a frown.


    After Zephyr implied that he was an outsider, the other elders from the Montgomeray Family could not help but look at him in a different light. As a matter of fact, the fear they felt had doubled.


    "Even if Lira escapes and reports to that woman, she doesn''t know that the emperor is in Ravenpass, right?" Zephyr pointed. "So don''t jump to conclusions, and let''s focus on finding out the situation of the others."


    te and Ezra nodded their heads in agreement.


    "You''re right," Ezra agreed. "There are several scenarios that can happen which prevent Patriarch Aron from responding to us, and we''ll only waste our time trying to think of the answer."


    As if understanding what Ezra was on about, a spirit said, "Our side is already looking into it."


    "That''s right," te started with a wry smile. "Spirits have a way of traveling from one ce to another in a short period of time. They also have their own way of sendingmunications which will not affect any jamming attacks using human magic and knowledge."


    The spirit, however, shook her head and said with a hint of concern in her voice, "The truth is some of us in Ravenpass failed to respond to our calls. That''s why a new group already went there to investigate."


    te, Ezra, and the rest stopped at what the spirit had said.


    "In Ravenpass?"


    It was True Void who had asked the question first.


    The spirit nodded, "Yes."


    "Not in the Regis Estate?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The spirit paused. She looked up, and her eyes glistened slightly.


    They had guessed from the spirit''s action that she was trying tomunicate with her own people.


    After a few seconds, the spirit''s eyes regained their normal color, and she said, "That woman and her army are already near the Regis Estate. But they had not made a move."


    "Patriarch Aron said they will return to the Regis Estate. Have they arrived?"


    The spirit nodded, "Yes. They have sent out scouts to gauge that woman''s army. The Regis Special Force has alsopleted their preparations and ns to move after the scouts send their findings."


    "Can your side find Patriarch Aron?"


    The spirit shook her head, "It seems Patriarch Aron is not there."


    "Right, right," True Void suddenly thought of something, "He might have gone to that ce to check on Kyran."


    Zephyr also nodded, "This will exin why our coded messages did not receive any response. Since he entered that ce, he will also not receive our messages¡ª."


    "No."


    "Wait."


    te and Ezra said at the same time.


    They looked at them in confusion.


    "Patriarch Aron will not be careless about taking themunication device. He definitely left it with someone else," te reasoned.


    Ezra also nodded, "I agree."


    "Then..."


    The bad feeling they were feeling intensified again.


    Before True Void could say anything, Zephyr beat him at it and said, "I''ll go to Ravenpass."


    "You are not fast enough," True Void immediately rejected his suggestion.


    "Not fast enough?" Zephyr red at True Void as if he had insulted his mother.


    As a matter of fact, True Void indeed insulted Zephyr''s mother since his speed came from his unicorn blood.


    "What?" True Void snorted. "Can you beat Void''s warp capability?"


    Zephyr opened his mouth but then closed it again. Although he hated to admit it, True Void had a point.


    "Stay here and protect everyone," True Void told Zephyr. Although he would rather have thetter rest more, given the current situation, they did not have the leisure to spare any of their manpower.


    "Fine."


    te looked at True Void, "Let me go with you."


    "I''m only going to take a look," True Void pointed. "There is no need for you toe."


    "I want to go. You can''t stop me," te insisted as she took out a transmission scroll.


    ck lines appeared on True Void''s head. Where did she get that scroll?


    "You don''t even know where Ravenpass is," True Voidined. "Using that is pointless."


    "What are you talking about? I''ve gone there before. Even if that ce had changed, I could use this transmission scroll as long as I remember where it is."


    That was right. True Void forgot that although te had been living in the middle of the forest for about twenty years, she had once traveled the Human ne with Cade, Nn, and Rin. It was not impossible for her to have gone to Ravenpass before.


    "Fine," True Void relented. "But don''t use that. Instead, if something is amiss. Use that scroll to return here."


    te''s eyes narrowed at once.


    Actually, the expression on each one inside turned grim from True Void''s words.


    Without waiting for te to reply, True Void looked at Ezra, Zephyr, and the rest, "My veil willst for at least five minutes after I leave. Hopefully, that is enough to confirm the situation in Ravenpass.


    "However, if we don''t return... or at least if I don''t, please do your best to stay alive."


    The meaning behind his words was too obvious for them to miss. But none of them refuted it because they understood what it meant if the Crown Princess learned about Ravenpass and sent her people there.


    "Let''s go."


    True Void and te appeared at one of the cliffs surrounding the Ravenpass, and they were shocked at the scene that greeted them.


    "Oh? If it isn''t True Void. You look... small."


    True Void and te felt their blood run cold as they heard someone speak from behind.

 Chapter 633 Rage (6)

    True Void was only a sentient born from a magic weapon. Nevertheless, the intense emotion he felt at that moment was simr to what humans would feel when faced with a desperate situation.


    After all, he never expected to meet the very person he did not want to meet¡ª the new Soul Emperor!


    "Run away!" True Void shouted at te at once.


    te did not need to be told twice. No matter how strong her resolve to put her life on the line to help his grandson aplish whatever goal he had set his sight on, she knew escaping from the new Soul Emperor was the best course of action.


    Even if the scene that greeted them upon their arrival made her insides churn with fear and worry for the people in Ravenpass, she knew this was not the time to risk her life. Doing so would only make her sacrifice in vain. What she had to do was escape and let the others know about the situation in Ravenpass.


    Beforeing, te kept the transmission scroll in her hands in case of emergency. Thus, after True Void gave the order, she activated it immediately.


    "Did I permit you to leave¡ª?"


    "You''re not allowed to interfere!"


    Before the new Soul Emperor could make a move, True Void disengaged himself, and the shape-shifting tes flew toward te, forming a protective barrier around her.


    Gold magic arrays appeared above te and beneath her feet, engulfing her in a blinding light.


    A powerful magic aura erupted from the new Soul Emperor, which swept out in all directions toward True Void. But thetter was undaunted. He braced himself from the impact and ensured te''s escape would not be interrupted.


    Before te was transported away, she managed to turn and look at the face of the new Soul Emperor¡ª the Crown Princess of the Yen Empire.


    While she already knew Cyneah looked simr to the Crown Princess, when te saw thetter, she did not see a glimpse of the former. As a matter of fact, the woman she saw looked very different.


    Flowing light brown hair and sapphire blue eyes¡ª while the color of her hair was simr to Cyneah''s, the woman''s facial features differed from hers.


    Was she truly the new Soul Emperor?


    te was not given a chance to ponder this question because she had been transported back to Noser.


    True Void heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that te had managed to escape. He looked at the woman before him, feeling shivers run up his illusory arms.


    He knew what the Crown Princess looked like, with the exception of the color of her eyes; she shared the same face as Cyneah.


    This woman looked nothing the same as thetter, but True Void knew who she was simply because her face was simr to the Soul Emperor he knew from a thousand years ago.


    "I''ve had my doubts," True Void started. "But now I am sure... in the end, my master failed to kill you."


    La lowered her outstretched arm and smiled at True Void¡ª a smile that lit up her whole face entuating her beauty, yet always made him ufortable.


    "You still call him ''master,'' I see," she said. "Do you not acknowledge the new Void Master? Is it why you would not appear in your real form?"


    True Void did not reply and instead focused on manipting the shape-shifting tes, forming them into a mini Void armor again.


    "Still as unfriendly as ever," Lamented with a helpless sigh.


    "You don''t seem worried about letting one of us escape," True Void remarked.


    But he was not only making idle chatter. When he manipted the shape-shifting tes to turn back into armor, he left a few to go down the cliff. He had two reasons for doing so, and the first one was tl check the situation below. As for the second, it was for precautionary measures.


    That was True Void''s priority at that moment¡ª find out what happened to the people in Ravenpass.


    Ravenpass might be engulfed in mes, but that was not the reason he and te were frightened to death.


    The real culprit was the huge figure floating above Ravenpass, emitting such an ominous and terrifying energy¡ª the Macabre cier!


    La''s smile widened, turning from a serene-looking smile into an eerie one.


    "Because it will not make a difference," she said coldly. "After all, I have aplished what I came here for."


    True Void almost let out a gasp of fright after hearing that. Previously, he and Kyran discussed the Soul Emperor''s objective in targeting the Regis n. If what La was saying was true, did she mean she had already killed and taken the souls of every member of the Regis n?


    Nheless, True Void knew the Regis Special Force had already arrived at the Regis Estate. La had not taken the ones she needed if this was the case. But that did not put True Void at ease. If every Regis n member had indeed fallen, who knew how Kyran would react?


    Once again, True Void felt helpless at not being able of real use at such times because they had yet to locate his real body.


    Recalling La''s remark about him not showing Kyran his real form, True Void was somehowforted because this meant she was unaware that he had been separated from his real body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In any case, True Void had to buy some time until he confirmed the real situation in Ravenpass.


    "Humph," True Void replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "Did you really aplish your objective? From what I can see, you''re not fully controlling the Macabre cier."


    The corner of La''s eyes twitched slightly, but her smile did not falter. She said, "I don''t need to have full control over it. As long as I can take it out and¡ª."


    "Having it appear before your target doesn''t mean it will make them lose their minds. And even if that is the case, the fact that I am seeing it and can still stay sane proves its power has not fully awakened."


    La stopped short. Her eyes widened as she looked at True Void in disbelief. But her disbelief only appeared briefly. Soon after, sheughed heartily and said, "Is that what you thought I was trying to aplish here?"


    The light in True Void''s eyes dimmed slightly.


    "Enough of this," La suddenly stoppedughing and raised her hand toward True Void.


    An invisible force enveloped True Void without warning, and his movements were sealed at once.


    "What¡ª?"


    "The Regis n is not the only one I am after," La smiled, which did not reach her eyes. "You should know that better, right?"


    True Void''s eyes widened.


    Of course, he knew. It was precisely the reason he did not want to meet her!


    La had been coveting True Void since she knew what he could do!


    "I do, which is why I have prepared countermeasures!"


    Although True Void''s movements had been sealed, his consciousness was not. After confirming that he had lost control over the miniature armor, he transferred his consciousness over to one of the shape-shifting tes he had sent below the cliff.


    La''s sapphire blue eyes squinted maliciously after sensing True Void''s consciousness leaving the miniature armor.


    ''This is not his main core?'' She thought in disbelief.


    As far as she was concerned, she was the only one who had the ability to transfer consciousness over to another vessel! How could True Void, a mere sentient of a magic weapon, do so?


    La instantly spread out her magic sense in an attempt to locate True Void''s real core.


    However, before her magic sense could go further, the sky above shed, and an earth-shattering sound echoed throughout thend.


    CRASH¡ªBOOOM!


    La stopped and looked up at the sky at once.


    True Void, in the midst of escaping, also looked up. But he did not stop manipting the shape-shifting tes away. He merely looked up to see where the explosion had urred.


    ''T-That''s¡ª!''


    The hole in the sky, which he could see from a distance, had several cracks spreading out in every direction from its edges. ss-like shards fell from the cracks and disintegrated with the wind before touching the ground.


    A smile appeared on La''s face as she saw several figures descending from the hole.


    "Finally," she muttered. "They havee."


    True Void was forced to a stop after seeing the figures appearing from the hole. Since he was too far, he could not be sure who they were. But seeing that these figures did not seem to be ''fighting'' against each other meant only one thing.


    They were the Sovereigns who wanted to enter the Human ne!


    What about Nn, then? What happened to him?


    These questions floated in True Void''s mind, and his illusory heart sank.


    Nn was not a Sovereign. Obviously, he would never be able to prevent several Sovereigns by himself!


    Just as True Void was thinking the situation had escted too fast, a thunderous voice filled with unmasked rage reverberated throughout the empire.


    "To dare touch my family... UNFORGIVABLE!"

 Chapter 634 Confrontation

    ''This voice is...!''


    Not only were La and True Void shocked by the immense power that the voice possessed, but they were also bewildered by its arrival.


    After all, the owner of the voice is...


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    Crackling noises appeared above as the space distorted.


    La shot a look toward the distortion above, her beautiful face twisting in unmasked displeasure.


    "White Lily!"


    A giant lily carved from diamond crystals appeared from the distortion. Its fragile petals opened, revealing White Lily''s ethereal figure. Her flowing silver hair and light pink eyes glowed. Though she appeared serene, the magic energy her body emitted was anything like it. Even her usually calm expression appeared scary.


    "I suppose with the Sovereign''s Cradle losing its power, you''re magic is no longer restrained," La said with a wry smile.


    Just as the cradle losing its effect benefitted her, the same was true with Kyran''s side.


    "Are you here to avenge those annoying sprites you''ve scattered all over the empire?" La taunted.


    However, her words were true.


    White Lily was forced toe to the Human ne not to save the Regis n but because La had already killed quite a number of her kind.


    All the Spirits keeping watch near the Tower of Conve, The Lumley Family Residence, Noser City, Regis Estate and the Ravenpass were attacked suddenly, and most were killed. Because of this, they could not provide an update on the status of each location.


    As to how La dealt with the Spirits even when she could not see them, it was quite easy. She was the Soul Emperor, and every living thing with a soul would not escape her eyes.


    "Now that I know you have met with Can''s predecessor, did you really think I would not prepare countermeasures against your kind? I don''t want your kind loitering about my ne."


    White Lily''s eyes narrowed, and she said through gritted teeth, "Do not speak of Can''s name, b*tch!"


    True Void could not help but look at White Lily with an odd expression. It might seem inappropriate for him to react to thetter''s words, but he was surprised to hear her use a name to curse La.


    Was this the legendary confrontation between the first woman and the legal wife? Regardless of what it was, True Void had no ns on staying. With White Lily providing leeway for him, he grabbed the opportunity to escape.


    Of course, True Void was not really escaping since he was going toward Ravenpass.


    Not giving La a chance to react, White Lily moved.


    The giant diamond lily on White Lily''s feet scattered; its petals whirled with the wind and went straight toward La.


    La sneered at the iing petals.


    "Though the cradle has long lost its effect, with no human contractor, you will not be able to use your real power!" She taunted while waving her hand.


    Severalyers of light golden barrier appeared around La, protecting her from the lily petals'' sharp edges.


    ng! ng! ng!


    "Are you not talking about yourself? Using an iplete vessel, you can''t fully use your magic!" White Lily retorted while spreading her arms wide.


    The space around La distorted as white lilies fleeted from within. They spat out shimmering white diamond dust that instantly disintegrated everything they touched.


    Knowing her barrier was not enough to protect herself from the diamond dust, La removed it and levitated away. Moving in an erratic yet elegant way in the air, she avoided the areas where the diamond dust had spread.


    All the while, La was scowling at what White Lily had said.


    Thetter had hit the former''s sore spot.


    Indeed, La did not expect that Haylee, who seeded in taking the Inheritance, was only an essence. Apparently, none of the people around Haylee knew¡ª not even the person in question¡ª and it was already toote when La realized it.


    By the time La did, she had already transferred the Soul core to Haylee.


    Putting the matter of Haylee being an essence aside, hearing White Lily''s remark, La was convinced that White lily had a hand in what happened.


    "So it is your doing," La gritted her teeth as she red at White Lily. "The attack on Haylee is a feint. Your real goal is to create an essence that will pose as the Crown Princess!"


    White Lily neither admitted nor denied La''s usation. As a matter of fact, she was not interested in talking to this woman!<novelnext></novelnext>


    With flourishing movements, White Lily spread her arms and created several distortions in the surroundings. From these distortions, giant white lilies emerged¡ª their white petals stretched out and went after La in midair.


    ''Tsk!'' La clicked her tongue as he avoided the iing attacks. She now regretted not taking Rantz, the oldest Archmagus, with her.


    When Gael sent the report about Euan and Malek being seen in Ravenpass, La had Rantzmand her army outside the Regis Estate while she used a one-time teleportation scroll to Ravenpass.


    La''s sapphire blue eyes glowed fiercely as she raised her hand and aimed at White Lily. Silvery white magic energies, looking like hands, emerged from La''s outstretched hand and flew toward White Lily.


    The giant diamond lily on White Lily''s feet suddenly spun, and more petals appeared. These petals moved upward, forming a protective shield around her.


    Whoosh!


    The silvery-white hands touched the protective shield. However, when La tried to grab hold of the shield and destroy it, she realized she could not make it move.


    ''How...?''


    But White Lily was not done. Her pinkish eyes glowed as white lilies grew on thend beneath them, spreading out in every direction.


    Such a spectacr scene of white lilies blooming would have been a beautiful sight; however, given the situation, no one could appreciate it.


    Seeing the white lilies, La felt her scalp go numb. She immediately flew away from the white lilies'' range.


    The same moment La had moved was when the white lilies close to White Lily bloomed. When they bloomed, a dazzling silvery white light emerged from the center and shot toward the sky.


    Every white lily that bloomed shot out the silvery white light. Soon, they were almost close to where La was fleeing.


    La did not stop moving; however, she noticed that no matter how far she flew, more white lilies would appear on the ground nearby.


    Seeing how White Lily could summon a ridiculouslyrge-area attack, La realized she had made a grave mistake.


    La initially thought it was impossible for White Lily to continuously attack if she did not have a human contractor. And as far as she knew, thetter had contracted with Can, and Spirits would only contract with one human. With Can gone, White Lily would never have a human contractor again. So it should be impossible for her to summon such arge-area attack.


    Now, for argument''s sake, if it was possible for Spirits to form a contract with a human, there was no one in the Human ne that was strong enough to be White Lily''s contractor.


    Not even the new Void Master.


    So howe White Lily could use her magic like this?


    ''Doesn''t matter,'' La thought, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, remembering the figures descending from the hole.


    That was right. No matter how strong White Lily was, she was only one person. With the arrival of the rest of the Sovereigns, it would only be a matter of time before everything in Ylfaen Empire would fall and be La''s.


    FOOOOM!


    As if on cue, a deafening sound shook the sky as powerful waves of magic energy exploded in every direction. Though the released magic energy possessed no destructive power, its energy wave still resulted in cracks forming in the Human ne''s space. Apart from this, cracks also appeared on the surface of the Human ne itself.


    ''Finally!'' La''s smile widened as she looked at the sky.


    The figures descending from the hole in the sky were responsible for the explosion of magic energy. At that moment, they had finally entered thest veil keeping the sky from crumbling.


    SHATTER!


    Arge chunk of the sky shattered like ss as the figures finally appeared in the Human ne.


    With the Sovereign Cradle unable to restrain their levels anymore, their presence alone resulted in crevices appearing all over the empire.


    If these crevices were not sealed immediately, they would be new paths connecting to other nes. When that happens, natives from those nes could enter the Human ne freely.


    White Lily''s brow furrowed upon sensing the danger of these crevices. Even if she had the power to contend with the Sovereigns that had just descended, the Human ne would still be in a dire situation if the crevices were not dealt with.


    True Void was also thinking the same way as he was forced to stop in his tracks. He looked at the sky as his illusory heart sank in fear.


    But.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    Suddenly, a blinding light filled the sky.

 Chapter 635 New One

    In Autumn Reach, Byron, Lauren, Olivia, Ss, and the rest had already stopped upon hearing a female''s amplified voice. Seeing that the person who had spoken could not be seen, the battle resumed.


    However, the battle was again interrupted when a blinding light filled the sky.


    All of them were forced to cover their eyes, but they did not lower their guards.


    Simr scenes happened in several different locations.


    In the Tower of Conve, Osric and the others looked up, shocked to see the blinding light. Although they had heard a female voice speaking earlier, Osric ordered them to ignore it and focus on attacking the Conve''s defensive array.


    The reason behind Osric''s order was because he was confident La would not be at a disadvantage against the owner of that voice.


    That was right. He knew who that voice belonged to because he had once met her in battle a thousand years ago.


    The Queen of the Faes, White Lily.


    Nevertheless, Osric wanted to return to La''s side as soon as possible. Thus, after recovering half of his magic energy, he decided to use a powerful magic spell to attack the defensive array of the Tower of Conve.


    But before Osric couldplete his preparation, the sky was covered with a blinding light, and he was suddenly racked with a bad feeling.


    On the one hand, White Lily''s resounding voice earlier had provided Eoin andpany in the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Hall a chance to execute their n.


    Their execution had been wless because the enemy ranks seemed to have fallen into disarray from White Lily''s timely interruption. Her overbearing stance actually made frightened the enemies, and most of them thought the opposing side had turned the tide.


    Nevertheless, before Eoin andpany couldplete their n, the sudden blinding light that covered the sky distracted them, and both sides stopped attacking.


    In Noser, a somewhat different scene happens.


    When te suddenly returned and told Ezra and the rest what had happened, they felt indignant¡ª particrly Zephyr and the rest of Kyran''s beast Sigils.


    All of them unanimously agreed to destroy the enemies on their side in three minutes while the spirits prepared a passage to use so they could get to Ravenpass in the shortest time.


    Frankly, a spirit passage that humans could use was impossible to make. But the spirits nned to take advantage of the crevices that started to appear because of the arrival of the Sovereigns.


    Before they could make a move, though, they heard White Lily''s raging voice and were somewhat ted. Of course, they knew she could not save the Regis n alone; thus, they still proceeded with their initial n.


    However, the spirits had yet toplete the passage when the sky was suddenly covered with a blinding light.


    All of them were forced to a stop.


    Simrly, all factions watching these happenings unfold were shocked by the sudden turn of events. Even the regr citizens were rmed, especially those who lived in ces where it was supposed to be nighttime.


    In any case, starting from White Lily''s rage to the descent of the Sovereigns through the hole in the sky, everyone was now fully aware that a major event was happening in the empire. And most of them guessed it all started with the attack in Noser.


    "Who gave you permission to enter the Human ne?"


    Following the blinding light that filled the sky was a deep and powerful voice that shook the whole empire. After that, a magic fluctuation that affected the whole empire was felt by everyone¡ª including those who did not possess any magic.


    True Void, who had not yet recovered from the sinking feeling because of the descent of the Sovereigns, was instantly thrilled upon recognizing the voice.


    He looked up just in time for the blinding light to slowly disperse.


    But it had notpletely disappeared. Instead, it converged and turned into a huge golden that covered the whole sky of the Ylfaen Empire.


    "Sovereign''s Cradle!" True Void eximed in excitement.


    The Sovereigns who had just entered the Human ne were shocked as they felt their level being restrained by a powerful force.


    "ARGH!"


    All five Sovereigns¡ª Calx, Club, Frock, Gemini, and Squall screamed excruciatingly at how the cradle''s effect tore through their bodies. They felt as if several pointed chains gripped through their inner core, squeezing out the magic energies in their body and forcing their levels to drop several times.


    They would not have suffered such torture if they had entered the Human ne with the Sovereign''s Cradle in effect. Even if they forced their way in, their level would have been restrained automatically without having to experience the torturous restraining process.


    However, they had entered when the cradle lost its effect. This ensured that their physical bodies would be able to cross thest veil that separated outside influence from affecting the Human nepletely. This means they could enter the Human ne in theirpletely unadulterated body.


    Precisely because of this, when the cradle appeared, it saw them as foreign objects that had to be eliminated unless their mage level fell into a ''safe'' one.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "RAWRGH!" Calx roused his magic and tried to fight the influence of the new cradle.


    His huge steel tower frame further increased in size, albeit there were visible cracks all over its surface. The horse engraving in front of his body seemed toe to life as Calx''s body frame erged.


    WOOOSH!


    A gigantic ck, gold, and silver hand appeared from the hole and grabbed Calx''s huge body,


    "GUAAAAH!" Calx screamed in pain as the gigantic hand tightened around him.


    It would have been alright if the hand''s movement only damaged his physical body. But he soon realized that cracks had also appeared in his inner core.


    "N-NOOOOO¡ª!"


    SHATTER!


    Calx''s agonized screaming came to an abrupt stop as his whole body shattered from the gigantic hand''s grip.


    "C-Calx!"


    Gemini and the others were petrified after confirming Calx''s death.


    Calx was known to be one of the most powerful defense-focus Sovereigns in the Lower Realm, and he was actually crushed to death by a single grip! It was inconceivable!


    Even if Calx''s level was being restrained, the whole process had not beenpleted yet, so to the rest, it was impossible for him to die just like that.


    No.


    Gemini andpany were suddenly reminded how they struggled to go past the human Ruin was working with.


    Yes. That human, whom Ruin called Nn. Even when outnumbered and disadvantaged, he managed to prevent all five of them from entering the hole.


    Of course, if Obstruction had led the attack, it might have been a different story. But Ruin kept Obstruction at bay while Nn faced the rest alone.


    In the end, Obstruction managed to slip past Ruin''s attack and trapped Nn in a separate space. Gemini and the rest then took this opportunity to enter the Human ne.


    Ruin tried to stop them, but what could he do when Obstruction was there to keep him busy?


    Gemini and the other four entered the Human ne without using an essence. After all, Light had already confirmed that the Sovereign''s Cradle had long lost its effect.


    But.


    How did ite to this? Why was the Sovereign''s Cradle suddenly in effect?


    Gemini first suspected that Light had betrayed them. But seeing the gigantic hand and how it easily crushed Calx to death, Gemini was convinced that the Sovereign''s Cradle had been reactivated because a new Human ne Sovereign had appeared.


    And that was the very human they were fighting outside¡ª Nn!


    The gigantic hand dispersed, filling the whole sky with thick ck particles. But these particles did not stay spread out. They soon converged, forming a gigantic golem. Soon after, a figure in ck descended from the hole andnded on the golem''s head.


    It was none other than Nn.


    "F*cking b*tches," Nn said, his voice still amplified and echoed throughout thend. "Forcing me to break through! I''ll make your f*cking sorry asses into mince meat."


    True Void, with his limited expression due to his miniature armor form, twitched slightly upon hearing Nn''s cursing. He already sensed that the Sovereign''s Cradle was no longer Azaloth''s, and to be honest, he was feeling mixed emotions. However, he could still sense thetter''s essence, Mannick, so he tried not to think about it in the meantime.


    In any case, now that a new Sovereign had appeared, the Human ne was safe against the possible invasion of the other Sovereigns.


    At least True Void wanted to rejoice in that fact.


    However, his actions were now restricted, with Nn bing the new Sovereign of the Human ne.


    Just as Azaloth was not allowed to meddle in the affairs of the Human ne, Nn could no longer assist in dealing with La.


    With the Macabre cier out in the open, how would they deal with it if they had one less capable mage''s assistance?

 Chapter 636 Not Over

    Just as Nn said, he had not nned on breaking through. As a matter of fact, he was stunned by his sudden advancement.


    When Obstruction trapped Nn in an isted space, it was true that he was forced to break past his limits. But because he knew the Human ne had a Sovereign, he was confident that no matter how much he pushed himself, he would not truly achieve a breakthrough.


    Who would have thought that as soon as he had broken through his limit to escape from Obstruction''s magic, he would actually advance to a Sovereign?


    Nn was pissed! Not even being able to fully utilize the Human ne''s magic energy at his disposal after bing its new Sovereign could alleviate his displeasure.


    He preferred to remain as a Sage. Because only then could he work with Cade and Kyran in dealing with the Soul Emperor. But now that he had be the Human ne''s Sovereign, he could no longer meddle in its internal affairs.


    Others might think it was contradicting, but the thing was, bing a ne''s Sovereign meant one had to look at the bigger picture. His responsibility as the new Sovereign lies in protecting the ne against other Sovereigns. He was not allowed to meddle in any internal conflicts that would arise in the Human ne because doing so would mean meddling with the minor fates of the people living in it.


    The Fates would never allow that to happen. It was one thing to meddle with external conflicts which would affect minor fates, but the minor fates were responsible for a person''s growth. If another person were allowed to meddle with them, then that person''s growth¡ª not to mention their future path¡ª would change.


    But the change would not happen to that person alone. Once that person''s future path changes, it causes a chain reaction, soon affecting every person connected to him or her.


    That was what the Fates wanted to prevent.


    Frankly, the Fates had little control over a Sovereign''s fate because they had already broken through the first barrier toward the pinnacle.


    That pinnacle¡ª which people from the Higher Realm also called ''godhood''¡ª was the ultimate goal of every mage in the universe.


    In any case, Nn did not know much about thetter. But he did know about the Fates and even had a fair share of encounters with them.


    Putting all this matter aside, Nn had no choice but to vent his annoyance to Gemini and the other three Sovereigns.


    He red at them and said, "If you insist on staying in the Human ne, prepare to be tortured to death."


    "Don''t be presumptuous!" Gemini growled at him. "You have only be a Sovereign! You are like an infant in front of us, who are ahead of you in years!"


    "Don''t talk about being ahead in years with me," Nn replied derisively. "All that is useless when your in my territory."


    RAWRGH!


    The ck, gold, and silver golem uttered an unearthly scream as it spread its arms before ramming its huge palms at Club, Frock, Gemini, and Squall.


    If others had been in the same position as the four¡ª about to be squashed to death by a gigantic golem¡ª they would have fallen into despair. Surprisingly, the expressions the four wore were anything but despair.


    In fact, there was a glint of determination in them and even anticipation!


    Before the golem''s palmsnded on them, Frock''s body flickered. Its robe extended and wrapped around Club''s, Gemini''s, and Squall''s bodies, instantly turning them into mummies.


    BAM!


    The gigantic golem''s hand mmed down; its momentum continued until it reached the ground.


    BOOOM!


    Clouds of dust and smoke erupted as the golem''s hand bore down the earth, leaving behind a huge hand-shaped crater.


    ''Hm?''


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as soon as he saw a fabric slip out from the gap between the golem''s fingers.


    Soon after, the fabric spread out, and Club, Gemini, and Squall burst out from it, rushing toward Nn.


    The huge fan behind Squall''s back spun as a tempest blew straight at Nn.


    At the same time, Club, with its crooked staff body, weaved in midair as several clubs in different shapes and sizes materialized around it. These clubs then rushed straight at the gigantic golem.


    Gemini was not idle either. Frock, which turned into a long white fabric, wrapped its body around Gemini. Thetter''s body grew in size, and the side of its face with the female symbol glowed. Soon, Gemini''s whole body turned into that of a female, with Frock turning into a beautiful silvery robe that clung to Gemini''s body.


    With a graceful wave of her hands, several thin threads flew out of Gemini''s fingertips. She made weaving motions, and the threads flew in different directions and connected themselves to several items, including the golem, on the ground.


    Afterward, Gemini gracefully pulled at the threads, and everything attached to them was pulled toward her.


    This was Frock''s magic. Threads. By connecting its ''threads'' on any object, or the living, it could freely control them.


    As to why Frock had to wrap itself around Gemini, it was because thetter, in its female form, could amplify the former''s magic.


    That was Gemini''s magic¡ª Compliment. Gemini could merge with other Sovereigns and, using its Compliment magic, could bring out that Sovereign''s untapped potential.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Among the object that Frock had connected to was thend. As soon as Gemini tugged at it, the ground shook and was pulled up.


    At the same time, the gigantic golem wobbled after being tugged and was about to collide with the ground Gemini had pulled.


    Meanwhile, the clubs had already hit the golem and bore their way into its body.


    At this time, the tempest had already arrived at its destination¡ª Nn.


    However, Nn did not evade the tempest. Instead, the ck cloak he wore shifted and rotated around him, protecting him against the tempest.


    BAM!


    Just then, the wobbling golem stomped its gigantic foot at the ground Gemini had pulled. In an instant, it was crushed and turned into rubbles.


    But Gemini was not done. Using Frock, she pulled at more patches of ground and even trees and flung them toward the gigantic golem.


    Simrly, Club manipted the clubs that entered the golem''s body. Its goal was obvious. Destroy the golem from the inside.


    But.


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic golem uttered another unearthly scream, and all the clubs that entered its body were forced out. Right after that, it clenched its huge fists and punched at the iing patches of ground and trees.


    BAM! BAM! SHATTER!


    In a short span of time, rubbles and pieces of trees littered the ground from the golem''s non-stop bombardment of Gemini and Club''s simultaneous attacks.


    Nn''s frown deepened as he watched Club, Gemini, and Frock do their best to deal with the golem. He then looked at Squall, who seemed keen on taking him on alone.


    In a way, this approach was not a bad move.


    When they were outside, Nn found Squall''s offensive a little annoying. Unlike Gemini, who turned into a male and used Club to attack him, Squall''s tempest-like attacks tickled his body more.


    But that was before bing a Sovereign.


    Squall finished disengaging the fan''s des. The des then circled behind Squall, and concentrated magic energies were attracted toward its center.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    Lightning-like magic energy formed at the center of the rotating des behind Squall. As soon as it gathered enough power, it shot upward toward Nn.


    ? Nn still did not move and simply had the cloak move about to protect him.


    CRACKLE! SIZZLE! BOOM!


    The lightning-like magic energy collided with the cloak, and an explosion followed.


    But Squall did not stop. It continued to attack concentrated magic energy at the center of the des and prepared to attack Nn again.


    FOOM!


    The cloud of smoke that resulted from the explosion dispersed as Nn finally made a move. His figure vanished and reappeared behind Squall, who was still preparing another round of concentrated lightning-like magic energy.


    He extended his hand toward the center of the des where the magic energy was gathering, and his eyes glowed.


    Crackle! Crackle! Sizzle!


    The magic energy crackled and seeped into Nn''s outstretched arm. In just a few seconds, his whole body crackled with lightning.


    A crack formed around the area on Squall''s body that might very well be where its mouth would have been if it was not made of pure ck steel. After which, it let out a hoarse scream as the des, and the back part of its body began to break into pieces.


    "Your attack does hurt out there," Nn said. "But what the f*ck are you even thinking trying to use the Human ne''s magic energy against me?"


    Squall''s unearthly cry resounded as its body slowly turned into particles.


    "Besides," Nn continued with a condescending smile. "Did you forget what my magic is? Your body is as good as dust in my eyes."


    From afar, Club, Gemini, and Frock sensed Squall''s disappearing aura and looked in their direction distractedly.

 Chapter 637 Impasse (1)

    ''This can''t be happening!'' Gemini thought in disbelief.


    In her opinion, the only reason Nn could crush them like insignificant ants was his new identity as the Human ne''s Sovereign. Apart from that, their mage levels had already dropped, lowering their magic attack outputs.


    Initially, Gemini and the other Sovereigns believed that even if their magic level was restrained, they could deal with Nn if they worked together.


    They were confident their teamwork was enough to oust a newly advanced Sovereign. Besides, when they fought outside the Human ne, they were already familiar with what Nn could do.


    Apart from creating random gigantic items and almost imprable defense, Gemini and the others were convinced Nn did not possess the means to deal with them all.


    s, they unexpectedly experienced a jarring oue after witnessing how perverse Nn''s magic truly was.


    Nn''s magic was not as simple as being able to create things for offense or defense. It was all about being able to manipte elements in the surroundings.


    Doesn''t this make him a very formidable mage? He could very well be more powerful than the new Dark Sage!


    Of course, thetter was only their conjecture because they had little information about what the new Dark Sage could do.


    Because Club, Gemini, and Frock were momentarily in a daze, they barely reacted in time when the gigantic golem mmed its fists toward them.


    "Ngh¡ª!"


    RAWRGH!


    The ground shook from the gigantic golem''s fists, leaving another fist-shaped crater.


    By then, Squall''s body had been dismantled by Nnpletely. His eyes turned icy blue as he manipted the particles from Squall''s body and had them merge with the golem.


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic golem uttered a guttural cry as several huge des in a circr formation emerged on its back.


    Sizzle! Crackle! Crackle!


    With the gigantic golem''s body hunched forward, dense magic energy gathered at the center where the tip of the des was connected.


    The magic fluctuations in the surroundings intensified as the magic energy on the golem''s back grew in size.


    Meanwhile, Club, Gemini, and Frock, who was thrown several meters from the gigantic golem''s prior attack, had only regained their bnce when they sensed the magic fluctuations in the surroundings. Their bodies trembled with fear when they saw the gigantic golem''s appearance because it looked simr to Squall before he was destroyed, except for its ck steel body.


    What did this mean? Nn''s magic enabled him to recreate Squall''s fan-like des and their ability to gather and generate powerful lightning-like strikes!


    "Retreat!" Gemini shouted, and without waiting for Club to respond, she, with Frock, sped toward the hole in the sky.


    Squall''s offensive magic was considered one of the most destructive among the current Sovereigns in the Lower Realm, just as Calx''s defensive magic was one of the most powerful. Nevertheless, both had fallen because their bodies were a bad match against Nn''s perverse magic.


    Seeing Nn utilizing Squall''s offensive attack, Club, Gemini, and Frock were not confident they could withstand it.


    Even if they joined forces and tried to attack the golem before it finished gathering magic energy, Nn would definitely not sit idle and let them do as they pleased.


    Because of this, Gemini deemed the best course of action was to retreat, regroup with Obstruction and let him know what happened.


    Nn snorted upon seeing the Club, and Gemini¡ª with Frock still covering her whole body, sped towards the hole in the sky.


    He raised his hand toward the hole, and the Sovereign''s Cradle hovering beneath the hole emitted an almost blinding light.


    "Not good! He''s nning to fix the hole!" Gemini eximed.


    Club roused his magic and summoned thousands of clubs. After which, it attacked the cracks at the hole''s edges with the intention of stalling the cradle from fixing it.


    Shatter! Shatter!


    The clubs sessfully shattered the cracks. However, the speed at which these clubs shattered the hole''s edges was slightly slower than the cradle''s fixing momentum.


    Seeing this, Gemini and Frock also attacked. Several threads flew out from Gemini''s body, originating from Frock, and connected to the hole''s edges. After that, she also waved her hand and pulled at the threads, intending to keep the hole from closing.


    "Fast! Leave the ne first!" Gemini shouted again, and they continued to fly toward the hole.


    Club also sped up. But it continued to summon clubs that bombarded the sky.


    WOOOSH! CRACKLE! BOOM!


    However, while the three were focused on escaping, they failed to monitor the gigantic golem''s progress. This was why when they heard something speed past them, the next thing they heard was a loud crackling sound followed by a massive explosion.


    They were not even given a chance to react to it before all three of them were engulfed by a powerful lightning-filled beam.


    Several shockwaves spread out in every direction following the massive explosion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic golem, which had just released several dense magic energy beams at the three Sovereigns, roared as if in pleasure.


    But then, Nn''s eyes shed, and he flew toward the explosion.


    Several battered threads flew out from within the explosion and went straight into the hole. It then attached itself to something from the outside.


    With a powerful tug, the thread pulled out a battered Gemini and Frock.


    "Tsk," Nn clicked his tongue as he went after the two.


    But then, his eyes widened as he sensed an iing danger. He abruptly stopped just in time when a massive distortion appeared in front of him.


    Nn''s ck cloak immediately shifted and covered him as mes emerged from within the distortion.


    BOOM!


    The mes erupted, engulfing Nn in an instant.


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic golem roared as it raised its massive hands toward the explosion. But when its hand reached a certain distance, a massive ball of light appeared, destroying its hands the moment the light touched them.


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic golem roared in anger as it raised its head and looked at a location near the hole.


    It was then that a figure appeared, dressed in a white with gold ent robe.


    "Sorry, I can''t let you go after them," the figure said.


    The figure was none other than Light.


    After watching both sides battle it out, she had quietly waited for an opportunity to join in.


    In any case, she had to return with Gemini and the others back to their headquarters. She might have an agreement with Kyran, but she deemed it unnecessary to stay in the Human ne with how things were. Leaving did not break her agreement with Kyran anyway; thus, she was not afraid the mark would punish her for it.


    Nn emerged from the mes and was about to attack Light when thetter raised her hands and said, "I have no intention of invading, new Sovereign of the Human ne. I am only here to help my faction mates escape."


    "No intention of invading? Don''t f*ck with me."


    "I assure you I won''t," Light told him. "I already had an agreement with Kyran."


    Nn stopped and looked at Light with doubt in his eyes.


    "Obstruction is the one who sent those mes," Light continued, not bothered by the fact Nn did not believe her. "That is Toad''s mes, by the way, and with the cradle in effect again, it is not as powerful.


    "However, Obstruction has a way of ensuring Toad''s mes enter the Human ne while retaining its power. When that happens, even if it already has a new Sovereign, the ne would suffer at least 10-15% damage."


    Nn narrowed his eyes, "So the bastard''s magic is not as simple as Space magic."


    "That''s right."


    "You are the first one who entered the Human ne."


    "Yes," Light replied with a bitter smile. "And I suffered in the hands of the new Dark Sage."


    Nn did not respond and only looked at her dubiously.


    "Anyhow, let us go and I assure you I will do everything to keep my faction mates froming back here."


    *


    Because La was only using an essence for a body, she could not fully use her magic. That was why she could only attack White Lily with Soul Scan or Soul Chain. Unfortunately, thetter had excellent defenses, making it hard for the former to touch her soul.


    The diamond lily on White Lily''s feet continued to protect her from La''s attacks. At the same time, White Lily continued to summon white lilies that shot out concentrated magic energy beams at La.


    La was forced to fly around and avoid the magic energy beams while looking for a crack in White Lily''s defenses and using the Soul Chain to bind her soul.


    s, even after several minutes, La failed to see that crack,


    ''She must have found a suitable mage to form a contract with!'' La thought, convinced that White Lily had a human contractor.


    If this was true, La only needed to deal with the human contractor to force White Lily back to the Spirit World.

 Chapter 638 Impasse (2)

    Even so, without confirming if White Lily indeed formed a new contract with a human, it would be impossible for La to draw that mage out.


    ''No... Maybe not.''


    A burst of inspiration shed through La as her gaze swept toward the Ravenpass.


    Going back almost an hour ago, when she appeared in Ravenpass, she single-handedly dealt with Euan''s soldiers without rming thetter and Malek.


    It had not been easy because Kyran left a mark on them, preventing La from using her Soul Chain. A mark created by Void magic would have been impossible for La to crack in her current state. However, for some unknown reason, the mark''s influence had weakened, making it possible for her to crack it.


    After that, she used these soldiers to attack from the inside and by the time Euan, Malek, and the rest of the Conve council members with them realized something was amiss, La already summoned the Macabre cier and bound their movements.


    What happened next had been easy. She controlled the Macabre cier and took everyst one of the Regis n she found. s, she realized that most of the Regis Family members were not there and those she took were either retired mages or inexperienced.


    Nevertheless, La was not worried. She already knew the Regis Special Force went back to the Regis Estate. Rantz was there, and the number of soldiers and mages he could mobilize was more than enough to deal with them. And when she returned, it would be easy for her to use the Macabre cier and take them.


    But La felt something was missing, and the burst of inspiration she had right now affirmed what it was.


    Among the Regis n members she had taken, she did not find a single one from Can''s family.


    Obviously, for the Regis Family to birth a new Void Master meant Can''s family survived and they joined the Regis n. And after so many years, one of them married into the Regis family.


    But La did not see anyone from Can''s family.


    Most important of all, La did not see her.


    That was right. Her-- the only person likely to have the qualifications to form a contract with White Lily. The current Spirit Child, Rin Ada!


    A smile tugged at the corner of La''s lips as she looked at White Lily.


    "I see," she muttered.


    Although La''s voice was not loud, White Lily heard her loud and clear.


    Because of this, she stopped her attack and looked at La cautiously.


    "You really found a new human contractor," La stopped and said with a smile that did not meet her eyes.


    White Lily did not react. But inwardly her heart was instantly gripped with fear.


    The way La said those words did not appear to gauge or taunt her. It sounded more as if La was stating what she already knew as true.


    ''And she doesn''t seem to be referring to Kyran,'' White Lily thought, her whole body turning cold.


    La''s assumption was correct.


    ? White Lily had indeed formed a contract with Rin. At first, White Lily did not want to risk it because there had been no case in the past where a Spirit who already formed a contract with a human seeded in forming a new one.


    It was different from how Lumi became Ss''s contract spirit. Because Lumi and her former contractor agreed to transfer her contract to Ss.


    To simplify it, Lumi''s contract was extended after Ss took over as her new contractor.


    But forming an entirely new contract was different.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nevertheless, Rin insisted, pointing out she was not an ordinary human- she is the Spirit Child.


    With this in mind, White Lily agreed and they sessfully formed a new contract.


    However, White Lily''s level was far above Rin''s. Which was why, thetter could barely keep up with the former. For this reason, White Lily had to ensure Rin''s safety and had her stay in the Montgomeray Family''s secret residence in Starhorn.


    ''It does not matter if she knows,'' White Lily thought, putting on a taunting smile. Then she said to La, "You probably think you can use my contractor against me. But before that, think about your situation."


    La''s smile twitched slightly. White Lily had a point. Knowing who thetter''s new contracted mage was made no difference in her current situation. Unless she found where Rin was, she could not use her against White Lily.


    Apart from this, the people she were expecting to assist her had been stopped by the new Human ne''s Sovereign.


    This was one of the things Haylee failed at. It was her own hubris that made her believe she had everything under her control. Which was why, when she discovered Kyran had already gathered his own force, not to mention, he led her on for pretending to be Tyr, the realization was too much for her to bear and she broke down. To be fair, La was grateful as much as she was annoyed at how things turned out. After all, if Haylee did not break down, La would not have seeded in taking over. Though the former was just an essence, her will was something thetter had to apud.


    Putting on a gentle smile, La replied to White Lily''s taunt, "Don''t worry. I am well aware of my situation. But do you really think having you keep the fort is enough? I have a number of Grand Masters and a few Magus on my side. I also have three Archmagus, and a top Legendary. What about your side?"


    White Lily kept a straight face but inwardly she was worried about the very thing La had pointed.


    They had a few Magus on their side- two Courtenay Magus, Celine, Hugh, Euan, Malek... but where were they now?


    The two Magus from the Courtenay Family was out on a mission when Kyran took over. For this reason, they had no idea of the current situation of the family. Eoin and Ernst could not contact them either, so they were considered MIA.


    Celine, on the other hand, was in the Montgomeray Family''s secret residence, acting as Rin''s protector. Initially, she was supposed to stay in the Tower of Conve and provide assistance since her Sound magic leaned more towards support rather than offense. But ultimately, she was sent to the Montgomeray Family since they did not have a Magus.


    As for Hugh, he barely held on from Osric''s attack. In the end, he, along with the Conve council members that stayed behind and the remaining forces stationed in the Tower of Conve were forced to retreat inside the safety of the tower''s defensive array. From White Lily''sst update, Hugh suffered some internal injuries.


    Then there was Euan. Frankly, White Lily did not know what happened to him. Seeing the infamous Macabre cier hovering above Ravenpass, she was not optimistic about his status.


    Apart from Magus level mages, there were actually a few hidden Archmagus among Kyran''s people. But at the moment, their whereabouts were also unknown.


    "It is a shame that I can no longer ask for the Sovereigns to assist me, but with or without their help, I still hold the advantage," La continued to taunt White Lily. She then looked in the direction of the hole, which was slowly closing up and added, "That new Sovereign... He is one of your trump cards, am I right?"


    She paused and gasped exaggeratedly while primly covering her mouth, "Oh, right. I stand corrected. He is ''supposed to be'' one of your trump cards, is he not?"


    Her smile widened before continuing, "Unfortunately, with his new identity, he can no longer be considered as one."


    White Lily narrowed her eyes. She knew La was only trying to agitate her. That was why instead of reacting to her tauntings, White Lily chose to attack!


    The white lilies in the surroundings whirled and shot out concentrated energy beams at La again.


    Seeing White Lily''s reaction to her words, Laughed in amusement while avoiding the beams.


    However, though she might appear to be enjoying taunting White Lily, truth be told, she knew her words were all empty talk.


    Yes, her side had far more Grand Masters and Magus level mages that were still waiting to be dispatched. But if they were talking about mages above a Magus, La knew Kyran had the advantage.


    This was because she had not considered the mages of the Regis Special Forces.


    La knew well how perverse they were. Even if their mage level were a level or two lower than their opponent, they could keep up with them. Because of this, La could not rely on the information they had about the Regis n. As a matter of fact, Aron, might have already advanced to an Archmagus without their knowledge. Even if that was not the case and he was only a Magus, being a Regis meant he could fight and not be at a disadvantage against an Archmagus.

 Chapter 639 Impasse (3)

    The Ylfaen empire was currently in disarray.


    It did not help that those factions, who adopted a waiting game while they observed the ''secret war'' between the Royal Family and the major factions in the empire, revealed what they knew of the current situation.


    Soon, the supposed ''secret war'' was out in the open, and the citizens were afraid.


    They feared the war between the Royal Family and the major factions would soon spread and affect them.


    Most small and medium factions took advantage of the citizen''s unrest to recruit and offer protection in return for their fealty. Some even took the opportunity to sell their stock resources to the army after learning that most of their warehouses were sabotaged.


    By then, they were convinced that one of the major factions sent the people who destroyed the army''s warehouse supplies.


    There were even rumors spreading that the three major factions¡ª Aureole, The Conve and the Temr Code had joined forces to oust the Royal Family and the Army. Soon, the Three Noble Families also joined, and both sides were at an impasse.


    Meanwhile, the attack on four different locations was reaching its climax.


    In Noser, after confirming Nn reced Azaloth as the new Sovereign of the Human ne, which stopped the threat of the invasion of other Sovereigns, te and Ezra made a drastic decision to end the battle so they could assist their allies.


    Now that they were aware of the situation of the Spirits and why they could not provide an up-to-date report of their allies'' situation, te and Ezra deemed it expedient they go and provide help.


    For the matter in Ravenpass, at first, Zephyr and Kyran''s beast Sigils were supposed to go there. But knowing White Lily was there and she could keep the Crown Princess busy, they decided it best to help their allies first and regroup. After which, they would all go to Ravenpass and maybe wage the start of the ''final battle'' there.


    Of course, thetter would only be possible if Kyran returned.


    With this in mind, Zephyr personally led the attack against Ane.


    Ane possessed Wind magic and was an Archmagus. But Zephyr was not afraid of her because his Air magic was far superior to hers. Although his level was inferior, he was a Quilin¡ª a legendary beast that possessed real Dragon bloodline albeit half.


    Besides, after bing Kyran''s Sigil and being saved by him from certain death from Gael''s perverse attack, Zephyr was enlightened. The reason he did not awaken as soon as he was healed was that he was slowly umting all the experiences he went through.


    After waking up, Zephyr felt he was far stronger than before.


    If te and True Void had not stopped him from confronting Ane earlier, he felt he had long put thetter in her ce.


    Zephyr did not need any strategy to deal with Ane. As soon as he left the safety of the Spirits'' barrier, he revealed his real form and unleashed his magic aura.


    Ane and the Grand Masters with her were shocked after seeing a young boy turned into a huge Quilin.


    Among them, only a selected had read about the report about how the Temr Code suffered at the hands of a mutated Quilin.


    Looking at the Quilin before them, Ane and the rest of the leaders among the Grand Masters were convinced that he was the same one from that incident.


    ''ording to the report, the most outstanding Elite member of the Temr Code died because of that incident. But the one who killed her was not this Quilin but the one who saved it,'' Ane analyzed the information in her head silently.


    ''But now that we know the Temr Code had joined hands with the new Dark Sage, it is unknown if their report is true.''


    Ane shook her head and put the matter of the Temr Code''s insidiousness aside.


    ''Deal with this beast first, and then find out where the Temr Code is hiding!'' Ane thought before hovering forward to confront the Quilin.


    HIIISS!


    Bas and Iss hissed at Zephyr from behind the barrier. They were asking thetter permission to help in subduing their enemies. Manti and Mera also paced about as if itching to go out of the barrier and continue disposing of the Grand Masters with Ane.


    "It''s okay. All of you had been working since earlier," Zephyr told them. "Rest up and replenish your magic energies. When Master returns, he will need us."


    Hearing his words, the four legendary beasts were pacified a little. Nevertheless, they still felt a little listless.


    When Zephyr spoke to the four, he had not taken his sight off Ane.


    By then, Ane was only fifty meters away and did not intend to stop. She continued forward, and her magic aura rose.


    Ezra and most people behind the Spirit barrier felt their hearts palpitate from Ane''s magic aura. Ane had been leading the attack since the start, and she only stopped after White Lily''s amplified voice shook the empire. Ezra and the others initially thought Ane was already nearing her limit. But they did not see her take any potion or pills to replenish her magic energy, yet her magic aura remained overwhelming.


    Zephyr did not react when Ane''s magic aura swept past him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was not because he looked down on her, but Zephyr sensed Ane''s magic was not as powerful as it was when she first started assisting the bombardment of the Grand Masters with her. Nevertheless, there was an obvious change in her temperament.


    ''I see,'' Zephyr thought and sneered. ''Earlier, she has focused on using her magic to amplify the fire magic attacks from those mages with her. But now, it seems, she ns to use her magic offensively.''


    What Zephyr guessed was correct. Ane did not want to disrupt the bombardment made by the mages with her. Thus, she decided to act as a support. Besides,pared to her Wind magic, she believed Fire magic would be more effective against the Spirits barrier. With the amplification of the wind, the mes they produced were even more devastating.


    Unfortunately, she failed to grasp the extent of the Spirit barrier. She admitted underestimating the means of these people.


    But that was no longer the case.


    To prevent sacrificing the Grand Masters with her, Ane ordered them to retreat and to stand by. After that, she told them to wait for her signal before theymenced attacking.


    When the Grand Masters heard hermand, they immediately retreated. It did not take long for them to understand Ane''s intention.


    She nned to deal with the Spirits barrier by herself.


    "I will give you another chance," Ane started. Using her magic, her serene voice fleeted in the wind and was clearly heard by everyone below.


    "Surrender, or don''t me me for being rude."


    "Says the person who had been rude from the start," Zephyr replied with a snort. "Don''t bother talking, little girl."


    Without waiting for Ane to react, Zephyr had already moved.


    His whole body emitted an ominous aura as his horn glowed. After that, the air crackled around them, and the magic fluctuation in the surroundings increased.


    Several orbs circled Zephyr once before they all went after Ane. Concentrated energy beams shot out from the orbs and went after Ane. At the same time, Zephyr''s horn crackled as a dark purple and ck concentrated magic energy formed just above it.


    Ane was initially taken aback by Zephyr''s sudden movement. Nevertheless, she was an Archmagus with several years of battle experience. Before Zephyr''s horn glowed, Ane also moved.


    Huge wind spears appeared behind her and flew straight at Zephyr.


    Just as everyone thought Ane''s attack would interrupt Zephyr from umting enough momentum for his horn''s concentrated magic energy attack, he roared and released the attack, meeting Ane''s wind spears.


    BOOM!


    Both attacks collided, followed by a powerful explosion.


    *


    Meanwhile, Eoin and the remaining Courtenay and Lumley family members continued to resist the attack in the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Hall.


    Since they seeded in helping the Lumley Famiy''s fastest mage and a Courtenay Family Array Specialist escape, Eoin and the rest''s next move was to endure until help arrived.


    Outside, the two mages were busy escaping from the pursuit of two Grand Masters.


    The Lumley mage was also a Grand Master, but he had no ns of engaging the two Grand Masters after them. In the first ce, he was a support mage, and he was fast because of his innate magic: Speed.


    He cast a supportive spell on himself and the Courtenay Array Specialist using his magic, while thetter threw magic items with array formations to attack their pursuers.


    "We are near the edge of the range of the jamming spell," the Courtenay mage told the Lumley mage.


    "Alright. Let me know when we arrive, and I''ll draw their attention while you work on sending a message."


    "Okay."


    *


    In the Tower of Conve, Osric initially felt agitated after White Lily''s intervention and the birth of a new Human ne''s Sovereign.


    But all of it was reced with exhration after suddenly receiving a message.


    A message that came from Lira.

 Chapter 640 A Strange Feeling

    At first, Osric thought the message came from Fiona. But after reading through the contents, he realized Lira had sent it.


    In that message, Lira briefly exined her decision to stand up against Emperor Euan. Osric regretted learning about her movement because if they had known Euan was already aware of the Crown Princess''s ns, they could have changed their strategy ordingly.


    Regarding Deputy Marshal Mannick taking Euan''s side, Osric was somewhat surprised. He did not expect that army cksheep to be a patriot.


    Anyhow, Osric was then angered after learning the suspected new ''Dark Sage'' killed Fiona. Thetter might be an illegitimate member of the Boyd Family, but she was still Ingrid''s half-sister. She did not have any magic talent, but her talent in espionage made up for it.


    After that, Lira exined that she was caught and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she found herself inside a dark cell. Initially, she did not know where she was, but she soon realized she was in the Tower of Conve.


    Lira discovered it by chance when some people visited the ones guarding her. They thought she was unconscious and did not bother lowering their voices. Or maybe they forgot to confirm if she was still unconscious because of the gravity of what they had to tell the two guards. Regardless of the reason, she learned how dire the situation was outside.


    After learning that the Crown Princess had finally made a move against the Conve, as her Royal Knight, Lira, could not remain captive.


    Lira became Haylee''s Royal Knight mainly because of her innate ability¡ª Detect Weakness¡ª and she could use it not only on people but also on her surroundings. It did not take long for her to find a weak spot on the walls where she was being kept and escape. The guards tried to stop her but failed because she easily overpowered them with her physical strength.


    That was right. Even if Euan or Kyran ced seals on her so she could not use her magic energy, as a Royal Knight, her physical strength was above average. Against mages with weak physical bodies, Lira did not even break out a sweat.


    After that, Lira confirmed that her secret storage had not been confiscated and that her regrmunication device was there. She reckoned they did not find the storage because she hid it inside her undergarment.


    Anyhow, Lira used the regrmunication device to send a coded message to the Boyd Family. She still could not use her magic energy. Thus, she could only use a regrmunication device.


    The device was simr to the one Fiona had used, which was why when Osric received the message, he thought she was the one who sent it.


    Since the device could only send but not receive messages, Osric could not reply to Lira. But it was not really a problem because thetter was quite smart. Knowing she would not receive any response, she included instructions on how she would know if the Boyd Family received her message.


    Of course, she only included this instruction after confirming that the Boyd Family was included among the noble families attacking the Conve. As long as someone from the family was there, the message she sent to the person Fiona used to report to, Lira believed that person would cascade the instruction to that member.


    Lira did not know that the one leading the attack on the Conve was the person Fiona reported to¡ª Osric.


    In any case, Lira also sent regr updates on her current location, which helped Osric understand the current situation inside the Conve.


    Inside the Conve, Lira, wearing the uniform of a Conve member, sessfully blended into the crowd.


    Currently, the grounds outside the towers of the Conve were filled with makeshift tents. Inside the makeshift tents, alchemists tended to the wounded. While outside, the regr Conve and Chamber of Commerce members were running around delivering items such as potions, pills, bandages, etc.


    At one of the nearby tents, Lira caught sight of the soldiers an alchemist was tending. Her brows furrowed slightly after recognizing the soldier as part of Euan''s army.


    ''Is the emperor here?'' She wondered as she avoided most of the members running around.


    Finally, she found her way to the tower closest to the Tower of Conve''s main entrance.


    Even with her magic sealed, Lira sensed powerful presences inside the tower and reckoned that the Conve Council members and the other leaders were there.


    Lira hid in a bush near the entrance before sending another update. In the message, she advised the possibility of the Conve Council members staying at the tower close to the main entrance and that she nned on going in to investigate.


    After sending the message, Lira waited for an answer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Due to the limitation of hermunication device, she only sent questions that could be answered with a yes or no. If the answer was yes, she asked them to attack the topmost part of the right tower. If it was a no, they should attack the left one twice but in the span of one attack.


    Since the defensive array around the tower prevented tremors and attacks from getting inside, when someone attacked from the outside, it would appear like fireworks.


    Outside, Osric received Lira''s message and immediately ordered someone to attack the right tower.


    Earlier, he ordered to stop attacking the tower and have the Array Specialists find a way to decipher the Conve''s defensive array. But after receiving Lira''s message, he had his people attack but only to camouge the ''answers'' to Lira''s message. Of course, Osric told his people to avoid attacking the topmost area of the right and left towers.


    Back in the Tower of Conve, Lira did not waste time after receiving the answer and entered the main hall.


    It was not hard to enter because quite a few were entering and leaving in a hurry.


    Lira realized the Conve''s security inside was prettyx, a testament to their confidence in the tower''s defensive array. If this had been in the pce, they would still be on guard, no matter how confident they were about its defensive array.


    Their reason was simple. There was no telling if a spy was among them, and if they lowered their guard even for a bit, that spy would definitely take advantage of it.


    Lira was notining about the Conve''sck of security. She was actually grateful because she could move around with ease.


    As soon as Lira entered the tower, she saw the hall was also packed with people, most of whom were alchemists.


    Several furnaces lined up on each side, and several long tables filled with ingredients were in the middle of the hall.


    Alchemists were busy concocting potions and pills on both sides while the regr members and security mages of the Conve were busy refilling the ingredients on the table or delivering the finished pills and potions outside.


    At one corner, there were low-level mercenaries who were also busy replenishing the bandages and other disposable items needed for tending the wounded.


    They all wore grave expressions, and Lira felt their pain though she was part of the opposing side. But she doused her sympathetic sentiment at once. These people were in this situation because they dared oppose the Crown Princess. Did they not understand that the more they resisted, the more they would suffer once the real war began?


    Steeling her resolve, Lira made her way to the side, where she found the entrance leading to a long hallway.


    She slipped past a couple of mercenaries who were assisting an alchemist and sessfully entered the hallway.


    Once there, she immediately noticed the hallway was empty. Because of this, she did not walk in at once in case a surveince array existed. There might even be traps or intruder alerts. Unfortunately, since she could not use her magic energy, she could not probe her surroundings for hidden arrays or traps.


    But Lira was not worried about being unable to use her magic energy. After all, with her innate ability, she could still detect some areas in the surroundings where she could easily slip into.


    Lira followed the small path to the wall close to the windows for the next few minutes. She did not know why, but this patch was the weak spot she detected in this hallway.


    Finally, she reached the end of the hall, where she found winding stairs that led to the next level. She also found a teleportation array nearby but ignored it. She was not stupid enough to use an array that would reveal herself to the enemy.


    Lira did not n to go to the second level but to the third level because it was where the powerful presence she felt outside was gathered.


    However, just as she was about to go up, a strange feeling suddenly came over her. An inkling, telling her to also check the rooms in the second level.

 Chapter 641 How…?

    Lira had always trusted her intuition. However, she also knew she did not have the leisure to wander around. The people outside were waiting for her update. Besides, if the Conve Council members were gathered in the room above and they were in a middle of a meeting, she would know their ns. They might even say something about the tower''s defensive array. Who knew one of them might slip and mention where the core of the defensive array was located or who was guarding it?


    When that happened, Lira would go there and destroy the core.


    As long as the core was destroyed, it would only be a matter of time before the whole defensive array crumbles, and then the people outside couldmence with the attack.


    Sighing inwardly, Lira decided to continue going upstairs. She could still go back and check the rooms after she was done checking the third level.


    However, just as she was about to turn, one of the doors opened, and a beautiful woman with long blond hair in a white dress stepped out.


    Lira hid at one of the columns at the side of the stairs and perked her ears, listening in to know where the woman who had stepped out nned to go. If she nned to go upstairs, Lira could slip into the gap on the rails and go back to the first level. If not, then she could only slip behind the column and ensure the woman would not see her once she came within thetter''s line of sight.


    "You can rest easy in this ce," the woman was saying. "I will have Malia concoct another potion to help you recover faster."


    "There is no need. I still have a few potions Ms. Malia prepared for me. I''ll finish them first, thank you."


    The voice that replied to the woman was soft, almost inaudible. But Lira heard it. And when she did, her whole body tensed.


    No matter how low or muffled that voice sounded, Lira would always recognized it.


    ''Her Highness is...?''


    Lira had been trained to be the Crown Princess''s knight. Thus, she was the one most familiar with her.


    Emperor Euan or Empress Iulia might fail to recognize her, but not Lira!


    ''How...?''


    No.


    It was simply impossible.


    That person who replied to the woman just now might only sound like her. She could not possibly be--.


    "Alright. Thank you for giving me a chance to speak with you, Cyneah. I''ll take my leave now."


    Lira''s eyes widened in shock.


    It was one thing for a person to sound like the Crown Princess. But was it even possible for that person to have the same birth name as her, too?


    In that instance, the conversations Haylee had with Ruin shed through Lira''s mind.


    Frankly, Lira had no idea what they were talking about. All she knew was that Haylee was searching for something that wouldplete her.


    Lira did not understand what she meant about bingplete. But she reckoned it had something to do with how a mage would beplete as long as she had the perfect magic weapon.


    Could it be that what Ruin was searching for was not ''something'' but ''someone''? And that someone was--.


    Aki''s eyes suddenly shed as it looked toward the stairs.


    "Detecting strange fluctuations. Commencing attack."


    Ste, who was standing beside Aki, was taken aback. Before she could even react, it moved and dashed toward the stairs.


    "Tsk!" Lira clicked her tongue in exasperation and immediately slipped into the gap in the stairs that led to the first level.


    Aki''s eyes shed. It raised its arm and aimed at Lira, and a magic array appeared on the wall where Lira was about tond.


    Crackle! Boom!


    A boulder emerged horizontally from the magic array on the wall, aiming to smash Lira from the side.


    Still in the motion of falling down, Lira gritted her teeth upon seeing the iing boulder. Using her years of experience in actualbat, she immediately found the best course of action. Instead of avoiding it, she decided to attack it head-on. She kicked the top of the stair''s bannister to the side with her right foot, then raised her left leg to meet the boulder.


    Using the momentum from kicking the bannister, Lira kicked the boulder, shattering it into pieces.


    Aki kicked the ground to increase its speed. It then took out a spear and aimed at Lira''s back.


    Meanwhile, Ste, who recognized Lira, immediately returned to the room. She locked the door and, at the same time, sent word to Hugh and Malia.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ? Cyneah looked toward the direction where she had heard themotion. It was a moment like this that she felt helpless for being blind. She sat on the bed and was about to get up, but Ste immediately ran to her side and said, "Stay put. I''m taking you to my chambers."


    Before Cyneah could say anything, Ste grabbed her hand and activated the teleportation array.


    This teleportation array was the one exclusive for Ste''s use. It was scattered all over the Tower of Conve, making it easy for her to go around.


    Returning to Aki and Lira''s side, the spear the former took out whirled toward thetter''s back.


    By then, Lira was about to touch the floor. But sensing the iing spear, she kicked the floor and used the momentum to somersault backwards. She barely evaded the spear, with its tip grazing the back of her clothes.


    When Lira somersaulted backwards, she made a big leap. Thus, she went past Aki, who abruptly stopped and looked at her figure pass through above.


    It raised its hand, and the spear that missed Lira and struck the wall instead was pulled out and flew to its hand.


    Liranded on the ground behind Aki. Without waiting for thetter to make a full turn, she dashed toward the room where the blonde-haired woman had stepped out.


    As soon as Aki got hold of the spear''s shaft, it spun 180 degrees and aimed to hit Lira with its de.


    However, Lira was quite fast on her feet and was already a few feet away from the room Aki and the woman had been in.


    Aki''s eyes shed. It stomped on the floor, using force to increase its momentum and dashed toward Lira.


    Lira ignored Aki and instead kicked the door to the room.


    Hearing the person the blonde woman spoke to and knowing her name was Cyneah was not enough for Lira to jump to conclusions. She had to see her before anything else. In any case, she had to report as soon as possible.


    CRASH!


    The door to the room was smashed down by Lira''s powerful kick.


    Before Lira couldnd inside, Aki was already hot on her heels.


    With a powerful horizontal swing, Aki aimed to hit Lira''s side.


    Lira gritted her teeth upon seeing Aki''s spear. She knew she could not evade itpletely, but she also could not afford to be fatally injured. Ultimately, she decided to sacrifice an arm.


    Lira twisted her body slightly to the side, and the tip of Aki''s spear cut her upper arm.


    "NGH!" Lira grunted in pain. Though she sacrificed her arm, she tried to minimize the damage. However, she failed to grasp Aki''s speed, and the cut she thought would only be about .2 or .3 centimeters deep had turned out to be one and a half to two inches deep.


    Blood spurted out of Lira''s wound as shended on the floor.


    Enduring the pain, Lira quickly looked inside the room and, at the same time, evaded Aki''s next attack.


    Lira saw a faint silhouette of the woman''s back, grabbing someone on the bed.


    "Tsk," she clicked her tongue and sighed in exasperation.


    If she had seen who the woman had grabbed, Lira could determine if that woman was someone Haylee was looking for.


    s, that did not happen.


    Aki whirled the spear and brandished it downward, aiming at Lira''s head.


    Because she was pissed, Lira had decided not to back down against Aki.


    She knew Aki as one of the Conve''s representatives. It was a shame she had little information about him. Still, as far as she remembered, based on his file, Aki had no offensive capability. So why was he suddenly acting like abat mage? Not to mention, how did he detect her? What exactly gave her presence away?


    s, Lira failed to realize that Aki was a puppet.


    Aki could detect any threat within five meters. However, when it came to a person''s aura, its range detection was at least a thirty-meter radius.


    For this reason, it detected Lira when her aura fluctuated after being stunned for a few seconds.


    Lira rolled to the side, barely evading Aki''s spear.


    However, arge magic array appeared on the room''s ceiling at that moment. After which, several green vines emerged from it and went straight at Lira.

 Chapter 642 Good News

    Lira''s eyes shed.


    Making full use of her ability, she evaded the vines that came after her from the magic array above.


    The vines were nothing like those soft-textured nts. They were unbelievably sharp, and each time they missed, they pierced the floor, riddling it with holes.


    ''This is Chairman Malia''s magic,'' she thought, recalling the information she read about every council member of the Conve. ''She''s only a Grand Master, but she can actually summon her magic to a location far from her. Not to mention, her summoned vines are very sharp.''


    Frankly, the use of magic attacks was supposed to be prohibited within the room''s premises. It was how Kyran designed the room''s array formation. However, in the oft chance that an enemy could bypass his array, he granted ess to a selected few council members to use their magic inside. The array formation also included a form that amplified the council member''s magic.


    For this reason, Malia''s magic was at least three times stronger. As for how she was able to summon her magic when she was clearly not present in the room, the reason was simple. The room they were having a meeting was directly above the room.


    Due to the urgency of the situation, it would have been strange if Malia still chose to rush downstairs before attacking.


    ''Tsk!'' Lira could not help but click her tongue in exasperation as she pushed herself to the limit to evade not only the vines but also Aki.


    ''If only I had a weapon I could use!'' She thought, feeling somewhat annoyed at the fact that she could not use the weapons of the guards she took out.


    She did not expect that the Conve was so cautious about their members losing their weapons to an enemy that they included a magic signature validation on them. Basically, if the magic signature of the person holding the weapon were not the same as the one recorded on the validation array, the weapon would be useless.


    With this in mind, she scanned her eyes inside the room for a makeshift weapon she could use. In the end, she caught sight of the bed''s frame that had already been destroyed by the vines.


    ''There!'' Lira found a broken steel frame about two feet long. Its tip was a bit jagged, but that was unimportant. What mattered was she could use it as a temporary weapon.


    Lira rolled on the floor toward the steel frame and grabbed it. Then using an armament enhancement technique, she enhanced the steel frame''s toughness.


    The Armament Enhancement Technique was a technique every Royal Knight could use. It enhanced a weapon''s sharpness and sturdiness, ensuring their weapons couldst for a long period during battle.


    Lira could use this technique because it did not require any magic energy. It was simr to the Body Tempering Technique of the Regis n, which did not require magic energy and solely depended on the dragon''s blood coursing through their veins.


    The moment Lira had a ''weapon'' in hand, she immediately went after the magic array above. She decided to eliminate the vines first to have more room to maneuver.


    Lira''s eyes shed as soon as she found the weakest point of the magic array. Gripping the steel frame with one hand, she jumped and shed at the seven points on the magic array.


    Crackle!


    The magic array crackled as the steel frame hit its seven key points. After that, cracks appeared from the inner circle, spreading outward at an rming speed.


    Shatter!


    In three seconds, the magic array shattered, and the vines dissipated along with it.


    Aki''s eyes shed and focused its sight on Lira''s ''weapon.''


    It was impossible for a normal person to destroy a magic array because they did not possess magic energy. Lira''s magic energy had been sealed, yet she cut through an active magic array. This could only mean that she employed another technique that did not require magic energy.


    Near the stairs leading to the second level, because Lira destroyed her magic array, Malia abruptly stopped and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Chairman Malia!" The few leaders who went with her to the second level were rmed.


    Malia''splexion instantly paled, but she lifted her head and looked toward the direction where Lira and Aki were currently engaged in a melee.


    "I''m fine! Go and capture that woman!"


    "Yes."


    Back in the room, after the magic array was destroyed, Lira could finally face Aki properly. She parried every attack thetterunched while directing their position and forcing them to move closer to the window.


    Right now, Lira only had one thought in mind: to escape.


    It was unfortunate she could not confirm the identity of the woman, who had the same name as the Crown Princess''s birth name, who also happened to sound like her.


    Nevertheless, Lira had an inkling she was on to something, and thus, she decided to escape from there first. Of course, she did not n to tell the Crown Princess about her encounter directly but to send the information using her regrmunication device.


    She could have sent it already if Aki was not keeping both of her hands and feet busy.


    Aki''s eyes shed as it looked at the ''weapon'' in Lira''s hand. It detected a strange fluctuation on the ''weapon'' but failed to determine what caused it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Unknown technique employed by the target. Object in the target''s hand will be categorized as an unknown object of destruction. Priority will shift to destroying the unknown object."


    Aki''s programming deemed that the steel frame in Lira''s hand could pose a greater threat and prioritized destroying it first. Of course, if Cyneah were still in the room, Aki would prioritize her safety above anything else. But since Ste had taken her to a safer location, Aki moved ording to what its program deemed fit for the current situation.


    Frankly, the judgment of Aki''s programming was half correct.


    It was true that Lira had used a different technique while attacking. The Armament Enhancement Technique was still active. But Lira also used another technique called Continuum Steel.


    Using this technique, any steel in her hands could cut through anything and everything as long as the object she cut did not exceed the maximum defensive parameter the Continuum Steel technique could cut.


    Aki raised its hand and summoned five magic arrays that appeared in every direction surrounding Lira.


    Lira narrowed her eyes upon seeing the magic arrays. She tightened her grip on the steel frame and attacked and went after the array closer to the window.


    Before the boulders emerged from the magic array, Lira had already destroyed the magic array to her left.


    Ignoring everything else, Lira covered her head protectively before jumping toward the window.


    CRASH!


    The window shattered from Lira''s momentum.


    It was at that moment that the people with Malia arrived. Seeing Lira had already jumped out of the window, a few of them went after her while the others went to go down the stairs.


    People below were taken aback by the sound of the window shattering. They looked up just in time to witness Lira jump out of the window straight to the ground below.


    "Oi!"


    "Watch out!"


    Some of them shouted because the ce where Lira wouldnd was asphalt. Even if she used an item or magic to break her fall, the distance between the second and ground levels was not that far. She would not have enough time to summon magic, much less prepare her item.


    BAM!


    Liranded on the ground without so much of a groan escaping from her. This shocked the people on the ground.


    But their shock was short-lived after they saw another figure jump down the window. At the same time, that figure shouted, "Don''t let her escape!"


    Only then did the people on the ground realize something was amiss from what had just happened. It did not take long for them to understand that the first one that came out of the window was an intruder.


    All at once, those who could move went after Lira.


    Aki, who had alsonded safely on the ground, had summoned several magic arrays after Lira. Boulders emerged from the magic arrays, but they all missed her by one to two centimeters.


    The others roused their magic and attacked her, sending fireballs or molded weapons.


    s, none of the mages that responded to Aki''s call possessed controlling-type magic to restrain her movements.


    Actually, Aki''s ''boulder'' attack would have been enough if Lira had not been moving too fast.


    Apart from this, Aki''s magic programming did not include controlling spells. If it did, it would have already captured Lira.


    *


    Outside, Osric and the others scouting the Tower of Conve''s premises did not know what was happening inside.


    Only after Osric received Lira''s update did he learn the current situation.


    But none of those mattered to him because his attention was drawn to the good news in her update.


    It said: Found a young woman- named Cyneah- sounded like the Princess.


    Osric''s eyes glinted malevolently as he looked at the entrance of the Tower of Conve.

 Chapter 643 His Reverse Scale (1)

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    A series of explosions filled the area near the periphery of the Regis Estate.


    The Regis Special Force and Rantz, the Archmagus La left to deal with the Regis, were currently engaged in range warfare.


    Arrays, with forms focusing on range magic attacks, hovered above the Regis Outer Walls. Each of these arrays gathered different types of magic energies, which would then convert into concentrated magic energy beams that bombarded Rantz''s side.


    Seeing the Regis n employed such powerful range-focus attack arrays, Rantz and the leaders from different noble families under the Crown Princess''s army were dumbstruck. They had known the Regic n had a number ofbat mages and Abjurers, but it was their first time seeing them rely on Arrays when attacking¡ª not that there was any instance in the past hundred years or so that they ended up in a war.


    In any case, the unexpected appearance of these range-focus attack arrays threw Rantz''s n into disarray.


    Initially, they wanted to overwhelm the Regis Special Force with their sheer number of Grand Master mages andbat mages after confirming they were the only ones left in the Regis Estate. For this reason, Rantz ordered their people to split into four groups, targeting the Regis Estate on four sides.


    However, as soon as these four groups closed in, those range-focus attack arrays appeared and relentlessly bombarded them. Moreover, the concentrated magic energy beams that shot out from these arrays had the power output of an Exalted¡ª maybe even a Magus! An impossible feat if a mere Array Specialist created these arrays.


    Thinking back on it, Rantz was convinced that there was more than one Array Master¡ª no, not just a Master but likely a Saint¡ª among the Regis Special Force.


    That was correct. Rantz was aware of Array Saints because he was one of those people who managed to find the Tower of Tribtions.


    It was his guarded secret, which, surprisingly, La did not discover even after she used Soul Scan to check his soul.


    With Rantz''s knowledge and experience inside the Tower of Tribtions, he could see and understand more of what was currently happening in the empire. He also knew the situation was not as simple as the Crown Princess enacting control over the Regis n, who dared shelter a mage possessing Forbidden Magic.


    Because of this, Rantz admitted feeling a little reluctant to follow the Crown Princess''s orders. As a matter of fact, the Crown Princess kept him by her side because she sensed his reluctance.


    Nevertheless, Rantz was a mage of the Royal Family. He had an obligation, a responsibility to fulfill. Since Emperor Euan gave the Crown Princess full authority to dispatch them Archmaguses, then as one of them, Rantz could only follow.


    Rantz was deep in thought while watching the projection, showing all four forefronts inside a makeshift tent. Soon after, messengers from all forefronts rushed inside, sounding aggrieved.


    "Archmagus Rantz, it is impossible to advance with those arrays'' relentless attacks," one of the messengers reported.


    Rantz snapped out of his reverie and looked at the messengers. They all wore in gray robes, and he honestly could not see their faces because they were wearing a mask covering half of their face¡ª from nose to chin. Though only one of them had spoken, the rest nodded in agreement.


    Obviously, all four groups were facing the same problems.


    "The Cheever Family asks Archmagus Rantz to forge a path for our forces," another messenger said.


    Rantz did not respond. He simply looked at them. Apparently, his attention had yet to return to the present fully.


    When Rantz remained silent even after waiting for almost half a minute, the four messengers looked up at him questioningly.


    "Archmagus Rantz?"


    "Is there anything¡ª?"


    "Have you found who is leading the Regis Special Force?" Rantz finally reacted before thetter messenger could finish his question.


    "Due to the arrays, our scouts also failed to advance," another messenger replied.


    Rantz scowled at the messenger, "What are the scouts thinking wanting to advance from the forefront? Can''t they even find a gap from the uncovered areas and enter the estate?"


    "That''s..."


    The four messengers exchanged awkward looks among themselves. Truth be told, the acting leaders in the forefront did not seem keen on dispatching the scouting team and wanted Archmagus Rantz to make a move himself.


    This mindset was not because they feared the Regis Special Force or were not invested in this operation like the other noble families attacking the rest of their enemies. The reason they wanted Rantz to move was because doing so would reduce the effort they had to pour in and also save their resources.


    Sensing the messengers'' awkwardness, Rantz did not pursue the matter. Instead, he turned and left the tent.


    The Cheever Family was one of the older noble families in the empire. Although they were not well known, they were among the few who had been supporting the Winfrey Family for a long time. Since they asked Rantz to make a move, he had no choice but toply. If not, the Crown Princess would definitely know he was not doing his job properly.


    An aide approached Rantz as soon as he stepped out of the tent and asked, "Archmagus Rantz, let us know where you are heading."


    The aide was the one who would arrange Rantz''s transportation.


    "There is no need," Rantz replied, and without waiting for the aide to say more, he flew up and disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    On the Regis Special Force''s side, the use of the range-focus attack arrays was proposed by Abe. Then the cement of the Regis Special Forces was decided by Zeniff and Greer.


    Truthfully, Abe, Zeniff, and Greer only nned to drag the battle using Jared''s attack arrays. However, after the incident with White Lily, and Nn''s advancement, Jared and the Regis Elders decided to act proactively.


    At that moment, only two squads were in the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall. Most of them were Abjurers with Array Knowledge. Jared was also with them, maintaining the attack arrays.


    As for four enemy groups, four squads of twelve Regis Special Force members were dispatched to infiltrate from the rear.


    For the remaining squads, three squads of ten went to the Lumley Family''s Residence; two squads of ten went to the Tower of Conve; andstly, one squad of eight went to Noser.


    They had yet to receive an update from their allies, but Jared and the Regis Elders thought it best to send their people to check the situation on those ends and act ordingly. Their numbers might be small, but some were beast tamers.


    The beasts could be added to their numbers.


    Jared approved all of their actions mainly because he knew that although they were in a stalemate, the truth was they were on the losing side.


    This was the conclusion he and the Regis Elders came up with after analyzing the situation of all their allies.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In any case, they had to deal a blow on the enemy''s number as much as possible.


    Myst was among the members who were dispatched to where Rantz was staying. As soon as he confirmed thetter''s departure, he contacted the rest and informed them.


    "Big Crow had left their," he reported.


    "Copy that."


    "Finally, they want to break the stalemate."


    "But can he really break it? I mean, we''re talking about Master Jared''s offensive array here."


    "True. I haven''t seen anyone who can break Master Jared''s array."


    "What are you talking about? There''s Master Cade."


    "Oh, right."


    "Ah, but Master Cade specializes in defensive arrays, right? So, it is pointless to match them up."


    "I heard Young Master Kyran can also create arrays."


    "Hmm... does he specialize in defensive arrays or offensive?"


    Myst sighed inwardly after hearing the conversation of his members through themunication device. These guys did not appear to be nervous at all! It seemed he had to educate them when everything was over.


    In the meantime, he had to remind them of something.


    "You guys... don''t use the channel to talk cr*p. This line is connected with the Elders."


    "Oh, sh*t."


    "Err... we didn''t say anything wrong, right?"


    "Oi! Change the frequency!"


    Bzzt.


    There was a static sound before the line turned silent.


    With another exasperated sigh, Myst said, "I''m sorry about that. I''ll be sure to teach them...ter."


    From another end of the line, Eleanor stifled augh and said, "It is fine, Myst. Knowing they are not nervous and even looked up to Master Cade, Master Jared, and even Young Master Kyran helped ease the tension from our old bones."


    Jared cleared his throat, "Ahem, I know you guys knew I was here, too. Please don''t put me in the same league as my brother and nephew. Those two are monsters."


    "Err..."


    "Going back on topic," Jared continued, deliberately changing the subject. "When Big Crow arrives, I''ll handle him. After that,mence with the operation."


    "Roger, that."


    The leaders of each squad respond in unison.


    After about two minutes, Rantz arrived at the forefront. Using only his raw energy, his body erupted with magic pressure that swept through the surroundings.


    In an instant, the barrier the Grand Masters on his side was maintaining crumbled, and some were forced to their knees.


    When Rantz exploded with his magic pressure on Jared''s side, the barrier Mannick created activated and absorbed its force. It also protected Jared''s attack arrays. But in return, the attacks were forced to stop.


    Still, the faces of every Regis member with Jared paled after they felt the aftershock.


    Jared was not fairing well, either. His level was not much different from those with him, and his only advantage was his higher Array attainment. If not for the enhancements he ced on his coat, he would have vomited a mouthful of blood from that!


    "Are you kidding me? That force is only his magic pressure?"


    Jared heard one of them mutter behind him.


    "That is nothing," he replied. "He is not even using the magic energies in the surroundings yet. Only his own."


    The expressions of the members behind him turned grim.


    "Master Jared, maybe it is better for us to go out there and probe him first."


    "No need," Jared rejected their suggestion. "I''m going out."


    Without waiting for them to say more, Jared had already moved.


    Rantz was still three hundred meters from the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall. He did not attack the arrays since they had already stopped. Instead, he looked at the barrier around the estate with a slight frown.


    This barrier was obviously different from the one reported inside the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall. He also found it strange that it activated with his magic pressure but not when their side attacked.


    Before Rantz could dwell on the matter, he saw a figure exit from the gates.

 Chapter 644 His Reverse Scale (2)

    Jared''s pupils turned into slits, and his dark gray eyes turned silver as he activated the Regis Blessing. The effect of the dragon blood in his veins was rtively averagepared to Cade. However, just as he said a while ago, cing him in the same league as Cade was wrong since that guy was a monster.


    Of course, the monster bit was meant as apliment, not an insult.


    In any case, Jared was a Regis; apart from that, he was an Array Saint. With the help of the Regis Blessing and his Array knowledge, he could hold his own against an Archmagus.


    Rantz''s eyes narrowed when he recognized the person that exited the gates.


    Jared Regis.


    Information about him immediately shed through Rantz''s mind.


    ''Second son of Aron Regis... Studied Alchemy, whose innate magic is Earth. Also an Elementor, like his father,'' Rantz listed an overview of the information he read about Jared. ''No officialbat record. Thus, his abilities are undetermined.''


    Thinking all of this made Rantz frown slightly. He was an Elementor, himself, with Fire innate magic. Although he had the advantage of mage level, Earth and Fire was not a good matchup. In an ancient magic theory, fire created the earth. If this was the case, would he not amplify Jared''s magic?


    In the end, Rantz could only sigh as hended on the ground. Seeing Jared had already activated the infamous Regis Blessing from how thetter''s eyes glowed silver, Rantz had no choice but to carry out his task:


    Destroy the attack arrays and dispose of anyone who would dare interfere.


    "Do not me me for being rude," Rantz muttered as he stepped forward. "I am only carrying out orders."


    The moment he did, the space where his feetnded crackled, and the magic energy surrounding him fluctuated.


    Still, a hundred meters away, Jared heard Rantz even though he did not speak loudly.


    "What do you know? We''re on the same page," Jared replied with a wry smile.


    Before Rantz could react, Jared had already moved.


    In a blink of an eye, he managed to traverse the hundred or so meters between them. Then he pulled back his right arm, and at the same time, several different-sized light brown magic arrays circled his arm.


    Concentrated Earth magic energy wrapped Jared''s forearm, taking on the form of a dragon''s forelegs with talons.


    BAM!


    Jared''s punch hit the ground, instantly destroying it and creating a three-meter-wide crater.


    "Argh...!" Rantz, who barely escaped Jared''s sudden attack,nded at least twenty meters away, holding his broken left arm with his right.


    Initially, Rantz wanted to endure Jared''s punch, showing him the difference between their offensive and defense. However, in thest few seconds, he sensed an impending tragedy and raised his left arm to block Jared''s punch instead.


    Because of his split-second decision, Rantz managed to avoid receiving a fatal body wound and only received a broken arm. Nevertheless, he was surprised at how potent Jared''s punch was, especially when he was not even abat mage!


    Or was he?


    Before Rantz could consider this possibility, Jared had already arrived at his location and was about to unleash another attack.


    This time, Jared''s legs appeared to have turned into a dragon''s wed hind leg, which hurtled down on Rantz.


    BOOM!


    "Errgh..!" Rantz gritted his teeth as he once more evaded Jared''s attack by a hair''s breadth by rolling on the side.


    The ground where he had just been was also reduced into a three-meter crater.


    "YOU! Aren''t you an Elementor?" Rantz could not help but shout usingly at Jared. "Why are you fighting like abat mage!"


    Jared, who had justnded on the ground, was somewhat stunned by Rantz''s question.


    He initially wanted to reply: "Does being an Elementor mean you can''t be abat mage?"


    However, what came out of his mouth was an entirely different response.


    "What about you? Are you really an Archmagus? Why don''t you fight back?"


    Jared''s biting words annoyed Rantz. But thetter kept his face straight with only his brow twitching once.


    Without waiting for Rantz to reply to his question, Jared moved again.


    Meanwhile, the Grand Masters on standby from a distance from Rantz wore aplicated expression.


    This would be their first time seeing a Regisbat mage in action, and they found Jared''s punches to be ridiculously powerful.


    Was this the infamous Regis Blessing? With the help of such a blessing, could a Regis fight on par with an Archmagus?


    Just as they were thinking this, the leaders of the noble families snapped out of their inner thoughts as they realized something.


    Why the hell were they only watching the two fight? Wouldn''t this be the perfect time for them to target the range attack arrays?


    Since the attack arrays stopped attacking, they had to use this moment to attack!


    Seemingly in one mind, all of the leading Grand Masters moved. They roused their magic and aimed at the hovering attack arrays at once.


    Soon, Rantz''s side resumed their attack, aiming at the now-silent attack arrays.


    Seeing this, the Regis members inside the estate frowned. They did not frown because they were worried about the array''s safety now that Jared was upied with Rantz. Their frown was directed at the enemy Grand Masters''s actions.<novelnext></novelnext>


    They knew that in a war, the side that took the initiative had a higher chance of dictating the course of the battle. However, to the Regis members, these Grand Masters were only taking advantage of the situation and taking this chance to ''assist'' Rantz.


    That was right. In actuality, the Grand Masters were targeting not only the attack arrays but also Jared!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Explosions resounded from the enemy side''s rear.


    "What?"


    The Grand Masters were bbergasted and, at the same time, confused at what was happening. Their attacks had yet tond, but explosions could already be heard.


    In the meantime, Rantz''s expression turned solemn when the explosions resounded.


    He jumped back, evading Jared''s punch again. Then said, "So you''ve had your people infiltrate our rear from the start."


    Jared only smiled in response and delivered another overhead kick.


    "Humph."


    This time, Rantz did not passively evade Jared''s attack. He roused his magic, and before Jared''s kicknded, Rantz''s body exploded with blue mes.


    Jared''s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the blue mes. He jumped back a few meters before the blue mes could touch him.


    "Your mes!"


    Rantz, now d in blue mes, looked at Jared, "Surprised? For the record, my blue mes is¡ª."


    "How were you able to get a ming Blue Clematis?"


    Rantz''s eyes widened upon hearing Jared''s query. His surprise was not because of thetter''s seemingly unrted question. It was the opposite. Because the reason Rantz''s mes had turned blue was because of the ming Blue Clematis, which he received as a reward when he was in the tower.


    As far as Rantz was concerned, no one should have known his mes had mutated after receiving the ming Blue Clematis''s characteristics. After all, thetter was not found in the Human ne!


    "You...!" Rantz narrowed his eyes as realization dawned on him.


    "You''ve been to that ce."


    "You too... But why?"


    Jared was shocked by this discovery. If Rantz had been to the Tower of Tribtions, he was not really a ''bad'' guy. Then, why was he working under the Royal Family?


    No. It was not like every member of the Royal Family was evil.


    Because of Emperor Euan and even Empress Iulia, Jared and the others were already aware of that.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The two were interrupted by another series of explosions.


    This time, it came from the Grand Masters attacking Jared''s attack arrays. Since the attack arrays were unmoving, the joint magic attacks from Rantz''s side sessfully hit them.


    Before the Grand Masters could rejoice and continue their bombardment. However, powerful, concentrated magic energy beams struck out from the cloud of smoke¡ª which resulted from the explosions¡ª and went directly at the forefronts.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The energy beams obviously came from the attack arrays! Apparently, the Grand Masters'' joint attack had done nothing to them!


    Rantz had always been reluctant to participate in this battle. Now, after discovering Jared had also been to the Tower of Tribtions, he was even more reluctant to make a move.


    Jared was also the same. He was prepared to go all out and even kill Rantz if worse came to worse. But now that he knew thetter had been to the Tower and had been judged to be a righteous person, then maybe... just maybe, they could avoid further bloodshed.


    Ultimately, Jared could not decide because, at that moment, the sky crackled, and magic fluctuations erupted from a certain location, deep inside the Regis Estate.


    Since he had been there before, Jared recognized immediately that the magic fluctuations emitted a certain magic energy unique inside the Regis Terram!


    All four groups surrounding the Regis Estate also sensed the magic fluctuation and suddenly felt weak in the knees.


    The magic energy that came with the fluctuations possessed such an oppressive power that made all of them tremble with fear.


    They immediately roused their magic defenses and tried to fight the oppressive power.


    "W-What is that!"


    Someone suddenly shouted, drawing the attention of the people around.


    "A-Above! In the sky! T-There is an eye!"


    They all turned to the sky, and their scalps went numb from what they saw.


    Where dark clouds formed in the sky, an eye peered down on them.


    An eye of a dragon.

 Chapter 645 His Reverse Scale (3)

    The dragon''s eye in the sky shed with a blinding gold light, instantly sending everyone¡ª except the Regis n¡ª in the vicinity to fall to their knees.


    "This is my first andst warning, humans fighting under the Soul Emperor''s banner. Step inside the Regis Estate''s Inner Walls, and I will descend into the Human ne and destroy each of you."


    A gentle yet piercingly cold female voice spoke that shook thend below.


    Forced to his knees, Rantz was frightened by this turn of events.


    When the eye appeared in the sky, one would first think it was an eye of a reptile. Its vertical slitted pupil that seemed to constrict around a kaleidoscopic golden eye was amon characteristic of a reptilian beast eye.


    But knowing the Regis Family was rumored to have once been tied to a particr species of a legendary beast. They were sure that the eye in the sky belonged to a dragon¡ª Rantz was no exception.


    It was said that dragons no longer exist. However, some were convinced the Regis n were hiding a few dragons inside their walls. This belief was never proven, though. Even the Royal Family denied such ims. And because none of those believers could produce proof of their ims, their thoughts were considered nothing but baseless rumors.


    Until today.


    "You have been warned."


    The cold female voice spoke again, and just as she appeared unexpectedly, she also faded into the clouds just the same.


    Nevertheless, the fear and pressure she instilled in everyone remained.


    On the other hand, Jared and the other Regis members had odd expressions on their faces. Not because they were taken aback by what just happened¡ª although they were surprised just as much as the rest of the people from the opposing side¡ª but because they were thinking about what that ''dragon woman'' had said.


    Did she have to specifically mention the Regis Estate''s Inner Walls when she threatened the enemies? Could she not have said the Regis Estate? Because if the enemies were paying close attention to her words, they would think they were allowed to enter the estate''s outer walls!


    Before any of their enemies could recover, the Regis Special Force that started their attack from the rear had alreadypleted their task.


    Apart from reducing the enemy numbers, Jared tasked them to nt several magic items with array formation.


    The array formation in these magic items included restraining forms, status ailments¡ª which included slowing the enemy movements, preventing them from gathering the magic energies from the surroundings, preventing them from naturally replenishing their magic energy¡ª and,stly, jamming theirmunication devices.


    Truth be told, Myst and the rest, assigned to carry out these tasks, were momentarily stunned by the appearance of the dragon eye, but they recovered soon after and took the chance when the enemies were frightened out of their wits toplete their task.


    "Master Jared," Myst''s voice sounded in Jared''s earpiece. "We''re ready to move out."


    Upon hearing Myst''s report, Jared immediately roused his magic energy.


    Amplified with the Regis Blessing, he activated all the magic items Myst and the rest of the Regis Special Forces had nted around the enemy''s rear.


    The wholend shook as the magic items activated at the same time.


    Pirs of silver lights shot up in the sky as a huge array appeared on the ground and above.


    "ARGH!"


    "W-What is this?"


    "M-My body..! I can''t move my body!"


    "Is this an array formation? W-Why does my body feel so... weak..."


    Several wails from the surrounding groups resounded as the effects of the array formation fell on them.


    Rantz, who sensed the ground trembling, snapped out of his reverie and was about to attack Jared when he found thetter had disappeared.


    Just as he was about to locate Jared''s location using his magic sense, he sensed a presence appearing behind him.


    "With respect to the fact you appear to have been to that ce, I''m taking you in custody," Jared whispered.


    Before Rantz''s body erupted with the blue mes to attack Jared, thetter''s right hand swiftlynded on the former''s nape, its force just enough to knock him out.


    "Ugh¡ª!"


    Rantz fell to the ground, and the burning blue mes covering his body dissipated.


    Jared looked at him and sighed inwardly. He initially thought this guy was too weak to be an Archmagus. But after knocking him out cold, he was convinced that thetter was never serious about this battle.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In the first ce, Jared sensed this guy''s hesitation. Now, he was more convinced that the reason behind thetter''s hesitation was because of his conscience.


    He might have seen or heard things that went against his morals, which was why he never used his full strength when fighting Jared.


    Ultimately, Jared got the best of him, and for some reason, Jared felt he did not put up much resistance.


    In any case, with the matter in the Regis Estate dealt with, they had one less location to focus on.


    "Master Jared!"


    A Regis member rushed out from the gates.


    "We have just received news that Patriarch Aron and Young Master Kyran have left the Regis Terram and areing here¡ª."


    Before he could finish what he was saying, the space between them crackled, and Aron and Kyran''s silhouettes appeared before them.


    Jared felt his heart almost jump out of his mouth in fright. He was still not used to Kyran''s warping. But he kept a straight face and said, "What took you two so long?"


    "Please brief me on the current situation, uncle," Kyran asked as soon as he and Aron appeared.


    Jared nodded and looked at the member who had reported Aron and Kyran''s arrival. He motioned toward Rantz''s motionless body on the ground and said, "Take this guy inside and keep a close watch on him."


    "Yes, Master Jared," the member responded and took Rantz. He lowered his head toward Aron and Kyran in respect before returning to the Regis Estate.


    "The situation is bad," Jared told Aron and Kyran.


    For the next few minutes, he briefed them on what had happened to every location¡ª at least, the gist of what they currently knew¡ª and also told them about the surprise attack in Ravenpass.


    Kyran''s insides churned upon hearing the situation in Ravenpass. Even Aron''s expression turned grim.


    Others would have already berated Jared and the rest of the Regis Special Force on why they were still in the Regis Estate and had not gone back to Ravenpass. But Aron and Kyran were different. They understood that the situation in the estate could not be dealt with in a short time because too many enemies also surrounded them.


    The reason they knew about it was because Ames told them. She had the ability to see the situation surrounding the Regis Estate through her connection with the Regis Terram. Seeing the situation, she decided to help bying out, albeit as a projection, to scare the enemies away. She had seen what Myst and the others were doing and decided to help. And because of that, they managed to resolve the situation quickly.


    Going back to why Jared and the rest had not sent more people to Ravenpass, truth be told, Kyran thought it was a good call.


    If they had gone there, then Haylee would have already taken and used them against him.


    Because, unlike the people from the Conve, Montgomeray, Courtenay, and the rest, Kyran had not yet marked the Regis n member to prevent Haylee from using her magic to control them.


    "We have not received any update from our scouts that went to Ravenpass," Jared said as he continued telling them the situation. "But we already heard from the others."


    "How''s the situation in the Lumley Family Residence?" Aron asked.


    He asked about them first because they were the first ones who got attacked. Their side was considered their weakest area, too, because they did not have that many capable mages that could fight against an army of Grand Masters.


    "They met up with two mages¡ª each from the Courtenay and the Lumley. The enemy was chasing them, but our people saved them in time. Right now, they are still figuring out how to overturn the situation."


    "What about the Conve?" Kyran asked.


    When Ames told them that the previous Soul Emperor had never died, Kyran was worried about the situation at the Conve.


    However, if True Void were there, he would have snickered at him, saying he felt that way because Cyneah was there.


    Jared shook his head, "Unfortunately, we haven''t heard anything from our scouts yet."


    Seeing Kyran''s brow furrowed by his answer, Jared added, "Don''t get me wrong. They have not arrived in the Tower of Conve yet, so we haven''t heard from them."


    Nevertheless, Kyran''s expression did not change from Jared''s rification. As a matter of fact, the bad feeling he had doubled.


    "And in Noser? How are they?" Aron continued to ask.


    "Both sides are still engaged in battle. They mentioned something about powerful legendary beasts defending the forefront, and among these beasts is a Quilin. A real Quilin."

 Chapter 646 His Reverse Scale (4)

    Jared looked at Kyran when he said thest bit. He roughly knew about Zephyr, but Kyran had not told them the specifics.


    Aron, too. But after their conversation in the Regis Terram with Ames, he knew more about how Kyran and Zephyr met.


    But Kyran was only half paying attention to them. He was not worried about the situation in Noser because most of his trusted people were there¡ª te, the Solum Tribe, Ezra, Zephyr, and the rest of his beast Sigils.


    Most significantly, True Void. With thetter''s perverse ability to absorb magic energies, it would be impossible for anyone to gain the advantage against him.


    The real reason Kyran was distracted was mainly that many things had happened within the time he had stayed inside the Regis Terram. And he had only been away for more than an hour!


    He then understood that although the Regis Terram was in the Human ne, it was still properly connected to the Dragon ne. Which meant it still followed the time flow of that ce.


    If he had known about this, he would not have stayed and listened to Ames''s story. Though it only took her a few minutes to tell them about La being alive, it was equivalent to almost an hour in the Human ne.


    Kyran thought he had already learned from his past mistakes, but to think he had overlooked such basic knowledge about nes was very frustrating!


    "... the situation in Noser is better than the other locations," Jared continued.


    Aron nodded in agreement, "With this information, we can better mobilize our people and assist our allies as soon as possible."


    "Yes."


    The two paused when they noticed Kyran''sck of response. They looked at him and noticed he still had a grim expression.


    His expression made Aron think he was still thinking about Ames''s story because he had been lost in thought since then.


    For the record, Ames had told them what she knew about La''s supposed death.


    Ames exined that during thest battle between the Dragon Lord, Void Master, and Soul Emperor, thetter had used some trick that made the Void Master block the Dragon Lord from piercing his ws into her heart.


    It would have been fine if the Void Master had blocked the Dragon Lord''s ws using magic, but he did so using his physical body.


    Still, when the Dragon Lord''s ws pierced the Void Master''s chest, they passed through to the Soul Emperor''s chest.


    That was the scene witnessed by many people, especially the Winfrey Family.


    They also used that scene to twist the truth of what happened. They made it appear like the Soul Emperor grabbed the Void Master from behind, sacrificing herself to let the Dragon Lord kill him.


    When Ames told Aron and Kyran the truth, her expression turned sad. Apparently, that battle nearly drove Zane to insanity. He was devastated for killing Can, who was not only his best friend, but also his sworn brother.


    If not for Can''sst words, which somehow lessened the blow of what had happened, Zane would have likely destroyed the whole Human ne after losing his mind.


    "This is the most desirable oue. Thank you for going along with my selfishness, and I''m sorry for making you live through all this."


    After that battle, Zane took Can''s body back to White Lily while he burned La''s body. However, he soon discovered that La''s soul had long left her body before he ''killed'' her. It was Ste who discovered this, which prompted the two to meet with White Lily.


    Ames did not know what happened after that. She only knew that the three had done ''preparatory work'' before La found a suitable body to return to.


    Aron felt mixed emotions from this revtion. He was already aware of how their ancestor, Zane, killed the Void Master. It was written on the piece of broken tablet they had discovered before. But he did not expect there was more to the story than what was on the tablet.


    Honestly, they failed to uncover the whole story because the tablet was broken, and they had notpletely tranted the piece they possessed.


    On the other hand, after hearing Ames''s story, Kyran pieced together most of the things he already knew and could finally see the whole picture, especially when hebined it with what Ste had said.


    Although Ames''s story made it seem that only Ste, White Lily, and Zane were involved in the ''preparatory work'' against La''s return, Kyran saw differently. He was convinced that Can still had a big role in itspletion.


    How big it was, well... let''s say he had a role in how the Conve came to be.


    The so-called founder of the Conve¡ª Kyran, had an inkling it was Can.


    Going back to the present, from all this information, Kyran could somehow guess what Can had nned before. But if adding how Ste said Kyran seemed to change things from how they were supposed to happen into the equation, Kyran felt that La getting hold of the Macabre cier, which led to the situation in Ravenpass, was not part of his original scenario.


    If that was the case, Kyran had to prepare for the worst-case scenario: the return of a plete'' Soul Emperor.


    "Kyran?"


    "Don''t go to Ravenpass," Kyran suddenly said before Aron or Jared could ask him what was on his mind. "At least, not yet."


    Jared furtively looked at Aron while thetter looked at Kyran in silence.


    In such a situation, Jared was not good at reading far ahead. So he did not want to say what was on his mind. Jared might disagree with Kyran, but what if thetter said that because he saw something, the former could not? It was better to wait for Aron, who had far more experience dealing with such situations, to handle the rest.


    "I do understand why you think that way," Aron said after a short pause. "While White Lily is keeping the Soul Emperor busy, we can focus on saving as many of our allies as possible. After that, we can gather all our forces and deal with her once and for all in Ravenpass."


    Kyran nodded.


    "If that is the case, we have to decide where to go first."


    Aron did not suggest splitting their forces because they were outnumbered. No matter how capable one or two squads of their Special Forces were, faced with an army of mages, which consisted mainly of High Masters and Grand Masters, they would be killed. At most, one member could take out fifty or so enemies before they kicked the bucket. Aron would not subject his people to such a fate.


    The best course of action was to attack one location with full force, rescue their allies, and regroup before moving to the next location.


    Aron was not worried about wasting too much time traveling either. With Kyran''s warp, they could easily warp thousands of their people to their next destination.


    "Let''s go to Starhorn, first," Kyran suggested at once.


    He could more or less follow his grandfather''s train of thought. However, he believed his grandfather likely nned to go to Noser first. Based on the current situation, with their side having the upper hand, if they joined in from the rear, forming a pincer attack, they could end the battle faster. After that, they could regroup and assist their allies in Starhorn.


    But Kyran did not think this way. The time they spent in Noser would likely result in the situation in Starhorn escting.


    If an Archmagus led the attack, it would be different, but the one leading it was Osric. He was a top Legendary mage. Hugh was not enough to hold him down. If Malek was there, then maybe they had a chance. And it would be better if that guy was in his ''crazy'' mode because he would be more ruthless.


    s, they did not know what happened to him or even Euan.


    They had too few high-level mages, and their number was reduced with just one wrong move.


    Although the Tower of Conve''s defensive array could withstand powerful attacks, Kyran never considered it ast line of defense.


    There were quite a few ways to destroy a powerful defensive array without using powerful attacks. The most effective way was to destroy the array''s core. The second would be to dig underground and destroy one of its key points. If one of its key points were destroyed, and Osric focused fire on that spot, then the array would crumble in a matter of minutes.


    Aron looked at Kyran thoughtfully. At first, he wanted to point out the advantage of going to Noser first, but in the end, he thought it best to ask Kyran''s reasoning.


    "Why do you think we have to start in Starhorn? While its true that the Courtenay and Lumley families are already hanging by a thread, the Lumley Family Ancestral Hall''s defenses can still hold for another hour or two."


    Kyran shook his head and looked at Aron.


    Now that he thought of it, this might be the first time he would stand up against his grandfather.


    "I get what you''re trying to tell me, grandfather. But I am not that worried about their situation. The Courtenay Family have a few unregistered Array Specialists, and they can reinforce the ancestral hall''s defensive array as long as they have the required materials. Besides, the Archmagus leading that attack has already retreated, he probably is on his way to the Courtenay Residence, but since it is situated near the city, he won''t attack at once.


    "I am worried about the situation in the Conve, grandfather," Kyran''s voice dropped suddenly as he looked at them solemnly. "There is someone... in the Tower of Conve right now that can prevent La from beingplete."


    Aron''s brow furrowed. He knew among the forbidden magic users, the Royal Family only allowed one to live: the one with Time magic.


    Thinking about it now, Time magic might be the answer to stop La.


    Jared also thought the same, "Are you talking about the current Time Keeper?"


    Kyran shook his head, "No."


    "No?"


    "She can prevent La not because her magic can counter Soul magic."


    While listening to Kyran, Aron and Jared could not help but note how Kyran confirmed that person''s gender.


    "She is the reason why La remains iplete."


    "Huh?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ll exin on the way," Kyran hurriedly told them and made his way back to the estate.


    Aron and Jared could not help but exchange wry smiles. They noticed it when they met atst after so many months of no contact, but Kyran had changed.


    He was no longer the innocent boy that was forced to leave the confines and safety of the Regis Estate. Come to think of it, the day when the army raided the estate was Kyran''sing-of-age.


    s, that incident might have happened a few months, but in Kyran''s time, it had been years. Because of this, Aron and Jared felt Kyran''s transformation was too sudden.


    But it was a good transformation.


    At least, that was what they wanted to believe.


    Hopefully, Kyran did not develop any strange quirks after training in different nes and meeting different kinds of people.


    Pushing their thoughts aside, Aron and Jared followed Kyran back inside the estate.

 Chapter 647 His Reverse Scale (5)

    Kyran went back inside because he sensed Tritus and his magic weapon''s advancement had beenpleted. He did not warp to their location to avoid affecting the space, where the two were isted, with the nature of his magic. If not, he might disrupt how they consolidated their newfound strength.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® He still remembered Mannick''s exhortation when he thought of going to where his father was.


    Besides, Kyran also noticed Mannick with them; judging by thetter''s aura, his mage level actually dropped by a few.


    He recalled what Jared said about the Sovereigns'' descent because the Human ne''s cradle had already stopped working and how Nn was forced to advance and be the ne''s new Sovereign.


    Honestly, Kyran had considered a scenario where Nn ascends. But it was part of his worst-case scenario. After all, he had wanted Nn''s help to keep Haylee and her army at bay when the time to activate the Regis''s Grand Array came.


    Unfortunately, it was no longer possible.


    Now that Nn had be the new Human ne''s Sovereign, Azaloth was likely on hisst legs. Mannick''s condition was proof of that.


    But Kyran would not let him go just like that. He might have only met Azaloth''s essence and had not met him personally, but he had already considered him one of his people. This sentiment was his own and was not influenced by Can''s memories of him inside the Void core.


    Kyran also felt that True Void did not want Azaloth to go yet. At the very least, he probably wanted to meet him again.


    How would Kyran keep Azaloth from kicking the bucket? To be honest, Kyran did not know either. He just felt that as long as he could keep thetter''s essence, Mannick, alive, he could find a way to help Azaloth recover fully.


    If Azaloth did recover, would it affect Nn''s new status as the new Sovereign?


    Kyran decided to think about the answer to that question when it happened. In the meantime, he had to focus on keeping Mannick alive and helping Tritus and his magic weaponplete their strength consolidation first.


    Aron and Jared joined Kyran, and while they were on the way, he told them about Cyneah. He also told them his guess as to how she and Haylee came to be.


    Kyran did not im his guess as the truth because he did not have solid proof. He only gleaned his own assumption from the information he had and his own understanding.


    Basically, the Spirit that attacked Cyneah when she was still a little girl had no intentions of killing her. The Spirits only wanted to ce a curse on her to the point she would be bedridden. It was part of White Lily''s ploy to get someone¡ª a human who worked with the Spirits¡ª to present a way to cure her.


    Kyran had reasons to believe the person working with the Spirits was the person Cyneah thought as her ''mother.'' Whether that mother was the previous ''Empress'' or not, Kyran did not know. He would only know the truth from White Lily.


    During Cyneah''s treatment, they performed a rite, creating an essence that would rece her as the Crown Princess, while the original would then be taken far away.


    Kyran did not know whether White Lily intended to let Cyneah ''die'' in the hands of humans, but it was likely. From the environment she lived in and the treatment she grew up with, it was impossible for her to live past her teens.


    However, Cyneah''s ''mother'' did it¡ª until her death, that is.


    In any case, White Lily did not want to kill Cyneah simply because Haylee, as her essence, would also be affected, and the Royal Family would realize something was wrong and might learn of the truth. After all, locating someone''s original body using their essence was not hard.


    Only when Cyneah died a natural death would the n to get rid of the most suitable body La could return to seed.


    This was the assumption Kyran had, which he told Aron and Jared.


    When the two heard it, they felt mixed emotions.


    They somehow understood why the Spirits would do such a thing. Sacrificing someone to prevent a greater cmity from happening wasmon in survival, after all.


    However, they also understood why Kyran chose to save Cyneah and keep her under his wing, even after learning about the truth of her identity.


    Killing Cyneah to prevent La''s return was a good move. But to Aron, he believed keeping Cyneah alive was a wise move.


    His thoughts were likely the same as Kyran''s.


    If Cyneah were killed, it would only dy La''s return because there woulde a time when a new body would be born suitable for La. When that happened, who would stop her return then?


    If they kept the current body alive and had La return, albeit iplete, they could find a way to deal with her once and for all. Besides, in the present, there was a new Void Master that could suppress her.


    Aron, Jared and Kyran arrived at the location where Tritus and his magic weapon, along with Mannick, were.


    After confirming Mannick was still lucid, Kyran sent him to his Void World. Then he activated his Sigil to boost Tritus''s abilities, helping him consolidate his strength faster.


    Aron and Jared kept a straight face while watching Kyran work. But inwardly, they were still shocked by the fact Kyran had a human Sigil.


    While they waited for Tritus and his magic weapon toplete their consolidation, Aron, Jared and Kyran connected with the Regis Elders and discussed their course of action.


    It did not take long for them toe to a consensus. At the same time, Tritus and his magic weapon alsopleted their consolidation.


    After the Regis Special Forcespleted binding the enemy forces, they gathered inside the estate''s Outer Walls.


    Aron, the rest of the Regis Special Forces, and Tritus would go to the Lumley Family Residence to provide reinforcements. At the same time, Kyran would go to the Tower of Conve alone. He decided not to take Tritus with him to let thetter get used to his strength as a Legendary by fighting against Grand Masters.


    Besides, even if Tritus went with Kyran to the Tower of Conve, he and Osric were Water mages. They would only end up in a stalemate. Osric might even find an opportunity to rob Tritus of his power.


    Tritus did it, so why couldn''t Osric?


    Aron also sent a message to the squad of Regis Special Force dispatched in Noser to rendezvous with them in the Lumley Residence once the situation in Noser was resolved.


    This way, the Solum Tribe could tend to the wounded members of the Courtenay and Lumley Families.


    After that, Aron would lead a few Special Forces members to locate the Archmagus who led the attack in Lumley, while the rest would go to the Montgomeray Secret Residence and wait for further instructions.


    Aron also sent a message to their people in Ravenpass to alert them of any development between White Lily and the Crown Princess''s confrontation.


    When Eleanor selected the members who would stay and guard the estate, Kyran warped Aron and the rest of the Special Forces to a location close to the Lumley Ancestral Hall.


    He did not warp them directly inside the hall in case the Void nature of his warp would destroy the barrier around it, which the enemies could take advantage of.


    Kyran then added an additional protection form in Jared''s array formation to ensure the estate would hold if a sneak attack happened.


    Once done, Kyran warped directly inside the Tower of Conve.


    Before, he would normally warp in the temporary room he had in the training ground building. But since he left Cyneah in the room originally prepared for him at the tower near the main entrance, he warped there instead.


    As soon as Kyran appeared in the room, his expression darkened, and his eyes widened.


    The room he had appeared in was wrecked; the ceiling was destroyed, and the floor and walls were riddled with holes. There was a massive hole in the wall leading to the hall, and from where he was standing, he could see that the windows along the hall were also destroyed.


    From the scene he could view beyond the destroyed windows, Kyran saw nothing but destruction. Moreover, the sounds of explosions outside, which should have been filtered by the defensive array he created around the tower, could be heard loud and clear.


    Kyran''s heart sank as another scene ovepped with the destruction before him.


    The ground was filled with blood, and the mutted bodies of the people he knew were scattered everywhere. These ''people'' had elfish features. However, it was soon reced by human faces.


    Faces of individuals Kyran knew and whom he already considered his people.


    The Conve, Montgomeray, Solum Tribe, etc.


    Finally, a few familiar faces appeared among the mutted bodies he held dear, and that was when a subtle yet crisp sound echoed in his head.


    SNAP!

 Chapter 648 Plan

    Kyran''s pupils turned into slits, which were glowing silver, while his irises were reddish-purple. This change was a clear sign when he circted both Draconic and Void magic in his body.


    The Shaiha hummed as if resonating with his silent anger.


    Once again, Kyran was helpless when presented with his inabilities.


    His inability to predict and prepare for every possible scenario he would face; his inability to correctly remember important things at the most crucial moment; his inability to follow through with his ns; and most of all, his inability to protect everyone he holds dear.


    Anyone who knew the things going on in Kyran''s head would likely tell him not to be full of himself.


    After all, he was but one man. What can one man do?


    Humans need others to fill in the gaps in their weaknesses. Since every human has their own weaknesses and strengths, only by helping each other can they strive and survive in this world.


    Kyran knew this. But ultimately, his sense of responsibility always gets the best of him. For this reason, when something does not go his way, he ends up ming himself and snapping.


    Nevertheless, this time was a bit different.


    The first time Kyran snapped, he lost control of himself and half-killed several students in the military school. But the second time, his mind cleared, and he could face Ruin in a scary calm way.


    Scary calm because he had been overly calm when the gap between him and Ruin was worlds apart.


    There were other times Kyran had snapped, but the worst one had happened in Vates ne.


    At the moment, Kyran''s state of mind was simr to that time. However, he did not seem to have lost himself after he snapped. If anything, his countenance was simr to when he first took on Ruin.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple irises darkened slightly as his magic sense erupted and enveloped approximately 5,000 kilometer radius of his surroundings.


    This was not the maximum capacity he could use his magic sense. But at the moment, this was the ideal range that would allow him to use his magic without sacrificing its power.


    He might have the ability to warp, but he did not want to waste even a second of his time to understand and deal with the situation in the Conve.


    As soon as Kyran''s magic sense enveloped the whole Tower of Conve and a few hundred meters of its outer surroundings.


    In his mind''s eye, a three-dimensional map appeared, showing the area his magic sense had covered. This map also showed the position of every person. Apart from this, his magic sense identified whether the person was a friend or an enemy.


    In just a few seconds, Kyran discovered what could have caused the situation in the Tower of Conve to escte.


    One of the key points of the tower''s defensive array had been destroyed from the inside. From there, Osric and his army managed to infiltrate the tower.


    He then used several mini Water Cages to trap every mage andbat mage of the Conve, Mannick''s and Euan''s armies with a mage level higher than a Master''s. But among these people, Kyran did not find any Conve council members.


    Kyran guessed the reason Osric did this, instead of killing them, was to prevent arge-scale fight from breaking out, which could easily go out of control and result in unwanted casualties.


    Of course, the casualty Osric wanted to prevent was not on his side but Cyneah''s.


    That was right.


    Kyran had already guessed that the situation in the Conve escted because Osric discovered Cyneah.


    The fact that Kyran did not find Lira in her cell and only ''saw'' two half-dead Conve members outside said a lot.


    Others might think that Osric saved Lira after they infiltrated the tower, but Kyran ''saw'' trails of Lira''s tracks. She was also the one who caused the room where he had appeared to be in such a state.


    Kyran also determined the location of every Conve council member and knew that Hugh was in a bad state and Malia was doing his best to keep him alive.


    Aki, Avrum, Emery, Vanes, and even Len¡ª another of Kyran''s puppets¡ª were doing their best to defend the central tower where Ste''s chamber was located.


    Finally, he checked Ste''s chamber and found Cyneah


    Kyran''s dimmed irises shed as they returned to their reddish-purple state. The reason his eyes had dimmed was because he had used his magic sense without alerting the enemy.


    But now that he had gathered the information he needed, there was no reason to hide.


    As soon as the stealth property in his magic sense was lifted, everyone inside the 5,000-kilometer radius range of Kyran''s magic sense felt an oppressive magic energy.


    When Aki and Len felt it, their eyes lit up as they raised their heads toward the direction of the main tower.


    "Master."


    Both of them muttered.


    Avrum, Emery and Vaness, who also sensed the oppressive magic energy but did not know who it belonged to, had their hearts sink in fear. But after hearing Aki and Len, the three of them heaved a sigh of relief.


    At the same time, in Ste''s chamber, where Cyneah and Ste were huddled at the foot of the bed, they turned toward the tower''s main entrance after feeling Kyran''s magic sense.


    "Nar..." Cyneah muttered. Her multi-colored eyes glistened in both anticipation and fear.


    She already knew that the situation in the Conve had escted because of her. After all, she was only blind, not dumb, nor deaf. She had heard others talking and had connected the dots. Thus, she knew the gist of what was happening.


    Because of this, she also felt guilty for all those who had fallen.


    Ste looked at Cyneah with aplicated expression. When they had spoken earlier, she had a chance to tell her Kyran''s real name. But in the end, she chose not to. Half of her reason was because of her sessor¡ª Ste''s feelings for Kyran, while the other half... well, she felt Kyran had his own reasons for not telling her the truth.


    Regardless of which of these two reasons weighed most, Ste felt uneasy about it.


    The enemy side also sensed Kyran''s magic energy. They instantly doubled their guard as they tried to locate where it wasing from.


    On the other hand, a sinister smile appeared on Osric''s face. He was standing right above the central tower and looking at the chamber where he had sensed the Crown Princess''s other half was.


    Below, several Grand Masters surrounded the tower and were fighting the remaining forces of the Conve.


    These forces, which five people led, only consisted of mages with mage levels from Adepts to Grand Adepts. One would think they would have already sumbed to the Grand Masters, but for some reason, they had survived until now.


    The Grand Masters fighting them were already annoyed at this result. They did not think these low-level mages could survive this long with only five Grand Master mages¡ª actually, not five but four, because one of them was a regr human, albeit with a powerful physical body and strength¡ª taking the lead.


    Only Osric knew that although two of them emitted the strength of a Grand Master, their capabilities went beyond that. The only reason they did not appear imposing was because their use of magic spells was limited.


    Nevertheless, one of these two mages could actually cast powerful support magic spells. At the same time, he could also use powerful Wind magic attacks.


    The two mages Osric were pertaining to were Aki and Len. And just as he had predicted, both had the strength of an Exalted or even a Magus, if not for their limited magic spells.


    Now Aki and Len could not use their full potential because Kyran did not have time to change their programs properly. He could only tweak Aki''s programming a little where it would focus on protecting Cyneah. Rather than that, he had no time to input other magic spells.


    In any case, Osric could have dealt with these two and helped the Grand Masters sessfully infiltrate the main tower. However, he did not do so because he had his own n.


    The only ones who knew his n were the Array Specialists from the army and Boyd Family. His reason was simple. He did not want the Conve to see through his n. The more the Grand Masters fighting them below appeared agitated, the more the Conve would be focused on them and not think something was amiss.


    "Activate the array," Osric said. His voice was not loud, but the Array Specialists situated in specific locations around the main tower heard him just fine.


    The moment they heard him, they activated a target-specific transmission array.


    Kyran, who had just released the stealth property of his magic sense, felt a huge magic fluctuation above the main tower.


    Without further ado, the space around him crackled as he disappeared.


    In a blink of an eye, he reappeared right behind Osirc.

 Chapter 649 Honorable Death

    Without even a pause in his action, Kyran swiped his hand at Osric''s neck.


    Osric failed to react in time. Thus, Kyran''s hand, which seemed to have be a sharp de, neatly sliced through his neck.


    sh!


    Osric''s head flew up from the momentum of Kyran''s strike before falling to the ground, with his body following suit.


    However, even after cutting Osric''s head, Kyran did not look happy. Instead, his brow furrowed as he watched Osric''s head and body fall.


    Osric could turn himself to water. Even if Kyran''s attack were fast, Osric would have turned himself to water the moment he was attacked. Kyran would have grazed his neck by then, but he would still turn to water and escape.


    ''A dummy?'' Kyran thought with a slight frown.


    When Kyran felt Osric''s presence earlier, he had the same aura and presence as the real one, which was why he did not hesitate to go after him. But to think that the one he attacked was only a dummy.


    No.


    It was not exactly a dummy. It was more like an essence!


    Kyran suddenly felt an iing headache. There was no way for him to differentiate between a real body to an essence. Even when Nn''s essence appeared before him, Kyran only noticed he was an essence because he could clearly sense his mage level. The real Nn would never make such an obvious mistake.


    Among the people Kyran knew, only Cyneah seemed capable of differentiating an essence from its original body, and that was because she could see their ''souls.''


    Thinking of this, Kyran came up with an exnation of what had just happened.


    Most human mages were not aware of essences. Because of this, it was impossible for them to create one. And even if they knew how, they should be at least a Grand Master before they could seed in making one.


    In any case, only those who had entered the Tower of Tribtions knew about essence.


    Osric did not know about the Tower of Tribtions, but he likely knew about essences because he was born during the Chaos Era.


    At that time, those creatures from another ne likely used an essence or two during their stay.


    Nevertheless, knowing about essences did not mean Osric knew how to create one. Besides, if he created an essence to confuse Kyran, he would have seen through his bluff because an essence''s mage level would be lower than the original. Since it did not, it means it was not an essence but another form of magic spell.


    Kyran concluded it was a spell created from Soul magic.


    His Draconic and Void cores hummed as if to agree with his conclusion.


    Although Kyraning up with this conclusion seemed to have taken some time, the truth was he had processed everything in a second.


    While Osric''s body and the severed head were falling, Kyran had already moved.


    He ignored Osric''s body and went straight at the array formation that appeared above.


    Obviously, the array formation Osric and his men prepared was meant to transport the whole tower to a specific location¡ª most likely, in Ravenpass, where Haylee was.


    It was a smart move, to be honest. If they could not bypass the tower''s defenses, they only had to target where Cyneah was hiding. Since they could not enter the tower, they aimed to transport the part where she was to another location.


    It was quite unfortunate that the array formation in Ste''s chamber did not have any counter to such a move. If it did, such a n would not have worked.


    Kyran''s eyes shed as the space around him crackled as cracks appeared. Several purple orbs appeared from the cracks and flew toward several spots above the array formation.


    The array formation shook just before the purple orbs could touch these spots, resulting in them missing their target.


    Kyran suddenly stopped as realization dawned on him.


    His magic energy erupted and enveloped the whole range of the formation, instantly locating what he was searching for.


    A Space mage!


    That was right.


    Apart from the array formation, a high-level mage with Space innate magic supported the array formation. Because of this, Kyran''s attack would notnd on it.


    To think that he would fail to notice such a mage!


    No. It was not that he did not notice it. Space magic energy had simrities with his Void magic energy since the former could be said to have been derived from one of thetter''s properties.


    It was simr to how Memory magic was derived from one of Soul magic''s properties, or, eleration magic was to Time magic.


    Kyran turned his focus toward the mage emitting Space magic energy. This time, he did not use his warp but used the Dragon Steps!


    With one step, he was already in front of a female mage.


    The female mage was none other than the woman who had ''scolded'' Osric a while back when he released his magic weapon''s sentient. She had been paying close attention to Kyran''s movement the moment he had appeared behind Osric''s dummy.


    As a Space mage, she would notice if Kyran nned on using his warp ability and could also predict where he nned to go to a certain extent. She nned on using this ability to her advantage and avoid being sneaked attack by him.


    s, she did not expect Kyran could warp without even her noticing.


    Because no one had seen Kyran use the Dragon Steps, to the women, his step looked the same as his warping.


    Kyran appeared right in front of the woman.


    The woman gasped in surprise, but her gasp was cut off as Kyran grabbed her by the throat.


    The Grand Masters nearby, who were meant to protect the woman, stood rooted in spot. They looked at Kyran with fear in their eyes.


    "Gaah!" The woman grabbed Kyran''s hands and tried to yank his hand off her. "W-What are you doing?"


    She red at the Grand Masters from the corner of her eyes.


    Snapping out of their frightened state, the Grand Masters roused their magic energy. Red magic arrays formed on their hands, and they summoned fireballs to attack Kyran.


    Kyran ignored them and the woman''s struggles as he tightened his hand around her neck, and at the same time, he lifted her off the ground.


    The fireballs hit Kyran. However, they did not even ''warm up'' his coat.


    Seeing this, the Grand Masters were shocked. Just from this attack, they were already aware of the gap in power between them and Kyran. Even if they continued attacking, they would only be digging their grave. However, they were tasked to protect the woman. If they did not do their job properly, they would be severely punished if they ever survive today. And if they did their job, they would likely end up dead.


    Regardless of the choice they made, they would die, which was why they ultimately chose to fight!


    The Grand Mastersbined their magic energy and prepared an advance-tier fire magic spell. Arge red magic array appeared before them, where mes danced at its edges. They channeled all their magic energy into the magic array and prepared to summon the advance-tier fire magic spell.


    However.


    Without even looking at them, Kyran''s magic energy erupted again, spreading in every direction.


    In a split second, when his magic energy swept through the red magic array and into the Grand Masters, the magic array shattered while the Grand Masters spat out a mouthful of blood. After that, they were thrown a few meters away before hitting a wall.


    The wall crumbled from the impact, burying the Grand Masters at once.


    The woman was shocked at what she saw from the corner of her eyes. But instead of showing fear before Kyran, she gritted her teeth and pretentiously said, "Y-You might think with me dead, you can finally destroy the array formation, but you''re dead wrong! As long as Lady La is alive, I will not die¡ª!"


    The woman choked out her words before Kyran broke her neck.


    Not even sparing the woman a nce after killing her, Kyran took another step.


    In an instant, he was already behind one of the Array Specialists maintaining the array formation.


    The Array Specialist did not even have the chance to react when Kyran cut off his head from behind.


    All the Grand Masters nearby were both shocked and frightened by Kyran.


    But their fear did not stop them from attacking. Their reasons were the same as the Grand Masters, who were supposed to protect the woman.


    Regardless of what they do, they will die anyway. Might as well die honorably.


    s, to them, dying for the sake of the Crown Princess''s goal was honorable.


    It was an unfortunate notion.


    Kyran ignored the Grand Masters and continued to eliminate the Array Specialists.


    As the woman said, he did not believe the array formation would stop after her death, so he aimed to kill all the Array Specialists first.


    To be honest, Kyran could have killed them in one go using his magic sense. However, he would have to reduce his magic sense''s range if he did that. But he could not do that at the moment because he was using his magic sense to keep those Conve members who were on the verge of death alive.

 Chapter 650 What Went Wrong

    Void magic does not include healing properties. It does include creating and returning things from and to nothingness.


    Thus, Kyran''s purpose in inclosing the Conve members with his magic sense was to cover their wounds and stop them from bleeding out. After that, he used one of Draconic magic''s properties: body strengthening. Because he could not share his healing abilities with them unless these people were connected through a Sigil, doing this would at least help them strengthen their bodies and endure the pain.


    Another reason Kyran could not maximize the use of his magic sense was that it was his first timebining the Draconic and Void magic to this extent. Before, he would only do so with a small range and only to scout his surroundings. It was his first time using them together in such arge range and actively using both magics'' properties.


    Because some of the properties of both magic contradict each other, Kyran had to be careful. Frankly, if not for the Shaiha''s assistance in containing both magic in his magic core, the two magic would have already gone haywire.


    "Attack! Do not let him do as he pleases!"


    "It doesn''t matter if our attacks won''t work on him! Keep on attacking and slow him down!"


    Shouts from a higher ranking member among the enemy Grand Masters could be heard while Kyran moved about and killed their Array Specialists.


    However, no matter what they did, they could not hurt or slow Kyran down.


    "Where are the Support spells?"


    Someone barked amidst the attack.


    The others who heard him were also wondering the same thing. If the mages with them with support-type innate magic cast status spells on Kyran, they might be able to slow him down.


    However, since thetter had taken action, they had not seen any such spells beingunched.


    Unfortunately, all their Support mages had fallen too far back and were unaware of the current situation near the main tower.


    They had retreated upon the instructions of other leading members in fear that the Conve would target them first. After all, Support mages could not only cast negative status ailments but also positive ones.


    As thest Array Specialist fell, all the Grand Masters got flustered. Still, they did not stop attacking Kyran with all sorts of fire magic spells.


    Still ignoring the rest of the Grand Masters, Kyran warped toward the Array Formation once more.


    CRACKLE!


    The space between him and the formation distorted as Kyran failed again to get close to it.


    ''What is happening?''


    "I already told you my death doesn''t mean you can destroy the formation!"


    A woman''s voice echoed from behind Kyran.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked toward the direction where the voice had spoken.


    On the ground below, where the woman he had just killed was looking at him with a sneer on her face.


    One after another, the Array Specialists that he killed also stood up. They even picked up their heads and attacked them back to their bodies.


    The Grand Masters nearby who witnessed this were bbergasted. They would have been frightened out of their minds if not for the fact that they had known these people were no longer humans. At least, they were not these mages'' real bodies.


    Just like Osric, they were already dummies. However, their souls were inside. If their dummy bodies were destroyedpletely, they would have trouble ''reviving.''


    Avrum, Emery, Vaness and the rest of the Conve members and Army soldiers, who were still holding the main tower''s defensive line, were shocked at what they had witnessed.


    They had been busy defending but also closely watched Kyran''s movement because they were looking for a chance to join him outside the main tower''s defensive line. However, they could not even rejoice about Kyran killing the enemy Array Specialists and the woman because they suddenly ''returned'' from the dead.


    What exactly is happening?


    Unlike them, however, Kyran was well aware of what was happening.


    Of course, he did not realize it at first. But after the woman had revived, he was made aware of it.


    It seemed Kyran had wasted too much time¡ª not just in Regis Terram, but also after returning¡ª to the point that Osric and his people had alreadypleted making their countermeasures.


    The dummy bodies and the ''revival'' of the people meant that the Crown Princess¡ª or, to be precise, La¡ª was already involved in all of their ns.


    Kyran would not be surprised if La was already nearby¡ª at least, one of her ''dummies.''


    "That''s right," Kyran muttered as he looked at the woman indifferently. However, his reddish-purple eyes, with a touch of silver, shed with murderous intent. "I am dealing with the Soul Emperor. Breaking someone''s soul into pieces and cing them into dummies is not hard."


    Although Kyran spoke in a low voice, the woman had heard him clearly. Her smile widened after hearing his words, and she said, "Yes. Senior Osric and Her Highness already made preparations in case someonees and stops us from aplishing our task.


    "You see, Her Highness cannote herself because of that Spirit B*tch keeping her busy. So she had already cast a spell on some of us so we would not die. Anyway, it will not be long until she is freed from that b*tch''s interference. Senior Osric will soon be there and put that b*tch in her ce! As for us, we only have to ensure that the Conve is destroyed, and then we transport the Time Keeper."


    Hearing the woman bber, Kyran did not kill her at once. Then again, what the woman had said pretty much summed up what he already knew. The only difference was these guys were not aware of why they were told to transport the Time Keeper.


    "Thanks for confirming my thoughts," Kyran replied before disappearing and reappearing in front of the woman.


    Once more, the woman was taken aback because she still failed to sense his ''warping.''


    Obviously, she did not sense it because Kyran did not warp but used the Dragon Steps again.


    "I-I told you it is futile to kill me!" The woman shouted in fear. She might not truly die in Kyran''s hands, but that did not mean she did not fear death. Besides, when Kyran killed her the first time, she still felt the pain.


    For this reason, the Grand Masters with her were tasked to protect her. To prevent her from experiencing death time and again.


    "No matter how many times you kill me, I will revive and¡ª guah!"


    Kyran did not even bother listening to the woman''s shouting before killing her again. Her body fell lifeless to the ground.


    The Grand Masters nearby, now aware that the woman would revive, did not ck off. They continued to attack Kyran relentlessly.


    "Annoying," Kyran muttered as he looked at the Grand Masters.


    BAM!


    "GUAH!"


    "ARGH!"


    A powerful invisible force mmed onto them the moment Kyran''s eyesnded on them.


    Those with weaker physical defenses were thrown back a few meters while the others fell to their knees and spat a mouthful of blood.


    All the Array Specialists and Grand Masters who had seen Kyran''s attack trembled in fear. Nevertheless, they did not retreat. They approached Kyran to a certain range and began bombarding him with magic spells again.


    Silver scales appeared on Kyran, protecting him from their attacks. These scales were not abination of Draconic and Void magic but the Draconic magic''s normal defensive property. After all, the magic output of the Grand Masters was not that powerful. Kyran did not need to use the Void Scales or even the Void Armor to protect himself from their attacks.


    Ignoring the Grand Masters'' bombardment, Kyran looked at the woman''s body on the ground. He would not sense her soul if he did not focus on her. But even so, it was very faint. No wonder he had thought she was already dead the first time.


    Suddenly, the woman''s body jerked, and her eyes fluttered. Her body also moved as if invisible strings were attached to her while their ends were connected to a puppetmaster''s controller.


    Her bones creaked slightly as she stood straight. Finally, her eyes cleared, and the wound on her neck closed.


    The woman was alive once again.


    "Y-You¡ª!" The woman gasped in fright when she saw Kyran standing before her.


    She had thought he had left and aimed at the others while she was ''dead.'' She did not expect him to wait for her revival.


    ''And then what?'' She wondered in fright. ''What is he nning on doing?''


    Her questions were soon answered as Kyran muttered, "Approximately five seconds. That''s long."


    "What¡ª guah!"


    Kyran sliced the woman''s neck. However, this time, he did not use Draconic magic. Instead, a purple de had appeared on his hand.


    Anything that the Void slices will never be healed. If he cut off the woman''s neck with a Void Knife, it could never be reattached.

 Chapter 651 Foolish Move

    Cutting the woman''s head did not guarantee she would not revive again. But Kyran did it anyway to ensure her soul would not have aplete dummy body she could use. Besides, he felt that La''s spell was connected to the dummy. He guessed as much because when she revived, the dummy body reattached its severed head and even healed prior injuries. He also guessed that as long as the dummy did not sustain irreparable damage, the soul connected to it would continue reviving.


    Kyran could have destroyed the woman once and for all using the Void Sphere. But if he did that, he would miss a good opportunity to check how La''s spell worked.


    Moreover, La was aware of Kyran''s magic. Since she had used the dummies, knowing that he might appear, she likely had prepared a countermeasure against his magic.


    Kyran wanted to know what it was. The dummy body was not made of any special material, and there was no visible array or seal on the outside, so that only leaves the inside.


    In any case, now that he had cut its head with Void magic, its ability to reattach that part of its body had been destroyed. Once La''s spell activated and revived the soul, it would only end up in a useless dummy.


    Another thing Kyran wanted to confirm was if the dummy body were La''s answer to the undying bodies her precious souls would use. Because, as far as he was concerned, the dummy bodies were more flexible just like real human bodies.


    However, the materials used in creating them were probably more expensive than creating puppets. Not to mention, puppets had sturdier bodiespared to these dummies.


    If the dummy bodies could be destroyed easily, what was the point of mass-producing them?


    At the very least, Kyran believed La had to consider what kind of body she wanted her precious souls would use.


    After all, there was no such thing as infinite revival.


    At least, Kyran was positive that part of the soul was destroyed each time it was revived. So, if the dummies died a few more times, the soul attached to it would have been reduced to the point it would be destroyedpletely. Then the dummies would all be useless.


    Even if the dummy body remained intact after its soul was destroyed, Kyran did not think a new soul could easily be attached to it.


    Kyran''s knowledge of Soul magic might be limited, but it was better than the others¡ª apart from the Soul Emperor and her subjects, that is. Thus, he knew at least that a soul had to bepatible with the vessel to use it properly. And so far, only puppets, which were created from different rare materials that were rich with magic energies, could fulfil this requirement.


    In order to find out whether La prepared any countermeasure against his magic, Kyran decided to observe the magic fluctuation on the woman''s dummy body after he cut off her head.


    So far, apart from it reviving approximately five seconds, he sensed a strange fluctuation from inside its body.


    Since Kyran did not find anything useful after the woman revived, he cut her again. This time, after cutting the woman, he sent his magic sense into the woman''s dummy body.


    The moment his magic sense entered the dummy, he immediately sensed a subtle yet concentrated Soul magic energy from the inside.


    To be precise, the magic energy was located at the center of the dummy''s lower abdomen.


    From there, Kyran let his magic sense scan that area and discovered a very strange array.


    He found the array strange, not because he could not read it. As a matter of fact, he could. The strange one was that it did not seem part of the dummy.


    As if the array was located at another location.


    Space magic?


    No.


    It was not Space magic.


    Kyran found this feeling somewhat familiar.


    And it was then he was reminded of why it seemed that way.


    ''It''s him,'' he thought as the image of Gael shed through his mind.


    Gael''s Shadow magic had the ability to ''take'' and even ''transport'' things and even people as long as there were shadows around.


    Kyran had not yet learned much about Shadow magic and could not grasp its concept. But he had an inkling that one of the properties of Shadow magic was simr to the Void.


    Nevertheless, as much as he wanted to understand everything now, the current situation would not allow him to feed his curiosity.


    ''It seems her countermeasure was that guy''s magic. Since I can''t directly destroy Shadow magic because of its property, I can''t destroy the array inside the dummy. Even if I did, the soul attached to it would not be destroyed.''


    Kyran then paused as he thought of something.


    ''Or is it?''


    Thinking of this, Kyran no longer hesitated. Before the woman could revive, he summoned a purple disc that was big enough to cover her dummy body. He manipted the disc and let it pass through,pletely destroying the dummy''s body.


    Once the dummy body was destroyed, the array formation above crackled. After that, the whole formation shook frantically.


    All the Array Specialists who witnessed the woman''s fate finally felt true fear.


    Earlier, they were frightened about Kyran''s decisive attack when killing them. But because they knew they would revive, thanks to her Highness''s spell, they still felt at ease.


    But now, seeing that the woman did not even have the chance to understand what had happened and was destroyedpletely, they were now frightenedpletely.


    Sizzle! Crackle! Sizzle! Crackle!


    Crackling and sizzling sounds reverberated as purple discs materialized behind the Array Specialists. Before any of them could even react, the discs slid through their body,pletely destroying them.


    The Grand Masters who witnessed this were reeling in fear.


    They initially thought they could protect them from Kyran as long as they could stop him from getting close to them.


    They did not expect Kyran tounch simultaneous attacks on all Array Specialists.


    With the Array Specialists removed from the equation, the array formation surrounding the main tower continued to crack, and soon, it could no longer sustain the formation. Such a result was to be expected after the Array Specialists maintaining it were killed.


    These Array Specialists were not Kyran, after all.


    Kyran could simply activate the array formation and no longer had to maintain it once it was fully activated. He could even do it in a short span of time. Inparison, the Army''s Array Specialists would still need to maintain and stabilize the array formation before they could fully use it.


    Avrum, Emery, Vaness, and the rest of the Conve and Army members heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Kyran stopping the array formation''splete activation.


    The Grand Masters around them were also stunned. But they recovered almost at once and without waiting for anyone to order them, they took out teleportation scrolls or token and crushed it.


    Those who used the teleportation scrolls would be transported back to the Boyd Family''s Vi, while those with tokens could only wish to escape as far as possible.


    Of course, if they wanted to escape, they would need to use more teleportation tokens.


    Without looking at these people, Kyran''s magic sense immediately reacted.


    To think these Grand Masters was foolish enough to use such magic items that was clearly designed to mimic the Void magic''s warp ability.


    In an instant, the moment these Grand Masters used the teleportation scrolls and tokens, a purple light shed from their items and enveloped their bodies.


    "W-What is this?"


    "N-No! M-My hand is!"


    "AAAARGH! NO! STOP!"


    Soon, agonizing cries could be heard as the Grand Masters were killed one after another.


    Avrum, Emery, Vaness, and the others felt their bodies turn cold from the cries of death that surrounded them. From where they were standing, they could clearly see how these mages were engulfed by a purple color mes.


    Obviously, it was not mes but Void magic. But at the moment that was how they saw Kyran''s attack. They were then reminded of what was said to be the most terrible and powerful mes.


    The purple color mes looked to them like the legendary mes of Hell.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained indifferent to the cries that filled the air and warped directly in front of the main tower.


    Avrum, Emery and Vaness snapped out of their reverie and went to greet him at once.


    Aki and Len also stepped forward and bowed at Kyran respectfully.


    "Master."


    Kyran waved his hand, and both of their programs were adjusted in an instant.


    "Check the others at once. Heal the wounded."


    "Yes, master," the two replied and moved at once.


    Avrum, Emery and Vaness looked at him, unsure what to say.


    However, Kyran did not wait for them to say anything and only said, "Rest for now. I havepletely covered the area with my magic sense. We''re safe for now."

 Chapter 652 Trap (1)

    After Kyran said this piece, he warped directly to Ste''s chamber.


    With Avrum and Emery assisting him, Vaness took charge of the aftermath.


    Although Kyran assured them they were safe for now, thest two words were the keywords.


    Vaness, Avrum and Emery did not need to hear him borate on what he meant because their initial readings on the map Kyran provided showed several enemies were still on standby a few hundred meters from the Tower of Conve''s borders.


    With those numbers, defending against the next wave would be impossible, even with Kyran''s protection.


    They were not underestimating Kyran. After witnessing him killing hundreds of Grand Masters in a blink of an eye, how could they underestimate him? They were only afraid that the enemies would run him dry.


    After delegating tasks to members with minor injuries, Vaness had Avrum go back and assist Malia in healing Hugh.


    Avrum did not protest because Hugh was considered their second offensive person. As long as they could find a way to alleviate his injuries, he could help Kyran fight against the enemies.


    Meanwhile, Kyran''s mood worsened when he appeared in Ste''s chamber. This was because ofthe dense death aura that appeared around Cyneah once again.


    When they had met at the cave in the Valley of Morte'', Cyneah had been covered by the same death aura. However, aftering to the cottage and receiving te''s healing, that aura slowly disappeared.


    But that was the thing. When the death aura appeared on Cyneah before, it was because her body and health were in a terrible condition. She suffered from internal and external wounds and even malnutrition.


    But that was not the case right now. Apart from her paleplexion¡ª because she had yet to recover from the episode wherein her soul had left her body¡ª she could be considered a very healthy young woman.


    So why was the death aura back again?


    It was not really a question because Kyran knew the answer and was unhappy about it.


    The cause obviously had something to do with ''La.''


    From the foot of the bed where the twodies were huddled together, Cyneah lifted her head slightly after sensing Kyran''s arrival.


    "Nar?" She called.


    Kyran scowled after hearing her but did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Ste, who was sitting beside her.


    Ste looked at him, too and wore a bitter smile. She said, "I''m sorry I could only do so much."


    "You''ve done enough," Kyran assured her.


    Who knew what would have happened if Ste did not bring Cyneah to her chambers?


    "I''m surprised you''re still here," Kyran added, staring at Ste indifferently.


    "Ste still needs time to recuperate."


    "Right," Kyran replied curtly and finally turned his attention back to Cyneah.


    Cyneah sensed Kyran''s eyes on her and looked back at him.


    "I know you have questions," he started. "But I can''t answer them right now."


    Before Kyran could continue, he noticed Ste pursed her lip uneasily. He could not help but sigh inwardly after realizing they might have already talked about a lot of ''things.''


    ''How much did you tell her?'' Kyran asked Ste telepathically.


    ''Only the things she needs to know.''


    ''There are things she needs to know but can''t yet.''


    ''And what would that be?''


    Kyran did not reply. Instead, he walked toward Cyneah and reached for her hand.


    "I''ll take you somewhere safer," he told her.


    Before he could take her hand, however, she hid them behind her back.


    "Don''t treat me like a damsel in distress," Cyneahined with a frown.


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly.


    "I''m not. But if you stay here¡ª."


    "She can get to me?"


    Kyran red at Ste upon hearing Cyneah''se back.


    Ste looked at him innocently while lifting her open hands as if to say: "I did not say anything."


    Cyneah, seemingly sensing the not-so-subtle exchange between the two, pursed her lips in annoyance.


    "I may be blind, but I''m not stupid," she told Kyran, clearly irritated at how she was being treated. "I know I''m the reason why this happened."


    Kyran sighed. Instead of arguing with her, he said, "You''re just part of the reason. Don''t think too highly of yourself."


    Cyneah tried her best to re at him. However, her line of sight was too off that her actions appeared awkward and even endearing.


    "All of us have to leave, anyway. I''m just taking you first."


    "Can''t sister Stee?"


    Kyran looked at Ste, ''Sister Ste?''


    Ste kept looking at him innocently and replied, ''Technically, I am older than her.''


    ''Way older.''


    ''That is unnecessary!''


    Kyran ignored her.


    "She can''t," Kyran told Cyneah. "We''re going back to the cottage. You know how only a few could go there, right?"


    Then, Cyneah''s face lit up after remembering something, and she asked, "Is master there?"


    "She will be."


    "''Will be?''" She repeated.


    "She had to do some errands."


    "Zephy?"


    Kyran sighed, "He will be there too. Later."


    "For short. Everyone is out here, risking their lives while I had to stay hidden in a safe ce?"


    "Yes."


    Cyneah red at him.


    "You are still recovering from..." Kyran paused, recalling he was the one who caused her soul to leave her body. "Just stay there for now, and we''ll get to you after everything is settled."


    Instead of answering, Cyneah stood up and walked toward the doors.


    "Oi," Kyran called and followed her.


    Ste also stood up and followed them curiously.


    "I want to help heal the wounded," Cyneah suddenly dered as if she did not hear what Kyran had just said.


    Kyran looked at her in confusion. Somehow, he felt Cyneah was acting rebelliously. This made him wonder what sort of things Ste said for her to act this way.


    "I''ll take you there," Ste said, grabbing her by the hand before activating the tower''s teleportation array.


    "Oi," Kyran called again, but Cyneah ignored him while Ste looked at him with a wry smile.


    ''I know how important it is to keep her safe. But if you treat her like this, she will continue to reject you.''


    ''I don''t even know what you mean about ''like this.'' Just what did you tell her? Why is she acting like this?''


    ''You are acting somewhat strange yourself,'' Stelka pointed with an amused smile. ''You appear domineering but you don''t really forceher to listen to you.''


    Kyran did not respond. To be precise, he did not know what to say so he decided to remain silent.


    True to what Ste had said, although Kyran wanted to bring Cyneah back to the cottage- which to him was the safest ce in the Human ne right now- he did not want to force her. If she wanted to stay, then so be it. But if she stayed, he would be forced to keep her close to him.


    To be honest, the second safest ce for Cyneah to be was to stay close to him.


    It was not conceit that made Kyran think this way. He only thought that as long she stayed close, then he could protect her better.


    Of course, the cottage was still the safest ce for her because of its new surroundings. Since he relocated the cottage in the Misty Forest, and the mist around had grown thicker since thest time he had been there, it would be impossible for their enemies to locate her.


    it would even be impossible for them to infiltrate that ce and sessfully take her away.


    Apart from this, the array formation Kyran prepared around the cottage was far better than the one in the Tower of Conve.


    The reason was simple. When Kyran improved the Tower of Conve''s array formation, Noir and Simga already had a blueprint for it. The one in the cottage was Kyran''s own blueprint, thus, he had better grasp on it.


    Although initially the cottage had its own array formation, after tweaking it the first time, Kyran had already owned the formation the second time he worked on it.


    Besides, the materials he used on the formation were not something that could easily be destroyed.


    Truth be told, Kyran also wanted to go to the cottage because he wanted to check on his father and also the Chaos Pce.


    He wondered if he could find True Void''s body if he went inside.


    Of course there was no guarantee that he woukd be able to go inside the pce, but it was still worth a try. If he coukd at least find


    True Void''s body, maybe he could really have what it means to destroy the Macabre cier. When that happened, they would only have to deal with the rest of La''s cronies, right? In particr, all the Archmagus and Osric.


    In any case, there was also a possibility that he could get ''Can'' to appear in his sea of consciousness after going back there.


    When that happened, he could find out more about the mystery behind La. Because Kyran had a feeling ''Can''s'' reason for not killing La was not because he was in love with her. Kyran believed there was a bigger reason. And he wanted to know what it was.

 Chapter 653 Trap (2)

    Kyran pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and frowned when he saw the twodies about to leave the chamber.


    "You''re not really serious about going out there to heal the wounded, right?" He called out to them before Ste could fully activate the teleportation array.


    With a slight pout, Cyneah turned toward the direction where she sensed where Kyran was standing, then she said, "Why can''t I?"


    Instead of answering Kyran looked at Ste again.


    "What did you tell her exactly?"


    This time, he did not bother to talk to her telepathically. If Cyneah was aware of the situation, then there was no point in keeping it from her.


    "As I told you, what she needs to know," Ste replied with a smile.


    "She told me the things you kept from me," Cyneah chimed in, sounding a little indignant.


    Kyran sighed, "Can you just tell me the specifics? I don''t read minds."


    "Oh, but you were just talking to me telepathically and you were able to reply to me because you were able to read-."


    "Hearing thoughts is different from reading someone else''s mind. And can you stop changing the subject?" Kyran''s patience were running thin with these two not cooperating with him.


    It was as if they could not sense how pressed for time they were at.


    "Neah," Kyran turned to Cyneah and said, "The enemies are still waiting around the corner. We managed to get a respite but we don''t know until when. Once they start to move, who knows what kind of tricks they prepared just to capture you."


    "I know," Cyneah replied, sounding forlorn. "That''s why I want to heal the wounded at least before they make a move."


    "Healing them is good and all, but did it ur to you what these people will feel if they see you?"


    As soon as Kyran pointed this out, Cyneah looked crestfallen.


    Seeing her expression, Ste could not help but let out a forlorn sigh.


    Even without Ste saying anything, Cyneah had already known how much she ''looked'' simr to the Crown Princess.


    No.


    Truth be told, Cyneah was convinced she was the Crown Princess and might even be her essence.


    Ste had already confirmed that Cyneah was not an essence but the original body after learning her eyes- which represented her Soul magic- was taken from her.


    Ste immediately recognized that Cyneah''s ''blindness'' was White Lily''s handiwork.


    In the Ancient times, Spirits were one of the known keeper of bnce in the Higher Realm. However, because of their mischievousness there were those who found them a nuissance. Thus, after the incident they called the Great Fall, the Spirits were forced to go down the Lower Realm and find a new ne to live in.


    Fortunately, they found a ''free'' ne and managed to coexist with the natives there. Unfortunately, when the War of the Sovereigns started, that ne was one of the first that got destroyed.


    But that was not the point here. Basically, the Spirits were originally from the Higher Realm and also one of the Keepers of Bnce.


    Because of this, they had great knowledge that only in the Higher Realm would know.


    Of course, those knowledge was only avable to the Spirits'' Royalty- in this case, White Lily.


    And one of the knowledge she knew was removing one''s magic.


    Nevertheless, there were certain things that had to be done when doing this. Thus, she could not freely remove another mage''s magic.


    White Lily paid a price for removing Cyneah''s ''magic''- in this case, her eyes- and used those eyes to create an essence.


    It was because of this that Cyneah did not possess a magic core, while Haylee had one. To be urate, Haylee was originally a magic core.


    Ste was able to confirm this and told Cyneah the truth. However, knowing she was the original did not make her happy. On the contrary, she felt more dejectedly.


    After all, Cyneah was already aware of the things that Haylee had done and was still doing. How could she be happy?


    Seeing Cyneah''s dejected look, Kyran could not help but scratch the back of his ear uneasily. He did not mean to make her feel sad, but he had to remind her how her appearance might not have a good impact to the members of the Conve and the Army with them.


    None of them knew about Cyneah''s existence, after all. The Conve council members were not even aware of it- apart from Malia, that is.


    "I..." Cyneah started after a moment of hesitation. "I only want to help. I don''t want to feel... useless."


    "You''re not," Kyran assured her at once.


    Cyneah smiled bitterly at him, and said "You''re a terrible liar, Nar. Apart from healing, what use am I?"


    Kyran did not reply. He could not.


    Not because he did not have ae back to her question, but because if he replied, he would sound tacky.


    Seeing his uneasiness, Ste could not help but giggle. It was strange how she found this two annoying yet loving at the same time.


    To change the depressing mood, Ste pped her hands and said, "Alright, that is enough."


    She turned to Cyneah and said, "Ky- Nar is right. But he is also wrong."


    Before Kyran could refute her, she continued, "He is right about others seeing you is not a good idea, but he is also wrong because, its not like I don''t know that and n to take you to heal them directly."


    Ste smiled at Kyran then and added, "I''ll take her first to Malia and we can setup an area where she can use her magic and heal the others without appearing in person. Is that good enough?"


    "If that''s the case... Yes, that''s eptable," Kyran replied slowly. However, the frown on his face did not straighten meaning he was still uneasy about it.


    In the end, when he saw Cyneah''s expectant expression, he could only agree.


    With that settled, the three went to meet Malia.


    Malia was currently in one of the empty chambers in the main tower and was tending at Hugh''s injuries.


    The moment they appeared, Malia was slightly taken aback, while Avrum who had just arrived to assist Malia in healing Hugh, was frightened out if his wits.


    Since Kyran could not be bothered to exin Cyneah''s origin, Ste only ced a finger on her lips when she looked at Avrum.


    Seeing Ste''s gesture, Avrum snapped out of his frightened state and nodded his head in understanding.


    After that, Cyneah easily healed Hugh''s injuries. What was more, Avrum and Malia felt their own injuries healed and their exhaustion removed.


    It was such a marvelous feeling.


    Kyran was also surprised at how much Cyneah''s healing ability had improved. He might have been away for five years but technically, he had only been away a few months. And in that span of time, Cyneah''s healing ability had actually improved by leaps and bounds.


    While Kyran had experienced Cyneah''s healing just a few weeks ago, she was only focusing on him so he did not notice her improvement. Now that there were more than one person inside, it was more evident.


    After only a few minutes, Hugh''s condition had improved a lot. Hisplexion was no longer pale and even his natural magic energy replenishing ability had improved.


    Soon, Hugh''s eyes fluttered and he regained consciousness.


    To everyone''s surprise, as soon as he had woken up, he looked at Cyneah with a smile and said, "Thank you."


    It was as if he had known it had been her healing him all this time.


    Cyneah smiled as well. Although she could not see Hugh''s expression, she felt his emotions and was relieved.


    Seeing Cyneah smile, any reservation Kyran had about letting her meet with other people was instantly removed.


    However, that did not mean he already agree to letting her stay with them.


    For now, he would let her do what she wanted then he would take her with him. Of course, if time would allow them, he would take her back to the cottage first. But since they were already pressed for time, he could only bring her with him.


    While Ste discussed with Malia and Avrum how they could let Cyneah help in healing the other wounded members, Kyran and Hugh left to meet with Vaness and Emery.


    Before Kyran left, he first reminded Cyneah of the ne he gave her and exhorted her to call him if anything happens.


    Hearing Kyran, Ste could not help but roll her eyes at his overprotectiveness. But she did not voice it in case Malia, Avrum and Hugh misinterpreted her words.


    Kyran and Hugh met with Vaness and Emery and made preparations for the next wave of attack that the enemies might do. They did not have much mwmbers who were capable in fighting but that was alright. Kyran only had to focus on repairing the array and make it anew before they attacked again.

 Chapter 654 Trap (3)

    While the Conve settled matters on their side, Osric''s side quietly observed the situation and looked for an opportunity to attack.


    Just as Kyran had thought, the Osric he ''killed'' had been a dummy.


    However, Osric''s dummy differed from the ones used by the woman and the Array Specialists. His dummy could be likened to a medium where he channelled his consciousness, but also different from an essence. For this reason, Osric did not revive after being destroyed, nor did his soul suffer.


    As to where the real Osric was, he was in a temporary encampment a few hundred meters outside the Tower of Conve. The others prepared this encampment while Osric led the first wave of attack.


    Inside one of the small tents, Osric, Lira and an Alchemist from the Boyd Family were gathered. The former two were engaged in a discussion, while thetter tended to Lira''s wounds. Wounds she received after destroying one of the key areas of the Tower of Conve''s defensive array, which then led to the destruction of thetter''s almost-invincible barrier.


    For the record, Lira used her body as bait to force the Conve and Army members to attack that spot. Ultimately, she would have died if not for Osric''s timely assistance. Thetter timed his attack from the outside to the attack made by the Conve and Army members from the inside. Because the key area was already damaged, the strain it received after being bombarded on both sides ultimately led to the defensive array''s copse and destruction of the barrier.


    After that, Osric left a dummy to continue with the attack while he took Lira to the rear and was treated. She had vital intel, and he could not afford to let her die.


    It was good that the Boyd Family had a capable Alchemist, resulting in Lira''s fast recovery.


    At the moment, Lira''s wounds had mostly recovered, which was why she could have a discussion with Osric without any problems.


    A few minutes ago, when Lira was telling Osric what had happened to her prior to her rescue in greater detail, thetter sensed what was happening in the Tower of Conve. He was surprised to sense Kyran''s arrival. However, he did not panic and instead ordered the Array Specialists to activate the transmission array they had set up secretly and transport the whole main tower where Haylee''s other half was hiding.


    Unfortunately, the array formation took some time to activate, and they failed. Apart from this, the dummies had been destroyed, which gave Osric a huge headache.


    Making one of these dummies used up a number of their resources, yet, Kyran destroyed them just like that. Although the dummies were still in the testing phase, they were supposed to be an alternative vessel for La''s undying army.


    s, such a notion was impossible now.


    Knowing that the other alternative, which was to have ''Tyr'' create high-quality human puppets, was already impossible had worsened Osric''s headache.


    But the dummies were the least of Osric''s worries. He worried more about the fact that they failed to retrieve Haylee''s other half.


    La was already waiting for good news¡ª that was why Osric was currently under much pressure.


    In the end, Osric decided to talk to Lira and get more information on Haylee''s other half and even Kyran¡ª especially on information they could use against her.


    "I don''t know how he did it, but the new Dark Sage has already grasped his magic to a certain level," Lira said.


    Osric nodded in agreement, "Yes. I already fought him once and attested to that. But now that we know he is working with the Conve, it is easy to guess how he improved at such a short time."


    Lira''s brow furrowed, realizing what Osric was trying to say, "The current Time mage."


    "We call her Time Keeper."


    "I still don''t understand how that bastard suddenly became the Conve''s ally," Lira said with a slight shake of her head. "Even the people we nted inside the Conve did not find anything."


    "That is unimportant at the moment," Osric cut her line of thought before she strayed far. "We must retrieve her Highness''s other half as soon as possible. That boy''s magic sense has covered the whole Tower of Conve and even a few hundred outside it. As a matter of fact, I can sense his magic sense reaching even this ce. If not for my protection around this ce, he would have already destroyed this ce."


    Lira was surprised. She still could not use her magic energy because no one could undo the mark Kyran left her. If not for that, she would have noticed thetter''s magic sense.


    But that was not the reason she was surprised. She was surprised by the range of Kyran''s magic sense. Apart from this, one had to know that magic sense could be considered a supportive ability of mages. However, how Osric talked of Kyran''s magic sense sounded like thetter could use it as an offensive attack.


    "You mean to tell that that bastard''s magic sense reached that level?" Lira could not help but ask in disbelief.


    "It doesn''t matter what level it has reached," Osric said. "Let us focus on what we have to do."


    He paused briefly before correcting himself, "No, let us focus on what we can do. His magic sense will let him know our movements and counterattack at once. How to infiltrate without being detected will be a hard task."


    "That''s... Yes. That will be hard," Lira agreed after thinking it through. "We can only lure him away before infiltrating the ce."


    "No," Osric shook his head, and his eyes narrowed. "We must lure her out."


    Lira raised her brows as she looked at him in disbelief. "Her? That will be impossible."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "Humph," Osric snorted. "If I want to lure her out, she will be lured. But we have to devise a n now before that boy decides to take her away."


    Lira could not help but frown at that.


    It was really annoying dealing with a person with Void magic. He coulde and go as he pleased and destroy things he found annoying just like that.


    Lira initially wanted to think that it was good that only one person in the world possessed Void magic. But the more she discovered the things one could do using Void magic, the more she felt envious and furious.


    They had to have Kyran under control as soon as possible and let the Crown Princess continue with her ns.


    s, Lira was unaware that Haylee had long fallen into a deep sleep and that La had already taken over her body. If she had known, her actions and decision-making would definitely be different.


    Osric might know about it, which was why he did not mention La to Lira.


    "Tell me what you''ve observed about her Highness''s other half. From there, we may find a way to lure her out."


    Lira frowned at Osric''s request. She had only met Haylee''s other half for a few minutes. It was too short, so finding anything about her would be difficult.


    Nevertheless, since Osric requested it, she could onlyply. She racked her brain and recalled what she had observed about the young woman named Cyneah.


    After a few seconds, her face lit up after recalling something. She said, "I may know how to lure her out."


    *


    At that same time, the battle in Noser wasing to a close.


    With Ane falling short in terms of Wind maniption, it was not long before Zephyrpletely overwhelmed her.


    Such a turn of events was not exactly surprising.


    Zephyr, in his Quilin form, had better control over his magic. His magic output and defenses far exceeded a human''s understanding as well. Besides, he was a beast, and human''s way of categorizing a mage''s level did not apply to him. They might consider him at a Grand Master level when in fact, it was far greater than that. Most of all, Zephyr''s magic was Air. Wind magic was only part of it, which was why, right from the start, Ane was already at a disadvantage.


    Nevertheless, no matter how powerful Zephyr was, in the end, he could never kill a human. Thus, after overpowering Ane, he lets the beast Sigils deal with her.


    Ultimately, te stopped the beast Sigils from killing Ane. They might still have a good use for her.


    After Ane''s defeat, they bound her, and then te sealed her magic energy.


    With their leader down, the army of Grand Masters with her seemed like a headless chicken, not knowing what to do. With their group in disarray, the beast Sigils did not take long to kill all of them.


    However, a few still managed to escape.


    *


    Aron, Jared, and some Regis Special Forces gathered a hundred meters west of the Lumley Ancestral Hall.


    Among their ranks, the two members, one from the Courtenay Family and the other from the Lumley, were already with them.


    "Based on our previous head count, there are at least five hundred Grand Masters surrounding the Lumley Ancestral Hall. Then there are a few hundred more at the rear."


    A voice spoke from the earpiece that each Regis Special Forces, including the Regis Elders, Aron, and Jared, wore.


    The Courtenay and Lumley mages were also given an earpiece to listen in on their n.


    "Very well," Aron replied. "Thanks, Raya. Stand by and wait for the signal. We''ll start from this side."


    "Copy on that, Patriarch."


    Aron looked at the Regis Special Forces standing behind him. He only gave a short nod before they left to crash the line of defence of the enemy Grand Masters from the west rear.

 Chapter 655 Last Stand?

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The relentless attack from the enemies continued at the Lumley Ancestral Hall.


    After so many hours, one would think the enemy mages'' attack would slow down by now. However, contrary to expectations, their attacks only intensified. It was as if they felt no exhaustion¡ª like a well-oiled machine that could function well at a steady pace without stopping.


    "Sir Eoin, we are running short on the materials needed to maintain the array. Not to mention, thest batch of our replenishing and healing potions and pills are all gone. If this continues, we won''tst half an hour," a Courtenay member reported after receiving the updates from the groups defending the frontlines, maintaining the hall''s defensive array and those keeping tabs on their resources.


    The expressions on Eoin''s and the other leaders'' faces darkened after hearing the member''s report.


    It had been more than four hours since the two people¡ª one from the Courtenay and one from the Lumley¡ª managed to escape. However, they had not heard from them yet.


    To be urate, they did not know whether those two managed to send an SOS because they could not receive or send anymunication to and from the outside.


    Nevertheless, they had thought that if their action had any positive results, their enemies would have at least shown something. For example, their attacks would slow down, or they decided to split their forces because they were attacked from the rear, at least something along those lines.


    s, no such change urred from the enemy''s side, while on the other hand, Eoin''s side was already on their veryst legs. As a matter of fact, theirst leg had already been disabled, and they were only waiting to be destroyed.


    Before Eoin or any of the Courtenay and Lumley leaders could react, another member- this time from the Lumley family rushed to their side and hastily said, "P-Patriarch, the west gates has already been destroyed! The enemies are already preparing to have all their forces focus fire on that ce!"


    The mood instantly fell from the member''s report. If earlier they were still holding on to a slim chance that any minute they might receive some sign from the two mages who escaped to ask for help, now, all their hopes were dashed off.


    Even if the two mages managed to ask for help, they were already doomed because one of the ancestral hall''s gates had already been destroyed.


    Though the defensive array was still intact, the gates filtered most of the enemy mages'' attacks. Now that one of the gates was destroyed, if they focused fire on that area, it would only take a few minutes to breach the defensive array. When that happened, they could enter the ancestral hall and wipe them out.


    Eoin and the Lumley Patriarch could only exchange looks.


    Now that they were already at this juncture, there were no longer any thoughts of survival on their minds. But, when both men saw each other''s eyes, they realized that even without the hope of surviving the situation, both still wore determined looks.


    That was right. Even if they die today, they would at least take a number of their enemies with them.


    With this in mind, the two looked at their fellow leaders.


    Just like them, they were determined to die while giving their all. Even the Lumley leader, who had said hateful things about the Regis n for not providing assistance immediately, was determined to kill as many enemies as possible before dropping dead.


    "Judging from the look on your faces, it seems words are no longer necessary," the Lumley Patriarch started with a slight smile.


    "Gentlemen, Ladies," Eoin chimed in, "It is a pleasure to fight alongside you to the end-."


    BOOM!


    A loud explosion from the west side of the hall shook the whole ce before Eoin could finish what he wanted to say.


    In that instant, all leaders of the Courtenay and Lumley Families stood up and rushed toward the west side.


    The remaining mages inside the main hall, even those who were severely injured and were recuperating, also stood up and followed right behind.


    Eoin and the Lumley Patriarch did not give out any orders, but all of their members seemed to have understood their intentions and knew this would be theirst stand.


    No.


    They could not even call it a st stand'' because if they did, it would mean they were still hoping for a chance of survival. Instead, they would call it their final destination.


    All of them took out their magic weapons as they marched to the west side of the hall.


    Soon, the exit leading to the west gates could be seen from where they stood.


    Looking at the exit made Eoin feel somewhat nostalgic. However, he did not feel any regret. If anything, he felt relieved that he had asked Mimi to go to Noser before the Crown Princessunched her attack. At least Mimi would be safe if she stayed close to Kyran''s Sigils.


    Eoin could be assured that the Courtenay Family would not be wipedpletely. He could leave Mimi to continue with the family''s revival.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The hall''s floor trembled with every explosion from the outside. Such a result showed how much power those enemy Grand Masters possessed.


    Among the leaders with Eoin and the Lumley Patriarch, there were only twelve Grand Masters, with the rest being High Masters and Masters.


    The Lumley Patriarch was an Exalted himself, but that did not mean they could gain the upper hand.


    What could one or two Exalted do in the face of an overwhelming number of Grand Master mages?<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Nevertheless, the Lumley Patriarch was confident he could take down several Grand Masters before he exhausted himself and died.


    Eoin''s eyes narrowed as he sensed several powerful presences approaching from the west. He tightened his hand on his magic staff''s shaft and warned the rest, "They are approaching. Get ready!"


    The support mages immediately cast support spells, boosting all the leaders'' casting speed, magic defences, and magic output.


    Normally, casting such spells at someone with a higher mage level than them would drain their magic energy quickly. For this reason, they avoid doing that, or they would only team up with mages at the same level as them. But since this was their final destination, they would rather exhaust their magic energy by casting supporting spells to high-level mages and dealing as much damage to the enemies as possible than try to save their magic energy but get killed first.


    After the support mages cast their spells, the first few enemy Grand Masters entered the entrance.


    Without giving them a chance to survey their surroundings, Eoin and the other leadersunched their attack.


    The Courtenay and Lumley members from the back did not know when the leaders agreed to make a joint attack, but when they summoned their magic arrays, instead of several magic arrays appearing, there was one massive multi-colored magic array that appeared before them.


    In a blink of an eye, the multi-colored magic array shed with a dazzling light as it shot out a massive ming Whirlwind.


    The enemy Grand Masters who had just entered the west entrance were taken aback by the massive magic attack that greeted them.


    Because it was too sudden, those in front failed to create a magic barrier and were instantly incinerated. They did not even have the chance to scream before getting charred.


    Those from the back were able to activate magic barrier. However, they still received some damage.


    "ARGH!"


    "Move back! Move back first!"


    Afterunching the first preemptive joint attack, the Lumley Patriarch dashed forward. He waved the long staff in his hand, and a three-meter diameter magic array appeared in front of him. Then a massive ming Roc emerged from the magic array and flew directly at the iing enemy Grand Masters.


    When the enemies saw the Roc, they instantly turned pale. Though most of them were Fire mages with high resistance to fire magic¡ª and at times, immunity to fire attacks¡ª they were still afraid of the Roc''s mes.


    This Roc was simr to Matias''s. The only difference was Matias''s Roc had the firepower of a High Master only, while the Lumley Patriarch had the firepower of an Exalted.


    One had to understand that if a High Master''s fire Roc were measured, it would be equivalent to the firepower of a Grand Master. So, if an Exalted mage used it, it would beparable to a Magus!


    RAWRGH!


    The ming Roc let out a fierce cry, and in an instant, the hall was burned to a crisp.


    Those Grand Masters who did not manage to retreat in time were also reduced to ashes. Inparison, those who managed to back away suffered from mild burns.


    With the Lumley Patriarch taking the lead, the rest of the leaders followed suit.


    Theyunched fire or wind magic attacks at the retreating enemy mages. Some seeded in hitting them, but it was not enough to kill them.


    The Lumley Patriarch controlled the Roc and rushed outside when the enemy mages seeded in retreating.


    The rest of the leaders were close behind.


    However, before the Lumley Patriarch could continue his attack, he was stunned at the scene that greeted him outside.


    Several enemy mages were lined up ahead with their magic weapons aimed at the west entrance.


    "Enemy leaders sighted! Aim!"


    Someone from the enemy line shouted.


    "Fire!"


    Hearing the enemy leader''smand to fire, the Lumley Patriarch''s scalp had gone numb. Instinctively, he manipted the Roc to shield him regardless of whether it could withstand the enemy mages'' bombardment. As a matter of fact, it could not withstand it because it was a purely offensive attack and had little to no defensive property.


    FOOOOM!


    Just as the first magic attacks fired at the Lumley Patriarch, an unseen yet powerful pressure pressed down on them.


    Sensing the pressure, the Lumley Patriarch could not help but feel rmed and, at the same time, hopeful because the pressure felt familiar yet unfamiliar.


    Familiar because such pressure was simr to Tobias''s Gravity magic. Yet unfamiliar because there was something different from the aura he could feel from it. Besides, he had already confirmed Tobias''s death, so thetter couldn''t havee to his rescue.

 Chapter 656 Special Ops (1)

    RAWRGH!


    Before anyone from both sides could react to the sudden pressure, a guttural roar came from the enemies'' rear.


    "AAAAARGH!"


    "M-Move! Defend the rear!"


    "Guah!"


    "Who the hell lured them?"


    Panic-stricken shouts from the rear echoed and reached the frontline.


    The Lumley Patriarch and the rest who heard the roar and the following shouts did not know whether they should be relieved or not.


    With the forest beasts attacking the enemies from the rear, they would be forced to split their attention. While some focused on defending the rear, the Lumley Patriarch and the other leaders could focus fire from the front.


    However, those forest beasts did note to help. If some of them broke through the enemy lines, they would attack indiscriminately.


    Or would they?


    The Lumley Patriarch was suddenly reminded that Kyran could control a few legendary beasts.


    No. That was not exactly right. It was not only Kyran. If he remembered correctly, the Regis Family had the ability to tame beasts!


    Could it be that the pressure just now that stopped the enemies'' bombardment was someone from the Regis and those beasts at the rear as well?


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The Lumley Patriarch''s question was answered instantly when explosions erupted from the enemy''s rear. After that, the pressure that stopped the enemies'' bombardment lifted as a shadow appeared before him.


    A man in his mid orte twenties, wearing an all-ck attire, turned to look at the Lumley Patriarch. The man''s face was half covered, but he could still see his eyes.


    Dark hair and dark gray eyes! This man was a Regis member!


    In that instant, the Lumley Patriarch felt a huge weight had been taken off his chest. Now he was sure the beasts that appeared at the enemy''s rear were tamed by the Regis Family!


    They were saved!


    By this time, the rest of the Courtenay and Lumley family members had arrived behind the Lumley Patriarch and also saw the man.


    Before they could fullyprehend the man''s identity, the man had already spoken.


    "The medic team will arrive shortly," he started. "Those injured, please remain inside while those can move follow me."


    "Where to?" The Lumley Patriarch asked the man.


    "Askter. Let''s go."


    Without waiting for him or the others to reply, the man already dashed to the left side.


    If the man had shown this attitude before the Lumley Family surrendered to the Regis n, the Lumley Patriarch would have already criticized him. He was a patriarch and would never tolerate others talking to him disrespectfully. But given the situation and how the man''s timely arrival had saved him, the Lumley Patriarch swallowed any criticism he would have spouted and followed the man at once.


    The rest of the leaders followed close by.


    Eoin also went after them. But before that, he ordered a few members to wait for the Regis medic team and assist them with the injured members.


    "We have teams waiting at three other locations," the man told the Lumley Patriarch and the rest as they moved toward the left side. "Our task is to keep their focus on us."


    "Are you nning to continue sneaking an attack from the rear? Don''t you think those enemy mages back there already alerted the rest of their people?" One of the Lumley leaders asked the man.


    "I''ve destroyed theirmunication devices so it is impossible for them to ry the news to their side."


    "You..." The Lumley Patriach''s expression turned solemn.


    If his guess was correct, this man possessed the same Gravity magic as Tobias. However, as far as he knew, thetter could not destroymunication devices using his magic. This... how did he do it? More importantly, howe the Regis Family also had a mage with Gravity magic? Did this mean they were not only hiding one forbidden magic user- which was Kyran- but also a few other members?


    The others did not seem to find anything wrong with what the man had said because none of them had recognized the man''s magic earlier. They probably thought thetter possessed shockwave-type magic, which was how he destroyed the enemies''munication devices.


    "However," the man continued. "If their side does not hear from them, they will get suspicious, which is why we need to move quickly."


    None of the others tried to refute the man''s words because they understood his meaning. They had to continue with their initiative while the enemies had no idea that the Regis Family had arrived.


    "So we''ll target the north side next?" Eoin, who managed to catch up with them, asked.


    The man nced sideways at Eoin briefly before returning his attention up ahead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes and no," he replied. "We''ll target the north side, but its not the ''next'' target."


    "You mean...?" The Lumley Patriarch seemed to realize something as he looked at the man with wide eyes.


    The man nodded, "Once we arrive, the enemies will already realize something has happened on the west side. When that happens, they will focus fire on the north. But before that happens, our side will alsomence with their attack."


    "Doing so will prevent their people on the east and south sides to rendezvous to the north."


    The man gave a short nod to confirm Eoin''s statement.


    "We''re here," the man suddenly announced, forcing the rest to stop abruptly.


    Eoin, the Lumley Patriarch, and the others with them were surprised the moment they surveyed the scene before them.


    When they were following the man, they all thought they would be the ones to initiate the attack. However, they were surprised to see a few Regis members dressed in ck waiting at the location.


    How did they bypass the defensive array of the Ancestral Hall ande to this ce?


    One Regis member standing on a tree branch nearby looked at the man whom the Lumley Patriarch and the rest had met.


    "Lead," he said as he jumped down. "We''re done nting the items."


    The man nodded before looking at the Lumley Patriarch and the rest.


    "Just a quick reminder," he said. "Later, once the array we''ve set up activates, the hall''s defensive array will copsepletely. Don''t panic because it''s part of the n."


    "W-What? Why would you do that? Won''t we be exposed if the array copse?"


    "It is fine," the Lumley Patriarch said, looking at the Lumley leader who had spoken just now. "We''ll follow their lead."


    "But¡ª."


    "Don''t worry," the man from the Regis said. "The new array that we''ve set up has more defensive capabilities. I can''t go into details, but you can be assured that the array will not lose out to your array."


    Without waiting for anyone from the Lumley to say anything more, the man turned his back and continued forward.


    "Let''s go."


    *


    "We''re in position, Patriarch."


    As soon as Aron heard Myst''s confirmation in hismunication device, he nodded and ordered the rest of the team, "Commence with the attack."


    *


    RAWRGH!


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    From three separate locations, roars of beasts and explosions sounded almost simultaneously.


    Then in a few seconds, a vast array appeared above, covering the premise of the Lumley Ancestral Hall. Following the appearance of this array, the ancestral hall''s defensive array shattered.


    Another round of explosions from colliding magic attacks and beasts on a rampage filled the whole ce for the next hour.


    *


    At that exact moment, La and White Lily were still in a deadlock back in Ravenpass.


    However, White Lily noticed how La''splexion seemed to have changed. She looked paler¡ª even ghostly white¡ª as if she had lost too much blood. Strangely, none of White Lily''s attacksnded on La, so she did not lose any blood. If this was the case, the only other reason was she suffered from loss of magic energy.


    White Lily guessed that La could only evade her attack while trying to sneak in a soul attack or two because she had to maintain the Macabre cier. If this was true, as long as White Lily exhausted La''s magic energy, she could gain the upper hand.


    Then again, the question was who would be the first to exhaust their magic energy.


    The truth, White Lily was already reaching her limit. It was not because her magic energy was about to be depleted like La, but because White Lily could sense Rin was already at her limits. If White Lily insisted on staying in the Human ne and continued using 80% of her real strength, Rin''s body would break.


    On the other hand, La was also suffering. But contrary to White Lily''s guess, her suffering was not because she could barely control the Macabre cier but because she sensed her dummies getting destroyed.


    It was okay if the dummies were the only ones destroyed, but the souls attached to them were also destroyed.


    Obviously, it was the handy work of Kyran.


    That annoyed La; at the same time, she felt somewhat nostalgic recalling how Can did the same a thousand years ago.

 Chapter 657 Special Ops (2)

    The only puzzling thing for La was how Kyran mastered the use of Void magic in a short span of time. Initially, she was convinced that the current Time Keeper had a hand in his improvement. But after thinking it through, even if Ste manipted time and let him train his magic, it would be impossible for him to improve this much, especially if little information about Void magic was avable. Apart from this, no training partner was strong enough for him to practice with. The Conve was not short on powerful mages, but even their most powerful one¡ª Malek¡ª La believed he was not good enough to put pressure on Kyran.


    La slightly shook her head and put aside all her doubts. Now that she had a better understanding of Kyran''s mastery over his magic, she realized how disadvantageous it would be for her if they fought.


    For one thing, she could not use his n as hostages. Since Kyran knew how to send souls into the Void, La was sure he knew how to free others under her Soul Control. Apart from this, she had little control over the Macabre cier.


    If La could return Haylee to her original body, her control over the Macabre cier would definitely improve. But it appeared that Kyran had already gone to the Tower of Conve to stop Osric from taking the girl.


    An ironic smile appeared on La''s face as she thought of Can again.


    Can had been protective of her before, and now, as the new Void Master, Kyran appeared to be protective of the girl who was supposed to be the next Soul Emperor.


    Such irony.


    "You appear in good spirits even though yourplexion says otherwise."


    White Lily''s voice brought La out of her musings.


    La evaded the continuous bombardment of energy beams that shot off from the numerous lilies on the ground.


    "What about you?" La taunted while ncing at White Lily, hovering in the sky on her huge diamond lily. "Aren''t you tired of summoning these lilies that can''t even hit their target?"


    White Lily did not respond to La''s taunting and only continued to focus fire on her.


    Meanwhile, True Void could no longer see the confrontation between the two because he had already entered Ravenpass.


    The moment he entered the Ravenpass''s premises, his body shivered involuntarily. This surprised him. After all, his consciousness was only upying the shapeshifting tes, and even if he made the tes appear like a miniature Void Armor, technically, he could not affect it ''emotionally.''


    Err.


    Actually, True Void was not even feeling emotional at the moment. That was not quite right. He was feeling a particr emotion, but it was not strong enough to make him shiver the way he did just now.


    Obviously, his reaction had something to do with the Macabre cier hanging above Ravenpass.


    True Void stopped abruptly and looked at the Macabre cier. His eyes narrowed, their color dimming slightly after sensing the ominous auraing from within. He could already sense that aura from afar, but it had gotten worse now that he was closer.


    As soon as True Void looked at the mirror of the Macabre cier, he felt his illusory insides churn.


    From the mirror, he saw countless ''human bodies'' wrapped in silk threads, making them appear like cocoons. A ck mist oozed out from the bottom of the mirror, and True Void could sense life energying from that mist.


    It made one think that the ck mist was basically the converted life energies of the ''humans'' inside the cocoon.


    Seeing this scene worried True Void. His desire to get his body back grew stronger by the second. If he was in his true body, he might be able to do something about the Macabre cier. Of course, he did not believe he could destroy it. If he could, he would have done it before when Can fought the original owner of the mirror¡ª the original Dark Sage.


    However, True Void did not have that ability. Thus, Can could only seal the Macabre cier and hide it. Still, True Void could at least iste its influence. Maybe if he did that, he could find a way to take those ''humans'' out of the mirror.


    True Void did not need to be well-versed in what the Macabre cier could do to understand that those ''humans'' were the Regis n members and Euan''s people that La had ''taken.''


    However, True Void did not know what the Macabre cier was doing to them. It seemed to be ''feeding'' on their life energy, as seen in how those ck mist oozed with life energy, but he also felt that it was doing something more to them than that.


    The light in True Void''s eyes dimmed further as different possibilities of what the Macabre cier was doing to those humans shed through his mind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''No! Don''t think about such grim thoughts!'' True Void scolded himself as he vehemently shook his head.


    True Void put all unnecessary thoughts aside and continued inside Ravenpass. Others might wonder why he would bother going there when it was apparent there was no longer a single soul inside because the Macabre cier already took them. But True Void had an inkling that it was not the case.


    If his guess was correct, those ''humans'' in those cocoons were only representations of its target. Basically, their real bodies were still somewhere in Ravenpass, and those cocoons were their souls.


    The Macabre cier was a magic weapon that targeted one''s soul, not one''s physical body.


    With this in mind, True Void flew inside and searched for the whole ce.


    ''ARGH! This is too troublesome! Really troublesome!'' True Voidined as he flew at a low altitude while searching the whole Ravenpass. ''If I can use my magic energy, I probably found where they are already. s, if I used my magic energy, that annoying mirror would detect me, and I might also get cocooned.''


    The thought made him shiver involuntarily once more.


    From a distance, True Void could still hear the explosions from White Lily''s attacks against La. However,pared to the frequency of explosions from before, he noticed White Lily''s attacks had decreased. This only meant that thetter was near her limits.


    True Void only hoped that the one not nearing her limits was White Lily''s contractor. He heard their conversation and how La guessed that White Lily''s human contractor was Kyran''s mother, Rin. If this was true, and something happened to Rin, True Void was worried about how it would impact not only Kyran but also his father, Cade.


    True Void thought of it because he knew Cade had already seeded in Azaloth''s Inheritance, and it was only a matter of time before he returned.


    If Cade returned and Rin was put at risk¡ª or at worse, fatally injured¡ª he might not be able to control his newly found strength. When that happens, the Human ne might suffer.


    Might¡ª because if Cade''s threat did show that he would end up destroying the Human ne, Nn would be forced to make a move. After all, as the new Sovereign of the Human ne, he was bound to his new responsibility: to protect the ne from certain destruction.


    Such a turn of events would be a sad one.


    ''Right,'' True Void suddenly remembered something and sighed inwardly. ''Nn is Rin''s twin brother. It will be a tragic one if that does happen.''


    True Void immediately shook his head, ''Argh! Stop thinking about ominous thoughts! This is bad! Really bad! I think the Macabre cier is already affecting my thoughts!''


    True Void''s worry was actually correct.


    The moment he entered Ravenpass, he also entered the Macabre cier''s magic influence. Although he was not directly facing the mirror, or he was not reflected by it, it could still influence his thoughts slowly.


    ''I had to move fast, or else I''ll really be cocooned like them!'' True Void thought and picked up his pace.


    *


    In the Tower of Conve, Kyran busied himself with restoring the tower''s defensive array. He had to restore the defensive array because he needed something to withstand the next wave of attack from Osric''s side while he warped them away.


    Since Kyran could only warp a certain number of people at a time, he would not have to do it several times.


    Previously, it took him five or more times before he finished warping all of Euan and Mannick''s people. Although a great deal of their numbers had been reduced, they now had to include those from the Conve, so the headcount was pretty much the same as before.


    In any case, Kyran had to create a barrier that would allow him to warp all the members of the Conve and the Army while under siege.


    That was right. Under siege because Osric had already mobilized all the Grand Masters on his side and they were already marching toward the Tower of Conve.

 Chapter 658 Special Ops (3)

    Contrary to what Osric spected about Kyran''s magic sense, Kyran could only use it offensively within a specific range. After that, he could only use it to observe.


    As Kyran said before, he was not omnipotent. If he could attack others by using his magic sense alone, he would have already wiped out Osric''s side, just like he did to the enemies inside the Tower of Conve. It did not matter if Osric was protecting their camp or not. With the Void magic''s property, Kyran could destroy or ignore Osric''s protection and kill all the mages below Magus with him.


    Truth be told, Kyran only managed to kill the enemies inside the Tower of Conve because they were within the ''specific range'' at which he could attack them with his magic sense. Aside from that, they practically invited his magic to finish them off when they used scrolls and tokens that could imitate the Void''s warp ability.


    At the moment, Kyran could only observe as Osric, along with five thousand High Masters, three thousand Grand Masters, and a hundred Exalted, marched toward the Tower of Conve.


    If they were only looking at the total number of enemies, the Conve had the advantage. But Osric''s side had the power advantage once the mage level was added to the equation.


    Hugh, Vaness, and Emery were gathered outside the defensive array''s core. They were waiting for Kyran to fix the array while they were keeping an eye on Osric''s movement through the map he gave them.


    All three had grim expressions while looking at the red dots approaching the Tower of Conve.


    "Are we really not going to make a move?" Emery asked worriedly while looking at Hugh and Vaness. "Judging by their movement speed, they will arrive in less than half an hour."


    Vaness could only take a deep breath in response.


    Hugh did not respond as well. Instead, he turned his attention to Kyran, sitting cross-legged at the center of the array''s core. A miniature projection of the tower''s multiyered array formation circled him, and they could only see him move his hands around, fixing the destroyed areas.


    After a few seconds, he finally said, "Kyran ns on warping everyone out of the tower. We need to stay in one ce so we don''t have to gather everyone again."


    "I understand that, chairman..." Emery replied, still sounding worried. "But the tower''s defensive array is currently down. We are practically exposed to the enemies. Although there''s still half an hour before they arrive near the tower''s periphery, they can stillunch range attacks at any minute."


    "You''re right," Vaness agreed. "Which is why Kyran is protecting the whole tower using his magic sense."


    Emery furrowed her brows as she looked at him questioningly.


    Hugh also nodded, "You can''t feel it because you are not sensitive to magic energy. But now, Kyran''s magic sense has covered the whole tower."


    "You two are talking about ''magic sense,'' right?" Emery said, emphasizing the magic sense. "We are talking about the same thing, or are we not?"


    Vaness could not help but smile wryly at Emery''s reaction. He had the same reaction when Kyran casually told them earlier that they were safe because he had covered the whole area with his magic sense.


    Recalling how Kyran had been doing and saying things that defied the standard mage knowledge, Vaness learned to ept his words and not ask questions.


    Hugh had the same thoughts. Although, he was able to ept it faster than the others.


    "Kyran is almost done fixing the array," Hugh assured Emery. "The only move we have to make is to check on Malia and our guest''s progress in healing the injured. This way, we can let those who are healed go first."


    "There is no need."


    Hugh, Emery, and Vaness immediately looked toward the array''s core after hearing Kyran speak.


    The multiyered miniature projection of the tower''s array slowly dispersed as Kyran stood up and looked at them.


    "We can all go together."


    Without waiting for a response, Kyran walked out of the array''s core and made his way to the stairs to the right.


    The tower''s array core was located in the basement of the main tower. Its location was too obvious, to be honest, but because of the main tower''s own defensive array, it somehow served as a ''blindspot.'' After all, it wasmon knowledge in the Human ne that an array formation''s core could not be ced near another array formation. This concept was simr to how one could not create an array formation inside an active array formation.


    But Kyran, and now, every member of the Conve High Council, were aware that such a restriction was not true. If one knew how to stabilize the gathering of magic energies of both array formations, then both could work without disrupting each other.


    Hugh, Emery, and Vaness followed Kyran.


    Malia had Avrum prepare a small tent, which they attached to one side of arge tent where all the injured members were being treated. They had Cyneah stay in the small tent while she covered therge tent with healing magic.


    She was able to do this because, like Kyran, her magic sense had achieved a higher level. Her range was also several timesrger than an average High Master. Although it was still far from Kyran''s range, it was enough to cover a few hundred kilometers.


    To avoid distracting Cyneah, Kyran did not warp directly into the tent.


    Ste looked at Kyran as he entered the tent.


    Cyneah also perked up after sensing Kyran''s presence. However, she ignored him and only focused on what she was doing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran looked at Ste, who was smiling at him in amusement.


    He ignored her teasing smile and telepathically said, ''Osric and the remaining mages with him areing. I''ll have to warp all of you to the Regis Estate.''


    If the cottage in the Misty Forest wererge enough, he would warp them there. Unfortunately, the cottage was too small. At most, it could only amodate a hundred people.


    In the end, Kyran decided to warp them to the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall. With Ames''s promise of protecting that area, he did not have to worry about any sneak attacks.


    As for Cyneah, he would not take her there. If he did, Ames was sure to kill her.


    Ste''s smile vanished as soon as she heard Kyran.


    ''How much time do we have?''


    ''Less than half an hour.''


    Ste frowned.


    ''I can''t leave this ce.''


    ''Why not?'' Kyran asked.


    He knew she was not talking about how ''Ste'' could not leave the Tower of Conve because the Royal Family was keeping an eye on her. It was something else that he did not know.


    ''The Tower of Conve is here for a reason,'' Ste replied evasively. It was obvious she was hiding something.


    Something that Kyran found unwanted at the moment.


    ''It''s not like you are not allowed to leave,'' he pointed. ''If you are worried about this ce getting destroyed, you don''t have to be. I already fixed the defensive array.''


    Ste did not respond. She still wore a frown which meant she was not convinced.


    Seeing that Ste had no ns on saying anything more, Kyran could only sigh in defeat as he said, ''I''ll try to warp the whole tower. Will that help?''


    ''Warp the whole tower?'' Ste repeated, looking at Kyran incredulously. ''Are you insane? Doing so will likely drain all your magic energy!''


    Kyran did not respond because what she said was true. In the first ce, Kyran had True Void assist him during the times he had to warp things or people out of his capability and warping the Tower of Conve would be the same.


    However, he could not leave Ste here.


    Kyran knew that Cyneah was not the only one Osric was after. When La decided to ask Osric to attack the Tower of Conve, it was obvious she was after Ste-- or, at least, the current Time Keeper.


    After discovering that Cyneah was also there, Osric was even more adamant about seeding.


    Kyran did not know why La wanted to take Ste.


    No.


    That was not exactly right.


    He had an idea, but since he was not entirely sure.


    In any case, anything that would help La gain another leverage against him was definitely a no. This was why, Kyran had to convince Ste to leave with them. If he could not do that, he would bring along whatever prevented her from leaving. In this case, the Tower of Conve.


    ''It''s either that, or youe with us,'' Kyran told her.


    Ste''s frown deepened. However, she seemed to be considering his words.


    ''Then...'' She looked at Kyran and asked, ''Can you warp the central tower at least?''


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. Initially, he had thought she would notpromise or even think of another way to stay. He did not expect her to suggest warping the main tower.

 Chapter 659 Special Ops (4)

    Ste knew her request was unreasonable. However, she really could not leave the tower alone. Although Kyran had already fixed the Tower of Conve''s defensive array, and the central tower had a separate array formation, there was no guarantee that it would not be destroyed.


    Osric was a Legendary. And to be honest, he had yet to get serious. He had not even used his all when they were looking for a way to destroy the tower''s defensive array earlier. Ste believed that if he actually got serious, he could easily destroy and kill everyone inside. He did not do that only because he wanted to capture her alive. And right now, there was also Cyneah.


    In any case, Osric might need Cyneah and Ste alive, but that would not prevent him from destroying the whole ce.


    Ste could not afford that, or, at least, she could not allow the central tower to fall. It was not about the ce where it stood but the tower itself.


    There was a reason the Tower of Conve was built, and it was mostly to hide the central tower.


    Ste could not tell Kyran why it was important. Not when he already had a lot of things going on. Besides, the tower had nothing to do with their situation, so telling him would only add to his worries¡ª something she was well aware he did not need at the moment.


    Because of this, Ste could only ask Kyran for such an unreasonable request.


    When Kyran did not answer, she felt somewhat helpless. In the end, she could only insist on staying.


    With that in mind, Ste looked at Kyran and was prepared to argue but then stopped after seeing the look on his face.


    Kyran appeared to be looking in the direction of the tower''s main entrance, and judging by his expression; he had felt something.


    "What is it?" Ste asked aloud.


    "About your request, I''ll do something about it," Kyran responded to what she had asked previously instead of answering the new one.


    Obviously, he did not want to tell her so as not to worry her.


    Kyran looked at her before ncing at Cyneah¡ª who shifted uneasily in her seat. It seemed she was nning to listen in on their conversation while ignoring Kyran but ended up not hearing anything, making her feel somewhat awkward. However, hearing Kyran''s response to Ste''s question, Cyneah found it strange and knew at once they had been talking telepathically just now.


    "Neah, whatever happens, stay here with Ste."


    Cyneah furrowed her brows as she finally turned to look in his direction.


    "Why? What happened?"


    Instead of answering, he asked, "Do you have the token I gave youst time?"


    When Cyneah heard him talk about a token, she immediately recalled the one he gave herst time in Hanaan.


    That token used to be Kyran''s, and he gave it to Cyneah after changing its array forms.


    Cyneah unconsciously touched her chest, feeling the token underneath. After Kyran gave her the token, she had been wearing it all the time, like a lucky charm.


    Seeing Cyneah''s action, Kyran inwardly sighed in relief. He said, "You remember what the token can do?"


    Cyneah''s expression turned solemn. She did remember, and it made her worry.


    "If you feel you and Ste will be in grave danger, use it."


    Hearing Kyran''s words, Cyneah forgot about her annoyance and looked at him worriedly.


    "Nar, I...."


    "It''s just a reminder," Kyran assured her after seeing her expression. Trying to lighten the mood, he added, "Don''t worry, and just continue what you''re doing. I''m going out for a bit."


    "I think we''re almost done here," Cyneah hastily said. "I-I don''t mean to be d-difficult. N-No. I-I''m sorry for being difficult. I-I only want to be of help. B-But anyway, w-we can go now. I have done what I can. So... let''s... let''s go home."


    Kyran raised his brows after hearing Cyneah''s stuttering. It had been a while since he heard her speak this way. It only meant she was feeling uneasy¡ª even worried. Knowing she felt this way after hearing what he said made Kyran regret it.


    To appease her, he said, "Alright. We''ll go home after I check something."


    "No!" Cyneah blurted while abruptly standing up. Realizing her strange outburst, she reddened slightly and said, "I-I mean. Y-You can check itter. Let''s go now."


    Ste watched the exchange between them and could not help but smile wryly. She initially thought ''Ste'' losing consciousness at this moment was bad. But seeing these two, she was d it happened. At least she saved her from witnessing the interaction between the two.


    Kyran looked at Cyneah and realized something was amiss.


    ''That''s right,'' he suddenly realized what was wrong and could not help but sigh inwardly. ''The level of her magic sense is close to mine. She probably senses that Osric and his men are already at the tower''s periphery and is worried something might happen if I check on them.''


    Kyran understood why Cyneah was worried. She was not entirely aware of what he could do. However, she had witnessed what Osric had done. Even so, Kyran had to check on them because, the truth, he was not worried about Osric arriving at the periphery of the tower but because he and his men actually stopped their advance.


    Why?


    "I''ll be back real quick. Be a good girl and stay here," Kyran told Cyneah.


    "But¡ª."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "About the token, forget I said anything. You don''t have to use it¡ª rather, you will not have the chance to use it because I''ll be back. Okay?"


    Kyran said this just to let Cyneah know his intention was not to engage Osric and his men but only to check what they were up to.


    To be honest, if not for Osric using his own magic sense to hide whatever it was that his men were doing, Kyran could have already seen through them with his magic sense.


    Seeing that Kyran had no ns on staying, Cyneah could only relent and said, "T-Then. C-Come back in three minutes. Sister Ste and I will wait for you, r-right here."


    "Three minutes?" Kyran asked with raised brows. "That''s a little¡ª."


    "Time starts now."


    "Oi¡ª!"


    "180"


    "179"


    ck lines appeared on Kyran''s head as Cyneah started counting. He suddenly remembered their conversation the first time they met. When he asked her how long he had been out, she answered him in seconds.


    She was very good at counting each passing time.


    Ste could not help but chuckle as Kyran was forced to leave while Cyneah continued to count.


    When Kyran was gone, Cyneah stopped counting and turned toward Ste, and she asked, "Sisted Ste, you told me you can''t use your magic right now."


    Ste looked at her with a bitter smile. She replied, "Yes, I can''t."


    Although Cyneah could not see Ste''s expression, she sensed her sadness from her reply.


    "So you can''t sense anything."


    "That''s right."


    After learning how to use her magic and also learning how to use magic sense, Cyneah knew how convenient it was to be able to use it to observe the surroundings.


    For this reason, she could understand why Ste felt sad about being unable to use her magic.


    "I see," Cyneah said. A sad smile appeared on her face as she looked at Ste.


    Seeing Cyneah''s expression somehow made Ste worried. She looked at her slowly and said, "What are you thinking right now?"


    Cyneah shook her head and only said, "Nothing."


    After saying that, she sat back and once more continued spreading her healing magic inside the tent where all the wounded were gathered.


    Meanwhile, Kyran warped a few hundred meters from where Osric and his men had stopped.


    Osric stood in front of thousands of mages in red, gray, and ck uniforms. Evidently, these mages came from different noble families, and some were from the Royal Family and the Royal Army.


    "Hm?" Osric suddenly raised his head as he sensed Kyran''s arrival.


    Although thetter was a few hundred meters away from them, he had sensed him at once.


    "You havee out so easily. I am surprised," he said.


    Osric had only spoken normally. However, Kyran had heard him loud and clear.


    "You stopped advancing," Kyran replied. "I guessed you and your people are hesitant toe, so I thought ofing here myself."


    Osric burst out inughter after hearing Kyran''s response.


    Kyran also did not speak that loudly. However, all the mages with Osric had heard him, and their expressions immediately turned nasty.


    Obviously, they did not like how he was looking down on them. Nevertheless, they hid their discontent and only looked at Osric''s back, waiting for his next instructions.


    "We stopped after seeing the tower''s barrier was already fixed. It was pointless to continue forward, in my opinion."


    "Is that right?"


    "Yes. What about you? You did note here to chat, so why have youe?"

 Chapter 660 Special Ops (5)

    Kyran could not help but frown at Osric''s behavior. Kyran took the initiative to show himself, but Osric did not seem hell-bent on making the first move.


    From thetter''s attempt at an idle chat, it was apparent he was buying some time, and as to why he would do that, Kyran had not figured it out yet.


    At the moment, Kyran did not sense any odd movements from the mages standing behind Osric. There was not even a trace of ill intent from them. It was as if they had given up their free will and resolved to follow Osric''s lead no matter what.


    Kyran''s frown deepened as a thought crossed his mind. Could it be that theirck of ill intent had something to do with what they were nning? Regardless of the truth, he had a bad feeling about it.


    "Cat got your tongue, new Dark Sage?" Osric asked with a sneer.


    Kyran ignored him as he observed all the mages behind Osric. However, no matter how strong his magic sense was, he still could not find anything strange about their aura besides theirck of ill intent.


    On the other hand, Osric was also observing Kyran. Just as he said, he believed thetter came out for a reason. If Osric guessed it correctly, Kyran probably figured something was off after they stopped advancing. Osric diverted Kyran''s doubts by pointing out it was pointless to attack now that the tower''s defensive array had been restored. He did not know if Kyran had bought his excuse, but it did not matter much.


    What mattered to him was to ensure Kyran did not make a move while they executed their n.


    In Ravenpass, True Void had finally found where most Regis n members were.


    They were mainly gathered at thergest building near the center of Ravenpass.


    All of them were lying motionless on the floor.


    If others were to see them and had no idea what the Macabre cier could do, they would have thought they were already dead. However, True Void knew better.


    They could be considered empty shells because the Macabre cier had taken all their souls.


    True Void could not help but frown inwardly as he looked at all the bodies on the floor. His reaction was quite reasonable because he only saw a few with dark hair.


    Of course, True Void knew that the Regis n did not necessarily consist of dark hair and dark gray-eyed members. Only those from the Regis Family possessed these traits. Most of their n members had different hair and eye colors. Thus, they could be called a n member but not a ''family'' member.


    Anyway, that was not the point right now.


    What got True Void thinking was the number of people on the floor.


    ''They don''t match,'' he thought while recalling the sheer number of cocoons reflected on the Macabre cier.


    ''Why don''t they match?''


    Though it did not sound good, True Void would rather see the same number of bodies on the floor. Because if there was no body here, then it meant some of the cocoons no longer had a body. If that was the case, then it meant they would not have a body to return to once they leave the Macabre cier.


    True Void was afraid that those people were from the Regis n. If that happened, how would Kyran take it?


    ''It''s not only Void Halfling,'' True Void reasoned to himself with a slight shake of his head. ''There''s also his father and grandfather.''


    He suddenly felt an iing headache from all of this.


    ''I need to find the rest,'' True Void decided. In any case, he only looked into this building. He had not explored the whole Ravenpass yet.


    With that in mind, he flew out of the building and continued to explore the ce.


    s, if True Void had not been worried, he would have noticed that when he left the building, several red-colored eyes opened from the dark corner of the building.


    Meanwhile, the Aron and the rest of the Regis Special Forces had already taken the upper hand against the enemy mages. After Jared activated his array, it had been easy for them to subdue all those who were within its range.


    As for those who were out of the array''s range, Tritus took care of them.


    Aron, who went with Tritus, did not even have the chance to do anything because thetter was more than eager to showcase his might.


    Not that Aron wasining. Compared to his mage level, Tritus had a much higher level than him.


    Of course, that did not mean Aron was weaker.


    As a matter of fact, Aron was likely able to keep up with Tritus because he possessed the Regis Blessing.


    Obviously this was only a passing thought because they were on the same side.


    As for Tritus, he was ecstatic to be able to fight to his heart''s content. Although the enemy mages no longer pose a threat to him, fighting them has helped him get familiar with his newfound strength.


    "How are the evacuation of the Courtenay and the Lumley family members?" Aron asked, directing his question to anyone listening to theirmunication channel.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Inside the Ancestral Hall, as soon as Eleanor, one of the Regis Elders, heard Aron''s question she surveyed the whole room and replied, "We have at most evacuated 70% of their members."


    "And the wounded? How are they?"


    "We''ve applied first aid to most of them. But there are those with critical injuries, and we can only alleviate their pain. They need to get them proper healing aid."


    Aron could not help but frown after hearing Eleanor. To be honest, it was not that their medic was notpetent enough to heal all the wounded of the Courtenay and Lumley families but that their condition was too severe for them to handle with little items on hand.


    "We almost did not make it," Aron said with a sigh. "Do we have any update from Noser? If the battle there has not ended, we can split into two groups. One will escort all the wounded while the rest will go to the Tower of Conve."


    "There is still no update from our people in Noser," Eleanor replied. Then she paused momentarily before adding, "I can lead the group going to Noser."


    Aron nodded in agreement, "Alright."


    He then switched his channel and connected with all the squad leaders of the Special Forces.


    "How are things over at your end?"


    Once again, he did not direct the question at anyone in particr.


    "There are still more of theming from the north side. I''m not sure where they are actuallying from."


    One of the leaders leading the attack on the north side of the ancestral hall reported.


    "Same here in the south."


    Another responded.


    "I don''t know why, but I don''t think their numbers are decreasing. It even feels as if there are moreing."


    Aron frowned slightly as he looked at the south side before turning toward the north. His eyes glowed silver, and his pupils turned to slits as he activated the Regis Blessing. After that, he roused his magic, and his magic sense erupted.


    In over a few seconds, his magic sense had covered the whole ancestral hall''s premise. He tried to find traces of a transmission array using his magic sense.


    "I did not find anything."


    Jared''s voice suddenly sounded through themunication device.


    Aron''s frown deepened, "Are you sure?"


    "Yes," Jared replied. Then he added in concern, "But I do notice something very troubling."


    "What is it?"


    "These guys... or at least, the new ones... does not seem to be reacting much to pain."


    "What do you mean?"


    Although Aron asked the question, he already had an inkling. And it was not a good one.


    "Err..."


    Before Jared could sort his thoughts and exin what he noticed, Raya''s voice cut through the conversation.


    "Patriarch, Master Jared, I don''t think the most troubling part is theirck of reaction to pain. You know what my magic is, right? So far, I can sense a strange fluctuation in their bodies that is somewhat simr to my magic and yet different."


    Aron and Jared fell silent. They knew that Memory magic was said to have been branched out from Soul magic. If what Raya was saying was true, then it meant the enemies were being influenced by Soul magic.


    To be honest, both of them did not think the enemies being influenced by Soul magic was strange. They were under the Soul Emperor''s banner, after all. It would not be strange if she nted a mark on them to keep tabs on their movements.


    However, if the Soul Emperor cast a Soul spell on them... that would be an entirely different matter.


    A frightening thought suddenly crossed Aron''s mind, and his eyes widened. However, before he could say anything, a loud explosion interrupted all of them.


    BOOM!


    The explosion urred on the west side of the ancestral hall.

 Chapter 661 Special Ops (6)

    When the explosion at the Lumley Ancestral Hall urred, a simr thing happened in the Tower of Conve. However, the one in the Tower of Conve was a session of explosions instead of a single one.


    Kyran, who was still a few hundred meters from Osric and his people, was stunned at the explosion. Not only did he not sense iting, but it also seemed to have urred right outside his magic sense''s range.


    Osric smiled widely upon hearing the explosions and instantly released the full force of his magic pressure.


    When Osric''s magic pressure erupted, Kyran felt the influence of his magic sense starts to fluctuate.


    Only then did Kyran realize how much Osric had held back his strength when fighting him earlier. After all, Kyran''s magic sense had already attained the highest level it could reach. No one would have the ability to affect it.


    Magic sense was different from magic pressure. The former could be achieved through a mage''s own understanding of his or her magic, as well as his or her ability to manipte the surrounding magic energies. In contrast, thetter was simply a mage releasing the full force of his or her innate magic, which also depended on his or her mage level.


    Osric''s magic pressure affecting Kyran''s magic sense meant the force of the former''s magic might be stronger than thetter''s ability to manipte the magic energies in the surroundings.


    Before Kyran could lower the range of his magic sense and reinforce it, the rest of the mages with Osric followed suit and released their magic pressure, too.


    One of the reasons they did this was obviously to protect themselves from Osric''s overwhelming magic pressure. Although thetter had directed his magic pressure on Kyran and his magic sense, all the mages behind him still suffered from it. The other reason was to add more pressure on Kyran and try to destroy his magic sense''s area of influence.


    As soon as all the mages behind Osric released their magic pressure, the influence of Kyran''s magic sense not only fluctuated but showed signs of crumbling.


    To avoid receiving a bacsh once his magic sense''s influence waspletely overruled, Kyran ditched his initial move to lower his magic sense''s range. He chose to release his magic sensepletely, albeit reluctantly. After all, as long as his magic sense covered the whole surroundings, he could easily discern Osric and his people''s movements. Not to mention, he would be able to sense if more enemies wereing.


    Inside the Tower of Conve, Hugh, the rest of the Conve council members, Cyneah, and all of the Conve and Army members felt the magic pressureing from Osric and the rest of the mages with him. They also sensed Kyran''s magic sense disappearing, which made Hugh and the rest of the Conve council members and Cyneah worried.


    Ste was also worried. Although she could not rouse her magic energy because ''Ste'' was still resting, she could still sense the magic pressure from Osric and his people.


    "Time is almost up..." Cyneah muttered as she looked toward where the magic pressures came from.


    Although Cyneah had spoken very softly, Ste had heard her and understood what she meant.


    A wry smile appeared on Ste''s face as she looked at Cyneah, ''So she is still counting down. I thought she was kidding.''


    "Lady Ste," Hugh and Vaness rushed into the tent and snapped Ste out of her thoughts. "Please, the two of you, return to the top chamber."


    Cyneah turned to look toward Hugh and Vaness. Although she could not see, since her magic sense was active, she could more or less see their silhouettes. Besides, even if she were not using her magic sense, she would still know where they were from the position of their ''lights.''


    "Malia and Avrum can take care of the rest," Vaness added.


    They knew that Cyneah was helping Malia and Avrum heal the wounded.


    "Alright," Ste replied at once.


    Cyneah''s face darkened after realizing Hugh and Vaness''s implication.


    Obviously, they wanted the two of them to retreat back to Ste''s chamber because the enemies had arrived.


    At the moment, Cyneah could more or less sense Kyran was still a few hundred meters away from Osric and his people. But, judging from the magic pressure from the enemies, the new wave of attack was about to start.


    "Is Nar nning to face all of the enemies alone?" Cyneah asked.


    "Nar...?"


    Hugh and Vaness looked at her before turning to Ste. Although they knew who ''Nar'' was, they were confused about why Kyran kept his true identity from Cyneah.


    Ste only looked at them meaningfully and replied to Cyneah, "I know you are worried. But don''t worry. He will not fight alone. Actually, we won''t fight them this time around."


    Vaness nodded his head, "That is correct. Err... Nar already fixed the defensive array. The defensive array would keep us safe even if the enemies runched their attack."


    "But Nar is outside the defensive array," Cyneah insisted.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was obvious she was worried about Kyran. Since she only knew a little about what he could do, she was afraid the enemies would hurt him.


    Hugh looked at Cyneah with a slight smile. He more or less understood Cyneah''s concern. He wanted to tell her Kyran was not someone the enemies could defeat easily. But because Kyran did not seem to have told her about himself, he decided not to say it. Instead, he said, "You know Nar has a unique ability. He can move from one ce to another in a very short period of time. So, even if he is outside of the defensive array, he will not have any trouble retreating."


    Cyneah looked at Hugh. She also knew about Kyran''s ability. As a matter of fact, they were underestimating what she knew about Kyran.


    She already knew Kyran was the same as her. A mage possessing forbidden magic. However, she acted as if she did not know because Kyran did not tell her directly.


    Cyneah was blind¡ª not stupid. Besides, since she could not see, her other senses were sharper than the others. Her hearing was very good, which was why she knew more than what she let on.


    Nevertheless, she was still worried about Kyran. Just recalling the times when he would suddenly appear before her, and he was not in a good state, worried her. As a matter of fact, she knew that Kyran was near his limits.


    Cyneah''s worries were actually on point.


    When was thest time Kyran actually rested? He had not even slept for days, and although there were times when he was not using his magic, whenever he did, his usage would always the limit.


    The only reason he could continue to use his magic was that now he was not trying to hide his magic, and he took advantage of his ability to replenish his magic energy by absorbing the magic energies in the surroundings.


    In the end, Cyneah no longer said anything and only followed Ste back to her chamber. However, if they looked at her closely, they would notice she seemed to be in deep thought.


    Back outside the Tower of Conve, after releasing his magic sense, Kyran nned on retreating.


    What he told Cyneah about not fighting the enemies was true. He had no intention of getting entangled with them because he knew his limits. Besides, his priority at the moment was to warp all of the members of the Conve and the Army inside the Tower of Conve.


    In short, they would make a strategic retreat.


    In any case, they would go to the Regis Estate and regroup with the rest.


    "What is this?"


    Before Kyran could warp, he suddenly had a bad feeling and immediately looked down.


    "Don''t tell me Senior Osric''s magic pressure scared you off, Kyran Regis."


    Kyran''s eyes widened as a silhouette emerged from his shadow!


    And this silhouette had a scythe aimed at him.


    Kyran jumped back just in time to avoid the de of the scythe which was aimed at his neck.


    After which, his eyes turned reddish-purple as he roused his magic. Purple orbs appeared around him and attacked the silhouette.


    The silhouette, who now, upon closer look, was wearing a loose ck cloak, evaded the purple orbs. After which, he seemed to blend into the shadow of a nearby tree.


    Seeing this move, Kyran''s eyes narrowed because he was familiar with it.


    Obviously, the silhouette was none other than Gael! To think that he would appear now when he had been missing for some time. Or at least, Kyran did not know where he had been after their encounter at the Trill camp.


    "I still have scores to settle with you, Kyran Regis."


    Gael''s voice reverberated everywhere.


    Kyran frowned slightly as he expanded the purple orbs. In an instant, the trees around him were destroyed.


    "AHAHAHA!"


    Gael''sughter echoed as several shadow minions emerged from the shadows.

 Chapter 662 Special Ops (7)

    The shadow minions that emerged from the shadows looked different from the ones Gael had summoned the first time Kyran fought him.


    Previously, Gael''s shadow minions wore oversized all-ck cloaks. But now, they wore varying clothes. Some wore cloaks, others wore army uniforms, and even a few wore suits or short dresses, making them appear somewhat out of ce. The only thing that remained was the color of their clothes: ck, like the color of a shadow.


    But this difference was unimportantpared to the other difference Kyran noticed.


    A magic energy different from Gael''s Shadow magic was actually circting inside the shadow minions.


    ''This...!'' Kyran''s expression turned grim as he recognized the magic energy circting in them was Soul magic.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, Gael''s shadow summons was pure magic energy and relied solely on Gael''s magic. With this in mind, thetter would not have to worry about his magic energy getting depleted if there were a different energy in his summons that would serve as their core and energy source. The only thing Gael had to worry about was maintaining the shadow minions'' form.


    But how could Gael''s Shadow magic even bebined with Soul magic?


    Unfortunately, Kyran was not given a chance to ponder this question because the shadow minions had alreadyunched their attacks.


    Surprisingly, when the shadow minions attacked, they used different types of magic. Apart from this, there was no magic array when theyunched their attacks.


    Others would not have noticed that the shadow minions'' did not use Shadow magic because the color of their attacks was ck. However, as someone who continuously and indiscriminately absorbs magic energies in the surroundings to replenish his magic energy, Kyran had noticed the shadow minions absorbing different magic energies. Moreover, they were not absorbing Shadow magic energy nor Soul magic energy but Fire, Wind, or Earth magic, which should not be possible because they were only summons. They should not have magic cores to attract these energies.


    ck mes in the form of huge birds attacked Kyran from above. At the same time, ck sickle-like wind attacks rushed at him from different directions while ck spikes sprang out from below.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed, and the Void Armor instantly covered his whole body.


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    As soon as the shadow minions'' magic attacks touched Kyran, they disintegrated and turned to nothingness.


    Kyran jumped back and manipted the purple orbs.


    CRACKLE!


    In a blink of an eye, the purple orbs turned into Void Knives that flew toward the shadow minions.


    "This again?"


    Gael''s voice echoed in the surroundings while Kyran evaded another round of the shadow minions'' magic attacks.


    Kyran ignored Gael''s taunting and focused on evading the magic attacks while observing the shadow minions pierced by his Void Knives.


    Since the shadow minions seemed to possess intelligence this time, Kyran had to thoroughly control the Void Knives before he could sessfully cut one. After that, he would channel his magic sense on that shadow minion before it disintegratedpletely to observe it in detail.


    If not for Osric and the thousand mages with him actively releasing their magic pressure, Kyran would not have to be careful when using his magic sense. Since this was the case, he could only manipte a certain number of Void Knives and channel his magic sense in a short amount of time to his targets, to avoid suffering a bacsh. In any case, because he could not actively maximize the use of his magic sense, studying the shadow minions and figuring out how to deal with them more efficiently had be tedious work.


    "I know you can do better than this, new Dark Sage. Why are you holding back?"


    Gael''s voice sounded once more. But this time, it did not echo in the surroundings but sounded right behind Kyran.


    Gael materialized behind Kyran, his hand holding the scythe raised above his head.


    SLASH!


    Gael brought down the scythe and aimed at Kyran''s head. But before the scythe''s de could even touch the tip of Kyran''s head, Kyran''s body flickered and disappeared.


    "Tsk!" Gael forcefully stopped his downward swing and dematerialized at once, turning into dark mist before merging with the shadows in the surroundings.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Just as Gael did this, a figure with two ck swords appeared behind him.


    The figure was none other than Kyran, who now held the two obsidian swords he had modified. He swung the swords horizontally and aimed at Gael''s waist. However, by the time the tip of his swords touched Gael''s sides, he had already turned into ck mist.


    Nevertheless, Gael still felt a sting on his sides from when Kyran''s swords touched him. He then realized that the swords Kyran had used differed from the Void weapons he had summoned.


    Gael observed Kyran''s swords from the shadows and could not help but frown. He still felt his sides sting from that slight touch, which meant the swords in Kyran''s hands could be his very own magic weapon.


    Gael''s guess was not entirely wrong. Since Kyran indeed modified the two obsidian swords when he was in the Regis Terram, changing them into weapons with Void properties. However, these two could not be considered magic weapons but elemental ones. The reason was simple; these swords could not produce Void magic energy. They could only absorb a certain amount¡ª or else, they would disintegrate¡ª and even then, they could not release the absorbed magic energy into a magic attack. The absorbed magic energy would only serve as ''fuel'' to them, nothing more.


    Kyran decided to use these two rather than summon a Void weapon simply because Void weapons had no real physical form and required him to mold them with the help of his magic sense. Creating another one or two Void weapons would mean he would have to remove a few Void Knives that were dealing with the shadow minions, and that was something he could not do if he wanted to understand the mystery behind them as soon as possible.


    After missing his target, Kyran did notunch another attack. Instead, he stood still and silently observed his surroundings.


    Seeing this, Gael could not help but burst out inughter. He knew why Kyran''s movements were somewhatcking.


    Obviously, the magic pressure released by Osric and the other mages on their side disrupted Kyran''s use of magic sense.


    A few minutes earlier, when Osric and Lira were discussing how to force the Crown Princess''s other half toe out of the Tower of Conve, Gael arrived. He did not use the transmission array but his Shadow''s travel ability.


    After that, he told them La approved his use of the Army''s Research Department''s Trump Cards to deal with Kyran so Osric could focus on finding a way to capture the Crown Princess''s other half and the current Time Keeper.


    Still, Gael more or less guessed that Kyran''s magic sense had achieved an incredibly high level. If that was the case, he was sure the Army''s Research Department''s Trump Cards might not be enough to keep him busy.


    After learning about this, Osric devised a n to disrupt Kyran''s magic sense while Gael dealt with him. As for how they would lure the Crown Princess''s other half and the current Time Keeper... well, they already came up with a n.


    Back in the present time, Gael looked at Kyran''s profile and taunted, "What''s wrong new Dark Sage? Where''s your overbearingness from before?"


    Kyran continued to ignore Gael''s taunts and focus on observing his surroundings and the shadow minions that the Void Knives had destroyed.


    ''No,'' Kyran thought, frowning inwardly. ''Some of the shadow minions had not been destroyed.''


    This discovery helped him better understand what the shadow minions were.


    Basically, the shadow minions that had been destroyed were the ones where the Void Knives sessfully pierced through their core. This core was where the Soul magic energy was gathered.


    From this, Kyran confirmed his initial findings that Gael only housed these cores with his Shadow magic. As long as Kyran aimed at the cores, their ''housing'' would no longer reform.


    The Void Knives continued to attack the shadow minions.


    At the same time, the shadow minions also continued tounch magic attacks toward Kyran.


    Unfortunately, their attacks were either intercepted by the Void Knives or disintegrated after making contact with Kyran''s Void Armor.


    Seeing that Kyran had no ns of responding to his taunts, Gael pushed for another attack. Shadow mists appeared from the shadow on the ground behind Kyran. Afterwards, Gael materialized from the chest up, his height only reaching around the back of Kyran''s knee. He then swung his scythe horizontally, aiming to cut Kyran''s shins.


    This time around, Kyran did not bother to move. Instead, the pupils of his eyes turned to silver slits while his irises remained reddish-purple.


    Since he could not utilize his magic sense, he would then use his Draconic magic to heighten his senses and deal with Gael.


    Before Gael''s scythe could touch Kyran''s shin, the Void Armor that covered thetter shifted, turning into a deep shade of purple with glowing silver linings.

 Chapter 663 Special Ops (8)

    CLANG!


    Gael''s hands were forced back as the scythe appeared to have hit a solid metal-like object.


    "What¡ª?"


    Fooom!


    An unfamiliar aura surged from Kyran''s body, spreading out in every direction.


    "Guah¡ª!" Gael spat out a mouthful of blood after getting hit by the full force of Kyran''s aura. He withdrew into the shadow he emerged from so as to avoid worsening the injuries he received.


    That was right. With a single sweep of Kyran''s aura, Gael actually received internal injuries!


    Kyran''s aura reached Osric''s side, shocking thetter and all the mages with him. A few mages behind Osric also fell on their knees and spat out blood.


    Osric had thought they already had Kyran up against the wall. Thus, he should be barely getting by from Gael''s attack. Osric did not expect Kyran could still release such a powerful aura that could affect those with low-level magic attainments!


    Because there were mages affected by Kyran''s aura, the pressure from Osric and they had released abated.


    Though the decrease was not that much, it was enough for Kyran to activate his magic sense again.


    He was not nning on covering the maximum range of his magic sense but only around the Tower of Conve''s periphery. He had done this because he had guessed that Osric and the rest of the enemy mages had released their magic pressure to disrupt his magic sense because they were plotting something.


    Gael''s appearance and the strange shadow minions were also part of that plot.


    The plot was not as simple as them wanting to detain Kyran. Instead, it only proved that they had prepared a bigger ploy.


    They wanted to prevent Kyran from using his magic sense and detain him here because they probably nned on infiltrating the Tower of Conve behind his back.


    As to how they would do that, Kyran did not know¡ª at least, not at the moment.


    When Kyran''s magic sense, which his Draconic magic had amplified, spread into the Tower of Conve and its periphery, he discovered movements underground.


    Kyran paused and frowned slightly. He delved his magic sense further into the underground location he had just sensed. However, he soon discovered that there was nothing there and that the movements he discovered continued to move forward.


    ''Don''t tell me...!'' Kyran''s eyes widened in realization as he thought of a possibility.


    There was no movement ''underground,'' but within thend!


    Basically, those who nned to infiltrate the Tower of Conve had blended into thend and moved toward the Tower of Conve.


    This had been one of the ws of the Tower of Conve''s defensive array. It was a powerful defensive array that could counter and even nullify enemy attacks. However, their attacks had tond on the defensive array''s barrier in order to activate. If an attack or movement failed to pass through the barrier, it would not activate.


    The barrier of the Tower of Conve''s defensive array also permeated into the ground. However, it would not recognize the ''ground'' as hostile. So if a mage had the ability to turn himself into ''earth'' and blend into the ground, there was a good chance the defensive array would not recognize him or her as hostiles.


    At the moment, what was happening was precisely that.


    A number of people merged with thend and nned to enter the Tower of Conve from there.


    Kyran was astonished by this. After all, a low-level mage could not physically turn himself or herself into the element of their innate magic. Only when they attained a certain level and higher enlightenment would they be able to do it.


    That was the case with Osric and how he learned to turn himself into water.


    Even if Kyran considered the possibility that those people were not using their innate magic and were using a unique ability, what were the chances that such a person¡ª not to mention several of them¡ª had the same abilities? In the first ce, if more people had the same unique ability, it could no longer be called ''unique.''


    Kyran pushed his doubts aside and immediately turned back. Given the urgency of the situation, he had no time to think through his doubts.


    As soon as he turned, he took a step forward. In a blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of the Tower of Conve. After that, he stomped one foot on the ground. Because his Draconic magic had merged into his Void Armor, the ground did not disintegrate from his stomp. Instead, huge web-like cracks appeared on the ground because of the forceing from Kyran''s leg.


    It was as if a huge beast had done that stomp rather than a human.


    This stomp was one of the moves Kyran learned during his training in the Tower of Tribtions. However, it was the first time he used it with the Draconic and Void magicbined force.


    TREMOR! CRACKLE!


    There was a slight dy before the ground trembled violently.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After that, silhouettes emerged from the ground,nding with a loud thud.


    "Guah!"


    "Argh!"


    Agonized cries were followed by retching sounds as the silhouettes hunched forward and vomited blood.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he got a better look at the figures of the silhouettes.


    These guys wore all-ck coats simr to the ones worn by the people he fought in Hanaan!


    The Royal Army''s Special Ops!


    Kyran recalled what Nn had said about the Royal Army conducting experiments and that most of the subjects were from the Special Ops.


    Now Kyran knew how several people could have the capability to blend into ''earth.'' It was likely an ability the Royal Army Research Department had experimented on and injected into the bodies of these Special Ops members.


    Meanwhile, several figures in ck coats appeared in the Lumley Ancestral Hall after the unexpected explosion. After this, these figures attacked the Regis Special Force and the remaining Courtenay and Lumley members, who could still fight.


    The Regis Special Forces and a few Courtenay and Lumley leaders recognized these figures immediately.


    The Royal Army''s Special Ops.


    However, as far as they knew, the Royal Army''s Special Ops number did not exceed ten members. Why were there more than thirty there?


    In the end, the Regis Special Forces and the Courtenay and Lumley members put this question aside and focused on the matter at hand. A few minutes after the appearance of the Special Ops, the Regis Special Forces also learned why the number of enemy mages did not seem to be decreasing.


    Simr to what Kyran had encountered, quite a number of enemy mages were actually using dummies. No matter how many times the Special Forces killed them, they woulde back to life.


    It was then that the leaders from the Regis, Courtenay and Lumley Families finally discovered the threat of the Soul Emperor.


    Aron, Jared and the other leaders tried their best to deal with the ''undying'' dummies. Unfortunately, since none of them had the Void magic''s nature of turning anything it touches into nothingness, they were unable to destroy the dummies.


    Back in the Tower of Conve, Osric, all the mages with him, and Gael felt the violent tremor and knew something had happened to their ''Trump Card.''


    "Execute n B!" Osricmanded at once.


    All the Exalted released the full force of their magic and immediately flew above.


    Then the Grand Masters below sat down before releasing their magic energy.


    If one looked from afar, the positioning of the Grand Masters below and the Exalted above actually formed a huge array formation.


    Osric''s eyes shed red, and a threeyered light blue with gold magic array appeared behind him. Soon the magic energies released by the Exalted and Grand Masters gathered around them before rushing into the magic array. After which, the outeryer of the magic array began to rotate. A few secondster, the second inneryer also started to rotate. Finally, thest centralyer also rotated.


    Soon, all threeyers'' rotation picked up speed.


    These threeyers represented what the Grand Masters and the Exalted were ''transferring'' to Osric.


    Magic Energy. Magic Experience. Magic Attainment.


    Because of this, Osric''s power rose to a higher level. He was a top Legendary mage. But as he continued to receive these three from all the mages behind him, his mage level rose and was now close to a peak Legendary. If he continued to receive all the magic energies, experiences and attainments from the mages, Osric''s power might even reach the Sage level!


    Osric waved his hand, and his magic staff appeared.


    The moment it appeared, the magic energy around him fluctuated.


    It seemed that when his magic increased, his magic staff''s sentient also received an increase in power. The bluish-white sea serpent''s projection appeared and roared as it circled Osric.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he sensed what Osric and his men were doing.


    A few Special Ops on the ground finally recovered and attacked Kyran at once.


    They had not given up yet.

 Chapter 664 Puppets

    "Aki, Len,e out."


    The space between Kyran and the special ops distorted as Aki and Len''s figures emerged. Their eyes had turned gold, and they exuded a domineering aura not present in them earlier.


    Aki now held a ck and purple spear, while Len''s hands were covered with ck and purple gauntlets. From their aura and posture, they could be easily mistaken asbat mages.


    Then again, it was not entirely a mistake because Kyran did activate the battle code in their programming. Their magic andbat settings might not be as fluid as Neo''s, but right now, they could fight against a Magus with no problem.


    Aki and Len intercepted the approaching special ops. Although they still could not circte Void magic energy, their program''s magic spells andbat knowledge had been updated.


    The special ops brandished their weapons and summoned their magic. Red and brown magic arrays appeared on their weapons as they augmented magic into them.


    Len jumped, its hands poised, ready to punch out. On the other hand, Aki whirled the spear in its hand as a start of a whirlwind stirred at the tip of the spear''s de.


    Lennded and directly struck the ground.


    BOOM!


    The ground exploded instantly, resulting in a four-meter radius crater.


    "Aaargh!"


    Some of the approaching special ops were caught up in the explosion and were thrown back, while the rest, who managed to stop in time, jumped back.


    However, when they jumped back, Aki, who had not been affected by Len''s initial assault, swung its spear horizontally, aiming at them.


    "Watch out!"


    One of the special ops shouted. However, thetter''s warning came toote, and all of them were hit by the whirlwind that came with Aki''s swing.


    "Aaaargh!"


    Aki''s whirlwind attack blew them away.


    Meanwhile, when Aki and Len appeared, Kyran had already taken a step toward Osric.


    In a blink of an eye, Kyran had already appeared in front of Osric. Silver magic energy gathered on Kyran''s left hand as he pulled back and aimed it at Osric.


    Because of Kyran''s sudden appearance, Osric failed to react in time.


    Nevertheless, there was no trace of surprise on his face. Instead, he sneered and only looked at Kyran.


    BAM!


    Kyran''s fistnded on a ck wall that suddenly appeared between him and Osric.


    "Did you forget about me?"


    Gael''s taunting voice spoke from behind.


    sh!


    At the same time he appeared, he swung his scythe and aimed at Kyran''s back.


    ng!


    "Wha--?"


    Unfortunately, just as what had happened earlier, Gael''s hands holding the scythe were forced back after hitting what seemed to be a metal object.


    Kyran frowned slightly. Although he did not use his full force and only exerted five percent of his normal strength, for the ck wall to absorb his left fist''s force without crumbling was very surprising.


    Apart from this, recalling what Gael had just said also deepened Kyran''s frown.


    Did Kyran forget about Gael?


    Of course not.


    However, Kyran did not think Gael posed any threat to him. Thus, he ignored him and decided to deal with Osric first since thetter was about to make a troublesome move. Besides, Kyran''s armor was created using Draconic and Void magic. It was impossible for any magic attacks-- not to mention physical attacks, tond a clean hit.


    Kyran already knew that Gael''s scythe differed from the one he had used when they fought in Trill. For one thing, Kyran did not believe Gael was that stupid to swing around his scythe when he was wearing armor made from Void magic.


    If Kyran guessed correctly, the scythe in Gael''s hands had the ability to slice through Void.


    The reason he thought of this was because of ''La.''


    Kyran had an inkling that La possessed knowledge, or even items, that could counter Void magic.


    Obviously, the most effective counter to Void magic was definitely Draconic magic. It was one of the reasons La was adamant about taking the Regis Family under her control. But that did not mean there were no other means to counter the Void.


    Kyran never believed Void magic to be omnipotent. Thus, he was always on the lookout for mages who had the capability to counter it.


    In any case, Kyran already sensed that Gael''s Shadow magic had developed in a strange direction.


    La must have known it and told Gael how it could be utilized. If he used it correctly, he might even be able to ''cut through'' the Void.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    All of these were only Kyran''s spection. Nevertheless, he believed he was onto something. For this reason, he decided to enhance his Void Armor with Draconic magic.


    As Gael was forced back, Kyran did a 360 back kick and sent Gael hurtling downward.


    BOOM!


    "Guah!" Gael spat out a mouthful of blood as hended with his back on the ground. Due to the force of hisnd, he got rooted in the ground.


    Osric was not idle when Kyran kicked Gael. He waved his magic staff, and the sea serpent roared at Kyran.


    After Osric received a boost from the array formation, the attack power of the magic staff''s sentient also increased.


    Kyran turned just in time when the sea serpent roared. Thetter opened its mouth and nned on chomping Kyran down.


    Kyran crossed his arms in front of him and braced for impact.


    When the sea serpent''s mouth closed on Kyran''s torso, it did not stop its advance and even increased its momentum, taking Kyran upward.


    Osric waved his magic staff andunched a follow-up attack. Water pirs sprang out from the ground and went straight toward Kyran.


    Since Kyran was still stuck in the sea serpent''s mouth, the water pirs swerved to the sides before piercing him from the spots that the sea serpent''s mouth could not cover.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The sea serpent released Kyran as soon as the water pirs, which seemed to have transformed into water drills, pierced through him.


    However.


    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!


    Continuous sounds of metal striking metal rang out, forcing Osric''s expression to turn grim.


    Osric heard the metallic sound after Gael''s scythe hit Kyran''s armor, which was why he manipted the water pirs to rotate like drills before piercing through the armor. He was confident the water pirs could drill a hole through Kyran''s armor.


    But what just happened? Why did Osric''s water pirs fail to drill a hole in Kyran''s armor? Even the sea serpent''s sharp fangs could not dent it!


    The thousands of mages behind Osric were stunned at what they had witnessed. They had seen how magic attacks disintegrated after touching Kyran''s armor. It was all because of the Void magic''s property. But what about now? How did it appear as if it was made of metal?


    "Neo, go and deal with this guy."


    Kyran had spoken in a low voice.


    Nevertheless, Osric and the rest of the people below heard him.


    The space a few feet from Kyran distorted, and a figure holding a wooden staff appeared.


    Osric''s eyes narrowed in recognition as soon as he saw the figure.


    Some of the mages in the array formation also recognized the figure, and their expressions turned grim.


    "If you will it, I can also deal with the rest of them, Master," Neo said as soon as he appeared. At the same time, he waved his wooden staff, and it expanded, turning into a huge hammer.


    Without any pause in his movement, Neo raised the huge hammer and mmed it toward Osric.


    RAWRGH!


    Seeing the iing hammer, the sea serpent glided back and roared at Neo. It then waved its tail and aimed at him.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed as he looked at the sea serpent''s tail. In an instant, he disappeared from within the water pirs'' bombardment and reappeared right before the sea serpent''s nose.


    Silver magic energy gathered on his left hand. It then shifted in a blink of an eye, making it look like Kyran''s fist had turned into a huge dragon w.


    BAM!


    A resounding hit filled the air, and the following shockwave made those in midair and below spat out a mouthful of blood. Nevertheless, they did not leave their position in fear of disrupting the array formation.


    After all, the hit that sounded did not onlye from Kyran hitting the sea serpent but also Neo''s hammer mming on Osric''s water barrier.


    RAWRGH-- SPLASH!


    The sea serpent''s roar was interrupted as it exploded and turned into drops of water that rained down on the mages below.


    "Urgh..!"


    Meanwhile, Osric withstood Neo''s hammer attack but was pushed back a few meters away.


    Seeing this, Kyran stepped toward Osric and appeared behind him in a split second.


    On the other hand, Neo turned his attention toward the mages who refrained from leaving their position in the array formation. He raised his huge hammer, and when the mages nearby resolved to withstand his attack with theirbined defensive barrier, the hammer increased in size again.


    The mages trembled after seeing the huge-ass hammer grow bigger.


    Neo smiled at them before mming the hammer down once more.

 Chapter 665 This Is...?

    Kyran, who appeared behind Osric, also sent out a punch.


    BAM!


    BOOM!


    Kyran''s left fistnded squarely on Osric''s head at the exact moment that Neo''s hammer mmed into the ground.


    "GUAH!"


    "AAAARGH!"


    Osric, who failed to react in time, was hit by Kyran''s punch and was thrown several meters away. He hit several trees in session before bouncing and skidding on the ground to a stop.


    Meanwhile, the ground where Neo''s hammernded caved in from its weight, and several enemy mages who refused to leave their position in the array formation were squashed into a pulp.


    Those mages who moved out of the way paled after seeing a river of blood seep out from under the hammer.


    Kyran did not simply watch Osric getting thrown away, he took another step and appeared at a position where Osric was about to pass. Kyran did a tornado roundhouse kick and sent Osric flying backwards.


    "GAH!" Osric spat out another mouthful of blood as he got sted off in the opposite direction.


    Once again, he hit several trees in session. This time, he tried summoning his magic staff''s sentient while regaining his bnce. However, no matter what he did, the sea serpent would not respond.


    Before Osric could find a chance to pierce his magic staff to the ground and break his momentum, he caught sight of Kyran appearing again at the spot he was about to crash into.


    "Ngh....!" Osric gritted his teeth and summoned a wall made of water between him and Kyran.


    But.


    Kyran stomped his feet, and the water that started to form dissipated in the air.


    Osric''s eyes widened after witnessing Kyran''s action.


    Although it was a simple movement, Osric sensed Kyran''s stomp carried a powerful force. Not only that, the kind of force that Kyran unleashed was a little different from that of the Void.


    In the split second that Osric got distracted from the stomp, Kyran had already moved. He disappeared and reappeared right before Osric, who had yet to break his momentum after getting kicked.


    The two ck obsidian swords appeared in Kyran''s hand once more. He raised his arms and shed downward, aiming to slice Osric''s neck.


    Osric''s eyes widened further. It was as if time had slowed down as he watched the des of the swordse down his neck.


    The truth was Osric could still turn into water and avoid Kyran''s attack. Unfortunately, thetter would not give him a chance to transform.


    Kyran''s attack was too fast, and Osric could barely react in time. He could not even rouse his magic properly.


    For the first time after waking up from his slumber, Osric felt true fear.


    Nevertheless, he was not going to give up!


    "AAAAAAAARRRRGH!"


    Osric let out a coarse scream as his magic pressure erupted.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he felt his speed getting affected by Osric''s magic pressure.


    In that split-second difference, Osric finally managed to turn himself into water and without even feeling embarrassed about it, he seeped into the ground below.


    Seeing this, Kyran''s expression remained unchanged. He watched Osric turn into water and escape into the ground.


    But would Kyran let Osric escape?


    At the moment, Kyran''s state of mind was calm. Though he was under pressure, he managed to retain this state even after dealing with the initial predicament that the Conve had fallen into.


    When Osric seeped into the ground, Kyran whirled the two swords in his hand and reversed his grip. Hended on the ground and raised his hand before piercing the ground with the swords.


    His eyes shed as his magic sense erupted and filled the ground below.


    Now that Osric and the enemy mages were no longer releasing their magic pressure, Kyran could use his magic sense without obstruction.


    But instead of using thebined Draconic and Void magic as the base for his magic sense, he only used the Void.


    Because Kyran did not want to waste too much of his magic energy, he used his magic sense to deal with Osric''s water form instead of summoning a huge void sphere.


    He mobilized the magic energies in the surroundings using his magic sense and covered the earth below.


    With the help of the magic energies in the surroundings, it did not take long for Kyran to locate Osric. Thetter was still in his water form and was traversing the ground, looking for a suitable location toe out again.


    Using his magic sense, Kyran created an array formation with Osric at the center.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''This is impossible,'' Osric thought as he traversed the earth.


    He knew Kyran possessed a powerful body and that if he activated the infamous Regis Blessing, his five senses would receive a huge boost. However, the strengthening thetter received did not make sense to Osric.


    In the first ce, when Kyran would suddenly appear before him, Osric felt that he was only using his ''speed.'' How could Kyran''s speed be simr to when he warped? Apart from that, his punches were too powerful.


    Osric was wearing not only an enchanted coat but also leather armor. He also took pills to enhance his physical, mental and magical defenses, and the support mages with them had cast supportive spells that boosted their defenses. However, despite all of these enhancements, he still suffered internal injuries!


    While Osric was reeling over Kyran''s unbelievable strength, he suddenly sensed an iing danger.


    ''No¡ª!" Osric eximed as realization dawned on him. ''Now that no magic pressure is disrupting him, he can use his magic sense again!''


    Osric gritted his teeth and roused his magic. Though somewhat disgruntled, he would not let Kyran get the best of him. He was a Legendary mage! Apart from this, he had survived the Chaos Era! How could he let a newbie push him around?


    Osric was just about to emerge on the ground and counter Kyran''s magic sense with his own when he realized he could not rouse his magic!


    ''W-What is happening?''


    Thinking that he did not have enough magic energy after transforming into water, Osric tried to absorb the surrounding magic energies and rouse his magic again.


    However, not matter what he did, he still could not rouse his magic.


    No.


    To be urate, he could not even sense magic energy in his body, or in the surroundings.


    What was going on?


    ''Since you love that form so much, you can stay that way for now.''


    Osric''s heart sank as he heard Kyran''s voice in his head. Obviously, thetter had just spoken to him telepathically.


    Normally, it would not be possible for others to talk to Osric in water form. However, Kyran still managed it. But that was unimportant. What was important was thetter''s words.


    Love this form? Stay this way for now?


    Osric''s turned could as soon as he realized what Kyran had meant.


    That was right.


    The array Kyran created had several confinement forms. Basically, it could imprison anything or anyone inside the array.


    If Osric were in his human form, Kyran would have trouble confining him in the array. After all, Osric would never stay in one ce. Besides, he definitely had the means to counter such moves.


    However, Osric''s magic and ability were limited while in water form, and Kyran took advantage of this to confine him.


    At least for now. Because it was impossible to detain a high-levelled mage for long, at most, Kyran could keep Osric there for three hours. Of course, if he reinforced the array every two to three hours, he could detain him there for more than three hours.


    ''YOU¡ª I''LL KILL YOU!''


    Osric sent out his cursing telepathically at Kyran.


    Kyran was amused after hearing Osric''s response. In the end, he ignored him. After all, his threats were useless when he was trapped underground and in water form.


    ''LET ME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE! IT DOESN''T MATTER IF HER HIGHNESS WANTS YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!''


    Osric continued to curse Kyran.


    Unfortunately, after hearing his first cursing, Kyran took this chance to leave and returned to Neo''s location.


    There was still another person he had to deal with, after all.


    Gael.


    Just thinking about Gael made Kyran frown.


    Frankly, he did not expect that the one who would give him trouble would be Gael.


    In the first ce, Gael was only a Magus. However, Kyran knew that thetter''s advantage was his magic.


    Shadow magic was not that impressive, in Kyran''s opinion. But Gael managed to develop it in a different direction that Kyran, who possessed vast knowledge of magic after learning so many things in the Tower of Tribtion, could not understand.


    For now, Kyran decided to find Gael and take him alive. He had to study his magic and see how he could counter such.


    Right now, Gael was only a Magus. If he advanced, he would be even more powerful and might even pose a threat to Kyran¡ª not to mention the others.


    That was something Kyran would never allow.

 Chapter 666 Grand Array (1)

    Neo wreck havoc at the spot where the rest of the enemy mages were gathered. After killing a few during his first strike, he went on a killing spree.


    During the time Kyran left to deal with Osric, Neo had already killed more than a hundred mages.


    If others saw him, they would either be impressed or be scared of him. But in truth, what he he did was no longer impressive because he was no longer a Master mage, which was Disciple Tyr''s known mage level.


    After Kyran fixed Neo in the Regis Terram, he undid most of his restrictions. Initially, Kyran had no ns on removing them because at the end of the day, Neo''s actions would follow a certain pattern that was based on his programming. But when Kyran checked Neo''s recent action logs, he discovered there were times when Neo acted opposite his programming''s ''best course of action'' result.


    One good example of this was Neo''s decision to ''blow himself up.''


    Kyran did encode an emergency protocol for Neo''s self-destruct if his secret was discovered. But after checking what happened that led to Neo''s decision to self-destruct, Kyran found out that the conditions enabling the self-destruct sequence was not met.


    From this, Kyran surmised that Neo started to develop his own sentient-- an unexpected feat especially when Neo was only a few years old. To be precise, he was only a few months old!


    For the record, Neo was considered a few months old because Kyran installed the energy core based on the blueprint he got as a reward in the Tower of Tribtions a couple of months ago. But technically, Neo was a few years old, because his original body parts came from the first puppets Kyran ever created.


    In any case, with Neo developing own sentient, Kyran felt it was no longer necessary to restrict him.


    Neo''s strength was nowparable to a Magus-- or higher. Apart from this, he could also utilize the Void magic energy in the surroundings with the help of the energy core. Although he could not use it to summon Void-base spells, he could use its nature to attract other types of magic energy.


    Neo whirled his hammer, and a powerful gust of wind gathered at its tip. After that, he waved the hammer horizontally and sent the enemy mages within fifty meters flying.


    "GAAAAH!"


    Because the hammer had retained its ''huge'' form, the gust of wind it rendered were too powerful and even killed a few enemy mages who were ten meters away.


    The enemy mages that had not been sent flying gathered and prepared a joint magic attack.


    Soon, a huge ming sword appeared above the ten enemy mages.


    While Neo was still in the action of waving his huge hammer, the ten enemy mages already aimed the ming sword at him.


    Fearing that Neo would counter as soon as he stopped his motion, they immediately unleashed the ming sword at him.


    Neo already saw them creating the huge ming sword. Once they aimed it toward him, instead of evading, he forcefully twisted his body to continue his motion toward the opposite direction. Due to the sudden shift of movement, the hammer that had yet to release its initial momentum was forced to change direction. In that instant, the wind that gathered around it stirred, its momentum increasing further.


    WHOOOSH!


    With a sudden increase in the wind''s momentum, when Neo waved the huge hammer, the gust of wind it released had not only doubled, but actually tripled.


    "AAAAAHHHH!"


    The powerful wind extinguished the ming sword, like a soft wind putting off a small me from a matchstick. After which, the wind''s momentum continued and blew the ten enemy mages away.


    "Such a weak me," Neo said with a sneer. "What can it do to a high level wind attack?"


    Kyran, who had just arrived, heard Neo and could not help but look at him with an odd expression.


    At the moment, Neo still possessed ''Tyr''s character,'' and hearing his arrogant remark made Kyran wonder if he sounded like that when he was posed as Tyr. If he did, he somehow felt embarrassed.


    Sensing Kyran''s arrival, Neo lowered his hand and willed the huge hammer to decrease in size.


    The moment the enemy mages nearby saw Neo''s hammer reduced in size, they banded together and attacked him once more.


    They were too focused on Neo that they did not notice Kyran''s arrival!


    Kyran looked at the enemy mages and simply waved his hand. A silver-white magic energy erupted from his hand and all of the approaching enemy mages exploded as soon as they collided with it.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    Upon witnessing these mages exploding before they could even react, the remaining enemy mages a few meters away were terrified.


    What kind of attack did Kyran release? Why did they explode instead of disintegrating just like the before? Was their understanding of Void magic incorrect? Could Kyran had the ability to kill them using the Void magic''s raw energy with just the wave of his hand?


    Obviously, the enemy mages were oblivious about Kyran possessing Draconic magic. If they knew, they would probably not act as brazen as they did today.


    After all, that was magic originating from real dragons.


    Neo let out an exaggerated sigh as he watched the retreating enemy mages. He looked back at Kyran and said, "Master, look what you''ve done. You scared my prey away."


    Kyran looked at Neo with a nk expression. This reaction was definitely not ''Tyr''s'' but Neo''s. To think that one of his puppets developed a sentient with sadistic tendencies.


    Kyran was unsure if it was good or not.


    "Killing them is good," he told Neo. "But if you do, you have to make sure that you also destroy their souls."


    Neo raised his brows questioningly, "Destroy their souls?"


    "If the Soul Emperor recovered her full power, she could easily summon all the wandering souls and have them upy any vessel that can allow them to move again," Kyran exined patiently.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Neo''s eyes constricted after hearing Kyran''s exnation. It was true that his database had a vast array of information. However, his knowledge on Soul magic was limited.


    Initially, Neo''s database reflected Kyran''s own knowledge. But thetter had yet topletely update the former''s data on Soul magic.


    "Use the Void energy when dealing with these guys," Kyran reminded Neo.


    Neo nodded his head, "I will, Master."


    After saying his piece, Kyran turned and went to find Gael.


    In the Lumley Ancestral Hall, after Aron and rest discovered the dummies, it took them a while to figure out a way to deal with them.


    Actually, they did not find a solution. Only after killing the dummies a certain number of times did they notice a change in their magic output. Because of this, they discovered that the more the dummies dies, their mage level would also suffer. After that, it would only be a matter of time before they werepletely exhausted and would no longer revive.


    After almost half an hour, the Regis Special Forces gained the advantage and even the Special Ops that had appeared out of nowhere were unable to fight back.


    Soon, all of them retreated, and Aron ordered his people not to pursue.


    His reason was simple. The Courtenay and Lumley family members had suffered a lot. Their priority was to get them to Noser or meet with the Solum Tribe and have them heal first.


    After the enemy mages and the Special Ops retreated, Aron had everyone gathered inside the Lumley Ancestral Hall. Then Jared and the rest of the Regis Special Forces who knew about Array helped him create a transmission array.


    Although they could use transmission scrolls because Kyran already told them how to create them efficiently and cost effective, they still chose to create an array.


    Because no matter how affordable transmissions scrolls were, or fast they could create them, they were already out of materials.


    They also could not bear to waste their resources for creating consumable items. Although creating transmission arrays would use up quite a lot of their materials, at least, they could reuse it again. Besides, the remaining Courtenay and Lumley Families were still a lot-- not that they wereining-- but even if they chose to create transmission scrolls, their resources would definitely end up in the red line.


    "Our forces suffered quite a bit," Eleanor reported. "Even with young master Kyran''s Sigil helping us out, because of the appearance of those dummies and the army''s Special Ops, our forces had to deal with a lot of things at the same time.


    "Still, the good news is that, we did not lose anyone."


    Aron crossed his arms after hearing Eleanor''s report. He already expected his people would suffer while saving the Courtenay and the Lumley Families. He even anticipated some of them would die. Thus, hearing that they did not lose anyone was a relief.


    ''Is this what Lady Ames said about the true awakening of the Regis Family?'' Aron wondered as he recalled Ames telling them something about the Regis Family''s true awakening.


    Aron did not fully understand what she meant. He initially thought she was talking about the Regis n regaining their ''ce'' after hiding in seclusion for so many years. But the result today made him believe Ames was referring to the Regis Blessing instead. After all, only those from the Regis Family possessed the Blessing, and Ames specifically said ''Regis Family''s true awakening.''


    Whatever the truth was, Aron dly weed it. It was a timely awakening that could increase their chances of winning against the Soul Emperor.


    Others might think they already had the upper hand after winning the battle here, and also in Noser. But after witnessing what the dummies could do and that they were supported by the Soul magic, they realized their enemy could easily replenish her army as long as she gathered enough souls.


    Thinking of this, Aron thought of the Regis n members in Ravenpass, as well as the rest of Euan''s men.


    Hopefully, nothing untoward had happened to them.


    Such a thought was already wishful thinking especially when the Macabre cier was already out in the open.


    "Patriarch, a message from Noser has juste in."


    A squad leader of the Regis Special Forces reported as soon as he approached them.


    "What is it?" Aron asked while looking at the squad leader.


    "They have finished cleaning up in Noser and cane here anytime."


    "Tell them to stay put and we''lle to them instead."


    "Understood."


    The squad leader left at once.


    Eleanor looked at Aron skeptically, "Are we really going to Noser without checking the status in the Tower of Conve?"


    Aron shook his head, "Kyran wants to handle the matter there alone."


    "I know you trust him, but don''t you think he is already at his limits? As far as I remember, he has been running around all this time without rest."


    Aron did not respond and only looked at Eleanor. After a short pause he finally said, "He is. Which is why, I want him to continue."


    Eleanor sighed inwardly and shook her head with a bitter smile, "s, I still find your way of dealing with the young master... cruel."


    Aron looked away and turned his attention back to the people working on the transmission array.


    His expression, unreadable.

 Chapter 667 Grand Array (2)

    Kyran''s expression turned grim as he looked at the human-shape crater on the ground that Gael had fallen into after receiving Kyran''s 360 back kick.


    Thinking back on it, Kyran was sure Gael had lost consciousness after that attack. That was one of the reason he was able to focus on Osric.


    Because of Gael''s condition, Kyran was able to focus on Osric.


    ''Did he escape again?'' He wondered, recalling how Gael escaped from him back in Trill.


    ''No, that should not be the case. I can still sense my orbs engaging those strange shadow minions.''


    Because Kyran''s puppets were dealing with the remaining Special Ops and enemy mages, he seized the moment to analyze what had happened.


    Gael''s appearance was something Kyran did not anticipate. At least, he did not think Gael would appear so soon. After all, Gael suffered a lot during their confrontation in the Trill.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed, remembering how he cut off one of Gael''s hands in an attempt to stop him from using a scroll to escape. In the end, thetter still managed to activate the scroll by using his domain, which resulted in a huge explosion.


    Gael suffered a great deal after that. But looking back at his condition upon his arrival, he did not look like he had just been fatally injured.


    Then again, the Soul Emperor could use her magic to heal.


    ''Even with an essence for a vessel, she can still use her Soul magic well,'' Kyran thought with a sigh.


    Kyran had witnessed Haylee using her magic to heal several people at the same time. But those people had already received initial healing from Kyran''s puppets and Haylee''s healing had only amplified their healing capabilities, resulting in their fast recovery. None of them actually lost a limb¡­


    Kyran''s eyes widened as realization struck him.


    ''I cut Gael''s hand using Void magic¡­ how did that woman recovered his limb?''


    As soon as this doubt surfaced in his mind, he shook his head and changed his perspective.


    Soul magic is weak against Void magic. This truth had been confirmed in the past. It is impossible for the former to have an advantage over thetter because of this.


    Think about it. If Soul magic''s healing nature can recover severed limbs caused by Void magic''s nature, then the former being weak against thetter is no longer valid.


    Thus, instead of recovering Gael''s limb using Soul magic, La might have used a different approach to provide him a new one.


    The Royal Army Research Division possessed the technology to create dummies, which could be liken to real human bodies. It would not be surprising if they were able to use the same technology to restore Gael''s hand.


    Regardless of the truth, Kyran put that aside for now.


    Since Gael arrived here in good shape, and managed to summon those strange shadow minions as if he did not have to worry about wasting his magic energy, it meant La''s healing was on par or maybe even better than Cyneah''s¡­


    ¡­


    "T-Then. C-Come back in three minutes. Sister Ste and I will wait for you, r-right here."


    Cyneah''s words suddenly echoed in Kyran''s mind, halting his train of thought.


    Three minutes was already over! As a matter of fact, almost an hour had passed since the time he went out to meet the enemies.


    How could he forget his promise?


    Err¡­ He did not really promise anything but he did not want Cyneah to worry because he did not return as soon as possible.


    Kyran immediately turned, preparing to return to the Tower of Conve. He initially wanted to check on Aki, Len and his orbs, fighting the Special Ops and the strange shadow minions, respectively. But now that he could use his magic sense again, he did not have to go there and check them personally.


    With this in mind, Kyran roused his magic and was about to warp back to the Tower of Conve when suddenly the whole surroundings turned dark.


    "We''re not done here."


    Gael''s voice sounded close to Kyran''s ears.


    Kyran instantly changed his magic''s cirction from warping to reinforcing his Void armor.


    Although it was already enhanced afterbining Draconic magic into it, Kyran knew how perverse Gael''s Shadow magic was¡ª not to mention, his domain.


    Amplified by his domain, as well as having the advantage in environment because it was nighttime, Gael''s Shadow magic received a huge boost.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Your armor cannot protect you."


    Gael''s voice echoed throughout the darkness.


    "Actually, it would not make any difference because hurting you is no longer my objective."


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes glowed as he scanned his surrounding using his magic sense.


    "It is futile," Gael''s voice sounded again. "Inside my domain, you will not be able to find me using such means."


    Kyran ignored Gael''s rambling and used his Draconic magic to enhance his senses.


    Who said he could only use magic sense to find his enemies?


    While Kyran focused on finding Gael, Gael focused on ying with Kyran''s head.


    "Did you think I''ve brought the Special Ops to infiltrate the Tower of Conve?" Gael paused andughed before continuing, "No. That is only a diversion."


    Kyran still ignored Gael. Nevertheless, he admitted the word ''diversion,'' got his attention.


    "You should not have revealed your identity as ''Disciple Tyr.'' But since you have, then its good for us. Now we are aware of what you can do with arrays and even know about your puppets.


    "You really have some unexpected cards up your sleeves. A beast tamer¡­ puppets¡­ even high-tier array formations. But¡­" Gael paused dramtically once more before adding, "As long as we forced you to use them, and exhaust your energy to a certain degree, then we have a better chance in isting you like this."


    Kyran frowned at Gael''s words. From the way thetter had said those things, it was as if they were so sure of seeding in exhausting all of his cards.


    He suddenly had a bad foreboding.


    Was Gael implying something? Did something happen in Noser?


    Because Gael mentioned about being a beast tamer, Kyran guessed they already know the beasts in Noser were all his.


    Well, that was already obvious. But they were not aware they were his Sigils and instead only regarded them as tamed beasts.


    In any case, from Gael''s words, it sounded as if they had seeded in exhausting Kyran''s beasts. If this was true, then it only meant that something had happened in Noser.


    Kyran forced himself to stop overthinking. In the first ce, thest update they received from Noser was that they already had the situation under control.


    There was a good chance Gael said all of those things to rile him up.


    "Senior Osric should be the one isting you like this. But you isted him, instead. Impressive. But you know¡­ after receiving your kick and hitting my head hard, I suddenly experienced a eureka moment."


    Before Kyran could cut off Gael''s nonsensical rambling, thetter''s next words made him stop.


    "You never really countered my magic. Since this is the case, then doesn''t it mean that I have a better chance of isting you? Never mind possessing a lower mage level than Senior Osric. I''ve already seen how you can overwhelm him with brute force. But you can''t do that to me while in my domain."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed.


    What Gael said was true. The reason was simple, Shadow magic did not have any ''form.''


    Water magic, though it could also be considered ''formless,'' it still had substance. But Shadow magic did not possess this. Thus, he could not use his brute force to destroy it. It was for this reason that when Kyran attacked Osric with his fist earlier, Gael sessfully blocked it with his Shadow Wall.


    "Anyway, isting you is only the first step in achieving our objective. Because as long as we do this, we can force her out."


    Kyran furrowed his brows, not understanding what Gael meant at first.


    To be precise, he thought Gael was referring to Ste. But why did they want to force her out? In the first ce, Ste could use her magic without having to step out of the Tower of Conve. Although it would mean she had to use more magic energy, Time magic was technically a target-specific based magic spell.


    "You looked confused. Good! Hahahahaha!"


    After hearing Gael talked so much, Kyran started to get annoyed by his nonsense. But he was not given the chance to rebuke Gael because the things he said next made him realize who he was really referring to.


    "Lira did a good job deciphering the rtionship you have with her Highness''s other-half. Because of this, we know how important she is to you, and the same goes with her.


    "That is why, if she knew you are in a tight spot, she will definitelye out and find a way to aid you. Don''t you think so, new Dark Sage?"

 Chapter 668 Grand Array (3)

    Gael sneered as he observed Kyran inside his domain. Though thetter''s expression did not change after Gael''s revtion, he knew it was only a facade.


    Based on all the reports of those who met Kyran in battle and survived, he normally wore an indifferent expression. From this, Gael knew that the Regis n taught Kyran to hide his emotions pretty well. It would not be easy to rile him up simply by speaking of words.


    However, Gael already knew Kyran''s weakness¡ª his unrelenting belief that he had to protect everyone close to him.


    It was not Gael who concluded this but her Highness, the Crown Princess.


    Kyran''s sudden appearance in Noser puzzled Gael and the others. Kyran had been throwing off the Royal Army''s pursuit all this time, why did he suddenly decided to show up?


    But Haylee guessed that Kyran did this to keep split the Royal Army and the Royal Family''s forces, reducing the pressure on the Regis n in the process. Haylee did not know who leaked the information about their attempt to destroy the Regis n''s defensive array with the help of Ruin that time, but after Lira escaped from the Conve, and she told them what had happened on her side, it gave them all the information that led to them finally understand the whole picture.


    Mannick was the traitor on their side. All this time, he had been working with the Conve.


    No wonder he had been too focused on developing the eastern part of the empire. It was because he had forged an alliance with the Conve.


    On the other hand, Gael made the wrong choice of approaching the Conve''s Mercenary Guild to log Kyran''s wanted list.


    Initially, Gael was not afraid of others recognizing Kyran because the Regis n had been in seclusion for a long time and few had met their members.


    In the empire, there were two individuals whose information had been kept under wraps from the public and even the noble families'' scrutiny. One was the Crown Princess, and the other was the Regis n''s Young Master.


    Their information were actually hidden better than that of the Emperor!


    This actually held true even when Kyran studied in Milfiore Military School. Only a selected few in the faculty was aware of his identity as a Regis.


    Even Emperor Euan did not know Kyran studied there. Only after issuing the Legendary Badge did he knew about Kyran.


    In any case, Gael was confident that no one would recognize Kyran even if he released thetter''s photo to the public¡ª obviously, he did not know about the Legendary Badge and that Emperor Euan already knew what Kyran looked like.


    Ultimately, Gael''s ns were rendered useless because the Mercenary Guild to whom he thought he could use, had been working with the Regis n all this time.


    One thing led to another that end up with Gael''s ploy being discovered by the Crown Princess. But at least she was far more receiving with his ideals and after surrendering to her will, his ploy was finally back on track, albeit the one leading now was her and not him.


    But that was good and all. As a matter of fact, Gael believed it was better.


    Going back on topic, with the addition of Lira''s intel, Osric got a better hold of Kyran''swork and even character. Then after Gael arrived and the three exchanged information, they finally had a better understanding of Kyran''s thinking and what moves him.


    It also confirmed why Kyran was unmoved at times, but would go on a killing spree the next moment.


    "You don''t have to pretend to be calm. We already know what makes you tick," Gael continued to taunt Kyran. "You had the Conve''s master, the Time Keeper, protect her. So we know you ced great importance in her safety.


    "Which is somewhat contradicting. Since Mannick is working with you, I''m sure you already know what her Highness looks like. So why would you keep her safe?


    "Did you think they are not the same person? That''s not the case, is it not?


    "Now that I think of it, most who met her Highness in person would end up awed by her appearance and presence. After all, she really is a beauty. But you wereposed each time¡ª right. You did not actually meet her as yourself but as Disciple Tyr."


    Kyran remained silent even after Gael revealed their real intentions. But Gael knew that deep down, Kyran was already on a verge of exploding.


    Gael could not help but grin at the thought of Kyran losing control. Gael was not stupid to let Kyran lose control in the real world, but that was not the case when they were inside his domain.


    The reason was simple, no one could touch Gael in his domain.


    Truth be told, although Gael said Kyran could not counter his magic, that was not entirely true. To be precise, thetter did not need to counter his magic in order to win. He could simply aim at his physical body and he would be defeated in no time.


    "The reason you were unfazed after seeing her Highness was because you were already used to seeing her ''face,'' am I correct?" Gael continued, and then paused with a sigh. "Unfortunately, because of your indifference coupled with a handsome face, you seeded in distracting her Highness''s thoughts.


    "But all of that is in the past. Thanks to you revealing the truth about your lie, her Highness has truly awaken, and as long as she absorbs her other-half, she would be trulyplete!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran slightly lifted his head upon hearing this.


    Seeing Kyran finally react, Gael''s grin broaden further.


    "What''s this? Are you shocked to learn the woman you''re protecting is only a piece of her Highness?"


    Gael did not know about human essences. Thus, he only thought Haylee''s other half was a ''piece'' of herself.


    "Could it be that you actually¡­ with that piece¡­? You seduced her Highness while feeling nothing for her, but was smitten by a ''piece'' of herself, instead. HAHAHAHA, talk about irony¡ª!"


    "Are you done?"


    Kyran finally spoke, cutting off Gael''s gloating.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed. However, he was not afraid. If Kyran went on a rampage in his domain, it would be alright. As a matter of fact, that was what he wanted¡ª Kyran, exhausting his energy in his domain. Then Gael would ''eat'' it as his own.


    He might even end up killing the new Dark Sage! What would her Highness think if that happened?


    Gael immediately extinguished the idea in his head.


    The Crown Princess needed the new Dark Sage alive, so Gael could not kill him.


    Just as Gael was thinking this, Kyran''s voice brought him out of his reverie.


    "No? Then, I''ll make you shut up."


    BOOM!


    A couple of hundred meters outside the Tower of Conve, a dark purple half-sphere appeared and expanded at an rming speed.


    The moment Aki, Len and Neo sensed this, they immediately stopped what they were doing and retreated.


    The Special Ops, and the remaining enemy mages were bbergasted at the sight. Even the strange shadow minions, engaged with the purple orbs stopped on their tracks.


    Instincts told them to flee. Unfortunately, even when their brains told them to move, their bodies failed to react in time. By the time their brains registered the ''flee''mand, the dark purple half-sphere had already expanded toward their location and they disintegrated upon contact.


    It happened too fast that they did not even have the time to scream.


    Inside Ste''s chamber at the central tower of the Tower of Conve, after Cyneah sensed Kyran''s presence disappearing, she felt her heart sank.


    From the moment Kyran failed to keep his promise to return as soon as possible, Cyneah had already felt her whole being gripped with fear.


    To be fair, she never experienced real fear. Yes, she felt hopeless at times, but never feared. She did not even felt fear when she was forced to face death after being left alone inside a cave in the Valley of Morte. She already knew she would die so it was pointless to despair. Instead, she tried to stay alive as long as possible. But when the time to die arrives, she was prepared to embrace it.


    But then, Kyran appeared and unknowingly gave her something she had thought she would never feel.


    Hope.


    It was because of this that Cyneah regarded Kyran as her ''light,'' even though technically she could not see his ''light.''


    Thus, whenever Cyneah felt real fear, it was always because of Kyran.


    In that moment of fear, Cyneah was already prepared to use the token Kyran gave her ande to his aid.


    The token could teleport her once, and although she did not know if she would appear where he was, she wanted to believe it would.


    In the end, Cyneah could not use the token. Not because she suddenly felt reluctant, but because Ste stopped her.

 Chapter 669 Grand Array (4)

    Ste did not the ability to read minds to know what Cyneah was nning. She had seen the look on thetter''s face countless times in the past¡ª whether it was reflected on Can''s or the mirror she was looking at.


    For this reason, Ste was aware that Cyneah nned to leave the security of the Tower of Conve.


    Others might automatically think Cyneah''s n was to use herself as bait to save Kyran. After all, she already heard from Ste that the enemy boss had ordered her capture long before the empire''s situation escted. Since Cyneah cared a lot about Kyran she would definitely not hesitate to sacrifice herself if it would mean he would be saved.


    However, it was precisely because Cyneah cared a lot about Kyran that Ste was convinced the former would never sacrifice herself.


    Cyneah was aware of the significance of her person to the enemy, especially their boss. Although Ste did not directly tell her, Cyneah was a clever girl. She only had to recall all the things she had heard and put pieced them together toe up with the reason why the enemy boss wanted her.


    Two key points in all this were, one the possibility that she was an essence, and two the enemy boss''s other identity being the Crown Princess.


    The Crown Princess wanted Cyneah to return to her, the reason being, the former would only beplete if she retrieved her missing essence.


    Initially, Cyneah was distraught by the possibility that she was an essence. Only after talking to Ste, was she able to affirm that she was not an essence.


    In the first ce, there were ways for a mage to locate his or her essence without having to actively search for them. One such way was when Cyneah''s soul could not return to her body and got attracted to the Crown Princess''s body. If Cyneah was an essence, she would have already returned to her original body when that incident happened.


    Kyran, who did not know how to create an essence, did not know this. Nevertheless, he instinctively believed that Cyneah was the original body after she woke up by the mere fact that her body did not disappear after having lost its soul.


    Anyhow, being the original body, Cyneah could retrieve her essence. But she knew the risk of retrieving an essence who appeared to have gained her personality. Not to mention, her essence possessed the Soul core.


    If Cyneah retrieved her essence, there was a chance her essence could influence her thoughts. That was what Cyneah wanted to avoid. She did not want to be Kyran''s enemy.


    Looking at Cyneah''s train of thought, it could easily be seen that she would never do anything that would jeopardize Kyran''s n. Thus, her n to leave the confines of the Tower of Conve was not to use herself as bait but to aid Kyran.


    How would she do that?


    Simple.


    Remove Kyran''s fatigue and enhanced his magic.


    Cyneah knew Kyran was already near his limits. Thetter was not aware of it yet, but Cyneah sensed it.


    How?


    It was because the void that usually shrouded Kyran''s presence in Cyneah''s eyes had weakened. She still could not see Kyran''s light, but she was able to sense his presence, which she normally could not.


    It was pretty contradicting, but that was just how it was.


    Moving onto the main topic, it was good that Ste stopped Cyneah. Because, not long after she prevented her from using the token, they heard an ear-deafening explosion outside.


    Their initial reaction was to panic. However, soon after the explosion, Cyneah sensed the magic aura that suddenly engulfed Kyran had weakened. After that, she sensed Kyran''s presence once more.


    Ste, who could not use magic sense did not know what was happening but as soon as she saw Cyneah''s relieved expression, she also rxed a bit.


    "Be patient and stay put," Ste told Cyneah, sensing thetter''s restlessness.


    It was obvious Cyneah still wanted to go outside and aid Kyran.


    "I know you are worried he might copse any moment, but you don''t really have to," Ste added with a smile. "Ky¡ª um¡­ Nar has a special body constitution so even if he doesn''t rest for days, he will be okay."


    Cyneah did not respond and only smiled slightly.


    Ste inwardly let out a sigh of relief after seeing Cyneah did not seem to noticed her slip of tongue. Then again, she sensed something wrong behind Cyneah''s smile. Thetter''s smile actually looked a little sad.


    Could it be that Cyneah did not entirely bought Ste''s exnation about Kyran''s body constitution?


    It was not like Ste said that just tofort Cyneah. Kyran did possess a special body constitution after drinking a intaking a portion of the Elixir.


    ''Wait,'' Ste paused for a moment to study Cyneah''s expression. Soon, she realized something and could not help but took a sharp intake of breath. ''D-Don''t tell me¡­ its not because she did not believe what I said but because I almost¡ª have she known all along?''


    Ste shook her head and smiled wryly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Why am I even surprised? She is blind, not deaf, nor dumb¡­ s, why haven''t you tell her the truth, Kyran?''


    Taking a deep breath, Ste looked at Cyneah and said, with the intention to change the subject, "When hees back, let''s scold him together for not keeping his promise, okay?"


    "Ah!" Cyneah let out a short cry at Ste''s reminder. Her expression turned stern and said, "I almost forgot about that! Yes, let''s do that."


    Meanwhile, Hugh and Vaness stood on top of the tower near the entrance of the Tower of Conve and was looking at the huge dark purple half-sphere and felt their scalps turned numb after it shrank in size.


    They initially thought it was a half-sphere, but as soon as it shrank, it left a clean half-sphere crater behind.


    "This is¡­ the power of the Void," Vaness could not help but matter.


    It could be said that this was his first time seeing Kyran released such a huge sphere using pure Void magic energy.


    Hugh, on the other hand, had seen it before albeit he only saw the aftermath and a small-scale one. It was during Kyran''s first visit to the Tower of Conve. He probably used the same move to destroy the Tower of Conve''s defensive array.


    "Such a huge concentrated magic attack¡­ is Kyran alright?" Hugh wondered aloud.


    Vaness looked at him before looking back at the huge crater. He more or less knew what Hugh wanted to say.


    The huge sphere was truly impressive. If Kyran had used it from the start, he could have eliminated at least a quarter of the enemies at once. But he did not do so. Why? Obviously, because this move was kept as ast resort.


    Kyran using this move meant whoever it was he was fighting had forced him to use it because he was already up against the wall.


    If this move managed to deal with the situation, then it was all good. But what if it did not resolve the situation? Kyran considered this move as ast resort because it probably ce a huge toll on his body. If the situation was not resolved, could he still escape by himself?


    "Let''s go take a look."


    Before Vaness could suggest their next course of action, Hugh already voiced his suggestion.


    "Please dont."


    Hugh and Vaness almost jumped after hearing a voice speak behind.


    Standing behind them was Aki and Len with an indifferent expressions.


    Hugh and Vaness were dumbfounded. They did not even notice their arrival!


    "The distortion and magic fluctuation that came after using such a concentrated Void magic energy will affect both of your physical bodies," Aki exined. "There are no defensive spells, nor items that will protect you from it. If you go there now, you will suffer internal and external injuries."


    Hugh and Vaness exchanged nces. They wanted them to borate further, but before they could say anything, at the corner of their eyes, they saw space at the center of the crater that the sphere had already shrank to, distorted.


    They immediately focused their attention to the center of the crater.


    Kyran stood at the center of the crater. His left arm was raised and the dark purple sphere hovered above.


    On the ground a few meters away from him was Gael, who looked disoriented and miserable. His cloak was in pieces, and blood and flesh oozed out from every part of his mangled body. He was looking at Kyran as if he was looking at a monster.


    "H-How¡­ y-you never really countered my magic¡­ so how¡­?" Gael stammered in shock.


    Kyran ignored his rambling. His expression remained indifferent, but if those who knew him well saw him they would immediately know that he was pissed off.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to slowly study Gael''s magic. But since Gael confirmed the Soul Emperor intended to absorb Cyneah, Kyran changed his mind.


    "Answer me¡ªguah!" Gael''s sudden screaming aggravated his wounds and blood spurted out of his mouth.


    "You still won''t shut up, huh," Kyran said with a hint of annoyance.


    Without waiting for Gael to say anything further, the void sphere hovering above Kyran shifted. The air crackle and a huge fissure reced the sphere. Soon, a suction force pulled Gael into the fissure.

 Chapter 670 Grand Array (5)

    Kyran never dreamed that the first human he proactively absorbed would be Gael. To be honest, he could not remember all the things he absorbed before. He did not even know what would happen when he absorbed things, especially living things¡ª at least, not after he discovered Bas''s and Iss''s presence inside the fissure.


    From there Kyran surmised that all living things he absorbed would likely end up bing his loyal subjects. He would then gain affinity to their innate magic.


    Gaining affinity to other magic did not require for him to absorb a living thing. He could also absorb concentrated magic energies of particr magic to gain such affinity. These exins why back in the Tower of Tribtions, when he was presented magic paths, there were several magic types he was unaware of.


    Kyran already guessed that the Tower of Tribtion sensed all of those magic inside one of his magic core¡ª the magic core he presumed where all the things he absorbed ended up going.


    Anyhow, Kyran had yet to understand how the Void''s absorption nature works because there were still some things that he did not understand.


    One good example was how Nn''s innate magic, Elements, appeared in the paths presented by the Tower of Tribtions.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, the only way for him to possess the Elements magic energy was if he absorbed Nn''s magic before.


    Kyran took a deep breath and put all the matter about the Void''s absorption nature aside, once Gael had been fully entered the fissure.


    As soon as the fissure closed, Kyran felt a new magic energy start to circte in one of his magic core.


    However, before the new magic energy couldplete a cirction cycle, he sensed another magic energy stir in the same magic core, which instantly made him feel hot all over.


    "Ngh¡­!" Kyran groaned as a sudden onught of pain shook his body.


    These days, it was rare for Kyran to feel real pain. It was all thanks to his improvement in using Draconic magic as well as the enhancement he received from the Elixir. Thus, if he felt real pain, there were three possible reasons: one, it was caused by a very powerful attack that even with an enhanced body could not withstand; two, an emotional blow; andstly, an incident which was simr to when his Draconic magic went haywire and his Void magic tried to calm it down in his central core.


    At the moment, Kyran''s pain was caused by thest one, but it was not happening in his central core but in one of his magic cores. To be urate, it was the magic core that had several misty colors swirling inside. It was also the magic core at which he guessed all the things he absorbed went to.


    Kyran felt his magic core and sensed two different types of magic energy at odds with each other. It did not take long for him to recognize which type they were.


    Light and Shadow.


    ''Seriously?'' Kyran cursed.


    Shadow could be considered under Darkness magic, thus, it was not a surprise if Light reacted badly around it. But both of them were already inside Kyran''s magic core. His Void energy should have neutralized any ''differences'' the two types of magic had.


    Why were they reacting like this? It even looked as if the two had a mind of their own.


    ''No,'' Kyran paused as he remembered what happened to Zephyr after being ''infected'' by Gael''s Shadow magic. He had felt something was off with thetter''s magic because of its ability to infect others.


    It was also because of this ability that Kyran developed an interest in Gael''s magic.


    Kyran endured the pain and immediately checked the two shing magic energy in his magic core. He soon noticed that the Shadow magic''s energy was trying to ''infect'' the other magic energies and the Light magic''s energy was trying to stop it.


    They really did appear to have a mind of their own.


    Frankly, Kyran suspected that Gael seeded in integrating his own consciousness in his magic. The reason he thought this was simple, Gael loved power and dominance. Thus, it was not surprising if he wanted full control over his magic and everything it touches.


    Kyran mobilized his Void magic energy at once and let it circte in his magic cores, except for the Draconic core.


    Soon, whatever it was that made the Shadow magic''s energy infect the other magic energies disintegrated under the Void magic''s influence. After that, the Shadow magic''s energy stopped its activity and the Light magic''s energy also calmed down.


    The whole incident happened in less than five minutes. However, the toll on Kyran''s body was too heavy it felt like he had suffered for days.


    As soon as Kyran stopped circting his Void magic energy, he felt lightheaded and almost keeled over.


    "Careful, master."


    Neo instantly appeared beside Kyran and grabbed his arm before he fell to his knees.


    "You can''t let others see you in a weakened state. That scary ancient uncle is still watching."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The scary ancient uncle Neo mentioned was Osric, and what he said was also true.


    Kyran might have seeded in containing Osric in his water form underground, but that did not stop him from observing the surroundings.


    Kyran nced at Neo sideways and muttered a low, "Thanks," before trying to stand on his own.


    However, before Kyran could even straighten his body, his vision dimmed. Neo''s eyes turned reddish-purple as he activated the Void magic energy in his sytem. He then warped, taking Kyran along, back to the Tower of Conve.


    If not for Neo''s quick thinking, others observing the situation from afar would have discovered Kyran''s condition. The former, birthing a sentient, was indeed timely and a good fortune.


    Neo and Kyran appeared right where Aki and Len, with Hugh and Vaness were.


    Hugh and Vaness were surprised when they saw Kyran looking pale and weak.


    Before they could take him to Malia, a teleportation array appeared above them and Ste descended, with Cyneah in hand.


    Hugh and Vaness started to lower their head at Ste in respect, but thetter raised her hand and stopped them.


    On the other hand, Kyran felt somewhat indignant at their not-so-weed sudden appearance. Nevertheless, he did his best to appear normal so as not to worry them.


    Seemingly sensing something did not seem right, Neo retreated and also gestured at Aki and Len to move back.


    Kyran opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But he closed them again after realizing he had nothing to say. He was not in the position to scold them when he was the one who did not keep his promose. He could not even scold them for teleporting so close to the entrance because the Tower of Conve''s defensive array was already fixed, so no one could see what was happening inside. It was one of the forms Kyran included: anti-spy form.


    Cyneah looked toward Kyran in silence. Her line of sight was normally a little off, but this time, it did seem as if she was looking straight at him.


    Kyran knew at once that the reason this was the case was obviously his waning magic''s influence. He possessed the Shaiha that conceals his magic aura. But Cyneah was using her magic sense to see. And while she still could notpletely see Kyran''s silhouette, she could roughly estimate it.


    It was Kyran''s first time seeing Cyneah with an unreadable expression. From this, he knew she was really angry at him for not keeping his promise.


    While it was true that her demand earlier was unreasonable, he nned to keep it. Unfortunately, one thing led to another and he failed to return.


    Hugh and Vaness initially wanted to say something. However, seeing the sudden tension between the two made them swallow whatever it was they wanted to say.


    Finally, after almost a minute of awkward silence, Cyneah took a step toward Kyran.


    Kyran only watched as she approached. He already epted his fate and braced for her scolding.


    Cyneah stopped in front of Kyran and raised her hand.


    Just when they thought she would get ''physical,'' she ced her hand on Kyran''s chest and said, "You''ve pushed yourself too far again."


    After that, she used her magic to heal him internally.


    Kyran could not help but gape at her. Her words, and action reminded him of his mother, and to be honest, such action was a far greater blow to him than words.


    It was not just him.


    All of them were looking at the two in silence.


    Ste in particr let out a wry smile and shook her head. She thought, ''What happened to scolding him when he returns? s, humans can really be weak in front of their loved ones.''


    "I''m sorry," Kyran said in a low voice, looking at Cyneah with a rare gentle gaze.


    Cyneah did not respond and only healed him in silence.

 Chapter 671 Grand Array (6)

    Osric lost more than half of the forces he took with him. Apart from that, he also lost the dummies who agreed toe. Even if La had agreed to let him take those dummies, it was because she believed he would take good care of them. Now that they were destroyed, Osric was truly mad.


    They only had a couple of hundreds of those dummies, yet more than twenty of them were already destroyed.


    Truly, the result of this battle was such a disgrace to Osric. He was a Legendary mage, yet he failed to prevent such a thing to happen¡ª not to mention, he actually fell to Kyran''s trap and could not free himself from thetter''s Containment Array.


    This was truly a disgrace!


    Still, although Osric thought this, others would disagree. His loss might be disgraceful if his opponent had been a normal mage and not the new Dark Sage. Frankly, the result could be considered predictable given Kyran''s seemingly omnipotent Void magic.


    On one hand, if Kyran''s allies were to know Osric''s sentiment, they might mock him. For a person to feel disgraced after a loss meant he believed he could win. But could one really win against someone like Kyran who possessed not only Void magic but also Draconic magic? Osric thought too highly of himself!


    ''This is not over!'' Osric thought while looking for a loophole in the Containment Array that he could exploit. ''You should have killed me when you had the chance! Because you did not, then I wille after you and make you pay tenfold!''


    While Osric was cursing Kyran, the object of the former''s hatred, thetter, was busy warping the Conve''s and the Army''s members to the Regis Estate.


    Kyran could warp around five thousand people at once, if hebined his internal magic energy and the magic energy he absorbed. But because he almost exhausted his internal magic energy, he mostly relied on the newly absorbed magic energies and could only warp around two to three thousand people at the same time.


    Cyneah already healed Kyran and he had mostly recovered from his fatigue. However, even with her healing, his internal magic energy had not recoveredpletely.


    Cyneah looked disappointed after realizing she could not heal himpletely. If not for Ste assuring her it was not because shecked the capability to do so but because she had already used up a lot of her magic energy after assisting in healing all their injured members, Cyneah would have insisted on continuing Kyran''s treatment.


    In the end, Cyneah could only stop and rest for a while before trying to heal Kyran again.


    Meanwhile, Kyran did not want Cyneah to waste her energy trying to heal him. Since he could already move and use his magic, it was more than enough.


    Kyran realized it before, but he was even more convinced at how convenient it was to have a really powerful healer with him. Given his tendency to overexert himself, he was likely to copse. Having an enhanced body was not even helpful if he truly pushed himself to his limits.


    In any case, Kyran started to think of ways to upgrade one or two of his puppets to include ''healing'' capabilities.


    Although most of Kyran''s puppets knew how to create healing potions and pills, as well as using healing spells, it was not enough. He needed to learn how a healer mage truly worked and convert it to forms he could then input in few of his puppets.


    He just hoped healing capabilities did not mean one had to possess specific types of magic¡ª example was Light magic that focuses on healing, or Cyneah''s Soul magic.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, Cyneah was still missing a Soul core. Although she could rouse the Soul magic energy in the surroundings and let it circte in her body, he did not know if it was enough for him to address her as a Soul mage.


    In the end, Kyran out aside the matter about Cyneah being a Soul mage and focused on the task at hand.


    On the other hand, while Kyran was busy, Ste and the rest were able to connect with the Patriarch Aron in the Lumley''s Ancestral Hall and Patriarch Ezra, in Noser.


    They already confirmed the two side already dealt with the enemies and were about to rendevouz in Noser.


    As for the two squads of the Regis Special Force that went after Soll, thetter suddenly disappeared from their radar and they were forced to continue on the Courtenay Residence. After that they set up a transmission array that would lead them inside the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls.


    The Montgomeray Family had alsopleted their preparations and they were ready to transport their people to the Regis Estate.


    Rin also wanted to return, but Aron thought otherwise.


    At the moment, her presnsce was crucial for them. If not for her, White Lily would not be able to keep the Soul Emperor busy.


    Nevertheless, Aron also knew that Rin was barely managing to support White Lily because of the gap in their mage levels. He was worried that she would end up copsing from exhaustion if they left her be.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    te then presented herself and said that she would help Rin recover.


    Everyone in the Alchemy Association were aware of te''s abilities. Thus, none of them refute her. Still, Aron had someonee with te and ensure that she and Rin would be alright.


    After much discussion, it was agreed that after Aron and his side rendezvous in Noser with Ezra''s, they would all go to the Regis Estate together.


    The reason they would not go there at once was to ensure the Solum Tribe members could heal all the injured members and beasts from the Courtenay Family, Lumley Family, and Regis Special Forces first.


    Since the Regis Estate was close to Ravenpass, the Soul Emperor might notice something and lure White Lily away and go to the Regis Estate to wreck havoc.


    While it might seemed that the Soul Emperor had lost her Generals and even more than half of her forces, were destroyed there was no telling if she had truly lost them all or not.


    Even if she could not use her magicpletely, she was still capable of affecting others using Soul Bind, or Soul Scan. Apart from this, she had the Macrabe cier. She even had everyone in Ravenpass as hostages. She might even use them as her ''soldiers,''


    With all of these things to consider, Aron and the others agreed to rendezvous in Noser first before going to the Regis Estate. At least in Noser, they could tend to their wounded first so when they arrived in the estate, they were all ready for battle.


    Those in the Tower of Conve did not need to go to Noser because they had enough healers with Malia and the rest of the Conve''s alchemists being present there. They were able to heal their wounded with no problem.


    Of course, few of them knew that the reason they were able to heal their wounded in such a short time was because of Cyneah.


    At least, some of Kyran''s people¡ª te and Zephyr in particr¡ª was aware of how powerful Cyneah''s healing was.


    While this was happening, in another part of the empire, Olivia and Lauren had also subdued the Soul Emperor''s forces who came for them.


    Ss suggested taking most of them as hostages. Unfortunately, everyone who survived chose suicide.


    Their action made Olivia and Lauren distraught. After all, most of them had been part of the Aureole and had been one of them just a few hours ago.


    On the other hand, Ss''s and Baron''s expressions turned grim after these peoplemitted suicide. As far as they were concerned, people who died in such a way had far stronger lingering feelings and would possess more vengeful energy once ''resurrected.''


    Since the enemy boss was the Soul Emperor, if she decided to ''resurrect'' these souls and used as her army, would it not mean they would be more powerful than the others who were killed?


    Regardless of what they might be, Ss and Baron despised their action.


    s, since they already did it, they could do nothing but feel remorse.


    Honestly, Ss and Baron were overthinking it. These people chose suicide not because they wanted to amplify their vengeful energy. They simply chose such ending because they wanted to be useful to the Soul Emperor by bing one of her ''undying army'' once she rule the empire.


    s, these people''s believes were too twisted they were beyond saving even if they did not die.


    After Olivia and Lauren regrouped with the rest of the Aureole that had arrived from their base, they also decided to go to the Regis Estate.


    Ss and Baron did not suggest it, but Olivia and Lauren felt that the Regis Estate should be their next destination.


    In Ravenpass, White Lily''s attacked had gradually weakened and La noticed it.


    With a smile, she looked up in the sky and said, "Shall we end this facade now?"


    As soon as she said this, a portion of the sky distorted and a powerful magic fluctuation descended upon thend.

 Chapter 672 Grand Array (7)

    Sitting cross-legged in midair right where the hole in the sky had been was Nn. He had his eyes closed and was deep in thought.


    He had been in this position after agreeing with Light albeit reluctantly about not pursuing the other Sovereigns.


    Now that he was the new Sovereign of the Human ne, Nn gained the ability to see almost any ce in the ne he wanted to. It was a pretty neat ability, making it easier for him to monitor movements all over the Human ne without having to go and check in person.


    With this ability, Nn was able to follow the movements of the people on Kyran''s and even the Crown Princess''s side at the same time. It was like watching two separate live feeds of each side in third person.


    Such an ability could be considered a cheat if an ongoing war was waging. But that only held true if that ability was being used by one side participating in that war.


    Nn was no longer considered a participant in the ongoing war because he was already the new Human ne''s Sovereign. Thus, he found this ability pretty useless.


    He was very pissed when he witnessed the Crown Princess''s¡ª ah, right, she was no longer the Crown Princess but La, the resurrected Soul Emperor¡ª side gained advantage over Kyran''s allies.


    What was more frustrating was that, he knew where Kyran was but was not allowed to warn him of what was happening.


    Then again, Nn might be the new Sovereign of the Human ne but he was probably not allowed to enter the Regis Terram.


    In any case, Nn tried to assist Kyran''s allies¡ª in particr, the Conve, when Osric seeded in destroying the Tower of Conve''s defensive array and was on the verge of winning. He nned to provide Kyran and the Regis Special Forces time to get to them before it was toote.


    s, when Nn tried to use his magic, he felt the Fates''s binding force, which prevented him from making any move.


    It was because of this incident that Nn understood Azaloth''s, his predecessor''s decision to fall into deep slumber and only leave an essence to watch over the Human ne.


    For the record, Nn learned Azaloth''s story after bing the new Sovereign.


    As if it was part of the rite of passage of bing the new Sovereign, Nn received snippets of thetter''s experience and memories during his reign.


    From what Nn understood, the previous Void Master, Can, helped Azaloth, his most fateful shield, advance. However, thetter was unaware that once he advanced to a Sovereign, he would no longer be allowed to meddle in the affairs of the Human ne.


    So when the war where Can was killed ured, Azaloth had fallen in despair. He was supposed to be Can''s shield, but he failed to protect him.


    This would not have been enough to force Azaloth to deep slumber. However, he soon discovered that Can sealed True Void, his Ultimate Weapon, before going to war. From that, he realized that Can had nned everything all along.


    From Azaloth''s ascension, to True Void''s sealing, Can obviously did not want them to meet the same fate as him.


    Not realizing Can''s true intentions were what pushed Azaloth to the brink.


    Nevertheless, he did not abandoned the Human nepletely because he still left an essence to watch over it. After all, it was the ne that his master had risked his life protecting.


    When it happened to Nn, he admitted feeling the same despair as Azaloth had when he could not protect Can. However, Nn had no thoughts of abandoning the Human ne even if the worst case scenario happened.


    Because Nn strongly believed that Cade, his sworn brother, and Kyran, his nephew, would definitely find a way to reverse the situation.


    Nn''s brow twitched slightly after realizing he had just openly admitted his rtionship with Kyran, albeit in his mind only. He shook his head inwardly and swore never to be caught dead in admitting it in front of Kyran!


    CRACK! CRACK! SIZZLE!


    Nn''s eyes snapped open as soon as he sensed a huge distortion appear in the sky near Ravenpass.


    Soon after, a powerful magic fluctuation appeared which was followed by an oppressive magic pressure.


    ''This¡­!''


    Nn roused his the Sovereign''s Cradle at once. But the moment he did, he heard a low emotionless voice reverberated all over thend.


    "The Sovereign''s Cradle will not work on me. Do not waste your time."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nn''s eyes widened after hearing the voice. He was not shocked at what he heard but at how the voice sounded familiar.


    "Sovereign of Obstruction!" He roared in anger.


    As far as he was concerned, Ruin was confronting Obstruction. Although it was highly likely that the former had already stopped confronting thetter now that the threat to the Human ne had been halted with Nn''s ascension, Nn did not think Obstruction would still persist on descending to the Human ne.


    Even if that was the case, Ruin would not allow Obstruction especially if thetter could pose a threat to his prey, right?


    Besides, Light said she would ensure her faction would leave and stop trying to enter the Human ne again. She would not renege on her word, would she?


    No. That was not entirely impossible.


    In the first ce, Nn did not know what kind of deal Kyran made with Light. She might be willing to help Kyran but would she risk her life for it? After all, would her voice hold power if she asked the true leaders of their faction to leave the Human ne alone? Of course not.


    Nn knew Light was far more powerful than the other Sovereigns who ascended the Human ne, but her strength did not reflect her ranking in their faction.


    Obstruction was also present. If he decided to pursue the matter of descending to the Human ne, Light would never be able to defy him.


    All these thoughts shed through Nn''s mind in an instant and he unhesitantly left the Human ne to check the situation outside.


    What Obstruction said about the Sovereign''s Cradle not having any effect on him was surprisingly true. Which was why Nn decided to check the situation outside instead of staying in the Human ne, wherein he could not do anything.


    The moment Nn appeared outside, he saw Ruin''s sitting cross-legged, hunched back and was surrounded by several of his strange-looking beast summons.


    The summons were not doing anything and only surrounded Ruin as if trying to protect him from something beyond their line.


    "Oh? So you''reing out now?" Ruin asked without turning to look at Nn. He knew thetter woulde out once Obstruction appeared in the Human ne.


    Frankly, Ruin was a little peeved when Nn ascended, returned to the Human ne and did note out soon after resolving the matter of the Sovereigns that managed to descend. Ruin thought Nn no longer cared what happened to him as long as he kept Obstruction at bay.


    Obstruction was not an easy opponent to kill after all. Ruin was risking his life but what did Nn do? He forgot about him!


    "Useless piece of trash, why did you let Obstruction go?" Nn snorted at Ruin.


    Ruin shrugged, not one bit offended at Nn''s attitude. Since he did not sense any ill-intent from thetter''s words, he ignored it.


    "What can I do? When these guys appeared?" Ruin snorted back motioning with his head at the spot up ahead.


    Nn immediately unleashed his magic sense to survey the whole area. His eyes narrowed as soon as he detected three powerful mages ahead.


    Even with a magic sense of a Sovereign, Nn actually failed to ''see'' the images of these three mages. Meaning their defenses were far more powerful than him, or their magic sense could easily counter those with a lower level than them.


    Regardless of what was the answer, both actually confirmed that they were much more powerful than Nn.


    Nn suddenly felt an iing headache. One of the reasons he did not want to ascend was because he knew the things he had to deal with once he became a Sovereign would be far more annoying than petty squabbles by low-level mages in the Human ne.


    "Are they Obstruction''s allies?" Nn asked Ruin, while keeping a close eye on the movements of the three neers.


    "One of them is," Ruin replied with a smirk. "The founder of their faction. The other two¡­ well, I don''t know. They appeared right after that founder helped Obstruction take that woman''s invitation."


    "''Invitiation''?" Nn repeated with a scowl. He did not need Ruin to say it aloud to know that the woman he was talking about was La. However, he did not understand what he meant about an invitation.


    Ruin raised his brows and looked at Nn.


    "You did not know? A mage can invite outsiders into their ne by using an invitation. That was how I entered the Human ne without triggering the Sovereign''s Cradle."

 Chapter 673 Grand Array (8)

    Nn''s expression went nk as he heard Ruin''s exnation because that was not what he was wondering about. He was not asking what ''invitation'' meant but the meaning behind the Soul Emperor''s action in providing one to Obstruction.


    Of course Nn already guessed the Soul Emperor needed Obstruction''s help. But even if she invited thetter into the Human ne without triggering the Sovereign''s Cradle, his mage level would still be restrained.


    If La''s purpose was for Obstruction to subdue White Lily so she could do what she had to, Obstruction and White Lily would only be on par with each other.


    Suddenly, a thought crossed Nn''s mind and his expression turned grim.


    ''Obstruction''s Space magic is far more powerful than any of the Space mages I''ve met before,'' Nn thought, recalling his training in the Tower of Tribtions. ''There are limitations to a mage''s maniption of Space. At most, they can only manipte the distance of a space. However, Obstruction did not seem to be manipting distance but something¡­ entirely different.''


    Nn did not want to admit it but so far, he felt Obstruction''s Space magic had simrity to the Void''s ''warp'' nature.


    He did not know how to exin it, but he felt that Obstruction was not simply manipting a space''s distance but was ''reconstructing'' it.


    Nn guessed that the reason Kyran could warp between two locations without having to consider the distance between them was because Void magic could easily ''change'' the concept of distance between the two.


    To simplify this, Void destroys the distance of these two location, or simply creates a new path to connect the two.


    The first probability was likely the cause when the distortion and fluctuation in space before and after Kyran warped was far denser than when a Space mage ''teleported.'' However, there were also instances when there was no distortion and fluctuation at all, and this was because of the second probability.


    All of these were only Nn''s guesses about the Void''s ''warping'' ability. But because of this, he could not help but think that Obstruction''s Space magic was definitely not that simple.


    Ruin saw how Nn''s nk expression turned grim in a matter of seconds. He let out a chuckle after guessing what thetter might be thinking.


    "There is no point trying to guess why that woman invited Obstruction. But you are right, that annoying prick''s magic is not simple. One thing you have to keep in mind, when he was still learning and improving his magic, he looked up to the Dark Sage."


    Ruin paused and his expression distorted slightly as if he thought of something.


    "I''m not talking about that ancient guy but the inheritor of that guy''s title," he rified to ensure Nn would not mistake who he was referring to when he talked about the Dark Sage.


    Ruin knew that La''s family manipted the truth about the Dark Sage in the Human ne. But now that Nn became its new Sovereign, he already inherited some of his predecessor''s memories, as well as the ne''s. This meant that Nn knew there was another mage who had the title of a Dark Sage before Can.


    Hearing Ruin''s exnation, Nn could not help but frown. He obviously understood what Ruin did not say.


    Two mages with the same magic might not necessarily produce the same ''attack.'' It was because a time wille when a mage will have to develop his or her magic based on his own understanding and idea.


    Since Obstruction looked up to the Dark Sage¡ª in this case, Can¡ª there was a possibility that he developed his Space magic to be simr to the Void''s warp ability.


    Seeing the look of understanding in Nn''s face, Ruin turned his attention back in front.


    At the moment, the three neers had not made any move. Whether it was because they were trying to grasp the current situation or was simply waiting for others to make the first move, Ruin was not about toin.


    In the first ce, Ruin did not have to help Nn defend the Human ne anymore. With thetter as its new Sovereign, other Sovereigns would have a hard time invading it from now on. After all, Nn''s magic was too perverse that even Ruin admitted he would have a hard time defeating him if they went all out.


    Yes, they already fought in the Human ne, but that could not even be considered going all out because Ruin''s level was restrained, while Nn was simply trying to keep him busy.


    Nn also looked in front, trying to assess the other two neers'' intentions. He did not need to guess the intention of the founder of Obstruction''s faction. It was obviously not good because their faction was willing to work with the Soul Emperor.


    What about the two neers?


    Who were they? Why would theye here?


    They were not here to congratte Nn for bing the Human ne''s new Sovereign, right?


    Obviously not.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Did theye here after noticing the battle between Ruin and Obstruction and wanted to ''watch''?


    Nn did not think that Sovereigns were that free, especially at the time like this when the War of the Sovereigns were just around the corner.


    Nn''s eyes narrowed as he thought of a possibility, ''They did note here to scout me, or did they?''


    Back in the Human ne.


    After the distortion in the sky and the magic fluctuation stabilized, a three meter high and one meter wide fissure tore through the space. After that, a figure in a ck and white robe, with a rotating rune-engraved diamond disc hovering vertically on its back stepped out.


    In an instant, the magic fluctuation in the air that had already gone crazy intensified further.


    White Lily''s beautiful face distorted slightly after seeing the figure. After staying in the Human ne for so long, she no longer receive news of what was happening outside. However, she was still familiar with the characteristics of natives from other nes.


    Judging by the rotating disc behind the figure, White Lily guessed it was a native of the Nuom ne. Not just any native, though. Since the disc on its back was full of rune writings and it was made of diamond, then the figure was the Nuom ne''s Sovereign.


    In that moment, White Lily''s mind told her to attack the figure at once and not let it step outpletely. However, her body would not budge. It was not because she was scared of the figure but because its magic pressure seemed to increase and epass the whole surroundings as it slowly stepped out of the fissure.


    La smiled as she looked at Obstructione out of the fissure.


    Going back a few hours ago, when she was trying to find Ruin, La instead discovered that thetter actually left the Human ne and was engaged with the other Sovereigns who were in the same faction as Deception.


    Not long after that, she tried to establish a connection with Deception since she was the one who invited thetter when she first came to the Human ne.


    In the end, La did not manage to contact Deception and understand why she was suddenly at odds with Ruin. Then the event where a new Sovereign appeared in the Human ne right after the Sovereigns she had been waiting for descended happened, foiling her ns.


    La almost despaired at this turn of events, but it was then that she sensed Deception''s connection and received thetter''s message.


    At first, La did not understand what the message meant because it was conveyed in a coded message. Thus, she did not know how to respond. However, while evading White Lily''s attacks, La took that moment to decipher the message. Finally, just a moment ago, she was able to decipher it and immediately send out an invitation.


    That had been Deception''s message. She asked La to provide an invitation to enter the Human ne because one of their leaders wanted to ''help'' her settle her affairs.


    Obstruction finally emergedpletely from the fissure and his magic aura and pressure exploded.


    Others would have keeled over from the immense pressureing from him, but La did not appear to be affected.


    On the other hand, White Lily roused all the remaining magic energy she could muster and feed it to the huge diamond lily on her feet.


    The diamond lily grew further and it emitted a dazzling golden light that enveloped her body. The light lessened the pressureing from the neer and gave White Lily enough berth to breathe.


    "Invited outsiders normally have their levels restrained," La started while observing Obstruction. "But you don''t seem to be affected."


    Obstruction turned his head toward La. He already knew she was the Soul Emperor the moment he sensed her powerful, yet strange aura. Not to mention, his magic aura and pressure did not affect her.


    "You''re body¡­ is strange."


    La''s brow twitched slightly at Obstruction''s greeting. Her iplete body was her sore spot, after all.


    "Deception said you are here to help me settle my affairs," she chose to change the subject.


    "That''s right," Obstruction said and turned in White Lily''s direction. "We can start off by killing her."

 Chapter 674 Grand Array (9)

    As soon as White Lily heard what the Nuom Sovereign said, she did not hesitate to remove her connection with Rin.


    At that same time, at a highly guarded room in the Montgomeray''s Secret Residence, Rin fell to her knees and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Celine was instantly rmed at this and rushed to her side, "W-What''s wrong? What happened?"


    Celine knew Rin''s identity and why they had to hide and protect her. Thus, seeing Rin vomit blood and her already paleplexion turning an even ghastlier white, worried Celine.


    ''Did something happen to the Queen of the Faes?'' This was the first question that crossed Celine''s mind.


    But Rin seemed to be in a bad condition for a few hours now. Obviously, it was because of her connection to the Queen of the Faes. Since thetter was fighting the Crown Princess, the former had to supply thetter with enough energy to keep going.


    Rin''s condition seemed to have worsen. Just how dire was the situation in Ravenpass right at that moment? Were they truly at a juncture wherein they could only wait for their defeat?


    Celine immediately shook her head and pushed all these ominous thoughts out of her head. She should not think negatively. Instead, she should find a way to help ease Rin''s condition.


    With this in mind, Celine closed her eyes and started to transfer her magic energy into Rin''s body.


    Sensing Celine''s energy filling her body, Rin lifted her head and looked at her with a bitter smile. She could already guess Celine thought her reaction was due to having insufficient magic energy to support White Lily.


    Rin appreciated the gesture, but since it was not the case, it would not do good for Celine to waste her magic energy.


    "I am alright, Hall Master Celine," Rin assured her and gestured for her to stop. "Help me send a message to Patriarch Ezra instead. Tell him White Lily forcefully remove our connection, she might be in danger."


    Celine, who was about to insist on helping Rin by giving her magic energy, was instantly dumbfounded at what she heard.


    "I''ll contact him right away."


    Celine wanted to know the details but since it was a matter of life and death of the Queen of the Faes, she restrained her curiosity and left at once to contact Ezra.


    Rin watched Celine leave the room and as soon as she confirmed thetter was out of earshot, she finally let out the tears she had suppressed.


    What Rin asked Celine to tell Ezra sounded like she was unsure of White Lily''s situation. But the truth was, Rin knew perfectly well what had happened.


    She was the Spirit Child, after all.


    Before White Lily severed her connection with Rinpletely, Rin felt a hot searing pain at her magic core. It was as if an outside force was trying to pull out her magic core, wanting to destroy it.


    Rin knew then that White Lily was experiencing that pain just before their connection was severed.


    Following this, Rin sensed the presence of all Spirits in the Montgomeray Secret Residence weaken.


    Obviously, all of them were affected by whatever was happening to White Lily.


    ''¡­Or had happened¡­'' Rin added in despair, knowing that it would have been impossible for White Lily to endure such torturous pain after losing her human contractor.


    In the first ce, huma contractors were supposed to share everything with their contracted Spirits. Meaning, they would not only supply them with magic energy, but also share their pain.


    White Lily did not want Rin to suffer, thus she decided to severe their connection. But doing so would definitely put her in danger.


    ''Please¡­ let my thoughts be wrong¡­'' Rin prayed with all her heart.


    In Noser, te, Ezra, Zephyr and the rest were waiting for Aron and the others'' arrival when all of the Spirits with them turned sickly white. Those with lower levels even fainted on the spot, rming their contractors.


    After that, the Spirits who remained awake also fell one after another without being able to tell their contractors the reason.


    Before Ezra and the rest of the Montgomeray found what had happened, they received an urgent message from Celine. In that moment all of them felt their heart sank.


    Looking at what had happened to the Spirits with them, it was no longer a ''might-be-in-danger'' statement but that White Lily was definitely in danger.


    Unfortunately, without knowing the situation in Ravenpass, even if they had the ability to save her, they would only be sitting ducks.


    When all of them were feeling lost, Zephyr asked them to let Kyran know about White Lily.


    Frankly, te and Ezra wanted to tell Kyran. But they knew thetter was busy transporting the people in the Tower of Conve to the Regis Estate. They did not want to disturb him. They wanted to solve the situation by themselves because they did not want to rely on Kyran every time they encountered a hopeless situation.


    What was the point of bing Kyran''s allies when each time they could not solve something they ended up asking for his help?


    However, before they could even voice their thoughts, Jared arrived along with the first batch of Courtenay and Lumley Family members that needed healing.


    Seeing Jared''s feature, Zephyr immediately recognized him as a Regis and immediately told him about White Lily''s situation without waiting for te''s or Ezra''s consent.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Jared froze after hearing this. After all, they had people near Ravenpass who were keeping an eye on what was happening. If what Zephyr said was true, why did their people not say anything?


    Nevertheless, Jared still connected with Aron and the Regis Special Forces stationed near Ravenpass to ry the situation.


    While Jared was checking their reply, a bitter smile appeared on his face as he looked at te, Ezra, Zephyr and the rest of the leaders from the Solum Tribe and Montgomeray Family.


    "It''s toote."


    His words instantly broke their heart.


    s, it seemed most of them only heard Jared''s words and was not really paying attention to his expression...


    Going back a few minutes earlier, in Ravenpass.


    "We can start off by killing her."


    Even before White Lily couldpletely severe her connection with Rin, the Nuom Sovereign already moved.


    Whiiirl! Click! Click!


    The diamond disc on Obstruction''s back rotated and two distinct golden lines appeared on its surface, making it look as if the disc was made up of three connecting rings.


    Soon the disc separated, using the lines as guides. In a blink of an eye, the disc became three thin diamond rings.


    The runes engraved on these rings glowed and stirred as Obstruction raised his hand toward White Lily. In an instant, a distortion appeared right in the middle of thetter''s chest.


    "AARGH!" White Lily felt her magic core stirred inside her body and felt an unspeakable pressure crashing it.


    ''N-No!''


    Suddenly, White Lily''s past seemed to sh before her eyes. This was not the first time she had experienced this.


    During the previous War of the Sovereigns and their ne was about to be destroyed, White Lily fought with everything she had to maintain the passage she and the Seele Court created that would lead the rest of the Spirits to another ne.


    Even when their enemies started to attack the doors, which was thest defensive line they had, White Lily stayed and supported the other members of the court to pass through the passage.


    White Lily was thest one to enter the passage, and to be honest, she barely managed to pass through because of her fatal injuries. She remembered her life shing before her eyes just as she entered the passage. When she came around, she was lying in a dark cave and had been unconscious for days.


    "You have to see through this to the end, Lily."


    A low, yet gentle voice suddenly spoke in White Lily''s mind. Her vision then blurred after recognizing the voice.


    ''Can¡­'' She thought, her throat tighten as she fought back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes.


    Soon, her blurred vision started to clear and Can''s long silver hair appeared in her line of sight.


    Standing in front of her, was Can and the scene before them looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.


    Still, seeing Can''s familiar back broke White Lily''s heart.


    ''Ah¡­'' She thought while looking at Can''s back. ''To think in myst moments I still failed to see your face onest time¡­''


    "Not on my watch."


    White Lily''s eyes widened as her vision finally cleared.


    The familiar back she was looking at, no longer had long silver hair but short dark hair. He was also no longer wearing a white robe, but an all-ck clothes.


    White Lily''s tears fell uncontrobly as she watched the man before her.


    It was not Can, yet it was already a familiar one.


    "H-How¡­?"


    Obstruction''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the man who suddenly appeared in front of White Lily and destroyed his magic.


    "You are¡­ the new Dark Sage."


    Kyran looked at Obstruction with cold eyes.

 Chapter 675 Grand Array (10)

    Kyran''s heart had gone cold, thinking that he almost let White Lily die.


    If he had been a second tadte, this ck and white robed guy with a strange rings on his back would have really killed her.


    It was quire fortunate that before warping the first batch of the Conve and Army members to the Regis Estate, Kyran decided to return first and confirm it was still ''safe.''


    To be honest, Kyran did not want to leave Ste, the rest of the Conve Council Members, and most especially Cyneah in the Tower of Conve with only its defensive array to protect them. After all, Osric was still there.


    Even if Kyran was confident that his containment array could hold for a few hours, there was no telling if the remaining forces with Osric that managed to escape would do something to free him. They could even choose to attack the Conve again if they discovered Kyran had left.


    In the end, because of the restlessness he felt, Kyran still left the Tower of Conve. Of course, before he left he made sure that Aki, Len and Neo were properly geared in case of emergency.


    No sooner than Kyran appeared in the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall did he felt a strange fluctuation from a distance. The fluctuation was not that strong but the fact he sensed it up to his location was proof that whatever¡ª or whoever¡ª caused it was no ordinary item or mage.


    Besides, the direction the fluctuation came from was in Ravenpass. It might be the Macabre cier. If it was, Kyran wanted to know why it was suddenly emitting such a powerful fluctuation.


    Kyran had not been to Ravenpass. Fortunately, he could warp to where someone he knew was at. It was due to this that he was able to warp where Byron was at previously even though he had never visited the Blue Lotus branch before.


    The only exception had been Nn and his family. But that was only because they had used an array that prevented Kyran from warping to them.


    Kyran first warped to where their people had been hiding while keeping an eye on White Lily''s and La''s confrontation. There he found them unharmed but was unable to send out anymunication because of the magic fluctuation.


    s, as soon as Kyran appeared, he saw the ck and white robed guy attacking White Lily.


    In that instance, Kyran sensed how dangerous the ck and white robed guy''s magic attack was and knew White Lily would not be able to evade it nor would she able to survive if it actuallynded.


    And the ck and white robed guy''s magic attack didnd and White Lily was about to die. Thus, Kyran unhesitatingly warped in front of White Lily while simultaneously activating his Void barrier. He also forced his barrier to let White Lily in without hurting her, and at the same time, destroying anything dangerous that had entered her body. In which case was the ck and white robed guy''s magic attack that actually aimed at her magic core.


    White Lily felt a myriad of emotion upon Kyran''s arrival. She did not expect him toe and save her at thest moment. As a matter of fact, White Lily was already resigned to her fate. Her only regret was unable to keep her promise to Can to see through everything they had nned to the end.


    "H-How¡­?"


    "You are¡­ the new Dark Sage."


    Before White Lily sort her thoughts and speak her mind, Obstruction already spoke and regarded Kyran''s arrival.


    At one side, La''s beautiful brows creased slightly as she stared at Kyran.


    Previously, when Kyran and Haylee met in the Boyd Family''s vi, the former''s face was half hidden. For this reason, no matter how much La tried to search Haylee''s memories on what Kyran looked like, she could only remember a skinny young man''s ck and white photo. She would sometimes remember ''Disciple Tyr''s'' annoying face but she already knew it was only a disguise and pushed it out of her head. Besides, such a talented and good looking man could not possibly exist in this world.


    However, looking at Kyran, whose face was no longer half hidden¡ª not to mention, how gant he appeared after saving White Lily in the nick of time, La could not help but admit he far exceeded the image of Tyr that Haylee had painted in her mind.


    But La was not smitten by Kyran. As a matter of fact, she felt uneasy. Because his temperament and color was that of Zane''s while his face was almost the same as Can''s.


    If La had to desribe what she was feeling in one word, she could easily say she was unnerved by Kyran.


    "I am not expecting to see you so soon," Obstruction continued to speak unhurriedly. It was as if he was not worried about Kyran''s interference, nor was he in a hurry to start a fight. His attitude was truly contradicting to the one he had shown toward White Lily.


    "I am the Sovereign of Obstruction. You can just call me¡ª."


    CRACKLE!


    Before Obstruction could finish what he was about to say, Kyran already moved. He transported White Lily into his Void World, released his Void barrier, roused the Draconic reinforced Void Armor that instantly covered his whole body, then created a Void Spear that he grabbed with his left. He pulled back his left arm and put all the weight he could muster before releasing the spear at Obstruction.


    La''s eyes widened in shock as soon as she saw Kyran''s armor. Though the color was different, abination of purple and silver, it made her recall Zane''s Draconic Gear.


    ''This is not the time to be distracted!'' La thought and shouted at Obstruction, "Don''t let his attacks hit you! You will not be able to recover what it destroys¡ª!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before La couldplete what she wanted to say, Obstruction also moved.


    WHIRL! SIZZLE! SIZZLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    The rings behind him made whirring noises as they shifted and gathered a huge amount of magic energy in an instant. He then spread both his arms and the air crackled and sizzled around him.


    A distortion in space appeared that surrounded Obstruction.


    When Kyran saw the distortion, he recognized Obstruction''s magic was Space. However, just like what Gael did to his Shadow magic, Obstruction had developed his Space magic in an unconventional direction.


    CRACKLE!


    The Void spear tore through the air and finally collided with Obstruction''s distorted space.


    The distorted space easily broke the Void spear''s momentum, halting it in midair. However, the Void spear''s shaft continued to crackle as the distorted space''s surrounding started to emit sparks everywhere.


    CRACKLE!


    A secondter, the Void spear that was stopped by the distorted space moved an inch.


    Although there was only a dark mass under Obstruction''s ck and white hood, one could sense his expression turning cold upon seeing the Void spear move.


    "I have underestimated your capability," Obstruction started. "How long has it been since you started to learn about your magic? Three years? No, I believe it is five years? Yet, you can already oppose the force of my space¡ª."


    WHOOSH!


    While Obstruction was still speaking, Kyran had already took a step. In a blink of an eye, he was already in front and his left leg was raised high above Obstruction''s head. Ignoring thetter''s monologue, Kyran performed an axe kick, hitting thetter squarely on the head.


    BAM!


    Obstruction crashed several meters below, creating a huge explosion that destroyed the ground. A mixture of dirt and debris scattered, obscuring the aftermath of where he hadnded.


    La''s eyes widened after seeing Kyran''s ruthless attack. Obstruction was a Sovereign! How did Kyran''s kick broke through Obstruction''s defenses just like that? If thetter''s mage level had been restrained, La would still think it was possible.


    Obstruction did not confirm it but La sensed his level remained that of a Sovereign. It would have been impossible for Kyran to evennd a blow, much less break through his defenses!


    ''No,'' La shook her head as she looked at Kyran with wide eyes. ''He might have activated the Regis Blessing.''


    Even as she thought this, she knew it was not the only reason. She felt there was something more to Kyran''s kick just now.


    s, La was not given the chance to dwell on this as Kyran disappeared from her line of sight. Fearing he woulde after her, she did not dally and immediately used a teleportation scroll and escaped.


    Actually, she did not really escaped that far but directly gone back to where the Macabre cier was. It might appear rude that she left Obstruction there but it was him who proposed helping her ''settle'' her affairs. If he could not even resist Kyran''s monstrous strength, what was the point of upholding him to his words?


    Kyran never thought of attacking La. In the first ce, she was using Haylee as a vessel. If he attacked her, Cyneah would also be affected.


    Thus, Kyran ignored La and focused on Obstruction.


    As Kyran appeared to where Obstructionnded, a huge magic fluctuation erupted in all direction. It was then followed by a powerful magic pressure that covered the whole Ravenpass.


    La, who had just appeared in front of the Macabre cier was shocked after sensing the magic fluctuation and magic pressure.


    Then the space that epassed Ravenpass distorted and in a blink of an eye, it disappeared, leaving behind a huge crater at which it had been.

 Chapter 676 Grand Array (11)

    Close to the edge of the huge crater was Kyran with a confounded expression.


    The disappearance of Ravenpass was not Kyran''s handiwork but Obstruction''s.


    Surprisingly, what thetter did was very simr to when Kyran transported the cottage in the forest to the Misty Forest.


    Butpared to the size of the cottage, Ravenpass was definitely bigger. This confirmed Kyran''s guess that Obstruction''s level remained that of a Sovereign.


    If not, it would have been impossible for him to transport Ravenpass using his magic energy alone.


    It should be noted that when Kyran transported the cottage, he had to rely on True Void to provide him with enough magic energy.


    ''Nevermind that!'' Kyran scolded himself. ''Where did he transport Ravenpass¡ª?''


    It did not take long for him to receive the answer to his question as he sensed the space distorted from a distance. It was then followed by another round of powerful magic fluctuations.


    Kyran would not have been able to detect this clearly. However, the distortion appeared in the sky, which was then followed by the reemergence of Ravenpass. Because it had appeared in the sky, Ravenpass looked like a floating ind, much like the Regis Terram albeit bigger.


    Still, from where Kyran was at, the floating Ravenpass looked small.


    But Kyran was not really paying attention at the Ravenpass''s size because he was looking at the belownd it appeared to.


    Ravenpass had actually emerged right above the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and was about to warp back to the estate when he felt faint auras approaching from behind. Using his magic sense, he knew at once that the auras belonged to the four members of the Regis Special Force stationed there.


    "Young master!" One of them rushed to Kyran''s side.


    Because all members of the Regis Special Forces possessed the Regis Blessing, they were able to withstand Obstruction''s oppressive aura and pressure earlier. They were still injured however but it was not life-threatening.


    Kyran looked at them with a slight frown after seeing their condition. Although their injuries were not life-threatening, it would still take time for it to heal unless Cyneah healed them.


    Kyran felt bad for not noticing their condition when he warped to their location earlier. Even if the reason he did not notice it was because he saw White Lily''s critical situation, he should have at least taken them into his Void world as well so they would not risk their lives if they decided to assist him when dealing with Obstruction.


    "We already connected with the others and they just told us that those in Noser had already gone to the estate!"


    Judging by their reaction, they also realized that the Ravenpass had appeared above the estate. If this was the case then their enemies would also target those from Noser.


    "Tsk," Kyran could not help but clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    He was not annoyed at how fast their allies in Noser had moved, but to himself.


    In the first ce, White Lily was the Queen of the Faes and every Spirit would sense her presence whenever she appeared in the Human ne. Because White Lily had almost died in Obstruction''s attack, the Spirits definitely sensed it. Then before they could confirm their Queen''s fate, Kyran transported her into his Void World.


    What did it mean to be transported into the Void World? Her aura, energy, presence and everything else would have disappeared in the Human ne. After all, Kyran''s Void World could be considered a different ''world.'' Not to mention, the Shaihapletely hid his aura and energy.


    If White Lily''s presence suddenly disappeared in the Human ne, it would have been easy for the Spirits to misunderstand the situation especially when they had just felt her life in danger.


    They would definitely go to where White Lily was and save her.


    "Take this and recuperate for a bit before going back to the estate," Kyran immediately took out several Saint-tier healing pills and gave one each to the four Regis Special Force members.


    The four did not argue and took the pill at once. They knew that even if they went with Kyran, they would only hold him back.


    They had witnessed how domineering their young master was when confronting the new enemy. Thus, they were not worried about him being at a disadvantage if he went alone.


    "I''m going first," Kyran told them.


    The four members only nodded and watched him warped without further ado.


    Kyran appeared directly below the floating Ravenpass. After that he expanded his magic sense to find Obstruction and La''s whereabouts.


    FOOOM!


    However, as soon as Kyran''s magic sense spread toward the center of Ravenpass, he ''touched'' something that immediately reacted to his energy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    RIIIING!


    Then a deafening ringing sounded within Kyran. The Shaiha vibrated uncontrobly inside him, which then affected all his magic cores.


    In an instant, the Shaiha drew all the stored magic energies from his magic cores and toward it.


    "Ngh¡­!" Kyran almost fell to his knees as he felt the Shaiha promiscuously sucked his stored magic energies. This would be the first time that more than two magic energies had entered his central core. It would probably not pose any problem if the magic energies that entered the Shaiha were contained. However, that was not the case and now Kyran felt his insides were being sucked dry.


    ''What are you doing?'' Kyran tried tomunicate with the Shaiha.


    However, the Shaiha continued to vibrate and did not seem to have noticed Kyran''s question. If the Shaiha was truly alive, or if it could be considered a living being, it actually appeared to have lost its mind.


    Obviously, whatever it was that Kyran''s magic sense ''touched'' just now made it go crazy.


    But Kyran did not need others to tell him what his magic sense had touched. There was only one ''item'' in Ravenpass that could possibly react to his magic.


    The Macabre cier.


    Although the Macabre cier was a magic weapon that focuses on ''Soul'' magic energy, it had been slumbering for a long time.


    Gael, along with several nobles family leaders had been going to the basement in order to provide it with enough magic energy so they could activate it and then use it.


    Nevertheless, even after all those times, Gael and the noble leaders failed to activate it. It was actually not surprising. The Macabre cier was a Sovereign-tier magic weapon. It would have been impossible for mages below a Sage to activate it. Even Haylee took a while just to awaken it. And even then, it had yet to fully activate.


    Because of this, the moment Kyran''s magic sense, which was created using magic energies, touched the Macabre cier, it reacted and wanted to absorb all of his energy. After all, Kyran''s magic energy was far greater than the normal mage because he possessed four magic cores.


    What was more, Cyneah had just healed Kyran and she had not been stingy when she did it. Apart from healing his injuries, she also helped him replenish his magic energy.


    The allure of Kyran''s immense supply of internal magic energy attracted the Macabre cier.


    Still, Kyran was shocked that it could actually affect the Shaiha. Not only that, it prevented him from controlling his magic sense properly.


    "It is so easy to bait you, did you know?"


    Before Kyran could find a way to retract his magic sense, Obstruction had already approached him from behind.


    Without waiting for Kyran to process his arrival, Obstruction struck.


    The three rings behind him rotated at an rming speed. The magic energy it created distorted the surrounding space with Kyran at the center.


    Unable to move, Kyran could only watch as a semi-transparent distortion formed above him.


    Although the distortion was semi-transparent, Kyran could still see that it actually looked like a huge wed hand. Its fingers wrapped around his body and crackling sounds reverberated in the air as it collided with his armor.


    Obstruction''s expression turned grim while looking at Kyran''s armor. He already guessed that it was made of Void magic, making it almost impossible to destroy. Not to mention, any forms of magic attack could be countered¡ª if not turned to ''nothing''¡ª in a blink of an eye.


    Kyran gritted his teeth as he tried tomunicate with the Shaiha once more. All the while, ensuring his Draconic enhanced Void armor would not disappear because of how unstable his magic energies were running because of the Macabre cier''s influence over the Shaiha.


    "ACK! Seriously! You! I leave you for a moment and suddenly you get yourself in such a situation? Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!"


    Kyran''s ears perked up after hearing a familiar voice.


    True Void!


    Kyran''s eyes widened in recognition as he raised his head to look at the direction where it came from.


    In the end, before he could look at True Void, thetter already used his powerful attack.


    In an instant, all the magic energies in the surroundings seemed to be drawn to a certain point.


    The distortion that trapped Kyran also seemed to be affected because of it.

 Chapter 677 Grand Array (12)

    "To dare take Void Halfling''s magic energy in my presence! You have guts of steel!" True Void shouted with such boldness and conviction, yet somehow the impact was not met due to his small frame. Not to mention, hisst sentence seemed a little off. There was a saying about nerves of steel but guts¡ª was there even a phrase like that?


    Nevertheless, the suction force at which True Void''s small frame had released could not be underestimated. Because in just a short span of time, the magic energies in the surroundings already gathered around him, forming a huge and mighty vortex.


    Obstruction''s countenance changed as soon as he felt how True Void absorbed the surrounding magic energies as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Luckily, Obstruction''s robe had an effect wherein it prevented outside force from absorbing his internal magic energy. Nevertheless, the fact that he could still sense his magic energy leaking out of his body was a testament of how potent True Void''s absorption move was.


    ''No,'' Obstruction suddenly paused as he recalled something. He actually recognized True Void even if thetter''s form was different. Unlike Kyran who he could not sensepletely, Obstruction sensed True Void''s aura and he recognized him as the previous Dark Sage''s weapon.


    When True Void called Kyran ''Void Halfling,'' Obstruction already confirmed his identity.


    In any case, Obstruction could not help but look at True Void in amusement.


    Initially, he was wary of the new Dark Sage because he was not aware if he already acquired all of the legacy left by the previous Dark Sage.


    One such legacy was the Macabre cier Can inherited from the first Dark Sage.


    Fortunately, the current Soul Emperor had already acquired it. Because of this, they no longer require the new Dark Sage to be on board with their n. In the first ce, they only wanted him to join their side because of the Macabre cier.


    Although there was a rumor stating that whichever faction the Dark Sage belonged would definitely win the War of the Sovereigns, that was only because he possessed the Macabre cier.


    Since it was already in the possession of the current Soul Emperor, then Obstruction only needed to settle her affairs in the Human ne before taking her along.


    Obstruction had already known that the current Soul Emperor had a beef with the new Dark Sage. Even if Deception did everything she could to hide this fact, their Leader was no fool. Because of this, he had Obstruction intervene.


    In any case, Obstruction knew he would not be able to kill Kyran, and to be honest, he also did not have such intentions. If he had a choice he would rather take Kyran back in his ne alive and study his Void magic.


    But Obstruction was still concerned about the other legacy Kyran might have inherited from his predecessor¡ª the ultimate weapon, True Void. If Kyran had True Void, then Obstruction could only forget his idea of taking Kyran alive.


    At least, that had been the case until Obstruction saw True Void''s small frame. Since he did not have to deal with him in his true form then he might really get a chance to take Kyran back alive.


    With this in mind, Obstruction did not waste any more time.


    Click! Click! Click!


    The three rings on his back connected once more, forming a huge disc. Then the rune writings embedded on it rotated at an rming speed and affected the space around them.


    Kyran, who barely escaped from the wed hand Obstruction conjured by distorting the space, saw the change in thetter''s rings. He knew Obstruction was about to unleash a magic attack.


    True Void was somewhat surprised when he realized Obstruction was only slightly affected by his absorption ability.


    ''If he can still produce internal magic energy, it means he had a huge reservoir in his body because of his mage level,'' True Void thought with an inward sigh. ''If only I am in my true body, this guy will never be able to do this!''


    What True Void said might sound like boasting but it was actually true.


    True Void would not have been called the Ultimate Weapon if he would be useless just because the enemy had certain immunity to his abilities.


    Although Kyran was unable to fully decipher the rotating rune writings on Obstruction''s disc, he still saw bits and pieces of its context and guessed what thetter was about to do.


    Istion Space.


    Obstruction nned on isting Kyran away from True Void.


    Kyran did not think Obstruction was doing this because he was afraid of True Void. He likely believed that dealing with them one at a time was better than have them team up against him.


    Obstruction probably believed that Kyran''s mastery over Void magic had yet to reach a level wherein he could battle a mage with high mage level and evolved innate Space magic.


    And Obstruction''s belief was on point.


    Kyran did think that if they fought without reservation, they would probably end up in a stalemate. Simply because his mage level was too low.


    To be precise, it was undetermined but obviously not at a level that couldpete with a Sovereign on par with Ruin.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was unafraid. It was not because he knew Void magic was far superior than Space magic but because he was not depended on it alone.


    As soon as Kyran confirmed that the Shaiha had stabilized after the Macabre cier lost its influence over it, he immediately circted his magic energy in his body. His eyes turned silver and in a blink of an eye, the color of his armor interchanged with the silver ents bing the main color and the dark purple bing the ents.


    That was right.


    Kyran also possessed Draconic magic, which he already knew could overwhelm even the Void magic!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This would be Kyran''s first time using Draconic magic as the main energy when molding his armor, with Void magic enhancing it


    Not only that, it would also be the first time he would openly use Draconic magic to deal with an outsider!


    Ignoring the distortion that started to close in on Kyran, he took a step toward Obstruction and sent out a fist.


    Obstruction failed to react in time and was sent flying backward.


    ''T-This¡­! What just happened?'' Obstruction was bbergasted at Kyran''s sudden attack. Although he was not hurt by this attack because his innate ability, which was to form a space distortion around his body when his life was in danger, activated in time.


    But because his innate ability activated, Obstruction knew how terrifying Kyran''s attack just now had been.


    Was that a normal physical attack?


    No.


    It was definitely an attack filled with magic.


    But was this something that Void magic could do?


    Definitely not!


    Click! Click!


    The disc behind Obstruction shifted and split into two medium rings. In an instant, several three-meter radius space distortions appeared within a hundred meters of him.


    However.


    BAM!


    "Errgh¡­!"


    Obstruction was sent skidding to the right after Kyran appeared to his left and performed a roundhouse kick.


    ''Impossible!'' Obstruction was shocked.


    There were several space distortions surrounding him. If Kyran had warped, these distortions would have affected its uracy. Apart from this, if Kyran failed to appear in the location he nned to, he might end up reappearing close to a space distortion. When that happened, Obstruction would have willed the destruction of that space distortion which would gravely injured Kyran.


    However, not only did Kyran avoid the space distortion, he appeared beside Obstruction without thetter noticing it until he was already sent flying.


    Obstruction used one of the space distortions he summoned to break his momentum.


    Whiiiirl! Click! Click! Click! Click!


    The two rings behind Obstruction reattached themselves, turning back to the huge disc once more, before they split into three.


    As the rune writings embedded on these rings rotated, semi-transparent wed hands emerged from the space distortions and attacked Kyran.


    Seeing the overwhelming number of these wed hands, one would have already panicked and might even retreated in a safe distance.


    However, Kyran did not show signs of panic. His expression remained unreadable. He took a step just before a semi-transparent wed hand was about to crash down on him.


    Dragon Step!


    One step was all it took for Kyran to reappear right in front of Obstruction. He clenched his fist and integrated more Void magic energy on his fist before punching thetter on the face.


    Just like the first one, Obstruction failed to react in time. However, he was not that worried because he knew his innate ability would activate if his life was in danger.


    As expected, space distortion enveloped Obstruction.


    When Kyran''s fist touched the distortion, Obstruction was left speechless.


    Like a fragile ss, the space distortion protecting Obstruction shattered and Kyran''s fistnded squarely on his face.


    "Gah!"


    Blood spurted out of his nose as he was sent flying backward.

 Chapter 678 Grand Array (13)

    Obstruction got sted several meters away after getting hit by Kyran''s fist.


    Kyran did not stay idle after hitting Obstruction. After judging the point at which thetter wouldnd by observing his trajectory, Kyran took a step forward and appeared there in a blink of an eye.


    Obstruction saw Kyran disappeared from the corner of his eyes and guessed he would appear at the spot where he wouldnd. Without bothering to turn his head and confirm his guess, Obstruction roused his magic and moved.


    The three rings on his back whirred and reconnected, returning to its original disc form. After that, he summoned the Space Istion. However, his target was himself.


    Since Obstruction knew his innate ability would not protect him from Kyran''s monstrous strength, he decided to use the Space Istion and iste himself until he reassess the situation.


    Obstruction was aware of Kyran''s physicalbat strength. Even if the current Soul Emperor did not tell him about it, he, along with several Sovereigns, had been observing Kyran when he was ''visiting'' different nes a few months ago.


    Based on their observation, they confirmed Kyran''sbat ability did not rely solely on using Void magic but also physical strength. Still, they had judged Kyran''s physicalbat strength to be better than abat specialist, but not good enough to be on par with truebat mages.


    Thinking back on this, Obstruction could not help but let out a low derisiveugh.


    What were they even thinking by assessing Kyran''s physicalbat strength to be only subparpared tobat mages?


    Kyran was a genuinebat mage! A shocking thing to consider especially when his predecessor was a pure mage.


    Oblivious to Obstruction''s thoughts, Kyran clenched his fist and prepared to hit him once more. His muscles contracted as he pulled back his arm, then transferring all of his weight on his fist, he stepped forward and punched at the iing Obstruction.


    Before Kyran''s fistnded on Obstruction, the space distortion around thetter already attained the required energy to fully iste thetter.


    Kyran''s silver eyes narrowed. He did not stop his movement and instead, his momentum increased. In a blink of an eye, his fistnded on the surface of the space distortion around Obstruction.


    Simr to what had happened earlier, like a fragile ss, the space distortion shattered.


    This result caught Obstruction off guard. He was confident that his Space Istion would be effective against Kyran''s attack because it fully isted the space in which he was in. Being isted meant it would prevent him from performing any magic but at the same time, those outside the Space Istion''s magic influence would not be able to affect it as well.


    This move was what Obstruction used to trap Nn during the confrontation between him along with Ruin, and their faction, outside the Human ne.


    If Nn had not broken through to a Sovereign, he would have stayed trapped in that space until Obstruction decided to let him out.


    Obstruction did not expect that someone whose mage level remained undetermined, but still lower than a Sovereign could destroy his Space Istion!


    Frankly, Kyran already knew Obstruction''s move. He had been paying attention to the movement of thetter''s ''disc,'' hovering on his back.


    When Kyran saw the three disc forming into one huge disc, he guessed Obstruction was about to use the same move he did to separate him and True Void.


    s, Kyran managed to stop Obstruction frompletely activating that move. After which, he attacked thetter.


    Did Obstruction think Kyran only ''stopped'' his Space Istion and not ''destroyed'' it? If yes, then he was definitely a moron.


    In any case, Kyran already knew the magic system Obstruction was using after seeing the rune writings on the disc. He had read so many tablets in the Tower of Tribtions about different magic systems each ne had. Because of this, Kyran already knew Obstuction came from Nuom ne and knew that the disc on his back records only three powerful magic attacks.


    Kyran only mentioned three powerful magic attacks because he only saw Obstruction split his disc into three rings. If Obstruction split his discs into more than three parts, then it meant the number of his recorded magic attacks on his disc was more than three.


    At that moment, after the Space Istion was shattered, Obstruction did not wait for Kyran''s fist tond on his face again. The disc on his back whirred and clicked three times, before splitting into three. Then using one of the space distortion near them¡ª they were still surrounded by space distortions¡ª a semi-transparent wed hand emerged from there and the grabbed him from behind then sent him flying backward.


    Kyran could not help but frown as his fistnded on the semi-transparent wed hand''s side. It then shattered like thin ss.


    Obstruction who was sent flying by his own summoned semi-transparent wed hand, could not help but frowned after seeing Kyran destroyed it the same way as he did to his previous attacks.


    He had been studying his Space magic for hundreds of years and finally he developed it to a point where his magic had simrities to Void magic.


    But seeing the real deal confront the ''enhanced'' Space magic, Obstruction felt that his previous im was nothing but empty talk.


    s, Obstruction might have sensed Kyran''s attacks were imbued with magic and was not solely because of thetter''s physica strength. However, he still failed to associate the magic Kyran was using was Draconic and not Void.


    Now that the Shaiha had stabilized, Kyran''s aura, energy and his very presence had been concealed once more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nevertheless, even if the Shaiha had concealed everything that could be concealed about Kyran, Obstruction should still be able to determine thetter''s abnormal strength was akin to a dragon''s destructive strength.


    Unfortunately, Obstruction''s prejudice that a mage with such powerful magic could only possess one type of magic, made him blind to such an obvious hint. Apart from this, he was not aware about the Human ne''s state of affairs, especially about the Regis n, which Kyran belonged to, was connected to the Dragons.


    ''It seems, this new Dark Sage has developed his magic to a different direction from his predecessor,'' Obstruction thought, convinced that Kyran''s abnormal strength was due to him trying to find a different path than his predecessor. ''I now lost my advantage against him.''


    Fortunately, Kyran could not read minds. If he could, then his assessment of Obstruction''s intelligence would definitely receive an ultimate low. After all, Obstruction was a Sovereign, howe he was too narrow minded?


    Kyran no longer went after Obstruction after he got thrown by his own summoned wed hand. Although it was not the first time he confronted a mage who would not hesitate to use his magic on himself, it was his first time witnessing a Sovereign do this.


    Since Obstruction was determined to stop receiving Kyran''s punches, thetter no longer cared.


    Kyran did not want to waste time. In the first ce, he was not here to be entangled with Obstruction but prevent him and La from attacking those in Noser who arrived in the estate.


    [Void Halfling, I managed to stop the Macabre cier from draining your magic energy and also those in the surroundings, but it is only temporary. It has gone silent but I don''t know until when.]


    True Void''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head. In an instant, he sighed in relief as he turned his attention to True Void.


    True Void still appeared like a huge vortex with a small ''eye'' at a center, and he was still absorbing the magic energies in the surroundings. However,pared from before, wherein he had to strive to ensure the magic energies would not be taken by the Macabre cier, he was only absorbing them so as not to waste it.


    ''Got it,'' Kyran replied telepathically before turning his attention to the floatingnd of Ravenpass.


    Since he did not want another mistake where he attracted the Macabre cier because of his magic sense, Kyran no longer used it to observe is surroundings.


    Now that Draconic energy filled his every pore, Kyran was able to observe the floatingnd of Ravenpass simply by using his five senses.


    [Don''t bother trying to find anyone there. Tha Macabre cier already took most of the people in Ravenpass inside the mirror.]


    Kyran frowned at True Void''s words. Since thetter used the word ''took,'' Kyran guessed they were still alive but was trapped inside.


    [I''ve taken all their bodies somewhere safe, but their souls are trapped.]


    ''What? You did note here from Noser?''


    [No. I''ve been in Ravenpass for a while and¡ª iing, Void Halfling!]


    True Void warned Kyran at once after sensing Obstruction activating a huge space distortion that was tens or even twenty times bigger than the one in Ravenpass.


    In that instance, Kyran guessed Obstruction was nning to ''take'' the whole Regis Estate just like he did to Ravenpass. However, if he did, what would happen to the Grand Array?


    [AAAACK! W-What is happening? M-My core is¡­!]


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, True Void''s panic-stricken voice sounded in his head. He did not need True Void to exin what he meant because he already mentioned his ''core.''


    But True Void was only using the shape-shifting tes as a temporary body. It did not possess any core. If he was talking about his core then¡­


    Kyran''s eyes widened in realization.


    Could it be that Obstruction''s move affected True Void''s real body?


    Wait.


    How did that happen?


    Was True Void''s body in the Regis Estate?


    "Activate the Grand Array!"


    Kyran''s ears perked up as he heard a powerful voice reverberated in the whole estate.

 Chapter 679 Return

    ''Father!'' Kyran eximed in his heart, recognizing Cade''s voice.


    Following Cade''s deration, several array formations appeared above the estate. Concentrated magic energies formed at th center of these arrays and aimed at Obstruction''s location.


    Obstruction''s countenance dimmed at once. After finally escaping from Kyran''s ridiculously powerful punches, he decided not to dally and bring Kyran and the whole Regis Estate outside the Human ne.


    Truth be told, Obstruction''s level was not entirely unrestricted by the Human ne. Currently, he could exert the strength of a Sage, which was the highest level that a ne could have below a Sovereign. Since no one knew how strong a Sovereign was because normally their levels were restricted upon entering the ne, La mistook Obstruction''s level had not been restrained.


    On the other hand, Kyran thought Obstruction''s level had not been restrained because the rings on thetter''s back remained that of a diamond make- a testament of his mage level based in Nuom ne''s magic system.


    In any case, Obstruction wanted to take the Regis Estate along with him because he had sensed a strange magic originating at its center. He suddenly recalled a rumor which said that the Heart of the Cosmos remained in the Ancient Land and had never left.


    Obstruction wanted to know if the strange magic he sensed at the center of the Regis Estate was caused by the Heart of the Cosmos. If it was, then it would exin why the current Soul Emperor was obsessed about ''taking hold'' of the Regis n.


    s, just when he was nning on taking the whole estate with him, a neer arrived and brazenly activated a ''Grand Array.''


    Seeing all the arrays aimed at him, where concentrated magic energies were gathering, Obstruction could understand why it was called a ''Grand'' Array. Anyone faced with such scene would truly feel their grandness. If a mage below a Legendary was faced with these arrays, they would definitely tremble in fear.


    But Obstruction was different. He could still exert strength of a Sage. These arrays would not really pose any threat to him!


    In that instance, Obstruction decided to stop his move and change it. Soon the disc on his back split into two parts and the space distortion within a hundred meter he had summoned shifted and flew to intercept the Grand Arrays'' trajectory before they fired.


    In three seconds after the space distortions moved, all the arrays in the sky finally released the concentrated magic energies they had gathered.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions reverberated in the air as the concentrated energy beams collided with the space distortions.


    Thend shook and the air crackle from the destruction in the sky that ured because of the collision of these two power.


    Meanwhile, Kyran could not help but frown after watching the arrays above.


    That was obviously not the Grand Array! As far as he knew, these arrays were the ones his uncle prepared to ensure no one would dare attack the state while they were gone.


    Come to think of it, Kyran had thought Obstruction had already destroyed Jared''s array because because it was not active when Obstruction brought the whole Ravenpass above the Regis Estate''s Outer Wall.


    ''Could it be...?'' Kyran suddenly realized something and he let his five senses observe the whole estate.


    Soon, he realized that there were several familiar auras that were scattered everywhere!


    Could it be that his father had already prepared this scenario ahead of time?


    True Void oncemented how Kyran''s father possessed far better insight than him. Kyran did not refute because he agreed.


    If his father had already expected Kyran''s move, and possibly Obstruction''s, he might have really staged a scene wherein thetter was unaware that the arrays attacking him now was not the real Grand Array but the formation Jared had created to protect the estate from outside attacks.


    Why did Cade stage such a scene?


    Kyran guessed his father wanted to gauge what Obstruction could do and at the same time, avoid thetter from discovering what the Grand Array truly was.


    It was not because Cade believed Obstruction was aware of the existence of the Grand Array. Because if he knew about it, he would not have tried to ''take'' the whole Regis Estate. Cade only wanted to show a consistent scenario to the person who likely knew the existence of the Regis''s ''Grand Array.'' La.


    With this in mind, Kyran decided to go along.


    As if affirming Kyran''s thoughts, Cade''s voice sounded in his head.


    [While this guy is busy dealing with Jared''s array, we''ll activate the real Grand Array.]


    ''Yes, father. Wee back,'' Kyran could not help but add with a smile.


    Having his father back was a good addition to their side especially after losing Nn.


    Cade chuckled at Kyran''s weing. But he still replied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [I''m sorry it took me a while. But I am here now.]


    ''Yes.''


    Without further ado, Cade continued to discuss the matter at hand.


    [I have taught you how to read the estate''s map before and my essence taught you about the Grand Array''s three main points.. go to point I73 and prepare the array form my essence showed you. If that form is correct it should connect to the next point.]


    ''R10,'' Kyran replied, remembering the points where each of the Array Saints must create the array forms that would eventually activate the Grand Array.


    These array forms are called Keys. Basically, they are meant to unlock the Grand Array''s main formation. To do this, the Key forms has to be ced in three locations: I73, R10, and finally, Alpha 37. These points only corresponds to the Regis Estate''s map and is not applicable to the empire''s.


    If the Key forms missed any of these points, then the Grand Array''s main formation will not be activated.


    [That''s right. Your uncle, Jared is already in point R10 and is already preparing the form. I am also in position and will wait for thepletion of the form in Jared''s side.]


    Cade did not tell Kyran the reason he asked him to prepare the first form was because he was faster than Jared.


    Jared was also aware of this, which was why he proposed to be the second one to prepare the next form.


    As for thest one, Cade was the only one among them who could do it. Because he was the only one who knew the whole array formation by heart.


    While it was true that Cade''s essence taught Kyran about the Grand Array. He could not teach the whole formation because at the time of his creation, Cade''s knowledge of the Grand Array was iplete.


    ''Understood.''


    Without waiting for his father to reply, Kyran warped to the location of the first form.


    ''True Void,'' Kyran called.


    True Void, who felt as if his core were being ripped apart a moment ago was feeling a lot better and followed Kyran.


    However, he was still feeling a little scared. Why did his core hurt from Obstruction''s move a second ago? Could his master, Can, hid his body somewhere near that was why when Obstruction''s magic affected the wholend his core had been affected?


    If this happened any other time, True void would have been very excited to know that his real body was actually nearby. But since the location was currently a battlefield, he was not thrilled at all!


    What if his body got caught up with Kyran''s monstrous attack? Not to mention, what if he used the Void and released a huge sphere to turn everything to nothingness? What would happen to True Void''s real body if it was within the area Kyran used his magic?


    Because True Void was truly scared, he immediately said before Kyran could continue what he was about to say.


    [Void Halfling, I beg of you. Don''t you ever, and I mean NEVER, use your Void magic rampantly.]


    The he recalled Draconic magic was far more destructive than Void and instantly rephrased his words.


    [Actually, make that do not use your Void AND Draconic magic rampantly, okay?]


    Kyran knew why True Void had said that. He had the same thoughts and believed thetter''s body was hidden in the Regis Estate.


    ''Nevermind that,'' Kyran told him. ''I need your help to check on the others-.''


    [WHAT DO YOU MEAN NEVERMIND THAT? OI! OIII! That is my real body alright? You can''t brush it off like that! I still want to return to my true majestic body!]


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly at True Void''s words.


    To be honest, after Neo attained sentient, Kyran''s desire of finding Can''s weapon had wane.


    It was not because he did not care about True Void getting his body but that it now did not seem urgent.


    ''I know, sorry. I did not mean it that way.''


    [Not mean it that way? Who are you kidding? I for one did not buy it! Nope, not one bit!]

 Chapter 680 The Ultimate Weapon

    Kyran chose not to respond because if he did, True Void was sure to prattle on until he was satisfied. Now that thetter was in a foul mood¡ª to which Kyran think was justified¡ª he no longer asked him to confirm the situation of their allies. Instead, he began to prepare the Key form as instructed by his father.


    In any case, confirming their allies'' situation was only a precautionary measure. Kyran only wanted to be sure they did not encounter anything unexpected. Or had not been affected in any way when Obstruction tried to ''transport'' the whole Regis Estate.


    Then again, with his father''s insight, Kyran believed nothing would escape his scrutiny. Besides, though he did not know how much improvement his father underwent afterpleting Azaloth''s Inheritance, Kyran was sure his father not only improved his magic attainment, but also his insight.


    [Oi? Are you even listening to me?]


    True Void demanded after seeing Kyran had not paid much attention to what he said.


    ''Yes, I heard you the first time,'' Kyran replied patiently. He was not idle when he responded to True Void. He surveyed the area tagged as I73 in the Regis Estate''s map.


    At the moment, Kyran was surrounded by houses. But none of these houses were upied prior to the Royal Army''s raid a few months ago. He remembered being told these houses were used to divert the focus of ''spies'' who managed to enter the estate.


    To be honest, Kyran did not believe this excuse. It was not because he did not believe these empty houses could divert the attention of ''spies'' but because with the estate''s tight security it was impossible for any spies to enter.


    Would they still waste materials just to build these houses as diversion? Besides, how would these empty houses be used as diversions? That was something Kyran found strange.


    But his doubts were answered when he met his father''s essence in the Tower of Tribtions.


    These houses were truly built as diversions. But Kyran should not look at their use at face value. Because these houses were built in a way that when one looked from above, they would realize they represented array forms!


    As a matter of fact, this was what Ss discovered the first time he infiltrated the Regis Estate to find the truth about Kyran''s bounty request.


    Ss found the formation of these houses to be interesting. However, due to hisck of Array knowledge, he did not recognized their formation as array forms.


    After Kyran finished looking at the houses, he jumped on top of the third tallest building that was six buildings away from where he was.


    [What? Now you''re nning to escape?]


    True Void demanded as he followed Kyran.


    ''No. I have something to do,'' Kyran replied patiently. He was not about to refute True Void for acting unreasonable. After all, he did not hear the conversation between Kyran and Cade.


    Without further ado, Kyran sat cross-legged and began preparing the Key form.


    [What is so important that you have to brush off the fact my core reacted just now?]


    ''Activating the Grand Array,'' Kyran responded matter-of-factly.


    Although he was still responding to True Void, Kyran was already focused on the Key form''s preparation. He already sensed the surrounding houses shifted slightly from what he was doing.


    [What could possibly be grander than my real body?]


    True Void demanded yet again.


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly at True Void''s words. It seemed thetter had been too rattled about what happened to his core he failed toprehend anything else.


    ''I''ll be careful when using my magic so I won''t identally hit your body,'' Kyran assured True Void to appease him. Of course, he did not say that only to lift thetter''s mood. He also meant it. After all, if he suddenly used his magic without thinking much of it, he might end up destroying a part of the Grand Array''s array formation, which was hidden in the estate''s Outer Wall.


    As if Kyran''s words were magic, True Void''s mood did alleviate a little.


    [You said it! You have to keep your promise! I will haunt you if you don''t. Do you understand? I will hunt you! And I mean, I will really hunt you!]


    This time around, Kyran no longer responded because he was already immersed in what he was doing.


    While he drew the Key form in his mind''s eye, the houses close to him also shifted. It was as if there was an invisible hand that was moving the houses ording to the form Kyran thought of. But this hand was not plucking the houses. It was merely moving them like they had wheels attached beneath them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A few secondster, a twenty meter radius of pir of light erupted from the ground as thest house moved to thest spot. It then curved to the left and went straight to the next point, which was in R10.


    Meanwhile, Jared had justpleted moving thest house when he saw a horizontal pir of lighting toward his location.


    When the pir of light arrived, another twenty meter radius of pir of light erupted from the ground. The two pirs then merged, before curving to Jared''s left (the estate''s right) and went to the next point, Alpha 37.


    Cade, who had been standing on a simr building like Kyran and Jared with his eyes closed, finally opened them. He looked up ahead and not long after, he saw the iing pir of light.


    A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he thought to himself, ''Right on time. As expected.''


    When the pir of light was only thirty meters away, Cade spread out his arms and moved his fingers.


    Without even trying to concentrate or think of the Key Form, the houses around him also moved ording to the movements of his fingers.


    If an invisible hand seemed to have appeared to move around the houses in Kyran and Jared''s side, Cade appeared to be a puppeteer that had attached invisible strings to the houses. With every movements of his finger, the houses would respond.


    The ground around Cade lit up as a simr twenty meter radius pir of light appeared and met with the iing pir of light. After the two merged, they curved to the right¡ª which was also the map''s right¡ª and returned toward Kyran''s position, I73.


    Finally, after waiting for a while, the pir of light merged at the end of the first.


    Looking from above, after the pir of lights connected these three points, a very precise triangle was formed.


    After that, Cade''s eyes glowed silver and he began to move his fingers as if he was ying on an unseen grand piano. The rest of the ground and houses that did not belong to the Key forms shifted, soon they also lit up and a line of light appeared on the ground.


    RUMBLE! RUMBLE!


    Kyran looked at the ground around him and could not help but be shocked.


    If his judgement was correct, then the Grand Array''s array formation might upy the whole Regis Estate''s Outer Walls! It also meant that although most of the houses in the Outer Walls were upied by a n member or members, they were still part of the whole formation!


    ''Could the size of this array the reason it was called ''Grand Array''?'' Kyran wondered.


    [This¡­!]


    Suddenly, True Void who had finally stopped talking eximed inwardly. But since he had been speaking telepathically with Kyran just now, he unknowingly shared his thoughts.


    Even if True Void did not exim or shared his inner thoughts with Kyran, thetter would have already sensed something about the Grand Array the moment its formation reached a certain percentage ofpletion.


    ''Don''t tell me¡­ the Grand Array is¡­!''


    At the same time, Obstruction, who had been preupied by the offensive array formation of the estate, also sensed the ground''s sudden movement. Apart from this, he noticed some of the buildings nearby shifted.


    He would not have paid much attention to it the buildings were simply ''moving.'' However, a great amount of magic energy actually came out on the ground as soon as these buildings stopped at certain points.


    It did not take long for Obstruction to realize he had been had.


    When the voice he heard earlier dered the activation of a Grand Array and then these offensive arrays appeared in the sky, Obstruction was convinced it was the Grand Array. Butparing the amount of energy the offensive arrays possessed to the onesing out of the ground, Obstruction was now convinced that the genuine Grand Array had not been activated¡ª until now!


    Crackle! Crackle!


    Obstruction''s countenance changed. The air around him crackled as his magic aura rose to an unbelievable level. Though he could not exert the level of a Sovereign, his aura was nowparable to that of a Sage!


    Just when he was about to unleash another attack, an array appeared in the sky.


    At the same time, True Void''s body started to glow.

 Chapter 681 Finale (1)

    La sat cross-legged in midair near the Macabre cier.


    She was busy keeping up-to-date with the rest of her forces after leaving Obstruction to deal with Kyran. At the same time, she was also replenishing her almost depleted internal magic energy. She did use up a lot of magic energy to help Osric and Gael recover earlier before her unexpected confrontation against White Lily.


    Speaking of which, La recalled Kyran''s sudden appearance that saved White Lily. La admitted she felt a tinge of bitterness seeing him protect her. But that was only a passing emotion because what really took over her emotion at that moment was surprise. Because as far as La knew, Kyran was busy trying to save the rest of his allies from her forces.


    Besides, The Conve, which was considered Kyran''s biggest support was on the verge of copse because La had Osric led the attack in the Tower of Conve. With thetter''s advantage in mage level and an overwhelming number in terms of mage andbat mages, only a miracle could save the Conve.


    La already considered the Conve''s downfall to be a priority. Since she believed they were the ones who could have the biggest chance in threatening her side because of their abundance in resources and manpower.


    But then, they discovered they were also hiding Haylee''s other-half. In that moment, La immediately agreed to support Osric''s endeavor 100%.


    For this reason, La approved the use of one of her trump cards¡ª the dummies, and even had Gael follow through, taking along with him the Royal Army''s Special Ops and her priced ''soldiers.''


    La believed Kyran would definitely try to save the Conve. Not only because they were his greatest support, but because of Haylee''s other-half.


    If La had to be honest, she was a little peeved at the thought that Kyran had been hiding Haylee''s other-half all this time. No wonder Kyran as Disciple Tyr was not that affected by Haylee''s beauty. He was already immune to her beauty because there was someone close to him who looked exactly like her.


    In any case, La was still surprised when she discovered Kyran indeed went to the Tower of Conve and protect Haylee''s other-half. Based on what she remembered about the Regis Family, it would have been better for Kyran to kill Haylee''s other-half to deal a huge blow on La.


    But Kyran did no such thing and even prioritize protecting her over helping his allies in the Lumley Ancestral Lands who were already on theirst leg.


    Nevertheless, La believed that even if Kyran appeared in the Tower of Conve to save them and prevent Osric from capturing Haylee''s other-half, he would be unable to resolve the problem in a short span of time.


    Since Osric had the dummies and Gael had La''s priced ''soldiers,'' Kyran would definitely have a harder time.


    Or so, La believed this. Because the dummies would definitely scare the Conve with their seemingly undying nature. As for her ''soldiers,'' Gael had taken them into his shadow and integrated them into his puppet Shadows. Since these ''soldiers'' were only souls and would not be able to fully utilize their might without a body, Gael used his Shadow magic ti provide them with temporary bodies. Although they could still not use their full might, at least they were enough to keep Kyran busy.


    Who would have thought that not only did they not pose any threat to Kyran. He even let a summoned orbs deal with La''s soldiers?


    This actually shocked La because it was a testament on how much control and master Kyran had over his Void magic. Not to mention, if a mere summoned orbs¡ª which couldd be considered normal magic attack¡ª could fight La''s soldiers, how would a ''powerful'' magic attack would fair against them?


    They would definitely be annihted. Still, they were not and Kyran only maintain his orbs and deal with them, while he dealt with the matters of Osric, Gael and the Special Ops at the same time.


    s, not one part of La''s projected scenario happened because she misjudged the current Void Master''s strength. Although her force''s number advantage caused the Conve to end up on a verge of copse, Kyran''s sudden appearance, everything turned in a blink of an eye.


    La knew how powerful a Void mage could be. She had witnessed a supposed ''normal'' Can be the most feared mage in the Human ne after awakening his Void magic, after all.


    But Can did not be the feared Dark Sage overnight. It did not even take him months to be one of the most powerful mages in the Human ne.


    It took Can years¡ª more than a decade even.


    What about Kyran? He had only awaken a few months ago. How did he be so powerful all of a sudden?


    La''s doubts were actually reasonable because she did not know about the Tower of Tribtions. Although she was aware that most of the outsiders knew the ''Dark Sage.'' She believed they were referring to Can. Nevertheless, she only knew thetter became famous outside the Human ne because he inherited the original Dark Sage''s legacy.


    Putting the matter of Kyran''s absurd sudden rise in strength, La sent out an order to the rest of her forces to march to the Tower of Conve and retrieve both Osric and Haylee''s other-half.


    After that, she ordered them to regroup before going to the Regis Estate.


    The confrontation between her and the new Dark Sage had gone for some time and to be honest, dragging it further was not beneficial to her¡ª not when her body was still iplete.


    All of this began when the Royal Army raided the Regis Estate, and so, La thought it was only fitting to end it all in that ce as well.


    Since Obstruction already did her a favor by transporting her and the Macabre cier directly above the Regis Estate, she would definitely seize this moment to end it all.


    To be honest, La coveted everything the Regis had. It was not only their powerful bodies, but also theirnd.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The reason they were able to develop whilst closing their doors to the outside world was because thend their estate stood had an abundance of resources¡ª not to mention, magic energies.


    While it was true that every location of the Ancestral Lands and the Royal Pce in the Yen Empire possessed an abundance of resources and magic energies, the Regis Estate''s location surpassed it all.


    La did not know why, but as far as she remembered, it had not been the case a thousand years ago. It used to be in thend called Shaiha.


    But the Shaiha and the Regis Estate had something inmon.


    Bothnds were upied by the Regis Family. Because of this, La believed everything had something to do with the secret of the Regis Family. It might even have something to do with their bloodline.


    Whatever the reason was, La was determined this time around to win over the Regis.


    She had already taken the first step in order to achieve this, which was to imprison the souls of most of their members.


    If everything went ording to her scenario, then she would finally get hold of the most powerful ''undying'' army. It would not evenpare to Haylee''s n of creating puppets to house La''s soldiers.


    For this reason, La ignored everything and only focused on recuperating.


    s, just when she was about toplete her recuperation, a huge golden array appeared in the sky.


    La could no longer ignore what was happening around her. Not when she finally realized Obstruction was already at a disadvantageous position!


    ''How could this be¡­?'' La wondered, her eyes widened in disbelief.


    Obstruction''s did not seem to be affected by the Human ne''s restrictions and yet he was actually overwhelmed by Kyran?


    La''s eyes narrowed as she let her magic sense feel out what was happening.


    Unfortunately, no matter how powerful her magic sense was a thousand years ago, her iplete body prevented her from fully utilizing it.


    Still, the range at which her magic sense upied was enough to gauge the situation.


    ''W-What?'' La eximed in her heart as she discovered that the bodies of the Regis n members were no longer inside the building she ced them in.


    Not only that, she did not sense Kyran anywhere near the floating Ravenpass, while Obstruction was being bombarded by several offensive arrays above.


    Now, there was also a huge array above the Regis Estate and La sensed thend shook violently.


    After which, she sensed a very powerful aura erupting in every direction. It was followed by an almost palpable pressure that could suffocate anyone below a Magus!


    ''This¡­!'' La''s pupils constricted as she recognized the powerful aura.


    There were only three instances she had encountered that aura and each time, she saw its improvement.


    The first time, it was not that potent but it was enough to shook every demons. After all, the ''thing'' that which possessed the aura easily destroyed an army in one fell swoop.


    The second time, its appearance changed and its aura be even more domineering.


    The third time, its appearance had gotten way bigger and its aura more terrifying. After all, it had actually transported thousands of mages in one go!


    At that same time, Kyran looked at True Void''s glowing body and was stunned at the aura he emitted.


    ''No way,'' he thought. ''Don''t tell me the Grand Array is actually a sealing array that sealed True Void''s real body!''

 Chapter 682 Finale (2)

    Now that Obstruction realized the real Grand Array the neer spoke of had truly activated, a foreboding rose in his heart.


    His brows furrowed slightly as he pondered his next course of action. The other reason he offered to settle the current Soul Emperor''s affairs was because of the rumor regarding the Heart of the Cosmos.


    Obstruction''s initially guessed it was somewhere inside the Regis Estate because of thend''s unusual magic energy. However, with the real Grand Array''s activation, another type of magic energy erupted, overwhelming the unusual magic energy. Surprisingly, Obstruction recognized the magic energy.


    The Dark Sage''s Ultimate Weapon, True Void!


    True Void''s current form was a small armor, so Obstruction was convinced his body had either been destroyed or sealed. The former was impossible because even the Macabre cier failed to destroy True Void in his real form. Thus, that only left the former.


    What were the odds that True Void''s real body was hidden in the Regis Estate, where the suspected Heart of the Cosmos might also be?


    This ''supposed'' coincidence piqued obstruction''s interest in the Regis Family.


    ''Still,'' his mood darkened as he remembered why everyone regarded True Void as the Ultimate Weapon. ''Even if I can only use my full strength, I am no match with the Dark Sage''s weapon.


    ''Do I proceed or retreat for now?''


    Obstruction might be no match against True Void but that did not mean their faction leader was the same.


    After a thousand years, the Lower Real birthed more powerful Sovereigns. Others might think that the only reason these Sovereigns were considered ''powerful'' was because the Dark Sage had already died.


    If the Dark Sage were still alive, it would have been impossible for these Sovereigns to im they were the most powerful.


    Nowadays, this is no longer impossible.


    While Void magic was considered powerful because it was one of a kind, there was no such thing as omnipotent magic. It was bound to be weak against another type of magic. Obstruction believed Void magic was weak against their faction leader''s magic.


    After Obstruction retreated, he would bring their faction leader back to the Human ne. After that, they could join forces and kill its New Sovereign to avoid having their mage level restrained upon entering the Human ne.


    Dealing with the new Sovereign first would definitely give the current Dark Sage and his forces a chance to deal with the current Soul Emperor''s forces. They might even eliminate her with her forces¡ª a feat they wanted to avoid because she was the only one who could use the Macabre cier fully.


    But if Obstruction and his faction did not deal with the current Sovereign, they would not be able to deal with the Dark Sage''s Ultimate Weapon. And once Kyran gained mastery over True Void, they would have a harder time destroying it in the future.


    This was their current dilemma.


    FOOOOOOM!


    RIIIIING!


    As if a huge veil epassing the Regis Estate was activated, everyone inside suddenly felt their eardrums ring.


    It felt as if all of them had entered a vacuum.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE! RIIING!


    The huge array above rotated at an unbelievable speed as almost inaudible purple lightning bolts appeared all over its surface. Then the rune writings at the edges of the array split and formed several purple rings.


    Kyran, who saw these rings, could not help but recall how the first time he summoned his magic, they appeared in the form of rings or discs. Looking at the rune writings that had formed into huge purple rings, he was struck by a realization.


    Could it be that his magic manifested into rings because it was one of True Void''s forms?


    No, that might not be it. After all, these rings and cubes were part of the array that sealed True Void. It might not necessarily be because that was one of his true forms.


    Before he could dwell on it, the ringing sound that filled the air began to wane. As it did, the vacuum-like state of the whole estate lifted and they could now hear the purple bolts of lightning that struck out from the huge array''s surface clearly.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    After that, the middle section of the array, which continued to spin at an unbelievable speed, also divided and turned into huge purple cubes made of rune writings.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Finally, the innermost section of the array stopped rotating as the purple bolts of lightning continued to emerge from there.


    Although these lightning bolts seemed to strike thend below, they were not. Instead, they disappeared halfway before striking the ground. Apart from these, the points at which the lightning bolts had struck were close to the three main points: I73, R10, and Alpha 37.


    Kyran guessed that these lightning bolts were there to break the final seal still embedded in the Keys.


    Of course, Kyran, Jared, and Cade were not harmed when the lightning bolts struck their area. As a matter of fact, they felt their energy bing stronger.


    Jared even had a strange feeling of advancing to the next level at any moment.


    Such a feeling was not really strange. After all, these bolts of lightning were pure magic energy. But they were not like those concentrated magic energies that formed into beams, turning into fatal magic attacks.


    The magic energies that filled these lightning bolts were simr to stimnts that could boost a mage''s level. If one ever did advance, it was unknown if their mage level would revert back or retain after the phenomena were over.


    Only Cade knew the answer to that, which was a huge YES. If such pure magic continued to surround Jared and heprehended something about his magic, he would definitely advance to the next level.


    In any case,pared to Jared, there was not much difference when it came to Cade and Kyran''s sides.


    Maybe it was because they had already reached the highest level the Human ne would allow a mage to possess. After all, only one Sovereign could reign in one ne, which was why they were not as affected by the influx of magic energy on their end.


    Whatever the reason was, Cade and Kyran did not really care. The former was busy maintaining the surge of magic energiesing and going inside the huge array. On the other hand, thetter guarded the Key on his side while also looking after True Void.


    True Void seemed to have fallen into a trance as his whole body emitted a blinding glow.


    Kyran also failed tomunicate with him. That''s how he knew True Void was about to return to his real body.


    If this was the case, would True Void leave the shapeshifting tes that served as his temporary body? Or would he integrate those tes upon himself and merge them into his real body?


    Whatever the reason, Kyran was sure True Void would finally receive what he had longed for since he had woken up.


    Returning to his own body!


    On the other hand, Obstruction''s mood turned from appearing grim to bing desperate.


    The more their side dyed ining up with a course of action, the more they might lose sight of their current objective¡ª to destroy True Void before he returned to his real body.


    Frankly, Obstruction had tried to rouse his magic and unleash his Istion Space. However, the rings behind his back had stopped responding. It was as if they were affected by the huge veil covering the Regis Estate.


    s, Obstruction failed to realize that the veil was no ordinary. It was simr to Kyran''s other domain, which prevented mages from using their magic or rousing their magic energy as long as they were inside the domain''s area of influence. They could also not even leave, even if they wanted to. This was why Obstruction could not transport out of the veil and attack from the outside.


    Unable to do anything else, Obstruction could only return to the floatingnd of Ravenpass and find the current Soul Empire.


    As for the offensive arrays that kept bombarding him, he decided it was no longer necessary to deal with them.


    Besides, Jared''s offensive array had stopped working because of the bolts of lightning''s potent magic energy. The truth, another reason these arrays stoppedpletely was that Jared was currently focused on feeling the surge of magic energies that filled his side. He indeed felt as if he was about to make a breakthrough!


    On La''s side, she frowned because she could no longer replenish her internal magic energy. It was as if her ability to absorb the magic energies in the surroundings had been cut off. Not only that, she sensed True Void''s real body had already been unleashed.


    Since La did not hear Cade''s im about the Grand Array, she was unaware of what had caused the huge array above. In her point of view, the array was there because Kyran was forced to release True Void in his true form.


    "The Dark Sage''s Ultimate Weapon is about to be unleashed."


    La turned to her right as soon as she heard Obstruction speak.


    Before she could respond, he added, "It is time to let the Macabre cier handle it before he ispletely released."

 Chapter 683 Finale (3)

    La''s expression darkened at Obstruction''s words.


    It was easy for him to say those words when he did not know how hard it was to control the Macabre cier!


    Besides, with La''s current state wherein she could not rouse her magic energy, it would be impossible for her even to control it, not to mentionmand it.


    Frankly, even when the Macabre cier''s sentient stopped harassing her after she took full control of Haylee''s body, its influence still lingered. La knew if she tried to unleash the Macabre cier, its sentient would take that chance to take full control over the souls she let it capture.


    La dd not want that to happen. She still needed those souls. They were not meant to be consumed by the mirror. Instead, she wanted to use them as leverage against Kyran so he would listen to her demands.


    While La pondered this, the ground trembled even more violently, and the magic fluctuation in the air intensified.


    The innermost section of the huge array above, where the outer part had turned into several purple rings and the middle part as several purple cubes, emitted a blinding glow as something emerged from within.


    "There is not much time," Obstruction told La, snapping her out of her reverie. "Release the Macabre cier."


    La looked at him and said, "Using the Macabre cier at this juncture will only put it at a disadvantage."


    What she said was actually correct. Though it had taken so many souls, those souls were only trapped inside and were not taken for it to consume. Because of this, its internal magic energy was stillcking.


    For this reason, it had tried to suck Kyran''s magic energy when his magic sense touched its surface. If True Void had not interfered, the Macabre cier might even end up consuming Kyran''s soulpletely.


    Of course, thetter was only a possibility. The Macabre cier might not stand a chance if Kyranbined his Draconic and Void magic against it.


    What he said to True Void about using the Draconic magic to destroy it was not empty talk. It was possible because Draconic magic was among the most destructive in the Lower and Higher realms.


    In any case, La was unaware of these things. But what she did know was if the Macabre cier was unleashed, even if it could still use its internal magic energy, this ce''s veil would end up targeting its effect on it. When that happened, the Macabre cier was not strong enough to withstand the veil''s undivided effect.


    La did not want something like that to happen because the Macabre cier would definitely consume the energy of the souls it captured. And even if La did not mind giving these souls for the Macabre cier to consume, it was still not enough.


    Basically, the influence of Soul magic energy in this ce was still too weak, unlike the influenceing from Void magic energy, which basically converts any form of magic energy in the surroundings as its own.


    It was one of the Void magic''s nature and greatest advantages.


    Obstruction''s mood darkened from La''s tant refusal to use the Macabre cier. He knew she was also affected by the veil''s effect, but using the Macabre cier would not really require her to use that much magic energy.


    Apart from this, if La had truly taken full control of the Macabre cier, it would no longer require her to use her magic energy to release it.


    ''Does she refuse to release the Macabre cier because she has no full control over it yet? Did we overestimate her capability?''


    Obstruction started to doubt La''s current value.


    She might be the current Soul Emperor, but if she could not even control the Macabre cier, she might not necessarily be an asset to their faction.


    There was no specific time or date when the War of the Sovereigns would start. But even if they still have a few years left, it might not be enough for the Soul Emperor to master the use of the Macabre cier.


    Compared to the Dark Sage¡ª no, Obstruction should call him the new Void Master since he already lost the Macabre cier¡ª even without the mirror, Kyran''s might was already a threat to the other Sovereigns. Obstruction experienced it firsthand, after all. Besides, he felt as if Kyran was hiding something. Obstruction was convinced thetter possessed two innate magic.


    Even then, Obstruction still failed to recognize what kind of magic Kyran had used when they fought.


    Seemingly reading Obstruction''s doubts, even if his face was basically shrouded by darkness underneath his hood, Laughed softly and said, "I don''t need to prove anything to you. May I remind you that it was you who proposed to settle my affairs? I never asked for it. Now that the situation hase to this, you are suddenly thinking about bailing, aren''t you?"


    Obstruction did not respond. However, his countenance turned cold. Even if he could not rouse his magic at that moment, he had ways of dealing with La if she did something.


    "You don''t have to look scary," La continued as she looked at the innermost section of the huge array in the sky.


    At that moment, an inverted tip of some sort had already appeared. If one would look closely, there were chains attached to it, where the other end had yet to emerge from it.


    "I won''t use the Macabre cier because there are too few souls I can use for it to consume," La exined matter-of-factly. "However, I have another way to deal with this situation."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What are you nning to do?"


    A beautiful¡ª almost alluring, smile appeared on La''s lips. She looked at Obstruction once more before saying, "I am the Soul Emperor. What do you think I can do?"


    Without waiting for Obstruction to react, La''s sapphire blue eyes glowed.


    "Let me show you how a Soul Emperor does things."


    Although La could not rouse her magic energy within the veil, she could still connect to every single person she had marked.


    The distance did not matter. She could still connect with them as long as they possessed her mark. Of course, there were still factors that might prevent her from connecting with them, but fortunately, the veil did not prevent her from doing so.


    In several parts of the empire, the eyes of all remaining leaders of the Royal Army and Royal Family that had not joined the fray zed over. Their irises turned sapphire for a second before returning to their normal color.


    One after another, these leaders issued amand, mobilizing the rest of the army and the Royal Guards and transporting them to the Regis Estate.


    At a forest in Starhorn, Soll, who went to the Courtenay Residence with the intention of destroying them, was currently engaged in a hunt. Unfortunately, he was not the hunter but the hunted.


    From behind, there were two Regis Elders and three Regis Special Force members chasing him. Their mage levels were clearly below Soll''s. However, their momentum did not seem to be any weaker than him.


    ''What the hell is happening?'' Soll wondered in exasperation. He went to the Courtenay Residence and was looking for a chance to destroy them, but how did it end up with him running for his life against the Regis? ''Why are the Regis n here? Two of their Elders are even here. Just what is going on¡ª?''


    While feeling exasperated, Soll suddenly made an abrupt stop as the mark Haylee gave him activated. In a blink of an eye, his eyes turned sapphire. But unlike the leaders of the Royal Army and the Royal Family, his eyes did not return to their normal color and remained the same color as La''s.


    Something simr also happened in Noser, where a few Montgomeray family members were still there preparing to transport the remaining hostages they captured to the Regis Estate.


    The people leading the transmission array''s maintenance were actually Mimi and Zuri. At that moment, they were preparing to transport Ane, whom Zephyr had defeated. She and the other leading members that led the attack in Noser were bound using the chains the Courtenay Family had made.


    These chains were the same ones that bound Kyran when Mimi captured and took him to the Courtenay Residence.


    Because of these chains, Ane and they could not use their magic.


    While Mimi, Zuri, and the rest of the Montgomeray family members were busy replenishing the array''s magic energy, Ane, who had her head lowered, suddenly perked up, and her eyes turned into sapphires.


    "There seems to be some sort of disturbance in the array''s target location," Mimi said while studying the fluctuation appearing in the transmission array''s forms.


    Zuri frowned after hearing this, but since she was not knowledgeable about Arrays, she did not know how to help confirm Mimi''s suspicion.


    "Do you think something is happening there?" She asked instead.


    Mimi shook her head, "Technically, a lot is happening there. But this should not affect our arrays. The location it is connected to has been created by Master Jared himself. It has several protective and defensive forms to prevent any idents."


    Zuri felt her head on the verge of short-circuiting from all the thingsing out of Mimi''s mouth. Ultimately, she decided to say, "Then do we proceed or not? Ms. te said we can stay here and guard instead of joining them."


    Mimi looked at her with a wry smile, "You say that but I know you want to go there and help."


    Zuri smiled bitterly, thinking how worried Levi had been after sensing Ignis''s pain. He had been one of the first Montgomeray family members to go to the Regis Estate and investigate what happened to the Queen of the Faes.


    "It doesn''t matter," she told Mimi. "Guarding the prisoners is also important. Taking them to the estate lowers the chances of them escaping, but we are still rtively safe in this ce so we can stay."


    "Fair enough," Mimi agreed. "Then we''ll stay here for now¡ª."


    "That won''t do. I need you to take Ane in the Regis Estate, Mimi."


    A soft gentle voice suddenly spoke from behind, alerting both Mimi and Zuri.

 Chapter 684 Finale (4)

    Mimi and Zuri tensed and immediately turned to face the voice''s owner. They were about to take out their magic weapons, but a powerful and suffocating magic pressure fell on them, forcing them to their knees instantly.


    Nevertheless, they still managed to face the person who had spoken and were shocked at what they had seen.


    "H-How¡ª?"


    "T-This can''t be¡ª. This is impossible!"


    Ane, who was supposed to be bound by chains made of anti-cast stones, was now standing in front of them. She was also the one who released the magic pressure that almost sent Mimi, Zuri, and the rest of the Montgomeray family members with them to suffocate.


    "Heh~, why is it impossible?" Ane asked with a sweet smile. "You say such strange things at times, you know, Mimi."


    Mimi''s brow furrowed after realizing the person before them was Ane but also not her at the same time. It was hard to exin, but there was something different about her that made Mimi think this way.


    It was not only her who noticed something was different.


    Zuri and the others also looked at Ane suspiciously.


    Even so, Mimi and Zuri did not lose their head at this sudden turn of events. Before Ane finishedmenting on Mimi''s remark, Mimi and Zuri had already sent a coded message to warn everyone that Ane managed to free herself from the chains.


    "You don''t have to put on such scary faces," Ane told them before waving her hand.


    With one wave of her hand, the transmission array that Mimi and the rest were replenishing with magic energy suddenly activated.


    "Ane has overstayed, so I''m taking her back," ''Ane'' continued as she walked to the center of the transmission array.


    Meanwhile, Mimi and Zuri roused their magic to fight Ane''s magic pressure.


    They were unmatched against Ane in terms of magic level and evenbat experience, but that did not stop them from making a move. Besides, they could not let Ane go!


    "Don''t think you can leave as you please!"


    Suddenly, another magic pressure erupted, which instantly countered Ane''s.


    The pressure around Mimi, Zuri, and the rest of the Montgomeray Family members lifted at once. They looked up and saw Zephyr making his way toward them.


    Though Zephyr looked like a child no older than ten, Mimi and Zuri had seen what he could do, and they also witnessed him turn into a huge Quilin!


    Zephyr was also the one who subdued Ane. Thus, they were relieved to see that he was still there.


    Seeing Zephyr''s approaching figure, Ane''s face distorted in annoyance. She did not have the time to deal with him, so she ignored himpletely and focused all her energy on hastening the transmission array''s activation.


    "I don''t have time for this," Ane said with a slight smile. "Nor do I want youing after me. So, I will have to say goodbye~."


    As soon as she said this, the transmission array emitted a blinding light that swallowed Ane''s figure.


    In a blink of an eye, she was gone.


    "Argh! Damn it! How could she still move after my suppression?" Zephyr cursed as hended on the ground near the array.


    Before he could activate the transmission array again and follow Ane, crackling sounds reverberated from it.


    Their faces distorted at once as they realized what was about to happen.


    "Move!" Zephyr shouted while changing back into a Quilin. He pushed the others too close to the transmission array away using his huge legs before activating his magic barrier.


    BOOM!


    The transmission array exploded right after and sted Zephyr and the others still near it in different directions.


    "Argh!"


    "Ngh...!"


    Zephyr gritted his teeth as he shielded the rest from the explosion. Since his barrier was far stronger when he was in his real form, and the level of the transmission array was not that high, he managed to survive the explosion unscathed.


    Mimi and Zuri were also sent flying a few meters. But thanks to Zephyr shielding them from the brunt of the explosion, they only received minor and superficial injuries.


    "Sent a message to the estate at once!" Zephyr asked no one in particr.


    Mimi and Zuri did not need to be told twice. They already took theirmunication device and sent a coded message.


    Fortunately, their devices were not damaged because of the explosion.


    "I''ll leave the rest of the prisoners in your hands. I''m going to the estate."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But the transmission array is¡ª."


    "I have a scroll from my master. I''ll have Iss and Mera stay here, but I''m taking Bas and Manti."


    Luckily, Zephyr and Kyran''s four beast Sigils did not join those who went to the estate first. Since the transmission array could only transport a hundred at most, Zephyr decided it was best to let te and Ezra lead the Montgomeray family members who had contracted with the Spirits to go first. After all, they were the ones who were greatly affected by White Lily''s situation.


    Even after te received an unidentified coded message about the change in the current situation, Zephyr and the beast Sigils still stayed behind.


    In any case, te, Ezra, and most of the leading members of his family had already gone there. It was not like they would be short on manpower any time soon.


    Besides, Zephyr and the beast Sigils had to rest for a while and replenish their magic energies. They could not very well join the battle if they were unprepared.


    "Alright," Mimi and Zuri agreed at once.


    It pained them to admit that even if they wanted to join the others in the Regis Estate, they would only be cannon fodders with their low mage levels. They also have close to zero real-life battle experience.


    Zephyr telepathicallymunicated with Bas and Mera. After almost a minute, the two arrived, and Zephyr used thest transmission scroll in his possession and took Bas and Mera with him to the Regis Estate.


    Meanwhile, several instances like this were happening all over the empire as La gathered the rest of the forces under hermand.


    Unfortunately, when she tried to connect with thest of the Three Archmagus under hermand, she could not reach him.


    La frowned slightly as she recalled he was the one in-charged of attacking the Regis Estate.


    ''Did he die?'' She wondered. However, she rejected the idea at once because, among the three Archmagus, he was the most powerful, in her opinion.


    No matter how powerful the Regis Special Forces were, they could not possibly kill an Archmagus.


    "So you also have the ability tomand the living," Obstructionmented, sounding a little surprised.


    La looked at him. The frown on her face disappeared at once and was reced by an almost bewitching smile.


    "I am the Soul Emperor. Not a Necromancer. I govern all souls, both the living and the dead."


    "Pardon my ignorance. It is my first time actually to meet someone with Soul magic."


    "It is fine," La said while looking away. Her sapphire blue eyes continued to glow as she continued tomand her people. "We, who possess Ancient magic, are one of a kind. It is impossible for others to know what we are truly capable of."


    Obstruction did not respond this time and only looked at La sideways.


    La had said it casually, but information on Ancient magic was sparse in the Lower Realm.


    Only those who lived for a thousand years knew about it¡ª or, at least, heard a rumor that the four magic dubbed as Ancient magic had appeared at once in the Human ne.


    However, before these Sovereigns could make a move to confirm the rumor, the original Dark Sage had already made a move.


    The Human ne was known as the Land of the Ancients, and many old Sovereigns had wanted to find it. Unfortunately, its coordinates were everchanging. If not for the distortion in space that connected it to the Demon ne, the Human ne would never have been found.


    But those things had happened in the past, and Obstruction was not about to dwell on it.


    Since La mentioned Ancient magic, Obstruction wondered if the rumor that all four magic appeared in the Human ne was true.


    As if reading Obstruction''s thoughts, Laughed softly and said, "You seemed concerned about what I said."


    "True. I am very curious about the Ancient magic you talk of."


    La raised her brows in disbelief as she looked at him. However, she did notment on it and said, "Unfortunately, there are only three magic present in the Human ne."


    "Three?"


    "Yes. Soul, Void, and..." La paused dramatically. "Time."


    Obstruction''s countenance changed the moment he heard thest.


    To be honest, he believed Time was the most troublesome magic among the Ancient magic.


    "I want to capture her, but unfortunately, the new Dark Sage prevented me. It is quite annoying."


    "Her? She might be a good counter to the new Dark Sage."


    "True, but she hated my guts."


    "It doesn''t matter. If we y our cards right, you can make her go against him."

 Chapter 685 Finale (5)

    La''s smile turned sardonic at Obstruction''s words.


    Indeed, if they yed their cards right, they could make two parties in good terms turn hostile. However, Obstruction was targeting the wrong parties. He had no idea what rtionship the Time Keeper and the Void Master had. More specifically, the rtionship between Ste, the First Time Keeper and Can, Kyran''s predecessor.


    The two were friends before they got engaged. Their engagement was mainly for political reasons, but they had no qualms about it. As a matter of fact, Can was not a candidate to be Ste''s betrothed. But since the Tower Family did not want the union of the two families to be too constrained, the Patriarch then let Ste choose her partner.


    Ste could have chosen any of the Ashton Family''s genius bachelors. However, she chose Can¡ª who, at that time, was known as the bastard son of the previous Patriarch with zero talent for magic¡ª much to the chagrin of thetter''s elders.


    Nevertheless, the Ashton Family Elders could only grit their teeth and keep their opinions to themselves because the Tower Family was not opposed to Ste''s decision. The union of the two families might appear to be a mutual benefit, but in truth, the Ashton Family were the ones who would benefit the most from it because of her status as the Time mage.


    As for the Tower Family, who others believed had received an unfair bargain from the union, they actually epted Can wholeheartedly. They treated him well¡ªpletely contrasting to how the Ashton Family treated him.


    Ste chose Can to be her betrothed, not because she was secretly in love with him but because she knew he would never take advantage of her status as the Time mage. That was how much she trusted him as one of her close friends. Furthermore, she hated the thought of getting intimate with a man she did not know¡ª not that she ever thought of bing intimate with Can.


    Can, on the other hand, agreed to the arrangement because he did not want his cousins to take advantage of or hurt Ste for their own selfish reasons.


    To Can and Ste, marriage for convenience did not really matter. What mattered most was both respected each other. They also had no delusions about ''falling in love.'' After all, Ste knew Can harboured special feelings for La, though he never considered pursuing her.


    There were many reasons for this.


    Unlike the Tower Family, the Winfrey Family ced great importance on having a ''strong'' mage to marry La. The main reason was that they wanted to be the ''Leader'' of the Four Great Families. But apart from this, it was mainly because La was a healer yet also very sickly. They wanted a strong-bodied mage to be her husband to ensure La''s offspring would not inherit her ''sickly'' body.


    For this reason, the Winfrey Family proposed a union with the Regis Family.


    The Regis Family, oblivious to the insidious n of the Winfreys, epted the proposal with no qualms.


    Truthfully, Zane agreed to the union mainly because of the same reasons Can agreed to be Ste''s betrothed. Zane knew how important La''s healing ability was and did not want others to use her for their own benefit.


    The four were friends and believed they had to look after each other.


    Romantic love and such were not their priorities. Their era did not allow them to prioritize those things because of the ongoing war with the demons.


    In any case, another reason Ste chose Can to be her partner was to avoid strange rumors about him and La because the two were ''unusually'' close. After all, La and Zane were already engaged then.


    Ste also felt sorry for Can since he was mistreated by his father''s family just because he was born out of wedlock and possessed no magic energy.


    Unfortunately, Ste did not expect her feelings for Can would develop into real love.


    Fearing Can would call off their engagement if he discovered her growing feelings, Ste chose to keep a safe distance from him. However, because of this, she failed to notice the gradual change happening to him.


    When it was revealed that Can possessed the most powerful Ancient magic¡ª Void, the distance between him and Ste had already grown to the point she could no longer recognize him.


    Ultimately, one thing led to another and then Can became the Dark Sage. Soon, he also died after trying to save La.


    Recalling this made La''s brow furrow slightly. She never understood why Can thought he had to save her from her own magic.


    In any case, Ste med herself for what happened to Can. She was convinced her decision to keep a distance from him started everything that led to his death. If she had been with him all those times, she could have given him advice and even helped him carry whatever burden he had.


    He would not have to face everything alone.


    Guilt and regret. These two emotions of the First Time Keeper were why La was convinced the current Time Keeper would never turn against Kyran.


    These emotions were imprinted in the current Time Keeper''s Time core, and after being passed on to many generations, they have likely grown stronger.


    "You don''t know anything about a woman''s heart," La said after a short pause.


    Obstruction did not say anything. He only stared at her, which unnerved her a little.


    Ignoring his stare, La looked at the huge array above and changed the subject, "My people will arrive soon. Once they dealt with the veil, we can make our move to stop the Dark Sage''s Ultimate Weapon from fully awakening."


    "Once the veil is gone, I will leave the Human ne."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    La frowned. She looked at Obstruction again and said disdainfully, "What ever happened to ''I will settle your affairs''?"


    Frankly, she never really believed Obstruction would settle her matters. She only felt disdainful at the fact that he brazenly dered his retreat.


    "We will. So long as you keep the Macabre cier in tact. If possible, take full control of it, too," Obstruction replied meaningfully.


    La did not respond. However, she heard the words he did not say aloud.


    She did not expect Obstruction to realize she had not taken full control of the mirror. Nevertheless, this did not seem to deter him. If he was, he would not have said ''we'' when he responded to her usation.


    Then the ''we.'' Obstruction seemed he could no longer deal with the current situation alone and nned to ask another outside for assistance.


    "Bringing another outsider would require a separate invitation," La started, managing to keep her wits about after recalling she already gave out three invitations, which was her limit using an ancient incantation.


    These three invitations had been given to Deception, Ruin and Savagery.


    When Obstruction wanted toe, La reced the invitee from Deception''s invitation to him. It was quite easy because they were together and the invitation was with Deception.


    If Obstruction wanted to, They would need another invitation if he wanted to bring someone from the outside when he returned to the Human ne.


    ''It is impossible to create a new invitation. I could send another invitation only after I retrieved the ones I gave to Ruin and Savagery. However...''


    Just as La was pondering this, Obstruction had already replied.


    "There is no need for an invitation. Our faction leader has ways to enter a ne."


    La raised her brows at this.


    "So he is an even more powerful Space mage?"


    Obstruction''s mood seemed to darken at La''s remark


    "Do you think Space magic ismon?"


    La only shrugged in reply.


    La harbored no ill intent when she said that, but hearing her speak casually about Space mages was a huge insult to Obstruction.


    Sensing La''s nonchnce, Obstruction no longer pursued the matter and asked, "How long must we wait for your forces?"


    "It depends," Ste replied with a smile. "But rest assured, this time around, I will not lose."


    Obstruction did not respond and only looked at the huge array above.


    Currently, the amount of magic fluctuations in the surroundings has stabilized. Whether this was good or bad, they had little time to consider anything else. In the end, he could only agree and wait.


    At another location in the Regis Estate, True Void''s body started to dim. This rmed Kyran, who was keeping an eye on him nearby. Nevertheless, thetter remained silent and did not voice his doubts.


    Kyran did not want to disturb True Void''s awakening.


    While silently observing, Kyran suddenly sensed strange movements with his heightened senses.


    Unlike Obstruction and La, Kyran and the rest of the Regis Special Forces were unaffected by the veil. And with Kyran close to the estate''s Outer Walls'' border, he actually sensed movements almost everywhere.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he turned to the high wall behind him. He looked at True Void, who was still caught in a trance. He knew then that it would be bad to leave True Void unguarded to investigate the movements outside the walls.


    In the first ce, those movements might not emit killing intent, but they were obviously up to no good.

 Chapter 686 Finale (6)

    Times like this always made Kyran feel helpless about his inability to create an essence. If he could create one or two, he would have fewer problems dealing with several things happening in different ces simultaneously.


    As Kyran thought this, a few familiar auras appeared outside the Regis Estate. Some were faint but a few were pretty close to his location. After that, a respectful yet enthusiastic voice sounded in his head.


    [Master! We havee to see you!]


    ''Zephyr!'' Kyran could not help but smile at Zephyr''s timely arrival. His Sigil activated as well, making it easier for him to locate his exact position. ''Why are you outside the estate?''


    As soon as the Sigil activated, Zephyr, Bas, and Mera received the full benefits of their being Sigils. The injuries and magic energies they were recovering from before the incident in Noser happened started to recover. It even felt like their mage level was given a sudden boost.


    Kyran was surprised at how much these three were trying to suck on his abilities to replenish magic energy and heal as if they were people who had just tasted water after being deprived for so many years.


    If not for Kyran''s special body constitution and ability to absorb the magic energies in the surroundings with no regard to what type they were, Zephyr, Bas, and Mera would have already sucked him dry.


    Kyran stopped short as he realized something. He frowned slightly as he counted the Sigils with Zephyr.


    One. Two.


    ''Bas, and Mera?'' Kyran also confirmed who they were, and his frown deepened.


    Zephyr sounded uncharacteristically enthusiastic when he called out to him. Rather than enthusiastic, there was a sense of urgency and even relief from the former''s voice. His exact words were also strange, as if they had appeared here solely because they wanted to see him.


    ''Where are Manti and Iss?'' Kyran asked at once, not allowing Zephyr to answer the previous one.


    A huge lump had begun to creep into Kyran''s heart as he thought of why the two were not there. Nevertheless, he suppressed the thought because he did not want to jump to conclusions. Besides, although he could not see them, he knew they were still alive.


    Sensing Kyran''s apprehension, Zephyr immediately shook his head and replied reassuringly.


    [Don''t worry, master. I had them stay in Noser because of a sudden situation.]


    Without waiting for Kyran to ask follow-up questions, Zephyr proceeded to tell him what had happened in Noser that prompted them toe to the Regis Estate.


    During Zephyr''s narration, he also confirmed they could not enter the Regis Estate through the other end of the transmission array in Noser because it had been destroyed.


    Fortunately, Zephyr had another transmission scroll and used it instead.


    When Zephyr used the transmission scroll, he had to think of his target location. However, he had not been to the Regis Estate. In the end, he could only use the memory he had of the Dragon ne, hoping the transmission scroll would use it as a reference to transport them to a ce in the Human ne with the same ''wavelength.''


    The Regis Terram.


    After all, the transmission scroll did not have the capability to transport Zephyr, Bas, and Mera directly to the Dragon ne.


    Zephyr did not know if it actually worked since they had not been transported to the Regis Terram. But since they appeared outside the Regis Estate, maybe it did work. The only reason they were not transported directly inside was that they were not allowed to enter it.


    Frankly, Kyran had a different take on this matter. He believed the transmission scroll could really transport them to the Regis Terram. But because of the special condition of that ce, instead of appearing inside, they could only appear outside.


    Outside did not mean ''outside the estate'' but ''outside the terram, which was within the Regis Estate''s Inner Wall.


    With this in mind, Ames''s threat earlier crossed Kyran''s mind. She likely prevented Zephyr, Bas, and Mera from appearing inside the estate''s Inner Walls and was forced out of the Regis Estatepletely.


    Kyran did not know how Ames did it. But he was not keen on finding it out. He would rather use his brain cells to focus on Zephyr''s shared situation.


    When Kyran listened to Zephyr''s narration, his expression gradually turned grim. He had thought La had almost exhausted her cards. To think she still had something like a Soul Link at her disposal.


    The idea of a Soul Link was not the most surprising part. The most surprising part was La connected to these people at a very long distance.


    Kyran also guessed La did not connect with the Archmagus alone. She likely connected with every person she marked and had theme to the Regis Estate.


    La''s move really took Kyran by surprise. Currently, he does not have a counter to it. Then again, how could he counter a n he was unaware of?


    ''You''re missing the point,'' Kyran thought, scolding himself. ''Sometimes you can''t read your opponent''s next move in battle. When it happens, one of the best course of action is to stay calm and be alert. Only then can youe up with a solution on the spot.''


    Knowing he did not have the leisure to understand La''s thinking pattern in-depth, Kyran decided to focus on what he could do at present.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''What I can do is deal with the first wave of her forces that arrived outside the estate,'' Kyran thought.


    At the moment, Kyran believed La and even Obstruction had not made a major move after his father''s arrival and the activation of the Grand Array because of the veil that enveloped the whole estate.


    While the veil yed a huge part in preventing hostiles from attacking because it stopped them from using magic, there were still ways to ''destroy'' it.


    Others might think it was impossible because how could one destroy it if they could not use their magic?


    The answer to this was quite simple.


    The effects of the veil were only limited inside its area of influence. If one wanted to destroy it, one only had to find where its main points were and destroy them from the outside.


    With this in mind, Kyran devised a n. Frankly, even he did not know where the main points of the veil were located. He could find them using his magic sense, but because of what happened with the Macabre cier, Kyran was a little reluctant to use it.


    The truth, Kyran''s magic sense was far more powerful when he used Void magic as its base. After all, Void magic could utilize any magic energies in the surroundings, which amplified it more than a hundredfold or so. On the other hand, Draconic magic only attracted the ''Draconinc'' energy, which was also powerful but limited.


    Kyran could limit the use of his magic sense within the border of the estate''s Outer Walls. However, he was unsure if the Macabre cier would only make a move after his magic sense touched it directly or if it would as long as he used it.


    If it was the former, Kyran could use his magic sense. But if it was thetter, he would only dig his grave, especially when True Void¡ª the one who stopped the mirror from overwhelming Kyran and taking over him¡ª was still transforming.


    ''If I can''t use my magic sense, then I''ll make full use of my Sigils,'' Kyran decided as he looked at his Sigils'' exact positions.


    They were all hidden from the people moving about the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls.


    Since Kyran could not leave True Void while he was undergoing awakening, Zephyr, Bas, and Mera''s arrival gave him more space to maneuver.


    ''Zephyr, locate all the transportation arrays these people used toe here and destroy them,'' Kyran started to ry his orders.


    [Yes, master.]


    ''Bas, Mera, you two circle the estate and find the Archmagus you fought in Noser. You don''t have to worry about being at a disadvantage because of the level gap. As long as you are within the Sigil''s area of effect, you''ll be able to hold your own against her. Don''t hold back and eliminate her as soon as possible.''


    [Hiss...!]


    [Rawrgh...!]


    Bas and Mera responded with a hiss and a soft growl telepathically.


    They left without further ado.


    Though they had left, Kyran could sense their movements with the help of the Sigil.


    Not long after they left, shouts of surprise, which were followed by explosions, could be heard beyond the high walls of the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls.


    Kyran did not tell Zephyr, Bas, and Mera to hide their presence simply because he wanted to draw La and her forces'' attention to them.


    They would serve as baits to lure out the two Archmagus.


    Obviously, Kyran did not do this for no reason.


    The main reason was quite simple.


    It was so he could let his other Sigils move about undeterred.


    That was right.


    When Kyran sensed several familiar auras, he not only sensed Zephyr, Bas, and Mera!


    ''Byron, can you hear me?''

 Chapter 687 Finale (7)

    "Master! I have missed you dearly!" Byron burst as soon as Kyran''s voice sounded in his head.


    His outburst immediately piqued the interest of the people around him, especially Lauren and Olivia. Both looked at him curiously, wanting to listen in and figure out their conversation.


    On the other hand, Ss heaved a sigh of relief.


    A couple of hours ago, after dealing with the Aureole''s spy and the surprise assault from the noble families behind them, they rendezvoused with the rest of the Aureole''s forces and went directly to Meliora.


    There was still a distance away to Meliora from Autumn Reach, but Lauren used an ancient relic. Thus, they arrived very quickly.


    The ancient relic was one of Aureole''s hidden treasures. It was called Anuae, a relic that summoned a door akin to a portal, which led to a ce the user thought of.


    The Anuae could not be used by anyone except the leader of the Aureole. Thus, Lauren was the only one who could use it. This relic was also why Haylee wanted to control the Aureole faction. With such a relic, they could easily go to ces without using too many resources, like when creating transmission or transportation arrays.


    Lauren deemed it unwise to appear directly in Meliora because most noble families that attacked them lived there. They also had yet to grasp the full situation. If they went there, they would only be easy prey.


    Considering this point, they agreed to connect the door somewhere inconspicuous and close to the Regis Estate.


    Byron suggested an old base of the Blue Lotus, which was located at an abandoned building near a forest close to the Regis Estate.


    Ss volunteered to pass the door first and check the ce. But Olivia thought otherwise and insisted on going first.


    In the end, Lauren suggested the two go together, avoiding further discussions of why the other party should go first.


    When Olivia and Ss passed through the door, however, they were greeted by a group of Master mages. Judging by their green uniforms and a few wearing red ones, the two recognized them as soldiers of the Royal Army.


    Ss alerted Byron at once while Oliviaunched a preemptive attack.


    After receiving Ss''s message, Byron informed Lauren, and she ordered a few Aureole elites to assist Olivia.


    But when these people arrived, Olivia had already taken down the enemies. Ss also helped, but since he was a newly promoted Master mage, he could only use his magic to restrain the enemies while Olivia finished them.


    It was because of this incident that they were able to understand how grave the situation really was.


    Lauren and Oliva initially thought the ''war'' was only beginning. But, after confirming the mages they fought were soldiers stationed at the empire''s borders, they realized that the war had already escted and was likely entering the final phase.


    Byron and Ss tried to contact Kyran. However, they did not receive any response even after a few minutes. Thus, they decided to go with Lauren and Olivia''s decision to push forward.


    Along the way, they met with more noble families or army soldiers. But with Lauren at the helm and Olivia in the rear, they were unstoppable.


    Soon they arrived a few meters away from the Regis Estate''s Outer Walls and saw the veil that enveloped the whole ce.


    Byron and Ss wondered if this veil was why they did not receive Kyran''s response.


    Since they needed to know the situation inside the estate, Lauren decided to dispatch a group of five elites to scout ahead. But first, they had to deal with the veil.


    This was the situation at their end when Byron received a telepathic call from Kyran.


    Although Byron eximed his reply, Kyran still heard him, and his face darkened at once.


    ''...''


    In the end, he ignored Byron''s enthusiasm and said, ''The people with you, are they from Aureole?''


    Because Kyran was not using his magic sense, he could only vaguely sense several auras with Byron. Still, he recognized Ss and Olivia and guessed the rest of the people with them were from Aureole.


    Before Kyran sensed Olivia''s aura, he wondered if Byron had confessed the truth about him to the Blue Lotus leader and had them dispatch their forces. However, he rejected the idea at once because he knew Byron would never disclose his identity unless he consented.


    Nevertheless, Kyran still asked because there was no telling if the people with them were from other forces.


    [Yes, master. The Aureole faction agreed to side with you!]


    This time, Byron did not exim his reply and responded telepathically.


    Kyran could not help but raise his brows in amusement after hearing Byron''s confirmation. He did not expect their visit to the north would result in having the Aureole take their side.


    ''Tell me what happened,'' he told Byron.


    [Of course!]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For the next few minutes, Byron ryed what had happened to him and Ss after meeting with Olivia. He also told Kyran about the surprise attack and how most of the enemies they fought then were part of different noble families in the empire.


    Kyran only listened in silence. He did not expect La to also guessed he was after the Aureole''s cooperation.


    Then again, the surprise attack might also be a coincidence. After all, La did not know about his deal with Olivia. Nor was she aware of Byron and Ss''s movements.


    From Byron''s side, Lauren, Olivia, Ss, and the rest of the leaders from the Aureole faction were watching Byron curiously.


    Although Byron was responding to Kyran telepathically, he was moving animatedly. Thus, they could more or less guess the things he was ''telling'' his ''master.''


    If this was done by another person, Lauren¡ª no, actually, it would have been Olivia¡ª would have seen this act as disrespectful.


    However, knowing Kyran''s temper and since they already proved Byron and Ss''s intentions while they were forced to fight alongside each other, Lauren, Olivia, and even the rest of the Aureole members did not mind Byron''s act.


    As a matter of fact, they found his animated movements amusing.


    ''Don''t enter the estate,'' Kyran told Byron as soon as he finished his narration.


    Byron''s face twisted in agony at once.


    [W-Why master? Do you not need my assistance? I know my level is still low, but I have improved! I am already close to advancing to the High Master!]


    Kyran could not help but sigh in exasperation at Byron''s antics. While he appreciated thetter''s enthusiasm, he sometimes overreacts.


    Nevertheless, instead of responding to Byron''s wails, Kyran told him what to do, ''You mentioned getting into fights before arriving at your current position. I want you to continue doing this, and while you guys are at it, destroy any transportation arrays you find.''


    Byron''s eyes widened as he realized what Kyran was telling him.


    [You mean... more of those people wille because of those arrays?]


    ''Yes. Zephyr is already looking for these arrays, but it will take him too long to destroy them if he moves alone.''


    Byron nodded his head enthusiastically.


    [I get it now, master. You are not telling me to enter the estate because you find me useless but because you rely on me toplete such an important task and assist little Zephyr!]


    Kyran decided not to respond to Byron''s ims. Instead, he said, ''Be careful you might encounter one of the Archmagus under the Crown Princess''smand. Tell Olivia and the rest of the Aureole about them.


    ''When you encounter them, tell me at once. I will have Bas and Mera go to your position and assist.''


    [Don''t worry, master. I am confident Lady Olivia and Lady Lauren can handle those guys themselves.]


    ''Did you not hear what I said? They are Archmagus.''


    Kyran paused after recalling that Byron might not be familiar with the other levels of mages above a Magus. Although he already told him, along with the rest of his Sigils, about how there were far more powerful mages out there, he probably did not grasp the severity of it.


    [I heard you loud and clear, master. I will definitely inform you when we meet them. But I still think Lady Olivia and Lady Lauren can handle them just fine.]


    Kyran did not bother with him any more and sent a telepathic message to Ss.


    ''Ss, I need you to look after Byron.''


    Ss''s pupils constricted after hearing Kyran''s voice in his head. Since he did not know how to respond, he only listened silently.


    On the other hand, Byron started to tell Lauren and Olivia what Kyran had told him. At the same time, Ss listened to Kyran''s instructions.


    "My master has spoken," Byron said with a serious expression.


    Lauren and Olivia could not help but look at him with an odd expression. After all, he was acting all excited and even moving around animatedly just a few minutes ago, and now he was looking all serious.


    "We don''t have to enter the estate at this moment. Instead, he has tasked us with a very important mission," he paused dramatically before continuing, "And that is to eliminate the Archmagus under the Crown Princess''smand."


    Ss''s face darkened.


    "That is obviously not what he said!" He eximed.

 Chapter 688 Finale (8)

    Kyran had warned Ss that Byron had a few loose screws. But because of thetter''s capable disy during their meeting with Olivia, he had forgotten about it. He even thought Kyran said those things so he would closely watch Byron.


    But realizing how far off thetter''s take was from what Kyran had said, Ss finally understood Kyran''s warning.


    It seemed Byron''s character took a strange turn whenever Kyran was around.


    This change made Ss wonder how the two met.


    Putting aside his own thoughts, Ss told Lauren and Olivia what Kyran said before Byron could say more.


    Byron did not look happy that Ss stole the spotlight from him, but since he was speaking on behalf of his master, he could only reign in his displeasure and let Ss continue.


    The facial expressions of Lauren, Olivia, and the rest of the Aureole elites change drastically after hearing Ss''s exnation.


    "I heard a rumor about the Royal Family having three Archmagus hidden in their ranks," Lauren started. "And ordered two of my confidants to investigate it. They did confirm it, but I never really thought the Royal Family would dispatch them."


    Olivia nodded in agreement, "Few know about whates after a Magus. If others find out about them, it will cause mass panic. Dispatching them is equivalent to admitting the empire is facing a national level crisis that a Magus cannot face, after all."


    She paused and shook her head before adding, "Well, it''s not like they will announce their level, but the obvious gap in power they possesspared to a Magus will definitely show."


    "You seemed familiar about the power gap between a Magus and an Archmagus," Lauren remarked with a slight frown. While she knew a Magus was not the end of a mage''s journey, she only heard hearsay about it. She also heard the highest mage level ever to appear had been a Sage¡ª and proof of this existence was none other than the Dark ''Sage.''


    Olivia snorted and crossed her arms, "I know far more things than you could ever know."


    The Aureole elites with them stiffened at Olivia''s response to Lauren. They knew the two did not see eye to eye, but they had been cooperating well earlier, so they thought they had already put their differences behind them.


    They did not expect that they were only being civil around each other!


    "If there is someone who knows more, it can only be my master!" Byron blurted out of the blue.


    All of them looked at him with dark lines appearing on their forehead.


    Did he have to boast about his master?


    "Humph," Olivia snorted again. However, she did not try to refute Byron''s ims. Instead, she said, "There is no pointpeting on knowledge with that guy."


    She did not say this to get Byron to shut up. This was her clear assessment of Kyran based on her essence experience.


    Kyran was not the rookie mage others thought him to be. Just looking at his Array attainments, one could already see how advanced his knowledge in magic was.


    In any case, Olivia knew Kyran knew more about the different mage levels after a Magus. He might even know more about those ''Sovereigns'' she often heard in the Tower of Tribtions.


    Seeing Olivia relent without kicking up a fuss made Lauren even more curious about Byron''s master.


    Ss pped his hands, instantly attracting all of their attention.


    "Alright," he said. "Let us put that aside for now and find the arrays. We could prevent the Crown Princess''s forces from gathering if we destroyed those."


    "Very well," Lauren agreed. She looked at all the Aureole members with them and dered, "You might feel things are happening way too fast, or the situation has escted suddenly. However, that is not entirely true."


    She paused, looking at them meaningfully before continuing, "The current situation has started much earlier than we know. You are aware that we are up against the Royal Family. And I understand some of you have doubts on why we are making a move against them."


    The expressions on most of the members turned solemn upon hearing Lauren''s words. What she said was true. There were only a few members with Lauren and Olivia when they dealt with the spy. Most of the members who rendezvoused with them after that did not know what was really happening.


    However, they did not ask questions because they believed in Lauren and Olivia. They knew they would never make a move without a valid reason.


    In any case, they were aware of some conspiracies in the empire. Although the Royal Army''s Grand Marshal seemed to be cooking up a rebellion against the Royal Family, they knew thetter''s influence and power were not as dead as most believed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The appearance of the Archmagus was one proof of it.


    "But even if you doubt, I want to thank you for trusting us. Rest assured; we are not waging war by ourselves."


    Lauren paused and looked at the Regis Estate''s walls.


    "You probably guessed it already, but the ones who started it all are the Regis n."


    Lauren looked at them again, and seeing their unfazed gazes, she let out a wry smile.


    "We all know how the Regis n operates," she continued. "Some of us had worked alongside them in the past. They would never start something with an ulterior motive.


    "They started this because they only wanted to protect one of their own."


    Lauren looked at Ss before looking at Byron, "Is it alright to tell them who your master is?"


    Ss solemnly looked at her before turning to Byron.


    On the other hand, Byron seemed to have recovered his dignified self and looked at Lauren solemnly. He said, "My master did not want to cause panic when he decided to hide his identity. But with how things are now, it is no longer a thought he has to worry."


    Lauren nodded, "That is right. The whole empire is now aware of the war happening among different factions. They may not understand the whole situation, but it will only be a matter of time before they know everything."


    She took a deep breath and looked at Olivia with a slight smile.


    "Do you want to tell them yourself?"


    Olivia red at her but did not decline. She looked at the rest and said, "Before anything else, know that I am the one who decided to take sides. Of course, I did not want the whole of Aureole to be involved. However, the situation is different now.


    "Anyway, you can me it on me if worsees to worst. As for who we have taken sides," she smiled wryly. "Obviously, we took the Regis n''s side in this war. But you have to know one thing. The person they want to protect is someone who inherited the most feared forbidden magic in history, Void."


    Gasps of surprise escaped most of the Aureole members. They were not expecting that the war started because the Regis n wanted to protect a forbidden magic user.


    Lauren and Olivia let this information sink in first before saying anything further.


    Byron and Ss also looked at the rest in silence. Both decided that if these members decided to back out, they would not stop them. Nevertheless, they would not let them go because they could not let them be an addition to the Crown Princess''s forces.


    Of course, they might not exactly join her side, but she was the Soul Emperor. She had ways to make others join her cause without even speaking.


    In the end, none of the Aureole members said a thing. Their expressions turned solemn as if they were finally understanding why the scale of the war had gotten to the point that the Royal Family had to deploy all of their forces.


    Lauren smiled after seeing the resolve reflected in the eyes of each Aureole member. She said, "With this said, we might end up dead without us knowing, but I believe the Regis n will not let us suffer just like that. We will receive ample support, so all of you can rest assure."


    "Ah... that is..." Ss started. However, he stopped short after realizing Lauren had said this just to assure her people.


    "Our goal is simple," Lauren continued. "We will look for the arrays and stop the Royal Family''s forces from gathering here.


    "If you encounter a mage, who you believe is far stronger than me or Olivia, report your position immediately. The Regis n will arrange support as soon as possible."


    Ss finally understood what Lauren meant about them receiving ample support. Instead of saying that Kyran would assist them, she involved the whole Regis n. Doing so removed some of their doubts about thetter''s involvement and reduced their apprehension about Kyran''s identity as a forbidden magic user.


    "If you do not have any other questions, form into your teams now, and go."


    "Yes, Lady Lauren!"

 Chapter 689 Finale (9)

    Aftermunicating with Byron and Ss, Kyran connected to another one of his Sigils¡ª Tritus.


    Kyran had Tritus assist his family in saving the Courtenay and Lumley Families. He also wanted him to get used to his power as a newly advanced Legendary while he was there.


    When they dealt with the matter at the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Hall, Tritus joined the rest of the Regis Special Forces, who returned to the estate and awaited further instructions.


    After returning to the Regis Estate, so many things happened at once that Tritus was slightly bewildered. In the end, he went along with the Regis Special Forces when Cade appeared and sent out orders one after another.


    Soon after, they witnessed a powerful Space mage battling Jared''s offensive array. And when that mage retreated to the floatingnd of Ravenpass, Tritus joined a group of five Special Forces to check the situation there.


    Observing at a safe distance, Tritus and the Special Forces confirmed the presence of both the Space mage and the Crown Princess.


    While it was already apparent that the Space mage was with the Crown Princess, witnessing a powerful mage talk and even appearing a little respectful around thetter surprised them.


    After confirming that they had no means to deal with the two¡ª especially when they saw the enormous ominous mirror floating above¡ª Tritus and the Special Forces remained hidden and continued to observe the situation.


    That was when Kyran contacted Tritus.


    ''Tritus.''


    Tritus perked at once after hearing Kyran''s voice in his head.


    [Master.]


    ''Tell me the situation there,'' Kyran asked without beating around the bush.


    [Yes.]


    Tritus gave a brief report of the situation in Ravenpass.


    When Tritus confirmed La and Obstruction were together, and close to the Macabre cier, Kyran was concerned. He would rather see the two openly attack than stay in one ce while calmly waiting for a big event to happen.


    Nevertheless, Kyran already knew what they were waiting for. It was indeed good that Zephyr, Bas, and Mera had arrived to tell him what happened in Noser. If not, he would still be there contemting whether he should personally investigate the movements outside the estate''s Outer Walls or stay put and protect True Void during his awakening.


    [Please give an order, Master. I will definitely fulfil it no matter the cost.]


    Hearing Tritus''s plea made Kyran smile wryly. Truth be told, he could order Tritus to make a preemptive attack on La and Obstruction. Since he was there, he was confident that the Sigil''s effect would grant Tritus enough strength to fight the two without being overly disadvantaged. However, once he did, he had to be prepared to lose Tritus.


    That was something Kyran did not want to happen. He was not afraid that La could turn Tritus into one of her ''minion.'' Instead, he was worried Obstruction would iste Trituspletely, and he would lose their connection.


    While it was confirmed that Kyran''s side had far more capable mages, theycked in mage level. Even if he included his father among those with higher mage levels, it was not enough once La''s forces gathered.


    There was a phrase that went¡ª quality over quantity. However, even the highest quality stone would break if hammered several times.


    Besides, most of their forces were already worn out. Even if they had the assistance of the Solum Tribe, healing and assisting in replenishing their magic energies, they could not fully remove a body''s fatigue.


    Kyran copsed before, and he was already considered a monster among humans. If this happened to average or little above-average mages, what would happen to them?


    ''Stay with the Special Forces and keep out of sight,'' Kyran told Tritus after considering the current situation.


    Though he had already asked his Sigils and the Aureole faction to locate the arrays La''s forces were using to arrive in the Regis Estate''s periphery, they were not enough. This was especially true if the Archmagus under La were included in the mix.


    ''There will be plenty of opportunity to attack when the right timees.''


    [Understood.]


    Tritus paused and added, sounding slightly hesitant.


    [Master, are you perhaps waiting for True Void''spletion before making a move?]


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. He did not expect Tritus to know the Grand Array was connected with True Void.


    ''Yes,'' Kyran replied.


    Frankly, he did not know how True Void''s awakening could improve their situation. But thetter''s title as the Ultimate Weapon definitely amounted to something, which was what Kyran hoped for.


    [I understand. I will await your nextmand, Master.]


    Kyran only nodded in response.


    Although Tritus could not see him, he sensed his confirmation.


    After talking to Tritus, Kyran''s narrowed his eyes and connected to two more Sigils he had not heard from for a while.


    Max and Reuben!


    Kyran was surprised to sense them because he remembered they were both in Ravenpass when La made a surprise attack. Apart from this, he did not sense them close to Ravenpass but outside the Regis Estate.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He did not contact them immediately because they were still far off his range. However, he did sense them and waited for them to get closer to the Sigil''s area of effect before contacting them.


    Of course, Kyran would have tried sending a coded message if he could. Unfortunately, the two did not seem to have anymunication devices with them. As a matter of fact, now that he was able to sense them more clearly, he noticed they were in a somewhat sorry state.


    [Master.]


    Kyran was surprised when Max initiated the contact.


    ''You two appear to have a lot of things to share,'' he started.


    [Hm.]


    [We do, actually.]


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Max and Reuben replied, respectively.


    ''I''m all ears,'' Kyran said. Then he smiled wryly because that was all he could do at the moment.


    Listen.


    [Surprise attack. Chaotic. Conve people. Leave.]


    Max was the first to start.


    Reuben''s face distorted slightly, knowing how much Max wanted to talk to Kyran. However, if he let him be, they would probably take a couple of hours.


    [Allow me to exin, Max.]


    [Hm.]


    Max grunted in agreement. He wanted to say far too many things that he did not know where to start. Thus, leaving Reuben to exin was better.


    On the other hand, Kyran did not interrupt them and only waited in silence.


    Finally, Reuben exined what happened in Ravenpass before La''s surprise attack,


    Apparently, when La''s forces attacked simultaneously in Noser, Lumley Ancestral Hall, and the Tower of Conve, Euan and Malek had prepared people to send to these locations as additional support.


    They even led a couple of these group and was about to leave when La attacked.


    They were taken by surprise when the Macabre cier appeared in the sky. However, its activation took some time, thus, Euan and Malek took this chance to send out some of their people.


    Ultimately, Noir told Euan and Malek to leave Ravenpass and hide. He and the other leaders would stay behind and act as bait.


    Malek was not fond of the n but knew Noir made sense. Thus, he and Euan, along with several of their forces, left, while Noir and the other leaders led the remaining forces to protect the nonbatant members of the Regis n.


    Max and Reuben were one of the few who remained in Ravenpass. They witnessed how Noir and the rest fell one after another to the Macabre cier''s power.


    However, for some unknown reasons, Max and Reuben were unaffected.


    Seeing it was futile to resist and was better to leave in one piece, Max and Reuben escaped along with a few Regis n members.


    Unfortunately, the Macabre cier had already taken Noir and most of the remaining Army and Conve members, so Max and Reuben could only leave them behind.


    After leaving, they found a safe location for the Regis n members to hide. Then Max and Reuben left for the Regis Estate.


    It took them a while to arrive at the estate, and they were in such a sorry state because they encountered several beasts in the forest. They also recently encountered small groups of army soldiers and even elites from noble families.


    During their escape, they lost most of their items, which exins why they had nomunication devices with them.


    After hearing what happened to Ravenpass, Kyran was somewhat distressed, especially after Reuben confirmed that Noir, most Regis members, Conve members, and Army soldiers under Mannick''smand had fallen victim to the Macabre cier.


    Nevertheless, knowing that Euan and Malek actually left before the Macabre cier got hold of them relieved Kyran.


    But the question now was, where did they go? Howe they had not heard from them after they left Ravenpass?


    Could they have met trouble while trying to escape?


    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Kyran rejected it. They likely encountered forest beasts along the way. And if their destination had been the Regis Estate, they probably encountered small groups of army soldiers and noble families just like Max and Reuben.


    Still, even if this was the case, Euan and Malek were both Magus. It would have been impossible for them to have been defeated by low-ranked mages.


    In the end, Kyran could only put aside the matter of where Euan and Malek had gone and focused on what Max and Reuben should do.

 Chapter 690 Finale (10)

    ''Have you seen where the soldiers and elite mages from noble families you encountered came out from?'' Kyran asked as soon as Reuben finished rying their experience.


    Reuben found Kyran''s question odd, but he did not ask for rification because he understood it right away.


    [We didn''t, I''m afraid. However, we did find their appearance sudden.]


    Reuben recalled their encounter with those groups were often without warning. Obviously, they did not arrive there by normal means.


    Max and Reuben were former elite members of the Temr Code. Their abilities are considered among the best in the faction, if not the whole empire. As such, their scouting abilities are top-notch. For this reason, it was surprising how they failed to detect the enemies before encountering them.


    If they sensed their presence, they would avoid engaging in a battle. Their mage levels might be higherpared to their enemies, but the continuous battle would tire them out and exhaust what little health and magic energy provisions they had. When that happened, they would fall just like any other mages.


    If Max and Reuben could find where those people had emerged, they could destroy their ''route'' and prevent more of them froming.


    Kyran frowned at this piece of information. He hoped the two had seen the array where La''s forces hade out from so he could have them change some of its calctions.


    Rather than destroying the array, Kyran considered changing one of its forms, wherein instead of them emerging right there, they would be transported again to the Misty Forest.


    The reason he considered this move was simple. Destroying the arrays would only dy the enemies'' gathering. It would not stop them. At most, they would only create a new connecting array.


    However, if the connecting array had a form that would transport them to Misty Forest as soon as it activated, they would appear there and be poisoned to death before they even realized where they were.


    [Hm.]


    Max grunted as if wanting to assure Kyran of something.


    Reuben sensed what the big guy was trying to say and also said.


    [We can search where they came out from and destroy it.]


    ''Rather than destroy, I need you to change one of its forms,'' Kyran said. He then exined what he had in mind, and the two listened attentively.


    After hearing Kyran''s n, Max and Reuben gave their silent approval. They agreed with his reasoning that reducing their numbers was better than destroying the arrays.


    Both were aware of how outnumbered they were against their enemies. If they could reduce the number of their enemies without using up their forces and resources, then it was considered a wise move.


    ''I had Zephyr and Byron''s side look for arrays and destroy them,'' Kyran continued to exin. ''This way, the enemies will not think we are not nning on using the arrays as a means to reduce their number.''


    [Then we have to coordinate with them and n which arrays to destroy and which to revise.]


    Reuben responded after Kyran finished his exnation. Honestly, he was not really good at Arrays, but he had witnessed what Kyran could do. He knew they could never go wrong as long as he and Max followed thetter''s instructions.


    But first, they had to let Kyran know what the array looked like.


    An amused smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips after hearing thetter''s response. Having a subordinatepletely understand a situation and devise a n to adjust to it was truly nice.


    Kyran was d he did not kill Reuben.


    [Hm.]


    Max also grunted in agreement.


    ''I will tell Zephyr and Byron of the change,'' Kyran told them. ''In the meantime, you two find a good spot to rest for a few minutes.''


    Since the two would be running around, searching for arrays and revising some of them, they would need to restore their strength. Besides, when they found an array, there was no telling when a new batch of enemies would emerge. For all they knew, there could be new onesing out from it before they couldpletely revise the array or even destroy it.


    Max and Reuben''s expressions turned slightly odd after hearing Kyran''s order for them to rest.


    After the incident where they met a Sovereign trying to recruit Kyran, who protected them from the former, the two started to warm up to him even further.


    As Kyran''s Sigil, they were already loyal to him. Nevertheless, they still had some reservations, especially when they were reminded of how they were ''threatened'' to be his Sigils.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But since joining Kyran''s side and seeing how he genuinely cared for his people, Max and Reuben started seeing him differently.


    They were then reminded of Kyran''s cruelty they witnessed during the assault in the Shaiha Ruins only because they first hurt one of his people, Zephyr.


    ''I''ll send over some provisions,'' Kyran continued while rummaging through his items. ''As for the materials required in revising the array''s form, I''ll send them over as soon as I review the array. Make sure to share the whole formation to me.''


    [We will definitely share a clear one.]


    Reuben then paused as his brows furrowed slightly.


    [Err... how can we share them?]


    He knew Kyran could send them provisions with no problems given his Void magic''s nature, but that was not the case with them.


    Reuben looked at Max sideways and wondered if Kyran expected them to deliver a copy of the array by having one of Max''s beasts bring a hard copy to him.


    Max also seemed to notice this, and his facial expression distorted slightly. He mentally checked the new beasts under hismand and was already trying to find a suitable one to deliver the copy.


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly as he sensed Max and Reuben''s thoughts. Did they not know that with the Sigil in full effect, he could easily see through their thoughts? As a matter of fact, he could also share his thoughts with them, but since he was the ''master,'' he could opt not to.


    ''I''ll know once you see one,'' Kyran told them. ''You don''t have to worry about anything else.''


    [U-Understood...]


    Reuben replied, although he did not understand itpletely.


    Without further ado, the two searched for a safe spot to rest.


    After talking to them, Kyran turned his attention back to True Void and the movements nearby.


    He sensed Zephyr, Bas, and Mera handling a few of them. However, their numbers did not seem to be decreasing. As a matter of fact, he felt it had increased by a lot.


    This should not have been the case if the connecting arrays these people hade out from were in a ratio of 1:1. After all, they would need to replenish the main array''s magic energy, and it would require several minutes before it could be used again. But if the ratio is 2:1 or even more, then this would exin how more of them had arrived in such a short span of time.


    Basically, a 2:1 ratio meant that two main transportation array was connected to one connecting array. To be honest, given the Array knowledge in the Human ne, this would be impossible. But what else could exin how their numbers kept on increasing?


    It was impossible for hundreds of connecting arrays to be nted around the Regis Estate''s periphery. Kyran was positive his grandfather would not allow such arrays to appear near them.


    Apart from this, connecting arrays could not be created in a short amount of time. Not to mention, Max and Reuben did not notice the appearance of the enemies until they were already there.


    Kyran suddenly thought of something, and his expression turned grim.


    Such a feat was not possible in the Human ne''s Array Knowledge. However, what if someone among La''s people was aware of Array Knowledge outside the Human ne?


    Kyran recalled how his uncle Jared suspected that one of the Archmagus under La''s control, Rantz, was someone who entered the Tower of Tribtions.


    What if Rantz was not the only one?


    Kyran suddenly felt an iing headache. If this was true, why were they appearing now? Why did they not appear earlier and save them from all the guessing and such?


    Kyran shook his head in exasperation.


    If there were really members on La''s side who entered the Tower of Tribtions, they might know how to create multiple transportation arrays in different locations that could connect to one array.


    Apart from this, if Max and Reuben failed to notice the magic fluctuation that came with activating such an array, then the enemy array specialists also knew some advanced forms that could conceal it.


    ''There is another possibility,'' Kyran thought as his face darkened. ''What if the connecting array is mobile? If it is, it is easier to move around and have otherse in different locations each time. This will prevent us from pinpointing the exact locations of a connecting array.''


    This thought was truly a huge headache for Kyran.

 Chapter 691 Finale (11)

    Since there was no way for Kyran to know the answers to his questions until one of his Sigils found a connecting array, he stopped stressing over it and focused on studying the huge golden array above while guarding True Void.


    After a few minutes, the lighting out of True Void''s temporary body started to dim, and this brought a smile to Kyran''s face. He might not know how the whole process of True Void''s awakening would go, but he believed the dimming of light was a sign that thetter was close topleting the process.


    Another reason Kyran thought this was because the magic fluctuation and the surge of magic energy in the surroundings also began to calm down.


    Kyran looked at True Void. Rather than feeling thrilled about finally witnessing how ''majestic'' True Void truly was, Kyran felt d he was finally realizing his dream of returning to his real body.


    Kyran turned his attention back to the huge array above. He observed the emerging part in the middle¡ª something inverted with chains all around it¡ª and furrowed his brows.


    Kyran found it familiar for some reason but did not dwell on it because the feeling might have been influenced by the Void core¡ª or, more urately, his predecessor''s memories stored in it.


    What was about toe out of the array was his predecessor''s magic weapon, and seeing a part of it could have triggered a memory in the Void Core.


    Still, Kyran found the feeling strange because normally, when his Void core reacted to Can''s memories, it would let out a soft hum.


    Nothing like that happened.


    CRACKLE!


    Just as Kyran was thinking about this, a thick lightning bolt struck close to the heart of the Key he was guarding.


    Soon after, the inverted tiping out of the array descended further, almost showing half of it now.


    ''Isn''t that...?'' He frowned slightly because he finally recognized what it was.


    Or at least part of what it could be.


    The inverted ''thing''ing out from the middle of the array actually looked like a piece of floatingnd.


    Actually, Kyran could not call itnd because it was not made of earth. Rather, it was made out of a glittery dark purple and ck material, which reminded Kyran of a star-filled night sky.


    As for the chains that snaked around it, the other end had not yete out of the array, so Kyran could not see what it was.


    ''Wait... thisnd-like material....''


    Cold sweat started to trickle down the side of Kyran''s face as he finally remembered why it looked familiar.


    ''Isn''t it simr to thend where the Chaos Pce was built?'' Kyran thought, his eyes widening in realization. He had only seen the Chaos Pce once, and honestly, he did not pay attention to where it was built.


    Kyran''s reaction was quite understandable because the Chaos Pce was floating midair at a center of a huge chasm. Instead of paying attention to where it stood¡ª which was an empty space¡ª he had been drawn to the bottomless chasm below it.


    Nevertheless, Kyran still remembered the crude patch ofnd, and it was really simr to the inverted ''something''ing out of the array.


    ''Don''t tell me that material is not True Void''s real body but the thing those chains are connected to. Could it be, like the Chaos Pce, True Void''s body was built above thatnd-like material....''


    A possibility crossed Kyran''s mind, and he nearly broke out in another cold sweat.


    ''Don''t tell me there is a pce simr to the one in the Misty Forest standing above thatnd-like material...?''


    This possibility drew up more questions than answers, thus, Kyran thought how absurd it was.


    In the first ce, when Kyran first saw the Chaos Pce, his Void core did not react...


    Err... Actually, it might have reacted that time. But because the Draconic core''s reaction overwhelmed it, especially when the Remnant Souls started to ry their story, Kyran might have overlooked it.


    No. No. No.


    True Void might have been sealed inside the Void core, but he once admitted to seeing and feeling things Kyran had experienced whenever he regained consciousness.


    Because of the conflict that happened between the Draconic energy and the Void energy at that time, Kyran was sure True Void had been awake during the whole thing. Thus, he definitely saw the Chaos Pce.


    If True Void''s real body was something like the Chaos Pce, he would have mentioned something when he could finallymunicate with Kyran. The former was prone to slipping and even boasting, so his prattling on about how his real body looked as majestic as the Chaos Pce would not be impossible.


    However, True Void never mentioned the Chaos Pce.


    Or could his avoidance ofmenting about the pce be a tell-tale sign that Kyran''s guess was correct?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    No.


    Kyran still thought it was not the case.


    Instead of a pce standing atop thatnd-like material, a weapon¡ª akin to a sword or any other cold weapon¡ª might be pierced there, and the chains shackled it.


    Kyran did not have to dwell much on the subject because the inverted item slid further down, finally revealing why the chains were there. Just as he imagined, the chains shackled whatever was atop thend-like material.


    As it continued to slide down, Kyran could finally see and even say it really did look familiar. Not because the shape of the item atop thend-like material was akin to a pce or a cold weapon but because it looked simr to one of those obelisks in the Lignum ne.


    Unlike any of those obelisks, however, this one was far bigger, and its color was a deep shade of purple. The chains were not really shackled around it but pierced through it.


    It gave anyone who saw it the feeling that the obelisk was not really there from the way those chains pierced it.


    CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!


    Cracking sounds reverberated throughout the sky as the chains started to break.


    Now that Kyran had a closer look at those chains, he realized there were three in total.


    Three Chains.


    Three Keys.


    It appeared that once the chains werepletely broken, it also meant the seals on which the Keys correspond would also be removed.


    And at that time, True Void would finally return to his body.


    At the same time, in the floating Ravenpass, La and Obstruction were solemnly looking at the obelisk.


    Unlike Obstruction, whose solemnity was due to the fact he was finally seeing what the Ultimate weapon of the previous Dark Sage looked like, La''s look was more to the fact that she did not recognize the obelisk at all.


    That was right.


    La did not remember True Void''s appearance to be an obelisk. Then again, whenever Can revealed his weapon, it looked different every time.


    The first time she saw Can wield his magic weapon, it looked like an overly burnt branch of an old tree. It looked that way to La because its color was like charcoal, and reddish-purple veins covered its body, making it look like a tree branch that had only been pulled out of a fiery pit.


    After that, La saw Can wield a long glittery dark purple long staff¡ª its color reminding her of a starry dusk sky. Rune writings in purple, circled it, looking like beautiful purple rings.


    Finally, that time Can summoned his magic weapon to warp nearly half a million of his forces to battle; it appeared like a huge reddish-purple cube covered in glowing reddish-purple rune writings.


    As a matter of fact, it only looked like a huge cube because of the way those rune writings were arranged. And at the core of the cube, a dark purple orb with reddish-purple veins glowed from within.


    It was a wonder how an overly burnt tree branch could turn into a huge cube. The overall mass that made up the tree branch was too small to turn into a cube that huge.


    Of course, there was a possibility that they were two entirely different items. But judging from the aura it emitted, La knew they were one and the same.


    There were cases wherein a magic weapon that developed its own sentient would evolve. However, its evolution would have to conform to its original shape. It could not be an entirely different item.


    The burnt tree branch turning into a long staff was still eptable. But when it turned into a huge cube.... That was truly a wonder that La never figured out, even today.


    "It looks like it has evolved again," La muttered.


    Although she had spoken in a small voice, Obstruction caught her words and looked at her in surprise.


    "''Evolved again''?" He repeated.


    La''s eyes narrowed while nodding her head, "Yes. Thest time I saw it, it didn''t look like that."


    Obstruction reeled at her words. But it was not because of what it meant but the things she did not say.


    "You..." he started, his mood turning a little unstable. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 692 Finale (12)

    A bewitching smile appeared on La''s face. She tilted her head and looked at Obstruction coyly.


    "You''re asking that now?" She paused dramatically before tilting her head to the other side. "Ah, that''s right. Deception only met my sessor... I may have been guiding her all those times, but she tends to do her own things, thus the differing knowledge and schemes. It is quite annoying, to be honest, when your own sessor messes up your ns."


    She turned her attention to the golden array above once more and continued, "Then again, if not for her stubbornness, I would not be able to take full control of her body."


    La opted not to tell Obstruction that Haylee''s body was only halfplete. She could not let him know her vulnerability.


    Even if La did not answer Obstruction''s question straightforwardly, he was able to glean the answer from the things she did not say aloud.


    He once heard of a rumor stating that mages possessing Ancient magic could pass down their life and magic experience to their predecessor after death. But he did not expect their ''consciousness'' could manifest and even take charge of their sessor''s body.


    Then again, thetter might only be possible with mages possessing Soul magic.


    In any case, if the consciousness residing in the Soul Emperor''s body was the previous one, her value increased once more.


    This was because she had been alive around the time of the past War of the Sovereigns. Her knowledge about the events of that era was valuable to them.


    While it was true that there were Sovereigns in their faction who had been alive during that era, their mage levels were far too low. For this reason, they had not heard of any news on that war. Their knowledge was mostly from what had happened in their own ne.


    Sensing a change in Obstruction''s countenance, La chose to stay silent. She more or less guessed what was ying in Obstruction''s head. But she had no ns to reveal what she knew at this point.


    "When will your people start their work outside?"


    After a few moments of silence, Obstruction opted to veer their conversation back on topic.


    There would be plenty of times to talk about what La knew after they dealt with the new Void Master.


    Still wearing her bewitching smile, La replied, "They are already doing their part."


    Her sapphire blue eyes glistened in amusement as she added, "As a matter of fact, they had done a good job diverting the new Dark Sage''s focus away from their main job."


    If Kyran had heard her, he would have realized La had been ying with him all along.


    As a matter of fact, La made her presence known to Mimi and Zuri in hopes of them reporting it to Kyran. As long as she could keep his minions busy, her side could deal with the veil that had enshrouded the whole estate.


    Obstruction frowned slightly. He more or less understood what La meant, but he did not frown because of her n but from how she called Kyran.


    "You still call him Dark Sage even when you have already taken the Macabre cier. Don''t you think that title belongs to you now?"


    He ced great importance on this fact because she practically admitted the Macabre cier was not yet under her control. Though her knowledge of the past was invaluable to them, it was the same with the Macabre cier. Their n for the uing War of the Sovereigns rested on how much the Soul Emperor could use the mirror.


    "Possessing the Macabre cier does not mean I have inherited the Dark Sage title," La responded with a slight shake of her head. "There is a reason the previous Void Master inherited that title, and it is not only because of the mirror. It has something to do with the original Dark Sage''s will."


    She looked at Obstruction before adding, "Besides, the previous Void Master inherited far more things from the original Dark Sage. And those things are now in the possession of the new Void Master.


    "Considering all this, he remains the Dark Sage of this era."


    The light in Obstruction''s eyes dimmed as he digested what La said.


    They did hear about the previous Void Master inheriting everything that the original Dark Sage possessed. However, the Macabre cier''s fame as thetter''s most Feared Magic Weapon had overshadowed the rest of his possessions.


    In the end, in the eyes of the new Sovereigns, possessing the Macabre cier equates to inheriting the Dark Sage''s title.


    Obstruction did not respond to La''s words.


    It was not a big deal because she was not expecting a reply anyway. At the moment, she was busy manipting Ane and Soll so they could properly direct all of the Royal Army''s Array Specialists in creating an array to counter the estate''s veil.


    "How long will it take? As I mentioned, I will have to leave the ne," Obstruction started while turning his attention back to the golden array above.


    Currently, one of the chains piercing the obelisk hadpletely shattered, while the cracks on the remaining two kept appearing. It would not be long before all of the chains were destroyed. When that happened, True Void would truly be unleashed, and La would have trouble proceeding with her n.


    "I''ll have them create an opening for you to leave. After that, you only have half an hour before True Void fully awakens."


    Obstruction fell silent. Half an hour was too short because they also had to deal with the Human ne''s new Sovereign before entering the Human ne again.


    As long as they retained their mage levels, dealing with the new Dark Sage¡ª Obstruction decided to call Kyran that once more¡ª would not be a problem. Kyran''s level was obviously below a Sovereign, and he could not handle Obstruction and his faction leader on his own, even if he used an awakened True Void.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As a matter of fact, Obstruction would not have to lift a finger and leave everything to their leader. That was how strong his fate in their leader was.


    "Very well."


    "Then prepare yourself."


    Obstruction need not be told twice. He focused his senses and observed the veil all over the estate at once.


    La''s sapphire blue eyes glowed as she manipted Ane and Soll.


    About five hundred meters from the Regis Estate, Ane and Soll guided several thousands of mages and Array Specialists in preparing an Array to counter the estate''s veil.


    Twelve array formations were scattered in an orderly fashion around the estate, with two main arrays located on the east and west. At least hundreds of mages with Array Knowledge, or were Array Specialists, gathered inside every formation.


    The mages were there to supplement the formation while an Array Specialist or two manipted the array and targeted the veil around the estate.


    Ane and Soll were at the two main arrays, respectively, and La looked at the situation through their eyes.


    Then using their bodies, she said, "Coordinate the target of the formation and open a path at this coordinates."


    She provided a rough estimate of the floating Ravenpass''s location before continuing, "Make sure you apply the concealing form before releasing the array''s energy."


    The mages and Array Specialists who heard Ane and Soll speak in a female voice fell to their knees respectfully. They did not need La to confirm she had taken over their bodies because all of them already knew she was manipting them.


    "Yes, your Highness."


    They replied in unison and did what they were told.


    Sizzle! Crackle!


    ''There!''


    Obstruction saw a small crack appearing right above the floating Ravenpass.


    With the huge golden array blocking the view above, Obstruction would have missed the appearance of that crack. But he saw it clearly because he had focused all his senses on observing the veil.


    Without waiting for La to give the signal, Obstruction had already made a move.


    Since he could not rouse his magic energy, he could only fly toward the crack at the fastest ''normal'' speed he could muster.


    ''Hm?''


    Cade''s eyes narrowed as soon as he sensed a crack appearing on the veil above the floating Ravenpass. After that, he saw through his mind''s eye Obstruction''s move.


    Instinctively, Cade wanted to stop Obstruction.


    However, the Grand Array was already at its most critical section. If the distribution of magic energy in the golden array fluctuated¡ª no matter how small or short it was¡ª there was a possibility it would fail. When that happened, Cade, together with Jared and Kyran, would receive the full bacsh of the array''s failure.


    Cade already anticipated La wanting to destroy the veil and letting Obstruction escape to gather help. Nevertheless, he could only turn a blind eye because he could not afford to fail in releasing the Grand Array¡ª or, more urately¡ª releasing True Void''s real form.


    Still, even if Cade could not do anything, that was not the case with the rest.


    As a matter of fact, Tritus already told Kyran about Obstruction''s move, and Kyran already gave an order.


    ''Don''t let him leave the estate, Tritus.''


    Kyran said, his eyes glowing silver as he activated the Sigil to its fullest.


    Tritus had only advanced to Legendary, and Obstruction seemed to possess the power of a Sage or even a Sovereign. Even if thetter could not use magic, he might have more tricks up his sleeves. Thus, Kyran nned to support Tritus as far as possible.


    Tritus''s eyes glowed as a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had been waiting to challenge himself against a powerful opponent, and now a great opportunity presented itself.


    "I will not fail you, Master."

 Chapter 693 Finale (13)

    Tritus went after Obstruction.


    Because thetter could not utilize magic, Tritus caught up to him easily.


    ''Hm?'' Tritus turned slightly after sensing a presence from behind. As soon as he did, he saw Tritusing after him.


    ''This human is...''


    Obstruction frowned slightly as he recalled the information Deception shared about every human mage with high-level magic attainment in the Human ne. Based on what he remembered, Tritus was an Archmagus and was a leader of a faction called the Temr Code. The strength of this faction was on par with the Royal Army.


    Or at least that was what everyone believed.


    As far as Obstruction was concerned, Tritus had nothing to do with the new Dark Sage. So why was he there? Not to mention, he was emitting such potent killing intent that anyone who sensed it would wonder if he had any blood feud with Obstruction. An impossible scenario, given they did not know each other, much less met.


    ''Be careful. Tritus is the new Dark Sage''s ally.''


    La''s voice sounded in Obstruction''s head.


    ''This is the first time I am hearing about it,'' Obstruction replied, finally understanding why Tritus would appear there. Nevertheless, Obstruction felt indignant by the fact that Deception''s information wascking.


    Then again, Obstruction could not me Deception because the information she possessed came from La''s sessor, Haylee.


    Obstruction did not think much about La''s remark about her and Haylee''s differing knowledge and ns. But it was no longer the case.


    Sensing Obstruction''s indignation, La exined, ''We only discovered his affiliation with the new Dark Sage. Anyway, you have to be careful. Based on what I''ve been told, something about him has changed.''


    While warning him, La was also examining Tritus''s soul. Since she could not use any magic, she relied on the ability she developed over the years of being a Soul Emperor. It was not as potent as Soul Scan, but she could look into a person''s soul.


    Soul Scan allowed La to look further into a person''s inner thoughts and ''self.'' Because of this, it could also affect that person''s thinking, which was why La sometimes used it as an offensive attack.


    As for the ability to look into a person''s soul, it was a little different. The things La could see were pretty shallow. She could examine a person''s soul and see some superficial information about him or her.


    An example of such superficial information was the type of magic they possessed, their innate ability if they possessed one, and their mage level.


    La frowned slightly after sensing that she could not look into their souls like most of the soldiers under Emperor Euan and the Conve members in Ravenpass earlier.


    Obviously, Kyran came up with his own mark to counter her Soul Scan. But she was only using an ability. Howe Kyran''s mark was still in effect?


    ''Don''t tell me, he also anticipated that I have an ability simr to Soul Scan?'' Lained and frowned in indignation.


    Her guess was not far off.


    After Malek told Kyran about the possibility of Haylee possessing two innate magic, he adjusted his mark to work on any Soul magic or ability.


    ''I am the Soul Emperor! Don''t underestimate me!'' La thought through gritted teeth and examined Tritus''s soul once more.


    On the other hand, Obstruction did not think much about Tritus. He had thought that someone powerful was after him. But after remembering Tritus was only an Archmagus, Obstruction no longer cared.


    ''No matter what, he is only an Archmagus. He will not be a threat,'' he replied while taking out a speed boost magic item, using it to increase his speed.


    Although Obstruction did not care about Tritus, he would not be negligent when thetter was after him. He would do what was necessary since he did not want to waste time.


    Besides, he was confident in his defenses and speed, even without using magic. If Tritus still managed to shorten the gap between them, Obstruction still had a few magic items he could use to boost his speed.


    He could use them only because the estate''s veil did not affect magic items. However, it still affected their usage since storing new magic energies in them was impossible.


    Anyway, using magic items once or twice to deal with an Archmagus was more than enough.


    ''No, he''s no longer an Archmagus!'' La eximed as soon as she finished examining Tritus''s soul. ''He is already a Legendary!''


    Wooosh!


    Just as Obstruction heard La''s warning, he heard a sharp sound breezing toward him. Without turning to check what made that sound, Obstruction crushed a small rectangr ck te that hung on his belt.


    A semi-transparent magic barrier appeared and protected Obstruction just as a concentrated magic energy beam pierced through at him.


    The concentrated magic energy beam collided with the newly deployed magic barrier and got deflected.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tritus, who released the energy beam, was surprised at how Obstruction''s magic barrier deflected his attack.


    ''Interesting,'' he thought with a smile, not one bit discouraged at how easily Obstruction countered his attack.


    On the contrary, he was exhrated that thetter could still put up a fight even though he could not use magic.


    Kyran, who was observing the exchange between them from afar, was also intrigued. But unlike Tritus, who was excited about fighting Obstruction, Kyran was intrigued at how thetter''s magic barrier deflected the former''s energy beam.


    Most of the time, magic barriers absorbed an energy beam''s attack until they exploded. Few could deflect attacks as if they were made of ss. Not to mention, Obstruction was not using his magic but a magic item.


    ''Tritus, get a sample of that item he used to create that barrier.''


    Tritus raised his brows questioningly at Kyran''s request. But he did not voice his doubts and only replied with an affirmative, ''Yes, Master.''


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Tritus only used raw magic energy when he tried to attack Obstruction.


    Now that he knew Obstruction would not be defeated easily, Tritus started getting serious.


    He waved his hand, and a golden trident appeared on his side. With a swift movement, he grabbed the trident''s shaft and whirled it around him. As he did, an illusory image of a sea serpent circled him, letting out an inaudible roar.


    Still, even if the sea serpent''s roar was inaudible, the force from it erupted and swept through every direction with Tritus at the center.


    Obstruction''s mood darkened as the force reached him.


    When La told him that Tritus was a Legendary, Obstruction was not that affected. In his view, not even a Sage would pose a threat, much less a Legendary.


    But when Tritus took out the golden trident, Obstruction had a sense of foreboding. And this feeling was amplified after seeing the sea serpent and sensing its force.


    ''That sea serpent is no ordinary weapon sentient,'' he thought.


    On the other hand, La also felt something amiss with that sea serpent.


    She is the Soul Emperor. Thus, she knows the difference between a magic weapon''s sentient and a living soul.


    And that sea serpent is not sentient but a bonafide soul!


    La''s expression darkened as she realized that Kyran did not intend to have Tritus fight Obstruction one on one. With that golden trident''s addition, thetter was now faced against two opponents with high magic attainment!


    ''That sea serpent is not a sentient. It is a true living soul!'' La warned Obstruction at once.


    Obstruction''s eyes glowed malevolently. To think that the new Dark Sage would send two people to stop his plight.


    Others would have felt honored if the new Dark Sage sent two ''powerful'' people to stop them, but Obstruction only felt offended.


    He is a Sovereign. No matter how many people Kyran send after him, they are nothing. Even without using magic, he can defeat them with ease.


    Thus, Obstruction felt offended at Kyran''s thinking that two people were enough to stop him!


    Three small rectangr ck tes flew out of Obstruction''s belt and toward Tritus.


    Seeing the approaching ck tes, Tritus did not slow down. Instead, he pointed the golden trident at them, and with a swift wave, three illusory sea serpents came out of the trident''s tip.


    The three sea serpents glided in the air and confronted the ck tes.


    When the sea serpents were only ten meters away, the gold lines appeared on the ck tes'' surface. They circled in a timely manner, and when they finally stopped, they formed the points of a triangle.


    CRACKLE! RIIIING!


    A crack appeared at the center of the triangle, and the magic energy in the surroundings fluctuated. The magic energies were then attracted to the crack, turning into a ball of multi-colored magic energy. Its size increased with each passing second.


    ''Not good!'' Tritus thought, sensing a foreboding from that ball of energy; however, before he could do anything, a sh of light appeared, which went straight toward the three illusory sea serpents.


    The sh of light was actually the forming ball of energy, and it easily pierced through the three sea serpents, destroying them instantly.


    But the sh of light did not disappear. Instead, it continued toward Tritus.

 Chapter 694 Finale (14)

    A silver-scale barrier protected Tritus when the sh of light closed in on him. Cracks appeared on the silver-scale barrier from where the sh of light hit, but it remained intact.


    La gaped in surprise after seeing this. Her surprise did note from how Tritus''s barrier managed to withstand Obstruction''s summoned attack but from how it looked like scales.


    ''This....''


    She was suddenly reminded of a time in the past when the Dragon Lord went to war and led several legendary beasts against the invading ''demons.'' No matter how often the ''demons'' attacked the beasts, silver-scale barriers appeared on their bodies and protected them.


    If La remembered correctly, those barriers were protective shields that only the Dragon Lord could employ with his Sigils.


    But Tritus was not a beast. Howe a Sigil''s protective shield appeared and protected him? Besides, Kyran was the new Void Master. Even if he possessed a Regis Blessing and could use Sigils, it would be impossible for him to employ those protective shields without real Draconic magic.


    ''Don''t tell me....'' La''s eyes widened at the possibility that crossed her mind.


    Not wanting to waste the chance the Sigil''s protective shield gave, Tritus rushed toward Obstruction while the water magic energy gathered around the golden trident in his hand. The momentum of the trident''s energy increased as Tritus got closer to Obstruction.


    Obstruction scowled and looked at Tritus in the corner of his eye. It was the first time someone below a Sovereign escaped an attack from the ck tes.


    The magic output of those tes could be manipted. However, to ensure Tritus was dealt with once and for all, Obstruction did not hold back their output. That was why they were rendered useless after they exhausted all the energy stored in them.


    Obstruction was confident those three tes were enough to deal with Tritus. Instead, thetter actually escaped unscathed!


    The shield Tritus used at thest moment definitely yed a part. It actually had the capacity to withstand a Sovereign-level magic attack!


    Because of this result, Obstruction became more vignt. He was not negligent. But he admitted looking down on the abilities of the Human ne mages. In his eyes, besides La and Kyran, everyone else wasparable to insignificant insects.


    Tritus''s performance changed that.


    Nevertheless, Obstruction knew what he had to do. Some Sovereigns might feel humiliated by how a Legendary mage survived their attack, but Obstruction felt no such thing. As a matter of fact, he felt even more focused on the task at hand.


    Obstruction waved his hand, and five ck rectangr tes flew out from his belt.


    The tes circled vertically before him before abruptly stopping after each te was positioned at five different points. Looking at them from the front view, they would see that the tes made up the points of a pentagon or a pentagram, depending on Obstruction''s next move.


    If the ck tes made up the formation of a pentagram, it meant he decided tounch an offensive. But if they were meant to be in pentagon formation, he wanted to use them defensively.


    The ck tes emitted a solid light from their inner side. After these lights connected, they formed a pentagon.


    It appeared Obstruction nned to go on the defensive.


    When La saw this, she became confused. She did not expect Obstruction''s move. Just as she was reeling over this, thetter did something that astonished her further.


    Instead of positioning the pentagon behind him, Obstruction kept them in front, leaving his back wide open for Tritus to attack.


    ''Was he baiting Tritus to attack?'' La wondered.


    Tritus, about to release an offensive move, could not help but scowl at Obstruction''s move. He initially thought thetter nned to block his attack using those tes.


    But why did he ce them in front?


    ''Don''t overthink and focus on those tes.''


    Before Tritus could determine Obstruction''s intent, Kyran''s voice sounded in his head.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Tritus responded at once. After that, he waved his trident and took aim.


    Those looking from afar would think Tritus was aiming at Obstruction''s back. But if one looked closely, they would know he was aiming at a spot outside Obstruction''s neck, where a portion of the pentagon could be seen.


    With a swift flick of his wrist, Tritus threw the trident using all the strength he could muster.


    Whoosh!


    On the other hand, La realized Tritus''s n. But she did not warn Obstruction this time. Not because she lost faith in him but because she felt it was unnecessary.


    Obstruction is a Sovereign. He had several hundred, probably even thousands of battles under his belt. Would he need La to tell him what to do?


    While thinking this, La saw a change in the pentagon''s route even though Obstruction did not budge. At the same time, in her mind''s eye, she saw something from Ane and Soll''s side, and a smile appeared on her face.


    The small crack on the veil''s surface widened when the trident was only a meter away from Obstruction. At the same time, the disc behind Obstruction suddenly whirred to life before making clicking sounds as they separated into two medium rings.


    A space distortion appeared between the pentagon and the veil, instantly resulting in a huge chunk of thetter''s surface deteriorating.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''What?'' Tritus was surprised after seeing Obstruction use magic. But recalling how thetter used it after the crack on the veil''s surface widened, he guessed how it happened.


    The veil''s crack had beenrge enough for Obstruction to draw magic energy from the outside, which enabled him to activate the disc behind him. Not only that, he used the pentagon not as a shield but as a way to limit the space distortion''s area of influence to the other side, which was facing the veil''s surface!


    As for why Obstruction did nothing to protect himself from Tritus''s attack, it was not because he believed thetter was not aiming at him. It was because he was confident in his innate ability.


    Innate abilities could be triggered even without magic energy. Thus, once Obstruction''s life was in danger, it would activate automatically and protect him. Since it did not activate, it meant that the trident was not after him but the pentagon.


    But even if the trident went after the pentagon, it would not hinder Obstruction''s objective because by the time it closed in, the crack on the veil''s surface would be wide enough for him to gather enough magic energy from the outside and use magic!


    Even when the pentagon has contained the space distortion''s area of effect, the initial force it exerted before the pentagon took full effect had been enough to divert the trident''s trajectory. The trident wheezed past the pentagon and straight toward the space distortion.


    The magic around them fluctuated and crackled once the trident collided with the space distortion.


    However, Obstruction was not interested in seeing what would happen to the trident. His objective had been only one:


    Escape the veil''s area of influence so he can leave the Human ne.


    With this in mind, Obstruction did not hesitate to use his magic to iste the space around him. This way, no matter what Tritus did, he would not be able to affect him anymore.


    The two medium rings behind Obstruction whirred and clicked before reconnecting into one huge disc. Then the space around him distorted as he activated Space Istion while flying out of the veil''s crack.


    ''I told Master that I will not fail. Thus, I will not fail!''


    Tritus shouted inwardly. His eyes glowed as his magic pressure erupted.


    At the same time, the trident''s momentum also increased as it began to pierce through the space distortion.


    Still, no matter what Tritus did, Obstruction ignored it and only focused on what he was doing. His focus was quite impressive. After all, most people faced with an ever-changing situation would start to falter and might make a wrong decision.


    RAWRGH!


    The sea serpent inside the trident emerged with a powerful roar, destroying the space distortion in one fell swoop.


    Boom!


    An explosion urred, which was then followed by a shockwave.


    Tritus used this chance to close the gap between him and Obstruction. With a flick of his hand, the trident returned to his side. He grabbed it and shed at Obstruction at once.


    ''What?'' Tritus''s eyes widened in shock as he hit nothing but air.


    Obstruction turned slightly, and Tritus saw him sneer underneath his huge hood.


    Tritus''s brow furrowed as he swung his trident once more in an attempt to slice Obstruction once more. However, just like the first time, the trident only swept past thetter''s body.


    "It is futile," Obstruction remarked snidely. After which, the Space around him distorted as his body began to blur.


    "Tsk."


    Tritus clicked his tongue as he released the sea serpent inside the trident again.


    RAWRGH!


    The sea serpent circled Obstruction as several water pirs appeared out of thin air and surrounded him.


    Instantly, Obstruction''s expression darkened as he sensed his connection with magic energy being cut off once more.


    ''How is this possible?''


    The water pirs converged at both ends, creating a cage made out of Water!


    If Osric had been there, he would have recognized what the sea serpent had done and what it could do!


    Water Cage. A cage wherein anyone trapped inside could not use magic¡ª unless their innate magic were Water magic. At the same time, all Water magic attacks done inside the cage would receive a boost.


    "I''ll say it right back at you. It is futile once you are trapped inside the Water Cage!"

 Chapter 695 Finale (15)

    Following Obstruction''s entrapment, Tritus unleashed a series of offensives.


    However, no matter what kind of attack Tritus did, he could notnd a direct hit on Obstruction.


    Obstruction looked at Tritus. He was surprised that a Legendary managed to trap him. His level might have been suppressed, but unlike most Sovereigns whose level dropped at least two levels after entering a ne, Obstruction''s level would only drop by one. Thus, his level still exceeded Tritus''s.


    Because of his level advantage, Obstruction was confident no one could trap him.


    s, how wrong he had been!


    Obstruction felt ashamed of falling into a trap. Nevertheless, his situation was not aplete disgrace. Because though he could not use magic inside the Water Cage, Tritus''s attacks could not harm him either!


    Meanwhile, Kyran stopped paying attention to their exchange after warning Tritus because another chain, which pierced the obelisk above, shattered.


    Now, there was only one chain left intact. True Void finally left his temporary body.


    The shape-shifting tes in midair fell to the ground as soon as True Void left it.


    Seeing this, Kyran released minimal Void magic energy to attract the tes.


    As soon as his magic energy entered the shape-shifting tes, they flew toward him, turning into shoulder armor that merged into his armor.


    At the same time, when La saw the second chain had shattered, her expression darkened. Still, she did not despair because her people had alsopleted the rest of the arrays outside the estate!


    Several pirs of light surged into the sky as La let Ane and Soll fully activate the array.


    The Regis Estate trembled as the pirs of light released an overbearing momentum that bore down into thend.


    In an instant, several cracks appeared on the veil.


    Of course, these cracks were not caused by the array outside alone.


    Obstruction''s space distortion earlier had left arge enough crack on the veil''s surface, which allowed La to rouse a bit of her magic again.


    When Tritus trapped Obstruction in the Water Cage, La had the choice of helping thetter escape from it. But she did not do anything because she knew it was unnecessary.


    Obstruction''s ability practically made him invincible against attacks.


    But that was not the only reason.


    La knew Obstruction still had something up his sleeves. After all, the ck tes were still hovering close to the veil''s crack.


    Normally, magic items would have been deactivated if they lost connection with their owner. But since it was still active, it meant Obstruction still had ess to them.


    Now that La thought of it, some magic items did not require magic energy to activate. Obviously, Obstruction''s ck tes were such magic items.


    Because of this, La no longer paid attention to Obstruction''s situation and instead focused on destroying the veil.


    At one of the Key locations of the Grand Array, Cade looked at the cracks on the surface of the veil and scowled.


    Their enemy''s move was truly timely!


    Just a few more minutes, and they were done with the Grand Array. Why could they not stay put until then?


    Then again, he could not expect their enemy to just watch themplete the Grand Array without doing anything.


    ''Jared, Kyran,'' Cade called to Jared and Kyran telepathically. He started, ''We only need less than half an hour toplete the Grand Array.''


    Jared and Kyran perked after hearing Cade''s voice.


    ''The Soul Emperor''s forces are already waiting outside the estate. Once the veil shatters, she will likely disrupt thepletion of the Grand Array.''


    Kyran frowned.


    ''Father, I have people outside intercepting some of her forces.''


    ''Yes,'' Cade replied with a slight smile. ''However, those are only cannon fodders. Her real forces are gathered a few hundred meters¡ª at least, three hundred meters from the estate, to be exact¡ª and they are already preparing.''


    Kyran''s eyes widened in disbelief. Three hundred meters was considered too far when an army nned to charge into a ce. Thus, Kyran only focused on having his side patrol around a hundred meters outside the estate''s periphery.


    To be honest, a hundred meter distance could still be considered too far. However, if they utilized transportation arrays, which focused on small quantity and distance transit, it was more than enough.


    ''Are they nning to use transmission arrays?'' Jared asked, also in disbelief.


    Just like Kyran, he also believed three hundred meters was too far. The only thing they could make a charge was if they used transmission arrays because these arrays focused onrge quantity and longer distance transit.


    However, creating the connecting array of a transmission array was far moreplicated than a transportation array. This was the reason the Royal Family- or, to be precise- most forces in the empire, could only create transportation arrays.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The only ones who were able to create transmission arrays were the Regis n, and the Conve.


    As a matter of fact, the only reason the Conve knew how to create transmission arrays were because of their good rtionship with the Regis n.


    Anyhow, it was true the Royal Family had a few transmission arrays. However, those were old ones that had been created by the Regis Family , when they were still in good terms with the Winfrey Family.


    Nevertheless, these arrays had long been sealed and their connecting arrays had long been destroyed.


    So how were they nning on charging the estate?


    ''How they n to charge the estate is not the main thing we have to consider at this moment,'' Cade told them as if reading Jared''s thoughts.


    Jared grimaced at the thought of Cade reading his mind.


    ''Ugh... don''t do that Cade. You''re making me nervous whenever youment on something that I have only thought of!''


    Cade only smiled wryly at Jared''s remark. Still thinking about their situation, he continued.


    ''That Sovereign with the Soul Emperor tried to leave the veil just now.''


    Kyran agreed andmented, ''The crack on the veil''s surface, that''s definitely that woman''s doing.''


    ''That''s right,'' Cade nodded. ''Judging the situation based on that, we can confirm that the Sovereign with her likely proposed a n, which she agreed that is why she did what she can to help him leave the veil.''


    Kyran narrowed his eyes. The first thing that came to his mind was Obstruction offered to destroy the veil as soon as he escaped. Then he would use his magic to transport her people into the estate, which would answer Jared''s question: ''how they nned to charge into the estate at that distance.''


    But then, Kyran thought of how his Sigils failed to find connecting arrays in the areas where they found some of La''s forces.


    As if Kyran finally found a missing puzzle piece, the picture he could not seem to envision clearly finally appeared in his mind''s eye.


    ''No...!'' Kyran blurted in his mind.


    Cade''s expression turned solemn as he heard Kyran exim.


    ''W-What is it this time? You two will really give me a heart attack one of these days!'' Jaredined.


    Unlike Cade and Kyran, Jared could not read that far of a situation. Because of this, he did not think he was suitable to be a leader.


    ''That''s right,'' Cade voiced his agreement to Kyran''s unspoken suspicion.


    ''What''s right?'' Jared demanded in confusion. ''Could you two not speak in riddles?''


    ''Sorry,'' Kyran apologized and exined briefly his initial suspicion about what Obstruction might have offered La.


    Hearing Kyran''s reasoning, Jared could not help but agree.


    With Obstruction''s Space Magic, he could truly transport hundreds of thousands of people in one move.


    ''But that is not the case,'' Kyran added after exining his initial suspicion.


    ''What?'' Jared eximed in disbelief. ''You mean he has a different n?''


    Kyran nodded, ''Yes.''


    He then exined how his people could not find the connecting arrays had something to do with why he believed his initial suspicion was a no.


    If Obstruction had only offered to use his Space Magic to assist La, then why were those connecting arrays not present?


    The answer was simple, La already had a way to charge into the estate without needing Obstruction''s help. If this was the case, then why was Obstruction so eager to leave the veil, and La even helped him?


    ''You''re on the right track,'' Cade agreed. ''Obstruction did not offer to help the Soul Emperor transport her people but is nning to ask for assistance outside.


    ''If I am correct,'' Cade continued, his expression darkening. ''He ns on calling for another Sovereign outside the ne.''


    ''Wait!'' Jared could not help but frown after hearing Cade.


    ''If what you''re saying is correct. Then don''t you think it is futile? A new Sovereign had just appeared on the Human ne, so it would be hard for him to return, right? How can he bring another one in?''


    Jared''s reasoning was sound.


    Nevertheless, Cade and Kyran were already expecting the worse.


    ''You''re right, uncle,'' Kyran agreed. ''However, if you think that way. Don''t you think Obstruction also considered it? If he still insisted on going, then that means, he has a way ining back.''

 Chapter 696 Finale (16)

    Tritus scowled and stopped attacking Obstruction. Since he could notnd a hit, it only wasted his energy and time.


    In any case, he had already achieved his objective: to stop Obstrucion from escaping.


    As Tritus was pondering this, he suddenly sensed a foreboding. Immediately, he scanned his surroundings for any danger.


    However, what he saw was something he had not expected.


    The rectangr ck tes that made up the points of the pentagon shifted and rotated. Then they abruptly stopped, still making up five points. But, instead of turning into a pentagon, the five points connected this time and turned into a pentagram. After that, concentrated magic energy gathered at its center.


    Tritus''s eyes widened in surprise. In an instant, he rushed toward the pentagram, his arm holding the trident was poise in a throwing motion.


    He did not dy and release the trident toward the pentagram even though he had not gathered enough momentum.


    Nevertheless, while Tritus threw the trident, the pentagram released the concentrated magic energy it gathered and aimed at the crack on the veil''s surface.


    ''Not good!''


    Tritus thought as his eyes glowed and his magic erupted. He cast all the movement spell he knew to himself and rushed toward the spot where he guessed the pentagram''s attack wouldnd.


    It was not Tritus alone who noticed the pentagram''s movement.


    Cade, Jared, and Kyran, who were in a middle of an internal discussion, also sensed it, and they all looked toward that spot.


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he took a step toward the veil.


    Now that he no longer had to keep an eye on True Void, nothing was preventing him from moving around anymore.


    But.


    ''Kyran, stop!''


    Cade''s warning sounded in Kyran''s head the moment he appeared a few meters away in front of the pentagram''s attack.


    Several meters away, in two different locations, Obstruction smiled the moment he saw Kyran appear to stop the pentagram''s attack. At the same time, a smile also appeared on La''s beautiful face.


    "NOW!"


    From outside the estate, the pirs of light that released powerful magic energy to destroy the estate''s veil suddenly merged at the top.


    Then a huge beam of light fell from the sky from where those pirs of light had converged. Surprisingly¡ª no, it was likely nned by La all along¡ªthe location where the beam of light was about tond was where Kyran had just appeared.


    Meanwhile, the concentrated magic energy the pentagram released distorted and disappeared. But it did not really disappear. Instead, it teleported and reappeared a few meters behind Kyran.


    Kyran finally realized that the array La had prepared was not only meant to destroy the veil. It likely included a sealing form or something simr she nned to use on him!


    No one could really me Kyran for not expecting La to make such a move. The Array knowledge and attainment of almost every mage in the Human ne could be considered ''basic.''


    Yes, array formations were avable in the Human ne with advanced forms. Still, as far as the Array Specialists of this time were concerned, those were rare formations that could be considered inheritance from past Array Specialists.


    So far, none of them had fully deciphered those arrays.


    Because of this, Kyran never expected La to have prepared an Array Formation that hadplex forms. After all, it was not easy to create an array wherein it possessed offensive and supportive forms.


    Obviously, the attack it released to destroy the Regis Estate''s veil was definitely derived from an offensive form. However, a sealing or something simr, was derived from a supportive form.


    For someone tobine the two sessfully without experiencing instability, he or she must have great knowledge about form creation and adjustment.


    Kyran furrowed his brows for falling into La''s trap. Now he understood the real reason she had her people stay at such a distance.


    It was so he and his family- who were considered experts in the field of Array, not recognize the forms she had prepared.


    But the truth, even at that distance, if any one of them- Cade, Jared, even his grandfather, Aron, and the rest of the Abjurers in the Regis Special Forces, had truly activated the full extent of their magic sense, they would have seen what she was preparing.


    However, due to the sensitivity of the Grand Array''s activation, they had to be careful when releasing their magic energy.


    As a matter of fact, if Tritus and Obstruction confronted each other much earlier. They would have affected the flow of magic energy inside the estate.


    Since one of the chains on True Void''s body had already shattered when Tritus released his magic energy- not to mention, a crack had alreadt appeared on the veil''s surface, the magic energy circting within the Grand Array had been affected.


    Cade was also there manipting the flow, to ensure the Grand Array wouldplete its activation without any problems.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the end, La had used all these restrictionsto ensure her n would go well.


    As for Obstruction''s move just now, whether he had done that because he knew what La was nning or not, only he knew the answer.


    Nevertheless, because of Obstruction''s move, Kyran was forced to act.


    Now, he appeared at the right spot where the sealing form, or something simr, would fall.


    Kyran clenched his fist as he took another step.


    However, it was at that time, that a suction-like force appeared from


    behind him, preventing him from making a move.


    It was then that they realized that the concentrated magic energy the pentagram had released gathered a few meters behind Kyran and turned into a huge space distortion.


    After that, the pentagram disappeared. However, when it reappeared, it was already several hundred meters away and was on its way toward the spot in the sky where the hole had appeared.


    That hole had already been fixed after Nn became its new Sovereign. Nevertheless, it had only been fixed physically. A few were aware that there was still a crack, albeit small, remaining on the sky.


    That crack led outside the Human ne.


    In a blink of an eye, the pentagram had already slipped into that crack and could no longer be seen.


    Obstruction sneered inwardly.


    Truth be told, he had wanted to leave the Human ne so he could bring more of his item with him. However, he did not have to leave the ne to inform the leader of their faction about their current situation.


    Just like Cade, who could read far ahead on a situation even though information was sparse, Obstruction''s faction leader was the same.


    And among the candidates on the next War of the Sovereigns, he and his faction was said to have the highest chance of winning.


    The only factor that could prevent that from happening was the return of the Dark Sage- Kyran.


    It was for this reason that their faction put a lot of effort in recruiting Kyran. Compared to the new Soul Emperor, they considered the new Dark Sage''s addition a priority.


    But the reason behind this had always been the Macabre cier. Now that La already had it in her possession, they no longer need to recruit Kyran.


    Still, they knew he would pose a great threat to them.


    After all, he possessed the most troublesome magic of all- Void.


    Because of its unpredictability, they could not let him be. Thus, Obstruction wanted La to seed in imprisoning Kyran.


    Of course, Obstruction was not aware of La''s n. What he did know and notice was that she definitely nned something to ensure Kyran would not hinder her n.


    Much of what had followed were all Obstruction''s guesswork. Even the position at which he forced Kyran to appear.


    Time seemed to have slowed down in Cade, Jared, and even all those people who could see what was happening in Ravenpass''s sky.


    The huge beam of light fell from above and was only a few meters away from enveloping Kyran. While Tritus, who was still a distance away pushed himself even further to save him.


    Kyran''s expression had also distorted aa he tried to move away from the space distortion that stopped his movement. He only had one choice left if he wanted to get away from this predicament.


    And that was to release his Void magic energy.


    However, if he did this, the Macabre cier nearby would react and he might fall into its force once more. But rather than being afraid of contronting the Macabre cier''s influence, what Kyran truly wanted to avoid was disrupting the Grand Array''spletion.


    If he released his magic energy and used ''warp'' he would definitely cause a huge distortion.


    It was the same distortion that Malek warned him when he thought of checking on his father''s trial.


    In the end, Kyran did not go in fear of messing up his father''s inheritance.


    Cade gritted his teeth, ''Is this it?''


    He wondered in despair.

 Chapter 697 Finale (17)

    "W-What....?" La furrowed her brows as she gaped at the scene above.


    It was not only her who looked at the sky dumbfoundedly.


    Obstruction, Tritus, and everyone else who could see what was happening were shocked.


    They all had a sense of foreboding a second ago. Some even believe Kyran had no way of escaping the enemy''s trap. They were unsure what happened, but thetter did not appear as imposing as before for some reason. It was as if he was holding back.


    Their suspicion was actually spot on.


    Kyran had been holding back by not using his Void magic. However, True Void was the only one who knew why. Everyone present had not seen how the Macabre cier had reacted to Kyran''s Void magic energy when he used his magic sense. Thus, their suspicion was understandable.


    In any case, most of them believed Kyran was probably trying to conserve and replenish his magic energy for the uing finale of this war. That was why he downyed his overbearingness.


    But it was because of this thought that most were convinced Kyran would not be able to escape this situation.


    Nevertheless, they were n denial. To be precise, the ones in denial were Kyran''s people, while the enemies rejoiced.


    If Kyran was captured or sealed by the enemies, their chances of winning would decrease by a lot.


    No.


    That might not be the case. This was started because of Kyran. If he was captured, it could be considered their loss.


    If that happened, the whole empire would fall into the hands of the Soul Emperor. And they could no longer have any means to defy her.


    Once the empire fell, the rest of the nations in the Human ne would follow. The oppression and hopelessness experienced by humans during the Chaos Era would happen again.


    For this reason, Kyran''s people remained in denial. Their feeling was amplified by how it appeared time seemed to have slowed around them.


    In their hearts, there was a feeling akin to hope. That any second now, Kyran could once more act overbearing. When that happen, they would all relish the fact of how they foiled the Soul Emperor''s n once more.


    Nevertheless, the huge beam of light still descended upon Kyran. At the same time, all of them could only look despairingly.


    Or, at least, that was supposed to be their reaction.


    The next second, they all froze in their spot.


    Literally.


    La''s beautiful face distorted as she realized what was happening. She looked up but was not really looking at anything or ''anyone'' in particr. Yet, she shouted with such hatred.


    "TIME KEEPER!"


    From outside the cracked barrier, a golden ring created from small clocks appeared as Ste descended.


    Wearing a long white dress that matched her golden blonde hair and light blue eyes perfectly made Ste appear like a goddess who had finally descended into the mortal world.


    Her beautiful face, which would not lose out to La, carried a mature yet serene look as she looked down at the scene below.


    All those who saw her felt like they had indeed seen a goddess.


    A Goddess of Hope that would bring about their salvation.


    "I''ve heard from the First how the Crown Princess has fallen victim to the previous Soul Emperor," Ste started to speak, ignoring how much hatred La had shouted her ''title.'' She sighed before adding, "That''s too bad... I was hoping to meet her before this happened."


    La''s face distorted further as she red daggers at Ste.


    "You have always been neutral, even in the past. Why are you openly defying me this time?"


    Ste raised her brows and said, "I don''t know about your feud with the First. But I am not her... well, I suppose it is true her memories had influenced my thinking most of the time, but my decision toe here is definitely mine."


    After saying this, she turned and looked at the beam of light that was suspended at least fifteen meters above Kyran''s head.


    Unlike the others¡ª which included La, Tritus, the surroundings, and even Obstruction¡ª whose time stopped after Ste used her magic, Kyran was unaffected.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His time would have also stopped if he had only circted Draconic magic in his body. However, he had already roused the Void magic energy in his body, and its innate effect had been activated.


    Seeing Kyran looking at her with an unreadable expression, Ste smiled apologetically before saying, "I''m sorry for beingte."


    Kyran scowled in response to her words.


    Anyone who saw his reaction would think he did not appreciate Ste''s help.


    But the truth, he scowled at his own misgiving.


    Kyran had promised Malek he would not include Ste in battle.


    He had thought this before, but he truly believed that the most fearsome among the four Ancient magic would have to be Time magic.


    His reason was simple. Time mage could stop someone''s time, and that person would drop dead without knowing what caused it.


    Apart from this, Time mage could also use their magic to hasten one''s time. When that happened, any person, not even the most powerful mage, would end up old and withered in an instant.


    That was not all.


    If, in case, a magic attack relied upon the umtion of magic energy or its caster''s aura to determine how powerful its output would be, then if Time was used to prolong that umtion but cram it in a second, how powerful would that magic attack be?


    That also applied to unpredictable moves.


    For example, what if a mage had been preparing to make a move for a long time? Then he or she released it, Time mage could control how long it would take for that mage''s move to ''happen.'' The same concept applies to a ritual or activation of an array.


    If one considered all this, not even a mage with Void magic would stand a chance.


    Nevertheless, Kyran knew the use of Time had its own consequences. For this reason, Malek never wanted Ste to use her magic.


    At the moment, the range at which Ste''s Time magic had appeared was quiterge.


    Kyran estimated it should be at least a hundred meters in diameter, with Ste as the center. But that was not all. He was aware that in order for her to stop the beam of light''s descent, she had to use her magic at another location.


    Previously, the First Time Keeper told him that Ste had fallen into a deep sleep because she had exhausted herself from trying to meddle in the future''s timeline. That was how the First Time Keeper managed to control Ste''s body, using little consciousness left of her in the Time core.


    In any case, even if Ste appeared normal. Kyran knew it was all a facade. He knew she had not recovered from her previous reckless use of Time magic.


    And then, just as she regained consciousness, she once more used her magic to save him.


    Just as Kyran suspected, she simultaneously stopped the time in several different locations around the estate.


    urately speaking, Ste stopped the time around the several array formations scattered around the Regis Estate. That would have been the only way for her to stop the beam of light''s descent truly.


    "You say that, your decision ining here is not influenced by her. But, why else would you havee here if not for the guilt you felt from that woman toward Can''s sessor?" La snarled at Ste.


    Choosing to ignore her, Ste kept her focus on Kyran and said with a slight smile, "You don''t have to give me such a tragic expression. I have seen and heard the First''s interaction with... her. I now understand why she is very important to you.


    "You know, she did not hesitate to heal me after realizing how badly my magic core was exhausted. That is why, after I regained consciousness, she healed me. And that was after shehealed you and everyone else in the Conve.


    "I told her to rest, but she did not budge. She is pretty stubborn."


    Kyran remained silent. He did consider Cyneah healing Ste, which was why thetter was bold enough toe here and make such a huge move.


    However, that was not the reason he was feeling bad.


    The fact that Ste had used her magic at such arge scale move meant she would suffer. Kyran did not know what she would give up if she used such arge-scale magic attack. That also happened to be performed at several locations at the same time.


    Malek had mentioned something about Ste''s ''own time'' being affected. And that was what Kyran was worried about. He did not want her to lose her ''time'' in exchange for saving him.


    Ste had already done so many things for Kyran, and he did not want to owe her anymore.


    He could repay her for what she had done for him in the past. But he could never return what she had lost, especially her ''time.''

 Chapter 698 Finale (18)

    ''We parted having such an ambiguous air between us. I am sorry.''


    Ste''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head before she even finished what she spoke aloud.


    Others might think Ste''s speech was meant to annoy La. But it appeared she did it to conceal the fact she was talking to Kyran telepathically.


    ''You should not havee,'' Kyran replied, his expression remaining unreadable.


    Meanwhile, La was not happy at being ignored¡ª not to mention getting her ns foiled by someone who was supposed to be her ''best friend''s'' sessor.


    Apart from that, that sessor shared her best friend''s name.


    La was not stupid. She knew the two were talking telepathically.


    Not that it mattered.


    Even as a Time mage, it was impossible for Ste to halt time for long. For this reason, La chose to proceed with her next n.


    Since detaining Kyran had failed, La could only let him handle the rest.


    It wasmon for someone to prepare backup ns when their initial n backfires.


    In La''s case, if they could detain Kyran, she nned on having Ane, Soll, and Osric keep him busyThis was La''s n B.


    However, she now had a n C. She would still use Ane, Soll, and Osric, but only to buy time until Obstruction gets the help he set out to get.


    As for who would deal with the rest of the ''high-level'' members from Kyran''s side, La already had those covered. Besides, once the veilpletely shattered, she could release the Macabre cier''s sentient and let it run amock.


    With this in mind, La focused on using her magic to proceed with the n.


    "Speaking of being stubborn," Ste continued to speak. "I remembered my aunt telling me that in the First''s diary, she had mentioned one of her ''best friends'' was stubborn to a fault."


    She looked at La with a wry smile before continuing, "I wonder if the First was talking about you when she said that."


    While she said those things out loud, she continued to talk to Kyran telepathically.


    ''That is a very cold thing to say to someone who just saved your life,'' Ste replied, feeling disappointed at Kyran''s indifference. But she knew he only said that because he was worried¡ª whether he was worried about her or the possibility that her arrival could also mean ''she'' had arrived, Ste chose to feign ignorance. She would rather think his reaction was because he genuinely worried about her.


    Before Kyran could reply, Ste added, ''Besides, if I did not interfere and you released your magic, True Void''s awakening would have beenpromised. His body would then be damaged and you would have been captured by the Macabre cier.''


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at Ste''s words.


    It was evident from how she said those things that she was not merely making a conjecture. If he guessed correctly, she witnessed that scenario y out when she ''look'' into the future.


    At that same time, La replied with a curtugh, "Why do you even bring that up? So what if I am stubborn? What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Maybe to you, it is not important¡ª" Ste paused dramatically, then continued, "Actually, it is important to you but did not realize it yet."


    Then she turned to Obstruction, who watched the whole exchange silently from inside the Water Cage.


    "You are a Sovereign from another ne," Ste started. "If I remember correctly, it is... Obstruction. A powerful Sovereign with Space innate magic¡ª who developed while having Void magic as its basis."


    Obstruction frowned at her words. As far as he was concerned, they had only met. How was it that she knew things about him?


    "Oh, I do know a few more things," Ste added as if reading Obstruction''s mind.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. Like, how you are called a Sovereign but in terms of mage-level you are already above that."


    Since Obstruction''s face was hidden beneath a huge hood, and all they could see were dimly lit eyes from time to time, it was impossible to see his reaction; nevertheless, when the surrounding temperature dropped suddenly, they knew he was affected by her words.


    Kyran, Tritus, and the rest observing the scene were surprised at what Ste said.


    Tritus and several spectators were surprised that there was an even higher level than a Sovereign.


    As for Cade and Kyran, what surprised them was how Obstruction''s energy leaked out even when the Water Cage suppressed it. Aside from that, he was under Ste''s magic influence. For it to leak out and affect the surroundings, even with all that, was proof of Ste''sment about Obstruction''s level being higher than a Sovereign.


    They already considered that possibility when he did not appear affected by the Sovereign''s Cradle after entering the Human ne.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran did not remember thetter activating when Obstruction descended.


    Nevertheless, hearing Ste say it with such an affirmative tone only gave Cade and Kyran an iing headache.


    After experiencing the Tower of Tribtions, discovering that there were so many nes outside the Human ne, and knowing that the highest authority one could have on a ne was bing its Sovereign, Cade and Kyran had wondered if being a Sovereign was truly the end of the line for a mage.


    Because if it was, then their goal did not seem to be that too far off.


    Of course, only Cade and Kyran would dare think this way. For normal mages, bing a Master mage was already a task they could not even consider bing a Magus in their lifetime.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In any case, if Obstruction''s level was higher than a Sovereign''s, their faction could truly be considered a contender for the big win in the uing War of the Sovereigns.


    But that was not what gave Cade and Kyran a headache. It was more on the fact that Obstruction¡ª even with such a high magic attainment¡ª would still consider asking for help from the outside.


    This could only mean that whoever he would call was stronger than him.


    Could Nn prevent them from reentering the Human ne if that was the case?


    ''What are you doing?'' Kyran asked Ste, not understanding what she was really up to.


    However, she did not reply this time around.


    "You don''t have to showcase your might to threaten me," Ste continued, her smile turning impish. "You can try and flex your magic energy for all I care, but you must remember that you are still inside my magic''s influence. If you force it, your magic core will suffer."


    "Time mage," Obstruction finally spoke after a few minutes of silence. "I have heard about you, albeit a little. If I had known, I would have first recruited you to our cause."


    "Obstruction!" La shouted in indignation after hearing him.


    "You do not have to sound angry."


    "I do not sound angry. I AM ANGRY!"


    "A Time mage is a rare existence. She will be a huge asset for the faction."


    "So what if she could manipte Time? It is not like she could reverse what already happened. If she did, then all of these would not have happened¡ª."


    "I did not expect how much you belittle what I can do."


    Ste chuckled at La''s ''tantrum.''


    La scowled despite herself as she looked at thetter seethingly.


    "You... are not going to say, you can actually reverse Time."


    Ste looked at La and only smiled in response.


    Hearing this exchange, the light underneath Obstruction''s hood brightened slightly. Apparently, that notion sounded tempting.


    Ste did not admit it, but Obstruction had seen and met so many people before¡ª regardless if they looked human or not¡ª and knew her smile just now was a silent admission.


    ''If we can also have her in the faction... Maybe... just maybe... he can have that back...''


    ''Ste!'' Kyran could no longer stay silent and called out to her telepathically.


    ''I can only do this... buy time for you and True Void. Just as you said, I am not cut out for battle. I''ve always been sheltered and had few encounters with other mages. I will only be a hindrance.''


    ''I did not say that¡ª.''


    ''Not you of this time.''


    ''You¡ª.''


    ''I have not explored what else my magic could do. But I know that as the Time mage, I can reverse Time. However, that will only be ast resort.''


    Kyran did not need Ste to borate on that.


    Obviously, if she chose to reverse Time, everything that had happened would be nulled.


    Bing the new Void Master... the Chaos Era... even the existence of the original Dark Sage.


    No.


    Kyran shook his head.


    That should not be possible.


    Ste could probably reverse time up to a specific moment. It might not even be that long.


    A few days? Weeks? Months. But not a millennia or more.


    Still, she would have to pay a huge price once she did.


    A price Kyran would never allow her to give.


    Her life.

 Chapter 699 Finale (19)

    ''There is more to the things you''ve inherited from the first Void Master, Kyran.'' Ste continued to talk to Kyran telepathically while appearing to converse with Obstruction and La.


    "I know what you are doing," La said through gritted teeth. "It is your specialty, after all. Buying time."


    Ste raised her brows and chuckled, "I did not know you had a sense of humor. Though, it is pretty dry, in my opinion."


    ''Don''t you find it strange, how the Macabre cier only tried to absorb your magic energy even though there are so many people using their magic now.''


    ''You even know that.''


    ''I''ve seen it happen.''


    Kyran did notment on thatst bit from Ste and pondered what she said about the Macabre cier.


    Truth be told, he did wonder about it. To be precise, it crossed his mind. However, he automatically reasoned that the Void energy was far more tempting for the Macabre cier than the magic energy from others.


    Besides, when the Macabre cier absorbed his magic energy, he was the only one close enough to it, possessing such powerful magic.


    Because of all these reasons, Kyran did not think much of it.


    But now that Ste brought it up, his doubt resurfaced. As he thought that, he remembered a simr case where his magic energy got absorbed without reservation¡ª when he was six years old and his magic core awakened.


    At that time, True Void also regained consciousness but only slightly. But after being asleep for so long, he required magic energy to awaken fully.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he recalled that Can bing the Dark Sage happened after killing the original. And then True Void hinted that Can inherited more than just thetter''s title.


    One of those had been the Macabre cier.


    The Macabre cier was the original Dark Sage''s magic weapon, just as True Void was the Void Master''s.


    But after Can inherited it, did that mean it had be his ''weapon.''


    Kyran considered that before but rejected the idea immediately. After all, the Macabre cier possessed a sentient and would only respond to its original magic energy...


    "... because nothingness gave birth to all things."


    Suddenly, Zephyr''s words shed through Kyran''s mind.


    ''No way...''


    ''You seemed to have figured out something.''


    Kyran did not respond because his mind reeled at the idea he just had.


    When Kyran absorbed the surrounding magic energies, there was no specific ''Void magic energy'' that he attracted. Regardless of what type they are, he would absorb them. After that, he could convert them into Void magic energy.


    After inheriting the Macabre cier, could Can have forcefully absorbed its energy and then seeded in ''converting'' it? If this was the case, could the reason why the Macabre cier could not awaken its powerpletely be that it required Void magic energy and not Soul magic energy?


    Impossible.


    Just the idea gave Kyran a headache.


    If this was true, why would it still absorb Haylee''s magic energy?


    Wait.


    What about the Royal Army? Particrly Gael. Did he not try to ''awaken'' the Macabre cier? What happened then?


    Meanwhile, the conversation between La, Obstruction, and Ste continued.


    "It does not matter what she does," Obstruction said. "He is already on his way."


    Ste''s brow furrowed slightly. However, before anyone could see the change in her expression, she regained herposure and smiled.


    As for La, her scowl turned to a smile when she heard Obstruction.


    "Will he also take care of the Human ne''s new Sovereign?" She asked.


    "You say that as if the new Sovereign is a pushover," Ste could not help butment.


    She knew Nn and how perverse his magic could be.


    As a matter of fact, she did not think anyone else could be more fitting than Nn as the new Sovereign of the Human ne.


    Yes, there was Cade. However, he had far too many things to protect inside the Human ne and would likely choose not to ascend when that opportunity came.


    With Nn as the Sovereign now, it would be impossible for Cade to ascend.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thinking about that brought a yful smile to Ste''s face, which La and Obstruction noticed.


    "You can keep believing on that human mage," La started. "You said it yourself. Obstruction''s level is far higher than a Sovereign already. This exins why he did not appear affected by the ne''s suppression. But that is not entirely correct, is it?


    "His power has been suppressed, but since his level was already higher than a Sovereign, his level did not drop much.


    "Anyway, that is not what I want to make a point. What I want to say is, if someone like him has asked helped from the outside, do you think he would call someone inferior to him?"


    Ste chose to stay silent while keeping a smile on her face.


    "Stop wasting time, Soul Emperor," Obstruction cut in and looked at her. "You have bought enough time for you people as well, correct?"


    Laughed softly as she looked at him, "I did not think you had noticed it."


    Tritus and the others watching nearby could not help but frown at the exchange between the three.


    The situation had been tense, but how did it be so rxed?


    What they were talking about was not exactly a ''rxing'' topic. However, there was no tension between them whatsoever. They even gave everyone the idea they were only old friends chatting idly.


    Cade, who had been paying attention to the situation and the locations his magic sense would allow him to observe, had already made a move.


    After confirming that Kyran was out of danger for the time being, he had alreadymunicated with a few Regis Special Forces. He had them go outside the estate and check on the array formation the Soul Emperor had prepared.


    Cade knew Ste had stopped the array''s time, thus, halting the beam of light and saving Kyran. Nevertheless, he also knew Obstruction would not let it sit still.


    It was already bad enough that Obstruction''s tes had escaped, and Cade would not let him do more.


    That was right. Cade knew Obstruction''s calmness was not from how he sessfully sent a distress call to that person he refused to name.


    Cade was sure Obstruction had a trump card up his sleeves and was only waiting for the right moment to do it.


    When was the right moment?


    If it were Cade, he would use that trump card when Ste''s magic influence weakened.


    As to what that trump card could do, Cade guessed it was a move strong enough to capture both Kyran and Ste alive.


    For this reason, Cade wanted to alleviate the strain on Ste by destroying the array formation the Soul Emperor prepared. Most members of the Regis Special Forces had passable Array Knowledge, and though they were not Abjurers, they were enough to destroy those formations without the caster''s knowledge.


    When Obstructionmented that La had been ''buying time'' as well, Cade had already received a message from his people.


    In that message, they told Cade that two of the three Archmagus from the Royal Family had already activated a newly created Arrays.


    Obviously, La had anticipated that someone would destroy the first Array formation. Thus, she prepared a backup so its effect could be deployed again.


    Cade also heard from his people that the Aureole people were working together with Kyran''s Sigils.


    When Cade heard that there were humans among Kyran''s Sigils, he had mixed emotions. He already knew about it after seeing the Tritus, but most Regis members did not know it.


    While it was not prohibited, no Regis could stomach doing that to a human. Bing a Sigil was equivalent to viewing their life as bing ''beasts.'' At least, that was what most of the Regis members believed.


    Initially, they could not believe Kyran, their young master, would do something like that. But after double-checking the Sigil mark on the back of their hand, they had no choice but to ept it.


    Nevertheless, knowing their young master had taken humans as his Sigils did not diminish their respect for him. That was just what being a Regis member meant. No matter what happened, they would stand by their people.


    Of course, they would not tolerate bad doings. But they would not judge that person until they knew the truth.


    In their young master''s case, they all knew he had no choice but to make those people his Sigils. At least, that was how they saw it after confirming their identities.


    Well, except for a man named Byron.


    They did not know how such a person became Kyran''s Sigil.


    Putting aside the matter of Sigils, they were now working together to destroy the Array formation.


    "Shall we resume then?" La replied with a smile.


    "Do it."


    Even before Obstruction responded to her question, La already ordered Ane and Soll to activate the new formation.


    However, a huge crack appeared in the sky before any of them could even move.


    Seeing this, Obstruction''s face lit as he looked up.

 Chapter 700 Finale (20)

    Outside the Human ne, Nn remained on the lookout for any movement from the three Sovereigns nearby.


    Ruin, who appeared bored while sitting cross-legged in front, still had his summons out. They were all positioned systematically that it would be impossible for anyone to sneak past them.


    ''Hm?''


    Nn perked up as he sensed something was amiss.


    Ruin''s eyes also narrowed as he straightened and looked up ahead.


    "Looks like someone just left," he said with a slight frown.


    Although Ruin did not personally know the Sovereign who had left, that one had been infamous in the Lower Realm the moment he had appeared.


    Sovereign of Flos.


    "Why leave?" Ruin wondered out loud. "Is he giving up?"


    Just as Ruin had said this, Nn finally realized what was amiss. He turned toward the almost fixed hole in the space leading to the sky in the Human ne and caught a glimpse of something disappearing.


    He did not make out what it was but it was ck.


    Immediately, Nn used his authority as the Sovereign to observe the Human ne. He had been concerned about the three Sovereings nearby making a surprise move that he barely focused on what was happening in the Human ne.


    When Nn''s consciousness looked at the Human ne, his eyes grew wide in shock.


    "No!" he eximed. "That guy did not leave! He found a way to enter the Human ne!"


    Ruin''s eyes shed malevolently after hearing this. He turned toward the Human ne and found a distortion in space at its surface.


    He did not care about what would happen in the Human ne in general. Unfortunately, his prey was at the center of it. Thus, he could not turn a blind eye. Especially when he knew those Sovereigns were also after his prey.


    Apart from this, Ruin felt a little indignant at being sneaked up on.


    Even if that Sovereign was the infamous Flos,pared to being ''infamous'' Ruin was far ahead of him. He would not be outdone!


    "Someone actually dared sneak up on me? I''ll ruin him!"


    Hearing Ruin shouted in anger, Nn felt mixed emotion.


    Nn felt this way not because he found it touching that this ''enemy'' would be angered to this point when he had nothing to do with the Human ne. It was more to the fact that Ruin was triggered for such a simple reason.


    Nevertheless, because of Ruin''s simple-mindedness albeit somewhat twisted at times, assured Nn that he would not suddenly betray him. After all, he knew Ruin was only interested in Kyran.


    Choosing not to react openly at Ruin''s anger, Nn immediately turned, rushing back inside the ne. No matter what, he would not let that Sovereign seed in entering the ne!.


    However, Ruin shouted after him with a slight shake of his head, "It''s impossible for you to do anything now."


    Nn ignored him and was about to enter when a powerful force enveloped his whole body.


    "What the f*ck?"


    "I told you," Ruin clicked his tongue as he flew to his side. "That guy is called Flos. You probably did not know who he is, but he had made a name these past few years. He had a way of entering another ne even when it was protected by a powerful barrier.


    "Though no one mentioned it specifically, that also meant he could bypass the Sovereign''s Cradle."


    Nn scowled as he looked at him, "I don''t give a f*ck about that. His f*cking target is definitely my family!"


    "That is why it is already impossible for you to do anything."


    The moment Ruin said this, Nn felt his insides churn.


    That was right, as the Sovereign, he could no longer meddle in the affairs of the Human ne. His sole existence now was for the Human ne.


    Flos, had no intentions of upying the Human ne. Instead, he wanted to meddle in its internal affairs. Thus, Nn could do nothing to stop him.


    The only thing he could do was ensure Flos''s level was suppressed so as to prevent him from damaging the Human ne.


    "If you let me go in, I promise to stop him," Ruin suddenly offered with a serious expression.


    Nn stopped short and turned to him with a scowl. He might have believed Ruin would not betray him, but that did not mean Nn trust him.


    Ruin wanted to massacre the whole Regis n. Nn would never trust a person like him.


    "You don''t have to give me such a dirty look," Ruin said with a snide sneer. "I am still your enemy. But that Flos... I know he came personally because he wants to take my prey. I can''t let that happen. Since you don''t want anything to happen to my prey, we have amon goal."


    "You also want to take him," Nn said through gritted teeth.


    "Ah, well... True. But it''s not like he will let me take him that easily. Besides, you marked me remember?"


    "Don''t give me that sh*t. I already know you already removed it after leaving the Human ne."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ahahaha!" Ruin burst out inughter. "Since when did you realize?"


    Nn responded with a re.


    When Ruin realized Nn had no intentions of replying, he sighed and said, "Come on. If you keep dallying, you''ll give that guy, Flos, a chance to seed. Since you can''t make a move yourself, use me.


    "I admit. You, tricking me in helping you earlier pissed me big time. But,e to think of it. Where''s the fun in taking my prey now as he is? He is such a weakling that he could barely protect his loved ones.


    "I want him to mature first. Once, he has grown, ruining him would be even more fun."


    Nn did not respond immediately. He sensed sincerity in Ruin''s words to the point he found him sickening. Nevertheless, Ruin spoke the truth about dallying would only give Flos the opportunity to seed.


    "Make an oath to only drive that guy away and not hurt my family."


    "I already did that."


    "You only swore not toy a hand on my family. That is different."


    Obviously, Nn knew Ruin''s oath earlier had a ''trap.'' The word y a hand'' could be interpreted in different ways. Ruin might take it literally as notying a hand on them, but then he would use his summons, or even others to do his bidding.


    "Ah~ such a doubtful guy. Fine, fine. I swear on my name as a Sovereign that I will not hurt your family. If I go back on my words then let the Fates and the Higher Being that presides on both the Lower and Higher Realms mete out their judgement."


    Nn frowned. He still sensed Ruin''s sincerity when he swore that oath. However, he could not shake of the feeling that something was amiss.


    "Are we okay now? Will you let me go in?" Ruin asked hurriedly. "I suggest exempting me from the Sovereign''s Cradle. That Flos, seemed unaffected by it and will likely be able to use his full strength once he descended."


    "If that''s true and he wrecked havoc, I can interfere atst."


    "Oh~! Good point. Since it already involved the ne''s ''well-being'' you can interfere. However, if he made a move without affecting the ne, then we''re doomed."


    "Are you admitting that he is far stronger than you?"


    "Ahahaha!" Ruin burst out inughter again before saying, "We both are in a different league. There is no point inparing us."


    Nn was speechless. When Ruin entered the Human ne previously, his level was suppressed by Azaloth''s cradle. In a sense, Flos and Ruin was truly in a different league of their own because the former could not be suppressed by the cradle, but thetter could.


    "Well? What do you say?"


    Nn did not reply and only looked at Ruin.


    While the two conversed outside the Human ne, the distortion had already appeared inside, and Obstruction could not contain his delight.


    "He is here."


    Though Obstruction said this in a low voice, it was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.


    Ste tensed at his words and braced herself as she conveyed herst message to Kyran.


    However, this time she did not speak telepathically.


    "Kyran, whatever happens, please know that I only did it because it is the best course of action at this point."


    "What are you¡ª?"


    "NOW!" Ste shouted as a purple array appeared right above the Macabre cier.


    Kyran''s heart sank the moment he saw the array. He would never mistake that array, even if his Array attainment was low.


    The telltale was pretty obvious.


    The Array''s color was purple!


    From within the array, a figure emerged.


    At the same time, the distortion in the sky stabilized as a figure appeared.


    La, close to the Macabre cier, stared at the figure that emerged from the purple array. Her eyes widened in shock as she stammered, "You...! W-Why... howe...!"


    The one who emerged was none other than Cyneah. The one La had been searching for all this time.


    Cyneah, whose eyes seemed to reflect all the lights in the surroundings, looked dazzling as always. Floating in midair, she looked like a young goddess. She then lowered her gaze at La as if she could see.


    Cyneah could not see La, of course. However, she could sense her. After all, she was her essence.


    "I''vee to take back what''s mine," Cyneah said.


    "NEAH, NO!"


    Cyneah released her magic sense, and at once La and the Macabre cier reacted.

 Chapter 701 Sorry (1)

    Time slowed down after Cyneah and Flos''s arrival.


    It was not a figure of speech because Ste had used her magic to control Time once more. However, she did not merely cast a spell, but released her domain.


    Crackle! Crackle! Sizzle!


    The whole surroundings crackled from the huge magic fluctuation that urred right after.


    The cause of the fluctuation was not entirely due to Ste''s domain. It was all because Flos and Obstruction chose to release their domains as well!


    FOOOOM!


    An invisible and suffocating force expanded at least a thousand meters with Flos, Obstruction, and Ste at the center.


    The Water Cage that imprisoned Obstruction was destroyed in an instant, forcing Tritus to spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving a bacsh. Initially, he did not want to retreat. His master was within the heart of thebined domains and he did not want to leave him alone. However, he sensed his Sigil reacting and had no choice but to retreat.


    Tritus was not the only one who retreated. The crowd hiding nearby with mage levels lower than a Legendary also backed away after coughing out blood just from sensing the strength of thebined domains of the three.


    Actually, they would have already died if not for Ste''s Time domain that suppressed the release time of the energying from Flos and Obstruction''s domains.


    There was also another reason they managed to retreat, and that was Kyran.


    Kyran initially wanted to release his Void domain. However, he was afraid that once Cyneah made contact with the Void domain''s energy once more, she would be ''poisoned'' again.


    Instead of releasing a huge domain, Kyran released target-specific domains and aimed at those retreating members of the Regis Special Force.


    After confirming they were able to retreat safely, Kyran turned his attention back to Cyneah, who had already attracted the Macabre cier. Before he could even use his magic, he found something was amiss.


    Kyran could not warp!


    Once more, he cursed at the fact that apart from his inability to create an essence, there was another thing he could not do, and that was to fly!


    Kyran could only imitate the motion of flying, using his magic sense¡ª by manipting the magic energy that enveloped the items he attached to the soles of his shoes. But for some reason, he could not release his magic energy.


    Could this be an effect of Flos''s domain? Or maybe Obstruction?


    That did not make any sense.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, this was his domain''s effect. Or, at least, it was simr.


    In the Void domain, anyone inside would be cut off from the surrounding magic energies, making it impossible for them to circte and summon magic.


    Kyran could still circte magic energy in this body and even absorb the ones from the outside. However, he could not cast any spell. As a matter of fact, he realized he also could not move!


    Whose domain had these effects?


    Before Kyran could understand what was happening to him, a serene-sounding voice, which seemed toe from a young man, but suspiciously, a woman with a very deep voice spoke.


    "What''s this?"


    Kyran and the others immediately guessed that voice belonged to Flos.


    They were not 100% sure because thetter''s face was hidden. As a matter of fact, they could not tell if there was a face under the huge headdress he wore¡ª a huge ash-colored flower simr to the clematis that grew in the east.


    "I came expecting to find two rare gems. But found three. You have worked hard Obstruction," Flos continued as he calmly descended beside Obstruction.


    Obstruction lowered his head slightly toward Flos, "Flos, you''re arrived."


    Flos nodded his head toward Obstruction in acknowledgement before turning his attention to Ste.


    Ste remained calm as she hovered in midair. However, beads of sweat had started to appear on her forehead.


    "A rare Time mage..." Flos said. "The Human ne is truly thend of the Ancients. To think there are mages still alive possessing Ancient magic."


    "Flos, the Sovereign who leads the Radical Order," Ste said calmly, sessfully masking the fact that maintaining her domain and stopping Flos''s and Obstruction''s domains from releasing their full extent, had taken a great toll on her body¡ª not to mention her magic core.


    "I did not know someone from the Human ne heard about me."


    Ste only smiled in response.


    Flos had no intention of making idle chat, so when Ste did not respond, he turned his attention to the next person he found interesting.


    Cyneah.


    Seeing this, Kyran tried to warp again, only to fail like before.


    "Hm?" Flos tilted his head to one side as he looked at Cyneah, then at La, who appeared frozen in ce after Cyneah released her magic sense.


    Flos looked at Obstruction with a light chuckle and said, "It seems she has yed you well."


    Obstruction''s expression darkened.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He knew what Flos meant.


    When the woman who resembled La appeared, Obstruction finally understood why she refused to activate the Macabre cier.


    La was only an essence.


    Nevertheless, Obstruction knew that the neer¡ª right, she was called Neah¡ª was different from La.


    To be precise, the souls each of them possessed were different.


    "But this is very interesting," Flos continued while going to Cyneah. "She can release such a powerful magic sense without possessing a magic core¡ª."


    "Stop."


    Ste immediately flew between Flos and Cyneah. She looked at him with glowing light blue eyes. Although she did not say anything, her eyes seemed to tell him that she would raise hell if he moved closer.


    Flos stopped in his tracks as he chuckled.


    "Such murderous intent," he remarked. However, he did not seem to be referring to Ste.


    To prove his point, he turned and looked at the one whose eyes alone sent chills down his core.


    "Your expression is calm, yet your whole being is screaming murder, new Dark Sage. I am not going to do anything. I only found her body constitution interesting."


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent. Nevertheless, he looked at Flos as if he were already dead.


    Crackle!


    WRIIIIIIIING!


    Without warning, an ear-splitting ringing sound came out from the Macabre cier.


    It was too sudden that Ste, who had her Time domain active, spat out a mouthful of blood from the energy wave that came with the sound.


    Flos and Obstruction were fine. However, they also felt a slight sting when the wave of energy passed them.


    After the wave of energy, Cyneah''s whole body began to glow, and her face distorted in pain. Then the Macabre cier shook, and its mirror seemed to have turned into liquid as a ghastly face tried toe out from it.


    La, who had been frozen a moment ago, finally regained some of her control and screamed at Cyneah.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU DAMN BRAT? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?"


    Since La was using Cyneah''s essence, she could apprehend some of her thoughts and knew what she wanted to do.


    Flos and Obstruction''s countenance also darkened as they realized what Cyneah was doing.


    Kyran was thest to realize Cyneah''s intention, and his body shook in fear.


    However, before he could even try to do anything to break free from whatever was stopping him from using magic, his Void core suddenly turned hot, and the Shaiha also reacted.


    ''Ngh...!'' Kyran hunched forward at the sudden pain.


    Though the pain differed from when the Macabre cier forcefully absorbed his magic energy, it was close.


    ''It''splete.''


    His father''s voice sounded in his head out of the blue, followed by an earth-shattering sound of a chain.


    Flos, and Obstruction got distracted by the sound. While La''s face turned pale as she realized what it was.


    "True Void''s awakening has beenpleted!" She shouted and nned to retreat.


    However, although she had regained some of her control, she found her body unable to respond to her will.


    After that, a blinding light filled the sky of the Regis Estate. To be precise, the blinding light came from the Grand Array as the obelisk was fully revealed.


    However, just when everyone thought True Void''s real body was the huge obelisk, they heard several clicking sounds as the obelisk started to dismantle.


    It was then followed by the cubes and the rings disengaging from the Grand Array. After that, they flew toward the obelisk and seemed to fill out the gaps that appeared on it while it started to dismantle itself.


    Flos looked at the obelisk and could not help but let out an excitedugh.


    "So, that is the rumored weapon of the previous Dark Sage?"


    "This is not the time to be amazed, Flos. We have to do something about it before the new Dark Sage unleashed it."


    "You sound afraid of that, instead of the one behind us," Flosmented while looking back at the Macabre cier, which continued to shake violently.


    "Why don''t we see how things y out first? Then we''ll decide who we take with us?"

 Chapter 702 Sorry (2)

    Obstruction''s eyes lit up from Flos''s words.


    That was right.


    What that woman ''Neah,'' was trying to do at the moment could change everything. If she seeded, they no longer needed Kyran.


    Because Cyneah wanted to consume the Macabre cier, the result of her endeavour would dictate ng end of this battle. It goes without saying that if she seeded, Flos and Obstruction no longer needed Kyran.


    Their main target had always been the Macabre cier. They needed Kyran because he was the new Dark Sage who inherited it.


    Nevertheless, Kyran''s innate magic was notpatible with the mirror. Thus, they needed La because her innate magic was the best fit for manipting the Macabre cier¡ª Soul magic.


    As a matter of fact, Flos did not require La perse to control the mirror. As long as he could find a mage with an innate Soul magic, then it would be fine.


    Unfortunately, Soul magic is Ancient magic. In this generation, there would only be one inheritor of that magic.


    That was not the case in the past. But that was a topic for another time.


    Flos and Obstruction''s current concern was who would end up ''controlling'' the Macabre cier. Once they found a clear winner, they would do everything to take that person with them.


    Regardless if that person was willing or not.


    Of course, if La could take over Cyneah''s body once thetter''s ''essence'' returned to her with the former still upying it, they need not worry. La was a willing participant in their cause. Though they did not know her real motives, as long as they could have the Macabre cier, everything else did not matter.


    s, Flos and Obstruction''s expectation of La was not looking good. She might have regained some control over Haylee''s body. However, she could not do anything besides simple movements in front of the original one.


    While Haylee was only an essence, she seemed to have grown a separate sentient from the original. La would have noticed she was an essence from the start if not for this. But because Haylee had her own sentient, La agreed to transfer the Soul core to her. Only after that seeded did La discover Haylee was only an essence.


    In the end, La kept this truth from Haylee and only told her that she had to find someone to make her plete.''


    But La did not care about all those things and focused on creating a protective barrier around her Soul core.


    She knew Cyneah wanted to consume the Macabre cier.


    It might appear futile, but La discovered Cyneah''s body constitution was actually very special. She could absorb magic energies in the surroundings and summon Soul magic without a magic core.


    One could say that Cyneah is a living magic core.


    In any case, because of this, she could attract the Macabre cier''s energy. But instead of absorbing its energy, she wanted to consume it.


    Though the process and its meaning appeared the same¡ª it was slightly different.


    When a mage absorbed a magic item, they took it into their body as is. But when one consumed a magic item, one would integrate it and change its form.


    Obviously, Cyneah decided to consume the mirror to free all the souls it took. Since she only targeted the mirror''s energy, all excess within it would be removed.


    La would haveughed at Cyneah''s attempt if not for the Macabre cier''s unprecedented reaction.


    Even now, the Macabre cier shooked violently, and the ghastly face on the surface of its mirror continued to squirm.


    Nevertheless, La was not concerned about that. Like Obstruction, she was far more concerned about True Void''s awakening.


    Few knew that when Can fought the original Dark Sage, True Void had yet to turn into the ultimate weapon fully. It had regained a sentient, but it could only manifest itself into ''something.''


    What that something was, La did not know. She also did not care.


    In any case, back then, Can managed to subdue the Dark Sage, who was using the Macabre cier. If True Void came in itsplete form, Kyran would not have problems subduing the mirror.


    ''It doesn''t matter,'' La thought through gritted teeth as she looked up at the center of the Grand Array, where True Void was finally taking on its form.


    But looking at how the obelisk had turned into several hovering blocks of dark purple material, La wondered if True Void even had a real form. Because for as long as she remembered, she had never seen True Void appear in the same form.


    The three times La had seen him, his form had been different.


    Keeping this thought aside, she looked toward Flos and Obstruction, trying to gauge what they would do. But what she saw nearly made her vomit blood.


    The two were calmly watching True Void take on his form!


    Before she could shout at them, La caught sight of Kyran, and her eyes lit up.


    Since Flos and Obstruction were distracted, they did not see how much Kyran was in pain.


    Kyran''s expression remained stoic, but hisplexion had turned pale, and his normally straight posture was slightly hunched forward.


    ''He is affected by what True Void is doing!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This was not exactly a surprise. Since Kyran was considered True Void''s owner, anything he did would greatly affect the former. Judging by Kyran''s condition, La guessed he could not keep up with True Void''s demand for magic energy!


    La''s guess was not far from the truth.


    Kyran was truly having difficultyplying with True Void''s unruly demand for magic energy. They were connected even when they were far apart. Thus, Kyran could sense how much True Void wanted to absorb more energy, and since he could not do it alone, he was now forcing Kyran to help absorb more.


    ''True Void! Damn you, are you nning to get me killed?''


    Kyran tried to convey to True Void. He did not know if thetter would receive it, but it was worth a try.


    [What are you talking about? Because of your indecisiveness, I can''t stop absorbing magic energy!]


    To Kyran''s surprise, True Void actually responded. However, he did not understand his reply.


    ''What in hell are you even saying?'' He almost blurted in pain.


    [GAH! Seriously, you! What am I going to do with you? I am called True Void for a reason!]


    Zephyr''s words once again shed through Kyran''s head. His eyes widened in realization as he said, ''Don''t tell me you¡ª.''


    [And why did you even think of an obelisk as my form? My goodness! And I mean my goodness! My master had a better imagination than you!]


    ''You can take on any form!''


    [Duh. Did you only realize that? Now, do something about this! Do you think I enjoy looking like this?]


    He did tell Kyran before that a piece of him could destroy a nation! Did he not take him seriously?


    But Kyran stopped listening to True Void''s rant when he said the word ''duh.'' It was all the confirmation he needed.


    Now Kyran understood why True Void appeared like an obelisk. Unconsciously, he might have been thinking of the obelisks Can had created in the Lignum ne.


    True Void kept saying he had a majestic body, and apart from the Chaos Pce, Kyran thought the obelisk looked majestic.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, thend where the obelisk was pierced looked simr to that of the Chaos Pce. Since he initially thought of thetter, True Void might have turned into it. However, after Kyran rejected the idea, True Void transformed midway. Thus, the image of an obelisk on a piece ofnd.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    True Void''s body began to gather and take on a real form.


    The cubes and rings that circled and merged with him also blended into his body. In a blink of an eye, True Void finally took form.


    "This...!"


    "How could it be...?"


    Flos and Obstruction eximed, respectively.


    It was not only them who looked surprised.


    Cade, Jared, and the rest observing the scene from afar were also shocked.


    Because True Void suddenly turned into a huge mirror.


    A mirror that looked very much like the Macabre cier!


    Inwardly, True Void conveyed his disgust to Kyran.


    [Are you kidding me? My first appearance after so many years, and you actually turned me into that horrible thing? You have a sick taste! Really sick!]


    Kyran did not respond. But a yful smile appeared on his lips.


    Seeing True Void''s appearance, both Flos and Obstruction were confused.


    Even La looked at it in confusion. She was suddenly reminded of how Can had the ability to absorb things. Or, to be urate, the Void could absorb anything and everything.


    "Could Can have seeded in absorbing the Macabre cier and integrated it into True Void''s?"


    Her words were spoken softly. However, they conveyed the very same thoughts Flos and Obstruction had.


    Unbeknownst to them, this was the effect that Kyran aimed for when he willed True Void to change form into the Macabre cier.


    He wanted to trick them into thinking that True Void already absorbed the real one!

 Chapter 703 Sorry (3)

    Ste knew Kyran wanted Flos''s attention away from Cyneah when he made True Void change into the Macabre cier.


    Though she did not know True Void had that ability, she knew Kyran well enough to guess what he was thinking. The thought that he still had the time to think of a way to ensure Cyneah''s safety made her extremely jealous. She coughed out blood just a moment ago, but he did not even react.


    But unlike before, when Ste''s jealousy got the best of her and ended up being affected by the First''s memories of La, she did nothing. It felt as if, for the first time, she had a clear view of her own emotions.


    Maybe the fact that the First''s consciousness had exhausted all her energy and had already dissipated, or maybe she had only fallen into a deep slumber, had helped remove those lingering feelings the First had for Can in the Time core.


    Thus, Ste could finally see how she truly felt for Kyran. She told him before that her feelings were not affected by the First; that was her honest opinion. However, now that she was free from thetter''s lingering feelings, she could surely say that her confession was true.


    Ste was in love with Kyran. While it still felt simr to how the First felt for Can, Ste knew it was also different. At least she did not feel heartbroken just because she knew how much he cherished Cyneah.


    Yes, she was jealous. But that was a natural reaction.


    What Ste told Kyran earlier about Cyneah were her honest feelings. She had trulye to terms with her feelings after waking from a deep sleep.


    It was called deep sleep, but in Ste''s opinion, she merely took a nap while her consciousness was awake enough to observe the First''s interaction with Cyneah. It was also through their interaction that she understood why Kyran never doubted that Cyneah was different from La.


    For this reason, Ste would not be blinded by her jealousy. However, she did fear that Kyran would think otherwise after this event.


    After all, even when Ste interfered, she had already seen the possible oue of her action.


    ''No, this should be a trick!'' La thought, her mind reeled at seeing two mirrors in the sky.


    Different from Ste, La was still in the midst of debating with herself.


    ''The mirror would not have reacted from Haylee''s magic energy if it was not real. Apart from this, the mirror''s sentient had pestered her right after awakening it to an extent. So, True Void bing the Macabre cier is impossible!''


    ''Are you sure? Haylee is only an essence. It should not have been possible for her to awaken the mirror as she is. Even with the help of the Soul core... Haylee''s central core is notplete.''


    An inner voice countered La''s thoughts when she tried to reason True Void''s appearance was fake.


    Common sense dictated that having two mirrors with the same abilities was impossible. But her intuition told her not to trust her limited knowledge of True Void''s abilities because that would likely result in misjudgment.


    In the end, La could not decide whether to trust hermon sense or her intuition.


    At the same time, Flos had finally gotten serious. His eyes narrowed, and he said to Obstruction, "You''re right, Obstruction. This is not the time to be amazed."


    He did not mention it, but he also thought that Obstruction fearing True Void rather than the Macabre cier was reasonable.


    "I''ll go ahead. Do try to keep up."


    "I am ready."


    Flos took out a magic device made of diamond with golden rune writings covering its surface. Inside the diamond was an orb that suspiciously looked like a closed eye. And then, as Flos inserted his magic energy into the device, the eye started to open.


    "Come out and heed my call," he muttered, and in an instant, the eye snapped open, and an ominous pressure filled the whole estate.


    Cade and the rest of the people inside the estate also felt it, and their insides churned. Those with low-level mage levels even fell to their knees and vomited blood.


    ''This is not good,'' Cade thought as he activated the Regis Blessing and roused his magic.


    Now that he no longer had to worry about his damaged magic core, gathering the surrounding magic energy that corresponded to his magic had gotten easier. Not to mention, with Azaloth''s Inheritance, his understanding of magic energy had grown to the point he could manipte them to a certain extent, notwithstanding whether the magic energy he gathered had a particr element.


    When the dragon blood in his system awakened, Cade used the Dragon Step to go to where Kyran and the others were.


    He was not the only one. All Regis members who could withstand the pressure also activated their Regis Blessing and rushed toward Kyran.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They would not let their young master bore everything alone. No matter how much Kyran appeared to have grown. Most of them still saw him as a young, innocent boy that barely knew the outside world.


    The only one who did not move was Aron. But his inaction was not because he did not care about Kyran. As a matter of fact, he was the one who was more worried about him. Nevertheless, he could only let Cade do what a father must do. At the same time, he should do the same.


    That was right. As a father to Cade and Jared, he had to ensure that no one would distract them. And at the moment, the Soul Emperor''s forces outside the estate had already made a move.


    With the veil gone, they no longer had to maintain the array. Now that they knew their mistress was in danger, they immediately gathered and went straight to the Regis Estate.


    Aron took charge of the Regis Special Forces, who left the estate and rendezvous with the Aureole and Kyran''s Sigils to destroy the Soul Emperor''s array.


    Now that there was a sudden change of n after the arrival of Flos, Aron prepared them to engage the Soul Emperor''s forces.


    They were outnumbered, yes. However, that did not stop them from facing going.


    Lauren nced at Olivia in one of the Aureole''s makeshift forts and said, "Did it ur to you that we will end up going to war when you decided to meet those two?"


    Olivia did not nce at her and kept her focus straight ahead.


    "Yes."


    "Then did you ever consider that the Aureole might end destroyed after?"


    "So what?" Olivia shrugged. "We''ll get destroyed once that b*tch wins the war. We''re only taking the initiative to be destroyed now rather thanter."


    Lauren chuckled and turned her focus upfront. She said, "Sometimes you say things that I could agree with."


    Olivia frowned at her words and snarled, "Don''t give me that cr*p."


    "We might end up dead after this," Lauren''s expression turned solemn suddenly. "At the very least, I wanted you to know that I really did not cause the master''s illness. However, I have found some clues as to how to heal her."


    Olivia, who refused to look at Lauren, finally nced at her without a word.


    "No matter what, you have to live," Lauren continued. "After this war, go to the east. Find a person named Gustaf, he will let you know what I found."


    Olivia raised her brows after hearing Gustaf''s name. She did not know him per se, but she had heard of him. He was one of the few who decided to continue returning to the Tower of Tribtions as a merchant, after all.


    Chuckling at the thought that Lauren''s lead could very well be the same as hers, Olivia said, "No need. I''ve agreed to help that guy because he knew how to heal my mother."


    Then she paused before adding, albeit begrudgingly, "For the record, I already know it is not your fault. I just found your presence annoying, which is why I hated your guts."


    Lauren blinked at Olivia''s words as she looked at her in surprise.


    But Olivia had already looked away before Lauren could see her expression. In the end, when she saw that thetter had no ns of saying any more, sheughed out loud and said, "I see. You hated my guts. I see."


    Just as she said those words, they saw a great multitude of mages rushing toward their side.


    Their expression turned serious as they braced for the iing enemies.


    Simr scenes could be seen at several makeshift forts around the Regis Estate''s periphery.


    And in those forts, Zephyr, Bas, and Mera were also waiting. Byron, too. However, he was not in front; instead, he was busy doing something else.


    Back to the floating Ravenpass, as soon as the eye on the magic device in Flos''s hands'' opened, Kyran, who was close to it, felt his Draconic core tremble violently.


    ''That eye...!'' His eyes widened as he realized that the slits on the eye looked simr to a dragon''s!

 Chapter 704 Sorry (4)

    Others might find the eye inside Flos''s magic device as a reptilian beast''s eye, not specifically from a dragon. But Kyran was different.


    He is the current Dragon Lord, and with the Draconic core inside him, its sudden reaction was an obvious sign that it recognized the presence of something with a simr wavelength as it had.


    Cade and the rest of the Regis Special Forces rushing to where Kyran was also sensed a familiar aura when the eye opened. In an instant, their movements stopped, and they fell to their knees.


    "Ergh...!"


    "T-The hell? My body won''t move!"


    "What is happening?"


    "What did that guy activated?"


    The members of the special forces eximed one after another. Though they already activated the Regis Blessing, and their senses were heightened to a certain extent, they still failed to see clearly the eye inside Flos''s magic device.


    They only knew that the magic device felt familiar. However, that familiarity did not seem friendly. It even felt hostile.


    Meanwhile, Cade was also forced to stop. However, he managed to stop himself from falling to his knees. He knew the reason he could stay standing was not because his will was stronger than the other members of the Regis Special Force. It had more to do with how much his body adapted to the dragon blood he had partaken of several years ago.


    Apart from that, Cade could sense that the magic device in Flos''s hands was a dragon relic. And it was not just any relic but possessed a part of a real dragon.


    Since Cade was still far away, he had yet to see the dragon''s eye inside the magic device. But he did sense the animosity from it.


    Feeling that gave Cade an iing headache. Because a dragon with such presence only meant it belonged to a different n from the Dragon King''s.


    A dragon who belonged to a n that probably opposed the Dragon King.


    That was right.


    Just like humans, dragons also had different ns. However, the Dragon King''s n was known to be the most powerful among the dragons and had ruled over the whole Dragon ne.


    At least, that was what the Regis n knew.


    Since there were no official records from when the Dragon Lord was still alive, they could only know about those things from the bits and pieces of notes written by some of their ancestors that lived after the Dragon Lord''s time.


    Putting the matter of theck of records from the Dragon Lord''s time aside, Cade turned his focus back to the present. Now that he knew Flos had an item that belonged to a dragon, they would be disadvantaged.


    It did not matter that the Regis inherited a dragon''s blessing because that blessing would only work wonders against others and the Dragon King''s kindred. Their blessing would be pointless in front of a different dragon n. After all, their blessing was only bestowed to them, and their body remained that of a human, while that item¡ª though it was only a relic¡ª came from a genuine dragon.


    Cade unhesitantly circted the dragon blood in his system to its full capacity.


    Previously, he would have hesitated since doing this would only allow him to use a dragon''s might for a few seconds, and then his body would break. But afterpleting Azaloth''s inheritance, his body had gained a lot¡ª not to mention, his magic attainment as an Abjurer had increased by leaps and bounds.


    As soon as Cade activated more than 50% of the dragon blood in his system, the slits on his eyes turned golden, and dragon scales appeared on his skin. He then roused his magic and summoned a huge shield made of ck obsidian while also molding a spear.


    "Hm?" Flos turned his left after sensing an approaching familiar aura. It was familiar not because he knew who it belonged to but because it had a simr wavelength to his magic device.


    Flos''s brow knitted as he saw a ''humanoid'' dragon approaching them at an rming speed. The man was not ''flying'' per se. He wasing in and out of focus, and Flos knew he was likely utilizing the Dragon Steps.


    As a person with a dragon relic, Flos was well-versed in them. Thus, he recognized the man''s movement. Although he had not seen it in person, he had read far too many records to recognize that movement after seeing it for the first time.


    Before Flos could say further, Obstruction already moved.


    Obstruction knew what Flos was about to do was very important that could end all this. Thus, he would do everything he could to stop anyone that would distract him.


    He was called the Sovereign of Obstruction for a reason!


    "I did not give you permission to move!"


    Ste suddenly shouted as she reinforced her Time domain. As she did, she spat out a mouthful of blood. Nevertheless, she endured it to ensure that Obstruction would not be able to leave her domain''s influence.


    "Humph," Obstruction snorted as he also reinforced his domain.


    Different from most domains, the target of Obstruction''s domain was himself. Once inside its influence, his magic output will be doubled, and the space around him will expand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But the expansion of Obstruction''s domain was not visible to the naked eye. Its range also appeared small. Nevertheless, the space inside that small area had already increased. This was why, even when Ste used her domain, he was unaffected because he was already outside her range.


    In other people''s view, they would think Obstruction was still in her range.


    Ste gritted her teeth in annoyance. She knew what Obstruction''s domain could do, but she had thought she had gotten him inside her range earlier. She did not expect that he still managed to get out of it.


    ''Stay where you are.''


    Kyran''s voice suddenly sounded in Ste''s head before she could pursue Obstruction.


    ''But¡ª.''


    ''If you push yourself any further, your magic core will suffer. Don''t do anything more, and just focus your domain around yourself and Neah.''


    Ste admitted she felt ted that Kyran had shown concern over her well-being. But thest bit ruined it.


    Typical of him to still think of a way to use her and protect Cyneah!


    ''Then I''ll use my domain to focus on Flos.''


    ''No. Let him do what he wants,'' Kyran told Ste upon her suggestion.


    Ste hesitated. Obviously, she also knew what Flos''s magic device could do.


    Simply put, that magic device possesses the power of a dragon¡ª Draconic magic. And Draconic magic is known for its destructiveness.


    Flos was able to destroy a ne because of that magic device.


    Kyran sensed Ste''s hesitation and could not help but sigh inwardly. There were times when he wondered if she truly believed in him or not. Of course, Kyran knew Ste''s hesitation stemmed from her ''feelings for him.''


    ''It''s fine. I''ll be fine,'' Kyran assured her. He did not borate because he did not think it was necessary. Besides, they were in a race for time.


    Without waiting for Ste''s response, Kyran directed his thoughts to True Void and said, ''Do it!''


    [Ack! Seriously, you! And I really mean you, seriously! Don''t me me for what happens, alright?]


    Kyran did not respond and conveyed his annoyance at True Void''s ranting from his silence.


    [GAH! FINE! Here I go!]


    The surface of True Void''s mirror gave out a blinding light that illuminated the space between Cade and Obstruction.


    At the same time, the disc on Obstruction''s back shifted and split into rings before several space distortions appeared and filled those spaces.


    As soon as True Void''s light filled that area, that whole expanse crackled as the space distortion showed signs of ''petrification.''


    Obstruction''s eyes narrowed upon seeing this. He did not know whether True Void had truly absorbed the real Macabre cier, but he was sure that effect was not something the mirror possessed.


    "Humph," he snorted, waving his hand as he willed the space distortion he summoned to explode. "Such a move would not daunt me."


    Obsidian magic reinforced Cade''s body turning into ck armor as he avoided those explosions.


    On the other hand, Flos focused his magic energy on the magic device as it also gave off a blinding light. Then he turned toward Cyneah and the Macabre cier at the back, and with a snap of his finger, a vast magic pressure fell down on them. It was then followed by a powerful magic fluctuation that surrounded them.


    If there were two mirrors, Flos only had to focus on one, and he would know which one was fake from how Kyran would react.


    Flos already knew Cyneah was important to the new Dark Sage. Thus, thetter''s reason for turning True Void into the mirror.


    Although Flos did not know if True Void turning into the Macabre cier would also possess its ability, it was unimportant. What mattered more was what the new Dark Sage would do.


    Just as Flos expected, the moment he focused on Cyneah, Kyran also moved. However, when he did, Flos was suddenly given a fright.

 Chapter 705 Sorry (5)

    Flos''s reaction was reasonable. After all, Kyran had used the Dragon Steps instead of warping, which the previous Dark Sage was infamous for.


    Unlike the Dragon Steps shown by the man whom Obstruction went after, Flos noticed Kyran''s movement was far more refined, as if those steps were how he typically moves rather than a technique he had activated.


    But another cause for Flos''s fright was how the magic device in his hand reacted when Kyran used those steps. He already guessed the humanoid dragon was not really a dragon but a human who likely received a blessing from a dragon.


    Kyran was likely the same, albeit his blessing was stronger.


    "I see," Flos muttered as he recalled a rumor he had heard while researching how to use his dragon relic. "I heard a dragon race hade into the Human ne while thest War of the Sovereigns was ongoing. ording to the rumors, the leader of that race took an interest in a particr n. He then bestowed a blessing to them. Even when that dragon race returned to the Higher Realm, that blessing remained and was passed on to the n''s future generation. So that rumor is actually true, is it not? And you, are part of it."


    An amused smile appeared on Flos''s face that was hidden under the enormous clematis-looking headdress.


    Flos''s remark was spoken softly, but with Kyran''s heightened senses, he heard him perfectly. Nevertheless, Kyran ignored him and kept using the Dragon Step.


    Usually, Kryan would not be able to stay midair without manipting the items he installed at the soles of his shoes with his magic sense. But because of the Dragonc Steps, he could defy gravity to a certain extent and remained afloat for a couple of seconds before taking another step.


    Because of this, by the time Flos was done talking, Kryan was already thirty meters away from him.


    The magic device in Flos''s hand trembled violently as the eye moved and looked directly at Kyran. The slit on its eyes emitted such a potent murderous intent as it started at him.


    Flos was oblivious to this since he could not see the eye. Moreover, the device was emitting a blinding light. Still, he sensed how ominous the energy it emitted had grown to the point that even he, as the owner, was affected.


    Without bothering for pleasantries, Kyran moved. He closed the gap between them and raised his left fist. He exerted all the weight he could muster in his fist while utilizing the Draconic magic energy before sending out a powerful punch.


    But Kyran did not aim at Flos. Instead, he punched at the magic device in his hand.


    CRACKLE!


    Kyran''s brow knitted as he felt a massive pressure intercept his fist before itnded. The air around them crackled as he continued to force his fist forward.


    BOOOOM!


    A massive half-a-foot thick semi-transparent barrier appeared between Kyran''s fist and the magic device that continued to emit a resplendent light. It was followed by a massive shockwave that spread out in every direction.


    The might of the shockwave instantly reduced thend around them into ruins, and earth rubbles were blown everywhere.


    "Err...!" Ste summoned a massive barrier to protect herself and Cyneah, who was only a few meters away from her, from the shockwave and the flying earth rubbles.


    If it had been a normal ss of magic power, her domain''s influence would have stopped midway from reaching her. But this time, the shockwave was a sh between two Draconic magic. Thus her magic''s influence was reduced.


    After all, both Draconic and Time were Ancient magic.


    The destruction of thend beneath them created a cloud of smoke that would visually impair a person''s vision.


    Flos is no different. He is a mage, thus, he focused on strengthening his magic sense rather than his eyesight. A mage would normally ''look'' using his magic sense, not their eyes.


    "Humph," Flos harumphed at Kyran''s foolishness. Judging from what he could sense amidst the cloud of smoke, thetter was likely blown away from the shockwave. After all, he could not sense Kyran''s aura nearby.


    Flos suddenly felt foolish for even feeling a shred of fear after seeing Kyran''s proficient use of Dragon Steps. Then again, his fear had more to do with how his dragon relic reacted to him.


    Now that Flos witnessed the dragon relic''s might once more, he felt assured. No matter how powerful of a blessing Kyran''s n received from the leader of the dragon race that descended upon the Human ne had been, it was futile in front of a genuine dragon''s might¡ª even if that dragon was reduced to a relic.


    "Ignorant human," Flos sneered. "Getting ahead of yourself just because you receive the favor of a god. In front of real power, you are nothing. Know your ce¡ª."


    BAM!


    A fistnded on the barrier again, cutting Flos''s words midsentence.


    "What¡ª?"


    BOOM!


    The shockwave that followed was far more powerful than the rest and cleared the cloud of smoke in an instant.


    CRACK! CRACK! SHATTER!


    Cracks appeared on the barrier, and Flos was once more given a fright. He was not given a chance to sort his emotions when the barrier shattered right after.


    "You talk too much," Kyran muttered as his fist that had just destroyed the barrier came hurtling down on the dragon relic without pause.


    Flos''s eyes glowed and roused his magic.


    In an instant, red vines shot out from the destroyed ground and went after Kyran. Their purpose was to bind his limbs before he could finish his movement.


    At the same time, Flos summoned the red vines; the ground shook, and a massive flower that looked like a venus-fly trap emerged with its mouth wide open. Its aim was obviously to eat Kyran alive.


    The dragon relic in Flos''s hand was not idle either. When the barrier shattered, the slits on the eye inside turned gold as it shot out a concentrated energy beam to intercept Kyran''s fist.


    The slit on Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes, which turned silver, shed as he roused more than 40% of the Draconic magic in his body. He believed this was the first time he would use this much after returning from his training.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    To be honest, Kyran did not want to exert this much Draconic magic because he did not know if his body would hold. While he heard from Zephyr, which True Void also seconded, that his body was alreadyparable to a ''baby'' dragon because of the Elixir he sipped, he had a feeling that the Draconic magic in his body was far more powerful than a baby dragon could handle.


    And just as he had guessed, the moment he released more than 40% of Draconic magic, Kyran felt the bones in his body creak from the immense pressure. Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and endured the increasing pain. He let his fist collide with the iing beam from the eye while releasing raw magic energy in every direction.


    BOOOOOM!


    Another massive explosion urred from the collision of Kyran''s fist and the energy beam. Aside from that, the raw magic energy he released eradicated the iing red vines and the massive venus-fly trap that emerged on the ground.


    "Wha¡ª ngrh!"


    The might of the explosion sent Flos flying backward.


    "Ngh...!"


    Even Ste was forced back a few feet in midair while maintaining the barrier around her and Cyneah.


    On the other hand, Cyneah, who was still exerting all her energy into attracting the Macabre cier''s energy into herself, was shocked at the might of the shing magic energies around her.


    She first experienced a powerful sh of magic energies during Osric''s siege at the Tower of the Conve. However, that seemed like child''s ypared to now. Her magic sense was pretty powerful, which was why she managed to feel the difference.


    Apart from this, Cyneah knew Kyran was one of the owners of those powerful magic. But what surprised her the most was the fact his magic felt different.


    La was also shocked. However, unlike Cyneah, who only sensed a sudden change in Kyran''s magic, La knew thetter was no longer using Void magic. After all, she recognized the power that he exerted just now.


    Although La could not confirm it because, for some unknown reason, she could not sense Kyran''s aura, she recognized his punch was filled with Draconic magic and not merely a result of raw strength enhancement because of the Regis Blessing.


    La had witnessed Zane throw so many of those punches that she would recognize it just from the sound it produced!


    ''It can''t be... D-Dual magic?'' La thought, her mind reeling at the sudden realization. ''Not only that. Both his innate magic are Ancient magic!''


    She then sensed an impending danger as she realized how dire her situation was.


    It was one thing to deal with two Ancient magic users. But three? No, that was not exactly correct. Technically, they were still dealing with two magic users, albeit one of them possessed two!


    Flos, who had just regained his bnce, could not help but reel in shock. How could a punch shatter his relic''s barrier?


    Before Flos could recover his wits, a figure appeared before him, its feet inches fromnding on his head. Kyran had once more appeared without him noticing!


    How could he do that?


    ''Not good!''


    Flos knew he would not be able to dodge. Thus, he braced himself for the impact.


    Nevertheless, though Flos could not react in time, the dragon relic was different.


    Even if Kyran''s aura was concealed by the Shaiha, making it hard for others to use their magic sense to ''see'' him, the dragon relic relied on its experience. Or, to be precise, the dragon eye relied on what it experienced while still alive.


    Obviously, the dragon relic was unaware of the Shaiha''s existence in Kyran''s body. But that did not prevent it from predicting his move.


    The dragon eye released the full extent of its pressure, which instantly bore down on Kyran.


    Again, Kyran endured the pressure, but he did feel the bones on his leg creak inint after receiving the brunt of it. After all, the dragon eye exerted pressure to ensure his kick would notnd on Flos.


    Kyran''s eyes shed. He circted the Void magic together with the Draconic magic in his body. The moment the Void magic filled him, the effect of the dragon eye''s pressure disappeared.


    It was then that Kyran discovered the pressure released by the dragon relic was not an innate reaction but an ability or skill. It was because the Void''s nature could nullify any ability or skill directly affecting Kyran.


    With the dragon relic''s effect removed, Kyran''s feet finallynded a solid hit.


    BAM!


    Crack!


    "GAH!"


    Flos felt his neck crack as the kicknded, shattering his magic and physical defenses. After that, he went hurtling down to the ground like a meteorite.


    BOOM!


    The ground exploded as Flosnded on the ground. Everything had happened too fast that he could not even react in time.


    Clouds of smoke filled the ground from the impact of Flos''s fall.


    Kyran did not stop. He took another step and arrived directly where Flos had fallen.


    However, amidst the thick cloud of smoke, thick tentacle-like vines emerged and struck Kyran in all directions.

 Chapter 706 Sorry (6)

    On another side of the battlefield, True Void assisted Cade while he faced off with Obstruction. No matter how many space distortions thetter created, they ended up being petrified by True Void''s light.


    Meanwhile, Cade engaged Obstruction in a melee.


    Unfortunately, Obstruction was not abat mage. Thus, he could notnd a hit from Cade''s speed even if he had the advantage in level.


    Cade, on the other hand, wouldnd a sessful hit on Obstruction every now and then. Although his spear could not deal a fatal blow, a few hits would shatter thetter''s barrier, making it easier tond a critical hit before thetter reinforced its barrier again.


    ''No!'' Obstruction gritted his teeth in annoyance as he avoided another attack from Cade''s spear.


    ''How can a mere human, who has not even reached the level of a Legendary be able tond a hit on me?''


    Beforeing to the Human ne, Obstruction regarded its inhabitant as primitive after hearing from Deception that the highest mage level of their powerful mages was only an Archmagus.


    But aftering, Obstruction realized that the new Dark Sage and Soul Emperor''s level could not be determined. Then he met a Legendary mage. Not to mention being surprised by the appearance of a Time mage. Now, he was facing off with a man who looked like a humanoid dragon!


    One after another, everything Obstruction experienced in the short time he had been in the Human ne was nothing but surprises.


    Usually, he would regard surprises as something still within his expectation. But today, this belief was shattered.


    Just as Obstruction thought this, he heard a loud explosion from where he had left Flos. But he did not turn to look. He was confident in Flos''s strength. There was nothing to be worried about.


    In any case, Obstruction saw the explosion as an opportunity. He was not worried, but that might not hold true with the humanoid dragon.


    Obstruction did not know the rtionship between thetter and Kyran, but they were definitely on the same side.


    True Void assisting the humanoid dragon was proof of this.


    With this in mind, Obstruction looked at the expression of the humanoid dragon before him. However, he was surprised that thetter''s expression remained calm after hearing the explosion.


    ''Why? That explosion could very well spell the doom of his ally. Why is he still calm?''


    Obstruction''s doubts were answered soon after they surfaced when they heard another explosion.


    This time, Obstruction could no longer ignore what was happening on the other side. If an explosion of the same magnitude was heard in such a short interval, it could only mean that the other party survived and retaliated.


    Obstruction knew Kyran''s magic was slightly different from the previous Dark Sage. Though they both possessed Void magic, the former probably developed it in a different direction from thetter.


    One good reason he thought he was how Obstruction remembered the previous Dark Sage fought while keeping his distance. He was also known for performing ridiculouslyrge area-of-effect magic attacks. On the other hand, Kyran was theplete opposite.


    So far, Obstruction had only seen him engaged him in a melee. Simr to the humanoid dragon he was fighting.


    Obstruction flew back and kept a safe distance from Cade before turning to check the situation on Flos''s side. But before he could even confirm what was happening, another explosion urred, and he saw Flos crashing to the ground!


    "What¡ª?"


    "Do you even have the time to look away?"


    Obstruction was struck senseless as the humanoid dragon appeared in front. After that, he sent out a punch that instantly shattered Obstruction''s barrier.


    "GAH!"


    Just like Flos, he plummeted to the ground like a loose cannon.


    BOOM!


    Obstruction spat out a mouthful of blood as hended with his back on the ground.


    But Cade was not done.


    After punching Obstruction, Cade raised his spear and threw it straight at him. Then he took a step to follow the hurtling spear.


    Still feeling disoriented after hitting the ground, Obstruction barely regained some of his wits when he saw the iing spear. He immediately activated his domain, allowing the space around him to increase without others noticing the difference in distance.


    In other words, the spear would appear closer but would not reach him soon.


    But.


    True Void''s light shone down on Obstruction, and instantly, he sensed a distortion in his domain.


    WHOOSH!


    "GAH!"


    Obstruction spat out a mouthful of blood as the spear pierced his abdomen, pinning him to the ground.


    "Oi! Oi! Oi! You dared use Space magic in front of me! So what if you can increase the distance of space around you? Before me, that distance is but a micrometer away!" True Void could not help but snort at Obstruction''s boldness.


    "Seriously, the Sovereigns of this age are full of themselves. Just because my master had long gone and Void Halfling is still a fledgling, doesn''t mean we are weak! Especially me! Do not underestimate me!"


    Cade, hearing True Void''s rambling, was left speechless. He did not expect the infamous Ultimate Weapon of the previous Void Master would be this... talkative.


    Thinking of his son''s somewhat introverted personality, Cade could not help but chuckle at how his son and this talkative weapon even interact.


    Pushing the random thought aside. Cade looked at Obstruction, who remained motionless on the ground.


    ''This...!''


    Cade looked at True Void and shouted, "Above!"


    At the exact moment he shouted a warning at True Void, the ''Obstruction'' lying motionless on the ground distorted before disappearing.


    Then the space above True Void crackled as a huge distortion appeared overhead. After that, two huge wed hands emerged from it and grabbed True Void on each side.


    Cade waved his hand and retrieved the spear from the ground. After which, he immediately took a step to aid True Void.


    "I''ve caught you now!" Obstruction''s voice appeared from within the distortion.


    "GAHAHAHA!"


    Cade stopped midway as he heard True Void''s unrestrainedughter.


    "Who caught who?" True Void asked as a faceless head emerged from the mirror''s surface. Then a crack appeared on the face area where the mouth would have been. After that, it opened its cracked mouth and took a long breath.


    Instantly, a suction force appeared from the open mouth and began to suck the energy from within the distortion.


    "W-What are you¡ª ngh!"


    Obstruction''s surprise could be heard from inside the distortion.


    As Cade observed the scene above him, he saw a silhouette inside the distortion struggling to fight the suction force. Cade vaguely saw the silhouette and saw its semnce to Obstruction.


    It went without saying that the silhouette was definitely Obstruction, who had hidden in one of his space distortions. It then lurked silently and looked for an opportunity to grab hold of True Void.


    Cade guessed Obstruction did this because his objective was to take True Void. Facing Cade and killing him was only an afterthought.


    Being regarded as an afterthought kind of annoyed Cade. Nevertheless, thinking how True Void''s words that Sovereigns nowadays were too full of themselves hold true.


    Obstruction indeed thought too highly of them, from how he was not worried about Flos even after hearing that massive explosion to how he unted his Space magic in front of someone who could use the Void.


    The outsiders have indeed underestimated them.


    Nevertheless, Ste and Cyneah''s arrival were the biggest factors as to why their side appeared to have the upper hand in this battle.


    Cade was surprised to see Cyneah, who resembled the Crown Princess.


    His surprise was reasonable because he and Kyran had yet to catch up. In any case, it did not take long for him to put two and two together and realize Kyran had been hiding Cyneah all this time.


    However, Cade knew Kyran never nned to expose her. This was likely Ste''s idea.


    No.


    It could even be Cyneah''s decision.


    Regardless of the truth, they were the ones who turned the tables in their favor.


    But nothing is set in stone.


    Their situation might seem better, but that did not mean they had already won.


    Because their biggest concern was still atrge.


    The Macabre cier.


    Back at Kyran''s side, as soon as he approached Flos, several thick tentacle-like vines emerged from the cloud of smoke and attacked him.


    Kyran did not try to evade these vines. Instead, he used his bare hands to punch a hole in each vine.


    Although these vines were too sturdy, they were effortlessly destroyed in front of Kyran''s punches and kicks. However, no matter how many times he destroyed the vines, they kept regrowing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because of Kyran''s relentless assault, the whole ground was already riddled with debris, and the cloud of smoke thickened.


    Almost five minutes after such a continuous bout, a huge clematis suddenly bloomed at the smoke-filled back of the vines.


    RAWRGH!


    Beneath where the anther and fment were, a huge mouth opened, revealing several rows of sharp teeth. It then coughed out a red smoke that filled the area of fifty meters.


    Kyran knew at once those smoke were pollens and were filled with poison. Normal people would have died in an instant once they inhaled those. Mages would likely have a much better chance of withstanding it. However, they would likelyst only for half an hour at most.


    But this did not apply to Kyran. All he had to do was circte the Void magic in his body, and he would be fine even if he inhaled several doses of these pollens.


    Nevertheless, Kyran did not stay put. Although the pollens only filled fifty meters and were away from where Cyneah and Ste were, their safety was not assured.


    Once a mighty wind appeared, and they inhaled the pollens, they would be poisoned. Their bodies were unlike Kyran''s, who was practically immune to any harmful substance because of the Void''s nature.


    "AAAAAAHHHHH!"


    Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream filled the air, almost driving Kyran mad.


    Because that voice belonged to Cyneah.


    At this point, Cyneah''s struggle with the Macabre cier had reached a critical juncture.


    The face on the mirror''s surface that kept wriggling about, seemingly trying to escape from it, had already gotten its body halfway out and was reaching over to Cyneah.


    When that happened, Cyneah felt an excruciating pain like no other. She had been subjected to mistreatment since she was young. Thus, her pain tolerance had always been high. Even when her wounds had started to infest, she did not feel them.


    Simply put, she had gotten ustomed to the pain and was already numbed to it.


    For Cyneah to react to the pain spoke volumes. It was also because of this that Kyran almost lost his cool.


    "AAAAHHH!"


    Cyneah was not the only one affected by the Macabre cier''s energy. La also felt it, and her entire body was racked with pain. If not for the influence of Ste''s domain, wherein her physical body''s time was frozen in ce, she would have long plummeted to the ground.


    "This is the critical moment!"


    Someone shouted amidst the thick cloud of smoke.


    Kyran recognized the voice as Flos and tracked it at once.


    Initially, he thought the huge clematis had been Flos¡ª thinking he had only appeared in human form, but his real body was the gigantic mutated clematis.


    However, that changed when he located Flos standing atop the clematis petal.


    Unlike what Kyran expected, Flos was not injured after receiving a solid hit from him. Then again, the dragon relic he possessed likely cushioned most of the damage and protected him.


    In any case, Kyran sensed that the relic did not rely on Flos''s will alone. It possessed its own will. But it was not something it gave birth to¡ª like a sentient. It was more of a will it possessed when it was still alive.


    "AAARRRGH!" Cyneah screamed and almost keeled over from the pain as, finally, the figure wriggling its way out of the mirror closed in on her.


    With more than half of the figure''s body already out of the surface, they could now see it was covered with cocoon-like bandages. Its limbs were tied to its sides, and it failed no matter how much it tried to break free from the cocoon-like bandages.


    The excruciating pain Cyneah felt almost made her wish for death. However, she endured and struggled as she spread her arms and weed the mirror''s energy into her body.


    It might be fortunate that Cyneah was blind. Because she would not have opened her arms like that if she had known that what she was trying to wee was not ''pure'' energy but appeared to be an entity.


    When La saw this, her stomach almost could not stand what was happening.


    La had sensed how much the Macabre cier''s sentient pestered Haylee. Thetter had endured, but it took a tremendous toll on her mental and physical health. The actual cause was that the mirror''s sentient wanted to control Haylee''s body.


    However, La did not allow it. If she did, what would happen to her?


    A body could only hold so much soul, and Hayle was only an essence. Maybe it was partly why her body could house La''s soul because it was only a small portion of the original. If it had been whole, she might not have been able to awaken her soul.


    In any case, Cyneah was actually trying to wee that atrocity.


    Ste kept silent the whole time. It was not her first time seeing the mirror''s sentient appear. However, this was the first time she saw it appear vulnerable.


    In all the scenarios she had witnessed, La seeded in absorbing Cyneah and controlling the mirror. It then led to the capture of the Regis n. As for Kyran, Flos and Obstruction also captured him, and Nn med himself for what happened and abandoned the Human ne.


    Ultimately, the Human ne was only left with Ste as the only one who possessed Ancient magic. Soon, the Ylfaen empire fell because the Emperor went missing, and the only sessor could not be found. Apart from this, with its Sovereign abandoning the ne, outsiders appeared one after another and slowly whittled the ne until it fell.


    Ste was then forced to leave the ne and enter the Tower of Tribtions.


    As for what happened to Kyran and the Regis n during the War of the Sovereigns, Ste did not want to think of it. It only caused her pain whenever she remembered it.


    In any case, this was the first¡ª no, this was the only time Cyneah came and initiated contact with the mirror.


    That had been the breakthrough point, in Ste''s opinion.


    Whether it would y out differently this time, she did not know because she did not try to look further.


    "Neah!" Kyran shouted when he saw the figure''s head trying to lean toward Cyneah''s opened arms. It was as if it was seeking warmth.


    However, Kyran had sensed the ominous presence of that figure and would not let


    WHOOOSH!


    Flos raised the dragon relic toward the mirror. Its light emitted a blinding light that immediately illuminated the mirror''s surface.


    NGGGGAAAAARRRRRHHH!


    An unearthly guttural sound came from the figure as a mouth bound by the cocoon-like bandages opened, revealing a bottomless pit.


    "Gah!" Cyneah spat a mouthful of blood at the unexpected intervention. However, it was at this moment which allowed her to hasten the consumption of the mirror''s energy.


    Her crystal-like eyes shone brilliantly as her magic energy enveloped the screaming figure.


    Then as if a vacuum had started, the figure shattered and turned into a grayish-ck mist that entered Cyneah''s body.


    The mirror then followed. It emitted a blinding light before turning into mist and going inside Cyneah.


    La, too.


    No one saw what had happened, but she also disappeared. Most likely, her body had also returned to Cyneah.


    "OBSTRUCTION!" Flos suddenly shouted.


    Kyran knew Flos was up to something when he heard him call Obstruction. Thus, he no longer hesitated.


    However, as he was about to warp toward Cyneah, a pir of red light fell down from the sky and dropped into the area, separating Kyran and Flos from Cyneah and Ste.


    At the same time, Obstruction, absorbed by True Void, released all the ck tes on his belt and willed it toward where Flos was.


    Seeing this, Cade moved to intercept the tes.


    However, Obstruction used his Space magic to shorten the distance the tes would travel to get to Flos.


    Still, Cade did not stop and used the Dragon Steps to go after them.


    When Kyran saw the pir of light, he knew who it belonged to.


    Speaking of the devil, the person in question¡ª wearing a slight smile¡ª slowly materialized in the middle of the red light.


    "Ruin," Kyran muttered with a slight scowl.


    Ruin looked at Kyran, and his smile broadened at once.


    "Dark Sage. I''ve missed you."


    Flos''s expression turned ugly upon seeing Ruin. As much as possible, he wanted to avoid fighting this guy. That was why he did not move when he was outside the Human ne and saw Ruin with the Human ne''s Sovereign.


    "Why have youe?" Flos demanded.


    Ruin ignored Flos and kept his eyes on Kyran.


    "Dark Sage, I see you''re not running away this time."


    Kyran clenched his fist. He had the urge to run, to be honest. However, Cyneah, who appeared spent after consuming the mirror, and Ste, who had stayed silent all this time, were right behind Ruin. If Kyran ran, he had to take Cyneah and Ste with him.


    When Kyran did not respond to Ruin''s taunting, he pursed his lips andined, "Ah~ unfriendly as always. But... I guess that''s because there is someone behind me that you can''t wait to save, right?"


    Kyran opened his mouth and was about to speak when Obstruction''s tes appeared with Cade still a distance away.


    "Ah~," Ruin snorted as he looked at the tes. "Another annoying prick hase. You sure have quite a lot of peopleing after you."

 Chapter 707 Sorry (7)

    Cade frowned at Ruin''s words. He immediately understood that thetter referred to the tes as an ''annoying prick'' because it was no longer the tes.


    Just as Cade realized this, the tes spun in a coordinated manner at an rming speed. Their spinning created a vortex-like effect which soon distorted the space around it. Finally, a silhouette in ck and white appeared.


    It was none other than Obstruction!


    Kyran saw this from the corner of his eye and immediately directed his thoughts at True Void.


    ''True Void!''


    True Void, who had justpleted absorbing ''Obstruction,'' was startled at Kyran''s call. He had been preupied that he did not notice. Obstruction created an escape route using the tes as the medium.


    Nevertheless, in order not to rm True Void, Obstruction left an essence, and that had been ''what'' thetter had been absorbing all this time.


    Even without Kyran telling him what had happened, True Void immediately noticed Obstruction''s presence and knew he had failed.


    That was right.


    A few minutes back, Kyran asked him to keep one of the Sovereigns busy while he dealt with the other. He also told him that it would be for the best if he could ''absorb'' that Sovereign.


    Obviously, Kyran was asking for the impossible when he spoke of thetter.


    Nevertheless, True Void knew it was notpletely impossible. The only reason it was considered impossible was that his target was a Sovereign¡ª an existence at the top of the chain in the Lower Realm.


    Sovereigns definitely possessed several tricks up their sleeve. They would resist and might have a way to counter True Void''s absorption ability. Even if they did not have a way to counter him, or resist his ability, the amount of their magic energy was vast, like the ocean. It would take time for True Void to absorb itpletely.


    [Gah! When did he¡ª, change me into something else, Void Halflimg! I can''t move properly in this form!]


    However, Kyran was no longer listening because Obstruction had started summoning a huge space distortion in the sky.


    Ruinzily looked at the forming distortion above, drawing, "Aw~e on. Are you nning to leave? I just arrived!"


    "Do not meddle in our affairs, Ruin."


    Flos warned as several thick tentacle-like red vines emerged on the ground and wriggled threateningly around the periphery of Ruin''s red pir of light.


    "We have things to settle here, and it involved the Radical Order. As someone who does not n on participating in theing War of the Sovereigns, stay down."


    Flos mentioned the Radical Order just to let Ruin know that if he did something to stop them, then it would not only be Flos and Obstruction who would be after Ruin but the whole faction.


    "The buzz in my head is quite annoying," Ruin snorted again in response to Flos''s warning.


    The temperature around Flos dropped significantly. Obviously, he did not like Ruin''s attitude toward him.


    Still ignoring Flos, Ruin turned his attention back to Kyran and said, "You know, I came here to help. But it looks like its no longer necessary."


    Kyran knew at once that Nn made a deal with Ruin so he coulde and help them. That was likely the answer Nn came up with to meddle in the affairs of the Human ne, albeit indirectly.


    Nevertheless, Kyran could not trust Ruin. As far as he knew, this guy would only make a move if he could gain something.


    Ruin was a rogue. He would never do things that would not benefit him.


    "So, Dark Sage," Ruin started, his smile turning mischievous. "Though the situation seems under control, that prick Obstruction is about to do something really really scary.


    "Do you still need my help¡ª?"


    Even before Ruin finished speaking, Flos and Obstruction did not stop their n.


    The distortion in the sky immediately increased in size as the whole surroundings crackled with the immense magic fluctuation it emitted.


    At the same time, Flos spread his arms, and the thick tentacle-like red vines shot upward.


    However, instead of going after Ruin, which others believed Flos would do, the red vines darted away from the red pir of light and shot straight at Cyneah and Ste.


    On the other hand, Kyran also moved when he sensed Flos was about to make a move. He warped at a reasonable distance in front of Ste and Cyneah while simultaneously taking out the two ck swords. He wielded the sword and shed at the iing red vines.


    ''True Void!'' he called yet again and willed True Void to turn into a huge Void Armor.


    [Ack! You and your poor imagination!]


    True Voidined. However,pared to turning into the Macabre cier, he preferred turning into an armor. Besides, now that he was in his real body, he did not have to be stingy in size!


    Lines appeared on the surface of True Void''s Macabre cier body, and in a blink of an eye, these lines turned into several millions of cubes that shifted and whirred, rearranging themselves before finally turning into a Void Armor.


    However, this time, True Void looked more majestic with a huge frame, and his color was in different shades of purple¡ª with dark purple being his body''s dominant color.


    Previously, his color had been dark blue and purple in his miniature armor form because that was the shape-shifting tes'' color.


    Before True Voidpleted his transformation, he already initiated a warp. He disappeared and reappeared right below the space distortion.


    As soon as he appeared, he spread his hands, and a Void vortex began to form right above his huge palms. He then raised them toward the distortion, and a powerful repelling force started between them.


    Cade, who had stopped in his tracks after Ruin''s arrival, felt a chill run down his spine when he sensed the magic fluctuation forming from the Void vortex and the Space distortion.


    Because he had received Azaloth''s inheritance, Cade was now far more insightful in observing the magic energies in the surroundings.


    Judging by the fluctuation that started to gather from the influence of the vortex and the distortion, the thin veil that separated the Human ne from the ''outside'' would be ripped apart. When that happened, a suction-like force would appear from that rip, and everything close to it would be pulled in!


    "Stop! You''re going to destroy the veil!" Cade warned True Void. He moved once more, wanting to stop thetter directly.


    Kyran, who had only sensed his father''s arrival, saw thetter rushing between True Void and the Space distortion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before he could shout out a warning, he sensed something was amiss from how the fluctuation gathered around True Void and the distortion. It did not take long for him to realize what would happen if True Void continued with what he was doing.


    ''True Void! Don''t destroy the distortion like that!''


    [What? What? Not destroyed the distortion like ''that''? What, that? I''m only nning to assimte and absorb the distortion into the vortex!]


    ''That''s what I meant about ''that''! Stop!''


    It was at that moment that Ruin spoke, and his words reverberated in the air, letting all of them hear him.


    "Ha~, even when I havee to help, you still like to ignore me. Now I''m getting a little pissed."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Ruin.


    Ruin immediately chuckled when he saw Kyran looking at him, "Got your attention there, huh? But toote."


    His expression suddenly turned grave as his magic pressure erupted. After that, a red pir of light shot down from the sky and aimed at the distortion in the sky.


    SHATTER!


    The distortion shattered instantly, and Obstruction spat out a mouthful of blood.


    After that, the shattered distortion actually opened a rift in the Human ne''s sky. It was only a small one, but it grew at an rming size in the blink of an eye as another red pir of light descended from the crack.


    True Void, who had stopped what he was doing after Kyran warned him, was shocked at this sudden turn of events. He immediately retreated because he knew what would happen when those rifts expanded to a certain size.


    However, even when he had already warped away, as soon as he reappeared, he realized a powerful suction force was pulling him back.


    Then, he noticed the rift had already grown and that a suction force started to suck everything within its vicinity.


    "We need to repair that rift!" Cade shouted as hended and buried his legs in the ground to prevent himself from getting sucked into the rift. He also summoned severalyers of his magic from underground and had them mp his feet in ce.


    Meanwhile, when Obstruction saw the rift, he was suddenly struck by an idea.


    "Flos!" He shouted as he telepathically conveyed his intent to Flos.


    Flos did not dally after hearing Obstruction''s intention. He immediately flew toward the rift and even let himself be sucked in.


    Kyran, who heard his father, immediately willed True Void to change form.


    But before thetter could change, a huge explosion urred on the rift.


    BOOM!


    Crackle! Crackle!


    It was then followed by crackling sounds as the ''veil'' that separated the Human ne''s sky from the outside crackled. Then a huge distortion urred as the powerful suction force of the rift intensified.


    The distortion looked like a huge vortex that sucked in everything around it.


    "Damn it!" Kyran gritted his teeth, and instead of turning True Void into something that could block the rift, he willed thetter to turn into a huge sword and let him pierce himself to the ground.


    "V-Void Halfling! What are you doing? Oi! Oi! Why are you taking my magic energy!" True Voidined as he realized his magic energy was leaving his body and rushing toward Kyran.


    It was quite a spectacle since Kyran''s location was opposite the suction force. Nevertheless, the rift failed to suck True Void''s magic energy.


    On the other hand, Kyrannded on the ground and roused his Void magic. He began to create a huge barricade to cover the rift.


    Cade also assisted him by reinforcing the barricade with his Obsidian magic.


    Ruin burst out inughter, seeing this scene.


    "Ah~, Obstruction. So this is how you n on ''obstructing'' my fun."


    "No. This is how I n onpleting our objective!"


    A distortion suddenly appeared behind Cyneah, who was barely conscious.


    Kyran, sensing this, felt his blood turn cold. He looked toward Cyneah and saw Obstruction appear from the distortion. With swift movements, he then pulled her into the distortion.


    Seeing this, Kyran could only turn to the person closest to Cyneah.


    "Ste!"


    However.


    Ste only watched Obstruction in silence.


    It was then that Kyran finally understood what Ste had told him earlier.


    She did not say those words because she had Cyneahe. She said those because of this moment.


    "I''m sorry."


    ''No.''


    Kyran''s mind went nk.

 Chapter 708 Aftermath (1)

    ''Please don''t me her....''


    Kyran heard a distant voice echo throughout the darkness.


    ''... I made my choice....''


    ''Who...?'' He tried to speak but heard no sounde out of his mouth.


    Still, he might have wanted to know who was speaking, but the truth, he found the voice familiar.


    ''I''m sorry, Nar.''


    When Kyran heard that name, his chest constricted, and a familiar irksome emotion came over him.


    ''It seems... I can no longer impose on that reward...''


    ''Reward? What reward...?'' Kyran asked, though he knew it was futile because his voice would note out.


    ''I had really hoped to see you at least once...''


    Suddenly, a blinding light filled Kyran''s perspective as several scenes ovepped before his mind''s eye.


    There was a scene of a shabby girl in the cave trying to w through a cave''s wall, looking like a squirming worm.


    Another scene showed the same girl, half-naked, with a body full of festering wounds.


    But another scene showed this girl fully groomed, looking very different from the young girl in the cave. She even looked radiant, and there was something about the way she smiled that left people wanting to stare at her.


    A few more scenes showing this girl, but seemingly growing beautiful each time, filled Kyran''s view.


    Then there was a scene where she appeared embarrassed, saying she wanted to ''see'' someone as her reward.


    By this time, Kyran''s muddled mind started to clear as the events that led him to wake in this darkness came crashing back on him.


    Ruin summoning a red pir of light that distracted Kyran...


    Cade shouting something while looking at the rift in the sky...


    The rift sucking in everything within its range...


    Ste looking on with an aggrieved expression...


    Finally, Obstruction appearing behind a half-conscious Cyneah....


    But then, Cyneah''s mouth slowly opened as she looked straight ahead while saying words that flowed into Kyran''s head.


    ''I''m sorry....''


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open.


    "Big brother Kyran!"


    Something round and heavy suddenly dropped on Kyran''s chest, making him yell in pain, "Argh!"


    "Kyra! Don''t do that! He''s still recovering!"


    A gentle voice, obviously from a young woman, scolded while lifting the round and heavy ''thing'' that dropped on Kyran.


    Kyran, still feeling somewhat disoriented, looked to his side while still lying on a bed.


    "But! He has been sleeping for days, and now, he is finally awake! Kyra wants to y with him!"


    In that instant, Kyran finally realized that the ''thing'' that fell on him was none other than Kyra, who was currently struggling out of Pheobe''s hold.


    ''Kyra... Sis Pheobe...'' Kyran could not help but blink at the two familiar faces that greeted him as he woke up.


    "How...?"


    Pheobe, hearing Kyran''s faint question, looked at him while still keeping Kyra in check.


    "Kyran? Have you truly regained¡ª ah! No, lie down first! I''ll tell the others you''re awake. Just rest and lie down."


    Pheobe said, getting flustered when Kyran tried to sit up.


    "I''m fine..." Kyran told her. However, the moment he forced his body up, he felt a sharp pain in his torso and even felt every bone in his body creak in protest.


    "Aahhh! Kyran''s dying again!" Kyra wailed in fright after seeing Kyran''splexion turn pale, and he fell back on the bed.


    "He''s not! Come, let''s call the others. Tell them, Kyran''s already awake."


    "B-but¡ª big brother is¡ª!"


    "Kyra...." Kyran called Kyra. However, he realized just saying her name put a great toll on his body. "


    "Big brother Kyran!" Kyra replied, looking at Kyran in concern.


    Kyran mustered all the strength he could and put on a smile before telling her, "I''m alright. Go with Sis Pheobe and find mother and father, okay?"


    Kyra pursed her lips. However, seeing that Kyran had asked her something that sounded like an important mission, she finally relented and said, "Okay. Please don''t die until wee back."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hush, what are you even saying?" Pheobe scolded Kyra while looking at Kyran apologetically.


    But Kyran only chuckled at Kyra''s words.


    "We''ll get the others," Pheobe said with a smile and left the room with a still-worried Kyra.


    As soon as the two left, Kyran''s expression turned serious. He then started to study how badly he was hurt while studying his surroundings.


    Kyran found himself in an unfamiliar room. He used his magic sense, probed the outside, and discovered he was inside a two-story building surrounded by makeshift tents.


    He frowned after sensing several injured people inside those tents, most of whom he did not know. Just like him, they were suffering from external and internal injuries.


    As Kyran expanded his probing, he finally found a few people he knew. But he was not happy about finding them in those tents. After all, they were injured, and some were even gravely injured.


    Kyran closed his eyes and tried to recall what happened before he cked out. However, no matter how hard he tried, he only recalled Cyneah''s apologetic smile and a fleeting ''I''m sorry.''


    Recalling the dream he just had, Kyran surprisingly did not feel any remorse. He even felt... light. Whether that was good or not, he did not know yet. However, one thing he was sure of was this feeling was ''bestowed'' on him, not his honest feeling.


    Kyran retracted his magic sense and took a deep breath. He had a feeling Cyneah was the one who bestowed this ''light and unremorseful'' feeling. He also believed that the dream he just had, was not a dream but something that happened between his conscious and unconscious state.


    Finally, Kyran could not erase the feeling that Cyneah was the one responsible for his sudden ''ckening-out,'' as well.


    How did she do it?


    Simple.


    Cyneah likely seeded in consuming not only the Macabre cier but also La or Haylee, who possessed the Soul core and had be the true Soul Emperor.


    If Soul magic was used without ill intent, it could actually affect Kyran even with the Void magic''s nature protecting him. That thought was quite terrifying. After all, Cyneah effortlessly willed Kyran to lose consciousness.


    If she were an enemy, that move could very well lead to Kyran''s doom.


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly at his strange thoughts. If whatever Cyneah bestowed upon him got lifted, he would not have such strange and random thoughts. He would have started wondering what went wrong. Or why did he not realize what Ste had meant much sooner? Then again, what could he do if he knew? Would he be able to stop Cyneah?


    Maybe.


    But then, he would probably not stand a chance once Flos and Obstruction went all out. Even if his father and True Void joined forces with him.


    Kyran thought this because Obstruction easily created an essence that fooled True Void. Thetter did not even realize he was already absorbing an essence. If Obstruction created more of those and had two or three of those handle him, his father, and True Void, respectively., there would probably not have a definite winner.


    They might even end up going for a battle of attrition.


    As for Flos''s area of effect attack that could easily poison several people at once would be effective when Kyran''s side was together. Thus, even if they gathered their elites to join in the battle, they would only get killed.


    There was also Ruin''s arrival and his unpredictable move.


    In the first ce, Cade and Kyran would not have been distracted by the rift in the sky if Ruin had not summoned that red pir of light.


    That particr move had been the breaking point.


    While Kyran was lost in his thoughts, the door to the room opened, and a few people entered.


    Rin led the crowd, followed by te, Malia, and finally, Ste.


    Kyran was not surprised his father was not among them. Thetter was probably busy dealing with the aftermath along with his grandfather.


    "Kyran," Rin started as they approached.


    Kyran mustered the strength he had recovered just now to sit. As he did, he saw Ste looking in his direction but avoiding his eyes.


    Recalling Ste had just watched Obstruction take Cyneah, Kyran could not me her attitude. She probably thought he was angry at her.


    In truth, Kyran did not know how he truly felt. At the moment, the only thing he could think of was Cyneah''s words telling him not to me Ste because she had made the decision.


    Kyran had not fully understood what Cyneah had meant. But she was probably talking about the whole situation and not only the part where Ste did nothing to stop Obstruction.


    "You don''t have to get up," te told Kyran. "Let us have a look at your wounds first."


    "I''m fine, godmother, Chairman Malia," Kyran assured them. "More importantly, please tell me what happened after I cked out."


    "That...."


    Rin, te, and Malia exchanged nces before looking toward Ste. Because, unlike them, she had been there when he cked out.


    Sensing their eyes on her, Ste sighed before finally looking at Kyran, "You really are a handful at times. Rather than asking what happened the moment you wake up, you should have asked us first how long you have been out, don''t you think?"


    Kyran smiled wryly, "Kyra already answered that bit."


    Seeing the smile on his face, Ste loosened a bit and smiled as well.


    "Fine. It may take some time, though. Have te and Malia check on your wounds first, then I will answer all your questions."


    "Alright," Kyran agreed at once.


    Truth be told, he already guessed that although there were many injured people outside, since there was no tension in his mother, godmother, and Malia''s faces meant, the battle had already ended.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to know how it happened.

 Chapter 709 Aftermath (2)

    Ste patiently narrated what happened after Kyran cked out while he listened in silence. All the while, his expression was unreadable even when she exined what happened after Obstruction pulled Cyneah into the vortex.


    te and Malia also listened intently because they were curious about how everything concluded.


    They were happy the conflict had ended. However, they wondered why there was no clear winner.


    In this battle, the ones at the center had been the Soul Emperor and the Void Master. However, most knew the one behind thetter was the empire''s emperor, Euan.


    The story went like this; the Soul Emperor used her position as the Crown Princess to mobilize the nobles and the Royal Army, while the Void Master¡ª with the decree given by the emperor¡ª gathered the rest of the empire''s factions¡ª Aureole, Conve, Temr Code, the Regis n¡ª to assist him in ''retaking''mand of the empire''s military.


    Ultimately, the Crown Princess escaped with her helpers outside the empire while the Emperor, along with a few of his subjects, went missing. There was even a rumor stating the Head Master of the Conve went missing with him.


    Most believed the war started because the Crown Princess initiated a coup d''¨¦tat, wanting to overthrow the Emperor because he wanted to change his sessor. While some believed the Crown Princess rebelled against her father because thetter wanted to demolish the nobility system.


    Of course, these were only the majority''s guesses. There has been no official announcement as of yet.


    Besides, unlike the masses, te and Malia knew the truth. Thus, they were curious as to what had truly happened.


    Especially in te''s case. Others could not see it, but she was devastated after hearing that the outsiders had taken her only apprentice, Cyneah. She had the urge to leave the Human ne and look for her. But since she did not know what truly happened, she was hesitant, especially when she found that Cyneah caused Kyran to ck out.


    If Cyneah truly did that, it meant she wanted to be taken. If not, why would she stop Kyran from making a move?


    On the other hand, Rin was the only one who had most of her attention on Kyran. He might be indifferent the whole time Ste exined what happened. But as his mother, Rin could sense the brewing chaos inside him. After all, the ''calm'' he felt right now was forced on him.


    Once that effect disappeared, what kind of emotion would erupt?


    It took Ste almost half an hour to exin everything. Though it seemed short, given there were so many points she had to exin, that was all it took because no one asked questions.


    Even when Ste was done, and te and Malia had doubts, no one voiced them. Not when the other party involved remained silent.


    Ultimately, te suggested letting Kyran rest while having Rin stay with him. Obviously, she also sensed the emotion that had yet toe out from her godson. Thus, she thought it best to have his mother stay.


    Rin knew her son best and would know how to handle the situation once his real emotions were released.


    Malia and Ste did not refute. They left obediently with te.


    When the threedies left, Rin sat on the bed to have a closer look at Kyran.


    Kyran knew why his godmother asked his mother to stay. And to be honest, he felt half-grateful and half-anxious about it.


    He was grateful te thought of letting his mother stay and help ''calm'' him down once Cyneah''s spell came undone. At the same time, he was anxious because he could almost guess the questions brewing inside his mother''s head.


    Even now, Kyran could practically see Rin''s eyes filled with curiosity as she studied his expression.


    Compared to his father, Kyran was definitely an amateur in acting indifferently in front of his mother. If Rin could easily spot Cade''s true intentions even when wearing a poker face, Kyran would seem like an open book.


    Nevertheless, because of Cyneah''s spell, Kyran''s real emotions were hard to read. But that did not stop Rin from trying.


    "And~...?"


    When he heard his mother''s sing-songy voice, Kyran suddenly felt cold sweat trickle down his back.


    "... Cyneah is that youngdy... Sisi, who te took as her apprentice, right? But I heard you call her Neah. That''s a rather cute pet name."


    Kyran could not help but groan inwardly. He did not expect a time woulde when his mother would grill him about a girl. Then again, this was the first time this happened, and she was obviously ecstatic about it.


    "It''s not a pet name...." Kyran started, but seeing his mother''s smiling face at the corner of his eye as he said this, he could not help but let out an exasperated sigh.


    "Tell me more about her," Rin asked after a short pause. "te said Nn kept insisting you kidnapped her. I did not expect you to be so bold. Zephyr said she was your first mistress. When I heard it, I was shocked. You already have two mistresses? Who is the second one?


    "You know, the Regis Family has always been monogamous, and that is perfectly fine with me. But the Ada Family did practice polygamy at some point.


    "That was after one of our ancestors was falsely charged, and the rest of our ancestors were forced to flee and hide because they were sentenced to death. Because most of our male ancestors were killed trying to let the rest escape, the wives they left behind were taken by the remaining few. Though those few were also married."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Judging by Rin''s story, she was talking about Can being falsely charged and the Ada Family, who was his mother''s side, were also forced to flee and hide after the Royal Family decreed the Ashton Family''s death.


    But this point was ignored by Kyran. As a matter of fact, he wanted nothing more but for the ground to swallow him whole.


    What was his mother even telling him? Monogamy? Polygamy? What had that got to do with the recent events?


    Did his mother say te and Zephyr told her these things?


    Those two... just what were they telling his family?


    It finally urred to Kyran that his decision to ignore Nn and Zephyr''s misconception about Cyneah and Ste was wrong. Now his mother thought he was some casanova!


    However, he was grateful to know how others were doing from this seemingly out-of-the-blue conversation. Though he was not happy about the fact they were gossiping about him!


    Rin paused and smiled gently after seeing the disgruntled expression slowly appear on her son''s face. Honestly, she had been worried all this time they reunited after so many months.


    Few Regis members noticed anything different, but Rin immediately sensed the changes in Kyran. It was not only about his physique but also his mentality. She also knew that although they had only been separated for a few months, Kyran had endured the situation of his n for years.


    It was not foresight that made Rin see through these things but a link she possessed.


    In any case, after Rin learned her son was experiencing something a teenager would, she was ecstatic. Besides, topics about the heart were truly a rare dish for a mother to partake in, especially when it involved their son!


    "Mother...," Kyran started. However, he did not know how to refute her, so he could only start but did not know how to proceed.


    Seeing Kyran at a loss for words, Rin chuckled and leaned sideways, resting her head on his shoulder and linking one arm to his.


    "For her spell to work wonders even with the nature of your magic could typically counter such spells meant how much you have your guard lowered around her."


    The sudden shift in their conversation took Kyran by surprise. Then again, this had been their conversation from the start, and Rin was the one who got sidetracked.


    ...


    That was not entirely correct.


    Rin did not get sidetracked. She forced the conversation in that direction to let Kyran rx a bit. Though the topic she chose was not one bit rxing, in Kyran''s opinion, it did help divert his attention a little.


    "Hm," Kyran grunted a soft reply.


    Rin smiled at his son''s subtle acknowledgment of how important Cyneah was. After all, Kyran would only let down his guard to people who he cared about.


    "Once the spell is lifted, I don''t want you to brood over everything alone. Talk to us... talk to... Nn. You see, he mes himself for letting Ruin enter the ne. He was convinced that if Ruin did not cause that rift to appear, you and Cade would have been able to protect Sisi."


    Kyran was surprised to hear his mother talk about Nn. He asked, "Did Nne?"


    Rin shook her head.


    "No. I sensed his thoughts. I''m sorry I could not introduce you two properly. His... disappearance had been hard for me. Apart from that, we had to act as if he was already dead, or the Royal Family would continue to pursue the matter."


    Kyran did not respond, but he nodded his head in consent. He already guessed as much.


    "Your uncle and I are twins. Identical twins... Most believed that identical twins could only be of the same gender, and if they were different, one would not be ''normal.'' As you can see, we are beyond normal, so I suppose that holds half true."


    Kyran chuckled despite himself.


    "You can say we split the ''not normal attribute'' of identical twins and became something beyond normal in our own right.


    "I have a very strange rtionship... almost creepy¡ª as others phrased it¡ª with the Spirits, while Nn has a gift of Runes. Thus, we are genuinely beyond normal identical twins.


    "What''s more, we also have a special link. Your uncle would never admit it, nor would he be caught dead using it, but we can be connected through an empathylink."


    Rin leaned back and smiled at Kyran before saying, "That is how I know he found you and took you to the Tower of Tribtions."

 Chapter 710 Aftermath (3)

    This was the first time Kyran heard this. But thinking back on how confident Nn had been when telling him the Regis n was safe during the first few days they were on the run, it could only be through the empathy link.


    He likely used his link with Rin to check how she was. Obviously, if Rin was okay, then the Regis n was too.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Rin chuckled and shook her head, "No. As I said, he would never be caught dead using it. Besides, he did not know how to use it well. When we barricaded ourselves inside the estate, your father also included array forms that could counter such abilities.


    "He did this not because he think there was a spy in the n, but because there was no telling if our enemies would find a way to use other ''beings'' to enter the walls with such abilities."


    "Because the forms father used in his Array only worked on people and beasts in the Human ne."


    Rin could not help but smile at Kyran. He would not have understood what she meant if this were in the past.


    "Yes. As a matter of fact, if the Sovereign of Savagery was familiar with runes used in the Human ne, she would have realized this w and used one of her summon beasts that could counter the formation''s effect. But your father was smart enough to use pure Human runes to ensure no outsiders could decipher them. He also ced random and incoherent runes to throw off human Array Specialists wanting to decipher the formation."


    Kyran smiled wryly at his mother''s words. It was true he found strange runes when he saw a replica of his father''s array during the Array Competition. In the end, he ignored those thinking they were meant to confuse the enemy.


    He was right.


    "In any case, although such abilities are not allowed, I can use them because of my connection to the Spirit World."


    "Because the Spirit World is not affected by the magicws of the Human ne. The Array would not trigger even if the formation were channelled into their world."


    "Your Array and Magic knowledge have improved, you make me proud."


    Kyran tried not to feel embarrassed by his mother''s praise but failed miserably when his face turned slightly red.


    "Where is Nn right now?" He asked, steering the topic back on track. He wanted to talk to him because there were a lot of things they had to discuss.


    "He and your father had to meet with Empress I. They are doing what they can to clean up the loose ends because of the war."


    Kyran fell silent again as he was reminded of this.


    Ste did say Euan, Malek, and a few others went missing before La made a surprise attack in Ravenpass.


    Apparently, several rifts appeared in different parts of the Human ne when Azaloth''s Cradle started to lose its effect. Although these rifts were fixed as soon as Nn seeded Azaloth, if Euan, Malek, and the missing others identally entered these rifts, their closing meant they were trapped inside.


    This was only their spection, but there were traces of an open rift close to where Ravenpass used to be. If this were the case, finding them would be a real task.


    ''But not impossible,'' Kyran thought, already thinking of ways to study the Void''s ''warp'' ability further.


    Rin studied Kyran and knew he was starting to go off into his own world. He might not show it, but he was definitely concerned about the things Ste had said.


    "Did I not tell you not to brood on things alone?"


    "I''m not brooding," Kyran denied with a slight frown.


    "You are," Rin insisted with pursed lips. She continued before Kyran could protest, "Things are a little chaotic. We managed to contain news of the war, but the nearby states noticed the Royal Army stationed at the borders had left their post. A few army members stayed at the borders, but the neighbouring states still mobilized their armies."


    Rin sighed, refusing to imagine what would happen if the nearby states decided to wage war against the Ylfaen Empire. At the moment, every faction in the empire was spent. It would be impossible for them to protect the empire without sacrificing many of their people.


    "Putting the matter of the neighbouring states'' movement aside, let''s talk about Sisi."


    Kyran remained silent. He knew his mother said that not because she was curious about what was ''between'' them¡ª because there was nothing. Rin likely said that because of what happened right after Obstruction pulled Cyneah into the vortex.


    "I don''t think what Sisi had done is meant as a for the better good. Instead, I think it was her way of breaking free of the shackles that bound her to her fate."


    She paused and looked at Kyran meaningfully before continuing, "From what te told me, her childhood was not particrly good. She was the Crown Princess, however, all the privileges she was supposed to have were stripped from her at an early age. She did not even remember her real identity.


    "White Lily told me it was her who performed the switch. Do you know why she did that?"


    Kyran did not answer at once. First, he gathered his thoughts before replying carefully.


    "Initially, I had thought White Lily did that to prevent N-Neah from awakening her Soul Core," Kyran stuttered at Cyneah''s name when he saw his mother''s smile change slightly. He cleared his throat and continued, "But Neah did not possess a magic core. How would she awaken a Soul core?"


    "I heard about Sisi''s magic core from te. She did find it strange that she could use magic without one," Rin agreed. "But you already know why she did not have a magic core, right?"


    Kyran nodded, "Neah did have one, but White Lily used it as a medium to create her essence. Everyone was also convinced Haylee was real because she had Neah''s magic core."


    In any case, Kyran found White Lily''s move strange.


    Why bother creating an essence with a magic core? Did she think cing a magic core inside an essence was okay because it could not form a Soul core?


    "Then there was Ames," Kyran continued, remembering how she told them the First Soul Emperor was still alive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "When she told us the First Soul Emperor is still alive, I thought that maybe White Lily knew the First Soul Emperor, La, was alive and intended for her to transfer her Soul core to Haylee. By doing this, she plotted to trap her in Neah''s essence."


    Rin nodded in agreement, "I agree. Because of La was only using an essence to hold her Soul core, she could barely use magic. If not, she would have already started amassing her immortal army, and we might not stand a chance against her."


    Kyran was surprised that his mother was well-informed about La. Then again, the battle had ended a few days ago. She probably met with the rest and exchanged information.


    Nevertheless, some of the things that Kyran knew were likely not mentioned. Especially when True Void had also fallen asleep after the battle.


    Kyran lowered his head in contemtion. Though his mother was well-informed, there were still things she did not know that only Kyran knew.


    True Void also knew those things, but Ste said he had fallen asleep right after the battle. He did do something big as soon as Kyran fell unconscious.


    "There is another thing... I don''t think White Lily came up with that n."


    Rin remained silent and waited for Kyran to exin.


    "True Void, and I came up with a theory...."


    Kyran briefly told Rin about their suspicion that Can and Zane had nned everything. He also told her that the First Time Keeper had tried to change the events that happened in the past to save Can.


    Ultimately, Can to still chose death.


    Rin furrowed her brows and absorbed the things Kyran said for a moment. Then she said, "I never expected the First Time Keeper and our ancestors to have done something that big just to prepare for this moment."


    "I still don''t know their whole n, but the First Time Keeper said I''ve done things that diverged from their scenario. She did not know what the consequences were because of what I did... but Ste...," Kyran paused momentarily before saying with a slight frown, "... she also looked into the future."


    He then recalled what she had said before Cyneah appeared.


    "I think what Neah did that day was a turning point. It did not happen in any future Ste had seen."


    "Which converged to what I mentioned about Sisi trying to break free from the shackles of her fate."


    Kyran nodded.


    "Still, I think this part is something Can had anticipated."


    "Why did you think that?"


    "I only have a guess," Kyran admitted. "I initially thought White Lily intended for Neah to die. And that she created an essence to rece her so the Winfrey Family would not be rmed. Because if they did, they would try to find Neah no matter what.


    "But then I began to think that maybe, White Lily¡ª or, to be urate¡ª Can, nned for Neah to grow up in a different environment.


    "An environment away from the influence of the Winfrey Family."


    Kyran''s guess was not without basis. He thought this when he recalled how Cyneah would talk about her mother as if thetter did love and care for her. Unfortunately, she died, and Cyneah was left to suffer.


    Rin''s expression lit up as she realized what Kyran was trying to say.


    "Are you saying they staged all that so Sisi would not be influenced by La the moment she took the Soul core?"


    Kyran nodded.


    "It is simr to how Father sealed my Void core. Because it was sealed for a long time, I don''t get affected when Can''s will surfaces from it."


    "It would prevent La frompletely taking over Sisi''s body."


    "Yes. I''ve witnessed how Ste got affected by the First Time Keeper because she had the Time core for a long time. Thetter even managed to take over her body when Ste had fallen into a deep sleep."


    "Could it be that Can hoped for Sisi to contain La''s will?"


    "Maybe. Maybe not."


    Rin let out a sigh, feeling overwhelmed by this.


    "I diverged from Can and Zane''s scenario because I don''t get influenced by their will. Now, Neah was the same."


    "Do you think Can and Zane hoped for this to happen? Because if you and Sisi would not be influenced by your predecessor''s will, then maybe... the future Ste had witnessed could truly change."


    Kyran did not respond. However, he felt it could be the truth.

 Chapter 711 Aftermath (4)

    Kyran and Rin talked for a couple of hours, mainly with thetter asking questions about anything and everything under the sun. It was not until Pheobe arrived that Rin was forced to leave Kyran to rest.


    Apparently, Patriarch Aron had returned from a meeting with the Aureole and Temr Code leaders, and it was not going smoothly. The Aureole demanded a female leader from the Regis n present during the meeting, while the Temr Code leaders¡ª apart from Tritus¡ª demanded an exnation as to why their faction suddenly became a subsidiary of the Regis n.


    Truth be told, Aron never said anything about subsidizing the Temr Code. It was Tritus who announced it at the start of the meeting, causing his subordinates to rage.


    On the other hand, the Aureole leaders were calm. But when a leader from the Temr Code tried to goad them by asking if they had fallen to the point of submitting themselves to a fallen n like the Regis.


    However, Lauren ignored that leader and only looked at Aron and demanded to meet a female leader of their n.


    In the end, Aron decided to reconvene after a few days. He also advised Tritus to exin the actual status of cooperation between their side to his people and not exaggerate it.


    s, Tritus only replied with a:


    "I have sworn loyalty to your grandson. My life is his for the taking. There is nothing else to exin to my people."


    Tritus''s words just fueled the fire in the hearts of the Temr Code leaders. Even Reuben and Max were at a loss for words. And that spoke volumes, especially when thetter was a man of few words!


    After that, Aron returned to the makeshift camp for all their wounded people outside the estate''s Inner Walls because Rin had stayed there to help the Conve alchemists and Solum Tribe tend to the wounded.


    Just when Kyran thought he would have time alone to sort his thoughts after Rin left, Kyra and the other little ones from the Regis n arrived. The room was too small for everyone to squeeze in, so it took a couple of hours for everyone to see him.


    Kyran felt mixed emotions upon seeing all of them. All the things he endured outside the n were to save them. Seeing them allughing freely and looking excited, albeit a little ragged, had all been worth the journey Kyran endured.


    But when the older kids finally ushered them to leave and let Kyran rest, he was once again left feeling¡ª empty.


    As soon as Kyran realized this, he knew the spell Cyneah had put on him was finally lifted.


    This took Kyran by surprise. He had imagined feeling betrayed or annoyed at what Cyneah had done. The least he expected was to feel empty.


    Kyran rested his back on the pillows as he gazed toward the open windows. The night had already fallen, and stars filled up the night sky.


    They looked very beautiful. At the same time, it appeared as if they were mocking them with their beauty. After all, the war had just ended, and many people had suffered.


    While looking outside, Kyran could hear faint peals ofughter from a distance. Even without using his magic sense, he could almost see those who had either recovered or were still recovering but could already move around, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the night.


    ''Right,'' Kyran thought as a wry smile appeared on his face. ''They may have suffered, but that won''t stop them from having fun on a night like this.''


    "F*ck, look at you. Your eyes are like a dead fish."


    A familiar deep voice suddenly spoke.


    Ignoring the speaker''s teasing tone, Kyran replied, "They''re not as dead as yours."


    He then looked toward the door as a ck mist dispersed, revealing Nn.


    Just as Kyran had said, Nn''s eyes were not that better. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he seemed to have aged since thest time they saw each other.


    Nn snorted in response. Then he waved his hand and conjured ck particles around him. The particles converged and turned into a ck chair, where he sat down while saying, "Do you me me for your mistress''s departure?"


    Kyran could not help but raise his brows at him. He had thought Nn was about to go serious until thatst bit.


    Until when would he keep on calling Cyneah his mistress?


    Nn looked at the window pretending to be fascinated by the night sky when Kyran did not respond.


    "It was me who allowed Ruin to enter the ne."


    "Yeah, mother told me."


    Nn''s brow twitched slightly at the mention of Rin. But he kept on an indifferent expression.


    "I see. She must have told you to beat the sh*t out of me. Because I almost risked Cade from destroying his magic core again."


    Kyran smiled wryly before looking out the window as well.


    "Ste did say father was the one who fixed the rift all by himself after I cked out."


    Nn nodded.


    "Always the hero, that Cade. Did he really think I would not notice the rift? As soon as I sensed it I stopped it from expanding."


    True to what Nn said, the rift did stop expanding even before Kyran cked out. The only reason it had be troublesome was the pulling force that came with it. That force was like a vacuum that sucked in everything within its range.


    "Putting that aside, that True Void pulled a good one to the ne''s veil when he summoned that ck hole. Even now, the ne''s veil is damaged. I can barely keep it together with my magic sense," Nnined.


    Kyran chuckled in spite of himself.


    Ste also said that about True Void. That was why he had fallen asleep soon after. Kyran guessed he probably exhausted all his magic energy to pull that off.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As to why True Void summoned that ck hole, it was to stop Ruin from taking Kyran while also trying to stop Obstruction from leaving through the vortex with Cyneah.


    However, the ne could not handle the ck hole and ripped the veil apart, causing several fissures that led to who knew where to appear.


    Then Cyneah took that chance to break free from Obstruction and released the Macabre cier.


    Ruin was rendered paralyzed as soon as his image was reflected into the Macabre cier''s surface. The escaping Flos and Obstruction were also reflected on it.


    While in a paralyzed state, they were sucked into the fissure close to them, with their status unknown.


    At that time, Cade had only stabilized the rift. Just when he thought his image would also be reflected on the Macabre cier, it released a blinding light and ''ate'' the ck hole and almost all the scattered fissures in the sky. At the same time, it spat out several white orbs that flew in one direction.


    When True Void saw the direction at which these white orbs had flown to, he realized they were leading to where he had hidden the bodies of the members from the Army, Conve and the Regis.


    It seemed, Cyneah willed the Macabre cier to release the souls it had taken. But topensate for the magic energy it had lost it took in True Void''s ck hole, which was created from his magic energy.


    After that, Cyneah entered the only fissure the Macabre cier did not eat, and left on her own ord.


    It was unknown if she had followed Flos and Obstruction, but Ste remembered that fissure was where Flos got thrown in.


    When Kyran heard this earlier, he did not feel anything. But now that Cyneah''s spell was gone, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and his brow furrowed slightly.


    As if sensing a change in Kyran''s mood, Nn looked at him. If this had been any other time, he would have teased Kyran. However, Nn was sensible enough not to joke on what happened.


    To be honest, Nn believed Cyneah''s decision to leave the Human ne was not the best move but necessary.


    There was no telling when La''s will could win over Cyneah. When that happened, Nn knew Kyran would hesitate to hurt her.


    Thus, leaving the Human ne and go as far away from Kyran as possible was necessary.


    Nn did not know if a time woulde where Cyneah could master the Soul core without La''s will interfering. But whether she seed or not, was no longer their main concern. After all, they did not know where the fissure led her.


    For all they knew, she might have fallen into a barren ne. If that was the case, her survival was not guaranteed.


    Kyran also knew this. That was why he was in pain. He was worried about Cyneah.


    For most of her life, she only ever experienced pain and sufferings. The only respite she had was when Kyran found her and ''reluctantly'' saved her.


    Now that he remembered how he wanted to push the responsibility to Byron in finding a ce for Cyneah, Kyran felt ashamed.


    Then again, he never expected she would be someone very important to him.


    Nn left Kyran to his own thoughts for a moment. When he saw a change in thetter''s eyes, he finally broke the silence and said, "Cade and Empress I will gather all Array Specialists in the empire to create an Array formation that would allow us to enter other nes."


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie as soon as he heard this. He looked at Nn, obviously interested.


    "Euan, Malek and those members of the Conve and the Army are out there. We decided to look for them. It will be hard because as far as I know, the only one capable of doing this is that Tower.


    "Unfortunately, we can''t use that tower''s system since it required one to undergo training. Besides, as long as that person''s objective that aligned with the tower''s training has been achieved, he would be transported back.


    "Keeping this in mind, you understand howplex this formation will be, right?"


    Kyran nodded.


    "One factor to consider in that formation is the Void magic''s warp ability," he supposed.


    Nn smiled, "That''s right. Such a thing would not be possible before. You know why right?"


    "Because no one else knew about Void runes," Kyran replied with a wry smile. "Another thing we have to consider is gathering information on the magic wavelengths of each nes. These wavelengths will serve as the coordinates when using the formation."


    The smile on Nn''s face froze after hearing Kyran spout his ideas on the warp formation. If it had been in the past, he would only show a nk expression, hiding the fact he did not understand what Nn was saying.


    That was no longer the case. It actually made Nn sad!


    "Right, right," Nn cleared his throat. "You can save your enthusiasm to when we meet with the rest. Let''s talk about an urgent matter first."


    "What?"


    "Revealing to the public about your magic."


    Kyran blinked. Only then did he remembered apart from their people, no one knew he was the new Void Master, also known as the Dark Sage!


    This reminder immediately gave Kyran terrible headache.


    How were they going to reveal his identity without causing mass panic?

 Chapter 712 Meeting Again (1)

    "There is another thing you need to know," Nn continued, not giving Kyran time to dwell on the matter of revealing his identity to the public.


    Kyran looked at him apprehensively and asked, "If its going to give me another headache, can I hear it tomorrow?"


    Nn only raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Someone wants to meet with you. He said you know him."


    Kyran raised his brows questioningly, "Who?"


    "You think I''d bother to ask?" Nn snorted.


    Kyran stared nkly at him.


    Typical of Nn not to care about the ''details.''


    "He mentioned one of his colleagues came to visit but that the meeting did not go well. Now he asked to meet in person."


    After hearing this, Kyran instantly thought of Loar. He then recalled a Sovereign of Dusk that appeared before them while they were on their way to the Regis Estate.


    "Loar."


    "You know the guy?"


    Kyran gave him a deadpan look, "Didn''t you just say you did not know who he was?"


    "I never said that. I only said, ''You think I''d bother to ask?''."


    Kyran finally remembered that Nn had trouble remembering people''s faces. He probably forgot Loar''s name too! Then again, Loar was now a Sovereign. He probably introduced himself using his Sovereign title and not Loar.


    In any case, Kyran made a mental note not to trust Nn with socialities. He was likely to draw more enemies than allies if he did.


    "What did you tell him?"


    "To go f*ck himself off."


    "I''m serious."


    "I am, too."


    Kyran sighed in his heart. It seemed like they were back to the first time they had met.


    "What did he say then?"


    "He would if he can. But he was busy."


    ...


    Kyran could not help but chuckle. He remembered Loar was very serious about his creations, but he was a pretty chill guy. Nn was probably rendered speechless when Loar replied like that.


    Wait.


    Why was Nn answering all his questions? Though his answers sounded like smart-ass responses, he was properly answering them.


    ''Could it be...?''


    Kyran subtly used his magic sense to scan his surroundings and immediately noticed a familiar presence nearby.


    Judging by that person''s unmoving state, that person was likely listening in on them.


    Kyran smiled wryly.


    No wonder Nn was responsive even though he was being aplete ass. It was because of that person''s presence.


    Obviously, Kyran was referring to his mother.


    Rin was likely there to check on him before leaving with Aron. But she did not go in because she sensed Nn was inside.


    It made Kyran wonder if the two had not met face-to-face now that things had settled. Now that he thought of it, when Nn mentioned Rin''s reaction earlier, it did sound like they had not met yet.


    But Nn already met with his father, so why wouldn''t he meet his mother?


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Nn scowled at him and said, "Just think about what I said. Don''t think of other things you''re not supposed to."


    Kyran only raised his brows in response. Obviously, thetter part was basically telling him not to poke his nose where it shouldn''t.


    "I told that guy I''d pass on his message. If you want to meet, I''ll let him know."


    "You have a way to contact him?"


    "Unfortunately," Nn replied, sighing in resignation. He paused after remembering something and added, "Here." He threw a dark blue cube to Kyran before saying, "When you''ve thought it through, use that to contact me."


    Then he added with a mischievous smile, "Don''t worry. That cube would only recognize your magic signature. It will not work if others use it."


    Kyran knew that thest bit was not meant for him but for his mother.


    "Do you really have to go to such lengths just to avoid her¡ª?"


    "I''m leaving."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before Kyran could even finish his question, Nn already left.


    ck particles enveloped him, and he disappeared the moment they dispersed.


    "He really is a handful," Rin said as she entered the room.


    Kyran looked at her with a wry smile.


    Rin returned his smile and said, "He''s always been like that. Whenever he did something he knew I''d be disappointed, he''d sulk by himself and disappear for some time. Of course, I knew where he was hiding or what he was doing, but I never went to find him."


    "Did he evere around?" Kyran asked. He was curious why Nn estranged himself from his family when Rin clearly did not want that. "Before?"


    Rin chuckled, "Cade, your father, was the one who beat some senses on him before¡ª until te came."


    "Right," Kyran smiled, recalling how Nn had little to zero resistance whenever te''s involved. He had witnessed this when they were still living together in the cottage.


    The sudden reminder of that time left a bitter smile on Kyran. He did not mean to, but he wondered where Cyneah had gone and how she was now.


    Rin did not need to ask to know what Kyran was thinking. She then asked the most crucial question.


    "What do you n to do?"


    Kyran did not reply at once. He was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I''m sorry, mother."


    Rin smiled at his answer. She closed her eyes without asking why he was sorry and said, "Do what you must. Just know, your home will always be here."


    Kyran only smiled in response.


    A couple of dayster, when Kyran fully recovered, he decided to attend to the things he had deliberately neglected.


    One of them had been the reveal of his identity. There was nothing much to say on this matter. After what had happened, there were spections about who the emperor hadmanded to stop the Crown Princess''s ploy.


    Most were convinced that person was from the Regis n. There were even some spections that Patriarch Aron and Emperor Euan had been in contact before the Crown Princess staged a coup.


    A gossip even surfaced about Euan''s n to marry off Haylee to the Regis Family''s young master. Because of this, many wanted to know more about thetter.


    Kyran''s photo from when he was still in military school even surfaced. Some of his achievements were also leaked. The leak did note from the school but from those schoolmates¡ª even ssmates of Kyran.


    When Kyran''s profile picture was leaked, another rumor surfaced.


    It was about the highest bounty reward ever issued to the Mercenary Hall.


    When this rumor surfaced, the Mercenary Hall immediately denied it.


    Still, some people managed to get their hands on the bounty poster before the Conve could destroy them.


    When the bounty poster was leaked, many questioned the real story of what happened.


    Another piece of information surfaced from those who witnessed the attack in Noser.


    Some witnesses imed to have seen legendary beasts controlled by a ck man. When this information appeared, they began to look at the Regis n with doubtful eyes. After all, they were the only ones capable of taming beasts in the whole empire.


    Many spections appeared, but none could provide a definite conclusion. In the end, the mass directed these questions to the Royal Family and the Regis n.


    Because of this, Kyran decided to meet with Empress Iulia. From what he was told and what he had gathered, his father and grandfather had not told her anything about the truth.


    They only told her about superficial things like Haylee being controlled by the First Soul Emperor and how outsiders worked with her. They never told her about the most important things.


    As for how Euan realized this, Aron only told Iulia that someone from the army leaked information to him, and after confirming the im''s authenticity, he decided to act.


    "Meeting the Empress is the first step," Pheobe was saying while Kyran was deep in thought.


    The two were inside a carriage, going to the pce.


    Kyran could have warped there, but he did not want to rm Iulia, especially when she was under so much pressure. Not to mention, she was also pregnant.


    Apart from Pheobe, there were two Regis Elders with them.


    "Yes," Kyran nodded his head. "We can''t announce anything without the Royal Family in the picture."


    Pheobe looked at him in confusion, "Is it because the Royal Family is the empire''s ruler?"


    "No," Kyran replied while shaking his head. "We can''t even say Empress Iulia is part of the Royal Family. She is neither a Winfrey nor an Arthall. The only thing she has right now is the position of Emperor Euan''s wife.


    "Because of this, she is still considered part of the Royal Family."


    "So, why do we need the Royal Family in the picture?"


    "It is because the people will only listen to what the Royal Family would say."


    The one who answered was Abe, the elder in-charged of the Regis n''s nning during wartime.


    "Although our n has a good reputation, with all the rumors going around, it will be difficult to assure the mass," Zeniff, the elder handling the Regis n''s field operations team, also supplied.

 Chapter 713 Meeting Again (2)

    Kyran felt his head throb at Zeniff''s reminder of the Regis n''s current status in the empire.


    It was truly frightening how one rumor could sway the mass. The war was not evenrge, and most confrontations happened within the territories of involved factions. Because of this, the majority of the citizens were not affected.


    Nevertheless, those with rtives in ces that had not been affected by the war heard what happened from them, fueling the rumors that hold half truth and half exaggeration.


    Sensing Kyran''s apprehension, the three people with him exchanged nces and shared wry smiles.


    They could not me the majority for heeding those rumors because they had been in seclusion for a very long time. The people that truly believed in the Regis n''s moral standards were already old or dead. Their voices were too softpared to the current generationprising most of the empire''s citizens.


    "There is no point in dwelling on what the rumors say about us," Abe began, trying to lighten the mood. "Just as the ancients had once said, ''Actions speak louder than words.'' We''ll just have to prove that the morality of the Regis n remains the same."


    Kyran did not respond. However, he thought of another saying that went like this: ''Change is the only constant thing in the world.''


    "Putting the matter of the n''s reputation aside, you haven''t told us how you n to go about this trip," Abe continued when Kyran did not respond.


    Kyran''s silence did not offend Abe because he and the rest of the Regis Family were already used to his behavior.


    Whenever Kyran was deep in thought or interested in something, he forgot everything around him. He even forgot to eat for days because he was so absorbed in his studies.


    Ste had bore witness to this back when Kyran was absorbed in reading books about the empire''s history, magic, and more.


    "That''s because there is no n," Kyran replied with a shrug. Then he leaned on his seat before looking out the window.


    "No n?" Abe could not help but frown at this. As the elder who was in-charged of nning for the Regis n when emergencies, public rtions, and even war happened, Kyran''s words were like a huge stake piercing his head.


    "We''ll just talk," Kyran replied.


    "Err," Pheobe stammered. "I know my task this time is to apany you three and introduce you to Empress Iulia because I had the opportunity to meet her while I was still an apprentice mage. But... I don''t think she will talk to us."


    She paused before rephrasing, "I don''t mean she will ignore us, but that those people around her will probably not agree to have her entertain our visit."


    Those people Pheobe spoke of were the ministers of the Royal Court. Every minister of the court represents a noble family.


    Zeniff frowned slightly, "Why not? We are considered the Regis n''s envoys. Master Cade had met with the empress previously. And as far as we are concerned, we are under a partnership because he is leading the team that would look for the emperor and the others. Why would the ministers not allow us to talk to her?"


    "Well..." Pheobe hesitated. But the truth, when she met the empress before, the ministers around her had been strict. Pheobe even sensed that Empress Iulia''s every word was being monitored.


    "As I said, she is not a Winfrey nor an Arthall," Kyran was the one who answered. "Those who are truly in charge right now are those ministers. Empress Iulia only had a say in the matter of Emperor Euan because of her position.


    "But think of it, did the Empress say the Royal Family will only focus on searching for the Emperor?"


    "No," Abe and Pheobe replied with a slight shake of their heads.


    Zeniff also shook his head in response.


    "They said they would do everything to find the emperor and all the missing people because of the war."


    "Though they did not say anything outright, they hinted that the Crown Princess is also included in those ''missing people.'' They did this to appease the public''s concern regarding the rumor that the conflict between the Crown Princess and the Emperor was due to him wanting to change sessor."


    Abe nodded, agreeing with what Kyran had said.


    Zeniff could not help but frown. He also knew about this, but he found the motive of the empire''s ministers in searching for the Crown Princess very suspicious.


    "I thought so, too," Kyran agreed, seeing Zeniff''s disbelieving expression. "The Crown Princess might have left, and her loyal supporters detained, but there might still be others hiding in the Royal Court."


    What Kyran had said was true. There were also ministers detained because their families had supported the Crown Princess. Because of this, only a few ministers were left in the court.


    Nevertheless, that did not mean the remaining ministers were clean. Who knew if there were still a few secretly supporting the Crown Princess? What would be their real motive for having Iulia appear ''familial'' toward the ''viin'' of the recent war?


    Then again, the reason behind the coup had not been revealed. And the ministers were likely building up a good story to ensure the Royal Family would remain a ''perfect family'' in the eyes of its people.


    How would they do that? Obviously, they would use the excuse that the Crown Princess was ''manipted against her will.'' Regardless of what they came up with, the fact they were keen on searching for the Crown Princess as well was suspicious enough.


    "In any case, I don''t care what those ministers say or do. We''ll meet the empress, and I''ll talk to her."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You sound confident, although you said there is no n. But I can''t help but think you do have a n."


    Kyran shook his head, "I really don''t. I just know Iulia will not ignore me."


    "If there are still people of the Crown Princess among the ministers. They will know about you," Pheobe reminded him.


    Kyran chuckled after recalling something and said, "When Haylee saw me, she did not even recognize me. Why would her people be any different?"


    "Not recognize you?"


    "Apparently I look very different from my picture circting in the empire."


    This reminder instantly made themugh.


    True. Kyran was unrecognizable from the one on his bounty poster.


    "In any case, they will not know who I am. They will not let down their guard, but at least they will not be rmed."


    "Fair enough."


    "But that did not answer why you sounded confident Empress Iulia would meet with us."


    "You probably don''t know, but Iulia is not that ''weak,''" Kyran answered Pheobe. He turned his attention back to the window before adding, "When she needs to act in control, those ministers will not be able to stop her."


    Understanding the hidden truth behind Kyran''s words, the three were shocked.


    "Is it true?" Abe asked in amazement.


    "Yeah," Kyran replied with a smile. "Even I failed to sense what her true level is."


    Kyran hinted that Iulia''s mage level was far higher than the ministers.


    "Even you ''failed to sense'' her level....?" Pheobe repeated, looking incredulously at Kyran. "Have you met the Empress before?"


    Before Kyran could respond, the town outside the Royal Pce had already appeared in view.


    "We''re here," he said.


    Pheobe sighed inwardly. It was obvious Kyran did not want to tell them.


    As for Abe and Zeniff, they remembered a few things they had heard from the Lord of the Tower and shook their head inwardly.


    They felt Kyran wanted to avoid talking about how he met the empress and ''who'' he had been at the time. His identity was a little special. After all, he made a lot of noise in Starhorn during that time.


    In any case, few knew that Kyran had been Disciple Tyr, even among the Regis n.


    They did not want this to be made public after the Courtenay Family revealed that ''Tyr'' looked very simr to the missing young ruler of a neighboring nation. Who knew what it would entail if ''Tyr''s'' photo was leaked? Not to mention all the things he had done, especially those puppets!


    After a few minutes, the carriage finally arrived in front of the pce.


    There was a Royal Guard who announced their arrival before the head servant led them inside.


    "Apologies for theck of greeting. Currently, the Empress is in a meeting with the Royal Court."


    "It is fine," Abe replied with a smile. "We did express our intention to meet the Empress at such short notice."


    "We thought you would prefer to go straight to the site where Master Cade is currently working. We are surprised you wanted to go straight to the pce. This is why the Empress proceeded in meeting the rest of the Royal Court."


    "It is okay," Abe kept on assuring the head servant.


    Inwardly, however, he and the rest with him knew the ministers likely did not tell the empress of their arrival.

 Chapter 714 Meeting Again (3)

    The head servant led the four inside the emperor''s study room. After that, he excused himself with a note that he would let the Empress know they were already there waiting.


    With Abe assuring the head servant that they would wait, the head servant left.


    "I''ve had my reservations about what you guys said about the Royal Court," Zeniff started after the head servant had closed the doors.


    The four were seated on the long couches in the middle of the room. Abe and Pheobe sat on one to the left, while Kyran and Zeniff sat on the right.


    "But seeing this treatment... I can now understand what you mean," Zeniff continued.


    Abe, who had been smiling the whole time, had finally scowled and said, "For them to order the head servant toe greet us is an obvious sign they are not taking us seriously. Not that I cared about formalities and who they sent. But we are proper envoys; they should at least have an officere."


    "At least they are being honest right from the start. We won''t have to bother with mind games," Zeniff replied.


    "I just hope we can meet Empress Iulia," Phoebe also chimed in. "I don''t think the Royal Court would outright reject anything she does or says in front of us."


    "She wille," Kyran assured them. "Don''t stress over things."


    Compared to the three, who seemed restless as they sat there, Kyran looked prettyx.


    Abe smiled wryly at him and said, "You know this talk about the Royal Court and the Empress all started because of you."


    "Ah, right. My bad, sorry."


    The three could not help but look at Kyran with a bitter smile.


    ''You don''t sound sorry at all,'' they thought after hearing Kyran''s deadpan tone.


    With nothing left to do, the three busied themselves with other things.


    Zeniff took out a rectangr crystal item, which was a magic item used by the Regis n to store records and reports. He started looking through what was written on it.


    On the other hand, Abe went over to one of the bookshelves by the wall and browsed through the selections.


    Pheobe also took out a book and started reading. Because there was no title, nor image on the book she was holding, it was unknown what she was reading about.


    Kyran was the only one who did not seem to be doing anything. He just sat there in silence, with his eyes closed. He looked as if he was meditating.


    Finally, after almost two hours of waiting, the doors burst open, and Empress Iulia barged in.


    That was right. Looking at Iulia''s flushed face and slightly out-of-breath appearance, she did look as if she was in a hurry and had toe rushing over.


    The four stood up at once and were about to curtsy in greeting. However, Iulia raised her hand and said, "Please, there is no need for that. Instead, I hope you will pardon myte arrival, I was not told you wereing."


    Her brows furrowed slightly after realizing something about what she said, and she added immediately, "Though it sounded like ame excuse, I am really not aware of your arrival."


    "Empress Iulia, you don''t have to worry because we understand the responsibility that you have to attend to because of what happened," Abe assured her.


    Iulia sighed softly, "That may be the case, but I am responsible for ensuring you are attended to properly. I failed on that part¡ª."


    "We can talk about those thingster," Kyran suddenly cut their conversation short. "Why don''t we sit and get down to business?"


    Just as Kyran had spoken, two members of the Royal Court also entered the room.


    They wore red robes with gold ents, and both held a long golden staff. Seeing how they firmly held the staff in their hands as if they were prepared to take them on at any minute amused Kyran.


    Obviously, these two court members were wary of them. But Kyran knew it was not because they were plotting anything. He had his magic sense active all this time and already sensed these two did not have any mark left by Haylee.


    "You!" The court member standing on the right red at Kyran at once. Apparently, he heard and saw how brazen Kyran sounded and appeared, and he was unhappy about it.


    "That is not how you speak to the empire''s Empress!"


    "It is fine," Iulia told the member. She then looked at Kyran curiously, her eyes seemingly able to see something about him.


    She did not know why, but she sensed something familiar with Kyran. Was it the way he carried himself? No, that should not be the case. Iulia had never met any of the male youths from the Regis n. To be precise, she never had any dealings with the opposite sex until now.


    "It is strange, but I feel like this is not the first time we have met," Iulia told Kyran.


    Kyran only responded with a slight smile.


    Seeing that smile made that inkling Iulia grow stronger. She really knew this young man, but she could not recall ever meeting one.


    No.


    That was not entirely true.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She did meet a young man quite recently, and for some reason, she found that young man''s smile and the Regis''s young master''s to be the same!


    "You remind me of Disciple Tyr..." Iulia muttered under her breath.


    As soon as she said this, Pheobe and the two court members frowned.


    "Your Majesty?"


    Kyran, on the other hand, smiled and said, "Let''s change location. This ce is full of prying and spying spells."


    Hearing his usation immediately sowed ire on the two court members.


    "Don''t say you are part of the Regis n."


    The court member standing on the right had said to Kyran.


    "Any more false usation from you will be judged ordingly."


    "That is enough," Iulia told the court member. "Find us another room, please."


    She did not speak loudly. She even sounded gentle. However, her voice carried an immense pressure that made the two court members lower their heads at once.


    Their reactions surprised Abe, Pheobe, and Zeniff.


    Did they not specte that Empress Iulia would not hold that much power over the Royal Court? Howe these two looked ready to fall on their knees and beg Iulia for mercy?


    "As you wish, Your Majesty."


    The two respectfully bowed toward Iulia before turning to leave.


    Kyran slightly raised his brows at how easily Iulia had those two follow her order. Then again, he already deemed they were not there to intervene with their talk but protect her from possible hostility from them.


    "I worried for nothing," Kyran started. "It seems you already have your people enter the Royal Court. Or, did you win them over?"


    "Thetter sounds too dark," Iulia replied with a smile. "I admit it is not easy to have my people enter the court because of how I became the new Empress. However, my people have real talents that the senior members could not deny."


    "That''s good then," Kyran replied with a nod. "This means we have less thing to worry about."


    Iulia chuckled, "How much I find you familiar is quite strange."


    Kyran only smiled in response.


    Abe, Pheobe, and Zeniff exchanged nces at the exchange between Kyran and Iulia. Although Abe and Zeniff guessed, thetter might have realized who Kyran was. From her words just now, she was not entirely convinced of her own guess.


    Meanwhile, Pheobe could not help but look at Kyran suspiciously.


    The truth, when the talk of Kyran''s father, Cade, wanting to build an Array formation that could travel to other ''ces,'' and that he was recruiting Array Specialists from the whole empire, there had been talk of letting ''Disciple Tyr'' being one of the suitable candidates.


    Pheobe had already heard of that name. It was the name of the only apprentice of Chairman Noir. The one who was also said to be non-existent.


    But Disciple Tyr''s name suddenly became a hot topic, especially among thedies, who found him attractive.


    Apparently, at the time when the Regis n had been forced to confine themselves inside the estate''s Inner Walls, Disciple Tyr had decided to show up.


    ''Show up? No,'' Pheobe''s eyes lit up as a sudden realization crossed her mind. ''Don''t tell me Kyran had...?''


    She looked at Kyran questioningly. However, whether thetter was avoiding her eyes or outright ignoring her, he did not say or do anything.


    When the two court members returned to the study room, they led the group to the inner part of the pce.


    They then entered one of the private rooms reserved for ministers to gather in small groups.


    After that, Iulia asked the two court members to leave them.


    The two were reluctant to leave. However, Iulia did not budge, and so they left.


    Nevertheless, they only left the room but decided to stay outside.


    "Sorry," Kyran suddenly said when the five of them were about to sit on the chairs arranged around a round table.


    Before they could ask him what was wrong, they felt an invisible force pass through their bodies.


    And in a blink of an eye, the scene before them changed.

 Chapter 715 His Reason

    Kyran took all of them inside his Void World. He did this not because the two court members might have nted spells inside the room to eavesdrop but because others were waiting inside.


    Still, he did not directly take them inside the tower in the Void World. He had to gauge how much he could trust Iulia first. Because of this, he took them to the path leading to the tower.


    Iulia was rmed but refrained from doing anything that might turn the situation in an unpleasant direction. Besides, she sensed no hostility from the people around her. She also did not find any residue of a transmission array or spell. The sudden change in the scenery did not mean they had taken her away from the pce, but it could be a shrouding spell or something simr that concealed their presence and likely conversation from the outside.


    "Y-Young master," Abe started when he realized what Kyran had done. It was his first time witnessing thetter use his magic, and he was even subjected to it. Although Kyran only ''warped'' them to a different location, if those court members waiting for Iulia outside the room noticed her disappearance, it could cause a huge misunderstanding that could lead to another war.


    Abe was not the only one who thought this. Pheobe and Zeniff were also looking at Kyran worriedly.


    "Don''t worry," Kyran started before any of them couldpletely voice their doubts. "It may seem we have left, but technically, we are still inside the room."


    "Is this a spell? No... I did not detect any residue of runes being made. An pre-made array?" Iulia asked, sounding unconcerned and even calmpared to Abe, Pheobe, and Zeniff. "A relic, perhaps?"


    Kyran chuckled at Iulia''s attempt at guessing what he did. She might not show it, but since they were inside his domain, he could sense the change in their emotions. Thus, he knew Iulia felt apprehensive because she did not sense any magic fluctuation in the surroundings when they changed location.


    Just as she said, activating spells would leave behind residues of the runes they had used. As for a pre-made array, it would also cause fluctuations when the stored magic energy in it was released. Since she felt none of both, she assumed it was a relic. That was the only possibility she could think of that would not cause any fluctuations to appear. At least, a magic fluctuation that she could not sense given the level of her magic attainment.


    Instead of answering Iulia''s query, Kyran replied with one of his own.


    "Empress Iulia, how much of the truth of the recent events have you truly uncovered?"


    When Kyran asked his question, he started making his way to the tower.


    Iulia was taken aback at his question. Not to mention when he started to walk. As far as she was concerned, if they were still inside the pce''s room, then the scenery was only a projection. Even if there were vast meadows on each side of the road, they would end up bumping into the room''s wall once they decided to go there.


    Nevertheless, not only was Kyran not worried about bumping into a wall, even the three with him followed.


    Sensing Iulia''s doubts, Kyran stopped and looked at her, "I did say we are technically still in the room. But that key word there is ''technically.''"


    Iulia''s eyes narrowed at once. She had thought he was pointing at the technical aspect of the view and not the ''location'' itself. Now, she understood why the Regis n had their young master be the envoy at today''s meeting.


    It seemed she would not have a concrete answer to the information gathered by her people.


    "You asked me how much I truly know," Iulia began and followed them. "Would my unsurprised reaction to what you said just now be enough of an answer?"


    Kyran smiled, "Was it the bounty that gave it away?"


    The expressions of Abe, Pheobe, and Zeniff turned solemn at once from Kyran''s words. They did not expect thetter to open the main topic right when they barely came to this ce. Was he not worried the empress would do something that would alert the two ministers with her?


    They were reminded of Kyran''s Void magic just as they thought this. After that, they rejected their initial idea.


    Iulia could try to contact her people, but since she was already inside Kyran''s magic influence, it would be impossible for her to contact the outside. She might not even be allowed to utilize her magic.


    Come to think of it. Their magic might be restricted too.


    Iulia took a deep breath before replying to Kyran.


    "It dide up while we were gathering information, but it was not ''what'' gave it away."


    "I see."


    "You''re not going to ask how we discovered it?"


    "There is no point talking about it," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I only want to know how far this discussion could go."


    "What would you have done if my knowledge is not good enough? When I have already witnessed something I should not have."


    Iulia was obviously asking about how Kyran ''brought them'' into this ce. Frankly, she did not consider it was because of ''what they discovered'' because they were right in the middle of the pce.


    If Kyran ended up making a small mistake, his magic energy would have leaked, and the magic detector inside the pce would trigger, sending out rms that it detected Dark Sage''s magic signature.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Nothing."


    Iulia frowned at Kyran''s answer. Others would have answered ''wiping her memories clean'' or something simr. They might even dere killing her on the spot. For Kyran to answer ''nothing'' showcased his confidence in keeping Iulia under wraps even after he let her go.


    "Don''t get me wrong," Kyran started after seeing Iulia''s doubtful expression. "I did not ask you how much you truly know because I don''t want you to know these things. Since I want this meeting to work out, I also have to tell the truth."


    "What did you want to aplish by asking for this meeting then?" Iulia asked. She only heard they hade to the pce but did not know why.


    Actually, she was told it had something to do with clearing the rumors going around the empire. But because she knew things, although they did not have concrete evidence, she rejected the notion at once.


    She did not expect that they had reallye here because of that.


    "Young master," Zeniff interjected before Kyran and Iulia could continue their discussion. "Are you really going to share everything?"


    Kyran looked at him with a wry smile, "You make it sound like it is a bad idea."


    Zeniff looked at Iulia.


    "I will apologize in advance if my words may sound offending, your majesty."


    "That is fine. Please, go on."


    Zeniff nodded before turning his attention back to Kyran.


    "Empress Iulia is part of the Royal Family. Although, as you said, she belongs to a different faction within the Royal Court, that does not guarantee we can trust what she tells us."


    After saying his piece, he looked at Iulia once more and lowered his head in apology.


    "Once again, please do not take offense of my words."


    Iulia shook her head, "I understand why you said those things. And honestly, even if I am part of the Royal Family now, I came from a lowly noble family."


    She paused and smiled slightly before adding, "In the past, our family did support the Regis n. Of course, that was way before the Regis Patriarch of that time decided to go on seclusion. Because most noble families knew how much we were in favor of the Regis n, the status of our family declined."


    At that time, the Lumley Family was already gathering enough influence among the other noble families. Thus, they ended up recing the Regis n¡ª which was originally part of the Three Noble Families.


    After a while, only the Courtenay Family remained from the original three when the Montgomeray Family reced the Dinarie Family.


    "I know how the nobility works at times, but we do not want to be affected by these things and continue doing what we have been doing in the past."


    "That''s good to know," Abe chimed in. He looked at Zeniff and smiled. "Since this is the case, let us give her the benefit of the doubt, just as our young master."


    Zeniff scowled, "I do not doubt her per se. I am only pointing out facts."


    "I understand," Iulia assured Abe and Zeniff.


    "Going back on topic," Kyran said, steering the topic back on track. "As I said, I want this meeting to work out. And the reason is, I have to ensure my n does not have to go through all that ordeal once more when the truth about me is revealed to the public."


    As soon as they heard his intentions, the three turned grim.


    "Young master...."


    "That is...."


    "Even if the truth is revealed, now that we are all together, there is nothing to worry about."


    Abe, Zeniff, and Pheobe said, respectively.


    "That''s the thing," Kyran replied with a bitter smile. "I have to do what I can while I''m still here because I n to leave soon."

 Chapter 716 Familiar Faces

    Pheobe paled as soon as she heard Kyran mention leaving. She looked at him, wanting to speak her mind. But seeing the look of unmasked determination just from looking at his profile made her hesitate.


    She had believed that once the matter of Kyran''s identity was resolved, they could all live in peace in the Regis Estate again. Her strong belief was based on her understanding of his character.


    The longest Kyran had been away from home was when he went to military school. Even then, after returning, he never left the estate. Now, after being away from the n and experiencing life-and-death situations, he would surely not want a repeat of that.


    Apparently, that was not the case.


    Iulia had a different view of things. Thus, she asked, "Are you nning to help your fatherplete the formation and search for those missing people from the Conve?"


    She did not mention Euan because she knew the Conve was the Regis n''s allies. During the war, the Conve had shrugged off their neutral status and finally chose a side. Although the Regis n never took side and had only wanted to protect their people, the fact that Emperor Euan asked their assistance and they agreed meant they were not fully a neutral faction.


    But they were not part of the Royal Family also. After all, the war had been between the Emperor and the Crown Princess.


    In any case, since the Regis n was allies with the Conve, and the Head Master of thetter had gone missing along with the Emperor, it was clear why Iulia think Kyran would want to search for those ''missing people from the Conve.''


    "I''ll help inpleting the formation," Kyran admitted.


    The two elders let out a sigh of relief at his answer. Pheobe''s expression also rxed. However, she still had a foreboding, and that feeling was confirmed by Kyran''s next words.


    "But I won''t help them with the search. I''m sorry."


    Iulia raised her brows, confused at why Kyran would apologize.


    When Kyran saw this, he smiled bitterly and exined, "I''m sorry that I can''t help find Emperor Euan."


    "Oh?" Iulia replied in surprise. Her reaction was genuine because she did not expect Kyran to apologize. The Regis were not part of the Royal Family. Even if they were citizens of the empire and thetter could easily demand some of their best people to search the emperor as part of being the empire''s citizen, Iulia did not think that.


    She also knew Euan would not want her to force other factions to do something in the pretense of doing it for the ''Royal Family,'' rulers of the Ylfaen Empire.


    Seeing the surprised look on Iulia''s face, Kyran was even more convinced that she was not a person who would take advantage of others because of her position. For this reason, he made a mental note to let his father and Nn know of any news if he found traces of Euan and the others during his own search.


    The reason he did not tell Iulia about this was to avoid giving her false expectations.


    "Why?"


    Kyran was pulled out of his thoughts after hearing Pheobe''s question. He looked at her and sensed her conflicting emotions, which somehow made him guilty.


    In the past, the only other person who would know more about his thoughts apart from his parents was Pheobe. To him, she was not only a cousin, but also a sister. He also considerd her his bestfriend, albeit he would not admit that because she was older than him.


    But after saving the n, and Kyran did not even ask about her, he was a little guilty. Even after the war and he woked up, Pheobe was one of the first two people he saw and yet he did not say anything.


    Yes, there was a spoken gratitude, but somehow Kyran felt he inadvertently kept a distance. He did not know why, but somehow he felt it was something he had to.


    Before Kyran could say anything, Pheobe shook her head, and waved her hands animatedly in front of her, "I only asked because its our first time hearing you had ns on leaving. Elder Abe and Elder Zeniff are probably surprised as well, a-am I right?"


    She looked at them, while letting out an uneasyugh.


    Abe and Zeniff nodded their heads in response to her unspoken plea.


    "That''s right. I had thought our meeting today is to discuss the rumors circting in the empire about the n and the Royal Family, while also assuring Empress Iulia of Master Cade''s n in looking for Emperor Euna," Abe agreed.


    Zeniff, who did not fully understand why Pheobe diverted the question to them, added, "Are you not leaving because you want to join the search team who will venture out of the ne?"


    Kyran shook his head, "I am leaving the ne, yes. But I am not going to join the search team. I...," he paused, a little uncertain of how to exin things without causing any misunderstandings. "... am going to search for someone else."


    As soon as they heard this, Abe and Zeniff realized who he was talking about and fell silent. Only a selected few knew what happened that led to the abrupt conclusion of the war.


    Abe and Zeniff were elders of the Regis n, thus, they knew the truth. But to those who did not, only knew the other missing person apart from the emperor was the Crown Princess.


    Pheobe seemed to have realized this as well and her heart sank. She had always been there for Kyran and knew of his real kindness. Because of this, she had been protective of him in her own way. Her only fear was for someone to take advantage of his kindness and leave him to suffer.


    s, it seemed in that short span of time Kyran was forced to venture in the outside world alone, he did meet someone and that someone was the root of everything that had happened.


    Seemingly understanding the train of thought of the other three, Iulia''s expression turned solemn as she asked, "Why do you have to look for... that person?"


    Although she had asked this question softly, and there was no animosity in it, her stiff expression was enough to know her feelings toward the Crown Princess was not on a good note.


    They could not me her. Iulia did not know the truth and also felt guilty because she did not even realize Haylee harbored negative and even dark emotions toward Euan.


    Instead of answering Iulia''s question, Kyran turned his attention up ahead and continued to walk.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He said, "I''ll exin everything once we get inside that tower."


    Left with no choice, as Kyran had already gone ahead, the four followed in silence. All of whom were deep in their own thoughts.


    After almost five minutes of walking, they finally arrived in front of the tower.


    When they first arrived, they did not think the tower was big. Now that they were standing up close, they were surprised at how big it was. It was not particrly tall, but its diameter wasrge enough to house a brigade.


    While looking at the purple rune writings hovering around the tower, they noticed there was no door that led inside.


    They looked at Kyran and saw him step inside a two meter wide circr array also written in beautiful purple rune writings at the presumed ''front entrance'' of the tower.


    After that, he turned and gestured for them to step into the array.


    The four followed unhesitatingly and as soon as they did, in a blink of an eye, they were once more transported to a different location.


    Judging by where they were transported, they guessed it was inside the tower. Different from their expectations that the tower was fully furnished, apart from several chairs and a huge round table, there was nothing much inside.


    Another thing they took note of was that they were not the only ones inside.


    There were several people standing and seemingly awaiting for their arrival.


    Before any of them could register how these people managed to get here, seven of them step forward and knelt before Kyran.


    "Master, we have gathered as you ordered."


    The one who had spoken was Tritus, which nearly gave Iulia a fright. She might not be involved much in the matters pertaining to the empire, but she at least knew the faces of every leader of the different factions in it.


    "Commander Tritus?"


    Kyran was surprised he was the one who led the greeting. He had expected it to be Byron.


    As Kyran thought this, he looked at thetter and found him scowling. Upon seeing his look however, Byron immediately brighten and said, "Master! I may not be the one with the highest rank here but I am your most loyal subject!"


    Kyran ignored him.


    In any case, he finally understood why Tritus was the one who was on the lead. Among his Sigils, he had the highest rank both in mage level and position¡ª with thetter being his title as themander of the Temr Code.


    "Stand up, will you? I don''t want you guys kneeling in front of me like that."


    "Humph."


    A snort came from behind while Tritus and the rest straightened. Then Zephyr, in his human form, jumped down from who knew where and approached them.


    "I told you he would not like that disy," he refuted in a pompous manner. "Master is not someone who likes people trying to get on his good side."


    Then he looked at Kyran and said, "By the way, I did not join them because my ranking is the weakest, alright? As you know, everything about me can''t be measured by human standards, not because my ranking is the weakest!"


    ''I heard you the first time,'' Kyran could not help but smile wryly at Zephyr. He found that among his Sigils, Zephyr was quite endearing¡ª like a little brother you could not help but dote on.


    He never would have thought a time woulde he would think this way. After all, the first time they met, Zephyr sounded like a middle-aged man in a huge Quilin body.


    Iulia was speechless after hearing the exchange between them. She was aware what a Sigil meant to the Regis Family. But as far as she remembered, sigils were only used on beasts!


    More importantly, she was shocked to find not one, but four of the ''Sigils'' familiar.


    The first was Tritus. Then there were two more from his faction, Reuben and Max.


    And finally, thest person she recognized was none other than Disciple Tyr!


    Seeing him shocked her more than seeing Tritus because she had thought Kyran was Disciple Tyr.


    Sensing Iulia looking at Neo, Kyran could more or less guess what she was thinking.


    With a slight shake of his head, "Neo, you know you''re scaring her with that face."


    Neo looked innocently at Kyran and said, "This face grew on me, master. What can I do?"

 Chapter 717 A New Journey (1)

    "''This face grew on me...''?" Iulia repeated absentmindedly. She blinked for a moment, half understanding yet rtively not the meaning behind it.


    "Neo," Kyran called Neo once more.


    Though Kyran used the same tone, something in the way he spoke made Neo shiver, and immediately, he touched his mask and changed the settings of his face.


    "All done, master. Please don''t reset my settings."


    "''R-Reset settings...''" Iulia repeated again. She was then reminded of how ''Tyr'' used a puppet during thepetition between the Conve and the Royal Army and knew for sure that Kyran was indeed Tyr.


    "A puppet," Iulia said, observing Neo momentarily before looking at Kyran. "A puppet with a sentient."


    Kyran only smiled in response.


    "Why not have a seat first? We have so much to discuss. Let''s not dally any longer."


    The one who had spoken was not Kyran but someone else among the several others present in the room.


    Iulia had been focused on those who knelt before Kyran that she did not get a better look at them. But after hearing that person, she looked up and realized more familiar faces were among them.


    The Courtenay Family First Elder and one of the Twin Belles: Eoin and Mimi.


    The Montgomeray Family Patriarch and his daughter: Ezra and Zuri.


    The Lumley Family First Elder and newly appointed next Matriarch: Adonias and udias.


    The Lord of the Tower and the Chairman of the Mercenary Hall: Ste and Hugh.


    Iulia''s expression turned solemn seeing these people gathered here. She was forced to reassess her understanding of the young man named Kyran Regis.


    The things they had gathered about him were nothingpared to what she was seeing now.


    Although it had been hard tracking down Kyran''s tracks after he left the Regis Estate, and there were still unclear things, especially regarding the ''mage with forbidden magic'' who ''abducted'' him, Iulia and her family only discovered he had been hiding at the Conve all this time.


    When the news of Disciple Tyr''s return coincided with the date when Kyran had taken refuge there, they had assumed they were one and the same. However, they did not have solid proof, especially after discovering the Courtenay Family''s findings that ''Tyr'' looked like the missing young ruler of a neighboring country.


    Even during the joint Military Exercise between the Conve and the Royal Army, when Haylee had suspected ''Tyr'' as someone from the Regis n, Iulia never linked thetter to Kyran. She did agree with Haylee that he might be a n member¡ª but not from the main family.


    After meeting Kyran, Iulia could not help but sense simrities between him and Tyr.


    Seeing the leading figures of the Three Noble Families here, especially the Courtenay Family¡ª who Iulia and her family knew had been working with the Boyd Family, a branch family of the Winfrey Family¡ª confused her.


    How did they end up bing allies of the Regis n?


    It seemed the information Iulia''s people had gathered was all wrong.


    Meanwhile, Abe, Pheobe, and Zeniff, who were silent throughout the initial exchange between Kyran and his Sigils, took their seat first. They already knew about them, which was why they did not react. Although, Iulia''s reaction was pretty much the same as theirs the first time they found out about them.


    After them, Tritus and the others also took their seats.


    Finally, there were only Kyran and Iulia.


    Kyran looked at Iulia, gestured at the empty seat beside the one he would sit on, and said, "Empress Iulia, I know you have a lot to say after seeing them here. Don''t worry, we''ll get there."


    Before Iulia could respond, the space above Kyran distorted as a beautiful woman with an unearthly feature appeared.


    The woman''s pinkish eyes bore through Iulia as she sat on a huge crystal lily.


    "Are you sure it is fine taking her here?" She asked Kyran, although her eyes never left Iulia.


    Iulia felt a powerful pressure enveloping her whole body. However, there was no ill intent on them. Nevertheless, it still caused cold sweat to trickle down her face.


    "White Lily, there is no need to scan her. She''s inside my domain. She would not be able to do anything."


    "Domain?" Iulia''s eyes widened after hearing Kyran.


    Domains are something a Magus could possess. Not only that, another Magus would have noticed if he or she had entered another Magus domain. But Iulia did not sense anything like that when they appeared in this ce. For this reason, she was convinced they were ''transported'' out of the pce.


    That was right. Iulia was already a Magus. As a matter of fact, she was already at the peak and would have already advanced to the next level if she did not get pregnant.


    Of course, that was not to say she did not want to be pregnant. It was actually her choice to stop focusing on improving her magic and focus on building a family.


    Still, the fact that she did not realize she had entered a domain meant the person before her was far stronger than her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Which, if she looked at the information they had of ''Kyran Regis,'' would be impossible.


    "There is nothing to worry about, your majesty."


    Another person spoke from behind.


    "My new master is not someone who would hurt people he deemed trustworthy."


    ''This voice...!'' Iulia turned and saw Mannick, much to her surprise.


    However, there was something about his demeanor that changed.


    Mannick no longer had that domineering, almost like a rebel, aura around him. He looked more amiable, albeit still exuding that powerful aura.


    As a matter of fact, Iulia felt Mannick''s aura had gotten stronger. She remembered he was only an Exalted. But that did not seem to be the case.


    Kyran looked at Mannick with a wry smile, "I thought you didn''t want to join."


    Mannick smiled at him and said, "If its about missing a chair, it is okay."


    He waved his hand, and a new chair appeared next to Tritus.


    "I''ll take a seat beside Tritus."


    Seeing this, Byron immediately reacted. Actually, he already bulked when Mannick called Kyran his ''new master.'' Because if they had to include him in their rankings, wouldn''t he get pushed down further?


    Even that Zephyr kid was stronger than him!


    "Oi! I don''t sense the Sigil on you! Why are you calling our master your new master, huh?"


    Mannick ignored him.


    On the other hand, Tritus was looking at him curiously. Neither of them said anything when Mannick sat beside him. However, judging by the seat arrangement, it looked like Mannick was ''higher'' than him.


    Before any of them would make a big deal out of this whole ranking stuff, Kyran said in exasperation, "You guys, stop. Settle your differencester, we have things to discuss."


    Byron scowled at Mannick. But since Kyran, his master, gave an order, he could only shut his mouth.


    Tritus was the same. He only smiled at Mannick, who smiled in return.


    The rest of the people inside were looking at them with mixed emotions.


    Although it was not the first time they had seen them, with some of them even working closely with them during the war, they still had trouble adapting to the fact that they were ''Sigils.''


    Well, except for Abe, Pheone, Zeniff, and even Ste. They were already used to it¡ª or, at least, trying to get used to it.


    Kyran turned to Iulia again and said, "Shall we?"


    Iulia snapped out of her reverie and looked at Kyran. The more she looked, the more she could not fathom him. In the end, she nodded her head and took a seat.


    When everyone was seated, Kyran looked at them for a moment before starting the meeting.


    *


    Iulia stood in front of the pce courtyard as she saw the carriage Kyran and the others had taken a left. She looked at the back of the carriage, still overwhelmed by what had just happened.


    One of the ministers looked at her in concern and asked, "Your majesty, although they had not taken much of your time, you have been meeting with the Royal Court since morning. Why not take a rest this afternoon?"


    The other minister nodded in agreement, "Yes, your majesty. You have to take care of the young prince''s health as well."


    Iulia could not help but smile wryly at their words. They had no idea how wrong they were.


    They had not taken much of her time? She should rest this afternoon?


    Iulia had thought she had been gone for hours. Thus, she expected it was alreadyte at night when they came back. But after returning, she found only a few minutes had passed.


    Although she already knew what Ste could do, they were inside Kyran''s domain. How was she able to use her Time magic inside another''s domain?


    There were also a lot of things Iulia still had to digest. Thus, with a nod, she said, "You''re right. Cancel all my meetings this afternoon. I want to take a rest."


    "Yes, your majesty."

 Chapter 718 A New Journey (2)

    The journey back to the Regis Estate had been long, and Kyran and the rest were spent. Although they still had things to do, they decided to call it a day and start with the things they discussed tomorrow.


    Kyran also went to his room after dinner. Kyra initially wanted to y with him, but seeing how tired he was, she ''let him off'' for the day.


    That night, Kyran slept.


    It had been a while since he had truly fallen asleep. After returning from his training, he could only get a shut-eye. Thest time he did sleep had been in the cottage after Cyneah healed him.


    Of course, the times when he passed out from exhaustion or fell unconscious did not count.


    When Kyran sleeps, he rarely dreams. Only on rare asions would it happen, and even then, he could not call it a ''dream'' but an omen or a nightmare.


    That night had been one of those ''rare asions.''


    There was no scene before him¡ª only darkness. But he felt a strong feeling of familiarity at something beyond the darkness that clung to him like a huge dark cloak. That familiar feeling was not hostile. As a matter of fact, he felt a vague sense of being embraced.


    ''...N....r....''


    Kyran stirred as he heard a faint voice. It seemed to beckon him, yet not really calling for him.


    It was distant, yet it felt like the closest thing in the world.


    ''...N....a....''


    Kyran furrowed his brows and strained his ears to hear what the voice was saying. But it was too faint that he still could not grasp it no matter what he did. He knew he was dreaming. Thus, he expected what the voice was saying would have registered to him unconsciously. But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, he felt strange being aware he was dreaming and even sensed something warm appearing around his pocket.


    ''Nar.''


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open as he heard the voice loud and clear.


    ''Neah!'' He sat abruptly, causing intense pain to rack his brain from the movement. But he ignored the pain as he btedly realized that the warm feeling in his pocket was also not a dream.


    He did hear Cyneah''s voice just now. It was faint, but he recognized where it came from.


    It came from the item that was heating up inside one of his storage rings.


    Kyran immediately let his magic sense rummage inside his pocket and checked the storage ring where the item was. After which, he waved his hand, and a small token in one of his storage rings appeared on his hand.


    The token was still warm to the touch, meaning it had been active just now.


    But that was unimportant. What was more important to him was that the token was the one he created to mirror the token he gave Cyneah.


    When Kyran gave it to her, he told her that she only needed to call his name and that he could find her through it. He never expected it to actually work now. Especially when Cyneah was no longer in the Human ne.


    For all he knew, the token would no longer work because the magicw in the ne where she was now might not exactly employ the samews he used to create that feature. Besides, they were likely several nes apart. Putting it simply, the reception would not allow such long-distancemunication.


    Or, would it?


    Kyran''s face slightly brightened as he recalled how he could use his Void magic in all the nes he had been. It was not because those nes'' magicws did not restrain him, but it was as if his Void magic easily adapted to the ne''s rules. Thus, using his magic was not that hard. The hard part was adapting to the magicw in that ne.


    Kyran possessed a good brain. But there was a limit to how many magicws one could learn. So far, he had yet to see his brain''s limit. However, he was not about to find out.


    Putting those things aside, Kyran could not help but feel ted that he might be able to locate Cyneah using the token.


    This thought washed the fatigue and even sleepiness he felt. He got up, went to a small table, and examined the token. He even hoped Cyneah would try calling him again. Maybe then he would better grasp the energy wavelength of where she was, and he would use that as a reference to search his memories of all the nes he had gone to and locate her.


    After more than an hour of checking the token, Kyran found no clue.


    With an exasperated sigh, he leaned back and stared at the token.


    "I should have included a location sharing in this token," he grumbled.


    He might have said this, but he knew it was impossible. He could create it but could not because of the Human ne''s avable materials.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran had once thought of creating an item from another ne using materials avable in the Human ne. This way, his creation would set a standard, and he could easily recreate them using his magic. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to collect the needed materials.


    The Conve''s Chamber of Commerce and Mercenary Hall could not help him gather those materials either. Those materials were not only rare but they were also considered items from myths.


    In any case, the fact there were records about them meant they were avable. They only need to find and collect them. It sounded pretty easy. But thetter two were the hardest part.


    Kyran glowered at the token as he fell into contemtion. He knew that even if he learned the magic wavelength of the ne Cyneah was in, it might not belong to the ones he had been to. If that happened, it would be pretty useless.


    He needed to find others¡ª outsiders¡ª who had been to different nes. It did not matter how many they were. If the nes they visited were different from one another, all the better. From there, he could gather enough data to find Cyneah.


    Now, the only problem he would have was going there.


    Kyran could easily warp to where a person he knew was as long as he thought of that person. The same went with ces. As long as he had been there or had seen it from afar, it was easy to picture the location in his mind. Then he could warp there sessfully.


    But if that person were not within the range of his warp target, then it would fail.


    Kyran shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on matters he did not know how to fix. He had to first focus on things he could do. If not, he would only waste time.


    ''My knowledge of the other nes are limited,'' Kyran thought. ''Father, Nn, and True Void probably have more information about the nes.''


    "Someone wants to meet with you. He said you know him."


    Nn''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head. Then he remembered Loar''s request to meet him.


    Kyran had not given his reply yet. But he nned to meet him once his father finished gathering the Array Specialists needed to create the array formation.


    Kyran''s expression lit up as he recalled Loar was part of a faction that would participate in the uing War of the Sovereigns. Thetter definitely knew other Sovereigns.


    It would be better if Kyran could gather samples of magic wavelengths from those Sovereigns'' nes and those they rule.


    If he had all those samples, narrowing down the ne Cyneah ended up in would be easy.


    Kyran suddenly stopped his train of thought as he recalled a crucial point. Even if he gathered all those data, if he did not get the one from the ne where Cyneah was, then it would be meaningless.


    With an exasperated sigh, Kyran pushed aside his doubts.


    Once again, he reminded himself to focus on things he could do and not dwell on those he could not do at this point in time. When True Void recovers, he might be able to glean more information from him.


    Kyran stood up and went to the window.


    The sky was still dark outside, with stars nketing it like a sea of diamonds.


    ''Cyneah is out there,'' he thought, his brows furrowing slightly.


    Truth be told, he wanted to find her because he sensed the matter about the ''Dark Sage''s Legacy'' was not over.


    Now that the Macabre cier was in Cyneah''s possession, she technically became involved in the legacy.


    Kyran did not fully understand it but knew there was more to the story of the original Dark Sage.


    Cyneah would be vulnerable if she were out there alone. Thus, Kyran had to find her. He had an inkling that they could understand the legacy only when all four Ancient magic users were together.


    Right. Currently, there are only three users, with one possessing two.


    Besides, when Kyran heard Cyneah''s voice just now, there was a sense of urgency¡ª even longing.


    He was worried she was in danger. At the same time, he wondered how long she had been away from the time she had left.


    After all, every ne followed different timeframes.

 Chapter 719 A New Journey (3)

    The next morning, an announcement was issued from the Royal Family. Empress Iulia would do a nationwide address in three days to exin the recent events.


    The address would happen in three days to give the empire''s citizens to submit their questions, have the Royal Family cote them, and pick three for Iulia to answer.


    Along with the announcement, detailed instructions on how and where they could submit their questions were distributed.


    When this announcement was circted, the majority of the people were interested in sending their questions. A few evenined that three questions were too few.


    Then again, most of them had the same question. So it did not matter if there were only three questions that Iulia would answer.


    On another note, Aron and Rin''s meeting with the other leading factions of the empire bore fruit atst. Tritus was not present in that meeting, but the second-inmand apparently had a change of heart and participated in the discussion.


    Lauren and Olivia were the same. With Rin ying an equal part with Aron in leading the meeting, they were more than happy to cooperate.


    Basically, their meeting was to address their differences and find apromise. It also rified the rumored taking over of the Regis n of therge factions in the empire.


    In the end, they agreed to form an alliance. This was also to prevent differing sides if the neighboring countries made a move on them.


    The Temr Code was particrly agreeable on this matter because they were close to the west borders, where the neighboring country appeared to show a high chance of making a move to invade them.


    If the west border fell, the Temr Code''s base would be the first to suffer the attack¡ª something they could not afford to face because they had lost many of their elites during the attack in the Shaiha Ruins.


    Tritus already exined that the one who led that attack had been Kyran. He also told them that the Shaiha was originally the Regis n''s ancestralnd. Thus, they were in the wrong for disturbing the ''guardian'' in that ce. Because of this, the Regis n moved by sending one of their own to protect the guardian.


    As to why they did that, it was simple. The legendary beast they had thought to be a mutated Quilin was a true dragon descendant, albeit half.


    The Regic n representative demanded to cleave the Temr Code, but Tritus negotiated and agreed to work under them. In return for Tritus''s sacrifice, the Regis n agreed to spare the remaining members of the Temr Code.


    Aron and Rin were speechless after hearing this reason. They had no idea how Tritus came up with that story.


    That was right. They did not think Kyran told Tritus to use that excuse based on his character.


    Nevertheless, they were curious if Kyran knew the story Tritus used to convince his men to cooperate with the Regis n.


    Lauren and Olivia were also surprised to hear about the Quilin in the Shaiha Ruins being a dragon descendant.


    They made a mental note to ask more about it. Not because they were curious about dragons like Max had been, but because one of the main rare ingredients in the medicine Lauren found that could cure her mentor¡ª Olivia''s mother¡ª included dragon''s blood.


    Seemingly aware of what they were thinking, Rin offered to set a meeting with Kyran in theing days.


    The two agreed.


    Their meeting then shifted toward the Conve and the Three Noble Families because they were also considered top factions in the empire, yet they were not present in their meeting.


    It was Aron who exined that the Conve had been an ally of the Regis n long before the war happened. As for the Three Noble Families, they no longer existed.


    When the two factions heard it, they were surprised.


    Why would Aron dere such a thing? When they clearly knew the Courtenay, Lumley, and Montgomeray Families were still there. They did suffer some losses during the war, but their military strength could still be considered one of the top in the empire.


    Aron rified that the Regis n had officially taken all three as subsidiary families. They were still called based on their family names, but now, they were subservient to the Regis n.


    How did it happen? Aron only replied that his grandson managed to convince the three noble families to stoppeting with each other and follow them.


    Obviously, the Auerole and Temr Code did not buy Aron''s exnation. But hearing that his grandson was again involved in this, they were starting to see how important his role had been in all the changes.


    Their meeting proceeded with the Aureole and the Temr Code asking Aron questions about the recent events.


    Although the Aureole had participated in that war, they had little knowledge of what started the whole situation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Aron and Rin did not hide anything from them to show their sincerity in the alliance they had just agreed on. They told them the truth about Kyran and how they had tried to protect him by sealing his magic.


    Unfortunately, things did not go as nned, and the result was devastating, especially for those who lost many loved ones and people.


    When the two factions heard this, they were stunned¡ª except for Lauren and Olivia.


    Lauren already knew bits and pieces of this truth. So she was not as surprised as the rest of their members attending the meeting.


    As for the Temr Code members, they became even more amiable when they heard this.


    Their reaction was unexpected. Usually, when people hear about a person possessing forbidden magic, they would either be scared to death or condemn that person.


    But the Temr Code did not show this. Instead, they acted like they wanted to ingratiate themselves with the Regis n even more.


    Then again, their thinking was not surprising if they looked at the recent events.


    Although Kyran had forbidden innate magic, since he yed a big role in protecting the emperor against the Crown Princess, the majority would likely give him the benefit of the doubt once the truth of his magic was revealed.


    Of course, others might condemn him further, while some might spread more rumors about Kyran. One of which might say that all of these things would not have happened if Kyran did not possess forbidden magic in the first ce.


    In the end, Aron and Rin are convinced that every person''s reaction to forbidden magic users truly varies. It is better not to judge others.


    While Aron and Rin were busy handling the affairs concerning the prominent factions in the empire, Cade was also busy assessing every Array Specialist in the empire.


    Cade was surprised after learning there were plenty of unregistered Array Specialists. As a matter of fact, the Regis n also had something simr. However, instead of hiding they were knowledgeable about Arrays, they registered themselves as Abjurers since one of the requirements of bing one was to have Array knowledge.


    Previously, there were only about 20+ registered Array Specialists in the empire. Now, there were almost a thousand of them!


    Most of the specialists belonged to the Courtenay Family, followed by the Royal Army''s Research Division, and then the rest were from different noble families.


    Cade was no longer surprised by the number of Array Specialists in the Courtenay Family because he was made aware they were the ones who reinforced the Lumley Family''s Ancestral Land''s array formation during the simultaneous attack by the Crown Princess''s side.


    He was also made aware they were the ones who tried to decipher the array formation in the Regis Estate Inner Walls.


    This brought a smile to Cade''s face. He knew they likely suffered trying to understand the formation.


    In one of his assessments, a Courtenay Array Specialist also asked him about it, and a lengthy discussion followed.


    Cade was not stingy when sharing his Array knowledge with others because he wanted to elevate the Array level in the Human ne. His reasons were simple. He wanted to avoid a repeat of how hopeless the humans were when outsiders descended.


    Currently, the only ones who could do anything to prevent outsiders from destroying the ne were the Regis n. Cade was not trying to boast about his n''s strength, but this was a hard truth others could not refute.


    They possessed the Regis Blessing, which helped them fight mages with higher mage-level attainment than them. Apart from this, they had several talents with Array Knowledge.


    These talents were not registered as specialists only because they were registered as either Combat Mages or Abjurers.


    Putting aside the matters about Arrays, Cade was also concerned about the uing War of the Sovereigns.


    At the moment, Nn had not shown any interest in joining. However, Loar had extended an invitation.


    Now that more outsiders were aware of the Human ne''s coordinates, they were sure more woulde to either invade the ne or recruit Nn.


    But Cade knew Nn.


    Nn could not be bothered by the war. However, the fact that the Human ne was known as the Land of the Ancients, which attracted many Sovereigns, would likely force him to care.

 Chapter 720 A New Journey (4)

    Nn is the new Human ne''s Sovereign, after all. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, it would only be a matter of time before he had to find allies and protect the Human ne.


    Nevertheless, Cade was not stupid to think Loar''s invitation had no ulterior motives. Even when thetter promised not to force Nn to participate when the war started, he should know that such a thing was impossible when the Human ne was a hot spot given its rumored origin.


    Besides, the new ''Dark Sage'' is part of the Human ne.


    Even if the other factions were not interested in the ne per se because it was said to be the Land of the Ancients, they would be interested in the ''Dark Sage'' and his legacy.


    Cade heard about the legacy during one of his training in the Tower of Tribtions.


    However, at that time, he had no expectations of bing the father of the original Dark Sage''s ''sessor.'' Thus, he only took note of it before putting the matter aside.


    Now that it was brought up again, Cade had to figure it outpletely.


    If he had to be honest, creating the Warp Formation to search for Euan, Malek, and the remaining members of the Conve and the Royal Army was only a pretext for Cade''s actual intentions.


    The real reason behind his intent to create such a formation was to travel the Lower Realm and gather as much information about the ''original Dark Sage.'' Apart from this, he also wanted to understand more about the War of the Sovereigns.


    Nn already knew Cade''s intentions. And although he had not said anything, Cade was sure Nn was contemting what he should do.


    Besides there was also Kyran.


    Cade knew Kyran would not stay in the Human ne. He would go on a journey different to theirs.


    Recalling the scene where Cyneah used the Macabre cier to save Kyran and how desperate True Void acted to stop the outsiders from taking Cyneah and Kyran, Cade could not help but feel ashamed. He inherited Azaloth''s teachings, which increased his magic attainment by leaps and bounds. Nevertheless, he could not do anything.


    Because of this, Cade also wanted to use the opportunity to travel in different nes to improve himself further.


    As for Nn, Cade wanted him to find more nes to govern. In this way, even if the Human ne got destroyed, they could transfer to another ne.


    Of course, Cade hoped it would note to that. But they had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.


    With this in mind, Cade made a mental note to meet with Nn again and get a definite answer about his ns.


    Meanwhile, Kyran was busy improving his Sigils'' strength in the Void World.


    He had noticed it before and found his Sigils'' variety of innate magic a little troublesome.


    For one thing, when a battle ensued, and they were to fight to the death. One wrong move or coordination from them could very well cause their defeat¡ª even death.


    Because of this, Kyran gave them an opportunity to get used to each others'' magic through mock battles. To ensure they would not cause any damage to the real world, Kyran decided to take them to his Void World.


    At least, in that ce, no matter how much they tried to destroy it, Kyran would only think it and all the damages would be repaired. Of course, thetter was possible if Kyran had enough magic energy reserves of his own.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Several of the mutated beasts Max had taken from the Valle of Morte were thrown into different locations after getting hit by Tritus''s attack.


    Max''s expression distorted, sensing the pain his beasts had received. However, that did not deter him. Max unsummoned the beasts before summoning new ones. After that, he charged at Tritus once more.


    On the other hand, Reuben was hidden in the darkness, waiting for a chance to sneak an attack on Tritus. Unfortunately, he could not find any gap in Tritus''s defences even when facing not one or two Sigils but the remaining five!


    At one end, Max was also watching Tritus. He was looking for an opportunity to summon his magic to attack. But just like Reuben, he could not find any gap.


    Using his human form, Zephyr hovered in the air and looked at Tritus with a scowl. Although he told Kyran, he did not the others when they tried to ''rank'' themselves. He knew Tritus''s strength, whenpared to him in his real form, would likely end up in a tie.


    However, Zephyr discovered Tritus''s strength could not be measured by normal means as well. After all, he realized there was a living soul¡ª not just a sentient one¡ª living in thetter''s magic weapon. And that living soul''s magic attainment seemed to have reached a far higher realm than Tritus himself.


    If Zephyr had to put it in simple words. Because of the living soul in Tritus''s magic weapon, he did not have to use his own strength to deal with them. All he had to do was hover in the air and wave around his magic weapon to put pressure on them. He could even make them kneel on the floor and worship it.


    Zephyr looked below toward his left. There, he saw Kyran standing while intently watching them try to attack Tritus. Seeing Kyran was not that busy, Zephyr flew for a moment beforending right next to Kyran.


    "Master, this drill is pointless if Tritus would not use his real strength and rely only on his magic weapon''s sentient.


    Kyran smiled as he heard Zephyr. He looked at him and said, "I know."


    Zephyr scowled, "If you know, tell him to fight properly."


    "Tell me then, how do you describe a proper fight?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Zephyr looked at Kyran, confused at his question.


    "What do you mean? Is that a real question, or are you just trying to make a conversation? Building up the mood until they enter the final phase.


    Kyran looked back at the battle and checked on the other locations of the Sigils.


    "Once part of real life-and-death battles, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was one''s survival."


    Zephyr''s scowl deepened as he also turned his attention back to the training.


    "I know that."


    "Then don''t ask."


    "But...!"


    In the end, Zephyr did not know how to argue and decided to stop pursuing the matter.


    "Go back there and use everything you have to defeat Tritus," Kyran told him.


    Zephyr pursed his lips. But he did not refute Kyran and stood up. He left and returned to the training.


    Neo appeared beside Kyran and spoke to him telepathically.


    [Master, is it really alright to leave them once you venture out of the Human ne?]


    Kyran smiled.


    That was right. One of the things he told Iulia, Ste, and the others in the meeting at the Royal Pce was his intentions of leaving his Sigils behind.


    His reasons were quite simple. His Sigil''s strength would be a good addition to the ne''s security. Besides, even if he brought his Sigils, they only knew the magicw of the Human ne. They would not be able to use their magic in other nes.


    Although they could learn to use them, Kyran could not wait for them to learn.


    ''Yes,'' Kyran answered.


    [What about the Sigil''s effect?]


    ''I''m surprised you''re interested in that.''


    [I know the benefit of the Sigil''s mark. In case outsiderse, having its effect would definitely give us an advantage.]


    ''Don''t worry about that. I''m already trying to figure something out to ensure they get its benefits.''


    [What about me? Can Ie with you? You said nothing about me staying but don''t intend to take me either. Still, since you already possessed the Shaiha, and I am supposed to guard it, I must go with you.]


    Kyran looked at Zephyr before saying, ''About that. I n on relinquishing the Sigil mark on you before I leave.''


    At Kyran''s deration, Zephyr''s face paled at once.


    [WHY?]


    He demanded.


    Kyran could not help but smile wryly. Previously, Zephyr did not want to be his Sigil. Only when he promised only to require him to be one for three years did he agree.


    Technically, three years had not passed. Thus, Kyran could still keep Zephyr as his Sigil.


    However, if he had to include his time in the Tower of Tribtions, more than five years had passed. Their agreement was already way past its due date.


    [When you took me as a Sigil, you told me I might not want to dissolve the contract. Well, tough luck. I don''t want to stop being your Sigil!]


    Zephyr''s words slightly touched Kyran. Nevertheless, he did not want thetter to be bound to him all his life.


    Besides, Kyran wanted to do something he could not tell Zephyr. However, if he remained his Sigil, he would eventually figure it out, even without him saying anything.


    Kyran did not want that because he did not want to give him false hopes. After all, his n to revive Zephyr''s brethren was nearly impossible.

 Chapter 721 A New Journey (5)

    [Do you find me useless now that you have a powerful human by your side?]


    Zephyr continued to pester Kyran.


    Kyran shook his head.


    ''No. I don''t have a fix destination once I leave. I might end up entering a very dangerous ne and would not be able to look after¡ª.''


    [You could use a better excuse than that.]


    Zephyr cut him off with a snort. His re hardened further.


    [I''m your Sigil. What''s the point of looking after your own Sigil? If you found me useless, discard me. Use me as a meatshield and escape. That''s the real use of a Sigil.]


    Kyran frowned at Zephyr''s depiction of a Sigil. Nevertheless, he could not refute it because the Dragon King taught the use of Sigils to the Regis n. Zephyr''s depiction might very well be the truth of the Sigil''s existence.


    Sensing Kyran''s conflicted emotions, Zephyr''s expression softened. He then added.


    [You humans are truly weak. I''m not saying physically, but emotionally. Getting attached to a mere Sigil will be your undoing. You understand how Sigils benefited from their master, right?]


    ''I know, through a blood connection.''


    [Then you have to understand, if something were to happen to you, then we Sigils would also be doomed. However, if something happens to a Sigil, the master might not necessarily be affected. Unless the master grants a certain degree of blessing to a Sigil, it could happen.]


    Zephyr paused, recalling how potent the Sigil''s effect they received during thest part of the war, where he and the others had to explore outside the estate''s vicinity.


    [You don''t hold back when you give us that blessing. If something happens to us, you will also suffer a bacsh. Although nothing happenedst time, if the war did not end and instead escted, that could have put you in danger, especially when you were engaged in another life-and-death battle.]


    Kyran frowned, ''This is the first I''m hearing such a thing.''


    [As you know, I''ve been asleep for at least a thousand years, and my memories are unreliable. Of course, when I say my memories, I am talking about the memories of past predecessors that I inherited. I''ve been regaining rity of some of those memories. And one of the things I regained is about Sigils.


    [Anyway, you can''t just relinquish my mark just because you feel like it. If you find me annoying, then by all means, let me stay here and guard the Human ne like them.]


    Kyran did not respond. He did intend for Zephyr to stay behind with the others after he removed his Sigil.


    Kyran did not want to keep him as a Sigil because of how invested Zephyr had been in aplishing his task. Zephyr almost died twice. That was something Kyran would never allow to happen again.


    [But if you let me go with you, with your blessing, I can train better and grow strong faster. See Tritus over there? You might have arranged for him to absorb magic knowledge from the enemy, but he could do that because of the Sigil''s effect. He absorbed other mages'' knowledge like a sponge would when contacting water. The logic behind this is simple. Since that is your special ability, we also benefit from it.]


    Kyran raised his brows and looked at Zephyr. His innate ability was indeed understanding the theories behind things, which enabled him to learn faster. But he did not expect the Sigil''s effect could share it with his Sigils.


    [There are more things you don''t know about Sigils. If I have topare, the Sigil your family uses only touched the threshold of what it could do. Apart from this, they only used it on beasts.]


    Zephyr smiled while recalling something.


    [As a matter of fact, some lesser dragons use it on each other if one is about to break through.]


    What Zephyr said immediately piqued Kyran''s interest. At the same time, he more or less guessed why it was helpful.


    Before breaking through to the next level, one must umte battle experience and improve their innate magic understanding. That was how Tritus managed to break through.


    However, after that, he had to consolidate what he acquired. If not, it could destroy his foundation or strain his body. When thetter happened, he could end up as a Legendary all his life, with no hopes of breaking past it anymore.


    But if Tritus used a Sigil to help gather those battle experiences and magic knowledge, it would be easier for him to break through to the next level.


    Basically, the other one would help gather and then shoulder the burden from the other through Sigil.


    [But none of the royal ones did. Noble dragons are prideful in their own way. They had to experience the battle themselves, or they will never see it as an aplishment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Besides, those noble dragons usually end up serving the Dragon King. Thus, umting battle experiences by themselves was something they had to do.


    [Going back on the main subject though. Please consider taking me with you. I will definitely be of help. Besides, I''ve been around the mistress almost all the time. I can recognize her even if she is in disguise.]


    Though Zephyr did not say it, Kyran sensed thetter''s feeling of regret. Only then did Kyran finally realize that, like how Cyneah was fond of ''Zephy,'' Zephyr also grew fond of her.


    With a slight smile, Kyran said, ''Neah might have ended up in a ne where the difference in time is years apart. You might not recognize her that easily.''


    Zephyr snorted.


    [I am a Quilin. We don''t look at people''s physical state to recognize them.]


    Kyran chuckled. Giving up the idea of keeping things from Zephyr, he added, ''Finding Neah is only one of the reasons I''ll be leaving. I also want to find a way to revive your brethren.''


    Zephyr fell silent. He initially wanted to reprimand Kyran, thinking he wanted to ''meet up'' with a few of his other mistresses outside the Human ne. Instead, his next words left him speechless.


    [W-What are you talking about?]


    ''Remember I took the array formation of the temple?''


    [Yes.]


    ''I found all your brethren''s souls in there.''


    [W-What¡ª H-How¡ª More importantly, why are you only telling me this now?]


    ''I didn''t think I could revive them. So there is no point in mentioning it. But after seeing what the Macabre cier could do... and since Neah is now the Soul Emperor. Maybe... just maybe, it can be done.''


    Zephyr was silent for a few seconds. He agreed that the Macabre cier''s ability to take in souls was terrifying. Usually, if a body loses its soul, its body would slowly show signs of decay because it could be considered ''dead.'' However, that did not happen. The Macabre cier could also return the souls it took back to their bodies.


    ''I don''t want to give you false hope,'' Kyran continued when Zephyr still remained silent after almost a minute. ''The Macabre cier might be able to house the souls inside the formation, but without a body, they could return to, they might end up stuck inside.''


    [It is more than enough. If I can see them... No. Even if I can''t see or even talk to them. If their souls are intact, I can bring them home one day. That is more than enough.]


    Kyran''s attention was drawn to thest part of Zephyr''s statement.


    ''Bring them home one day...,'' he repeated in his head.


    Obviously, Zephyr was talking about the Dragon ne in the Higher Realm. Though Kyran wanted to help Zephyr fulfil that part, he did not know how to get there.


    Although the Regis Terram¡ª which is part of the Dragon ne¡ª was inside the Regis Estate''s Inner Walls, Kyran felt it could not be used as a transmission point.


    He even had an inkling that only Ames had the ability to manifest in that ceing from the Dragon ne.


    Kyran shook his head inwardly. There was no point dwelling on this subject because they had to find Cyneah first for everything to happen. Besides, although he told Zephyr about his brethren being stuck in the mirror because they no longer had a body they could return to, he was thinking of making new ones for them.


    A body simr to the trident Tritus was using.


    Of course, Kyran was not nning to ce them in magic weapons. He was only interested in how it was made so it could house a sea serpent''s soul.


    ''Do you know how one could go to the Higher Realm from here?'' Kyran asked.


    [There are not many routes that lead to the Higher Realm from the Lower Realm. There is one route called the Land of Destion. It is said that it borders the Higher and Lower Realms. But no one managed to enter from there. No one lived to tell what was truly inside there. Then, there is the Tower of Chaos. But finding that tower is not easy. Finally, there is the winner of the War of the Sovereigns.


    [Once a winner has appeared, a path from the heavens will open and one can go to the Higher Realm.]

 Chapter 722 A New Journey (6)

    Kyran frowned at what Zephyr said. He took note of the phrases ''a winner has appeared'' and ''one could go to the Higher Realm.''


    But he did not voice his doubts because those phrases might not mean a thing. He could only be making a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, he was getting increasingly interested in the War of the Sovereigns.


    Initially, he did not care about it. But that was only because he had little information about it.


    Even now, he only vaguely understood what it was all about. And from what little information he had, told him how pointless it was. Then again, maybe to those Sovereigns, fighting each other and winning nes was important.


    But not Kyran.


    Having a ce he could call home was enough. It did not matter to him if it was on a different ne as long as his family was there and everyone he held dear.


    As a matter of fact, Nn was the same, which was why he did not ept Loar''s invitation.


    If Cade were a Sovereign, he would not bother with the war as well. To him, protecting one ne was already exhausting. Why would he want to fight with others and win more nes?


    Nevertheless, even though Kyran felt this way, he also had an inkling that there was more to the war. If not, why would Haylee fall under La''s control?


    Unbeknownst to Kyran, he was the reason why Haylee had fell.


    Haylee, indeed, disagreed with La''s ns. She understood the truth behind the War of the Sovereign''s ''objective'' and ultimately decided to have her own n.


    A n where no one would have to sacrifice.


    However, she faltered when the key person who could help her ended up as the same person she wanted to rid of because of his ''troublesome'' identity. And that hesitation caused La to gain the upper hand and takeplete control of her body.


    It was unfortunate that Kyran and Haylee did not get a chance to talk without any prejudices. If they had, maybe the ''war'' between them would have ended differently.


    Then again, Ste would have done everything she could to direct the situation in that route if the result of their ''talk'' was positive. But since she did not, there was a high chance it still ended badly.


    As a matter of fact, as long as Haylee discovered Kyran''s identity as Tyr, she would end up falling under La''s control, and whatever agreement they initially had would end up null.


    If only someone would tell Kyran what Haylee nned, maybe the former would put more importance on the War of the Sovereigns.


    Unfortunately, those who knew were either dead or caught and were forced into a deep sleep.


    This had been the fate of almost all the Boyd Family members and Lira.


    ''What do you know about the War of the Sovereigns?'' Kyran asked, curious whether Zephyr''s regained memories included information about the war.


    Zephyr shook his head.


    [I know what you want to know. But I only remembered bits and pieces that did not make much sense. Well, apart from that phrase, I told you.]


    ''What do you mean by that phrase? Don''t tell me someone from the Higher Realm prepared ''phrases'' that would entice Sovereigns into going to war.''


    As Kyran thought this, he felt annoyed. No matter how he looked at it, the War of the Sovereigns was entertainment for those in the Higher Realm. He could even imagine those people cing their bets on who could open that path leading to their realm.


    Sensing Kyran''s displeasure, Zephyr heaved a sigh.


    [I understand why you feel that way. I''m sorry I can''t give you an answer either. If I regain more of my memories, I''ll let you know.]


    Kyran shook his head, ''It''s fine. That war is not my priority. You can tell me anytime. There is no rush.''


    Zephyr looked at him with a bitter smile.


    [You can''t brush it off as ''not my priority.'' You possess the Shaiha. Not only that, your identity has attracted almost all the Sovereigns in the Lower Realm. It is impossible for you not to get involved.]


    ''It''s not that I don''t want to be involved,'' Kyran exined. ''I will. But not now. I have to search for Neah first.''


    [s.]


    Zephyr sighed with emotion.


    [The mistress has been rash, thinking she could solve the problem if she leaves. But I don''t really me her. The previous Soul Emperor was not exactly a nice person.]


    Kyran did not respond as he recalled his predecessor, Can.


    How could such a person be blinded by his feelings and not kill La? Based on what Kyran knew about Can, thetter suffered because of his identity as a ''normal person.''


    Kyran experienced the same. At the same time, it was a little different because,pared to Can, Kyran''s family loved and protected him.


    But Kyran''s family knew he had magic, unlike Can''s family, who believed he was good for nothing.


    Could La''s frail and gentle attitude at the start be why Can was fooled time and again?


    Maybe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Maybe La''s gentleness was Can''s refuge from his family''s mistreatment.


    But what about Zane and Ste?


    Were theirpany, not enough?


    Thinking back on it, both had powerful magic, unlike La, who initially was like Can¡ª a person with no magic.


    ''... A person with no magic,'' Kyran repeated this and felt something amiss. He sensed he was on to something but could not grasp it because he still did not understand things¡ª especially about La.


    It made Kyran recall Can''s words when they talked in his sea of consciousness.


    Although Can''s words did not target La, Kyran had an inkling its meaning was rtively close.


    It was about how Void magic was not all about destruction.


    What if La was not initially evil, but like how Haylee sumbed to La''s control, she was the same? What if there was another person or an ''entity'' that changed her?


    But then the question was, who was it?


    Kyran inwardly shook his head, ridding his mind of unnecessary things.


    There was no point in dwelling on this matter at this point in time. Kyran would solve the mystery behind La at another time.


    First, he had to find Cyneah. And along the way, he would try to gather more information about the War of the Sovereigns.


    Kyran paused as he thought of Loar.


    ''You know. We might not need to wait for you to remember. I might be able to find the answers if I meet Loar.''


    Zephyr raised his brows questioningly.


    [Whose that person with a boorish-sounding name?]


    Kyran looked at him incredulously. He did not know why Zephyr thought Loar''s name was boorish. In any case, he did not want to know. Thus, he ignored that part and replied, ''I met him when I was training. Now, he is a new Sovereign in the ne where he came from.''


    [A Sovereign? You have a friend whose a Sovereign?]


    Zephyr''s eyes almost popped in surprise.


    [Why did you not ask for his help when we were having problems?]


    ''He''s not my friend... at least I don''t think we are that close...'' Kyran''s voice trailed off, feeling a little awkward about considering Loar a friend.


    They had only met once in the Tower of Tribtions, and although they talked, it did not seem like they connected that much.


    [Then why did you think he would entertain your questions when you asked him about the War of the Sovereigns? Did I not tell you that your identity had attracted almost every sovereign in the Lower Realm? What makes this Loar person different?]


    Zephyr paused as if thinking of something and then added.


    [Actually, scratch that. He might already be up to something if he wanted to be friends with you!]


    Kyran looked at him incredulously. He btedly remembered Zephyr had trouble trusting other people because of how the Temr Code treated him all those years after they discovered the Shaiha Ruins.


    The only ones Zephyr opened up with not much resistance was probably Cyneah.


    ''Ease up on those thoughts, will you? Besides, if he truly is plotting something, why would he go about it in such a roundabout way? He could have taken advantage of the situation when Flos and Obstruction were here.''


    [You can never be too sure!]


    ''Don''t worry. I can take care of my self.''


    [Yourcency is worrying me to death, master!]


    Zephyr shook his head and dered.


    [This is no good. If you meet with that person, you have to bring me along! While sir True Void is still sleeping, I will protect you with my life.]


    Kyran sighed. He found Zephyr''s loyalty a little troubling at times.


    ''There is no need for that. Loar is a pretty chill guy. He will not plot against me even if he knew my identity.''


    He refrained from telling Zephyr that when Loar discovered his identity, he was very respectful of him.


    Kyran was afraid Zephyr would make a huge deal out of it.

 Chapter 723 A New Journey (7)

    In the next couple of days, Kyran busied himself with strengthening his Sigils while creating an item that would allow them to ess the Sigil''s effect remotely. In this way, even if he was far away, they could tap into it, and he could provide them with additional blessings. It would also let him know if an emergency happened in the Human ne.


    His Sigils would never need its effect if they could resolve the situation alone.


    Nn gave Kyran a device to contact him, but since he was the new Sovereign, he could not say anything about internal matters in the Human ne. Besides, Kyran was sure Nn would never contact him. Even if Kyran initiated the call, Nn would probably only talk about things he could.


    Such as matters regarding the War of the Sovereigns because it involved the future of the Human ne.


    As a matter of fact, when Nn and Cade met with Iulia, he only joined the discussion when the outsiders were involved. When the topic veered toward the internal affairs of what transpired between the Crown Princess and the Emperor, Cade was the one who led the discussion.


    While Kyran was busy dealing with his own matters, everyone who took part in the secret meeting with Iulia also started doing theirs.


    In that meeting, Kyran focused on uniting all nobilities in the empire. He did not aim to dissolve the nobility because it would cause a rebellion. Instead, he aimed to gather all nobles and support the Royal Family without hidden agendas.


    Of course, there was no guarantee that the nobles would follow such a request. Even if Empress Iulia made the plea, the other noble families would never listen because she did not hold absolute authority in the empire. The Emperor was the only one who could decree such a thing.


    Unfortunately, Euan was currently missing.


    Nevertheless, there was still a chance for the noble families to follow her plea. That was if the Three Noble Families supported it. As such, before the day Iulia appeared before the public, the Courtenay, Lumley, and Montgomeray Families announced the disbandment of the Three Noble Families.


    They also announced their intention to follow the example of the Regis n in upholding their moral code.


    Their deration surprised the noble families and the great mass because they knew how the two other noble families, which were part of the original Three Noble Families, plotted to remove the Regis Family among them.


    Because of their move, the great mass became more interested in what Empress Iulia was going to announce. Apart from this, everyone wanted to know the three questions she would answer.


    Just as everyone''s attention was drawn to this, another announcement appeared.


    This time, the announcement came from the three major factions in the empire: Aureole, Temr Code and The Conve of the East.


    In their announcement, they dered the start of their alliance to support the empire wholeheartedly.


    This forced the great mass into an uproar.


    It was one thing for the Aureole and the Temr Code to form an alliance, but for the Conve¡ª who had been neutral all this time¡ª to join spoke volumes.


    If that was not enough, in that deration, they btedly realized that the Regis n was also part of the alliance.


    This caused the great mass to recall the rumor about their involvement in the recent events, especially the one they called ''Young Master.''


    After this announcement, the Aureole, Temr Code, and the Conve opened their doors and invited other small or medium-sized factions to join the alliance.


    Because of this, many of these factions showed interest. After all, it was rare to have all three work together, not to mention open their doors to other factions.


    Nevertheless, some of these factions also had ulterior motives for joining the alliance. And that was to know any inside news about the Regis n.


    Unfortunately, when the three major factions opened their doors, there was no mention of the Regis n doing the same.


    Whether the reason the Regis Estate remained closed was that it was where the st'' battle happened, and the remnants of that war still lingered, no one was sure.


    Finally, the day of Iulia''s address arrived.


    Almost everyone in the empire made time to listen to her.


    Most people in small towns gathered together to listen.


    Using the magic detectors in almost every part of the empire as a transmission devices, Iulia''s silhouette appeared above every city. As for those towns too far to see the projections, the Royal Army providedmunication devices for them to listen and watch the address.


    The address was very straightforward.


    Iulia did not bother with formalities as she went straight to the heart of the matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The truth about the Crown Princess''s coup and the disappearance of the Emperor.


    Iulia started by telling everyone about the existence of other nes.


    This shocked most people, and dared not believe her. However, some had witnessed how a huge hole appeared in the sky of Meliora. Others also witnessed a ball of mes from who knew where crashing down on that hole.


    Many unexined things crop up, and Iulia has just started. Because of this, many were sceptical but could not deny the possibility of her words.


    After that, Iulia talked about the change that happened to Haylee after her Inheritance Ritual.


    When this was brought to light, many were able to guess what followed. And as they expected, Iulia confirmed that during that ritual, an outsider from another ne managed to brainwash their beloved Crown Princess.


    Then the story went like this:


    The first one that outsiders made contact with was Gael, the Grand Marshal of the Royal Army. Along with a few other noble families, they were manipted to awaken a powerful relic sleeping in the depths of the Royal Army''s HQ.


    Finally, the outsider found a very good source of magic energy they could use to awaken that relic. And this good source happened to be inside the Regis Estate.


    For this reason, the Royal Army raided the Regis Estate. The only way for them to stall whatever the outsider was plotting was to let one of their own leave the estate with that ''source of energy.''


    And that was where Kyran Regis came into the picture.


    Those who were aware of the truth could not help but smile bitterly at this.


    In the end, the Royal Family chose to save the face of their Crown Princess and me everything on the unknown ''outsider.''


    But few knew that the Royal Family did note up with this story. The one who asked Iulia to say this, was Kyran.


    Obviously, he did not want the image of the empire''s Crown Princess to be smeared. How could Cyneah live peacefully after returning to the Human ne if she was branded as the one who went against the emperor? A traitor?


    Even if the great mass did not know what the Crown Princess looked like, there were those who knew, and her image had started to circte.


    Kyran could not very well have Cyneah wear a mask for the rest of her life, right? Besides, even if he asked her to stay in the Regis Estate, there was no guarantee she would agree.


    There was also the possibility that Cyneah would be stressed out and eventually want to leave again.


    Of course, Kyran also considered the possibility of several years passing in the Human ne before their return. Finding Cyneah would also take him years.


    The Lower Realm was vast, and there were plenty of nes out there. There was no way for him to know where she was unless she tried calling for him using the token he gave her.


    For this reason, Kyran wanted the image of the Crown Princess to remain intact.


    Following Iulia''s exnation that the Crown Princess had been manipted, she veered toward how the young lord of the Conve found the recent bounty requested by the Royal Army was too suspicious. She then ordered her people to investigate.


    During an investigation of two exemry mercenaries, they met with Kyran and starting from there; thetter had been taking refuge in the Conve.


    When the outsider got hold of this, he manipted someone to attack the Tower of Conve and take him in custody.


    This person was the one who attacked the Tower of Conve, resulting in what was once known as the most powerful defensive array being destroyed.


    How this person destroyed the Conve''s defensive array was a testament to how powerful outsiders were.


    Then the rest of the story continued, and finally, the Crown Princess bore her fangs when she recognized Kyran during her visit to the Conve.


    She used the Joint Military Activity to gauge the Conve and force Kyran out.


    Ultimately, that happened, and Kyran used the events in Noser to divert their attention.


    Kyran did not care if his image was smeared. Thus, he did not try to change the truth of what transpired in Noser.

 Chapter 724 A New Journey (8)

    As expected, when they learned that Kyran was the one who unleashed the beasts in Noser, the great mass did not receive it well.


    Knowing this would happen, Iulia slowly directed her speech to let them see through Kyran''s perspective. She did not directly exin it to them, but she asked them questions that made them wonder themselves.


    If one''s family was in danger, one could do things that might appear irrational.


    From there, Iulia listed the casualties in Noser.


    To their surprise, none of the civilians or local city officers were harmed.


    Several districts in Noser were in shambles, and there were fatalities, but the former were only structures that could be rebuilt, while thetter were mostly from the Royal Army.


    Of course, the deaths of the soldiers could not be justified. Nevertheless, they should have expected it when they chose to be soldiers.


    That is one of the sad truths in the army. It did not matter if they were innocent as long as they carried out the order given to them.


    The great mass fell into silence from Empress Iulia''s words. Most agreed with what she said, but few epted it.


    Still, none of them voiced their thoughts. Not because they feared what the Royal Family would do to them if they voiced them, but because they would only appear as hypocrites because they were not affected by the deaths of those soldiers.


    The families of those soldiers were not even saying anything. Why should they?


    Iulia''s address continued as she exined the rest of what had happened.


    She told them how Emperor Euan found a way to meet with Kyran and the Conve and devised a way to stop the Crown Princess.


    Then Kyran, under Emperor Euan''s directions, gathered the major factions. Together with them, they countered the Crown Princess''s forces.


    Finally, the confrontation between the two began as the Crown Princessunched a pre-emptive attack to put Emperor Euan''s forces in disarray.


    During that attack, Emperor Euan went missing, along with a few members of the Royal Army under Deputy Marshal¡ª the only one in the army who did not defect to the Crown Princess''s side¡ª and members of the Conve, including Head Master Malek, and a couple of Conve council members.


    The great mass was worried at this news. Although it was not new to them, there had been spections that the emperor might not be missing but that his ''body'' had not been found yet.


    But with great conviction, Iulia dered Euan was alive and that he was only missing. And with the assistance of the Regis n''s next patriarch, Cade, they would find them and bring them home.


    When they heard this, they felt something was amiss and wondered if Emperor Euan had identally left the empire''s borders.


    Knowing their doubts, Iulia exined how the outsiders'' arrival in theirnd caused rifts to appear. These rifts led to anothernd different from theirs.


    The great mass was doubtful at this. After all, they did not know about such things.


    And so, Iulia reminded the great mass about what happened to theirnd more than a thousand years ago. She also reminded them of the Spirits, who were proof that anothernd existed.


    Iulia did not dwell on this subject for long. Since it was a delicate one and her knowledge about it was also limited. She couldn''t convince them of its existence if her knowledge were limited.


    Ultimately, the first part of her address ended with how the joint effort of the major factions cornered the Crown Princess. Because of this situation, the outsiders manipting her were forced to appear and try to rectify the situation.


    Fortunately, the Regis n was freed by then and could finally fight alongside the major factions.


    By the end of the battle, the ''energy'' that Kyran had taken with him was unleashed, forcing the outsiders to retreat. However, they took the Crown Princess with them.


    A long silence followed at the end of Iulia''s address.


    Most were having trouble digesting all this information, while others were trying to figure out how much of what she said was true.


    Before they could truly digest what she said, a representative of the Royal Court announced the start of the Empress''s address to the three questions.


    This immediately piqued the interest of the great mass.


    However, some were in a dilemma. After all, most of their doubts had already been answered during the first part of Empress Iulia''s address. They worried that the Royal Family would use the excuse that the second part would be voided since all three questions they picked had been answered during the Empress''s address.


    But when the first question was read out, the great mass was dumbfounded.


    Because the question asked was indeed not answered during Empress Iulia''s speech. But answering such a question during an ''official'' address seemed inappropriate.


    The question was:


    "Was it true that Emperor Euan wanted to marry off the Crown Princess to the Regis n''s Young Master and that it was why she rebelled because she did not want to?"


    Kyran, watching the address in the room he woke up in, could not help but smile wryly. He did not expect the Royal Family to choose such a question. To be precise, the one who suggested that Iulia answer three questions from the public was him. But he told her he would not meddle in it and that the Royal Family could choose the question themselves.


    Iulia agreed, but she told him she would be the one to pick and answer them truthfully.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It made Kyran wonder what Iulia was up to. After all, she said that after learning how important the ''real'' Crown Princess was to Kyran.


    Iulia did not answer the question immediately. As if to build up suspense, she paused for a few seconds before smiling and answering.


    "Yes and no. Yes, because the Emperor considered marrying the Crown Princess to the Regis n''s Young Master. No, because it was not the reason she rebelled. As I said, the Crown Princess was manipted against her will. Thus, how she felt about the Emperor''s wish was only known to her."


    Kyran sighed inwardly.


    s, it seemed Iulia was somewhat simr to his mother. On second thought, maybe mothers were like this to their children. Always wanting to pair them up with someone they believed was a good fit for them?


    Then again, Kyran did hear La mention something simr. So he could not really say much.


    After that, the next question was read out.


    It went like this:


    "Was it true that Disciple Tyr and the Regis Young Master one and the same?"


    Kyran frowned immediately.


    This is the second question, but why is he involved again? More importantly, is this relevant to Iulia''s initial address?


    Kyran did not think so.


    Once again, Iulia paused for a few seconds before answering.


    "No. They are two different people. To avoid misunderstandings, let me also assure everyone that Disciple Tyr may look like someone... from another ce. But they are not the same people. As a matter of fact, the reason Disciple Tyr''s features looked simr to that ''person'' is because his maternal family came from the same ce as that person.


    Now that is all I can say. This information is personal, and I cannot disclose Disciple Tyr''s family circumstances without his consent. It is quite unfortunate though, that he is among those who went missing with the Emperor."


    ''How convenient,'' Kyran could not help but think with a bitter smile. Then again, the only ones who saw Neo fight as Tyr had been the Conve and most of the Boyd Family members and allies. After that, Neo hid from the public with Aki and Len.


    Finally, the third question was read. It said:


    "There was proof that the Regis Young Master possessed no magic. But if the rumor said he was the one who led the major factions to fight the Crown Princess''s forces, how could he survive, especially in a fight against mages? Although he graduated from military school with flying colors, could he fight against high level mages?"


    ''Again, about me,'' Kyran thought. ''What is she thinking?''


    Unbeknownst to him, Iulia read all their information about him again after their meeting. Obviously, her interest was piqued after seeing what he could do.


    She wanted to know if there were telltales of him possessing magic during his time as an ''ordinary'' human.


    In the end, she found nothing. At the same time, she was surprised at how powerful hisbat abilities were.


    This time, it took Iulia much longer before she answered.


    It was not because she did not know how to answer the question since she knew it beforehand. She was only a little hesitant to answer because this would definitely stir mixed opinions from the great mass.


    "Earlier, I told you about the ''energy'' the outsiders needed to awaken that was sleeping in the depths of the Royal Army''s Headquarters," Iulia finally spoke after a long pause.


    "As some of you probably guessed, that energy is magic energy. Then again, they did not have to go through all the trouble if that was all they needed. The whole surrounding is full of magic energy, after all."


    She paused once more to give the great mass a chance to digest her words.


    "That is correct. They required a specific magic energy, and the only one who possessed it, is the Regis Young Master."


    The great mass was in an uproar.


    What kind of magic energy could it be for only one to possess? And how were they even sure the Regis Young Master was the only one who possessed it?


    "I am sure all of you are in doubt. I have already received confirmation and did not mind disclosing it. But before that, I hope all of you keep an open mind and not panic."


    When Iulia mentioned the word ''panic,'' most people already felt fear creep into their hearts.


    "I also want to assure everyone that the Regis Young Master upholds his family''s moral code and would never harm the innocent.


    "I know the Royal Family decreed it, and there were those who suffered because of it. This time should not be an exception. However, due to the circumstances, the Emperor still chose to trust him while knowing about this."


    "The magic energy the Regis Young Master possessed, as some of you may have already guessed, is the most feared of all... Void."

 Chapter 725 A New Journey (9)

    Empress Iulia did not say Void ''magic.''


    Right from the start, she referred to it as ''energy.'' But who did not understand what she truly meant?


    The surroundings were filled with energy, and using the correct runes would convert it to a specific type of magic. Humans who awakened their magic core could easily distinguish the magic energy corresponding to their innate magic. In order to manifest them, however, they had to use runes.


    When Iulia mentioned the type of energy Kyran possessed as Void, it could only mean he possessed the most fearsome forbidden magic.


    From this unspoken truth, the great mass was in an uproar.


    One would think their reaction was due to fear. After all, Iulia just revealed that someone in the empire possessed the magic that only one person in history ever had¡ª the Dark Sage.


    However, their reaction was not out of fear that Kyran would be the next Dark Sage but contempt. Especially those whose families were persecuted after discovering they possessed forbidden magic. Some were killed without a chance to defend themselves, while others with low-risk forbidden magic were forced to work in the Royal Army and assigned to the most dangerous location in the empire¡ª the southern borders.


    Why was the Royal Family''s treatment of Kyran different? Was it because he came from a n known for upholding their moral code? A n that did see and do things righteously?


    Then again, could their n be called righteous for hiding Kyran''s magic?


    A n that truly upheld their moral code and did righteous things should have surrendered their own who possessed forbidden magic. After all, that was what the Royal Family that ruled over the empire for a long time had decreed.


    A few members of the Royal Court could not help but sneer at Iulia''s deration. They were already aware of this and did not attempt to stop her from announcing it to the public. To them, Iulia was not a true Royal Family. The more her image was besmeared, the more likely Euan''s reputation would fall because of their rtionship. When that happened, it would be easy for the court to remove Euan from his seat and find a new emperor to rule.


    Still, some members warned Iulia from disclosing the truth about Kyran. These people were primarily neutral and were genuinely concerned about how the great mass would react. They were also worried that the conservative court members would take that chance to remove Iulia''s temporary power over the Royal Family and then impeach Euan while he was missing.


    As for the court members that belonged to Iulia''s side, they could only shake their heads in resignation. Like the neutral court members, they persuaded her not to announce this information publicly. However, she was adamant about it. Thus, they could only watch over her and do what they could to protect her from those conservative court members.


    Iulia closed her eyes after announcing the truth about Kyran. Although she could not hear the great mass''s reaction because inside the Pce Royal Court where she made her address, she more or less guessed them.


    Whilst knowing this, she still decided to disclose the truth.


    As a matter of fact, Iulia was initially reluctant even when Kyran gave his consent. But when she spoke to Cade about it, he only smiled and told her the whole Regis n stood by his son''s decision.


    Initially, Iulia did not understand why Cade said this. But now that she had said it, she seemed to have grasped something.


    The Regis n had always been depicted as a reputable and righteous n to the point some deified them. But Cade and the rest of the Regis Family wanted to change that.


    No.


    It was not changed, but to correct that.


    In the first ce, the Regis Family grew into a n after epting people who could not find a ce they could fit in to.


    If a person who could not fit in finally found a ce where they could, it would not be surprising if he or she ended up bing indebted to the people behind that ce. Some would even show unwavering loyalty to the point they were willing to die for the family.


    That had been the case thus far.


    But the Regis Family never wanted their n members to sacrifice themselves for the family. At the same time, they did not want people from outside the n to misunderstand their n members'' loyalty as an absolute urrence once people joined them.


    Because of this, the Regis Family was fine with showing the whole empire that, just like the rest, they were willing to go against the rule if it would mean saving their own.


    If others despised them for doing it, they would only respond with a statement: "We managed to protect our own because we have the ability. Do not detest us for your ipetence in failing to protect your people."


    This statement would undoubtedly incur the people''s wrath, especially those who failed to protect their families when the Royal Army persecuted them for possessing forbidden magic.


    But, so what? That did not concern the Regis Family.


    They are only interested in protecting their own family. One could say that this is part of their ''moral code.''


    Iulia opened her eyes and looked at themunication device transmitting her image throughout the empire.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After a long pause, she spoke once more.


    "Your reactions are understandable. But let me remind you of what Emperor Euan had promised when he took the throne."


    Her expression turned solemn as she uttered her following words, "Emperor Euan wanted to correct the wrongs not only inside the Royal Army but also in the Royal Family.


    "One of these wrongs is our misconception regarding the Forbidden Magic.


    "You heard me right. Our, which means I am included.


    "Just like you, I, too, have a misconception about them. That as long as a person possessed forbidden magic, they were bound to go the wrong path."


    Iulia paused as her expression turned gentle.


    "But I''ve seen how the mages who possessed so-called forbidden magic strived to live each day. These mages I spoke of are the ones who chose to serve the army rather than die.


    "They are also humans who happened to awaken innate magic that the Royal Family dered as Forbidden Magic.


    "But if we look back on history, were all these magic called forbidden?


    "Definitely not.


    "The only reason they were now called as such was because of the mages who possessed them and did wrong. But what those mages did, does not justify how the mages of our time would be.


    "Unfortunately, because of fear, we tend to shut our ears for reasons. And that happened when the first Ylfaen Emperor decreed several magic as forbidden.


    "In any case, Emperor Euan wanted to correct that. You may not know, but because of him, plenty of those ''forbidden magic users'' that had been ordered to serve at the southern borders had been reassigned to safer locations.


    "Some of them were even promoted."


    Hearing this, Kyran was reminded of Vera. Thetter was still in a a'' and had not shown signs of waking up soon. He was waiting for her to wake up before leaving because he did not want to take her along.


    Currently, she was still inside the Void World, recuperating.


    The great mass was surprised to hear this. They did hear the Emperor speak of correcting the wrongs inside the army and the Royal Family. But most of them brushed it off as another empty talk.


    Such were the words of an Emperor to them.


    They did not expect Emperor Euan to act upon his words.


    "I know what happened in the past cannot be undone, but the Royal Family, with Emperor Euan at the helm, will do everything to correct their wrongs and continue on the right path.


    "I sincerely beseech you to give us a chance.


    "You may think letting go of the Regis n''s offense by not revealing the truth about their Young Master is still uneptable. However, he is already doing his best to serve his due punishment."


    The faces of the conservative members of the court grew distorted. They did not expect Iulia to turn the tables this way¡ª by using Euan''s inauguration speech to stir the masses.


    The neutral members, as well as Iulia''s people, were also surprised. They also wondered what she meant about the ''due punishment'' that the Regis Young Master had to do.


    Iulia paused to let the great mass digest her words. Finally, when she believed it was time, she announced, "The punishment due to the Regis Young Master, is to win back our beloved Crown Princess from the outsiders and bring her home."


    Kyran raised his brows at Iulia''s announcement. Then he chuckled and shook his head.


    He did not understand much about public speaking and politics, but he felt Iulia had a gift for stirring the public''s opinion toward a more positive oue.

 Chapter 726 A New Journey (10)

    Now that Kyran thought of it, Iulia tried to persuade him to give Euan a chance to exin his side. And he almost did. Unfortunately, the first time they met, he was no longer posing as Tyr but himself. Thus, the discussion did not veer in the direction Iulia had hoped for.


    Nevertheless, it was partially because of Iulia that Kyran did not kill Euan at first sight. Although, he did threaten him a little even though Mannick was with him.


    Putting that matter aside, Kyran recalled the punishment given to him and could not help but smile wryly.


    That part was purely Iulia''s idea. At least, Kyran believed so after hearing the gasps of shock among the people with her.


    Themunication device that transmitted Iulia''s image should not have transmitted other sounds apart from hers. However, it happens on rare asions when the noise around the person using themunication device is too loud.


    As Kyran guessed, the decision to ''punish'' him was Iulia''s idea. She knew he intended to find the Crown Princess anyway and thought she could use that to pacify the great mass''s dissatisfaction.


    Iulia was not a fool to think she could convince the great mass, especially all those who had been wronged by the first Emperor''s decree about forbidden magic, to let the matter of the Regis n go. Thus, she thought of how to lessen their displeasure, if notpletely remove it.


    For this reason, she thought of using punishment.


    Which was a better way to do this than have the great mass think that the Royal Family chose to punish Kyran? Not only that, searching for the Crown Princess¡ª whose whereabouts were unknown¡ª would make them believe it was the Royal Family''s subtle way of ''exiling'' him.


    Of course, Iulia nned to slowly build Kyran''s image while he was away so that she could convince them he was harmless. And when the time came that he returned with the Crown Princess, the great mass would have already let go of their displeasure. Hopefully, they would see Kyran as the hero who brought back their beloved Princess rather than the man who possessed the most feared forbidden magic by then.


    Iulia ignored the shocked reactions of the Royal Court and ended her address on that note. After that, she stood up and left the room without giving them a chance to question thest part of her address.


    The two court members from Iulia''s side also followed. However, just like the other court members, their expressions remained dumbfounded.


    In the end, they did not ask Iulia about it either. Others might not know, but to them, she was a person who possessed foresight. Her innate ability was not about seeing the future but understanding the situation and finding the most effective way to deal with the problem.


    As a matter of fact, Euan knew about this, which was why he believed she was fit to be the Empress. Unfortunately, she did note from a powerful noble family and could even be considered ''average.''


    Though the circumstances were not exactly good, Euan was d that Iulia finally became the Empress.


    When Empress Iulia''s address ended, most people were overwhelmed by everything they had learned.


    As for those who were displeased about the reveal of the Regis Young Master''s magic, they had indeed been pacified by the Royal Family''s punishment.


    To them, the Crown Princess''s case was already a lost cause. It would be impossible for him to win her back. Although they did not me the Crown Princess because they believed she was also a victim in this war, they were not really fond of her. It could even be said that they were not particrly fond of the Royal Family.


    How could they? When they were the ones who decreed how to deal with people possessing forbidden magic. Nevertheless, they looked forward to what Empress Iulia had said about Emperor Euan wanting to correct the wrongs.


    Because, in as much as they despised those people who managed to get away from being persecuted by the army, they also hoped there would no longer be victims of such injustice.


    Meanwhile, after Iulia left, she returned to her quarters and was almost given a fright when she saw someone waiting inside.


    Right outside the opened doors leading to the room''s balcony, a silhouette approached her slowly.


    "So looking for the Crown Princess is a form of punishment now?"


    Iulia''s nerves loosened as she recognized Kyran. After learning about his magic, she expected he could ''warp,'' like the Dark Sage. But seeing how he did it without arousing the pce''s defensive array would make anyone who did not know him afraid.


    After all, if someone could suddenly appear before you without so much as a sign and that someone happened to be hostile, then you were good as dead.


    "I had to give them something to think about."


    Kyran chuckled, "I think what you just said gave them the false impression that you are exiling me."


    "Smart people would know otherwise. Could I exile someone who could easilye and go given the nature of his magic?"


    "True."


    Iulia smiled and approached him.


    "And? What do I owe this sudden visit?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran shrugged before looking out the balcony.


    "Nothing much. I just thought you''d want to know when I''d leave."


    Iulia''s expression sobered at his words.


    "Although I announced it as a punishment, I hope you did not think I am forcing you to leave immediately."


    Kyran shook his head, "You don''t have to worry about that. The truth is I nned to leave today."


    Iulia raised her brows, surprised at his words. Then again, most of the things they discussed had already been made, so he probably thought leaving was fine.


    As if reading her thoughts, Kyran said, "Even before we talked that day, I already nned to leave in the next four or five days. Well, today is the fourth day and I think it is fine to leave everything with you guys."


    "Are you not afraid those conservatives of the Royal Court would try something also to punish your family? Although my address appearedplete, many things were not said and would likely cause the great mass to question the Royal Family.


    "When that happened, the Royal Court would be forced to do something to alleviate their concern. They might force me to punish your family as well."


    Kyran looked at Iulia with a wry smile.


    "I don''t deal with politics. In those cases, my grandfather will deal with it. Besides, I don''t think those people is stupid enough to think that they could bully my family."


    Iulia chuckled at Kyran''s confidence.


    Then again, he was right. Besides, the conservatives'' real target was Iulia. If anything, they would attack her for not punishing the whole Regis Family for hiding the truth about Kyran. But they would not act rashly when confronting her because they would think the Regis Family was backing her. When something happened to her, how would thetter act?


    If they could hide the truth about Kyran without so much as batting an eye, would they also fear the Royal Court?


    Definitely not.


    "Besides," Kyran paused, trying to consider what he should tell her. "Neah has been gone for more than a week now. Time flows differently in each ne. A few days here might have already been a few months where Neah had gone to."


    In the end, he decided not to tell Iulia how he heard Cyneah call him, sounding somewhat distraught. Iulia might not have met Cyneah, but he could sense she was worried about her, just like a mother would to her flesh and blood.


    Her emotions might have been due to her affection for Haylee, but that was unimportant.


    Knowing she would worry if he told her something might have happened to Cyneah, it could affect her condition.


    Iulia already had her hands full, acting as the de facto ruler of the empire while Euan was missing. Kyran did not want her to worry about anything else. Not to mention she was also pregnant.


    "Do you have an idea where she might have gone?"


    As soon as Iulia asked this, she shook her head at once and retracted them, "No, I suppose you do not. If you do, why would you even want to search."


    After a short pause, Iulia looked at Kyran and asked the question that likely everyone wanted to know.


    "Where do you n to search first?"


    Kyran fell silent as he contemted what to say.


    Finally, he answered, "Before that, I have to meet a friend. Although I don''t think he would know where Neah is, I''ll start by gathering intel on each nes he is familiar with."


    Iulia nodded in agreement.


    "Narrowing the list of nes to visit will give you a better chance of finding her sooner."


    Kyran smiled, and instead of affirming her words, he said, "I''ll find her, even if I can''t narrow down the list."

 Chapter 727 Sovereign Of Automa (1)

    Kyran and Iulia talked for a little while before the former left. He did say he was leaving the ne that day. But before that, he had a few errands to do.


    The first of his errand was meeting the representatives of the Courtenay, Lumley and Montgomeray Families.


    He was not meeting their patriarchs because they were all busy with many things pertaining to their family or the announcement they made. Suddenly disbanding the Three Noble Families was no small matter. Many other patriarchs from other noble families wanted to meet with them about a ''joint venture'' now that there was no longer the ''Three Noble Families.''


    Because of this, the Courtenay, Lumley and Montgomeray patriarchs had to set straight the record. They disbanded the Three Noble Families to create a new ''nobles faction.'' They were serious when they announced wanting to follow the Regis n''s example.


    A few noble families were also interested in forming a sort of alliance with them. This alliance was not the same as the one announced by the Aureole, Conve and the Temr Code because they would mainly focus on the development of the empire and assisting the Royal Family¡ª or, to be more precise¡ª Emperor Euan and Empress Iulia''s ideals.


    Of course, realizing ideals was no easy feat. It would not happen overnight, either. One could even say that a lifetime was not enough to make it happen. Nevertheless, these noble families had experienced too many betrayals and seen too many ulterior motives tost them a lifetime. What they wanted was to see the Emperor''s ''right the wrongs'' happen¡ª not for them but for the new generation.


    When Kyran met the representatives from the Courtenay, Lumley, and Montgomeray Families, his brow made an involuntary twitch.


    Because all of them were all women.


    Kyran had nothing against having a woman represent their family, alright. It was just that it was one thing to send a woman but to have their age close to his¡ª those patriarchs definitely had ulterior motives.


    udias, Mimi, and Zuri.


    Shaking his head inwardly, Kyran tried to reason they were here because they were also present during the meeting with Iulia. Besides, he did not interact much with them in the first ce.


    Right, maybe that was not the case with Mimi.


    In any case, Kyran did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. He told them his n to leave that day and gave them a device that would allow them to contact him in an emergency.


    Kyran made a point to emphasize the word ''emergency,'' even giving them the impression that they could only use the device once. Of course, this was not the case, and if a good Array Specialist checked the device, he or she would realize this.


    After that, Kyran told Zuri that White Lily had returned to the Spirit World and would continue to recuperate there. He asked her to have the Montgomeray members with contracted spirits to keep an eye on her. He also told her that his mother, Rin, would continue to be White Lily''s contracted human. Thus, she would visit the Montgomeray Family every now and then.


    Zuri did not say anything and only nodded in response. However, Kyran sensed her relief after hearing about White Lily.


    Although she saw thetter in his Void World, the fact that she had to stay there for some time and could not leave worried her and the Montgomeray Family, knowing that White Lily could return was truly a relief.


    After talking to Zuri, Kyran turned to udias next.


    udias might not show it, but he knew most Lumley family members still harbor hidden resentment. The Regis n might have saved their family on the brink of destruction, but that would not have happened had Kyran not wiped out their high-level mages.


    Kyran did not try to correct their misconception since Neo was his creation, and thetter killing Tobias, Mattias, and most of the Lumley Family''s high-level mages was a solid fact.


    Before Kyran could address this subject, however, udias stopped him.


    She said:


    "I am not fond of Mattias and Tobias''s way of doing things and how old-fashioned most of the leaders of the Lumley Family had been. I say good riddance. You helped the family uproot the weeds growing from within for a long time."


    udias''s words surprised not only Kyran but also Mimi and Zuri. After all, they knew how prideful the Lumley Family was. Apart from this, they were the family that reced the Regis Family as one of the Three Noble Families.


    Then again, maybe it was their way of telling Kyran to let bygones be bygones and to start anew.


    Most likely, the remaining members, as well as their patriarch and elders, already weighed the benefit they would receive by following the Regis n.


    Since udias did not want to discuss it anymore, Kyran did not pursue it either.


    Finally, Kyran looked at Mimi and addressed what she was likely concerned about all this time.


    Millie.


    With a flick, Kyran threw a ring in Mimi''s direction. The ring looked simr to any storage ring, but when Mimi caught it, she felt how profound it was and could even be considered a rare item.


    Kyran then said, "She''s inside. I ''treated'' her, but whether she returns to her old self would entirely be up to how the Courtenay Family will treat her from now on."


    Mimi did not need to ask to understand what he meant.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Millie was truly ''ill.'' In a sense, she developed another personality because of how she was treated by most of the Courtenay Family. Because of this, she became ambitious. Wanting to use other people for her own benefit.


    That had been the case with Kyran. After realizing she could not use him, she wanted to get rid of him.


    Unfortunately, Millie picked the wrong person and ended up exposing her ''illness.''


    Eoin and Ernst let Mimi look after Millie, hoping she could affect her and turn over a new leaf. s, it did not happen, and it seemed to have worsened.


    In any case, Kyran already realized this after checking her memories. He felt getting rid of her was not worth it. Besides, he saw her talent in Array and found her useful in assisting his father in creating the Warp Formation.


    Mimi held the ring close to her heart and smiled.


    "Thank you."


    udias and Zuri were oblivious to the exchange between the two. But they felt how grateful Mimi sounded and sensed whoever was inside that ring was likely someone very important to the Courtenay Family.


    After that, Kyran gave each of them storage rings, where teaching scrolls that could help them recover their military strength were.


    udias, Mimi, and Zuri were initially lost to what Kyran meant. But recalling his knowledge of different branches and forms of magic, the ''teaching scrolls'' sounded even more precious than the device he gave them at the beginning.


    What they did not know was the teaching scrolls Kyran prepared for them were to improve not only their family''s magic knowledge but also their level. One could say that reading and understanding these scrolls could help them attain enlightenment, which could help them achieve a breakthrough.


    After meeting them, Kyran went to Ste.


    As soon as he arrived inside her quarters and saw the expression on her face, he knew she already guessed why he was there.


    In a way, Kyran would not have gone there like that if it was not to say he was leaving.


    Stell smiled bitterly and said, "So this day finally came."


    "Did you know this would happen?"


    Ste shook her head, "From now on, the things that would happen is no longer part of any future I witnessed."


    Kyran only gave a short nod.


    He preferred it this way. Because having others know and try to dictate what would happen to his future did not sit well with him.


    Ste closed her eyes and asked, "When you look for her... can you also look for them?"


    Kyran did not ask who she meant because he knew.


    It was not announced. But the ones who went missing, along with Malek, were three other Conve council members he knew well.


    Noir, Sigma, and Can.


    "I will."


    Kyran did not hesitate to answer because he did intend to look for them.


    It was contrary to what he told others, but he did not want them to think that he was being biased¡ª which he was.


    Of course, he would also let his father know if he found any news about Euan. But at the moment, he would prioritize those three.


    As for Malek.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He was not fond of him, but he was Ste''s right-hand man and did a good job at what he did. Besides, he owed Ste a lot. Finding another one did not hurt.


    After a short pause, Ste suddenly asked, ".... Can''t I go with you, instead?"

 Chapter 728 Sovereign Of Automa (2)

    "This ne needs you," Kyran replied almost at once.


    Ste smiled bitterly. She knew he would not agree to take her along. And though his answer sounded like an excuse, it was also correct.


    All those who could read the book of Ancient Magic would understand what Kyran meant.


    The rumor that the Human ne is a remnant of the Land of the Ancients is true.


    There were records that mentioned the Land of the Ancients was also known as the Land of the Beginnings and was situation between the Lower and the Higher Realms. However, something happened that caused thend to fall apart. And most of itsnd turned to ashes because the essence that kept it in tact was gone.


    But there was one piece ofnd that managed to remain in tact because it was able to preserve its essence.


    That piece ofnd, is now called the Human ne. As for the ''essence'' that prevented it from falling apart, some said it was the Heart of the Cosmos, while others said it was because of the Four Ancient Magic that lingered in thend.


    The former was false because based on what Zephyr had said before, the Heart of the Cosmos, more known to them as the Shaiha, was in the Higher Realm. To be more specific, it was kept in the Dragon ne or more than a thousand years.


    It was not until an internal strife happened among the dragons that the Dragon King was forced to leave their ne while taking the Shaiha with him. He then searched for the Land of the Ancients because that was the only ce that could hide the Shaiha.


    However, instead of finding the Land of the Ancients, there was only a remnantnd left.


    In the end, the Dragon King discovered that thend managed to keep its essence. Because of this, he chose to stay.


    Moving back to the topic why Ste was needed by the ne, she represented one of the Ancient Magic that kept the Human ne from falling apart.


    While having a Sovereign helped prevent the ne from getting destroyed, without its essences, the ne would slowly ''die.''


    Currently, Cyneah, who possessed one of the Human ne''s essence had left, which resulted in the Soul magic energy in the surroundings to thin drastically.


    Kyran, who possessed both Draconic and Void magic, also nned to leave. When that happened, two more magic energies keeping the Human ne in tact would lessen.


    If Ste also left, Nn would be the only one who would keep the ne from getting destroyed. He might be able to pull it off alone, if he was not busy keeping other Sovereigns at bay.


    But now that the Human ne''s coordinates were revealed, more Sovereigns were likely toe and covet it.


    Basically, one of the essences that kept the Human ne from falling apart must stay. There were moreplex reasoning behind this, but because of theplexity involved in exining every detail, it would take years for others to understand the theorypletely. Only those who read the book of Ancient Magic would understand it.


    s, only those who possessed Ancient Magic could actually read the book.


    "Then," Ste started after a long pause. "I''ll wait for your return."


    Then she hastily added, "Along with the others."


    "It will probably take me years. But if I found Malek and the others before Neah, I''ll send them back first."


    Ste frowned.


    "With your magic, you can return and leave any time you want. You don''t have to send them back by themselves."


    Kyran did not reply. He only looked out the balcony with an unreadable expression.


    But Ste had known Kyran for years. Although they had not personally met, the Conve had kept tabs on him because of his identity as the new Void Master.


    Thus, she was probably the only person outside his family who could read his supposedly unreadable expressions.


    At that moment, Ste saw Kyran did not want to return if Cyneah was not with him.


    This pained Ste. She wondered if she was the one who had left the Human ne, would Kyran possess the same reluctance to return without finding her?


    After another long pause, Kyran sighed and finally spoke.


    "Time differs in each ne."


    "I know that. But showing up once in a while doesn''t hurt."


    Kyran shook his head, "Few nights ago, I... heard Neah calling for me."


    Ste''s eyes widened.


    "''Calling''?" She repeated in surprise.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran nodded and rted what happened the night they returned after meeting with Empress Iulia.


    Because of that, he deduced that wherever Cyneah ended up in, she had already stayed there for a few months.


    The reason he thought this was simple.


    Cyneah left on her own ord. Not to mention, she did not seem keen on being found.


    Cyneah was one of the few people Kyran knew who had a strange stubbornness about them. Death did not even scare her. But for her to actually call for him, meant she had endured it for a long time but still ended up in a situation that might be worse than death. Thus, she could not help but try to reach out for help.


    Of course, Cyneah likely knew the token would not work. But she still called for Kyran anyway. This only convinced Kyran that whatever situation she was in at that time, she was already at herst leg.


    If not for the fact that Kyran could not warp directly to a ne, especially those he had yet to visit, he would warp to her the moment he heard her. s, there was still limitations to what the Void''s warp nature could do.


    Ste also felt the urgency to find Cyneah because of what Kyran had said.


    "If that is true, then we have to find her as soon as possible. Do you need me to help research the other nes? I can use my magic to¡ª."


    "Don''t," Kyran cut her off in exasperation. "You''ve overused your magic by trying see into the future. If you try to stretch Time to give me ''time'' to do some research, you would wear yourself out."


    Hearing his outright rejection to ept her help, Ste''s frown deepened.


    "Don''t get me wrong," Kyran continued, sensing her displeasure. "I really appreciate your help. But I''d rather ept help that will not put your life at risk."


    Hearing the sincerity in his words, Ste could not help but feel happy. Even though he said that not because he had special feelings for her, just knowing he was worried about her was enough.


    s, how did she end up liking someone who would not return her feelings?


    "In any case," Kyran changed the subject. He took out a simr device, which he gave Mimi and the others and gave it to Ste. "Use that device to contact me if there is an emergency."


    Ste''s face brightened as she took the device.


    The device was a t dark purple disc, pretty much the same with othermunication devices. The only difference was it was very small. Its size was even smaller than Ste''s palm.


    "Can''t I do that even if there is no emergency?"


    Ste asked that while sounding hopeful that Kyran''s brow did an involuntary twitch.


    In the end, seeing her pleading look, he relented and said, "Try not to contact me all the time. Because of the time difference, there might also be cases where you can''t reach me."


    "I know. I can probably contact you if your in a ne that has little time difference. If the difference is far too big, then yes, the device will not work."


    Kyran nodded. He did not need to exin things about time to someone known as the Time Keeper.


    "When do you n to leave exactly?"


    "I still have a few errands to do. I''ll leave after that."


    "And True Void? He is still in deep slumber, right?"


    "Yes," Kyran answered. "Initially, I wanted to wait until he wakes up, but...."


    Ste smiled bitterly. After hearing Cyneah''s plea, she more or less guessed how rattled Kyran had been. It was a wonder that he managed to keep his cool. After all, he had been known to be impulsive and reckless.


    "What about your Sigils? Are you taking them with you?"


    Kyran stayed for a few more minutes to answer some of Ste''s questions. Even when he knew she was only trying to make him stay longer, he patiently answered them.


    When Ste was satisfied, she finally let Kyran go.


    Kyran went to look for more people before finally returning to the Regis Estate.


    The building he had been staying in was outside the estate''s Inner Walls.


    Although the Inner Walls did not suffer from the previous battle, only the Regis n members could enter because of Ames''s protection. To ensure no one would think they were being ''stingy,'' they decided to stay outside for the time being.

 Chapter 729 Sovereign Of Automa (3)

    Cade returned to the estate after being away for more than a week.


    Initially, he wanted to meet with Kyran, but since he had much to discuss with the Elders and the rest of their members with good Array knowledge, he had to meet with them first.


    In that meeting, Cade thought of letting Kyran join but decided against it at thest minute.


    Although Kyran had not said anything yet, Cade more or less guessed he was nning to leave that day.


    He knew Kyran had been running around the meeting people and making some preparations. Thus, it was not that hard to guess what thetter intended to do.


    In any case, Cade did not ask Kyran to join because he did not want to distract him. First of all, he knew his son well. Once his interest had been piqued, he tended to lose track of time. And discussions in Array were among the few things he was interested in.


    Besides, the very essence of the Warp Formation Cade nned to create was Void magic. Once Kyran started talking about it, Cade knew all of them would ask many questions. Even if Kyran preferred to ask questions rather than answer, he would humor them because understanding his magic would be beneficial to them once they started creating the Warp Array Formation.


    While Cade and the others were in the middle of the meeting, Kyran took the chance to spend time with Kyra and the little ones in their n. After all, there was no telling when he would return once he left. And if he did, these little ones would probably be big enough to y with.


    Thus, after dinner, they yed like there was no tomorrow. It was not until Pheobe and the other adults had arrived to take the little ones away that they were forced to stop.


    Nevertheless, Kyra insisted on having Kyran put her to sleep. It was as if she sensed he was leaving again and wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.


    Kyran did not mind.


    Finally, after almost four hours, Cade, the Elders, and a few members of their n stepped out of the temporary conference room.


    Cade went to a makeshift study and called for Kyran.


    By then, Kyra was already asleep, and Pheobe took over, watching her sleep.


    In the study, the father and son discussed the Warp Formation right off the bat. It was as if they had been discussing it for a long time and not starting then and there.


    Kyran discussed the Void form for ''warp'' and exined how it could be integrated into the formation that was not reliant on Void energy.


    Cade listened with interest. After all, Void magic was a topic many had tried to research but had little opportunity to do because of the Royal Family''s decree.


    Besides, to activate the warp form in an array formation, one had to know the corresponding ingredients that would allow the Void energy to assimte into the whole array. It was something that, apart from a mage possessing Void magic and having profound Array knowledge, would know.


    The two discussed for more than an hour before Cade decided to stop. Unlike his son, he was capable of controlling his thirst for knowledge.


    "Won''t you go see your grandfather and mother before leaving?"


    Kyran was taken aback at his father''s sudden question. They were just discussing the Warp Formation one second, and then suddenly, an entirely unrted question sprang out of nowhere.


    No. Maybe it was not really out of nowhere.


    Kyran knew how his father''s insight went beyond anyone he knew. It was one of the abilities that Kyran had wanted to have. s, his two abilities¡ª the first, which allowed him to grasp concepts and theories of things easily, and the second, forcing beasts to keep a distance away from him, were not as helpful to him nowadays.


    If one had great insight, one could anticipate things and make preparations to avoid meeting the worst-case scenario.


    "I do n on seeing them," Kyran replied after a short pause.


    Cade nodded.


    "That''s good then."


    "Are you not going to stop me?"


    Cade chuckled.


    "If your mother allowed it, why should I not?"


    Kyran frowned, "And here I thought you knew about my leaving because of your insight."


    "I knew you would go after her, the moment she decided to put you to sleep before leaving. Rin, your mother, only affirmed my guess by saying she did not try to convince you to stay."


    "You knew even then?"


    "I don''t think it is surprising," Cade replied, raising his brows. "You don''t exactly hide how you feel for her."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He even felt his cheeks burn slightly. It was one thing to talk about things like this with his mother, but it felt even more embarrassing with his father.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I don''t¡ª."


    "One of the things I regretted was not proposing to your mother first," Cade cut Kyran off before he could try to deny it.


    Kyran abruptly stopped. It was no secret to him how his parents got married. As a matter of fact, it was one of the butt of jokes over a family dinner.


    Because his father was too fixated on the fact that Rin was Nn¡ª his sworn brother''s¡ª twin sister, he did not want to see her as anything except a dear friend.


    In the end, when they could not find a suitable ''husband'' for Rin to be with because of her destiny as the Spirit Child, she proposed to Cade.


    Cade was too shocked to speak and could only manage a nod.


    Of course, they did not speak of Nn when this was shared with them. Kyran also thought his father saw his mother as kin because they grew up together instead of the reason that she was his sworn brother''s twin sister.


    But then, before Kyran could hope he could learn how to turn invisible to avoid getting embarrassed in the future, he stopped short and frowned.


    Why are they talking about proposing all of a sudden? Yes, Cyneah was very important to him, but she barely passed the legal age.


    Alright. That was not the point here.


    Why are they getting ahead of themselves? It was not like Kyran wanted to look for Cyneah because he wanted to propose to her.


    "I don''t want you to have any regrets because you have reservations about admitting how you truly felt," Cade went on, seemingly oblivious to the internal turmoil inside Kyran''s head.


    "No, I¡ª."


    "Once you leave, no one knows how long you will be gone," Cade continued.


    All of a sudden, their talk shifted to a more rtable flow.


    "The same goes for her. I''m sure you understand what I meant."


    What Cade said was correct. It was one of the reasons Kyran wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "By the time you find her, she might be older than you. Can you bear it?"


    "It''s not about bearing anything. I only want to find her. It doesn''t matter how ling it would take. I''ll take her back."


    Cade nodded, "Alright. So, are you meeting with the Sovereign of Automa with Nn?"


    Kyran could not help but scratch his head inwardly. This could be the weirdest thing about having a powerful insight. There were moments when say things as if they were riddles or as if you were not reading on the same page.


    "Yes. I haven''t told Nn though. I n to contact him after I''m done with my errands."


    "That is sensible. He might get overly excited and ask that guy toe here instead."


    Kyran shook his head, "I don''t want that. Even if Loar is not a bad person, the one I met is his essence. I don''t know him that had ascended to Sovereignity."


    "Yes," Cade agreed. "Although I did not sense any ill-intent from him, someone who attained a certain level could easily control such emotions."


    "Wait," Kyran looked at him incredulously, "You met with him?"


    Cade smiled slightly before replying, "I did. Or to be precise, I did not have a choice."


    He then exined that the Sovereign of Automa had been waiting outside the Human ne all those times.


    When the battle in the Human ne ended abruptly, and Cade almost suffered from overexerting his capability to close the rift, Nn, who badly wanted to enter the ne to look at their situation, requested those Sovereigns lurking in the shadows to show themselves and state their business or else he would wreak havoc.


    Instead of answering Nn, the Sovereign of Automa said he would ''fix'' Nn''s friend to show their sincerity.


    Before Nn could react to anything, a life-like dragon appeared with two humans in white robes standing on its head.


    Then the one on the left waved its hand, and several human-like Automatons appeared and descended into the Human ne. Before they entered the ne, they turned invisible and scattered all over the battlefield, healing and assisting the wounded.


    Cade had been one of those that was ''assisted'' by the Sovereign of Automa''s automaton. Thus, he was forced toe out as a ''representative'' of the Human ne.

 Chapter 730 Sovereign Of Automa (4)

    When Kyran heard Cade speak of human-like Automatons, he was surprised. He remembered Loar was very fascinated by True Void''s shape-shifting ability.


    Kyran exined that True Void was not an automaton and relied on the hexagonal tes he crafted to change his form.


    But Loar paid him no heed and continued to scrutinize True Void.


    Loar then exined that every Automasmith in his ne dreamt of creating automatons that could change form. However, most of their creation was limited to three forms. Apart from that, the form they changed into had to conform to the materials and shape of its part. Else, the transformation would not work, and the automaton would fall apart.


    Loar also exined that Automasmiths who integrated the nature of Void into their creation could be a true Deus Ex Machina.


    To be honest, Kyran had no idea what Loar meant about that. For all he knew, others couldn''t integrate the Void into their creation without knowing its runes. One had to know the types of items that possessed Void energy for this to work.


    In any case, for Loar to sessfully create a human-shaped automaton, it was no wonder he became that ne''s new Sovereign.


    Most Automasmiths and Puppet masters could only create automatons that had the form of a normal or even legendary beast.


    Because of this, Ar-Lo, Loar''s creation, was in the image of a dragon.


    ''Wait,'' Kyran frowned inwardly as he recalled something Loar had said.


    It was about a title called Deus Ex Machina¡ª which could be said was the ultimate goal of every Automasmith in his ne.


    Kyran wondered if that tile was equivalent to bing a Sovereign. Why did Loar not use that as his Sovereign title if it did?


    Come to think of it, how do Sovereigns evene up with their titles?


    Kyran immediately put aside this random thought and refocused on what his father was saying.


    Basically, Cade met Loar after the battle because he mistook him for Kyran¡ª or at least, his automaton did.


    Kyran chuckled at this. Obviously, Loar''s automatons still needed improvements.


    Then again, many people said Kyran looked like his father, so mistaking them for the other was not really that strange.


    "I''ll go with you," Cade told Kyran after a while. "I had been to the Automa ne before and wanted to ask some questions."


    Kyran guessed his father likely wanted to know how those people he met while training on that ne. Or maybe, he wanted to keep up to date with the advancement of Array knowledge there.


    "That''s fine. But I still have a few errands to do."


    Cade nodded, "I know. Do what you must, let''s meet here when your ready to leave."


    "Alright. I''ll see you in a bit, father."


    Kyran did not dally and went to do what he had to do.


    His next stop was to visit his mother and grandfather.


    Like Cade, his grandfather did not appear surprised by his decision to leave. Obviously, Rin already told him.


    They talked for a bit before Kyran left.


    His second tost stop was the cottage in the Misty Forest. He had been thinking of going there for some time but had not gotten the chance.


    When Kyran warped there, he appeared outside. To be honest, he half-consciously thought of warping into Cyneah''s room. But halfway through warping, he changed his mind.


    Besides, there was no point in going there because his objective in going was to gather some materials in his godmother''s garden.


    Since he was leaving indefinitely, Kyran wanted to prepare some saint-tier potions for his people. Apart from this, he needed to take some pills and potions.


    His godmother could do this, yes, but she and her tribe were too busy looking after the wounded, so he opted not to ask for their help. He did, however, ask to pick up some of her herbs.


    te did not mind. After all, most of those were from Kyran, to begin with.


    Finally, after gathering enough materials while simultaneously concocting pills and potions, Kyran left the cottage and went to the cliff.


    The cottage was situated near the cliff that overlooked the Chaos Pce.


    As Kyran looked at the pce with a thoughtful expression, he tried to warp into one of its tower but to no avail.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran observed the pce from afar.


    He did not know why he still could not warp into the Chaos Pce. At first, he thought once he attained a certain level of mastery over his Void magic, he could warp directly into the pce''s grounds.


    However, that did not seem to be the case.


    A few days ago, while training his Sigils and Mannick was well enough to leave the tower inside the Void World, Kyran asked him how to enter the pce.


    But Mannick''s answer left Kyran speechless.


    He answered: "You only have to walk past the bridge and enter the gates."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran exined there was no bridge or any sign of a gate in its walls.


    After saying that, Mannick fell silent before saying Kyran''s inability to enter the Chaos Pce might be because his previous master ced certain restrictions on Kyran.


    Kyran thought the same, which was why he wondered what else he wascking.


    When he met Can in his sea of consciousness, he told him it was not time. That their meeting was not supposed to happen yet. However, Kyran triggered the necessary requirements for them to meet.


    In the end, Can refused to tell Kyran anything and only imparted him with phrases he barely understood then.


    Kyran already understood what most of Can''s words meant. The only exception was thetter''s insistence that ''he was not yet ready.''


    When would Kyran be ready?


    Since Mannick did not know anything, Kyran decided to see the pce before he left.


    ''But I still can''t go in. Does that mean I''m still not ready?''


    His Void core hummed as if in confirmation when he thought this question.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran turned and left.


    Since he was not yet ready, then there was no point in staying.


    That reminded him that during the war, it was good that he did not go there when he thought of searching the pce to find anything that could help him ''win.'' If he did and this happened, he would have wasted time and even stressed himself out.


    When Kyran returned to the estate, Cade was already waiting for him.


    Beside him was Nn, who seemed to have turned younger thest time they met.


    One of the first things Kyran learned about mages above a Magus, they could turn themselves younger to hide their age or even identity. But the thought as lost to him. To be honest, he thought it was a waste of precious magic energy to preserve one''s youth.


    But even if he thought this, others might not. Thus, he kept his opinion to himself.


    The three did not dally and left the Human ne at once.


    Outside the Human ne, a floating fortress could be seen thousands of meters away from its periphery.


    The fortress looked like a huge metal ship docked on a metal ind.


    At the ship''s helm, Loar sat with one knee propped up. He looked pretty much the same as when he met Kyran¡ª or, to be precise, his essence¡ª on the tform in the Tower of Tribtions.


    Loar was looking at the Human ne with a slight smile.


    Behind him, the space distorted as a woman in a pure ck dress that hugged her figure seductively appeared and looked at the Human ne. Her face was covered in a semi-transparent veil, hiding her expression.


    Unlike Loar, a faint frown could be seen under the woman''s veil.


    "Why do we have to wait for them toe? Why can''t we go there instead?" She asked in displeasure.


    "The Human ne is a special ce," Loar answered.


    Also, different from his essence, his carefree attitude was no longer there. He had a mature air about him now. Although, his demeanor remained the same.


    One could say that his change in attitude was not that strange. Like most mages who managed to find the Tower of Tribtions, most were in their youth.


    A good example was Olivia.


    Her essence was only in her twenties, but her real self was already in herte thirties.


    Loar was the same. Nevertheless, his chill demeanor remained. And that was well and all because it was one reason Kyran found him interesting.


    "We can''t barge in without an invitation."


    "I know it already has a Sovereign. But so what? We are not going there to wage war. We are only going to meet with that person."


    "That person happens to be in aa. We can''t possibly stay there and wait until he wakes up, right?" Loar pointed before looking at the woman at the corner of his eye. A yful smile appeared as he added, "Or are you feeling dissatisfied because you want to ''visit'' the Human ne."


    The woman shifted uneasily. Since her face was covered with a ck veil, it was hard to see her expression. However, it was clear she felt uneasy at Loar''sment.


    "I am not!"


    Loarughed out loud.


    "No need to feel embarrassed about it. The Human ne is also known as the Land of the Ancients. Who doesn''t want to go there and have a look?"


    "Like I said, it''s not like that!"


    "Ah!" Loar suddenly stoppedughing and turned his attention upfront. His smile returned as he said, "His finally awake."

 Chapter 731 Invitation (1)

    The woman also turned her attention upfront.


    At some distance from them, the space distorted, and a rift appeared. Its size was big enough to fit three grown men.


    From the right, three silhouettes stepped out.


    The woman already recognized the first two men, Cade and the Human ne''s new Sovereign, Nn. As for the third one, she guessed it was the person Loar had been talking about.


    The new Dark Sage.


    She already heard about him. After all, he made a ruckus when he escaped from Ruin¡ª known as the ck sheep among the Sovereigns in the Lower Realm¡ª time and again. Nevertheless, it would be her first time seeing him in person. And the first impression she had was he looked too young.


    Apart from this, the things she heard about him from the other Sovereigns who met him slightly differed from the one Loar talked about.


    This piqued her interest a bit.


    Still, from what Loar had said, his essence met this young man. And that was quite a long time ago. How could he still look this young?


    Even when he made a ruckus, it had been several years since they had heard of him.


    Because of that, some had thought Ruin might have already seeded in ''preying'' on him.


    But Loar did not think so. Besides, Ruin had been quiet as well.


    After some thought, Loar decided to search for the Human ne. It took some time, but finally, he got some clues after they heard of the news of Sovereign Savagery''s death.


    At that time, when Savagery died, several Sovereigns who coveted her nes took action. Some were surprised that her faction, the Radical Order, did not make a move when they took the former''s nes one after another.


    Of course, this was only their misconception. Because after those Sovereign took Savagery''s nes, Flos, the leader of the Radical Order, finally made a move. He visited all those nes and easily took them back because the Sovereigns fighting for them were already exhausted.


    It was then that they realized that the Radical Order not making a move was so these Sovereigns would exhaust themselves. After that, they would make a move and take back Savagery''s nes while also defeating those Sovereigns in one fell swoop.


    By doing that, Flos managed to gain more nes for their faction.


    In any case, the clue Loar found was provided by one of the Sovereigns who survived Flos''s counterattack.


    From what the clue provided by that Sovereign, Savagery had left her ne for quite some time, and upon tracking her down, she was lost near the outer edge of the Lower Realm.


    Loar was a little skeptical about this at first because the outer edge of the Lower Realm was close to where the Tower of Chaos was.


    As a ne rumored to be the Land of the Ancients, Loar thought the Human ne was close to the inner part of the Lower Realm, which was close to the Land of Destion that was rumored to lead toward the Higher Realm.


    But recalling what his essence talked about with Kyran, one thing piqued his interest.


    And that was how the humans in Kyran''s ne did not ept him, as if his existence was a mistake.


    That saddened Loar. In the Automa ne, Kyran, who possessed the power of Void, would be revered because they all believed that automatons were created from the Void.


    From this thought, Loar finally decided to check that ce. There was no harm in doing anyway. He would be wasting his time at most, but at least he might find unupied nes while he searched the outer edge of the Lower Realm.


    After roaming the outer edge for almost a year, Loar started to get bored.


    And that was when he discovered Deception suddenly appearing from a location his ship could not detect.


    When that happened, Loar only had one thought.


    ''Why did I not think of that?''


    Other Sovereigns looking for the Human ne likely ventured around the outer edge of the Lower Realm already.


    Howe they still could not find it?


    Obviously, the ne could not be detected by their magic sense.


    Loar believed the Human ne was protected by the rumored Ancient magic, preventing others from locating it.


    Even the first time it was found was a result of pure luck. Or maybe not luck, but the result of unfortunate events that lead to that ne entering the Human ne from a rift.


    That was right. The fall of the Demon ne led them to enter a rift that appeared from their ne. That rift happened to be connected to the Human ne.


    With this in mind, Loar searched the vicinity where Deception appeared in such a sorry state. She seemed to be pissed at something, which piqued Loar''s interest further.


    When he arrived, however, he did not find anything.


    It was likely that the distortion where Deception appeared had already mended itself and left no trace.


    But Loar had no ns of stopping. Hey in wait, feeling that Deception would return based on her pissed-off attitude.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And just as he guessed, Deception did return with two Sovereigns from the Radical Order.


    Loar could not help but frown at this.


    Now that Deception had brought two more members of the Radical Order, Loar knew if he interfered, it would escte into a faction war. That was something he did not want to happen.


    The War of the Sovereigns was nearing. If they exhausted their resources before the war even started, they might notst until the end.


    Still, if Deception hade out from the Human ne, Loar could not stand by and watch. After all, his friend was in there.


    Because of this, Loar called for the Sovereign of Dusk, who happened to be training at that time.


    That was right. Even though he was already a Sovereign, he still wanted to train. And he happened to be training at the Tower of Tribtions.


    In any case, Loar asked Dusk to visit the Human ne and warn Kyran of Deception''s arrival.


    Initially, Dusk did not want to, but he became interested after learning that the friend Loar was talking about was the infamous new Dark Sage.


    Loar knew Dusk wanted to test Kyran. That made himugh inwardly. He did not stop him and would not even console him if he made a great fool of himself.


    In the end, Dusk entered the Human ne through the Tower of Tribtions. As to how he managed that, he received a card reward, which enabled him to go on any ne he wanted. Thus, the Tower would have to abide even if he wished to enter the Human ne.


    In any case, their meeting had not been ''nice.''


    Loar knew Kyran had a temper but did not bother to tell Dusk because he wanted to let thetter learn his own lesson.


    After that, Loar and a few other Sovereigns outside the Human ne waited.


    What happened next was what everyone already knew.


    Loar correctly guessed that Deception dide out from the Human ne, and she was there because she received an ''invitation.''


    When Obstruction came and forced Deception to leave and then decided to descend into the Human ne, Loar contemted going.


    His reason was still the same. Kyran was his friend and did not want anything to happen to him before they met in person.


    Based on what Loar observed and what Dusk told him, war was happening in the Human ne, which involved Kyran.


    Apart from this, Deception was brazen enough to bring more of her people because the Human ne''s Sovereign was already in hisst leg.


    Fortunately, before Loar was forced intoing out¡ª which would likely result in a war between their factions¡ª a new Sovereign ascended into the Human ne.


    Loar sighed after recalling all of these details.


    His friend had gone through a lot.


    "He looks too young," the woman beside himmented with a frown.


    Loar chuckled as he willed the huge ship to approach the three.


    "I know."


    The woman looked at Loar, clearly dissatisfied with his answer.


    Loar only shrugged.


    What could he say? He, too, mistook Cade for Kyran because he thought he would be at that age. But seeing him now, he was also surprised at how young he looked.


    Apart from Kyran''s physique undergoing changes, he looked the same when his essence met him.


    The ship had not even moved that far when the space behind Loar and the woman distorted, and the three appeared.


    This almost made the woman jump in surprise, even though she appeared calm.


    "Seems you are no longer hesitating in using your magic," Loarmented as he turned and looked at Kyran.


    Kyran smiled slightly as he observed ''Loar.''


    Loar also smiled, knowing what could be ying in thetter''s head.


    "It took some time, but at least we get to meet in person atst."


    "You look different in person."


    Loarughed, "And you look the same from several years ago."

 Chapter 732 Invitation (2)

    Loar led Kyran, Cade, and Nn inside the ship''s deck.


    On their way there, Loar made small talk, telling Kyran how his creation evolved after fighting him.


    Just as Kyran expected, True Void''s ''mechanics'' inspired Loar to make beast automatons that could shapeshift. He even made them shapeshift into humans.


    That was was right. The human automatons that entered the Human ne could turn to beast automaton.


    Cade, and Nn did not see these automatons change. However, they were Array Saints. Subtle clues from the arrays included in the automatons'' coatings would have been easy for them to figure this part.


    As for Kyran, he figured it out after using his magic sense to probe at the human automatons standing by the sides along the hall. He could tell that the wiring inside their external frame were formed and ced in a way that it would be easy for them to change form.


    Still, even though these automatons could shift into beasts, its form could only remain in the same size as their human counterpart.


    That was the limitations of an Automasmith''s creation.


    Unless they could integrate Void into their creations, which possessed the nature to distort space, then they could easily ced pockets of Void that would add more parts into the human automatons once it shapeshift into beasts.


    Of course, if Loar seeded in that, he would not have used ''Automa'' as his Sovereign name but Deus ex Machina. Because only a Deus ex Machina could integrate the Void into his creation.


    Frankly, Loar could still use that name if he wanted and could aim to learn integrating Void in his creation along the way. But he chose not to. To be urate, he could not because he was convinced Kyran was this generation''s Deus ex Machina.


    It was also for this reason that he hoped to invite Kyran as an ally in theing War of the Sovereigns.


    Because there was a record in their ne that talked of an earlier War of the Sovereigns, in that war, the Automa ne had its first Deus ex Machina and won the war.


    It was said that he used thousands of millions of automatons to overwhelm the other Sovereigns'' armies.


    Unfortunately, it was unknown if that record was urate. After all, the fact that the ''Dark Sage'' had always won the war was true.


    After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived in front of the huddle room of the ship.


    The room was not that big. But it could have up to twenty people and would not look cramped.


    A long table was ced at the center of the room with ten chairs on each side. No chairs were ced on the north and south sides. Instead, there were metal tablets with runes glowing on their surface, facing the table.


    Based on the runes on the tablet, Kyran guessed they were a projection device. He found it interesting because these projectors could easily work just from those runes. The materials that made the tablet did not affect the projection itself. As a matter of fact, the tablets only served as a holder for the runes.


    As the five sat, with the three men on one side and a man and a woman opposite, they immediately went to business.


    "I know what you want to know," Loar said, leaning forward while looking at Kyran. "And I can provide that intel. However," he paused dramatically before smiling mischievously, "If you want it, first you have to consider our invitation."


    Nn scowled at Loar''s brazenness. It did not matter to him if this guy was Kyran''s friend. If he took advantage of thetter''s situation to make him join their faction, and forget about being courteous, he would destroy this ship and wage war then and there.


    Of course, this was only Nn''s thinking. He would not act on it, mainly when Cade remained silent beside him.


    In any case, Cade''s silence did not exude a fit of silent anger. He was genuinely calm at Loar''s brazenness.


    Kyran raised his brows and leaned back before saying, "Considering it won''t be a problem. I thought you''d demand me to join if I want your intel."


    Loar chuckled, "I''m not in a hurry to die."


    Cade could not help butugh at Loar''sment. It appeared thetter viewed his son as an impatient and unreasonable man.


    On the other hand, Nn snorted and also leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest in agreement with Loar''sment.


    "I won''t kill someone over such a reason," Kyran replied with a slight frown.


    "Maybe," Loar agreed. Then he shrugged and added, "But based on our intel, the person you''re searching for is part of your family. And so far, anyone who crossed your family seemed to have ended in a bad way."


    Kyran smiled, "Good, your intel is quite urate."


    Loarughed.


    "I won''t offer it if it''s not."


    The woman sitting on his left frowned before turning to Kyran and chimed in the conversation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Tell us if you agree with our terms, or we will not hand over the intel."


    "There is no need for such threats, Wing. I''d rather he consider it without putting in too much pressure."


    "Then what was the point of even offering it?"


    "That is because-."


    "Can I answer that myself?" Kyran asked, cutting Loar mid-sentence.


    Not taking offense to Kyran''s interruption, he gestured for him to continue.


    "I have already given my response," Kyran told the woman Loar called Wing. "What else do you want me to consider?"


    "Obviously, you do not understand what ''considering'' our invitation entails."


    "I don''t, and I have no ns in knowing. Now, can we continue?"


    "You-!"


    "Alright, that is enough, " Loar cut off Wing''s attempt to argue and smiled at Kyran. "You can ask any question, and I will try to answer them based on the intel we have."


    "Flos," Kyran replied at once.


    Cade and Nn did not ask why Kyran first considered asking for intel on Flos.


    Given the current situation, finding out thetter''s whereabouts was the first thing they had to know. Knowing the fate of Flos would also provide some information on Cyneah and Obstruction.


    "Not so fast," Wing interrupted before Loar could answer. "You have not even heard what we want you to consider and you''re already demanding our intel."


    Loar sighed inwardly. He did not want to argue with Wing because the intel came from her side.


    "Fair enough," Kyran agreed with a slight nod. "But I am not negotiating here. Besides, knowing what you want from me is not that important. As long as you give the intel I want, then I will consider anything you ask¡ª unless it will affect my bottom line."


    Unfortunately, Wing stopped listening to what Kyran was saying the moment she heard, ''I am not negotiating.'' At that moment, she believed Kyran only wanted to take and not give.


    That did not sit well with her.


    "I''m sorry Loar," she said, her tone turning serious. "You may consider this boy as your friend, but I don''t. If we don''t get anything from this negotiation, then I won''t hand over the intel."


    Kyran looked at Wing. But instead of feeling annoyed at her opposition, he found her amusing. He already expected opposition on Loar''s side once they began talking business. Which was why he was prepared to put anyone to their rightful ces if they so much as challenged him.


    Fortunately, there was only one with Loar. Convincing one person was far easier than several people.


    Unfortunately, it appeared the lone opposition Kyran had to deal with was someone who had a higher position in Loar''s faction. If not, thetter would have already asked her to stop adding oil to the fire.


    Apart from this, judging by her words, it seemed she was the one who had the intel.


    "What do you want then?" Kyran asked before Nn or even his father made a move.


    But his concern was unnecessary because he saw the two looking unconcerned at the exchange between the two.


    Wing looked at Kyran from under her ck veil for a few seconds before saying, "An assurance that we gain something from this exchange."


    "You will gain a favor," Kyran responded. "Even if I don''t ''consider'' your invitation, is that not enough?"


    "Humph," Wing snorted in disdain. "You''re not even on my level. What favor can you even provide? You may be rumored as the new Dark Sage but I am the Sovereign of Wings."


    An awkward silence followed her statement, which resulted in her cheeks turning bright red. Good thing she was wearing a veil, or her bravado would look like a child''s tantrum.


    "Right," Kyran replied after a somewhat lengthy pause. His expression remained the same, but somehow he also appeared confused. "Sorry, I have not heard about you in the nes I''ve been."


    And that was what it took for Wing to snap.

 Chapter 733 Sovereign Of Wings

    "Wing, don''t¡ª!" Loar tried to stop her from making any move.


    Unfortunately, his warning came a secondte as Wing released her domain.


    In an instant, the whole room was filled with a malevolent air that weighed on them. It also appeared to freeze time itself. Of course, thetter was impossible, and the feeling was only an illusion. But for her to manage this effect showcased how much control and in-depth magic knowledge she had of her innate magic.


    The air around them crackled as the space with a one-meter diameter around Wing distorted, destroying everything within. Followed by her levitating in the air.


    "Wing¡ª!" Loar called yet again.


    But before he could speak any further, Wing waved her hand, and he was instantly enclosed in a semi-translucent sphere.


    Loar''s expression changed from inside the sphere as he realized Wing had no intentions of holding back. He did not expect her to get angry so quickly. Of all the Sovereigns he knew, she was the most amicable, which was why he did not argue when she asked toe and meet his friend.


    s, Loar failed to consider that Wing was ''amicable'' when around the rest of the Sovereigns in the faction because she considered them her ''allies.''


    But that was not the case in front of her enemies¡ª or people she found annoying.


    Just like how she viewed Kyran right now.


    Loar''s eyes slowly turned golden as he released his own domain.


    Unfortunately, before his eyes could turnpletely gold, the air around the sphere crackle, resulting in his magic to stop circting.


    ''This...!''


    [Do not interfere, Automa. I want to see how the new Dark Sage will pacify our little Wing.]


    Hearing a soft and gentle voice in his head, Loar''s expression turned grim. He immediately realized that the other Sovereigns had been watching them all along. They even concealed their presence so Loar and Wing would not notice them.


    It seemed their nonchnt attitude was a ruse to make Loar believe they were not overly concerned about the new Dark Sage. By pretending unconcerned, they made Loar believe talking with Kyran in a more rxed ce was enough. He did not even activate all the defensive array on his ship.


    ''Axil,'' Loar responded telepathically. ''This is not fair.''


    [It is not. But why are you anxious when your friend is not?]


    Only then did Loar notice that Kyran, Cade, and Nn remained unperturbed at Wing''s outburst.


    Kyran, Cade, and Nn were surprised at Wing''s outburst, true. But they were not affected by her domain. The reason behind this was simple.


    Even though they would meet Kyran''s ''friend,'' Nn had his magic sense up all this time. He enveloped both Cade and Kyran, ready to act at a sudden notice if something unexpected happened.


    Besides Nn''s protection, Cade also carried a relic that could protect them against a Sovereign''s attack. This item was one of the treasures the Regis Family possessed.


    The most important thing to note was even without Nn''s protection or the relic in Cade''s hands, Kyran would never let anything untoward happen to them.


    He was the new Void Master. His body circted the Void energy, which could quickly eliminate any harmful energy that would try to influence him. Apart from this, like Nn, he had his magic sense cover then them all the time. Nn and Cade''s magic sense had already reached a high level, but they did not notice Kyran''s because of the nature of his magic.


    In any case, Loar saw the three remained seated and looking at Wing with a calm expression.


    "You do not know me before, but after today you will," Wing said as the veil on her face unfurled.


    That was right. It unfurled itself like two wings, and then they fluttered while sticking out of Wing''s head. Her face was now revealed, they saw three eyes instead of two, and their color was green. Tiny beads of diamonds course under her eyelids, and the skin on her face shimmered like scales¡ª their color a mixture of light blue and light green.


    Her ck dress that hugged her body fluttered as fouryers spread out from the back, forming four huge ck wings.


    After revealing her initial form, Wing did not dally and moved at once. She waved her wings, and a gust of mighty wind formed at their tips and hurled toward Kyran and the others.


    The gust of wind instantly destroyed everything in their path.


    But then.


    Before the gust of wind could even pass through half the table, someone heaved a sigh as invisible energy spread out in all directions.


    The moment this invisible energy passed through the wind, it disintegrated into bits of glittery ashes.


    "What¡ª?"


    "Can we skip this?"


    A bored voice reverberated in the room.


    "I''m sorry if I offended you. But I honestly did not know who you were. I''ll keep your name in mind from now on. Let''s skip all this drama and continue with the intel."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Wing''s face darkened after realizing who had spoken. She had been looking at Kyran and had not seen him move his lips. But judging from the context of the words being said just now, he was the one who had spoken.


    "You..."


    Only then did Wing realize Kyran had been talking to them telepathically.


    "I know someone who had Air magic and noticed your aura the first time. You are called Sovereign of Wings because you developed your innate magic in that direction. I can see how much effort you ced into evolving your magic this way. From now on, I''ll keep that in mind," Kyran went on to exin.


    Wing''s expression softened because others always referred to her innate magic as ''Wind.'' They even mistook her as Sovereign of Wind because of that.


    As a matter of fact, Loar was one of those who had thought she was called the Sovereign of Wind. It was initially annoying, but she forgave him since he apologized at once.


    But she did not use that name as her title because her magic was not Wind but Air. In any case, for someone to actually notice it with just little interaction made her feel somewhat touched.


    Finally, someone properly recognized her magic without mistaking it for Wind.


    "You knew someone with Air magic?" Wing asked with a snort.


    Though she was touched because Kyran did not mistake her magic, that did not mean she would relent that easily.


    "Air magic is not a magic that anyone could have. How could someone like you meet anyone who possessed it."


    "Zephyr."


    Kyran only replied with a name, and the space behind him shifted.


    BOOM!


    With a loud boom, the area behind Kyran exploded as a huge Quilin appeared, destroying half the huddle room.


    "Oi!" Loar could not help but shout in agony, seeing his ship destroyed just like that.


    "You called, master?" Zephyr asked.


    Meanwhile, Wing''s eyes almost bulged the moment she saw Zephyr appear. She obviously noticed the magic energy around him was simr to hers. But that was not the reason she was surprised to see him.


    It was his form! Or, to be precise, his species.


    Quilins are known as the offspring of Unicorns and Dragons. For someone to be acquainted to a Quilin.... This was truly surprising!


    ''No, wait,'' Wing shook her head inwardly as she recalled what Zephyr had said just now. ''Did he just call the new Dark Sage ''master''? T-This...!''


    Wing pointed a hand at Kyran and asked usingly, "You! How can you enve a Quilin!"


    Kyran raised his brows at her usation.


    ''She was angry about that?''


    This thought crossed not only Kyran''s mind alone but the others.


    They thought Wing would have made a fuss about suddenly summoning a legendary beast. Or, maybe she would have felt slightly degraded for beingpared to a beast. Instead, she was mad about Kyran enving a Quilin!


    Zephyr frowned at once.


    "How rude! I am not a ve! I am my master''s first proper Sigil."


    Hearing Zephyr''s words made Kyran imagine Byron crying tears of blood. Thetter had always referred to him as Kyran''s first Sigil and would definitely be angry if others imed it. Byron was not lying after all. He was indeed Kyran''s first Sigil.


    Oh, that was right. Zephyr added a ''proper'' after the first. Byron might be unable to argue with that if thetter said it that way.


    On another thought, it had been quite some time since thest time Kyran heard Zephyr say, ''how rude.'' It reminded him of how few cuss words thetter had at his disposal.


    "''A Sigil?''" Wing repeated, her eyes widening further if that was even possible.


    She was not the only one surprised.


    Loar, and the rest of the Sovereigns watching this exchange from behind were shocked.


    The term Sigil was not foreign to them. After all, it was associated with the most powerful species of the Higher Realm.


    Dragons.

 Chapter 734 Intel

    "Yes," Zephyr replied with such conviction as if being a Sigil was a great honor. "I am a Sigil. Anyway, you dare im my master is a liar? You may be a Sovereign, but with master at my side, I can take you on even with a huge gap in our level."


    "Err, no. There will be no taking on anyone happening here," Kyran replied while virtually scratching his head. "I called you to show her I do know someone with Air magic. You did not have to appear in that fashion. See what you did to Loar''s ship?"


    While saying this, he was already making a move. He willed his magic sense to cover Loar''s ship and began to repair the damage using his magic. In doing so, he realized that the ship itself was a huge array formation.


    Loar''s expression changed from shock to utter disbelief after sensing Kyran fixing not only the damaged frame of his ship but also its array. He already knew he could do this, but even more unbelievable was that he was not using any materials while fixing them.


    Kyran was using pure magic.


    The expressions on Wing and the rest of the Sovereigns watching from afar also changed.


    Initially, they were only curious about Kyran, who made a name for himself by being the first low-level mage to escape Ruin''s grasp. Their interest had been piqued further after the fact of his being the new ''Dark Sage'' surfaced.


    Nevertheless, to them, Loar, the Sovereign of Automa who could create a vast army of automatons, was far more interesting and useful in the uing War of the Sovereigns.


    Until now.


    Seeing Kyran effortlessly fix Loar''s ship and before that, he summoned a Quilin out of nowhere, who called himself a Sigil. These things proved there was more to Kyran than being the new Dark Sage.


    To be honest, some of them were skeptical about Kyran''s identity as the new Dark Sage because there had been no citings of him using the Macabre cier.


    One should know that the Dark Sage''s presence was synonymous with the Macabre cier since thetter was why many feared him.


    But all of that did not matter anymore. With Kyran''s Array understanding, his possible connection with Dragons, and possessing the most ancient magic of all¡ªVoid, his worth had increased tenfold.


    No.


    Hundredfold.


    [You have to poach him, no matter what, Loar.]


    Axil''s voice sounded in Loar''s head once more.


    At the same time, Wing also heard her speak in her mind.


    [Do not get on his wrong side, Wing. Put aside your pride. We have to get him to our side no matter what.]


    When Axil spoke these words, Wing was not the only one who telepathically heard them.


    All of the Sovereigns with her and Loar also heard it.


    Loar could not help but chuckle inwardly, noticing how Axil said ''no matter what'' twice, first to him and now to all of them. It appeared she had indeed seen Kyran''s worth.


    On the other hand, Cade and Nn more or less guessed what was ying in Loar and Wing''s minds when they saw the change in their expression. At the same time, they looked at Kyran at the corner of their eyes. Currently, thetter appeared indifferent to what he was doing. Because of this, Cade and Nn could not help but shake their heads inwardly, realizing how cunning Kyran had acted just now.


    Correct.


    Everything that happened just now was all in Kyran''s n, and it did not go unnoticed by the two men beside him.


    Others might not realize it, but these two would never miss it.


    After all, one was his father, while the other sort of mentored him.


    In any case, Kyran did not lie when he said he did not want to deal with any drama, which was why he chose to call Zephyr out.


    Obviously, he knew Zephyr''s temperament and how he would react to certain things other people would tell him. Thus, he expected thetter to reveal his identity.


    Nevertheless, Cade and Nn were surprised that Kyran would use this chance to reveal his possible connection with dragons.


    "But master¡ª."


    "It''s fine," Kyran interrupted Zephyr before he could say more. Then he looked at Wing and said, "Can we go back to discussing that intel?"


    Wing scowled. But since Axil told her not to get on Kyran''s wrong side, she reigned in her annoyance and retracted her domain. Once she did, she realized that the two men with Kyran were not affected by it at all. This was a blow to her pride as a Sovereign.


    "I think my worth went up a notch now that you know one of my secrets," Kyran added with a slight smile.


    Wing''s brow twitched, but she did not refute. She was even more convinced that this young man before her was not someone she could mess with even if she wanted to.


    A person having a connection with the Dragons was not something a mere Sovereign from the Lower Realm could deal with. No wonder this guy dared face Ruin and managed to escape unscathed.


    "Humph," Wing snorted, but she unfurled her wings¡ª both on her head and back¡ª andnded on the ground.


    With a sigh, Loar waved his hand, and a new chair appeared for Wing.


    "You guys, try to keep my ship out of it next time you want to get rowdy, alright? This baby is worth more than a ne," he said as Wing retook her seat.


    Kyran chuckled, "I noticed."


    After fixing the part Zephyr had destroyed, he saw how many rare materials Loar had used to create the ship''s frame. Apart from that, judging by the forms in its array formation, most of the items could only be found in certain nes. To repair it, one had to gather all the materials in those nes first.


    But that was the thing. The gathering was one thing, but finding them could be difficult because of their rareness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Loar gave Kyran a funny look after hearing his remark. Then he said, "You say that, but you easily fixed my ship."


    Kyran shrugged and leaned back.


    Before he could reply, Zephyr had already started saying, "Of course. Such a thing is a piece of cake to my master. He is possess the power of nothingness, after all."


    "Zephyr."


    Hearing Kyran''s voice lowered slightly; Zephyr knew he had said too much. Thus, he cleared his throat and, with a soft boom, turned into his human child form. Then he sat cross-legged while hovering in midair.


    Since Kyran did not tell him to go back, Zephyr decided to stay and observe.


    [Master, several hidden Sovereigns are watching from afar.]


    ''It''s fine.''


    [Have you noticed them already? As expected of my master.]


    Kyran chose not to answer. Honestly, he did not notice them until he sensed a fluctuation from when Loar attempted to use his magic but then could not. He realized then that there were others secretly watching them. And seeing Loar''s surprised look then, Kyran guessed he was unaware of them either.


    In any case, for Zephyr to notice them despite only appearing now was a testament to how powerful his awareness was. If Kyran circted his Draconic magic, he could probably do the same, but with Void magic, unless he used them intending to scan his surroundings for other people, he would not have noticed them.


    "About that intel?" Kyran repeated.


    Loar looked at Wing, who sighed in resignation.


    "I''ll tell you. But you have to keep your word to consider our invitation," Wing said.


    "I will."


    "Contrary to the rumors circting as ofte that Flos was missing, he is good and well. If not, all the essence guarding his nes would have long perished. Especially those nes where time runs doublepared to others."


    Kyran frowned, "But has anyone seen him?"


    "Yes," Wing replied with a nod. "In one of my nes, one of my subjects has been unfortunate enough toe across him. Before my subject sumbed, however, he managed to send an image of Flos."


    Instead of describing the image, Wing waved her hand, and one of the projectors on the side table lit up. Then an image of Flos, looking battered and appearing to have aged, was projected at the middle of the table.


    Nn frowned. He did not meet Flos, but looking at the projected image, it was nothing like the one Cade and the others had described.


    "He had aged."


    Cade was the one who spoke first.


    Kyran nodded in agreement and asked Wing, "How far is that ne from the Human ne?"


    "Two months'' worth of travel in terms of the Human ne''s time."


    "And when was this taken?"


    "Three days ago. Again, using the Human ne''s time."


    Kyran began to calcte things in his head. Two months'' worth could be considered far. But not that far. If Flos was seen there three days ago, it did not mean he appeared the same day. In any case, if he calcted the days from when Flos was forced into the rift until he was seen in Wing''s ne, five or six days had passed.


    True Void was the one who summoned those rifts, and it was unknown where it would lead. Kyran was afraid that it might have led to a ne too far from the Human ne or even a ne he could never reach. When that happens, he might not be able to find Cyneah as soon as possible.


    Still, knowing the time difference between the ne where Flos had appeared, and the Human ne, Kyran was sure thetter and Cyneah did not end up in the same ce.


    Kyran heard Cyneah calling him three days ago. And she sounded as if she had been in that ce far longer than Flos appeared in Wing''s ne.


    ''It''s good if she is not with him, but....''


    Kyran looked at Wing and asked, "What about Ruin?"


    "He has also been spotted. But you might be interested to know what they saw when they did."


    "What?"


    Even when Kyran asked it, he suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "He was seen apanying a woman. No one saw the woman''s appearance because her face was hidden under a hood. They were only able to affirm that that person is a woman."


    Cade and Nn frowned after hearing this. Ruin could not have possibly gotten to Cyneah first, or had he?


    Zephyr''s expression also turned grim as he looked at Kyran. He knew how worried his master had been after hearing the mistress''s call a few days ago. If that call was because Ruin hade for her... things might not look good for them.


    Kyran reigned in his growing fear and asked, "When was this?"


    "Five days ago."

 Chapter 735 The Woman With Ruin

    ''Five days?'' Kyran repeated in his thought. Crossing his arms across his chest, he contemted all possibilities this information entails.


    "Were you able to get an image?" Cade asked, seeing his son had fallen silent. He did not know how deep his son''s rtionship was with the true Crown Princess, only that she was important to him.


    After hearing Ruin was with a woman, Cade expected Kyran to get worked up. Thus, he decided to join in the conversation.


    Wing looked at Cade. She did not want to answer him. However, Axil''s warning kept ringing in her mind, so she had no choice but to cooperate.


    "I do," she replied and waved her hand.


    The projector glowed again, and a new image appeared at the center of the table.


    Unlike Flos''s projection, which was clear as day, this one was a little blurry. The quality was not bad per se, but Ruin and the woman''s image were too far to make out clearly.


    Nevertheless, judging by the man''s choice of clothes and how he carried himself, he was definitely Ruin. As for the woman, it indeed was hard to see. Besides that, she might be wearing a body-fit robe, but the hood covered her head, making it hard for anyone to see her face.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed upon seeing the image. He recognized Ruin at once. And the woman, he could see her semnce with Cyneah. He could not exin it, but something about her figure, even from afar, made him believe so.


    Still, part of him did not think it was Cyneah. He could not ce his finger on it, but her countenance was slightly different.


    [Master, that woman is not the mistress.]


    Zephyr''s voice interrupted Kyran''s thoughts.


    ''Why do you think that?''


    [The mistress may be blind, but she always kept her head high. However, the woman''s head in that image is slightly lowered. She can''t be the mistress.]


    Kyran could not help but raise his brows at Zephyr''s insight. He could not refute Zephyr because he had been with Cyneah more than he had been.


    Now that he thought of it, Cyneah sometimes looked down, but only her eyes would do so while her head remained up.


    No wonder he found the woman different from Cyneah.


    [I heard she had an essence that could be her.]


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he tried to remember what happened when Cyneah started absorbing the Macabre cier.


    La had been affected and thus could not move. They thought Cyneah had seeded in retrieving her essence when La disappeared, but that might not be the case.


    ''Could La have managed to escape? And Ruin suddenly interfering like that is to retrieve her? But why?''


    "That''s not Kyran''s mistress."


    Kyran perked up after hearing someone''s affirmative voice say this.


    Surprisingly, the one who said this was Nn.


    "She''s already his ''mistress''?" Cade could not help but ask Nn.


    Nn shrugged, "Your son had to take responsibility. He did kidnap the poord, and she''s butt naked when we met her. You know how most people treated an unmarried woman whose body had been seen naked¡ª not to mention touched¡ª by a man. No one would have her¡ª and that''s if they ignored the fact she''s blind."


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    Hand it to Nn toe up with such an absurd story. Then again. He was not entirely wrong. Kyran did see Cyneah naked and had ''touched'' her, but not in that way.


    "Did he now?" Cade raised his brows in disbelief. "I don''t think Rin knew about that. If she did, she would not have allowed Kyran to dally for almost a week in the Human ne."


    "Can we get back on topic?" Kyran tried to veer the subject back on track. Then he looked at Nn and said, "Please stop saying unnecessary things."


    Cade looked at him, "You can''t say that it is unnecessary when the future mistress of the family is involved."


    "Not you too, father," Kyran could not help but groan.


    Thest thing he wanted was for his father to view Cyneah as such. In the first ce, Kyran might view Cyneah as someone he could not let go of, but that did not mean she felt the same. As far as he knew, she only saw him as her benefactor.


    Someone she had to repay no matter what.


    On the other hand, Zephyr scowled at what Nn had said about Cyneah being blind. Unable to keep his thoughts to himself, he said, "The mistress is not truly blind. Her magic has been taken from her. Thus, she became like that."


    Nn looked at Zephyr and snorted.


    "And you think I don''t f*cking know that? Besides, she''s supposed to have retrieved her essence that possesses her magic core, right? Then her eyesight should have returned."


    Zephyr stopped short, "Well, that''s supposed to be the case."


    He frowned and looked at the image once more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If her eyesight had returned, then maybe she would lower her head like that now."


    "Like I said, that''s not her," Nn repeated.


    "How can you be sure?"


    "Why not? I f*cking marked her, and that woman did not have it."


    "Wait," Kyran scowled. "You marked her? Howe I''m only hearing this now?"


    Nn sneered, "What? Are you jealous because another man marked your woman? F*ck. She''s old enough to be my daughter. Don''t get me started."


    Kyran groaned in exasperation. He had expected Nn to change somehow now that he was the new Sovereign. s, a man could not truly change overnight.


    Loar and Wing watched the exchange between the four with disbelief. They were acting and speaking as if nothing serious had happened just now.


    Although nothing happened in the end, the fast shift in their attitude was remarkable.


    Then again, Cade and Nn never did worry when Wing almost attacked them.


    Kyran and Zephyr¡ª the former dared to summon thetter, while thetter dared to threaten Wing. What else could be said about their reaction to Wing''s outburst?


    Could it be that Loar and Wing were the ones who thought this meeting should be ''serious.''


    Axil and the other Sovereigns watching from afar also had the same thought.


    In the end, they could only exin Kyran and his side''s attitude as being such because they came from the Land of the Ancients.


    For short, they were not the norm.


    Cade chuckled, "I think we''ve teased him enough, Nn."


    Hearing his words made Kyran realize that the two were only trying to lighten the mood. Or maybe distract him for a moment to let him clear his thoughts;


    Nn snorted, "I don''t even know who he take after. You and Rin don''t brood over things."


    "I don''t brood," Kyran denied with a scowl.


    "But have you cleared your thoughts, yet?" Cade asked with a smile. "If you overthink, you will overlook and misunderstand things."


    Kyran already knew that and had to thank Zephyr for letting him remember how Cyneah usually carried herself.


    With this in mind, he asked Nn, "Did you really mark her?"


    "I know what you want to know, and the answer is hell f*cking no," Nn replied. "Although I said ''marked,'' it differs from how you mark your targets. Our magic is different, and so is their nature. Void could distort space. It is even known as the very space itself. Anyhow, the nature of your magic allows you to warp directly to the person you marked.


    "However, that is not the case with me."


    Nn raised his hand and summoned his magic. ck, gold, and silver particles circled his hand.


    "My mark only helps me identify people I know."


    "Right, because you have difficulty remembering other people''s faces and names."


    Nn snorted in response. Then he continued, "That woman does not have my mark. Or I would have recognized her."


    He looked at the image again and, with a slight frown, added, "But she does seem like Sisi."


    "We have not seen her absorb her essence," Cade also provided. "There is a good chance her essence escaped. But absorbing an essence leaves no trace or even a sign, so we can''t say for sure."


    "The mistress is different, there will be a sign if she truly retrieved her essence."


    "Yes," Kyran agreed. "She would have recovered her sight. But that is not the case."


    "The woman in that image did not seem to be blind. If Nn did not leave a mark on her, we might be led to believe she was the same person."


    "That b*stard Ruin wanted you to believe that. Next time I see him, I''ll let him taste my iron maiden."


    "I won''t fall for it anyway," Kyran assured them. "Before I lost consciousness, Neah said something which proved her sight did not return."


    "That''s good then," Cade nodded. Then he stopped and added, "Not that I am d she remained blind."


    Kyran could not help but smile bitterly.

 Chapter 736 Win Her Back

    Kyran remembered swearing to himself he would find a way to let Cyneah see again. But before he could even do anything, she left.


    It had been one of his regrets¡ª not telling her of his intentions. Although it did not guarantee she would stay, he had an inkling she chose to sacrifice herself because she believed that was the only worth her blind self could do.


    "Kyran."


    Loar''s call brought Kyran out of his reverie. He looked up to see the former looking at him with a slight frown.


    "I don''t know the circumstances in the Human ne," Loar started slowly. "But from what I have gathered from your conversation, you don''t intend to go after Flos and the others. Instrad, you are searching for someone."


    "There are many people who got lost because of what happened in our ne," Kyran replied with a short nod. "Some of them are current leaders that, if not found, might lead to another war. I am not talking about a war that could involve the Sovereigns. Its more of a war between nations."


    Loar nodded, "I can understand. Before I ascended as a Sovereign, I, too, took part in the war of nations in Automa. s, after ascending I could no longer meddle with it. Though, our the enemy nations of my country surrendered in fear of my retaliation." He sighed while shaking his head and added, "Good thing they did not know Sovereigns could not meddle in the internal affairs of their ne. If not, that war would have destroyed my country."


    Nn leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. He more or less knew what Loar had felt then. Seeing his country fight a war, he could no longer participate. Nn had been in the same situation, albeit it involved his family, not the whole country.


    To Nn, that was far more tragic.


    "Anyhow, that person you are looking for, err..." Loar paused, recalling how they called that person Kyran''s mistress. He knew what a mistress was, and from how Cade and Nn talk of her, her ''role'' was not far from the meaning Loar knew. But, if Kyran was looking for one of the leading figures of their ne, then it could not be the same. At least, Loar believed someone of that standing would not be a mistress to someone without power.


    And although Kyran''s magic should ce him in a position with great power, he did not strike him as such a person.


    "Your mistress? Is one of those leaders you talk of?"


    Kyran groaned in exasperation when Loar also called Cyneah like that. Thest thing he wanted was the whole Lower Realm to think the new Dark Sage had a mistress and he was looking for her.


    "She''s not really my mistress."


    "Technically, not yet until she stand before the Regis Ancestal Stelle."


    "What? Are you going to deny having imed her? F*ck, you''re ruthless. te will have your ass."


    "What are you talking about, master? The mistress is your mistress! Do not deny it even when you want to protect her!"


    Cade, Nn, and Zephyr said almost at the same time.


    Kyran kept a straight face while looking at Loar, who looked even more confused. Then he said, "Ignore them."


    "... Alright."


    Cade chuckled, Nn, cussed, and Zephyrined in the background because Loar easily agreed to Kyran.


    "To answer your question," Kyran continued. "No, she''s not one of those missing leaders. She... she''s the one who stopped the war and forced Flos, Obstruction and Ruin to leave the ne."


    "And she left with them?" Wing, who had been silent for a while because she found the things Cade and the others discussed interesting. Hearing Kyran wanted to search for his mistress made Wing look at him in a different light because she had a soft spot for this kind of thing.


    "... Yes and no."


    "What do you mean?"


    "She chose to leave, but she did not go with them. True Void summoned a rift that warped Flos, Obstruction and Ruin out of the ne, but she chose to enter the rift."


    "Why would she do that?"


    Kyran did not answer her this time. Not because he did not want to but because he did not know the real answer.


    They initially believed Cyneah left to prevent La from causing another war if thetter managed to influence her thoughts.


    But if the woman with Ruin was La, then Cyneah did not have to fear getting influenced.


    It was impossible for Cyneah not to know if she had retrieved her essence, so why did she still choose to leave?


    Could it be she wanted to hide the Macabre cier from all those seeking it? But what could she do alone? And with her missing sight, how could she survive going to a different ne?


    Cyneah''s magic sense might help her ''see,'' but the rules of each ne differ, especially on how one could draw magic energy. If she was lucky, she might have gone to a ne that had enough magic energy in the surroundings. If that was the case, she only had to draw the energy around her to use her magic sense. But what if she had gone to a ne where magic energy was scarce? Like the Lignum ne? Could she kill a monster to retrieve one of their organs and draw the energy from there?


    The answer was no.


    Which was why Kyran was very worried about Cyneah.


    Cyneah was a person who would ept a beating without flinching and would never fight back. She had lived like that for many years and became numb to physical pain. Her only respite for such life had been her time with them and how short that had been.


    "If she left of her own ord, she must have a reason," Wing added when no one answered her question. This time, she did not take offense when no one answered because she truly found Kyran''s situation intriguing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran frowned. He did not need Wing to tell him to know. It was one of the things gnawing at him, especially at how Cyneah ''forced'' him to lose consciousness so he could not stop her¡ª as if she did not want to stay by his side.


    Of course, Kyran knew this was not the case. She viewed him as her benefactor and might even believe taking the Macabre cier away was her way of evening the odds between them.


    "I''ll help you find her," Wing dered before Kyran could say anything.


    Loar and the Sovereigns observing them secretly could not help but gape at Wing. They did not expect her to offer help willingly.


    Kyran looked at her skeptically but did not respond.


    Guessing what was on his mind, Wing only said, "I am helping you of my own ord. This is not so I can gain a favor. I am not going to ask for anything either, only that you... win her back."


    Axil, who heard Wing, let out a soft sigh. She now understood why thetter decided to help Kyran. Axil had no ns of micromanaging the Sovereigns in their faction, thus, she opted to stay silent.


    It had not gone unnoticed to Kyran and the others how Wing used the term ''win'' rather than ''get'' her back. They knew these Sovereigns also had their stories, but they did not expect to meet someone who could sympathize with Kyran''s situation.


    It was a rather fortunate thing.


    "I will."


    "Good. Tell me what she looks like, and I will have my subjects start their search in every nes."


    "Wait," Kyran realized something after hearing Wing''s phrasing. "You have subjects in every nes?"


    "Except the ones that are difficult to ess, like the Human ne, of course I do. I am the Sovereign of Wings, and there are bound to be creatures with wings in every ne. I only need to channel my thoughts, and they will respond to my call."


    [Existences who possess Air magic are revered by creatures that can roam the sky. She may have said that as if her title ruled over such creatures, but the truth, any existence that has mastered Air magic will be able tomunicate with creatures of the sky. Whether they listen or not, that is another matter.]


    Zephyr exined after sensing Kyran''s doubts.


    ''Does that mean you can also do that?''


    [I-I will... soon enough.]


    ''Right.''


    [H-How rude, master! I am telling you, if I advance three more levels¡ª no, two! Creatures of the sky will also revere me.]


    ''But whether they listen to you or not is another matter,'' Kyran repeated Zephyr''s words teasingly.


    [H-How very rude! I am a Quilin. Because of my bloodline, they are likelier to listen to me than other existences of the same level!]


    ''I see.''


    [M-Master!]


    "Thank you," Kyran ignored Zephyr''sints ringing in his head and addressed Wing again.


    "Don''t thank me yet. I don''t have the information you needed. Give me a few days, I''ll bring you good news."


    "Stay in my ship for the time being, Kyran," Loar added before Kyran could answer. "It''s better than you going to another ne and us trying to find you. You may be proficient in Array but some nes does not allow the use ofmunication devices from other nes."


    "Since you don''t have a destination in sight, you may consider their offer," Cade also told Kyran. Besides, if Loar''s ship stayed afloat outside the Human ne, he could drop by and discuss the Warp Formation further. They might have talked about it earlier, but once testing started, they would require Kyran''s insight to adjust the formation.


    Kyran already expected this that was why he gave amunication device to Cade. But again, because of the time difference and magicw of other nes, he would not be able to talk to them in real time.


    As much as Kyran wanted to look for Cyneah himself, having others help him was more efficient. Thus, he did not hesitate and agreed to their offer.


    "Alright. I won''t stay idle though. If there is anything you need my help with, I''ll amodate."


    "You know what we need from you," Loar replied with a wry smile.


    "Except that. I''ll think about it but until I find Neah, I can''t reallymit to anything."


    Wing sighed, "You should have given us that condition. We''ll find her if that is what it takes for you to join us."


    Kyran only smiled in response. He neither agreed, nor disagreed. Nevertheless, he knew that it would not be easy to find Cyneah. He just hoped whatever predicament she was in when she called for him had passed and she survived it.


    [We''ll find her, master. I know the mistress is still out there. Waiting.]


    Kyran did not voice it, but Zephyr''s reassuring tone eased the growing fear inside him.

 Chapter 737 Guardians

    With Loar''s invitation, Kyran stayed on the ship while Cade and Nn returned to the Human ne.


    Loar led Kyran to the lower deck where the rooms were located.


    Like the floor above, the lower deck had a long hall with automatons in human forms lined up at both sides. Although their heads remained facing upfront, Kyran sensed them looking at him.


    Loar and Wing walked in front while Kyran followed behind with Zephyr.


    Both were telling Kyran how they would go about searching for Cyneah.


    Kyran had shown them Cyneah''s image, and both were surprised to learn she was not blind by birth but that her ''eyes'' were taken away.


    Since Loar and Wing were unfamiliar with the saying that Ancient magic corresponds to a body part, Kyran did not tell them Cyneah''s innate magic. Thest thing he wanted was for them to poach her, too, if they learned what she could do.


    Besides that, Cyneah now possessed the Macabre cier. If word of it came out, Kyran would not be the only one searching for Cyneah.


    No.


    That was not entirely correct.


    Flos''s side should already be looking for Cyneah. But he would never leak the information about her possessing the Macabre cier because he did not want others getting their hands on it. Besides, with the citing of Ruin with a woman who resembled her, Flos might be after them.


    Ruin probably intended to bait Kyran into thinking that woman was Cyneah so that he woulde after them. Instead, he unknowingly helped divert Flos''s attention.


    In any case, now that Loar and Wing knew Cyneah''s condition, they finally understood why Kyran said he could notmit to anything else until she was found.


    If they were in his shoes, and someone important to them had gone missing, they would also be unable to focus on anything else, especially when that someone had a special condition like Cyneah.


    Every second counted, and that said a lot with the time difference in every ne.


    Promising to give Kyran an update in three days, Wing left at once. As for Loar, he led Kyran to a room.


    [Someone''s inside, master.]


    Zephyr warned Kyran before they could enter the room.


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable as he stopped in front of the door.


    Noticing this, Loar stopped short of opening the door and turned to look at Kyran. With a wry smile, he said, "She wanted to talk to you no matter what. I hope you don''t mind."


    "She?"


    "Sovereign of Auxilium," Loar replied with a nod. "She is one of the founder."


    He paused, realizing something, and added, "Come to think of it. I never told you the name of our faction."


    "No."


    Loar chuckled, "Sorry about that. Our faction is called Guardians."


    Kyran frowned but did notment on their name.


    Still, Loar saw this and said, "It may sound childish, but there is a reason this is the faction''s name."


    "Don''t get me wrong," Kyran replied. "I know there is a reason why you call yourselves like that. I''m just a little curious. That''s all."


    "She will tell you."


    "Alright."


    With that, Loar turned and opened the door.


    Kyran watched him enter before following suit. Zephyr also entered.


    When Loar had opened the door, Kyran saw a dimly lit room with a single bed on one side and a table for four on the other. However, that changed the moment he stepped inside.


    Kyran squinted his eyes as a blinding light filled his view. It was only for a second; thus, in a blink of an eye, he found himself inside an empty well-lit room.


    At the center of the room was a woman in white armor hovering in the air. The woman was wearing a headdress covering her whole face, and three one-meter golden rings, forming a triangle, were on her back.


    Kyran frowned slightly upon seeing the woman. He found those rings familiar because it was almost simr to Obstruciton''s. The only difference was that Obstruction''s rings were of different sizes and ovepped each other, while hers had the same size and formed a triangle.


    "I hope you won''t take offense at my ndestine arrival," Axil greeted.


    "I won''t say it''s ndestine because I already know you guys are watching."


    "Oh? So you noticed?"


    "I''m sure you know half the blood running in this guy''s veins, right?" Kyran asked, gesturing at Zephyr behind him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Of course," Axil replied, chuckling at Kyran''s undeterred attitude before her.


    When was thest time someone stood before her as fearless as Kyran was now? Even Loar, who was usually unconcerned about most things, was covered in a cold sweat when she first approached him.


    "Dragons," Axil said after a short pause. "I am curious how you managed to get acquainted to them."


    Kyran did not reply to her. He did not have to because he knew Zephyr would.


    "Woman. Don''t say you are a Sovereign and hold the higher ground here, but saying my master is only acquainted with Dragons is selling him short. No, that is not entirely correct. You are being disrespectful!"


    "How so?" Axil asked, turning her attention to Zephyr. She did not take offense at his attitude toward her. As a matter of fact, being in their presence was like a breath of fresh air.


    "You only considered my master''s worth because of some inherited title. But that is not his real worth."


    Axil tilted her head, seemingly intrigued at Zephyr''s words.


    "Pray tell why that is?" She asked while looking at Kyran, checking if he would stop Zephyr from answering.


    Surprisingly, she found him looking at her with a slight smile. Her eyes narrowed, finding his attitude strange.


    "My master is no Dark Sage, but the inheritor of not one, but two Ancient Magic. You best be careful if you have ulterior motives."


    Before Zephyr could even finish what he was saying, the expressions on Loar and Axil''s faces already changed.


    They knew about Ancient Magic and how only one could possess it in each generation. But for someone to wield not one but two? That was unprecedented.


    Also, Zephyr did not tell them what Kyran''s second Ancient Magic was. But only a fool would not realize it.


    The Power of Chaos, Draconic.


    This exined how Kyran was able to make Zephyr his Sigil!


    "I think you''ve said too much, Zephyr. You''re scaring them."


    "Humph! They should be! Just because you don''t emit the aura of a Sovereign doesn''t mean you are someone they can push around! Master, I know you want to keep a low profile, but the more you do that, the more people will think you are a pushover ande knocking on your doors!"


    Axil and Loar cleared their throats at the same time.


    "We are not going to take advantage of your master," Axil exined. "We merely hoped for a cooperation."


    "War of the Sovereigns," Kyran said before Zephyr could refute Axil. "What exactly is it?"


    "A war of Sovereigns," Axil replied with a smiley tone but then added with a solemn tone, "... that will dictate the future of the Lower Realm''s nes."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once. He did not like the sound of that.


    "Yes, new Dark Sage. There is no hidden meaning behind my words," Axil said after seeing Kyran''s scowl. "It is as simple as that. We, the Guardians faction, wanted to gather as many Sovereigns and nes as possible to preserve them.


    "Unfortunately, the Radical Order has also proposed a way to deal with that, and some of the more aggressive Sovereigns chose to join them."


    "And when we say aggressive, they obviously have more nes under their belt. If they are not, how could they take more, right?" Loar also quipped.


    "When you say the future of the Lower Realm''s nes and preserving them, you are not talking about during the war," Kyran tried to sort his thoughts. "But after, am I right?"


    "Yes," Axil replied. "During the war, it is true that many Sovereigns will die, and their nes will fall. But after the war, it is far more tragic."


    She paused and lowered her head as if recalling something.


    "We have yet toplete our research, but based on what we have now, every ne that partook in the War of the Sovereigns, even if they remained intact during the war or after their Sovereign was killed, would end up getting destroyed. And that destructiones with all its inhabitants."


    "That''s right!" Zephyr suddenly said. "Master, the Demon ne was destroyed because its Sovereign died. It is not because their ne became a battlefield of the War of the Sovereigns because by then, the war had already ended."


    "What about those nes without a Sovereign? Did they get destroyed?"


    Axil shook her head, "We are still looking for the information on that. So far, we have not confirmed anything."


    But Kyran was no longer listening. He was already busy racking his brain with what he heard just now, and he more or less understood something.


    "There is proof," Kyran said suddenly. "The Human ne."


    Zephyr also nodded, "The Human ne did not have a Sovereign before, so they cannot join the war. And because it is hard to find, none of the other Sovereigns managed to win it for themselves."


    "Yes," Kyran agreed.


    "Hm," Axil leaned back and crossed her arms, "You have a point."


    "Does that mean as long as a ne''s Sovereign did not die, it will not be destroyed? Come to think of it," Kyran paused. "Won''t a ne be preserved if their Sovereign did not join the battle?"

 Chapter 738 Clue

    "It would be good if that is the case," Axil replied with a sigh. "But there were peace-loving Sovereigns fro the previous war, and they also joined. We reckoned they were forced to. I am afraid the Human ne, now that it birthed its Sovereign while the next war is around the corner, will be forced to join too."


    "You''re not saying this to convince us to join, is it?"


    "Of course not," Axil replied, shaking her head sincerely. "It is a possibility that you have to consider of."


    "Humph," Zephyr snorted in disdain. "It is fine even if the Human ne does not join the war."


    "Do you remember something?" Kyran asked, turning to him.


    Zephyr looked back, shaking his head.


    "No, master, but I know the Human ne does not conform to the rules of the Lower Realm. It is part of the Land of the Ancients, after all."


    Kyran narrowed his eyes. He knew a little about the Land of the Ancients because of his training in the Tower of Tribtions. Most books that mention it also talk about the Heart of the Cosmos. Some even believed that thetter originated there.


    Kyran did not know whether it was true because Zephyr said the Heart of the Cosmos, also known as the Shaiha, had been in the Dragon ne before the Dragon King took it to the Human ne.


    In any case, the more he heard about it, the more he realized a time woulde when he had to find the truth, not only because of his innate magic but also because he possessed the Shaiha.


    Because of what Zephyr had said, Axil remembered something, and she began to contemte aloud.


    "There is a story that says the Land of the Ancients was from the Higher Realm," she started. "This might well be true if it does not conform to the rules of the Lower Realm. But if that is the case, how did it get here?"


    "Trying to figure that out will get us nowhere," Loar reminded Axil. "Let''s take things one at a time, shall we?"


    Axil looked at him and nodded.


    "You are right," she agreed. "Thank you, Loar. Since joining us, you have helped keep us on the right track. It truly helps to have an analytical thinker in the faction."


    "That''s not nice, Axil. You''re putting a lot of pressure on me."


    Axil only chuckled in response. Then she looked at Kyran and said, "Well, I won''t waste your time. I have said what needs to be said and hope you consider our invitation. The matter about your friend, since Wing gave her word, you can expect some results."


    Kyran only nodded in response. Honestly, he was not expecting much. But any information he could gather about the other nes would help him narrow his search. Besides, as he told Loar, he would not be idle while staying on his ship.


    He nned to study more about Automatons from Loar while visiting the nes near the Human ne.


    Kyran''s visits were not to search for Cyneah but to gather resources. Of course, he would only target nes with no Sovereign ruling over them.


    These resources would then be used in preparation for the war. Zephyr might have said the Human ne does not conform to the Lower Realm''s rules, but this did not mean they had to becent.


    If the Human ne was not exempted from the war, Kyran wanted Nn and the others to be prepared. Besides, he did not know when he would return. If the war started before he could find Cyneah, the least he could do was provide them with where to gather more resources.


    After Axil left, their surroundings changed, and the room reverted to its original state.


    Loar looked at Kyran with a wry smile and said, "It''s been a while since we''ve seen each other, and I did not even arrange a proper weing. Sorry I am not a good host."


    Kyran shook his head, "I''m not here on vacation. Besides, there are far too many things happening now that the War of the Sovereigns is near."


    Loar nodded, "It''s a little bit nerve-wracking since we don''t know when only that it is near. For all we know, it could start tomorrow."


    "Don''t jinx it," Kyran groaned.


    Loarughed, "Don''t worry. Though I said that, there would be obvious signs before it happens so there will be no surprises."


    "Right."


    "Well," Loar paused and took a deep breath before saying, "I''ll leave you to your devices, then. You also need to adjust your body now that you have left your ne."


    "Thanks."


    Kyran watched Loar leave before he turned to Zephyr.


    "Rest, too. We''ll be leaving in a few hours."


    Zephyr sat at the foot of the bed and looked at Kyran in puzzlement.


    "Leave? Where are we going, master?"


    "Check the nearby nes."


    Zephyr''s eyes widened in surprise. Then he thought of something, and his surprise was reced by excitement.


    "Have you decided to conquer nes now?"


    "No."


    "Eh? Why not?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I could barely support my father in protecting the n, why would I want things like nes add to it?"


    "That is only because you have too few subjects. Not only that, you don''t want your subject getting hurt. You have to change that, master. Bing a ruler meant you would have to let your subjects suffer. Only in this way can you expand your territory!"


    Kyran frowned.


    "Where the hell did you even learn that? Besides, I don''t want to expand any territories. Did you not hear me just now? I could barely support my father in protecting the n."


    Zephyr sighed in resignation, "Master, you have little ambition. Is having the mistress return to your side enough?"


    Kyran did not respond. He ignored his question and went to the table and sat.


    "Please don''t ignore me!"


    "I''m not. I have to make preparations."


    As Kyran said, he removed a few materials from his storage pouch. Then he created another long table before retrieving a body of a puppet.


    When he was in the Regis Terram, he started creating more puppets. But he did not get toplete most of them because of Ames''s arrival, followed by his grandfather''s, who bore bad news.


    Seeing his master had busied himself on his puppets, Zephyr could only sigh in resignation before lying in bed to take a nap.


    In the following days, Kyran went into a routine. If he were not talking with Loar about Automatons or the situation on other nes, he would be in his room working on his puppets or another project.


    After working, he would rest a bit, then he and Zephyr would leave the ship and look for a nearby ne.


    On the first day, Kyran found three nes. But he and Zephyr did not enter. Instead, they only observed from the outside.


    So far, they found two of these three nes were already ruled by a Sovereign. Thus, he stopped checking those nes. As for the third one, they did enter and check the time difference first.


    Kyran confirmed that the ne''s time was three times faster than the Human ne. Thus, he and Zephyr left after an hour of exploration.


    The next day, they found another two, one of which was already ruled by a Sovereign.


    Like the previous day, they entered the ne without a Sovereign and checked the time difference before leaving after an hour.


    Finally, the third day, when Wing had promised to give Kyran an update, arrived.


    Kyran met her inside the ship''s huddle room. Loar did not join them as he was out to visit a Sovereign their faction was trying to invite.


    "What do you have?" Kyran asked as soon as they were seated.


    "A few nes we can check," Wing replied, waving her hand. In an instant, the projectors activated, and several images of nes appeared at the center of the table.


    "Seven in total," she continued. "I could not verify the information because they all have Sovereigns ruling them."


    "That''s fine. If you had entered, even if you use an essence, they will notice and think you are up to no good."


    "Yes," Wing replied. "That''s why I could only give you this much."


    "I''ll verify the information myself."


    Wing frowned slightly as she looked at him.


    "I don''t think that is a good idea."


    "Why?"


    "The Sovereigns are already on the lookout for you."


    Kyran frowned. Before he could ask what she meant, she already continued.


    "Apparently, Flos and Ruin had been busy trying to lure you out."


    "Flos?"


    Kyran could understand Ruin, but why would Flos do the same? Should he be looking for Ruin?


    Wing nodded, "Yes. I don''t know what happened, but Flos and Ruin had a skirmish the other day. After that, Flos sent word to his members, prioritizing looking for you."


    Kyran could not help but sigh in exasperation. He thought Ruin had bought him time, but the time differences in the Lower Realm only gave him a few days.


    "I''ll be fine, tell me everything you know about those nes."


    "Fine. But don''t say I did not warn you."

 Chapter 739 Anathema

    As Kyran told Loar, he did not stay idle while staying on his ship.


    After receiving the information on the seven nes from Wing, he arranged for Zephyr, Neo, Aki, and Len to investigate one each while he went to another.


    Previously, he would have gone to those nes himself, but after what transpired in the Human ne, he learned to delegate tasks to others.


    Besides, he could not waste his time searching each ne given their time differences. There was even a ne whose time ran thirty times faster than the Human ne. That meant staying there in two weeks was equivalent to a year!


    Frankly, Kyran wondered if Cyneah was there after considering his initial guess that she had stayed in the ne she end up in for some time. But if she did end up there, that would mean she had stayed there for almost three years already. He did not think she had been away that long. Besides, she still sounded like her young self. Her voice would have matured a little if she aged that much, right?


    Thus, Kyran decided to visit that ne after clearing the other six.


    Instead of staying in the ne while investigating the ''person'' Wing''s subjects believed to be Cyneah, he created a portal that would allow him to return to Loar''s ship anytime. He also gave Zephyr and the others a device to let them summon the portal.


    Such a device would not have worked if others had done it. But because of the nature of Kyran''s magic, it was possible. Apart from that, he adjusted each device to conform to the Arrayws of the nes Zephyr, and the rest would go to.


    His reason for doing this was simple. By not staying in the ne, the Sovereigns of those nes would not detect unwanted entry in their nes.


    And if in a slim chance they discovered Zephyr and the others, they could escape without experiencing any trouble.


    For the following days, Kyran''s routine had been such; investigating nearby nes for resources, investigating the nes where Cyneah might have ended up in, talking to his father regarding the Warp Formation, reading through the reports his Sigils would send now and then, and helping Loar in his missions in exchange for Automata lessons.


    And thus, a year had already passed.


    During those times, Wing had provided more nes where her subjects said a person that looked like Cyneah could be.


    Kyran also finished checking the first few nes and confirmed Cyneah was not there.


    It was unfortunate that although from afar those people seemed simr to her, if someone who knew her looked, they would immediately realize it was not her.


    One main obvious reason was her skin coloring.


    Most of the ''person'' they found had different skin color. Not to mention, some did not even have a skin but scales.


    What was more, none of them even looked like Cyneah. They probably emit simr ''vibes'' they were physically not the same.


    Kyran almost stopped relying on Wing''s intel if not for the slim chance they might have found her atst.


    In a ne, not much different from the Human ne, except for the fact it had three moons, Kyran stood at the edge of a cliff that overlooked a castle''s wing.


    Looking at him now, those who knew him would notice a change not only in his physical appearance, but also his countenance.


    The year of venturing out of the Human ne toughened him and he now had a more dangerous air about him.


    Nheless, his dark gray eyes, a feature unique to the Regis Family, remained the same - piercing look that seemed to see through you.


    From the window of the castle wing, a silhouette of a young woman could be seen.


    Looking from behind, she had the same color of hair as Cyneah. However, when the young woman turned toward the window to look at the night sky, her face was different.


    She was pretty, yes.


    For a snake person.


    Kyran sighed while looking at the snake person. He could not say he was not expecting this. After all, this ne''s inhabitants possessed reptilian qualities. Nevertheless, he could not help but hope when he saw her from behind.


    She truly appeared like Cyneah.


    [Master.]


    Neo''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head, forcing him out of his thoughts.


    ''Yes?''


    [It''s not the mistress.]


    ''Right,'' Kyran replied, already expecting this.


    In this ne, there were two people to whom Wing''s subject had said possessed simr trait to Cyneah. Thus, Kyran took Neo with him and have him check the other one while he went to check the other.


    [But this is a breakthrough, master. The woman I checked just now does look like the mistress from behind, its gave me goosebumps.]


    ''You don''t get goosebumps, Neo.''


    [I do too! See? Can you sense my arms shaking?]


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He did sense Neo forcing his arms to shake.


    This past year, Neo''s sentient had grown and was convinced he was human.


    Kyran did not refute him because thetter''s thoughts were testament to how evolved his thinking was.


    But at times, it worried Kyran that Neo would start demanding him to make him more human.


    That was something he could not do. He was no God, after all.


    Apart from Neo, Aki and Len had also progressed. They showed signs of forming their own sentients.


    ''Let''s head back.''


    [Already? Don''t you want to check the nearby ne for news of the mistress?]


    ''I''ve already sent Len there. He found nothing.''


    [Always one step ahead, as expected from our master.]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran ignored him and took out the device to summon a portal back to Loar''s ship. Without waiting for Neo, Kyran stepped into the portal.


    "Master!"


    Zephyr''s excited voice greeted Kyran when he stepped out of the portal.


    "Wing has returned from another excursion. She brought good news!"


    Kyran tilted his head and raised his brows, maintaining an indifferent expression. "You said that thest time."


    "This is different!" Zephyr insisted. "The mistress! It is her this time!"


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed from how confident he sounded.


    From the back, a portal appeared, and Neo stepped out.


    "Master, you should have waited for me!" Heined.


    "Neo! Perfect timing, the mistress has finally been found!"


    "You said that thest time."


    "Don''t echo master''s words!"


    Kyran did not stay to listen to their banter. With a quick sweep of his magic sense, he found where Wing was and went straight to her.


    Wing was at the upper deck, handling the materials she gathered from her excursion.


    Several wing-type beasts scurried around the upper deck, hauling boxes filled with materials into the lower deck where the storage room was.


    "Zephyr told me you have good news," Kyran said, appearing beside her.


    "Ack!" Wing almost flew up when he appeared. "Sage, can you not do that? You''re warping has improved to the point I can no longer detect any fluctuations when you appear! What if we are under attack? I''ll be on edge and might just unleash a deadly attack and hurt you!"


    Kyran only raised his brows in amusement.


    Wing scowled at him. After seeing each other for a year, she had warmed up to him and his people. Besides that, she also learned some of his expressions and the one he had now said: "I''d like to see how you do that."


    "Don''t be cocky, Sage," Wing snorted at him. "You may possess absolute defense when youbined your two magic, but when I get serious..."


    "More importantly, show me what Zephyr got excited about."


    Wing sighed in resignation. Along with warming up to him, she had also grown invested in his search for Cyneah. With the new information she got from one of her trusted subjects, she could almost see him finally reuniting with her.


    Thinking about that day also gave her a sense of fulfillment.


    "Fine," she said, gesturing for her subjects to continue what they were doing before looking at Kyran again. "Let''s head to the huddle room."


    Kyran only nodded, and the two were inside the room in an instant.


    Wing''s non-existent brow twitched. She did not know if she would ever grow used to his warp ability.


    "You can warp like its nothing," shemented. "Have you tried warping to other nes you''ve already been to?"


    "I''d lie if I say it did not cross my mind."


    "And how was it?"


    "Draining?"


    "So you did try."


    "Where''s the information?"


    "Fine," Wing grumbled, waving her hand to activate the projectors.


    "This ne has only birthed its new Sovereign," Wing exined as an image appeared in the middle of the table.


    The projector showed an image of a city with buildings painted in white. At the center stood a grand castle that shimmered from the morning light. It had seven towers made of diamond, with six surrounding the castle, and thest one stood at the very heart.


    "This is the Kingdom of Cretea, the home of the new Sovereign. Initially, we sent informants to gather information about him. And while my subject was doing that, he came across a rumor that will definitely pique your interest."


    "A rumor?" Kyran frowned.


    "Don''t be easy to judge without hearing it first."


    "Tell me what it is."


    "It was said that the Sovereign used to have an illness no one could cure. It was even thought he would die before achieving a breakthrough."


    Even before Wing finished what she was saying, Kyran''s ears had already perked when she mentioned the word ''illness.''


    Wing sneered after seeing the look of interest on Kyran''s face. She continued, "It was rumored he was touched by the ''Saint,'' and his illness was cured in an instant."


    "Healing magic is not that rare," Kyran tried to reason. He was not delusional to think Cyneah was the only mage out there that could heal.


    Wing chuckled, "True. But I don''t remember any mage with healing magic, who possessed an ''Anathema''."


    Kyran frowned, "Anathema?"


    "Yes. Apparently, anyone who was born ''iplete'' in that ne is known to have an ''Anathema.'' And the Saint, who healed the Sovereign was said to have no ''sight.''"

 Chapter 740 Consultant

    "No sight is considered ''iplete,''" Kyran mused as she looked at Wing.


    Wing nodded, "That ne is one of those rare ones where its inhabitants had the same features as humans. It is no wonder that they would think your friend as a local if she ended up there."


    "And what is the difference? They may look like humans but there is a difference, right?"


    "Yes," Wing nodded. "They considered themselves plete beings.'' Physically, they do not have any ws, which is why they considered iplete beings as someone suffering from an Anathema."


    Kyran noticed how Wing emphasized the physical aspect of those people beingplete rather than as a whole. It was reasonable too, if not, they would have considered the now-Sovereign as someone suffering from Anathema when he fell ill.


    Guessing what Kyran was thinking, Wing nodded and supplied, "That''s right. They do not consider a person who fell ill as suffering from an Anathema. Still, to ensure an illness would not threaten their plete'' state, they normally purge that person.


    "That''s right," Wing sighed, seeing Kyran frown at what she said. "It is quite inhumane. But that logic is epted in that ne and no one seemed opposed to it. At least, that is how my subject has noticed.


    "Anyhow, there are other locals there that do not have human features but are beast-like. However, they stood on their hind legs, which make them pretty much ''human-like."


    "And they coexisted freely?"


    It was not the first time Kyran had seen such a scene. Some of the nes he went to had inhabitants coexisting like this. The only difference was there were no ''humans.'' Instead, there were beastmen or demons.


    "Not entirely," Wing shook her head. "ording to my subject, there is only one ce in that ne where they freely coexist. But there is aw in ce that prohibits ''humans'' from mistreating beast-like inhabitants. If anyone is caught doing such a thing, they are killed on the spot¡ª without any trials."


    "Then that means the beastmunity has better control over the ne."


    Wing smiled knowingly, "You are quite perspective. That''s right. So far, we only know that the Sovereign''s homnd is in the Kingdom of Cretea where humans live. He also came from a very distinguished family. However, we do not know what he looks like, or if he possessed any beast bloodline."


    "So among the ''humans,'' there are also beasts, figuratively speaking."


    Wing nodded, "Yes. There is an old lore that says that the ne was first inhabited by beast-like men. So they are considered the true inhabitants. How the ''humans'' came to be... well, we have not investigated that ne''s history to that degree yet."


    "That is fine. What is the ne called?"


    "Ah, right. I should have said that first, Somuli ne."


    "How far is it from here?"


    "About a month''s travel¡ª in human time."


    Kyran frowned. He did not expect the ne to be that far. Then again, if it had been close, he would have already heard about it.


    "If you n on going, it''s best to go now. We confirmed Flos''s side is also investigating that ne''s Sovereign. It is understandable, given how both our side is trying to recruit as many Sovereigns as possible before the war started."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He was lucky not to encounter Flos or Ruin in the past year he was out. But now that he finally had a more reliable clue about Cyneah''s whereabouts, having one of them¡ª or at least one of their people¡ª in the same ne as he would be too risky.


    Nevertheless, he was not going to back down. He would not have ventured out of the Human ne if he were truly afraid of them. Besides, if Flos got wind of the news about Somuli''s Sovereign''s healer, he would also be interested in her. Besides that, Ruin might have also heard of the news and would be interested in going there.


    Of course, Flos and Ruin would not be stupid to enter the ne themselves. At most, they could only send their people''s essences inside¡ª in Ruin''s case, his essence¡ª while negotiating with the ne''s Sovereign.


    But if one of them seeded in receiving the Sovereign''s favor, it would only be a matter of time before they could do anything they pleased in that ne. That means getting to Cyneah if she is there.


    Kyran had to work fast and confirm if that healer was truly Cyneah. He had to take her back as soon as possible if she was.


    "What is the closest ne to Somuli?"


    Wing let out a wryugh, "So you truly have tried warping to other nes before."


    Kyran only responded with raised brows.


    "Fine," she sighed in resignation. "Tell me the nes you''ve been totely."


    Kyran told her all the nes he had searched, and she gaped at him in disbelief.


    "You''ve been busy."


    "It''s already been a year, if I can''t do this much that means I''ve cked off."


    "I suppose... alright. I''ll check the map and let you know."


    "Give me the map, I''ll do it myself."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran knew the Guardians had a map of the Lower Realm. But such a thing was a treasure because nobody could map the whole realm. Because of this, they had not shared it with him. He did not want to ask for it either because that meant he had to give something in return.


    "You know the map is not something we can share with outsiders."


    "I''m willing to work as a consultant to the Guardians. Sharing a map to your faction''s consultant is fine, right?"


    "What in the realm are you even talking about?"


    "Give it to him."


    A voice suddenly spoke from behind.


    "You took your time," Kyran replied as he looked at Axil.


    Axil chuckled, "Would you believe it if I said I''ve only arrived?"


    "Are you looking down on me?"


    Axil let out augh, "Alright, alright. You win. Seeing you two discuss about your situation, I did not want to intrude."


    "We are talking about a ne that you guys had set your eyes on."


    "The Sovereign of that ne," Axil corrected him.


    Kyran shrugged, "ne or Sovereign, what does it matter? If you poach that ne''s Sovereign, then you''ll have the ne as well. Besides, you would not put in the effort in investigating a new Sovereign if you are not interested in what that ne has to offer."


    "Truly insightful," Axilmented with a nod of appreciation. "If you work as our consultant, we will definitely gain a lot. Thus, sharing the map is not a problem."


    She looked at Wing and nodded, "Share it with him."


    "As you wish, Axil," Wing replied begrudgingly. Nheless, she waved her hand, and a translucent orb appeared before Kyran.


    "Don''t share it with anyone."


    "Who would I even share it with," Kyran replied, taking the orb and putting it in his storage pouch.


    "I can list a few, do you want me to say them?"


    "I won''t share it," Kyran replied with a frown. Although sharing such a map with Nn and his father crossed his mind, there was no point in doing so. They were not nning to expand the Human ne''s influence anyway.


    He still believed that as long as the Human ne stayed clear of anything pertaining to the War, they would remain safe from getting destroyed.


    Worst-case scenario, where they could not avoid the war, Kyran would use all his hidden cards to protect the Human ne. He did not mind summoning the Dragon King using the Heaven''s Conch, either.


    Of course, if that happened, he would first face the wrath of the Venerate Dragons, but he was not as afraid of facing them now as he had been.


    In the past year, he had amassed resources and puppets.


    Loar kept telling Kyran his puppets were no longer considered mere puppets but Automatons, but Kyran did not think so.


    After learning a lot from Loar and adding it up to everything he learned in the Tower of Tribtions, Kyran knew an Automaton was not as simple as being able to function without any need for its maker''s interference, much like how Neo and the rest of Kyran''s puppets had once been.


    To put it simply, Automatons are new existences. A good example would be Neo, after forming his own sentient.


    This was why Kyran was more confident than he was in the past if the Venerate Dragons appeared.


    "It doesn''t matter," Axil assured Wing. "Besides, if he shared it with Nn, then we can take it as him epting our invitation."


    Kyran sighed at Axil''s persistence. After a year of staying with them, she still had not given up on poaching him. In the first ce, he was not a Sovereign, so what was the use of poaching him? Working for them as a consultant was enough. At least, the Human ne would not be involved in the war.


    "The map shows all hostile nes, so you may want to avoid warping to a ne close to them," Axil reminded Kryan.


    "Thanks," Kyran responded and was about to warp when Wing said, "Going to Somuli will take a lot of your time, it is best you let your family know."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Kyran assured her. He was not about to leave without leaving countermeasures for the Human ne and his family. Especially when the war they had been expecting to happen after what in Ylfaen Empire was about to break out in the Human ne.


    Without waiting for any of them to say more and prevent him from leaving, Kyran warped to his room.

 Chapter 741 Departure

    In his room, Kyran reviewed the Lower Realm''s map while listening to Zephyr reading the reports from Aki and Len.


    In the past year, Reuben and Tritus were able to progress in listing down the names of those who went missing because of the rift.


    The first time Kyran browsed through the names, he was surprised to find Gage''s name on the list.


    Based on a more detailed ount that led to his missing status, thest time Nn heard from Gage was when he was about to meet with the leaders of the rebel faction. At that time, Nn had only returned from the Tower of Tribtions and was about to check on the situation in the Regis Estate. But after that message, there had been no signs of him.


    Kyran instructed Tritus to find more information about Gage, thinking the rebel faction might have killed him when he went to meet him. But the interrogation of the leader of the rebel faction turned negative when they confirmed Gage did not appear in the designated meeting ce. They also confirmed not hearing from him since then.


    Since the interrogation with the rebel faction did not show any result, Tritus backtracked and investigated Gage''s whereabouts before his supposed meeting with the rebel leader. There Tritus discovered remnants of a rift appearing close to thest location Gage was seen.


    Tritus surmised thetter might have also identally entered a rift from that.


    Because of this, Kyran included Gage''s name in his list of people he would search for because he had been one of the first people who helped him. It did not matter whether his contribution was big or small. Risking his life was enough reason for Kyran to see him as one of his own.


    When Kyran and his puppets left to visit nes, he had them look for the Noir, and the others, including Gage.


    "Still no signs of Noir and the rest, master," Zephyr reported after a quick sweep of Aki and Len''s message.


    Kyran sighed. He initially thought finding information about Cyneah was far more difficult than finding traces of Noir and the others. He did not expect to have more trouble looking for thetter than the former.


    "Tell them to return. I''ll have them stand by until I confirm whether the Saint in Somuli is Cyneah. If that''s the case, I''ll have all able puppets focus on searching for them."


    Neo balked after hearing this, "Master! I want to help find the mistress."


    "I am more than enough to apany master in searching for the mistress," Zephyr told him matter-of-factly.


    "Actually, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on the puppet''s progress," Kyran told Zephyr, not turning his attention away from what he was doing on the table.


    "What?" Zephyr eximed. "But master¡ª."


    "I can sense True Void is about to wake up," Kyran continued, not giving Zephyr a chance toin. "He can apany me."


    Zephyr scowled, "Is he not supposed to supervise the puppets? Why am I the one doing his work?"


    "You''re supposed to supervise the beast Sigils, but since I left them in the Human ne, you can look after the puppets first," Kyran responded with a shrug. "Besides, True Void has to replenish his depleted magic energy, he can''t do that if he stayed in the ship."


    Neo chuckled, "If True Void used the ship''s magic energy to replenish his, sir Loar will go mad."


    "Why are you calling that guy sir?" Zephyr scowled at Neo.


    Neo raised his brows questioningly, "Why not?"


    "Alright, you two," Kyran finally raised his head and got up from his seat.


    Immediately, Neo and Zephyr looked at him attentively.


    Kyran looked at them and said, "The ne I''ll be heading to is far from here. Neo, you''ve been to the Kaio ne. It is about a week''s journey from there."


    "Ah," Neo''s face distorted as he recalled the ne Kyran had mentioned. "That ne? I''d rather not return to that ce."


    The Kaio ne was barren, with rarely any living thing in sight. The few living could only be found underground, and Neo, a puppet, was not fond of such spaces.


    "It''s not like I''m telling you to go back," Kyran said with raised brows. "In any case, I''ll warp in that ne and go to Somuli from there."


    "Will it be safe?" Zephyr could not help but ask in concern. Most of the time, when traveling to a ne from a different one, they encounter realm storms or beasts.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Storms were one thing. As long as they could steer away from their area of influence, they could continue their journey with no problems. However, in seven out of ten instances where they saw a storm, they encountered realm beasts.


    It was as if these realm beasts lurked just outside a storm''s area of influence to devour any ships that would steer clear from thetter.


    Escaping from a realm beast was hard because they were invisible. One could only rely on their magic sense to feel their presence. Kyran had no trouble locating a realm beast, but whenever thetter sensed someone ''looking'' for it, it would unleash its skill, enveloping everything in its influence into darkness.


    Zephyr and the others had experienced that darkness, and it took some effort for Kyran to retrieve them.


    "It won''t," Kyran replied. "But I''ll be fine. Keep me posted. If you found clues about Master Noir and the others whereabouts, let me know at once. You know how to do that, right?"


    He was not telling Zephyr to contact him through themunication device because of its limitation but through their connection.


    Zephyr nodded, "Alright. Be careful there, master. If you need back up, let us know."


    "I will," Kyran replied. He was not about to tell them there was no need. If what Axil and Wing told him about Flos''s and Ruin''s movements were correct, he might need them when the timees.


    Of course, before he could consider anything else, he had to confirm if the Saint was Cyneah.


    And with that, Kyran donned his armor and left, warping in an instant outside the Kaio ne.


    Contrary to what Wing had expected, Kyran could not warp inside a ne. He could only appear outside its vicinity.


    While this did not seem to matter much because what was important was him warping at such a long distance, the real crux of the matter was his state after warping.


    Just as he told Wing, it was draining. It took over half of his magic energy and almost all his stamina just to warp outside a ne. The ne''s distance did not matter. As long as he warped, he would be drained.


    Because of this, he would be vulnerable for a few hours. That was why before warping, he donned his armor.


    After that, with his remaining magic energy, he summoned a small ship and went inside.


    The ship was not made out of magic but something Loar lent him. Though it was supposed to be ''lent'' to him, he already made adjustments, and it more or less responds only to Kyran''s will.


    Loar was aware of this, and being his usual self, he was chill about it. As a matter of fact, he was ecstatic whenever Kyran adjusted his creations. To him, he was gaining more rather than losing because of the profoundness of Kyran''s ideas.


    In any case, Loar already gave that ship to Kyran, and thetter was free to do anything to it. Others might think he was being generous by gifting a ship, albeit a small one, to Kyran. But it was nothingpared to the things Kyran had given.


    After all, he had been helping them gather resources for the faction. Such a small thing to repay his hard work was nothing.


    The ship would normally only amodate three people at most. Even then, it would already feel cramped inside. But with Kyran''s adjustments, it could now amodate seven people, and that was only in its control/navigation room.


    Kyran also included three more rooms inside. Two bedrooms and a pantry.


    All of these were possible with Kyran''s Void magic.


    Loar begged Kyran to do the same with the rest of his ship when he saw this. But Kyran only promised to make one. He was not being stingy, but creating all those adjustments took a huge toll on him because the materials required needed Void energy.


    Those things could only be created by Kyran, using the concept of the teaching on Void energy he got as a reward from the Tower of Tribtions.


    Loar happily agreed. He was only joking when he asked Kyran to adjust all his ships anyway. For Kyran to agree to adjust, one of his ships was more than enough.


    Kyran went to the control room and input his destination on the panel. After that, he went to one of the bedrooms to rest.


    If there was something he had learned this past year, that was to allot enough resting time for himself.

 Chapter 742 Somuli Plane

    A week''s journey to the Somuli ne proved to be a boring endeavor.yy7


    Kyran thought the things he brought with him, which were several sets of materials for creating puppets, would be enough to keep him busy.


    s, it only took him three days to finish all the puppets he was supposed to create in a week.


    When Kyran finally arrived near the Somuli ne, he donned his armor and exited the ship. Since the ne already had a Sovereign, he did not want to alert him by appearing directly outside. Besides, Flos''s people or even Ruin might be nearby. He did not want to expose himself too early in the game.


    After putting away the ship, Kyran carefully scanned his surroundings and slowly approached the ne. Just as he expected, he found several presences observing the ne.


    There were a total of nine Sovereign essences observing the Somuli ne and Kyran recognized four. Among the four he recognized was the essence of Sovereign of Dusk, the one he met and shed with when he was on his way to the Regis Estate.


    Kyran tilted his head in amusement. He had thought the Guardians would have Wing negotiate with the Sovereign of the Somuli, but apparently this task was given to Dusk.


    Not that he cared.


    Right, he should be careful in voicing his opinion now that he agreed to be their consultant.


    Another presence Kyran recognized was Light. Thetter had left the Human ne soon after Nn became the Sovereign, and Kyran missed the chance to remove the mark he ced on her.


    Obviously, he did not want to leave his mark if it meant other Sovereigns would recognize and use it to track him down. But seeing that Flos had not done anything, Kyran reckoned Light had hidden the mark pretty well.


    Come to think of it, having Light negotiate with the Somuli''s Sovereign might be advantageous for Kyran. In the worst-case scenario, he could use her to pave an escape route for him.


    Kyran could have asked Dusk to do that, but because their first meeting had not been that great, he would rather use Light¡ª who was on the enemy''s side¡ª than ask Dusk for a favor.


    The third presence Kyran recognized was someone he met in one of the nes he trained at. What surprised him, however, was that person was not a Sovereign before.


    With an emotional sigh, Kyran was again shown how time passed differently in every ne.


    ''Could he have joined Flos''s side?'' he wondered while observing that person''s surroundings. So far, each of the presences he knew was too far apart. Obviously, they were also hiding from other Sovereigns.


    Not that it did them justice when Kyran''s concern. His magic sense had grown by leaps and bounds, and after being ustomed to the Lower Realm''s energy, he could integrate it more into his Void magic, resulting in others being unable to detect it.


    To Kyran''s chagrin, the owner of thest presence was none other than Ruin.


    ''He really came himself,'' he thought, feeling an iing headache.


    As for the rest of the presence, Kyran guessed they were Sovereigns from other factions.


    Axil''s and Flos''s factions were the only two famous ones recruiting Sovereigns for the uing war, but others were also forming their faction.


    Kyran already knew there were six more factions apart from Axil and Flos''s. If the five presences he sensed represented one of each, then that left only one other.


    ''No, he might be representing another faction,'' Kyran thought, recalling the owner of the presence he recognized.


    ''Looks like all of them are here to poach the new Sovereign,'' Kyran could not help but shake his head in exasperation.


    It was alright if all of them came here for the Somuli''s Sovereign, but if word came out about Cyneah possessing the Macabre cier and if she was indeed, the Saint¡ª Kyran could almost see all of these factions trying to get their hands on her as well.


    ''I can''t be careless with my investigation,'' he thought, thinking of using an item he had not used in a while. ''She knew me by that identity, might as well use it here.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With that in mind, Kyran teleported and slowly entered the Somuli ne without triggering its cradle.


    That was one of Kyran''s advantages. Since he was not a Sovereign, he did not trigger a ne''s cradle if it already had a Sovereign.


    Axil and the rest knew this, which was why they were adamant about poaching Kyran for their cause. With him in their ranks, it would be easier for them to enter a ne and find a chance to negotiate with a ne''s Sovereign ahead of the others.


    Kyran teleported to the middle of a lush forest in the Somuli ne. He did not know how far he was to the Kingdom of Cretea. But since that was the Sovereign''s homnd, he did not want to go there just yet.


    Besides, Wing never said the Saint lived there. Kyran even had an inkling the Saint lived somewhere else. Because if the Saint had been in Cretea all this time, why did it take the Sovereign that long to find her and have her heal him?


    If Kyran also considered Cyneah''s situation when she called out to him, it was clear she was in a disadvantageous ce to a human like her.


    For these reasons, Kyran decided to search the city where these plete beings'' and beasts coexisted first.


    ''Now then,'' Kyran removed his armor and took out his face-altering mask and changed his face to Nar. This was the item he had not used in a long time.


    After leaving the Human ne, he never had the chance to use it until now. He did not see the need to hide his identity even when he visited different nes. In the first ce, his magic was too shy to hide.


    In the Human ne, he managed to trick others into making them believe he had Strengthening magic while he pretended to be Tyr, but that was only possible because of the Human ne''s special condition. But with the limitations in the magicw of each ne, it was harder to hide the nature of his magic. The key word there was ''harder.'' Thus, it was still possible, but it would be exhausting.


    ''No signs of forest beasts,'' Kyran mused.


    He was notining, though. Without beasts to hinder his movement, he could find his way out of the forest faster.


    One of the things he realized after visiting other nes was that few beasts dared attack him. However, this was not the case when he went out for training. He rarely encountered beasts, but they never tried to steer away from him. He guessed whoever oversaw the Tower of Tribtions made it so his ability to keep beasts at bay would be kept in check. After all, without beasts to test him, his training would be useless.


    Still, that did not mean no beast would attack him. When they did attack, however, they were either being controlled or were under the orders of another.


    After confirming that the coast was clear, he btedly realized he did not ask Wing the Somuli''s time. This made him scratch his head inwardly. He did not think he was that excited to investigate the Somuli''s Saint that he would forget to ask for such basic information.


    Taking out a device he created to determine a ne''s time, Kyran found a safe spot¡ª on top of a huge tree¡ª and teleported there. After that, he activated the device and let the energy in the surroundings fill its energy core.


    Kyran''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets after realizing time in Somuli was erratic. This meant that time could run ten times faster or five times slower than in the Human ne, depending on its season.


    Those numbers were only an example. They could be ten times, seven times, or even thirty times. Such an erratic flow of time would be hard for anyone to keep track of things outside. No wonder the essences of Sovereigns outside had not tried to enter the Somuli ne.


    Kyran sighed while looking up at the night sky.


    There were plenty of stars in the Somuli ne. He would have thought he was in the Human ne if not for the four moons hanging with them.


    ''I''ll have to check with Zephyrter to determine the current time difference here,'' he thought. ''Such an erratic time flow will be hard to detect using my device.''


    In instances like this, he could not help but think of Ste. If he had the Time Keeper by his side, he would not have any problems figuring out the time flow in a ne.


    But it was only a thought. He would not ask her to apany him because her presence was needed in the Human ne.


    Putting aside this thought, Kyran jumped down the tree and started looking for the exit.

 Chapter 743 Eidum

    While walking, Kyran did not forget to gather medicinal herbs along the way.


    Another thing he discovered while visiting other nes was that some potions he possessed might not work. Thus, he had to sample the herbs of the ne he was at to see which of his potions would work.


    In cases where most of his healing and energy-replenishing pills and potions did not work, he would collect the ne''s local herbs simr to those he used and concoct new ones.


    When it came to antidotes, Kyran also had them for emergencies. But so far, he did not have the chance to use them. After his body''s transformation from taking the Elixir, he had yet to find a poison that could affect him.


    Kyran found a small town after a few hours.


    Earlier, when he teleported to the middle of the forest, he had the impression that it was alreadyte at night. If he had been in the Human ne, five hours of walking in the forest would have already shown some light toward the east. But nothing of the sort happened. As a matter of fact, the night seemed to grow darker. Or, to be precise, the light emitted by the stars had dimmed.


    From this, Kyran surmised that the night had truly just started.


    ''It seems this ne''s time is not the only thing different from most nes,'' he thought.


    Most of the nes he had been to followed a 24-hour timeframe, so it was easy to determine if the ne''s time ran twice as fast as the Human ne. It was rare to find a ne that kept a 36-hour timeframe.


    As for this ne, Kyran felt it might be following a 52-hour timeframe even more.


    ''My body clock needs to get used to this ce,'' Kyran mused with a sigh. When he visited a ne that followed a 36-hour time frame, he only stayed for a while, so he did not have to get used to it. But this time, he felt he would be staying a while. He had to get used to its time so his cover would not be discovered.


    If he was to pose as a native, he had to keep appearances. It would not do if he were not used to their waking and sleeping hours.


    Kyran did not enter the town at once. He observed the ''humans''ing in and out first.


    He noticed that even though the ce up ahead was considered a town at most, it was well-organized. Its barricade and the buildings he could see from the town''s gate were also made of stone.


    Back in Ylfaen, town barricades were made of fine wood. Only a small city and above had the leisure to build stone barricades.


    Kyran watched as the guards dutifully inspected the back of a merchant''s carriage and also his documents.


    What the guards did was somewhat awe-inducing because few would be diligent in doing such things. At least, in most of the towns Kyran had been in, they were toox to the point a fugitive could beughing in front of them


    ''This is not the time to feel awe,'' Kyran reminded himself. ''Find a way to enter the town.''


    Realizing how absurd his thought had been, he let out a chuckle.


    Was there even a need for him to enter town from its gates?


    Nah.


    Kyran already confirmed a defensive array did not surround the town. Though the stone walls seemed to emit a smell that kept the feral beasts at bay, nothing would alert anyone if he teleported inside.


    And Kyran did just that.


    He teleported, targeting the top of the highest building he could see from the outside.


    Kyrannded on top of the building with a soft thud. He crouched, made his way to the building''s edge, and scanned the area below.


    Kyran did not use his magic sense because he noticed a few inhabitants of the ne perked when his magic sense passed through them while he was checking the walls for a hidden array formation.


    Those inhabitants had low mage levels, yet, they were sensitive to Kyran''s magic sense. This showed how different magic energy works in this ce. As a matter of fact, Kyran already noticed how thin the magic energy was in the surroundings. It made him wonder how the inhabitants of this ne summon magic with too little energy around.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran checked the signboards on every building he found and confirmed he was in the town''s market ce.


    The tallest building, where he teleported to, was the town''s city hall. To his left, there was an aisle lined up with stalls selling assorted things. On the other hand, the right aisle was lined up with stores and a pub.


    Kyran eyed the only pub in town. Even in other nes, one of the good ce to gather information was in a pub. But this was only possible if one understood the ne''s native tongue.


    s, even with Kyran''s cheat-like innate ability to master things in a short span of time, learning and understanding an entirely differentnguage was a challenge.


    That had not been a problem to him when he was training in the Tower of Tribtions because the tower seemed to ''trante'' everything for him, and the people around him. Basically, no one knew he was talking in his nativenguage when he talked to the natives of a ne, and vice versa.


    Kyran knew a few spells that would allow him to understand them, but unless he knew their nativenguage, certain words that only they would understand would not be tranted by the spell.


    He did create a device that could trante another''s nativenguage to another. But the avablenguage in his device, were the ones he had learned. For short, he still had to learn the Somuli''s nativenguage if he wanted to include it in his device.


    Reading their letters was one thing. Kyran had learned thousands, if not a million runes back in the Tower of Tribtions. But even if he could read the Somuli''s native writing that did not mean he could speak it. He had a lot to consider, like sentence structure, pronunciation, and others.


    In the end, Kyran could only stay put and listen to the beast-like inhabitants below to learn theirnguage slowly.


    For the next few hours, Kyran focused on learning the Somulinguage.


    When one of the four moons disappeared in the night sky, Kyran managed to learn the basics. By the time the second moon disappeared, his knowledge was already considered average. Finally, when the third moon disappeared, he could be considered a native of the Somuli ne.


    Anyone who knew how many hours it took Kyran to learn the Somulinguage would have cried tears of blood. The natives had to learn theirnguage for years, yet Kyran only took a few hours to learn it.


    It was truly unfair.


    Kyran was not only learning thenguage as he listened to the conversations below. He was also able to grasp the town''s situation and gather enough intel to let him move around.


    ''There is an Adventurer Guild located three towns north of here,'' Kyran recalled what he heard. ''It is simr to the Mercenary Hall in the Human ne. If I want to find someone, that is the best ce to ask for information. But the problem is, identification, signed permits, and legal documents are very important in this ne.''


    He crossed his arms and sighed while recalling how the town''s guards asked the merchant who wanted to enter the town to show their documents.


    ''If I want to ask for information or file a request, I have to show them my identification. They will report me to the Abbot if I can''t.''


    The Abbot was the overseer of the city that the town belonged to.


    Kyran learned this ce was located in the west and quite a distance away from the Kingdom of Cretea. He also learned that thetter was under the Noble faction, while the city the town he was in was part of the Abbot''s faction¡ª or, to be precise, the Eidum.


    Eidums were what they calledplete beings or beast-like who were ''sanctified'' by the Somuli''s Eida¡ª a persona they viewed as the ne''s God.


    Abbot was the title that ruled the Eidum. And judging by how the beast-like natives talked about him respectfully, it was clear how upright he was.


    This brought Kyran back to the fact that identification, signed permits, and legal documents were very important in this ce and that he would appear an odd duck without them.


    ''I should have asked Wing about how to contact her subject,'' Kyran thought, thinking he could ask Wing''s subject for help in forging an identity for him.


    Then again, what if Wing''s subject was a native of the Somuli ne and had his identification from the start? Would he even help Kyran procure one?


    Was there even a way to get one?

 Chapter 744 Meeting The Abbot (1)

    Even as the idea crossed his mind, Kyran rejected it. He did not want the Guardians to know his movements in Somuli.


    Besides, he only agreed to be their consultant¡ª a third party. Thus, asking for their help meant asking for their favor, and he wanted to avoid that. A spy might be amongst the Guardians, too. If Flos sent that spy and they got wind of the reason he went to Somuli, chances that they woulde after the Saint was high.


    In any case, Kyran knew his business in Somuli would not be a secret for long. But before that, he had to confirm the identity of the Saint.


    Which led him back to finding an identification as soon as possible.


    Suddenly, he thought of an idea¡ª a somewhat crazy and reckless one.


    If Nn had been there, he would have approved it¡ª not his mother, though. Because if it did not y out the way he intended to, he might end up getting sent to the gallows.


    Is sending an offender to the gallows even considered a punishment here?


    Kyran put aside all his unnecessary thoughts and teleported to the north gate of the town.


    The Adventurer Guild was three towns north. He did not want to wait until sunrise to go there. Besides, he did not have to worry about beasts since his innate ability was working here with no problem. He only had to worry about ''beast-like'' who might attacked him.


    From what Kyran heard in town, there were beast-like bandits targetingplete beingstely, and when someone from Eidum arrived to investigate, they would twist the story into theplete beings attacking them.


    It had been ongoing for some time, which was why themunity of theplete beings had been on edgetely.


    Kyran was not afraid of those beast-like bandits, thought. He was not even afraid to kill them if they messed with him. With his magic it was easy to erase any trace of a ''crime scene.''


    Not wasting any time, Kyran left town.


    It took him about five hours to get to the town where the closest Adventurer Guild was.


    Knowing it would be too suspicious to go directly to the guild, he decided to confront the town''s guards first.


    Kyran might have thought of something crazy and reckless, but it was not to the point where he nned to draw unnecessary attention to himself. If he had appeared to the guild without an identification, they would wonder how he got inside the town. But if he confronted the guards, they would not think it was that strange because towns were usually separated by lush forest.


    Basically, anything could happen in the forest, with all the forest beasts and bandits lurking there.


    Before appearing before the guards, Kyran changed his face. After that, he ripped some parts of his clothes, and even cut himself to make him look as if he had only been attacked.


    Doing both was actually a problem, since he enchanted all his clothes to repair itself when it got damaged. As for cutting himself, his healing ability was too monstrous that only a fatal attack could wound him¡ª given that the attack hit him, of course.


    Even before Kyran could approach the guards at the town''s south gates, one of them had already noticed him.


    "Oi!"


    One of the guards tapped his partner and pointed at Kyran.


    "Seems like another case of bandits," the other guard responded after seeing Kyran.


    Kyran kept a pained expression as he approached them. He already knew what they thought of him because of his sharp hearing and could not help but smile inwardly.


    ''Right, just think of me as a victim here,'' he thought.


    "Stop for a moment," the guard who noticed Kyran first ordered as he approached. "What happened to you?"


    "P-Please," Kyran pleaded, sounding as troubled as he could. "S-Someone attacked us... a-and m-my family... t-they are still in the forest. Please help them!"


    "Do you remember the exact location where they are¡ª?"


    "Sorry, we are only the town''s guards," the other guard interrupted the first guard at once.


    These guards had a protocol they had to follow and could not act as they pleased.


    "If you can stay here, we''ll call the town''s security group to check on your family''s situation."


    "Anything will do," Kyran responded while eagerly nodding his head. "Just please act fast. I''m afraid my f-family will not be able to¡ª."


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    From a distance, a series of loud explosions made Kyran and the two guards crouch while covering their ears.


    "W-We''re under attack!"


    A guard at a nearby tower shouted and immediately sounded the rm.


    Inside the town, the security group moved at once. Even the natives, seemingly aware of what they had to do in instances like this, ran out of the buildings and followed some of the security groups already leading them to safety.


    Meanwhile, the first guard who noticed Kyran grabbed him and ushered him inside the town.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Get inside and follow the crowd! Don''t get left behind!"


    "Oi!" his partner scowled at him. "You can''t just let him in without asking for his identification."


    "This is an emergency! We can ask himter! Intercepting the attackers is the priority."


    "True, but¡ª."


    "What are you two still doing here? The rm has already sounded. Go report to your leaders!"


    A beast-like wearing a green armor scolded the two guards.


    "Yes sir!"


    "And you," the beast-like in green armor looked at Kyran. "Follow the crowd, and don''t be left behind!"


    "I-I won''t!" Kyran replied and went inside the town while staggering.


    The second guard looked at Kyran''s back with a scowl, but since a security group member had spoken, he could not refute it.


    Kyran kept up with his act as he followed the crowd. But as soon as he was out of sight from those who had seen him at the gates, his face changed, his clothes repaired instantly, and his cuts healed.


    ''Entering townpleted, now to the second part, going in the Adventurer Guild,'' Kyran thought.


    That was right. The explosion just now had been his doing. He timed it so the guards would not have time to check on his ''identification.''


    As for how he would gather information in the Adventurer Guild, he already had a n in mind.


    But first, themotion wouldst for a while. Until the security group confirmed that there was no real threat, all civilians would stay in a safe ce.


    Outside, the security group, all wearing green armor, had already sent a scout to check on the situation.


    When the scout did not return, the leader of the security group sent out another. This time he had three scouts dispatched.


    However, after waiting for a while. None of their scouts returned, which rmed all of them.


    Without sending out another group of scouts, they dispatched three teams to three locations.


    Meanwhile, Kyran joined the civilians who were ushered to safety.


    The safe ce they went to was actually an underground shelter that could easily house up to five hundred people.


    Kyran was quite impressed at how this town''s emergency protocol.


    This was only a town, yet they had everything in ce.


    Back in the Ylfaen Empire, such protocol would only be provided in major cities like Meliora.


    Kyran sat in a corner while observing the security group near the entrance of the underground shelter.


    No one noticed him observing them because most civilians listened to the town''s leader talking up front.


    Using his sharp hearing, Kyran listened in on the conversation between the security group and could not help but frown.


    It appeared quite a number of their people had gone missing after investigating the locations where the explosions urred.


    ''This... Don''t tell me someone has been nning an attack all this time, and it happened at the same time as I arrived?''


    This notion was not impossible. There might truly be a group of beast-like or evenplete beings who had been nning to attack a town where an Adventurer Guild was located.


    One reason was a grudge. Since adventurers worked simrly to mercenaries, some might have epted a bounty or a request that resulted in them receiving a grudge.


    Another was resources. The attackers might be bandits eyeing this town because they believed the Adventurer Guild had plenty of resources.


    They were not wrong. If the guild could issue a request or a bounty, they had the means to pay the rewards.


    Thest possible reason Kyran could think of was a territorial dispute.


    This part of Somuli might be under an upright ruler, but that did not mean no such disputes were urring around towns. And the town seemed prepared for it judging by the emergency protocol it had in ce.


    In any case, Kyran did not know whether this incident had yed out well for him.


    At first nce, it might seem like it did. But at a closer look, he might have be an aplice without meaning to.

 Chapter 745 Meeting The Abbot (2)

    Besides, when Kyran staged those explosions, his sole purpose was to draw the attention of the town''s security away for an hour or two. In a ce where they put priority over one''s identification, Kyran expected they also had several protocols in ce. Thus, he knew staging an explosion and sneaking into the town would not result in the scenario he had in mind.


    He expected the security to ce importance on looking out for intruders after the explosion. For this reason, he opted to appear in front of the town''s guards before anything happens. After that, Kyran would go to the Adventurer Guild once the town''s security confirmed the explosion posed no threat, and they lifted the emergency protocol.


    As for the matter of his identification, he would dere to the guild he had lost it during themotion.


    Losing one''s identification was not an umon urrence, and there was definitely a way to retrieve one or request a new copy.


    Of course, Kyran had to provide initial information so they could release the identification, which was why he nned to ''procure'' them by targeting an inconspicuous individual in town. If he could not find one, he would use his magic sense to crack their system while they input his information.


    That had been Kyran''s n.


    s, it appeared something unexpected happened that might jeopardize it.


    Appearing inconspicuously as possible, Kyran scanned the crowd with his magic sense to gather other information.


    So far, the information he got from the security group was that a third party took advantage of his explosions. As of that moment, the security group was busy searching for the perpetrators.


    What Kyran wanted to know next was what led the third party to attack the town.


    He already listed three possibilities, but he might have missed an important clue leading him to miss other possible reasons.


    While listening to the conversations around him, he heard one topic that made him believe might be the missing important clue.


    There were talks about an important figure staying at the Adventurer Guild.


    Kyran frowned after hearing this.


    Why would such a figure stay with the guild? Should he or she not have stayed with the town''s local leader?


    Kyran would still understand if the important figure that was the subject of their conversation was a merchant or a well-known member of the guild, but they were using a native word of important figure that pointed to a high-ranking official within the Eidum.


    Kyran might have gathered enough information to move around, but these were only general knowledge. If he wanted to learn more about the political side of things in this ne, it would take him days to get all the information he needed.


    And he did not have that leisure. Besides, he was only here for the Saint. And from what he gathered, the Saint was part of the Eidum but her position was considered a civilian given her ''Anathema.'' The sole reason she got that title was because the Sovereign bestowed it on her after healing him.


    ''More importantly,'' Kyran thought. ''If the situation does not improve, we''ll have to stay here longer. That won''t do.''


    "True, we must find a way to improve the situation."


    Kyran rarely got surprised, but the suddenment to his side startled him.


    He looked to his side at a crouching beast-like wearing an ash-colored robe with silver and gold linings.


    To Kyran''s surprise, the beast-like also turned and looked at him.


    Only then did he realize the beast-like was aplete being¡ª with long white hair and glittering blue eyes. His face seemed to have been sculpted into perfection. Nheless, he looked ''old.''


    But what the old man looked like was unimportant. What truly surprised Kyran was that he did not sense anyplete beings when he first scanned the crowd. Some appeared human because their body was covered with armor, while some had human facial structure, but their skin had scales; their eyes were reptilian, and some even had horns.


    As for the old man, after looking at him, Kyran immediately deemed him as aplete being¡ª an existence simr to a human.


    Why did he not notice him earlier? Was the old man using a concealing spell powerful enough to block his magic sense?


    Seemingly knowing what was running on Kyran''s mind even when he was looking indifferent, the old man smiled and said, ''I made you see what I want you to see. Thus, you deem me as beast-like. It is not an illusion but a matter of twisting how your magic sense will ''sense'' my being.''


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed when he realized the old man was not only reading his thoughts but was alsomunicating with him telepathically. Not to mention, the words he spoke just now were quite profound.


    What the old man said about twisting another''s magic sense was possible. However, few could do this because few had reached a level of mastery over their magic sense. Which meant the old man''s magic sense mastery was simr to Kyran''s.


    The old man turned his attention back to the crowd, chortling slightly, ''I will notment about thetter part, but as for why I am speaking with you telepathically... Why not? If I have spoken my words right now, what do you think these people standing close to us will think?''


    ''You''re the important figure hiding in the Adventurer Guild,'' Kyran said instead of responding to the old man''sment.


    ''Oh?'' The old man turned to Kyran again, tilting his head. But like Kyran, instead of responding to hisment, he said, ''You speak ournguage quite fluently. Impressive.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at the old man''sment. How would he even understand what he was saying if he could not speak theirnguage?


    ''Why is it strange?'' The old man looked at him incredulously, ''There are outsiders who understand ournguage but cannot speak them. You are... the second one.''


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips.


    It seemed the Somuli people also called non-inhabitants of their ne outsiders.


    But that was not the reason Kyran smiled. The old man knew he was an outsider even when in disguise. This only increased his suspicion that thetter was the important figure hiding with the guild.


    It also answered why he did not stay with the town''s local leaders.


    This old man is Eidum''s Abbot.


    How Kyran came to that conclusion was because of two simple reasons. First, only someone upright, like the Abbot, would choose to stay with the Adventurer Guild that did not belong to any faction.


    As far as political ties were concerned, this town might be under the Eidum''s jurisdiction, but its town officials were all beast-like and would be inclined toward the Nobles.


    Obviously, for the second reason, someone who could see through Kyran''s disguise and even know he was an outsider was definitely not a simple person.


    Kyran already knew the Abbot was anything but simple if he could rule over the Eidums. Besides, now that the old man allowed him to ''sense'' him, he could feel absolute pureness about him.


    The old man smiled as if to affirm Kyran''s guess.


    ''Young man, you may not believe in fate. No, rather than not believing, you would rather pave your own path. However, what if that is your fate?''


    ''Riddles, huh.''


    The old man chuckled, ''Not at all. Just an old man''s rambling. Nheless, I believe our meeting is fate.''


    Kyran did not respond. As the old man had said, he did not believe in fate.


    ''I require assistance, and you happen to be someone who can do just that.''


    ''What''s in it for me?''


    ''Ahahaha!'' The old manughed telepathically, but he remained smiling on the outside. ''A rather straightforward young man. I like you.''


    Kyran refrained frommenting.


    ''You already know who I am and what I can offer. I can give it if you agree to help me.''


    ''I have ways to get what I need at the moment even if I don''t help you.''


    ''You drive a hard bargain.''


    ''You think what I said is bargaining?''


    ''Why else would you say that? Besides, you do know that I already know who you are. I can easily tell the guild not to give you what you need.''


    ''I did say I have ''ways,'' Kyran responded with a slight smile.


    ''Ahahaha, yes, you did. I admit to not having a way to counter the other one,'' the old man admitted with a slight nod. ''How about I change my offer?''


    A yful smile appeared on the old man''s face as he continued, ''Rather than offering what you need right now, how about I help you with what you came here for?''


    A slight flicker shed in Kyran''s eyes for an instant, but the old man noticed it andughed out loud.


    Because of his outburst, the beast-like around them could not help but look at him in wonder.


    Ignoring their stares, the old man smiled at Kyran and said, ''I will grant you what you need and point you in the right direction. Will you help now?''

 Chapter 746 Seven Years

    ''Just point me in the right direction?'' Kyran asked with raised brows.


    ''You don''t strike me as a businessman type. Why are you trying to haggle for morepensation?''


    ''I don''t even know what you want me to do,'' Kyran replied with a shrug. He then turned his attention to the crowd and continued, ''But based on what is happening here now, it requires putting my life on the line.''


    ''Ahahaha! Hardly,'' the old manughed out loud again.


    Although the beast-like around them found the old man''s outburst strange this time, they chose to ignore him.


    ''I saw what you''ve been through each time you survived without a scratch.''


    Kyran did not react to the old man''s words, but he noted how he used ''saw'' rather than ''know.''


    ''In any case, though I will only point you in the right direction, I assure you that you will find what you seek.''


    ''You know what,'' Kyran suddenly thought of something. ''With your position, you can tell me directly where I can find what I am here for. How about you tell me that? Then I will resolve this situation?''


    ''Tempting,'' the old man replied with a nod. ''But there are things that cannot be touched. In this case, I cannot tell you where to find what you are searching for. If I did, I would be challenging the Fates.''


    Hearing the old man speak of the Fates, Kyran was once more reminded of those times he heard others speak of them. He was intrigued about their existence. At the same time, annoyed at how they seemed to weave threads ording to their eptable scenario.


    ''Let us say I do not mind challenging thosedies,'' the old man suddenly said. ''And told you where to search, what will you do then? Are you going to barge in, take what you are here for, and leave?''


    He then looked at Kyran solemnly, ''I may have seen things about you, but not everything. But I do know that our nes have a time difference. That which you seek may have only been lost for a year, but what about here?


    ''Young man, do you know how long that which you seek has stayed in the Somuli ne? And have you any idea of the things that transpired then?''


    Kyran did not answer, but he frowned after realizing the Abbot knew he was in search of a person, and that person was not a native of their ne.


    The old man was practically confirming that Cyneah was in Somuli.


    But there was something about the way the old man spoke of ''the things that transpired'' while she was here that did not sit well with Kyran. It made him remember how scared and helpless Cyneah sounded when she called him almost a year ago.


    ''They do not consider a person who fell ill as someone with an Anathema. Still, to ensure an illness would not threaten their plete'' state, they normally purge that person.''


    Wing''s words shed through Kyran''s head, and he btedly thought, what if they initially believed Cyneah''s no-sight state was not an Anathema but an illness? What if, at that time, they nned to purge her?


    Just the thought made Kyran''s blood run cold.


    Obviously, Cyneah survived. If not, the old man would not use her¡ª assuming he was talking about her whenever he said ''that-which-you-are-here-for''¡ª as a bargaining chip to coax Kyran into helping.


    But the question was, how did Cyneah survive? What about the things she had to go through afterward? The things she had to endure? Was there anyone who helped her? Was she the Saint?


    It should be noted that the old man never mentioned the Saint throughout their conversation. To be precise, he never hinted she was.


    ''If you agree to help, you will receive an identification to move around. You can n how to approach that which you seek without raising suspicions.''


    The old man''s reasoning was sound. As he said, Kyran did not know how long since Cyneah had stayed in Somuli. She had adjusted to this ne and might have formed a bond with some people, especially those who helped during her times of need. That was something Kyran had to consider.


    Another thing that Kyran had been wondering about was why Cyneah never called again after that first time.


    He wanted to believe she had lost the token and could no longer call.


    But what if she did not? What if she threw it away?


    The truth, Kyran could use the token to locate her. But he needed to be close to it at a certain distance.


    ''''n how to approach,'' huh,'' Kyran could not help but repeat what the old man had said.


    It was as if he was telling him approaching Cyneah was no easy feat.


    Not that Kyran thought otherwise. He knew it would not be easy. But somehow, the old man was implying that Cyneah was the one who would not want to see him¡ª or something along that line.


    The old man nodded, ''Yes. It has been seven years. Do you think that what you are here for will be that epting after all these years?''


    Kyran choked inwardly.


    ''Seven years?'' He could not help but blurt at the old man telepathically.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Did that convince you?''


    Kyran let out an exasperated sigh.


    The old man was right. Seven years was indeed too long. A lot of things happened that could change Cyneah.


    Could she have truly thrown the token he gave her? The possibility had increased.


    ''I''ll hear you out first,'' Kyran replied after a long pause. ''I''ll decide whether to help after that.''


    The old man chortled good-naturedly, ''Such a tough nut to crack. But it is a good start. Shall we change location?''


    ''I don''t mind talking here.''


    ''Aren''t you exhausted ''talking'' like this?''


    ''No.''


    Kyran had been talking with his Sigils the same way. He was used to it.


    ''Alright,'' the old man nodded and leaned back on the wall. ''Let me first ask you, what do you understand of the current situation?''


    ''Someone is after you.''


    ''A straightforward answer from a straightforward young man. Yes, indeed. Those people n to infiltrate town because of me. But do you know their reason? Apart from my identity, of course.''


    Kyran shrugged, ''I''ve only been here for a few hours. I don''t have such an in-depth knowledge of the ne''s situation.''


    ''A sound reason.''


    ''Let''s not waste time, old man. Just tell me, alright?''


    The old man chuckled and shook his head, ''You''re absolutely right. Let us not waste time. I will briefly exin, but let me warn you that some terms might draw a nk because only a local would understand them.''


    ''I am listening.''


    ''Then, let me start by telling you that a discord is happening secretly between the Eidums and the Nobles.''


    ''I already know that much.''


    ''Oh? And you still do not know why the perpetrators are after me?''


    ''It could not be as simple as because you are the Eidum''s leader, right?''


    ''What is wrong if that is the reason?''


    ''If it is, their reason is too obvious. Not to mention, the only ones that could be behind them are the Nobles.''


    ''That is right,'' the old man nodded. ''They are truly after me. Because they believed my existence was the only reason the Eidums had not sumbed to the Sovereign''s rule.


    ''But that is not the case because half of the Eidums already agree with the Nobles. It would only be a matter of time before 80 to 90 percent would join them.''


    Kyran could not help but frown. Every ne had political struggles, but he did not expect to be thrown right in the middle upon his arrival.


    He thought this because he met the Eidum''s Abbot on his first day, and now he wanted to employ his services to ''resolve'' the problem. Now that he thought of it, the old man did not expect him to resolve that problem, was he? That was considered a ne-level issue; if he acted, he would challenge the ne''s Sovereign himself!


    ''You do not have to worry about that,'' the old man assured him as if reading his thoughts. ''I will only ask you to resolve the situation on the border of the Eidum''s territory.''


    The old man''s expression turned serious, and he continued, ''You see, my subjects have been forced to go there to keep the border from falling. And if any of my subjects fall...''


    ''You will have fewer people you can trust.''


    ''Yes, and more. They are not only my subjects but my family. You could say that they are being held captive by being in that ce.''


    ''Who forced them to go there?''


    ''The ''Sovereign,'' of course,'' the old man answered with a wry smile. ''You might think my position enables me to have absolute authority over the Eidummunity, but that is not true. I am merely looking after them and trying my best to keep the Nobles from killing them indiscriminately.''

 Chapter 747 The Somulis Sovereign

    Kyran frowned at what the old man had said.


    It was not about how thetter did not have the authority Kyran had thought he had based on what he heard at the first town he went to, but the fact that a Sovereign was actually ''meddling'' in his own ne''s affair.


    After ascending, the Sovereign should no longer have the power to influence the political strife in their ne. They should be focused more on protecting their ne from outsiders.


    So why is the Somuli''s Sovereign meddling with the affairs of the Eidums and the Nobles?


    Originally, Kyran thought resolving the situation in Somuli was equivalent to challenging its Sovereign because he believed thetter had beast-like blood. If the Somuli Sovereign realized an outsider was in his ne and was fighting against his kindred, he could intervene in the pretense of kicking out the outsider. That would not


    Kyran did not expect that the Somuli''s Sovereign was making decisions for the people of his ne.


    He remembered Loar''s situation where after ascending, though he could no longer meddle in the war happening in his ne at that time, their enemies had conceded in fear of his retaliation. That happened because few in Automa knew a Sovereign could not meddle in his ne''s internal affairs.


    But Loar never made a move, unlike the Somuli''s Sovereign, who forced the old man''s people to defend their borders.


    ''Wait.''


    Kyran frowned as he recalled what the old man had just said.


    ''''Sucummbed to the ''Sovereign''s rule,'''' he repeated.


    Knowing what Kyran was thinking, the old man sighed and said, ''You seem to have noticed something. Yes, the Sovereign is actively ruling the Somuli ne. But... someone told me that Sovereigns are not allowed to meddle with the affairs of his ne.


    ''I did not understand it at first. However, I did some research and finally found an inconsistency in how the Sovereign does things. Unfortunately, my findings are only based on written ounts from previous generations¡ª some of which are from ''questionable'' origin.


    ''Anyhow, I am sure you now understand why the Nobles wanted my head.''


    ''You know too much.''


    ''Yes.''


    Kyran fell silent as he finally took the situation in Somuli seriously. If what he and the old man had guessed was true, they could easily resolve the situation by making it public.


    Kyran could also let Axil know about it, and they could deal with it themselves.


    But of course, this was not how they should resolve the situation.


    This information might leak because of the possibility of having a spy among the Guardians. Once more people knew about it and got involved, unexpected situations would also arise. And with these unexpected situations, innocent lives would suffer and might even be lost depending on how far the situation esctes.


    ''Saving your people at the border will not resolve the situation,'' Kyran finally said after a moment of silence.


    ''True,'' the old man replied with a bitter smile. ''However, at this moment, I can only do so much.''


    ''I know how to direct the Nobles'' attention away from your people.''


    ''Oh?'' The old man looked at Kyran curiously. ''Do tell, if you know of a way, I am all ears.''


    ''If we do that, however, you must promise to listen to what I say.''


    ''What do you mean?''


    Kyran smiled, ''You have to agree first. If not, then forget it.''


    ''How can I agree if I do not know what you have in mind?'' The old man asked with a slight frown. He was used to seeing other people''s thoughts, but at that moment, he drew a nk from Kyran''s thoughts.


    ''It''s no use trying to ''see'' through my thoughts,'' Kyran told the old man. ''Now that I know you can do such a thing, I can easily counter it.''


    The old man chortled, ''You truly are something, young man. It makes me want to see more of who you truly are.''


    ''You can try, but I don''t think that''s a good idea. You should have learned your lesson by now about knowing too much.''


    ''Ahahaha! Quite true,'' the old manughed and nodded in agreement. ''Very well. If you can help, then I will dly agree. My initial offers will still stand, and if you seed in saving us, I will dly rescind my initial announcement.''


    Kyran frown, ''What announcement?''


    The old man only smiled and refused to say more.


    Knowing he could not make the old man talk, he decided to get to the point and tell him his idea.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As the old man listened, his expression turned solemn. He seemed to have realized something from what Kyran had said and nodded after a short pause.


    ''Yes. That may be the only way.''


    ''Don''t worry. I''ll make it so you will know what is happening.''


    ''But does such a thing truly exist?''


    Kyran only smiled at the old man''s question.


    ''Alright, alright. I won''t ask anymore. When can we start?''


    ''I can start now,'' Kyran shrugged.


    ''You mean to tell, I have to...?''


    ''No, I''ll resolve the situation in town first. After that, I''lle and find you.''


    The old man raised his brows, ''There is no need to find me. We can just set up a ce to meet.''


    Kyran shook his head, ''We can''t afford others to see us. Don''t worry; I know how to find you.''


    ''Alright. Then please, do.''


    ''Give me half an hour.''


    ''It is fine,'' the old man told him. ''I know it will take some time, so you can... wait, what? Half an hour?'' The old man could not help but look at Kyran incredulously.


    Kyran only looked at him with raised brows. Without saying anything, he turned to leave.


    The old man looked at Kyran''s retreating back with mixed emotions. To be honest, when he first approached him, he only did so because he knew he was not a native. He nned to warn him and even bargain with him to assist if he deemed he was strong enough.


    But after seeing some of Kyran''s thoughts, a familiar face appeared. He then recalled a conversation he had with that person.


    Finally, he decided to seriously ask Kyran''s assistance, knowing he had the strength to do so.


    Nevertheless, it appeared he had still underestimated what Kyran could do until after hearing his n. It made the old man realize that his thoughts were still timidpared to his.


    ''Half an hour,'' the old man mused with a chuckle. ''Let''s see if he can truly resolve the situation in town in half an hour.''


    Kyran heard from the security group that the perpetrators were finally found in the southwest part of town.


    They had managed to dig a huge hole below the wall and sneak into town.


    Kyran was not surprised when he heard that. ording to what he heard from the crowd earlier, the Adventurer Guild was located southwest of town. Since he already heard from the old man that the perpetrators were after him, it was obvious where they wanted to go.


    Going back to the current situation, after the security group found the perpetrators, they had decided to retreat out of town.


    Kyran deemed their action as sound because if they insisted on staying inside of town, they would only get cornered at how fast the security group was moving.


    They might have attacked and injured some of the security groups'' people while they were still outside of town, but they were still outnumbered. Once they were cornered, there were only one two possible oues: fight to the death or take their own life.


    But Kyran was surprised that the perpetrators were not in cahoots with the security group of town. He initially thought they staged all this to ensure the old man followed the emergency protocol and remained in the shelter.


    Once the old man was in the shelter, it would be easier to get close to him, even with all the crowd. After all, the crowd was all beast-like. Even if something happened, who could say they would not side with their kindred rather than aplete being?


    The old man might have twisted how others could see him, but could he keep that up when he was attacked on all sides?


    Still, contrary to what the old man believed, this town''s officials had not taken the side of the Somuli''s Sovereign yet because they were seriously after the perpetrators.


    ''Southwest of town,'' Kyran thought and took a deep breath. He knew the old man was still looking at him, and that was alright. It was all good as long as none of the beast-like around them saw him.


    As he thought this, he teleported out of the shelter.


    ''Where did he¡ª?'' The old man''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets after seeing Kyran disappear right before his eyes. That ''familiar face'' once told him how Kyran appeared and disappeared, but he had always believed it was a metaphorical remark.


    He did not expect it to mean ''appear and disappear'' literally!

 Chapter 748 No Need To Lift A Finger

    Kyran appeared behind a store southwest of town. Using his magic sense, he checked the surrounding area and discovered several security group members gathering close to where he was.


    It did not take long for him to find out why they were there. Two buildings to his left, he sensed three beast-like observing the security group on the building''s second floor.


    Kyran guessed they were part of the perpetrators who failed to escape when the security group discovered their entry point.


    ''Taking care of these three will not be a problem, but doing that will not resolve the problem here,'' Kyran thought. He had to find the rest of the perpetrators and deal with them. Not to mention, he was curious about who was behind these perpetrators.


    The old man already said that the Nobles were behind these people because he knew their Sovereign''s secret, but something did not seem to connect with Kyran.


    Why were they not working with the security group? Or, in general, the town''s officials?


    It was already established that the beast-likemunity favored the Nobles, so why were they attacking the perpetrators they sent after the old man?


    They were not even pretending to be after them because Kyran could smell blood nearby¡ªan obvious result of a sh between them.


    ''Kill two, capture thest one,'' Kyran decided.


    Then he stopped and smiled wryly, ''Can I even call it capturing if I do that?''


    He wondered after thinking of something.


    Putting aside his random thought, he focused on one of his magic cores while his eyes turned reddish-purple, ''Come out.''


    Kyran''s shadow suddenly wriggled as if it had suddenly turned liquid. Then a kneeling dark purple silhouette in a simrly colored hooded robe materialized.


    ''You called, Master.''


    Kyran looked at the kneeling silhouette, and an uncertain look shed through his eyes. But coldness soon reced it as he said, ''Take care of those three up there.''


    He gestured toward the second building to their left.


    ''Do whatever you want with the two, but keep one alive.''


    ''For interrogation, Master?''


    ''Yes.''


    ''If you allow it, I can eat them and acquire their knowledge. It will save you from lifting a finger to deal with these plebeians.''


    Kyran''s brow slightly twitched.


    This silhouette was none other than Gael.


    After absorbing him thest time, he had be one of his ''loyal'' servants. However, Gael retained most of his characterpared to Bas and Iss.


    One of the things Kyran had learned during the year was the difference between his Sigils and those he absorbed using the Void. Initially, he had believed everything he absorbed, like Bas and Iss automatically became his Sigils, but that was not the case.


    Instead, they became servants¡ª for theck of a term to call them, Kyran call them that for now.


    One of the differences between a Sigil and a servant was thetter would carry out Kyran''s order without a care for their life. Another was they were far more ruthless when executing his orders.


    He did not notice it with Bas and Iss because he only saw them in action for a short while, but apparently, the way they killed the enemies before was far more sinisterpared to Manti and Mera.


    Another difference was loyalty.


    Although Sigils and servants were loyal to Kyran, he earned the loyalty of most of his Sigils¡ª except probably with Tritus since he had tweaked his character a bit. Void servants, however, were 100% loyal to him right from the start.


    Kyran knew this because he could feel it¡ª as if their consciousness was connected to him.


    So, Gael betraying him was something he did not have to worry about.


    Lastly, Sigils retained their free will¡ª again, maybe except for Tritus, whose character was forced to change¡ªwhile servants did not have them. What they did have was their previous life''s battle experience, knowledge, and their character.


    Thetter was why Kyran felt a little uneasy when talking to Gael. Apart from bing his loyal servant, who would die for him without blinking an eye, he was pretty much the same ambitious and cruel Grand Marshal he met.


    ''Eat them, huh? Won''t it have any problem? They use a different magicw here and probably did not possess magic cores simr to humans.''


    ''It is fine, Master. With your magic''s nature, anything can be cleansed.''


    ''I don''t think that is the right way to say that.''


    ''Will you allow me to do so? Once I eat them, they will also be your subjects, Master.''


    As Gael said, everything he ''eats'' would also be Kyran''s loyal subjects. Of course, anything he had eaten before did not count. Most of those had be nutrients for Gael''s growth. And by the time Kyran absorbed him, they were long ''gone.''


    In any case, Gael no longer required those he ate as nutrients to supply his growth since he was now reliant on Kyran''s growth. The more Kyran''s master over Void magic improved, the stronger his Void servants became.


    Thus, every living thing Gael ate would be Kyran''s loyal subjects.


    ''Alright,'' Kyran agreed after a short pause. ''Once you attain their memories, tell me who is the person behind them.''


    ''Yes, Master.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gael immediately set out to work. He sank into Kyran''s shadow and disappeared from sight.


    But Kyran sensed his movement. He moved from one shadow to shadow until finally arriving at a shadow of a cab inside the room where the three perpetrators were hiding.


    Without wasting time, Gael emerged from the shadow. At the same time, the shadow beneath his form expanded, filling the room''s floor in an instant.


    The three perpetrators, initially oblivious on Gael''s arrival finally reacted after they sensed something touching their shadows.


    "What in hell is this?"


    "Someone''s here!"


    "Look out, both of you!"


    The three perpetrators eximed at the same time.


    "G-Gaaa¡ª!!"


    "H-Help¡ª!"


    "Mmmggh¡ª!"


    Before they could fully understand what was happening, the shadow had already crept up their legs and into their bodies. Upon closer look, the shadow had be several small hands that crept at them. In a blink of an eye, it covered their mouths.


    At first, these hands appeared to be etched into their skins. But after they covered their mouths, a few stuck out from their heads and began to push them into the shadow.


    The three perpetrators'' eyes bulged in fear as they sank into their shadows. At least, they believed it was still theirs. The truth was that their shadows had already be Gael''s.


    Standing behind the three, Gael remained silent as he watched them sink further into his shadows. His eyes glowed reddish-purple as a contented smile appeared on his cold expression.


    Kyran watched everything using his magic sense. Once the three perpetratorspletely sank into Gael''s shadow, he felt three additional presences in his magic core.


    Just like that, he had gained three more subjects.


    This made Kyran sigh in nostalgia. When he was still swamped in finding a way to save his n, he struggled to gather people who could help him. But now, with the nature of Gael''s Shadow magic, gathering more people was no longer a concern.


    ''Master, your guess is correct,'' Gael''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    ''The Nobles are not behind them.''


    It was not a question but a statement. Kyran had an inkling that the Nobles might not send the perpetrators here if they were not working with the town''s officials.


    ''Whose behind them?''


    ''Sovereigns.''


    Kyran frowned. Gael did not say ''Sovereign'' but ''Sovereigns,'' which meant he was talking about those outside eyeing this ne''s Sovereign.


    ''Did you find out why?''


    ''Only that, they wanted to kidnap the Abbot. They might have already felt something was amiss with the Somuli''s Sovereign and wanted to confirm it with the Abbot.''


    ''Yes,'' Kyran frowned. ''That does not sound good.''


    ''Indeed it is not. If they discovered the truth, the mistress would also be in danger.''


    Kyran''s brow twitched.


    That was right. He forgot one simrity the Void servants had with his Sigils. They all considered Cyneah ''The Mistress.''


    Putting aside the random thought. Kyran knew why Gael said that.


    Once the Sovereigns outside discovered the truth about the Somuli''s Sovereign, all of them would descend, and the ne would be a huge battlefield.


    When that happened, there would be no safe ce in Somuli, with its inhabitants falling one after another because of the war.


    After all, the level of the Sovereigns that would descend into the Somuli would not be restrained¡ª because the Somuli''s Sovereign was likely fake.


    ''Do you have a n to stop it from happening, Master?''


    ''If I don''t, will you provide one?''


    Gael chuckled, ''I dared not. But if you will allow it. Can I propose something?''


    ''Tell me.''


    ''Make the Abbot disappear. Only then could we buy time and retrieve the mistress.''


    Kyran sighed after hearing Gael''s n. Not because he did not think it was good, but that it was precisely the n he told the old man.


    Knowing that he and Gael thought of the same thing made him feel awkward.

 Chapter 749 Howling Pass

    ''The old man and I already discussed what to do,'' Kyran told Gael. ''Take care of the rest of the perpetrators. I want to leave as soon as possible.''


    ''Yes, Master.''


    Gael left as soon as Kyran gave the order.


    Initially, Kyran nned to go with Gael but decided to stay in position after hearing amotion from the security group. Apparently, they had already noticed the disappearance of the three perpetrators and were trying to figure out what had happened.


    ''Looks like they did not notice Gael''s use of magic,'' Kyran mused thoughtfully.


    It was one thing for others to detect Kyran''s use of magic because of the Shaiha, but it was still a little tricky when it came to his Sigils or Servants. Another thing Kyran took the time to learn this past year was how to control the Shaiha''s concealment ability.


    Kyran discovered that as long as he let his Void magic energy circte into another, he could use the Shaiha''s concealment ability to hide their presence whenever they used their magic.


    But letting another circte the Void was not easy.


    What happened to Cyneah when his magic energy entered her body was proof of how dangerous it would be for others to circte the Void. At the moment, the only ones who could withstand the Void were his servants. It was understandable because they had been absorbed by the Void, thus, they had been ''cleansed'' as Gael termed it.


    Kyran studied controlling the Shaiha to the point he no longer had to trigger it to conceal his servants. Nevertheless, he had not tried it where many people were present and did not know if it would be effective.


    Today was the first time, and it looked like it worked just fine.


    A few security group members used their magic to check the surroundings. Kyran even felt a simr ability, like a magic sense probe around him. However, it only passed him and failed to ''touch'' him.


    This was not the result of his magic''s Void nature or because he was an outsider and used a different magicw, making it hard for anything pertaining to this ne''s magicw to detect him. This was the result of the Shaiha hiding his presence at all times.


    ''A detection ability that only a few of them could use. This is pretty different in the Human ne,'' Kyran thought.


    In the Human ne, any mage could learn magic sense. As a matter of fact, it was imperative that they learned it, or they would not be able to manipte their magic well. In the end, the only difference each human mage had with their magic sense was their level of mastery.


    ''In any case, Gael did not leave any trace when he took those three, but I have to make these people think another party is helping them. If not, even if the old man disappeared, they might only think he went into hiding.''


    With that in mind, Kyran teleported into the building opposite where the three perpetrators hid and summoned three regr puppets. He changed their appearance, making them don the same features as the beast-like.


    ''Now the only problem is imitating the feel of this ne''s magic.''


    It should be noted that the inhabitants of the Somuli ne were not drawing the magic energy in the surroundings when using their magic. Kyran had not fully understood it yet and decided to ask the old manter. Besides, he was curious about how thetter knew he was an outsider.


    Since Kyran''s puppets could not imitate this ne''s use of magic, he only input twomands to them: escape and self-destruct.


    Obviously, if they were caught, he could not let the beast-like know they were puppets. If that happened, the fake Somuli Sovereign might think it was Loar''s doing, and it would not bode well if he retaliated. Thus, the self-destructmand.


    Of course, Kyran still hoped they could escape without any problem because it pained him to lose two fine puppets.


    Once the puppets escaped, they would be able to automatically find their way back to Kyran.


    By the time Kyran finished what he was doing, the security group members using detection magic, finally arrived outside the building where the three perpetrators had been hiding earlier.


    Although the security group did not detect anything at first, they still wanted to check if they missed anything. They were not careless enough to think the perpetrators did not have a way to hide themselves when they used detection skills. This was precisely why many of the scouts they sent out to find them earlier had died because the perpetrators possessed good hiding abilities.


    But, of course, Kyran did not know that. He only wanted the security group to believe his puppets were the perpetrators.


    ''Go,'' he finally gave out amand, and the three puppets activated at once.


    With swift movements, all three jumped out of the window at the back of the building.


    "Deceted movements at the other building!"


    One of the security group members shouted while turning toward the opposite building.


    "Chase!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t let them get away!"


    One after another, the leaders of the security group gave out amand.


    At once, their members regrouped, went inside the building, and chased after Kyran''s puppets.


    Kyran watched most of the security group members leave. Nevertheless, he noticed a few remained and looked at the building he was in with dubious expressions.


    With a slight smile, Kyran thought, ''Seems like there are pretty high-ranking mages among them that had good insight.''


    Though he thought this, he was not about to let these people find out if their insight was correct. In a blink of an eye, Kyran disappeared.


    Kyran appeared where he sensed Gael was.


    The scene he came out to was something he remembered when he first fought him in Trill.


    The floor was covered with shadows, and several bodies sank into them. These bodies were the rest of the perpetrators who managed to escape.


    At least, they thought they had escaped at a safe distance. They were not expecting that a mage who could travel using shadows would be chasing after them.


    ''You ate them all?'' Kyran could not help but frown.


    The bodies were unmoving, but Kyran knew they were still alive. It was possible that Gael knocked them out before taking them into his shadows.


    Gael''s move was correct because if he had taken them in when they were conscious, there would be a hugemotion. Their numbers were far too manypared to the three earlier, so it would have caused a scene, and the security group wandering outside trying to find their traces would hear it.


    To avoid that, Gael knocked them out first. Besides, it was easier to take all of them in one go if none were struggling to leave the shadows.


    ''Yes, Master. Was it not to your liking? Give the word, I will spit them out.''


    Gael''s choice of words made Kyran imagine a very gory scene.


    ''No. It''s fine, tell me when you do it again. When you take them in, they enter my magic core, and the feeling is not exactly a breeze.''


    He remembered how he struggled when he first absorbed Bas and Iss. And then there was also Gael, who almost broke his magic core trying to break free.


    Although Gael could only ''eat'' living beings with a certain mage level, if it happened that one of them had a pretty strong will, Kyran would be affected as well.


    ''Apologies, Master!'' Gael immediately dropped to the ground as if to kowtow. ''Please, meet a sound punishment for myck of consideration.''


    Kyran shook his head, ''It''s fine.''


    Soon after, he sensed more presence entering his magic core. After searching for the presence, he could not help but frown slightly.


    ''They are not all beast-likes.''


    ''Yes, Master.'' Gael nodded as he straightened. He looked at the still-sinking bodies and said, ''Some of them areplete beings. If I am correct, these people can be considered mercenaries rather than having an affiliation.''


    ''So a Sovereign faction managed to get the services of these people? Where did they find them?''


    ''From the memories I''ve taken thus far, they all belonged in a ce called Howling Pass. That ce is where all outcasts lived.''


    ''Howling Pass?'' Kyran repeated, his frown deepened after recalling something he heard from the first town.


    The Howling Pass was where beast-like outcasts andplete beings with Anathema lived. Apart from that, that ce was also known for beingwless. Even thew that protected a beast-like fromplete beings could not be used in that ce. Apparently, something strange on thend itself did not allow the use of magic. For this reason, thew could not be implemented.


    ''But something is strange about theseplete beings,'' Gael said with a slight frown. ''Their bodies are simr to humans. I am not talking about how they looked like humans, but their bodyposition. They also possessed magic cores.


    ''I think that ce is worth investigating, Master.''

 Chapter 750 Great Divide

    Kyran knew Gael did not suggest investigating Howling Pass, believing Cyneah might be there. Since it was more or less established that she was at the ce where the old man asked him to go¡ª unless thetter wanted him to go to ''Howling Pass''¡ª there was no need to look for her there.


    Thus, Kyran knew Gael suggested that ce while thinking of the missing people in the Human ne.


    ''Do you recognize any of them?'' Kyran asked, suddenly realizing a problem.


    If those plete beings'' were really from the Human ne and ended up here after identally entering a rift, could Gael have ''eaten'' some of the Conve''s people?


    Kyran felt an iing headache at this possibility.


    Gael shook his head, ''No one. If you want to ask if there were anyone from the Conve or Mannick''s people, I don''t think so. These people are pretty oldpared to them.''


    ''You have to consider the time difference,'' Kyran reminded. ''Apparently, seven years had passed herepared to a year in the Human ne.''


    Gael fell into contemtion for a moment before shaking his head, ''Some of them still seem older.''


    ''''Some,'''' Kyran repeated thoughtfully. ''Could rifts have appeared in the Human ne without us knowing?''


    This was possible because, Azaloth, the Human ne''s Sovereign then, had been in deep slumber. It was not strange for the ne to experience instability during that time.


    ''It is a possibility,'' Gael also agreed. ''The age group of the supposedplete beings just now differ, too.''


    He fell silent, falling into contemtion. After a few seconds, he continued, ''Rifts that led to this ne could have appeared in intervals in the Human ne. Unless these people that identally entered a rift were a group of varying ages.''


    Kyran did not respond. He was also considering other things regarding the identities of those plete beings.''


    Rifts appeared in every part of the Human ne. This was not an event that urred solely in Ylfaen Empire. They also appeared at random. It would not be strange if one had appeared in rural areas with few people. The varying age group might have been because a traveling group might have been pulled into one without realizing it.


    Kyran could think of other scenarios that could have caused these people to end up in Somuli. And if some of these people came at different timelines, something was causing those rifts to appear.


    That was a little concerning.


    It reminded Kyran of the past rift that connected the Human ne to Lignum. Because it was not treated early, many outsiders entered, which led to a longsting war. His father''s essence exhorted him to search for the rift and, if it was still open, close it.


    Kyran had no chance to search for that rift, but he did ask Max and Reuben to check for it while Max captured new beasts in the Valley of Morte. Kyran did think the mutation of the beasts in the Valley of Morte was due to the rift connected to Lignum. It might have been sealed before, but it might have loosened a bit after so long.


    In any case, Max and Reuben did not find that rift. But they continue to search for rifts even to this day and destroy them with the help of Bas and Iss. Thetter two could manifest the Void, so they had the ability to destroy rifts.


    ''Investigate that ce,'' Kyran finally decided after giving it some thought.


    With the Human ne having a new Sovereign, the appearance of rifts might have stopped. But those old rifts could still be out there. And if there were rifts that connected the Somuli ne to the Human ne, sooner orter, inhabitants of the former might start entering thetter.


    Kyran took out amunication device and gave it to Gael.


    ''Use that when sending an update.''


    Gael took the device and knelt on one knee. He lowered his head respectfully and said, ''As you will, Master.''


    After Gael left, Kyran returned to the building he appeared to after teleporting from the emergency shelter.


    There, three beast-like puppets were on their knees, awaiting Kyran.


    "You guys did a good job escaping," Kyran could not help but remark with raised brows.


    He had yet toplete their programming since the puppets were pretty new in his collections. Thus, they could not answer freely like Aki, Len, and Neo.


    Not that Kyran was expecting any response from them. He waved his hand, and they returned to the Void World.


    Once done, he teleported back to where the old man was currently at.


    After losing the three perpetrators, the emergency protocol was not lifted. Instead, the security group started to separate people in position among the crowd and lead them to private rooms to rest.


    Though it sounded pretty grand, these private rooms were small. Only about 2-3 square meters. Which was why most did not ept and remained in the huge hall.


    As for the old man, he initially did not want to because he was afraid he would miss Kyran''s return. However, after recalling how thetter told him he would find him, he finally agreed and got one of therger rooms.


    In the room, there was only a small mattress and not enough space to move around.


    "Great Abbot," a beast-like wearing a fine silk robe and a hat lowered his head to whisper close to the old man.


    "We do apologize for this inconvenience. But please wait in this room for a while. Once the emergency protocol is lifted, we will escort you back to the guild."


    The old man''s demeanor appeared to change as he turned the beast-like.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I don''t see the people from the Adventurer Guild here."


    The beast-like straightened and smiled slightly, "Their services are required outside."


    "All of them?"


    "We do not know how many intruders there are. We have to be careful."


    "Is that right? I had thought this town''s security group has one of the most decent numbers in thend."


    The beast-like only smiled without saying a word.


    The old man kept looking at him for a few seconds before finally looking away. He turned toward the room and said, "I am a little hungry. Bring me something to eat."


    "Yes, of course," the beast-like gestured at a young man behind, who left as soon as he was told to prepare food for the Abbot.


    "Well then," the beast-like lowered his head again, "We will deliver your food in a while. In the meantime, please rest inside¡ª."


    BOOM!


    Before the beast-like could finish his words, the above ceiling caved in after the loud explosion.


    "Secure the area!"


    "The Abbot! Check the Abbot at once!"


    Amidst the cloud of smoke and rubbles, shouts from the beast-like spoke one after another, with coughing every now and then.


    As for the old man, he stood transfixed in ce as he looked at the barrier that protected him from the explosion.


    ''I may have overdone that, sorry.''


    Hearing the familiar voice of Kyran in his head, the old man turned.


    ¡¤?¦Èm As he expected, Kyran stood there with a slight smile.


    ''I had to do something like this to convince them someone has taken you.''


    ''You¡ª this explosion¡ª how?'' The old man looked at him incredulously.


    It should be noted that if an explosion urred there, the whole ground would cave in, and all of them would be buried alive. However, not only was the ceiling that caved in controlled, the rubble fell right between the space that separated the old man from the rest of the beast-like.


    The old man already guessed this was the handiwork of Kyran. But how thetter controlled and timed the explosion eluded him.


    ''There is time for questionster. Let''s go.''


    Not waiting for the old man to respond, Kyran waved his hand and took him into his Void World.


    The old man''s eyes widened. They almost fell out of their sockets from shock.


    One second, he was just in a cramped space, surrounded by rubbles. The next moment, he was suddenly in a vast field with a bright sky above.


    ''Is this the ce he told me earlier?'' The old man surveyed his surroundings in pure fascination.


    From a distance, he saw a tower with rune writings circling it.


    ''Was that the ce he mentioned?''


    ''Yes.''


    The old man was too shocked, his heart almost leaped out of his mouth, ''Spare this old man the surprises. My old heart cannot take it.''


    He turned, thinking of giving Kyran a reprimanding stare. But to his surprise, no one was there.


    ''There will be ''people'' who wille and escort you to that tower. Just follow them, and rest.''


    ''How are you talking to me without being here?'' The old man asked dazedly.


    ''I''ll exinter. Tell me where to go.''


    ''R-Right,'' the old man shook his head, trying to refocus his attention. ''Then, exit town from the west and continue going that way. After a week''s travel, we should be able to reach the borders of the Great Divide."

 Chapter 751 Imon-Spawn

    Whooosh! Whooosh! Whooosh!


    de-like winds came at Kyran in several directions. The distance between them was toopact that even with his stature and flexibility, it would be impossible to dodge sessfully.


    An attack like that could only be made by someone who had years of practice because it only took that person a few tries to adjust the aim and distance of the attack.


    ''Young man, what are you doing? Do that disappearing act and escape!''


    Kyran chuckled inwardly after hearing the old man''s warning.


    He would not have been able to dodge the de-like attack if he had been a normalbat mage. Unfortunately for his assant, he was the Void Master.


    Teleporting to dodge the attack was simple. But Kyran did not want to do that because there were far too many enemies around, and there was no telling if one of them managed to escape and alert their leaders that they found a suspicious mage that could teleport.


    Because of this, instead of teleporting, he decided to use the nature of his magic to counter.


    Using the Void Barrier was too shy. Its color was an obvious giveaway of its origin as well.


    Thus, Kyran only used an invisible force to nullify the de-like winds.


    "What?"


    Upon seeing his attack vanish, the assant froze in his spot.


    Kyran detected this movement, and his eyes shed silver as he used the Dragon Steps to close in on him.


    ''W-What? You did not teleport just now, did you not? I saw a blur before the scene changed just now. That is not the case when you teleported!''


    The old manmented in Kyran''s head.


    Ignoring the old man''s livementary, Kyran appeared in front of his assant.


    "Idiot! Don''t space out and move!"


    One of the assant''s team members shouted while simultaneously attacking Kyran from the side. His whole arm burst into mes before he punched out.


    A whirling ze shot out from the enemy''s ming hands and went straight at Kyran.


    The assant snapped out of his initial shock and took this chance to jump back as the mes engulfed his target.


    But before he could do so, a hand shot forward from the mes and grabbed his neck.


    "Gack!" The assant was shocked.


    From amidst the zing mes, he saw the eyes of his target, a puny beast-like, glow silver as he stared at him. Besides that, he was surprised at how much power thetter possessed given his small stature.


    It should be noted that Kyran''s assant was at least three times bigger, making him appear ''puny.'' But a difference in size meant nothing because of his improved body. He also circted the Draconic magic, which enhanced his physical abilities by a hundredfold.


    "How was he okay in that mes?" The enemy with the ming hands eximed in fright. Suddenly, he thought of something and shouted, "H-He is an Imon-spawn!"


    Kyran ignored the other enemies and dealt with his assant first. Adding a little force to his fingers, they sank into the beast-like''s neck.


    "Guah!" The struggling assant let out a choked scream as blood gushed out of his neck.


    With a swift movement of his free hand, Kyran shed below the beast-like''s eyes. His assant did not know what happened as the top of his head flew up, blood gushing out like a fountain.


    After that, Kyran released his hold even before the blood of the beast-like could fall on his clothes. Then, before the beast-like''s body fellpletely to the ground, Kyran was already gone.


    "An Imon-spawn! Run!"


    Another enemy shouted after seeing Kyran''s glowing silver eyes and fast movements.


    Unfortunately, none of them could outrun him before using Dragon Steps; what more now that he was using it?


    In a sh, Kyran beheaded six more beast-like, while the rest ran as if it was death chasing them rather than another ''beast-like.''


    Meanwhile, watching the scene outside the Void World being projected by arge semi-transparent orb in the room Kyran''s puppets led him in, the old man fell silent.


    It was not his first time witnessing beast-like getting killed. But it was his first time witnessing a ughter. Kyran did not even give the rest of the beast-like to fight back when he started his assault. It made the old man wonder why he did not kill them the first time they chased after him.


    Thinking back on it, the old man soon realized that it was not that the beast-likes chased after Kyran but that he led them out of their camp.


    Going back a few hours earlier, after they left town, the old man was surprised at the speed of how Kyran travelled in the forest. He initially said they would arrive in a week''s time, but at the speed at which thetter moved, it would not be strange if they arrived in three days.


    In any case, after travelling for almost a day, they came across a campsite of beast-like. There they overheard them talking about their next target. From their conversation, Kyran and the old man realized they were the ones who took advantage of thew and killed offplete beings.


    The old man was angered. But because thew was absolute, that was all he could do. Be angry.


    However, Kyran had a different take on it as he revealed his presence. The moment the bandits realized he heard their conversation, they immediately went after him.


    Kyran looked weak, being of small staturepared to the bandits. Thus, it was no wonder they would think they could get rid of him easily.


    s, it was toote to regret chasing after him.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A few minutester, all of the beast-likes were killed. Kyran then returned to their camp, which only had a few beast-likes left, and continued his ughter.


    Finally, after clearing their camp, he rummaged through their treasures and had his puppets take them back to the Void World.


    The old man''s expression turned nk upon seeing this. Unable to stay silent longer, he asked, ''You... did you ughter them just to steal their treasures? They may be bandits, but...''


    ''As far as I know, these guys took advantage of thew that protected the beast-like and got severalplete beings killed,'' Kyran replied indifferently. ''I don''t see any reason in letting them live.''


    At the moment, he was inside the bandit leader''s room, browsing the books in thetter''s collection.


    ''That is true... However....'' The old man was no Saint. He had done things others might deem unforgivable. But he had a bottom line he would never step on, and that was killing others.


    ''Old man,'' Kyran started with a sigh. ''I get that you are not used to this, but aren''t you asking my help for exactly the same reason? Now that you saw what I can do, instead of feeling sorry for these guys, shouldn''t you feel relief that the person you employed is capable enough?''


    ''''Capable enough,'''' the old man repeated with a slight shake of his head. ''This is more than being capable. Are you trying to be humble?''


    ''I''m not,'' Kyran replied with a shrug, returning an old book with a tattered leather cover to the bookshelf. He looked at the rest of the titles and took another one. It had the same tattered cover but was thicker than thest book.


    ''I''m not delusional to think I can take on those people fighting in the borders. Where I came from, almost all the talented mages andbat mages are stationed in the borders. This is to prevent other nations from invading thend. This means the enemies your people are trying to keep out of yournd are powerful.''


    ''That is... true. But as I said, I never ask you to resolve the border issue, only that you save my people.''


    Kyran chuckled, ''You don''t really believe I can save your people without winning the battle at the border, right?''


    ''The agreement is to let my people fall back once the situation at the border stabilized. The Sovereign never asked us to win the war.''


    ''He is basically telling your people to die. Why are you trying to cover for him?'' Kyran asked exasperatedly.


    ''Just turn a blind eye to what I do, alright?''


    ''You do not understand,'' the old man shook his head sadly. ''Thew that protected the beast-like folks is absolute. If the deaths of these bandits are discovered, the beast-likes will do everything to point the me on theplete beings.''


    ''I thought as much,'' Kyran nodded in agreement. ''That''s why I won''t leave a trace. I will make it appear as if they had been spirited away.''


    ''You¡ª how would you even do that?''


    Before he could evenplete his question, Kyran pointed at the body of the bandit leader lying near the door. Then a reddish-purple mist came out from the ground and enveloped the body. Once the mist cleared, the body, including the blood, vanished.


    ''How...?''


    Kyran had his doubts when the old man admitted he did not know him all that well¡ª that he had only seen some things about him. But sensing the old man''s surprise, Kyran was convinced he did not know about the story of the infamous new ''Dark Sage.''


    ''Looks like I''m not that ''infamous,'' after all,'' Kyran replied with a slight chuckle.


    ''What does that mean?''


    ''You''ll find out soon enough,'' Kyran replied and went back to browsing through the bandit leader''s collection.


    ''What are you even reading? If you want to know anything about our ne, you can ask me,'' the old man said.


    Kyran shook his head and said, ''I''m looking for something like a ledger.''


    ''Ledger?''


    ''Yes. I don''t think these bandits decided to take advantage of thew on a whim. Someone gave them the idea. I may be able to find a clue if I find their ledger and check all the names they had transactions with.''


    ''Would bandits even negotiate with others?'' The old man asked doubtfully.


    ''Why not? Where I came from, they would do everything, even plot against each other to earn more money.''


    ''I realized your ne is rather chaotic.''


    Kyran only chuckled in response.


    The old man sighed in defeat and let the younger man continue with what he was doing.


    Finally, when Kyran still did not find anything, he returned his puppets to the Void World and cleaned up the bandit''s campsite. He also repaired the damage he made when he attacked.


    Upon seeing this, the old man could not help but be surprised again. There were mages in their ne that could repair broken items, but they required plenty of materials to do so.


    How was Kyran repairing things without needing any additional materials?


    ''Ah, that''s right. Old man.''


    Kyran''s call brought the old man out of his contemtion.


    ''What is it?''


    ''What do an Imon-spawn mean?''

 Chapter 752 Origin Of The Law Of The Land

    ''You talked so fluently and disguised almost to perfection that it slipped my mind you are not from here,'' the old man said, slightly amused.


    ''I understand most of yournguage by now,'' Kyran admitted. ''But there are still terms I don''t know since no one really talked about them in the first town I''ve been to.''


    ''You learned ournguage by listening to those in the first town you''ve been to?'' The old man asked incredulously.


    ''Mm,'' Kyran replied curtly. He could not tell the old man about him learning some of theirnguage in the Tower of Tribtions after studying so many runes. Thus, he thought it was fine to let the old man think he learned theirnguage through listening through conversations. It was half true, anyway.


    The old man chuckled while shaking his head, ''You truly amazed me. It makes me wonder how your brain works.''


    ''Please spare my brain.''


    ''Ahahaha!'' The old manughed good-naturedly. ''Alright, going back to your question. It is very simple. If theplete beings have the Anathema, the beast-like folks have the Imon.


    ''Imon is actually a name of a beast-like folk from ancient times. She was different from most because her stature was small, and her body was too frail. To the beast-like, she was a failure.


    ''You have to understand, even the smallest female beast-like with decent strength has the build of a burlyplete being.''


    ''Yeah, I noticed that,'' Kyran nodded, which was why it was difficult to mistake a female beast-like for a femaleplete being.


    ''However,'' the old man continued. ''When Imon got pregnant¡ª mind you, up to this day, it is still debated how she conceived¡ª her seemingly small stature child possessed far more strength than the strongest beast-like.''


    The old man sighed with emotions as if recalling something before continuing, ''A war broke out because Imon''s tribe believed aplete being had defiled her.


    ''You have to understand that in the past, beast-like were very proud beings and would not allow their people to mingle with theplete beings. On the other hand, they also feared thetter because of their magic.


    ''That was the only exnation they had on how she conceived a beast-like with a stature simr to aplete being and possessing strength that seemed to have been conjured by ''magic.''''


    Kyran listened silently to the old man''s tale. He was starting to see how thew that protected the beast-like came to be.


    ''Yes,'' as if reading what was on Kyran''s mind, the old man nodded and said. ''That war was when thew of thend was formed. The war ended after it was proven that Imon was indeed experimented on by aplete being. Thatplete being was executed to pacify the beast-like folks, and aw to never harm beast-like was established.


    ''As for Imon, she was locked up. It is believed she is still alive. But no one truly knows. In any case, Imon''s children were killed. But some believed a few escaped and hid. Thus, whenever a small stature beast-like with unbelievable strength appeared, they believed it to be Imon''s ''spawn.'' Thus, the Imon-spawn.''


    ''I only asked what Imon-spawn meant, but you told me your ne''s history.''


    ''Ahahaha! I believe it is necessary for you to understand.''


    ''Point taken,'' Kyran replied with a sigh. ''But why is it still being debated how Imon conceived her child if it has been confirmed someone experimented on her?''


    ''Why not?'' The old man shrugged. ''A beast-like''s biological structure is different from aplete being. Though it was said she was experimented on, they could not prove how thatplete being impregnated her with experimental sperms.''


    ''Now we''re talking biology.''


    ''Bayo... what?''


    ''It''s an old term from where I came from. Basically, it involved studying living organisms. It had many branches, apparently, but I don''t know much about it. I''ve only read it once.''


    Kyran made light of it, but the truth he read about it in the Tower of Tribtions, and his knowledge was vast. After learning them, he only had one chance to apply them, and that was when he was trying to find a way to incubate Savagery''s beast eggs.


    ''I''m starting to want to visit your ne as I get to know you better.''


    ''Trust me. You wouldn''t want to.''


    ''Ahahaha, because it is chaotic?''


    ''Learning thenguage is a pain in the ass.''


    ''Ahahaha! Yes, I can see that is truly problematic for an old man like myself.''


    Kyran left the bandits'' campsite after that.


    He traveled for another few hours before looking for a safe resting spot.


    When the old man saw this, he could not help butment, ''I thought you n on going to the Great Divide without stopping.''


    ''What do you take me for, old man?'' Kyran replied with a huge sweat on his forehead. ''I do get tired.''


    ''Ahahaha! From the things I''ve seen you do so far, you gave me the impression ''rest'' is not in your vocabry.''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Kyran chose not to reply. It was true he had more energy to spare because of his enhanced body. But after cleaning up the bandits'' campsite, he was truly exhausted.


    The sad part in this ne was the magic energy in the surroundings was too thin, and he could not replenish his reserves naturally. His natural healing ability also suffered because it required absorbing magic energy.


    Good thing the old man did not read Kyran''s thoughts then. Else, he would feel thetter was too inhumane for feeling exhausted from cleaning up rather than dealing with the bandits.


    The resting spot Kyran found was on top of a huge tree. There was a hollow part in the tree where a branch extended out. He sat on the branch outside the hollow and looked at the sky.


    When Kyran left town, it was still nighttime. Since the direction they went to goes backward in terms of time, it was still nighttime by the time he encountered the bandits.


    At that moment, Kyran could finally see the sun appearing from the horizon.


    The old man also saw this and sighed with emotion. It had been long since he witnessed a sunrise as peaceful as this one and truly appreciated the sight, even when he knew the peace he felt was only an illusion.


    On the other hand, Kyran also appreciated the sunrise. He made it a habit of watching and appreciating the ne''s sunrise whenever possible. To him, such a scene was a priceless treasure. It also affirmed that he survived another day.


    ''Old man.''


    ''Yes?''


    ''Take a rest. I''ll have one of my puppets wake you when we are close to the Great Divide.''


    The old man smiled. It was true he was exhausted. He could only keep up with Kyran because of the ''excitement'' he felt from watching what was happening around him.


    ''Alright. Thank you.''


    He did not stand on ceremony and lie on the bed prepared for him inside the room. But he did not sleep immediately. He continued to watch the sunrise projected from the orb.


    Soon after, he sensed energy fluctuations around Kyran. After a few times, he heard thetter sigh, and the fluctuations stopped.


    The old man recognized that fluctuation. It was somewhat different but still had a simr feel, and he knew Kyran was doing that teleport thing.


    ''What are you trying to do, young man?''


    Kyran knew the old man was still awake. Since he was not trying to hide what he wanted to do, he did not wait for him to fall asleep before trying what he did.


    ''I thought I could warp to her,'' he replied with a sigh. ''Looks like I still can''t.''


    Kyran had tried countless times to warp to where Cyneah was on the first few nes he went to, where Wing''s subjects reported her sightings. But after failing a few times and confirming it was likely because she was not there, he stopped trying.


    However, this ne was different. The old man practically confirmed Cyneah was there. Thus, he thought he could now warp to where she was. Still, he failed.


    It was only an inkling, but Kyran started to believe this was because of something simr to when he could not warp to his home during the first few weeks he was forced to flee.


    He already knew the reason behind that was an anti-warp and teleportation form around the estate''s defensive array.


    Nn and his father also had a simr one activated constantly, preventing Kyran from warping to their side.


    But what about Cyneah? Howe she had one on her? She was proficient in Alchemy, not Array. Or did Nn teach her without him knowing?


    It made Kyran wonder if Cyneah truly did not want to be found, especially by him.


    The old man was silent for a moment. He initially believed Kyran was there in search of a very important friend. But the emotion he sensed from thetter''s sigh carried far more weight than he imagined. When hemented about taking back his announcement, he did so in passing.


    Now, it seemed he had been hasty when he made that.


    ''Allow me to apologize beforehand,'' he told Kyran solemnly.


    ''What is it now, old man?'' Kyran asked with a slight frown.


    But the old man did not respond. He closed his eyes and finally sumbed to sleep.


    Sensing the old man had fallen asleep, Kyran did not pursue the matter. He had opportunities to ask when he woke up anyway.


    With that in mind, he took out one of his puppets to keep watch before falling asleep.

 Chapter 753 Not As Expected (1)

    After resting for a few hours and finding something to eat from the things they had taken from the bandits'' campsite, Kyran went on his way.


    The old man watched Kyran''s progress through the projection orb from inside the Void World. Although he was amazed at the speed at which thetter traveled through feet, what truly shocked him was that they had not encountered any beast in the forest.


    The old man did not tell Kyran about it for fear he would not agree to help, but the truth was the forest route going to the Great Divide was filled with ferocious beasts.


    However, after traveling for almost a day, they only encountered the bandits.


    The old man knew this incident was not about luck. Instead, he felt the beasts likely sensed the hidden danger they would encounter if they messed with Kyran.


    Call it a beast''s natural instinct. And they were right to stay clear of Kyran''s path, or else their fate would end worse than the bandits. After all, beast parts could sell for a hefty price. As for the bandits, it was unfortunate that the Law of the Land protected them. Thus, they did not have any bounty rewards.


    It was a different matter to beast-likes andplete beings living in Howling Pass, though. Since that ce waswless, a bounty could be ced on them.


    Then again, did Kyran even need money at this point? The treasures he confiscated from the bandits were enough for him to live a life of leisure for a hundred years in Somuli.


    ''s, the generation of this day sure know how to make fast money without having to work their butt off,'' the old man sighed.


    He did not mean to share his thoughts with Kyran, but thetter did hear it and raised his brows.


    ''What are you even saying, old man?'' He asked. ''If it is about the things I took from the bandits, I won''t use them for myself. Those things are useless to me but can be used by your people.''


    The old man''s eyes lit up from his words. He was so moved by how thoughtful Kyran was to his people!


    But as he thought this, a disimer seemed to pop into his head with words saying: Robbing others¡ª even if they were bad people¡ª was not good to begin with, so please do not think of using it to solve your money problems!


    The old man cleared his throat and said, ''Thank you. That is very thoughtful of you.''


    ''Don''t thank me yet. We don''t know the situation at the borders now, so those things might not be enough.''


    The old man sighed.


    Before encountering the bandits, Kyran had asked him about the border situation. Unfortunately, he could only give him a rough overview because thest update he received was from a month ago.


    It was understandable, given the fastest route to Eidum''s maind, Aidel, was the ferocious beasts-infested forest. And even if their messenger managed to survive, it was at least half a month''s travel. If they went through the normal route, the news would take almost two months to arrive in Aidel.


    Based on the news the old man received, they would soon be short on supplies and were requesting them. Unfortunately, though they had the supplies, they could not send them over due to the problem with the bandits.


    The old man said nothing when Kyran took the bandits'' treasures. But truth be told, some of them were familiar goods from Aidel, which was the first batch of supplies they dispatched for the Border. That first batch was attacked on the way, and though none of theplete beings died, all the supplies were stolen.


    It took a while, and the process was a little twisted, but at least those supplies would now benefit his people at the border.


    ''Still, thank you.'' The old man still insisted on thanking Kyran.


    Kyran did not reply and only focus on moving forward.


    Thud.


    Kyran suddenly made an abrupt stop at one of the tree branches and hid.


    Noticing his action, the old man frowned and asked, ''What''s wrong?''


    ''There is a thick stench if blood up ahead.''


    The old man''s heart sank. He calcted their distance and knew they were still a day or two away from the border. If Kyran could already smell the stench of blood up ahead, did that mean the situation had worsened after thest update?


    Sensing the old man''s apprehension, Kyran knew well how dreadful it felt, wondering about the condition of your people and yet hopeless to do anything.


    Butpared to his situation in the Human ne, the old man had someone to rely on.


    Ahem.


    Kyran coughed inwardly, thinking how he just boldly called himself reliable.


    ''Old man,'' he called after contemting what he had to do. ''I''m going to get serious for a bit. I''ll have to stop the projector.''


    ''I understand.''


    After the old man answered, Kyran cut off his connection with the orb inside the Void World. After that, his eyes turned reddish-purple, with his pupils turning into silver slits.


    This was him getting serious¡ª circting both the Void and the Draconic magic simultaneously.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A dark purple and silver armor covered his body in an instant as he warped to the location where the smell of blood was the strongest.


    The scene that greeted Kyran was that of carnage.


    Sliced bodies of beast-likes andplete beings littered the ground, their blood and internal organs mingled, unable to discern whose part belonged to whom.


    Signs of a fierce battle could be seen in the area with crushed trees, cracks and holes on the ground, and mes caught on what was left of the trees around.


    Kyran employed his magic sense and observed the area around him. Due to the thin magic energy in the surroundings, the things he could make out with his magic sense were limited.


    It was strange how magic energy in Somuli was scarce in areas with fewer people.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, the magic energy should be thinner in crowded ces because loads of people were either absorbing magic energies or using them to do magic.


    In any case, it took Kyran a few minutes before he found a clue as to where the perpetrators or survivors went and chased them post-haste.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    While traveling, Kyran heard explosions erupt one after another upfront. He stopped in his tracks and checked what was happening ahead with his enhanced eyesight.


    There he found a group ofplete beings in white and blue leather armor, fighting several beast-likes andplete beings dressed in ck and silver armor.


    Kyran immediately recognized theplete beings in leather armor because the design on their clothes was simr to the old man''s.


    "You Eidums think you own thend! But this ce is ours. Get your filthy asses out of here!"


    A beast-like, whose body was thrice the size of Kyran''s, shouted as he mmed a huge hammer on the ground, sending theplete beings in leather armor stumbling backward.


    Then, aplete being in ck armor waved a golden staff, summoning dark clouds above them.


    The old man''s people struggled to get up and retreat after seeing the dark clouds. From the looks of terror on their faces, it appeared they knew what was in store for them once theplete being''s cast waspleted.


    But before they could move, several beast-likes andplete beings surrounded them. Some even attacked directly, not worried they would get caught up with whatever those dark clouds unleashed. Their heart was filled with hatred, and only wanted nothing more than to spill the blood of their enemies.


    As theplete beings in leather armor were in a state of panic, and the enemy beast-likes andplete beings continued to attack them on all sides, the body of the one summoning the dark clouds suddenly convulsed.


    SPLAT!


    In a blink of an eye, theplete being''s body exploded, with her blood, flesh, and internal organs spraying everywhere.


    "What?"


    Those who were nearby were stunned after getting sprayed by something. They did not notice theplete being''s body exploding.


    But it did not take long for them to realize something was wrong as the dark clouds began to disperse.


    As for the beast-likes andplete beings attacking the old man''s people, they did not realize something was amiss.


    "Look out!"


    Someone shouted out of the blue. However, whoever that warning was meant to, failed to respond, and the next moment, blood started to gush out from his body.


    "Guah!" The beast-like shouted as his body was suddenly cut in half.


    One of the old man''s people he was chasing was too shocked at how suddenly he died, and he was petrified on the spot.


    Meanwhile, a gust of wind swept past him, and another enemy was in the next moment.


    The old man''s people were stunned as the enemies surrounding them fell dead one after another. They only felt a gust of wind passed them before blood gushed out from the enemies'' bodies. It was truly a frightening sight to behold.


    It was normal to fear the unknown.


    However, seeing only the enemies were killed by whatever was moving around them, the old man''s people were not worried. They were still afraid, but there was also a sense of relief.


    The enemies who appeared to be in control earlier realized they were no match for the unseen predator and began to escape.


    Unfortunately, their unseen predator had no ns of letting them go alive.

 Chapter 754 Not As Expected (2)

    Kyran chopped off thestplete being''s head before retracing his tracks to where he had left the old man''s people.


    He canceled his armor, and beast-like disguise, returning to Nar''s image before reconnecting to the projection orb in his Void World.


    Once he was sure the old man was looking at the projection, Kyran directed its view at a distance, where nine of the old man''s people were huddled together.


    The old man sighed in relief when he saw them. But his expression turned ghastly when he noticed the blood and corpses of the enemies around them. He was not sensitive to such scenes. However, imagining how those corpses met their death almost made him gag.


    ''Are these guys among the first ones sent to the border?''


    Kyran''s question snapped the old man out of his thoughts, and he looked at the familiar faces of the people up front.


    Most of them were wounded, and two healers¡ª one female and one male¡ª tended to them. Their healers were also wounded. Butpared to the rest, they could still move. This could only mean the others protected them as they fought the enemies.


    The old man could not help but smile bitterly. Their Abbey focused on the study of Healing magic. Unfortunately, few were blessed with it. Thus, the rest of their apprentices, who could only perform low recovery spells, did their best to learn the art of fighting to protect those apprentices blessed with Healing magic.


    Seeing these apprentices really put their lives on the line to ensure their healers were protected gave the old man mixed emotions. He was proud because they upheld their vow. But at the same time, sad seeing how much they suffered in doing so.


    ''No,'' the old man replied with a slight shake of his head. ''I remembered they are the few scheduled to leave for the border two days after I left.''


    He remembered something, and his bitter smile turned sad.


    ''They had only graduated from the Abbey. But due tock of manpower in the borders, we have to send them there.''


    Kyran did not respond. He could not respond. He was not insensitive to tell him ''such was what war could do'' because the old man clearly knew that already.


    ''The news about your abduction will soon be known,'' Kyran replied after a short pause. ''If I showed them the identification you gave me, and that news arrived to them, they might think I am up to no go.''


    Though the old man said he would give Kyran an identification, the one he had was only temporary. It had the Abbot''s seal, so it would not pose any problems. But the thing was, the temporary identification looked new. If they heard about the Abbot''s abduction, they would wonder when Kyran got the identification. It should be noted that the identification was only temporary because the Abbot''s seal was timed. After a few weeks, it would disappear. Once the seal on Kyran''s identification disappeared, it was easy for them to count the days and realize he got it right after the Abbot''s abduction. That would raise far too many questions.


    The old man frowned after realizing this.


    ''Y-You''re right,'' he agreed. ''But if you don''t show any identification, even if you saved them, they would be suspicious of you.''


    Sensing the conflicted thoughts from the old man''s tone, Kyran smiled and said, ''It''s alright. I have a n.''


    The old man was surprised, ''You have?''


    ''Would I propose your disappearance if I know it will hinder how I can move around this ce?''


    The old man chuckled, ''I suppose not. What do you have in mind?''


    ''Tell them the truth.''


    ''O-Oi,'' the old man broke out in cold sweats. Though he believed none of his people would betray him, there was no telling if a spy was already among them. If word came out that the Abbot staged the abduction, what would happen to them?


    Kyran guessed the old man''s concern and said, ''You don''t have to worry. I know what I''m doing.''


    The old man could only relent and watch as Kyran approached the group.


    A man with blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to reflect the perfectly blue sky stood up and cautiously looked at the approaching shadow.


    "Hm," the male healer, with simrly blonde hair and blue eyes, grabbed the man''s arm in concern.


    Hm looked at the other man and smiled, "Don''t worry. Whatever that ''being'' was, if it wanted to hurt us, it would have already done so."


    "But-."


    "Be careful," one of the three women in their group told Hm.


    The woman also had blonde hair and blue eyes. As a matter of fact, all of them had the same features. The only thing that set them apart was the level of ''perfection'' their appearance seemed to exude.


    The woman who had spoken was one of those with a perfectly sculpted face. She stood out from the rest of the women, even in her battered state.


    The same went with Hm. Apart from his perfect build, his features appeared perfectly bnced, and finding a w in him was hard.


    "I will."


    Kyran heard the short exchange between them and guessed that Hm was the leader.


    Looking at them, watching him from the shadows with fear in their eyes, made him feel a little awkward. Then again, his disy a while ago was not something a ''sane'' person seemed capable of, so he knew why they feared him.


    "I am sent here to assist," Kyran told them as soon as he was out of the shadows.


    Almost all of them flinched and retreated a step or two as soon as they saw him.


    Kyran''s brow twitched. Obviously, aplete being would not be used to his dark hair, brown eyes, and ''average'' looks. But did they have to flinch at the sight of him?


    As far as he was concerned, he looked human and had not grown extra arms. There was no reason for them to be that scared.


    "S-Sent?" Hm mustered his courage and repeated, looking at the ''being'' before them questioningly.


    The truth, they flinched at the sight of Kyran not because of his ''average'' looks but because of the color of his hair.


    Dark hair was only ever present among the beast-likes. Seeing aplete being with dark hair made them recall the legend about Imon and her spawn.


    ''Oh!'' The old man suddenly eximed from inside the Void World. ''Perchance, have you removed your beast-like disguise?''


    ''Why?'' Kyran asked, but could more or less guess what he would say.


    ''Well, I forgot to tell you that dark hair is only found among the beast-likes...''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Kyran sighed. As he thought, these people likely believed he was an Imon-spawn.


    Though removing his disguise as a beast-like would not mean they would not suspect him of being an Imon-spawn given his stature, he also could not pass off as aplete being with dark hair.


    Kyran nodded at Hm and said, "Yes. The news may not have reached you yet, but the Great Abbot was abducted yesterday."


    ''Young man!'' The old man eximed. He had thought the ''truth'' Kyran meant was about him employing his service while going into hiding, not about him being abducted!


    Hm and the other Eidums''plexion paled at the news.


    "H-How could that be?"


    "N-No! Not the Abbot!"


    "Why? Why are they doing this?"


    "Is it not obvious? It''s because we refused to hand over the Saint! Those despicable Nobles!" One after another, the Eidums eximed in anger.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after hearing one of them speak of the Saint. Though the old man never connected thetter to the person he sought, he originally came here because of the Saint.


    Cyneah might not be the Saint, but it could also be her. If thetter was true, Kyran could not ignore that the Nobles wanted her.


    "I met with the Great Abbot before he was abducted," Kyran continued. "The truth is he seemed to expect someone to be ''after'' him."


    "He is the Abbot," Hm said with a frown. "Many people are after him."


    "That''s not what I meant," Kyran said, his brow twitching slightly.


    The word ''after'' in theirnguage had simr spelling to ''abduct.'' The only difference was its pronunciation.


    Kyran mistakenly pronounced the abduct simr to how they would say after.


    "In any case, the Great Abbot asked me toe here in fear of the enemies plotting more things against you."


    "How do we know you are telling the truth?" Hm asked, looking at him suspiciously.


    "Tha Great Abbot gave me this," Kyran showed them the identification with the Abbot''s seal.


    "I don''t know what it is, but you might recognize it."


    "You..." Hm frowned.


    It was not only him. The rest of the Eidums also looked at him dumbfoundedly.


    How could he not know what an identification was?


    The old man was also confused.


    What was Kyran up to?


    "That''s an identification," Hm said. "Are you telling us you''ve never seen one?"


    Kryan smiled inwardly, seeing how easy it was to achieve the reaction and even answers he wanted to see and hear from them.


    Putting on an exasperated expression, he said, "You think I''d know, given my appearance?"


    That was when they realized his point.


    Just now, did they not think he was an Imon-spawn? Others would also think he was an Imon-spawn and catch him. Obviously, he had been hiding from the world.


    "Let''s not waste time here," Kyran said, irritated. Besides, he did not want them to dwell on the subject and asked more questions. "I''ll escort you to the Great Divide. After that, I need to speak with your leader."


    Hm scowled, "How do we know that''s not your real goal? Talk to our leader and then abduct her, too?"


    Kyran gaped at him¡ª not as an act, but as an honest reaction.


    "Is your brain made of sh*t?"


    "''Sheeh-,'' what was that?"


    "You''ve seen what I can do. You think I need you to lead me to your leader if I am truly after her?"


    Hm and the others considered that and agreed he had a point.


    "I have the Great Abbot''s identification here. If you don''t want me to escort you to the Great Divide, suit yourself."


    With that, Kyran started to leave.


    "P-Please, wait!"


    Kyran stopped and looked at the Eidum, who had spoken.


    The female healer stood and bowed, "We did not mean to offend you. Please escort us to the Great Divide."


    "Lady Yalen," Hm and the rest tried to stop her from bowing.


    To them, healers lowering their heads could be considered showing great favor.


    "He saved us," Yalen said while keeping her head low. "Why do we doubt him so?"

 Chapter 755 Not As Expected (3)

    "That''s true," Hm said. "But there is no telling if this is also his plot."


    "Don''t be like this, Hm," Yalen said with a frown. "Remember what the Saint always tells us? It is better to be a fool than always live doubtful of others'' intentions. While he might have hidden motives in helping us, the identification with the Abbot''s seal cannot be forged. Besides, she will know if it is fake."


    Hm looked ashamed as he lowered his gaze.


    The Saint had lived a harsh life before she got to where she was now. But that did not stop her from believing and trusting others. She would often tell them about giving others the benefit of the doubt rather than living always doubting the people around them.


    Besides that, the Abbot granted the young man an identification. That showed how much he was willing to trust him. If the Abbot was willing, why should they not?


    "She is right."


    "Soria," Yalen looked at the woman who told Hm to be careful earlier.


    Soria smiled at Yalen before looking at Hm, "His origin is suspicious. But you''ve heard he was not fluent in ournguage and unaware ofmon knowledge. Thus, our initial guess may be true. Yet, none of that mattered.


    "I don''t know how he met the Abbot, but since he was asked to assist and honored it bying here, don''t you think that spoke somehow about his character? Besides, if we want to get to the border in one piece, we will need his help. There''s also the matter of the supplies."


    "Argh! That''s right. We managed to hide it before the enemies appeared, but going back there is..."


    "Those beasts are likely still there..."


    Their expressions fell, recalling how the enemies lured a lot of ferocious beasts close to where they hid the supplies.


    Kyran cleared his throat. He did not mind them discussing amongst themselves, but they could have excused themselves first. Did they have to talk about him as if he was not there?


    All of them turned to look at Kyran with flushed faces. They only realized they had spoken tantly about him and how to use him. It was a little embarrassing, given their background as apprentices of the Abbey.


    "I don''t mind you guys using me," Kyran shrugged. "Heck, even your Abbot did the same¡ª."


    ''Oi.''


    The old man could not help butin after hearing what Kyran had said, although he knew it was only an act.


    "¡ª but can we not stay here? The stench of fresh blood will soon attract all the ferocious beasts nearby, and dealing with them is annoying," Kyran ignored the old man''sint and told the others.


    The Eidums'' faces brightened at his words.


    "Right! I sense the wind is about to pick up, so the smell of blood here will definitely reach that ce." One of them agreed. "Once those beasts are drawn here, we can retrieve the supplies!"


    Kyran sighed inwardly. His remark was not made in passing. It was something he said for them to pick up on that fact since he realized how stupid¡ª ahem¡ª innocent they were.


    "Then, it''s all set. We''ll trust him and have him assist us on our way," Yalen said, wanting to confirm if they all agreed with her.


    "Yes," they all nodded.


    Kyran raised his brows as Yalen turned to look at him. Before she could say anything, though, he said, "I heard you just fine. Lead the way."


    Yalen flushed in embarrassment but nodded and said, "Okay."


    On the other hand, Hm could not help but frown at how the ''Imon-spawn'' spoke rudely to Yalen. But since thetter did not mind, who was he to fuss about it?


    "Follow me," he said, giving the Imon-spawn a hard re before making his way to the left.


    Kyran ignored the re. He was not about to strike back at Hm for acting like a spoiled brat.


    "Right, err... mister, what is your name?" Yalen asked as soon as they followed Hm.


    "Nar," Kyran replied curtly.


    Yalen smiled, "Nar... I see. Thank you."


    Kyran paused when Yalen said his name and felt a slight sense of nostalgia.


    Yalen did not sound like Cyneah. But the way she carried herself reminded him a little of her.


    Choosing not to respond to Yalen''s expression of gratitude, Kyran focused his attention ahead.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Meanwhile, inside the Void World, the old man shook his head with a wry smile. He did not expect Kyran to use what he learned about ''Imon'' to convince his people to trust him.


    ''You are quick on your feet,'' hemented with mirth in his eyes. ''I was doubtful when you told me about telling them the truth. But I did not expect you to actually tell them the lie, but technically ''true'' about my abduction.''


    ''That is the truth in this ce, which your people will find out soon. Did you think I would tell them about ''your truth''?''


    ''Ahaha! As a matter of fact, I did,'' the old man admitted. ''More importantly, I''m impressed you managed to weave such a convincing lie. You even pretended to stutter with ournguage and not knowing what identification is to support your lie.''


    Kyran did notment. Truthfully, he did not stutter. That was truly a miss on his part. Good thing that helped give these guys a reason to suspect he might really be an ''Imon-spawn.''


    ''Do you want to tell the ''real'' truth when I meet with the leader?'' Kyran decided to change the subject.


    The old man shook his head, ''No. Let them believe the ''fake'' truth. The fewer who knew the truth, the more convincing the fake truth would be.''


    ''Hm,'' Kyran agreed with a nod.


    After walking in the forest for almost half an hour, they finally came to a clearing with arge boulder.


    The Eidums let out a sigh of relief upon arrival. They had been on their toes all this time because they feared encountering ferocious beasts. Although Kyran was with them, they were not optimistic about surviving once they encountered them. After all, the sheer number of ferocious beasts lured by the enemies earlier could wet any veteran and powerful Noble Knights; what more if a single ''Imon-spawn'' saw them?


    Right. They had not established if he was truly an Imon-spawn, but so far, all the clues they had pointed to that. Apart from that, it was the only exnation they could think of for his strength.


    Going back on topic, they were relieved they had not encountered any ferocious beast. Even the clearing did not have any signs of them.


    Hm looked at Kyran and said, "We buried the supplies here."


    "Dig them up," Kyran told them and jumped on top of the boulder. "I''ll keep watch while you do that."


    "You''re not going to help?" Hm asked with a frown.


    "I''m already doing that, aren''t I?" Kyran replied with a deadpan voice.


    Hm''s brow twitched. Technically, keeping watch for ferocious beasts was ''helping'' them. But he was talking about helping with thebor of digging up the supplies.


    "There is no need to ask his help digging up the supplies," Yalen looked at Hm with a slight frown. "We can do that ourselves."


    Hm sighed. He knew that, but something about Kyran did not sit well with him. Thus, he did not like thetter staying way up there, looking down at them.


    The rest of the Eidums already started digging even before Hm questioned Kyran. Unlike him, they knew that the help Kyran would provide was not about manualbor but protection.


    Ignoring the Eidums below, Kyran sat cross-legged on the boulder and closed his eyes. To the others, he appeared to meditate while silently observing his surroundings.


    But those who realized the strange behavior of beasts whenever he was around would know he was resting.


    ''Young man,'' the old man, who was one of those few who already realized Kyran''s special ability, called. ''Aren''t you even going to pretend to walk around and survey the area for ferocious beasts?''


    ''And waste my energy? No thanks.''


    ''You... I''ve already noticed you have a way with beasts. They may sense a very oppressing aura around you that they steer away from you. But what if my people''s presence still tempts a few and try to attack?''


    ''That will not happen,'' Kyran replied with such conviction that the old man was speechless.


    After almost half an hour, the Eidums dug up all the supplies, and Kyran went down.


    "You guys did not forget anything?" Kyran asked, looking at the small boxes and crates around.


    "That''s everything," Hm confirmed, looking at the supplies apprehensively.


    They were so happy at the thought they could retrieve the supplies that they forgot one important detail: they no longer had a carriage with them. They had space storage, but they could only carry a few.


    How would they carry all of these?


    "Then let''s go," Kyran said and waved his hand.


    In a blink of an eye, all the supplies vanished before their eyes.

 Chapter 756 Not As Expected (4)

    When Hm and the rest saw the supplies disappear, they panicked.


    "Don''t space out. Let''s go."


    Kyran''s snapped them out of their panicked state. They all turned to him and found he was already a few steps away.


    "Wait!" Hm called hurriedly. "The supplies have been¡ª!"


    "Secured," Kyran replied without looking back. "Let''s move. If possible, I''d like to get out of the forest before night falls."


    They all looked at each other dumbfoundedly after hearing Kyran confirm that the supplies were secured. They did not even see him move or feel any fluctuations in the air if he used a device to take the supplies.


    "H-He has a point," Yalen said and resolutely followed Kyran. She still did not know how he took all those supplies, but if they kept mulling over it and wasting their time, they would be unable to find a ce to stay before night falls.


    The forest was not a good ce to rest because of all the ferocious beasts.


    Seeing that Yalen chose to believe Kyran, the rest also followed.


    Kyran intentionally slowed his steps to wait for the others.


    The old man noticing this, smiled knowingly and remarked, ''Is this supposed to be the character you are ying now? A rude Imon-spawn who actually is very nice?''


    Kyran did not respond. He was in ''character,'' yes, but he did not have such aplicated idea for Nar''s character. The only reason he slowed down was because he did not want any of them to fall behind and get in trouble with the ferocious beasts. They were not aware of his ability and its range of influence. If they left that range, the ferocious beasts lurking close to the periphery would surely pounce on them.


    Kyran did not want to deal with the aftermath if one of them were killed.


    The old man knew this, of course. But he said those things to tease him. He realized everything he was told about him was true. No wonder that person looked up to him.


    Kyran journeyed with the Eidums in silence. Nevertheless, he could hear them whispering amongst themselves and even understand some of the things they discussed.


    To his surprise, they mostly talked about whether he was truly an Imon-spawn.


    ording to them, the records said Imon-spawns looked beast-like with aplete being''s stature. But the more they looked at Kyran, the more they felt he was a moreplete being except for his dark hair.


    They then began to discuss the Howling Pass.


    When that ce was brought up, Kyran was interested. He did not think showing up in front of them would not cause any confusion because of the plete beings'' in Howling Pass.


    If those people came from the Human ne, it would be impossible for everyone who had entered the rift going to Somuli to have simr features with theplete beings.


    In Kyran''s opinion, their dark hair and eyes could be considered an ''Anathema'' or an illness. If not, wouldn''t that mean allplete beings in Howling Pass could be considered ''Imon''s spawns''?


    While thinking this, they did start to consider Kyran''s hair and eyes were caused by an illness. But the moment this thought was brought up, they all looked worried.


    They were worried that they might catch his illness!


    Kyran''s brow twitched at the absurd things he heard from them. There was actually more.


    For example, he might be a product of an Imon-spawn and aplete being with an Anathema. Or that he might be like Imon, known as a failure among the beast-like because he looked simr to aplete being except for his hair and eyes.


    The more Kyran listened to their nonsense, the more he realized how naive they were. It made him wonder how they managed to survive up till now.


    After a while, they finally reached a clearing. They searched for a good resting spot and found one near a river.


    Hm and the other men set up a tent while the women prepared food.


    While doing this, they were once more sent into a dilemma. The portion of their food was only enough for them. They did not have any spare to share with Kyran.


    Seeing their troubled look, Kyran sighed and intentionally announced he would hunt his own food.


    When they heard that, they all sighed in relief.


    But before Kyran could leave, Hm stopped him and asked sternly, "Leave the supplies behind."


    Yalen and the rest were surprised after hearing his demand.


    "Hm, that is rude," Yalen reprimanded.


    "No, he is right," one of them agreed with Hm''s actions. "We did agree to trust him, but there is a limit to how much we could do so."


    "But..." Yalen looked at Soria as if asking for her assistance. But thetter shook her head and said, "I will agree to them this time, Lady Yalen."


    Kyran was amused at their discussion. He initially believed Hm was the leader. But when Yalen spoke up, and the rest listened, he began to think she was the real leader.


    Looking at them now, Kyran more or less figured out that Hm was the leader and Yalen only had a higher position among them.


    No.


    Rather than a higher position, it was more like a higher ''social status.''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Being a healer could be the reason for this or her family background.


    Putting aside his thoughts, Kyran shrugged, and the supplies appeared out of nowhere.


    "That''s fine with me," he said, addressing Hm''s concern. "If the ferocious beasts twenty meters to the right noticed I am gone, feel free to defend the supplies with your lives."


    All of them paled at his words.


    "Y-You''re lying!" Hm yelled angrily.


    Kyran shrugged, "You''ll know soon enough if I am lying. You don''t really think we are lucky because we did not encounter any ferocious beast. You probably heard the rules of the forest before: The stronger one rules over the weak."


    With that, he left without turning back.


    "W-What are we going to do?" The Eidum, who agreed with Hm, immediately asked.


    "You just have to do something that will get us in trouble!" Yalen red at Hm.


    Hm sighed, "You are trusting him way too much. Besides, defending is easier than fighting the ferocious beasts head-on."


    After saying that, he instructed the rest to set traps and ce spells around them.


    Kyran watched them on top of a tree. Hunting was only an excuse, and he was not really nning to leave them by themselves.


    He only wanted to prevent any bad blood between him and Hm from escting.


    In the first ce, was there even a bad blood between them?


    Apart from that, he wanted to know how they survived up till now. Seeing the traps and spells ced around their tents, he realized that they were knowledgeable on how to survive in the wilderness. The only problem was they had little experience applying it in real life.


    ''I know what you are thinking,'' the old man suddenly said after seeing what was happening outside from the orb.


    ''I already know you can read minds, old man.''


    ''They are all good students, you know,'' the old man continued, ignoring Kyran''s remark. ''Although our Abbey specializes in learning Healing magic, we hired instructors that could truly teach them how to fight and survive.''


    ''I see that,'' Kyran replied. ''They onlyck experience.''


    ''Yes,'' the old man agreed with a sigh. ''Unfortunately, our Abbey is not allowed to conduct outdoor activities.''


    ''Why?''


    ''The Nobles are afraid we are preparing for something.''


    Kyran frowned. He knew too well the feeling of being suppressed by other factions because they feared your n was up to something.


    ''That is not the case, of course. Even if we train our apprentices the art ofbat, we only want them to learn how to defend themselves.''


    ''Even if you think that way, others will not see it like that.''


    ''Yes, which is why theyck practical experience.''


    ''This is a good chance,'' Kyran told the old man.


    The old man chuckled, ''Is it?''


    ''At least I am here to watch over them,'' Kyran said. ''What? You did not think I would leave them alone, right?''


    ''Ahahaha. Not at all,'' the old man replied goodnaturedly. ''I just found it ironic that you think it is a good chance knowing full well what awaits them in the borders.''


    Kyran fell silent. He did not think the old man would think that way.


    ''I agreed to help. You don''t have to worry about that.''


    ''True. But after you''ve aplished what you came here for...''


    Kyran sighed inwardly. This was one of the things he hated when he entered a ne during his training.


    Whenever he got involved in the matters of that ne, he could not shake off the feeling of wanting to ensure their problems were resolved before he left. That had been the case when he took the Solum Tribe with him.


    ''Let''s talk about that after we get to the border,'' Kyran said, avoiding the topic for now.


    The old man knew it was not that thetter was unwilling to help but that he could not make any promises until he found the person he was searching for.


    ''Alright. Don''t worry. I know you will find what you seek soon.''

 Chapter 757 Not As Expected (5)

    ''Y-Young man... don''t you think you''ve tested them long enough?''


    The old man''s worried voice echoed in Kyran''s head.


    A few hours had passed since thetter left to ''hunt for his food'' and left the group to protect the supplies. At the moment, the group was not looking that good.


    Kyran ignored the old man and gazed down from his location to where Hm and the others were.


    They were battling two ferocious beasts that reminded Kyran of Theihorns. The only difference was their whole body was covered in ck scales, and they were not using Wind magic but Ice. The old man called those beasts Glyves, and were normally found in this part of thend.


    Hm and another Eidum were engaged with the one at the front, while three others fought with the one at the back.


    The remaining fighters remained with the two healers protecting and shielding them along the supplies.


    Yalen and the other healer kept casting support spells to increase Hm and the others'' speed and strength. They would also cast heal spells every now and then.


    Still, looking at their pale and sweat-filled faces, it was evident they were close to their limits.


    Hm and the other fighters were not fairing well either.


    Even though they had only received some healing, they were breathing heavily, and their hands holding their swords were already shaking from exhaustion. Some had blood dripping on their hands from gripping them too tightly while fighting the Glyves.


    Kyran looked away after watching for a few seconds and resumed what he was doing.


    ''O-Oi,'' the old man called again when Kyran ignored him.


    Going back a few hours ago, after their short talk, Kyran never really left the tree. He only sat there and started checking out the things he had taken beforeing to the first town.


    ''One of them will seriously get hurt if you don''t step in now,'' the old man continued to persuade Kyran to help Hm and the others.


    ''You spoil them too much,'' Kyran replied indifferently. ''If I did not help them earlier, they would have already been digested in those beasts'' stomachs.''


    ''T-That is such a graphic way of making your point.''


    ''Thanks.''


    ''Y-Young man! Truly, they will not be able to hold any longer. The healers will exhaust themselves, and when that happens, the frontline will crumble.''


    ''That''s strange; how could the backline fall before the frontline?''


    ''Please do not y mind games with me...''


    ''I am not,'' Kyran replied with a shrug. ''The backline will only fall when the frontline falls.''


    ''But the healers¡ª.''


    ''A true melee never relies on a healer''s assistance all the time,'' Kyran cut the old man midsentence. ''They should be able to fight their enemy with minimal support.''


    ''They are only apprentices.''


    ''You said they already graduated.''


    ''Well... true.''


    ''Then treat them as rookies of the ''adult'' world.''


    ''I... Yes, you are right. But...''


    The old man paused and tried to peek at what Kyran was doing, ''What are you doing anyway?''


    ''Experimenting.''


    ''At a time like this?'' The old man eximed in disbelief. Then he thought of something, and hisplexion paled. ''You... are you telling me this... you are actually experimenting on their current situation?''


    Kyran''s face darkened, ''What do you take me for? Can''t you see I am doing something else?''


    ''That could also be part of it.''


    ''What I''m doing has nothing to do with their situation,'' Kyran assured him. Then he paused before adding, ''But it is beneficial after they are finished.''


    ''''After they are finished? What are you saying? From how things are looking, they are the ones who will be finished!''


    ''Argh...'' Kyran rubbed his ears, ''You''re too noisy, old man. I really need toplete this experiment. I''m cutting off the projector.''


    ''O-Oi!''


    Kyran cut off his connection with the orb and continued with what he was doing.


    asionally, he would look down at Hm and the others before resuming his experiment.


    Hm sessfully dodged the Glyve''s swing and rolled to the side. He followed up with a swing of his own using his sword and aimed at the enemy''s calf. Because he did not manage to regain his bnce before swinging, there was not much weight on it, and he was forced backward from the collision.


    "Ugh!" He winced, feeling the brunt of that collision shook his forearm.


    Hearing Hm''s grimace, Yalen gathered her energy and prepared to cast another healing spell, but instead, she fell and coughed out blood.


    "Lady Yalen!" The two fighters with them paled after seeing her cough blood.


    "Yalen!" Soria, fighting the other Glyve at the back and two other Eidums, got distracted after seeing this.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    RAWRGH!


    As if the two Glyves were aware of the sudden change in the situation from the Eidum''s side, they pounced more ferociously.


    RAWRGH!


    The Glyve at Hm''s side turned toward him and roared, releasing a powerful gust of icy wind that froze everything it touched.


    Hm struggled to stand and evade while the other Eidum summoned firewalls to stall the approaching icy wind.


    While Hm''s side managed to escape the worst-case scenario, Soria''s side was not that lucky. Instead of summoning an icy wind, the Glyve swiped its ws at Soria.


    Still distracted by what happened to Yalen, Soria barely brought up her sword to block the beast''s ws. However, the beast''s ws grew in size and broke her sword in one clean swipe.


    "Ugh!" Soria shouted in pain as the beast''s ws dug into her shoulders and upper arm.


    Then the beast raised its hand, dragging Soria with it.


    "Soria!" The other two Eidums paled at the sight of a bloody Soria being raised by the Glyve.


    One of the two raised its sword and dashed forward, wanting to slice the Glyve''s wrist to free Soria. At the same time, the other one summoned fireballs and aimed at the Glyve''s face to distract it.


    RAWRGH!


    When the two Eidums thought they could save Soria, another Glyve appeared to their left. It sprinted at such speed that the Eidum, who nned to save Soria, was rammed to his side and was sent flying.


    "AARGH!"


    "NO!"


    The other Eidum shouted angrily, summoned more fireballs, and aimed at the newly arrived Glyve.


    RAWRGH!


    The newly arrived Glyve ignored the fireballs hitting its body and pounced at the other Glyve, who got Soria.


    It was as if it wanted to steal the other Glyve''s prey.


    On the other hand, Hm, who was still evading the Glyve''s ice attacks, looked at their side; his blood turned cold after seeing the sight of a Glyve jumping, with its mouth, which was full of sharp fangs, opened and about to bite Soria off the other Glyve''s grasp.


    Time seemed to have slowed around him. He then recalled how Kyran warned them about a beast waiting nearby. He did not believe it and even used him of lying, but then he said:


    "You don''t really think we are lucky because we did not encounter any ferocious beast. You probably heard the rules of the forest before: The stronger one rules over the weak."


    The rules of the forest Kyran talked about was a famous saying in Somuli among beast-likes. Complete beings only snorted when they heard it because they knew their magic was stronger than any beasts.


    s.


    Today, Hm and the others are about to learn the harsh truth of this rule.


    The other Eidums could not bear to watch Soria getting eaten and close their eyes.


    Only Hm and three others managed to keep their eyes open.


    However, because of the fear and the feeling of hopelessness that crept into their hearts, their movements slowed, and the ice attacks of the other Glyve hit them.


    It was especially true with Hm, who the Glyve was pursuing.


    A huge sharp icicle came at him at an astonishing speed. There was no way he could dodge it.


    ''I should have never said those things... I should have offered to share my food instead of letting him hunt for his own....''


    These had been Hm''s thoughts before the sharp icicle pierced his back.


    "I was only gone for a few hours, and you''re already in such a mess?"


    Crackle! Sizzle!


    Before the sharp icicle pierced Hm''s back, a purple sphere appeared on its way. Instead of passing through it, the icicle seemed to sink into it. It even looked as if it was disintegrating.


    RAWRG¡ª BAM! BAM! BAM!


    The roar of the Glyve was cut off by three sounds of solid mass being ttened.


    Thud!


    Hm fell to his knees. His back and forehead were covered with cold sweat. He gaped in front at the shadow that suddenly appeared on top of the Glyve''s hand that held Soria. He then watched as that shadow effortlessly cut off the Glyve''s hand and lifted Soria to his arms. After that, the shadow jumped. The Glyve, who got its hand cut off, was about to roar, but then the shadow appeared and stomped on its head.


    In an instant, the Glyve''s head was ttened to the ground.


    Then the shadow vanished before reappearing above the next Glyve, who had not processed what had happened and met the same fate. After that, the shadow vanished again, and Hm heard another ttening sound and knew the third Glyve also suffered in the shadow''s stomp.


    Finally, the other Eidums who closed their eyes opened them to see what caused those sounds.


    They were shocked to find the three Glyves on the ground with their head busted, blood and brain matter flowing on the ground.


    The ''shadow'' stopped before Yalen, who was too weak to react, and saw it was none other than Kyran.

 Chapter 758 Not As Expected (6)

    Yalen looked at Kyran, wanting to thank him. But seeing the unconscious bloody Soria in his arms, she struggled to get up and heal her.


    "If you use your magic now, you''ll only worsen your condition," Kyran knelt and gentlyid Soria to the ground before forcing Yalen to sit still. He looked her straight in the eye and added, "You''ll just be another casualty. Is that what you want?"


    Yalen pursed her lips, wanting to protest. But then she tasted the blood she had spat just a minute ago and fell silent.


    Seeing herply, albeit reluctantly, to his advice, Kyran turned his attention to checking the state of the other Eidums. He called, "Come closer, all of you. Let me check your wounds."


    "C-Check our wounds?" Hm repeated. He was still slumped on the ground. Too weak to move. Still, he could not help but react strongly to everything Kyran said.


    "Can you not repeat what I say all the time? For once, listen to me and get your asses here," Kyran growled.


    The Eidum fighting the Glyve with Hm regained his senses and struggled to his feet. He went to Hm and helped him up before approaching Kyran.


    "Can you also bring your friend over there? I think he''s unconscious," Kyran asked, pointing at the Eidum, who got thrown by the third Glyve trying to save Soria.


    "Y-Yes," the other female Eidum fighter replied. Together with another male, Eidum, they went to their unconscious friend and brought him to Kyran.


    The male healer was silent as he watched Kyran examine their condition. Like Yalen, he was already spent. But that was not the reason he was silent. He was one of those who kept their eyes open when Soria was about to be eaten by the Glyve.


    He witnessed how Kyran killed all of the Glyves with one hit. To be precise, he saw Kyran stomping their heads and ttening them to their deaths.


    Such a feat was impossible, even to a beast-like.


    The male healer was afraid of Kyran. At the same time, he was in awe.


    "You four only had minor injuries, drink this and rest for a while," Kyran told four of the Eidums, giving them a bottle of healing potion.


    These four consisted of the female fighter, the other male fighter with Hm, and the two fighters shielding the healers.


    "You," Kyran looked at Hm and gave him a healing pill. "Take this and get some sleep."


    Hm opened his mouth. But before any sound could escape them, Kyran snapped at him, saying, "Don''t start with me. It''s only a healing pill. I asked you to get some sleep because the pill''s efficacy can be utilized only then."


    Hm took the pill without any qualms and said, "Okay. Thank you."


    Kyran raised his brows. He was surprised at how obedient Hm sounded. Then again, maybe his near-death experience made him realize his mistakes.


    "You two," Kyran looked at Yalen and the male healer. "As much as I want to give you two a pill, I will still need your help tending to these two. Drink this potion for now."


    Kyran gave them each a bottle of energy replenishing and healing potion.


    Yalen and the male healer looked at each other. They were skeptical about the potion Kyran gave them. Obviously, they knew they were health and mana potions, but their color looked strange. The health potion was red, and the mana potion was light blue.


    It should be noted that the color of a health potion in theirnd was green, and the mana potion was yellow. Their effectiveness could be determined depending on how deep their colors were.


    Noticing that none of them had taken his potions and pills, a vein popped on his forehead. Before he could snap at them, however, Hm opened his mouth and took the pill in one gulp.


    Then he stood up and bowed at Kyran before going to a boulder at the side and resting.


    The other Eidums were shocked at Hm''s action. Was he not the one always trying to find fault in Kyran earlier? How did he change his attitude toward him all of a sudden?


    They then remembered what transpired just now and felt a little ashamed.


    Truth be told, they thought the potions might be ''poisoned.'' But if Kyran nned to poison them from the start, why would he even help them?


    Yalen was the most ashamed because she had reprimanded Hm earlier because of how he treated Kyran. She even brazenly used the Saint''s words to show how ''righteous'' she was. In the end, she was no better than Hm. She could be considered worse even because at least Hm was now trying to trust Kyran.


    ''Stop thinking about unnecessary things, Yalen!'' She scolded herself and drank the potion bottoms up.


    The other Eidums followed suit, having simr thoughts to Yalen.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    But then, their eyes widened as they noticed the potions'' effect as soon as they drank them.


    "H-How could this be?" Yalen eximed as she stared at the bottle in her hand. Then she looked at Kyran and asked, "Where did you get this potion?"


    Her reaction was reasonable. Apart from the color of the potions, their effectiveness was evident. She even felt those ''high-quality potions'' in the market were inferior to Kyran''s!


    "I made them," Kyran replied with a shrug. He could have lied just now. But then he thought it was a pain to devise an excuse for where he got the potion. Besides, he saw their hesitation to drink the potion earlier. He guessed his potions might have a different color than the ones they were familiar with.


    Kyran did not have a sample of this ne''s potions. There might be some in the treasures he got from the bandits, but he did not have a chance to check them. He could not ask his puppets to sort the treasures, too, because all his puppets, apart from Aki, Len, and Neo, were only programmed for battle and simple tasks.


    He could have asked the old man or observed Hm and the others when they used potions, but the former was too noisy when experimenting on his potions. Thus, he cut off his connection with the projection, while thetter did not use even one potion.


    In the end, he could only adjust the ingredients he was using while following his method of concocting potions and pills. Thus, the result was his potions still had the same color as the ones in the Human ne, albeit using Somuli''s ingredients.


    Yalen gaped at him in disbelief, "Aren''t you a fighter?"


    "I am."


    "Then why can you also make potions?"


    "Can''t I do both?"


    "You...!"


    Yalen was speechless. It was not that there were no fighters in theirnd who did know potion-making. Some did, but they were not proficient.


    However, Kyran was different. They already witnessed how powerful his fighting ability was, but to be proficient in potion-making as well?


    Wait.


    He also knew how to make pills. Did that mean he also excels in apothecary?


    "Who are you, really?" Yalen asked, looking at Kyran in a different light.


    Kyran only replied with a somewhat mischievous smile. Then he turned his attention toward Soria and the unconscious Eidum.


    Yalen stared dazedly at Kyran''s profile.


    "Lady Yalen? Are you okay? Your face is a little flushed."


    Yalen snapped back to her senses after hearing the others call to her.


    ''Flushed? My face is flushed?'' She thought, finally feeling her cheeks burning. It did not take her long to realize the reason, and she flushed even more.


    "I-I am all right!" She stammered and tried to re at Kyran.


    But Kyran was not even looking at her; thus, her re was pointless. In the end, she could only sigh in frustration and joined them in checking the condition of Soria and Noam, who got rammed by the Glyve earlier.


    Yalen was once more speechless after hearing Kyran and Oded, the other healer, talking. The way Kyran exined Soria and Noam''s condition and how to cure them with minimal use of healing magic was something only those who had vast experience in healing would know.


    After a while, Kyran started instructing Oded on how to cure Noam.


    Noam suffered a concussion and broken ribs. Thus, it was impossible to mend them without using greater healing. However, based on Kyran''s instructions, it was possible using regr healing in addition to the special concoction he prepared.


    Yalen looked at Oded and saw him listening intently while following Kyran''s instructions. It seemed Kyran hadpletely won over Oded''s trust.


    Leaving the matter of curing Noam to Oded, Kyran turned to Yalen and began instructing her on applying the balm he made for Soria''s wounds.


    Yalen did not know when Soria''s wounds closed but knew Kyran had done something earlier without them noticing. She was notining, though. Instead, she was grateful because she might have died if they had not closed her wounds.

 Chapter 759 Not As Expected (7)

    "After that, just use some light healing to help her recover from blood loss," Kyran told Yalen after dressing Soria''s wounds.


    "This is very thoughtful of you. Thank you," Yalen thanked him because he refrained from touching Soria while instructing her on how to apply the balm and dress her wounds.


    "What?"


    "Not touching Soria. She is ady, as you know..."


    "I don''t want to be used of something for wanting to cure her," Kyran replied with a shrug.


    Yalen frowned, "We won''t do such a despicable thing! Besides, all of us are witnesses to how you saved her. In addition, you helped cure us and¡ª."


    "I''m messing with you. Don''t take my words seriously."


    Yalen was dumbfounded at Kyran''s response.


    Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Kyran stood up and joined the other Eidums in fixing the tents.


    Yalen frowned at Kyran''s attitude. She felt like he was not taking her seriously.


    ''Right. He did say not to take his words seriously,'' she thought, frustrated.


    Yalen looked at Kyran, and her brows furrowed in thought. Judging by appearance, she should be a year or two older than him. He could have at least shown her some respect, right? But recalling his knowledge in apothecary and healing, his age did not seem to add up.


    Could he truly be an Imon-spawn? After all, it was harder to tell the age of a beast-likepared to aplete being.


    "I don''t think he is an Imon-spawn."


    Oded''s remark, which seemed to coincide with Yalen''s thoughts, brought her back to reality. She looked at him and asked, "Why do you think so?"


    "His knowledge of aplete being''s body is not something a beast-like would know."


    Oded''s reasoning made Yalen gasp in realization. Why did she not think of that? She was too hung up on Kyran''s attitude toward her that she overlooked such an obvious clue.


    "You''re right."


    "I am starting to believe he is simr to the Saint. Aplete being with an Anathema."


    "The Saint''s condition was first thought of as an illness. His dark hair and eyes could also be treated as such. Unless we proved to them, he is not ill then..."


    "True. But it can be easily affirmed that it is not an illness. Think about it; how can he have such monstrous strength if he is ill?"


    "The first sign of an illness is the weakening of one''s body," Yalen recalled what she read about aplete being''s illness. "With his strength, not to mention knowledge of aplete being''s anatomy, it is possible to argue that he is aplete being with an Anathema."


    After a while, she chuckled and looked at Oded in amusement, "I am surprised you are giving his origin real thought. Did he grow on you already? It hasn''t even been a day since we met him."


    "Yeah, but not as much as you," Oded replied, tongue in cheek. With a slight sneer, he stood up and joined the others before Yalen could react.


    Yalen''s face burned once more. She did not expect Oded to notice her strange reaction earlier!


    ''D-Did I really look that way... to him... T-This is embarrassing!''


    By the time their resting spot was fixed, Hm had woken up.


    As Kyran said, the pill''s efficacy did wonders for Hm''s body. Not only did it restore his energy, but it also mended all his internal and external injuries. Because of this, he unhesitatingly went up to Kyran and thanked him, shocking the other Eidums.


    Kyran epted his gratitude without any drama, making the others sigh in relief.


    If this had happened in the Abbey, and Kyran was like a regr stuck-up Eidum, he would have already demanded Hm an apology without epting his gratitude.


    Seeing Kyran''s nonchnt attitude toward Hm''s earlier hostility made them realize how mature he waspared to his young appearance.


    Once everyone had settled, Kyran offered to keep watch while they rested.


    Hm initially wanted to insist on doing it because he had already rested, but Kyran had left before he could make his point, leaving him somewhat helpless.


    A few hourster, when everyone was well rested, and Noam and Soria also woke up, they prepared to leave.


    Honestly, Noam and Soria''s condition should have dyed their journey. But because of the effectiveness of Kyran''s medicines, they were healed practically miraculously and could already move without any problems.


    Their estimated arrival time at the Great Divide was three days at the rate they were going. They had arrived at this number after considering several factors, such as sneak attacks from the enemies and ferocious beasts alike, food gathering¡ª because their ration was not enough now that they decided to share it with Kyran¡ªwell as their resting time.


    Surprisingly, their estimated time was cut by a day because they did not encounter any enemies or ferocious beasts along the way. It was as if, Kyran''s presence stopped any mishaps from happening around them.


    His talk about the rule of the forest suddenly made sense to them.


    With such a ''strong'' person with them, the ''weaker'' enemies and ferocious beasts had no choice but to give way.


    In any case, their travel time was down to two days, which meant their ration was enough to amodate them until they reached the Great Divide.


    Two dayster, they finally arrived at a desert-like field.


    They all stopped in their tracks as Hm looked at Kyran and said, "The Great Divide is just over there."


    He pointed up ahead. But apart from the desert, there was nothing else to see.


    ''See there? There is a dark line over the horizon,'' the old man exined to Kyran.


    Kyran did see the ''dark line'' and knew it was a chasm. At first nce, it might appear small, but with his heightened senses, he knew the chasm was vast and long.


    Basically, The border separating the Eidum''s territory from the enemies'' territory was a long and vast chasm.


    ''That chasm is why the border is called the Great Divide,'' the old man continued.


    For the record, the old man was initially angered at Kyran suddenly cutting off the feed from the projector a few days back. But after learning what transpired and that his goal had been to teach those ''rookies'' a lesson of the ''real world,'' his anger dissipated.


    "The HQ is also located there," Hm continued appearing somewhat mysterious.


    ''I''m sure you''ve already sensed it. The HQ is underground and built along the chasm walls, cing the battlefield below.


    "I see," Kyran spoke aloud. "The HQ is located along the chasm walls. That''s pretty neat. If not for the ongoing war, I would have liked to explore how it was made."


    Hm''s face fell. He wanted to give a grand exnation about where the HQ was located. In the end, Kyran already guessed where it was, and the ''grand exnation'' he had in mind was rendered useless.


    "Yes," Soria agreed. "The HQ''s construction had been one of the turning points of the Eidum''s history. I would apany you and exin it in detail, but you are right. There is a war we need to focus on."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    She and Noam were the few who warmed up to Kyran the most. It was reasonable since he was the one who saved them.


    Besides that, Soria was truly grateful for Kyran''s considerate action by letting Yalen take care of her wounds.


    "Anyway, we have to leave you here for the time being," Soria continued, looking uneasily. "With our clearance, we can''t invite you inside HQ. Even if you have a temporary identification issued by the Abbot, your appearance... well..." Soria''s voice trailed off.


    "I understand. Do what you have to do. I''ll wait here."


    Hm and the others looked at him apologetically. They were already used to his appearance after being with him for a few days. But the sentries at the entrance might not be that weing.


    "Soria and I will report to themander and request an audience with the leader," Hm added hastily. "We''lle back and take you to her, then."


    "I can wait here with Nar¡ª."


    "You have to report to the Infirmary as soon as possible," Soria reminded Yalen before she could finish what she was saying. "Plenty of injured members needed you and Oded, Lady Yalen."


    "But¡ª."


    "Yalen."


    Yalen pursed her lips. As much as she wanted Kyran not to feel unwee by leaving him here, she had a responsibility. Besides, a Soria suddenly dropping the honorifics while saying her name was scary.


    Yalen feared the scary Soria.


    "We''ll bring the supplies to the inventory manager," Noam also quipped.


    "Here," Kyran gave him the storage ring where he kept their supplies. "I''ve added some items in there. In case you''ll find a discrepancy in the number of supplies."


    Noam looked at the ring on Kyran''s hand in disbelief. He would be lying if he said he did not doubt the supplies were all in that ring because it was too small! How could all their supplies fit in there?


    The truth they had been mulling over where Kyran hid their supplies. They never considered he had kept them inside such a small item.


    They were getting more and more intrigued by Kyran''s background.


    Hm turned to Kyran, "Well then. We''ll be back."


    Kyran only nodded in response.


    Hm walked over to a spot in front of them and took out a translucent disc. He spoke a few words, and the ground beneath him lit up the same time the disc did.


    Kyran''s eyes widened. He had not been using his magic sensetely because of the thin magic energy around them. Thus, he did not notice the array formation.


    More importantly, after staying in Somuli for a few days, he believed no one could use Array. To think he would find one right here.


    "A transportation array?" Kyran''s brow furrowed after recognizing the runes on the formation.


    Soria looked at him in surprise, "You know about the lost technology?"


    "Array is a lost technology?" Kyran asked, looking at her questioningly.


    Soria could not help but smile bitterly. They already established his ignorance of mostmon knowledge was due to his hiding because of his appearance.


    "It is," she answered. "There are only a few ces that still possessed Arrays. While we can read its runes, we can''t replicate it. We can''t even fix a damaged array, so the entrance to the HQ must be kept secret. If the enemies knew where the array is located, then..."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Kyran assured her.


    He did not borate, but to Soria and the others, they took his words as an assurance he would not tell anyone where the entrance was.


    Others who knew Kyran, however, knew he meant ''fixing the array if it got damaged was nothing to worry about.'' After all, he was an Array Saint.


    "The array is ready. Let''s go," Hm called them.


    The rest of the Eidums looked at Kyran as they stepped into the array. They did not bid him farewell because they knew they would meet again.


    "Later, Nar."


    Kyran smiled and nodded, watching them disappear as a blinding light from the array enveloped them.


    ''You''ve grown fond of those kids, haven''t you?''


    The old man, who had been silent for a while, suddenly gave a cheeky remark.


    ''I have,'' Kyran admitted.


    The old man smiled without saying anything more.


    Getting the approval of themander took some time. He asked Hm and Soria several questions and even checked with the inventory manager if the supplies were truly in one piece and had not been tampered with.


    Hm and Soria were d they did not try to take Kyran with them because they felt ashamed of themander''s attitude.


    After receiving the entry approval of Kyran from themander, the next tricky part was requesting an audience with the leader.


    Themander was such a pain in the ass and refused at once. Only when they revealed the news of the Abbot''s abduction and that Kyran was likely thest person he talked to before it happened did themander agree.


    Themander gave a different disc to Hm that would directly transport them to the leader''s receiving room upon its activation at the transportation array outside.


    Hm and Soria went outside soon after and brought Kyran to the leader.


    The moment they appeared in the receiving room, they saw three people.


    Kyran already knew the leader was a woman. He even guessed it was the Saint. That was why when he saw a woman wearing a simrly designed robe like the Abbot, albeit having feminine touch, sitting on the high chair, he felt nothing.


    ...


    That was a lie.


    The truth was that he was disappointed.


    He never thought that he was actually hoping the Saint was Cyneah. And learning that it was not her, he was greatly disappointed.


    The Saint could not even be mistaken for Cyneah because the color of her hair and eyes were like theplete beings he met: blonde hair and blue eyes.


    With a bitter smile, Kyran muttered, "In the end, it is not as I expected."

 Chapter 760 Beast Horde (1)

    The Eidum''s HQ at the Great Divide consisted of four sections. Three of these had seven floors, with one huge floor close to the surface.


    The first section was the one close to the surface. All supplies were kept there. The second section below it was where the Infirmary, Apothecary, patients'' ward were found. Following that section were the sleeping chambers, kitchen and the dining hall. Finally, thest section, which was at the bottom of the chasm was the assembly hall, offices of the leaders, and the exit to the lower ground.


    At the moment, Kyran, Hm and Soria was inside the receiving room of the Saint. It is located at the lowest floor and was also close to the assembly hall.


    "What did you just say?" The Saint asked after hearing Kyran speak some inaudible words.


    Kyran shook his head and replied, "Sorry, it''s nothing."


    He took out his identification, intending to get to the bottom of hising, "I came here because I had an agreement with the Great Abbot."


    "Hm and Soria already told us that. More importantly, they said, you told them that the Abbot has been abducted."


    Instead of addressing what Kyran had said, the burly man with crew-cut blonde hair and light blue eyes at the Saint''s left side growled at him.


    "That is the most absurd lie I have ever heard!" The burly man added with such conviction.


    "Commander Gidan," the Saint suddenly called with a warning tone. She also heard the news and did not believe it. For this reason, she wanted to meet Kyran as soon as possible and see for herself what he was up to.


    Themander, Gidan, grumbled in protest but did not attempt to question Kyran again. He was still ring at him, though.


    "Sir Azikh?" The Saint addressed the other man on her right, who was about six feet with an average build. He had long blonde hair tied at the back, and his round blue eyes made him seem amicablepared to Gidan.


    "Yes, leader."


    Azikh looked at Kyran and smiled, "May we see the identification given to you by the Abbot?"


    Kyran threw the scroll in his hand in response to his request.


    Taken aback, Azikh barely caught it with both hands.


    "You¡ª!" Gidan started. However, the Saint''s interrupted him with a firm, "Commander Gidan."


    "But he was being disrespectful of us, leader! He threw the damn¡ª."


    "Commander Gidan."


    "Ugh...! Fine."


    Azikh looked at Kyran lightly and said, "You did not have to throw it. We won''t do anything, even if you approach and hand it normally."


    "Don''t get me wrong," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I just thought throwing it is faster than handing it over."


    "Hm... You have a point."


    "Oi, Azikh. Don''t just agree to what he says, you have to be¡ª."


    "Do I have to repeat myself, Commander Gidan?" The Saint spoke warningly at him once more.


    "He had those sons-of-bitches'' hair and eyes, leader," Gidan exined while ring daggers at Kyran.


    "Yes," the Saint replied. "You already told me. But did Hm and Soria say anything against him? I believe they had traveled with him for a few days and is better suited to be his judge."


    Hm and Soria immediately lowered their heads at the mention of their names.


    "Leader. Nar is a trustworthyplete being."


    "You two!" Gidan red at them. "Are you blind?"


    His remark immediately caused a drop in temperature in the room.


    Hm and Soria shivered in fear and dared not raise their heads to look at the scene.


    On the other hand, Kyran tilted his head in amusement.


    The one that caused the drop in the temperature was not the Saint.


    Even after hearing Gidan speak of the word ''blind,'' she was unaffected.


    But that did not seem to be the case with Azikh.


    Kyran guessed that Azikh could be someone close to the Saint if he reacted that way just because of an offhanded remark that could leave a bad memory even if it was not directed at her.


    Still, what amused Kyran was that Azikh''s strength seemed greater than Gidan''s. If not, thetter would not look like he was about to piss his pants in fear.


    "That was not meant for the leader, Azikh. T-Try to calm down..."


    "The leader has already warned you not once but three times," Azikh said with a gentle yet cold smile. "If you keep interrupting and hindering the progression of our questioning, you are free to leave."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Gidan responded by straightening his back and nodding once.


    "Thank you," Azikh said before turning to the Saint and handing the identification given by Kyran.


    "The Abbot''s seal is authentic. Whether he took it from someone else or was truly given by the Aboot can only be confirmed by you," he told her as if nothing strange had happened.


    "Thank you, Azikh," the Saint said while carefully touching the scroll. "I will have to examine it in greater detail."


    "If you need time to check it, go right ahead. But first, I''ll exin what the Great Abbot and I had agreed on."


    "Very well," the Saint said. "I am listening."


    Before Kyran could say anything, Soria grabbed the hem of his sleeves and whispered, "The Saint could detect any lies from a person''s voice. You have to be careful about what you will say."


    "You do not have to fear for him, Soria," the Saint said, chuckling lightly. Apparently, she was not only good at detecting lies from hearing a person speak but had a good ear in general.


    Soria flushed and lowered her head again in embarrassment.


    "I-I''m sorry."


    "How should I address you, sir...?"


    "Nar is fine."


    "Nar, it is. Please tell us what you and the Abbot had agreed upon."


    Kyran shrugged, "Nothingplicated. He asked for my help, and in turn, he said I could find what I was looking for in this ce. That''s why I will help deal with the situation here. I only ask that you allow me to search for... that person."


    Azikh and Gidan frowned at what Kyran said. Even the Saint''s brow furrowed slightly.


    "''Help deal with the situation here?''" She repeated. "Are you even aware of what we are dealing with now?"


    Judging from her expression, it was obvious she did not believe him. To be precise, she did not believe the Abbot would ask for a stranger''s help dealing with the situation at the borders.


    The situation had worsened to the point that they could barely defend the borders, not to mention their supplies¡ª though Hm and the others had brought some¡ª could onlyst for another two weeks. A month if they halved the allocated amount of food for each fighter.


    They could not do thetter because most fighters were recuperating and needed adequate food to recover properly.


    Apart from that, Kyran looked too young. His origin was questionable as well.


    The old man, watching the exchange from inside the Void World, could not help but sigh inwardly. As much as he wanted to help mitigate their suspicion, the key that would help him was not there.


    "A little," Kyran responded.


    Earlier, when Hm and the others entered the HQ, he went to the edge of the chasm and checked the battlefield below. There he noticed dead bodies of beast-likes andplete beings.


    Some of the bodies were already rotting, but some appeared fresh. From this, Kyran guessed that the confrontation between the two sides happened on a regr basis. Not to mention, the casualties were tremendous.


    Kyran could not confirm if the bodies below were mostly from the enemy side because the clothes worn by the Eidums were covered in dirt and blood, making them appear dark, like the ones worn by the enemies.


    But that was the thing; Kyran was shocked to learn the bodies were not wearing any armor. Or maybe, they did, but it was too worn out from the continuous battle that they were destroyed.


    "A battle can happen here at a moment''s notice," the Saint continued. "We are desperate for fighters and supplies. Nevertheless, we will not employ a young man''s assistance. The Abbot would never ask a young person toe here and risk his life, no matter how strong he is."


    "I never said anything about risking my life," Kyran said before the Saint could continue with her pep talk. "That is not part of our agreement. But I agreed to help, so I will."


    The Saint felt conflicted. Although she said she needed time to check the identification, since Azikh confirmed the Abbot''s seal was in it, it pretty much meant it was 99% authentic. The remaining 1% was their doubt on Kyran''s motives.


    He said he was looking for someone, and the Abbot confirmed he would find that person there. But was that enough reason to risk his life?


    Right. He already confirmed that was not part of the agreement with the Abbot. But if he wanted to help ''deal with their situation,'' how could he do that without risking his life?


    "We''ll just say we believe the Abbot did ask your help," the Saint said after a short pause. "So, let''s move to another topic."


    "The Abbot''s abduction."


    "Yes."


    "It''s true," Kyran told them with a straight face. "The news probably spread to the inner city and will reach here soon. Initially, I did not want to say it. But once you hear it, I''ll be the most suspicious."


    "Because as far as we know, you are thest person the Abbot had spoken to."


    "Which is why I told you the truth," Kyran exined. "I don''t want to deal with suchplicated things. I''ll be dealing with the situation here and looking for someone, so I can''t be bothered to¡ª."


    BOOM!


    Suddenly the whole room shook as the HQ''s siren red outside the room.

 Chapter 761 Beast Horde (2)

    "The other side released a horde of beast at us!"


    A messenger reported as soon as he appeared from the receiving room''s array. He knelt in front of the Saint and added, "We failed to detect their movements until they were near the gates!"


    The Saint''s calm demeanor was reced with worry.


    They had only suffered a recent attack and their fighters had barely recovered. How would they deal with the horde of beast?


    "What''s the status of our fighters?" The Saint asked Azikh.


    Azikh, holding a white disc, was alreadymunicating with someone from the infirmary.


    "Most who suffered minor injuries from thest attack has already been cured. However, they have yet to fully recover their mana."


    Gidan scowled, "There is nothing we can do about that. Give them mana potions for now. How many are abled? Did the Matron say?"


    Azikh''s expression turned grim as he looked at Gidan and answered, "No more than thirty."


    Hm and the Soria paled. If the abled fighters that had been there only amounted to that, they would be dispatched to the battlefield.


    Subconsciously, they looked at Kyran. But then stopped midway after being ovee with shame for even considering asking him to save them when the leaders had yet to approve his stay. Besides, were they not sent here to defend the borders? They had to get a grip.


    Still, thinking this way did not stop the fear that crept in their hearts. This was especially true with Soria, who almost died in the hands of a Glyve a few days ago.


    Just as they were thinking this, Gidan looked at them. His intense re almost made them balk. But they steeled themselves for whatever was toe.


    "You two, go gather your people. You will join the frontlines. Meet at the assembly hall at-."


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    RAAAAWRGH!


    Gidan''s words were interrupted by a series of explosions that shook the whole ce. It was then followed by a powerful and oppressive roar of a beast that made them their insides churn.


    The magic waves that apanied the roar made Hm and Soria fall to their knees in fear.


    "A magical beast..." Azikh gritted his teeth, realizing what type of beast that was.


    In Somuli, there were three types of beasts.


    The normal ones with no magic, the ferocious beasts that could use magic, and finally, the magical beasts that possessed powerful magic and intelligence.


    Dealing with a magical beast was no easy feat. They had to be prepared to lose half of their fighters to kill one. A forty or so fighters was not enough to deal with one, and the one outside was not even alone. It was apanied by a horde of beast that could overwhelm even if a hundred or so fighters banded together.


    If they sent their fighters outside, they would only be cannon fodders.


    "Ask the Matron to ry a message to the Head Healer. Please allow the healers to go to the frontlines," the Saint suddenly said.


    Azikh and Gidan fell silent.


    Even the messenger lowered his head, feeling conflicted.


    Healers were not meant to go to the frontlines simply because the beasts would always target them first due to their potent magic waves.


    Ordinaryplete beings with powerful magic waves usually turn to formidable offensive type mages.


    However, their people were no ordinaryplete beings but Eidums. They were sanctifiedplete beings. This meant their magic were pure and could only be used for healing and recovery spells. For this reason, there were no healers in Somuli that could fight. Some Eidums with weaker magic waves learned how to fight and even use low to mid-tier offensive magic spells. However, since they were still Eidums, the destructiveness of their magic was not as powerfulpared to ordinaryplete beings.


    "I know," the Saint said with a grave tone. She knew their concern, but if a magical beast was among the horde, their injured fighters would have a hard time moving back the line to receive healing from the healers staying at the rear.


    "Healers cannot fight. But if they are in the frontlines, they can provide support immediately. This will increase the survival rate of our fighters."


    "Or it could jeopardize everyone''s survival."


    All of them looked at the person who had spoken these words.


    The messenger who arrived in a panic earlier did not notice him. Now that he did, he let out a frightened shriek and backed up the wall.


    The young man''s dark hair and eyes had frightened him senseless!


    Ignoring the messenger''s reaction, Kyran shrugged and addressed the questioning stares of the rest.


    "You said it yourself. There is a magical beast outside. Do you think it will allow the healers to support the fighters in real-timebat? Beasts are drawn to a healer''s powerful magic wave in the first ce and there is a horde of those outside. Those mindless idiots would go into a frenzy if a they sensed a group of healers near them.


    "Even without the magical beast directing the horde to prioritize the healers, they will swarm at them. When that happens, the fighters will not stand a chance."


    Hearing his reasoning made them realize his point.


    Just as he said, magic waves from a group of healers was intoxicating to beasts. They would be targeted first and the fighters would not be able to do anything.


    "You..." Azikh looked at Kyran with a frown. "You seemed knowledgeable about beast behavior."


    Kyran did not respond and only tilted his head as if to say ''What''s wrong with that?''


    Truth be told, Kyran learned the three types of beasts in Somuli from the old man, who was making livementary in his head.


    It was when the old man screamed bloody murder at the enemymander for daring to release a horde of beast, not to mention a magical beast at the Eidums.


    As for Kyran''s knowledge of beast behavior, it was based on his personal experience after encountering all sorts of beasts in and outside the Human ne.


    "I have a proposal," Kyran turned to the Saint while all of them were still contemting what he said.


    The Saint raised her head toward him, relying on the sound of his voice to pinpoint his location.


    "Let''s hear it."


    "But, leader-."


    "The more time we waste here the more we are allowing the enemies to pick up the momentum and gain the upper hand," the Saint cut Gidan, midsentence. "I know I am overstepping my bounds. You are themander and I am only a leader in name. However, while I am here, I will act the part."


    All of them fell silent.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Even the old man stoppedmenting in Kyran''s head.


    On the other hand, a small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips after hearing what the Saint had said. Still he pretended not to understand and kept a straight face.


    "Please continue," the Saint told Kyran.


    "Though I said it is a proposal, I will only do what the Great Abbot asked me to."


    Azikh and Gidan narrowed their eyes, realizing what he meant.


    "Let me deal with the situation outside," Kyran said with a slight smile.


    Hm and Soria was overcame with relief at this. If Kyran truly joined them, they might truly stand a chance against the horde and the magical beast. They knew how powerful he was, but was not delusional to think he could win against the magical beast alone. Neverthless, their chances of survival would increase with him around.


    "This is too timely to be called a coincidence," Gidan growled right after Kyran finished talking. "You appearing here, the enemy releasing a horde of beast... how would we know this is not a ploy to make us panic so we will agree to your proposal, and then trust you?"


    Kyran gaped at him as if he was looking at an idiot.


    Seeing his reaction, Hm was reminded of their first meeting. Kyran called him something he did not understand after saying something ''strange.''


    Hm did not think themander said something strange, though. He even believed jt was sound. But contrary to Gidan, Hm believed Kyran had no ill intentions and only want to fulfill his part of the agreement with the Abbot.


    "Are you retarded?"


    "Re- what was that?" Gidan growled.


    It should be noted that when Kyran called Gidan ''retarded'' he used humannguage. He did this not because he was afraid of annoying Gidan further because he already was, but because he did not know how to say it in Somulian.


    That had been the case with Hm too, when he snapped at him for having a brain full of sh*t.


    "Why would the enemy even nt a spy among you? Look at the state of your people. Is there even a reason to spy on you? Besides, they are attacking because they believed thisnd belongs to them, right? Does someone whose hatred appeared no-bounds, will they put in an effort to spy and get close to you?" Kyran pointed, adding the things he learned from the enemies who ambushed Hm and the others.


    "For arguments sake, let''s say the enemy does have a reason in nting a spy, will they send someone with an appearance like mine? No matter how you look at it, my dark hair screams suspicious."


    Gidan''s brow twitched slightly. Kyran had a point.


    Honestly, Gidan only said what he did because he did not trust Kyran. In the end, he was told off with a sound reasoning and felt annoyed. At the same time, ashamed for hisck ofmon sense.


    Azikh looked at Kyran in amusement. He was starting to like his character by the second.


    As if having the same thoughts as him, the Saint tilted her head slightly at him.


    Seeing this, Azikh said to Kyran, "Alright. You may join the rest in the frontlines and prove that the Abbot truly sent you-."


    "Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said."


    "Did you not say you will help us deal with the horde?" The Saint asked in confusion.


    "No."


    "You-!"


    Before Gidan could tell him off, Kyran exined, "I said, ''let me deal with the situation outside.'' I never said anything about joining your people."


    Hm and Soria, who had traveled with Kyran for a few days understood at once what he meant and gaped at him.


    "You... want to deal with those horde alone? Even the magical beast?"


    "The reason you did not believe I was sent by the Great Abbot is because you don''t know what I''m capable of.


    "Distrusting your own Abbot... Tsk, tsk. He is probably rolling in his sleep right now because you doubted his judgment."


    ''What did you mean by that? I don''t roll in my sleep.''


    Kyran ignored the old man''s sidement.


    "Are you really fine going alone?" The Saint asked.


    "Rather than wasting time with a Q and A, how about I show you?" Kyran said.


    Without waiting for any of them to respond, he looked at the messenger who flinched in fright.


    "Can you take me outside? You have a disc that can transport you directly to the gates, right?"


    "I-I..." the messenger looked ar Azikh in hesitation.


    "Take him," Akizh replied, nodding at the messenger.


    "A-Alright," the messenger replied and looked at Kyran. "P-Please, this way."


    Kyran nodded and approached him.


    Taking out the disc, the messenger activated it and an array glowed at their feet.


    A blinding light enveloped them, and in a blink of an eye, they were transported to another array near the gates.


    Loud sounds of solid mass ramming on steel walls greeted them upon arrival.


    As Kyran''s vision cleared he found himself looking at a thirty meter high steel walls.


    "What did themander say?" A fighter approached as soon as they appeared. But uponying his eyes on Kyran, he shrieked and fell back.


    Kyran ignored the man and looked at the messenger, "Where''s the emergency door leading outside?"


    "T-There is no door. We only have the gates."


    Kyran''s brow did an involuntary twitch.


    He was starting to understand why the Eidums were on the losing side of this war.

 Chapter 762 Beast Horde (3)

    "Never mind," Kyran told the messenger after thinking it through. Using a door to go outside was only a pretense since he did not want to warp. Besides, even if he did not warp, he had other ways to leave the walls¡ª like jumping over the wall. He only wanted to make sure there was no array or spell in ce over the walls that would prevent him from doing so.


    "Keep the gates closed no matter what," Kyran exhorted the messenger before turning to leave.


    "T-That''s¡­ I can''t promise that. If themander or the Saint asked it to be opened..."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He did not stop to try and convince him to listen. In any case, he did not think themander or the Saint would order the gates to be opened once he stepped outside. Besides, he nned to take the horde seriously. Thus, an ident where a beast breached his defenses and aimed for the walls was unlikely.


    To be honest, one of the reasons he volunteered to face the horde alone was not only so he could show them he had the ''strength'' to back up the Abbot''s reason in asking for his help but because he wanted to see how the magical beast would react once he appeared.


    Would it stop attacking and retreat because of his ability? Or would it continue to lead the horde and render his ability useless?


    In any case, he knew there was a limit to the influence of his ability to stop beasts from attacking. For example, when Savagery sent out her minions, they attacked him ruthlessly. The same happened with Max''s beasts and Ruin''s summons.


    In all those instances, there was one thing the three of them had inmon. Those beasts or summons were ordered to fight. What about a beast with a higher level? Like a magical beast with intelligence?


    Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to meet a beast with a higher level.


    Until now.


    ''Let''s go with 20%,'' Kyran decided and circted the Draconic magic in his body.


    When he fought the enemies who ambushed Hm and the others back in the forest, he used thebination of Void and Draconic in dealing with them. He did this not because he wanted to overwhelm them but because he did not want to be careless. As he told the old man at that time, he wanted to get serious.


    s, getting serious made him a big bully. He did not think the enemies were that weak. Frankly, they had a strange aura about them that he thought they were dangerouspared to the bandits.


    In any case, Kyran already knew the magicw of this ne likely caused him to have a different perspective when it came to sensing auras. He might not be affected by the ne''s magicw and could still use his magic without any problem because of the Shaiha, but that did not mean he could automatically adapt to the ne''s magicw.


    Kyran did ask the old man to exin it during the first part of their journey. Unfortunately, the old man was not a good teacher, and Kyran only got confused.


    Putting aside learning the Somuli ne''s magicw, Kyran refocused his attention on the situation at hand. He lowered his stance and jumped over the wall with a loud bam.


    When they saw this, the messenger and the fighter who greeted them almost had their eyes popped out of their sockets.


    The rest of the fighters maintaining the barrier of the walls also heard themotion and wondered what had happened.


    Their doubt was answered almost immediately when they saw a figure appear on top of the wall. Like the messenger and the fighter below, their eyes bulged at the sight.


    How could someone appear on top of the wall without them noticing? It should be noted that although there was not an emergency door on the wall that led to the other side, it had a wall that led to a stair to the top. However, the only ones allowed to enter that door and go up were fighters responsible for maintaining the barrier around the walls.


    As Kyrannded on top, he saw about three fighters gaping at him in astonishment. He made a mental note that there was a magical barrier around the walls and that three Eidums were maintaining it. Then he looked up front and checked the situation on the other side.


    Kyran''s eyes constricted as he saw the beast horde.


    A sea of beasts of all kinds, ramming their heads on the steel walls. Some were even using magic to attack, while others dug their ws into the ground and picked up boulders to throw at the walls.


    The barrier the three Eidums maintained could counter the boulders being thrown at it. It also protected the walls from some of the beasts'' low-tier magic attacks. However, it was hopeless to those ramming at it directly and attacking with second to advance-tier magic attacks. This resulted in banging sounds and explosions that shook the other side.


    Apart from the sea of beasts, Kyran''s eyes were drawn to the huge one at the rear. His eyes narrowed as he sensed it looking at him.


    The huge beast stood upright like a human, whose frame was simr to a human''s. It also looked a little like a human¡ª a big and ugly one with dark blue skin. Its body was full of yellow markings like runes but could also be tattoos. Most of all, looking at the solid mass of a muscle it had, it was not hard to imagine how much raw power it possessed.


    This was the first time Kyran saw such a beast. However, he had read of them before. Then again, could he even call it a beast? Seeing it possessed human features?<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''An blue-skinned High Orc,'' Kyran thought, an amused smile tugging at the side of his lips. ''This guy is considered a magical beast in this ne? As far as I remember, they are among the most notorious monsters that could be found in many nes.


    ''Not that I''ve been to the nes they belonged to. This is my first time seeing one, and I never expected it to be this huge.''


    The blue-skinned High Orc stood about fifty meters, a feat not included in the book he had read about. As far as he remembered, a High Orc''s height could go up to seven meters¡ª not fifty.


    ''Rather than a High Orce, maybe it can be considered a giant?'' Kyran pondered.


    Shaking his head inwardly, two long daggers slowly materialized on each of his spread hands.


    The three Eidums watching him cautiously were shocked after seeing the daggers appear out of nowhere. However, they did not attempt to question or detain him because they already received a message from the messenger on his identity.


    Nevertheless, that did not stop them from looking at him warily because of his appearance.


    Ignoring the three looking at him, Kyran walked over to the edge of the walls and jumped.


    The three Eidums gasped. They knew he was there to face the horde, but they had imagined he would use magic from there. Yes, they saw him take out the daggers, but they had thought he nned on ''throwing'' them rather than using them to fight in melee.


    The beasts below sensed Kyran''s descent and turned their focus on him. Some were already jumping, their fang-filled-mouth gaping open, wanting to snap him into pieces.


    Before they could even attempt to do anything, though, Kyran disappeared. The beasts were astonished because even if their prey suddenly turned invisible or changed direction at an astonishing speed that their eyes could not follow, they had other ways of sensing their prey¡ª like their scent or aura. However, when Kyran disappeared, they also lost track of his scent and aura.


    How could it be?


    RAAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast that had sensed Kyran''s presence as soon as he stepped onto the walls roared at the beast at the front for being weaklings. Kyran''s sudden disappearance did not affect it as much as the beasts close to the walls.


    Kyran saw the High Orc''s reaction and could not help but smile. It seemed a magical beast was truly on a different level.


    The magical beast raised its weapon, a club with razor-sharp des scattered all over it, and threw it toward the walls.


    Kyran, who did not disappear but moved around the horde, slicing and beheading the smaller ones, was surprised at the High Orc''s action because the club was not aimed at where he was but at a spot where he would appear next.


    ''This guy¡ª!''


    BAAAAM!


    The club hit the ground close to the steel wall, smashing some beasts.


    Kyran, who managed to stop in time, barely avoided the club. However, the shockwave after itnded forced him back a few steps.


    RAAAAARGGH!


    The High Orc roared toward in anger after missing Kyran.


    Kyran, on the other hand, looked at it with a vein popping at his forehead.


    "You b*stard. I''ll kill you first."

 Chapter 763 Not Mine (1)

    Kyran first wanted to reduce the number of beasts hitting the defensive walls, so he did not go after the magical beast. Besides, he wanted to observe how itmands the horde.


    But it seemed to have noticed Kyran and wanted to go after him itself.


    Seeing that it missed, the magical beast roared and charged toward Kyran, crushing the smaller beasts along the way.


    Kyran also charged forward, nning to intercept the magical beast while cutting through the beasts blocking his path.


    In an instant, the battlefield had gotten chaotic.


    The Eidums maintaining the barrier gaped at the battlefield in amazement and fear.


    How could one ''being'' with such a small stature deal so much damage to beasts more than twice his size? Apart from this, the magical beast had reacted to him and was already after him. Instead of avoiding the magical beast, he even went after it.


    <What is the situation outside?>


    The messenger''s voice sounded through themunication device and called the attention of the three Eidums.


    Snapping out of the initial shock at the development of the battle below, one Eidum responded, "T-That young man... h-he..."


    <What? What happened to him? Did he already fail?>


    "Fail? What are you talking about? He is ughtering his way toward the magical beast!"


    <What?>


    Back to the battlefield, Kyran aimed at the eyes of the beast resembling a rhinoceros blocking his path. This beast usually had thick skins. Thus, he did not hesitate to aim at the most vulnerable part avable¡ª its eyes.


    Rawrgh!


    The beast roared in pain and mmed into a beast about to w Kyran from the side.


    Rawrgh!


    The second beast fell to the ground, and the one resembling a rhino stumbled on top of it. What followed was a stampede of beasts that wanted to attack Kyran.


    Kyran twisted his body midair and avoided one beast. Hended on top of the head of another and pierced its eyes before jumping to another, doing the same.


    He could not kill all of the beasts with his weapon. The ones near the walls were medium-sized that his daggers could still cut. But now, he was faced withrge-sized beasts, and if he wanted to cut their heads, he had to slice through their necks a few times. Some of them even had thicker skin that could not be easily prated. Thus, Kyran aimed to disable them in the meantime.


    Kyran knew these beasts'' regenerative abilities were insane, but he imbued his long daggers with the Void property to ensure their eyes would not regenerate.


    These daggers were one of the new weapons he forged in the past year. It was made from materials that could absorb his Void magic, albeit for a few hours only. After that, the des would erode and be useless.


    Basically, the long daggers were ''disposable'' weapons.


    It was quite unfortunate that apart from the two ck swords in his possession, no other weapons could withstand his Void magic. He tried looking for the materials used to create the ck swords but realized even when he used the materials to forge a new weapon. It could not withstand the Void''s property. Ultimately, he realized there was something special about the ck sword, which enabled them to withstand his magic.


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not have a way to dismantle the sword and study them. He was also afraid they would lose that ''special trait'' if he forcefully dismantled it in his own way.


    In any case, Kyran did not use those swords because the other Sovereigns outside Somuli already saw him wielding them. If an image of him, as Nar, were recorded by aplete being that worked for the Somuli''s fake Sovereign, and that image leaked to the outside, who knew how the Sovereigns, especially Ruin''s essence, would react?


    RAAAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast roared as it neared Kyran. He noticed how enraged he was after some of the beasts came at him. He reckoned it wanted to deal with him itself and did not want the other beasts meddling.


    ''Does this mean that magical beast is notmanding the horde?'' Kyran wondered as he looked at it with narrowed eyes.


    ''Doesn''t matter. I''ll find out soon enough,'' he thought, using the Dragon Steps to close in on it.


    RAAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast raised its hand, and the club it had thrown earlier flew back into its hand. Then it did a low swipe horizontally, destroying the beasts andnd before it.


    "Tsk!" Kyran gritted his teeth as he abruptly stopped to avoid the magical beast''s swing before rolling to the side.


    He was shocked that it predicted where he would appear after using the Dragon Steps! It was almost simr to how it reacted when it threw the club at him. He was hidden among the beasts, yet it could pinpoint his location and barely hit him.


    ''This magical beast...'' Kyran glowered. ''He is tracking me, but how?''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Kyran regained his bnce at the same time as the magical beast stopped its motion of swinging. To his surprise, the magical beast deftly twisted its wrist and swung the club backward.


    ''This b*astard is surprisingly agile!'' Kyran thought through gritted teeth.


    The magical beast''s movement was too fast and unpredictable that he knew it would be toote to roll out of the club''s way. Instead, he utilized the 20% Draconic magic energy he was circting and reinforced his body''s defenses.


    DING!


    The club hit Kyran''s side, and the ground around him exploded, causing a small shockwave that pushed the nearby beasts back.


    The magical beast''s eyes widened after sensing its target was not crushed by the attack just now. Before it could retract its arm holding the club, it found it was stuck. Its eyes widened and it immediately let go of the club and jumped back.


    With its fifty-meter height, it would not be surprising if it weighed a ton. However, when it jumped, it looked as agile and light as a feather.


    Seeing the magic beast had jumped, the beasts below immediately steered clear on the spot it wouldnd.


    However, a shadow dashed toward the airborne magical beast from the still smoke-covered area where the clubnded.


    The magical beast''s eyes widened further as it opened its mouth and roared in annoyance.


    RAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast''s roar carried an invisible force, creating a shockwave that destroyed everything in its wake.


    At least, that was what it could do. However, the shadow did not falter and stopped on the magical beast''s nose bridge.


    Kyran''s eyes had already turned silver, with its pupils turning into slits. While in midair, he twisted his body and aimed at the magical beast''s eyes.


    However, the magical beast was still agile, even while suspended in midair. It managed to pull its head back, barely avoiding the des of the long daggers.


    But Kyran already anticipated this, and a silver coating enveloped the long daggers. These silver coatings seemed to extend the long daggers'' des and managed to cut the magical beast''s eyes.


    RAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast roared in agony as itnded on the ground. It then used its hand to swipe Kyran away from its face.


    Although Kyran seded in slicing its eyes, it was still too shallow and managed to regenerate almost at once.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. He could not use his Void magic energy to ''extend'' the des of his long dagger. His daggers were imbued by Void magic, but it covered the des themselves.


    Of course, he could have used the Void magic to create an extension of the des, but if he did, the des would disintegrate afterward. For this reason, he could only use the Draconic magic as an extension.


    Kyran stepped on the magical beast''s hand as it neared him instead of trying to dodge itpletely. His reasoning was simple. If he dodged it, he would be forced tond. Something he could not afford because he could not ''fly.''


    He only added the shockwave from the club, hitting the ground to push his body upward. Of course, he could have jumped. But jumpingcked momentum, and the magical beast would notice his approach. It would then render his sneak attack pointless.


    RAAWRGH!


    The magical beast continued to swipe at Kyran. But he would not let it.


    This was the only good thing about fighting someone with a huge body. It was an easy target.


    Kyrannded on the magical beast''s forehead while simultaneously piercing the long daggers. His eyes glowed silver as he pulled the daggers upward. At the same time, he ran up the magical beast''s forehead.


    RAAAWRGH!


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Appearing like it had gone insane, the magical beast mmed its hand on its forehead. Dark violet blood splurted from the magical beast''s head each time it mmed its hand.


    Unfortunately for it, Kyran had already jumped down its shoulder.


    Using the magical beast''s frenzied mood, Kyran continued his attack. He aimed for the magical beast''s nape next, causing dark violet blood to gush out.


    Kyran was not done.


    He continued to cut his way around the magical beast''s body, not giving it any chance to recover.

 Chapter 764 Not Mine (2)

    The three Eidums watching from above the steel walls were dumbfounded. It had only been about half an hour since the ''being'' with dark hair jumped down the walls and confronted the horde. Now he was facing the magical beast and not losing out to it even with thetter''s advantage in size.


    That was not quite right. Saying the magical beast had the advantage in size was no longer valid with how easily the ''being'' was cutting through its body.


    Still, even after leaving so many cuts on the magical beast and making it bleed profusely, it did not seem like it was about to fall.


    Since the Eidums noticed this, Kyran did too.


    The problem was his weapons were not long enough. It might be called ''long'' daggers, but the additional length could only scrape through the magical beast''s thick skin. It was bleeding profusely only because Kyran aimed at the areas where its veins were located. Even if he only scraped the surface of those veins, it was enough to cause it to bleed.


    Nevertheless, Kyran had to consider the magical beast''s healing ability. Thus, he moved faster than it could heal itself.


    RAAAAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast let out an angry roar. It was then followed by a sudden surge of magic waves erupting from its body.


    Because Kyran was in close proximity, he suffered the brunt of the surge magic and was forced back.


    ''Ngh...!'' Kyran ground his teeth and endured the heatwave that enveloped him as he was swept along the magic waves.


    Before he could regain his bnce and find an opportunity tond, the magical beast''s eyes shed, and then it growled. Its hand shot forward at an impossible speed, grabbing him while he was still airborne.


    ''Urgh...!'' Kyran winced as he felt his bones creak in protest after the magical beast''s huge hand tightened around his body.


    This surprised him because after his body got enhanced from drinking the Elixir, he rarely felt physical pain. The only times he remembered feeling intense pain were when he intentionally lowered his defences or when he fought his father''s essence.


    Right, he also suffered in Nn''s ''training.''


    Still, when he fought his father''s essence and Nn, he could not rouse his Draconic magic. He did not even know he had it back then. But that was not the point.


    The point was he was circting Draconic magic and still felt physical pain. This was a testament to the magical beast''s raw strength.


    Or maybe, its strength had already been amplified after it released a surge of magic waves.


    Regardless, Kyran had to up his game if he truly wanted to kill the magical beast.


    Kyran''s silver eyes shed as he forcefully twisted his body and arms to cut the magical beast''s fingers.


    RAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast roared in pain, its hold loosening for a fraction.


    But that was enough. With that small opening, Kyran squeezed out of the magical beast''s grasp. However, he did not move down but up.


    Then he dashed up the magical beast''s forearm, digging his long daggers into it as he did.


    ''Let''s risk it,'' he thought as his eyes changed to reddish-purple.


    When he dug the long daggers into the magical beast''s forearm, he was already recing them with Void weapons.


    RAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast roared as it sensed something strange from the wound it received. Earlier, it could still heal. But now, it failed to close the open cuts. Not to mention, the cuts it received were deeperpared to earlier.


    Kyran did not stop to check what annoyed the magical beast this time. He already knew it was due to the wounds it received. After all,pared to earlier, where it ended up bleeding profusely, there was no blooding out from the cuts.


    Unfortunately for it, Kyran was now using Void Short des to cut its flesh. Thus, its healing was now rendered useless. It could not even bleed properly. How could its blood clot and close its wounds?


    Sizzle! Sizzle! Crackle!


    Kyran''s Void weapons crackled as he cut the magical beast''s skin.


    Annoyed, the magical beast pped the part of his body where it sensed Kyran. But apart from injuring itself, it failed even to graze him.


    Sensing something was amiss, some beasts nearby jumped and tried to grab Kyran when they saw his shadow moving about the magical beast''s body.


    However, when they tried to do this, they only hurt the magical beast further.


    RAAAWRGH!


    The magical beast let out another round of magic waves as if trying to shake Kyran off its body as it did earlier.


    But Kyran was prepared this time. Although there was no telltale when the magical beast would release that magic wave, he expected it would be soon. It was easy to guess because he noticed it had a short fuse. And when it got angry, it would roar and intimidate others using its intense magic waves.


    Kyran jumped andnded on top of another beast''s head¡ª one of which was among those who wanted to help the magical beast.


    Since the beast was rtively smallpared to the magical beast¡ª since thetter was practically a giant high orc¡ª Kyran only required one swift stroke to cut its head.


    Blood gushed out from the beast''s severed head, and before itnded on the ground, Kyran jumped to the next beast.


    The magical beast growled in anger and tried to grab Kyran again.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    But like with the magical waves, Kyran was already prepared. To be precise, he had gotten used to the magical beast''s speed.


    Kyran''s momentum increased by the second, and in only a few minutes, he had already beheaded the beasts intending to help the magical beast.


    Thetter actually had a hand in it. As it tried to grab Kyran, it ended up smashing the heads of the beasts close to it.


    <Report.>


    A voice called for the Eidums above the walls.


    <How is the situation outside?>


    Realizing that the one who had called asking for a report was not the messenger from earlier but actually Azikh, one of the Eidums immediately responded.


    "T-The magical beast is near death."


    Azikh and Gidan, who were now standing with the messenger and a few abled fighters, were dumbfounded after hearing the response.


    "Are you sure it is the magical beast? Not a beast that looked like a magical beast?" Gidan asked, still in disbelief.


    <Yes,mander. We are sure.>


    Gidan would have found fault in Kyran if only one of the three answered Azikh''s question. However, all three responded with such conviction he and Azikh could not help but look at each other. Their eyes reflected that of doubt. At the same time, they were in awe.


    Both agreed inwardly when Kyran told them they did not believe the Abbot sent him because they did not know what he could do. They trusted the Abbot, but how could they confirm Kyran''s identity if he was abducted? Kyran''s appearance was already questionable.


    But hearing the report from the Eidums, could the Abbot have known Kyran could fight a magical beast all on his own?


    Wait.


    That was not entirely correct.


    Kyran was not only facing a magical beast alone. He was facing a horde of beasts, along with a magical beast.


    BAM!


    Raaaaawrgh!


    Azikh and Gidan were forced out of their thoughts after hearing a loud, dull sound. A faint roar followed it, and then a tremor that shook the ground.


    All of them recognized the roar belonged to the magical beast. Though it was faint, they could still sense the magic waves that came with it.


    "D-Did he already... the magical beast...."


    It was unknown who had said it, but this made Azikh and Gidan look at each other. Both of them hadplicated expressions.


    <The beast horde... they are retreating!>


    Azikh looked up, his hand tightened around themunication device as he asked, "Are you sure? Just now, that roar... was that the magical beast?"


    <Y-Yes. T-That... whoever that guy is... he sessfully cut off the magical beast''s arms, and then... it dropped to its knees¡ª unmoving. W-Wait! The horde is not retreating. They are swarming that guy!>


    "Open the gates!"


    Everyone froze as they heard a voice they did not normally hear, sounding full of fear yet authoritative.


    Azikh and Gidan paled as they turned to look at the person who had ordered the gates to be opened.


    The one who had shouted in a panic-stricken voice was a woman.


    To be precise.


    She is the Saint.


    However, something was different from this Saint from the one Kyran met in the receiving room. She was only recognized as the Saint because her robes bore the same design as that Saint, which was simr to the Abbot''s, albeit had a feminine touch.


    "L-Lady Saint..." Azikh almost choked after seeing her rush toward the gates.


    Behind her, surprisingly, was the ''Saint'' that Kyran met and Yalen, who looked as if she had seen a ghost at how pale she looked.


    "Open the gates, now!"


    "No," Gidan immediately stopped her and pleadingly said, "The horde is still outside until we are sure it is clear¡ª."


    "Open them, please, Gidan," the woman pleaded.


    Gidan tried to look away from the woman''s eyes. However, her mirror-like eyes were like mas he could not pull away from.

 Chapter 765 Not Mine (3)

    The first time Gidan saw those eyes had been the only time he defied an order from the Vicar he used to serve. If not for the Abbot''s timely arrival, he would have been purged along with her.


    After that, the Abbot employed Gidan to be her ''guardian.'' He was reluctant at first because he felt he would never be able to defy her orders. Ultimately, he agreed after being assured by the Abbot.


    It had been four years since then.


    Gidan believed he did a good job, and that was not singing his own praises. What attributed to his excellent work was she was selfless and never made any unreasonable demands. Most importantly, she was as meek as amb.


    Today would be the first time she ever made such a request. And Gidan found it hard to say no.


    But when he was wavering, the messenger approached and said, "He... that guy said ''not to open the gates not matter.''"


    Gidan scowled and looked at the messenger, "And who gave him the authority to give out orders?"


    "Gidan," the Saint pleaded once more.


    "I''m sorry," Gideon replied without looking at her. He was afraid he would waver again if he so much as turned and saw her eyes again.


    The other Eidums looked at one another. To be honest, the Saint could overrule Commander Gidan''s order. However, she never did.


    As for the Saint Kyran had met, she said she was only an ''acting leader'' because she was not the real one. This was one of the things the Abbot put in ce to protect the real Saint.


    The double would appear when outsiders requested an audience with the Saint. This was not hard to pull because only the Eidums knew who the real Saint was and what she looked like.


    Unfortunately, the Sovereign also knew this, and a few high-ranking Nobles. Nevertheless, in fear that others would have designs on her healing ability, they went along with the Abbot''s scheme.


    "The gates will remain close until we are sure that the horde has retreated," Gidan continued. He said he ''retreated'' because he did not believe Kyran could kill all of them.


    Kyran might have defeated the magical beast, but surely not without a price. If Gidan had to guess, he was already spent after dealing with it, and now that the horde was swarming around him, it was impossible for him to escape.


    Their meeting had been short, and they started off on the wrong page. Nevertheless, Gidan was grateful for Kyran''s sacrifice.


    That was right. To Gidan, Kyran was already good as dead.


    The Saint trembled and appeared to have picked up what Gidan did not say.


    However, before she could say anything, the voice of one of the Eidums maintaining the barrier sounded from Azikh''smunication device.


    "T-The horde¡ª t-their number has decreased... t-there are only ten or so beasts left! This is... that guy is insane! B-But we don''t think he willst any longer. He seemed to have suffered fatal injuries."


    The Saint had already moved before the Eidum finished what he was saying. She ran again toward the gates, and with a wave of her hand, the huge steel gates shook and began to open.


    "Lady Saint!"


    Azikh, Gidan, and the double were shocked.


    They were shocked for two reasons. One, they did not expect the Saint to be so brazen to ignore everyone else and go directly to the gates. Frankly, when she moved, they sometimes forgot she was blind because of how fluent her movements were. And for the second reason, they were shocked at her magic''s power.


    They had only seen her use her magic to heal. This was the first time they had witnessed her use it for something different.


    The Saint rushed toward the opening gates, ignoring all the shouts behind her.


    Meanwhile, Kyran, who had been busy killing off the beasts, heard a loud screeching sound as if something huge and solid was opening.


    Knowing full well what created those sounds, he gritted his teeth and could not help but curse.


    "I told them not to open the gates! Those guys are really¡ª!"


    Kyran stopped short as his senses picked up something¡ª no, someone¡ª familiar.


    That momentary rpse caused one of the beasts to attack from behind and sessfully deliver a blow.


    BAM!


    A shockwave followed as the beast''s huge handnded where Kyran stood.


    Although the ce where Kyran was fighting the remaining horde was still a distance away, the Saint and a few others who followed after her were shocked at what they saw.


    Gidan, for one thing, believed that was the final blow that finally killed Kyran. With this in mind, he shouted amand at once.


    "Protect the Saint! Fighters who knew defensive spells move at the front! Rangers, prepare to summon mid-tier fire spells. Aim at the beasts'' legs and heads. Immobilize them so we can retreat!"


    "C-Commander the Lady Saint is¡ª!"


    While everyone believed Kyran had been done with that attack, the Saint continued to move forward.


    Azikh gritted his teeth and cast a haste spell on himself to catch up with her.


    He was not the only one. A few of the fighters were already after her.


    "Lady Saint! Please stop! The beasts might be far away, but your tremendous magic wave would attract them!"


    "Please! Let us return inside the gates. Their numbers have greatly reduced. We can maintain the barrier and keep them at bay until the rest of our fighters have properly rested. Then we can take them down."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    BOOM!


    Suddenly a huge explosion erupted from up ahead, causing powerful shockwaves mixed with a thick cloud of dust to sweep at them.


    All of the Eidums were forced back, and to their great horror, the shockwave also caused the huge steel gates to close.


    BAM!


    Azikh and Gidan paled in an instant. They had wanted to retreat as soon as they retrieved the Saint, but now that the gates were forced shut, they would have to wait until the others could open them again.


    To be honest, the only one who had the ability to open the gates alone was Gidan.


    Right, the Saint could also do this now.


    Anyhow, if the others wanted to open them, they would need to join forces. That was how heavy those steel gates were.


    "Clear the smoke, secure the Saint!" Azikh shouted.


    "Those at the back, stay where you are and move into position. We will engage the remaining horde until the others open the gates!" Gidan also gave out an order.


    However, before he could evenplete hismand, a gust of wind swept past them, and the cloud of smoke that impaired their vision cleared instantly.


    "No! Lady Saint!"


    The one who shouted was the Saint''s double.


    Everyone looked up front just in time to see what caused her to gasp in fear.


    The Saint had already gained distance from them. It was as if the earlier cloud of smoke did not deter her movements.


    Just as they thought of this, they all felt a little stupid.


    The Saint was blind in the first ce. How would a cloud of smoke stop her? Besides, she did not seem affected when the powerful shockwaves came at them.


    "T-The horde! T-They are all..."


    No one knew who said this, but since it had been pointed, they looked at the location where they hadst seen the remaining horde and were shocked.


    The ground was littered with beast carcasses. Even the air smell of metal and something pungent because of them.


    But that was not the reason they were shocked.


    Not even a minute had passed when they saw about ten to fifteen medium andrge-sized beasts breaming with murderous intent up ahead.


    Now, none of those beasts were in sight.


    Moreover, only a lone figure stood there, covered in dark violet blood¡ª Kyran.


    His clothes were ck in the first ce. Thus, seeing how the dark violet blood clung to it could only attribute to how much blood had been spilled on it.


    Most of the Eidums were both in awe and fear, seeing him standing amidst a mountain of beast carcasses. To them, he truly looked like an Imon-spawn that had just one-sidedly massacred the enemies.


    "Lady Saint...?"


    While most were looking at Kyran, the Saint''s double fixed her eyes on the Saint. She saw how thetter''s advance faltered before resuming with much-hurried steps.


    "Nar...!"


    All of the Eidums, including Azikh and Gidan, were shocked as they heard the Saint let out a muffled cry while she ran toward Kyran.


    Azikh and Gidan, in particr, were reminded of Kyran''s agreement with the Abbot.


    Like cogwheels, their conversation and the Saint''s strange behavior connected, and they finally understood what was happening.


    On the other hand, Kyran also moved.


    He had been out of sorts after sensing that familiar yet also unfamiliar aura of the little girl he once knew.


    No.


    She¡ª Cyneah, was no longer a little girl.


    As Kyran watched her draw near, he could not help but stare.


    Finally, Cyneah stood before him and, with shaking hands, tried to reach out. But then she faltered, as if afraid the ''nothingness'' she ''sees'' before her was only an illusion.


    But that could not be. The smell of blood was there. It was hard to mask.


    The thought of blood immediately caused her to pale as she eximed, "Blood...! You''re... bleeding....!"


    "It''s okay. They''re... not mine."

 Chapter 766 It Has Been A While (1)

    A lone figure in ck armor stood atop a gray steel wall on the opposite side of the vast chasm. Judging by the figure''s countenance, he was a high-ranked officer.


    Due to his armor''s helmet, it was hard to determine what he was looking at. But it was not hard to guess that he was observing the battle happening a distance away.


    Thud.


    Suddenly, another figure in ck armor appeared behind him. This newly arrived figure knelt on one knee before saying, "Commander, the magical beast has been in."


    "Is it Commander Gidan?" the first figure, who had been addressed as the Commander, asked. From his tone, he did not appear perturbed by the magical beast''s death.


    "No. It was in by an unknown... being."


    "Unknown being?" The Commander asked, his voice suggesting his mood had turned foul from the news.


    "Yes," the second figure responded. "That being''s stature is simr to aplete being. However, ''it'' has dark hair and raw strength that only beastlike possessed."


    The Commander looked at the second figure and hissed, "An Imon-spawn?"


    "We... do not know yet, but it is highly likely."


    The Commander fell silent. He turned back to look at the battlefield and said, "Have the rest of the beast aim at that being and figure out its identity."


    "About that... t-the beast horde... they had been in as well."


    The Commander did not respond.


    However, the second figure sensed the sudden drop in temperature around him and lowered his head.


    "H-However, the other side puts great importance on that being''s safety. Our scouts saw who they believed to be the Saint personallying out to escort that being back to their side."


    "The Saint stepped out of those gates?"


    "Yes. Although a few fighters and Commander Gidan apanied her."


    "Interesting... And? What of the fighters from the other side? Have you all managed to reduce their number?"


    The second figure did not respond immediately. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he braced himself and finally replied, "That being was the only one dispatched to deal with the horde."


    BAM!


    "Guah!" The second figure spat a mouthful of blood as a powerful force fell on him. He managed to stay kneeling. However, all of his bones protested from the force''s weight.


    "Though our nation had no qualms over losing a beast horde, or a magical beast, those were still precious subjects. Besides that, their strength is the real deal. However, from what you just said, a lone soldier in all of them?"


    "W-We could hardly believe it as well," the second figure struggled to get up. "B-But the fact that all of them are dead r-remains."


    The Commander waved his hand, and the pressure on the second figure lifted immediately.


    "Gather everyone."


    Y-Yes, Commander."


    The second figure left immediately. He dared not dy since the Commander ordered it.


    Back to the periphery of the Eidum''s territory, Cyneah insisted on checking Kyran''s condition no matter how much he told her he was fine.


    The Eidums, particrly Azikh, and Gidan, only observed the two silently as they looked at the beast carcasses everywhere.


    Gidan then ordered the fighters to collect all the beast parts that could be useful to them. After asking Azikh to supervise the fighters, he escorted the Saint and Kyran back to the gates.


    Gidan opened the gates without waiting for Cyneah to say anything. He, along with the rest of the Eidums who went after her, more or less had epted that she and Kyran were old acquaintances.


    Of course, he knew more than the others since Kyran said he made an agreement with the Abbot because he was looking for someone.


    Gidan did not expect the person he sought for was the Saint. Or maybe he already had an inkling but ignored it. After all, they did not know his motives or if the Abbot truly sent him.


    Kyran might possess a temporary identification with the Abbot''s seal, but who knew if he threatened thetter to give him one? Most importantly, his identity was too suspicious because of his physical appearance.


    Those doubts were washed away after seeing the Saint''s expression. Besides that, Azikh and Gidan had seen how Kyran looked at her.


    If he had ill intentions toward their Saint, would he show such a gentle expression when looking at her?<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Speaking of their Saint, Gidan wondered how she knew Kyran was there and that he went out to confront the horde. Because, as far as he remembered, Kyran had already gone out to deal with the horde before they could even announce the situation to their people.


    As Gidan pondered this, they had already returned to the HQ.


    Cyneah led Kyran to the infirmary while Gidan remained to keep watch if the other side sent out another horde.


    Obviously, they did not believe the other side stopped their attack after the beast horde was taken care of. For sure, the enemymander had witnessed what Kyran did.


    Gidan thought of two possible follow-up actions the enemymander would do after witnessing that. Either they would mobilize a new wave of beast horde or stop all attacks to investigate who Kyran was.


    Gidan''s considered the first possibility because Kyran''s appearance was too suspicious. Not to mention, he looked like an Imon-spawn. As for the second reason, they believed the enemymander would think their side had already exhausted their ''hidden card.'' And since that hidden card had just dealt with a beast horde and a magical beast, he would be too exhausted to continue. Thus, if they attacked again, they would stand a better chance. For his second reason, it was because their Saint hade out.


    Would the enemymander let go of the chance to capture the Saint?


    While thinking about all that, Gidan saw a woman talking to Hm and Soria.


    ''That woman is...''


    He immediately recognized the woman as the other one who had arrived with the Saint earlier.


    He then recalled his doubt on how the Saint knew Kyran hade.


    "Hm," Gidan called at once.


    Although they more or less established that the Saint knew Kyran, they wanted to know if she said anything else regarding their rtionship because they found it strange that their Saint would know someone who might be an Imon-spawn.


    Hm perked up and replied, "Yes,mander."


    Before Hm rushed to Gidan, thetter gestured for Soria and the young woman toe, "You two. Come here for a second."


    The young woman looked at Gidan reluctantly but ultimately joined the other two.


    "You," Gidan looked at them with a slight scowl. "You three are the new ones that arrived today."


    It was not a question but a statement. Nevertheless, he said it, wanting confirmation from them.


    "Yes," the three replied.


    "You," Gidan looked at the young woman. "What''s your name?"


    "I am Yalen, Commander Gidan," she replied at once.


    "Where are you stationed?" Gidan asked. He already knew she was a healer judging by her robes and the crest of the Abbot, a finy leaf stitched on it.


    "I was stationed to be one of the healers in Ward 7," Yalen replied.


    "Ward 7," Gidan scowled. "That''s the ward the Saint personally attends to. So your healing abilities are pretty good."


    Yalen lowered her head in embarrassment, "I... It is good enough, I believe."


    "Still." Instead of asking a follow-up question, Gidan turned at Hm and Soria and said disapprovingly, "You two. Did you tell her the things that transpired in that room? Even if she was assigned to the Saint''s ward, that does not mean you two had the right to gossip on delicate topics."


    Hm and Soria immediately understood he was talking about their audience with the ''Saint.'' They shook their heads at once before lowering them in respect, "No, sir. We did not tell her anything."


    "Then how do you exin the Saint rushing here?"


    "Commander Gidan," Yalen interjected at once. "Hm and Soria did not say anything to us. I... It''s just that, after arriving, the Saint could not wee me properly because of those fighters that needed some healing."


    She started to exin. She paused to collect her thoughts before continuing, "But after we finished tending to the wounded, the Saint personally called for Oded and me and weed us. She then asked us how our journey was. So, we told her about it..."


    Apparently, Yalen more or less told Cyneah all about what transpired during their journey.


    She listened intently and even looked worried when they mentioned getting ambushed by the enemies. There was also their encounter with the pirates.


    However, when they started talking about Kyran healing them, they found the Saint''s silence slightly different. Initially, Yalen and Oded thought the Saint was deep in thought and curious about Kyran''s healing approach. Not to mention, his potions and pills were effective. If they had those, then those critically injured Eidums could be healed


    "Now that I think of it," Yalen said with a thoughtful expression. "Her demeanor changed when we started talking about sir Nar."

 Chapter 767 It Has Been A While (2)

    "Tell me in details," Gidan told Yalen with a slight frown. Others might find his curiosity unncessary¡ª meddlesome, even¡ª but not him.


    Gidan found the Saint''s actions earlier out of character. Thus, he wanted to know how the two were connected. Maybe then, he could also understand why the Abbot decided to ask for his help.


    Hm and Soria exchanged nces. They already told Gidan how they met Kyran, and sensed hisck of interest. They only managed to pique his interest after they told them about the Abbot''s abduction.


    Come to think of it, rather than getting all worked up about the connection between the Saint and Kyran, should they not focus on finding the truth of the Abbot''s abduction? Could it be that Gidan and the rest of the leaders did not believe the Abbot was abducted?


    "I..." Yalen felt a little uneasy. She did not like talking about others but she also could not defy themander.


    "You are scaring her Gidan," Azikh greeted as he approached them.


    Gidan glowered at him and said, "I am not. I only wanted to¡ª."


    "Understand how the Saint is rted to our guest?" Azikh cut him midsentence with a slight smile. "We can ask her directly, there is no need to go through other people for that. Besides," he looked at Yalen and smiled, "She is Yalen, one our promising healers, you cannot detain her just to feed your curiosity. She is needed in the ward."


    "Azikh you¡ª."


    "Run along, Lady Yalen."


    "Oi¡ª."


    "Thank you, sir."


    With that Yalen left before Gidan could find other reasons to make her stay.


    Yalen went back to her ward and found the Saint had taken Kyran to her personal chamber.


    It might sound a little grand, but that chamber was only a small room with a bed on one side of the wall and a table and medicine cab on the other. The Saint would normally take those critically wounded fighters into that room to be treated.


    At that moment, almost all of the healers in every ward were gathered outside the Saint''s personal chamber. This was not something strange because they usually do so to witness the Saint perform healing magic.


    But Yalen knew better. These healers were not only there to watch the Saint but were also curious about Kyran. This made her feel a little perturbed. Unlike these healers, Yalen and Oded were assigned to be the Saint''s direct assistants. She could not possibly allow others to learn from the Saint before her.


    For the record, Yalen was Cyneah''s mentee when she was still in the Abbey. That was two years ago. Before Cyneah left, Yalen promised to study hard so she could be her assistant soon after she graduated.


    "Make way, please," Yalen said, squeezing her way through the crowd. "Assistant to the Saint passing through!"


    The crowd gave way after hearing this. It was not a secret that the neers would be the Saint''s assistants. They were relieved because the Saint had been working so hardtely, and they were worried she would copse if no one assisted her. The problem was no one among them could keep up with her. Thus, Oded and Yalen''s arrival was a blessing to them.


    Yalen entered the room in no time. But when she did, she heard something that almost made her slip and turn bright red.


    "Take off your clothes and get on the bed."


    The Saint''s somewhat demanding tone made everyone feel a little embarrassed because it was their first time hearing her use that tone.


    Yalen looked inside the room just in time to see the Saint reaching the hem of Kyran''s coat.


    On the other hand, Kyran grabbed Cyneah''s wrist before she could reach for his coat and said, "I am fine, really. Just a little exhausted. A short rest would be enough¡ª."


    "Take. Off. Your. Clothes."


    The female Eidums could not help but chuckle, witnessing the Saint''s assertiveness. Although what was happening inside the room differed from what they imagined, seeing her act this way rather than her docile self was good.


    "I don''t trust your ''I-am-fine,''" Cyneah continued, looking at Kyran sternly. "Thest time you said that your magic core¡ª." She stopped at once. Her brow furrowed slightly after recalling her conversation with Oded and Yalen. Then she continued, "You''ve fought beasts and enemies on your way here. Who knows how many internal injuries you''ve been enduring all this time? Let me give you a proper checkup."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. Nevertheless, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he finally relented. He sat at the side of the bed and took off his coat.


    Frankly, he had been worried after the Abbot hinted that Cyneah had been in Somuli for seven years. Worried that she would not want to see him. Or that she had already forgotten about him. He had imagined some of the worse reactions she could possibly have once he appeared before her: avoid him, flee, or worse, pretend not to know him. But none of those happened. Instead, she was the one who took the initiative to approach him.


    Kyran remembered how shaken Cyneah had been believing the blood she smelled on him to be his.


    ''She is still the same even after seven years,'' he thought while looking at her.


    Yalen stopped short, witnessing the exchange between the two. More importantly, she found the gentle look on Kyran''s face while looking at the Saint a little...


    ''A little what?'' Yalen wondered, perturbed at the unfamiliar emotion in her heart.


    "Oded," Cyneah turned to the side where she sensed the young man''s position.


    "Yes, Lady Saint," Oded answered and stepped forward.


    "Please prepare a new set of clean clothes. The size would be..."


    Cyneah reached out and touched Kyran''s shoulder but froze after noticing how much he seemed to have changed physically.


    Only then did she remember how much time had passed since she left the Human ne?


    Sensing Cyneah''s sudden hesitation, Kyran looked up just in time to see her pained expression.


    "Neah...?"


    "It''s okay, Lady Saint," Oded replied. "I know Nar''s size. I''ll find a change of clothes for him."


    He left right after that.


    Yalen, on the other hand, gaped at Kyran. Particrly at his exposed skin after he took off his coat.


    ''There are no wounds... not even a scratch,'' she thought in amazement. ''Did he really not suffer any injuries after facing that horde?''


    "Yalen," Cyneah called for Yalen without addressing Kyran''s concerned call.


    "Y-Yes," Yalen straightened and looked at Cyneah at once.


    "Can you ask everyone to leave and close the door?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes, Lady Saint."


    Even without Yalen asking the others to leave, they moved back after hearing Cyneah.


    Before Yalen could close the door, Cyneah said, "I''ll call for you if I need anything."


    Yalen looked at Cyneah, wanting to protest. But after seeing Cyneah had not moved from her position, Yalen relented and said, "Then, I will be outside. Right, I should take Nar''s clothes to the¡ª."


    "It''s fine," Kyran said, looking at Yalen with a slight smile. "It reeks of blood. I''ll take care of it."


    He could not possibly let others take his coat, or else they would realize how much ''lost technology'' was imprinted on it.


    "But¡ª."


    "Thank you, Yalen," Cyneah firmly told the younger woman.


    "A-Alright," Yalen replied and left the room.


    Kyran looked at Cyneah with raised brows. He sensed a sudden change in her mood after asking Oded to prepare spare clothes for him. After that, he felt her hand on his shoulder turned cold.


    "Neah? What''s wrong¡ª?"


    "How long has it been since that day?"


    Kyran paused, knowing full well what she was pertaining to that day. He looked at her and found her brows tightly knit together. Her expression suggested she was struggling internally at something.


    Was she feeling regretful? Or guilty at what she had done to him before leaving the Human ne? Kyran could only guess what was running through her mind at that moment.


    "A year," he replied after a short pause. He initially did not want to answer but found no point in hiding the truth.


    "Did you know how long it has been for me?" She asked with a bitter smile.


    "Yes. The old man told me."


    "Old man?"


    "I mean the Abbot."


    "I heard he asked you for help before he got abducted."


    "Yes."


    "Was he really abducted by others?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    "I seem to recall you have a habit of kidnapping people, so..."


    Kyran groaned, "I don''t..."


    Inwardly, he was sweating buckets because, technically, she was correct.


    Cyneah chuckled at his response. Nevertheless, there was a mncholic ring to herughter.


    "It has really been a while."


    Kyran did not respond. He continued to look at her wondering what was truly bothering her.


    "You must have been shocked to find the girl who left a year ago to have gotten this old, huh?"


    Kyran tilted his head slightly. She was worried about her age? Why?


    "Rather than that, I think you''ve gotten more beautiful."


    "Huh?" Cyneah gaped at him, wondering if she had heard him wrong.


    "Huh?" Kyran repeated while btedly realizing what he had just said.


    He could almost imagine Zephyr and the others'' amused faces if they had heard him say that!


    What Kyran said was not a passing remark. Cyneah had been a pretty youngdy, and now that a few years had passed, she had grown into a beautiful woman. Her short light brown hair had grown longer, and she had them in braids and loosely hung on her shoulder. Her mirror-like eyes also seemed to dance with the lights in the surroundings. And most of all, her body had changed tremendously, especially around her...


    Kyran tried to clear his thoughts. But with Cyneah standing in such close proximity, it was a futile attempt.


    "Are you done with my checkup? I''m not injured, right?" Kyran decided to change the subject instead.


    ''Coward.''


    Kyran could almost hear Nn sneering at him while saying that. His brow twitched inwardly at the thought.


    He was not a coward. He only found the timing inappropriate. They had only met. He might scare her away if he started spouting things he does not usually say.


    Cyneah blinked, still baffled at what happened, before moving her hands to check Kyran''s body, "T-That... I''m not done with your ch-checkup...."


    The more she moved her hands, the more she felt her face burn.


    She had always had trouble seeing Kyran''s silhouette; thus, she had to manually guide her magic energy in order to ''see'' him. Before, she had no trouble doing it, but now she found it embarrassing.


    "I... Y-You... D-Don''t seem to be injured..."


    A small smile appeared on Kyran''s face as he watched Cyneah getting flustered.


    She truly had not changed. She still stutters when flustered.

 Chapter 768 It Has Been A While (3)

    After confirming Kyran had no injuries, Cyneah went to the medicine cab and pulled out a few medicinal herbs.


    "Though you are not injured, you have been soaked by a magical beast''s blood. Their blood is mostly used to enhance a potion''s efficacy, but to us humans, they are poisonous."


    "Humans, notplete beings, huh."


    "Yes," Cyneah paused momentarily before adding with a bitter smile, "I learned that the hard way."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. He could only imagine what Cyneah endured aftering to this ce.


    "Good thing some of the herbs you gifted me can counter the poison."


    Kyran raised his brows, recalling the ring he gave her, which was full of rare andmon medicinal herbs he collected from different nes during his training.


    "I''m surprised you can use those herbs in this ne," hemented.


    Cyneah smiled, "I only need to find the right location to cultivate them. When I got here, I was lucky enough to find the ''right location.'' So, I managed to grow a few..."


    Her voice trailed off, pausing momentarily before adding, "You''re not asking anything, huh."


    "I don''t want you to remember any bad memories."


    Cyneah chuckled, "They are not all that bad..."


    Suddenly, her brows creased as she realized something. She turned her head slightly and asked, "You''re speaking the Somuliannguage pretty well."


    "You only realized that?" Kyran raised his brows in amusement.


    "How long have you been here?"


    "Our conversation seems to be moving backward."


    "I just did not expect to find you here."


    "Me too," Kyran agreed. "I mean, the old man said I''d find what I''m searching for in this ce, and I am prepared for the worse. I did not expect to find you so soon. Not that I''mining."


    Cyneah frowned, "You mean you... specifically came to this ne because you knew I''d be here?"


    Kyran did not answer at once because he more or less guessed what she was worried about. In the end, he told her, "The news of a Saint in Somuli with healing abilities has already reached some Sovereigns. I know you''re worried about Flos and the others getting wind of your whereabouts, but you don''t have to. Since I got to you first, I won''t let them do as they please."


    Cyneah shook her head and looked at him.


    "I am not worried about them," she told him. "I... There is something you need to know..."


    She took a deep breath before continuing, "That day... I decided to leave the Human ne because I was afraid that I would be affected by La''s thoughts after absorbing my essence and the mirror."


    "I know."


    Cyneah shook her head once more, "No. You only know half of it. I did absorb my essence and the mirror, but not La."


    Kyran did not respond. She did not say it directly, but not absorbing La meant not possessing the Soul core.


    Kyran was not surprised, though. He guessed as much because her sight should have returned if she did. Apart from that, there was information about Ruin traveling with a woman that had an uncanny resemnce to Cyneah''s silhouette. Kyran believed that woman was La.


    But the question now was: How did she ''leave'' Haylee and find a new body to upy if it was her? What about that body? Why did it have semnce with Cyneah''s?


    "I don''t have the Soul core," Cyneah continued. "But I can sense her from time to time through the mirror. I am more worried about hering for the mirror, Nar."


    Kyran frowned slightly.


    La was the one who awakened the mirror. Although she had used Haylee to do so, La''s magic energy was the one imprinted on the mirror. That could be the reason Cyneah could sense her.


    "From the memories I acquired after absorbing... Haylee... I realized how ambitious La is. She will not stop until she aplishes her goal."


    "What is her goal?"


    "Destruction of the Higher Realm."


    Kyran was surprised. He had always wondered what the previous Soul Emperor wanted by sowing discord in the Human ne. He had guessed her objective was to gather the soul of the dead and create an immortal army she would use in the uing War of the Sovereigns. Still, that did not answer why she wanted to win the war.


    When Kyran heard from Axil that once Sovereigns lost in the war, all their nes would also be destroyed; he wondered if La wanted to prevent the destruction of the Human ne, which was why she wanted to win the war. Her method was inhumane, but if it would ensure her victory, her actions could be considered noble.


    Of course, Kyran did not agree. Regardless of the reason, genocide was not the answer. Besides, what was the use of winning the War and preserving the Human ne if its inhabitants had to die and be her immortal army?


    But not that Cyneah confirmed that La''s objective was not even in the Lower Realm; more questions popped into Kyran''s head.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Why did La wish for the destruction of the Higher Realm? Had she visited there before? When? How? What had happened that made her wish for its destruction?


    Sensing Kyran''s doubts, Cyneah sighed and said, "I''m sorry. That is all I can tell you. I am not trying to hide anything, though. It''s just that it is the only thing my essence truly understood at that time."


    "It''s fine," Kyran assured her.


    Cyneah resumed what she was doing and continued, "In any case, if word about me has already gone outside..."


    "Like I said," Kyran started. "Since I got to you first, I won''t let anyone else do as they please."


    Cyneah fell silent.


    Kyran sensed her hesitation and more or less guessed what was bothering her.


    "I''ve only arrived here," he said. "I wanted to learn the state of affairs in this ne first since I agreed to help."


    "State of affairs, huh..." Cyneah muttered with a sigh. "It is chaotic these days. Especially after a new Sovereign was born."


    "You seemed knowledgeable about the Sovereigns now."


    "Sister Ste taught me many things before leaving the Human ne."


    "Ste did?" Kyran asked in surprise.


    This was his first time learning about it. Ste never mentioned teaching Cyneah before. Then again, the ''Ste'' Cyneah was talking about might not be the ''current'' one but the First Time Keeper.


    "Yes," Cyneah replied. "That''s why I decided to leave the Human ne, because of the threat La posed if she seeded in influencing my thoughts."


    "She won''t," Kyran assured her. He did not know how to exin that; his Void core was sealed for a long time, and he had only been exposed to it recently; thus, he was not affected by Can''s thoughts.


    Kyran believed it was the same with Cyneah. As a matter of fact, she had it better because her Soul core was taken out of her before she could even awaken.


    Kyran frowned. Somehow, he felt like he was missing something. He had felt this before but had no choice but put it aside since he could not ce his hand on it. Recalling it now was bothering him.


    "Here," Cyneah brought the newly concocted potion to Kyran. "Drink it and rest. I''ll look for Oded and have him fetch the clean clothes as soon as possible."


    "There''s no need¡ª."


    "Don''t underestimate a magical beast''s blood," Cyneah insisted. She reached out her hand and fumbled for Kyran''s hand.


    "If you don''t treat it soon, you''ll be bedridden for weeks."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He wanted to tell her that his Void magic could nullify any harmful energy and substance trying to enter his body. But he knew she would only take it as an excuse and still insist on drinking the potion.


    "Fine," he finally relented and took the potion. "I''ll drink this. But I don''t need the spare clothes. I can just¡ª."


    "I know your clothes have ''cleaning'' form," Cyneah cut him midsentence. "But you stood out like a sore thumb wearing those."


    Kyran raised his brows, "How do you know I''d stood out?"


    "I may be blind, but not my hearing. Yalen said you are wearing ck clothes. Don''t you think that is enough to stand out in this ce where everyone is mostly wearing light-colored clothes?"


    "If it''s the color, I can¡ª."


    "Change it? I''m sure you already know that Array is a lost technology in this ne. You stopped Yalen from taking your clothes because you didn''t want others to know it had array calctions, right?"


    Kyran furrowed his brows. He already knew about that. But plenty of excuses could exin the color change in his outfit.


    "Can''t I have a spare in white?"


    "With the same design?"


    "Why not?"


    "Just wear the clothes Oded will bring, okay," Cyneah pleaded as she approached the door.


    Kyran chuckled, "Fine."


    "And also," Cyneah paused before opening the door. "There are still a lot of things I want to tell you. But it can wait."


    She left on that note.

 Chapter 769 It Has Been A While (4)

    Cyneah went to the receiving room after tending to Kyran. She wanted to stay and talk, but Azikh and Gidan had asked her to meet as soon as possible. It went without saying that they wanted to talk to her about Kyran.


    Cyneah knew Kyran would join her if he knew Azikh and Gidan had summoned her. But she wanted him to rest properly because he was exposed to a magical beast''s blood. If he continued to move around without allowing the potion to seep into his system, there was a high chance his body function would slow down, and it would take a week before he could recover.


    Thus, Cyneah excused herself by saying she would look for Oded.


    There were a lot of things she wanted to talk about with Kyran. She might have downyed it by saying it could wait, but she could hardly think of anything else. After learning he was in Somuli, everything she kept hidden came rushing back to her. At the moment, she only wanted toy them out in the open.


    Cyneah sighed inwardly as she entered the receiving room. Inside, Azikh and Gidan were already waiting for her. She sensed the two standing on each side of the high chair and was looking at her.


    "Why don''t we use one of the huddle rooms so you two can have a seat?" She suggested.


    "This room is still better," Azikh said good-naturedly.


    Cyneah did not need him to borate. Basically, the receiving room was not essible to other people and would prevent others from stumbling upon their conversation. Only those with a disc that would allow them to be transported inside could enter.


    "I''m guessing this is about Nar?" Cyneah said as soon as she took a seat. She waved her hand, and two chairs appeared in front of the high chair.


    "Can we trust that Imon-spawn?" Gidan asked gruffly as he sat.


    "He''s not an Imon-spawn," Cyneah replied.


    "How can you exin his appearance then?"


    "Gidan," Azikh warned while looking at him. "From how you talk, it is as if you are doubting the Lady Saint."


    "I am not. I understand that they knew each other, but that guy''s appeared out of nowhere, and seem to have ulterior motive what with the news of the Abbot''s abduction¡­ Just to let you know, I don''t believe him. There is no way anyone would dare touch the Abbot, much less abduct him."


    "I heard about the Abbot''s abduction from Oded and Yalen," Cyneah interjected before Azikh could respond to Gidan. "And you''re right about that. However, we have to understand that the situation in Somuli has gotten worse after the Sovereign''s appearance. Even if the Nobles dared not touch the Abbot, there are others."


    She looked toward her right.


    Her subtle gesture was caught by Azikh and Gidan. To her right (which was their left), was where the opposite side of the chasm was located. For short, she wanted to remind them that they had other enemies other than the Nobles.


    Cyneah straightened her back and faced them again. She continued, "Also, another group might have been coerced him in surrendering, if it meant saving us."


    "If that is what happeend," Azikh replied with a thoughtful expression, "Then it is possible."


    "You agree with that, Azikh?"


    "Rather than agreeing, I wanted to try looking at the situation in that direction. Besides, no matter how much we doubt Nar''s identity, the fact that he saved us from those horde and the magical beast cannot be denied. He came here to help. Besides," he paused and looked at Cyneah. "The Lady Saint knows him. I want to give him a chance."


    Gidan growled at his words, but did not say anything. Azikh was right about being saved by Nar. He might dislike thetter, but he was not blinded by it that he would disregard what he did.


    Cyneah inwardly sighed in relief. She made a mental note to thank Azikhter.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, Lady Saint," Azikh suddenly said with a solemn tone. "How do you know Nar?"


    Cyneah smiled and replied almost immediately, "He is my benefactor."


    "Was it not the Abbot?" Gidan quipped.


    "No," she replied while closing her eyes. "When the Abbot saved me from the gallows, it could be considered my seventh lease in life."


    "Seventh?" Azikh let out a gasp in disbelief. He could not imagine someone''s life could have endured such situation seven times.


    "I¡­" Cyneah paused while opening her eyes. "¡­ There was a time where I was left alone in an inhabited ce to die. There was no way anyone would get lost in that ce. But it happened."


    "He saved you."


    Cyneah chuckled, "Initially, I had thought he would leave me. But he didn''t. He even made fire and gave me something to eat. In any case, he took me back. Mind you, I was practically in death''s door. I was skin and bones, my old wounds had already infested¡­ no one would have wanted to take me. Besides, that ce¡­ was full of mutated beasts."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    She took a deep breath before finishing, "To make it short, he saved me¡­ then took me in. A lot of things happened before then, but he protected me. Because of him, I met my¡­ master. I found a new ce to live¡­."


    Her voice trailed off as her expression turned sad.


    "If that is the case, why were you discovered in the middle of the forest? All alone?" Azikh asked, recalling how a group ofplete beings lost in the forest identally met her. Seeing her different hair color, blind state, not to mention, her ce was full of unidentified nts, they assumed she was infected by something. Because of this, they nned to purge her.


    If not for a magical beast appearing nearby, they would have seeded. Nevertheless, those group might have died, but another was already on the way. By the time they arrived, Cyneah was in such a bad condition they were afraid her illness had already spread.


    None of them knew that her condition had been caused by the magical beast''s blood.


    "It is because of my condition," Cyneah lied. "I did think I had an illness. I did not want them to get infected that''s why I left and lived in that forest." She looked at them and continued, "You already know what happened after. And how the Abbot stopped the Nobles from purging me by arguing that what I had was not an illness but an Anathema.


    "But that would not have happened, if not for you Gidan," she looked at him and smiled. "If you had not hesitated in cutting that rope, my head had already rolled on the floor before the Abbot had the chance to save me."


    "Humph," Gidan replied with a snort. He turned way, but the back of his ears were bright red.


    Azikh chuckled after seeing this. One of the reasons he did not openly oppose Gidan''s dislike of Nar was because he knew how much the former cared about the Saint.


    In Azikh''s opinion, Gidan saw Cyneah like a daughter. Thus, after seeing how much that docile ''sort-of-daughter'' suddenly change because of the appearance of a shady guy, he was even more opposed of him.


    Nevertheless, now that they heard how Nar had been part of Cyneah''s past, Azikh felt Gidan would give the young man a chance.


    "Had I not hesitated, that person would not have ascended," Gidan added, trying to mask his embarrassment. "Yet, instead of showing his gratitude he treated us like this!"


    "Right," Azikh sighed, knowing what Gidan was talking about. "After confirming how special Lady Saint''s Anathema is, they used her to heal that person."


    "Can''t me them, though. Anathemas are supposed to be the bane ofplete beings. But not hers," Gidan also added.


    Cyneah remained silent. She did not know how the Abbot managed to convince them that her pure mana and potent healing magic caused the change in her hair color, and the lost of her sight. But he managed to pull it off, and thus, they were all convinced that she was aplete being with an Anathema.


    However, that was not the only reason. She possessed something simr to aplete being''s. But Kyran did not have that, which was why Azikh and Gidan found him suspicious.


    "If you still have reservations about Nar, tell me," Cyneah steered the topic back on track.


    "I am willing to give him a chance. But first, we have to know if the Abbot has truly been abducted or not," Azikh replied.


    Gidan snorted, "Fine. I''ll give him a chance. He said he is here to help deal with our situation, right? Then that means I have full authority in handling him. I''ll work him to his bone."


    "I¡­" Cyneah started with a frown. "Y-You can''t have full authority. If you want him to do something, please consult with me first. Please understand¡­ Nar, is a very important person to me."


    Gidan''s expression stiffened after hearing that.


    Azikh let out a shortugh and patted Gidan, "The Saint has made her stance, give it up."


    "Still, he will be working under me! I mean it. Since he has such monstrous strength, obviously he will have to work with us fighters!"


    Cyneah knew Gidan would not stop until he had his way. Thus, she could only relent and agreed. As long as he informed her what he wanted Kyran to do.


    "Now that it is settled. We should talk to him again," Azikh said after the two had finalized their agreement.


    "He is exhausted," Cyneah told them. "I want him to rest for now. Once he is well-rested, I''ll call for another meeting."


    "Very well."


    "I have rested enough, let''s talk now."


    The three turned just in time to see Kyran appearing through the transportation array.

 Chapter 770 It Has Been A While (5)

    "Nar!" Cyneah stood up in surprise.


    Azikh and Gidan also stood up with a frown. They looked at him as if he had done something unforgivable.


    Kyran raised his hands with a shrug, "Spare me the re. I know you''re wondering how I got in."


    He showed them a disc and said, "Hm lent me this disc after learning I was looking for Neah. He said he had to return it anyway, might as well let me use it."


    Gidan scowled at Kyran''s overly familiar and almost endearing mention of Cyneah''s name. "Call her Lady Saint. You tainted one."


    "Gidan!"


    Azikh and Cyneah called out to him at once, wearing a horrified expression.


    A tainted one was different from an Imon-spawn. It was the foulest name aplete being could have. Being tainted meant one had impure mana, which deformed their appearance. Apart from that, they could only use ''ck magic,'' which was feared by many. But then, because of the Tainted ones'' impure mana, most did not live long. Thus, they were few in number, if none.


    Kyran did not know what it meant but did not want to reconnect with the projector in his Void world and ask the old man. He cut off the connection after he entered the HQ. This was to prevent anyone from sensing the Abbot, in case Eidums with high-level magic attainment had a way of ''sensing'' the Abbot''s aura.


    It was only a precaution. Kyran was confident in the Shaiha''s ability to mask any aura connected to him. His Void world was also undetectable. At least, he had not met anyone who could sense it.


    Kyran only raised his brows at them. He did not care what Gidan called him. From what he heard after appearing, he more or less understood thetter was only a grumpy guy with a Saintplex.


    "Humph," Gidan snorted, not wanting to apologize for what he said.


    Seeing Kyran''s indifference, Azikh was inwardly confused. He somehow reminded him of the Saint when she first came to them.


    Like a child who was ignorant of a lot of things in Somuli.


    ''The Saint''s ignorance was attributed to her growing up in the forest. Could it be that Nar is also...'' Azikh paused and scoffed at his train of thought.


    Kyran''s appearance was different. Of course, he would have avoided going to towns or cities. If not, they might have used him of being an Imon-spawn or a Tainted one.


    "The disc Hm had is a one-time use only," Azikh pointed out after remembering this fact. He looked at Gidan, "Did you perhaps give Hm a disc with level one clearance?"


    The receiving room was considered an off-limits ce. Only a few members had ess to it, depending on their clearance.


    So far, the only ones with a disc that allowed them to enter and leave the receiving room freely were Azikh, Cyneah, Gidan, the messenger, and the Abbot, if he was there. However, when they left the HQ, they had to surrender the disc to prevent it from getting lost outside.


    Though no one could replicate things created by lost technology, they could still use or destroy it. If the disc fell into the hands of their enemies, then they could infiltrate the HQ and attack from the inside.


    A member could have a temporary disc if he or she requested to meet the Saint or the Abbot if he was there.


    Gidan frowned. He was too angry after hearing the Abbot''s abduction that he was not sure if he identally gave Hm a disc with a level one clearance.


    "I... maybe I did. Sorry."


    "That is too careless, Gidan. Hm is one of the new recruits and probably did not know the disc you should have give him could only be used once. Good thing he was sensible enough to return it. If not, what do you think will happen if it falls into the hands of another?"


    "I... Yeah. Sorry, I''ll be careful next time."


    Because the two were busy with their exchange, they did not notice the strange look on Cyneah''s face as she looked at Kyran.


    ''He tweaked it...'' She thought, with ck lines appearing on her head.


    Cyneah could sense all the discs with level one clearance. She had left a small mark with her magic energy into them to ensure something like this would not happen. At that moment, she confirmed the disc in Kyran''s hand was not one of those.


    Gidan looked at Kyran and glowered, "Give it back then¡ª."


    "Let him have it," Cyneah interrupted him at once.


    "WHAT?"


    "Lady Saint, that is..."


    Gidan and Azikh eximed at the same time.


    Cyneah smiled sweetly while trying her best to stop her brows from twitching.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Since he will be working with us closely, it is only appropriate for him to have one."


    Kyran looked at Cyneah and smiled inwardly. He could fool Azikh and Gidan, but apparently not her.


    He had guessed only a handful of discs with level one clearance were avable. Since he wanted to have ess to every part of the HQ, he needed one. But he could not ask for it himself. If he did, Gidan would oppose to it right away. As for Azikh, he would likely be neutral and leave the decision to Cyneah. But if that was the case, Gidan wouldin that her rtionship with him would affect her decision.


    To avoid such drama, Kyran resorted to this.


    Contrary to what Cyneah believed, though, he did not tweak the disc. Instead, he teleported directly into the receiving room. What he tweaked was the array inside the room. Else, the defensive array inside the room would have activated once he appeared.


    "I disagree."


    "I''d like to keep it, too," Kyran quipped, ignoring Gidan''s refusal.


    To stop Gidan from pursuing the matter, Kyran approached them and changed the subject, "More importantly, I''d like to discuss how we can improve the HQ''s defensive line and supply shortage."


    "Oi¡ª."


    "You''re supposed to be resting," Cyneah replied before Gidan could say anything.


    "Don''t worry. Because of my special constitution, your potion worked wonders," Kyran lied. "Besides, you don''t think the enemies had stopped their attack after that failed attempt using those beast horde and magical beast, right?"


    Azikh, who was still contemting the Saint''s request to hand over the disc to Kyran, stopped short and looked at him.


    "What do you mean?"


    Gidan''s expression also turned grim. He said, "Are you jinxing us?"


    "Why would I do that?" Kyran inwardly rolled his eyes at him. He wondered how this guy became themander of this HQ.


    The HQ was the first line of defense of the Eidums'' border. If someone like him weremanding, the border would fall quickly.


    "Neah is here, I won''t let anything happen to this ce."


    "You sound like the Saint is the only reason you''re helping us."


    "That''s what I said," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I don''t really care what happened to you guys, but since this ce is important to Neah, I will do everything I can to protect it. However, we need to improve how you do things here. If not, this fort will fall the next time those people on the other side attack."


    Azikh and Gidan looked at each other.


    What Kyran said was true. To be honest, if not for him, they would have lost the remaining abled fighters in that beast horde. When that happened, the only thing that would protect them was the steel walls. But that would notst long either because only a handful could maintain its barrier.


    "What do you propose then?" Azikh was the first one to express his willingness to hear Kyran out.


    "First and foremost, we need to secure the supplies," Kyran responded. "I heard you only rely on the supplies transported from the main city. But that is too far. If lucky, the supplies will arrive here in a month, but right now, the supplies you have will not be able to sustain you for another week, much less a month."


    "We know that," Gidan growled. "But what else can we do? If you want to suggest asking the neighboring cities to provide supplies, then stop. We already tried, and until now, we have not heard from them."


    "Why do you persist in getting your supplies in cities? You are out in the wild. There are plenty of resources right here."


    "Yes, and plenty of beasts as well," Gidan replied.


    "Can you stop interrupting?" Kyran asked him in exasperation. "Why do you fear those beasts? Try changing your perspective for a moment.


    "Let me ask you, what did you do to the corpses of the beasts outside?"


    Azikh looked at him in shock, "You... you n to hunt those beasts and use them?"


    "If they are properly cleaned and cooked, they are edible. Their parts can also be used for potions. Apart from that, the forest is filled with hidden resources."


    "We know that," Gidan repeated in annoyance. "Do you think we did not think of that before? The problem is, we don''t have enough manpower to do those things!"


    "Aren''t you nning to work me to my bone?" Kyran replied with a smile. "Why are you getting worked up?"

 Chapter 771 It Has Been A While (6)

    "Well..." Azikh looked at Kyran thoughtfully. "If you put it that way..."


    Gidan scowled, "You just ran off your mouth as you please, don''t you?"


    "Please," Kyran snorted. "I only repeated what you said. Besides, who else here can fight a beast as effortlessly as I do?"


    Azikh and Gidan''s brow twitched. What he said was true, but did he have to say it like that? He was not only rubbing salt in their wounds but also generating hatred in them for sounding like an arrogant prick.


    "Is that right?" Gidan snarled, a vein about to pop on his forehead. "Alright. Since you say so, then I''ll work you to the bone. I''ll have you hunt for supplies until our warehouse is full." He then looked at Cyneah and said, "Since he said it himself, you don''t have any problem with this, right Lady Saint?"


    "H-Huh?" Cyneah looked at them in shock.


    Judging from her reaction, it seemed she was not listening to their conversation.


    Azikh looked at her in concern, "Lady Saint? You looked flushed. Are you alright? If you''re fatigued over healing our injured fighters, please say so. We can''t have you falling ill."


    Kyran also looked at Cyneah. He felt bad for not noticing she was feeling unwell. He had to find a way to relieve some of her burdens so she could have time for herself.


    Cyneah blushed even further as she shook her head and said, "N-No, I-I am alright. J-Just... R-Right, since N-Nar volunteered to hunt himself, there is no problem. Ahahaha..."


    Unbeknownst to them, her face had turned red because of what Kyran had said about helping them only because she was there. Once again, the things she had kept hidden for almost seven years threatened to overwhelm her.


    Kyran frowned slightly. From how she stuttered, he knew she was flustered about something. Was she that worried about hiding her condition? He made a mental note to talk about that with her. Now that he was here, she did not have to stress over things alone. She could rely on him to handle the logistics and military side of things at the border. Gidan probably had his good side, but his grumpiness was something that she could be worried about.


    Though Azikh and Kyran did not realize Cyneah''s inner turmoil, Gidan knew better. He had been with her for four years, and this was not the first time he saw her flustered like this.


    During Cyneah''sst year in the Abbey, there was a time where every Eidum could only talk about her ''ideal partner.'' The reason for such discussion was due to the Abbot''s announcement.


    Cyneah had been mum during the whole thing. However, there was one time where a group of female healers with her started to guess her ideal. Gidan was present at that time and he noticed her turning bright red after one of them said something. He could not remember what it was but remembered it because Cyneah started to stutter in her reply.


    Cyneah was not flustered by anything Azikh had said. That much Gidan was sure of. Which meant it was Kyran who said something. And Gidan already guessed what it was.


    Frankly, Gidan had feared Cyneah had been too scarred to even think of her own happiness. He was further distraught about it when the Abbot made the announcement, yet she did not react to it. Seeing her flustered about something actually made Gidan a little happy. It showed her ''maiden heart.'' He started to believe it was not that she was too scarred, but that her position as the Saint did not allow her to show much of her vulnerable side.


    But Gidan was not happy now because he started remembering what that healer had said.


    That female healer remarked that maybe Cyneah already had someone important to her, which was why she was unaffected by the announcement.


    Was the healer''s remark on point? Could that person be Kyran?


    No. Gidan would not approve of him. Even if he was her benefactor, everything about him was too shady. Cyneah would never have a peaceful life if she chose him.


    "He can go right now," Gidan suggested at once. He would not let Kyran have a chance to be around Cyneah. He would give him a lot of tasks to the point he would not have a chance to even see her shadow!


    Azikh shook his head, "No. He is new in this ce. He needs to get familiar with it first, and we need to assign a healer that could go with him, just in case."


    "Yes," Cyneah agreed. "A guide, a healer, and at least three abled fighters."


    "There is no need," Kyran started to protest. To be honest, if others were with him, they would only be dead weight. Besides, when Hm and Soria negotiated with Gidan to let him in, he took that chance to scout the whole area. That was how he knew there was a nearby forest with rich resources.


    Although he said it was nearby, it would still take at least half a day if he was with a group of people. If he worked alone, however, he could use warp anytime.


    "Humor me, Nar," Cyneah pleaded. "You say my potion worked wonders, but I think only the adrenaline rush kept you going. At least there are others with you, If anything happens, they can get you home."


    Kyran sighed. Cyneah avoided mentioning him being exposed to magical beast blood. Thus, Azikh and Gidan did not react much to it. They probably only think that he was too exhausted and the potion she gave him was meant to help recover his fatigue.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    In any case, he could not argue with her without saying too much. Gidan might not be able to catch on their exchange but not Azikh. Kyran felt thetter was better at reading between the lines.


    "A guide should be enough," Kyran bargained.


    "Bring a healer too."


    "With the condition of your fighters, you can''t spare even one of your healers. It''s okay, really."


    "Bring a healer, please," Cyneah repeated pleadingly.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. If she asked like that, how could he refuse?


    "Fine, I''ll borrow Hm and Oded then."


    "Hm is the leader of the new recruits. He needed to finish his orientation. As for Oded, he is the Lady Saint''s assistant. You can''t have them," Gidan growled. "Soria and Yalen can apany you."


    Azikh looked at him with one brow twitching. He could already guess what Gidan was nning.


    Cyneah frowned, "Yalen is also my assistant, Gidan."


    "She had studied with you before you left the Abbey, right? Unlike Oded, she is already knowledgeable about how you do things. You''d want the best to assist your friend, right? I believe she is the best fit."


    "Y-Yes," Cyneah replied. Gidan''s argument was sound, which was why she was even more reluctant to agree. However, she could not think of a reason to reject his suggestion. "But... they are new in this ce. Soria... I don''t think she can be a good guide¡ª."


    "She can, Lady Saint," Azikh interjected. "Among the new recruits, her knowledge of the border''s terrain has been one of the reasons she was appointed vice leader in their team. Apart from this, her knowledge of the Great Divide far exceeded her generation''s. Maybe even the generation ahead of hers."


    "Hm," Kyran crossed his arms as he recalled Soria mentioned wanting to guide him in ''seeing'' the whole Great Divide. "She did offer to show me around, but it can''t be realized because of the current situation."


    "There!" Gidan dered at once, "Even your friend agrees."


    "I didn''t¡ª."


    "Come with me," Gidan ignored his attempt to correct his statement and gestured for him to follow.


    "W-Wait," Cyneah started.


    However, her protest had gone to deaf ears as Gidan forced Kyran to follow him.


    Azikh let out a smallugh. He had guessed what Gidan was after. He wanted to sway Kyran by letting him stay around young women his age.


    s, Gidan''s overprotectiveness of the Saint had bared its fangs.


    "We can also discuss your suggestion in strengthening the defensive line while we meet with your new teammates," Gidan said as he grabbed Kyran by the arm and pulled him toward the array formation.


    Kyran no longer argued and went along with Gidan. Since he was finally being cooperative, he did not mind ying along with his ''n.''


    Obviously, Kyran knew what Gidan was thinking. But it did not matter because he only found Soria and Yalen as good kids he could train. They had potential, along with Hm and the others.


    Besides, Gidan was now willing to listen to his suggestion. Why should he argue?


    With that in mind, the two went to find Soria and Yalen. At the same time, Kyran told Gidan his idea about strengthening their defensive line.


    In any case, Kyran expected to return before the enemies started on their follow-up attack.

 Chapter 772 It Has Been A While (7)

    Before Kyran left, he visited the infirmary and looked for Oded. With thetter''s help, he checked all fighters suffering from major injuries. After almost half an hour of checking, he selected around 70 fighters and asked Oded to give them a pill. He then gave him a bottle full of green pills.


    Gidan had scoffed at Kyran''s action. He did not say anything, but internally, he ridiculed thetter for his ignorance. After all, even the Saint did not dare use her full healing abilities to heal those fighters because of their severe conditions, so what could Kyran''s pills possibly do?


    However, Kyran ignored him, and even Oded paid him no heed. Thetter simply followed the former''s instruction without any questions.


    Gidan would lie if he said he was not surprised at Oded''s attitude. But then he recalled thetter was also a new recruit and had arrived at the borders with Kyran.


    Could Oded''s attitude toward Kyran result from something that happened during their journey?


    This question made Gidan make a mental note to review Hm and Soria''s full report.


    Before Gidan could usher Kyran to leave, he was shocked to see one of the fighters who had taken thetter''s pill to recover so soon.


    Dumbfounded, Gidan failed to digest what had happened properly. Moreover, he had yet to recover from his initial shock when another fighter recovered.


    Most of the healers in the infirmary were as shocked as Gidan. Only a few that did not fully understand what was happening, and Oded, remained calm.


    Rather than appearing calm, Oded wore a knowing smile while looking at Gidan as if to say: "Surprised? That''s brother Nar''s pills for you! Its efficacy cannot bepared to those so-called high-quality pills from big cities!"


    Kyran left without confirming the status of the 70 fighters that took his pill because he already knew the result. Besides, he picked them because he could already sense their natural healing ability was at an eptable rate, which would allow them to digest the pill he had in a few minutes.


    In any case, Kyran had no issue showing them his ''apothecary'' skills since Hm and his group already knew it. Hm would have also said something about it when he submitted his report, which meant they would know he was good with potions and pills sooner thanter.


    The reason Kyran went through the trouble of healing these fighters was so they could add to the current abled fighters. Though he was confident of returning before the enemiesunched a follow-up attack, he had to ensure the fort had enough abled fighters to maintain the steel wall''s barrier. At the same time, if on the off chance that the enemies attacked before he returned, at least their side had a hundred abled fighters to keep them at bay.


    Seeing that Gidan was still dumbfounded and would not recover soon, Kyran left the infirmary and met Soria and Yalen.


    The two were already aware of their assignment and immediately made preparations.


    "Let''s go," Kyran said and teleported them outside.


    Soria and Yalen were surprised that Kyran possessed a disc with a level-one clearance. Then again, recalling what he did a few hours ago and that he was actually an acquaintance of the Saint, it was only right he had one.


    They did not notice Kyran had not activated a disc but his magic to transport them outside.


    Once outside, Kyran looked at them and said, "I have a technique that allows me to move fast. If we want to return before nightfall, I have to carry you two. Will that be okay?"


    "That''s fine with me."


    "C-Carry us?"


    Soria and Yalen replied at the same time. Judging by the difference in their tone, however, they both had a different take on being ''carried.''


    Soria did not seem to have any problem with Kyran''s suggestion, but Yalen''s voice quivered slightly, and her face turned bright red, suggesting she felt uneasy about the idea.


    "I said carry, but I''ll have you enter here," Kyran said, showing them a small dark purple orb. He exined, "This orb can hold two people without any problem with air."


    Actually, the orb was only a prop. He intended to warp them in his Void world and let them stay in one of the smaller rooms in the tower.


    Yalen''s face turned even redder as she poutingly said, "You should have said that from the start!"


    Kyran gave her a weird look and said, "Why are you getting worked up?"


    "That''s right, Lady Yalen," Soria also quipped. "There is no way for him to carry us simultaneously. Did you think he would carry one princess-style and the other on his back? Even if his technique allowed him to move in such a position, ourbined weight would logically make it impossible."


    Yalen red at her, "H-Hush¡­! I get it, alright. Let''s go!"


    Kyran chuckled at Yalen''s foolishness, even finding it cute. Although he could carry them the way Soria had described, he did not because their body could not handle the strain from being exposed to the speed of the Dragon Steps. Besides, they did not seem to weigh more than 110 kg. thus, theirbined weight was nothing to him.


    It would be a different story if he warped. However, he wanted to avoid using his Void magic in the open and in front of others. He wanted to keep his innate magic a secret as much as possible.


    Draconic magic was fine because he mainly used it to enhance his physical capabilities.


    "But if we enter that orb, how can I lead you to the forest?" Soria suddenly asked.


    "Don''t worry," Kyran assured her. "You can still talk to me inside the orb."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "You carry such interesting items, Nar," Soria remarked, looking at the orb with sparkles in her eyes.


    In Somuli, there were different ways to transport live beings. One was to ce them in huge containers and have someone with minification abilities turn the containers into portable sizes that could be hand carried. Another way was to ask a mage with Space magic to create space storages that living organisms could stay in for a few days. But even then, those storages could only carry one organism at a time due to their limited oxygen capacity. Then there were storages created with lost technology. Those items were rare. In the history of Somuli, only two known storages were created with lost technology, and they were in the Nobles'' possession.


    But what interested Soria the most was how Kyran''s orb could not only store two people simultaneously but also allowmunication from the outside.


    ''That orb is definitely created with lost technology!'' Soria thought excitedly. It was not only the orb. She believed the storage ring Kyran used to keep their supplies also had lost technology.


    Seeing the curious look on Soria''s face, Kyran only smiled. Honestly, he did not intend to hide his knowledge in Array. But he did not want to show all his trump cards from the get-go. He nned to slowly reveal what he could do and improve the border''s defenses.


    When Kyran smiled, Soria was ted. She found his smile to be a silent admission that her guess was on point. For someone to have not one but two items created using lost technology and refer to lost technology as Array meant a lot to Soria.


    She was beginning to view Kyran as a treasure trove of magic knowledge. He was not only knowledgeable in apothecary but also the lost technology. Hisbat sense and strength were also formidable.


    Soria was suddenly ovee with the idea of wanting Kyran to be her master!


    Before she could voice her thoughts, Kyran waved his hand and transported her and Yalen to his Void World. He wanted to return as soon as possible. Thus, he did not want to dally any longer.


    After transporting the two, he reconnected with the projector in the old man''s room.


    ''Old man,'' he called.


    ''Did you finally remember me?'' The old manined. He had been on edge all this time because Kyran had removed the projector''s connection without prior notice. He was worried that something bad happened, and the young man stopped the feed to spare him the heartache.


    ''Sorry, an emergency needed to be dealt with as soon as possible, and I could not connect until now.''


    ''Emergency?'' The old man asked in concern.


    ''It has been dealt with. I''ll exin on the way. More importantly, can you tell me more about why you are at odds with those inhabitants on the other side of the chasm? I get that they believed thisnd was theirs but is that all? I am also curious how they can amass a beast horde like it was nothing, not to mention send out a magical beast.''


    ''A magical beast? W-What do you mean by that? Did they send out a magical beast to attack? How is everyone? Sisi¡­ How is Sisi? Is she alright?''


    ''I''m the one asking questions right now, old man,'' Kyranined, his brow twitching. ''And what? You''re using her name now that the cat is out of the bag?''


    ''Young man, answer my question first, I beg of you.''


    ''She''s fine, as well as your people. You knew I was looking for her. Would I let anything happen to her on my watch?''


    The old man sighed, ''I see¡­ That''s good, then.''


    ''Now answer my question.''


    ''I already told you, I do not want to defy the Fates. I can only lead you to where you will find what you are searching for,'' the old man replied apologetically.


    ''What is the difference between telling me the truth to telling me the direction where I could find her?'' Kyran asked in confusion.


    ''You already said it. Telling the truth. Feeding the information, rather than letting you acquire it naturally. That is the difference,'' the old man exined patiently. ''It seems you are unaware of how the Fates work even though you have traveled to other nes before.''


    ''It''s because I never bothered understanding their role before.''


    ''And now you are?''


    ''Since they kept popping at every turn I made,'' Kyran said with a shrug. ''They''re annoying.''


    ''Be careful what you say, young man. They might be listening.''


    ''Let them listen,'' Kyran replied. ''I''d rather they hear my opinion.''


    ''You truly are¡­'' The old man sighed and decided to change the subject. Unlike Kyran, he did not want to incur the Fates'' wrath. ''And? Tell me what happened after you disconnected.''


    Kyran ryed what transpired to the old man along the way. At the same time, Soria''s voice would fleet in their conversation, telling him where to go.


    After almost two hours, they finally arrived at their destination.

 Chapter 773 It Has Been A While (8)

    The n was to let out Soria and Yalen once they arrived at their destination. However, after sensing several feral beasts nearby, Kyran decided against it and let them stay in the Void world.


    Soria and Yalen were unhappy with Kyran''s decision, but after four feral beasts appeared the moment he advanced 20 meters, they realized the severity of the situation and did nit attempt to argue.


    Unbeknownst to them, the feral beasts had no intentions of attacking. They were only curious about Kyran''s strange presence. Or to be more urate, his ''empty'' yet ominous presence. To them, he was like a walking abyss.


    Seeing the behavior of the feral beasts, Kyran sighed helplessly. He was here to hunt, thus, his ability to keep beasts at bay was a pain.


    Kyran now knew the difference from these beasts to the horde and magical beast that attacked him with zeal earlier.


    The old man exined that the inhabitants of the other side grew beasts for a living. There was also a rumor that they had an amiable rtionship with the magical beastmunity. How much of that was true, they were unsure. It was hard to infiltrate theirnd because every beast knew the difference between their inhabitants from the Eidums and would attack without hesitation.


    Anyhow, from this information, Kyran understood that those horde were domesticated. Thus, they were unaffected by Kyran''s ability. This also conformed to his initial assumption that controlled or summoned beasts were unaffected by his ability.


    ''I still wonder what kind of ability is this and when did I acquire it?'' Kyran thought.


    Putting aside his thoughts, he fished out the enhanced array he created to mask his presence. When he first created it, he had no choice but imprint it on the back of his hand. After bing proficient in Array, he already created a token with an enhanced array.


    Kyran activated the array and got ready to hunt.


    As soon as the token was activated, the feral beasts nearby growled. They no longer sensed the ominous presence from Kyran. Thus, there was no longer a need to be cautious.


    In a blink of an eye, all four beasts pounced at Kyran.


    ''Watch out!''


    ''C-Careful!''


    Soria and Yalen eximed in surprise.


    Simr to the old man''s room, there was an orb inside their room that showed them Kyran''s view.


    Their voices were also transmitted through the orb and vice versa.


    However, Kyran could filter his thoughts when responding to them and the old man. Which was why none of them realized they were in the same tower.


    Meanwhile, when the old man saw the four feral beasts suddenly making a move he was not as concerned like Soria and Yalen. Instead, he conversed with Kyran as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.


    ''I still do not know what is it that you do to make these beasts back off at one time, and then attack the next moment.''


    Kyran did not respond. He closed in on one feral beast to his right using Dragon Step and cut off its head with one swift strike of a spear.


    Soria and Yalen were surprised. They had only seen Kyran used his fists and short des. They did not know he could also use a spear. Moreover, he was unarmed a second ago. Where did he store his weapon? Did he have more of those storage rings? If that was the case, where did he get them?


    On the other hand, Soria got even more ecstatic. If Kyran knew how to replicate a lost technology then it was possible to create more of those rings any time.


    The two were thunderstruck at the speed of which Kyran disposed of the feral beasts. They were already amazed seeing him in action from afar. Now that they had a front seat view of him in action, they were even more amazed.


    Even the old man was in awe. He had not seen anyone fight so effeciently and effortlessly like him in Somuli. This only add to the fact that he was from another ne. It made the old man wonder at the situation in Kyran''s ne. What could possibly have hone him to be like this? The old man had the impression that the situation in Somuli was still mildpared to Kyran''s ne. If not, how could one be a high caliber fighter without experiencing countless war?


    s, the old man was overthinking.


    Kyran''s upbringing made him like this. As a matter of fact, his family even ced greater importance in his training because of his identity. They wanted him to have the knowledge and strength to survive no matter where he ended up going.


    After killing the beasts, Kyran dissected them. He also took this chance to study the anatomy of beasts in Somuli.


    While Kyran was doing this, Soria and Yalen had the urge to vomit. To be fair, they were not faint hearted. They would not have entered and graduated with flying colors in the Abbey if they were. They also knew how to dissect a beast''s remains. But the reason they felt that way was because Kyran was meticulously dissecting each part and they could not take the gore. Good thing they could not smell the blood while inside the ''orb.'' Else, they would not be able to hold the urge to vomit.


    Sensing the difort of the two youngdies, Kyran btedly remembered they were still watching.


    ''Sorry,'' he apologized and was about to disconnect the feed when Soria eximed, ''W-We are fine. You... seem to know your way in dissectingrge-sized beasts.''


    The feral beast Kyran fought were called Sm. They looked like huge smanders with dark red scales.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''I had a lot of practice,'' Kyran replied.


    He intended to downy the topic of his dissecting skills, but the two took his response differently.


    Did he mean to say that the ce he lived in had manyrge-sized beasts, which was why he had a lot of practice killing and then dissecting them afterward?


    Soria and Yalen shivered at the thought.


    After Kyran finished his task, he ced the dissected parts in an empty storage ring before moving on.


    The wilderness was truly a treasure trove. Kyran not only found beasts that could be eaten, but also those with parts that could be used for potions and weapon. Some of them even had scales that could be forged into armors or shields. Most of all, the herbs he found along the way had high medical efficacy.


    Kyran was truly fortunate to have the chance to read so many tablets during his second training in the Tower of Tribtions. Because of this, he had no problem identifying the herbs hee across with.


    As for the beasts, there were still many Kyran did not know. The reason behind it was their constant mutation and evolution.


    nts also undergo such phase but their evolution were mostly due to crossbreeding. Identifying them was still easier because most of their base characteristics and medicinal effect remained in tact.


    ''It is gettingte,'' Kyran thought noticing the slowly darkening sky at a distance.


    ''There is a safe spot nearby,'' Soria''s voice sounded in his head.


    ''We can stay there for the night.''


    ''We''re not staying,'' Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head. ''We''ve secured enough resources. Add it up with the ones back at HQ, it shouldst for a month.''


    ''Though there is still a few hours before dark, we are way deep in the wilderness,'' Yalen started to argue. ''We won''t make it out before then.''


    ''She''s right,'' Soria agreed. ''You know how beast behavior changes at night. We are not questioning your ability to fight but you''ve been doing that since we arrived at the border. You need proper rest.''


    ''And making sure you''re in top shape is the reason I am here,'' Yalen added with pursed lips.


    ''Don''t worry,'' Kyran tried to assure them. ''I won''t suggest going back if I am not confident in leaving the wilderness before night fall.''


    Before the two could argue further, he already retraced his steps and left the wildnerness.


    Whoooosh!


    Kyran''s eyes widened as an almost undetectable attack sh past him, which he barely evaded. If he had took another step, his head would have been chopped off.


    Boom!


    A nearby tree with thick trunk was cut in two so cleanly and easily that Soria and Yalen''s scalp went numb in fear.


    ''Nar!''


    Soria and Yalen eximed.


    ''Young man! There is an outsider-!''


    Kyran cut off his connection to them before looking at a spot in the sky, a hundred meters away.


    His eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar figure hovering there.


    "I had some doubts because you looked different. But no one in this ne has the ability to dodge my attack."


    The figure disappeared and in a blink of an eye, reappeared a few meters in front of Kyran.


    "Dusk," Kyran said after a short pause, naming the figure before him.


    Dusk smiled, "It has been a while, Dark Sage."

 Chapter 774 Night Raid (1)

    Gidan and a hundred abled fighters stood atop their border''s steel walls and scanned the field before them. He had a scowl as he remembered what Kyran suggested to keep their enemies at bay.


    "Show yourself with all the abled fighters while wearing full armor. Then, appear as menacing as possible on top of the steel walls. If you do this, the enemies will think you are up to something and will hesitate to attack so soon."


    To be honest, Gidan did not want to follow the younger man''s advice, but he understood the logic behind showing up before the enemy with a dignified and menacing appearance right after winning a battle where they were expected to lose¡ª it was to make the enemy believed they were about to retaliate. In short, a psychological attack.


    Gidan followed Kyran''s advice because of what he witnessed in the Infirmary a few hours ago.


    For the record, even after witnessing how their fighters with severe injuries recovered before his eyes, Gidan still had his reservation. He thought the pill Kyran gave them only had a temporary effect and that their injuries would return once the effect was gone.


    But then the Saint appeared, reexamined the fighters, and confirmed they had fully recovered. Gidan was still in denial, but Cyneah only responded by saying thatpared to Kyran, her knowledge of ''apothecary'' could be considered so-so.


    Cyneah''s admission was like a bomb to them. After all, when she became the Saint and studied in the Abbey, they saw her proficiency in pill and potion-making. Every pill and potion she concocted would have high efficacy. Unfortunately, theycked enough resources for some of the herbs she used. Thus, they could not mass-produce her pills and potions. For this reason, her medicines were viewed as rare, and the demand for them was always high.


    In the Apothecarymunity, if Cyneah said she was only second best, no one would dare im they were the first. This was also true with those pharmacists who could also produce high-efficacy medicines.


    For this reason, Cyneah''s admission that Kyran was better than her shocked them.


    Gidan yed it off by remarking that Kyran only had the advantage of possessing the rare herbs needed to increase a medicine''s efficacy. But Cyneah only smiled and refrained from arguing.


    After a while, the fighters that recovered reported to Gidan. Only then, after seeing they could move about and evenugh as if they had another lease in life, Gidan secretly admitted that Kyran was truly sincere about helping them. Although he said he was only doing that because Cyneah was there, it was enough for now.


    Thus, Gidan ordered all abled fighters to don their armor and apany him atop their border''s steel wall.


    A figure suddenly appeared beside Gidan and knelt on one knee.


    "How''s the other side?" Gidan asked.


    The figure wore dark leather armor, and a thick ck cloth wrapped his head, leaving only his eyes uncovered. His attirepletely contrasted with the heavy silver armor that Gidan and the other fighters with him wore.


    This person was one of Azikh''s men. Unlike the fighters under Gidan, who were responsible for protecting the border when the enemies attacked, Azikh''s men were responsible for gathering information and scouting.


    "Although their walls are closed, judging from the noises heard from the outside, they are indeed preparing for another attack."


    Gidan''s eyes narrowed.


    Typically, a scout would camp a few hundred meters outside the enemy wall. If he still heard themotion inside the enemy wall at that distance, then it meant the enemy''s number could not be lower than a thousand.


    "Did you find out if they are preparing another beast horde or...?" Gidan did not finish his question. He only looked at the scout meaningfully.


    The scout''s head remained lowered. Thus, he did not see Gidan''s look. Nevertheless, he understood what thetter meant and said, "Both. I heard noises from both beasts and the inhabitants."


    "Night is about to fall," one of the captains behind Gidan reminded them.


    Gidan looked up and saw that the dark violet sky had begun to spread from a distance.


    "It seems we''ll have to prepare for a night raid," he said gravely.


    The fighters behind him did not respond, but it was noticeable how the atmosphere around them turned heavy.


    "Please do not worry," Hm suddenly said.


    Although he was a recruit, he had a team assigned to him and was the Team Leader. Thus, he stood close to his captain and heard the exchange between another captain and themander.


    "Nar said he would return before nightfall," he reminded them. "We all know his strength isparable to a toon. Even if we are outnumbered, we''ll win as long as he is here."


    Gidan scowled at him, "Don''t rely on another person to defend our borders. We will defend the walls no matter what."


    "But this will be a battle of attrition,mander," Hm''s captain said worriedly. "Most of our fighters have only recovered. I''m afraid they are still unfit for battle."


    "Don''t underestimate us, captain."


    One fighter close to Hm''s captainined. "Even if we are bedridden for days, we can sortie anytime."


    "Do not misunderstand," the captain replied and looked at him. "I know you will go no matter what condition you are in as long as you can stand and summon magic. But if the enemy will dispatch another beast horde, I''m afraid..."


    His voice trailed off as he recalled what happened early that afternoon.


    "The battlefield is also filled with fresh blood. Those will entice the beasts'' bloodthirst and attack more fiercely."


    The captain who spoke to Gidan first reminded them.


    "Stop overthinking," Gidan growled, turning his attention back in front. "Their number does not matter. We''ll push them back if they appear."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes,mander."


    Meanwhile, in the wilderness.


    After Dusk greeted Kyran, Kyran''s figure fleeted by and appeared in a sh in front of Dusk. Simultaneously, a dark purple dagger appeared in his hand as he shed at thetter''s throat.


    "Ngrh...!" Dusk barely moved backward to avoid the dagger''s des. "Urgh...!"


    However, a beautiful thin line still appeared on his throat even when the de did not touch his skin.


    "Calm down, Dark Sage!" He eximed and moved back a few hundred feet away in an instant. "I am not here to¡ª!"


    sh!


    Kyran''s figure fleeted once more and was already in front of Dusk. His hand holding the dagger was also outstretched and had cleanly sliced thetter''s throat.


    A shocked expression was frozen on Dusk''s face as his head rolled to the ground. His body followed right after with a loud thud.


    No blood splurted out from Dusk''s wound because the dagger in Kyran''s hand was purely made of Void magic.


    Kyran straightened and looked up, "Stop hiding. I know this is only an essence."


    "That is not reason enough toe after me with the intent to kill!" Dusk''s voice reverberated in the surroundings, making it hard to pinpoint where it started.


    "You started it first," Kyran replied with a nonchnt shrug.


    "I did not know if it was you, so I did that. If it was, I am confident you can avoid that. If not, then killing an inhabitant of this ne was not a big deal."


    "It depends on who you n to kill," Kyran replied coldly.


    From Dusk''s hiding spot, he saw the murderous glint in Kyran''s eyes and shivered slightly. But instead of fear, the shivering he experienced was more due to excitement. He had always wanted to cross swords with Kyran since they first met. However, Axil exhorted him to keep his hands off him.


    "Kyran is not a prey. He is an asset we needed."


    Axil had told Dusk. But that did not stop thetter from desiring a proper match with him.


    "Fine, fine. You win," Dusk responded.


    A figure appeared ten meters to Kyran''s right side.


    "I have a message from¡ª!"


    sh!


    Kyran appeared behind the figure, and his dagger cleanly cut off its head.


    "DARK SAGE!" Dusk''s angry voice shook the surroundings as another of his essence fell to the ground dead.


    Kyran did not respond. However, the malicious glint in his eyes was enough for Dusk to know what he wanted to say.


    Kyran would kill him if he kept sending an essence to talk to him.


    Dusk wanted so badly to attack Kyran seriously. But because of Axil''s exhortation, he could only grit his teeth and hide his urge.


    In the Guardians faction, all of them revered Axil. Even Dusk, who tended to defy orders. Their reverence was not because she was one of the founders of the faction but because she was among the strongest¡ª even though her innate magic was categorized as ''support.''


    Reigning in his growing annoyance, Dusk appeared before Kyran.


    This time, Kyran did not move. He only looked at Dusk, who wore an oversized hood that hid his face.


    "A message from Axil," Dusk started, not bothering with introductions. "Flos''s side has started to move. They are already making preparations to negotiate with the Somuli''s Sovereign."


    "What made them decide to move?"


    "The Abbot''s disappearance," Dusk replied with a grim tone. "Initially, Flos wanted to make contact with the Abbot. Right. In case you''re unaware, the Abbot is¡ª."


    "I know who the Abbot is," Kyran cut him midsentence. "Why does Flos want to meet the Abbot first?"


    "The Saint," Dusk replied with an exasperated sigh. "Apparently, Flos wanted to use the Saint to force the Somuli''s Sovereign to join him."

 Chapter 775 Night Raid (2)

    ''Neah?'' Kyran could not help but frown at this. He knew the Nobles had been after the Saint and that the fake Somuli Sovereign was behind it. But he did not know thetter''s intentions. He wanted to ask Azikh and Gidan about it, but since he had just arrived and had not earned theirplete trust, he stalled bringing up the topic.


    Before Kyran could ask Dusk if he knew why the fake Somuli Sovereign wanted Cyneah, he already began exining.


    "Apparently, the Sovereign was smitten by the Saint and her Divine Armament," Dusk exined. "From what our informants gathered, the Sovereign coveted her the first time she healed him.


    "In the beginning, the Nobles could easily pressure the Saint into epting the Sovereign''s proposal, but the Abbot intervened and announced that she was already betrothed to his son. Thus, the Sovereign could not have her."


    Kyran''s face had always acted indifferent, but after hearing that, he froze for a split second.


    However, Dusk failed to notice this because he was too busy exining.


    "You''re probably wondering why a Sovereign would stop his advances just because of such an announcement," he continued with a wry smile. "It seems inhabitants of Somuli, as a whole, ced great importance on betrothal. After all, it affects the lineage of their plete'' state. They wanted to avoid producing ''Tainted'' ones, as well as getting involved with an Imon-spawn.


    "Right. A Tainted one and an Imon-spawn are¡ª."


    "I''m not interested in additional facts. Just get to the point."


    Dusk''s brow twitched, but he did not argue and said, "Fine. To make it short, once twoplete beings are betrothed; they enter into a pact that can only be rescinded if everyone who signed it agrees to its dissolution. As far as we know, the ones who agreed to that pact were the Abbot, his son, obviously, and finally, the Saint. Unless all three of them agree, the pact cannot be dissolved.


    "In case you''re wondering, a pact can only be sessful if the couple are 100%plete beings. This is how they filter anyone from posing as aplete being. If an Imon-spawn or a Tainted entered the pact, they would die on the spot."


    Kyran frowned. Cyneah was not aplete being. Thus, if she agreed to the pact, she would have died. Since she was not, it meant she was not the one who performed the pact.


    The image of the Saint he first met fleeted into his head, and he wondered if she also proxied for her. All three who performed the pact knew Cyneah was not aplete being if that was true.


    As much as Kyran did not want Cyneah to be involved in that pact, having three people who knew she was not aplete being was also troubling. He wanted to ask the old man about it but had to suppress his urge for the time being.


    Kyran was not worried about Dusk sensing the old man because he was confident in the Shaiha. He only wanted to prevent the old man from being exposed to other Sovereigns.


    In the first ce, Kyran was not part of any faction, and although he had a working rtionship with the Guardians, that did not mean he would get involved in their affairs to this extent.


    "What if one of the three tries to dissolve the pact?" Kyran asked, wanting to understand its in and outs.


    "We don''t know for sure," Dusk replied with a shrug. "Whatever it is, the Nobles are not too keen on trying. If they were, they would have emphasized exploiting the Abbot''s weakness. Maybe even negotiate with his son to dissolve the pact."


    "Were they not exploiting the Abbot''s weakness by having him send all his capable people to the Great Divide?" Kyran asked with a frown.


    "Their reason for sending his people at the borders was not to exploit them, to be honest," Dusk answered. "Are you familiar with the saying: ''If I can''t have it, then no one else can''? Basically, that is the decision of the Sovereign since the Abbot would not budge. The Nobles were only following his orders."


    Kyran was silent. He could not say he did not understand the logic, but at the same time, he found it illogical.


    In the first ce, the Somuli Sovereign was a fake. He was not trying to keep up with the pretense that he was a true Sovereign because he kept meddling with the internal affairs in Somuli. If he really wanted to take Cyneah, he could have done that before the Abbot made that announcement. And even now that the pact was already in ce and he truly did not want others to have Cyneah by having her go to the Great Divide where she could be killed, the fake Somuli Sovereign could have done the deed himself. He could easily disguise himself and find a chance to kill Cyneah. Kyran was not saying he preferred that scenario. It was because of this that he found the fake Sovereign''s decision to be illogical.


    ''Unless he has other reason for doing these things,'' Kyran thought. ''But what?''


    Speaking of the Somuli Sovereign as fake, Kyran could not help but look at Dusk. He sensed thetter had dropped a few mage levels, which meant he was restrained. If the Somuli Sovereign was fake, that should not have happened.


    Then again, Dusk might have used the ''third'' option to enter a ne to prevent the Somuli Sovereign from sensing outsiders¡ª not that thetter could since he was a fake.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Putting that aside, the more Kyran ponder the situation in Somuli, the more he was confused. The state of affairs he learned from the Abbot was insufficient to draw a conclusion. He had to gather more information. But he did not want to ask the Guardians for help.


    ''I''ll have to find a way to get Zephyr and the others here. I will need them to gather information.''


    Dusk looked at Kyran dubiously and said, "You seem to know what is happening on the Eidums'' side of things but are not knowledgeable about the bigger picture. Did youe here without reading the intel we have here?"


    "I''m not part of the Guardians," Kyran replied with a shrug. "Besides, my business here has nothing to do with that ''bigger picture.''"


    "Did you think I don''t know you''re here to confirm the identity of the Saint?" Dusk said with a slight frown. "I know that much. As a matter of fact, all members of the Guardians know you''re looking for your mistress. That''s why you''re helping out in securing resources for the faction even though you are not a member¡ª."


    "I am helping secure those resources in return for intel," Kyran corrected with a frown."You''re making it sound like I am ving off you while I look for her."


    He did not know that his ''search for his mistress'' had reached the ears of every Sovereign in Guardians. He did not mind that they knew he was looking for someone. But for them to identify that someone as his ''mistress''? Now, that was a little annoying.


    "Whatever," Dusk replied and started to leave. But then he stopped after recalling something and looked at Kyran again, "That''s right, Axil said to be careful. She thinks the Somuli''s Sovereign is up to something. You''re going to the Great Divide, where the Saint is, right? Before you do, try to find a way to change your look. You look like a Tainted one or even an Imon-spawn. They will only be afraid and attack you with everything they got. You may even cause their fall, and the Somuli Sovereign would not have any problem. Also, since you did not read the intel on this ne, you probably did not know what a Divine Armament is."


    Kyran looked at him. Dusk did mention that the Somuli Sovereign was interested in Cyneah''s ''Divine Armament.'' He almost forgot about that because he was too affected by Cyneah being betrothed to the Abbot''s son.


    Though he did not think she was not part of the pact, that did not stop him from being affected.


    "What is this Divine Armament?"


    "Simply put,plete beings possessed Divine Armament instead of a magic core. You already know how thin the magic energy in this ne is, right? It is because they don''t really need it. They can produce their own magic energy using their Divine Armament."


    "What about the beast-like?"


    "They don''t have one. Instead, their body can naturally absorb ''mana,'' thus, allowing them to use magic. Their magic output is not as powerful as aplete being''s. Because mana is different from magic energies."


    Kyran was surprised to hear this. He had thought they referred to magic energy as mana in this ne. It seemed he had to allocate enough time to learn this ne''s magicw. If not, he would only expose his identity as an outsider.


    "Is that the reason you don''t reveal yourselves to others? Because they might notice you guys not possessing a Divine Armament?"


    "Who says I don''t have one?" Dusk replied with a sneer. "Where I came from, we have something simr to it."


    "And you also have a magic core?"


    "Who knows? You''re not part of the Guardians. Why would I tell you about my magicw? For all I know, you''re looking for a chance to backstab us."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly but did not try to pursue the matter. Dusk had a point. He could still be considered an outsider. Besides, a Sovereign''s magicw would be considered their strength and weakness. They would not reveal it to others easily.


    "I did not know you had such a high view of me. I''m not even a Sovereign. How could I even try to fight you guys."


    Silence ensued after that. After a short pause, Dusk said in a serious tone, "You really don''t know what it means to possess Ancient magic, do you?"


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Instead of answering, Dusk turned around and prepared to leave, "Find the answers yourself. I don''t want to incur the wrath of the Fates if I tell you myself."

 Chapter 776 Night Raid (3)

    Kyran connected with the old man after Dusk left.


    Because of the sudden disconnection, the old man was worried and had been on edge while waiting for Kyran to reconnect. The old man was confident thetter would not be easily defeated, but that did not stop him from worrying.


    On the other hand, while Kyran appreciated the old man''s concern, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, especially about the pact. Without answering the old man if he was alright, he started asking him about


    The old man did not answer immediately. But after a short pause, he exined what really happened.


    The one who proposed the pact had apparently been the old man''s son. Moreover, no one proxied for Cyneah. Kyran felt mixed emotions about this piece of information. The old man also admitted he did not know how the pact recognized Cyneah as aplete being, but it did.


    After that, the old man exined that the pact could not be rescinded without the consent of all three involved. Kyran already knew this but did not interrupt the old man and let him continue.


    ording to the old man, the Nobles did not act after that because they did not know the details of the pact between Cyneah and his son''s betrothal. Apparently, when a pact was made, all parties must offer something aspensation if one of them tried to break it off. Since the Nobles did not know what all three offered, they never mentioned the Sovereign''s proposal again.


    Kyran found the Nobles''ck of action strange. If it was him, he would have gone to great lengths to find the details of the pact and exploit its weakness.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, the old man wore a sad smile and revealed what they offered.


    "My son and I agreed to offer our Divine Armament, if we ever try to break off the pact. I know you are not familiar with Divine Armaments but allplete beings possessed it. And if we lose it, it is equivalent to bing crippled for life. Now Sisi... since she does not possess a Divine Armament, she offered a different one... And that is her life."


    Kyran almost snapped when he heard that.


    If the Nobles discovered the details of the pact they would not be able to convince any of the to dissolve the pact. After all, the stake was too big. The Nobles did not know it, but they probably guessed it would have been along that line since they knew the Abbot''s character.


    From this, Kyran felt that the Nobles were not that unreasonable.


    The old man then continued and told Kyran that although the Nobles no longer mentioned the Sovereign''s proposal, he sensed that thetter was dissatisfied.


    Finally, the Sovereign invited the old man along with the rest of the Eidum''s leading figures to a meeting in the city. In that meeting, the Sovereign expressed his distress about the problem in the Great Divide. ording to him, they had suffered defeat after defeat and could not longer assist the Eidums in protecting their border.


    The old man knew at once that the Sovereign was trying to ckmail them. Basically, if they did not give the Saint, he would order his people guarding the Great Divide to pull out.


    It should be noted that the Great Divide was part of the Eidum''s territory. However, because the Eidums did not have military strength, the Kingdom of Cretea agreed to provide their own people to protect their borders. In return, they would have first priority when it came to ''healing'' or other health rted stuff.


    Hearing the old man exination, Kyran finally found one of the missing pieces to the confusing situation between the Nobles and the Eidums.


    After talking to Dusk, Kyran thought the fake Sovereign''s order to dispatch the old man''s people to the Great Divide illogical. Dusk said the Sovereign probably decided to have the Saint killed in the borders since he could not have her. But Kyran was not convinced.


    Now he knew why.


    The old man lied to him.


    The Sovereign never ordered the old man to send his people to guard their border. It was the old man himself who decided this.


    The old man refused to give Cyneah which angered the Sovereign. The Sovereign then ordered his people at the borders to pull out.


    The enemy side probably did not even engaged in a regr fight with the Nobles. But after seeing them pull out and the Eidums took over the border, they bore their fangs and repeatedly attacked.


    Kyran was convinced of this because he found the casualty rate of the Eidums too much. Not to mention, if they had been protecting the borders right from the start, why had they not developed a proper strategy? Even theirmander, Gidan, acted like an amateur.


    ''I''m sorry for lying,'' the old man apologized. ''I admit I was afraid you will reject my request if you knew that it is I who sent my own people to suffer.''


    Kyran did not respond. There were still a few missing pieces to fully understand the mystery. Thus he said, ''You did not tell them the truth either.''


    The old man lowered his head in defeat and nodded, ''No.''


    ''Is the Sovereign really after you because you know his secret?''


    ''Yes. That I can swear is true.''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''How did he know?''


    The old man was silent for a moment before he finally answered.


    But the answer Kyran got was something he did not expect.


    Because of the difference in time in Somuli, it took a few hours before night fell. For this reason, Kyran managed to arrive near the periphery of the Great Divide before the stars and the moons appeared in the sky.


    ''You... you really managed to return before nightfall,'' Soria muttered in a daze.


    Kyran already reconnected with them after talking with the Abbot.


    Since he had been silent for more than two hours, Soria and Yalen had been worried. They immediately asked if he was okay, and only when Kyran agreed to let Yalen out and checked his condition, did they stop pestering him.


    They were dyed for a few minutes because Yalen took her time in examining him.


    When she was satisfied, he took her back in the Void World and went on his way.


    That happened a few hours ago.


    ''Since I said I will, then I¡ª.''


    Kyran stopped short and looked at the direction of the chasm. His heart sank as he smelled fresh blood, as well as burnt flesh.


    ''Damn it,'' he cursed and disconnected his feed again. He could use Dragon Steps but it was slowerpared to warping. To avoid having to exin his movement, he opted to disconnect instead.


    However, he did not do that with the old man.


    ''What is happening?'' The old man realized Kyran was warping because of the sudden change of fluctuation around him. Sensing the younger man''s apprehension, the old man started to worry.


    ''Night raid.''


    Kyran only replied with two words, but it was enough for the old man to understand what was happening.


    The old man paled after hearing this and regretted his decision once more. Frankly, he initially thought Kyran would get mad because he lied to him. But he remained indifferent after that. He only asked questions, and picked up his pace.


    While the old man was grateful that Kyran did not get mad, he also felt it would have been better if he was. At least, he could apologize properly. But since Kyran did not say anything, the guilt he felt did not subside.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. He did not like how strong the smell of blood and burnt flesh that lingered in the air. Because this meant the raid had started for more than an hour. Maybe even longer. There were only about a hundred abled fighters guarding the borders. Would they havested that long?


    ''Did I miscalcte?'' He wondered.


    No. It was not that he miscalcted. It was because he did not fully understand the situation until now.


    The enemies were already aware that the Eidums were guarding the border. No matter how many abled figters they had, they would never take their fighting prowess seriously. After all, they were not as powerful as the Nobles.


    Kyran could not warp directly in the battlefield even though he wanted to. This pissed him because even at that moment, he was still concerned about hiding his identity.


    In the end, he could only endure because if he had revealed his identity, he would only invite those Sovereigns observing the ne to also make an appearance.


    When that happened, the situation would escte in a blink of an eye.


    Kyran appeared just above a spot above the chasm that overlooked the battlefield below. From where he was, he saw a sea of beasts, beast-likes, andplete beings trying to push their way toward the Edium''s steel walls. However, no matter what they did, they could not advance.


    Kyran''s eyes widened as he discovered the cause.

 Chapter 777 Conquest (1)

    Kyran grinned, noticing every beast pinned on the spot.


    The beast-likes andplete beings with them were dumbfounded at this.


    Even Gidan and the hundred abled fighters with him attacking from atop the steel walls were dumbfounded at the beasts'' inactivity.


    Only Kyran knew what¡ª or rather, who caused it and did not expect to be this relieved to see him, but he was.


    Gael.


    With Gael''s Shadow magic, he sneaked into the shadows of every beast on the battlefield and stopped their movements, preventing them from advancing.


    ''Master,'' Gael''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head. ''My investigation in Howling Pass led me to this ce. After that, I sensed the mistress''s presence inside those walls and felt the need to intervene due to the severity of their situation. Please forgive me.''


    ''No need for that,'' Kyran threw all pretense of acting aloof when talking to Gael and praised him immediately. ''You''ve done a good job.''


    Besides, Gael was sensible enough and chose to restrain the beasts'' movements only. He also hid his presence well, lowering the risk of beast-likes andplete beings from discovering him.


    Even Kyran had trouble detecting Gael, to be honest. If he were not within a specific range from him, he would not even sense him, even with their connection.


    That was also one of the differences between a Servant and a Sigil. Although Kyran also needed to be within range of his Sigils to sense them, they could not mask their presence.


    Still, Kyran wondered if this was limited to Gael because he was a Magus, a mage with a high magic level, before turning into a Servant. Or that the nature of his magic allowed it.


    No matter what the reason was, Kyran was d Gael hade.


    ''On mymand, return to the Void world,'' Kyran ordered Gael.


    ''Yes, master.''


    Kyran''s eyes turned silver as he jumped down the battlefield.


    ''Now.''


    Gael entered the Void world, and the restraints on the beasts were removed.


    Sensing they could move again, the beasts immediately roared contemptuously and rushed toward the walls.


    Gidan and the hundred abled fighters with him attacking the beast-likes andplete beings below paled after seeing this.


    The night raid had started for over two hours, and frankly, they only managed to hold on because the ones proactively attacking the walls were only the beast-likes andplete beings. Their numbers were fewerpared to the beast horde.


    Nevertheless, Gidan and the rest of the fighters already had the disadvantage of not having powerful offensive attacks. Thus, they had topensate for the quality of their attacks with quantity. Because of this, their mana was being depleted rapidly, yet they could barely leave a scratch on their enemies.


    On the other hand, the beast-likes andplete beings, with the former''s natural way of absorbing mana and thetter''s more powerful offensive magic, could easily injure them.


    If not for the healers behind them, constantly healing their injured fighters, they would have long died.


    But with the horde''s addition, they would no longer persist for another hour. They would even be lucky tost for another half an hour.


    Just as Gidan and the others were starting to feel despair, a dark figure suddenly appeared above the horde.


    "Commander, look!"


    One fighter pointed at the figure.


    But before Gidan or the others could see where he was pointing, a ground-shaking st reverberated at the center of the horde.


    BOOM!


    Kyran did a dropkick and instantly reduced the ground into rubble. A crater of about a hundred meters appeared, disrupting the horde''s formation.


    Those smaller-sized beasts did not even stand a chance and were buried alive in the rubble.


    "It''s Nar!" Hm eximed in excitement.


    Gidan and the rest of the fighters were shocked at what Kyran did. In a blink of an eye, the situation turned against the enemies.


    Kyran went on another killing spree. Since he could no longer use his short des, he used his bare hands to kill all the beasts. He would also grab some rubbles and throw them at them.


    At first, those medium-sized beasts that survived only felt contempt at Kyran throwing useless rubbles at them. But soon, they realized that simple rubble had be a deadly weapon in his hand.


    With Kyran''s uracy and strength, he aimed the sharp side of the rubble at the beasts'' heads. Most beasts underestimated his strength and did not bother to dodge, thinking their heads were harder than any rubble.


    The next second, their heads exploded.


    The beast-likes and theplete beings were dumbfounded at what they were seeing. But they recovered at once. They then rushed back, wanting to eliminate Kyran.


    They already deemed Kyran the biggest threat and thus had to remove him first if they wanted to seed in this raid.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Among the Eidums watching from above, Gidan was the first to recover and immediately shouted amand.


    "Assist Nar! Keep the beast-likes andplete beings from getting to him!"


    By then, the abled fighters who still had lingering doubts about Kyran''s allegiance had already viewed him in a different light. His appearance, which instantly sent the horde''s formation in disarray, also greatly impacted their hearts.


    As if Kyran''s arrival brought about a miracle, all exhausted fighters found new strength and aimed at the retreating beast-likes and theplete beings. Instead of casting offensive attacks, they used restraining magic to slow them down.


    On the enemy side, several armored fighters stood atop a makeshift tower and watched their side''s progress on the battlefield.


    When they realized something was wrong with the horde, they nned to set out and assist. After all, in this raid, they nned to destroy their enemies once and for all.


    They were aware of the strange individual that assisted them earlier. But they were convinced that he was too exhausted to fight again. He did singlehandedly fight a horde and a magical beast. No matter how powerful he was, he would definitely be exhausted.


    With this in mind, theirmander decided to use this chance to destroy their enemiespletely.


    To be honest, they were doing great. Even with the strange behavior of the horde, the number of beast-likes andplete beings on their side was enough to eliminate the remaining enemy fighters.


    However, just when they decided to assist the horde and make them advance, a figure in ck appeared from above and immediately turned the whole battlefield into chaos.


    Moreover, that figure was barehanded.


    They were reminded of the strange individual that assisted the enemies earlier and wondered if he was the same person. How much energy did he possess to keep fighting like this if it was?


    "What''s your order, Captain?" One of the armored fighters behind the one whom he called Captain asked. "Do we proceed as nned?"


    The Captain did not reply. Since he wore a full helmet, none of his subordinates could see his expression. But at that moment, he was scowling so hard.


    The rest of the armored fighters exchanged nces. To be honest, they had yet to recover from the scene they had witnessed just now.


    The dark figure''s arrival left such an impact on them that they still felt goosebumps up their arm.


    After a moment''s pause, the Captain finally replied. However, all of them were dumbfounded at what he said.


    "How many of you could dropkick and reduce the ground to rubble?"


    Once again, the other armored fighters nced at each other, not knowing how to answer.


    But the Captain did not seem to be waiting for an answer because he continued, "I, for one, can''t."


    Behind the mask, the Captain''s eyes glistened in excitement as he watched the dark figure''s silhouette moving around the battlefield like an incarnation of the devil, ughtering all the beasts.


    He would be lying if he said he did not fear that figure. But more than that, he also felt a deep admiration.


    Raw strength.


    Unbelievable speed.


    Beautiful movements.


    Frankly, the Captain could barely keep up with the figure''s movement, but it did not matter. What mattered to him now was that they had discovered something precious.


    His subordinates were silent, not knowing how to respond to his words. In the end, he said, "Sound the horn. We''re retreating"


    "What about the horde?"


    "It is good if they can escape from that man and retreat. If not, then it doesn''t matter," the Captain replied with a shrug. "We can always amass a thousand recements for them."


    "As youmand."


    The one who replied turned toward another armored fighter below the makeshift tower and said, "Sound the horn! We''re going back to the border!"


    "Sound the horn!"


    Another one echoed the first one. After which, the one holding a huge horn started to blow.


    HOOOOONG!


    Almost everyone on the battlefield heard the sound of a horn.


    Gidan immediately ordered his men to stop as the beast-likes andplete beings retreated at once.


    However, Kyran had no intentions of stopping. He nned to ughter all the enemies to reduce their numbers.


    But just before he could move, a voice sounded in his head.


    ''Nar, please return. Don''t engage them anymore.''

 Chapter 778 Conquest (2)

    Kyran was surprised to hear the Saint''s double call out to him. He did not want to heed her plea, but reason stopped him.


    No matter how you look at it, he was still an outsider in this war. He had to take responsibility if he did his own thing and ughtered the retreating enemies.


    The question was: Would he take the responsibility?


    That was right.


    The question did not start with a could because he could. But he would not. He was not here to stay and had no ns to meddle too much with the Somulians internal affairs. He was only here for Cyneah and her alone.


    To be honest, he could take her back at any moment. But he knew she would not agree to leave because of the Eidum''s situation. She was already attached to them and would never leave them when they suffered like this.


    Kyran knew Cynean would only agree to leave once she had done all she could for the Eidums. Thus, until then, he could only support her. Besides, there was also the matter of her ''pact'' with the Abbot''s son. Kyran had to remove it first because he did not want to take any risk of possible repercussions if she left Somuli with the pact in ce.


    Nevertheless, even if Kyran knew that not pursuing the enemies was a sound move, a part of him felt exasperated about it.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran calmed his nerves and reigned in his own discontentment. Ignoring the cautious looks from the retreating beast-likes andplete beings, he returned to the Eidum''s border.


    The moment he jumped over the steel wall, Kyran was warmly greeted by the Eidums. They did not apud, which he was secretly grateful for because it was too embarrassing. But they all conveyed their thanks and even patted him on the shoulders.


    It was a foreign feeling to Kyran, not because it was the first time he had received such greetings but because he still considered them strangers. A while ago, most of them were looking at him as if he was a rare animal. But now, they looked at him like he was one of them.


    The Saint''s double approached Kyran with a grateful smile and said, "Thank you for epting our request."


    Kyran did not respond. He already guessed her request was a consensus. Proof of that was the relieved looks on everyone''s faces.


    If others received such a greeting, they would probably feel satisfied. But not Kyran.


    As a matter of fact, the more they felt relieved that he did not go after the enemies, the more he felt exasperated. Because their strong reaction reflected how much they feared the enemies'' retaliation.


    The enemies were already winning, yet they were forced to retreat because of Kyran''s arrival. To the Eidums, this was not a good thing. They knew the enemies'' retreat was only temporary.


    Now that the enemies had seen Kyran''s strength twice, they would probably gather more beasts, even their people, to keep him busy the next time they came.


    The Eidums did not doubt that the enemies could gather more fighters because they had a deep pool in terms of manpower, unlike them.


    Kyran also knew this and understood the Eidum''s concern. At the same time, he was exasperated at their cowardice.


    While dealing with the horde of beasts, Kyran observed the Eidum''s fighting the beast-likes andplete beings. When thetter two decided to go after him, to be honest, he was surprised that the Eidums were able to restrain their movements.


    Thebined number of beast-likes andplete beings were thrice the Eidums, yet they managed to stop them. This showed how powerful their restraining magic was. If they had used this at the start and pinned the enemies before they reached the border, they would not have to worry about reinforcing the border''s defenses. Not to mention, they could stall for time.


    Now if the Eidums had a special unit that could deal enough damage, since the enemies'' movements were restrained, it would have been easy to injure them.


    But none of that happened.


    At the start of the raid, they exchanged offensive attacks with the enemies.


    Kyran was once more reminded that the Eidums were amateurs in the way of war. They would not have suffered to this extent if they had only focused on utilizing magic that they were really good at. Coupled with proper preparations and teams, they could even show the enemies they were no pushovers.


    s, their ignorance failed them.


    The Eidums felt awkward when Kyran remained silent.


    On the other hand, Gidan noticed that although Kyran wore an unreadable expression, he seemed discontented. At once, he approached him and said, "Let''s meet up with Azikh and the Saint. We have much to discuss."


    Kyran only nodded.


    After that, Gidan gave a few orders to the rest before taking Kyran to the receiving room.


    They found Azikh sitting on a chair conjured by Cyneah while she stood near the array. She immediately rushed to Kyran, grabbed his hands, and said, "Let me see your hands."


    Kyran''s expression softened at once. He held her hands and said, "My hands are fine. My n has a tempering technique that strengthens my defenses."


    He used the Human ne''s universalnguage when he spoke, which prevented Azikh and Gidan from understanding what he had said.


    Cyneah realized this and was somewhat confused. But then she could not me him for not saying that in the Somuliannguage because there were no ns in Somuli. There were lineages and tribes. But the term ''technique'' when tranted to the Somulialnnguage was ''bloodline,'' which someone part of a lineage had.


    If Kyran had spoken in the Somuliannguage, Azikh and Gidan might misunderstand his origin again.


    "More importantly, how did you know I used my hands just now?"


    This time, Kyran spoke in the Somuliannguage. He also looked at Azikh, who stood up and approached them.


    "We''ve seen everything from here," Azikh replied, looking at him with a slight frown.


    Obviously, he noticed him using a different dialect just now, and he found it suspicious.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Gidan also noticed it since he was standing right behind Kyran but chose to feign ignorance.


    It was not because he wanted to cover him but because he had many things in mind.


    "There''s a projector in this room?" Kyran asked. He had only checked the room''s defensive array and had not done a thorough inspection; thus, he did not know if the room had other arrays.


    "Yes," Azikh replied. Not wanting to let Kyran off what just transpired, he opened his mouth and was about to bring it up.


    However, Kyran beat him and said, "That''s right. Somulian is not my firstnguage."


    As soon as he admitted this, he felt Cyneah''s hands turned cold. But she did not say anything and even tightened her grip on his as if to tell him she trusted his judgment.


    "But does my firstnguage matter at this time?" Kyran asked and looked at Azikh.


    Azikh frowned. If he answered no, then the topic would be dismissed. But if he said yes, he would appear insensible.


    "No."


    The one who responded was Gidan, which surprised them.


    Kyran turned and saw him looking at him with clear and determined eyes.


    "You know a lot of things about war."


    It was not a question. Gidan only stated a fact.


    "I did not see your fight with the first horde and only saw thest part. Frankly, I admire your strength. At the same time, I fear it."


    Kyran only raised his brows in response.


    "But the second time I witnessed it, I began to think, why should I fear it? This guy is one of us."


    Hearing Gidan''s statement surprised Azikh.


    On the other hand, Cyneah let out a smile as if to her, Gidan''s change of heart was not surprising but a given.


    "You know you''re way around the art of war," Gidan continued. "Teach us how to defend our borders properly."


    Kyran had already thought of several ways to convince these two to listen to him. He did not expect one of them¡ª who happened to be the one always at odds with him¡ª would ask his help instead.


    "I won''t be lenient."


    "Good."


    "Oi, Gidan."


    Gidan looked at Azikh, "We need his help. But he is only one man. If the enemies return and increase their number, if we can''t provide proper assistance, he will end up overwhelmed by them."


    "About that, I won''t¡ª ah!"


    Cyneah squeezed Kyran''s hand so hard that he could finish what he was saying. Obviously, she did not want him to interrupt the conversation between the two.


    Kyran was surprised at Cyneah''s grip. His default physical defense was already high, yet she was able to ''hurt'' him, albeit a little.


    "But to request something like that to an outsider is just...."


    It was ironic that Azikh and Gidan''s roles were now reversed.


    Azikh supported Kyran earlier, and Gidan was against him. But now it was the other way around.


    "You were not in the frontline; thus, you don''t understand the pressure I had to endure," Gidan responded solemnly. "I am not only responsible for the lives of the Eidums here but the wholend. If the border falls, millions of Eidums will die."


    Gidan''s words made Kyran see him in a different light.


    That was right. The responsibility he carried was not limited to the borders. Millions of lives were at stake if their border fell.


    Azikh fell silent. In the end, he could only relent and agree.


    "Alright," he looked at Kyran. "Tell us what to do so we can defend our borders well."


    "Rather than defending, I wanted to suggest something."


    "Pray tell us what it is."


    "Let''s start a conquest," Kyran replied with a slight smile.

 Chapter 779 Armakea

    ?


    "You almost gave Azikh and Gidan a heart attack with that suggestion," Cyneah told Kyran with a hopeless smile as they went to the Infirmary.


    Almost two hours had passed after the four met in the receiving room, and Kyran had suggested a conquest.


    Azikh and Gidan initially thought they did not hear Kyran properly. But when thetter continued to exin his suggestion, they turned pale, and Azikh almost fainted.


    Gidan had it better but was also scared out of his wits.


    By the time Kyran finished his exnation, the two more or less understood why he suggested a conquest. Even so, that move was such a huge leap that they could not respond immediately.


    In the end, Kyran did not try to persuade them. In return, he asked them to think it over and consider it. The two agreed and promised to give him their answer tomorrow.


    Because of the raid, Gidan was too exhausted to think properly and did not want to overlook anything when deciding.


    The same went with Azikh. Although he did not participate in defending the borders, he had been with Cyneah and patiently ryed what was happening on the battlefield. That was how Cyneah knew Kyran had used his bare hands to fight the enemies and was worried he had broken them.


    Kyran agreed. Regardless of their answer, he would still teach them how to defend the border properly.


    "One of the reasons they can''t defend the borders properly is because theyck real soldiers," Kyran replied with a shrug. "Being an Eidum, that is something we can''t resolve no matter how much we try. Thus, if they can''t make soldiers out of their people, conquering another nation with better soldiers will solve that."


    "You make it sound so easy," Cyneah replied with a sigh. "But how can we even win against a nation with real soldiers if we don''t have the strength to defend our borders?"


    Kyran looked at Cyneah''s profile in silence. But not because her words made sense, which they do, but because he noticed how she included herself among the Eidums. Hearing that somehow made his heart sink.


    "Nar?" Cyneah looked to her right when Kyran remained silent.


    "A conquest does not always mean defeating another nation in a bloody war," he replied after a short pause. "Yes, there will be fighting, but if one side shows absolute dominance over the other, unnecessary bloodshed can be prevented."


    Cyneah shook her head with a helpless smile, "I understand the logic, but we don''t have that kind of strength, Nar."


    "The Eidums do. The only problem is, they don''t know how to utilize their advantage," Kyran replied.


    "Still¡ª."


    "There''s no point talking about it now," Kyran cut her off. "Since Azikh and Gidan have not said anything yet."


    He did not mean to be too abrupt when interrupting her. But he hated hearing her refer to herself as one of the Eidums.


    Kyran knew he was being unreasonable.


    Cyneah had been living in Somuli for seven years. And she had been staying with the Eidums for over four years. For an outsider like her who went through a lot alone on a foreign ne and escaped a certain death before being taken by the Eidums, it was not hard to imagine why she easily considered herself one of them.


    Nevertheless, Kyran did not like it.


    "Well," Cyneah nodded slowly, seemingly oblivious to Kyran''s internal frustration. She continued, "You''re right. We''ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear what they say.


    "So... how will you teach them to defend the borders properly?"


    "Start with the basics," Kyran responded.


    "Basics?"


    "You''re wee to join if you want to know."


    "I''ll probably get in the way. Besides, we have to check our inventory for mana and healing potions."


    "Right," Kyran almost forgot that Soria and Yalen were still inside his Void World and new supplies. "I need to take the supplies to the warehouse."


    "I... Let me take you there."


    "There is no need. You''re needed in the Infirmary. After I drop off the supplies, I''lle help, too."


    "Okay."


    After the two parted ways, Kyran took Soria and Yalen from the Void world.


    Both had paleplexions and looked as if they had aged several years. Obviously, Kyran cutting off their visuals made them worry.


    Before they could question Kyran, they realized they were inside the HQ and, finally, let out a sigh of relief.


    "Why did you suddenly cut off the connection again?"


    "Got another emergency," Kyran replied vaguely. "They needed help in the Infirmary; it''s best for you to go there."


    Yalen initially wanted to protest. But she could only nod and leave for the Infirmary when she thought about why she was there.


    "Well, I suppose I have to report back to my team as well," Soria said.


    Kyran only nodded in response. However, before he could proceed to the warehouse, Soria looked at him solemnly and said, "But before that, Nar. You... know how to use lost technology, don''t you?"


    Kyran did not respond. He did not even show any reaction. It was a little unnerving, to be honest.


    After a short pause, however, he smiled before turning to leave.


    Soria was thrilled. Though Kyran did not answer, his smile meant a lot to her.


    After all, there was an ancient saying: Silence means yes.


    Soria knew how dangerous it could be to someone who knew something that had left most of the inhabitants and schrs in Somuli at a loss. If they knew Kyran could use lost technology, it would not only be the Nobles who would want a piece of him but also the Eidums, especially the Armakea.


    Armakea is the nation the Eidums were at war. Apart from being known for their good rtionship with the magical beastmunity, they were also known for iming every lost technology as their property.


    Apparently, one of their founders left an ancient text iming that the lost technology- Array, was created by them, the Armakea. For this reason, they believed the Eidum''snd was theirs because a very advanced lost technology was operating the borders.


    "If you have time," Soria called out to Kyran. "Please teach me!"


    At first, Kyran did not react. But then he raised his right arm and waved once, delighting Soria.


    ''He knows how to use lost technology and agreed to teach me!'' She thought.


    To be honest, Kyran''s gesture could not be called an affirmation of her doubt. But Soria was convinced otherwise.


    The manager assigned to recording the supplies was dumbfounded at the sheer amount Kyran had brought. He was notining, though. Though shocked beyond disbelief, he managed to pull himself together and immediately called over the others on duty.


    The supplies Kyrana brought were almost a month''s worth. It would take the manager a couple of days if he were the only one receiving and recording everything.


    After that, Kyran teleported outside the HQ.


    Kyran stood atop the edge of the chasm and looked at the other side.


    Ordinary people would not be able to see anything from that position. Even those with powerful magic or even physique would not be able to see properly. At most, they would see a blur. And seeing a blur was rather pointless.


    But Kyran was different. He had perfect vision even if he did not actively circte the Draconic magic. Thus, he was able to see what the enemy side was doing.


    At the moment, someone was giving out a speech.


    As much as Kyran wanted to hear what was being said, his hearing was not that good. With an enhanced body, his hearing improved, but he could only hear things at a certain distance.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes.


    ''The enemies are not gathering to start another raid, are they?'' Kyran could not help but feel awe despite himself at how fast their enemies were able to recruit new people to be cannon fodders.


    In any case, if the enemies dared to approach them, Kyran would dly receive them. But if he kept appearing like this, it could backfire on the Eidums once he left.


    Kyran observed the other side for a few more minutes, but the crowd dispersed after the speech.


    Since the other side was not nning another raid, Kyran rxed and finally reconnected with the old man. He summoned Gael and took the chance to hear what he had discovered.


    Gael learned that the enemies had hired some people in Howling Pass to find the Abbot. However, none of the people in Howling Pass knew why. They also never nned to abduct or even kill the Abbot. When people from Armakea hired those in Howling Pass, they only asked them to find a way to iste the Abbot. After that, a representative from Armakea woulde and talk to him personally.


    When the old man heard that, he was dumbfounded. He had no idea why the Armakeans would want to meet with him.

 Chapter 780 Be More Ambitious

    ?


    ''Who wanted to meet with me? The King of the Armakeans?'' The old man asked.


    Since Gael was connected with Kyran and absorbed plenty ofplete beings, he could hear and understand the Abbot. He could also speak theirnguage pretty well.


    ''I came here to find out,'' Gael admitted. ''The leader of the mercenary group in Howling Pass that received the request said that the person who came to them was using an advanced concealment spell, which prevented them from figuring out his origin. As a matter of fact, he was not even sure if the person was a he or a she. He had one of his people with a powerful stealth spell follow that client and was led to this ce.


    ''After they confirmed that their client was indeed someone from Armakea and likely had a high status because no one dared to stop him for his clearance when he entered the borders, the mercenary group stopped their investigation and did what they had been asked to do.


    ''Howling Pass iswless. And almost everyone living there is fearless. However, that does not mean they are not afraid of anything. Because most of the outcasts fear one thing¡ª the magical beastmunity. Since Armakea had a good rtionship with thetter, they tried to steer away from them as much as possible.''


    Kyran was getting more convinced that most of the outcasts in Howling Pass were humans after hearing they were afraid of the magical beastmunity. Thetter''s blood was poison to humans, after all.


    ''Only someone with an S-rank in Armakea can learn an advanced concealment spell,'' the old man quipped in. ''And only a few have that rank.''


    ording to the old man, the Armakeans followed a different rule in a hierarchy.


    Their citizens are ranked from E to S, with S being the royal family.


    E-rank citizens are the lowest and could even be considered ves. D-ranks have a better social standing than thetter but are still lower than amoner. Commoners in Armakea are C-ranks. They are allowed to study, but not all can receive higher education. B-ranks are the more educated citizens. And most of those in the military are B-ranks. A-ranks areparable to a noble. Thus, most are part of the parliament and other leadership roles in Armakea. Finally, the royal family is the only one with S-rank standing.


    ''I really can''t think of a reason for anyone in the royal family of Armakea to want to talk to me,'' the old man said, a little troubled by the thought.


    They had been at odds with the Armakeans for almost two decades because of the lost technology in their borders.


    The old man would understand if the Armakea hired the mercenary group in Howling Pass to find him and kill him. Or even abduct him. But ording to Gael, the mercenary group was only hired to iste him so a representative from Armakea could talk to him.


    Could it be that they wanted to have a more civil discussion regarding the ''lost technology'' on their border?


    The old man rejected the notion at once.


    The Armakeans are proud. They will neverpromise nor have a civil discussion with their enemy for almost two decades.


    ''There is one,'' Kyran said, feeling slightly frustrated at how oblivious the old man could be.


    ''What is it?''


    ''What are you even good at, old man?''


    The old man was somewhat surprised at the question. Thus, he could not answer right away.


    ''What am I good at? Well... give me just a few seconds to¡ª.''


    ''Providing medical assistance. Healing. Potion making. Apothecary,'' Kyran said, using a deadpan tone. ''If you look at all these things, why do you think an enemy would want to meet you secretly?''


    ''Ah!'' The old man was finally inspired by what Kyran had said. ''They needed me to heal someone?''


    ''That is the most possible reason,'' Kyran nodded. ''But it is only one of the many possibilities.''


    ''There are other possibilities?''


    ''We''ll go nowhere if we list everything,'' Kyran exasperatedly replied. He looked at Gael and said, ''What do you think of the situation? Honestly, I hate politics, and I can''t be sure that my thinking is on the right track. This is more of your forte.''


    ''Indeed it is, and I am most regretful of what I have done in the past. Once again, I am grateful for your mercy, master.''


    ''Stop. Just answer the question.''


    ''Yes, master.''


    The exchange between the two made the old man wonder again what kind of background Kyran had. He was tempted to delve into his mind one more time. However, he was also afraid to find something that would incur the Fates'' wrath.


    After all, he had a strong inkling that the Fates were watching Kyran closely.


    ''I think there are two factions, even among the Armakea royal family,'' Gael started. He then shared his own assumption.


    ording to Gael, either the King of Armakea or someone very dear to him had fallen ill, and they could not cure it. The royal family might have been torn between conquering the Eidums and forcing the Abbot to heal that person or meet him secretly and ask for his assistance.


    Of course, thetter would not have been possible if the Kingdon of Cretea was still on good terms with the Eidums. But since they had already confirmed the two had a falling out, these two factions had decided to make their move.


    Unfortunately, the faction proposing to meet the Abbot secretly failed, and thus, the other faction was even more adamant about winning the war at their borders. Because if they win, the Eidums would have to do everything they asked.


    ''That...'' the old man was a little speechless. ''So them attacking our side so fiercely like this is no longer because of the lost technology but because they wanted to enve us?''


    ''Not exactly envement per se. But definitely, they want to rule over you.''


    ''And that is only the beginning,'' Kyran quipped.


    ''What is next?''


    ''The Armakea will likely continue their campaign. Now that they have you, a group of powerful healers, they can wage war on every nation they believed had stolen their lost technology.''


    ''As expected of our master. You say you do not like politics, but you can see through the intentions of others.''


    Kyran sighed, ''I do hate it. There are plenty of mind games. I''d rather fight a thousand magical beasts than deal with people with many hidden agendas.''


    Gael fell silent. However, he looked at Kyran as if he wanted to say something but feared stepping out of line.


    Sensing Gael''s hesitation, Kyran said, ''Speak your mind.''


    ''Master, Zephyr is right.''


    Kyran frowned, ''Why did you bring him up? Why is he right?''


    ''You have too little ambition.''


    Hearing this, Kyran recalled a conversation with Zephyr when he had told him he had little ambition.


    ''I understand you came here only for the mistress,'' Gael hastily added, fearing Kyran would tell him to shut up before he could exin his side. ''But you''ve already seen how attached the mistress is to the Eidums. You know it will not be easy to take the mistress away when the situation in Somuli is unstable. Even if you resolve the issue of the Eidums not having proper fighters by making them win over the Armakea, once you leave, the Armakea is likely to devour the Eidums and reverse their role.


    ''The mistress also knows that. That''s why she insisted that the Eidumsck the strength.''


    Kyran sighed, ''You were listening to our conversation?''


    ''You''re emotion was a little unstable at the time, master. I did not mean to listen in, I swear.''


    ''And? What are you trying to tell me?''


    Gael was silent momentarily before finally saying, ''Be more ambitious, master. I know you think your hands are only big enough to support your father in protecting your n, but I beg to differ. You have the capability to rule. You have us, and you can have more subjects that will help you.


    ''You have suggested a conquest. Why not do it yourself? In this ne?''


    Kyran chuckled, ''You''re saying that in front of the person meant to be this ne''s true Sovereign?''


    Gael was surprised. He could not help but regard the old man inside the Void World in a new light.


    That was right.


    The old man admitted that he was meant to ascend and be the Sovereign of Somuli. That was how he knew the current Sovereign was a fake.


    The old man only refused to ascend because he was worried about Cyneah and the future of the Eidums once he became a Sovereign. His reason was simr to Nn''s.


    Nevertheless, the fact that the fake Sovereign possessed the power of a Sovereign was true. Yet, the old man knew it was not ''real'' because if it was, then howe he could still meddle with the internal affairs of the ne?

 Chapter 781 The Abbots Son

    The old man was not wholly oblivious, though. The main reason he wanted to prevent the fake Sovereign from taking Cyneah was because he believed she did more than heal his illness. She might have boosted his magic, giving an illusion that he had the power of a Sovereign.


    How that happened, the old man was unsure. But one thing he was sure of, the illusional boost in magic, was not permanent, which was why the fake Sovereign wanted Cyneah.


    Of course, all of these were only the old man''s spections.


    Unbeknownst to him, Kyran also had the same thoughts.


    The ascension of the fake Sovereign right after his illness was healed of his illness was an indisputable fact. Add that up to his sudden interest in Cyneah and the fact he was not even a Sage; thus, even if he ascended, he should not have be a Sovereign.


    ''You are this ne''s real Sovereign?''


    ''No, I''m not the Sovereign. At least, not yet,'' the old man paused. Then he sighed in resignation and said, ''That is not exactly right. I had the chance but did not take it because I feared the Kingdom of Cretea would take advantage of my people once I became this ne''s Sovereign.''


    Gael fell silent. Before he became a changed man, thanks to his master, he did not know what it meant to be a Sovereign. Now that he knew, he could understand the old man''s concerns.


    The Eidums had great healers. Even their fighters could use powerful support spells, except healing. Many nations would covet them and exploit their abilities for their own gains.


    ''Now that I think of it, maybe I should have taken that chance. If I did, even when Sisi healed that man and granted the powerparable to a Sovereign, he would not be able to im he is the new Sovereign. The Nobles would not fear him and do everything he said,'' the old man added, full of regret.


    ''There''s no point dwelling on that,'' Kyran told him.


    To be honest, he did not believe that the fake Sovereign would not try to im he was the new Sovereign even when the old man ascended. After all, no one would know that their ne already had a Sovereign. And since the old man would be restricted from meddling with the ne''s internal affairs, he could not tell everyone that the man was a fraud.


    ''Master is right,'' Gael also agreed. ''Since you are not yet this ne''s Sovereign, there is nothing wrong if my master takes this ne for himself, right?''


    ''Oi¡ª.''


    ''I don''t really mind,'' the old man replied. ''Please go ahead and do as you see fit.''


    ''Thank you very much for understanding. My master is a good leader. He will definitely be a wise ruler.''


    ''Yes, I can see that. A good ruler needs charisma. Your master has plenty of that. You should have seen how he subdued our new recruits. Although they are not stuck up, they can be pretty arrogant. In the end, he only showed a fraction of what he could do, and he already won their trust.''


    ''Right, our master is a natural in that regard.''


    Kyran''s brow twitched as the two continued to spout nonsense. Obviously, he knew the old man was only messing with him. As for Gael, being a loyal Servant, he was exaggerating.


    ''Old man, do you think Azikh and Gidan will agree to my proposal?'' Kyran veered the topic away from him.


    There were a lot of things he had to consider if he decided to conquer Somuli. For this reason, he did not want to entertain the idea. Nevertheless, he admitted he was considering the idea after Gael mentioned Cyneah''s attachment to the Eidums. However, he would have to put that idea aside until he sorted his thoughts.


    The old man paused and pondered momentarily before replying, ''Half-half. Gidan will likely agree, but Azikh will not. Although Gidan appears to be a conservative type at first nce, and Azikh is the practical and neoconservative one, the truth is the opposite.''


    Kyran already guessed as much. Gidan was only opposed to him because of his questionable origin. Not to mention, he did not believe the news about the Abbot''s abduction.


    ''If Neah is added into the equation, my proposal will be rejected,'' Kyran said.


    Cyneah had tried to argue with Kyran that the Eidumscked the strength to conquer. From this, it was a no-brainer that she was opposed to it.


    ''Not necessarily, master,'' Gael said.


    ''Why did you think that?''


    ''I know the mistress will always support your decision. If you decide on a conquest, she will definitely follow your lead.''


    ''Let me get this straight,'' Kyran started exasperatedly. ''I am not the one starting a conquest. I will only help the Eidums start one.''


    ''But master¡ª.''


    ''Continue investigating the Armakea. I need to understand what is truly happening inside.''


    ''Yes, master.'' Gael''s demeanor changed at once as he received a new order. In a blink of an eye, he left and went to the other side of the border.


    ''You have an interesting subordinate,'' the old manmented after Gael left.


    ''That guy had wanted to subdue me.''


    ''That...'' the old man thought of something and said, ''So you have won him over with your charisma.''


    ''No,'' Kyran replied. ''I devour him instead.''


    The old man froze, waiting for Kyran to say he was kidding. When that did not happen, he could not help but want to know Kyran better.


    ''To devour such a powerful person, you are truly an enigma,'' he said.


    Kyran regarded the old man inside his Void world in amusement. He could sense thetter''s curiosity about his real identity, but he reigned in his curiosity and only gave such a response.


    ''Why won''t you heed your subordinate''s suggestion? You know, I don''t really mind if you want to conquer this ne.''


    ''Let''s talk about that another time.''


    ''Why leave it for another time? Are you worried that once I ascend, I''ll try to take back the ne from you?''


    ''There is nothing to take back. I am not a Sovereign. Thus, I can''t im other nes for myself.''


    ''Is there a rule that says you must be a Sovereign to im another ne?''


    Kyran did not answer.


    Frankly, he did not know. But as far as he knew, a ne would only recognize a Sovereign as its ruler.


    As he was thinking this, Dusk''s words shed in his mind, and he could not help but frown.


    "You really don''t know what it means to possess Ancient magic, do you?"


    Kyran never knew his level. Initially, he thought Can was a Sage because of his title ''Dark Sage.'' It turned out that he got the title from someone else and that someone was definitely a Sovereign¡ª or even higher.


    To be honest, Kyran stopped caring about his mage level. As long as he could fight another Sovereign, that was all that mattered.


    But faced with the old man''s question, Kyran wondered if that was not the case, then did it mean he could im a ne?


    Kyran pushed the thought at the back of his mind at once. Thest thing he wanted was to get his priorities mixed up.


    ''Who can change Azikh''s mind?'' Kyran diverted the subject again.


    ''Me?''


    ''...''


    ''Err... my son may be able to change his mind,'' the old man replied immediately when he sensed Kyran''s silence.


    Kyran frowned. When the old man mentioned his son, he immediately remembered the pact with Cyneah.


    As if reading Kyran''s mind, the old man sighed and said, ''I am truly sorry. I can talk to my son and convince him to dissolve the pact.''


    ''Don''t talk nonsense. You''re supposed to be missing. How are you going to talk to him?''


    ''Well... we can stage something where I managed to escape my abductors?''


    ''No.''


    Kyran felt his head throb from the old man''s words.


    Did he forget that they did this so the Nobles would be busy looking for him to make any trouble for his people at the borders? What was he saying now?


    Besides, as long as he stayed abducted, the Nobles could not pursue the dissolution of the pact.


    ''Then... I''m afraid unless you can convince my son, Azikh will not agree.''


    Kyran did not respond. Although the old man said Azikh and Gidan would have a fifty-fifty chance of agreeing to his proposal, it was only spection. For this reason, he did not want to consider ''convincing'' the old man''s son for Azikh to agree.


    Besides, the old man''s son was not even at the border.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, the old man said, ''My son is scheduled toe to the border by the end of the month. That is two weeks from now.''


    ''Two weeks, huh,'' Kyran said with a wry smile. ''He''ll probably arrive much early than that.''


    ''Why do you think that?''


    ''Because you had been abducted.''


    ''Ah! You''re right.''

 Chapter 782 Silence

    ?


    The talk Kyran had with the old man, and Gael bore no fruit. But it was notpletely futile. At least now, he had a better understanding of the Somuli''s state of affairs. Though it was only between three nations, the Armakea, Eidums, and the Kingdom of Cretea, it was enough to n his next steps.


    Kyran returned inside the HQ and helped out in the Infirmary as promised. He assisted Cyneah in concocting potions and pills and tending to the more critical patients.


    When it was time to rest, Cyneah tried to get Kyran a room close to her, but Gidan rejected her request and had Kyran share a room with Hm.


    Kyran did not argue. As much as he wanted to be close to Cyneah, moving around and gathering information was easier if he was closer to the rest of the Eidums. It was not to say she was less informed than the others. But he knew she would withhold information if she guessed he was up to something dangerous.


    Hm was on duty that night. Thus, Kyran took the chance to rest for a few hours. After that, he went to the HQ''s archive and studied everything he found helpful in his nning. He also took the chance to check on the ne''s magicw and learn the Divine Armament that everyplete being possessed.


    Simply put, a Divine Armament is a weapon version of a magic core. Complete beings are born with a Divine Armament that enables them to produce magic energy of their own. If aplete being reaches a certain level of affinity with his Divine Armament, he can also summon it and use it to enhance his magic output further.


    Beast-likes do not have a Divine Armament, but they are gifted in absorbing the mana in the earth.


    Mana is different from magic energy. The formeres from the ne''s own life force, while thetter is a natural energy that forms in the surroundings.


    The more Kyran''s knowledge of the Somuli grew, the more he understood why the Sovereigns coveted it. Kyran guessed they were not interested in the ne itself but its inhabitants. The beast-likes'' ability to absorb mana could be an advantage in the War of the Sovereigns, especially when a war happened in a ce where magic energy was scarce. The same went for theplete beings. With a Divine Armament, they no longer needed a magic weapon to amplify their magic output. Apart from this, they had a few with healing abilities, the Eidums.


    The side with powerful healers had a better chance of winning a war. Of course, having healers did not guarantee one''s victory, but their side couldst longer in a battle of attrition.


    Because time was longer in Somuli, Kyran managed to learn a lot of things overnight.


    Obviously, his progress was only possible because of his innate ability. No matter how good one''sprehension and memory were, they would not progress that much.


    When morning came, Kyran went to Gidan and showed him the training menu for the fighters.


    Initially, Gidan had a look of appreciation when he received it. However, after reading it, his expression turned grim, and he even asked Kyran if there was a way to reduce the things they had to do.


    Kyran rejected his request.


    The training menu Kyran prepared included the fighters'' physical training, diet, and practical knowledge.


    When the fighters saw their schedule, they felt like they were back in the Abbey, learning from scratch and more.


    Kyran supervised the fighters'' training, while Gidan had a different menu to aplish.


    Since Gidan already possessed a powerful physique, Kyran focused on nurturing his practical knowledge andbat.


    While Kyran was busy training the others, Gidan focused on studying practical knowledge. Once Kyran was free, he and Gidan would have a close-doorbat session.


    This had been the routine inside the HQ for the next few days.


    Azikh and Cyneah were somewhat stupefied that Kyran never brought up his suggestion again. He did not even make any subtle attempts in gauging their opinion.


    It was as if that talk never happened.


    Of course, they knew it was not the case. Most likely, Kyran wanted them to think it through without putting any unwanted pressure on them if he kept mentioning the topic.


    Four dayster, they received a message informing them that the Abbot''s son would arrive in five days.


    Everyone was surprised because they knew the Abbot''s son was scheduled to visit by the end of the month.


    Azikh, Cyneah, Gidan, and the new recruits who knew about the Abbot''s abduction more or less guessed why the Abbot''s son decided to visit early. As much as they were d of his early visit, theirst hope that Kyran''s news was not true was dashed because of it.


    They were finally realizing the severity of the Abbot''s abduction.


    Kyran did not react much to the news about the Abbot''s son since he already anticipated it. But he noticed Cyneah had gotten restless as the day of his arrival neared.


    Two days before the Abbot''s son arrived at the HQ, Kyran gathered a team of five that would apany him to the wilderness.


    Although they still had enough supplies, Kyran already received a message from Gael that the Armakeans were preparing again for another raid. This time, they nned to send three magical beasts along with their main force.


    Kyran knew the Eidums were not ready for another raid. However, they could defend their borders better than before. This was because they were now more aware of their shorings and strengths. Using their strengths, they could keep their enemies at bay more effectively.


    But Kyran knew defending like that was not enough, especially in the uing raid. Three magical beasts would be present in the next raid, after all. While he could face those three alone, he was not omnipotent. He needed at least a few of the Eidums to kill some of the beasts and reduce their number to lessen the pressure on the others defending the walls.


    Because of this, Kyran decided to take the team of five to the wilderness to teach them how to fight beasts efficiently.


    Kyran and the team of five left early in the morning. Since the n to go to the wilderness was sudden, Azikh and Gidan were the only ones who knew of their departure.


    When Cyneah heard their departure, it was alreadyte in the morning.


    For the past few days, Cyneah never had a chance to talk to Kyran. If he were not busy training the fighters, he would be sparring with Gidan. And when nightes, he would either be in the archive or nowhere to be found.


    Cyneah even had a feeling that Kyran was avoiding her.


    Of course, this was not the case. Kyran was only busy with a lot of things that he could not spare even a few minutes on other things. Even his rest time was reduced so he could add more time to learning more about the ne''s magicw and the state of affairs of other nations.


    It took Kyran and the team of five almost eight hours before they arrived in the wilderness. It would have taken them longer if they continued to travel normally. Kyran took them into his Void world after a few hours, reducing the time they would need to reach the wilderness.


    Upon arrival, Kyran activated his cloaking array to ensure beasts woulde at them. Once he noticed several beasts approaching, he let out the five Eidums and had them fight.


    At first, the five Eidums used offensive spells to attack the beasts. Their move was more of a reflex because they were shocked to find three beasts before them right after they left Kyran''s ''storage.''


    When they managed to calm down and better assess the situation, they started to use what they had learned during their training. They no longer cast offensive spells but support spells. By doing this, they were able to restrain the beasts'' movements and attack them with their weapons more effectively.


    Since they were not like Kyran, who could behead a beast in one strike, they aimed at their weak spots, like the eyes, joints, sometimes feet, or even their mouths. It did not take long for them to find their own rhythm by continuously fighting with the beasts.


    At the start, they were only able to fight two at the same time. But the more they got used to it, the more they could fight more beasts. Their progress was astounding, and even Kyran was surprised. Nevertheless, they would still make some mistakes asionally, forcing Kyran to step in. If not, one or two would have died or suffered fatal injuries.


    When Kyran was satisfied with their performance, he also taught them how to dissect.


    All of them learned fast because they already had experience in dissecting when they were still students in the Abbey.


    Kyran and the five Eidums stayed in the wilderness for almost two days.


    Kyran was not worried to leave the HQ because he left Gael to watch over the ce.


    Finally, when they returned to the HQ, they found the ce abuzz.


    The Abbot''s son had arrived.

 Chapter 783 Nahir

    Chapter 783 Nahir


    Because the Abbot''s son had arrived, most Eidums were gathered in the Assembly Hall. Only a few were excused because they were on guard duty or looking after the patients.


    The five Eidums with Kyran, namely: Amit, Johar, Kanu, Yona, and Zoram, were filled with excitement after hearing that the Abbot''s son had arrived. They also wanted to see him and hear news from the main city. Nevertheless, since they were not yet dismissed, they reigned in their emotions and apanied Kyran, who went straight to the warehouse to surrender all the beasts they hunted.


    In the end, Kyran let them go because they kept fidgeting and looking toward the Assembly Hall; it was distracting. Besides, since they finished the training, their next task was to rest.


    By the time Kyran finished helping out in the warehouse, the Abbot''s son had already dismissed the crowd in the Assembly Hall. He then gathered all those with leadership positions for a meeting.


    Kyran initially wanted to meet with the Abbot''s son after he finished what he had to do, but apparently, it was not easy. Though he had proactively assisted the Eidums these past few days, he was still an outsider and could not attend the meeting that the Abbot''s son conducted.


    Azikh and Gidan definitely told the Abbot''s son about him, but he doubted thetter would want him to join in a meeting meant for their ''core leadership.''


    With nothing else to do, Kyran visited the Infirmary and checked if there was anything he could help with. When he arrived there, he found Oded and Yalen carrying a number of medicinal herbs to the medication room.


    "Nar! You''re back," Yalen greeted as soon as she saw Kyran enter the Infirmary.


    "Good timing, we are about to make potions. Can you teach us how to improve their efficacy?" Oded also asked, looking quite ecstatic.


    "If you have all the materials, I can show them to you," Kyran replied.


    Last time, when he helped out in concocting potions and pills, Oded and Yalen were assisting Cyneah and did not see how Kyran worked. Although the potions and pills he concocted had the same efficacy as the ones Cyneah made, Oded and Yalen knew he could raise their efficacy even more. The only problem was that theycked the herbs to increase the potions and pills'' efficacy.


    Oded and Yalen had just picked up new medicinal herbs from Cyneah''s medicinal farm and believed they had all the materials Kyran would need.


    "I think we have enough," Oded said, looking at the basket of herbs in his arms.


    "Let''s go then."


    The three entered the medication room and prepared the herbs for the concoction.


    After all the herbs had been prepared, Kyran patiently taught the two his concoction method. Honestly, his potions and pills had better efficacy, not because he added other medicinal herbs into his recipe. Instead, he improved the method that the Eidums used.


    Oded and Yalen were both fascinated as they watched Kyran work. Although he rarely talked and only exined how each step worked and improved the whole process, they learned many things. They even felt they couldbine these steps with other concoction methods and raise the efficacy of the potions and pills that used those.


    Meanwhile, the meeting the Abbot''s son conducted was reaching its end. After addressing all the menial and technical things in the HQ, he finally discussed why he called for them.


    The Abbot''s abduction.


    Currently, only a few Eidums knew about the Abbot''s abduction. And even among those people, some still did not believe.


    Like Gidan, most Eidums believed no one would dare touch their Abbot. s, such blind trust could lead to their downfall.


    The Abbot''s son, a young man in histe twenties with shoulder-length blonde hair and light blue eyes that perfectly entuated his gentlemanly aura sat at the head of the table.


    To his right, Cyneah sat, followed by Gidan. While on his left sat Azikh.


    The rest of the leaders,posed of the warehouse managers, the matron, the team leaders of each fighter team, the head chef, and the messenger, sat around the long table.


    "Is it really true, Lord Nahir?" The matron, a stern-looking middle-aged woman with light blonde hair tied in a soft bun, asked. Though she looked stern, she was among the most caring and understanding Eidum. "We''ve heard the Abbot was abducted, but since we have not heard any official announcement, we dare not believe it."


    Nahir, the Abbot''s son, looked at her and sighed in resignation. He nodded his head and said, "Yes, matron. Father has indeed been abducted. I refrain from announcing this news in the assembly earlier, fearing everyone will panic."


    Everyone inside fell silent.


    As the matron had said, they already heard rumors of the Abbot''s abduction. Thus, they were not that surprised. Nevertheless, hearing Nahir confirm it broke their hearts.


    "I have already sent out a party to search for father''s trace. Unfortunately, the governor of Hodom doesn''t allow us to investigate the ce where my father was abducted. They say the whole ce had copsed, and even if they allowed us to go, it would be impossible to find any clue."


    "That is more or less what Nar had told us," Azikh replied thoughtfully. "I had hoped it was not true. But to think he was not lying..."


    Everyone inside knew Kyran was someone the Abbot had sent to the border before he was abducted. However, because of Cyneah''s disy during Kyran''s first day, when she forced the gates to open so she could run to him, most believed he was here because of her.


    "I did not know you still doubt Nar after all this time," Cyneah suddenly said.


    Azikh smiled wryly as he peered at Cyneah, "I am sorry, Lady Sisi. It is not that I doubted him per se. I only want to hold on to the possibility that the Abbot is safe."


    Nahir looked at Cyneah and said, "I heard Nar is... a friend of yours?"


    "He is my benefactor."


    "Isn''t that my father?"


    "About that, Lord Nahir..." Azikh and Gidan started. Both exchanged uneasy nces but did not know how to exin what Cyneah had told them.


    Instead of responding to Nahir''s question, Cyneah said, "Lord Nahir, Nar has provided enough information about the Abbot''s abduction. If you share the information you gathered thus far andbine it with the ones Nar has, we may have a better understanding of who dared abduct the Abbot."


    "Yes," Nahir nodded in agreement. "That may be so if his information is reliable."


    Cyneah frowned. Before she could say anything more, Nahir said with a gentle smile, "I am not saying your friend is unreliable. But I do not know him. Even if he is your friend, he is not mine. Thus, I can only judge if his information is reliable after I talk to him."


    Everyone inside did not dare say anything. They knew Nahir''s character. Although he looked gentlemanly, he could sometimes be stubborn and even act self-righteous. Most would say that he was the opposite of the Abbot. Nevertheless, he was someone they trusted because his strength was indisputable.


    It was not an exaggeration if they said that even the most powerful mages of the Nobles were afraid of him.


    Cyneah''s frown deepened, but she did not say anything more.


    Seeing her displeasure, Nahir''s expression softened, and he reached for her hand.


    "I''m sorry," he said and gently squeezed her hand. "I did not mean to disregard your friend. I will make sure to talk to him and get to know him. This way, he can also be my friend."


    "Nar is not my friend..."


    "Right, he is your benefactor," Nahir said lightly. "Though I don''t see how that happened when I heard Nar is way younger than yourself."


    "I''m not..." Cyneah wanted to say she was not that older than him. But remembering how long she had stayed in Somulipared to the time that had passed in the Human ne, she was indeed older than Kyran.


    Nahir only smiled and returned to the others, "While my father''s whereabouts remain unknown, I will be in charge of everything. Tell your members what happened to my father, but assure them I am already on top. In the meantime, I will work with Gidan to improve the borders'' defenses."


    "About that, Lord Nahir," Azikh and Gidan spoke at the same time again,


    Nahir looked at them and chuckled, "Though I am happy to see you two are quite in sync, I am also a little uneasy. You can go ahead and speak first, Gidan."


    "Well..." Gidan had hoped Nahir would ask Azikh to go first. Honestly, he feared what Nahir would do or even say if he said something ''wrong.''


    "The truth is, Nar has already provided some insights on how we can improve the border''s defenses."


    A tense silence followed, and the hand that held Cyneah''s seemed to tighten.


    Cyneah tilted her head toward Nahir. Before she could ask him to let her hand go, Nahir''s grip loosened as he said, "Is that so? Sisi''s friend seems already on top of things in our affair."


    "He had helped defend our borders twice, Lord Nahir," Azikh exined. "And honestly, the things he had taught our people are helpful."


    "It makes me want to meet him more," Nahir said, looking at the messenger.


    "Where is Nar right now?"


    As the messenger, he was well-informed of the whereabouts of key people among the Eidums. At the moment, he had also kept tabs on Kyran''s movements.


    "He is currently in the Infirmary, Lord Nahir."


    "Why is he in the Infirmary?" Nahir asked with a slight frown.


    "Well..."


    "Never mind. I''ll go meet him there," he said, looking at Cyneah and saying, "You don''t have to go with me. Go to your room and rest. You''ve had a long day."


    "I am fine," Cyneah replied, trying to pull her hand away from his. "I also want to talk to Nar. I''ll go with you."


    "You can talk to him tomorrow. You can go rest now."


    "No," Cyneah repeated and stood up. Without waiting for Nahir to say anything, she left the room.

 Chapter 784 Do You Dare?

    Chapter 784 Do You Dare?


    Kyran was too absorbed in teaching Oded and Yalen his concoction method that he did not notice people watching them from the medication room''s two-way mirror.


    Apart from Cyneah and Nahir, Azikh, Gidan, and the matron also went to the infirmary.


    Nahir initially wanted to enter the medication room, but Cyneah stopped him after noticing Kyran, Oded, and Yalen were in the midst of concocting potions and pills.


    If they entered while the concoction was ongoing, there was a high chance they would contaminate the air inside the medication room, affecting the efficacy of the herbs still on the table.


    Because of this, they settled in watching the three and waited until they were done before calling Kyran over.


    While watching them, Nahir''s brows had knitted to a dangerous depth. He had wanted to censure Kyran and tell him that only their qualified healers were allowed inside the medication room and concoct medicines. But after watching for a few minutes, Oded opened the cauldron with the solution, and Nahir noticed their strange color.


    The color was different from the ones Nahir was ustomed to, yet he sensed how potent the solution was even when only seeing it from the two-way mirror.


    Soon after, a powerful medicinal smell wafted out from inside the medication room, and they all felt rejuvenated. This shocked Nahir and the others. It should be noted that the medication room was sealed off to ensure the medicinal herbs prepared inside would not be contaminated by foul energy. For them to still smell the newly concocted medicine was a testament to how potent it was.


    Even the matron, who already knew how potent Kyran''s potions and pills were, was equally shocked.


    It was not really that surprising because although she had seen Kyran''s potions and pills, the few times she saw him concoct them, he was working with Cyneah. The matron was convinced that the potency of the potions and pills was due to the Saint. The same went with the medicines he gave the first time he visited the Infirmary. The matron thought they were potions and pills made by the Saint beforehand. Witnessing someone else, other than the Saint or even the Abbot, concoct such potent potions and pills shocked the matron.


    But her shock was a good thing. In her opinion, having more medicine with high efficacy benefited them.


    Ultimately, Nahir could only wait until the three were done before calling Kyran over. He might dislike outsiders acting all pompous in their territory, but he at least recognizes talent.


    Nahir admitted that Kyran was indeed talented. On their way there, he heard much about thetter from Azikh and Gidan. His first impression of Kyran was that of a kid who could not wait to unt his strong points.


    An arrogant kid who wanted to show off.


    Nahir believed Kyran was doing all this to show off in front of Cyneah. Judging from what he heard from Azikh and Gidan, he guessed Kyran harbored deep feelings for Cyneah¡ª something that Nahir would never tolerate.


    Nevertheless, he appreciated the kid''s enthusiasm. After all, he did save them twice.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah was silently observing what was happening inside the medication room. She could not see them clearly, but at least she could see their silhouettes moving about. Apart from Kyran, whom she could barely discern, she saw Oded and Yalen''s excitement after sessfully concocting potions and pills with high efficacy.


    But while she was observing them. her expression had turned unreadable, especially as she watched Yalen interacting with Kyran and Oded.


    However, the more her expression turned unreadable, the more Gidan sensed her restlessness. As someone who had been watching over her for four years, he was already familiar with her changing moods.


    Gidan could not help but feel conflicted. He looked at Cyneah in silence. But as he did, he caught sight of Nahir looking over at her, too, before frowning and looking at Kyran again.


    It seemed Gidan was not the only one already familiar with Cyneah''s change in mood.


    ''s,'' Gidan could not help but say inwardly with a sigh. He anticipated thisplication when he realized Cyneah''s feelings for Kyran and vice versa. Although the two did not seem to be aware of it, the fact that Cyneah was already betrothed to Nahirplicates things.


    ''Whatever,'' Gidan thought. He had no intentions of meddling with such aplicated subject. Besides, Cyneah and Nahir''s engagement was official unless Nahir agreed to rescind it. It would never be broken.


    "Thank you for teaching us your method, Nar. With this, our medicines would be more effective, and our people''s suffering will lessen," Yalen thanked Kyran after they finished their potion and pills.


    "True," Oded agreed with a smile. He looked at Kyran and added, "Can this method really be used on other recipes?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yeah. However, this method is best used for replenishing potions and pills."


    "Do you have another method that can improve medicinal efficacy?"


    "Master this first," Kyran told them. "Once you''ve mastered this method, the other methods will be much easier to understand."


    "Yes!"


    The two replied enthusiastically.


    Right after that, they heard a knock; only then did they realize that people were watching them from the two-way mirror.


    The two-way mirror would normally obscure the people watching on the other side of the lights in that room were turned off. Since it was on, they could also see others on the other side.


    Kyran immediately noticed the young man standing close to Cyneah. He knew at once that this was the Abbot''s son, Nahir.


    During one of their conversations, the old man told him his son''s name. Looking at the man, Kyran also saw his semnce to the old man. The only difference was that the old man had a gentler aura around him, while his son had a more stern look.


    When Nahir saw Kyran looking at him, he gestured for him to step outside.


    Seeing this, Oded and Yalen tensed. For some reason, the way Nahir looked at Kyran did not seem pleasant.


    Kyran thought nothing of it as he told Oded and Yalen to continue. The two initially wanted to warn him of something but stopped because there was no way they could be subtle about it, with Nahir watching them from the other side of the two-way mirror.


    Kyran noticed Oded and Yalen''s apprehension but only smiled at them in assurance. He then stepped outside and followed Nahir, who already made his way out of the infirmary.


    This time, the matron did not follow the group. She stepped inside the medication room to help Oded and Yalen with the remaining medicines they needed to concoct.


    Nahir led Kyran into one of the huddle rooms. Azikh and Gidan also apanied them.


    Frankly, Nahir had told Cyneah she did not need to join them. But she pretended not to hear him and followed them. Her behavior only further added to his dislike of Kyran.


    Cyneah had always been docile, for her to suddenly act out of character just because her ''friend'' hade annoyed Nahir.


    The huddle room was smallerpared to the main meeting room. But it was enough to amodate all five of them.


    Nahir sat at the head of the table.


    Although, to be honest, it was hard to determine where the head was given the table was round with five chairs around it.


    Cyneah initially wanted to sit close to Kyran, but Nahir pulled the chair beside him, making her hesitate. In the end, she sat beside him to avoid worsening his already foul mood.


    Kyran wore an indifferent expression all this time. But he was silently observing Nahir and how he treated the others. The more he watched, the more he realized thetter differed greatly from the old man.


    They might share some semnce physically, but none with their character.


    When all of them were seated, Nahir started asking Kyran questions.


    Most of his questions were things Azikh and Gidan already told him, which was why thetter two had a strange look on their faces.


    Cyneah also frowned, but she did not say anything.


    On the other hand, Kyran answered Nahir''s questions concisely.


    Nahir frowned inwardly. By questioning him, he had wanted to gauge Kyran''s character and possible hidden motive. Ultimately, the young man''s answers conform to what he already knows. He also noticed that the young man''s expression and emotions remained ''t.''


    For short, Nahir was unable to glean anything from Kyran.


    "I heard your suggestion," Nahir started after a few minutes.


    Kyran did not respond and only tilted his head, waiting for Nahir to continue.


    "I must say, I agree to your thinking."


    Kyran closely.


    "Of course," Kyran responded.


    Hearing Nahir''s thoughts, Azikh was surprised.


    "But, Lord Nahir¡ª."


    Nahir raised his hand at Azikh, stopping the older man from continuing.


    "That is not to say that I don''t have my reservations," Nahir continued, looking at Kyran closely.


    "Of course," Kyran responded.


    "You do know why, don''t you?"


    "More or less."


    "Then why did you still propose it?"


    "Because your people had the potential to pull it off."


    Nahir raised his brows. He did not expect Kyran to answer in such a way.


    "Potential, huh," he repeated.


    "However, I won''t deny that currently, your people are stillcking," Kyran continued. "Which is why, as much as possible, I want to teach them."


    Nahir chuckled, "You talk as if you have the qualification to teach my people."


    Kyran did not respond. He only looked at Nahir indifferently.


    "I know my people more than you could ever know. I heard from Gidan what you are teaching them, and in my opinion, you are only confusing them."


    A tense silence ensued after that.


    Finally, a small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he said, "It seems to me you are the one who doesn''t know your people at all."


    Nahir''s eyes narrowed, "What did you say?"


    "Tell me, Lord Nahir, why do you think your side is on the losing side of this war?"


    "Obviously, it is because¡ª."


    "It is because of people like you who think they know better but then ends up making things worse."


    Nahir turned livid after being interrupted and told off like that.


    "You are only an outsider with a questionable background, don''t say my father asked you for your assistance because, for all I know, you are only here to confuse my fianc¨¦e."


    "Nahir, what are you even¡ª."


    "Do not interrupt, Sisi. We are talking here."


    Kyran''s expression finally showed a change; he looked at Nahir coldly and said, "I see. Apart from being a wiseass, you''re also someone who doesn''t listen."


    "What did you say?"


    When Kyran said the word ''wiseass,'' he had spoken in humannguage, which was why Nahir did not understand him.


    "Do you dare make a bet with me, Lord Nahir?"

 Chapter 785 Ill Unmask You

    ?


    "How childish," Nahir glowered at Kyran''s suggestion.


    Kyran raised his brows and smiled as he leaned back on his chair and said, "Scared?"


    Nahir''s eyes narrowed. He stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, "I don''t have time to y around with kids."


    "You think this is a simple game?"


    "What else?"


    "You haven''t even heard what the bet is about."


    "Then let''s hear it."


    "You agree then?"


    "I did not say that."


    "Then what''s the point," Kyran shrugged and rubbed his nose. "Such a disappointment. The one everyone revered is actually scared to bet with a kid."


    Azikh and Gidan could not help but look at each other. They wanted to stop Kyran from provoking Nahir. But they also wanted to see what the younger man was up to.


    They knew Kyran acted like this because of Nahir''s treatment of Cyneah, which both older men did not approve of. Honestly, this was not the first time Nahir showed dominance over Cyneah. Before, Gidan could still step in and remind Nahir to respect the Saint. But after bing her fianc¨¦, Gidan could no longer say anything.


    Only the Abbot could speak up for Cyneah because she would never retaliate. Today was the first time they had seen her speak up against Nahir, and they knew it was all because of Kyran.


    Azikh and Gidan initially thought that Nahir, being older than Kyran, would be the better person and avoid conflict with the younger man. They did not expect that a simple provocation from Kyran would trigger Nahir.


    "Fine," Nahir said through gritted teeth. "Since it is a bet, we will have a wager."


    "Of course."


    "Then, let''s hear your idea first."


    "It''s quite simple. Since you said I''m only confusing your people with what I teach them, how about doing a mock battle? Five against five. You pick five people representing the ''old'' ideas, while I pick five representing the things I''ve taught them. What do you think?"


    Azikh and Gidan raised their brows after hearing this. They had thought Kyran would personally challenge Nahir in a fight. Hearing the younger man propose a mock battle involving their fighters surprised them.


    Although Kyran used a roundabout and childish way to prove what he had been teaching the Eidums was not pointless, Azikh and Gidan knew this was the only way to convince Nahir.


    To be honest, Gidan had reservations when Kyran started teaching them. But after a few days, he realized the benefit of focusing on their strong points. Thus, he did not mind following the younger man''s arrangements until the Armakeans attacked them again.


    Azikh felt the same. Although he and his team did not participate in most of Kyran''s training, they would sit in on the practical knowledge and found his battle knowledge andbat sense enlightening.


    Nahir regarded Kyran in silence. Like Azikh and Gidan, he thought Kyran would ask him to fight. Thus, he was taken aback when he proposed a mock battle among his people.


    By doing this, Kyran could show the positive result of what he had been teaching the Eidums. If he seeded, it would prove that Nahir''s ims earlier were wrong. However, if he lost, he could also say he needed more time to teach the Eidums to produce results.


    "Humph," Nahir sneered and looked at Kyran as if he had seen through his plot. "Alright. Let''s discuss the wager then."


    "Okay."


    "Stay away from my fianc¨¦e."


    Cyneah took a sharp intake of breath at what Nahir had said. For all she knew, Kyran did not know about Nahir. Or if he did, he probably only thought it was in name only, which was supposed to be the case.


    Unfortunately, Nahir had taken his role too seriously, and Cyneah could not say anything about it because she had no choice.


    "Alright," Kyran agreed almost at once.


    Whether his agreement was a testament to his confidence in winning the bet, they were not sure. To Cyneah, however, his agreeing readily to Nahir''s wager was disheartening.


    It was as if, Kyran did not care.


    Nahir sneered. He felt Kyran''s confidence in his answer and could not wait to see his disappointment once he lost.


    In any case, Kyran probably thought that he had a better chance at winning by using the five Eidums he took to train in the wilderness for two days. Nahir had already seen through that.


    That was right. Nahir was aware of the ''training'' the five Eidums went through, resulting in them missing the early part of the assembly. For this reason, he nned to prevent Kyran from using them in the mock battle.


    "But if I win," Kyran continued. His eyes suddenly glinted maliciously, "Treat Neah with respect."


    "How I treat my fianc¨¦e is none of your business."


    Kyran did not respond. Nevertheless, he saw Cyneah''splexion pale from Nahir''s words. Not to mention, Azikh and Gidan''s expressions turned grim.


    Obviously, they disapproved of Nahir''s treatment of Cyneah. Kyran also guessed this was not the first time the older man had treated her like this, judging from Azikh and Gidan''s reactions.


    "Let''s go," Nahir stood up and left the huddle room.


    Azikh and Gidan looked at Kyran. They initially wanted to say something. In the end, they chose not to say it, to show their neutrality in the matter.


    Before Kyran stepped out of the room, Cyneah grabbed his sleeves.


    He stopped, looked at her, and saw the concern reflected in her mirror-like eyes.


    "You should not have provoked him," she told him.


    "Are you afraid he''d lose and retaliate?"


    Cyneah frowned, "No. Because him losing is already a given."


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. The vote of confidence from her was a little unexpected.


    "Then why¡ª."


    "Nahir is not usually like this. He is only in a foul mood. Then again, his father was abducted, and he was forced to change his schedule so he could travel here as soon as possible. He is under a lot of pressure."


    Kyran frowned, "You don''t have to justify his actions. No matter the reason, he has no right to talk to you like that."


    "He doesn''t normally talk to me like that..."


    "Right," Kyran snorted. "Say that more confidently, then I''ll believe you."


    "Nahir could be unreasonable at times. Once he loses, he won''t stop until he defeats you."


    "I''d say bring it on. I don''t mind teaching him a lesson myself, but I don''t want him to lose face in front of his people. To be honest, I am doing him a favor by suggesting a mock battle among the Eidums."


    "I know that. Which is why I said he will not stop."


    "What are you two whispering about?" Nahir suddenly appeared at the door.


    When he did not see Cyneah and Kyrane out of the room, he immediately turned back to check on them. He initially wanted to hear what they were talking about, but he was surprised to hear them talk in a differentnguage.


    He was pretty knowledgeable in severalnguages. Yet he did not understand what they were saying. It made him remember Kyran calling him something a while ago, but he did not understand it.


    Nahir looked at them with furrowed brows. He knew Cyneah had a secret that only his father was aware of. He had tried to ask his father about it, but the old man refused to say anything. To be honest, he had thought that now that they were betrothed, his father would tell him Cyneah''s secret.


    He was wrong.


    "Nothing," Cyneah replied, letting go of Kyran''s sleeve. She then left the room and followed Azikh and Gidan.


    The two men were also outside, waiting for them.


    Nahir looked at Kyran with unmasked hatred. He walked over to him and leaned slightly.


    Nahir was tall himself. Nevertheless, he found Kyran''s height also intimidating.


    "Don''t get any funny ideas," he whispered to Kyran. "Although you said that my father had asked your help. I don''t believe you. My father is a proud man. He would never ask someone with a questionable background for help. Besides, I found your arrival to be too coincidental."


    Kyran did not respond. He did not even show any reaction to the older man''s provocation.


    "I know you are up to something. And that involves Sisi. I will unmask you in front of her and everyone else."


    Kyran tilted his head after hearing that. He found Nahir''s words ironic because he was indeed wearing a mask.


    "Go ahead," he replied. "But I don''t think you can handle the consequences when that happens."


    "So you admit you are up to something."


    "I don''t n on hiding it," Kyran replied with a shrug. He smiled and added, "I can even tell you what it is. You only need to say the magic words."


    Nahir stepped back and glowered at him, "Don''t mess with me, kid. I''ll wipe that smirk off your face in a while."


    With that, he turned and left.


    Kyran followed suit.

 Chapter 786 Have A Go

    As Kyran expected, Nahir knew about the five Eidums he trained in the wilderness. As such, he was not surprised when the older man took them as his representatives to prevent him from choosing them for his team.


    Amit, Johar, Kanu, Yona, and Zoram, were confused about what was happening. They heard the Abbot''s son wanted to witness what Kyran had been teaching them, but when they appeared in the training room, they were told to use the ''old'' way they do things, and they were confused. It was not that they were reluctant to follow Lord Nahir''s order. They were even excited to be part of his team. But after training in the wilderness, the five Eidums had seen the benefits of what Kyran had taught them and felt it was pointless to practice the old ways.


    Azikh and Gidan stood at one side of the training room with Cyneah.


    The training room they used was one of the smaller ones, which was why there were only them, Nahir, Kyran, and the ten Eidums participating in the mock battle inside.


    Nahir stood at the northern side of the room with Amit, Johar, Kanu, Yona, and Zoram. He had a winning smile on his face, as if he had already won the bet.


    Nahir''s attitude was to be expected. After all, the five Eidums Kyran had chosen were among the rookies: Hm, Inca, Noam, Rakim, and Soria.


    Nahir considered them as babiespared to the five, who were considered veterans. To be honest, he believed Kyran had chosen to train thetter five because they were among the elite veterans of the fighters.


    "I''ve always admired Lord Nahir because even though he is an Eidum, he possessed powerful offensive magic that could instill fear even among the most powerful Noble mages," Soria said with a slight frown. "However, seeing how obvious he is messing with you, Nar, I am disillusioned."


    "I feel the same," Hm agreed with furrowed brows. "I have heard a minority mentioning Lord Nahir''s overbearing character, but I did not believe it. Now, I am starting to believe."


    Kyran raised his brows as he looked at the two. He did not expect these two to take his sidepletely. When he chose them for his team, he only asked them to fight in a mock battle using what he had taught them against Amit, Johar, Kanu, Yona, and Zoram. He did not mention the bet or how Nahir disapproved of him teaching the Eidums.


    To think that these two managed to glean the situation just by seeing their opponent and Nahir''s smile.


    "Are you two not afraid he will hear you and make your lives hell?"


    "I''d like to see him try," Soria replied disdainfully. "He is the Abbot''s son, yes. But technically, he is only riding in his father''s title to get to where he is."


    "What are you even saying, Soria? His official title is the Abbey''s, Head Master. In terms of political status or even military influence, he has none. Yes, he is traveling all over thend, representing the Abbot. But that is all it is. If he is given a proper title, it can be surmised as the Abbot''s errand boy," Noam also quipped.


    Kyran suppressed hisughter. He had guessed Hm and Soria''s background was not simple the first time they met. That was why they were not afraid to speak their minds. But to think that Noam was the same was unexpected.


    Could it be that all the rookies belonged to prominent Eidum families?


    s, it was strange how someone they revered could be their most hated person in a heartbeat just because of one small incident.


    Kyran suddenly felt sorry for Nahir.


    "No, seriously. I don''t mind giving him a piece of my mind if he tries to make a move on you guys, but I can''t make him lose face in front of everyone. Not when the overall situation on your side is unstable."


    The three fell silent.


    What Kyran had said was true. Now that the Abbot''s abduction was known to all, most would look for strength by holding on to someone capable of protecting theirnd.


    Nahir had that capability because of his powerful magic. But if he lost to Kyran, the Eidums might sumb to despair.


    "We still have the Saint," Inca, the other female fighter that traveled with them, voiced her opinion.


    "That''s right. Lady Saint is still here," Rakim agreed.


    Hm, Noam, and Soria also nodded in agreement.


    Kyran looked at them in surprise. He knew the Eidums loved Cyneah. But he did not expect them to view her as a leader they could draw strength in.


    "You have too little ambition, master."


    "Be more ambitious."


    Zephyr and Gael''s voices shed through Kyran''s mind, making him frown inwardly.


    Seeing how much faith and trust the Eidums had for Cyneah, Kyran knew it would not be easy to take her back to the Human ne.


    Could his only option be conquering Somuli? Once he took Somuli under his wings, he would not have any reservations in creating a path connecting it to the Human ne. In that way, he could visit it anytime. Or, to be precise, Cyneah could visit Somuli anytime.


    Kyran shook his head inwardly and pushed the thought at the back of his head.


    He was not even a Sovereign. He did not have the qualifications to take a ne for himself.


    "I will be the judge of the mock battle," Azikh went to the middle of the training room. After that, a semi-transparent circr barrier formed at the center of the room, marking where the mock battle would happen.


    "Participants, please get ready."


    "I chose the five of you because you are all elites among the veterans," Nahir started as he looked at the five Eidums behind him. "You have mastered our ways and that kid''s teachings. That is your advantage in this mock battle. Using that knowledge, you can easily subdue the other side."


    All five exchanged uneasy looks. Lord Nahir had a point. If they utilize that knowledge, they indeed have the advantage. But it was precisely because of that knowledge that they knew they would lose if they were not careful. Apart from that, their opponents were the five rookies that Kyran traveled with beforeing to the HQ.


    Obviously, they better understood Kyran''s fighting style and even witnessed him in action. It would not be a surprise if he also taught them a thing or two along the way.


    "Show them what true fighters are," Nahir said, gesturing for them to enter the ring.


    Unable to say anything, the five could only nod and enter the ring.


    Meanwhile, Kyran was also talking to Hm and the others.


    "Amit and the rest will definitely take you seriously," he told them. "If you fight them using what I taught you these past few days, you will not stand a chance against them."


    "But the key word in that is ''if,'' right?" Hm asked, looking at Kyran meaningfully.


    Kyran smiled, "That''s right. Since they can only use the old ways, you only have to do what I''ve taught you thus far, and you''ll be fine."


    "Understood."


    "Try not to win too soon. They''re still your seniors. It is only fitting to show your respect to the elders."


    "That''s... sarcasm, right?" Soria could not help but ask while looking at Kyran''s profile.


    Kyran looked at her with raised brows and said innocently, "What do you take me for?"


    Soria replied with a nk stare.


    "Let''s go," Hm ushered them into the ring.


    "The rules are simple," Azikh said, looking at the Eidums standing at the center of the ring. "Lord Nahir''s team will use the Abbey''s teachings while Nar''s team will use the new ways. The first team to incapacitate or force the other team to surrender will win."


    Azikh left the ring before he announced the start of the mock battle.


    "Start!"


    Amit and his teammates immediately scattered at Azikh''s signal. They could not allow Hm and his teammates to restrain their movements at the start of the battle. Once that happened, they would bembs waiting to be ughtered.


    However, as soon as Amit and his teammates scattered, the floor on which they stepped glowed, and silver chains emerged from within, wrapping their legs.


    "Be careful! This is Inca''s Divine Armament!" Yona warned her teammates while she jumped and cast earth spikes to destroy the chains.


    The other four managed to dodge the chains as well and prepared to cast offensive spells at Inca.


    But the moment theynded on the ground, their bodies weakened, and they all dropped to their knees.


    "Sh*t! A lethargy spell..."


    The one who cast the spell was Rakim.


    "Now!" Hm shouted and cast speed and strengthening spells. He wielded the practice sword and swung it at the closest Eidum near him, Johar.


    Hm was not the only one who moved. After Amit and his teammates avoided her chains, Inca ran toward Kanu and waited for Rakim to cast lethargy.


    Soria and Noam, who assisted Rakim so he had enough energy to aim lethargy at their five opponents, also moved and aimed their practice swords at Zoram and Yona, respectively.


    Rakim then cast anotherrge area of effect spell, slow, to decrease their opponent''s movements. This time he did not require the assistance of Soria and Noam because the slow spell was a low-tier spell and did not consume much energy.


    After casting slow, Rakim also unsheathed his practice sword and aimed at Amit.


    "You haven''t won yet!" Amit shouted and cast an earth spell.


    Thick earth spikes emerged on the floor and zigzagged toward Rakim.


    However, Rakim only cast a strengthening spell on his practice sword and cut through the iing earth spikes.


    The spikes were cut beautifully and cleanly in the middle, with Rakim not breaking a sweat. He continued to run toward Amit, whoseplexion had already turned pale.


    Because Amit was still under the lethargy spell, forcing an offensive spell had taken a huge toll on his body.


    The other four knew this. Thus they did not attempt to cast a spell. They simply waited for Hm and the others to arrive and willingly ept their fate.


    Hm and the others raised their practice swords and gently tapped their opponent''s head.


    "Lord Nahir''s team are all incapacitated. Nar''s team wins!" Azikh announced.


    Meanwhile, Nahir, who was on his way to Cyneah, wanting to watch the battle beside her while pointing out the faults in Kyran''s teachings, was forced to a stop.


    The battle had barely started, and now it had already ended. Not only that, the one who lost was his team!


    What had happened?


    "Come on," Kyran suddenlyined in exasperation. "I told you guys to respect your elders. Why did you defeat them so soon?"


    Nahir''s brow did an involuntary twitch as he looked at Kyran. To his great annoyance, the younger man was looking at him with a slight smile.


    ''This kid...! He said that on purpose!''


    Obviously, Kyran''sment about respecting the ''elders'' was his answer to Nahir''s remark that he was a kid.


    It was childish. Yet, annoyed the hell out of Nahir nheless.


    Amit and his teammates looked at Kyran with a wry smile. They more or less figured out thetter''s character and did not take offence at his tant remark about ''defeating them so soon.'' They even found his childishness funny.


    Hm and his teammates also gave a wry smile. They knew Kyran was targeting Lord Nahir, and although they found their ''squabble'' childish, they also found the former''s malicious side entertaining.


    Cyneah was no different. She knew Kyran was referring to Nahir when he said ''elders'' and could not help but chuckle. Gidan, on the other hand, tried not to react. But the twitching of his mouth was proof he found the whole thing amusing.


    Nahir looked at Cyneah and, upon seeing her reaction, was infuriated. He was not angered by what she wasughing at but more by the fact that Kyran could easily cause her tough. This had never happened to him before. No matter how much he tried, he never saw Cyneahugh or smile like she did now.


    "Now, Lord Nahir," Kyran continued, not one bit perturbed by Nahir''s deadly re. "Don''t forget our wager."


    Nahir sneered, "What wager? I don''t remember agreeing to any wager."


    Azikh and Gidan looked at Nahir and sighed inwardly. s, the thing they feared had happened.


    They wanted to tell Kyran that to make their bet official; he had to make Nahir ''agree'' by using a pact. Because they noticed that not once did Nahir say he agreed to Kyran''s terms earlier. He agreed to the mock battle, yes. But not with the things at stake.


    When they mentioned their wager, Nahir only warned Kyran to stay away from Cyneah. He never said anything about ''if his team won the battle,'' Kyran should stay away from her.


    The same went with Kyran''s terms. Nahir never agreed but only replied with another remark.


    Cyneah realized this fact toote and fell silent. She knew that if she tried to reason with Nahir, he would only make things worse.


    Kyran''s expression did not change. He continued to smile. However, there was no humor reflected in his eyes.


    Amit, Hm, and the rest of the Eidums finally noticed what was happening was not simple. They already guessed there was an agreement between Nahir and Kyran, but it looked like there was more to it than Nahir disapproving of Kyran teaching them.


    "I overestimated my team''s ability," Nahir continued, entering the ring. "Now that I think it over, I can only determine your teaching is effective if I test it myself."


    He smiled at Kyran and added, "Shall we have a go, kid?"


    Instead of answering Nahir, Kyran looked at Cyneah and said, "I tried Neah. But he has willingly delivered himself to my doorsteps."


    Cyneah smiled helplessly. As much as she wanted to keep things simple between them, it was no longer possible. If that was the case, then it was pointless mulling over things.


    "Make sure to teach him well," she replied.


    Kyran smiled, "Will do."


    Everyone inside looked at them in confusion, not understanding what had transpired between them because they had spoken a differentnguage.

 Chapter 787 What Happened To Giving Him Face?

    ?


    Nahir''s expression turned ghastly. He now understood why he hated Kyran so much.


    He realized it after witnessing the exchange between Cyneah and Kyran.


    Rather than being annoyed at being unable to understand their conversation, Nahir was annoyed at seeing Cyneah''s expression as she talked to Kyran.


    She looked carefree, and even full of life. A huge contrast to her usual docile self with a reserved smile.


    Nahir admitted he dislike it when Cyneah opposed him earlier. But more than that, he found this side of her refreshing and was even charmed by her carefree smile.


    However, the reason for Cyneah''s smile was not Nahir but that kid, Nar.


    To sum up what Nahir felt for the younger man, basically, he was jealous.


    It was a strange feeling for Nahir. Especially when the woman who caused it was someone that others would have reconsidered being betrothed with.


    Cyneah had an Anathema, after all. Even if she had powerful healing magic, and a beautiful face her disability would still cause eligible bachelors to rethink marrying her.


    Nahir was the only one who was willing to take her. At least, he believed he was the only one.


    But he was wrong.


    Looking at the approaching young man, Nahir glowered and could not help but wonder what was the difference between them.


    No.


    The answer to that question was too obvious.


    Nahir and Kyran were worlds apart.


    Physically, the former won by arge margin. He was handsome, tall, and considered to be the most sought after man among the Eidums. Thetter, apart from having an appearance that made him stood out like a sore thumb- dark hair and dark eyes- he was pretty average. If there was something noteworthy about his physical appearance it would be his physique. He was tall, with broad shoulders and lean mascr body. But apart from that, he was just a show off kid in Nahir''s opinion.


    So why would Cyneah treat Kyran differently?


    Why did it feel they were closer?


    Nahir was Cyneah''s betrothed, so why would she act reserved around him and carefree around a stranger?


    s, due to Nahir''s jealousy, the things he could see are narrowed and his understanding twisted.


    Amit, Hm, and the rest of the Eidums joined Azikh, Cyneah, and Gidan on one side of the ring and watched Nahir and Kyran.


    Soria, curiously looked at Cyneah and asked, "Lady Saint, just now, you and Nar conversed in a differentnguage...?" Her voice trailed off as she realized her question sounded too personal.


    Cyneah turned her head slightly to the left where Soria was and said, "Sorry, we are not trying to keep our conversation to ourselves. I suppose, after meeting someone from my nativrnd, I could not help but use our native tongue."


    "So you and Nar came from the same ce," Soria said with raised brows. "I didn''t know that."


    Cyneah only smiled in response. She feared Soria would follow through with another question if she say more.


    "Same rules apply," Nahir said as soon as Kyran arrived.


    The two stood face to face in the middle of the ring with only ten feet separating them.


    "I will use the Abbey''s teaching while you use yours."


    "The result will be the same if we do it like that," Kyran responded with a slight smile. "How about I give you a handicap? I won''t use any support skills and will only rely on mybat skills?"


    The reason Kyran suggested this was simple. He could not use support magic. When he pretended to be Tyr, whose innate magic was considered a Support-type, he used array and camouge the ''magic array'' with Void magic. As to how he got the effect of Strengthening magic, he hadbined the array with Draconic magic.


    Nahir sneered, "Are you afraid your support spells are not strong enough to restrain me?"


    "I''m worried you''d lose in seconds if I used support spells and lose face in front of your people."


    Nahir grounded his teeth. But he held his tongue and only smiled in response. He would not let Kyran work him up before their battle. He was the Abbey''s Head Master and must preserve his professional image.


    Kyran sighed in his heart. He could not understand why Nahir would ignore his serious warning but get worked up when he was talking nonsense.


    If Nahir did not want to listen, then Kyran would not bother anymore. Since he promised Cyneah to teach the older man a lesson, then he would do just that.


    "Let''s begin," Nahir said, not wanting to waste any more time.


    "Please-."


    Before Kyran could even say anything, Nahir already moved.


    His whole body turned aze, before disappearing from Kyran''s line of sight.


    "Fast!" Hm and the others eximed in shock. They heard Lord Nahir''s offensivr magic was not the only thing that made him strong. His speed andbat sense was also in a whole different level.


    Kyran''s expression remained unchanged when Nahir disappeared before him.


    Whoosh!


    The next moment, he heard and saw a zing forearm aimed at his right temple.


    Without so much as a change in expression, Kyran raised his right hand to grab the iing forearm.


    But.


    Foom!


    The zing arm erupted, engulfing Kyran''s head in an instant.


    "Nar!"


    Amit, Hm and the rest of the Eidums were shocked at the sudden turn of events.


    They barely saw Lord Nahir reappearing beside Kyran and was poised to attack. But then, instead of hitting Kyran, Nahir ignited his zing forearm, engulfing Kyran''s head in the process.


    Azikh and Gidan was also surprised. Not because they failed to see Nahir''s attack but because they found the output of his mes too great for a mock battle. Though they sensed it was not that powerful, it was still enough to cause a first degree burn.


    "You''re too slow," Nahir said with a sneer, watching Kyran''s head enveloped with mes. "Don''t worry, I controlled my mes so it will only leave a slight burn..."


    His voice trailed off and his eyes widened as he saw Kyran tilted his head slightly, seemingly unaffected by the mes.


    BAM!


    Without warning, Kyran hit Nahir''s face with the back of his right hand.


    Crack!


    "Oomphf!" Nahir felt his nose cracked as Kyran''s knuckles connected and he stumbled a few steps back.


    Ignoring his azed head, Kyran followed up with a 360 back kick before Nahir could even regain his bnce.


    "Guah!"


    Kyran''s kick hit Nahir squarely on his abdomen and was sent flying backward.


    With the force of the kick, the size of the ring was not enough to kill its momentum. Thus, Nahir hit the semi-transparent barrier with a loud thud.


    Amit, Hm and the rest of the Eidums were stupified as they watch Nahir slid down to the floor after hitting the barrier.


    A strange silence followed as they realized Nahir had lost consciousness.


    Azikh and Gidan were shocked. They knew Kyran was powerful, but Nahir aimed at his head at the start. This should have affected his performance even if a little.


    Nahir''s mes strength would not inflict too much damage but its heat was enough to irritate anyone. Others would even panic, especially those who knew Nahir''s mes were hard to extinguish.


    But Nahir''s attack did not even faze Kyran. Apart from that, they did not see Kyran cast any support spells before he retaliated.


    "Ah! Nar! You''re head! You''re head is still on fire!"


    Yona''s panic-stricken voice snapped everyone out of their own thoughts and looked at Kyran.


    Indeed, his head was still on fire!


    "Oh, this? It''s fine, a small fire will not kill me," Kyran replied indifferently and slightly shook his head as if he was only dusting off dirt instead of putting out mes.


    Hm, Noam, Inca, Rakim, and Soria all looked at Kyran with a nk expression. They were already used to Kyran''s strangeness that most of the things he does no longer surprised them.


    But that was not the case with the other five. Their eyes almost popped at Kyran''s nonchnt attitude.


    Actually, the reason they were shocked beyond belief was because they were awar Nahir''s hard to extinguish mes. For Kyran to easily put it out by shaking his head, was truly a shocking sight for them.


    "What happened to giving him face?" Cyneah, who had been silent from the start finally spoke. She had a helpless smile on her face as she faced the directiong at which she believed Kyran was at.


    Kyran cleared his throat, "My bad. I did not think he will go down in just two... Ah, crap! I did not use a support spell just now. Does this mean I lost?"


    Azikh, who went to check Nahir could not help but look at Kyran with a wry smile.


    "You''re still thinking about that?" He asked.


    "Lord Nahir did not even acknowledge your wager," Gidan also said. "Did you think this round is any different?"


    "Is Nahir okay? Please take him to the infirmary, I''ll have a look at him," Cyneah changed the subject.


    "Actually, Lord Nahir is-."


    "I am fine," Nahir suddenly spoke as he tried to sit up.

 Chapter 788 An Inkling

    ?


    Nahir asked Azikh and Gidan to take care of the rest while he invited Kyran for a private talk in the receiving room.


    When Cyneah heard this, she got worried and was about to warn Kyran, but Nahir assured her there was nothing to worry about. She could alsoe with them if she did not believe him.


    Kyran did not say much and only followed Nahir to the receiving room.


    Cyneah went with them, wondering, while Nahir seemed to be acting strangely.


    A few minutester, the three were transported inside the receiving room. Nahir conjured chairs for himself and Kyran before leading Cynean to sit on the high chair. His action surprised her. It seemed he was treating her more respectfully, just as Kyran asked him if he had won.


    Nahir''s action did not go unnoticed by Kyran.


    Did this mean he acknowledged his defeat earlier? If so, Kyran had to change his view of Nahir. Maybe this guy was not all that bad.


    "You don''t have to worry too much," Nahir told Cyneah as he held her hand. "I will only talk to your friend."


    "H-He''s my benefactor..." Cyneah corrected him, lowering her head a little. She changed the subject and asked, "H-How''s your wound?"


    "It is already healed."


    "Is that so," she replied in a small voice.


    "Yes, there is nothing you need to worry about," Nahir assured her and straightened his back before looking at Kyran. "We''ve started off on the wrong foot from my behavior earlier. Let me apologize."


    Kyran raised his brows but did not say anything. He only looked at Nahir and let him continue.


    Nahir pointed at his face and said, "Your punch earlier. I admit it cleared my mind a little."


    "You did not invite me here just to tell me that, right?"


    "No," Nahir admitted, letting go of Cyneah''s hand before taking his seat.


    Kyran leaned on his chair and waited for Nahir to continue.


    Nahir looked at Kyran. He leaned forward while resting his elbows on his knees and crossing his hands together. He did not speak for a moment and only looked at Kyran silently.


    Finally, after a moment, he said, "My judgment has been clouded earlier, but now I look at you properly, you... don''t have a Divine Armament."


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent, making Nahir unable to read what was on his mind.


    "Nahir..." Cyneah started. She had wanted to talk to Kyran these past few days to tell him about Divine Armaments. Although the ability to see through other''s Divine Armament was rare among theplete beings, she knew two people among the Eidums who had this. One was Nahir, and the other was the Abbot.


    The Abbot''s ability was far stronger than Nahir''s. After all, the Abbot could easily discern aplete being''s Divine Armament at first nce, while Nahir required to observe the other person for a while to confirm if he or she possessed a Divine Armament.


    "I do have one," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "Except, he tends to sleep for a long period of time."


    What he said was not exactly a lie. Based on what the old man and Gael had told him and the information he read in the archive, a Divine Armament was equivalent to a magic weapon. The only difference was that a magic weapon in the Human ne was a separate item from a human, while a Divine Armament served as both a magic core and a magic weapon toplete beings.


    Cyneah absorbed the Macabre cier, and because she did not possess a magic core, others who had the ability to see through aplete being''s Divine Armament would think the mirror was hers.


    But Kyran was different. He had several magic cores, which were shaped like a huge orb. He did not know if the old man or the Nahir could see them, but if they did, they did not consider those orbs his Divine Armament.


    "You are an outsider," Nahir continued, keenly observing a change in Kyran''s expression to discern his thoughts.


    Hearing Nahir''s words made Cyneah''s heart leap nervously. She hid her emotion well, though. Not wanting her reaction be the cause of others knowing about Kyran''s identity. Nevertheless, she tried to observe Nahir''s silhouette to see if he nned to do anything to Kyran.


    In the end, none of her worries happened.


    Nahir only looked at Kyran in silence. As if waiting for him to admit or confirm his guess.


    When Kyran did not respond after a few minutes, Nahir heaved a sigh and leaned on his chair.


    "You know, not saying anything can also be considered a silent acknowledgment," he told the younger man. "Whether you admit it or not, I believe you are one."


    Kyran tilted his head and said, "I did not say anything because I don''t n on hiding it."


    Cyneah was surprised. She turned to where Kyran was seated, wanting to glean his thoughts by observing his silhouette. Unfortunately, she failed to notice anything because she could barely see his silhouette.


    "Yet, you said you have a Divine Armament."


    "Where I came from, a Divine Armament is considered a magic weapon," Kyran replied with a shrug.


    "Magic weapon," Nahir repeated, finding the words foreign yet familiar.


    It was not a surprise because Kyran spoke those words in his native tongue, not in Somulian.


    "I have one, except he''s still sleeping," Kyran exined.


    "I had heard those terms before," Nahir admitted, looking at the younger man before him strangely. "During one excursion I attended when I was still a student in the Abbey, I met a fewplete beings who lived in Howling Pass."


    Nahir briefly narrated his encounter with thoseplete beings and told them he heard one of them speak those terms. At that time, Nahir did not understand what it meant. He only remembered it because it left a big impression on him. Hearing those terms again made him wonder if theplete being he met then was also an outsider.


    ''Howling Pass,'' Kyran thought.


    He already guessed that some of theplete beings living in that ce were actually humans who entered a rift identally and were transported to Somuli. But having Nahir confirm something only humans would know further piqued Kyran''s interest in that ce.


    "If you''ve heard that term before, why did you not consider that I am someone from Howling Pass rather than an outsider?"


    "I frequent in Howling Pass these past couple of months. I would have heard about you if you were truly from there."


    "Frequent in Howling Pass?" Cyneah repeated and looked toward Nahir. "I thought you were on a visiting trip on behalf of the Abbot these past few months."


    Nahir looked at her with a slight smile, "I was. But in between my travels, I would go there."


    "Why?"


    "Because I was considering employing their services once the Kingdom of Cretea pulled out their people here," Nahir replied. Then he sighed and shook his head, "Unfortunately, before I could find a decent mercenary group there, the nobles already pulled out, and Father had no choice but to send our own people here."


    Upon hearing this, Kyran was tempted to talk to the old man. He felt a little exasperated because the old man had left this information.


    The old man already knew he was interested in Howling Pass, yet he did not mention his son was trying to establish a rtionship with one of the mercenary groups there so he could hire them to protect the border.


    Seemingly knowing what Kyran was thinking, Nahir exined, "Of course, the idea of employing them was only my idea. When I proposed it, my father was not keen on it. I asked him why, but he did not want to tell me."


    Kyran guessed the old man''s reason was to prevent Nahir from being exposed to humans in Howling Pass and realized something was amiss with Cyneah.


    "Setting your information straight," Kyran started. "I did note from that ce."


    "I already guessed that much," Nahir replied wryly. "Which is why I said that you are an outsider."


    "Good," Kyran nodded. "Then I assume you already have an idea how I am connected with Neah."


    Nahir''s brow twitched slightly, recalling how tant Cyneah and Kyran had been about their connection. They spoke to each other in a differentnguage and did not care one bit even though they were in front of so many people.


    With a slight nod, Nahir confirmed it by saying, "I do have an idea. But let us not talk about that."


    "I''m fine with that. Let''s get to the point then."


    "I now understand why my father asked your help, even though he is proud." Nahir continued. "As a matter of fact, I know my father well. So I have an inkling about the truth of his abduction.


    "I know someone tried to infiltrate the town where he was abducted and that those people were not part of the Nobles. That leaves me with two suspects. The Armakeans, or mercenaries from Howling Pass."

 Chapter 789 Truth

    ?


    "The Armakeans might not make a move themselves and will hire mercenaries," Nahir continued, looking at Kyran meaningfully. "So considering both as suspects, working together, is a possibility.


    "I think now you understand why I acted the way I did."


    "You thought I might be a mercenary hired by the Armakea," Kyran supplied.


    Nahir nodded, "Yes, that is correct."


    "And here I thought you are just an asshole."


    "I do not deny my actions did make me one."


    "It''s good that you know. I don''t mind if you acted that way around me," Kyran told him. "Only, never treat Neah like that again."


    "I won''t, you have my word."


    Cyneah was conflicted after hearing their exchange. It sounded to her as if Kyran was giving Nahir his blessings. It made her wonder again, why Kyran was here.


    Thinking back on it, when they were alone in her personal chamber, he did not answer when she asked if he specifically came in Somuli because he knew she was there. He only said the Abbot had told him that he would find what he was searching for if he went to the borders and she selfishly assumed he was searching for her. But remembering how fluently he speak the Somuliannguage, it meant he had been there for some time. If he really came for her, why did it take long for him to find her? He mentioned a news about a Saint reaching the other Sovereigns, but not once did he say that he came because of that too. Could it be that he came in Somuli in search of something else, and she selfishly assumed it was her?


    Cyneah shook her head inwardly. Again, her insecurities was clouding her judgment. Although, Kyran had repeatedly emphasize he was helping the Eidums because of her, her own insecurities made her doubt his intentions.


    On the other hand, she was surprised at Nahir. She did not realize he harbored such thoughts. Right from the start, she found his hostility toward Kyran unreasonable and only suspected his judgment had been affected by the Abbot''s abduction. As the Abbot''s son, he was the one greatly affected by the situation. She did not consider there was more to it than what he let on.


    "Going back on topic," Nahir said, looking at Kyran intently. "What is an outsider like you doing in Somuli?"


    Hearing Nahir''s question, Cyneah''s ears perked up. She, too, wanted to know the answer to that.


    s, it seemed Kyran was not willing to answer at once.


    "Let me ask you first," he said while leaning forward to return Nahir''s gaze. "How did you know about outsiders?"


    "It''s because of theplete being I spoke of," Nahir replied at once. "I am well-verse in different Somuliannguages, yet I did not understand what thatplete being had said. So, I began my research. After a few years, I would meet someplete beings that would speak strange words. Then after observing them, I realized they did not have Divine Armaments. At first I had considered those beings as having an Anathema, or even an illness. But when I talked to my father about it, he told me about the outsiders.


    "I did not know how my father knew about them," Nahir admitted. Then he leaned forward as well, not taking his eyes off Kyran''s. "But you can ask him, yourself."


    "Ask him¡­?" Cyneah repeated in confusion, not understanding what Nahir meant at first. But then, a thought shed in her mind and she looked toward Kyran''s direction, her expression lit up in understanding.


    When the two of them were alone in her personal chamber, she teased him about his hobby of kidnapping people. He brushed it off by sounding offended, but now that she thought of it, he sounded a little off that time.


    Kyran only looked at Nahir, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he asked, "Is this is what you meant about knowing your father well?"


    "I have been reading the findings about my father''s abduction," Nahir said with a shrug. He leaned back and continued, "When reading through the statements of beast-likes who saw my father in the underground shelter, none of them mentioned about seeing a person like you.


    "They did, however, mentioned, seeing him with a young beast-like. They only stood side by side, but some remembered my fatherughing aloud for no apparent reason."


    Nahir looked at Kyran with squinted eyes, "You are that beast-like."


    It was not a question, but a statement.


    Kyran regarded Nahir in silence. Now that the older man was not acting like an asshole, he was actually a sharp person. A person like him could be a good ally or an annoying enemy.


    "And you conversed with my father telepathically."


    Cyneah listened to their conversation intently. It was a little frustrating that she could not see their expressions, and could only discern them through the sound of their voices and at times their light auras. However, since she could only see Nahir''s, it was really hard to follow.


    "You''re not saying anything, so I take it that is your silent acknowledgment."


    Kyran only smiled.


    Seeing the younger man was not keen on responding, Nahir continued with his guess, "ording to the town leaders, when my father was abducted, the ceiling of the shelter caved in, rendering their attempt to save him futile. They did not even see the abductors'' faces. Thus, the investigation came to a stand-still.


    "Curiously enough, when I asked my people to investigate why my father was in the underground shelter, we discovered the town was actually under siege¡­"


    Nahir went on to exin their findings that the perpetrators of that siege was from the Howling Pass. Which was why he was initially led to believe the ones who abducted his father were mercenaries, and that they might have been hired by an Armakean leader.


    But there was another possibility. Which was the Abbot hired the mercenaries to ''abduct'' him.


    Nahir thought of this possibility after discovering the young beast-like with his father. At that time, he only thought the beast-like was with those people who sieged the town. However, there was also a possibility that he was apletely unrted beast-like that his father found useful.


    Then Kyran was added into the equation, yet he did not fit in any of Nahir''s initial findings. After all, Nahir had thought his father had asked the help of a young beast-like, but was then greeted by a plete being'' looking like an Imon-spawn.


    Add to that, he got jealous of Kyran''s closeness to Cyneah, which clouded his judgment.


    "As an outsider, I suppose you have the ability to change your appearance," Nahir quipped. This time, he was only voicing his guess and did not know whether it was true or not. Besides, changing one''s appearance involved a highly advance magic spell and even then, the change was limited. For one thing, if aplete being used it, they could only change the color of their eyes, hair or evenplexion. Not their ''race.''


    "That is one thing I find curious about you," Nahir admitted with a slight frown. "My father told me that an outsider''s abilities and magic will be restricted because of the different magicw in Somuli. However, that does not seem to apply to you."


    Kyran remained silent and only listened to Nahir.


    Seeing the younger man was still keen on keeping his silence, Nahir continued, "Anyhow, my father believed you have the ability to resolve the Eidum''s situation. Thus, he asked your help. In turn, well¡­ I suppose he traded your assistance by providing you intel."


    Nahir then looked at Cyneah.


    "As for the extent of the assistance he asked of you, I don''t know. Although, I have an inkling it involves the ''abduction'' part."


    Silence ensued after Nahir shared his thoughts.


    After a few minutes, Kyran finally reacted. He took a deep breath and regarded Nahir for a few second before saying, "For the record, your father only asked my help in dealing with the situation here. And yes, in turn, he gave me intel about where to find what I am searching for."


    He tilted his head toward Cyneah.


    Cyneah, unable to properly distinguish Kyran''s silhouette, did not see his subtle movement.


    "What about the abduction?"


    "I was the one who suggested, he needs to disappear."


    "So you really abducted the Abbot," Cyneah said with an exasperated sigh.


    Kyran looked at her with a groan, "Did you have to sound like that?"


    "You really have to stop abducting people."


    "I don''t¡­" Kyran groaned in exasperation.


    Nahir''s eyes squinted slightly at their exchange. Whether it was intentional or not, the two had started to speak in differentnguage again. Nevertheless, he more or less guessed Cyneah was reprimanding Kyran about abducting the Abbot.


    Nahir cleared his throat and asked, "Where is my father?"


    The two stopped and looked at Nahir.


    Cyneah was also wondering where Kyran hid the Abbot.


    At the moment, there were several elites from the Eidums and the Nobles looking for the Abbot. There might even be some Armakean looking for him. Yet none of them were sessful.


    Kyran was the one who suggested not telling others about the truth of the old man''s abduction. This was to prevent the information from leaking. However, because of Nahir''s attitude earlier, Kyran knew it would be counterproductive in the long run if someone like him would keep getting in his way because he did not trust him.


    Besides, Nahir had agreed to his proposal of a conquest. If the two cooperated, then it would be easier for Kyran to move around. He had been thinking about Dusk''s warning too, and knew he had to finalize his n soon.


    "Earlier, you said you''d unmask me in front of others," Kyran started.


    "I said that in the heat of the moment," Nahir shrugged. "Besides, you already admitted my father''s abduction is staged, so you are not really worried about me revealing the truth, right?"


    "I''m not talking about that," Kyran replied, his voice dropping a note. "There are bigger things you are probably unaware that is happening in Somuli."


    "If this is about the Sovereign and the Nobles I am well aware of it¡ª."


    "That is only a part of the bigger picture," Kyran cut him midsentence. "The old man also had no idea who he asked for help."


    "Who he asked for help¡­ are you talking about yourself¡­?"


    "I am."


    Cyneah tensed after hearing this. Obviously, Kyran intended to tell Nahir the truth about them.


    Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple but because of the face-altering mask, it only made his dark brown eyes changed into a deeper shade.


    "Old man, can you hear us?"


    The projector lit up inside the old man''s room. He was surprised to see his son looking back at him in confusion. Of course, he knew Nahir was not really looking at him but at Kyran.


    ''So Nahir has arrived.''


    "I told him the truth," Kyran told the old man.


    The old man''s eyes widened, ''W-What?''


    "He can also hear you. Neah is also here," Kyran replied.


    Nahir looked at Kyran in disbelief. He heard his father''s voice just now. However, he could not see him, nor could he sense where he was. How was it possible?


    "How¡­? Where is he exactly?"


    "When you said you''d unmask me, I told you ''I don''t think you can handle the consequences.''"


    "Yes, you said that," Nahir replied, suddenly sensing an ominous foreboding.


    "That does not apply only to me, but also to Neah."


    Cyneah closed her eyes. As expected, Kyran did intend to tell them the truth.


    Frankly, she did not mind. No matter what, she believed in Kyran''s judgment. If he believed it was fine to reveal the truth, she would not stop him. Even if the result would not be ideal, it did not matter as long as they faced it together.


    "Old man," Kyran called the old man''s attention, before looking at Nahir solemnly.


    "Have you heard about the Dark Sage?"

 Chapter 790 First Step

    ?


    After talking to Nahir and the old man, Kyran left to let them discuss the things he told them by themselves.


    Initially, he nned to visit the Archive again and continue his research, but


    Nahir and the old man already provided most of the information he needed. Thus, he now wanted to devise a n. He could have gone back to his room and sorted all the information, but since he had not heard Gael''s update on the Armakea''s side, he decided to go outside and help guard the borders.


    Standing on top of the steel wall, Kyran scanned the field below.


    Although two of the ne''s four moons were up in the night sky, the scene below was still covered in darkness. Those unfamiliar with the border''s terrain would have been on guard, believing that beasts might lurk in the shadows. Kyran was probably the only one who could confidently tell that no beasts were lurking there. Instead, it was Gael who was hiding in the shadows.


    ''What''s thetest from the Armakea''s side?''


    Kyran connected to Gael as soon as he sat on the outer edge of the steel wall.


    The few Eidums on duty saw Kyran and greeted him with a nod before moving to their designated positions. They did not know he would be on duty, but seeing him there was reassuring. Thest raid they experienced was still fresh in their minds, and they were in awe at his strength when he faced the horde alone. Besides this, Kyran had taught them many things these past few days, and most of them had grown to respect him regardless of his appearance and age.


    ''Master,'' Gael responded at once. He then ryed his report while remaining in the shadows, ''A cargo arrived in their base this afternoon. Unfortunately, I cannot get close and check what''s inside without rming the knight guarding it. However, I learned it carried something meant for the three magical beasts.''


    Kyran furrowed his brows.


    Although the cargo seemed important, he was more concerned about the knight guarding it.


    In Somuli, there were three paths one could take after learning magic. They could choose to be a mage, a cleric, or a knight. Most mages would go to the Kingdom of Cretea because they were known for their powerful mages. In contrast, clerics could be an Eidum and study in the Abbey. Finally, those who chose to be a knight would go to Armakea and study. Some even chose to stay because Armakea is the secondrgest nation in Somuli, with the Kingdom of Cretea as the first.


    In any case, knights in Somuli are simr to the Human ne''sbat mages. They are prominent both in hand-to-handbat and magic. However, there is a big difference between abat mage and a knight; that was their main offensive skill.


    The hand-to-hand skills ofbat mages and their magic casting are considered bnced. Knights focus more on hand-to-hand with magic as their secondary or supporting skills. Because of this, thetter are known for their great stamina and defences. Much like an Abjurer without the use of Arrays. Some knights even possessed powerful destructive strengths because they utilized their magic well with theirbat skills.


    In a sense, what Kyran taught the Eidums could be simr to what a knight would normally do. The only difference was that the Eidums did not possess a powerful physical body and relied more on support-type magic to strengthen themselves or weaken their targets.


    Kyran was already aware of the existence of knights in Armakea. However, it was the first time Gael admitted to being unable to do a thing because he was afraid of rming a knight.


    From this, Kyran gleaned that that knight had a high-level perception.


    It should be noted that in Somuli, one''s perception was synonymous with their level.


    "A cargo and a high-level knight," Kyran muttered. Putting aside what was in the cargo, he was more concerned about the Armakea dispatching high-level knights on the next raid.


    ''Master, I believe they will attack soon, with thetest being tomorrow night.''


    ''Why do you think that?''


    Although Kyran asked the question, he also agreed with Gael''s assumption.


    ''Because the knights under the Prince of Armakea''s leadership will arrive tomorrow morning. I haven''t confirmed their numbers or level yet, but I heard they do not palepared to the knight guarding the cargo.''


    ''Seems like the Prince of Armakea will lead the next attack.''


    ''Yes, that seems to be the case.''


    Kyran felt an iing headache. The Eidums'' overall strength was stillcking, in his opinion. However, he could confidently say they could win if they faced a beast horde with simr numbers from the first raid. But if three magical beasts were added to the equation, not to mention several beast-likes andplete beings, they would suffer aplete defeat.


    Of course, that was if Kyran and Nahir did not participate. If they participated, then there was no need to weigh the chances.


    To Kyran, winning was the only possible oue for them.


    But if the Armakea dispatched high-level knights, Kyran was not 100% confident he could win against them. He knew fighting them alone would be troublesome unless he used more than 30% of Draconic magic.


    Unfortunately, Kyran could not use more than 30% of Draconic magic. It was not because he was afraid Flos''s people or Ruin''s essence would recognize him if he used too much magic. After all, he had the Shaiha shielding his aura and energy. What he was afraid of was destroying the ne.


    Kyran once tried using more than 30% of Draconic magic, and the sudden increase in his strength was excessive even when it only went up by 1%. He could destroy a Magus with a flick of his finger, and that did not include excess force afterwards.


    After mulling over the problem for a few seconds, Kyran finally gave Gael his order.


    ''Find the route the Prince of Armakea had taken. Inform me as soon as possible.''


    ''Do you n to intercept them, master?''


    ''I can''t have them joining the attack,'' Kyran replied, neither confirming nor denying Gael''s question.


    ''Understood.''


    With that, Gael left.


    Kyran took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky.


    Having two moons in the sky meant they were halfway through the night''s first half. Once all four were up, it meant it was already midnight. After that, every time a moon went down, it showed they were closer to sunrise.


    The Somuli''s four moons did not usually appear at the same time. It just so happened that all four were active this year, which resulted in the ne''s time bing longer.


    Usually, they would only have one moon. When that happened, time in Somuli was half faster than in the Human ne.


    If there were a year where all four moons appeared, then there would also be a year where all moons would be inactive.


    During that year, time in Somuli would run faster and more erratic. That was the state of the ne when Cyneah arrived.


    This exined why Cyneah had been gone for seven years, yet it was hard to pinpoint the exact time difference between Somuli and the Human ne.


    ''Would the erratic time difference of Somuli affect the Human ne if I opened a path to connect the two?''


    The sudden thought took Kyran by surprise. He then smiled wryly and sighed.


    It appeared he had already made a decision without being fully aware of it.


    ''Hm?''


    He heard the Eidums nearby making a ruckus and turned to look at them.


    There he found them greeting and talking to Cyneah. He also saw one of them pointing in his direction, meaning she was looking for him.


    Kyran took a deep breath. He was not surprised to see Cyneah out here looking for him. As a matter of fact, the real reason he did not return to his room was because he knew she would seek him out.


    After telling the ''truth'' to Nahir and the old man, Kyran knew being alone with Cyneah would be dangerous. To be precise, she would be in danger around him.


    Kyran watched Cyneah look in his direction. Seeing her slightly furrowed brows, he knew she could barely see his silhouette.


    Cyneah thanked the Eidum, who told her where Kyran was, and taking a deep breath, she made her way to him. As she drew near him, the beating of her heart grew louder to the point that she could hardly breathe. Nevertheless, she did her best to mask her unease as she approached him.


    Kyran stood up but did not attempt to meet Cyneah halfway. He only watched her in silence and waited patiently.


    Finally, Cyneah stood before him, her mirror-like eyes looking at him imploringly.


    Kyran stared back at her. Although her line of sight was still slightly off, he could see his image reflected in her eyes.


    "Why did you not tell them the truth about me?" She asked.

 Chapter 791 Proposal

    ?


    Kyran looked at Cyneah with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.


    Since he did not respond immediately, Cyneah became more uneasy. She stammered, "W-Why aren''t you answering? D-Did you think I w-won''t mind that you''re covering f-for me again?"


    Kyran looked at her incredulously. When did he ever cover for her? More importantly, what did she mean about not telling Nahir and the old man the truth? As far as he was concerned, he had been honest when he told the truth about their situation.


    Kyran paused as he recalled what he had told Nahir and the old man and scratched his head inwardly.


    Okay, so he might have withheld information like how the Macabre cier was now inside Cyneah and that they mistook it as her Divine Armament. But so far, the rest of what he told them was true.


    Kyran told them he unknowingly inherited something from the previous Dark Sage, and currently, there were powerful people after that. He also told them several Sovereign factions had been eyeing Somuli after it birthed its Sovereign, and some representatives of those factions were the ones who were after the Dark Sage''s inheritance.


    While it was true, Kyran did not tell them the inheritance was now inside Cyneah; he just found it troublesome to exin. Thus, he withheld that information.


    Withholding information was different from not telling the truth. Although, Cyneah was right about Kyran covering up for her for not telling them about the Macabre cier.


    In any case, he was surprised she wasining about that and not the other truth he told Nahir and the old man.


    "They don''t need to know about the mirror," Kyran replied after a short pause. "At least, for now, they only need to know the gist of things. I will tell them everything after resolving the conflict between the Armakea and the Eidums. Because then, we''ll have to confront the Somuli''s Sovereign. The situation will escte from there, and not knowing the whole truth can get the old man and his people in trouble."


    This was not a baseless assumption. Once they confronted the Somuli''s Sovereign, the truth that he was not really one would be revealed. When that happened, those representatives from different Sovereign factions observing from outside the ne would make a move.


    Kyran would then have to reveal himself regardless if he nned to conquer Somuli or not. Once he appeared, then Flos and Ruin mighte, and all hell would break loose.


    It would be unfair to the Eidums if they did not know the truth of why Sovereigns would suddenly start a war in their ne.


    "You¡ª," Cyneah started but abruptly paused and bit her lower lip. Her cheeks slowly turned ruddy as she struggled to say what was on her mind.


    "What?"


    "I know that much why you did not tell them about the mirror," she said exasperatedly. "But I am not talking about that!"


    "No?" Kyran slightly furrowed his brows in confusion. "What are you talking about then?"


    "Us!" Cyneah blurted. Then she stopped short, and blushed before stammering, "W-What I mean is¡ª you did not have to lie about who I am. Y-You could have just told them I... identally entered a vortex that''s why I ended up in Somuli... and m-my master asked you to look for me¡ª."


    "If I said that, then I''ll be lying to them," Kyran cut her midsentence. He was getting confused as to what she was on about.


    "Are you telling me my master never asked you to look for me?"


    "She wants to look for you," Kyran admitted. "But I did not need her or anyone else to convince me to find you."


    "Fine. Let''s say that''s the case. You did not have to tell them you''re¡ª," Cyneah blushed once more before blurting, "¡ªsearching for¡ª that I''m your mistress!"


    By then, Cyneah''s face had turned red as she faced Kyran unblinkingly.


    On the other hand, Kyran was dumbfounded at first. Then he blinked once, twice, before her words, or whatever she was on about, made sense.


    Frankly, this was the other truth he expected her to bring up. However, her reaction and the way she brought it up was something he was not anticipating.


    He initially thought she would demand an exnation. That was why he believed it was not ideal for them to talk alone in his room. Because he knew she would not be convinced, and he might end up saying or even doing something to prove his point.


    In the end, Kyran was caught off guard by Cyneah''s reaction.


    Seeing that she was waiting for him to respond, he finally said, "I did tell them the truth."


    "W-Wha...t"


    "Right, I guess you forgot after seven years," Kyran added with a bitter smile.


    Cyneah opened her mouth to speak. But could not utter a single word. She was confused and, at the same time, nervous. She was not stupid not to understand the underlying truth in Kyran''s words. Nevertheless, a part of her doubted her understanding.


    Just as Kyran had said, it had been seven years for her. The things he knew and remembered might be different from her own. Not to mention there were things she did not fully understand in the past but did now.


    One good example was how others called her Kyran''s mistress.


    Obviously, Cyneah remembered that. However, she did not understand what it meant before. Or maybe she did but never really cared. Since Kyran did not care, why would she? She was only sixteen, and he was eighteen then. They were quite close, but there was no romantic attraction.


    At least, Cyneah thought she was not attracted to Kyran then. However, after being separated from him for seven years, she realized her feelings for him could not be summed with a simple word such as gratitude. In the end, even if she already understood her feelings, that did not mean he felt the same.


    Cyneah did not believe Kyran''s feelings would change after a year. She might have changed physically or mentally, but in his eyes, she remained the filthy, skinny girl he saved in a cave.


    "Nar," Cyneah suppressed her feelings and kept a neutral attitude. "Do you know what a mistress is?"


    "I do."


    Cyneah was stunned for a moment. She did not expect him to answer with such conviction.


    "Then you probably don''t care what it means, but if others hear you refer to someone like that, they might misunderstand."


    "No, they won''t," Kyran replied almost at once.


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed. Suddenly, the feelings she was trying to suppress threatened to burst.


    "Neah."


    When Kyran called her name, his voice sounded deeper than normal, and her heart skipped a beat.


    "I will never let others misunderstand. If I did not consider you as my mistress, I would have corrected them."


    Cyneah opened her mouth to speak, however, just like a while ago. She could not say anything because her mind was somewhat of a mess. Her mind tried to reason with her, but her heart would not stop yearning that she did not misunderstand what Kyran was trying to tell her.


    "But I suppose that is selfish of me," Kyran suddenly said with a bitter smile. "Sorry. I did not even consider how you''d feel being called like that."


    "Nar, I¡ª."


    "I''ll be careful next time. But I won''t take back what I told Nahir and the old man. Please keep that in mind."


    "W-What d-do you mean...?"


    Kyran raised his brows, "I think I made my intentions clear. If you feel ufortable, tell me."


    ''Master, we have a situation.''


    Suddenly, Gael''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    Kyran frowned at the timing and sighed inwardly.


    As much as he wanted to continue his talk with Cyneah, he had to put it on hold and attend to the matter at hand.


    ''The Prince of Armakea and his knights are already close to the border,'' Gael continued. ''Instead of going straight to their HQ, however, they had set up a camp. At the same time, the Armakeans on the border have started to gather. It appeared they nned to leave the borders and rendezvous with the Prince.''


    Kyran''s frown deepened. From this, he could glean that the Prince did not n to attack head-on. They likely nned an ambush, attacking the Eidum''s border at their weakest point.


    ''Send me their location,'' Kyran told Gael.


    ''Are we going to intercept them?''


    ''I will,'' Kyran replied. ''You return to the Eidum''s border and stay put.''


    ''Understood.''


    Kyran sensed Gael''s reluctance. Nevertheless, he was grateful he did not insist on going.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah, whose mind seemed to have short-circuited at what Kyran told her, regained some of her wits after a short lull.


    But before she could even say something, he heard him say, "I have to go."


    "Go?" Cyneah repeated with a frown.


    Instead of answering, Kyran called the attention of the closest Eidum on duty and asked him to take Cyneah inside. She wanted to protest, but he had already jumped down the wall and disappeared.


    The Eidums on duty were dumbfounded.


    But their reaction could notpare with Cyneah''s, who appeared perplexed at everything that transpired.


    *


    After Kyran left the receiving room, the Abbot and Nahir stayed and discussed what they had learned.


    Frankly, Nahir had his reservations. But his father epted everything Kyran said and even suggested rescinding the pact between him and Cyneah. He reasoned it was inappropriate for them to im someone else''s mistress. In any case, the pact was only made to ensure the Somuli Sovereign could not touch her.


    Nahir refrained from voicing his opinion on the matter because he did not know how much Kyran said was true. Moreover, he did not want to rescind the pact.


    It did not matter what Kyran said about Cyneah because, to Nahir, he abandoned her for seven years. Besides, Cyneah agreed to the pact without mentioning her rtionship with Kyran, which meant she chose him.


    That alone was enough to make Nahir refuse to rescind the pact.


    Nahir''s meeting with his father was interrupted when they noticed the array inside the receiving room lit up.


    The Abbot immediately took out a hexagonal-shaped dark purple token that Kyran gave him. He activated it by inserting magic energy into it, and it lit up with a sh before his whole person disappeared.


    Both the Abbot and Nahir were surprised at what happened.


    Kyran told them the token would prevent others from seeing the Abbot, and they assumed it was a one-time concealment spell. They did not expect it to make the Abbot turn invisible literally. Moreover, Nahir could not sense his father''s presence. It was as if his father had left the room.


    They could not read each other''s minds but thought the same thing.


    The token they believed to be a one-time concealment spell, was no ordinary item. It was a lost technology.


    The array dimmed and revealed the messenger, who knelt before Nahir and said, "Lord Nahir, Nar has left the borders."


    Nahir frowned at once.


    "Left? Did he say where he is going?"


    Only a few knew what happened between Nahir and Kyran, and the messenger was not one of them. Before resolving their differences, Nahir ordered the messenger to monitor Kyran''s movement closely.


    The messenger shook his head, "No. Although the Lady Saint was with him before he left."


    "Sisi? Where were they?"


    "The borders."


    "What were they doing?"


    "They seemed to be in the midst of a talk..." the messenger hesitated before rephrasing his words, "Actually, the Lady Saint looked flustered the whole time."


    "You did not hear them?"


    "They were using that strangenguage."


    Nahir scowled as he leaned on his chair.


    The old man looked at Nahir closely. He wondered why his son did not respond when he suggested rescinding the pact. It seemed his fear hade true. He had his suspicion when his son suggested using the pact to protect Cyneah from the Sovereign''s advances. It appeared his suspicion was right.


    Nahir had feelings for Cyneah, and judging by his reaction just now, he was jealous.

 Chapter 792 Knights

    ?


    "Where is Sisi now?" Nahir asked.


    "The Lady Saint is in the infirmary. Before Nar left, he asked a few fighters on duty to escort her inside."


    "Did you see the direction where Nar went?"


    "I''m sorry, Lord Nahir. He jumped down the wall and disappeared."


    "Never mind then. Return to your post and report to me once he is back."


    "Yes."


    The messenger stood up and went back to the array. He activated his own token and left.


    The Abbot appeared after the messenger left. He looked at Nahir and said, "Nahir, you..."


    Nahir closed his eyes, refusing to look at his father. He said, "I don''t care what he said about Sisi. Right now, I am her fianc¨¦."


    "Do you intend to ignore her will?"


    "Of course not. She agreed to be my fianc¨¦e. Unless she wishes it, I will not rescind it."


    The Abbot sighed in his heart. Nahir got his stubbornness from him, so he knew reasoning with him was pointless. Ultimately, he resolved to talk to Kyran. Maybe he had a way of convincing his son, just like how he managed to make him acknowledge him.


    "I''m going to check on the others," Nahir told his father and stood up. "I''m sorry, but you can only stay here, Father."


    "That is fine," the Abbot replied. "I have this token and hide if otherse here."


    "I''ll bring something to eat. You haven''t had your dinner, I presume?"


    The Abbot smiled, "It is fine. Nar may not appear like it, but he is mindful of what I needed inside his storage space."


    Nahir regarded him solemnly and said, "Nar... can use lost technology."


    It was not a question but an affirmation, and the Abbot nodded in agreement.


    "He knows many things which seemed impossible given his age. I suppose he is a very rare, highly gifted individual."


    Nahir looked away and remembered how proficient Kyran was in Apothecary as well. He hated to admit it, but his father was right.


    "Moreover, he is the sessor of that Dark Sage," he added grimly.


    They were shocked beyond belief when they learned Kyran was the Dark Sage''s sessor.


    The Dark Sage''s fame had spread throughout the Lower Realm except for the Human ne, which had been disconnected to the outside for its special circumstance of being a remnant piece of the Land of the Ancients.


    In Somuli, they did not fully know who was the Dark Sage or what he had done. But those who attained enough level to hear news outside their ne heard his name. A few even wrote anecdotes about him that were passed down to future generations.


    The Abbot and Nahir would not have known about the Dark Sage if not for those anecdotes.


    In any case, they did not know how much of the things written in those anecdotes were true. But they were sure of one thing: the Dark Sage was a powerful mage of the past that terrorized the Lower Realm.


    And currently, Kyran was that mage''s sessor.


    "I''lle back after making my rounds," Nahir left on that note.


    The Abbot sighed as he sat on the high chair. He looked to his left, activated the projector that showed the border, and observed in silence.


    Something big was about to happen. He had that inkling ever since Kyran decided to reveal the truth.


    "It is at this time that I wished I could see the future and not the past," he muttered.


    After Kyran left, the Eidums on duty increased their vignce. They saw Kyran''s expression before he jumped down the wall and knew something happened.


    They just hoped Kyran would be fine going out alone.


    Meanwhile, the subject of their concern was already halfway inside the Armakea''s border.


    Kyran did not enter the HQ per se but went around and searched for an unguarded part of the chasm. After entering the Armakea border, he followed the direction Gael gave him.


    In any case, Gael left one of his shadow minions near the camp of the Prince of Armakea.


    Kyran checked his items and sighed in his heart. Because of the thin magic energy in the surroundings, he could not replenish his magic energy that well. Thus, he could only rely on potions or pills to replenish his magic energy. Except, his stock was running low.


    This was because he gave most of his items to the Eidums. His reason was simple. Using Draconic magic did not consume much of his magic energy. After all, it mostly enhanced his body and senses. Unless he molded his Draconic magic into a magic attack, he would not have any problem conserving his energy.


    The problem was his Void magic.


    Using the Void World did not consume magic energy. As a matter of fact, that world was filled with Void magic energy, and anyone who did not possess a magic core or simr to a magic core would be poisoned to death if they tried to absorb it. Nevertheless, the Void magic energy inside the Void World could not be used outside. This meant Kyran could not use the energy there to replenish his Void core if it got depleted.


    Why was Kyran worried about his Void magic energy when he was not using it much? Obviously, it was because he nned on using it now.


    Since Kyran did not want to alert the other Armakeans, he could not use Draconic magic to deal with the Prince and his knights.


    While it was true that Draconic magic enhanced his overall physical fitness and senses, which enabled him to deal with his target easily, it was only effective to a certain level.


    The Prince and his knights were likely above a Magus. Their level might even be an Arch Magus. If this was the case, then using Draconic magic was not enough to take them down in a short span of time.


    Of course, Kyran was confident he could take them all down. But it would take some time, and by then, he would have drawn the attention of the rest of the Armakeans, and he would only end up exhausting himself.


    If he wanted to deal with the Prince and his Knights efficiently, Kyran had to use Void magic.


    The problem was, would his magic energy be enough to deal with them all at once?


    As per Gael''s intel, the number of knights with the Prince was at least a hundred.


    ''If I want to dispose of them without rming them, I can only use the Void Needles,'' Kyran thought.


    It had been a while since hest used the Void needles, and his control over its creation had improved over the years. However, with limited magic energy, the amount of needles he could make was limited.


    Besides, would one needle be enough to kill one knight?


    Kyran had yet to encounter a Magus in Somuli, much less an Arch Magus. Thus, he did not know how strong their defenses were. Moreover, the knights were no ordinary mages. They wereparable to an Abjurer in terms of defenses, but they were far more powerful thanbat mages in general.


    ''Lord master.''


    An unfamiliar voice sounded in Kyran''s head, forcing him to stop.


    A shadow slowly appeared before him, kneeling on one knee, "Lord master, I am master Gael''s shadow."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly. He understood that calling him master when his master was his minion sounded strange. But adding a ''lord'' after master to differentiate them sounded even stranger.


    "The Prince of Armakea''s camp is nearby. Please exercise caution. Several knights are currently on patrol around their periphery."


    Before looking ahead, Kyran circted his Draconic magic, enhancing his five senses.


    Just as Gael''s shadow said, knights were patrolling the camp''s periphery.


    Suddenly, one of the knights near the edge stopped and looked to his right.


    Kyran was surprised because the direction the knight turned was close to where he and Gael''s shadow minion were.


    ''Hide in my shadows,'' Kyran ordered the shadow minion at once.


    The shadow minion did not ask questions and immediately hid in Kyran''s shadow.


    The knight, who looked in their direction, stopped and scanned his surroundings for a few more seconds before resuming his patrol. Still, he kept looking back in their direction as if he was not entirely convinced there was nothing there.


    ''Such a high-level perception,'' Kyran thought


    Just now, that knight sensed Gael''s shadow when it appeared before Kyran. As for Kyran, he was protected by the Shaiha, so it would be impossible for the knight to sense him.


    Nevertheless, the fact that the knight sensed the shadow''s presence when they were still more than a hundred meters away from the periphery of the Prince''s camp was truly impressive. Besides, the knight was not using something simr to magic sense. It made Kyran wonder how the knights developed their perception.


    Kyran watched the rest of the knights for a few seconds. The more he observed them, the more he felt it was a waste to kill them


    After a while, a small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips and he muttered, "Interesting."

 Chapter 793 Infiltration

    ?


    With the Shaiha concealing his aura and presence, it was impossible for the knights to notice Kyran. He did not even have to sneak into the Prince of Armakea''s camp.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to avoid confronting the knights as much as possible. It would be a waste to kill even one of their kind.


    It was not every day that Kyran chance upon a group of people whose level was higher than a Magus. Not to mention, they were more powerful than abat mage, and in terms of a mage''s specialty, they could be a mixture of an Abjurer, Elementer, and Enchanter.


    It should be noted that in the Human ne, Maguses were rare, even more so Arch Maguses. Apart from this, most of the Magus only had one specialty.


    Listing all the mages with a level around a Magus or above Kyran knew in the Human ne, they are:


    Malek, Gael, Tritus, his grandfather, Aron, and Osric are all Elementers. te, Celine, and Iulia are Enchanters. Gael and Hugh are Transmuters. His mother, who he btedly found was also a Magus, is a retired Summoner, and his father is an Abjurer. Finally, there is Nn, the only one he knows who is both an Abjurer and a Transmuter.


    There were more, like the three Arch Maguses and the Three Noble Families'' Maguses, but Kyran never met them. After waking up, he never had a chance to meet or learn their specialties.


    But looking at these data, Elementers aremon. Gael is initially thought of as an Elementer because he hid the fact that his magic had evolved and that he is already a Transmuter.


    The point was there were few instances where a mage had two specialties. Even his father only had one. The only exception was Nn.


    There were no specialties in Somuli. However, Kyran gleaned their specialties based on how they used their magic.


    Eidums could be considered Enchanters, while the Nobles were all Elementers. But the Knights of Armakea were different. Since they were both proficient in hand-to-hand and magic, depending on how they used thetter would define their specialty. This was why Kyran judged the knights to be a mixture of an Abjurer, Elementer, and Enchanter.


    Knights of Armakea had strong defenses, which ced them as natural Abjurers. Some focused on using their magic to enhance their body or even their weapon, simr to how Enchanters worked. Finally, from what Kyran gathered, most Knights used elemental magic when performing range attacks, thus making them effective Elementers.


    For a group of people to possess so many specialties, who would not be tempted to conquer them?


    Nevertheless, because of the thin magic energy in Somuli, which limits Kyran''s use of magic, it would be impossible to subdue all hundred knights in one go.


    Using the Sigil to force a knight to submission, Kyran could more or less perform the ritual twenty times before he exhausted himself.


    As for using the Void to absorb them, it was the most ideal. Kyran wanted the knights to bepletely submissive to him as much as possible. Because if he made them his Sigils, there was a chance their loyalty to the Armakea''s Royal Family would force them tomit suicide rather than be Kyran''s Sigil.


    Unfortunately, his use of Void magic was limitedpared to Draconic magic. Moreover, he had never used the Void''s absorption skill against multiple targets. If his target were low-level mages, maybe there was a chance. But the knights all had high levels. If he tried to absorb them, he might end up in a worse shape than when he absorbed Bas and Iss¡ª or even Gael.


    Considering all these, Kyran decided to meet the Prince of Armakea first.


    To avoid confronting the knights patrolling the periphery, he had Gael''s shadow minion lure a few of them.


    After the shadow minion appeared, at least half of the Knights patrolling the periphery chased after him. As for the remaining half, they adjusted their patrol range to cover the location assigned to those who chased after the shadow minion.


    Kyran was impressed at how fast the Knights adapted to the situation. With the appearance of an unexpected figure, they did not panic and calmly assessed the situation. Only those knights who chased the shadow minion made any movements. The remaining half stayed calm and simply adjusted their formation.


    For several knights to chase after a lone figure might appear to be an exaggerated move. But Kyran did not think so because their number was enough so they could adjust to any situation, especially if they were lured into a trap.


    Kyran sighed in his heart as he watched those knights chase after the shadow minion.


    ''If True Void is awake, he can help me create a huge vortex to absorb everyone in camp,'' he thought, a little depressed.


    He initially expected True Void to wake up any moment. Unfortunately, it got dyed because the amount of magic energy thetter could absorb in Somuli was limited.


    ''Just how much magic energy do you need to wake up, huh?'' Kyranined in his heart.


    Pushing all unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind, Kyran entered the camp.


    Since the patrol range of the knights doubled to cover for the other knights that went after the shadow minion, Kyran easily slipped past their formation.


    Once he left the periphery, he observed the knights guarding the camp, found the weakest spot in their formation, and slipped inside.


    The weakest spot was where the knights set up their tents. Obviously, they believed it did not require their attention because the knights staying in those tents could deal with any unexpected situation.


    Kyran walked right into one of the tents, and the knight inside, sitting on his bed browsing what looked like a rectangr-shaped memory orb, looked up in surprise.


    The knight''s response time was immacte. The moment he saw Kyran and realized he was an intruder, he summoned a 260 cm silver javelin and threw it at him without hesitation.


    Bam!


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s reaction speed was faster. Before the javelin could even leave the knight''s hand, Kyran reached out and pulled it, taking thetter along. Then, with swift movements, he grabbed the knight''s shoulder before he could let go of the javelin and attempt a counter.


    Crack!


    Breaking the javelin into two, Kyran used the part he was still holding to smack it on the knight''s head.


    The knight attempted to tilt his head and avoid the javelin, but Kyran''s other hand was like steel. It did not even budge when he tried to yank it away.


    Bam! Crack!


    "Ugh!" The knight groaned in pain and surprise as the broken javelin hit his head. The javelin was thin, and although it was made of silver, its weight would not be enough to hurt him, much less injure him.


    But it did.


    He felt like he was hit by a steel hammer weighing around half a ton, which nearly made him pass out cold!


    Ultimately, the javelin broke into pieces, and he did not lose consciousness because he possessed a robust body. Frankly, among the knights under the Prince''s leadership, he was known as the toughest knight.


    Nevertheless, he might not have passed out from the hit, but it was enough to stun him. He failed to move for a few seconds, and that caused him a lot.


    Bam!


    Seeing that the knight was still conscious, Kyran unhesitatingly followed up with a hand-knife strike, aiming at the knight''s neck.


    Kyran confirmed that aplete being''s body system was around 80% simr to a human''s; thus, striking at the vagus nerve could trigger a sudden drop in one''s blood flow to the brain, causing them to faint.


    The knight stared at Kyran in disbelief and even looked like he would not allow himself to lose consciousness. But in the next second, his eyes rolled, and his body went limp.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. Still, he smiled slightly while looking at the knight, who slid down on the floor.


    Kyran did not enhance his physical strength when he struck the knight with the javelin. But, even without any enhancement, he could kill someone with that strike. Since the knight did not die and managed to retain his consciousness, it was a testament to his defenses.


    Besides this, Kyran did not sense the knight using any body enhancement. If he did, he could havested longer. Not that Kyran wasining. The faster the knight was knocked out cold, the faster he could finish what he came for.


    Kyran looked at the knight''s build and frowned slightly. The knight was bigger than him, and he might appear awkward if he borrowed his uniform.


    ''Forget it,'' he thought,ying the knight on the floor. He then walked over to thetter''s things and took another set of uniforms.


    He did not want to waste time looking for another knight with the same build. Thus, he had to make do with what he got.


    After changing into an Armakea Knight''s uniform, Kyran copied the knight''s face to the face-altering mask. Soon, he bore the same look as the unconscious knight, albeit their frame was slightly different.


    Kyran looked at the knight. Leaving him there might cause problems. Thus, Kyran waved his hand and brought him to the Void World.


    When that was done, he scanned the rectangr-shaped memory orb the knight was looking at, and his expression turned grim.


    The rectangr-shaped memory orb showed the detailed n of the Armakea''s sneak attack on the Eidum''s border. The knight was also assigned to the team that would apprehend Cyneah.

 Chapter 794 Choice

    ?


    At the northern side of the camp stood a spacious red and blue tent made of high-quality material, bearing the Armakea g on its roof.


    The g was embroidered with the Royal Family''s crest, a profile of a golden three-headed lion inside a golden ring, and two intersecting ck spears. The ring was covered with borate rune writings simr to how magic arrays were written in the Human ne.


    This was the Prince of Armakea''s tent.


    Standing on each side of the tent''s entrance were two knights wearing silver armor and holding a silver spear.


    The tent had three sections. The middle section was a receiving room. On the left side was a small conference room, and on the right was a bedroom.


    Most of the tents around the Prince''s already had their lights dimmed. Only his was still brightly lit, especially the one on the left.


    The Prince, along with two attendants, were inside this room. They stood around a rectangr table, where a terrain was replicated with magic.


    "We went to investigate the area Captain Hohen reported as the weakest part of the Eidum''s border and confirmed it is as he said. However, we noticed these past few days that the number of Eidums patrolling that side has improved," one of the attendants, wearing a long blue and yellow robe, reported.


    Like most of theplete beings, the attendant had short blonde hair. However, unlike the Eidums, who had blue eyes, the attendant had dark green.


    The Prince, wearing golden armor with a red and blue cape, leaned forward and observed the replica of the Eidum''s border on the table. He also had blonde hair, but its shade was lighter than mostplete beings, and the shade of his green eyes was close to olive.


    Whether it was a privilege of being a Royal Family, the prince''s features could be considered one of the most perfectly sculpted faces in Somuli.


    "How long have you observed the area?" He asked.


    The other attendant, a female with short blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a simrly designed robe as the other attendant, checked the memory tablet in her hand.


    "About a week after Commander Liel failed the surprise attack," she replied.


    "They failed that raid because of an interference of an unknown individual, right?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Have they learned anything about that person?"


    "Captain Hohen reported that the person might be someone from Howling Pass," the male attendant reported while looking at his own memory tablet.


    "Might be?"


    "His appearance... well, he did not look like a native of our ne."


    If others heard the male attendant, they would have wondered what he meant. However, if the Abbot or Kyran heard him, they would realize that the Armakea Royal Family seemed to know a lot of things than what they let on.


    "Captain Hohen also mentioned that person was not using our ne''s magicw."


    "Is it true that person is currently residing in the Eidum''s border?"


    "That we are unsure of," the female attendant responded. "Since our forces had been wiped out in the first surprise attack, we failed to confirm where that person went after interfering. As for thest raid, he appeared quitete, which might suggest he was not staying with the Eidums. However, our side witnessed him going over the Eidum''s border."


    The Prince frowned at this. He only scanned through the information of the failed raids because he felt ashamed of their side''s failure. He did read about the interference of an unknown individual but did not think much of it because he did not think that person changed the course of the situation alone.


    s, it appeared that the person had indeed changed the situation in favor of the Eidums all by himself.


    "Do we have an imagery of that person?"


    "We do. However, since it was night and the attendant documenting what happened was far, the image is blurry," the female replied, swiping the image on her memory tablet toward the table.


    The image was then replicated on the table, and the Prince looked at it intently.


    "Dark hair, dark eyes," he muttered.


    "Initially, we presume he was an Imon-spawn. But we ruled out the possibility since he is not using our ne''s magicw."


    "Obviously, that also means he is not a tainted one."


    "Yes," both attendants replied in unison.


    "Interesting."


    "Yeah, it is."


    Whoosh!


    The attendants and the Prince summoned their weapons instantly and turned toward the conference room''s entrance after hearing an unfamiliar voice.


    The Prince''s olive eyes glowed as runes appeared on the de of his sword.


    "I don''t want to spill blood tonight," the owner of the voice said, and suddenly, the three felt an invisible force sweep their body.


    "Ack!" The weapons on the two attendants disappeared, and they were both forced to their knees.


    "Ngh...!" The prince faired well, but the runes on his sword disappeared. He looked at the figure standing at the room''s entrance, shrouded in darkness.


    "You dare...!"


    "And please, let''s avoid tacky exchange," the figure added and slowly stepped into the light.


    The expressions on the Prince and the attendants'' faces turned grim as they looked at a familiar yet unfamiliar man before them.


    "You are not Eikin," the Prince said, scowling at the man who looked like Eikin, one of his most powerful knights.


    ''Eikin'' smiled. However, it was different from the honest smile the Eikin they knew would always wear. This Eikin''s smile was mischievous, and even an unmasked hostility was in it.


    "I knew our build would be a huge giveaway," the man said, not admitting nor denying the Prince''s words.


    The Prince''s eyes narrowed; he then raised his hand and attempted to activate the array on the tent. However, he realized that his connection to the array was also gone.


    The man scratched his head, "It''s useless. I deactivated the defensive array on this tent."


    "You...!"


    The Prince looked at him in shock. Even he, a Royal Family, was unable to deactivate arrays and could only activate them ording to the instructions left to them by their ancestors. But this man could do it? Not to mention, he knew the tent had a defensive array and that he tried to activate it.


    "Who are you?" he demanded.


    Kyran only smiled in response. He then looked toward the table where the Eidum''s border was replicated, and a blurred image of himself was shown.


    "In eighteen hours, the Prince and his knights will meet with Captain Hohen''s group andunch a sneak attack at point 236 of the Eidum''s border. The Prince will take six of his most talented and trusted knights, infiltrate the Eidum''s HQ, find the Saint, apprehend her, and take her to Armakea''s border."


    His eyes turned cold as he looked back at the Prince, who was still looking at him in disbelief.


    "I heard your family hired a few mercenaries from Howling Pass in an attempt to talk to the Abbot. However, it failed, and the Abbot has gone missing. As for the objective of the talk, it is to seek the Saint''s help."


    "You... how did you¡ª ngh!"


    "Prince Achim!"


    "Your Highness!"


    The male and female attendants shouted respectively as they saw the man with Eikin''s face disappear and reappear before the prince, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly.


    The two moved at once. Since they could not use their magic, they nned to fight the man using hand-to-hand skills.


    Since the man was using Eikin''s face, he subdued thetter. From this, they were able to gauge the man''s strength. Nevertheless, the two became the Prince''s attendants for a reason.


    They were far stronger than the other knights.


    "Take your hands off the prince!" The woman shouted as she jumped, aiming a dropkick on the man''s head.


    Meanwhile, the male attendant squatted and aimed a sweep kick to force the man to lose his bnce.


    Without looking at the two, Kyran raised his left hand and grabbed the female attendant''s shin.


    "What¡ª?"


    After that, Kyran turned, taking the female attendant along before knocking her down toward the male attendant.


    "Ngh¡ªguh!"


    The male attendant failed to stop, and the female attendant crashed into him.


    "Ack!" The female attendant shouted in pain.


    Everything happened so fast that the two were stunned for a few seconds. Moreover, the man only made small movements when he dealt with them and did not even let go of the prince.


    Kyran ignored the two as he looked at Prince Achim, his eyes glinting malevolently.


    "Since you failed to make contact the first time, you nned to take her by force," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous level as his killing intent became visible. He smiled, which did not reach his eyes, as he said, "You have two choices, Prince Achim.


    "Submit to me, and I will let you live. Or, resist, and all of you will die by my hands."


    Prince Achim''s pupils constricted as he stared at the man before him. He had been threatened before but never felt disadvantaged until now.

 Chapter 795 Resistance

    ?


    "I choose neither! Haji, Jita!" Achim shouted and took out a golden disc with the Armakea symbol engraved at the center.


    Haji and Jita, the male and female attendants, who had regained their wits, immediately took out a ck orb each. After which, they threw the orb at the man before attempting to summon their Divine Armaments.


    The ck orb was a rare one-time use lost technology the Armakea had excavated a decade ago. It did not require any magic energy or mana to activate. As long as the owner willed it, it would go off using its internal energy. The orb only had one effect: it could remove any active spell on its target.


    Although the three did notmunicate with each other, they were able to coordinate their thoughts.


    Before the man entered, the three felt an invisible force sweep through their bodies. From this, they suspected it was arge-area effect spell that the man had cast. As for what it did to them had something to do with their inability to summon magic.


    Such spells usuallyst only a few seconds, the longest being half a minute. However, even after a minute had passed, they could still not use their magic. Thus, they suspected that the man''s spell had a longer duration. In this case, they could only counter it by using the orb.


    And that was what Achim wanted Haji and Jita to do, and they responded well.


    Usually, using one orb was enough to counter one target. But since they knew the man''s strength was unfathomable, Achim knew that aiming the orb at one spot of the man''s body would not be enough. If the man evaded it, then they would fail. Thus, he had Haji and Jita attack and aim at different spots.


    It would have been better if Achim could also aim at the man because by then, thetter would surely not be able to evade all three simultaneously. However, he could not do that because he had a different task. Besides, he trusted Haji and Jita''s coordination. He knew they would aim at two different spots that would be hard for the man to evade.


    As for Achim''s task, it had something to do with the golden disc he took out.


    The disc was a summoning token his family''s ancestor created using the lost technology.


    Frankly, the disc was one of the reasons the Armakea Royal Family believed the lost technology was their inheritance. Because they discovered the disc was created more than a thousand years ago, it was far olderpared to the lost technologies the other nations had discovered. Apart from that, they discovered a tablet that showed different lost technology blueprints. In these blueprints, they found several lost technologies that the other nations had imed as theirs.


    The summoning token only had one effect: summoning all the knights linked to the token''s owner to his position.


    Once Haji and Jita hit the man, Achim would use the token to summon all his knights to his location. The man before them was strong, yes. But he did not believe he could fight all hundred of them by himself.


    Haji and Jita added a spin to the orb before throwing it toward the man. Doing this gave them more chance to hit the man even if he tried to dodge.


    ng! ng!


    The two orbs hit Kyran with a loud ng, like metal hitting metal, before it fell to the ground with a thud, rolled away from him, and stopped.


    ...


    Achim, Haji, and Jita all wore nk expressions as they watched the orbs roll away without even affecting the man.


    Kyran, too, looked down at the orb in front as it rolled to the left before stopping.


    Silence.


    "Kill!"


    Achim was the first to regain his wits and grabbed the man''s forearm that held him. He hoisted his body and hooked his legs to the man''s shoulders before trying to twist his arm.


    Frankly, the move was hard to do, given their practically simr build. Nevertheless, Achim did it to distract the man and give Haji and Jita a chance to attack rather than attempt to break free.


    Still.


    Achim''s expression darkened when his attempt to twist the man''s arm failed. As a matter of fact, even before he tried twisting the man''s arm, he already had a vague feeling that he was not dealing with a person with flesh and blood but one made of steel.


    The man did not even budge when Achim had moved!


    Haji and Jita were oblivious to their Prince''s thoughts and already moved.


    Since they could not summon a weapon or their Divine Armament, they grabbed the nearest object to them and swung at the man.


    Haji broked two of the steel legs of the chair to his right while Jita pulled the hem of the table''s cover.


    Using the ripped hem of the table cover like a whip, Jita whirled and aimed at the man''s right leg. At the same time, Haji, lowered his body and hacked the two steel legs of the chair at the man''s torso.


    Kyran lifted his right leg, avoiding the hem. At that exact moment, Haji had already closed in on him and was about to hit both sides of his torso.


    Kyran bent his right foot inward to hook the hem without moving in his spot, still rushing forward. He then raised his leg and tugged it with great force.


    Jita''s eyes widened at how smoothly the man reacted to her move. She nned to wrap the hem around his shin before pulling it and disrupting his bnce. But the man did not let her do as she wanted. Nevertheless, he used his ankle and intentionally wrapped the hem on it so he could drag her closer.


    ''As if I''d let you!'' Jita ground her teeth and was about to let go when she saw Haji''s back.


    "Haji!" She eximed. Whether she let go of the hem or not, she would collide with Haji.


    It was almost a repeat of what happened to them earlier.


    It was toote for Haji to stop. And he did not have to because after dealing the man a blow, he could still avoid Jita and even give her a chance to kick the man''s back.


    "Chance!" Haji responded as the steel legs finallynded on the man''s torso.


    CLANK!


    Haji''s arms shook in pain as he dropped the two steel legs.


    "Ack!"


    Jita''s eyes widened because she had already guessed what Haji meant about a chance and was poised to kick the man. But since Haji had failed in his attack, it would be toote for him to move aside.


    It was at this time that Kyran finally made a move. He turned, with Achim still trying to twist his right arm. He kicked Haji, who was groaning behind him. Then, forcefully throw Achim at the approaching Jita.


    The three groaned in pain as they hit the ground.


    But they were not given a chance to recover.


    When the three hit the ground, Kyran approached the nearest one, Haji. He grabbed him by the front of his robes before smacking his face with his right fist.


    "Guah!" Haji spat out some blood and even some broken teeth.


    Kyran was not done. After smacking Haji''s face, he lifted and mmed him at Achim, who barely regained his bearing after colliding with Jita.


    The two grunted in pain as they were again forced to the ground.


    Jita also shouted in pain since she was still lying on the ground when the two men mmed on her.


    "I did say I don''t want to spill blood tonight," Kyran sighed as he looked at the blood from the three, who spat out a mouthful each after getting mmed.


    Kyran knelt beside Achim. He grabbed his head and forced him to look at him.


    "I''ll say it again," he told him. "Submit to me, and I will let you live. Or, resist, and all of you will die."


    Still somewhat dazed, Achim managed to re at Kyran and spat, "I know you needed something, which is why you have not killed us."


    "Yes, you''re right."


    Kyran replied almost immediately that Achim was rendered speechless.


    With an amused smile, Kyran added, "But whether you agree, I have ways to get what I want. I just found it troublesome, to be honest. That is why I am giving you a choice."


    "What is it that you wanted then?" Achim asked, grounding his teeth.


    "Your knights."


    Achim frowned, "You just said if I resist, all of us will die."


    "True. And I will still get what I want when that happens."


    "How¡ª?"


    Before Achim couldplete his question, Kyran raised his hand, and suddenly Haji and Jita were trapped inside a semi-transparent purple half-sphere. The two were still in pain but tried to break free when they found themselves trapped. However, their clothes sizzled and disintegrated when they tried to touch the sphere, forcing them to retreat.


    "What are you doing¡ª?"


    "I''ll start with them if you don''t answer me in three seconds."


    "Three seconds¡ª?"


    "One."


    "Oi¡ª!"


    "Two."


    "A second has not even¡ª!"


    "Three."


    "Alright! Fine, I''ll hear you out at least."


    "That''s a wrong answer."

 Chapter 796 Endure

    ?


    The semi-transparent purple half-sphere trapping Haji and Jita shrunk in an instant. Knowing the sphere possessed a strange disintegration effect, they both paled in fear. Nevertheless, they did not want to be used to leverage the Prince''s decision or be exploited as his weakness. Thus, they clenched their fists, steeled their hearts, and Haji even said, "We are not afraid of death! Please do not mind us, Your Highness! I''m sure the knights will realize something is amiss and will be able to aid you soon! Long live Armakea! Let our deaths be the foundation for the nation''s bright future!"


    Achim ground his teeth and did not respond to Haji. He could see the half-sphere shrink at an rming speed. He could even see the look of terror on his two assistants. But he chose to ignore it because he was the Prince of Armakea. He would never sumb to threats.


    Sizzle! Sizzle!


    Haji and Jita, determined to keep their eyes open until the end, watched the half-sphere start to disintegrate the hems of their robes.


    By then, Achim had already looked away and chose to look at the man before him. It was quite unfortunate that he did not have any ability to harm others with a mere look. He would have loved to see the man writhe in pain if he did.


    Just as Achim was thinking this, his specific exchange with the man fleeted before his mind.


    "You just said if I resist, all of us will die."


    "True. And I will still get what I want when that happens."


    A sudden thought crossed Achim''s mind, and his heart was filled with dread.


    "Wait!" he shouted at the man and demanded. "What did you mean about getting what you want even if all of us will die?"


    Achim felt dread because he recalled an old anecdote about a powerful sage that could bring back the dead. It mentioned the sage using a Divine Armament that could bring back a dead person''s soul and attach it to a new body, forcing them back to life. Although the anecdote ended with that person''s defeat after his Divine Armament was sealed by another powerful sage, it mentioned that the person was still alive and was bidding his time before returning. After that, he would again spread terror to the world and enact revenge on that sage that sealed his Divine Armament.


    Could this man mean to tell him that even if he killed them, he could easily bring them back to life? Just like that powerful sage of old?


    Kyran tilted his head, and the corner of his lips slid up slightly. Ignoring Achim''s question, his reddish-purple eyes, hidden behind the face-altering mask, glowed, turning his currently green eyes into a strange greenish-brown shade.


    Before the purple half-spherepletely shrunk, its semi-transparent state changed, and its color turned a deep shade of purple. The color continued to deepen until it finally appeared as dark as the deepest abyss.


    Haji and Jita could be seen inside the half-sphere a few seconds ago, but after it turnedpletely ck, their status was unknown. They did not even scream as the half-sphere had already shrunk to a size where the two would be consumed.


    "I said to wait!" Achim yelled at the man.


    Even as he yelled, the half-sphere continued to shrink. By the time he finished what he was saying, it had already shrunk into the size of a pebble. In the blink of an eye, that pebble had also disappeared.


    "YOOOOUUUUUU!!"


    Achim''s eyes turned red with anger. He screamed at the man with all the hatred he could muster. Unfortunately, that was all he could do.


    Though what Haji said about the knights realizing something was amiss was true. There was no guarantee they would realize it before Achim''s turn to die.


    "I already told you I''d like to avoid tacky exchanges," Kyran smiled at him.


    Crackle! Sizzle!


    A fissure suddenly appeared behind Achim. Without letting Achim even realize what was happening, Kyran pushed him in.


    Kyran did not even use force to push Achim into the fissure. The fissure''s vacuum-like effect easily pulled Achim in.


    "I should have done this from the start and saved myself the trouble of feeling disappointed," Kyran muttered.


    Nevertheless, it was loud enough for Achim to hear.


    Achim''s eyes widened as he heard the man. Looking at him, smiling, made him recall Eikin''s smile. However, he was not the real Eikin. Thus, his smile was unfamiliar.


    In any case, Achim''sst feelings as the fissure closed were regret, self-loathing, and excruciating pain. Regret for not answering correctly when the man had given him a choice; self-loathing for his inadequacy to protect his subjects, not to mention his powerless self; andstly, the excruciating pain of his body being destroyed into nothingness. To think he would die just like that without even knowing who was behind that face.


    The moment the fissure closed, Kyran''s smile disappeared as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He fell to his knees and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Crack!


    "Ngh...!" Kyran gritted his teeth as he sensed a crack in one of his magic cores.


    The one that housed every creature or person he absorbed using the Void''s absorption ability.


    That was right.


    He had absorbed Achim, Haji, and Jita. He made it appear as if he wanted to destroy thempletely when, in fact, he nned to absorb them.


    Frankly, when Kyran gave Achim a choice, he had already decided to absorb him along with his two attendants. He did not do it from the start because he knew nothing about them.


    What if Achim, as a Prince of Armakea, had an escape talisman or something that would activate once he was in danger? How about the two attendants with him? What if they were high-level knights with unique Divine Armaments?


    Kyran was not yet familiar with how a Divine Armament worked. Thus, he wanted to avoid fighting anyplete being who could summon a Divine Armament as much as possible.


    That had been the case when he fought Nahir.


    Honestly, if they fought without the rule of only using the Abbey''s teachings or Kyran''s way, Nahir would not have fallen easily. But because of those restrictions, it was easy for Kyran to defeat Nahir.


    With this in mind, Kyran decided to test them and gauge what they could do. Thus, the sudden turn of events.


    In any case, when Kyran gave Achim a choice, and thetter really chose one, he would have been disappointed. He would rather see Achim and his assistants resist and give their all to escape.


    After all, resisting and surviving was equivalent to winning in a situation where one was overwhelmed by the enemy.


    s, although the three resisted, they had the mindset of dying for their cause.


    Kyran was a little disappointed. Nevertheless, he was still satisfied because he learned that Achim could not call the knights to his aid. That had been the only reason he did not absorb him immediately. He did not want to be surrounded by them alone. He would not have done all this if he were not worried about that.


    ''Urgh...'' Kyran keeled over as he spat another mouthful of blood.


    He sensed Haji trying to resist inside his magic core. Jita was the same. But her resistance did not affect Kyran that muchpared to the former.


    Apart from these two, there was also Achim.


    Kyran sensed Achim''s remorse at failing. Thus, he was adamant about destroying what was confining him.


    ''I knew it would not be easy to absorb these three at such short intervals,'' Kyran thought as he took out a healing and magic energy-replenishing pill. He popped both in his mouth and sat cross-legged, trying to absorb the pills as fast as possible.


    Crack! Crack!


    More cracks appear on his magic core, making Kyran groan in pain. As much as he wanted to leave now and return, he could not do that yet. He had toplete what he hade here for. But first, he had to stabilize his magic core andpletely absorb the three.


    Kyran closed his eyes and observed the three inside his magic core. He could not determine their levels earlier because he activated his Void domain as soon as he entered the room. Now, he was able to confirm Haji''s level was far above the rest.


    Surprisingly, Haji was actually a Legendary. If Kyran had not used his Void domain at the start of their confrontation, he would have had difficulty dealing with Haji.


    It was no wonder Kyran was in so much pain. This was the first time he absorbed a high-level mage, slightly different from a human. He initially thought he could use the Void''s absorption ability up to twenty times per day. But that was based on a human with at least Arch Magus level. Apparently, absorbing a high-level Somuli was far more painful than he had thought.


    Kyran''splexion turned pale, and sweat trickled down his face, as well as his body.


    After what felt like years, he sensed his magic core stabilized as the absorption of the three waspleted.

 Chapter 797 Reason

    ?


    After following the unknown intruder for more than four hours, they lost track of him in the wilderness. The leading knight then decided to return instead of trying to pursue the intruder. It was alreadyte at night, and the more powerful beasts were active then. Unless the intruder had the ability to fight that kind of beast, it was impossible for him to survive.


    As for the knights, they were Armakeans. They might have the ability tomunicate with the beasts and even tame them, but nocturnal feral beasts had the tendency to be unreasonable. Thus, they might end up getting in trouble as well.


    Though it was a shame to return without learning much about the intruder, the knights had another mission to attend in less than 14 hours, so it was best to prepare for that.


    In any case, they would need to return to camp for at least three hours.


    The knights patrolling the camp''s periphery had already changed shifts by the time the ones who chased after the intruder returned. This meant fewer knights were staying inside the camp.


    The leading knight, Doron, told the other knights to rest while he reported to the prince.


    Upon arriving at the Prince''s tent, he noticed the lights were still on at the left¡ª his right¡ª and knew the Prince was still awake.


    This made Doron frown because he did not see the two knights guarding in front of the Prince''s tent.


    ''Anan and Tamir should be the ones on shift at this time. Where did they go?''


    Doron''splexion paled as a disturbing thought crossed his mind.


    ''Don''t tell me the intruder just now is a decoy!''


    Doron did not bother to announce his arrival and entered the tent post haste. If someone came after the Prince and were still inside the tent, it would put the Prince''s life at risk if he made a noise.


    But as soon as he entered, he paused and blinked as he saw the Prince sitting on a chair in the receiving room.


    "Prince Achim."


    Achim raised his brows as he looked at Doron.


    "What''s with that look? You look like you have seen a ghost?"


    Doron straightened at once, walked to the middle of the room, and knelt before Achim, "Please pardon my unannounced intrusion, Your Highness. I did not see Anan and Tamir and feared something must have happened to you."


    "I told them to rest. There are only about ten hours before we meet with Captain Hohen''s group, after all," Achim replied matter-of-factly. He paused, then added with a slight smile, "Or what? Do you not trust your fellow knights to protect me inside my own camp?"


    Doron lowered his head and replied, "I did not mean to doubt them, Your Highness. I just... the truth, I came here to report an intruder. We chased after him but lost him just as soon as he entered the wilderness. When I did not see Anan and Tamir, I concluded that the intruder was only a decoy to lead a few of us away so they could enter the camp and do you harm."


    "An intruder?" Achim frowned after hearing this. "Did you learn anything while chasing him?"


    Doron looked at him and nodded, "Only a few, unfortunately. He had a peculiar movement technique as he moved around the darkness. There were several times we almost lost him because of this. He was more than two meters tall and possessed a huge frame. Judging from how he carried himself and possessed a strange movement, we gleaned he was someone from Howling Pass. Unfortunately, we failed to determine who he was working with."


    "You already assumed he is working for someone because he came from Howling Pass?"


    Doron realized his mistake and lowered his head at once.


    Like what Achim implied, the intrudering from Howling Pass did not necessarily mean he came there under someone else''s instructions. There was also a possibility that the intruder came there on his own ord. It could also mean that he was about to return from another mission and just happened to see their camp. Being someone from Howling Pass, he wanted to check why they were there, but s, the knights saw him, and he had to flee. Another possibility was that someone with powerful connections living in Howling Pass got wind of Achim''s excursion to the border of Armakea and had one of his people check on them.


    "Apologies forcking insight, Your Highness."


    "That''s enough," Achim said with a slight sigh. He leaned on his chair and closed his eyes, "All of you made the right choice of returning. Only a few hours are left before we meet with Captain Hohen''s group. Go rest and be ready to leave at any time."


    Doron stood straight and curtsied, lowering his body slightly, "Yes, Your Highness¡ª."


    He stopped abruptly as he noticed Achim''s somewhat paleplexion. There were even beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face.


    "Your Highness, are you alright? You don''t look well..."


    "This is nothing," Achim replied, waving his hand uncaring and looking at Doron. "Go."


    "Y-Yes."


    Though reluctant, Doron turned and left the tent.


    After about a minute after Doron left, Achim let out a shaky breath as he rested his head on the chair''s top rail.


    "That was close," Achim muttered.


    From the conference room, Jita went out and respectfully lowered her head toward him, "Master. It is risky using your ability to absorb the rest of the knights."


    Achim straightened and looked at Jita.


    "Anan and Tamir was it? I knocked them out like Eikin and had them stay in the Void World. If I did not absorb them soon, they might wake up. Though they would not pose any threat while they were inside there, the room I sent them had rich Void energy. I''m unsure if they will remain alright after staying inside for several hours."


    The room he took the three was different from where the old man stayed. Thus, the risk of being infected by Void Energy was higher.


    The Achim that Doron met was none other than Kyran, posing as the Prince. As for the real one, Kyran could not summon him yet. It was also the same with Haji.


    Kyran guessed that it had something to do with the nature of their magic and Divine Armament. It should be noted that all living he absorbed got their magic''s nature altered with Void magic.


    It was easy to alter Bas, Iss, and Gael''s magic nature because they had simrities to Void''s nature. They also possessed magic cores.


    But it was different with Achim, Haji, and Jita. Their magic nature differed from the Void, and instead of a magic core, they had Divine Armaments that Kyran was unfamiliar with. In any case, Jita was the only one he could summon among the three.


    Kyran summoned Jita and had her stand guard while he absorbed Anan, Eikin, and Tamir.


    After absorbing them, Kyran had to go through another excruciating experience. Not long after absorbing them, Jita warned that a knight was approaching the Prince''s tent.


    Having too few options to ovee the situation, Kyran ultimately decided to pose as Achim. He adjusted the face-altering mask to that of Achim''s and borrowed his clothes. Fortunately, they had the same build, preventing any keen-eyed knight from noticing anything.


    At least, Doron was convinced that Kyran was Achim just now.


    Jita looked at Kyran in concern and still insisted, "Be that as it may, absorbing any more will put a lot of strain on your magic core."


    "Don''t worry," Kyran told her with a slight smile. "I''ll stop. You six are enough for now."


    Jita approached him and knelt on one knee. She said, "Pleasemand us as you see fit, master."


    "Before that, fill me in on the situation of Armakea. I had Gael gather information, but there are still several things I don''t understand."


    "Then, I will share everything I know."


    For the next hour or two, Kyran listened to Jita exin the situation in Armakea.


    As Kyran guessed, the King of Armakea, Achim''s uncle, had fallen ill. Unfortunately, they had no healers, and those who knew Apothecary could not produce a medicine or a solution to heal him.


    Achim, though a Prince, was not the one next in line and was ordered, along with his sister and the rest of the younger Royal Family members, to find a way to secure an Eidum. And the reward for sess was bing the King''s heir.


    Apparently, the current King and the Queen could not produce an heir. However, the King did not want his brother, Achim''s father, to ascend the throne because he had no ambition and even proposed stopping their conquest.


    The current King favored Achim but could not decree him as his heir without a valid reason. Thus, the n to find a cure for his illness came to be.


    In any case, the other members of the Royal Family, eyeing the throne, focused on abducting a powerful Eidum to heal the King. But Achim was not interested in those low lives, but the Saint.


    Thus, Achim conspired with the Commander and the Captain of the borders and plotted a way to abduct the Saint.

 Chapter 798 Plan (1)

    ?


    Kyran did not suffer from a headache, but the more he listened to Jita, the more his head ached. Theplexity of the Armakea''s situation was to be expected, being a monarchy system. However, if there was something Kyran hated the most other than politics, it was thebination of political pursuit and session to the throne.


    The Regis n strived to be what they were now because they dealt with any strife in the family and the n members as soon as possible. Aron was not a perfect leader, but he was a good listener. Along with the Regis Elders and other leaders among the regr n members, they could get to the bottom of any problem and resolve it efficiently. Because of this, their n could uphold their moral standards and live peacefully within the walls of their estate.


    It was also because Kyran grew up in such an environment that his dislike for unhealthy political strifes or simr situations was evident.


    Nevertheless, since he decided to get involved in several affairs inSomuli, he would face them head-on and, as much as possible, deal with the situation most efficiently.


    After Jita shared all she knew, Kyran had her stay on standby while he went inside Achim''s bedroom.


    Inside was a makeshift bed with a trunk at the end. Achim''s things were in the trunk. Kyran had already checked it when he borrowed some clothes and did not find anything noteworthy. They only included spare clothes and gold coins.


    Kyran changed back into his clothes and removed the face-altering mask. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes. He contemted everything he knew about the Armakea''s situation and already figured out how cunning their King was.


    What made Kyran think this was how the King only promised the session right to the throne. He never mentioned relinquishing the throne once he was cured.


    Achim wanted to have Cyneah heal the King. If it was her, chances of thetter''s health receiving a boost, not to mention an increase in his magic level, just like with the fake Sovereign, he could easily reign for more years.


    But what would happen to Cyneah then?


    Knowing how powerful her healing ability was, the Armakea King would not leave it be. After all, others would definitely covet her ability.


    There were two ways for the King to deal with Cyneah. One was to imprison her, ensuring that others would not exploit her. Or two, he could order for her death.


    Based on what Kyran understood about the King of Armakea''s character, chances for him to do thetter were high.


    As for Achim, once he realized what was happening, he would not stay put and wait for his uncle to relinquish the throne. He would find a way to get rid of his uncle so he could ascend the throne. He might even get rid of Cyneah before she could heal his uncle if he noticed the truth early.


    The King favored Achim because he was ambitious, just like himself. Thus, he expected the younger man to do something once he realized he had no ns to relinquish the throne. With this in mind, he likely had a contingency nned out already.


    Regardless of how the situation in Armakea unfolds, the fact that Cyneah''s life would be in danger was something Kyran would never allow.


    Kyran sighed as he opened his eyes. No matter how he looked at it, conquering Armakea would not be easy. There were far more ambitious people in the Royal Family, and based on his limited knowledge, the only ones he found to be reasonable were Achim''s father and sister.


    For the record, Achim''s sister was one of those who hired mercenaries in Howling Pass. But she did not request them to abduct a powerful Eidum. Instead, she was the one who wanted to set up a meeting with the Abbot so she could speak with him and ask for his help. In the end, no one supported her idea because they did not want to owe the Eidums any favor.


    In any case, absorbing Achim was a good call for Kyran because he was rted to all the key people he had to deal with.


    However, he was still short on people he could use. While it was true Achim had a hundred capable knights under his leadership, this number was nothingpared to the ones the King had. Jita already confirmed this. Besides, the knights under the King''s leadership, though most were Arch Maguses, some were at the peak and could ascend at any time. A few were even the same as Haji, a legendary.


    Kyran could not help but sigh in his heart once more. There were so many high-level mages in Somuli, unlike in the Human ne. The two nes did not differ much if he had to look at their resources. As a matter of fact, the Human ne was at an advantage because of its rich natural magic energy.


    To be honest, Kyran knew the difference between both nes, and that was the number of conflicts between nations.


    Confrontations between nations in Somuli were frequent. Because of this, their mages could hone their skills through actualbat.


    In Ylfaen, the ones who managed to attain a high mage level were those in the borders because they could hone their magic through constant battles with their neighboring mages. Nevertheless, the number of urrences and scale of battles in the Human ne was fewer and smallerpared to Somuli.


    Another way to hone one''s skills was through beast hunting. But there were far fewer locations in the Human ne where hard-to-deal-with beasts could be found. While in Somuli, one could encounter feral beasts just by wandering through the forests and wilderness.


    Putting all these thoughts aside, Kyran began devising his next move. With Achim on his side, he got better cards he could use. But before that, he had to deal with the Armakea''s n to attack the Eidum''s border. He also wondered what was inside the cargo that arrived in their HQ meant for the magical beasts.


    After a few hours, Kyran sensed the absorption of the three knights waspleted. Not only that, he also sensed Achim and Haji could finally be summoned.


    Without further ado, Kyran summoned thetter two to discuss his n.


    For the next hour, the four¡ª including Jita¡ª discussed how they would deal with the attack on the Eidum''s border.


    "My only concern is your knights," Kyran said, looking at Achim.


    He remained seated on the bed while Achim, Haji, and Jita sat on chairs he took out for them.


    "Honestly, I was worried for a second that your connection with the rest of the knights would be removed after absorbing you. But that does not seem to be the case," he continued thoughtfully. "Because they are not connected to you in the first ce."


    "You need not worry, master," Achim replied. "Thou we do not have any visible connection. They swore allegiance to me through a pact."


    Upon hearing this, Kyran recalled the pact Cyneah had with Nahir. Apparently, any pact formed betweenplete beings or, in general, inhabitants of Somuli was not affected even if he absorbed one of the two. If this was the case, how was a pact formed, and where was it kept?


    "Won''t they have the ability to rescind the pact?"


    "They do, but doing so would mean death."


    Kyran narrowed his eyes. That was more or less the same as the pact Cyneah, Nahir, and the old man had.


    "If they realize you are now under my control, they might choose death over betraying Armakea," Kyran reasoned.


    Achim''s brow furrowed slightly, "That is... a possibility."


    "Then the Prince only has to be careful so others will not notice," Haji supplied.


    Kyran shook his head, "That is not enough."


    He looked at Achim and added, "I don''t doubt your skills. But we can''t rule out another possibility that someone in Armakea could see through your change. Another thing to consider is the King. Can you confidently say that he does not have a way to remove the pact those knights made with you? For all we know, he may have a way to change the target of your pact and get them to work under him."


    All three looked at him with wide eyes. Such thought had not crossed their mind at all. But after hearing it, they did see the possibility was rtively high.


    "I will ce a mark on them in the meantime," Kyran told them after some consideration.


    He could absorb them but did not have the time and energy to do so. Besides, once he conquered Armakea, he had no reason to absorb all of them. He could ce a mark simr to the one he gave Ezra. He considered cing the mark on Achim''s father or his sister, depending on who among them could lead Armakea better.


    "I can call them once you have recovered enough strength," Achim agreed.


    "No, I''ll return to the Eidums'' side after I can summon Anan, Eikin, and Tamir. I''ll put a mark on them at ater time."


    "Understood."

 Chapter 799 Plan (2)

    ?


    Seven hours before the Armakea''s nned attack on the Eidum''s borders, Kyran could finally summon Anan, Eikin, and Tamir. He instructed them to follow Achim''s lead before returning to the Eidum''s HQ.


    Kyran had not fully recovered from absorbing Achim and the others, which was why he wanted to return and ask the old man for help.


    The old man was not familiar with healing one''s magic core. Thus, Kyran only wanted him to alleviate his exhaustion.


    Kyran sighed, recalling how he used up all his healing pills yet saw no improvement in his magic core. Although only one of his magic cores had cracks, and his condition was not as severe as the first time they got damaged, it was still enough to make him ufortable. He constantly felt a prickling pain in his chest when his servants moved or used their magic. The pain was tolerable, but he felt that when all his servants made major movements or cast high-level magic at the same time, the prickling in his chest could be unbearable.


    Having Cyneah heal Kyran''s strained magic core was ideal because she was already familiar with them. But Kyran ultimately chose not to ask her for help. If he did, she would know he had been doing something dangerous and strenuous to have suffered his magic core again. He did not want her to worry and waste her energy if she insisted on healing his magic core. After all, the Armakea was about tounch arge-scale attack. If Cyneah healed his magic core, she would be too exhausted to do anything else.


    Kyran did not waste time and warped directly to his room in the Eidum''s HQ. He already tweaked the HQ array formation and did not have to worry about triggering its defensive array.


    Initially, he wanted to improve the border''s array formation as well. But because he had been busy teaching the Eidums, he did not have the time to hunt for materials he would use for its improvement.


    As soon as Kyran appeared in his room, he almost jumped in fright, seeing Cyneah sitting at the foot of the bed.


    "Neah."


    Kyran btedly regretted not cing any array in his room. Putting Cyneah aside, if others entered his room and he happened to warp in, it would be troublesome to exin how he did it. Then again, among the people in the HQ, Cyneah was probably the only one who would dare enter his room without reservation.


    Frankly, that in itself was scary for a whole different reason.


    Cyneah raised her head slightly after hearing Kyran''s voice.


    "You sure took your time," she said.


    Kyran flinched inwardly, hearing the rare bleak tone in Cyneah''s voice. He looked at her, noticed the exhausted look in her mirror-like eyes, and knew he had been waiting for some time. She most likely went to his room right after finishing what she had to do in the Infirmary.


    "Something came up," Kyran said slowly while observing any change in her expression.


    There was no change. However, he felt a sudden chill in the room and knew he was doomed.


    Cyneah looked at Kyran, focusing all her magic sense in the room so she could see his silhouette better.


    Cyneah''s magic sense was nowparable to Kyran''s.


    Her improvement was all thanks to the thin magic energy in Somuli. To ensure she could see her surroundings, she had to put extra effort into controlling the limited magic energy in the surroundings. Nevertheless, her range was limited, and when it came to seeing Kyran''s silhouette, her level was still insufficient.


    Frankly, Cyneah could already see Kyran''s silhouette, unlike in the past, but because of the Shaiha concealing his presence and aura, no amount of magic energy was enough to form his silhouettepletely.


    Sensing the movement of magic energy in the surroundings, Kyran knew Cyneah was trying to see him. With an inward sigh, hemunicated with the Shaiha to lower its concealment effect.


    Because of this, Cyneah could finally see Kyran''s silhouette a little better. Raising her head to level her eyes to where she believed his eyes were, she felt a vague emptiness because she still could not see his face.


    Before she could say something, she watched him touch his face and remove what appeared to be a mask. This made her remember a simr mask he gave her and her master, te, to alter her face back when they were working. Unfortunately, she left that mask in the cottage.


    "You''re wearing a mask all this time?"


    Cyneah asked instead of asking what she wanted to ask.


    "Yes," Kyran replied and sat on the single chair beside the bed.


    Cyneah frowned, "Can''t you change your appearance to match aplete being? If you had, the Eidums would not have been on guard around you right from the start."


    She knew how the face-altering mask worked. Although the one she had did not change one''s hair color, she remembered hearing from Zephyr that Kyran already improved his face-altering mask. She also recalled te wanting to ask Kyran to improve the mask they had so they no longer had to change the color of their hair manually. But because the situation suddenly took a sudden turn, te did not get the chance to ask.


    Kyran shrugged, "I didn''t know dark hair and eyes posed a problem. Besides, I don''t remember anyone with blonde hair and blue eyes and couldn''t apply it on the mask."


    Cyneah raised her brows in surprise, "You mean you use another person''s feature using the mask?"


    "No," Kyran replied. "But I need a reference to set a new look."


    "I see. Your mask is truly something. No wonder master wanted her to be..." her voice trailed off, remembering why she was there and immediately said with a slight shake of her head. "Putting that aside, where did you go in such a rush?"


    "Like I said," Kyran said, sounding as uncaring as possible. "Something came up. It''s not that important, though."


    "Yet you are only returning now."


    "I went to patrol the border afterward."


    "The Abbot did not see you near the Eidum''s border."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He had not studied the border''s array formation and, thus, was unsure what other features it had. If he knew there was a surveince form, he would have used one of his puppets to stay near the border.


    "Right, where is the old man? I gave him a token he could use to hide, but if something happened, it is best to have him return to the Void World."


    "So something is about to happen?"


    "I did not say that."


    "No, but the tone of your voice says otherwise."


    Cyneah wore a bitter smile and added, "Did you forget? The rest of my sensespensated for theck of my sight."


    Kyran did not respond and only looked at her in silence.


    When he did not answer, she knew something really happened.


    "I know something happened," Cyneah started. "You can''t shoulder everything, Nar. You have to tell us so we can prepare for it."


    Kyran remained silent. After a short pause, he finally said, "You''re right. Something did happen, and I had to check on it. That''s why I had to leave in a hurry. But the reason I''m not saying anything is not because I nned to shoulder everything. It''s because there is nothing to say."


    "Does that mean you already have a contingency n in motion?"


    "Something like that, yes."


    "And letting us know may jeopardize that n?"


    "Hm," Kyran replied with a nod.


    Cyneah sighed and sat back. She looked at him and said, "You already had a n in motion, yet you say you''re not shouldering everything alone."


    "What is about to happen is only a small piece of a bigger picture," Kyran told her. "After this, even if I want to solve everything by myself, I can''t pull it off alone. That''s why I said that."


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed slightly.


    "You mean this is only the beginning?"


    "Yeah," he confirmed. "I only set up the stage. Whates after that is the real deal."


    Cyneah lowered her head and contemted what Kyran had said. After a while, she looked at him again and asked, "How big is it? The stage thates after?"


    "As big as conquering a ne?"


    Cyneah gaped at him in shock.


    "A ne? Not a nation?"


    Kyran smiled, "Like I said, I''ve only set up the stage. Conquering a nation is only the start."


    "You... when you first suggested a conquest, were you not referring to conquering another nation to add to the Eidum''s military strength?"


    "I did."


    "Then why are you suddenly talking about conquering the ne?"


    "Initially, I don''t have such a n," Kyran admitted. "But seeing how much you cared about the Eidums, I had to consider it."


    Cyneah felt her heart skip after hearing that. She did not need Kyran to fill in the rest of what he meant for her to understand the gist of what he wanted to say.

 Chapter 800 Plan (3)

    ?


    ''He ns to conquer the ne because of me...?''


    The thought touched Cyneah. But soon after, her insecurities took over and killed the hope that sprouted in her heart.


    "Conquering a ne is no easy feat."


    "I know that''s why I needed the Eidums to do that."


    "How? You know what they are good at, and that is not fighting a war. They could barely fight their own battles. How do you expect them to help you?"


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. He noticed Cyneah did not include herself when referring to the Eidums and felt somewhat happy.


    It seemed telling her his intentions made her conscious of her real origins. Though it was far from convincing her to return, it was a good start.


    "That''s why the n is to strengthen their military capabilities," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "I can''t do anything about what they are good with, but I can add people who could fill in on what theyck."


    "You''re eyeing the Armakea. I understand that much. But aren''t you setting your sights too high?" Cyneah asked, looking at him in concern. "Even though the Kingdom of Cretea is home to the Sovereign, they are only second to the Armakea."


    Cyneah paused, remembering something, and said, "And this is already in consideration that any rules do not bind the Kingdom of Cretea''s fake Sovereign and can meddle in the affairs in Somuli."


    Kyran was somewhat surprised.


    Though the supposed Sovereign of Somuli is fake, his strength is still equivalent to one. It should be noted that a Sovereign''s strength is unparalleled. If the Armakea''s military strength could still be considered top in Somuli, even with a Sovereign in the Kingdom of Cretea, it was a testament to their individual strengths.


    "I know the knights of Armakea are powerful, but for them to still threaten the Kingdom of Cretea that had a Sovereign is... good news," Kyran replied with a slight smile.


    "You..." Cyneah could not help but sigh in exasperation. "...are not taking me seriously, are you?"


    Kyran chuckled, "I am. But you don''t have to worry about anything. Since I''ve decided to target Armakea, it means I have a n."


    Cyneah could not help but frown at him. The way he pointed that felt like she did not trust him when she did. As a matter of fact, she trusted him too much to the point that she knew he was up to something dangerous.


    In the end, Cyneah swallowed whatever argument she thought of and sighed in resignation.


    "Fine," she said and stood up. "Just don''t overdo it."


    "I won''t."


    "You say that, but I already sensed you''ve damaged one of your magic cores."


    Kyran was inwardly shocked. He did not even sense Cyneah looking into his sea of consciousness. How did she know one of his magic cores was damaged?


    As if reading Kyran''s doubts, Cyneah said, "You don''t have to be surprised. I could hear a slight change in your breathing pattern."


    Kyran raised his brows. He had thought she saw his magic core, but apparently, her enhanced senses were why she discovered his condition.


    "Why did you assume that I damaged my magic core?"


    "Twice you''ve fought a horde and came out unscathed. You even fought a magical beast and were exposed to its blood, yet remained unharmed. Since this is the case, the only way I could think of that can hurt you is if something damaged your magic core."


    "Something, huh? Not someone?" Kyran asked cheekily.


    "Enough with that, and let me heal your magic core."


    Kyran did not argue. Since Cyneah already knew his magic core was damaged, there was no point in not letting her heal him. Besides, the damage to his magic core was not severe and would not exhaust her.


    At least, he hoped so.


    In any case, if he believed she would end up exhausting her reserves to heal his magic core, he would stop her.


    After healing Kyran, Cyneah got up and went toward the door. Before she could leave, however, Kyran said, "Neah. Next time, don''t enter my room without permission."


    Cyneah paused and looked back at him.


    Kyran was now seated at the foot of the bed and looking at her sternly.


    Cyneah could not see his expression, but she heard it from the tone of his voice. She initially wanted toin and say something like:


    ''What? You used to enter my room without permission. Why can''t I do the same?''


    But after some thought, she stopped herself from voicing her initial thoughts and answered, "I''ll... be careful next time."


    After Cyneah left, Kyran took the time to rest. Then he went to the border and checked its array formation.


    Enhancing the array formation of the Eidum''s border was one of the things Kyran had to do before the Armakea attacks. To be honest, he thought of a n where Achim and his knights would backstab Captain Hohen, resulting in their sneak attack failing. But then he wondered if all of the knights in Achim''s leadership had indeed sworn allegiance to him or if there was someone who was a spy of the King. Thus, to be safe, he decided to let them continue with the sneak attack while Achim and all the rest of the Servants attacked them in the dark.


    The one who would allow them to seed was Gael''s magic.


    As for the rest of the beasts, Kyran nned to let the Eidums gain practical experience by having them fight them.


    Lastly, Kyran would deal with the magical beasts. The reason he decided this was not because he knew the Eidums could not kill a magical beast because with Nahir joining in the fray, they had better chances of dealing with one. But Kyran did not want that because he had other ns with the magical beasts.


    To be honest, Kyran''s target this time was the knights and the magical beasts. He just had not decided how to win thetter''s allegiance.


    Nahir received news of Kyran''s return. At first, he wanted to return to the receiving room and escort his father to his room, but because of the news, he changed his course and went outside the border.


    The other Eidums on duty watched Kyran sit on the edge of the steel wall, facing the vast field in silence. They were curious why the younger man returned from inside the HQ instead of outside. Not only that, he seemed to be in a hurry, as if something dreadful and urgent had happened, which forced them to put up their guards.


    In the end, nothing happened, and Kyran returned looking as carefree as ever.


    Unbeknownst to them, Kyran sat there and appeared rxed when, in truth, he was busy studying the border''s array formation.


    His brow furrowed slightly as he realized that the core of the array formation was inside the receiving room. Frankly, he already expected it. But he thought he could still enhance the border''s array without touching its core.


    s, the border''s array formation was one of those rare and older ones with a fixed core location and strict rules. If he wanted to change anything in any of its array forms, he had to do so in its core.


    With a sigh, Kyran stood up and was about to warp inside the receiving room when he noticed Nahir''s presence approaching from the side.


    He looked at him and raised his brows when he saw the older man looking at him sternly.


    "I heard you left the border," Nahir said as soon as he was within Kyran''s earshot.


    Kyran shrugged, "I sensed something strange and checked it."


    "Did you find anything?"


    "I did," Kyran replied, not nning to hide anything.


    "You have returned for some time," Nahir said while frowning at him disapprovingly. "Why did you not seek us to discuss what you saw?"


    "Because I had to do something urgent first," Kyran replied with a shrug. "After that, I will look for you."


    Nahir''s frown deepened. As much as he disapproved of how Kyran did things, Nahir admitted that there were things that would make sense only to him. Thus, discussing it with Nahir and the Abbot would be pointless.


    Nevertheless, Nahir hated not knowing something, especially when they were expecting something big to happen at the borders.


    "So you haven''t finished your urgent business?"


    "Not yet," Kyran said, heaving a sigh. "But the only way toplete it is by going to the receiving room."


    Nahir''s eyes narrowed at once. It did not take long for him to understand what Kyran was trying to do. He had suspicions after seeing how effective the token he gave his father was. But it seemed, Kyran did know lost technology.


    Kyran looked at Nahir with a slight smile, "Since you''re here, why don''t we go there together? While working on it, we can talk."


    "You sound like working on that did not require full concentration."


    "If you''re curious about something, just ask. You don''t have to y with words to fish out some information," Kyran told him with a raised brow. "Let''s go. We only have a few hours left."

 Chapter 801 Attack (1)

    ?


    While Kyran and Nahir met at the borders, Cyneah arrived in front of her room. When she left Kyran''s room, she made a short trip to her personal chamber in the Infirmary before going to her room.


    Cyneah entered the room, closed the door and leaned on it while heaving a long sigh. Frankly, she waited for Kyran''s return so they could continue their interrupted conversation at the border.


    s, she could not muster the courage to bring it up and their conversation went to a different direction. Although Kyran said something that could have led back to their earlier conversation, in the end, Cyneah did not follow through on it and feigned ignorance- all because she felt insecured.


    Besides that, she was afraid of misunderstanding Kyran''s intention even though he mentioned he was being clear about it.


    Cyneah''s insecurities was not limited to the years she and Kyran had spent apart and her being older than him now. There was more to it than than and it had something to do with her experience in the first three years in Somuli.


    Cyneah heaved another sigh before walking over a table at the corner of the room.


    She ced the items she took from her personal chamber on the table and her expression gradually changed.


    On the table were several crushed herbs, and liquid materials in a variety of colors, in different-sized bottles. There was also a small silver cauldron, and a unlit portable furnace. From these, it was not hard to imagine what she nned to do.


    ''I only have a few hours to get these ready,'' she thought and went to work at once.


    As Cyneah focused on her work, a faint gray mist started to whirl behind her.


    Two hours before the nned sneak attack to the Eidum''s side, all involved Armakea: beast-likes,plete beings, a number of beasts, and a dozen knights, marched out of their border''s HQ from the back gate. This group was led by a man in histe twenties with short blonde hair and bluegreen eyes- Captain Hohen.


    Meanwhile, another group with another dozen knights, a horde of beasts, and three magical beasts gathered by the front gate.


    The Armakeamander stood at the top of the wall and looked at the group below with a stern expression.


    These group would start their attack in half an hour. While the group leaving from the back would rendezvous with the Prince of Armakea''s group.


    While the Armakeans in the border were preparing, Achim had also gathered all the knights and were getting ready to leave their camp.


    On the other hand, Nahir and all abled Eidum fighters were inside the assembly hall. He had round them up, except for those who were still patrolling or on guard duty, and briefed them on everything Kyran told him.


    All Eidums wore a grim expression while listening to Nahir''s briefing. Those who heard about Kyran''s sudden departure were able to glean that what Lord Nahir was telling them had something to do with what the former discovered: The Armakea was nning an attack.


    After being silent for more than a week, finally, they were on the move.


    The Eidums trembled at the thought of confronting them again in battle. But surprisingly, even though they were afraid, a part of them were excited. They wanted to know how they would fare once they applied what they learned from Kyran.


    Nahir had mixed feelings while seeing everyone''s expressions. Last month, when he stood before them and addressed them about a possible attack from the Armakea, he saw their fear. They tried to mask it, but the heavy atmosphere that lingered in the hall was too evident to ignore.


    But that was no longer the case. Yes, there was still a lingering fear in them, but more than that, there was confidence.


    If this had been before Kyran''s appearance, Nahir would ount their change in their umted experience. After all, they had been guarding the border for a few months now. But because of Kyran, Nahir knew their confidence stemmed by the things they learned.


    Nahir no longer cared about the Eidums utilizing what Kyran taught them. He already witnessed the difference it did after the mock battle earlier and admitted that the younger man''s teachings was indeed effective. It also lowered their consumption of energy, thus, allowing them to fight for prolonged period.


    "ording to our intel, the Armakea willunch their attack in two locations," Nahir continued to address the crowd.


    All the Eidums listened to him attentively. Wondering if Nahir nned to split their forces to confront the Armakea''s forces.


    "But we will not split our forces," Nahir told them, much to everyone''s surprise. They could not help but nce at each other. And almost each and everyone of them could see the confusion reflected on each other''s faces.


    Even Azikh and Gidan, standing a few feet behind Nahir, could not help but look at him in confusion.


    "We have confidence in our border''s defenses," Nahir continued, the memory of watching Kyran working on the border''s array formation in the receiving room shed through his mind.


    To be honest, Nahir was somewhat knowledgeable on how lost technology worked because even among the Eidums, they had ongoing research on lost technologies they discovered. He even had the opportunity to participate in some of the actual dismantling process. For this reason, when he watched Kyran worked on the border''s array formation, he was confident he could learn something.


    s, trying to learn from about lost technology while watching Kyran worked was actually a wrong move. After all, his knowledge was far too advanced and his ways were no longer considered ''normal'' in any way.


    Nahir knew that if one wanted to change a lost technology''s formation, they had to know all the ingredients used to create it, as well as how each of theseplimented and worked together.


    However, Kyran did not utilize this concept. What Nahir saw was him moving his hand while several rune writings in different formations danced around the core. It was a spectacle to look at.


    Nahir did not know that one could actually change the lost technology''s formation at will as long as they knew how it worked.


    Of course, this was only Nahir''s misconception. After all, the reason Kyran did not need to prepare any ingredients when he improved the border''s array formation was because his Void magic could easily fill in the necessary ingredient. As long as Kyran knew what he needed and that ne had that particr ingredient then there was nothing his Void magic could not produce.


    Nevertheless, because of this misconception, Nahir''s evaluation of Kyran improved. Of course, the older man would not be caught dead admitting that before the younger man.


    "Thus, there is no need for us to concern ourselves in that group," Nahir continued to say.


    The Eidums looked skeptic at Lord Nahir''s deration. In the end, they had no choice but to throw their doubts and put their faith in his words.


    Since only a few Eidums had witnessed Nahir''s defeat in Kyran''s hands, most of the Eidums still revere his every word. Not that it would really change if word about his defeat came out. After all, none of them saw what happened and would only ount his defeat for giving Kyran face or something along that line.


    "Nar has taught you how to utilize your magic these past week or so, thus, I expect great things from you."


    All of them were stunned at Nahir''s words, especially those who knew how opposed he was toward Kyran''s teaching.


    Without dy, Nahir gave the floor to Gidan so he could discuss their strategy.


    The strategy was something the three, including Kyran, discussed prior to the assembly.


    After letting Gidan continued, Nahir left the stage and went to the back room where Kyran was.


    "You should have shown yourself," Nahir told him.


    Kyran only smiled and said, "There is no need. Besides, what they needed now are their leaders. And since we are on that subject, I did not see Neah."


    "She is still in her room," Nahir replied at once. He even sounded a little gloatingly. As if knowing something that Kyran did not made him superior.


    "Is that so," Kyran replied, retaining his usual tone andposure.


    Nahir could not help but frown at this. He found Kyran''s indifference inconsistent to his im of her being his mistress.


    "Nar, just to let you know. I have no ns on rescinding the pact."


    Kyran looked at him and raised his brows in surprise. "How random."


    "Maybe. But I only want to let you know as soon as possible."


    Kyran did not respond. He only tilted his head with a smile before turning to leave.


    But before he went out the door, he paused and said, "Not rescinding the pact doesn''t really matter. If I want to, I can void it any time."


    Not waiting for Nahir to say anything, Kyran left.


    Contrary to what Nahir thought, Cyneah was not in her room. After she finished concocting all the potions and pills she needed, she slipped past the Eidums guarding the border and jumped down the steel wall.


    Gael was actually lurking in the shadows but he also failed to see Cyneah.


    As Cyneahnded on the ground, she made her way to the middle of the battlefield.


    With each steps she took, the gray mist that circled her feet increased. Soon, it had already formed into a human silhouette that hovered behind her.

 Chapter 802 Attack (2)

    Half an hour before the nned attack of the Armakea, Kyran left the Eidum''s HQ. He warped to the weakest location of the Eidum''s border where the supposed sneak attack would happen.


    Nahir told the Eidums during his address that their border''s defenses were enough to handle that area. Thus, they did not have to worry about it. He was right about this. After all, he witnessed Kyran enhance the border''s array formation. Although he did notpletely understand what the younger man did because the forms looked foreign, he knew his Lost Technology knowledge was legit.


    At the very least, Nahir trusted Kyran''s knowledge of Lost Technology. Nevertheless, that did not mean he would leave that area unattended.


    Initially, Nahir thought of having Azikh and his team monitor that area. However, Kyran volunteered to go himself.


    The younger man reasoned that if he stayed with them to assist in countering the Armakea''s direct attack on their border, the Eidums might actcent and not perform to the best of their abilities.


    Nahir agreed and allowed Kyran to do as he pleased.


    Like Kyran, Nahir also wanted his people to gain realbat experience by going into battle. He did not want them to experience just any battle¡ª but a life-and-death one. If Kyran were with them, the chances of that happening would be close to zero.


    Kyran stood atop the border''s steel wall and looked toward the darkness-filled clearing below. His brow furrowed because he failed to sense Achim and the others.


    ''Master.''


    Gael''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head before emerging from his shadow.


    Gael had been staying there waiting for Achim because he would be working with them. Kyran did not n to make a move himself and would only watch them in the dark. But if anything untoward happens, he would step in.


    ''I don''t sense Achim and the others,'' Kyran said in response to Gael''s call.


    While there was still half an hour before the scheduled sneak attack, the detailed information of the mission mentioned Achim and Captain Hohen''s group should have arrived at a specific point five hundred meters from the Eidum''s border an hour before that.


    "Yes, master," Gael replied, kneeling on one knee. "It is the same with me. I have tried expanding my range but failed to sense their presence."


    Kyran frowned at this.


    Gael''s ability to sense everything in the shadow spans three hundred meters and could be extended up to five hundred if he entered the shadows. That range should be enough to sense Achim and the rest.


    Kyran''s frown deepened. The truth was he thought of several scenarios where Achim and his group would be dyed or even discovered to have changed. Even so, they could handle any unexpected situations with their experience, knowledge, and skills.


    But there was one scenario that Kyran found would put Achim and the other five servants in a disadvantageous situation: if an all-out battle happened, they would be outnumbered.


    Though Haji was a Legendary, and Achim and the remaining four were Arch Maguses, that would not be enough to handle a hundred or so Arch Maguses. Of course, this was given that the knights who swore allegiance to Achim chose to rescind their pact and did not suffer any repercussions. Add their numbers to Captain Hohen''s group, however, they could easily number to around three hundred and fifty.


    Kyran took a deep breath and considered his next step. It was still too early to assume Achim''s group had been discovered. Besides, if they were in trouble, Kyran would be the first to realize it.


    Unlike his Sigils, they were directly connected to his magic core. He would sense it even from afar if their life were in danger.


    "I''ll go and check on them," Kyran decided after a short pause. He opened his eyes and looked at the distance before him. "Stay here and keep watch. In case another group ns to attack this spot that Achim and the others are unaware of."


    "Master," Gael started, hesitant to let Kyran go. "Why not let me go instead? You really should start making full use of us, your Servants."


    Kyran never openly called Gael and those he absorbed as Servants, but somehow, Gael used it to refer to themselves.


    "I wanted to see what has happened with my own eyes," Kyran replied.


    "I understand. However, I sensed something sinister lurking around us."


    "Sensed? You''re not referring to something you sense with your magic, right?"


    "You are right, master. It is more of a gut feeling. Do you not sense it?"


    Kyran did not respond simply because Gael was right.


    "If you are unable to sense it, master. I suggest you consider thinking about why that is so. If not, it may be your boon."


    "You seem to have an idea. Tell me."


    "Sometimes, we fail to sense danger directed on your person, especially when directed by someone you trust."


    Kyran''s eyes shed as he turned to look at Gael. An invisible force rammed him from above, almost crushing him to the ground.


    "Gah!" Gael spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Obviously, Kyran knew who Gael was referring to from his words.


    Cyneah.


    "F-Forgive me, master. I-I''ve overstepped my boundaries," Gael sought forgiveness at once.


    If this had been any other time, Kyran would think Gael was trying to sow discord between him and Cyneah. But the older man had been reborn through his Void magic and knew he would not say something that could easily be interpreted as sphemous.


    Kyran knew anything his Servants or even Sigils would dare say was meant for his good. They would never say anything that could harm him.


    Kyran closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. After a while, he waved his hand, instantly healing Gael''s internal injury.


    "No, I''m sorry. I... acted based on my emotions."


    Kyran could not help but groan inwardly as he admitted that. He thought he already had a better hold of his emotions, but apparently, he was still the same.


    At least, his emotions tended to go haywire when it came to someone he considered as one of his people.


    "Please, master. I am the one in the wrong¡ª."


    "That is enough," Kyran cut him off as he opened his eyes. "Go see what happened to Achim and the others. In the meantime, leave a minion or more here to keep watch. If there is any problem, inform me at once. I will return to the HQ."


    Gael got back on his knees and lowered his head in respect, "Understood."


    Three shadows emerged from his shadow as three figures bearing beast-like features materialized before them.


    These three knelt before Kyran and cried in unison, "Lord Master."


    "You know what to do," Kyran told them.


    "Yes."


    "I''m leaving."


    Without waiting for them to respond, Kyran returned to the HQ.


    He warped right on the edge of the chasm that overlooked the clearing between the two borders.


    The confrontation between the two sides had already started.


    Kyran was not surprised because the Armakea''s forces here were meant to keep the Eidum''s forces from noticing the sneak attack from Achim and Captain Hohen''s group.


    Watching from above, Kyran scanned the battlefield to understand the current situation.


    Since the confrontation had just started, it was still early to see who was advantaged or disadvantaged. Nevertheless, because there were three magical beasts among the Armakea forces, it would not be long before they got the advantage.


    Looking at the situation from the Eidum''s side, they were actually doing good despite being outnumbered. Almost all of them no longer wasted their energy casting offensive magic. Instead, they were grouped into several teams and focused on casting support magic.


    Three groups focused on casting restraining magic, and another three focused on casting movement magic. Since they targeted the enemies, they cast slow magic.


    There was another, consisting of five groups that focused on casting lethargy on a muchrger scale.


    Then there were those Eidums who Kyran taught hand-to-handbat. These Eidums, which consisted of more than five groups, were the ones who attacked directly. They targeted the ones their fellow Eidums had already cast with lethargy, restrain, and slow, reducing the number of the enemies at a certain pace.


    Kyran felt a sense of pride watching them working together but had to put aside that emotion because he had other things to do.


    While scanning, Kyran saw Nahir leading an attack in the middle, with Gidan and the five veteran fighters he took to the wilderness. Judging from the direction they were going, they nned to confront the three magical beasts.


    Kyran turned his attention to the three magical beasts.


    Unlike the one he encountered, the three magical beasts did not possess arge frame. They were still huge, however, and looked as powerful as the high orc.


    Kyran already learned from Gael what kind of magical beast the Armakea would dispatch.


    A Basilisk, Comodo, and a Dryad.


    Looking at the basilisk, Kyran could not help but remember Bas and Iss. Still, that did not mean it was simr to them. After all, Bas and Iss were mutated basilisks, while this one was normal.


    It made Kyran wonder how this basilisk was considered a magical beast and not a normal one.


    Then there was the Comodo. This one wasrger than the ones in the Human ne. As a matter of fact, it looked more like its original name from legends.


    Earth Dragon.


    Despite the current situation, looking at the Comodo brought a small smile to Kyran''s lips.

 Chapter 803 Attack (3)

    ?


    Kyran read about Comodos in the Regis Archive. In the Human ne, they were primarily found in the south, so he never got to see one in person. However, ording to the updated records, those in the south no longer possessed dragon blood. The reason was that they crossbred with other species to preserve their kind, which resulted in the thinning of their dragon blood. Some of these species became what was known as the current Chameleons, Hatuis, Longmas, Quilins, and Wyverns. Still, these hybrid species were considered extinct, and some nations even forbid hunting their kind.


    Some of these hybrid species, like the Chameleons and Hatuis, would sometimes produce offspring that looked much like a Comodo. The difference, however, was that they had a small build, and their scales were more reptilian.


    In any case, the current Comodos in the Human ne could be considered fakes.


    Kyran had been to different nes and heard stories about Dragons. None of which mentioned them as no more¡ª it appeared that the Human ne was the only ne in the Lower Realm to consider Dragons no longer exist.


    Because of this, Kyran had wanted to see one for himself. Unfortunately, he never encountered one when he roamed the dangerous zones of the nes he visited. He initially believed this was because of his innate ability to force beasts to steer clear of his path. But he also felt that the small amount of dragon blood might have caused other dragons to sense his approach and try to avoid any contact. Not because they were afraid of him but because Dragons were born territorial. They prefer to stay close to theirir, and as long as other beasts did not venture too close to them, they would remain non-hostile.


    Since Kyran met Ames and witnessed her overwhelming presence, he had wanted to meet another dragon. It did not matter if they were a hybrid or from a different tribe than the Dragon King as long as they possessed dragon blood because he wanted to see how much power a real dragon possessed in person.


    Looking at the Comodo below, Kyran confirmed this one looked more identical to the ones he read in the Regis Archive.


    Seeing this made Kyran recall the other name Comodos were known as:


    Earth Dragons.


    Lastly, there was the Dryad¡ª looking like a humanoid, except with greeny branches as limbs, and golden leaves as a crown.


    Dryads were known as tree nymphs. This was a universal knowledge and did not differ from what was known in the Human ne. However, humans did not consider Dyrads as a beast. Instead, they were known as Spirits.


    Spirits revered Kyran because of his identity as the Void Master. But he wondered if Dryads from another ne would also treat him as such. This thought crossed his mind when he heard the history of the Spirits from White Lily.


    ording to her, the Spirits were split into three kinds, and when their ne was destroyed, she could only save a portion of her kind and enter a rift close to the pce. That rift led to the Human ne. As for the others, they failed to follow White Lily because of themotion and instead entered a rift that was close to them.


    This Dryad might be one of White Lily''s people. Of course, Kyran was not interested in helping the Dryad reunite with the other Spirits in the Human ne. He only wanted to know if they would sense White Lily''s branding on him.


    For the record, the White Lily''s branding was not a mark or a seal. It was more of a connection that each Spirit would sense if they met someone favored by their Queen.


    Looking at the three magical beasts, it was a no-brainer why Kyran was interested in them. But even if he had some history on these magical beasts, that did not mean he could easily make them submit.


    Besides, there was also the cargo they meant for them. He wanted to see what was inside that required a knight to guard it.


    While Kyran was looking at where the magical beasts were in the Armakea''s formation, he could not help but frown.


    In his first confrontation with the Armakea, the magical beast was positioned at the back, making it seem like he was controlling the horde. While the magical beast was indeed in control of the horde, he was not too keen on micromanaging them and even killed some when they got in his way.


    In any case, Kyran noticed that the magical beasts this time were ced at the core of the Armakea''s formation, giving him a strange sense that the horde of beasts was protecting them. As for the beast-likes andplete beings, those with low ranks were at the forefront, and the high-ranking ones¡ª including the Knights¡ª were at the back.


    Judging from the Armakea''s formation, it was obvious they wanted to whittle the Eidums'' forces before the stronger group joined in to finish them off.


    But such a strategy was not really necessary. After all, they outnumbered the Eidums. If Kyran weremanding, he would interchange those at the back with those in the forefront. Doing so would allow them to showcase their overwhelming advantage and might even force the Eidums to surrender without spilling too much blood. He could also dispatch the three magical beasts only and had the Dryad use her


    In Kyran''s opinion, the Armakea''s formation wasted their manpower. Or maybe they simply did not care about the lives of those low-ranking beast-likes andplete beings. The thought disgusted him.


    In any case, Kyran had to put aside his emotions because he had something else to do.


    Locate Cyneah.


    So far, Kyran had not sensed her presence among the Eidums. She could still be inside the HQ, but after talking to Gael, he had an inkling she was not there. He also started to look at some events from a different angle.


    Cyneah had the Macabre cier; from this, why did Kyran never question how she could its seemingly unsatiable thirst for magic energy? He had been in close proximity to it as well. Why did it not react?


    While it was true that the Shaiha had been concealing Kyran''s aura and presence all this time, it should be noted that when the mirror sensed even a whiff of his energy, it could also affect the Shaiha.


    How about Cyneah''s control over magic energy? Somuli had thin natural magic energy, yet her use of magic and control over her magic sense was unhindered.


    Kyran would not have questioned this if he saw her regrly drink energy-replenishing potions. But the thing was, he never saw her drink a potion or even take a pill.


    Where does she get her seemingly bottomless magic energy reserves?


    The others might not find it strange because in Somuli, the Divine Armaments ofplete beings could naturally produce magic energy. But knowing Cyneah was not a native of Somuli, it was impossible. Besides, she did not possess the Shaiha, which meant her use of magic should have been restricted.


    While considering all these things, Kyran could only think of one way for Cyneah to replenish her magic energy. It would also keep the Macabre cier''s insatiable thirst for magic energy at bay.


    Cyneah was absorbing the souls of those who died in battle.


    Kyran would have realized this sooner if he could use his magic sense without reservations. But because he had to reserve his magic energy and also share it with True Void, who had yet to recoverpletely, he could not use his magic sense at all times.


    Kyran suddenly regretted not asking Cyneah any questions about what she went through aftering to Somuli. He heard bits and pieces from the old man, Azikh, Gael, Nahir, and even Hm and the others, but thinking about it now, the things he heard were only when she joined the Eidums four years ago.


    What about the first three years? What happened to Cyneah then? How did she survive until the time theplete beings found her in the middle of the forest?


    Kyran clenched his fists as he continued to scan the battlefield. However, no matter how much he concentrated, he could not find Cyneah.


    Could she still be inside the HQ?


    Just when Kyran was considering going inside the HQ to look for Cyneah, he saw a shift in the Armakea''s formation. He frowned as he finally saw the cargo Gael mentioned and sensed something ominous inside.


    The high-ranking beast-likes andplete beings made their way as the knights fetched the cargo toward the position of the magical beasts.


    Kyran scowled as he noticed Nahir''s group slowly advancing toward the magical beasts'' location. He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    This feeling intensified as he saw the magical beasts react when the cargo neared them.


    They growled and screamed as if they did not want to be close to it. Nevertheless, no matter how much theyined, they did not attempt to leave the formation. It was as if whatever was inside the cargo prevented them from leaving.

 Chapter 804 Attack (4)

    Gael sped through the field that separated the Armakea and Eidum''s borders. He made full use of his shadow-sensing to scout for any presence up ahead but to no avail.


    With a slight frown, he stopped and summoned his Shadow minions and ordered them to scatter in several directions. After that, he left and moved forward.


    Several minutester, Gael still failed to sense anything, which worried him. It was one thing not to sense Achim and the others but to fail to sense any other lifeforms within his shadow-sensing range, that did not bode well.


    Krsh!


    Suddenly, Gael''s connection to one of his Shadow minions disappeared.


    Krsshh! Krsshh!


    Before he could make sense of what had happened, one after another, his connection with the rest of the Shadow minions also disappeared.


    Gael abruptly stopped and retracted his shadow-sensing. After which, he summoned a Shadow barrier, encasing himself in a huge ck sphere.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Several invisible des came at Gale from every direction. But because of the timely activation of the Shadow barrier, the invisible des were absorbed without inflicting any fatal injuries.


    Gael''s expression distorted from inside the Shadow barrier as he felt how much power was inserted into those invisible des. Frankly, if he had not retracted his shadow-sensing and only put up a normal magic barrier, he would have been diced alive.


    "To think I''d see the day when my Phantom des would fail to cut through an outsider''s barrier, interesting."


    Gael scowled as he tried to locate where the voice came from. He did not have to search long because a figure in full silver armor, standing more than two meters, holding a glowing silver long sword, had appeared a hundred meters upfront from where he was.


    ''An Armakean Knight and he knew I was an outsider,'' Gael thought while observing the knight.


    Because most knights he saw wore full armor, he did not know which group this knight belonged to.


    The knight''s energy differed from Gael''s, but that was insufficient to determine the former''s allegiance. After all, Kyran only absorbed six Armakeans, with five of them being knights.


    There were knights under Achim''s leadership that Kyran had yet to absorb, and the knight before Gael might be one.


    "Don''t make excuses, Kaleel. You should know your Divine Armament is inferior to an outsider''s magic barrier. You should have let me sneak attack instead."


    Whoosh! Cackle!


    Gael''s eyes widened as he sensed dangering his way, and as he heard a cackling sound, it was followed by a loud explosion.


    Boom!


    Gael felt his surroundings tremble as lightning struck his Shadow barrier.


    Because of the intensity of the explosion, the ground around the barrier was reduced to ashes.


    Clouds of dirt and rubble filled the space around the Shadow barrier, obscuring it from the two neers.


    "That should have done it."


    Standing on a boulder a distance from the first knight, a knight appeared. He was shorter than thetter by at least half a foot and held a glowing silver longbow. Faint sparks wereing from it, which suggested the lightning attack just now came from it.


    Gael narrowed his eyes as he looked at his hands, where faint sparks could be seen. Though the Shadow barrier reduced the lightning''s momentum, it still got to Gael. But since its power had been reduced, it only numbed his body a little.


    Nevertheless, the fact that his Shadow barrier failed to absorb and nullify the attackpletely was a testament to its strength.


    It should be noted that Gael''s Shadow magic now possesses Void properties. Thus, nullifying an elemental attack should have been easy.


    ''That bow-wielding knight... his Divine Armament is powerful,'' Gael thought while looking at the knight standing on the boulder. He did not think the knight was powerful because the might of the attack came from the Divine Armament itself, and the knight only relied on that.


    If thetter were powerful, he would have changed how he delivered it. But all the knight did was shoot one arrow at Gael''s Shadow barrier, thinking it was enough to destroy it.


    ''No matter,'' Gael thought with a slight smile. ''I don''t believe master wants a useless subordinate.''


    Gael knew Kyran wanted to absorb as many Armakean knights as possible. But in Gael''s opinion, it was best to filter out useless knights so they would not waste their master''s time and energy.


    With that in mind, Gael made a move.


    While the clouds of dirt and rubble obscured the vision of the two knights, he undid the Shadow barrier and activated his domain.


    In an instant, Gael''s shadow expanded and covered the whole ground at an rming speed. The range at which the clouds of dirt and rubble covered him was only in a radius of thirty meters. Thus, the two knights saw it and acted when the shadows crossed that range.


    "So much for your ''that should have done it,''" the taller knight with the long sword gruntled as he raised his arm holding the sword and shed at the fast-approaching shadow.


    Whoosh!


    Although he only swung his long sword once, three invisible des came out from its de and went straight at the shadow. Deep cuts appeared on the ground where the des passed through but did nothing to the shadow after reaching it.


    The bow-wielding knight jumped from the boulder and pulled his longbow. He aimed at the spot where the ck sphere had been and prepared to shoot.


    The bow-wielding knight did not have an arrow, but when he touched the longbow''s string, sparks appeared between the longbow''s arc and the string, and a thin lightning arrow materialized.


    Instantaneously, the bow-wielding knight released the arrow and shot the spot he was aiming at.


    "Don''t! You''ll only worsen the cloud of smoke¡ª !"


    The tall knight''s warning had gone on deaf ears as the arrow left the bow-wielding knight''s hand.


    Whoosh! Cackle! Boom!


    Another lightning attack struck the spot where Gael had been. However, he was no longer there since he entered the shadows after activating his domain. He was already trying to approach the two knights using the shadows to travel.


    "Tsk," the tall knight sensed an iing danger from the approaching shadow and immediately retreated.


    As he retreated, he inwardly cursed at the knight who teamed up with him to intercept outsiders.


    ''Why must I be teamed up with such an arrogant fool!'' He cursed.


    "Oi! Where are you going? We have not disposed of the outsider yet!" The bow-wielding knight yelled at the tall knight after seeing him flee.


    "Fool! Don''t let those ck things touch you!"


    As the tall knight shouted his warning, the ck thing that crept on the ground sprang like sharp spikes. These spikes were aimed at the bow-wielding knight while he was suspended in midair.


    The bow-wielding knight glowered at the approaching spikes as he pulled his longbow again. In an instant, several lightning arrows appeared on his hand. After which, he released them toward the iing attack.


    BOOM!


    An explosion followed after the arrows collided with the spikes.


    "Ngh...!"


    The bow-wielding knight brought his arms to his face as he shielded himself from the explosion. Nevertheless, since he was near it, he suffered from the brunt of its force was was sent flying.


    But he only got thrown for a few meters when something shot out from the cloud of smoke and wrapped around his shin.


    "What¡ª argh!"


    The bow-wielding knight was pulled back to the ground by a powerful force, and just when he thought he would hit the ground, he felt something murky fill his whole body.


    ''What is this thing?'' The bow-wielding knight tried to struggle free from the murky thing that had already covered his whole body. However, no matter how much he tried, he could not break free. It was like his limbs had be lead.


    "There is no point struggling."


    A voice spoke close to the bow-wielding knight''s ear, which shocked him.


    "Don''t worry, the pain will be brief."


    The bow-wielding knight tried to respond, but suddenly, the murky thing covering him shifted. It did not take long for him to realize that the more it shifted, the more his body twisted to a dangerous angle.


    "No¡ª!"


    The bow-wielding knight tried to scream, but unfortunately, no sound came out. His eyes turned bloodshot as his head started to turn. It was fine if his body followed the direction of his head, but it did not.


    And then.


    SNAP!


    The bow-wielding knight''s neck snapped, and he died without much drama.


    Gael sighed in disappointment. He had expected the knight to put up a decent fight before getting killed. But it seemed his initial assessment of thetter wascking.


    The bow-wielding knight relied on his Divine Armament''s strength and was a sorry excuse for a Somulian.


    ''Master would have been greatly disappointed if such a knight became his subordinate. Such a waste of a good Divine Armament,'' he thought as he raised his right hand with a sly smile because the glowing silver longbow was on his hand. ck vein-like shadows crept on its surface as he started to absorb it.


    ''Good thing Divine Armaments can be absorbed. This discovery will be useful to master.''

 Chapter 805 Attack (5)

    ?


    Kaleel cursed as he retreated to the other side of the chasm wall. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him without looking back to check if those ck things were still after him. Because he knew they were, and if he hesitated even a quarter of a second, he would end up like Sekir.


    A few hours ago, Captain Hohen tasked him and Sekir to scout the location ahead of time and intercept any outsiders theye across.


    The decision behind their mission was not random, though Prince Achim and his people were unaware of it. It was not mutiny that made them hide this from the Prince. After analyzing the third party that helped the Eidums in thest two raids, they decided to add precautionary measures.


    Besides, they received word from one of their informants that the outsiders eyeing their ne had already made contact with the leaders of the other nations. Although they had yet to confirm if an outsider did make contact with the Eidums because their Abbot was missing, they still had to consider that the outsider made a deal with the Abbot''s son instead. They could have even asked the Saint.


    In any case, their leader had already confirmed that the mysterious fighter who assisted the Eidums was not from Howling Pass. If that was the case, there was only one other exnation for his identity¡ª he was an outsider.


    Looking at the two previous raids they had against the Eidums, the mysterious fighter singlehandedly dealt with their forces the first time. As for the second, he waste. From this, they surmised he was not staying with the Eidums. But they believed he was somewhere close since he managed to arrive before the Eidums were defeated.


    At that moment, their main forces had already started attacking the Eidum''s main gate. Chances that they sent out an SOS to that mysterious fighter were high, thus, their leader believed he would appear at any time.


    Kaleel and Sekir''s mission was to intercept him or any outsider that came their way. Their leader chose them because, based on their analysis of the mysterious fighter''s strengths and possible weaknesses, their Divine Armament''s capabilities had the highest chance of dealing with him.


    Kaleel''s Phantom de was among the most advanced stealth attacks in Armakea, while Sekir''s Lightning Strike had a numbing effect and could be utilized in arge area. Their leader believed that if the two of them worked together, Kaleel could pressure the mysterious fighter while Sekir found an opportunity to use Lightning Strike to knock him unconscious.


    Yes. Their mission was to knock him out, contrary to Sekir''s earlier deration of disposing of any outsider.


    Unexpectedly, they found a different outsider possessing bizarre magic. What was more, their abilities were not working on him.


    ''The Eidums are treacherous. I must let Leader know that they struck a deal with not one but two outsiders!'' Kaleel thought through gritted teeth. As he thought this, his battle instincts kicked in as he sensed an iing danger from behind.


    Kaleel jumped while striking his long sword vertically to the ground three times. Several phantom des appeared and cut through the ck things that leaped at him like strange, uneven hands.


    He cursed silently as the phantom des neared the hands¡ª others might not see the des, but because he was the one to unleash them, he could see them as clear as day¡ª because he already knew it was useless to cut through those ck things. He believed his Phantom des would have shown their true strength if aimed at the mysterious fighter with these ck, uneven-looking hands.


    Unbeknownst to Kaleel, if his Phantom des were to be aimed at Kyran, it would not have made any difference. Whether Kyran dodged it or not, those invisible des could not hurt him.


    sh! sh! sh!


    Surprisingly, the phantom des cut through the ck, uneven-looking hands this time, slicing them into several pieces.


    Kaleel was stunned for a second because of this result, which almost cost him his life.


    A strange-looking ck golem emerged from the now-ckened ground. It looked strange because it did not have any arms or a torso. It only had a smooth bald head with bright glowing red eyes. It then opened its mouth, revealing razor-sharp ck teeth.


    "Ngh...!"


    Kaleel forcefully twisted his body midair and shed his long sword again, aiming it at the iing strange-looking golem. Simultaneously, he took an orb from his pocket and threw it at the spot where he wouldnd.


    sh! sh! sh!


    The strange-looking golem was cut into several pieces, and it let out a silent cry of agony before dissolving into the ckened ground.


    The orb Kaleel threw exploded with a soft puff, and a floating crystal board appeared. Looking at the flying board, his heart broke a little. This item was one of his priced treasures¡ª a lost technology he received as a reward after sessfullypleting a high-risk mission. He also paid a huge amount of gold to ask a Space mage to store it inside a one-time-use orb.


    He did not want to use it because he believed he could outrun those ck things and reach the Armakea border.


    s, that did not happen.


    Kaleel shook his head, put aside his feelings of regret, and willed the flying board toward the direction of the Armakea border.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the flying board the tall knight boarded. Because of it, thetter''s speed increased.


    ''This won''t do,'' Gael thought. His intent to kill surged as he retracted his domain. He had to pick up his speed if he wanted to kill the tall knight.


    However, Gael''s domaincks the speed he needs to catch the tall knight. That was because the area he could move around was limited to the range of his domain.


    But that was a different story if he used his Shadow magic''s other ability. To do that, he had to leave and retract his domain. He would be exposed momentarily, but as long as he used the natural shadows in the surroundings to hide and move around, he should be fine.


    Gael did just that and shortened the distance between him and the tall knight.


    Meanwhile, Kaleel was stumped. Earlier, he was positive that his Phantom des did not work on those ck things. Howe they were working now? Not that he wasining.


    As he sped toward the Armakea''s border, he suddenly sensed the decrease in danger aimed at him and finally took the chance to look behind. His brow furrowed slightly in confusion as he found those ck things no longer followed him.


    ''Did I lose him?'' He wondered.


    Though Kaleel considered this thought, he did not lower his guard. He even picked up his pace because he would be truly safe only when he reached their border''s defensive line. As a citizen of Armakea, he was recognized by the border''s defenses. But once the outsider crossed that line, he would be doomed.


    Gael hopped from one shadow to another while watching the tall knight''s flight closely. He knew Armakea knights could detect his presence even if he hid inside a shadow and could only keep a reasonable distance. Nevertheless, his killing intent had already eased the more he observed the tall knight.


    The bow-wielding knight earlier was far too weak regardingbat skills, decision-making, and judgment, so Gael did not hesitate to kill him.


    But the tall knight was different.


    Frankly, Gael found the tall knight''s decision to retreat when he realized they could not deal with his magic a wise one. It was not cowardice like the bow-wielding knight had said. Apart from this, the tall knight did not lower his speed or guard after seeing that Gael''s shadows no longer pursued him.


    From this, Gael gleaned that the tall knight was one of those exemry knights who could be a good addition to his master''s subordinates.


    Killing him would be a waste of talent. Turning him into a Shadow minion was also out of the question. After all, Shadow minions'' level and strength would not go over his own. Unlike if the tall knight was absorbed and reborn as one of his master''s servants, his potential would be limitless.


    Considering this, Gael no longer considered killing the tall knight. Rather, he wanted to ensure that thetter would be among the knights that would be his master''s subordinate.


    From this incident, however, Gael knew the tall knight was working under a different leadership.


    ''Anyway, I must know why Achim and the others got dyed. Following this guy will lead me to them. Hopefully, nothing untoward happened to them.''


    When Gael encountered Kaleel and Sekir, Kyran finally saw what was inside the cargo.


    As the three magical beasts roared and screamed in defiance and reverence, the door to the cargo opened, and a beautiful young woman in a white dress stepped out. There was something unearthly about the young woman.


    However, that was unimportant to Kyran as he roused his Draconic magic to enhance his senses. He had to do this to get a better look at the young woman.


    After observing for a few seconds, Kyran''s eyes widened in disbelief.

 Chapter 806 Attack (6)

    ?


    The woman possessed a beauty that could not be defined in human words.


    This sentence rang in Kyran''s head as he recalled another person or being whose beauty could be said the same.


    A being with glistening skin, as if they were covered in diamond dust. Her lips, the shade of coral, were lushed. Her eyes seemed to have been carved from diamonds, and the color of her scleras was the same as her pupils¡ª light pink.


    The woman looked very much like White Lily, except the color of her eyes was not light pink but faded green. Nevertheless, the resemnce was uncanny, and assuming they were rted was not wrong.


    Could that woman be rted to White Lily and was one of the spirits that entered a different rift to take refuge during the Spirit ne''s destruction?


    Kyran racked his brain for every conversation he had with White Lily and recalled if she mentioned any missing sibling or family. But no matter how much he tried, he never heard her mention any. His memory was quite good, thus, he could not be wrong. Then again, he never really asked her about her past, especially her family. It was not because he was being impersonal. As a matter of fact, he wanted to learn more about what happened in the Human ne during his predecessor''s time.


    Kyran avoided asking White Lily about her past or family because he feared she would tell him stories about her and his predecessor. The thought of hearing stories about them made him uneasy, and she added to that uneasiness with how she treated him like Can''s reincarnation or something.


    But after seeing the woman who walked out of the cargo, Kyran regretted not asking White Lily about her. It only urred to him how cold he had been to her for not asking those things.


    It was not only her. There was also Ste, some of his Sigils, and those from the Nobles Families he marked. He never really tried to know them.


    Even Cyneah. The person Kyran believed to be the most important person to him.


    Kyran had thought he was being mindful of not asking Cyneah to tell him about her past. Because, as he told her when she asked, he honestly did not want her to remember any painful memories. But thinking about it now, even if he did not ask, she would always have those painful memories. Whether he wanted her to remember or not, memories like that would always be there. She might even be tormented by them every single time.


    That had been the case when Kyran first had a tragic experience while still in training. asionally, he would remember all those innocent lives he killed and would feel regretful. His mood would then be affected, and he might even do something reckless as a result.


    Unlike a year ago, Kyran had better control over his emotions now. He could maintain a calm and rxed demeanor even when his mind was in turmoil after remembering what happened.


    But this was Kyran. His family taught him the art ofbat and control over his emotions at all times since he was a child. Obviously, he failed on thetter because there were still situations where he could not control them¡ª especially when his family and people were concerned. However, because he had prior training, he had no difficulty adapting as time passed.


    Cyneah was different. She was not trained to control her emotions. Maybe if she grew up in the pce, she might have learned it. She was the Crown Princess, after all. But she had been forced to leave the pce and live as a disabled and unwanted nobody.


    Kyran cleared his thoughts.


    Thinking about these things now would do him no good. He had to focus on the matter at hand.


    Turning his attention to the situation below, he watched as the woman who looked much like White Lily, except for the color of her eyes, raised her right hand.


    Suddenly, several glowing silvery orbs of different sizes emerged from the ground and gathered before her palm.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he sensed a simr energy to magic energying from those orbs.


    ''Could those orbs be mana?'' he wondered as he continued to observe the situation below.


    The three magical beasts continued to roar and scream. Clearly, they were afraid of the woman, yet they were reluctant to make a run for it.


    The glowing silvery orbs grew one meter in diameter before bursting into several small lights. These small lights shed and connected to one another, forming a one-meter diameter white chrysanthemum flower.


    Seeing the flower made Kyran remember White Lily''s huge diamond lily. He had thought she got her name because her magic manifested as such. But that might not be the case. Instead, White Lily might be the Spirit of Lily flowers. Which meant the woman below was the Spirit of Chrysanthemum flowers.


    The more Kyran thought of it, the more he believed it was the case.


    With a wry smile, Kyran could not help but feel a little ashamed. He was the son of the Spirit Child, yet his knowledge about them was limited.


    As the white chrysanthemum materialized, the woman''s eyes glowed, and she waved her outstretched hand. The chrysanthemum spun, and three identical but smaller and transparent chrysanthemums emerged from it. They then flew toward the three magical beasts and passed through their bodies.


    The three magical beasts let out a wretched cry as the small translucent chrysanthemums embedded themselves into their backs. Soon, the chrysanthemums turned into seals, and the three magical beasts'' eyes glowed fiercely.


    The woman then closed her eyes, lifted her other arm, and began to wave as if she were in front of an invisible audience and was in the middle of conducting a show.


    RAWRGH!


    The three magical beasts'' aura exploded, sending out an almost palpable magic wave that forced everyone within a radius of a hundred meters to take a few steps back.


    Nahir and his group, sensing the ominous aura from the direction of the three magical beasts, instantly paled.


    The truth was that Nahir wanted to target the three before and cast lethargy on them before they released their aura. That was the only way he thought of to ensure they could at least fight them or keep them busy while the rest of the Eidums dealt with the other enemies.


    However, the magical beasts had already unleashed their aura before they could even get near. This meant the former three''s defenses and magic outputs had doubled, or even tripled, and would likely give Nahir and his group a hard time.


    ''Who are you kidding?'' Nahir asked himself disdainfully. ''Even the Nobles'' elites would have sacrificed several of their powerful mages just to kill one magical beast. What can our people, whose strength lies in support magic, do against three?''


    Just thinking about it already robbed Nahir of any hope. Nevertheless, he did not show this. With the news about his father''s abduction, the Eidums looked to him for strength. He could not show them any weakness at such trying times. Even though he knew his father was not really in danger, and even now, the older man was at their border, observing the battle and ready to step in.


    ''Maybe I should not have been stubborn and asked Nar to also stand by.''


    Nahir immediately dismissed the thought that crossed his mind. He could not allow such thoughts to distract him and make him feel worse. He had to get a grip and follow through with their n. If anything else, he was willing to risk his life to take down one of the three magical beasts.


    "Forward!" Nahir shouted, and the Eidums with him, who started to feel helpless with their situation, received a boost in confidence.


    Though their situation was dire, as long as their leader had not given up, why should they?


    "KILL!" Gidan also shouted a battle cry and raised his hand. He summoned his Divine Armament, which was a huge double-faced silver axe, and swung it toward the horde before them.


    RAWRGH!


    The beasts in their path roared at them with ws ready to pounce and maws wide open ready to bite.


    A silver light shed from the de of Gidan''s axe and struck several beasts before him, resulting in them receiving a huge gash on their chest.


    RAWRGH!


    The beasts cried out in pain. However, their cry was short-lived as a burst of fire pir emerged from the ground where they stood, incinerating them in an instant.


    Gidan turned slightly to look at Nahir, who had cast that fire pir. He gave a short nod of appreciation before advancing again.


    Nahir did not react. Or, to be precise, he could not because he had to focus all his attention on assisting the rest of his group members.


    All of them were engaged in a battle with a beast or two. And so far, they could hold their own because they managed to weaken them with spells before engaging. Nevertheless, taking down one beast would still take them a few minutes. For this reason, Nahir cast offensive fire magic to assist them.

 Chapter 807 Attack (7)

    ?


    Nahir had no trouble casting offensive magic because his Fire magic had a destructive cleansing effect. The more his target had impurities in their body and mind, the more his mes'' destructiveness would be unleashed.


    Apart from the Eidums, the impurities inside the bodies of the inhabitants of Somuli were significant. For this reason, Nahir''s cleansing mes could be very destructive. Since it also involved the mind, Eidums might also be affected because not all had pure hearts. Nevertheless, the destructiveness of his mes was far lesspared to when someone with both impure body and mind was attacked with it.


    One reason Nahir decided to give Kyran the benefit of the doubt was because he was unaffected by his mes. This spoke volumes about the younger man''s impurities. But since Kyran admitted to being an outsider, as well as being the Dark Sage''s sessor, Nahir could no longer say for sure.


    Anyway, that was unimportant at the moment.


    What was important was that Nahir''s mes were very effective against the Armakea forces. His group advanced with little resistance from the enemy. Nevertheless, as the distance between them and the three magical beasts decreased, the pressure weighing on them increased.


    They were still afraid to fight the three magical beasts now that they had released their aura. But their desire to protect their people outweighed that fear, and they moved forward with determined steps.


    ''Fall back, Nahir!''


    The Abbot''s voice sounded in Nahir''s head, resulting in a slight frown on his handsome face. He frowned, not because of the order but more of how his father sounded fearful.


    ''Father?''


    ''Lady Chrysanthemum hase. Those magical beasts'' will go on a rampage in any minute!''


    Nahir''s eyes widened. He thought they would only deal with three magical beasts, and he never expected that one of the upper six Royals of the Magical Beast Community had decided to assist the Armakea.


    Twelve Royals led the Magical Beast Community, and they were separated into two groups: Lower and Upper. It went without saying that the Upper Six Royals were far more powerful than the Lower Six, and Lady Chrysanthemum was among the strongest in the Upper Six.


    Why would someone like her assist in a war between the Eidums and Armakeans? The Magical Beast Community was a separate nation, and although they were on good terms with Armakea, Nahir did not think it was enough for them to join their war.


    ''Cast a protection spell, and I will cast a protective shield to help you retreat,'' the Abbot added while keeping a close eye on the distance between Nahir''s group and the three magical beasts.


    The three magical beasts continued to roar as mana orbs emerged from the ground and entered their bodies. With each orb that entered their bodies, a pulsation seemed to explode from them, and the translucent chrysanthemum seal on their backs lit up with a powerful force.


    The eyes of every beast nearby that heard this pulsation changed¡ª as if they were hypnotized by the sound and dulled their minds.


    The Abbot could not help but look at the magical beasts in pain. He heard Lady Chrysanthemum''s magic, which he truly feared.


    Chrysanthemums had different meanings, depending on their colors. But among them, white chrysanthemum had the most depressing meaning.


    Mourning. Grief.


    And that was precisely the emotions Lady Chrysanthemum instilled into her targets once her seal appeared on their bodies. Because of these emotions, her targets tend to go on a rampage just because of the unbearable mourning and grief filling them.


    ''The aura of the magical beasts is affecting the rest of the horde. Hurry up, Nahir!''


    Before the Abbot finished what he was saying, Nahir had already cast a protection spell on them, and with only one word, he ordered them all to "RETREAT!"


    The Eidums with him were stunned by the unexpected order. Even Gidan, who was at the forefront, was surprised. Still, no one questioned Nahir. More importantly, they sensed his protection spell enveloping their bodies and knew that whatever made him order a retreat was definitely bad news.


    As soon as the Abbot sensed his son cast the protection spell, he summoned his Divine Armament and prepared to cast a wide-area protective shield.


    The sheer amount of energy his Divine Armament possessed caused the air around him to fluctuate. Because of this, the concealing and invisibility effects of the token Kyran gave him shattered, revealing his presence.


    Several healers were casting healing or enhancement buffs from above the steel walls, and the Abbot stood between two healers. The moment he appeared out of nowhere shocked them senseless, and they almost missed healing a fighter who had just been injured by aplete being nearby.


    "Abbot!"


    "T-The Abbot has escaped his abductors!"


    "The Abbot is here!"


    "We are all saved!"


    One after another, the Eidums around the Abbot shouted in glee.


    "Concentrate!" The Abbot, however, had no time to respond to them and even told them off.


    "Yes!"


    Nevertheless, they did not mind. Their courage had even been renewed as they relentlessly supported the fighters below.


    Seeing his disguise had been broken, the Abbot no longer cared about restraining his magic. As a matter of fact, restraining them was out of the question now that his people were in danger of getting annihted by those magical beasts.


    The air crackled as mana orbs gathered in front of the Abbot. His Divine Armament, a two-meter tall diamond Pavise Shield, absorbed these mana orbs and let out a blinding light in the blink of an eye. The light spread throughout the battlefield, and a miniature translucent replica of the Abbot''s Divine Armament appeared on every Eidums.


    One of these miniature replicas manifested on an Eidum just in time before a beast looking like a crossbreed between a hound and a lion bit him.


    Dong!


    The breast hit the translucent shield and got stunned. It felt like it had mmed itself on a solid metal shield.


    Seeing the beast lose its senses, the Eidum immediately cast a restraining magic on it and shed the beast''s throat using the sword in his hand.


    Splurt!


    The Eidum''s strength wascking to cut off the beast''s headpletely, but it was enough to leave a deep cut on its throat. With blood gushing out of the cut, the beast fell to the ground, twitching. It would only be a matter of seconds before it died of blood loss.


    They were shocked when Nahir''s group saw the shield protecting them from the onught of the horde because they recognized it as the Abbot''s. Soon, they came to think that Nahir ordered them to retreat because the Abbot had arrived.


    With renewed zeal, they sliced or hit as many beasts as possible. They could not kill them because most of them were only using high-quality weapons and not Divine Armaments. After all, most of them did not have a weapon for a Divine Armament.


    The only exception was Gidan, who was not originally an Eidum and a soldier from the Kingdom of Cretea.


    Nheless, they managed to leave fatal wounds on the beasts and, at times, beast-likes andplete beings as they retreated.


    RAWRGH!


    A heavy and ominous aura reverberated throughout the whole battlefield as the chrysanthemum seals on the magical beastspleted the absorption of the mana orbs.


    Every individual, friend, or foe felt their insides churn by the sheer aftershock from the magical beasts'' roar.


    Many even fell on their knees and coughed outrge amounts of blood as they suffered internal injuries.


    The Eidums, however, were safe and only felt their insides churn because the Abbot''s shield protected them.


    RAWRGH!


    After the firstbined roars of the three magical beasts, the Comodo let out a mighty roar as it raised its forearms. Then with great strength, it mmed its ws on the ground, sending great tremors that covered at least three hundred meters around it.


    Crack! Crack! Crack! Boom!


    Several huge cracks appeared on the ground, followed by an explosion as it caved in.


    The whole battlefield immediately went into disarray.


    Some were unfortunate ones standing where a crack appeared, fell into the deep crevices, and once it caved in, got buried into them.


    Before they could even make sense of what had just happened, several lumps of earth emerged on the ground like spikes and skewered anyone close to it.


    Blood, internal organs, and flesh exploded everywhere.


    The Eidums on top of the steel walls paled, and a few even fell to the ground and puked from the gore of the sight.


    Surprisingly, though, none of the fighters from Eidum were skewered or suffered from the sudden attacks.


    The healers all looked at the Abbot in awe, believing that it was all due to his protection that kept them safe.


    The Abbot remained silent. However, his mind was in turmoil because though he was protecting every Eidum on the battlefield, it was not him that prevented them from being skewered by those spikes.


    ''Found you.''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he finally found Cyneah.

 Chapter 808 Unexpected Turn

    ?


    Kyran did not make a move when the three magical beasts started their attack because he already sensed the old man at the border. Given the situation, he did not think the old man would keep his hand while his people were ughtered.


    Showing up like that would end their facade, but that was the least of their worries at the current flow of things.


    Besides, Kyran only suggested the old man leave the scene in the pretence of getting abducted because he wanted to give the Eidums time to breathe from the Nobles'' harassment.


    Whether the old man returned to the scene at ater date did not assure the Nobles would stop their harassment, especially after the news Dusk provided.


    He said Flos''s side was already preparing to negotiate with the fake Somuli Sovereign. More than a week had passed since then, and chances that the two sides had already made contact were high. Considering this, the fake Somuli Sovereign and the Nobles might be upied right now and could not be bothered by the Eidum''s situation. But once Flos and the fake Somuli Sovereign came to an agreement, they would definitelye for the Eidums. Or, to be precise, the Saint.


    Before that, Kyran would have already initiated his n to conquer Armakea. For now, though, he had to resolve the matter at hand.


    Kyran felt his heart sank as his fear came true.


    Earlier, he had begun to wonder how Cyneah managed to keep the mirror under control. He thought of several possibilities, but only one really stood out, especially if he considered her current situation and location.


    Cyneah had been absorbing the souls of the fallen beasts andplete beings to feed the Macabre cier.


    Kyran would not have realized this because not everyone could actually see souls. He could not see them either. What he could see were auras of death.


    He rarely used this skill when enhancing his sight using Draconic magic. But because of this skill, he knew Cyneah already had her foot in death''s door back when they first met.


    Kyran did not use this skill because he thought Cyneah still possessed that aura. Rather, he used it to check if the death aura below was attracted to something.


    But when he did look, Kyran was surprised at what he saw.


    The battlefield, even amidst the ughter, had little death aura. Moreover, the little death auras he could see were closer to the edges of a specific spot.


    Others would not notice it, but in Kyran''s view, the difference was too ring. It was almost blinding.


    It was thanks to this that he found Cyneah. She was at the center where there was zero death aura. Kyran could not see her per se. But he could feel her. The feeling he got was not simr to how he would if he were using magic sense. It was more of an instinct.


    Having a better look at the location, Kyran reckoned Cyneah was hiding somewhere below because it was the spot where hended with a drop kick from the previous raid.


    The Armakea forces and Eidums avoided that area because there was a huge crater, and fighting in such ground could be tricky.


    Kyran wanted to rush there and pull Cyneah out because the location was deep within the enemy ranks and was even close to where the three magical beasts were and the cargo.


    If those three or Lady Chrysanthemum made a significant movement, Cyneah could be in danger.


    Still, sneaking into that location would not be easy with all the beasts nearby- not to mention three magical beasts.


    Kyran knew they would not sense him because of the Shaiha''s protection, but there was another way for them to sense him.


    His smell.


    No matter how powerful the Shaiha was, it could not mask his scent. This was its limitation. But it rarely posed a problem because few people possess a very high keen sense of smell.


    On the other hand, beasts with such a keen sense of smell were fairlymon. It was considered one of their natural abilities.


    Kyran knew if he wanted to get to Cyneah, he could only warp to where she was. But doing so might expose his identity- not to the Eidums, but to those watching the war from afar.


    That was right.


    Representatives from different Sovereign factions had already arrived and observed the battle between Armakea and Eidum.


    Kyran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to decide soon. If not, the Eidums would suffer even more.


    Just now, when the Comodo unleashed those spikes, Kyran knew it was Cyneah who protected the Eidums on the battlefield. He did not know how, but he somehow sensed her magic at work.


    But that attack was only the beginning. She could not protect them all the time.


    Kyran even felt that Cyneah exhausted a lot of her magic energy from that move, which could spell trouble over her control of the Macabre cier. If she got exhausted and the mirror had notpleted its absorption of the death aura on the battlefield, the mirror might start absorbing the souls of those near-death individuals.


    Kyran had three choices: warp to where Cyneah was and risk exposing both of them to those beings observing from afar; make another grand entry as ''Nar'' and direct everyone''s interest solely to him; or stay put and let things unfold by themselves.


    Kyran would never consider thetter because he did not believe in fate. Besides, not doing anything when you obviously could do something did not sit well with him. The former was the easiest to do but most messiest. Easy because all he had to do was warp, but messiest because once he warped himself and Cyneah, he would leave a trace behind that could attract those beings.


    It should be noted that the Shaiha could mask his aura, and presence, even his magic fluctuation, as long as he was there. But once he left, and the magic fluctuation had yet to disappear, it would be his footprint. When word of his appearance in Somuli reaches Flos, the situation there would take a 360-degree turn for the worse¡ª especially when a certain Sovereign Kyran wanted to avoid also joins the fray.


    Ruin.


    Kyran had time to prepare if it was only with Flos, but Ruin had an essence nearby. Although thetter was not among the beings watching the battle between Armakea and Eidums, he would surelye once he heard the news of Kyran''s appearance.


    Kyran opened his eyes and looked at the battle below.


    The other two magical beasts moved after the Comodo unleashed those spikes.


    The Basilisk raised its body and spat out a blue acid-like breath that instantly disintegrated everything within twenty meters of its range. It was fortunate that there were no Eidums close to it, and even Nahir''s group, who were the closest, had already retreated a good distance.


    On the other hand, the Dryad summoned thick ck vines with angry-looking red thorns that slithered their way in all directions. They attacked everything in their path.


    Looking at the scene of carnage from above, others would think that the three magical beasts were actually helping the Eidums reduce the number of their enemies. However, those who witnessed how the situation unfolded would know that the ones getting attacked were the Armakeans only because the Eidums had started their retreat. Apart from that, the Abbot''s protective shields protected the retreating Eidums.


    Kyran then looked at those Armakeans lined up behind the cargo.


    The Armakean forces behind had yet to make their move. They simply watched the scene of carnage happening before them without a care that the ones getting massacred were their own.


    Kyran felt disgusted by their attitude. Nevertheless, a sudden disturbing feeling came over him as he looked at Lady Chrysanthemum.


    Lady Chrysanthemum already had her eyes opened. She waved her hand every now and then, and the magical beasts responded with an attack.


    Looking at her movement, Kyran surmised that she could only control the magical beasts to attack the Eidums. Yet she had not done anything of the sort.


    ''Could it be¡­?''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as he looked at Lady Chrysanthemum. Suddenly, he felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine as he realized something.


    ''Neah, you¡­''


    Once again, Kyran regretted not asking what happened to Cyneah when she arrived in Somuli. If he had, he would have done everything he could to prevent her from doing something like this.


    While Kyran struggled at the things he was witnessing, the subject of his anguish was quietly sitting cross-legged on a hollowed space fifty meters underground.


    A gray, misty figure loomed behind her as ck mists whirled around them.


    The gray figure leaned toward her and whispered something, to which Cyneah replied with a cold voice, "Absorb those souls as much as you want, but I forbid you to touch the Eidums."

 Chapter 809 Humanoid Dragon

    ?


    After hearing Cyneah''s response, the gray figure, resembling a three-meter tall,nky gray hooded mage, pulled back its head in a burst of soundlessughter. Looking at its shaking figure, it looked creepy and menacing at the same time.


    The air around them shook as the mist converged toward the gray figure before scattering in several directions.


    Cyneah ignored the figure as it left the hollowed space. Even when she responded to its request just now, she did not let her concentration waver even for a second. She continued to use her magic sense to maintain her connection to all the high-ranking members of the Armakea forces. It was no easy feat, especially when she had to control more than a hundred individuals at the same time.


    But she could not afford to rx. If she did and her connection to these people was severed, then she would no longer be able to protect the Eidums. It would also backfire on her because the spell she performed had been severed prematurely.


    Cyneah was not afraid of receiving a bacsh and suffering. After all, she was already numb to such torturous pain. What she was afraid of was the Eidums'' suffering because of her failure.


    Just as she thought this, a silhouette crossed her mind. It was Kyran''s silhouette, and while she knew he would not allow anything to happen with the Eidums, she also knew he would not be participating in this battle. She knew him too well to know he nned for the Eidums to gain experience in this battle.


    But Cyneah knew the impending danger that would befall the Eidums this day. She also guessed if Kyran could use his magic sense well, he would have known about that danger.


    s, it seemed his control over the magic energy in the surroundings was limited, resulting in him being unable to use his magic sense fully.


    Cyneah had the opportunity to tell Kyran about the danger but hesitated mainly because she was not ready to impart all her deep, dark secrets. She could not very well tell him that she realized the Armakean''s n simply by spying on them using her magic sense. If she did, he would have asked when she spied on them and how she managed it. And lying to her benefactor was something she could not do.


    It was ironic how she got angry when he kept things from her when she had her own and was even unwilling to impart them.


    ''You say that. But after this, did you really think he will not know the truth?''


    A voice very simr to her own fleeted in her mind''s eye.


    Cyneah immediately blocked the voice out from her mind and kept her focus.


    If there was one thing she learned after arriving in Somuli, it was that she must never allow herself to be distracted by her thoughts. Because those thoughts were only her conscience nagging. In a situation where any move could spell her death, would her conscience keep her alive?


    The answer was no.


    For this reason, Cyneah could not allow distractions, and she had been doing well.


    ''Until he appeared.''


    As her conscience kept nagging her, the more Cyneah killed off her emotions. She could not do it alone, but it was fine. The array formation she created would do it for her. It was this array formation that helped her survive all those years.


    s, the more she strived to survive, the more she attracted the attention of the Nobles. Finally, it led to that faithful day when she got captured and almost died.


    She would not really die. The Macabre cier''s sentient¡ª that gray figure¡ª would not allow that. If the Abbot had not stepped in to save her, then the mirror''s sentient would have revealed itself and consumed everyplete being that dared kill her.


    Whether it was a good thing or not, the Macabre cier had already epted Cyneah as its master. Thus, it would not allow her to die.


    ''It is futile. Deny all you want, but you know after this day, he wille to know your secret, and he, like the others, will scorn you.''


    Cyneah continued to ignore the voice that kept fleeting in her head.


    Her mirror-like eyes continued to glow as she focused on a white light that hovered before her eyes. This light was not really physically present but only a projection from the array formation she set up.


    Several other lights like these danced before her eyes, but this white light, in particr, belonged to Lady Chrysanthemum. Silver-like threads were connected from Cyneah to those lights, but the one connected to Lady Chrysanthemum was particrly thicker.


    Currently, Cyneah was controlling Lady Chrysanthemum''s every movement. As for the other lights, which belonged to the high-level members of the Armakea force, she restrained their movements.


    To be honest, Cyneah could control every being on that battlefield. However, her time, as well as the pills she concocted, were limited. These pills were necessary to establish the connection with the array formation.


    When she left the border earlier, she went to the Armakea''s side and controlled one of the low-ranking officers guarding the border. From that office, she made her way, albeit consciously, inside their HQ and distributed the pills to the Armakea''s high-ranking members.


    However, there was an officer and a group of knights to whom she failed to give a pill. But it was alright because they left afterwards. She was also running low on pills then, and it was a good thing she had onest to give to Lady Chrysanthemum, who at that time was hidden in a very powerful sealed cargo.


    Cyneah watched the battlefield from Lady Chrysanthemum''s eyes. She continued to control the magical beasts, whom she could not connect with, through Lady Chrysanthemum''s magic.


    She watched with emotionless eyes as they massacred every beast, beast-like andplete being. She was not a fan of such brutality, but it was something she had gotten used to in her first three years in Somuli.


    To be more urate, she was forced to get used to it.


    When Cyneah was about tomand the three magical beasts to start firing friendly fire on those high-ranking members behind the enemy line, an ominous, almost suffocating pressure befell the battlefield.


    Cyneah''s eyes widened in shock. She was well deep underground, yet she also sensed the pressure. This showed how much power whoever caused that possessed.


    KKIIIIIEEEAAKKH!


    The gray figure, absorbing the death auras of the fallen on the battlefield, let out an excited, almost frantic shriek when the pressure appeared.


    BOOM!


    Following that pressure, a glowing silver figurended with great ferocity before the Comodo. It destroyed the ground and covered more than a hundred-meter radius in a thick cloud of smoke.


    The hollowed space where Cyneah was shook; its ceiling threatened to cave in. In the end, the barrier she put up managed to keep the space from getting destroyed. Still, that was not the same with the array formation on the ground.


    Although the tremor just now did not destroy it, it almost made her lose her connection with the Armakeans and Lady Chrysanthemum.


    Nahir and his group were already near the Eidum''s border when the glowing silver figure descended on the battlefield. Though they were quite a distance away, they still felt the stifling presence it exuded. Not to mention its pressure from before had not lifted yet.


    "Don''t just stand there! Get inside the border!" The Abbot barked hismand after sensing great danger from the neer. Judging by that person''s aura, it was an outsider. He feared that it was one of those outsiders that Kyran had told them about. If it was, then the situation was already out of their control.


    RAAAAWRGH!


    The Comodo roared at the glowing figure, undeterred by its towering presence. It raised one of its front ws, wanting to slice the figure into thin pieces.


    "Pipe down."


    The glowing figure''s voice reverberated on the whole battlefield. It was deep and not even loud, yet all of them heard it.


    As the figure spoke, the Comodo froze in ce, and something seemed to snap from within. Its frenzied eyes cleared as it gazed down at the figure.


    Just then, a powerful gust of wind blew around them, clearing the cloud of smoke.


    Because of this, the Abbot, Nahir, and the rest of the Eidums, who had better eyesight, could finally have a better view of the figure.


    Judging from the figure''s voice, they already knew the figure was a male. Looking at his back, he was tall and very imposing. He was covered in silver armor, which exined why he initially seemed glowing.


    But the color of the figure''s armor was the least of their worries because they were attracted by its design.


    No.


    The figure''s armor did not look like a simple design. It felt as if it was an extension of who he was.


    To them, the figure looked like a humanoid silver dragon.

 Chapter 810 Submission

    <h4>Chapter 810 Submission</h4>


    At thest minute, Kyran decided to intervene in the battle between the Armakea and Eidum using his Draconic magic. He came to this decision after much deliberation.


    The Shaiha masked his aura and magic, and warping to Cyneah''s location would not reveal himself to those outsiders observing from afar per se. But that was not his immediate concern. Instead, he was worried about how the mirror would react once he appeared.


    It should be noted that his first encounter with the Macabre cier, it managed to influence the Shaiha easily. If that happened, thetter would go haywire. After that, it would stop concealing his aura and magic, which would then reveal his presence.


    On the off chance that the mirror would not influence the Shaiha, there was still the remnant fluctuation he would leave behind after warping that could expose his appearance involvement in the battle. It might not be revealed immediately, but those outsiders might have a magic detector or something simr that would allow them to read his magic signature.


    In any case, in the current situation, Kyran knew the first thing he had to do was ensure the Shaiha would not be his downfall, which was why he decided not to use its power to conceal his aura and magic. Doing so would mean his presence would be known, but unless he circted the Void magic energy, those outsiders observing from afar would not recognize him. After all, only those whom he met in person would recognize his aura.


    But still, that did not ensure anything. Because they might not recognize his aura, but he was still exposed to them. Thus, he decided to use his Draconic magic only. By doing that, his magic signature would be different. It would also change his aura slightly, and most of all, those outsiders would think twice before doing anything in fear of his identity.


    It should be noted that only a handful outside the Regis Family knew Kyran also possessed Draconic magic.


    Frankly,pared to Void magic, most Sovereign was familiar with Draconic magic and was afraid of it.


    The only reason they made such a huge fuss about Kyran''s possession of Void magic was because they had little knowledge of it; at the same time, he also inherited the previous Dark Sage''s Legacy.


    As for Draconic magic, almost everyone knew what it could do.


    And they feared it.


    Not only was Draconic magic considered the most destructive magic out there, but the thought of a real Dragon''s involvement would strike fear in every Sovereign.


    Kyran''s Draconic magic was not some run-of-a-mill magic as well. It was as genuine as a pure-blooded Dragon possessed. Apart from this, Dragons who could shapeshift into humans were considered the most ancient and powerful of all. And those Dragons had titles and were known to rule in the Higher Realm.


    Kyran wanted to create a misunderstanding that would make the outsiders hesitate to get in his way. He also hoped that this misunderstanding would make the fake Somuli Sovereign think twice about allying himself with Flos''s side.


    Think about it. Would you ally yourself with some Sovereign faction from the Lower Realm or with a Dragon that could shapeshift into a human and was a ruler of dragons in the Higher Realm?


    Thetter was not true, of course. And Kyran had no ns on using that misunderstanding to negotiate with the fake Somuli Sovereign. After all, he had the Abbot, who was meant to be Somuli''s real Sovereign. Besides, the representative of Flos had already made contact with the fake Sovereign. They might recognize Kyran if he appeared before them.


    But using the misunderstanding to make Armakea submit was not a bad idea. Kyran was actually considering this idea very much.


    Because the array formation suffered from the tremor, Cyneah''s connection with the Armakeans shifted. Though it was not severed, it was enough to wake most members with a mage level higher than an Arch Magus. All the Knights had also awakened, and they activated their Divine Armament to forcefully remove the connection.


    Cyneah spat out a mouthful of blood as several foreign magic energies tried to force her magic energy connected to those Armakeans out of their bodies. Because she did not possess a magic core, the sudden surge of magic energy made her body unable to filter them properly. In these past years, the Macabre cier had served as a magic core of some sort that filtered the magic energies she took in. But because it appeared to be in a state of frenzy from the appearance of that silver figure, she could not rely on its assistance.


    The battlefield had gone silent after the appearance of the silver humanoid dragon. The only noises that could be heard were tense breathing and the crackling of mes, which were remnants of magic attacks.


    KKIIIIIEEEAAKKH!


    The Macabre cier''s sentient shrieked, breaking the still silence. It bore such intense malice that everyone on the battlefield could not help but feel a sudden chill run up their bodies. They heard the shriek earlier, but because of the arrival of the silver humanoid dragon, they had forgotten about it. Now that they heard it once more, they were filled with dread.


    Suddenly, the battle between their borders had gottenplicated.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he heard the shriek. He had yet to meet the Macabre cier''s sentient, but hearing that shriek and sensing its familiar aura was enough to recognize it.


    ck and gray mist converged around Kyran, turning into a vast whirlpool. Soon it turned into a huge ck and gray hooded figure that loomed above him.


    The Basilisk, Comodo, and Dryad before Kyran, frozen from his arrival, could not help but tremble at the malicious aura exuding from the looming hooded figure.


    Lady Chrysanthemum, who also regained her senses, albeit unable to control her movements, also looked at the hooded figure with fear in her light green eyes.


    The mirror''s sentient leaned toward Kyran and opened its hollow mouth, letting out an eerie scream.


    SHAAAAAAAH!


    A ghastly miasma blew out from the sentient''s hollow mouth toward Kyran. In an instant, the bodies of the three magical beasts that were exposed to the miasma dried up as if it suffered from the passage of time.


    Of course, this was not really the case. Instead, the miasma robbed them of the life force from their bodies.


    It was not only them that suffered from it. Every beast, beast-like, andplete being within thirty meters from Kyran also suffered the same. Unlike the magical beasts, however, thosetter few werepletely robbed of their life force and dropped dead on the ground.


    The Abbot, Nahir, and the rest of the Eidums were familiar with the energy of life because it was their speciality. Thus, seeing how the ghastly miasmapletely destroyed the life force of those it touched made their blood run cold.


    The Abbot had the urge to shout at the Eidums still outside the border to hurry up and get back inside. However, he realized he could not speak.


    Was it fear? He did not know. But he knew he did not want to catch the attention of the hooded figure and have it divert its ire on his people.


    It was a little heartless, given that the ones suffering from the hooded figure''s ghastly miasma were the silver humanoid dragon and the Armakea forces. But what else could he do? Yes, his mage level was that of a Sage, but his magic was basically for support.


    For short, the Abbot excels in preserving life, and that makes the hooded figure his nemesis.


    Unbeknownst to him, the hooded figure was not really a nemesis to him per se. It only appeared that way because of its anger.


    "You''re too noisy."


    SHATTER!


    A simple sentence, without even a slight change in the surrounding magic energy. But with that, the looming hooded figure was shattered.


    Everyone on the battlefield and those outsiders observing from afar were shocked at the power that came from the silver humanoid dragon.


    He only spoke a sentence and did not even cast any magic, nor did he dispense his magic energy, yet it easily destroyed the hooded figure.


    Kyran raised his hand and looked at the three magical beasts, who looked at him withplicated emotions.


    Because he made the hooded figure disappear, they felt grateful. After all, if it continued to release those ghastly miasma and covered their whole body, they would be dead.


    Nevertheless, that did not lessen their fear of the silver humanoid dragon. As a matter of fact, they feared him even more than the hooded figure.


    Two silver dragons appeared on Kyran''s extended arm and circled around the three magical beasts. Somehow, they knew what he intended to do. But none of them made a move. They epted their fate and submitted to himpletely.


    On the other hand, because the mirror''s sentient was forced back, Cyneah sensed its pain, and she spat out another mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 811 What Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 811 What Are You?</h4>


    Gray and ck mist gathered around Cyneah as the Macabre cier''s sentient returned. It circled her a few times with its face frozen in a silent scream. After which, it retreated inside her, taking along the surrounding mist.


    "Ugh..." Cyneah keeled over; her whole body felt like they were on fire. Still, she did her best to keep her connection with Lady Chrysanthemum and look at the silver figure. Doing this did not mean she would be able to see, but it would allow her to observe if the figure''s light was something she could control.


    s, when she used Lady Chrysanthemum''s eyes to look at the silver figure''s light, she failed to see it. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling, and her heart sank. She only ever knew one person who did not possess a light¡ª no, it was not that that person did not have one, but that she could not see it.


    Kyran.


    Cyneah currently had no way of confirming if that figure was indeed Kyran. His presence had always been elusive to her senses, just as much as his light was to her sight. But the figure before her, though it did not have a light, its presence was there, and it was very oppressive. Nevertheless, there was something familiar about it, and she feared her instinct was correct.


    In an instant, her mind was filled with different ideas¡ª scenarios¡ª she did not want to acknowledge. But one idea made a huge impression on her: running away.


    However, Cyneah knew it was impossible, given her location. She prepared a route she could use to leave that hollow space, but she could not use it with the crowd above. After all, the route would lead her straight to the crater Kyran had created.


    In the end, Cyneah decided to stay where she was and hoped the silver figure was not the person she believed it to be. If he was, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he appeared before her, and that was something she was not ready to face.


    While thinking about this, Cyneah sensed more Armakeans regaining their conscience and activating their Divine Armaments to regain control over their bodies. Due to this, she coughed out another mouthful of blood.


    Cyneah ultimately stopped the array formation because she could not afford to lose more blood. Besides, her venture had already failed. There was no point in controlling the enemy forces.


    Kyran was surprised at how easily the three magical beasts submitted to him. Usually, he would have to subdue his targets before turning them into his Sigil. Then again, the pressure he exuded could have yed a decisive role in making them submit without a fight.


    Not that Kyran wasining. The faster he could remove the three magical beasts in the picture, the faster he could stop this charade.


    Pretending to be someone he was not had been ast-minute decision, and although he appeared to be doing just fine, the truth was the opposite. His current appearance was due to him releasing an additional 1% of the maximum Draconic magic he could utilize. Putting a more specific number to that, he was currently using 31% of Draconic magic.


    A 1% addition might seem small, but the surge of Draconic magic energy coursing in Kyran''s body was so powerful that he could barely contain it. And this was while his body had already undergone enhancements after drinking the Elixir.


    Because of that additional energy, Kyran also had to exert extra effort in controlling his movement and using Draconic magic. After all, his current strength could easily destroy several mountains in one move. He did not want to unleash such a devastating move without a reason identally. Besides, he only had to put on this charade to stop Cyneah from using the Macabre cier.


    With the threat of the magical beasts out of the picture, Kyran could now focus on the other matters at hand.


    Kyran felt a searing hot pain at the back of his hand as the number of Sigils he had appeared was updated. Ignoring the pain, he willed the three magical beasts to stand aside so he could address the being behind them.


    Lady Chrysanthemum stiffened as she saw the silver humanoid dragon look toward her. To be honest, she still felt disoriented and even angry after realizing someone had been controlling her movements. Unfortunately, before she could find who it was, the connection disappeared, and now she and the rest of the Armakeans were forced to face the silver humanoid dragon on their own.


    Like the other Armakeans, they believed the one who controlled them just now and the one who unleashed the ominous hooded figure was the same person. Now that the silver humanoid dragon forced the figure to back off, the possibility that that person fled.


    This assumption was not without basis. Now that they have regained control over their bodies, it was a possibility they had to consider.


    In any case, while Lady Chrysanthemum wanted to catch the person who brazenly controlled her and kill it, she was not foolish enough to act when the silver humanoid dragon was before her.


    Like the rest, she knew what a being like the one in front of her meant. She would never dare provoke it. Even the three magical beasts, who were under her magic just now¡ª although she did it unwillingly¡ª hadpletely submitted themselves before it.


    "What are you?"


    Lady Chrysanthemum blinked. The question raised by the silver humanoid dragon caught her off guard.


    It was not only her. The rest of the Armakeans, even the Eidums, were dumbfounded. Nevertheless, some Armakeans believed they could use the silver humanoid dragon''s apparent interest in Lady Chrysanthemum to their advantage.


    Now that they had regained control over themselves, they realized their side was at a disadvantage. Obviously, the person who tried to control them was someone from the Eidums. Although such a move was unlike them, that was unimportant at the moment. What mattered to them was to shift the momentum back to their side, and if using the silver humanoid dragon was what it would take to aplish that, they would do so.


    Because Lady Chrysanthemum was stunned by the question, it took her a few seconds to process and react to it


    "I-I''m sorry, Milord, I do not understand what you want to know¡ª ack!"


    An overwhelming pressure befell on Lady Chrysanthemum before she couldplete what she wanted to say. She was forced to her knees as she sank to the ground a few inches from the pressure.


    The expressions on all the Armakeans who had thought they could use the silver humanoid dragon''s interest in Lady Chrysanthemum turned grim. They did not expect him to suddenly force her to her knees just because he disliked her answer.


    "F-Forgive me, Milord! I-I am Chrysanthemum! One of the leaders of the Magical Beast Community!" Lady Chrysanthemum hastily replied, trying to salvage the situation. She truly did not understand why the silver humanoid dragon asked her what she was and thought it was alright to ask. After all, he did not force her into submission and even talked to her. From that, she was convinced he was lenient enough.


    s, she was wrong, and because of it, she had suffered.


    "Is that really what you are? A magical beast?"


    Lady Chrysanthemum''s eyes widened as she finally understood what the silver humanoid dragon wanted to ask. She slowly raised her head to look at him, ignoring the pressure that had yet to leave her.


    "Milord..." She started. Fearing that he would punish her if she did not answer properly, she hastily said, "That is what we are known here."


    When she had spoken these words, she used her nativenguage.


    Anguage she had thought she would never be able to use again.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed. He was not knowledgeable about the Spiritnguage, but the few words he heard Chrysanthemum speak were one.


    At the very least, he knew she did not speak the Somuliannguage just now.


    "Then tell me what you are."


    Kyran tried to use the Spiritnguage based on his memory and check if she would respond.


    Lady Chrysanthemum''s eyes turned ssy as she tried her best to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from them. She took a shaky breath and answered, "I am a Spirit, Milord."


    After hearing Chrysanthemum''s answer, Kyran did not hesitate to wave his hand and whisk her inside the Void World.


    Everyone who saw this was frightened. They all believed Kyran had destroyed Lady Chrysanthemum with a wave of his hand.


    Kyran turned his attention toward the rest of the Armakeans and then said with a voice that shook the wholend.


    "You people brazenly used my kind to do your bidding. Anyst words?"


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo echoed Kyran as it buried its front ws on the ground.


    Every Armakean turned pale at the realization.

 Chapter 812 Gaham

    <h4>Chapter 812 Gaham</h4>


    The Armakeans were so used to seeing Comodos as part of the Magical Beast Community that they had forgotten what they were originally referred to.


    Earth Dragon.


    Although their dragon blood had thinned over the years, they were still dragons.


    There were dragons in Somuli, but as far as they were concerned, pure-blooded ones were in obscurity and would never show themselves to the public. They initially did not understand why a being looking like a humanoid dragon would appear and save the Eidums, but now they realized they misunderstood its purpose.


    That being was here because he believed they were subjecting his kind to very. While it was not entirely wrong, Lady Chrysanthemum was the only one who tried controlling theodo against its will.


    Then it hit them.


    Just now, the silver humanoid dragon waved his hand, and Lady Chrysanthemum disappeared. Could it be that she did not disappear but was obliterated? Did this mean his strange question was merely to gauge if she was a being capable of enving theodo? They exchanged a few words they did not understand before the former made thetter disappear.


    The thought sent shivers up their spine. Since the silver humanoid dragon knew they were allies with Lady Chrysanthemum, he viewed them equally guilty of enving theodo.


    No one in Somuli could me the Armakeans for their current train of thought because dragons still existed there. However, they were unfamiliar with the intricate origin of dragons and Draconic magic. They only knew that dragons could shapeshift into figures simr to beast-likes orplete beings, depending on their age and magic level. The higher the magic level and the older a dragon was, the more its form could resemble a beast-like or aplete being. At least, that was what they learned from old lores.


    The outsiders watching from afar, however, did not have the same thoughts as the Armakeans or even the Eidums had. They knew a humanoid dragon could only be found in the Higher Realm, and even their numbers were rare. For one to suddenly appear when several Sovereign factions from the Lower Realm were already eyeing the Somuli was aplete mystery to them, however.


    These outsiders hastily left their posts to report this matter to their leaders. If someone from the Dragon ne showed interest in Somuli, trying to win over its Sovereign might be more problematic than they anticipated.


    Sensing the prying eyes of the outsiders had gone, Kyran inwardly sighed in relief. Now that those people were gone, he did not have to put extra effort into acting.


    An Armakean high-ranking officer close to the front line stepped forward, wanting to exin that everything was only a misunderstanding. He said,? "Please stay your hand, sir Lord Dragon."


    The other officers nearby looked at him as if he had gone nuts. They wanted to move away from him in fear of getting caught up in the crossfire if he happened to incur the silver humanoid dragon''s ire.


    "Although we are allied with the Lady just now, we did not¡ª."


    Flick!


    Crackle!


    Boom!


    Kyran flicked his finger at the officer, and a crackling silver light streaked forward from the tip of his fingers toward thetter. In a blink if an eye, the officer exploded, sending blood, shattered bones, and flesh everywhere.


    The officers nearby who got sttered by some of these wanted to move- either to wipe these off their bodies or to run. However, they had all gotten stiff and were unable to move.


    The rest of the officers, as well as the knights, were also petrified. They knew a humanoid dragon was strong but did not expect it to be this strong.


    It would seem the old lores that spoke about them had undermined their real strengths!


    "Who''s next?" Kyran asked as he addressed the Armakean crowd once more. He appeared as domineering as ever, but in actuality, he reeled at the strength of that flick.


    Honestly, he was afraid of losing control over his strength, which was why he only flicked his finger at the officer, hoping to send him flying. s, he underestimated the additional 1% of Draconic magic he could utilize and killed the officer in one flick.


    It left Kyran reeling in fright at his own strength!


    The Eidums, who were near enough to see what happened, were frightened. They were initially relieved that the silver humanoid dragon seemed interested in punishing the Armakeans only, but now they were not so sure. If he was here because they believed the Armakeans bullied one of his kind, would he think they¡ª the Eidums¡ª were victims or aplices? It was good if it was the former, but what if it was thetter? Would the silver humanoid dragon be able to discern that the Armakeans and Eidums were at odds with each other?


    Wait. The Comodo was still part of the Armakea forces. It might have been bullied into fighting, but it was still one of them. Would the silver humanoid dragon view the Eidums as an enemy?


    From the top of the steel wall at the Eidum''s border, the Abbot and a few other healers cast sight enhancement spells to let them see the situation ahead. They were also frightened at what they had witnessed.


    But unlike the rest, the Abbot sensed something different¡ª or rather¡ª familiar with the silver humanoid dragon. He could not put it into words, but for some reason, his instincts were telling him he knew that person.


    The Abbot''s brow furrowed slightly as his head tilted slightly.


    ''Was it his voice?''


    It was slightly different. More profound and provocative, but his manner of speaking sounded very much like¡ª ''He''s... not the young man, is it?''


    "Your Excellence, Supreme Lord Dragon Lord, please hear us out!"


    Another high-ranking officer stepped up to try and salvage the situation.


    When the Armakeans heard another voice speak, they cursed in their hearts and wanted to ask that person to shut up. However, when they turned to see who had spoken, they felt as if lightning struck them.


    The person they unknowingly cursed at was the Commander.


    Commander Gaham.


    Kyran looked at aplete being in full gold armor and tilted his head. This guy did not strike him as one of the knights. It was not because the color of his armor was different but because the way he carried himself was a little different. It was apparent he was someone important.


    If this was the case, Kyran did not want to kill him right off the bat because he might be useful.


    "Please ept our apologies for taking advantage of your kind."


    Kyran did not respond and only tilted his head.


    Seeing that the silver humanoid dragon did not kill him after saying that much, Gaham took this as the former''s consent to continue his exnation.


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo, however, let out an annoyed roar as it made a threatening step forward.


    Kyran raised his hand to stop the Comodo. He could sense thetter''s ire toward theplete being in gold armor and guessed he might be someone who had a hand in subduing him or something along that line.


    Gaham immediately knelt in ce, knowing why the Comodo reacted. Then he said, "I am one of the Armakeans who had forced the Comodo toe and fight the nation."


    Gaham was covered in a cold sweat as he admitted to this. Though he knew he could escape the silver humanoid dragon''s flick because he had a relic allowing him to swap his body into another, he would still die if he failed to anticipate the iing attack. In any case, he believed that the silver humanoid dragon would not kill without reason.


    The officer just now was killed because he tried to extricate themselves from the sin. Knowing the silver humanoid dragon possessed a moral code of some sort, he killed the officer simply because he disliked how he tried to pin the sin only to Lady Chrysanthemum. From this, Gaham believed that if he admitted to the sin, the silver humanoid dragon might be more receptive and listen to what he had to say. He also added the bit about forcing the Comodo to fight for the nation because he believed the silver humanoid dragon''s moral code would force him to keep his hand, knowing that theymitted the sin for a reason.


    "You are?"


    "Gaham, Commander of the Armakean Border, Your Excellence."


    "I see you are at war with the people behind me."


    "Yes."


    "But I also see that they are clearly at a disadvantage."


    "That is..."


    "You use your strengths to bully the weak and force the strong to submission."


    "T-That may be true. However, we are only doing so to survive."


    "Survive, huh? Aren''t we all? Striving to live and survive, that is."


    Gaham was rendered speechless. He had not thought through his response and did not know how to proceed.


    "Forget it," the silver humanoid dragon suddenly said.


    Hearing this, Gaham raised his head and looked at him with renewed hope.


    "Then do you mean to forgive our sin?"


    "Forgive? You think saying sorry is enough? You are only amander. You have a leader behind you. Bring that person to me."

 Chapter 813 Kesiah

    <h4>Chapter 813 Kesiah</h4>


    Kyran wanted to finish his business with the Armakea as soon as the outsiders observing at a distance had left. However, Dryad had sent him a telepathic message that she had not located Cyneah yet.


    While Kyran confronted the Armakeans, he instructed Dryad to search for Cyneah underground. While Comodo''s Earth magic could be helpful in terms of sensing presence underground, Kyran thought Dryad''s Tree magic was the better choice when moving beneath the ground and securing Cyneah''s safety. Unfortunately, Dryad''s roots could only reach as far as 100 meters, and apparently, Cynean''s location was not within a hundred radius from where they stood.


    Dryad had to get closer to the crater if he wanted her to find Cyneah.


    While there was a possibility she had already moved, he did not think she could have gotten far.


    No one in Somuli knew how to create an array. Thus, it was impossible for her to possess an item that could transport her out. Those items they called lost technology were rare, and as Kyran already confirmed, Eidums only had a couple of such items aside from the border, and it did not include a transportation item.


    How Cyneah managed to go underground, Kyran had a few ideas, which included using the Macabre cier. Regardless of how she did it, Kyran did not care. All that mattered to him was to get her out of there as soon as possible.


    For this reason, he had to drag his confrontation with the Armakeans. He only needed a few minutes because Dryad''s roots were already within the crater''s radius. It would only be a matter of time before she find Cyneah.


    Kyran activated the Sigil''s buff to grant Dryad ess to his energy. With this, the maximum range her roots could reach had doubled.


    Gaham''s brow furrowed at the silver humanoid dragon''s demand because it was unrealistic.


    He was the Commander of the Armakea Borders, which meant the leader behind him was the King. He could not ask the King toe and negotiate for their lives. Even if he could, it would take them a couple of months before they could arrive at the Capital and request to meet the King. If he agreed, it would take them another couple of months to return to the border.


    Gaham was suddenly caught in a dilemma. Would the silver humanoid dragon ept it if he told him about this? Or would he think he was making it up?


    No.


    His train of thought was a bit off. What made him believe the silver humanoid dragon would even hear his plea? The silver humanoid dragon might kill them without hesitation if he said something that did notply with his request.


    Just as Gaham was mulling over this, a voice spoke at the back of their line.


    "I am his leader, let''s talk."


    Gaham''splexion turned pale, and the rest of the Armakeans mirrored his reaction.


    They turned their head slightly to look at the person who had spoken.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he also looked at that person. He could not say he was surprised seeing that person because Gael had been observing them for weeks, keeping him up to date on their movements. Apart from that, Achim also confirmed that person''s presence in the borders.


    "You are the leader?" Kyran asked while looking at the person wearing the same full silver armor as the knights.


    "I am."


    "A little girl?"


    Gaham''s already paleplexion went down another tone as his face turned ghastly.


    That was right. Their leader was a woman. When she stepped out of the crowd, the armor hid her gender. Also, she possessed a relic that allowed her to change her appearance and voice. That relic was considered among the most precious treasures of the Royal Family and could even be considered the King''s property. The fact that she had it in her possession spoke volumes regarding her rtionship with the King.


    "As expected of a Supreme Being," the leader said, her voice sounding feminine. "I am Princess Kesiah, and I am the leader of the Armakea Border. I pray you do not take offense that I did not introduce myself early."


    Kesiah stood in front of Gaham and also knelt on her knees.


    Kyran looked at them in amusement. A moment ago, someone called him the Lord Dragon. Then, it turned into a Supreme Lord Dragon. Now, Kesiah referred to him as a Supreme Being. He wondered what they would call him if he demanded to meet someone with a higher rank than Kesiah.


    Of course, Kyran had no n to drag this farce longer and find the answer no matter how curious he was. Besides, he knew who Kesiah was.


    She was Achim''s sister and one of the two Armakeans that Kyran wanted to be the leader of Armakea.


    "What do you propose we do about this situation?" Kyran did not bother with the formalities and asked at once.


    "I beg for your understanding, Supreme Being, Dragon Lord. It may sound like an excuse, but we are under a spell just now..."


    Kesiah then exined that although they nned to attack the Eidums, something or someone forced them to move early. She also mentioned taking the magical beasts to battle for a show of power only. They were not meant to make a move until the Eidum''s trump card entered the fray.


    The rest of the Armakeans looked at their leader with bated breath. They did not know if the silver humanoid dragon would believe her. But since the former appeared to be silently listening to her, they hoped they could make him leave without killing them.


    On the other hand, all the Eidums who heard Kesiah were frowning deeply.


    Everything she said did not seem to make any sense to them. Although they could more or less understand why they reserved the three magical beasts until Kyran appeared, they did not believe her when she said they brought them out for a show of power.


    The Armakea did not need to do anything like that. Their advantage in power against the Eidums was as clear as day.


    While the Eidums shared these thoughts, Kyran was no longer paying attention to her.


    He lost interest when she mentioned the ''show of power'' part and was already disappointed. To think he had considered this person to be the Armakea''s new leader. s, he could not judge someone just by hearing what others say about them. He had to meet them in person if he wanted to know them.


    ''Should I kill her now?'' Kyran wondered as he watched Kesiah speak, but none of her words seemed to register anymore.


    ''Let''s kill her.''


    Just as he thought this, Dyrad sent him a telepathic message that she finally found Cyneah.


    Kyran''s attention immediately shifted, and he instructed Dryad to ensure her safety at once. However, before he couldplete his order, Dyrad told him that Cyneah''s condition did not look good. Apparently, she had lost too much blood, and she had already fainted.


    Ignoring everything else around him, Kyran lowered his head and stomped one foot.


    Boom!


    A five-hundred-meter radius around Kyran was instantly destroyed and sent every Armakean within the parameter to fall.


    Kesiah, Gaham, and the rest of the Armakean forces were shocked at the silver humanoid dragon''s sudden attack.


    The middle of the battlefield was once more covered in a thick cloud of dirt and rubble as the ground caved in.


    RAWRGH!


    To make matters worse, the Comodo and Basilisk moved and began their killing spree again.


    Every Eidums were frightened at the scene before them.


    Just a second ago, the silver humanoid dragon seemed keen on listening to Kesiah''s exnation. But then, with a single stomp, he sent the Armakea forces intoplete chaos.


    Because of the thick cloud of smoke, it was impossible to see what was happening within. But from the scream of agony, they knew it was a scene they did not really want to see.


    Meanwhile, Kyran took this chance to warp in the location Dryrad had told him.


    ording to Dryad, she could not secure Cyneah because she was enclosed in a barrier that her roots could not prate. She could not even move it with the Sigil''s buff in effect.


    Kyran appeared in a hollow space that Dryad created with her roots. When he looked up, he immediately saw the barrier that enclosed Cyneah.


    ''Neah!'' Kyran''s heart sank when he saw her lying on the ground.


    A small pool of blood surrounded her, and herplexion was already deathly pale.


    Kyran had already stopped circting the Draconic magic before warping. Nevertheless, he did not activate the Shaiha in case it would act up if he got close to Cyneah and the Macabre cier was active.


    Kyran easily destroyed the barrier with Void magic and ran to Cyneah. He took her in his arms, and without checking her condition, he warped them both outside.

 Chapter 814 Insurrection (1)

    <h4>Chapter 814 Insurrection (1)</h4>


    What happened after that went by in a sh.


    After Kyran''s stomp destroyed a considerable part of the battlefield, which sent the Armakea forces to fall through the crevices, they failed to regroup in a short time. The Eidums took this chance to retreat to the safety of their border.


    But the Eidums did not rx. With Nahir and Gidan in the lead, they observed the Armakeans and kept their guard up. However, they did not attempt tounch a counter for fear of hitting the silver humanoid dragon and the other beasts that chose to side with him. They did not want to be subjected to his ire, especially after witnessing what happened to the Armakea forces.


    On the other hand, some Eidums were left in wonder as they noticed the Abbot''s absence. It was one thing not to see the Saint, but the Abbot was there just now. Where did he run off to?


    But none of them were really that worried. Knowing that the Abbot managed to escape his abductors and could assist them in battle was enough.


    Unbeknownst to them, the Abbot had teleported to the receiving room when he received a telepathic message from Kyran.


    The Abbot proceeded to Cyneah''s personal chamber in the Infirmary from the receiving room.


    When Kyran took Cyneah, he warped to her personal chamber and contacted the old man so he could check on her. It was a little annoying, but although his knowledge of Alchemy was one of the best, he was not really an effective healer. He could concoct powerful potions and pills, but he was hopeless in emergencies where one required healing through magic energy.


    That was his Void magic''s limitation. Or at least, he believed it was a limitation. He knew Void magic''s nature was not all about destruction and could be used to create things from nothingness. But so far, he had yet to understand thetter part fully. And as far as he was concerned, in terms of blood creation, not even his Void magic could do it.


    Then again, Cyneah did not require blood creation but replenishing.


    te once made blood-replenishing pills for Kyran, and he already knew how to make his own. Unfortunately, he did not have the medicinal herbs and other non-herb ingredients to produce it.


    Another point to consider was that the medicinal herbs and non-herb ingredients in Somuli were more or less different in the Human ne. Looking for alternatives would take Kyran sometime before he could sessfully make one.


    Blood-replenishing pills were considered highly advanced prescriptions and were not amon healing to energy-replenishing type.


    Because of this, Kyran could only ask the Abbot to check on Cyneah.


    "I don''t understand. How did she end up in this state?" the old man asked as soon as hepleted his initial check. He looked at Kyran sternly, thinking the younger man had let Cyneah do something dangerous.


    Kyran did not respond and remained silent.


    Nevertheless, the slight crease on the younger man''s forehead was enough for the old man to understand that he was also unaware of what Cyneah had done.


    "I''ll support her natural healing," the old man said with a sigh. "That is the only thing I can do for now. Blood replenishing is a messy business, to be honest. And even with my current ability, I am not confident in assisting with it."


    "That''s fine. I can make a blood-replenishing pill for her. But I will not some time."


    Kyran then turned and prepared to leave.


    "Wait," the old man stopped him before he could warp.


    Kyran looked at the old man and cocked one brow questioningly.


    "You are that humanoid dragon, right?"


    "This is not the right time to talk about that, old man," Kyran replied with a frown.


    "I know you are in a hurry, but even if you leave now to gather the necessary items needed to concoct a blood-replenishing pill, you won''t be able to find everything here."


    "Your point?"


    "Armakea is home to exotic and even rarer medicinal herbs in Somuli. Since they do not have healers, their Apothecary can be considered top-notch."


    Kyran read about that but did not think much of it because he believed the Eidums'' Apothecary was still better. But if exotic and rare medicinal herbs were avable to them, then their Apothecary might have branched out to something more.


    Eidums were more focused on white medicine, so to speak, while blood-replenishing leaned more toward ck medicine.


    The concoction of ck medicine is pretty umon because it mainly requires rare ingredients, and their effects are subject to debate.


    "Just say what you want to say, old man."


    "Your proposed conquest," the old man did not try to beat around the bush anymore and went straight to the point. "I believe now is the time to do that."


    Kyran stared at him.


    The old man had a point. He had three powerful magical beasts at his disposal, and the Armakea forces were in disarray. If they wanted to take down the Armekea border, now was a good time.


    However, that move was only good if the Armakea had exhausted all their forces.


    Kyran knew better. There were still knights behind them. Although the Armakea forces were in disarray, several knights remained among their ranks. Apart from this, there were still those knights who went with Captain Hohen to meet with Achim. Not to mention, there was still a possibility that the knights under Achim''s leadership might be able to renege their allegiance and side with Captain Hohen if they discovered Achim had a new master.


    It should be noted that Kyran only had Achim and five other knights under his control.


    Achim''s side did not arrive at the location ording to the nned sneak attack. That meant something had happened either on their way to Captain Hohen''s forces or after meeting them.


    Kyran also considered an insurrection after Kesiah revealed herself to be the real leader of the Armakea border.


    What if she started to make her move? What if she nned to eliminate Achim and take over his knights to boost her military strength and removepetition in bing the King''s heir?


    There were a lot of internal things happening in the Armakea that Kyran had to consider.


    Kyran more or less guessed that the old man''s confidence in proceeding with the conquest n stemmed from his belief that his strength was enough to overwhelm any opposition.


    The old man was not wrong on that. But the problem was that the power Kyran showed earlier was something he had yet to master.


    Kyran could utilize 30% of Draconic magic just fine. He could also control that power to a certain extent. But that additional 1% was different.


    Just recalling how a single flick could kill a high-ranking officer scared even Kyran.


    Using 31% of Draconic magic might be enough to reduce a city to ruins in a single assault. But then what?


    When Kyran flicked his finger earlier, he barely contained the strength of that 1%. That was why he identally killed the Armakea officer rather than sending it flying backward. He did not experience bacsh after unleashing that power, but what if he did not try to contain it?


    Kyran guessed his finger would have broken as well. His forearms might also end up breaking from the aftershock.


    Basically, what he was worried about was that his body could not keep up with that additional 1% in strength.


    Frankly, one reason Kyran could not master his Draconic magic was because he felt his body could not keep up with prolonged usage. It was contradicting, yes. Significantly because Draconic magic usually enhanced his body.


    But that was the thing. The enhancements on his body still depended on the capacity that his physical body could produce. His physical body had undergone some change because of the Elixir. But ultimately, the amount he took was only a little.


    Kyran had not tried drinking it again. He knew drinking more of the Elixir would improve his physical body.


    However, the question was: Could he withstand it?


    Maybe.


    But how long would it take for him to assimte the Elixir?


    It should be noted that it took him more than a day for a small sip before he managed to assimte the Elixir''s effect. Apart from that, the excruciating pain that apanied that assimtion was an experience Kyran wanted to avoid if he had a choice.


    There were too many things running on his head at that moment that he could hardly think straight. The least he wanted was to make an unsound decision.


    Kyran knew the main reason he could not properly sort out his thoughts was Cyneah. His concern over her condition made him unable to process the whole situation.


    ''This can''t go on,'' Kyran thought, recalling how True Void had said¡ª more than once¡ª that a woman had be his weakness. Kyran stubbornly replied that he was wrong. And if he wanted to keep it that way, he had to get a better grip on himself.


    Kyran took a deep breath, and just as he was about to decide his following action, a voice sounded in his head.

 Chapter 815 Insurrection (2)

    ?


    With the joint effort of the Armakean Knights and Gaham, they managed to pull Kesiah out from the crevice she had fallen in. She was not hurt or injured, but she got buried under severalyers of debris and rubble, and it took them a while to take her out.


    "How are the rest?" Kesiah asked Gaham as soon as she emerged from the crevice.


    "As you may have noticed," Gaham turned to look at the aftermath of the silver humanoid dragon''s attack. "The pit the silver dragon created left our forces in disarray."


    Kesiah looked at the battlefield and scowled. Quite a number of the high-ranking officers were still pulling out those who had not emerged from the crevices, while a few protected them from the beasts that took the silver humanoid dragon''s side and started to attack them.


    One would think their side was not doing good, especially at how fierce the horde of beasts wasing at them. But that was not the case. Miraculously, there were few casualties on their side.


    Nevertheless, Kesiah knew the reason behind this was that the three magical beasts were focused on attacking those low-ranked officers who had survived until then.


    "Should we proceed as nned, Your Highness?" Gaham asked and looked at Kesiah. Frankly, if he were the sole decision-maker, he would want to continue. They had invested a lot of manpower in today''s raid, which would leave a bitter taste on his tongue if they retreated without aplishing anything.


    Moreover, there was still a hidden ploy prepared against Prince Achim.


    All along, today''s raid was not only meant to finish the situation with the Eidums once and for all but also to assimte Prince Achim''s forces.


    That was right.


    Today''s raid was the beginning of Princess Kesiah''s insurrection.


    Kesiah had been preparing for this day for some time now. And the reason she had finally decided to make her move was the appearance of the mysterious helper the Eidums had.


    It was Gaham who told her about that mysterious helper''s appearance, but Captain Hohen was the one who affirmed thetter''s strength.


    Because of this, Kesiah changed their tactic in dealing with the Eidums and decided to focus on strengthening her military strength and influence.


    This past few weeks, Kesiah did her best to win over the trust of half of the upper six leaders of the Magical Beast Community. Lady Chrysanthemum belonged to the group Kesiah won over.


    If others knew what Kesiah had been doing, they might question her reasons. After all, most of the Armakeans knew she was one of the handful of younger generation of the Royal Family that was keen on finding a way to heal the King''s illness. Apart from Achim, many believed she had the second highest chance of bing the King''s heir.


    From this, many might think Kesiah wanted to eliminate Achim to ensure her chances would increase. After all, he was the only one above her. But her n today was not to kill Achim but only assimte his knights.


    Because Kesiah never really cared about bing the King''s heir. Even her attempt to find the Abbot and talk to him was not to ask for his assistance and heal the King. Instead, she wanted to ally with the Eidums and dethrone thetter.


    s, when news of the Abbot being abducted was known, Kesiah did not know how to proceed. Ultimately, she ordered Gaham to reduce the number of Eidums to reduce the chances of her cousins securing a powerful Eidum to heal the King.


    Kesiah sought the assistance of the three Upper Six leaders of the Magical Beasts to lend their forces. With the horde she received from them, she knew it would be impossible for the Eidums to survive.


    Unfortunately, the Eidums managed to employ the assistance of a powerful being.


    The horde Kesiah got from the three Upper Six leaders of the Magical Beasts Community was killed, and they even lost one powerful magical beast.


    Not wanting to admit her failure, Kesiah had Gaham prepare another raid. She believed that the Eidums'' mysterious helper would not anticipate another raid and would be too exhausted to fight.


    Kesiah''s belief seemed to be on point when the mysterious helper did not appear during the night raid. Just when they thought they had everything under control, however, he appeared, and Captain Hohen was present on the battlefield to witness the mysterious helper''s strength.


    After hearing this, Kesiah, Gaham and Hohen decided to meet and change their tactic. If the Eidums had someone like the mysterious helper to assist them, Kesiah risked losing the trust of the three Upper Six leaders of the Magica Beast Community from all the beast horde they lost. Her military strength and influence would suffer when that happened, and she could not usurp the King.


    Kesiah had been mulling over these things after the failed night raid and could not think of a better n. To make matters worse, she discovered her brother Achim''s n to abduct the Saint to heal the King.


    When she was on the verge of losing her will to fight, Achim actually approached her and asked for assistance. After hearing his n, Kesiah''s will to fight was renewed.


    With Gaham and Hohen''s assistance, they devised a n to ambush Achim and win over his knights. After all, the pact Achim possessed that enabled him tomand those knights was simr to Kesiah''s. All she needed was to change the pact''s ownership. After that, those knights would listen to her.


    How would she do that? Hohen''s speciality woulde into y. All he had to do was torture Achim and force him to relinquish ownership of the pact and surrender it to Kesiah.


    But to do this, Kesiah needed a force that could hold off Achim''s knights until he relinquished the pact. For this, she went to speak with the three Upper Six leaders she won over.


    The truth was that two leaders were already waiting on the site where Hohen and Achim were supposed to rendezvous. They could be in a heated battle at that moment. But Kesiah was not worried about them since the two Upper Six leaders from the Magical Beast Community were far stronger than Lady Chrysanthemum, who decided to assist her in the battle against the Eidums.


    Before Kesiah''s n started, she had high hopes for it. Not to mention, her side was supposed to be the first to conclude.


    s, who would have thought something sinister would befall them before they could start?


    They dispatched all their forces ahead of schedule, and all had fallen into a trance. Even the three magical beasts and Lady Chrysanthemum were magnificently controlled to reduce their own manpower.


    Because of this, the three magical beasts who were only supposed to show up to scare the Eidums into surrender fell to Lady Chrysanthemum''s spell and almost went on a killing spree. Topping all of that, a silver humanoid dragon appeared, condemning them for enving and controlling his kind.


    Kesiah felt her head throb from all these unfortunate events. She felt like something or someone was deliberately messing with her, so her n to usurp the King would note to pass.


    If this was the case, Kesiah felt it was unfair. After all, she was doing all this for a good reason. Why should anything or anybody be against it?


    She only wanted change. At the same time, she wanted to free Armakea from the cycle of war their forefathers had started because of their unreasonable desire to im all the lost technology in Somuli.


    The three Upper Six leaders of the Magical Beast Community also shared her sentiments, which was why they agreed to assist her.


    The King promised them equal rights when he offered an alliance. However, he never tried to save or protect them when other nations hunted their kind. When he demanded they provide him a horde to use in waging war on other nations, and they refused, he would withhold their supplies and take their young ones to torture until they agreed.


    The other Upper Six leaders had long lost their trust in the Armakea Royal Family. Thus, when the three tried to convince them that Kesiah was different, they did not believe.


    If Kesiah had the support of all Upper Six leaders of the Magical Beasts, she knew she had enough military strength to start her n. s, she had yet to win over their trust.


    Putting all those thoughts aside, Kesiah observed the situation before them and contemted Gaham''s question.


    Like him, Kesiah felt it was a waste to stop now. Besides, she did not want Hohen to arrive with the Achim''s knights only to realize that her side failed to win over the Eidums.


    As Kesiah contemted this, she noticed something and asked, "I don''t sense the silver dragon."


    Gaham also surveyed the battlefield and frowned after confirming her words.


    "You''re right. I don''t sense him either."


    Kesiah''s eyes narrowed. With this in mind, she said, "In that case. We''ll continue."

 Chapter 816 Oppression (1)

    ?


    Kesiah summoned her Divine Armament after dering her intent to continue.


    She would have hesitated if the silver dragon was still present, but there was nothing to fear since he had already left. The three magical beasts were still there, yes. But she never viewed them as a threat.


    Magical beasts are feared by many because of their seemingly bottomless magic reserve, even without possessing a Divine Armament. In this regard, they are simr to the Beast-likes, who could manipte thend''s mana at their own will. Because of this, killing them seemed close to impossible.


    But that only applied to a group of Noble mages or Eidum fighters. Armakea had their knights, whose abilities, defenses, and strengths far exceeded those of the mages and fighters of other nations. Thus, they do not share the same fear as thetter.


    The knights under Kesiah''s leadership had what it took to take down a magical beast or two. Not only that, Gaham, who had the highest level among them, could take on one magical beast on his own.


    Kesiah, too.


    To be honest, among the current generation of the Armakea Royal Family, Kesiah was by far the most powerful. Although her Divine Armament did not seem to boost her offensive power, that did not deter her from being strong. She actually did a good job in exploiting her Divine Armament''s strong point when choosing herbat style.


    "I''ll take on the Basilisk," Kesiah dered. Her whole body glowed as her Divine Armament encased her with a ruby-red crystal full armor. The armor showed off her beautiful figure. It was not bulky and did not seem to weigh much, ensuring Kesiah''s movement would not be hindered.


    "I''ll leave the Comodo to you, Gaham," she continued, looking at Gaham at the corner of her eyes. "If it proved too much to handle, take a knight or two to assist you. As for the Dryad, let the rest of the knights handle it."


    "Understood."


    Kesiah did not wait for Gaham to cascade her order to the rest of the knights. As soon as her Divine Armamentpletely covered her head, she kicked off the ground and dashed toward the Basilisk.


    HIIIIISSSS!


    Sensing an iing danger, the Basilisk hissed and looked up just in time to see Kesiah''s iing fist.


    A tinted red light gathered around Kesiah''s hand before she pulled back and used her momentum and weight to punch the Basilisk.


    The Basilisk pulled back his head to avoid her fist. However, just when he thought the distance was enough to evade the attack, a red-tinted light beam shot off from Kesiah''s fist and straight at the Basilisk''s head.


    Unable to dodge in time, the Basilisk decided to meet the light beam with an attack of his own. He opened his mouth and shot out a beam of concentrated energy.


    Since the distance was too short, the Basilisk''s beam attack did not gather enough power before it collided with Kesiah''s light beam.


    Boom!


    An explosion urred as the two beams collided, and the following shockwave forced the two back.


    The Basilisk skidded backward, leaving a trail on the ground, while Kesiah stumbled back in midair. Her whole body glowed with a red tint as she forced herself to stop and regain her bnce. As soon as she did, she flew back toward the Basilisk.


    Meanwhile, Gaham made a mad dash forward while summoning his Divine Armament.


    Like most Knights, Gaham''s Divine Armament was also a weapon. Nevertheless, even among the weapon-type Divine Armaments, his could be considered rare.


    A silver morning star appeared before Gaham, and he grabbed it with his right hand. He whirled the morning star with his hand, gathering enough momentum and magic energy before bludgeoning the Comodo.


    At that moment, the Comodo was busy stomping and killing low-ranked Armakea officers.


    Because of their low defenses and ineffective magic attacks, the Comodo easily crushed them. They could not even leave a scratch on thetter''s thick scales before getting killed instantly.


    Although the Comodo was focused on killing, Gaham''s approach did not go unnoticed. After all, the killing intent of thetter was far too potent that any beast would be alerted by it even from a distance.


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo stomped at a few beast-likes andplete beings before turning his head toward the iing Gaham. When he roared, he also exerted power into his voice, which blew up most of the beast-likes andplete beings in front. Those fortunate enough to have been a distance away from the brunt of the Comodo''s roar managed to stay alive. Nevertheless, they still suffered internal bleeding and were forced to their knees or thrown back.


    Surprisingly, Gaham was undeterred by the Comodo''s roar and only covered his face with his left arm to protect himself from it. His silver armor shook from the forceing from it but did not put a dent in his armor nor injure him.


    Gaham uttered a hoarse cry as he raised his right arm and mmed his morning start at the Comodo''s neck.


    The morning star was a club-type weapon. Because its shaft was too thin and it did not seem sturdy enough to put a fatal hit on the Comodo, the others watching Gaham attack did not have any hope for him.


    But the strength of Gaham''s Divine Armament did not seem to be at a disadvantage just because it had a thin shaft. Before it hit the Comodo, its size suddenly tripled, and the end, where a small ball was covered with spikes, turned into something very scary.


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo was shocked after seeing the increase in the size of Gaham''s weapon. Nevertheless, he only let out another energy-filled roar and summoned a defensive barrier to protect himself from it.


    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!


    Gaham hit the Comodo''s defensive barrier. However, he did not stop with one attack. He continued to bludgeon his weapon at the Comodo''s barrier, which forced thetter back with each hit.


    The low-ranked officers watching Gaham hit the Comodo were dumbfounded. The morning star''s size seemed to increase with every hit Gaham did, but he did not appear to be fazed at the increase in its weight. The morning star''s length remained the same, but it looked more like a thick, blunt weapon because its size increased. It made the low-ranked officers wonder how Commander Gaham managed to hold it when its shaft had already grown too thick for him to grip with his two hands.


    RAWRGH!


    Annoyed at Gaham''s sudden barrage of hits, the Comodo roared and raised its front-wed hand. He swiped at Gaham with such vengeance that thetter barely pulled his body back to avoid it.


    KKKRRSSSHHH!


    Still, the Comodo''s w touched Gaham''s armor and left a shallow mark.


    Not done with his counter, the Comodo turned and whipped its thick, scaly tail at Gaham.


    Gaham somersaulted backward, evading the Comodo''s tail and putting some distance between them. Since his initial attack was forced to stop, he had to prepare and gather enough momentum before rushing in for another round of hits.


    As for the Dryad, Gaham picked three knights to deal with her.


    The knights summoned their Divine Armaments and attacked the Dryad in three directions: above, left, and right.


    A number of low-ranked officers were also attacking her from all sides, but she was unfazed by the crowd. She summoned several roots, and using them like whips, she attacked them simultaneously.


    Muffled cries of pain could be heard as the Dryad whipped her assants. Some low-ranked who managed to protect themselves were thrown back, while most got their armor destroyed and ended up withcerated bodies.


    The three knights wielded their Divine Armaments¡ª a sword, a spear, and a dagger¡ª and attacked the iing roots. However, they did not anticipate the root''s hardness and only managed to leave shallow cuts on its surface.


    The three knights were not disheartened after seeing this thought. Instead, they activated their Divine Armaments, and they glowed with power. They continued to cut through the roots and leave deep marks on them.


    Nahir, Gidan, and the rest of the Eidums, still watching the battle unfold, felt cold sweat trickle down their backs.


    They had thought the Armakea would stop their attack and retreat now that the three magical beasts were fighting against them. But against all odds, they attacked them with such zeal after regrouping. It even appeared to them that if this happened, the magical beast would be overwhelmed, and the Armakea forces could end up forcing their way toward the Eidum''s side.


    "Lord Nahir," Gidan started. In the end, he was unable to utter a single word.


    Nevertheless, Nahir knew what he wanted to say but could not put it into words. Thus, he grunted in reply.


    "I know, get ready."


    The other Eidums standing nearby tightened their fists after hearing Nahir. Surprisingly, they were not afraid because they knew the Abbot was with them.


    "We will use this chance to assist the magical beasts and¡ª."


    "There is no need. You guys, stay here."


    They all looked at the figure that suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 817 Oppression (2)

    <h4>Chapter 817 Oppression (2)</h4>


    Nahir, Gidan, and the rest of the Eidums were surprised to see Kyran. The former two''s reaction could be exined by the fact they knew Kyran had a different role in today''s battle. He was supposed to intercept Achim''s group at their border''s weakest spot. No matter how strong Kyran was, it was impossible for that side''s battle to conclude so fast.


    During their initial deliberation, they concluded that Achim''s group would not start their attack until after the one on the main battlefield was well underway. For this reason, Kyran left ahead of time to get there before Achim''s group arrived.


    In the end, the confrontation on the main battlefield started earlier than anticipated, prompting Nahir to proceed with their n ahead of time. It did not affect their overall n, though. The only change that happened was how long it would take them to fight the main force until Kyran settled the one with Achim''s group.


    Of course, Nahir was not expecting Kyran to settle the problem on both battlefields. He knew they could handle the situation on the main battlefield as long as the Armakeamander did not release the three magical beasts right at the start.


    Unfortunately, things did not happen the way Nahir expected.


    The Armakea force on the main battlefield was dispatched right from the start, forcing Nahir to alter the n a little. With the three magical beasts participating at the onset of the battle, he was forced to focus on weakening them first.


    But that was not the main point now.


    In Nahir''s opinion, if the main battle started ahead of time, he believed that Achim''s group also arrived early and had already begun their attack. Whether Kyran arrived on time or not, there was a good chance that Achim''s group had already gained the upper hand.


    From this, Nahir was convinced Kyran could not return at their estimated time. Because he believed dealing with a situation where the enemy had taken the lead was not something a single person could easily resolve, no matter how strong he was.


    Gidan shared the same sentiments.


    For argument''s sake, if Kyran did manage to defeat Achim''s group in a short time. It would still take him another hour, or half an hour if they put into consideration his maximum speed, to return to the main battlefield.


    Considering all this, Nahir and Gidan were really surprised at Kyran''s arrival.


    As for the rest who did not know Kyran''s task, they were surprised simply because he appeared different than usual.


    It was not because the way he carried himself was different. Instead, it was his clothes that caught their attention.


    Kyran was not wearing his usual ck clothes but a full dark purple armor. Only half of his head was covered, though, and he was not holding a helmet to cover the rest. Thus, they believed his armor was meant to look that way. He also held two swords, the des divided by two colors. One side of the de was dark blue, and the other half was dark purple.


    "Why are you here?" Gidan could not help but blurt out. He initially wanted to ask what happened to his task but remembered the rest of the Eidums did not know about it.


    "Group up in teams and assign at least three healers each," Kyran ignored Gidan''s question and told Nahir without looking at him.


    Nahir frowned at being ordered around in front of the others. But he did not say anything and looked at Kyran''s back.


    "I''ll pave a path you guys follow after I secure theirmander," Kyran continued.


    "The realmander here is that woman in red armor," Nahir told Kyran.


    "I know."


    Without waiting for Nahir to say more, Kyran jumped down from the top of the wall to the ground. As he did, the edges covering half of his face seemed toe to life, extending upward to cover his whole head.


    "H-His armor is made from lost technology, right?"


    The one who had blurted this was Soria, standing quite close to where Nahir and Gidan were.


    As soon as the others heard her, they felt in awe. They did not even question if what she said was true or not. To them, possessing such a rare lost technology was unsurprising for Kyran. It was not because they already knew he was knowledgeable about Array but more about how they perceived him as full of secrets.


    Gidan''s eyes widened after hearing Soria. Honestly, he did not notice Kyran''s armor and simply thought his current attire was his '' serious mode.'' He never considered the armor to be a lost technology.


    On the other hand, Nahir narrowed his eyes. Unlike the others, he was already aware of Kyran''s Array knowledge. But unlike Soria, he did not think the armor thetter wore was created with Array. Instead, he felt it was alive.


    Their initial awe at Kyran possessing an armor-type lost technology was short-lived in the scene that unfolded before them.


    When Kyran approached the beast-filled battlefield, they saw them stop and make way for him. The beasts did not bow to him or anything. It was more like they saw him as a walking gue and did not want to be near him.


    The horde''s reaction was different from the first time. The horde swarmed Kyran that time, wanting to take a piece of him. This time, they wanted to stay far away from him.


    Nearby beast-likes andplete beings fighting the beasts noticed their strange behavior and could not help but look up. When they saw someone in full dark purple armor walking toward them, they felt a chill run up their spines.


    Like most nes who knew about the Death Reaper, they envisioned it to carry a huge ck scythe¡ª not two dark des. However, looking at the approaching figure, they could not shake the feeling that they were looking at a Death Reaper.


    No.


    He could very well be Death himself!


    Kyran did not know what the low-ranked Armakean officers thought of him. He was not even interested. To him, they were already as good as dead.


    The two swords in his hand disappeared, and a sh of dark blue and purple lights illuminated the crowd up front.


    SPLATTER!


    Following the illumination of these lights, several heads flew up in the air, and blood gushed out from the necks of the severed bodies like fountains.


    "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"


    "Death! The Death Reaper has arrived!"


    "Run! Retreat to the borders!"


    Frightened screams mingled with the rest of the battlefield''s noise.


    Nahir, Gidan, and the other Eidums who kept looking at Kyran were dumbfounded. They did not even see him move before several heads of the Armakea officers filled the air.


    Kyran raised his hands and grabbed the two swords thatpleted their initial cirction after releasing them. He shrugged the blood that stained the sword''s des and continued forward.


    With fresh blood dying on the battlefield, beasts would usually go into a frenzy. Surprisingly, none of them lost their mind. They even retreated further to the side and avoid the smell of blood.


    Meanwhile, Kesiah, Gaham, and the rest of the high-ranking officers and knights that were engaged in battle with the three magical beasts and the rest of the horde in the middle of the battlefield, already noticed something was amiss after seeing surviving low-ranked officers run frantically back to their side.


    Kesiah sent out another punch toward the Basilisk.


    HIIISSS!


    The Basilisk let out a painful hiss as the beam that came out with Kesiah''s punch managed to scratch his side. He noticed that the more Kesiah fought, her energy-filled punches also grew stronger. Her speed seemed to have increased as well.


    Or could it be that it was his speed that started to decline?


    Regardless, the Basilisk was aware that the boost of energy they received from their master had long disappeared after he left.


    No.


    Their master had not really left. It was just that his energy seemed to have changed.


    Why?


    Because the Basilisk got distracted after sensing a change in their master''s energy, Kesiah managed tond another hit to his torso.


    HIIISSS!


    This time, Kesiah did not punch but kicked. Her leg, covered with energy, struck the Basilisk''s torso and sessfully destroyed arge chunk of his scales.


    Kesiah ignored themotion around her and took this chance to shower the Basilisk with a rain of kicks and punches. In seconds, the Basilisk was riddled with several fatal injuries.


    The Basilisk arched his back and whipped his tail at Kesiah, forcing her to retreat.


    But Kesiah ignored his tail attack. She raised her arm and guarded against the Basilisk''s tail. Then, she punched a hole right at it using her other arm.


    HIIIIISSSS!


    Dark green blood spluttered out of the Basilisk''s pierced tail. Still, he endured the pain and tried to snap Kesiah''s head.


    But Kesiah seemed to have expected his reaction and jumped out of the way. She then raised her right leg and performed a dropkick, boring her soles at the top of the Basilisk''s head.


    The force of her kick carried such weight that the Basilisk feared his scales were not enough to stop her from piercing a hole at the top of his head and killing him.

 Chapter 818 Oppression (3)

    <h4>Chapter 818 Oppression (3)</h4>


    "Die!" Kesiah shouted as her body glowed with a fierce red light.


    HIIIISSS!


    The Basilisk hissed in pain as he thrashed his body around to get her off his head. However, with one of her feet digging into his head, it proved to be a taxing endeavour. He also suffered many fatal injuries, and thrashing his body made him lose blood faster than he would have liked.


    As the light that covered Kesiah grew brighter, her foot went deeper into the Basilisk''s head. Just a little bit more, and she could ground his brain and kill him.


    Whoosh!


    "Princess Kesiah!"


    A dark blue and purple glint flew toward Kesiah, seemingly keen on going past her neck.


    A few knights nearby saw the glint even before it neared her and immediately shouted to warn her. They also moved, with a few with long-range weapons as their Divine Armament, aiming at the iing glint.


    Distracted, Kesiah caught sight of the glint at the corner of her eye. Unlike most nearby Armakean officers who only saw it as an iing glint, she saw what it truly was.


    A dark blue and purple sword filled with killing intent.


    Judging from the iing sword''s trajectory and speed, Kesiah believed she could evade it without jumping away from the Basilisk. With this in mind, she bent her body backward at an almost impossible 90-degree angle.


    But before she couldplete her movement, her eyes widened in shock as the iing sword, which appeared to be 30 meters away from her, seemed to have disappeared and reappeared a foot from her neck.


    Kesiah''s eyes glowed as she reflexively willed her Divine Armament to focus all its defences on her neck.


    The dark blue side of the sword''s de hit the side of her neck.


    KRRSSSHHK! CLANG!


    The sword collided with Kesiah''s armor, and from the former''s momentum against thetter''s steel-like defences, it managed to cut an inch into the armor but failed to go through thoroughly. With the sword''s momentum stopping, it was thrown to the side with a loud ng.


    Kyran, who witnessed his sword throw fail to cut Kesiah''s head, narrowed his eyes.


    [Seriously, you. Are you doing this on purpose? You are, aren''t you? You are, aren''t you? Thest time I regained consciousness, you were fighting a Sovereign. And now, you are in the middle of a way between two nations? Can''t you stay put for a moment and let me wake up in a more peaceful setting?]


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips despite the seriousness of the current situation. He did not want to admit it, but he had missed True Void''s nagging voice.


    A few minutes ago, when Kyran felt conflicted yet knew he had to decide soon, True Void suddenly called out.


    To be precise, True Void yelled in shock after seeing Cyneah. His reaction was quite reasonable. Before losing consciousness, he had tried his best to save Cyneah and prevent her from being taken. Ultimately, he failed, and thest thing he saw was the young mistress willingly entering a rift. Then, the next moment he opened his eyes, he saw the young mistress¡ª err, more like a more mature young mistress¡ª lying on a bed with a very weak life force.


    Kyran had no time to exin everything to True Void and could only ask him to assist him in battle.


    True Void initially wanted toin but sensed the severity of the situation simply by sensing Kyran''s mood.


    Kyran took True Void''s silence as a silent consent and immediately went to the border.


    Upon arrival, True Void did not wait for Kyran''s instruction to change and immediately turned into an armor to cover him. Now that he recovered his real body, he could change into anything at will as long as it would not hinder the nature of his magic energy. He could even turn into a massive weapon of mass destruction. But he opted to change into armor because, in his opinion, Kyran was already a weapon.


    After turning into armor, True Void realized the shape-shifting tes he once used as a temporary body were still connected to him. But they did not be part of him and remained a separate material. He guessed the reason behind this was that the shape-shifting tes were not made entirely of Void magic but with actual materials from the Lignum ne.


    In the end, True Void willed the shape-shifting tes into two swords that Kyran could use.


    Kyran probably did not need them, but after seeing the number of enemies on the battlefield, True Void surmised an additional weapon he could use or throw would be useful.


    After True Void did all these, Kyran was quite surprised. He did want to ask True Void to turn into armor so he did not have to create the Void Armor. As for the shape-shifting tes, he also thought of turning them into a dual weapon since their quantity was not enough to make armor.


    Kyran could not use the shape-shifting tes after True Void fell asleep. But he reckoned, now that True Void was finally awake, maybe he could use them now.


    And he was half right. Half because he could use them now, but half missed because True Void apparently was the one who could control them.


    Back to the current situation, Kyran was impressed at Kesiah''s Divine Armament.


    Although the part of the de that hit her armor was the dark blue side, which was mainly made from Lignum beasts'' blood and parts, they were considered one of the most solid materials in existence. For it to only leave an inch-deep cut on her Divine Armament was a testament to its hardness.


    Of course, that would have been a different story if the purple side of the sword de was the one that cut through her Divine Armament. It would have been sliced into two easily, like tofu. After all, the purple side of the sword had Void property.


    Because Kesiah was forced to strengthen one part of the Divine Armament, the power on her foot that pierced the Basilisk''s head weakened.


    The Basilisk then took this chance to shake his head and throw Kesiah off. Before he could seed, though, she already went down and jumped back a few meters away to provide herself some distance.


    As Kesiah stopped, she saw the terrifying sword that nearly cut her head on the ground a few feet away. She glowered at it before turning her attention toward the location where it came from.


    Kyran raised his right hand, and the sword reappeared in his hand. He then sensed the Basilisk''s condition and frowned inwardly. Even without circting the Draconic magic, he could still sense his Sigils but could not share his abilities. He did not want to circte the Draconic magic energy with the Void magic energy because he still felt the strain on his body after using more than the maximum percentage he could utilize of the former. If he did and could not control them well, a repeat of what happened when he was close to the Chaos Pce might ur. While the Shaiha could prevent that, Kyran still did not want to risk it. Not when he was in the middle of something very important.


    Ultimately, Kyran could only ask the Basilisk to retreat.


    The eyes of the nearby Armakean officers and knights who saw the Basilisk''s condition turned red. They wanted to take the chance to kill it while in a weakened state.


    But before they could move, the Comodo let out a powerful roar that shook the battlefield.


    After that, the ground around the Basilisk shifted and formed into a small dome,pletely sealing him inside.


    Gaham, who was fighting the Comodo, could not help but frown. He was fighting in what seemed to be a tightpetition, yet it still managed to spare some energy to rescue the Basilisk. He was peeved at thinking the Comodo had held back its strength.


    But Gaham managed to contain his anger and divert his focus on strengthening his attack. His speed and strength increased as he continued to bludgeon his morning star at the Comodo.


    The Comodo countered by summoning earth spikes. Sometimes, he used his front ws to swat away Gaham''s weapon. However, it was clear that he was nearing his limits.


    It was no surprise. After all, he had been fighting for some time, unlike Gaham, who had stayed at the back of the formation until now.


    Meanwhile, Kesiah frowned after finally noticing the neer. Initially, she had thought the silver dragon had returned, but after looking at the neer, she found it hard to sense his presence.


    Kesiah recalled the report about the Eidum''s mysterious helper, and her frown deepened. She had hoped to recover their side''s momentum before thetter arrived, but it seemed time was not on their side.


    While thinking this, Kesiah noticed the mysterious helper''s side was devoid of fighting.


    Only then did she realize that most of the beasts near him had stopped attacking and kept their distance. As for her people, she saw them on the ground, lying in their own blood.


    Her eyes turned red in fury. Those officers might be low-ranked, but they were still her people. She looked at the neer, her whole body glowing with a fierce red light as her Divine Armament shifted and changed its design.


    Earlier, her Divine Armament looked like a hardened red crystal armor. Now, it turned into a flowing red dress that hugged her beautiful body. After that, two red scimitars appeared on her hand.


    "I''ll kill you," she dered.


    Kyran hearing Kesiah''s deration, only smiled.

 Chapter 819 Oppression (4)

    <h4>Chapter 819 Oppression (4)</h4>


    Boom!


    Kyran''s figure disappeared, and in the blink of an eye, he had shortened the distance between him and Kesiah.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Princess Kesiah!"


    Gaham and the rest of the Armakean officers and knights who saw the speed of the Eidum''s mysterious helper were bbergasted. They were told of his strength; some even witnessed it with their own eyes. But the speed he had shown paled inparison to what they knew.


    They wanted to assist her however they could, but they could only watch because they were upied with the remaining two magical beasts and the rest of the horde.


    Kesiah was also surprised, but unlike the others, she was prepared for the worst. Thus, the moment she saw the mysterious helper disappear from her sight, she raised her scimitars and gracefully whirled her body to deflect the mysterious helper''s iing attack.


    Since she did not know which direction he would attack, doing this would provide her better chances of countering.


    ng! ng!


    Kesiah''s eyes widened in disbelief as the mysterious helper''s sword effortlessly deflected her scimitars and stopped her rotation. Though she only had a few seconds to start her rotation, which meant she had yet to gather enough momentum, any sane person would hesitate to approach if the scimitars cut through them.? But the mysterious helper unhesitatingly used his swords to stop her scimitars as if he could perfectly see their trajectory.


    Kesiah was not disheartened, though. If she could easily defeat the mysterious helper, it would mean that her people died at the hands of a weak enemy. She could not tolerate that. In any case, she believed herself to be a warrior before being a princess. Thus, she would not falter in front of a strong enemy.


    "HA!"


    Directing her energy into her arms, she pushed the mysterious helper''s swords off her scimitars and followed with diagonal shes. After that, she followed through with hacking movements while spinning her body.


    Kyran was not fazed at Kesiah''s fierce retaliation. He calmly watched her, deflecting each of her strikes without moving an inch.


    Frankly, he could easily end this farce by using the purple side of his swords. Since the purple des possessed Void property, they could cut her scimitars effortlessly.


    But Kyran did not want to do that simply because he found her Divine Armament intriguing. A moment ago, her Divine Armament was a red full armor. But then she removed it and reced it with an elegant red dress that matched her ruby-red scimitars.


    Even with Kyran''s little knowledge about Divine Armaments, he was positive that Kesiah''s dress and scimitars were still her Divine Armament. But that was impossible because Divine Armament only had one form as far as he knew. Depending on one''s mastery over it, it could change in size or even in design, but never its form.


    So, how did Kesiah change her Divine Armament''s form?


    Seeing her attack was ineffective, Kesiah added some kicks and elbow attacks to her movements. But no matter what she did, the mysterious helper deflected all her attacks.


    Whether by meeting her knees with his own or blocking her elbow attacks with his forearm, he managed to deflect them all effortlessly and without moving an inch! It was infuriating.


    Honestly, Kesiah had considered allying with the Eidums because of this man. She believed he was the person she needed who could assist her in usurping the King. She only heard what her people and Hohen said about his strength, and now that she had first-hand experience, she found their initial assessmentcking.


    This man was stronger than they believed.


    Kesiah was convinced of this because her Divine Armament failed to cut through his defenses, not to mention the swords he wielded.


    Nevertheless, though she admired this man''s strength, she also detested him for killing her people. In the previous raids, she was still considering employing his assistance, but after today, she was hesitant. Of course, she would not mind taking him in if he willingly submitted to her. She would never reject a person with boundless potential.


    For now, however, Kesiah detested this man. And it was all well and good since her emotions helped unleash her strength.


    Gaham and the rest of the Armakeans were slightly distracted because Kesiah and the Eidum''s mysterious helper had been confronting each other for almost five minutes now, yet they appeared to be in a stalemate.


    No.


    In Gaham''s eyes, he could clearly see that Kesiah did not seem disadvantaged, but she also had no chance of winning.


    [Oi, oi. Void Halfling. What are you doing? Don''t tell me you are distracted by this woman''s figure and enjoyed watching her unt her body while she brandished her weapon!]


    Kyran nearly choked at True Void''s usation. He was not even looking at her body and was absorbed in checking her Divine Armament.


    ''I''m not,'' Kyran told True Void. ''I''m only curious how her Divine Armament changed form.''


    [Divine Armament?]


    ''I''ll exinter.''


    As Kyran said this, Kesiah finally stopped attacking and started to retreat.


    There was no point in fighting at a close range if she could notnd any decent hits, which was why Kesiah wanted to gain some distance and try a different tactic in dealing with him.


    Kyran did not let her retreat too far, though. He closed the gap in an instant, and for the first time, he swung his sword in an attack.


    Kesiah, still in the motion of retreating, narrowed her eyes at the mysterious helper''s sudden attack. Her red dress glowed as its satin extensions seemed toe to life and fluttered in front of her.


    Kyran initially had the dark blue side of his swords pointed at Kesiah, but seeing her dress''s strange movements, he switched to the purple side and cut through them.


    [Gah! You! You! I''ve only been asleep for... I don''t know how long, and you have turned into a ruffian!]


    Kyran more or less understood why True Void said those things, and his brow twitched slightly. He did not cut through her dress so he could remove it; he only wanted to avoid his swords being cut in half.


    That was right. Just now, he sensed dangering from Kesiah''s dress. They appeared soft like satin, but he knew they could cut the dark blue side of his sword.


    sh!


    Kesiah''s eyes widened as a portion of her dress got cut. But she did not let her surprise get the best of her. She remainedposed as she swung her scimitars at the mysterious helper.


    Seeing the follow-up attack, Kyran slightly rotated his wrist to let the dark side of his sword collide with Kesiah''s scimitars.


    ng! ng!


    Kesiah was once more shocked at how easily he deflected her attack. Also, to be honest,pared with her scimitars, the defenses and sharpness of her dress were far better. How could his sword cut her dress but not her scimitars?


    Not wanting the mysterious helper to get any closer, Kesiah forcefully somersaulted, wanting to kick him back.


    To avoid her kick, Kyran was forced to lean back. However, he did not simply evade but also raised his left leg and aimed at Kesiah''s neck. Because Kesiah had just somersaulted, Kyran''s leg was at her blind spot.


    "Watch out!"


    Hearing Gaham''s frantic voice, Kesiah knew the mysterious helper was about to hit her in her blind spot. But she did not panic. After all, her Divine Armament would protect her.


    Kesiah''s dress fluttered, and before Kyran''s leg could touch her neck, they wrapped around his shin, stopping his movement.


    The dress was not done, though. After wrapping Kyran''s shin, they wriggled up his leg to his torso. The tip of her dress twirled, turned into something like a drill, and aimed at his side.


    Kyran twisted his body, barely missing the dress-turned-drill. The more he observed Kesiah''s Divine Armament, the more he was convinced that it was not a simple full armor.


    [Her dress... doesn''t it seem simr to me?]


    True Void''sment resonated with Kyran''s thoughts just now.


    That was precisely how he felt when Kesiah''s armor changed shape. Still, Kyran felt her Divine Armament was still different from True Void. They were simr because they could change their form. But unlike her Divine Armament, True Void could change his size and not sacrifice his essence. Kesiah''s Divine Armament, on the other hand, could only change size based on the quantity of its original essence.


    That was why she sacrificed the size of her armor when she chose to create scimitars.


    ''Not quite,'' Kyran replied as he turned and avoided another drill-like attack from Kesiah''s dress.


    Kesiah finallynded on the ground and jumped back while letting her dress aim at the mysterious helper.


    Seeing that Kesiah had started using her Divine Armament like abination of a drill and a whip weapon, Gaham no longer worried and could now focus his undivided attention on fighting the Comodo.


    It was well because he knew it would only be a matter of time before the Comodo exhausted itself.

 Chapter 820 Oppression (5)

    <h4>Chapter 820 Oppression (5)</h4>


    [See? You see now? Since you chose to ogle at her, she managed to change tactic by going range!]


    Kyran''s brow twitched. As much as he missed True Void''s ranting in his head, he found it somewhat frustrating. In the first ce, it did not matter if Kesiah attacked him at a distance. because he could warp directly at her. The only reason it appeared as if she had even out the odds against him was because he chose not to. As a matter of fact, he did not want to use magic to deal with her and her forces.


    Earlier, when he closed in on her, he only used his natural speed. At the moment, he had to refrain using Draconic magic and though he was circting Void magic energy, he only did so in support of True Void. After all, the magic energy that True Void had absorbed only allowed him to recover and wake up. To ensure he stayed awake, Kyran had to share his own magic energy.


    Kyran rolled to the side to avoid the relentless attack from Kesiah''s Divine Armament.


    One could say that their role somehow got reversed. A moment ago, no matter how Kesiah attacked, Kyran did not budge in his spot. Now, it was her who did not budge while thetter was forced to roll or jump around to avoid the drill-like tips of her dress and two scimitars.


    [Why are you not warping? And howe I can barely absorb any magic energy in this ne?]


    ''This ne has thin magic energy. Instead, most inhabitants uses mana or produce their own magic energy with their Divine Armament,'' Kyran patiently exined while cutting the iing drill-like tips of Kesiah''s dress. As he did, the two scimitars that she controlled at a distance flew toward him like two boomerangs.


    Kyran bent backward,nding both hands on the ground before hoisting his body upward. He then kicked the iing scimitars out of the way beforending on all fours. After that, he dugged the soles of his feet to the ground and propelled himself forward. He then swung his swords to the sides in preparation to cut his way toward Kesiah.


    Seeing the mysterious helper''s unexpected charge, Kesiah waved her hand and jumped back. Her dress split into countless strips, with their tips looking like drills. As she waved her hand, these strips moved in ordance with her will and aimed at the mysterious helper. She also willed the scimitars, which flew out of course after getting kicked, to fly back and aim at the mysterious helper''s legs.


    Kyran did not falter when he saw the iing flurry of attacks. He evaded them without slowing down and even hacked at a few using the purple side of his swords. Even when the two scimitars shed their way at his legs, he simply swiped his swords to each side and deflected them.


    Kesiah continued to retreat while attacking the mysterious helper.


    [Just what is this Divine Armament? Howe no matter how many times you cut it, it does not seem to decrease in size? It''s not regrowing, though. That much, I know. It is impossible for it to regrow after being cut with Void.]


    Kyran was also wondering the same thing, which was why he continued to attack Kesiah. He wanted to figure out more about Divine Armament and the secret of why hers was different.


    The reason he wanted to know this was to see if he could help the Eidums with ineffective Divine Armaments change their form into something more practical. Besides, knowing more about the intricacies of Divine Armaments was always wee. It would allow him to better deal with out-of-the-ordinary ones.


    While Kyran was mulling over these things, Kesiah was reeling in disbelief.


    The truth behind her dress''s continual reproduction was not because it was immune to Void''s nothingness nature. It was simply her reactivating her Divine Armament as soon as she realized the cut parts could not be reattached. However, doing this drained her energy faster than she would have liked. If this continued, she would end up exhausted and at the mercy of the enemy.


    With Kesiah keeping the Eidum''s mysterious helper busy, the rest of the Armakeans slowly gained the advantage back to their side.


    Meanwhile, Nahir finally finished assigning the Eidums to new groups. He then observed the battlefield and frowned upon confirming that the Armakeans were building up their momentum. If they wanted to stop them, now was the time to move.


    However, Kyran had yet to subdue Kesiah. Seeing how the two were still engaged in what appeared to be a close fight, the other Eidums started to feel apprehensive.


    If the real leader of the Armakea could fight Kyran without being disadvantaged, did it mean they possessed equal strengths?


    "The magical beasts are showing signs of exhaustion," Gidan remarked, prompting Nahir and the others to nce at the two magical beasts.


    The Comodo was still engaged in battle with Gaham. However, its scales were now riddled with injuries, and it was bleeding profusely.


    The Dryad was not fairing any better. With thebined strengths of several knights, the number of roots it could summon had decreased. Not to mention, they no longer showed the same momentum and strength as before.


    "Shall we go and help them first?" Gidan suggested, looking to Nahir for his opinion.


    Nahir believed they needed the two magical beasts if they wanted to win this war. However, he knew that those two were only fighting based on the silver humanoid dragon''s instructions. They were not fighting because they were protecting the Eidums. If they went down and assisted them, there was no telling if they would consider them as allies or attack them the same way they did with the Armakeans.


    Nahir looked toward Kyran and Kesiah one more time before looking over the healers among their ranks. He then said, "Healers, provide assistance to those two magical beasts."


    "Yes."


    The healers did not question hismand and healed the magical beasts at once. They also cast support spells to strengthen their defences and allow them to hasten their energy-replenishing abilities.


    Magical beasts did not possess any Divine Armaments. They could not generate magic energy by themselves. Instead, they absorbed the ne''s mana like how beast-likes do.


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo and the Dryad let out a fierce cry as their wounds healed at a noticeable pace. Their natural mana absorption abilities also improved, allowing them to produce more effective attacks against the Armakeans.


    Gaham scowled at this. He caught sight of the Eidums at the corner of his eye, healing and buffing the magical beasts as if they were allies.


    Because he got slightly distracted by this, he could not avoid the Comodo''s strike altogether.


    "Tsk!" He gritted his teeth as he retreated. He looked at his forearm and saw w marks on the surface. His armor was thick enough to block the ws, but he still received shallow cuts underneath. The cuts were not painful, though, and they did not stop him from wielding his Divine Armament.


    The Dryad summoned more roots, and because most of the Armakeans were caught off guard at their sudden recovery, a few low-ranked officers were skewered alive.


    "Gah!"


    "ARGH!


    Cries of agony filled the surroundings as the magical beasts managed to even out the odds against the Armakeans again.


    The remaining horde harassing the rest of the low-ranked officers also received buffs from the Eidums.


    Nevertheless, though their wounds were healed and their mana absorption improved, the fatigue that built up in them after fighting for so long was still there.


    That was something even the most potent healers could not cure.


    [Oi, Void Halfling. Her energy...!]


    ''Hm.''


    Kyran replied with an inward nod as he, too, noticed the sudden drop in Kesiah''s energy. He also noticed she started to breathe using her mouth and that beads of sweat trickled down the side of her face.


    One would think that Kesiah was already exhausted from battling him, but Kyran had a different take on that.


    They had barely started fighting, and even if Kesiah had fought the Basilisk before him, it was not enough to exhaust her. Considering all these, Kyran was convinced that maintaining her Divine Armament was the true reason behind the sudden drop in her energy.


    ''Maintaining her Divine Armament meant she exhausted her energy faster than what is necessary,'' Kyran thought.


    True Void inwardly scowled after hearing Kyran''s thoughts.


    [Don''t tell me the only reason you''re fighting her is to figure that out? Isn''t it obvious that she would exhaust herself if she continually used her Divine Armament?]


    Kyran did not respond. He knew it was not as simple as True Void said. Thus, he opted not to answer. Instead, he dropped all pretense of fighting Kesiah on equal grounds and swooped in for the kill.


    Kesiah was shocked when the mysterious helper ignored her attacks and closed the gap between them in an instant.


    HOOOOONG!


    Suddenly, a horn sounded from behind, bringing a smile on Kesiah''s face.

 Chapter 821 Oppression (6)

    <h4>Chapter 821 Oppression (6)</h4>


    Nahir and Gidan''s expressions turned grim as they saw a multitude of armored knights charging toward the battlefield from the west.


    A handsome young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes led the charge. Like the rest of the knights, his armor was silver. The only difference was the golden half cape that hand on his right shoulder.


    HOOOONG!


    Nahir did not know the man, but Gidan did because they had shed with his team a few times in their first few weeks at the border.


    "That is Hohen, Captain of the first toon under Gaham''s leadership," Gidan said through grounded teeth. "I had wondered why I did not see him among the knights. Looks like he went to gather more knights."


    Just when he thought they could finally turn the battle''s tide in their favor, such a troublesome guy appeared and brought a wholepany of knights along. It seemed this battle was far from over.


    When Nahir heard Gidan''s introduction about the neer, hisplexion paled slightly. Unlike Gidan, Nahir knew that Hohen was part of the group Kyran was supposed to intercept.


    Looking at the knights with Hohen, Nahir finally realizes that Kyran returned early because he failed to intercept Achim''s group. He scanned the group of knights with Hohen and frowned after failing to find Achim.


    If Kyran failed, why was Achim not there? Could Kyran''s information be wrong, and Achim was not there?


    No. That was impossible.


    If Achim was not present, where did Hohen gather those knights? He couldn''t lead all those knights by himself.


    This im was not baseless. Hohen was a captain, but his strength was about the same as the knights with him. Nahir had no trouble confirming that. For this reason, he did not see why those knights would let him take the lead. Besides, as far as Nahir was concerned, only a Royal Family member could mobilize that many knights. Even if Hohen was tasked to escort those knights, he must be apanied by a Royal Family member. He should not be the one leading them.


    On the other hand, Gidan felt a growing sense of trepidation seeing those knights. Getting attacked by a horde of beasts was tolerable as long as they had Kyran. But facing a horde of knights¡ª or, more urately¡ª Armakean Knights was apletely different story.


    Kesiah smiled after hearing the sound of the horn. A second ago, her expression was that of a woman epting her fate that she could not evade the iing strike that might take her life. But the sound of the horn changed everything.


    No.


    That was not entirely correct.


    Rather than the sound of the horn changing everything, it was more with what that sound meant.


    And just as Kesiah mulled over that thought, a silver light intercepted the mysterious helper''s strike.


    PANG!


    Kyran narrowed his eyes at the silver object that hit his wrist, forcing it to change the trajectory of his strike ever so slightly. But that small change resulted in Kesiah evading his sword by a hair''s breadth.


    "Protect the Princess!" Hohen shouted as he lowered his arm that held a silver and gold crossbow. It was he who shot at the mysterious helper, allowing Kesiah to escape death.


    Frankly, Hohen aimed to hit the mysterious helper''s arm and immobilize it. s, he underestimated the mysterious helper''s reaction speed and only hit his wrist.


    After Hohen''s shout, all knights with a ranged weapon as their Divine Armament raised their arms. They summoned their Divine Armament and shot an array of multi-colored arrows toward the mysterious helper.


    At that exact moment, the two scimitars returned to Kesiah''s hands. The long strips of her dress retracted, and soon, they glowed with a blinding red light. The scimitars blended with the light, wrapping her body. After that, the dress and scimitars disappeared and were reced by her earlier red crystal armor.


    Right after Kesiah donned her armor, a volley of arrows rained down, causing thend around them to turn into ruins.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A mixture of earth, rubble, and dust spread around them, hiding them from the viewpoint of the others.


    Nahir clenched his fists. Kyran had told them he would pave a path for them. But with how the situation had unfolded, he knew it was already impossible. He had to make a choice now.


    The horde and the two magical beasts were still engaged with the other Armakeans and held the advantage. However, once Hohen arrives with the rest of the knights, it would only be a matter of time before they takeplete control of the situation.


    Nahir looked at the rest of the Eidums standing atop the steel wall. With the enhanced defensive array of their border, he was confident they could withstand any attack the Armakeanunched after they regrouped.


    But what about Kyran? Could he escape from them? Or would he end up as a prisoner of war? If that happened, would they use him as a bargaining chip for them to surrender?


    Nahir was overthinking.


    After all, with Kyran''s strength, not to mention moral code, would he allow himself to be a prisoner of war? He would still opt for mutual destruction if he fought an enemy he could not defeat.


    But that was the question. Would thebined strengths of the Armakean Knights be something Kyran could not win against?


    Of course not.


    That was not to say that Kyran was invincible. He had a list of people¡ª primarily Sovereigns¡ª he did not wish to fight because he knew he could not win. At least, not yet. And the Armakean knights were not one of them¡ª?bined or not.


    "Kill all enemies on sight!"


    Gaham''s voice reverberated on the battlefield as Hohen and the knights joined the fray.


    Nahir and the other Eidums braced themselves after seeing the rest of the knights with Hohen summon their Divine Armaments and aim at the enemies on the battlefield.


    "Nar! Pleasee back!"


    Someone from the Eidum''s side shouted.


    Hearing this, more Eidums followed and shouted for Kyran to return.


    Unfortunately, because of the thick cloud of smoke that covered the area where Kyran and Kesiah were confronting each other, they could not see or know his condition.


    Most of them were confident he survived those volleys of arrows. But what about afterward? They saw Kesiah don her red crystal armor and might have taken advantage of themotion of the arrows tounch a counter. Could Kyran still manage to defend himself if that were to happen?


    Of course.


    BOOM!


    A colossal explosion suddenly urred right where Kyran and Kesiah were. It was then followed by several shockwaves, which testified to how great that explosion had been.


    That area was still covered with thick smoke. Thus, when the explosion urred, no one knew what happened that might have caused it.


    Nevertheless, all the knights were shocked, and their hearts sank, thinking something might have happened to the princess.


    Gidan, in particr, paled after that explosion. He rammed his huge morning star at the Comodo to force it back before rushing toward the explosion.


    Hohen was the same. He initially nned to assist the knights battling the Dryad, but he changed his course and went to the explosion. He ignored the after-shockwaves that swept past him, seemingly preventing his advance.


    A few other knights also run toward the explosion.


    RAWRGH!


    The Comodo and the Dryad roared after those fighting them decided to abandon them so they could all go to where their princess was.


    The Comodo stomped his front ws on the ground, creating web-like crevices to prevent the nearby Armekean officers'' retreat. At the same time, the Dryad''s roots wriggled underneath and shot off the ground, piercing every officer or knight on its way.


    Cries of agony and even death filled the air, along with the repercussions of the explosion''s aftermath.


    Nahir and the rest of the Eidums were speechless at the scene before them. Because they were standing from a higher vantage point, they could see how colossal the explosion just now had been. They also felt the after-shockwaves from that and knew raw power caused it, not a powerful collision of magic attacks.


    There was only one person they knew who could cause such raw power destruction, and just imagining how he could have done it gave them goosebumps.


    Gaham was the first one to reach the site of the explosion. By then, the aftershocks had died down, and the thick cloud of smoke had alleviated a little.


    At the center of the explosion, he saw a silhouette of someone in armor.


    Because of the smoke, it was hard to discern whether the person wearing the armor was a woman or a man. Nevertheless, judging by the silhouette''s height, it did not belong to the mysterious helper.


    A smile of relief appeared on Gaham''s face as he ran toward the silhouette.


    "Princess Kesiah!"


    The silhouette reacted upon hearing Gaham''s call.

 Chapter 822 Oppression (7)

    <h4>Chapter 822 Oppression (7)</h4>


    Gaham took a step toward the silhouette, and as he did, a powerful gust of wind blew around him and cleared the remaining cloud of smoke.


    The few people nearby were forced back a few steps from the intensity of the wind. They dug their heels into the ground to stop getting pushed back by the wind, leaving more than an inch-deep mark as they went.


    Gaham raised his morning star after sensing something amiss. He failed to notice it earlier because he was concerned for the princess''s well-being, but now that he saw the supposed site of the explosion, apart from the earlier shockwaves, there was no indication of it on the ground. There were traces of the arrows on the ground, but they were too fewpared to the multitude released earlier. Thinking back on it, the explosions at that time were a little strange. They were too few. No matter how many arrows collided that could reduce the number of explosions or residues on the ground, it still did not tally.


    "Knights on my lead!" Gaham shouted amand, taking advantage of his position as a Commander to take authority.


    All knights that heard his plea gripped their Divine Armaments and stood at a ready.


    "Secure the Princess and take down the enemy-!"


    Bam!


    "Ack!"


    Gaham had yet to finish what he was saying when a shadow fleeted before him. It was followed by something solid mming his stomach, which strength hoisted him off his feet.


    Bam!


    "Gah!"


    Before Gaham could even register what had happened or reach the highest point at which his body was hoisted up, his head hit something solid again. He mmed into the ground face-first and was knocked out cold.


    "Arms forward- gah!"


    Hohen tried to resumemand when he saw Gaham getting plummeted but got thrown back several meters. Due to the momentum of the hit, he rolled and skidded on the ground before he managed to stop. But by then, he was already unconscious. Other knights with a higher rank tried to resumemand,, but even before Hohen fell unconscious, more of them got thrown back or up one after another. Some even got mmed on the spot. In any case, they all went out cold with just one hit.


    The remaining knights were shocked beyond belief. Not only were they unable to retaliate, but they also failed to get a proper look at their perpetrator.


    The cloud of smoke had cleared by then, and they could see Princess Kesiah standing in the middle of the explosion. But she remained unmoving, and the enemy was nowhere in sight. One thing they noticed, though, was that her red crystal armor had strangely turned purple. Evidently, the enemy did something to her.


    In any case, they already guessed that the unseen perpetrator was the enemy. Thus, they had to detain him no matter what and have him undo whatever he did to their princess.


    After the enemy took down around twenty knights and officers alike, the rest had already adjusted to the situation. Some of the knights did not take long to get used to the enemy''s speed and start their counterattack.


    Since the enemy seemed to go after the knight who would bark amand, the remaining high-ranked knights no longer shouted. Using eye contact, these knightsmanded their team at ease, and they sessfully regrouped.


    One after another, the knightsunched their counter. They surrounded the enemy and had their range members attack first and bait him to a suitable position for their melees to attack.


    Soon, the enemy''s speed in taking down theirrade was reduced, and they could now see his movements much better.


    Some melee attacks managed to connect. But the enemy''s defense was too strong their attacks were rendered ineffective. It felt like they were hitting steel rather than a body with flesh.


    The expressions of some knights fighting a melee against the enemy changed dramatically. Only then did they realize that the enemy was fighting without armor. He wore a dark blue with purple gantlets, but that was it.


    They could not help but rack their brains to recall if the enemy had been that way right from the start.


    No!


    The knight, leading the melee attack, stared at the enemy with wide eyes as he recalled the color of the enemy''s armor was dark purple. The shade was lighter, and the design was different, but he could not shake the feeling that the ''Princess in red-turned-purple crystal armor'' standing motionless at the center of the explosion was no longer the Princess.


    From the corner of his eyes, he saw the few knights stealthily making their way to the Princess to save her and sensed a looming threat.


    "Stop! Don''t go anywhere near that-!"


    Bam!


    The knight could not even utter a grunt when he lost consciousness after taking a direct hit on his temple.


    Kyran watched the knight fall to the ground and inwardly sighed in admiration. He knew his trick would be discovered sooner orter. After all, the color of their Princess''s armor differed significantly from the previous one. Besides that, he himself was no longer wearing one. If they connected the color of his armor to the Princess''s current one, it would only be a matter of time before one of them realized that the one standing there was not their princess but something else.


    Still, he had expected to lessen their number before that happened, but apparently, he underestimated them.


    Kyran was not annoyed, though. He was even impressed because at least he was not dealing with stupid people. He really found the Armakean knights remarkable. Not only did they not falter after losing their leader, but another one immediately took over. When Kyran targeted those knights who assumed leadership, the next ones to assume leadership immediately stopped cascading verbal orders to prevent him from targeting the next one.


    The system in which these knights were working was simple but very effective. And all of them adapted to the situation quickly and efficiently.


    Theirbat skills were also good. Those with range Divine Armaments were not limited to attacking at range. They also stepped in every now and then to assist those with melee Divine Armaments, allowing them to coordinate strategies and force Kyran to make a mistake.


    So far, Kyran had yet to make a real mistake, but because of their coordination, they managed tond a hit every now and then.


    The more he fought them, the more he wanted to have them as subordinates.


    [Void Halfling! Void Halfling! They are getting scarily close to me now! Should I move? Rather, can I move? I''m getting a little itchy standing motionless here!]


    True Void''s warning forced Kyran out of his reverie and refocused his attention on the task at hand. He looked over at the knights True Void warned him about and immediately went after them.


    The knights on the verge of realizing the truth about the princess noticed his movement and stopped him. Contrary to the knight Kyran took down just now, most were convinced that their princess''s armor changed color because the enemy put her under a restraining spell.


    Several knights tried to intercept Kyran but ended up getting beaten out cold. Nevertheless, the few times they got in his way bought a few seconds for the knights approaching True Void.


    [Ack! They are getting eerily close, Void Halfling! And I am really getting very, very itchy!]


    Despite the situation''s urgency, Kyran could not help but twitch at True Void''s hysterics. Frankly, the only reason he wanted everyone to think their princess was still there and in dire need of saving was to stop them from retreating.


    While having them retreat could be good for them because they could easily conquer the border, it also meant the King would be made aware of their failure to protect the border and Kesiah. There was also the matter of Achim.


    Kyran had yet to confirm what happened to them. He was not worried that something terrible happened to them per se because he could sense them nearby. He wanted to know how the situation on their side unfolded that allowed Hohen to win over Achim''s knights.


    "Don''t falter! He is only one man! We''ll wear him out eventually!"


    Someone among the crowd shouted, encouraging the knights and officers to continue their attack.


    However, as if those words were spoken to curse them, cries of pain resounded from different locations on the battlefield.


    Some of the knights and officers chose to fight the Comodo and the Dryad. But their situation was more or less in a stalemate, and neither the magical beasts nor the Armakeans couldnd an effective hit against each other.


    The leading knight, hidden amongst the ones up front, realized that the cries came at the periphery of their ranks, and his expression turned dark.


    Hearing the recentmotion at the back, Kyran could not help but smile.


    "You guys took your time."

 Chapter 823 Oppression (8)

    ?


    Nahir and the rest of the Eidums watched the scene unfold on the battlefield with bated breaths. Just a moment ago, they were worried about Kyran''s well-being and wished for him to retreat to the safety of the border''s steel walls. Whether their pleas reached him or not, he seemed stuck because the situation on the battlefield only took a drastic turn after that massive explosion.


    However, when the cloud of smoke that resulted from the explosion cleared, their worldview turned upside down as they once more bore witness to Kyran''s abnormal strength.


    Most of the Eidums failed to follow Kyran''s movements but they only needed to check which Armakean would fall next to know his location. He was literally like a phantom that moved around the battlefield taking down the Armakean leaders one after another. When he got surrounded by the knights, they thought his overwhelming momentum would finally be stopped. But, while his speed slowed down a little, his oppression remained unhindered. He continued to take down the knights and it even seemed like he was only getting started.


    Hm and the young Eidums who Kyran traveled with before going to the border, watched his disy with pure admiration. They used to view Nahir, Gidan, and other veterans of the Eidums to be powerful elites, but after witnessing Kyran in action, they felt that the strengths of the former lot were only so-so.


    Because of Kyran, the standard of a powerful being that Hm and most of the younger Eidums looked up to had gone up at an unbelievable high. At the moment their standard could be considered uneptable because if it was, then very few, probably only a handful in Somuli, could be considered powerful.


    Of course, this was the current situation. That might change in the near future.


    In any case, seeing Kyran remained unrivaled, most of the Eidums started to breath a sigh of relief. That was until they saw the knights were looking for trouble by trying to save their princess.


    When Gidan saw this, he suggested going in and assisting Kyran.


    But Nahir only looked at him as if he had lost his mind. In the first ce, the location where Kyran was at, as well as the princess, was surrounded by Armakean Knights. Kyran made it look as if the knights were push overs, but that was only because he was too abnormal. If they were the ones confronting the Armakean Knights, the situation would be reversed. They would be the ones getting pummeled one-sidedly.


    Nevertheless, Nahir understood where Gidan wasing from.


    Unlike the others, Nahir was aware of Kyran''s identity. Though Nahir did not know the extent of what Kyran could do, seeing the color change in Kesiah''s armor, Nahir was convinced that Kyran used Array to restrain her rather than using in magic. Nahir was convinced that if the knights realized this, the thought that Kyran possessed a lost technology they were unaware might cause them to retreat. They would then have to report it back to the King. When that happened, the King might send more knights to the border and the war there would escte.


    Unfortunately, Nahir missed the idea by a long shot. But his reasoning of what might happen if the knights got close to their princess was somewhat same with Kyran''s. At least, they were thinking the same about the knights retreating.


    Kyran did not want the knights to retreat because he did not want to alert the King of his n of conquest. He wanted win over the knights at the border first then make his way toward the Armakean Capital. This way, he could take more knights under hismand without shedding too much blood.


    Besides, he wanted to conquer the Armakea in a way that few of the outsiders would pay attention to them. They might only be concerned about winning the allegiance Somuli''s fake Sovereign, but since thetter wanted the Saint¡ª who was an Eidum¡ª then they would definitely keep a certain amount of interest in their movements.


    The Abbot''s abduction was supposed to divert their focus, but since the Abbot already revealed himself today, it would only be a matter of time before the rest would know about it.


    Unless the outsiders who saw him did not spread the news about it, then the Eidums only had to silence those from Armakea to keep the farce going.


    Although Nahir thought Gidan''s suggestion was absurd, he did consider assisting Kyran. But before he coulde up with a n, they witness strange movements at the outer formation of the knights that surrounded Kyran.


    Nahir, Gidan, and a few others who noticed the movements were dumbfounded when they realized what was happening.


    A group of people in ck¡ª reminiscent of Kyran''s attire when they first saw him¡ª were taking down knights one after another. Their speed at which they took down the knights were almost as fast as Kyran had been.


    "Don''t tell me¡­ those are Nar''s kin?" Gidan blurted, feeling both unconvinced and relieved¡ª a very contradicting emotions.


    "Impossible!" Nahir responded strongly. He knew about Kyran. It was impossible for him to have kins in this ne. He frowned slightly as an idea crossed his mind.


    Kyran did not ask for his people toe help them, or did he? He did disappear for a long time before returning with a troubling news. If he did ask his people for help, that was the only time Nahir could think of that allowed him to do so.


    ''No, it is impossible,'' Nahir shook his head inwardly as he wondered how those people managed to arrive at such a short time?


    Nahir might be aware of Kyran''s identity, but he was not fully aware of what he could do. Thus, it was not strange for him not to consider the possibility that Kyran warped his people in Somuli.


    Nevertheless, even if Nahir was aware of it. It was also impossible.


    When Kyran warped to a ne from another, it exhausted him. If he warped a few others at the same time, he would likely end upatose, if not dead.


    Regardless of how the neers arrived, the fact that they were with Kyran could not be denied.


    Once more, the battlefield took a drastic shift from the arrival of these people. The Knights'' formation and close to perfect response time slowly crumbled. It was not because those who could assume leadership had now been taken out, but more to the fact that they could not handle four more people who seemed to share the same strength as the Eidum''s mysterious helper.


    Even at the side of the magical beasts, for some unknown reason, all movements of the knights and officers there stopped. This allowed the Comodo and Dyrad toy waste of thetter two.


    Nahir''s brow furrowed as he watched the scene below. He did not notice it earlier because the situation appeared dire, but now that he looked at the bodies lying on the ground, he found they were not dead. Most were heavily injured, especially those who fought the Comodo and the Dryad, but they were alive.


    There were fatal casualties, yes. But the number of those who might live was far greater.


    ''This¡­ How could such a thing be possible?''


    In just over half an hour, the battle ended without much drama.


    The remaining knights and officers were forced to surrender. And frankly, they wanted to take their lives, but Kyran and his people managed to knock them out cold before they could. Unfortunately, there were still a few who they failed to stop.


    Kyran could not help but frown when he counted six knights among those who killed themselves. He found it a waste of talents to see those six knights go.


    Nahir and the rest of the Eidums did not go down the walls even after knowing the battle had truly ended. After all, there were still those beast horde and the magical beasts.


    Just as they were wondering how to deal with those lot, Kyran went over to the Comodo.


    The Eidums held their breaths as they watch Kyran raised his hand toward the Comodo. They expected another epic confrontation would unfold between the two.


    But what happened next left them gaping with their mouths open.


    The Comodo lowered its head toward Kyran''s raised hand and purred like a pet cat as it allowed Kyran to pet it. Even the Dyrad wriggled its way toward Kyran and affectionately wrapped its roots around him.


    Nahir and the others could not help but look at the mound where the Basilisk had taken refuge and wondered if it would also act the same.


    Their doubt was soon answered as the Basilisk broke out of the mound and slithered toward Kyran. It then circled around Kyran while hissing in an almost excited way. They even thought the Basilisk''s tail seemed to wag like a dog''s tail.


    Nahir''s eyes widened suddenly as a sudden thought hit him.


    "The silver humanoid dragon¡­ is Nar?"


    Collective gasps rang among the Eidums who heard him.

 Chapter 824 Prisoners Of War

    ?


    Nahir and Gidan went down the steel walls and approached Kyran. They were a little hesitant at first, but they reckoned they had to discuss their next course of action soon. They might have taken control over the situation on the battlefield but there was still the matter of the border.


    Frankly, Nahir knew Kyran had cooked up a n to take over the borders that was why he did not kill the Armakean knights. The younger man did suggest a conquest and while he agreed to it, they both know the Eidums were incapable of that given their weak offensive magic.


    Kyran did improve their overallbat capabilities by teaching them how to utilize their advantage, which was the use of support magic to boost their strength while weakening their enemies. This improvement was actually a game changer during the first hour of the battle.


    In the end, theirck of people as well as core fighters was their undoing. They escaped their imminent defeat but it caused the Abbot to reveal himself. Not to mention, there was the silver humanoid dragon.


    Nahir frowned slightly, recalling the silver humanoid dragon. Watching Kyran round up the rest of the beasts and seemingly instructing the Basilisk, Comodo, and Dryad to lead them, gave Nahir more reason to believe he and the silver humanoid dragon was one and the same.


    Gidan also watched what Kyran was doing with a scowl. Although the same thought as Nahir had crossed his mind, he was more inclined to believe that Kyran might be rted to the silver humanoid dragon just like those neers.


    Speaking of the neers, Gidan looked up ahead where those lot gathered and tied up the rest of the Armakean forces.


    "I don''t think we can afford to take them all as prisoners of war," Gidan told Kyran the moment they got close enough for him to hear them. "We don''t have the manpower to keep them under control and our supplies are limited. We can''t afford to feed any more mouths."


    What Gidan said was true. The Eidumsbat capabilities might have improved but at the end of the day, those people were stronger. Frankly, if not for the sudden appearance of the Abbot, the silver humanoid dragon, and finally, Kyran''s kin, they would have long perished and the Eidum''s border overtaken.


    Because of these unforeseen factors, they ended up taking the Armakeans as prisoners of war. While it could be seen as a good thing, the truth it was not. Especially when they barely could support their own people.


    Unless they nned on releasing these prisoners by negotiating with the King of Armakea soon, their supplies would run out. And that was considering their prisoners would not stage a break out. If that happened, they would be overtaken before anything else happened.


    Kyran gestured the three magical beasts to continue grouping the rest of the horde before looking toward Nahir and Gidan. With raised brows and slightly tilted head, he said, "I never considered them as prisoners of war."


    Nahir sighed inwardly after hearing the younger man''s response. As he expected, Kyran nned to take control of the knights. How he would do that, however, left him nk.


    Gidan''s reaction was different though. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. But this reaction was more on unrestrained anger rather than disbelief.


    "What in hell? Why keep them alive if you don''t consider them prisoners? Do you even know what you have subjected us to by keeping them alive?"


    "I do," Kyran replied nonchntly. "I have employed apany of knights to provide manualbor."


    He paused, after thinking of something and added, "Onepany is not enough, though. After marching into Armakea, we''ll have to gather more. That way Achim and Kesiah can lead apany each. They can form the first battalion."


    Gidan gaped at him with mouth agape¡ª the size of which could easily fit an egg.


    Nahir also did a double take after hearing two names he was not expecting to hear. He looked at Kyran in all seriousness, at the same time, fearing the question he was about to ask.


    "Achim and Kesiah? You¡­ What did you¡­?How did you¡­?"


    In the end, Nahir failed to ask because his mind had turned into a jumbled mess.


    Kyran scratched his head. He did not n on hiding things to them. Now that he decided to put into motion the n to conquer Somuli, he would need trustworthy people to help him manage things. He chose the Eidums¡ª or, to be precise¡ª their leadership, because of two reasons: they took care of Cyneah, and the Abbot would be the Sovereign soon.


    While these two did not appear a sound reason for one to decide on them, Kyran thought otherwise.


    Once Kyran conquered Somuli, he would need people who were humane enough to lead. If he had chosen the Armakea, or the Kingdom of Cretea to lead just because they possessed the knowledge, or the military strength, the Somuli would end up in chaos. Their greed and inhumane ideals did not sit well with Kyran, after all.


    Of course, Kyran was not saying the Eidums did not possess these traits. They did as a matter of fact, but it was in a level that could be tolerated. They were still humble enough due to the fact that they knew of their shorings. Besides, they had people who possessed healing abilities. That could already be considered a huge advantage to them as long as they had enough military strength to control the other two nations.


    Not that those two would pose any real threat. After all, Kyran nned to get rid of those people among their nations that he deemed unfit to keep alive. He would not be the judge on that, though. He did not think he had what it takes to judge them. But those were things to consider for the future.


    Right now, Kyran''s focus was in conquering Armakea. And he would do so as discreetly as possible. He still had to keep an eye on the outsiders, and thest thing he wanted was rm them of his conquest. He did not want them to take interest in his identity as Nar.


    "I''ll exin it allter," Kyran told Nahir and Gidan before looking toward the direction of the Armakea border. "We still have things to settle."


    Nahir and Gidan''s expressions turned grim as they also looked in the same direction.


    "Do you think the Armakeans who stayed behind the borders are preparing to receive us?" Gidan asked. "We are going there to finish this, right?"


    "That? There is no need, Achim and his guys already took care of it," Kyran replied with a flippant attitude that almost choked Gidan to death.


    "You¡ª! Then what do we even have to settle over there? More importantly, do you have to look over there and said those things if its already settled?"


    "So noisy," Kyranined while rubbing his ear. He looked at Gidan and patiently exined, "Achim did settle the matters in the border, but someone still managed to send an SOS to a nearby fort. Good thing they did not have ess tomunications that directly connects them to the capital. If not, we''ll be dealing more than reinforcements from a nearby fort."


    "You¡ª! What if those guys sent a report to the capital? It will only be a matter of time before the King sends his troops here!"


    "No," Kyran shook his head. "Jita already confirmed that fort is not equipped with a directmunication device to the capital. Unless one of the heir candidate is there for whatever reason, then we are still in control of the situation."


    "What about the other forts near that fort? They may have ess to such a device and had already contacted the capital."


    "Tsk," Kyran clicked his tongue in annoyance and red at Gidan. "Why do you keep spouting ominous thoughts? Do you want the King''s knight toe here so badly?"


    "You¡ª!" Gidan growled in frustration. "Of course not! But you have to consider every possible scenarios!"


    "I have," Kyran replied with a snort. "At least, Achim and the others have."


    "And you trust them? Unbelievable!"


    "I trust them because they are my people. Besides, they know more about how their system works. They know which forts have directmunication to the capital. This is a good thing, too. If we bait those forts toe to us, we can amass our military strength without having to move around."


    Gidan fell silent and contemted Kyran''s words, agreeing to most of them. However, he was still feeling a little giddy about all these things.


    On one hand, Nahir looked at the two with a somewhat incredulous expression. Kyran had yet to exin the matter about Achim and Kesiah, however, Gidan seemed to havepletely epted everything and did not react to Kyran''s mention of unfamiliar names anymore. Instead, he reacted more with the younger man''s attitude over the situation.


    It dawned to Nahir how simpleton Gidan could be.


    "Let''s go," Kyran gestured for the two to follow him. "Haji already prepared the meeting room."


    "Wait," Nahir stopped them and looked over the magical beasts. After that, he looked at the tied still unconscious Armakeans. Three of the neers were there, but while he already witnessed their prowess, he did not think they would be enough to keep all prisoners under control by themselves.


    "I''ll have the rest of the Eidums help watch over the prisoners."


    "There''s no need," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "Even if they woke up, they will not be able to do anything. I have someone keep them under control at all times."


    "But those three¡­ will they really be enough?"


    Nahir asked, unable to figure out what the younger man meant.


    Kyran only smiled in response. However, if Nahir and Gidan were more observant, they would have noticed his eyes fleeted on the ground ever so slightly. They would then notice the unusual shade of the Armakeans'' shadows.


    Seeing that Kyran nned to stay mysterious, Nahir and Gidan no longer voice any discontent and followed him. They had tons of things to discuss, yet the night was almost over.

 Chapter 825 A Brief Respite

    ?


    When Achim rendezvous with Captain Hohen''s group a few hours ago, they ended up falling into a trap. A skirmish broke out between the two, with Hohen''s side on the losing side.


    At least, that had been the case at the start.


    When Hohen finally made use of his skills that made him good at interrogation¡ª which usually ended up in torture¡ª he sessfully manipted Achim''s knight into choosing Kesiah''s side. He mainly talked of Kesiah''s ideals as to why she wanted to usurp the King¡ª providing equality to all.


    It should be noted that the Armakean Knights did not have rights of their own. The moment they born, their fate as a knight had been sealed. Once they learned how to walk, or hold a sword, they were taught how to fight and be loyal to the Armakean''s Royal Family¡ª particrly, the King. Any actions or decisions they made would always prioritize the safety of the King or the Royal Family member they were tasked to obey or protect.


    If not for the heir selection, the leash on these knights would not have loosen.


    The authority the candidates possessed during the heir selection could overwrite that of the King''s. However, there was a hidden decree that the King employed with the authority he bestowed among the candidates and that was the ability to freelymand the knights even though they were not under their pact. He made it so that their pact would not be restricted withmanding the knights he gave them but to take other candidate''s authority over his or her knights as long as they chose to follow that candidate.


    The King did this to test the candidates ability to make the knights follow them with unwavering resolve.


    In Armakean, only the King and another non-Armakean, who performed the change in the pact, were aware of this. That another one possessed an item that allowed him to ce certain changes in an active pact unnoticed.


    Kesiah identally found this after her visit in Howling Pass. She might have failed to contact the Abbot, but with this discovery she devised a n to take over the other candidates'' knights. Doing so would allow her to gather enough force to rally up the rest of the Royal Family members and slowly build up enough military strength to usurp the King.


    Kesiah never nned to rule herself. Instead, she wanted her father to rule because she believed him to be the most righteous person she ever knew. s, most of their family member thought of him as an idealist, thus, they never heed his words.


    Among the candidates, the King granted Achim with apany of knights while the rest only had a toon. Some were even given only a squad to lead. This just showed how much favor the King gave Achim.


    Kesiah was granted a toon, but even then, it only consisted of three squads of fourteen knights each while Achim possessed more than a hundred knights. The difference was too big, but it was one of the main reason she was keen on targeting him first apart from being her brother.


    In any case, Hohen won over almost all of Achim''s knights on her behalf. He was surprised, to be honest. He did not expect Achim to win over the loyalty of a handful knights and stayed with him until the end.


    Ultimately, Achim chose to escape with the few knights under hismand. Hohen initially wanted to pursue but since he was running on a schedule, he decided to return to the border.


    Hohen''s decision not to pursue them gave Achim a chance to n out their next course of action. Their priority was to contact their master. But doing so would not be easy without revealing their connection.


    Fortunately, Gael appeared and they managed to share information ande up with a better n.


    They found from Gael that there were two knights that went to scout the location they were supposed to infiltrate. When he told them their abilities, Achim surmised that Kesiah had truly shown her fangs. It appeared she was well informed of the current situation in Somuli than what was avable to them.


    As for the knight Gael was after, it was unfortunate that he lost track of him. But losing him was not really a problem since Achim knew he was one of Kesiah''s knights.


    After their discussion they decided to attack the Armakea border. The reason they agreed to this move was mainly the fact that there was an ongoing battle between the Armakea and the Eidum. They knew their master returned to assist thetter, thus, they guessed Hohen and the other knights woulde to Kesiah''s aid. That would mean the Armakea border would be scantily guarded.


    Taking advantage of this, they made quick work of the remaining knights and officers at the Armakea border. Unfortunately, they were not quick enough because a knight managed to send an SOS to a nearby fort.


    Still, the nearby fort was at least a day and a half away from the borders. They would have enough time to prepare so long as they the battle between the Armakeans and the Eidums ended soon.


    Gael''s restraining ability would not normally worked against the knights given the level gap. But for some reason, his Shadow bind had gotten more effective. Absorbing that Sekir knight seemed to have bolster his magic level. Since they knew their master wanted the knights as subordinates, they could only knock them out cold and have Gael restrain them.


    When Achim, Gael, and the rest of the Servants joined the battle, they expected a grueling fight ahead. Surprisingly, the battle ended before any of them could even use their Divine Armament. It was as if, the very presence of their master boosted theirbat abilities, allowing them to subdue the rest of the knights with ease.


    As a matter of fact, their guess was not far off. Kyran''s presence indeed allowed to use their utmost potential inbat. This was actually a halo effect of being a Servant. Simr to the Sigil''s effect.


    But Kyran was unaware of it yet. Or to be precise, he knew there was some sort of buff he could provide with his Servants but he had yet to understand it fully.


    At the meeting room, within the Armakea Border, Kyran and the rest entered. Inside, Achim, Haji, and Gael were already waiting.


    When all of them were seated, Kyran started by telling Nahir and Gidan most of what his Servants told him. There were a few things he did not borate though. They were as follows: how he won Achim to his side, who Gael was, and how the Armakeans knew about the outsiders and current situation of the ne in general.


    Kyran withheld thetter because Gidan was there. Since thetter was not there when Kyran exined the situation he opted not to share it yet. They could have a separate discussion on that once the Abbot, and Azikh were present.


    Right now, their priority was to prepare for the arrival of the reinforcements.


    And for Kyran, his immediate task was to check the Armakea''s inventory. He did not forget the main reason he decided to move up his n.


    He still had to concoct a blood-replenishing pill for Cyneah.


    Kyran left the preparation under Achim and Nahir''s leads. Gidan, on the other hand, returned to the Eidums side to round them up and exin the current situation. He also had to keep the Abbot and Azikh up-to-date.


    As for the unconscious Armakean Knights and officers, Kyran had Gael keep watch. After he finished concocting the blood-replenishing pill, he would deal with them in Achim and Kesiah''s presence, once he could summon thetter at least.


    For the record, one of the real reasons behind the massive explosion that came after the volleys of arrows, was so Kyran could catch Kesiah unaware and absorbed her. The cloud of smoke would also allow True Void to change his appearance to Kesiah''s armor and make the rest believed she was under a spell of some sort.


    Finally, the mystery behind the seemingly irregr number of explosions following the rain of arrows, was because True Void gluttonously ate them. His action was the main reason Kyran was prompted to stage that explosion. If not, the initial cloud of smoke would not be enough to hide what he did. Because when True Void absorbed the iing arrows, a couple of vortex appeared above his head like two t umbres.


    Kyran looked like a strange emissary of doom with two vortexes hovering above his head. He did not want to rm Gaham and the others, and forced them to escape.


    Kyran perused through the Armakea inventory list. After going over the medicinal herbs, however, he found some of them unfamiliar even with his knowledge from the Tower of Tribtions. He then asked Jita to take him to the greenery, wanting to check the nts personally.


    Different from the greenery at the Eidums HQ, which was located at a small room in the infirmary, the Armakea greenery was located at an open field near the training grounds.


    Kyran was not that surprised that the Armakea HQ had a different set uppared to the Eidums. Thetter had most of their rooms within the chasm walls, while the former dug out a portion of the chasm and built buildings separately.


    Because of this, the Armakeans could enjoy the sun oftenpared to the Eidums who were stuck inside the buildings within the chasm walls.


    Jita kept Kyranpany while he checked the greenery. However, after walking for a few minutes, the pain he had been enduring all this time finally got the best of him. He fell on his knee and coughed out blood, rming Jita.


    "Master! Please, take a rest. You have yet to fully absorb the Armakean Princess. If you keep moving, you''d give her a chance to fight back and you may end up in a much direful condition."


    Kyran wiped the blood off the side of his lips and stood up. But he underestimated the fatigue his body umted and almost stumbled. Good thing Jita was close enough and managed to reach out and support him before he did.


    "I may have overestimated my endurance," Kyran muttered with a bitter smile.


    He hated to admit it but the things he did tonight indeed pushed him to his limits.


    Cyneah did restore his magic core to tip-tip shape, thus, absorbing a few knights and making them his servants should not have pose any problem. What he did not anticipate though was when he made use of the additional 1% of Draconic magic, his body barely managed to contain its power. Thus, when he revert to circting Void magic energy, summoned True Void, absorbed Kesiah, fought the rest of the knights, and unknowinglybestowed Achim and the rest of the Servants with additional buff with his presence, the fatigued built up with him failing to notice it.


    Kyran knew insisting on concocting the blood-replenishing pill with his current condition would be counterproductive. There was also a possibility he''d fail in concoction. Thus, he decided to rest.


    Besides, even if he insisted on working and did seed in concocting a high-quality blood-replenishing pill, there was a high chance he''d exhaust himself and fall into aa. That was thest thing he wanted to happen given their situation.


    "How much time do we have until the nearby fort arrives with reinforcements?"


    "It is a day and a half''s journey, Master. But if we consider the time they will need to prepare we can expect them tomorrow evening at thetest."


    Kyran nodded, "I''ll rest for a few hours. But if there is an emergency that needs my immediate attention, let me know at once."


    "Yes, Master."


    "In the meantime, I need you to find a few herbs for me. I don''t know what they are called here, or what they looked like, but these are the effects I am looking for."


    Kyran gave the list to Jita. After she epted the list, she led him to a private chamber meant for the King''s use, and left him to rest there.


    Meanwhile, Nahir, with Achim and Gael''s assistance finished discussing their stratagem. Gidan also finished talking to the Abbot and Azikh and exined the situation.


    As for Cyneah, the Abbot did not want to worry them with her condition and only told them she was resting.


    After making sure her condition had stabilize, the Abbot, Azikh, and Gidan traveled to the other side of the chasm and met up with Nahir and the others.

 Chapter 826 I Never Really Mentioned What My Magic Is, Did I?

    <h4>Chapter 826 I Never Really Mentioned What My Magic Is, Did I?</h4>


    Whether it was a good start, nothing happened in the duration that Kyran had rested.


    Nahir and the others managed the rest of the things that needed attending themselves. Although Gidanined a lot, saying Kyran should have helped out since he was the one who got them in this mess, he never really cared much. Besides, all of them agreed that he needed a well-deserved rest after everything he did.


    As for Cyneah''s condition, the Abbot could not hide it from the others anymore and eventually told them Kyran found her in a not-so-good condition and had to rest.


    When Nahir heard this, he red up, reminding his father that he was Cyneah''s fianc¨¦ and deserved to know of such things as soon as possible.


    The Abbot did not try to refute because he had a point.


    Ultimately, Nahir could only reign in his frustration after learning he could not do anything about her condition as well. Even his father could notpletely heal her, so what difference could he do?


    Still, Nahir could not let this slip. He knew Kyran had something to do with Cyneah''s current condition and would not let him off the hook. His thought process might seemed unreasonable, but it was not without basis.


    Nahir was convinced that Kyran''s silver humanoid dragon form was something that Cyneah helped him conjure. However, she overexerted herself and fell unconscious in the process. His unreasonable usation was not really wrong, because Cyneah did suffer because of Kyran. But his reasoning was way off the mark.


    Cyneah ended up like that when Kyran destroyed the Macabre cier''s Sentient''s manifestation. She took most of the brunt of that move for being the mirror''s owner.


    Not wanting Nahir tosh out on Kyran unreasonably, the Abbot advised Kyran''s people not to tell Nahir when he woke up.


    Achim and the others need not telling, though. They considered Nahir as the man who ensnared their Mistress in an unwanted pact, and frankly, they wanted to get rid of him. But they knew their Master would not allow them to fight his own battle. Thus, they refrained from making any move and only kept their opinions to themselves.


    When Kyran woke up, Jita had more or lesspleted the task he gave her. Not wanting to waste time, he checked the herbs and confirmed they could be use as recement for the herbs in concocting the blood-replenishing pill. The efficacy would suffer a bit, but it was better than not having any at all.


    Before Kyran started concocting the pill, he visited the underground cell where all the Armakean Knights and officers were being kept.


    The size of the underground cell was almost proportional to the size of the whole HQ. It also had several levels, which was why they did not have any problem amodating all of them.


    While the knights and the officers were still unconscious, Kyran left a mark on them. Those mark were simr to the one he gave Vera once.


    Kyran did not use the mark previously because he was afraid to alert the King in case he still had a connection with these knights. But after absorbing Kesiah and learning about the change in the pact the King made, he was no longer afraid. In any case, the mark would notpletely remove their ability to make decisions for themselves. They would still have a choice to follow Kyran or not. If they chose to, they would have to obey him and follow Achim or Kesiah''s lead. If they refused, then the mark would make them fall into a catatonic state but only for a while. Once Kyran conquered Armakea, he would allow restore their state and give them another chance to choose.


    If they still chose not to obey, then Kyran would get rid of them. He did not need stubborn people who could not make a sound decision. In any case, that was something he had to consider in the future. Thus, he put it aside for now.


    Besides, he might not need to consider anything if all of them decided to obey him.


    After that, Kyran? summoned Kesiah and had her discuss the matter ofmanding the knights and the rest of the officers with Achim. Kyran did not want to micromanage them, thus, he let the two handle the rest.


    When Achim and Kesiah came to an agreement, they asked Gael to remove the restrains? on every knight and officer. Then they gathered everyone to exin the situation.


    The story the two came up with was that, they agreed to form a pact with an outsider to usurp the King. Almost everyone had reservations about the idea, but unlike the knights, the officers were the ones who felt strongly against the idea. After all, they did not want to be cannon fodders for an outsider''s cause.


    Gaham, Hohen, and the rest of the knights with high-rank positions thought differently though. They felt the whole thing was surreal. After all, it had not been that long when Achim and Kesiah were at each other''s throats. Now, they were suddenly working together and even agreed to form a pact with an outsider. Apart from that, the outsider in question did something to Kesiah. That much they were convinced of. For this reason, they were skeptic of how much of the things she says were her real thoughts.


    In the end, Achim and Kesiah gave them time to consider their proposal in joining hands with the outsider.


    While the two dealt with the matter of the knights and officers, Kyran busied himself with concocting the blood-replenishing potion. The Abbot also went with him, in hopes of furthering his Apothecary knowledge. Kyran did not mind. He also let Jita remained, thinking that it would not hurt to teach one of his people how to concoct the pill in case he was away and Cyneah''s needed more. Of course, this was given that she did not recover after taking in a few pills he made.


    It took Kyran three hours toplete the pill concoction. The cause of the lengthy process was more due to the fact he needed to adjust the pill prescription spontaneously. He was using a different herb to rece another, after all. Those herbs might possess the same effect as the ones he needed, but they reacted differently during the concoction process. If Kyran followed the prescription without adjusting to it, he would fail 100%.


    "It is my first time to witness someone who could concoct such an advanced and high-quality pill in such a short time¡­ I am speechless," the Abbot could not help but say.


    Kyran only gave a wry smile, thinking that three hours was far too long. He decided not toment on it though because he was already aware his standards could not be considered as such by most people.


    "Nahir is with Neah, isn''t he?" Kyran asked instead, changing the subject.


    "He is," the Abbot replied with a hint of apprehension in his voice. "I can give her pill, if you want."


    Kyran chuckled and looked at the old man with an amused smile, "Old man, you seemed to have the wrong impression about us."


    "My son¡­ about Cyneah¡­"


    "He doesn''t want to rescind the pact, I know."


    The Abbot looked at him in surprise. But then his expression loosened and he sighed, "Of course, you''d know. His hostile attitude towards you practically confirmed his intentions."


    Kyran scratched his head, "Not really. I think even without the matter with Neah, the two of us will not see eye to eye on most things."


    He looked at the Abbot and said, "But putting aside those things, I don''t really care what your son believe or think is good for Neah."


    "But so long as he believes Sisi is better off being with him then the pact¡ª."


    "Can be broken," Kyran cut the older man mid sentence.


    The Abbot looked at him in confusion because he sounded very confident just now. He then remembered Kyran knew about Arrays and wondered if he nned to tweak their pact that way.


    "If you''re thinking about using lost technology to force-remove the pact then I''d suggest you stop. It''s impossible. If you do, you''ll only end up hurting Sisi."


    Instead ofmenting on the Abbot''s words, Kyran said, "I never really mentioned what my magic is, did I?"


    The Abbot blinked at the sudden change in topic. He recalled their talk and indeed Kyran did not mention anything about his magic. He did mention being the Dark Sage''s sessor, which made him think his magic was simr. Unfortunately, he did not know what the Dark Sage''s magic was, as well.


    Looking at the old man''s expression, Kyran more or less guessed what was running through his head. He said, "There''s no need to dwell on it. I can''t reveal it to the others, but I don''t mind telling you."


    He then looked at him skeptically and added, "But I''m surprised you haven''t got a clue with all the things you''ve seen me do."


    The Abbot gave him a wry smile, "You can do a lot of things, and even know lost technology. Pray tell, how am I supposed to figure it out with all these clues?"


    Kyran chuckled, "Point taken."


    He then looked at the old man in all seriousness and said, "There is another reason I had to hide my magic."


    "Would telling me cause any problem then?"


    "Maybe," Kyran shrugged. "But you''ll be a Sovereign soon, so it doesn''t really matter whether I tell you now or you discover itter."


    "I haven''t really decided on ascending¡­."


    "You will ascend," Kyran told him with such certainty, the Abbot was rendered speechless. "I''ll help you achieve that. But before that, we''ll conquer Somuli and make the Eidums ruler. Thus, even if you ascend, you will not have to worry about other nations bullying them."


    The Abbot smiled wryly and nodded.


    "It is for this reason that I don''t want to ascend."


    Because once he ascend, he would not be able to meddle in the Eidums affair.


    "Don''t worry. Since we''re conquering Somuli, I will keep a close eye on it. I am not bound by a Sovereign''s restrictions, and can meddle on it anytime I want."


    "You¡­ are not a Sovereign?"


    "No."


    "Then howe you have the ability to travel to another ne?"


    A Sage who was on the verge of bing a Sovereign would be privy to information that would not be normally avable to others in their ne. The information was something they receive in the form of an enlightenment and it was a gift by the Lower Realm to those about to be a Sovereign.


    Some of the information they received were the basics, such as: Sovereigns were no longer be allowed to meddle in the internal affairs of their ne. Instead, they could travel outside their ne and visit other nes. In the event that they entered a ne with a Sovereign, their level would be suppressed to avoid conflicts. Of course, they could try to take over that ne, but how they did that depends on their own strategy and strength.


    Instead of answering the old man''s question outright, Kyran replied with another question, "Do you know anything about Ancient Magic?"


    As if a light had shone upon his head, the Abbot''s expression lit up in understanding.


    He knew about Ancient Magic. It was among the few information he became privy to after receiving the gift of the Lower Realm.


    Those possessing Ancient Magic cannot be restricted by a ne''s magicw. They could not even be controlled by the rules of the Lower Realm. For this reason, they could travel to another ne so long as they had the ability to survive in the space that housed all nes.


    Recalling the things Kyran could do, the Abbot finally had an idea as to how he could travel, and even ignore the magicws of their ne. Adding all that to what Gidan told them, he looked at Kyran incredulously and said, "Don''t tell me you¡­ possessed Ancient Magic. No¡­ could it be¡­ the power of chaos, Draconic magic!"


    Kyran nearly slipped off his chair at the Abbot''s response.

 Chapter 827 Another Way to Remove the Pact

    <h4>Chapter 827 Another Way to Remove the Pact</h4>


    "Well¡­ I suppose you''re notpletely off the mark but¡­" Kyran looked at the Abbot incredulously while scratching his head. "How''d you evene up with that?"


    "Gidan told us about the silver humanoid dragon. He was convinced you are rted to that person, but I think otherwise. Azikh and Nahir probably think so, too."


    "Ah. That¡­"


    "Was I wrong?"


    "Well¡­"


    Kyran nned to tell the Abbot the truth about his Void magic, but was not really keen on revealing he possessed two Ancient magic. Thest thing he wanted was for the old man ending up with a heart attack before he could help him ascend.


    But then again,plete beings technically are devoid of illness, thus, the old man might not receive a heart attack if he told the truth.


    With a sigh of resignation, Kyran replied, "My magic is Void. And about that silver humanoid dragon¡­ well¡­ Let''s talk about that another time, shall we?"


    The Abbot''s mouth nearly dropped to the floor at Kyran''s flippant reveal of his magic.


    Others might think that hearing a mage possessing Draconic magic would shock anyone. But the truth was it was not as shocking as one might think because there were Dragons who could wield it. Although most dragon races in the Lower Realm were of mixed breed and only possessed a thin Dragon blood, reducing their magic to a mere Dragon magic, Draconic magic still existed. This was especially true in the Higher Realm where pure blooded Dragons resided.


    Now, if someone said they possessed Soul magic, they would receive an even lesser reaction because Soul magic had branched out to several other known powerful magic, like Memory magic, Necromancy, and even Illusions were said to employ its nature. Others also possessed abilities that touched Soul magic''s nature, such as mind control and mesmerize. Still, there was no known person who could use pure Soul magic.


    Then there was Time magic. Although there were no known species or race that could use Time magic, there were abilities, ces and spells that touched its nature. An example of thetter were those people who could see the past or the future. As for ces, a good example was how each ne had differing timeframes. There were also buildings like the Tower of Tribtions that could manipte time. Then there were spells such as speed eleration, deceleration, even restraining spells that used Time''s nature. Finally,? there were the Fates that a majority believed to wield Time magic. This was not proven, though. Since no one had truly met them.


    Lastly, Void magic. Now this magic also had a branch of its own, which was called Space magic. However, there were debates that mentioned Space magic could be employing Time magic''s nature instead of Void. Simply because, one''s time could be shorten or lengthen depending on the distance of space one wanted to traverse. As for spaces that could be manipted, such as space storage, many believed it could be considered an entirely different magic that concerned manipting sizes, rather than employing the nature of Void magic. Unfortunately, because no one truly knew the Void''s nature, they were unable to confirm these ims.


    Considering all these, the Abbot''s reaction could be justified. For Kyran to possess the most elusive Ancient magic was something he never thought possible.


    But then he recalled Kyran''s strange movement while he was inside his storage space.


    Wait. Space Storage¡­?


    ''That storage space where I stayed during my abduction¡­!''


    The Abbot reeled at a sudden realization.


    "The ce I stayed at¡­ that is not a space storage created through lost technology."


    "Yeah, that''s my passive domain, Void World."


    "A passive domain?" The Abbot could not help but eximed in shock. But then he stopped after recalling how their talk diverge into the topic on what Kyran''s magic was. Thus, he said, "Hold on. Since we are talking about the pact before you brought the topic of your magic¡­ you don''t mean to say that you can force-remove the pact using your magic?"


    Then it hit him as he remembered what Void magic was also known as, "The Power of Nothingness! You¡­ n to void the pact using the Void''s nature of nothingness!"


    Kyran smiled and stood up. To be honest, he did not know if his Void magic could remove the pact. Besides that, he feared making contact with Cyneah''s body using Void magic in case she got infected again, not to mention, the Macabre cier might act up and harm her if it sensed his energy.


    Without confirming the old man''s guess, Kyran looked at Jita and said, "Tell Achim and Kesiah I''ll meet the rest after I check on Neah."


    "Yes, master."


    Kyran warped directly to Cyneah''s room and as he expected, Nahir was there.


    Nahir looked at him in bewilderment. But he recovered hisposure at once, and red at him, "I heard Sisi allowed you to carry one of the tokens of this ce. Can you not use it and enter my fianc¨¦e''s room however you like?"


    Kyran ignored him and went to the other side of Cyneah''s bed.


    His indifferent attitude ruffled Nahir''s feathers, he said, "You have the audacity ofing here after what you did to her."


    Kyran did not respond. He simply sat on the bed and leaned over at Cyneah to lift her head gently.


    "What are you nning? Don''t you dare ignore me!"


    Nahir was about to p Kyran''s hand away when he saw thetter took out a glowing ruby red pill. He stopped short, sensing that the pill was of a very high quality. Not to mention, the smell it emitted actually made his blood excited. As if they were being fed with something that allowed them to improve their state.


    While Nahir was rendered motionless by the pill''s quality and smell, Kyran crushed the pill in his hand and gently guided its pieces into Cyneah''s slightly opened lips.


    Kyran felt a little frustrated that he could not help her digest the pill through the help of his magic sense. It did not matter if he used raw magic energy to utilize his magic sense, as long as it belonged to him he had an inkling the Macabre cier would act up.


    That was something he wanted to avoid.


    "That pill," Nahir started.


    "Will help replenish the blood she lost."


    "Blood? Father did not say anything about her losing blood."


    "Neah have to take the pills every four hours," Kyran said, without entertaining Nahir''s remark. "I''ll have Oded and Yalen keep watch. You don''t mind them knowing about her condition, right?"


    Nahir looked at him skeptically. He was convinced Kyran would act possessive where Cyneah was concerned, especially after he revealed their rtionship. But thus far, he never showed much hostility. He did not even act bothered by the fact that she was already betrothed.


    "No. They are her apprentices, they have the right to know."


    "Okay. I''ll tell them and give them the pills."


    Without waiting for Nahir to respond, Kyran warped out of the room.


    Nahir was left feeling a little indignant about himself especially at how petty he appeared where Cyneah was concerned. He did not mind talking to Kyran in matters pertaining to the welfare of the Eidums, or about conquering Armakea. But he dislike it when the younger man was around Cyneah, or in general, he disliked everything that would connect thetter to her.


    Nahir looked at Cyneah and felt remorseful. He was the one staying by her side, yet it was not him who could help her. Even though that man was the very cause of her condition, he took responsibility and found a way to help her.


    Nahir was convinced he was the only person who could save Cyneah. That he was the only one she would ever need. But remembering Kyran''s silent gaze while he gave the crushed pill to Cyneah just now, Nahir was left feeling conflicted.


    Kyran found Oded and Yalen helping in preparing lunch. Since he was running on a tight timeline, he could only give them a brief exnation of Cyneah''s condition and how to administer the pill.


    The two were shocked to learn about Cyneah''s condition and wanted to know more. But they both know what they were about to face and that Kyran was one of the people leading them. Thus, they swallowed the question they wanted to ask and let him return to the Armakea border. They then excused themselves and went to Cyneah''s room.


    Now that he had alleviated Cyneah''s condition, Kyran could finally focus on meeting the rest of the Armakeans. He went to the underground cell where all of them were gathered, and found Achim and Kesiah standing on a small tform at one end of the room. He made his way there while avoiding attracting attention. However, when he neared the tform, almost everyone had already been made aware of his presence.


    A tensed atmosphere befell the congregation.


    Everyone there were already aware of Kyran''s strength. And with their Divine Armaments sealed, and their movements restrained, there was nothing much they could do if they dared to fight. They could not even do suicide to save their dignity. Whether the outsider had a way to remove their suicide triggers, they did not know. What they did know was that they could no activate it.


    Once Kyran arrived at the tform and faced the whole congregation, the tensed atmosphere seemed to double, nearly suffocating those low-ranked officers.


    After a few nerve-racking silence, Kyran let out a chuckle and said, "There''s no need to look that serious. Achim and Kesiah might have entered into a pact with me, but I don''t n on forcing you guys to do the same. They already gave you a chance to choose, and personally I''d expect you to choose to obey me.


    "Then again, though I said I want you guys to obey me, I''d rather let you do your thing since that''s the reason I decided not to kill you."


    A cold shiver run up their spines at how nonchannt Kyran had said the words ''kill you.'' As if the very deed was as natural as him breathing. In any case, the way he said thosest few words appeared to them like a threat. That if they did not choose to obey, they would be killed.


    Another tensed silence ensured following Kyran''s words.


    Finally, someone stood up, alerting the whole congregation.


    "Did you really want to assist the Princess in usurping the King?"


    The one who asked this question was Hohen.


    Kyran tilted his head slightly as he looked toward Kesiah.


    Kesiah stepped forward and respectfully lowered her head before exining, "I told them the pact we had involved usurping the King."


    Kesiah almost called Kyran ''Master'' but managed to stop herself. Kyran did tell her and Achim not to call him that in front of the others.


    Hearing her exnation, Kyran nodded before looking back at Hohen.


    "Let me get things straight," Kyran told Hohen, before addressing the rest of the congregation. "I will conquer Armakea under the banner of the Eidums. Achim found that and came to me first, and willingly submitted so long as I spared his people."


    The rest were surprised to learn about this. They did not realize Achim, who they all believed to have set his eyes on the throne would ask for his people to be spared.


    Of course, Kyran made that up. He only said this to paint a different image of Achim in their minds. Since he nned to separate them intopanies that Achim and Kesiah would lead, he did not want anyone reluctant to follow Achim because of how they viewed him in the past.


    "Unfortunately, you," Kyran put emphasis on you while looking at Hohen, "Happened. If you did not stage that rebellion, none of you would have suffered. Because to be honest, one of my people is supposed to meet you and proceed with the negotiations."


    "Prince Achim had always acted¡­ on his own interest. Thus, we never really expected him to¡­ submit to you or request those kind of terms."


    "I can''t me you. He did act like an assh*le," Kyran agreed with a shrug. "But all of that is an act so the King will favor him. It worked, didn''t it? He was despised by you, and the King adores him. Because the king adores him, he granted him more knights for him to save. I''m surprised you did not realize his pure intentions."


    Achim''s facial expressions twitched slightly. He wanted to ask their master to stop saying ttering words he did not deserve. But because they were told to act normally in front of the others, he could only listen.


    "Moving forward, I spared Kesiah in respect to Achim''s request. That''s why I could only restrain her during our squabble. You guys, however, overreacted and I was forced to use force to make you stop. Since you guys are also considered Achim''s people.


    "After that, Kesiah and I had a talk. And with Achim there to exin his side of things, they reconciled and Kesiah also agreed to enter a pact with me.


    "Now its your turn to choose. Would you follow them or would you rather choose inaction and rot in this very cell?"


    "We wanted to usurp the King for his wrongdoings," Gaham suddenly stood up in defiance. "However, what you wanted is different. You wanted to rule over Armakea. Do not try to twist our understanding by making us believe you are acting with the Prince''s and the Princess''s interest."


    "I never said I was," Kyran replied.


    "But you just¡ª."


    "I already said: I will conquer Armakea under the banner of the Eidums. Did those words twisted your understanding? Do you want me to simplify it further?"

 Chapter 828 The Best Option

    <h4>Chapter 828 The Best Option</h4>


    Gaham fell silent. Now that Kyran put it that way, he really did not gloss over any thing. Still, he found his approach at trying to convince them using Achim and Kesiah was cunning. By using them, the knights would be swayed. Though they appeared to be capable of betraying a Royal Family after they switched side from Achim to Kesiah, it could not really be considered aplete betrayal. After all, they were taught to obey a Royal Family at an early age, and both Achim and Kesiah were part of the Royal Family. If anything what they did was side with a Royal Family member who they deemed could be a better King.


    Before Gaham could point this out, Kyran went on to say, "You know about the real situation unlike the other nations. You even know about the existence of outsiders. Rather than condemning me by thinking I am using your precious Prince and Princess to twist your ideals and agree in obeying me, don''t you think you ought to question my intentions for helping the Eidums and conquering Armakea?"


    As soon as he said this, a hushed discussion broke out among the congregation. Seeing this, Kyran continued, "You guys are far knowledgeable about the affairs in Somuli. I''m sure you''ve already heard about an outsider wanting to negotiate with the Sovereign, who resides in the Kingdom of Cretea."


    By this, any ongoing hushed discussion was cut short and they returned their attention back to Kyran. The knights knew about that information. However, the officers were not privy to it. Nevertheless, their interests were piqued regardless if they knew it or not.


    All of them wanted to know what the outsiders wanted to negotiate with the Sovereign.


    Unfortunately, their expectations were dashed by Kyran''s next words.


    "I won''t dwell on the topic of their negotiation simply because it is pointless to talk about it."


    To this, most of them were in agreement. Even if they knew what the two sides negotiated about, there was nothing they could. They could not step in and counter offer whatever it was the outsider offered to the Sovereign, or in general, to the Kingdom of Cretea. Their nations were not in good terms, after all.


    "But I want you to ponder, why is it that an outsider already approached the Kingdom of Createa, and even the Eidums, yet no one did to the King of Armakea?"


    The expressions on all of the knights and officers turned grim at this realization.


    Even Achim and Kesiah could not help but widen their eyes and look at their master''s back in surprise. Simr to the rest, the thought never crossed their minds.


    "Then again," Kyran let a short silence passed before he continued. "Was there really no outsider that approached your King? For all we know there could be one, but because of his character¡­ or as you''ve already know, greed, he will never tell anyone about it because he did not want others to know what he and the outsider agreed on."


    "What if the matter of finding his heir is only a farce and in truth, he wants to remove the younger generations?"


    Someone blurted among the congregation.


    When they heard this, a heavy atmosphere befell them.


    "Uncle never really hoped to find a heir," Achim suddenly said. He looked at Kyran discreetly, asking permission to continue.


    Kyran gave a short nod and allowed him to speak.


    Achim addressed the congregation, who in turned already looked at him expectantly.


    "The heirpetition is a farce. He wants us to do our best to find a cure on his illness and we all know the only ones who might be able to cure him are the Eidums. Instead of waging war on them because they took our ancestors inheritance, which is the lost technology of their border, he decided to run them over by making us keen on either abducting them, or pulling them over to our side by promising things so long as they heal the King."


    "That is not all," Kesiah also chimed in. "Think about it, if his illness has truly been cured, will he really step down and allow his heir to take over?"


    No one reacted to her question, but only because all of them were in agreement to the answer.


    With the King''s character, he would never give up the throne to his anyone.


    "For this reason, me and my brother believed, it is better to swear our allegiance to an outsider and have the Eidums rule over us, rather than let our uncle continue to rule with greed and irond beliefs that Armakea should be the true rulers of this ne."


    The congregation were swayed by Kesiah''s words. Seeing this, Kyran went on to say, "Going back to the topic of why outsiders are keen on striking up a negotiation with a leader of a nation, I''m guessing a few of you already have some ideas, right?"


    "Something far bigger than us waging war on each other is about to happen."


    Gaham answered what most of them had on mind.


    Kyran smiled and nodded, "Yes. The people you call outsiders, giving them a proper identification, are Sovereigns from other nes and they are here to recruit your ne''s Sovereign in a war. If they seed, then you can kiss your short lives goodbye because none of you will survive when a war broke out and your ne turns into a battlefield."


    Silence befell the congregation following Kyran''s revtion. After a long grueling silence, Gaham managed to ask, "And what about you? You did not try to negotiate with the Sovereign and instead approached the Eidums. Why?"


    "Not all Sovereigns wanted to participate in the war I mentioned. There is a faction that wants to prevent that. Unfortunately, the faction who approached the Sovereign first is not them."


    "Are you part of that faction? The one that wants to prevent the war?"


    "No."


    "Then why¡ª?"


    Kyran shrugged, "I am not affiliated to any of those Sovereigns, nor am I keen on revealing why I am doing this. You only need to know one thing, if you want to survive when that war broke out along with the rest of your loved ones, I am the best option you got."


    "Are you saying, the strength of the faction you belonged to can rival those Sovereign?"


    "No. I am not part of any faction. I am on this conquest by myself¡­" Kyran''s voice trailed off as a thought crossed his mind and he added, "But that will change soon. Once the true Sovereign of this ne ascends."


    Hearing thosest words shocked the whole congregation.


    "The true Sovereign? What do you mean by that?"


    "I''ve given you guys enough information," Kyran ignored Gaham''s question. "Now, let me ask for thest time, will you follow Achim and Kesiah, or choose inaction and rot in this cell?"


    This time, Kyran''s question was greeted by a roar of unified agreement. They did not know how much of the things he told them was true, or if he would truly uphold his words of helping them survive the ordeal with the war the other Sovereigns were cooking. But they wanted to put their faith in the decision their Prince''s and Princess''s made.


    "In this case, I wee you all. From now on, you are part of my fold. I will treat you as I would treat my people, and protect you and those you hold dear with the utmost of my ability."


    Everyone present felt something warm grew in their hearts after hearing Kyran''s words. His words were not poetic, nor were they grand with full of promises, yet they felt reassured. They did not know why, but they felt that they could trust him to uphold those words.


    After meeting the Armakeans, Kyran let Achim and Kesiah deal with the rest. Especially on dividing them into different units.


    Their overall number could easily make up twopanies. But that included the officers. If they only considered the knights, they would only make up a minimum headcount of apany. A very small number if they were to consider conquering Armakea.


    The King alone controlled three divisions of Knights and another two divisions of low-ranked and high-ranked officers. That did not include the brigade of low and high-ranked officers that other Royal Family members were in control of.


    Still, Kyran was not worried about their current number. ording to Achim and Kesiah, every fort in Armakea would have a squad or two of Knights as their core offense. Then there were at least apany of low-ranked officers that kept the operations of those forts running at all times.


    Before reaching the capital, they would encounter twenty-six small to medium forts. If they managed to assimte every knight and officer in these forts, their military strength would shoot up. It might not be enough to confront the King''s military but it was not like they would go to war in one fell swoop.


    Strategies were made to ovee situation such as a disadvantage in number, after all.


    Besides, there was still anothermunity that Kyran was keen on recruiting.


    The Magical Beasts.


    He had not spoken to Lady Chrysanthemum yet, but he nned to after they dealt with the reinforcements that were expected to arrive tomorrow.


    For now, Kyran let her stay in his Void World while his puppets tried to educate her of some key things about his rtionship with the Spirits from the Human ne. Since she had been receptive to their teachings thus far, Kyran reckoned she was at least interested.


    When Achim and Kesiah finished grouping up the rest of the knights and officers, they met with the fighters of the Eidums.


    Kyran and Nahir discussed how they would be grouped, since thetter had already started assigning prior to the former''s request when he told them he would pave a path for them.


    When all of that was done, the two sides familiarized themselves with each other.


    Finally, afterpleting every preparations they could do, they received news from their scouts that the nearby fort''s reinforcements had been sighted.


    Kyran did not n on participating in the uing battle because this was a good opportunity to let the Armakean and the Eidums work together and start developing a good synergy.

 Chapter 829 Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 829 Gathering</h4>


    ?


    If Kyran joined them, they might end up with an easy win and lose more than the chance of providing a stage for everyone there to form a synergy¡ª he could rob them of the sense of aplishment in winning a battle.


    Considering all this, Kyran decided to simply observe from afar. Then again, he might not have the opportunity to watch the battle itself because of the n Achim and Nahir prepared.


    Part of the Armakea Border''s HQ is also within the chasm walls. But there is a wide crack on the chasm leading toward Armakea, like a ravine, and is where most of the buildings, and outfields for assembly, greenery, or training are done.


    The Armakea''s steel wall faces south, while the gates that leads inside the country is facing north. Thus, the steel wall is called the Southern Wall, and the gates, the Northern Gates.


    Using the terrain to their advantage, Achim and Nahir devised a n to ambush the enemies as they enter the valley that led to the border''s Northern Gates. If they seed in this, they could subdue the enemy before they could even reach the periphery of the Armakea Border''s HQ.


    While Achim and Nahir''s forces left, Kesiah''s forces remained. Her forces were divided into two groups: one group was on standby in Armakea Border''s HQ while another guarded the Eidum''s Border HQ.


    Though the two borders could already be considered allies, there was no telling if another group from the nearby fort''s reinforcements decided to go there directly. The enemy leaders might think that the Eidums had all transferred to the Armakea HQ, leaving their home ground unguarded. If this was the case, then they could use that chance to take over it and trap the Eidums in the Armakea HQ. So long as they waited for more reinforcements, then they could dispose of all the Eidums, and took over their border, killing two birds in one stone.


    The one who suggested to split Kesiah''s forces was Kyran. However, it was Achim who proposed it during their meeting under Kyran''s instructions. He did this simply because he wanted others¡ª in particr, their enemies¡ª to believe that the brains on their side were Achim, Nahir, and Kesiah. If the enemies targeted them and seeded, they would not expect another brain working in the shadows.


    Since Kyran decided to stay in the Armakea''s border, Kesiah stayed at the Eidums.


    As for Cyneah, Kyran had her transferred to the chamber meant for the King''s use, so he could monitor her condition''s progress better. The ones who administered the blood-replenishing pill was Oded or Yalen, however, with thetter staying by her side almost all the time.


    Meanwhile, the appearance of a silver humanoid dragon had reached every Sovereigns keeping an eye on Somuli.


    When this news reached Dusk and he reported it to Axil, her brow could not help but twitch slightly.


    There were a handful from the Guardians who knew Kyran also possessed Draconic magic and Axil was one of them. When she heard about the silver humanoid dragon appearing at a war between the Eidums and Armakeans, she knew at once it was Kyran.


    Feeling conflicted about the situation, she let out a sigh and rub the bridge of her nose. She was inside her domain and was looking through an oval crystal mirror that projected Dusk''s report. He even managed to get a recording of Kyran''s image as the silver humanoid dragon.


    "For you to go to such lengths as using Draconic magic to save the Eidums, seems like you''ve finally found her atst," Axil muttered with a slight shake of her head. Her expression then turned grim. She looked at Kyran in the projection and said, "But knowing this will only make things difficult from now on especially when she holds the key in winning over the Somuli Sovereign''s allegiance. Flos will be after her soon. As for Ruin¡­ he might already be onto you."


    After a while, an amused smile appeared on Axil''s lips then as she added, "What will be your next move, new Dark Sage?"


    Somewhere in Somuli, a figure in a long red coat was also watching a projection from a dark red disc. It did not show the silver humanoid dragon, however, but a human with dark hair that fought unrelentingly against several knights in silver armor.


    The figure''s lips curled into a wide grin as its red eyes glinted in excitement.


    "Have youe because of the Saint, my little prey?"


    The figure was none other than Ruin''s essence.


    In another time and ce, several silhouettes were gathered around a round table that projected two different recordings.


    On one side, it showed the silver humanoid dragon, while the other showed a recording of a dark haired young man in ck single-handedly battling a High Orc.


    One of the silhouette, suddenly spoke and said, "What do you all think?"


    "What we think you ask? Whatever do you mean?" Another silhouette, which seemed to belong to a woman responded. "I only see two uninteresting beings, one who seems bored enough to go down the Lower Realm, and another who seems only know how to beat up his enemies¡ª all brawn with no brains."


    Someone scoffed at the woman''s words and said derisively, "Bored? All brawn with no brains? I think you are talking about yourself."


    The one who spoked sounded like a young man.


    Hearing thisment, the woman simply snorted and said, "Do not mix up those traits as someone else''s when it is clear you are describing your self."


    "What does that supposed to mean?" The young man growled.


    "That, is exactly what I mean."


    "You¡ª!"


    "That is enough."


    The first one to speak warned them in a stern but calm voice, prompting the two to stop.


    A short silence ensued around them before the first silhouette spoke again.


    "Anyone else who wants to say something?"


    Another silhouette, which seemed to wear an oversized robe, raised its hand. A timid sounding voice, which was hard to discern whether it came from a young woman or a young man, said, "If I may, Your Grace."


    "You may."


    "That silver armored man¡­ I don''t think he is one of them."


    "Hm," the first silhouette, who was called Your Grace, regarded the one wearing an oversized robe with interest. "Why do you think so?"


    "He is far too weak to be one of them."


    The other silhouettes broke into a hush discussion, seemingly in agreement with the silhouette in oversized robe''s observation.


    The woman who first made her remark snorted in disdain but did not say anything. She was not really interested in anything pertaining to that realm.


    "And what about the other?" The first silhouette asked again.


    "Um¡­ I am not sure what you want to hear, Your Grace. But¡­ are we not looking at the same person?"


    Another hushed discussion broke out around the table and the first silhouette let out a humorous chuckle.


    "An excellent observation," the first silhouette praised the one in the oversized robe. "Since you are the only one who noticed this, I have decided to send you there and find that young man."


    "M-Me, Your Grace?"


    "Yes."


    "I¡­"


    "I am curious about him," the first silhouette continued to say before the one in oversized robe could respond. "In his fight with that beast, he did not have an aura, nor his presence could be detected. But when he appeared in that silver armor, it has been confirmed that he manifested the Power of Chaos. What was even more curious, was when he reappeared donning a dark armor, his aura and presence disappeared again."


    As he said this, another recording appeared that showed a figure in dark purple armor fighting a woman in red crystal armor.


    Most of the silhouettes'' countenance seemed to change at that point. They became restless as their eyes suddenly glowed with a strange light while watching the new recording.


    Even the woman who found the discussion uninteresting had shown interest.


    "Your Grace, you don''t mean that the young man might actually have¡­"


    "After all these years, have we finally found a lead?"


    "Is it the real one this time?"


    "The Heart of the Cosmos, has it appeared atst?"


    One after another, the silhouettesmented in excitement. It had been a long time since thest time they heard about the Heart of the Cosmos''s whereabouts.


    "It is worth looking into," the first silhouette said, not denying nor confirming their doubts. "We all know the ones who took and hid it among the remnants of the Ancients, are the Silver Dragon Tribe. That young man can manifest their power and he seems to resemble the Ancients. The probability he possess it is quite high."


    Then he turned to a silhouette right across him and added, "Don''t you think so, Lady Ames?"


    Ames''s eyes flickered as the first silhouette looked at her. Like the rest, she also appeared as a silhouette, but her golden eyes glowed piercingly and threateningly. Still, she did not say anything and simply looked at the first silhouette.


    The tension between the two was palpable enough that even with their projection-only state, everyone inside felt it vividly.


    "I-If that is the case, then I will dly go and find that young man, Your Grace."


    The silhouette in oversized robe suddenly blurted, wanting to alleviate the tension.


    The first silhouette nodded, "Good. I will send you these recordings, and the coordinates of that ne. Leave as soon as you havepleted your preparations."


    "Thank you, Your Grace."


    "We are done here."


    The whole room darkened at once, forcing everyone to leave.


    In a room, seemingly carved from crystals, a ten-meter radius tform with a Draconic Rune-filled array hovered in midair. The runes on it glowed and whirred at a dizzying speed, but then suddenly stopped. Crackling noise sounded at the center of the array as Ames slowly materialized.


    As the tform descended, two figures in silver armors appeared on each side. When the tformnded, Ames stepped down from it, and the two figures knelt before her.


    "Lady Ames, the Emperor has asked for your presence at the Sil Sanctuary."


    The one on the right told her.


    "That can wait," Ames replied as she hastily made her way to a room at her right. "I have something urgent to do. I''m going to the Regis Terram."


    "But Lady Ames," the second figure raised his head in surprise. "The Emperor forbid you from going there again after yourst visit. If you insisted he might end up destroying it for good."


    "He won''t," Ames said with a voice full of conviction. Her expression hardened yet her golden eyes flickered with gentleness as she continued, "He can''t. Not when a new Dragon Lord has appeared. Unfortunately, the Celestials has already found him. I must go and warn his people."

 Chapter 830 The King’s Lament (1)

    ?


    As Kyran predicted, the reinforcements from a nearby Armakea fort had sent a separate group to attack the Eidum''s border. On the other hand, the group that traversed the ravine dealt with Achim and Nahir''s forces without much trouble. They were able to subdue them without spilling too much blood.


    Meanwhile, Kesiah and half of her forces dealt with the ones that attacked the Eidum''s border. The enemy reinforcements were few in number, thus, they were taken captive in no time.


    After that, their leaders were sent to meet with Kyran while the rest waited in the underground cell.


    This time around, Kyran did not use Achim or Kesiah''s presence to convince the enemy reinforcements'' leaders to join their side. Instead, he had Gaham and Haji talked to them and exined the situation.


    Unfortunately, most of the enemy officers refused to join. But since every knight in that fort agreed to join them, Kyran did not think it was a big loss.


    Kyran now had an additional of ten knights, bringing their number to 175. If they assimte every knight in the remaining twenty-five forts, they will pass through. There would be an addition of 502 knights in their ranks. Adding these two, the total would be 677, which could easily be considered threepanies of knights. If he considered the low-ranked officers that might join them as well, the number would exceed three thousand.


    But even then, this number was nothingpared to the King''s forces, which was why Kyran had to convince the Magical Beast Community to side with them.


    Once everything was settled, the Abbot, Achim, Kesiah, and Nahir discussed their next course of action.


    Obviously, they would not stay in the borders forever. They had to continue forward even if they were outnumbered. Fortunately, no one was aware the border had fallen. They could use their enemies'' unawareness to their advantage and amass their strength.


    During their discussion, the question of whether they should keep the other forts after assimting its forces came up. Having another fort withplete facilities and storage could prove useful to them, especially when they met with apany they could not defeat in one battle. They could retreat to the safety of the fort and regroup.


    However, when they proposed the idea to Kyran, he rejected it at once, pointing out that they could not afford to spare manpower to guard and maintain the fort. Besides, they were not there to expand territories but to conquer Armakea as a whole.


    Nahir insisted that leaving those forts unattended could be their bane. He gave a simr scenario to why Kyran did not want to leave the Eidum border unguarded. If the Armakea took a detour and avoided their forces, they could retake those forts and reinstate newmand. And when their forces ended up unable to advance, they would not be able to retreat because the forts they left were retaken. Ultimately, they would end up trapped.


    The others seemed to agree with Nahir''s reasoning. But what Kyran said next silenced Nahir.


    "Destroy the fort after taking what is needed. The Armakea will not try to retake and reinstate new ownership to a destroyed fort."


    As for a route they could use to retreat for emergencies, Kyran preferred they make one themselves rather than using a fort that every Armakean Leader was familiar with.


    After addressing the matter of the forts, the discussion then proceeded to which fort to target first.


    Kyran did not participate in that discussion. He let Nahir and the rest decide their next target. No one persuaded him to stay since he had another urgent matter to attend to.


    Negotiating with the Magical Beast Community.


    Since the Abbot and Nahir knew Kyran was the silver humanoid dragon, they knew he was the only one among them who might have what it takes to negotiate with those lots. In case those magical beasts attacked him, the Abbot and Nahir would not be worried either. The Basilisk, Comodo, and Dryad were with him. They might not have what it took to take down the leaders of the Magical Beasts, but their strength was enough to keep other magical beasts at bay while Kyran dealt with the leaders.


    Hopefully, there would not be any fight breaking out during the negotiation. Thest thing they wanted was for the King of Armakea to get wind of themotion in the Magical Beast Community and discover what they were up to. When that happened, their n to amass military strength would be cut short, and an all-out war would break out.


    Unbeknownst to the two men, Kyran had no ns to travel and meet the Magical Beasts'' leaders personally. He had someone who could do that for him.


    With that in mind, Kyran went inside the Void World to talk to Chrysanthemum.


    Kyran let Chrysanthemum stay in one of the top rooms in the tower. The room did not have any doors, but the windows were wide open and overlooked the fields.


    In the past, when the Solum Tribe was still staying in the Void World, they tended to those fields. After they left and continued to stay in the Human ne, Kyran''s puppets took over that responsibility. There was not much use for those fields since there were few living that ventured in. But Kyran made sure the fields and even food reserves there were in stock for emergencies. At the same time, the work served as a way for his puppets to practice their motor skills.


    Just by looking at the crops in the field, its sheer abundance would have no problem feeding several hundred people for a year. Unfortunately, those crops could not be taken out of the Void World. Apart from that, if one consumed them without properly filtering them during preparations and cooking, they would end up getting infected with Void energy.


    The Void World may run with raw magic energy, but since it is created from Kyran''s magic, the Void magic energy in there is quite potent.


    The Solum Tribe did not have any problem consuming those crops simply because they were well-versed in the Alchemy and Healing. They knew how to filter unwanted substances in those crops and make edible foods out of them.


    Kyran''s puppets learned that method, which was why they could serve edible foods to the Abbot when he stayed there.


    Chrysanthemum sat by the window and was looking out the field when Kyran appeared.


    She sensed his arrival but did not turn to look. At the moment, she was still trying to absorb everything those strange puppets told her. To her, it felt surreal to hear from about her people, especially White Lily.


    Chrysanthemum remembered how devastated she felt when she failed to enter the rift at which White Lily and the rest of the court entered. There was far too many things happening at that time and the destruction of the Spirit ne sped up, which resulted in numerous rifts appearing in close proximity.


    Chrysanthemum could have easily entered the rift White Lily and the rest of the court had entered if not for another rift suddenly appearing close to them. The suction force that came from that rift was too strong for her and was taken in before she could even call out for help.


    Ultimately, she ended up in Somuli with several other Spirits. But their existence there were not weed, and they were hunted for so many years. It even came to a point that their numbers were reduced to a mere hundred Spirits. Fortunately, a leader of an ancient beast tribe took them in. After that, their situation improved.


    Or, so they thought.


    After Chrysanthemum and the rest of the Spirits adapted to living with the beast tribe, and even birthed beasts with Spirit blood, or vice-versa, theplete beings saw them as a new threat. They were then called, Magical Beasts because the power a mixed beast and Spirit offspring wieled was far more powerful than any normal beasts.


    But then the beast-likes came to their rescue as they believed they were simr in a way. And finally, after such a long grueling war, a treaty to protect both the beast-likes and Magical Beasts were made.


    Soon, the Magical Beast Community was formed and Chrysanthemum and the magical beasts lived among themselves.


    Their peace was short-lived however, when the Armakea came and proposed an alliance. Initially, the proposal sounded good, but when the Armakea dered their conquest to retake every lost technology in Somuli, Chrysanthemum and magical beasts were forced to assist them under the guise of being their allies.


    Chrysanthemum and the other leaders felt their situation would never improve. But then they met Kesiah who insisted she wanted to usurp the King so she could build a better nation not only for her people but also the Magical Beasts. Unfortunately, half of the leaders had long lost interest in fighting and already sumb to their fate.


    But Chrysanthemum did not want to give up, because she still had a wish she wanted to fulfill; find White Lily and the rest of their kind.


    At longst, it seemed her wish would be fulfilled.


    The joy Chrysanthemum felt could not be expressed in one word. And frankly, joy was not the only thing she felt, which was why she felt everything was surreal.


    Kyran watched Chrysanthemum in silence for a while. His puppets reported herck of reaction when they told her about White Lily and deemed she might not be receptive to his words. If he kept on the facade of being a silver humanoid dragon, that might change though.


    However, after seeing her serene image while sitting by the window, Kyran felt otherwise.


    With a sigh, he made a mental note to check his puppets programming. It wouldn''t do for them to misjudge a person''s thoughts simply because they did show indifference.


    Putting the matter of his puppet''s progamming aside, Kyran approached Chrysanthemum. Before he could speak however, she already started speaking.


    "You need our cooperation to conquer Somuli, am I correct?"


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. For her to mention Somuli rather than Armakea suggested she had an in-depth understanding of the ne''s current situation. Whether it was something she gathered from the Armakea, however, was something he wanted to know.


    Or could it be¡­?


    "You guys are the one feeding information to the Armakea about the outside."


    Since Chrysanthemum was a Spirit from another ne, it would not be impossible for her to know about other nes. Kyran had been wondering why Armakea knew things they were not meant to know. It all made sense, if they got that information from someone who took refuge in their ne after theirs got destroyed.


    "Correct."


    Although Kyran said his piece not as a question, Chrysanthemum still thought it best to confirm it.


    She then stood up and finally looked at him.


    Looking at her up close, she really had some resemnce with White Lily.


    Chrysanthemum smiled wryly and said, "Most beings falter just by our presence. Only those with higher standings from us can show indifference. Now that you are not wearing your silver armor, I don''t sense that higher standing aura about you. Yet, you still remained indifferent before me. Who are you really?"


    "White Lily''s friend," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "Someone who can help you and the rest of your people reunite with them."


    "So that is your offer in turn for our cooperation."


    "More or less."


    "Yet¡­ in your conquest, there is no guarantee that my people will leave to see that day happen."


    "Not true. I seek your cooperation, not the death of your people."


    "What is the difference?"


    "Conquering is not all about killing the opposition. If enough fear is instill to someone, it can make opposition surrender without a fight."


    Chrysanthemum frowned at the implication of his words, "You want to use fear to force the Armakea King to surrender? Unfortunately, that man is fearless. And though he is already ill, he will not fall easily."

 Chapter 831 The King’s Lament (2)

    <h4>Chapter 831 The King¡¯s Lament (2)</h4>


    Kyran only smiled at Chrysanthemum''s warning and did not bother to borate.


    His reaction, however, made Chrysanthemum looked at him skeptically. She then recalled what he just said and asked, "What did you mean about ''seeking our cooperation, but not the death our people''?"


    If she agreed to liaise for him and the Magical Beast Community, she at least needed to understand his intentions.


    Kyran was also aware of this, but he did not want to tell her his n in details because doing so might be his bane. It would be harder to convince her, yes, but he would rather choose convincing her slowly than risk having another knowing his n. He did not know anyone from the Magical Beast Community especially the rest of its leaders, after all. There was no telling if the King already took one of them as his loyal subject. Frankly, Chrysanthemum could also be considered a stranger. The only reason he chose to trust her was because of her rtionship with White Lily.


    "I think I''ve said that quite clearly," Kyran replied after a short pause. Seeing Chrysanthemum frowned at his response, he could not help but smile wryly and patiently exined, "I want the Magical Beast Community''s cooperation and prevent them from joining the war."


    Chrysanthemum''s face lit up as she finally understood a little of Kyran''s intentions. She said, "So you mean to ask us to step away from the war. Is that what you were saying?"


    "More or less," Kyran answered with an affirmative nod. "The Armakea already possessed arge number of Knights and Officers. I don''t want to deal with any Magical Beasts as well if yourmunity continued to work with them."


    "We don''t work for them," Chrysanthemum snarled with a childish pout.


    Looking at her expression, Kyran could not help but chuckle. Her childish pout reminded him what Spirits were known for: carefree, yet vengeful tricksters.


    "We assist them because we are their allies," Chrysanthemum continued. However, her voice hesitated a little when she said thest word. She lowered her gaze and added in a gloomy voice, "At least, we believe we are allies."


    "If you cooperated with me, I will only ask you to do one thing for me," Kyran said, trying to change the subject. Clearly, being the Armakea''s ally was not a good topic for her.


    Chrysanthemum looked at him with raised brows, "What is it?"


    "Gathering intel."


    "Intel? What makes you think we have ess to any intel?" Chrysanthemum asked him in confusion. "We may be the reason they possess knowledge that are not privy to inhabitants of a ne below a Sage, but we know that because we came from another ne. Besides, if you need intel, don''t you think Prince Achim and Princess Kesiah have more ess to that?"


    "I get what you''re trying to say, but contrary to what you believe, their intel is limited to system structure of the kingdom and leadership. They are not privy to the intel I am looking for."


    "If they are not privy to it, what makes you think we can help?"


    "A Spirit''s ability," Kyran answered with a slight smile. "I can create a temporary world that exists parallel to this ne and help you guys move around."


    Chrysanthemum narrowed her eyes, "You¡­ Do you even know what you''re saying? Creating a temporary world? No one is capable of doing that! Not even the Emperor¡­" her voice trembled slightly as she bit her lip and stopped speaking. After a short pause, she continued, "Creation magic is no easy feat. While there are Transmuters who are said to be capable of creating things, that is not true Creation Magic. Creation Magic is far moreplex and only one is capable of such a feat! Not to mention creating a temporary world¡­ even creating a temporary space will require a powerful relic to sustain it!"


    "The Spirit World that White Lily and the rest of the Spirits lived in, in the Human ne is sustained using her old tiara."


    "The Queen''s old tiara is one of the most sacred treasures in the Spirit ne," Chrysanthemum said, her face lit up in pride as if it was her who owned it.


    "The magic energy it possessed is enough to sustain our previous ne when we were once besieged by the¡­" Chrysanthemum''s voice trailed off as her eyes widened. Only then did Kyran''s words register in her head.


    "You¡ª what did you just say?"


    "My predecessor created the Spirit World using White Lily''s tiara," Kyran replied with a shrug. "You''re right. It is a powerful relic since it continue to sustain that world up to this day."


    Chrysanthemum inwardly felt her head exploded at that bit of information. If others heard what Kyran told her just now, they might not react the way she did and might even say she was overreacting. But if she heard them, she would have snarled at them for being aplete numbskull. Because such a feat was unheard of.


    Most mages in the Lower Realm, especially those who possessed Space magic and were well-versed in Array would have said that creating a self-sustaining? independent? space was not hard as long as they possessed the right materials. But in reality, that was not that simple.


    A good example of that was Kyran''s storage pouch. Apart from using the skin of a beast with Space innate magic, a powerful relic or stone was also used to make it a self-sustaining independent space.


    If someone created something simr using only the usual approach of allowing a mage with Space innate magic craft the item with simr Space attribute, they could only produce something like a storage ring¡ª it had limited space and unreliable quality.


    Chrysanthemum suddenly frowned as she recalled that the knowledge possessed by beings in the Lower Realm, were too shallowpared to those in the Higher Realm. Considering this fact, she could not help but let out an exasperated sigh.


    Few were aware that Spirits originated in the Higher Realm. But because of an incident they were forced to go to the Lower Realm. Unfortunately, their ne got caught in the previous War of the Sovereigns and got separated after its destruction. In any case, because they originated in the Higher Realm, they had in-depth magic knowledge.


    For this reason, Chrysanthemum''s reaction was pretty reasonable.


    "Your predecessor created a world?" Chrysanthemum scoffed at Kyran. "And who is your predecessor? The Void Master?"


    "That''s right."


    Chrysanthemum snorted, "Who are you kidding?"


    Kyran scratched his head inwardly and sighed. He had expected to have trouble convincing Chrysanthemum to liaise for him. But it seemed, getting her to believe he could create that parallel world proved to be a much direful endeavor.


    He could easily tell her the tower where she was in right now was part of a world he created, but the question was if she would believe him.


    The only way he could probably convinced her was to let her sensed his magic. But doing so would require him to stop the Shaiha''s effect¡ª an act that would definitely put not only him but everyone else at risk.


    "Let''s get back on track, shall we? Will you help liaise with yourmunity and provide intel?"


    "I don''t mind liaising for you, but I don''t think we can help you with that intel."


    "Yes, you can."


    "No, we can''t," Chrysanthemum replied exasperatedly. "It''s true that us Spirits can establish our own travel route, but that is only if the ne we are traversing has an existing parallel world. Unfortunately, Somuli is not such a ne. If it was, do you think we would have suffered? We would have retreated into that world, away from the cruelty of the inhabitants of this ne."


    Not wanting to drag their conversation any longer, Kyran settled with having Chrysanthemum promise to help with intel if he could find a way for her kind to move around Somuli undetected.


    She agreed.


    With that note, Kyran took Chrysanthemum with him out of the Void World. When the two appeared in a chamber Achim prepared for him, Chrysanthemum was shocked.


    All those time she was in the tower, she had believed she was transported into another location. Her belief stemmed from how Kyran initially appeared to her as a silver humanoid dragon. But when they ''traveled'' out of the tower just now, Kyran did not use any item, nor activate an array to transport them back to Somuli. There was only a light purple light and then¡ª wham¡ª they were in a dimly lit room with a woman d in silver armor standing a few meters from them.


    "T-This¡­!"


    "If you need anything, talk to Jita," Kyran could not be bothered to entertain Chrsysanthemum''s shock because he still had another important thing to do. "As for the three magical beasts, I can''t let you return with them because I need them here. But don''t worry, they will treated fairly."


    Without waiting for Chrysanthemum to reply, Kyran warped out of the room.


    Jita looked at Chrysanthemum and lowered her head slightly, "Lady Chrysanthemum, please tell me when you wish to return to themunity."


    Jita''s words snapped Chrysanthemum out of her initial shock and she turned to look at her. She blurted, "Who exactly is he? Is he a mix of the Dragon n or¡­."


    Her voice trailed off as her mind reeled at the thought that crossed her mind.


    Because Jita was wearing a helmet, Chrysanthemum could not see her reaction. In the end, the former only said, "He is our, Master. Would you like to travel along the chasm or use the ring route back to themunity?"


    Chrysanthemum was rendered speechless.


    When Kyran reappeared, he was in the middle of a lushed forest, with a cave opening to his left. He frowned slightly and before he could properly survey the whole surroundings, an invisible force flew past him.


    He leaned to his side, avoiding the force just in time. Then he turned toward the direction it came from and said, "Come out, Dusk. We need to talk."


    "Ah¡­ If it isn''t the new Dark Sage," Dusk drawled with a slight smile in his voice. "I thought the others have found my hiding spot."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at the meaning behind Dusk''s remark. Before he could say anything though, Dusk materialized to his right and gestured for him to follow.


    "This way. I can''t have you spoiling the trail I''ve left here."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. As he suspected, the other representatives were already onto each other. He had expected them to act when he appeared as a silver humanoid dragon but not this fast.


    It had only been a day or two since then and now these representatives appeared to have started making a move on each other.


    Kyran followed Dusk deep into the forest in silence.


    While traversing the path that Dusk appeared to be quite familiar with, Kyran scanned the surroundings. He sensed several beasts watching them from afar and whether they were keeping their distance because of him or simply found them a curious watch, he did not know. As long as they were not minions or summons by other Sovereign representatives keeping watch on Dusk, Kyran could not be bothered to make a move on them.


    It was curious how the Shaiha concealed his aura and presence, but not his scent. For this reason, beast could still sense him and avoid him. Only when he used the Cloaking Array would they stop avoiding him because it could more or less hide his scent.


    Dusk led them to a spot where a huge ancient looking tree with thick trunk and several vines hanging on its branches stood atop a mound. He walked over to the side and brushed aside some bushes, revealing an opening to a hidden hollow space beneath the tree''s roots.


    Roots of the massive tree dangled by the hollow space''s entrance camouging it.


    Kyran found Dusk''s hideout smart because the massive tree had a powerful life force that could easily mask thetter''s. Nevertheless, the hollow space beneath the tree was onlyrge enough for five average-sized adults to squeeze in.

 Chapter 832 The King’s Lament (3)

    As the two entered, Kyran took note of themp of some sort, the shape of a crescent moon, hovering above head, providing a decent light to the small hollow space. There was also a small wooden box at one side, with several open parchments sprawled on top of its cover.


    Kyran scanned the top parchment and saw it was a blueprint of some sort. Possibly a map of a building or establishment. Although he could only see a small portion of the rest of the parchments, he believed they were connected to each other. As to what or where it was, Kyran could only make a rough guess.


    Those were probably blueprints of ces Dusk had been investigating since he came to this ne.


    In any case, Kyran found it strange that Dusk did not use a memory orb to save those blueprints. After all, memory orbs were magic items that could record a lot of things, and only people with magic signatures registered on them could check what was inside to prevent other people from seeing its contents. Then again, memory orbs were not omnipotent because there were ways to bypass its magic signature identification.


    "Well, don''t just stand there. Keep yourselffortable. Just don''t expect me to conjure you a seat, ''cause I am not exactly the most thoughtful host."


    Kyran attention went back to Dusk. Ignoring the sarcasm in thetter''s voice, Kyran remained standing and went straight to the point.


    "How bad is the situation?" he asked.


    When Kyran decided to use his Draconic magic, he knew the situation of the outsiders would take a sudden turn. And he was more or less correct. Proof of that was Dusk''s remark when they met just now. From thetter''s words, Kyran guessed the other Sovereign factions were tracking down every representatives that entered Somuli.


    Why they would do that, Kyran only had a rough guess. But until he had enough conclusive information, he would withhold any opinion.


    "Impatient as ever, I see," Dusk snorted as he waved his hand over the small box. All the parchment disappeared, returning them into his storage space. Then he sat on it and looked up at Kyran and replied with a shrug, "Depends on your description of bad."


    Kyran did not respond and simply gave him a hard stare.


    "Tsk," Dusk clicked his tongue and leaned back. "One of these days, your indifference would get you in trouble."


    "Cut the crap and answer my question."


    "It is very bad," Dusk replied monotonously. "Most leaders of the Sovereign Factions are in a state of panic after the appearance of humanoid dragon."


    He paused recalling that the silver humanoid dragon appeared during the war between the borders of Armakea and Eidum.


    "Were you there? When that silver humanoid dragon appeared? You were, right? Since your destination was to the Eidum''s border."


    "Does it matter?"


    "Sure," Dusk responded at once. "None of the representatives who witnessed that being''s descent stayed long enough to understand why he appeared. So if you were there, I''d like to know everything."


    Kyran looked at Dusk and sensed he genuinely wanted to know. Still, he found it strange that most Sovereign Factions would react the way they did just because a humanoid dragon appeares. As far as Kyran was concerned, it was not that umon for a beast with dragon blood to appear as a human. If they lived long enough, they could turn into a human.


    This was ording to Zephyr. But that did not exin why Zephyr could transform. Because his unicorn blood granted him with transformation abilities.


    "Why? Did that silver dragon scare them off?"


    Dusk gaped at him in disbelief, "You really don''t know anything, don''t you?"


    Kyran scowled. He was starting to get annoyed at hearing those words from Dusk.


    "At the very least, get your facts together," Dusk added with a scowl of his own. "We are not scared off by that being''s arrival, believed it or not. Instead, everyone was frantic because of what his arrival signifies¡ª"


    Even before Duskpleted what he wanted to say, Kyran already guessed it.


    "¡ªthe War of the Sovereigns willmence soon."


    ''Start of the War of the Sovereigns.''


    Dusk and Kyran said and thought respectively.


    Dusk paused to check Kyran''s reaction. Seeing thetter''s frown, Dusk mistook it with disbelief and exined, "Yes, yes. We kept saying the war is just around the corner, but this soon is a little different. Though we say it is around the corner, we believed there are still a few years before it officially begins. But that silver humanoid dragon''s appearance gave everyone the impression that representatives from the Higher Realm areing. They may have already arrived and are observing us at this very moment. If that is the case, it more or less meant the war is about to start¡ª maybe in a month or even a week''s time."


    Kyran had a poker-face while Dusk was exining. But inwardly, his mind was reeling especially at the idea of representatives from the Higher Realming to the Lower Realm. While staying with Guardians this past year, Kyran learned a lot about the War of the Sovereigns. However, this was his first time hearing about this. It made him wonder what role would these beings have in that war.


    They would note down just to watch it happen, right?


    "Which is why most Sovereign factions are frantic," Dusk continued his exnation. "They want to recruit as many Sovereigns as possible on their side. Some are even thinking ofbining forces. In any case, because of this it is safe to say that they no longer want to waste time here. But that did not mean they have given up the idea of recruiting the Somuli Sovereign. As a matter of fact, they want to recruit him even more. That is why they will make a big move soon to force him to join a faction."


    "Why are they fixated on recruiting the Somuli Sovereign?" Kyran asked in genuine confusion.


    He was not interested in learning who the Somuli Sovereign because his only purpose foring in Somuli was to find the Saint and confirm her identity. Not even after confirming the Saint''s identity gave Kyran reason to know the man. This was especially true because he was a fake Sovereign.


    Dusk gave Kyran an exasperated look, "You know that is the first thing you should know. You should have read the intel we have in this ce before you came."


    "We''ve already talked about this."


    "Yes, and I will bring it up as many times as I want because your ignorance¡ª no, you''re indifference to matters in this ne apart from the Saint will be your undoing."


    Kyran raised his brows at him, "Wouldn''t that something you''d want to see? My undoing."


    "No," Dusk replied solemnly. His eyes then flickered with murderous intent as his lips curled into a sinister smile, "I''d rather be the one causing your fall. So don''t go around self-destructing."


    Kyran responded with a slight smile, "Careful you''d rouse others with that potent murderous intent. This ancient tree''s life force might not be enough to mask it."


    Dusk chuckled, instantly concealing his murderous intent. As if nothing happened, he asked, "Do you know the title of Somuli''s Sovereign?"


    Kyran raised his brows as if to say, ''Do you even have to ask?''


    "Of course, you don''t," Dusk answered his own question. "Sovereign of Bulwark. That is his title. I bet you now understand why everyone is fixated on him."


    Kyran''s expression remained calm, but inwardly he was frowning.


    Bulwark is a structure of protection. From this, it is easy to guess why the Sovereign factions wants the Somuli Sovereign to join them. Having a powerful structure that focuses on protection will allow offensive maneuvers of a team better leeway in attackingpared to a team without it.


    In arge-scale war between Sovereigns, the side with bnce mightst longer than those with offensive capabilities only. Apart from that, nes could also be protected if that Sovereign summoned a bulwark that could cover a whole ne.


    A thought crossed Kyran''s mind and he was a little confused.


    ''The old man''s Divine Armament is a shield¡­ that can also be considered a bulwark. Does the fake Sovereign possess the same Divine Armament? Or is it different?''


    Kyran shook his head inwardly, rejecting the thought just now. The fake Sovereign was a Noble, and nobles were known for their offensive mages. How did that person ended up receiving a title that focused on defense or protection?


    ''This doesn''t make any sense.''


    "You''re face says you don''t believe the Somuli Sovereign''s can make a difference."


    "Have you seen that guy or his Divine Armament?" Kyran asked instead of confirming Dusk''s remark.


    "No. As far as we know, he stop showing his face after bing a Sovereign. He attends meetings at least, but most of the time he keeps to himself."


    "He is a Sovereign, why does he need to attend meetings?"


    "I know what you want to say," Dusk shrugged. "But even if a Sovereign can no longer meddle in the affairs of his ne, he can still attend meetings as long as they don''t do or say something that will affect the ne''s affairs inadvertently. For short, he can listen but not offer advise or talk."


    Kyran shook his head and sighed in exasperation. He was trying to get Dusk to question the validity of the Somuli''s Sovereign but he kept responding in defense of thetter. It was frustrating.


    Kyran wanted to say it outright, but there was no telling if someone was listening in on them. Since he could not use his magic sense, he could only rely on his natural sensing abilities. For all he knew, a Sovereign representative might already be eavesdropping on them. Worse, Dusk might be a double agent and telling him the truth could make things bad for the inhabitants of Somuli.


    Because if those Sovereigns knew the Somuli Sovereign was a fake, and he had been ying with them all this time, they might destroy the whole ne in their anger.


    "Don''t you find it odd that someone from the Kingdom of Cretea, who are known for their powerful offensive mages, became a Sovereign that focuses on defense and protection?"


    "Not really," Dusk replied with a shrug. "They said the Somuli Sovereign had lived in Eidum at the time he was about to form his Divine Armament. He became fascinated with the prospect of having a Divine Armament that could excel both in defense and offense. ording to our intel, he seeded. But in my opinion, if he possessed a bulwark-type Divine Armament, its offensive move is likely consisted of ramming it on his enemies only."


    "Then have you seen the Abbot''s Divine Armament?"


    "What does it matter? The Abbot is a low-ranked mage with powerful healing abilities. Or what? Are you trying to say that we focus on recruiting him instead? We already have Axil. You probably don''t know but Axil is a very powerful Support mage¡ª."


    "The Abbot is a powerful healer, yes. But he is also a Sage, and yes, knowing what his Divine Armament is matters a lot, because¡­" Kyran''s voice trailed off. He was still reluctant to tell Dusk the truth. Or to be precise, he was afraid to openly speak about the truth.


    In the end, he said, "I need to speak to Axil."


    Dusk frowned, "Just tell me what it is and I''d tell her. Or, what? You don''t trust me?"


    "Do you even have to ask?"


    Dusk snorted, "Fine. But I talked to her just yesterday. For now, I have some important task to do. I''ll find you after I''m done, since I''ll be reporting to her again¡ª."


    "I need to speak to her now."


    "You think its easy to establish a connection outside? This ne has a Sovereign, you know. A small fluctuation of magic to establish a connection outside will alert him and¡ª."


    "Tell me her location and code. I''ll contact her myself."


    Dusk scowled, "Those are ssified."


    Before Kyran could insist, he sensed movements outside. Since he was using his natural sensing ability, his maximum range was thirty meter radius only. This meant, whoever or whatever made those movements were pretty close.


    Frighteningly so.

 Chapter 833 The King’s Lament (4)

    ?


    Dusk also sensed it and his expression darkened. He looked at Kyran and gestured for him to stay quiet.


    Kyran need not telling though. He knew how troublesome it would get if they were found and a fight broke out between them. So far the movements he sensed came from one spot, meaning there was only one being outside. But that did not mean it was alone. That being''spanions might be scattered around the forest.


    Outside, a red mist crept toward the ancient tree. From a distance, a woman in a red tight-fitting dress, that matched the red veil hiding its face looked at the massive tree with narrowed eyes.


    "I know you''re there," the woman drawled and a mischievous smile could be seen vaguely under her veil. "Come out here and I might spare your life."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed at once. He found the woman''s voice familiar. Unfortunately, he could not remember where he heard it. Kyran''s memory were better than most, thus, not recalling where he heard the woman''s voice was strange to him.


    Frankly, it was not really that strange. For the most part of Kyran''s encounter with that woman, he had been put under an illusion. She also made it sure to alter her voice. Nheless, since she was not adverse in Sound magic, the alteration in her voice was minute.


    ''Sh*t,'' Dusk cursed inwardly. He was not using his magic sense to observe the surroundings outside. Like Kyran, Dusk only used his natural senses to observe what was happening outside. Nevertheless, he might not be able to see what was outside, but he recognized the owner of that voie. There was a slight change, but since he almost bumped into that woman in thest city he went to, he knew how much change she did to her voice.


    Nevertheless, that woman was not that good at tracking, which was why Dusk was surprised she found him so soon.


    His camouge was impable, not to mention he possessed a pseudo-orb that was simr to the concealing ability of the rumored Heart of the Cosmos. There was no way for the woman to locate him that fast.


    Dusk then turned to Kyran and cursed again. This guy''s magic might have done something to the camouge he left at the cave that was why the woman managed to track him down.


    Void magic''s nature was tooplex, after all. Nevertheless, one of its nature that they already confirmed was how badly it could distort space. Dusk had a first hand experience on that during their first encounter.


    Sensing Dusk''s fierce re, Kyran looked at him with raised brows as if to say: ''What''s your problem?''


    Seemingly reading Kyran''s thoughts, Dusk telepathically spoke to him.


    [That woman is Deception, one of the representatives from Flos''s faction.]


    Dusk smiled wryly as he recalled something. He then added:


    [But I suppose you don''t need any introduction of who she is since she came to infiltrate the Human ne back then.]


    Unfortunately, Kyran stopped listening to Dusk after he saying who the woman was. Because he knew her and it was because of her that he fell into an illusion, which then almost risked Cyneah''s life.


    Kyran still did not know how Cyneah''s soul entered his sea of consciousness back then. But if not for her, he would not have been able to leave the illusion world Deception created and might jeopardize the safety of his people. He was grateful for what Cyneah did, but after learning what he put her through so she could wake him, he felt the need to make Deception pay. Regrettably, Kyran did not cross paths with her after that one time, thus failing to collect what was due between them.


    [The ancient tree is full of mana.]


    Dusk continued to speak with Kyran telepathically.


    [It should be able to fend any of her attempt to use her magic. So just stay still and don''t make a sound¡ª oi!]


    Dusk''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when Kyran made his way out of their hiding spot. Dusk wanted to pull Kyran back but the coldness in thetter''s eyes forced him to stop.


    Dusk stopped not because he was frightened by Kyran''s eyes. Though Dusk knew shit was about to go down if he did not stop Kyran, he felt the young man had a n.


    Dusk knew Kyran had a reckless streak, but somehow the result of his actions seemed to be part of a well-thought of n. Of course, Dusk did not believe Kyran had thought of a n in the span of a few seconds but he allowed thetter to go, nheless.


    As Kyran stepped out, the color of his hair changed to blonde and the color of his eyes turned green. The contours of his face also changed making him look very much like Achim.


    Wearing a cold and stern expression, Kyran exited Dusk''s hiding spot and looked outside.


    ''Hm?'' Deception frowned upon seeing the person hiding under the ancient tree.


    The truth, Deception did note to that ce because she picked up Dusk''s tracks. As a matter of fact, she never went to the cave nor was Dusk''s camouge seen through. Deception came there because she was hunting a different person¡ª or, to be precise¡ª she was hunting aplete being. But thatplete being was so good at hiding that she and the rest following her was led into what they feared had already turned into a wild-goose chase.


    In any case, the person that emerged from the tree was not the person Deception expected but that did not alleviate her shock because she knew him.


    Prince Achim, the favorite nephew of the Armakea King.


    It was not strange for Deception to know who Achim was even though she was not the one investigating Armakea.


    Every Sovereign representative that came to Somuli were more or less familiar with its state of affairs, and knew every key figures of each nations. They researched these key figures'' Family background, character, affiliation, Divine Armament, and many others.


    The only one they had trouble researching was the Eidum''s Saint because the Abbot had kept a very tight lid on her information.


    But putting the matter of the Saint''s information aside, Deception wondered why Prince Achim was there.


    "''Might spare my life?''" Kyran repeated in a voice very different from his own.


    Dusk, who could only listen in on what was happening outside was surprised to hear Kyran''s voice. If the voice had not spoken too close to the ancient tree, Dusk would have thought there was a third person outside.


    ''That''s the Dark Sage?'' Dusk thought in surprise. He did not expect Kyran was proficient in Voice Alteration especially when it used Sound magic, which was very different from his Void magic.


    Unbeknownst to Dusk, Kyran did not use a Voice Alteration spell. The change in his voice was simply him adjusting his vocal chord¡ª a skill he learned as a child along with the Regis Techniques. He rarely used it though, because there was still a limit to how much he could adjust his vocal chord and if he used it too frequently he might end up with a course throat for days.


    Deception might still be a distance away, but Kyran recognized her attire and aura. Not to mention, the red mist crawling toward the ancient tree was all too familiar. "Taking out words out of my mouth left an unpleasant taste on my mouth. I''ll give you five seconds toe up with a good reason why I should not kill you right here, right now."


    Deception''s eyes narrowed. She knew about Prince Achim''s arrogance. But unlike most spoiled arrogant royalties she knew that could not back up their attitudes, Achim could. If he said he would kill her, he would and could do it.


    Deception was only an essence and her mage level was onlyparable to a Magus. Moreover, the magicw in Somuli restricted her use of magic. Thus, her illusions were not as effective as she would like them to be.


    Donning a beautiful smile on her face, Deception used her magic to change the color of her hair and eyes. Though her veil hid her hair and face well, in case she could not avoid a fight, she had to disguise herself as aplete being.


    "Oh? If it isn''t his highness, Prince Achim." She curtsied and retracted her red mist, willing it to circle around her instead, before continuing. "Why would a highly-esteemed person like yourself, be in this such a ce?"


    "You think you can pretend nothing happened after threatening me, wench?" Kyran responded and raised his right hand. A golden sword appeared on his hand hand as he took a stepped toward Deception.


    Deception''s eyes constricted after being called a wench. But she managed to reign in her annoyance and maintained her cool. She Let out a sultryugh and said, "Oh, that? Please pardon my words. Those were not directed at you, your highness. It''s just that I thought you are the b*tch I was after."


    Kyran frowned, but did not say anything. Inwardly, he caught on her words and knew the person she was after was a female.


    Under the ancient tree''s hollowed space, Dusk also heard Deception and sighed in relief. If she was after a woman, then obviously she did discover his tracks.


    But who was she after then? Another representative? A beast-like? Or aplete being?


    Dusk strained his ears to listen in on what was happening outside. Frankly, he thought Deception would have attacked Kyran by now. Because, no matter how or what Kyran did to appear like Prince Achim, his aura and presence were different. But recalling they were close to the ancient tree that had an abundance of mana, anyone''s senses would be dulled by it.


    That might be why Deception was convinced of Kyran''s disguise. That, or Deception did not know how Prince Achim''s aura and presence felt like.


    Dusk frowned inwardly as he thought of something, ''Did Dark Sage consider the ancient tree''s mana that''s why he decided to show up in disguise? My magic is far from possessing Earth magic nature, thus, my transformation ability is not that good. If I showed up in front of a mage who specializes in Illusion magic, even if I have the advantage in mage level, I will be found out almost immediately. But Void magic''s nature is far from Earth magic. How did he manage to fool her?''


    Dusk''s doubt was not really strange, since he did not know about Kyran''s face-altering mask. With a wry smile, Dusk shook his head at the irony of their situation.


    Kyran managed to deceiveDeception, who was supposed to be a master of deception.


    "And you think that is enough to convince me?" Kyran growled.


    Deception immediately realized her mistake and shook her head, "No, of course not, your highness. But it is the truth. I swear that on my name."


    "Name?" Kyran snorted. "And who do you think you are that I can put my faith on your name?"


    Deception lowered her head immediately and said, "It has not been announced yet, but I am a newly appointed Aide to the Sovereign. My name is Lady D."


    Dusk''s expressions turned grim. He did not expect Flos''s side had already gotten pretty deep into the Sovereign''s good graces to appoint Deception as his Aide. It seemed the negotiation between them was as good as done. If this was the case, there was no point for the other representatives to stay.


    Not that it mattered to Dusk. After all, his mission in Somuli was not solely to convince its Sovereign to join their faction.


    Kyran had a different take on what Deception had said, though. In his opinion, the negotiation between her faction and the fake Sovereign was still underway and the reason thetter gave her a position was so she could move around Somuli unhindered. However, that was only one of the fake Sovereigns two reasons.


    As for the other reason, it was to draw out the negotiation because he was a fake.


    Kyran scowled at Deception as he said, "Why is someone from Cretea in mynd? I''ll take your head, for trespassing in my Armakea''s soil."

 Chapter 834 The King’s Lament (5)

    <h4>Chapter 834 The King¡¯s Lament (5)</h4>


    When Kyran and Dusk first met, Dusk left in the direction of Armakea. Thus, when Kyran warped to his location, Kyran knew he was inside Armakea''s territory. If not, Kyran would not have seeded in warping to where Dusk was due to the warp''s target distance limitation.


    Considering this, Kyran disguised himself as Achim when he left Dusk''s hiding spot. He could have a number of people from Armakea he could change into, but going for Achim gave him a wider width to move around. After all, Achim was a Prince, and he could be arrogant, and no one would dare defy him given the King''s favor. Moreover, Achim was his Servant.


    Although Kyran''s location was closer to the border, which could be considered under Kesiah''s jurisdiction, Kyran could not change into her for obvious reasons.


    The sword in Kyran''s hand was also a disguise. To be more precise, it was True Void changing into Achim''s sword. As to how True Void retained the golden color of Achim''s sword, it was an array form Kyran activated. They could not very well make the same mistake they did when True Void pretended to be Kesiah, after all.


    After Kyran dered his intentions to Deception, the red mist around her swirled at once. By the time he dashed forward, the red mist had already covered her body.


    Boom!


    Kyran''s struck downward, the force at which left a deep crevice on the ground. However, his sword only cleaved at the red mist without hurting Deception.


    Following this, Deception''s body dispersed and escaped the strike. She did not want to fight Prince Achim for obvious reasons. Being an essence, her mage level was a couple of levels below Prince Achim''s. Her Illusion would not be that effective. As a matter of fact, the reason she was not assigned to infiltrate Armakea was because her magic would not be effective against their Knights.


    Initially, Deception was supposed to infiltrate the Eidums since her magic could be ssified under support-type magic. Unfortunately, only those with rmendations could enter the Abbey where the Abbot mostly resided because it had a special barrier that would only allow those he recognized to enter. Deception could not even fake a rmendation because the Eidum families that gave such rmendations had to request the document parchment from the Abbot himself. It was rather annoying, which was why Deception was assigned to negotiate with the Kingdom of Cretea instead.


    Kyran knew about Deception''s ability to integrate her whole being into the red mist, making it almost impossible for anyone to physically hurt her. Still, he did not hesitate to attack her because Achim had no way of knowing that. Besides, as much as he wanted to kill her right now, that was not his priority. If he truly aimed to kill her, he would rather do so with her real body, not an essence.


    Killing an essence would be troublesome as well. Since they would not die, the Sovereign coulde back and exact revenge.


    Kyran would not allow any unwanted hindrances while he was busy conquering Armakea. If this meant he had to let Deception escape, it could not be helped.


    "I do not wish to fight, Prince Achim. I did not realize I was already inside Armakea''s territory."


    Contrary to Kyran''s expectations, Deception did not escape. She reappeared a few hundred feet ahead and kowtowed at once.


    Kyran wanted to rush in, but doing so would mean leaving the ancient tree''s radius. If Deception noticed he did not have an aura or presence, it might lead to trouble. As much as possible, he wanted their encounter to be brief. He also did not want to give her reasons to suspect anything. While Achim''s appearance could rouse suspicion, others would only think he was there to check on Kesiah since they were both candidates for the King''s heir. They were siblings but also rivals.


    Frankly, Deception might not even care. She probably did not even know the situation in Armakea.


    Before Kyran could think of another way to force Deception to leave, thetter waved her hand, and a gold parchment appeared before her. It then flew toward Kyran as she said,


    "Please take this as a token of my apology."


    Kyran stopped. He grabbed the parchment as soon as it was within range. However, he did not open it at once. There was no telling if the parchment was a magic scroll that would unleash a terrible offensive magic spell upon opening.


    "I believe what is written inside there will be beneficial for you, your highness," Deception continued.


    "How?" Kyran asked, looking at her suspiciously.


    Because Deception had her head lowered, she did not see the look of doubt on his face. However, it was easily discernable from the tone of his voice. Apart from this, since he was asked her how the parchment''s contents would benefit him, it meant he had not opened the parchment yet. If he had, he would have asked her where she got it instead.


    "As expected of King Ehud''s favorite nephew. You are¡ª!"


    Boom!


    Deception broke out in a cold sweat as she slowly turned her head to her left. A deep crevice had appeared on the ground after Kyran struck his sword in her direction. He did not approach her, though. He remained standing a few hundreds of feet away from her.


    "You will only answer what you are asked. Don''t talk crap."


    "Yes, your highness. I am sorry," Deception apologized once more, sounding like a docile ve who wanted nothing but to appease her master''s wrath. Inwardly, though, she was reeling in anger. She was a Sovereign. How dare a lowly prince act treat her like this?


    In the end, Deception could only reign in her anger. She could not make another mistake, especially when they had yet to win over the Somuli''s Sovereign. Her task in Somuli was herst chance to prove her loyalty after her failed conspiracy in the Human ne. If she did something that would jeopardize their overall mission, Flos would destroy her and her nes without hesitation.


    "That gold parchment is a lost technology my family had kept hidden all these years. It has the ability to show the whereabouts of people you wish to find and even know what they are doing. Unfortunately, I cannot fully use the gold parchment as it requires blood to activate it, and it will only ept a certain type of blood."


    "You are giving me an unreliable piece of parchment as a token of apology? It looks like you are not sincere enough, Lady D."


    Deception raised her head just in time to see Kyran raise his hand, holding the sword. Judging the trajectory of his strike, it would not miss this time.


    "It will only ept someone''s blood from the Original Family!" Deception hastily exined.


    "Your highness''s blood came from the Original Family, thus, you can make full use of it!"


    Kyran paused and frowned slightly. He read about the Original Family in the Eidum''s archive.


    ording to their history, Somuli''s inhabitants were mainly beasts and only a handful ofplete beings. Theseplete beings were what they called the Original Family. After a few years, the Original Family expanded. Unfortunately, as new generations added to their family tree, a sh of ideals urred, resulting in the Age of Terror. In that age, the Original Family split up, forming the Somuli''s future nations. Throughout the years, though, the Original Family found ways to procreate in several ways, and they were capable of such because of their Lost Technology. The beast-likes then came into existence. Because of the procreation, however, the Original Family''s blood began to thin, which then disappeared in time.


    Armakea imed that their Royal Family still possessed the Original Family''s blood. For this reason, they imed to be the sole inheritors of the lost technology. No one dared rebuke their ims because it was written on a tablet they discovered a few years ago.


    Kyran did not know how much of the things Deception said were true. But if it were, it would definitely be useful to him. Still, he was skeptical about its activation because he did not believe the Royal Family''s ims were true. Actually, Kyran did not believe the story about the Original Family. Far too many things about their existence did not make sense because they seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.


    Putting the matter about the Original Family aside, Kyran narrowed his eyes at Deception.


    "How did you know what this parchment could do if it can only be activated using our blood?"


    Deception averted her eyes slightly, but then she looked at him again and replied, "We... have gone to Howling Pass to conduct some tests."


    Kyran scowled. There was a rich collection of inhabitants in Howling Pass. Even humans ended up living there. It would not be impossible for a member of the Royal Family¡ª probably an exiled one¡ª to take refuge there.


    Then again, he still did not know how much of the things Deception told him were true. For all he knew, she might have made up that story, and the parchment was something her faction prepared to bait Armakea.


    "Please show mercy, your highness. We only asked for a few drops of blood from your people to conduct the¡ª."


    "We do not have people in Howling Pass," Kyran interrupted her exnation. He did not want to continue their talk if she called for reinforcements. Since she came here after someone, she was definitely apanied by others.


    "I''ll take this for now. In addition, do not breathe a word about seeing me here. If you do, your head is mine."


    Deception lowered her head to the ground again, "Yes, your highness."


    Still, she cursed him inwardly, thinking she would have his head instead once the Somuli Sovereign joined them.


    "Leave."


    Deception need not be told twice. She already left and retraced her steps out of Armakea''s territory.


    When Kyran confirmed that Deception had truly left, he heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the ancient tree.


    Dusk was still there, looking at him strangely.


    "Pack your things and leave this ce. It''s a good hiding spot, but now that Deception saw this ce, it is useless to return," Kyran said before he could say anything.


    "And whose fault is it?" Duskined grumpily. However, He was not really annoyed because he heard Deception and Kyran''s exchange and knew why she was there.


    Kyran ignored hisint and said, "You''ve heard what she said. The information she provided is definitely something that has to be reported to Axil post-haste, don''t you think?"


    As much as Dusk wanted to deny it, he knew Kyran was correct. This would not affect his mission, but the information would allow Axil to reassess Somuli''s situation.


    "Fine," he finally relented. "But first, we need to find a safe location."


    "I know a ce."


    Without waiting for Dusk''s reply, Kyran touched the token of the Eidum''s Border HQ and activated it. In a sh, they disappeared.


    Meanwhile, a silvery mist slowly descended from one of the ancient tree''s thick branches. It then materialized into a person in a silver-white hooded robe.


    From under that person''s hood, it could be seen that the person possessed smooth, porcin-like skin. Nevertheless, from the person''s frame, his or her gender could not be determined.


    "Strange," the person muttered. "Just now, I sensed some presence here. Where did they go?"


    The person''s voice sounded like a woman or a young man, making it even harder to confirm his or her gender. One thing was sure, though, that the person''s silhouette resembled the one tasked to investigate the silver humanoid dragon.


    Kyran tweaked the token he got from Hm and made it so it could now be used like a transmission array. However, he was the only one who could use it, and its range was not asrge as most transmission arrays. Apart from that, it only had one destination in the Eidum''s Border HQ¡ª his room.


    Kyran used the token instead of warping to avoid leaving a trace because the Shaiha could not mask any magic energy residue he left behind.


    Dusk gave Kyran a nk look after guessing where thetter had taken him.


    "Really?"


    "Just call her."


    Knowing arguing was pointless, Dusk obliged and took out hismunication device. He entered Axil''s code¡ª while ensuring Kyran could not see the movements of his hand¡ª and soon after, Axil''s silhouette appeared as a projection.


    "Kyran? Why are you with Dusk?"

 Chapter 835 The King’s Lament (6)

    <h4>Chapter 835 The King''s Lament (6)</h4>


    Kyran let Dusk gave a brief exnation of what transpired before their call.


    A slight crease appeared on Axil''s usual straightced face. She nced at Kyran for the briefest moment that Dusk failed to notice.


    Kyran had seen it though, and in that brief look, he managed to convey his desire to speak to her alone.


    After hearing what Dusk needed to report, Axil advised him to continue with his other task while she discuss their next course of action with the rest of the members. Deception might have implied that the Somuli Sovereign chose to join their faction but since Flos remained silent about it, Axil believed it wise to not jump into conclusion. Nevertheless, the fact that Deception was granted a position that practically gave her free reign in moving around the ne was concerning. Axil advised Dusk to be extra careful.


    When they were done, Axil asked Dusk to step outside so she could speak with Kyran.


    Kyran initially thought Dusk wouldin but thetter was surprisingly respectful. Since Kyran could not possibly let Dusk step outside his room, he let him stay while he found another safe spot for him and Axil to talk privately.


    Kyran warped to his room in Armakea''s HQ. Once there, he did forego any formalties or idle chatter and went straight to the point.


    "The Sovereign in the Kingdom of Cretea is fake. There is no need for you guys to make any moves."


    Axil''s eyes narrowed. She asked, "What''s your basis?"


    "I can''t go to details, but I met the one who was supposed to be the Sovereign. However, he chose not to ascend for reasons I can''t disclose."


    Though Kyran did not say anything, his implications was already a huge clue.


    Kyran was only ever interested in knowing the Saint''s identity and had focused on going around the Land of Eidum. There were few inhabitants that he could have met. Thus, it was easy to narrow down who Kyran meant.


    Axil caught onto it, and could not help but give a wry smile.


    "You sure have a way of being subtle," shemented.


    Kyran only shrugged. He then asked, "Is Dusk''s mission top secret?"


    Axil did not respond at once. She studied him for a second before finally saying, "That depends. Why did you ask?"


    "Since he is in Armakea, I reckon his mission is here. I am currently helping the Eidums conquer it, though. If his mission is here, I''d like to know what it is. I''d like to avoid conflict of interest with you guys as much as possible."


    "Here?" Axil repeated with raised brows. "I thought you and Dusk are... You mean you just..."


    "Let''s stay on track here."


    "I''m sorry. I had the impression that you did not want to use your magic in case others notice you."


    "It''s safe here."


    "I see, thus, the phrase ''currentlyhelping'' the Eidums."


    "Can you tell me?"


    "Don''t worry. Dusk''s mission will not hinder your conquest in any way."


    "Really?"


    "Yes," Axil nodded. "Since you decided to target Armakea, then you should know what they are known for."


    "They are known for many things," Kyran replied with a shrug. "Which one are you referring to?"


    "Their im of being true owners of Lost Technology," Axil answered with slight amusement in her eyes.


    "You mean Dusk''s mission has something to do with Lost Technology?"


    "You are an Array Saint, I am sure you found it odd why in Somuli they are unable to make use of it and called it Lost Technology."


    "I do," Kyran admitted with a nod. "But it is not my priority, that''s why I never really thought much of it."


    "You should," Axil told him with a meaningful look. "We Guardians are not only interested in finding ways to protect the Lower Realm in theing War of the Sovereigns. We also want to find the real reason it is happening.


    "Unfortunately, finding clues proved to be an exhausting and lengthy endeavor but not entirely impossible¡­"


    Axil went on to exin that they found a clue to the first ever War of the Sovereign in an abandoned ne. Though she called it a ne, it was more of a fragment rather than a whole ne. One of their members arrived in that ce to check if there were any inhabitants. But it was almost devoid of life and its only resources were rare stones.


    After excavating some of those stones, they discovered arge tablet buried under ground. The tablet had runes on it. However, when they tried to decipher what was written on it, they realized the runes were unfamiliar. Not even the most knowledgeable in several runes among them understood any of it.


    Axil and the rest continued to explore the abandoned ne and found more simr tablets. Unfortunately, most of the tablets used the same runes from the first tablet they discovered. When they finally found a tablet that they could understand though, they were shocked at what it said.


    The tablet was a record of an event that happened several hundred thousand of years ago. It told about a very powerful race with a simrly powerful and advanced knowledge in magic. Because of these, the other races grew to fear them, while some grew jealous. And then, a war broke out.


    Sadly, the entry on the tablet stopped there, and after searching the ne for more, they only found a piece of broken fragment which only said: ''The war destroyed worlds and divided realms, and that terrible year came to be known as the War of the Sovereigns ¡ª The King''s Lament.''


    After some time, Axil and the rest of the Guardians would find simr tablets in different nes. Some they were unable to decipher because of their unfamiliar runes, but a few they managed to learn. And thus far, they were able to glean that the race that had been targeted during the first War of the Sovereigns were called the Ancients and they not only possessed unparalleled knowledge in Magic, but also Technology.


    It took Axil and the others years before they finally understood that the Technology mentioned in those tablets were what they knew as Array.


    Dusk''s mission was to find the tablet Armakea said to have discovered. Axil and the others believed it was simr to the tablets they found and wanted to know if it had more clues. Apart from that, Dusk had to find out why Somulians could only make use of the Lost Technology and could not replicate it.


    The more Kyran heard Axil''s exnation, the more his interest was piqued. He did find it strange that no one knew how to make Array in Somuli. The only reason he did not think much of it was because there were nes in the Lower Realm that did not know anything about Array. Even Array Creation was impossible in those nes because their magicws prohibited it.


    "Does the other Sovereign factions are aware of the first war?" Kyran asked after Axil finished her exnation.


    Axil paused for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts before answering, "We believe so. Not all of them, though."


    "But are they aware that the first war is connected to the Ancients?"


    "There are plenty of abandoned nes in the Lower Realm," Axil replied with a wry smile. "I cannot say for sure if the things written in the tablets we found are the only record that spoke about the first war''s connection to the Ancients."


    As if thinking why Kyran might have asked that question she added, "If you wanted to know if that is the reason they are interested in the Human ne being rumored as a remnant of the Land of the Ancients, then rest assured that is not the case.


    "The Land of the Ancients could be found in almost every history of every nes in the Lower Realm. They are either mentioned as part of a lore, or even anecdotes, but they are there. No one knew how these things came to be, though."


    Kyran felt his head throb from this new information. He could not say he was invested on learning about the truth of the Ancients, but he had been hearing about them ever since he stepped out of hisfort zone within the Regis Estate. Not to mention, his innate magic seemed to have some connections with the Ancients, and that was not to say because his magic was considered Ancient magic.


    It was more with the tablets Axil and her faction discovered. Those tablets they could not decipher.


    Kyran wondered if the reason they could not decipher it was because it was written in Void runes. After all,pared to the runes used by other Ancient magic, there were no record of the Void.


    "Dusk has the ability to move undetected," Axil continued after a moment''s silence. "So you do not have to worry about him getting in the way on your conquest."


    After some hesitation, Kyran asked, "Can I see all the tablets you found?"


    Axil did not respond immediately. She more or less guessed Kyran was not asking to see the tablets they had already deciphered but those they have not. If it was only her, she would not mind showing it to him. However, some members might have reservations especially since Kyran was only considered a consultant and not an official member of the Guardians. Though Kyran had been helping them for a year, he only worked with Loar or Wings.


    In the end, Axil nodded her head and said, "Alright."

 Chapter 836 Visitor

    <h4>Chapter 836 Visitor</h4>


    After agreeing on how Axil would send images of the tablets, Kyran returned to his room in Eidum''s Border HQ.


    Frankly, Kyran intended to see the tablets in person because there might be a trick of some sort that would allow the tablets to trante themselves. He thought this because the book about Ancient Magic that Ste showed him before had this ability. However, the runes avable on it were Draconic, Soul, Time, and Void. But since Kyran could not leave Somuli, he settled with the images. In any case, he could still check if he could read the runes on those tablets, even if it were only an image.


    Dusk left after that. Kyran was once more surprised that Dusk did not bother to ask what he and Axil discussed. Dusk also remained respectful to her even after ending the call.


    Kyran then took Dusk to the outskirts of Armakea''s border, and they parted without much ado there.


    Kyran did not warp nor use the token to return to the borders. He took that chance to wander in Armakea''s wilderness to gather herbs and other materials he could find. He did this not because they were running low on supplies but because he wanted to replenish his personal resources.


    When Kyran returned to Armakea, Achim''s and Nahir''s groups were preparing to head out.


    Since they had won over the knights and most officers from thest fight, their next action was to make a follow-up attack and destroy the fort. Of course, they nned to take all supplies in that fort before destroying itpletely. Hopefully, the officers who stayed behind that fort had not asked for more reinforcements from other forts.


    Before they left, Kyran showed the gold parchment to both Achim and Kesiah. They were both members of the Royal Family, thus, he reckoned their blood could make it work.


    Given that everything Deception told him was true.


    Achim and Kesiah were a little skeptical because the parchment did not look anything special.


    Kyran thought so, too.


    He had checked the array forms on the parchment, and theoretically, it should function as Deception had said. However, there was no indication that it required special blood to activate, nor was there any form that allowed the one who activated it to specify its target.


    Kyran did not try to activate the parchment because he saw a hidden tracking form while reviewing its array formation. After going through the whole formation, he confirmed that the tracking form only monitored those who used the parchment. Unfortunately, Kyran could not determine if the tracking information would be transmitted to an outside source unless the parchment was in use.


    In any case, Kyran did not care if Deception could track who was using the parchment. As long as the one who activated it was Achim or Kesiah¡ª Achim because Deception gave it to him; and Kesiah, because a scenario wherein Achim gave it to her was possible. As to why Achim would gift Kesiah the parchment when they were supposed to be rivals, Kyran would just let the twoe up with a story.


    Kyran did not force Achim and Kesiah to try the parchment. Even though they were his Servants and a simple order would make them do anything he willed, he did not do it. Though the parchment''s function would help them spy on other''s whereabouts, its activation was too ambiguous, and the one it came from could not be trusted.


    Besides, if Kyran really wanted to make use of the parchment''s function, he could make a new one. Since there was no real urgency, he let Achim keep the parchment for now.


    Kyran checked on Cyneah after Achim and Nahir left the border. Her condition had improved, but she still showed no signs of waking. This worried him a great deal. When he asked the Abbot''s opinion, he only said that she might have only been very exhausted, which was why she had yet to wake up.


    In the end, Kyran had no choice but to let the Abbot, Oded, and Yalen care for Cyneah while he left for another task. Since there were still a few days before Axil could send him the images of the tablets, or Chrysanthemum could provide an update on her task, and Achim and the rest were on top of things in their ns to destroy the rest of the forts and increase their military strength, Kyran decided to do some scouting of his own.


    With all that had happened, Kyran wanted to know the current situation of every nation. He heard a little of what the other Sovereign faction''s representatives were up to, but he wanted to know if there were any big changes happening in each nation¡ª particrly the Kingdom of Cretea, Land of the Eidum, Armakea, and even Howling Pass. Kyran was also curious about who Deception was after she dared enter the Armakea territory.


    After weighing all these things, Kyran decided to retrace Deception''s tracks and look for that person she was after. Then he let Gael continue looking for humans in Howling Pass, as well as have a few of his Shadow Minions gather information in the Kingdom of Cretea and Land of Eidum.


    Kyran ventured deep into the forest of Armakea without activating his Concealment Array. Because of this, no beast tried to get in his way. A few docile beasts dared go near him, but they would only observe him for a while before going on their way.


    For the next few days, this had been Kyran''s routine. He would receive an update from Gael every now and then, but so far, none of the information his Shadow Minions gathered was really informative. The only information they gave that piqued Kyran''s interest was Deception''s appointment as the Sovereign''s Aide.


    Deception had already told them about it, but knowing what she said was true was still surprising.


    In the Land of Eidum, though, Kyran confirmed that the news of the Abbot''s appearance at their border had not spread. It made sense since none of the Eidums had left the border to share the news. There were other witnesses, but now they were all allies. They would not spread something that might invite trouble.


    At least, Kyran believed the Armakea Knights and even their Officers were better at keeping secrets.


    As for those outsiders who might have seen the Abbot, Kyran did not think they would spread the news themselves. If they did, they would only help Flos''s side by letting them know that the Abbot was there.


    Kyran felt that those outsiders would likely use what they knew about the Abbot to gain an advantage. Fortunately, there had been no incident that would provide them an opportunity to exploit their knowledge.


    As a matter of fact, after Kyran appeared as a silver humanoid dragon at the borders, the outsiders stopped observing the situation there. Then again, from what Dusk said about how the leaders of the other Sovereign factions were in a state of panic because of what the appearance of the silver humanoid dragon symbolized, Kyran more or less understood why those outsiders could no longer be bothered to observe a war between small nations.


    Four dayster, Kyran still failed to find any traces of the person Deception was after. On the contrary, Achim, the rest of his Servants, and Nahir and the rest of the Eidums took down another fort. They also managed to increase their number to thirty¡ª nine Knights and twenty-one Officers.


    Only a few more than Achim and Kesiah could have apany, each full of Knights.


    After another day of unfruitful tracking in the Armakea''s forest, Kyran decided to return. He also wanted to check on Cyneah.


    Kyran had Jita concoct Cyneah''s pills, but ording to her, Cyneah''s condition seemed to have improved a lot, but she still showed no signs of waking.


    On his way back, Kyran found a few nts he had not seen in the Eidums and Armakeas'' inventory. He checked them and found their uses. After which, he carefully dug them up and ced them into one of his storage rings.


    Kyran believed with these nts; he could concoct a potion that would allow Cyneah to regain consciousness. He knew her condition differed from when she fell into aa and that her soul was intact. If not, she would have felt cold, and everyone around her would have already panicked. She was their Saint, after all.


    Since that was not the case, Kyran believed he could force her to wake up. It might sound a little cruel, but frankly, he had an inkling she herself did not want to wake up.


    With this in mind, Kyran searched the forest for more nts and herbs he could use.


    "I have my doubts, but you truly seem to know your Alchemy."


    There were few things that could surprise Kyran, much less catch him off guard, and this was one instance. He turned to look in the direction where he heard the voice and was surprised at how close that person was.

 Chapter 837 Nescii

    <h4>Chapter 837 Nescii</h4>


    FOOOM


    Suddenly, the surrounding sounds disappeared as a semi-translucent veil spread around Kyran, isting him and the person before him.


    The owner of the voice wore a long robe, and his or her face was hidden underneath its over-sized hood. Kyran could not determine the person''s gender because it sounded like a woman, but might also be a young man. It was pretty much the same with Light''s voice, although thetter had a deeper tone while the person in front sounded lighter.


    "You seemed confident," the hooded person remarked with a slight tilt of its head. "Others who entered Istion always panicked. Ah?? right, I should not say always now that there is one exception."


    Kyran disliked talkative enemies and would have loved to make this one shut up. Unfortunately, the Istion mentioned by the hooded person restricted his movement.


    As if sensing Kyran''s attempt at move, the hooded person raised its hand and a long silver and gold scepter with an uneven diamond hovering above its tip. It waved the scepter and in an instant, Kyran sensed the restrictions in his body was removed.


    "I am sorry. I had to restrict your movement until I confirmed your stength is-."


    Kyran moved as soon as the restrictions were removed and aimed a roundhouse kick toward the hooded person.


    Bam!


    Kyran''s eyes widened as his shin hit the scepter''s shaft.


    The hooded person casually raised ita scepter to block Kyran''s attack!


    "Oh, please do not bother. Physical attacks are not that-."


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Kyran ignored the hooded person''s chatter and continued to attack with his leg or fist. However, no matter what he did, the hooded person managed to deflect his attack with its scepter.


    ''How?'' Kyran thought in utter disbelief. Although his physical attacks were not as powerful as he wanted them to be because he could not circte any Draconic magic to enhance his attacks and movements, his body had undergone tremendous change because of the Elixir. His bones were fortified to an unbelievable level, which was how his normal punches weighed far too much than what his seemingly small stature could produce. But though his bones were fortified, his weight remained unchanged. This was all made possible with the changes the Elixir had done to his body.


    Still, the hooded person easily deflected his attack with a casual lift of his scepter.


    How was it possible?


    The hooded person did not exude any magic energy while intercepting Kyran''s attack, so it was not using any defensive magic or spell to support its body or even the scepter. Could it be that the scepter alone could withstand the impacts from Kyran''s attack?


    How was that possible?


    Kyran was not given a chance to ponder because at that moment the hooded person raised its free hand. With its pointing finger lifted upward, an invisible force enveloped Kyran.


    Unable to defend against the invisible force, Kyran was thrown upward in a blink of an eye. After reaching a certain height he then plummeted back to the ground.


    Kyran tried to move his body and avoid crashing into the ground. However, the speed at which he plummeted was too fast not even his fast reaction or instinct was helpful.


    Kyran crasnded, creating a human-shaped crater on the ground.


    ''Ugh??!'' Kyran endured the pain and stopped himself from coughing out blood. As much as possible he wanted to show he was unaffected.


    "Hmm?? So, that level of impact does not affect you even without any magic enhancements on your body. As expected of someone who could fight a horde of beasts alone," the hooded personmented aloud. "What if I do this?"


    Before Kyran could recover his bearing, the invisible force lifted him once more. But this time, instead of sending him upward, he was thrown back. He mmed into several trees, but his momentum did not slow down. It was as if the invisible force refused to slow down and forcefully m him into those trees and boulders.


    Kyran noticed that as he mmed on the trees and boulders, there was no sound. Moreover, the trees and boulders that he thought got crashed from the collision remained intact! His eyes widened as he saw the boulder he had just mmed in to looked fine. But that should not have been possible. The impact was there. The pain he felt from the collision was there. Those trees and boulders could not have been illusions, right?


    ''Illusion, no. Could this be???'' Kyran gritted his teeth and tried his best to observe his surroundings.


    When the hooded person arrived, Kyran sensed a veil of some sort covering his surroundings. Could that veil be a trigger of some sort after the hooded person released its domain?


    "Hmm?? still no reaction. Then??" The hooded person pointed its pointing finger to its left.


    Kyran''s trajectory suddenly changed, and he collided with the wall of a nearby valley.


    "Guah!"


    This time around, no matter how much Kyran endured the pain, the trauma of having his body mmed into several trees, boulders, and finally, the side of a valley reached its limit. He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body lodged on the wall. Cracks formed on the valley''s wall, and it crumbled down along with him.


    Kyran got buried in the rubble, but though he felt and even saw the wall crumbling down on him, the next moment, the valley appeared intact. And the rubbles that fell on him disappeared.


    What happened appeared like an illusion, but Kyran was positive that the impact and trauma he felt was no illusion. Besides, though he could not circte the Draconic magic, his Void magic was unaffected. If he ended up falling into an illusion, the Void would have reacted and protected him. As for why he fell under Deception''s illusion before, that was because her illusion was triggered by physical means. It was triggered by her mist after one inhaled them. It might sound contradictory because mist had no physical form per se. But if her mist could bepared to the invisible force the hooded person employed, the former could be considered physical in the sense that it could still be seen by the naked eye. Unless Kyran covered himself in a thinyer of Void magic, he would not be able to defend against Deception''s illusion.


    But guarding himself against Deception''s illusion was unimportant right now. He had to figure out if the hooded person cast an illusion or if its magic was an entirely different, even unconventional, type.


    "So that level of impact could force a reaction. I might say your natural physical ability is truly impressive. If I have to make aparison, it is very simr to a newly hatched dragon.


    "But if that is the case, there is no way for you to transform into a human. How then are you able to turn into one?"


    Kyran, who pretended to be having difficulty getting up but was actually sorting his thoughts anding up with a way to deal with the hooded person, stopped short.


    He fought the urge to touch his face to confirm that the face-altering mask was there. Because he was certain he had it on. The Shaiha concealed his aura and presence, so if this hooded person was one of the Sovereign representatives who witnessed the appearance of the silver humanoid dragon, it should not have been able to connect them.


    Kyran''s mind raced as he tried to recall all details he have on every Sovereign. But no matter how much information he recalled, he could not find anyone that fit the hooded person. Theck of recollection was more with the fact that he himself was unsure what kind of magic the hooded person possessed. He could only make guesses, and even then, he failed to recall any Sovereign possessing such magic.


    "I think I have tested your natural physical ability enough."


    The hooded person snapped its finger, and in an instant, Kyran appeared before it.


    Kyran''s eyes widened in disbelief. Just now, the hooded person appeared to have teleported him. But it also appeared as if time wound back, bringing him back to his initial position before getting thrown around.


    Both were impossible, however, as the hooded person did not seem to have cast magic when it snapped its fingers.


    "No need to look surprised," the hooded person told Kyran upon seeing his expression.


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly. He did not mean his surprise to show in his face, but apparently, he was that surprised to keep his expression in check.


    "Or did you not notice you''re already inside my Dimension?"


    ''Dimension???''


    The hooded person tilted its head, seemingly at a loss at the confusion reflected in Kyran''s eyes. "Your expression just now tells me you have no idea what I am saying?? are you not from #$*?????. The filter is on, meaning I am in the presence of someone who is not in the know.


    "s, we have made a mistake. To think someone who got hold of the Heart of the Cosmos is a nescii."

 Chapter 838 Intervention

    <h4>Chapter 838 Intervention</h4>


    Kyran did not know what the hooded person meant by a ''nesi,'' but one thing was sure: it did not bode well. As a matter of fact, everything about the hooded person was different from his expectations.


    The hooded person had said things that Kyran, with his vast knowledge of different branches of magic, did not understand. It was not to say that he knew everything, but at the very least, he would have recognized the terms ''dimension'' or ''nesi.''


    Kyran more or less had an idea about what the hooded person meant about dimension, but he had an inkling thetter''s meaning was an entirely new concept to what he was familiar with.


    The hooded person fell silent, giving Kyran some time to assess his situation and devise a n on how to escape. Unfortunately, the hooded person seemed to be in control of Kyran''s body even though it removed his restrictions.


    The only constion in Kyran''s situation was the fact that he could still circte his Void magic. However, he could not cast it and summon Void weapons. He also could not take weapons out of his storage pouch. Actually, he could not even establish a connection with True Void or even his Void World.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he started to understand what the hooded person meant about ''his dimension.''


    Utilizing his four senses, with the exception of his sight, Kyran observed the surroundings. Contrary to his initial assessment that the surroundings had been devoid of sounds, there were still sounds, but only within a certain radius around the hooded person. If not, Kyran would not have been able to hear the hooded person speak. Because he was positive, it was talking to him in person and not telepathically.


    Next, the matter of how the trees or boulders he crashed into remained intact when, a second earlier, they were destroyed upon collision. It seemed the thin translucent veil Kyran sensed earlier had something to do with it. It might be part of the dimension the hooded person mentioned. That translucent veil separated them from the real dimension of Somuli''s ne and created a simr one. Thus, the destroyed trees, boulders, and even thendscape urred within the dimension. The real dimension, or Somuli''s ne, was unaffected by what urred inside the hooded person''s dimension.


    It was also because of this that Kyran lost his connection with True Void and the Void World. The hooded person''s veil could not touch or influence True Void and the Void World, thus, they were not brought inside the dimension.


    The more Kyran thought of this, the more he believed it to be true. This also made him realize that his Void magic had a limitation on outside influence. Initially, Kyran believed that any harmful spell or invisible force would be nullified by his Void magic. Apparently, that was not the case.


    Then again, maybe the limitation of his Void magic had something to do with his level. Unfortunately, without understanding how to gauge his own magic level, it was impossible for him to make adjustments or even strengthen himself.


    "You are very calm," the hooded person finally spoke after a moment''s silence.


    Kyran chose to remain silent.


    "Do you not understand the situation you are in, right now?"


    ...


    "So you chose to feign silence. A rather smart move yet a futile one."


    The hooded person then grabbed Kyran''s head. A crushing force invaded his mind, which threatened to break his brain to smithereens.


    Kyran was inwardly shocked. He had assumed the hooded person''s telekinesis?? from when he got mmed around like a toy?? to be its innate ability. But judging by the crushing force that was now invading his mind, this might be its innate ability instead.


    ''Ngh...!''


    Kyran steeled himself. No matter how much pain the crushing force inflicted on his mind, he endured it. He did not even let out a grunt of agony, even though his knees had already buckled from the excruciating pain. As a matter of fact, he felt as if he had cked out for a few instances.


    "You are truly a marvel," the hooded person continued. "You are not from #$*???, yet you managed to get hold of the Heart of the Cosmos. How?"


    Kyran''s eyes had already turned bloodshot from the torturous pain in his head. A faint trail of blood also started to cascade down one of his nostrils. Nevertheless, he endured and maintained his silence.


    "I have misjudged your body''s tenacity. Originally, I believed you to be simr to a newly hatched dragon, but apparently, you are more tenacious than them. If I had to reassess your physical ability, then it isparable to a month-old baby dragon. Or maybe two?


    "In any case, you may endure all you want, but you will not be able to avoid thinking of the answer when you are asked. Now, please, enlighten me: how did you get hold of the Heart of the Cosmos?"


    Only then did Kyran realize that the crushing force was not meant to torture his mind, forcing him to answer the hooded person. It was meant to squeeze the answer directly from his memories.


    Kyran knew a mage with Memory magic could aplish a simr feat?? Memory Searching Spell. But he did not expect that someone could possess such an innate ability. He never considered the hooded person''s magic to be Memory magic because the things it did thus far could not be associated with such magic. For this reason, Kyran was convinced that the memory-searching the hooded person was currently doing was an innate ability.


    The hooded person''s head slightly tilted again as if in confusion.


    "How are you able to maintain an empty thought under pressure? Or could it be that the pressure was far too powerful that it already removed your ability to think?"


    The hooded person shook its head.


    "No. It is impossible. Or... could this be the work of the Heart of the Cosmos?" Its voice shook slightly at the sudden realization.


    The hooded person dropped Kyran at once. He keeled over and vomited blood and other bodily fluids. He even vomited some of the food he ate a few hours ago. Since it had been some time, most of the food he ate had already turned into a mushy lump of mixture.


    Meanwhile, the hooded person fell into contemtion. If the Heart of the Cosmos was blocking the information, it was pointless to torture the target into answering questions. It was best to take him back and let the others do the interrogation.


    Actually, they could just skip the interrogation and go straight into taking the Heart of the Cosmos out of his body.


    "Since this is the case, it is no longer expedient for me to interrogate you for answers. We shall return to the #$*??? and??!"


    CRACKLE! BOOM!


    The hooded person raised its scepter just in time to summon a barrier to block a bolt of red lightning. Its eyes narrowed as it realized that a huge tear appeared on the veil that covered the surroundings.


    "What is this? I took my eyes off you for a few years, and now you have regressed to such a state?"


    Anky man in a long red coat hovered cross-legged in midair as he looked down at Kyran.


    Thenky man was none other than Ruin.


    Kyran begrudgingly wiped his mouth and looked up. He expected Ruin''s essence to find him soon, but not in this situation. Frankly, he did not know whether to be grateful or not.


    "And what''s this?" Ruin finally looked at the hooded person, and his red eyes narrowed at once. "How is a person from #$*??? here?"


    "A survivor of the Demon n," the hooded person replied with a voice full of icy loathing. "Do not interfere with our business."


    "No can do, that is my prey down there."


    "Are you saying you n to defy the Emperor?"


    "I don''t give a d*mn about that Emperor of yours. You guys destroyed my ne, or did you forget?"


    "Demon chose the wrong side. You know the consequences of his action. As his subject, you are a failure."


    Crackle! Boom!


    Another red lightning struck the hooded person.


    However, the hooded person was quick. It raised its scepter and blocked the red lightning once more.


    And that was all Kyran needed. In that split moment, he sped out of the tear from the translucent veil.


    Seeing Kyran running out of the veil, Ruin raised his hand and a ck mist formed around him. The ck mist turned into a huge hand that went straight at Kyran, wanting to grab him.


    Kyran, however, already anticipated Ruin''s move and immediately employed the Dragon Step to avoid the ck mist. Then he took out his token and activated it before any of them could grab hold of him.


    "Ah, geez, see what you did? You let my prey escape!" Ruin feigned annoyance as he red at the hooded person.


    On the other hand, the hooded person remained silent. It stared at Ruin for a few seconds, before turning around and leaving.

 Chapter 839 Wonder Potion

    <h4>Chapter 839 Wonder Potion</h4>


    Kyran barely managed to use the token and returned to his room at the Eidum''s Border HQ. As soon as he arrived, he copsed while vomiting another round of blood.


    "Nar!"


    Kyran heard the Abbot''s voice called out. He inwardly frowned, wondering why he was in his room. However, the pain he endured earlier finally took a great toll on his body, which was why, after vomiting, he passed out cold.


    The old man was shocked, speechless, seeing Kyran''s condition. He had been visiting Kyran''s room every now and then to check if he hade back from his trip to who kew where that was why he was there. Unfortunately, after calling out to him and peeking in to check, he found that the room was still empty. When the Abbot was about to close the door, however, a sh of light appeared, and the next thing he saw was a pale Kyran coughing out blood and who knew what else on the floor.


    After witnessing Kyran aplish near-impossible feats inbat, the Abbot viewed the younger man as an almost invincible existence. He never thought of seeing him in this pitiful state, which was why he was scared out of his wits.


    Who could have done such damage to a person like Kyran? The Abbot could not fathom such existence. Could it be one of the Sovereigns Kyran had mentioned who was interested in Somuli''s fake Sovereign? The thought left the Abbot reeling in fear.


    The Abbot did not want to rm the others by revealing Kyran''s condition to them. He helped the younger man to the bed, and immediately checked his body for any internal trauma.


    What the Abbot found nearly made him faint in shock. Avoiding all the gory details and summing it all up in a simple sentence: the younger man''s internal organs and bones had suffered a huge beating.


    The Abbot checked any internal trauma in Kyran''s head as well because he noticed a purplish green coloration forming beneath the younger man''s hairline. Not to mention, there was dried blood around his nostrils. When the Abbot checked it however, his heart almost gave out.


    Any normal person would have been dead if their brain suffered such beating.


    Actually, scratch that.


    Even the most powerful beast with the toughest skull would die if their brain was battered the same way Kyran''s brain suffered.


    While the Abbot was reeling over this discovery, a voice suddenly spoke in his head.


    [Don''t just stare at him like that! Go inject some of your magic energy into his body fast!]


    ''Who¡ª?''


    [Talkter. Help him first! Hurry, hurry!]


    The Abbot did not doubt the voice, however. Since the voice did not suggest something that could harm Kyran, he knew the voice meant well. In any case, the Abbot did n on healing Kyran, so injecting him with magic energy was not a hard thing to do.


    As the Abbot injected his magic energy into Kyran, a powerful suction force appeared and nearly sucked all his energy! The Abbot was given a fright. However, he could not stop the suction and it continued to drain his energy at a scary speed.


    ''Oi! What are you doing?'' The Abbot yelled telepathically. He did not know if hisin would reach the voice but he did it anyway. He also did not think that the suction force was done by anyone else but the owner of the voice.


    [I can''t draw his energy if I want to help him! I can only make do with yours.]


    The Abbot''s brow twitched, ''What do you mean make do with my energy? What do you take my energy for?''


    [Compared to his energy yours arecking!]


    The voice replied without any reservation it nearly made the Abbot faint in anger.


    [Gah! You''re energy is far too... anyway, here goes!]


    ''You¡ª!''


    The Abbot was just about toin when he nearly cked out from the sudden surge of suction force draining his energy. It onlysted for a few seconds though and when it ended, his eyes almost popped out of its socket as something materialized before him.


    Hovering a couple of feet above Kyran''s bed was a miniature dark purple armor.


    "Thanks, old man. Just wait and I''ll give you a magic energy pill," True Void told the Abbot while hended beside Kyran. He tapped on the storage pouch on Kyran''s belt and took out a pill and a small bottle with white liquid.


    True Void threw the pill at the Abbot''s direction and said, "That''s payment for the magic energy. Don''t worry, that is a saint-tier magic energy pill and will restore your reserves in one lump sum."


    The Abbot did not need him to say thatst part since he already noticed the high efficacy rate of the pill just by its smell. He was already aware that Kyran was proficient in Apothecary, but never imagined it to be at this level.


    s, just when he thought he already knew the younger man, the more he realized he had only grasped the tip of his being.


    True Void was not interested in the Abbot''s internal soliloquy and already gave his undivided attention to Kyran. With a soft thump, he uncapped the small bottle and hastily, yet carefully brought its opening toward Kyran''s slightly parted lips. After which, True Void guided the white liquid to course down Kyran''s throat using his own magic sense.


    The Abbot watched this happen in silence. He did not know who the miniature armor was, but he more or less guessed he was someone who was worried about Kyran. If not, he would not have sounded frantic when hemunicated with him telepathically.


    The white liquid had yet topletely drain out of the small bottle when the Abbot noticed Kyran''s face distorted.


    True Void noticed this as well, but he did not care. Recalling what transpired a moment ago gave him goosebumps and knew that Kyran had to improve his physical body before that person¡ª or being found them.


    ''There''s also that Ruin guy¡ª gah! Why do these type of people have toe at the same time? Just who did you offend while I was asleep, huh? Stupid Void Halfling! Stupid! Stupid!'' True Void ranted inwardly. Nevertheless, his ranting sounded more of a worried mother than an angry one.


    It was unfortunate that True Void''s connection with Kyran got removed while inside the hooded person''s dimension. If not, he would have heard that thetter came to Kyran not because he offended someone, but because of the Shaiha.


    "Ngh....! Aaargh!" Kyran suddenly screamed out in pain, with his body jerking upward.


    The sudden movement startled the Abbot. He wanted to tell the miniature armor to stop feeding Kyran the potion because it seemed to be aggravating his condition rather than improve it. But one nce at the miniature armor, who persisted in feeding the rest of the potion to Kyran, made the Abbot stopped.


    He suddenly recalled a potion that every Apothecarist in Somuli dreamed of making.


    A wonder potion that could heal and enhance one''s body¡ª the Elixir. However, ording to an old Apothecary record, the Elixir''s enhancement effect was not a joyful experience.


    In order for one''s body to be enhanced, the Elixir first had to break down that person''s bones, and internal organs. After that, it would reconstruct them from scratch. Thus, enhancing them.


    The Abbot looked at the small bottle in the miniature''s hand and tried topare the image of the Elixir he read in that old Apothecary record. Unfortunately, the small bottle only showed an unimpressive white liquid. Not to mention, his initial assessment of the potion''s level was only around a mid-grade potion.


    Still, Kyran''s reaction to the potion did not seem to match the information the Abbot could see, and its result.


    ''Unless the potion is only at mid-grade in terms of its efficacy?''


    The Abbot''s expression turned nk. Potions were graded depending on their efficacy. This wasmon knowledge. It was simr to a healing potion having several grades. But depending on the potion''s prescription, the healing potion could be a high-tier even if its efficacy was only low-grade.


    Looking at the white potion, if it was really that wonder potion, Elixir, and it was only mid-grade yet Kyran already reacted strongly to it¡ª how strong would a high-grade one could be?


    "AAAARRRGGHH!"


    The Abbot was forced out of his thoughts when a burst of raw energy exploded from Kyran.


    "Oi! Old man!" True Void called the Abbot''s attention.


    The Abbot need not be told twice, as he summoned his Divine Armament and summoned sturdy shields that covered Kyran on all sides.


    True Void remained with Kyran inside the Abbot''s containment. He then took this chance to absorb all the energy that leaked out from Kyran''s body.


    ''Endure it, Void Halfling. I''ll absorb all the energy that leaks out from the Elixir. This way, both of us will improve ourselves before those two find us.... Gah! Seriously, you are one handful master!''


    While the Abbot and True Void was frantically helping Kyran recover to the utmost of their abilities, the hooded person appeared on a piece of floating rubble outside the Somuli ne. It took out a crystal disc and a silhouette of someone wearing an oversized robe.


    "I am sorry, Master, I failed to apprehend the target."


    The silhouette sighed, "I never expected it to be easy, but now that you made contact, his vignce will double."


    "Yes. It is unfortunate that a survivor of the Demon n intervened, iming the target to be his prey."


    "I heard your conversation."


    "Master, if you give the order, I will eliminate that failure."


    The silhouette shook its head, "No. Our sole mission is that person with the Heart of the Cosmos. Do not do anything unnecessary. I don''t want those Fates breathing curses down my neck if you show up there and inadvertedly interfere with the fates of those people below."


    "Then, do I have to wait again until the target is alone?"


    "Not necessarily," the silhouette replied. "Find out his rtionship with those people he tried to protect. We''ll create our opportunity."


    "Understood."


    At the same time, somewhere in Somuli, Ruin hovered cross-legged while looking at the sky. It did not seem like he was looking at something in particr, but with his enigmatic self, there was really no telling.


    "You d*mn things... suddenlying to the Lower Realm when the War of the Sovereigns has yet to start... what are you guys up to?"


    He thought of what might have happened to Kyran if he had not arrived in time, and his eyes narrowed in anger.


    "Anyone dared touch my prey will be destroyed," he snarled under his breath. "If you daree again, I''ll ruin you."


    From the floating rubble outside the Somuli ne, the hooded person chuckled and muttered, "I like to see you try."

 Chapter 840 Ascend

    ?


    Because of the array formation that Kyran set up in his room, the noise and even the leakage of magic energy were contained inside. None of the Eidums passing by down the hall noticed anything strange. The only issue that arose was the Abbot''s sudden disappearance again.


    It was not that big an issue, though. Only, they wondered where he went without advising anyone. Kyran was one thing, but the Abbot rarely did that.


    In any case, since Azikh and Gidan did not seem worried, none of the Eidums worried that much.


    It took the Abbot and True Void around three days to stabilize Kyran''s condition. If this happened in the Human ne, the Abbot would have copsed before the second day ended because of the magic energy limitation of a human''s magic core. One would notst more than a day, even more so three days, unless they had several high-grade energy-replenishing potions on hand.


    True Void was d they were in Somuli, where its inhabitants possessed Divine Armaments that could generate their own magic energy. If not, there was no telling what would have happened to Kyran during the initial phase of his evolution.


    With Kyran''s condition stabilized, the Abbot and True Void''s next concern was to transfer him to a better and cleaner room. Kyran did bleed a lot and even shed some skin, making a huge mess of his bed.


    It was a ghastly scene for the Abbot, to be honest. It was his first time seeing someone undergo such torturous treatment.


    The Abbot thinking True Void had treated Kyran was understandable. Although he was right about the white potion being the Elixir, the description written on the old Apothecary record he read wascking. For instance, it did not include the prescription and only vaguely discussed its required ingredients. If the Abbot knew that it required crushed dragon bones, not to mention a drop of a dragon''s essence, he might copse in fright.


    Pure dragon ingredients were not avable in the Lower Realm, after all.


    "I''ll have someone prepare a new room for him," the Abbot told True Void while they rested for a few minutes.


    True Void did not reply at once. But when he did, he shook his head and said, "No, let''s keep his condition between us. We can''t have others thinking that something happened to him."


    "True, but he is already stable. I''m sure by the time a rumor spread about his condition, he''d be in tip-top shape."


    True Void shook his head, "You underestimate the potency of the potion I gave him. The first time he took a sip of that potion, he was out cold for more than a day. This time, I forced him to take the whole bottle. How long do you think it would take until he recovers?"


    "A sip took him out for more than a day?" the Abbot blurted in shock. He read what the Elixir could do, but apparently, he had underestimated it a bit. "You mean to suggest that Nar might stay unconscious for a while?"


    "Yes," True Void nodded. The reddish-purple light that made up his eyes dimmed slightly, and he added, "I only glimpsed who... or what he encountered before escaping back here, but those two... they are not someone... or something that we can handle by ourselves given our current level."


    A cold shiver ran up the Abbot''s spine as he blinked in fright, "Are they the Sovereigns Nar told us about?"


    True Void shook his head, "No."


    He paused and sighed before rephrasing, "Well, the other one should have been a Sovereign. Or at least, he was one when we first met him. But even as an essence, he could match that other guy that even Void Halfling could not, then it means he has already broken through the shackles of a Sovereign."


    "There is a higher level than a Sovereign?" the Abbot asked in surprise.


    "I don''t know," True Void replied, shaking his head. "My master¡ª Void Halfling''s predecessor, believed it, but whether he managed to prove its existence or not, I don''t know... Gah! This is frustrating! Really frustrating! Darn it, Void Halfling, it''s because you''re toocent that this...."


    True Void''s voice trailed off, and in the end, he could only heave a sigh.


    Frankly, True Void did not think Kyran had not beencent. He knew how careful Kyran was to the point that he would not even warp, even if his life was in danger if it would leave a trace of his magic behind.


    As far as Kyran''s enemies were concerned, he was not in Somuli. If they discovered he was there, then things in Somuli would have gotten even moreplicated. True Void knew Kyran wanted to avoid an all-out war between Sovereign factions there¡ª not until he conquered enough of itsnd and united its inhabitants to defend against those big forces. Only then could Somuli survive. Of course, this would only be possible with Kyran leading the defense at the helm. If he absorbed or marked all of Somuli''s best mages and knights, then they would receive a boost in magic and strength with his Void''s and Sigil''s Blessings.


    Unfortunately, two of Kyran''s enemies had already found him. One of which had been after him at the beginning of his journey and another that True Void did not recognize.


    "If they are not those Sovereigns, then... are they Nar''s enemies?"


    True Void sighed, "At this point, I can only say I don''t know. One of those two had considered Void Halfling his prey but... he is an odd one, I give you that. But the other one..."


    True Void fell silent as he recalled the moment he took a look at the other one before Kyran activated the token and escaped.


    "I''m not sure who... or what that is. But Void Halfling did not stand a chance."


    "Will staying here be bad for him?" the Abbot asked in concern. He paused after realizing his words could be misinterpreted and hastily exined, "Don''t get me wrong. While I am afraid my people might end up getting caught in the crossfire, I don''t want to leave Nar on his own during his time of need. He had done a great deal for us, and if staying here might expose him to danger... I want to do something and prepare for the worse."


    True Void looked at the Abbot curiously. Earlier, he had been so worried about Kyran that he did not get a proper look at him. Even when Kyran talked to the Abbot, True Void never really took a good look. Now that he had, he realized the old man was quite powerful. If not, he would not have seeded in containing Kyran and True Void during the initial phase of the Elixir''s effect.


    "Old man, what''s your name?"


    The Abbot nearly fell off his seat, his brow twitching while looking at him.


    "Did Nar not tell you?"


    "No, he calls you old man, so it stuck."


    "Well, the truth, my name meant old, thus the nickname," the Abbot exined with an awkward smile. "Alter Nachum. You can call me Alter or Nachum. Either one is fine."


    "I''ll call you Nachum then."


    "That is fine."


    "Void Halfling more or less told me everything, but I never really got to absorb them all. I mean, I could barely speak yournguage."


    "You are doing fine, to be honest."


    "Thanks. Anyway, correct me if I''m wrong, but you were that guy, right? Theplete being who is supposed to be the true Sovereign of Somuli?"


    "Yes, that is correct," Nachum replied, feeling a little disconcerted. After Kyran told them about the Sovereigns and how they were eyeing Somuli because of the rumored birth of their Sovereign, Nachum felt that his decision not to ascend had brought thisplicated situation. It made him wonder if all of this would have been avoided if he had chosen to ascend that time.


    "From my understanding, the only reason those guys are brazen enough to enter Somuli is because the Sovereign''s Cradle is not as powerful as when a real Sovereign summons it."


    "Sovereign''s Cradle?"


    "You can say it is a defensive that filters outsiders wanting to enter a ne. The current Sovereign of Somuli is a fake and his control over the cradle will crumble as soon as the power boost he received from the Mistress is gone."


    Nachum nodded his head, "Yes. Nar said it is the real reason the Anshel wants Sisi. So she can continually boost his level to a Sovereign."


    "Anshel?"


    "Ah, that is his name... err... the fake Sovereign."


    True Void shook his head, "Such a sly fox. Since he is not the true Sovereign, he can still interfere in the ne''s internal affairs while possessing the strength and abilities of a Sovereign. Void Halfling should have just killed that guy."


    "I don''t think it''s that simple," Nachummented with a wry smile. "The outsiders seem adamant on recruiting Anshel. If Nar killed him, then he will only seed in gaining more enemies."


    "What''s new?" True Void sighed, slumping his small shoulders in exasperation. "That guy already have a few Sovereigns after his ass."


    "Including those two that did this to him?" Nachum looked at Kyran again in concern.


    "Well..." True Void shrugged, "I don''t really know what happened between him and that... whatever that guy is. But going back on topic, I know a way that can dy those guys until Void Halfling recovers."


    "Pray tell, how?"


    "Ascend. im your right as the true Sovereign of Somuli. Activate the true Sovereign''s Cradle and keep those annoying people outside."

 Chapter 841 Triggered

    <h4>Chapter 841 Triggered</h4>


    After Nachum''s and True Void''s conversation, they agreed not to let the others know about Kyran''s condition.


    Nachum then left to prepare for his next ascension attempt. Although he had experienced it before and at his current level, there was little he could prepare; there was still the matter of his mental fortitude and resolve.


    It was not to say that Nachum''s resolve was weak. Kyran already told him his intentions of helping him ascend to Sovereignty. He might not know how the younger man would do it, but since then, he had been contemting and steeling his resolve.


    Still, it was unfortunate that Nachum''s resolve had only been steeled after realizing how formidable the outsiders were because of what happened to Kyran.


    Meanwhile, True Void took Kyran to his room on the Armakea''s side because some Servants could not enter the Eidum''s border¡ª like Gael.


    True Void had no idea if Kyran did this on purpose or if he did not have the time to adjust the array formation around the Eidum''s border. Regardless of the reason, rather than trying to tweak the array formation when his Array knowledge was inferior to Kyran''s, True Void thought it best to transfer to the Armakea''s side and avoidplications.


    Gael and the other Servants had already sensed something had happened to Kyran and were all awaiting an update from True Void. Achim, Anan, Haji, and Tamir, who went away with Nahir, also wanted to return. But recalling the task Kyran gave them, they endured and waited for news instead.


    Eikin, Jita, and Kesiah arrived in Kyran''s room soon after True Void warped in with Kyran.


    True Void initially wanted to wait for Gael as well, but since he was too far away, he went ahead and instructed Eikin, Jita, and Kesiah to make preparations and be on guard at all times while Kyran was recovering.


    True Void''s instruction was not really needed because Kesiah was already on top of things. She coordinated with the Shadow Minions Gael left behind to patrol the vicinity and report at once for any suspicious activity.


    After instructing them, True Void stayed and never left Kyran''s side. He did not know when Ruin or that other being woulde for Kyran, so True Void did not want to return inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness. Besides, he was learning how to absorb mana instead of the magic energy in the surroundings and going back in Kyran''s sea of consciousness would not allow him to do that. Kyran was unable to absorb mana, but True Void believed that since mana was also a form of energy, it could be absorbed and turned into magic energy.


    True Void was actually in the right train of thought.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran also wondered if he could absorb mana, but so far, he was unable to draw it out. He was different from True Void, after all, who had the ability to draw and absorb energy from any source. It was this ability that allowed True Void to save Cyneah when she got infected by Kyran''s Void energy and also borrow Nachum''s energy to replenish his own so he could leave Kyran''s sea of consciousness.


    With that in mind, True Void began to experiment.


    Gael received news of Kyran''s situation and also wanted to hurry back to the Armakea''s border. However, before he could hand over the search in Howling Pass to his Shadow Minions, he sensed a familiar aura nearby. Not wanting to lose the aura and to uphold Kyran''s order, Gael decided to stay.


    Contrary to True Void''s expectations, Ruin, or the being that attacked Kyran, did not appear. A week had passed since then,? but there was no news from them.


    This should have caused True Void and the rest of the Servants to rx, but in truth, they felt even more on edge. There was no telling if Ruin and that being were cooking up something big. And if they were, could True Void and the rest be enough to hold them off?


    In the meantime, Achim and Nahir had already taken down two more forts, increasing their military strength once more.


    Frankly, they would not have been able to aplish this in such a short time. But Achim suggested splitting up so they could take down forts more efficiently. Nahir initially did not agree because he believed their manpower was not enough. The knights had exceeded the number of the knights stationed on the other forts, butpared to thetter, they had been on the road most of the time. Their people had no proper rest, unlike those knights who had been staying within thefort of the fort. The healers of Eidum were there to heal and support them, but in the end, they could not heal their fatigue or mental exhaustion.


    Nahir had a point, but Achim wanted to hasten their task of gathering military strength. Not to mention, he wanted to return to Kyran''s side as soon as possible. In the end, he proposed to scout the fort to the east and only took a squad with him¡ª a squad consisting of three knights, six officers, and three healers.


    Since this was the case, Nahir did not argue. Having Achim scout the next fort would also help them determine how best to conquer it.


    But Nahir had been naive.


    With Achim''s lead, he conquered the next fort without even a fight. It had been simple since news of the border''s fall had yet to reach that part of Armakea. The leader of the fort weed Achim and his men without any resistance.


    After that, it did not take long for Achim to win over the knights and the officers without shedding blood.


    Meanwhile, Nahir managed to conquer his target fort with minimal casualties. It did not even take a whole day to take it down. Because of this, he and the rest were able to rest for a day before destroying the fort and meeting up with Achim''s group.


    By the time Nahir''s group arrived at the fort, however, they found it destroyed. There was also a group of three officers and a knight waiting for them. This group exined what happened and also told Nahir that Achim had already gone to the next fort. They also advised Nahir to target the fort to the west because they were after thest one.


    When Nahir heard what happened, he felt a little exasperated. If they could conquer a fort without shedding blood, they should have gone with that route from the start.


    In the end, Nahir heeded Achim''s advice and moved on to the next fort to the west.


    This went on for another week, with Kyran not showing any signs of waking.


    True Void was starting to worry. Even the Armakeans and the Eidums found it strange that Kyran had not returned. Some of them had also learned about Cyneah''s condition, and unrest started to spread among the Eidums. It would not have spread that fast if not for the fact that they had not seen the Abbot as well.


    Cyneah and Nachum were the Eidum''s spiritual support. For the former unconscious without knowing the reason, while thetter had gone missing once more, they felt at a loss.


    Some of the Eidums also saw Kyran''s presence as a sort of pir, but now that he had yet to return¡ª rumors were even spreading that he might have left for good¡ª they were beginning to feel uneasy about the future.


    Azikh and Gidan tried their best to clear those rumors, but unless those three showed up and reassured them, they could only calm them down for a short period.


    While all of this was happening, Kyran still remained unconscious.


    Honestly, although drinking the Elixir almost broke Kyran''s body apart, it was not the reason why he remained unconscious. While it was true that his body had to recover after being torn apart and enhanced by the Elixir, it should not have taken him two weeks before he recovered. His body had already undergone its initial enhancement, after all.


    The main reason he was unconscious was that he had just experienced life and death, triggering an event he had wanted a repeat for some time now.


    Meeting Can in his sea of consciousness again.


    Inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness, different from the first time, when he did not possess a body, this time, he had one.


    Like a spirit of sorts, Kyran hovered just in front of his magic cores and the Shaiha.


    "That has been a close call."


    A familiar voice spoke from behind, prompting Kyran to turn and look.


    "It has been a while."


    Kyran did not respond and only stared at the now familiar face of Can.


    Seeing Can now gave Kyran mixed emotions. The first time they met, Kyran did not know who Can was and only thought they looked simr in a way, except they had different hair and eye colors.


    "You looked different fromst time," Can continued, not one bit fazed by Kyran''s silence. He then looked up at the Shaiha with a slightly emotional expression and said, "I see you have also taken the Shaiha."


    "Yes, it went ording to your ns," Kyran finally replied.


    "Do you hate it?"


    Kyran chose not to respond.


    "Ah... You have also learned how to conceal your thoughts. That is quite impressive, given that I am within your sea of consciousness, where your thoughts should have been easily exposed."


    "The first time we met, I told you to answer my questions properly the next time we meet."


    "Yes, you did."


    "Then..."


    Can smiled.

 Chapter 842 Ripple (1)

    <h4>Chapter 842 Ripple (1)</h4>


    The first time Kyran met Can in his sea of consciousness, he was on the verge of death because both his Draconic and Void magic cores were on the rampage. Their rampage caused his central core to suffer, and if not contained, he would explode and die¡ª or die and then explode.


    During their conversation, Can repeatedly hinted that their meeting had been far too early, which prompted Kyran to think that the trigger of their meeting was not his rampaging magic cores but something else.


    Can confirmed this the first time they met. It was when Kyran asked if he would see him again in his sea of consciousness if one of his magic cores went on a rampage again. Can answered that Kyran would be sent to his sea of consciousness, but he, Can, would not be there.


    From this, Kyran wondered if Can said that because there was no telling when or where his magic cores would go on a rampage again. He then thought that maybe getting close to the Chaos Pce was another requirement. But if that was true, he should have at least sensed something whenever he was near Chaos Pce.


    Kyran transferred the cottage there, but so far, he had never sensed anything like a trigger after being near the pce again. Simrly, when he went with his father to find Azaloth''s Inheritance, which was close to the pce, there was nothing.


    In the end, Kyran guessed that maybe the real requirements in triggering that phenomenon were not something specific but general.


    For example, when Kyran''s magic cores went on a rampage, he was experiencing a life-and-death situation. At that time, if he failed to contain his rampaging Draconic core, his central core would have been destroyed, and he would have died¡ª his body would explode from a collision of Draconic and Void energies.


    Kyran further thought this to be the true requirement of summoning Can''s essence again in his sea of consciousness. Because he was supposed to be Can''s creation, he would not let him die.


    This idea was further confirmed when Kyran learned how to enter his sea of consciousness after absorbing the Shaiha. When he went there or even looked in using his mind''s eye, he did not sense Can''s essence. Initially, he believed it was because thetter was resting inside his Void core, simr to True Void. But then, if that was true, he should have still felt him somehow¡ª like True Void.


    As for the other requirements for triggering the phenomenon of summoning Can''s essence in his sea of consciousness, that was something Kyran was determined to understand this time around.


    "Don''t you think your priorities are a little off? Your life is in danger right now, and yet the first thing you want from me are answers to your questions."


    "I don''t mind dying as long as I know why it is happening in the first ce," Kyran replied with a nonchnt shrug.


    "That''s a lie," Can replied with a knowing smile. "You don''t want to die. No... you can''t die... not when your loved ones are still in danger. From this, you are very much the same as Zane."


    "Seems like you don''t mindmenting about the past now."


    "It is no longer necessary."


    "Is it because you think now I am ready to know everything?"


    Can chuckled, "You only achieved the bare minimum. But if I have to be honest, I still don''t think you are ready."


    Kyran frowned but did not say anything. He could now more or less understand what Can meant about him achieving the bare minimum to know everything.


    If Kyran considered Can''s ns and what he said from their first meeting, the bare minimum was the level of his magic knowledge and his body. His body, possessing the Regis bloodline, was part of the requirements.


    Currently, Kyran''s body already achieved a good score. It could even be considered excellent now that True Void forcefully made him take the Elixir¡ª yes, he was aware of what True Void had done.


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s magic knowledge was only so-so. That was why Can said he only achieved the bare minimum.


    Can''s n was to make it so his sessor would possess both a powerful body and aplete understanding of his magic. But thus far, Kyran''s body was still undergoing its second phase of evolution, while his magic knowledge was still at a beginner''s level.


    For this reason, Can was convinced Kyran was still not ready.


    If Kyran knew what Can was thinking, he would have flipped. After all this time, the things he could do with Void magic were still at a beginner''s level, in Can''s opinion.


    "But like you said, my life is now in danger," Kyran pointed out, not giving Can a chance to find an excuse to keep things from him. "Either you tell me the whole truth, or I recover and regain consciousness just to get myself killed because I had no idea just who I am up against with."


    Kyran was not stupid. He knew that the hooded person who attacked him was not a Sovereign. He even suspected that it was someone from the Higher Realm. But it was only a suspicion because if that was the case, how did it know Ruin?


    Then again, Kyran remembered Cyneah telling him that the previous Soul Emperor, La, did all that audacity because she was targeting something or someone from the Higher Realm. At least, that was how Kyran interpreted La''s goal based on Cyneah''s words:


    "She will not stop until she aplishes her goal: Destruction of the Higher Realm."


    Can took a deep breath, guessing what was on Kyran''s mind. Thetter might have learned how to conceal his thoughts, but they were still inside his sea of consciousness. It was easy enough to guess his thoughts from the fluctuations of emotion running around them.


    "What the Soul Emperor''s sessor told you about La is true," Can started. His expression turned solemn as he added, "And that person... or, to be precise, that being who targeted you, came from there."


    Kyran did not need Can to say where there was. He might have concealed his thoughts, but he knew Can had other ways of figuring out what he was thinking. Still, judging from Can''s words, it appeared he was aware of what was happening to Kyran all this time.


    Then again, it made sense. If Can did not know, then how would he deem Kyran was ready?


    "They are after the Heart of the Cosmos¡ª the Shaiha."


    As Kyran said this, the Shaiha made humming sounds that felt mournful. This prompted him to look at it and wonder why it felt that way.


    Can also looked at the Shaiha before heaving a sigh, "Yes. All this time, everything started because of the Shaiha."


    Kyran could not help but frown after hearing this. He looked at Can. For some reason, he felt as if the King''sment that Axil told him recently was connected to all of this.


    "I had hoped for you to slowly find the clues as to the truth before our next meeting, but one thing I failed to put into consideration when I started all of this was just how far you could change your fate."


    "Not with that again¡ª."


    "Everything is connected, Kyran," Can interrupted before Kyran couldin. With a look of unconcealed sadness, Can looked at Kyran and added, "As much as you wanted to deny fate, there are things that cannot be changed. But that does not apply to you. Time and again, you deviated from the n."


    Seeing Kyran frowning at him, Can hastily exined, "Do not misunderstand. Although I said n, I did not want for you topletely walk through it."


    He closed his eyes, seemingly reminiscing something, before continuing, "It will take a while. But now I will exin why we want the next Void Master to possess Zane''s powerful body. To be fair, you possessing the Draconic core is not part of my n. It is Zane''s."


    Hearing Can admit the things Kyran and True Void had more or less guessed did not make Kyran happy. As a matter of fact, he felt more indignant. Nevertheless, since he already decided to face everything head-on, he would not let the feeling of indignation hinder him.


    "True Void and I already guessed as much," Kyran admitted.


    "Yes," Can could not help but smile as he opened his eyes. "You two have really done a good job at figuring out most of our n."


    "Most?" Kyran repeated.


    "Yes," Can nodded.


    "But first, let me tell you a story."


    "Will it take long?"


    Can chuckled, "Don''t worry. We are inside your sea of consciousness. Time does not really matter here."


    "True, but I can''t help but feel it would."


    "s, it is mostly because of the second phase of evolution your body is going through."


    ''Evolution?'' Kyran thought. That was the first time he had heard about that. For all he knew, the Elixir could enhance his body.


    An evolution was different from an enhancement, right?


    Not wanting to divert the subject, Kyran refrained from voicing his doubt about Can''s choice of words and allowed him to start his story.

 Chapter 843 Ripple (2)

    <h4>Chapter 843 Ripple (2)</h4>


    ?


    The hooded person stood in one of the floating patches of brokennd outside the Somuli ne. Behind it, three simrly dressed figures gathered and observed the ne below.


    From where they stood, they could see the whole expanse of Somuli ne. Apart from the constant twirling and sometimes intersecting rivers scattered all over the ne, Somuli was mostly made up of forest and woonds, with some mountainous areas near the northern-east area. Somewhere in the middle of the ne, the chasm that made up the Great Divide could be seen even from above. This was proof of how deep and vast it was.


    In between the northern-west area was the Kingdom of Cretea. Even above the ne, the kingdom''s brilliance and the pirs surrounding it could be seen. At the same time, the territory of the Armakea in the southern area looked overwhelmingpared to the territories of Cretea and Eidum.


    The Land of the Eidum was pretty much in between these two territories. It was also smaller by far from the two, and their border was right next to the Armakea. Lastly, the Magical Beasts Community was located in the mountainous area of Somuli, and its periphery was connected to the territories of smaller nations that had already fallen under Armakea''s banner.


    There were other smaller nations around the Kingdom of Cretea and the Land of the Eidum that could be considered free. And there was only one obstruction that stopped the Armakea from conquering these. The only way to go over that side was through the Great Divide, and the other side of the chasm that formed it was under the Eidum''s territory.


    When the Kingdom of Cretea was still assisting the Land of the Eidum in protecting the border, the Armakea could not brazenlyunch an attack. Armakea had powerful Knights, but Cretea was also thend of powerful mages. Apart from this, they were on good terms with the Eidums, who were unparalleled in healing and support.


    It was not until the leader of the Kingdom of Cretea, the Sovereign of Bulwark, had a falling out with the Land of the Eidum''s Abbot that the Armakea finally had a chance tounch an attack.


    Unfortunately, the King of Armakea could not personally take up the role ofmander in attacking the Eidum''s border because of his illness. Besides, he was also aware that most of his heir candidates wanted to find a powerful Eidum to heal him. Although his predicament would have been resolved by simply meeting with the Abbot and asking for the Saint''s service, the King did not want to owe them any favor. He also wanted to conquer their nation, and he believed letting those heir candidates at their own devices on dealing with the Eidums was far more interesting.


    In any case, many more things were happening in the background, and the Armakea King''s aides would frequently report the candidate''s progress. Strangely enough, the border''s fall and Achim and Kesiah''s movement had yet to reach the King.


    "... and that is everything we''ve gathered thus far during the past two weeks."


    One of the hooded figures behind the hooded person reported.


    "Good work you three," the hooded person replied. "I would have gathered the information about this ne myself if not for that Demon failure always getting in my way."


    If others were listening to them, they would notice that the hooded person and one of the hooded figure''s voices actually sounded the same. One could easily mistake them for one another if they were also not together. Their existence was a marvel, at the same time, a little creepy.


    The past couple of weeks after their initial encounter. Ruin had kept a close eye on the hooded person''s movement. Because of this, the hooded person could not enter the ne as freely as it wanted to.


    "We can eliminate him," another hooded figure told him.


    "Master does not want us to get involved with anyone else from the Lower Realm apart from that person," the hooded person told them with a slight shake of its head. "Have you confirmed his whereabouts?"


    All three figures shook their heads, "No."


    "What about his rtionship with the Eidums?"


    "The Abbot hired him to protect the Eidums after the Nobles pulled out their forces in the Great Divide."


    "Putting this information to consideration, we focused our search around the Great Divide, but there are no signs of him anywhere."


    "We expanded the range of our search, and also visited the location where the two of you first made contact. But we failed to find his traces."


    "So he is also proficient in Array..." the hooded person muttered with a hint of surprise. "Somuli''s Array is archaic. There is no way for it to possess a teleporation token that will not leave a trace. Meaning, he made that token himself..."


    "The restrictions in this ce prevents us from using our items properly, not to mention our magic. Unless we create a Dimension, the things we can do to search him is limited."


    "Using Dimension in the presence of others is forbidden," the hooded person reminded them. "We are only allowed to use it on that person."


    "We understand that... but..."


    "Master does not want to deal with the Fates if an inhabitant of Somuli gets caught up in our mission," the hooded person said, cutting off their attempt to reason. "But keep in mind, we can use Dimension, albeit not in front of others."


    "We will do our best."


    "Continue the search. Somuli is not that big, and the only ce he could have gone to is around the Land of the Eidum," the hooded person told them. "There is no way he could hide from you three that long."


    "Yes¡ª."


    Crackle! BOOM!


    Even before the red lightning struck, the hooded person and the others had summoned a fouryered crystalline-like magic barrier that covered the floating patch ofnd.


    The red lightning that came out of nowhere struck the firstyer and destroyed it, causing an explosion. However, the red lightning did not disappear and descended to the nextyer.


    Crack! Crack!


    Web-like cracks formed at the spot where the lightning struck. Though its momentum was reduced, the might of the red lightning did not disappear and continued to strain the secondyer of a magic barrier.


    A diameter of one-meter golden magic arrays appeared behind the three hooded figures as they reinforced the crystalline-like magic barrier and prevented the red lightning from destroying the secondyer.


    "I''ve been looking for you all this time, so this is where you''ve been hiding."


    CRACKLE! BOOM! BOOM! CRACK!


    Another red lightning descended and connected with the first one. However, this red lightning was thicker and carried a much more devastating energy, which easily pierced through the second and thirdyers of the magic barrier.


    An outer circle formed around the golden magic arrays behind the hooded figures, adding an additional foot to their diameter. Runes appeared around the outer circle and circted at an astonishing speed, which caused magic fluctuations around them. In that instant, the strength of thestyer of the magic barrier tripled and stopped the red lightning''s descent.


    Nevertheless, cracks still appeared on the barrier''s surface.


    The hooded person let the other three maintain the magic barrier while it looked at thenky figure in a red coat hovering fifty meters above.


    "It''s you again, failure of the Demon n."


    "I did tell you, ''anyone dared touch my prey will be destroyed,'' yet you keep going back there for him," Ruin said with a slight smile.


    "Is he really your prey? Because from how I see it, he is someone very important you want to protect."


    "I am the only one allowed to touch him," Ruin replied with a sinister glint in his eyes. "If you think I am protecting him, then maybe I am. Only because I don''t want others touching my prey."


    "You are only a Sovereign from the Lower Realm," the hooded person replied in an unnervingly calm voice. "You cannot defeat us."


    "Ah~, really?"


    "You should not have left Somuli because now that we are outside, I am no longer bound by anything."


    It raised its hand, and a silver and gold scepter materialized in its hand.


    "Dimension."


    A translucent veil came out from the hooded person and spread outward.


    However.


    FOOOM!


    A red light descended from above and filtered the whole patch ofnd.


    "How¡ª?"


    The hooded person and the other three were shocked after realizing the Dimension failed to expand. Instead, the red light started to dye their surroundings blood red, along with signs of corruption.


    Ruin''s smile widened as the look in his eyes turned eerily frightening.


    "You said it yourself: I am a failure from the Demon n¡ª a n that belongs to the Higher Realm. What was it again? About not being bound by anything now that we are outside?"


    Ruin raised his hand, and a red-tinted veil came out of him.


    "Dimension."


    "Impossible! The Demon ne had long fallen from the Higher Realm before it was destroyed. You should not be able to use the Dimension!"


    "A mere automaton dares to lecture. You beings are truly annoying."

 Chapter 844 Ripple (3)

    <h4>Chapter 844 Ripple (3)</h4>


    Dimension is a magic construction far more potent than a Magus''s Domain. It allows a mage to create a secondaryyer around a targeted area and gain control over it. Anything that enters that Dimension will be subjected to the mercy of the mage that created it. Even a Sovereign-level mage would be unable to do a thing once trapped inside.


    Nevertheless, Dimensions are not a sure-hit skill. For one thing, one needs time to cast it. From this, if another disrupts the casting of a Dimension, then it can be broken. Of course, it will depend on how the other party disrupts it. The most effective way is to directly attack the caster or counter it by casting another Dimension. However, once a Dimension ispleted, the only way to counter it is if another mage sessfully attacks it from the outside. Putting a crack in the Dimension veil can allow those trapped inside to escape.


    That had been the case when the hooded automaton trapped Kyran in its Dimension. Ruin attacked the veil from the outside, creating a crackrge enough for Kyran to slip through.


    However, sessfully creating a crack on an active Dimension is no easy feat. One must have sufficient magic output to do this. More importantly, one must have the ability to see through a Dimension veil. If not, then it will all be useless, and by the time the caster of the Dimension releases it, those trapped inside will have already died.


    There is, however, a rumored way to escape from a Dimension from the inside. But it is, as mentioned¡ª only a rumor. Talks about it are only brought up in hushed discussions; thus, the content of the rumored way cannot be verified.


    But that is a discussion reserved for another time.


    Ruin''s Dimension instantly destroyed thestyer of the automatons'' magic barrier.


    Not wanting to be trapped, all four hooded automatons immediately dispersed. Utilizing their energy cores to their fullest and casting their ultimate speed-boost spell, they escaped in different directions.


    "Cold as always~ you four truly live up to your nature as automatons."


    Crackle! Crackle!


    A massive crack appeared above, and four trails of ck mist seeped out. Each trail slowly turned into huge, ghastly wed hands and went after the escaping automatons.


    "Humph."


    The first hooded automaton snorted at the ck, ghastly wed mist hand that came at it. With a wave of its silver and gold scepter, a huge golden magic array appeared behind him.


    After which, several golden light beams emerged from the magic array and shot at the ghastly wed mist hand.


    Foom! Foom! Foom!


    In the blink of an eye, the ghastly wed mist hand was riddled with holes.


    A simr thing happened to the other automatons.


    They cast powerful attacks to counter or destroy the iing mist hand. But while they were fully engaged in destroying those hands, four bolts of red lightning struck from above, catching them off guard.


    Two of the automatons failed to cast a magic barrier and were instantly incinerated by the red lightning, while another barely protected itself. However, because of the slight pause from that move, the mist hand, which had recovered from the initial attacks rendered to it, managed to close the gap and grab hold of the automaton.


    Crackling and whirring sounds erupted from the automaton as the ck mist enveloped its body in a few seconds. The automaton struggled, but the ck mist immediately corroded the automaton''s body, turning into a pile of dust that melted into the ck mist.


    The only automaton that managed to avoid getting destroyed was the first one. It knew what happened to its fellow automatons, but it did not stop and continued to move forward. If it so much as hesitated for a second, Ruin''s Dimension would have reached it, and once trapped, then there was no telling what that failure would do.


    Ruin definitely would not destroy it that easily. Most likely, it would try to pry information from it, and no matter how much it would resist, it was still only an automaton. After all, there were other ways to take information inside an automaton''s body.


    ''If it came to that, then....'' the hooded automaton resolved itself to self-destruct, aiming for mutual destruction if it did get caught.


    Of course, that was ast resort. At the moment, the hooded automaton was still in control of the situation. It still had an instant transmission protocol it could employ. It did not use it only because it could only be used once and was supposed to do so after capturing its target.


    "I''m a little pissed."


    The hooded automaton''s pupils contracted, hearing Ruin''s voice close to its ear.


    "Did you think I am only a decoration?"


    Bam! Crackle!


    Ruin appeared behind the hooded automaton. His right hand glowed with a brilliant red light as he thrust it directly at thetter''s back. The natural physical enhancement of the hooded automaton was rendered ineffective against Ruin''s magic as his hand easily pierced through its body.


    An automaton''s frame made from high-quality materials from the Higher Realm was instantly ruined.


    Red lightning converged in Ruin''s hand as he dug out the hooded automaton''s energy core.


    "No... you¡ª!"


    The hooded automaton''s processing ability short-circuited at Ruin''s decision to destroy it without hesitation. Usually, wouldn''t one try to pry for information first? He should have wondered why the Higher Realm was interested in his prey, right? So why did he not try to know the truth before destroying them?


    As if reading the hooded automaton''sst thoughts, Ruin smiled manically, saying, "I don''t give a sh*t about your reasons foring here. Youmitted a sin for touching my prey; thus, you lot deserved death."


    "No¡ª!"


    FOOOOOOM!


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed as an invisible force covered the whole space, sealing all sounds and movements in an instant. It was followed by a translucent veil, meaning he had fallen into a Dimension.


    "Don''t be reckless, Ruin. We have no quarrel against you."


    With the whole space devoid of other sound, the voice that had spoken those words carried an almost stifling pressure even though it seemed to belong to a woman or a young man.


    Following this sentence, a brilliant golden light enveloped the hooded automaton that Ruin was on the verge of destroying, and then it disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Ruin''s expression turned ghastly as he looked above.


    A massive fissure tore through the space above.


    From within the fissure, a human figure in an oversized hooded robe could be seen sitting on a floating steel throne. The gentle wind swirled around the figure, lifting its hood slightly.


    Surprisingly, the face under the hood belonged to a delicate, beautiful young man. Hisshes are long, and his light blue eyes shine with unearthly brilliance. His ash blonde hair is cut with nted bangs that cover his forehead, and the rest is tied in a thin braid that hangs loosely on his shoulder.


    "I thought those automatons sounded familiar," Ruin drawled, looking at the neer with a piercing gaze. "So they were your handiwork, Deus."


    The young man on the steel throne seemed slightly surprised at how Ruin managed to speak inside his Dimension. But his surprise was fleeting, and his expression turned indifferent in an instant.


    "You have not changed one bit," Deus replied after a momentary pause. "And I must say, you''re new name suits you."


    "I know right?" Ruin replied with a smile that did not meet his eyes. "Where do you think I got the inspiration from?"


    Deus sighed, and as he did, the space that constituted his Dimension shook ever so slightly.


    "After more than a thousand years and still your twisted belief has not changed."


    "Twisted belief, huh? Ah.. haha.. hahaha¡­ Hahahahaha!" Ruin slowly burst into maniacalughter.


    Deus remained emotionless as he watched in silence. Reflected in his light blue eyes was the image of Ruin that had seemingly gone crazy.


    After a while, Ruin finally restrained himself and straightened. With a slight hup afterughing so hard, he said, "That is a good one. Didn''t think you''d develop a humor after all these years¡­!"


    "¡­!"


    sh!


    CRACKLE!


    Deus''s eyes widened as a sh of thick red lightning broke through his Dimension. After which, another fissure tore through the space close to the one Deus came out from.


    A gigantic hand descended from the fissure with lightning speed toward Deus.


    A thirty-meter diameter gold magic array appeared beneath Deus''s steel throne.


    BOOOM!


    A thunderous explosion rang out as the gigantic hand collided with Deus.


    The following shockwave shattered Deus''s Dimension and blew Ruin several hundred meters away.


    A cloud of smoke spread out, reducing one''s visibility at once.


    Whoosh!


    A suction force appeared at the center of the explosion as crackling sounds reverberated across the space. It cleared away most of the smoke, revealing a gigantic silver-white human-shaped automaton with golden wings and a long silver spear. Glowing light blue runes covered the side arms and legs of its armor.


    Deus stood on the automaton''s shoulder, looking unharmed.


    The gigantic hand was nowhere to be seen. However, the fissure where it hade out from was still there.


    Deus''s usually indifferent expression showed a rare scowl as he peered into the fissure.


    A face that bore a semnce of Ruin''s stared back at Deus, except, instead of appearing human, he had blood-red scales for skin, and a long twisted ck horn protruded on his left forehead, while the right one was broken. His eyes were pure ck, except for the glowing red slits that stared back at Deus.

 Chapter 845 Ripple (4)

    <h4>Chapter 845 Ripple (4)</h4>


    "MEx-¦Ä 54 is right. You are a failed subject of the Demon n," Deus remarked while looking through the fissure. "Azazel."


    The demonic-slitted red eyes that stared back at Deus narrowed as a broad smile appeared on his handsomely devilish face, "Ah~ such a nostalgic name. I have long forgotten how it sounded. s, to hear iting out of your mouth... sickens me."


    CRACKLE!


    A sh of red flew out from the fissure and straight at Deus and his automaton.


    Without a change in his expression, Deus raised his hand, and the huge automaton''s eyes lit up with a dazzling blue glow. A circr crystalline barrier appeared just before the sh of red, which was a thick bolt of lightning, struck Deus.


    BOOM!


    The barrier shattered, and the red lightning continued forward. However, its momentum was reduced by the barrier''s interference, giving the automaton enough time to weave out of its path. It then raised its hand, holding the long silver spear, as a terrifying concentration of golden magic energy formed on the spear''s head.


    With lightning speed, the automaton aimed its spear toward the fissure and shot out golden beams of energy in session.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Each beam of energy that struck the fissure collided with an invisible barrier, making it explode without hitting its intended target.


    A seventy-meter diameter golden ring of magic array appeared behind the automaton, and a string of glowing light blue rune writings whirred around it. The space around it crackled as the magic energy in the surroundings converged in the middle of the magic array. Before the magic array could form a substantial golden sphere from the magic energy, light strings shot out and aimed toward the fissure in another bombardment of concentrated attack.


    A series of explosions followed, instantly rendering the visibility in the surroundings close to zero from the smoke and shockwaves it produced.


    "You guys have lived toofortably in your high thrones, you have forgotten the rules of the Lower Realm."


    Standing on the automaton''s shoulder, Deus twitched as he heard Ruin''s voice behind him. Nevertheless, he remained calm and ignored the voice. Instead, a rune appeared on the automaton''s forehead, and a beam of golden light struck Ruin, who had suddenly appeared there.


    Ziiiing!


    However, Ruin had already somersaulted away when the beam of light struck.


    ''How did he manage to pass through MEx-¦Å 04''s barrier?'' Deus thought, his mind reeling at how easily Ruin''s essence snuck behind him.


    Deus then turned to look at Ruin. And it was good timing that he did because when thetter evaded the automaton''s beam, a ck python had slithered out from nowhere and snapped at him.


    Once more, Deus remained still, and instead, the rune on the automaton''s forehead struck with another beam of light and aimed at the ck python.


    But.


    At that moment, when the beam of light incinerated the ck python, Ruin''s shadow appeared once more. He held a ck and red sickle that crackled with ominous red charges and thin swirling ck mist.


    Since the rune on the automaton''s forehead had only attacked the ck python, it needed at least a couple of seconds to recharge and aim again. With that period, Ruin swung his sickle and aimed at Deus''s throat.


    "Dimension."


    "Dimension."


    BOOM!


    A massive explosion erupted as fragments of space around the area Deus and Ruin were shattered.


    When Ruin''s sickle effortlessly destroyed Deus''s passive magic barrier, Deus knew the sickle would slice through his throat, and that would be the end of his visit. Though he would not die or suffer bacsh from getting killed in the Lower Realm, he would be transported back to the Higher Realm. After which, it would take quite some time before he could go down to the Lower Realm again. That was something Deus wanted to avoid.


    That oue was one of the rules that protected the Lower Realm from beings of the Higher Realm. Deus wanted to avoid it because a few days'' dy from acquiring their his in the Lower Realm was already troublesome; what more if he got dyed for a month or two? His target might decide to leave Somuli and hide in some obscured ne. When that happened, the only way for Deus to track the target again was if he used his Draconic signature.


    Knowing that someone was after him, he would not brazenly use it unless he was in a life-or-death situation. Given Deus''s target''s physical, magical, and even intellectual prowess, such a situation was unlikely to happen.


    Deus considered these thoughts in a split second and was forced to act in the best way he thought would prevent him from getting killed.


    Using a Dimension.


    Unfortunately, Ruin anticipated Deus''s move and also used his own Dimension. Thus, the collision of two Dimensions created a phenomenon that caused the space wherein these two converged to explode and shatter.


    When space was shattered, a vacuum would follow, sucking anything and everything within its radius.


    Mutual destruction.


    This was Ruin''s answer.


    A burst of maniacalughter bellowed from the fissure even as the suction of the shattered space pulled it in.


    "Like I said, you have lived far toofortably~ HAHAHAHAHA!"


    "D*mn you, Azazel! Do you have any idea what you have done?" Deus bellowed in anger. His beautiful face contorted in absolute rage. "That young man you want to protect is someone the Emperor desires! Even if you sacrifice your life to kill me now, you have only dyed the inevitable!"


    "Ah? Me? Sacrifice my life for him? AHAHAHAHA! That is a nice one, Deus. You have truly developed good humor!"


    Zap! Zap!


    Suddenly, the fissure where the demon Azazel was in started to close. Even his essence, which the suction force had pulled before Deus and his automaton, turned into a ck mist, sessfully escaping from getting destroyed. It then flew and entered the fissure.


    At the same time, the automaton''s wings were pulled into the shattered space and started to crumble.


    Seeing this happen further enraged Deus.


    "AZAZEL!" he bellowed, unable to intricate himself from the shattered space''s suction.


    "It''s Ruin~ I have long thrown away that name. But I must say, I am touched that you like to say my former name so much; could it be that you felt a sliver of remorse for what you have done in the past and, thus, could not forget the name you have betrayed?"


    By this time, the automaton''s body had already entered the shattered space, with half of its body in pieces. Deus''s clothes started crumbling from the suction, and his skin peeled, revealing his flesh.


    "The Emperor will not forgive you¡ª!"


    "That b*ttface will not forgive you for failing first."


    "Having mee down is His Majesty''s way of showing mercy! With my failure, he will definitely order others far more powerful than I after that young man!"


    "Don''t care."


    "You are making a huge mistake for protecting him!"


    "I am merely protecting what is mine."


    Suddenly, Deus''s eyes widened as realization dawned on him.


    "You... You know he has it! You say he is your prey, but in truth, you know he possessed it! YOU want it for yourself! After all these years, you still want to fulfill your n''s desire!"


    Ruin''s slitted red eyes flickered in amusement within the now small fissure. Frankly, he did not care why the Higher Realm was after Kyran. But hearing Deus reveal this much information, he now understood everything.


    Ruin did not need Deus to borate on what it was.


    The Demon n, or, to be precise, the previous Great Antitheus King, only ever coveted one ancient inheritance:


    The Heart of the Cosmos.


    A few thousand years ago, a young, talented mage from their Realm discovered the whereabouts of the Heart of the Cosmos. The Higher Being then formed an elite team of the most powerful n leaders to apany the young mage to locate the Heart of the Cosmos.


    When they located it, the Great Antitheus King suddenly attacked and oppressed every n leader. His motive was apparent: he wanted the Heart of the Cosmos himself.


    Before he seeded, however, the young mage who led the expedition took it and fled.


    Ruin had little knowledge of what happened after that because he was only a mere aid then. But because of that incident, the Realm entered a time of turmoil.


    As for the young mage who took the Heart of the Cosmos, some said he managed to deliver it to the Higher Being before dying. Others believed he died before that happened, and the Heart of the Cosmos was lost again.


    No one knew for sure.


    Time passed, and more than a thousand years ago, rumors that one of the ruling Dragon tribes from the Dragon n found the Heart of the Cosmos and went to the Lower Realm to hide it.


    That was the turning point in Ruin''s life.


    In any case, Ruin cared little about the Heart of the Cosmos, contrary to Deus''s belief. Besides, as far as he was concerned, Kyran did not have it when they first met. All he knew was that Kyran carried his friend''s scent.


    That was why Ruin was obsessed with Kyran.


    Now that Ruin thought of it, Kyran possessing the Heart of the Cosmos might be why he could no longer sense the mark he gave him. Initially, Ruin believed that the odd new Sovereign of the Human ne destroyed the mark, but that might not be the case.


    ''So~ he still has my mark...'' a mischievous smile appeared on Ruin''s face at the thought.


    If Deus knew Ruin''s thoughts had already strayed from the topic, he might have exploded in anger and died before the suction could destroy him.

 Chapter 846 Ripple (5)

    <h4>Chapter 846 Ripple (5)</h4>


    "Give my regards to that b*ttface~ I won''t see you off."


    With that, the fissure that led to Ruin''s whereabouts closed further.


    More of Deus''s figure crumbled, but none of the supposed pain that should have apanied such experience could be seen on his delicate, beautiful face. Instead, his brilliant light blue eyes red at Ruin through the fissure with displeasure.


    "You will regret this, Azazel! If the Emperor sends that person, that young man will suffer with everyone and everything he holds dear. At least, if I brought him in, they would not be harmed. I, for one, do not want to cross the Fates. But that person is different! You, of all people, should know that!"


    "Ah~? That guy?"


    A devilish grin spread on Ruin''s face as his eyes squinted in delight, "Let hime. I have been itching to settle our scores."


    "Azazel!"


    Ruin ignored Deus and repaired the fissure he had created. He had no intention of watching thetter getting destroyed. Though he would have loved to see Deus die, the truth was that it was only a temporary death. That was the advantage someone from the Higher Realm had when dying in the Lower Realm.


    Rules are established in both Realms that somehow bnce the two.


    Just as Ruinmented, Deus had taken for granted the rules of the Lower Realm. Frankly speaking, if the two fought in the Higher Realm, Ruin would not stand a chance. He would have been destroyed easily by Deus''s automaton.


    Ruin had a slight advantage in the recent fight because they were in the Lower Realm.


    Not to mention the magic usage limitation one from the Higher Realm experiences aftering down to the Lower Realm: they had to be careful when using their magic inside a ne. Although such limitation was lifted outside nes, they could not hold the absolute advantage in front of the Lower Realm Sovereigns¡ª unless they used the Dimension.


    It was because of the magic usage limitation that prevented Deus from taking the upper hand. After all, if such limitation was not in ce, would he have dealt with Ruin using one gigantic automaton?


    The answer is No.


    Dues have an army of Automatons. If one observes the names of his automatons, one will know that there are more of them. For example, the hooded automatons he initially dispatched have the codes ¦Â and ¦Ä. The first hooded automaton is an ¦Ä, while the three others are ¦Â.


    Although the corresponding numbers after the figure ¦Â of the three hooded automatons are unknown, the fact Deus dispatched them without hesitation is a testament to his indifference to their possible destruction. As for the first hooded automaton, Deus referred to it by the number 54. From this, one can more or less guess there are numbers before and after it.


    He did not send the best of the best.


    Finally, there is the gigantic automaton Deus referred to with code ¦Å, followed by the number 04. He could have called it a single-digit four (4), but he called it zero-four. Hence, it is not wrong to assume there are more of those bearing two-digit codes.


    Deus watched as the fissure where Ruin escaped from finally closed, and his expression of anger disappeared in the blink of an eye. A calm expression appeared on his face as the shattered space''s suction froze.


    Slowly but surely, Deus''s body, which had started to crumble, was reconstructed. Even the gigantic automaton reformed without a single scratch on it.


    Above the shattered space, a figure appeared wearing a ck robe that blended with the space quite well.


    "Your insight is truly a frightening thing. No wonder the Emperor chose you for this mission," the figure remarked.


    From the figure''s voice, it was easy to discern it was a female.


    "I will not have seeded without your assistance," Deus responded without looking at the figure. "Thank you, Midnight."


    "It is an honor to assist your grace, Lord Deus," the figure, Midnight, replied.


    The shattered space then distorted and disappeared.


    Everything that happened at the end was a ruse that Deus plotted. Although there were things Deus failed to predict, such as Ruin''s essence slipping past MEx-¦Å 04''s barrier or his use of Dimension and managing to escape from the shattered space''s suction, it was a good call for Deus to ask Midnight''s assistance.


    Midnight is one of those rare talents in the Higher Realm, possessing an ability of reversal. Her ability reversed the shattering of space, allowing Deus and his automaton to escape their apparent destruction.


    Of course, Midnight only managed to do this because she was outside the shattered space''s suction range. If not, she would have been pulled in before Deus and his automaton. After all, she was not powerful enough to fight the suction''s pull.


    "However, just as you told that man, if you failed this mission, His Majesty would have given it to another. There is also a high probability that that person will get involved, just as you predicted. Why did you have to say those things openly when you know I will be here to reverse the situation?"


    "If I did not say those things, Azazel would not have left. You will not have the chance to get close and use your ability, saving me at thest minute."


    Midnight fell into contemtion but then nodded, more or less agreeing to Deus''s deduction.


    "I think I understand what you mean. With Azazel''s personality¡ª right, his new name is Ruin¡ª he would have noticed something was amiss if you remained calm in front of destruction. If you acted frantic, then he would not hesitate to leave... Eh? But... given your history, would he really leave and not relish your death?"


    Deus closed his eyes with a sigh. He replied, "Watching me go through a temporary death will not make him happy. If anything, he would be disgusted at the idea."


    "Now, I see the whole picture. They say that lifelong enemies will know each other better than anyone. The meaning of this eludes me, but now I am beginning to understand it."


    Deus opened his eyes, and an expression of mncholy fleeted ever so briefly. But then it was reced with his usual indifferent face as he said, "Enough of that talk. Now that I seeded in making him retreat back to his ne, my automatons can move freely without his interference."


    All this time, Deus''s objective was to force Ruin back to his ne. Contrary to thetter''s belief that the former had forgotten the Lower Realm''s rules, Deus knew it too well. If not, he would not have gone to great lengths to avoid anything inciting those Fates'' wrath. Not to mention avoiding other Sovereigns lurking outside Somuli.


    Meeting Ruin, not to mention learning his apparent connection with the Heart of the Cosmos''s new holder, was the only thing Deus failed to foresee. Because of this, he lost a few of his mid-tier automatons and almost all the information his high-tier automaton had gathered thus far.


    "I will have to report to the Emperor about this incident first. Can I ask you to take up what MEx-¦Ä 54 had left in the meantime?"


    "Of course," Midnight replied. Her figure shifted, allowing Deus to see her move toward him. "But MEx-¦Ä 54''s search is in a standstill, is it not?"


    "Yes," Deus admitted. "Unfortunately, MEx-¦Ä 54''s critical thinking structure still needs reconfiguration. It ced too much attention in the Land of the Eidum."


    "Is it because the target seems connected with the Eidums?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright," Midnight replied with a nod. "I will then continue with the search. Once I found him, how do you want me to deal with him?"


    "Trap him inside the Dimension, then use this to return at once," Deus waved his hand and summoned a crystal disc. He sent it toward Midnight, who waved her hand and took it.


    "Very well."


    Without waiting for Deus to say more, Midnight''s figure disappearedpletely.


    Deus did not return after she left. He continued to observe the Somuli ne with MEx-¦Å 04 for a few more minutes before finally deciding to return.


    Tearing a fissure in space, Deus willed MEx-¦Å 04 to move and return to the Higher Realm.


    Soon after Deus and MEx-¦Å 04 had left, and the space the former tore repaired itself, magic fluctuation crackled in the surroundings. After which, another fissure appeared as a silhouette in white stepped out.


    If Kyran were there, he would recognize the silhouette.


    Ames.


    Ames looked down at Somuli''s ne with an indifferent expression. Nevertheless, her golden eyes flickered with such zeal, betraying her indifference.


    "You are only to observe, Ames. Do not do anything that will alert them."


    A profoundly deep and powerful voice spoke from within the fissure, which had yet to close.


    "I know," Ames replied without looking back.


    "If what you said is true, then he... he might awaken. Do not do anything to incite it, do you understand?"


    The voice seemed to crack slightly at the mention of him.


    "Yes. I understand, Father."

 Chapter 847 Crevice

    <h4>Chapter 847 Crevice</h4>


    Three weeks after the joint Neo Armakea-Eidum conquest started, a disturbance finally surfaced.


    The main reason there had been no leak with regard to Achim and Nahir''s movement was because Gael''s Shadow Minions had been cleaning up after their trail.


    Between Achim and Nahir, thetter did not know about them. Achim, being the same as Gael¡ª Kyran''s Servant, was somehow aware of thetter''s minions following their trail and ensuring no loose ends were left behind, yet he did not know the full extent of their job.


    Unlike Achim and Nahir, Gael was an ambitious and cunning man before being reborn through Kyran''s Void magic. Thus, he knew it was impossible for everyplete being who surrendered and sided with Achim or Nahir to have done so wholeheartedly.


    While it was true that most indeed surrendered willingly, a few remained loyal to the King of Armakea, which was why Gael''s Shadow Minions observed these people from the shadows. Once they found someone wanting to send a report to the capital about what was happening, the Shadow Minions would take care of them.


    Gael''s Shadow Minions did not have the capability to turn these people into minions. But they could trap them inside the shadows, after which, when Gael checked in on them, he would absorb them and turn them. However, he would only turn officers. If a knight were caught, he nned to keep them in the shadow for Kyran to deal with once he woke up.


    It was not because Gael did not have the capability to turn a knight because he had already done it once. Rather, those newly joined knights were very capable, and he found it a waste to turn them into minions when they could be of better use as a Servant or a subordinate to Kyran.


    Fortunately, no knights had yet to betray Achim. Even Nahir, who was said to be Kesiah''s representative, managed to win the trust of every knight in his group.


    Because of this, there were instances wherein an officer would suddenly go missing. Achim did not heed this because he knew it was the Shadow Minions'' doing but not Nahir. Thetter grew concerned about it and kept a close eye on it.


    It was good that Nahir did this because if not, he would not have noticed the telltale signs that the capital had already gotten wind of their movement.


    When Achim learned of this, he discovered that the Shadow Minions stopped following after them. This alerted him and the rest of Kyran''s Servants.


    Achim had Haji check the Shadow Minions'' route, and what thetter discovered did not bid well.


    The Shadow Minions were missing, which meant something had happened to Gael.


    With the threat of the King mobilizing his army from the capital, Achim decided to let Haji and the rest of the Servants with him to deliver his message to the rest of the fort leaders they had yet to conquer.


    Of course, Achim made sure to let Nahir know of his intentions to avoid discord between them. Thetter did not oppose. With their current strength, the King''s army could easily trample on them. Not even Kyran''s almost invincible strength could offset theirck of manpower.


    Fortunately, Nahir did not know that Kyran was in aa at that moment because if he knew, there was no telling if he could retain a calm demeanor amidst the impending confrontation.


    After Haji and the rest of the Servants left to deliver Achim''s message, Achim and Nahir decided to reinforce the fort they had recently acquired.


    Initially, Nahir suggested retreating to the borders, but Achim thought doing so would allow the King''s army to gain momentum. When that happened, they could only retreat to the Eidum''s border once they were overwhelmed at the Armakea''s borders.


    They had to keep the King''s army away from the border as much as possible.


    Unbeknownst to Nahir, Achim had another motive for suggesting this other than providing a strategic move against the King''s army¡ª Kyran was still in aa, and at the moment, he was at the Armakea''s border.


    Achim would not allow any disturbance to hinder their Master''s recovery.


    Kesiah also received the news from Achim and immediately informed True Void.


    Upon hearing this new development, True Void felt his non-existent brain throb in anxiety. He was starting to regret forcing Kyran to drink the Elixir! He should have given him half a portion instead of forcing Kyran to drink all of it. Maybe then, Kyran would have already woken up.


    Meanwhile, Gael¡ª whom Achim and the rest believed to have gone missing¡ª had followed the familiar presence he sensed in Howling Pass and found himself in front of an inconspicuous crevice beneath a hundred-meter cliff.


    Frankly, anyone who chanced upon the crevice would have noticed it, given its width wasrge enough for two huge adults to fit in. However, none seemed to notice it. Not even some those beasts that randomly passed by noticed it¡ª except Gael.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed as he sized up the crevice. The familiar presence he felt did note somewhere inside the crevice but the crevice itself.


    ''This array formation... is not native in this ne,'' he thought while observing the array calction written around the edges of the crevice.


    Gael''s Array knowledge was only passable. But after bing Kyran''s Servant, he had a sudden boost of insight when looking at arrays. He became familiar with the energies within an array formation and could more or less distinguish the core elements used in creating it.


    From the energy he senseding from the array formation around the crevice, it had abination of Air and Earth magic. The Air magic energy in the array formation mainly consisted of the offensive forms, while the Eary magic energy were focused on transformation and defensive forms.


    While the Array formation was only a High-tier and could be easily decipher by an Array Master,plete beings were incapable of such a task. This answered the question why no one noticed it. But even if they did, it was impossible for them to know it was an Array formation. After all, Array was a lost technology in Somuli. Moreover, the energy supplied in this particr array formation did not make use of the principle of mana or magic energy of Somuli but that of the Human ne. From this, it was not wrong to say that it was created by a human.


    Gael entered the crevice, without hesitation.


    The array calction around the crevice''s edges lit up the moment he passed through. But the offensive form in it was not triggered because it only targeted beasts, beast-likes, andplete beings. Gael did not know that, however, but he more or less guessed that since the array formation was created by a human, he or she would not aim its offensive attack on humans. Besides, there were few humans in Somuli. And as far as Gael was concerned, all of them lived in Howling Pass. Nevertheless, Gael had not seen any human living among the beast-likes orplete beings at the residential areas. This gave Gael the idea that maybe humans found a hidden location wherein they could live in peace.


    As Gael entered the crevice, his sight was immediately robbed off because of the darkness. But it did not take long before his eyes adjusted. Beside, the dark walkway was not entirely dark because there was an abundance of glowing stones sticking on the walls.


    However, that was unimportant. What was important, and actually surprised Gael was discovering the abundance of magic energy in the surroundings. Looking at the walls again, he realized that apart from those glowing stones, there were also rare herbs scattered all over them and realized why it was so.


    Whoever found the crevice, made it into a safe haven for humans to live in.


    In the Human ne, the reason for its abundance in magic energy stemmed not only because of its special nature, but also because of the abundance of nts, and spirit stones. These two could store up magic energies, and some could even circte them.


    Unfortunately, that was not the case in Somuli. Although there was an abundance of nts, and stones everywhere, the former could only store enough magic energy to allow itself to grow, while thetter could only absorb minimum amount of mana in the earth. Moreover, with how thin the magic energy cirction in the surroundings were in Somuli, nts and stones did not inherit an innate quality wherein they could absorb them naturally.


    Gael relish at feeling magic energies entering his body and filling his magic core naturally. He could not wait to tell his Master, about such a method in creating an artificial environment with abundant magic energy in Somuli.


    Still, Gael knew that the nts and stones here were not native from Somuli as well. If it was, then it would not possess the quality to absorb and circte magic energies.


    Pushing aside his thoughts, Gael ventured deep into the crevice.

 Chapter 848 King Of Armakea

    <h4>Chapter 848 King Of Armakea</h4>


    It took another two weeks before the news of Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion reached the Capital of Armakea, Larkring.


    Achim managed to convince two-thirds of the remaining fort leaders to join them, bringing the number of their knights to approximately 610. This was within Kyran''s expectation¡ª only short of around 60-70 headcount from those fort leaders who did not join.


    As to those who refused to join, their decision was greatly influenced by the fort''s location rather than loyalty to the King. They were near the capital''s periphery; thus, if the King mobilized his army, they would be the first to suffer his wrath. The fort leaders could not afford that. It was also possible they would be the first ones the King would dispatch to capture Achim and Kesiah. Between the two options, the fort leaders believed aplishing thetter was more feasible than defending against the King''s army.


    The Armakea castle was located in the northeast corner of the capital. Compared to the magnificence of the Kingdon of Cretea''s capital and the pce where the Nobles and the Sovereign reside the Armakea castle was bleak and even had an aura of death. This was mainly because of the mood around the castle rather than its design. Because, just like any other castle, its size alone was massive, and its walls were made from the most expensive materials. It was also filled with white gold designs, and the grand garden surrounding it was lush with beautifully arranged flowers. Notwithstanding the majestic look of the castle, the bleakness that hung in the air was too strong to ignore.


    A messenger from the fort nearest to the capital was inside the Throne Room, located at the innermost section of the castle.


    Before him, a high chair made of gold, with red and blue drapes and ornaments, could be seen. A thick, red velvet curtain hung loosely in front of the high chair, obscuring the face of the person seated on the high chair¡ª King Aran.


    Two knights stood a few feet before the curtains on each side. They were standing motionless without making any sound that one would think they were decorations. Nevertheless, the messenger knew these knights were alive and quite alert. After all, the feeling of two pairs of eyes observing him was all too evident; it was suffocating.


    Beads of cold sweat trickled down the messenger as a stony silence ensued right after he ryed the purpose of hising. He knew King Aran was sick, yet he insisted on an audience. While it was confirmed that the news he bore was urgent, informing the King about it while he was in such a state did not seem a good idea.


    The messenger closed his eyes and could only sigh in his heart. Even if it was not a good idea to ry such news, given King Aran''s state, there was nothing else he could do. Would they dy the matter of Prince Achim and Princess Kesiah''s rebellion until it escted to a point where the rest of the Royal Family members started to take sides?


    The answer was no.


    Thus, the messenger could only endure and await King Aran''s verdict.


    "Are you sure it is Achim and Kesiah?"


    A frail-sounding and somewhat raspy voice spoke from behind the curtains.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "A rebellion¡ª"


    *cough* *cough*


    "Y-Your Majesty...."


    "¡ª ahahaha...!"


    *cough* *cough*


    "...interesting..."


    Contrary to the messenger''s expectation, Aran did not seem bothered by Achim and Kesiah''s actions.


    As a matter of fact, Aran had been waiting for one of his nieces or nephews to make a move. Of course, the first one he expected to do this was Achim, and he did not disappoint. But for Achim to work with Kesiah, that was something he had not expected. He knew they did not see eye to eye. So, what prompted their coboration?


    Blood ties? After all, they were siblings, no matter how much they detested each other.


    ''No... Achim never cared about that... even Kesiah, no matter how much she wore that righteous facade... Then, why...?''


    The more Aran thought of it, the more he was convinced that there was a much bigger mystery behind Achim and Kesiah''s coboration.


    "Filren, gather your knights. Follow this man and see what my adorable niece and nephew are up to."


    The knight standing on the right turned to face Aran.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," he replied in an almost monotonous voice as he slightly lowered his body in a respective salute.


    The messenger hastily stood after inadvertently receiving the King''s order and waited for Filren the Knight. When thetter gestured for him to show the way, the messenger bowed before the King once more before leaving.


    Filren followed the messenger out of the room.


    When Filren left, another knight came out from a door by the side of the throne and reced his position.


    From behind the curtain, Aran said, "What do you think of Achim''s move?"


    "Changing the pact to give them more authority over the other Knights has been risky, Your Majesty."


    The knight standing to the left replied in a heartbeat and without hesitation.


    "Ahahaha¡ª!"


    *cough* *cough*


    "¡ª you don''t pull your punches, Mo. But yes, you are correct."


    "Shall I call Sulli and have him restore the pact¡ª."


    "No, this is fine," Aran replied, cutting Mo midsentence. "I think it is high time we cut off those two-faced rtives of mine. Don''t you think so?"


    From behind the high chair, a woman''s silhouette could be seen.


    The womanughed gently as she seductively touched Aran''s shoulders.


    "I take it you finally agree to our terms?"


    "If what you say about Anshel is true, ascending and bing this ne''s Sovereign might be the cure I have been looking for."


    "With your frail body, it will be impossible for you to attempt ascension," the woman replied.


    "That''s where youe in. Is it not part of the terms?"


    The woman chuckled, "Yes, but after you have the Saint heal your body."


    "s," Aran sighed. "I had expected Achim to aplish that part. But I underestimated his ambition."


    "He might have discovered your ns to kill them all after your body recovers, though."


    "If there is one thing I like about Achim, it is that he is ambitious but rtively slow in the head."


    "But that is not the same with your niece... Kesiah, was it?"


    "Ah... that girl has charisma and the brains... unfortunately, she speaks of righteousness like her father. Among my siblings, my elder brother is the first one I hope to get rid of."


    "Should you really be saying that in front of them?"


    The woman gestured toward the knights, standing silently by the side.


    "Why not? They are my most loyal subjects. They will never betray me... unlike you."


    The woman chuckled and withdrew her hand on Aran''s shoulder. She then retreated into the shadows.


    "Fret not, King of Armakea. We will never betray you... not until we get what we wanted."


    "Such an honest woman."


    The woman simply smiled before disappearing into the shadows.


    Filren and two hundred knights left the castle with the messenger guiding them.


    Along the way, Filren let the messenger expound on the news he ryed to the King.


    The messengerplied and told him everything he knew.


    When the messenger finished expounding on the situation, he could not help but look at Filren in concern. He then asked, "Sir Knight, is it really enough to bring onepany to deal with the rebels? Based on our intel, they had already gathered at least threepanies of Knights. There are also low to mid-ranked officers not included in the count."


    "You only need to lead the way. Leave the rest of the thinking and dealing with the rebels to us," Filren replied in his monotonous-sounding voice.


    "Y-Yes."


    Meanwhile, the fort Achim chose to reinforce was located behind a long stretch of valley. He nned to use the valley to block and slowly reduce the King''s army when they struck.


    Fortunately, the fort was built in a way that allowed Achim and his men to observe the whole valley and the lush forest before them.


    Nahir also had an additional thirty-meter-high tower built within one side of the valley. Its location was quite hidden from view, allowing whoever was in the tower to provide sneak long-range attacks if needed.


    Achim and the rest of the leaders were gathered inside the conference room at a building on the fort''s rear side. In front of them was a projection of the surrounding map of the fort.


    Red and green dots were scattered over the lush forest in front of the fort; some could be spotted above the valley''s edge.


    "The green dots indicate the location of the invisible armed towers, while the red dots are hidden traps. We tried to scatter them all over the ce and cover as much space as possible. But as you can see, there is still arge berth between each trap and armed towers that a group of scouts could easily pass through," the previous fort leader exined.

 Chapter 849 Movement

    ?


    "Does the King have a copy of this map?" Achim asked the previous fort leader named Ohab.


    "We regrly send logistic reports to the castle, which include updates to the map terrain and changes in the fort blueprint," Ohab replied thoughtfully. "There is an order to increase the hidden traps and armed towers, but those had little change on thest map we submitted."


    He swiped his hand over the projection and showed thest map. Just as he said, there was little change with the green and red dots from thest map to the new one.


    "Given the ability of the King''s Knights, we can expect them to guess the new locations of the additional traps and towers," Ohab concluded.


    "True," Achim agreed with a nod. "But we don''t need to worry about that. Instead, we can use this to our advantage."


    "Hm," the fort leader from another fort also agreed. "Since they know the locations of the traps and towers, we can predict their route."


    "There is a better way to take advantage of their knowledge," Achim said with a slight smile. "Instead of predicting their route, we will provide one to them."


    The eyes of every fort leader inside lit up as they realized what Achim meant¡ª all of them nodded in agreement.


    If they arranged the traps and towers in a way that would allow the King''s army to pass through, they could lead them to a location wherein they could have the advantage over them.


    The fort leaders looked at Achim with a strange light in their eyes. To be honest, most of them surrendered and joined forces with them because of Kesiah. They knew how ambitious Achim was and wanted nothing to do with him as much as possible. Apart from that, Achim''s intelligence paled inparison with Kesiah''s. For this reason, they believed that following him would be akin to throwing away their lives because he was prone to making mistakes.


    But these past few weeks made them see a different side of Achim, prompting them to give him a benefit of a doubt. At that moment, hearing his insight on how they should prepare for the King''s army, they were beginning to suspect that all this time, Achim might have been acting like a viin on purpose to gain the King''s trust.


    Of course, this was only their assumption. But regardless of the truth, their remaining reservations about following him had disappeared. They were now more than willing to offer their life to assist him and Kesiah in this fight.


    "Still, we have to devise a way to utilize our number," Achim continued, looking solemnly at them. "Though knowing our uncle, he will not send a huge army in the first contact. Most likely, he will send apany under either Filren or Mo''s leadership."


    The others agreed with his sentiment.


    "If it is Filren, we may have a chance to lure them in, but if it is Mo...."


    Their expressions turned grim at Achim''s words.


    King Aran had twelve powerful knights. They were also his most trusted subjects, and Filren and Mo were two of the most powerful. Still, the two had specialties that differentiated them.


    Filren excelled in covert missions, while Mo excelled in frontal attacks. If the former were to infiltrate their fort, it would be easy to lure them without making big movements. But if it were thetter, any preparation would be rendered useless because he would likely bulldoze his way in.


    "Regardless of who wille, we''ll make preparations," Achim said after a moment''s pause.


    "Do you know how we can best counter Knight Mo?"


    "Not at the moment," Achim replied with a slight shake of his head. "But I will talk to Kesiah and see what she says."


    Hearing this, everyone seemed to realize why he answered ''not at the moment'' instead of a definite ''no.''


    If there was someone who could counter Knight Mo, it could only be Kesiah and her Divine Armament¡ª which could shift between defensive or offensive depending on the situation. Besides, once she used her Divine Armament as armor, she could still fight without showing any obvious weakness, given her powerful and stablebat prowess.


    In any case, the fort leaders were even more convinced about Achim''s and Kesiah''s coboration from his reply. If it were the previous Achim¡ª rather, if it were the Achim they knew¡ª he would not have openly sought Kesiah''s opinion.


    The meeting continued with them focusing on the new arrangement of the traps and towers. After that, Achim adjourned the meeting and met with Nahir.


    Thus far, Achim and Nahir agreed not to show up when meeting with their own people. Doing so would normally cause a rift between the two sides. But, there was already a rift between them that had yet to be fixed in the first ce; thus, meeting each side separately would not really cause any problem.


    Achim ryed what transpired during his meeting with his side. Afterward, Nahir also shared what they had discussed.


    Nahir and the rest of the Eidums'' main responsibility was providing assistance. Apart from the additional hidden tower that the former requested to be built on one side of the valley, they wanted to set up rally points where two healers and three Eidum fighters would be avable around the clock.


    This suggestion urred after they realized the fort''s infirmary was too far from the front. If a war of attrition started, the Eidums could not provide assistance immediately if all of their healers had to stay at the rear. Besides, it would be easy for them to control the surge of patients if several rally points were scattered close to the front.


    Achim had no objections on this matter. Frankly, the fort''s infirmary was at the rear mainly because the greenhouse''s location was also there. Armakeans did not have healers like the Eidums and only relied on Apothecarist to concoct potions. Although they could stock up on potions, if a war broke out and their supplies ran out, they could not possibly have their apothecarists stay near the front and risk contaminating their ingredients or disrupting their concentration during the concoction process.


    With this in mind, Achim had no problems convincing his side to amodate Nahir''s request.


    On that note, Achim and the rest made their preparations.


    The estimated time until the first wave of the King''s army arrived at their fort was twelve days.


    Meanwhile, Kesiah also made preparations with thirty knights and almost all remaining officers under her leadership. She would leave the remaining fifty or so knights and ten officers and have Jita take the lead once they left to assist Achim and Nahir.


    Frankly, Kesiah was skeptical about leaving the border with only Jita defending because there was a good chance that King Aran would dispatch two groups to attack them¡ª with one aiming at Achim''s side and one at the borders where she was stationed. When that happens, Jita and the remaining forces under her might not be enough to protect the border even if the three magical beasts and the rest of the beasts assist them.


    Kesiah was afraid that their Master would be vulnerable if Jita were to fall. In the end, True Void assured her that he would take action if the situation dide to that.


    With True Void''s assurance, Kesiah could leave the border with fewer worries.


    True Void hovered cross-legged in midair and sighed while watching Kesiah''s group leave the borders from a projection inside Kyran''s chamber.


    Apart from Jita and the remaining knights and officers under Kesiah''s group, a few Eidums remained at the Armakea border. Some of them, True Void recognized as those taking care of Cyneah. Though their number might seem enough to deal with any sneak attacks, the truth was that it was not, especially if the sneak attack was done by two powerful outsiders.


    "Is something the matter?" Jita asked while standing a few feet behind True Void.


    "If the worst-case scenario happens, take Void Halfling and the Mistress away," he said without looking at her.


    Jita''s eyes narrowed. Though they did not know the whole ount of what happened to their Master, they did not need an overly bright mind to guess that whoever did this to him was very powerful.


    "I willy my life for Master," she replied with conviction.


    "No, no, no," True Void shook his head vehemently. "Don''ty your life for him, please. You have to take them away! Far away! You understand?"


    "But¡ª."


    "Void Halfling will recover soon, but if the worsees, just take him and the Mistress away while I deal with the rest."


    "I¡ª."


    "That won''t do. He has to wake up now."


    "Yes, I know. Really, I do. But the thing is I¡ª."


    True Void suddenly froze, realizing the voice just now did not sound like Jita''s. It also did not speak in the Somulian tongue.


    Jita was also rendered rooted on the spot as she looked at the woman that suddenly appeared before her.


    True Void slowly turned to look at the one who had just spoken and nearly fainted in shock.


    "A-A..."

 Chapter 850 Ancient Body

    ?


    "I had thought you sounded familiar. To think you had been reduced to such a state after losing your first master."


    "¡ªAmes! What do you mean by reduced to such a state? I am in this form because I chose to, alright?"


    Ames looked at the True Void and snorted disdainfully at him before returning her attention to Kyran. Her eyes narrowed at once after sensing thetter''s condition.


    "He¡­ his condition is not caused by those moving lumps of metals."


    It was not a question but a statement she directed at True Void venomously. She berated, "You, of all people, should know not to drink the Elixir in one go! Why did you not stop him?"


    True Void started to sweat non-existent cold sweats on his back. His reddish-purple eyes shifted nervously as he avoided Ames''s golden eyes.


    Unfortunately, his action was caught by her, and she knew at once Kyran did not drink the Elixir by his own will!


    "You piece of abominable creation! What did you do to my great-grandson!"


    "What great grandson? Should it not be great x50 grandson, you ancient old hag!"


    "You¡ª! The Regis n''s lifespan is longer than the average! One generation canst 50 to 75 years! And what''s with that ancient? Are you not the same? No, you are far from that; you are an antique relic!"


    Wait. What she said just now was the same, right?


    Jita looked at them in confusion. She would not have understood theirnguage if she had not been reborn as Kyran''s Servant. Still, she could barely follow what their discussion was. Or, could it be their discussion was not meant for unrted people to understand?


    Jita decided it was best not toment on that.


    "Are we not veering away from the main point here?" True Void could not help but say with a grim expression. Though he wanted to alleviate Ames''s anger by picking on her sore point¡ª her age¡ª her concern over Kyran''s condition was indeed his fault.


    As she said, True Void knew the impact on a human''s body after consuming the Elixir in one go. Can almost suffered the same if not for Zane stopping him in time. Even after thetter stopped the former, the former still insisted on trying. In the end, Zane proved his point by drinking the Elixir instead. The result was he almost met his Maker.


    Zane survived because Ames stepped in just in time to squeeze out most of the Elixir in his body.


    In any case, if Zane, who received the Dragon King''s baptism at that time, had suffered to the brink of death, Can, who possessed a weak body constitution, would have died before he could finish the whole bottle. He might not evenst a sip before reuniting with his Maker.


    "That''s right," Ames agreed, and once more, she red daggers at True Void. "How dare you make him drink all of it?"


    "I had no choice! If his body remained as it is, he would have trouble wielding 100% of his magic. Besides, his internal organs were already in bad shape. Even if he recovered from that, he would suffer a trauma. But if the Elixir''s effect is added into the mix while his body heals naturally, he will recover and achieve an evolution!"


    "But letting him drink more than a mouthful, not to mention a bottle, is still¡­!" Ames more or less understood where True Void wasing from, but for a mere human, even a Regis who received a drop of her father''s blood, drinking a huge amount of Elixir was suicide. "You should have let him adapt to it slowly!"


    "He took a sip before," True Void tried to reason. "That''s mainly the reason I believe he could take it."


    Still, he never expected Kyran''s recovery period would take a long time. It had been almost a month since he took the Elixir, and he had not even shown any signs of waking.


    Ames fell silent after hearing True Void''sst statement. She looked at Kyran again and thoroughly examined his whole body using her magic sense. Indeed, she found some traces of injury in his body that was not due to the Elixir''s effect.


    She suspected that Deus''s side had already found Kyran and made their move. But she was confident that with his body constitution, and as long as he could utilize his Draconic magic, he would not have any problem dealing with them.


    However, it appeared her father''s concern was correct.


    Kyran could not properly use his Draconic magic.


    Before Ames left the Dragon ne and looked for Kyran, her father, the Dragon Emperor, summoned her upon hearing the truth of a new Dragon Lord''s appearance.


    The Dragon Emperor was skeptical of Ames''s ims but was also filled with anticipation, thinking a worthy human that could bear a Draconic core had appeared once more. Nevertheless, his anticipation was followed by unease, knowing that it was impossible for such a human to appear at this time and age.


    If that human had the blood of the Ancients, then it was possible. But the Ancients had long disappeared from the Realm, and although the humans in the Human ne were considered their descendants, their bodies and bloodline had long been corrupted by the passage of time, as well as the ne''s ever-changing environment and climate. Besides, the Human ne was only a fragment of the once majestic Land of the Ancients. It no longer possessed the energy and resources it used to have.


    As for Zane, the Dragon Emperor managed to grant him the Draconic core only because of his baptism. If not, then the former''s powerful body would not have been enough.


    ''That skinny brat, cunning fox, and Zane believed that only bybining the rare bloodlines in the Human ne could they produce a human with a body akin to that of the Ancients. However, Father thought otherwise because even if theybined those rare bloodlines, it is impossible for one person to possess all of them,'' Ames thought with furrowed brows. ''But then...''


    Ames did not know why, but she felt Kyran''s body did not conform to a Regis.


    It should be noted that the Regis n originally possessed a powerful body, which was why they adapted well to the Dragon King''s blood.


    To this day, children of the Regis n, born between parents who partook of the Dragon King''s blood, possessed higher affinity when using the Regis Techniques. If they also drank the Dragon King''s blood when they came of age, they had higher chances of utilizing it.


    That had been the case with Cade, as his father andte mother both partook of the Dragon King''s blood.


    ''This child is born between a Regis and that skinny brat''s descendant. His blood could not be stronger than that of his father. Yet... what is this?''


    For some reason, her father''s blood, which should have been coursing through Kyran''s veins, was missing.


    No. It was not really missing but weak. Nevertheless, Ames could sense Kyran''s blood was very simr to theirs. As a matter of fact, it even seemed thicker.


    ''Is it because he already absorbed the Elixir, thus, his evolution has begun?'' Ames wondered. Still, she had an inkling that it was not the sole reason.


    True Void was anxiously looking at Ames. Truth be told, he was scared of this dragondy. When he had only born a sentient, he remembered shing with this dragondy''s ws¡ª literally¡ª every time his master and Zane met.


    Can could have easily used Void barrier to protect himself from Ames''s attacks, but because he did not want to hurt her in front of Zane, he could only wave his staff¡ª which had been True Void''s initial form¡ª and defend against her ws.


    Just remembering how Ames''s ws would pierce or sh his body made True Void shiver in fear.


    "His condition stabilized a few weeks ago," True Void carefully said while observing Ames''s reaction. "And you know I am connected to the Void core, so it is easy for me to know his condition as long as I am near him."


    "That skinny brat," Ames suddenly said.


    "S-Skinny brat?" True Void blinked in confusion.


    Jita, silently listening in on them, also blinked. Although she could barely understand them, she knew what ''skinny'' and ''brat'' meant. And both words did not apply to their Master.


    "Did he seed in finding the bloodlines that would produce a body simr to the Ancients?"


    True Void''s expression turned solemn. Rather than his memories being sealed, he mostly had forgotten them because he never really paid much attention. But the moment Ames mentioned the Ancients, True Void had started to remember bits and pieces of what Can did before he sealed him inside the Void core.


    "I don''t know, but I remembered him visiting nes and confronting powerful mages in a battle or establishing good rtion with them."


    "That two-faced b*tch has been after the Regis bloodline for a long time," Ames said.


    True Void frowned at her words. The more Ames talked, the more confused he became.


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Ancient body," Ames said after a moment''s pause. "My great-grandson... I think he already have it."

 Chapter 851 Ancients

    <h4>Chapter 851 Ancients</h4>


    "That''s..." True Void looked at Ames in disbelief before adding, "... great x50 grandson."


    "You¡ª!" Ames snapped a look at him, wanting to reach out and strangle him. "Thatst bit is unnecessary! Are you not even surprised at what I just said?"


    True Void shrugged.


    Truth be told, he was surprised, but not to the point wherein he would ignore Ames''s downy of her age. This was because when he and Kyran shared their insight about why the Soul Emperor was fixated on sowing discord in the Human ne, they more or less discovered some points.


    They found that the Soul Emperor was obsessed with the Regis n to the point she nned to stage a genocide so she could take them all in as part of her undying army. Back then, Kyran and True Void believed that she did this in preparation for the War of the Sovereign. However, if they considered her objective, which Cyneah had told Kyran recently¡ª which was to exact revenge in the Higher Realm, then clearly there was more to her ploy than what they discovered.


    There was also Can''s n to produce?a more suitable sessor to the Void magic that Ste¡ª the first Time Keeper, and Zane, that time''s Dragon Lord, helped with¡ª which also involved the Regis n.


    From all these points, it was obvious the Regis n yed an important role in everything. Or, to be precise, their bloodline.


    "Void Halfling and I had a talk about a lot of things when that woman made another attempt to sow discord in the Human ne," True Void told Ames.


    Seeing that Ames was looking at him with eyes that clearly told him to exin, True Void could only sigh in resignation and tell her their guesses.


    Jita also listened on the side, her expressions growing incredulous at each passing minute. The things they talked about were something she never thought possible. Her knowledge from before she was reborn wascking, and even after being reborn, the knowledge their Master imparted was only enough for them to understand the gist of things happening in Somuli. For there to be a greater threat, or rather, n, in y in all of these was something a lowly Servant like her never thought of being part of.


    She and the rest of the Servants knew how great their Master was, but the things he was meant to do were a far cry from the things they had thought him capable of.


    "In the end, what exactly did that skinny brat want?" Ames wondered aloud after True Void finished his exnation.


    She could guess most of Can''s reasons, but if she delved further into it, she had this inkling that his objective coincides with that b*tch La.


    The truth was that few knew how Ancient magic could be inherited and why only one mage could possess one. It was because the Ancient magic''s magic core could only appear among the humans with the right body constitution.


    All of these were written in the book Ancient Magic that Kyran first encountered in Ste''s library. He soon got his copy after one of his training in the Tower of Tribtions. But one should know that the book only had four copies, each belonging to the four greatest minds of the Ancients. Of course, Kyran was unaware of it. But one thing he noticed was there were slight differences in both copies. The difference was the introduction. Although they were small and did not affect the information about Ancient magic, Kyran was not bothered. At least, he did not want to dwell on it at that time because he was too upied with the matter of his n at that time. That might change once he woke up, though. Especially once he discovered he might possess the body of an Ancient.


    Still, the mystery of how Kyran''s body could belong to an Ancient remained. After the fall of the Land of the Ancients, all of its inhabitants who possessed the qualifications to bear the Ancient magic''s magic cores were killed. Even the four greatest minds, who were said to have created them, were no exception. As a matter of fact, the Higher Being was the one who destroyed them.


    Ames was having a migraine, and dragons were not creatures to have one! Nevertheless, Ames really felt her temples ache at all the things True Void told her.


    Frankly, she had little knowledge about what happened to the Ancients. She only knew their fall was because the Higher Being grew envious of their knowledge. There was one time her mentor also mentioned something about the Higher Being first having a falling out with one of the four greatest minds of the Ancients, but that was unconfirmed information.


    "Is it not a worthy sessor for the Void magic?" True Void responded. Though he knew Ames was not really asking for his opinion, he could not help but speak up because the way she asked that question seemed as if there was more to the things he and Kyran thought of.


    "Why?"


    Surprisingly, Ames followed up on True Void''s response with another question.


    "Because my master wanted Void Halfling to finally take care of the Soul Emperor? Since he could not kill her because of his personal feelings for her, he wanted Void Halfling to finish what he could not do."


    Ames shook her head, "If that skinny brat wanted to kill that b*tch he did not have to wait for his sessor to do so. Besides, when Zane first asked me if there was a way for a human to possess two Ancient magic, I told him not to even consider such sphemous thing."


    "Why not?"


    "You understand that both the Higher and Lower Realms operates because of the four Ancient magic, right? Just imagine what someone could do if he possesed not one but two of these magic. He could basically control half of why both realms exists."


    True Void gulped nervously. He never thought of it that way. As far as he was concerned, Kyran possessing two Ancient magic only meant he had more options on how to deal with annoying pests after his ass. s, he never expected Kyran''sckadaisical attitude regarding the power he held had rubbed off him! Now that Ames made True Void realize this point, he would not be surprised if the Higher Realm came after Kyran to control him for selfish reasons.


    "Now I understand why he is able to absorb the Shaiha," Ames sighed in exasperation.


    Frankly, mages with Sovereign level and above could absorb the Shaiha. However, the process would force them to expend vast resources. And even after absorbing it, they would not necessarily be able to use its full potential. After all, the Shaiha was the inheritance of the Realm.


    To be honest, when Ames first met Kyran in the Regis Terram, she did not sense the Shaiha in him. It was not because she only appeared as a fragment but because that was how the Shaiha operated. If not for Kyran forcefully un-concealing his Draconic aura to ensure his act would seem real, the Higher Realm would not have gotten wind of his ability to hide his aura and presence.


    s, the Human ne being disconnected from the outside had pros and cons. Because of it, the Higher Realm had trouble locating it, which made it the best location to hide the Shaiha. Honestly, Ames''s father only found it by ident. And even then, it took some time for him to realize the ne was a remnant of the Land of the Ancients because of the great change in its atmosphere andnd. Besides, the humans might resemble the Ancients, but their bodies and magic were too weak to consider them their descendants. In any case, it was precisely because of the Human ne''s disconnection from the outside that new information and magic knowledge reached it. Only those humans who found the Tower of Tribtions and managed to visit different nes could receive new knowledge and information in the Lower Realm. But that was the thing: the information and knowledge they gained were mostly limited to the Lower Realm. The information from the Higher Realm that reached them was superficial and could even be considered rumors.


    True Void''s eyes suddenly turned into huge saucers as realization struck him. He had initially thought the ones who attacked Kyran were only Sovereigns from the Lower Realm. But Ames''s appearance changed all that.


    "Wait, are you telling me that guy, the one besides Ruin who attack Void Halfling is¡­"


    "Yes," Ames answered before True Void could finish his sentence. "Most likely it is a being from the Higher Realm."


    "OH. MY. GOODNESS. And I mean, OH MY GOODNESS! What are we even staying here for? We should return to the Human ne post haste!"


    "And how are you going to do that when there are several eyes watching the Somuli from the outside and even from the inside?"


    "Duh! We can warp there no problem!"


    Ames gave him a nk look, "Warping will leave a trace. For arguments sake, let''s say you seeded in warping without leaving a trace, what do you think those metal faces will think how you escaped their radar?"


    "Using a Saint-tier Long-range Transmission Array," True Void replied with a hint of boasting.


    "In Somuli? Where Array is already a Lost Technology?"


    "Its not like Void Halfling can''t make one."


    "Where will he gather the materials for the array? Do you think its easy to find materials for such a grand array?"


    "He''s not really going to make one, we''ll only make it seem as if he left using one."


    "With a supposedly powerful array not producing a magic fluctuation, do you think they will not try to investigate?"


    "Gah! Just say your point!"


    "By warping you will inadvertently reveal that my great grandson possessed another type of magic. They might not suspect it as Void at first, but for how long?"


    True Void''s reddish-purple dimmed. He finally understood what Ames was trying to say, but as long as they returned to the Human ne, those guys in the Higher Realm would have trouble locating them.


    Seemingly guessing what he was thinking, Ames added with a deadpan expression, "My father pleaded amnesty when we return to the Higher Realm. Since they knew we used to stay in the Human ne, they will seek our help in locating it."


    "GAAAAH! Then what?"


    "Stay here and hide. Once my great grandson wakes up, I will do everything to help him adjust to both his magic."


    If the Dragon Emperor knew Ames decided to step in, he would have vomited blood in exasperation. After all, she promised only to observe!

 Chapter 852 Probe

    <h4>Chapter 852 Probe</h4>


    As night fell in the greater part of Somuli, Midnight utilized her innate ability to observe the area around the Great Divide. ording to the information Deus left her, their target was seen helping the Eidums on two cases. From this, they surmised he had a close rtionship with them. Still, they could not determine if their target was a native of Somuli or an outsider who was part of a Sovereign faction that nned to participate in theing War of the Sovereigns.


    Initially, Deus was convinced that their target was not a native of Somuli. After all, thetter was suspected to have the Heart of the Cosmos, which the Dragon Emperor imed was lost during thest War of the Sovereigns. In that war, Somuli was only a small ne with no Sovereign. As a matter of fact, other Sovereigns also did not want to conquer it due to its strange environment¡ª it had thin magic energy in the surroundings and, instead, produced mana in abundance. While its inhabitants could produce magic energy naturally due to their Divine Armament, their magic knowledge and development were too weak and might be a liability to any Sovereigns if they tried to conquer it and add them to their army.


    Putting the matter of the Somuli aside, after Deus reviewed MEx-¦Ä 54''s memories and witnessed its initial contact with the target, he discovered that thetter did not use any type of magic before being trapped in a Dimension by MEx-¦Ä 54.


    This discovery gave Deus a headache because he instructed MEx-¦Ä 54 to confirm the target''s affiliation with dragons.


    It was not initially part of Deus''s mission, but the Emperor wanted to put some pressure on the Dragon Emperor.


    Though the previous Dragon King¡ªnow Dragon Emperor¡ª and his tribe, who were once branded traitors for hiding the Heart of the Cosmos, were given amnesty, the Emperor still could not trust them. For this reason, thetter wanted to know if what the Dragon Emperor imed before¡ª about losing the Heart of the Cosmos¡ª was true or if he left it with a few of his people in some hidden ne.


    Unfortunately, MEx-¦Ä 54 did not even allow the target to resist before trapping him inside a Dimension. It seemed there was a slight problem with Deus''s automatons in this regard. Or maybe the problem was not in the programming, instead, the system of his automatons suffered a bit aftering to the Lower Realm. After all, the magic energies and even the atmosphere in the Lower Realm were a far cry from the Higher Realm.


    Whatever the reason was, Deus had to check his automaton''s programming first. Thus, he asked Midnight to do the scouting first.


    This time, Midnight''s mission was to find the target. But she was not allowed to engage yet. That was reserved for ater time. She first had to confirm if he had any rtionship with the Dragon Emperor.


    With Midnight''s ability to blend into the night sky, no one could spot her. Frankly, the only ones who might be able to spot her were outsiders at the peak of Sovereigns or those on the verge of stepping to the next level.


    Midnight slightly frowned after sensing how thin the magic energies in the surroundings were. Although her ability to blend, as well as her innate ability to observe arge area, did not consume magic energy, the feeling of being unable to bask in rich magic energies was a little stifling to her. It made her wonder how Somulians survived living in such a ce.


    s, nes in the Lower Realm were truly a pain.


    Even the magicw in Somli was strange. They did not use a magic array and instead relied on Divine Armaments.


    Midnight could not help but sigh. As she did, a mellow gust of wind swept over the long stretch of the Great Divide. If one listened to the wind, they might even be given the impression of hearing her sigh.


    ''Ah... if the Higher Being did not destroy the Land of the Ancients, magicws would not have been scattered all over the Lower Realm,'' Midnight thought.


    To be honest, Midnight is considered to be one of the older generations who witnessed the war where almost every n in the Realm made a move against the Ancients. But she was still youngpared to the rest, so she did not participate in the war.


    In any case, that war devastated the whole Realm. It also caused its division.


    Ultimately, most of the powerful Ancients, including their four greatest minds, were destroyed, while those who managed to survive drifted along the vast space epassing the Lower Realm.


    The Higher Being tried to locate them, fearing their possible retaliation in the future. In the end, no one could find them. After so many years had passed, and those surviving Ancients had yet to show and enact revenge, the Higher Being finally rxed.


    Even those powerful beings who assisted the Higher Being in destroying the Land of the Ancients breathed a sigh of relief. They all believed that those survivors likely died out.


    Midnight continued to search the surroundings and could not help but frown. Deus gave her a sample of the target''s signature. But she found it strange that she could not even find any sliver of the target''s signature anywhere around the two borders that were made of the Great Divide.


    ''Is it because of the array formations on both borders?'' she wondered.


    Looking at both the array formations, Midnight realized minute differences in them. She did not think much of it at first. But then she remembered that Somulians could not replicate or even ''tweak'' array formations because it was considered lost technology.


    ''ording to Deus''s information, MEx-¦Ä 54 also considered the possibility that the target knew how to change arrays,'' Midnight thought as her mind started toe up with different possibilities of the target utilizing this ability to escape from their radar.


    However, she shook her head dismissively even after the idea crossed her mind.


    Thus far, the target only appeared to have tweaked a token in his possession to teleport. That was not enough to convince her he had the capability to hide from their radar.


    ''What about the target''s knowledge in Alchemy?''


    Like in the Human ne, the Higher Realm, also called the magic branch, which deals with the concoction of pills, potions, and the study of herbs and other materials with the idea of mixing or creating a new potion or pill from it, Alchemy.


    Based on MEx-¦Ä 54''s memories, the target was also proficient in Alchemy. It might be possible if he managed to concoct a medicine that allowed him to remove any of his traces.


    The Heart of the Cosmos had the ability to hide one''s aura and presence, but there would still be the remnant of magic fluctuation and even a signature once the mage possessing it used magic. Thus, Midnight was convinced the target could not hide from them for long.


    Nevertheless, no matter how much she amplified her innate ability with magic sense, it was impossible for her to find any trace of the target.


    ''He did not die out there, did he?'' Midnight wondered.


    ording to MEx-¦Ä 54''s memories, it damaged the target much before Ruin appeared and helped him escape.


    ''Ah... Ruin... that guy is truly a handful. He did not even know how to use Dimension before the Demon ne fell to the Lower Realm. Even if he had the qualification of creating it, since he is still considered a being from the Higher Realm, he should not have been able to learn its usage to that degree.''


    In the end, Midnight pushed the matter of Ruin aside. She still had to find the target.


    ''If he is not at the border, let''s check inside....''


    The moment she let her innate ability¡ª which had been amplified by her magic sense¡ª sweep inside the borders, she felt an uneasy feeling that forced him to retract her ability and magic sense.


    ''What is that disgusting feeling? It felt like someone, or something would devour me if I tried to insist on observing the inside of the border,'' Midnight thought as she frowned at the Eidum''s border. ''It is because of the border''s array formation... is it the target''s handiwork?''


    She then turned her attention to the opposite border, which was the Armkakea''s.


    ''These two array formation should have the same base, but since that disgusting feeling is only present in this side, then it is good to assume that the Armakea did not have such a feat.''


    After thinking this, Midnight continued to probe the Armakea''s array formation. Indeed, it did not give her that disgusting sense. Nevertheless, she probed inside carefully because she did not want to trigger its defensive array.


    ''This border did not seem to have that many people...!''


    Midnight suddenly took a sharp intake of breath as her innate ability made contact with something.

 Chapter 853 Might

    <h4>Chapter 853 Might</h4>


    Midnight withdrew her magic sense at once. Her innate ability to observe without being seen might seem omnipotent, but it was not. In the face of genuine raw power, her innate ability was nothing. And she suspected that something she almost made contact with was a power she must never entangled with.


    Unfortunately, before she could retract her magic sense, that something possessing genuine raw power had already sensed her. Knowing it would be dangerous if that something were to find her, she immediately blended into the night sky and left the ne.


    As soon as Midnight arrived outside Somuli, she did not stop. She continued to retreat, wanting to gain some distance from that unknown presence. Only when she felt somewhat safe did she finally stop and breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Did you think you can run?"


    Midnight caught her breath, and before she could do anything, her whole persona was caught inside a pressure that almost choked her to death. A feat that should not be possible given how she blended into the night.


    It did notst long, as the moment that thought came to her mind, her persona shattered.


    In a diamond tform that hovered in the middle of space, far from the Lower Realm, a woman with long dark hair, wearing a simrly long ck dress that shimmered with her movement, fell down and vomited blood. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, her blood was the color of light gold, where bits of shimmering diamond dust seemed to be mixed in.


    As she vomited, her blood slowly turned into dust that scattered into space. It then slowly turned into stars that filled the darkened space.


    This woman was MIdnight, and the tform was her throne that usually floated around the Higher Realm.


    Midnight straightened, revealing a beautiful face that seemed to be carved in a delicate milky white jade. Her skin was smooth and appeared to have been sprinkled with diamond dust, a normal feat that a woman with higher status in the Higher Realm possessed. Her delicately shaped brows were as dark as the night, and her irises looked like a miniature milkyway.


    "Who... who was that?" Midnight wondered aloud. The voice that spoke to her sounded like a woman. But she felt that woman did not belong to the Lower Realm.


    No. That was not quite right.


    After all, Midning was from the Higher Realm. No one in the Lower Realm, even among those Sovereigns that belonged there, had the power to destroy her persona in one move.


    The only exception was Ruin because he originally came from the Higher Realm. The base of his abilities, magic, and even skills would still conform to that from their realm. It was for this reason that he could still use Domain even though he had been in the Lower Realm for a long time. In any case, obviously, the voice did not belong to him.


    Midnight might not be as overly familiar with Ruin as Deus was, but she at least knew he did not have the ability to change voices. And even if he did, the pressure he could manifest would not be overbearing like the one she experienced just now.


    "I need to tell this to Deus," she muttered.


    Now that her persona was shattered, it would take her some time before she could return to the Lower Realm. Apart from that, her core suffered quite a bit from the attack that shattered her persona.


    "He may have an idea who that woman is."


    Midnight immediately called Deus. But it took a while before she could actually speak to him since he had been preupied with his automatons.


    Once Deus learned of what happened to Midnight''s persona, he frowned and felt an iing headache.


    Seeing Deus''s reaction, Midnight could not help but ask, "Do you know who that woman is?"


    Deus did not reply immediately. But after a moment''s pause, he sighed and slowly nodded.


    "I might have an idea... No... I am sure it is her¡ª it can only be her."


    "Who?"


    Deus shook his head at once, "There is no need for you to know. Doing so would implicate your n and I''d like to avoid such conflicts."


    Midnight fell silent. Although Deus did not give her a direct answer, his words gave her a rough idea of who that woman might be.


    In the Higher Realm, there were only a few ns that Deus would not dare get into conflicts with. If she listed those ns, she could narrow it further by the magic they possessed.


    A power that could easily shatter her persona, not to mention they were both in the Lower Realm.


    Since they were from the Higher Realm, there were some limitations to the strength one could unleash in the Lower Realm. Midnight''s persona might not be as powerful as the persona she created in the Higher Realm, but it was enough to overwhelm a group of peak Sovereigns. Nevertheless, her persona had been destroyed in one move. Apart from that, she failed to grasp the woman''s signature. These things were a testament to thetter''s strength. Add these points to the fact that their target was first seen as a silver humanoid dragon; Midnight already had her attacker.


    ''So the Dragon n has also sent someone.''


    Deus looked at Midnight''s expression and guessed what was going through her head. He immediately warned her, "Do not do anything or say anything about this matter."


    Midnight looked at Deus with a slight frown, "But if they made a move that is against the Emperor''s wishes¡ª."


    "We don''t know yet why they are also there," Deus cut her mid-sentence.


    "That is..." she started. In the end, she fell silent as what he said was true.


    Midnight was only observing the Armakea border and had not seen anything yet when she sensed that woman''s presence. Because Midnight was afraid her probing would lead to a misunderstanding, she retreated at the first notice. Unfortunately, she had not retreated far or even fast enough, which destroyed her persona.


    "Let''s not jump to conclusion," Deus continued. "You know the Emperor does not like it when us in the council point fingers at each other. Besides, we don''t have proof. There is also a possibility that that n sent someone to investigate the origin of our target as well."


    Midnight slowly nodded. What Deus said was possible. The Dragon n might want to know which tribe that silver humanoid dragon came from.


    Why they would do that might be to clear their name. After all, the Emperor had already set his eyes on them because of this incident. There was also a possibility that they wanted to protect that dragonling. Regardless of their reason, with minimal data¡ª as a matter of fact, this incident could not even be counted as data since they could only assume¡ª it would be impossible to make any conclusive argument.


    If they raised this to the Emperor, it might backfire on them if they could not produce any evidence.


    "Still, this does not bode well," Deus sighed after a short pause. "MEx-¦Ä 54 is still under reprogramming, and I can''t send MEx-¦Ä 55 and have it resume locating the target."


    "Shall I send one of my people?"


    "No need," Deus shook his head. He leaned back on his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose before dering, "I''ll go down myself."


    "What about Ruin?"


    "I don''t know which ne he is hiding, but it will also take him some time before he could allow his essence to return to Somuli."


    "What if he decided to go there personally?"


    Deus shook his head, "He could not do that. The rules of the Lower Realm would not allow him to use his real body to appear in Somuli."


    Seemingly understanding what Deus meant, Midnight started to nod in acknowledgment.


    Going back to the Lower Realm in Somuli.


    Ames could not help but frown in annoyance. Seeing her expression sent shivers up True Void''s spine.


    "W-What? Why are you making such a scary face?" True Void asked.


    Just a few seconds ago, while the two of them were preparing an array formation wherein Ames would help speed up Kyran''s recovery, she suddenly stood up and looked up. After that, she had been silent. Then her face distorted, making True Void scared out of his wits.


    "An annoying fly tried to probe this ce."


    "W-Which fly? Gah! What should we do now? What do we do now?" True Void asked in a panic.


    Frankly, he did not mind going up against Sovereigns of the Lower Realm. But if that annoying fly was someone from the Higher Realm, then... actually, he did not want to think about it.


    "It''s fine. I already destroyed her. Let''s continue," Ames replied so flippantly that True Void and Jita could not help but gawk at her nkly.


    Ames frowned and growled, seeing their reaction, "Why are you not moving your hands? Move! We need to finish the formation as soon as possible!"


    At that exact moment, in a different location in Armakea, the group Achim sent out to scout the surroundings had sent out a coded message:


    K-F spotted. 200, at least. Estimated point of contact: five days.

 Chapter 854 Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 854 Arrival</h4>


    Achim''s expression remained indifferent after reading the coded message. They had been busy making preparations against the first wave of the King''s probing. Thus far, Achim estimated a 40 to 50 percent probability that they would seed in holding the fort. And with five more days left before the expected point of contact, they could increase it by 20 to 30 percent more.


    Achim arrived at this number after confirming that the knight leading the first wave was Filren. With thetter at the helm, Achim''s side could employ their initial tactic of purposely directing the enemy''s route to a location advantageous for them. Nevertheless, Achim could not allow them to becent. After all, the 200 members under Filren''spany were all Knights. And they were not just any knights, but the King''s Knights.


    It should be noted that the Kngihts under the King''smand were far more powerful than those serving in forts or other Royal Family members. If Achim and Nahir dealt with them without devising any strategy, they would be crushed in an overwhelming manner.


    The group dispatched to scout around the fort continued to follow Filren''spany''s movements. They sent Achim and Nahir updates on thetter''s progress as well as still images of every knight. Their reason for doing this was to allow their side to gather information on what thetter few could do.


    Achim was not like Kyran, who possessed a strong memory, thus, he did not recognize most of the knights. Having a bad or good memory did not matter since they had created a database they could easily use to check on information about those knights.


    Based on the first 50 or so still images of the knights sent by the scouting group, most of them possessed melee-type Divine Armaments.


    It was not really surprising because, based on statistics, approximately 71 percent of Somulians that developed a melee weapon as their Divine Armament. As for range weapons, there were only around 11 percent. While magic-type Divine Armament, like staffs or rods, made up 14%¡ª 3% higher than that of range weapons. Finally, the remaining 4%prised unconventional types like armor, books, chains, mirrors, etc.


    Nachum and Kesiah''s Divine Armaments fell under the unconventional type. Cyneah could be considered one, too, if the Macabre cier was indeed a Divine Armament.


    In any case, Achim and Nahir wanted to look out for range-type Divine Armaments because they could be troublesome. Depending on their control over their Divine Armaments, they could pose a threat to the armed towers scattered outside the fort.


    Achim and the other leaders'' worry came to pass after the third day. Because the knights in the still images the scouting group sent either possessed unconventional type Divine Armament or range type. Moreover, they made up almost half of Filren''spany.


    Achim stood in front of the table, where all the new still images of knights were being projected. He and the other leaders gathered inside the meeting room and discussed how to deal with this unexpected problem.


    It was not that they did not expect Filren to bring knights with range-type Divine Armaments. It was all due to their sheer number.


    "I had thought sir Filren is known for sneak attacks because the knights under him focus on melee stealth and speed. But it may very well be due to him having quite a number of range-type knights," one of the leaders said.


    A few of the leaders nodded their heads in agreement.


    Achim remained silent as the rest shared their thoughts on the matter.


    Someone suggested preemptively attacking Filren and hispany to reduce their numbers.


    This suggestion was met with mixed opinions. A few felt it made sense, while most felt it would be a futile attempt. After all, the number of knights on their side that had enough strength to go toe to toe against Filren''s knights was few.


    Another suggested relocating all armed towers close to the periphery and using them to attack the rear line of Filren''spany, where knights possessing range-type Divine Armaments were located. However, another pointed out that moving the armed towers would take at least a week, and they only had less than two days left before Filren''s arrival.


    A few tried to suggest sending out a group of elites to ambush the rear line of Filren''spany, but once more, the suggestion was dashed by the fact that their elites could notpare to the sheer number of elites among their enemy.


    In the end, none of them could develop a good move. However, if they failed to find one, their preparation these past few days would have been for naught. After all, even if they could still lure around half of Filren''s knights into their trap, the rear line would be at a safe distance and could provide assistance at any time.


    Achim dismissed the rest after failing to arrive at a consensus. He then met with Nahir and checked on Kesiah.


    Kesiah and her group were still on the way and could not make it on time. They estimated they would still need four or five days to arrive at the fort. Achim and Nahir had to defend against Filren''s attack for at least three to four days before Kesiah could provide reinforcements.


    "I understand Nar did not want to participate in any of our nning, but this conquest was originally his suggestion. Don''t you think it is high time we check on him and ask his opinion?" Nahir asked the two.


    Honestly, he did not want to bring Kyran into the discussion. As much as possible, he wanted to deal with this with their strength alone. Kyran might have suggested the conquest, but he agreed to it. Moreover, at the end of the day, if Kyran left, the ones who would manage the aftermath of their conquest were them.


    Achim fell silent after hearing Nahir''s point. Kesiah, who was being projected on amunication device, also showed a troubled expression.


    Nahir caught on to this and frowned at once.


    "What? Did something happen in the border?"


    Kesiah shook her head but did not answer.


    This annoyed Nahir. He immediately took out his ownmunication device and contacted his father. Achim and Kesiah might not want to tell him anything, but if he asked his father, thetter would definitely tell him the truth.


    Unfortunately, Nahir failed to connect with Nachum. His blood went cold at once as several worst-case scenarios shed through his mind.


    Seeing Nahir''s suddenly paleplexion, Achim sighed in resignation as he nodded at Kesiah.


    Seeing his action, thetter sighed and said, "It can''t be helped."


    "What can''t be helped? Tell me what happened!"


    Achim and Kesiah finally decided to tell Nahir about what happened to Kyran and why the Abbot was out of reach.


    Although the situation differed from the worst-case scenarios Nahir imagined, it did not alleviate his uneasiness. His father might not be in imminent danger, but the fact that he was preparing to ascend once more was quite dangerous. After all, Nachum had a chance to ascend without problem but chose not to. Now that he wanted to do it on his own ord, without a proper trigger, there was a chance he would fail. If he failed, his Divine Armament would suffer, and he would end up crippled for life.


    Then there was Kyran''s condition. Achim and Kesiah did not know what made Kyran end up like that, but Nahir, knowing the truth of what was happening in Somuli, guessed that it involved the outsiders. Add that to his father''s sudden decision to ascend; it made much more sense.


    "To think this will happen just as we start this conquest..." Nahir said to no one in particr.


    "Currently, someone is already treating sir Nar," Kesiah told them. "It will only be a matter of time before he recovers."


    Nahir frowned. He knew Cyneah was also in aa, so who else had the ability to treat Kyran?


    "In any case, we just have to do what we can," Kesiah added, giving both of them a meaningful look. "I will see to it that we arrive there as soon as possible."


    "Actually," Achim suddenly said while looking at them thoughtfully. "I want to try something. But... I don''t know if I can pull it off."


    "Tell us," Kesiah encouraged him. "Maybe we can offer some insight to make it easier to pull off."


    Achim shook his head, "It is not about it being unaplishable. But more of my capability."


    Nahir raised his brows in disbelief, "This is quite new. At least, from what I heard, Prince Achim is not someone who would falter at such thoughts."


    Achim shook his head again, "I said that because it is truly out of my capability."


    "Ah... you mean that...?" Kesiah looked at him with widened eyes, seemingly guessing what he wanted to do.


    Without waiting for them to ask further questions, Achim ryed his idea, and the two listened in earnest.


    That night, while Achim and Nahir were preparing the things the former needed for his idea, a loud crackling sound reverberated around the fort.


    Right above the fort, a space distortion started to form. From within the distortion, a soft, muffledugh filled the air.


    In an instant, the somewhat tense yet silent fort was woken up by the sudden arrival of someone.


    Most of the officers and knights on patrol immediately gathered toward the distortion, while a few went to the control room where every armed tower was connected.


    "So this is the fort where the King''s nephew and niece reside? What a small and defenseless fort."


    FOOOOM!


    An overly ominous and overwhelming pressure pressed down onto the whole fort.

 Chapter 855 Familiar Face

    <h4>Chapter 855 Familiar Face</h4>


    Achim and Nahir were shocked by the surprise attack. Both were in an underground chamber, preparing what the former wanted to try out when the ceiling shook from an overwhelming pressure from above ground.


    That pressure obviously did note from someone in Somuli. The pressure was too foreign and did not appear to have been caused by a knight at the level of an Arch Knight or a Legendary.


    It came from an outsider.


    Achim and Nahir never expected an outsider to appear suddenly andunch an attack.


    ''No... it''s not unexpected...'' Achim thought through gritted teeth. ''I failed toprehend Master''s words that time.''


    When Kyran appeared before the Armakea to convince them to join them, he hinted at the possibility that an outsider met the King of Armakea and offered a deal. Achim and Kesiah were there but did not take their Master''s words to heart. They thought those words were meant to make a point¡ª to ensure his message came across well.


    Apparently, that was not the case. An outsider indeed made contact with the King of Armakea, and apart from Filren, the outsider made a move.


    "Continue what you are doing," Nahir told Achim, "I''ll assist them outside."


    Achim could only reply with a nod before Nahir left.


    Hovering above the fort, a silhouette of a woman shrouded in ck mist stepped out of the space distortion.


    All the knights and officers gathered below had already taken out their Divine Armament and entered into formation. Most of the Eidums also went into position and were on standby at all rally points around the fort.


    Meanwhile, a few elites from the Eidums'' ranks were inside the tower Nahir had requested and observed the woman hovering in midair. They nned to cast Lethargy and Restraining Spells at her if a chance presented itself.


    By this time, the pressureing from the woman had been lifted. Nevertheless, her presence still caused a suffocating impact that affected most officers.?At least the knights were able to endure better.


    Finally, the ck mist that enshrouded the woman slowly dissipated, revealing the person within. In an instant, all of theplete beings below felt their soul stir erratically at the sight of the woman.


    The woman was dressed in a long, thin ck gown that hugged her figure seductively. But that was not the reason theplete beings below reacted that way. It was because of the woman''s beauty, which was hard to express in mere words. Her light brown hair flowed over her slender shoulder, and her sapphire blue eyes gave off a hypnotic glow, which made it hard for theplete beings not to stare at her in fascination.


    However, though the knights and officers gathered near the woman were mesmerized by her, the Eidums who saw her could not help but gape in shock.


    Though the woman''s eye color and the aura she projected differed, she still looked very simr to their Saint!


    How was this possible?


    That was right. The woman was none other than La, who retained Haylee''s image after managing to escape from Cyneah.


    Back then, Ruin used his magic to separate La from Cyneah''s essence, Haylee. As a matter of fact, he acted the way he did then¡ª staging thatmotion¡ª so he could retrieve La and escape. Unfortunately, he could not retrieve the Macabre cier. But that was unimportant. At least, back then, his priority was to take La alive rather than taking the Macabre cier.


    "Your strengths are far too weakpared to the King''s army," La started, looking down at everyplete being on the ground.


    Her alluring yet gentle voice reverberated in the air, causing the souls of every Armakean and Eidum to tremble. Nevertheless, they still managed to keep their wits about them, knowing full well that her voice was enchanted and allowing her to influence their emotions would be their undoing.


    The Eidums hidden in the tower also prepared another to cast Dispel to remove the woman''s influence over them.


    "Once they arrive, they will crush you in one fell swoop, and that will be the end. Don''t you think that is a sad way to go?" La asked, looking at them sympathetically.


    Doubts started to sprout in the hearts of some weak-willed officers. Seeing this, the knights around them immediately activated their Divine Armament''s aura. But they did not attack the woman. They only did this to allow their armament''s aura to muddle thetter''s influence, albeit a little.


    "There is no need to shed blood. If you surrender, the King is willing to take you back."


    "Lies!"


    A deep and powerful voice boomed, causing an invisible shockwave to spread in all directions.


    La''s brow furrowed slightly as she noticed the shockwave that followed that voice had managed to dispel some of her influence. It should be noted that she was not using her voice to affect others but Soul magic. For someone to have such an effect on her magic influence meant thatplete being possessed a rather powerful magic with a dispelling or even purification effect.


    Boom!


    Seven pirs of fire shoot up from below, confining La in an instant. An imposing figure appeared behind the ranks of the knights and officers, who looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and anger.


    "You.... Dare use that face..." Nahir spat through gritted teeth, his emotions on the verge of turmoil. Nevertheless, he kept his wits about him and convinced himself that the woman before them was not Cyneah but an imposter.


    Besides, for all he knew, the woman''s face might not look the same as Cyneah''s and, instead, was an illusionary attack on his emotions.


    He did not attack the woman because he knew she was an outsider. Based on what Kyran told them, outsiders were Sovereigns, and their magic level far exceeded theirs. Although their levels were suppressed inside Somuli, that only applied with their magic output. Their body would still possess the strength of a Sovereign, albeit their magic defenses would be lowered a little. They could also cast powerful magic attacks that would usually be impossible for a low-level mage to perform.


    While it was true that Somuli''s Magic Law would prevent an outsider from using their own magicw, that did not mean they would not cast magic ording to the ne''sw. Besides, Kyran discovered from Dusk that some nes had simr rules of possessing Divine Armaments.


    Until Nahir found what the woman before them could do, he would not make a move.


    "You are not an Armakean," Lamented with a frown. After which, she waved her hand and extinguished the zing pirs of fire around her.


    Seeing this caused everyplete being below to feel dread. They tightened their hold around their Divine Armaments and prepared themselves. Once Nahir gave the signal, they would attack in full force.


    The other leaders, waiting to attack inside the other towers around the fort, were also looking at Nahir. Although they had reservations about working with the Eidums, especially with Nahir, they knew ignoring their coboration under their current circumstances was unwise. Besides, they knew thetter showed up alone because Prince Achime was currently held up with an important task.


    Nahir was very clear about his objective when he decided to confront the woman. He was not there to start an all-out battle but to buy some time for Achim toplete his preparations. Frankly, he did not know if thetter could pull off what he was doing, but if he did, they could fend against powerful enemies until Keisah and her group arrived.


    "You are an Eidum."


    A smile suddenly appeared at the corner of La''s lips as she finally understood the situation. She was not knowledgeable about the affairs of the Eidums. However, she did pay close attention to the matters happening in their borders because of the rumored blind Saint with almost omnipotent healing abilities.


    She also received a piece of intriguing news from Ruin¡ª that Kyran came to aid the Eidums during the recent raid the Armakeans pulled off.


    Seeing an Eidum among the Armakeans, La guessed that Kyran had a hand in why Prince Achim and Princess Kesiah suddenly decided to rebel against the King.


    "This is starting to get exciting," she said, spreading her arms.


    In an instant, a strong, invisible force erupted from within her and enveloped everyplete being below. As soon as this force swept through their bodies, they felt as if they had been doused in cold water. Their insides shivered, and they felt something tighten around their very soul.


    La''s eyes sparkled as she brazenly used theplete beings'' energies to amplify her Soul magic''s influence.


    This was one of Soul Magic''s advantages over Void Magic. The energy from the former could be found anywhere. La did not have to worry about a shortage of magic energy as long as there were living beings around.


    While Void magic could absorb any form of energy and convert it to Void, the problem with Kyran was that he could not freely absorb energies inside another living being. Only when such energy was freely moving about in the surroundings could he absorb them.


    This was why he could absorb magic attacks but not touch a person and forcefully absorb their magic energy. True Void was the one who could do this. If Kyran wanted to absorb someone''s energy, he would have to cast Absorption and absorb the person as a whole.


    La wanted to know what Kyran had been up to and if the Eidum''s Saint had also lured him to Somuli. She wanted to search the souls of everyplete being below. After that, she would control and use them against him.

 Chapter 856 Seize?

    Chapter 856 Seize?


    At least, that was La''s n.


    However, when her magic reached a certain point on their bodies, her Soul core trembled, and she faintly sensed something prickly brushing past it. At first, she ignored it. But after a while, she noticed the prickly sensation increasing. Apart from that, the sensation started to affect her Soul core.


    ''Hm?'' La frowned slightly. Reluctantly, she stopped the progress of her magic in fear of getting her Soul core damaged.


    Thus far, she had not tried Soul Scan and Soul Control on the inhabitants of Somuli. Although, as an Ancient magic user, she had certain resistance to another ne''s magicw, she could not utilize her magic well because of the Somulians''ck of magic core. Her Soul magic attacks worked faster on someone with a magic core since thetter was connected to one''s soul.


    Somulians possessed Divine Armaments, and while these could be considered a different form of magic core, they were not connected to one''s soul. After all, Divine Armaments could be summoned into physical existence. If they were connected to the user''s soul, would it not expose them to danger?


    Nahir saw the woman''s hesitation and immediately summoned several pirs of fire. This time, he did not aim at the woman but everyone else.


    "Cast them!" He shouted, addressing his people inside the hidden tower and rally points.


    When the healers heard him, they cast Dispel and Magic Resistance on all their allies. At the same time, the elites cast Lethargy on the woman.


    The moment La felt two types of spells envelope theplete beings below and a different one hit her body, her frown deepened. Nevertheless, she did not panic.


    She more or less guessed what type of spells the other side had cast and could not help but find their efforts adorable.


    Soul magic could be considered the parent of most support-type magic and spells. For someone to actually cast one on her, the Soul Emperor, was truly an adorable thing.


    La''s sapphire blue eyes glowed as a faint smile tugged at her lips. She spread her arms and released her magic pressure.


    In an instant, the spell cast by the Eidums shattered, and everyplete being below was forced to their knees. Thick cracks appeared on the ground, as well as a few buildings around them. They shook uncontrobly, making it seem as if they would crumble at any moment.


    The expressions on Nahir and the others turned grim. The pressure exerted by the woman was far more potent than the one she released earlier. Even the Eidums who cast Lethargy were shocked. Few could counter support-type spells¡ª as a matter of fact, only an Eidum could use counter spells against support-type spells.


    This... Possessing the same face as their Saint... Could this woman be... the Saint''s twin?


    Wait.


    Was the Saint originally an Eidum? Was she not found in the middle of a forest within the Kingdom of Cretea''s territory? Did she even have a family? Was not Nar the only person close to a family she had?


    No one could me the Eidums'' train of thought because they did not know about the outsiders, especially Cyneah''s circumstances.


    The same applied to Nahir.


    Kyran might have shared a few things with Nahir and the Abbot, but he withheld most of Cyneah''s story to protect them. After all, if they knew about the Macabre cier, the outsiders might target them as well.


    "It is futile to resist," La told them. "I have the power to crush you to death, you know. But I refrain from doing so only because the King is merciful."


    She looked at them again and said with a smile that did not reflect her eyes, "Surrender and bring the person who enticed you to rebel. That person will serve as your peace offering to the King."


    "Says the person who never really ns on offering that person to the King."


    La''s pupils contracted as she suddenly sensed an imminent danger around her. She immediately flew to the side and barely escaped apressed wind pressure that swept past her at the speed of light.


    After missing its target, thepressed wind pressure went straight to the side of the valley and sted a hole into it.


    Boom!


    "Who¡ª?" Her words were cut short as another st ofpressed wind pressure came at her in session.


    La cast a Soul barrier around her as she evaded all of the iing sts.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    One st after another left a three-meter hole on the side of the valley after missing La.


    With La getting upied by an unseen attacker, her magic pressure was reduced.


    After recovering their mobility, Nahir led the attack on the woman. He cast a one-meter-wide ball of mes and aimed at the woman. The knights and the officers followed suit with their own attacks.


    "Ahahahaha! That''s right! Dance around like an annoying fly in the air!"


    La''s beautiful face suddenly turned ugly in annoyance. She used her Soul magic''s nature to sense every living being in the vicinity but failed to locate the person sending out those annoyingpressed wind pressures.


    The impact from those sts did not exceed the strength of a Legendary, meaning that person was not a Sovereign. However, La knew that person was an outsider.


    After all, he spoke the Human ne''s nativenguage.


    The Eidums cast support magic to boost the attacks from the knights and officers below. But with the woman remaining in midair, only a few with range Divine Armaments could aim at her. As for those with melee Divine Armaments, they would either throw their weapon¡ª if it was small enough to use as a throwing weapon¡ª or use the structures around as leverage as they jump and attack her.


    On the other hand, Nahir stopped attacking with his magic for fear of a friendly crossfire. Apart from that, thosepressed wind pressure attacks kepting from who knew where, and if they happened to hit his mes, they and the fort would also suffer.


    Nevertheless, Nahir could not help but look around and check where and who was sending out those attacks.


    ''A friend or a foe?'' He wondered and ordered the other Eidums scattered around to scan the area for a stranger.


    La''s eyes glowered in anger. While she defended against thosepressed wind pressure attacks, she would aim at thoseplete beings, trying to hit her with their Divine Armaments or magic-driven special moves, with her own Soul attack.


    However, the more she attacked, the more she realized that her Soul attacks were not working! Apart from disrupting the coordination between the knights and some officers, none of her attacks affected them.


    It should be noted that her Soul attacks were invisible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, as long as they hit their targets, their souls should have received a blow.


    But what exactly was happening? Why were they not affected by her magic?


    Since when did Ancient magic be so weak?


    La''s mind reeled at the thought. It was impossible for others to remain unscathed after getting hit by an attack from any of the Ancient magic. The only ones who could counter Ancient magic were those who possessed one...


    La''s eyes lit up as realization dawned on her.


    That prickly sensation that affected her Soul core...


    ''It''s him! He left his mark on these people!''


    What La guessed was on point. Kyran indeed ced a mark on every Armakean who swore allegiance to him. As for those newly recruited knights and officers, Achim was the one who left the mark after Kyran taught him how. The former was capable of it because he had been reborn from the Void. If not for this, Kyran would not have taught him.


    Now, for the Eidums, Kyran did not ce a mark on them. Nevertheless, they were not engaging La in battle, thus, she was not targeting them with her Soul attacks. Still, with Nahir''s mes'' high purification nature, the effect of La''s Soul attacks would be reduced.


    ''So he really had a hand on this! Ruin...! Howe he did not tell me¡ª?''


    La''s eyes widened as she felt a light breeze appearing from behind. It was then followed by firm arms wrapping her.


    "Caught you~ Ah... I would love to have a better taste of your Soul magic!"


    A man''s cold and sinister voice spoke close to La''s ears.


    Time seemed to have slowed as the knights and officers attacking from every direction ceased their movements.


    The arms of the man behind La closed in on her.


    But.


    La''s sapphire blue eyes emitted a resplendent glow as her whole body turned into ck mist just before the man behind her could hold her. After which, the ck mist scattered everywhere.


    But it was at this moment that a huge golden array appeared right above the fort, and as it did, a blinding golden light fell down on them.

 Chapter 857 Crazed One

    Chapter 857 Crazed One


    "Now!"


    Another man''s voice boomed from somewhere, and the man behind La raised his hand, and a long staff materialized before him. As soon as he grabbed the staff, several half-meter diameter magic arrays surrounded La, who had turned to ck mist using a Body-Dispersion Spell.


    As if in reverse, La''s ck mist body started to converge against her will.


    ''What is happening...?'' She cursed inwardly and cautiously looked up at the magic arrays surrounding her. Only then did she realize that the magic arrays and even the Array formation above seemed familiar, yet strangely not, at the same time.


    La might not be well-versed in Array, but she knew that the ones in Somuli, whom they referred to as Lost Technology, were located in fixed areas. There were lost technologies that could be moved around, but those were magic items like tokens, magic orbs, and such.


    Moreover, as far as La knew, there was no Lost Technology in this part of Armakea. Even if there was, the formation should appear on the ground, not in mid-air. As a matter of fact, when a Lost Technology was activated, the array formation would not appear as distinct as the one above, where the array forms were visible. A semi-translucent barrier or veil covering the formation''s area of effect would only seem to indicate that it was active.


    Finally, La understood why her Body-Dispersion Spell seemed to have been canceled. To be precise, it was not canceled, but the man''s magic managed to counter the dispersing effect of the spell.


    ''That''s right. His earlier attack possessed wind attribute!'' La thought through gritted teeth. She tried to decipher the runes on the magic array and understand what exactly the man was doing, but unfortunately, she was not well-versed in Wind magic. Thus, she was not familiar with Wind runes.


    Nahir and the others had already pulled back the moment the golden array appeared above. Initially, they were confused at the sudden interference of a third party. But since thetter did not seem to be hostile and was only interested in the woman, they decided to steer clear of his attacks. When the golden array appeared, all of them heard Achim''s voice in their heads telling them to pull back.


    At first, they thought his instruction was so they could avoid being affected by the negative effects of the array above. However, they soon realized the array above did not have any negative effects. Rather, it seemed to have stimted the magic energies in the surroundings, making them denser. Nevertheless, that was all they could sense. They were unable to absorb the magic energies because they only possessed one element¡ª Air.


    Looking at the man with the staff summoned several magic arrays, Nahir and the others realized that the golden array was meant to assist him.


    "You! Who are you?" La demanded as she realized that the man intended to capture her.


    The man gave her a crazed-like smile, sending goosebumps up her arms.


    "You don''t need to know."


    Most of theplete beings below believed that the man might be someone from the Kingdom of Cretea. After all, he seemed to possess a powerful offensive magic. Moreover, his appearance was a typical look of a Somulian¡ª shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes. He was also good-looking for a middle-aged man, though he was on the skinny side.


    Nevertheless, Nahir knew better. After all, the man spoke a differentnguage earlier. Anguage that sounded suspiciously like the one Cyneah and Kyran used.


    This meant that the man was an outsider.


    The woman, too. Nahir initially thought the woman possessed illusion-type magic and yed on his emotions by appearing like Cyneah. But it seemed that might not be the case. He had an inkling that Kyran withheld some things about Cyneah. Recalling how Cyneah came to see Kyran after their meeting, Nahir was even more convinced of this.


    But those things were unimportant at the moment. Nahir could only push those thoughts at the back of his head as he observed the two outsiders above.


    [It is okay.]


    Seemingly sensing Nahir''s cautiousness, Achim''s voice sounded in his head again. Seeing that none of the others reacted to the voice, Nahir guessed Achim chose to talk only to him telepathically.


    ''Who is that man?''


    [He is not hostile to us, at least.]


    ''An ally of Nar?''


    [...]


    Nahir frowned when he sensed Achim''s hesitation.


    After a short pause, Achim finally responded.


    [I could not say for sure. Nar and he, at least, acted civil around each other.]


    ''Who is he then?''


    [A man with a loose screw at times.]


    ''What does that even mean?''


    Unfortunately, Nahir''s question did not receive any answer. Apparently, Achim was also at a loss for words on how to exin.


    "You may think you have the upper hand because of your special status, but unlike you, we have been here for more than seven years and know more about this ne''s magicw," the man with the crazed-like smile continued, looking at the ck mist that had more or less converged back together, revealing La''s silhouette.


    "''Your special status?''" La repeated with narrowed eyes. Although her expression could not be discerned because she had yet to return to herplete human state, the contours of her face showed a disdainful expression. "It seems you knew who I am."


    "Of course I do! And it''s not just me. All of us do... You are Milord''s enemy, after all."


    La let out a softugh as she guessed who the man referred to as ''milord.''


    "So you are one of his underlings. I did not expect him to have gained a useful ally."


    "''His''? Him''? Ahahahahaha!"


    La scowled at the man''s suddenughter.


    Sensing her displeasure, the man abruptly stopped and said, "Oh, sorry. That is quite rude of me. I did not mean tough. Of course, you would think that way... calling someone Milord when referring to someone... ah... of course."


    By this time, La''s silhouette was more distinct but remained in a ck mist state. Since she remained in that state, she realized that the man did not use a reversal attack but only prevented her form from scattering and escaping. In any case, she did not n to release the Body-Dispersion Spellpletely. The man loved to talk, so she would take that opportunity to find a way to escape.


    ''Hm?'' La raised her brow as she sensed something. She smiled, looked at the man before her and said, "So if you are not his underling, then whose underling are you?"


    "Oh? I see. Do you want to buy time now? Tsk. Tsk."


    La''s expression turned grim at the man''s words. She had only thought of doing that, but this man sounded so sure about her action. Could he not take her question as probing for information rather than buying time?


    "You looked confused," the man continued with an understanding expression. He leaned toward his staff, nodded his head in understanding, and said, "I can understand. But you don''t really have to... I mean... You want to buy time because those people will arrive in a few minutes."


    He looked toward the direction of the fort''s main entrance, craning his neck as if looking at something from afar.


    "Oh, wait. I believe there will be slight dys... no, no. Actually, the future has changed a little because of our interference."


    "You¡ª!"


    La''s eyes widened. The man might have said those things nonchntly, but those things were something one should not spout recklessly.


    Just who was this man?


    La wracked her brain on the information she had of all known mages from the Human ne. However, she could not remember anyone possessing the power of foresight.


    ''No, wait, if it was foresight... could this man be her people?''


    La''s eyes widened further at the sudden realization.


    Foresight could be considered an ability having an association with Time. Apart from this, the Tower Family used to have the ability to predict futures.


    "You are Ste''s man."


    The man''s eyes widened before a creepy smile appeared on his face while looking at La.


    "Ah... that sounded really nice... to be Milord''s man..."


    La felt her whole body shiver from the man''s creepy smile. She was fond of people following her beck and call. But that did not mean she loved seeing a crazed look on their faces. The smile on this man''s face might not be directed at her, but the possibility of her minion acting the same way creeped her out.


    While La had these thoughts, the man''s expression suddenly turned serious as he waved and raised his staff horizontally before him.


    "I can''t let you kill these people."


    FOOOM! CRACKLE!


    Suddenly, the air around La thinned as the space around her crackled.


    "Ngh...!"


    The sudden change in the man''s attitude, as well as the air, caught her off guard, making it hard to breathe.


    Two three-meter-wide magic arrays appeared above and below where she stood and forced her to kneel. Because of the pressure, she also failed to retain her mist state. The moment she returned to a solid form, a crushing force invaded her body, making her spat out a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 858 Underground

    Chapter 858 Underground


    A man with long ck hair with white strands on each side of his temples approached the crazed-turned-serious blonde man, and said a few things that Nahir and the others failed to understand.


    Going back a few minutes, Nahir and the others remained vignt as they observed how the blonde man dealt with the woman. Most were rendered speechless at how fast the blonde man subdued the woman whom they barely resisted a while ago. But with the appearance of another man, who possessed dark hair like Kyran, their vignce doubled.


    This held true with Nahir as well. Unlike the others, he knew all three were outsiders. Kyran might have mentioned the existence of the Sovereigns and why they were in Somuli, but only a few of the knights and officers present then were gathered near the outsiders. Some of those people were part of Kesiah''s group, while the rest were stationed in the towers around the fort.


    Knowing that the three above were outsiders and seemed to know each other, Nahir finally understood just how serious the things Kyran told them truly were.


    ''They are everywhere... and not only that,'' Nahir paused, his eyes narrowing at the blonde man who restrained the woman. He shifted his gaze to the woman as well, and his expression turned grim. ''Some also possessed features of a Somulian.''


    "Head Master, please do not torture her further. She may be our enemy, but until we confirm what that man had said, we have to be cautious in dealing with her."


    The man with long dark hair and white streaks was none other than Noir, and the Head Master he referred to, was obviously Malek.


    "I know, my head''s cleared up now. I won''t kill her," Malek replied in displeasure. He truly hated how he ended up in a crazed state for a few days after seeing a vision. Moreover, it had been a while since thest he had a vision, and it was a little irritating, especially when the first thing he saw in the vision was that annoying brat''s face.


    "How''s the array? Will it hold?" Malek asked Noir without averting his focus away from La.


    At that moment, La was still on her knees. After spitting a lot of blood, she remained motionless. Her silence wound normally appeared suspicious to others. After all, her silence would mean she was up to something. But that was not the case with Malek. He knew her silence was to preserve her strength. Apart from that, it was to prevent his pressurized attack from damaging her internal organs further.


    "Yes," Noir replied while looking at the golden array above. "Since that man appeared and exined the situation, I did not hold back with the materials in creating the Active Energy-Replenishing Array. It should hold for at least two hours."


    "I will hold her down," Malek said while waving his staff at La. Chains made of anti-cast stones appeared and wound around her body. After which, he cast an Energy Drain and Restraining Spells to ensure she could not cast or summon any magic attack or spell. "You carry on with the n."


    "Leave it to me," Noir agreed as he looked at the Somulians below.


    "Try to keep it to at least five minutes," Malek added while also looking at the crowd. "I don''t doubt Sigma and the rest''s abilities, but our interference would probably dy their arrival at twenty to half an hour only."


    "Yes," Noir nodded his head. "I feel the same."


    Without waiting for Malek to say anything further, Noir descended.


    Recalling the man''s information, he immediately zones in on the ''leader'' from the crowd.


    The knights and the officers did not move when the man with dark hair descended. They kept their line, unwilling to show any weakness in their formation.


    It was not the first time for some of them to meet someone looking like an Imon-spawn, and rumors of the Eidums working with one had also spread amongst them. Nevertheless, that did not mean they would willingly lower their guard in front of one, even if he or she did not show any hostility.


    Seeing their cautious attitude, Noir could not help but sigh inwardly. Memories of the time he ended up in Somuli surfaced in his mind, making him feel a little exasperated.


    It had been more than seven years since Noir came to Somuli. It would be strange if he were still unaware of the story of Imon and her spawns. With his dark hair, he could more or less guess what theplete beings before him thought of him.


    As a matter of fact, Noir''s appearance caused quite a few problems in his early years in Somuli.


    Thinking back on it, that time had truly been a pain. When La first appeared in Ravenpass and Noir, Malek, and the rest of the Conve, the Emperor''s army, and Regis n members gathered to confront her, rifts started to appear everywhere. Noir got sucked into one, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a lush forest. The dark surroundings told him it was the middle of the night, and thus, fearing he would encounter powerful beasts, he decided to look for a ce to hide. While walking, he noticed how unseemingly thin the magic energy was around him. When he found a clearing and looked up in the sky, only then did he realize he was not in the Human ne. The idea scared and thrilled him at the same time. While searching for a safe spot, Noir ends up meeting a group of humans with beast features resting around a bonfire.


    Seeing their appearance, Noir had truly confirmed that he was in a different ne. And then, when the beast-likes saw him, their expressions turned grim, and the next moment they attacked him as if their life depended on it.


    Noir could only flee because he could not muster his magic. It felt as if he was shackled by an unseen power that prevented him from essing his magic.


    Soon after that, Noir saw more people. But in fear of a repeat of his earlier encounter, he decided to observe only. Only then did he notice that all the humans had blonde hair and colored eyes. It did not take Noir long to understand the situation.


    Noir encountered beasts in the forests, and since he could not use magic, he made use of his array of magic items. After a few days, he bumped into Sigma along with a few Conve members. They were fighting a veryrge beast and were also using Arrays. Noir joined in and helped out. Once they defeated the beast, Noir found out that apart from him, Malek, and the Emperor, most of the people who got sucked into the rift ended up near each other. As for their experience when encountering the inhabitants of that ce, they also suffered the same treatment as Noir had.


    In any case, they wandered the forest and ended up in Hollow Pass. There they found Malek and a few other humans. It was a strange and joyful feeling to see other humans.


    They learned a lot of things from the humans and the uwfulness of the ce they lived in.


    In any case, Malek, Noir, and Sigma searched for the Emperor but to no avail. Instead, they found a location in Hollow Pass that they imed and made into a safe haven for humans.


    For several years, Malek, Noir, and Sigma tried to find a way to return to the Human ne while also searching for the Emperor. Eventually, they met more humans, and they led them back to their safe haven.


    And finally, a few weeks ago, that man came.


    Yes, that man was none other than Gael.


    Back then, Noir and Sigma did not know what to do. After all, when they left the Human ne, Gael was their enemy. Moreover, he came at the most inconvenient time for them: Malek fell unconscious after seeing a vision.


    But then, Noir and Sigma were dumbfounded when Gael approached them respectfully. Even speaking of Kyran as if thetter was the sole purpose, he was alive.


    Unable to fullyprehend Gael''s change, Noir and Sigma decided to observe and listen to his story. After all, hearing the former spoke of Kyran made them see a glimmer of hope in returning to the Human ne.


    That was Kyran! The new Void Master possesses Array knowledge that far exceeds even Noir''s.


    s, what Gael told them was something they never expected, especially when he told them that Kyran nned to conquer Somuli.


    Then Malek woke up in a crazed state, spouting seemingly nonsensical yet prophetical-sounding things about the Prince of Armakea''s downfall that would result in Somuli''s destruction. All because his Master''s wrath could not be appeased by the death of every leading figure in Somuli.


    Noir and the others did not understand it at first, but then Malek said:


    "His death is only the first of the many. Thus, when hisMaster awakens to the scene of his people''s death, his pain could not be contained and his wrath could no longer be appeased."


    Gael''s expression turned grim, and he pleaded for their help.


    After learning the whole situation and even discovering that the King of Amrmakea already discovered Prince Achim and Princess Kesiah''s rebellion, they devised a n and set out as soon as they could.


    Unfortunately, Malek was still in a crazed state when they left. Fortunately, his quirk of wanting to research people and gain profit from them was also in an all-time high. Thus, when he sensed La''s presence, he made a move at once.


    Noir had to deviate from their n a bit because of Malek''s hastiness, but at least they managed to restrain La.


    Shaking his head inwardly, Noir snapped out of his sudden reverie and looked at the leader of the crowd before him.


    "Are you Nahir?" He asked in the Somuliannguage.


    "I am," Nahir replied, looking less apprehensivepared to the others. "Are you one of Nar''s people?"


    Hearing Kyran''s other alias from Nahir''s mouth, Noir could not help but be nostalgic.


    "You could say that-."


    "We are not that brat''s people," Malek cut Noir''s response disdainfully.


    "Head Master¡­"


    ck lines appeared on Noir''s head from Malek''s correction. Still, since he spoke in Humannguage, Nahir only looked at them in confusion.


    "Right," Noir cleared his throat and veered the topic back on track. "We heard the situation from one of Nar''s aides and we came here to help. We also want to tell you that your predicted time of contact with the King''s army is more than a day off.


    "Currently, two hundred Kngihts are marching toward this fort."


    Nahir scowled, "Impossible. Our scouts confirmed their location."


    "What they saw is only an illusion. The real army is already nearby."


    "But we haven''t seen anyone," an officer could not help but point. "You''re not going to tell us that they have turned invisible, are you?"


    The others looked at each other and felt it was an inconceivable thing. After all, even if one was invisible and could move stealthily, the King''s army numbered 200. Could they move stealthily when all of them were invisible?


    "Noir."


    Malek called him out with a warning tone. He did not want to nag, but they were running on a tight schedule.


    Hearing Malek''s call, Noir closed his eyes, and with a solemn voice, he said, "Who says they are traveling in the open?"


    He opened his eyes and looked at Nahir meaningfully.


    Achim, listening in on them, was the first to realize what Noir meant, and his mind reeled at the thought.


    Nahir also realized Noir''s meaningful look and words, and his eyes widened at the realization.


    Before he could blurt his thoughts, however, one of the knights, who also caught on to Noir''s words, said, "They are traveling underground!"

 Chapter 859 Request (1)

    <h4>Chapter 859 Request (1)</h4>


    Nahir led Malek, Noir, and even their captive La to the underground where Achim was.


    During the discussion they had before La''s arrival, Achim proposed to create an Array formation with a defensive form. He wanted to hide the formation inside the hidden chamber beneath the fort.


    Because Somulians could not replicate lost technology, Achim was not confident he could pull it off. However, he wanted to try it out because, based on some knowledge he received from their Master after being reborn, one could create lost technology¡ª or, rather, Arrays¡ª as long as one had the required materials and magic energy to sustain it.


    Unfortunately, the Array formation with the defensive form Achim remembered was quite troublesome to set.


    Unbeknownst to him, the only reason it was troublesome was because the one he remembered was an original defensive array Kyran created. Although the required materials weremon items, creating the ink solution to write the form was a pain.


    Achim had to ensure that each rune on the form used the exact amount of ink, and the spaces on each rune should be bnced. The amount of magic energy he transferred into the brush with every stroke of the rune also had to be even. It was truly a hard work.


    How could their Master write one with such ease?


    Obviously, Achim had not seen Kyran create Arrays before. But after being reborn, he gained some fundamental information about Kyran in the form of additional memories.


    Putting that aside, Achim''s struggle in Array creation was very normal. Not only was he not well-versed in Array, but it was also his first attempt at creating one. Yet he was brazen enough to recreate the defensive array Kyran created!


    In the end, Achim had not evenpleted a quarter of the formation when La arrived.


    Just when Achim nned to go out and participate in battle, Gael suddenly appeared. It was then followed by the interference of the crazed Malek and even Noir.


    Gael took the time to exin the situation to Achim and assured him that Malek and Noir were considered their Master''s allies.


    Achim did not need much exnation, to be honest. After hearing the names of those two, images shed through his mind about them. It was due to those shes of images that allowed him to know their Master considered Noir as his first mentor in Array, while Malek... well, they were civil around each other.


    With the reveal that Filren''spany had been traveling underground all this time, Achim and Gael agreed to let Nahir lead Malek and Noir underground. Thetter was especially invited because of his identity as Kyran''s first Array mentor. As for Malek, he was only invited because he was the only one who could subdue La, and they did not want to imprison thetter in the fort''s cell in case she took theck of the fort''s security or challenge to break out and escape. Besides, Achim believed in an ancient saying: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer¡ª no matter how literal he considered it.


    Having La close was actually risky. She might have a way of informing Filren and the others that she was captured and that they already guessed he was traveling underground with hispany. Nevertheless, Achim did not mind that. Besides, Filren was already aware that their scout, La, had failed and fallen into their hands. Letting her leak information on their findings did not really change much. Unless, of course, they discussed their counter against Filren.


    "Since they are underground, the easiest and most effective way to deal with them is to bury them," Nahir said as soon as they gathered in a small circle in the middle of the chamber.


    When Nahir and the others arrived, they only saw Achim. Gael decided to remain hidden in the shadows and observe. After all, La used to be his Master, and at the moment, he did not want her to know Kyran had already changed him.


    "True," Achim agreed. Nevertheless, the slight crease on his forehead meant he was not really fond of that suggestion.


    "You are not convinced," Nahir obviously noticed Achim''s reaction.


    Achim looked at him but did not respond. As a matter of fact, he sensed Gael''s reluctance as well. Unfortunately, they could not really tell them that the reason they did not want to bury Filren and hispany alive was because they did not want to lose such fine subordinates for their Master. If Achim voiced that out, the rest would definitely think they were maniacs.


    "Burying them alive?" La, who had been silent ever since her capture, suddenly spoke with a hint of ridicule. "You think it will be easy? Those are the King''s Knights, which is led by one of his trusted aides."


    "No one asked your opinion, woman," Malek said in a bleak tone while inserting air pressure inside her body to torture her.


    "Ngh...!" La gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Still, blood started to trickle down the side of her lips, and her eyes had once more gotten bloodshot from the torturous pressure her internal organs suffered.


    "A few of them possessed teleportation tokens, while Filren himself carried a scroll with arge-scale transmission array. Before the ground caves in, he could activate that and transport all of them out of harm''s way!" La persisted.


    Noir frowned, "Those items..."


    La smiled, "Yes... they are items from the Human ne, and I supplied them to them."


    The four men could not help but finally spare her a nce.


    Malek also stopped torturing her as he sensed she was willing to talk.


    "Ack...!" La gasped after the pressure in her body subsided. Though Malek''s air pressure was torturous, having removed it in an instant was equally painful! She red at him, wanting to make him squirm as she tortured his soul.


    In the end, La did no such thing because she found herself in a very favorable situation. She would not risk the opportunity presented by her capture.


    "Informing us about that... what are your intentions?" Nahir asked with a slight scowl. He still felt perturbed at La''s uncanny resemnce with Cyneah.


    "I have valuable information about the King if you ept my request, I will be more than willing to assist you."


    All four exchanged nces.


    Knowing La''s character and how she would not hesitate to betray anyone in a heartbeat, Malek and Noir would never agree with her. But if they had to consider the situation in Armakea, their opinions did not matter. The ones truly involved were Achim, Nahir, and Gael¡ª whom they knew were hiding somewhere and silently observing them¡ª Malek and Noir''s opinions weighed too little.


    "Valuable information, huh?" Achim looked at her cautiously before continuing, "Will that information allow us an advantage against Filren and hispany?"


    La frowned slightly, "You''re still thinking about that? If I tell you what it is after agreeing to my request, the battle with Filren andpany no longer mattered."


    "That''s not for you to decide," Achim replied.


    "You guys haven''t even heard anything."


    "Then tell us first, then we''ll think about it," Nahir quipped.


    "That won''t do," Malek suddenly chimed in, looking at Achim and Nahir. "Filren and hispany have already been alerted about your confrontation. There is a possibility that they have adjusted their formation. More importantly, they are already too close. We can''t dally here. You guys have to retreat before they arrive."


    Achim shook his head, "We will stay. If that means confronting them, then so be it."


    Malek''s expression turned sour, "You have no idea what you''ll trigger by wanting to confront them."


    Achim and Nahir''s expressions hardened at Malek''s words. The way he said it sounded like they were reckless fools who only knew how to throw away their lives. It peeved them. At the same time, Malek''s use of words intrigued them, especially when he mentioned the word trigger.


    Not waiting for the two to ask questions, Malek continued, "Retreat for now, and devise a n on how to deal with them."


    "Prince Achim initially nned to hold them off by creating a defensive array around the fort," Nahir exined. "We only need to endure until reinforcements arrive."


    "We''ll also employ gueri tactics to reduce their number," Achim added.


    Noir could not help but look at the crude array formation half drawn on the floor. He looked at Achim wryly, "Writing an array formation ording to a design you have seen before does not mean it will work. While I can sense magic energy flowing in the formation you have drawn, it is still far from beingplete. And even if you sessfullyplete it, it does not mean it will work."


    "Right, you know about Arrays," Nahirmented, recalling the golden array still active outside.


    Noir nodded, "Yes. That''s why I know just by looking, that this particr defensive array will not bepleted before Filren and hispany arrives¡ª."


    "You guys... are you really just going to ignore me?" La interrupted. "You don''t seem interested in the information I possess regarding the King, fine. How about I help you deal with Filren and hispany? Will you agree to my request now?"


    "Deal with Filren and hispany... says the person who could barely withstand my attack. You may possess one of the forbidden magic, but surprisingly, you are far too weak," Malek said, giving La a disdainful look.


    La bit her lip. She wanted to refute Malek, but he was not exactly wrong. She was truly too weak!

 Chapter 860 Request (2)

    Chapter 860 Request (2)


    However, the only reason La seemed weak was because of Somuli''s restriction. Moreover, the body she was using was only temporary. As a matter of fact, the owner of this body was a human who did not possess any innate magic and was on the verge of death. Since La was in dire need of a body, Ruin could only kidnap the easiest race with a human form for her to use.


    Unless La found a suitable body, she would never pose a threat to Malek.


    "Obviously, I have my way on how to handle them. As you may have already guessed, unlike those other Sovereigns fighting over that newly promoted Somuli Sovereign, I came to recruit the King of Armakea," La answered Malek''s provocatory remark while masking her embarrassment for being overwhelmed by a mage with rathermon innate magic.


    Having La believe that Malek''s magic wasmon was not strange. Like most humans, few were aware that there was a higher tier of magic that Wind magic belonged to. Besides, in the past, La had a weak body constitution, which prompted her family not to pay much attention to her education, especially on Magic. Even after receiving the Soul core and La embarked on her dark ploy, someone else took care of matters pertaining to Magic while she focused on applying the art of craftiness to hide herck of Magic knowledge.


    While saying her piece, La observed the reaction from Achim and the others. She knew they were not the clueless inhabitants of Somuli if Kyran was hiding behind them. They should have a better understanding of the real situation of Somuli, which likely caused their decision to rebel against the King of Armakean. Nevertheless, La did not know the extent of their understanding of Somuli''s current situation. Besides, theplete beings'' reactions when she appeared, followed by Malek and Noir, showed restrained fear of the unknown and, at the same time, curiosity, which meant only a few truly understood Somuli''s real situation. From those things, La did not filter her words so she could see Achim and the others'' reactions.


    Sadly, La failed to elicit any reaction from them. Feeling a little displeased by theirck of response, she said, "Seems like you are already aware of the existence of the Sovereigns."


    "If the valuable information you want to share has something to do with your faction''s offer to the King, then there is nothing to talk about," Achim said, not denying nor agreeing to La''s guess. "We already guessed as much and are uninterested in knowing the details."


    La raised her brows, "Is that so?"


    Since she mentioned recruiting the King of Armakea, it was not strange for Achim to assume she offered something to the King. Still, she managed to confirm something from his response. Achim had used the term faction when La only mentioned other Sovereigns. From this, it was not strange to assume they had a deeper knowledge of the Somuli''s situation.


    ''If that''s the case then how about this?''


    "Then are you aware of the truth of the Somuli''s Sovereign?"


    Achim and the others remained indifferent.


    Achim and Nahir''s reactions were mainly because they already knew the truth. They even knew who was supposed to be Somuli''s Sovereign.


    On the other hand, Malek and Noir, who had yet to understand the bigger picture, did not really care. To them, the most important thing was to stop Achim''s forces from getting wiped out and triggering hell from descending to Somuli. Their reason might seem they were concerned about Kyran falling into the dark side; the truth of the matter was different.


    The destruction of Somuli meant that every living and non-living there would be destroyed. Since Malek and Noir were there, obviously, they were included. In the end, their main concern had always been their survival.


    Of course, Noir held sentiment toward Kyran since he did teach him Array. So, he was also worried Kyran would really be the new Dark Sage after Somuli''s destruction.


    "Enough of your non-sense, woman," Malek snapped in clear annoyance. Ignoring Lapletely, he addressed Achim and Nahir once more and said, "Time is running out. Our side deployed a group of specialists to dy them. But theirbat ability can notpare with the Armakean knights. Besides, their magic use is also restricted and can only rely on their limited magic items. Gather your forces and abandon the fort now."


    "I already gave you our answer, ''We will stay.'' While we appreciate your concern, it is unnecessary."


    Malek scowled. Obviously, news of Prince Achim''s character had reached their ears in Howling Pass. Thus, he expected thetter not to agree readily. But Achim''s stubbornness did not carry a sense of pride. Rather, his decision came fromplete trust.


    "I heard you the first time but decided to turn a deaf ear," Malek replied, not wanting to back down. Achim''s answer might be due to his unrelenting trust toward their expected reinforcements, but that could very well result from a blind trust.


    "Can you not ignore me and just agree to my request?" La was feeling exasperated now. She did not think these men would act so callously as to ignore her twice! She was the Soul Emperor, for crying out loud. Just because her vessel was weak did not mean she was genuinely weak!


    "Let me meet the Void Master," La continued, no longer bothering to hide what she wanted. "Rest assured, I only want to talk with him. I will not do anything else."


    "Even if you have any ulterior motives, you don''t really pose any threat to our Master," Achim could not help but respond.


    [Achim. Nahir is present. tantly referring to our Master like that may pose some problems.]


    Gael''s voice sounded in Achim''s head. The former''s reminder btedly made thetter realize his mistake. Unfortunately, taking it back might not be a good idea.


    On the other hand, just as Gael warned, Nahir''s ear perked at the mention of ''Void Master'' and ''Master,''ing from La and Achim. After that, his mind reeled at a sudden realization, and his scalp tingled in fright.


    This...


    Nahir initially believed that what Kyran told them was already exining the whole situation in Somuli. He did not expect that there were still things thetter withheld from them!


    Looking at the woman with the same face as Cyneah shook Nahir''s very core. He had an inkling that Kyran mostly withheld information about Cyneah. Recalling how this woman seemed to possess a strange ability to affect their emotions, not triggered by her voice, meant she did it by other means. If her magic was simr to Cyneah''s, and thetter used hers to heal... it made Nahir wonder what type of support-type magic could affect one''s emotions to such a degree.


    Nahir''s doubts were answered the next second by La''s response, almost turning him into stone in fear.


    "Watch what you say, Somulian. You may have the Void Master''s support, but I am the Soul Emperor. If there is one thing that can counter an Ancient magic, it is another Ancient magic."


    Not one to be outdone, Achim replied with a deadpan expression, "I am well aware of that, Soul Emperor. Unfortunately, your threats are empty while you remain in the mercy of an Air mage."


    Achim''s response dealt a blow to La''s ego. Her brow twitched as she red daggers at him. Ultimately, she decided to swallow her angry retort and replied, "Fine. I admit I am weak right now, which is why there is no harm in letting me speak with him."


    At this point, Gael could no longer hide and reveal himself. Though it was brief, he had been under La''s control, thus, he could more or less recognize if she was sincere. Moreover, the fact that she did not retort to both Achim''s and Malek''s provocative remarks showed her willingness topromise.


    Seeing Gael surprised La. More importantly, she noticed that he had broken out of her control.


    "You¡ª."


    "Unless we confirm your intentions are true, we cannot allow you to meet our Master."


    Hearing Gael refer to Kyran as Master made La''s eyes narrow.


    As far as she was concerned, the Ancient magic that could counter Soul magic was Draconic magic because its raw destructive might was useless in front of Soul attacks. On the other hand, Void Magic counters Time Magic. This had been apparent when Kyran and Ste first met, with thetter''s magic being useless against the former. Kyran even dared to destroy Ste''s Time magic array. Then, Time magic could counter Draconic Magic simply because one could not release their destructive might when time was stopped. Finally, Soul Magic countered the Void because only a direct attack on one''s soul could harm thetter. As a matter of fact, this was the true reason Deception''s Illusion attack managed to influence Kyran because Illusion magic employed some of the Soul magic''s nature.


    Because of this, La was surprised that Kyran managed to remove her influence on Gael and even convinced him to be his subordinate.


    "Gael... So you have betrayed me," La tried to stimte her magic onto Gael and check if she could reawaken her influence over him.


    To her dismay, Gael did not react to her words and simply said, "I have long seen the error of my ways and have been reborn. I suggest you do the same; else, we can not allow you to meet our Master."


    "I''ll think about it if you let me meet him, that is my bottom line. In addition, I will deal with Filren and hispany."


    All of them exchanged nces.


    Since Malek and Noir''s purpose was to prevent the death of Achim and the others, having La deal with the situation was fine with them. They did not trust her per se, but like what Achim said, even if she tried anything, her weak body constitution would not threaten Kyran.


    After a short pause, Achim, Gael, and even Nahir came to a tacit understanding.


    "Alright." The one who had spoken was Nahir. He added, "As long as you stop Filren and hispany''s advance, then you have my word to let you meet the Void Master."

 Chapter 861 Acquisition (1)

    Chapter 861 Acquisition (1)


    Malek was reluctant to let La go, but at that moment, he could only relent. If the worst-case scenario happened, then he would have to do everything to assist Achim''s side and repel Filren and hispany''s attack. Malek was confident he could do this under Noir''s array formation.


    Once the array formation''s effect was over... well, Malek did not even want to think about it.


    Malek''s doubts were proven to have been irrelevant because La kept her word. As a matter of fact, she only activated the Soul mark inside Filren and hispany''s bodies that she subtly ced on them and restrained their movements.


    When Sigma, along with a few other Conve members and the Emperor''s army, who tried to dy their advance by using ready-made array formations to temporarily lower their vision, their speed, or even preparing crude traps on the floor, saw Filren and hispany''s movements sudden stop, they took that opportunity to restrain them using chains made of anti-cast stones. Sigma, with the help of the others, also pinned a ck round badge at the back of their uniform. That badge was a magic item that Noir and Sigma crafted that preventedplete beings from summoning their Divine Armaments.


    It actually took them four years toplete the array calction behind the magic item, and that day was the first time they would use it in a real battle.


    Unfortunately, with a disadvantage in numbers and possible resistant bodies of some of the knights¡ª especially Filren¡ª against La''s mark, a few managed to use the teleportation scroll she supplied to them and returned to the capital.


    After that, Achim led a group of knights to assist Sigma in taking back their prisoners.


    Because these knights were different from the ones stationed around the forts outside the capital, Achim did not have the capability to ce a mark on them. For this reason, Gael could only help in binding them with his Shadow magic.


    Achim expected his uncle to mobilize more troops once Filren returned with bad news. Apart from that, he would definitely tell the King that Achim had outside help. Still, after inwardly calcting the time it would take them to gather as well as their time of travel, Achim guessed they would need more than two weeks before arriving at the fort.


    Nevertheless, because they discovered Filren''s use of an ancient underground passage for a sneak attack, he would no longer use it. If that was the case, instead of Filren, the King might mobilize Mo for a frontal confrontation.


    After confining all their prisoners in the fort''s prison cer, Achim, Malek, Gael, Nahir, Noir, La, and Sigma gathered in the underground chamber again.


    Achim judged it best not to let others join because their topic might appear confusing to them, especially if they talked about matters regarding outsiders.


    "It will probably take 18 days before anotherpanyes," Achim guessed. "We''ll adjust our defenses before then and make sure to expand the range of our trap location. Kesiah and her group will have arrived before then as well, and she can provide her insights."


    La frowned at what Achim had said, "Oi, I already did my part. Now, it is time we go to where the Void Master is."


    "I hate to agree with this woman, but I also strongly advise you to abandon this fort and retreat."


    Achim and Gael exchanged nces, which the rest caught immediately.


    La''s expression darkened as she more or less guessed the reason behind their nce.


    "Don''t tell me... did something happen?"


    Nahir also had a grim expression. He had only heard what happened to Kyran and felt exasperated. After all, it was thetter who pushed through with the conquest idea, and yet he had fallen unconscious.


    Talk about shirking one''s duties!


    "He had a run-in with two outsiders," Gael was the first one to speak. He looked at La meaningfully before adding, "And one of them, I believe your were very familiar with."


    "Ruin?" La frowned at once. She obviously knew Ruin''s obsession with Kyran. But it was mostly due to thetter being the new Void Master¡ª or, to be precise, Can''s sessor.


    Nevertheless, La knew Ruin would not be stupid enough to hurt Kyran when they both had an objective to fulfil. Kyran''s participation was important to them, thus, they could not allow others to touch him.


    ''Wait, two outsiders?'' La''s eyes narrowed.


    "Who is the other one? Do you know?"


    Achim and Gael shook their heads.


    "Unfortunately, no," Achim replied. "In any case, from what we''vest heard, his condition has stabilize and is currently recovering."


    "Can''t you just have the Abbot or the Saint heal him?" La asked.


    The moment she said this, Nahir''s expression hardened. He looked at her and said, "Do you know who the Saint is?"


    La''s eyes contracted at his question.


    To be honest, when La and Ruin came to Somuli, their priority was to recruit the King and his Knights to their side. Her reasons were obviously simr to why she wanted the Regis n. The Armakean Knights'' extraordinary discipline and strength would be a perfect match for her undying army. Because of this, La focused on getting into the King''s circle.


    As for Ruin, he mostly frolicked about while also gathering intel on the other Sovereigns'' movements.


    La was aware of a blind Saint among the Eidums, and to be honest, she was intrigued. Unfortunately, she could not order Ruin and investigate the Saint against his will. He helped her most of the time, but that did not mean he listened to hermands. Ruin was not interested in the Saint and did not pay much attention to her. He only kept a very loose surveince in what went around the Land of the Eidums. Frankly, if not for the incident of the silver humanoid dragon''s appearance, Ruin would not even pay attention to the war happening in the Great Divide.


    Seeing Nahir''s expression, it did not take long for La to sense his emotions. She then recalled his words when he first saw her: "You.... Dare use that face...", and immediately she smiled.


    "I see... so it is really her..."


    Achim and Gael noticed a malicious glint in La''s eyes, and they reacted at once. Their killing intent rose as they red at her.


    "Do not dare to touch the Mistress," they threatened at the same time. "Else, we will eliminate you here and now."


    Malek, Noir, and Sigma also looked at her threateningly. The former even regretted removing his bind on her. If not, he would have tortured her with his magic again.


    La shrugged at their reactions. Retaining a gentle smile on her face, she said coquettishly, "All of you are far too serious. What''s wrong with feeling happy, knowing my sessor is also here?"


    Nahir frowned. He noticed everyone''s reaction to La''s response to him. Unfortunately, she chose to reply in their nativenguage that he did not understand their exchange. However, judging by their reaction, it was obvious they unanimously felt disgusted by her.


    "Besides, instead of directing such killing intent on me, don''t you think asking for my help to heal your Master is a far wiser move?" La continued.


    "There is no need," Achim replied with narrowed eyes. "Master is recovering steadily. In a few days, he will be fine."


    "Okay. Suit yourselves," La said with a shrug. If they would rather let their Master suffer than be indebted to her, then so be it. She would not try to change their minds. Besides that, she was not in a hurry to reim Cyneah''s body as her new vessel because her desire to speak with Kyran far outweighed everything else.


    Achim looked at Malek once more and asked, "Can you tell us why you want us to abandon this fort?"


    Malek heaved a sigh. He hated recalling a vision he saw but knew it would be difficult to convince Achim and the others to leave if he did not tell them.


    "A vision," he said after a short pause. "I had a vision where all of you died."


    "Death is something that we do not fear."


    "Don''t give me that cr*p," Malek growled at Achim. "You may not care about your deaths, but what about your Master? Did you even consider what he might do if you guys die?"


    Gael''s expression turned grim as if he was recalling something. Since he and Achim were somehow connected as two beings who had been reborn from the Void, the former''s memories shed through thetter''s mind, and his face darkened.


    What Gael remembered was what Kyran did back when La ordered Ruin to destroy the Regis Estate''s defensive array. The scenes that shed through Achim''s mind worried him.


    La could not help but chuckle.


    "s, the Regis''s morals are their strengths, and also their weakness."


    "You canugh now," Malek looked at her. "But even you will not escape the consequence when he snaps."


    La did not reply, but her eyes turned cloudy as she recalled something unpleasant.


    "We understand," Achim replied after a while. "But first, we''ll wait for Kesiah and her group to arrive."

 Chapter 862 Acquisition (2)

    Chapter 862 Acquisition (2)


    After Filren reported to Aran, he was severely punished for his failure.


    Filren was sent to the torture chamber to receive his punishment. However, before receiving his punishment, he was forced to summon and surrender his Divine Armament. Doing this ensured that he could not use his magic energy to endure the punishment.


    It should be noted that Divine Armaments allowed aplete being to generate magic energy naturally. With a natural magic energy replenishing ability,plete beings could strengthen their defenses and healing abilities in dire situations.


    Regarding the rest of the knights that also escaped, they also received punishment simr to Filren. They were not as severe as thetter. Instead, after being whipped a hundred times, they would be sent to the pce courtyard in the morningpletely naked to endure the heat of the zing sun.


    Aran sat on his throne with a dark expression. He tapped his finger impatiently on the side arm of the high back chair, the sound amplifying the tense atmosphere inside the Throne Room.


    Kneeling before him in an orderly manner were the rest of the Royal Family members, including most of the Heir candidates. There were a few who were not there because they were outside the capital. But like everyone else, they received Aran''s summon and were on their way back.


    A middle-aged man in a red and blue suit, whose appearance bore the same features as Achim, except he looked older, was at the forefront.


    This man was Achim and Kesiah''s father, Ravan.


    Unlike the tense expression that most of the family members behind him wore, Ravan remained calm.


    They were already aware of Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion and felt indignant. They were not even involved; why did King Aran have to summon them?


    The Heir candidates, in particr, felt wronged because King Aran withdrew every Knight assigned to them in case some of them decided to use them to rebel against him as well.


    After an unnervingly long silence, Aran finally spoke.


    "Have you talked to your son and daughter recently?"


    Obviously, his question was not meant to check if Ravan knew about Achim and Kesiah''s ploy but a satirical one.


    "I haven''t," Ravan responded calmly. Not one bit fazed about the question''s real intention.


    Everyone inside felt their breaths caught in their throat at Ravan''s tant feigned innocence. They could not help but curse at him inwardly for trying to provoke Aran.


    The tapping sound that echoed through the throne room abruptly stopped, resulting in a deafening silence. A silence that would make anyone hear a pin drop


    Each family member immediately controlled their breathing in fear of breaking the silence and causing Aran''s silent wrath to explode on them.


    The silence stretched, resulting in everyone¡ª except Ravan, to feel agitated.


    Just when everyone was about to go insane from the silence, someone let out an exasperated sigh.


    All of them paled because it did note from the King. Instead, it was Ravan!


    "What is the point of calling everyone here?" Ravan asked while raising his head to look at Aran. "To show young dominance?"


    Aran looked at Ravan from where he sat. But since the curtains were only slightly drawn, no one could clearly see his expression.


    Ravan stood up, which made the two Knights standing on each side of the bottom of the tform where the high back chair was to look at him.


    "I do not want to go along with your powery. As for the matter with my son and daughter, do what you deem fit. I will not get in your way."


    After saying his piece, Ravan turned to leave. He did not even bother to wait for Aran to speak and directly exited the throne room.


    The moment the two massive doors to the throne room closed, the whole room rumbled as an immensely ominous pressure fell down on each family member inside.


    Their faces paled further as their bodies almost hit the floor.


    *Cough* *Cough*


    However, before the pressure could reach its highest point, Aran coughed, and the pressure abruptly stopped.


    Because of the embarrassment of showing his weakness, Aran''s temper escted further as he bellowed, "Gather all your forces! I don''t care how you do it, but I want Achim and the rest of the rebels in that fort dead as soon as possible!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "GO!"


    All of the family members stood up and left in a hurry.


    "Mo!"


    The knight on the right below the tform turned at once and knelt before Aran.


    "Give me your order, My King."


    "Take a battalion and go to the Armakea border. Kill everyone there and take over jurisdiction."


    "I will not fail you."


    Mo left at once.


    As another knight reced Mo''s position, Aran mmed his hand on the side arm of the chair, and the air around him crackled with his rising energy.


    Frankly, Aran''s anger was triggered by Ravan rather than Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion or Filren''s failure. As much as he wanted to subdue Ravan, he could not touch him. It was not because he held a small filial affection toward Ravan because they were brothers, but because, at the moment, thetter had the strength to kill him.


    Nevertheless, with Ravan''s righteous character, he would defy Aran''s unreasonable excursions and orders but would nevery a hand on him. Because to Ravan, subduing a sick person was wrong.


    "Ravan... Ravan... I''ll have my way with you soon!"


    In the next couple of days, Kesiah and her group arrived at the fort. She was already aware of the situation and also agreed to retreat back to the border. However, instead of taking everyone, she suggested leaving a few behind to operate the traps and reduce the King''s forces.


    Since the Servants knew that Kyran wanted to turn every Armakean Knight into his subordinate, Gael suggested letting his Shadow Minions stay. At least they had the ability to blend into the shadows and escape when the worst-case scenario happened.


    Now, the only problem was how they could take their prisoners back to the border while preventing them from suddenly turning against them.


    Noir initially suggested using a transmission array to transport all of them to the border. This suggestion was weed by Malek, Nahir, Sigma, and most of the fort leaders since it would reduce their time travel.


    However, Achim, Gael, and Kesiah rejected this simply because the time it would take to create a transmission array would take some time. Apart from this, the materials required and resupplying the magic energy to activate the array again took up a lot of resources. Although Noir was willing to provide most of the materials, as well as the spirit stones still in their possession, Achim, Gael, and Kesiah believed those resources could be used in another way.


    The others agreed with their line of thought, which left them again with no option.


    But then La reminded them that her mark was still inside the prisoners'' bodies, which meant she could easilymand them to move and follow them to the border.


    There were pros and cons to allowing La to use her mark, but with little to no option left, they could onlypromise.


    La would be allowed tomand the prisoners, but she would have to keep her restraints, with Malek keeping a close eye on her. She agreed readily to their terms. But she told them it was not really necessary because she really wanted to talk to Kyran.


    With nothing else keeping them from moving out of the fort, they gathered everything and left immediately.


    While this happened, Nachum returned from his seclusion and finished his preparation to ascend.


    However, because Ames and True Void were upied with expediting Kyran''s recovery, Nachum could only wait until they were done before he could attempt the ascension.


    In the afternoon, however, one of Gael''s Shadow Minions, he left near the border, arrived to report what happened in the fort.


    Now that Nachum had left his seclusion, he took over the decision-making and had everyone who remained in both Armakea and Eidum HQs to prepare.


    Nachum''s decision to have them prepare was prompted by a bad inkling he had. He might not know the King of Armakea personally, but one thing he was sure of was thetter hated failure.


    If Nachum''s bad inkling were right, the King of Armakea would not target the fort alone but also the Armakea border because it was under Kesiah''s jurisdiction.


    Meanwhile, Nachum checked back on Cyneah, whoseplexion showed she had fully recovered. Her assistants no longer gave her the blood-replenishing pill because it was no longer needed, but they continued to use their magic energies to replenish her weak energy.


    Nachum dismissed Oded, currently looking after Cyneah, before closing the door. He stood by her bedside and sighed before saying, "I do not know what happened between you and Nar, but avoiding him is not the answer."


    Silence ensued before a tear slowly fell from the corner of Cyneah''s eyes.


    Slowly, her eyes opened as she said, "I''m scared to face him, Abbot... especially after he saw the ugly side of myself."

 Chapter 863 Acquisition (3)

    Chapter 863 Acquisition (3)


    Nachum sighed and shook his head sadly. He did not understand what Cyneah meant about ''the ugly side of herself,'' but whatever it was, it greatly affected her heart and emotional state.


    "Sisi," Nachum started after a short pause. "Don''t you think you are giving Nar too little credit? He went through all the trouble ofing here. He defended the borders, taught us how better to utilize our strong suits, solved issues in the border that we deemed almost impossible to solve, and even endured sneak attacks from outsiders, all because you are here¡ª because he did not want you to be exposed to further danger. Do you think he will change his opinion of you just because of one w?"


    Cyneah remained silent. She understood the Abbot''s point, but he could only say those things because he was unaware of her w. But before she wallowed in self-pity, her brows furrowed as she recalled what the Abbot had just said.


    "What do you mean ''endured sneak attacks from outsiders?''" she asked as she slowly propped herself up.


    "I do not know theplete details," Nachum started and sat on the chair by the bed''s side. "But a few weeks ago, I chance upon him warping back to his roompletely soaked in blood."


    The moment Cyneah heard thest few words, herplexion paled at once. She got up in a hurry while saying, "Please take me to him."


    "It is toote," Nachum told her, shaking his head. "This little fellow and I had¡ª S-Sisi!"


    Unfortunately, his initial answer scared the hell out of her, making her miss a step and fall off the bed.


    It was a good thing the chair Nachum sat on was close, and he caught her beforending on the floor.


    "What are you¡ª?"


    "T-Take me to him! I need to see him!"


    Nachum btedly realized Cyneah might have misunderstood his response and could not help but sigh. Seriously, young people. She obviously cared about Kyran, yet dared to avoid him.


    One could truly act irrationally before the person they loved.


    Nachum''s heart ached for Cyneah and Kyran. He knew Cyneah had feelings for Kyran, but because of the pact, she had to conceal them.


    If only the pacts in Somuli were not that powerful or overly binding, Nachum could have tried to rescind the pact between them even without Nahir''s consent.


    Kyran said he might have another way to absolve the pact, but Nachum was still skeptical. It was not that he did not trust the younger man, but the nature of Void magic was truly a mystery and Nachum was unsure it could undo the pact without triggering any repercussions.


    With that uncertainty, Nachum swore in his heart that he would find a way to convince his son to rescind the pact. The pact was meant to protect Cyneah from the Somuli Sovereign, but with Kyran around and Nachum about to ascend to Sovereignty, there was no longer a need for it.


    "Calm down, Sisi. When I said it was already toote, I meant that his condition had already stabilized. Besides, there is someone already assisting in his recovery," Nachum exined patiently.


    "Please take me there," Cyneah, however, still insisted on going to Kyran.


    "Alright," Nachum could only relent and helped the young woman to her feet.


    Since Cyneah had been in bed for almost a month, she found it hard to stand upright and even walk properly. Nachum had to assist her as they made their way to Kyran''s room.


    Ames and True Void were still focused on the formation that helped Kyran adapt to the changes in his body after drinking the Elixir. Nevertheless, they were still very alert of their surroundings, in case of an emergency happening outside.


    Because of this, Ames and True Void noticed Cyneah and Nachum entering the room even though they were very discreet.


    Cyneah squinted her eyes slightly as the light she could see from a silhouette near Kyran dazzled her eyes. It was so bright, she could barely look at it. If not for the hazy almost empty space that hovered near it, she would be blinded by the silhouette''s light.


    ''That empty space... is like Nar''s...'' she thought with a doubtful expression. Obviously, Kyran was not in that empty space because it was too small. But seeing the absence of light in that hazy spot gave her the impression that whatever was hovering there had the same condition as Kyran''s.


    Cyneah pushed aside those thoughts as she did her best to control the existing magic energies in the room so she could see Kyran''s silhouette.


    Somuli''s natural magic energy was usually thin, but Cyneah rarely had trouble using her magic sense because the Macabre cier supplied her with enough magic energy. However, even without the Macabre cier''s assistance, she could gather enough magic energy naturally because the silhouette with an overly dazzling light released a tremendous amount of magic energy.


    Becauseplete beings generate magic energy within their bodies using their Divine Armament, it was not strange for them to have the ability to release raw magic energy. However, a Divine Armament''s ability to generate magic energy had limits. Complete beings would normally constrain the amount of magic energy they used so they could fight longer, or in case of emergency, they could generate a burst of energy to defend or escape.


    But the owner of that light seemed to release magic energy indiscriminately and did not seem to care if its Divine Armament exhausted itself.


    Meanwhile, Ames could not help but frown when she sensed a presence spying on her as well as controlling her excess magic energy. She knew that one of the two people who entered the room was the old man from earlier. As for the second one, Ames recognized its aura as a woman. Moreover, she found thetter''s presence familiar, yet, also unfamiliar.


    Ames opened her eyes but did not turn around. She did not have to because her Draconic Eye could easily have a 360-degree view of her surroundings.


    Upon seeing a young woman, Ames''s frown deepened. The young woman''s presence was familiar¡ª annoyingly and infuriatingly familiar! But the young woman was genuinely young and not some powerful mage bearing a youthful appearance. Apart from that, the young woman''s face did not ring a bell.


    For the record, Cyneah might be La''s sessor, but the two did not look alike. Basically, the former possessed the appropriate body that could bear the Soul core and did not look anything like thetter. It was the same with Ste, the First Time Keeper, and Ste, the current Time Keeper. They did not look alike. They had the same name, though, and like how Ames found Cyneah''s presence familiar, Ste and Ste, also had the same presence. One could say that their presence was simr because they were the Time Keeper.


    Annoyed at the young woman''s brazen act of controlling her excess magic energy, Ames wanted to censure her. However, she soon realized that the young woman directed the excess magic energy to Kyran, after which, she channeled her own magic energy and assisted in his recovery.


    That was when Ames realized why the young woman''s presence was familiar. This was that b*tch''s sessor.


    "You conniving little b¡ª!"


    "Don''t! Don''t! If you do anything to her, your great x50 grandson will curse you to death!"


    True Void obviously sensed Cyneah''s presence and sensed Ames''s anger the moment she recognized thetter.


    Ames clicked her tongue as she red at True Void, "That x50 is unnecessary!"


    True Void only gave her a wry smile. He only said that to divert her attention. If not, she could have hurt Cyneah and Kyran would go ballistic when he found out. True Void even sensed that thetter would wake up in an instant if Ames attacked Cyneah.


    Hmm.


    Actually, that was not a bad idea. Maybe if Ames made it seem as if she wanted to attack Cyneah, then they could force Kyran awake.


    Clearly, those were only True Void''s wishful thinking. Ames could one-hit kill Cyneah and Kyran would not even react. That was how deep he was slumbering at the moment.


    "Please, allow me to help..."


    Ames red at the younger woman. However, the next second, she realized that after thetter channeled her magic into Kyran, his recovery speed went up at an rming rate. She could even see hisplexion returning to normal.


    Seeing such results, how could Ames refuse the younger woman''s plea to help?


    After a short pause, Ames snorted and said, "What''s the point of asking permission if you''re going to start anyway."


    True Void sighed in relief. Cyneah''s healing was truly potent to have appeased Ames''s temper at once. Then again, it was to be expected, as Soul magic was said to be synonymous with life. Much like how Void was said to be synonymous with nothingness.


    With Cyneah''s assistance, Kyran''s recovery speed was improved. And in just over an hour, one of his brows started to twitch.

 Chapter 864 Acquisition (4)

    Chapter 864 Acquisition (4)


    The story Can told Kyran was not that long. It only took him about two hours¡ª at least, that seemed to be the case inside the Kyran''s sea of consciousness¡ª to finish his story.


    After that, it took Kyran almost an hour to digest everything. Something that rarely happened to him. He would normally absorb everything easily, which was advantageous when he was learning theories and such.


    But rather than not understanding Can''s story, Kyran had trouble connecting the pieces of Can''s to the things he knew.


    Put simply, everything Kyran discovered by himself, was only a small piece of a huge puzzle. Thus, when more pieces were revealed, the initial guess of how the puzzle would look was actually different.


    In the end, Kyran stopped connecting the pieces and chose toy them out first on the huge canvas. Once he gathered the rest of the pieces that was the time he would connect them.


    As to where he could gather them, Kyran believed the tablets Axil and her people discovered might had them.


    When Can sensed Kyran''s resolve, he did not bother to ask his thoughts and simply started teaching everything he knew about the Void.


    Teaching Kyran took quite some time. Nevertheless, his learning speed was still very fast because of his ability. If not for this, it would take him a year to digest and apply in practice everything Can taught him.


    At the end of every lesson, Can would give Kyran a task he needed to aplish in a fixed duration. If thetter failed, he would have to redo it until he seeded. Only afterpleting the task would Can proceed with the next lesson.


    Completing Can''s tasks did not really pose any problem for Kyran because of his ability. Thus, there was no dy in his learning, which surprised even Can.


    It should be noted that when Can learned his magic, it took five years before he could confidently say he understood its nature. It took him an additional three years before he became proficient in its use.


    Apparently, his n to produce the most suitable body to inherit the Void core had also produced cheat-like innate abilities.


    That was right. Abilities with the -ies.


    A mage would normally possess one innate ability proportional to the number of one''s innate magic. For example, if a mage possessed two innate magic, he would likely receive two innate abilities. Of course, having two innate magic was close to impossible. One could learn two magic but at the end of the day, he could only have one innate.


    As for Kyran, he actually possessed more than one innate ability. One was his ability to graspbat and magic theories, allowing him to executebat moves or magic attacks even without practice, or prior experience. Second was his natural healing ability, which he initially thought to be due to the dragon blood he drank before. Third was his ability to overwhelm beasts with his presence which he inherited from Can.


    And then, there was his special innate ability of being immune to the Fates'' interference.


    Kyran was unaware of this, however, and only Can knew of it¡ª or to be precise, only those who had been exposed to the truth knew of such a special innate ability.


    "Did I do it right?" Kyran asked after recovering from thest task Can had given.


    Snapping out of his reverie, Can looked at him with a wry smile.


    "Are you trying to destroy my confidence by asking that each time youplete my task?"


    Kyran shrugged, "What''s there to destroy? You''re only a remnant of consciousness staying inside my sea of consciousness. No matter what, you can no longer perform any of these outside."


    Can''s brow twitched at Kyran''s response. He basically told him there was no merit in destroying a dead person''s confidence!


    "More importantly," Kyran continued. "You''re the only one who can provide good feedback regarding my use of the Void being my predecessor."


    "Fair enough," Can sighed in resignation. "Thus far, you have managed to grasp a lot of the Void''s usage. There are still more, but they are mostly abination of two or three theories. Thus, it is unnecessary to discuss them all."


    Kyran nodded in agreement. He preferred to experiment with thosebinations rather than ask Can to borate. Moreover, eachbination might not necessarily produce the same results. Depending on which theory was the main focus of thosebinations the result would vary.


    At that exact moment, the Shaiha suddenly shed several times before a familiar magic energy appeared inside. The way it shed looked as if it was agitated by the new magic energy''s appearance.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he sensed the Shaiha''s internal struggle. The sensation was simr to when the Shaiha lost control because the Macabre cier seeded in influencing it. Still, there was a slight difference from that time to now.


    Previously, the Shaiha failed to resist. This time, it managed to limit the area where the magic energy moved.


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn. Obviously, he knew who that magic energy belonged to and was torn between feeling relieved and apprehensive.


    He was relieved because the appearance of that magic energy meant she had finally decided to wake up and was assisting in his recovery. But he was also apprehensive because having her magic energy enter his body might trigger an event wherein the Macabre cier would force the Shaiha into submission.


    Nevertheless, between the two sentiments, Kyran was more relieved than apprehensive especially now that the Shaiha could resist better.


    "It appears, your body has more or lesspleted its evolution," Canmented after seeing the Shaiha''s activity. "And the owner of that magic energy has contributed a lot."


    Sensing Kyran''s doubts, Can added, "I am unsure if it is because she does not possess the Soul core, but she has a better hold on the Macabre cier."


    Kyran stayed silent. Recalling what Can told him about the reason he did not destroy the Macabre cier gave him a huge headache. Kyran repeatedly asked Can if he truly meant ''could not destroy it,'' rather than ''did not.'' Because if it was the former, then it meant the Void magic was not enough to aplish this. Kyran could then try using Draconic magic to destroy it. But if it was thetter, then that meant he could not touch it.


    "There is no use agonizing over the matter," Can told Kyran, seemingly knowing what thetter was thinking. "You must at all cost, protect the mirror. Only after it aplishes its purpose, can it be destroyed. In any case, even if you do nothing, as long as it serves its purpose, then it will shatter on its own."


    "But aplishing that is too troublesome."


    "I know, which is why I decided to pass the task to a more capable sessor."


    "..."


    Kyran was speechless.


    Whether it was his ancestor or his predecessor they were truly an annoyingly handful of pricks.


    "In any case," Can decided to change the subject. "I believe this is your cue to return."


    Kyran looked at him and raised his brows, "We''re already done?"


    "Do not give me that look," Can said incredulously. "Were you not the one unwilling to stay? You even asked if my story would be long."


    He had a point.


    Kyran sighed, "I just wondered if you have more things to tell me."


    "I have told you everything you need to know."


    "But not everything that you know."


    "This is strange," Can said while furrowing his brows in exaggerated confusion. "You don''t strike me as a person who wants to be spoon-fed with everything."


    "..."


    Kyran was rendered speechless once more. While it was true he did not want to be spoon-fed, that did not mean he could not be bothered to learn everything in one go. Since Can had more information, why would Kyran bother searching for another tform to know the rest?


    Letting Can share all he knew was far more efficient.


    In the end, Kyran did not urge Can to tell him the rest. Instead, he asked, "Will this be thest time?"


    Can turned sober at Kyran''s question.


    Although Kyran did not borate on his question, Can knew what he meant.


    "Yes, it will."


    Kyran did not know why his answer saddened him. Can was only a remnant consciousness and would eventually disappear even if Kyran did not trigger another meeting.


    Can could not help but smile after sensing Kyran''s conflicted emotions.


    "I was not expecting you would feel that way at this point," Canmented with a slight smile. Sensing Kyran was about to wake, he continued, "You might think that we have manipted your life because of our desire to find the most suitable inheritor of the Void core, but you will know soon enough that it was not the case¡ª because it is simply impossible to manipte your life given your special innate ability.


    "I hope you will seed where I have failed. And though it is close to impossible, I do pray that we will meet again."

 Chapter 865 Acquisition (5)

    Chapter 865 Acquisition (5)


    The moment Kyran regained consciousness, an excruciating pain racked his body that almost made him groan out loud. Fortunately, a cool sensation washed over his body that instantly dispelled any difort.


    Kyran squinted as his eyes slowly regained their focus. An unfamiliar ceiling greeted him, and memories of what happened before he passed out shed through his mind.


    When he remembered his encounter with a powerful outsider and Ruin''s intervention, Kyran nned to summon his Servants at once. However, just as he was about to prop one arm, he noticed something cold yet soft grasping his right hand.


    Turning slightly to his right, Kyran finally noticed someone holding his hand. And that someone was causing a cool sensation to course through his body.


    "Neah..." Kyran muttered under his breath as he saw Cyneah leaning over the side of the bed with her eyes closed.


    Judging by the dark circles under Cyneah''s eyes and her slightly furrowed brows, Kyran guessed that she fought to stay awake so she could continue to heal him. Unfortunately, she was too exhausted and fell asleep while still channeling her energy into him.


    A small smile appeared on Kyran''s face as he watched Cyneah''s sleeping face. Though her slightly furrowed brows made her look as if she was angry, he found her adorable.


    Kyran''s smile froze as he realized what he was thinking. He frowned and inwardly shook his head. Cyneah was clearly looking ufortable. That was why she wore such an expression, and he found it adorable. What the hell was he even thinking?


    Though Kyran did not move that much, Cyneah''s brow twitched, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.


    Probably because she was channeling her energy to him, Cyneah sensed Kyran had woken up and was currently looking at her. Her cheeks instantly flushed at the thought of him seeing her sleeping while looking dreadful.


    "Y-You''re awake! T-That''s good¡ª uhm... I-I''ll go call¡ª tell the others," Cyneah stammered even when she tried her best to act calm.


    Not waiting for Kyran to respond, Cyneah prepared to stand and leave.


    Unfortunately, Kyran pulled her back using the hand she held.


    "Stay."


    Kyran had only said one word, and he even sounded somewhat curt. But whether his voice sounded deeper than usual because he had only woken up or he was doing it on purpose, Cyneah''s heart started to pound madly. It beat so loudly she feared he would hear it, even though there was still a reasonable distance between them.


    Ultimately, Cyneah''s knees got affected by her pounding heart, so she sat back and replied in a small voice, "Okay."


    Seeing Cyneah''s flushed face and seemingly flustered reaction, Kyran was amused. He knew he had important things to deal with, but at that moment, he could not help but want to spend a little more time alone with her.


    "Are you feeling much better?" Kyran asked as if Cyneah was the one who had just gone through a difficult ordeal.


    Cyneah pursed her lips, clearly feeling annoyed that he would ask her such a question when he was the one who was in a critical condition just the day before.


    Yes, the day before.


    Although it was only a brief moment when Cyneah''s magic energy seeped into the Shaiha inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness, a day had already passed in the waking world.


    When Ames and True Void noticed Kyran had almost fully recovered, they stopped using the formation and allowed him to rest. Cyneah, however, insisted on assisting his natural recovery and stayed with him.


    Ames''s expression distorted when Cyneah volunteered to stay with Kyran. But recalling it was her healing that expedited thetter''s recovery, she kept her dissatisfaction to herself and let them be. Besides, she might appear unreasonable and thoughtless, but she actually cared about what his great-grandson would feel if she hurt the younger woman.


    Ames was not stupid. She obviously understood what True Void did not say when he begged her not to hurt Cyneah or else Kyran would curse Ames to death.


    With this in mind, Ames, Nahir, and True Void left and allowed Cyneah to stay by Kyran''s side.


    Because of her displeasure, Cyneah managed to contain her initial agitation andined, "I''m supposed to be the one asking that question."


    "I''m better now, thank you."


    With Kyran giving such a response, Cyneah could only sigh and say, "You... can you please stop putting yourself in danger?"


    Her words were meant to address his decision not to tell them about the activities of the outsiders.


    The truth, Cyneah, and Nahir were convinced that whenever Kyran disappeared¡ª whether announced or unannounced¡ª he was diverting the outsiders'' attention away from them.


    "Only if you stop doing things that would put your life in danger," Kyran returned.


    Cyneah paled at once. She knew what Kyran was implying, and honestly, because she was so scared yesterday after hearing about his condition, she hadpletely forgotten about it. Now that he reminded her of it, her emotions were again in turmoil.


    Seeing Cyneah''s reaction, Kyran hastily added, "I''m sorry. I am not trying to drive you into a corner. I only want you to understand how scared I was after seeing you..."


    His voice faltered as he remembered the state she had been in when he found her in that hallowed space underground.


    Cyneah brightened instantly after realizing that Kyran was not disappointed, even after seeing her use the Macabre cier and do those horrible things. Although she did what she did to protect the Eidums, it was still wrong to control others and lead them to their death. She even let the Macabre cier''s sentient eat every soul of beasts, beast-likes, andplete beings that died.


    Kyran sorted his thoughts before he continued, "When we finally met again, you wondered why I did not ask you anything about what happened to you, and I answered because I did not want you to remember any bad memories; I unknowingly let you carry your burdens alone.


    "For that, I''m sorry. I should have asked questions. I should have insisted on knowing what had happened after you arrived here.


    "I hope it is not toote to ask, and you''ll let me ease your burden."


    Kyran dared not ask her to let him remove her burden because that was impossible. Unless he decided to destroy the Macabre cier and erase her memories, she would never be able to remove the burden altogether. Moreover, the guilt over the things she had done to survive would always stay with her. Maybe, in time, she would learn to ept and forgive herself, but for now, he wanted to assure her she did not have to face them alone because he was there.


    Cyneah felt her throat start to burn as tears threatened to fall down her eyes.


    All this time, she feared that once the people she cared about learned the unspeakable things she had done during her first three years in Somuli, they would be disappointed and condemn her. This was why hearing Kyran''s sincerity in knowing her story and even wanting to ease her burden overwhelmed her.


    Kyran discovering her ugly side was far more distressing than confessing everything to her master, te. That was how important she valued his opinion. It was not because he was her benefactor but because he was the man she was in love with.


    Cyneah took a sharp intake of breath as she finally admitted the feelings she had tried to hide. But as she thought this, she sensed the pact within her body trembled¡ª as if to remind her that she was already betrothed to someone else and could not feel such emotion with another.


    Kyran caught the change in Cyneah''s expression at once. Before he could ask what was the matter, she tightened her grip around his hand and said, "Thank you."


    And that was all he needed to hear. He did not want to force her to borate or share her story. He would give her time to sort her thoughts, and when she was ready, he would listen. But the extent of his giving her time did not include that other thing.


    "Just now," Kyran started. "Your expression¡ª."


    "I''m fine."


    "Is the... that thing making you ufortable?"


    Cyneah flushed at once and shook her head, "N-No! Why would it m-make me uffortable?"


    Unfortunately, they were currently not on the same page.


    Kyran was referring to the Macabre cier when he asked that question, while Cyneah thought he meant the pact. The former thought that thetter''s excessive use of her magic might have triggered a negative response from the mirror, thus her sudden change. As for thetter, she thought he caught on to her realizing her feelings and asked if the pact acted up because of it.


    If she admitted it did, she would have inadvertently admitted her feelings! No way. She could not tell him. She must not tell him. At least not when they had far too many things to prioritize first!

 Chapter 866 Acquisition (6)

    Chapter 866 Acquisition (6)


    Kyran realized they were not on the same page, especially when Cyneah looked flustered and even started to stutter. He could sometimes be oblivious, but he was not a hopeless case. He obviously realized why and what got her flustered, and he could not help but be amused.


    In the end, Kyran did not burst Cyneah''s bubble and went along. Like her, he knew this was not the right time to discuss that particr topic.


    With that, Kyran smoothly changed the topic by asking Cyneah how everyone was doing.


    Earlier, Nachum told Cyneah the situation on their side when they went to Kyran''s room. But because the distance between Kyran''s room and Cyneah''s was pretty close, he only provided a brief overview of everything.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Thus, for the next few minutes, Cyneah told Kyran what she knew, and they exchanged insights.


    "When the Abbot dropped by earlier, he said that Princess Kesiah sent a coded message. But the only one who read it is your little friend. That''s why the Abbot could not tell me anything."


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips when Cyneah referred to True Void as a little friend. Now that he thought of it, the two had not met before. True Void knew Cyneah, but not the other way around.


    "It''s fine. He can tell me."


    Cyneah only thought a little about Kyran''s reply. In her understanding, he meant to ask True Void about the message once they joined the others outside.


    She was wrong.


    "True Void," Kyran called at once, making Cyneah''s heart skip a beat.


    Crackling sounds filled the room, followed by an answer, "What? What? Now that you need something from me, you finally notice me?"


    Cyneah almost jumped out of her seat after hearing True Void speak.


    Did he say ''notice me''? Did that mean he had been here all this time?


    She did not even notice his presence!


    Cyneah''s confusion over the matter was quite reasonable because she did not know Kyran possessed the Shaiha. Now that he was awake, he had the Shaiha''s concealment ability to also hide True Void''s presence.


    Kyran did not do this to tease Cyneah, of course. He did it because True Void practically reeked of Void magic energy. If not for Ames''s overwhelming energy that drowned True Void''s energy, Flos''s side might have already gotten the news of Kyran''s presence in Somuli.


    "And please, Mistress," True Void looked at Cyneah in displeasure. "Can you not call me little? I may look little in this form. But once I am in my truest form, I am majestic!"


    As a matter of fact, he only used the miniature Void armor form, so he would only upy a small area and limit the space at which his presence and signature could be sensed.


    Cyneah slightly raised her head toward where True Void''s voice seemed toe from and saw an empty-like space hovering right above them. It was the very same spot where she had seen him yesterday.


    Did that mean he never left and only hid himself?


    The thought made Cyneah blush again.


    Mistaking Cyneah''s reaction as her feeling embarrassed about being called Mistress, True Void teasingly said, "Look at you, looking as if you''re about to faint after being called a Mistress, yet you held Void Halfling''s hand as if your life depended on it!"


    Cyneah btedly realized that she was still holding Kyran''s hand. She let out a muffled cry of embarrassment and wanted to pull her hand away. However, even though she thought it, her body refused to listen. She never expected that she would be bolder and greedy when she admitted her feelings to herself! But if she did not let go, Kyran might notice something.


    Before Cyneah''s self-consciousness won over, Kyran had already moved his hand. But instead of letting go, he adjusted the position of their hands and interlocked his fingers over hers.


    By now, Cyneah''s blush had already spread to her ears. Still, she did not protest or even attempt to remove her hand.


    Kyran noticed this and was inwardly pleased. He was waiting for her toin or even discreetly pull away. Instead, she said nothing and even felt her hold tightened.


    Nevertheless, Kyran knew Cyneah had yet to acknowledge his intentionspletely. And that was fine with him. What mattered was that she was avoiding him anymore.


    On the other hand, the third unwanted party could only look at them with a deadpan expression.


    True Void inwardly snorted at Kyran''s straightforwardness. s, he truly could notprehend humans.


    "Tell me what Kesiah said," Kyran told True Void, as if nothing happened.


    "s," True Void sighed before he continued, "As Mistress told you, the disappearance of Gael''s minions resulted in the King discovering the rebellion. The King sent out one of his trusted aides to diffuse the situation immediately.


    "For this reason, Kesiah had to leave HQ to help Achim and Nahir''s group. But before she arrived, someone else attacked the fort where Achim and Nahir''s group defended.


    "Fortunately, another group showed up to assist them. In the end, they managed to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening, but there was a catch."


    "That someone who attacked is an outsider," Kyran provided.


    True Void nodded, "Yes. And not just any outsider. It is someone we know."


    Kyran frowned at his words. Knowing True Void, if the outsider were someone from Flos''s side or Ruin, he would have said so without trying to sound mysterious. But since he did not, then it could only mean one thing.


    Cyneah''s expression also turned grim as she was ovee with a bad feeling.


    "La..." she breathed as fear gripped her heart.


    "Yes," True Void confirmed. Then he hastily added, "But that other group who helped was also someone we know. They subdued La and turned the tables against the King''s forces."


    Kyran''s expression lit up as he guessed the things True Void had not shared and put them one after another. "Gael found them?"


    "Gah... As always. You are no fun. No fun at all! You''re insight''s bing more and more like your father; it''s scary!"


    Kyran gave him a deadpan look, "If Gael is still missing, I would have known. Since I can sense all my Servants, then it means he has returned. He obviously cannot overturn the tides alone. Meaning he brought someone who could. Before I left, I ordered him to continue investigating in Hollow Pass.


    "I don''t need to exin the rest, right?"


    "Yes, yes. You and you''re scary insight," True snorted. "You''re right. Gael returned and found Malek and the others. As a matter of fact, it was Malek who subdued La."


    Thinking about that weird right-hand man of Ste, the Time Keeper made True Void sigh inwardly. He remembered Kyran and Malek''s initial meeting and broke out in a cold sweat.


    At that time, True Void had started to regain consciousness and would sometimes witness what was happening around Kyran. Because thetter had yet to satisfy the energy required to wake True Voidpletely, he could only observe what was happening within Kyran''s Void core.


    True Void was awake when Malek and Kyran confronted each other. And since thetter had only started circting his magic and barely knew how to use it, he suffered in Malek''s hand.


    Apart from that, True Void remembered how Malek easily inflicted internal and almost fatal injuries on Kyran when thetter''s body had already undergone the first changes after taking a sip of the Elixir.


    That alone was a testament to how powerful Malek was. Not to mention, at that time, he was in a crazed state and had not fully manifested his strength. If he was already that strong then, after several years, how much stronger was he now?


    "Malek?" Cyneah finally spoke after listening to them in silence. "The Head Master of the Conve? He is also here?"


    "Ah, well..." True Void looked at Kyran.


    Not wanting to let True Void answer that in case he gave an exaggerated ount and Cyneah might think it was her fault that those people ended up in Somuli, Kyran took the initiative to exin the situation.


    He only gave a brief exnation of how Malek and others had gone missing after La''s ambush in Ravenpass.


    Cyneah had a thoughtful expression after Kyran finished his exnation. After a short pause, she asked, "Would you know if... Uncle Gage is with them?"


    Kyran and True Void looked at her in surprise.


    "Gage? Did you meet him¡ª?"


    Cyneah nodded her head and replied before Kyran could even finish his question. "Yes. A few days after I arrived here, I was attacked by a beast. I tried to run, but the beast was too fast, and eventually, more joined the chase."


    She paused, her brows slightly furrowed as if recalling something unpleasant. Then she shook her head slightly and continued, "To make the story short, I fell into a small gorge and escaped their pursuit. But one of them jumped down. Before the beast could hurt me, though, Uncle Gage appeared and killed it. After that, we traveled together for several weeks. But then we got separated when we... encountered a magical beast...


    "Anyway, so many things happened after that, and I never knew what happened to him. So..."


    When Cyneah shared some of her experiences after arriving in Somuli, Kyran and True Void remained silent. They were both surprised at the fact that Gage was also there. But after hearing thatst bit, they realized his chances of surviving were close to nil.

 Chapter 867 Acquisition (7)

    Chapter 867 Acquisition (7)


    Although Gage couldn''t survive an attack from a magical beast, this was only based on the assumption that he was still a Master mage.


    However, considering what Cyneah said before, when beasts chased her, and Gage managed to kill one by himself, Kyran had to reassess his initial thoughts.


    Cyneah might not have specifically said what type of beasts had chased her, but considering they had relentlessly pursued her, with one even going so far asing after her when she fell down a gorge, they were all feral.


    If that was the case, for Gage to have killed one meant hisbat and magic prowess was already way beyond a Master.


    For the record, the lowest mage level Kyran encountered in Somuli was at Grand Master. Hm and his team were at that level. As for most of the Eidums defending the borders, they were Exalteds.


    Recalling the time when Hm and his team fought two feral beasts, it took two or three of them to handle one. Even then, they could not kill them. And when a third feral beast joined the fray, Hm and his team got overwhelmed very quickly.


    From this, Kyran more or less guessed what level Gage was already at, and it surprised him. After all, if he considered the time thetter went missing from when Cyneah left the Human ne, it was probably only a few weeks with a maximum of a month. No matter how much time difference the Human ne and the Somuli had, Gage could have only appeared a few months at most in Somuli. For his level to have improved in such a short span of time was a testament to the Somuli''s ability to produce high-level mages or knights.


    This was somewhat strange, given how thin the magic energy was in Somulipared to the Human ne. With little magic energy to go around, humans would have trouble using magic and improving it over time. If this was the case, how did Gage improve so fast?


    What about Malek and the others?


    No matter how weak La was now, Malek would only have been able to overwhelm her that easily if he improved his mage level as well.


    Kyran had an inkling that Malek was already an Archmagus or, at least, on the verge of bing one when they were still in the Human ne. Even if he considered how hard it was to break through to the next level upon reaching Magus, Kyran guessed Malek was able to break through a level or two after staying in Somuli for seven years. This would also exin how Malek effortlessly subdued La.


    "If Gage could kill a beast alone, he could also have the ability to escape a magical beast''s pursuit. I''ll have Gael look for him," Kyran said after a moment''s pause. He gently squeezed Cyneah''s hand in assurance, knowing she was worried about Gage. After all, Gage had been one of the first few she met and got to know well after being given a new lease on life.


    Cyneah flushed slightly after hearing Kyran''s assurance. But she was also thankful, apart from feeling overwhelmed at his apparent care over her thoughts. Honestly, she no longer held any hope of finding Gage alive. Nevertheless, with Kyran''s assurance, she could not help but believe they could really find him.


    "Okay," Cyneah nodded with a smile.


    True Void illusory brow twitched while watching the exchange between the two. He had stayed hidden earlier because he did not want to be a third wheel! Gah! The agony and misery of watching these two... he was merely a magic weapon sentient, yet he felt frustrated.


    "Oi, oi. Are you not focusing on the wrong things here? Should you not be worrying about the fact that La is here and even made contact with the others? Just so you know, Kesiah also said they are taking La back with them because she requested to talk to you, Void Halfling."


    "I guess as much," Kyran replied indifferently.


    True Void frowned, "That''s the previous Soul Emperor, you know! The Mistress''s predecessor. Are you not worried she would do something to take the... that thing andeven take over the Mistress''s body?"


    "I''d like to see her try."


    "Void is weak against Soul magic."


    "Soul is weak against Draconic magic."


    True Void paused and slowly replied, "Well... that is true."


    He looked at Kyran skeptically, "But you have only recovered. Can you utilize Draconic magic better?"


    "I was not merely unconscious these past few weeks," Kyran answered.


    Although most of the things Kyran learned from Can were Void theories, he also managed to get a better understanding of his Draconic magic while observing his Draconic core. Besides, Can taught him how to draw on his predecessor''s experience and knowledge hidden inside the Draconic and Void cores.


    Previously, Kyran was not confident enough to use the full extent of his Draconic magic because his body could not take the strain. But that was no longer the case now that his body had improved¡ª or, as Can put it, experienced its second evolution.


    Upon hearing Kyran''s answer, True Void got excited. He more or less understood the meaning behind Kyran''s words. But when he was about to ask if his previous master asked about him, he paused before closing his mouth again.


    True Void was suddenly ovee with fear. He was a magic weapon sentient, for crying out loud. He should not feel genuine fear. Even at times when he acted scared whenever Kyran did something reckless, he was not truly afraid. But now, True Void was scared to hear anything about his previous master. He could not put it into words, only that he was really very, very scared.


    Sensing True Void''s conflicting emotions, Kyran chose not to speak of Can. He obviously understood True Void''s fear¡ª or, to be precise¡ª apprehension.


    Can was only a remnant consciousness, and no matter how much he seemed to be alive, he was already dead. True Void might not openly say how much he cherished Can, but the fact that he had yet to ept Kyran as his new master spoke volumes.


    This was Kyran''s thoughts given how True Void kept calling him Void Halfling, or when he mentioned Can; he still addressed him as ''my master.''


    Little did Kyran know that recently, True Void had started openly addressing Kyran as his new master. Nevertheless, Kyran''s guess was still on point. True Void felt a little sentimental about Can; thus, hearing something about him as if he was still alive made him feel apprehensive.


    "Fine," True Void shrugged after a short pause. "I should have known you would never let anything or anyone harm the Mistress on your watch. Gah, you two drive me insane."


    Cyneah remained silent. Initially, she felt scared at the thought of meeting La so soon.


    Although Cyneah now had the ability to fend for herself, she only had the Macabre cier acting as a pseudo-Soul core, while La had the real one. If a fight broke out between them, Cyneah could only resist for a few hours before La overwhelmed her.


    But after hearing Kyran''s response to True Void''s questions, Cyneah felt more at ease.


    That was right. She was no longer alone. She did not have to bear everything alone because Kyran was with her.


    "And? Do you have any idea why she wanted to speak with you?" True Void asked Kyran.


    "More or less."


    "Care to borate?"


    "I need to see the tablets with Axil first. Then I also need to talk to Lady Ames."


    "That sounds too formal. Just call her Great x50 Granny Ames."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Tsk," True Void snorted at Kyran''sck of humor. "She is your great-grandmother, you know."


    When Kyran did not respond and simply looked at him with a deadpan expression, True Void got the message and shrugged, "Fine. Fine, I''ll tell them you''re finally awake. We have to discuss our next course of action."


    "There is no need to discuss," Kyran replied.


    True Void looked at him incredulously, "What? You already have a n?"


    "I can guess what the Armakea King''s next move would be after his aide failed to destroy Achim''s side. Me and my Servants will deal with this. Meanwhile, I have to trouble you and Lady Ames in convincing the old man to ascend and also help him go through it."


    "Oh, that? He has already agreed and has made enough preparations."


    "That''s good then. That only leaves the Array Creation and then guarding the old man during the whole process."


    "But Ames sucks in Array Creation," True Voidined. "Even if I can help create the materials, with her sloppy work, the formation will likely not be as effective when you''re making it."


    Kyran raised his brows, "Who says she''s making it?"


    "No?"


    "We only need her to provide the magic energy."


    "Then who will make it?"


    Kyran smiled, "Did you forget? We have the most talented disciple of Master Noir."


    True Void rolled his eyes, "What? What? Now you''re boasting? If you''re the one making the array, say so. Why boast like that?"


    It was Kyran''s turn to roll his eyes at True Void. Instead of exining, he said, "Come."


    The space at the foot of the bed crackled as a distortion appeared.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Cyneah and True Void were shocked at the amount of energy, not to mention the magic fluctuation involved as a silhouette came forth from within.


    Neo, bearing Tyr''s appearance, stepped out of the fissure and knelt on one knee. He smiled at Kyran and said, "You called, Master?"

 Chapter 868 Acquisition (8)

    Chapter 868 Acquisition (8)


    Before Kyran could tell Neo why he called, thetter abruptly stood after seeing Cyneah.


    Neo looked at her, then back to Kyran excitedly, and eximed, "Ah! You have truly found the Mistress, Master! That''s good. Senior Zephyr will also be happy!"


    Cyneah tried to get used to being called Mistress by the people around Kyran, but hearing it now while knowing the meaning behind him still embarrassed her. She wanted to dig a hole and hide!


    On the other hand, True Void gawked at Neo in surprise.


    "Oi, Oi! How did you¡ª? More importantly, when did you¡ª?" Because of his confusion, he could barelyplete the questions running in his head. He looked at Kyran once more and demanded, "How did he get here?"


    "I summoned him."


    "''Summoned...''" True Void repeated in disbelief. But his doubts were immediately dispelled after recalling what Kyran said about not merely being unconscious these past weeks.


    It was not hard to guess that Kyran had been awake in his sea of consciousness and received some guidance or even enlightenment at that time. But because of the time difference between one''s sea of consciousness and the waking world, True Void thought the amount of guidance Kyran received was only minimal, if not average.


    True Void''s initial thoughts were dispelled the instant he saw Neo. After all, summoning something several nes away was a challenging feat. His reasoning was not wrong because only a couple of months back, Kyran could only warp close to Somuli before exhausting his energy. Now, he could even summon Neo without breaking a sweat.


    ''This... is not only a result of his body''s evolution...'' True Void thought in amazement.


    Cyneah was also surprised. Although her knowledge of Kyran''s magic was minimal, she knew how hard it was to perform a summon. Moreover, Kyran''s summon was not as simple as calling forth someone or something hidden in one''s space storage or spiritual space, but aplete transportation of a physical item from another ne.


    ''So this is one of the strengths of the mage who had control over the Void...'' Cyneah''s eyes sparkled in admiration.


    Not wanting to exin himself, Kyran looked at Neo and said, "I''ll transfer the blueprint of the array formation I want you to make. True Void will create the necessary materials because we don''t have enough time to search and gather all of them."


    "Yes, Master! I''ll make sure to create the formation worthy of your name."


    Kyran looked strangely at him, "Have you been feeding your memory with strange behavioral patterns again?"


    Neo looked at him innocently and replied, "Of course not, Master. I am merely saving information on different behavioral patterns of every species I encounter while searching for the Mistress. It is so I can properly act and mingle with anyone, depending on the situation."


    "Delete them."


    "No!"


    "Don''t make me delete them myself."


    "..."


    After a tense silence, Neo hung his head to the side and relented, "...yes, Master."


    "You don''t have to mingle with others when you''re supposed to do a covert mission."


    "Ah... right," Neo smiled sheepishly. "But, Master. What if I got caught? I will need that information to adapt and respond to the situation¡ª."


    "If you''re caught then escape. You have enough Void energy coursing through your Energy core. Use it and warp. I did not create that core for show."


    Neo scratched his head. He understood his master''s words but wanted to observe and study other species. Specifically, he wanted to learn how to act like a real living being.


    Kyran felt an iing headache. Ever since Neo birthed his sentient, Kyran had been worried about him wanting to be human.


    Before meeting Can again, Kyran knew it was impossible. However, after learning all the theories on utilizing Void energy, Kyran wondered if it was truly impossible. Of course, he initially had that thought not for Neo''s sake but for Zephyr. Or if he had to be specific, to the 99 consciousness living within the array formation he got from the Shaiha Temple.


    "Don''t be impatient," Kyran assured Neo. "Wait for a bit. I''ll see what I can do about your body."


    Neo''s iris whirred as he looked at Kyran in surprise. As someone who had only birthed a sentient for over a year, he was still unfamiliar with every human emotion. It was for this reason that he enjoyed observing the behavioral patterns of others, wanting to learn about the intricacies of what humans referred to as emotions.


    "Master..." Neo suddenly covered his chest and said, "What are you saying in front of the Mistress?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. In the blink of an eye, a fissure appeared behind Neo and started to pull him in before he could even react.


    "I was wrong! I''m sorry, Master...!" Neo pleaded for forgiveness especially since he sensed an ominous energy seeping through the fissure.


    Where was their master nning to send him for punishment?


    True Void watched the spectacle with a slight shake of his head. Neo sure had some guts to tease Kyran right when he had improved his magic knowledge by leaps and bounds.


    Cyneah could not help but chuckle at the ruckus Neo had done. Honestly, this was the first time she met him, and she found his character amusing. As for his teasing Kyran, she found it funny, even endearing.


    Kyran sighed inwardly after seeing Cyneah''s amusement. He initially wanted to teach Neo a lesson because he had be bolder in just over a few months of not seeing each other. In the end, Kyran changed his mind because Neo managed to distract Cyneah from her worries.


    The fissure crackled and repaired itself, sending Neo stumbling to the floor. After that, a new blueprint appeared on his database, which he checked at once.


    "I''ve given you the blueprint. Study it and ask True Void to create the needed materials," Kyran told Neo as if nothing happened.


    "Yes, Master," Neo replied at once, feeling extremely relieved at his master''s magnanimity. "Thank you for your mercy!"


    Kyran looked at True Void and continued, "I reinforced the defensive array at the Eidum''s border. It is best to perform the old man''s ascension there."


    True Void frowned slightly, noticing the implication behind Kyran''s words. Basically, Kyran wanted them to move back to the Eidum''s border because its defensive array would serve as anotheryer of protection for them. Having double protection was not really necessary with Ames assisting them. But if the worst-case scenario happened, which was the Armakea border''s fall, at least, with the defensive array at the Eidum''s border, it would prevent their enemy''s advancement to ensure the Abbot ascend with no problems.


    "Don''t be reckless, Void Halfling, you hear? No matter how much you''ve improved your magical, and physical prowess, we''re still outnumbered. If the other outsiders join in the fray for whatever selfish reasons, it is not worth it to continue the n of conquest and put everyone at risk. Make a tactical retreat, alright?"


    Neo''s expression turned solemn upon hearing True Void. He had yet to understand the situation his master was in. But seeing he was still in bed, and seemed to have only recovered from whatever condition he had been, Neo was sure the situation was dire. Not only that, he also noticed that even though it had only been a couple of weeks since his master left, his master seemed to have been staying on this ne for more than just a couple of months.


    Kyran smiled, "You''re overthinking. I and my Servants are enough to handle the situation."


    "You say Servants, but how many are they? Even if you included those knights who swore allegiance, you''re still far outnumbered."


    "I''ll also be with him," Cyneah assured True Void. "With the rest of the Eidums."


    Kyran was about to protest but then stopped because she would be safer with him than with others. Not that she needed protecting. In any case, if something unexpected happened, he could provide assistance immediately.


    .c¦Ïm "Master," Neo started. "How about bringing in all the Sigils as well? Their numbers might be few but their diverse magic and abilities can be used in a good strategy."


    Kyran shook his head, "The situation in the Human ne is unclear. Thest I heard, the other nations nned to attack the empire. I can''t have them leave their post in such a situation."


    Besides, the only one among the Sigils that could put up a fight in Somuli was Tritus. The rest of the Sigils, even if they were at least a Grand Master, could be considered cannon fodder.


    "Err... yes. Thus far, that is still the situation," Neo confirmed. "I believe that even if the Sigilse here now, they can return to the Human ne before anything happens."


    Before Kyran could ask how many days had passed in the Human ne from when he left and went to Somuli, Cyneah turned toward Neo and said while shaking her head, "Somuli''s time flow is erratic whenever its four moons are active. There are still a few more months before three of the four moons will go to sleep. Only when Somuli has one active moon will the time flow be more stable.


    "A day here might only be a few hours in the Human ne. But in the next second, a day in Somuli might be equivalent to several weeks in the Human ne."


    Neo frowned, "That''s... harsh."


    "Neah is right," Kyran agreed. He had read about the moons in Somuli and more or less understood what Cyneah had said. "I appreciate the suggestion and will give it another thought. But now, go with True Void and prepare the array."


    "Yes, Master."

 Chapter 869 Acquisition (9)

    Chapter 869 Acquisition (9)


    Cyneah, Neo, and True Void left right after that.


    At first, Kyran was reluctant to let Cyneah go with them, but since Neo was new and she was the only one who held a position among the Eidums, that would allow her to introduce him without resulting in unrest. After all, Neo''s hair color was considered darkpared to the blonde ones thatplete beings possessed. Obviously, he was not an idealplete being and could easily be mistaken for someone living in Hollow Pass.


    In the end, they underestimated their priorities. Unlike when Kyran showed up, and the Eidums immediately noticed his dark hair and eyes, when they saw Neo, they first noticed his good looks.


    s, like how Tyr''s looks drew attention in the Human ne, especially from females, the Eidums were the same.


    Cyneah and True Void were speechless because of this. Even Nachum felt somewhat embarrassed at how his people acted.


    Honestly, Kyran was feared by the Eidums because his average looks did not alleviate their fear of him being an Imon-spawn. There was a good chance that the Eidums, especially the females, would not be overly cautious around him if he had Tyr''s looks while having dark hair and eyes.


    True Void could not help but sneer as he wondered how these femaleplete beings would react if they saw Kyran without a mask. He could already picture them regretting their initial treatment of Kyran. Although they never treated him harshly and epted him as their benefactor, most still kept their distance.


    After dismissing the rest of the Eidums and a few Armakean officers who stayed at the Armakea border, Cyneah and True Void shared Kyran''s suggestions with Ames and Nachum.


    Ames initially wanted to avoid helping. She even told them she only stayed there because she worried about her grandson. But then True Void taunted her by saying she was only making an excuse, and she was afraid she could not live up to her grandson''s expectations.


    Even though Ames knew True Void was taunting her on purpose, she got provoked anyway and ultimately agreed to help. She even vowed that no problem would appear during Nachum''s ascension. If not, she would cut off one of her horns.


    It should be noted that a dragon''s horn was connected to their life force and magic, which meant the more horns a dragon had, the more powerful their life force and magic would be.


    Cyneah and Nachum could not help but shake their heads at Ames and True Void''s banter. Although they had only known them for more than a day, they had already witnessed their banter while helping Kyran recover. Ultimately, the two stopped annoying each other when Kyran''s condition stabilized, and they allowed Cyneah to stay with him.


    Finally, afterpleting their short discussion, Nachum led Ames, Neo, and True Void to the Eidum''s border.


    As for Cyneah, she called for her assistants, Oded and Yalen, to help her prepare as many potions and pills as they could before Achim and the rest returned. Because she knew that once they returned, they would go to war again. She also instructed another Eidum to prepare a medicinal bath for Kyran.


    Kyran was not idle. While Cyneah and True Void did their part, he spoke to his Servants telepathically and made preparations.


    Contrary to what Cyneah and True Void thought, Kyran did not n on waiting for Achim and the others to return. He already predicted that the Armakea King would send a few of his forces to deal with Achim at the fort they had just vacated while sending another group to the border to deal with Kesiah.


    Considering this, Kyran made a brief calction in his head and believed this was an excellent chance to make a move. He did not want to drag his ns on acquiring the Armakea Knights because he had to deal with the Nobles from the Kingdom of Cretea afterward.


    Kyran had also considered going into battle against Flos''s side if he went after the Nobles. Nevertheless, he was not afraid of confronting them. The only thing that kept him on edge was La''s presence. It was not because he was scared of her but because he had an idea why she wanted to talk to him.


    "Master," Jita entered the room, bringing in a new set of clothes for Kyran.


    Kyran got up from the bed and took the clothes from her. Sitting on top of the clothes, he noticed his pouch and mask.


    "The Mistress has prepared a medicinal bath for you. I''ll take you there."


    Kyran only nodded in response as he wore his mask and donned Nar''s face. Thinking about his identity as Nar, Kyran sighed. He forgot to tell Cyneah his real name again.


    ''I''ll have to tell her the truthter,'' Kyran vowed to himself. He then followed Jita out of the room.


    *


    Achim, Kesiah, Malek, and the rest were gathered at a vast clearing. All four moons lit up the night sky, which signifies they were already halfway through the night.


    "Prince Achim," one of the fort leaders could not help but speak up in concern. "Is it really alright for us to gather in such a conspicuous ce?"


    "It''s fine. We''re only waiting for a few people."


    The other fort leaders exchanged nces. Rather than being concerned about being seen by the enemies, they were worried about drawing the attention of the feral beasts that lived at the edge of the clearing. They might have the advantage in number, but if they encountered a horde of feral beasts, they would definitely lose a few. And they could not afford to lose anyone if they wanted to persist in their conquest.


    "You don''t have to worry about those beasts," Kesiah assured the fort leaders as if reading their thoughts. "We have someone keeping an eye on them."


    The person she referred to was Gael.


    At that moment, Gael was using his Shadow magic to monitor the movements of the feral beasts at the edge of the clearing. Thus far, none of the beasts could get close because he would absorb them into his shadows if they dared approach.


    The fort leaders furtively looked at Malek and the rest of the humans when Kesiah answered them, thinking she was referring to one of them.


    Malek, Noir, and even Sigma did not notice the fort leaders looking at them. Actually, they chose to ignore them because they were still thinking about what Achim had told them early that evening.


    Going back a few hours ago, while they were on their way back to the border, Achim, Gael, and Kesiah suddenly ordered them to stop. They then announced that they would change direction because they needed to meet with a few people. After that, they took Malek, Noir, and Sigma aside and told them who they were meeting.


    Kyran and a few others.


    After hearing this, Malek, Noir, and Sigma felt mixed emotions. It had been over seven years since theyst saw anyone they knew from the Human ne. Yes, they met Gael, but Kyran was altogether a different matter. He was their ticket in returning to the Human ne, after all.


    On the other hand, La, who Haji and the rest of the Servants were guarding, more or less guessed who they were waiting for. Because of this, she was full of anticipation.


    Finally, when one of Somuli''s four moons started to dim, the area in front where Achim and the other leaders stood crackled.


    A surge of magic energy suddenly converged around it as a fissure tore through the space.


    Mostplete beings and humans were shocked at the dense magic energy that gathered around the fissure. After all, Somuli''s natural magic energy was too thin.


    The fissure grew but stopped when its size wasrge enough for a few adults to pass through. After that, three figures stepped out, with the one in the middle leading the other two.


    Malek narrowed his eyes as he recognized Kyran. From what they heard from Gael, it had only been over a year since they disappeared from the Human ne. Yet, in just over a year, Kyran seemed to have changed a lot.


    On the other hand, Noir and Sigma could not help but smile after seeing Kyran. They felt somewhat nostalgic after seeing him. They did not even care how much he had changed; they only cared about seeing him again.


    When Cyneah stepped out of the fissure, La''s sapphire blue eyes sparkled in anticipation. She barely contained her excitement, and even her intentions seemed to have taken a visible form. Ultimately, her excitement got the best of her, and she wanted to feel Cyneah. But before her magic sense could touch her, the air around her crackled as an oppressive energy fell before her.


    [Touch her, and I''ll take your core.]


    La froze as bits of cold sweat trickled down the side of her face. Even her back was suddenly drenched in sweat. She slowly gazed upon the young man standing close to Cyneah and finally realized who he was.


    This was the first time La had seen Kyran wearing a mask; thus, she failed to recognize him.


    "Sir Nar, you havee," Achim and Kesiah greeted Kyran.


    Nahir frowned after seeing Cyneah with Kyran but did not say anything. He only looked at thetter questioningly.


    Kyran ignored Nahir''s gaze and instead addressed all of them.


    "Sorry for the wait," he started. "In a while, Jita will distribute potions to help you alleviate your fatigue and replenish your energy. Once everyone finishes the potions, we''ll leave and go to our next stop."


    "Next stop?" One of the fort leaders asked cautiously. "Are we not going to the borders?"


    "No," Kyran replied, shaking his head. Without waiting for the fort leader to ask a follow-up question, he dered, "We''re going to visit the King of Armakea."


    Except for Kyran''s Servants, the rest were shocked at what he said.


    "You... are still as reckless as ever," Malek could not help but say with a scowl.


    On the other hand, Noir chuckled while Sigma snorted in amusement.

 Chapter 870 Acquisition (10)

    Chapter 870 Acquisition (10)


    Kyran knew that going after the Armakea King directly was suicide, especially when he was surrounded by his aides, knights, and other subjects consisting of his family members. For this reason, he thought of drawing out the king''s forces one after another before confronting thetter directly.


    At least, this had been Kyran''s thoughts while he was out venturing around the Armakea. He had yet toe up with a concrete n on how he could draw out the king''s forces when he was attacked.


    When Kyran woke up, he admitted feeling stressed at the precious time he wasted lying unconscious. But after hearing the current situation from Cyneah, his Servants unknowingly did him a huge favor.


    Others felt that Gael''s sudden disappearance brought a huge problem to them since the King discovered Achim and Kesiah''s movements. To Kyran, however, it was a godsent opportunity.


    In any case, after analyzing the situation, Kyran guessed what the Armakea King would do next.


    Kyran believed that as a tyrant King who rarely encountered opposition, he was humiliated after one of his trusted aides failed to subdue Achim and Kesiah''s side. Considering this, Kyran guessed that the Armakea King would dispatch arge army to subdue or even destroy Achim and Kesiahpletely. While the King would still have his aides and enough knights by his side, their number would not be as overwhelming.


    Besides, Kyran did not n on confronting the King''s knight. Like True Void repeatedly reminded him to the point his ears grew numb, they were outnumbered. For this reason, he had to n out their visit properly.


    The first thing that Kyran had to ensure was that those forces dispatched by the king to deal with Achim and Kesiah should be well on their way before his side did anything. After all, he did not want to risk having those forces returning to the capital, which would end up with his forces having to deal with a pincer attack.


    The second thing Kyran had to do was ensure Achim and Kesiah checked in on their father. Kyran did not n on having them convince their father to join them. Instead, he wanted them to ensure that he did not participate. Because, from the information Kyran had, Achim and Kesiah''s father was currently the most powerfulplete being in Armakea.


    Of course, Kyran would not refuse assistance if Achim and Kesiah''s father decided to join them. But knowing thetter''s righteous attitude, he would definitely not tolerate his son and daughter''s decision to rebel and risk the lives of their subjects. He might even despise Kyran for turning his son and daughter into Servants.


    Another thing Kyran had to do was teach Noir, Sigma, and a few other Conve members who were part of the cksmith Order to maintain the array he would create around the King''s castle.


    Finally, Kyran had to know everyone staying with the King inside the castle.


    Thest one was not hard to do.


    .c¦Ïm When Kyran crossed paths with Deceptionst time, she gave him a parchment as a peace offering. The parchment, when used, allowed one to know the locations of another person. However, the only one who could activate it was someone with a specific bloodline, which Achim and the rest of the Armakea Royal Family conveniently possessed.


    Kyran did not believe everything that Deception told him. He suspected that there was more to the parchment than she let on. Although Kyran had checked the array formation on the parchment and did not find anything suspicious, there were still forms on it that could only be triggered when active. If he wanted to fully understand how the parchment operated, he had to activate it. But doing that might set off a trap or a tracking spell on the parchment, allowing Deception to spy on whoever was using it. For this reason, Kyran could only put it aside and give it to Achim and Kesiah. Nevertheless, he did not ask them to use it.


    But Kyran no longer worried about triggering any trap on the parchment. With his new understanding of the Void, determining traps or hidden spells without triggering them was now possible.


    A few hours after Kyran met with Achim and the rest, they went to the capital and set up camp at a cliff overlooking the castle.


    The fort leaders, especially those who had only heard about Kyran, were a little skeptical about him leading them. Though Achim and Kesiah affirmed their stance in cooperating with Kyran, it did little to appease their doubts. Their reaction was reasonable, especially since they saw Kyran as a shady Imon-spawn. Especially when he made such a grand entrance bying out of a fissure in space.


    The only ones who seemed to haveplete trust in Kyran were the Eidums. Something most Armakeans could not trulyprehend. The only Armakeans who could understand this were those stationed at the border and witnessed his strength.


    Kyran did not try to win over the trust of those newly joined fort leaders, knights, and officers. But that did not mean he would let them be. For now, having them swear allegiance to Achim and Kesiah was enough. When the time came, they would submit to him on their own ord.


    The second of the four moons above started to dim, and most of the Armakeans and Eidums were resting in their tents.


    Meanwhile, in one of therger tents in the camp, Noir, Sigma, along with the rest of the members of the cksmith Order, were still awake and were studying the array formation Kyran showed them.


    Malek was also with them, observing them from the side while keeping an eye on La.


    In anotherrge tent, all of Kyran''s Servants were gathered and were observing the now-active parchment that was sprawled above the long table. Achim was the one who activated it, while Kesiah and the rest provided the names of those they had to confirm their whereabouts. Gael, on the other hand, had his Shadow Minions properly track these people.


    As for their master, Kyran, he was outside, sitting by the edge of the cliff and looking at the Armakea castle at a distance.


    From behind, Cyneah approached silently.


    "It''s already toote," Kyran said without looking at her. "You should take this chance to rest."


    "I am alright," Cyneah replied and stood a couple of feet away from where Kyran sat. "Besides, I believe you''re far more exhausted after meeting with the others and making all the preparations."


    "Compared to you, who made all those potions and pills, I only exhausted my brain cells and mouth," Kyran replied with a wry smile.


    Cyneah chuckled, "I can replenish my energy just by standing here. As for you, you need proper rest to recover your brain cells."


    Kyran smiled. It had been a while since they could talk without having to worry about an invisible barrier between them. Cyneah had yet to tell him everything she went through, but at least the fear and worries she kept in her heart had been lifted.


    A quiet lull followed after that. But neither felt awkward nor agitated by it. They even felt content just by having each otherpany.


    "Neah, do you still have the token I gave you before?" Kyran asked, breaking the silence.


    Cyneah raised her brows in confusion. She recalled everything she got from him and finally remembered a token he once gave her.


    "Oh, that?"


    Kyran finally looked at her; his brows knitted slightly. He felt a little uneasy from the way she sounded just now.


    "I still have it. But I''m sorry, someone broke it a few years back."


    "Someone?"


    Cyneah nodded, "I... Remember when I told you Uncle Gage and I got separated after encountering a magical beast? After that, I ended up alone again and went through a lot. There was a time when I was taken by a group of beast-likes and worried about my fate. I remembered holding on to that token and..." she paused and let out a deprecatingugh, "... even calling out your name. But then one of the beast-likes saw it and..." Her expression darkened slightly as if recalling something unpleasant. In the end, she shook her head and said, "¡ªanyway, I did what I could to retrieve it, but he got angry and broke it just to spite me."


    Kyran frowned. He saw Cyneah''s expression just now and did not like how thest part of her narration sounded. He then remembered that one time he heard her call for him, and his mood turned sour. He suddenly had the urge to look for that beast-like and torture him.


    Sensing a change in Kyran''s mood, Cyneah diverted his attention by taking out the token from her storage ring. She then took a seat beside him and clumsily showed it, "Here it is."


    Kyran took the token and examined it. Seeing that the damage was not irreparable, he used his magic to repair it immediately.

 Chapter 871 Acquisition (11)

    Chapter 871 Acquisition (11)


    Cyneah was dumbfounded at what Kyran did. Her knowledge of magic item creation might becking, but she knew that in order to repair a broken or damaged item, one would need materials. Apart from that, the Array Forms included in them also required meticulous probing to ensure that the whole formation could be restored properly. However, Kyran not only repaired it by simply touching it, but she also felt some changes in the token''s energy cirction.


    "This token has its own defensive form and should not have been broken easily," Kyran said while fixing the token. "Unfortunately, the magic energy in Somuli is different from the Human ne. It failed to absorb enough energy to activate all of its form and could not defend against any form of attack."


    "No wonder it broke so easily," Cyneahmented, recalling how the beast-like only exerted enough of his strength topletely shatter the token''s outer shell.


    "I revised the form, which focuses on how it absorbs magic energy. It can now absorb both magic energy and mana."


    Cyneah was surprised at what he said. She had been in Somuli for more than seven years, yet she still did not know anything about mana absorption and usage. How did Kyran learn it? He even knew how to write its array form. She knew how proficient he was in Array Creation, but this level was simply too frightening. Was he able to do all these things because of his magic?


    The more Cyneah thought of it, the more she was convinced that the nature of Void magic was very profound.


    Kyran took her hand and returned the token while saying, "Sorry. The token can only amodate a limited number of array forms, and I had to remove one after revising its absorption capability. In this case, I had to remove the one-time teleportation form. If I don''t do that, the token will breakpletely."


    "That''s fine," Cyneah replied. "We can''t have it all."


    Although she said that, she felt a little regretful of losing the token''s one-time teleportation form. Truth be told, she had already used it when she was chased by a horde of beasts during her first few months in Somuli. That was why when she met with a group of beast-likes, she failed to escape and became their captive.


    In any case, Cyneah was expecting that Kyran would include another teleportation form and might even improve its usage capacity. But then again, she understood that if the token could not even absorb enough magic energy, even if its teleportation capacity was limitless, it would be useless.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Seeing Cyneah''s heartbroken expression, Kyran could guess what was on her mind. While examining the token, he noticed the token''s teleportation form was used up. From this, he guessed she had found the token''s teleportation capability to be very useful, especially in a dire situation. Thus, felt sad about losing it.


    "What''s with that expression?"


    "What expression?" Cyneah asked innocently with raised brows.


    "To be honest, I only included that form back then for insurance. In case something happens and I can''te to your aid immediately, at least you can teleport to somece safe," Kyran told her. He then frowned because the form dide in handy; unfortunately, he could note to her aid when she used it because he was several nes away from her.


    Just imagining the dangers Cyneah had gone through all alone in Somuli made Kyran regret not enhancing the token when he had the chance. In the end, he inwardly snorted at his own reprimanded himself.


    The token was not omnipotent. It could not ensure Cyneah''s safety. Besides, back then, how would he know that he had to enhance it because she would willingly enter a rift and go off the radar to hide the Macabre cier, which would mean he could not protect her?


    "Remember when the Tower of Conve was under attack?"


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie after hearing Cyneah''s off-topic question. "Why?"


    "I had considered teleporting out of there when I had thought my presence had put everyone in danger. Pretty foolish, huh¡ª?"


    "I know," Kyran replied before Cyneah could finish what she was saying.


    "You knew that I was foolish?"


    "No, to that. Rather, I had a feeling you''d do something like that. Why else would I go out and confront the enemy?"


    Cyneah frowned, not understanding what he meant.


    "I was determined to deal with the situation as soon as possible to put you at ease," Kyran exined patiently. "I can''t have you running off to somece I don''t know."


    Cyneah reddened and pursed her lips. Just now, she felt the shift in his mood again. That was why she wanted to divert his attention by bringing up something she believed was a foolish notion she had in the past. She did not expect him to respond like that, and even made her feel all jittery again.


    "That''s... unfair," sheined.


    Kyran chuckled. He looked at her and reluctantly decided to bring up a topic he had put off for some time.


    "Though the teleportation form is gone, the rest of its function remains. Since we won''t be in the same group in this operation, if you ever encounter someone you can''t deal with, call me. I''ll definitelye this time."


    When Cyneah heard Kyran, she sensed a very strong conviction from his words, especially from hisst sentence.


    "Nar..."


    Kyran knitted his brows. With clenched fists, he said, "Kyran."


    "What¡ª?"


    "My real name. It''s Kyran."


    A tense silence followed after that, and Kyran looked at Cyneah with bated breath.


    Telling her his real name might not be a big deal to others, but not him. Because it took a very long time to tell her the truth. Moreover, he had told her his intentions, yet he did not even tell her his real name until now. What kind of person did that make him?


    For this reason, Kyran was nervous to know or hear Cyneah''s response.


    Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes widened as she looked at Kyran. She could not see him per se, but his image was reflected in them.


    Finally, her lips broke into a knowing smile as she said, "I know."


    Kyran gaped at her, not knowing if he heard her right.


    Was she getting back at him for teasing her just then?


    Before Kyran could say anything, Cyneahughed after sensing his conflicted emotions, "Is it really hard to believe? I''m blind, not deaf. Do you know how many times Uncle Gage tried to correct himself whenever he slipped and called you ''Kyran'' when we were still in the cottage? Not only him, my Master¡ª even Uncle Nn. They would sometimes call you Kyran without them noticing.


    "At first, I was a little confused and wondered if they were referring to a different person. But I soon realized that they were talking about you, and I reckoned maybe that''s your real name and that ''Nar'' is your nickname."


    Cyneah paused and giggled after recalling something, "Sister Ste also called you Kyran when she told me stories about you."


    Kyran was speechless. All this time, he agonized over the fact that he lied to her about his name and had not even done anything to tell her the truth. Now that he told her the truth, he suddenly found out she already knew and did not even tell him.


    This...


    "Moreover¡ª."


    There''s more?


    "¡ªI did recover my essence, Haylee. The things I learned from her memories were very interesting. I discovered that she really likes Tyr¡ª."


    "I get it¡ª."


    "¡ªBut then her memories turned fuzzy at some point. I only managed to see her getting really flustered after realizing that Tyr was, in fact, Kyran Regis¡ª."


    "Alright. Fine," Kyran surrendered. "I know I was wrong for not telling you sooner. But why did you not tell me that you already know?"


    "I did not think that is something that I can just bring up," Cyneah replied matter-of-factly while shrugging her shoulders.


    Kyran groaned at her response, which made her giggle some more. She did not expect him to be flustered over such a thing. She found his reaction cute.


    "Kidding aside," Cyneah said, deciding not to tease him too much. "I never gave much thought to it because I reckoned you don''t want me to know your real name in case something happened and I ended up in the hands of the enemies."


    Kyran remained silent. What she said was actually on point. When he told her his name, he did not consider the possibility of her bing a part of their group. He did not even imagine she would be someone very important to him.


    "After learning about your real name," Cyneah continued. "I was already used to calling you Nar. Because of that, I never tried to ask you about the truth. So you don''t have to feel bad about it."


    "Nar is not a nickname," Kyran told her. "It''s... a name Nn came up with to hide my identity."


    He then exined how Nn used transformation magic to change how he looked and how Nar''s identity came to be.


    After listening for a while, Cyneah looked at him curiously and asked, "Then... you mean all this time you''ve been wearing a mask?"


    "Only when I''m around other people."


    "Like right now?"


    "Yes."


    Cyneah sighed, "And here I thought I could ask you to grant me my request from before. s, if I did, I''d only be seeing you wearing a mask."

 Chapter 872 Acquisition (12)

    Chapter 872 Acquisition (12)


    A thought crossed Cyneah''s mind, and she asked, "Does that mean you''ve never once removed your mask around me?"


    "You are not other people," Kyran replied honestly.


    Cyneah initially wanted to tease him by asking if he intended to wear his mask when she requested to see him. But his response just now shut her up. Her face reddened once more.


    "I''m only wearing a mask because we''re out in the open, and other people are behind us at the camp," he added.


    What Kyran did not say, but Cyneah realized, was that if they were alone, then he would not wear a mask. Thinking of this, her face had gotten beet red from all her flushing.


    Kyran did not even say anything worth feeling embarrassed, to be honest. But for some reasons that only made sense to Cyneah, she found the idea of being alone with him with no secrets between them too stimting.


    .c¦Ïm "If you really insist. I can warp us to a secluded part of the camp and¡ª."


    "N-No need! There is no rush at all!" Cyneah blurted while straightening her back. After that, she got up and prepared to leave, "I have to go check on the others now. I believe their body has fully absorbed the potion they drank earlier, and I have to check on them. Yes, that''s what I''m going to do. Just in case."


    What she said was obviously a lie, and Kyran knew that. After all, what was there to check? Everyone took that potion to ensure they were in tip-top shape once they started the operation. The potion itself was not meant to heal any injuries. If, for argument''s sake, Cyneah was referring to any side effects the potions might have caused, then there was really no need for her to check because, with her Alchemy level, it was impossible for her to make a mistake during a concoction of such a simple potion.


    Kyran could not help but be amused at Cyneah. She might have tried her best not to stutter, but how she repeated herself was already proof of how flustered she was.


    "Okay," he replied, trying his best not to show amusement.


    "I''m going now."


    "Mm."


    "You should rest, too."


    "I will."


    "Good night."


    Without waiting for Kyran to reply, Cyneah turned and hastily returned to the camp.


    Kyran smiled as he watched her almost trip as she scampered away. He wanted to tell her to slow down, but at that moment, he could no longer ignore the piercing re he had been sensing for some time now.


    "She already left. There is no longer a need for you to re at me like that," he said without turning.


    Nahir stepped out from a nearby tree with a deep scowl.


    "Need I remind you she is still betrothed to me."


    "Not for long," Kyran replied while finally looking at Nahir.


    Nahir opened his mouth but closed it again, looking like he was internally struggling with his thoughts.


    Kyran raised his brows. Was it his imagination, or did Nahir''s attitude toward him seem to have changed?


    "Be as it may, remember that she is the Saint, and everyone knows we are engaged. It is inappropriate for her to meet another man with no chaperone. Putting aside my people''s opinion since they know you both are¡­ acquainted, others did not know that."


    "If you are referring to the Armakeans when you say others, I don''t think it is a problem," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I don''t think they are that bored to gossip."


    "You underestimated their curiosity. The Saint''s fame is known throughout Somuli. If they see her being¡­ friendly with someone with your looks¡­"


    "I get it," Kyran scratched his head inwardly. He found the Somulian culture and custom a little stifling. He and Cyneah were not truly alone, especially when plenty of eyes were observing them¡ª or, to be precise, him. Besides, Kyran would never take advantage of Cyneah, even if no one was around.


    "And?" Kyran asked while tilting his head. "You were not hiding in the shadows to spy on us because you have been there before Neah came. What do you want?"


    Nahir did not respond at once. He walked over to Kyran first, and when he was satisfied with their distance, he replied in a hushed tone, "I came to talk about that woman."


    "Oh, her?"


    Kyran knew what Nahir meant about the woman and was not surprised at his apparent interest. Apart from her identity as an outsider, her appearance definitely made everyone who knew Cyneah ufortable.


    "She is¡­ honestly, her identity is a littleplicated," Kyran replied with a sigh. He said this not only because La was the previous Soul Emperor but because he now understood her identity more after hearing Can''s story.


    Nahir pursed his lips in displeasure. Nevertheless, he sensed Kyran said that not because he did not want to exin her identity but because it was too troublesome.


    For this reason, Nahir did not insist on knowing everything. Instead, he only wanted to know what was her rtionship with Cyneah.


    "At least tell me her rtion to Sisi if you cannot exin her identity."


    Kyran pondered for a moment. He knew those observing them from afar could not hear them. But they might know how to read lips. Thus, Kyran had to be careful about what he told Nahir.


    "She is Neah''s ancestor."


    "Ancestor?" Nahir frowned. No matter how one looks at them, they look too much alike even to consider the woman as Cyneah''s ancestor. Although their eye colors were different, everything else looked the same.


    "I know you''re not convinced," Kyran said as he stood up and looked at the castle from afar.


    "I''ll exin everything after resolving everything here."


    "You say that as if our situation can be resolved easily."


    s, Nahir did not see the smile that slowly crept on Kyran''s lips.


    As if on cue, a voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    [Master, one of the Shadow Minions I left in the fort we''ve vacated has found the forces gathered by the Armakea King''s family members.]


    Gael reported as soon as he got the news from his minions.


    ''They''re already at the fort?'' Kyran asked in surprise.


    [Not yet, Master. They are still at least two or three days away from the fort. However, my minions have been roaming outside the fort and discovered their temporary campsite.]


    ''Then, how far are they from the capital-?'' Kyran paused after thinking of something. He then shook his head inwardly and said, ''No. Don''t answer that. The distance doesn''t matter because there are several ways for them to shorten their travel time.''


    [I agree, Master.]


    ''Brief me on their numbers and line up.''


    [Yes. They estimated their number is around a thousand. Most are Arch Magus, with 50 Legendaries. Low-ranked officers are all at the Exalted level.]


    Kyran raised his brows. He did not expect the Royal Family members to possess so many Legendary ranked Knights.


    It should be noted that among Kyran''s force, there were only four or five Legendary Knights.


    ''How many knights possessed Space-based Divine Armaments?''


    [They have only confirmed ten knights. Five are Arch Magus, and five are Legendary.]


    Kyran sneered¡ª no wonder they could travel so fast.


    "How long has it been since the Armakea King sent one of his aides after you?"


    Nahir was taken aback at Kyran''s question. Initially, he had thought thetter''s silence was due to him pondering how to respond to his remark. He did not expect thetter was already preupied with a different matter.


    Nahir indeed found Kyran''s nonchnce a little annoying.


    "It has already been five days."


    Although annoyed, Nahir still answered Kyran.


    Kyran inwardly calcted every movement the King and his subjects might have made in those five days and could not help but let out a dryugh.


    "They sure move fast."


    "What?"


    "The group the King sent to deal with you guys is already close to the fort you have recently vacated."


    "That''s too fast!" Nahir eximed. "Even if they traveled without rest, getting close to the fort in five days is impossible."


    "They have high-level knights with Space-based Divine Armaments."


    Nahir frowned at what Kyran had said.


    Mages possessing Space-based Divine Armaments were umon in Somuli, but Knights were. Apart from that, they were all high-level. Just how powerful were the Armakean knights?


    "If the King can dispatch so many high-leveled Knights with rare Space-based Divine Armaments, it means he has the spare to do so," Nahir told Kyran.


    "Are we really going to¡­" his voice trailed off, somewhat hesitant to continue what he was about to say.


    Kyran looked at him and chuckled upon seeing his grim expression. "I think you guys misunderstood me earlier."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I never said anything about our side going on a head-on confrontation with the King''s army."


    "No?" Nahir looked at him in confusion. "Then¡­ what do you intend to do?"


    Kyran only smiled in response.

 Chapter 873 Acquisition (13)

    Chapter 873 Acquisition (13)


    ?


    Seeing that Kyran did not n on answering, Nahir did not get angry. He also did not leave even when Kyran''s attention drifted off again. By then, Nahir had already guessed the younger man was talking to someone telepathically.


    As Nahir suspected, Kyran''s attention went back to Gael''s report. After thetter ryed the information his shadow minion sent from the fort, he then ryed the information they gathered while locating the King''s forces that went to the border.


    [We could not find their trace or any movement around the border even after increasing the search range, which is why I decided to have a few of my minions check around the castle again. After rechecking, they finally discovered thin remnant traces of an array activation. Although they could not determine its formation, we believed it was arge-scale transmission array the King''s army used to reach the border¡ª or, at least, in one of the forts nearby.]


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable. Nevertheless, his mind absorbed every information Gael ryed while recalcting and adjusting his n.


    ''Has your search range gone as far as the closest fort to the border?''


    [Yes, Master. As a matter of fact, I have saved several shadow points all over the Armakea, which one or two Shadow Minions maintain. During the initial phase of the conquest, after Achim and the others destroyed a fort, I had one or two of my minions stay behind just in case.]


    Kyran smiled wryly after hearing Gael''s exnation. He remembered Gael''s Shadow Minions reverted to zero after bing his Servant. Although Gael had absorbed quite several beast-like andplete beings during their first excursion in Somuli, there should not be that many for him to order around.


    Besides that, Kyran remembered Gael had to be cautious when moving around the knights because of their powerful perception. How could he now search the castle without being detected by the remaining knights?


    [Please do not underestimate your capability of supporting our growth, Master.]


    Gael said as if reading Kyran''s thoughts. As a matter of fact, the former did sense thetter''s doubts, which was why he could not help but exin himself.


    [The more you grow stronger, the more we can unlock our potential. Also, I have so many Shadow Minions now because I have absorbed quite a lot of beast-likes,plete beings, and even feral beasts roaming around the Armakea territory during the initial phase of the conquest. As for how I can now move around without being detected by the knights... this happened after I absorbed a high-ranking Knight.]


    Gael hastily added.


    [Ah, but that knight was dimwitted and useless. I believe he would not be an excellent subordinate to you, Master. I hope you will be lenient with your punishment.]


    ''That''s fine,'' Kyran replied. He did not expect Gael to continue absorbing beast-likes andplete beings. After all, they would no longer supplement his growth, unlike when he was not yet a Servant. Not that Kyran wasining. If Gael could continue to amass his army, that would also be an excellent bane to Kyran. Their level might be low to be useful in battle, but they could be helpful in gathering intel.


    ''I''ll permit you to absorb any knight that will not be useful to me. If you can, create a team of Shadow Knights that will be useful in offense and not only in covert missions. As for their level... we''ll think of a way on how we can improve it.''


    Kyran sensed Gael''s overflowing gratitude and excitement.


    [Thank you, Master!]


    ''Now that we''re on the subject. If you can absorb the knights with Space-based Divine Armaments, go ahead.''


    Gael raised his brows in surprise.


    [Should I take it that we are allowed to confront that group?]


    ''There are only about a thousand of them. Aim to absorb as many officers and knights as possible to even the numbers.''


    [Then, I will aim for those with Arch Magus level and below.]


    ''Will the Legendary Knights be impossible for you?''


    [At my current level, I am afraid it will take some time to subdue them, Master.]


    ''I see. Then I''ll have Kesiah and Haji assist you in dealing with them.''


    [I understand.]


    ''Regarding the King''s army that will target the border, there is no longer a need to look for them. Instead, find the transmission array they used to leave the castle and destroy it.''


    [Shall I advise the group staying in the Armakea border to retreat to the Eidum''s side?]


    ''There is no need at all. I already enhanced the defensive array around the Armakea border. Even if the King''s army tried to attack, it couldst a few days. But we must ensure they stay there while the operation is in progress. I can''t have them return to the castle and cause problems in my arrangement.''


    [Understood. I will have my minions look for the array now. Please wait for my good news.]


    Gael disconnected soon after he said that.


    Kyran took a deep breath as he continued to look at the castle from afar.


    "Care to tell what your people reported?" Nahir asked as soon as he realized Kyran was no longer talking to someone.


    "You''re still here?" Kyran replied with a slight smile. Though he said that, he was aware Nahir was still there.


    Nahir scowled, "You really annoy me."


    Kyran chuckled.


    "So?"


    "Armakea truly lives up to its reputation of having a vast number of lost technology."


    Nahir frowned, not understanding what Kyran meant.


    Since Kyran could not be bothered to exin, he shrugged and said, "It''s almost time for us to go."


    "We''re going without a n?"


    "Of course not. We''ll go brief the rest," Kyran said and made his way back to the camp.


    Nahir could not help but look at him in bafflement. Achim and Kesiah had been in a meeting with the others. Why did Kyran not join them then and brief them on his n? Although those newly joined fort leaders, knights, and officers were wary of Kyran because of his appearance, they knew he was the pir supporting Achim, Kesiah, and the Eidums in this conquest. They would not make trouble even if they were dissatisfied with Kyran because of his questionable identity and unknown origin.


    In the end, Nahir could only put aside his doubts and followed after Kyran.


    *


    After the briefing, Kyran went over to the tent where Malek was looking after La.


    Though Kyran did not want to talk to her yet, he did not want to deal with the unknown threat she might pose if her request was not granted. Thus, he decided to at least hear what she wanted to say.


    Inside the tent, Malek sat on a wooden chair with his eyes closed while La sat at the center of an array formation. Thick chains made of anti-cast stones bound her hands and feet, while talismans with different debuffing spells were stered all over her body.


    Malek looked up as Kyran entered the tent. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before the former looked away and closed his eyes once more. After that, Kyran walked over the array.


    As soon as Kyran stepped on the array, La raised her head and smiled. She did not notice Kyran''s arrival because the array formation isted her from the outside.


    "There is no need to wear that ugly mask," she said. "Why not show me your handsome face?"


    "Why do you want to talk to me?" Kyran asked, ignoring her words.


    "Such a cold treatment."


    Kyran did not respond. He only looked at her with his usual unreadable face.


    La sighed, "And here I thought if I used this face, you would show somepassion."


    Still no response.


    "You are truly different from your predecessor."


    "..."


    "Fine. You''re no fun at all," La snorted as she straightened her back. "Can you not stand there like that? My neck hurts from looking up at you."


    Kyran pointed to the ground where she sat. Soon after, the air crackled around her as a chair emerged, lifting her off the ground.


    La''s expression changed slightly at what Kyran had done. They were inside an Istion Array, which prevented any form of magic energy from entering. Although anyone inside with internal magic energy could still use magic, summoning magic would still require magic arrays. Yet Kyran did not use any.


    Although the air crackled just now, which was amon result when someone was summoning magic, it was not caused by Kyran''s signature purple-colored rings.


    "You..."


    "You''re neck doesn''t hurt now, right? Start talking."


    La bit back the curse she wanted to say and tried to control her emotions.


    That was right. The one in front of her was not Can. Kyran might have simrities to thetter''s outer appearance, but they were not the same at the end of the day.


    "I want us to coborate," La said, no longer bothering to beat around the bush.


    Kyran responded by raising his brows questioningly.


    "Tsk," La clicked her tongue at thetter''s arrogance. Nevertheless, she could only restrain her annoyance because she truly needed his help this time.


    "There is still at least two years, in terms of the Human ne''s time, before the War of the Sovereign starts. When that happens, the Human ne can no longer avoid it like the previous wars.


    "If you agree to coborate, we can prevent the war from happening."


    "Go on. I''m listening..."


    *


    Thest of the Somuli''s four moons started to dim. Everyone at the camp hadpleted their preparations and were ready to go. A few of the officers did not understand why they had to start the operation when it was almost daybreak when they could have done so at night. Still, none voiced their discontent and followed their leaders'' lead.


    Everyone gathered at the center of the camp, with Kyran and the other leaders at the helm.


    Kyran looked at the few familiar faces of his Servants and allies before looking to his right, where Cyneah stood among the Eidums.


    After that, his eyes turned reddish-purple as a huge purple-colored magic array appeared on the ground.


    It was time for them to visit the King.

 Chapter 874 Acquisition (14)

    Chapter 874 Acquisition (14)


    Thest moon of the Somuli''s four moons had yet to disappear when a massive magic fluctuation crackled outside the Armakea Castle''s main gate.


    Every Knight and Officer on patrol was alerted at once and acted ordingly. During emergencies like this, each would have to take their designated position around the castle. These positions were actually energy points connected to arge array formation that was located below the castle grounds.


    As a matter of fact, therge array formation was one of the first lost technologies inherited by the Armakea Royal Family from their ancestors. Over time, they decided to build the main castle above it since they could not relocate or replicate the array formation. This was pretty much the same case with the array formation at the Armakea border, where the HQ was built.


    The array formation below the castle was activated in just over five minutes. The first form triggered by the array formation was its defenses. A thin, semi-transparent veil spread from below the castle walls and formed a half-sphere,pletely enclosing the castle. After that, several array forms appeared on the surface of the veil as the array formation''s second sequence was triggered.


    The second sequence was the activation of the array''s offense. Several one-meter-wide lock-on targets appeared, forming a circr formation on the surface of the veil. Magic energies were gathered into the center of these lock-on targets as if preparing to shoot at any moment.


    While these were happening, the massive magic fluctuation that appeared right outside the castle''s main gate finally tore through the space, creating a thirty-meter high and seven-meter wide fissure.


    The moment the fissure appeared, all lock-on targets aimed at it. At the same time, the umted magic energy at their center whirred to life and got ready tounch.


    Within the fissure, a figure approached, seemingly unaware of the threat of those lock-on targets. The figure continued to walk toward the fissure''s opening. However, when it stepped out of the crack, all lock-on targets released the concentrated magic energies they umted and aimed at it.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions reverberated in an instant within the capital of Armakea, Larkring, as the lock-on targets bombarded the fissure.


    The Armakeans residing in the residential area of the capital, as well as those already in themercial district, opening their business establishments, were shocked at the unexpectedmotion.


    They never imagined a day when someone would dare attack the castle in broad daylight. Actually, the time of day did not matter. They never once considered someone would dare attack the castle at all.


    It wasmon knowledge that the King''s castle was the most fortified structure in Armakea. The array formation hidden below wasplete with defensive and offensive forms that could easily withstand and fight back any sneak attack at the same time. It was even more robust than the array formation at their border because thetter only focused on defense.


    The Armakeans in the capital were then reminded of the rumor circting these past few days, which mentioned Prince Achim and Princess Kesiah''s supposed rebellion.


    None of them believed those rumors simply because they knew no one would dare rebel against the King. However, hearing themotion at the castle now, they could not help but be reminded of the rumor.


    s, none of them actually considered the possibility that the attack at the castle was not a simple rebellion but an invasion.


    Meanwhile, when the castle''s array formation was activated, the King''s army in the capital''s military district was also alerted. The two heads of the remaining two knight divisions gathered their members and immediately prepared to go to the castle. As for the two divisions of the low-ranked and high-ranked officers, they also prepared to dispatch their people all over the capital to ensure the safety of the civilians.


    While the knights and officers were preparing, a powerful pressure suddenly assaulted their senses. Before they could even react and summon their Divine Armaments, a colossal array formation appeared several meters above the military district.


    Several pirs of light descended from the array formation, barricading the knights and officers in the blink of an eye.


    Everyone inside the military district was shocked upon seeing the array formation. After all, they only saw such formation written on the ground, not hovering in midair. How was it possible?


    .c¦Ïm The knights and officers recovered from their initial shock the moment they understood the gravity of their current situation. It appeared their enemy was aware that the military district did not possess any countermeasures against a lost technology.


    This was not because they were being arrogant orcent. Instead, it was because no one in Armakea, or even Somuli, could replicate a lost technology. Not to mention something as massive as the one above them.


    As soon the knights and officers recovered from their initial shock, they summoned their Divine Armaments and prepared to destroy the array formation above. They all believed that as long as the array formation was destroyed, the pirs of light would disappear.


    However, they soon realized their mistake.


    "!"


    All knights and officers inside the military district were shocked after learning they could not summon their Divine Armaments. Not only that, they also noticed how they could not exert any magic energy and summon magic.


    Some officers close to a pir of light tried to attack it but realized they could not even get near it. Apparently, the pirs of light served as a foundation of some sort that supported an invisible barrier that prevented them from stepping outside.


    Outside the military district, only a few knights and officers, numbering a hundred, who were on patrol and were only returning to join the rest, were the only ones not caught by the array formation''s effect.


    They acted immediately when they saw their fellow knights and officers'' predicament.


    Those with range-type Divine Armament immediately aimed at the array formation above, while those with melee-type Divine Armament attacked a pir of light close to them.


    One of them, a Legendary-level knight, summoned his Divine Armament, a ming great sword, and rushed at another pir of light.


    Raising his hands that held the Divine Armament, he leaped and cleaved at the pir. He did not hit the pir directly; mes surged from the great sword''s de and rushed toward the pir.


    Whoosh! Shaaa!


    Unfortunately, before the attack could even reach the pir of light, its momentum dissipated along with the mes.


    The other knights and officers who aimed at different pirs of light also encountered the same thing and were left dumbfounded.


    They had initially believed that the effect of the pirs of light prevented theirrades from leaving the district. It seemed that was only one of its effects.


    While they were feeling lost, a fissure appeared a few meters from the military district''s entrance, and several figures stepped out.


    "Gather!"


    Another Legendary-level knight shouted as he took the initiative to lead the hundred knights and officers. All of them immediately gathered and took on a defensive formation.


    The ones who stepped out of the fissures were Noir, Sigma, the rest of the Conve members, and a few Knights under Kesiah''s group.


    "Go!"


    The Legendary-level knight ordered, and his group quickly changed their defensive formation to offensive.


    The reason he called a change to their formation and attacked those people that came out of the fissure was simple. Their side had the number advantage. Before the enemy could assess the situation, they had to take the initiative to attack and gain momentum.


    The seven members, two knights and five officers with range-type Divine Armaments, released a long-range attack toward the enemies, while ten officers with melee-type Divine Armaments were the first ones to rush forward.


    Seeing the advancing enemies, Noir and the rest remained calm.


    Noir raised his hand, and a miniature version of the array formation he invented that could allow their surroundings to be filled with magic energy appeared.


    Sigma took action as soon as Noir took out the array formation. Magic arrays appeared and circled his wrists as thick gauntlets formed and covered his fists.


    These gauntlets were not merely molded using Earth magic. They were crafted using Earth magic and array form to reinforce their durability and destructive prowess.


    Thisbination was something Sigma developed while in Somuli. As a matter of fact, he got the idea from how Kyran, as Tyr, reinforced his supposed Strengthening magic with Array and created apletely differentbat style they were used to.


    Sigma mmed his fists together before raising them above his head and hitting the ground.


    BOOM!


    The moment his fists hit the ground, thick boulders of earth shot up and surged toward the approaching officers.


    The officers were caught off guard. After all, they initially believed Sigma''s gauntlets were his Divine Armament and were meant for fist-fighting. Still, the officers'' surprise did not appear on their faces. Using their Divine Armaments, they hacked at the iing boulders.


    ng! ng!


    "What¡ª?"


    Unfortunately, they underestimated Sigma''s Earth magic''s durability and failed to scratch their surface.

 Chapter 875 Acquisition (15)

    Chapter 875 Acquisition (15)


    The officers were not given the chance to stay in shock because Sigma released follow-up attacks.


    A light-brown magic array appeared in front of Sigma, and several rectangr blocks of earth emerged from it. Using his fists, he punched the blocks of earth in session and aimed them at the officers. The blocks crackled as they turned into unit bits and sped toward the approaching officers with a fierce rotation.


    The officers did not stand idle. They suppressed their shock, raised their Divine Armaments, and struck the iing unit bits.


    KRRSSHHHH!


    However, they underestimated the momentum of the unit bits'' rotational force. Piercing sounds filled the air as the officers tried to destroy each unit bits with their Divine Armaments, but ultimately, they failed to do so and were sent back, staggering.


    The surface of their Divine Armaments suffered some deep scratches, which inadvertently caused the officers to cough up blood. After all, a Divine Armament was connected to aplete being, and every time it was damaged, theplete being would also suffer.


    The moment the first line of their offense was forced back, the next line was already moving forward. Now that they had witnessed the durability and power of the unit bits summoned by the enemy, they were prepared to deal with them.


    The best move to deal with a powerful attack was to avoid confronting it with strength. Instead, it was best to divert their trajectory and let it hit a different target.


    Sigma sneered as he realized the intentions of the second group of officers. He opened his palms as thin lines of light brown threads appeared at his fingertips. They then connected with each of the unit bits, which he then pulled back before colliding with the second group.


    "!"


    The second group was shocked when they saw all unit bits returning to the enemy''s side.


    As if on cue, as soon as Sigma pulled back his unit bits, three Conve members behind him summoned their magic. Three red magic arrays appeared right at the ground where the second group of officers stood, and a wall of mes erupted from them.


    "ARGH!"


    The officers screamed in pain as their whole bodies were engulfed by the mes.


    Seeing this scene, the group of knights, who were approaching the enemies from two different sides, stopped in their tracks and unleashed their magic attacks using their Divine Armaments.


    Some of the knights struck their swords on the ground and released ice spikes that slithered toward Noir and the rest.


    Noir remained calm and continued to control the miniature array formation on his hand. Even the knights that apanied them did not make a move and only watched as another group of humans stepped forward to deal with the iing ice spikes.


    Several light-brown magic arrays appeared above and on the ground, as another group of Conve members summoned Earth magic. Earth spikes emerged from the magic arrays on the ground and collided with the iing ice spikes while a barrage of arrows molded from Earth magic fell down from the magic array above.


    The knights raised their Divine Armaments and summoned ice shields to protect themselves, while those who were not within the barrage of arrows'' range made a detour and went after the enemy''s rear side.


    "Humph," Sigma snorted in displeasure. "What, am I invisible to you guys?"


    Sigma manipted all the unit bits and hurled them toward the knights running at the rear.


    When the knights saw the iing unit bits, they knew they could not simply avoid them. Thus, they unleashed their magic attacks to reduce their momentum. Some of the knights possessed Fire magic, but most of them possessed Ice magic. Those with Fire elements chose to avoid the unit bits, while those with Ice elements unleashed a gale of snow as they nned to stop all the unit bits'' rotation.


    While this was happening, the rest of the knights, especially the Legendary ones, also rushed forward.


    Because of Sigma''s initial attack, the enemies'' formation was sent into disarray. Nevertheless, they were still able to attack in groups and not hinder each other.


    Seeing how Sigma was disrupting the group of knights that wanted to attack the rear, the Legendary-level knight with the great sword targeted him. Using his robust body and powerful legs, he jumped several meters toward Sigma with his arms raised, holding the great sword. mes erupted around the great sword just before he struck at Sigma.


    Sigma had his back on the knight during the whole process. But before the knight''s great swordnded, Sigma raised his right arm and blocked the strike. He then shifted his weight while turning his torso to face the knight and sent out a punch using his left fist.


    The knight managed to withdraw his great sword before Sigma could turn. He then brought down the great sword and struck thetter''s fist.


    BAM!


    A shockwave of energy exploded as Sigma''s fist and the knight''s great sword collided. Cracks appeared on the ground beneath them after receiving the brunt of the shockwaves'' force.


    In another location, when the operation in Larkring started, Gael and his shadow minions alsomenced their attack. Unlike themotion happening in Larkring, however, Gael''s operation was noiseless.


    Since thest moon of the Somuli''s four moons had yet to disappearpletely, the shadows around the forest were still prominent. As a matter of fact, because the Armakea forest was filled with thick trees, there were still plenty of shadows even in daylight.


    Using the shadows, Gael''s minions located the Arch Magus-level knights. After finding their locations, Gael did not make a move at once. He had his minions monitor the movements of the fifty Legendary-level knights among the enemy first. After which, he ryed their positions to Kesiah and Gaham, the two helpers that Kyran sent to apany Gael.


    Gaham was sweating buckets because he had never expected he would sortie at such a dangerous location. Did they not leave the fort because they wanted to avoid confronting this group? Why was he there now? Not to mention, he had to assist the Princess in confronting fifty Legendary-level Knights. He did not have any death wish, okay? Yet, Kyran seemed keen on sending them to their deaths.


    Seemingly sensing Gaham''s trepidation, Kesiah looked at him with a slight smile.


    ''You do not have to worry,'' she assured him, not forgetting tomunicate with him telepathically to avoid being detected by the enemy nearby.


    Gaham smiled wryly at the princess''s words, unsure whether it was meant to encourage him or mock him.


    ''To be honest, our task is quite easy,'' Kesiah went on.


    ck lines appeared on Gaham''s forehead after hearing the princess. He could not help but say, ''Princess, forgive my rudeness. However, I think we have a very different definition of an easy task.''


    Before Kesuah could reply, Gael emerged from the shadows behind Gaham.


    ''Are you two ready?'' Gael asked them, alsomunicating with them telepathically.


    ''Yes,'' Kesiah responded.


    ''Then, I will bait them using my minion. Then I will leave it to you both to lure them.''


    ''Don''t worry.''


    Gaham immediately frowned after hearing Gael. He turned to look at Gael before asking, ''''Lure them?''''


    .c¦Ïm Kesiah could not help but chuckle inwardly at Gaham''s reaction.


    ''What did you think we''re about to do?''


    Gaham looked at Kesiah and replied, ''Are we not going to confront them?''


    ''Yes,'' Kesiah replied with a nod. ''Only so we can lure them away.''


    Gaham''s brow twitched. If it was only luring, then it would not be a problem. However, was it really necessary for them to do the task? Would Gael''s minions not be enough?


    As soon as he thought this, however, he immediately shook his head because he found the question stupid.


    From the past few weeks he had been working alongside Kyran, Gaham was more or less aware of what the man Gael, who seemed to be Kyran''s trusted aide, could do. Frankly, he found Gael''s Shadow magic very potent. The way Gael used his magic was very different from how the Kingdom of Cretea''s Shadow mages did.


    Moreover, Gaham was fascinated at how real Gael''s minions were.


    For the record, Gaham believed that Gael''s minions were Shadow summons and were not real beings that he absorbed.


    In any case, no matter how real or even intelligent Gael''s minions appeared, they were still summoned. They did not have the capability to attract the attention of those Legendary-level Knights. As a matter of fact, a flick of their fingers might be enough to deal with them.


    Considering this, Kesiah and Gaham, whose level and Divine Armament had the ability to endure an attack from a Legendary-level Knight, were far more effective at luring them.


    Gaham sighed inwardly as he finally nodded and said, ''I understand. Then please follow my lead, Princess. I will not allow any harm toe your way.''


    ''You do not have to protect me, Gaham. Just do your best to stay alive after we lure them. We have to take them to that ce, no matter what.''


    The ce Kesiah referred to was a trap that she and Gael set up. That trap could deal with those knights with no problem.

 Chapter 876 Acquisition (16)

    Chapter 876 Acquisition (16)


    Although it was Kesiah and Gael who set up the trap, Kyran was the one who created it.


    Simply put, the trap was a pre-made array formation that Kyran specifically modified to deal with the Legendary-level Knights.


    ''My minions willmence with the n in one minute. Get ready,'' Gael told them and returned to the shadows.


    Kesiah and Gaham''s task was to lure the Legendary-level Knights, while Gael would have to focus on subduing the five Arch Magus with Space-based Divine Armaments before dealing with the rest.


    Kyran had ced the most troublesome task of the operation on Gael''s shoulders. However, that was only the case if he was alone. With the assistance of his Shadow Minions, Gael could aplish his task, so long as Kesiah and Gaham seeded in luring all fifty Legendary-level Knights into the trap.


    ''It''s time,'' Gael told his minions.


    Rustling sounds filled the air as the wind blew past the thick trees around the temporary campsite. Because of this, none of them noticed the shadows moved erratically¡ª not even the Legendary-level Knights.


    After a few seconds, several shadows flew past every location where a Legendary-level Knight was.


    They reacted immediately and alerted their team, ordering them to go after the shadows.


    However, they felt two familiar auras mingle with those shadows before they couldplete their order. Because of this, they changed their minds and went after the shadows themselves.


    It was evident that the owner of those auras was up to something. Nevertheless, the Legendary-level Knights were not bothered. Their confidence stemmed from their belief that the forces under those two had no means to defeat them. Even if they nned an ambush, bridging the gap in their level was not easy and would render their attack useless.


    This was also the reason they changed their mind about ordering their team members to follow because they believed that the ambush prepared by those two was meant to reduce their number.


    Their reasoning was quite sound. Unfortunately, theycked in-depth intel on Achim and Kesiah''s forces. And for that, they would be in for a huge surprise.


    On another location, the battalion of Knights led by Mo marched toward the Armakean Border HQ.


    Unlike Filren, who preferred a stealth attack, Mo preferred a head-on confrontation. He believed that showing their might at once could easily dictate the momentum of the battle.


    Mo''s belief was not wrong. As a matter of fact, King Aran employed this belief in every battle he waged and won without giving their enemies a chance to turn the tides.


    There was a saying that a good strategy could make a weak empire seem stronger. However, in front of an overwhelming strength, a good strategy was as brittle as a thin ss.


    Azikh, Gidan, and a few other Eidums were gathered at the tallest tower in the Armakea Border HQ. They were waiting for the arrival of the King''s army.


    They were all nervous and scared. Nevertheless, they believed Kyran would not ask them to stay at the border if their lives were at stake.


    Besides, Azikh and Gidan were with them, and both had a confident look on their faces. The former might not be powerful, but his team was very skilled at sneak attacks, while thetter was proficient inbat. In any case, Azikh''s team might not be capable of killing others in one strike, but they could unleash deadly poison without alerting their enemies. Gidan, on the other hand, had the experience of leading them and telling them what to do in case of emergencies.


    Contrary to what the Eidums believed, however, Azikh and Gidan did not look confident because they had the ability to lead or turn the tides against the enemy. They looked confident because they witnessed how Kyran enhanced the defensive array of the border.


    Like Nahir, both were dumbfounded at what Kyran did. They were, once more, reminded of thetter''s abnormality.


    "The Armakea King''s army is fast approaching!"


    An Eidum shouted from the tower near the gates.


    Azikh and Gidan narrowed their eyes after hearing this and focused their attention ahead.


    "No matter what, do not falter in front of the enemy!" Gidan shouted.


    No one responded to his cry. However, it was evident from the resolute look on every Eidum that they acknowledged his words.


    Five minutester, everyone in the tower could already see the King''s army.


    Back in Larkring, at the King''s castle, the lock-on targets bombarding the fissure finally stopped.


    A cloud of smoke covered the area surrounding the fissure, making it a little hard for anyone to see what happened to the figure about to step out of the crack. Nevertheless, the fact that the fissure was still there meant they should not lower their guard just yet.


    "Again!"


    The leadermanding those knights stationed in the key points of the formation ordered another round of attack. Following this, the lock-on targets crackled to life as they started to absorb the magic energies in the surroundings once more.


    Though the natural flow of the magic energy in Somuli was very thin, the lock-on targets were not affected at all. They absorbed the magic energies in the surroundings at a steady pace.


    Before the cloud of smoke dissipated, the lock-on targets were ready to be fired once more.


    Not even a minute passed when all lock-on targets were prepared to shoot.


    Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!


    Crackling noises filled the air as reddish-purple sparks emerged on the surface of the veil, covering the whole castle.


    After which, the magic energies that the lock-on targets had absorbed blinked. Their sizes decreased in the blink of an eye.


    Sizzle! Sizzle! Crackle!


    Soon after, cracks appeared on the surface of the veil as it started to crumble.


    No.


    It was not crumbling. Rather, the cracks disintegrated in the air.


    King Aran, who had been staying in the Throne Room from the day he ordered his subjects to deal with Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion, finally opened his eyes.


    He was well aware of themotion happening around the capital. But he felt there was no need for him to do anything. After all, the castle was the most fortified structure in Armakea. As for the military district, most of the Knights were there. Only someone with a death wish would attack the district.


    s, it appeared that those people causing themotion were not entirely ipetent.


    Ever since the day Aran received the news of Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion, he had been feeling a terrible inkling. An inkling that if he sumbed to their momentum, his country would end up in a sea of mes.


    For this reason, Aran did not waste time and ordered Filren to stop Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion at once. In the end, Filren failed, and Aran was forced to dispatch his subjects and Mo to deal with them.


    Aran thought that he had the situation under control. But what was happening now?


    Who dared step into Larkring and attack?


    "We await your orders, Your Majesty."


    The two knights standing guard below the throne faced Aran respectfully.


    Aran''s eyes glinted dangerously as he said, "Kill the intruders."


    "Yes."


    The two stood and lowered their heads before disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Filren, who was still being punished, looked up at the dissipating veil outside the courtyard. His brows furrowed at the sight. After all, he never expected a day woulde when he would witness the veil protecting the castle end up like this.


    The knights around the castle were dumbfounded. Those stationed around the key points of the formation tried to activate the lock-on targets but to no avail.


    As a matter of fact, they could no longer sense their connection to the lock-on targets.


    Were they affected by the disintegrating veil?


    That should not be the case. The veil was connected to the array''s defense form, while the lock-on targets were part of the array''s offense form. If the veil was damaged, then the lock-on targets should not be affected. Both defense and offense forms might be written in one array formation, but they should not be affecting each other.


    Or... could it be that the array formation had suffered as well?


    But how?


    The knights were not given a chance to dwell on the matter because they could now see the figure stepping out of the fissure amidst the cloud of smoke.


    With no lock-on targets aiming at the figure, it walked with no hindrance toward the castle''s main entrance.


    When the knights saw this, they immediately left their post and nned to intercept the figure.


    However, it was at that moment that two powerful auras appeared and blocked the path at which the figure traversed.


    A gust of wind blew away the cloud of smoke, finally revealing the figure that came out of the fissure.


    As soon as they saw the figure''s appearance, the knights could not help but shudder.


    Even the owners of the powerful auras were shocked.


    Before them stood a person with ck hair and dark eyes. A feature that was said to only appear in legends...


    An Imon-spawn.

 Chapter 877 Acquisition (17)

    Chapter 877 Acquisition (17)


    The Imon-spawn was obviously Kyran, disguised as Nar.


    Everyone''s reaction was reasonable. After all, none of them knew of his existence and rtionship with the Eidums because Gaham decided not to include his information in thest report sent to the capital.


    The two aides that came out of the castle raised their hands and summoned their Divine Armament: a zing boomerang, and a snow rapier.


    "An Imon-spawn," the aide using the snow rapier brandished his weapon. "There had been rumors about your existence for far too long, yet none were able to confirm them. Why do you appear now? And why do you dare provoke Armakea¡ª?"


    Before the aide could even finish what he was saying, the Imon-spawn disappeared.


    "!"


    The other aide sensed something amiss and immediately shouted, "Duck!"


    The aide with the snow rapier did not need to be told twice because he also sensed an iing danger and immediately lowered his body.


    At the same time, the other aide heaved his zing boomerang and cleaved it horizontally just inches shy of where the other aide stood.


    The corner of Kyran''s lips tugged slightly as he appeared right where the aide aimed the zing boomerang. Although the aide''s movement was fast, Kyran could easily dodge it¡ª regardless if he warped or used the Dragon Steps.


    But Kyran did not dodge. To be precise, he could not be bothered to dodge. At that moment, he only wanted to do one thing and that was to destroy the King''s aides'' confidence by showcasing his overwhelming advantage in terms of natural defenses.


    BAM! CRACK! SHATTER!


    "Gah!"


    The aide''s zing boomerang mmed right through Kyran''s body and shattered in an instant. Following the boomerang''s copse, the aide received a devastating blow and coughed up blood. After that, he fell to his knees and passed out cold.


    "What¡ª?"


    The other aide who ducked only heard what transpired but he sensed the looming threat behind him did not recede. He twisted his body while still in a crouching position and struck his snow rapier at the Imon-spawn.


    SHATTER!


    "Gah!"


    The aide''s snow rapier was far more fragile than the zing boomerang. Because of this, the moment it struck Kyran''s leg, it shattered into pieces.


    The aide spat out a mouthful of blood as his mind reeled in disbelief. Not even a minute had passed and both of them were defeated? How was it possible? More importantly, how did his Divine Armament shatter just like that?


    Unfortunately, the aide could not dwell on his thoughts because, like the other aide, he passed out cold.


    Knights were trained to control their emotions. But at that moment, all of them were thunderstruck at what they witnessed.


    Frankly, they did not even witness any real action. They only saw the two aides striking their Divine Armaments at the Imon-spawn before shattering¡ª as if they were made of ss.


    The durability of the snow rapier was one thing, but for the zing boomerang, which was almost as big and tall as its owner to also shatter easily was truly shocking.


    Kyran looked at the two aides lying on the ground and sighed. A few hours back, while he was looking at the King''s castle from their temporary campsite, he had been mulling over how to deal with the King''s aides.


    In the end, he did note up with any countermeasures and decided to go with the flow. He also thought that fighting the King''s aides would allow him to understand how much his body had improved.


    s, Kyran seemed to have found the most effective way to deal with the King''s aides without dragging the fight.


    Destroy their Divine Armaments so they would receive a devastating blow and lose consciousness.


    As a matter of fact, aiming at a Divine Armament was an effective way to subdue anyplete being. Unfortunately, the only one who might have the ability to do this was Kyran.


    Wel... If Ames joined in the fray then she was another one.


    Kyran looked at the aides indifferently while raising his hand. A dark purple disc appeared on the ground where theyy and their bodies started to submerge in it.


    The knights snapped out of their reverie after they saw this. They did not sense anything from that dark purple disc, but it was precisely the reason they knew it was bad news.


    Knights with range-type Divine Armaments released a volley of attack at once.


    As for the melee knights, they did not dare approach and instead, they unleashed magic attacks without letting their Divine Armaments touch his body.


    FOOM!


    Without even looking at the iing magic attacks, Kyran released his Void Domain.


    In the blink of an eye, a thin translucent purple veil spread outward with him at the center. In a matter of a few seconds, the translucent veil covered a five-hundred-meter radius of the courtyard.


    As soon as the translucent purple veil passed through the magic attacks, they disintegrated in the air.


    The knights were rendered speechless at what transpired. They employed their armor''s defenses but even those disappeared the moment the veil passed through their bodies.


    What kind of attack was this veil? More importantly, how could an Imon-spawn be this powerful? Although the rumors about them mentioned their unparalleled strengths, what they were witnessing now was very different from their expectations.


    The gap in their strengths should not be this huge!


    If Kyran wanted, he could easily destroy the Divine Armaments of every knight in the courtyard using the Void Domain. He only needed to include a rule inside the domain, aiming at the knights'' Divine Armament and destroying them.


    However, doing this would mean their Divine Armament would be destroyed for good. When that happened, those knights would end up crippled, or worse, in a vegetative state.


    That was something Kyran wanted to avoid. But if he destroyed their Divine Armament using pure raw strength, then there was still a chance for them to recover. It would take time, but at least, they would not be crippled.


    Kyran picked another powerful aura, albeit injured, nearby. He pondered for a moment before adding a new rule inside his domain¡ª seal theplete being''s Divine Armaments.


    Kyran did note here to go on a killing spree. Thus, he was not keen on dealing with each knight present there.


    Sensing that some of the knights were nning to run out of his domain''s area of effect, Kyran made another rule: restrain the knights'' movements.


    For the record, the rules Kyran was adding to his domain were a feature he recently discovered.


    Initially, he thought that the Void Domain''s effect was solely to void the cirction of magic energies and summoning of magic attacks. After learning from Can the rest of the Void theories, Kyran discovered that the effects of the Void Domain were not limited to those two.


    That was where the rules came into the picture.


    Basically, the Void Domain was a free space unaffected by the rules of a ne or even realm. Kyran, as the master of that free space, could create rules and manipte anything inside.


    As a matter of fact, the voidance of magic energy cirction and magic attacks inside the domain were two rules that Kyran subconsciously created.


    The Void Domain appeared very impressive at first nce. But in truth, it required a lot of magic energy to maintain. If Kyran discovered the Void Domain''s rule feature before learning the rest of the Void theories from Can, he would have been reluctant to utilize it. But since he now had a better understanding of Void magic, Kyran was no longer afraid.


    Before, Kyran was afraid to waste Void magic energy, especially because Somuli''s natural production of magic energies was far too low. Now, he was no longer afraid.


    To be precise, he now knew how to replenish his magic energy by utilizing the nature of Void. But that was a discussion for another time.


    After restraining the movements of every knight inside the Void Domain, Kyran approached the owner of the injured aura he sensed.


    "You''re Filren," Kyran said the moment he stopped in front of Filren, who was still tied outside the courtyard.


    Filren looked at him, without a trace of fear in his eyes.


    Kyran could not help but smile at Filren''s reaction. It was not an exaggeration to say that Filren was the only one left with a determined look in his eyes. Because there was already a trace of despair reflected in the eyes of the rest of the knights.


    Even the two aides Kyran met, had a look of fear on their faces before they lost consciousness.


    "I heard you''re the second most powerful aide of the King," Kyran continued. "Seems like the gap between you and the two earlier is big."


    Kyran said those things based on his observation, as well as the fact that Filren''s Divine Armament was taken yet he remained calm.


    Filren did not respond, but Kyran did not mind. He was not expecting a response, anyway.


    "I am here to kill the King. Will you stand in my way?"


    Filren finally showed some reaction after hearing his deration.


    "You will have to go through me first," he growled at him.


    Others might think that Filren''s threat sounded empty given his condition, but Kyran knew better. He believed Filren could easily break the chains that bound him and retrieve his Divine Armament. The only reason he stayed in the courtyard and suffered the king''s punishment was because he wanted to take responsibility for his failure.


    Kyran smiled, his eyes flickered as they turned silver, "Interesting."


    As soon as he said that, two intertwined dragons appeared on the ground.

 Chapter 878 Acquisition (18)

    Chapter 878 Acquisition (18)


    Kyran sensed a great change in a Sigil''s ritual. Before his body''s enhancement from the Elixir, it would take Kyran some time to bind and subdue his target. After the enhancement, however, he only needed to trigger the ritual and the intertwined dragons would bind his target. Then his target would fall into a trance-like state. During that state, the dragons would enter the target''s consciousness, where they would fight until one side emerge as a victor.


    If the target won the fight, then the Sigil ritual would fail. Likewise, if the dragons won then the target would be forced to submit and receive the Sigil''s mark.


    The Sigil''s mark also received a change. Previously, the mark was considered a double-edged sword because once a Sigil thought of betraying his master, then the mark would automatically punish him, or even kill him if his killing intent was too powerful.


    This time, thetter would no longer ur because the mark would devour any of the Sigil''s malicious thoughts against his master. Doing this, allowed a Sigil to judge his master''s character without biases. If a Sigil still ended up not wanting to follow his master, then the mark would gradually vanish and free him.


    The change on the mark might appear disadvantageous to the master. But Kyran did not think this because as long as the Sigil could properly understand his master''s character, he would always end up bing a loyal subordinate.


    As a matter of fact, the moment a Sigil received the mark, their loyalty to his master had already been established.


    It should be noted that Sigils were meant for beasts, rather than humans.


    Kyran could easily turn Filren into a loyal Servant by absorbing him as he did the two aides. In the end, he decided against it because Filren''s Divine Armament was not with him. If Kyran absorbed thetter without a Divine Armament, then he might end up bing a normal Servant. Simply because his Divine Armament did not undergo a rebirth from the Void.


    The two aides Kyran defeated just now, was a little different. Though both their Divine Armament was broken, they were not physically detached from them. Thus, as long as the two recovered, then their Divine Armament would also recover. But for Filren, whose Divine Armament was missing, the moment he underwent a rebirth from the Void, his connection to it would be removed and he would end up without anything that resembled a magic core. When that happened, how could he summon magic?


    Kyran could try providing an energy core, but thus far, energy cores were only meant for puppets. He had yet to experiment on humans¡ª a task he would never consider.


    In any case, because of Filren''s condition, Kyran chose to make him his Sigil. Besides, he felt that the Sigil''s blessings would be more beneficial to Filren''s growth, than the Void.


    When the dragons wrapped themselves around Filren''s body, his eyes zed over as he fell into a trance. After that, Kyran broke the chains that bound Filren. Without the chains, thetter dropped to the ground with a thud.


    The rest of the knights inside Kyran''s domain were petrified. A few seconds ago, they already feared him, but they still had a sliver of dignity left in them. But when they saw the intertwined dragons, what was left of their dignity was shattered.


    They were now convinced that Kyran was truly an Imon-spawn. Moreover, they believed he was a mix of beast-like with dragon blood and a powerfulplete being.


    One''s imagination was truly a fascinating thing. They could just aboute up with their exnation for things they do not understand.


    Kyran more or less guessed that was going through the minds of every knight. But he could not be bothered to deal with their misconception. Why he did not absorb them now that he had them under control? The answer was simple. He did not n on making every knight his Servants of Sigils. It was not because he did not have enough capability or stamina to change them, but because there was no need. Besides, he had Achim and Kesiah to lead them. Thus, changing them was unnecessary.


    Before Filren''s body fell face-first to the ground, his eyes regained their focus. He then raised one knee, kneeling in front of Kyran, and said, "Filren greets his new master."


    An inaudible gasp escaped most of the knights as they stared at Filren in disbelief. They could not believe what thetter had said. To them, the pact an aide had with the King was far more powerful than the pact they possessed. How could Filren, who was also considered the second most powerful aide to the King easily change master?


    To be honest, although Filren¡ª even the rest of the King''s aides¡ª were under a pact and were loyal to him. That did not mean they approved of the King''s behavior at all times. Their loyalty to the King was more of a responsibility as someone possessing a pact, rather than being genuine loyal subjects.


    After Filren received the Sigil''s mark, that pact was removed. He was then able to sense some of Kyran''s intentions after forming a connection with him. From this, Filren felt following Kyran was better than bing the King''s aide.


    Kyran smiled and activated the Sigil''s blessings.


    Filren immediately sensed his injured body recovering at an rming pace, which shocked him to his core. He never expected to receive such treatment right after bing Kyran''s Sigil.


    "Stay here and rest," Kyran ordered Filren. "Keep watch over the others while I go meet the King."


    Filren''s eyes contracted after hearing Kyran. He expected thetter to order him to go inside the castle and confront the rest of the King''s aides, instead, he was ordered to rest and guard the others.


    Was that something a master would order its subordinate?


    Filren had only been Kyran''s Sigil for a minute, yet his loyalty to him grew by the second.


    "There are still eight remaining aides to the King, Master. Going alone is¡ª."


    "It''s fine," Kyran assured Filren. "I already know their strengths based on the things I''ve seen from your memories. I can deal with them alone."


    Filren had a nk expression on his face.


    If others heard Kyran say those words, they would think he was an arrogant prick.


    But Filren did not think so. Since he did not bear any biases over Kyran''s intention, he knew thetter''s words were not meant to brag or mock, but simply stating a fact.


    "You''re Divine Armament, it is inside the castle, right?" Kyran asked as if they were only discussing a very trivial matter.


    Filren furrowed his brows after being reminded of this. He answered, "Yes. King Aran knows my pact has disappeared and may take this chance to destroy my Divine Armament. Doing so will prevent me from posing any threat to the others."


    When he spoke of the others, he meant the rest of the aides. Since he was the second most powerful, he had the strength to overpower the others below his level.


    "He can go ahead and try," Kyran chuckled. "Don''t worry. Even if he wanted to destroy your Divine Armament he would not seed. Since it is technically still part of you, it will also receive a blessing now that you are my Sigil."


    Kyran looked at the castle''s front doors, "I''ll find your Divine Armament and will let you know. That way you can summon it back."


    "That''s..." Filren was rendered speechless.


    The more Kyran speaks, the more Filren finds him an atypical master. If Filren had to make aparison, Kyran had some simrities to Lord Ravan.


    BOOM!


    Before the two could finish their talk, three powerful auras appeared right outside the edge of the Void domain''s range.


    Filren''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the owner of those auras as the King''s aide. He stood up and looked in the direction in which they appeared and told Kyran, "Master, King Aran has eyes everywhere in the castle. He knows exactly what is happening here in the courtyard. Now that he knows I have defected, he will send more of his aides to deal with me. Those three are only the first¡ª."


    "I told you to rest, did I not?" Kyran reminded him and stood in front.


    "But¡ª."


    "I haven''t warmed up yet," Kyran said. "Don''t spoil my fun."


    Filren was rendered speechless. The others inside the domain were dealt a devastating blow, realizing that they could not even be considered a warm-up.


    Kyran disappeared from his domain and reappeared right before the three neers. As Filren said, they were also the King''s aides. Moreover, their level did not differ from the two from earlier.


    Kyran sighed. Frankly, he was a little disappointed. He initially believed it would take him some time to deal with the knights guarding the castle, especially the King''s aides. s, after his body was enhanced, and his magic underwent a tremendous boost after learning more of the Void''s theories, he no longer felt the threat of the King''s forces.


    The only ones who might make him feel threatened were probably Filren and the top aide of the King.


    Maybe the King, too, if he was not ill.


    ''No use dwelling on it,'' Kyran thought as he looked at the three aides. ''Let''s get this over with.''

 Chapter 879 Acquisition (19)

    Chapter 879 Acquisition (19)


    The moment Kyran appeared before the three neers, they closed in on him at the same time.


    All three already had their Divine Armaments summoned: a diamond longsword, dual nunchaku, and a ming whip. The one using the ming whip, whose body structure suggested she was female, rushed at Kyran from the right, while the former two rushed in from the left, and the middle respectively.


    The female aide flicked her wrists and whirled the ming whip above her head before swinging it at the Imon-spawn. An air-splitting sound filled the air as the ming whip came forward, seemingly after thetter''s leg.


    At the same time, the aideing from the middle, spread out his arms and struck the dual nunchaku. The nunchaku''s chains extended, with their end going straight at the Imon-spawn forearms.


    Both aides seeded in wrapping their weapons around Kyran''s forearms and legs. After which, the one using the dual nunchaku pulled his weapons, seemingly intent on bringing Kyran to his knees. While the female aide simply ensured Kyran could not move from his spot.


    The aide with the diamond longsword waited before the two seeded in binding the Imon-spawn into ce, before suddenly disappearing. He then reappeared right behind thetter,whose body slightly leaned forward after getting pulled by the nunchakus, his arms raised and aimed at thetter''s exposed neck.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he sensed something strange from the neers'' Divine Armaments. Their levels were no different from the two before them, but their Divine Armaments seemed sturdierpared to them.


    In a way, Kyran guessed the King of Armakea sent out two unconventional-type Divine Armament to ensure they would not be destroyed easily. A whip and a nunchaku might be considered melee weapons but they also had binding abilities, which was why they could be considered unconventional weapons. As for the aide using a diamond longsword, it was very easy to understand the King of Armakea''s intentions.


    Diamond is considered one of the sturdiest substances out there. It could even cut a thick steel like cutting tofu. From this, the King of Armakea likely believed that a diamond longsword could easily cut Kyran.


    Moreover, Kyran sensed the three aides'' Divine Armaments were enhanced using an Array. As an Array Saint, he could discern if a weapon possessed array forms. Apart from that, the three aides appeared with their Divine Armaments already summoned. It was likely that before the King of Armakea sent them out, he gave them an essory that could be used as an ornament to their Divine Armaments, thus, enhancing their durability and defenses.


    CLANG!


    "!"


    The aide using the diamond longsword was shocked when his mighty strike failed to cut the Imon-spawn''s neck. His hand was even forced back from the impact.


    To think that an Imon-spawn''s skin was thick enough to withstand even a strike from a weapon made of diamond.


    Seeing that the diamond longsword-using aide failed in their attempt to behead the Imon-spawn, the female aide willed her ming whip to erupt in mes. Her action gave the former a chance to retreat, avoiding a solo confrontation with the Imon-spawn.


    With the ming whip wrapped around his legs, Kyran''s lower body was instantly engulfed by mes.


    The dual nunchaku-using aide pulled harder, still intent on bringing the Imon-spawn to his knees.


    Unfortunately for him, he failed the second time.


    Kyran pulled the nunchaku, instead, forcing the dual nunchaku-using aide toward him. Thetter was quite decisive. When he noticed he could not overpower the former, he unsummoned his Divine Armament and retreated.


    The female aide also retracted her ming whip after seeing her mes did nothing to the Imon-spawn''s lower body.


    Kyran did not pursue the three aides. He simply stood there and waved his hand to cancel out the mes that covered his lower body.


    The three aides observed the Imon-spawn for a few seconds before suddenly disappearing.


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. But then he squinted because he realized the King of Armakea must have sent those three to test him out rather than kill him. If that was the case, the King might have expected the diamond longsword-using aide would not seed in his attempt to behead him.


    The knights inside the Void domain were also surprised at this turn of events. At the same time, they believed it was to be expected. Their King might have used brute force to subdue the other nations and take their lost technology, but that did not mean he was all brawn with no brains.


    The King of Armakea knew when to attack and retreat. That was how he got to where he was now.


    [Master.]


    Filren''s voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    [Please be careful. Knowing King Aran, this probing meant he was considering taking those out.]


    ''Those?'' Kyran asked with a slight frown. He received some of Filren''s memories after bing his Sigil, but when thetter spoke of those, he did not seem to ring any bell.


    [Automatons.]


    Kyran raised his brows. Apart from Loar, Kyran had yet to meet anyone who could create Automatons. He, himself, had yet to create one, which was why he was thrilled to hear that the King of Armakea possessed them.


    [The real inheritance that a King of Armakea receives is not us, Knights, but those Automatons.]


    ''Meaning the way to activate those Automatons has something to do with the things the King of Armakea possessed,'' Kyran surmised. ''Or is it a knowledge passed on from the previous King?''


    [Apologies for myck of knowledge, Master. But I am not privy to the details of those Automatons. The only thing we know is that, even if we die in battle, King Aran will still have an army that could turn the tides against the enemies¡ª and that is his Army of Automatons.]


    Kyran took a deep breath. He now understood why La was more interested in having a deal with the King of Armakea than the fake Somuli Sovereign.


    La''s objective was not only the Knights but also those automatons.


    Thinking back on it, Kyran recalled Axil had Dusk investigate Armakea''s lost technology. Could it be that she knew about the automatons and was also interested in retrieving them?


    Unlike La who needed someone to activate the automatons, thus, wanting to strike up a deal with King Aran, Axil had Loar. So long as Loar saw those Automatons, he could tweak their settings and make them his.


    Kyran remembered the blueprint he saw at Dusk''s hideout. He had an inkling that the location where the King hid those automatons was shown there.


    ''That''s fine. I don''t think he''ll send those out at once. Not until he understands the current situation in Larkring.''


    [Yes. I am sure he nned to rally the other aides to scan the situation in Larkring. If he had not done so yet.]


    Kyran fell silent as he added this factor and reassessed his n.


    Initially, he had wanted the King to dispatch his aides against him, which was why he came and appeared in such an overbearing manner. This way, his group could do their task without having to worry about confronting one of the King''s aides.


    In the end, Kyran miscalcted because he was unaware of the existence of the Automatons.


    There were eight aides to the King left. If he rallied them all over Larkring, once they discovered where the rest of Kyran''s forces were, he might split them up into three groups: with a ratio of 3:3:2.


    Three would definitely go to the military district with the rest going to the other two locations Kyran sent his forces to. Among those two other locations, Kyran was not worried about Achim''s group, who went to meet with his father, Ravan. What he was most worried about was Malek and Nahir''s group, simply because he knew the King of Armakea would send three aides there.


    Kyran trusted Malek''s strength. Even so, he knew it would not be easy for him to fight three aides at once. Though he had far more knights and officers among their ranks, thetter might end up bing cannon fodders once an all-out fight broke out.


    Most important of all, Kyran was worried that the aides would aim at the Eidums because their support magic was far more troublesome than the offensive might of the knights with them.


    Kyran took a deep breath and tried to push aside those negative thoughts. After all, the real reason he was worried about them was that Cyneah was with them. She might not be a damsel in distress, but that did not stop him from worrying about her safety.


    ''I''m going,'' Kyran told Filren after a short pause. ''I''ll let you know once I retrieve your Divine Armament.''


    [T-Thank you.]


    Without further ado, Kyran teleported in front of the huge oak doors that led to the castle''s main hall.


    The castle building itself had anti-teleportation and even anti-warp array forms around it. It was for this reason that Kyran could not directly warp inside. Besides, he only saw how the interior of the castle looked from Achim and Kesiah''s memories. It was not a memory of his own, thus, even if those array forms were not present, he could not warp directly inside and meet the King.

 Chapter 880 Acquisition (20)

    Chapter 880 Acquisition (20)


    The two huge oak doors opened as if beckoning Kyran to enter.


    From the King of Armakea''s attitude, it was possible that he already knew Filren already informed Kyran about his hidden trump card, the Automatons, and beckoned thetter to enter if he dared.


    Kyran could not help but sneer at the King Aran''s arrogance.


    Did Aran really think Kyran would not dare fight his hidden trump card? Though Kyran did not have first-hand experience inbating Automatons he was not afraid of them.


    Kyran was not afraid not because his body had undergone a huge enhancement, but because he was an Array Saint.


    Automatons are products of Array and Smithing, it is not a stretch to say that someone like Kyran, who possesses both knowledge, can see through their strengths and weaknesses. If given enough time, he can get used to fighting them as well.


    Kyran''s belief that he had never fought an Automaton was justified by the fact he was unaware that the person he encountered before falling into aa was, in fact, an Automaton. He did know that person was different, but he did not know it was an Automaton.


    [Please be careful, Master.]


    Kyran only nodded in response, not minding whether Filren saw it or not.


    Not wanting to dy further, Kyran stepped inside the castle.


    The castle''s main hall was huge, with a golden chandelier hanging above just before a stair that split into two, leading to the second floor. Apart from the chandelier, there was only a red carpet that covered the brick flooring.


    At first nce, Kyran could sense how bleak the inside of the castle appeared, simr to the outside.


    A chilly gust of wind swept down from the two halls upstairs and out the open oak doors.


    Kyran could not help but frown as he sensed the wind carrying such potent killing intent. He looked toward the two halls on the second floor but failed to determine where exactly that killing intent came from.


    It would have been easy to locate the person emitting such ominous intent using magic sense. However, when Kyran stepped into the castle, he realized there was an active array formation that prevented the use of any type of probing or scanning abilities or techniques.


    ''Armakea really lives up to its name as being a nation that loves to horde lost technology,'' Kyran thought with a sigh. He expected the castle''s Array formation to have multipleyers, but with the thin magic energy in the surroundings, he thought the King would not be able to maintain it for long.


    Unless the King possessed spirit stones, which naturally stock magic energy, he should not have the means to activate the castle''s array formation for long.


    However, the castle''s array formation did not seem to be bothered by how thin the magic energy was in Somuli. Apart from that, Kyran already destroyed the offensive form¡ª which were those lock-on targets¡ª outside, yet, the array formation was still working.


    It should be noted that once a part of the array formation was destroyed, it would start to crumble. That had been the case when Kyran destroyed the array formation in the Mercenary Hall, as well as the defensive array of the Tower of Conve. There were plenty of other instances where Kyran dealt with array formations by targeting one of its forms and they ended up getting destroyedpletely.


    Until now.


    If the Armakea castle''s array formation was still working even with a destroyed form, it could only mean one thing: the formation''s tier level was higher than what Kyran expected.


    Kyran was not really surprised at this discovery because the tier levels of the borders'' array formation were quite high. It made him wonder just who were the first inhabitants of Somuli to possess such advanced Array Knowledge. Moreover, how did they disappear and leave only their creations behind?


    Kyran shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. No matter how curious he was now, he could not allow those thoughts to distract him. He had to focus on the matter at hand. In any case, he could find the answers to his questions after conquering Armakea.


    After clearing his thoughts, Kyran looked at the two halls upstairs. The killing intenting upstairs did note from the King nor his hidden trump card.


    Automatons were still machines and would not be able to emit killing intent like humans do. They could imitate its sense, but it was not true killing intent.


    Kyran recalled what Achim reported after using the parchment to check the whereabouts of the key figures in Armakea.


    As per Achim, apart from the King, his eleven aides¡ª which still included Filren, at that time¡ª, the two hundred knights that protected the castle, ten or so knights that were imprisoned in the cer, there were also five royal court officials there.


    These officials were all at Legendary level. Unfortunately, Achim and Kesiah did not know their Divine Armaments, special abilities, and even innate magic. The only thing they knew was that the King kept them inside the castle because he did not want them mingling with the rest of the Royal Family, especially with their father, Ravan.


    From this, Kyran guessed that the King valued those royal court officials. They probably possessed unique abilities and powerful innate magic and Divine Armaments. Nevertheless, the King did not seem to trust thempletely. If he did, he would not have kept them by his side or stopped them from mingling with the rest of the Royal Family.


    Of course, Kyran did not believe that those officials were powerful enough to threaten the King''s aides. If they did, the King would have already nned to assassinate them just because of the threat they might pose in the future.


    Achim and Kesiah shared Kyran''s sentiments. They believed their uncle would have truly done that.


    ''Three officials reside on the left wing, while two are on the right,'' Kyran recalled the locations Achim told him. If those officials did not move since then, then Kyran would go to the right wing and get rid of the two first. But if they already moved then, the likely ce they would go to was there.


    ''The Throne Room is located at the innermost part of the castle, and the hall that leads to that room is the left one,'' Kyran recalled as he looked toward the left. ''We go left, then.''


    Kyran went up the stairs and turned left, all the while, he kept his guard, in case there were any trap forms waiting for him.


    In the end, Kyran worried about nothing because his journey to the Throne Room had been peaceful. Of course, he did not believe it was a coincidence, or that the castle''s array formation did not have any trap forms. The only reason he could think of why he did not encounter any problems was because the King of Armakea wanted him toe.


    The King''s attitude truly spoke of his unparalleled arrogance and confidence in his trump cards.


    The castle''s structure was pretty strange. Kyran made plenty of turns, and even went up a few floors, before going down two floors just to arrive in front of the Throne Room. Good thing Kyran''s memory was pretty good and he remembered Achim and Kesiah''s directions well.


    Simr to the height of the double oak doors that led to the castle''s main hall, the doors to the Throne Room were high, and simrly wide. But they were not made of oak. Instead, they were made of gold with rune writings embedded around their surface. What was more, the rune writings were made of spirit stones.


    Kyran frowned after seeing this because thus far, this was the first time he would be seeing spirit stones in Somuli. But now that he saw this, it answered the mystery of how the castle''s array formation could remain active for so long.


    Fooosh!


    Killing intent erupted from inside the Throne Room as the double golden doors opened.


    "An Imon-spawn... working under my beloved nephew and niece. Even after seeing it for myself, I still have trouble believing it."


    An old and hoarse voice fleeted from inside the Throne Room.


    Kyran looked beyond the opened doors. The room was dark, but he could make out several silhouettes inside.


    "Come in, honored guest. Let me witness the fabled strength of an Imon-spawn."


    Kyran''s eyes stopped at the figure he could barely see seated on a high-back chair.


    It was impossible to see even the silhouettes of the people inside the Throne Room because of the darkness. But Kyran''s eyesight and the rest of his senses improved after his body underwent enhancement, which was why he could at least see the silhouettes inside the room. Still, the improvement he received was only enough to differentiate him from above-average humans. It did not give him a huge advantage against the rest.


    "Sorry to burst your bubble," Kyran replied as he stepped inside the Throne Room. "But I am not an Imon-spawn."


    Inside the Throne Room, Aran''s eyes narrowed at the Imon-spawn''s words. He had been observing thetter since he appeared in front of the castle. While his appearance suggested he was an Imon-spawn, Aran had an inkling he might be simr to La instead. The way the Imon-spawn fought, moved, and used his magic was different fromplete beings.


    There was also the matter of him not summoning any Divine Armament.


    Imon-spawns might be a mix of beast-likes andplete beings, which meant there was a probability he could not possess a Divine Armament, but if that was the case, he should have shown signs of absorbing ''mana'' rather than utilizing magic energies.


    Since Aran noticed the Imon-spawn did not do any of these, he supposed thetter was simr to La: an outsider.


    "s," Aran sighed before waving his hand.


    As he did, five of the figures inside the room moved.


    Kyran immediately noticed something strange. Thus far, most of the Armakeans he faced would rush forward or release a long-range attack. However, these five simply raised their Divine Weapons and attacked.


    Five different magic elements attacked Kyran from all sides.


    Concentrated magic energies of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and nt were aimed at Kyran. His guess was on point, these five were no Knights but Mages, like those in the Kingdom of Cretea.


    How King Aran managed to employ them as his officials, and even hide the truth from the rest of the Armakeans was beyond Kyran. As a matter of fact, he did not really care. Since he wanted to know how strong a Noble was, he did not mind confronting Aran''s officials.


    Kyran''s eyes flickered as they turned reddish-purple. He ignored the iing magic attacks and continued forward.


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    A meter before the magic attacks could touch Kyran, they sizzled and disintegrated into thin air.


    The five figures were slightly surprised at what happened because they could not figure out what he did. But since they could not waste time pondering over every little thing the enemy did, they simply put their doubts aside and instead decided to change their strategy.


    Since concentrated magic energy attacks did not seem to work against the enemy, they decided to make use of the nature of their magic when coordinating their attacks.


    The one whose innate magic was nt summoned vine-like nts directly under Kyran''s feet to bind him in ce. After which, the one with Fire magic imprisoned him with a wall of mes. The mage with Wind magic summoned a gust of wind that enraged the wall of mes, which in turn thinned the air around Kyran. The Earth mage summoned concrete walls outside the mes, trapping himpletely. Finally, the Water mage summoned a water barrier outside the earth walls.


    The nt mage then controlled what was left of the vine-like he summoned inside to create a small opening above the earth enclosure. With the sudden opening, the air rushed inside further agitating the mes. In a matter of a few seconds, the earth enclosure could no longer hold the mes and a huge explosion urred.


    The explosion was followed by a powerful shockwave that forced the five to retreat a few steps back. Nevertheless, the water barrier managed to counter the explosion a little, thus, reducing the momentum of the shockwave.


    "It''s not over," Aran warned the five as a silhouette fleeted from within the cloud of smoke that came after the explosion.


    The five officials did not need to be told twice. Most of them already moved and unleashed another series of magic attacks.


    The Earth and Fire mages molded their magic into projectiles: feet-long knives, and arrows respectively, and willed them to rain down on the enemy.


    Meanwhile, the Water mage used his magic to summon water barriers that would protect them against any sneak attacks from the enemy.


    Then the Wind mage prepared to release another round of concentrated magic energy attacks. He nned to release it to the enemy if he survived the volleys of attack from the Earth and Fire mages.


    While thinking this, a silhouette rushed forward amidst the bombardment. In that instant, the Wind mage released his attack.

 Chapter 881 Acquisition (21)

    Chapter 881 Acquisition (21)


    Concentrated magic energy from Wind magic wasparable to a thousand des beingpressed in one form. Thus, among the five officials, one could say that the Wind mage could produce a lethal attack on his own.


    Others might not agree with this, given how Fire could burn someone to death depending on its intensity, or that Earth could be molded into sharp objects that could cut or pierce someone. With its vine-like maneuver, the nt could also be lethal if it was sturdy enough to squeeze someone to death. As for Water, if trapped inside a water ball, one could also easily die of suffocation.


    But thetter three attacks only worked against those with weak to average magic and physical defenses. As for thest one, would anyone with high mobility or powerful momentum allow himself to be trapped inside a water cage? Of course not.


    The enemy before them could not bepared to those weak to average mages or evenbat mages. He might not even beparable to the lower half of the King''s aides. For this reason, the officials needed a far more prative attack than the other four elements could offer and they believed Wind magic could do the trick.


    The other four officials did not stand idle while the Wind mageunched his attack. They amplified thetter''s concentrated attack by allowing the nature of their own innate magic to merge with it.


    Soon, the Wind mage''s concentrated magic energy attack tore through the air, leaving behind a zing trail that seemed to rip through space.


    Kyran remained unfazed as he watched the iing attack. Judging by the momentum of the attack, it could prate a powerful Legendary mage''s magic and physical defenses, killing him in one strike. If the target was a Legendary-level Knight, its lethality might not be enough to one-hit kill him, but it would certainly leave a fatal injury.


    Unfortunately, Kyran was neither a Legendary mage nor a Legendary-level Knight. At the present time, he still did not know his level, much more if he could be considered a mage,bat mage, or something else entirely different.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes flickered, and the space at which the concentrated attack was traversing distorted. The air crackled, and in the blink of an eye, the attack disappeared.


    Everyone inside the Throne Room was shocked beyond disbelief at what they had witnessed. Even the two aides, standing guard near Aran''s throne, who normally did not show any emotions almost dropped the spear they were holding.


    "You! That power...!"


    One of the officials shouted while pointing at Kyran usingly with his Divine Armament, which was a long wooden staff. Thetter ignored the former''s usatory look, however, and continued to approach the throne.


    "KILL HIM!" Aran shouted, his hoarse voice quivering as proof of his trepidation.


    The five officials prepared anotherbined attack, even though they felt it would be futile. After all, they believed that their enemy had the ability to cancel out magic attacks.


    That was right. Rather than recognizing Kyran was using Void magic, they only believed what he did just now was a specially rare innate ability that could cancel or nullify attacks.


    Kyran did not care about their misconception though. Now that he had an idea of how Nobles fight, he did not need to dally any more.


    Five fissures appeared on the ground where each Noble stood, as Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes darkened.


    Time seemed to have stopped for a moment for the Nobles as soon as they took notice of the fissures. In the next moment, a powerful suction force pulled them in, not even giving them time to process what was happening.


    The two aides standing guard by the throne made their move when the fissures appeared. Unfortunately, they could not prevent the five officials from getting sucked into them. Since it was already toote to assist them, they changed direction and went straight toward the approaching enemy.


    Kyran watched the two aides rushing at him. He noticed their aura did not belong to any of the three he fought at the courtyard and knew they belonged to the remaining five aides he had yet to meet. Nevertheless, he sensed that their momentum was far greater than those three, as well as the two he absorbed.


    From this, Kyran guessed that King Aran did not necessarily send out his aides ording to the strongest to the weakest. Rather, he sent out the five weakest to test the waters.


    Then, did this mean that these two were considered at the middle rank, or higher? If so, where were the rest, especially those three who retreated earlier?


    Were they sent to deal with themotion in the Military District? If that was the case, then Kyran had less to worry about because Sigma and Chairman Noir were there. As long as they made full use of the miniature Array formation he created, in ordance with Chairman Noir''s invention, then they could be considered unparalleled.


    As for the Array formation that trapped the rest of the Knights inside the Military District, it would never pose any problem to Kyran. After all, he was the one who cast the formation. No one would be able to decipher and destroy it.


    Back to the situation at hand, Kyran looked at the two iing aides. The two brandished their spears as magic energies gathered at the end of the spear''s head. Golden magic energies circled the spear''s head and their bodies glowed with a simrly golden light.


    Looking at the concentrated magic energies from the spears, Kyran could more or less guess how much damage they would inflict if unleashed at the same time. Not wanting to bear witness to such a devastating oue, he circted Draconic magic into his body as he employed the Dragon Steps.


    In an instant, Kyran appeared before the aide rushing from the right. As if in slow motion, he saw the aide''s green eyes behind the helmet''s visor widen in surprise.


    Kyran made an abrupt stop as he shifted his weight from his waist to his arm and finally to his right fist. After which, he punched the aide on the left torso, destroying his armor in the process before sending him hurling sideways.


    The speed at which the aide was hurled sideways was far too fast for the other aide to avoid. They collided in an instant and were sent crashing into the wall.


    BOOM!


    The wall crumbled from the impact and the debris fell, burying them underneath.


    Aran stood up in shock as he gaped at the outsider, who seemed not to care about what he did to the aides with a single move and continued to approach the throne.


    With the speed at which the outsider closed in on one of the aides, Aran knew the former could easily approach the throne in the blink of an eye. Yet, he continued at a leisurely pace which unnerved Aran to the point of exploding in anger.


    "An outsider''s strength is truly unfathomable. I have underestimated you."


    "No, you did not underestimate me. You simply could not be bothered to care and know about others that would not be of use to you."


    Aran was dumbfounded at what the outsider just said. But then heughed out loud and nodded, "Good. A very good observation."


    His eyes narrowed and stared at thetter meaningfully, "Since you did not attack me directly, I take it you wanted to strike up a deal?"


    Kyran stopped and raised his brows at Aran''s question.


    This guy... was truly hopeless.


    "You think I''m an idiot? Why would I strike a deal with a puppet?"


    Aran''s eyes widened. For a moment, silence ensued between them. However, in the next second, Aran''sughter filled the Throne Room.


    After that, the rubble where the two aides got buried, exploded as the two recovered and attacked once more.


    Without bothering to look at the approaching aides, Kyran used the Dragon Steps to evade ande up behind them. He raised his left hand and swiftly struck the back of their necks with a knifehand.


    "Gah!"


    The two aides fell face-first on the floor, out cold.


    Nevertheless, their attack just now was not entirely futile since they sessfully gave Aran, who was only a puppet, time to escape.


    Kyran let out an exasperated sigh as he looked toward the throne.


    Truth be told, he did not notice Aran was already a puppet. Only when the two aides came at him did he sense that something was amiss.


    It was indeed troublesome dealing with someone who had many tricks up his sleeves.


    King Aran possessed a number of advanced array formations, magic items, puppets, and even automatons. However, he only made use of a few of the former two and had yet to deploy any of thetter two.


    Kyran furrowed his brows as he looked at the two aides lying unconscious on the floor. To be honest, these two were powerful. However, they could not showcase their true might because they did not summon their Divine Armaments.


    They only made use of hand-made magic weapons, which again, puzzled Kyran. They were also the ones responsible for concealing Aran''s identity as a puppet. If not for these two, they would have definitely put up a fight against him.


    In the end, Kyran could only scratch his head as he scanned the throne. He had to find Aran, as soon as possible, and end this farce.

 Chapter 882 Acquisition (22)

    Chapter 882 Acquisition (22)


    In another location in Larkring, Achim''s group entered his father''s mansion and was met withplete resistance.


    True to Ravan''s righteous character, he did not tolerate Achim and Kesiah''s actions and treated them like one would a traitor. He sent out his forces and engaged Achim''s group in a fierce battle.


    Although Ravan''s forces did not emit any killing intent, they still fought Achim''s group with the intent to wound them fatally.


    Ravan''s forces would have seeded, if not for Kyran ensuring Achim''s and the rest were properly equipped.


    Before they left the temporary campsite, Kyran enhanced everyone''s armor and robes. He also left a protective mark on his Servants, and the first two hundred or so knights and officers. As for the rest, he did not leave a mark just because he had yet to confirm their allegiance. They followed Achim and Kesiah''s orders without questions, but that did not mean they did not harbor any ill intentions, especially to him.


    Besides, when Kyran appeared before them, he sensed several hostile auras among the Armakeans and that continued even when he was idling at the cliffside while talking with Cyneah. This should not have been the case since Achim and Kesiah already told them about Kyran''s importance, especially among the Eidums.


    In any case, Achim''s group consisted of knights and officers who swore allegiance to Kyran from the start of the conquest. Thus, they also received his protective mark. Those knights and officers who did not receive the mark were split into Noir''s group and Malek''s.


    These Armakeans might not have Kyran''s protective mark, but their armor still received enhancements, which greatly improved their magical and physical defenses. Even if they encountered a group of powerful enemies, they would have enough strength to fight and resist.


    The battle between Achim''s forces and Ravan''s was in a stalemate¡ª with neither side at an advantage or disadvantage. Therefore, Ravan decided toe out and confront his son personally.


    Ravan''s decision was greatly influenced by the observation he had of Achim and his people''s rtionship.


    The knights his sonmanded should not have the power to resist the King''s pact. Yet, they were here and fighting alongside him. This made Ravan wonder how his son managed to remove the knights'' pact when Aran had already rescinded the veto of authority he granted the heir candidates.


    It was one thing for the low-ranked officers to follow Achim, but for the knights to do the same was unprecedented.


    Ravan wanted to confront his son and understand how thetter and Kesiah ended up working together when both could not even stand to be in the same room, breathing the same air a month ago. Moreover, Ravan knew Achim well. Achim would not betray Aran and join hands with Kesiah. He was far too ambitious and wanted the throne for himself. He would never work with Kesiah, who had the potential to surpass him.


    "Prince Achim, Grand Duke Ravan has finally appeared," one of the knights standing near Achim reported as soon as he saw Lord Ravan walking toward the mansion''s courtyard.


    The tension between Achim''s and Ravan''s forces went up as Ravan approached.


    Soon, Ravan''s forces stopped attacking and started retreating.


    Achim also sent out a telepathic message, ordering his people to not pursue and to fall back. After which, he walked forward as if wanting to greet his father.


    Finally, Ravan stopped twenty meters away from Achim.


    Achim also stopped walking and looked at his father with resolute eyes.


    Silence followed, but was broken almost in an instant from Ravan''s unexpected remark.


    "You are not my son," he said, looking at Achim with furrowed brows.


    Achim almost choked in surprise. He did not expect Ravan to notice his sudden change. Still, Achim managed to stay calm and hide his trepidation.


    "If you are, you would not have agreed to join hands with Kesiah," Ravan continued while observing Achim''s reaction.


    Achim closed his eyes to avoid making eye contact with Ravan. Doing this also helped him contemte his response.


    "I had a change of heart," he said. "Is that really hard to believe?"


    "Yes. Because it is you."


    "Your words are piercingly cruel, Father," Achim said with a wry smile.


    Ravan narrowed his eyes, "I simply know you, son."


    "Would you have acted differently if Kesiah was the one standing before you now?"


    "No," Ravan replied curtly. "Both of you are rebels and I gave my word to Aran not to interfere. For this reason,ing here is a waste of time. I have already sent word to the castle that you are here."


    Achim shook his head, "Sending word there does not make any difference, at the moment."


    Ravan''s eyes narrowed. Others might find Achim''s words uninformative, but in truth, they conveyed crucial information.


    From Achim''s words, he hinted something was happening in the castle at this very moment.


    Ravan''s mansion was in Larkring. but it was located at the borders. He could not hear themotion happening in the castle and military district because these two were located in the northeast corner of the capital, at the far end of the mansion.


    "What have you done?" Ravan asked, not bothering to hide his contempt. He might not like how Aran does things, but he was still the King of Armakea. Ravan, as one of his subjects, swore allegiance to him, and would naturally be on his side. When internal strife urs, he would not tolerate those who would incite discord that could end up endangering innocent Armakeans.


    If Achim and Kesiah did harm any of the civilians, as the Grand Duke and their father, it was Ravan''s duty to punish them.


    Instead of answering Ravan''s question, Achim replied with a question of his own.


    "Father, are you aware of the bigger picture of what is happening in Somuli?"


    Ravan was caught off guard form Achim''s question. Soon after, his expression turned grim.


    Although Ravan did not give any concrete answer, his reaction and evenck of response were enough for Achim to guess his father was aware of the situation in Somuli.


    "I am not here to convince you to rebel against Uncle, Father. I only wish you would not interfere."


    Ravan frowned, not fully understanding what Achim meant.


    "What we''re doing is not the kind of rebellion you might think. Moreover, Kesiah and I are not the ones leading this campaign..."


    *


    Kesiah and Gaham barely kept their distance from the pursuit of the Legendary-level Knights. If not for the constant disturbance that Gael''s Shadow MInions provided, they would have long lost a limb or two from those knights'' unpredictable attacks.


    ''We''re only a hundred meters away from that ce,'' Kesiah told Gaham.


    Gaham did not respond, but his eyes narrowed as cold sweat trickled down his back. There were only a few meters left to their destination, and from the speed they were traversing, it would only take them five minutes to get there.


    However, that five minutes that used to be not that long seemed to stretch on forever. Not only that, even the road they were traversing seemed longer than before.


    That was the pressure those Legendary-level Knights posed on Gaham.


    How Kesiah could remain indifferent from the pressure, or even the presence of death behind them, was beyond Gaham''s understanding. Nevertheless, he was in awe of her will.


    Just as Gaham was thinking this, a zing trail of fire sted at him from behind. He barely changed direction and avoided the mes before continuing forward.


    Kesiah was not within the range of those mes, but instead, several de-like winds cut through the air and sped toward her. The trees around her were shredded in the blink of an eye and she would have also suffered if she did not summon her Divine Armament and wrapped herself with red armor.


    "Princess!" Gaham caught his breath when he witnessed those de-like winds shred everything in their path.


    "Don''t worry about me and focus!" Kesiah yelled without looking at him.


    Gaham gritted his teeth and nodded. His defensive ability was not enough to shield Kesiah from a Legendary-level Knight''s attack. But with their level and speed, they could at least maintain their lead for another couple of minutes.


    A couple of minutes...


    Gaham broke out in cold sweat once more.


    There were still four minutes before they reached their destination. Hopefully, those shadow minions could provide enough breathing space for them to maintain their lead.


    Why did they have to prepare that trap so far from the enemy''s campsite, anyway?


    Although Gaham wasining, he knew the answer was simple. If they prepared that trap near the campsite, the enemy patrols might find it. Besides, they had to lure these knights so Gael couldplete his task¡ª whatever that might be.


    "Gaham!"


    Kesiah''s shout brought Gaham out of his reverie. At the same time, a shadow shed past his side, shoving him to the side and barely saving him from a barrage of arrows directed at him.


    "Don''t get distracted Gaham!"


    "My apologies."

 Chapter 883 Acquisition (23)

    Chapter 883 Acquisition (23)


    While Kesiah and Gaham lured the Legendary-level Knights, Gael remained in the temporary campsite and observed the Arch Magus-level Knights. Themotion brought by Kesiah and Gaham''s appearance resulted in every knight and officer in the camp maintaining their vignce. None of the lower-ranked knights and officers followed the Legendary-level Knights because they would have been left behind or even caused dys. Instead, they doubled the groups patrolling the vicinity while a few of them started their preparation to go to the fort.


    There were still a few more hours before they began the operation, but because of Kesiah and Gaham''s appearance, they decided to move up the time.


    Gael did not mind the buzz around the camp, though. He preferred it even, because it made it easier for him to move around their shadows without being detected if they were this busy.


    Yes, their perception and vignce were at an all-time high, but Gael''s movements were concealed by the shadows perfectly. The improvement in his shadow concealment ability was definitely caused by the improvement in their Master''s magic knowledge.


    Gael continued to observe the Arch Magus-level Knights¡ª for convenience, he decided to refer to them as Arch Knights moving forward¡ª for a chance to strike. He finally took action when he saw them enter arge tent, which he guessed was used as a meeting room.


    As soon as the five Arch Knights gathered around a round table, where a detailed map of the fort was projected, Gael activated his Domain.


    None of them could react in time before Gael''s Shadow Domain swallowed them whole.


    After that, he stayed inside the domain and subdued the Arch Knights, who tried to struggle their way out. With their Space-based Divine Armaments, they would not have any problem creating a separate space inside the Shadow Domain while looking for its weakness and leaving.


    Unfortunately for them, Gael''s Shadow''s innate magic had adapted some of the Void''s nature after bing a Servant. Thus, their attempt at creating that space was useless. In over a minute, their Divine Armaments were already tainted by Gael''s Shadow magic.


    In just three minutes, Gael sessfully took control of the Arch Knights'' Divine Armaments. After that, subduing the Arch Knights had be easier. He did not even break a sweat.


    Frankly, Gael was surprised at this. Previously he had to take a while before he couldpletely subdue a knight. That had been the case the first time he absorbed one. But now, it only took him almost five minutes to subdue. After that, he would only need another ten to thirty minutes to turn them into his Shadow Minions.


    Gael shook his head and kept his excitement under wraps. He could not allow himself to wallow in his apparent easy win. After all, the reason he could subdue and turn them easily was because of his Master.


    Without his Master''s blessing, there was a good chance Gael would suffer a few injuries before he could turn the Arch Knights into his Shadow Minions.


    After Gael sessfully turned the Arch Knights, he ordered them to lead the rest of the knights and officers.


    Frankly, Gael wanted to turn as many knights or officers into his Shadow Minions, but after turning the Arch Knights, he realized he could no longer add more minions. He supposed that he finally met the limit of minions he could turn.


    Then again, maybe if he absorbed the lower-ranked knights and officers before the Arch Knights, he had an inkling that he could turn more than thirty or so before meeting his limit. From this, Gael guessed that his limit was not based on the number of minions, but on their levels. He also believed that if his mage level improved, he might seed in turning more Arch Knights or a couple of Legendary-level Knights.


    When Gael finished instructing the Arch Knights, he left to go after Kesiah and Gaham. He was worried that those two would meet some idents and the Shadow Minions he ordered to follow them would not be able to help them in time.


    Gael''s worry was on point because, at that moment, the Legendary-level Knights had already caught up with Kesiah and Gaham.


    One of the Legendary-level Knight with Space-based Divine Armament shortened the space around the two and cut off any possible escape route. After that, another knight pierced his wooden staff on the ground. The ground around Kesiah and Gaham trembled as several tree roots emerged from the ground and formed a wall made of entangled roots that imprisoned Kesiah and Gaham.


    Kesiah''s eyes glowed as she shifted her defensive Divine Armament into an offensive. After which, she attacked the roots at a dizzying speed as she tried to stop them frompletely imprisoning them.


    Gaham also summoned his Divine Armament and mmed his morning star on the entangled roots. With every umted momentum from his swing, the morning star grew in size and strength.


    Gael''s Shadow Minions could not provide assistance at that moment and were forced to hide in the shadows, looking for an opportunity to strike the enemies.


    "I''ll create a path for you, Princess. Please go ahead."


    Kesiah furrowed her brows. She might be a Servant now, but her memories and even sentiments from before bing a Servant were still intact. She disliked the idea of leaving one of her people behind just so she could continue forward.


    Was it not this very sentiment that made her decide to appear before Kyran and negotiate?


    Nevertheless, Kesiah knew the importance of luring these Legendary-level Knights to their Master''s trap. She also knew that their Master specifically instructed them to lure all Legendary-level Knights into the trap.


    Thus, Kesiah shook her head, refusing Gaham''s suggestion.


    Her decision was greatly influenced by Kyran''s instructions. Not to mention, she believed that if she went ahead and left Gaham, the Legendary-level Knights would split up. When that happened, even if Kesiah seeded in luring those knights who went after her into the trap, those who stayed behind to make Gaham suffer would discover the trap and render it useless.


    Although there was still a chance to turn the tides and force the remaining Legendary-level Knights into the trap, Kesiah did not want to wager on such an uncertain n.


    "No, we''ll go together," Kesiah told Gaham as her eyes turned a shade of purple.


    A thin purplish coating enveloped her dual sabers. This was the change her Divine Armament received after bing a Servant. Utilizing the Void nature she now possessed, the de of her sabres could easily cut through anything and stop them from regenerating.


    The Legendary-level Knight who summoned the tree roots frowned as he sensed something was amiss. The other Knights also sensed something and aimed their Divine Armaments at Kesiah


    Seeing this, Gaham roared before mming his Divine Armament, which at that point had grown into a meter-wide blunt weapon, on the ground.


    BOOM!


    The ground before Gaham erupted, resulting in a massive shockwave that forced the rushing knights to retreat a couple of steps.


    Some of the tangled roots were also destroyed by the shockwave. However, the knight persisted and continued to summon more roots.


    But.


    "What¡ª?"


    The knight was dumbfounded as he realized that the roots that Kesiah cut with her dual sabres could no longer regrow.


    "Gaham!" Kesiah shouted as she finally opened up a path for them.


    Gaham need not be told twice. He unsummoned his Divine Armament and followed after Kesiah, who was already running up ahead.


    "What happened? Why did you stop summoning those roots?" A knight asked the one who summoned the roots.


    "I... there is something wrong with the roots!"


    "Huh? What the hell are you¡ª?"


    The Legendary-level Knights abruptly stopped their conversation when they realized Kesiah and Gaham had gained the lead on them again.


    "Don''t waste time talking! Deal with them first!"


    It was at this moment that the Shadow Minions finally made their move.


    The ground at which the knights stood darkened, making it seem as if it was not daylight. It was then followed by several ck spikes, emerging from it and aiming at their feet.


    "Tsk!"


    Some knights jumped to avoid the emerging spikes, while a few used their Divine Armaments to destroy them, wrecking the ground in the process.


    Because those spikes were summoned by the Shadow Minions, whose level was far lower than the knights, they were too brittle. They could not even scratch the knights'' armor.


    Nevertheless, the Shadow Minions did not mind since the sole reason they attacked was to buy time for Kesiah and Gaham. Not only that, when they summoned those spikes, they ensured that none of the knights would fall back. They were forced to step aside, but not retreat.


    When all the spikes were destroyed, the Shadow Minions hid once more and watched as the Legendary-level Knights regrouped and followed Kesiah and Gaham.


    The knights did not realize that the spikes just now were done by another group. Instead, they were convinced that those were Gaham''s follow-up attacks.


    After a couple of minutes, Kesiah and Gaham finally arrived at a clearing. They turned just in time to see the Legendary-level Knights gaining on them.


    ''Get outside the formation, Gaham. I''m more than enough to activate it.''


    ''Yes, Princess.''


    Gaham moved aside at once.


    Kesiah''s eyes glowed reddish-purple as soon as all Legendary-level Knights entered the array formation''s range. After that, a fifty-meter diameter dark purple array formation appeared on the ground. It emitted an ominous-looking faint purplish glow.


    Upon seeing the array, the Legendary-level Knights realized that they had fallen into a trap. They immediately retreated, wanting to leave the range of the formation.


    Unfortunately, their thinking had been too naive.

 Chapter 884 Acquisition (24)

    Chapter 884 Acquisition (24)


    A vacuum-like force enveloped the bodies of the Legendary-level Knights, sapping them of their internal magic energy, as well as their Divine Armaments. A few unsummoned their Divine Armaments in hopes of preventing their internal magic energy from running out.


    They were convinced the energies from their Divine Armaments were getting sapped because it was out in the open. If they unsummoned it, they believed they would no longer be affected. Unfortunately, those who thought this was met with disappointment. Their situation did not improve and as a matter of fact, the energy getting sapped out of their bodies was doubled the moment their Divine Armaments returned inside their bodies.


    Helplessly, the Legendary-level Knights looked at Kesiah standing at the center of the lost technology. It was only then that they noticed she was not holding any item that resembled a lost technology.


    "How? How can such a huge formation be activated without a physical lost technology?" One of the knights blurted his thoughts, which prompted the others to reel in both amazement and fear.


    Did Princess Kesiah learn how to create the lost technology? Was the formation glowing on the ground something she replicated?


    If this was true, then they now understood why she and Prince Achim were bold enough to stage a rebellion.


    Kesiah ignored them and focused only on controlling the array formation. Sapping the Knights and their Divine Armaments'' energies was only a part of their Master''s Array.


    Because the array formation would require an enormous amount of magic energy to maintain, Kyran included a form targeting the Legendary-level Knights and their Divine Armaments to provide the formation the energy it required. This form was different from the absorption form, which targeted everyone inside the array.


    Because Kesiah was not the original creator of the array formation, she was also exposed to the normal absorption form''s effect. Kyran knew this, which was why he tweaked the form to only target those Legendary-level Knights and their Divine Armaments.


    The moment the array formation umted enough magic energy, it activated the second phase, which was to seal the Divine Armaments of the Legendary-level Knights. In this way, they could not use it to hurt Kesiah, who was the one steering the formation''s wheel.


    Following the sealing of their Divine Armaments, one knight after another felt a strange energy slipping inside their bodies. This energy not only seemed to suppress their strength but also stopped them from making any movements.


    The knights tried to resist the energy''s influence by circting what was left of their internal magic energy. However, the momentum of that strange energy was far too powerful for their meager magic energy could resist. Not to mention, the moment their magic energy touched it, changes started to appear in their magic energy''s nature.


    None of them knew, but Kesiah was aware that the strange energy currently enveloping them was the Void.


    To put it simply, the array formation Kyran prepared to deal with the Legendary-level Knights would allow Kesiah to force them into submission.


    That was right. Kyran might be interested in the Armakea Knights but he never really thought of turning all of them into his Servants or Sigils. He preferred it if Achim, Kesiah, Haji, and the rest he absorbed at the start could turn the rest of the knights into their subordinates.


    Kyran no longer had problems absorbing the Armakea Knights. After his body''s enhancement, his usage of Void magic also improved. Of course, he knew there were limitations in his absorbing and turningplete beings and humans into Servants. But thus far, he was far from it. Needless to say, being far from his limitations did not mean he should absorb and turn every Armakea Knight. Kyran still wanted to pick those whom he would want to be his Servants. Besides, he felt that turning an Armakea Knight into his Sigil was better.


    As for Achim, Kesiah, and the first few Knights that Kyran turned into Servants, he did not regret it. The change in their Divine Armaments'' nature presented them with a new path. It did not regress their improvement.


    Like Kesiah for instance. Her body and Divine Armament were already strong. However, because she only used brute strength to overwhelm her enemies, she could be suppressed easily by someone who had more strength than hers.


    That had been the case when she fought Kyran.


    But now, the offensive form of Kesiah''s Divine Armament had more lethality since they adapted the Void''s nature of nothingness. With every cut she made, the enemy would no longer be able to regenerate the part she had cut.


    That was the reason behind the roots summoned by one of the Knights to fail in regenerating and keeping Kesiah and Gaham in ce.


    Five or so minutester, the Knights could no longer resist the energy seeping into their bodies. One after another, they fell on their knees, their expressions turning grim.


    Seeing their condition, Kesiah slowly made her way to the knight closest to her. She flicked her hand and a mark, a half-inch six-sided star appeared and hovered on her palm. She then waved her hand and the mark went straight at the knight''s forehead.


    The mark embedded itself on the knight''s forehead before slowly sinking into his flesh. Unable to exert any energy to resist, the knight''s eyes blurred before he fell face-first on the ground.


    "It is not toote to turn yourself to the King, Princess Kesiah!" The leading knight blurted as soon as he saw what happened to the knight. He was clearly shaken by what he witnessed.


    Princess Kesiah''s level was lower than theirs. Even with their Divine Armaments being sealed, it was impossible for her to kill them in one shot. Not to mention, with only a flick of her hand.


    The leading Knight''s reaction seemed exaggerated, but it was reasonable because they did not know Kesiah never intended to kill them. She only wanted to force them into submission.


    As for the first knight she marked, his life energy appeared to have disappeared but he was only in a suspended animation while his will was being suppressed by Kesiah''s mark. Give it a few minutes then the knight would wake up eventually. Once he woke up, he would be subservient to Kesiah.


    Ignoring the leading Knight''s plea, Kesiah moved to the next knight. She flicked her wrist as another mark flew out of her palm and straight to the knight''s forehead.


    The knight tried to move his head away from the mark''s path. However, he was too weak to even raise his head and failed miserably. Kesiah''s mark struck the knight''s forehead, and soon after he also fell unconscious.


    The other knights did their best to fight the influence of the strange energy. However, no matter what they did, it was futile. The energy was truly too strange. They could not even determine its element because if they could, they believed one of them might have the element magic that could counter it.


    None of them knew that the Void''s energy could be considered a product of all elements yet not possessing any element, meaning it did not have any weak element. The only thing it would have trouble dealing with was Soul energy.


    At first, there was a slightmotion among the knights from what Kesiah was doing. But soon after, the strange energy had already infected their energies and they could no longer resist the array formation''s overwhelming pressure.


    One after another, they fell to their knees and could only wait for their turn when Kesiah also received her mark of death.


    Gaham''s expression turned grim as he watched Kesiah from the sidelines. He had known her for a long time, yet this would be the first time he witnessed her acting like this. She normally relied on her powerfulbat abilities and Divine Armament to subdue her enemies. But this time, she did nothing of the sort. She only walked over to the knights and simply ced a mark on their foreheads.


    Gaham clenched his fists before taking a deep breath. From the time Kesiah fell into Kyran''s control back then, Gaham had sensed a change in her magic. He could not ce it in words, but he was sure Kyran did something to her.


    Nevertheless, Gaham did not care about the changes. As long as her character was intact, then it was more than enough for him. He swore to her allegiance because of her character not because of what she could do.


    After another ten or so minutes, Gael finally reached the clearing where Kesiah was busily marking the remaining knights.


    ''Everyone at the camp is now under our control,'' he told them telepathically. ''We can now assist Azikh and Gidan back at the border.''


    Gaham was surprised after hearing this. He did not expect that Gael''s task was to convince the rest of the Royal Family''s forces to join them. How did he do it?


    ''I''ll be done in a few minutes. Sorry, I can only mark them one at a time because my level is stillcking,'' Kesiah replied.


    ''That will not be a problem,'' Gael replied. ''I received an update from one of my minions at the border. He said the King''s forces were still upied with the defensive array.


    ''Knowing master''s Array knowledge, it would take them several hours before they could put a dent on its surface.''


    Gaham could not help but frown after hearing that. If that was true, then what was the point of them going there? Would it not be enough to let them stay there?

 Chapter 885 Acquisition (25)

    Chapter 885 Acquisition (25)


    As if reading Gaham''s mind, Kesiah chuckled softly and said, ''Mo is there. If he sensed the King was in danger, he would definitely return to the castle.


    ''Gael''s minions might have found the other end of the transmission array connected to the one in Larkring, and destroyed it, but there are other ways for them to return directly.''


    ''Like Filren and the others did fromst time.''


    ''That''s right. That is something we have to stop no matter what. Until we confirm Lord Nar''s sess, we must do our part.''


    Gaham''s frown deepened at her words, ''You put so much trust in him, Princess. He may have connections with that silver humanoid dragon, but what has his connection done for us thus far? Nothing.''


    Gael could not help but chuckle. He wanted to rify their Master''s supposed connection with the silver humanoid dragon. But since the subject matter had no ns on rifying it, then who was he to meddle?


    In any case, Gael believed that Gaham harboring some doubts was not a bad thing in their current situation. As a matter of fact, it helped to have someone looking at things from a different angle to provide a subjective point. Especially since Gael and Kesiah tended to make decisions based on their unwavering trust in their Master.


    Gaham looked at Gael, somewhat peeved at thetter''s reaction. He mistook Gael''s reaction as if to make fun of him. In the end, he did not say anything because he knew Gael was one of Kyran''s people. Gaham was not petty to harbor ill feelings toward someone who blindly followed another because he was the same in that aspect, with Kesiah being that someone he followed.


    On the other hand, Kesiah looked at Gaham awkwardly. She disliked how thetter discredited their Master. In the end, she had no choice but to reign in her annoyance and continue with what she was doing.


    ''Once this is over, you''ll understand why I trust Lord Nar. He will not disappoint,'' Kesiah told Gaham instead. Then she directed her next words to Gael, ''Please cover for me. The Royal Family''s forces might now be under our control, but there is no telling if there would be others who will defect.''


    ''Don''t worry and continue what you are doing.''


    ''I only need a quarter of an hour.''


    ''Alright.''


    *


    After Kyran turned the two unconscious aides into his Sigil, their injuries were healed under the influence of the Sigil''s Blessings. When they recovered and regained consciousness, they realized what had happened. Yet, like Filren, they did not do anything to Kyran. They even warmed up to him quickly.


    Their reaction was mainly due to the fact that they found the shackles they received from bing a Sigil far more beneficial and friendlypared to the King''s pact. Besides, they now have freedom in a sense.


    Saying they got their freedom when they had be a Sigil to another might sound contradicting, but the two aides were the only ones who could properly exin why they thought that way.


    After that, Kyran checked the five Nobles he absorbed and summoned them. This would be the first time he turned a group of Elementors.


    Previously, Gael was considered an Elementor, but after his Shadow magic evolved, he seemed more like a Transmuter, even a Summoner. As for Achim and the rest, they werebat mages who could be a mix of any of these three Abjurer, Enchanter, and Transmuter.


    Kyran wanted to see how much change an Elementor would undergo after their innate magic received the Void''s baptism.


    What Kyran saw surprised him. He only had a vague idea of the changes in their magic, but it was enough high expectations for their performance in battle.


    The two aides who saw Kyran summoning the five Nobles also sensed the slight change in their innate magic. They were shocked beyond belief and looked at Kyran with fear.


    Where did he send the Nobles when they entered those fissures earlier? What did he do to them for their innate magic to have such change?


    Several questions fleeted on their minds but were afraid to voice them. Their fear was not due to their status as Kyran''s Sigil, but because they already had an idea and were afraid to confirm it. After all, it concerned Ancient Magic.


    After confirming the change in the Nobles did not affect their abilities to perform well in battle, Kyran sent them to his Void World first. He did not want them to walk around in a group because that would make it harder for them to move around. Besides, he had yet to learn how to cooperate with them in battle. If they were not careful, they might end up hurting the two aides who were turned into Sigils and did not receive certain immunity over Void magic.


    When the Nobles were gone, Kyran asked the two aides where Filren''s Divine Aramment was sealed.


    The three of them left the Throne Room and entered the side door where the quarters of the twelve aides to the King resided.


    The King''s aides'' quarter was notrge. It could even be considered a dormitory because there were a total of six bunk beds.


    "You guys stayed here all the time?" Kyran could not help but ask with raised brows.


    "Yes, Master," one of the aides named Armak, answered.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He actually received some of the memories they had but none of them showed their quarters. Surprisingly, the King was truly a coward for keeping his aides close to him. Not only that, he had kept them hidden inside a small room and only provided bunk beds for them to sleep in.


    There were small drawer cabs at each side of the beds where they kept their belongings and other necessities, but apart from that, and a corner with an empty rack Kyran guessed was where their armors were stored, there was nothing else.


    Besides that, the air inside the quarters was a little stuffy because there was only a row of venttion that also served as a window at one wall, opposite the door.


    "I think I now understand why you guys epted the Sigil''s mark so willingly."


    Armak, and Breira, the name of the other aide, smiled wryly. They previously thought bing one of the strongest Knights would help alleviate the restrictions the King had on them. Instead, the King ced additional shackles to prevent them from doing anything else.


    Kyran looked at them from the corner of his eyes. He found the talents of these two aides good since they were a rarebat mage that was a mix of an Abjurer and an Enchanter. If used properly, they could be good scouts or even spies.


    But that was something Kyran could consider another time.


    "Where is Filren''s Divine Armament?" he asked, getting back on business.


    Breira raised his hand toward the opposite wall, his palm facing forward.


    Soon, a distortion in space appeared at the small aisle that led to those small rows of windows, and a hovering rectangr box where Filren''s Divine Armament was sealed, appeared.


    "The King asked us to hide it here using our magic. He believed this would be thest ce Filren would think of if he rebelled and searched for his Divine Armament."


    Kyran shook his head, "The location did not matter, to be honest. Filren had been under Aran''s pact. He could never defy him. Your King is only paranoid."


    "He is no longer our King," the two aides answered in unison.


    Kyran chuckled at their response and made his way toward the box, "Right. My bad."


    Armak and Breira''s eyes widened when they saw him approach the box.


    "Wait, Master! My traps are still in ce!"


    "Master, Armak''s traps are still active!"


    Armak and Breira shouted respectively.


    "It''s fine," Kyran replied with a slight wave of his hand.


    Armak tried to deactivate his traps but was surprised to find he could no longer sense them.


    "This..."


    Breira also noticed something amiss and looked at Kyran''s back in wonder.


    Currently, Kyran''s eyes had turned dark purple while he made a rare exception of using his magic sense to remove the traps inside the quarters. Since he was aware of what Armak and Breira could do, he would not carelessly walk around without checking the room for hidden traps.


    Kyran did not notice Filren''s Divine Armament was actually hovering before their eyes because he had not deployed his magic sense yet. Still, he did not expect Breira''s enchantment could muddle his natural senses. His senses had been enhanced as well, yet failed to detect any anomaly!


    Kyran was happy he decided to turn the aides into Sigil rather than bing his Servants.


    After taking the box, Kyran realized that the box itself was a magic item with array calctions. He tapped on the box''s surface destroying its effect in an instant.


    ''Filren, you can now unsummon your Divine Armament.''


    [Yes, Master. Thank you very much!]


    Soon after he said that the box on Kyran''s hands crumbled, shocking both Armak and Breira.


    "Now, take me to where Aran ran off to," he said while turning to look at them.

 Chapter 886 Acquisition (26)

    Chapter 886 Acquisition (26)


    Armak and Breira led the way to the castle''s underground section.


    Simr to the path that led to the Throne Room, the castle''s underground had several turns. They would at times go down a few levels and then go up the next second. If Kyran had no good sense of direction as well as bearing, he would probably wonder if they were truly going underground or above.


    Soon the path darkened, prompting Armak and Breira to summon their Divine Armaments and use their natural glowing aura, to light the way. They did not need the light to see their surroundings because they were quite familiar with the castle''s underground section, but they took into consideration their new Master''s ability to see in the dark.


    Sensing the intentions of the two, Kyran telepathically talked to them, ''It''s okay. You can unsummon your Divine Armaments. We can''t let Aran know we''reing.


    ''Breira, conceal any sounds we might make, Armak, you can mask our scent. I''ll deal with concealing our presence and aura.''


    Although Kyran said this, Aran was already expecting them. Thus, concealing their movements would only give them a slight reprieve once they found his location.


    Armak and Breira nodded in response. They did as they were told and the three traveled once more in silence, only talking through telepathy.


    Along the way, Kyran asked them to brief him on what to expect in the castle''s underground.


    The two answered at once, providing all the information they knew.


    ording to them, the castle''s underground was a hugebyrinth where all Armakean Kings hid the Lost Technology they gathered through the years. At the moment, the very bottom part of the underground hid the King''s so-called trump card: Automatons.


    Armak and Breira did not know exactly how many were there, only that it could easily overpower an ordinary battalion of the King''s Knights.


    From this, Kyran guessed the number of Automatons in Aran''s possession would not go lower than a hundred. Given those Automatons were elites and could fight five or so knights at the same time.


    This piece of information could frighten any opposition of the Armakea King, but not Kyran. As a matter of fact, he could barely contain his excitement. If he could reprogram those Automatons and make them his, his personal force would improve by leaps and bounds.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at a spacious clearing where two metal doors could be seen from the far end.


    ''Master, this ce is full of traps. They are not my doing, though. But something a previous King built using several lost technologies.''


    Armak''s warning sounded in Kyran''s head when they arrived.


    Even without his warning, Kyran had already seen the telltale signs of several magic items crafted with Array Creation and Smithing in that spacious clearing. Not only that, he could also sense several presences behind the doors at the far end.


    Kyran smiled wryly. It seemed Aran had already made preparations for their arrival.


    ''If that is the case then¡­'' Kyran looked up and saw a thin veil concealingrge amounts of spirit stones, which were embedded in the ceiling.


    As expected, there were spirit stones there that would provide the magic energy on all Array Creations in that ce.


    ''Where did you mine all those spirit stones?'' Kyran asked them with a slight frown.


    His interest in the origin of those spirit stones would not have been piqued this much if those were low to mid-grade ones. He might not even show much interest if they were high-grade. But those stones were those rare exquisite qualities and there were more than 800kg of those on the ceilings. If he included those in the Throne Room''s doors, they might even amount to a ton.


    ''Spirit Stones?'' Armak and Breira repeated in confusion.


    Kyran inwardly scratched his head. That was right, he might call them spirit stones but they might be using a different name for them.


    Magic Energy Stones? They were not obviously Mana Stones since the energy inside them was not Mana.


    ''Those,'' Kyran pointed at the ceiling. Just in case Armak and Breira could not see through the veil, he also used his bond with them to lend his eyes.


    Armak and Breira''s eyes turned a shade of silver as they looked at where Kyran was pointing. They then saw the stones there and said, ''Ah. Those Philosopher''s Stones?''


    Kyran looked at them with raised brows. He read about a legendary stone with that name in one of the books at the Eidum''s archive and did not expect it was referring to those spirit stones.


    ording to what he read about the stone, it could ignore the energy limitations of any Lost Technology. Somuli were said to possess vast amount of those stones, but after a cmity befell the ne, no one had seen the stones again. Moreover, the Somulians'' Array became a thing of the past and hence called Lost Technology. After all, Array Creation was depended on magic energt and materials. Even if they possessed the necessary materials to create a formation, with no magic energy to activate and maintain it then it would would be useless.


    This was also one of the main reasons they could not replicate an existing Array Formation.


    Mistaking Kyran''s reaction as doubt, Armak and Breira hastily added.


    ''Although those stones are said to be extinct, the first King of Armakea discovered a deep reservoir near the Magical Beast Community''s territory where they could be mine.''


    ''That''s right, Master. The other reason Armakea wanted to establish a good rtionship with the Magical Beast Community is precisely because King Aran wanted to ensure they would not discover the reservoir and im it for themselves.''


    Kyran felt an iing headache after hearing their exnation.


    He did not expect there to be a far more important ploy behind the Armakea''s alliance with the Magical Beast Community. If he knew this beforehand, he could use it as leverage to win them over his sidepletely and not request their cooperation.


    Even if the leaders of the Magical Beast believed they could win over ownership of the reservoir on their own, Kyran could remedy that by conquering the reservoir first. Doing so would even put a huge pressure on both Armakea and the Magical Beast Community.


    s, an in-depth understanding of every situation of his targets could truly make a huge difference. Unfortunately, Kyran did not possess enough people and strength to do a thorough investigation.


    Shaking his head and pushing the thought of those reservoir aside, Kyran returned his focus to their current situation.


    ''How far down are we?'' Kyran asked, deliberately changing the topic.


    ''About thirty levels underground, Master,'' Armak replied.


    ''Then the room at the other side of that room is  not where the Automatons are stored?''


    Armak and Breira shook their heads, ''No.''


    ''Unless King Aran already activated them and have them change locations.''


    Kyran gave a wry smile, ''Judging by those presences behind those doors, you can expect that to be the case.''


    The expressions on Armak and Breira''s faces turned grim.


    As previous aides to the King, they had the privilege to observe the strength of an Automaton.


    King Aran did not pit them together. Rather, he had an Automaton showcase its strength while a group of Armakean Researchers observe it. His intention was for the researchers to find a way to create something simr.


    All twelve aides were present during the test for insurance. In case King Aran lost control over the Automaton, they would step in and protect him.


    Yes, him- the researchers were not included.


    On another hand, Armak and Breira''s admiration to their new Master grew by the second. Both of them were ranked fourth and fifth among the King''s aides, yet they could not detect the presence lying in wait behind those doors.


    ''Make full use of the Sigil''s Blessings. I''ll lend you my senses too, but be careful not to destroy any of them. I want those Automatons intact.''


    ''Yes, Master. We will do our best to ensure your safe passage-.''


    Armak and Breira, who were determined to fight to the bitter end against King Aran''s trump cards abruptly stopped their dialogue before gaping at their new Master with a nk expression.


    What did he say? Did he just ask them to hold back on those Automatons because he wanted them intact?


    More importantly, they should first focus on disabling those traps, right? Was their Master forgot their initial warning?


    Cold sweats run down Armak and Breira''s backs. They did not dare correct their new Master, but they were worried he would get hurt before they could even do anything.


    Before the two could make up what to do, Kyran had already taken a step into the clearing.


    Armak and Breira braced themselves, determined to step in protect him from any iing attacks from the traps.


    One step.


    Two steps.


    Three¡­


    Ten¡­.


    Armak and Breira had a nk expression on their faces as they watched their new Master walked in the middle of the clearing in an almost leisurely manner.


    Sensing the two were not following him, Kyran looked at them and tilted his head, ''Are you two noting?''


    The two snap out of their dumbfounded state and joined him.


    ''Master¡­ the traps¡­'' Breira could not help but start.


    ''I already changed the target sequence of this array formation. We won''t trigger the traps.''


    Armak and Breira wore an indifferent expressions but inwardly they felt their worldview crumbling.


    Just who was their new Master? How could he change an array formation without even touching it? More importantly, this was the first time he was seeing the formation. How could he understand and change it just like that?


    Unbeknownst to them, Kyran could use his magic sense to scan and change most arrays without problem. But he did not use that this time. Thus, Armak and Breira felt he did not do anything.


    Anyhow, Kyran was able to understood the formation simply because he saw countless numbers of formations and evencreated a few before.


    Besides, Kyran did not have to give a thorough check of the whole formation. He only needed to locate where the target sequence was in the formation and change that.


    Of course, doing this while an array was active was not advisable because it would affect all connected forms. There were important steps one had to take when changing apelete formation.


    But since the array before them was still inactive, it was easy for Kyran to change one part without affecting the rest.


    It also did not take Kyran long to find the target sequence because it was located close to where they stood a moment ago. Thus, in every step he took a while ago, he made slight changes on the target sequence by using the magic energy he channeled to his feet.


    Such action was not really new. It was simr to how one would channel their energy in one part of their body, strengthening it with the nature of their magic. It was just that Kyran used it in an unprecedented way. Besides, he was the only one who could use it like that because of the Void''s nature.


    ''Follow my lead,'' Kyran added and continued to walk forward.


    Armak and Breira no longer hesitate and followed suit.


    After a few minutes they finally arrived in front of the doors at the far end of the clearing.


    Kyran''s eyes turned silver with reddish purple slits. When dealing with the Automatons, he preferred to use Draconic magic rather than Void magic. Because there was still a chance to fix parts of an automaton destroyed with Draconic magic than those with Void magic.


    Still, to ensure he was on top of things especially when something unexpected happened, he would circte both innate magic with the Draconic as the main. Silver and dark blue tes appeared on Kyran''s body, which connected and formed into a silver armor with dark purple assets.


    After that, Kyran pushed the doors open.


    The room behind the doors were dark. However, the moment the doors opened, he pairs of glowing golden eyes opened, one by one.

 Chapter 887 Acquisition (27)

    Chapter 887 Acquisition (27)


    One of the glowing eyes shed as it disappeared and reappeared directly in front of the open door. The great sword it held was raised above its head, ready to strike the person about to enter the room.


    Armak and Breira''s green eyes glowed with a slight silver tint as they stepped in front of Kyran while summoning their Divine Armaments.


    Earlier when they fought Kyran, they were not using their Divine Armaments and instead used a regr weapon. Thus, this would be the first time they would use them.


    A twelve-foot-tall, and five-foot wide, golded rectangr box, simr to a coffin appeared in front of Armak, while diamond rings enveloped Breira''s forearms.


    The owner of those glowing eyes cleaved its great sword downward, but Armak blocked it using his coffin-like Divine Armament.


    CLANG!


    A shockwave followed right after the two weapons collided.


    Meanwhile, Breira did not say idle and followed up with an attack right after Armak blocked the great sword.


    All diamond rings on his forearms spun at a crazy pace before he willed two to slip down his knuckles. The shape of the two rings'' changed to fit his knuckles, before he struck with his fists.


    BOOM! BOOM!


    Breira sent out two powerful fists at the enemy''s torso, forcing thetter to take a few steps backward.


    Before the enemy could regain its bearing, Armak raised his right hand, willing his Divine Armament to hover right above the former''s head before bringing it down with such ferocity.


    BAM!


    The force at which the golden coffin-like Divine Armament crushed the enemy in one hit.


    BOOM!


    Another shockwave followed as Armak''s attack hit, destroying and turning the floor into a small pit from the impact.


    Kyran, standing behind them could not help but raise his brows in surprise.


    This would be the first time Armak and Breira were in action and Kyran was satisfied.


    To be honest, he was a little disappointed in their performance earlier. He only attributed theirck of ability to their focus being divided between concealing the King''s puppet state, and unable to unleash their real strength because they could not use their Divine Armaments.


    Now that he saw their Divine Armaments, Kyran was convinced that each Aide of the King was special.


    "Hm?" Armak''s eyes narrowed as he sensed movementing from beneath his Divine Armament. He immediately spun in retreat while shouting a warning at Breira, "Back!"


    Breira squinted his eyes as he jumped back.


    BOOM!


    The small pit at which the enemy was buried exploded, sending specks of dust and rubbles everywhere.


    Armak''s eyes glowed, and his coffin-like Divine Armament increased in size as he ced it in front to protect them from the clouds of dust and debris.


    From behind the cloud of dust, the enemy''s two glowing golden eyes shed as it dashed toward the coffin-like Divine Armament.


    Breira spun while he willed the rings on his knuckles to expand slightly. He then knelt on the ground as he raised his palms forward.


    Armak raised his Divine Armament out of the way, seconds before the enemy collided with it. After which, the rings on Breria''s knuckles flew out and intercepted the approaching enemy.


    ZZZIIIING!


    The diamond rings spun crazily as they flew toward the enemy.


    However, the enemy was undeterred it cleaved its huge great sword horizontally, sending a powerful concentrated magic energy beam at the iing rings.


    BOOM!


    An explosion resounded in the room as the two collided, resulting in several shockwaves spreading out in all directions.


    Breirai''s brows creased likely as he sensed the enemy''s concentrated energy beam attack grazed the surface of his Divine Armaments. Good thing he only sent out two rings each, if not, and his defenses were not on par, he would have suffered a bacsh from that. Nevertheless, he was positive that the main reason his rings were able to withstand that powerful attack was because of the Sigil''s blessings.


    Meanwhile, Breira''s rings continued to spin toward the enemy. However, thetter managed to send out a session of concentrated magic energy attacks with his great sword as he ran.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Breira moved his hands as he controlled the rings, escaping the concentrated attacks the enemy sent out.


    At the same time, Armak made weaving motions with his hands and his Divine Armament spun toward the stray concentrated attacks that were about toe their way.


    A thin dark line appeared on one side of the Armark''s Divine Armament. It was directly at the center making it seem more coffin than ever. It then opened, revealing an empty dark space.


    It did not seem to have anything worth saying, but the moment it opened, a vacuum-like force appeared and attracted all stray attacks that Brerai''s rings sessfully evaded.


    The corner of Kyran''s lips tugged slightly as he realized Armak''s Divine Armament had space attributes. Of course, having space attribute Divine Armament did not mean their innate magic was the same. It only meant that Armak had an additional path he could take if he chose to utilize his Divine Armament''s space attribute.


    In any case, Kyran would let Armak choose his own path. Besides, thetter''s innate magic was simr to Reuben: Darkness.


    Seeing that its attacks failed, the enemy stopped midway from its sprint and pierced its great sword on the floor. A wave-like force came out of it and spread in every direction.


    After that, three more enemies, which by now they confirmed were automatons, standing among the first row also moved.


    Unlike the first automaton, they wielded a small shield and a sword.


    They sprinted forward before the twoing from both sides threw their shields in a beautiful arc toward Kyran''s.


    It appeared these automatons realized that the two aides were protecting the person in silver and dark purple armor, standing behind them.


    Armak and Breira reacted to this at once. However, before they could even make a move, Kyran stopped them, "Focus on the enemy and their attacks on both of you. Don''t worry about me."


    "Yes, Master," they answered readily.


    Their agreeing quickly to his order did not mean they were not worried about his welfare. It was more with the fact they knew he did not need their help to protect himself. Besides, the silver armor he donned looked so powerful and solid that Armak and Breira believed it would be close to impossible for anyone to hurt or even injure him.


    Of course, they did not really think their Master''s defenses were invincible. For this reason, they agreed to his order, but they would still keep an eye on him just in case.


    The three shield attacks arrived at Kyran and were about to hit when several translucent silver tes, resembling dragon''s scales, appeared and circled him while forming a halfsphere around him.


    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!


    The three shields hit the translucent silver tes and were blocked effortlessly. Their momentum was neutralized in an instant. However, before they fell to the ground they hovered back toward the three automatons.


    Those three, while the shield had yet to collide with Kyran''s tes, sprinted at Breira''s spot.


    They raised their swords and attacked him in session.


    Breira''s eyes showed full concentration as he engaged the three automatons. Using the rings on his forearms, he raised his arms and blocked their every strike. Combined with a graceful yet steady footwork, he managed to resist the seemingly choreographed attacks of the three automatons. At the same time, he was still controlling the golden rings that the first automaton tried to drive away.


    Armak also took this chance to focus on the first automaton so it would not go after Breira. His Divine Armament closed as they shrank in size. After which, he willed it toward the first automaton, which was still standing in ce with his great sword pierced on the floor.


    Before Armak''s Divine Armament could m itself at the first automaton, thetter''s golden eyes shed once more and another set of automatons moved.


    This time,there were five automatons and were wielding spears.


    Armak made circling motions with his hands and his coffin-like Divine Armament spun while flying to intercept the five automatons.


    But not all those automatons were interested in fighting Armak.


    Three of them¡ª two on each side and one in the middle, jumped out of their five-line formation and sprinted toward Kyran''s location. The remaining two approached the iing coffin-like Divine Armament, with their spears spinning at an rming speed. They simultaneously struck the coffin''s surface with the tip of their spinning spears and stopped its momentum at once.


    Armak''s eyes shed. He whirled his hands, manipting his Divine Armament to increase its rotation and neutralize the momentum of the two spinning spears.


    On the other side, Breira continued to confront the three automatons and even ignored the other three that belonged to the five new ones that went to their Master.


    Kyran smiled at the iing automatons. He was just wondering if they would ignore his existence. But it seemed they were aware that among the three intruders, he posed the greatest danger and had to be eliminated at once.

 Chapter 888 Acquisition (28)

    Chapter 888 Acquisition (28)


    It''s too bad they still underestimated the threat Kyran posed.


    With the looming attack from the three automatons, Kyran remained calm and only lifted a finger. After that, the space around his finger distorted from the unimaginable power gathering on it in the blink of an eye. Then, using his thumb, he flicked that finger, sending that power streaking toward the middle automaton.


    BOOM!


    In a split second, the automaton''s head exploded. Whirring noises followed as its metal frames and internal circuits crackled from the now severed head. Nevertheless, although it lost its awareness and directional sense, it continued to move and swung its spear at the automaton to its left.


    The automaton on the left immediately sensed the now wed automaton''s threat and raised its spear to deflect the unexpected attack. Then, using the momentum of its swing, he shifted the spear''s motion to the opposite direction and struck the seemingly wed automaton with the spear''s other end.


    Kyran''s silver eyes shed upon seeing the left automaton''s action. Because judging where its spear would hit, it could pierce through the wed automaton''s right breastte, damaging its exoskeleton framing and exposing its main circuitry and energy core. When that happened, it would be easier for the other automaton to eradicate the wed automaton.


    Kyran flicked its finger again. This time, he aimed at the still mid-borne spear.


    Before the spear struck the wed automaton, it exploded and sent the other automaton stumbling backward from the impact.


    After that, Kyran took a step and appeared directly behind the other automaton. He then lightly touched the center of its back while the reddish-purple slits of his eyes spread,pletely turning them to reddish-purple before they darkened slightly. An array formation appeared at the back of his hands, resembling Noir''s creation but smaller in size. Then he utilized his magic sense to reconfigure the automaton''s programming in a matter of a few seconds.


    However, in those few seconds, the third automaton gunning for Kyran had already changed its direction and swung the spear on its hand horizontally.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Whoosh!


    The third automaton''s movement was a tadte because, by the time its spear arrived, Kyran''s figure blurred, and it hit nothing but air. In the next second, Kyran appeared on the third automaton''s side and chopped its spear into two after turning his hand into a hand knife.


    By that time, Kyran''s eyes also returned to its silver color with the reddish-purple retreating back into slits.


    After the third automaton''s spears were split into two, it agilely caught the falling half of it with its other hand. After which, it swung the broken spears on its hands in session, aiming them at Kyran''s neck.


    Kyran did not move when the third automaton attacked. Instead, it was the second automaton he had just reconfigured that attacked.


    Using what was left of its spear that Kyran had destroyed, it struck the third automaton''s forehead.


    Runic writings, forming a hexagonal shape, appeared on the third automaton''s forehead and deflected the tip of the second automaton''s broken spear. However, simrly shaped runic writings, albeit with thetter in totally different runes, appeared at the top of the broken spear.


    KKKRRSSHH!


    A wringing sound resounded as the two runic writings collided.


    Meanwhile, Kyran did not watch the twopete with each other. Before those runic writings appeared, he sidestepped and appeared at the side of the wed automaton, which was in the middle of cleaving its spears at the other two automatons. Using his right hand, he grabbed the spear''s shaft before it hit the two automatons, and pulled the wed automaton at him. The reddish-purple slits of his eyes spread once more, turning the rest of his eyes into the same color before taking a darker shade. Then he ced his right hand on the wed automaton''s chest before letting his magic sense spread over its body and reconfiguring its system.


    All of that happened in less than a minute. And within that time frame, Kyran managed to acquire three automatons. Not only that, he also discovered that these automatons had yet to unleash their full potential.


    That was right. Currently, King Aran could only activate the automaton''s first lock. Moreover, the first automaton that moved was given full control over the rest of the automatons in that room because King Aran did not have the capability to control all of them at the same time.


    Kyran did not know how many automatons King Aran could control. But he was positive that they would not be more than five.


    The golden eyes of the automaton with the great sword shed as another group of five automatons¡ª two of which were equipped with a shield and a sword and three with spears¡ª moved.


    They did not target Armak and Breira because they were still upied by other automatons. Instead, they went after Kyran once more.


    But Kyran was no longer alone. With a wave of his hand, the damaged weapon and parts of the previous three automatons were reced. Moreover, their external framing underwent a tremendous change as they changed from a high-quality grade metal into an obsidian material.


    With a transformation visible to the naked eye, the armor of the three automatons turned ck, with dark purple and silver linings appearing on the edges of their body and joints. Even their spears were ck. However, the spearheads were dark purple, showcasing a material that could withstand Void magic''s nature.


    "Disable them only," Kyran told the three automatons.


    "Yes, Master," they replied in unison.


    Armak and Breira, who were still engaged in their own battles, heard the exchange between Kyran and the three automatons and were shocked. If they were not trained to stay focused in battle while observing their surroundings to ensure they were aware of any changes in the flow of an ongoing battle, their shock could have rendered them inactive for a second and could have been fatal for them. After all, they were fighting two to three automatons that King Aran considered his Trump Card. Besides, a one-second inactivity of one party could lead to a huge turnaround in a fight.


    The three automatons intercepted the approaching enemy automatons while Kyran went after the automaton with the great sword. Since thetter had control over the rest of the automatons in the room, taking care of it would reduce the time they had to take care of all of them.


    s, the automaton seemed to have predicted Kyran''s n and made a move that made him, Armak, and Breira scratch their heads helplessly.


    The automaton''s golden eyes glowed brightly as it activated the rest of the automatons still on standby.


    In the blink of an eye, spears, swords, and shields were raised as all thirty-six remaining automatons came to life.


    On another location in Larkring, Malek, Nahir, and the remaining people on their side, including Cyneah, sneaked into an underground shelter that the rest of the Royal Family members built without King Aran''s knowledge.


    Achim and Kesiah were not aware of this shelter. However, while they were checking the parchment and locating the position of every Royal Family member, they found a few entering an establishment but then disappearing after a few seconds. They then deduced that there was an underground ce there that had a concealing array or something simr that prevented the parchment from looking further.


    Kyran thought differently. In his opinion, the underground shelter''s blueprint might not be included in the parchment because it was a new location. It could also be considered a hidden ce, and Deception and her people might have failed to obtain its blueprint. Or maybe they did obtain it but chose not to include it on the parchment during its creation because they nned to use it as another bargaining chip to make King Aran agree to strike up a deal with their faction.


    Those were Kyran''s spections only. But he knew it held some truths. After all, he knew Deception had nned on meeting King Aran after her position as the Somuli''s Sovereign''s aide was made public. Unfortunately, before that happened, she met with Kyran¡ª posing as Achim¡ª and lost the item she nned to use as a gift to King Aran.


    In any case, she still had the blueprint of that underground shelter and could still use it to sow discord between King Aran and the rest of the Royal Family members.


    Gael had his Shadow Minions investigate the underground shelter before the start of their operation. There, they found that the Royal Family members were nning to usurp King Aran''s tyranny after his army was spent to deal with Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion.


    How they would do that, Gael failed to find out because his Shadow Minions could not enter some rooms in that shelter.


    Still, they managed to find what appeared to be a safe spot and gave the coordinates to Kyran. After which, he created a path that led to that safe spot for Malek and the rest to use as passage.


    The objectives of their visit were simple. They were to check what the Royal Family members were hiding in the shelter and then subdue them if possible. If not, foil whatever ns they were cooking to ensure they would not hinder their own operation.


    But all of these were only if King Aran was unaware of that underground shelter.


    What if he knew about it all along and was already monitoring his family''s movements from the shadows? If this was the case, then now that his side was in trouble, he might have ordered some of his aides to go there and threatened his family to assist him.

 Chapter 889 Acquisition (29)

    Chapter 889 Acquisition (29)


    Malek, Nahir, and the rest of their group were gathered inside what appeared to be a storage room, where several crates were as tall as an average adult and as wide as six adults standing side by side were scattered everywhere. Array formations could be seen on each side of the crates. Though none of them could understand the rune writings on the array formation, they more or less guessed they were meant to protect and preserve whatever was inside those crates.


    All of theplete beings were in awe when they saw these crates. After all, array formations could not be replicated, meaning these crates were all lost technologies. It was also not a stretch to think that whatever was inside those crates were rare treasures.


    Malek, Cyneah, and the other humans were the only ones not impressed with those crates. It was no surprise, though, since some of those humans were Array Specialists and could decipher array formations and reproduce them as long as they had suitable materials.


    Still, even if these Array Specialists could decipher and reproduce array formations, they did not understand their runes like the rest. For this reason, they were also in the dark about what effect these formations possessed.


    "We''ve been here for more than half an hour. Why are they not back yet?"


    One of the fort leaders wondered out loud.


    Going back more than half an hour, when they stepped into that storage room, Malek and Nahir sent a group of four to scout the surroundings.


    Ideally, Gael''s Shadow Minions would have been a good choice when doing that. However, all his minions retreated as soon as they arrived because they needed to assist Gael''s side. After all, Kesiah, Gael, and Gaham''s group were considered weakpared to the other groups.


    While Gael had several Shadow Minions, most of them were low-ranked and could not pose a threat to Arch Magus and Legendary Level Knights.


    "Could they have met some unforeseen ident?"


    Another fort leader wondered.


    "There is no cause for panic. Eikin is with them; they will be fine," Jita replied indifferently.


    Among Kyran''s Servants, he had Eikin and Jita join Malek and Nahir''s group. Achim had Haji, while Anan and Tamir went with Noir and Sigma.


    The fort leaders looked at Jita skeptically. They obviously knew who she was but found her attitude different from what they were used to. If it had been before, she would have snorted at their words and used them of acting unbefitting a knight leading a fort.


    "I agree," Nahir also gave his opinion. "If something had happened to them, we should have noticed somemotion outside. For argument''s sake, they were caught, and the enemy leaders ordered their side not to make amotion while they looked for us; they would not have waited this long to get here.


    "Though rare, I don''t believe Armakea did not have a lost technology that could pry information on people without them saying anything. They might even have someone with Memory innate magic."


    "Humph," Malek suddenly snorted. "If those guys returned so soon, I would have personally punished them for cking. Do you think scouting this ce will only take a few minutes?"


    The fort leaders could not help but frown. They gave Malek a side look but did not say anything further.


    They also believed it would take some time for those people to scout the area, but one of them should have contacted them to provide an update at least. Thus far, they heard nothing from them, and as knights, they believed those people should have been taught how to act when out scouting.


    "They are providing updates," Jita said suddenly, startling the fort leaders and the rest of the Armakea knights and officers.


    If they did not know better, they would have thought she had heard their thoughts and answered them.


    Of course, Jita did not know how to read minds. However, she had gotten pretty good at reading other people''s expressions, even if they were practically wearing poker faces. That was the result of her being around her new Master.


    "But only the operation heads received them," Jita added while looking at Malek and Nahir. She meant to tell them that thetter two weremunicating with the scouts, even though she could also do the same. Or at least she could telepathicallymunicate with Eikin if he was within her range. That was something that every Servant was capable of doing.


    The fort leaders frowned, clearly dissatisfied. Why would Malek and Nahir be the only ones to receive the update? And what was their attitude just now? If they couldmunicate with the scouts, they should have said so. Why bother lecturing them?


    In the end, the fort leaders reigned in their dissatisfaction. They were still knights, and their disciple training was practically imprinted to their cores. They would not act out just because they were dissatisfied with their leader.


    [Lord Nahir, Sir Malek! I found something!]


    Suddenly, one of the scouts spoke from the earpiece Malek and Nahir were wearing.


    This earpiece was something Noir created as a makeshiftmunication device for humans. Since it was hard to create amunication device that would work in Somuli with the limited resources they had, he chose to make a simplemunicator that could directly allow one person to talk and hear the other person by simply inserting enough magic energy into it. Unfortunately, the ones he had on hand were limited. Thus, he could only provide a few earpieces to Malek.


    Besides, Noir did not think they would need it because they all had their ownmunication devices, and Achim opened an encrypted channel they could connect to without rousing their enemy.


    ''What did you find?'' Nahir responded at once.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel [I am currently inside a conference room. I''m the only one here right now, but the meeting has just adjourned. After entering, whatever they were discussing could still be seen on the projection hovering above the round table.


    [It is an operation log, Lord Nahir, Sir Malek! Apparently, these guys are nning to take advantage of themotion we''ve started tounch their own attack!]


    Malek frowned at what the scout had said and asked, ''Does the projection include a map where they n tounch their attack?''


    [Yes! It looks like this underground shelter is connected to the castle''s lower level. Not only that, they also have an army they n to dispatch in the next hour.]


    Malek and Nahir looked at each other. Both could see doubts reflected in each other''s eyes.


    What army could the Royal Family members dispatch? Did they not heed King Aran''s summon and send all their forces after Achim and Kesiah in the fort they recently vacated?


    Cyneah, who had been sitting with the Eidums at one corner, suddenly furrowed her brows as she turned toward the tworge doors of the storage room.


    "People areing," she said. Her voice was not loud, but because there was less noise in the storage room, everyone heard her loud and clear.


    Malek and Nahir looked at the door as well. They were surprised that Cyneah managed to sense other peopleing when they did not. Although they were not actively using their magic sense to probe and watch their surroundings for obvious reasons, their other senses should have been enough to alert them if there were people outside.


    One of the officers near the door immediately used his Divine Armament, which was a visor, to scan the walls. He then frowned and said, "I saw nothing."


    Cyneah shook her head, "There are peopleing. I could sense them approaching."


    Nahir looked at Cyneah. If this had been before, he would have been skeptical of her im. But he more or less knew her strong perception was something others with intact five senses could notprehend usingmon logic.


    On the other hand, Malek guessed the real reason Cyneah was able to detect the approaching group. Obviously, it had something to do with her affinity to souls.


    "Everyone, find a ce to hide. Use concealment spells to hide your presence," Malek told them at once.


    "Eidums cast concealment spells and smell neutralizers," Nahir also ordered all the Eidums.


    The Eidums need not to be told twice. They were already casting their spells even before Nahir finished what he was saying.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes were glued to the doors. The group she sensed was still some distance away, but she could not shake this feeling that they were already close.


    The knights and officers did what they were told without making any sound.


    While this was happening, Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes suddenly lit up as she finally realized why she felt those people were already close.


    "They are noting through those doors¡ª!"


    KRSHK! BOOM!


    An explosion erupted from above, sending the ceiling rubble toward them.


    "Tsk," Malek clicked his tongue as he activated the miniature array formation of Noir''s creation that Kyran made. He then summoned his magic and created an air field above, preventing the rubbles from falling on them.


    "Humph, sneaky rats. Did you really think we would not notice your arrival?"


    A voice said from above the still airborne ceiling rubbles.


    "Were you Achim and Kesiah''s people? How did you know about this ce, huh?"


    "It doesn''t matter how they know. Since they havee here and seen this ce, we have to eliminate them all."


    "I agree."


    From the conversation they heard, there were three enemies above. Maybe even more, and the others had not spoken out loud yet.


    "Fight if you want to fight. Stop talking nonsense!"


    Malek said as he suddenly appeared directly above the airborne rubbles.

 Chapter 890 Acquisition (30)

    Chapter 890 Acquisition (30)


    At the moment, Kyran was oblivious to whatever was happening with Malek and Nahir''s side. As a matter of fact, that was the case with everyone else. It was not that he did not have a way of knowing because he could contact them anytime he wanted; rather, he chose not to contact them when their operation had only started.


    If Kyran kept checking on their situation, it would seem like he did not trust the others to do their part well. In any case, if the worst-case scenario happened to any of them, his Servants would let him know. They could not telepathically tell him, given their distance, but they possessed a token he made himself that, once broken, would tell him they were in a dire situation they could no longer handle by themselves.


    The token was quite simr to Cyneah''s. The only difference was thetter''s token would directly tell Kyran her location as long as she called his name, while the former would only tell him they were in danger.


    The reason there was a difference between these tokens was simple. Kyran could warp to where his Servants were without any problem, but not Cyneah. He did not know why, but it was simr to how he could not warp directly to where his family was before. Nn initially said it was because they knew anti-teleportation and anti-warp forms and used them in the Regis Estate''s defensive array and additional enchantments on their person.


    But Cyneah did not know those forms, nor did she have the ability to enchant her robes with those if she did. For this reason, Kyran could not warp to her side no matter how much he wanted. He did not know what caused this strange situation yet and did not have the leisure to ponder it.


    Back in the underground shelter, Jita hadmunicated with Eikin to return to the storage room as soon as their Mistress sensed their enemies approaching.


    Before those enemies showed up, Eikin was inside another storage room and was examining the crates inside. After receiving Jita''s message, he exited the storage room at once.


    However, Eikin had yet to gain some distance from the room when he encountered a slight interference. A group ofplete beings, which he did not recognize, appeared and blocked his path.


    It was one thing to be caught. But this group did not look surprised when they saw Eikin. It was as if they knew he was there and were sent to prevent him from returning with his group.


    If the scouts sent by Malek and Nahir had been discovered by the Royal Family members and they let them roam free while they nned how to deal with them, it would not have been strange for them to prepare a group to deal with Eikin. After all, his reputation under Achim''s leadership did not pale with the Haji and Jita. He was also known to possess a powerful defense and excellentbat skills. His first-handbat experience was also far more extensivepared to the other fort leaders who came with him as scouts.


    Because those fort leaders had stayed behind in the safety of those forts, even if they went out tobat, their experience was limited to battling beasts.


    Fighting beasts were different from fighting beast-likes andplete beings.


    Eikin''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the group of four blocking his path. He recognized them as members of the Royal Family.


    One of the maleplete beings, with arrogant yet handsome features, having the same shade of blonde hair and green eyes as Achim, stood in front of the group. He looked at Eikin like how one would look at an insignificant dog.


    "Eikin," he said. "It is not toote to surrender. If you do, we will pardon your actions since you are only following your stupid Master''s orders."


    Hearing the arrogant young man''s words soured Eikin''s mood. Still, he remained calm while looking at the arrogant young man''s annoying face.


    "Right now, my family is taking care of your allies. It will not be long before they suffer the consequences of entering this ce. Being one of those talented knights of this generation, you have to choose wisely which side to follow.


    "You might think the momentum of this battle is in your side''s favor, but it will not be long before my dear Uncle reverses the tide to his advantage. When that happens, your side will only exhaust resources and manpower and die a pitiful death. Before that happens, it is better for you to change sides."


    "Says the side that sees this situation as an opportunity to exhaust the King''s forces before staging their own rebellion," Eikin could no longer hold his tongue and snorted a disdainful response.


    The arrogant young man chuckled, "I did not expect that information to have reached you as well. We only allowed that fort leader to see our ns, to think he had already shared it with your side. How did he do that?"


    Eikin did not respond. But he knew why the arrogant young man said those things.


    To the Royal Family members¡ª actually, make that every Somulian¡ª who did not know they had humans who could replicate lost technologies would never think they possessed amunication device that far exceed the capability of the ones they had. Besides that, themunication device avable to Armakea was limited. Knights who became fort leaders did not possess such things. If they did, they would have already reported Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion from the start.


    "Was that how that stupid Master of yours bought your loyalty?" The arrogant young man asked curiously.


    Frankly, how Achim and Kesiah managed to remove the pact on the knights given to them by the King for the Heir Competition was a great mystery to the Royal Family members. Initially, they had thought that the Magical Beast Community, who knew how to alter the pact, was behind it, but that was not the case. They had already confirmed to their spy watching the Magical Beast Community''s movements that none of them had met with Achim and Kesiah''s people. Although they knew the Magical Beast Community sent a carriage and a few of their beasts to assist Kesiah in defending the border several weeks ago, the magical beast who could alter a pact remained in their territory all that time.


    Even at that moment, that magical beast remained idle inside their territory.


    "Did they promise to share lost technologies they possess with you?" The arrogant young man continued to spout his nonsense.


    Eikin''s mood worsened by the second. Every time this annoying young man called his Master stupid, one of his anger bars would fill up, threatening to burst at any moment. Even though he knew the annoying young man was not really referring to his new Master, that did not lessen Eikin''s anger.


    "You should know that they will only say that at the start. After they aplished what they wanted, they would forcefully take back what was theirs. Such is the rtionship between a dog and his master," the arrogant young man said with a sneer.


    Eikin was already tired of hearing the annoying young man buzzing around his ear. He looked at the three otherplete beings with the young man and narrowed his eyes.


    "I''ll give you four a chance to back off. If not, then ept the consequences."


    The only female in the group ground her teeth at Eikin''s threat and said, "A mere knight dare threaten us¡ª!"


    The femaleplete being did not have the chance to finish what she was saying because Eikin already moved.


    Eikin stood before them without emitting any form of energy a second ago, but in the next moment, his aura exploded, and all four were thrown back¡ª two of whom mmed on the wall and ceiling.


    The arrogant young man and the only female who managed to counter Eikin''s outburst of strength were still forced to their knees.


    "Eikin!" The arrogant young man growled in anger and was about to summon his Divine Armament.


    However, Eikin already sprinted forward and body-mmed the arrogant young man.


    "Guah!" The arrogant young man was once more thrown backward. And like a stone, he rolled and skidded, leaving behind cracks on the floor.


    The femaleplete being shivered when she saw this. This was not the scene they expected when they first came here. They had believed they could force Eikin to betray Achim and join them. Never had they thought Eikin would make the first move against them.


    Others might think their thinking was stupid. But that was not really their fault. If there was someone who needed to be med for their stupidity, it was how they were brought up and their belief that every knight would never hurt a Royal Family member no matter what. Even during a rebellion, at most, these knights would only fight another knight or officers, never a Royal Family member. Apart from that, they were unaware of the fact that Eikin was no longer considered an Armakean Knight bound by a pact but Kyran''s Servant.


    "Don''t! Please don''t!" The femaleplete being pleaded as soon as she saw Eikin looking at her.


    It was strange how this young woman''s attitude could change so soon the moment she realized her life was in danger.


    "Toote."


    With that, Eikin rammed his fist on the young woman''s head. Her life or death was unknown, only that she fell on the floor lifeless after that hit.


    Just as the woman fell, the whole corridor shook as a huge explosion urred from a distance.

 Chapter 891 Acquisition (31)

    Chapter 891 Acquisition (31)


    Theplete beings that appeared before Malek and the others were elders from the Royal Family''s previous generation. They were not directly connected with Aran''s line like Ravan, but their influence, military strength, and magic level should not be underestimated.


    Even so, they did not dare provoke Aran simply because they knew about the real inheritance he would receive after bing the King of Armakea. As a matter of fact, these elders were far more knowledgeable about the real inheritance than Aran and his aides were.


    The Elders'' knowledge was not limited to what the Automatons could do but also how they could be activated.


    Contrary to what Aran and his aides knew, the Automatons could be activated by anyone possessing the right blood and activation form. If not for these two, the Elders would have long dared fight for the ownership of those Automatons.


    In the current generation, Aran and his brother, Ravan, are the ones possessing the right blood. However, Aran was the only one who knew about the activation form.


    For the next generation, Achim and Kesiah possessed the qualifications for the inheritance because they were Ravan''s offspring. Opposite to what others believed, one of the main reasons Aran favored Achim was not because he truly wanted him as his heir but because he was wary of the threat he posed.


    Achim already possessed the right blood. If he were to discover the activation form, then he could take over ownership of every automaton at any time. It was the same with Kesiah if she ever decided to take the throne for herself.


    But those things were of no concern to those Elders anymore. They could not take the King of Armakea''s inheritance, but they believed those automatons were not the only ones in Somuli.


    After years of research and secret expeditions, they finally discovered another treasure trove of lost technologies¡ª including those automatons.


    As a matter of fact, the crates in the storage room were filled with those. It was for this reason that the Elders decided to move themselves and take care of Malek and the others. The sooner they dealt with them, the safer their trump cards would be.


    Frankly, Malek''s group was at a disadvantage simply because of the level gap they had against the Elders.


    Malek''s magic and mage level might be equal to the Elders, but the fact that he was alone put their group at risk. They might have the assistance of the Eidums, but even the Saint¡ª who boasted of having support skills that could even exceed the Abbot¡ª could not even out their disadvantage. Besides, they were inside the enemy grounds. They could easily call for reinforcements. As for Malek and the others, if they wanted to retreat, they needed time for their people to activate the Transmission Array.


    Would the enemy allow them to do that?


    Of course not.


    Malek looked at the Elders of the Royal Family. There were seven of them in total, and they wore ck with gold assets long robes with matching golden masks.


    All seven Elders¡ª five males and two females¡ª stood at the edge of the destroyed ceiling and were looking at Malek with disdain.


    "I know you," a female elder, standing at the third spot from the right, said. "You are that infamous twisted Wind user from Howling Pass."


    Another elder scowled after hearing the female elder. He said, "So Achim and Kesiah have employed mercenaries from Howling Pass? No wonder their numbers far exceeded our expectations."


    "He doesn''t look twisted to me, though," the other female elder remarked while eyeing Malek curiously. "Are you sure he is that person?"


    "I am sure¡ª."


    FOOOM!


    "!"


    The air around the seven elders thinned at an rming speed as an invisible veil covered the hundred-meter diameter space around them. It caused the sound around them to be suppressed and made them feel as if they were inside a space vacuum.


    A hundred-meter diameter light green with swirling yellow assents magic array appeared, hovering beneath their feet with Malek at the center. His eyes shed slightly green as he raised his hand, and a long diamond staff with a dark green stone attached at the top end appeared.


    The long staff looked simr to the one he held when he and Kyran first met. At the same time, it looked a little different. For one thing, the staff''s shaft waspletely made of diamond, and the dark green stone was no longer a spirit stone. Instead, its crooked shape made it seem like a normal stone. However, the green shes pulsating from within meant it was extraordinary.


    "This is...!"


    All the elders were shocked at the huge magic array on their feet. To them, it appeared like a lost technology array formation.


    It was not. But because they did not know the difference between their magicw from the Human ne, they did not know a magic array was different from an array formation.


    "Quick! Take out your¡ª!"


    "Guah!"


    Suddenly, the weakest among the elders fell to his knees as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt his insides churn as if an unknown pressure was currentlypressing his internal organs.


    The other elders slowly realized what caused the elder to spit out blood because they, too, started to feel their insides churn.


    Immediately, the elder in the middle summoned his Divine Armament, which was a golden bell. He weaved his hands, manipting the bell to hover above his head before activating its special effect.


    DOOONG!


    Though the space around them made them feel as if sound had been suppressed, it was not the case. It was only a feeling because of the pressure filling inside.


    As the bell chimed, golden veils appeared and covered the elders separately. The veil acted as a protection against the crushing pressure all of them were experiencing.


    Nevertheless, the golden veil only alleviated the pressure a little.


    Still, it was enough for the rest to recover and summon their Divine Armaments as well.


    The two female elders summoned fan-like weapons. The first one held two small ones, seemingly made of jade green material, while the second held arge one, made of steel. Thetter raised her huge steel fan and spun several times before aiming the umted wind attack at Malek. While the former followed after the wind attack, with her hands holding the jade fans, poise to strike.


    Malek remained calm as the two iing attacks approached him. He waved his hand at the iing wind attack, dispelling it in an instant.


    "Such stupidity. You think such a low-tier attack can do me harm?"


    "What?"


    Both female elders were shocked at how easily Malek dispelled the wind attack. Nevertheless, the female elder with the dual jade fan did not retreat. She struck her fans consecutively in Malek''s direction, sending out wind des that seemed to tear through space.


    Malek evaded the first wind de and raised his diamond staff to deflect the other.


    However, the two female elders were not done with their attacks. As if the female using the dual jade fan could manipte the wind des at will, she swirled in ce as if in a dance, and the wind des that Malek evaded and deflected returned. Apart from that, they multiplied, increasing their number to four wind des.


    On the other hand, the female elder with therge steel fan sprinted forward before abruptly stopping. She used the sudden shift in momentum to add on her weight before spinning to produce a fiercer whirlwind with her steel fan.


    Meanwhile, the other elders, apart from the one with the golden bell, also summoned their Divine Armaments.


    One was a silver sword with a thin de, while another was a golden broad sword. They jumped in midair, circling around Malek to attack him from behind.


    As for the remaining two elders, one held a long silver chain with a diamond de at the other end, and thest one manipted several small golden knives that hovered behind him. These two did not go after Malek, though. Instead, they jumped over the edge, wanting to deal with the rest of Malek''s group.


    Malek''s green eyes shed as the magic array beneath their feet glowed more fiercely, resulting in the pressure they felt to double.


    "Ngh...!" The elder with the golden bell frowned at the strain of maintaining the veil to protect the other elders beginning to consume him. It made him wonder how Malek could maintain such a powerful lost technology.


    Unbeknownst to the elder, what Malek activated was not an array nor a magic attack.


    It was his domain that he also used against Kyran when they first met.


    The effect of Malek''s domain would have been greater if not for the fact that all these elders had the same mage level as him. Not to mention, his domain''s strength was being suppressed because he was using a different magicw from Somuli. Although the array formation Noir invented could somehow reduce the effect of that suppression while also allowing them to replenish their magic energy without worrying about Somuli''s thin magic energy production, there was a limit to it. The limit would depend on how long the ingredients used to create and activate the array formation wouldst.


    Fortunately, the miniature array formation Malek was using was prepared by Kyran. And because of thetter''s newfound Void theory knowledge, he was able to find a way to continuously supply the array with magic energy, which also allowed those under its influence to use their magic without worrying about magic energy depletion.


    But that was a discussion for another time.


    The two elders who wanted to deal with the others in the storage room were forced to stay inside Malek''s domain.


    As for the four elders, the female elder preparing for another whirlwind attack was shocked when her attack disappeared before she could release it. The same happened with the female elder, who sent out those wind des.


    On the other hand, the two elders with the thin silver sword and broad sword appeared on each side of Malek. They ignited the des of their swords just before they cleaved it down.


    However.


    "GAAH!"


    The two elders shouted in pain as the mes on their swords went out of control, exploding right in front of their faces.


    They had a certain immunity to fire, but the sudden outburst caught them off guard, and they received slight damage from it. Besides, the mes'' power seemed to have increased before it hit their faces.


    All the elders wore a grim expression as they looked at Malek. They were now beginning to understand the truth behind thetter''s magic.


    "Your magic... it is not Wind," the elder who owned the golden bell said.


    Malek''s expression remained calm. He replied, "Did I say it was?"


    His green eyes glowed fiercely as he hummed, "Lightning Storm."


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    Sparks of green lightning crackled above and, without warning, struck the elders inside Malek''s domain.


    From the storage room, the others could not help but look at the ensuing battle with gaping mouths. Most of them witnessed how crazy Malek had been when he fought La at the fort. But none of them had seen him cast a lightning storm.


    Even the Conve members were shocked. They only knew their Head Master was powerful, which was why he was the Lord of the Tower''s right-hand man, but, like the others, it was the first time they had seen him truly go all out. They had seen him disy the might of his Air magic before but never expected there was more to it than using air pressure to attack his enemy''s internal organs.


    While everyone was in awe of Malek''s disy, only one showed concern.


    Cyneah.


    Cyneah could not see the spectacle happening above. Instead, she saw their lights, which represented their life force.


    Currently, the lights that each of the Royal Family elders possessed glowed brightly, while Malek''s started to dim.


    It seemed to her that Malek was putting his life on the line with every attack he unleashed.

 Chapter 892 The Battle Thus Far (1)

    Chapter 892 The Battle Thus Far (1)


    In the underground section of the castle, Kyran and his Sigils, Armak, and Breira, were about to finish their confrontation against the automatons.


    Thus far, Kyran had already taken control of over thirty automatons and was basically overwhelming the enemy side, which only had around twenty automatons left.


    Half of the automatons that were now under Kyran''s control were thanks to his quick work in adjusting their programming, while the other half was Armak and Breira''s handiwork.


    At the start of the battle, Armak and Breira had not familiarized themselves with fighting an automaton; thus, it took them a while to deal with the few automatons attacking them. But after a while, they were able to notice patterns in the automatons'' movements, making it easier for them to subdue them.


    Kyran also noticed this, which was why, after taking control of the five automatons, he stopped dealing with the rest himself and allowed thetter five to do the rest.


    After Kyran adjusted their programming, the five automatons'' movements had gotten smoother. They no longer appear as high-quality puppets but as genuine Automatons.


    It was not really strange for the automatons'' movements to bepared to a puppet because the one controlling them was also an automaton. Besides that, their capabilities had not been activated to their full extent.


    In the end, Kyran was left with only one task throughout the battle, and that was to adjust the newly subdued automatons'' programming.


    After another half an hour, Kyran''s group had sessfully subdued all fifty-one automatons in the room.


    "This is a little strange," Armak said with a slight frown. "The automaton that took part in that test seemed far stronger than them." He gestured at the automatons lined up behind Kyran, who were waiting for his nextmand.


    "More importantly," Breira also chimed in. "I did not see that automaton among them."


    "That''s because these automatons are only the vanguard," Kyran told them while looking at another closed twin door at the far end of the room. "I doubt the King''s real inheritance will only beposed of fifty or so automatons. If my guess is right, there should be no less than apany of automatons under Aran."


    lights¦­¦Ïvel Kyran did not tell them that the maximum number of automatons Aran might possess was a battalion. He came up with this after seeing the serial numbers of the fifty-one automatons with them.


    The serial number of the automaton with the great sword that controlled the other automatons at the start of their confrontation was 0901. Although this number did not say much, if hepared it with the rest, there was a huge gap in their numbers. The serial numbers of the automatons using a sword and a shield were from 0001 to 0020, while those using spears were from 0101 to 0110. There were also those using daggers with serial numbers from 0201 to 0210. Then, there was another huge jump from automatons using a rod and long staff, with serial numbers from 0601 to 0605 and 0701 to 0705, respectively.


    Considering all these, Kyran had reasons to believe his initial assumption was correct. As much as he wanted Aran to be in possession of hundreds of automatons, he was also wary, not of Aran himself, but of the first Somulians that originally possessed them.


    Who were they? Why did they have so many automatons? How did they create them, given the rarity of materials needed to create one? Especially their energy core? Most importantly, how far ahead were their Array Knowledge and Smithing Skills for them to actually create automatons like it was nothing?


    It should be noted that Kyran, who possessed Void magic that allowed him to recreate any materials as long as they were avable in the ne he was in, could only create puppets.


    Kyran shook his head and put aside his thoughts. He would know the answers to most of his doubts eventually. Thus, he would not waste time pondering over them at this point.


    Armak and Breira''s eyes narrowed after hearing their Master''s words. They did think there was more to those automatons from the way King Aran boasted of them. But never did they consider there were more than apany of them.


    "Even so," Breira started after thinking of something. "If King Aran already possessed so many automatons. Howe he did not try to conquer Somuli all this time? With the prowess of the automatons, it would not be a stretch to say crushing any nation using them is possible."


    "That may be right," Kyran replied. "But this automatons required arge amount of magic energy to move. Apart from that, repairing them and such will be hard given how your ne''s Array Knowledge."


    "Ah, I have already forgotten about that," Breira said while scratching his head. It had only been a couple or so hours since Kyran became their Master, yet his worldview on Array had taken a drastic turn. Since then, he felt that subduing and repairing automatons were as simple as breathing.


    "Let''s not waste time here," Kyran changed the topic. He then looked at the automaton standing in front of the line. The one holding the great sword.


    "Do you know where Aran is hiding?"


    The automaton shook its head, "Apologies, Master. However, we do not possess any information about our previous interim owner. We also cannot track his movements."


    Kyran raised his brows, "Interim owner?"


    "Yes," the automaton nodded. "He is only an interim since he can activate us using the minimum requirements."


    "And what are those requirements?"


    "His blood type and our activation code."


    Kyran frowned, "Blood type? That''s something new. I did not encounter that when I activated you guys."


    When Kyran adjusted the automatons'' program, he only removed Aran''s signature before using his own Void signature to reactivate them.


    "You are different from them, Master."


    Kyran did not need the automaton to borate that it was referring to the Armakeans when it said them. But that was unimportant. What caught his attention was how the automaton told him he was different.


    Was it because the signature he used to activate them belonged to Ancient magic, or did the automaton mean something totally different?


    Armak and Breira also caught on to what the automaton had said and looked at their new Master. They totally agreed that their new Master was different; thus, they did not react much to what the automaton said.


    As much as Kyran wanted to continue this talk with the automaton, he put it on hold and diverted the topic back on track.


    "Right. We''ll talk more about thatter. I want you, Armak, and Breira to form a group and scout the rest of the way. Inform me once you found Aran."


    "Yes, Master."


    After giving them more detailed instructions and a few items, Kyran let them go. Now that he had more people to look for Aran, there was little point in going with them. Besides, he wanted to go back to the previous room and recover all the exquisite spirit stones embedded in its ceiling and walls. He also wanted to catch up on what was happening with the other group.


    The first group Kyran contacted was the Armakea border, where Mo, who was Aran''s top aide, went along with a battalion of knights.


    Azikh was the one who answered the call and provided a brief report.


    It appeared that Mo had already gotten news of the attack happening in Larkring. Azikh and his team spied a group with Mo in the lead, wanting to return to the capital, but stopped midway. It was because Kesiah appeared, leading arge group of knights and officers that used to belong to the Royal Family members.


    A three-way battle ensued after that.


    A third of Mo''s group continued to bombard the defensive array of the Armakean border from the front while the rest confronted Kesiah''s group from the back.


    Mo still insisted on returning, however, after realizing that the power of their rear line was pretty much on par with Kesiah''s side.


    Knowing the importance of taking over the border and capturing Kesiah, Mo stayed and proactively led the knights into battle.


    With Mo participating in the battle, the battle''s momentum started to shift toward their side.


    Because of this, Gael was forced to also proactively participate in battle just to bnce the momentum on each side. After all, Gael and Kesiah''s goal in assisting the battle at the border was to stop Mo from returning and providing timely assistance for the King.


    If Mo returned to Larkring, he would most likely target the Military District first. That was something Gael and Kesiah had to prevent because they could not allow the rest of the King''s Knights to join the ongoing battle. If they did, their number alone would overwhelm them, and it would only be a matter of time before they lose their momentum.


    After confirming the situation at the border, Kyran checked the situation from Achim''s side first.

 Chapter 893 The Battle Thus Far (2)

    Chapter 893 The Battle Thus Far (2)


    When Kyran contacted Achim''s side, it was Haji who answered. Thetter did not beat around the bush and reported the situation on their side at once.


    Apparently, Achim and his father, Ravan, along with the other prominent figures from Achim''s paternal and maternal sides, who had a good rtionship with them, were in a closed-door meeting. Haji was supposed to join them, given his rank among Achim''s group, but Achim insisted their allies might contact them and having Haji there to talk to them would be better.


    Ravan initially stated he was not against Achim receiving a call from his allies while they were in a meeting. He even entertained the idea because if that happened, he and the rest of his inws would meet those group Achim imed to be leading their campaign. Ravan was clearly interested in the group''s identities that could change Achim''s attitude.


    In the end, Achim did not budge and reasoned that the time was not ripe for them to meet. Besides, there were a few things he wanted to discuss with Ravan and the rest of his uncles and aunts before they finally met their trueleader.


    Hearing Achim''s reason piqued Ravan''s interest in the true instigator of Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion. Not because of the veil of mystery that the group portrayed but from the sound of his son''s undisguised respect for the group''s true leader when he mentioned them.


    Haji reported all of those things to Kyran, who, in turn, let out an exasperated sigh. There was a distinct difference between how his Servants showed their respectpared to his Sigils. Since thetter''s way of thinking had not beenpletely affected by the Sigil''s mark¡ª apart from Tritus, that is¡ª they would still show some decorum when they spoke of him. However, the former, because they experienced a sort of rebirth, would show apparent respect no matter what they did.


    Proof of this was when Achim and Kesiah pretended to be on equal grounds with Kyran in front of others; their faces would distort slightly as if they were agonized by the mere act and thought of leveling themselves to the same level as their Master.


    As much as possible, Kyran did not want Ravan to know that the changes he did to his daughter and son were not figuratively speaking but in all sense of the word.


    If Ravan discovered what Kyran did to Achim and Kesiah, with his righteous character, would he have willingly listened to his son''s words?


    The answer was uncertain. But the probability that he would not listen was higher than the opposite.


    Kyran did not dwell on it, though. He believed Achim and Haji could aplish their task even though there was a slight risk. And even if they were exposed, Kyran was confident they could keep Ravan and his group upied for a while until he came to their rescue.


    Since Haji did not know what Achim and his family were discussing, Kyran ended the call at once. He might not have received any further details, but the fact that Achim and Ravan were already in a meeting was a good start.


    After confirming the situation on Achim''s side, Kyran hesitated between checking on Noir''s side or Malek''s.


    One good reason he hesitated was the fact that, unlike the character of Achim''s target could be considered amiable, not to mention their personal rtionship as father and son, Noir''s and Malek''s targets were far more tricky to handle.


    Noir''s target was the King''s Knights, while Malek''s were the rest of the Royal Family members.


    Both had no rtion to their targets, and their expected number was far greater. This was especially true with Noir''s side because they were dealing with the King''s Knight Army.


    It should be noted that even when Mo took a thousand knights to the border and about twopanies were staying in the castle, their numbers were still in the thousands.


    Giving a rough estimate of their number, they would still be six thousand.


    Though currently, most of those six thousand knights were still imprisoned from Kyran''s array formation, Kyran expected some loose group of knights to be outside the formation''s range and would engage Noir''s group in a fight.


    The explosionsing from the military district were proof that his assumption was correct, even without him asking his Servants, Anan and Tamir, to confirm it.


    Then, there was the delicate situation from Malek''s end. Frankly, his group''s mission was filled with uncertainties yet necessary. After all, they had to ount for what the Royal Family members might do once their operationmenced.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel Kyran did not want the rest of the Royal Family members to provide assistance to Aran or take advantage of themotion. When a three-way battle urred, it would be hard to deal with attacks on both sides, given their disadvantage in number.


    At the moment, Kyran''s forces were divided into several locations, dealing with situations that could not be resolved in an instant:


    Azikh, Gidan, Gael, and Kesiah at the Armakea Border had to keep Mo and a thousand knights busy and prevent them from returning to Larkring. Noir''s group had to keep watch while taking care of the loose group of knights at the Military District. Achim''s group had to convince Ravan''s side not to participate in the battle¡ª unless, of course, they joined their side. Malek''s side, which was trying to figure out what the Royal Family members were up to with that ''secret'' ce and keep them from assisting Aran or taking advantage of the current situation. Finally, Kyran had to deal with Aran.


    If any of those situations could be resolved quickly, that group could assist the others from a different location. As to how they could go there as soon as possible, others might find that the most pressing matter, but with the Void Master on their side, it was as simple as him summoning a massive purple disc to transport all of them from one location to another.


    In the end, Kyran decided to contact his Servants and know the current situation in Noir''s side.


    Anan and Tamir answered at once, which pretty much gave Kyran a rough idea of their current situation. Since both answered him almost as soon as he called, it meant their situation was betterpared to the Armakea border.


    After that, Anan and Tamir took turns in exining their situation.


    Apparently, Sigma had taken care of most of the loose knights that engaged them in battle. But the other fort leaders and the other knights and officers with them joined when thirty or so enemies decided to gang up on Sigma.


    Initially, those knights and officers were hesitant to attack their exrades because they trained in the same ce before, and everyone knew almost each other, not to mention they shared the same fate of being the King''s loyal dogs.


    But then, seeing how they acted despicably by ganging up on Sigma just because thetter appeared very overbearing, they finally joined in the battle.


    It did not take long for them to turn the tablespletely on their side. Soon, more loose groups of knights arrived. These groups were stationed in different locations all over the city and had been busy taking the Armakeans, especially the civilians, to the shelters.


    There were even some independent groups, consisting of righteous Armakeans, that came to assist the King''s Knights, thinking that they were doing them a huge favor. In the end, it was the humans with Noir and Sigma who took care of these groups because the knights were very hesitant to hurt them no matter how disadvantageous their situation might be.


    Kyran sighed. In a way, the Armakean Knights'' moral code was pretty simr to the Regis n. Thus, he could not me them for not wanting to hurt the Armakeans, which could be considered an unrted group to the current situation. Nevertheless, he found that mindset detrimental in a war.


    Kyran knew this, which was why he tried to adopt a more open attitude toward the matter when he was the one facing such a dilemma. Nevertheless, if his n members were involved, he admitted to likely being at an impasse on how to deal with the situation.


    After learning the current situation on Noir''s side from Anan and Tamir, Kyran could not help but frown. He had initially thought that Aran had ordered two or three of his aides to resolve the matter at the Military District so the Knight Army would be freed. But it seemed he miscalcted Aran''s train of thought.


    Armak and Breira confirmed that Aran indeed dispatched the rest of his aides. If that were the case, where did he tell them to go?


    Kyran had a bad feeling. He hoped Aran did not order them to go to where Malek was.


    For the record, when Kyran and the others discovered that secret ce the Royal Family members built, they also considered the possibility that Aran was already aware of it. Because of this, Kyran considered Aran asking two or three of his aides to go there and force the Royal Family members to aid him.

 Chapter 894 A Possible Connection (1)

    Chapter 894 A Possible Connection (1)


    Looking at the point of view of a Somulian, whatever situation the Royal Family members were in could be dealt with easilypared to what was happening in the Military District. For one thing, lost technology was involved in thetter''s situation, and in Somuli, it was something that no one could decipher or destroy.


    Aran would know this, and so would his aides. Thus, if he wanted to seek reinforcements as soon as possible, the only people he could go to were the Royal Family members.


    Yes, Aran ordered them to round up their forces and attack the fort Achim and his forces upied. But he knew the elders of his family would always hold back their manpower and might even hide their powerful members. If, for argument''s sake, the elders had truly listened to him and dispatched all their forces, were they¡ª the elders, themselves¡ª not considered reinforcements?


    The answer was simple: they are considered reinforcements.


    Their levels andbat experience could not be underestimated just because they were from the ''older'' generation. Instead, it was precisely because of these reasons that they could be considered better reinforcements in the current predicament the Armakea was facing.


    To rify things, Kyran did not know about the Elders that Malek was engaged in a fight. However, he knew at least that the Royal Family of Armakea had an older generation.


    Achim and Kesiah had also confirmed it.


    Since the older generation was not in the castle with Aran, the only other ce they could be found was among the Royal Family members.


    In any case, Kyran was worried that Aran sent all his aides to where Malek and the others were. Worst-case scenario, they would be forced to engage Aran''s aides, and whatever reinforcements the Royal Family members possessed by themselves.


    Kyran''s rtionship with Malek was a littleplicated. Honestly, thetter did not hold a grudge from when the former destroyed the Tower of Conve''s defensive array and hurt their people during his tantrum.


    Malek was not that petty. Besides, Kyran took responsibility for what he did and properly providedpensation¡ª courtesy of the reward from the bounty Gael posted at the Mercenary Hall¡ª for the damages he incurred and even repaired¡ª or, to be urate¡ª enhanced, the Tower of Conve''s defensive array.


    What caused Malek and Kyran''splicated rtionship was Ste''s affection for thetter.


    Because Ste lost her father at such a young age, Malek, Malia, and Hugh considered themselves as her guardians. Malek, in particr, even considered himself to be Ste''s right-hand man, father, uncle, and older brother¡ª a four-in-one package.


    Thus, knowing Ste''s affection for Kyran, which muddled her ability to make correct judgments, infuriated Malek.


    Moreover, Malek discovered that Kyran actually rejected Ste when she confessed her feelings! That infuriated him further.


    Malek disapproved of Ste being infatuated with Kyran, but he also detested Kyran for rejecting Ste.


    Yes. The two men truly had aplicated rtionship.


    Ultimately, regardless of theirplicated rtionship, Kyran had full confidence in Malek''s capabilities and strength. Nevertheless, that did not stop the former from being worried. Especially when the probability that Malek and his group would face five of the remaining aides of Aran, at the same time.


    Kyran shook his head inwardly and contacted Malek and Nahir at once. Unfortunately, he failed to establish a connection. He then tried contacting his Servants, Eikin and Jita. But simr to the former two, he could not establish a connection.


    Clenching his fist, Kyran tried to contact Cyneah but failed as well.


    The uneasiness he felt grew by the second.


    Finally, as ast resort, Kyran withdrew his Draconic magic energy and fully circted his Void magic energy. When he did this, his silver with dark purple armor retracted, revealing his ck clothes once more. His eyes also turned reddish-purple before darkening a bit. After that, he tried to use his connection with Eikin and Jita to form a telepathic link.


    The distance between them was too far. Thus, establishing a telepathic link was practically impossible.


    But who was Kyran? He was the Void Master. Before, he would not even consider it possible to contact his Servants at such a long distance, but after learning Void theories from Can, he now had a better understanding of what he was capable of.


    Void was different from Space, where thetter required two to four points before one could utilize it. Void did not require those points because it came from nothingness.


    "Nothingness is the beginning of everything."


    This was the first theory Can taught Kyran. Though thetter already had an idea about this theory, it was only after the former borated on it that thetter grasped the logic behind itpletely.


    Using this theory, Kyran could create anything from nothing, including links. But there was still a limitation to everything.


    Having limitations was not surprising. One good example of this Void theory''s limitation was when Kyran created things out of nothing; his creation was limited to the amount of magic energy in the surroundings and the avability of that item in the ne he was currently at.


    In the case of creating a telepathic link, Kyran could only create one if his target had enough Void energy. This was not a problem since Eikin and Jita were both his Servants¡ª beings that had been reborn from the Void. Their innate magic was now embued with Void energy, resulting in their innate magic''s mutation.


    Kyran closed his eyes and concentrated. He condensed his Void energy at one point and formed a link simr to a thin thread that was invisible to the naked eye. That thread extended into two directions, targeting Eikin''s and Jita''s locations. However, before the threads could even go past the open doors, it stopped, unable to proceed.


    Kyran frowned as he opened his eyes. He tried once more, but for unknown reasons, the threads would not go past the doors.


    At first, Kyran thought his failure to establish the link might have something to do with the severalyers of both active and inactive array formations within and under the castle. Because array formations were created from different materials possessing internal magic energy, there was a possibility that Kyran could not properly establish the link because of the influence of all those magic energies. There were also those exquisite spirit stones he had yet to recover from the other room''s ceiling and walls.


    However, Kyran soon rejected this notion. In the first ce, no specific type of magic energy could influence Void magic energy. As a matter of fact, Void magic energy could be formed using any type of magic energy. It was for this reason that his natural magic energy-replenishing ability nearly broke his fragile body when he was still a child. While the main culprit of that event was True Void, the fact that thetter was absorbing magic energies without care was proof that Void magic energy could be formed even without specifically filtering the magic energies in the surroundings.


    Before Kyran coulde up with a n on how to contact Malek''s side, he sensed a familiar presence from the other room. His eyes narrowed and instantly warped there to stop that new presence from stepping onto the array formation.


    It should be noted that Kyran only changed the target form of the array formation in the other room. If that new presence triggered the array formation, he would suffer a great deal.


    While Kyran did not care what happened to that new presence, he did not want to give Aran an idea of how far they had gone to under the castle.


    "Stop right there."


    "Ack! Sh*t, Dark Sage! Can''t you show up like a normal person?"


    The new presence was none other than Dusk.


    Kyran noiselessly appeared right behind Dusk that thetter''s heart almost jumped out of his mouth.


    Dusk was not normally a jumpy person, but after visiting the Armakea castle''s underground section a lot of times and suffering from several array formations, it became second nature.


    Turning around to face Kyran, Dusk scrutinized him slowly before saying, "You are not an illusion, right? I did not trigger any array formation, did I?"


    "If you had taken another step forward, you would have triggered one," Kyran replied with a deadpan expression.


    "Tsk," Dusk clicked his tongue, seeing Kyran''s unfamiliar yet familiar face.


    Unfamiliar because Kyran was using Nar''s face, yet familiar because it was his signature deadpan expression.


    "What are you doing here? Were you not thrashed to death a few weeks ago?"


    Kyran raised his brows, "How did you know that?"


    "I am the Sovereign of Dusk," Dusk replied matter-of-factly as if his answer exined everything.


    Kyran gave him a hard stare that prompted Dusk to say, "Seems you''re not really badly hurt. Seeing that you recovered so fast..." just to change the topic.


    "How- did- you-know?" Kyran repeated, emphasizing each word.


    "Tsk," Dusk could not help but click his tongue once more. In the end, he replied, "I heard it from one of my subjects."


    When Kyran heard that, he recalled Wings'' exnation of how they gathered intel from different nes, using subjects¡ª local creatures of a particr ne¡ª that revered them as their patron.


    "She witnessed a being from that realm arriving and imprisoning you inside its Dimension. She did not know what happened to you inside, but apparently, Ruin came and saved you. After that, she confirmed your escape, albeit in a bloody mess."


    Kyran ignored the rest of Dusk''s exnation and was only interested in something he said, "You know about Dimension?"


    "I am a Sovereign."


    Kyran''s brow twitched at the matter-of-factly tone Dusk used to answer his question again. Nevertheless, he more or less understood thetter''s answer.


    Just like when a Sage of a ne was about to be a Sovereign, the gates of knowledge would open, filling that Sage with information about the Lower Realm that mages with lower levels were not privy to. That was how they would know about the existence of other nes and Sovereigns.


    Kyran''s old habit of asking questions was about to kick in, but then he forcefully suppressed it because contacting Malek''s side and knowing their situation was far more important to him at that moment.


    "I know you''re here on a mission under Axil''s order," Kyran diverted the subject. "But I have people here after Aran. If you go about your business now, you might disrupt our n."


    "I thought as much," Dusk replied with a shrug. "I sensed themotion happening outside. But since I can''t leave this ce, I have not confirmed it."


    "You''ve been stuck here all this time?" Kyran looked at him incredulously.


    "This ce is full of Arrays! What else could I do?" Dusk replied exasperatedly.


    For someone who was not well-versed with Array, arriving at a ce with lots of them would be a nightmare.


    "Where were you hiding all this time?"


    "I wasn''t..." Dusk sighed as he recalled how he got there. He then told Kyran that he had been running around in circles underground and that the map he had showing the underground section of the castle was meaningless because of those Array formations.


    For short, the castle''s underground section was actually a huge maze filled with Arrays.


    Kyran did not say anything. He btedly realized they did not meet the same fate because Armak and Breira were familiar with the underground section. If not for them, Kyran would have gotten lost... or maybe not¡ª but he would definitely have encountered those array formations that Dusk mentioned.


    "If you''ve got things to settle down here, I have no choice but to wait until you''re done," Dusk decisively dered. "I don''t want to be caught in the middle of fire."


    Kyran remained silent. After a short pause, he said, "You''re looking for the Automatons."


    Dusk''s expression remained passive. But his eyes contracted slightly, and Kyran saw it even if it only happened in a split second.


    "We need them."


    "For the War of the Sovereigns."


    "Yes."


    "If I say I have found a way to stop the war from happening, will you still need those Automatons?"

 Chapter 895 A Possible Connection (2)

    Chapter 895 A Possible Connection (2)


    Dusk frowned at what Kyran said. He did not understand what prompted thetter to say such a thing. In a way, Dusk never considered Kyran as their faction''s consultant¡ª as Axil insisted on thetter''s delegation in their faction¡ª but an unrted party to their cause. Dusk''s view was elicited by how Kyran dered his stance of not involving the Human ne in the war.


    Kyran was not even the Sovereign of the Human ne. However, it was apparent that the Human ne''s Sovereign and the rest of the powerful mages of that ne who knew about the war fully supported Kyran''s decision.


    In a sense, Dusk could understand why they would put such great trust in Kyran. Thetter was the new Dark Sage, after all. Nevertheless, Kyran''s identity as the new Dark Sage was precisely the reason Dusk felt a slight resentment toward him. Because the truth about the faction the Dark Sage supported in the previous wars always won was hard facts.


    If Kyran supported the Guardians, then the chances of them fulfilling their faction''s objectives were higher.


    Axil emphasized that the Guardians'' objective was not to win the war but to prevent it. She believed that the War of the Sovereigns would not happen if there were not enough participants in it.


    Frankly, Axil''s way of thinking was too shallow. Because the number of participants joining the war did not matter. As long as there would be Sovereigns willing to wage war on others, the war would happen.


    But Axil was not entirely hopeless because she was still aware that preventing the war from happening was a tall order. Because of this, she and the rest of the Guardians decided to make preparations of their own.


    On one of the tablets they managed to decipher, there was a mention of a ce where all the automatons created by the Ancients were kept. Unfortunately, the only known ne that was said to be part of the Land of the Ancients was the Human ne.


    There was no way for the Guardians to locate that ce because even its existence was considered a fable. The only known Sovereign alive, who imed to have been there before and no one dared argue with, was Ruin.


    But then Loar mentioned a human he befriended in the Tower of Tribtions, who was very different from those in other nes. That human was also very proficient in Array.


    Loar did not really mention the Tower of Tribtions because he was not allowed to. He only said he met Kyran by chance on some ne.


    After that, there was amotion that happened in the Lignum ne where Ruin was rumored to have encountered a powerful mage from the Human ne. When Kyran seeded in overthrowing Ruin''s authority over Lignum, more rumors that were exaggerated than the first circted.


    Finally, a rumor stating that Kyran was actually the new Dark Sage surfaced, resulting in every Sovereign in the Lower Realm keeping an eye on his activities.


    In any case, with all these things, the Guardians ced a lot of importance on watching Ruin''s activities. When they lost track of thetter and discovered traces of his activities that coincided with Deception, they managed to put two and two together and changed their strategy.


    That was when Axil recalled Loar''s mention of befriending a human mage. After careful deliberation, she confirmed the clues about that human being as the same person as the one who overthrew Ruin in Lignum.


    When Axil asked for more information from Loar about the human, thetter refused to provide anything else. Dusk, who happened to be present at that time, sensed something amiss from thetter''s refusal to share further information.


    Ultimately, Dusk guessed Loar''s refusal had to do with the Tower of Tribtions. As someone who visited and even partook in the tower''s training regime, Dusk could rte and decided to speak with Loar alone.


    After their talk, Dusk requested Axil to meet Loar''s friend and also confirm if the ne he belonged to was truly the Human ne.


    Axil was perplexed by Dusk''s request. She wanted him to rify, but simr to Loar, Dusk refused to borate on his reasons.


    Since Dusk was among the pioneers of the Guardians and his contribution to the faction could not be denied, Axil agreed to his request.


    Dusk entered the Human ne from the Tower of Tribtions. He was able to do this because he once received a reward, which was a very rare relic that allowed him to enter his desired ne once. Dusk never used the relic believing that the requirement of ''his desired ne'' was limited to any ne he visited before. But after rechecking and recalling the relic''s information, he discovered there was no mention of such limitation.


    Of course, the relic''s limitation might be hidden, but Dusk still took a gamble, tried it, and, lo and behold, he truly seeded.


    Fortunately, Dusk met Kyran without any problems, fulfilling his first task. Unfortunately, he discovered how backwater the humans'' Magic knowledge was, which greatly affected his second task.


    If the Human ne was truly a part of the Land of the Ancients, why did they only have a few mages above a Magus? Apart from that, their Sovereign was slumbering! Nevertheless, the Human ne''s magicw that did not restrict Dusk''s own, not to mention the abundant magic energies in the surroundings, were known attributes of the Land of the Ancients. Because of this, Dusk could notpletely disregard the Human ne as a part of it.


    After meeting Kyran, Dusk stayed in the Human ne and searched the ce mentioned in the tablet, where the Ancients stored their automatons. s, he failed to find it. He also confirmed that the Human ne''s Array Knowledge was too obsolete, that even he, who was not proficient in it, felt he knew more about it than the majority of them. Note that he only felt that way because he had not met Cade or Nn.


    During his search, Dusk discovered another tablet. Unfortunately, the tablet was already cracked, and most of its contents were unreadable. After examining the crack, he realized how deformed it looked. He also saw a symbol on its content that triggered something in his memories. Dusk soon realized the symbol seemed to be the missing half of another tablet their member discovered in one of the nes they had recently found: Somuli.


    At that time, they had yet to understand anything about that ne. They did send a few Sovereigns to scout the ce first. In the end, because of theck of magic energy in that ce, they retreated after recovering that tablet.


    When Dusk remembered that, he requested a copy from Axil and managed to confirm that the two tablets were part of a piece. This realization prompted the two to believe that maybe the Human ne and Somuli were connected in the past. If that were true, maybe the Somuli ne would also have clues as to where the Ancients kept their automatons.


    A lot happened after that, and finally, after years of research¡ª at least, based on Somuli''s time¡ª they confirmed that the automatons of the Ancients were indeed in Somuli and that the Armakean King knew where they were.


    At the moment, Dusk only needed to persevere until he could finally locate all the automatons.


    But then, Kyran showed up here and told him he had a way to stop the war from happening.


    What the hell was this?


    Kyran patiently waited until Dusk absorbed what he said. But when thetter still remained silent after about two minutes, the former could no longer wait and said, "I know of a way. At least... someone gave me an idea on how to stop it."


    That someone was actually La. The things she wanted to discuss with Kyran were rted to stopping the War of the Sovereigns. Although the two had not yete to an agreement, both had a tacit understanding of each other''s goal.


    Kyran might not be interested in the War of the Sovereigns. But because it was such a big event in the Lower Realm, and there was no guarantee that the Human ne would be safe even if they did not join, he had to make preparations for the worst-case scenario. Currently, he knew that the only way to keep the Human ne safe was to stop the war from happening.


    La knew how to stop the war but needed Kyran''s help to aplish it. She would also need an army, and since he disliked her method of amassing one, she agreed to stop as long as he could provide one she could use.


    "I..." Dusk finally spoke after another pause. But his brows were still furrowed, showing his hesitation, "I will have to speak with the others first."


    "That won''t be a problem."


    "You will have to tell us the details too."


    "That... I can''t promise," Kyran admitted.


    "Why?"


    "I need to do my own investigation first. I don''t want to rely solely on everything someone has said."


    Dusk fell silent. He more or less understood what he meant, so he silently epted his reason.


    "If that''s the case, I will continue with my mission and take those automatons first," he said. "They will be our insurance."


    Kyran did not respond. He only smiled wryly, wondering how Dusk would take those automatons given hisck of Array proficiency. As for how to activate them, there was still Loar, so Kyran knew it was possible.


    "I understand," he replied after a short pause. "But don''t me me for making a move on them if the need arises."

 Chapter 896 Chrysanthemum Again

    Chapter 896 Chrysanthemum Again


    After Dusk and Kyran came to an agreement, thetter tried to contact his Servants once more. But as earlier, he failed to establish that connection.


    This result intensified Kyran''s growing fear.


    Seeing a rare forlorn expression on Kyran, Dusk asked, "What is it?"


    Kyran did not respond immediately and deliberated on how much he should say. But then, an idea crossed his mind, prompting him to look at Dusk and reply with his own question.


    "Your subjects, are they part of the Magical Beast Community?"


    "Where else could they be part of? Beast-like andplete beings dominate this ne. How do you expect other creatures to mingle with them¡ª?"


    "Can you contact them now?"


    Dusk frowned at Kyran''s bossy attitude. But ultimately, he snorted a curt response of "Yes" since he saw thetter''s trepidation.


    "Please, tell them to meet with Lady Chrysanthemum and pass her this message..."


    Dusk failed to register what Kyran said right after hearing the name of one of the leaders of the Magical Beast Community.


    Rather than failing to register, it was like his mindgged a few seconds, making him unable toprehend what Kyran had said at once.


    Kyran saw Dusk''s nk look, and not wanting to waste time exining himself, he promised to exin everythingter.


    In the end, Dusk managed to get hold of himself and contacted one of his trusted subjects, who happened to be the same one who witnessed Kyran being captured by a being from that realm.


    For the record, if Kyran were not worried about the situation on Malek''s side, he would have noticed how Dusk carefully used the terms being and realm when referring to the culprit who assaulted him and not only the part about thetter knowing about Dimension.


    Dusk was relieved that Kyran did not pursue that subject because he would have suffered an earful from the scolding of Axil and the other leaders of the Guardians.


    One should understand that there are things those in the know should not speak of in front of others that are not in the know. If not, they will suffer the consequences of the Fates'' wrath.


    To ensure Kyran would not remember that, Dusk got to work and contacted his subject.


    It did not take long for them to receive a response. Apparently, Lady Chrysanthemum was having a hard time because the other Magical Beast Community Leaders were putting much pressure on her. After all,they knew about her recent visit to the Armakea Border.


    Although more than a month had passed since then, the other leaders suspected Chrysanthemum of plotting against them, mainly because when Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion was revealed, she had just proposed for their side to be less receptive to any of King Aran''s requests. Because if things went on like that, they would only be his dogs.


    Proposing that was supposed to be Chrysanthemum''s first move before convincing them to keep a neutral stance once an all-out war between Kyran and the King happened.


    Lamentably, before she could see any results from her first move, Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion was revealed, cing the Magical Beast Community in a bind.


    They were Armakea''s allies and feared the King would request their assistance to stop Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion.


    The rebellion and Chrysanthemum''s proposal were so timely that themunity leaders could not help but smell a conspiracy involved.


    If the leaders had agreed to Chrysanthemum''s proposal, once King Aran requested their assistance and they showed reluctance, there was a good chance he would send his aides and punish them. When that happened, what would be of their weak members?


    From this, they believed Chrysanthemum''s proposal was a ploy to have theirmunity suffer.


    s, they failed to think logically because of the fear mostmunity leaders felt toward King Aran.


    In the first ce, why would Chrysanthemum do something in a round to put theirmunity in harm''s way? Besides, most of them frowned at the idea when she shared her proposal. Still, she did not press on and only left the discussion for ater time. Would she have acted like that if she genuinely wanted to put themunity in danger? No. She would have argued her point and roused the support of thosemunity leaders who were indebted to her.


    Most importantly, why would King Aran even ask for their assistance in resolving the matter of Achim and Kesiah''s rebellion? Themunity leaders were worried King Aran would send his aides to punish them if they did not agree to assist. Still, the question was, why would King Aran bother to do that when he could order his aides to resolve the rebellion themselves?


    King Aran was arrogant. He would not ask for help on matters he could resolve himself.


    Chrysanthemum''s situation was not entirely hopeless. Since themunity leaders did not have proof to indict her, they had not done anything rash. It also helped that King Aran had not sent any messenger to visit them since the rebellion started.


    Nevertheless, Chrysanthemum remained on edge. She did not know how to exin herself to her people nor let Kyran know of her situation. She even entertained the idea of inviting him to themunity and letting him talk to the rest of the leaders instead.


    Because Chrysanthemum felt out of sorts when Dusk''s subject requested an audience, she initially declined. But when she learned thetter had an important message from an outsider,she invited her in immediately.


    While the message might not necessarilye from Kyran, especially when there were too many outsiders in Somuli, Chrysanthemum had only ever made contact with one. Thus, she was 99% confident that the message was from him. As for the remaining 1%¡ª well, she could never be too sure.


    Chrysanthemum and Dusk''s subject, a translucent figure that seemed to sway with the wind and was named Aniah, went to the receiving area of the former''s quarters. Inside was a low round table with eight seat cushions around it.


    Chrysanthemum sat on the other side of the table while Aniah sat opposite hers.


    As soon as Ania sat down, she waved her hand and took out amunication device Dusk gave her.


    "I need your help," was Kyran''s greeting the moment his silhouette emerged from the device.


    Chrysanthemum was taken aback at this. But she recovered immediately and said, "I also need your help."


    "After this, whatever it is you need my help with will no longer matter," Kyran replied. Not giving her a chance to refute his words, he continued, "We are almost done with the operation, but I have trouble contacting one of our groups. I need your help to check on them."


    "You..." Chrysanthemum could not help but let out an exasperated sigh. She obviously knew what he wanted her to do. But did he forget that there was no way for them to use their own ''route'' because Somuli did not have a parallel ne they could traverse?


    "I''ll create that route," Kyran told her, seemingly reading what was on her mind. Actually, just by seeing her exasperated look, it was easy to guess what was on her mind. "Please, this is urgent."


    Kyran''s attitude made Chrysanthemum pause. She initially wanted to argue, but hearing the sincerity in his voice when he pleaded just now made her hesitate.


    Thinking back on it, she already had an inkling about Kyran''s true identity. However, she did not want to assume without any proof. While the ce where he sent her previously could be considered proof, she still had some doubts. Her doubts were mainly because she found him not domineering enough.


    It was not about Kyran''s presencecking a domineering aura but more about his seemingly weak approach to aplishing his objective. He possessed such powerful magic, yet why was he not making full use of it?


    Chrysanthemum more or less guessed that maybe Kyran wanted to keep a low profile. But could that even be possible when he wanted to conquer Armakea, the most powerful nation in Somuli?


    Shaking her head, Chrysanthemum pushed all unnecessary thoughts aside and looked at Kyran solemnly, "Fine. If you can really do that, then I promise to help you to the utmost of my abilities. But I can''t guarantee that we will not be discovered. You have to understand that Knights in Armakea have high perceptions. If we are exposed to them, even if we are still within the specialroute, we''ll be discovered."


    "That is fine."


    "Easy for you to say," she replied with an inelegant snort. "We''ll be the ones to suffer if we get discovered."


    Kyran shook his head, "That will not happen. My magic''s nature will sure to conceal your presence."


    "How are you going to do that?"


    Kyran did not respond, but his expression turned slightly ufortable.


    Truthfully speaking, the reason he was confident that Chrysanthemum and her people would not be seen was because they were Spirits.


    From Kyran''s recent meeting with Can, thetter not only taught Void theories but also exined his connection with White Lily. Or, to be more urate, his connection to all Spirits.


    In Can''s own words, he said, "I vowed to protect all Spirits until the day they returned to their original realm."


    He then exined that when he made that vow, he did so as the new Void Master and not White Lily''s husband. For short, since Kyran was now the new Void Master, he had to fulfill that vow.


    Kyran was vexed when he heard about it and wanted to strangle Can to death. Unfortunately, thetter was already dead.


    In any case, Kyran finally understood why White Lily and Chrysanthemum were not affected by the dense Void energy inside his Void World and could even circte their own magic.


    Anyone with a way to filter magic energies would not be affected by the Void energies inside the Void World, but because it mostly circtes Void energy, it would be impossible for others to utilize their magic.


    However, the Void deemed White Lily and Chrysanthemum''s existence as an exception because of Can''s vow, thus their certain level of immunity from the Void World''sw.


    Frankly, Kyran did not understand how it worked. Can only told him that Spirits were given certain immunity toward Void magic and a certain degree of protection.


    Not knowing how to exin that, Kyran chose a very generic statement to assure Chrysanthemum. Yet, thetter had tactlessly asked how he would do that.


    It was rather annoying.


    In the end, Kyran replied with the most generic response to avoid dwelling on the subject, "I''ll exin it allter."


    Chrysanthemum sighed, but she nodded in agreement and said, "Alright. Tell me where you want us to go."

 Chapter 897 Intervene (1)

    Chapter 897 Intervene (1)


    To create a route that Chrysanthemum and her people could use to move around Somuli at their own pace undetected, Kyran would need to create a ce simr to the Spirit World.


    Creating a pseudo-world requires a powerful relic that will act as its core. This core will then be responsible for ensuring that the cirction and replenishment of magic energy in that world is possible. After all, without magic energy, that pseudo-world can not produce natural resources with internal magic energy.


    Most importantly, Beings like Spirits, who are born from the purest energy from different forms of natural resources, can only survive in ces that have adequate magic energy. As a matter of fact, it is also impossible for mages to survive for long in a ce that can not produce its own magic energy.


    When Can created the Spirit World, White Lily offered her tiara as its core. And up to this day, that tiara remained the Spirit World''s core.


    At the moment, Kyran did not have a relic as powerful as White Lily''s tiara. Thus, it would be impossible for him to create a pseudo-world like the Spirit World in the Somuli.


    But Kyran did not have to create such a world. Chrysanthemum and her people only needed a temporary ce that would act as their route to move from one ce to another within Somuli.


    Considering this, Kyran would only need arge amount of magic energy to sustain that ce. Fortunately, he did not have to performplicated Void magic just to aplish this feat.


    While thinking this, Kyran gazed at the exquisite-grade spirit stones embedded in the ceiling and walls around him.


    "Create a route," Dusk, who had been silent during Kyran and Chrysanthemum''s talk, finally spoke. "Is that really possible using Ancient magic?"


    A few minutes had passed after Kyran and Chrysanthemum concluded their talk, and it was only then that Dusk made sense of their conversation.


    "I don''t know about the other Ancient magic, but Void can," Kyran replied without looking at him.


    "I can more or less understand that Void magic is basically the original raw form of Space magic, but for you to create a world, even if it is a temporary one... That is something I can''t really¡ª."


    "Let me set the record straight: while Space magic appeared to possess the nature of Void magic, they are different," Kyran exined while he knelt down and examined the edge of the array formation on the floor. Since he wanted to collect the spirit stones, he had to do something about the array formation first.


    Although the array formation did not have any form that prevented one from taking those spirit stones, the spirit stones themselves were positioned in a way that would trigger the whole formation if one touched it. Thus, Kyran had to change the array formation first before he could take out all those spirit stones.


    Frankly, Kyran did not need all those spirit stones to create a temporary world for Chrysanthemum and her people. But since he nned to take some, why bother doing it in installments if he could take everything?


    "What are you talking about? Space is synonymous with Void!" Dusk argued, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Kyran was uninterested in their topic.


    "Void is synonymous with nothingness," Kyran corrected him patiently. "Can you say the same with Space?"


    "No... If there is nothing, how can there be space... it should be something because it is a ce where objects can be ced."


    Dusk stopped short as a thought crossed his mind.


    "Wait, if Space is not synonymous with Void, then how are you going to create a ce?"


    Kyran sighed inwardly. One of the things he disliked was exining. Besides, he believed that even if he tried to exin the difference between Space and Void, Dusk would not understand it¡ª the only ones who could truly understand were those who possessed them.


    Meaning, Kyran, and those Space mages¡ª true Space mages, that is.


    Because there were mages who believed they possessed Space magic when, in truth, their magic might only be a support type that affected distance or a specific area. If that were the case, then instead of saying they possessed Space magic, it should be Expansion magic or Area magic.


    Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Kyran replied with, "In the first ce, most have a wrong idea of what Space magic and Void magic are."


    "I kind of get what you mean," Dusk agreed with a slight nod of his head. As a Sovereign, he had a fair knowledge when it came to magic theories and such. "Even I won''t im to understand it. I do know a fair deal about Space magic. As for Void... well, can you me us? The things we know about Void magic are mostly hearsay. There is not even an official record of it. Only notes or stories from unknown origins are avable out there."


    Kyran did not react because what Dusk said was true. At least, in most of the Lower Realm''s nes, there was truly no official record about Void magic.


    Except in the Human ne¡ª or, rather than saying it was only in the Human ne, it was best to say nes that used to be part of the Land of the Ancients.


    At present, Kyran knows two existing official records that exin many things about Void magic. As a matter of fact, those records exin not only the Void but also the rest of the Ancient magic.


    The existing official record Kyran had referred to was the Ancient Magic book that Ste possessed, which he also acquired as a reward in the Tower of Tribtions.


    Thinking back on it, Kyran wondered if the location of the Tower of Tribtions was simr to the Human ne¡ª a part of the Land of the Ancients.


    But those were unimportant at the moment. With this in mind, Kyran pushed those thoughts to the back of his head as he continued to examine the array formation on the floor.


    "Actually, I take that back," Dusk suddenly said after a short pause. "We may have already gotten hold of such a record without us knowing."


    Although Dusk did not borate on that, Kyran guessed he was talking about the unreadable tablets his faction discovered.


    Dusk looked at Kyran and could not help but frown when thetter remained unmoved at what he was saying. He was already aware of Kyran''s request to see those tablets from Axil. As a matter of fact, Axil told Dusk the copies of those tablets were ready and that he should find Kyran and let him know.


    "Oi, are you listening?" Dusk asked with a slight frown.


    Instead of answering Dusk''s question, Kyran replied with, "You''re very talkative today."


    "Tsk," Dusk replied with a click of his tongue. He was not talkative. Instead, it was Kyran who kept ignoring him.


    Before he could refute thetter''s remark, the floor at which Kyran was touching let out a blinding light.


    Slowly, the light expanded, lighting up one array form after another. Soon, the whole floor started to glow. After that, the spirit stones in the ceiling and walls also started to light up.


    Seeing the spectacle before him, Dusk was dumbfounded. He did not notice that the whole room was filled with spirit stones. Not only that, but the spirit stones were all exquisite-grade! No wonder he felt that the magic energy in the castle''s underground section did not appear thin like outside.


    But Dusk''s dumbfounded look was reced with a solemn expression in the blink of an eye.


    "How... How are there so many spirit stones in this ce?"


    "They found a reservoir filled with them," Kyran replied.


    "But this ce..."


    Dusk was about to say that it was impossible for Somuli to possess that many spirit stones, given how thin the magic energy in the ne was. But then he remembered the other half of the tablet he found in the Human ne was discovered in Somuli. This means that the two nes might be part of the Land of the Ancients.


    "I know what you''re thinking," Kyran replied. "I''ve been wondering about that, too."


    Dusk did not respond this time. There were still some things that he did not dare say in front of Kyran. Thetter might be someone Axil trusted, but they could not disclose everything to him, right?


    Kyran did not notice the sudden change in Dusk. He even felt grateful thetter had finally stopped talking because then he could truly focus.


    Meanwhile, Dusk turned his attention to the glowing array formation and visibly witnessed the array forms moving around.


    ''This...'' Dusk was speechless.


    Loar was a Sovereign who specialized in Array, yet Dusk had never seen him do something like this. Loar did say that he once fought Kyran and lost because thetter''s Array Knowledge far exceeded his. But Dusk had always believed that since Loar was now a Sovereign, it meant he had already surpassed Kyran.


    It seemed his thinking was too shallow.

 Chapter 898 Intervene (2)

    Chapter 898 Intervene (2)


    Seemingly forgetting what he came there for, Dusk continued to observe Kyran while he worked on the Array Formation. He did not know what thetter was doing, to be honest. Nevertheless, he knew thetter''s Array Knowledge did not pale inparison with Loar.


    With Dusk''s silence, Kyran could finally focus all his attention on what he was doing.


    It took Kyran a good half an hour to decipher the whole formation. Others might find his deciphering speed heaven-defying already, but not him. His speed was slowerpared to the other times he deciphered an array formation.


    Kyran had not gotten slow. Instead, the array formation before him was a veryplex one. Initially, he had guessed that the Armakea castle was filled with array formations upon array formations, resulting in a veryplicated design to ensure they would not severely affect one another.


    It should be noted that an Array Master had to properly design his array formations if he wanted to create an array formation that had another array formation inside. If not, the magic energies required by both array formations would sh, resulting in forms on each formation not activating properly.


    It was this logic that Array Masters would not carelessly create a new formation within an active array formation.


    Kyran might be the only one who had dared to do that.


    In any case, Kyran''s guess was not far off. By now, he more or less guessed that the reason the castle''s many array formations were not affecting each other was because of the spirit stones embedded in the formations themselves.


    Two examples of these formations were the one at the King''s Throne Room and the one before Kyran. Both formations had spirit stones embedded in the formation itself.


    However, after Kyran deciphered the array formation before him, he realized it was but a part of a massive array formation. Moreover, he sensed that the array formation was located way below the castle''s underground section.


    After learning of this, Kyran could only iste the array formation before him if he wanted to use the spirit stones in it. If not, he had to decipher the main array formation. Unfortunately, even with his Array Knowledge and capabilities, he was not confident in aplishing that in a short while. He even estimated that deciphering the main array formation would take him five days or a week at most¡ª and that was using Somuli''s time, not the Human ne.


    Obviously, Kyran would not do that since he was in a hurry. Frankly, a half-hour dy in creating Chrysanthemum and her people''s route was already testing his self-restraint. The longer it took to confirm the situation on Malek''s side, the more he felt he was standing on the edge of a bottomless abyss.


    To be honest, Kyran had considered warping to Malek and the others'' location. However, because of the castle''s array formation, he could not do so. It reminded him of how he could not warp inside the Throne Room.


    It was only after Kyran discovered how the array formations in the castle were connected to a main array formation that he understood why he could not warp.


    The main array formation of the castle only allowed a certain array form with its corresponding calction when doing transmission. If one tried to use another means of transmission, he or she would fail.


    Kyran had a choice of using that form and calction. But to do that, he had to decipher the whole array formation first.


    This was the same reason he could not establish a telepathic link with his Servants.


    The main array formation only allowed a certain array form with its corresponding calctions and items¡ª such asmunication devices¡ª when trying tomunicate with others. At least, the main array formation allowed the use ofmunication devices. Apparently, the array form and calction in such devices were the same.


    This discovery, gave Kyran a huge headache. It also proved what he always told others about himself, and his magic¡ª it or he was not omnipotent.


    At the moment, his capabilities and magic were easily restrained by the castle''s main array formation.


    While Kyran was annoyed at this, his interest in knowing who created and left all these Array Knowledge in Somuli grew by leaps and bounds.


    Putting all these thoughts aside, Kyran used his magic sense to remove the spirit stones on one side of the wall. After that, he took out a few materials, such as the internal organs and blood of a beast, flowers or leaves from rare nts, and the bark of a tree. He then waved his hands, willing these materials and the spirit stones to circle one another.


    Three minutester, Kyran took out a hammer that he had not used for a long time. As a matter of fact, he only used it once when he imbued the Void property in his two ck swords.


    It was one of the rewards Kyran received from his first training in the Tower of Tribtions: the Void Hammer.


    Dusk''s eyes narrowed as he saw the Void Hammer. He obviously sensed a different kind of energy circting within it. It was the same kind of energy he sensed from Kyran whenever he used his magic.


    ''This item...'' Dusk could not help but frown while looking at the hammer.


    From what they knew, relics with Void magic properties were unavable because it was impossible for someone to ''create'' one.


    While others might reason that maybe Kyran crafted the hammer himself, Dusk knew better.


    The hammer was not crafted recently. Dusk would not consider it a relic if it was.


    ''Could it be that the hammer came from the Tower of Tribtions?''


    This was the conclusion Dusk came up with after contemting for a moment. Since he learned from Loar that he met Kyran in the Tower of Tribtions, it was not hard toe up with that notion. While there was a possibility that Kyran found the hammer in one of his training sessions on another ne, the chances of that happening were close to zeropared to him receiving it as a reward afterpleting his training.


    Besides, Dusk was someone who knew perfectly well how the Tower rewards its ''trainees.'' It would grant them rare items, such as scrolls, magic weapons, armor, and more. But more importantly, all rewards were items that could help them with the path they had chosen, meaning the items were something they could use and possess a simr property to their magic.


    Considering all this, Dusk was suddenly feeling incredulous.


    Just what is the Tower of Tribtions? It is one thing for it to produce items possessing properties of several types of magic, but what about Ancient Magic?


    A memory shed through Dusk''s mind from when Axil and the other leaders of the Guardians told him about some of the contents of a tablet they discovered then.


    After hearing the contents from Axil and the others, Dusk remembered wondering if the Tower of Tribtions was rted to that. Because of this, he almost told them about the Tower. In the end, he managed to stop himself in time because he did not want to have first-hand experience of the punishment one would receive when revealing information about the Tower.


    While Dusk was lost in his thoughts, Kyran sessfully mixed the materials he needed and integrated them into the Void Hammer. This was the first step he needed in creating the route. Next, he had to create a tear on the Somuli''s ne.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed as his magic sense turned denser, turning into Void magic energy and filling the area that he isted from the castle''s main array formation. The air crackled with dark purple lightning as magic energy fluctuated around him.


    Dusk''s pupils contracted at the amount of magic energy Kyran emitted. The amount of magic energy circting in the room would be enough to kill a Legendary mage if it were released as a concentrated magic attack.


    Kyran released such a frightening amount without even batting an eye.


    But what shocked Dusk the most was that he was not affected by the magic energy. It was as if a veil of some sort protected him from its influence.


    Dusk''s thoughts were not far off. Kyran did take into consideration Dusk''s presence when he released his magic energy. It was not because he was worried thetter would suffer, rather, he did not want Dusk''s presence to contaminate his space.


    If Dusk knew the real reason behind the veil protecting him, he might have flipped on the spot. Fortunately, he did not have the ability to read minds.


    A few meters before Kyran, a tear slowly appeared in midair. The tear looked simr to when he summoned fissures, except within that tear was not an abyss but simply an empty space.


    Every second that passed, the tear above grew in size. When its size grew to three meters, Kyran finally waved his hand and willed the Void Hammer to it.

 Chapter 899 Intervene (3)

    Chapter 899 Intervene (3)


    In one of the floating patches ofnd outside Somuli, several figures in white hooded robes stood, gazing down at the ne below.


    All of them wore nk expressions, with their eyes giving a faint golden glow. The figure at the head of these figures was actually a familiar face.


    Dues.


    Like the rest of the figures, he appeared indifferent. However, if one looked straight into his eyes, one would see the contempt he harbored, reflected in them from what happened thest time he was forced to retreat from there.


    Another reason for Deus''s contempt had something to do with what happened to Midnight.


    To be honest, he was relying on her innate ability to assist him inpleting the task given to him by the Emperor without alerting Ruin. Unfortunately, her essence was killed in the Lower Realm, dealing a fatal blow to her original body. Because of this, she could not reenter the Lower Realm for the next few months.


    As for who killed Midnight, Deus already had an idea. But he could not report it to the Emperor because he did not have proof of what happened. Even if he did, he could not report it either because he would then have to reveal that Midnight was helping him.


    That was something Deus did not want the Emperor to know because he hated the thought of exining what happened during his first attempt to capture their target.


    In the end, Deus had to waste a few weeks, even close to a month, before he could return to the Lower Realm. His initial advantage of keeping Ruin away from their target was now wasted because thetter would definitely be on his way back as well.


    "Master."


    One of the white hooded figures behind him leaned over and called for Deus''s attention. This prompted thetter to snap out of his reverie.


    The white hooded figure then asked, "Shall we go down and look for the target now?"


    The one who had spoken was MEx-¦Ä 54.


    As a matter of fact, all the hooded figures are Deus''s MEx-¦Ä automaton series.


    Currently, there are twenty of them, with serial numbers starting from 34 and ending in 54. The higher their numbers are, the more advanced their programming is. Thus, the one leading these twenty automatons is MEx-¦Ä 54.


    A few weeks after Deus''s return to the Higher Realm, he worked on MEx-¦Ä 54 configuration. This was to ensure MEx-¦Ä 54''s decision-making capability would produce fewer risks.


    "Go," Deus replied after a moment''s pause. He added, "Activate the cloaking system and avoid the inhabitants. If you meet that person before the target... avoid her. If you can''t, then you are granted permission to use code SD-x 00."


    All eyes of the MEx-¦Ä automaton series contracted upon hearing this code. There were several codes installed in their programming and those under SD-x were considered emergency protocol. The 00 code was considered ast-resort execution.


    Basically, when they could not aplish their task, which in the case of meeting that person, was to escape, then they would have to activate their self-destruct system.


    These automatons all possessed something akin to a sentient, which was why self-destructing was basically ordering them to die. Nevertheless, they would not harbor any ill thoughts against their master. After all, they failed to aplish their task, and their death was but a small price to pay.


    "Yes, master."


    MEx-¦Ä 54 and the rest of the white hooded figures responded. Without waiting for their master to say more, the space around them distorted, and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Deus remained in the floating patch ofnd and continued to gaze down the Somuli. The reason he did not go with his MEx-¦Ä and the others was so he could wait for Ruin. He would not allow thetter to intervene again, which was why, this time, he would do a pre-emptive attack.


    Unbeknownst to Deus, Ruin had long been waiting outside Somuli.


    While Ruin was forced to retrieve his essence before escaping from the repercussions of Deus''s supposed death, it was not hard for him to send a new essence to Somuli. He had several essences out in the Lower Realm, each of which was guarding every ne under his jurisdiction.


    One of the nes that were a couple of weeks away from Somuli was actually under Ruin. Thus, after he retrieved his essence in Somuli, he already willed the essence in that particr ne to Somuli. After that, he switched another essence near that particr ne to another one, which was guarding a nearby ne he owned.


    Ruin''s action of recing his essence continued until the essence he retrieved reced the one guarding the ne close to where his original body was. Doing this ensured that all the nes under his jurisdiction would only stay unguarded for a week or two. As a matter of fact, some nes only stayed without a guard for a few days because of how close each ne was to one another.


    Among the Sovereigns in the Lower Realm, Ruin was known to possess quite a lot of nes.


    To others, his action seemed reckless, especially because leaving only an essence to guard a ne would not ensure its safety. This was especially true when another Sovereign decided to attack that ne and im it for himself.


    However, Ruin managed to aplish that very impossible feat. This was how other Sovereigns came to fear him¡ª for an essence to fight off other Sovereigns and emerge as the victor was truly a frightening thing.


    In any case, after Ruin''s new essence arrived outside Somuli, he chose not to enter the ne. Though he wanted to know Kyran''s condition, he knew thetter would not die that easily. If he was someone like that, would Ruin even bother iming him to be his prey?


    Of course not.


    With this in mind, Ruin stayed outside Somuli. As for the matter with La, he did not care. They could be considered business partners. But Ruin considered Kyran''s welfare a priority over La''s request. Since there was still a threat called Deusing back for Kyran, Ruin would definitely prioritize dealing with him first.


    It was fortunate that Kyran only had a superficial understanding of Ruin''s obsession with him. If he did, and he knew what Ruin was thinking at that moment, he might have developed a certain type of allergic reaction.


    Ruin smiled upon sensing Deus''s presence. He roughly knew where thetter was, but he had not gone to him just yet. For now, he decided to observe. Besides, there were those annoying toys Deus had just ordered to enter Somuli.


    Turning his attention to the ne below, Ruin''s brow furrowed slightly. He was tempted to go after Deus''s toys first. But he did not want to let Deus out of his sight either.


    Weighing the pros and cons of each action, Ruin ultimately decided to stay outside Somuli.


    As for the matter of dealing with those annoying toys, Ruin was confident they would not find Kyran that easily. Even he, who ced a mark on thetter, had trouble searching for him; what more with those annoying toys who had nothing with them to help in their search?


    Magic signature?


    Pfft.


    Ruin knew Kyran could hide his magic signature really well. There were only a few instances where thetter exposed it, and even then, Ruin could barely recognize it. Ruin did not have any proof, but knowing that Kyran was a Regis, the possibility of him having the capability to use Dragon magic was high. Thus, Ruin was notpletely surprised whenever he sensed Kyran emitting a different magic signature than the one he sensed when they first met in the Lignum ne.


    To be honest, Ruin even had a slight inkling about what was happening in all of these. After all, he knew the difference between Dragon magic and Draconic magic. And the one Kyran emitted when Ruin first sensed him in Somuli was definitely not something as lowly as Dragon magic.


    "Well~ he is my prey, after all. If he is not someone extraordinary, would I even allow him to be my prey?" Ruin muttered with a chuckle.


    "Anyway~," Ruin turned his attention to a distant floating patch ofnd before him. "To go or not to go?"


    His red eyes squinted mischievously as he observed Deus''s profile once more.


    Back in the Armakea castle, in its underground section, Kyran took almost half an hour to create the route that would assist Chrysanthemum and her people.


    Dusk, who had been watching the whole process of creating a new world, was left dumbfounded. Although the one Kyran created was only a temporary one, the fact that Dusk did sense life in that world was enough to shock him to his core.


    Was this the might of an Ancient magic user?


    Of course, Dusk was aware that Kyran was probably the only one among the Ancient magic users to possess the ability to create a new world, given the nature of his magic. But from this, it was not farfetched to think that the other Ancient magic was capable of something simr.

 Chapter 900 Intervene (4)

    Chapter 900 Intervene (4)


    As to what kind of heaven-defying capability the other Ancient Magic users could do, Dusk believed the answer to that could only be given by the limit of one''s imagination. If he had to pitch his idea, he felt the most heaven-defying of all could be the Soul Emperor.


    After all, she dealt with souls, which were considered the core of one''s life.


    Dusk could not help but look at Kyran and wondered what he thought. Thetter possessed the known most powerful Ancient magic. But what did he really feel about it?


    If Dusk posed that question before Kyran''s second meeting with Can''s remnant soul, he would have received a startling answer. Because Kyran never considered Void magic to be the most powerful. If anything, it was Time magic that he regarded as such. He was even convinced it was the most fearsome among the four Ancient Magic.


    After meeting Can again, Kyran''s view changed. He still believed Time magic was fearsome, but the repercussions it would inflict on its user were also something to be fearful of. Just by this, he no longer believed that Time was the most fearsome Ancient magic.


    Frankly, each of the Ancient Magicplemented and contradicted one another. Because of this, none of them could be considered superior to the other. Not even when one possessed two Ancient magic, could make one model over the rest.


    However, there was one theory that Can taught Kyran, which made thetter view the Void magic and Ancient magic in general differently. That point was connected to ament the Shaiha offhandedly said to Kyran during one of their internal conversations.


    But Dusk was unaware of all these things. Thus, with his limited knowledge and understanding of Ancient Magic, he was convinced that Soul magic could do far more heaven-defying magic than create a world.


    Kyran''splexion paled after hepleted the temporary world. Without bothering to admire his handiwork, he asked Dusk to contact his subject and tell Chrysanthemum that the route was now avable.


    More than an hour had passed since Chrysanthemum and Kyran talked, and the former had already finished gathering the fastest among her brethren. Although moving from one ce to another using their route did not require speed, it was still required after exiting the route. Since Kyran only needed them to scout the location, Chrysanthemum did not bother to gather the most powerful among her brethren. Still, these groups would need someone powerful enough to defend them when needed. Thus, she nned to go with them.


    Once the Spirits gathered around Chrysanthemum, Kyran authorized them to enter the temporary world.


    Dusk was dumbfounded at what Kyran had just done. He could not understand the logic behind thetter simply authorizing Chrysanthemum and her people to enter, and poof, they were gone.


    As if Kyran had suddenly developed the ability to read minds, he exined, "The temporary world is basically in the same ne as Somuli. However, entering it requires a pass of some sort. Since I am the one who created that temporary world, my words alone are enough to allow them ess inside."


    "The way you say that... are you trying to be a god or something," Dusk could not help but snort.


    Kyran did not reply. However, Dusk noticed how his expression mellowed slightly. As if what he said made Kyran remember something unpleasant.


    No.


    Rather than Kyran showing an unpleasant look, it was better to say he looked reserved.


    Why would Kyran suddenly show such a look? Dusk had no idea. And at the moment, it was unimportant.


    "What will you do now?" he asked when Kyran moved.


    Kyran looked at him with a slight shrug, "I don''t n on staying idle while waiting for their update. I''m heading down. Are youing with me?"


    "What else can I do? You don''t want me disrupting your n, right?"


    "True," Kyran replied with a slight nod. "My people had yet to report back. But since I''m done with this ce, I''m heading to meet them."


    Dusk snorted, "You let them go first just to go after them. Tsk."


    Kyran did not reply and instead chose to move on. He did not want to argue with Dusk over every little thing. Besides, he let Armak, Breira, and the Automatons go first to save him the trouble of dealing with every obstacle on the way himself. While he did not mind doing that, he wanted to ensure Armak and Breira had the opportunity to hone their abilities by fighting automatons.


    "This..." Dusk muttered when they moved to the next room.


    This room was where Kyran and his Sigils met the first group of automatons. Thus, remnants of their sh earlier were seen everywhere.


    "We cleared this room before you arrived back there," Kyran exined while pointing his thumb toward the room they just left.


    "So, if I came just earlier, I would have witnessed you guys."


    Kyran shook his head, "If you came early, you would have been dead."


    "You¡ª."


    "We''re busy clearing this room. If you had arrived back there a few minutes early, then you would have triggered the array formation. You''d be dead before we could even save you."


    "Tsk," Dusk clicked his tongue. He had only noticed it now but seemed to develop a habit of clicking his tongue whenever he was around Kyran. In the end, he did not refute thetter''s words since he had a point.


    "Is the array formation in that room that powerful?" Dusk asked instead. His Array knowledge was only so-so, and honestly, he needed help to recognize most of the forms on the formation when Kyran was deciphering them.


    "Yes, it was full of offensive forms," Kyran answered. Since there was nothing much to do while they journeyed forth and waited for updates from Chrysanthemum and his Sigils, he reckoned it was eptable to talk with Dusk to pass the time. "And the defensive and supportive forms are equally annoying."


    "Then how were you able to go past the formation?"


    As soon as Dusk asked this question, he pped his head as if recalling something and said, "Right. You can warp."


    "I didn''t."


    "What?"


    "To be precise, that formation had an anti-transmission form, which prevented anyone from using any type of transmission-type moves."


    "But you warped behind me."


    "You''re outside the formation''s range," Kyran replied with a shrug.He might have downyed it, but the truth was that the main array formation also had an anti-transmission form. However, the form only targeted specific areas around the castle and the underground section. If not, Kyran would genuinely be unable to use warp.


    However, while warping around the areas not targeted by the anti-transmission form was possible, Kyran could still not warp outside the castle.


    Dusk let out an exaggerated sigh, "Tooplicated. No wonder you could be friends with Loar; you two can speak the samenguage."


    "You n to let Loar control the automatons, right?" Kyran asked, intentionally bringing up the subject for them to discuss it.


    Dusk realized what he was trying to do and cautiously replied, "Yes. But I am warning you. I don''t have a say in the matter of acquiring the automatons. So, if you n on convincing me to give up on them, stop. Because I don''t n on doing anything like that."


    "I won''t stop you."


    Kyran''s reply surprised Dusk. Nevertheless, he remained unconvinced as he looked at the younger man skeptically.


    "But like I said, if something happens, I will make my move."


    "When you say you will make your move... you''re not nning to destroy them, are you?"


    "No."


    "You¡ª!" Dusk had to stop himself from cursing at him before continuing, "Look. I get that you have really good Array Knowledge. But we are talking about automatons here. While I don''t doubt your Array Knowledge, do you really think that is enough for you to activate an automaton?"


    Kyran could not help but look at Dusk incredulously after hearing his response. Was he truly talking to Kyran about that, or was he talking about himself?


    Unfortunately, Dusk mistook Kyran''s look as confusion as he added while nodding his head, "That''s right. Activating an automaton is a task on its own. Thus far, Loar is probably the only one out there who could do this. You may not know this, but Automatons are considered a legendary creation.


    "In Loar''s ne, they believed that if they seeded in creating an Automaton, they would be closer to that person they considered a god. From this, it is already obvious how hard it is to create an Automaton, even more so activating one."


    By the time Dusk finished talking, Kyran already zoned him out. He did not bother to exin nor wish to argue and chose to stay silent.


    Dusk took Kyran''s silence as thetter finally saw some sense. He even thought Kyran might feel a little embarrassed after learning about this. Thus, he only said, "That''s right. It is best to stop while you are ahead. Let me deal with the automatons, alright?"

 Chapter 901 Intervene (5)

    Chapter 901 Intervene (5)


    ''Said the person who could not even detect an array formation,'' Kyran thought.


    Not bothering to argue with Dusk, Kyran walked toward the twin doors at the opposite end of the room.


    Dusk did not mind Kyran''sck of response because he was already used to it. It annoyed him, to be honest, but he could not imagine thetter acting all friendly.


    When Kyran arrived at the doors, he opened the door without so much of a pause that Dusk nearly broke out in cold sweats. It could not be helped because Dusk''s experience thus far while roaming around the castle''s underground section had not been a good one. 20% of the doors he encountered would lead him to a room full of traps, and 70% would lead into a room with a hidden array formation¡ª like the room Kyran found him in.


    If the Kyran had note and prevented Dusk from stepping on the array formation, he would have suffered badly¡ª worse, dead, just like Kyran said.


    Putting aside Dusk''s dislike of Kyran, he knew thetter was far more knowledgeable than him when it came to Arrays. Thus, although it annoyed him, Dusk did not doubt what Kyran had said.


    Nevertheless, that did not stop Dusk from feeling scared about Kyran''sck of vignce.


    "Oi, aren''t you even going to confirm first if the room behind that door is safe before entering?"


    "There''s no room on the other side but a hallway."


    "Hallway?" Dusk frowned as he took out the map of the underground section. The map in his possession had gotten pretty useless when he got teleported randomly to one of the rooms in the castle''s underground section. However, he believed he could figure out his location as long as he had enough time to find clues andndmarks around him and crossref them to the map in his possession.


    "Don''t bother looking at your map; it''s useless," Kyran told Dusk before thetter could even open the parchments he had taken out from his storage pouch.


    Dusk scowled at him, "How would you know?"


    "I remembered most of the things on that map," Kyran replied indifferently.


    "''Remembered most of the things...'' where did you even see these...." Dusk''s voice trailed off as his expression darkened. He then remembered the time when Kyran posed as the Prince of Armakea when Deception almost found them. Before that, Dusk found Kyran and led him to his hideout under an Ancient Tree. Since he left in a hurry, he left the map sprawled open atop a makeshift table.


    But when Dusk ushered Kyran inside, he immediately tidied up the ce and hid the parchment. Even if thetter saw it, the time was too short for him to actually remember it. Besides, the parchments wereid out on top of one another. Even though they were not properly arranged in sequence, there were a few ces that were blocked by the parchment on top of it.


    Before Dusk could point this out, Kyran already replied with a nonchnt tone, "Using that as the basis for the information I got from my people and cross-referencing them, I found a huge discrepancy. Based on that, I more or less confirmed your map is outdated."


    "You..." Dusk was left speechless.


    Was there even anything this guy would not know?


    Wait.


    That was not the main issue there!


    "Did your people actually find updated information about the underground section?"


    "No."


    "What the f¡ª."


    "They have the information; they did not find them."


    "''Have the information...''" Dusk repeated, his voice trailed off once more. He obviously understood what Kyran meant about that and was dumbfounded.


    "You... when did you seed in nting a mole inside the castle?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He knew from the start that he and Dusk would not get along. But he did not expect their wavelengths to be in such disarray that they were never on the same page.


    In the end, Kyran could not really me Dusk. Thetter knew little about what the former could do and vice versa. Although Dusk seemed to know some things about Kyran''s magic, from his attitude before they parted ways the first time they met in Somuli, that did not mean he was knowledgeable about it. Dusk''s words could even be counted as himmenting on Ancient Magic in general.


    "What?" Dusk scowled when Kyran did not answer. "Deciding not to answer again?"


    Kyran sighed. But then a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "No. I''m just speechless after discovering your... cute side."


    Dusk nearly choked in shock from Kyran''sment. He, like most others, never expected to hear him say such a word. However, that was not the case among the Regis n, especially the little ones.


    To them, Kyran saying cringe-worthy words was pretty normal.


    "You¡ª!" Dusk started to say but ultimately failed to follow through. He had been too shocked at Kyran''sment that his mind short-circuited.


    On the other hand, Kyran was unperturbed about Dusk''s reaction. Frankly, if not for theck of a better term to describe Dusk''s stupidity in a nice way, Kyran would not use that word. But since there was no other way, and he simply did not want to dwell on it, he said the first thing he thought of¡ª Kyra''s use of the term cute to rece something she did not know how to describe.


    Kyran was already walking down the long, dark hallway when he received an update from Armak and Breira. He was surprised to learn that they were already three levels below them. Their travel speed unexpectedly far exceeded his initial judgment.


    Then again, Armak and Breira had fifty automatons with them. If they encountered more automatons, they would not bepletely hopeless. As for the matter ofing across an array formation, Kyran already confirmed with the automaton with serial number 0901 that they had a way of deactivating an array formation. If not for this, Kyran would not ask them to scout ahead by themselves. At least, not until he created a device that could temporarily disable an array formation.


    Kyran and Dusk walked down the hallway in silence. Kyran did not mind this because it allowed him to sort his thoughts.


    He did his best to stay calm and wait for Chrysanthemum''s update. But truth be told, he was barely keeping his emotions in check. If not for the token he gave Cyneah, which he knew she would not hesitate to use if they were truly in danger, Kyran would have long left the castle and gone over to their location.


    However, after learning about the main array formation under the castle and how it possessed advanced andplex forms, Kyran was worried it could block his connection with the token as well, preventing him from hearing Cyneah''s call in her time of need. If not for this, Kyran would not have involved Chrysanthemum and her people, and have them check the situation over at Cyneah''s side.


    While waiting for Chrysanthemum''s update, Kyran learned how agonizing it was to wait.


    Meanwhile, Chrysanthemum and a few of her handpicked brethren were getting used to the temporary world Kyran created.


    Though it was only temporary, feeling that familiar flow of thick magic energies in the surroundings was something they could not help but relish. Some of them even got teary-eyed because it had truly been a long time.


    Apart from the rich magic energy flow in the surroundings, the temporary world also followed the magicw they were familiar with. Their magic cores suddenly came to life as they continuously absorbed the magic energies in their surroundings.


    But then a thought struck Chrysanthemum, and she immediately told everyone not to be brazen when absorbing the magic energy.


    "This is only a temporary world," she told them. "Which means the magic energies here are also limited. If we continue to absorb, this world might copse."


    Frankly, Chrysanthemum was being a worrywart. While her understanding of the temporary world was on point, she underestimated the Void''s nature, which inadvertently underestimated Kyran''s ability as well.


    When Kyran created the temporary world, he did use the exquisite spirit stones as its core to ensure they could circte enough magic energies and sustain it. However, he also made sure to properly utilize one of the Void''s natures to allow the flow of magic energy in that world to flow in an almost limitless manner.


    Basically, Kyran created a link between the temporary world and the Spirit world, ensuring that the magic energies on both worlds could supply each other.


    But Chrysanthemum was unaware of those things. Even if she did, she probably would not be able to exin it to the others.


    In any case, because of her reminder, her brethren had be mindful of their absorption of magic energy.


    "Alright," Chrysanthemum started. "Although we are given only one coordinate, you know the drill. Form into three groups. Split up and gather as much information as you can."


    They all arrived at the coordinate and cautiously exited the temporary world.


    As soon as they did, their eyes widened as they sensed an ominous energy entering Somuli.

 Chapter 902 Intervene (6)

    Chapter 902 Intervene (6)


    The reason Chrysanthemum and her people''s senses had received a sudden boost was because their magic cores had awakened and absorbed enough magic energy once more.


    Another reason they detected the presence of those ominous energies was because they had lived in Somuli for a long time and, thus, could differentiate differences in energies in the surroundings. Besides that, Somuli naturally had thin magic energy. With those ominous energies suddenly appearing, someone with powerful perception and senses would definitely notice them. They were practically sticking out like a sore thumb.


    If not for these, Chrysanthemum and the few of her brethren with her would not have noticed the arrival of the owner of those ominous energies.


    "Lady Chrysanthemum..."


    A female spirit standing beside Chrysanthemum muttered, her voice shaking slightly from fear.


    "Focus on the task at hand," Chrysanthemum reminded, wanting to divert their attention.


    "I understand your fear," she continued. "After all, the ones possessing those energies are beings from that ce. But don''t let their presence dull your senses. Because if you focus well, you''ll notice the presence of another being with much more powerful energy than them that is already in Somuli."


    The eyes of every spirit with her widened as they were made aware of this.


    Just as Chrysanthemum said, there was indeed another energy that was already in Somuli. It was quite a distance from them, which was why they could not determine its exact location. But judging from the direction from where it came, it was close to the Eidum''s territory.


    It was unfortunate that they did not know of the silver humanoid dragon''s appearance at the chasm separating the Armakea and Eidum borders. But they were not at fault for not knowing about it because Chrysanthemum only shared a brief ount of what happened during her visit to the Armakea Border.


    Initially, she decided not to tell them everything to prevent the rest of themunity leaders froming up with strange conspiracy theories once she proposed her idea. s, even without saying anything about the silver humanoid dragon, they still managed toe up with a conspiracy story.


    Putting that aside, Chrysanthemum took that chance to tell her brethren more about her experience in the Armakea border. Although she did not say anything about the connection between their ''employer'' and the being with that powerful energy, her brethren more or less guessed they were ''friends.''


    The main reason they thought this was because they were familiar with the race that the being possessing that powerful energy was part of. Considering that fact and who their employer was, it was not that hard to connect them together.


    Both possessed Ancient magic, after all.


    As for their employer, Chrysanthemum did not hide it from them. In the first ce, her people would not have willingly listened to her and agreed to help Kyran if they did not know of his identity as the new Void Master.


    "Now that we are aware of those beingsing to Somuli, it goes without saying that something big is about to happen," Chrysanthemum went on after telling her brethren her experience in the Armakea border. "Focus on our task and report back as soon as possible."


    "Yes, Lady Chrysanthemum."


    In the end, they were already used to the feeling of being threatened. Thus, adjusting their mindset was easy. After that, they formed into three groups and dispersed.


    At the hidden underground shelter of the Royal Family members, the battle between Malek and the Elders had taken a turn for the worse, with the former''s side at a disadvantage.


    For the record, Nahir and the others did not let Malek confront the Elders by himself. Thus, after they found the opportunity, Nahir coordinated with Malek to split the Elders.


    Their n was to let Malek deal with three Elders while Nahir and the others engaged with the other four. However, splitting them up had been a task, especially when Nahir and the others could not enter Malek''s domain.


    Malek should be able to exempt Nahir and the others from the effects of his domain, but it would have put a great strain on his mental capacity and would exhaust him quickly.


    Though Cyneah and the rest of the Eidums could cast support spells on them to boost their strength, replenish their energies, and heal superficial wounds, they could not relieve mental exhaustion.


    Nahir was well aware of this, being an Eidum himself. Thus, he and Malek agreed for thetter to release his domain for a few seconds while Nahir and the other knights rushed in and diverted the attention of the other four Elders.


    The n itself was simple. However, splitting up the Elders had not been easy.


    Malek also suffered some grievous injuries because all seven Elders were focused on taking him down first. After all, in their eyes, his mage level posed a threat to them, even though he was alonepared to the others.


    With the assistance of the Eidums, especially with Cyneah''s powerful healing abilities, Malek and Nahir managed to keep the situation under control. However, the Elders took note of this and immediately changed the focus of their target. Apart from that, the arrival of the rest of the Royal Family members, along with their remaining forces that stayed behind, put the Eidums at risk.


    Things escted fast, especially when the Elders realized who Cyneah was.


    In the end, Malek was forced to summon his domain again even before Nahir, and the rest could divert the attention of the four Elders.


    Nahir''s side managed to pull three Elders away from Malek, but that meant thetter had to endure the relentless attack of the remaining four.


    From this, Cyneah ordered the rest of the Eidums to focus on assisting Nahir''s side while she focused her attention on Malek.


    Because the battle was ongoing, there was little to no time at all for Cyneah, Malek, and Nahir to discuss their course of action. Even Cyneah''s decision was made on the spot and executed soon after.


    Unfortunately, with so many people gathered in one ce, Cyneah had trouble properly distinguishing friends from foes. Since she only relied on the lights she could see and her senses to identify her people, she could barely keep up with how fast the battle was going.


    Fortunately, Jita was guiding her all that time.


    Frankly, with Jita''s strength, she could be a better help in battle. However, given her identity as Kyran''s Servant and her recognition of Cyneah as their Mistress, she ced thetter''s safety above all others.


    In any case, with the Royal Family members'' side having the advantage both in mage levels and numbers, Malek''s side was already on the verge of defeat.


    Thankfully, Eikin and those few who left to scout the ce returned and sessfully ambushed the rear line of the Royal Family members.


    Even so, the damage they inflicted was negligible.


    With no other choice, Eikin and Jitamunicated with each other and arrived at a consensus. Eikin would have to use his full strength and reduce the number of the Royal Family members'' forces, while Jita protected their Mistress and found an opportunity to take down an Elder or two.


    Luckily, because Malek''s side had the Eidum''s assistance, they were able to endure. In contrast, the Royal Family members'' side could only rely on limited mid to high-grade potions to replenish their magic energies and heal their wounds.


    Nevertheless, the fatigue that both sides had built up was different.


    Malek''s side could not allow any of their people to rest, while the Royal Family members'' side could spare manpower to let others who were already exhausted rest.


    Malek''s side had yet to feel their fatigue because of the rush they felt during battle. However, once it hit them, their formation would definitely begin to crumble. When that happened, it would only be a matter of time before they fell.


    Malek and Nahir knew this, and thus, they summoned their most powerful magic attack to try and reduce the number of enemies.


    Nahir summoned a huge whirlwind of mes, while Malek summoned two Lightning Storms¡ª one targetted the Elders inside his domain, while another targetted the enemies outside his domain.


    Agonized screams filled the air as Nahir and Malek''s attacks hit their intended targets.


    Unfortunately, the Elders Malek was fighting inside his domain managed to escape the lightning storm since they were already familiar with it. Although they still suffered from it, they sessfully endured the attack.


    Cyneah, who was inside Malek''s domain and was being protected by Jita, immediately cast a recovery spell on both Malek and Nahir.


    Seeing this, the Elders inside the domain could not help but grit their teeth in anger. They knew that if they wanted to take down Malek and Nahir, they had to first take care of the Saint.


    Malek and Nahir were aware of what their enemies were thinking because they did not bother to mask their intention when they looked toward Cyneah''s direction.

 Chapter 903 Intervene (7)

    Chapter 903 Intervene (7)


    Cyneah was also aware of the hostile stares of the enemies. Although she could not see them per se, their piercing looks had practically condensed into something tangible.


    Nevertheless, every attempt of the Elders to get close to Cyneah was either stopped by Malek activating the air pressure effect of his domain or Jita swinging her Divine Armament, which was an ice whip sword that could extend up to three meters, at them.


    Meanwhile, Nahir and the others outside Malek''s domain continued to engage the three elders and their people.


    There were instances where the Eidums were attacked by some of the enemies. However, because of thebat lessons they received from Kyran, they were not entirely hopeless. As a matter of fact, they could inflict status effects on the enemies with each of their attacks.


    Still, doing this put a lot of strain on the Eidums because they were both attacking and supporting the others at every opportunity they could find.


    On the other side, Eikin took advantage of his powerful defenses andbat skills to take out as many minions of the Royal Family members as possible. He would have taken out more enemies if not for the fact he could not summon his Divine Armament. This was not because he did not want to use his Divine Armament; rather, using it would put his allies in danger because of its destructive AOE capability.


    Truth be told, Eikin''s Divine Armament did not possess this capability before. But after being reborn from the Void, his Divine Armament received a qualitative change. This might be due to the fact that his innate magic was very different from the Void; thus, the change was huge. Fortunately, his natural defenses andbat skills were enough to deal with the enemies.


    As a matter of fact, Eikin''s body also received a boost in strength, coupled with the enhancements Kyran did to their armor; his body alone could be considered a lethal weapon.


    It was precisely because of Eikin that Kyran regretted turning them into his Servants. With Eikin''s innate abilities and magic, it would have been better if he received a boost in strength by bing a Sigil.


    Using his destructive strength, Eikin and his small group seeded in creating a gap in the enemy''s line from the rear. But while Eikin and his small group seeded, Nahir''s side was close to exhausting their supplies.


    Althoughplete beings could naturally produce magic energies, in prolonged battles such as the one they were in, those with low mage levels would soon be at a disadvantage. This was because the speed at which they could replenish their magic energies was inferior to those with higher mage levels.


    Nahir''s side managed to keep up thus far simply because their pills and potions were of higher grade. But at the moment, their supplies were running thin, and Malek was the sole target of the miniature array Kyran created, which was based on Noir''s invention.


    Cyneah was also aware of this because she was the one in charge of ensuring each group had enough supplies.


    ''Ms. Jita,'' Cyneah telepathically called for Jita''s attention.


    Jita''s expression remained unreadable as she continued to swing her ice whip sword at the elders who were trying to get close to Cyneah. But she responded telepathically, ''Please, Mistress. Just call me Jita.''


    Cyneah was momentarily stunned when Jita addressed her as Mistress. Although she found it strange how a handful of knights¡ª excluding Achim and Kesiah¡ª were very respectful of Kyran and appeared very close to him, she never expected him to tell them about her.


    In the end, Cyneah managed to reign in her surprise and act as if she did not notice Jita''s address.


    ''Then, Jita. I have to trouble you to keep the enemies busy while I prepare for arge-scale active spell.''


    ''Active spell...'' Jita could not help but repeat in surprise.


    Just as the name suggested, an active spell is active. So long as a mage seeds in casting such a spell, its effect will remain active until the mage exhausts his or her magic energy.


    When Jita heard Cyneah speak of casting an active spell, she immediately guessed what she intended to do. Although she was unsure which spell Cyneah nned to use, it would definitely benefit all of them. But at the same time, Cyneah would be put at risk to keep the spell running.


    ''Mistress...''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Cyneah cut Jita midsentence, knowing what thetter wanted to say. ''I have a way of replenishing my magic energy.''


    With the battle raging around them, the whole ce had basically be Cyneah''s home ground.


    Aftering to terms with her insecurities and receiving Kyran''s assurance that his opinion of her would never change, Cyneah no longer feared taking advantage of the Macabre cier. She still hated turning the souls of those who had fallen into magic energy, but if it would benefit her allies, she was willing to carry that burden.


    Knowing she could not change Cyneah''s mind, Jita did not argue and agreed. She also swore in her heart to protect her no matter what.


    After Jita agreed to her request, Cyneah did not waste time and immediately activated the Macabre cier.


    Luckily, after Kyran''s sh with the mirror''s sentient, it had remained silent. Though without the mirror''s sentient, Cyneah''s ability to circte magic energy through the mirror was reduced, it was still enough for her to perform therge-scale active spell.


    Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes gradually lit up as she circted the Soul magic energy in the surroundings. She directed these energies into the mirror; at the same time, she spread her arms to start summoning the Soul Runes for the active spell she wanted to cast.


    Light golden runes started to form behind her, turning into a magic array. At first, the runes formed into a circr half-a-meter diameter magic array. But since Soul Runes continued to appear out of thin air, they formed another circr magic array around the first one.


    As the magic array behind Cyneah increased in size, the magic fluctuations around her also intensified.


    The first one to notice what was happening was Malek since Cyneah was inside his domain.


    Normally, it would have been impossible for another mage to cast a powerful magic spell while inside another mage''s domain. However, given the nature of Cyneah''s magic, it did not affect Malek''s domain.


    As a matter of fact, Malek noticed how his domain''s range and strength increased as the magic array behind Cyneah grew.


    ''This... is this Soul magic?'' Malek could not help but wonder. While he was aware that Cyneah should have been the new Soul Emperor, with La in the picture, he still had trouble epting this fact. Moreover, having fought La not long ago, Malek could not help but notice the difference in which La used Soul magic from Cyneah.


    "This...!"


    One of the four elders trapped inside Malek''s domain eximed after sensing the magic fluctuationing from Cyneah.


    Seeing the forming magic array behind Cyneah, the elder mistook it as her activating a lost technology. Complete beings were unaware of the difference between an array made from Magic and one created from Array Creation.


    "She... how could she replicate a lost technology!" Another elder who noticed the growing magic fluctuation also eximed.


    "Don''t waste time talking! Don''t let herplete it!" The elder with the bell told them.


    Even before the elder finished what he was saying, the two female elders had already aimed their Divine Armaments toward Cyneah.


    The one with therge fan Divine Armament disengaged each of the fan''s des and willed them toward Cyneah.


    Simrly, the other female elder threw her small dual fan at Cyneah. They weaved through the air, leaving behind a crackling sound as they tore through the air.


    Malek''s eyes shed as he exerted pressure on the two Divine Armaments. He was already aware that the two female elders'' innate magic was Wind, an inferior¡ª or, rather¡ª a small branch of magic from his superior Air magic. Just from this fact, the female elders'' magic attack was rendered useless inside his domain.


    Nevertheless, that did not stop the two elders from attacking. Although Malek had exerted pressure on their Divine Armaments, thus slowing their momentum, it was not enough to stop their movementpletely. Besides, the elder with the bell was still protecting them, and another elder with a dual scimitar Divine Armament was engaging Malek in a battle.


    "Humph," Jita could not help but snort as the two Divine Armaments came hurling toward their direction.


    With the reduced momentum of these two Divine Armaments, Jita had no problem defending against them. Using her whip sword, she allowed it to extend to its maximum length and grabbed one of the des from therge fan. She then rotated her wrist and flung the de toward another de,pletely stopping the two. Without stopping her movement, she swung her whip de and aimed at the two smaller fans before hurling them toward the rest of the des from therger fan.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The two female elders coughed out blood as their Divine Armaments collided with each other and exploded.

 Chapter 904 Intervene (8)

    <h4>Chapter 904 Intervene (8)</h4>


    Even with all themotion happening around her, Cyneah ignored it all and focused on what she set out to do. Casting and maintaining an active spell was no easy feat. Even more so when one nned to cast aplex active spell. Because of this, Cyneah had to give her full attention to every Soul Rune she summoned.


    "Focus on the Saint! Stop what she was doing!"


    The elder with the bell Divine Armament ordered the others inside Malek''s domain once more, even though he saw the two female elders had just been dealt a huge blow after their Divine Armaments exploded.


    The two female elders could not help but re at him. They knew what they had to do, but what could they do with a damaged Divine Armament?


    Sensing the two female elders'' temper about to explode, the remaining elder with the dual scimitar Divine Armament shifted his target from Malek to Cyneah. They were still in control of the situation. If the four of them had a falling out, allowing an internal discord to disrupt their momentum, their enemy would capitalize on that and shift the advantage on their side.


    Although the enemy pulling off a reversal was small, given how great their disadvantage was, a small chink in their armor could grow given enough time. The elder wielding the dual scimitar had considered this before changing his target from Malek to Cyneah.


    Unfortunately, the elder failed to consider what would happen if he left Malek, who was the owner of the domain they were trapped in, unattended.


    The moment the dual scimitar-wielding elder changed direction, Malek already guessed what he intended to do. Thus, with a flick of his hand, he applied his domain''s effect on both the two female elders. Because thetter two had just received a grievous injury from having their Divine Armaments destroyed, they failed to defend themselves against Malek''s attack.


    The two female elders felt an overwhelming pressure that battered their internal organs and aggravated the injuries. They spat out several mouthfuls of blood as their eyes turned bloodshot from the pain.


    At the same time, Malek summoned a lightning strike toward the dual scimitar-wielding elder.


    The dual scimitar-wielding elder tried to evade Malek''s strike. Unfortunately, the speed of lightning was not something the former could evade with his current speed, and he was unceremoniously struck three times.


    "GAAAH!" The dual scimitar-wielding elder yelped pitifully.


    "Ngh...!" The bell-wielding elder made circr movements with his hands as the hovering golden bell before him multiplied. He then exerted even more energy and forced the two bells to multiply once more.


    Once the elder saw the four bells hovering before him, he waved his hands and willed the two outer ones to move toward the two female elders. After that, he controlled one of the remaining two bells to fly toward the dual scimitar-wielding elder.


    When all four elders had a golden bell hovering before their heads, the bell-wielding elders'' green eyes shed, and all four bells rang.


    DONG! DONG! DONG!


    The bell''s sound reverberated in all directions, causing the bell-wielding elder''s allies and enemies alike to receive a jolt.


    What the bell-wielding elder did was a specialbined defensive and offensive attack of his Divine Armament. The defensive aspect of the bell was to protect anyone possessing its clone, while the offensive attack was the sound waves it erupted with each ring the bell did.


    If possible, the bell-wielding elder would never use his Divine Armament''s special move because he could only create three bell shadows. Without the bell shadows, anyone who heard it would be affected, receiving a fatal injury.


    "GAAHH!"


    Everyone within two hundred meters of Malek''s domain heard the bell and screamed in pain. The mouths of a few low mage levels started to bubble as they fell to the floor unconscious.


    "What?" The bell-wielding elder let out a cry as he noticed that those who were affected by his Divine Armament''s special move were his allies!


    He looked at Malek and saw thetter wearing a cid expression.


    "How...?"


    However, before the elder could even form the question in his head, his eyes already caught sight of Cyneah behind Jita and Malek.


    A two-meter radius golden magic array was already rotating behind her. Her mirror-like eyes glowed with a mystical light as a symbol akin to a reddish-golden phoenix hovered above the heads of all her allies.


    Malek, Nahir, and the rest could not help but gape in shock as they felt their injuries¡ª internal or external¡ª healed at a pace visible to the naked eye. Apart from that, their natural magic energy replenishing ability seemed to have undergone a huge boost. But what truly shocked them was the cool sensation that filled their whole body and actually relieved them from the mental and physical fatigue from fighting non-stop.


    "This...!"


    "How could such a potent magic exist in this world?"


    "The blessing of the Golden Phoenix, is it not only a legend?"


    It was unknown who said that, but the moment those words were uttered, the Royal Family Elders and their people, along with most of Malek''s side, reeled in wonder.


    Only those who were aware of Cyneah''s magic remained calm. Nevertheless, they felt somewhat conflicted since they were aware of how terrifying Soul magic could be. This was especially true with Malek, who had first-hand experience fighting La. He had already sensed it earlier, but the two truly used Soul magic differently.


    But that was not the reason Malek felt conflicted. It was the fact that Soul magic¡ª or, rather, all Ancient Magic¡ª could be used for good and evil. And its use would all depend on who wielded it.


    On the other hand, Eikin and Jita sensed a foreboding after estimating their Mistress''s magic fluctuation.


    Cyneah did not have the Shaiha. Thus, using her magic to such an extent would allow others to sense her magic.


    It was one thing forplete beings to sense it. But at the moment, there were outsiders scattered everywhere in Somuli. If those outsiders were quite a distance away, they might not be able to sense Cyneah''s magic, but if they were close enough, they would definitely be tempted to have a look.


    "So this is where you''ve been hiding all this time."


    Eikin and Jita''s blood turned cold as they heard a serene-sounding voice, yet possessing a prating power that pierced through each and everyone in the underground shelter.


    KRRSHK! BOOM!


    All the upper floors'' ceilings caved in along with the eruption of pressure from where the voice hade from.


    "What in the¡ª?"


    Malek, whoseplexion paled the moment that serene-sounding voice had spoken, immediately deactivated his domain and waved his magic weapon. With the help of Cyneah''s active spell and the miniature array formation that continuously replenishes his magic energy, he summoned several magic barriers to protect all his allies.


    Cyneah clenched her fists as she also strengthened the magic barriers summoned by Malek. With the magic barrier possessing the nature of Air magic, all the debris that fell on them turned to dust from the high pressureing from the barrier''s surface.


    It was not only Malek who reacted at once. Nahir and the rest of the Eidums also cast defensive spells on all their allies.


    The bell-wielding elder also moved. He released the bell shadows and reinforced his Divine Armament. Seeing his move, the rest of the elders and their minions rushed to him. By the time they had all gathered close to the bell-wielding elder, his golden bell had grown several meters. It turned translucent as it covered everyone and protected them from the falling debris.


    "You have a very interesting Divine Armament there. To actually expand its size to such an extent and protect your people... very interesting.''


    The serene-sounding voice had spoken once more.


    "Hm? What is this? A magic array... It seems you have found a few of your kind in Somuli."


    Cyneah, who had kept an indifferent expression all this time, had now turned pale. She had tried her best to contain her magic when she cast the active spell. But never did she expect that someone¡ª especially him¡ª to be that close to where they were.


    "You have managed to escape from us previously, but now... you have nowhere to go, new Soul Emperor."


    It was at this scene that Chrysanthemum and her group had found Malek''s side.


    Chrysanthemum''s eyes widened as she realized that there was not one but two Ancient magic users in Somuli.


    Moreover, they were the new Soul Emperor and Void Master!


    Thankfully, Chrysanthemum''s experience as the leader of the Spirits made her control over her emotions better than most. She immediately snapped out of her initial shock and immediately ordered one of her brethren to contact Kyran.


    While she could do this herself, Chrysanthemum had to focus on hiding their presence from the outsider. For this reason, she could only let another spirit inform Kyran of the situation in the secret underground shelter of the Royal Family members.

 Chapter 905 All Hell Break Loose (1)

    <h4>Chapter 905 All Hell Break Loose (1)</h4>


    The outsider who found Cyneah was none other than Flos.


    How Flos came to be in Armakea was rted to Aran''s sudden escape.


    Before Aran decided to use a puppet to rece him as he escaped into the underground section of the castle, he reached out to La once more. Though he knew it was futile because she had been missing after Filren''s failed attempt at apprehending Achim and Kesiah, he still tried. Unfortunately, themunication device La gave Aran seemed to have been broken.


    Aran, being an overly suspicious person, knew something was amiss. He even had an inkling that La''s disappearance had something to do with Filren''s failure and Achim and Kesiah''s sneak attack. However, Aran also considered the possibility that thetter two might have gotten bold with their rebellion because an outsider had reached out to them.


    The moment Aran felt that everyone around him seemed to be plotting against him, he heard a riveting and seductive voice speak in his mind, offering to help ovee his predicament.


    Aran did not agree, of course, since he hated owing anyone a debt. Not to mention, epting help from someone with a questionable background was equivalent to signing a contract with a devil. In any case, Aran hated the idea of owing a debt to another person, even more so giving that person leverage over his life.


    But the voice insisted that she would not ask anything unreasonable from Aran and even offered to help him activate the Automaton with serial number xxxx.


    When Aran heard this, he was first shocked that the person speaking to him telepathically knew about that particr Automaton. But then, his feeling of shock was soon reced by temptation. He even started to delude himself that the person''s timely appearance was a divine intervention.


    Unfortunately for Aran, the moment he became delusional was the moment he had fallen under Deception''s influence.


    That was right. The voice that had spoken to him was none other than Deception.


    Just as Kyran initially suspected when he and Dusk met Deception more than a month ago inside the Armakea territory. She lied about not realizing she had already entered the Armakea border because she was busy chasing after a fugitive.


    Deception was not lying about the fugitive. She was indeed chasing after one, but she was aware of her surroundings and did not care even if she entered Armakea because she nned to approach King Aran as well.


    In any case, after Deception noticed that the outsider who first approached King Aran¡ª for the record, she did not realize that the outsider was actually La¡ª had been away and seemed to have gone missing, she waited for the right moment to step in.


    When Kyran and his sidemenced their operation to take down Aran, Deception saw that as her opportunity and grabbed it.


    Fortunately for Kyran, Deception was hiding in a space created by Obstruction close to the castle''s underground section and did not see him at work. If she did, she might not recognize his face, but she would definitely recognize his moves, which then would inadvertently reveal his true identity.


    This was only made possible because Deception had once witnessed Kyran''s domineeringness, even while unconscious, back in the Human ne.


    Aran agreed to Deception''s offer and was asked to venture deep into the castle''s underground section and wait inside the hall where the Automaton with serial xxxx was hidden. After that, Deception contacted Flos and Obstruction, informing them that her task had been aplished.


    When Deception contacted them, Flos was in the middle of infiltrating the Magical Beast Community''s territory, while Obstruction remained in the Kingdom of Cretea.


    With Flos being close to Armakea, he abandoned his n to infiltrate the Magical Beast Community and went directly to Larkring. His decision was not due to him being rash. Instead, he believed that infiltrating the Magical Beast Community was no longer necessary if he could make Aran submit to them. Armake and the Magical Beast Community were allies, after all.


    Coming from the direction of the Magical Beast Community, Flos would pass through the Royal Family members'' area. That was how he sensed Cyneah¡ª or, to be precise¡ª the Macabre cier at work.


    Flos was ecstatic after realizing that the elusive Macabre cier was indeed in Somuli.


    For the record, Flos, along with several others, had heard of the Eidum''s Saint and had believed she was Cyneah. But, after much investigation, they discovered that the Eidum''s Saint was different. Though there was a possibility of her changing her appearance, it was not only her appearance that did not coincide with Cyneah. Even her temperament, body build, and voice were different.


    While there was a possibility that the Saint they saw was a fake, in order to protect the real one, this possibility was debunked after the Somuli Sovereign confirmed her identity.


    Flos and the others did not doubt the Somuli Sovereign''s words. After all, he wanted the Saint for himself and needed their help. Why would he lie to them?


    s, that was precisely the question. Because if the Abbot and Nahir found out that the Saint whom the Somuli Sovereign showed Flos and the others was Cyneah''s double, they would really ask that very question.


    Why did the Somuli Sovereign lie to Flos and the others? Was it because he was afraid of getting exposed as a fake Sovereign? Maybe? But was it really the case?


    The answer to those things was only known to the Somuli Sovereign.


    Flos and his people, oblivious to the Somuli Sovereign''s lie, had long abandoned the idea of approaching the Eidums. To them, thetter were too weak to be of use to them. They were only interested in recruiting the Abbot and maybe the Saint, as well, butpared to them, Flos and his people were far more interested in recruiting Aran, the Armakea Knights, and finally, the Armakea''s hidden trump card, the Automatons.


    With Flosing across Cyneah, he decided to postpone their meeting with Aran. To him, the Macabre cier was obviously the most important.


    Everyone in the underground shelter gaped at Flos''s silhouette as he descended from above.


    Tentacle-like roots appeared, scuttling all over the now-ruined walls of the underground shelter.


    Nahir and the rest of theplete beings had a slight frown on their faces while they red at the descending figure. They had been listening to thetter prattle on for some time, yet they could not understand a thing he was saying.


    None of them knew thenguage the descending figure had used¡ª no, that was not entirely right because there was one who was aware of the descending figure''snguage.


    It was the samenguage Kyran and Cyneah had spoken when they thought no one was listening, and only Nahir was aware that they were speaking in the human''s native tongue


    Nahir furtively looked toward Malek and the rest of the humans at the corner of his eyes. He noticed theirplexion had paled. Butpared to them, Cyneah''s was the palest.


    Whether her paleplexion was because she had just cast an active spell, Nahir could not tell. But he, at least, knew that the descending figure was an outsider the humans were not fond of.


    Malek scowled at the Flos. He, along with the rest of the humans there, had long gone missing from the Human ne before Flos made an appearance at thetter part of the war a few years back. Nevertheless, they had already heard from Gael about what happened. Although they did not know what Flos and his people looked like, the fact that he knew Cyneah and what she did back then gave them an idea of who he was.


    "I am not the new Soul Emperor," Cyneah replied. The determined look in her mirror-like eyes and unwavering tone did not betray anything of her real emotions.


    Flos chuckled, "You can deny that, but the fact that the Macabre cier resonated with your magic already confirmed your identity, Soul Emperor."


    This time, Flos intentionally spoke using the Somuliannguage, causing those who knew about the Macabre cier and what the name Soul Emperor entails to gasp in shock.


    This was especially true with the seven Elders from the Royal Family. They all looked toward Cyneah, whom they more or less guessed was the recipient of the descending figure''s words.


    "Stop talking nonsense."


    Malek was the first one to disregard Flos''s words. Simultaneously, his eyes shed as he cast arge-scale lightning storm. His target was not Flos but the scuttling tentacle-like roots that were inconspicuously approaching their side.


    KKKRSSHHH!


    An ear-piercing shriek resounded as Malek''s lightning storm struck the roots, turning them into ash.


    Flos''s eyes narrowed, not because he was offended by Malek''s sudden attack but because he was amused by thetter''s powerful attack.


    "It seemed the Somuli had epted you as one of its own. If not, your mage level should have been restrained since you are not a native inhabitant¡ª."


    CRACKLE! BOOM!


    Before Flos could even finish what he was saying, Malek struck again. This time, he did not even bat an eye when he aimed at Flos.


    "You talk too much."

 Chapter 906 All Hell Break Loose (2)

    <h4>Chapter 906 All Hell Break Loose (2)</h4>


    A massive flower with eight petals appeared, wrapping itself around Flos just before Malek''s lightning struck.


    Crackle! Crackle! Sizzle! Sizzle!


    Surprisingly, the petals were unaffected by the lightning and even appeared to be immune to it.


    Malek furrowed his brows and waved his hand, summoning spheres of highly concentrated Air magic and hurling them over at Flos''s.


    The spheres whistled through the air, leaving a trail of white with green shes of lightning.


    The massive petals that protected Flos seemed to be made out of steel, yet the moment those spheres crashed into them, they pierced right through like bullets.


    BOOM!


    Flos''s magic energy exploded, tearing the flower petals before they were riddled with Malek''s bullet-like attack. He then spread his arms before making circr movements with his hands as more tentacle-like roots slithered out from the cracks in the ground, walls, and even the ceiling.


    The Royal Family Elders and their minions were dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events. Initially, they believed that the neer was their enemy''s helper. Because of this, those still abled Elders nned tounch a preemptive attack to ensure their enemies would not gain an advantage. However, before any of them could move, Malek beat them at it and attacked first.


    What was happening here?


    Ultimately, the Elders and their minions were experienced in battle and retained their wits about them. Knowing that the neer was not there to assist their enemy, their next course of action was to see if they could exploit the former.


    s, before they could do anything, the neer actually attacked indiscriminately. Not to mention, his nt magic looked very powerful.


    It should be noted that most of them had encountered nt mages and were familiar with the neer''s vine attacks. But the vines summoned by ne mages were not as thick as a tree''s root and hard as steel. Moreover, the neer was not even holding a Divine Armament. How was he summoning those vines?


    The Elders and their minions did not have the leisure to ponder their thoughts. Such was an ongoing fight. Everybatant had little to no time to ponder their next move. Most relied on their reflexes and fast thinking when making a move. Thus, they no longer considered exploiting the neer and immediately retreated.


    Malek, on the other hand, remained unperturbed as he continuously summoned lightning to attack the approaching roots.


    The roots seemed to be immune to lightning, but Malek already anticipated it and increased their frequency. Doing this, his lightning attacks developed a paralysis effect.


    The knights, officers, and other Eidums with them were not idle either. They used their Divine Armaments to cleave and hack through the roots that got paralyzed.


    As for the retreating Elders and their minions, they ignored all of them.


    Among the people with Malek, there was one who courageously leaped around his lightning attack and directly aimed at the tentacle-like roots¡ª Eikin.


    He summoned his Divine Armament, which was a long silver spear with a dark purple de, and spun his body with the spear in hand. The wind appeared at the tip of the spear''s de, forming a whirlwind as his momentum increased. Just as the height of the whirlwind had grown to ten meters, Eikin made an abrupt stop as he released it forward.


    The whirlwind, which already possessed the Void''s nature of nothingness, disintegrated everything it touched.


    Those knights who were familiar with Eikin were shocked after seeing his whirlwind destroying everything it passed through without leaving anything in its wake.


    Was this still the same whirlwind attack they knew? Why did it feel as if it had gotten more fearsome than before?


    Malek, who saw the whirlwind, frowned slightly. He obviously realized that Eikin''s innate magic was Wind. However, it underwent a mutation of some sort, and he more or less guessed why. He then took note of Eikin, as well as Jita, who remained beside Cyneah and continued to watch over her, knowing that these two were Kyran''s people.


    Malek was already suspicious about Kyran having the ability to control others when Gael appeared before them. But there was something different from thetter that was different from those people who were under control. Gael still possessed his old memories, but he did not harbor any ill intent toward Kyran. That was something Malek could not understand.


    In any case, Malek did not know Eikin and Jita''s history with Kyran, but he knew for a fact that their innate magic should not disy a Void''s nature. While Wind magic''s destructive nature could turn anything it touched to dust, depending on its intensity, it would not disintegrate. From how Malek saw things, Kyran''s ability to control others was not limited to one''s will.


    Flos''s brow furrowed as he watched his attacks get destroyed. He already noticed the humans'' mage level was not restricted by the ne, which meant they could use their magic to their full extent. But their magic energy consumption should still be limited, given Somuli''s thin magic energy.


    ''So, how is he able to summon those lightning storms without caring about his magic energy consumption?'' Flos wondered while looking at Malek. He then looked at Cyneah and wondered if it was because of her that thetter was not afraid to waste his magic energy.


    Flos also looked at Eikin and was even more bbergasted at his attacks. Malek''s lightning storm burned his summoned roots to dust; Flos could just regrow them and continue attacking. But he could not do that to the roots destroyed by Eikin''s whirlwind!


    How did he do it?


    Flos could not help but have a bad feeling in his heart. He realized that even if he had the advantage of being a Sovereign, since his mage level was being restrained, he could not fully show his might. If he dragged this on, he would end up getting overwhelmed by Malek and his people''s momentum.


    Luckily, Flos was still unaware that the Somuli Sovereign was fake. If he did and tried to unleash his full power, there was a good chance he could destroy the Sovereign''s Cradle because it could be considered a faux.


    Flos also considered the possibility of Cyneah making a move herself. If she did and attacked Flos with Soul magic, he was not confident in defending against it. After all, Soul magic attacks one''s soul. That was one of the scary natures of Soul magic.


    Not wanting to drag the fight, Flos took out a petrified nt he had prepared in case of emergency. This nt was immune to almost all types of magic and possessed a very potent poison.


    Inserting enough magic energy into the petrified nt that resembled a mandragora, Flos threw it before him. At a speed visible to the naked eye, the nt came to life and grew in size.


    KKKRRSSHK!


    It let out an ear-piercing shriek as it simultaneously puffed out golden and green pollens that filled the surroundings.


    "Not good!"


    Nahir and the Eidums, who were familiar with the nt''s attributes, shouted in fear.


    "Don''t breathe in those pollens!"


    Everyone did not need to be warned. Seeing those pollens, almost all of them reflexively covered their nose and mouths in fear of being affected by its toxin.


    Seeing their reaction, Flos only let out a smile and muttered, "Such a futile move."


    His eyes shed as he snapped his fingers, "Burst."


    In the blink of an eye, the pollens that had already scattered all around exploded, turning into clouds of dust that fell straight toward everyone.


    Even without anyone telling them, they knew it would be bad if those pollens-turned-powder touched their skin.


    "Tsk," Eikin clicked his tongue as he spun his body and sent out one whirlwind after another, trying to remove as many powdered pollens as possible. Unfortunately, his whirlwind could only cover a small area, and he was also afraid to send one above everyone''s heads for fear of hurting them.


    Malek was not idle either. He strengthened the magic barrier, protecting everyone. Unfortunately, the more he strengthened them, the smaller they became. Because of this, there were a few among them whose bodies were exposed to the powder.


    With most of them sent into a panic over the nt''s poisonous powder, Flos summoned another one of his nt creations that resembled a human body and willed them to go after Cyneah.


    Jita let out a snort as she saw the approaching human-like nts. Did Flos think she was afraid of inhaling those poisonous powders?


    Seemingly moving without regard for her safety, Jita swung her whip sword and sliced up the iing human-like nts.


    Flos''s eyes narrowed as he once more realized that his creation could not regenerate after being cut by Jita.


    ''This...''


    Cyneah, who had been silently observing the movements around her, failed to see the poisonous powder falling down from above. Nevertheless, from the things she heard, she knew why everyone was suddenly in a panic.


    "It''s fine. I''ll protect everyone," she said in a calm voice. Though she did not say that aloud, everyone heard her loudly and clearly.


    Right after Cyneah said those words, the symbol on their heads lit up, and the poisonous powder that was about to fall on their heads burst into mes.

 Chapter 907 All Hell Break Loose (3)

    Chapter 907 All Hell Break Loose (3)


    Flos''s eyes widened at the spectacle below.


    The frozen nt he summoned was a mutation between a Bedonna and a Mandragora, which was called a Bellora and could only be found in Somuli. Its poison was mostly attributed to the former while retaining most of thetter''s outer appearance.


    Being a mutation of two nts with different genera, its size had experienced a huge change. The size of a regr Bedonna and a Mandragora was considered average, but because of the mutation''s effect and the environment they lived in, they could grow into massive sizes. The potency of their poison would then depend on the amount of magic energy they absorbed.


    Since Somuli''s natural magic energy production was quite thin, the potency of Bellora''s poison was not lethal. But with Flos providing the magic energy into the Bellora, its size not only grew massively, but its lethality also increased greatly.


    With the size of its pollens growing to at least a .2 mm radius, people who inhaled a few could easily be rendered unconscious. But with the increase in its size, it also became possible for people to avoid it. Some would not even be able to inhale it.


    Considering this matter, Flos intentionally crushed the Bellora''s pollens, turning them into powder to ensure that the people below could not avoid them. As a matter of fact, as long as the powder came into contact with their skin, the Bellora''s poison would immediately take effect.


    It was unfortunate, however, that Flos underestimated what Cyneah could do. He did not expect her to use Soul magic to counter the powder, burning them quite easily and protecting the rest.


    Flos''s reaction was quite reasonable because there were very few records tackling the nature of Soul magic. Though it was still unlike studies pertaining to Void magic, where there was practically no official record whatsoever, 90% of the official records about Soul magic were attributed to what others had witnessed the Macabre cier could do. After all, the mirror had something to do with souls, making everyone else believe its nature was rted to Soul magic.


    In any case, with Cyneah''s intervention, Flos''s n to poison them had been countered quite easily.


    With this sudden turn of events, if Flos had a short fuse, he would likely start making one mistake after another because of his desire to win at all costs. However, Flos was not like that. As a matter of fact, his patience was one of his greatest asset. Although he admitted to acting rashly at times due to his confidence, he would only do so when he was sure of his victory.


    This had been Flos''s thoughts when his eyes fell upon Cyneah. As if to mock his inner monologue, he recalled what happened in the Human ne that ultimately led to their failure in taking the Macabre cier and Cyneah.


    ''That will be the only time I will ept failure,'' Flos thought as a smile appeared on his face.


    Without saying anything, he waved his hand and summoned more of his human-like nt creations. But unlike the first few he summoned, these summons looked more solid and even held weapons made of wood.


    Seeing these, Malek and the others prepared to engage in another battle of attrition.


    None of them were afraid, especially after receiving Cyneah''s blessings.


    Malek even retracted the magic barrier he summoned to protect everyone because he realized it was no longer necessary because Cyneah''s active spell also possessed a protective barrier.


    What Malek thought was actually on point.


    Cyneah was worried that Flos would find a way to exploit a chink in everyone''s armor to poison them. Thus, she added anotheryer of magic array to her active spell to provide them with additional protection.


    To be honest, Cyneah''s action was quite redundant. After all, Kyran enhanced all of their armor. Not to mention, he also ced a sort of protection on each and every one. Then again, anotheryer of protection was never a bad thing.


    ''Come to this coordinates. I need all of you here immediately,'' Flos sent out a telepathic message to all members of their faction that were currently in Armakea.


    As soon as his faction mates heard the message, they stopped what they were doing and immediately went to the coordinates he shared.


    At the lowest level of the underground section of the Armakea castle, there was a vast dark hall. A spotlight could be seen somewhere at the center of the hall, and there, a figure in a long red dress with a matching red veil stood.


    This was none other than Deception.


    Deception had her eyes fixed in front, where two dimmed nted lights could be seen.


    Like the rest, she also received Flos''s message. But unlike the rest, she was not in a hurry to go to the coordinates because she more or less already knew where it was. In any case, Flos was not expecting her toe anyway since she had another important task to fulfill.


    The Macabre cier was important to them, but so were the Armakea''s Knights and Automatons. Using the former to collect souls, they could then transfer those to thetter, which would then no longer require them to find an Array Saint to decipher its programming and activate them.


    Frankly, Deception was already disillusioned about the Armakea Knights. They were interested in them before because of their unparalleled abilities, as described by the Nobles in the Kingdom of Cretea. But thus far, Deception had not seen any of those so-called unparalleled abilities of the Knights.


    Looking at the two nted lights before her, Deception smiled seductively and said, "I think it is time for us to make a move ourselves. Don''t you think so?"


    As she said this, a teleportation array appeared several kilometers from where she stood.


    The array was not big, but it was enough for twenty or so adults to stand side by side.


    Twelve figures in dark armor slowly materialized from within the array.


    Deception''s eyes narrowed as she looked at the figures. From Aran''s story, there was only one intruder. Yet, there were twelve appearing before her.


    It was not strange for Deception to not know what was happening outside. Because she had been staying in a space that Obstruction created near the castle''s underground section for a while, she was unaware of the whole situation above ground. Besides that, she had been upied with studying the underground section, as well as looking for an opportunity to control Aran.


    "From one lone intruder to twelve..." Deception said with a sigh, "I truly cannot trust your words alone."


    The two nted lights shed after she had spoken those words.


    "There is no point in making excuses," Deception continued with a wave of her hand. "Since it is time for us to handle things here."


    A seductive smile appeared on her face as she looked at the twelve figures who had just caught sight of her.


    Two figures stood before the remaining ten. These two were Armak, and the automaton with serial number 0901, and the ten behind them were the first batch of automatons to teleport with them.


    The teleportation array they arrived in was located in another room three levels above them. Because they found it inefficient for all of them to check every level together after entering the room with a teleportation array that led directly to the lowest level of the underground section, Armak and Breira decided to split up.


    Armak would bring along half of the automatons, including the one with serial number 0901, while Breira and the other half would continue checking the remaining levels.


    As Armak and his group arrived, they were first greeted by a long, dark hall. Although there was a lone spotlight up front, because of the distance, Armak could barely make out of anything else apart from it.


    However, the automatons with him were different. With their eyes not being affected by the darkness or distance, they already identified everything hidden in the surroundings.


    Immediately after appearing, they shifted into battle mode as the serial number 0901 raised its great sword and said, "Hostile energy ahead. Prepare to engage."


    Armak was stunned at the automaton''s deration beside him.


    For the record, his senses had already received a boost after bing Kyran''s Sigil. Yet, he failed to see or sense the hostile target the automaton beside him had seen. This was not really surprising because only when his senses were given an additional boost from Sigil''s blessing could he actuallypete with the automatons'' senses.


    "Traitors to your master."


    Suddenly, a somewhat metallic-sounding yet also faintly familiar voice spoke and reverberated throughout the darkened room.


    "Receive your punishment."


    ck! ck! ck!


    After the voice had spoken, the hidden overhead lights sprang to life and filled the hall with an almost blinding light.


    Armak was forced to squint his eyes from the lights, but before he could even recover, he sensed an iing danger and immediately summoned his Divine Armament.

 Chapter 908 All Hell Break Loose (4)

    <h4>Chapter 908 All Hell Break Loose (4)</h4>


    "Detecting activities from a high-density energy core..."


    MEx-¦Ä 54 muttered as his sensors detected an identified energy signatureing from an automaton that did not pale to their series.


    The other MEx-¦Ä series with him also detected an advanced energy core a distance away from their intended destination. Their forehead creased slightly as all of them stopped in their tracks in midair.


    Deus, currently observing their movements, frowned slightly after seeing them stop. Not long after, he received a coded message from MEx-¦Ä 54, which deepened his frown.


    "A high-density energy core...?


    "...!"


    Deus''s eyes widened as an idea popped into his head.


    "Could it be that some of the Ancients'' creations are actually in this ne?"


    While Deus was lost in his thoughts, Ruin, who was observing him from a distance, also sensed something and turned his attention to the ne below.


    Ruin had been staying in Somuli for some time and was quite familiar with its thin magic energy. Thus, whenever there was a sudden burst of magic energy fluctuation in Somuli, he could sense it quite easily as long as the one emitting it was not concealing it. This was not Ruin''s innate ability but the nature of his innate magic that made it possible for him to sense such fluctuations.


    However, while Deus was shocked by the MEx-¦Ä 54''s report about a sudden activity from a high-density energy core, what Ruin sensed was the fluctuationing from a powerful magic weapon he, along with La, had been searching for all this time.


    ''The Macabre cier is here!'' Ruin''s red eyes lit up in excitement as a huge grin broke out on his face.


    As a matter of fact, Ruin had already anticipated that that woman might be in Somuli. He also believed that the rumored Saint of the Eidums was that woman. If not, why would his prey even go through all the trouble ofing to Somuli? He even exposed himself for a brief moment just to protect the Eidums.


    But Ruin''s train of thought came to an abrupt stop as he noticed something.


    ''This magic signature...!''


    Ruin''s red eyes shed with killing intent as he recognized the magic signature that was also fluctuating near the first one.


    ''Flos!''


    Ruin hadpletely lost interest in Deus as his mind''s eye imagined Flos''s annoyingly delicate face smiling at hisprey.


    No one could me Ruin for thinking that Flos had already found Kyran or that they were already engaged in a life-or-death fight. After all, Ruin was quite familiar with Kyran and knew thetter would never allow Cyneah to use the Macabre cier. So, why would Ruin sense the Macabre cier with Flos?


    There were only two scenarios that came to Ruin''s twisted mind as to why that happened.


    The first scenario was Flos and Kyran, who were currently in a stalemate, and Cyneah, wanting to break that off, summoned the Macabre cier. Although Kyran did not appear to be in close proximity to them, he might be concealing his presence again. Ruin gifted Kyran his mark to allow him to sense him. Nevertheless, thetter found a way to counter it.


    The second scenario¡ª which Ruin found uneptable¡ª was that Flos took advantage of Kyran''s weakened state and beat him half to death, which then triggered Cyneah to use the Macabre cier in order to save him.


    Why would Ruin believe Kyran was in a weakened state? Well, he did not know thetter had already made a full recovery after getting beaten up by MEx-¦Ä 54.


    Whichever scenario was currently ying out in Somuli, Ruin never considered a third scenario where Flos discovered Cyneah only, and Kyran was not even there. In a way, this was due to Ruin''s unwavering belief that Kyran would never allow Flos to get to Cyneah under his watch.


    ''If you dare touch my prey, I''ll ruin you!'' Ruin thought through grounded teeth. His?killing intent surged as he made his way back to Somuli.


    Deus was forced out of his reverie as he sensed a practically tangible killing intent erupting close to his position. What was more, the owner of that killing intent was none other than Ruin!


    How did he return to Somuli so soon?


    But Deus did not get to dwell on that question when he realized that Ruin had not directed that killing intent at him. Moreover, thetter was rushing toward Somuli.


    Deus''s eyes narrowed at this as he turned his attention back to Somuli. Doubts surfaced in his mind as to the real reason Ruin was there. For a moment, Deus hesitated on his next course of action. After all, his mission there was to secure that young man suspected to possess the Heart of the Cosmos.


    In the end, Deus''s curiosity over the Ancients'' creation got the best of him as he followed Ruin.


    "MEx-¦Ä 54 and 53, split into two groups. MEx-¦Ä 34 to 43, follow MEx-¦Ä 53 and continue searching for the target. MEx-¦Ä 54, lead MEx-¦Ä 44 to 52 to the coordinates where you sensed that energy core and wait for me."


    [Yes, master.]


    MEx-¦Ä 54 and the rest of the MEx-¦Ä series split up ording to Deus''s new arrangement and head to their destinations.


    Deus and Ruin were not the only ones making their way to Armakea. The other representatives of different Sovereign factions also took notice of Flos''s and another powerful presence and went there.


    Ultimately, it was only Deus''s group who went to the coordinates where the high-density energy core was discovered, while Ruin and the rest went to where Flos was.


    This was to be expected. The MEx-¦Ä series only detected the activity of the high-density energy core because they could be said to be rted. They also had a certain immunity and sensitivity to Array Formations because of what they were. Thus, the great array formation under the Armakea castle failed to conceal the presence of that high-density energy core to them.


    While these things were happening outside, Kyran and Dusk, who were walking down a long winding stairway, felt the surroundings shaking malevolently.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he sensed his connection with Armak weakened. It was not only him. Some of the automatons he had recently acquired seemed to have suffered some damage following that huge tremor.


    "Dark Sage!"


    Dusk''s shout pulled Kyran out of his thoughts. He then noticed that the stairway on which they were standing started to copse.


    BOOM!


    Before any of them could run back up the stairway, the whole surroundings erupted as something massive emerged from below.


    Dusk immediately cast a magic barrier before he disappeared, blending into the background. On the other hand, Kyran avoided the falling debris, even using some of it as a foothold while searching for an intact floor.


    "Wha¡ª what is happening here? Did I make a wrong turn somewhere ande out the same ce?"


    Kyran''s ears perked after hearing a small voice speak somewhere above his head. He knew at once that thetter was a Spirit. But then his heart sank as the spirit''s words registered in his mind.


    Based on the spirit''s statement, it seemed she had just left a ce where a simr situation to Kyran''s was ying out.


    Where was that ce? Where else but at the Royal Family''s secret underground shelter?


    That did not bode well!


    "Hang on!" Kyran told the spirit, whonded on his head.


    The spirit did not need to be told twice. She immediately grabbed a few strands of Kyran''s hair and held on as if her life depended on it.


    No, wait. Removed the ''as if'' in that statement because her life truly depended on hanging onto Kyran''s hair!


    While the spirit could enter the temporary world and escape by herself, she could not possibly leave the creator of that world in such a dire situation. She was not thick-skinned enough to run away. Besides, she had yet to report the situation at the other location. What would Lady Chrysanthemum think of her if she returned without aplishing her task?


    "ALL TRAITORS NEED TO BE VANQUISHED!"


    A metallic-sounding yet carrying great momentum reverberated throughout the crumbling surroundings.


    CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!


    Following that, the massive thing that emerged from below extended something toward Kyran.


    Kyran, who had yet to find an intact footing, caught sight of what the massive thing had extended, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock.


    A colossal hand reached out toward him, aiming to crush him to death.


    The spirit, who was still holding on to his hair, gaped with wide eyes and mouth open at the hand about to press down on them.


    "OH MY¡ª!"


    Kyran''s eyes turned reddish-purple as he summoned a Void Shield seconds before the colossal hand could touch them.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    Kyran had every intention of disintegrating the colossal hand, but for some reason, his Void Shield collided with a barrier that actually ignored the Void magic''s nature of nothingness!


    BOOM!


    Before Kyran could even make sense of how that happened, the momentum of the colossal hand broke the Void Shield and continued to press down on them.

 Chapter 909 All Hell Break Loose (5)

    Chapter 909 All Hell Break Loose (5)


    The pupils of Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes turned silver before gradually spreading outward. When his iris hadpletely turned silver, his pupils contracted and turned into slits. After which, his Draconic core pulsed as Draconic magic energy seeped into the Shaiha.


    The Void magic energy circting within the Shaiha retreated, giving way to the Draconic magic energy. Although the former did notpletely leave the Shaiha, its cirction decreased while thetter increased its activity.


    With the Draconic magic energy circting in Kyran''s body, the blood pumping out of his heart gave out a pulsating wave, which roused every part of his body. Small draconic runes appeared on the surface of each and every one of his blood cells.


    Kyran learned before that the reason he did not require a magic array when using Draconic magic was because its runes were already present within his body. Nevertheless, he had never actually sensed the Draconic runes moving about inside his body before¡ª until now.


    In any case, with the urgency of the situation, Kyran did not have the time to check and observe those runes. Besides, he more or less guessed that the reason he had be more sensitive to the Draconic runes in his body was because of the enhancement he had undergone recently. Unfortunately, there had been no opportunity for him to check those changes.


    All these happened in a split second after Kyran''s Void Shield exploded. Rousing his Draconic magic, he clenched his left fist and punched the approaching hand.


    BAM!


    Kyran''s fist mmed onto the barrier of the colossal hand, and a deafening explosion followed.


    FOOOM!


    A massive shockwave resulted from the collision, which turned all the falling debris and what was left of the stairway''s wall foundation into dust.


    CRACK! CRACK! SHATTER


    Soon after, the barrier that protected the colossal hand shattered from the explosive force of Kyran''s simple punch.


    Using the initial momentum from the first collision, Kyran''s fist pushed forward with greater ferocity and mmed into the colossal hand''s palm.


    BOOOM!


    The eruption of power from Kyran''s fist broke through the colossal hand''s palm, piercing right through.


    RAWRGH!


    A resounding metallic-like roaring from the colossal hand''s owner shook the underground section of the castle, resulting in additional floors above crumbling.


    "Ngh...!" Kyran gritted his teeth as his fist that pierced the colossal hand''s palm got stuck rather than passing throughpletely.


    Then again, the colossal hand''s material was not something that could be easily destroyed. That much Kyran was already aware of after recognizing the identity of that colossal hand.


    A gigantic automaton.


    RAWRGH!


    The gigantic automaton let out an angry roar as it instantaneously closed its fist after sensing its target''s fist was stuck in its palm.


    But Kyran did not stay idle after seeing his punch fail topletely destroy the gigantic automaton''s palm. Knowing thetter would capitalize on his getting stuck, he immediately pulled out his fist. With his two feet nted firmly on the gigantic automaton''s palm, he bent his knees and pushed himself out while also exerting the Dragon Step to ensure he had enough momentum.


    Kyran''s split-second decision to employ the Dragon Step was the correct one because if he did not, the gigantic automaton''s hand would have crushed into him.


    "I... I... I feel like throwing up...."


    The female spirit that held onto Kyran''s hair all this time muttered, feeling dizzy from thetter''s crazy momentum.


    "Oi..."


    cklines appeared on Kyran''s head as he heard the spirit. He did not say that because he was worried about getting puked on. After all, with the speed at which he was moving, the female spirit''s puke would likely go out horizontally. The reason Kyran felt somewhat helpless was because of the female spirit''s reaction itself.


    There was a gigantic automaton before them, yet the first thing she thought of was wanting to puke. Seriously?


    WEEENG!


    Something gold shed before them as a concentrated magic energy beam whistled toward them.


    Kyran grabbed the female spirit on his head, which he btedly realized was quite small that she fit perfectly in his hands. After that, his silver eyes shed as he once again used Dragon Steps to evade the iing attack.


    Using the falling debris and some of the concrete beams sticking out on what was left of the underground section walls, Kyran moved out of the concentrated magic energy beam''s path.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The energy beam struck more of the underground section''s foundation, further threatening the above levels.


    If the gigantic automaton continued with its rampage underground, the Armakea castle above ground would cave in!


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, a worried voice sounded in his head, confirming his thoughts.


    [Master! Cracks are appearing on the castle grounds. Are you all fine? Please respond if you can hear me!]


    Kyran frowned after hearing Filren''s words. He only estimated the size of the gigantic automaton based on its colossal hand, but it seemed his estimation was still conservative.


    Thus far, the gigantic automaton had only unleashed a magic-infused attack with that energy beam, and most of the destruction that happened to the underground section was from its movement. If signs of the destruction were already showing above ground, given how far underground they were, that meant the gigantic automaton was truly gigantic in every word.


    ''Get everyone out!''


    Was all Kyran could tell Filren as the gigantic automaton moved again.


    This time, it did not use its colossal hand to catch him. Instead, something moved from what was left of the ground, and a massive knee emerged.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and used every concrete beam or debris avable around him as a foothold to get out of the massive knee''s path.


    "T-There''s no end to this!" The female spirit, who seemed to have recovered from her motion sickness, peaked between Kyran''s fingers and saw the situation.


    "Lord Master, let''s enter the route first. Then you can sneak attack that giant beast after we relocate behind him!"


    The female spirit''s suggestion was actually sound. Unfortunately, Kyran could not do that.


    "That route can only be used by Spirits. I can''t enter even if I created it."


    "WHAT? WHY EVEN CREATE SOMETHING YOU CAN NOT MAKE USE OF?"


    The truth was that Kyran could not enter the temporary world simply because his existence would threaten it. That temporary world was not stable enough for someone like him, possessing a special magic energy. He might be able to stay there for a few seconds if he only possessed one special magic energy, but he possessed two. That temporary world would be destroyed the moment he stepped into it!


    "Is that even important?" Kyran asked in exasperation.


    "Yes!" The female spirit replied in a simrly exasperated tone.


    Kyran ignored her rumbling and stuffed her in his coat''s breast pocket. He did not have the time to argue with this little one.


    "Hold tight!"


    Without waiting for the female spirit to react, he directly dove toward the gigantic automaton''s knee.


    However, before Kyran could evene near it, he heard a rumbling sounding from his right as the gigantic automaton''s other hand smashed right out from the wall.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. In a split moment, he had already assessed his surroundings and confirmed there was no concrete beam or nearby falling debris he could use as a foothold to evade the iing hand. With no way to build his momentum and gather enough weight to counter the iing hand, all he could do was brace himself for the impact.


    BAM!


    The gigantic automaton''s other hand mmed right through Kyran, and he was sent hurling in the opposite direction, mming into more of the underground section''s foundation¡ª or at least, what was left of them.


    Surprisingly, the gigantic automaton''s punch did not hurt. Although it did pack quite a lot of force and was even coated with magic energy, to Kyran, it felt as if he only bumped into a somewhat solid wall. Even as he mmed into several walls, it did not hurt at all.


    For the record, though Kyran was circting the Draconic magic, he was only exerting about 5% of it because that was the amount he was mostly ustomed to. But even with that little amount, for him not to feel any pain after receiving a direct hit was unprecedented.


    The enhancement his body had undergone was truly a huge thing.


    Thinking this, Kyran was tempted to exert more of his Draconic magic''s power. But then, looking at his environment, he felt quite aggrieved.


    This was the first time he encountered a giant enemy while in such apact and restricted environment. If not for the main array formation hidden beneath the castle that prevented him from utilizing his Void magic''s warping abilities, he would have long warped himself and his enemy at a much bigger location.


    ''Wait... Main array formation...?'' Kyran seemed to have thought of something at the same time he finally came to a stop.


    The gigantic automaton hade from below and had been rampaging for some time; could it have broken the main array formation?

 Chapter 910 All Hell Break Loose (6)

    Chapter 910 All Hell Break Loose (6)


    Kyran did not get to contemte his thoughts because what was left of the foothold he was standing on shook violently. As a matter of fact, there were violent rumbling soundsing from below what was remaining of the underground section.


    From a distance, Kyran could see the gigantic automaton using its hands to grab inside the barely intact levels of the underground section. From its movement, it looked as if it was trying to check if Kyran was hiding there.


    [Master!]


    ''Armak!'' Kyran recognized the voice that called out to him, who coincidentally crossed his mind just then. ''Are you and Breira safe?''


    [I''m sorry, Master. Breira and I decided to split up after arriving at the room with a teleportation array that led directly to the underground section''s lowest level.]


    Armak started to exin. Without waiting for Kyran to say or ask questions, he hastily shared what happened as soon as he and the automatons with him arrived at the underground section''s lowest level.


    [An outsider has taken control of all the remaining Automatons. I do not know if King Aran was the one who actually activated all of them, but I did not see him anywhere. The outsider does not look like the one he had been in contact with either. She might have killed King Aran already.]


    After being freed from the pact, Armak could no longer sense Aran. Otherwise, he would be able to tell if thetter was still alive or not, even if they were far apart.


    Kyran''s head throbbed as an iing headache threatened to surface. He did not know whether to consider Armak''s update as good or bad.


    Good, because he had been hoping Armakea was hiding more Automatons so he could acquire an army of them without having to worry about gathering materials to create them. Bad because the outsider had gotten hold of them before he could; thus, he could no longer avoid keeping them intact.


    [I barely managed to avoid getting killed when the giant automaton went after us. If not for sir Great Sword Automaton protecting me in time, I would have long died.]


    Armak paused as he realized his Master might misunderstand the meaning of his words and hastily added.


    [Do not worry, Master. sir Great Sword Automaton and the rest are fine. They have suffered some external damages, but overall, they are still functional.]


    Kyran could not help but smile helplessly at Armak''s hasty exnation. While he did ask them not to destroy the automatons, that did not mean he would prioritize them over theirÒ» Armak and Breira''sÒ» lives.


    Before Kyran could point this out, the rumbling intensified, and several glowing red and gold lights appeared from the darkened passage below.


    "This...! Such potent magic energies! Lord Master, we need to leave!" The female spirit''s cute little head popped out from Kyran''s breast pocket as she looked at the dark passage.


    She gasped in fright when she saw all those fast-approaching red and gold lights.


    Kyran was also looking at these lights and knew that they were not concentrated magic energies. Rather, they were energy coresing from a bare Automaton.


    ''Armak,'' Kyran called without even a hint of panic in his voice.


    [Master?]


    ''When you went down, did you see any signs of an active Array Formation?''


    [That... I did sense something, but because the outsider ordered the automatons toe after us, I am unsure.]


    ''Alright. Try to find Breira. I can''t get hold of him, either. But I believe he is only trapped in a room with a still intact array formation. Else, my connection with him would have long been severed if something untoward happened to him.''


    Armak let out a sigh of relief after hearing those words, and he replied at once.


    [I may have an idea as to where he might be right now. I just do not know if that room is still intact, given the state of the underground section right now.]


    ''While most of the lower levels are destroyed, there are still a few intact levels above. Go and find him. After that, leave the underground and rendezvous with Filren.''


    ''Yes, Master.''


    "Lord Master! What are you staring in space about? Let us leave now! Those lightsing from below possess scary magic energies, which is pretty much impossible here in Somuli!" The female spirit insisted while tugging at the cor of Kyran''s coat to get his attention.


    In her view, Kyran appeared to have been frozen stiff while looking at those lights and did not know that he was actually busy talking to Armak.


    Kyran ignored the female spirit''s rambling as he looked at the iing automatons. From what little information Armak provided, Kyran could more or less guess the gist of what was happening. As for Aran''s life or death, Kyran knew it was not easy for that guy to die. Apart from that, the outsider that Armak saw was likely Deception.


    The reason Kyran thought this was simply because he knew Deception''s side wanted to make contact with Aran. With La out of the picture, it would not be impossible for her to do so. In any case, given Deception''s magic, it would not be hard for her to deceive Aran. Her mage level might be restricted at the moment, but at the end of the day, the restriction in Somuli was wed because it was made by a fake Sovereign. Apart from that, Aran was ill. He might have a higher mage level, but he was prone to fall to Illusion depending on what scene Deception showed him.


    Thinking back on how Kyran himself had fallen to Deception''s Illusion, Aran would not stand a chance given how many dark and ugly secrets he had.


    Apart from that, there was the matter of the main array formation under the castle. Armak said he sensed something. Still, what he sensed might not exactly be the main array formation. As for the matter with Breira, while one would think that the main array formation could still be fine since he was still trapped, there were several independent array formations inside the main array formation. The array formation that trapped Breira might be an independent formation and not the main array formation.


    The main array formation housed several array formations where a few could act independently. As long as the former was active, then all these array formations would continue to function well.


    Considering all this, Kyran guessed that the main array formation might have been damaged but notpletely destroyed. Thus, all array formations, as long as the room where they were located were still intact, were still working.


    "A damaged main array formation will be easy to adjust," Kyran muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "What did you say, Lord Master¡ª? WHAAAA¡ª! WHERE ARE YOU HEADING?"


    The female spirit''s face turned pale after Kyran jumped toward the fast-approaching red and gold lights.


    Kyran''s silver eyes shed. The slits turned to round and bore a reddish-purple glint. Rousing his Void magic but allowing his Draconic magic to be the main magic energy circting through his body. A silver with dark purple armor covered his whole body, and using the Dragon Steps, he appeared to the first group of automatons.


    Two obsidian swords appeared before each of his hands. Deftly grabbing the swords, they gave out a faint dark purple glint as he made a 360-degree turn while striking his swords at the first row of automatons.


    SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!


    In the blink of an eye, the energy cores of four automatons were cut in half.


    Normally, the part where they were cut would produce crackling sounds from the severed wires. But these automatons did not give that out. Instead, their energy cores were cut cleanly in half, and their lights immediately went out.


    The four automatons then started to fall back into the dark passage.


    Kyran did not pause after destroying the energy cores of those four automatons. He continued to do the same with the rest.


    Of course, the automatons did not stay idle. They also went after Kyran and aimed their weapons at his weak points. s, with the armor he was wearing, it was impossible for these automatons to pierce through its defenses. Besides, the silver armor not only boasted powerful magical and physical defenses, but the Void nature or nothingness was also incorporated with it; if a weapon or attack did manage to pierce through the armor''s surface, it would then be triggered. Those attacks would then be rendered ineffective.


    As Kyran continued to plunge deep into the dark passage, the gigantic automaton found him and also went to chase him.


    Kyran, sensing this, smiled slightly. If he could get the gigantic automaton to retreat back to the lowest level of the underground section, it would be easier for him to control the overall situation.


    To be honest, he was very worried about how everyone was doing. But if he allowed these automatons to leave the underground section, then all hell would break loose.

 Chapter 911 All Hell Break Loose (7)

    Chapter 911 All Hell Break Loose (7)


    "WE HAVE TO ESCAPE TO THE SURFACE! WHAT IS THE POINT IN ESCAPING UNDERGROUND!"


    When Kyran jumped down the dark passage, the female spirit slipped out of his breast pocket and grabbed onto his hair once more. After Kyran covered himself with the silver armor, she grabbed onto his neck for her dear life.


    To be honest, the female spirit had a choice of escaping by herself. But for reasons only known to her, she had stayed and kept Kyranpany in spite of herints.


    The female spirit''s rambling had gone to deaf ears as Kyran confronted the automatons.


    ''Strange...'' he thought with a slight frown. ''These guys... why are they acting like puppets rather than automatons?''


    Kyran aimed at the energy core of another automaton hended on before using it as a foothold; he propelled himself in another direction and aimed his swords at two iing automatons.


    Kyran''s doubts were not without basis. Frankly, there were three ways to differentiate an automaton and a puppet. One was their energy core, which was connected to the second way, which was their programming.


    An automaton''s energy core could store arge amount of magic energy, while a puppet''s energy core was limited. Their programming would also rely on how much magic energy was stored in their energy core. Automatons had far moreplex programming. Thus, their magic energy consumption was quite huge. However, since their energy core could store arge amount of magic energy, they did not have any problem sustaining their activities. Puppets, on the other hand, had simpler programming. Because of this, they required less magic energy to move around. In fact, the stored magic energy in their energy core was normally reserved for when they performed a magic attack. Still, with their limited magic energy, the number of times they could perform a magic attack was definite.


    Finally, thest way to differentiate the two is having their own sentient.


    Automatons have their own sentient. For this reason, it is hard for others to differentiate them from real people or beasts¡ª in case their body is that of a beast¡ª from the way they move and react. This is also why automatons no longer require energy to move around; thus, all the magic energy stored in their energy core is used to perform magic-imbued attacks or spells. As for their appearance, they already undergo a lot of configuration, which is why unless one is naked, no one will notice they do not possess genuine flesh and blood.


    Comparing these automatons to the first few Kyran acquired, he could not deny that their energy cores were the same. Although he did not have the time to check their programming, the fact that they did not rely on their internal magic energy to move around was proof that they were indeed automatons. However, because of their simple attack patterns, they were more like puppets.


    Kyran was then reminded of his conversation with the great sword-wielding automaton before parting ways earlier. It was about Aran being their interim owner only. The automaton also told Kyran that Aran, as an interim, could activate them using minimum requirements.


    From this, Kyran guessed that since Aran was only an interim, he could not fully activate the automatons'' program.


    The more Kyran fought the automatons, the more he was convinced of this.


    In any case, he was d that he only aimed to destroy their energy cores and not their whole body. An automaton''s sentient was stored within its programming rather than its energy core, after all. If he had aimed at their programming, which was likely located near their energy core or their forehead, then it was simr to Kyran murdering these automatons.


    s, it appeared Kyran had not truly given up on acquiring the automatons. As for his agreement with Dusk, he no longer cared about it the moment thetter chose to escape by himself.


    While Kyran dealt with the automatonsing out of the dark passage, the female spirit did not stopining. In the end, sensing that Kyran was not listening, and with her throat growing sore from all her screaming, she finally stopped and resigned to her fate.


    Just as the female spirit thought this, she saw the giant automaton''s movement from the corner of her eye and shouted once more, "Lord Master! Watch out!"


    "TRAITORS HAD TO BE VANQUISHED!"


    The gigantic automaton''s metallic-sounding roar reverberated throughout the passage as it jumped after Kyran. Because of its huge frame, not to mention its weight, its descent was much faster than Kyran''s.


    In the blink of an eye, the gigantic automaton had already closed the gap between it and Kyran.


    "LORD MASTER!"


    The female spirit shouted in fright as she stared at the growing soles of the giant automaton above them.


    Compared to the female spirit, Kyran was calm. The automatons that saw the gigantic automaton''s descent also appeared calm as they stopped and moved out of the way.


    Seeing the automatons hovering in midair, Kyran felt aggrieved. These automatons could actually levitate! Talk about hitting him in his sore spot.


    Without an item to use to help him stay afloat, Kyran continued to drop down the dark passage.


    "THE GIANT''S FEET IS ALREADY RIGHT ABOVE US!"


    Just as the female spirit shouted a warning, Kyran used the Dragon Steps and continued his descent. After a few seconds, he saw a huge opening that led to a spacious area.


    Looking at the area from above, Kyran could liken it to a spacious underground cave rather than a hull of some sort that stored the automatons.


    Using his enhanced senses, Kyran noticed another huge hole a distance from the right and guessed that was where the gigantic automaton had crawled up in pursuit of the traitors.


    Close to that hole, a single spotlight could be seen, filling some light in the somewhat dimmed space.


    WENG!


    Several gold and red lights lit up as Kyran neared the ground.


    Kyran could not help but smile at the multitude of automatons awaiting his descent.


    On the contrary, the female spirit paled and almost fainted in fright.


    "VANQUISH ALL TRAITORS!"


    The situation above the castle had also taken a bad turn. With Kyran entering a range where his Void Domain had weakened, the knights trapped inside had already started their counter-attack.


    If not for Filren''s overwhelming advantage in terms of strength, he could not win against them. But at the end of the day, his mission was not to kill but to ensure they left the castle as soon as possible.


    Ultimately, all the knights stopped attacking and listened to Filren the moment they realized he truly wanted to keep them away from harm. Although Filren appeared to have already fallen under the control of the intruder, they noticed his actions did not have any ill intentions. Rather, he only acted in goodwill.


    The tremor under the castle was also felt in other locations. The one location that the tremor actually affected the most was the Military District.


    Noir and the others were shocked when cracks on the ground started to appear. What was more, cracks also appeared on the surface of the array formation that sealed all knights inside the Military District.


    Seeing those cracks, Noir did their best to fix them while Sigma and the fort leaders with them kept the knights outside the seal at bay.


    With the help of Kyran''s Servants, Noir''s group barely kept the situation under control. However, with the knights inside the seal aiming at those cracks, there was no telling how long Noir and the others could keep their advantage.


    Unbeknownst to them, the real cause of the cracks that had appeared on the seal was not only due to the tremor underground. Kyran was the one who ced that seal. And with him getting further away, his connection with it had decreased. It was simr to his Void Domain.


    Of course, Kyran knew his connection with the seal and his domain would ease if he went too far. But at the moment, he could only put his trust in Noir and the others to keep everything under control until he finished what he set out to do in the castle.


    Back to where Malek and the others were, Flos continued to summon his nt creations and waged a battle of attrition against Malek and the others.


    At first, Malek''s side seemed to have the situation under control with Cyneah''s support. But as time went by, Malek noticed Cyneah''splexion started to pale. Apart from that, the miniature array formation, which allowed him to replenish his magic energy without any problem, started to dim.


    This did not bode well for them.


    Malek avoided burdening Cyneah with replenishing his own magic energy because, in their group, his consumption was enormous. For this reason, he relied on the miniature array formation. But if the array formation was gone, and he also relied on Cyneah''s blessing, what would happen to her?


    How would she replenish her own magic energy and continue to support them?


    But that was only secondary. Malek''s main worry was why the miniature array formation started to dim.


    Did something happen to Kyran?

 Chapter 912 All Hell Break Loose (8)

    <h4>Chapter 912 All Hell Break Loose (8)</h4>


    Deus''s eyes narrowed as he sensed an active array formation near the location where the high-density energy core was.


    ''No... not near... that energy core is right above that formation,'' Deus corrected himself inwardly after getting close to the coordinates provided by his automatons.


    ''Hm?'' he paused slightly, realizing he could no longer sense Ruin nearby.


    Deus expanded his magic eye, a higher level of magic sense, to check if Ruin had already arrived near the energy core''s location and was hiding his presence. However, he failed to see even thetter''s shadow.


    Could Ruin have gone back to Somuli for a different reason?


    "It does not matter," Deus muttered after a short pause. If he could avoid another confrontation with Ruin, it would be for the best.


    He was there for one reason only, which was to capture their target. Where he was going and what he was about to do was already him making a huge exception because of his curiosity about the origin of the high-density energy core.


    Now, as he drew near the energy core, Deus discovered another mystery he wanted to unearth¡ª an array formation, which was likely higher than a Saint-tier.


    ''Fascinating... truly fascinating indeed,'' Deus thought as the smile on his face grew maniacal.


    On the other hand, Ruin had arrived, where he sensed Flos and the Macabre cier''s presence. However, he was not the first one toe.


    Several other figures, who were representatives from other Sovereign factions, as well as Flos''s subordinates, were already there and were in the midst of a confrontation.


    Ruin scowled as he stopped and concealed his presence. After which, he hid on top of an old tree close to a clearing and watched all the representatives, some of whom were Sovereigns who had their levels restricted, fighting.


    ''I have only been away for a short while, and yet so many representatives have already entered Somuli?''


    Ruin knew that all the Sovereign factions were doing whatever they could to recruit all other powerful mages in Somuli while also winning over resources for their side before the Sovereign of Bulwarkpletely agreed to join Flos''s side. But Ruin did not anticipate that the confrontation on both sides had already escted to a degree where they would openly engage in a fight with one another without a care of being seen by Somuli''s native inhabitants.


    ''Or are they only being like this because they sensed the Macabre cier?''


    The news of the Macabre cier had been kept under wraps, and only a few were aware of it. Considering this, it would be impossible for the other Sovereign factions to recognize the Macabre cier''s aura.


    Knowing Flos, Ruin was also confident he would not make the mistake of disclosing what the Macabre cier''s aura felt like. Even if there were other Sovereigns who could make their own guesses, those who truly recognized the Macabre cier could be counted on one hand.


    Ruin paused.


    Actually, that was what the general public knew. The truth was, there were quite a lot of beings¡ª particrly the Spirits¡ª who could recognize the Macabre cier. However, because most of them were in hiding, with more whose lives and deaths were unknown, none could attest to it.


    Except for Ruin and the previous Void Master.


    Since they were the sole survivor of that fateful day when the Dark Sage had fallen, and the Void Master sealed the Macabre cier.


    Putting all those thoughts aside, Ruin continued to observe the confrontation between the different representatives of each Sovereign Factions.


    Due to the limited supply of magic energy in the surroundings, the sh between the two sides was limited to small-scale and low-consumption magic spells.


    Watching them made Ruin itch all over. It was like a fight between little kids in arge ypen¡ª without even a hint of these mages being Sovereigns or powerful individuals from different nes.


    The scene below was hurting Ruin''s eyes!


    In the end, he could only endure and continue to observe while trying to identify each of the representatives below.


    After a while, Ruin noticed that most of the representatives were actually working together against Flos''s side. Ruin was unsurprised about this because, to the other Sovereign factions, Flos''s faction, which was close to recruiting the Somuli Sovereign, was their biggest enemy.


    As for why the other factions were there, based on the conversations that Ruin heard, they were there simply because they sensed a powerful magic and were curious. Upon seeing Flos''s subordinates, they immediately engaged them in a fight, wanting to stop them from acquiring another item that could boost their faction''s power.


    Ruin let out a dryugh in his heart.


    Technically, those representatives were right because the Macabre cier would indeed boost the strength of Flos''s faction. But they had no idea how much boost it would provide.


    Deciding not to meddle in their kid-like squabble, Ruin observed the surroundings and tried locating Flos and the Macabre cier''s exact location.


    After confirming that they were underground, Ruin left and looked for a rtively empty part of the forest and dug his own path to where Flos was.


    Meanwhile, the confrontation among the other groups on Kyran''s side was either in a stalemate or entering a critical juncture.


    This was especially true at the Armakea borders.


    The battle there had been an attrition type where the Armakea kept bombarding the defensive array of the border but ended up failing. With Gael and Kesiah attacking the Armakea from the rear, the tides were already in their favor.


    However, Kesiah soon realized that Mo was missing. As a matter of fact, there were other Legendary-level Knights who had gone missing.


    This did not bid well for them. Or, at least, not to the groups in Larkring. After all, Mo was considered the most powerful Aide of the King, and with Legendary-level Knights at his disposal, he could easily reim the Military District.


    As soon as Gael learned of this, he made full use of his Shadow minions to find them. Apart from that, he and Kesiah started to prepare a contingency n. Once they took care of the rest of the King''s forces at the border, they would then execute the n.


    Just when Gael, Kesiah, and the rest of their people felt the battle wasing to a close, ten figures in white robes appeared right above the battlefield.


    These figures were none other than Deus''s MEx-¦Ä series.


    Going back an hour or two before the MEx-¦Ä series arrived at the Armakea border, Mo, along with twenty other Legendary-level Knights, who left the battlefield undetected, had made their way to a secret underground fort.


    This fort was not built by the Armakea but a fort that had long been there along with the borders. It had an array formation of its own, which was connected to the one the Armakea Royal Family discovered under the Armakea Castle.


    In this fort, there was a small transmission array connected to the Armakea Castle. Unfortunately, because of the amount of magic energy required to activate the array, it was impossible to use in session.


    Although Mo and his group did use a transmission array to arrive at the border in a short span of time, they used a different one from that secret underground fort. Initially, Mo wanted to return to the location of the transmission array they came to, but their scouts reported that the transmission arrays had all been destroyed.


    Because of this, Mo decided to use another, which was only known by the King and his Aides.


    Fortunately, they had enough philosopher''s stone to activate the transmission array. Not to mention, their number was few; thus, they only needed to activate it once.


    After going through all that, Mo and the Legendary-level Knights arrived at a room in the castle''s underground section.


    And it so happened that the room where Mo and these knights had appeared in was where Breira and a few automatons had also entered.


    Mo''s eyes narrowed as soon as he realized that Breira no longer bore the King''s pact.


    On the other hand, Breira wore an indifferent expression, but inwardly, his mind reeled at the sight of Mo.


    Mo looked at the dark-armored people with Breira as he said, "For you to betray your own King, you are a disgrace to all Knights."


    A part of Breira felt guilty after hearing Mo''s words. However, recalling the things that he was forced to do because he was a knight to a sinful King immediately lessened that guilt. After which, thinking of his new Master andparing him to the previous one eased what was left of that guild in Breira''s heart.


    With his head held high, Breira replied, "Everyone has their own bottom lines. Right now, the path King Aran wanted to walk and the future he has in mind no longer agree with mine."


    "A knight talking about bottom lines..." Mo scowled, "You are truly a disgrace."


    In the blink of an eye, Mo''s figure disappeared and reappeared right before Breira.


    "I will personally mete out your punishment."

 Chapter 913 All Hell Break Loose (9)

    <h4>Chapter 913 All Hell Break Loose (9)</h4>


    Breira could not even react the moment Mo''s fist rammed down toward him. Fortunately, the automaton beside him was more attentive, and its awareness and processing speed were faster, thus moving even before Mo raised its fist, blocking his punch with the shield on his hand before itnded on Breira''s head.


    CLANG!


    Mo''s fist mmed into the automaton''s shield, resulting in a metal-hitting-metal sound that rang in the air.


    "Please be careful. We cannot have you losing your head just yet," the automaton told Breira while pushing his shield upward and forcing Mo''s fist away.


    Mo was momentarily stunned at the ck armored soldier''s very timely interference. But he recovered just as fast and followed the trajectory of thetter''s push to avoid getting himself pushed out of bnce. After which, he used the initial course of the trajectory to execute aplete turn before raising his leg to perform a hook kick, aiming at Breira''s temple.


    By this time, Breira had already regained much of his awareness and wits and did not remain standing there like a frozen statue. He raised his arm, where he had already equipped his Divine Armament to block Mo''s kick.


    Knowing that he could notpletely counter the strength of Mo''s kick, Breira followed his block with a punch using his free hand, aiming it at Mo''s exposed thigh.


    "Humph," Mo snorted as he vanished just before Breira''s fistnded.


    Breira''s eyes narrowed as he made full use of his perception to detect where Mo would appear next. But before he could even do so, the automaton beside him had already moved and ced his shield at Breira''s blind spot¡ª his back.


    CLANG!


    Another resounding metallic sound rang out as Mo''s knee hit the automaton''s shield.


    ''This guy...!'' Mo could not help but scowl at the ck armored soldier with Breira.


    The exchange between them had only been executed for no more than ten seconds, and seeing how Mo was being blocked by one of the ck armored soldiers and could notnd a proper move on Breira, the Legendary-level Knights had finally decided to join in.


    In terms of numbers, Breira and Mo''s group appeared equal.


    However, Mo believed his group had the advantage in terms of experience, expertise, and level. Besides, they already knew the Divine Armaments of the ck armored soldiers since they were already equipped with them,pletely removing the element of surprise from their end. On the other hand, Mo''s side had yet to summon theirs. If each of them fought the soldier whose Divine Armament was weak to theirs, they could easily win the advantage over their side.


    Though Mo did notmunicate his thoughts with his group, the Legendary-level Knights all moved ordingly and engaged the Breira''s side.


    Meanwhile, the automatons, apart from the one beside Breira, who appeared indifferent to Mo''s sudden attack, also moved.


    Back to Breira''s side, the automaton who blocked Mo''s knee attack pushed his shield upward once more, wanting to push Mo away.


    But Mo was already prepared. Not waiting for the ck armored soldier to use the shield to push him off bnce, Mo already jumped. When he reached a certain point of his jump, he vanished once more.


    Breira, sensing this, felt exasperated. This was one of the things that he hated about Mo¡ª his innate ability to make himself invisible. Mo''s innate ability was already a pain, but what made it worse was that his innate magic¡ª Gravity, worked well with it.


    That was right. Others would have mistaken Mo''s innate magic for Space because of his appearance and disappearance, but that was not the case.


    Using Gravity magic, Mo could make himself light as a feather and heavy as a tank. When he was light as a feather, he could disy monstrous movement speed. And when he used his magic to make himself heavy, his physical attack could easily blow an average beast-like andplete being''s skull to smithereens. Of course, Gravity magic did not really make him heavy per se, but he could multiply the force of attraction between himself and his target. Depending on that force, he could easily deal a massive blow to his target.


    But Mo''s way of using his innate magic could not be considered wless. For one thing, there were knights who could repel his pull, thus lessening the force of attraction.


    Breira was one of those knights, which was why Mo could not use his magic directly on him. Besides, the former was also an aide. If Mo still insisted on using that technique, Breira would likely use it to his advantage and deal him with a simrly powerful counter.


    "Right torso," the automaton blurted just as Breira watched Mo appear with his body lowered and his fist poised to punch Breira''s right torso.


    Breira lowered his arm just in time to block Mo''s fist, "Ngh...!"¡ª but ended up letting out a small grunt as thetter''s fist seemed to have weighed a ton.


    "Humph!" Mo dragged his punch and hurled Breira to the side. After that, he disappeared once more.


    The automaton did not try to save Breira because he deemed the act to be stupid. After all, if he tried to stop Breira from getting thrown to the side, he would end up going with him. Instead, the automaton mmed his shield forward.


    Mo''s eyes widened as he reappeared in time when the shield mmed onto his body.


    Mo failed to use the shield''s trajectory to reduce the impact and was sent hurling backward. While he was in midair, he vanished once more.


    SLAM! CRASH!


    The time it took Breira to m onto the wall was the same it took the automaton to attack Mo.


    Breira managed to retain his bnce and only fell on one knee. He then looked at the automaton that sessfully hit Mo and let out a wry smile. He had seen what happened while he was sent flying and feltplex emotions at the automaton''s response.


    He felt that the automaton''s actions and movements were far more fluidpared to when they fought them. With this in mind, he looked at the rest of the automatons already engaged inbat with the rest of the Legendary-level Knights with Mo.


    Contrary to what was initially expected, the automatons were not at a disadvantage against the Legendary-level Knights. Although the former could not find their momentum, given the advantage of thetter''s Divine Armament over them, they easily adjusted their battle approach and fought quite well.


    Breira could not help but let out an inward sigh while watching them.


    The automatons'' movements and actions had definitely improved by leaps and bounds after their Master adjusted their programming. The more Breira witnessed what their Master could do, the more he felt assured that he had made the right decision in following him.


    Breira''s eyes instantly shed as he sensed an iing danger from above. He instinctively raised one arm to protect his head while also protecting his lower torso.


    BAM! BAM!


    "Guah...!" Breira spat out a mouthful of blood as another powerful blow from Mo mmed on both sides of his torso. Although he had one arm protecting his torso, he could not fully counter the weight of Mo''s punches.


    "You have a pretty good helper," Moplimented as he slowly appeared before Breira. "But don''t think I would be stopped from meteing out your punishment just because of him."


    "Get down!"


    Breira need not be told twice. Although he was rendered a little disoriented after receiving Mo''s punches, he managed to catch sight of the automaton''s movement. Before thetter could warn him, he had already lowered his body to the floor.


    "Tsk!" Mo clicked his tongue as he sensed an iing danger from his back. With his high perception, he managed to sense where the ck armored soldier would aim his shield and immediately turned to the other side to evade it.


    However.


    BAM!


    "Ngh...!" Mo let out a surprised grunt as he mmed into what appeared to be a very solid wall.


    It was quite unfortunate for Mo that the moment he decided to turn to the side, the automaton had anticipated it after noticing the shift in the former''s muscles. Although Mo was wearing armor and his muscles could not exactly be seen, the automaton''s eyes, which could not really be considered ''human eyes,'' managed to detect all those minute changes. He then changed his attack toe from the side where Mo nned to escape.


    Without waiting for Mo to recover, Breira hoisted his body, using his hands to push it upward. He then aimed his feet at Mo''s exposed back, kicking thetter upward.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Breira did not stop with one kick. He sent out one kick after another, relentlessly taking advantage of Mo''s disoriented state.


    The automaton did not join in the attack. Since his shield was huge and could end up hitting Breira as well, he watched in silence while waiting for a chance to attack.


    "BREIRA!"


    And that chance arrived soon enough.

 Chapter 914 All Hell Break Loose (10)

    Chapter 914 All Hell Break Loose (10)


    Breira''s relentless kick sent Mo upward.


    Others would have been hard-pressed to regain their bearings in such a situation, but Mo was the most powerful aide to the King of Armakea. All his battle experiences were ingrained into his bones to the point that even when under attack, his body would instinctively move ordingly.


    "BREIRA!" Mo growled in anger, his magic energy exploding out.


    Removing the force of attraction in his bodying from the ne''s gravity, Mo''s weight suddenly turned light as a feather and broke the momentum from Breira''s relentless kicks.


    "Ngh...!" Breira ground his teeth and braced himself for Mo''s counterattack.


    Mo''s decision to turn himself weightless might appear to be his way to stop Breira''s momentum before escaping and regaining his bearing, but Breira knew better. Mo was not called the most powerful aide to the King for nothing. Thus, Breira was positive that Mo would start his counterattack right after breaking out of his attack.


    Breira''s guess was on point. Mo indeed nned tounch his counterattack.


    The moment Mo gained an additional few feet of distance from Breira while in midair, his eyes shed as he prepared to summon his Divine Armament.


    But.


    BAM!


    "¡ªGUAH!"


    Just before Mo''s Divine Armament manifested, the automaton who had been silently observing from below jumped. With Mo quite a distance above, he stepped on Breira, who was in the motion of falling to the floor and propelled himself further up.


    The automaton raised his shield over his head before ramming it straight down Mo''s head.


    Mo''s brain was rattled, and his vision blurred from the impact of getting hit by the shield. He then plummeted to the floor faster than Breira did.


    Breira initially wore a helpless look on his face as the automaton stepped on him. But after seeing what thetter did to Mo, he could only watch wide eye as thetter fell before him. The first thing that crossed his mind was the question of how he hit Mo with his shield when thetter had yet to cancel his weightless state.


    BAM!


    Mo crashed with such intensity that the floor was destroyed, creating a human-shaped crater.


    The Legendary-level Knights nearby, who saw this, were momentarily stunned. To them, Mo was the embodiment of invincibility, and though it was said that Filren could rival him at times, the fact that Mo still emerged as the victor was a testament to his title as the most powerful aide to the King.


    Yet, Mo was smashed by the ck armored soldier they had initially thought to be only good at defending. Of course, Breira was the one who created the opportunity for the ck armored soldier, but his contribution innding a solid hit on Mo paled inparison to what thetter did.


    "It''s not over yet!"


    The automaton''s warning came right after hended on the floor beside Breira.


    Even without the automaton''s warning, Breira was already looking toward the human-shaped crater that Monded in.


    BOOM!


    A surge of powerful magic energy erupted from within the crater, sending ripples of magic waves in every direction.


    "You have indeed found a good helper. Good!"


    RUMBLE! BOOM!


    From within the crater, a gigantic dual-de battle axe emerged and fell straight toward Breira and the automaton''s spot.


    Breira''s eyes widened as he looked at the gigantic dual-de battle axe. He knew what Mo''s Divine Armament was but never had the chance to see it in person. This was because Mo never had a chance to use it. Even when Mo and Filren fought, the two never used their Divine Armament, and they still managed to determine a victor between them.


    But that was not the cause for Breira''s incredulous reaction. It was because of the battle axe''s size.


    Still, Breira''s shock was only momentarily. As soon as the gigantic dual-de battle axe descended toward their spot, he rolled to the side to dodge.


    The automaton, however, did not do the same.


    As soon as Breira was out of the way, he looked at the automaton in disbelief and shouted, "Oi! Don''t brave it! Mo''s innate magic is Gravity! There is no telling how much that battle axe weighed after infusing it with Gravity magic¡ª!"


    Before Breira could finish what he was saying, the gigantic dual-de battle axe alreadypleted its descent and smashed down onto the automaton.


    The automaton raised its shield just a few seconds before the battle axe cleaved down at him.


    BOOM! RUMBLE! BOOM!


    The collision caused the room''s floor to cave inpletely, sending everyone down a level. However, the battle axe''s momentum did not stop after destroying the floor. It continued to cleave down the next few levels, taking everyone down with it.


    At that exact moment, Kyran was relentlessly aiming at the energy cores of the attacking automatons while also engaging in a cat-and-mouse chase with the gigantic automaton.


    After a while of fighting, Kyran determined the gigantic automaton indeed had a way to counter his Void magic. Unless he used his Draconic magic to deal with thetter, he could not properlynd a hit. He did, however, notice that the gigantic automaton avoided stepping on the other automatons, regardless of whether they were still active or inactive.


    As much as possible, Kyran wanted to avoid using his Draconic magic. This was because he knew he attracted the being who recently beat the hell out of him because of the appearance of the silver humanoid dragon. Though he had yet to figure out how that being knew he was the silver humanoid dragon, he did not want to take a risk and attract him again.


    While the Shaiha was still concealing his presence, that in itself was trouble already because that being seemed to be looking for it.


    Considering all this, Kyran wanted to exhaust the gigantic''s reserved magic energy. After all, their energy core was different from the energy core he could make, wherein it could absorb magic energies in the surroundings by itself. Besides that, he also took advantage of its weakness of not wanting to step on the other automatons.


    s, Kyran did not expect the gigantic automaton to realize what he was trying to do so soon and refused to release another one of its concentrated magic energy attacks in fear of exhausting its magic energy reserves.


    Ultimately, the number of moving automatons went down with each passing second. This speed at which Kyran took them down could be attributed to their limited processing capability. If their program was working properly at the same time, their sentient awake, they would have adjusted their battle approach when dealing with him. Kyran''s target had been their energy cores all along, and from this, any automaton with a semnce to what a genuine automaton should act would have already done their best to protect their energy cores.


    Thus far, the gigantic automaton was the only one that seemed to have its processing capability working at a higher percentage; as for whether its sentient was awake or not, to be honest, Kyran did not know for sure. He had a strange inkling that rather than its sentient being awake, the gigantic automaton''s mind seemed a little off.


    What made Kyran think this was, first and foremost, its voice. The gigantic automaton''s voice sounded metallic¡ª as if its voice was artificial, yet not entirely.


    The programming of Kyran''s puppets was far inferior to that of automatons, yet they sounded very human-like already. Howe this gigantic automaton was any different?


    Another point Kyran noticed was its behavior. It kept avoiding the other automatons as if it could not bear to destroy such priceless treasures. Besides that, it continued to ramble on about vanquishing traitors.


    Kyran was not even part of Armakea. How did he be a traitor? It felt as if the gigantic automaton only wanted to do one thing, and that was to vanquish traitors. Thus, all it deemed as an enemy was recognized as traitors.


    On the other hand, the female spirit that had been following Kyran around had long epted his quirky character of jumping right into trouble rather than escaping from it. Thus, she stopped wasting her breathining and settled on top of his head and enjoyed the feeling of witnessing him fight up close.


    The way the female spirit was acting, it was not a stretch to say that she had already forgotten why she came there.


    If Chrysanthemum had known about it, she would probably have fainted in anger.


    Kyran rolled to the side, avoiding the gigantic automaton''s punch.


    BOOM!


    The gigantic automaton''s fist smashed on the ground, leaving behind a huge fist-sized crater.


    After escaping from the gigantic automaton''s punch, Kyran did not stop his movement. After rolling twice anding down on all fours, he shifted his weight and rolled backward in a reverse somersault to avoid several arrows thrown at him in session. Aftering back on all fours, he jumped once more to dodge another automaton, aiming to pierce its spear through his head.


    But Kyran did not only dodge the iing spear. He raised his arms while reversing his grip on his swords before cleaving them upward, forming an X, and aimed at the automaton''s energy core.


    Crackle! Boom!


    The automaton''s energy core exploded, and soon after, it dropped its spear and fell to its knees before falling head-first to the ground.


    More automatons came from behind while Kyran was still in midair. But before any of them could attack, the high ceiling above rumbled and copsed directly at them.


    As the ceiling copsed, debris was not the only thing that came crashing down; several figures were among them.

 Chapter 915 All Hell Break Loose (11)

    Chapter 915 All Hell Break Loose (11)


    Kyran immediately recognized Breira among the ones falling from above. He also saw some of the automatons he acquired and a few knights he did not recognize.


    Breira also sensed his connection with Kyran returning as soon as Mo destroyed the room they were in. Following the reestablishing of their connection, he immediately felt the Sigil''s Blessing taking effect.


    [Master! Mo has returned.]


    Was the first thing Breira told Kyran. However, he did not tell this because he was not confident in dealing with him. Instead, he said it to alert thetter in case a change in their current n had to be made.


    Even before Breira disclosed Mo''s arrival, Kyran already sensed a powerful aura among the onesing down from above and more or less guessed who it was. Besides that, he saw Mo''s imposing figure, holding a gigantic dual-de battle axe, while he used the debris around them as a foothold as he descended.


    Breira and the others did the same, but Mo''s figure was truly eye-catching, which was why Kyran spotted him quickly. As a matter of fact, Kyran also watched Mo cleave the gigantic battle axe horizontally toward Breira and a sword and shield-wielder automaton like he was waving a regrly weighed battle axe and not one that weighed more than a ton.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As Mo cleaved his Divine Armament, every debris it collided with exploded into bits. Just from this, it was enough to determine how much strength his battle axe possessed.


    Before Kyran could respond to Breira, the gigantic automaton was already on the move, stomping its huge feet right at him. Kyran''s eyes shed as he used the Dragon Steps to move out of the way. He then abruptly stopped the moment he arrived at his desired location because three automatons were already there, waiting for him.


    These three automatons wielded a great sword, simrly designed as the automaton that led the first fifty automatons they encountered.


    BAM!


    The three automaton smashed their great swords to the spot where Kyran had just been, while he jumped just in time to evade them.


    Without even giving Kyran a breather, two automatons wearing gaiters jumped with their leg raised above their heads and performed an axe kick.


    The female spirit, quietly spectating everything that Kyran did while atop his head, let out a gasp, seeing the three iing kicks. After all, if the axe kick connected, it would be her who would suffer first.


    None of that happened as Kyran returned his swords to his pouch and raised his hands in time to grab each of the automatons'' calves.


    Doing such a thing while someone was about to do an axe kick was quite tricky. If done incorrectly, the person''s soles would still connect. Besides that, the one catching the calf would have to bear the brunt of the unreleased force of the axe kick, resulting in his hand and forearm going numb.


    But Kyran did not experience any of that because his body could easily negate the force from those kicks. To him, the force that mmed onto his arms was akin to a small flick.


    After catching the calves of the automatons, Kyran somersaulted, taking the automatons along with him and throwing them to three automatons approaching in front.


    Meanwhile, Breira and the sword and shield-wielder automaton used some of the debris near them as a foothold to evade Mo''s attack. As if the two were of the same mind, they did not try to keep their distance from the battle axe and instead jumped right onto it.


    When Mo saw this, he growled in anger and immediately willed his Divine Armament to turn back to its original size.


    As the battle axe shrunk in size, Breira and the sword and shield-wielder automaton were pulled toward Mo.


    Contrary to Mo''s expectation of the two deciding to get off the battle axe once he retracted its size, thetter two ran the length of the battle axe''s retracting shaft toward the former.


    Mo''s eyes narrowed.


    "Very good. It appears the courage you found applies not only to your decision to betray your King but also to the way you fight. COME!"


    Mo unsummoned his Divine Armament, forcing Breira and the automaton to jump and use the debris around them to get near him again.


    "Do not be blinded by the pact you have with King Aran, Mo!" Breira shouted while he jumped and sent out a punch at Mo. "Just think about a little. You know a knight cannot break the pact by himself!"


    Mo received Breira''s punch with a punch of his own, "Are you telling me that you are forced out of the pact?"


    Others listening to them would have wondered how Mo arrived at that conclusion. But if one knew how definite the pact all aides to the King had, they would understand that only the King had the ability to remove his pact from an aide.


    Breira was sent flying backward as Mo''s punch overpowered his. Seeing this, the sword and shield-wielder automatonunched himself forward and helped Breira regain his bearing.


    The two stepped on arge piece of debris before preparing to jump on other pieces of debris.


    "Is it not because you acted against the King''s will, which is why you are forced out of the pact?" Mo continued as he propelled himself toward Breira after stepping on a piece of debris. He carried a terrifying momentum that shattered the debris as soon as heunched himself forward.


    "Mo¡ª ugh...!"


    Breira barely got off the debris he and the automatonnded when Mo''s body mmed straight at him. Breira could only grit his teeth while thinking how hard it was to fight another while airborne.


    Looking at how Mo could continue to attack imposingly regardless of the current condition of their surroundings, Breira felt aggrieved.


    ''Breira. What are you doing?''


    Breira''s ears perked up as his new Master''s voice rang in his head.


    What was he doing? He was trying his best to fight Mo.


    Breira did not say this aloud, but he did not have to. If he did, he would have made a big fool of himself because rather than Kyran saying those words as a question, he actually said that scoldingly.


    ''Remember, you''re my Sigil. And right now, you''re within my range!''


    Breira''s eyes widened as realization struck him. That was right. He was no longer an aide who relied solely on his own strengths to deal with the King''s enemies. He now had a new master, who was gracious enough to bestow them a blessing whenever they were within range.


    "Your death will serve as a warning to every knight that dared betray the King!" Mo shouted as he raised his hand toward two huge pieces of debris near them. He then attracted their momentum and Breira''s, wanting thetter to be sandwiched between the two.


    Mo also increased the attraction, which made the weights of these two pieces of debris tripled. After that, he prepared to separate himself from Breira.


    It was at this point that Breira was reminded of his new identity. A faint silver glow appeared on his eyes as the Sigil''s blessings came into full effect.


    After Mo separated himself from Breira, the two huge pieces of debris came hurling and smashed right onto thetter.


    BOOM!


    The debris exploded, sending ripples of the shockwave from the impact in every direction.


    Mo did not stay to watch, though. As soon as hended on a piece of debris, he turned his attention to the shield-wielding ck armored soldier.


    By this time, they were already close to the ground. As a matter of fact, some of the Legendary-level knights and automatons had alreadynded and resumed their fights.


    Mo could not help but frown when he saw the ck armored soldier looking over at him without any signs of rushing over. It looked as if thetter had given up on attacking and had decided to just stand on the piece of debris and wait until hended on the ground.


    "You''re next," Mo dered, ultimately pushing all other thoughts he had aside.


    But as Mo prepared tounch himself toward the ck armored soldier, he sensed an iing danger from behind.


    "This¡ª!"


    BAM!


    "¡ªugh!"


    Breira shoulder-mmed Mo from behind, sending thetter crashing to the ground.


    BOOM!


    Mo crashed to the ground, destroying the ground as he got buried a few feet deep.


    "My death?" Breira snorted. "Don''t write me off just yet. We''re not done, Mo."


    BOOM!


    The ground exploded as Mo rushed out from it and flew straight at Breira.


    "You''re getting quite full of yourself!" Mo growled, summoning his Divine Armament as he came flying toward Breira.


    FOOOM!


    "Wha¡ª?"


    "Ngh...!"


    Before Mo could approach Breira, an ear-deafening explosion sounded, sending the whole surroundings to quake frantically.


    "My decision toe here has been correct."


    A soft-spoken male voice resounded throughout the ce.


    Everyone, including the automatons, stopped in their tracks after hearing the man speak.


    After which, an invisible force seemed to sweep through them as the man said, "Dimension."

 Chapter 916 All Hell Break Loose (12)

    Chapter 916 All Hell Break Loose (12)


    In an instant, everyone in the lowest level of the castle''s underground was rendered immobile. This included the automatons.


    Kyran looked up and saw a white-robed man descending from above. His eyes narrowed as another image of a man in white robes intersected with the one above. Though there were slight differences, which confirmed that the man above was a different person, their bearing and countenance appeared to have been cast in the same mold.


    Meanwhile, Breira, Mo, and the rest of the Legendary-level Knights also looked at the white-robed man with grim expressions. All of them possessed high perception, yet they failed to sense the white-robed man''s arrival. This fact alone was a testament to thetter''s strength.


    Breira and Mo also had a different take on the white-robed man''s identity. Because they had personally met an outsider, they believed thetter was the same. However, if they looked at the white-robed man''s countenance, he also appeared different.


    Breira and Mo could not exin it very well. But one thing they were sure of: the white-robed man was not a simple outsider. How they were all rendered immobile upon thetter''s arrival was already proof of that.


    "I was drawn here after sensing an activity from a high-density energy core. But apart from discovering a rather huge treasure, I was lucky enough to have actually found you."


    The white-robed man was none other than Deus, and at the moment, he was looking at Kyran, who was still wearing a silver with dark purple armor.


    When the white-robed man had spoken those words, Mo and the Legendary-level Knights with him were only made aware of the others nearby. Since they could not move their body, they could only shift their eyes to where the white-robed man was looking and barely glimpse a figure in silver armor.


    Mo was immediately infuriated. He knew at once that the figure in silver armor was part of the rebel faction that Breira likely helped infiltrate the castle. It did not ur to him that the rebel faction had gotten so close to their King!


    Mo could also glean clues about the Armakea''s current situation by looking at the automatons surrounding the silver armored rebel.


    Knowing their King, Mo believed he would not mobilize the automatons if nothing happened to the knights in Larkring¡ª not only those guarding the castle but also those in the Military District. From this, Mo more or less guessed that the knights in the castle were defeated while the Knights in the Military District were held up. Thus, they could not provide backup for the King in time.


    If the rest of the aides had joined the rebellion, King Aran would have been hard-pressed not to mobilize his trump card to save the kingdom.


    Thinking about the situation up to that point, Mo backed up at the possibility of other aides apart from Breira joining the rebels, and he was infuriated further.


    It was quite unfortunate that Mo could not sense who among the knights was removed from the pact. Only when in front of another knight would he sense whether they were still part of the pact or not, like how he did with Breira.


    Nevertheless, Mo''s frustration with not being able to determine who among the knights who were supposed to be protecting the King had joined the rebellion was not a big deal. The important thing was that he could still sense the pact, which meant the King was still safe.


    But where King Aran was, Mo had no idea.


    Mo could more or less sense King Aran''s location, which was in the castle. But where exactly in the castle, he did not know.


    On Kyran''s side, after the white-robed man had spoken those words, he sorted all the information he gleaned from thetter''s words and their current situation.


    One, the white-robed man, was not only an Array expert but also a Smithing master. The fact that he knew about energy cores and could sense them was proof of that.


    Second, the white-robed man was also after him, Kyran. Why else would the former mention ''being lucky'' of finding him if not for that?


    Third, Kyran was now sure that the white-robed man was in the same group as that first white-robed man who nearly beat him to death. This Kyran confirmed because of thetter''s use of dimension¡ª the strange and troublesome domain-like ability.


    Fourth, the white-robed man and the other one before him were likely not after Kyran, per se, but his persona as the silver humanoid dragon. This was supported by Kyran''s current wearing of silver armor. Although the designs of both armor were different, those with discerning eyes could easily connect that the man inside the armor was the same from the shape of their body and countenance. It was impossible for two different people to have the exact same figure and countenance, after all.


    This was precisely the reason that Kyran managed to see the white-robed man before him was a different person from the first one.


    Last, and most important of all, Kyran finally confirmed why these guys were after him, from the words that escaped the white-robed man just now.


    "You really could hide your presence. Initially, we only had a very strong suspicion about why that is, but now, I am 90 to 95% sure that our suspicion is correct. You do have it, don''t you?"


    The Legendary-level Knights could not make sense of what the white-robed man was talking about. Even Mo, who was already infuriated to the point that he could not wait to break whatever spell thetter cast on them so he could go and massacre all the rebels, was momentarily confused.


    Obviously, the neer was not part of the rebel, but Mo knew he was an outsider. If the neer knew the silver armor man, who was part of the rebels, did that mean he was also an outsider?


    Did this mean Achim and Kesiah had indeed made contact with another outsider and employed their assistance? But if that was the case, howe the silver armor man''s presence was no different from aplete being?


    Just what was going on here?


    If this had been before Kyran received the Elixir''s enhancement, he would have felt rather helpless with the current situation. Although he would not say he waspletely without hope, he would still find dealing with the white-robed man troublesome. After all, there would not be a Ruin, this time, to help him. Even if there was, Kyran did not want to owe that guy a second time.


    Kyran tilted his head as he regarded the white-robed man; he then replied, "Have what? Don''t you know how to speak properly? I can''t make sense of what you''re saying."


    Deus''s eyes flickered with interest as he saw the silver armor man tilt his head so nonchntly. Thetter''s action might not mean much, but inside a Dimension, especially one that was made by a mage with Deus''s caliber, that spoke a lot.


    "MEx-¦Ä 54 told me you could barely defend yourself from its dimension. It seems our information needs to be updated."


    Because Kyran''s armor covered his whole body, including his head, no one saw the look of surprise on his face just then.


    Others might not understand what the white-robed man said when he mentioned MEx-¦Ä 54, but Kyran did. Not because he recognized the term but more because of his familiarity with a Smithing master''s habit of naming his creations.


    Putting aside Loar''s strange naming sense, he would always include numbers in the series of his creations. However, he would give a second name to all his well-loved creations, just like how he did with his Ar-Lo.


    Considering all this, Kyran was surprised to know that the being that beat him up was actually an automaton! Though hearing the white-robed man refer to thatbeing with a number-coded name did not really confirm its identity as an automaton, Kyran knew better. After all, like Kyran, when he created his puppets, he used his body as a reference when creating them. Because of this, most of his puppets bore a semnce to him.


    Kyran practically saw the shadow of that being when he first looked at the white-robed man. Add this to the fact thetter knew about energy cores, it could be considered proof enough of the being''s identity as an automaton.


    "Hm... You seemed unfazed," Deusmented while observing his target''s reaction.


    Kyran did not respond.


    "Don''t you know that your silence means you agree to everything I have said thus far?"


    Kyran still remained silent.


    "Or could your silence be your way of showing your willingness to surrender¡ª?"


    BOOM!


    Suddenly, a massive explosion urred above, sending debris falling once more.


    Deus looked up with a frown and was about to extend his Dimension when he realized a rift had appeared on the one he had created below.


    BOOM!


    Before he could react to the sudden turn of events, another explosion urred, and this time, it came directly from inside the Dimension.


    "Did you not know that talking too much is not advised in battle?"


    "You¡ª!"


    BAM!


    Kyran suddenly appeared in front of the white-robed man and immediately unleashed a punch, sending thetter hurling backward.


    Deus, dumbfounded at how his target managed to escape from his Dimension, was sent flying. He gritted his teeth and felt somewhat humiliated after remembering what his target had said just now.


    ''I talk too much? Thus, lowering my guard? Is that what you mean?''


    CRACKLE! FOOOOM!


    Deus''s magic pressure suddenly erupted, sending everyone below to their knees.


    "A lowly lifeform in the Lower Realm. Do you think you can discredit me and live? Me? From the Higher Realm?"

 Chapter 917 All Hell Break Loose (13)

    Chapter 917 All Hell Break Loose (13)


    The space behind Deus crackled and distorted, slowly revealing a crack in space. Soon after, a gigantic hand broke out from the crack, shattering the space like fragile ss.


    Kyran, who heard Deus''s remark before the fissure appeared, was momentarily stunned. He had heard about the Higher Realm before but never expected a day woulde when he woulde face to face with someone from there. More importantly, why would someone from the Higher Realm be interested in him?


    No. That was a stupid question. The white-robed man had practically stated the reason he was after him.


    The Heart of the Cosmos!


    This thought crossed Kyran''s mind in but a breath''s time, but that time was enough for the gigantic hand from the fissure to shorten the distance between it and him.


    As soon as Kyran regained hisposure, the gigantic hand was already upon him.


    If this had been any other time, he would still insist on acting the part of ''Nar,'' the Eidum''s suspected Imon-spawn benefactor. But after learning the white-robed man came from the Higher Realm and he was there for the Heart of the Cosmos, Kyran no longer cared about appearances.


    Dragon Steps¡ª!


    Or, at least, Kyran nned to execute a Dragon Step to evade the gigantic hand. However, before he could do so, a massive Array Formation appeared on the ground, which then triggered several other formations in different sizes and shapes written on the walls and the ceiling.


    It should be noted that a part of the ceiling had already been destroyed by the gigantic automaton, Breira, and the others'' arrival, andstly, the timely explosion that caused a rift in Deus''s Domain to appear. Yet, when the massive Array Formation appeared and all other formations were triggered, those written on the destroyed ceiling still appeared. From this, it was not wrong to assume that those formations were not written on a surface but were made to hover around the underground.


    The pupils of Deus''s eyes contracted as he felt a powerful binding force that instantly restrained his automaton froming out of his Dimensional Storage. Giving a quick look around the Array Formation around him, Deus realized that there was a form in it that restricted the use of any ability, magic, magic item, and spells that could connect the caster to the outside or a separate space.


    For the record, when Kyran created the temporary world, the Array Formation was not triggered simply because it could not determine if the temporary world was outside its range or a separate space. As far as the formation''s calction was concerned, the temporary world could not be considered outside because it was connected to the space where the formation was within range. But it also could not be considered as a separate space because it was ''parallel'' to Somuli''s ne.


    ''This array...! It seems it is truly a treasure left by the Ancients!''


    This discovery annoyed yet excited Deus.


    Annoyed because the array dared to defy him, Deus, who was the most powerful Array Transcendent in the Higher Realm! Even if it was a formation created by the Ancients, who were known to have reached the pinnacle of Array Creation in the Realm in the past, times had already changed. With their civilization destroyed and their legacy gone, their influence in the development of Array in both Lower and Higher Realm was no longer there.


    Nevertheless, Deus was also excited precisely because this would be the first time, after thousands of years, that they from the Higher Realm could get a chance to study aplete working Array Formation of the Ancients!


    Because of the Array Formation''s interference, Kyran sessfully escaped the gigantic hand''s trajectory. Still, since he had already decided not to keep up with appearances, he would no longer hide his strength¡ª or, to be precise, his strength when using Draconic magic!


    The dark purple color on Kyran''s armor was instantly removed as its overall look changed, turning into the same one he wore as the silver humanoid dragon. After which, he used the Dragon Step to appear directly in front of the white-robed man.


    Although Kyran nned to take the white-robed man by surprise, he never nned to underestimate him. Thus, he had already activated 50% of the Draconic magic in his body.


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s estimation of the white-robed man''s reaction time was still way off as a silhouette appeared protectively in front of thetter, the same moment Kyran did after using Dragon Step.


    Boom!


    Kyran''s fist collided with the silhouette''s own fist, and an explosion filled with magic energies erupted from the impact.


    But the explosion was not produced only by the collision of their fist, it was also because half of the silhouette''s body exploded!


    Deus narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. They had assumed their target was part dragon, albeit a very lowly one. Thus, when he created a puppet to block thetter''s punch, he ced great importance on his puppet''s defenses.


    In the end, Deus''s puppet still exploded. Moreover, he sensed his target did not put all his strength into that punch!


    Deus had already retreated before his puppet exploded. After that, he reinforced his Dimension to ensure none of thoseplete beings and automatons inside would dare escape.


    Not that they had the ability to do so.


    As far as Deus was concerned, his target was likely the only one who could take advantage of the explosion that caused a rift in his Dimension and escape from it.


    s, Deus''s view of what transpired earlier was too shallow. Because the moment he stepped back, a huge coffin appeared right above his head.


    Deus''s eyes widened as he looked up.


    As if in slow motion, the huge coffin opened, and a powerful restraining force kept Deus in ce.


    "This...!"


    "Nice, Armak!" Kyran could not help butmend Armak for his timely assistance.


    Armak, who, along with the other automatons who went with him, could be seen standing at the edge of one of the destroyed ceilings. After hearing Kyran''spliment, Armak was left feeling a little abashed. After all, Aran neverplimented them; thus, Armak was not used to it.


    For the record, the reason Armak and the other automatons arrived there was because they sensed Breira and the others suddenly appearing there. Not only that, they also sensed a sudden surge of powerful magic fluctuation, thus deciding to return to the lowest level of the castle and see the situation.


    Armak''s decision had been the right one. If not, he and the other automatons would not have been able to cause a rift to appear in Deus''s Dimension.


    Normally, others would not be able to see the Dimension, but the automatons with Armak possessed an advanced database that included what Dimensions were and how to counter it; thus, they immediately conveyed the message to Armak, who helped them create an explosion powerful enough to cause the rift and free their Master.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran had been trying tomunicate with Armak. Unfortunately, he could not establish a connection. Deus''s Dimension seemed to have blocked his ability tomunicate with his Sigils. But that did not seem to be the case with the automatons. After realizing that he couldmunicate with them, he already asked for their assistance.


    That was what Kyran had been doing while Deus bbered on earlier.


    "Humph," Deus snorted as he raised his hand.


    The air around him crackled as a magic array appeared above his head, after which a huge face of a puppet slowly emerged from it. It opened its mouth and let out a muted scream toward the opened coffin.


    A muted sonic-like wave erupted, which rattled everything within a thousand meters around Deus.


    Armak did not hear anything, but he felt as if his eardrums were about to explode. This was especially so since the Sigil''s Blessings had enhanced all his senses.


    Kyran was no different. But unlike Armak, whose body did not receive an enhancement from the Elixir and could barely hold on after hearing that soundless wave, Kyran was fine.


    He ignored the soundless wave, which was like an itch that passed through his ear and appeared directly between the coffin and the massive puppet''s face.


    The retraining force from the coffin did not affect Kyran''s movement. Raising his left fist, he punched the massive face of the puppet and destroyed it in one move.


    However, by then, Deus had already moved to another location. As he did, he continued to create more puppets that flew toward Kyran.


    Knowing his master''s ''weakness,'' Armak immediately willed his Divine Armament to close and moved it right below the spot where Kyran would require a foothold.


    That was right.


    Kyran''s weakness was still his inability to levitate. He stepped on the coffin before using Dragon Steps to get close to the white-robed man once more. However, Kyran changed his trajectory midway the moment he saw a shift in thetter''s movement. Thus, he still appeared in front of the white-robed man.


    Deus could not help but frown. He had made sure to use his movement spell just as soon as his target used his strange steps. Yet he still failed to get rid of thetter''s pursuit.


    Fortunately, Deus had created quite a number of puppets to keep his target busy.


    Armak continued to assist Kyran by moving the coffin around wherever he required a foothold. Frankly, it was a little exhausting to do this because thetter was moving too fast. If not for the Sigil''s Blessing, Armak admitted that he would not be able to follow Kyran''s movement. Still, it was truly a task to move around his Divine Armament.


    To avoid giving the enemy a chance to predict Kyran''s movement based on where the coffin would appear, Armak decided to unsummon and resummon his Divine Armament instead.


    Kyran felt a little aggrieved as he continued to destroy the puppets that kepting out of the white-robed man''s magic array. He did not expect thetter to possess such a deep pool of materials to actually create so many puppets without even blinking an eye. While he, Kyran, would feel his heart breaking whenever one of his puppets got damaged because of the materials he would need to repair them.


    True, his Void magic could easily recreate those materials, but the amount of magic energy he would need, as well as ensuring he was in a ne where those materials were avable when doing so, was truly troublesome. Thinking about the hassle he had to go through made him remember the Regis Terram and miss it greatly.


    s, after hisst visit, the Regis Terram had been inessible.


    Reigning all of his grievances on materials, Kyran continued his pursuit of the white-robed man. He believed thetter would soon exhaust all his materials and would no longer be able to create those puppets.


    "I know what you''re doing," Deus suddenly said with a slight smile. "You believe sooner orter, I will eventually exhaust my resources at the rate I am creating all these puppets, right?"


    Deus chuckled, "Then you''re in for a disappointment."


    He spread his arms as the magic array behind him grew bigger, and the head of an armored puppet emerged.


    This puppet was very different from those skinny ones that kept pestering Kyran. It even gave off a feeling like one of those automatons.


    "I don''t me you, really. What does a lowly lifeform in the Lower Realm know about Array Creation? Don''t think that the Array Formation of the Ancients can stop me from summoning my automatons!"


    The armored puppet, which was actually a bonafide automaton, flew straight at Kyran. Raising its hand, a concentrated magic energy started to condense while he aimed it at thetter. The next moment, it released the magic energy that appeared like beams, shooting at Kyran relentlessly.


    Kyran evaded the beams while destroying the puppets that continued to rush at him.


    By this time, Armak had stopped using his Divine Armament to assist Kyran because thetter had already used the puppets around him to propel himself around.


    Meanwhile, inside the Dimension, Breira and the others were unaware of what was happening outside.


    When the Dimension was destroyed, Breira saw Kyran rushing out of the rift and then disappearing. Even the white-robed man had vanished.


    But since the Dimension was still there, he knew they never really disappeared. Most likely, their surroundings were already different from the one they had been to.


    Breira could not put it into words, but the fact that when his Master slipped out of the rift and he lost connection with him once more, it was proof that they had been ''separated'' by some sort of barrier.


    Mo also had the same thought. Initially, he had thought he could easily regain control over his body, but up till now, he was still immobile. This was a disgrace to him, to be honest. Thus, he continued to umte magic energy inside him to break out.


    Simrly, another figure¡ª and a huge one at that, was already doing something to break out of the Dimension''s influence.


    This was the gigantic automaton.

 Chapter 918 All Hell Break Loose (14)

    Chapter 918 All Hell Break Loose (14)


    Kyran frowned while looking at the puppets that continued to appear from the white-robed man''s magic array. Apart from them, there was another automaton that thetter had summoned, which was now working in tandem with the first automaton.


    The first automaton continued to shoot concentrated magic energy beams from a distance, while the second automaton approached Kyran in a melee, using a concentrated magic energy sword. Every time the second automaton swung its sword, the space around them rippled, giving off the feeling that anything it struck would be cut in half without fail.


    Kyran looked at the white-robed man, who wore a slight smile.


    At that moment, the white-robed man was no longer moving around and letting his automatons and puppets deal with the enemy by themselves.


    However, Kyran knew better. While the white-robed man seemed to be observing the scene before him, Kyran could sense the man''s magic fluctuate ever so slightly, and it was directed at the massive Array Formation around them.


    If Kyran was right, the white-robed man was trying to decipher the formation while he let his automatons and puppets buy time.


    Every now and then, Kyran would sense one of the forms in the massive Array Formation shift slightly. Because the move was subtle, others would not even notice it. As a matter of fact, Kyran would not have noticed it either if not for the fact that he was quite familiar with the Array Formation already.


    In any case, the movement of those forms was proof that the white-robed man was indeed trying to decipher the formation and changing its cement ording to his design. But since the forms had not movedpletely, it meant the white-robed man had yet to win control over the Array Formation.


    In Kyran''s estimation, deciphering the castle''s main Array Formation would take several days or more than a week, even for an Array Saint like him.


    If the white-robed man actually managed to make the forms move, albeit a little, in a short span of time, then it meant his Array level was far above that of a Saint.


    It might not be known to all, but as far as Array in Lower Realm was concerned, the highest had been an Array Saint. But even when Array Saints came together, there would still be a definite gap between them.


    For example, Loar was a Sovereign who specialized in Array. However, his Array level was not above Kyran as they were both Array Saints. But that did not mean Loar was inferior to Kyran. Though they were both Array Saints, Loar was already at the peak, while Kyran was around the mid. If Loar could break through his Array Knowledge, then he would be an Array Transcendent¡ª the highest known level to Array.


    Looking at the white-robed man, Kyran was convinced that rather than being of the same level as Loar, a peak Array Saint, the former was an Array Transcendent.


    Kyran might not have anyone topare to, but he was very familiar with Loar''s Array Knowledge after exchanging insights on Array with him for more than a year. Thus, he knew Loar did not have the capability to decipher the castle''s Array Formation in a short span of time like the white-robed man.


    Thinking about this, Kyran felt a huge headache. He knew he had to do something fast and deal with the white-robed man. If not, thetter would unleash hell after seeding in winning over the castle''s main Array Formation.


    As to what Kyran meant about unleashing hell, they were obviously the automatons¡ª whether they were the white-robed man''s creations or the supposed trump card of King Aran.


    Why would King Aran''s trump card be included when the white-robed man unleashed hell? The answer was simple. Those automatons were connected to the castle''s main Array Formation. Once the white-robed man controlled the formation, he could also control the automatons.


    Still, a part of Kyran wanted to see the white-robed man seed in deciphering the castle''s Array Formation because he felt that only when the white-robed man hadplete control of the formation could he find a way to contend ownership with it.


    All these thoughts passed through Kyran''s mind while he engaged the white-robed man''s creations. With him utilizing his Draconic magic to 60%, he could easily evade the first automaton''s range attacks and the second automaton''s melee attacks while also destroying every puppet that dared go near him.


    The female spirit that managed to stay on top of Kyran''s head all this time was already dizzy from all the moving around. But it was not all that bad because all those movements rattled her brain, making her remember why she was there in the first ce.


    "L-Lord Master! I understand that you can''t deal with the situation at hand quickly, but if we stay any longer, I don''t think your friends there can hold on!"


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. He knew what the female spirit meant when she said there. As a matter of fact, he more or less guessed that Malek''s side was met with an unforeseen danger. For this reason, Kyran wanted to wrap things up in the castle as soon as possible and assist them. Unfortunately, the white-robed man appeared, making everything else moreplicated.


    "Because there is an outsider there that seems to know one of your friends! He even called her the new Soul Emperor!"


    Hearing the female spirit''s words nearly made Kyran miss a step and slip off a puppet''s back he had just jumped onto. The female spirit yelped as she was nearly thrown off his head as well.


    The second automaton''s energy sword shed past Kyran''s face, nearly missing his armor by a centimeter. Nevertheless, because the sword was made of concentrated magic energy, even without it touching, it still managed to leave a deep graze on his armor.


    If Kyran had still been using abination of the Draconic and Void when he enveloped himself in armor, then the energy sword would probably not have grazed it. But because the armor was now molded into pure Draconic magic, its magic resistance had declined. Thus, it could not fully counter the energy sword''s effect.


    Still, Kyran regained his calm and was not affected by that near-sessful cut by the second automaton.


    Before the second automaton''s armpletely passed through Kyran''s line of sight, he grabbed its wrist and deftly flicked its hand, holding the energy sword with his other hand, sending the energy sword flying out of its grip.


    Immediately, the second automaton wrestled its arm away from Kyran''s grip, nning to extend its other arm to catch the sword. However, Kyran tugged the second automaton''s arm, forcing it down, while he used the hand that flicked through thetter''s to grab the energy sword.


    As soon as the swordnded in his hand, Kyran pierced it into the second automaton''s head.


    Crackle! Boom!


    Kyran used what was left of the second automaton''s body after its head exploded as a foothold to hoist himself toward the iing puppets from above. With a fluid sweep of his hand holding the energy sword, the air crackled as a de-like beam shed out and flew toward the puppets in a beautiful horizontal arc.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, more puppets were destroyed.


    After that, Kyran located the first automaton. The distance between them was actually quite far, but he did not bother closing in. Timing his stance while thetter was about to release its beams, he threw the energy sword at it with pinpoint precision.


    At that moment, Armak, who, along with the other automatons, assisted Kyran by targeting the puppets close to them, happened to be looking at him. He could not help but blink his eyes because he felt as if the sword in Kyran''s hand had just left when it appeared before the first automaton''s face.


    Crackle! Boom!


    In that split second, the other automaton was destroyed just like that.


    Deus could not help but frown. He was indeed trying to buy time by letting his creations deal with his target while he deciphered the Array Formation. However, he did not expect thetter to be so proficient inbat that he managed to evade and destroy his creation with ease.


    Deus did see the records where his target fought a horde of beasts alone and emerged the victor. But automatons and puppets were different from beasts. While his puppets'' programming was inferior to his automatons, their capabilities could subdue even an Arch Magus. No matter how powerful his target was, he should not be able to destroy his creations that quickly¡ª not to mention effortlessly.


    ''If this is the case, I can only focus on that part of the formation''s form first. After that, I can have MEx-¦Å enter this ne and deal with this guy.''


    As soon as Deus thought this, he focused his attention on the form that restricted the use of any ability, magic, magic item, and spells that connected the caster to the outside or a separate space.


    Of course, before he started deciphering that part, he summoned another three automatons, which immediately went after the target.


    Meanwhile, the gigantic automaton inside Deus''s Dimension hadpleted its preparation. Its golden eyes shed as it raised its head toward the spot where the rift had appeared a moment ago.


    "Vanquish all traitors!" The gigantic automaton growled with a metal-like voice, following which a concentrated energy beam shot out from its eyes and toward the spot.


    ''Hm?'' Deus was slightly distracted as he sensed a powerful attack trying to pierce through his Dimension''s veil from the inside. He frowned slightly but was not that bothered.


    Even if those people inside the Dimension regained control over their body and muster their magic to attack it, they would not be able to do anything.


    That is how Dimensions are created. It is a space in which the creator hasplete authority. No one can overpower the creator. Only when another force attacks the Dimension from the outside can it be broken. But apart from that, it is impossible for those inside the Dimension to do anything to break it.


    Ignoring what the gigantic automaton inside his Dimension was doing, Deus focused all his attention on deciphering the castle''s Array Formation. He did not even check how his creations were doing against his target. As far as he was concerned, three automatons were enough to handle him.


    Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Deus broke the form he was targeting.


    A smile appeared on his face as his magic energy erupted. The space around behind his back crackled as the space distorted.


    "Let''s end this now," he said while loftily looking over his target.


    "Yes. Let''s do that."


    Unexpectedly, Kyran had actually been waiting for him to decipher the formpletely. His eyes then turned reddish-purple as his magic energy erupted.

 Chapter 919 All Hell Break Loose (15)

    <h4>Chapter 919 All Hell Break Loose (15)</h4>


    Deus had been so preupied with deciphering the Array Formation that he did not notice his active magic array already stopped producing puppets. Apart from that, the three automatons he summoned recently had also been destroyed, their remains lying among those that had fallen right on the surface of the Dimension below.


    Only when he heard the silver humanoid dragon''s response to his remark did Deus realize that the former had intentionally not attacked him even after destroying all his creations because he was waiting for him toplete what he was doing.


    Why?


    Deus found the answer soon after, causing his mind to reel in utter disbelief.


    The air around the silver humanoid dragon crackled as he raised his hand.


    A crack then appeared, tearing the space right in front of him.


    The scene before him was pretty much the same as what Deus did when he tried to bring our MEx-¦Å from his Dimensional Storage, except he had an inkling that the silver humanoid dragon was not trying to open a Dimensional Storage and bring forth something from inside.


    However, Deus had no ns to find out what the silver humanoid dragon intended to do. Regaining hisposure, he immediately waved his hand to cancel the magic array before him and roused his magic. He activated the Dimensional Storage and hastily brought forth MEx-¦Å 04.


    "Capture him alive¡ª!"


    Deus''s eyes widened as the words he was about to say got caught in his throat. Because the scene before him changed. The crack, he initially believed, was simr to how one would activate a Dimensional Storage, widened as a great abyss peered from within.


    "This¡ª! Ngh...!"


    Following that, a powerful suction force began to pull Deus and MEx-¦Å 04, which barely got its hand out of the Dimensional Storage.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes flickered as the fissure in front expanded. As it increased in size, both vertically and horizontally, its suction force also intensified.


    "You! What is this magic? Are you not an offspring of a lesser dragon?" Deus shouted in fright.


    That was right.


    For the first time in a while, Deus felt frightened. Because no matter what he did, no matter how much magic energy he roused, he could not stop himself from being drawn into that abyss.


    Kyran ignored the white-robed man''s rambling. He only focused on controlling and maintaining the fissure. Truth be told, there were plenty of ways how he could deal with the white-robed man.


    One such way was that Kyran could beat him half to death by utilizing both his Draconic and Void magic¡ª warping rather than using Dragon Steps to get close to the white-robed man while making full use of his body''s enhancement to beat him to a pulp. But doing this would take a while. After all, the white-robed man''s defenses were not something Kyran could overlook, especially since he was from the Higher Realm.


    Besides, the white-robed man had a chance to take out more of his automatons if Kyran wasted his time using him as a punching bag. When that happened, they would only repeat the cycle of what they had been doing from the start of their confrontation¡ª the former would summon his creations, while thetter would destroy them.


    While Kyran''s body had been enhanced, allowing him to amodate more of the Draconic magic energy in his body, he had yet to learn more of its uses. Thus, apart from multiplying his body''s strength and speed, molding his Draconic magic energy into dragon parts, or gathering his energy into concentrated magic attacks, there was nothing much he could do with it.


    Another way to deal with the white-robed man was summoning arge Void Sphere, thus eradicating him and his creations altogether,pletely.


    But if Kyran did this, he would be destroying a very valuable piece of information.


    Fortunately, Deus did not know that Kyran had already tagged him as such, or else, he would likely choose to detonate himself.


    In any case, Kyran wanted to know who the white-robed man was working for. He also wanted to know more about the Higher Realm since he decided to consider La''s offer.


    Considering this, Kyran chose the third way¡ª absorb the white-robed man and look through his memories. Frankly, he would never consider doing this, especially after learning thetter was from the Higher Realm.


    Absorbing aplete being had already put a huge toll on his body; what more if he absorbed someone from a different realm?


    But seeing that the white-robed man also used the same Magic Law as the one in the Human ne, albeit having an undiscernible mage level, Kyran changed his mind. He wanted to take the risk. At most, he would have to endure the white-robed man''s resistance and suffer internal injuries¡ª something that he was confident in oveing after his body''s enhancement.


    Armak, who was watching the scene below from the edge of an intact ceiling, felt goosebumps up his arms. Seeing the powerful suction force that pulled everything within five hundred meters of Kyran into that ever-growing fissure without knowing what would be of them was truly frightening. It made him wonder if he and Breira did not ept Kyran''s Sigil, would they end up being absorbed into that fissure as well?


    With Deus drawing closer by the second into the mouth of the abyss, he decisively used one of his trump cards.


    "AUTOMAS! ASSEMBLE!"


    Deus''s staff emitted a blinding light, following which a surge of abstruse and ancient energy erupted from within him. A particr system code activated on all the automatons that came with him to Somuli.


    Those few who arrived at the borders of Armakea and were surveying the battle that had only ended stopped in their tracks as the system code was activated.


    Their whole body lit up as runes appeared on their foreheads.


    If Kyran had been there, he would have recognized the rune as Teleport. But the rune was not written in Space runes¡ª surprisingly, it was Void runes!


    Gael, Kesiah, and the rest had already spotted the automatons and were under a lot of pressure.


    Of course, they were unaware that the figures hovering above the Armakea border''s defensive array were automatons. Nevertheless, with them unable to determine their level, as well as who they were, left a huge pressure on them.


    Were they friends? Or enemies?


    That had been the question circting in each one of them. However, after almost half an hour of observing them from above, these figures had not made a move.


    Until they started to emit a golden glow with light purple sparks.


    Gael, Kesiah, and the rest braced themselves, believing that those figures were about to engage them in battle. However, the attack did note. Instead, the figures disappeared right after.


    The same happened to MEx-¦Ä 54''s group. They were still halfway to arriving in Larkring when their bodies glowed, and the Teleport rune appeared on their foreheads. After that, they also disappeared.


    When they reappeared, all of them were in front of the massive fissure.


    Before appearing, they had already understood the situation and were ready.


    MEx-¦Å 04, who only had its hand out from the Dimensional Storage, suddenly rushed out, revealing its upper torso. After which, it reached out its arms and grabbed the top and bottom edges of the massive fissure. Letting out an inhuman howl, it then forcefully stopped the fissure''s expansion.


    MEx-¦Ä 54 and the rest of the MEx-¦Ä series formed a circr formation in front of Deus. Their energy cores surged with the same abstruse and ancient energy. All of them formed the points of an icosagon, which then slowly formed into a defensive array.


    However, the color of the array was not golden. It actually emitted a faint purplish glow!


    When the defensive array appeared, the suction force from the massive fissure was greatly reduced.


    Deus then smiled while looking at the silver humanoid dragon hovering just behind the massive fissure.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed after seeing the defensive array. Not only that, he had also seen the Teleport rune on the automatons'' forehead that had yet to disappear. Adding that up to the faint purple glow of their defensive array, Kyran finally understood why the magic energy wasing out from the white-robed man''s staff, and now his body appeared strange yet familiar.


    "To think you actually can produce energy simr to Void magic."


    When Kyran spoke, he did not use a loud voice.


    However, Deus heard him clearly. His smile widened as he tilted his head and mockingly said, "The crack you created just now... must have used the same concept as the Void. However, for someone in the Lower Realm to dare use such a move against me, who has the most knowledge of Ancient Magic in the Higher Realm... Arrogant!"


    If not for the armor Kyran was wearing, Deus would have likely seen him wearing an awkward expression.


    "Arrogant... I wonder, who''s the real arrogant one," Kyran muttered as he stopped circting Draconic magicpletely and allowed the Void magic to reign.


    His silver armor changed color, turning into dark purple as his magic energy rose.

 Chapter 920 All Hell Break Loose (16)

    <h4>Chapter 920 All Hell Break Loose (16)</h4>


    The Shaiha''s concealment had been in effect all this time, preventing Deus from sensing the type of magic energy the massive fissure emitted. Apart from that, Kyran learned magic in an unconventional way, not following the right course where basics and fundamentals should have been established first; thus, right from the start, he could summon his magic without any magic arrays. Although whenever he did, purple rings would appear instead, once he summoned those fissures, he never required them.


    As soon as the color of Kyran''s armor changed, his temperament also did. He was quite aggressive and oppressive when he was wearing the silver armor, but now, there was a certain tranquility about him. However, within that tranquility lies a very predominant air¡ª akin to a ruler that reigns supreme over all things.


    Before Deus couldprehend the change that happened to his target, thetter had moved.


    Kyran flipped his body in an impossible turn while remaining in the same spot. As he did, two ck swords appeared in his hands, and dark purple arcs shed out from their des that flew toward the wrists of the gigantic automaton, which tried to prevent the fissure from expanding.


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    The wrists of the gigantic automaton were cut off without even allowing a spark toe out from its severed circuitries. Without the gigantic automaton preventing the expansion of the fissure, its size and suction force increased once more, and the first ones that got pulled in were the severed hands of the gigantic automaton.


    Before Kyran''s feet touched the ''floor,'' which consisted of piled-up puppet bodies, he disappeared and appeared directly in front of the automaton at the topmost point of the defensive array. Without a pause in his appearance, his swords already struck horizontally, cutting the automaton in half. The automaton''s body had yet to show any signs of it being cut when Kyran disappeared, only to reappear in front of the next automaton to his left. Executing the same actions, Kyran cut the automaton as well. Not bothering to watch his handiwork, he already disappeared and then reappeared to his next target.


    The MEx-¦Ä series, who had seen what happened to MEx-¦Å 04 and were about to adjust the defensive array they were maintaining, were rendered helpless as they failed to react in time for Kyran''s assault. Even when he continued to move from one automaton to another, those who were cut were left motionless, while those who could still move could not because of the defensive array.


    The time it took Kyran''s armor to change up until he attacked MEx-¦Å 04 wrists had only been a breath''s time, resulting in Deus''s mind failing to register what transpired. By the time he did, several of his MEx-¦Ä series had already been attacked, forcing the defensive array protecting him from the pull of the massive fissure to copse.


    With the copse of the defensive array, Deus finally snapped out of his initial shock as he bellowed inplete confusion and rage, "WHO SENT YOU?"


    Deus''s question was brought about by his initial thought that his supposed target had been a trap all along¡ª that whoever sent the two different images of thetter to the Higher Realm was to have the Emperor show it to the rest of his subjects and then assign Deus, to go to the Lower Realm and investigate. After all, among the Emperor''s subjects, Deus was the only one who could see that the two individuals in question in the images were one and the same.


    Or was he really the only one?


    Among the Emperor''s subjects, the Dragon n should have been able to tell their own kind. There was also the matter of when Midnight was ''killed.'' Based on how she was killed, Deus had surmised that it was someone from the Dragon n.


    Could everything that happened be a conspiracy of the Dragon n?


    Unfortunately, Deus did not understand the severity of the situation he was currently in and failed to set his priorities. Or maybe he did, but his arrogance made him blind about everything else, thinking only of a possible conspiracy brewing among the Emperor''s subjects in the Higher Realm.


    Deus believed that even if his target seemed to possess two innate magic, with thetter of unknown type thus far, the situation was still within his control.


    s, when Deus finally decided to do something about his target, it was already toote.


    Kyran appeared behind the white-robed man, who seemed to have turned into a statue, unmoving after spouting a nonsensical question, and unhesitatingly kicked him toward the massive fissure.


    Deus''s eyes widened as he failed to sense his target''s appearance behind him. Not only that, when his automatons were attacked, he did not think they were destroyed. They were among his valuable creations, and their defenses were nothing like the puppets he created on the spot. No matter how destructive his target''s offensive was, Deus did not believe his target''s strikes could destroy them¡ª and he was convinced of this because his automatons remained in position even after being attacked.


    Though the defensive array copsed, Deus believed his automatons were still active and were realigning the array to deal with their situation. It was only when he was already close to the fissure''s opening that he realized there was no array adjustment or even automatoning to his rescue.


    As if in slow motion, Deus swiveled around just in time to see that apart from MEx-¦Å 04 that lost its hands, all MEx-¦Ä series bodies fell and were swept toward the fissure. Ultimately, he saw his target appearing directly atop MEx-¦Å 04, piercing his ck swords right at the spot where its main system was located.


    That was thest thing that Deus saw as his body was pulled into the fissure, along with the rest of his automatons.


    A slight frown appeared on Kyran''s face after absorbing the white-robed man into the fissure. He discovered that thetter''s body was only an essence. With a sigh of resignation, he thought it was to be expected. Someone from the Higher Realm would definitely note to the Lower Realm in person.


    Still, the automatons were all real, which could be considered a good constion.


    With the white-robed man gone, the Dimension below flickered. Although it did not copse all at once, its strength weakened, allowing Kyran''s connection with Breira to return.


    The moment it did, Breira''s panic-stricken voice sent out a warning.


    [Master! The huge automaton is on the move¡ª!]


    RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BOOM!


    Breira''s warning barely registered in Kyran''s head when the spot that had been broken earlier exploded once more. A powerful, concentrated magic energy beam broke past, with its momentum not diminishing and continuing toward the wall.


    The castle''s massive Array Formation flickered as the energy beam struck the wall. However, the formation was not really written to the wall''s surface and was not meant to act as a barrier. Thus, the energy beam went through, destroying the wall all the way up to who knew where the beam would end up based on its trajectory.


    Seeing this, Kyran calcted in his heart using the map of Larkring as a reference to pinpoint where they were and where the beam might end up above ground. In over a few seconds, he more or less figured that the beam would arrive somewhere near the Military District.


    Kyran''s first reaction was relief. At least, it would not pass through the Residential District. Thest thing he wanted was to implicate the civilians. But the next moment, he realized that the beam might actually hit one of the key points of the sealing formation he had prepared around the Military District. His array formation might not copse, but if someone took advantage of the moment when the beam hit that key point and unleashed a barrage of concentrated attacks, the sealing formation might start to copse.


    All these shed through Kyran''s mind in but a breath''s time. The beam that pierced the wall barely advanced when he warped. He appeared above the beam and, using his swords, struck, sending out dark purple shes.


    Sizzling sounds resounded as the beam''s momentum was severed by the shes. With no energy supplied from behind, the beam up front lost its momentum and dissipated into the air.


    "Traitors have to be vanquished!"


    The gigantic automaton''s voice boomed as it leaped out from the copsing Dimension, its hand raised as if to grab hold of Kyran. Apart from the gigantic automaton, all regr-sized automatons that could still move followed suit, attacking Kyran from every direction.


    Not wanting to be swarmed by the automatons, Kyran warped and appeared right where Armak stood.


    Fortunately, the white-robed man had truly changed the form restricting Kyran''s Void''s warp nature; if not, he knew the only way he could deal with those automatons was to destroy thempletely.


    That would have been a huge waste!


    Evading the initial pursuit of the gigantic automaton and the other enemy automatons was only the beginning because Mo and the Legendary-level Knights with him also emerged from the copsing Dimension, ready to engage them once more.

 Chapter 921 All Hell Break Loose (17)

    Chapter 921 All Hell Break Loose (17)


    With the giant automaton summoned by the white-robed man blocking the massive fissure, the gigantic automaton and its fellow automatons managed to avoid getting pulled in as well.


    Mo''s team summoned their Divine Armaments and engaged Breira and his group in another battle below while Mo looked toward Armak''s location above and glowered in anger. By then, he was already aware of thetter being removed from the King''s pact and was determined to mete out a simr punishment he dered unto Breira¡ª death.


    As a matter of fact, Armak and Breira were not the only ones. Mo was determined to kill every member of the rebellion.


    While Kyran saw all this from above, Armak looked at him and asked, "Master, their numbers are simply too great for us. Even with ourbined efforts, it is impossible for us to deal with them with Mo and that giant automaton at the helm. I suggest we retreat, regroup, and find the right ce to lure them and defeat them one at a time."


    Armak''s suggestion was sound. Given their enemy''s number advantage, they could only deal slowly.


    Kyran did not reply, however. Not because he did not agree with Armak''s suggestion but because he was observing the automaton blocking the massive fissure.


    The crack from which the giant automaton emerged had started to copse. Because of this, the top half of the giant automaton''s body had been forcefully cut, its lower half left behind inside the crack.


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He admitted feeling excited about adding a giant automaton to his collection. But it seemed he would only receive half of it.


    While there was still another gigantic automaton, which was still bbering on about vanquishing traitors, Kyran admitted liking the design of the white-robed man''s giant automaton better. After all, thetter had wings, meaning it could fly without redirecting its magic energy to its soles.


    As for the rampaging gigantic automaton, in terms of size, it was by far bigger than the white-robed man''s giant one. Unfortunately, it did not have any wings. So, if it wanted to fly, it would likely consume quite a lot of magic energy, given its enormous size.


    Although the consumption of magic energy was the least of Kyran''s worries, especially when his own energy core creation could naturally replenish their magic energies, what was more pressing was how he could amass the materials he would need to rece its energy core.


    At least the giant automaton''s wings were part of its upper body, and its flight ability did not require magic energy. Then again, speaking of materials, repairing the giant automaton''s lower half might take a while, given the amount of metal and other materials needed for its circuitry and wirings, but at least its main system was still there.


    ...


    Kyran paused, recalling how he destroyed the main system using his swords a few seconds ago. ''Right,'' he thought while heaving a sigh, ''Repairing it will definitely take a while.''


    For the record, absorbing the automatons into the fissure did not mean they would be ''reborn'' from the Void. At most, their body would adapt to the Void''s nature with their sentients intact but swearing allegiance to Kyran.


    As for the white-robed man''s essence, Kyran had yet to fully absorb it, but at the moment, he already knew his name was Deus. Apart from that, referring to it as an ''essence'' might be wrong. Rather than an essence, Kyran would rather call Deus a clone.


    This was actually good news to Kyran because this meant his identity was still safe. That was because, as a clone, what it saw would not automatically be passed onto his original body once he was destroyed. Instead, he needed to send a message himself.


    As far as Kyran was concerned, Deus had not sent any message before getting pulled into the fissure.


    "Lord Master! They are already making their way up here!"


    The female spirit, who had been quietly holding onto Kyran''s head¡ª or, to be more urate, armor''s helmet¡ª also urged, not liking how the killing intent emitted by Mo, who was looking at them from below, was quite stifling.


    Kyran still did not respond because his brain was still processing everything that was happening below and what might happen once they made their move.


    He might appear calm, even indifferent to their situation. But the truth was that he was pushing his brain to the limits while taking in all the details he could and could not see at that moment.


    Armak more or less guessed this was the reason for Kyran''s silence. But the female spirit did not know this.


    Kyran continued to analyze the things he could see below.


    First, while initially, the gigantic automaton and its fellow automatons saw all of them as traitors, Mo, and his group did not seem to be included. They even appeared to be exempted from their list as they ignored their movements, allowing them to deal with the other traitors below.


    Second, none of the enemy automatons seemed to be affected by the castle''s main Array Formation. Kyran could not put it into words, but he felt they were unaffected by the restrictionsing from formations. He even felt that they were connected to it at some point. Kyran did not have proof of this, however, so he could not say for sure.


    Third, and probably what Kyran was most concerned about, was that the gigantic automaton did not have any energy core. The energy cores of its fellow automatons were practically visible, but not it.


    How was it moving then?


    Kyran had an idea.


    Which then led to thest thing he observed below.


    It was not obvious, but after Deus deciphered one of the Array Formation''s forms that restricted the use of any ability, magic, magic item, and spells that connected the caster to the outside or separate space, Kyran could now sense a hollowed space beneath the ground.


    "You said you saw someone underground?" Kyran finally spoke after what seemed to be a longer-than-advised pause.


    "Yes," Armak replied at once, knowing that he was the one Kyran directed that question to.


    Armak had already told Kyran about their experience after their connection was re-established. From his information, Kyran even guessed that the person they saw was an outsider and probably someone he knew¡ª Deception.


    "I did not see anyone aftering down here," he told Armak with a slight shake of his head.


    Having told of this, Armak was slightly confounded. He also looked down and scanned the scene below.


    After confirming Kyran''s statement, Armak slowly agreed, "Yes... I don''t either."


    "And Aran is not here..." Kyran added with narrowed eyes. "Or at least... he is not visible to us."


    Armak''s expression turned grave as he looked at Kyran, "You mean there may still be a secret room here?"


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he tried gauging the hollowed space below.


    Obviously, that space had been used by someone. However, whether that someone was still there or not was difficult to determine, and unfortunately, Kyran and they did not have the time to investigate.


    "I don''t think it''s a secret room per se, but there is definitely another space below the castle. But it is not part of it¡ª."


    "COME ON! DO YOU PEOPLE NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT HAVING A SENSE OF URGENCY MEANS?" The female spirit bellowed in anger but failed miserably due to her cutesy voice. "Those guys are almost before us!"


    Just as the female spirit had said, Mo had turned his Divine Armament into a massive dual-de battle axe, which he then connected to one of the intact floors on the ceilings. Using it as a path, he and a few Legendary-level Knights ran to where Kyran and the others were.


    On the other side, Breira and the automatons with him managed to shake off the Legendary-level Knights after them. The automatons then channeled some of their energy to the soles of their feet to propel them upward, with one of them taking Breira with him.


    The enemy automatons were doing the same to get to where Kyran and the others were. However, the gigantic automaton remained on the ground, looking toward Kyran. Apart from its constant bbering of vanquishing traitors, it remained rooted on its spot.


    Kyran had a bad feeling after seeing the unmoving gigantic automaton. His concern was soon confirmed as his second observation was proven.


    The castle''s main Array Formation, which had be docile after the disturbance from the gigantic automaton''s energy beam, started to move once more. After which, the runes on the formation moved as if they were about toe to life.


    "No! That automaton can control the castle''s array formation¡ª!"


    Just as Kyran shouted this, a soft, almost inaudible sound, yet one that had the ability to wash out the rest of the noise around, fleeted past his ears.


    Kyran''s eyes widened at once, recognizing that sound¡ª no, a voice. Though it only spoke one word, Kyran felt the deep despair behind its pleading call¡ª Her pleading call.


    "Kyran...!"

 Chapter 922 All Hell Break Loose (18)

    Chapter 922 All Hell Break Loose (18)


    It was not that Kyran did not have a sense of urgency, like how the female spirit put it. He even had a track record of being reckless in the past because of his seemingly impromptu decisions. But while that was all in the past, and he had gotten better at weighing the situation and prioritizing what needed to be prioritized, his ''sense of urgency'' was definitely still there.


    The only reason it appeared he was not in a hurry was that he was looking for a better approach to resolve the situation in the castle before anything else. Because if he decided to retreat and allow the automatons and Mo and his group of Legendary-level Knights to regroup and be left at their own devices, he would end up losing control over the whole situation.


    Kyran deemed that dealing with the gigantic automaton and Mo and his group was the first priority. Next would be strengthening the sealing formation at the Military District to keep those knights inside. Finally, Malek''s side could still be considered the least priority.


    But this prioritization could only be applicable based on Armakea''s situation. If Kyran considered the bigger picture, then the least priority would be his first.


    Why?


    Because it involved the Macabre cier.


    Kyran''s reddish purple eyes shed with a blinding light as he summoned a massive purple disc that covered the whole lowest level of the castle''s underground section.


    The castle''s main Array Formation crackled and rumbled as the enormous magic energy from the purple disc shed with it. Sending ripples of magic energy waves in every direction.


    Mo and the Legendary-level Knights, who sensed those ripples of magic energy waves, felt their skin crawl and their insides churn from the intensity.


    The gigantic automaton let out a metallic cry, its frustration resounding throughout the underground after it realized that it could not properly control the castle''s Array Formation. All because the purple disc''s magic energy overwhelmed it.


    No. That was not exactly correct.


    The purple disc''s magic energy not only overwhelmed the Array Formation''s energy but also absorbed it, seeing how thetter continued to flicker uncontrobly while the former''s influence increased.


    Armak and Breira, witnessing the whole ordeal, were rendered speechless. Even the automatons that Kyran acquired looked on the massive purple disc inplete awe. It was hard to tell because their face waspletely made of metal. However, the flickering of their energy cores, as well as the light in their eyes, were proof of their veneration.


    The female spirit was also speechless. Unlike the others, however, her speechlessness was more with her being frightened out of her wits. She suddenly felt regretful for acting impertinent just now.


    To think that she forgot who this man she was on was!


    RUMBLE! RUMBLE! CRACKLE!


    The castle''s Array Formation shattered as a blinding light erupted from within the massive purple disc.


    In the blink of an eye, everyone within its range,plete beings, spirit¡ª automatons alike, vanished without a trace.


    BOOOM!


    Above ground, the Armakea castle copsed as the ground it was built on caved in.


    A distance from the castle, where the Residential District was located, the residents were all shocked at the scene of the copsing castle. Never in their wildest dream had they considered a day woulde when they would witness its destruction.


    But the castle''s fall was the least of their worries. After the castle''s destruction, aftershock resounded, sending the whole Larkring to quake uncontrobly.


    Filren, who led the other knights that Kyran initially imprisoned in his Void Domain to safety, immediately went to the Residential District, wanting to lead the civilians out of the city. However, with the fierce shaking of the ground, some of the establishments had started to copse.


    For the first time, the Armakeans living in Larkring experienced what it felt like to panic.


    Noir, Sigma, and the others, who were still engaged in a fight with a few loose knights, were forced to a stop as they also heard the explosion.


    Compared to the Residential District, the Military District was closer, which was why they witnessed the copse of the Armakea castle. Afterward, the aftershock sent all of them reeling, with a few of them falling directly to their knees.


    The knights inside the Military District all had a grave expression, realizing how fast the situation had gone from bad to severe. Though they did not believe the copse of the castle was the end, this meant the rebels had the upper hand.


    Fortunately, they could still sense that King Aran was still alive. If not, the pact they had would have long disappeared.


    While the castle''s destruction seemed to signify their dire situation, those with higher-level knights saw it as a chance. It was ironic, but because of the aftershock, the sealing formation started showing signs of copse.


    Just as they were thinking about this, arge purple disc appeared right underneath the Military District, covering its entire perimeter.


    Upon seeing the disc, Noir and Sigma felt their hearts tightened, both in anticipation and fear. They felt anticipation because they knew who summoned that purple disc and what it entails, but they also felt fear because this scenario was not part of the n.


    If Kyran was forced to use his magic, did that mean something bad had happened?


    Recalling how the miniature array and the sealing formation had shown signs of weakening earlier, Noir and Sigma felt that this was likely the case.


    In the end, the two could only reign in their fear as they were engulfed by a blinding light.


    The Royal Family members, along with their Elders, had been underground, traversing the escape route built in case of emergency when the aftershock happened. The whole route shook, threatening to copse at any moment.


    Immediately, the Elder possessing the golden bell summoned his Divine Armament and created a barrier. Since the size of the barrier he could create was limited, all members and the rest of the Elders had to huddle tightly together.


    After what appeared to be hours, but actually only a few minutes, the trembling slowed down. However, before it died downpletely, a blinding light filled their surroundings. After which, all of them felt their body starting to call.


    The Royal Family members and the Elders wanted to scream, yet no sound seemed toe out of their mouths. Could it be that the blinding light just now came from a powerful magic spell, which killed them off in an instant?


    Thoughts along this question shed through their minds as a feeling of denial filled their hearts.


    In the end, they could not even entertain that feeling as their feetnded on solid ground, and the blinding light was reced by darkness.


    The sudden changepletely left them disoriented as they failed to adjust their vision. Apart from this, they soon realized that the darkness in their surroundings was unnatural. Not that it was created artificially, but more with the fact that the darkness not only impeded their eyes but also the rest of their senses.


    Some of them tried to shout. But no sound came out. They also tried to stretch out their hands, wanting to grab hold of the person close to them. However, they soon realized they could not even feel the motion of lifting their arms¡ª not even their legs.


    Soon, their sense of direction also disappeared, with them not knowing where was front and back or up and down.


    Fear and panic crept into their hearts as despair filled their core.


    Somewhere amidst the darkness, someone was experiencing something different. After all, darkness was something she was ustomed to. But while she was unafraid of it, theck of lights caused her heart to waver ever so slightly.


    This person was none other than Cyneah, and, like the rest that were present in the secret underground shelter of the Royal Family, they were all trapped in darkness.


    Unlike the Royal Family members and their Elders, though, they had been trapped in that darkness far longer.


    How did it happen?


    It happened a few minutes after Ruin showed up in the underground shelter.


    At that time, Malek had already lost the assistance of the miniature array and could no longer replenish his magic energy by himself. Like the rest, he was left with no choice but to rely on Cyneah''s blessings.


    Due to Malek''s massive demand for magic energy, Cyneah''s magic energy reserves¡ª or, it was better to say¡ª the Macabre cier''s reserves started showing signs of insufficiency.


    Flos noticed this and grabbed this chance to overwhelm their side with his nt summons. However, with Eikin and Jita around, who did not seem to be relying on Cyneah''s blessings, Flos could not gain the upper hand.


    But then, the stalemate made a sudden shift when Flos''s most trusted deputy appeared.


    Obstruction.


    Seeing how Eikin and Jita were thorns in Flos''s side, Obstruction sealed them.


    Obstruction''s move was simr to what he did to Nn, where he ended up stuck in a space he could not get out of, resulting in a few Sovereigns descending into the Human ne.


    Following this, Flos made easy work on the rest of theplete beings, leaving only a few, including Malek, Nahir, and Cyneah, behind.


    When Malek was about to sacrifice himself to send Cyneah and Nahir away, Ruin appeared.


    With Ruin''s appearance, the situation went out of control.


    Ultimately, to avoid Ruin''s strange magic, Obstruction summoned his domain, sending everyone into the abyss of despair.


    Before Obstruction summoned his domain, Cyneah decisively used the token Kyran gave her and finally called him.


    Unfortunately, when Kyran arrived in the underground shelter, he found no one there.

 Chapter 923 All Hell Break Loose (19)

    <h4>Chapter 923 All Hell Break Loose (19)</h4>


    Ruin drifted along the abyss of despair with a nk expression. He had known meddling in the confrontation between his prey and Flos would result in something unexpected.


    s, that something just happened to be his prey not even present in the ensuing confrontation but also Obstruction being present and using his domain before he, Ruin, could do anything.


    Ruin could not help but let out a dryugh as he muttered, "I never expected them to make such a move just because I appeared before them... ha~ the life of a famous person... truly a tragedy..."


    After saying his piece, he sat in midair with his legs crossed and surveyed his surroundings.


    Unlike the others who had fallen into Obstruction''s Domain, Ruin did not lose his senses. He could still see the outline of his hands when he looked at them, even inplete darkness. Apart from that, he did not have problems determining his left and right. But he did admit, at times, he wondered if he was sitting upright or upside down because there was a sense of blood rushing in his head while he sat in midair.


    Just as this thought crossed Ruin''s mind, he chuckled and said, "Or~ the rush of blood is just me feeling a little pissed at the current situation."


    Now, this statement, Ruin found more 100% urate than the first.


    "Well then~," he looked up, and a humorless smile appeared on his face. "Should I make a move now? Or should I wait?"


    His smile then turned into a maniacal grin as he thought of something, "He wille and rescue his damsel in distress, right~?


    "Should I try and capture her instead and force him not to run away from me again?"


    In another location in the Abyss of Despair, Malek was simrly observing the darkness around him.


    Simr to Ruin, Malek still had control over his five senses, albeit a little weaker. Unfortunately, he was too exhausted to move his body apart from his eyes. Truth be told, keeping his eyes open and only seeing pitch-ck darkness was also exhausting.


    Ultimately, Malek closed his eyes, and immediately, scenes that transpired before Obstruction summoned his domain shed through his mind''s eye. He was aggrieved at his ipetence in protecting all thoseplete beings and humans alike who lost their lives.


    While Malek wallowed in his self-me, Ste''s voice seemed to fill his thoughts, saying:


    "It is not your fault... You are never a mage that goes to war. Being the Head of the Conve, there are only a few times when your power is needed. When collecting a very valuable item, when our people need help defeating a very powerful beast, or when there is a threat to the Conve. But even in those times, attacking with a mindset to kill is not necessary, even if they are people who have ill intentions.


    "You are best at handling affairs of the Conve and never in fighting. Yes, you have very offense-oriented magic, and it is true that you are far more powerfulpared to mages at the same level, but that does not change the fact that you are not a person of war...


    "So don''t me yourself, Malek. If you have to me someone, me that rascal..."


    Somehow, in thest part, especially when the ''rascal'' was mentioned, the voice changed into Sigma''s.


    Malek chuckled in spite of the situation, and he opened his eyes once more.


    ''me him, huh? Why? Because he entrusted almost half of his militia to me? Because he left that woman in my care?''


    Even as the thought crossed Malek''s mind and even as he wallowed in self-me, ming Kyran was out of the question.


    ''You''re right, milord... The things that happened here are no one''s fault... rather... everything is ording to their whims.''


    A greenish light flickered in Malek''s irises as he thought of the Fates. Thinking about it now, in his vision, where Kyran lost control and unleashed hell in Somuli, there were a lot more who died. As a matter of fact, no one survived apart from Kyran.


    Those who died today just might as well be those people if Malek''s vision did happen. But since they had averted that scenario¡ª at least, he strongly believed they did¡ª those people who were fated to die then had to die one way or another.


    ''... to die one way or another... Will it be the same for us? Will we meet the same fate...?''


    "No."


    A voice belonging to the least person Malek wanted to hear spoke in his head.


    "You''re not taking any more of my people."


    The light that flickered in Malek''s eyes just now grew as he realized that he was not hearing the voice in his head but actually hearing it reverberate?in the darkness.


    "Today, I''ll collect all due debts."


    Kyran''s voice!


    RUMBLE! RUMBLE!


    CRACK! CRACK!


    Cracks formed on what might be the edges of the darkness.


    Nahir and all those who managed to survive up till now also heard Kyran. It might have been because of the despair each and every one of them had felt after being imprisoned in this darkness that after hearing his voice, all of them seemed to have seen the light.


    In actual truth, they were indeed seeing the light filling the darkness as the cracks in the walls forced the darkness to copse.


    Backtracking to when Kyran appeared in the underground shelter and found Cyneah and the others were not there, he remained calm. He first observed the remnants of the battle and more or less guessed what transpired. After that, he was able to sense Flos and Obstruction''s lingering magic energy in the air.


    Realizing it was them who came for Cyneah and recalling what Obstruction could do, ording to Nn from their confrontation, it did not take long for Kyran to guess where everyone had gone.


    With that in mind, Kyranbined three theories he learned about Void''s nature from Can: one, the theory of reconnection; two, the theory of absorption; and third, the theory of dismantling.


    The first one he did was to ensure he had enough magic energy to sustain what he was about to do.


    As per Can, Void can reconnect one spot to another. This is the theory that works when they use warp. Unlike the theory in Space magic, where they shorten or lengthen the distance, Void basically opens a point and reopens another at a distance.


    Kyran''s target in reconnection was the Human ne. Before, he would never dare try this because of the strain he would suffer afterward. But things were a little different now, especially after his body got enhanced.


    For the record, Kyran had used the same theory when he made a miniature version of Noir''s array. Noir''s array needed several items that had a high volume of magic energy to ensure it was charged enough for others to use. But since Kyran did not have enough time to gather the materials needed for the array, as well as most of those items were actually unavable in Somuli, Kyran tweaked it and instead, used Void runes to connect the array to the Human ne.


    Basically, the magic energy supplied to the miniature array came directly from the Human ne. Unfortunately, because the array was mobile and the one controlling it did not possess Void magic, it had a time limit. Once the magic energy charged into the array was depleted, it could not replenish again unless Kyran controlled it.


    Using the theory of Reconnection, Kyran opened a path from Somuli to the Human ne to ensure he could replenish his magic energy.


    Next was the Void''s theory of absorption. There is nothing much to say about this theory because it is pretty much self-exnatory.


    A good example of this was True Void''s ability to absorb any type of magic energy in the surroundings, making him a bottomless glutton.


    Creating a point where Kyran could connect to the Human ne was not enough for him to absorb its natural magic energy because of the two ne''s different magicws. Fortunately, he was the Void Master. Thus, that was not a problem.


    Finally, the Void''s theory of dismantling basically destroys or reverts anything back to its nothing form. This theory is pretty simr to Time''s ability to rewind time. The difference, however, is obvious. Time targets time in general, which affects everything that happens in that time frame, while Void''s dismantling only affects specific targets.


    In Kyran''s case, the target was thest spell unleashed in the underground shelter. This was a bit tricky because he had to target the correct spell that was unleashed. Otherwise, he had to try again.


    Fortunately, thest spell unleashed in the shelter was powerful enough to leave some traces behind, allowing Kyran to analyze and understand it at once. Unfortunately, he discovered the spell was actually a Domain.


    Summoned Domains are different from cast spells, which means they will be hard to dismantle. After all, Domains are created based on a mage''s own understanding of their magic. There are no magic runes involved in its creation.


    Nevertheless, Kyran unhesitatingly targeted it. Though it took some time, he still seeded.


    Finally, the Abyss of Despair crumbled.

 Chapter 924 All Hell Break Loose (20)

    Chapter 924 All Hell Break Loose (20)


    Kyran watched as bits and pieces of space around him crumbled. But it was not particrly destroying the very scene before him. Instead, it seemed to be experiencing a sort of ecdysis, where it shed its outer skin to rece it with a new one.


    As this happened, Kyran caught a slight magic fluctuationing from a few meters behind.


    In an instant, Kyran vanished and appeared right where the fluctuation as purple discs shed out from his hands. The space before him crackled and distorted, revealing a silhouette of a man.


    Before one of the purple discs could slice through the distortion, the silhouette awkwardly swiveled to the side, avoiding the disc by half a centimeter.


    "Guah!"


    Unfortunately, the man did not see the second disc Kyran had thrown, which arrived precisely in the direction he escaped and pierced his body. Luckily, he managed to protect his heart, preventing the disc fromnding a possible one-hit kill.


    But the man soon realized that the wound he received failed to show signs of healing even when he tried rousing his magic energy to boost his natural healing ability. It was not bleeding, which was good. But it was only not healing. What kind of attack did Kyran release just now? While the man received a bacsh after his Domain was forcefully canceled, that should not have affected his ability to rouse his healing ability!


    The man was none other than Obstruction, and right after his Domain was destroyed, it rebounded onto him, which lowered his concealment. He actually nned to sneak attack Kyran the moment he saw thetter standing there motionless. He did not expect Kyran to be motionless because he wanted to destroy his domain!


    Kyran did not stop with that one move. Knowing it would take one hit to kill Obstruction, he already took out his ck swords and attacked.


    Obstruction had not even regained his bearing when he caught sight of Kyran at the corner of his eyes, about to strike him with his swords. Instinctively, he used his magic to teleport away and dodge the des of the swords.


    But.


    "Guah!"


    The two swords cleaved right before Obstruction''s robes, resulting in two ugly cuts that resembled a huge X. Simr to the disc that pierced through his body, these cuts did not make him bleed, but there was a crackling and sizzling sounding from the wounds, which seemed to be the cause why they were not healing.


    But the wounds were only ones of Obstruction''s concerns. What he was more concerned about was how Kyran managed to cut him when he was already midway through a teleportation.


    Kyran''s eyes shed as he shifted his hold on his swords from a normal grip to a back grip before hacking upward at Obstruction''s torso again.


    Rumble! Rumble!


    Several thick vines shot out from the floor, blocking kyran''s swords in time, allowing Obstruction to step back and perform a teleportation once more.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent as his swords cut the thick vines instead of Obstruction. As his cutting motion got to its highest point, he shifted his hold once more, returning his grip to a normal one before turning his body to hack at the rest of the vines that continued to grow on the floor, trying to imprison him.


    "Retreat!"


    Kyran heard Flos''s voice speak from somewhere as he sensed a powerful magic energy fluctuationing out from Obstruction. Apparently, thetter was nning to escape with Flos by performing a long-range teleportation.


    Kyran''s reddish-purple eyes shed as a semi-translucent purple sphere expanded outward from within his body. As soon as the semi-translucent sphere touched the vines, they disintegrated into the air.


    After which, Kyran warped directly to where Obstruction was preparing the long-range teleportation spell.


    Flos, who remained hidden, willed his vines to go after Kyran. However, he soon realized that none of his vines could regrow their bodies.


    This was, of course, Kyran''s intention when he summoned the sphere first before warping toward Obstruction. Because he knew Flos would use the already summoned vines to go after him instead of summoning a whole new batch.


    As to how Kyran predicted it, it was quite simple.


    Flos had been fighting for a while now, exhausting quite a lot of his magic reserves. If he wanted them to retreat to safety, he would definitely want to reserve his remaining magic energy to perform an emergency spell. After all, they were dealing with Kyran at the moment.


    Unfortunately, Flos''s decision caused them more than if he summoned a new batch of vines. Then again, if he summoned those new vines, they would not be able to stop Kyran froming after Obstruction.


    Obstruction gritted his teeth as he took out what appeared to be a golden furnace. It was only palm-sized when he took it out, but the next moment, its size grew a hundred-fold, blocking Kyran''s path.


    Seeing the furnace, Kyran guessed it was a valuable relic. However, it was not meant to defend, but because Obstruction had little options left, he could only use it as such.


    It was such a waste of a relic to be used as a shield.


    Kyran retracted one of his swords as he reached out toward the golden furnace. He sensed how valuable the relic was, especially when it already possessed half a sentient. Thus, instead of destroying it, he decided to take it!


    Since you don''t want it, then I''ll dly take it for myself.


    Was what shed through Kyran''s mind at that moment. With a wave of his hand, a fissure appeared in the distance, separating him and the furnace. The fissure expanded to just about the size of the furnace, which was then followed by a powerful suction force that pulled it in.


    "You¡ª!"


    Obstruction wanted to unsummon the golden furnace but stopped short, knowing doing so would expose him. But if he allowed the fissure to pull in the furnace, he would lose such a valuable relic!


    Ultimately, Obstruction could only grit his teeth and allow the furnace to distract Kyran as he teleported once more.


    s, Obstruction had underestimated Kyran''s insight and control over his magic. The moment he appeared in a new location, thetter was already there, his arms raised, about to cleave his two swords downward.


    [No other way, just use the talisman. We''ll just find a way to get it again.]


    Obstruction did not need to be told twice; he had already activated the talisman that was still inside his storage pouch.


    "Ngh...!"


    Obstruction could only endure as Kyran''s swordsnded on his shoulders before the talisman could fully activate. Luckily, before Kyran''s swords could cleave deeper, the talisman finallypleted its activation and covered Obstruction in a blinding light.


    Kyran, with his enhanced sight, was caught off guard by the light and was forced to close his eyes. However, he did not pull out his swords and instead used his other senses to see his surroundings. As he did, he felt his swords falling as their target, Obstruction, seemed to disappear once more.


    Realizing this, Kyran immediately observed the surroundings for Obstruction''s magic fluctuation. Soon, he realized he could no longer sense thetter. If Kyran could locate Flos''s hiding ce, he would likely discover that he was also gone.


    Kyran''s eyes snapped open as he released his magic sense to its full area.


    This would be the first time he had done so in Somuli, and it was only possible because the Void theories he unlocked a while ago were still active.


    It did not take long for Kyran to find Obstruction. When he did, he also sensed Flos''s familiar aura along with him.


    "Who said you can run?"


    Kyran did not say those words aloud, but his voice was like thunder that reverberated throughout Armakea.


    Flos and Obstruction was shocked. The talisman was a one-time-use magic item that allowed them to teleport at a certain distance. While its use was pretty simr to any teleportation token, the difference was the distance.


    Teleportation tokens only allow one to teleport for about ten to fifteen meters at most, with its trajectory following a straight line. On the other hand, the talisman ignores the trajectory restriction in teleportation tokens and also allows one to teleport at a far greater distance. Besides that, it can target more than one person as long as they are within a twenty-meter range of each other.


    Because of the talisman''s effect, Flos and Obstruction were shocked when they realized that Kyran was still hot on their heels.


    Now, others might be wondering why Kyran was still after them when they already decided to retreat.


    The thing was, after Kyran destroyed Obstruction''s domain, he did not release the people he imprisoned. He transferred them to another space.


    In any case, Kyran felt that as long as he killed Obstruction, everyone taken to that other space would be released.


    For this reason, Kyran was adamant not to let Obstruction go.


    Knowing this was the moment where Flos''s remaining magic energy would be best used, he no longer hesitated and summoned one of his powerful creations.


    A seed appeared in front of Flos, and as he inserted his remaining magic energy into it, tree roots sprang out from it, coiling and turning until they started to take form.


    Soon, it turned into a colossal Treant.


    As soon as it appeared in midair, it let out a guttural cry that made anyone who heard it would feel an overwhelming fear filling their hearts.


    Kyran appeared a few meters before the Treant. But he did not even stop when he saw it. He simply warped once more as several purple orbs emerged and surrounded the Treant.


    The Treant swiped its massive branches at the purple orbs, wanting to destroy them. However, the purple orbs went through its branches, leaving several holes in them.


    The Treant let out another cry. However, its cry no longer carried an oppressive might but pain.


    Flos and Obstruction left at once, not bothering to check on the Treant. But then the space before them distorted as Kyran''s figure appeared.


    Not giving the two the chance to move, Kyran shed at them at a speed they failed to follow.


    Flos and Obstruction''s heads flew upward, their eyes filled in disbelief.


    But.


    Crackle! Crackle! Sizzle! Sizzle!


    "An anomaly has been detected...."


    FOOOM!

 Chapter 925 Fates

    Chapter 925 Fates


    An oppressive aura enveloped the whole Somuli ne as time seemed to havee to a standstill. However, most inhabitants did not seem to have noticed it. Only those inside the defensive arrays that Kyran enhanced felt the change.


    Although they were not affected by the standstill, they still felt the massive pressureing from that oppressive aura, and their insides constricted in pain.


    Only a selected few withstood the pressure, including Kyran''s Servants, marked Knights, True Void, the Abbot, and Ames.


    One reason the former two could withstand the pressure was due to their being affected by the Void''s nature, which seemed to counter a Time-rted spell itself. As for thetter three, rather their ability to withstand the pressure because of their nature or strength¡ª True Void being a sentient born from a magic weapon with Void nature, the Abbot being the most powerful mage in Somuli and had almostpleted his ascension to Sovereignty, and Ames who did not belong to the Lower Realm¡ª they were inside an isted independent space that still belonged to Somuli yet being hidden to the rest, simr to the temporary world Kyran created for the Spirits. This space was created to ensure that the Abbot''s ascension would not be felt and discovered by the outsiders.


    Speaking of outsiders, there were also a few who managed to withstand the pressure even without any defensive arrays to protect them simply because they were Sovereigns. Nevertheless, that was all they could do¡ª withstand the pressure but were helpless to do anything else.


    Kyran''s expression turned cold as he watched Flos''s and Obstruction''s severed heads, stopping in midair. But it was not only their heads. Kyran''s movements were also suspended in midair.


    "Two threads with foreordained charges has been forcefully severed¡­ error to future codex has been detected¡­ applying error fix¡­"


    The voice, which seemed to belong to three different women, resounded once more. After which, another wave of deafening boom covered the ne.


    Uneven squared lines filled the sky as golden ancient runes rained from above. But these runes did not touch the ground. After arriving at a certain height, they dissipated in the air.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. Just by the few words spoken by those mysterious women, he gleaned that they were trying to stop what he had done.


    From this, he more or less guessed the identity of those women.


    Fates.


    Kyran had his suspicions about the Fates'' association with Time magic since they represented the Past, Present, and Future. But he did not expect that they would truly utilize Time magic.


    Did they not say there could only be one person who possessed one type of Ancient magic?


    Just as this question crossed Kyran''s mind, a sardonic voice answered in his head, sounding much like his own.


    You possessed two types of Ancient magic. Draconic magic is not even solely avable to you. There are real Dragons, like Ames, in the Higher Realm who can wield it better than you. Don''t even get started with Void magic. You bestowed its nature to your Servants, which allowed them to utilize it inbination with their innate magic. There''s also Neah and La, both able to use Soul magic when only one of them bears its core. Why would it be any different for Time magic? Not to mention, the ones using it are called Fates. They can not be considered an average being. At most, they may be simr to the Dragons, who can use draconic magic.


    While the reasoning that shed through his mind was sound, it did not alleviate Kyran''s mood. As a matter of fact, it only got worse.


    With the Fates'' appearance, they were practically saying that they could not allow Kyran to sever Flos''s and Obstruction''s foreordained charges.


    The meaning of those definitely did not sit well with Kyran. From what he could understand from it, Flos and Obstruction seemed to have a very important charge or¡ª for a more easy-to-understand term¡ª a mission that would happen in the future. However, with Kyran killing them at this moment, that future would never happen.


    That future not happening was something the Fates could not allow, which was why they had personallye to ''apply a fix'' to the situation.


    Though all of these thoughts seemed a lot to process, they only shed through Kyran''s mind in a matter of a few seconds. It did not take up a lot of time at all.


    Because of this, the moment Flos and Obstruction''s severed heads started to move back into their bodies, Kyran had already been rousing his magic.


    Kyran remembered his talk with Ste¡ª the First Time Keeper. She told him that some of their scenarios did not happen as they had nned because he seemed to divert from their ''expectations.'' Though that was not the exact word Ste had used then, it pretty much summarized what she meant.


    From that, it could be said that Kyran had the ability to ignore someone''s plot and create his own scenario.


    Can did not tell him this, but Kyran had a feeling that it might have something to do with Void''s theory of creation.


    For short, Kyran could create his own path and definitely his own scenario. At least, that was his belief. He had no way to prove it yet.


    Until now.


    Kyran would not allow Flos and Obstruction''s threads to be reconnected. If it did, and they did not die from his swords, once time flowed correctly again, Kyran would lose his momentum and fall to the ground, allowing them to escape. When that happened, they would take Cyneah and the others with them.


    They would likely kill those they did not need or allow the Macabre cier to absorb their souls and turn them into undead soldiers.


    This could very well have happened. While Cyneah had control over the Macabre cier at the moment, there was a possibility that thetter''s sentient would take the opportunity of the former''s moment of weakness to take full control and agree to Flos''s arrangements.


    When this happened, then the foreordained charges that Flos and Obstruction likely meant to do was to every other Sovereign faction in the Lower Realm and win the War of the Sovereigns.


    Kyran''s whole body crackled as he roused his Void magic energy up to the full extent of his capacity.


    Sizzle! Sizzle!


    The air around him started to sizzle as the influence of Void started to show its might against Time''s nature.


    As it did, purple Void Runes appeared from the sky, blending in with the gold Ancient Runes.


    Frankly, Kyran did not understand what those golden runes meant and only focused on creating Void runes that would affect whatever it was they were doing. Fortunately, the Void runes seemed to possess a mind of their own and did the rest by themselves, affecting the golden Ancient Runes ording to Kyran''s will.


    The moment the golden Ancient Runes got affected by the Void runes, changes appeared in their arrangement. The Ancient Runes shifted around, a run disappearing and being reced by the Void Rune, which would then turn gold.


    While this was happening, Flos''s and Obstruction''s heads were quite near the half-mark before they returned to their severed bodies.


    "An interference has been detected...


    "Locating interference...


    "Failure to locate... Re-attempting...


    "Failed...


    "Starting emergency protocol... Inputting Emergency Codex...."


    Red-colored Ancient Runes started to pour down from above. However, these runes did not ovep with the golden Ancient Runes, but they surrounded them, seemingly trying to remove the Void Runes that mingled with them.


    However, the red runes failed to move the Void Runes.


    "Warning... unable to input Emergency Codex... Interference cannot be located..."


    The intermingling voices of the Fates resounded throughout the ne. While they were speaking, Kyran''s influence grew as his whole body resembled a huge dark purple sword that crackled with dark purple bolts of lightning.


    Without even doing anything else, Kyran''s aura alone tore through the Fates'' error-fixing attempt, resulting in Flos''s and Obstruction''s severed heads unable to return to their bodies.


    FOOOM!


    Another deafening boom resounded in the whole ne as the unevenly squared lines in the sky started to crack open.


    Six cracks appeared, resembling the shape of an eye. However, rather than revealing white scleras and colored irises, there was only darkness.


    But in the middle of that darkness, a blinding light resembling searchlights fell upon Kyran.


    After this, the oppressive aura that weighed on Somuli multiplied by a dozen times.


    The defensive arrays that Kyran enhanced immediately cracked under the increased pressure from the aura. Those inside also felt it, and some officers who had pretty low levels keeled over.


    Even the isted independent space finally sensed the pressure, which then alerted Ames.


    Ames''s closed eyes snapped open as she looked up. She was unable to see what was happening outside, but she recognized the aura of the Fates. Her beautiful face immediately soured as she contemted leaving the independent space and trying to alleviate the pressureing from them.


    But even as the thought crossed her mind, another aura exploded that shocked even her.


    Outside, Kyran remained undeterred as he released the Shaiha''s concealment and unleashed his aura.

 Chapter 926 Stirring

    Chapter 926 Stirring


    Releasing the Shaiha''s concealment also meant removing its restraints in Kyran''s magic energy cirction.


    Over the year after receiving the Shaiha, Kyran studied what it could do at every chance he could get. He would not be irresponsible and say that he was already familiar with it, but at least his understanding of its uses had improved.


    The Shaiha''s ability to conceal Kyran''s aura was due to it keeping the flow of his magic energy within the confines of its walls. With the Shaiha keeping tabs on his magic energy''s flow, Kyran could uratelybine his two innate magic, resulting in a faster transition whenever he chose one of the two to circte in his body primarily or have them both circte in equal quantity or one being a dominant force.


    From this, it was not a stretch to think the Shaiha acted as a warden over Kyran''s central core, allowing him to use his magic freely. However, it was because of this that the Shaiha had be one of Kyran''s major weaknesses.


    This had already be apparent during Kyran''s encounter with the Macabre cier, where he almost lost control of his magic energy after thetter''s influence affected the Shaiha.


    It should be noted that the Macabre cier was a magic weapon forged with Soul magic. Thus, it was easy for it to affect the souls of any mages. Kyran was no exception. Add that up to Soul Magic being Void Magic''s weakness; he was basically offering himself on a silver tter when he got too close to the mirror that time.


    At present, with Kyran releasing the Shaiha''s concealment, allowing him to unleash the full extent of his magic aura, his whole body was engulfed by a dense magic energy.


    The three pairs of eyes that appeared as cracks in space narrowed slightly as their glowing eyes saw the dense magic energy that covered Kyran.


    Moreover, the dense magic energy started to resemble a gigantic human form. The form did not have any distinctive features and even appeared like a dense ck and purple shadow, but its eyes glowed reddish purple, just like how Kyran does.


    As Kyran''s magic aura erupted, several entities, whether they were keeping an eye on what was happening in Somuli or not, were shaken.


    From another location that bordered the two realms, a floating lone patch ofnd with a visible cave on it shook as a dense ck and red fog seeped out from within. At the heart of the fog, within the center of the cave, two reddish gold eyes snapped open.


    It heaved outbored breaths as an ancient, sonorous voice reverberated around the floating lone patch ofnd.


    "At longst... You have finally shown up. The long-awaited dream will soon be realized... All Ancient Cores will soon be made into one... with the Heart of the Cosmos at the center, the Realm will once again return...."


    Somewhere in the Higher Realm, a ne that seemed to radiate with life and raw energy, all of its inhabitants looked up at a crack that appeared in the sky.


    Inside the topmost room in a white tower, a man with long white hair, which was braided from the lower half and was wearing a strikingly embroidered golden robe, stood by the window. Around his head was a blinding light that obscured his features. Nevertheless, from the way he stood and carried himself, it was obvious that he had a very high mage level and position in that ne.


    The man was also looking at the cracks that formed in the sky. But unlike the other inhabitants, who only felt something amiss because of the appearance of that crack, the man felt an ominous aura seeping out from it.


    Behind the man, the space distorted as a young man in a simr golden robe but bearing a more simple embroidery appeared, kneeling on one knee.


    "Your Majesty," the young man greeted.


    "Speak."


    "Overlord Deus has sent an urgent message."


    As the young man said this, he raised both hands and offered a disc, which was made of diamond at its core, while almost half an inch of its borders were made of gold.


    The man, whom the young man called ''Your Majesty,'' was none other than the Emperor who had given Deus in order to capture the image suspected to be in possession of the Heart of the Cosmos.


    The Emperor looked away from the sky to look at the young man at the corner of his eyes. With the wave of his hand, the disc on thetter''s hand flew right at him.


    He raised his hand and let the disc hover above it as he read through Deus''s message inside the disc.


    The young man remained on his knee, with arms outstretched as he awaited for further instructions. However, after almost a minute upon taking the disc, the Emperor remained silent.


    Not wanting to offend the Emperor, the young man remained in his position and kept his head lowered. But then, he realized that the light inside the room seemed to intensify.


    Before the young man could even wonder why that was, he felt a scorching pain seep into his robes, and that was when he realized he was already caught in a fire.


    ''This...!''


    The young man frantically roused his magic to reinforce his robe''s enhancements, but to no avail.


    "Y-Your Majesty!"


    In the moment of panic, the young man could no longer hold it in and eximed in fright as he looked at the Emperor.


    The Emperor was forced out of his contemtion and realized he had allowed his anger to manifest into the real world. He immediately stabilized his emotions before looking over at the young man who delivered Deus''s message. Seeing the golden mes that had already engulfed the young man, the Emperor waved his hand at once. The golden mes vanished, saving the young man before he was roasted alive.


    Frankly, if not for the golden robe''s fire enhancements, he would have been roasted in a matter of seconds after being exposed to the Emperor''s golden mes.


    "That is not intended," the Emperor immediately told the young man. "Go to the Imperial Alchemy and have your wounds treated at once."


    This was as far as an apology the young man would receive from the Emperor. The former did not mind, however. The person before him was the most powerful and important figure in the Higher Realm. Compared to the Emperor, who was he to show any discontent over what happened? Having kept his life was already a good thing.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    With that, the young man left the Emperor to his own thoughts.


    As soon as the young man left, the Emperor''s emotions, which he had kept in check, exploded once more.


    The whole room erupted in golden mes as he crushed the disc in his hand.


    "Again... once again, you are trying to test my patience... You have once slipped out of my hands, and now that you have appeared... you actually chose someone from that n...!"


    The Emperor''s anger could not be contained. Fortunately, the room where he was in was created to allow him to vent during such a situation.


    Looking out the window once more while he was covered in golden mes, the Emperor looked at the crack in the sky and knew that the reason it had appeared was because TheRealm had started to stir once more.


    Back in Somuli, the moment Kyran unleashed enough of his aura, he raised his hand toward the three sets of eyes. His action was replicated by the gigantic silhouette that epassed him.


    Crackling sounds reverberated throughout the ne as Kyran tore through space.


    The light emitted by the three sets of eyes dimmed slightly after seeing Kyran truly capable of tearing through the space and going after them.


    Realizing this fact, the red runes that continued to fall from the sky stopped as the unevenly squared lines slowly retreated upward. This was soon followed by the pressureing from the three to ease, as well.


    "Cause of the interference located¡­


    "Unable to identify the interference''s origin¡­


    "No fix avable¡­ The anomaly cannot be remedied."


    After saying these words, one after another, the three sets of eyes closed, with the pair at the center closing at thest moment.


    But.


    "Who said you can go?"


    Kyran raised one finger and pointed at the nearly closed eyes of thest pair at the center. A mass of concentrated Void energy shed out from his fingertip and pierced one of the eyes from thest pair.


    As it did, an unearthly wail resounded, shaking not just the Somuli ne, but also the whole Lower Realm.


    In the end, the pair of eyes still closed, and time in Somuli started to flow once more.


    With time gradually returning to normal, Flos and Obstruction''s head fell, signaling the end of their lives.


    Following this, cracks appeared on Obstruction''s body as several lights flew out and returned to the underground shelter.

 Chapter 927 Not Done Yet

    Chapter 927 Not Done Yet


    Though time had gradually returned in Somuli, most inhabitants had yet to have their time returned. Only those with high mage levels recovered their awareness, although they could only glean a little of what transpired. The few outsiders who did not participate in the confrontation in Armakea were also left confused.


    Nevertheless, one thing all of them knew was that something big had happened.


    There were two apparent reasons they believed this.


    One was the falling golden runes in the sky that had yet to vanish, andst, but certainly the most apparent reason, was the colossal ck and dark purple silhouette in the sky that emanated a frighteningly powerful aura that should not have been possible for any mage in Somuli to exude.


    At least, the only one who could should be the ne''s Sovereign. But even though they had yet to meet the Somuli''s Sovereign and be familiar with his aura, he was known as the Sovereign of Bulwark. That silhouette was not something a Bulwark Sovereign could summon.


    While they were all confused, at the heart of the Kingdom of Cretea, where its several-towered pce was located, the so-called Sovereign of Bulwark stood at the balcony of the central tower.


    He was tall and surprisingly well-built for a Noble, wearing an all-white with gold ents robe that fitted him perfectly and entuated his regal aura. But there was something a little off about him. While his long flowing hair was simrly blonde colored like anyplete being, and his eyes were blue, like the bluest sky, they shifted at times, with the former turning light brown and thetter amber like the setting sun.


    One of his subjects stood behind him, looking ahead with a zed expression. From this, it could be seen that his time had yet to return. But if it did, he would have noticed the change in the man before him.


    A slight smile tugged at the corner of the ''Sovereign'' of Bulwark as his blonde hair and blue eyes finally stabilized.


    Back in midair, Kyran wore a grave expression. It was not because he felt terrible about letting the Fates escape but because he could barely keep up with his act.


    Yes, act.


    Hisst attempt to show off was when he sent out that concentrated Void energy to attack one of the Fates''s eyes. Frankly, he did not think it was domineering enough. If possible, he would have summoned arge Void Sphere and obliterated them instead of releasing a flimsy concentrated energy attack that would only damage one eye.


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not have much choice. It would not have been a problem if he was on the Human ne, with rich magic energy. But he was currently in Somuli, and the magic energy he was burning was only borrowed, using abination of the Void''s theory to connect to the Human ne.


    The two nes had different Magic Laws, which prevented Kyran from acting like a glutton and absorbing magic energy without a care. Nevertheless, if he could absorb more magic energy, he would still not absorb it like a glutton because he could end up damaging the Human ne. When that happens, the Human ne might be unable to retain its ''concealed'' state and be essible to all like the other nes in the Lower Realm.


    Regting his magic energy, Kyran reactivated Shaiha''s concealment and allowed it to suppress his aura. The moment the Shaiha took effect, the colossal silhouette that wrapped him like an intangible armor withdrew back into his body.


    Kyran also retracted each Void theory he unlocked to avoid taking any chances that might damage and expose the Human ne.


    While this was happening, Kyran had already started to descend along with Flos''s and Obstruction''s bodies. He hesitated momentarily before waving his hand and taking their bodies into his space pouch. Of course, he made sure to wrap them with a barrier using Array to ensure their bodies were preserved well.


    Kyran took them not because he was kind enough to give them a proper burial. Instead, he was interested in any treasures they possessed. While he could have aimed at their clothes and storage items rather than their whole body, a Sovereign''s body was also a treasure trove. Kyran wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to examine them.


    Kyran''s action would likely stir up amotion, with the majority seeing him as a heartless monster or a heretic, but he did not care. If he could find a way to help his people grow stronger by examining Flos''s and Obstruction''s bodies, he would not bat an eye and do it.


    Thus far, his people''sck of strength was one of his most significant disadvantages. He would not call it a weakness because he could stimte their strength, like the Sigil''s Blessings or the Void''s boost.


    But what about his people who were not his Servants or Sigils?


    The only two ways he could boost their strength were by means of a mark or by enhancing their items through Array and Smithing. Doing thetter might be fine in confrontations with mages of the same level. But if they were to face an enemy of the same caliber as Ruin, especially that Higher Realm mage Deus, they would die without knowing what hit them.


    For the matter of being outnumbered, Kyran believed the saying ''Quality over quantity.'' As long as he had enough quality people on his side, he was confident in tiding through any tribtions.


    In any case, those were things forter.


    Kyran canceled his armor as hended on the ground. Before he could warp back to the underground shelter, he heard a voice sound in his head.


    [Master? Is everything all right over your side?]


    Filren asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.


    ''For now,'' Kyran replied. ''But we are not done yet. I only used a temporary fix to deal with Aran''s trump card and his Knights, but I can only keep them there for an hour at most.


    ''How about your end? What''s the situation?''


    [Everything is fine now...but... There is something I''d like to report.]


    ''Alright, let''s meet up in a bit. I have to check on something first.''


    [I understand.]


    ''Find a location away from the city where we can move around freely. Send me the coordinates, and I''ll go there.''


    [Yes, master.]


    After that, Kyran warped to the same spot where he appeared in the underground shelter earlier.


    The moment he adjusted to his surroundings, the scene of a young woman shivering in a corner with her arms wrapped tightly around her and her head buried between her knees seemed to transport him back in time, where a younger version of her was hunched down, trembling in the corner of a cave.


    The scene broke his heart. But he had to suppress his emotions and keep calm.


    After confirming the presence of others scattered around, Kyran approached the young woman¡ª Cyneah.


    Like him, she was unaffected by the Fates''s time intervention. However, she seemed unaware of the recent events and believed she was still inside the Abyss of Despair.


    For someone who had always seendarkness, Cyneah was thest person one would expect to crumble inside the Abyss of Despair. But apparently, that ce affected her far more than other people.


    Others would probably not understand why that was the case, but Kyran more or less could.


    Cyneah was not blind per se. Prior to her learning how to use magic sense to see, she could see the lights of other beings. But in the Abyss of Despair, apart from being robbed of her magic sense, she could not see those lights.


    Kyran could only imagine how she felt when she could not see those lights. She was probably convinced they died because of her, which then triggered a past memory.


    She had not told him much about her past, but from what he had gleaned, she was abandoned by her uncle in that cave to die because she brought misfortune.


    "Neah..."


    Cyneah raised her head as soon as she heard Kyran call her name. Only then did she realize her surroundings were no longer pitch ck. She could see the ck and white outlines, and although it stillcked the lights, she could sense nearby presences, alleviating her despair that almost drowned her.


    Kyran hesitated for a second but ultimately decided tofort Cyneah. He meant to be gentle, but she practically grabbed his coat and pulled him close, tightly wounding her arms around his waist. She buried her face on his neck and finally let out all the pent-up fear and grief she had kept inside through muffled cries.


    Cyneah''s head was abuzzed with thoughts. She was sorry for not protecting everyone, even risking their lives because of the Macabre cier. She was also frustrated for not being strong or fast enough to support them, resulting in most of them meeting an untimely death.


    But all her thoughts eased up as she held tightly onto the person before her¡ª a person who said who woulde if she called and yet did not seven years ago.


    This time, he did.

 Chapter 928 Tying up Loose Ends (1)

    Chapter 928 Tying up Loose Ends (1)


    Cyneah did not mean to bear grudges. But she admitted feeling disappointed when Kyran did not appear the first time she called for him in her time of need. Eventually, after she tided through her predicament and calmed down, she reasoned to herself that it was unfair of her to be disappointed when it was impossible for Kyran toe to her aid since they were nes apart. No matter how potent Kyran''s warping ability was, he could not possibly warp through nes. At the very least, she was convinced of this.


    Nheless, the joy Cyneah felt after Kyran arrived could not be described in two or three words. Moreover, the fact that she was out of that pitch-ck darkness meant he sessfully defeated the enemy and saved them.


    Nahir, lying a couple of meters from the right, slowly regained his awareness. The moment he did and propped himself up the floor, he caught sight of Kyran and Cyneah at the corner.


    A huge hole was punched through the ceiling of the underground shelter, allowing the natural light from the outside to stream down inside.


    With no enemy in sight, the streams of light seemed to symbolize hope. But to Nahir, who was not focusing on the light and could only see the Kyran and Cyneah at the corner, its effect gave off a mncholic feeling.


    Nahir shook his head with a deprecating smile.


    Long before suggesting protecting Cyneah from the Sovereign of Somuli through an engagement pact, Nahir knew that his one-sided feelings would not bear fruit. She might not have rejected him, but he knew she never considered being romantically involved with him.


    To Cyneah, the engagement pact was only a means of protection¡ª which it was¡ª and she treated Nahir with respect but never as a real fianc¨¦. Proof of that was how she constantly forgot she was engaged.


    Inwardly heaving a sigh, Nahir looked at the two once more. The more he looked at them, the more he got curious about their past. As far as he was concerned, he had been with Cyneah far longer than Kyran did.


    How did they even forge their bond?


    ''Forget it. I am not in the habit of self-torture,'' Nahir thought with a slight snort. He then stood up and checked on the others since someone could not be bothered because he was too busyforting his Mistress.


    Nahir snorted again before walking over to the nearest Eidum, who seemed to have not recovered his awareness yet.


    As for that someone, who was obviously Kyran, he did not rush Cyneah to calm down. Still, he kept track of the time limit of his temporary fix; else, that gigantic automaton, along with its fellow automatons and Aran''s Knights, would be released from that ce, and all hell would truly break loose.


    At least to them.


    But Kyran did not wait long.


    Cyneah reigned in her emotions because she knew this was not the time to wallow in self-me. There were far more urgent matters they had to address, after all.


    As she pulled away, she immediately asked, "Where is sir Malek?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched involuntarily. He was not the jealous type, but somehow, it rubbed him the wrong way that the first person Cyneah would ask for would be Malek. He could understand if she asked for Nahir, but Malek, why?


    Oblivious to Kyran''s internal chagrin, Cyneah hastily exined, "I tried to alleviate the deterioration as much as I could, but he practically burned himself dry after Flos arrived."


    The moment he heard her exnation, he did a quick scan of everyone in the underground shelter with his enhanced senses and found Malek.


    At the same time, Nahir, who went to check on everyone, was already beside Malek and eximed, "Something''s wrong with Malek!"


    Cyneah grabbed Kyran''s arm as herplexion paled, "No..."


    Kyran''s eyes shed silver, and in an instant, he and Cyneah were already beside Nahir. He immediately noticed Malek''sbored breathing and paleplexion.


    Cyneah did as well, resulting in herplexion to pale further. She reached out for Malek''s hand while rousing her magic energy and started transferring her energy to him.


    Upon seeing her movement, Nahir shook his head and said, "It''s no use. I already tried transferring my energy to him."


    "Keep trying... don''t stop," Cyneah told him, her voice quivering slightly.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he looked at Malek. They might not be on good terms, but that did not mean he did not care about his well-being. Besides, Malek was Ste''s right-hand man. If something happened to him, how would Kyran exin it to her?


    "Neah," he started. "I could tell that you and Nahir exhausted quite a lot of your magic energy already. If you transfer your magic energy over to Malek, you two will likely suffer an energy depletion."


    "I''ll stop before that happens," Cyneah replied stubbornly.


    "He''s right, Sisi. I don''t think transferring our energy to him is helping him either, so¡ª."


    "No! As long as we prevent his magic core from running dry, I''ll heal him! I know I can!"


    "Neah¡ª."


    "No! Even if it''s you, I''m not stopping!"


    "I won''t stop you," Kyran assured her with a sigh. "But you have to recover your strength first¡ª"


    "There is no time¡ª."


    "¡ª In the meantime, I''ll do something about his magic core, alright?"


    Cyneah stopped and turned to look at him, "Can you... really prevent his magic core from running dry..?"


    "I can," Kyran replied. He then added, "But I''ll have to keep him with me for the time being. After I''m done dealing with Aran''s trump card and his knights, I''ll help you patch him up."


    "Wait, you mean the matter with King Aran is not over yet?" Nahir asked with a frown upon hearing Kyran''s words.


    "No," Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head. "I only did a temporary fix to deal with them because I can''t let Flos and Obstruction take Neah."


    "Flos and Obstruction¡ª?"


    "Oh~ you forgot about me~ I''m also here."


    Kyran felt a cold shiver run up his spine the moment he heard that familiar voice.


    "Ruin!" He growled as he turned to look at the person who appeared out of thin air.


    "Stop. Right. There~," Ruin immediately said after seeing silver scales filling up Kyran''s body and turning into full armor. "I came in peace~."


    "Like hell you are."


    "I really do!" Ruin insisted with a shrug. "You know, if not for me, Obstruction would not have summoned his Domain and trap your woman."


    He then paused after making sense of what he had just said and chuckled, "I just made things worse, did I?


    "Anyway, I really havee in peace," Ruin hastily added when Kyran did not stop covering himself up in armor.


    Immediately changing the subject, he said, "That b*tch La already talked to you, right? And you''re considering her proposal."


    "La?"


    "Proposal?"


    Nahir and Cyneah asked respectively. Initially, the two were shocked that Ruin had returned. Then again, when he appeared earlier, and Obstruction summoned his Domain, there was a good chance he got imprisoned in that dark space as well. If that was the case and he truly meant harm, why did he not make a move while they were fussing over Malek?


    Kyran did not respond, but his silver armor did stop midway from covering his whole body.


    Ruin smiled cheekily and said, "You owe me for saving your life that day, Dark Sage. So, how about we call it quits since I put your woman in danger just now?"


    "She''s not his woman," Nahir could not help but blurt with a scowl.


    "Not yet," Kyran replied with a deadpan expression.


    "Can you not speak as if I''m not here?" Cyneah reprimanded them, but the slight red tint on her cheeks betrayed her supposed tough facade.


    "Whatever~," Ruin snorted. He looked at Kyran and continued, "You said you haven''t dealt with Aran''s trump card and his knights yet. I can help you out, and in return, let''s talk about that proposal, shall we?"


    "No, thanks."


    "Oh,e on~. You know I can easily deal with those machines with just a snap of my finger."


    "I need them intact."


    Ruin raised his brows in confusion. But then his smile grew as he realized something and said, "Oh~ I see... I suppose you will need your own army before going there."


    Kyran did not reply. But his eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Fine~ how about those knights? Ah! Don''t tell me you also n on taking them in. Ahahaha!" Ruin burst out inughter. "To think you and that b*tch will have the same idea. Are you sure she''s not your realwoman¡ª?"


    A purple light shed past Ruin''s check, removing a half-centimeter-deep chunk of flesh. The smile on his face froze as the mirth in his eyes slowly vanished.


    "That''s not a very nice thing to do, Dark Sage."


    "Then stop talking nonsense."


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed. A tense silence ensued, but ultimately, he did not pursue the matter and said, "Fine~. So, shall I lend you a hand?"

 Chapter 929 Tying up Loose Ends (2)

    Chapter 929 Tying up Loose Ends (2)


    "There''s no need," Kyran replied, turning his attention back to Malek. He pressed his pointing and middle fingers on Malek''s wrist, feeling his pulse and confirming his condition before sending him inside the Void World.


    Truth be told, sending Malek to the Void World was risky. With him in a weakened state and his magic core close to exhausting its reserved magic energy, he would have difficulty filtering the rich Void energy circting in that world. Unfortunately, because of the urgency of the situation and a couple of other important matters Kyran had to deal with, he could only send Malek there.


    Of course, taking into consideration the danger, Kyran had alreadymunicated with his puppets who were managing the tower to enhance the array that filtered out the Void energy in one of the rooms.


    The room in question was actually where the Abbot had stayed during his abduction.


    Apart from that, Kyran also instructed two puppets to constantly transfer their magic energy to Malek and ensure his magic core would not get depleted.


    The real cause of worry about Malek''s condition was that he was suffering from external and internal wounds, which his magic energy automatically tried to heal. Unfortunately, his magic reserves were near exhaustion, yet they would not stop consuming what was left.


    Cyneah did not know how to stop Malek''s magic energy from trying to heal him. Which was why she could only send her magic energy to his core to replenish it.


    One had to remember that if a mage''s magic energy got depleted, they would either fall into deep slumber if it did not kill them.


    It happened to Kyran before, and he ended up unconscious for days. Then again, back then, he also damaged his magic core, making his situation more life-threatening.


    "If you''re worried about thepensation for rendering my service, you don''t have to worry," Ruin still insisted on offering his help.


    This time, Kyranpletely ignored him as he looked at Nahir. He gave him a dark purple disc and said, "Use this to contact Haji. Last I heard, Akim is having a meeting with his father. Rendezvous with them, and I''lle find you guyster."


    Nahir took the disc, but his expression was grave, "Are you nning for another war?"


    Although Kyran did not say it directly, the fact that he did not ask them to return to the border was enough for Nahir to guess that he still nned to wage a war.


    "Depends on how the situation will unfold," Kyran admitted.


    The situation he was referring to was the continuation of his confrontation with Aran''s trump card and his Knights. If he managed to resolve the situation with the help of his Automatons, Servants, Sigils, and Noir''s group, then the war Nahir was hinting at would no longer happen.


    But if they failed, then they had to regroup with Akim and Nahir, and hopefully, Akim''s father would help them out.


    [Why won''t you ept his help?]


    Nahir could not help but send a telepathic message to Kyran.


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent but replied, ''As I said, I want Aran''s trump card intact¡ª the same with his knights. If this guy helped with his destructive magic, he''d ruin everyone.''


    [So what he said about you wanting an army for yourself is true?]


    Nahir asked a follow-up question.


    [Why would you still need an army? Once we acquire Armakea, we''re not really nning to conquer the Kingdom of Cretea next, right?]


    ''Let''s talk about thatter,'' Kyran answered dismissively. ''As for the Kingdom of Cretea, confronting them is only a matter of time. Besides, once your father ascends, they''ll likelye knocking at our doors of their own volition.''


    Not waiting for Nahir to say more, Kyran looked at Cyneah and said, "I know you''re exhausted, but please bear with me for a bit longer."


    Cyneah, who had been silently observing the situation, tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean¡ª?"


    Before she could finish speaking, Kyran pulled her close and said, "I''m taking you with me."


    "Oi!" Nahir reacted at once.


    "T-Take me with you?" Cyneah also blurted in surprise.


    "I can''t take chances anymore," Kyran told Nahir. He then looked at Ruin, who was looking at him with a smile that did not meet his eyes. "Not when this guy is here."


    Ruin chuckled, "You''re giving me too much credit~."


    "Though you''re only an essence, you have a lot of secrets. Your magic is also annoying. More importantly, I don''t trust you."


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed. He knew at once that the sneak attack Kyran did just now was to test if he was an essence or the real deal. Frankly, it would be impossible for his real body toe to Somuli. Not because there was some problem with his side but because it was inconvenient.


    Besides, Deus was there. As much as Ruin wanted to kill that son of a b*tch, he did not want to take chances by exposing his real body.


    Ruin''s eyes suddenly widened at the thought of Deus. His smile turned into a scowl as he scanned his surroundings. Ruin had lost sight of Deus the moment he entered Somuli and did not know where he went. Initially, he thought Deus felt the Macabre cier and went after it. But then, the Macabre cier was an item known in the Lower Realm. Would Deus be interested in it when he was from the Higher Realm?


    While the Macabre cier was special because it was created with Soul magic, there was no guarantee that it would be useful in the Higher Realm. Besides, unlike in the Lower Realm, where the highest mage level was a Sovereign, the Higher Realm was filled with far more powerful mages, with a Sovereign being the lowest level. Though the Macabre cier was feared by many, only Ruin knew that its effect on one''s soul would weaken the higher their mage level was.


    Ruin immediately pushed aside his thoughts. If the Fates hade, Deus would have likely retreated or hidden himself. After all, everyone in the Higher Realm was far more afraid of the Fates than those in the Lower Realm. In any case, he would look for Deuster. At the moment, his preyes first.


    "A very wise decision," Ruin replied with a smile. "But don''t worry. I don''t have the habit of taking another man''s woman. Although, I admit I feel a little jealous of the attention you are giving her."


    Kyran ignored Ruin and warped, not even giving Nahir a chance to protest.


    Ruin chuckled and looked toward his left. Although he could not sense Kyran''s aura, he more or less guessed where he nned to go. Not even bothering with Nahir and the rest, he also left and followed Kyran.


    Nahir was left feeling a little vexed at the situation. After these outsiders had entered the picture, he felt as if his prestige had gone down by a lot. All Eidums used to look up to him, with quite a few little ones wanting to be like him someday. However, in front of those outsiders, he was nothing more but an errand boy.


    Okay, so Kyran did not really say anything about Nahir bing his errand boy, but thus far, that was how he felt.


    "Did he forget I''m still Sisi''s fianc¨¦?" Nahir snorted belligerently.


    Meanwhile, Kyran and Cyneah appeared in a clearing outside the underground shelter. After that, he received a set of coordinates from Filren as per his request earlier.


    "H-He''s following us..." Cyneah told Kyran while she held onto him. Her face, although a little pale, had a red tint around her cheeks. She was obviously flustered about everything that was happening. She was not even given a chance to adjust her emotions ording to the situation.


    Just a while ago, she was still feeling out of sorts but had to reign in her emotions because she had to address far more important matters, especially Malek''s condition. But before she could even resolve his condition, one thing led to another, and she ended up unable to keep up with the ever-changing situation. And now, Kyran wanted to take her somewhere. Where that was, she had no idea. Although, she guessed they were about to go where he had to finish dealing with the matters he had to put on hold.


    While Cyneah wanted Kyran to exin exactly what he intended to do by bringing her along, she decided against it. True, he said he did not want to take chances; that was why he brought her along, but she had a feeling that there was more to it than what he let on. Most probably, he would need her help in assisting their people the moment they started confronting the enemies.


    When Kyran and Cyneah appeared once more, they were at the edge of a cliff overlooking a lush forest. Filren was already there, and to Kyran''s surprise, there were quite a lot of knights behind him.


    "Master, this is what I want to report," Filren immediately said. "Most of the knights guarding the castle wanted to help."

 Chapter 930 Tying Up Loose Ends (3)

    Chapter 930 Tying Up Loose Ends (3)


    Every knight looked at Kyran and then at Cyneah with a puzzled expression. They did not know who Cyneah was, but they recognized her robes and knew she was an Eidum. None of them recognized her as the Saint because she had a double pretending to be her when she was in public.


    Actually, even in front of high-ranking people from other nations, Cyneah''s double would be the one to appear. Apart from a few Eidums at the border and selected members of the fake Sovereign''s faction, no one knew Cyneah was the Saint. These knights, who were all low-ranked, would never have had the opportunity to even meet her double in person.


    When news of Akim and Kesiah''s rebellion reached the knights, they heard a rumor that they were working with the Eidums. Initially, none of them believed it. However, Filren and his group, who were the first ones to engage Akim and Keziah''s rebel group at the fort they upied, confirmed that the Eidums were indeed among the rebel ranks. From this, the knights believed that the rebellion was not a simple one but likely a conquest.


    If it were a simple rebellion, on the off chance that the rebels won, the result would be them overthrowing King Aran''s authority and Akim or Kesiah assuming leadership. But if it was a conquest, then there was a possibility that the Armakea, under new leadership, would form an alliance or even merge with the Eidums. The knights leaned toward the former since they believed the Eidums would not want to merge with the Armakeans.


    However, it appeared that their understanding of the overall situation had been superficial. Looking at Kyran, whom they believed to be an Imon-spawn, could he be the real master behind the rebellion? The way Filren addressed Kyran made them believe this. Apart from that, he seemed to be prominent in lost technology. Could he have used his knowledge of the lost technology to negotiate with Akim and Kesiah as well as the Eidums? And once the rebellion seeded, did he n to rule both Armakea and the Land of the Eidums?


    If Kyran could read their minds, he would have been dumbfounded. While they were correct about him being the real master behind the rebellion, he had no ns of bing a ruler. There were not even any ns to merge the two nations.


    "''Most?''" Kyran repeated, inwardly confirming how many knights were there.


    While more than half of those he imprisoned in the Void Domain were there, the quantity of those who stayed behind was a little worrying. If they stayed simply because they did not want to help, that was fine. But if they had any intentions of sabotaging their ns, Kyran''s side would receive attacks from both ends. If that were the case, he would prefer not to receive any help at all.


    Seemingly understanding what Kyran was pondering, Filren exined, "The others stayed behind to calm the civilians because the destruction of the castle caused a mass panic. The aftershock also destroyed quite a lot of establishments, and with the sudden disappearance of the Military District, we could only split up to deal with the unrest."


    [All of them agreed to a truce, Master.]


    Filren added telepathically.


    Hearing this, Kyran inwardly shook his head. He could guess why they willingly offered a truce.


    It had something to do with Filren bing his Sigil. To them, Filren was one of the most respected knights and the second most powerful aide to the King. It was impossible for him to betray the King, especially with the pact in ce. Most probably, they presumed that Filren became an enemy against his will and Kyran was controlling him. Thus, when Kyran asked Filren to take the knights to safety, they believed it was the former controlling thetter.


    While that was pretty much the truth, except there was no controlling involved, the knights felt that Kyran was not all bad. Moreover, he could have killed them earlier but did not. Meaning he was not entirely evil. Considering this, they offered a truce. However, Kyran believed that the truce was offered because only in this way could they move freely and look for an opportunity to attack.


    In the end, the possibility of being betrayed was still there and Kyran would rather have them join the enemy ranks. Because at the end of the day, he would all turn them into his Sigils.


    "Kyran..."


    Cyneah''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie. He looked at her and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "I still have enough magic energy, but... it may not be enough to support everyone... I''ve exhausted my potions and can only replenish my magic energy slowly..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at all the silhouettes behind them.


    In her eyes, their lights were still full of life, meaning they were still in tip-top shape. She believed they would not need her support until the battle escted. But because the odds were against them, no matter how powerful Kyran was, Cyneah believed it would only be a matter of time before they would need her. But given what little magic energy she had left and how much she could recover before they would need her, it would not be enough to support them in a prolonged battle.


    Kyran paused for a moment and blinked after realizing what Cyneah was worried about. He then said with a very solemn expression, "I didn''t take you with me to be our support."


    It was Cyneah''s turn to blink as she tilted her head slightly, "Then why...?"


    "I almost lost you again, I don''t want to take any more chances."


    Cyneah flushed and opened her mouth to tell him this was not the time to say such things. Unfortunately, no words came out because she was too flustered to speak.


    Kyran was quite amused at Cyneah''s reaction. But he did not tease her because his preparations were almostplete, and he was ready to continue what he forcefully put on hold a while ago.


    How and when did Kyran start his preparation? He had been preparing soon after dealing with Flos and Obstruction. As to what he prepared, it would be revealed soon enough.


    Kyran looked at Filren and said, ''They may have agreed to a truce, but don''t let your guard down.''


    Filren gave Kyran a meaningful look.


    [Don''t worry. I am aware of their thoughts.]


    Kyran gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before addressing the rest of the knights.


    "If you want to help, I won''t reject it. But before you jump in and do anything, observe the overall situation first. You''d be surprised at what you''ll discover."


    None of the knights said anything. They only looked at Kyran with straightforward eyes.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, Kyran looked back to the lush forest below.


    "How far are we in the city?" He asked Filren.


    "Around two hundred meters."


    Kyran frowned, "That''s still pretty close."


    "We are at the northern part of Armakea. The closest area to here is the castle, which is no more."


    Kyran inwardly calcted their coordinates and distance andpared it to the Armakea map in his mind. Judging that it was indeed safe, he nodded and said, "Alright, let''s start."


    "Won''t we be waiting for others?"


    A knight behind Filren suddenly asked.


    "We have everyone here," Kyran replied with a shrug.


    Without waiting for the knight to ask another question, Kyran aimed a hand at the lush forest below while his eyes shed silver.


    Fooom!


    As he did, a powerful pressure weighed down from above and instantly leveled the forest to the ground.


    BOOOM!


    A gust of wind rushed to their side as the impact of the pressure''s leveling of the forest erupted.


    All knights, Filren included, gaped at the scene before them in shock. This was the first time they had seen someone level a whole forest using only his pressure.


    Cyneah was also surprised. But her reaction was not as exaggerated as the others. At times, she would say Kyran could not shoulder everything alone, but that was only her saying those things because she was overly concerned about his well-being. However, if she would put aside her emotions, she knew he truly had the ability to do anything, even the impossible.


    Soon after the whole forest was leveled, a massive purple disc appeared, followed by several human-sized dark purple spheres emerging from within.


    Among these spheres, there was actually one that caught everyone''s eye because its size was far too big.


    Inside these spheres were all the automatons and knights that Kyran had captured and sent to a separate void because he had to prioritize the situation on Malek''s side.


    Looking at the spheres that appeared below, everyone noticed they were separated into groups somehow.


    The massive sphere to their right was together with several other smaller spheres. Then, to their left, there was a congregation of these spheres that far outnumbered the ones with the massive sphere.


    Lastly, there were about a hundred or so spheres that were near the edge of the cliff, quite close to where Kyran and them were.


    Obviously, the group with the massive sphere were the ones in the underground section of the castle, while those with far too many spheres were those in the Military District.


    As for the spheres near the edge of the cliff, they were Noir and the others, including Armak, Breira, and the automatons Kyran had converted.


    Filren''s eyes narrowed as he looked toward the direction of the massive sphere. He then asked, "Master, let me take care of Mo."


    Kyran smiled slightly and said, "Go."


    Without waiting for the spheres to release the people within, Filren had already gone to where he sensed Mo.

 Chapter 931 Tying Up Loose Ends (4)

    Chapter 931 Tying Up Loose Ends (4)


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed as she sensed the scene below. Like she could not see Kyran''s light, the numerous spheres below did not emit light. They were instead covered in boundless darkness.


    Soon after, the darkness that covered these spheres was reced by lights with varying intensity.


    It was the varying intensity of lights, as well as their numbers, that caught Cyneah''s attention, resulting in furrowing her brows.


    "Kyran, how do you n on dealing with all of them?"


    Before Kyran could respond, a mechanical roar reverberated in the air, causing every knight behind him to feel goosebumps up their arms.


    This roar was followed by the reveal of what was inside the massive sphere.


    Their expressions instantly turned grave after seeing a gigantic automaton emerging from the massive sphere. It tore out of the sphere like a fierce beast unable to contain its thirst for blood.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at what the gigantic automaton did. Though the spheres were only meant to imprison them and possessed no offensive capability, they were still made of Void energy. Kyran had an inkling that the gigantic automaton had a specific immunity to Void energy, but seeing it once more made him wonder how it differed from the other automatons.


    Pushing aside his doubts, Kyran raised his hand and aimed at the gigantic automaton. Another oppressive pressure fell upon it from above, resembling an invisible object that weighed several tons.


    In an instant, the gigantic automaton was forced on its knees while it raised its hands, trying to support the weight of that invisible object. The ground beneath it cracked as the invisible object continued to press down.


    Kyran''s move was reminiscent of Dusk''s move during their first meeting on the Human ne. Previously, Kyran did notprehend the spell Dusk used to attack them. He initially believed it had something to do with the nature of Dusk''s magic. Still, after a year of wandering in other nes and even joining Loar and Wings to gather resources at times, he discovered that Dusk''s move back then was made purely out of his magic pressure. He learned this because Loar and Wings had sometimes employed simr moves using their magic pressures.


    Kyran had wanted to try it out, too. Unfortunately, using the Void magic''s magic pressure was too dangerous because its target could get turned into nothing if he exerted a tad bit too much Void magic energy. For the Draconic magic, the problem was Kyran''s body. He could not take the pressure he released himself¡ª an embarrassing and pitiful reason, to be honest.


    After his body had undergone enhancement, however, Kyran did not have to worry about getting crushed by his own magic pressure. Nheless, using magic pressure to attack was not advisable. Because it used one''s raw, pure energy, resulting in one''s magic energy getting depleted faster.


    A Sovereign''s magic core could store far more energy than those with lower levels. Thus, the danger of them experiencing energy depletion was low. Besides, they only used their magic pressure as a form of intimidation and not to kill.


    On the other hand, Kyran used his magic pressure to restrain the gigantic automaton. Because he still had something to do and could not immediately confront it.


    "That''s... a lost technology?"


    "I have heard rumors about mechanicalplete beings, but I imagined them to be the same size as us... not like that..."


    "How are we going to deal with that enemy?"


    One after another, the knights behind Kyran spoke their minds. But he did not bother with them. At least, based on what he heard them say, they had not nned to backstab him yet, and that was all he needed to know.


    "T-This...! Kyran, that... that person...? W-Why is he there?"


    Cyneah''s question made Kyran pause. He saw her looking at the gigantic automaton in disbelief. Her eyes showed no fear; instead, it was pure incredulity.


    But then a thought shed through Kyran as he tried to recall if Cyneah could see lights inside automatons. As far as he remembered, the lights she saw were human life force. Could an automaton''s sentient also possess lights? Kyran knew Cyneah could perceive the gigantic automaton''s silhouette using her magic sense, but why did she refer to it as a person?


    "Tell me what you see."


    "A person... there is a person inside that giant..." Cyneah replied at once.


    Only then did Kyran make sense of some things: why did the gigantic automaton''s voice sound like metal; why did it keep spouting nonsense about vanquishing traitors; and finally, where did Aran go?


    Mo and the rest of the knights were still under the pact, meaning Aran was still alive. However, Kyran did not find him in the underground section of the castle. Initially, he thought he might have been taken away by Deception¡ª believing it was her whom Armak saw at the lowest level of the underground section when they arrived there.


    "Hold on tight."


    "W-What¡ª N-N¡ª Kyran¡ª!"


    Cyneah yelped in fright as Kyran jumped from the cliff to the ground below. He did so without even giving her time to adjust, resulting in her feeling as if her stomach had been left behind.


    The moment Kyran jumped, a massive magic array also formed around the whole perimeter of the battlefield. He then forcefully released the spheres that hid Noir and the rest before summoning the rest of his people¡ª or, to be more urate, puppets. Most of these puppets were not his creations but the ones inside the crates in the underground shelter.


    When Kyran arrived at the underground shelter earlier and used his enhanced senses to check on everyone, he heard faint whirring sounds inside the crates. The sounds were feint that even a human with exceptional hearing would not be able to hear them, especially from inside those thick, steeled, soundproof crates. However, Kyran''s hearing could no longer be judged using human standards. It could not even be evaluated using the standards of powerful humans. His hearing was nowparable to a young dragon¡ª yes, not an adult, but a young one¡ª an upgrade to his baby dragon state previously, at least.


    After discovering these puppets, Kyran sent them to his Void World. He did this without alerting the others.


    Since they were puppets without a sentient, reconfiguring their program was far more manageable. Even Kyran''s puppets in the Void World could do it by themselves.


    Adding these puppets to his side was one of Kyran''s preparations. When he appeared leisurely conversing with the others in the underground shelter, he made preparations behind the scenes without anyone noticing.


    Even Ruin, who had followed Kyran and Cyneah and was observing everything from a distance, was unaware of what Kyran was up to. Proof of that was his amused expression after seeing the appearance of those puppets.


    Several still naked puppets appeared in midair and surrounded the multitudes of spheres where most of the Armakea Knights were congregated. Although the puppets numbered almost a thousand, the contrast in the number of the Armakea Knights was still visible. After all, the Military District had at least three to four thousand Knights sealed inside.


    Nevertheless, Kyran was not worried. Compared to the Knights, the puppets were made of sturdier material. Though their energy cores had limited magic energy, that would not hinder them from aplishing their task.


    As for what their task was, they only needed to restrain all three to four thousand knights before them.


    s, this task appeared simple, but to the others, it was a tall order.


    By the time Kyran and Cyneahnded on the ground, all the people in the spheres had already been released.


    In an instant, the side where the puppets and the Armakea Knights congregated erupted into a fierce melee. The knights summoned their Divine Armaments and attacked the puppets. Some of their attacks were rendered useless, while some did scratch the surface of their body frames. Nheless, the puppets were undeterred by the knights'' attacks and engaged them fiercely.


    On the other side, the gigantic automaton, which Aran controlled, still struggled from Kyran''s magic pressure. Meanwhile, Mo and the Legendary-level Knights with him finally escaped from the spheres and prepared to engage the enemies.


    Mo''s eyes immediately glowed with killing intent as he looked at the figure that stood a few meters before them.


    "Filren... you have also fallen, I see," he growled through gritted teeth.


    Filren did not reply and looked at Mo and the rest of the Legendary-level Knights.


    While Mo appeared pissed and was raring to fight Filren, some of the Legendary-level Knights were a little hesitant.


    In the first ce,pared with Mo, they found Filren easier to approach and a respectable aide to the King. Of course, all respected Mo, especially with his status as the top aide to the King, but Filren had a certain charisma that made the other knights respect and trust him.


    "It is not toote to return to your senses, sir Filren."


    One of the Legendary-level Knights tried to talk it out with Filren.


    "He had made his choice," Mo growled, not allowing Filren to respond to the Legendary-level Knight''s plead.


    "Yes, I did. And it is a wise one," Filren replied solemnly.


    "Traitor to your King!" Mo snarled, summoning his Divine Armament instantly and cleaving it toward Filren.


    Filren remained calm as he watched the approaching de of Mo''s dual-de battle axe. His green eyes glowed with a tint of silver as he raised his hand and caught its de.


    With Mo''s Divine Armament infused with Gravity magic, its force of attraction was ten times more than usual. When Filren caught its de, a loud boom erupted as its pressure exploded, forcing him to sink a few inches to the ground.

 Chapter 932 Tying Up Loose Ends (5)

    Chapter 932 Tying Up Loose Ends (5)


    Noir and the others were astonished at the scene that greeted them following their release from the spheres.


    For the record, all those imprisoned inside the spheres were partially aware of their surroundings, which was why none of the knights at the Military District and Mo''s group were surprised at suddenly appearing in a different location.


    Although they could notmunicate with each other and exchange information, they already gleaned that there was someone capable of creating and using lost technology among the rebels.


    The proof was quite evident for those knights sealed inside the Military District because the array formation that sealed them inside had not been there from the start. This meant it was created only recently.


    To Mo''s side, they had not witnessed Kyran create Arrays, but the fact that he sessfully ventured deep into the underground section of the castle, which was full of formations and traps, proved that his knowledge of lost technology could not be underestimated. Obviously, Armak and Breira guiding him around helped lessen the chances of them encountering traps, but Mo was aware of how treacherous the underground section''s array formations were. Knowing the way was not enough. Without King Aran''s recognition, no one could venture around safely into that ce.


    Since they did not know how advanced Kyran''s Array knowledge was, they had given him a pretty high evaluation so they could prepare for the worst. Thus, when imprisoned in that sphere and appeared in an unfamiliar location, they assumed they had been transported using arge-scale array formation and were unsurprised.


    If anything, the appearance of puppets surprised them more.


    On one side of the battlefield, Mo only focused on Filren. He never imagined the man he acknowledged as his equal to betray the King. Thus, Mo''s hatred towards Filren far exceeded the ones he harbored for Armak and Breira.


    The force of attraction that filled Mo''s Divine Armament was only a tiny manifestation of his hatred. As much as he wanted to kill Filren in one strike, he knew thetter would not go down quickly, especially when he decided to summon his own Divine Armament.


    Frankly, Mo had only seen Filren use his Divine Armament once. And even then, he had not seen it in action. As far as he knew, King Aran was the only one who had seen what it could do.


    Unfortunately, Filren did not seem to be in a hurry to summon his Divine Armament and took Mo''s attack using his bare hands.


    BOOM!


    The shockwave from the collision made Noir and the others turn their attention to the confrontation between them.


    Noir and Sigma were quite familiar with Kyran, but even so, they could not fathom how he convinced one of King Aran''s aides to fight for him. They heard how powerful, loyal, and, at times, ruthless King Aran''s aides were from those mercenaries in Howling Pass, which was why they could not imagine how an aide like Filren would agree to fight against the King he served.


    Noir and Sigma were not the only ones who were stunned at this. At first, they did not know who among Kyran''s group would be crazy enough to challenge Mo, but after hearing the exchange between the two and learning that the crazy guy was Filren, they were all shocked.


    Kyran ignored their reactions and nced at Filren''s side. Seeing thetter had already engaged Mo and his group, Kyran immediately instructed Armak, Breira, and ten other automatons to assist him.


    While the Legendary-level Knights with Mo seemed hesitant to attack Filren, they were still bound by Aran''s pact at the end of the day. Eventually, they would attack him, and no matter how powerful Filren was, with Kyran assisting him through the Sigil''s Blessings, he would exhaust himself.


    Armak, Breira, and the ten automatons went to assist Filren as soon as Kyran ordered them. Frankly, Armak and Breira wanted to re-engage Mo and his group in a battle. But after seeing the other side, where the rest of the knights shed with the puppets, they could not decide which side to go first. In the end, they waited for Kyran to give out his orders. Besides, they knew Kyran had a n, which they might jeopardize if they moved ording to their judgment.


    If there was one thing Armak and Breira learned about Kyran after observing him for a short time, it was to avoid getting ahead of him. If something happened that they deemed should be dealt with as soon as possible, yet Kyran seemed indifferent to it, chances that he had already devised a n to deal with it and likely even resolved the whole situation were high. There was also a good chance he anticipated several scenarios that could hinder them from getting the best result and had devised backup ns to counter them.


    Armak and Breira believed that their current situation was something Kyran had expected. For this reason, rather than making thingsplicated by acting independently, Armak and Breira decided to wait for Kyran''s instructions.


    After receiving Kyran''s instructions, Armak, Breira, and the ten automatons left without hesitation.


    Noir and the rest had nk expressions upon learning Armak and Breira''s identities and who those ck armored knights were. In particr, Noir and Sigma had already gone numb from anything that Kyran did.


    Rather than being surprised again, they waited for Kyran''s instructions.


    They did not wait long because, after Armak, Breira, and the ten automatons left, Kyran gave out more instructions.


    Sigma, the fort leaders, humans, and the rest of the knights and officers would assist the puppets. In contrast, Noir and a few Array Specialists from the human side would create and maintain an Array Formation, with their target being the gigantic automaton.


    Kyran did not need to teach them the formation because it was a simple Restraining Array. At the moment, dealing with the gigantic automaton was not the priority. If he did, the others would only take advantage of the situation while the gigantic automaton was on a rampage.


    It was better to put a leash on the gigantic automaton''s movements while Kyran handled the remaining automatons that had yet to emerge from the sphere''s imprisonment.


    Noir and his group did not question Kyran because they also believed dealing with the gigantic automaton would be tricky and would allow the enemy to take advantage of it.


    After giving out instructions, the only ones left at the bottom of the cliff were Kyran, Cyneah, the remaining automatons, and the female Spirit that had now returned to sit on top of Kyran''s head.


    Kyran had also sent her to the void because he could not take her along. Besides, he was in a hurry then and could not be bothered to take care of others.


    "Master," the great sword-wielding automaton turned to Kyran. "If you infuse your innate magic energy into the remaining automatons, they will willingly follow your orders."


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows, "You''re talking about the Void magic energy, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Is this what you meant back in the castle underground? About me being different from Aran?"


    "Yes."


    Kyran frowned. He was curious about the origin of the automatons and wondered if there had another civilization in Somuli prior to it became the present Somuli. Apparently, the first upants of Somuli could be rted to the Ancients, especially if the automatons would respond to Void magic energy. Somuli might even be simr to the Human ne, a remnant of the Land of the Ancients.


    Several questions swarmed around Kyran after hearing the automaton''s response, but ultimately, he pushed them to the back of his mind and said, "Thanks for telling me."


    The great sword-wielding automaton did not reply; instead, he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah, who had been observing the movements around, felt her head throb and decided to close his eyes. Her advantage in such an environment was how she could absorb Soul magic energy from others on the verge of death. However, although there was an ongoing battle before her, she could not absorb any Soul magic energy and could barely sustain her magic sense. If she continued to observe the battle, she would end up using up what little magic energy she had. In the end, she stopped observing and decided to use her remaining magic energy in case of emergency. Nheless, doing this stressed her out. Because without anything else to do, she felt like a burden.


    Then again, not doing anything was actually good. Because this meant no one was injured or in a life-threatening situation that would require her healing.


    Sensing Cyneah''s conflicting emotions, Kyran whispered, "You don''t have to worry. We are only tying up loose ends. The battle itself could even be considered a ruse."


    Cyneah frowned.


    "A ruse?" she repeated, "How can you say that when there is a possibility of people dying out there?"


    "That''s the thing. Killing them is not on the menu. But we do need to show what we are capable of before we can negotiate."


    "In the end, you n to resolve everything through negotiation?"


    "Not exactly. Because Aran will definitely not agree, actually, I don''t think he will be capable of negotiating anymore."


    Cyneah could only frown at Kyran''s words.


    Not bothering to exin, Kyran took her along as he and the remaining automatons dealt with the other automatons.


    Meanwhile, the confrontation between Filren and Mo had finally gone up a notch.


    After Mo realized that Filren could counter his Divine Armament while using only his raw strength, he decided to use gigantification.


    The pressure on Filren increased, with the other Legendary-level Knights joining in the fray. And with Mo using gigantification, Filren also decided to summon his Divine Armament.

 Chapter 933 Board Master

    <h4>Chapter 933 Board Master</h4>


    The ground beneath Filren glowed with a perimeter of a perfect square. Afterward, the ground shook as an eight-by-eight grid board emerged.


    All Legendary-level knights with Mo that stood at one side of the board found their bodies being restrained by some invisible force.


    Mo scowled upon seeing the board emerge from the ground. Because he was outside the board''s perimeter, his movements were not restrained. However, he felt that once he stepped inside, he would feel the same restraining force as the rest of the knights.


    This was the first time Mo would witness Filren using his Divine Armament.


    In the past, during their spars, neither of them would summon their Divine Armaments. Since they were only exchanging notes and were not fighting to the death, using their Divine Armaments was unnecessary.


    Nheless, Mo knew what Filren''s Divine Armament was. In Armakean, only King Aran knew what Filren''s Divine Armament could do. Although Mo did not know what it did, he had a general idea just by knowing its form¡ª an eight-by-eight board that resembled a relic of the Ancients.


    Not to mention Armakea, even in Somuli, Filren''s Divine Armament was considered one of a kind. For this reason, King Aran specifically chose him as his aide, unlike Mo and the others, who earned their position because of their strength.


    Of course, that did not mean Filren''s strength was inferior to the other aides. As a matter of fact, he earned his spot as the second most powerful aide because of his physical strength alone. Unfortunately, he was still a level below Mo, whose monstrous strength was further enhanced by his innate magic to manipte the force of attraction.


    In any case, even if Filren became an aide simply because he possessed a one-of-a-kind Divine Armament, the other knights would not bear any grudges. Since they were trained as a knight since they were young, their conduct and discipline were ingrained in their bones. They would not harbor any grudges to their fellow knights. This had been one of the strong points of the Armakea Knights that other nations envied.


    ''A control-type Divine Armament...'' Mo thought with a scowl. This was what he believed to be the ability of Filren''s Divine Armament.


    "Humph," Mo snorted as he said, "Even if you summoned your Divine Armament, what can it do if your target is outside its area of influence?"


    With that, he swung his Divine Armament, which had grown thrice in size, horizontally at Filren. The gravity imbued into the dual-de battle axe was now twenty times that anyone directly struck by it would be ttened, and that was if its shaftnded on them and not its de. It went without saying that once its de struck any person¡ª no matter how powerful their defenses might be¡ª it would cut that person in half with ease.


    Filren ignored Mo''s attack. The silver tinge on his eyes increased, resulting in the board''s size to expand further.


    ''What?'' Mo was surprised at this and immediately changed the gravity of his Divine Armament. He stopped midway of striking at Filren because if he continued, he would be caught inside the board''s expansion.


    As Mo abruptly stopped his attack to jump back, he suddenly felt an iing dangering from behind him.


    Swiveling his body in midair to look at what caused such feeling toe over him, Mo''s eyes widened as an opened coffin greeted him.


    "Armak!" He growled and smashed his dual-de battle axe toward the coffin.


    Before Mo''s battle axe hit the coffin, Armak made a pulling motion with his hand, forcing the coffin back to him. At the same time, Breira emerged from behind the coffin; his fists, wearing the golden rings, were pulled back in the motion of striking Mo''s chest.


    Mo looked at Breira indifferently as the dual-de battle axe shrunk in size in his hands. By the time Breira''s fists hit Mo''s chest, the dual-de battle axe''s size was reduced to two feet, and one of its des was directly facing the side of Breira''s torso.


    Though the dual-de battle axe''s size shrunk, the gravity infused in it was still the same. Thus, with a simple swing, it would have cut Breira in two, killing him in an instant.


    At least, that was the scenario that yed out in Mo''s mind. Unfortunately, he miscalcted Breira''s current defenses and strength.


    The silver tinge in Breira''s eyes increased as Mo''s dual-de battle axe hit his torso.


    CLANG!


    "What¡ª Gah!"


    Mo''s shock at having his Divine Armament repelled by what appeared like thick steel was cut short by Breira''s fists mming into his chest. He was then sent hurling backward right inside the perimeter of the board.


    As Monded on the board, he sensed a powerful restraining force on his body.


    "Leader Mo!"


    The Legendary-level Knights inside the board were shocked at what they had seen. They had thought Breira would be a goner once Mo''s Divine Armament struck his torso. Instead, they saw Mo''s hands, which held his Divine Armament, get forced back. After which, he went flying backward into Filren''s Divine Armament.


    It was not only Mo and his group that was surprised at what happened.


    Frankly, Breira was covered in cold sweat upon seeing Mo''s Divine Armament about to strike his sides. Ultimately, he steeled himself and swore to endure until hended a hit on Mo, forcing him inside Filren''s board. He was actually prepared to die as long as he could force Mo into the board. At least, by entering Filren''s Divine Armament, Filren and Armak would have a better chance of restraining Mo.


    To Breira''s utter amazement, he came out unscathed, and not only did he force Mo inside Filren''s Divine Armament, but he actually heard the former shout in pain! That meant his fists hurt him somehow.


    Breira''s reaction was actually not an exaggeration. All knights had strong defenses, but there were others whose defenses were far stronger than the others. Mo and Filren were among them, along with another exceptional knight under Akim''s leadership, whose name was Eikin.


    Considering this, hearing and even seeing Mo cry out in pain or bleed was almost an impossibility.


    Yet, Breira did it. Mo might not have bled, but he still felt pain.


    Of course, Breira knew this did not happen because of his strength alone. It was also thanks to the boost in their overall abilities and strength they received from the Sigil''s blessings.


    As a matter of fact, Filren''s Divine Armament expanding in size was also due to the Sigil''s blessings. If he only relied on his strength and magic energy, he could only maintain a safe size for his Divine Armament. If not, he would not be able to use the real strength of his Divine Armament.


    Contrary to what the rest believed, Filren''s Divine Armament was not all about restraining his enemies inside the board.


    The board itself had its own rules, and Filren was the master. He could assign roles to anyone on the board, forcing them to fight one another!


    This was the real reason King Aran personally chose Filren as his aide. Not because thetter''s Divine Armament would be useful. Rather, Aran was afraid of it!


    "Do note inside," Filren told Armak and Breira when he caught sight of them and ten other ck armored soldiers wanting to step inside the board. By this time, his green eyes had already turned silver as he added, "I, alone, is enough to handle them."


    Hearing Filren''s arrogant im, Mo was enraged.


    "Filren!" He bellowed as his magic energy exploded. Using his pressure alone, he tried to fight the restraining force that prevented him from moving his body at will.


    Mo actually seeded, as his Divine Armament grew in size once more. He then cleaved it upward, right at Filren, who was looking at them while in midair.


    Filren raised his hand and caught Mo''s Divine Armament once more.


    Like earlier, as soon as Mo''s Divine Armament and Filren''s hand collided, a powerful shockwave erupted.


    "Your strength is truly something, Mo. Unfortunately, inside my Divine Armament, you won''t be able to exert even half of it."


    Boom!


    An unprecedented aura erupted from Filren as he crushed Mo''s Divine Armament in one quick movement.


    Mo''s eyes widened in shock, following which a mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth from having his Divine Armament destroyed.


    "Leader Mo!"


    The Legendary-level knights wanted to run to Mo''s side. However, their bodies still refused to move.


    On the other hand, Mo''s knees buckled after experiencing the bacsh of having his Divine Armament destroyed for the first time. Still, he refused to show any weaknesses and forcefully stopped himself from falling to his knees.


    Mo red at Filren, and through gritted teeth, he said, "Have you been hiding your strength all this time? Are you a mole the rebel group ced on the King''s side all along?"


    Armak, Breira, and especially Filren could not help but look at Mo dumbfoundedly. They never expected him, of all people, to actually be a dimwit!

 Chapter 934 Where Aran Went

    Chapter 934 Where Aran Went


    While the confrontation between the three former aides of Aran and his top most powerful aide was ongoing, Kyran swept through the automatons that had only emerged from the spheres.


    Like the great sword-wielding automaton told him, he only had to infuse the automatons with Void magic energy, and they would immediately lose their hostility. After this, Kyran sensed a connection forming between them, though he did not know how it was established.


    With the automatons now under his control, their sentient also awakened.


    Then again, rather than saying they had awakened, it was more urate to say that they were finally in control of themselves.


    For the record, when Aran released the automatons, they were fully aware of what was happening in their surroundings. But because Aran barely possessed the minimum requirement to awaken them, they could only move ording to their basic programming.


    All of that changed after being infused with Void magic energy. In that instant, the seal in their system was removed, as they recognized the Void''s signature as their rightful master.


    Because of the connection the automatons formed with Kyran in that instance, without even waiting for his instructions, they already knew what they had to do.


    Glowing light purple lines appeared on the exterior of their bodies, and in a sh, their nakedness was reced with a simrly designed ck armor like those worn by the first automatons that Kyran acquired.


    After that, they sprinted toward the side where the puppets were engaged in a somewhatrge-scale confrontation with the Armakean Knights.


    Kyran was satisfied seeing the automatons move ording to their own judgments. While he knew their actions were influenced by what they could sense from his thoughts because of their connection, at least they did not wait for his instructions and acted at once.


    The remaining automatons were not that many. Thus, Kyranpleted his task in a short time. Once he was done, it was finally time for him to deal with the gigantic automaton.


    While all of this was happening, the knights that followed Filren, offering their assistance, still remained at the edge of the cliff.


    They heeded Kyran''s suggestion to observe the situation first before joining the fray because only then could they devise a n on how they could best provide assistance.


    However, as they observed the situation, they realized the situation was pretty much under control. Although a victor had yet to emerge, the outnumbered rebel group managed to fight on equal terms against King Aran''s trump card and Knights.


    In their opinion, the one that posed a huge threat to the rebel group was the gigantic automaton. If the confrontation between them happened in one big confrontation, the defenses of the rebel group would have long crumbled, and the Armakea side would have won.


    However, because Kyran properly separated the Armakea side before dividing his people to confront them separately, their group was not defeated easily. They even appear to be gaining momentum as time went by.


    One thing those knights at the edge of the cliff noticed between the confrontation of the Armakea knights and the naked automatons¡ª they did not know they were only puppets¡ª was that the offensive might of the former was quite devastating, but thetter''s defenses were equally domineering. The former had the number advantage, but thetter had the stamina advantage. After all, their bodies were made of steel, and the injuries they sustained did not hurt them.


    It was true that all Knights underwent pain tolerance training, but that only strengthened their mentality. It did not mean they were immune to the pain or the trauma that apanied the wounds they sustained. Thus, once they were injured, they could endure. But their endurance had limits.


    Of course, the puppets, once destroyed, would have been rendered immobile. However, the massive array formation that Kyran created earlier had a form that automatically repairs the damages they received.


    The array formation did not only provide support to the puppets, but it also supported all humans andplete beings from exhausting their magic energy. This was because Kyran included the array formation that Noir designed into it. This meant that the array formation''s area of effect produced rich magic energies, allowing the humans andplete beings on Kyran''s side to absorb them naturally.


    The enemy side obviously could not absorb the magic energy because Kyran made sure that the benefits of the array formation targeted only his side.


    As for how Kyran could create and even sustain the array formation without unlocking the Void theories, it was quite simple. He had used the remaining exquisite spirit stones he took from the castle''s underground.


    Now Kyran knew that the amount of exquisite spirit stones he had on hand would not be enough to sustain the array formation for long. For this reason, he asked the female spirit to go back to her kin and tell Chrysanthemum to gather more.


    The female spirit dly epted the task because she did not want to stay in such a dangerous ce.


    In any case, the knights observing the situation from the edge of the cliff were not aware of other trivial things that were happening. The only things they knew were things they could see.


    Next was Mo''s group.


    The gigantic automaton and its fellow automatons were pretty close to where Mo and the Legendary-level knights were. But with Noir and his group restraining the gigantic automaton while Filren came over to confront Mo''s group, the two sides were now separated.


    The knights observing the situation shivered upon seeing Filren summoning his Divine Armament. This was the first time they had seen it and witnessed what it could do.


    At that moment, they could see Filren looking at an eight-by-eight gridded board in midair. And on the board, Mo and the Legendary-level Knights seemed to be engaged in a battle.


    The thing was, the Legendary-level Knights were actually fighting Mo! Armak, Breira, and the ten automatons who were supposed to assist Filren ended up bing bystanders.


    Of course, Armak, Breira, and the other automatons did not idle around. Upon seeing Filren had the situation under control, they checked the other ongoing battle and went over to join.


    The observing knights were all dumbfounded. Part of them, being under the King''s pact, wanted to help Mo''s side. But their dignity as knights prevented them from moving.


    Contrary to what Kyran believed, these knights truly wanted to help. But now that there was a conflict between their loyalty to the King and the words they had spoken to Kyran, they did not know what to do.


    While these knights agonized over which side to help, Kyran could not be bothered with them. He appeared beside Noir and said, "I''ll take over from here."


    Noir, along with the other humans who were maintaining the restraining array, looked at him with a slight frown. He was clearly disturbed about something as he said,"There is something strange about this automaton."


    "I know. That''s why I''ll handle it from here," Kyran assured him with a smile. "Please take the others and rest."


    Noir and the rest of the humans might not have fought, but Kyran knew how exhausting it was to maintain the restraining array, especially when they were restraining the movements of such a treacherous gigantic automaton.


    "Alright. We''ll go help Simga and the others."


    "There is no need. Please rest for now. Because in a moment, someone wille carryingrge amounts of spirit stones. Please reinforce the array formation then."


    Noir raised his brows in surprise. He did not need Kyran to tell him that the array formation he was referring to was the massive one he created. But that was not the reason he was surprised. It was the mention of spirit stones.


    Though curious as to where Kyran would get the stones, Noir suppressed his curiosity. There would be a chance to askter. For now, they still had prior things to deal with.


    "I understand."


    After Noir and the rest of the humans retreated to a safe spot, Kyran looked at the gigantic automaton that had suddenly turned silent. Nheless, the glow in its eyes was as fierce as ever as they red at him and Cyneah.


    "Can you tell where the person is inside?" Kyran asked.


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed slightly as she looked at the gigantic automaton before her.


    The silhouette she could see before was quiteplicated. There were intersecting lines that did not make sense to her. But those were unimportant. There was no need for her to understand them. All she had to do was figure out where the person was.


    Actually, it was not hard to find. But the light she could see was surrounded by strange lights. These lights were different from the lights she could see in humans. However, they were a little blinding, thus making it hard for her to pinpoint the exact location of the person.


    "There are confusing lights around it," Cyneah admitted. "But I have a general idea of its position."

 Chapter 935 Armakeas Future

    Chapter 935 Armakea''s Future


    "I''ll take us inside," Kyran said, pulling Cyneah closer. "You can direct the way."


    "I-I¡ª actually, w-we can try something that w-will allow you to see that person''s light without m-me by your side," Cyneah stammered slightly. Though she had tried to ignore Kyran''s proximity since earlier, it was affecting her concentration. Besides, his abyss-like aura was obstructing her field of vision. If he stayed too close, she could not make out of the scene before her that well.


    "I-I can transfer my magic energy to your eyes," she exined before Kyran could ask for more details.


    Kyran raised his brows, quite surprised at Cyneah''s suggestion. However, he rejected it before she could borate.


    "Transferring Soul magic energy directly into one''s eyes will allow one to possess the ability to see those lights. This will work if it''s another person, but I''m sorry. Since the target is me, it will not be a good idea."


    "Why is that?"


    Kyran inwardly scratched his head. It was normal for Cyneah not to know the rtionship between the four Ancient magic. But as much as he wanted to answer her question, he could exin it with a few sentences. In the end, he could only say, "I''ll exin itter."


    "But¡ª!"


    Cyneah''s protest was cut short as Kyran jumped,nding directly on the gigantic automaton''s right shoulder.


    "RAWRGH!"


    The moment Kyran and Cyneahnded, the gigantic automaton swiveled its head and opened its mouth. While the construction of the automaton''s mouth was not as intricate as a human''s or even a beast''s, it still consisted of perfectly sturdy teeth.


    Of course, when Kyran saw the gigantic automaton open its mouth, he did not think it wanted to bite them to death. Instead, it would release its concentrated magic energy beam at point-nk, incinerating them.


    Unfortunately for the gigantic automaton, before it could even open its mouth, Kyran had already caught sight of its neck turning slightly and had already anticipated its move. The moment he and Cyneahnded, he pivoted with one leg raised and delivered a swift roundhouse kick directly at the gigantic automaton''s jaw.


    BAM!


    CRACK!


    BOOM!


    A resounding impact echoed after Kyran''s kick connected, resulting in the gigantic automaton''s jaw shattering.


    That was not all. Its throat, which was connected to the mechanism that gathered magic energy for its beam attacks, was also destroyed, preventing the gigantic automaton from attacking with its mouth from then on.


    Noir and the others nearby were initially startled by the explosion. Worried that something might have happened to Kyran and Cyneah, they looked just to be speechless at what greeted them.


    Their knowledge about automatons might be limited, but they knew the materials used to create one would be costly. At the very least, a simple kick would not destroy its exterior.


    Yes, they knew Kyran''s physical strength was too powerful, but that kick could no longer be defined as simply being such.


    "Stay still, won''t you?" Kyran grumbled at the gigantic automaton.


    As if hearing what he said, whirring sounds could be hearding from the gigantic automaton''s destroyed throat as if to refute him but was unable to. All that came out was pitiful sounds that hardly made sense to anyone present.


    Oblivious to what had happened, Cyneah had resigned herself to being carried around by Kyran and focused her attention on their feet. She knew they hadnded on the gigantic automaton''s shoulder, and luckily, Kyran''s abyss-like aura did not obstruct her field of vision under their feet.


    "There!"


    Cyneah pointed below as she saw the person''s light Kyran was searching for.


    Kyran also looked down and calcted the spot where Cyneah was pointing at. If he used the human''s body to reference the gigantic automaton''s internal structure, he gleaned that the ce she was pointing at was where the heart was located.


    This made Kyran frown.


    He used the human body as a reference because the internal structure of the first batch of the automatons he acquired earlier was almost the same. Their energy core was not in the exact location of a human''s heart, but it was pretty close.


    Since the same group likely created those automatons, Kyran guessed the gigantic automaton''s internal structure was the same. If that was the case, Aran was either inside the energy core or close to it, which was not a good thing.


    Energy cores store up raw magic energy¡ª an energy that is far more potent than concentrated magic energy beam attacks that have already been filtered. No human can endure such power. One will either end up getting fried on the spot or melt¡ª either option leads to absolute death.


    But Aran was clearly still alive. Did that mean the gigantic automaton''s energy core was ced in a different location? More importantly, how did Aran even end up inside?


    A possible answer to his first question shed through Kyran''s mind, and his expression darkened.


    "Looks like it will truly be impossible to negotiate with him," he muttered.


    Hearing him speak, Cyneah finally understood what he said earlier.


    Who else would Kyran want to negotiate with regarding Armakea''s future but its King?


    With this realization, Cyneah muttered, "So that light belonged to...?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yes."


    "There are other lights around him, Kyran. But those lights... areing from him and being transferred to several spherical-shaped things... Sorry, I am unfamiliar with an automaton''s structure and did not know what those things are."


    "It''s fine," Kyran replied. From her description, he guessed those spherical-shaped things were valves with tubes connected to Aran, which absorbed his internal magic energy and supplied the gigantic automaton.


    With the gigantic automaton moving about and using concentrated magic energy attacks, it was not wrong to assume that Aran''s life force was also being absorbed. He might have the advantage of aplete being''s body wherein they could produce their magic energy through their Divine Armament, but how much and for how long they could do so was still limited.


    The gigantic automaton might have had the magic energy that supported it, but that was also limited. After exhausting it, it started to suck Aran''s magic energy dry.


    Kyran heaved a sigh. He then looked over the side of the battlefield where the puppets were confronting the Armakea Knights.


    Kyran wanted to negotiate with Aran because he knew it would be challenging to convince those three to four thousand knights to surrender without thetter.


    The pact with their King bound them, and Kyran was afraid they would still fight to the death if he killed Aran, even if they were freed. This was because they would likely feel guilty for failing to protect their King.


    Kyran did not want to kill the Armakea Knights and force them into submission. He wanted them to agree to be his Sigils of their own volition as much as possible. Of course, convincing Aran to release the knights was close to impossible. But Kyran more or less knew how to persuade Aran by exploiting his character.


    If Kyran had to describe Aran, he was someone afraid of others having more authority and power than him. He wanted to control everything and was fearful of others overpowering him. He kept people who might pose a threat close to him so he could keep an eye on them and exert his authority over them. He would then force them into unfair pacts, preventing them from retaliating.


    Knowing this, Kyran nned to grant Aran what he wanted by letting him rule over nations but not be in Somuli. Of course, he would not tell Aran about that. Besides, he had yet to find a suitable ne to take thetter.


    Only after Aran agreed would Kyran search for one.


    Nheless, if Aran refused, Kyran would change his mind as he did with Tritus.


    While Kyran could have done this from the start, he admitted not wanting Aran to be part of his pack. So, this option was ced as ast resort.


    On the off chance that Aran remained unmoved¡ª especially since changing a human might be different from changing aplete being¡ª Kyran would kill him before the Armakea Knights and make it appear like he was freeing them from Aran''s tyranny. But this option posed a lot of risk because of the discipline and loyalty the knights possessed.


    s, wanting to keep his enemies alive was indeed a troublesome endeavor. If not for wanting to keep the Armakea Knights alive, Kyran would not be experiencing such a huge headache.


    "You want to negotiate about releasing the Knights from the pact."


    Cyneah''s voice snapped Kyran out of his reverie. He looked at her and nodded, "Yes."


    Heaving another sigh, he added, "All their lives, they had been under Aran with no way to defy him because of the pact. I wanted to free them from it."


    "You say that, but you also want to bind them, right?"


    "True, but I won''t force them to be my Sigils..." Kyran''s voice trailed off as scenes of how he turned every Sigils under him shed through his mind. With pursed lips, he admitted, "Fine. I did force some of them, but I won''t force them to do something they don''t want."


    Cyneah smiled. She sensed Kyran''s apprehension just now and felt relieved. She disapproved of binding others to do one''s bidding, but somehow, she found that if it was Kyran, it was not such a bad thing because he would not treat them badly.


    "Shall I save Aran, then? I may be able to convince him to release the Knights as well."


    Cyneah might be opposed to binding others, but she did not mind doing a little tweaking to fix someone else''s evil side.

 Chapter 936 Release

    Chapter 936 Release


    Kyran studied Cyneah for a moment. Seeing the mischievous glint from her mirror-like eyes and the slight curve of her lips, he knew there was a deeper meaning behind her use of ''save'' and ''convince'' words.


    If this had been before their talk a few days ago, he would not have considered her suggestion and outright refused. As much as possible, he did not want her hands to be muddied because of him.


    But their talk made Kyran realize a lot of things. One was that Cyneah was not a fragile and weak-hearted young woman. Although he had already known this because of her strong will to live when they first met in the cave, he had underestimated it even then. For one thing, though she tried her best to stay alive, the fact that she did not attempt to leave the cave meant she was already resigned to dying there.


    Kyran was actually on point with his judgment, but Cyneah did want to leave the cave. However, with her injury-riddled body and petite frame at that time, if she attempted to jump down the cave, she would have died from the fall.


    In any case, after Kyran learned some of Cyenah''s experiences in Somuli¡ª he knew she still withheld a few¡ª he knew she would not hesitate to do something that could question her morality. Of course, she still had a bottom line: she would only do unspeakable things to people who would threaten her and the people she held dear.


    Kyran did not mind that. He was the same, after all. Nevertheless, now that he was there, as much as possible, he would not allow her to take another''s lifeagain.


    For this reason, Kyran was not opposed to Cyneah''s suggestion. He only worried she would be exhausted after saving and convincing Aran¡ª aplete being.


    "It does not matter if he is aplete being or a human because all souls are the same. Of course, the higher one''s will and level are, the more challenging tweaking one''s soul will be. Yours and sister Ste''s souls will probably be the only ones I cannot touch."


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Cyneah exined while throwing all precautions in the wind by not filtering her words anymore.


    Kyran did not respond because he was unsure about that. Based on the rtionship between the Ancient magic, Void''s weakness was Soul. His Void magic energy was constantly on guard against invisible magic attacks that aimed to affect him from the inside, but the problem was his guard was the weakest against the person who could cast such a treacherous spell.


    Proof of that was how Cyneah sessfully forced Kyran to sleep, preventing him from stopping her departure.


    s, it appeared True Void''s concern about Kyran falling for the Soul magic''s sessor was unwarranted.


    "Don''t exhaust yourself," Kyran replied after a short pause.


    Cyneah only smiled as her eyes glowed. She aimed her palm at the light inside the gigantic automaton''s body and circted the Soul magic energy inside the Macabre cier.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he sensed the Shaiha stirred the moment he felt Cyneah circte her magic energy. The Shaiha did not normally stir when she used her magic. Thus, he guessed she was also using the Macabre cier.


    Then again, the Macabre cier was acting as Cyneah''s magic core. If she cast a spell that required arge amount of magic energy, she would indeed need the mirror.


    Thankfully, the Macabre cier was docile enough, not affecting the Shaiha the same way it did before. This might also be because Cyneah had already achieved firm control over it, and the magic energy circting prominently around Kyran was Draconic magic, not the Void.


    This made Kyran wonder if the Shaiha reacted to the Macabre cier or its sentient. At least, from what he remembered, the mirror moved ording to its sentient''s will back in the Human ne.


    Pushing aside all other thoughts that randomly fleeted in his mind, Kyran used his heightened senses to observe what was happening inside the gigantic automaton. Before he could sense anything, though, it let out a pitiful mechanical wail that was cut short because of its destroyed throat. After that, the lights on its eyes dimmed as its struggles ceased.


    Sensing the gigantic automaton''s system had started to shut down one after another, Kyran wrapped an arm around Cyneah and jumped off its shoulder. Following its main system''s shutdown, the gigantic automaton fell face-first on the ground.


    Clouds of dirt and smoke spread everywhere after the gigantic automaton fell down.


    At the same time it fell, Kyran and Cyneahnded a good distance from it.


    Kyran then heard hissing and whirring sounds from the gigantic automaton''s back as it opened, and grayish steam seeped out. After that, a cylindricalpartment slid out, eminating a faint blue light.


    This surprised Kyran more than the fact that Cyneah saved and probably convinced Aran in such a short time¡ª it even felt like she only did it in the blink of an eye.


    It seemed the gigantic automaton was not just a giant-type automaton but something meant to be steered.


    Wait.


    If this was true, then it could not be called an automaton but a human mechanical vehicle of some sort.


    Err¡­


    Kyran scratched his head, thinking it was such a mouthful to call it as such. However, he could note up with a one or two word to call it at the moment.


    Taking Cyneah along, Kyran jumped on the gigantic automaton''s back¡ª for the mean time, be decided to refer to it as such.


    "He''s unconscious right now," Cyneah told him. "But if you want to talk now, I can wake him."


    "There is no need," Kyran replied. "Honestly, him being unconscious is also fine. I haven''t tried removing a pact directly from its source, and wanted to see if I can do that."


    "Y-You¡­" Cyneah was speechless. She had thought he wanted to let Aran rest for a while since he was practically at death''s door with his magic energy and life force almost drying up. Instead, he wanted to use Aran''s body to experiment before waking him.


    Oblivious, or probably pretending not to notice Cyneah''s odd look, Kyran made quick work on the cylindricalpartment''s lock. It was not an overly borated array formation, but it was also not simple. However, the moment he infused his Void magic energy into the formation, it willingly allow him to decipher it and unlock itself.


    Whirring sounds reverberated from the surface of thepartment facing outward as glowing faint blue lines spread outward from its center. The surface lifted slightly before it retracted horizontally from the center to its border.


    Grayish white steams seeped out from the openedpartment as a mechanism, which was simr to an inclined chair slid outward.


    There they found the unconscious Aran, half lying on the chair with several light blue tubes struck to his vital points.


    This was the first time Kyran saw Aran in person, but he was aware if thetter''s failing health. But even then, he did not think Aran would be in such a pitiful state. The Aran before Kyran was practically skin and bones¡ª something very close to a withered corpse.


    "Did you really save him?" Kyran could not help but ask Cyneah. He had thought she meant to heal him when she offered to save Aran. But no matter how Kyran looked at thetter, he did not seem to have recovered.


    Cyneah blinked, appearing all innocent as she replied, "He''s alive isn''t he?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly.


    ''Right¡­ I guess that''s her bottom line when ites to healing people she dislikes.''


    Kyran guessed Cyneah despised Aran because of what he subjected the Eidums to suffer by trying to conquer their borders. Though the ones who led the attack had been Kesiah, Aran was the one who ordered them to  take down the Eidum''s border.


    "Okay."


    Was all Kyran could say after a short pause.


    "Are you disillusioned about me, now?"


    Though Cyneah spoke in a neutral way, Kyran heard slight apprehension from her voice.


    "Never."


    Kyran''s response was curt but Cyneah did not mind because the weight of that word was more than enough.


    Kyran hoisted Aran out of the chair before draping him on his shoulder like a sack of rice. Then pulling Cyneah closer he jumped down from the automaton and went over to Noir and the others.


    Speaking of Noir and the others, they were gaping at the gigantic automaton in utter amazement. When it fell and was covered with cloud of dust, they could barely see what was happening. But now that the dust had cleared and they had clear view of the gigantic automaton, they were left speechless.


    Never had they expected such an ingenious creation to exist. A massive automaton that could carry a person, it was simply inconceivable.


    If Kyran knew what was running on their minds, he would have wondered what their reaction would be if they saw Loar''s creations.


    Loar might not have a giant automaton that a person could control, but he did have something simr, albeit human-sized, that also served as an full body armor.


    The first one to recover his senses was Noir. He approached Kyran and helped lower Aran''s body to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Mo was enraged upon seeing what transpired over the gigantic automaton''s side. He especially saw the pitiful condition and state of King Aran, and he cursed Kyran and all the rebels believing it was their conquest that drove their King to the edge, going so far as sacrificing himself to control the gigantic automaton.


    Unfortunately for Mo, the moment he got distracted, the joint attacks unleashed by the Legendary-level knights controlled by Filren got the better of him. Theirbined attack would not normally be able to hurt Mo but because he had recently suffered a bacsh after his Divine Armament was smashed by Filren, he was barely holding on.


    The damage received by aplete being who had his Divine Armament destroyed could not be underestimated especially because Divine Armaments are connected to their core. It wasparable to a fatal blow to one''s soul.


    With Mo falling on his knees, the Legendary-level knights were in despair. They did not mind falling if it would mean Mo would win and had a chance to counter Filren. But with Mo falling before them, their chances of turning the tides was no longer feasible.


    The Legendary-level knights tried to fight Filren''s control again. However, no matter what they did, their bodies simply wouldn''t listen. It was as if their bodies no longer belonged to them but to Filren and thet were only spectators watching the events in a first person view.


    While they were waiting for Filren to kill them one by one, they suddenly felt something amiss. Because after Mo had fallen, instead of controlling them to deliver the finishing blow, Filrennded on the board and activated an item that bound them in ce.


    They were not the only ones surprised. Mo also looked at Filren in confusion. However, thetter did not even spare a nce at him before unsummoning his Divine Armament.


    "Why¡­?" Mo growled at Filren. "Do you want to humiliate us further by allowing us to live while we fail to protect our King?"


    "Mo," Filren finally turned to look at him. "Did you know why I wanted to be a knight even knowing I will be forever bound to the King of Armakea?"


    Mo only scowled in response.


    "I wanted to ensure the King will uphold the oath he took after seeding the throne¡­" Filren''s voice trailed off as his expression turned solemn. In his mind''s eye he remebered Aran''s coronation and his oath to rule with honesty, putting the interest of Armakea and his people first and foremost and protect thend of their forefathers with the guidance of the Armakea Knights. Unfortunately, Aran''s oath was nothing but lip service because all that ever mattered to him was himself.


    One after another, Aran waged war on smaller nations in the name of reiming the lost technology which was the Armakea Royal Family''s inheritance.


    However, that was only a front.


    The truth Aran waged war on those nations after learning they discovered breakthrough in replicating lost technologies. He was afraid that once they found a way to replicate lost technology, the Armakea''s advantage when it came to lost technologies would disappear.


    Along with the war Aran waged was the sacrifice of countless Armakean citizens and its soldiers. After all, those small nations would not really sumb to them without putting up a fight.


    Filren tried to speak his mind, wanting to remind Aran of his oath. However, the pact he had prevented him from even uttering a word.


    Recalling these memories Filren could only heave a sigh or regret.


    "What do you think, Mo? Did he uphold his oath?"


    Mo opened his mouth, wanting to refute Filren for speaking sphemous things. However, no words came out of him because deep down he knew if he answered Filren''s question they would arrive at the same one.


    "My master does not wish to kill. You may not believe it but as far as casualties are concerned, none of the knights died in their hands."


    Without waiting for Mo or the other Legendary-level knights to speak, Filren turned and made his way to the other side where the battle was still raging.


    Noir assisted Kyran as he prepared the array formation to remove the pact Aran had with the knights. Frankly, though Kyran''s knowledge in Array far surpassed Noir, his knowledge of the Somuli''s magicw provided much needed insights for Kyran toe up with the correct forms.


    In no time, Kyranpleted the array formation. He then ced Aran at the center before activating it.


    As soon as Kyran activated the array, every knight felt a burning sensation spread inside their chest. There was no pain but it was too sudden that a few of them engaging the puppets came to a sudden stop.


    Fortunately, the puppets were programmed not to attack preemptively. Thus, the moment these knights stopped, they also stopped or attacked those who attacked them.


    A symbol resembling an infinity sign appeared, hovering above Aran''s forehead. Soon, cracks appeared on its surface, resulting in every knight in Armakea to vaguely sense their connectiong to the pact weakening.


    When finally the symbol shattered, the knights connection to King Aran also disappeared.

 Chapter 937 Sovereign of Bulwark (1)

    Chapter 937 Sovereign of Bulwark (1)


    Before the pact binding the Armakea Knights to the Armakea King, there had already been some subtle changes happening in the confrontation between the puppets and the knights.


    The most prominent but not easily noticed change was the knights'' formation.


    Because the knights did not have the time to devise a n before they were released from the sphere and saw they were surrounded by puppets, they fought side by side with their teams and leaders.


    At first, they believed their number advantage could easily overwhelm the puppets. However, they were proven wrong when they realized that a team of ten knights could barely fight three puppets.


    The higher-ranked knights noticed this and slowlymunicated with the team leaders to team up with others. Since they had the number advantage, they proposed three teams of ten knights to team up and confront as many puppets as they could.


    The change in their defensive line saw an improvement at once. They no longer struggle to deal with a group of puppets. But they soon realized that, though they no longer struggled against the puppets, they also could not get the upper hand.


    For short, their confrontation was practically in a stalemate.


    The high-ranking knights were the first ones to notice this and found it inconceivable. Ultimately, they believed that the reason behind this was that the level of the puppets likely could not be gauged ording to their standards. Meaning the level of their weakest member might be the same as the lowest-ranked knight in their ranks.


    Unfortunately, there was no way for them to confirm the levels of the puppets. Nheless, they were not deterred. Fighting a war with zero information against their enemies was not an umon thing. Thus, they immediately adjusted their formation once more.


    Considering this, the high-ranking knights decided to adjust their formation once more. They created teams that could observe the puppets and determine their levels and capabilities byparing their performance against the knight they were fighting.


    However, while observing, some of them noticed something strange about the puppets¡ª their movements. It was not that they were following a set of patterns when they moved, but it was simr.Wanting to confirm this, they informed the high-ranking knights.


    Most of the high-ranking knights were gathered at the center of their formation, where they created a makeshiftmand center. They had scouts continuously sending them updates from the outer formation, and they, at the center, would adjust their strategy ording to the updates they received.


    This was the second unnoticeable change to the knights'' side. They were slowly reorganizing their formation and adjusting their strategy while creating an effective mode ofmunication for the high-ranking knights to properlymand their defensive and offensive lines.


    In any case, because they established a good enoughmunicationwork, the scouts managed to inform the high-ranking knights about their discovery.


    It was one thing to receive an update regarding the strange movements of the puppets from one scout, but they started receiving the same observational report from other scouts. The high-ranking knights considered this and even asked them to perform a test and confirm it.


    However, before the knights at the outer defensive and offensive lines could execute the high-ranking knights'' suggestion, Armak, Breira, and more automatons joined in the fray.


    With the addition of two aides to the King¡ª rather, two traitors to Armakea¡ª they had to adjust their strategy once more.


    Ultimately, the equilibrium between the two sides was shaken with the addition of Amtrak, Breira, and the automatons. After a short while, this equilibrium copsed, with the puppets'' side gaining an advantage when Filren also appeared.


    Although Filren did not join in the fray and only observed the situation, his presence alone put a huge pressure on the high-ranking knightsmanding the knights.


    Moreover, the knights had the number advantage, but their supplies were limited. Unlike the puppets, who would still fight even after receiving a fatal injury, the knights had to take their injured members to the safety of the central line and recuperate.


    Honestly, the knights would have gotten the advantage sooner orter if the damaged puppets had remained damaged as they fought bitterly to their end. Unfortunately, the massive array covering the battlefield supported them in such a way that they appeared to be immortal beings¡ª inexhaustible and undefeatable.


    The high-ranking knights were finally forced toe out from the central line and deal with the neers.


    But it was at that moment when they felt a burning sensation filling their chest.


    Not long after, they sensed their connection to King Aran breaking.


    When this happened, those veteran knights who had been serving King Aran for more than ten years found themselves at a loss.


    Those newly appointed knights and those who had been in service for less than ten years, probably because of their low tenure and their attachment to the king had yet to be established, were notpletely at a loss. Nheless, they were dumbfounded at suddenly being free from the pact.


    By the time the knights recovered, Filren and the others, along with the puppets, rounded them up. After this, he told them that his master had no intention of killing them and asked them to surrender.


    The high-ranking knights were initially reluctant to surrender. But soon, they saw King Aran being carried by Mo, who apparently willingly surrendered.


    The rest of the knights followed suit, seeing Mo''s example.


    To ensure that no one would have any funny ideas, Kyran marked all of them. The mark he ced upon them was simr to the one he gave to Vera, albeit a little lenient because it did not include them getting killed just by the mere thought of them wanting to attack him.


    In any case, Kyran would remove the mark after sorting the whole ordeal.


    As for the knights who offered to help but ended up bing bystanders, they were the first ones to offer allegiance to Kyran.


    This surprised Kyran. But he did not ask for their reason. Not because he was uninterested but because he would know the reason after he turned them into his Sigils anyway since most of their recent memories would be passed onto him.


    With the confrontation at the northern forest of Armakeaing to an end, Kyran could finally focus on other important things, such as treating Malek, contacting Akim and the others, rounding up the rest of the Royal Family members who wanted to take advantage of the current situation in Armakea to enact their own rebellion, check on Chrysanthemum and her people¡ª who seemed to still be gathering the exquisite spirit stones¡ª andstly, confirm the situation outside Somuli.


    Frankly, thetter was a pressing matter because Kyran had just killed two Sovereigns. It was one thing if they were regr members of a Sovereign faction, but they were the faction leader and deputy. There was bound to be a big flood about to fall in Somuli.


    A temporary solution could prevent this, of course, if the Abbotpleted his ascension soon.


    s, this might take a while, especially because the Abbot had once forcefully stopped his ascension because he was concerned about the Eidums'' safety.


    Kyran created a temporary base in the northern forest and let Filren deal with orienting the knights of the possible future of Armakea. He also arranged an area to serve as an infirmary where Cyneah could treat the wounded. As for her helpers, Kyran asked Armak and Breira to guide Nahir and his group there. He gave them transmission scrolls to ensure they could return to the base as soon as possible.


    When Kyran settled most of the things in the base, he checked on Noir and the others who were preparing a transmission array, which they would connect to one in the Armakea Border. This way, Gael and the others from there, especially the Eidums, could arrive and assist in treating the wounded.


    Of course, Kyran would not have agreed to the transmission array''s creation if he had not confirmed the situation at the border. But with Gael confirming that the situation in the border had been resolved, including those knights who were suddenly at a loss after being freed from the pact, Kyran ordered them to prepare and wait for the transmission array on his end to be connected to theirs so they coulde to the base.


    Kyran also received news from Akim.


    ording to Akim, he and his father, Ravan, along with the rest of his uncles and aunts, came to an agreement. They agreed not to interfere with Kyran''s ns, but that did not mean they would concede the Armakea without understanding his future ns. They then asked to meet Kyran,


    Kyran agreed, giving Akim the temporary base''s coordinates so he could bring his family there.


    Because of Larkring''s condition, Akim and his family could not go there immediately. Ravan, being an honorable servant of Armakea, wanted to ensure the safety of the citizens first.


    Kyran did not mind. Instead, he asked Akim to round up all other Royal Family members as well as the knights scattered around the city.


    Because Kyran let Filren handle the knight''s situation, he had nothing else to do. Thus, he helped Cyneah in the infirmary, with Malek''s treatment being his priority. When Gael, Kesiah, and the rest arrived, the Eidums who came with them did not dally and immediately went to assist Cyneah and Nahir in the infirmary.


    Overall, the temporary base was bustling with activity as they dealt with the aftermath.


    By nightfall, Kyran received dire news from the female spirit. Apparently, the other leaders of the Magical Beast Community overheard her and Chrysanthemum''s conversation about gathering the philosopher''s stones, and a conflict erupted among them.


    Currently, Chrysanthemum and her people were sent to themunity''s underground prison after sealing their ''Divine Armaments.'' Meanwhile, they tortured them into spilling the location of the philosopher''s stone''s mine. In the end, those who could still muster their magic could only help the female spirit escape and enter the temporary world to inform Kyran of the situation.


    When Kyran heard what happened, he felt his head throb. Initially, he did not want to involve the Magical Beast Community in his conquest, but because of what they did to Chrysanthemum and her people, he changed his mind.


    Not wanting to waste time, Kyran asked the female spirit for themunity''s coordinates and warped there directly.


    What happened next was nothing worth mentioning.


    The other leaders initiallyughed off Kyran''s arrival, but when they ordered the beasts to attack, none of them dared to.


    Kyran then summoned the three magical beasts he tamed previously and let them deal with the rest. After that, he saved Chrysanthemum and her people before sending them to the temporary base to be treated.


    In the end, Kyran felt aggrieved as he was left to mine the spirit stones. What was the point of asking others to gather the stones when he would end up doing it anyway?

 Chapter 938 Sovereign of Bulwark (2)

    <h4>Chapter 938 Sovereign of Bulwark (2)</h4>


    The truth was that Kyran did not mine the spirit stones. Instead, he assigned several puppets he acquired to do it.


    As for the Armakeans guarding the mines, they were either knights or high-ranked officers who were all bound to Aran by the pact. After being released, they were simrly confused and lost at what to do. But because of the knights'' discipline and the officers'' dignity, they still diligently guarded the mines.


    When Kyran arrived, they were initially wary.


    Not wanting to start an unnecessary fight, Kyran called Filren and had him speak with the knights. He also summoned Breira and asked to take them back to their temporary base.


    He then ordered the puppets to mine while assigning two automatons to supervise them. After that, he returned to the Magical Beast Community to check on the three magical beasts, who were busy dealing with the situation.


    Actually, the three magical beasts were flexing their strength rather than going on a massacre. Because of this, several feral and magical beats surrendered and willingly epted Kyran''s mark.


    Kyran had no intentions of turning the beasts into Sigils. Instead, he wanted Max to tame them once he summoned thetter in Somuli in the near future. So, leaving a mark and having others monitor them was enough.


    As for the leaders and remaining magical beats, they fought bitterly against the three and were fatally injured. Kyran initially nned to kill them because of what they did to Chrysanthemum and her people. However, he changed his mind after learning that those responsible for torturing them were only a few magical beasts and upper-ranked leaders.


    Once he learned the names responsible for their torture, Kyran disintegrated them, not leaving even a trace of their existence behind. His action made the remaining leaders and magical beasts tremble in fear.


    Like the others, they epted Kyran''s mark without raising a fuss.


    By the time the Magical Beast Community''s incident was resolved, it was already in the wee hours. If this had happened in the Human ne, it would have taken a couple of days to fix everything, including mining the spirit stones. But because of Somuli''s longer time cycles, everything was resolved in a day.


    Having limited knowledge of the Magical Beast Community, Kyran allowed the leaders who surrendered to take care of the aftermath. To ensure they would not think of anything funny, he left three automatons, eachmanding a group of ten puppets, to oversee them.


    With nothing else left to do, Kyran prepared to return. However, before he could warp back to the temporary base in Larkring''s northern forest, he was stopped by Ruin.


    Kyran knew Ruin had been following him since leaving the underground shelter. He did not know how thetter managed to track him because he would sometimes warp at long distances, but he did. Then again, thetter might have used his gift to track him down. But Nn had previously sealed it, and Kyran also enhanced it using his own means. How could Ruin still use it to track him?


    This was one of the things Kyran hated about Ruin. Thetter had so many cards and hands to y, making it hard for the former to grasp thetter''s abilities and innate magicpletely.


    To avoid a constant headache trying to figure Ruin out, Kyran decided not to take everything Ruin did to heart.


    With a rather mischievous grin, Ruin appeared before Kyran and said, "You sure look after your people well. I almost wish to be part of it. But I must say, I am surprised you found some of White Lily''s kind here."


    "What do you want?" Kyran replied, not bothering to indulge in idle talk with thetter.


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression changing to one who appeared offended.


    "Are you sure you want to use that tone when talking to me? Are you not afraid I''d do something about your precious people?"


    "If you touch even one strand of their hair, I''ll kill you. I''m not afraid of you."


    Ruin burst outughing, "Ahahaha! Good, good! I like you even more~ I think I like you more than your predecessor!"


    Kyran ignored him and was about to leave when Ruin stopped him again.


    "Don''t go yet, Dark Sage. I have something to say."


    "If this is about your proposal¡ª."


    "No~ it is not. Let me finish speaking."


    Kyran did not reply and tilted his head as if to tell him to go on.


    Ruin raised his brows at thetter''s disregard and said, "You sure arex. Don''t you even feel a sense of danger after what you did?"


    Kyran raised his brows questioningly.


    Not one bit displeased by Kyran''sck of response, Ruin continued, "You just killed Flos and Obstruction, or did you forget?"


    Kyran''s expression remained indifferent, but his eyes turned cold as he guessed what Ruin wanted to say.


    Seeing the change in Kyran''s eyes, Ruin grinned once more. He truly loved seeing Kyran''s expressive eyes. Though Ruin believed it was better to see them when he was not wearing a mask. After all, the murderous glint in Kyran''s silver-gray eyes could send chills down one''s spine more than the dark brown shade he was disguised in.


    "Good, I like that look in your eyes, Dark Sage."


    "Stop talking nonsense, and just say what you know."


    "Don''t tell me Axil never told you how many nes Flos and Obstruction possessed," Ruin looked at him in surprise. "And what will happen to those nes when they die."


    Kyran did not respond. He obviously knew what would happen to nes that lost their Sovereigns because he once caused Ruin to lose one of his nes. He remembered hearing from Loar that another organization that called itself the Coven took over Lignum ne and protected it against other Sovereigns.


    The Coven did not take the ne for themselves but waited for it to birth its own Sovereign before lifting the protection they ced upon it.


    Kyran assumed that also happened to the nes under Savagery when he killed her. But he did not hear anything about it. Apart from True Void, no one knew he was the one who killed her, and he wanted that to stay that way. Thus, he never spoke anything about it to anyone.


    Come to think of it, Kyran never confirmed if Savagery was part of Flos''s faction. If she was, thetter would have gotten wind of her death and already secured her nes. At least, Kyran believed this to be the case.


    "Nah-uh," Ruin said while slightly wriggling his pointing finger at Kyran.


    "Don''t treat the nes under Flos and Obstruction like the Lignum ne," Ruin added as if reading Kyran''s thoughts. "The Coven took over that ne because I don''t n on participating in the War of the Sovereigns. Flos and Obstruction were different. They could even be considered one of the leading participants of the war. Yet you killed them even before the war started."


    "What?" Kyran raised his brows. "Are you going to tell me that I vited some kind of pre-rules of the war because I killed a Sovereign before the official war even started?"


    Ruin chuckled, "Of course not. You''re not even a Sovereign. However, it was precisely because you are not a Sovereign that your actions resulted in dire consequences."


    "What do you mean?" Kyran asked with a slight frown.


    Ruin smiled, which did not meet his eyes, "Countless nes are now up for grabs because of their death. But Flos''s faction will not allow the other Sovereign factions to im them. Thus, they will move and wage an early war.


    "The other Sovereign factions steered clear from Flos''s faction because they feared him and Obstruction''s strength. But with them out of the picture, those factions had nothing to fear."


    Ruin squinted his eyes, still wearing an amused smile, "You understand what that means, right?"


    Kyran did not respond, nor did he allow his emotions to appear on his face. However, deep down, he felt a slight ache as he realized his actions inadvertently subjected all inhabitants of those nes to the mes of war.


    "Seems like you will give Death another reason to be displeased."


    A pained look fleeted over Kyran''s face as he recalled the tragedy that befell the Vates ne, which he caused. Back then, Death appeared and warned Kyran of the danger he posed because of the power he possessed.


    Kyran wanted to refute Ruin''s words by reasoning that the Sovereigns would not wage war inside the nes because they did not want to damage the resources they could gather there. However, he knew better.


    Even if the Sovereigns fought outside the nes, the nes would still suffer from the magic fluctuations and collisions of magic attacks from the confrontation between Sovereigns, especially when there was no Sovereign''s Cradle or any form of protection that would shield the ne from them.


    In the end, Kyran tried to reason, "If Sovereign killed by another, the nes under them will be transferred to the one that bested them in battle. When a ne is transferred, there is no obvious sign that its sovereignty has changed."


    "I know what you want to say~," Ruin replied with a slight snort. "You think Flos''s faction will not make a move because they are convinced another Sovereign kills Flos and Obstruction. Thus, it will be futile to im Flos and Obstruction''s nes because the Sovereign''s Cradle will still be in effect, albeit its impact will depend on the level of its new Sovereign.


    "Tsk, tsk," Ruin wriggled his finger in front of Kyran again. "Unfortunately for you, you let Deception escape."


    Kyran almost let out an aggravated groan upon realizing this. Still, his expression remained indifferent.


    Enjoying the look of nonchnce on Kyran''s face but knowing deep down he was rattled to his core, Ruin added, "Because you let her escape, she can report to the other two leaders of Flos''s faction that it was you who killed him and Obstruction. If she also tells them that you are still in Somuli, they will likely send a group to deal with you to ensure that the sovereignty of Flos''s and Obstruction''s nes has not been transferred to you. Otherwise, they will be waging a fruitless war against the other Sovereign factions if you did gain sovereignty over Flos''s and Obstruction''s nes."


    It went without saying, but if Flos''s faction did decide to send people to deal with Kyran, another war would happen in Somuli. But at that time, the scale would be more extensive.


    Somuli''s Sovereign would not be able to protect the ne by then because his Sovereign''s Cradle was fragile since he was a fake.


    Ruin waited to see a look of despair fleet through Kyran''s eyes. Unfortunately, thetter remained indifferent, albeit his eyes were still cold.


    A little annoyed and confused at Kyran''sck of reaction, Ruin said, "You''re pretty calm. Did the beating you received from one of Deus''s creations destroy your sense of danger?"


    "You know Deus?"


    Ruin raised his brows and repeated his question, albeit emphasizing each word, "Youknow Deus?"


    Kyran frowned at him but did not respond.


    But then Ruin''s eyes widened as he thought of something, "Don''t tell me he already appeared before you? No. If he did, you should not have been able to stay in one piece... but then... where is he now?"


    "I killed him," Kyran replied with a deadpan tone. "Or at least, his... clone? He did not feel like an essence to me, at least."


    Ruin''s eyes narrowed as he repeated, "''Feel?''"


    Kyran thought Ruin would react to his im about killing Deus. Unexpectedly, Ruin was more interested in how Kyran thought Deus was a clone, not an essence.


    Ignoring Ruin''s question, Kyran asked, "Is that all you want to tell me? About the possibility of Sovereignsing over to take my head and Flos''s faction waging war on others who wanted to im his and Obstruction''s nes?"


    "More or less," Ruin replied. However, he was still looking at Kyran with narrowed eyes as if he was still hung up on what he told him about Deus.


    "Thanks for the warning. I''ll be sure to deal with the consequences."


    After saying his piece, Kyran left.


    At that time, Ruin did not stop him anymore. It was not because he had nothing more to say because he had plenty more. However, he was slightly distracted by what Kyran meant about feeling Deus.


    Fortunately, Kyran had no idea what twisted thoughts were running through Ruin''s head then. If he did, he would feel a different type of fear of Ruin.


    Once Kyran returned to the temporary base, Cyneah, along with Nahir and the rest of the Eidums, treated all the wounded, including Chrysanthemum and her people. At that moment, they were all resting in an area in the infirmary reserved for them.


    After seeing her fast asleep, Kyran checked on them, and he let Cyneah be. Of course, that was after he created a division that separated her from the rest of the Eidums. Kyran was okay with her sleeping with the other Eidums in one big room since they all had their beds. However, Nahir''s bed was close to Cyneah''s, which irked Kyran.


    He was not a jealous man. At least, he believed him not to be one. But there was something in how the two slept, albeit in separate beds, yet facing each other, that did not sit well with him. It took a lot of self-control not to warp Nahir back to the Land of the Eidums.


    After creating the division, Kyran left to check on his Servants. Actually, he only wanted to check on Jita and Eikin because after retrieving them from Obstruction''s Abyss of Despair, the two seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.


    Kyran did not know this happened to them, but the two had been unresponsive to his call ever since.


    Entering the Void World, Kyran went directly to the room where he sent the two. There, he checked their vital signs to see if anything was amiss.


    Surprisingly, all their vital signs were typical, and they appeared to be sleeping only.


    With a sigh, Kyran tried to sense every inch of their body using his magic sense.


    That was when he finally sensed what was wrong.


    Within their magic core, a different type of energy circted, disrupting the flow of their innate magic.

 Chapter 939 Sovereign of Bulwark (3)

    Chapter 939 Sovereign of Bulwark (3)


    Kyran frowned in confusion after sensing the foreign energy circting in Eikin''s and Jita''s magic cores.Thetter two''s innate magic underwent a mutation after being reborn from the Void. The nature of their innate magic was very different from the Void, but because of the mutation, it adapted well to some of the Void''s nature.


    It was because of this that Kyran was confused. With Eikin''s and Jita''s innate magic adapting some of the Void''s nature, they should have nullified the foreign energy''s influence. How could it survive and affect their innate magic energy cirction instead?


    Shaking his head slightly, Kyran roused the Void''s nature in Eikin''s and Jita''s innate magic, strengthening them and nullifying the foreign energy''s influence.


    Surprisingly, as he roused the Void''s nature, the foreign energy actually reacted.


    ''This... don''t tell me...''


    Kyran''s expression darkened as he soon realized that the foreign energy also possessed Void''s nature, albeit it came from a different source¡ª Obstruction''s innate magic.


    ''Does this mean that guy''s innate magic is also...''


    Kyran shook his head, rejecting the notion that Obstruction''s innate magic was also the Void.


    It was clearly different from the Void, and while it did react, there was also a repulsive sense as if the foreign energy was tainted and unauthentic.


    An idea crossed Kyran''s mind as he studied the foreign energy again. While observing it, a memory of his first meeting with Dusk shed through his mind''s eye.


    Back then, Dusk managed to conceal his aura well so that even Kyran failed to notice his presence until he was already within attack range. The former then made an offhanded remark about thetter possessing something that could conceal his presence.


    At first, Kyran thought Dusk had discovered he possessed the Shaiha. But then he realized he was talking about a magic item that could replicate Shaiha''s concealment ability.


    The foreign energy within Eikin''s and Jita''s magic cores shared the same concept¡ª it felt like a poor attempt at replicating the Void magic energy.


    ''Did Obstruction birth this energy after his Space innate magic evolved?'' Kyran wondered but again shook his head at the absurdity of the notion. ''No. If this energy was born because of his innate magic''s evolution, its core should have traces of Space magic. But there is not even a trace of Space magic in it.''


    After Can imparted all his knowledge of the Void to Kyran, thetter now knew that the concept of Space magic was different from the Void''s space.


    The Void epasses everything and also nothing. It is not bound by anything.


    On the other hand, Space has specific positions and directions that can be manipted if one possesses the right frequency of magic energy that resonates with it¡ª for short, if that person''s innate magic is Space.


    Kyran had already confirmed that Obstruction''s innate magic was Space magic. From this, no matter how much inspiration thetter had regarding Void magic, his Space magic would never evolve into one because its nature bound it, while Void was not.


    Then what of the foreign energy that was a failed attempt at replicating the Void? How did it enter Eikin''s and Jita''s bodies? And where did ite from?


    The answer to the second question was obvious. It entered their bodies after being imprisoned inside the Abyss of Despair, which was filled with Obstruction''s magic energy. This confirmed that the foreign energy dide from Obstruction.


    But where did Obstruction get it when his innate magic could never evolve and acquire the Void''s nature?


    Kyran had a bad feeling about this, especially if he added the Fates''s arrival to prevent Flos''s and Obstruction''s deaths into the equation. If his guess was correct, then someone or something could be behind them or even their faction that did not belong to the Lower Realm. After all, no one in the Lower Realm could move the Fates. At least, based on Kyran''s understanding, the Fates were beings that could not be moved by just anyone¡ª probably not even in the Higher Realm.


    If this was the case, then who was behind Flos and Obstruction? Who was it that made the Fatese and try to stop their deaths?


    Now that Kyran could finally ponder through his thoughts, he recalled something unusual about the Fates. He initially believed their existence was akin to lesser gods with omnipotent magic, which was why they were feared by many. But recalling their appearance yesterday, while their presence was indeed very overwhelming as if they could easily cut off the life thread of anyone they wanted, there was something surreal about their existence.


    Kyran could not exin it well, but if he gave an analogy to their existence, they were like puppets whose bodies and lives were artificially created.


    Kyran shook his head. Thus far, everything that had happened did not make any sense and only gave him a horrible headache. He also felt that the more he delved into the mysteries of the Lower Realm, especially about the Ancients and the Shaiha, he was thrown into a myriad of intersecting conspiracies, making it harder for him to sift out the truth.


    In the end, Kyran could only sort his thoughts, dividing them into things he understood, yet to understand, and did not make sense at all. After that, he pushed the things that did not make sense to him to the very back of his mind while considering searching for clues to those things he had yet to understand.


    As a matter of fact, he believed he could find those clues in the tablets Axil and her people had collected.


    While Kyran was pondering all these things, he was also healing Eikin and Jita. By the time he was done thinking, he had also removed the foreign energy from their bodies.


    Because he was curious about the origin of the foreign energy, Kyran did not destroy it. Rather, he collected it with the intention of studying it further. Luckily, he had also preserved Obstruction''s body. Using thetter, he was pretty optimistic about producing some results in his endeavor.


    After sorting through everything, Kyran rested for a while.


    Akim and his family had been busy calming the citizens after the aftermath. They had also dealt with the Royal Family members who were nning to take advantage of the situation to usurp Aran.


    With Ravan in the lead of subjugating them, the Elders who survived were captured and imprisoned while the others surrendered. Because they surrendered willingly, Ravan did not imprison them; instead, they were subjected to house arrest.


    After the situation in Larkring calmed down, Akim finally led his father to meet with Kyran.


    The sun had already risen by the time Akim arrived at the temporary base with his father.


    Filren, along with Armak and Breira, were the ones to greet them and lead them to the room where Kyran was waiting. Upon entering, Ravan''s expression darkened because the room was where Aran was confined.


    While Ravan was always at odds with Aran, that did not mean he did not care about him. At the end of the day, they were still brothers¡ª bound by the blood running through their veins. Ravan did not want to see Aran in such a state.


    Sitting on a chair beside Aran''s bed was none other than Kyran.


    Ravan had already heard a lot about thetter from his son, Akim, and recognized him by his dark hair and eyes.


    With narrowed eyes, Ravan looked at Kyran and said, "Did you do this to him?"


    Kyran raised his brows and tilted his head in response.


    His action immediately irked an elder from the side of Akim''s mother, who pointed an using finger at him and growled, "You¡ª such insolence! You are in the presence of the Grand Duke¡ª!"


    Ravan raised his hand, interrupting the elder''s outburst. He did so because he sensed something dangerous about Kyran and felt that if the elder did not stop, his head would roll on the floor.


    Kyran, seeing Ravan''s action, smiled. Even without exchanging words, the older man seemed to have gleaned something and thus acted ordingly.


    "We can talk about your brother here, or we can talk about Armakea''s future. What do you think?"


    "Let''s talk about Armakea''s future."


    *


    Kyran waited until Cyneah woke up before returning to the borders.


    Nahir was displeased at Kyran''s tant moves on Cyneah. But he was already helpless to do anything. Previously, he used the excuse of protecting Cyneah''s dignity since everyone knew she was engaged to him, and it was not good for her to go around with another man. However, the only ones who knew Cyneah as the Saint were the Eidums, and they already knew her rtionship with Kyran was not simple. If she went with him, they would not think much of it.


    Ultimately, Nahir could only sigh in exasperation.


    On the other hand, Noir and the rest of the humans were also sighing, not because they felt for Nahir, but rather, they felt for their Lord¡ª the Lord of the Tower, Ste! Thankfully, she was not there, and they resolved not to breathe a word of Kyran and Cyneah''s deepening bond.


    If Kyran and Cyneah had known their thoughts, they would only think they were exaggerating. After all, the two were already close back when they were living in the cottage. Unfortunately, the only ones who knew their closeness were te, Nn, and Zephyr. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kyran also took Malek with them because his condition still needed to be monitored.


    It was quite unfortunate that Nahir and the other Eidums did not have the capability to stabilize his condition by themselves. If they had, Kyran would not hesitate to leave Malek to their care.


    Leaving the matter in Armakea to Akim and Filren, Kyran and Cyneah left.

 Chapter 940 Sovereign of Bulwark (4)

    Chapter 940 Sovereign of Bulwark (4)


    Next up on Kyran''s agenda was to assist the old man''s ascension. Frankly, he did not expect thetter''s ascension to take so much time. True Void even suggested it, thinking it would help block sneak attacks from Sovereigns who were after Kyran.


    In the end, Kyran dealt with Deus, who was after him and even reduced possible threats to Somuli by killing Flos and Obstruction, yet the old man had notpleted his ascension.


    Could the old man truly have difficulty ascending because he once rejected it?


    Kyran and Cyneah entered the separate space prepared for Nachum''s ascension.


    There, True Void diligently supplied magic energy to the array formation that Neo created and was maintaining while Ames stood guard.


    Upon Kyran and Cyneah''s entrance, Ames''s expression turned sour as she glowered at thetter.


    "Why did you bring that woman here," she demanded. "Did you forget what her predecessor did to your predecessor?"


    "Don''t use that tone when speaking of Neah, she''s different from that woman."


    "Don''t talk that way to the Mistress, or you''ll piss your great x50 grandson."


    "Please don''t disrespect the Mistress, Master will go ballistic."


    Kyran, True Void, and Neo responded respectively and almost at the same time, resulting in smokeing out of Ames''s nostrils¡ª an obvious sign of her displeasure at their united stance to defend Cyneah.


    Cold sweat trickled down Cyneah''s face as she heard them. She already met Ames when Kyran was still unconscious and was subjected to her hostile attitude. At first, Cyneah did not know why she was very hostile. But after Kyran exined the rtionship between their predecessors, as well as several other things about Ancient Magic on their way there, she more or less expected Ames''s reaction to her appearance.


    Nheless, Kyran and the others defending her against such a formidable person touched Cyneah.


    "You don''t use that tone on me, young man," Ames snorted back at Kyran. "Or did you forget I am the Dragon Lord''s wife and your grandmother? Would you rather fall out with me rather than discredit that woman?"


    "Yes¡ª."


    "So!" True Void interjected before Kyran couldplete what he was saying. With cold sweat trickling down his back, he hastily continued, "You''re already here! How''s everything going outside?"


    Obviously, True Void''s question was only meant to divert the conversation. After all, he and Ames sensed some of the things happening outside. They even sensed the arrival of the Fates and were almost forced to leave the independent space. In the end, they decided to stay and allow Kyran to handle everything on his own. It would also serve as a valuable experience, warning him that Sovereigns were not the only ones he should be wary of. There were far more powerful existences out there, especially in the Higher Realm, that could easily destroy a n with just a flick of their fingers. The only reason none of that had happened was due to the rules that protected the Lower Realm.


    Ultimately, Kyran seeded in forcing the Fates into retreat. However, they did not know yet whether it was a good or bad thing because the Fates were only a few of the existences in the Lower Realm that were not affected by itsw. With Kyran forcing them back, there were bound to be dire consequences.


    s, Ames and True Void did not know yet that apart from the consequences Kyran had to face after forcing the Fates into retreat, he also had to face the oue of killing two prominent Sovereigns in the Lower Realm.


    At the moment, thetter poses a bigger threat to Kyran than the Fates'' retaliation. Then again, the threat resulting from Flos''s and Obstruction''s deaths might be the Fates'' way of exacting their punishment.


    "I let Deception escape, and Ruin said the remaining leaders of Flos''s faction wille here at any moment," Kyran replied, not bothering with idle talks.


    Ames''s annoyed scowl turned into a frown of concern as she said, "If that''s the case, it is better to leave this ne and return to the Human ne. You''re safer there."


    "I''m not going to abandon this ne," Kyran replied while looking at Nachum. At the moment, Nachum was at the center of the array formation, sitting in a cross-legged position. His brows were knitted tightly together as if he was troubled by something.


    An almost tangible magic energy swirled around him. But rather than being assisted by the energies in his ascension, they appeared to be suffocating him.


    Kyran frowned when he saw this, he looked at Neo, who had a solemn look on his face and was busy adjusting the array forms on the formation. Seeing thetter''s expression, Kyran reigned in his desire to step in and adjust the array formation himself. He might be worried about the old man, but he also did not want to appear as if he did not trust Neo.


    Among Kyran''s puppets, Neo was the first one to birth a sentient. He might not be considered an automaton yet because the quality of his body was still fragile, like a puppet. However, he was no longer restricted by what Kyran programmed him to do. At the same time, his knowledge did not require Kyran to update it again. Neo could now absorb new knowledge based on his experience and his own understanding.


    Kyran inwardly approved the new forms Neo had used to adjust the array formation. He was also impressed that Neo did not even ask True Void for the material and simply directed the required amount of and type of magic energy to create the form.


    Theoretically, anyone could create an Array as long as they had the correct amount and type of magic energy on hand. This concept was simr to how a mage could summon their magic through magic arrays. The only reason an Array was different from a Magic Array was because the former required materials. However, Array did not need the physical attributes of these materials but the type of magic energy they possessed. With this in mind, if a mage had an affinity to different types of magic energy, he or she could create an Array without requiring physical materials.


    Of course, this was not to say that all Array Formations could be created like this. It would still depend on the level of the Array one was trying to create. If the forms in a formation required arge amount and a unique type of magic energy, then one could not simply rely on their affinity to different types of magic energy. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the end of the day, a mage only had one magic core, thus possessing one innate magic. There were cases where mages appeared to possess two innate magic, but that was not the case. It only meant that their magic core could absorb two types of magic energies, allowing them to summon two types of magic. However, between the two types of magic, the one they excelled most was still considered their true innate magic.


    Considering this, Kyran was the only one who could create any level of Array Formations with the use of magic energies alone. It went without saying that the reason behind this was the Void''s nature of being anything and nothing.


    Half an hourter, though Neo seeded in adjusting the formation and improving Nachum''s situation, thetter still did not show any signs of ascending.


    Kyran finally voiced his doubts at this point, "Was the old man having difficulty because he once rejected his ascension?"


    Ames immediately shook her head, "That should not be the case. Once a mage sensed an impending ascension, whether he dyed it or not, he would still ascend."


    "Then could the problem lie with the fact that Somuli already has a Sovereign? He might be a fake, but at the moment, he is a Sovereign," Kyran wondered, recalling that a ne could only birth one Sovereign.


    Initially, he had thought that once the old man ascended, the fake Sovereign of Bulwark would lose his sovereignty and return to being a Sage. He never expected that the old man would have difficulty ascending instead.


    Ames shook her head with a sigh, "I am unsure myself. nes in the Higher Realm are not restricted to having only one Sovereign. It would even pose a huge crisis if that were to happen. That ne will be devoured by the other nes."


    "Is it because the lowest level of mages in the Higher Realm are Sovereigns?"


    "That''s right," Ames replied without thinking. But then her face distorted as she realized what she had said.


    "....!"


    Ames looked at Kyran disdainfully. He had asked that question so casually she answered without thinking!


    "Do not try to pry any information about the Higher Realm from me. You already caught the eye of someone high up over there, and if you continue to gain knowledge of that realm, you''ll tempt the Fates."


    "I''m not afraid of them."


    "You should."


    Kyran did notment on that. Instead, he diverted the conversation back to the old man''s situation.


    "Will it help if the fake Sovereign of Somuli reverts back to being a Sage?" he asked no one in particr.


    Hearing Kyran''s seemingly innocent question, Cyneah had a different take on it and had a bad feeling.


    "You''re not nning to...."


    Kyran smiled, turning his head slightly to look at her. He did not reply to her, but his eyes seemed to say, "You know me best."


    True Void saw the look on Kyran''s face and broke out in cold sweats, "Oi, oi, Void Halfling! If you''re nning to touch the fake Sovereign, stop right now! Though the Sovereign''s Cradle he summoned is weak, it still prevents other Sovereigns from entering the ne. If you touch him... Please, don''t do anything reckless! I beg of you!"


    "Master did not have to touch that man to help the old man ascend," Neo chimed in. "He can simply turn that man into a Servant, and everything should be fine, right?"


    Kyran raised his brows, "Hm. That''s also an option."


    "No, it''s not! Definitely not! You can''t just turn people into your Servants! My goodness. You and Neo... What are you two even thinking?"


    "Well, my way of thinking has been influenced by my Master, so..."


    "Oi," Kyran frowned at Neo. "Your thought process is based on Tyr. Not me."


    "Is there a difference?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He did not think Neo birthing a sentient would be this troublesome. To think that thetter would be brazen enough to talk back to him!


    In the end, Kyran ignored Neo''s nonsense and looked up.


    "What you guys think does not really matter at the moment," he said with an amused smile. "Since he seemed to have personally delivered himself to my doorsteps."


    Only then did the others realize that a powerful presence loomed above the Eidum''s border outside.

 Chapter 941 Unexpected Twist

    Chapter 941 Unexpected Twist


    Kyran exited the independent space with Cyneah. Initially, he wanted to leave her inside, but with Ames constantly ring at her, he decided it was best to take her along.


    True Void and Neo might be there to keep an eye on Cyneah, and she was not a helpless, weak damsel, but Ames was at a whole other level than them. There was no telling what that grumpy woman would do if Kyran were not around. "The border is too far from the Kingdom of Cretea," Cyneah said as they went outside on foot. She anxiously wondered aloud, "Does that mean he has been en route to the border for some time? But why?"


    Kyran was silent, his expression thoughtful.


    Not wanting the Sovereign of Bulwark to know his ability to warp, Kyran refrained from warping outside. Besides, he wanted first to observe the renowned Sovereign from a safe distance.


    There was also the matter of hiding Cyneah''s identity. While the Sovereign of Bulwark knew what she looked like, he might have brought some of his subjects and had them observe the situation from a distance. If Kyran had warped, those people would definitely presume that his ability to warp was due to the woman beside him. After all, with his appearance that resembled an Imon-spawn, they would think it was impossible for him to possess a border token.


    Cyneah''s identity would then be exposed because only a few people could possess the token.


    The Abbot, Nahir, Gaden, the border''s messenger, and the Saint.


    How did they know? The Sovereign of Bulwark once had his people stationed in the Eidum''s Border. Thus, he was aware of the existence of the border token.


    Kyran could pretend to be the border''s messenger by changing his disguise. But apparently, no one in Somuli could pull off a sessful transformation because they utilized their innate magic through their Divine Armament. Even the Nobles, who were full-fledged mages, did not know how to perform transformation magic. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If he changed into the border''s messenger, not to mention the others, the Eidums themselves would be frightened.


    In this aspect,Kyran realized that the Somulians had the advantage in mage levels, but their Array and Magic Knowledge were passable only. On the other hand, the Humans were far more knowledgeable in different branches of Magic, but their overall level was low.


    Humans had a Sovereign, butpared to the Somulians, they did not have an abundance of Legendary.


    Several Eidums who guarded the borders gathered outside, just before the steel wall. All of them gazed at the figure of a man in white, with flowing blonde hair and blue eyes, hovering just before the border''s defensive array above.


    While they observed the hovering figure, Kyran and Cyneah hid close to the twin doors that led outside.


    "This is strange... his light is slightly different, but judging from his silhouette and magic energy, he is the leader of the Nobles, Anshel. Seems like bing a Sovereign has changed him somehow," Cyneah told Kyran with a slight frown. Still, she did not want to make a fuss about what she sensed because quite some time had passed since she stood before Anshel and healed him.


    Kyran did not respond because, unlike Cyneah, who could only see other people''s lights and their silhouettes, he could see perfectly fine. And looking at the man with a regal aura hovering above, Kyran was sure he had met him before.


    "Rather than hiding and observing from afar, why don''t youe out here and look closer?"


    Cyneah gasped as soon as she heard Anshel speak. But her reaction was not because she was surprised at being caught, but because he had spoken in the Humannguage!


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly as he smiled wryly.


    "I''ve always been wondering where you''ve gone to, but to actually hide within the Nobles and live a life akin to a king... you are truly something."


    Taking Cyneah''s hand, Kyran led her outside while keeping his eyes on Anshel.


    Anshel''s expression changed slightly as he saw Cyneah. There was a hint of uneasiness in his gaze, which he concealed at once. He then focused his attention on Kyran and said with a lightheartedugh,"Not as good as you, though. I could only fool them because of my uncanny resemnce to the real Anshel. Still, I had to constantly use transformation magic to change the color of my eyes and hair. Unlike you, who wore a mask."


    "I remember appearing before you with this face."


    "Yes, you did. Which is why I recognized you."


    "K-Kyran?" Cyneah called, tugging at Kyran''s hand slightly. She more or less guessed that the Anshel before them was someone from the Human ne. However, she was positive that the Anshel she met back then was aplete being, not human.


    Kyran squeezed Cyneah''s hand reassuringly as he whispered, "It''s okay." He then looked at Anshel once more and said, "Let''s change location."


    "Alright."


    Kyran looked at the other Eidums, who remained silent as they observed the exchange between them. Since they did not understand their conversation, they could only wait for Kyran or Cyneah to give them further instructions.


    "There is nothing to worry about," Kyran told the Eidums. "Stay here while Neah and I talk to our guest."


    The Eidums trusted Kyran. However, knowing who their guest was, they were still feeling a little worried. They all turned to Cyneah, wanting to hear her thoughts. In the end, she only responded with an affirmative nod.


    Wanting to solve the matter of Nachum''s ascension as soon as possible, Kyran took Cyneah and Anshel inside the Void World.


    Previously, Kyran refrained from taking Cyneah inside the Void World because she did not have a magic core, which meant she could not filter the Void magic energy there. He also did not want La, who at that time was using Haylee as her vessel, to track him down using thetter''s connection to her original body, Cyneah.


    Even after Cyneah recovered her essence, Kyran was still reluctant to take her to the Void World because of his previous experience with the Macabre cier.


    However, based on Kyran''s observation yesterday, when Cyneah used the Macabre cier to cast a powerful Soul magic, the Shaiha still stirred even when he was not circting Void magic energy. From this, he more or less guessed that rather than the Macabre cier reacting to his Void magic energy, thus affecting the Shaiha, it was the other way around.


    It was the Shaiha that reacted to the Macabre cier.


    Considering this, Kyran believed that as long as the Macabre cier remained dormant, the Shaiha would not react even. Thus far, this had already been confirmed since Kyran and Cyneah had been around each other, yet the Shaiha had not reacted.


    Kyran took Cyneah and Anshel inside a room that was simr to where Malek was staying. Although the array formation filtering the Void magic energy outside was not as strong, it would not pose any problem since thetter two had magic cores¡ª or, in Cyneah''s case, she had the Macabre cier acting as her magic core.


    As soon as they appeared, Anshel''s disguise disappeared, revealing the regal appearance of none other than Euan, the Ylfaen Empire''s Emperor.


    Kyran gestured for Anshel to take a seat on the couch while he and Cyneah took their seat on the opposite couch.


    Euan''s expression remained calm. However, looking at Kyran and Cyneah, there was a strange light that shed through his eyes. He did conceal it, but Kyran, being his observant self, saw it and said, "Lady Iulia once told me you were considering a marriage between our families, yet you have a very reluctant look in your eyes right now."


    Cyneah almost choked at Kyran''s words as she realized who the person before them was.


    This... how to put it. She was not expecting to meet her birth father in this manner! Not to mention, she was not emotionally ready. And what was Kyran even saying in front of her birth father?


    Euan shifted in his seat ufortably as he cleared his throat, "I have known about your courage and forthright temperament. However, don''t you think there is a right moment to discuss that? Not to mention the correct arrangement of things?"


    Kyran shrugged as he removed his mask, "I reckoned bringing that up would break the awkward atmosphere."


    "..."


    "..."


    The father and daughter werepletely speechless because the awkwardness between them was not even apparent.


    One could say that both were acting sensible and did not want to let their personal matter influence their meeting.


    Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Kyran diverted their discussion.


    "How did you end up bing Anshel?" he asked, looking at Euan curiously.


    With Euan''s experience as an Emperor, he was good at adjusting to the situation. Thus, after Kyran directed the conversation, he followed suit and replied as if thetter''s initial remark had not happened.


    "It is a long story."


    "Please make it short," Kyran told him with a deadpan expression.


    Cyneah could not help but turn to Kyran with an exasperated look. She initially wanted to rebuke him for making her unexpected reunion with her birth father as if it were a trivial matter, but because he switched topics too fast, she ended up feeling confused and displeased.


    Euan shook his head inwardly. If it had been another person talking to him in such a manner, he would have already taken offense. But he could somehow tolerate Kyran''s disrespectful attitude.


    "I learned of Anshel''s situation and realized I could take his ce. With the help of another person, we seeded, and thus, I have been posing as him since then."


    "Since when?"


    "Half a year after the Saint healed him."

 Chapter 942 Truth (1)

    Chapter 942 Truth (1)


    Kyran took note of Euan referring to Cyneah as the Saint. He was not expecting the older man to refer to her as his daughter, but he felt his address a little cold.


    Judging by Cyneah''s seemingly indifferent facade, yet letting out an almost inaudible shaky breath, Kyran knew she was a little affected by it.


    Then again, Kyran could not me Euan. For so many years, he believed Haylee was his real daughter and doted on her. Technically, Haylee was still Euan''s daughter. Unfortunately, she was only an essence. Not to mention, she ended up being influenced by La''s will.


    "''Half a year after...''" Kyran repeated as his eyes narrowed at Euan. "That means it was you who ordered the Nobles to pull out from here and let the Eidums handle their border defenses by themselves."


    "Yes," Euan replied indifferently. Inwardly, he was aware that Kyran was a little displeased about what he did.


    However, Euan had a reason for doing what he did, and that was to protect Cyneah. Others would not understand his reasoning, but he believed Kyran would.


    Cyneah''s indifference faltered slightly after realizing this matter. She tried to tell herself not to be affected, but she could not lie to herself.


    She might not be the person Euan doted on, but she saw and even felt everything after recovering Haylee''s memories. Because of this, she admitted to being envious of the rtionship between Haylee and Euan.


    In the end, Haylee was influenced by La''s will and inadvertently betrayed Euan''s trust. However, why was Euan hostile to Cyneah when she was not the one who betrayed him per se?


    Haylee might be Cyneah''s essence, but because the former was created from thetter''s magic core, she became her own person. Haylee even managed to attract a different magic energy, thus possessing a different innate magic. In the end, the magic energy she attracted still possessed the Soul magic''s nature.


    In any case, hearing Euan was the one who ordered the retreat of the Nobles and inadvertently put the Eidums and even Cyneah at risk of dying at the hands of the Armakeans, Cyneah was upset.


    Kyran sensed Cyneah''s inner struggle and knew she misunderstood Euan''s intentions. Thus, to clear her doubts, he heaved an exaggerated sigh and said to Euan, "You know, there are other ways you could have protected Neah without forcing her here."


    Cyneah''s brows raised slightly as she turned toward Kyran. She could not see his expression, but she knew he did not say that just to cover for Euan.


    Euan smiled gratefully at Kyran. He obviously saw the minute change in Cyneah when he confirmed Kyran''s conjecture. Her expression might have remained indifferent, but herplexion had turned pale.


    "Somuli is a strange ne. And I do not have the power and authority here. I can only do so much. Thus, I believed the border''s structure and array formation would protect her."


    Hearing Euan''s reply made Cyneah look at him questioningly.


    Euan was slightly abashed the moment Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes bore down on him. He knew she was blind and that she was different from Haylee. That person told him a lot about her and even her connection with Kyran.


    Thinking back on the first time Euan met Kyran, he sensed the younger man was very cautious about him. Initially, Euan believed the younger man''s reaction was natural, especially when his n had been ''taken hostage'' by the Royal Army. But after Euan learned from that person that Kyran saved Cyneah and had been under his protection since then, he finally understood everything.


    At least, Euan thought he did.


    Looking at Kyran and Cyneah''s closeness, at the moment, Euan realized he had underestimated the connection they had.


    "''Do not have the power and authority,''" Kyran repeated again while tilting his head questioningly. "Meaning the real Anshel is still alive and poses a threat."


    Cyneah frowned slightly. She could not follow Kyran''s train of thought.


    How did hee up with Anshel being alive and posing a threat to Euan just from that statement? Her understanding of thetter''s statement was that being a Sovereign, although a fake one, meant his power and authority in Somuli were already different. Thus, he could no longer meddle in the affairs of the ne.


    "...!" Cyneah''s eyes widened as she realized something.


    The one she healed was the real Anshel, which means the one who became a fake Sovereign was the real one. So, could Euan pretend to be the fake Sovereign? Not to mention his ability to use transformation magic to disguise himself as Anshel; at the moment, his powerful presence also resembled a Sovereign, albeit weaker than most.


    "Yes," Euan replied with a sigh. "After the Saint healed him, he did be a pseudo-Sovereign of Somuli. But his body had weakened once more, and his authority over the ne had notpletely changed. He could summon the Sovereign''s Cradle, but its effects were far too weak. Moreover, the title he received, well..."


    Euan paused and smiled wryly before saying, "It does not represent his innate magic."


    "Bulwark is associated with defensive magic."


    "That is right. I do not understand the specifics, but I believe there is a fixed title of a Sovereign attached to every ne. In Somuli''s case, its sovereignty could only be called the Sovereign of Bulwark. But if this was the case, then the innate magic of the mage who would inherit that title, should be associated with defense-type magic."


    "This is the first time I''ve heard about this..." Kyran started. But then his voice trailed off as he called that Azaloth, the Human ne''s first Sovereign, was an Adjurer, and the one who preceded him was Nn, also an Abjurer.


    Technically, Nn was also a Transmuter, but his innate magic leaned more towards an Abjurer.


    Kyran did not know what the title of the Human ne''s Sovereign was, but from this, he more or less guessed it would also be associated with defense-type innate magic.


    While he was thinking this, another thought crossed his mind. A doubt he had after learning Somuli also had spirit stones and even automatons that belonged to the Ancients¡ª there was a probability that the Somuli was part of the Human ne, or, to be more urate, part of the Land of the Ancients.


    If this was true, did that mean the reason the old man could not ascend was because the Human ne already had a new Sovereign?


    Kyran rejected the idea as soon as it crossed his mind. Since Anshel managed to be the pseudo-Sovereign, the Human ne possessing a new Sovereign had nothing to do with Somuli. Even if the two nes were connected, both had different Magic Laws. Thus, the Human ne''s Sovereign would never be able to utilize his magic in Somuli.


    Then why was the old man having problems ascending?


    More importantly, if the real Anshel was still alive, how could Euan pose as him?


    "I have learned a lot of things here. Because of my position, I was able to meet other Sovereigns and exchange information with them. In any case, the real Anshel could not have fooled those Sovereigns."


    "But you can because although your innate magic was not defense-type, you know Transformation magic."


    "Correct. I could fool the Sovereigns because their mage levels were restrained by the Sovereign''s Cradle. Somuli''s limited natural magic energy also prevented them from probing, using their magic sense. Thus, they failed to detect my Transformation magic."


    "In the end, the restrictions in Somuli provided you enough cover."


    "That''s right. Still, the power I possess... is not mine."


    "You borrowed it from the real Anshel," Kyran quipped.


    Euan nodded in affirmation. He looked at Kyran and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know you said you want me to make things short, but there are things I have to exin that may take some time." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Before Kyran could reply, Cyneah tugged on his sleeves as if to tell him to allow Euan to continue.


    "Fine," Kyran could only relent since it was quite rare for Cyneah to request something.


    Come to think of it, he still owed her.


    Euan gave Cyneah a grateful smile; whether she could see or not did not matter. He only wanted to express his gratitude.


    After receiving Kyran''s consent, Euan told them his story.


    When Euan arrived in Somuli, he was fortunate enough to have arrived near the capital of the Kingdom of Cretea. He realized at once that he was transported to a different ne because of the stale magic energy in the surroundings.


    After observing the nearby town, Euan noticed that all humans had blonde hair and blue eyes. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, he cast Transformation magic and changed the color of his eyes and hair. After that, he entered the town.


    Euan soon realized that his appearance might be simr to someone quite well-known there because humans around him acted respectfully. But because he could not understand theirnguage, he was unsure.


    Euan acted aloof around them simply because he could not respond to them. Besides, he wanted to learn more about the ce he was transported to, as well as search for other humans.

 Chapter 943 Truth (2)

    Chapter 943 Truth (2)


    It was not hard for Euan to act aloofly around others because he was an Emperor. While he was not precisely an aloof person, his demeanor resembled one, especially when he was in front of other nation leaders.


    After some time, Euan started to learn the Somuliannguage. This allowed him tomunicate with the inhabitants of the ne better. He also knew that rather than referring to them as humans, they were calledplete beings.


    It was a very obnoxious way to call themselves, in Euan''s opinion.


    Soon, Euan learned more about Somuli. Unfortunately, before he could understand the power structure in the Kingdom of Cretea, he was captured by one of Anshel''s subjects. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The reason was apparent. It was Euan''s uncanny resemnce to Anshel. They believed his existence would pose a threat. Apart from that, he would cause confusion to others who were unaware of his identity.


    Fortunately, Euan was an Emperor. He learned a lot of things, especially in the way of negotiation and a battle of wits. It also helped that Anshel''s health had been deteriorating, and Euan''s Alchemy knowledge was quite good, providing him an excellent leverage for negotiation.


    Anshel agreed to let Euan live; in turn, his existence should be kept hidden. Euan was also forced to stay inside Anshel''s residence.


    As much as Euan wanted to reject such conditions, he had no choice but to ept them because his strength was insufficient to threaten Anshel and his subjects. He did not possess a Divine Armament and replenish his magic energy at will. His mage level was also pitifully lowerpared to them.


    In the Human ne, Euan could be considered one of the leading mages since he was already promoted to a Magus. But in Somuli, or at least in the Kingdom of Cretea, if the nobles wanted to enter the Mage Court, they had to be at least a Magus. And even then, with that level, they were ranked at the bottom.


    The subjects under Anshel were all Legendary, with a few Arch Maguses that dealt with menial tasks.


    From this, Euan knew he stood no chance if he rejected Anshel''s conditions and tried to escape.


    After epting Anshel''s conditions, Euan and Anshel made a pact. Euan then lived in the inner court, and only a selected subject of Anshel knew of his existence.


    Euan wanted to reject Anshel''s conditions because he wanted to learn more about the ne. If he stayed inside the inner court where his movements would be monitored, he could not gather intel.


    Who would have expected that Euan would stand corrected by his thoughts?


    After living in the inner court, Euan was given enough freedom and even authority to roam and enter some exclusive towers.


    These towers were the Alchemy Tower and the Archive.


    While Euan could only ess limited books inside the Archive, it helped him understand Somuli and its power structure. He also learned how to write in theirnguage in a short time.


    Euan lived monotonously in the inner court for a few years. He focused on learning as much as he could about Somuli, the Kingdom of Cretea, and its neighboring nations. Finally, he did what he could to invent abat strategy against theplete beings. The reason for thetter was simple. Although he could adjust to Somuli''s Magic Law, his weakness was that he did not possess a Divine Armament. To cover for his weakness, he needed a newbat strategy.


    This was simr to how Tyr created a newbat system utilizing his Array knowledge to enhance his support-type innate magic. Because of this, he couldbat mages andbat mages with no apparent weakness.


    Euan could have used the samebat system Tyr did, recing hisck of Divine Armament with Array. Unfortunately, he was not proficient with Array. He was not entirely without knowledge, but it was limited to the point that he would require hours toplete a primary Array. Not to mention, he would need materials that he did not possess at the moment.


    In the end, Euan chose to enhance his Alchemy¡ª or, using Somuli''s term, Apothecary. Fortunately, Somuli did notck information about thetter. Unfortunately, Alchemy, or Apothecary, was not the expertise of the Kingdom of Cretea. Compared to Armakea, their Apothecary was behind by several miles.


    Anshel, with his ever-worsening condition, could only survive that day because of the excellent rtionship between The Kingdom of Cretea and the Land of the Eidums. Since thetter was the haven of all healers and apothecaries, they had been concocting a potion for Anshel.


    With Euan''s arrival, who was responsible for concocting Anshel''s potion by then, they no longer asked for the Eidums'' assistance. However, they still orderedrge amounts of medicinal herbs and nts from them.


    While Euan studied Somuli''s Apothecary, hebined his knowledge with Alchemy and devised a newbat system he could utilize¡ª Potion magic.


    Everything was going as Euan expected. After almost three years, he could already use the potions to cast magic. Of course, his experimentation was concealed from Anshel and his subjects. It was a struggle to hide his endeavor, especially b from acquiring medicinal herbs and nts to concocting potions, but he managed somehow.


    In Euan''s fourth year in Somuli, something forced him to change his priorities.


    The Third Division of the Court Mages captured a woman with a rare eye and hair color.


    Euan had been present, albeit hidden when the woman was presented to the public for execution. To his horror, he discovered the woman had an uncanny resemnce to his daughter¡ª Haylee.


    For the record, at that point in time, Euan still did not know that Haylee was only an essence. Thus, he only saw the woman as a stranger who looked simr to his daughter.


    Nheless, Euan found the look in the woman in question''s eyes a tad familiar. How she did not show signs of fearing her imminent death made him remember the first Empress.


    The first Empress had the same look when she unhesitatingly faced death if it would ensure the safety of their daughter.


    Seeing the woman''s expression, Euan felt a rare weakness. But he resolved not to get involved because he had his priorities. At that time, his priority was strengthening his Potion magic, voiding his pact with Anshel, and escaping.


    But when the judge read out the woman''s sin, the name he called her made Euan''s blood run cold.


    Cyneah.


    The judge pronounced it strangely, but Euan, who heard it reflexively, spelled it inwardly in his head.


    The first Empress was the one who named their daughter. One could say that was the only thing that connected her to their daughter after her death. However, because of another curse affecting their daughter, Euan christened her with a new name¡ª Haylee. This name was only known by selected family members and servants. Thus protecting her from a curse''s threat.


    What were the odds that a woman who looked much like Haylee would possess her old name?


    Euan''s intuition told him this was not a coincidence. And the more he looked at the woman named Cyneah, the more he found her familiar rather than a stranger. He was then ovee with an urge to understand the truth. For all he knew, Haylee was still in the Human ne, and while he trusted Kyran and the others would have stopped her rebellion, how they dealt with her was a different matter.


    Euan would not have the heart to execute his daughter. But what about Kyran? He had the power to warp. What if he exiled Haylee to a distant ne that happened to be the same ne Euan ended up in?


    A lot of what ifs and could haves shed through Euan''s mind. Ultimately, he could no longer be uninvolved himself.


    When the judge dered Cyneah''s sentence, and who would execute her, Euan left to find the executioner.


    He nned to use Potion magic and dy Cyneah''s execution as long as possible by poisoning him.


    In the end, Euan discovered the executioner was having second thoughts about executing Cyneah. However, he also could not defy his orders. Euan immediately changed his approach, and instead of poisoning the executioner, he used a potion to sway thetter''s will and instill an idea in his head to save the woman.


    Fortunately, the potion worked, and the executioner showed a determined expression.


    Euan nned to make the executioner hesitate, and then he would cause amotion by appearing before the crowd of Nobles. With his resemnce to Anshel, his appearance without any signs of illness would cause an uproar.


    How the executioner would save the woman? Euan could only trust him to use the window of opportunity he provided.


    In the worst-case scenario, Euan would pretend to be Anshel and outright order Cyneah''s release. He would be subjected to Anshel''s wrath, but because of his usefulness - with his potions seemingly more effective than the Eidums- he would not kill him.


    But none of the scenarios Euan thought of happened. Instead, anotherplete being with proper authority stepped in to save Cyneah- the Eidum''s Abbot.


    At this point, Cyneah, who had been silent from the start of Euan''s narration, slightly changed her demeanor. Her indifferent expression softened slightly as she looked over to Euan.


    Euan pretended not to notice Cyneah''s nce and continued with his story.


    Nachum''s decision to save Cyneah displeased Anshel. In his opinion, Nachum''s exnation about Cyneah''s different eye and hair color was far-fetched. He was convinced Cyneah was tainted and would be a threat to theplete beings if left alive.


    Euan managed to change Anshel''s opinion. Or, to be more urate, he used potions to change thetter''s mind slowly.


    This was why the Kingdom of Cretea did not make a fuss after Nachum took Cyneah.


    Soon, Euan made a breakthrough in his potion-making. He only needed one more ingredient that might make or break the potion he was concocting.


    For the record, the effect of the potion he was trying to concoct was to remove the pact.


    He did not dare to kill Euan through poison while they were still under the pact.


    But when Anshel''s condition turned for the worse, he threatened Nachum to find a permanent cure to his illness, or else he would pull out his people, helping them guard their borders.


    In the end, Cyneah offered to heal Anshel.


    Initially, Anshel refused because Nachum, whose healing abilities far exceeded the others, could not even heal him much more than her, whose origin was also being questioned.


    In the end, Cyneah convinced Anshel to give her healing a chance. And when she seeded, they were all shocked.


    Anshel''s recovery threatened Euan''s n. But it also had an unexpected result after he became a Sovereign.


    This unexpected result gave Euan a new opportunity. Anshel''s ascension might have inadvertently resulted from Cyneah''s unbelievable ability, but by bing a Sovereign, he was shackled by the ne''sw. This then resulted in the pact between Anshel and Euan to be voided.


    This was not the only thing that happened. With Cyneah''s healing abilities being revealed, Euan was more or less convinced she was indeed his daughter. After all, healing abilities were rare, and he sensed her emit the same magic signature as Soul magic.


    But how did she end up there?


    Euan learned the answer from that person.


    I want to write a longer chapter but I¡¯m tied up at work with so many requests and meetings to attend to.. so I have to stop here ??

 Chapter 944 Truth (3)

    Chapter 944 Truth (3)


    Before Euan could even say anything about that person, Kyran more or less guessed who it was.


    It was not hard to guess because there were only a few people who went missing in the Human ne who knew Cyneah''s identity¡ª or, at least, were aware of the possibility of her connection to the royal family.


    Cyneah seemed to have also gleaned this fact as her expression lit up.


    "That person..." she asked with a hopeful look in her mirror-like eyes.


    Though knowing Cyneah could not see, Euan was reluctant to look her in the eyes. Because when he did, his heart constricted from both longing and guilt. Longing for being separated from her since that fateful day, and guilt for not even realizing that all these years, he had only been raising an essence as a daughter.


    True, Haylee was created from Cyneah, but fundamentally, they were different. Not to mention, because the former was made from thetter''s magic core, she started to have her persona. A persona that Euan btedly learned was very different from the original.


    At that moment, Euan mustered up the courage to look straight at Cyneah. Seeing her hopeful expression, he finally understood what that person meant when he said to tell her, ''There is nothing to worry about.''


    Initially, Euan had thought those words were meant as a suggestion of what he should tell his daughter when they finally meet each other. Apparently, those words were that person''s message to her.


    "D-Did he had a huge frame, and... and a bald head? And... And... was his name..."


    Euan could not help but smile at Cyneah''s stuttering. He learned she stuttered when nervous. He found it endearing. Not to mention, her showing such obvious signs of being nervous meant she did not know how to lie about her emotions.


    As for Cyneah''s description of that person, she was on point. Euan then responded with that person''s name at the same time she said it.


    "Gage."


    Cyneah became teary-eyed as she sighed in relief. All this time, she had wondered about Gage''s whereabouts and worried for his safety. Hearing that he had survived the horde of beasts back then and even managed to meet with Euan relieved her. It felt as if a huge weight was lifted off her chest.


    Euan continued, "Before we parted, he asked me to tell you there is nothing to worry about."


    "''Before we parted...?''" Cyneah repeated, feeling slightly disappointed.


    Euan nodded with a sigh, "He is known as an aberrant among theplete beings."


    Seeing Cyneah''s confusion at his words, he exined, "Because he was bald, they did not know he was not blonde. He also did not have to worry about changing his hair to blonde. However, his eyes were deep red¡ª a shade very different from the Nobles'' blue eyes. And unfortunately, he was not good at transformation magic. Nheless, theplete beings were convinced that the magic weapon he carried around was his Divine Armament, and because he kept them summoned, his eyes continued to burn like mes. His innate magic is Fire, after all."


    "That''s how things are. Peoplee up with absurd ideas to exin things they have little knowledge of," Kyran chimed in with a deadpan expression.


    Euan looked at him wryly, "Just like how they believed you''re an Imon-spawn because of your appearance?"


    Kyran shrugged in response.


    "You could''ve disguised yourself. Why didn''t you?"


    "I can''t use Transformation magic. My mask was created with Array, and the images saved in it are limited.The only light-haired image it has is Tyr''s hair color, and even that is not light enough to pass as blonde."


    "Tyr?" Euan repeated while raising his brows in confusion.


    "Ah."


    Kyran btedly recalled Euan had gone missing before knowing he was Tyr. Gage was also unaware of this. Thus, he did not say anything about it. Then again, even if Gage had known, he would not have spilled information about Kyran. Gage might not even reveal information about Cyneah if not for the situation she was in, as well as them being on a different ne.


    "Let''s talk about thatter. You have not told us the most important thing yet," Kyran diverted the conversation at once. "You said you have been posing as Anshel half a year after being healed by Neah. How did that happen?"


    "You probably already realized that Anshel''s ascension was brought by the Saint''s healing ability. But first, keep in mind that his body was deteriorating from an illness. The Saint''s healing stopped this, but it did not restore his body to its prime. Anshel did recover from his illness, but what it did to his body remained. As for the remaining effect of the Saint''s healing, it was diverted into pure magic energy that was infused in Anshel''s, allowing him to break through.


    "The umted magic energy was so much that it actually helped him break through to two levels. However, that magic energy is not permanent. Once it is fully consumed, he will revert back to being a Legendary, albeit without an illness, with a weakened body."


    "To stop the magic energy from being consumed, he wanted Neah to heal him again."


    "Yes," Euan agreed. His expression then turned grave as he continued, "Another thing is, after Anshel was shackled by the ne''sw, he realized something."


    He paused to look at Kyran meaningfully before continuing, "He realized I am not aplete being."


    Kyran heaved a sigh. Before Euan could continue, he stated, "As Somuli''s Sovereign, he saw you as an outsider."


    Euan nodded, "That''s right. Which is why, if not for Gage, I would have already been dead. He might be weakened and, as a Sovereign, only possessed the strength of a Legendary, but his level was still above mine."


    Kyran remained silent. Cyneah, too. As if to urge Euan to continue.


    With a wry smile, Euan exined, "I do not know the details. However, for some reason, Gage is immune to Anshel''s restrictions. Another thing to take note of is he has a very high mage level."


    Kyran''s brown twitched slightly as Ss''s image shed through his head. He vaguely sensed apetition happening between thetter and Gage. If Ss knew that Gage''s mage level had increased while in Somuli, what would he think?


    On another note, this information confirmed Kyran''s initial thoughts about Somuli''s advantage over the Human ne¡ª the rate at which it produced high-level mages was astronomical. He also realized that Gage might have identally entered a rift and ended up in Somuli long before Euan and the others did. This was how he ended up improving his mage level by leaps and bounds.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah raised her brows in amazement after hearing about Gage being a high-level mage. She did not know Gage''s level from when they were still on the human ne. But she did remember that she found his light glowing stronger than before. From this, she gleaned that he could fight the beasts in the forest with rtive ease because he was far more powerful than he was before.


    "You are the same," Kyran interjected while looking at Euan. "You managed to increase your mage level after so many years."


    "It is true that while I was still under Anshel''s pact, I was promoted to an Archmagus. Not long ago, I was promoted to a Legendary," Euan admitted.


    "You said if not for Gage, you would have already been dead. Care to borate?"


    "Anshel might have been promoted to a Sovereign, but his strength remained that of a Legendary. Gage managed to subdue him while I used Potion magic to bind him to me."


    "''Bind?''" Kyran repeated.


    Euan nodded, "That''s right. To put it simply, we have be one, but not in aplete sense per se, just that we share the same magic energy and level. As for our thoughts, they are separate. Nheless, there were times when he wanted to influence my emotions. Which is why I said he still poses a threat."


    Kyran fell silent. Although his expression remained indifferent, his brows were knitted slightly.


    Seeing his expression, Euan more or less guessed what was running through the younger man''s mind. He then exined, "Though I say he is bound to me and that he might pose a threat since I have been promoted to a Legendary, I have enough strength to deal with his influence. Apart from that, I can remove our connection anytime I want."


    "But you haven''t because his authority over Somuli will resume."


    "That''s right. With our connection, I can more or less act on his behalf. I can use his authority as a Sovereign and also emit the aura of one. But since fundamentally, I am not him, I am not shackled by the ne''s rules."


    Kyran gave a wry smile. He now had a clear understanding of the whole situation.


    "And your decision to still pretend to be interested in Neah? What was all that about?"


    Euan sighed, "I cannot just retract what Anshel had ordered. Remember, there are still a few of Anshel''s subjects who knew about my existence. If I suddenly he suddenly lost interest in capturing the Saint, they would think something was amiss."


    "Fair enough," Kyran responded while sorting all the information in his head, including new ones that came from Euan. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But then his expression darkened as he remembered something and asked, "Anshel is only interested in Neah''s healing ability, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Dusk told me he was interested in her as a woman."


    Euan''s lips twitched slightly, "Ah... about that..."


    Kyran''s silver-gray eyes seemed to have turned into des as they pierced through Euan''s.


    "You... made them misunderstand your intentions to force Nachum and Nahir to form a pact with Neah."


    "..."


    "..."

 Chapter 945 Changing Another One

    Chapter 945 Changing Another One


    Cyneah was somewhat speechless. She could feel Kyran''s annoyance from the sound of his voice. This surprised her because he had not reacted strongly when he learned about the pact.


    Cyneah did not know that Kyran first heard about the situation from Dusk. By the time it was revealed, his annoyance had already subsided.


    On the other hand, Euan felt wronged. Had he not emphasized his inability to protect Cyneah enough, to the point he had to resort to underhanded tricks such as using potions to influence another person? Why was Kyran looking at him with such contempt?


    In the first ce, Euan was Cyneah''s biological father; if Kyran was interested in her, should he not show ample respect to win his favor?


    Was this how future son-inws acted in front of their future father-inw nowadays?


    Fortunately, Cyneah could not read minds. If she knew her birth father had already referred to Kyran as his future son-inw, she would have been embarrassed to the point of wanting to burrow herself in the ground.


    "I understand that the binding power of Somuli''s pact can protect Neah, but there should be other ways you could have protected her," Kyran suddenly added with a sigh. He knew getting angry at what Euan did to ensure Cyneah''s safety was pointless at this point in time. However, he believed there was a better way to ensure her safety without having his daughter be engaged with someone she barely knew.


    "I understand that the binding power of Somuli''s pact can protect Neah, but there should be other ways you could have protected her," Kyran suddenly added with a sigh. He knew getting angry at what Euan did to ensure Cyneah''s safety was pointless at this point in time. However, he believed there was a better way to ensure her safety without having his daughter be engaged with someone she barely knew.


    "If I am correct, the pact happened before you ordered the Nobles to pull out from their borders. If you had continued to pressure the Eidums and acted like, in your fit of anger, you ordered them to withdraw, but in truth, you were nning to use them and create a situation where you could have the Nobles force their way into the Land of the Eidums and abduct Neah.


    "The old man is irvoyant; he would have seen you plotting an abduction. To prevent that, he will send Neah away. And the best ce to hide her is the Eidum''s border because, just as you said, its defensive array can protect her."


    The Somulian''sck of Array knowledge yed a huge role.


    Cyneah turned her head slightly in Kyran''s direction with an exasperated expression.


    "You... how is it that you always think abduction is a possible solution? Not everyone has the hobby of abducting people like you."


    Kyran almost choked at herment; he looked at her, feeling somewhat wronged, and replied, "I don''t have that hobby."


    "Is that so? How many people have you abducted till this day?"


    Kyran was speechless. As far as he was concerned, Zephyr was the only one he abducted. And even then, he only brought him away to save and subdue him.


    Meanwhile, Euan could not help but raise his brows at their exchange. Their exchange was brief, with little context to it that prevented outsiders from understanding them. But it was precisely because of this that he sensed their deep bond.


    Euan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He was d that the person who found his daughter in her time of need had been Kyran.


    "I suppose you are right," he said, looking at Kyran with a slight smile.


    Cyneah frowned slightly as if annoyed that Euan did consider Kyran''s abduction n.


    Seeing Cyneah''s furrowed brows, Euan immediately cleared his throat and reasoned, "That action is actually very Anshel-like, in my opinion. If I had done that, I would have removed any doubts his subjects harbored about me."


    "Where is Anshel now?" Kyran asked as soon as Euan finished speaking. He did not want to continue the conversation about his abduction hobby.


    "Sealed in one of the towers in the Kingdom of Cretea. The incident where I tried to use poison to kill him was not a secret in the Inner Court. However, the result was only known to the three of us: Gage, me, and Anshel himself.


    "I made it appear like I had failed, and Anshel sealed me in the tower."


    "Did not Anshel''s subjects doubt his decision to seal you rather than kill you?"


    "They did," Euan admitted. "However, I told them that even though I failed to poison Anshel, I seeded in binding my life to him. If I die, he dies, and vice versa."


    "And they never doubted that you are not Anshel?"


    Euan smiled wryly, "I did have his aura. Besides..." he paused and raisedhis hand. After that, a red Amaryllis appeared, hovering on his palm, "I can summon his Divine Armament."


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. He did not expect the most powerful noble in the Kingdom of Cretea to possess a unique Divine Armament.


    Cyneah also looked at the glowing Amaryllis on Euan''s hand. She could barely make out its form because of the light it emitted, but she more or less knew that it was a flower.


    "Anshel''s Divine Armament falls under the unconventional type. Its shape is like a flower, with seemingly soft and gentle features. But it was anything but soft or gentle. Its petals are sharp and produce powerful mes."


    "If Anshel is also a Fire mage, how did Gage overwhelm him?" Kyran wondered aloud. He was not expecting an answer, to be honest. Besides, a fight between mages with simr innate magic was not really umon. At most, they could neutralize each other''s attacks, but the one who could optimize the nature of his mes better would acquire victory.


    "Gage is abat mage, and his mes should not be underestimated. Besides, his defenses are simrly powerful. In a prolonged fight, Anshel, who had a weak body, did not stand a chance."


    But Gage''s use of magic should have been restricted by Somuli''sck of magic energy. How did he manage to win?


    Kyran did not voice his doubt because he knew there were powerful spirit stones in Somuli. Gage might have gotten his hands on one and used it during his fight with Anshel. Nheless, the chances of that happening were rtively small.


    Euan seemed to have sensed what was going through Kyran''s mind. Thus, he exined, "It is true that Somuli''sck of magic energy prevents us from utilizing our magic. However, Gage had no problems wielding his magic because he did not rely much on magic energy."


    His expression turned solemn as he added, "He is using the ne''s mana to wield his magic."


    Kyran chuckled after hearing Euan''s exnation. From this, he now understood why Gael failed to find traces of Gage.


    Gael had focused on looking for Gage in ces whereplete beings dwelled, especially in Howling Pass. He should have tried searching inmunities where beast-likes lived.


    "Looks like he found his way with the beast-likes and learned their way of using the ne''s mana to use magic," Kyran remarked, quite impressed at Gage.


    "Yes," Euan agreed. "He did say that he arrived at a beast-likemunity in Somuli when he got transported."


    "This means humans can use mana in this ne. The only question is, how."


    Euan nodded in agreement. He added with a wry smile, "Gage tried to teach me. However, he was not exactly good at it."


    "He is not exactly the brightest," Kyran replied, tongue in cheek.


    Euan chuckled, understanding full well what the younger man meant.


    "Right," Kyran took a deep breath as he decided to open their primary concern¡ª Nachum''s ascension. "Let''s discuss the old man''s ascension."


    "In my opinion, he cannot ascend because of Anshel," Euan immediately voiced his thoughts. "It went without saying, but the title of Somuli''s Sovereign is the Bulwark, and Nachum''s Divine Armament is a shield. He should be the real Sovereign of Somuli."


    "Yes," Kyran agreed.


    He then briefly exined why Nachum did not ascend, resulting in Anshel being presented with an opportunity to be a Sovereign.


    "But we can''t just get rid of Anshel," Euan told Kyran. "It will cause a hugemotion in the Kingdom of Cretea. Even if we hide this fact, his subjects are still there. Besides, if we silence those people, their sudden disappearance will also cause amotion." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Not really," Kyran assured Euan. He then looked at Cyneah and said, "Neah can change Anshel, right?"


    "''Change?''" Euan repeated questioningly.


    Cyneah turned her head slightly to Kyran with raised brows, looking like a pure, innocent maiden, "Are you sure you want me to take care of him?"


    Kyran smiled, "Yes."


    "Alright. I can make him and Aran best friends once they wake up."


    "That''s fine, too."


    Euan looked at them in confusion, not following what they discussed.


    Kyran looked at Euan, "We can go and deal with Anshel today. Will there be any problem if we do that?"


    He wanted to know if Anshel''s subjects would pose a problem.


    Euan shook his head, understanding Kyran''s concern.


    "There shouldn''t be. But... how exactly do you n to deal with him."


    "Neah will take care of it," Kyran replied with a meaningful smile.

 Chapter 946 Tablets (1)

    Chapter 946 Tablets (1)


    What happened after the meeting was anti-climactic.


    Because Kyran had never been to the Kingdom of Cretea, he could not warp them there. Instead, he gave Euan a Transmission Scroll and had him use it to transport all three of them to where Anshel was.


    After that, Cyneah made quick work of changing Anshel since he had no way of retaliating.


    Simr to Aran, Anshel fell unconscious right after Cyneah cast her spell.


    Once they dealt with Anshel, they immediately noticed a change in Somuli. The Sovereign''s Cradle, which had been invisible to the naked eye, appeared and covered the vast sky. Apart from that, they noticed a vast amount of magic energy erupted, which came from the direction of the Eidum''s border.


    If others felt that eruption of magic energy, they would not really guess it came from the Eidum''s border. The only reason Kyran, Euan, and Cyneah knew it came there was because they recognized the magic energy and also knew that someone was attempting an ascension right there.


    Sensing Nachum''s magic energy, Kyran heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, their assumption that Anshel''s fake Sovereign position was the reason the old man could not ascend was correct. If not, they would have a huge headache trying to find the cause.


    The change in Somuli was also felt outside.


    Because of Flos''s and Obstruction''s death, several Sovereign factions were on their way to Somuli to take advantage of the situation. They believed that with the two out of the picture, the deal their faction established with the Somuli''s Sovereign would no longer be carried out. Thus, they now had a chance to negotiate with thetter.


    Apart from that, these Sovereign factions were there to reinforce their representative, who had been engaged in a fight with Flos''s subordinates. Their representatives survived; however, they could not leave the ne because Flos''s subordinates captured them.


    For the record, if not for the Fates'' appearance, which robbed them of their awareness for a few minutes, these representatives would not have been captured. The problem was that they regained their awareness a few secondster than Flos''s subordinates and ended up immobile. Thetter few then took advantage of that to seal their movements and capture them.


    Flos''s subordinates did not kill these representatives simply because they believed capturing them alive and using them to pressure the other Sovereign factions were better. This was especially true because they had lost two powerful Sovereigns. Not to mention, one of them was the leader of their faction.


    One of the remaining leaders of Flos''s faction was also en route, along with no less than ten Sovereigns. Their purpose was to, first, reassure the Sovereign of Bulwark that they could still carry out his demands. Second was to deal with the other Sovereign factions who believed they now stood a chance against them with Flos and Obstruction dead.


    The action of the other Sovereign factions infuriated the two remaining leaders of Flos''s faction¡ª especially the one who was en route to Somuli.


    The name of this leader was Sovereign of Chains.


    To be honest, while Flos and Obstruction were considered powerful Sovereigns, that did not mean their faction would be crippled from losing them. The other two leaders were simrly powerful and could wreck a ne all by themselves. The only reason Flos preferred to take along Obstruction all the time was thetter''s innate ability and magic.


    Chains could be said to have simr capabilities as Obstruction. However, thetter''s capabilities focused on metaphysical magic attacks, while the former focused on the physical.


    Obstruction could also sneak attack his enemies, but Chains could not. Regardless of their difference, thetter was not any weaker than the former.


    For this reason, Chains was truly enraged at the other Sovereign factions. He wanted to quell the rumor that their faction was now crippled after losing Flos and Obstrucion.


    Unfortunately, before they could arrive in Somuli, they felt a surge of magic energy from the inside. Not only that, but they knew that the only time such a surge of magic energy could ur was when a ne was about to birth its new Sovereign.


    What was going on?


    This question shed through the minds of every Sovereign within close proximity of Somuli.


    Flos''s subordinates decided to investigate. However, before they could even do anything, they were expelled from the ne with their magic cores or something simr damaged.


    The representatives of the other Sovereign factions also experienced the same. However, they did not care much about getting fatally injured as long as they could escape from captivity.


    With Flos''s subordinates receiving a blow to their magic cores or simr, they failed to maintain the seals on their captives, allowing them to escape.


    What happened next was also anticlimactic.


    After retrieving their captured representatives, the Sovereign factions decided to retreat. Their decision was mainly influenced by the sudden surge of magic energy from Somuli. If their representatives had not been expelled from there, they would have doubted their initial doubt that Somuli had just birthed its new Sovereign. But since it did, then its new Sovereign''s stance was quite clear: he did not wee outsiders.


    If this was the case, then they had to approach Somuli''s new Sovereign differently.


    s, to think that all their research would have been in vain just because Somuli had birthed a new Sovereign.


    However, why would Somuli birth a new Sovereign? Did the previous new Sovereign die? How? When?


    Doubts swirled in their minds. But in the end, they could not stay and look for the answers. Since the new Sovereign had no intentions of weing outsiders, then they could only retreat. If they insist on talking to him or her, they might appear forceful and anger him or her.


    Chains was also conflicted. He hade prepared to deal with the other Sovereigns and assure Somuli''s Sovereign. But then Somuli suddenly birthed a new Sovereign?


    What exactly happened in Somuli?


    First, Flos and Obstruction were killed, and then a new Sovereign appeared.


    Chains received the report from their subordinates, who assisted Flos with their endeavor. They knew that Flos had found the Macabre cier and wanted to capture it.


    The other Sovereigns got wind of Flos''s movements. However, they had yet to learn what they were up to. Nheless, they did assume that Flos''s movements had something to do with the deal he had with Somuli''s Sovereign and decided to intervene.


    In the end, before a victor could be determined, Flos and Obstruction had escaped and were chased by a man in armor. Finally, the Fates appeared, and they were all robbed of their awareness.


    They did not know what happened after. Only that they noticed Flos''s and Obstruction''s aura disappearing, they also saw the huge human silhouette and believed whoever summoned it was the one who killed the two.


    In any case, with all the unanswered questions and missing information, they could not appropriatelye up with a good n.


    Their best choice was to retreat and observe Somuli''s situation from the outside.


    Feeling vexed about the unexpected turn of events, Chains had no choice but to order his people to retreat as well. He did not want to wage unnecessary war against Somuli. With this in mind, he went after the escaping Sovereigns.


    Chains did not want to wage war with Somuli''s new Sovereign, but that did not mean he would allow their enemies to escape.


    Looking at Somuli''s ne one more time, Chains and ten other Sovereigns left and chased after the escaping Sovereigns.


    As soon as Chains and his group left, the space close to Somuli distorted, and a huge floating ship emerged.


    This ship was none other than Loar''s creation, and on the deck, Axil, Loar, and Wings could be seen. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A figure then appeared behind them, revealing Dusk, with a paleplexion, kneeling on the floor.


    "What is the current situation?" Axil asked without looking at Dusk.


    Dusk struggled to stand. But then, a faint green light enveloped his whole body, and hisplexion instantly recovered.


    "I am also confused," he admitted while he stood up.


    Axil frowned slightly. She turned to look at him and asked, "You said the Fates hade."


    Dusk nodded, "Yes. Right after Dark Sage killed Flos and Obstruction."


    Axil''s eyes widened.


    Loar and Wings also looked at Dusk in disbelief.


    "He killed them?" Axil asked.


    Fearing his report would be intercepted, Dusk did not include the information about Flos and Obstruction''s killer. Although Axil had her doubts, she did not think Kyran would do something that would make him stand out.


    "Yes," Dusk said. "I only saw what happened from afar, but it was definitely Dark Sage. Then the Fates appeared, and my head went nk."


    "Fates have the ability to rob you of your senses upon their arrival. Basically, they did not want anyone to know of their appearance. But because you are all outsiders, you managed to regain your awareness faster than the inhabitants of the ne."


    "More or less. But I didn''t know why the Fates hade."


    "We''ll find out soon," Axil assured them. "Have you tried contacting Kyran?"


    "I wanted to, but before I could do anything, I got expelled."

 Chapter 947 Tablets (2)

    Chapter 947 Tablets (2)


    Axil, Loar, and Wings frowned. They knew Anshel of the Kingdom of Cretea was a fake Sovereign. Thus, his authority over Somuli was limited. Even his Sovereign''s Cradle barely restricted the outsiders'' level.


    Proof of the cradle''s low effect was its inability to suppress the level of outsiders that entered Somuli through a rift. Not to mention, the golden could not even be seen by the outsiders.


    Considering this, how could the Somuli''s Sovereign expel Dusk and the other Sovereigns?


    "You have arrived a tad bitte. That''s why you did not notice the surge of magic energy just now," Dusk started after noticing their confusion and doubt. "If you have felt it, you''d know that Somuli had just birthed its new Sovereign."


    Axil, Loar, and Wings were surprised. But they did not think such development was unexpected. Since they knew the previous Sovereign was a fake, it would only be a matter of time before the real Sovereign ascended.


    When or how that was something they could only guess. After all, the rule that a ne would only recognize one Sovereign was absolute. Regardless of whether he or she was a fake. Only when the fake died or reverted back to his or her Sage state could a new Sovereign ascend.


    It also went without saying, but a fake Sovereign could not be reced by another fake.


    "Let''s meet with Kyran and understand the exact situation," Axil said after a short pause.


    "About that... I don''t think Dark Sage would like me hanging around him."


    Loar looked at him exasperatedly, "What did you do this time? Last time, you even used my name to justify your actions the first time you met him."


    "If I didn''t tell him that, we would end up in a life-and-death confrontation¡ª."


    "If you did not provoke him first, that wouldn''t have happened," Axil interjected from the side.


    Dusk groaned, wanting to retaliate. However, Axil had a point, and so he could only respond begrudgingly, "When the situation in Armakea went downhill, I escaped by myself."


    "Alright. You stay here and guard with Wings. Loar and I will meet with Kyran," Axil decided with a straight face.


    "Fine."


    "Can''t I go with you?" Wings asked.


    "Stay here with Dusk. I may have healed him, but he still needed to replenish his energy. If Chains suddenly decided to return, with the Sovereigns he brought along, Dusk will not stand a chance."


    Dusk frowned, "It''s not like us working together will make a difference if Chains brought ten other Sovereigns with him."


    Wings red at him in discontentment. But because Dusk had a point, she did not try to refute him.


    "I never said you have to confront Chains and his group. All you have to do is escape. Activate the Long-Range Transmission Array and escape," Axil rified.


    "What about you two?" Dusk asked.


    Axil raised her brows as if to say, ''What about us?''


    In the end, Dusk btedly realized his question was stupid. They would be meeting up with Kyran, who was the Void Master. If Axil and Loar wanted to leave Somuli, he could easily warp them away.


    "Fine."


    "Alright."


    Dusk and Wings replied, respectively.


    Axil then asked Loar to contact Kyran. Loar might not have openly admitted it, but Axil was positive that he had a way of contacting Kyran. The two were on good terms, after all.


    Kyran also studied Puppetry from Loar. Whenever he had a question, and Loar was on a mission, he would have reached out to thetter through their ownmunication device and channel.


    It did not take Loar long to reach Kyran. Soon after, a path was opened for the two to enter Somuli.


    Once they entered, their levels were restricted, but they did not sense any difort from the ne. This meant that they were exempted from Somuli Sovereign''s expulsion move of other Sovereigns. Apart from that, they finally experienced Dusk''s description of Somuli''sck of magic energy.


    Frankly, even without the level restriction from the Sovereign''s Cradle, if a Sovereign entered, he or she would not be able to utilize fully his or her magic. Thus making them only a tad bit stronger than an average Sage.


    Axil and Loar went to the coordinates provided by Kyran. Since it was their first time in Somuli, they were still a little unfamiliar with the locations of each nation. Nheless, they were still able to glean which nation they had entered based on the coordinates.


    The Eidum''s border.


    Axil and Loar were aware that Kyran had been staying there. Thus, they did not expect to see some Nobles and Armakean Knights mingle with the Eidums.


    What just happened in a short span of time in Somuli?


    The Nobles that Axil and Loar saw were the five Nobles that Aran managed to win over his side. During Kyran''s confrontation with the puppet king, he absorbed the Nobles and turned them into his Servants. Wanting to understand the changes that happened to them after being reborn from the Void, he allowed them to move around the borders.


    Axil and Loar caught on to this as they noticed them emitting the same aura as Kyran''s Servants.


    When the Eidums saw Axil and Loar, none of them reacted. Since they were already aware of outsiders, and Kyran knew some of them. Besides, after witnessing the leader of the Kingdom of Cretea being friendly with Kyran, they no longer bother questioning hiswork.


    However, they did admit to being confused as to Kyran''s real identity.


    One of the Nobles-turn-Servants led Axil and Loar in the receiving area.


    Normally, only those with the border''s token could warp inside the room. But upon the three''s arrival in front of the receiving area, they were taken inside.


    Inside the room, Kyran, Cyneah, Euan, Ames, Tyr, True Void, andstly, Nachum were waiting. They were all seated around a round table, looking at Axil and Loar.


    Two empty chairs beside Kyran were prepared for Axil and Loar.


    Kyran already briefed Axil and Loar on who would be joining them in their meeting. That was why Axil and Loar did not show any reaction. But if one asked them how they truly felt, they were anything but calm. After all, there was someone in attendance who should not be there¡ª or, to be more urate, not in the Lower Realm.


    Ames. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When the two were seated, Kyran started the meeting.


    The meeting was prettyx. Basically, everyone there only exchanged information.


    After learning what transpired in Somuli, Axil and Loar felt conflicted. They did not expect the Fates to personallye and interfere with Flos''s and Obstruction''s death. In the end, Kyran thwarted their attempt to repair Flos and Obstruction''s thread of life and was forced to retreat.


    This was the reason that made Axil and Loar feel the way they did.


    None could stop the Fates once they personally appeared and moved, yet Kyran did.


    Axil and Loar were not conflicted because Kyran defied the Fates. Instead, they were reminded of some things they learned from the Tablets they had collected.


    "You don''t look surprised," Kyranmented after both sides hadpleted exchanging information and giving their thoughts, especially with the matter of the Fates'' intervention.


    Axil sighed, "Dusk did tell us it was you who killed them. While the consequences of your action against the Fates are still under debate, how you defied them is unsurprising."


    She waved her hand and took out a rectangr item resembling a small tablet made of crystal. She infused her magic energy into it and deactivated its protection array. After which, several golden runes emerged from the item''s surface and circled rhythmically.


    Everyone inside observed the circting golden runes.


    Most of them had their brows furrowed because they could not recognize the runes and understand what they meant¡ª the only ones who could were Ames and Kyran.


    But unlike Ames, Kyran could barely recognize the runes. Thus, he did not understand their meaningpletely.


    Ames wore a solemn expression while looking at the golden runes. She looked at Axil and Loar, who avoided her gaze, before turning her attention to Kyran.


    ''These golden runes are the ones used by the Ancients. Where did they get this?'' Ames asked him telepathically.


    ''As I''ve exined, Axil and her faction have been roaming the Lower Realm, trying to gather as much information as they could about its history and a way to prevent the War of the Sovereigns.


    ''They gathered several tablets containing runes like this one for several years. I''ve requested to see these tablets previously, thinking that maybe the reason they could not read them was because they were written in one of the ancient magic runes.''


    Kyran paused and narrowed his eyes before adding, ''Seems like I was half correct.''


    Ames sighed, ''This is the first time I''ve learned you are interested in reading historical records written by the Ancients.''


    Kyran looked at her with raised brows, ''You mean the tablets are really written by the Ancients?''


    ''Yes. And this one is only a small insert about one of the turning points of The Realm''s destruction.''


    ''When you say Realm, you are not referring to it as the general realm, are you?''


    ''The Realm,'' Ames repeated while closing her eyes. ''Is basically theplete realm where the Higher and Lower Realms belonged.''


    Ames paused and opened her eyes, ''No... that''s not exactly correct. The Higher and Lower Realms are originally part of a whole called The Realm. However, because of what happened in the past, it broke, creating these two realms.''


    The next chapter will exin most of what happened that split The Realm in two.

 Chapter 948 True Purpose

    Chapter 948 True Purpose


    While Kyran and Ames conversed telepathically, Axil exined why she believed Kyran''s defiance from the Fates was unsurprising.


    "What you are seeing is a small part of a broken tablet we excavated from a lone ne," she paused and shook her head, "No, that ne could not be considered a ne anymore since it could no longer produce magic energy. It resembled a fairlyrge patch ofnd in the Lower Realm that drifted with no specific direction. In any case, we found an ancient tablet there. After years of research, we managed to decipher a part and learned the tablet recounted a history we did not know of."


    Axil then looked at Kyran meaningfully and added, "This here is what we''ve deciphered, and it mentioned how the most ancient of Magic could defy the Fates of the realm."


    When she mentioned the most ancient of magic and the realm, she did so believing they were terms used in general. But Ames and Kyran knew better. The runes used to refer to them appeared the same as its general definition, but there was a very subtle difference that only those who had a very good knowledge of the Ancientnguage would recognize.


    Considering this, if they reworded Axil''s earlier words, it should be: The Most Ancient of Magic could defy the Fates of The Realm.


    "''The most ancient of magic...''" Euan repeated thoughtfully. He looked at Axil and asked, "Are you perhaps referring to Void magic, as it is considered the most powerful Ancient Magic?"


    Nheless, Euan, knowing that among the four Ancient magic, Void was considered the most powerful, he more or less understood the phrase ''the most ancient of magic referred to the Void.


    Axil nodded her head, "That''s right. Information about the Ancient Magic could be said the same in every ne. Some differ in how it is called or how many can be considered Ancient Magic, but overall, it is pretty much the same."


    "Nothingness is the beginning of everything. It gave birth to chaos, to which chaos gave birth to order. And then the order gave birth to life," Ames suddenly recited before any of the others could say anything. She looked at them with an indifferent expression and said, "This excerpt can prove that the Void is the Most Ancient of Magic."


    "This..." Nachum looked at her in surprise. When the Lower Realm first opened the doors of knowledge during his first ascension, he heard something simr. He did not understand those wordspletely, but because of it, he became aware of the four Ancient Magic: Draconic, Soul, Time, and Void.


    Kyran''s expression was devoid of emotion. But in his memory, he recalled the time when Zephyr first told him about the Void being called nothingness. Then again, Zephyr was a Quilin who served the Dragons. It was not a stretch to think he heard those words from the same source.


    The others looked at Ames in amazement. But Axil''s amazement stemmed more from how Ames''s words were written on another tablet they discovered.


    "This excerpt is written in the history of The Realm," Ames continued with a solemn expression. She then sighed before saying, "To be honest, I am not allowed to say any of this to anyone from the Lower Realm because this is part of a history that had long been lost and forgotten. If anyone from the Lower Realm discovered it, the two realms would inevitably sh."


    With a grave expression, Axil said, "You say you are not allowed, yet said it anyway. Does that mean there is no longer a need to be cautious because the confrontation is already on the way?"


    Ames looked at Axil and nodded without even bothering to hide anything, "That''s right."


    "And we caused it," Axil felt somewhat aggrieved, realizing that their decision to gather as many tablets as they could and decipher them inadvertently threatened the Lower Realm.


    "Wait," Kyran frowned slightly as he looked at Ames, "This confrontation is different from the War of the Sovereigns. Are you telling me both events will ur in the Lower Realm now?"


    Ames looked at him and nodded, "Eventually. However, the War of the Sovereignses first."


    "That''s not surprising since the war can happen at any moment," Loar chimed in. However, rather than agree to his words, Ames shook her head and exined, "That''s not the case. It is because the Lower Realm''s nes have already exceeded what its realm could hold."


    Ames''s revtion was too sudden that almost all of them were rendered speechless.


    The only ones who retained his and herposures were Kyran and Axil.


    Axil narrowed her eyes, "So that is the truth behind the War of the Sovereigns."


    Ames nodded. But then she paused and shook her head, "Rather than call it a simple truth, it is the true purpose of the war. Not that it was any different in any given war. After all, once war breaks out, nations will crumble, and innocent lives will fall."


    "That is true... but... for it to happen simply because there are far too many nes in the Lower Realm?" Axil said, feeling vexed at this realization. "It is practically a genocide."


    Ames refrained frommenting on what Axil said and instead said, "It is quite unfortunate that the Lower Realm has far little magic energy to sustain every ne. It is for this reason that some nes, in order to survive, used a different type of energy to ensure their inhabitants could still wield magic.


    "However, these nes are prone to destruction since they deviated from the universalw and rules that the Lower Realm had."


    "Basically, they are the nes that would end up getting destroyed in the war," Loar summarized with a grave expression.


    Kyran felt an iing headache after hearing Ames willingly shared the truth to them.


    If he had to be honest, he never expected their discussion to go this way. He initially thought they would only exchange information, and afterward, he would ask Axil to view the rest of the tablets.


    "To be more urate, the faction where such a ne is part of, will end up getting destroyed," Ames corrected Loar with a meaningful look.


    Almost all of them narrowed their eyes at Ames''s implication.


    "So the winner of the war has already been decided by the Fates?" Euan asked.


    Although he more or less understood what was implied, he wanted to make sure he would not misunderstand. After all, Somuli was a ne prone to be destroyed because of its own magic energy, in the form of mana.


    "You could say, the winner of the war will be decided by the Macabre cier''s owner," Ames replied while ring at Cyneah''s direction.


    Cyneah, who had remained silent from the start, shivered after sensing Ames''s piercing re. She feigned ignorance and focused her attention on the exchange between the others.


    "Why?" Kyran asked. He had already heard about how every faction that the Dark Sage became part of during the War of the Sovereigns would always end up winning. He gleaned it had something to do with the mirror''s ability to send people into a frenzy, forcing them to kill one another and also absorbing their souls.


    Apparently, the truth of the matter was that the mirror''s owner would decide the winner.


    While this might imply that Kyran''s assumption was correct, it was only a pretense. After all, winning a war because of the Dark Sage possessing the Macabre cier joining a faction was different from winning the war because it was decided by the Macabre cier''s owner. Because thetter implied that the owner of the Macabre cier could decide whether his or her faction would win the war or allow their enemy faction to win it, regardless of whether he or she was the Dark Sage.


    "A magic weapon is only an item in the end," Ames started. It is the one who wields it who can determine whether that weapon can be used to kill or survive."


    Everyone remained silent. They obviously understood what Ames wanted to say.


    In the past wars, the reason the Dark Sage''s faction won was because of how he chose to wield the mirror.


    While almost all of them appeared to have epted this exnation, Kyran still felt something was amiss.


    "How many War of the Sovereigns did the Lower Realm experience?" he asked no one in particr. However, it was obvious that only one could answer him.


    True Void more or less guessed Kyran''s doubts, and he looked at thetter thoughtfully.


    To someone who could not remember all his past memories, he felt the meaning behind Ames''s words had more to it than what she wanted to tell them.


    "Far too many," Ames replied after a long pause.


    "And who owned the Macabre cier back then?"


    "The Dark Sage," she answered almost immediately. "He did create the Macabre cier." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Meaning... from the start, the war has been influenced by the Dark Sage?" Kyran asked, looking at Ames with furrowed brows. "Or was he the one who instigated it in the first ce?"


    True Void raised his nonexistent brows. He finally realized why he felt something was wrong.

 Chapter 949 The Dark Sage (1)

    Chapter 949 The Dark Sage (1)


    Ames said that there had been far too many War of the Sovereigns. However, the Dark Sage, or at least the one whom Can met, did not appear that old per se.


    He appeared whithered and had an ancient aura, but he was not someone who had lived for several thousands of years.


    For argument''s sake, if the Dark Sage lived for more than ten thousand years, how did he survive until now? Not to mention, if Kyran''s doubts were true, it would imply that the War of the Sovereigns wouldmence once the Macabre cier appeared with its owner. But if this was the case, how was the mirror and its owner connected to the true purpose of the war?


    "No," Kyran shook his head as if to counter what he had thought. "He is not the one who instigated it because if he did, why is the true purpose of the war to ensure the Lower Realm maintained the number of nes it had?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kyran continued to voice his doubts, even voicing the one True Void had.


    "The Dark Sage was already gone this time as well. Even if others say that I inherited his legacy and his title, I am not him. Our innate magic is different. Even if I have possession of the mirror, I can''t even use it. Besides, the mirror did not have its owner."


    He then looked at Cyneah and added, "Neah had control over it, but she is not its owner. If she is, the mirror''s sentient would have allowed her to use its full power. Up to now, Neah''s control over the mirror is better than the others who tried to control it, but that was only because she did not have a magic core that the mirror could affect. Not to mention, the mirror worked as her magic core..."


    The others remained silent as they listened to Kyran''s thoughts. They wondered if he knew he was voicing his thoughts aloud or if he was too deep in thought to realize it.


    Even so, the others did not mind. They even appreciate it because listening to him allowed them to see how much they truly understand the situation.


    "If we also included the Dark Sage''s age... and when the mirror was created, then the war should have happened even before his time."


    "I cannot say for sure," Ames finally chimed in. While she knew Kyran did say his thoughts aloud because he was waiting for others to enlighten him, she decided to voice her own thoughts.


    As she said, the war had happened far too many times, and Ames was not old enough to witness them. No matter how many generations of Regises she had outlived, as True Void suggested, she could not have witnessed the previous wars. At most, she had witnessed or even took part in thest one.


    "But as far as I know, the mirror had been present in the past wars," Ames told them with a solemn expression.


    True Void scowled. He then voiced his doubts before Kyran, saying, "I don''t really remember much about the time my previous master met the Dark Sage. But I can assure you that that guy is not old. At least, not ancient old... err... I don''t know if I made any sense, but his age should not exceed two thousand years.


    "One thing to take note of was how the lifespans of Sovereigns could not exceed two thousand years. Only when they managed to break through their limits and entered the next level could they gain another thousand years."


    "He has a point," Ames agreed. "Most of the Sovereigns in this ne are only about a thousand and a half years old, or even younger, and only a few managed to break through to the next level.


    "However, once they have broken through, they would be restricted by the Lower Realm''sws."


    "If that''s true," Kyran interjected before Ames could continue. "What about Ruin?"


    He initially did not bring up Ruin in the conversation because he thought there was no need. But now that the age of Sovereigns was brought up, Kyran felt that Ruin seemed to know far more things than the other Sovereigns and was even part of the previous war. Kyran even had an inkling that Ruin had seen other wars before thest one.


    As for the reason, Kyran did not know either.


    In the end, Ames only looked at Kyran in response. But her silence alone had spoken a lot of things.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes, "Ruin seemed to be connected to the Higher Realm... the same goes with the Dark Sage, isn''t it?"


    Ames still exercised her right to remain silent. Not that that right had been mentioned. In any case, the reason she could not answer was not because she was being restrained or anything. That did not matter now since even if she told them more info about the Higher Realm, the confrontation between it and the Lower Realm was already in motion, and no other events could top that.


    Kyran did not pressure Ames to answer. After all, there was another person who could answer that question more willingly than her¡ª La.


    "In any case, with the mirror''s appearance, the War of the Sovereigns wouldmence soon. The day when it had its owner would likely signal the start of the war," Kyran continued to voice out his thoughts. "But... what if the mirror did not have an owner by then?"


    "You forgot something, Void Halfling," True Void suddenly said.


    Kyran looked at him and waited for him to borate.


    "The mirror itself has a sentient. If it did not have an owner, the mirror''s sentient itself by default is its owner."


    "Wouldn''t that mean the mirror''s sentient could influence her?"


    The one who asked was Euan.


    This surprised the others, but Kyran, who knew Cyneah and Euan''s rtionship, understood his concern.


    "The mirror''s sentient will not be able to influence her," Ames replied with a slightly hesitant look. "The sentient is still sealed and could barely manifest itself. As long as she¡ª" she looked at Cyneah, "¡ª did not make a mistake, then the mirror''s sentient could not influence her."


    "You seemed confident," Kyran could not help butment.


    Ames frowned at him. She was aware of the young man''s attempt to fish out more information.


    "Don''t ask me. I cannot tell you."


    "You already said the confrontation between the two realms is already in motion. Even if you decide to stay silent about things in the Higher Realm,the war will happen. If that''s the case, why not share what you already know? Doing that will let us know what to expect."


    "This is different," Ames replied, her frown deepening.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed at once. Just her refusal to say anything about the mirror''s sentient meant the Fates were connected somehow.


    Thinking that those three entities were involved once more annoyed him. He had really wished he could have in one of them back then. If he did, maybe their influence would be hindered.


    After what appeared to be a few minutes of silence, Kyran turned to Axil and said, "I want to see the rest of the tablets."


    Seemingly understanding Kyran''s ns, Ames shook her head and said, "Even if you want to check every tablet they had, it would not make much sense. The only way for you¡ª or, to be precise, us, to learn everything about understanding the situation and the lost history is to gather all the tablets."


    "I may not be able to glean much from the tablets they had on hand, but there would be clues in them," Kyran pointed.


    "I have already gotten permission from every member of the Guardians regarding your request to see the tablets. That''s why I had everything with me. They are only copies, but I am sure you can still find those clues without a problem," Axil confirmed.


    "The tablets as a whole held power," Ames warned Kyran. "It is best to see the real one if you want to glean more from it."


    "I know," Kyran replied. "I''ll settle with a copy nheless." He looked at Axil again before adding, "Eventually, I will have to ask you to show me the real ones."


    "That will not be a problem as long as I escorted you myself," Axil assured him.


    After the two had agreed, Axil passed a diamond cube that fitted her palm perfectly to Kyran. She then said, "That cube is a rare treasure that can replicate anything with very good uracy."


    Kyran epted the cube before looking at Axil and muttered a word of thanks.


    Seeing that Kyran would take some time to browse through the cube''s content, the others decided to continue their discussion by themselves.


    They no longer talked about the war, as it displeased Nachum very much. After all, if what Ames said was true, Somuli would be one of the nes destroyed.


    Who would want their ne to be a casualty in war?

 Chapter 950 The Dark Sage (2)

    Chapter 950 The Dark Sage (2)


    Instead of sending his essence to the Lower Realm, Deus sent one of his clones. This was to prevent a simr thing from happening to him, like Midnight when she suffered a huge bacsh after her essence was destroyed.


    Although there was little difference between a clone and an essence, the former''s connection to the original body had less influencepared to thetter. Thus, the damage dealt to the original body was minimal when a clone was destroyed.


    But to Deus''s utter shock, his clone''s destruction caused cracks to appear on his magic core. This was actually far more dangerous than suffering a bacsh after your essence was destroyed¡ª at least it would not leave cracks on one''s magic core.


    Because of this, Deus had to stay low for the meantime while his magic core recuperated. To avoid confrontation with the other Overlords, which could aggravate his magic core, he decided to send his report to The Emperor using a private channel.


    Deus expected The Emperor to summon him once he received his report; instead, The Emperor chose to visit him in hisboratory.


    Deus''s Laboratory is a floating fortress made of steel and brass. At the center of the fortress stood a massive steel round castle with one tower that served as themand center. The main entrance was a huge ck steel twin door with golden ancient runes that appeared randomly on its surface from time to time. Facing this door was a walkway that led to an open field that served as anding area for visitors.


    This fortress appeared vulnerable. However, several automatons of different sizes and specializations could be seen around the castle. There were also a few human-shaped automatons in silver armor lined up in an orderly fashion on each side of the walkway that led to the open field.


    Apart from these automatons, there were two rings, light blue and silver, made from runes that circled the floating fortress. These rings served as their defensive and offensive arrays, respectively. In case of an emergency, depending on what was required, the light blue array or the silver one would stay mobile vertically and activate all its formation.


    At present, no one has seen these rings in full swing. But that is only because all those who had had been killed mercilessly.


    For this reason, no one dared venture into Deus''sboratory for fear of dying without knowing how it had happened.


    A hundred kilometers away from the area of effect of the circting rings around Deus''sboratory, the space distorted, followed by a floating golden throne that emitted a blinding light emerging from within.


    After the light from the throne dimmed, it revealed a zing sun engraved above its headrest, and seated upon it was none other than The Emperor.


    Deus was inside his chamber when The Emperor appeared outside hisboratory. Nevertheless, he sensed thetter''s overwhelming aura and immediately granted his ess.


    The Emperor ignored the circting rings around the floating fortress and operated the throne toward the open field.


    With Deus granting The Emperor ess, the two rings did not react. They even appeared to ignore thetter as he entered andnded on the open field.


    The human-shaped automatons that were lined up along the walkway greeted The Emperor by kneeling on one knee. They also lowered their heads in respect as well as to avoid making eye contact with The Emperor.


    Deus also left his chamber and appeared right outside the castle''s entrance to greet The Emperor.


    The Emperor remained seated on his throne as he maneuvered it toward Deus.


    "Your Majesty," Deus lowered his head in respect the moment The Emperor was within earshot. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Instead of answering, The Emperor asked, "How is your body?"


    "I am recuperating well," Deus responded. "Thank you for your concern."


    "Hm," The Emperor replied before gesturing toward the castle, "Let''s go inside and talk,"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Deus waved his hand and activated the transportation array on the fortress to send them to the receiving area.


    Deus''s silver throne was usually stationed in the receiving area when he was not using it. It was ced on top of an elevated tform at the far end of the room.


    However, the silver throne could not be seen at that moment, and The Emperor immediately willed his throne to go over the tform.


    Deus did not seem to mind. To be more precise, he could not openly show his displeasure if he ever felt that way because no one could defy The Emperor in the Higher Realm.


    "I read your report," The Emperor did not bother with idle talks and immediately went down to business. "Although you sent it through the private channel, the possibility of it being intercepted by others is there. Thus, I understand you left out other important details."


    "Yes," Deus did not deny it. At most, he reported how he failed to capture the target. After this, his clone suffered defeat against someone, and he had to retreat. Nheless, The Emperor could glean clues from Deus''s report and surmised that the one who hurt thetter was none other than their target.


    Of course, The Emperor knew it was impossible for a low-ranked mage to hurt an Overlord like Deus. Thus, he also gleaned that their target had help from the outside.


    Who else could hurt Deus to that extent but a member of the Dragon n?


    With this in mind, The Emperor was enraged. To him, the Dragon n''s tant move to defy his orders to capture their target was an obvious defiance. The fact that the Dragon n was responsible for the Heart of the Cosmos going missing several years ago, and their target was seemingly one of their descendants, made it almost impossible for one not to suspect the Dragon n of nning to usurp The Emperor.


    "I am all ears."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Deus did not answer at once. Instead, he sorted through all the information in his head first before voicing his thoughts.


    If there was one thing Deus wanted to avoid, it was making false assumptions, especially when there was another person or family involved. Besides, a clone''s memories could not be transferred to the original body automatically, like how they were for essences.


    Thus, Deus''s information was also limited. All his information was based on what his clone had sent thest.


    A short feed about their target, whom his clone confronted.


    It was only a short one because Deus''s clone failed to send a new one for some time before finally getting destroyed.


    Once Dues was done sorting through the information in his head, he looked The Emperor straight in the eye and said, "The target''s abilities far exceeded what we initially believed."


    He continued, "Though my clonecks in strength, not to mention being restrained by the Lower Realm''s rules. It would have been impossible for a low-ranked mage to win against it. In the end, he won against my clone, using an ability he had not shown previously."


    "Have you seen what he could do?"


    Deus shook his head, "Unfortunately, I did not receive any information from my clone about the target''s abilities."


    "So all these are only your assumptions?" The Emperor asked.


    "I managed to glean more clues from the feeding from my automatons. From there, Ipiled them and came up with aparison. That is how I arrived at this conclusion."


    "Not even one of your automatons survived?"


    Deus stiffly shook his head. To be honest, losing one of them should not really cause him any grievances, so long as his prized automaton survived. But as if to mock him, thetter was among those who were destroyed. Apart from that, Deus hadpletely lost contact with all his automatons.


    Obviously, this meant all his automatons had been destroyed.


    "Their feeds were among the first ones destroyed before the confrontation between my clone and the target even happened. Background noises helped me visualize what was happening, but in the end, their connection was also lost."


    "Do you think the ones who destroyed them are people from the Dragon n?"


    "There is a possibility," Deus agreed. "However, the fact that the magic aura, signature, and even a mage''s presence did not appear on my readings meant the only one within their range was the target. No one from the Dragon n was there."


    "But you did say that one of the Dragon n''s people was there."


    "My automatons sensed a powerful presence," Deus refrained from speaking about Midnight. It was not because The Emperor and Midnight did not see eye to eye, but it was more because Deus did not want The Emperor to think he was ipetent to want and employ the assistance of another Over Lord.


    "However, I cannot confirm that presence''s identity."


    The Emperor studied Deus''s expression. Seeing thetter''s calm yet paleplexion, he no longer insisted on finding fault with the Dragon n and instead asked, "What are the chances that it was that man?"


    Deus''s eyes narrowed as a man in a flowing ck robe shed through his mind.


    "You mean... the Dark Sage?"

 Chapter 951 The Dark Sage (3)

    Chapter 951 The Dark Sage (3)


    orKyran knew it would take time to decipher and understand the contents of all the tablets in the Guardians'' possession, which was why he wanted to allocate enough time to study them.


    Since he expected Axil to arrive in Somuli and give all copies of the tablets in their possession soon, Kyran decided to let Akim and Kessiah deal with the aftermath of their conquest in Armakea so that once Axil arrived and gave him the copies, they would not be affected.


    Unfortunately, Kyran still underestimated theplexity of the Ancient runes. It also did not help that he only had a copy on hand.


    As Ames warned, sentences formed from Ancient runes would lose some of their meaning or could not be fully understood if they were shown as a copy. If Kyran wanted to understand everything, he had to read the runes on the real tablet.


    In the end, Kyran had to improvise so that he could study the copies Axil shared.


    Meanwhile, the others inside the receiving room continued to discuss their next move.


    At present, they practically had every nation belonging to theplete beings on their side. If they could persuade all the beast-likes to join Kyran as well, then preparing for what was toe would be much easier.


    At least, no one would be in the opposition¡ª except maybe those in Howling Pass. Not that the residents in Howling Pass had any desire to meddle in the affairs of the other nations.


    While the discussion was in progress, Nahir and Akim had also joined in after Cyneah contacted them.


    Their joining in the discussion was not an afterthought. It just happened that their nning could not be done without any leaders from the Eidums and Armakeans sides present in the discussion.


    It went without saying that even when Nachum was in the discussion, he could not provide his own insights or opinions on behalf of the Eidums. Now that he had ascended, he was not allowed to meddle in the affairs inside the ne. However, it was a different matter whenever their discussion involved matters about the outsiders.


    While Akim represented Armakea in the discussion, he was not the only one present. Kesiah and Ravan were also there, along with Aran''s previous aides.


    For the record, the other seemingly missing aides to the King were actually sent over to the Magical Beast Community to pressure them into providing assistance to Aran. However, before they could even arrive, their pact was removed, and they were at a loss. They were torn between going back to Larkring or continuing to the Magical Beast Community now that their King had fallen.


    Ultimately, they were granted new titles as the Ten Elites of Armakea. They were called as such not because they were the only ones who could be considered elites among the Knights of Armakea but because theycked a better title to give them.


    In the end, Filren assured them that once their master, Kyran¡ª for this matter, he had to call him Nar¡ª got a chance to meet all of them, they would eventually be given a much better title.


    s, if Filren only knew that Kyran was not exactly good at giving out names, what more an important title.


    In any case, Ravan and the other newly appointed leaders in Armakea were silently listening to the discussion. They would voice their questions asionally. Fortunately, those attending the discussion in person were patient enough to entertain their questions and provide them with adequate answers and exnations.


    Others would have wondered why Ravan, of all people, would be willing to attend the discussion among these groups when he was such a righteous person. No matter how one saw it, Kyran''s side¡ª rather, Akim and Kesiah''s rebels, were the enemies.


    In the end, Ravan chose to give the benefit of the doubt as to what the ''rebellion'' was about. In fact, Akim and Kesiah had more or less exined everything to him. At that moment, Ravan wanted to know more about the truth about everything that had happened.


    This result was one reason Kyran allowed Akim and Kesiah to handle the aftermath at the Armakea. Since they were rted to Ravan, it was not hard for them to figure out when to press forward or retreat when it came to decyphering his mood. Fortunately, Akim had more or less provided the exnation Ravan needed to know why they joined Kyran.


    Another reason Kyran chose the two was because the Armakea knew and respected them. This was especially true about Kesiah.


    As for the matter with the Knights, Kyran had Filren handle it because he was a knight himself. And as Kyran''s Sigil, Filren would never betray him. The other knights also respected him and believed him more than they would Mo.


    Speaking of Mo, he had been cooperative ever since they confirmed Kyran did not kill Aran. As a matter of fact, what caused every knight to listen and give the benefit of the doubt to Filren''s new boss was mainly because of what they had witnessed Kyran do.


    Kyran showed mercy on Aran.


    To them, this move alone proved that Kyran was not the blood-thirsty conqueror they thought him to be.


    While the discussion continued, Kyran was busy fiddling with the images shown on the cube to decipher everything.


    Ames, who had already gone silent and did not participate much in the discussion because they had started talking about going to warfare with the enemies, walked over to Kyran and observed his work. She did not disturb him because she knew how hard it would be to decipher the cube in his hands.


    Soon after Ames started observing Kyran, thetter heaved a sigh while rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    "I told you it would be impossible for you to decipher theplete context of those runes without looking at the real tablet," Ames said matter-of-factly at Kyran.


    Kyran looked at her with an indifferent expression. Then he asked somethingpletely unrted to Ames''s statement.


    "The one who ruled over The Realm, what was his name?"


    Ames furrowed her brows. Her reaction was not due to her knowing the answer yet reluctant to share it. But she did not understand why Kyran asked that question all of a sudden.


    "I don''t know," Ames replied. "It is part of the lost history."


    "Not even the Higher Realm knew?"


    "That''s right," she admitted. "At one point in time, the ruler of The Realm was forgotten, and when it split in two, the Lower Realm remained without a ruler, while the Higher Realm was ruled by The Emperor."


    "What are the chances that The Emperor was rted to the ruler?"


    "Quite great," Ames replied. "As far as I know, he is one of the oldest mages in the Higher Realm, and for as long as I remember, he had been the only Emperor."


    "Is The Emperor a fixed title of the Higher Realm''s ruler?" Kyran asked with raised brows. To be honest, he found the title in. In Yen, there was already one called the Emperor, which basically sounded and probably was the same.


    "I don''t know," Ames replied while shaking her head. "As I said, there had only been one ruler in the Higher Realm, and that was The Emperor." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She looked at Kyran with narrowed eyes and said, "You wouldn''t ask that question if you didn''t find something. Tell me."


    Kyran did not answer at once. He looked at the cube in his hands and fiddled with it a bit more before finally responding, "There is an excerpt of some sort in one of the tablets I am studying."


    He then looked at Ames with a solemn expression.


    "It told of a person, or a being, that the Higher Being grew jealous of..." Kyran''s voice trailed off as he recalled a conversation he had with Axil before about the Lament of the King.


    Sensing that it might be rted, Kyran briefly told Ames about it.


    While listening, Ames''s expression had turned pale. Nevertheless, she remained calm and continued to listen to him.


    Once Kyran was done, he added, "I can''t help but feel that the menting'' King was connected to the ruler of The Realm."


    "It is a possibility," Ames agreed. "But you have to understand. The Higher Being is an existence that far exceeds anyone and anything in The Realm. There is no way for him or her to be jealous of anyone."


    "That''s funny," Kyran could not help but say as he looked at Ames. "Here I thought you would deny the existence of that King and insist that the Higher Being might be the ruler of The Realm."


    "The Higher Being is a different existence. He or she cannot be a ruler..." Ames responded, her expression solemn.


    "And? What else did you find?" she added, seeing the discontented look on Kyran.


    There was a moment''s pause before he replied, "I''m not sure yet. But based on the things I''ve read so far, it seems... the King might be rted to the Dark Sage."

 Chapter 952 Decision (1)

    Chapter 952 Decision (1)


    In truth, Kyran wanted to say that he had an inkling the King, mentioned in the Lament of the King, and the Dark Sage might be the same person. However, because there were far too many missing points in the tablet copies he was studying, it was hard to support his theory.


    Ames knitted her brows as she looked at Kyran.


    "How did youe up with that? Did the tablet mention anything that connected the two of them?"


    Kyran shook his head, "I can''t say for sure. As you said, the copies are missing something fundamental. That''s why there are entries that did not make sense to me. The only reason I said they might be connected is that there was a part in one of the tablets that exined an item in the King''s possession that was coveted by a lot of powerful individuals. There was also an entry that talked about this item. However, because the tablets are copies, there were entries that did not make sense."


    "I told you so," Ames snorted at Kyran''sck of trust in his own great-grandmother. "Ancient runes are also magic runes. They are alive. Which is why, only when you can read them within the tablets can you fully understand their meanings." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran did not refute Ames. Instead, he said, "I want to see the tablets and continue researching on this matter." But then he paused and heaved a sigh, "However, I can''t do that now. There are things I have to do first."


    Ames did not say anything. She more or less guessed what Kyran was referring to.


    At the moment, the situation in Somuli might appear to have quieted down. But in truth, they were only granted a short respite. There were still the consequences of Kyran''s action, particrly in killing Flos and Obstruction, that hung around them like an invisible de.


    Fortunately, Axil and her fellow faction members were on top of things, confirming the situation in all the nes under Flos and Destruction.


    Ames suddenly thought of something as she said, "I kind of understand that you are worried about the inhabitants of those nes if other Sovereigns dide and wage war on each other just to win over the ownership of those nes. But don''t you think this is also a good thing?"


    Kyran''s expression turned cold as he looked at Ames. He did not say anything, but his expression suggested that he understood what she meant and that he did not like where she wasing from.


    Ames returned his cold look as she continued, "Don''t give me that look. There is an ancient saying that says: You can''t win them all.


    "In this case, you wanted to stop the War of the Sovereigns, but in the current state of the Lower Realm, it would be impossible to do so. But if you let those Sovereigns wage war on one another, and those nes were caught in the middle of the fight, the number of nes in the Lower Realm would go down. When that happened¡ª."


    "Stop while I''m still asking nicely," Kyran cut her midsentence. His tone was actually quite respectful, albeit a little curt. But the coldness emitted by his eyes was still present and seemed to have intensified by the second.


    Ames''s eyes shed dangerously as she looked at him. If he had been any other cheeky brat, she would have already killed him already. But because he still sounded respectful, even when his spoken words implied anything but respectful, she chose to stay her hand.


    The person in front of Ames was not just her great-grandson, Kyran Regis, after all. He was also the new Void Master and owner of the Shaiha. Not to mention, he could possibly be the person chosen to undertake The Inheritance. If she did something, she would have doomed the future of both realms.


    Ames might be slow to understand and read the situation at times, but when it came to the matter of the two realms, she would never be careless.


    In the end, Ames asked, "What do you intend to do then? Go to those nes and im them? You should understand that you are a special case. You should know this by now since you can enter nes without being restricted by their Magic Laws or a Sovereign''s Cradle if it is present. Because of this, you can''t im a ne for yourself..."


    Ames''s voice trailed off as her eyes widened. She looked at Kyran and asked, "You... don''t tell me you n to let the Sovereign of Bulwark im those nes?"


    "Why not?" Kyran replied with a shrug, not even refuting Ames''s words.


    "You... The Sovereign of Bulwark had only ascended. While his innate magic is good for defenses, there is no way for him to win over the other Sovereigns and im ownership over Flos''s and Destruction''s nes."


    "iming a ne did not mean one had to confront the others," Kyran replied. "What was important is for the ne to recognize him as its new Sovereign."


    "How are you nning to do that if there are a lot of Sovereigns who will..." Ames''s voice trailed off once more as she seemed to finally understand what Kyran intended to do.


    "You..." she looked at him in disbelief. "You n to fight off the Sovereigns yourself?"


    Kyran did not confirm or deny Ames''s words, making thetter sigh in exasperation.


    Like Ames said, Kyran is a special case. To be more urate, all Ancient magic users in the Lower Realm are a special case. They are not bound by the Magic Laws on the nes, and depending on the ne''s nature, they may even hold an advantage over others. Instead, theyck mage level¡ª this is due to them inheriting all umted experiences of their predecessors through their Ancient magic cores. But the thing is, Sovereigns are not people they can belittle just because their innate magic is inferior to Ancient magic.


    Sovereigns have their own advantages, and that is their own umted experiences and how they are free to develop their innate magic in their own path. For this reason, an Ancient magic user who only relied on the umted experiences they inherited from their predecessors can not hold aplete advantage.


    Of course, their innate magic is Ancient magic, and it can pose a threat to anyone. However, theirck of personal experience may be their downfall.


    "You..." Ames heaved another sigh before continuing, "Don''t think that you are possessing two Ancient magic can hold an absolute advantage over Sovereigns. Those people are still Sovereigns¡ª mages who are at the top of the hierarchy in the Lower Realm. The Lower Realm''s rules will be in their favor."


    "Ancient magic users are not bound by the Lower Realm''s rules."


    "That is true, but¡ª."


    "Don''t overthink it," Kyran interrupted Ames once more. He then said, "I did not say I would fight them myself because I can''t."


    Though it annoyed him, the fact that he could not create an essence to send to different locations at the same time hindered him from fighting Sovereigns that could pose a threat to his own life.


    At least, if he could send an essence, he would not be worried about dying if his essence was killed off. Although he would suffer a repercussion when his essences were killed off, it was better than dying.


    In any case, Kyran had other options to deal with the Sovereigns. But at the moment, he could not make full use of them. Not to mention, Ames was jumping too far ahead by overthinking what he would do. After all, they had yet to confirm if Flos''s and Obstruction''s nes were truly in a dire situation after losing their Sovereign.


    "Right now, I am still considering my next steps. Besides," Kyran''s expression turned solemn as he remembered Deus. "Your realm already knows about me. Or at least about the existence of the Shaiha. I have to prepare for that as well."


    Ames fell silent. When her father allowed her to leave, she promised not to do anything in the Lower Realm. However, she had done things that could pose a threat to the Dragon n, especially when she decided to kill someone from the Higher Realm who was searching for Kyran.


    As if sensing what Ames was thinking, Kyran added, "We also have to make sure the Dragon n is not implicated with my situation."


    "The Emperor already suspects our involvement."


    "There is no proof."


    "The fact that you can turn yourself into a human-shaped dragon is a big giveaway."


    "Not when I reveal I''m an Ancient magic user."


    Ames''s eyes widened as she stared at him, "You! Don''t you dare reveal anything about that!"


    "It is fine."


    "No, it is not."


    "At most, they will know that the Ancient magic user has appeared once again in the Lower Realm. But before they can do anything to me, I''ll divert their attention by showing up in another location as the Void Master."


    Ames frowned, "You intend to let them think there is a new Dragon Lord and a Void Master?"

 Chapter 953 Decision (2)

    Chapter 953 Decision (2)


    Ames shook her head in objection at Kyran''s idea. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If you do that, you will draw up too much attention. Even if you manage to convince them the Dragon Lord and the Void Master are two different people, you might end up biting more than you can chew when a situation crop up where you need to be in two ces at the same time."


    Kyran did not try to refute Ames because she had a point.


    When it came to deploying capable high-leveled mages in several locations in the Lower Realm, the Higher Realm had the advantage. They also appear to have their own system of monitoring nes without being detected. Thetter was only Kyran''s spection, but it was something that he considered, given how he was attacked the first time without even detecting thetter''s presence until it was already toote.


    Compared to what the Higher Realm mages could do, Kyran only had his Void magic to speak of when it came to moving around the Lower Realm. If he ended up missing even one step at what he wanted to do, he would end up¡ª as Ames phrased it¡ª biting more than he could chew if a situation where he needed to be in two ces at the same time urred.


    In the end, Kyran said, "I only need them to think a new Dragon Lord and a new Void Master has appeared in the Lower Realm. I am not going to risk exposing myself directly to them."


    Ames frowned and slightly opened her mouth to refute Kyran again. But as she tried to form words of reason in her head, she realized she could note up with one. Ultimately, she closed her mouth and continued to look at him displeased.


    "Besides, news of a new Dark Sage and a Void Master has been circting in the Lower Realm for some time now. All that''s left is to circte news about a new Dragon Lord."


    What Kyran said was true. News of him being the sessor of the Dark Sage as well as the Void Master had been circting as early as when he was still under the Tower of Tribtion''s training regime. As for news of a new Dragon Lord, he believed it would only be a matter of time before the Sovereigns who had been in Somuli and had heard or even witnessed the appearance of the silver humanoid dragon would start to specte his identity as the Dragon Lord.


    The only thing Kyran was unsure of was whether the Sovereigns of the Lower Realm were aware that a Dragon Lord had existed in the past. As far as he was concerned, the First Dragon Lord had never left the Human ne. But if it happened that the Sovereigns did know of his existence in the past,ing up with a story on how a new one had appeared in Somuli would be tricky.


    Then again, the previous Void Master managed to make his existence known outside the Human ne because he stumbled upon the Tower of Tribtions and entered its training regime. This allowedhim to visit several nes and make a name for himself. That was also how he met the original Dark Sage and ended up inheriting his title and possessions.


    Thinking about this, Kyran considered using this as the same excuse as to why the Dragon Lord had appeared in Somuli.


    In any case, all of those things were things for the future. If the Sovereigns failed to spread spections that the silver humanoid dragon could be the Dragon Lord, then it would not matter whether Kyran came up with a background story of how he existed.


    In the end, Ames could only sigh in resignation, "Fine. I''ll also let Father know about your n."


    Kyran looked at Ames as he recalled a memory he got after absorbing Deus''s strange essence. "The Dragon n might face a big problem because of what you did to that woman."


    Kyran''s statement appeared vague to others, but Ames understood it. She looked at him with raised brows as she asked, "How did you know about that? I don''t remember telling you what I did."


    "I saw Deus''s memories."


    Ames scowled and fell silent. After a while, she replied, "Don''t worry about it. The Dragon n is not that weak to falter in fear of The Emperor''s retaliation."


    "Hmm... Your words just now kind of contradicted your stance a moment ago."


    "Humph," Ames only snorted in response.


    For the record, the two of them had their own discussion while the others continued with theirs in the background.


    Kyran, though busy studying the tablet''s copies, still tried to listen in on their discussion.


    Others would probably have trouble dividing their attention, but not Kyran. Of course, that did not mean he could register everything. At most, he could follow the flow of their conversation.


    At the moment, Akim and Kesiah were on top of things with regard to unifying the three nations of theplete beings. Their next step was to open a negotiation with the Beast-likes.


    Kyran allowed them to continue while he kept his opinions to himself. To be honest, he was far more interested in understanding his current military strength.


    There was also the matter of the magical beasts. Thus far, the three magical beasts under him had more or less unified the Magical Beast Community. However, they did not include those under Chrysanthemum''s leadership. They were all Spirits and had their own group.


    Kyran made a mental note of each of his Servants and Sigils. Then, he noted those he marked and nned to mark after everything had settled.


    The Armakea Knights were one of those groups he wanted to join because their capabilities were on par with the Regis n members. The only downside of thetter was their mage levels.


    Speaking of mage levels, Kyran nned to bring the Regis n to Somuli and see if their mage levels would improve after a few years'' time. If that happened, he would no longer be afraid of others bullying his n, even if he went out of the grid at times.


    Apart from these things, there was also the proposal La had offered to Kyran. He had not given her an answer yet, but because of how the situation in Somuli had developed, it was no brainer that he would have to visit the Higher Realm as well. Whether he assisted La in her ns was still under discussion, but he definitely had to go there.


    Kyran heaved a deep sigh as he realized there were far too many things he had to settle. He had thought once the matter in Somuli was resolved, he would have fewer things to think about. He did not expect it to actually increase rather than decrease.


    ''I have to sort everything in the next few days. After that, I have to convince Axil to show me the tablets in person...'' Kyran thought. His eyes then drifted toward Cyneah, who just happened to turn her head toward his direction.


    Although Cyneah appeared to be silently listening to the discussion between the others, Kyran knew she was also observing the discussion that transpired between him and Ames. They did not speak aloud so as not to disturb the ongoing discussion. But because Cyneah was seated near Kyran, add that to her very keen sense of hearing; it would not be a surprise if she heard everything.


    Kyran heaved another sigh, albeit inwardly this time.


    Cyneah did not show it on her face, but Kyran could sense her trepidation. She was probably concerned about some of the things that she heard.


    In the end, Kyran decided to assure her by subtly taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.


    At first, Cyneah did not respond. But after a while, she sped her hand on his as well.


    The discussion went on for hours. When most of the things had been settled, the meeting was dismissed, and everyone went on to do their things.


    Euan returned to the Kingdom of Cretea with Nachum. At the same time, Akim, Kesiah, and the others in Armakea prepared to sort everything so they could return to the Eidum''s borders as soon as possible.


    As for the Knights, a few wanted to meet Kyran in person before deciding whether to join him by bing his Sigil or receiving a mark. At the same time, some decided to remain in Armakea to serve under Ravan.


    Initially, Filren believed that Mo would have wanted to serve Ravan rather than join Kyran and be a Sigil. To Filren''s surprise, Mo was the first one to ask to meet Kyran in person.


    The reorganization of Armakea was underway. As expected, Ravan was voted to be the new King.


    Meanwhile, the excavation of the automatons that got buried underground when the Armakea Castle was destroyed was also underway. Their target was to get all of the automatons out in one week and transport them to the Eidum''s border.

 Chapter 954 Decision (3)

    Chapter 954 Decision (3)


    News of the Flos''s and Obstruction''s death continued to spread in the Lower Realm, alerting every Sovereign. Whether these Sovereigns were part of a big faction that would participate in the War of the Sovereigns or not, they all eyed the nes that belonged to the former two.


    However, Flos and Obstruction''s faction would not allow other Sovereigns to im their nes. Thus, they dispatched their members and had them im those nes as soon as possible.


    After the hampered mission in Somuli, Sovereign of Chains and the others with him contacted the others and nned their next move. Ultimately, they decided to prioritize the iming of Flos and Obstruction''s nes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A ne that belonged to Obstruction was fairly close to Somuli. This ne was called Atim and was rich in rare stones that were used for crafting magic weapons. Because of this, many Sovereigns coveted this ne. Upon hearing of Obstruction''s death, they immediately went to that ne, wanting to im it for themselves.


    Flos and Obstruction''s faction expected a grueling battle to unfold in that ne. Thus, they decided to let Chains go there.


    Three dayster, Chains arrived near Atim''s premises. Contrary to their expectations, however, there was no battle happening outside the ne.


    Chains frowned upon realizing this. There were only two reasons for this. One, because he was pretty close to Atim, he arrived before any of the other Sovereigns. Two, the ne had already been imed by another.


    Fearing thetter possibility, Chains decided to enter the ne and see for himself. However, he soon realized something was amiss.


    From afar, it was not obvious. But as he neared, he noticed a faint dark purple glow surrounding the ne.


    "You should stop before you get too close."


    A voice reverberated in the surroundings, forcing Chains to stop in his tracks. He looked around and found a silhouette emerging from a distortion a few meters to his left.


    The silhouette took form, revealing a man with long braided bluish hair in silver armor. His face was half hidden in a silver mask that resembled a head of a falcon.


    Chains''s eyes narrowed as he saw the man. The man before him was unfamiliar, but he knew about a group that possessed powerful retainers in silver armor and falcon masks¡ª The Coven.


    "What is the Coven doing here?"


    The Coven did not meddle in nes that belonged to a Sovereign participating in the War. Why would they send one to Atim after it lost its Sovereign?


    Although Chains did not borate on his question, the man seemed to have understood it and replied, "We havee to check what would be of a ne if its owner was killed before its time."


    Chains knitted his brows in confusion. He did not understand what the man meant.


    Seeing Chains'' expression, the man only shook his head and continued, "It is no use fretting over my words. Just know that a ne that lost its owner to someone who could severe the Fates'' influence cannot be imed by others."


    "What?" Chains growled. Though he could barely understand most of what the man had said, he at least understood thest part. Naturally, he did not believe it, but only because he failed to understand the first part of the man''s words.


    The man looked at the ne before them, seemingly uninterested in borating on his words. After a short pause, the space around him distorted as he turned around and left. Before hepletely disappeared, he said, "You can try to enter if you want. But remember that you have been warned."


    Chains was silent for a few minutes after the man had left. He pondered on what thetter had said and finally decided to test the waters. He created an essence and had it enter the ne.


    But.


    "Ngh...!" Chains felt his insides churn as his essence experienced a scorching sense of pain enveloping its body the moment it neared the faint dark purple glow.


    Chains immediately had his essence retreat to safety. He then realized that the faint dark purple glow worked like a defensive shield that prevented others like him from entering the ne.


    Before Chains coulde up with another way to enter the ne, he received a message from the other remaining leader of their faction. Not bothering to take out themunication device, he scanned his magic sense in his storage pouch and checked the message.


    Soon, his face distorted as his eyes narrowed further while looking at the ne before him.


    "Does this mean every ne under Obstruction cannot be imed anymore?" Chains muttered, both in annoyance and wonder.


    Apparently, a few other members of their faction who managed to arrive in Flos or Obstruction''s nes before the others also experienced the same thing. There was also news of other enemy Sovereigns that did not even use an essence to enter the ne, ending up fatally injured after getting too close to the faint dark purple glow.


    Chains clenched his fists as he red at the faint dark purple glow covering the ne before him. He summoned his magic, taking out several golden chains, and tried to envelop the whole ne. However, simr to what happened to his essence, the chains appeared to have been scorched as they disintegrated before they could even touch the faint dark purple glow.


    Chains tried other moves and spells, wanting to bypass the effect of the dark purple glow. However, no matter what he did, nothing seemed to get past it.


    In the end, Chains clenched his fists in frustration and left, returning to their main headquarters to meet with the rest of the members.


    Their faction would definitely experience a huge decrease in resources and manpower now that the number of nes under them has been reduced. They had toe up with another way to cover that up.


    The moment Chains left, another silhouette appeared, who had been watching the former since the beginning.


    The silhouette wore a grayish-white hooded robe with a symbol of a shield and spear on its back. From the hooded silhouette''s frame, it was suggested he was a man. He took out amunication device and spoke through it using his magic sense to ensure no sound came would leak out.


    "Sovereign of Chains failed to im the Atim ne. Apparently, the ne cannot be imed by others because of some sort of barrier surrounding it."


    After saying his piece, the man left as well.


    Simr messages came from other members of the Guardians, and Axil received them all. After learning what the barrier looked like, she could not help but frown in both amazement and confusion.


    "Does this mean all those nes are now protected by Kyran?" she wondered aloud.


    Besides Axil, Loar also had a strange look. He could still remember the first time he met Kyran, and even after meeting him again and knowing how much he had improved in his overall strength, it never urred to him that a day woulde when he, Kyran, would be a protector of some sort of those nes that belonged to Sovereigns he killed.


    "Is that even possible?" Loar asked. "When he killed Flos and Obstruction, he could not have connected with all their nes, right? How could he use his magic and protect them? Not to mention, how could he protect all those nes without draining himself?"


    "I know," Axil agreed. "But the color of that barrier-like surrounding those nes, as well as what it does to anyone or anything thates close to it, is simr to the Void''s nature."


    She looked at Loar meaningfully and added, "You should know this better since you have witnessed what he can do personally."


    Loar did not refute. He did witness Kyran use his magic whenever they were out on a mission together. Still, he could not fully understand the logic behind it.


    Seeing Loar''s unconvinced expression, Axil heaved a sigh and shook her head, "Let us not dwell on it for now. Since we''ve gleaned this much information about those nes. At least one of our concerns has been averted."


    "True," Loar agreed.


    They had been worried about what would be of those nes if the other Sovereigns would fight each other to im them.


    As much as possible, they did not want unnecessary destruction to fall on the other nes, especially when their mission was to protect all nes from the uing War of the Sovereigns.


    "Once Kyran finishes studying those tablets, we need to decide what to do with those nes. Right now, they are no longer part of any faction, but what does Kyran n to do with them?"


    "Will they be part of the Human ne?" Loar wondered.


    "Kyran is not the Sovereign of the Human ne..." Axil started to remind him. But then her voice trailed off as she realized what this implied.


    Loar seemed to have realized this as well, as they both looked at each other and saw the doubt reflected in their eyes.


    Kyran is not a Sovereign.

 Chapter 955 Taking the Initiative (1)

    Chapter 955 Taking the Initiative (1)


    Axil and Loar came up with a theory or two as to how Flos''s and Obstruction''s nes fell under Kyran''s protection even though he was not a Sovereign. The first theory had something to do with his innate magic. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The nature of Void magic had always been up for debate because of theck of information about it. Up to date, the only ones who got a better understanding of it were Axil and a few other members of the Guardians who worked with Kyran on a mission during his stay with them this past year or so.


    Axil and Loar were quite familiar with the Void''s nothingness nature. Kyran even disyed it splendidly when he defied allmon sense and ignored the Fates'' influence. In any case, this particr nature of the Void magic could be why the nes under Flos and Obstruction fell under Kyran, though he was not a Sovereign.


    Another thing worth looking into was the Void magic nature that naturally nullified the rules of the Lower Realm, exempting Kyran from the rules that would normally bind other Sovereigns.


    The second theory had something to do with Kyran himself.


    To Axil and Loar, Kyran''s existence was already an anomaly. Who could me them? A mage possessing one Ancient magic was already a very rare and special existence. What more if that mage possessed two?


    Everything that involved Kyran was bound to defymon logic, and mulling over every little thing that happened around him would only give one a huge migraine.


    Still, no matter how much Axil and Loar believed one of their theories was the answer, because of theck of concrete evidence to support their theories, they remained as such¡ª theories.


    With nothing else to go by, Axil and Loar stopped dwelling on the subject and focused their brain cells oning up with a way to convince Kyran to join the Guardians.


    Meanwhile, Kyran encountered a bottleneck while studying the copies of the tablet copies and immediately sought Axil''s assistance to see the real ones. Axil did not make things hard for him. She talked to the other members, and after convincing them that Kyran had the ability to decipher all the contents of the tablet, they finally relented.


    However, transporting the tablets to Somuli would take time. After all, there was no long-range transmission array avable for them to use. Even with Kyran and Loar''s advanced knowledge in Array, transmission arrays between several nes would be impossible.


    That would not be the case for Kyran when he warped, but the problem was that the tablets were located in a ne that he had never visited before. Thus, he could not warp there directly.


    Since transporting the original tablets to Somuli would take some time, Kyran was forced to stop his research. It was not all bad, though. Things in Somuli might have settled down, but they still had a lot of things to sort out internally.


    Another thing to take note of was what Kyran nned to do with the nes that had fallen under his protection. When Axil told him about it, he was also surprised.


    However, unlike Axil and Loar, who came up with two theories to exin it, Kyran only had one and was likely the real cause¡ª he possessed the Heart of the Cosmos or the Shaiha.


    Axil and Loar did not know that Kyran had the Shaiha. Their faction only managed to decipher a small portion of the tablets. Thus, they did not know the other purpose of the Shaiha¡ª the Realm Inheritance.


    Kyran encountered that event quite a few times while studying the copies. Unfortunately, because he was only deciphering a copy, many points did not make sense to him. Nheless, he managed to confirm that the Shaiha was a necessary part of triggering the Inheritance of the Realm.


    In the end, Kyran pretended to ept Axil and Loar''s theories and kept his thoughts to himself. He did not tell them about the Shaiha because there was no telling if someone from the Higher Realm could actually spy on their conversation.


    Besides, Kyran had an inkling that someone from the Higher Realm was working with Flos''s faction. If this was the case, who could say that the Guardians were not working with one either? The Emperor might be expecting the War of the Sovereigns for his entertainment, but there might be beings in the Higher Realm who disliked the idea of the War and assisted the Guardians'' endeavor from behind the scenes.


    Whether Axil and her fellow members were aware of that assistance, Kyran cared little. He only cared about exposing himself too much before anyone from the Higher Realm. After all, they were far more knowledgeable about the truth behind the Lower Realm''s War of the Sovereigns, not to mention the forgotten past of both realms.


    In the end, Kyran decided to take the time to sort through his military strength. He also met with the knights who decided to join him, as well as those from the Magical Beast Community, andid out his terms. All of them agreed to his terms and agreed to be his Sigils.


    When Kyran turned them into Sigils, Ames simply watched from the sidelines. Still, she felt conflicted at how easily Kyran turned over more than five thousand Knights, as well as a hundred or so Magical Beasts, in a short span of time.


    Turning anyone into Sigils took a huge toll on a dragon''s physical stamina and mental fatigue. That was why dragons would take time to turn anyone to Sigils. But Kyran did not seem to be affected that much. Yes, he would get exhausted after turning a hundred or two in a day, but he would be in tip-top shape in no time as long as he could rest for a couple of hours.


    In only about two weeks, Kyran sessfully turned all the Knights and the few Magical Beasts into Sigils.


    While Kyran was busy doing all this, his name had already spread among the Eidums, Armakeans, and Nobles. Of course, he was still recognized as an Imon-spawn or as Nar and not as the outsider Kyran.


    During Kyran''s rest time, he would meet with some of the Eidums, whom he had grown close to, and teach them Alchemy orbat. If not, he would be meeting with other leaders, like Nahir, Ravan, and the reformed leader of the Nobles, Anshel, to discuss matters concerning the beast-likemunity and those in Howling Pass.


    Apart from these two things that Kyran did during his rest time, he also met with his Servants, who were busy researching why Somuli had little magic energy while possessing rich mana.


    As for the automatons, Kyran had them help out in any form ofbor. From construction to mining, excavating, rebuilding, and more.


    When Loar saw these automatons, he was quite shocked. At the same time, he wanted to strangle Dusk for abandoning Kyran, which in turn voided their agreement that thetter would not take the automatons.


    Overall, Kyran was so busy that he rarely had the time to actually rest... again.


    Because of this, Cyneah, who had been watching him silently, had grown worried... again.


    For the record, after Nachum ascended, the pact Cyneah had with him, and Nahir had weakened. To be precise, Nahir was the only one left holding through the pact. In the end, it was dissolved because Nahir willingly rescinded his end of the pact.


    Unfortunately, when this happened, Kyran was busy studying the tablets. He even appeared to have forgotten about it because even after being forced to stop studying the tablets, he had not brought it up, nor did he make any attempt to remove the pact himself. If he did, Cyneah would have happily told him that she was free from it. She would then take the initiative to talk about them.


    To Cyneah''s chagrin, Kyran seemed to have be distant.


    Of course, this was not the case, and she was only overthinking it. As a matter of fact, Kyran wanted to deal with all the things that needed his attention as soon as possible so he could take some time to settle matters with Cyneah. He also wanted to bring her back to the Human ne and make things between them official.


    If Cyneah had known what Kyran was thinking, she would likely have been overwhelmed. After all, he was already nning for their future when she was only looking at their present.


    Finally, after almost three weeks of going about his business, Kyran got his well-deserved rest¡ª the real deal.He started preparing for his return to the Human ne with Cyneah. However, before he could start with anything, something happened that forced him to leave the Eidum''s border.


    In the Kingdom of Cretea, quite a lot of Anshel''s subjects started to protest after the reformed Anshel gave out new orders, reforming their nation''sw.


    Euan personally returned to the border to ask Kyran''s assistance. Initially, Euan only nned to take Kyran along, but then Cyneah took the initiative and also requested to join them.

 Chapter 956 Taking the Initiative (2)

    Chapter 956 Taking the Initiative (2)


    Kyran did not object when Cyneah asked toe because he nned to take her along.


    On the other hand, Euan wore aplicated expression as he sensed an iing headache. This was because he could see a very determined look in Cyneah''s eyes that spelled trouble to any father who wanted to dote on their daughters.


    Cyneah looked like a woman out for blood¡ª err, battle.


    Euan could not say for sure whether Kyran noticed her look. And if he did, he wanted to y dumb. However, Euan, for one, wanted thetter to be more aware of what was toe.


    Cyneah resembled her biological mother, thete Empress, in this aspect. Once she decided on something, she was determined to see it through to the end.


    Kyran had never been to the Kingdom of Cretea. Thus, he gave Euan a transmission scroll so they could get there as soon as possible.


    In fact, Euan was using one of the lost technologies the Kingdom of Cretea possessed. This technology could transport several people from the outside to a specific location inside the Kingdom of Cretea and vice versa. However, it could only be used once per day. Since he used it to get to the Eidum''s border, he had to wait another day to use it again and return to the Kingdom.


    Fortunately, Kyran had made it a habit to make transmission scrolls whenever possible. Because it required his blood, he could only make one or two scrolls every other day. This was why he had plenty of transmission scrolls to spare.


    Euan chose to transport them inside one of the towers in the kingdom''s central pce. This tower was where he lived as Anshel''s hostage. Though he could go and enter other towers and locations inside the central pce, he was not allowed to step outside because it led to the kingdom''s main city.


    All of those were in the past now.


    After Cyneah changed Anshel, Euan was now free to enter and leave the kingdom. Of course, because he bore an uncanny resemnce with Anshel, if he changed his hair and eye color to blonde and blue, respectively, he stopped adapting to aplete being''s image.


    As Euan stood beside Cyneah, one would immediately notice their connection because the shade of their hairs were the same¡ª light brown.


    Once they appeared in the tower, they immediately heard a hugemotion happening outside.


    Kyran walked over to the tower''s window and looked outside. There, he was greeted by a multitude of Nobles gathered outside the central pce''s gates.


    A few of Anshel''s subjects tried to calm down the multitude while preventing them from entering the gates.


    "I thought you said Anshel''s subjects are the ones protesting?" Kyran asked Euan without looking at him¡ª a slight frown appearing on his face.


    "I did. Those subjects leaked Anshel''s desire to change their nation''sw, which is why you see the scene below," Euan exined with a sigh of resignation.


    Kyran''s frown deepened as he looked at the multitude gathered outside the pce''s gates again. He had expected the Nobles would not be happy with the reformation of their nation''sw. However, he did not expect such arge number of opposition.


    Seeing the gathered multitude below, it felt as if 90% of the Nobles were against the reformation.


    For the record, though, it was Anshel who ordered a change in their nation''sw; it was actually Kyran who suggested it. Nevertheless, thetter did not remember the reformedw to have changed to the point that 90% of the Nobles would be dissatisfied.


    Kyran did not even remember any drastic change that would merit such a reaction from the Nobles.


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Euan exined, "They mostly reacted to Anshel''s decision to open the Kingdom of Cretea''s Council to non-Nobles. While these would promote equality among theplete beings and beast-likes, they did not like the idea of having a beast-like as one of the members of the Council."


    "From what I remember, Anshel is actually part beast-like; thus, they received special treatment inside the kingdom."


    Euan shook his head at once, "Remember thatplete being hated being tainted by others. While it is true that the Kingdom of Cretea gives special treatment to the beast-likes, it is only the case because they did not want to be cursed by the Land."


    "And when you say the Land, you''re talking about Somuli in general."


    "Yes."


    Kyran sighed in indignation. He still did not understand how Somuli''sw that protected all beast-likes from being harassed byplete beings worked. After all, that did not seem to be the case with Armakea, who did not mind exploiting beast-likes and ''low-level''plete beings and using them as cannon fodders.


    "The truth, the so-called curse of the Land, only affected the Kingdom of Cretea. Only a few trusted subjects of Anshel, and Anshel himself, knew of this. On the other hand, the Eidums had once witnessed how aplete being, whose nationality was unknown, got punished for breaking the Land''s naturalw and, thus, believed that the punishment applied to everyone. Only the Armakean are convinced that because of their status as the true sessor of Somuli''s Lost Technology, they believe they are immune to the curse and will not be punished. That is the truth of the matter," Euan exined. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kyran gleaned a few unspoken clues from Euan''s exnation. However, before he could dwell on the matter, Cyneah approached the window as well and gazed down below.


    Not bothering to say anything, her mirror-like eyes lit up as the Macabre cier''s silhouette shed within them.


    Soon after, Kyran and Euan felt an invisible wave of magic energy that spread outward from within Cyneah''s body. It resembled a light breeze that swept through their bodies. The invisible wave continued to spread and soon reached the multitude below.


    "N¡ª!"


    "O-Oi!"


    Kyran and Euan were rendered speechless at Cyneah''s sudden move.


    The invisible wave was a subtle Soul attack, targeting one''s soul and changing one''s heart ording to the caster''s will.


    "Rather than mulling over how to deal with them, this is faster, right?" Cyneah said while turning her head slightly over to her right, where Kyran stood.


    Kyran blinked once before nodding his head apprehensively.


    Just as Euan predicted, Kyran was quite oblivious to Cyneah''s mood. After seeing her wanting to resolve the problem in the Kingdom of Cretea as soon as possible, Kyran finally noticed it. Unfortunately, he was quite oblivious to the reason she was in such a moody state.


    Meanwhile, the moment Cyneah''s Soul attack reached the multitude, their protests slowly died down. And then, after a few minutes, the multitude started to leave.


    Anshel''s subjects, trying to calm them down, were struck with wonder at what had happened. They obviously sensed something strange from the light breeze that swept past them. But because they did not sense any hostile energy from it, they ignored it. As a matter of fact, the light breezeforted them, and they felt reassured. They had no idea why they felt that way, though.


    "Yes..." Kyran replied to Cyneah''s words after a short pause. Still feeling apprehensive at her seemingly out-of-character move, yet also a very Cyneah-like move, he continued to study her face. Soon, he finally noticed that there was something very different about her that day.


    "Neah, are you okay¡ª?"


    "I want my reward, now," Cyneah demanded, cutting Kyran before he could finish what he was about to say.


    "Reward?" Euan could not help but repeat, as he was unaware of the deal the two had made several years ago when they were still living in the cottage back in the Human ne.


    Kyran was silent. For some unknown reason, he felt intimidated by her demand.


    "Okay," Kyran finally replied after another pause.


    Euan looked at Kyran questioningly.


    Instead of answering, however, Kyran added, "Let''s do that after we deal with Anshel''s subjects who¡ª."


    "Father," Cyneah turned to Euan without even letting Kyran finish his sentence again.


    Euan was taken aback at Cyneah''s unexpected address. He looked at her withplete disbelief and stammered, "Y-Yes?"


    "Anshel''s subjects should be gathered in one ce, am I correct?"


    "That''s right," Euan replied deliberately.


    "Please take us there," she requested. Then she turned to Kyran once more and said, "I''ll handle them myself. Then you have to keep your word about my reward."


    Kyran was speechless. He had never seen Cyneah act out like this. Then again, back when they finally met after a horde of beasts attacked the Eidum''s border when Cyneah thought Kyran was injured, she had acted very simrly.


    The only difference was that she did not stutter this time.


    Cyneah turned her head slightly toward Euan and said, "Please lead the way, Father."


    Euan appeared very happy being called ''Father'' by Cyneah. He gestured toward the stairs leading to a twin door and said, "Let''s go this way."


    Cyneah nodded. Since she could see Euan''s silhouette quite well, she followed him down the stairs.


    Kyran, sensing an iing headache, followed suit.

 Chapter 957 Wanting To... (1)

    Chapter 957 Wanting To... (1)


    Kyran knew what Cyneah wanted as a reward and even felt it wascking. He remembered asking if her wanting to see him was enough of a reward because it was not hard to give¡ª not that he would instead want her to ask for something he could not afford¡ª and whenshe confirmed it, he inwardly vowed to find a way to cure her sight.


    Thinking back on it, when he learned Cyneah and Haylee were the same person and that thetter was an essence created artificially by White Lily using the former''s magic core, he thought that once the essence returned to the original, Cyneah''s sight would recover. In the end, it did not happen.


    One possible cause was that the magic core used to create Haylee had been Cyneah''s spare core. It should be noted that all Ancient magic sessors would have at least two magic cores, one of which would be the Ancient magic core.


    In Cyneah''s case, she should have two magic core, one being the Soul core.


    However, White Lily used the empty magic core to create Haylee. As for the Soul core, apparently, Cyneah did not inherit it because her predecessor did not die in the first ce.


    Kyran had no idea how Cyneah ended up bing the Soul Emperor''s sessor when the previous one was still alive. He only guessed that the reason might be that La no longer possessed a body. Thus, her existence could be considered a remnant soul rather than the living, lingering within the Soul core.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran''s guess was on point. La might have seeded in preserving her full consciousness within the Soul core, but her existence was no different from the First Time Keeper Ste and the previous Void Master Can, who left a part of their consciousness in the Time core and Void core, respectively, to connect with their predecessors when the right time came.


    Because of this, Cyneah became the Soul Emperor''s sessor while possessing no magic core. She was an anomaly, and the Fates would have already made a move to eliminate her. However, because her existence was simr to Kyran''s, as they were both sessors of Ancient magic, they had a specific immunity from thews of the realms.


    Kyran only learned this fact after studying the copies of the tablets Axil and her faction discovered. The copies still contained many things that did not make sense to him, but that was a discussion for another time.


    Kyran continued to observe Cyneah from behind and was surprised when she turned suddenly and looked at him as if she could genuinely see him. He even felt his heart jump in shock at how his visage was reflected clearly in her mirror-like eyes.


    "I want us to be alone when I take my reward."


    Euan let out a strangled sound after hearing Cyneah. Kyran would have reacted the same way if not for his braingging for a second and failing to process her wordspletely.


    Before Kyran could say anything, Cyneah already looked away and told Euan, "When I used Soul attack on those people protesting outside, I discovered a few of them were only there to stir the multitude. Most of them were not against Anshel''s order to reform their nation''sw."


    Euan was at a loss at how his daughter could divert the subject without batting an eye.


    ''Hm?''


    But then, he noticed the insides of her ears turning a little red as she kept a straight face.


    The physiological reaction Cyneah had shown just now was something Euan had never seen in Haylee. This only proved that even if Haylee was Cyneah''s essence, the former had formed her own characteristics.


    This made Euan want to know his real daughter better.


    But before that, he had something to clear first. This was the thought that crossed Euan''s mind as he looked over to Kyran.


    Kyran noticed Euan''s stare but feigned ignorance. While he knew thetter was Cyneah''s biological father, because of what she had gone through, he admitted not having any good thoughts on Euan.


    But after their discussion a few days ago and discovering the things Euan did in order to protect Cyneah, Kyran changed his opinion. What the older man had done was not ideal, but he did what he could at the best of his limited capabilities at that time. What mattered was the result.


    "Anshel''s subjects are divided into three factions. Still, the ones who were in opposition to the reformation of the kingdom''sw were the majority. Only a few support Anshel unconditionally, and a limited number were neutral," Euan exined after a short pause.


    While he said this, he continued to give Kyran the look.


    Simrly, Kyran continued to feign ignorance.


    "Will the opposition be seated together, or will they sit with the other factions?"


    "Normally, they will be seated at random. However, the ce where I''ll be taking you is called the Cretea''s Inner Court. That ce is where the council meets and discusses the kingdom''s affairs. Because of this, the opposition side will be gathered on one side, while the neutral faction and those loyal subjects of Anshel will be on the other."


    Euan remembered a simr setting within his court. The only difference was that the parliament was divided evenly, and those who were loyal to the Royal Family would only attend as observers. This was to ensure that Euan''s side would not easily sway the parliament if their numbers were great because the loyal subjects of the Royal Family were greater in number.


    "Which side will the opposition be?" Cyneah asked, following through with her previous query.


    "Anshel''s right side, if he is facing the court."


    "I understand."


    Euan had already gleaned what Cyneah wanted to do when she asked all those questions. She obviously wanted to do something simr to what she did to the multitude but would only target those opposing the reformation.


    However, Euan believed otherwise. To him, he believed attacking all of them with a Soul attack was better, especially because this move would allow Cyneah to discover if there were spies among the neutral and loyal supporters of Anshel''s side.


    Just as he had this in mind, the younger man behind them had already voiced them out.


    "If you''re nning to use Soul attackter, target everyone inside the court," Kyran told Cyneah. "This would let us know if there are any spies among the neutral and loyal supporters of Anshel."


    "Hm... that makes sense. I''ll do that then," Cyneah agreed without even asking Kyran to give an borate exnation.


    Euan was once more at a loss. He could sense the two had a very strong tacit understanding of each other, which proved how close they were. However, a chasm also seemed to spread between them that Euan could not truly understand.


    As a matter of fact, the chasm Euan sensed between Cyneah and Kyran was nothing serious. If one even knew what it was, they might think the two were such noobs when it came to matters of the heart.


    Kyran might have been outspoken about his intentions for Cyneah, but he had a strange habit of keeping to himself what he was nning to do to pursue her. Meanwhile, Cyneah, who was oblivious to what Kyran had in mind because¡ª duh, he was not even saying anything¡ª was feeling somewhat apprehensive. Thus, she decided to take the initiative to clear things between them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    To be honest, there was another reason apart from the one where Kyran acted distant from her that made her apprehensive. And that was Kyran''s growing fame¡ª or, to be more urate¡ª Nar''s fame.


    It should be noted that in the beginning, Kyran, as Nar, was seen as an Imon-spawn among the Eidums. However, after they learned of the existence of the outsiders, they started to think he was one rather than an Imon-spawn. This would also exin the strangenguage he and Cyneah used to converse most of the time.


    For the record, only a few were aware that the strangenguage the two of them used at times was not native to the Somuli. Most were convinced that theirnguage could be found among thosewless inhabitants of Somuli in Howling Pass.


    The moment people saw Kyran as an outsider and not Imon-spawn, they started to admire his strength. He might becking in the face department, but his physical appearance, in general, was not bad.


    It was one of the things that the inhabitants of Somuli noticed every time he appeared before them.


    To them, Kyran''s presence had a certain charisma, and it was not only because of the seemingly invincible strength he had shown them but also of how he carried himself.


    Because of this, more Somulians were drawn to him.


    That made Cyneah very apprehensive, especially when those who took notice of him were females.


    As a matter of fact, there was one young woman who was very much infatuated with Kyran without her even noticing it¡ª Yalen.

 Chapter 958 Wanting To… (2)

    Chapter 958 Wanting To¡­ (2)


    Cyneah noticed Yalen''s favorable impression of Kyran long before the younger woman openly admitted it.


    At first, Cyneah believed Yalen''s admiration for Kyran was akin to what an apprentice apothecarist felt for a senior and talented apothecarist. However, after some time, it became apparent that Cyneah underestimated Yalen''s seemingly innocent and pure admiration for Kyran, especially after identally hearing the other female Eidums teasing the younger woman for always asking news about him.


    Cyneah thought their teasing was nothing but empty words used to fool around because, as far as she was concerned,plete beings would never be attracted to anyone who was likely to be an Imon-spawn or a Tainted one. But then the teasing became frequent to the point that even Oded, who was also learning with Yalen under Cyneah''s tutge, would also tease her whenever he had a chance.


    Cyneah feigned ignorance and simply took it as the others taking their teasing too far. But then something happened that made her stop disregarding the younger woman''s admiration for granted.


    The incident happened after the situation in Armakea had settled down, and Kyran requested the Eidums to take care of the injured.


    There was a time back then when Kyran also assisted in concocting potions to distribute to the injured. Cyneah had been busy healing others using her magic and wanted to ask Oded to assist Kyran. Before she could say anything, though, Yalen volunteered herself.


    Initially, Cyneah did not think much of it and agreed to Yalen''s request. Cyneah even remembered feeling proud of thetter for volunteering because it showed her willingness to learn Apothecary from someone with higher attainments in it. But then Oded teased Yalen for having an ulterior motive. Before, thetter would ignore the former''s teasing. However, at that time, instead of ignoring him, she retorted, "So what if I have an ulterior motive?"


    Cyneah felt as if she was struck by lightning after hearing Yalen''s response. A part of her wanted to question them about what ulterior motive the younger woman would harbor for Kyran. However, she could not bring herself to do so. For one thing, the Eidums believed Cyneah treated Kyran as her benefactor. If she reacted in a way that would make them think she saw him otherwise, who knew what kind of misunderstanding they would create, especially when she was supposed to be engaged with Nahir?


    Although there had been an instance where Kyran seemed to harbor deep feelings for Cyneah, especially when he and Nahir first encountered each other, there had only been a few Eidums present. What happened then also did not spread to the others. While Hm was there, he did not babble about what had happened between Kyran and Nahir.


    Apart from that, Yalen was Cyneah''s assistant, andpared to their age, she appeared closer to Kyran''s. Cyneah could not show a hint of being interested in Yalen''s feelings for Kyran or even acted as if she was jealous because it would definitely spell trouble.


    In the end, Cyneah kept herposure and acted as if she did not hear their bickering. She did not even stop Yalen from assisting Kyran. Besides, even if Yalen was interested in Kyran, Cyneah knew thetter would not be moved easily.


    At least Cyneah trusted Kyran would not be moved.


    Unfortunately, her insecurities had reared its ugly head once more.


    Compared to Cyneah, Yalen was younger and could see Kyran with her own eyes.


    True Kyran always wore a mask, which meant no one had actually seen the real him. However, it was the same with Cyneah. What was more, even if she used her magic sense, she would only be able to see his features at most. She would not be able to see the color of his eyes or his hair.


    Cyneah felt that her insecurities were too shallow. But wasn''t every insecurity the same? Regardless of it being shallow, though, only the person experiencing them would think they were a big deal.


    In the end, Cyneah wanted to at least see Kyran before anyone else. Even if she could only see his features, she would settle for that.


    As for those who had already seen Kyran without a mask, Cyneah did not care. Since those people were not interested in him¡ª except for sister Ste.


    But Cyneah did not mind Ste. As a matter of fact, if Kyran showed interest in sister Ste rather than her, she would not mind. Because to Cyneah, Ste could be considered an ideal woman for Kyran. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of course, all of these thoughts were only in Cyneah''s head. If Kyran even learned any of them, especially how she believed Ste was far morepatible with him, he would definitely be annoyed. He would not show it, but that did not mean he would not be vocal about it.


    While these things were running inside Cyneah''s head, they finally appeared outside the room where members of the Kingdom of Cretea''s Council were gathered.


    Two mages guarded the entrance to the room. When they saw Euan approaching, they lowered their heads in respect.


    Following Anshel''s reformation, he freed Euan and appointed him as his aide. Previously, this position was given to Deception, but after he dered his desire to reforge the rtionship between their kingdom and the Eidums, as well as establish good rtions with Armakea, he dered removing her as his aide.


    Anshel gave a very simple reason for doing so. He no longer desired to form an alliance with an outsider.


    Frankly, his reason was quite contradictory, especially when he was already working under an outsider. Then again, only a few were aware of it¡ª these few consisted of outsiders, with only Nahir and Nachum as Somulians¡ª which practically meant no one else knew. Since no one else knew about it


    "Lord Nuwen," the two mages greeted Euan.


    Nuwen was a pseudo name that Euan used in Somuli. This name was given by Anshel himself before he was reformed. Euan had a choice to change it but decided to keep it since it was already stuck.


    "Is the council still in session?" Euan asked.


    To be honest, he knew the council was still in session, but he still asked the mages outside just to be sure.


    "Yes," the two mages answered in unison. "Would you like us to announce your arrival?"


    Before Euan could respond, Cyneah stepped forward and addressed the two, "Please announce the arrival of the Land of the Eidum''s Saint."


    Euan looked at Cyneah with wide eyes. He did not expect her to actually reveal her identity just like that. While there were Nobles who knew she was the Saint, the two mages guarding the room were definitely not one of them.


    Proof of their clueless selves was how they scrutinized Cyneah from head to toe. They might not have met the Saint up close, but they felt that something appeared different from the Saint they once saw to the one before them.


    Cyneah, as the Saint, would normally wear her hood to hide her face. But at that moment, her face was exposed, allowing the two mages to scrutinize her from head to toe.


    Kyran did not say anything when Cyneah dered her intentions to be announced. Nheless, he did not lower his guard in case something untoward happened to her. After all, every one of the subjects under Anshel would be present. They all knew what the Saint did to Anshel. Although, at the moment, thetter seemed to have already given up pursuing the Saint, that did not mean the other subjects, especially those in the opposition, would no longer be interested.


    "You may announce my arrival and the Land of the Eidum''s Lady Saint," Euan told the mages to confirm Cyneah''s identity.


    The two mages gasped at this and immediately prepared to open the twin doors.


    Midway from pushing the doors open, though, they turned to look at Kyran before looking at Euan questioningly.


    Kyran had already covered his head with his coat''s hood. This was to prevent them from seeing his dark hair and eyes. He had a choice of transforming his mask and using any of theplete beings'' features he had saved in it. But he did not want to hide his identity.


    Besides, it would be easier to scare all theplete beings inside the room if he appeared as an Imon-spawn.


    Sensing what the two mages were trying to ask when they looked at him, Euan nodded his head and confirmed, "He is the Lady Saint''s bodyguard."


    Sensing what the two mages were trying to ask when they looked at him, Euan nodded his head and confirmed, "He is the Lady Saint''s bodyguard."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly at the identity Euan gave him. He did not try to change it, though, and simply went along with it.


    The two mages still eyed Kyran suspiciously but no longer asked any questions. They opened the door and allowed the three to enter the room while they announced their identities.


    "Lord Nuwen has arrived with the Land of the Eidum''s Lady Saint and her bodyguard," the two announced in unison.


    When the two mages opened the doors, a heated discussion ensued inside the room. But after they announced the names of the new arrivals, the noise died down in an instant, and everyone focused their attention on them.

 Chapter 959 Wanting To... (3)

    Chapter 959 Wanting To... (3)


    The hair at the back of their necks of the two mages stood on ends as they sensed the intimidating staresing from everyone inside the room as they scrutinized the three people behind them.


    Although they were not on the receiving end of the council''s scrutiny, the pressureing from them was enough to humble them. They immediately stepped aside to allow the three to enter and take on the full scrutiny of the council.


    As they stepped aside, they observed the expressions on the three faces. To their dismay, they saw that none of the three were affected by the council''s scrutinizing stares. Not wanting to stay inside any further, the two retreated out of the room and closed the doors.


    Anshel was seated on a high-back chair at the head of the long rectangr table. He was already aware of Euan''s arrival with Cyneah and Kyran and appeared somewhat relieved at their presence.


    Before they arrived, Anshel admitted having a hard time trying to appease the opposition regarding the reformation of the kingdom''sw. Even his loyal subjects were barely keeping the status quo. As for the neutral subjects, they remained unmoved by either side. To them, it did not matter who would win the argument. As long as the kingdom could progress in a stable manner, then it did not matter if the kingdom''sw remained unchanged or underwent a reformation.


    To be honest, Anshel believed his side could win the argument if the neutral side chose to support them. Nheless, he knew that the neutral side would no longer be ''neutral'' if they did show their support to them.


    "Lady Saint," Anshel greeted while remaining seated, albeit wearing a respectful expression. He added, "It has been some time since west saw each other."


    Cyneah smiled and replied, "It has."


    Of course, their exchange was nothing but a formality and did not hold any meaning behind them whatsoever. After all, they were the only ones who knew that they had recently met.


    "To what do we owe you for this visit?" Anshel did not beat around the bush and asked at once.


    "I heard you have trouble convincing all your subjects to pass the reformation of the Kingdom of Cretea''s Law," Cyneah, simrly, did not bother with idle chatter and went straight to the point. "I am here to offer my assistance."


    Her words made everyone inside, whether they were Anshel''s loyal subjects, part of the opposition, or neutral subjects, shift uneasily or defensively in their seats.


    A middle-aged man from the opposition side narrowed his eyes at Cyneah and said, "That matter is something for us Nobles to settle ourselves. Do not stick your nose where it does not belong."


    Euan snapped a look at the middle-aged man. However, thetter was unfazed. Euan might have been officially called Anshel''s aide, but to the middle-aged man, it was only a formal and kinder address to being Anshel''s dog.


    With a calm and unmoving expression, Cyneah said, "That person just now has a mark from an outsider."


    Anshel and the others inside looked at her in confusion.


    Their reaction was reasonable. After all, when Cyneah spoke, she used an unfamiliarnguage. They also had an inkling that she had not said those things to them.


    "Looks like the old man''s expulsion move did not include inhabitants of the ne that had been marked by outsiders," Kyran responded.


    Before any of the council members inside could show any reactions, the middle-aged man''s head suddenly fell back and rolled on the floor.


    Everyone except Anshel took a sharp intake of breath as they looked at the now-beheaded middle-aged man. There was no blood that spurted out of his exposed neck, and the expression on his severed head was no different from when he was looking at Cyneah in a somewhat disdainful manner.


    The sudden turn of events left every subject reeling in fear. They had not even seen any movementing before the middle-aged man''s head was sliced off. Apart from that, the slice was so clean that blood had not even gushed out. Where and how did such a clean attack appear? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is there anyone else who believed I should not stick my nose in your business?" Cyneah asked while looking over the opposition''s side.


    No one from the opposition made a sound. The same was true for the others.


    "There is another one who possessed a mark¡ª a different one. The fourth person to the left behind the first one."


    As soon as the people inside heard Cyneah speak that unfamiliarnguage once more, they were alerted at once.


    Unfortunately, being alert did not make any difference, as the fourth person to the left behind the middle-aged man''s head met the same fate.


    An almost suffocating tension filled the room as everyone was left reeling in fear.


    This fear was not only instilled in the hearts of the people of the opposition. Anshel and the rest of his loyal subjects, the neutral ones, as well as Euan, were also ovee with fear.


    Euan, in particr, tried to hide his fear. Nevertheless, cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck as he looked at Kyran sideways.


    The younger man''s face was still covered by his coat''s hood, which was why Euan could not clearly see his expression. Even so, he could almost imagine the younger man''s indifferent expression.


    This was not the first time Euan had witnessed Kyran killing others without even batting an eye. But back then, he had seen thetter visibly making a move. It was very unlike his move just now, where Euan could not even pick up any fluctuations around him before making a move.


    Euan obviously knew Kyran was using Void magic when he killed those two Nobles. However, he did not expect the younger man to have done such an open assassination without even others realizing how it happened.


    Then again, that was precisely the art of assassination. If others could predict or even see the attack, how could it be considered an assassination?


    Another thing that made Euan fear was how Cyneah easily detected the nobles who were marked by other Sovereigns. Moreover, it made him wonder how she and Kyran could work together without any prior discussion as to what they had to do.


    Although Cyneah and Kyran might have discussed what they had to do telepathically, Euan was convinced that they would not be able to devise a n in such a short time.


    While Euan was having such thoughts, Kyran was also filled with one, albeit entirely different, and probably would have rendered Euan speechless if he had ever known it.


    Kyran was awed by what Soul Magic could do. While Kyran could have detected the mark on those two Nobles, his method was worlds apart from Cyneah''s. Apart from that, he would require more time to confirm if they had a mark.


    "Is there anyone who has something to say?" Cyneah asked everyone again.


    This time, none of them replied.


    After scanning the rest of the opposition, Cyneah turned her attention toward the area where Anshel''s loyal subjects were seated.


    The moment Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes fell upon them, Anshel''s loyal subjects were feeling the pressure.


    They were worried about meeting the same fate as the middle-aged and the seemingly unsuspecting Noble who got killed afterward.


    "There is actually one with a mark among the¡ª."


    "Curse you, Tainted One!"


    The person who shouted this was a young-looking Noble. He then stood up and was about to summon his Divine Armament. But even before he could stand straight, his head had already fallen and rolled down the floor.


    A few of Anshel''s loyal subjects closed their eyes as they saw the young-looking Noble''s head fall to the floor. They anticipated the blood to gush out from its neck, but nothing of the sort happened.


    "To think that there is someone among Anshel''s loyal subjects who had been marked by a Sovereign."


    Cyneah continued to use the Human ne''s native tongue as she spoke. She could have spoken those words in Somuli''s native tongue to warn the others that she and Kyran were not simply killing the Nobles'' pets for fun. However, if she did this, the Sovereigns'' spies would definitely find a way for her not to see their mark.


    When that happened, they would only be wasting their time because Cyneah was looking through their Soul and not just a visible mark that could be sensed in their bodies.


    "Are there more of them?" Kyran asked.


    Cyneah nodded as she continued to point them out.


    This cycle went on for a while until Kyran killed off at least twenty-one of Anshel''s subjects, with more than fifteen of them being part of the neutral side.


    Once the killing was done, the opposition was left traumatized.


    This was evident when Anshel resumed their discussion after Cyneah assured him that she and her bodyguard were done killing annoying members.


    The emergency situation in the Kingdom of Cretea was easily dealt with after removing Anshel''s subjects with marks from outsiders. After this, Anshel received Cyneah and Kyran formally and asked them to stay for a few days.


    When Anshel offered them two of the best rooms in the inner court, Cyneah declined and simply said, "We don''t need two rooms. One is enough."

 Chapter 960 Wanting To... (4)

    Chapter 960 Wanting To... (4)


    Euan''s face instantly darkened at Cyneah''s response. Before he could say anything, though, Kyran followed up with a consensus that nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.


    "Yes," Kyran agreed. "One room is enough for the Lady Saint to stay in. As her bodyguard, staying with the rest of the guards will be more than enough."


    Cyneah''s brow knitted at what Kyran said. She wanted to insist that he would have to stay with her since he was her bodyguard. But then Euan already followed through and said, "We cannot possibly let you stay with the others since you are still one of our guests. You are wee to stay in my quarters instead. How does that sound?"


    "That''s fine, as well," Kyran replied.


    By this time, Cyneah''s expression had turned cold. She simply turned her head slightly toward Anshel and said, "Lord Anshel, please have one of your subjects guide me to my room. I''m exhausted."


    "Of course," Anshel replied and gestured to one of the white-robed mages behind him to take Cyneah to her room.


    On the other hand, Kyran nodded his head toward Euan, ushering him to lead the way to his quarters as well.


    Only Euan still had his attention on Cyneah and did not notice the younger man''s look. Though it was presumptuous of him to say that he was already familiar with Cyneah''s character when they had barely met, he was sure she was annoyed at what Kyran did just now. While he was d that the younger man showed propriety and subtly avoided indulging Cyneah''s intention, he was still worried she might think the younger man downright refused her advances.


    s, a father''s worry could turnplicated depending on the situation.


    Meanwhile, Kyran cleared his throat to catch Euan''s attention.


    The older man snapped out of his reverie and looked at the younger man, realizing at once that he had spaced out just now.


    "Right," Euan cleared his throat as well and gestured for Kyran to follow him. "I''ll take you to my quarters."


    With that, the group of three went on their way.


    "Are you fine with this?" Euan could not help but ask Kyran as they made their way to his quarters.


    Euan''s quarters were not that far from where Cyneah would be staying. The two were only separated by a long corridor. Nheless, they were located on the same floor. If not, Kyran would not have suggested staying in Euan''s quarters. After all, they still did not know if there were still remaining spies in the Kingdom of Cretea. With this in mind, Kyran would not allow Cyneah to be out of his reach.


    While Kyran fixed the Regis token he gave her before, allowing her to call on him whenever she was in danger, the problem was if she would have the opportunity to call him. The worst case was that she did not want to call him because she did not want to be a burden.


    "Would you rather I stay with your daughter?" Kyran asked, his brows raising in amusement. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Euan scowled at him, "I don''t. But she definitely wanted some time alone with you. With you refusing her like that..."


    His voice trailed off as his scowl turned into a look of concern.


    To be honest, he only learned about Cyneah losing her eyesight the moment Haylee came into existence, and he could only imagine what she had gone through all those years. Apart from that, he knew that even if she showed a strong facade, that did not mean she did not have any insecurities.


    One such insecurity was her being a liability because of her visual disability. Thus, no one would want her as a partner. Anshel and Nahir showing interest in her was actually her receiving good fortune¡ª or so the beast-likes andplete beings believed this to be. They did not know about magic sense, which allowed Cyneah to see fairly well, albeit in ck and white, even without her sight.


    Kyran did not respond. He simply followed Euan to his quarters while looking at Cyneah''s figure, which was already a few meters ahead of them.


    He did not need Euan to remind him of Cyneah''s wish to have some time alone with him. She wanted her reward, and only when they were alone could he humor her because he could not possibly let others see his real face.


    Kyran''s train of thought paused at that point as he inwardly wondered if there was even a need to hide his face now that all enemy Sovereigns had been expelled in Somuli.


    Just as he thought this, Anshel''s subjects marked by the enemy Sovereigns shed through his mind. There was no telling if there were more of them. And so far, Cyneah was the only one who could identify them with ease. Kyran had his way of doing this, but his method was inconvenient to use in Somuli because of its limited magic energy in the surroundings.


    "Kyran," Euan suddenly called solemnly.


    Kyran snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at him. He did not speak and simply let Euan continue.


    "I don''t know what my daughter has gone through after leaving my side, but one thing I know is that child had had a rough life. With her losing her sight as well, with no guarantee of her recovering, will you really ept her as she is?"


    "I would not have wasted my time looking for her otherwise," Kyran answered almost at once. "And about her eyesight having no guarantee of recovering? You don''t have to worry because she will see, again."


    Euan looked at Kyran in silence. He did not know why thetter was so sure Cyneah would see again, but he guessed it was not about knowing but rather thetter''s conviction that he would make sure that she would see again.


    "... Thank you," Euan told Kyran after a short pause.


    Kyran did not say anything, but inwardly, he felt somewhat strange being thanked without even doing anything yet. Nheless, he knew more or less why Euan thanked him and decided to acknowledge them.


    The two continued on their way in silence.


    Since Cyneah dered she was exhausted, Anshel no longer prepared a feast for them. Instead, he ordered the cooks to prepare a sumptuous meal for them to bring to their rooms.


    The three dined in separately, and afterward, they rested.


    Euan initially offered Kyran to use his bed chamber, but thetter refused and settled in the receiving room, where a long couch was included.


    Since Euan also had a long day prior to going to the Eidum''s border to take Kyran and Cyneah back to the Kingdon of Cretea, he fell asleep almost as soon as he went to bed.


    Kyran was also mentally exhausted and was about to fall asleep when he heard Cyneah calling him. His eyes snapped open, and even though he knew she was not in imminent danger and her calling for him had something to do with her strange behavior for the most part of the day, he did not hesitate to go to her.


    Kyran found himself outside a veranda as soon as hepleted his warp.


    Cyneah was also there, looking up as if watching the stars that filled the night sky.


    Of course, Kyran knew she was not really watching the stars. No matter how strong Cyneah''s magic sense was, she could not use them to see the stars in the night sky. They were physically impossible to reach with one''s magic sense, after all.


    "You know..." Cyneah started the moment she sensed Kyran''s presence. She could not sense his aura per se, but she could feel him nheless. "I don''t remember thest time I saw the night sky filled with stars, but... I remember seeing them glow beautifully and lighting up the darkened sky."


    A look of nostalgia fleeted through her face as she said, "I have been wanting to see the stars again."


    Kyran could not help but knit his brows after hearing her. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to assure her. Unfortunately, he was never good with words and failed toe up with anything to say.


    But then, it did not matter if he thought of something to say because Cyneah would have cut his words almost immediately.


    Shifting her attention to Kyran, Cyneah smiled slightly and said, "The same applies to you, Kyran. I don''t know when it started, but I have been wanting to see you, and not just a lump of nk space. I want to see you properly."


    Kyran remained silent. However, he already prompted the Shaiha to lower its effect as he raised his hand to remove his mask.


    Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes seemed to glow as they reflected whatever light was still present in the dimly lit surroundings. She noticed the nk space that usually epassed Kyran decreasing as she slowly made out his silhouette.


    Seeing this, Cyneah finally took a step and approached Kyran.

 Chapter 961 Can I Touch You?

    Chapter 961 Can I Touch You?


    Kyran watched Cyneah walk toward him. Through the dimly lit surroundings, he was still able to see the determination reflected in her mirror-like eyes. He was a little amused that she would show such emotion just to see him. But when he thought of how she would aplish it¡ª through the use of her magic sense¡ª he kind of understood why she looked that determined.


    Magic energy in Somuli was limited, and only when Cyneah focused her all could she properly utilize her magic sense.


    s, Kyran was slightly off the mark with his guess. It was unintentional, but he ended up downying anything rting to Cyneah''s feelings for him. He was still convinced that she still sees him as her benefactor. She might have started being aware of him as a man after he openly admitted his intentions toward her, but that did not mean she was ready to move past that.


    Even when Cyneah had been taking the initiative that day to convey her feelings slowly, Kyran only saw it as her trying to test the waters. Of course, he was notpletely unaware of her feelings because he knew something had changed between them after he woke up, and he found her by his bedside. But because of theplications of the pact she had with Nahir, there was still this certain wall that they could not jump over just like that.


    With Nachum ascending, the pact between Cyneah and Nahir had gotten weaker. Because of this, Kyran was confident he could easily remove it. The only reason he had not done it was that he had so many things to prioritize.


    In any case, because of Kryan''s misconception about Cyneah''s actions, he failed to see that her determination had a deeper reason behind them.


    The little magic energy in the surroundings gathered around Kyran. He could clearly sense that the one controlling them was Cyneah.


    Initially, Kyran wanted to help her by opening a pathway of magic energy from the Human ne to the Somuli again. But he rejected the thought almost immediately because doing that would require Nachum''s assistance. Unlike when Anshel was still the fake Sovereign, Nachum was the legitimate Sovereign of Somuli. Thus, Kyran could not easily bypass thetter''s influence over the ne. He could not possibly ask Cyneah to stop for a moment so he could talk to Nachum and open that pathway.


    In the end, Kyran simply stood there and let Cyneah do her own thing.


    Cyneah slowly lifted her hand as Kyran''s silhouette started to show more clearly. She reached out a hand, wanting to touch his face, but then stopped as she realized he was taller than she expected.


    Recently, Kyran had been taking Cyneah around a lot. But even then, she was unable to measure his height properly.


    "Kyran..."


    It might be because it was nighttime, but Kyran found Cyneah''s voice mellow yet clearer than normal.


    "Can I... touch you?"


    Fortunately, the only light around them came from the stars in the sky. If not, Kyran would have seen how red Cyneah''s face had gotten when she asked that question.


    On the other hand, Kyran nked out for a second when he heard Cyneah. But he recovered almost at once as he reasoned to himself that she likely asked that because only when she touched him could he better guide the magic energies in the surroundings and see him.


    "... Yes."


    Even before Kyran responded, Cyneah had already taken thest few steps that would further shorten the distance between them. After which, she ced her raised hand¡ª surprisingly, not on his face, but on his abdomen.


    Kyran was wearing his coat and even a shirt under it, but when Cyneah''s fingers touched the surface of his clothes, he felt a current-like sensation that shocked him to his core.


    This was not the first time he felt this. The first time it happened was when they were on the human ne.


    Back then, they encountered three Special Ops from the Royal Army, and Kyran was forced to let Zephyr and Cyneah leave first while he dealt with the others. Unfortunately, one of the Special Ops went after them, and Kyran ended up trapped inside a cube of some sort. In the end, Kyran dealt with those two and went after Zephyr and Cyneah. However, he came a tad bitte as Cyneah was forced to use the potion he gave her and even got lost. After that, Kyran frantically searched for her, only to find her hiding in what appeared to be a crevice on the wall, all bloody and stark naked.


    Kyran did not react to seeing Cyneah naked. Her appearance might have improved then, but she still looked like a young girl to him. Besides, he was trained to be able to control his emotions and carnal urges back in military school by letting them experience camping with the opposite sex during field drills and even sleeping in the same room. While those were done with the supervision of the instructors, it helped them ovee any possible shock of seeing a naked person.


    This was also why Kyran did not react when he woke up and saw Ste lying beside him in bed back when he was in the Tower of Conve.


    Because of the training Kyran had in military school, he was confident in his ability to stay unaffected by the opposite sex''s allures. But for some reason, when he finally found Cyneah, and she hugged him as if her life depended on it, he stiffened after feeling a jolt of electricity over his body. The feeling was fleeting, and Kyran managed to recover almost immediately. He had even forgotten about that little incident¡ª until now.


    Could it be that even then, Kyran was already aware of Cyneah? But because he only saw her as a little girl, he brushed it off as if it were an isted case that would never happen again.


    This thought shed through Kyran''s mind as Cyneah ced her other hand over his abdomen. Simr to what happened when she first touched him, the current-like sensation came once more, and he almost let out an audible hiss.


    Only then did Kyran realize just how much Cyneah could affect him. The only reason he did not react strongly around her was because she remained distant. Or at least she never tried to get this close to him.


    Kyran gritted his teeth as he tried to calm his suddenly growing nerves. Unfortunately, it was such a tall task, especially when Cyneah started tracing her hands upward slowly and sensually.


    If not for the clothes he had one, Kyran swore he would have alreadypletely lost his cool.


    With knitted brows, Kyran decided to focus his attention on Cyneah''s face rather than the movement of her hands. In this way, he would slowly stop being overly conscious of what she was doing.


    But as Kyran lowered his gaze and looked at Cyneah, his breath caught, and his throat suddenly grew dry as he saw her mirror-like eyes looking at him with such intensity. Her face also glowed mesmerizingly that he found it hard to look away.


    He had always admired her beauty, even when he thought she was still young. But even when she started to recover and look more like her age, he never really showed much interest in the changes in her appearance.


    Nevertheless, Kyran did find Cyneah had gotten beautiful after not seeing her for a year. While this was due to her maturing¡ª from being a young girl to a young woman¡ª her change had made him more aware of her.


    Of course, Kyran did not show this. He was able to maintain an indifferent attitude because he had a lot going on then, unlike this time, when the only thing that upied him was her. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran could see beads of sweat appearing on Cyneah''s forehead, which showed how much she was concentrating on what she was doing. He had the urge to wipe them, but he found his hands had turned cold, and the mere thought of touching her kind of sent warning bells to go off in his head.


    It was one thing to be the receiving end of her touch and another if he also did the same.


    At that moment, Kyran could barely calm himself while Cyneah worked on her magic sense to see him.


    As Cyneah traced her hands up Kyran''s chest, she guided the magic energies in the surroundings to wrap around him. She could normally do this without needing to guide the magic energies manually. However, she found it difficult to maintain them because a veil seemed to cover him still.


    Just as Cyneah was about to continue tracing her hands upward, she felt Kyran''s strong heartbeat and could not help but smile.


    ''So, he does get flustered...'' she thought, raising her head as if to look at him teasingly.


    Though her magic sense barely formed his head''s silhouette, she already had a rough idea of where his eyes were. And when she raised her head, she realized that he was looking at her. She might not be able to see, but she sensed the intensity of his stare.

 Chapter 962 Unwanted Visitor (1)

    Chapter 962 Unwanted Visitor (1)


    Cyneah''s brows knitted ever so slightly as the biggest w of using magic sense to see finally reared its ugly head. She had thought seeing the contours of Kyran''s face and his build would have been enough for her, but the more she touched him, the more she wanted to see more. At the moment, she could barely guide the magic energies to follow his brows and the shape of his nose. However, as soon as she tried guiding the magic energies to form his eyes, she felt an ache in her heart as she realized she could not see the color of his eyes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Cyneah heard from the Eidums that Kyran''s eyes were dark. She wondered if they meant his eyes were a dark shade of brown or blue or if they were pure ck because they never explicitly mentioned any color. Still, she knew whatever color they were, they were not real. She remembered that as a Regis, Kyran''s eyes were dark gray. Ste also confirmed it. Thetter even said that in natural lighting, his eyes were a lighter shade of gray that appeared as if one was looking at a sky on the verge of a storm. Besides that, very rarely, depending on his mood, his eyes would turn to silver gray, like mercury.


    Ste''s description made Cyneah want to see Kyran''s eyes and observe as they changed color.


    Even at that moment, knowing how flustered Kyran was after she felt the fierce pounding of his heart yet still trying to keep an indifferent expression, Cyneah wondered what color his eyes were now.


    Even at that moment, knowing how flustered Kyran was after she felt the fierce pounding of his heart yet still trying to keep an indifferent expression, Cyneah wondered what color his eyes were now.


    Cyneah had no idea that not seeing the color of Kyran''s eyes at that moment was her fortune. Because if she could see them right now, there was a chance she would be frightened at how dangerously dark it had turned.


    It was not a stretch to say that Kyran''s raw desire was reflected in his eyes for the first time. Still, his years of training his emotions and controlling his impulses kept him from doing something he would likely regret. But even then, he could barely contain his desire. As long as Cyneah does not do anything that would make Kyran lose what little restrain he had left, then the chances of a regretful incident from happening would be averted.


    Unfortunately, Kyran underestimated Cyneah''s determination. He was way off the mark about why she was determined in the first ce.


    Cyneah had yet to trace Kyran''s face with magic energypletely. At that moment, the only part left untraced was his lips. Cyneah''s heart had been beating almost in sync with Kyran''s. But unlike thetter, who still tried to restrain his emotions, the former willingly embraced them. As a matter of fact, she was very excited and even felt a little mischievous.


    Kyran had always teased her before. Now, it was Cyneah''s turn.


    Although she knew teasing him at such a time would definitely result in an ident that would either help progress their rtionship or regress, she wanted to take that chance. She had waited long enough. And to be honest, she might not seem like it, but she could be impatient.


    With that in mind, Cyneah threw caution in the wind as she reached for the spot where Kyran''s lips should be. Fortunately, she managed to pinpoint his lower lips. She lightly traced his lips with her fingertips while keeping her other hand over his chest and observing his heartbeat.


    Frankly, Cyneah did not need to feel Kyran''s heartbeat to know he was already teetering at the edge of his control. Because the moment her fingertips touched his lips, he caught his breath, and his brows furrowed as if he were in pain.


    Since Cyneah was still controlling the magic energies in the surroundings, she was able to see the minute changes in Kyran''s expression. Although the magic energy that covered his face was still a little unsteady, it was enough to make her see those changes.


    A light smile appeared on Cyneah''s lips, and sheughed softly.


    And that was all it took for thest strains of Kyran''s control to break. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his without allowing Cyneah to react.


    Because Cyneah had justughed, her lips were parted slightly. Thus, when Kyran kissed her, he did not even need to coax her to let him in.


    The sudden contact made Cyneah gasp with wide eyes. When she decided to tease him, she had already expected something like this to happen. However, she never expected that the mere feel and taste of Kyran''s lips would have such a reaction in her.


    Due to her innocence and surprise, Cyneah reflexively pushed Kyran away.


    Kyran might have allowed his desire to take control just now, but that did not mean he had lost all reasons. Thus, the moment Cyneah pushed him, he did not try to force his way. As a matter of fact, it helped clear his mind a little.


    A tense silence ensued between them as both tried to restrain their breathing.


    In the end, Kyran took a deep breath and made up his mind to apologize. Though it was true that Cyneah was the one who teased him first, he should have known better than to allow the situation to get in his head.


    Hopefully, Cyneah''s teasing was not her wanting to test his patience because if it was, then he had already failed big time.


    With this in mind, Kyran wanted to apologize.


    "... Just now I¡ª."


    Before Kyran could say his piece, Cyneah seemed to have recovered from her initial shock. And hearing the troubled tone in his voice, she knew at once that he had mistaken her action as rejection.


    Not wanting Kyran to misunderstand, Cyneah moved at once. Using the hand that touched his lips, she grabbed the hem of his coat. Her other hand, which was still ced close to his heart, grabbed his front coat. She tiptoed as she pulled him close, and this time, she initiated the kiss.


    "¡ªAh!"


    Unfortunately, because Cyneah lost herposure, the magic energies that traced Kyran''s features were disrupted. Thus, she could no longer see where his lips were. Because of this, she kissed nothing but air and bumped her nose on his chin instead.


    Kyran tried not tough, but it was simply impossible after seeing Cyneah''s pout after failing in her attempt. Hearing his chuckle, she closed her eyes in embarrassment. She wanted to reprimand him, but before she could even say anything, he had already adjusted the angle of his face and caught her lips once more.


    The words Cyneah wanted to say were drowned out as her own desire burst out from her this time. She immediately wrapped her arms around Kyran''s neck, wanting to pull him closer to her as humanly as possible.


    Kyran intended their kiss to be slow and gentle. Unfortunately, he had once more underestimated Cyneah''s own desire.


    The kiss, which was meant to be slow and gentle, had turned deep and passionate to the point that they seemed to have forgotten that they were standing in a spot where others could easily see them.


    When they were finally forced to separate to catch their breath, Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes stared at Kyran as if she was genuinely looking at him.


    "You won''t misunderstand my feelings this time, won''t you...?" she asked breathlessly.


    Kyran tilted his head slightly as he looked straight at her. He blinked twice, trying toprehend what her words meant. It was not that he did not understand what she meant but more that he did not know when he misunderstood her feelings.


    Sensing Kyran''s apprehension, Cyneah frowned slightly as she said, "So you didn''t even realize it."


    "No," Kyran shook his head. Then he stopped upon seeing Cyneah''s frown deepening. He btedly realized that she probably misunderstood his answer. Thus, he hastily exined, "Rather than not realizing, I''m not sure what you mean by ''this time.''"


    "I did not dislike being called your Mistress."


    Kyran raised his brows in confusion. He did not expect her to bring that up.


    "I actually like it... because being called one felt as if I truly belonged to you. To me, you are my benefactor. But more than that, I want to be able to stay by your side."


    Cyneah lowered her gaze as she smiled wryly.


    "But you''ve always thought I only saw you as my benefactor. It also made me feel like you were drawing a line between us."


    "That''s not..." Kyran started to say, but then he stopped as he somehow realized that, looking at it from a different perspective, that might have been the case. However, instead of drawing a line between them, it was to keep a leash around himself so that he would understand her seemingly innocent actions.


    Cyneah gathered the magic energies around them once more and traced them over Kyran''s silhouette. While doing this, she gazed back at him and said, "I may end up blind for the rest of my life, Kyran. Will you still want me?"


    Kyran solemnly looked at her and was about to respond when suddenly, a loud crackling sound reverberated from the sky and shook the wholend.

 Chapter 963 Unwanted Visitor (2)

    Chapter 963 Unwanted Visitor (2)


    After Nachum ascended, all of Somuli''s magicw had been imparted to him by the Lower Realm. Apart from that, his control over Somuli''s limited magic energy had increased by leaps and bounds. He could even utilize its mana sources and convert them to magic energies if he wanted. However, he had no ns to do this because he knew where mana originated.


    To briefly exin the mana''s origin, it was the ne''s life force. Beast-likes could utilize it because they possessed beast blood, which could be considered part of Somuli''s cycle of life.


    Without knowing the full details of Somuli''s magicw, others would question how beast-likes were the only ones who could utilize the ne''s mana when allplete beings were also inhabitants of Somuli. Whyplete beings were not considered part of Somuli''s cycle of life would cause a huge ruckus among them if it was ever made public.


    At the moment, Nachum was the only one who knew the answer to that question, and yet he could not share it. That was because he was now the Sovereign and was not allowed to meddle in any internal affairs and issues in Somuli. His main responsibility now lies in protecting the ne from possible invasion by other Sovereigns.


    The answer would also throw everything theplete beings knew about themselves into disarray and definitely raise more questions. This was because it would reveal the truth of how life in Somuli came to be. It would even reveal whatplete beings were.


    Nachum heaved a sigh as he pondered these things inside the space that he could enter as the Sovereign of Somuli.


    This space could be considered an extension of Somuli that was only essible by its Sovereign. It was neither outside nor inside the ne, but it overlooked everything. In there, he could freely observe any ce inside and outside Somuli.


    Nachum was still learning how to navigate through and utilize the privileges that came with bing a Sovereign while pondering what he had discovered about its origin. He had wanted to talk with Kyran about it. But he could not find the younger man when he tried to locate him.


    Nachum knew Kyran went to the Kingdom of Cretea with Cyneah and Euan, so searching for him would not be a problem. But no matter where he looked, he failed to find the younger man.


    Nachum even changed his approach and tried looking for Cyneah instead. And lo and behold, he discovered that she could also not be found.


    It made Nachum wonder if this was because the two possessed Ancient magic, thus making it hard for others to find them. Though he did not know how possessing Ancient magic could exempt one from a Sovereign''s search, especially inside his own ne, Nachum was not keen on it. Besides, he knew they were still there even if he could not find them. He could not sense their presence per se, but it was more with believing they would never leave without saying goodbye.


    "I remember hearing someone say that standing at the peak could be very lonely. I did not understand it then, but now¡­ I think I do¡­" Nachum muttered and heaved another sigh.


    It was not as if he could not interact with the others, but Kyran warned that his every action might bring about an unexpected event. Whether it was intentional or not did not matter; if his interaction with the others would inadvertently result in something¡ª whatever that something was¡ª then they would be in for a massive headache trying to cope with the repercussions.


    In any case, Kyran advised Nachum to get used to his newfound strength before attempting to interact with the others again.


    For the record, when Nachum joined the discussion with Ames and the others, he barely voiced his opinion. Only when the topic involved the outsiders and protecting Somuli popped up could he join their discussion.


    Nachum found the restriction ced on a Sovereign stifling and a little ironic, to be honest. If one would only look into the meaning of a Sovereign, did it not equal an existence of absolute power, exercising its sovereignty without limitation? Why were they not allowed to meddle in the internal affairs of their own ne, then?


    Shaking his head, Nachum gazed down on Somuli. There was little point in mulling over such things. Since he would not find the answer to his questions in a short time, he pushed them at the back of his head.


    Just as Nachum was thinking this, a sudden suffocating pressure fell down from above, threatening to crush the barrier he had ced around Somuli for protection. Following the pressure was an overbearing presence that seemed to epass everything within a thousand kilometers surrounding Somuli.


    Nachum''s eyes widened as his heart palpitated from the overwhelming aura he sensed from the owner''s presence. It went without saying that the owner of that aura was the one who unleashed the suffocating pressure that threatened to destroy his barrier.


    Fortunately, Nachum''s Divine Armament was a shield, and the barriers he created could not be underestimated. To be honest, the weight of the pressure could easily destroy another Sovereign''s barrier, but against Nachum''s, the best it did was make it creak in protest.


    The silhouette of the one who unleashed the pressure slowly appeared as it hovered a few meters above the edge of Somuli''s barrier.


    "A Sovereign specializing in barriers¡­" A deep, regal voice came from the silhouette.


    Soon after, the silhouette''s features began to form more clearly, revealing a tall and majestic man in a white and gold robe. He was covered in golden rays, making it a little hard to see him clearly.


    But the rays were not that blinding that Sovereigns could not make out his form.


    A hard expression soon reced Nachum''s surprise as he exited the space and revealed himself to the person. The person covered in golden rays looked and felt very powerful.


    Nheless, it would not prevent Nachum from stepping forward and protecting Somuli when something unexpected happened. Since he epted his destiny as Somuli''s Sovereign, he was determined to protect the ne and everyone else with everything he had.


    It did not matter if the odds were against him; he would still continue to defend Somuli.


    "Who might you be, and why have youe to Somuli?" Nachum asked, keeping calm while trying not to show any weaknesses.


    "A mere Sovereign dares to question me?" The man in a white and gold robe said in displeasure as he looked down on Nachum. "I will be magnanimous and pretend not to hear your insolence."


    Nachum could not help but frown at the man''s arrogance. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and instead backtracked on thetter''s words.


    Only then did Nachum halt as he recalled how thetter called him a ''mere Sovereign.'' In that instant, he inwardly broke out in a cold sweat.


    He heard from Kyran and the others that there was a higher mage level after a Sovereign. And such existences could not be found in the Lower Realm.


    Initially, Nachum had trouble epting this fact. But he could not not ept it since there was a living example right before his eyes at that time¡ª Ames.


    Hearing someone refer to a Sovereign, a peak existence in the Lower Realm, as a mere existence, Nachum was reminded of this and felt his heart palpitate in apprehension, thinking that the unwanted visitor was from another realm.


    "You harbor a being that possessed something which is rightfully mine. Bring him out, and I will leave your ne in one piece."


    The man in a white and gold robe threatened Nachum.


    Nachum remained silent and continued to look at the visitor with a hard-to-read expression. Of course, he was doing this not to show bravado, but to hide the fact that he was sending a message to Somuli. He did not know if Kyran would receive the message, but it was better than not doing anything.


    It was too bad that he could no longer use themunication device Kyran gave him. If he could, he would have sent a message to thetter and informed him of the man in the white and gold robe''s arrival.


    Unfortunately, after ascending, there were far too many things that Nachum could no longer do and use. One of thetter was themunication device Kyran gave him.


    "Acting all sneaky when you are right in front of me," the man in a white and gold robe snorted. "It appears you do not know your own ce." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nachum instinctively reacted after hearing the man''sment. His mind told him to brace himself because something big was about to happen. Since he had always trusted his instincts, the moment he sensed something was not right, he summoned his Divine Armament at once and reinforced Somuli''s barrier.


    Nachum barely made it before the man in the white and gold robe unleashed a concentrated magic attack that came out from the palm of his hand and went straight toward his barrier.


    BOOOM!!!

 Chapter 964 The Emperor

    Chapter 964 The Emperor


    Nachum''s mind reeled at how fast the unwanted visitor unleashed such a powerful magic attack without so much as emitting a magic fluctuation around him.


    It should be noted that whenever mages nned to unleash a powerful attack, the magic energies around them would react, producing fluctuations and even distortions in space. Although concentrated magic attacks did not usually require a mage to create magic arrays, others would still use them to amplify their power. In cases where a mage would not use one, the intensity of their attack would not be as powerful.


    However, the unwanted visitor''s magic attack did notck that intensity. As a matter of fact, if Nachum''s instincts did not kick in and he unconsciously reinforced the barrier protecting Somuli, there was a good chance that the unwanted visitor''s magic attack would end up leaving a huge hole at the ce where it wouldnd. And it was not a simple hole that would beparable to a huge crater. It would be a literal hole that would pass from one side of the ne to the other.


    That was how intense the unwanted visitor''s magic attack was.


    "Hmm."


    The unwanted visitor grunted, somewhat surprised that Nachum''s barrier managed to defend his attack.


    "This is the first time I am actually witnessing the strength of a Sovereign specializing in barriers... very interesting."


    The unwanted visitor looked at Nachum, seemingly unfazed that his attack had been blocked. His attitude reminded Nachum of a person havingplete confidence in himself¡ª as if to say he could unleash a far more devastating magic attack that would not fail a second time at any time.


    "I want your magic."


    Nachum''s heart hammered rapidly in his chest as he sensed a foreboding from the unwanted visitor''s words. Just as he thought this, an invisible force seemed to mp around him.


    "I''m taking you back as well."


    As the unwanted visitor spoke, he raised his hand once more and aimed at Somuli. His action was so fluid that as soon as his palm faced Somuli, another concentrated magic attack was released from it.


    Nachum''s eyes widened as he realized that his reinforced barrier would not be able to defend the unwanted visitor''s magic attack this time around. He immediately willed his Divine Armament to block the attack. However, his connection with it seemed to have disappeared, to his horror.


    No.


    Rather than disappearing, it was as if some unknown force had blocked their connection. Thus, his Divine Armament only hovered behind him and did nothing.


    "N¡ª!"


    Before Nachum could let out a cry of desperation, a ck figure appeared directly in the path of the unwanted visitor''s magic attack and, with a swift motion, punched out a silvery translucent magic energy resembling a huge wed fist. It then collided with the unwanted visitor''s magic attack, which resulted in massive shockwaves that obliterated the unassuming small patches ofnd that floated around the surroundings.


    The shockwave''s intensity forced Nachum and the unwanted visitor to step back a few meters.


    Nachum immediately let out a relieved sigh as he recognized the ck figure. It was none other than Kyran in ck armor.


    On the other hand, the unwanted visitor''s demeanor remained unchanged even after being forced back a few meters. However, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the neer. Although he could not see thetter''s face, he could make out his eyes, which were slightly visible from behind his full helmet''s visor.


    Surprisingly, the unwanted visitor found the neer returning his gaze. It was even so intense and hostile that the former found it strange.


    While the unwanted visitor might find Kyran''s hostile re strange, to thetter, it was not. After all, the annoying unwanted visitor ruined a rare moment where he and Cyneah could properly talk about them.


    Kyran could have ignored the unwanted visitor''s arrival and let Nachum deal with it. However, he sensed the strange frequency of the unwanted visitor''s first attack and knew the old man could not handle the situation by himself¡ª and he was right.


    If Kyran had been a secondteing out, the unwanted visitor''s attack would have collided with Nachum''s weakened barrier, definitely destroying an eighth of Somuli''snd.


    Kyran''s estimation was actually more urate than Nachum''s because he had already experienced the might of a being from another realm. Although his first encounter appeared more overwhelming than the second because he had yet to undergo a body enhancement¡ª or, as Ames and True Void termed it, evolution¡ª both encounters gave him a rough estimate of their strength. Besides, Deus''s clone, which Kyran sessfully absorbed, gave him far more urate data.


    Nevertheless, Kyran knew Deus''s data differed significantly from that of the unwanted visitor''s. For this reason, until he could have urate data, he decided to face him himself.


    Kyran decided to face him using Draconic magic rather than Void magic for a simple reason. Ames said the Emperor''s interest was piqued when Kyran appeared like a silver humanoid dragon. He reckoned this unwanted visitor also came because of that.


    In order to ensure thetter stayed out of Somuli and unnecessarily put innocent lives at risk, Kyran decided to take the fight outside the ne bying out. Besides, he was feeling a little restless at the moment and wanted to vent somehow.


    "You... that attack just now... And your undetectable presence..."


    "Yes," Kyran did not beat around the bush and replied, "I am the one you''re looking for. The lesser dragon suspected of possessing the Heart of the Cosmos."


    The golden rays that enveloped the unwanted visitor erupted in a blinding glow, making it hard for Nachum to look at him now with his enhanced sight. But that was unimportant. At the moment, he was far more worried about Kyran revealing who he was.


    It was one thing for him to appear and help, but to admit something like that was dangerous.


    Nachum did not know what the unwanted visitor had meant when he said he was harboring someone who had something that was rightfully his, but after what Kyran said, he had a better understanding of the current situation.


    ''Suspected of possessing the Heart of the Cosmos,'' this phrase alone would make anyone, even the Sovereigns of the Lower Realm, stop in their tracks and forget everything else just to get a glimpse of it. As a matter of fact, if news of such an item that was said to be only a legend were heard by them, a different kind of war would definitely erupt.


    When that happened, it did not matter if those Sovereigns were in the same faction preparing for the War of the Sovereigns. They would forget their affiliations and want the Heart of the Cosmos.


    Of course, Nachum would not join in. He might have heard what it could do but did not care. He was not ambitious in the first ce; as long as he could protect his people, it was more than enough for him. While it was true that the Heart of the Cosmos would probably grant him more strength to protect his people, possessing such a legendary item would also bring disaster, so he was not keen on it.


    A lowugh escaped the lips of the unwanted visitor as he looked at the man in ck armor. He then said, "I remember we are after a silver-colored humanoid dragon. You, on the other hand, are a little... dark for a silver dragon." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran only cocked his head to one side before he vanished, only to appear right in front of the unwanted visitor.


    "Does the color of my armor even matter?" he asked while simultaneously sending out a powerful punch. The unwanted visitor was caught off guard and received the full brunt of his punch. The former was then thrown back several hundreds of meters.


    Still, Kyran''s expression from under his helmet distorted slightly. While his punchnded perfectly, he did not feel as if he had hit something.


    The unwanted visitor regained his bnce almost immediately and guffawed inughter.


    "Good. It is good that you have taken the initiative to deliver yourself to me. I have been mulling over the possibility of destroying you along the ne if I lost my temper. But now that you are here, my task has gotten lighter."


    The unwanted visitor then disappeared before appearing behind Kyran.


    For the first time, Kyran was caught off guard at this.


    "Do not lump me with the likes of Dues and his automaton."


    The unwanted visitor had said.


    Kyran immediately twisted his body while raising his arm, wanting to hit thetter with his elbow. However, he hit nothing but air as the unwanted visitor appeared behind him once more.


    "You may have heard about me from Deus. But if not, then let me introduce myself..."


    Kyran twisted his body once more, but this time, sending out a leg to kick the unwanted visitor. However, before he couldplete his motion, he stopped and turned in another direction as he sensed the unwanted visitor changing location again.


    "...It is futile. You will not be able to touch me... After all, what is a mere lesser dragon could do before me? The Emperor?"

 Chapter 965 Do Not Tempt the Balance

    Chapter 965 Do Not Tempt the Bnce


    Kyran was forced to stop his leg motion again when he saw a ball of concentrated magic energy forming on the palm of the unwanted visitor''s extended hand about to touch his leg. Because of this, his body twisted at a humanly impossible angle. Nevertheless, he did not have any problem readjusting his center of gravity as he shifted and somersaulted sideways to dodge the unwanted visitor''s hand. After that, hended on all fours and continued to backflip several times to gain a safe distance from the unwanted visitor.


    For the record, there was no solid ground around them, and Kyran''s inability to levitate would have disadvantaged him. However, he could appear as if he was flying so long as he could utilize his magic sense and aimed at controlling his footgear.


    Utilizing his magic sense would have been close to impossible in Somuli unless he made use of the Void''s theory to connect the magic energy source from the Human ne there. But since he was already outside Somuli, he no longer had to worry about theck of magic energy because there was an abundance there. This allowed him to use his magic sense to his heart''s content, allowing him to have a firm footing.


    "Hm¡­"


    After watching his target''s movement, the Emperor could not help but let out a low, dissatisfied grunt.


    "Are you really a part dragon? Or part monkey?" he asked with a scowl.


    It was true that dragons in human form could move very agilely, but because of their unbelievable raw strength, their agility had been overlooked most of the time. Nheless, The Emperor found his target''s agility too abnormal because even if dragons could change into human form, their original bodies were different at the end of the day. Considering this fact, it would mean their body movement proficiency would be limited in human form.


    But that did not seem to be the case with this lesser dragon. In fact, The Emperor felt the vibe from this lesser dragon resembled a genuine human more... or, as he noted, a monkey.


    Kyran ignored the man as he caught sight of Nachum, who seemed frozen on the spot. Because of his high proficiency in magic energy control, he could see the telltale signs of Nachum being restrained by the man''s magic energy alone.


    Kyran wanted to release Nachum from the man''s restraints and had him retreat to Somuli. However, he was mulling over how much he should reveal because it was one thing to expose his Draconic magic and another if he also exposed his Void magic.


    At the moment, the only way for Kyran to release Nachum from the man''s restraints was his Void magic.


    Draconic magic was not good in subtle attacks and nullification of another mage''s control over magic energy. It was better used for pure destruction rather than covet magic attacks.


    ''Then...'' The pupils of Kyran''s eyes turned into slits as he activated 30% of his Draconic magic. They glowed silver as he let his raw Draconic magic energy erupt from his body.


    The Emperor''s scowl deepened as he watched his target''s rising magic energy. An eruption of magic like that would have already made every mage within the vicinity sense his aura and presence. However, he did not sense any of those. This would probably be the proof he needed to confirm his suspicion that thetter truly possessed the Heart of the Cosmos.


    Unfortunately, rather than feeling happy about it, The Emperor felt conflicted about it to be honest. This was because few were aware of what the appearance of the Heart of the Cosmos entailed¡ª no. Rather than what would happen if it appeared, he was far more concerned by the fact that it appeared while being owned by a mere lesser dragon.


    Before The Emperor could dwell on his thoughts, his target disappeared, only to appear slightly above him, with his left fist raised, about to strike him on the head.


    "Humph," The Emperor snorted as he leisurely raised his hand to meet his target''s fist.


    The Emperor was not underestimating Kyran, to be honest. It was just that the former had fought in a war with far stronger members of the Dragon n before that he did not even feel threatened by Kyran''s sudden surge of power. Besides that, The Emperor believed that Kyran was only a lesser dragon. It did not matter how much of his dragon blood he could utilize. At the end of the day, The Emperor believed Kyran was only a half-assed dragon that could use Dragon magic. If thetter could use Draconic magic, then that would be a different story.


    s, The Emperor''s own prejudice over Kyran''s identity would probably be his undoing¡ª or not.


    BOOM!


    The mere contact between The Emperor''s hand and Kyran''s fist caused a shockwave to spread out with them at the center.


    Kyran''s brow furrowed as he realized that The Emperor could easily counter the forceing from the pure, raw Draconic magic energy on his fist. Although he was only using 30% of his Draconic magic, since The Emperor''s counter appeared to have been done effortlessly, it appeared to be a testament to his strength.


    The Emperor mped his hand over his target''s balled fist as magic energy formed around it. His n was to attack with a concentrated magic attack at point nk to ensure he would not miss.


    Kyran more or less guessed what The Emperor wanted to do. Thus, he immediately yanked his fist free.


    But.


    "Ngh¡ª!"


    Just as themand to free his hand from The Emperor''s grasp registered in Kyran''s mind, a blinding light that came from thetter unleashing a concentrated magic energy attack exploded and sent Kyran reeling in shock.


    BOOM!


    Nachum''s eyes widened as he watched the blinding light engulf both the unwanted visitor and Kyran, which was then followed by a massive explosion.


    "M-Mutual destruction?" he eximed, believing that the unwanted visitor intended to destroy himself along with Kyran.


    "Such a move would only be used by weaklings."


    A voice from within the explosion sounded as if to refute Nachum''s ims. It was then followed by a figure flying out from the cloud of smoke that resulted from the explosion. The figure was covered in a trail of smoke and appeared battered.


    Before the figure could move too far, another emerged from the smoke cloud and went after it. The second figure was covered in blinding golden rays, allowing Nachum to recognize it as their unwanted visitor.


    Which meant the first figure that appeared battered was none other than Kyran!


    This realization shocked Nachum. But his shock was not so much that he would be rendered hopeless. Instead, the scene of Kyran being thrown back brought Nachum a newfound strength to regain control over himself.


    He is Somuli''s Sovereign. If there were any mages that appeared inside or outside Somuli, whether they intended to kidnap, enve his people, or only want to keep them in check until theypleted what they came there for, Nachum would not allow anyone to bully his people.


    Nachum clenched his teeth as he tried to reestablish his connection with his Divine Armament. It seemed to have sensed its owner''s will and appeared to be affected by thetter''s intent. It shook uncontrobly as if wanting to break free from the unseen shackles around it.


    Meanwhile, The Emperor noticed Nachum struggling but did not pay any attention to it. To him, thetter''s attempts were futile and did not require him to make a move at that moment. Besides, his priority was to secure his target.


    In a sh, The Emperor was already behind his target, with one hand reaching out to touch the back of thetter''s head.


    However, it was at that moment that Kyran twisted his body to face The Emperor directly. His hands were covered with silver light and seemed to have changed into dragon ws. After that, he interlocked his dragon-wed fingers over The Emperor''s hand.


    Kyran''s n was simple. Since The Emperor could easily counter his magic attacks, he would opt for a physical one. He reckoned that thetter''s magical defenses were pretty good and wanted to see how he faired with his physical defenses. If The Emperor ended up possessing a simrly powerful physical defense, then the only way for him to deal with thetter was to increase his Draconic magic''s usage further.


    Compared to using magic attacks with Draconic magic, Kyran was far more experienced in using Draconic magic as a supportive buff and enhancing his own physical strength.


    The Emperor''s eyes narrowed just before his target seeded in interlocking his fingers over his own and immediately unleashed several golden rays that flew out in all directions, piercing everything it touched.


    Kyran was no exception. The moment some of the rays prated through his armor''s magic defenses, he felt a piercing and stinging pain pierce through his skin and into his body. He inwardly groaned in pain but simply gritted his teeth to prevent himself from crying out.


    Thest thing he wanted was to show The Emperor''s attack was effective against him.


    "Did you think I would allow you to attack with physical ones? Deus already gave detailed information about your physical prowess," The Emperor said derisively. "To be honest, you are far too weak than I expected. But that did not matter. You being weaker than expected meant that my chances of reiming what was rightfully mine would be better¡ª."


    "Do not tempt the bnce between the two Realms, The Emperor."


    Suddenly, a voice reverberated in the surroundings. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Stay your hand."

 Chapter 966 Alastor

    Chapter 966 stor


    "What I do is none of the Coven''s business, stor," The Emperor said without even trying to look at the person who had spoken just now.


    stor, the one who had warned The Emperor not to tempt the bnce between the two realms, materialized a few meters behind Kyran and in front of the Emperor. He was wearing a long ck leather coat with glowing runes embedded over its sleeves. His hair was dark red, and a glowing red and gold falcon mask covered his upper face.


    Nothing was noteworthy if one would only look at him at face value. Nheless, from the way he carried himself, it was apparent that his strength could not be underestimated.


    How The Emperor appeared guarded while looking at him also affirmed that stor''s identity was not simple.


    stor waved his hand, and an undetectable and invisible force pulled Kyran away from The Emperor. Kyran was rendered speechless at how effortless and unassuming the former''s move was. It would be the first time someone had tried to pull him like it was nothing.


    Kyran did not even sense stor''s magic influence enveloping his body.


    No, wait. Maybe the only one who had done something simr and seeded was Nn. But Nn was an existence that Kyran still could not understand, to be honest. Nn was already the Human ne''s new Sovereign, but for some reason, Kyran felt that this uncle of his had yet to show the full extent of his Elements magic.


    In any case, that was a different matter altogether and was entirely irrelevant to the current situation. Thus, Kyran forced them out of his mind and focused on the situation before him. He did not attempt to fight stor''s pull because he nned to retreat after getting hit by The Emperor''s piercing glowing rays.


    Kyran seeded in suppressing the pain he felt after getting pierced, but he felt his internal organs were being roasted even at that moment. He never expected The Emperor''s seemingly simple attack to have such a devastating aftereffect. And to think that his body had already undergone an enhancement.


    The Emperor''s attack reminded him of Light''s magic. However, its level was on a whole different level. After all, the prative capability of Light''s magic did not have an aftereffect like roasting the insides of those it hit.


    The Emperor did not attempt to stop stor from taking his target. If stor were interested in the Heart of the Cosmos, then The Emperor would make a move. But since he knew that stor was uninterested in it and only wanted to prevent anyone from the Lower Realm and the Higher Realm from breaking the bnce between the two realms, or even anything, he did not make a huge fuss over his target being taken.


    "You are The Emperor of the Higher Realm," stor started to say, "But in the Lower Realm, you have to abide by its rules. You cannot randomly assault one of its inhabitants."


    "I don''t remember a rule that prevents one from the Higher Realm from retrieving an item rightfully theirs that identally fell in the Lower Realm," The Emperor responded as soon as stor finished talking.


    "''An item that is rightfully yours...''" stor rephrased The Emperor''s words from earlier. "As far as I remember, the Heart of the Cosmos belongs to the person it acknowledges."


    The Emperor''s eyes shed under his robe''s hood, revealing a blinding golden light. In a heartbeat, several concentrated golden beams of rays flew toward stor.


    stor remained unmoved as he raised his hand. The space in front of him and Kyran rippled as the golden beams of rays arrived. These rays then seemed to sink right into the ripple, disappearing into oblivion.


    Kyran, who was standing quite close to where the ripple had appeared and effortlessly subdued The Emperor''s golden rays, furrowed his brows. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The ripple had no magic fluctuation, meaning it was not produced with magic.


    Kyran, not sensing any magic fluctuation from the ripple, was different from him, unable to sense the magic fluctuation from The Emperor and stor when the former used magic or thetter pulled him away. Because even if he did not sense it, he knew both used their magic or magic sense. It was just that he was unable to detect the magic fluctuation around them because of their impable control over their magic and probably because their experience and level were far higher than his.


    If so, how did stor summon those ripples?


    Kyran''s doubts were answered soon after.


    The Emperor scowled at stor as he said, "Apparently, your stay in the Lower Realm allowed you to have enough influence over its rules."


    "I am merely asking the Lower Realm to lend me its power to ensure the bnce would not break from your unruly behavior."


    Kyran''s mind reeled at stor''s words. It was good that he was wearing full armor; if not, his shock would have been apparent to stor and The Emperor.


    Thest thing Kyran wanted for the two to realize was how he could understand them.


    That was right.


    Kyran btedly realized that the two were not talking in the universalnguage of the Lower Realm. As a matter of fact, they were talking in the Ancientnguage. Kyran only failed to notice it until now because he had been studying the tablets Axil and her faction found and had been exposed to itsnguage for some time.


    Though hearing others talk in Ancientnguage was different from reading its text, the tablets, even if they were copies, had an effect wherein the more one delved into it, it was as if they were speaking to its reader.


    This was also why Kyran realized that he would not understand certain things unless he saw the real tablets. A copy''s effect was minimal, and only the original one could ry the message on several important points in its full context.


    "Speaking as if the Lower Realm is alive..." The Emperor snorted. "Need I remind you how the Lower Realm came to be? I hope you have not forgotten that the Higher Realm is the heart of The Realm. If not for those traitors wanting to save the ruined nes from the outer part of The Realm on that day, we would not have such a huge problem of keeping the two realms at an equilibrium."


    "The War of the Sovereigns existed for this matter," stor replied, unperturbed at The Emperor''s ranting. His voice lowered slightly as he continued, "However, there are nes that must be preserved. If those nes are destroyed, The Realm will¡ª."


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The Emperor unleashed another volley of golden rays toward stor as if annoyed at thetter''s prattling. He then charged forward while raising his hand toward his target.


    stor waved his hand in session as he summoned those ripples once more, aiming to counter the volley of golden rays that attacked in every directions. Because he got his hands full at countering The Emperor''s attacks, his hold over Kyran loosened a little.


    Although it was only a little, it was enough for The Emperor to take advantage of. With his raised hand, he grabbed his target and pulled him.


    stor''s eyes narrowed after seeing this. As much as possible, he wanted to avoid fighting The Emperor head on because thetter was the peak existence in the Higher Realm. If stor used his magic, it could be viewed as him openly opposing The Emperor.


    stor might have been staying in the Lower Realm, as the leader of The Coven, to preserve the bnce between the two realms. However, he was still a mage from the Higher Realm. If he attacked The Emperor, his n in living in the Higher Realm would be implicated.


    While stor was put in a dilemma over preventing The Emperor from taking Kyran, thetter would definitely not stay idle and let the two treat him like an object they could snatch at any time.


    Kyran erupted with the Draconic magic as he unleashed 50% of its strength.


    "This...!"


    stor and The Emperor were shocked after sensing Kyran''s magic energy.


    The Emperor, in particr, already sensed him unleashing 30% of Draconic magic, but he only brushed it off as a lesser dragon possessing more Dragon magic than per usual.


    No one could really me The Emperor for feeling this way because the Shaiha concealed Kyran''s aura. Because of this, The Emperor failed to sense that the magic energy Kyran emitted was Draconic magic. The Emperor simply assumed that the magic energy that erupted from Kyran earlier was Dragon magic, given their initial assumption that he was a lesser dragon.


    However, this time around, the 50% Draconic magic Kyran released allowed the two to sense that his magic energy was not lowly Dragon magic but Draconic. While they still could not sense Kyran''s aura, which was why they could not prove this yet, they were too familiar with the Dragon n and could easily differentiate the quality of magic energy their kind emitted.


    "You¡ª!"


    Sensing that his body could still take the amount of magic energy after unleashing 50% of Draconic magic, Kyran released another 20%, bringing it up to 70%.


    Because of the surge of magic energy from Kyran, The Emperor''s control over his magic sense was disrupted, and he failed to pull the former into him.


    A silver, with a tinge of purple glow, enveloped Kyran''s body, mixing in with his ck armor. It resembled dragon scales embedded in the surface of the ck armor.


    Soon, Kyran''s armor resembled the one he wore as a humanoid silver dragon. However, there were obvious differences. One was its color, which was ck rather than silver, with silver scales. Second was the overall look of the armor. Previously, Kyran was mistaken as a silver humanoid dragon because his armor did resemble a dragon, albeit in human form. The ck armor did not have this look. Instead, the only reminiscent look it possessed that resembled a dragon was the silvery scales that embedded themselves on the armor''s surface.


    "This... you are not a lesser dragon!" The Emperor eximed in both anger and shock. "This magic... yet having the body of a human... You have the Draconic core!"

 Chapter 967 Four Magic Cores of Legends

    Chapter 967 Four Magic Cores of Legends


    Kyran was inwardly surprised that rather than referring to him as the Dragon Lord, The Emperor referred to him as someone possessing the Draconic Core. While it was true that the Dragon Lord possessed the Dragon Core, thus, it was not wrong for one to be referred to as such, Kyran could not shake the feeling that there was an underlying reason that prompted The Emperor to mention the Draconic core, rather than the title of the person possessing one entailed.


    Then again, the Dragon Lord title might only be known in the Lower Realm, and someone from the Higher Realm, where Dragons still existed, and whom they had a Dragon King- oh, right, he was already called Dragon Emperor- calling someone from the Lower Realm Dragon Lord might be inappropriate.


    The two titles seemed simr, to begin with.


    Two beings with simr titles could be confusing, even if they were from different realms.


    For the record, it was a known fact in the Higher Realm that the Dragon n had previously retreated to the Lower Realm to hide the Heart of the Cosmos. After they returned to the Higher Realm, rumors circted that the Dragon Emperor¡ª then Dragon King¡ª was fond of a human from the Lower Realm.


    The rumor stated that the Dragon Emperor was so fond of the human that he gave him blood to allow him to use Draconic magic. Since few were aware of the Dragon King''s existence, they decided to call the human Dragon Lord.


    At least, this was the story that the Higher Realm knew. It was not that different from what was known in the Human ne. However, there was another side to the story of the Dragon King bestowing his blood on Kyran''s ancestor, Zane.


    Kyran heard it from Zephyr, and Ames also confirmed it.


    The Dragon King did not give his blood to Zane simply because he was impressed by thetter''s selfless act of protecting his family against all odds. What got the Dragon Lord''s attention was Zane''s ability to draw Draconic magic energy in the surroundings into his body. Unfortunately, he did not know how to utilize it and only believed his innate magic was Strengthening magic.


    After observing for a moment, the Dragon King realized that Zane possessed the Draconic core. However, it appeared to be in a half-dormant state. As for the Strengthening magic he believed to be his innate magic, it was the magic energy he drew into his empty second magic core.


    The Dragon King then decided to stimte Zane''s Draconic core by giving him a drop of his blood. After the Draconic core was stimted, it had been easier for the Dragon King to teach Zane Draconic magic. This truth was known only to a few, including the Quilins, who stayed behind to guard the Shaiha. And Kyran only learned of it from Zephyr.


    In any case, Kyran had always believed that the title Dragon Lord was practically analogous to someone possessing the Draconic core.


    For some reason, however, The Emperor addressing his possession of the Draconic core rather than referring to him as the Dragon Lord made Kyran believe there was more to the story of the Ancient Magic Cores.


    In the first ce, why did the Ancient Magic Cores appear only to specific family lineage in the Human ne? This was pointed out in his copy of the Ancient Magic book and was simrly mentioned in the one Ste possessed. There were some differences in the context, but overall, Kyran felt it strange that the Ancient Magic Cores would only appear in humans from the Human ne.


    Initially, Kyran surmised that the reason behind this was that the Human ne was a remnant of the Land of the Ancients. But after studying the tablets Axil and her faction found, Kyran felt that there was more to the story¡ª a history that had been forgotten.


    And the things Kyran was about to learn might change his understanding of the Ancient Magic Cores.


    "So it is true¡­"


    A look of zeal soon reced The Emperor''s angry expression. Although his face was hidden under the hood of his robe, the sound of zeal present in his voice was apparent.


    This allowed stor and Kyran to know how the Emperor felt.


    "Deus said his clone was destroyed by some unknown magic. It is not Draconic that much was certain. Could it be that there is another one possessing one of the four Magic Cores of legends in this backwater ne?"


    stor frowned after hearing The Emperor voice his thoughts.


    To be honest, stor and the Coven knew about a human running around the Lower Realm that possessed the Void core. They tried to keep an eye on that human, but because he seemed to be going around the Lower Realm with the Tower of Tribtions'' help, they had difficulty keeping an eye on him.


    If not for the recent event, which was the death of Flos and Obstruction, stor and the Coven would not be aware of that human''s whereabouts. They knew at once that he was behind their deaths because of the anomaly that happened to the nes Flos and Obstruction used to possess.


    But how can the person who possessed the Void core and the Draconic core be in the same ne at the same time? This was truly unexpected.


    If stor and The Emperor knew that the Soul core was also in Somuli, they would likely be shocked beyond belief, especially thetter. After all, the Higher Being, whom he had wanted to overthrow, had wanted these Four Magic Cores.


    "Do not do anything reckless, The Emperor," stor immediately warned, looking at The Emperor sternly. It was one thing to covet one magic core. But from the zeal he could hear from thetter''s voice, it was apparent that he would not be satisfied until he got hold of the Void core as well.


    The Emperor chuckled as he looked at stor.


    "And what if I do? What can you do?"


    "I told you not to tempt the bnce between the two realms¡ª."


    "You keep saying that, but don''t you see that the appearance of two of the Four Magic Cores of Legends in the Lower Realm has already tempted the bnce?"


    While The Emperor said this, he looked at his target and said, "Surrender the Draconic core, and I will spare your life."


    Kyran scowled at The Emperor''s arrogant words. Although he did not think utilizing 70% of the Draconic magic would give him an edge against thetter, it was enough to help him guard against the prative capabilities of those strange golden rays. He would then pretend to escape so he could lure them away from Somuli. Once he gained enough distance, he would warp back to the Human ne.


    The reason Kyran chose to warp back to the Human ne was obvious. At that moment, the location of the Human ne was still hidden from the outside. Although what happened a year ago nearly exposed its coordinates to the outside, this had been prevented because of Nn''s timely ascension.


    Kyran chose to ignore The Emperor and immediately used the Dragon Steps to escape.


    "!"


    stor and The Emperor were shocked after seeing Kyran''s figure vanishing, reappearing several thousands of meters away from them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Emperor''s eyes turned bloodshot at his target''s audacious action. Did he really believe he could escape from him?


    "I''ll rip you apart and take the Draconic core!" The Emperor growled as his figure disappeared.


    Kyran did not turn to look and only focused on escaping. Nheless, he kept his vignce and continued to utilize all his senses to keep an eye on his surroundings. His grasp of the magic fluctuations around him improved since he was using 70% of his Draconic magic. He managed to sense The Emperor''s location even if he did not look at him directly.


    ''This guy...'' Kyran could not help but grit his teeth as he realized that he could not gain an advantage in distance against The Emperor. ''What kind of movement is he using? Is he abat mage?''


    Kyran initially thought The Emperor was a pure mage. But thetter''s movement speed was not something a pure mage possessed. Even if he cast powerful saint-tier speed spells or even drank a speed pill or potion to boost his speed, it was not enough topete with Dragon Steps.


    Meanwhile, stor felt conflicted.


    What The Emperor said about the appearance of two Four Magic Cores of Legends in the Lower Realm tempting the two realms'' bnce was correct. As someone who was tasked with preserving the bnce, he had to make a move.


    However, what kind of move should stor make? If he tried to capture Kyran, The Emperor would see it as him challenging him. But if he did not do anything, allow thetter to capture Kyran, then the bnce would tip over the Higher Realm''s favor.


    The existence of the Four Magic Cores of Legends was an anomaly. If any of the leading figures of the two realms exploit the mages possessing these magic cores, then the bnce would crumble.


    What was the best course of action?


    Just as stor was thinking this, he looked to his side and saw the Sovereign of Bulwark.

 Chapter 968 The Cause of the Fall (1)

    Chapter 968 The Cause of the Fall (1)


    Kyran continuously used the Dragon Steps, hoping to gain some distance from The Emperor. However, no matter how many times or fast he executed the steps, he could not shake off thetter.


    There was still some distance between the two, but it was not enough for Kyran to warp without The Emperor''s notice.


    Kyran started to contemte the consequences if he revealed the fact that he also possessed the Void core. The Emperor seemed to be keen on taking the Draconic core, but if he knew the Void core was also in Kyran''s possession...


    Kyran shook his head at once. He only met The Emperor, but from what he had gleaned from his short exchange with stor, Ames''s warning, and the memory of Deus''s clone, he was maniptive and would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. Although he would not disregard thews of each realm, he would test the limits of the realm''sws¡ª thus tempting the bnce of both realms.


    Kyran barely knew the Lower Realm''s Law, which was why he wanted to avoid anything that would make The Emperor test its limits just to get his way. One thing he managed to glean from stor''s warning earlier was that randomly assaulting an inhabitant of the Lower Realm was not allowed. However, The Emperor made a point by stating that there was no rule in the Lower Realm that stated someone from the Higher Realm could not retrieve what was rightfully theirs. From this, it was not wrong to assume that as long as the assault was justified, then the Lower Realm''s Law would not be breached.


    stor reasoned that the item The Emperor imed to be his would belong to the one it acknowledges. In Shaiha''s case, The Emperor could not do anything against Kyran since it acknowledged him as its owner.


    But what about in the case of the Draconic core?


    The Emperor seemed to have acknowledged that it belonged to Kyran since he asked him to surrender it rather than return it.


    From this, was it safe to say that the Lower Realm''s Law would protect Kyran and the people he cared about?


    Kyran included everyone he cared about because The Emperor gave him the feeling that if he knew about them, he would not hesitate to use them in order to make him surrender the Draconic core.


    If the Lower Realm''s Laws would protect his people, then Kyran would not hesitate to warp before The Emperor. But if not... Kyran was not confident enough that he could protect them from The Emperor. Thetter probably did not need to dispatch his forces to annihte Kyran''s people.


    While Kyran acquired the automatons in Somuli and was in the process of excavating more of the lost technology buried under the Armakea castle grounds, The Emperor would not wait for him to strengthen his side. Moreover, thetter possessed something that Kyran had yet to understand.


    Dimension.


    Kyran learned more about Dimension from the memories he got from Deus''s clone. Ames also exined the gist of it, which was why Kyran knew how troublesome it would be.


    If The Emperor unleashed his Dimension, he could annihte a whole ne without even breaking a sweat, and this was under the restraints of the Lower Realm''s Law as well as the Sovereign''s Cradle. For short, any type of defensive move would not work against The Emperor''s Dimension.


    ... Wait.


    Kyran furrowed his brows as he thought of something.


    The Emperor''s Dimension was powerful enough to destroy a ne, even if he was under a huge shackle. Yet, for some unknown reason, he had not used it to detain Kyran.


    Deus''s automaton used Dimension at the get-go to trap Kyran. Why was The Emperor not doing the same? He even warned Kyran not to lump him together with Deus and his automaton because he was far more powerful than them. So, why did he not use his Dimension to trap Kyran and take the Shaiha and the Draconic core?


    As this question fleeted through Kyran''s mind, his eyes narrowed as a possibility crossed his mind.


    Could the Lower Realm''s shackle on The Emperor be far greater than the others from the Higher Realm? A shackle that prevented him from using most of his abilities?


    This could very well be true because The Emperor had only been using concentrated magic energy attacks since the beginning. He had never cast a spell using magic arrays.


    The Emperor was the peak existence in the Higher Realm. It would not be strange for the Lower Realm''s shackle to be far more potent than the others.


    But if this were the case, The Emperor''s ability to keep up with Kyran''s Dragon Steps spoke volumes about his physical and probably innate abilities.


    Suddenly, a volley of golden rays flew past Kyran, and he barely avoided them by veering to his left. However, the volley of golden rays did not stop and continued toe at him.


    Kyran continued to veer to the left, and his expression turned grim. He had already guessed what The Emperor was trying to do by sending out those golden rays.


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran clicked his tongue as he tried to find a gap in The Emperor''s volley of attacks to break out from the direction thetter was forcing him to take. If not, Kyran would make a full turn and arrive directly at The Emperor.


    As another volley of golden rays came at Kyran, he changed his armor bybining the Draconic and Void magic. To ensure that The Emperor would not notice anything, he added an array formation that would keep the color and design of his armor the same. The moment the volley of golden rays arrived, instead of veering to his left, Kyran pressed on and endured the attack.


    Unbeknownst to The Emperor, the only reason Kyran evaded his attack was because he did not know if his armor, which had been enhanced by his Draconic magic, could endure its prative ability.


    A pure, concentrated magic attack from the peak existence in the Higher Realm was not something to be underestimated. However, after thinking of the possibility that the Lower Realm''s shackles on The Emperor might be greater than the rest, Kyran believed he could endure the full blow of those golden rays as long as hebined the Draconic and Void magic to enhance his armor. All he had to do was make full use of the Void''s nature to nullify any attack. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the case wherein the Void could not nullify The Emperor''s magic attackpletely, at least it could lower its prative ability.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Explosions erupted from The Emperor''s magic attack, making contact with Kryan. This caused The Emperor to frown as he realized what his target was trying to do.


    ''To think he noticed what I was trying to do and chose to endure my attacks rather than evade...'' The Emperor''s eyes glinted with amusement.


    "You are quite interesting. If you surrender to me now, I will allow you to keep the Draconic core and your life."


    Though The Emperor spoke normally, his voice reverberated in the surroundings and reached Kyran with no problem.


    Still, like earlier, Kyran ignored The Emperor because there was no point responding to thetter''s nonsense. Moreover, if there was one thing Kyran learned after being exposed to so many outsiders, whether they were from the Lower Realm or the Higher Realm, it was never to trust everything they said. He would only trust those he deemed trustworthy, like Axil and Loar.


    Kyran continued to press forward while enduring The Emperor''s volley of golden ray magic attacks.


    The Emperor''s expression darkened further as he finally realized that his target was not simply enduring his attacks but sessfully moving forward.


    "Do not test my patience, human. If you continue to do so, I will rip your body apart and take the Heart of the Cosmos and the Draconic core!"


    Kyran still ignored him.


    "You have no idea of what you are trying to keep. You are far too weak to ensure their safety!"


    This time, Kyran''s interest was piqued slightly. Obviously, The Emperor did not covet the Heart of the Cosmos and the Draconic core simply because he wanted to keep them safe. Nheless, what he said was not entirely untrue.


    Once word that Kyran possessed the Heart of the Cosmos and the Draconic core got out, there was no telling if he could keep these two safe.


    At least, in The Emperor''s sight, he believed Kyran did not have the capability to keep them safe.


    But if the Void core were added to the equation, it would be an entirely different situation. Since Kyran knew more about its nature and theories, he was more than equipped to protect himself from others coveting the Ancient Magic cores he possessed as well as the Shaiha.


    "Just possessing one of the Ancient Magic Cores already poses a huge threat to you, but you also have the Heart of the Cosmos. This means that the Higher Being will also being after you!"

 Chapter 969 The Cause of the Fall (2)

    Chapter 969 The Cause of the Fall (2)


    ''Higher Being¡­'' Kyran contemted in his mind while he continued to flee from The Emperor.


    Conversations, things Kyran discovered from the tablets, and his own research came shing through his mind as he delved into the topic of the Higher Being.


    In the Human ne, few were aware of the existence of the Higher Being. This was especially true with Kyran, who was only privy to news and information aboutbat and n matters during his early years.


    The first time Kyran heard about the Higher Being''s existence was from an off-handed remark from his godmother, te. It was also through her remark that he discovered the existence of the Fates.


    In any case, Kyran learned more about the Higher Being through the tablets.


    Surprisingly¡ª no, maybe it was unsurprising at that point¡ª the Higher Being was always mentioned whenever the First War of the Sovereigns was highlighted.


    To be honest, Kyran initially thought that the Higher Being was among the Ancient race. However, the more he read the tablets, the more he realized that the Higher Being was not an Ancient but was the one who grew jealous of them.


    The Higher Being particrly grew jealous of the Ancients'' Array and Magic Knowledge. There were bits and pieces of information on the tablets that Kyran could not fully understand because they were only copies that foretold about the Ancients creating something that would change The Realm.


    This had been one of the main reasons Kyran wanted to see the original tablets Axil and her faction possessed so he could find out what the Ancients were trying to create. He was not entirely without any clue as to what they tried to create. The story Can told him, more or less, provided clues as to what it might have been. Another point Kyran had considered was what La told him.


    After Kyran heard Can''s story, he decided toy everything down before trying to figure out how they were all connected. Now that he had read most of the content on the tablets, he was beginning to see what was drawn in the canvas he was using to fill in all the information he had gathered.


    Kyran''s initial guess was that the Dark Sage might be connected to the one who wrote the Lament of the King. His guess was further amplified by why La wanted to gather her army and participate in the war.


    Contrary to what Kyran and True Void initially believed, La was not gathering an army to participate in the War of the Sovereigns. Although she still nned to participate in a war, it was different from thetter.


    La wanted to wage a war in the Higher Realm. Her reason was simple.


    Revenge.


    La had not told Kyran why she wanted to take revenge. She agreed to tell him everything once he took her to the Higher Realm and helped out with her revenge.


    Kyran had not agreed yet. But La was already sure that he would ept. After all, the answers he seeks about the truth of what happened in the past that led to the split of The Realm and the origin of the Ancient Magic could only be found there.


    La was not wrong to think this way, but she did not anticipate Axil and her faction would have gathered tablets that recorded the lost history of the Lower Realm.


    Still, the tablets were iplete, and although Kyran could have a rough guess of what might have happened in the past, so long as he gathered enough reliable information, he did not need to gather all the tablets.


    Of course, Kyran was still interested in going to the Higher Realm because that was where he could settle the matter of the War of the Sovereigns.


    Going back to the matter of the Dark Sage and the Higher Being, from the information Kyran had gathered thus far, the former was definitely rted to the King of the Ancients¡ª or the person who wrote the Lament of the King. This meant that the Dark Sage was an Ancient. As for the Higher Being, Kyran did not know what his role was in The Realm, but since he was the peak existence then, so much so that he seemed to be the only one who could move the Fates, he was the one who grew jealous of the Ancients and decided to annihte them.


    Unfortunately, the Higher Being underestimated the military prowess of the Ancients. Even if thetter were alone in that war, while the Higher Being mobilized the other races or at least all the races who were willing to fight under his banner,the Ancients managed to defend against them.


    At that time, there were races who also stayed neutral. Those races were the Dragons, the Faes, and the High Elves.


    Kyran did not know how these races managed to stay neutral. The tablets had little information about them. Nheless, because of the things he learned about the Spirits and how their ne fell, as well as how the Dragons went to the Lower Realm and hid in the Human ne, Kyran wondered if the other races who joined the Higher Being''s war came after them afterward.


    Kyran did not know what happened to the Higher Being. From what he had gleaned, thetter was still alive. But where could the Higher Being be if The Emperor was the known peak existence in the Higher Realm?


    The Emperor had just mentioned that the Higher Being would definitely be after Kyran if he knew he had the Shaiha and the Draconic core. From this, Kyran already confirmed thetter was alive and might even be in the Lower Realm if The Emperor was the peak existence in the Higher Realm. But if this was true, then why had he not done anything until now to find the Shaiha or any of the Ancient Magic Cores?


    This was one of the questions that bothered Kyran.


    Don''t get him wrong. He did not want the Higher Being toe after him. He only found it strange that the Higher Being had not done anything. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It made it seem as if the existence of the Higher Being had be simr to the ''Dark Sage'' in the Human ne, which was used to scare little children to sleep.


    Kyran furrowed his brows as he continued to evade The Emperor''s magic attacks while sorting through the information he had.


    If he included what The Emperor said just then about the Higher Beinging after him because of the Shaiha and the Draconic core, Kyran guessed that these two might have been what the Ancients tried to create in the past.


    The reason the Higher Being annihted them was likely because he coveted these items.


    But the thought of the Draconic core being an item did not sit well with Kyran.


    If the Four Ancient Magic Cores were physical items that others could acquire, then how did they manifest inside the bodies of chosen humans in the Human ne? How could it then be passed on?


    There were still a lot of things that did not make sense to Kyran. But he wanted to take every new information he would get in stride so as not to affect how he dealt with other important matters.


    With this in mind, Kyran resolved to endure The Emperor''s pursuit. He knew thetter would eventually exhaust himself and stop to rest.


    If the Emperor had enough potions or pills to sustain his stamina, then Kyran would have to endure further. Fortunately, Kryan''s body had been enhanced, and now that he could use more than 70% of the Draconic magic, he was confident of his stamina.


    Meanwhile, while The Emperor continued to pursue his target, he sensed the control he had over the Sovereign of Bulwark disappearingpletely. His expression distorted in annoyance. But in the end, he did not return there because his priority was still the acquisition of the Heart of the Cosmos and the Draconic Core.


    Back in Somuli, after stor caught sight of Nachum, he helped thetter break free from The Emperor''s control.


    Nachum had already recovered 60% of his control, and with stor''s assistance, it did not take long for him to be freed.


    After that, stor requested Nachum''s assistance in connecting with the people who were ''keeping Kyran safe.''


    Nachum did not understand what stor meant, to be honest. Because, as far as he was concerned, Kyran was the one keeping everyone safe. There was no big or powerful figure behind him.


    At least, not that Nachum knew of.


    Thinking back on it, could that Ames person be considered someone keeping Kyran safe?


    Maybe?


    Nachum used his abilities to delve into other''s pasts to check if stor was trustworthy enough. After confirming that thetter was the leader of the Coven and knowing what the Coven did in the Lower Realm, Nachum allowed him to enter Somuli.


    The two then went to the Kingdom of Cretea since that was thest known location of ''Nar.'' Nachum knew Cyneah was there too, and having her mediate with the people who knew Kyran was better than Nachum going to them directly. After all, he barely knew Ames and the others. Would they believe him if he suddenly told them that Kyran was in danger?


    Nachum was overthinking it. Ames and the others would definitely believe him since he was someone that Kyran trusted. Besides, even without Nachum telling them what happened outside, they sensed something amiss, more or less.


    This was especially true with Cyneah and True Void.

 Chapter 970 The Cause of the Fall (3)

    Chapter 970 The Cause of the Fall (3)


    True Void was the first to sense something was amiss when his connection with Kyran suddenly weakened. He immediately informed Ames, who immediately used her Dragon''s Eye to search the Kingdom of Cretea, where Kyran was supposed to have gone.


    Ames failed to locate Kyran in the end, which was why she tried to widen her search range. Apart from using her Dragon''s Eye, she also utilized her Draconic Sense to enhance her sight. Still, no matter where she searched, she could not find a trace of Kyran''s magic signature. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Only after True Void confirmed that Ames was trying to search for Kyran by locating his magic signature did he reprimand her, reminding her of the Shaiha in Kyran''s possession.


    Ames''s mistake would have been seen as funny if not for the fact that the connection between Kyran and True Void was growing weaker by the second.


    For the record, the crackling sound in the sky that shook the wholend of the Kingdom of Cretea was not seen nor felt by the other nations. This was why Ames and True Void, who were in the Land of the Eidums, did not know that something big had happened.


    True Void then asked Neo to contact Nahir. But Neo did not need to be asked by True Void because his weakening connection with Kyran became apparent at this point.


    08:26


    Neo initially ignored the feeling because his master''s presence seemed to fleet in and out of existence at times due to the Shaiha. As Kyran''s creation, Neo had a different kind of connection with him that the Shaiha could notpletely conceal. However, depending on Kyran''s will, the Shaiha could affect it, concealing his aurapletely.


    True Void then asked Neo to contact Nahir. But Neo did not need to be asked by True Void because his weakening connection with Kyran became apparent at this point.


    Neo initially ignored the feeling because his master''s presence seemed to fleet in and out of existence at times due to the Shaiha. As Kyran''s creation, Neo had a different kind of connection with him that the Shaiha could notpletely conceal. However, depending on Kyran''s will, the Shaiha could affect it, concealing his aurapletely.


    For this reason, Neo did not think it was strange for his master''s presence to disappear.


    It was only after not sensing his master''s presence for more than five hours that Neo started to think there was something wrong. He could understand not sensing his master''s presence if they were nes apart. But his master only went to the Kingdom of Cretea.


    Why would his presence disappear for more than five hours and was still counting?


    In any case, before True Void could have Neo call on Nahir, Cyneah had already contacted them.


    Only after she called did they learn that something was happening outside Somuli.


    Soon after that, Kryan''s Servants started to feel restless. Unlike Kyran''s Sigils, who could only sense Kyran''s presence when within range, his Servants, being people reborn from the Void, felt their very existence was in danger. Thus, those who could meet True Void went to look for him, while those who were far away, more specifically, Akim and others still in Armakea, could only connect with them through amunication device.


    Neo could create a transmission array and have his master''s Servantse to the Land of the Eidums, but because thetter lot could not leave their post in Armakea without prior notice, they settled on connecting with them through themunication device. In the end, Neo only created a transmission for Cyneah and Euan to use and return to the Land of the Eidums.


    Not long after Cyneah and Euan arrived in the Land of the Eidums and met up with Ames, True Void, and the rest of the Servants, Nachum arrived with stor.


    The moment Nachum arrived, with someone exuding a profound aura, the group immediately guessed that their appearance was connected with their ever-weakening connection with Kyran.


    Nachum initially nned to go to the Kingdom of Cretea because that was thest known location of Kyran. He also wanted to ask Cyneah''s assistance to connect with Kyran''s people. But before entering the premises of the kingdom, he noticed Cyneah''s presence disappearing.


    Nachum was surprised at first. But then he sensed traces of transmission array around the spot, where he sensed Cyneah had been being used, and knew she activated an array at once, probably to return to the Land of the Eidums.


    From this, Nachum was able to glean that Cyneah likely sensed something was amiss and went back to the Land of the Eidums to confide with Kyran''s people.


    With this in mind, Nachum changed direction and went to the Land of the Eidums.


    At present, Nachum and the others were gathered inside the conference hall of the Academy''s main building. Everyone was seated before a huge round table, looking at a projection of Somuli''s ne hovering at the center.


    The one who created the projection was not Nachum but stor, and there were figures, albeit too small to be properly distinguished, reenacting what had happened before Kyran escaped and fled from The Emperor.


    Cyneah''s expression remained indifferent, but inwardly, she could not help but curse her inability to see. Although stor''s projections were made of magic energy, it was unfortunate that she could not make out any of it.


    As if sensing her internal chagrin, Euan, who was seated by her side, took her hand in his and ryed what he could see through telepathy.


    The sudden burst of vivid images caught Cyneah off guard. But realizing what her father was doing, she felt gratified and, though feeling a little shy, gently squeezed his hand in thanks.


    Euan squeezed her hand back as if to assure her it was fine. Nevertheless, he was inwardly happy that he could at least help his own daughter.


    What Euan was doing was not something anyone could have done. The only way for one to ry things one could see was if they shared a certain type of bond. In their case, it was possible because they were blood-rted.


    Apart from that, the person who executed the ry would greatly impact his or her mental fatigue. Thus, it was not advised to be used for long.


    Cyneah more or less guessed this was the case, which was why she subtly sent her magic energy to her father and relieved him from his mental fatigue.


    "I could have followed them, but I reckoned my speed is not enough to keep up with them," stor admitted. Besides, when Kyran started to flee, stor was still busy negating The Emperor''s golden rays directed at him. If he ignored them, those rays would hit Somuli''s barrier. Knowing of the prative capabilities of The Emperor''s magic, stor knew Somuli''s barrier would not be able to hold, and once it shattered and one of The Emperor''s golden ray magic attacks entered the ne andnded, it would have caused a devastating impact.


    Innocent lives dying was not the worst case to happen when The Emperor''s magic attack hit, but the Somuli ne''s vitality. That was how powerful his magic''s prative capability was.


    "In any case, I beseeched your assistance," stor continued while turning his attention to Ames.


    Upon meeting these people, stor immediately noticed Ames''s identity. He might have been staying in the Lower Realm for the most part, but he was still up to date on the current happenings there. For this reason, he recognized Ames as the Dragon Emperor''s daughter.


    "I know you are worried about making a move yourself, which will likely endanger the Dragon n, but you do not have to worry. I will ask a few of my colleagues to assist and conceal your identity."


    Ames shook her head and said, "I am not afraid of revealing my identity to The Emperor. I think he already knew I got involved with the capture of the Heart of the Cosmos. I will not be surprised if hising here at this very moment meant he ordered his people to go after my n."


    stor''s pursed his lips at Ames''s words. That was likely the case. Though he had yet to hear any news in the Higher Realm, The Emperoring to the Lower Realm directly was likely because he already knew the Dragon n had gotten themselves involved in his n.


    There was also a possibility that The Emperor knew Ames was the one who went to the Lower Realm from how Midnight''s essence was destroyed. Knowing that few mages under hismand could fight Ames andplete the task of capturing their target, The Emperor decided toe and deal with the matter himself.


    The Emperor would have then sent his forces to the Dragon n to ensure that the Dragon Emperor could not send reinforcement to assist Ames.


    "I cannot deny that possibility," stor agreed. "Nheless, we have to do something. Previously, your Dragon n was never keen on using the Heart of the Cosmos, which was why the Dragon Emperor went here, to the Lower Realm, and hid it. This alone proves that you are here to protect the Heart of the Cosmos in that human this time as well and prevent The Emperor from acquiring it."


    "It would have been great if it was as simple as that," Ames replied with a heavy sigh.


    "What does that mean?"


    Instead of answering stor, Ames looked at True Void, who had turned himself into armor worn by Neo.


    "I can vouch for the Coven''s trustworthiness. But what do you think? Do we tell him the truth?"


    stor was somewhat confused that Ames would want to seek the approval of a young man... no, wait. This young man was not even alive per se. He was an automaton!


    stor not sensing True Void''s presence was thanks to Neo using array formation to camouge it. In addition, the Sovereign''s Cradle restricted the former''s mage level and capabilities.


    Nachum might have approved stor''s entry to the ne, but that did not totally exempt him from the restrictions.


    "At this point, with the Void Halfling''s safety on the line, there is nothing to gain if we withhold information," True Void replied with a sigh.

 Chapter 971 The Cause of the Fall (4)

    Chapter 971 The Cause of the Fall (4)


    stor''s expression darkened after he heard someone speak while not seeing the automaton before him open its mouth.


    While automatons could talk without moving their lips depending on the design of their outer frame, the intricate design of the one before him suggested that it could speak through its mouth with no difficulty. He also sensed the voice did note from the automaton but from someone else.


    stor would not have thought too much about who spoke just now if not for something he said.


    Void Halfling.


    The first word alone would have piqued anyone''s interest in an instant. Add that to the word halfling, and knowing what it meant, it was no wonder why stor''s expression turned dark. Moreover, he and his colleagues were aware of the existence of a human possessing the Void core, which happened to be the same one Ruin was very interested in. There was also the matter of Flos''s and Destruction''s deaths, which they already assumed to be that person''s doing. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What were the odds that the human possessing the Void core be in the same ne as the one who possessed the Draconic core?


    stor initially did not think much of it because the former had been seen going around different nes before through the Tower of Tribtions. It would not be strange for him to have been assigned to Somuli for training.


    Was it possible that the Void Halfling mentioned by the one who spoke just then was different from the human the Coven were keeping an eye out for?


    Impossible.


    A human, or any being at that, could use Void magic only if he or she possessed the Void core.


    Considering this point, then the person who spoke and referred to someone as Void Halfling could only be referring to the same person.


    Now, this was not really a problem. But the thing was, they were talking about the human with the Draconic core and the Heart of the Cosmos. Why was the human with the Void core suddenly brought up?


    Honestly, even if this question swirled in stor''s head, he more or less knew the answer already. It was just that he was having a hard time epting the truth, especially because Ames''s remark that the current situation was not that simple would hold true.


    Ames sensed stor''s apprehension and sighed inwardly. She could almost read what was running through thetter''s mind. To prevent him froming up with strange ideas, she decided to exin Kyran''s situation.


    "You probably realized why I said the situation is not that simple," she started.


    stor snapped out of his reverie and looked at Ames. Judging from his grim expression, he more or less realized the whole truth.


    "The Emperor wanting to capture the human because of the Heart of the Cosmos and the Draconic core can still be managed," stor supplied, confirming Ames''s thoughts. "However, if the human also possessed the Void core... it is in our best interest to ensure The Emperor doesn''t find out."


    Ames nodded her head, "Yes. Among the Four Ancient Magic Cores, the Void core is the sole core that could not be imnted into another being."


    For this very reason, stor and his colleagues in the Coven kept a close eye on Kyran''s activities.


    The appearance of a Void Master, along with the rest of the Four Ancient Magic Cores from a thousand years ago, had shaken the Lower Realm. If not for stor and his colleagues doing their utmost to cover up their existence, who knew what The Emperor would do to capture all of them?


    Nevertheless, it was very impossible for The Coven to block out the newspletely. Thus, to divert the rising rumors, they decided to leak the information about the Heart of the Cosmos''s whereabouts instead.


    What happened after they leaked the information left a bad taste in stor''s mouth because it caused so much tragedy, with the fall of the Spirit ne into the Lower Realm only one of those.


    But stor believed that having another ne fall was a low price to pay to prevent the two realms from colliding because the Four Magic Cores of the Legends had been discovered along the Heart of the Cosmos.


    True Void looked at Ames with a frown.


    While they were discussing Kyran''s situation earlier, stor and Ames were still talking in the universalnguage of the Lower Realm.


    When one uses thatnguage inside a ne, it automatically trantes into the nativenguage of the ne, allowing anyone who hears thenguage to understand it as well.


    However, Ames suddenly switched to using Ancientnguage, prompting True Void to feel suspicious. Apart from that, he also felt at a loss by what she had just said.


    Among the people inside the conference hall, Neo and True Void were the only ones who understood a little of the Ancient Language.


    Neo knew them because Kyran would supply thenguage he deciphered into his program whenever he had the time. As for True Void, he honestly did not know. But he could understand them just fine. He reckoned this might be because he was connected to Kyran on a whole different level than his Servants and creations. Thus, he could easily ess Kyran''s acquired skills.


    Though True Void tried to reason this in his head, a part of him was not entirely convinced. However, with no other reason he could think of that would exin how he could understand Ames, he could only settle with that exnation.


    Back to what Ames had just said, True Void could not help but address it by asking, "What do you mean by that? What do you mean when you say imnted?"


    Cyneah, Euan, Nachum, and the rest of Kyran''s creations and Servants inside the conference hall also had a confused expression as they looked at Ames and True Void.


    "Imnted?"


    Cyneah was the first one to voice her doubts.


    To be honest, she could barely keep up with their discussion. Nheless, when she heard the word imnted, for some unknown reason, she had a strange inkling that she should know what it meant.


    Ames looked at them in silence as she contemted how much she could tell them.


    stor sensed her dilemma and could not me her, to be honest. This would be the first time after a thousand years that she descended from the Higher Realm into the Lower Realm. She probably worried that what she said would result in an irrevocable situation.


    "For the past hundreds of years," stor started before Ames could decide. "We at The Coven had been leading the Guardians in excavating the Ancient Tablets that recorded the lost history of the Lower Realm."


    He looked at Ames with a slight nod, "You don''t have to worry about leaking confidential information."


    Ames frowned, "Why would you, The Cove, do such a thing? Aren''t you afraid that by allowing the inhabitants of the Lower Realm to learn of that lost history, the bnce between the two realms would start to shift?"


    "We are afraid, naturally," stor admitted. "However, we believe that the next War of the Sovereigns could be diverted only by doing this."


    "That is reckless," Ames growled in anger. Still, since it had already happened, she could do nothing to undo it.


    "Wait," Nachum could no longer remain silent and spoke up. "You mean the War of the Sovereigns could be diverted?"


    "Kyran mentioned something about it. He said..." Cyneah''s voice trailed off as she contemted what she could and could not say. After a short pause, she continued, "...that person told him a way to stop the War. But he would have to help with that person''s request."


    The few of Kyran''s Servants attending the discussion knew at once who their mistress was referring to¡ª La.


    Frankly, they had almost forgotten that that woman requested their master''s help. They did not know what the request was about but did not doubt their mistress''s words. If there were one person their master would not hesitate to confide delicate topics with, it would be their mistress.


    Ames and stor obviously noticed how Cyneah avoided leaking information about that person. She did not even use any gender-specific words to call that person.


    However, the two did not pursue the matter, believing they would eventually know who that person was.


    "But that is a matter forter," Cyneah continued. "Right now, we have to discuss how to assist Kyran, am I right?"


    This was the real reason she replied to Nachum''s question. It was not to feed their discussion with new information but to redirect them to their initial topic.


    True Void''sment about Ames''s imnted remark truly piqued their interest, and they wanted to understand what they meant, but at the end of the day, they could talk about that another time. Kyran''s situation, on the other hand, was still happening, and the more they dwelled on Ames''s remark, the longer they coulde up with a way to assist him.


    "Yes, of course," stor agreed. d to find someone sensible among the people in the hall. If the topic of the lost history of the Lower Realm continued, he did not know what the Fates would have done.


    "Now that I am aware of the human''s identity and why the situation could not be taken lightly, we need to find them fast," he continued and looked at Ames.


    "About the current situation of the Dragon n in the Higher Realm, it is only my guess. But if we can confirm it and know if they can or cannot provide reinforcements...?"


    Ames shook her head at once, "I don''t think it is wise to contact them at this moment. Instead, I''ll call on them."


    Even if Ames did not mention who she was referring to, Neo, Kyran''s Servants, and True Void seemed to have guessed whowere.


    "Y-You don''t mean... them, right?"

 Chapter 972 The Cause of the Fall (5)

    Chapter 972 The Cause of the Fall (5)


    It was another hectic morning inside the Ylfaen Royal Family Pce in Meliora.


    Because of the increased number of skirmishes happening in the western and southern borders of the empire, Empress Iulia, the Head Mage Aiden, the members of the Royal Court, and the representatives of the Alliance, which consisted of the four major factions in the empire: Aureole, Regis n, The Conve, and the Temr Code, had almost never left the pce''s conference room to discuss their next moves.


    These skirmishes might be minor, but the Ylfaen Empire''s casualties were increasing at a frighteningly steady pace because of their frequency. If these skirmishes were only focused on one border, the empire might have been able to concentrate its main forces there, but the problem was that two borders were being subjected to it.


    There were a total of six nations beyond the western border of the Ylfaen Empire. With Tritus at the helm, he led the joint forces of the Royal Army and the Temr Code to defend the borders.


    With Tritus''s mage level, one would think that the skirmishes on the western border were manageablepared to the south. However, that was not the case. This was because no matter how strong Tritus was, he was only one man. Against the partnership of the Maguses and even Archmaguses of the opposing six nations, he could only barely protect the borders.


    Max, Reuben, and the other Elites of the Temr Code were there to assist Tritus, but they were still outnumbered by the opposing side, especially with their mage levels.


    This fact caused a massive headache to all leaders of the empire, especially Empress Iulia. They never expected the other nations to hide the progress of their mages. Initially, they were convinced the empire remained the undisputed forerunner regarding the number of powerful mages and a military force. However, the recent skirmishes confirmed that they were alreadygging in overall mage level.


    Apart from that, it was confirmed that the Ylfaen Empire''s western border forces were outnumbered for two reasons: first because they had to split their main forces, with the other half going to the southern borders, and second, because the opposing side consisted of powerful mages andbat mages from the six nations. But even if the empire''s main force focused on guarding the western borders only, they would still have difficulty, and it was mainly due to most of their mages andbat mages only being at Adept mage level and below. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although recently, there was a surge of mages andbat mages breaking through to Grand Master level within the Royal Army, because their breakthroughs were forced, the consolidation of their newly found strength was far lower than if one broke through with their efforts.


    The Royal Army initially thought the sudden surge of Grand Masters among their ranks was a boon. But after realizing how weak their Grand Masters werepared to the opposition''s Grand Masters, they now considered it the Royal Army''s bane.


    While the skirmishes at the western border were due to the united front of the nations from the west to expand their territory, the ones at the southern border were more personal.


    It should be noted that the only nation in the south was the Archadia, and they had been very hostile toward the Ylfaen Empire for so many years. Nevertheless, The Archadia had never attempted a confrontation before. Only after the internal conflict in the empire did they start to be more aggressive in confronting the empire''s army at the southern borders.


    However, what was frustrating about the skirmishes in the south was that the Archadia seemed to be toying with their soldiers rather than genuinely wanting to conquer some of the empire''snd in the south. While this sounded like they were not serious about attacking the empire, the truth was nothing like that.


    Although the Archadia appeared to be toying with them, the casualties they received each time could not be ignored. Honestly, the only reason the southern border could endure all this time was because Patriarch Aron decided to dispatch most of the Regis n''s powerfulbat mages there. If not for them, the southern border would have suffered even more and already been breached by the Archadia.


    After another long meeting regarding the situation in the western and southern borders of the empire and confirming the logistic details of supplies for both were finalized, the leading minister of the Royal Court requested a break.


    Everyone knew that the reason for the break was to allow Empress Iulia time to rest. This was because she was almost due, yet she still dutifully attended all the meetings without fail.


    If this had been a few months ago, most ministers would haveined about having their meetings interrupted each time to give Iulia time to rest. But because of how she sessfully won over the hearts of the empire''s citizens and pacified all different leading figures after Emperor Euan disappeared, most of them were now convinced of her worth.


    Besides, the ministers would have had trouble proceeding with the meeting without Iulia mediating for every leader present.


    The two ministers, who were always with Iulia, guided her to the rest area near the conference room.


    Two royal guards were guarding the room, but after Iulia entered, the two ministers ordered them to the patrol area while they guarded the room instead.


    The two royal guardsplied without any problems because every one of their colleagues was aware that these two ministers doubled as Empress Iulia''s bodyguards. Not that she needed one. After she addressed the whole empire a few months ago, information about her was leaked to the public, and it was now a known fact that she was already a peak Magus. If not for wanting to start a family with Emperor Euan, she would likely be an Archmagus already.


    This was also one of the reasons the ministers of the Royal Court started to see Iulia''s worth. Moreover, learning how she did not hesitate to choose to be a mother over improving her mage level spoke volumes of her love for Emperor Euan and her dedication to the Royal Family.


    Iulia heaved a deep sigh upon entering the room. Truthfully, she was exhausted from all the meetings she had to attend every day. However, she did not want her subjects to see this and consistently wore a strong facade. Only when she was given precious time to rest could she let go of her strong facade and let loose all her mental and physical fatigue.


    Unfortunately, not even a minute had passed after entering the room; Iulia sensed a distortion in the air as ck mists formed a couple of meters in front of her. She was rmed at first, but knowing someone who could create such mists¡ª who would also refute her and insist they were not mist but particles¡ª she regained her calm and looked at the silhouette that slowly appeared from within the ck mist.


    "Please spare me with bad news right now," she implored with a wry smile. "The situations in the western and southern borders are already giving me cramps. I am afraid the young prince will suddenly choose toe out."


    The silhouette chuckled and soon revealed Nn.


    "I''ll let you judge whether what I have is good or bad."


    Iulia''s expression turned solemn as she looked at Nn. She knew thetter could not say or do something that could affect the internal affairs of the Human ne because of his unique position as the Human ne''s Sovereign; thus, whatever he came here to tell her definitely had something to do with Cade and the other selected mages andbat mages who were outside the Human ne to look for Euan.


    Since Nn would only be rying information he received from Cade, technically, he was not interfering with the internal affairs of the Human ne. Besides, he would not say the information aloud but only give Iulia the item he received from Cade.


    While Nn could have just sent the item without appearing in person, there was another reason he had toe down. But that had to wait until Iulia read the information in the magic item Cade asked him to deliver.


    Iulia received a small, thin, rectangr silver te from Nn simr to an ancient slip and immediately used her magic sense to scan its contents. Her eyes widened after a few seconds as she looked at Nn with unbelieving eyes.


    "Is this true?"


    Nn shrugged and said, "Don''t ask me. You know I can''t answer. Anyway, I want you to gather everyone because visitors areing in the next hour."


    "We have only started a three-hour break. I can have everyone return at once."


    "There''s no need for you to do that yourself," Nn suddenly said after btedly noticing Iulia''s condition. "Have one of your ministers gather the others and make the necessary preparations. Tell them to direct theirints at me if they have any objections."


    Iulia could not help but give a dryugh at Nn''s words.


    Most of the leaders in the empire were aware of Nn''s existence and his position in the Human ne. The only reason they would direct anyints at him would be if they had a death wish.


    "That''s all I came to say," Nn continued as ck particles started to gather around him. "You go rest. I have another ce I need to go to."


    Iulia did not need Nn to say where he would go after because she already knew where: The Regis Estate.

 Chapter 973 The Cause of the Fall (6)

    Chapter 973 The Cause of the Fall (6)


    Nn appeared inside the Regis''s main house''s Throne Room. There, he found Aron seated on a high back chair with a look that said he had been waiting for Nn''s arrival.


    Nn was not surprised, though. As the Human ne''s Sovereign, he was aware of what got Aron on edge, which could also be considered a non-internal issue of the ne alone. For this reason, Aron expected Nn to drop by any moment since the issue happened.


    "I could only vaguely sense it, even with my current position. But I suppose it has something to do with that ce not originally part of this ne. Can you tell me more about what happened?" Nn asked, not bothering with formalities but remaining respectful nheless.


    Then again, formalities were no longer necessary between them. Nn might have estranged himself from the Regis n because he felt responsible for what happened to Cade, but at the end of the day, he was part of the n since he was Rin''s twin brother. In any case, Aron and the rest of the family did not even me Nn. To them, Cade only upheld the Regis n''s moral code of protecting one of them. The result was not ideal, but at least it bought Nn time to escape and live on.


    Aron sighed after hearing Nn. He expected that to be the case because if thetter were aware of what happened in its entirety, he would not have asked that question and went straight to discussing what they should do. What Nn referred to as that cewas none other than the Regis Terram. He knew Aron, as the Regis Patriarch, had a special connection with the Regis Terram and could sense the strange fluctuation and probably what was happening inside better than he could.


    In any case, Nn felt something big was happening in the Dragon ne where the Regis Terram was originally part of. That was the only reason he could think of that could cause such powerful magic fluctuations to leak out from it, even when the Regis Terram was a realm away from the Dragon ne. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If this happened before the internal conflict in the Ylfaen Empire concluded, Aron would have already sent someone to check what might be causing it. He might have gone there himself. Unfortunately, none of the Regis members could enter the terram after the internal conflict was somewhat resolved.


    Aron and the Regis Elders tried to figure out what caused the Regis Terram to ''close.'' In the end, the only exnation they could think of was that Ames''s appearance, where she interfered and threatened the Soul Emperor from entering the Estate, had caused a huge strain in the terram, affecting its connection to the Dragon ne.


    For some time, Aron and the Regis Elders believed this exnation. But now that there was a powerful fluctuation leaking out from it, it overturned their initial exnation.


    If the connection of the Regis Terram had truly weakened from Ames''s appearance, how could they sense those fluctuations? Though they tried to brush the incident as the terram recovering its connection to the Dragon ne after some time had passed, the fact that none of the Regis members could enter disproved it at once.


    While the Regis Terram had been inessible for some time, Aron could still vaguely sense what was happening inside. Apart from that, he was the only one who could sense the veil-like object that prevented them from stepping inside. In any case, because Aron possessed a special connection to the Regis Terram as the Regis Patriarch, he was still able to sense inside. However, the veil-like object still obscured what was happening inside from his probing.


    This worried Aron further. He worried that something big had happened in the Dragon ne that might have endangered its inhabitants. Although the Dragons were powerful, their existence seemed synonymous with invincibility. This could be considered true in the Lower Realm. In the Higher Realm, there were other ns that could threaten the Dragons.


    If not for this, why would the Dragon King even escape to the Human ne when he tried to hide the Shaiha?


    For the record, Aron was one of the few humans who was aware of the existence of the Higher Realm because he, too, had entered the Tower of Tribtions.


    From this, it was not wrong to think that most of the humans who trained inside the Tower were aware of the existence of the Higher Realm.


    Going back to the topic, Aron was aware that the Dragon King''s forces only consisted of three tribes, with the Silver Dragons as his original tribe, the Purple Dragons as a branch tribe, and the Quilins as their subordinate tribe. It was not wrong to think that they were also up against other Dragon tribes when they insisted on protecting the Shaiha rather than surrendering it to The Emperor or using it themselves. This was probably one of the reasons that the Dragon King had no choice but to flee to the Lower Realm.


    Aron took a deep breath and pushed aside his internal musings as he told Nn what happened. He also shared what kind of magic fluctuations he sensed inside the Regis Terram.


    After almost a quarter of an hour of exining, Aron paused with a slight sigh. He then said, "I fear that the Dragon ne is under siege."


    "That may be the only possibility," Nn agreed with a nod.


    There was no reason for him to gloss over his thoughts because, to be honest, the Dragon ne getting sieged would coincide with the news he received from one of the Guardian''s members.


    On a side note, when Kyran started working with the Guardians as a consultant, whenever he was away on a mission, Nn and Axil would meet. This meeting was something the two agreed on without Kyran''s prior knowledge. The meeting was to inform Nn of Kyran''s activities and progress.


    The reason Nn asked for this information was because he knew Kyran would never tell them anything about what he was up to. He could be experiencing a life-and-death situation at that moment without them knowing anything. In this aspect, Nn admitted that he and Kyran were alike. It was not because they could not be bothered to tell their family what they were up to but because they cared too much about what their family would feel if they learned he was caught up in something very dangerous.


    With Axil providing Nn updates on Kyran''s activities and whereabouts, he was also made aware of the current events in the Lower Realm.


    Aron''s brows furrowed after hearing Nn''s response, his eyes narrowed as he asked, "Do you know something? Has anything happened in the Lower Realm recently?"


    Although he only mentioned the Lower Realm, it was obvious that he was asking if there was any event in the Lower Realm that might have also caused a butterfly effect in the Higher Realm.


    "Yeah," Nn replied. "Unfortunately, my cute little nephew seemed to have triggered it."


    This news immediately caused Aron''splexion to pale. He rarely showed any change in expression, but it was quite hard to control one''splexion, no matter how good one was in terms of concealing their emotions. The only one who could actually do this was Kyran. But that was because he was wearing a mask most of the time¡ª a mask that physically prevented one''splexion from changing.


    "Is it possible for you to share the details?" Aron asked carefully. After all, Nn was a Sovereign, and he did not want thetter to say something that might affect the internal events of the ne.


    "I don''t think there is any problem since what happened has something to do with the Lower Realm''s future as a whole. But... I honestly am unsure if it would also affect the Human ne moving forward," Nn admitted. "In any case, I''ll tell you the gist of things for now. Because we have visitorsing."


    He then smiled wryly and added, "One of whom you may want to prepare the whole n as well."


    Aron''splexion seemed to have gone paler still, if it was even possible. He did not need Nn to say who it was because he more or less guessed who it was.


    "I''m all ears," was all he could respond after a short pause.


    An hourter...


    The Sovereign''s Cradle appeared in the sky of the Ylfaen Empire.


    The people who were already aware of the existence of the outsiders saw a golden that covered the vast sky. These people felt conflicted because they also knew what the Sovereign Cradle was about and why it would appear.


    But the cradle only appeared for a few seconds before it disappeared, as if nothing had been there. This caused these people to wonder if someone from the outside''s attempt to enter the ne failed. Thus, the cradle also disappeared. Whatever the cause was, seeing how the vast sky remained peaceful after the cradle disappeared, these people were relieved.


    However, the truth of the matter would cause distress to those who knew who entered the ne.


    This was especially true in the expressions of Aron and the Regis Elders, along with the ministers of the Royal Court, the leaders of the Alliance, and finally, the new coalition of the noble families.


    Ames frowned as she saw several figuresing to greet her and stor. She looked at Nn, standing at the front of the crowd, with a deep scowl as she growled, "I only asked for my people. What are the Royal Family''s dogs doing here?"


    Nn only shrugged, unperturbed by Ames''s threatening growl. Then he asked, "What trouble has he caught himself with this time?"

 Chapter 974 The Cause of the Fall (7)

    Chapter 974 The Cause of the Fall (7)


    "The Emperor is currently after his ass," Ames replied with a simrly unperturbed attitude. Nheless, her expression remained hard as she continued to re at Nn.


    On the other hand, thetter remained unperturbed by the former''s re.


    There was a reason Nn arranged for Iulia to send members of the Royal Court and representatives of the New Coalition of the noble families to meet with Ames and the others.


    Nn knew Ames''s purpose ining to the Human ne was to have Aron gather the Regis n''s Elites to save Kyran. While Nn did not see any problem with that, if the Regis''s Elites did leave the ne, the remaining forces guarding the empire''s southern borders would not be able to hold against the Archadia''s constant harassment. If the southern borders fell, a full-fledged war would follow. But before that happened, the western borders would likely fall as well under the joint siege of the six nations. This would then result in the inevitable downfall of the empire.


    Nn knew Ames could not care less. But the thing was, no matter how much she despised the Royal Family, Winfrey was no longer in charge of it. Besides, if the empire fell, the Regis Family would also suffer.


    The Regis n''s fame was known throughout the Ylfaen Empire and the whole Human ne. However, there were exaggerations to the rumors of their capabilities and overall strength. Thus, leaders of other nations, especially those ambitious ones, would either recruit them to their cause or eradicate them. Thetter would definitely be something that the Archadia would love to do, mainly because the Regis n, or to be more urate, the Regis''s Ancestor, Zane, was one of the main reasons the Archadia hated the empire.


    In any case, if the other nations targeted the Regis n, the Regis Estate would be a battlefield again. Sooner orter, the Regis Terram''s existence would also be revealed.


    Nn wanted Ames to understand the Ylfaen Empire''s situation and hoped she would interfere to ensure the empire would not fall. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What Nn was trying to do could be considered deliberately taking advantage of Ames to save the empire. This could also be seen as him trying to cause an idental ''intervention with the ne''s internal affairs'' from his seemingly harmless invitation.


    Nn would cause a situation akin to Mannick''s disclosure to Euan about Haylee''s plot¡ª an esction of the current situation that almost caused an irreversible situation in the empire. Of course, Nn was not trying to escte the situation in the empire. He would never incite the ire of Rin and te. He was not stupid.


    Nn was confident that his action at that moment would not cause the Fates''s intervention and escte the situation in the empire.


    Where did his confidencee from?


    Simple.


    Nn was already aware of what Kyran did to one of the Fates when they tried to intervene and stop Flos''s and Obstruction''s deaths. As a matter of fact, after that incident, Nn kept an eye on other nes near the Human ne and realized that the Fates had not appeared, or at least, their influence had not been visible after that incident.


    From this, Nn guessed that one of the Fates suffered greatly from Kyran''s attack. Thus making their influence over the Lower Realm temporarily weaker.


    Nn could be said to be gambling on the possibility that the Fates''s influence would not interfere with his ''meddling.'' It might be called gambling, but he was confident of his win.


    "''The Emperor''?" Aron was the one who reacted to Ames''s statement and looked at her in concern.


    Ames looked at Aron with an exasperated sigh, "I don''t remember Zane being a reckless fool. Where did a great-grandson of mine be such a troublemaker?"


    The moment Ames said this, Aron and the Regis Elders'' expressions turned nk.


    Zane was not reckless as far as they knew from what little history the Regis n managed to preserve. He would do everything he could to protect his family; however, he would do so with a concrete n. Even when he risked his life to ensure the safety of the Regis n against the Red General''s attack¡ªter discovered was actually Ruin''s doing¡ª he exhausted all the ns he came up with until the only one left was to risk his life so he could give his n enough time to escape.


    Considering this fact, what Ames imed was not incorrect¡ª at least, not entirely. Because as far as the Regis''s history records were concerned, Ames was the reckless one.


    Zane was the only one who would save her time and again if her recklessness backfired on her. Fortunately, all her reckless behavior happened outside the Human ne. If not, how would the Human ne survive the repercussions of her actions?


    From this, it is not wrong to say that Kyran inherited his recklessness from Ames herself.


    Not wanting to voice their thoughts and incite Ames''s ire, Aron and the Regis Elders kept their mouth shut.


    Unfortunately, there was one who did not think the same as them.


    "I''d say the dragon blood running in his veins is very potent," Nn remarked with a slight smile.


    Aron and the Regis Elders'' brow twitched despite themselves.


    Fortunately, Ames failed to register Nn''s witty response and only said, "The Emperor might have some bad blood with us, but that is not the reason he is after him."


    Aron and the Regis Elders'' expressions turned nk once more. As for the others who heard the exchange between them, they were utterly unable to follow the conversation.


    To be honest, when Empress Iulia asked them to prepare and meet with Aron and the others, they were clueless about who they were about to meet. They only knew the one who extended the invitation was the Human ne''s Sovereign, Nn.


    Not wanting to get on Nn''s wrong side, they went to the Regis Estate, using a transmission array to the town nearby.


    Nn''s lips twitched slightly at Ames''s response. He heard she could be an airhead at times but did not expect it to be to this extent.


    "Let''s get down to business. The more we waste with idle chatter, the harder it will be for us to track their whereabouts and save him," Ames told them, gesturing for Aron to lead them to a conference room.


    The discussion that followed would have almost gone awry if not for stor mediating with the situation. He more or less guessed what Nn wanted when he invited others to the meeting. He had been a member of The Coven far longer than thebined ages of the people there and, thus, could easily discern the situation in the Human ne.


    After asking a few questions, stor got the gist of the empire''s overall situation and the Regis n''s role in keeping the problem from worsening. From there, he talked Ames into making a move to ensure the empire would gain a respite from the attempted invasions of the other nations while the Elite members of the Regis n left.


    At first, the others were unaware of Ames''s identity. Although she appeared familiar with the Regis n, they barely understood what they talked about because she sometimes used foreign-sounding terms.


    As a matter of fact, Ames used the dragon''s way of calling one''s great-grandson and such. She also refrained from using Kyran''s name, and the others seemed to have an internal agreement with her and followed suit.


    However, the longer they listened to the exchanges, with them also voicing their own now and then, the realization of who Ames was sent all of them reeling in fear. They did not show it. But inwardly, all of them had gotten wary of her presence.


    The meetingsted only about an hour, and after the n tounch a preemptive attack at the western and southern borders, the meeting was dismissed.


    What happened next could be considered one of the monumental events in the history of the other nations in the Human ne. It also caused the Regis n''s fame to shoot up to an even exaggerated level.


    With Ames at the helm, the Regis Family''s Elite members went out to battle. Using the Sigil, which the Regis members did not fully understand before, Ames awakened and boosted the overall strength of the Regis Family''s Elites. Whether these members participated at the western or southern borders did not matter. They equally received her blessing.


    Among the Regis Family''s Elites were beast tamers who controlled several beasts at once. After understating the extent of the Sigil''s Blessing, their bond with the beasts they tamed strengthened, allowing them to enhance their overall capabilities to another level.


    Ultimately, the battle in the empire''s western and southern borders ended in approximately four to five hours, with the surrender of the opposing side.


    Once the situation in the Ylfaen Empire was resolved, Ames took the Regis n''s Elites and left the Human ne.

 Chapter 975 The Cause of the Fall (8)

    Chapter 975 The Cause of the Fall (8)


    stor did not reveal his identity to the humans when he acted as a mediator between them and Ames. Hiding his identity was not something he and Ames agreed on, but he was sensible enough to know that revealing his identity to the humans might cause some problems.


    He was not worried about the Fates trying to do something to remedy the Human ne''s knowledge of the Lower Realm. Because, like Nn, he was aware that one of the Fates suffered an injury from Kyran. Thus, they could not interfere with anything in the Lower Realm that could change the course of the future.


    Moreover, stor knew that the Human ne was one of those special nes in the Lower Realm that must not be destroyed during the War of the Sovereigns. Even if the Fates intervened with the events happening in the Human ne, they could not overdo it because, unlike in other nes, their influence there was only at a bare minimum.


    stor initially believed that the reason behind this was the fact the Human ne was one of those special nes. However, he changed his mind after the recent event where the Fates personally appeared in Somuli to prevent Flos''s and Obstruction''s deaths. After all, Somuli, like the Human ne, was one of those special nes.


    From this, stor gleaned that the Human ne was far more special than what they initially believed it to be. While he and the rest of the senior mages in the Higher Realm had already considered the Human ne special because it was confirmed to be a remnant part of the Land of the Ancients, he sensed a different type of power in the Human ne that lowered the Fates'' influence over it.


    If the other senior mages in the Higher Realm knew about this, they would do everything they could to understand what that power was. Such power that could lessen the influence of the Fates was something every wise mage would want for their nes. After all, if the Fates had less influence over one''s ne, they could do and test many things that teeter to the edges of what the Fates deemed eptable or uneptable and would not have to worry about receiving an irreversible aftereffect.


    Fortunately, the only mages in the Higher Realm who managed to find and enter the Human ne were not interested in that power.


    Even the Demons, when they invaded the Human ne, they were only interested in locating the Dragon n and the Heart of the Cosmos. Then again, the Demons were unaware that they were in the Human ne back then and that the Great Antitheus King, their leader, was on the brink of death and had greatly weakened. He failed to sense that different power in the Human ne until death.


    The power that stor felt was actually weakerpared to the time when the Great Antitheus King was in the Human ne. The fact that thetter still failed to sense that power was a testament to how weak he had gotten.


    Nheless, the Great Antitheus King might not have noticed that power, but he discovered that the Human ne had humans possessing the Four Ancient Magic Cores. This discovery could have changed the events in that particr War of the Sovereigns. If he had offered this intel to The Emperor and asked for leniency, the Demon n would have escaped total annihtion and could have returned to the Higher Realm.


    Ultimately, the Great Antitheus King decided to keep this intel to himself, only telling it to a few of his loyal subjects. His decision destroyed the Demon n''s chances of survival. Even his loyal subjects who knew about the existence of the Four Ancient Magic Cores in the Human ne were killed, with Ruin being the only survivor.


    Ruin, being his uncaring and unambitious self, did not care about the existence of the Four Ancient Magic Cores¡ª except for the human possessing the Void core, that is.


    In the end, his unique character ensured that the appearance of the Four Ancient Magic Cores in the Human ne was kept secret. Not only that, it allowed Can, Ste, and Zane''s n to create a powerful Void Master for the future.


    As to what power protected the Human ne, it was also the Four Ancient Magic Cores. Or, to be more urate, it was the convergence of the four Ancient Magic itself.


    And the power that stor felt at that moment had been Ste''s Time Magic.


    It should be noted that when Kyran left, and Ste wanted to go with him, he asked her to stay. Though both did not borate on the reason, they seemed to have a tacit understanding of it. Thus, Ste did not insist, even though she genuinely wanted to help search for Cyneah.


    It did not take much time for Ames and stor to gather the Regis n''s Elites and leave the Human ne. Nheless, with the time difference on the ne and outside, a day had already passed since Kyran fled, and The Emperor went after him.


    If True Void had a real body, he would be sweating buckets already because of stress. This was because, more than two hours ago, before Ames and stor returned, he hadpletely lost the connection he had with Kyran.


    Although the fact that True Void still existed confirmed that Kyran was still alive, it did not change the fact that the distance between them had grown too big to the point that he could no longer sense thetter.


    stor tried to alleviate True Void''s restlessness by assuring him that even if he could no longer sense Kyran, he, stor, already had his colleagues searching for him.


    When True Void tried to remind him that Kyran possessed the Heart of the Cosmos¡ª now, he called the Shaiha as such since stor kept calling it that way¡ªthus, his colleagues would have trouble pinpointing his location.


    stor immediately realized how worried True Void was since he forgot that even if his colleagues could not sense Kyran, The Emperor was chasing him. They could easily search for thetter''s magic signature instead of finding Kyran''s.


    For the record, stor was still convinced that True Void was Neo. Because of all that time, True Void remained equipped on thetter.


    No one from Kyran''s side seemed to care if stor misunderstood this. Which was why no one tried to tell him that the one he was speaking with was the armor and not the automaton, Neo.


    Another person who continued to worry about Kyran was Cyneah.


    Again, stor did not know that Cyneah was the Soul Emperor''s sessor. No one also told him of her identity.


    Then again, it might be confusing if they told him who she was when the previous Soul Emperor had not truly disappeared.


    Nevertheless, stor was notpletely clueless about Cyneah''s identity. He knew she possessed the Macabre cier, which was why he and his colleagues in The Coven also wanted to keep an eye on her.


    To them, Cyneah sessfully ''taming'' the mirror was unprecedented. Not only that, they also confirmed that her innate magic was quite different from the mirror. How was she able to ''control'' the mirror?


    stor and the rest of The Coven might be veterans even in the Higher Realm. Apart from that, their knowledge in the Lower Realm was far superior to anyone else in the Lower Realm. However, there were still plenty of things that they were unaware of because of the missing bits and pieces of history of the Human ne.


    It was not wrong to say that their knowledge of the Human ne was greater than the others, but that did not give them an edge. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The others who knew about Cyneah''s identity remained mum as well.


    It was not because they did not trust storpletely. On the other hand, the level of trust they gave him was quite high. And that was the reason they could not disclose Cyneah''s identity.


    They knew stor had been open with them all this time. And how he could easily gather intel and share it with them with ease confirmed that he was receiving updates in real-time.


    But how was he doing it?


    He was not even using anymunication device. Instead, they would only sense a strange fluctuation happening around him.


    Unfortunately, none were present when stor and The Emperor exchanged words outside of Somuli. If they did, they would know that the former could use the Lower Realm''sws to a certain degree.


    Then again, Ames was probably the only one who would understand the exchange between them because they spoke using the Ancient Language.


    Time flew by, and almost two days had passed since Kyran went missing with The Emperor.


    stor did not expect such a thing to happen. The Coven was practically everywhere, and many of them couldmunicate with the Lower Realm.


    How could they not find Kyran and even The Emperor?


    stor''s expression turned grim as he thought of a ce that the two might have gotten into, which would definitely make them unable to locate them.


    The Land of Destion.

 Chapter 976: The Cause of the Fall (9)

    Kyrannded on a shattered ne and hid in one of the crevices of a massive crater he found. His brows creased slightly after confirming the non-existence of magic energy there.


    It was to be expected since there was no longer any life there. Still, Kyran had hoped that with that ne''s death, the rich magic energy from the outside could seep into it with no problem.


    This was how a dead ne could gain a new life, thus giving birth to a new ne.


    Unfortunately, the ne Kyrannded on had yet to achieve that feat. For short, the ne was as dead as it could be.


    But it was not entirely a bad thing. Since that ne had no magic energy, The Emperor might have decided not to enter and wait for Kyran to leave instead.


    After a few minutes, and there was still no sign of The Emperor tailing Kyran, his guess that the former would be unwilling to follow him inside a dead ne was more or less confirmed. Kyran did not lower his guard, though. He continued going deeper into the crevice and using his enhanced senses to survey the surroundings.


    Dead or shattered nes had no lifeforms in them. For this reason, Kyran did not have to worry about unexpected ambushes from native beasts of that ne. However, there was still a danger of relics or magic items falling into a deep slumber because of theck of magic energy in the surroundings hidden in the crevice that might pose a threat to him.


    Why would these items be a threat? It was pretty simple.


    A slumbering relic or magic item had a 90 percent chance of awakening once they sensed beings with powerful magic energies nearby. Since they had been deprived of magic energy for a long time, they would then go after that source and try to consume their magic energy.


    At the moment, Kyran''s magic cores were still filled with magic energy. The Shaiha could conceal his aura and presence. But that did not mean he would not cause fluctuations in the air if he used magic because he could. When he did, others could not detect the type of magic energy he emitted, but to slumbering relics and magic items, the type did not matter.


    As long as they sensed a magic energy source, they could track and consume it.


    After almost an hour of venturing into the crevice, Kyran finally retracted his magic sense andnded squarely on the ground. As he did, his knees shook slightly after realizing how great the gravity in that ne was.


    Kyran used his enhanced senses to survey his surroundings again before looking at a vertical opening on one side of the wall. The opening was quite huge, reminding him of the small cave within the cave he had entered in the Valley of Morte, where he had met Cyneah.


    At the sudden thought of Cyneah, Kyran could not help but sigh as he remembered his abrupt farewell before leaving Somuli to check what had happened.


    Kyran did not regret leaving immediately to check on Nachum. If he had been anyter, the old man would have likely been captured by The Emperor, which would then result in Somuli losing its defense.


    Nheless, Kyran told Cyneah to wait for him because he would return soon. Yet, here he was, on a deste ne, after being forced by The Emperor to flee.


    Kyran looked at the small cave and found it spacious. He immediately took out a pre-made defensive array that worked on an internal magic energy source calction. This meant the array would activate even if there were no magic energy in the surroundings.


    Arrays were meant to work without relying on the surroundings'' magic energy. Thus, it required arge amount of materials. These materials would then provide the magic energy needed for activation and maintenance.


    But Kyran''s Arrays were not like that. Since he primarily relied on his Void magic to create the materials, these arrays relied on his magic energy.


    Kyran knew he had to conserve his magic energy, especially the one from his Void core, for when he could attempt a long-range warp to the Human ne. However, he needed to use some of it now.


    This was because he was critically wounded.


    Kyran retracted the top half of his ck armor, including the helmet, as soon as the pre-made defensive array was activated. He immediately grimaced after losing one of the effects of his armor that helped him endure pain.


    Shockingly, when he was wearing the ck armor, Kyran seemed fine. But after the top half was removed, ghastly apertures were visible all over his upper torso that were about half or a centimeter away from his vital points.


    The enhancement of Draconic magic to his body stopped him from bleeding out. Nevertheless, it could not entirely prevent him from taking damage.


    The wounds on Kyran''s body came from The Emperor''s golden rays that he failed to dodge. As he spected, The Emperor''s magic was simr to Light''s. However, the former''s prative capabilities were far more potent than thetter''s. Besides, when Light''s Light magic prates through her target, she attacks by forcing them to explode.


    On the other hand, The Emperor''s magic would burn it from the inside upon entering his target''s body and kill them without fail.


    Luckily, Kyran''s body had undergone an evolution. Since his body was nowparable to a young dragon''s, he could endure the burning aftereffect of The Emperor''s magic.


    But then, enduring the aftereffect of The Emperor''s magic was different from withstanding it. For this reason, Kyran could barely keep his insides from turning into mush. Fortunately, no one was around to see the state of his upper body. If not, they would have wondered how he was still alive after suffering those wounds.


    Kyran sat cross-legged on the ground and took out three high-quality healing pills. He popped them in his mouth all at once and was about to force regte them into his body when he sensed the burning aftereffect dissolving the pills in one go.


    ''This...''


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. If the pills he took were dissolved, the chance of potions meeting the same end was high. This meant he could not be healed using pills or potions.


    Kyran was speechless at how potent the burning aftereffect of The Emperor''s magic was.


    ''Does this mean I can only rely on my natural healing abilities?'' he wondered. He could use Draconic magic to enhance his healing abilities. But because he had been using Dragon Steps, enhancing his physical and magic defenses, and enduring The Emperor''s magic attacks with Draconic magic for several days, his remaining magic energy was already cut in half.


    If he used it to enhance his healing abilities, would he still have enough once he healed? If not, he would be forced to leave the ne to replenish his magic energy outside.


    Something he could not do because The Emperor was there, waiting for him toe out.


    Or was he?


    A sudden thought crossed Kyran''s mind, remembering how The Emperor''s attacks had decreased after some time. As a matter of fact, the only reason he managed to enter the shattered ne was because significant gaps in thetter''s magic attacks appeared. These gaps allowed Kyran to gain enough distance.


    Kyran initially believed that The Emperor''s decrease in attacks could mean he wanted to preserve his magic energy. It would not be surprising if thetter''s attacks consumed a great amount of magic energy each time he attacked. Those individual rays might even possess a colossal amount of magic energy.


    But The Emperor was the peak existence in the Higher Realm. The amount of magic energy inside his magic core would be unfathomable. Besides that, those golden rays might not even requirerge amounts of magic energy to operate. Also, since The Emperor had been summoning those golden rays without even creating magic energy, his magic energy consumption was far lower than if he had used one.


    Kyran realized that this was The Emperor''s way of ensuring he did not kill him in one shot. After all, there was no telling if thetter could still retrieve the Draconic core and the Heart of the Cosmos if the former died.


    Nevertheless, the fact that The Emperor''s attacks were still fatal meant he did not care what state Kyran was in as long as he was alive.


    For this reason, Kyran suddenly thought of something.


    What if The Emperor deliberately left gaps in his attacks for Kyran to take advantage of and escape into a ne?


    What if he deliberately decreased his attacks to preserve his magic energy?


    No.


    Not preserve, but reserve.


    What if The Emperor wanted to reserve his magic energy so he could unleash a powerful attack?


    An attack that could obliterate an already dead ne?


    The Emperor already knew Kyran was not from the Dragon n. But he was aware of what the Draconic core could do. He was likely betting that Kyran could use Draconic magic to enhance his body and endure the ne''splete destruction.


    However, even if he endured, he would still end up in a far more critical condition, and that was when The Emperor would step in and capture him with no problem.


    Although these questions seemed like a lot, they only passed through Kyran''s mind instantly.


    However, even if he thought of it in an instant, he was still a tad bitte as he sensed a powerful magic attack about to befall the ne.

 Chapter 977: The Cause of the Fall (10)

    Kyran''s pupils dted. He knew in that instant that he fell to The Emperor''s trap and trying to escape unscathed was impossible.


    He could warp, yes, but he needed to focus his thoughts to a ce he was familiar with or had been to before he could do so. Not only that, his magic energy consumption would depend on the distance of that ce.


    Previously, when he went to Somuli, Kyran had to warp at a nearby ne he had been to to get there. Even then, his used up almost all his magic energy. Fortunately, he did not pass out after that.


    Another thing Kyran had to consider was his current location. He had an inkling he was already way outside the range of the nes he had been to. It was for this reason that he could not warp to the Human ne immediately. He needed to make sure if his magic energy was sufficient to make that long-range warp.


    Finally, there was also the matter of gathering his magic energy. He needed to rouse his Void core and circte its magic energy before he could warp. No matter how fast he could gather his magic energy, it would be impossible to umte enough to attempt a long-range warp.


    All these thoughts shed in Kyran''s mind in an instant. Ultimately, his survival instincts kicked in before he could fully absorb the situation he was in.


    ck armor covered Kyran''s upper body as his eyes turned reddish-purple.


    He could not warp fast enough to avoid the iing doom The Emperor unleashed. However, he could still teleport!


    BOOOOM!


    From outside the dead ne, The Emperor''s glowing golden eyes shed from under his white hooded robe as he stared coldly at the expanding devastation that befell it.


    Like what Kyran predicted, The Emperor did bet on the fact that he possessed the Draconic core and use Draconic magic to endure the destruction of the ne. The Emperor did not even held back on his magic attack to destroy the ne because he was worried his target might get away unscathed from that.


    s, he was giving Kyran too much credit! While thetter could use Draconic magic and enhance his physical abilities and defenses, he knew little of Draconic spells to really survive an attack that could destroy a ne.


    The ne Kyran was alreadt dead, thus, it could not resist The Emperor''s attack. For this reason, thetter''s move could easily destroy the ne even if the Lower Realm ced a huge restriction on him.


    As to how The Emperor could find Kyran after wiping that ne off the Lower Realmpletely, especially when thetter possessed The Heart of the Cosmos to conceal his presence, it was very simple. The Emperor was not bombarding Kyran with attacks earlier just to injure him. It was also to inject some of his magic energy into his body, allowing him to find him through his own magic energy.


    The Heart of the Cosmos''s ability to conceal its owner''s aura and presence might seem like a boon, but in truth, it could be exploited.


    Inside the ne, the destruction spread out, starting from the point where The Emperor aimed his attack.


    Unfortunately, that point was the crater where Kyrannded. He might have entered a crevice and ventured in for some time but the speed and range at which the destruction was going was way too fast andrge. In a blink of an eye, the destruction was already near the inner cave Kyran nned to recuperate.


    The defensive array he set up exploded, at the same time as the whole cave turned to smitherens.


    Before the destruction could get close to Kyran, however, he already teleported away.


    Even so, the moment he reappeared, the destruction was already fast approaching from behind.


    Kyran fully immersed himself in teleporting, ignoring the destruction that clinged onto him like a God of Death.


    He could feel his insides burning, but the pain was nothingpared to when True Void forced the Elixir into him. Although Kyran was already unconscious then and was unaware of the pain he had gone through, the fact that he was unconscious for almost a month was a testament to what he had gone through.


    Kyran might have been training with Can in his sea of consciousness while he was recuperating, but even if he was not training, it would have been impossible for him to wake up.


    In any case, Kyran could still ignore the excruciating pain of his insides being roasted.


    The side of Kyran''s right eye twitched slightly as thr destruction touched the soles of his armor.


    The soles dissolved at the moment of contact, even grazing Kyran''s feet. Even so, he ignored the pain and teleported again.


    As he did, the destruction was already very close to the point where he was about to appear. His eyes narrowed as their glow intensified.


    Kyran barely appeared on that location as he teleported again.


    Not bothering to confirm if he gained any upperhand in terms of distance from that one move, Kyran teleported once more. He continued to do this that his reappearance seemed to have be afterimages because of how fast he teleported.


    Finally, Kyran gained enough distance and slightly changed the trajectory of his teleportation target. He had been going in a straight line but now he added elevation to his trajectory.


    Kyran aimed to leave the ne. He knew The Emperor was waiting for him outside, but he prefer enduring thetter''s magic attacks than getting caught up in the destruction of the ne.


    Unfortunately, the destruction of the ne started to expand outside as well.


    Thus, even as Kyran added some elevation to his trajectory it continued to cling onto him.


    Nevertheless, Kyran remained calm. His feet were in pain, and even his insides were being roasted, yet he continued to focus on teleporting.


    Outside the ne, The Emperor watched as it was engulfed in a blinding light of destruction.


    Others woulf have averted their eyes from the blinding light, but not him. He was not bothereed by the light and even felt a slight endearment from it. Besides, he did not want to close his eyes and miss his target. Although he did not believe his target could escape the ne''s destruction, in the off chance he did, The Emperor would see him immediately.


    He would also be able to confirm his target''s location by pinponting the magic energy he injected into him.


    The magic energy from The Emperor''s attack that destroyed the ne might be simr to the one he injected Kyran, but because there was a difference in frequency The Emperor would be able to differentiate them.


    Finally, the blinding light started to dim, allowing The Emperor to have a clear view below.


    Remnant rubbles were the only ones left of the ne, as it got obliterated by The Emperor''s attack.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of The Emperor''s lips as he saw this. The ne might already be dead and destroying it would not make any of the mages in the Higher Realm break a sweat, but the satisfaction that came after seeing one''s handiwork would always be something to look forward to.


    The Emperor relished in his handiwork for a few seconds before returning his focus in locating his target.


    Half a minute ter¡­


    The Emperor''s smile disappeared. His brow also furrowed gradually as he realized he could not sense his target anywhere nearby.


    His target could not have died from that level of destruction, could he?


    The Emperor expanded his search but to no avail.


    Soon after, a realm-shaking wretched scream reverberated within a thousand miles around the destroyed ne.


    A few hundreds of miles from there, a lone patch ofnd floated unperturbed by The Emperor''s wretched screams.


    At the center of the ne was a cave, where inside was a ck mist swirling around a glowing red eyes.


    At the moment, those eyes were staring at something just a few meters from where it was.


    A peal ofughter suddenly came from within the ck mist, which resembled the crackling of thunder.


    "I have been wondering when I''ll get the chance to find you, but it seemed¡­ you''re fate is still tied with me¡­ Shaiha."


    The something that the ck mist was looking at was none other than Kyran, who had just escaped from ne''s destruction.


    Actually, he did not escape but was rescued by the ck mist.


    To be more urate, Kyran was captured the moment he sessfully left the ne.


    He did not know what the ck mist did but after he teleported, the next thing he knew he was already inside the cave.


    Kyran knew the ck mist did not rescue him because he was benevolent. The fact that the ck mist knew Kyran had the Shaiha, and even called it as such, was proof enough of why he captured him.


    Still, Kyran remained calm. Although his body was in pain, and the soles of his feet were still bleeding, he did not show it on his face.


    That was right.


    At that moment, his face was exposed to the ck mist. This was because, when he donned his armor, he could only cover his upper body. He was too focused on escaping that he could not be bothered to cover his head.


    The ck mist cackled upon seeing the calm, yet stern expression of the young man before him and said, "Ah¡­ my apologies. You must think I am someone like that nutjob after you. Do not worry, I have no ns in taking Shaiha from you."


    Sensing that the young man before him had no ns to respond to his idle chatter, he said, "Allow me to introduce myself¡­ then again, I have been called many names that I am unsure what to use to call myself¡­


    "But if I had to choose one, I would say¡­ I am the Cause of the Fall."

 Chapter 978: The Story Caelan Told

    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable. But inwardly, his mind reeled at what the being within the ck mist had said. It was not because he fully understood what the being meant but because he remembered the story Can had told him the second time they met in his sea of consciousness.


    It was a story of the infamous Dark Sage.


    The things Can told Kyran then either confirmed some of his theories or disapproved of them. Frankly, Kyran was surprised at the points at which some of his theories were off the mark.


    Kyran recalled the story Can said after the being within the ck mist had called himself ''The Cause of the Fall, because he, Can, also mentioned that the Dark Sage caused The Fall.


    Whether The Fall mentioned by Can and the fall from the being within the ck mist''s name were the same, Kyran had yet to find out. To be honest, he was unsure if he truly wanted to know the answer to that. He admitted the sudden turn of events was making him uneasy.


    Initially, Kyran thought The Emperor''s appearance was quite expected. cing himself in The Emperor''s shoes, if Kyran had sent one of his trustworthy subjects to capture someone yet failed twice, he would not have chosen another subject to continue the capture. Like The Emperor, Kyran would do the task himself.


    However, Kyran would do that for an entirely different reason from The Emperor.


    It was only a guess, but Kyran believed The Emperor would capture the target himself because he could only trust himself to do a better job. As for Kyran''s reason, it would be that he feared for the safety of the person he would send after the target.


    In any case, Kyran''s guess was not far off. Indeed, The Emperor only trusted himself to aplish the task. But that was because he already suspected Ames was protecting him and did not think any of his subordinates could match up with her.


    Kyran felt uneasy at how fast the turn of events developed after the appearance of The Emperor in Somuli. That uneasiness intensified after he was captured by the being within the ck mist.


    And now, thetter actually imed to be ''The Cause of the Fall.''


    As far as Kyran remembered from Can''s description of the Dark Sage, thetter was an emaciated man in a gray robe. Because of his gaunt appearance, it was easy to see he was suffering from an illness.


    Kyran felt as if he was meeting far too many ''big bosses.''


    The being within the ck mist cackled in amusement as his red glowing eyes stared at him.


    "From your expression, I can tell you have not heard about me."


    This time, Kyran finally responded and said, "Rather than not hearing about you... I just have not decided whether to believe you or not."


    "Hm..."


    The ck mist around the being weaved up and down ever so slightly, indicating his agreement.


    "A wise thing to do."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed. He believed himself to be capable of reading other people''s true thoughts through their expressions and movements. Unfortunately, because the man was shrouded in ck mist, it was very hard for Kyran to read him. If the being''s eyes were not always glowing red, Kyran might be able to glean some clues by observing them. s, because it was glowing, he could not get any clues.


    In the end, he could only rely on the being''s voice.


    Or, at least, that was Kyran''s intention. But even after hearing the being talked, there was little that Kyran could glean from them.


    The only thing that he could confirm at the moment was that the being bore no ill intentions.


    "I will not hold it against you if you do not believe me. However, I hope you at least remember that it is I who rescued you from that nutjob."


    "You seem to know him."


    "I do."


    "Then are you from the Higher Realm?"


    The being let out a cackle as if amused at Kyran''s question before replying, "I am neither from there nor the Lower Realm. However, I am from both. Do I make any sense to you?"


    Kyran did not respond. However, his eyes widened slightly as he somehow understood what the being had meant.


    It was not because the being made some sense just now. Instead, it was the Shaiha that confirmed something to him.


    Kyran had always been able to sense the Shaiha''s thoughts. The Shaiha remained still most of the time, but whenever it conveyed any message to him, it would always make him wonder what it truly was.


    In any case, the moment the being captured him¡ª Kyran was still convinced he was captured and not rescued¡ª the Shaiha seemed to have gotten a little restless. It did not convey any of its thoughts, but he felt it when the being acknowledged the Shaiha''s presence before he did him.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, what the being said was:


    "I have been wondering when I''ll get the chance to find you, but it seemed¡­ your fate is still tied with me¡­ Shaiha."


    This...


    Before Kyran could decide how to bring up the being''s words from earlier, the being spoke once more.


    "Judging from your expression, you seemed to have guessed where I am from."


    Kyran did not voice it. However, he disliked the fact that the being within the ck mist seemed to be able to read his expression even though he remained ''expressionless'' all this time.


    "The Realm."


    The being cackled.


    "Correct."


    "Then the fall... from which you imed to be called from..."


    "It is not a im. I am truly the cause of the fall... And yes, when I say the fall, I am referring to that fall... The Fall of The Realm."


    "I heard that the fall of The Realm happened because someone coveted something from the Ancients. Are you telling me that you are that someone?" Kyran asked with narrowed eyes.


    The ck mist swirled slightly, indicating the being shrugging to his words.


    "I don''t know where you heard that from. But I can assure you that there is more than one truth to what happened back then."


    Kyran let out an inaudible sigh as he said, "I am not sure if I am ready to hear those other truths."


    The being cackled, "I wouldn''t be surprised. But you see, given your special ability, you will have to know them all so you can better pave the future you wanted."


    "What does that mean? What ability are you talking about?"


    "Looks like you have yet to understand what your existence meant."


    Kyran did not respond and only looked at the being before him.


    "Very well."


    As if the being within the ck mist understood that Kyran would not allow him to brush off the topic, he decided to be more truthful.


    "I will tell you what you want to know¡ª."


    "Just so we are clear," Kyran warned before the being could continue. "I will not negotiate with you."


    The being was silent for a few seconds before he broke out in a peal ofughter.


    "Another wise thing to do," he said. "However, you can rest assured that I will not ask for anything in return by telling you what you want to know."


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean, why?"


    "You said you rescued me," Kyran started. "But I don''t think you did that out of benevolence. You know I have the Shaiha. Earlier, you even said that your fate is still tied to it. Yet you don''t n to negotiate with me for it? Then why even bait me?"


    "Bait?" The being within the dark mist repeated, seemingly unable to understand what he had meant.


    "You want to pique my interest by calling yourself ''The Cause of the Fall,''" Kyran replied. "If you are not going to use the information you have about The Fall to negotiate with me, then what is your real purpose?"


    "I am right... you staying silent from the beginning... You have been analyzing what little things you have gathered in that short period," the being responded, seemingly unfazed at how Kyran''s tant show of distrust. "No wonder Shaiha chose you."


    The being paused for a brief moment before rephrasing what he just said, "No... that is not entirely correct. Rather than Shaiha choosing you because of your abilities... it is because of you..."


    Kyran could not help but frown at the being''s words. He wanted to limit the expressions he showed thetter, but it seemed futile to hide his emotions because, apparently, thetter was capable of reading him like an open book. If that was the case, there was little point in acting indifferent.


    In any case, Kyran was annoyed at how the being within the ck mist seemed to be speaking in riddles.


    "Do not make that face," the being said, sounding quite amused. "I do not mean to speak in riddles."


    "You¡ª."


    "You have the body of the Ancients... This reason is why the Shaiha chose you."

 Chapter 979: Shaiha

    Kyran had a foreboding the moment he heard the being within the ck mist refer to the Shaiha as if it were the name of a person rather than an item. He missed it the first time, but thinking back on it, the being within the ck mist''s exact words when mentioning the Shaiha were:


    ''Your fate is still tied with me¡­ Shaiha.''


    Your, and Shaiha. Just from these two, one would be able to glean something was amiss.


    Kyran had felt it before, but he found the Shaiha a little strange, especially when it conveyed messages to his subconscious.


    Nheless, he knew the Shaiha was not a living being. At least, not originally.


    That only left one other possibility. Could the Shaiha be a relic of some sort that produced its own Sentient? And for some reason, its fate was tied to the being within the ck mist?


    If this was true, then Kyran could only think of one reason their fate was tied:


    The Shaiha belonged to the being within the ck mist.


    But if this was the case, then the being was not the Dark Sage. As far as Can''s story goes, the Dark Sage became who he was after the Higher Being and his subjects attacked the Land of the Ancients.


    This was another reason Kyran considered the being within the ck mist as the Dark Sage because what thetter did after the Higher Being attacked the Land of the Ancients caused the fall of The Realm.


    From this, it could also be said that the Dark Sage was a survivor of the Land of the Ancients¡ª probably thest surviving living Ancient.


    Kyran''s use of the word ''living'' to describe the Dark Sage was not wrong.


    The Dark Sage was, indeed, still living. To be more urate, his body lived on because Can sealed it inside the Macabre cier. No one knew about this, of course. Not even La, True Void, Ste, and Zane.


    Can never told Kyran what happened to the Dark Sage''s soul, but he guessed that his soul could be hidden somewhere since the body was intact. This thought was another reason that Kyran considered the being within the ck mist to be the Dark Sage. Since thetter did not have a physical body, he could be the wandering ''soul'' of the Dark Sage.


    However, everything that had been said thus far made Kyran think otherwise. If he had to guess, the being within the ck mist could be another surviving Ancient or someone from the opposition who attacked them.


    If Kyran had to choose, he preferred being within the ck mist to being the former. If he was thetter, then Kyran could be in grave danger, especially after what the being within the ck mist had said about him possessing the body of an Ancient.


    But what was the body of an Ancient, anyway? How was it rted to the Shaiha choosing him? What was the Shaiha?


    In the end, the questions that swirled in his head brought him back to the question of what the Shaiha was. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to know the answer to that at that moment.


    Unless the being within the ck mist was generous enough to tell him.


    ''He did say he will tell me what I want to know... does that include the Shaiha''s origin?'' Kyran wondered. But he did not ask the question and only remained seated cross-legged on the ground. He wanted to hear what other things the being within the ck mist had to say first.


    The being within the ck mist did not disappoint, as he indeed continued to speak.


    "You don''t seem surprised at what I have said. Were you aware of you possessing the body of an Ancient?"


    "I came from the Human ne," Kyran replied indifferently.


    Although Kyran did not borate on his answer, the being within the ck mist understood what he meant.


    The Human ne was a remnant of the Land of the Ancients. It was not impossible for other Ancients to survive the Higher Being and his subjects'' attack and live on the Human ne.


    However, after several years, the blood of the Ancients on humans had gotten thin, and only after fulfilling some requirements could one possess the body of an Ancient.


    "You have the idea. However, that is not the case," the being within the ck mist told Kyran as if reading through his thoughts.


    Kyran did not hide his displeasure at having his thoughts read and frowned at the being within the ck mist. Although he could not confirm whether thetter could read minds or sense them in another way, the fact that he was seen through did not sit well with him.


    "I don''t read minds, but I can read expressions," the being within the ck mist told Kyran, forcing thetter out of his reverie.


    "You might think it was the same, but it is not. Reading minds could be considered innate, and not everyone could do this. However, reading another person''s expressions and confirming their thoughts from them could only be attained after years of practice and staying alive."


    The being within the ck mist paused for a moment before continuing as if they had not been interrupted earlier.


    "If you saw what an Ancient looks like, you will know why I said what I did. But since we have no one topare to, and I don''t think you will agree to look into my ''memories'' and see them for yourself, let us leave it at that.


    "What we should focus on instead is what Shaiha is, and I suppose you also want to know how our fates are connected."


    Kyran remained silent, neither agreeing nor confirming what the being within the ck mist had guessed. Because of this, thetter continued to speak his mind.


    "Shaiha, as you have already noticed, is not a relic nor a magic weapon with a sentient. It is not artificially made. Rather, it came into existence the same way as The Realm came to be."


    The being within the ck mist had only said a few things, but Kyran already managed to glean a lot from them.


    "That''s right," the being within the ck mist agreed after seeing the look of understanding in Kyran''s eyes. "Shaiha is The Realm''s core."


    It took a lot from Kyran not to close his eyes in exasperation. Not when he was in front of someone he did not trust. Still, the foreboding that he sensed earlier being confirmed like this truly vexed him.


    It was one thing to know that the Shaiha had capabilities that other powerful mages coveted but to think that it was actually the core of The Realm...


    Kyran never asked for this. If he could go back to the time he first saw the Shaiha, he would have avoided triggering it.


    Of course, Kyran was only saying this. After all, he already knew that besides having the body of the Ancient, the other reason the Shaiha came to him was that he possessed one¡ª actually, make that¡ª two of the Four Ancient Magic Cores.


    "When The Realm fell, its core was lost, and thus, the two realms, the Lower Realm and the Higher Realm, were born. Now, the real reason that nutjob wanted Shaiha is because he knew that only after he received its Inheritance can he truly be the Higher Being."


    "... what?"


    After hearing thatst bit, Kyran could not remain silent.


    "You heard me right," the being within the ck mist said. "There is no longer a Higher Being that presides over the two realms. Because of this, the Fates could do as they please."


    "Wait," Kyran frowned and slightly shook his head. "I don''t understand what you''re trying to say here."


    "''There is no longer a Higher Being''? How can that be? No, back up a little... you... You said the Shaiha''s fate is connected with yours... If the Shaiha is truly what you said it is...


    then you..."


    The being within the ck mist cackled in amusement. Without waiting for Kyran to continue, he replied, "Yes. I was the Higher Being that ordered the attack on the Land of the Ancients."


    *


    After receiving some updates from his colleagues, stor gave Loar the coordinates where Kyran and The Emperor were presumed to have been seenst.


    Currently, they were on board Loar''s ship, and they were venturing throughout the Lower Realm. Fortunately, Loar was very knowledgeable about Array, and since he was a Sovereign, his Array Creations were also powerful. For this reason, creating a long-range transportation array on his ship was not a problem.


    Using this array, they managed to travel a great distance in a short amount of time. The only downside was the amount of spirit stones that they had to consume each time they activated it.


    Fortunately, Kyran''s automatons managed to mine plenty of exquisite spirit stones in Somuli. They only hoped that the stones in their possession wouldst.


    When they arrived at the coordinates provided by stor''s colleague, Ames immediately asked one of the Regis Elites to check the surroundings.


    The one she asked was none other than Raya, who could recreate scenes that happened on a location.

 Chapter 980: Descendants

    Most of the Regis Elites were already Grand Masters, with a few already half a step into bing Exalted. Raya and Myst were among thetter, and with Ames''s assistance, they were able to break through without a problem.


    As an Exalted, Raya''s capability to replicate a scene through his innate magic improved by leaps and bounds.


    Previously, when he was still a Grand Master, he could already pick up the magic energying from a peak Magus. Now that he was an Exalted, he could already pick up the magic energy of Legendary.


    However, that was not enough. As a matter of fact, even if Raya broke through to a Magus, he would likely only pick up the magic energies of Sovereigns, and clearly, The Emperor, who was chasing after their young master, was not one.


    If the request to recreate a scene through Memory magic were ordered by any other Regis Elder, including Patriarch Aron, Raya would have pointed this out respectfully. But the one who ordered it was Ames, the wife of their great ancestor who happened to be a real dragon. There was no way Raya could have declined.


    No matter how respectful he acted, given Ames''s unpredictable temperament, it would be a pipe dream to keep his head intact.


    For this reason, Raya did not say anything and did what he was told. If he could not do it, at least Lady Ames would witness why that was with her own eyes.


    However, Raya did not expect that the moment he roused his magic, Ames also acted. Her eyes glowed silver as the Sigil''s mark appeared on her forehead. The Sigil''s array appeared under Raya''s feet as a translucent silver dragon circled him.


    Raya did not show it on his face, but the moment the translucent silver dragon appeared, he felt the blood in his veins burn. It was not painful. Rather, it made him feel warm as if something within him were awakening.


    Of course, Raya already had an idea of what was happening. The Sigil''s mark was stimting the dragon blood coursing through his veins. Although he only drank a drop of blood, it was the blood of the Dragon King¡ª rather, the Dragon Emperor.


    If Raya could stimte it on his own, he could utilize 20% of the blood''s power. Unfortunately, he could not go over that; otherwise, his body would explode. The only one who could go over that and even go past 50% was Master Cade.


    If the dragon blood was stimted by Lady Ames through the use of the Sigil, Raya wondered if Master Cade''s utilization of the blood could go up to 100%. As for him, he could utilize 50%, or even 60%, of its power, depending on how much stimtion Lady Ames did.


    Raya knew this because he had already experienced it when they dealt with the situation in the southern borders of the Ylfaen Empire. In any case, Raya sensed the stimtion from Lady Ames''s Sigil at that moment was different from that time in the southern borders. This was because the previous stimtion was temporary. Once Lady Ames cancels the Sigil, Raya''s strength will return to normal.


    Apart from that, his mage level remained the same during the stimtion. Although it triggered a breakthrough after that, it was only because he only needed a little push, and thebat experience he gained from the battle gave him that.


    However, Lady Ames''s Sigil at that moment not only awakened something in Raya''s blood. His mage level seemed to be improving as well.


    ''This...''


    [Do you know what a Sigil means?]


    Ames''s voice fleeted in the minds of every Regis Elite on board Loar''s ship.


    Raya and the rest racked their brains, recalling what they learned about Sigils. They were about to answer her, but then she already continued. Apparently, she was not really asking them for the answer.


    [In the Ancientnguage, it means A Seal. Depending on how you use the Sigil, you either create a seal or remove it.]


    Raya and the others were dumbfounded after hearing Ames''s exnation. They knew about the former but not thetter. As far as they were concerned, the Sigil was used to bind them to another creature. It would then allow them tomunicate with the creature and even share certain abilities through the use of the Sigil''s Blessing.


    None of them ever heard that Sigils could also be used to remove a seal. Then again, they never really encountered a situation where they needed to remove one. Besides, if they ever needed to unseal something, most of them were proficient in Array and could easily do so.


    Ames seemed to sense Raya and the others'' confusion and said, sounding a little annoyed.


    [Obviously, you cannot remove a seal when you, yourselves, possess one. Now, the seal is to ensure that you don''t attract unwanted attention if others sense the dormant Dragon magic energy in your body. My father''s blood, after being stimted, is the only reason you could create a small gap in that seal, allowing you to tap on that Dragon magic energy.]


    Raya and the others were once more left dumbfounded at this. They were taught that they were able to use the Regis Technique because of the Dragon Emperor''s blood. If they wanted to enhance the effect of their techniques, they would have to stimte that blood. But what was Lady Ames telling them now?


    That there was a seal on them and the Dragon Emperor''s blood was the way to help them tap on the energy being sealed inside them? And what was the energy called? Dragon magic energy?


    That was simply impossible.


    They were humans. How could they possess Dragon magic energy? Besides, all of them already had their innate magic, and they definitely did not possess two magic cores that would allow them to have two types of magic. How could they then possess Dragon magic energy as well?


    Even amongst the Regis Elite, few knew that Dragons did not use a magic array because the magic runes they used to rouse their magic were already present in their blood. Nevertheless, even those Regis Elite who knew about this did not think the magic runes in the Dragon Emperor''s blood were as potent as those from real Dragons.


    Ames could not help but roll her eyes. Contrary to what Raya and the rest of the Regis Elite believed, she did not only seem to sense their emotions. She truly could sense their emotions, allowing her to see through their thoughts. Thetter was different from reading one''s mind. It was more with her being able to see through their thoughts simply from understanding their emotions.


    [All of youare my and Zane''s descendants. How can you not possess Dragon magic energy? Or did you forget what I am?]


    This was actually something that the Regis Family overlooked a fact. Or maybe not overlooked. Rather, they never considered it. And this was the fact that Ames and Zane actually had a child.


    There were few records of the Regis n during Zane''s time. And by the time the n had actual records, none told of Ames and Zane''s children. For this reason, they were convinced that the Regis bloodline managed to continue with Zane''s siblings and rtives.


    Ames sighed as she patiently exined why there were no records of Zane''s time.


    [Those records, if left alone, would have posed a threat to the family. Back then, we were still at war with the other Dragon tribes. If they knew that our tribe mingled with humans, who might be the evolution of the Ancients, then we would be seen as a threat to the Higher Realm.


    [When that happened, we would not only be the receiving end of the other Dragon tribe''s animosity but also of those ns in the Higher Realm that wanted to remain in control of that realm. To them, our mingling with humans was simr to secretly amassing military strength that could rival theirs.]


    Ames did not borate on the details, but she remembered how her father united the Dragon tribes and even signed a treaty with The Emperor just to pacify his belief that they had created a force in the Human ne.


    Ames''s father agreed never to return to the Human ne normunicate with them again. This was the reason the Dragons left. Nheless, her father did not want to sever the connection they had with their ''descendants.'' For this reason, he allowed a part of their ne to stay in the Regis''s Ancestral Lands, the Regis Terram.


    But because he signed a treaty with The Emperor, the only one who could appear in the terram was Ames, who was not bound by it.


    [We can talk more about that another time. But right now, I will remove that seal so you guys can use the Dragon magic energy properly. I will start with you, Raya, because I need you to find Kyran as soon as possible.]


    Ames did not say they could use the Draconic magic energy because the only one who could use it was Kyran. Dragon magic was a lower grade of Draconic magic that was used by lesser dragons.


    ''I will do my best, Lady Ames.''

 Chapter 981: Land of Desolation

    While Ames assisted in removing Raya''s seal so his innate magic would be amplified by the Dragon magic energy, True Void and the rest who came with them were gathered inside the ship''s meeting room.


    It went without saying, but True Void and some of Kyran''s Servants did not want to stay in Somuli. Servants with important positions in Armakea had to stay behind, however, and ensure the transition of a Triad between the three big nations in Somuli, Armakea, Land of the Eidums, and The Kingdom of Cretea would be smooth.


    Akim and Kesiah initially wanted to have one of them join the search. But because their father did not know about them bing Kyran''s Servants, they were given huge responsibilities, preventing them from leaving their post.


    Gael also had to stay behind even if he wanted toe. Their Master left him the task of finding Gage and bridging the gap between the beast-likes and theplete beings to ensure the unity of all inhabitants in Somuli and did not want to disappoint him by putting the task on hold. Besides this task was very imporant.


    After all, if both sides were united, Nachum would not have to worry about the internal affairs in Somuli because they could avoid unnecessary conflicts that might lead to an all-out war between them.


    If the internal affairs of Somuli were peaceful, then Nachum would be free to focus on strengthening the defenses of the ne against outsiders. Kyran chose Somuli as something like a ''base,'' so if it remained protected, then he could focus on other things without having to worry about it.


    Kyran also wanted to address the so-called curse of theplete beings who could not harm the beast-likes¡ª at least, within the Kingdom of Cretea. Apparently, it was connected to the mystery of how pacts made in Somuli were binding. In any case, the task of investigating this was left to Jita.


    Those were only a few things Kyran had his Servants deal with. And while they were all worried about him, they wanted to aplish those tasks as well.


    Ultimately, the Servants who had to stay in Somuli could only leave searching for their Master to the others. In any case, their Mistress would be there. With her connection with their Master, they believed it would only be a matter of time before they found him.


    Moreover, Lady Ames, their Master''s great x50 grandmother, was there and even mobilized the Regis Elite. With The Coven also there to provide intel they were quite optimistic about their Master''s situation.


    But as time passed, their optimism was slowly shrouded by skepticism.


    Even their Mistress, who kept calling out for their Master''s name while holding on to the token he gave her, looked despondent as time went by.


    True Void looked at Cyneah and sighed inwardly. Although she wore a calm expression, the light in her mirror-like eyes seemed to have lost their life. He could hear her muttering Kyran''s name like a sacred mantra while tightly holding the token as if her life depended on it.


    He wanted to give her a word offort. Unfortunately, he could not because he also needed one. His connection with Kyran was far stronger than the others.


    It was true that the Servants were beings reborn from the Void and technically would have had a strong bond with Kyran, but True Void was the sentient of the weapon forged by the previous Void Master, who was forced to stay inside the Void core until it was passed onto Kyran. His connection with thetter could not be exined in a few words.


    stor, Axil, Loar, and Wings were also inside the meeting room and silently observed True Void and the others while studying the intel of The Coven''s other members.


    "Judging from the direction they were moving, they might have truly entered the Land of Destion," stor told them with a thoughtful expression.


    The Land of Destion was said to be located between the perimeter of the Lower Realm and Higher Realm. It was rumored to be another way for one in the Lower Realm to enter the Higher Realm. Unfortunately, no one had ever seeded because the Land of Destion was, as its name suggested, a destend. Having no life in that area, any living being would be hard-pressed to stay alive.


    "I don''t think The Emperor is stupid enough to enter such a ce," Axil voiced her doubts.


    "True," stor agreed with a sigh. "Which is why our young friend would definitely want to go there."


    "So he could get away from The Emperor, huh?" Loar stated with furrowed brows. "Kyran has always been good at using his surroundings to his advantage... so entering the Land of Destion to get away from The Emperor is indeed possible."


    Cyneah, Kyran''s Servants, and True Void obviously heard the exchange between them. As for the Land of Destion, they were only made aware of it.


    Hearing that The Emperor would not enter such a ce was enough for them to understand that it was a ce that should not be entered¡ª a forbidden ce.


    As Loar had said, and with them having a better understanding of Kyran''s way of thinking, they also believed he would have hidden in that ce if it meant escaping The Emperor''s pursuit.


    But...


    "... Would The Emperor really stay put just because he entered the Land of Destion?" Wings suddenly asked the same question that crossed Cyneah and the others'' minds.


    stor, Axil, and Loar looked at Wings with grim expressions. She shrugged off their gaze and added, "Well, The Emperor wants the Heart of the Cosmos. Not only that, Kyran also possesses one of the Four Ancient Magic Cores. Would The Emperor really let him off just because he entered the Land of Destion?"


    "I get what you mean... but... The Emperor is a very cautious person. Even if he wanted what our young friend possessed, he would not put his life in danger."


    "If I were The Emperor, I would probably lie low and wait outside until Kyran leaves the Land of Destion," Axil also gave her insight after stor shared his understanding of The Emperor''s character.


    "That is possible," Wings agreed with Axil''s reasoning. "But the question is, will Kyran have a way to leave the Land of Destion? As far as the rumors go, anyone who enters that ce will lose their sense of direction."


    "Kyran should be fine," Loar told her. "If he is a normal mage with one magic core and does not possess the Heart of the Cosmos, he might get lost there. But did you forget? He is the Void Master, besides being the Dragon Lord. Space... distance...


    those things do not really matter with him."


    "Yet, he could not outrun The Emperor."


    "That is probably because he does not want The Emperor to see him use Void magic."


    The one to answer Wings''s counter was True Void.


    The four looked at True Void. Or at least they looked at Neo, who was wearing True Void-like armor.


    Axil, Loar, and Wings knew the one speaking was True Void, the armor. However, stor still believed the one speaking was Neo. No one bothered to exin anything to him. Not because they did not trust himpletely but because True Void did not want to reveal himself.


    "But if Kyran enters the Land of Destion... maybe he can warp out of there..." True Void added. Unfortunately, when he said this, he did not sound convinced.


    Wings shook her head, "From what I heard, the Land of Destion prevents mages from using their magic. If Kyran indeed entered that ce, he would not be able to use his magic."


    Cyneah closed her eyes as Wings''s words were like a knife that pierced through her heart.


    "You mean that ce is deprived of magic energy?" She could not help but voice her question as well.


    "Well..." Wings looked at stor''s direction as if wanting to seek his help in answering that particr question. After all,pared to the ''rumors'' she heard about that ce, The Coven, with itsrge intelligencework, would have more reliable information about it.


    "Yes and no," stor replied.


    He did not refute Wings when she voiced what she knew about the Land of Destion because they were true. Losing one''s sense of direction would be a bane to anyone who entered unknown ces like the Land of Destion.


    "One would be deprived of their magic energy inside that ce. This is true. However, that is only when they pass through certain points," stor exined.


    Cyneah opened her eyes and turned toward stor''s direction.


    The moment she looked at him, he flinched inwardly. He was not intimidated by her, per se. His reaction had more to do with her mirror-like eyes that seemed to be capable of seeing right through his soul.


    No one there knew about Cyneah possessing the Macabre cier or her ability to use Soul magic. They only knew she was the Young Mistress of the Regis Family.


    "You seemed familiar with that ce. Have you been there before?" Cyneah asked stor. Although she sounded respectful, there was something about how she asked that question that made all of them feel they were being questioned by someone with a higher position than them.


    This surprised all of them, especially stor, who was originally from the Higher Realm.


    In the end, stor suppressed the urge to cower before Cyneah and answered truthfully, "As a matter of fact, I have, albeit briefly and miraculously, managed to leave it. However, I arrived in the Lower Realm when I came out from there."

 Chapter 982: The Higher Realm

    From stor''s words, they guessed that he entered the Land of Destion from the Higher Realm.


    "So it is truly connected to the Higher Realm," Axil muttered.


    "If Kyran did enter that ce, he would definitely reach the Higher Realm," Cyneah said with such certainty that stor and they looked at her in surprise. "Is there another way... a safer route we can take to get to the Higher Realm, bordering the Land of Destion?"


    stor replied with a bitter smile, "If there were, I would have returned there already."


    "But The Emperor managed to enter the Lower Realm, and Lady Ames... there had to be a path," Axil also said with a slight frown.


    "There are paths, yes. But not one that we can take any time we want," stor replied. He then exined, "ns with a certain level of influence in the Higher Realm are the only ones who can create those paths. But even then, the only ones who could pass through those paths are someone from the same n..."


    He then looked at Cyneah thoughtfully, "We have spections about the Human ne''s Regis Family being the Dragon n''s descendants... maybe... just maybe, you may use the path Lady Ames passed through to get here in the Lower Realm to enter the Higher Realm."


    Cyneah reddened despite the current situation at what stor insinuated about her ''identity.'' Before she couldment on that, however, True Void said, "That may be possible if the Dragon n''s blood still runs thick in the Regis Family. Unfortunately, a millennia has passed since the Dragon n mingled with them.


    "Besides, let''s not get ahead of ourselves. We still do not know if Kyran has indeed entered the Land of Destion to escape The Emperor''s pursuit. Although it is true that we came to this conclusion because it is the only ce we can think of that may have severed our connection with him, there may be other reasons that we have not thought of."


    "Point taken."


    "Hmm, quite true."


    stor and Axil agreed, respectively, while the others, with the exception of Cyneah, nodded in silent acknowledgment.


    "While we are on that note...." Loar, who suddenly thought of something, started to say. "Is there a way for him to sever your connection voluntarily?"


    True Void and the rest of Kyran''s Servants were silent. They never considered thetter to do that, so the possibility did not cross their mind. But Loar had a point.


    "There is also the possibility that the Heart of the Cosmos activated andpletely concealed him from every connection he had to ensure their safety," Axil also added. She had little knowledge of the Heart of the Cosmos, but she at least knew that since it managed to stay out of the radar all these years, it meant it had its way of protecting itself.


    Since the Heart of the Cosmos now belonged to Kyran, then technically, he was included in its protective measure.


    They continued to share their ideas about Kyran''s whereabouts. However, Cyneah no longer joined in and remained silent throughout their discussion. She admitted understanding the points in some of their ideas but could not shake off the feeling that their initial belief of Kyran entering the Land of Destion was correct.


    She could not put it into words, but her instincts told her that he was in a very dire situation at the moment.


    [Your expression tells me that you are not quite convinced about Void Halfling not hiding in the Land of Destion, Mistress.]


    In the midst of Cyneah''s mullings, True Void''s voice suddenly sounded in her mind.


    [I feel the same.]


    ''But you are the one who made a point of not getting ahead of ourselves about him being there,'' Cyneah replied, frowning inwardly.


    [That''s because I suddenly had a feeling that something or someone hadbeen listening in on us when we started discussing going into the Higher Realm. If we continue talking about how we can enter there, I''m afraid Void Halfling will be in an even dire situation.]


    ''That something, or someone, might lie in wait at the other end of the Land of Destion from the Higher Realm,'' Cyneah voiced her thoughts. ''Is that what you''re trying to say.''


    [Yes.]


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed slightly. The change was too subtle that those not observing her closely would not take notice.


    ''We have to find a way to get to the Land of Destion as soon as possible. Or better if we can find a way to get to the Higher Realm.''


    [As I said, let us not get ahead of ourselves. We may be convinced that Void Halfling might be in the Land of Destion, but we don''t know if he would find a way to leave through the Higher Realm or go out from the Lower Realm again.]


    ''That''s true... But... I know he is nning to go to the Higher Realm. He did not say it outright... and he probably does not n to tell me... Still...''


    Cyneah knew La tried to strike up a deal with Kyran. Although he had not agreed yet, she sensed his intent to find out the truth about why La was so fixated on winning the War of the Sovereigns and going to the Higher Realm.


    Winning the war would have allowed La to enter the Higher Realm, but then she seemed to have given up on it because she believed Kyran had a way of going there.


    Could Kyran''s identity as the Void Master have something to do with La''s change of heart? But if that was the case, then why did she not try asking for Can''s help back then?


    There were far too many things that Cyneah did not understand. Haylee, her essence, knew more about La''s thoughts. Unfortunately, even after recovering her essence, Cyneah could not acquire all of Haylee''s memories. That had been the case with her memories involving Kyran.


    Thinking back, any memory of Haylee that involved La also included Kyran. Could these two be rted? Was it possible that the Shaiha''s concealment also included memories?


    Cyneah had no way of finding the answers to these questions, which frustrated her.


    Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!


    stor and the others immediately stopped their discussion as they sensed a powerful magic fluctuation gathering outside.


    Loar waved his hand, and several projections of the scenes outside the ship appeared at the center of the table.


    Their expressions turned grim as several space distortions appeared around the ship. Following this, mages in white and red hooded robes emerged from them, surrounding the ship in every direction.


    "Those are...?" Axil started as cold sweat trickled down the side of her face.


    stor''s brow furrowed from under his mask as he replied, "The Emperor''s Elite Mages."


    "That... doesn''t sound good..." Loarmented with a stifled groan.


    True Void cursed inwardly as he telepathically warned Neo and the rest of Kyran''s Servants to stay on guard. If the worst-case scenario was to happen, they had to ensure Cyneah''s safety.


    "Do we go outside?" Loar asked stor and Axil.


    stor looked at the projection that showed Ames and the rest of the Regis Elite before replying, "No. We wait here."


    "They might have already picked up on our presence," Wings pointed. "If we don''t go out, will that cause a problem?"


    "I have a saint-tier Concealment Array ced in this room," Loar told her. "Unless those mages also have high Array attainments, they should not be able to detect our presence."


    "Rarely are there any mages in the Higher Realm that do not have a high attainment in Array," stor told them as if to dash Loar''s confidence. "The fact that the Lower Realm''s Array knowledge was inferior to the Higher Realm also does not help."


    "Oi... if you are going to trample on my confidence... you''ve already seeded. Don''t make it worse¡ª."


    "Do not get me wrong," stor hastily continued. "We have the realm advantage. So you don''t have to worry."


    "''Realm advantage,''" Wings repeated. "You mean... our location and not our levels, right?"


    "Of course," stor confirmed. But then his expression remained solemn as he continued to observe Ames and the Regis Elite. "However, we have to stay vignt."


    Meanwhile, Ames and the Regis Elite, who were facing The Emperor''s Elite Mages, wore a calm expression outside the ship. Even though thetter lot emitted an overwhelming magic pressure, they appeared to be unfazed and even seemed to be amused.


    "Since you cannot do anything to the Dragon ne, you decided toe here as well?" Ames was the first one to break the silence as she asked them mockingly.


    One of the mages hovering near the helm of the ship snorted at Ames''s provocation and replied, "Your Dragon ne is still under siege while you idle around here. It will only be a matter of time before your side loses¡ª!"


    SPLAT!


    The mage could not even finish speaking when his whole body exploded, causing everyone there, including the Regis Elite, to gape in shock.


    Ames''s expression remained indifferent as she looked at the mage next to the one who exploded, "I didn''t get what he was saying. Care to continue?"

 Chapter 983: No Pushovers

    Raya, Myst, and the rest of the Regis Elite almost popped their eyes out at Ames''s disy of strength.


    It was not as if they had never witnessed an overwhelming strength that could reduce someone to nothing before because when they underwent training in the Tower of Tribtions, they were among those who survived plenty of near-death experiences, which involved getting caught up in a battle between Sovereigns, or a Sovereign going on a rampage and massacring a city in one of the unimed nes.


    Still and all, there was a huge difference between those Sovereigns'' disy of strength from Ames. One was the target of their disy.


    Ames did not simply kill a Sovereign of the Lower Realm but from the Higher Realm. Raya, Myst, and the rest of the Regis Elite also sensed that the mage she killed just now was far stronger than a Sovereign. The Higher Realm was still unknown to them, but one thing they were sure of was all of its inhabitants were definitely superior.


    If this was the case, just how powerful was Lady Ames?


    On another note, Raya, Myst, and the rest were worried about what the mage said about the situation in the Dragon ne. They were told that the being after their young master was a big shot in the Higher Realm. That being also managed to connect their young master''s rtionship with the Dragon n.


    From this, it was not hard for Raya, Myst, and the rest to conclude that that being had ordered the siege against the Dragon n to ensure they could not send someone to protect their young master.


    Fortunately, Lady Ames was already in the Lower Realm before that happened. Unfortunately, the being''s appearance had been so sudden that she failed to stop their young master from encountering the former. If she did, their young master would not be on the run.


    The Emperor''s Elite Mages were stunned at Ames''s move. They did not expect her to kill one of them when they barely arrived. If the mage who killed their fellow mage were from another n, they would not have stayed frozen in ce and already attacked. Unfortunately, they were before the daughter of the Dragon Emperor.


    They were already aware of her presence in the Lower Realm and made preparations to deal with her. None dared underestimate her, which was why several of The Emperor''s high-ranked elite mages had gathered to detain her.


    Apparently, their supposed number advantage was useless against Ames because she could easily dispatch any of them with a mere nce.


    That was right.


    Ames simply looked at the mage beside the one she killed for speaking in such a condescending manner.


    "Coward," Ames growled when the mage beside the one she killed did not respond to her provocation.


    "It seems like the Dragon n has truly gone against His Majesty for you to attack one of His Majesty''s Elite Mages tantly."


    The voice came from a new distortion that appeared several meters above them. Soon after, a golden throne emerged from the distortion, where a woman d in golden armor with de-like wings made of diamond hovering a few centimeters on her back.


    The woman had a youthful face, which seemed to be carved from jade, with eyes that looked as if they were made of mercury. She was beautiful in a warrior-like way. Nheless, there was nothing beautiful in the way she scanned mercurial eyes at Ames and her people.


    "Lady Raelia!"


    The Emperor''s Elite Mages let out a sigh of relief at the woman, Raelia''s arrival.


    Truth be told, the order the Elite Mages received from The Emperor was to find Ames and keep her ''entertained.'' However, they were aware of thetter''s strength. After all, she was not only a Dragon, but the daughter of the Dragon Emperor. It went without saying that the Draconic magic coursing through her veins was far more potent than the rest of her kin.


    Thus, when they gathered their members, they also sent a message to Lady Raelia, who was known as Lady Ames''s rival in the Higher Realm, for assistance.


    Unfortunately, they could not get a hold of Raelia. They had no choice but to leave the Higher Realm and search for Ames. Nheless, they continued to send out updates to Raelia in case she decided toe.


    The Emperor''s Elite Mages had first gone to Somuli and did not sense Ames''s presence. However, they managed to find traces of her aura and immediately went after her¡ª all the while sending updates to Raelia about their current location.


    Luckily, Raelia managed to follow their trail just as they encountered Ames.


    Ames narrowed her eyes while looking at Raelia. Ignoring the rising confidenceing from the Elite Mages, she addressed Raelia and said, "You''re saying that after The Emperor attacked my n? It sounds to me like you, The Emperor, are just looking for a reason to wage war against us. And you, his loyal hound, is no different."


    "I would watch my words if I were you, Ames," Raelia growled, her brows furrowed slightly.


    Ames chuckled at her words and said, "Ah~ fortunately, I am not you. I don''t want to be someone else''s dog¡ª!"


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Ding! Ding! Ding!


    The de-like wings on Raelia''s armor disengaged, turning into two-meter diamond des that flew toward Ames while she was still talking. However, Ames was not someone to let down her guard. Thus, she easily deflected the iing des with a flick of her hand.


    What happened next was a joint attack against Ames by The Emperor''s Elite Mages and Raelia.


    It was quite unfortunate that even if Raya, Myst, and the rest of the Regis Elite were there, they could not provide any assistance to Lady Ames. As a matter of fact, they were worried that they would be a liability if they stayed there.


    "Do not fret," Ames''s voice seemed to shake the Regis Elite''s core. "I am here. Go and do what dragons are known for."


    The Regis Elite were shocked at her bold words. Nevertheless, they did doubt her. They even had an inkling that they could take on the mages before them.


    As this thought crossed their minds, they were reminded of the things Ames told them about the Sigil.


    Was it truly possible for them to use Dragon magic energy and amplify their innate magic?


    This question only fleeted through their minds for a moment before they felt a burning feeling coursing through their veins.


    Meanwhile, The Emperor''s Elite Mages scattered as soon as Raeliaunched her first offensive. As they did, they attacked Ames with concentrated magic energy attacks from different directions.


    Ames''s eyes glowed silver as she activated the Dragon Eyes. Using her eyes, she was able to follow the trajectory of every attackunched by the Elite Mages. Her magic energy erupted, forming a translucent image of a silver dragon that covered her like armor.


    As Ames made swiping motions with her arms, the wed arms of the translucent silver dragon also moved. They collided with the iing magic attacks, forcing them to explode before making contact with her.


    Raelia, still sitting leisurely on her throne, willed her diamond des toward Ames. They flew around, avoiding the Elite Mages''s magic attacks while also aiming at Ames.


    Swiping the magic attacks aimed at her was one thing, but it would be different when it came to Raelia''s diamond swords. Although Ames appeared to have deflected Raelia''s swords with rtive ease, she was actually employing more than thirty percent of her magic energy with that move. That was because, if she was careless, those des could cut through her.


    Fortunately, Raelia was not an assh*le who would take hostages to ensure Ames would not be able to fight back. If not, Ames would have had trouble protecting herself and the Regis Elite, who had yet to retreat to safety.


    The Emperor''s Elite Mages, however, tried to attack them. Fortunately, the defense mechanism of Loar''s ship was nothing to scoff at.


    In any case, Raelia''s mistake when she attacked Ames was ignoring the Regis Elite. As for the Elite Mages, although they would aim at the Regis Elite every now and then, they lowered their magic outputpared to those aimed at Ames. This was the reason Loar''s ship managed to defend against their attacks with no problem.


    As to why it was a mistake to leave the Regis Elite alone? It was quite simple.


    The Regis Elite were Ames''s descendants. They were no pushovers. With her presence and the first seal of the Sigil being unlocked, the effect of the Sigil''s Blessing would be immense.


    The moment Raya, Myst, and the rest of the Regis Elite heard Ames, they knew at once what she was trying to tell them.


    What were Dragons good at?


    Destruction.


    Chaos


    And with that, the Regis Elite roused their magic energy, triggering their dragon blood.


    They then joined the fray.

 Chapter 984: Do or Die

    Kyran btedly realized that he could no longer absorb any magic energy in the surroundings after warping a couple of times.


    He initially thought that as long as he traversed through the Lower Realm, he would have unlimited ess to magic energy. Apparently, he had long gone off the realm''s jurisdiction and entered an unknown since he could no longer do so.


    Actually, that was not entirely correct.


    Kyran could still sense the presence of magic energy around him. However, absorbing them seemed impossible. It was as if a veil of some sort was shielding the magic energies, preventing anyone from essing them. There were some cracks in that veil where magic energies leaked. But ck vortexes hovered near them, which spelled danger even to Kyran, who was considered familiar with those things.


    He could summon simr vortexes that could absorb anything and everything, after all. However, it was precisely because he knew what those vortexes were capable of that he was being cautious.


    It was one thing if he was the one who created those vortexes, but those formed naturally. There was no telling where he would end up or what he would be if he got sucked into one of them.


    In any case, from what Kyran gleaned from these things, he had a vague idea where he was, so he could not really say the ce was unknown.


    The Land of Destion.


    Kyran first heard of its existence from Zephyr when thetter mentioned it as another possible route to get to the Higher Realm. Kyran then researched the ce because he wanted to know if such a ce truly existed in the Lower Realm.


    Still, researching The Land of Destion was not his priority. Thus, he only got any information.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Kyran let out a muffled groan after his internal wounds acted up at the strain caused by his warping. He took out a healing pill from his storage pouch, which he realized was thest one in his stock, and bitterly took it.


    Healing pills had little effect on the wounds inflicted by The Emperor''s magic, but Kyran had no choice but to take them. If he did not, he would copse from the pain, which would then allow The Emperor or ''The Cause of the Fall'' to get closer to him.


    Kyran inwardly shivered after recalling the being shrouded in ck mist.


    A few hours ago, when he got captured by the being shrouded in ck mist, who revealed his identity as the one who caused The Fall, Kyran''s senses urged him to run as far away from thetter as soon as possible. If he had not realized that the one urging him to run was actually the Shaiha, he might have stayed in that cave listening to the being''s nonsense.


    ¡­


    Fine.


    What that being had said was not entirely nonsense. Instead, his im about not being interested in the Shaiha nor the Ancient Magic Cores he possessed was nonsense. Even as he denied it, his glowing red eyes piercing through Kyran as if wanting to bore through him proved that he had ulterior motives.


    Because of this, Kyran no longer hesitated and warped away. There was no point hiding his Void magic from that being because it was implied he already knew about it.


    Since Kyran warped hastily, he miscalcted his target location and appeared within The Emperor''s magic sense range.


    Kyran immediately warped to prevent thetter from sensing him because warping would leave behind a trace of his Void magic energy. However, the Emperor still caught a waft of it and went after its trace.


    The Emperor appeared familiar with the Void magic signature and even more obsessed with it than the Draconic core because he no longer held back his magic energy and chased Kyran with such zeal.


    This was why Kyran had to warp in session, aggravating his internal wounds in the process.


    Foooom!


    Kyran frowned after sensing The Emperor sending a sonar-like wave to locate his position.


    ''Just how much magic energy does this guy have?'' Kyran wondered in exasperation.


    He could still hide from The Emperor with the Shaiha''s concealment if they were in a ce filled with magic energy. But because they were not, The Emperor only had to locate thest spot where Kyran had warped and follow it to get to where he was.


    When was thest time Kyran felt cornered like this? During his training in the Tower of Tribtions?


    No.


    The things he encountered before were indeed dangerous, and his life was threatened a few times. However, he had always had ess to his Void magic and managed to escape. What other mages that underwent the Tower''s training considered a restriction because of the differences in a ne''s Magic Law did not affect Kyran. Thus, he was never really in a situation where he needed a way out.


    Until today.


    Or was it?


    Kyran''s eyes flickered as he focused on his warp target. With his remaining magic energy, he could warp three or four times more at most, depending on the distance.


    However, the rate and effort The Emperor employed to chase after Kyran made it impossible for thetter to reach a safe distance. And for argument''s sake, Kyran did manage to get away from The Emperor, what then?


    There was no magic energy Kyran could absorb to replenish his magic cores, and without enough magic energy, he could not enter his Void World and hide. Besides, even if he could enter there, there was no guarantee that The Emperor would not find it.


    The Emperor was a peak existence in the Higher Realm; he definitely possessed a relic or magic item that could assist him in forcing Kyran out.


    That sonar-like wave The Emperor had been emitting might even be a relic.


    As for the matter of The Emperor''s magic and abilities being restrained, that no longer applied because they were no longer in the Lower Realm. It was why he seemed to have far more magic energy at his disposal than Kyran anticipated.


    Considering all these, Kyran made up his mind.


    Instead of wasting his remaining magic energy trying to escape The Emperor through warping, Kyran would put it to good use.


    In the blink of an eye, Kyran disappeared. His destination was a spot close to one of the cracks in the veil he discovered earlier.


    He did not warp directly into the crack. He could not because the pull from ck vortexes near it was too powerful, so he could not immediately escape it.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he looked at one of the ck vortexes.


    ''Those are naturally formed ck vortexes, but they still possess the Void''s nature¡­'' Kyran thought, his eyes flickered with determination.


    Based on the Human ne''s Magic Law, a mage that broke through a certain mage level could manipte naturally produced elements corresponding to their innate magic. It also allowed a mage to gain a territorial advantage.


    But Kyran was not on the Human ne. There was no guarantee that such aw would be applicable in the Land of Destion.


    Nevertheless, it was still worth a shot.


    After all, there was one Void theory he wanted to try out.


    This theory was separate from those Can taught him. Instead, it was Kyran who came up with it.


    But unlike the Void Theories Can taught him, Kyran''s was still in its ''theoretical phase.'' He had yet to experiment on it.


    Kyran came up with the theory from Somuli''sck of magic energy. Basically, he would induce or find a spot or ''lifeform'' that could naturally produce Void energy and influence it using his Void magic energy. For this reason, he needed to understand how Mana in Somuli formed, itsposition, and how it worked. Only by understanding these would Kyran be able to test his theory.


    It went without saying, but the reason Kyran wanted to know if he could influence naturally made elements or lifeforms with Void properties was to allow him to limit his magic energy consumption.


    If Kyran could manipte these elements, he would not have to rouse his magic energy whenever he had to use magic.


    Unfortunately, Kyran no longer had the time to prove his theory, given how the sudden events in Somuli brought him into this dire situation.


    In any case, if Kyran was right about his theory, he should be capable of influencing the ck vortexes. He would use his remaining magic energy to do that and manipte the location it would ''send'' him to.


    Of course, there was another risk to what Kyran intended to do: the possibility that the ck vortex would not ''send'' what it absorbed to another location but to oblivion- for short, destroy it.


    For this reason, Kyran''s n could be considered ast-ditch effort¡ª a do-or-die move.


    Getting captured by The Emperor might be a better choice¡ª only if The Emperor did not intend to take the Shaiha and the Ancient Magic Cores at the get-go. Otherwise, Kyran was as good as dead.


    If Kyran was captured, he could bid his time, replenish his magic energy, and find a chance to escape The Emperor. But the question was: Would The Emperor allow Kyran to replenish his magic energy and escape?


    In any case, Kyran deemed it better to die and destroy the Shaiha and the Ancient Magic Cores altogether rather than give The Emperor a chance to take them. This was because, there was no way The Emperor would use the Shaiha and the Ancient Magic cores to good use.


    Moreover, the things Kyran learned from the being shrouded in ck mist practically confirmed that the Shaiha was a very important item that could affect both realms.

 Chapter 985: Into The Unknown

    The air around Kyran crackled as he channeled his magic energy into the closest ck vortex to his spot. The idea was to inject his magic energy little by little into the ck vortex and allow it to adapt to it.


    However, the moment his magic energy arrived at the ck vortex''s edges, a vacuum-like force started to suck them in.


    To be honest, Kyran had anticipated the ck vortex to react like that. It would not have been dangerous for him to get near it if not for the fact that it would react to the slightest movement of magic energy near it.


    Kyran had this in mind when he considered the amount of magic energy he would channel into the ck vortex at the start. s, it appeared he miscalcted the ck vortex''s reaction and sensitivity to magic energy, resulting in it sucking his magic energy like a huge glutton.


    Its suction force was actually simr to True Void''s!


    Kyran tried to lower the magic energy he channeled into the ck vortex. Otherwise, it would run him dry in less than five minutes.


    s, the ck vortex seemed to have noticed what Kyran intended to do. Thus, the moment he started to lower the magic energy, the ck vortex''s suction force doubled.


    ''This...!''


    Kyran''s brow twitched involuntarily. He now knew what those people he absorbed into the Void felt like¡ª a mixture of desperation and exasperation.


    Or maybe, only desperation. The only reason Kyran also felt exasperated was because he was feeling a little ironic at that moment.


    ''Hm?''


    Kyran furrowed his brows as he sensed the Shaihamunicating with him.


    Normally, the Shaiha would assist him in controlling his magic energy output. However, even as he lowered them on his own ord, the Shaiha did not make a move. It even felt as if it was preventing him from decreasing his output.


    ''What...?''


    The Shaiha continued to blink as itmunicated its will to Kyran.


    Kyran''s frown deepened as he realized it was asking him to allow the ck vortex to continue absorbing his magic energy without reservation.


    The thought of letting the ck vortex absorb what little magic energy he had left scared him. If he did what the Shaiha asked him to, he would truly end up dying.


    After all, a depleted mage was as good as dead there.


    The Shaiha sensed Kyran''s hesitation and started to blink hastily as if to tell him there was nothing to worry about.


    Kyran found the Shaiha''s insistence strange. Actually, he found it even more strange that he could understand what it was trying to say far better than before. This made him recall what the being shrouded in ck mist told him about the Shaiha.


    That being referred to the Shaiha as if it was a person. But he was not really treating it as one, per se. Rather, he treated it as one would a magic item with a sentient¡ª just like how Kyran treated True Void.


    Or, at least, something simr.


    To be honest, Kyran never treated True Void as anything else because he first appeared before him as a cutesy furball.


    The being shrouded in ck mist also referred to the Shaiha as The Realm''s¡ª realm as in the noun¡ª core... And possessing the Shaiha would mean having the qualifications for the Inheritance and bing the Higher Being that presides over The Realm.


    Kyran immediately pushed the thought at the back of his head. He would not believe everything the being shrouded in ck mist told him since he only had his word to rely on¡ª and the words of someone who reeked of ulterior motives should not be trusted.


    But not trusting that being''s words did not mean Kyran could not trust the Shaiha.


    Thus far, the only time it had failed him was when it went haywire after getting close to the Macabre cier. Kyran already guessed why it did that, though. It was likely reacting to what¡ª or, rather¡ª who, Can sealed in there rather than being affected by the mirror itself.


    The Dark Sage''s body.


    If this was true... Just what was the Shaiha? And what was the real deal about the Dark Sage?


    All these questions fleeted through Kyran''s mind in but a sh. Since he could not dwell on them, he put them aside and finally decided to allow the Shaiha control over his magic energy. Besides, he knew the Shaiha would never do anything that would truly harm him. At the very least, he felt its insistence to live.


    Fooom!


    Kyran sensed The Emperor''s sonar-like wave once more. This time, he sensed it nearing him and felt it pass through his body. He would have warped before that wave touched him if this had been earlier. But because he already decided to gamble everything into influencing the ck vortex, and now the Shaiha, he did not move.


    Soon after The Emperor''s sonar-like wave passed through Kyran''s body, a realm-shakingughter reverberated in the air.


    "You cannot escape from me again. After I absorb you, I will find that human with the Draconic core and Heart of the Cosmos!"


    The Emperor''s voice was like thunder that reverberated in the surroundings.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes at The Emperor''s deration. At least, thetter still had not caught on him being the same person as the one he referred to as the human. Moreover, this discovery allowed Kyran to know that The Emperor''s sonar-like wave likely only resonated with the Void''s magic signature rather than differentiating all magic energy it made contact with.


    Kyran came to this conclusion because, with the Shaiha upied at the moment and unable to conceal his aurapletely, The Emperor''s sonar-like wave should have detected a bit of his Draconic magic energy.


    Now Kyran was unaware of The Emperor injecting some of his magic energy into his body through his attacks. The Emperor was also convinced that Kyran was different because he did not sense his magic energy in him.


    Unbeknownst to The Emperor, he could not sense his magic energy simply because Kyran''s Void magic energy had already neutralized them.


    The Void magic energy circting in Kyran''s body had always protected him from foreign magic energy. If The Emperor used a method of injecting his magic energy into Kyran, like Deception, who sessfully infiltrated thetter''s senses and made him fall under her illusion, then he might have seeded in making his magic energy stay inside Kyran.


    Since this was not the case, then Kyran''s Void magic energy could easily remove them.


    Kyran could feel The Emperor approaching them at an rmingly fast pace. Still, he remained where he was and waited for the Shaiha toplete what it was doing.


    He did not have to wait long.


    In the next five seconds or so, Kyran noticed the ck vortex changing its color from deep ck to dark purple. After that, the Shaiha sent a message to Kyran, telling him to jump into it.


    Kyran did not need to be told twice.


    With The Emperor closing in with each passing second, there was little time for Kyran to hesitate. Besides, he had already steeled himself on this do-or-die move.


    The Emperor was aware of the cracks in the veil of the Land of Destion that leaked with magic energies. He was also aware that his target was near one and was even dangerously close to a ck vortex.


    From this, he more or less guessed what his target had in mind: he wanted to exploit the ck vortex, thinking that it possessed a simr nature as his Void magic.


    ''A foolish notion...'' The Emperor could not help but sneer at the thought.


    As a person who was once taught by the Higher Being and who possessed most of the Magic knowledge of both realms, The Emperor knew that those ck vortexes could not be influenced by others. True, its nature was simr to the Void, but naturally formed vortexes were nothing like those created through magic.


    Basically, the vortexes created by Void magic had another ''side,'' where everything it absorbed could end up. However, everything absorbed by a naturally formed vortex only had one oue¡ª destruction.


    ''Are you nning to get yourself killed, depriving me of absorbing the Void core? Too naive!''


    The Emperor waved his right hand and a golden rod, which looked suspiciously simr to a fishing rod appeared in his hand.


    "I will not allow you to destroy yourself!" he dered while channeling his magic energy into the golden rod. His magic energy formed into a fine, translucent, thin line, simr to a fishing line. A gold hook formed at the end of the line, which was also made from The Emperor''s magic energy.


    Without waiting time, he pulled the golden rod before throwing it forward, aiming it in his target''s direction.


    There was still a good distance between them. As a matter of fact, The Emperor could not see his target yet. However, he already knew where thetter was and gave his relic the target''s magic signature. He no longer needed to control the rod, as it would go after his target no matter what.


    Fwiiip! Whooosh!


    The fine, translucent, thin line soared through the air and went toward Kyran''s direction. He could not see it, of course. However, he could sense that something wasing at him from behind.


    Kyran did not bother avoiding it. There was no need. After all, he already arrived quite near the now dark purple vortex''s edges and was getting sucked in. He did not fight the suction force''s pull and simply allowed it to absorb him.

 Chapter 986: New Laws (1)

    Even with Ames''s presence and use of the Sigil''s Blessing, it was impossible for the Regis Elite to bridge the gap of several mage levels.


    They could not gain an advantage, but they were not getting oppressed either¡ª for short, they were in a stalemate.


    Ames knew she could not allow the situation to stay that way. She might have a deep reserve of magic energy within her magic core, but they were not bottomless. True she could replenish them using the magic energies in the surroundings so that was not really a problem, but the thing was, her stamina was not the same.


    Besides, The Emperor''s Elite Mages and Raelia could also replenish their magic energy without any problem.


    While their stamina could not hold a candle against Ames''s, the fact that she, Ames, was supporting the Regis Elite, while also engaging almost all of the enemies by herself was burning her out.


    A dragon''s stamina far exceeded that of other beings. But they still tire. And once their stamina was spent, they would automatically go into hibernation.


    Ames did not want to go into hibernation when she was surrounded by enemies. She could risk it if she were alone, but there were others with her. And while she did not really care what would happen to some of them, she could not say the same with her literal descendants¡ª the Regis Elite.


    Besides, that woman was also there.


    There was no telling what Kyran would do if that woman met a bad fate.


    Ames suddenly got annoyed at the thought that crossed her mind. Not because she hated the idea of Kyran and that woman together¡ª she acknowledged that woman already but would never admit it to their faces¡ª but because of the fact that they still had no news about Kyran''s whereabouts.


    Nevertheless, knowing that The Emperor''s Elite Mages came to find her must meant he, The Emperor, had not captured Kyran yet.


    In any case, Ames knew she had to do something to get them out of this situation and fast.


    With this in mind, Ames sent out a telepathic message to the owner of the ship, who remained inside.


    For the record, stor and the others did note out to assist Ames and the Regis Elite to avoid getting them overly involved with their business.


    After all, Kyran was a Regis, and their family should deal with anything that happened to him by themselves.


    Ames was aware that stor and The Coven wanted to get involved just because Kyran''s possession of the Shaiha would disrupt the bnce between the two realms. Nheless, she wanted them to limit their involvement.


    As for the Guardians... well, Ames did not really care about them. But that did not mean she did not appreciate their help regardless if they had other ulterior motives for doing so.


    After sending a telepathic message, Ames got ready. Her silver eyes glowed as she pulled back her head. Simultaneously, her action was replicated by the translucent manifestation of her dragon form that enveloped her like an oversized armor. After which, she and her translucent dragon form opened their mouths and let out a realm-shattering roar.


    "Wha...!"


    "Ngh...!"


    The Emperor''s Elite Mages were caught off guard by Ames''s sudden roar. They roused their magic hastily and enhanced their magic barriers to resist her attack.


    However, they still failed to guard against her roar''s raw strength, with a handful of them receiving a full-blown attack that ground their insides to mush.


    Several of them spat out a mouthful of blood, with a few falling unconscious on the spot.


    The only one who sessfully guarded herself against Ames''s roar was Raelia. She remained seated on her throne while bombarding Ames with her diamond des.


    Unfortunately, Raelia''s des were knocked off by Ames''s dragon form manifestation, with a few shattering upon collision.


    The Regis Elite were not idle. After Ames''s roar knocked off most of the Elite Mages, they swooped in and attacked the remaining ones who got stunned by the roar.


    Some of the remaining Elite Mages waved their hands and secured their fallen members inside their storage pouches. At the same time, the rest intercepted the Regis Elite.


    Foooom!


    A huge array formation appeared above and beneath the ship.


    Loar, whom Ames sent a telepathic message, telling him to prepare the ship''s long-range transmission array, made his move upon seeing the enemies getting pushed back.


    The Regis Elite were aware of Ames''s n and stopped mid-way from attacking the remaining Elite Mages.


    Raelia''s eyes narrowed as she saw the transmission array on the ship.


    The Elite Mages also scowled upon realizing what Ames was nning.


    "Don''t think you could escape!"


    "Dimen¡ª!"


    "Dimension."


    Before the acting leader of the Elite Mages could activate his Dimension, Raelia already summoned hers.


    However.


    RAAAWRGH!


    Ames let out another realm-shattering roar, shattering Raelia''s Dimension before it could even expand.


    Raelia''s eyes widened at Ames''s timing. This was actually another way to destroy a Dimension. Attack it before it could even form.


    However, the only ones who could do this were pure dragons. This was because Draconic magic was known as the most destructive magic of all.


    When Kyran encountered Deus''s automaton, he did not know about Dimensions, which resulted in him getting trapped and beaten up in no time.


    Unbeknownst to Raelia and the others, Ames''s roar destroying the Dimension was a coincidence.


    Initially, Ames only wanted to release another roar to disrupt any move the Elite Mages and Raelia would attempt.


    Fortunately, her timing was impable, and she seeded in destroying Raelia''s Dimension before it could expand.


    Soon after Raelia''s Dimension was shattered, the ship''s transmission array, which was light golden in color, shimmered and turned to dark purple.


    This was obviously caused by True Void, who could no longer wait for Loar toplete the array''s activation. He did not want their enemies to summon another Dimension because there was no telling if Ames could destroy it again. He did not know about the advantage of Draconic magic over Dimension. It was just that he had a bad feeling about staying there.


    [The rebels are on the move. Come back to the Higher Realm, and let us meet as soon as possible.]


    Ames''s eyes flickered slightly as a voice spoke in her head. She looked at the woman, seated on the throne with a scowl that did not reflect in her eyes, before she was transported along with the ship.


    "Ugh...!" True Void groaned and immediately disengaged his armor form on Neo as soon as they reappeared several miles away from the enemies.


    He then turned into a miniature armor, to which he was already ustomed, and sat on the table.


    "Oi, Loar,plete your array''s activation at once and transport us again!"


    stor''s eyes widened under his mask as he stared unblinkingly at True Void.


    "What...?"


    Unfortunately, stor''s doubts could not be cleared at that point because they still had to get away. True Void might have transported them, but the distance those mages from the Higher Realm could traverse was something they could not underestimate. They had to gain as much distance as possible to escape those people''s pursuit.


    "I understand," Loar answered, looking at True Void with unmasked fascination.


    True Void had always fascinated him, and learning that he was a magic weapon, not an automaton, made him even more appealing. Unfortunately, Kyran had refused Loar''s proposal in disecting True Void to understand his internal workings.


    Laor activated the ship''s long-range transmission array several times before they made a full stop.


    By then, Ames and the Regis Elite already went inside and entered the meeting room.


    "I will have to return to the Higher Realm as soon as possible," Ames dered the moment she entered the room.


    Everyone looked at her in surprise.


    "What about Kyran?"


    The one who asked this was True Void.


    Cyneah also wanted to ask the same, but she was hesitant to speak up in front of Ames because of their not-so-good first meeting.


    "Continue the search," Ames replied. Without waiting for True Void to ask a follow-up question, she turned to the Regis Elite and said, "I am taking you all with me."


    "Oi, oi, Ames," True Void started to protest. "We needed Raya''s magic to track down Kyran. If you''re taking all of them with you... More importantly, why are you suddenly in a hurry to go back?"


    True Void only heard that something happened in the Dragon ne because Aron sensed fluctuationsing from the Regis Terram. He did not know the full details, although he more or less guessed that The Emperor had something to do with it.


    "I understand that you''re worried about the Dragon ne but suddenly deciding to leave..."


    "Who said I am worried about the Dragon ne?" Ames snorted while looking at True Void disdainfully. "Are you looking down on us dragons? Do you have a death wish?"


    "Don''t twist my words," True Void replied in exasperation.

 Chapter 987: New Laws (2)

    Before Ames could reply, Raya stepped forward and respectfully lowered his head in her direction, saying, "I''m sorry, Lady Ames, I am of the same mind with sir True Void. I want to look for the young master first."


    Ames scowled but did not say anything as she studied Raya and the faces of the rest of the Regis Elite. They all wore an expression that said they would look for their young master, and not even Ames could stop them.


    Ames let out an exasperated sigh and said, "I understand. But the situation in the Higher Realm has changed."


    From Ames''s tone, a thought crossed stor''s mind, and he slowly understood the situation.


    "You don''t mean..."


    Ames did not say anything, but how she looked at him was enough to confirm his guess.


    stor and the others witnessed the confrontation between Ames and the enemies from inside the meeting room. After watching the exchange, he found Raeelia''s aggression toward Ames a little strange.


    The rivalry between Ames and Raelia was known in the Higher Realm. Nevertheless, the two never really confronted each other, at least not in the spur of the moment. Most of their confrontation was through friendly spars or military exchanges between two ns because the Higher Realm was rtively at peace.


    If they fought seriously, The Emperor would have pressured both ns to prevent the situation from escting.


    Then again, because Raelia was from the de Dancer n, who were loyal to The Emperor, he might side with them and punish the Dragon n for causing friction in the Higher Realm.


    Fortunately, Raelia was still reasonable, and even if she was a loyal subject of The Emperor, she was not fixated on Ames or wanted to settle nonexistent scores.


    Because of this, stor found Raelia''s sudden fixation with Ames very strange.


    stor did consider that The Emperor might havemanded Raelia to find Ames. But even as the idea crossed his mind, stor rejected it. Because if that was the case, why did Raelia not arrive with The Emperor''s Elite Mages? Also, the Elite Mages looked relieved when Raelia appeared, making stor guess she did not receive an order from The Emperor personally but was invited by the Elite Mages.


    Regardless of the truth, stor felt Raelia''s appearance was unnned. Her deliberately ignoring the Regis Elite and only aiming at Ames was also suspicious. It felt as if she did not care about what would happen to The Emperor''s Elite Mages.


    Not only that, even if Raelia was fixated on Ames, her attacks did not carry any weight. She bombarded Ames with her des, but that was all. The Lower Realm might have restrained her magic, but it was the same with Ames. If not, thetter would have returned to her dragon form and destroyed The Emperor''s Elite Mages in one fell swoop.


    But even if Raelia''s magic was restrained, her attacks should be on par with Ames. With thetter getting attacked by the Elite Mages, she would not have been able to defend herself from Raelia''s every attack.


    But Ames did. She even seeded in dmissioning a few of them.


    Considering all these, stor concluded that Raelia came there for another reason, and whatever it was, it made Ames decide to return to the Higher Realm.


    Axil, Loar, and Wings could only observe the silent exchange between Ames and stor. Unlike the two, they had no dealings in the Higher Realm. To be more precise, they had no way of getting there. Thus, getting involved in their affairs was pointless.


    "Ames," True Void called. "I don''t care about your business in the Higher Realm. But if you half-heartedly deal with Kyran being chased by The Emperor, then you should not have gotten involved in the first ce."


    Ames narrowed her eyes, "I am not. You think I don''t care what happens to him? The Shaiha chose him. Not to mention, he possessed two Ancient Magic Cores..."


    Her expression suddenly hardened as a voice from her memory shed through her mind.


    "Is it possible for one person to possess two Ancient Magic Cores?"


    The voice belonged to Zane, and his question was directed to Ames''s father, the Dragon Emperor.


    Ames remembered her father scowling at Zane''s question and admonished him never to consider such a thing again. When Zane asked why, her father only told him:


    "Such an existence will be a huge bane to all of us."


    Back then, Ames knew what her father had not told Zane. Thinking back on it, her father should have said it so Zane would not have conspired with Can and Ste to bring about Kyran''s existence.


    The thought of one person possessing two Ancient Magic Cores was already frightening. What more if that person also received the Shaiha''s approval?


    "... Kyran''s existence practically sentenced our n to death," Ames continued after a moment''s pause. "No, not just the n... but both realms."


    Everyone inside looked at her in shock. They knew it was never good for one person to hold so much power. Thus far, the naturalw of things has bnced everything in both realms. At least, they believed this to be the case, with the Lower Realm''s rules ensuring those from the mages in the Higher Realm could not run wild within their realm.


    But based on Ames''s implication, Kyran alone could destroy both realms.


    Could this indeed be possible?


    It was reasonable for them to doubt Ames because they did not know Kyran was exempt from any Magic Laws in the Lower Realm.


    Ames did not know if it would still be the case when Kyran managed to step into the Higher Realm. But she had an inkling that he would, not because he was an Ancient Magic user, but because he had the Shaiha.


    In the end, Ames did not borate on her words and instead said, "This is especially true if The Emperor captured and took the Ancient Magic Cores and the Heart of the Cosmos from him."


    "Then¡ª."


    "But," Ames cut True Void before he could say anything, "... the situation in the Higher Realm has changed. I want to return and fuel that change so I can force The Emperor back there. When that happens, wherever Kyran hid, he could return by himself once he realized The Emperor was no longer after him."


    "That... is a sound n," True Void admitted. But then the glow in his reddish purple eyes dimmed as he added, "But this is only applicable if Kyran is still in the Lower Realm."


    Ames frowned at once.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Like I said, I can''t sense him."


    "You''re not going to bring up the possibility of him entering The Land of Destion, are you?"


    "I believe that is the only ce that would make me fail to sense him."


    "Is it not because he is already too far? Like the connection has gotten weak because of it?"


    True Void shook his head, "This is different. I am not a Servant nor a Sigil. So my connection with him is a little..."


    "Let us say he did enter that ce. I don''t believe he will get lost there," Ames said in exasperation. "He could control the Void. He can get out of that ce anytime if he has enough magic energy. Not that he could at the moment if The Emperor is right behind his ass."


    "But what if he is no longer there?"


    Cyneah finally mustered up the courage to speak.


    Ames looked at her with one raised brow, "What do you mean?"


    "There is a rumor in the Lower Realm that speaks of another route to the Higher Realm," stor exined.


    To be fair, that rumor originated in the Higher Realm, so Ames knew of it. Nheless, the chances of a mage from the Lower Realm arriving at the Higher Realm through The Land of Destion were zero.


    The amount of magic energy a mage from the Lower Realm possessed was inferior to that of a Higher Realm mage. This alone could dictate one''s life or death inside The Land of Destion.


    When stor saw Ames''s furrowed brows, he hastily continued, "You may be thinking that someone from the Lower Realm could not possibly survive the journey to the Higher Realm from that ce. And you are correct. But as you said, our young friend can control the Void.


    What if¡ª and I want to emphasize the if here¡ª he could somehow traverse through The Land of Destion without being affected by its magic energy restriction?


    "And you may not be aware of this, but The Land of Destion is not really deprived of magic energy. There is a barrier that seals off magic energy in that ce. However, there are cracks in it where magic energy leaks. The only problem is that it is hard to absorb the magic energy from there because of the ck holes that spawned near those cracks."


    "ck holes?" True Void asked with raised brows.


    stor nodded, looking at True Void with a slightly awkward expression.


    "That''s right."


    "Young master is capable of summoning a ck hole," Myst chimed in. "Is it possible for him to control those and¡ª."


    "I don''t think it is possible," stor replied, slightly shaking his head. "Although ck holes possessed a Void''s nature, the ones in The Land of Destion are natural. Besides, there is no Magic Law in that ce. This means it is difficult to rouse one''s magic..."


    "He still can... I am sure of it," Cyneah suddenly said, garnering everyone''s attention again.


    Ames frowned at her words but did not say anything. Cyneah spoke with certainty that even Ames found it hard to refute her words.


    "I can''t exin it in words. But I know he is there and can pass through and enter the Higher Realm from there."


    Silence ensued after Cyneah shared her thoughts.


    After a moment''s pause, Ames heaved an audible sigh and said, "If that is indeed the case... Then we have to change our course of action."


    *


    "Ngh...!"


    Kyran let out a muffled groan as he got thrown out of what appeared to be another ck vortex.


    The force at which he got thrown out was quite powerful and sent him hurling forward for several kilometers per second.


    Fortunately, Kyran sensed the abundance of magic energies in the surroundings, which allowed him to replenish his near-depleted magic cores. After which, he used his magic sense to control the surrounding magic energies to regain his bnce and hover in midair.


    When Kyran seeded in regaining his bnce, he surveyed his surroundings. Soon, his brows furrowed as he noticed something was amiss.


    He intended to influence the ck vortex with his magic energy and manipte it into warping him to his desired destination.


    That did not happen; instead, he was thrown into an entirely different location.


    ''Where the hell am I?''

 Chapter 988: New Laws (3)

    [You have arrived on the other side of The Land of Destion.]


    A voice that sounded like a blend of a boy and a young woman sounded in Kyran''s head.


    Typically, if someone hears a voice in their head after arriving at who knows where, they would feel rmed. But rather than feeling rmed, Kyran felt troubled.


    Because when the voice spoke to him, something resonated inside him as well.


    ''You''re....''


    Kyran''s brown furrowed as he looked into his sea of consciousness through his mind''s eye.


    [It is good to finally speak with you properly, Realm Scion.]


    At the spot where the Shaiha should be, a woman wrapped in a flowing dress that glowed with the Shaiha''s signature multi-colored light hovered like a mythical being. She had long silver-white hair that flowed behind her back like a white river, and her almond-shaped eyes seemed to reflect all lights¡ª which was dangerously simr to Cyneah''s mirror-like ones.


    Her skin shimmered as if it were sprinkled with diamond dust. However, upon closer inspection, her skin shimmered because her skin was covered with scales. Her lips were painted light purple, and finally, her ears were surprisingly longer and pointed¡ª like the high elves¡ª however, because of their scaly texture, one would know she was not a high elf.


    In any case, Kyran immediately knew who the woman before him was.


    It was obvious.


    ''So this is why that ''guy'' kept referring to you as if you were an individual, huh?''


    Kyran looked at the woman with narrowed eyes.


    ''Shaiha?''


    A gentle smile surfaced on the woman''s face as she replied, "That is correct."


    Kyran grimaced inwardly. He hoped his initial guess about why the being shrouded in ck mist referred to the Shaiha as a living being was wrong. s, his hopes were dashed when ''Shaiha'' was revealed before him.


    "Why now?"


    Kyran did not need to borate on his question because Shaiha understood what he had not said.


    She replied, almost apologetically, "The Lower Realm''s magic energy is iplete. I can only sustain my form as a core. The ck vortex fueled my body, allowing me to refine the magic energy from the Lower Realm and, upon arriving here, amalgamate it with the Higher Realm''s magic energy.


    "Because of this, I can finally appear in this form."


    "''The Lower Realm''s magic energy is iplete?''"


    Rather than giving a follow-up question to Shaiha''s appearance change, Kyran was more interested in what she said about the Lower Realm''s magic energy.


    He found it strange and, at the same time, curious that she used the word ''iplete'' rather than ''insufficient'' when describing the Lower Realm''s magic energy.


    Catching up on what Kyran might be interested in, Shaiha smiled and nodded.


    "That is correct. To give a brief exnation, when The Realm was divided into two: the Lower Realm and the Higher Realm, the magic energy of the former also separated.


    "The magic energy the Lower Realm could sustain is minimal and, at most,mon. Which is why the number of nes it could retain is also limited."


    Kyran did not respond to Shaiha''sst point because he was already aware. The mages from the Higher Realm forced the War of the Sovereigns in the Lower Realm because only by doing so could it continue to exist without problem. If they allowed the Lower Realm to continually birth new nes, the naturalw of that realm would kick up and destroy nes at random.


    Rather than risk a ne with good resources being destroyed by the realm''s naturalw, they forced Sovereigns to fight each other and destroy useless nes.


    They also baited the Sovereigns into iming as many good nes as possible or grouping up with one another by dering that the winner of the war could go to the Higher Realm.


    Obviously, that was a ruse. Because, as far as everyone was concerned, none of the Sovereigns ever got the chance to go there.


    Rumor had it that the Dark Sage sessfully ascended, though. However, he could not take anything with him, and thus, he entrusted his belongings to his sessor, Can.


    Or at least, that was as far as Kyran''s understanding went.


    "The Higher Realm is a little different," Shaiha continued. "Because it has The Realm''s heart, it managed to retain most of its magic energy, especially those rare and powerful ones."


    "When you say magic energy, you''re talking about the types of magic it holds, right?"


    "That is correct."


    "The Lower Realm only possessed mostlymon magic. Thus, the magic energy it circted ismon and limited."


    "Yes."


    "Only after youbined the magic energy you saved up from the Lower Realm andbined it with the one in the Higher Realm were you able to sustain your real form."


    Shaiha smiled, "As expected of the Realm Scion."


    Kyran frowned, "Can you not call me that? I don''t like the sound of it."


    "It doesn''t matter whether you dislike it or not. You are the Void Master. Thus, you are the Realm''s Scion."


    "What does that even mean?" Kyran replied scoffingly. His response was not meant as a question because he more or less understood what Shaiha had implied with her words. However, he did not want to acknowledge it.


    Kyran would not acknowledge it.


    Unfortunately, Shaiha did not notice his aversion to the topic and continued what she was saying.


    No. That was not entirely correct.


    She knew Kyran was uninterested, but that did not stop her from speaking anyway.


    "The true Void Master is the only one who can be the Realm''s Scion."


    "Stop¡ª."


    "Can was only the first vessel. For the true Void Master to appear, the Void core needs to have a vessel, and Can agreed to be one¡ª."


    "I said stop," Kyran snapped at Shaiha, his voice dropping to a very dangerous level.


    Shaiha looked at him with sad eyes. After a while, she sighed and closed her eyes: "You cannot deny your identity, Realm Scion."


    Kyran did not respond this time. Instead, he left his sea of consciousness and opened his eyes in real time.


    Still, Shaiha incessantlymunicated with him. After all, he could notpletely cut off his connection with her since she was currently serving as the central core of his four magic cores.


    [It is dangerous to stay in one ce in the Higher Realm. Unlike in the Lower Realm, the rules in this realm are prettyx, which is why the Sovereigns here can do as they please. The Emperor is the only one who can subdue them.]


    Kyran wanted to ignore Shaiha''s ramblings. But after she confirmed where they were, he knew moving around without enough intel would be suicide. He needed her since she appeared to understand a lot about the Higher Realm.


    Sensing Kyran''s hesitation, Shaiha could only suppress her desire to have him ept his identity. Her priority was to ensure his safety. And frankly,ing to the Higher Realm ced him in a far more dangerous spot. Unfortunately, being discovered by The Emperor, getting chased by him, then meeting that person, and finally entering the Land of Destion forced them there.


    This was a bane possessed by an Ancient Magic Core had to endure.


    The bane of being immune to the Fate''s intervention.


    If Kyran''s fate was fixed, Shaiha could have predicted what would happen next. But then again, even if she could, there were two people constantly around him that could potentially change that.


    Cyneah and Ste.


    These two were also immune to the Fate''s intervention because they were sessors of an Ancient Magic Core. Unfortunately, the former had not received the Soul core because its previous vessel refused to relinquish it. Moreover, she allowed herself to be influenced by that other person.


    As for Ste, she had long been affected by the first vessel''s emotions and almost jeopardized Kyran''s future because of her intervention. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened in the end.


    ''I''d like to ask how you know about all this stuff, but I guess your identity speaks for itself,'' Kyran finally responded to Shaiha. ''You knew that the ck vortex in the Land of Destion would not destroy us; that''s why you didn''t stop me when I decided to use that to escape.''


    [That is correct.]


    Shaiha admitted. She then borated.


    [That ck vortex will devour anything and anyone except for you because of your identity as the Void Master¡ª please don''t get me wrong.]


    Shaiha hastily added when she sensed Kyran''s mood turning foul once more.


    [As you''ve already guessed, the vortex possessed the Void magic''s nature. If you had enough magic energy, you would have been able to control itpletely, allowing you to warp into your desired destination.]


    ''And here I thought, you manipted it into taking me here.''


    [I don''t have to.]


    Shaiha admitted again. Kyran even imagined her shrugging her delicate shoulders.


    [Since you only have enough magic energy to ensure your body could pass through that vortex without getting destroyed, it directly sent you here. Because that vortex is the passage allowing one from the Lower Realm to enter the Higher Realm.]

 Chapter 989: New Laws (4)

    ''I thought you said it would not devour me because of my identity. But what you said just now makes me think it would have done that if I did not have enough magic energy.''


    [Let me ask you a question: how would the vortex know your identity if you did not have enough magic energy?]


    Meaning the vortex identified him through his magic energy.


    ''That''s fair,'' Kyran agreed with a slight nod. ''But... Do you have to regard that vortex as if it has a life of its own?''


    Even as he said it, he paused and recalled how he would also refer to automatons as if they were alive after they birthed their own sentient. This made him want to retract his words. But before he could, Shaiha had already responded.


    [Because that is the truth of The Realm.]


    Kyran frowned again, not because Shaiha''s statement could open the ''The Realm'' topic again, but because of what they implied.


    He had previously read a simr statement in the Ancient Magic book, which could only be read by Ancient Magic users.


    The book''s contents would depend on what Ancient magic the one reading circted.


    Kyran could read both the Draconic and Void contents of that book. However, he found a loophole that allowed him to read the Soul and Time magic content.


    The loophole was quite simple: as long as Kyran roused a magic item or material possessing the magic energies of Soul or Time magic within the book''s proximity, its contents would change. He only had to avoid rousing his magic energy to ensure the book would not detect it and change its content again.


    The book''s four introductions discuss how everything in the realm is alive and that it is the truth of all things. It then exined that magic in the realm is made possible because of the existence of the Four Ancient Magic: Chaos¡ªthat was how the book referred to Draconic magic¡ªSoul, Time, and finally, Void.


    In any case, Shaiha''s words made Kyran recall the book''s introduction and vaguely sense that they were rted. Shaiha''s meaning might even be the same as that of the Ancient Magic book.


    Shaiha sensed Kyran''s interest was piqued by her words. She intended to teach him more about The Realm because she believed if he knew more about it, he woulde to ept his identity as the Realm Scion. However, telling him more about The Realm right there and then was terrible timing.


    They were in the middle of nowhere in the Higher Realm, which could be considered The Emperor''s territory. If they could not confirm their exact location and which ne was closest to them, they might get discovered by one of The Emperor''s subjects. Kyran''s appearance might differ from that of the lesser dragon, whom The Emperor was looking for, but their presence there was already suspicious.


    His subjects would still detain them no matter what excuse they came up with.


    Besides, Shaiha''s knowledge of the Higher Realm needed to be updated. She needed to get up to date if she wanted to ensure Kyran''s safety. Thus, the sooner they could find a ne and gather intel, the better.


    Of course, they could not enter just any ne. That ne had to be neutral¡ª neither belonging to The Emperor''s court nor other independent groups. Shaiha might not be able to identify if a ne was thetter neutral, but she knew how to determine the former.


    [Let us talk about that another time. Right now, we have to find a neutral ne to gather intelligence. If we stayed here any longer, one of The Emperor''s subjects might discover us.]


    Kyran did not need Shaiha to borate on her warning to understand that he would be in deep trouble if someone from The Emperor''s side found him. Thus, he did not reject her suggestion. Besides, he was still injured. Not to mention exhausted. He might have recovered most of his magic energy, but it was not the case with his fatigue.


    Just when Kyran was about to move, he recalled something, and his expression darkened.


    ''Shaiha¡­ is there a way for me to... err¡­ fly? I can teleport, but I don''t think leaving residual Void magic energy around here is wise. The same goes if I use Dragon Steps.''


    [¡­]


    One of the perks of having Void magic was the ability to traverse through the Void. Because of this, he was incapable of flying or levitating without support.


    Void magic''s nature practically removes the ''wind'' around its influence, allowing one to fly.


    At the moment, Kyran could hover in midair because he was using the magic energies in the surroundings to hold him in ce. Or, to be precise, hold his armor into ce.


    If he started using those magic energies to move, they would be converted to his innate magic energy. Then, depending on what magic energy he circted, he would either have to use Dragon Steps or teleport. When that happened, he would leave behind residual magic energy that The Emperor''s side could trace.


    To be honest, Kyran''s weakness was rather pathetic. And it could not even be considered a weakness because he could travel through the Void. But if he wanted to stay hidden, this weakness would be apparent, especially in the Higher Realm, where its inhabitants seemed to be very familiar with Void magic.


    Deus''s clone recognized it, and The Emperor, too. He even managed to track Kyran when he was warpingpared to teleporting, warping allowed him to travel greater distances.


    Shaiha finally let out a helpless sigh after a short, awkward silence.


    She then said:


    [As the Void Master, you don''t need to fly¡­ thus, you don''t have to learn it.]


    ''Don''t, not can''t,'' Kyran pointed, noticing Shaiha''s choice of words.


    [Yes. However, at your current level of Void understanding, it will take you some time to master it.]


    ''Can you tell me the principle behind it, at least?''


    [Void is synonymous with nothingness. However, all thingse from nothing. As such, the truth of all thingses within the Void.]


    ''¡­''


    [I told you. At your current level, it is too soon for you.]


    One of the things Kyran hated was not understanding something. What Shaiha said just now reminded Kyran of what Can told him the first time they met in his sea of consciousness. That the Void is not all about destruction.


    Kyran managed to learn some of the Void''s creation nature. However, he only managed to apply it when creating array formations, items, routes, and temporary worlds from nothing.


    Judging by Shaiha''s tone of voice, Kyran guessed that if he wanted to learn how to fly, he needed a more in-depth knowledge of the Void''s creation nature.


    And Shaiha was right. It would take Kyran some time to master it.


    ''Give me a moment,'' Kyran said after a short pause. ''I will craft something.''


    Shaiha''s white brows twitched ever so slightly. It stressed her out that Kyran had no sense of urgency.


    Then again, no one was after them yet, so there was no reason for them to be in a hurry.


    Obviously, Kyran knew the risk of staying in one ce for too long. But to him, it was far more risky to move around unfamiliar terrain. This was especially true in his case because he had already run out of emergency supplies.


    Kyran was not referring to food supplies. If that was the only thing hecked, there was no need to worry because he could carry on without food for a couple of weeks. He could even go as far as a month so long as he had enough water.


    What Kyran indeedcked at the moment were energy replenishing, healing, and stamina potions and pills. He also needed to restock on premade array items because no matter how fast he could create one from scratch, it would still take time to develop several arrays at the same time, primarily if he intended to ce the array formations in specific locations.


    Kyran realized this when The Emperor was chasing him. If he had premade array items, he could have used them and created a diversion to keep thetter busy. Even if The Emperor could easily counter those arrays, it would still buy Kyran some time to find a chance to escape.


    Kyran admitted he came to the old man''s rescue unprepared. He should have expected mages from the Higher Realm woulde knocking at their doors again after meeting Deus and learning about The Emperor''s order to capture him.


    To be fair, Kyran ced =countermeasures in Somuli. But none of those would have worked against The Emperor. There was also the risk of implicating innocent lives.


    In any case, Kyran would not make any excuses for his blunder because he admitted to beingcent after killing Flos and Obstruction¡ª not to mention hurting one of the Fates.


    Because of this, Kyran decided to be extra careful when treading through the Higher Realm.


    His first task was to create enough supplies until they found a ce where he could rest and then gather intel.


    Of course, before that, he would need an item that would allow him to move around in midair.


    Kyran sighed inwardly.


    To be honest, he already had a prototype of a magic item that would allow him to fly. But because there were far too many things he had to take care of, he had yet to test and improve it appropriately.


    What was more, he left the prototype on Loar''s ship.


    Fortunately, Kyran still remembered the prototype''s design, and the Higher Realms'' magic energy was far thicker andplete than that of the Lower Realms. This allowed him to create the materials he needed with ease.


    Shaiha felt a little restless as she waited for Kyran toplete what he was doing. She was prepared to make a drastic move if she noticed anyone approaching them, and she did not care if he got mad.


    It turned out, Shaiha did not have to wait that long because Kyran managed to craft a magic item that would allow him to fly in less than half an hour.


    As a matter of fact, it only took him more than ten minutes toplete it. The reason it took more than that was because he was simultaneously concocting potions and pills.


    Afterpleting the magic item, Kyran attached it to his armor. He then took out an off-white hooded robe and wore it over his armor to hide it and his face.


    [Are you not going to use your mask?]


    Shaiha could not help but ask.


    Kyran shook his head, ''The face-altering mask only has a few saved faces in it. Even if The Emperor had not seen all of it, most of those faces are based on real people. Well¡­ apart from Nar, but¡­''


    [Right, he has seen you using Nar''s face.]


    ''Yes,'' he replied with a sigh. ''Besides, I don''t think I''ll be able to fool the inhabitants of this realm with it.''


    [Hm¡­ you have a point. Most mages in this realm are knowledgeable in Array, so your creations might be seen easily.]


    ''Yeah,'' he agreed. ''So there is really no point in changing my look at this point.''


    [¡­ ''at this point''?]


    Shaiha repeated, tilting her head questioningly.


    ''I first need to understand the differentws in this realm. Only after learning and understanding them can I attempt to create an improved version of the face-altering mask.''


    Shaiha raised her brows in understanding. She nodded in agreement and said.


    [That does make sense.]


    ''With that said, let''s find the nearest ne.''


    [All right. I will let you know if it is safe to enter that ne.]


    Now, it was Kyran''s turn to raise his brows, albeit questioningly.


    Without waiting for him to ask, Shaiha exined.


    [I can detect if a ne is under The Emperor''s influence. This will lower our chances of crossing paths with his subjects.]

 Chapter 990: Dragons, Faes, and High Elves

    It took Kyran three days before finding a ne. Fortunately, it was a neutral ne, and its Overlord was called Oceanus.


    Shaiha admitted to knowing someone called Overlord Oceanus. However, she was unsure if the Oceanus of that ne was the same mage she remembered. That was because Oceanus was only a title, not the mage''s real name. As such, it was customary to pass the title on to the mage''s sessor or student if something happened to them.


    ording to Shaiha, names in the Higher Realm held great power. It could also bind one and be one''s weakness. To avoid this, beings with conscience never give out their real names. Instead, they refer to themselves by affiliation, n, position, or title if they were a High Sovereign or an Overlord of a small or big ne.


    When Kyran heard Shaiha talk about Overlords and High Sovereigns, he guessed they were titles simr to the Lower Realm''s Sovereigns. These could also be considered the next level a mage could reach.


    Shaiha knew Kyran''s interest was piqued when she mentioned these things and promised to exin it in detail once they found a safe ce to stay.


    True to Shaiha''s words, after Kyran sessfully entered Overlord Oceanus''s ne (Ogen), found a secluded area in one of its forests, and built a small lodging for them, she educated him about basic knowledge in the Higher Realm.


    As Kyran guessed, the next mage level after Sovereign was called High Sovereign and after that was Overlord.


    High Sovereigns can own a small ne with a decent military size of about ten thousand mages, which Shaiha confirmed are all Sovereigns.


    Any other mage from the Lower Realm would have reeled at this information. After all, the highest level of mage in the Lower Realm were Sovereigns, and they were few. Yet in the Higher Realm, an incredible ten thousand could only be considered subordinates to a High Sovereign.


    Kyran btedly realized how vital and powerful the Lower Realm''s rules were in ensuring that mages from the Higher Realm could not do what they pleased there. Because if even one High Sovereign and their army entered the Lower Realm without restrictions, they could eradicate nes and destroy all its inhabitants.


    Then there was the Overlord. There was a significant difference between an Overlord and a High Sovereign, not only in terms of their strength but also their authority.


    Overlords can own bigger nes andmand fifty thousand mages. In fact, there are some Overlords who have High Sovereigns as subordinates in the Higher Realm. Apart from that, the army of the High Sovereigns is not included in the fifty thousand mages the Overlord canmand. Instead, they are an addition to thetter''s overall military strength.


    There were only a few such Overlords in the Higher Realm, and the Dragon Emperor was one.


    ording to Shaiha, the Dragon Emperor was previously only a High Sovereign. However, he defeated all the other Dragon tribes'' High Sovereign levels, uniting them to form one n.


    After over a thousand years, the Dragon King had broken through and was now an Overlord. Thus earning a new title as the Dragon Emperor.


    Kyran and Shaiha also learned during one of their visits to a nearby city that the Dragon Emperor was rumored to be on the verge of reaching the next level.


    This rumor caused some friction between The Emperor''s Council.


    This was because only one mage had reached the next level so far, and he was the Supreme Overlord, The Emperor himself.


    If the Dragon Emperor broke through, the chances of a war between his n and The Emperor''s happening were high. In fact, there were already rumors of a sh in the Dragon ne between the two ns.


    When Kyran heard this, he felt guilty. Unlike the others, who believed that the sh between the two ns was due to the Dragon Emperor''s approaching a breakthrough, Kyran knew it was because of him.


    Whether The Emperor believed the Dragon Emperor purposely hid Kyran''s identity with thoughts of using thetter against him or he discovered Kyran was indeed part of the Dragon n, in the end, Kyran never wanted to implicate them in his matters.


    Shaiha insisted that the current situation was not something he could control. Even if he could, The Emperor had long wanted to wage an open war against the Dragon n, and Kyran''s appearance gave him a reason to do just that.


    As for why The Emperor wanted to wage war against the Dragon n, it was obviously because he feared the Dragon Emperor breaking through to the next level. Because when that happened, he could no longer suppress the whole Higher Realm.


    Not to mention, there was a possibility that the Dragon Emperor''s strength could surpass him because thetter was a true pure dragon¡ª the only living being that could naturally use Draconic magic, one of the four Ancient Magic.


    Apart from studying current affairs in the Higher Realm, Kyran also discovered a lot about Ancient Magic from Shaiha and the city library he finally managed to enter.


    What Kyran learned defied most of what he knew in the Lower Realm.


    In the Lower Realm, the Four Ancient Magic was known as the most rare magic. It was also said that only one person could wield them in its truest form.


    There were mages whose innate magic resembled Ancient Magic, but only four could be called Ancient magic users.


    However, in the Higher Realm, beings were known to have Ancient magic. These included the Dragons, the Faes, and the High Elves.


    A few thousand years ago, when The Realm was still intact, the Dragons, the Faes, and the High Elves were revered in such a high regard that even the Higher Being had to pay his respect in front of them.


    Because of this, some ns saw these three as entities closer to a god.


    And then things happened.


    Internal conflict appeared among the dragons, forcing them to break into tribes and keep their distance from each other to avoid an all-out war.


    Then there were the Faes, who were feared by many because of their Soul magic. Soon, ns conspired against them and attacked them. In the end, they were nearly wiped out, with only a few who managed to survive and keep theirnd, the Spirit ne, intact.


    However, that onlysted for a short time. Because, with only a few weaker Faes remaining, it was easy to bully them. Ultimately, when The Realm crumbled and divided into two, their ne was forcefully sent to the Lower Realm.


    Finally, the High Elves, who could wield Time Magic, kept to themselves after The Realm showed signs of breaking. It was unknown what happened to them when The Realm was divided. However, there were rumors that their ne also ended up in the Lower Realm.


    Kyran felt conflicted after learning this truth, especially when he read about the high elves. This was because their features were simr to those of the inhabitants of the ne he once trained in and ended up massacring.


    Of course, Kyran only felt that way. Because, as far as he knew, none of them could use Time magic. If they did, then the universal truth in the Lower Realm that ''only one person could wield one Ancient magic'' would have been voided.


    Still, Kyran felt that the rumor of the High Elves falling into the Lower Realm might hold some truth. But rather than being essible to all, their ne might be hidden like the Human ne.


    After learning about these three beings that could wield Ancient Magic, Kyran tried to search for the ones who could wield Void magic. When Shaiha learned of this, she only scoffed at him and said:


    "Void is an exception among the Four Ancient Magic. Why do you think the Ancients did all that research to create the Four Ancient Magic Cores?"


    Kyran did not know if Shaiha had noticed that she had practically told him that she learned about the lost history of the two realms.


    It was only a thought on Kyran''s part, but after he read through the copies of the tablets Axil and her fellow Guardians discovered in the Lower Realm, he was convinced that it held the truth of what happened in The Realm.


    Frankly, Kyran regretted not being able to read the original tablets beforeing to the Higher Realm. But after learning that Shaiha might know everything, he no longer regretted it. He only hoped she would be willing to tell him everything.


    Besides this, Kyran''s suspicion about the Four Ancient Magic Cores being artificially made was further exemplified. It was bing apparent that the Ancients were the ones who created them.


    Kyran''s interest shifted toward the Ancients. Unfortunately, there were no records about them in the library, and Shaiha refused to impart her knowledge about them.


    Finally, a month had passed since Kyran arrived in Ogen, and his knowledge of the Higher Realm was now adequate.

 Chapter 991: Leif

    One thing Kyran was grateful for was not having to learn an entirely new magicw in the Higher Realm from scratch. This was because its magicwprised all of the Lower Realm''s magicws. It could also be said that itsw was theplete form of magicw.


    To improve his knowledge of the Higher Realm''s magicws, Kyran only needed to have an in-depth understanding of how each magicw in the Lower Realm was rted to the others.


    Shaiha exined that Lower Realm''s nes had different magicws due to the realm''s iplete magic energy. Also, most nes there were recently created and only originated after The Realm was divided. Thus, those nes developed an entirely different magicw based on what little magic energy they managed to adapt.


    She added that only a few nes from before The Realm was divided survived in the Lower Realm after experiencing countless Wars of the Sovereigns.


    When Kyran asked how it managed to survive, Shaiha exined that most of those nes were protected by The Coven. Because if those nes were destroyed, The Realm would never be restored.


    As soon as the topic of The Realm''s restoration was brought up, Kyran immediately steered the discussion in another direction. He clearly wanted to avoid discussing The Realm, especially after Shaiha had previously called him the Realm Scion.


    Shaiha could only sigh whenever that happened. She had already decided to wait until Kyran showed interest in that topic, but she could see that it would be an agonizing wait.


    Contrary to the Higher Realm''s Magic Law, learning the other branches of magic, like Alchemy and Array, proved to be a grueling experience, even for Kyran, who possessed an innate ability that allowed him to learn things just by understanding the principle behind them.


    The reason was the abundance of materials avable in the Higher Realm, unavable in the Lower Realm. From this, Kyran had to learn every new beast, what part of their bodies could be used as an ingredient for Alchemy or Array, or materials for Crafting, as well as every new nt.


    Memorizing every piece of information in the city library was not a problem. But if Kyran wanted to learn how to concoct potions or pills through Alchemy or write and craft Array formations and Smithing, he would have to get his hands on the items themselves, or else he could not test their effects.


    The problem was that the ingredients avable in Ogen could survive in its climate and living conditions.


    Ogen was a ne abundant in water-based magic energy and Aquatic lifeforms. This was not to say there were no other magic energy or lifeforms. However, these were those who could survive Ogen''s living conditions.


    Since Ogen was abundant in water-based magic energy, every lifeform with fire-based magic energy could only survive there for a short time. They could stay for a month at most before their magic cores dried up because they could barely replenish their magic energy.


    Meanwhile, Shaiha also gathered enough intel to update her knowledge of the Higher Realm. She still needed more information about the current rtionship of every lord of the nes there, but that could wait until they could visit other nes.


    It would definitely help if they could visit a more prominent ne because, to be honest, a neutral ne like Ogen was only privy to essential information.


    Now that Kyran was no longer a clueless fool in the Higher Realm, attempting to enter a ne belonging to an independent group or even The Emperor''s faction might be possible. Of course, this would have been true if Kyran could stay out of trouble. But knowing his track record, it was wishful thinking. He would eventually get caught up in something, even if he kept a low profile.


    It was said that if a person had powerful thoughts about something terrible happening, that person would likely invite something horrible to happen.


    Shaiha should have been careful with her thoughts, especially now that they were in the Higher Realm. Did she not warn Kyran about names holding power? This concept was the same when negative thoughts invite negative things to happen!


    It happened when Kyran was on his way to the city library. Since he had visited the library frequently, some shop owners near it had be familiar with him.


    For the record, Ogen''s inhabitants were a mixture of humans and aquatic beasts. They all possessed water-rted innate magic; thus, they did not mind the cold temperature that Orgen was known for year-round.


    Because of this, what would generally be a ce where people would wear thick clothes, with hoods, gloves, and boots, was nowhere to be seen. If one wore such attire, they would draw a lot of attention.


    Considering this, Kyranchose to follow the trend and wore regr clothes. He even opted to wear an off-white coat and pants because wearing ck stood out in the crowd. This was because Ogen''s inhabitants preferred to wear lighter shades of blue and green, making dark colors stand out like a sore thumb.


    In fact, Kyran''s ck hair drew quite a lot of attention when he first entered the city. Fortunately, they only ogled at him for some time and then ignored him.


    Kyran was surprised at thex atmosphere in the city. Even the security was pretty loose because no one had asked for his identification upon his entry.


    Shaiha exined that this was only possible in neutral nes. Nheless, the city''s security was not loose per se. The reason no one asked for Kyran''s identification was because every city in Ogen was built under an active array formation.


    These arrays monitor the activity inside the city. Once it detects malicious activities or intent from anyone, its detainment form will activate and catch the culprit. After that, the city guards will respond and apprehend the culprit, and if they are inhabitants, the city head will give appropriate punishment depending on what happened.


    But if it is a visitor, they will be questioned before Overlord Oceanus.


    Kyran was quite impressed with how advanced and powerful the array formations in Higher Realm were. It should be noted that every inhabitant there were Sovereigns, and for its array''s detainment form to work on them without fail was a testament to how powerful it was.


    In any case, Kyran remembered this and avoided using his magic sense to observe the array formation. Luckily, he did not do that before entering the city. If not, he would have triggered its array and likely been caught and brought before Oceanus.


    Then again, Kyran avoided checking the city for array formations simply because he wanted to avoid standing out. His magic was unrted to the water element. Thus, if he had used his magic sense without mainly utilizing the nature of Draconic or Void magic, he would have been detected easily by the array and its inhabitants. Again, this was because everyone there was a Sovereign.


    Going back to the present, when Kyran was on his way to the library, some shop owners who had be acquainted with him these past few weeks greeted him as usual.


    Most of them were humans, with a few mixed races.


    Those mixed races looked no different from a beast-like in Somuli with reptilian blood. They only differ with the color of their scales, which the Ogen mixed races had either greenish or bluish tones, while reptilian beast-likes in Somuli had darker shades of green and red.


    Shaiha''s foreboding happened when Kyran was about to enter the city library.


    Since the library was essible to all, the only ones who required an identification card were those who wanted to check out ancient records or scrolls. Besides, most of the information was already avable to them.


    They only had to ess Ogen''s global channel through their portable tablets, which were advanced magic items thatbined amunication device with a memory orb that every inhabitant possessed.


    Visitors could also receive a temporary tablet. However, they had to register and pay for it at Ogen''s Embassy.


    Kyran did not have money.


    Again.


    But then, he did not n to stay. Once he gathered enough intel, devised his next move, and made appropriate preparations, he would leave and go to their next destination.


    Thus, he did not purchase a temporary tablet and only visited the library to gather intel.


    Unfortunately, this caught the attention of a few prominent figures in the city¡ª and at that moment, they were watching him.


    Kyran stopped in his tracks because he sensed multiple eyes on him when he approached the library''s steps.


    Shaiha noticed his abrupt stop and furrowed her brows.


    [What''s wrong?]


    ''I''m being watched.''


    Shaiha could not help but raise her brows in surprise while unconsciously looking in the direction of the Draconic core. She did not sense Kyran circting his Draconic magic, yet he noticed others watching him. This meant that his natural senses could still detect concealed scrutiny of Higher Realm mages.


    But then, her initial surprise was reced by exasperation as her foreboding came true.


    [Can you tell who they are?]


    Before entering the city, Kyran gathered enough intel on the city''s upper echelon. He only learned their names and what they looked like, but it was enough. It did not matter what they did or how powerful they were because he nned to avoid them no matter what.


    However, he was met with a problem at that moment because he could not recognize any of the people watching him.


    ''No.''


    [What do you mean¡ª?]


    ''None of them are from the upper echelon of the city.''


    Shaiha narrowed her eyes.


    [Are they from Oceanus''s side? Or...?]


    Kyran did not hear what she was about to say at the end because he had already guessed who she was referring to.


    The Emperor''s people. Shaiha might even be referring to The Emperor himself.


    Before Kyran could respond, he noticed a group of human inhabitants of Ogening out of the library. Judging by their youthful appearance, they were likely in theirte teens or early twenties. They were also dressed elegantly, indicating they were from the city''s upper echelon.


    Seeing them gave Kyran a foreboding sense. He also felt an iing headache as he noticed the young woman in a long, gradient blue and green dress approaching him.


    The young woman was quite pretty, with flowing light blue hair and sea-green eyes. Her gentle smile suggested her warm and pleasant personality.


    Still, Kyran did not find the young woman''s smile warm. On the contrary, he felt a slight shiver up his spine.


    "A pleasant day to you," the young woman greeted Kyran as soon as she was a few steps away from him. "My name is Leif. Would you be so kind as toe with us for a moment?"

 Chapter 992: Invitation

    [It''s her...? But how...? Why...?]


    Shaiha quivered slightly while looking at Leif through Kyran''s eyes.


    ''You know her?''


    [She''s Oceanus''s daughter. At least, I believe it is her. Her appearance changed a little, but Leif was the title Oceanus''s daughter uses.]


    Even without Shaiha borating on that, it was easy to guess how grievous their situation had be. If Kyran ignored Leif''s invitation and insisted on escaping, his identity could be in danger of being exposed.


    Oceanus''s people could easily track his research history inside the city library, and using that, they could have guessed he was new in the Higher Realm.


    From there, it would be easy to pinpoint his identity. After all, the Higher Realm did not receive many visitors. This was considering that there was any truth to the rumor that the War of the Sovereigns'' winner could enter the Higher Realm.


    In any case, the information avable in Ogen, especially to the public, might be limited, but its Overlord should be privy to more in-depth news.


    It had been a month since Kyran entered the Higher Realm. No matter how zealous The Emperor was in wanting to capture him in the Lower Realm, it would not be to the point that his judgment would be clouded.


    The Emperor would have already realized that Kyran managed to slip through the Land of Destion and enter the Higher Realm. The former would have also mobilized his people to look for thetter in the Higher Realm.


    Whether The Emperor decided to return to the Higher Realm to look for Kyran¡ª who possessed the Void core, or stayed in the Lower Realm to continue searching for Kyran¡ª who possessed the Draconic core and the Shaiha, Kyran had no way of confirming.


    At least, not at that moment.


    However, suppose Kyran properly dealt with Leif''s invitation. In that case, he might gain the opportunity to ess exclusive information in the Higher Realm that would only be privy to the High Sovereigns or Overlords.


    Leif did not take offense when Kyran did not respond to her immediately. From her point of view, he might have been rendered speechless after learning who she was. After all, what were the chances of her approaching someone like him?


    Zero.


    Leif is Overlord Oceanus''s daughter, the Young Lady of Ogen. Her rank and authority far outreach any of them.


    Leif showed Kyran a bright and friendly smile and added, "Fret not. We only want to get to know you a little."


    Kyran snapped out of his thoughts while keeping an indifferent expression. He noted how Leif used plural words like us and we. This meant she was only here to invite him, but the people who wanted to speak with him might be someone other than her and her friends behind her.


    As Kyran thought this, he looked at the young men and women up the steps, who were observing them with keen eyes. His brow twitched slightly when he saw a few young men scowling at him.


    Those young men obviously liked Leif, and Kyran more or less guessed they had the wrong impression when she approached him.


    From this seemingly irrelevant detail, Kyran gleaned that Leif did not tell her entourage why she invited him. This meant whoever told her to approach him asked her to be discreet with her intentions.


    "I''m... not in trouble, am I?" Kyran asked, looking back at Leif with a troubled expression.


    [W-Wait... you''re not nning on entertaining her?]


    Shaiha asked, full of concern.


    Kyran did not answer her and focused on ying the role of a troubled visitor.


    Leif giggled slightly, then shook her head, "Like I said, fret not."


    She gestured toward her right and added, "I have a small vi nearby. We can talk while having some tea."


    "I..." Kyran stammered and looked uneasily at the people up the steps.


    Leif saw this and misunderstood the reason he felt uneasy. She raised her brows in amusement and assured him, "Oh, they will not be joining. However, they will return with us to the vi."


    Kyran frowned inwardly. From her words, he guessed that the young men and women were her guests and were staying at the vi. If that was true, and she wanted him over, how would the other people wanting to speak with him enter the picture?


    Did he misunderstand the clues he gleaned from her?


    "...Okay."


    "Great!" Leif beamed as she swiftly took the remaining steps, separating them. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the vi, saying, "I hope you don''t mind if we walk there. I can summon a portal, but then we won''t be able to enjoy the view."


    "Wai¡ª ''enjoy the view''?" Kyran repeated, not knowing what she meant because there was no view they could enjoy on the streets.


    Leif did not seem to have heard his question and continued to lead the way to the vi, with the rest of the young men and women following suit.


    In an instant, they caught everyone''s attention, making Kyran uneasy. He did not mind the attention when he was in disguise, but at that moment, he was himself. Although he did not use his real name when the need to introduce himself arose, that did not make him less uneasy.


    Meanwhile, Shaiha, who stayed silent until then, sighed hopelessly.


    [I do hope you remember... You have the Young Mistress back at home.]


    ''Huh?'' Kyran could not help but frown at Shaiha''s reminder.


    Why was she suddenly bringing Cyneah into their conversation?


    [Leif is Oceanus''s only daughter, and he spoils her far too much. She is outgoing and has a pleasant personality. However, it is due to this that whenever something or someone piqued her interest, she can win them over with ease.]


    ''...''


    [And now, she has set her eyes on you.]


    ''... You do know she''s... probably the same age as Ames¡ª Zane¡ª my ancestor''s wife, right?''


    [Age doesn''t matter in the Higher Realm. A mage can choose to look young for as long as they live. And to rify, Ames is younger than Leif.]


    ''...''


    [You read her invitation too deeply when she only wants to win you.]


    ''...''


    [I''ve had this strange feeling that you don''t give yourself proper credit for your appearance. At first, I thought it was because you''ve been using Nar''s image for so long and have gotten used to being ignored by others because of your average looks. The Young Mistress''s condition may have also fueled that misconception. Thus, you only think people will be interested in you for your strength.


    But that is not the case. Your ck hair only made you stand out even more, but your overall appearance, how you carried yourself, and that seemingly mysterious aura you have are enough to garner attention.]


    ''...''


    Sensing Kyran''s doubt, Shaiha sighed in exasperation. She guessed he doubted her because almost everyone had ignored him all this time. But the truth was, they did not want to stare too much in fear that their stares might trigger the city''s array if they appeared malicious.


    Of course, they would not have triggered the array''s detainment form; instead, the array might have registered their behavior as suspicious and alerted the city guards to investigate.


    That would have been embarrassing if it happened.


    Besides, didn''t Kyran notice that the shop owners who greeted him on his way to the library were mainly the opposite sex? They would even give him some of their goods when possible.


    Moreover, what Leif meant about enjoying the view was that she wanted everyone to see that she had already taken hold of him and that it was in their best interest to forget any thoughts about approaching him moving forward.


    [... Just be careful. If the worst thing happens, you can tell Oceanus about who you are¡ª or at least about you being the Void Master. Don''t tell him about possessing the Draconic Core or me. His rtionship with the Ancients had been amiable, and he stayed neutral after all these years. Nheless, that did not mean his view of what transpired in the past remained unchanged.]


    ''... ''what happened in the past''? Do you mean when the Higher Being tried to steal from the Ancients?''


    [Yes.]


    Shaiha replied with a sigh.


    [Oceanus was one of the few who did not respond to the Higher Being''s summon when he decided to destroy the Ancients and steal their research. This spoke volumes of his character, at least. Hopefully, Oceanus remained the same after all this time and would not show interest when the result of the Ancients'' research appeared before him¡ª.]


    Shaiha abruptly stopped, realizing what she had just told Kyran.


    Kyran sensed Shaiha''s internal struggle at her slip of the tongue and chose to remain silent. He did not tease or force her to say more. He did not need to, at least not at that moment. What she said was enough to make him connect the things he already knew ande closer to the truth about what had happened in the past.


    Kyran was correct in thinking that the Ancients were the ones who created the Four Ancient Magic Cores.


    No.


    Rather than create them, the Ancients found a method of producing them. The Higher Being wanted that method. However, the Ancients likely declined his request, which resulted in the war.


    Obviously, the Higher Being wanted to destroy them because if he did not, even if he sessfully stole their research, the chances of the Ancients producing the Magic Cores first were higher.


    Kyran was convinced that the Ancients did not manage to produce the Ancient Magic Cores because human mages possessing them only appeared during the time of Can, La, Ste, and Zane.


    Now, the keyword there was human mages. Because there were, in fact, other beings who possessed Ancient Magic Cores.


    Kyran believed the Ancients were trying to create artificial Magic Cores that human mages could possess.


    The Ancient Magic book also stated that specific requirements must be fulfilled for the Ancient Magic Core to appear. It did not list the requirements but did mention the four families where they could appear.


    Still, there was one thing Kyran noticed: these four had something inmon.


    They were a family of humans.


    Why did the Ancients devise a method of artificially producing the Ancient Magic Cores for humans?


    Kyran had yet to find the answer to that.


    True to her words, they arrived at Leif''s vi in less than ten minutes. In fact, they would have arrived much faster if not for her trying to be an excellent guide to Kyran and introducing every known establishment along the way.


    Frankly, Kyran did not need the introductions because he already knew them. Memorizing the city''s map and key establishments was one of the first things he did upon entering the city''s library.


    Then again, Kyran did not know that the vi near the library belonged to Oceanus''s daughter. He remembered it was registered under an unknown Sovereign called Curos.


    Leif gently tugged on Kyran''s sleeves as if to tell him to level his ears to her reach. As he did, she leaned closer and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret. I recently purchased this vi and haven''t explored it yet."


    She then looked at him imploringly, expecting him to follow through on what she said.


    Kyran caught on to Leif''s innuendo but feigned ignorance. He simply nodded his head, straightened his back, and replied with a deadpan expression, "I see."


    Leif did not find his indifference annoying. Instead, she was amused. It made her wonder whether he was truly aware of her identity as Oceanus''s daughter.


    Based on her people''s initial investigation, it had only been a month since he first came to the city. However, he did not stay in one of the inns or hotels. Instead, he would leave the city before it gets dark.


    This went on for days.


    Then, days turn to a week.


    Leif had recentlye to the city to attend to some business when she chanced upon Kyran. He stood out from the crowd because of his ck hair. But apart from his hair, what truly caught her attention was his ability to conceal his presence. In fact, if not for his hair, she would not have noticed him.


    After that, Leif had her people investigate Kyran. She then learned that he was called Null¡ª a strange name, in her opinion, especially when it meant nothing in the Ancients'' oldnguage.


    Leif also learned that Kyran would onlye to the city to visit the library. She asked her people to find where he was staying, but they easily lost track of him because of his ability.


    When Leif asked her people to investigate what he was researching in the library, she was surprised to learn that he was mainly focused on reading History and Branches of Magic books. Moreover, he was interested in quite a number of branches of magic, naming a few: Alchemy, Array, Smithing, Runes, and more.


    The more Leif got to know Kyran, the more she got interested in him. Thus, she decided to approach him.


    Besides, she particrly wanted his ability.

 Chapter 993: Tower of the Ancients

    One of Leif''s people greeted them upon their arrival. Afterward, her guests were escorted to the grand hall while Leif and Kyran went to the patio leading to the vi''s side garden.


    Shaiha could not help but snort inelegantly when she noticed Leif''s familiarity around the vi.


    [For someone who hasn''t explored her newly bought vi, she looks very at home and familiar with it.]


    Kyran''s brow twitched inwardly at Shaiha''s remark. He did not understand why she had to say her thoughts aloud inside his sea of consciousness.


    True Void would rant in his head, yes, but he rarely shared his internal monologue.


    It made Kyran wonder if Shaiha was doing it on purpose to spite him or something.


    Leif''s people had already prepared the vi''s patio. A tea set was ced on top of a round marble table that could seat four people.


    Two female mages, acting as servants, helped Leif in her seat while the other prepared the tea. All the while, they gave furtive nces over to Kyran. Unlike Leif''s guests, her people knew why she approached him.


    Putting aside Leif''s interest in Kyran as a person, she also wanted something from him. Unfortunately, the only way to get it was to win him over to her side.


    Kyran remained standing even after Leif''s servants left.


    "There is no need to act reserved," Leifughed softly while looking at him. She reached for her cup and took a small sip of her tea before saying, "You may sit down."


    "I don''t see the others."


    "Like I said, they will not be joining us."


    "I don''t mean your friends."


    Leif paused midway through, cing her cup down. Her eyes flickered slightly at Kyran''s words before she smiled and replied, "Do I look like I will be friends with them?"


    Kyran furrowed his brows but did not respond. He did not like how Leif sounded just now. Since meeting her, she had sounded friendly and looked very amiable. But just then, there was a hint of coldness in her tone, and the slight flicker in her sea-green eyes looked like ridicule. Even her smile looked like a sneer.


    Leif''s smile widened, and this time, she looked to be her friendly self once more.


    "My bad," she said. "They are not my friends. However, they are the scions of the families directly under my father. You... do know who my father is, right?"


    "Overlord Oceanus."


    Leif nodded, "It is good to know you are aware of it."


    "He only has one daughter he dotes on," Kyran responded. "I don''t think there is anyone in Ogen who doesn''t know you."


    "Well, that''s true," Leif agreed. "But you''re new here, so..."


    "Would anyone dare use the same title as Overlord Oceanus''s daughter? I don''t think so."


    Leif raised her brows in amusement. She only said what she did to see how Kyran would react to her, knowing he was new in Ogen. Seeing how calm he was, it seemed she had to change her approach.


    Apparently, using scare tactics by telling him that she knew everything about him might not work.


    "You mentioned others wanting to know me. Where are they?" Kyran might have decided to ept her invitation, but that did not mean he would follow her lead.


    That was not to say that he was prepared to go against Overlord Oceanus if he ever pissed her off because he wanted to avoid that as much as possible.


    It had only been over a month since Kyran arrived at the Higher Realm. He did not want to gain an enemy this early in the game. Even if Oceanus''s side was neutral, he was still an Overlord. He had enough influence to get Kyran in trouble if he made an enemy out of him.


    Anyhow, when the worst-case scenario happened, Kyran would just follow Shaiha''s advice and reveal his identity as the Void Master. In fact, his decision to choose the name ''Null'' was both to confuse others about his true identity and to hint at it.


    "It seems I was wrong about you... You are not concerned about my identity, are you? Rather, you don''t care at all."


    "I may not care, but I would not recklessly piss you off by turning down your invitation."


    Leif chuckled, "A wise decision."


    "Now that we got that out of the way, can we start discussing what you want from me?"


    Leif fell silent as she studied Kyran for a moment. After a short pause, she waved her hand as a light blue tablet the size of a hand appeared before her. A series of runes appeared on its surface before a projection of a man wearing a gradient blue and green robe and possessing almost the same features as Leif, except his face was chiseled, and his eyes were the same shade of blue as the sky.


    [s...]


    Shaiha took a sharp breath as she stared at the projection of the man in the tablet through Kyran''s eyes.


    [...That is Overlord Oceanus.]


    "A good day to you, young friend. I am Oceanus," the man greeted as soon as Leif''s tablet connected through his own. "I hope you do not mind that my daughter and I are interested in getting to know you."


    "Rather than not minding... I am surprised both of you would even be interested in someone like me."


    Even as Kyran said this, his mind was already going through all the things he had done over the past month that brought about this development. However, no matter how much he racked his brain, he only remembered visiting the city''s library and nothing more.


    Could it be because he only frequented the library that they grew suspicious of him?


    That could not be the reason, right?


    Putting aside why Leif was interested in him, it would have been impossible to catch Oceanus''s attention when he was on the other side of the country.


    The city Kyran went to was not the capital of the lone country in Ogen. It was considered one of the big cities, but it was located to the south, and the city Oceanus resides was at the north.


    The only way for Oceanus to know about Kyran was through Leif. But even then, would Oceanus be interested in someone Leif fancies?


    Kyran recalled the things Shaiha told him and could not help but inwardly give her a nk expression. Shaiha made it sound like Leif was only interested in Kyran because of his ''looks.'' Although he thought otherwise, she sounded so certain that he almost believed her.


    Kyran took note never to trust Shaiha''s judgment when it involved the opposite sex.


    "Well... there is the matter of you not registering in the ne''s Embassy even if you are a visitor," Oceanus started to say.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes. The meaning behind Oceanus''s statement did not go unnoticed by him. They knew about his entry to Ogen and were waiting to see if he would register at the Embassy.


    "As the ne''s owner, my father has ways of sensing if a visitor has entered Ogen," Leif exined upon seeing Kyran''s silence. "Thus, he knows if that visitor will register or not. If not, then so be it. He just has to stay vignt and keep an eye on any anomaly in the ne."


    "However, after entering the ne, not only did you not show up in the Embassy, but you also did not appear in my senses," Oceanus continued after his daughter.


    Kyran did not react. But inwardly, he was already had a bad feeling.


    [Calm down. My concealment might be the reason Oceanus failed to sense your presence, but that does not mean he will suspect that you have the Heart of the Cosmos.]


    Kyran retained an indifferent expression as he looked at Oceanus''s projection.


    "I admit to nning to sweep over the ne to look for you because I do not want to risk my people if you are up to no good," Oceanus continued. "Fortunately, my daughter chanced upon you and learned about your rare ability.


    "The ability to hide one''s presence¡ª concealment."


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise. It appeared they only thought Shaiha''s concealment was an innate ability.


    [I told you. There are other mages in the Higher Realm who possess concealment ability, albeit they are few. Those mages can be an asset to any faction. Thus, many Overlords would fight over one.]


    ''Don''t you think that is something you should have told me first?''


    [I didn''t think it was important.]


    ''...''


    "¡­ You are interested in my ability."


    "That is correct."


    "I would want to ask why, but I don''t know if you will tell me."


    "If you agree to lend us your assistance, then we will."


    "I don''t even know why you''re interested, and you want me to agree first?"


    Oceanus gave a wry smile.


    "Our conversation will not go anywhere at this rate."


    "The Tower of the Ancients."


    Oceanus''s eyes widened as he looked over to his daughter, "Leif."


    Leif smiled sweetly at him and replied, "He is right, father. If we want his help, telling him the truth is better."

 Chapter 994: Portals

    [That¡­ Is it already time for its appearance?]


    Kyran inwardly gave Shaiha a nk look, resulting in an awkwardugh from her. Before she could defend herself by exining why she knew the Tower of the Ancients and yet did not tell him, Leif had gone ahead and continued.


    "Given your age and possible roots, you may or may not have heard about the Tower of the Ancients," Leif started. "But that tower, as you may have realized from its name, belonged to the Ancients."


    She looked at Kyran with a meaningful smile and added, "I''m sure you now understand why my father wants you to agree to help us first before telling you anything."


    Kyran fell silent. Information about the Ancients was not open to the public. This much he already knew after reading so many books in the city''s library. But that was not the case with powerful ns. The fact that Leif spoke of Kyran''s possible roots was proof that there were ns who had information about them.


    From the little things Leif had said, Kyran managed to confirm something¡ª Oceanus and Leif did not think he was part of a n. However, they did not want to rule out this possibility and were determined to observe how he would react if they mentioned the Tower of the Ancients.


    Leif revealing the Tower of the Ancients was staged by Oceanus. He knew his daughter more than anyone and waited for her to mention it to him. Depending on how Kyran reacted to Leif''s words, the next step of their negotiation would then happen.


    However, Kyran still had his reservations about the whole thing because of hisck of knowledge.


    Considering this, he directed a question to Shaiha.


    ''Does the Ancients really have such a tower?''


    [Yes, and they kept quite a lot of treasures there. You could say that the tower was a haven for the many ns that wanted to acquire the level of Magic Knowledge the Ancients once had by acquiring their treasures.]


    Kyran frowned, ''Didn''t their ne get destroyed, and what was left fell to the Lower Realm?''


    [That is true. When the Land of the Ancients was destroyed, bits and pieces of itsnd fell into the Lower Realm. However, a few have been lost in space¡ª neither belonging to the Lower Realm nor the Higher Realm. The patch ofnd where the tower had been was one of those lost in that space. And that space can only be essible by entering a special portal.]


    ''Portal?''


    [Yes. But those portals only appear every five hundred years. I didn''t realize that it was already that time. That''s why I did not mention anything.]


    Kyran did not respond to Shaiha''sstment because he knew she would not have told him even if she knew it would appear. In any case, she already told him what he needed to know.


    Oceanus narrowed his eyes as he observed Kyran. Since Oceanus was only looking at Kyran through Leif''s tablet, it was a little tricky to glean clues from the younger man''s expression. Nheless, the fact that the younger man had fallen silent after realizing the Ancients were involved in the matter Oceanus wanted to talk with him was enough to convince him the younger man was part of a n.


    Oceanus arrived at that conclusion because mages who did not belong to a n would jump at any opportunity that involved the Ancients. It did not matter if that opportunity was simply to get information about them, as long as they got hold of it.


    Seeing Kyran''s reaction, Leif hid a satisfied smile. Instead, she put on a helpless smile before continuing.


    "Will you be willing to assist us, knowing that the Ancients are involved?"


    "What will I get out of it?" Kyran did not beat around the bush and asked the most crucial question if they were to proceed with their negotiation.


    "You can name your price."


    The one who answered was Oceanus. After all, even if Leif tended to act willfully, she would not get ahead of his father when negotiating important matters with a visitor. She might be interested in Kyran, but that would not cloud her judgment. She was no longer a young maiden who could be swayed easily by her emotions.


    "That''s..." Kyran could not help but frown at Oceanus''s answer.


    Oceanus had set up such a high hurdle at Kyran by letting him name a price. In the first ce, Kyran had just arrived in the Higher Realm. There were a lot of things he would want. But he had to keep a low profile. Thus, he needed to be careful about the rewards he would ask for from Oceanus.


    "... you''re putting me in a tight spot here, Overlord Oceanus."


    After hearing Kyran''s response, a smile tugged at the corner of Oceanus''s lips. Truth be told, if thetter had answered without hesitation, Oceanus would have been disappointed. But seeing the younger man appear troubled by his answer showed that he would not take advantage of them just because they were the ones who needed his assistance.


    "To be honest, we don''t know what kind of remuneration we should offer," Oceanus admitted. "But if you are willing to assist us..."


    "Can you at least tell me first what you needed my ability for?"


    Oceanus looked at Leif and gestured for her to exin the situation.


    "You may or may not know this, but the Tower of the Ancients can only be essible through special portals," she started.


    Kyran had already heard that from Shaiha, but he did not interrupt Leif and allowed her to continue.


    "These portals... well they are hard to find. A few have been discovered over the past five thousand years, but most are situated in nes belonging to The Council¡­ I''m sure you already get the general idea."


    "The Council monopolizes the portals," Kyran voiced his understanding.


    Oceanus nodded and heaved a sigh, "Correct. There was a time when the Dragon Emperor offered to give three entry slots to Overlords of neutral nes like us. However, The Emperor forced him to rescind the offer."


    Leif''s brow furrowed as if recalling something from that time, saying, "That time had not been good.


    The Dragon Emperor''s daughter nearly caused a war between them and The Emperor''s n after using The Emperor of being a¡ª" she heaved a sigh, avoiding saying whatever it was The Emperor was used of, "¡ªin any case, The Emperor forbade others who found these portals from allowing others apart from their n members to enter.


    That left us, who are not part of any ns under The Council, searching for other portals."


    "¡­"


    Kyran already knew Ames had a short fuse, but he did not expect her to be reckless enough to call The Emperor names and cause a war.


    Just as the thought entered his mind, he recalled her most recent exploits and retracted his initial thoughts.


    Fine. Ames could really do something like that.


    "We have found a portal," Leif continued, her voice lowering slightly. "However, before we could im it, The Council got wind of it and were already making preparations to take it."


    "Wait... The Council can im portals that others found?"


    Oceanus smiled wryly. "We are a neutral ne. They believe we do not need a reason to im a portal and go to the Tower of the Ancients."


    Kyran was speechless. He did not expect The Emperor and his council to be that brazen in monopolizing the Tower of the Ancients to the point where they would not allow neutral nes to im the portals they found.


    "Where do Ie in the picture?"


    There was a moment''s pause before Leif answered, "We can only im the portal if one of our people managed to enter it before any of The Council members did."


    Kyran raised his brows, his mind working in full drive as he made sense of her words.


    "... You want me... to enter that portal before they do?"


    "Yes."


    Kyran frowned as he realized something.


    "You said The Council is already preparing to take the portal... meaning... they already have it surrounded."


    Oceanus nodded, "That''s right."


    "You want me to infiltrate their camp and im it."


    "With your ability, they will be hard-pressed to track you down."


    "You understand that I''m just a lowly Sovereign, right? Apart from concealment, I have nothing to my name."


    "You say that, but your eyes say a different story," Leif quipped with a smile. She did not want to give Kyran a chance to speak up for himself, so she continued, "You have the eyes of a confident person. That is the impression you give whenever you look at someone. See? Even now, the way you do not falter in front of my father or in front of me... said it all."


    "I understand the risk," Oceanus said, following his daughter''sment. "I assure you we will provide all the assistance you will need. If you seed and the portal fully opens, we will grant you entry. You can also keep everything that you find inside the tower."

 Chapter 995: Reason For Agreeing

    Kyran stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window in one of the rooms inside Oceanus''s ship, gazing upon Ogen. He did not notice it when he arrived a month ago, but Ogen was a beautiful ne. The ne was mostly water, with a few smallndsprising its cities.


    Looking at it made Kyran feel a little homesick. It was not because it looked simr to the Human ne but because it was more peaceful.


    Thinking of the Human ne also made Kyran wonder if The Emperor was still in the Lower Realm or if he had returned to the Higher Realm. It was pretty unfortunate that he had no way of knowing the answer to this. He wanted to establish enough connection and rapport with Oceanus, thinking he would get ess to exclusive information about the current situation in the Higher Realm.


    But forming that connection would take time.


    Kyran could exchange for information in return for his service, but Oceanus would likely be curious about why he needed them. Thest thing Kyran wanted was to pique an Overlord''s interest in his matter.


    [You agreed too fast.]


    Shaiha''s voice brought Kyran out of his musings. He closed his eyes and looked at her through his mind''s eye. She sat elegantly a little above the middle of his four magic cores. The Draconic and Void core hovered to the left and right, respectively, while the remaining two hovered at the front and back.


    "You''re supposed to stay out of the radar. Why did you agree to help Oceanus? You are going to expose yourself to The Council by helping them im that portal," Shaiha said with a slight frown.


    As Shaiha said, Kyran agreed to Oceanus''s request without even going through a thorough negotiation. He also suggested going to where the portal was found to scout the area as soon as possible. For this reason, he was currently aboard Oceanus''s ship. They were on their way to the portal''s location.


    Oceanus''s people discovered the portal on a small ne that hovered between the border of his area of jurisdiction and an unconquered area. The portal was located on the side of the ne that was within Oceanus''s jurisdiction, thus making it his property. However, the Council did not care about that because 80% of the ne was outside Oceanus''s jurisdiction.


    It did not matter if the remaining 20% of the ne that hovered toward Oceanus''s side was where the portal was found. Since its ''center'' was outside, it meant it belonged to no one.


    Oceanus''s people tried to argue that regardless of whether the ne was outside or not, the fact that they discovered it first should mean they were the ones who should im it.


    The Council imed that their side was on the verge of conquering the area where the ne was. Thus, it did not matter if Oceanus''s people discovered it first or not. Once The Council conquered the area then every ne there would be theirs.


    When Kyran heard this, he had a bad feeling¡ª the reason Oceanus wanted him, a nobody, to im the portal was to avoid getting on The Council''s bad side if they were the ones who did.


    For short, Oceanus wanted Kyran to bear the brunt of The Council''s hatred while he, Oceanus, and his people enjoyed the portal''s benefits.


    Kyran was rendered speechless. Only then did he realize that the real reason they needed his concealment ability was not so he could infiltrate The Council''s camp but so they would not be able to detect or identify him when he imed the portal.


    If The Council could not identify who imed the portal, they would have to relinquish ownership. There was still the risk of them being suspicious of Oceanus. But even if The Council seemed unreasonable, without any proof to acquit Oceanus, they would not do anything to him.


    Shaiha was not particrly happy when Kyran still agreed, even after he realized Oceanus''s real intentions. She did not try to voice her objection earlier, but now that they were alone, she wanted to give him a piece of her mind.


    Kyran looked at Shaiha with raised brows, "I didn''t know you have such little faith in me."


    "This is not about having faith. It is true that no one will be able to counter my concealment, but it is not omnipotent."


    "I know that."


    "I''m sure you do. You did say something simr to others whenever they give you too much credit for the things you do, but¡ª."


    "I need to understand the situation in the Higher Realm before I can think of what to do next," he cut her off mid-sentence with an exasperated sigh. He more or less guessed what she wanted to tell him. But to be honest, he could not be bothered with it. He understood she was worried about his safety, but they could not run away forever.


    Kyran would have to face The Emperor at some point, and before that happened, he needed to have the strength and a solid n. However, he could not do that if he kept running and hiding. Although doing so would give him time to learn his magic, there was little he could learn by himself.


    Kyran knew Shaiha had no ns of ''teaching'' him. More importantly, he did not think she could teach him anything specific about his two innate magic. She was familiar with them, yes, but she would not be able to teach him the way Can did or if he learned from the Dragon Emperor.


    "I learned enough about the Higher Realm''s Magic Law in the previous month. But apart from those things, I haven''t learned anything about the current situation in the Higher Realm. Records are open to the public, but they are limited to what was happening on the surface. Not to mention, most of them happened a few years ago. I need new information. Only then can I make proper preparations."


    "What you need to do is stay out of The Emperor''s radar," Shaiha insisted. "Ensure the safety of the Ancient Magic Cores while learning more about it in depth."


    "The Emperor will not sit idle while I do that," Kyran refuted. "Even as we speak, he may have already found the Human ne in the Lower Realm and is¡­"


    His brows furrowed at the thought. To be honest, he was far more worried about the situation in the Lower Realm than in the Higher Realm. At least, in the Higher Realm¡ª notably, the Dragon n¡ª they had the means to fight The Emperor''s side. On the other hand, Somuli, or the Human ne, did not have that means.


    If The Emperor stayed in the Lower Realm and returned to Somuli to find people who knew about Kyran, there was no telling if the Lower Realm''s restriction could keep Somuli safe.


    Shaiha sighed and shook her head, "The Coven will protect Somuli no matter what, so you don''t have to worry about The Emperor destroying it. The core of Somuli was part of the Land of the Ancients and should not be destroyed. The Coven knew this, even if The Emperor did not. Thus, The Coven will protect it."


    Kyran furrowed his brows. He suspected Somuli might be connected to the Human ne but did not expect that its core was part of the Land of the Ancients. Still, this would exin why it had such advanced Array knowledge and possessed all those automatons.


    As to why its inhabitants could not utilize its Array, Shaiha already hinted at the answer. The only part of Somuli that used to belong to the Land of the Ancients was its core. After several years, the core mutated and turned into a new ne. However, it could not use its core''s Magic Law and only relied on thews it gathered upon the ne''s creation.


    This was also the reason it could not generate enough magic energy.


    Anyhow, this was only Kyran''s spection. How close he was to the truth, he did not know. At the very least, he believed it to be the case.


    Putting the matter of Somuli''s origin aside, Kyran was still worried about its safety. To be more urate, he was worried about the safety of everyone he cared about on that ne. This also applies to the Human ne.


    "Kyran," Shaiha started once more after a short pause. "You have to understand how important it is that you keep the Ancient Magic Cores away from The Emperor¡ª."


    "Look," Kyran cut her off once more. "I''m not going there to expose myself. I know your concealment ability is not omnipotent, and honestly, I am not relying on it. I want to enter that portal not because I want to help Oceanus."


    Shaiha frowned, "You''re not going to tell me that you are also interested in the Ancients'' treasures."


    "I don''t mind finding a few of their treasures, but that is not why I want to enter."


    "What''s your main reason then?"


    "Is there another Tower of the Ancients?"


    Shaiha tilted her head, somewhat confused at Kyran''s question. Still, she replied, "No. There is only one tower. Others can enter it from different parts of the Higher Realm because of the special portals..."


    Her voice trailed off as realization hit her.


    "You... you n on finding the portals in the tower?"


    "Yes and no."


    "What¡ª?"


    "I want to find the portal in the tower, but I am only interested in one."


    Shaiha''s eyes narrowed, realizing which portal Kyran intended to find.


    "The Dragon n''s portal."

 Chapter 996: The Councils Camp

    Meanwhile, in the captain''s cabin, below the ship''s helm, Oceanus and Leif were watching Ogen through the window while discussing the reason for Leif''s visit to Hull, the city where she found Kyran.


    "... after witnessing them in action, the only ones I find worth cultivating are Cove and Irving. The rest are quite average," Leif told her father.


    Oceanus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before saying, "After a year''s worth of training¡­ only two talents emerged¡­ This is not enough to secure the future of the n."


    "Well¡­ there''s actually another person I have my eyes on."


    "Hm?" Oceanus nced at his daughter out of the corner of his eye. "Is it someone from themoners?"


    "More like¡­ I''m not sure if he is already part of a n and will be interested in joining us."


    Oceanus frowned, immediately realizing who Leif was referring to. "If you''re referring to Null, I advise you to stop."


    "Why not? ording to our people, his research capabilities are very good, if not the best among the ones they knew. Moreover, they discovered that he was researching different branches of magic. They also confirmed that he was not merely browsing through the records and research materials in the library but actuallyprehending them.


    They came to this conclusion after seeing the rtion of every record he pulled up.


    "There is also the amount of records he managed toprehend in such a short time. No one would have the capability and patience to read those old records and have an in-depth understanding of them. Nowadays, most mages his age will only look up thetest theories that have been modified and summarized by older mages through the years.


    They will not bother reading the original record and receiving their own enlightenment. Just from this, we can already see his thirst for knowledge and that he will not do things half-heartedly."


    "It is precisely because of this that we can''t consider him."


    "Why is that?"


    Instead of answering her, Oceanus proceeded by saying, "For one thing, he is a visitor, and although he appeared decent, his origins are unknown."


    "Our people have not discovered his origins yet?" Leif asked in surprise. Their side was efficient at gathering information. She found it strange that they could not find Kyran''s origin.


    Oceanus shook his head, "No. Because, at the moment, they can only base their search on his appearance, and it is hard to connect him with the other ns."


    "Even so¡­."


    "The fact that he did not attempt to decline your invitation and even went along with your pace also shows he does not want to draw attention."


    "He said it himself," Leif tried to reason, "...that he did not want to piss me off if he declined my invitation recklessly. He only acted that way to avoid getting on my bad side."


    "In my opinion, his statement can also be worded as him not caring if he pisses you off if he can help it."


    Leif frowned, "Well, it is true. He must not piss me off. I am your daughter. If he tries to anger me, I''ll¡­"


    Her voice trailed off as she realized something.


    Seeing Leif''s expression, Oceanus guessed she had already figured out why he thought Kyran might already be part of a n.


    "Even as an Overlord, I could not sense him when he used his concealment ability. If he does not mind drawing attention to himself, the moment you approach him, and he does not care about pissing you off, he can just use his ability and escape, and you will be helpless to track him down."


    "Since he did not, then¡­"


    Oceanus nodded, "It may mean he is here in secret and doesn''t want to implicate his n or¡­ He may be an exiled member or even a deserter."


    "But he may also be on the run. If this is the case, then it doesn''t necessarily mean he is part of a n, right?"


    "True, but let us say you are right. Will you still want to recruit him, knowing someone may be after him?"


    "I¡­ probably won''t¡­" Leif admitted after a short pause.


    "In any case, I haven''t heard of any n looking for a young man with his features. So, let''s just keep that in mind. This leaves us with him being part of a n and is probably exiled or a deserter."


    An exiled member was treated with utmost care by the ns. To them, it was a disgrace, but it also needed to be treated sensibly. They would not want other ns to know of it for fear of them recruiting the exiled member and then trying to extract sensitive information about their n from them.


    Even if exiled members were stripped of most of their knowledge and some of their memories were forcefully removed, a mage with high mage level and Alchemy attainments could easily concoct a potion or pill that could restore their knowledge and memories.


    On the other hand, a deserter was treated ording to the member''s rank and the value of the knowledge they had about the n. For a high ranking member carrying a good deal of sensitive information about the n, a manhunt would ur. Other ns might think of recruiting that member, but the risk was far too high than the gain, so no one would truly do it.


    Besides, if the member could desert his previous n, he could do it again. No one would want to risk the n''s future for a mage like that. For this reason, most ns would offer assistance to the deserter''s n in return for a handsome remuneration.


    Thus far, there has been no order for a manhunt among the big ns. But that might not be the case with the small to medium ns. Oceanus has yet to confirm this. Until he confirmed Kyran was clear, he was not adamant about recruiting him.


    Nevertheless, Oceanus''s instincts told him that the younger man''s background was not simple. This feeling stemmed from howposed thetter conducted himself when talking to Oceanus and his daughter. It was as if he was used to being in the presence of figures like him and his daughter.


    "Either way, it is too risky to recruit him at this point," Oceanus did not borate on his thoughts and simply put an end to Leif''s suggestion.


    "I understand," Leif replied, not wanting to make a big deal out of their talk. Besides, she also had her own take on Kyran''s origin.


    "¡­is it fine to trust him with iming the portal then?" Leif asked after a moment''s pause.


    Oceanus could not help but chuckle at her question, "¡­ and here I thought you have blind faith in him."


    Leif pouted at her father''s teasing and said, "While I find him very pleasant in the eye and a rare talent if he ever joins the n, I know my priorities. Besides, I am not a young maiden, alright. I will not allow my emotions to get over my head and cloud my judgment."


    Oceanus nodded, pleased with her answer.


    "That is good then. To answer your question, there is nothing to worry about. I may not be able to detect him if he is in active concealment, but that does not mean I will not be able to detect any malicious intent from him. The moment he decides to betray us, I will act ordingly.


    "Still, I am confident he will not do that. If he doesn''t want to draw attention to himself, he will not cross us."


    "¡­ That does make sense. I hope we can confirm if he is part of a n soon. I do want him to be one of us."


    Oceanus raised a brow at his daughter''s remark. He could not me her for wanting Kyran. The younger man''s concealment ability alone was already a good asset. If they included his superbprehension capability, then he would truly be a rare talent worth cultivating.


    "We''ll just have to wait and see¡­"


    *


    Oceanus and Leif met with Kyran and two other young men in the conference room of the ship. Thetter two would join them in scouting the portal''s location to gain experience.


    Kyran recognized the two young men as two of the few entourage Leif had back in the city''s library.


    Leif then introduced them as Cove and Irving, the two talents from Hull that they nned to nurture.


    Like most inhabitants of Ogen, the two had light blue hair and sea-green eyes. They were dressed elegantly in white and blue robes with fish-scale-inspired designs. Cove had shoulder-length hair, while Irving''s was longer and tied in a ponytail.


    The two also recognized Kyran and they were scowling at him.


    Kyran ignored them.


    After that, Oceanus''s personal assistant, Maren, exined in detail the ne''s terrain.


    Contrary to what Kyran initially believed, the portal was located in a lush, full-of-life ne. His misconception was due to the fact that unimed nes in the Lower Realm were either deste or had limited resources. If they were neither of these, then Sovereigns would have long fought over the ne''s ownership.


    Maren also showed them where The Council had set up their camp.


    Kyran frowned slightly as he looked at the projection of The Council''s Camp because, based on its size, it would not be wrong to assume that about a hundred of their members were staying there.


    Just as Kyran thought this, Maren waved her hand to change the image projected in the middle of the round table.


    "Currently, we estimate about a hundred Sovereigns guarding the portal. We have yet to confirm it, but there are signs of a High Sovereign overseeing the area."

 Chapter 997: Alta (1)

    Kyran did not say anything throughout the briefing with Oceanus and his people. Since they would only scout the location and find a route to get closer to the portal, they did not need to have an in-depth discussion about the members of The Council staying in their camp.


    They also mentioned the possibility of a High Sovereign''s presence overseeing the area so they could stay on their guard and act ordingly in case they encountered her or him.


    After the briefing, Kyran went back to his room while the others gathered in the dining hall for dinner. Oceanus invited him, but he declined, saying that he wanted to rest early.


    Oceanus did not insist because he more or less guessed that Kyran wanted to read and review the information Maren distributed during the briefing. For this, Oceanus admired Kyran''s attitude. On the other hand, he felt a little disappointed that Cove and Irving chose to improve their rtionship with his daughter.


    Although it was true, they would only be scouting the location, and they had pretty much gathered the intel they needed, except for the route they would use to get close to the portal; reviewing the intel they had and making their own preparation was always weed.


    s, the two talents Leif had said were worth cultivating would rather build a good rapport with her than take their scouting task seriously.


    Oceanus did not show his disappointment to the others. However, Leif urately guessed it. In fact, she felt the same. She, too, was disappointed in Cove and Irving. Nheless, they had a pleasant talk over dinner before they retired to their rooms.


    The portal''s location required at least two days'' journey, even when riding a transcendent-tier ship. Thus, Oceanus let the others do as they pleased inside the ship and only forbade them to enter a couple of rooms.


    While he ced little restriction on everyone, Oceanus still kept a close eye on them. In particr, he was very interested in Kyran.


    As a matter of fact, during dinner, Oceanus was monitoring what the younger man was doing.


    Unfortunately for Oceanus, he only saw Kyran browsing the temporary portable tablet he issued him. When, in fact, Kyran was having a somewhat heated conversation with Shaiha.


    Shaiha was horrified at Kyran''sck of reaction after hearing there was a High Sovereign overseeing The Council''s camp. She admonished him for this and persuaded him to rescind his agreement with Oceanus.


    Before Kyran could respond, Shaiha continued and reminded him that he and Oceanus had yet to finalize his remuneration, so they could back out of the agreement at any time.


    In the end, Kyran chose to ignore most of Shaiha''s ramblings. Besides, Oceanus''s side only mentioned the possibility of a High Sovereign present in The Council''s camp. There was no evident proof that there really was one.


    Until they confirm this, they should not overthink. Of course, that was not to say they should not be prepared. Kyran was memorizing the ne''s terrain at that moment for that very reason. In any case, in the worst-case scenario, he would just go straight to the portal and force it to open.


    Kyran knew he could do that. If not, what was the point of him being the Void Master?


    The journey to the portal''s location was uneventful. Shaiha, who had been worried Cove and Irving would pick a bone with Kyran, was somewhat disappointed.


    To be honest, Shaiha was waiting for them to challenge Kyran, so when they fought, and Oceanus witnessed it, he would know for a fact that Kyran was not simple. Maybe then, he would change his mind about taking Kyran to the portal''s location where The Council was.


    Because if the Council noticed Kyran''s prowess and decided to recruit him, Oceanus would have lost his chance to have a very rare talent like Kyran in his n.


    Shaiha was overthinking things.


    Oceanus would not recruit Kyran even if he showcased his potential because the more he appeared amazing, the more the former felt thetter was part of a big n. This was why Oceanus, was very adamant about not recruiting Kyran to his n until he knew his origin.


    Oceanus activated the ship''s camouge array and let it hover outside the ne where the portal was located. After that, he summoned his own portal and took the rest to the makeshift camp his people prepared beforehand.


    The makeshift camp was far from The Council''s camp. Oceanus''s people also set up a highly advanced array that shielded it from other''s prying eyes.


    The Council might have Array Saints, but since the advanced array was of the same level, even an Array Saint from The Council would be hard-pressed to detect it. If they did not know there was an array there, then they could not decipher it and counter it.


    "Before we scout the area and secure a safe route to the portal, we will dedicate this day to familiarizing ourselves with the ne''s terrain. The ne''s environment is full of life, which means there are also a number of beasts in the area.


    "While I do not doubt your capabilities, try to avoid confrontation with these beasts as we have yet to understand what they were capable of."


    ''Beasts, huh?'' Kyran thought with a deadpan face. ''Will they steer away from me as how most beasts in the Lower Realm did?''


    Shaiha, who had a simr deadpan expression, replied with a simrly deadpan tone.


    [If I answer that, will you seriously ept the fact that you are the Realm''s Scion¡ª.]


    ''Can''t I even have a moment to speak my mind to myself? Where''s my privacy?'' Kyran inwardlyined.


    Ever since Shaiha took form, Kyran''s thoughts have been exposed to her. This kind of connection was different between him and True Void. Even if they were connected, they still had moments when they kept their thoughts to themselves.


    [Do notpare my existence with sir True Void. You both are connected, yes. But your rtion with him and our connection are two entirely different matters.]


    ''Right.''


    Kyran tried not to let Shaiha''s words get to him. Sadly, hisprehension capability decided to kick up at that moment, and he immediately picked up on her use of rtion when talking about True Void and connection when talking about herself.


    Kyran did not know whether there was a deeper meaning to it or Shaiha simply said that to make a point but ultimately referred to the same thing. What he did know was that her way of throwing offhanded remarks here and there was getting to him real fast.


    He initially did not want to hear anything about being the Realm''s Scion, but the more she said those offhanded remarks, the more he took an interest.


    "Thus far, there are only Sovereign level beasts here. But since most of you are on the same level, depending on your magic mastery, taking one down will still be tricky," Oceanus continued. His expression then hardened as he added, "And I know you''ve already noticed it, but the dominant element in this ne is Earth. Need I say more?"


    Everyone''s expressions turned grim. As mages specializing in Water magic, Earth magic was a bane for them. Although they would not be totally helpless against it, depending on how an Earth mage used their magic, they would have a hard time.


    "I will keep an eye on everyone, so there is no cause for worry," Oceanus assured them after seeing them understand the situation. Thest thing he wanted was for his people to be caught up in a fight against a beast with powerful Earth magic attacks and draw The Council''s attention.


    "I will now assign you to a group¡ª."


    "Overlord Oceanus, if I may speak?" Kyran raised his hand before Oceanus could finish speaking.


    Everyone, except for Leif, immediately frowned at him. Did he not know it was disrespectful to interrupt Overlord Oceanus when he was speaking?


    On the other hand, Leif looked at Kyran in amusement. These past two days, thetter had mostly kept to himself. She did not mind it and was very interested to know what he had been up to. In any case, Kyran''s eyes were overflowing with confidence. He did not even care how others were frowning at him.


    "Go on," Oceanus was of a simr mind to his daughter. Not only did he see the confidence in Kyran''s eyes, but when he reminded them about the ne''s dominant magic energy, Kyran was the only one who remained unfazed.


    As a visitor in Ogen, Kyran''s innate magic did not necessarily have to be Water magic. Unfortunately, like his origin, Oceanus and his people failed to grasp his innate magic.


    "I will venture alone."


    It was not a request but a statement. Kyran would go alone, and Oceanus could not change his mind.


    "You are being overly disrespectful of Overlord Oceanus¡ª!"


    "All right."


    Cove, who refuted Kyran just now, was rendered speechless when Oceanus readily agreed.


    "Overlord...?" he stammered while looking in Oceanus''s direction.


    But Oceanus was not even looking at him. His attention was focused on Kyran.


    "I suppose you do not want me keeping an eye on you as well?"


    "Yes," Kyran replied. But then he realized he sounded too curt and added, "... please, and thanks."


    "Very well."


    "Overlord, it is dangerous to venture around here alone..." Maren tried to dissuade Oceanus''s decision.


    "It is fine. Null has concealment ability. If I, an Overlord, are having trouble detecting him, what can a beast sovereign do?"


    "If you put it that way, Overlord, then..."


    "Let us not waste time and meet back here in three hours."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 998: Alta (2)

    Oceanus''s side had three groups, with Cove, Irving, and Maren leading one group each. Each group decided to explore the lush forest to the east, the mountain range to the north, or the woond to the west. Kyran was the only one who chose to venture toward the south, where the marsnd was located.


    After Kyran unceremoniously left the makeshift camp after deciding where he would explore first, the three leaders exchanged a look of disdain. They avoided choosing the marsnd because there were few ces to hide, and most beasts hid while waiting for an opportunity to prey on an unassuming target.


    Moreover, The Council''s Camp was located toward the southeast, which was pretty close to the marsnd. Chances of them venturing into the marsnd in broad daylight might be low, but if Kyran was caught by a marsnd beast and amotion broke out, then The Council would definitely investigate.


    These were Cove, and the others'' thoughts as they watched Kyran leave.


    On the other hand, Oceanus and Leif did not try to dissuade Kyran because they knew about his concealment ability. If anything, they believed he could escape to safety.


    Oceanus initially nned to explore the ne as well, but at thest minute, he opted to stay in their makeshift camp with Leif. He reasoned monitoring their movement and progress would be easier if he stayed put rather than venturing out. If trouble cropped up, he could also respond with ease. They all believed his reasoning was fair; thus, no onemented on it.


    Besides, as long as Oceanus was not with them, in the event that The Council caught one of their group, they could say they were out there for training and did not know they were there.


    However, Shaiha was not convinced that Oceanus wanted to stay behind so he could monitor everyone and provide support in a timely manner. She felt that he was only interested in monitoring Kyran''s progress, and only by staying behind would this be possible. Thinking of this, she was suddenly tempted to lower her concealment to ensure he could keep proper track of Kyran''s whereabouts.


    In the end, Shaiha rejected the idea. Though she wanted to promote Kyran''s value so Oceanus would decide to recruit him, the Council''s presence posed too much risk to Kyran. Shaiha did not want to risk Kyran''s safety so that she could secure it with Oceanus''s help.


    It sounded contradictory, but that was howplicated and perilous their situation was. And Kyran did not seem to realize it, much to Shaiha''s grief.


    Besides, there was also the effect of Kyran''s innate ability, which covered him like a cloak that only beasts could sense¡ªthe Veil of Nothingness. This veil was something that even Shaih''s concealment could not hide, and it was also the reason beasts feared him.


    Fortunately, Kyran''s mastery over this veil was still low and could only be sensed by beasts. However, beings with mythical beast bloodlines could also feel it, and whether they would fear him depended on his strength.


    Considering this, how could Kyran''s value increase in Oceanus''s eyes if no beast darede near him?


    Thus, Shaiha no longer considered lowering her concealment.


    At the end of the day, it was better to ensure Kyran''s safety at all times rather than as a result. Besides, she admitted that his n to look for the Dragon n''s portal in the Tower of the Ancients was more promising than getting Oceanus to help them.


    A neutral n like Oceanus''s could only protect Kyran for a short time. The moment The Emperor pressured him by mobilizing his Elite Mages, Oceanus would definitely choose to surrender Kyran. That was the problem with neutral ns. They would always agree to apromise if it would ensure their safety.


    [Oceanus will keep a close eye on you. My concealment may hide your presence, but he can see you as long as he ces a tracker on you.]


    Shaiha warned Kyran after putting aside all other thoughts she had.


    ''I expected that much. He did put a tracking form inside the portable tablet he lent me,'' Kyran replied nonchntly while pulling out a bunch of potions from his storage pouch.


    Kyran had not only focused on researching information in Hu Whenever possible and as long as materials were avable, he stocked up on various potions and pills.


    Coincidentally, the area where Kyran built his temporary lodging was abundant with herbs and materials for Alchemy.


    If it were not for the fact that he could not use his Void magic, or else Oceanus would notice the strange fluctuation of unknown magic energy in his ne, he would have already created rare materials and ingredients out of pure magic energy, concocted more advanced medicines, and crafted pre-made arrays as well.


    Although Kyran could have sold the potions and pills he concocted to buy more rare herbs and materials, he decided not to. First, his potions and pills were pretty average in Hull. Besides, almost everyone could concoct high-grade healing and energy-replenishing potions. They would only be interested in buying saint-grade potions.


    Now, liquid gel pills with far more potent efficacy than regr pills could still sell well, even if they were only high-grade in quality. However, Kyran did not want to sell them for the same reason. Depending on the situation, he would normally consume potions first, which was why his potions would run out before his pills.


    On the other hand, he would use pills for emergencies and if he ran out of potions.


    Although potions would take effect fasterpared to pills, thetter''s medicinal efficacy was more concentrated than the former. Thus, a high-grade pill was still betterpared to high-grade potions, which was why Kyran preferred to keep his pills than sell them.


    Shaiha frowned after hearing about the tracker. She remembered Kyran putting the tablet in question in his storage pouch as well.


    [If you knew, why do you take the tablet with you?]


    ''Just because,'' Kyran replied with a shrug. He then drank a couple of potions before returning the empty bottles to his pouch.


    [Why did you drink a potion?]


    ''I need the marsnd beasts toe after me.''


    [...You... seriously...]


    ''Marsnd beast parts sell pretty well. I need some money.''


    [I told you to sell your pills first, then buy more ingredients, concoct more pills, then sell them again.]


    ''That''s too tedious,'' Kyran replied and made his way to the marsnd.


    [What tedious? You can concoct high-grade pills in less than ten minutes. Since those pills can be sold pretty easily, you can dispose of them, buy new ingredients, and concoct again.]


    ''Yes, you''re right. In the meantime, I''d also attract more attention. A visitor who sells high-grade pills then buys more ingredients just to sell more pills.''


    [...]


    Shaiha did not want to admit that she had forgotten about that. Actually, it was not that she forgot, but because of the unexpected development in their situation, she had forgotten that they were visitors.


    Kyran was relieved when Shaiha fell silent. To be honest, her constant sidementary in his head was exhausting. He wanted to cut off their connection and give himself some peace and quiet, but it seemed impossible after she regained the ability to manifest in her human form.


    Sensing Kyran''s thoughts, Shaiha gave a short puff and said.


    [Even if you find a way to cut our connection, don''t think I could not reestablish it.]


    Kyran sighed in exasperation and said, ''Seriously? Can''t I really have my privacy back?''


    [If you ept your identity as the Realm Scion, then¡ª.]


    Kyran heaved an exaggerated sigh to interrupt her. He already had a lot of things on his mind and did not want the Scion matter to add to them. Even if it was a little annoying to have Shaiha invade his thoughts all the time, he could endure.


    [Will you still say that if you wanted to be intimate with the Young Mistress?]


    ''...!''


    Kyran tried to remain calm, but the idea shook him. To be more urate, he was rendered speechless. The thought never crossed his mind because he never really gave too much thought to the rtionship between a man and a woman.


    No. Actually, he knew. Or at least, he had his personal view about it. But because he was so used to seeing a naked female back when he was still in military school and even experienced sharing a room with them as part of outdoor training, he never gave much thought to the intimacy between a man and a woman¡ª not to mentionthe same sex.


    For this reason, when Kyran decided to be open about how he felt for Cyneah, such thoughts did not cross his mind.


    ...


    That was a lie.


    Kyran did. He was a man, after all. However, he was able to put those thoughts aside because he wanted to let Cyneah get ustomed to the change in their rtionship. As a matter of fact, the kiss they had only happened because Kyran''s restraints kind of snapped.


    Fortunately, Cyneah responded well... too well, as a matter of fact.


    Shaiha blushed after sensing Kyran''s thoughts. She could not help but snort and huffed in indignation.


    [Men!]


    ''And this is why I need my privacy.''


    Before Shaiha could give Kyran a piece of her mind, she sensed a malicious intent directed at Kyran.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Kyran reacted even before Shaiha noticed the malicious intent. He took out his ck swords from his storage pouch and countered the iing golden des from his right and left sides.


    ng! ng!


    FOOOM!


    The two golden des stopped in midair. It then emitted an ear-deafening sound, which was aimed at Kyran''s direction.


    [Stay away from the sound''s range!]

 Chapter 999: Alta (3)

    "Ack...!" Kyran covered his ears as soundwaves pierced through his eardrums and spread inside his body.


    Shaiha''s warning came a bitte, nearly causing Kyran to faint on the spot. Fortunately, the Elixir had strengthened his body and internal organs. Thus, the soundwaves only caused minimal damage that would normally turn an average person''s insides into mush.


    Still, that slight stop in his movement was enough for whoever threw the golden des to unleash a powerful sound magic attack to close in on him.


    A woman with long blonde hair tied up, wearing light silver armor, came at Kyran from up ahead and grabbed the vibrating golden des suspended in midair.


    [Dodge!]


    Shaiha warned Kyran as the woman made shing motions using the des and aimed at Kyran as soon as she grabbed them. Her movement was so fluid that it felt like she had been holding the des all this time.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Beautiful golden light flew out from the golden des toward Kyran.


    On the other hand, Kyran heard Shaiha''s warning. However, the sound attack caused internal damage to his body and a stun effect, which froze him in ce.


    sh! sh!


    The golden light tore through Kyran''s clothes in the blink of an eye.


    "Hm?" The woman frowned as she saw her target''s clothes getting torn, but his flesh remained unscathed. Her golden eyes narrowed, and her magic aura erupted. The air around her crackled as golden magic energy circled her.


    Wanting to take advantage of the situation while her target was still under the effects of her magic''s stun, she closed in and weaved her golden des in a beautiful sword dance at him.


    [Kyran!]


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as his instincts kicked in. His Draconic magic energy circted at once as translucent silver scales covered his skin.


    ng! ng! ng! ng! ng!


    Sounds of metal hitting on metal reverberated in the air as the woman continued her sword dance while Kyran defended. He had yet to recover from being stunned. Fortunately, the woman''s sword dance did not seem to carry much magic and weight. Thus, even if they connected, his body managed to endure them with ease.


    "What the hell are you?" the woman suddenly shouted in frustration after realizing her attacks did nothing to her target.


    Annoyed, she increased the magic energy imbued in her golden des, making them emit a blinding light. She cast speed magic and continued to rain down shes at her target.


    Meanwhile, Kyran, who was focused on defending until the stun''s effect wore off, had slowly regained his senses. His eyes shed as he tightened his grip on his swords and sessfully blocked one of the woman''s golden des.


    ng! Crackle!


    "Ngh...!" the woman''s eyes widened as her momentum was broken in that instance. She estimated that the stun effect should still be active for another minute or two and was surprised that her target managed to counter so fast.


    Kyran was surprised at the woman''s strength. He wanted to push her away after blocking one of her des and stopping her momentum, but he only managed to do thetter.


    [Be careful; she''s going to use that attack again!]


    Shaiha warned Kyran. The moment she said this, the woman''s eyes shed as the golden de that he managed to block vibrated.


    This reaction was simr to before it unleashed that annoying soundwave.


    Kyran was prepared this time. Now that he had almost recovered from the stun effect, he raised his free hand and aimed his other ck sword at the woman''s head.


    The woman saw his movement and also raised her other golden de, wanting to parry his sword.


    But.


    BAM!


    "Gah!" The woman''s eyes bulged in surprise. What she had thought her target was about to swing his ck sword at her was instead a solid knee kick delivered to her side.


    The golden de charging up on another soundwave attack was stopped as the woman was hurled to the side. She skidded on the ground for several meters beforeing to a watery part of the marsnd. Even after arriving at the water, she continued to skid on its surface.


    [This is your chance!]


    Kyran did not need to be told twice. As soon as he kicked the woman away, he made a mad dash forward to escape from there.


    If he was in the Lower Realm, he did not mind going up against the woman even without knowing anything about her abilities or magic. But since he was in the Higher Realm, he would not do something as reckless as that.


    Besides, the fact that the woman could cause a stunning effect that actually worked on him was too frightening.


    Kyran knew he would get used to it. But the question was, would the woman allow him to?


    Of course not.


    "You''re not getting away!"


    The woman snarled as she finally regained her bearing and stood on the water''s surface. Sshes of water were still floating around her after she forcefully stopped her momentum.


    FWOOM!


    The womanunched herself forward, causing the water''s surface to explode around the spot where she had just been.


    In the blink of an eye, she had already gone halfway to where her target was going.


    Kyran gritted his teeth. He knew Oceanus was watching him at that moment and did not want to make any move that would make thetter connect him with the Dragon n, but given the situation, he could not be picky.


    Frankly, the woman was weaker than The Emperor, but the pressure she emitted was quite simr to his.


    Then again, The Emperor''s strength was restrained in the Lower Realm. This was likely the reason the woman and The Emperor''s pressure appeared to be on par.


    Dragon Steps!


    Kyran''s pupils turned into slits as he used the Dragon Steps. The distance between him and the woman increased noticeably as soon as he did.


    The woman''s eyes widened at once. However, they soon narrowed and turned cold as her speed increased yet again.


    ''You dare challenge me with speed? Don''t you know the nature of Sound magic?''


    Crackle! FWOOOM!


    The woman once again closed the gap between her and her target.


    On the other hand, Kyran felt as if the God of Death''s scythe was right under his neck as he sensed the woman closing in on him. He did not bother to look and, instead, took three consecutive Dragon Steps, trying to gain more distance.


    As soon as he did, however, the woman threw her golden des.


    Kyran had a bad feeling when the woman threw her des and made ast-minute move of stopping midway frompleting the third Dragon Step. This was because he sensed that the moment he arrived at the spot where the third step would take him, those golden des would be there waiting for his neck.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Crackle!


    The air around Kyran thinned as a transparent hollow space seemed to envelop the spot where he would have arrived. After that, the woman appeared and grabbed the approaching golden des one after another before hacking downward in his direction.


    Because Kyran managed to stop midway, there was still a good distance away from the woman''s attack


    But.


    ''Ngh...!'' Kyran gritted his teeth as racking pain assaulted his body the moment the aftershock from the woman''s attack touched him.


    Earlier, Kyran still managed to endure the woman''s de attack when she performed her sword dance. He even thought her attacks did not carry any weight. That changed with this woman''s attack. It not only assaulted his body, but it also tore through his flesh. The dragon scales that appeared on his skin like a thin veil of armor did nothing to protect him.


    [Kyran!]


    Shaiha called out to him, her voice filled with concern and fear for his safety.


    But Kyran did not have the leisure to respond to her because the woman was already in front of him the next moment.


    "Don''t think you can run," the woman snarled while cleaving her golden de at him.


    Kyran raised his sword to block her iing attack. However, his eyes shed as he noticed a minute change in her movement. He only moved by instinct, but he immediately raised his arm to guard his right torso.


    As he did, a powerful kick connected to his forearm, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood upon impact.


    That was right. The woman seemed to have held a grudge at Kyran''s feint and wanted to pay him back for it.


    BAM!


    The force from the woman''s kick threw Kyran several meters to the side.


    "Humph," the woman watched her target skid to the ground like a stone thrown on the surface of the water. "You think you can kick me as you please? I am Alta, a High Sovereign from the de Dancer n. I always return the debt owed to me..."


    Alta''s voice trailed off as she realized something was wrong with her target''s movement. He was no longer skidding; instead, he seemed to be... running away.


    "!"

 Chapter 1000: Unprecedented Event (1)

    Kyran took advantage of the force of the woman''s kick to gain some distance. Then, he regted his momentum to regain his bnce and make his escape.


    [How''s your body?]


    Shaiha asked in concern. She was frustrated at the thought of her and Kyran being connected but could not share the same pain. She could listen to his thoughts and sense most of his emotions, but physically, she could not feel his pain. If she could, she would not mind sharing the burden so he would not have to endure everything alone.


    ''...''


    Kyran did not respond.


    Actually, he could not respond because he had all his attention on getting as far away from the woman as possible.


    Frankly, this unexpected confrontation would not have happened had he noticed the woman''s presence earlier. But the woman seemed to be using a strange cloaking spell that blended her presence with the surroundings. Her mastery over her innate magic, which he now confirmed as Sound magic, was also very high.


    Kyran knew a few mages in the Lower Realm with innate Sound magic, with Celine as the first. But thus far, he had not seen any of them use Sound magic the same way the woman did, especially with her movement.


    Moreover, the woman was abat mage who fully used the Higher Realm''s Magic Law. The golden des she used were not magic weapons but mediums, which was why Kyran could not quickly destroy them, even if he imbued his ck swords with Void magic.


    The use of mediums in the Higher Realm is popr amongbat mages in the Higher Realm. This is because mediums are manifestations of their core.


    When Kyran first read this, he realized at once that thisw was simr to Somuli''s Divine Armament.


    Because the Higher Realm''s Magic Law is apleted version of thebined magicws in the Lower Realm, mediums are far more powerful than Divine Armaments. The transfer of their wielder''s innate magic is also wless. Even the magic energy they need to function does not require their wielder''s source.


    Since they are manifestations of their wielder''s core, they work simrly to magic cores and can attract magic energy in their surroundings by themselves. Moreover, there can be as many mediums as the wielder desires. Of course, manifesting several mediums at once can be overly taxing to their wielder. Thus, most of thebat mages only manifest up to five mediums at once.


    The woman wielded two mediums, but Kyran had an inkling she could wield more. She was just holding back because she wanted him alive.


    [...ran, watch out!]


    Kyran snapped out of his reverie as Shaiha''s warning finally got through him.


    His eyes widened as he saw a golden de appear in his line of view several meters ahead. It vibrated malevolently, gathering the surrounding magic energies into its de.


    [It''s going to unleash that sound attack again!]


    ''Tsk,'' Kyran clicked his tongue in annoyance. He did not expect the woman''s range of influence to be so broad that she could easily manifest her golden de anywhere she wanted.


    In the Lower Realm, a mage''s range of influence depended on the level of their magic sense. Even among the Sovereigns, only a few managed to achieve the highest level of magic sense.


    Kyran''s magic sense could be considered one of the strongest among those who mastered it. He would not arrogantly dere he was the strongest because he witnessed what Nn and even his father, Cade, could do with their magic senses. There were Azaloth and a few other members of the Guardians who mastered their magic sense, including Axil, as well.


    Nevertheless, their magic sense could not bepared to that of the mages of the Higher Realm. That was how enormous the gulf in mastery and influence was between both realms.


    This is because, in the Higher Realm, there is something called Divine Eye.


    Divine Eye is an advanced version of Magic Sense. However, only High Sovereigns have achieved this.


    The woman after Kyran seemed to possess this, given her vast magic range. This also confirmed her mage level¡ª that she was a High Sovereign.


    What were the chances of Kyran actually bumping into the unconfirmed existence of a High Sovereign overseeing The Council?


    Close to zero.


    Kyran lucked out because he still bumped into her, even in that small probability.


    Wait. Rather than lucking out, it was more like he was very lucky since he bumped into her.


    In any case, Kyran knew the woman was from The Council and not another High Sovereign. This was because, if she was not, Oceanus or Leif would have already done something to help him. Since they stayed their hand, it meant they knew the woman and did not want to cross her bying to his rescue.


    Kyran was not disappointed that Oceanus and Leif decided not to interfere since he never wanted to rely on their help and protection. He only wanted to form a partnership with them to gather important intel. Nevertheless, their stance made him realize how alone he was in the Higher Realm. This further increased his desire to find the Dragon n''s portal in the Tower of the Ancients.


    Crackle! Fwooom!


    The golden de erupted with a deafening sound, which seemed to be visible to the naked eye. It spread in every direction and was particrly after where Kyran was.


    But.


    Crackle! Sizzle!


    Dragon Steps!


    [Kyran!]


    Shaiha nearly had a heart attack as she sensed Kyran simultaneously activated the Void Scales and Dragon Steps. As much as she wanted to ensure his safety, she preferred it if he did not showcase both his innate magic at once to someone who belonged to The Council. Not to mention, Oceanus and Leif might still be monitoring Kyran''s movement.


    Their n might be neutral, but who knew what kind of thoughts would run in their head if they realized just how much they would gain from having Kyran.


    It was pretty contradicting, but those wer her honest opinion.


    Oceanus was also from the generation where the Higher Being coveted the Ancients'' research. It would be one thing if he realized Kyran possessed the Void core, but if he also knew thetter also had the Draconic core, Shaiha did not want to think of it.


    Apparently, Kyran did not care. In his opinion, what good would hiding his magic do if he were captured or even killed? He would rather use everything at his disposal to survive. In fact, he thought of using warp to get away from the woman.


    Unfortunately, there were only a few ces Kyran could warp to. And those ces were all in Ogen. If he had warped there, the residual magic energy he would leave behind might have been traced back there, and Ogen would have been implicated.


    Kyran did not care much about Oceanus and Leif, but he did not want innocent people to suffer because of him.


    In any case, Kyran could not warp at that point because warping would require him to concentrate. Since his familiarity with those ces in Ogen was limited, it would take him a few more seconds to establish the image in his mind¡ª a few seconds he did not have.


    Using the Void Scales, Kyran neutralized the sound waves that came from the front. He also utilized the Dragon Steps to evade the golden de and continue forward.


    RAAAWRGH!


    As it happened, a marsnd beast covered in moss and mud with several tentacles suddenly appeared a few meters in front of Kyran. What appeared to be its maw was wide open.


    It seemed the marsnd beasts could no longer stay hidden while the woman rampaged in their turf. Unfortunately, the one they targeted first was Kyran.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he neared the marsnd beast''s opened maw. He did not stop or change his direction. He simply sped past its open mouth, came out on the other side, and continued forward.


    The marsnd beast could not even utter itsst cry before it died from the massive hole in its body.


    Contrary to Kyran''s belief, marsnd beasts were already upon Alta. Although most of them were at the same level as an average Sovereign, because they all possessed Earth magic, they had a specific immunity to Sound magic. Because of this, she had been scouting the marsnd region using a cloaking spell to avoid getting tangled with them since killing them would be a pain in the ass.


    But then, a foreign presence suddenly appeared inside her magic influence, prompting her to act at once. She would have observed the situation first if the presence walked into her range. However, the presence was already inside before she knew it. Thus, she acted the way she did.


    This was the first time Alta was given the important task of protecting the new portal to the Tower of the Ancients, and she did not want to mess it up by letting another faction learn of its existence.

 Chapter 1001: Unprecedented Event (2)

    The Council was known as the most powerful faction, but the truth was that the rtionship between the member ns was unstable.


    The Emperor''s and Dragon Emperor''s ns had a minor sh recently. The two emperors did not participate. Nheless, it was evident how the Dragon n easily outpowered The Emperor''s n.The result ended with the Dragon n sessfully forcing The Emperor''s n to retreat. Both sides did not suffer heavy casualties, but the damage done was nothing to scoff at.


    The damage dealt in that sh did not affect the two ns'' military strength per se. Instead, it was their reputation.


    Discussions started circting about how The Dragon Emperor''s n was far superior to The Emperor''s n. The discussion only happened between n leaders and their trusted aides, but this was precisely what caused The Council''s instability to worsen.


    Several ns started taking the Dragon n''s side, and even those who swore allegiance to The Emperor''s n had second thoughts.


    Alta belonged to the de Dancer n that had been under The Emperor''s n for thousands of years. She was part of the rising generation that would eventually take on the mantle of an older generation. Her future in the n and The Council should have been secured from this.


    But the rise of the Dragon n and the switching of allegiance happening among the ns in The Council threatened her future.


    It was evident that the de Dancer n''s influence within The Council would be affected once the Dragon Emperor reached the same level as The Emperor. In fact, the whole Higher Realm''s hierarchy would likely experience an overhaul. When that happened, the de Dancer n would suffer.


    Before that happened, Alta wanted to secure a future for her n, and iming the portal in this unnamed ne was her first step. Fortunately, the first one to find the portal did not belong to any faction. Not to mention, they were known as a neutral n¡ª the Ogen n.


    Nheless, Alta had to tread through the situation carefully because the Ogen n might be neutral, but their leader was still an Overlord¡ª Oceanus.


    If Oceanus had made his move, Alta would never have stood a chance. For this reason, she had to make it sound as if The Council was involved in iming the new portal. However, the truth was that only the de Dance n was currently dispatched in that ne.


    They were also the ones attempting to im the region where the ne was located so Oceanus would not attempt to fight over the portal''s ownership.


    Everything seemed to be working ording to Alta''s ns¡ª until the appearance of the unknown mage posed a threat to it again.


    The unknown mage definitely came here to scout the area. A''s initial guess was that Overlord Oceanus had sent the man there. However, thetter looked nothing like Overlord Oceanus''s people. A few who worked under him did not originate from Ogen, thus having different hair or eye colors, but she knew all of them. After all, all other ns had extensive intelligence about all Overlord-ruled ns.


    The mage''s physical appearance that showed up on Alta''s radar did not look familiar. Even if Overlord Oceanus recruited a new member, it would have been impossible for him to keep it under wraps especially when that member seemed to possess the rare concealment ability.


    All other ns would have already received this news because they would be dying to recruit that person.


    In any case, Alta did not see Overlord Oceanus making a move that would make an enemy of The Council. For this reason, she was convinced that the unknown mage was from another n. A n that obviously did not belong to The Council.


    Very few ns did not belong to The Council, and most of them either belonged to independent factions or were neutral ns.


    Neutral ns were already off Alta''s list of suspects because they would never cross The Council because of their leaders'' peace-loving nature. Besides, none of the neutral ns in the Higher Realm had a member who possessed concealment ability. That left her wondering if the mage belonged to any of the independent factions.


    Alta gritted her teeth in annoyance as she hacked her way out of the marsnd beast''s encirclement. She could not afford to battle them at this point. Her level might be higher than them but they had a certain immunity to her Sound magic because of their innate magic''s nature. Besides, her target was the unknown mage and not these beasts.


    As Alta tried to escape the marsnd beasts'' encirclement, Kyran sessfully gained some distance. Of course, he did not slow his pace after gaining them and instead increased his speed even more.


    Since Kyran could not afford to be hindered by the marsnd beasts, he continued to use his Void Scales fully. He could not help but let out a sigh of exasperation, remembering how he had drank a few potions to remove the effect of his cloak-like ability.


    For the record, Kyran still did not know much about the Veil of Nothingness, which was why he had to resort to drinking potions to remove its effect. In truth, if his mastery over the veil increased, he could freely activate and deactivate it by will.


    [Kyran, you''re losing magic energy too fast. You need to undo your Void Scales.]


    Shaiha continued to give her warnings. She was still frightened about the possibility that Oceanus and the woman who came after them had already caught on to Kyran''s magic, but she could not allow this to cloud her judgment.


    She needed to provide assistance to Kyran and ensure he could escape to safety.


    ''The potions are still in effect,'' Kyran told her, exining the reason he could not lower his Void Scales.


    As he said this, another marsnd beast sprang out from the murky waters and pounced at him. But just like the first others, he ignored it and continued forward.


    Like the marsnd beasts before it, a huge hole appeared on its body as Kyran passed through. It did not even know what happened before it fell into the murky waters and sank.


    [Those bodies... you''re leaving far too many physical evidence of your magic, Kyran.]


    Shaiha reminded him.


    Kyran did not respond. He obviously knew that it was not good to leave the bodies of the marsnd beasts just like that because the Void magic''s nature was too obvious in them.


    For one thing, the marsnd beasts'' bodies would not bleed out from the hole created by the Void Scales. While their injuries appeared simr to a powerful fire mage burning a hole in their bodies, the singed part was different from the ones that resulted from Fire magic.


    More importantly, the residual magic energy on the bodies was nothing like the one from Fire.


    [Although the only ones who are familiar with Void magic energy are those mages from that generation, Oceanus is one of them. If the woman also got hold of one of the beasts'' corpses and examined it, then...]


    Shaiha''s voice trailed off. She honestly did not want to think what would happen.


    ''Do you think The Emperor has already returned to the Higher Realm?''


    Kyran''s question caught Shaiha off guard.


    [What are you...?]


    ''I don''t mind exposing myself as the Void Master right now... No. Actually, I don''t have any choice,'' Kyran told Shaiha with furrowed brows.


    The feeling of being alone and powerless did not sit well with him. He truly believed he would have enough time to improve his strength and then find his way to the Dragon ne.


    But as fate would have it, he was only given a month to understand the basic knowledge in the Higher Realm. He had not even taken advantage of Leif''s interest in him to forge a partnership with their n.


    Kyran never believed in fate, even more so with the Fates. But he wondered if the damage he did to one of them kind of pissed them off, and now they were openly messing with him. He might not believe them, but he had witnessed their power over overriding one''s fate back in Somuli.


    If not for his Void magic''s nature that seemed capable of severing their influence, Flos and Obstruction would have returned from death, and the events that followed would have been very different.


    The Emperor''s visit to Somuli... Discovering Kyran and chasing him into the Land of Destion... Kyran meeting with the previous Higher Being...


    Kyran felt that the Fates had a hand in everything that had happened to him.


    [That may very well be true.]


    Shaiha voiced her agreement after sensing his thoughts.


    [But it is not your fate they were messing with since they have no control over you... Instead, it is the fates of the people around you that they were trying to ...manipte.]


    ''...''


    [I know you don''t want me to say this...]


    ''Then don''t.''


    [... but you have to. If you ept your identity as the Realm Scion, you can prevent the Fates from overstepping their authority.]


    ''... I sense a fluctuation nearby.''


    Kyran suddenly changed the subject.


    [Don''t change the subject¡ª.]


    ''Though it is my intention, I really sensed a fluctuation, and it is simr to the ck hole.''


    Shaiha''s eyes widened.


    [No... could it be... we''re close to the portal?]


    She observed their surroundings and realized they had long left the marsnd region. The surroundings were now filled with thick trees that made it hard for one to walk around.


    ''I think so,'' Kyran agreed, his eyes glowed silver as he observed the area up ahead. ''It''s still a distance away, but I can see it.''


    Atop a clearing, a hundred meters away from them, was a ck portal. Reddish-purple lightning crackled at its core as a swirling mist of red and purple constantly appeared every second from it.


    But.


    Crackle! Sizzle!


    Suddenly, the swirling mist spread out, seemingly infecting the ck portal, turning its color to reddish-purple.


    Kyran''s eyes widened, realizing what the change in the portal''s color meant.


    ''It''s open.''


    Shaiha shook her head in disbelief. Nevertheless, she did not voice her disagreement because she had seen what happened through Kyran''s eyes and knew what he said was true.


    [... that''s right... You possess two of the greatest works of the Ancients. The Tower must be calling for you...]


    ''... didn''t you consider the portal may have opened because I am the Void Master?''


    [!]


    Kyran was not really waiting for an answer when he asked that question. Seeing the portal up ahead and sensing no one nearby, he immediately switched the main magic energy he was circting. His eyes turned reddish-purple as he teleported right in front of the portal.


    ''Oceanus did not say I can''t im the portal today, right?'' he thought before stepping into the portal.

 Chapter 1002: The Dragon Clans Representatives (1)

    "T-The portal is¡ª!"


    In one of the imed portals, surrounded by ruined buildings and roadways, one of the two mages in red and gray robes guarding it let out a shocked cry.


    The mage beside him also looked at the portal before them in shock.


    "How could it be...? It''s too early for the portal to open!"


    The portal before them, which used to emit ck, misty swirls and hover silently in midair, was now crackling with activity¡ª the swirling ck mist was turning reddish-purple.


    This was a sign that the portal wasing to life and that the Tower of the Ancients was finally opening.


    The first mage recovered from his initial shock. He immediately looked at the second mage and shouted, "We need to report this immediately."


    "R-Right!"


    Simr events urred to every imed portal to the Tower of the Ancients, confusing every n they belonged to. Since the portals were discovered, it has been confirmed that it would take 500 years to open again.


    This was because the portal needed to charge up on a particr magic energy, which would take 500 years to umte enough. For this reason, every n with a portal had time to gather their representatives, who would enter and explore it a week before they opened.


    But the portals opened ahead of time¡ªtwo and a half months early, to be precise¡ª which was unprecedented. The ns had yet toplete their preparations, and most of their representatives were either still under training or making preparations.


    Although the portals would remain open for a whole day before closing, the ns could not possibly gather their representatives andplete their preparations in that short time.


    In the end, the ns had no choice but to do just that. Those who were training had to stop midway and hurry to prepare the things they would take inside the portal. Simultaneously, the n elders mobilized their people to prepare the rest of the items their representatives would bring with them. These included pills, pre-made arrays, talismans, and weapons.


    Some ns also prepared relics, focusing on defensive measures to ensure their representatives'' safety. After all, once all n representatives entered the portals, no rules could bind them. They could all fight, and not even The Emperor could do anything.


    Of course, that would be a different matter if those representatives sessfully left the Tower of the Ancients.


    For the record, once the portals to the Tower of the Ancients closed, the representatives could only leave the tower by essing the portal from which they entered. They would then be transported back to where the other end of the portal was located. This meant that they could not use the portal from different ns. At least, portals that were imed by other ns.


    If they managed to find a portal that had not yet been imed, they could use that to leave the tower. But doing that was risky because there was no telling if the unimed portal was in a secured location.


    There was once an incident in which a n representative tried to enter a different portal in hopes of securing a second portal for their n. The representative ended up at the bottom of an ocean filled with aquatic beasts as powerful as High Sovereigns. He managed to send a coded SOS message to his n, but that was thest they heard of him. His n failed to locate him.


    After that incident, the next time the Tower of the Ancients opened, no one risked entering a different portal.


    Alta, who managed to extricate herself from the marsnd beasts'' encirclement, returned to their makeshift camp and was greeted with the news of the portal opening. Though exhausted, she informed her n about it and immediately gathered four people to enter the portal.


    However, she and her group failed to enter.


    Alta was furious and wanted to destroy the portal. Unfortunately, these portals were indestructible.


    Other ns tried to destroy the imed portals of enemy ns but failed miserably. There was even a rumor that the Dragon Emperor tried to destroy the Dragon n''s imed portal when he gave out three invitations to others. But even he, who was known to possess the most prative magic attack, failed to scratch the portal''s surface.


    Alta immediately suspected the unknown mage was responsible for the portal''s acquisition. For this reason, she decided to camp outside and wait for the time he would return and kill him.


    Meanwhile, when Oceanus and Leif learned Kyran seeded in iming the portal, they were both exhrated and frustrated at the news.


    They were exhrated because they did not expect him to im the portal the same day they went to scout the area. But frustrated because the portal opened too soon, and they were not ready to enter. Moreover, The Council decided to camp outside the portal. Even if Leif and the others managed toplete preparations, how would they sneak in and enter the portal under their watchful eyes?


    Leif was a High Sovereign herself, but so was the one in charge of guarding the portal, Alta. Even if Leif decided to force their way into the portal, she would only expose the Ogen n''s rtionship with the unknown mage and put the whole n at risk.


    "We''ll wait at the veryst minute," Oceanus told them. "I will use the Lucinato blind their senses. You then take that moment to enter the portal."


    Leif looked at her father in concern, "But using that relic will put a strain on your core. You don''t exactly have an affinity with it."


    What Leif meant was that the Lucina relic used Illusion magic. However, Oceanus'' innate magic was Water. Though thetter''s nature tapped into Illusion magic depending on how it was used, Lucina''s Illusion magic was based on Soul Magic.


    That was right. Lucina was one of the Spirits'' treasures. Before their ne got destroyed and fell to the Lower Realm, the ns who attacked them stole several of their treasures.


    Oceanus managed to acquire one of their treasures in a private auction. Given the Water magic''s nature, he had initially believed he could forge an affinity for it. s, apart from activating it for a few minutes, he could only sustain its required magic energy using his own soul¡ª after all, he did not have Soul magic energy. Because of this, his core would suffer.


    "It is fine. You just need to focus on entering the portal."


    "Shall I take Cove and Irving?" Leif asked.


    Oceanus frowned slightly. Frankly, he wanted to give the remaining two months before the portals opened to train Cove and Irving before making his decision. But now that the portals were opened, he could no longer do that. Oceanus could choose other members of Ogen to go with Leif and Maren, but most of their qualified members were back in Ogen.


    And if hepared the talents of these members to Cove and Irving, thetter two were indeed better.


    "We don''t have much choice," Oceanus replied after a short pause. "It will take a couple of days for our people toe here. Besides, the transmission point to this ne from Ogen has not beenpleted. Even if we rushed its creation, it would still take a couple more days."


    "Yes," Leif replied, sighed helplessly. "We should have started its creation the first day we discovered the portal."


    "No point dwelling over it. Tell Maren and the others of the n."


    "Yes."


    "Hopefully, Null did what he had to do so the portal will recognize you."


    During the briefing, Oceanus exined to Kyran what he had to do so Oceanus''s people could enter the portal, even if he were the one who imed it.


    Oceanus would not mark Kyran as his people, so the portal would not emit Ogens'' magic signature. To allow them entry, Kyran had to insert Ogen''s token into one of the three slots at the statue at the other end of the portal. This statue was how one would recognize which n had imed it.


    Of course, Oceanus changed the design of the token he gave to Kyran so that other ns would not recognize it.


    Leif frowned after hearing her father, "Now that you said... What if he didn''t? We didn''t help him when Alta found him, too."


    Oceanus chuckled. He initially thought his daughter had such blind faith in Kyran, but hearing her doubt him since they did not provide assistance, Oceanus was a little amused.


    "It is fine. While observing his plight earlier, I did n on interfering. But after a while, I realized he did not need my help. He seemed to have... a few helpful cards up his sleeves."


    Unlike Oceanus, who could conceal his senses from Alta, Leif could not. Thus, she could only observe what was happening on a superficial level. Nevertheless, she knew Kyran had been in a very dire situation.


    On the other hand, Oceanus managed to witness Kyran using a very powerful movement spell and summon a strange barrier. Unfortunately, he failed to recognize the younger man''s movement and barrier.


    "I don''t think he will hold a grudge about not receiving assistance from us. Besides, he is aware of our stance. Not to mention, he knew nothing about the Tower of the Ancients. The only way for him to survive in that ce is to wait for us at the other side of the portal."


    As Oceanus had said, Kyran did what he was told and inserted Ogen''s token in one of the slots on the statue a few feet away from the portal.


    "Rather than a statue... isn''t this just a block of stone?" Kyran wondered aloud.


    [You''re still honoring the agreement you had with Oceanus even when he did nothing when that woman attacked you?]


    Shaiha asked in indignation.


    ''I will still need their help to navigate around here,'' Kyran answered with a shrug. ''Unless you''d be kind enough to be my guide.''


    [Forge it.]


    Shaiha replied with a sigh.


    [Even if I want to guide you, I have little knowledge of how the tower works. Besides, it has been lost in space for thousands of years. The terrain and its environment have undergone dramatic change.]


    ''...dramatic change, huh?'' Kyran repeated as he finally took that chance to survey his surroundings.


    After entering the portal, he arrived in the middle of a floating forest. From the distance, he could see a tower shrouded in swirling ck mist. To the portal''s right was a block of stone that Oceanus referred to as a statue, while on the left, there was a round tform with a Transmission array.


    The array was currently inactive, and upon checking its form, Kyran confirmed it would only activate at a specific time.


    ''Does this array lead inside the tower or...?''


    [No. It will lead to the tform in front of the tower.]

 Chapter 1003: The Dragon Clans Representatives (2)

    ''tform?'' Kyran repeated, looking at Shaiha in confusion through his mind''s eye.


    Shaiha nodded.


    [The portals may have opened, but the tower itself is still closed. It will only open after all portals in the Higher Realm close. After that, the transmission array will activate, and all participants can use it to go to the tform located in front of the tower.]


    Kyran fell silent as he contemted her words. He then frowned as he realized something and asked, ''Have you been here before?''


    [¡­]


    ''¡­''


    The awkward silence stretched between them, and eventually, Shaiha could no longer take it and sighed in exasperation.


    [When The Realm was divided and the Higher Being lost the qualification to wield me, I hid in the closest secured location I could find at that time, the Tower of the Ancients.]


    Shaiha started to exin.


    [Back then, the Land of the Ancients was already copsing and bits and pieces of itsnd had already fallen to the Lower Realm. I thought thend where the Tower of the Ancients was would also fall to the Lower Realm, but instead, it got sucked into the crevices of space that appeared then and was lost.


    Shaiha smiled bitterly, recalling a memory she had before proceeding.


    [I thought the tower getting lost in space was for the best. At least, no one would ever inherit the Realm again and try to fix it¡­ only to destroy it again because of greed and¡­]


    There was a hint of anger and frustration in her voice as it trailed off.


    Kyran did not respond nor insist that she continue. He did not have to because he sensed her sudden willingness to talk.


    [¡­ In any case¡ª]


    ¡­ Or, at least, he thought she was finally ready to talk.


    [¡ª I remained in the tower for thousands of years until a young mage found a portal to the tower, discovered how it worked, and entered it. He found me¡­ and things went awry in the Higher Realm again.


    [The discord did not happen at once. It happened gradually until¡­ *sigh* well, I am sure you already have an idea of what transpired after I was found.]


    Shaiha looked at Kyran with a somewhat helpless smile.


    [After all, that is how the Human ne got caught up in the Higher Realm''s events. It even ended up birthing the first vessels of the Ancient Magic Cores.]


    Kyran sighed while scratching his head, ''Don''t you think it''s about time you tell me everything that happened in the past?''


    [Not until you ept your identity as the Realm Scion.]


    ''Why are you so fixated on that topic? You said it yourself. Maybe it is for the best that no one else inherits The Realm¡ª no one will fix it, only to destroy it again.''


    Shaiha fell silent.


    Nheless, like how Shaiha could read and sense Kyran''s thoughts, he could read and sense hers, too. Thus, even without her saying anything, he knew exactly why she was fixated on him epting the Realm Scion''s identity.


    ''It''s fine if I inherited The Realm, is that it?''


    [... I don''t mind if you inherited The Realm.]


    Kyran and Shaiha said at the same time.


    ''Don''t give me too much credit. I''m sure you have a wrong impression about me.''


    [I''ll be the judge of that.]


    ''I am a greedy person.''


    [As I said, I will be the judge of that¡ª.]


    ''I''m also very selfish.''


    [...]


    ''If I inherit The Realm, I''ll likely destroy everything that I believe will harm everyone I care about. If I end up implicating others, then so be it. It doesn''t matter if they are good people by heart. As long as they side with people who harm my people, I''ll destroy them.''


    [Like how you did not hesitate to kill those humans fighting for the Royal Family back in the Human ne? I know all about that and still believe you are fit to inherit The Realm.]


    Shaiha shrugged before adding.


    [Frankly, I approved of your action back then. Maybe they were inherently good people, but the truth of the matter remains that they chose to serve the Royal Family, regardless of all the distorted beliefs and rules thetter instilled in their heads. Even if they did that to secure a livelihood to support their families too¡ª.]


    ''You''re getting sidetracked.''


    [¡ª my point is! No matter how evil you try to make yourself out to be, I still stand by my belief that you are qualified to inherit The Realm.]


    Shaiha ignored Kyran''s attempt to interrupt her and said her piece.


    Kyran fell silent, and Shaiha sensed his refusal of being the Realm Scion waver ever so slightly. It was progress, in her opinion, and it was more than enough at this point.


    [In any case, I think you have a misconception about The Realm''s inheritance.]


    Kyran groaned when he realized Shaiha was not done with her pep talk.


    ''If this is your way of changing the topic about the Tower of the Ancients¡­''


    [Ah¡ª!]


    Based on Shaiha''s reaction, it appeared she did not mean to change the topic and was rendered speechless.


    When Shaiha fell silent, Kyran backtracked on their conversation and veered their conversation back on track.


    ''The mage who discovered you¡­ was he the Dark Sage?''


    [!]


    ''Right on the mark, huh?''


    Shaiha was once more speechless. She heaved a sigh and gave Kyran a hard look.


    [Did you guess it after connecting the things I said and what that woman told you?]


    The woman Shaiha was referring to was none other than La. Back in Somuli, when La told Kyran her reasons for wanting to create an army of undying mages, Shaiha got restless. Knowing Kyran, Shaiha knew he would agree to help La. It was not because he sympathized with her but because doing so would ensure she would stop targeting his people.


    Apart from that, La promised to return the Soul core to Cyneah after shepleted her revenge. She also promised to leave the Soul corepletely so her emotions would not affect Cyneah.


    ''La, huh?'' Kyran scratched his head after being reminded of her proposal, which he had yet to respond to.


    ''The things she said did make me connect a lot of things, from her rtionship with the Dark Sage to some of the entries in the tablet Axil and the rest of the Guardians found,'' he admitted. ''But there are still a lot of things that didn''t make sense to me, and that is why I still have reservations.''


    [The mage who found me was indeed the Dark Sage. But¡­ you¡­ still don''t know his real identity, don''t you?]


    ''If you know, just say it,'' Kyranined. ''I may be fond of researching, but if someone knows the answer to something, I don''t mind being told.''


    [Telling you, however, will threaten the original flow of things.]


    ''We''re including the Fates in our conversation now?''


    [They have always been involved in many things, Kyran.]


    Shaiha told him solemnly.


    [The only reason you don''t sense their influencepared to others is because you are immune to the Fate Codes.]


    Kyran''s expression turned grim as he realized he had been too naive to wish Shaiha would start telling him what she knew. Because the moment she did, she started spouting things that gave him more questions than answers.


    ''I think I''ming down with a really terrible headache. Let''s rest a bit,'' Kyran told Shaiha in an attempt to stop her from saying anything more.


    Shaiha shook her head at Kyran''sme excuse. The headache he spoke of was only a figure of speech because he no longer experienced it. His overall condition had grown by leaps and bounds after drinking the Elixir, and that meant he would no longer be affected by minor aches like headaches.


    [Now that I started talking, you wanted me to stop. You may not get another chance like this, you know.]


    ''I''ll hold on to the fact you used the word may rather than will,'' Kyran told her before looking at the portal and then the transmission array.


    "The portal opened way ahead of time because of me," he wondered aloud. He approached the transmission array and reached out his hand while circting his Void magic. "This array might also activate ahead of time if I imbued it with Void."


    [If you do that, all the portals will close, and you will not be able to find the one that led to the Dragon n.]


    Shaiha pointed while rolling her eyes.


    Kyran stopped midway from touching the array and red at her through his mind''s eye. He growled, ''You should have said that earlier.''


    [I did say it.]


    ''You only said about how the array will open after all portals in the Higher Realm close!'' Kyran replied in exasperation.


    ''Forget it,'' he added when he saw her opening her mouth to refute him. He straightened up and looked at his surroundings once more. ''I can venture away from the portal, at least, right?''


    [Yes.]

 Chapter 1004: The Dragon Clans Representatives (3)

    Although Kyran said he would venture away from the portal, the floating forest was small. Then again, he was d to have walked around because he found a few rare medicinal herbs at least seven to ten thousand years old. Such herbs had potent medicinal efficacy, and his chances of concocting a potion or pills advanced than saint tier were higher.


    [You know,pared to Array Saints, Alchemist makes lots of money in the Higher Realm. Make sure to gather as many medicinal herbs as you can while we are here.]


    ''Yeah,'' Kyran agreed. He had the same thoughts, especially back in Ogen when he realized how much higher-tiered potions and pills could sell. ''Are there any of this in the tower?''


    [Probably.]


    ''...''


    [It''s not like I know every treasure the Ancients kept in the tower! I hid inside, true, but back then, I could only stay in my dormant form and stay in one ce. But then, even if I could shift into my true form, I could only explore the floor I was in.]


    While Kyran harvested every medicinal herb he could find, Shaiha shared everything she knew about the Tower of the Ancients.


    The tower itself was a work of art since it was built by the Ancients, who possessed advanced knowledge in every branch of Magic. Even if they removed the fact that the Ancients kept physical treasures in the tower, the experiences of the Ancients that could be felt on each floor could already be considered a great find.


    Indeed, the saying that knowledge was wealth was true, especially when the knowledge came from the Ancients.


    From Shaiha''s exnation, Kyran more or less guessed that the tower was simr to the Tower of Tribtions, albeit they would not be teleported into different nes toplete their training and gain knowledge. Instead, it was up to them to receive their own enlightenment by observing the surroundings on each floor.


    At this point, Kyran could only specte how each person would receive that enlightenment.


    Basically, each floor had a test of some sort that anyone who entered the tower would receive. The test did not have to be the same for each person, and there were likely no right or wrong answers. What was important was how each person faced the test and how fast they couldprehend the lesson behind it. Only then would they receive enlightenment and broaden their Magic knowledge.


    After that, the path to the next floor would open for them.


    Now, some mages might choose not to receive those enlightenments and instead focus on searching for the Ancients'' real treasures¡ªtheir creations. This would likely be the case for each person who did not believe they could achieve enlightenment quickly.


    Besides, the Ancients'' treasures were something they could take with them. Unlike with the test they received, if they failed to receive any enlightenment, then that was it.


    Kyran said his thoughts aloud, even when Shaiha could already read what he was thinking. She agreed to most of his spections but did add something that gave him a slight headache.


    [The tower will be filled with representatives of different ns in the Higher Realm when the time arrives. Once inside, there will be no alliances and no rules that bind them. You have to be careful. Even if you go in with Leif and the others, they will be in disguise. They will also keep a low profile and will likely focus only on searching for treasures.]


    Kyran did not respond. He already guessed as much. After all, Oceanus only mentioned letting Kyran keep any treasures he found in the tower.


    ''The tower has opened several times now,'' he said, suddenly thinking of something. ''A lot of ns participate each time. Are there still treasures there?''


    Shaiha sighed.


    [I know, right? But yes, that is just how advanced and... well... diligent the Ancients were when Magic was concerned. In fact, you received this aspect of them.]


    ''...''


    Shaiha wore an incredulous look as she raised her brows.


    [What? Ames already told you, right? That you possess the Ancient Body. How do you think you acquired it if the Ancients blood does not course through your veins?]


    ''What? Now I also have Ancient blood? What other bloodlines do I have?'' Kyran asked. But rather than asking in curiosity, he sounded annoyed, even sarcastic.


    [That''s not it.]


    Shaiha replied, rolling her eyes.


    [Did you forget? The Human ne is one of the few pieces from the Land of the Ancients that fell to the Lower Realm. But besides that, the Human ne is special among the other pieces because it managed to preserve most of the Ancients'' knowledge and people.]


    ''That''s strange,'' Kyran replied with a frown. ''If what you are saying is right, shouldn''t humans be far superior in terms of magic knowledge? Since there were survivors, who could pass it on to the next generation?''


    [s.]


    Shaiha sighed and shook her head.


    [Even I do not understand why humans of this time are weak. To think that there are only a handful of Arch Maguses in the Human ne, not to mention only a couple of Legendaries...]


    ''The Lower Realm''s rules don''t exactly allow nes to have more than one Sage or Sovereign.''


    [That is what I do not understand as well. Then again, when I came to the Lower Realm, the only ce I had ever been to was the Shaiha Temple. As for news from outside the Human ne, I managed to learn a few because, technically, the Lower Realm is a part of me.]


    ''...''


    [Fine. Fine. I won''t say anything more.]


    ''Don''t you think it is toote for that?''


    [What can I say? Besides, even if the Lower Realm is a part of me, it has already formed its consciousness and rules that I could not interfere with. This is precisely why the War of the Sovereigns needs to happen so that...]


    ''...''


    Shaiha''s voice trailed off after sensing Kyran''s foul mood. She sighed once more before adding.


    [Fine. We can talk about the rest once you get over your headache.]


    ''Thank you.''


    Shaiha only snorted inelegantly in response.


    Going back on what Kyran pointed out about how weak humans were, it was true that Shaiha found it strange. Moreover, she did not understand why humans could not make full use of all the magicws avable to them and only utilized a few.


    In the first ce, the Human ne''s Magic Law was unrestricted. For this reason, any outsider could use their magicw, albeit their magic power was restricted because of the Sovereign''s Cradle.


    ''It is not that they are not making full use of them, but because they are not aware that they can use them,'' Kyran corrected her thoughts.


    ''I''ve been thinking about it as well,'' he admitted after sensing Shaiha''s emotions. ''Thus far, I only have a few spections about why humans'' mage levels are far lowerpared to others¡ªat least, overall.''


    He then thought of something and immediately corrected himself, ''Actually, besides having low magic levels, their magic power is also... weaker.''


    Kyran continued to check the nts around him before moving to another spot.


    [Yes.]


    Shaiha agreed, recalling how powerful a Grand Master Somulians werepared to a human Grand Master.


    ''In any case, I know I''ll know why eventually. But now...'' Kyran looked back to where the portal was before continuing, ''Looks like we''ve gotpany.''


    [Hmm...]


    Shaiha also sensed several presences entering the portal they hade through.


    It seems they managed to enter the portal just fine.]


    She added after recognizing one of the presences as Leif.


    [Are we heading back now?]


    Kyran took a breath, ''Honestly, I want to explore the tower alone. But I am powerless right now. Besides, all other representatives from the other ns will be present on the tform, right?''


    [That''s correct.]


    ''Then going off alone will not be a good idea.''


    [Hm.]


    Shaiha agreed, nodding her head.


    With that, Kyran returned to the portal and met with Leif and the others.


    The moment Kyran arrived, his brow twitched involuntarily. This was because Leif and the other three with her did change their appearances.


    They had dyed their hair ck¡ª like Kyran''s. But apart from that, their eye colors were the same. Not to mention their faces and auras.


    "Is this supposed to be your disguise?"


    Leif smiled, "Don''t worry. We are not done yet."


    "... That''s not what I meant..."


    Truthfully speaking, Kyran did not understand why they had to change their hair color to ck. They could have changed it to any other color; why ck?


    "I think your hair color is very nice," Leif replied with a sweet smile. "Besides, Alta saw you. If we want to keep up the act that you are from another n, then we have to at least look like you."


    Cove and Irving frowned at Leif''s words but did not attempt to refute her.


    "... right," Kyran replied, ignoring the re that came from Cove and Irving.


    "However, to ensure we mask our own auras without others noticing it is camouge, we will need your help," Leif said, her expression turning solemn. "We will need to match our signatures as well... for this reason, we will need your¡ª."


    "Sorry, but rather than you four adjusting to my appearance," Kyran interrupted her upon realizing what she wanted from him. "Don''t you think it''s better to adjust mine? As you said, someone saw me. I really don''t want anyplications while we''re here."


    "Well... we did think of that first, but we didn''t think you''d agree," Leif admitted. "Then, whose blood do you need?"


    "No one," Kyran replied. "Just give me a moment to make something."


    "Adjustments?"


    [Are you nning on using your mask? Didn''t I warn you about how almost every mage here is an Array Saint?]


    ''I know. But not everyone is an Alchemist, right?''


    Shaiha''s eyes widened.


    [You mean...]


    Kyran smiled in response.

 Chapter 1005: The Dragon Clans Representatives (4)

    All transmission arrays near the portals lit up soon after every portal in the Higher Realm closed. The ns managed to send their representatives before the portals closed, but they barely gathered enough supplies to take with them.


    The de Dancer n, cio n, and Adamas n representatives stood in front of the portal in a cave covered in ice. This portal was one of the portals under The Council and was shared by the three ns that supported The Emperor.


    Each n had six members, and they all looked young. Nheless, the aura they emitted was more potent than a Sovereign. They had yet to step to the level of a High Sovereign, but it was not wrong to say that their strength could easily defeat an average High Sovereign.


    It should have been easy to differentiate each n from their physical appearance. However, since most ns chose not to send members from the main branch, some could be mistaken for another n. Thus, to differentiate them, each n would wear color-coded attire.


    The de Dancer representatives wore dark red robes or leather armor with gold ornaments. The cio n wore dark blue robes or leather armor with silver rune writings embedded on the sleeves. Lastly, the robes and leather armor the Adamas representatives wore were light gray with different ck patterns at the back and front.


    A young man in light gray armor with a long spear strapped behind his back frowned while looking at another young man in dark red robes. Both young men had short, auburn hair. However, the former had shorter hair than thetter and amber eyes, while thetter''s eyes were dark green.


    "The report sent by Senior Alta, is it true?" the young man from the Adamas n, asked the leader representative of the de Dancer n.


    "Yes," replied the young man with dark green eyes. "Unfortunately, she did not get a good look at the intruder''s face, so she could not give us his photo."


    As soon as he said this, everyone''s expressions turned grim. How would they search for someone if they did not know what he looked like?


    "She did say the intruder had ck hair and was wearing ck clothes," the young man hastily added with a bitter smile.


    "ck hair?"


    Almost all of them repeated with a scowl.


    "Yes," the young man replied. "Few ns belonging to an independent faction had members with ck hair, even in the ns belonging to The Council. Obviously, we can already rule out ns belonging to The Council because we''ll recognize them."


    "That leaves us with independent factions and neutral ns, right?" the young man who first addressed thetter supplied.


    "That''s right."


    A young woman with short, wavy red hair in a light gray armor frowned, "Neutral n... The portal is near Ogen, right?"


    The young man looked at her, "You''re thinking about the Ogen n, right?"


    "Yes," the young woman replied. She added, "Even if Ogen is neutral, our spies have seen suspicious movements on Overlord Oceanus''s side that suggest he is up to something."


    The young man shook his head, "I know about that. But our side checked and confirmed he only seeks talents to secure their n''s future. Besides, we haveplete intel on their members. They don''t have one with ck hair."


    "Even new recruits?"


    "Yes. In the meantime, we can rule out Ogen, but we can''tpletely rule out the other neutral ns."


    "In my opinion, it is better to round up all those independent factions and wipe them out."


    A raspy-voiced young man with dark blue hair and red eyes wearing dark blue armor suddenly said, resulting in almost everyone turning their attention to him.


    The first young man who spoke looked at him with a frown and said, "You know very well why we can''t do that. Besides, some neutral ns that are part of an independent faction and also on good terms with the Dragon n."


    The young man with red hair red at them and growled in annoyance, "Why the f*ck do we have to give the Dragon n face just because they are on good terms with those f*ckers?"


    "Why ask a question you already know the answer to?" A woman with blue hair and light blue eyes in dark blue robes shook her head at thetter in annoyance. "Are you stupid?"


    "What was that¡ª?"


    "Stop it, you two," the first young man told them off before their exchange could escte. "We only have a little time before the transmission array opens. We need to n our act when we see that intruder."


    "But how sure are we that he imed the portal?" asked another young woman wearing a light gray robe with long, braided blonde hair and sea-green eyes.


    The young man leading the de Dancer n replied, "In Senior Alta''s report, she said that the magic signatureing out from the portal did not respond to any of the ns in our database. Herst update also mentioned four people with ck hair slipping past their defenses and sessfully entering the portal."


    "So we''re looking for five people with ck hair?"


    "Well... Senior Alta said she cared little about thest four and only wanted the first intruder."


    "Why is that?"


    "He has a rare concealment ability."


    "You..."


    After hearing this information, they all red at the leader representative of the de Dancer n.


    "How the f*ck are we going to look for him if he possesses a rare concealment ability?"


    "It''s not like he can hide himself all the time. Besides, his ck hair will stand out like a sore thumb once we gather at the tform."


    "Then do we make a move as soon as we see him there?"


    "Are you stupid? If we do that, what do you think the Dragon n will do?"


    "Why the f*ck do we have to be mindful of our actions in front of those f*ckers?"


    "Did you forget how the cio n suffered at their hands two months ago?"


    "Don''t you dare go there," the red-haired young man growled at the leader representative of the Amadas n.


    "Humph," the young woman with short, wavy red hair snorted at thetter before saying, "And you''d dare talk like that to Leader? Do you have a death wish?"


    "That is enough," the leader representative of the Adamas n said, looking at his fellow n member before looking at the red-haired young man. "There is no point in us arguing. Instead, let us agree on what we have to do."


    "Uhmm..."


    A short and weak-looking young man with effeminate features, short auburn hair, red eyes, and a dark red robe raised his hand and said, "Did it not ur to you guys that he may have already changed his appearance?"


    "Only weaklings cannot see through a mage''s disguise."


    "All of us here possessed strengths simr to a High Sovereign. I doubt we won''t be able to see through his disguise," the leader representative of the Adamas n replied with a wry smile.


    "True... but that only applies if he''s a Sovereign or a weak High Sovereign. Did you forget? He managed to get past Senior Alta, and she is among the elites. Which means that the intruder may not be weaker than her."


    "Impossible," the leader representative of de Dancer n disagreed at once. "He indeed got through Senior Alta''s pursuit, but that only happened because of the marsnd beasts that went after her. Those beasts possessed Earth magic, so... I''m sure you understand what I''m trying to say here, right?"


    "Senior Alta''s Sound magic is weak against Earth magic..."


    "That''s right."


    "If that''s the case, we''ll just have to put in more effort to check who is in disguise when we gather at the tform."


    "I suppose... that is the only thing we can do right now."


    Almost everyone agreed to the Adamas leader representative.


    "If you find anyone suspicious, keep an eye on them. We can also keep an eye on all new faces."


    "Right... chances that the intruder is among them is high after all."


    "Unless he disguised himself as someone The Council already knew."


    "Don''t jinx it."


    "Be careful out there. If you find anyone who may be the intruder, send a message immediately."


    "Right."


    *


    Contrary to what everyone expected, the transmission array did not appear after the glow on all portals dimmed. They waited for a couple more days before it activated.


    None of the n representatives mind it, though. Those couple of days gave them time to explore their surroundings and gather as much material as they could to help them go through the tower.


    Finally, when the transmission array was activated, all representatives stepped into the array and were transported to the tform just outside the tower''s entrance.


    The moment they appeared, the other ns immediately noticed a group of five people¡ª the Dragon n''s representatives.


    These five had striking appearances with their silver hair and silver-gray eyes. All of them wore light silver armor, which, when they moved and glistened, one would notice they were dragon scales.


    But what truly caught the other ns'' eyes was one particr member of this group¡ª a young woman of mesmerizing beauty with long silver hair, wearing a flowing white robe with silver ents. She appeared aloof, ignoring all the stares directed at her as she stared into the distance.


    Besides her beauty, almost everyone was in awe of her beautiful eyes¡ª eyes that seemed to mirror all the colors in hersurroundings.

 Chapter 1006: Blood

    Leif and the rest of Ogen''s representatives stared at Kyran with mixed feelings. This was especially true with Leif, who wanted to recruit him. The reason behind her reaction was that thetter took almost two days toplete the concoction of what was considered an elementary potion¡ª Transformation.


    Typically, a Transformation potion could be concocted in three to five hours. But it took Kyran almost two days, and the potion''s color was different. Which likely meant it was a failure.


    In any case, the Transformation potion was not something an Alchemist would waste their time concocting. After all, most Sovereigns would realize if someone was using one.


    This was the reason Leif felt a little disappointed at Kyran''s Alchemy level. Then again, Alchemy was one of the branches of Magic that was hard to master. Even among the few Overlords in the Higher Realm, there was only one who could be considered an Alchemist.


    "I''m so sorry, Null," Leif started while watching Kyran transferring the concoction into ten small vials. "I didn''t want to break your bubble when you first started to work on your potion because I thought you''d only take a few hours to finish it, but now... the potion you were working on is a little..."


    "I know what you want to say," Kyran replied as Leif''s voice trailed off. "Don''t you think it is way toote to share your thoughts now that I''ve seeded?"


    "That is true... but..." Leif stopped short, realizing something was off from Kyran''s response. "Wait, what? Seeded?"


    Kyran nodded and grinned before looking at her, "Yeah. I only need four different drops of blood, and we''re good to go."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...huh?"


    All four representatives of Ogen gaped at Kyran in confusion.


    On the other hand, thetter ignored them as he secured all vials with a cork before cing them in his space pouch.


    "What drop of blood...?"


    "We don''t have much time," Kyran stopped Leif from asking any questions and made his way out of the portal''s vicinity. "I need to find targets as soon as possible.


    Irving frowned at him, "You don''t get to call the shots here, Null."


    "That''s right. Lady Leif has been kind enough to indulge your whims but will not tolerate such things," Cove added. "You''ve already wasted two days of our precious time just to fail in your concoction."


    Maren looked at Leif sideways, wanting to see how she would act to thetter two targetting Null. It was obvious that the two young men disliked Leif and Overlord Oceanus''s favorable treatment of Null and wanted to pick on him for taking advantage of it.


    For the record, Maren did not approve of their action. Because, to her, the two young men were being immature. She did find Kyran''s attitude toward Leif and Overlord Oceanus a little disrespectful, but as long as he did not say anything against them, she did not care about his attitude.


    Maren raised her eyebrows in surprise upon seeing Leif''s smile. It appeared that she did not intend to stop the two young men and decided to let them settle their differences themselves.


    Kyran looked at them with raised brows, "Did I ask you to stay and watch while I concocted my potion? No. Don''t say I wasted your time."


    "You¡ª!"


    "Besides," Kyran shrugged off Irving''s attempt to tell him off and continue. "Did you not hear what I said? My concoction is a sess. I just need blood toplete it."


    With that, he started to walk once more.


    Leif followed while asking, "Where are we going? The transmission array might open anytime."


    Kyran sighed, "Did you not hear me? I need blood."


    "I did hear you, but... why would you need blood?"


    "Without it, my potion will randomly transform our features," Kyran patiently exined. "If that happened, we''ll only draw unwanted attention."


    Leif''s eyes widened as she gaped at him incredulously.


    Maren was equally shocked but did not say anything and only followed them from behind.


    Cove and Irving also followed suit but could not help but snicker at Kyran''s words. They were obviously convinced that his concoction failed and did not believe anything he said.


    "Wait, you..." Leif picked up her pace to match Kyran''s and asked, "... you mean to say that you n on finding other n representatives, taking their blood, and using them for our disguise?"


    "You can''t possibly show up on the tform looking like Ogen''s representatives, right?"


    "True. But where will you find a representative here? As far as we know, the locations of every portal are far apart. They are also in ces that are hard for anyone to reach alone. This is another reason other ns would not risk looking for another portal to use as an exit.


    "In any case, we know we can''t show up on the tform looking like Ogen''s representatives. That''s why we dyed our hair ck!"


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly at Leif''s admittance that they did not care about using a disguise that would implicate him or his imaginary n¡ª well, at this point, they were a mystery from Leif and Oceanus''s perspective.


    Leif continued, "We also n on changing our features so no one will recognize us¡ª."


    "No one will probably be able to recognize you, but what about the other three?" Kyran pointed his thumb toward the three behind them. "The average mage level of every n representative is likely around Maren''s, and the level of the other two is lower than that. Do you think if they changed their features, no one would notice they are in disguise?


    Besides, ck hair stood out like a sore thumb even outside Ogen. Moreover, that woman back there would have already alerted the ns under The Council that can enter the tower about me. If we don''t properly n our disguise, we''d be found by them and cornered."


    "... true," Leif replied after a short pause. "We did think of that. But the only other thing we can do is dye our hair differently again and hope that other ns that are not part of The Council have found their portals and will take part this year. We can then mingle with them and avoid suspicion."


    "I''m surprised you and Overlord Oceanus settled for such an uncertain n."


    "Stop being disrespectful of Lady Leif and Overlord Oceanus!" Cove and Irving growled at Kyran.


    Kyran ignored them and continued talking to Leif, who also seemed to ignore Cove and Irving''s reactions.


    "Not that I can really me you. Since I''ve imed the portal ahead of time."


    "That you did," Leif agreed with a sigh. "Our n is to allow Cove and Irving to increase their level and experience before the time to enter the tower happens. But the portal opened way ahead of time. Still, wemend your decision to im the portal the moment you found an opportunity. As a matter of fact, you''re pretty lucky to have stumbled upon the portal when it opened early."


    "..."


    Kyran retained an indifferent expression and veered the conversation away from the portal''s early essibility.


    "Because the portal opened ahead of time, I''ve been thinking of ways to ensure your n can safely mingle with the other n representatives when we gather on the tform outside the tower."


    "And this is what you''vee up with?"


    "Yes," he replied. "Don''t worry. No one will notice you''ve taken a potion and disguise yourself from my concoction."


    "..."


    Leif was still in doubt, but Kyran''s confidence was so infectious that she decided to wait and see just how powerful his Transformation potion was. In any case, if he failed, then they could just do their initial n.


    "How do you n on looking for another n representative then?" Leif asked. "We are in an isted floating forest, you know."


    All of them knew this because they had already scanned their surroundings using their senses after entering the portal. Apart from the presence of beasts near the floating forest''s edges, they were practically alone.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve already seen another portal at a nearby floating forest."


    "The nearby floating forest you''re speaking of is five hundred meters away!" Maren could not help but blurt out. "Besides that, the gulf separating the two... there is no telling what horrors are lying in wait there! It is too dangerous."


    "I agree with Maren," Leif also said. "And even if there is a portal there... we don''t know if it has been imed."


    "It is imed." Kyran ignored Maren''s warning and replied only to Leif''s concern. "I saw one token on the tablet beside it."


    Irving scowled, "You''ve yapped on about seeing the portal and now the tablet when Ms. Maren clearly stated there is a gulf separating the two floating forests! There is no way you could have seen those things!"


    "Side characters should stay quiet when not spoken to," Kyranmented with a deadpan expression and tone.


    "You¡ª!"


    "Do you know a way how to go over the other floating forest?" Leif asked Kyran before Irving could say anything.


    "I do," Kyran answered. "Though, I''m not sure why you''re asking when you''re already aware of what I am capable of."


    Leif realized that Kyran knew she and her father had been watching his encounter with Alta and felt somewhat embarrassed. She gave him a sweet smile and said, "For the record, my father is the only one who saw what you did. I barely witnessed what was happening at my level."


    "I see."


    "...Lady Leif?" Maren, Cove, and Irving looked at her quizzically.


    Leif smiled at them and said, "It''s fine. With Null''s abilities, we can cross the gulf with no problem."


    "... I didn''t say I''m taking you with me."


    "Huh?"


    "I''m going alone."


    *


    The discussion that happened along the way took longer than when Kyran acquired the blood he needed toplete his potion.

 Chapter 1007: Gathering (1)

    Kyran knocked out the representatives he found for Leif and her fellow Ogen representatives. He then created an isted space and hid them there.


    Fortunately, the space where the Tower of the Ancients ended up was rich in simr energy to Kyran''s Void magic. For this reason, he did not have to worry about leaving residual energy whenever he used it. The area''s rich magic energy also allowed him to ess the isted space anywhere without a problem. In this way, he could monitor the condition of the unconscious representatives.


    Still, they were faced with a small problem. The representatives Kyran targeted only had four. In the end, he decided to give Leif and her people the vials containing the blood of those representatives and just let the potion he would take randomly change his features. After that, they could pretend he was a new n member.


    When Kyran returned and gave Leif all the possessions he had found from the representatives, she confirmed that they were new participants this year and a rtively unknown n. This was a fortunate thing for them because they did not have to be wary of other ns who knew them.


    Kyran gave the vials to Leif and let her distribute them.


    At first, Cove and Irving were against drinking a potion created by someone they did not know. But Leif ignored their objection and drank the potion without hesitation. Maren did the same, which prompted the former two to follow suit. They could not possibly continue voicing their objection when the senior and the daughter of their n leader had set an example.


    The name of the n they would pretend to be was the Lacus n. The Lacus n''s innate magic was rted to Water magic, making it easier for Leif and her fellow representatives to act their part in case there were other ns participating in this year''s tower treasure hunt that knew them.


    While the Lacus n and the Ogen n might have simrities in terms of their innate magic, their features were very different. The former had a darker shade of blue and green hair color, and their eyes were bright yellow.


    Their features gave Kyran a headache. Since his potion would randomly change his features, if he ended up with entirely different hair and eye color, he would stand out like a sore thumb.


    Leif proposed to dye Kyran''s hair at least, but ultimately, they decided against it. This was because their supplies were limited. They could not waste them as materials in creating a dye. The dangers inside the tower, not to mention against other ns, were high in this ce, so they had to make use of what little supplies they had properly.


    "You have to be prepared as well," Kyran told Leif while they gathered back to their portal and waited for the Transformation potion to take effect. "Your n isn''t the only one with limited supplies. You had more if we included the Lacus representatives'' supplies, but that did not change the fact that others would be hard pressed to get more supplies."


    Leif''s eyes narrowed at Kyran''s warning, "You mean they will try to steal from others?"


    Kyran nodded. "Of course, this action will be more evident among smaller to medium ns. As forrge ns... not having enough supplies will probably the least of their worries. But they will still probably attack and steal supplies of other ns to eliminatepetition."


    Leif and the others'' expressions turned grim. Even Cove and Irving had to admit that what Kyran said made sense. Therge ns would not want the small and medium ns to find treasures and elevate their n''s strength.


    This would be especially the case with the ns under The Council.


    Leif suddenly thought of something and asked no one in particr: "Even if most ns in The Council will probably do something underhanded like that, there is one n that will not. Maybe it is best to get on their good side."


    She looked at her fellow representatives before looking at Kyran, "Since we''re in disguise, we don''t have to worry about implicating Ogen if something went awry by trying to get on their good side."


    Kyran kept an indifferent expression but he already guessed which n Leif was referring to.


    The Dragon n.


    To be honest, Kyran was tempted to agree with Leif''s suggestion. But he knew the Dragon n had powerful insight, and he was not that confident if his Transformation potion was powerful enough to fool them. Maybe it was fine as long as they did not stay near them that long, but if they did...


    Cove and Irving picked up something on Kyran''s sudden silence, they could not help but sneer.


    "What''s wrong? Are you scared that the Dragon n will notice our disguise?" Cove started.


    Irving then added, "Didn''t you say no one will notice it because your concoction is that powerful?"


    Kyran looked at Irving with a deadpan expression and said, "I never said that. Don''t put strange context to my words."


    "You may not have said it like that, but it is basically what you meant!"


    Kyran ignored him and returned his attention to Leif. He noticed thetter hiding an amused smile and inwardly sighed at her audacity to actually enjoy the fact that there was discord among the members of her group.


    "Getting on the Dragon n''s good side is fine. But will they be interested?" he asked. He then pointed out what they knew about the Lacus n: "You said it yourself that the Lacus n is a fairly new and small n. Since few knew them, it means there is nothing worth noting about their n''s aplishments.


    I''m not saying the Dragon n will only be interested in other ns if they do something big, but I don''t think they will be interested in a n that will not be an asset to them."


    "Hm..." Leif slightly leaned back and folded her arms while nodding her head in agreement. "You do have a point."


    "Lady Leif, I think it is still worth a shot to get close to the Dragon n," Irving insisted, obviously not convinced of Kyran''s reasoning. Or maybe he just did not want to acknowledge anything thetter did or say.


    Leif looked at him and smiled, "Yes, you''re right. If an opportunity arises, we will talk to them. But for now, we have to keep a low profile. Take note that if we actively approached the Dragon n, the rest of the ns under The Council would start focusing their attention on us. We have to avoid that as much as possible."


    Kyran inwardly nodded to Leif. Fortunately, Leif was on his side and had her wits about her. If not, and he ended up having to deal with Cove and Irving''s annoyance by himself, he did not know if he could show them mercy.


    "What happened between the Dragon n and The Emperor''s n a few months ago was still unclear, but the tension between the two ns is not a secret to all. We have to be careful," Leif said her piece before giving Cove and Irving a smile. "Let''s do our best to return to our n with great news. Alright?"


    "Yes, Lady Leif," the two replied. They still felt indignant about the preferential treatment Leif and Overlord Oceanus seemed to give Kyran, but since Leif personally asked them to seed in their trip to the tower, then they would do everything in their power to fulfill it.


    Seeing the determination on Cove and Irving''s faces, Kyran was somewhat speechless. He did not know how simpleton they actually were.


    "The transmission array has started to move!"


    Maren''s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie.


    They turned their attention to the transmission array near the portal and saw the forms written on it start to rotate, with a few runes glowing here and there.


    "Have all of you memorized everything you have to about the person you''re disguised as?" Leif asked her fellow representatives.


    "Yes, we have."


    "Everything is in my mind."


    "I have memorized it, Lady Leif."


    Maren, Cove, and Irving replied, respectively.


    Leif then looked at Kyran and said with a bitter smile, "I suggest it best for you not to interact with others much."


    "No problem," Kyran agreed. In fact, he did not mind bing a background character. This way, no one would pay attention to him. It would also make it easier for him to observe the Dragon n representatives, and when the time came, he would follow them back to their portal.


    "Once the potionpletely sets in, we''ll enter the array."


    *


    The representatives of each n that had already gathered on the tform observed one another in silence. Nheless, it was obvious how most of the ns continued to look toward the Dragon n''s representatives.


    The leader representative of the de Dancer n inwardly frowned while looking at the only woman among the Dragon n''s representatives.


    "I haven''t seen her before," he said, using a voice loud enough for his fellow representatives to hear.


    "I also don''t remember seeing her in the updated list of the Dragon n''s younger generation," another representative agreed.


    "Her eyes are a little different from the rest... Could she be a hybrid?"


    There were different dragon tribes with different features. The Dragon Emperor''s tribe had silver hair and either gold or silver eyes. Other tribes had dark violet hair and red eyes or dark green hair and light blue eyes, and so on. It would not be impossible for a dragon from the Dragon Emperor''s tribe to marry another tribe and produce a hybrid.


    "Maybe..." the leader representative replied, still looking at the woman with great interest.

 Chapter 1008: Gathering (2)

    A few hours passed, and the tower''s entrance remained closed. This means that there were still ns that had yet to enter the transmission array on their end.


    "How long are we going to wait for the others?" a representative of the Adamas n asked no one in particr among his n.


    The leader of Adamas n wandered his eyes around the tform and frowned.


    "We have everyone," he started with a slight frown, "or, at least, the ns who participatedst time."


    "It seems there are new ns who found their portal that we failed to ount for," another representativemented with a frown.


    "Hm..." the leader representative agreed while looking toward the de Dancer n''s leader representative.


    Thetter noticed his gaze and looked toward him before subtly shaking his head as if to say he was also unaware of new ns discovering a portal.


    More ns arrived, distorting the expressions of most n representatives affiliated with The Emperor''s n.


    On the other hand, the Dragon n representatives remained unconcerned about what was happening around them. They were aware of the stares everyone was giving them¡ª especially their only female member, but they did not appear bothered. They even appeared to be unting her.


    Soon, thest n appeared, which drew the attention of all ns, including the Dragon n.


    They looked at them not because they were familiar but because most felt annoyed at how they took their time beforeing to the tform.


    Thest n to arrive was none other than Kyran, Leif, and her n in disguise.


    Because the Lacus n was new, few recognized them.


    For the record, the transformation potion managed to change Kyran''s features, which were not far off from Leif and the others in disguise. His hair was dark gray, which appeared like dark ash blue, while his eyes were light brown. They were not as bright as the Lacus n''s light yellow eyes, but in natural light, their eye color looked the same.


    Unless someone purposelypared their eye color, they would not noticed the difference.


    The only problem now was that Kyran''s facial structure resembled Nar''s, which was why he had to cover his lower face at all times.


    Leif and her fellow representatives found Kyran''s action strange, but except for the former, they did not give it much thought.


    Leif was feeling a little troubled by Kyran''s action because his wanting to hide his face even though he was already in disguise meant he was worried about being recognized by someone. If this was true, then what her father said about him being part of a n and might be exiled or on the run was true.


    Though Leif made her father believe she was no longer interested in recruiting Kyran, she was still considering it, especially after realizing his Alchemy potential. After all, no one seemed to have noticed their disguise, meaning his potion''s effect was potent.


    In the end, Leif had to put aside her thoughts and focus on their current situation.


    They initially did not want to draw attention, but they did it because they were thest ones to arrive.


    Before Leif could survey every n near them, she caught sight of the Dragon n''s representatives. She was a beauty herself, but the moment her eyesnded on the only woman among their members, she was drawn into her like a moth being drawn to fire.


    "Such a beautiful young woman..."


    Cove''s remark seemed to mirror Leif''s own thoughts, making her frown in embarrassment. To think that she would be affected by another female, not to mention a dragon.


    Leif looked toward Kyran, wanting to see if he saw her reaction just now. However, what she saw made her regret looking his way. Because for the first time¡ª at least in the short time she knew him¡ª he had seen him looking dumbfounded.


    s, Kyran was also a man. For him to actually show such a look after seeing a beauty...


    Wait.


    Leif realized something off from Kyran''s reactionpared to Cove and Irving and was confused.


    Unlike thetter two, Kyran also had a confused look in his eyes.


    Before Leif could call Kyran''s attention and ask him what was wrong, Cove and Irving shifted uneasily as thetter said, "W-Why¡ª s-she''s looking this way, isn''t she?"


    Leif looked back toward the Dragon n''s representatives and, indeed, saw the beautiful young woman looking in their direction. Not only that, when Leif met thetter''s eyes, thetter smiled before her lips moved as if to tell her something. Unfortunately, Leif was not good at lip reading and failed to understand what she said.


    "This is not good..." Maren suddenly spoke beside Leif. "There is no information about the Lacus n making contact with the Dragon n. But apparently, they seemed to know each other."


    This fact only hit Leif after Maren pointed that out.


    That was right.


    At the moment, they were in disguise. Although they were prepared to act ordingly if a n the Lacus n was on good terms with approached them, it did not ur to them that they might be on good terms with the Dragon n.


    If the Dragon n representatives realized that they were not the real Lacus n representatives, what would happen to them?


    Because of this realization, Leif had forgotten about Kyran''s strange reaction. Then again, what the young woman did caused such a stir among the other ns that they were now focusing on Leif and her fellow representatives. She would not have the time to think about Kyran''s matter at all!


    On the other hand, Kyran tried to calm his suddenly wavering nerves. At first, he tried to convince himself that the young woman might only resemble her. But the moment she looked at him and even smiled at him, he almost lost his cool.


    [How is she here?]


    Shaiha eximed in Kyran''s sea of consciousness after recovering from her initial shock.


    Like Kyran, she thought the young woman only looked like her. But her smile and even the words she spoke¡ªwhich those who knew how to read lips would not be able to decipher because they were not spoken in Ancientnguage¡ªwere enough to confirm her identity.


    ''Is there really no other way for anyone in the Lower Realm toe to the Higher Realm?'' Kyran hastily asked Shaiha.


    Shaiha shook her head.


    [Only those that Zephyr told you before...]


    Her voice trailed off as she thought of something.


    [Ah¡ª!]


    Kyran''s eyes widened in realization as they shared the same thoughts.


    ''Winning the war of the sovereigns allows the winner to enter the Higher Realm. But in reality, someone from the Higher Realm provides the winner with a pass of some sort, right?''


    [Yes. But... the War of the Sovereigns should not have happened yet even if there was a time difference in both realms; the War would only happen once the Lower Realm could no longer support the nes it had.]


    ''Is winning the war even required?'' Kyran almost rolled his eyes at Shaiha.


    [Ah¡ª! Y-You have a point.]


    ''Ames is there... so maybe she...''


    [If that is the case, then they are aware you have already¡ª oh no... no, no. Make them stop!]


    Shaiha eximed at once after seeing the Dragon n representatives making their way toward them.


    [We have to keep a low profile, right? If they approached us now, all eyes would be on us! Besides, we are in disguise. Communication outside might not be possible, but what will happen after we leave? Putting aside implicating the Lacus n... your identity will be exposed as well!]


    ''Just now, did you know what she said?''


    Shaiha shook her head.


    [No. But that is unimportant right now. You have to¡ª.]


    ''She said, ''You have an interesting aura.'' It means she did not realize who I am.''


    Shaiha frowned.


    [But¡ª.]


    ''She... don''t normally see my aura. Not because you are concealing it, but because of the nature of my magic.''


    [I know. Auras are something that a being emits outside of their bodies, but because of her identity as the true Soul Emperor, she sees the aura from its origin, which is normally emitted from inside one''s core. Or, to be more precise, one''s soul.


    [Your magic is the Void, and because of its nature, the aura it emits is different from the others.]


    ''Yes. But because of the transformation magic, my aura has also changed. This is why I am confident no one will realize we are in disguise.''


    [Hm... true. That has been one of the ws of a Transformation potion. I am surprised you''ve managed to fix that w. Still, the fact that they are approaching us is not a good thing for us! We have to stay low-key!]


    Kyran did not respond and only looked at the two male representatives from the Dragon n who were making their way toward them. He then thought back to what Maren had said just now and wondered if the Dragon n knew the Lacus n.


    If this were true, it would be both a good and bad thing for Kyran.


    Good, because he did not have to sneak around and follow them. It was bad because there was no telling when they would notice they were in disguise. After all, their knowledge of the Lacus n was pretty superficial. Not to mention, the Lacus n and Dragon ns might have agreed to have their representatives meet inside the tower and join hands.


    This was only Kyran''s spections, and he did not know how much was true.


    Overall, he deemed going around with the Dragon n representatives¡ª especially with her around, was not a good idea.


    Obviously, the her or she, Kyran and Shaiha had been referring to was none other than Cyneah.

 Chapter 1009: I Can Prove It To You

    Leif was familiar with the two Dragon n representatives who approached them. They were known as two of the rising young dragons of the second tribe under the Dragon n''s original tribes: Ladon and Thorn.


    Ladon, like most of the tribes that belonged to the original tribes, had silver hair and silver-gold eyes. His hair was long and tied in a single braid, with shiny pearls with bluish color. He only wore leather armor, but it was made with exquisite materials that resembled the scales of a water dragon.


    In contrast to Ladon''s long silver hair, Thorn''s was short and messy. His eyes were also more golden than silver, which gave him a more fierce expression than the other representatives. His leather armor was also made with exquisite materials, resembling a gold dragon.


    Leif immediately warned her fellow representatives to remain silent through telepathy. After which, she put on a smile and directed it at Ladon, who had a better temperament between the two.


    "Lady Anahia, we have met once more," Ladon greeted before Leif could say anything.


    Anahia was the Lacus representative that Leif changed into. Based on the information they gathered from their items, she was the daughter of an Elder and the leader representative for this year''s hunt.


    For the record, the Lacus n representatives only had one female; thus, Maren was currently disguised as a male.


    "Lord Ladon," Leif greeted while lowering her head slightly at him, then at Thorn, "Lord Thorn, it is a pleasant surprise to meet you so soon after arriving at the tform."


    Leif carefully chose her words to avoid suspicion while subtly probing for information.


    "It is," Ladon replied with a slight smile. "You seemed to have been held up a bit... did anything happen on your side?"


    Leif did not sense any hidden meaning from his question, and thus, she responded at once.


    "Because the portal opened way ahead of time, we barely entered with enough supplies," she smiled bitterly before continuing, "Which is why, as soon as we got in, we took our time to sort everything."


    Ladon nodded his head in understanding, "I get what you mean. We normallyplete our preparation before entering the portal, but this time, we had toplete everything after we entered."


    He then smiled at her and added, "In any case, it is good to see that your n could participate in this year''s hunt."


    "Yes, indeed."


    "Humph," Thorn suddenly snorted on the side and said, "If it weren''t for our n helping you secure a portal, you wouldn''t have been able to participate. We expect you to show a level of sincerity, at least when you choose your representatives, but what is this?"


    He looked at the others with Leif and scowled, "Apart from you, the rest are weaklings."


    Cove and Irving, who would normally refute when belittled, did nothing to refute Thorn. After all, what he said was true.


    Compared to the Dragon n representatives, the Ogen''s representatives were truly weak.


    "Thorn," Ladon gave Thorn a warning look. Before he could apologize to Leif for Thorn''s behavior, however, thetter had already approached Cove.


    "And you," Thorn said while scowling at Cove.


    Cove''s initial reaction was to cower. But his pride as a rising talent of the Ogen n''s younger generation made him stand his ground. Still, even if he managed to act tough, his slightly hunched shoulders showed how afraid he was of being singled out by Thorn.


    "I remember seeing you in the report. You''re that punk who said that if we battle it out for real, you can easily take me down."


    "!"


    Beads of cold sweat appeared on the sides of Cove''s face. He inwardly cursed the Lacus n representative he was diguised at the moment for giving out such bold remarks.


    "Thorn," the tone of Ladon''s voice remained the same, however, an invisible pressure seemed to emit from him as he looked at Thorn. "That is enough. Jor is one of the Lacus n''s rising talents as well. Father also said hisbat sense is also on par with us."


    His eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "You know how things are here. If one shows their real strength at the early stage, it would only force other ns to band together and destroy them."


    "Humph," Ladon snorted but did not try to pick on Cove anymore.


    However, the meaning behind the exchange between the two did not go unnoticed by Leif and her fellow representatives.


    Thorn acknowledged Leif¡ªor, for this matter, Lady Anahia''s strength. He then got worked up at Cove¡ª or Jor¡ªbecause of what he said about taking Thorn down easily. Ladon followed up by affirming Jor''s strength and even providing a possible reason they appeared ''weak.''


    But that was not what caught their attention. It was the fact that Ladon and Thorn hinted that the Lacus n representatives were not weak. If this was the case, how did Kyran manage to defeat them and even take their blood? More importantly, he did that all alone.


    Cove and Irving started to sweat nervously. They had been trying to pick a bone with Kyran since the beginning because they did not think he was worthy of Lady Leif''s attention. While it was true that concealment abilities were a good asset to any n, if the mage possessing such a rare ability was weak, then there was little he could contribute.


    After all, the higher a mage level was, the higher the changes one''s concealment ability would be seen through.


    However, Kyran was not a weak mage. Moreover, the fact that he dealt with the Lacus n representatives alone should have raised Cove and Irving''s suspicion of his hidden strength.No matter how weak the Lacus n representatives were, they still outnumbered Kyran. He should not have been able to deal with them in a short span of time.


    And that was exactly what Kyran did. It only took him about ten to fifteen minutes to deal with the Lacus n and return to the portal. This included the travel time he took to go over their side!


    Leif and Maren had almost the same thoughts as Cove and Irving. The only difference was they did not belittle Kyran to such an extent from the beginning. Nheless, they realized that they still gave him too little credit.


    Leif had to contain her excitement as her desire to recruit Kyran increased once more.


    On the other hand, Kyran was also sweating buckets. He obviously realized what Leif and her fellow n members were thinking, and he felt an iing headache.


    These two Dragon n representatives had said unnecessary things!


    Just when the group thought Ladon had seeded in forcing Thorn to step back, thetter suddenly shifted his attention to Kyran.


    "You," Thorn scowled at Kyran. "There is no info about you. Who the hell are you?"


    From his words, Leif managed to glean a few things about the rtionship between the Lacus n and the Dragon n.


    The Dragon n assisted the Lacus n in securing a portal for themselves. After which, the former seemed to be keeping tabs on their progress of gathering their representatives. The fact that Kyran''s information was not included probably did not sit well with them.


    Before Leif coulde up with an exnation for Kyran''s participation, thetter had already replied, which almost made her faint in shock.


    "Who the hell are you," Kyran repeated with raised brows, "to speak to me like that?"


    Thorn''s gold eyes shed, and a snickering smile appeared on his face. "Oh? You have a good member with you, Lady Anahia. Can I borrow him for a moment while we wait for the tower to open?"


    "That''s¡ª."


    "I don''t belong to the Lacus n," Kyran corrected Thorn with a shrug. "Don''t assume that I am one of her members."


    "Not someone from the Lacus n, and yet you''re here."


    "A-Actually, uhm..." Leif suddenly became tongue-tied after realizing that they had not chosen a name for Kyran to go by yet. She wanted to give Kyran a warning look, but it would have been too obvious with Ladon and Thorn''s observant eyes.


    "I came with them, true."


    Apparently, Kyran did not want Leif to cover for him as he responded to Thorn''s subtle provocation. He continued, "But that doesn''t mean I am one of them. If you don''t believe me because my features did not differ from them that much, I can prove it to you."


    "Interesting. How are we going to go about it?"


    "Thorn!"


    Ladon''s voice carried more weight this time as he looked at Thorn.


    "That is enough."


    "He is the one asking for it, Ladon."


    "You started it."


    Before Thorn could say anything else, Ladon turned his attention to Kyran. His eyes did not hold the same warmth it did when he look at Leif though. His silver-gold eyes glinted with intensity as he said, "I don''t know what your rtionship with the Lacus n is. But don''t expect that since we treat them kindly it will be the same for you. If you provoke us, I will personally put you in your ce."


    Kyran had always thought the Dragon n was righteous. Or at least they had a simr moral code to the Regis n. But Ladon and Thorn''s attitude disillusioned him.


    Rather than keeping a low profile and treating others with respect regardless of their affiliation, the Dragon n was only friendly towards ns who had good dealings with them. The rest be damned.


    Somehow, that did not sit well with Kyran.


    "Put me in my ce, huh?" he muttered as a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Do you have what it takes?"

 Chapter 1010: A Group of Three

    Shaiha nearly fainted from anger at Kyran''s action. Though she was not familiar with Ladon and Thorn because they were fairly young dragons, she gleaned from their attitude that the chivalrous spirit of the old generation of dragons was no longer with them.


    This was likely caused by the overwhelming prestige the old generation had established and the steady rise in influence and power of their leader, the Dragon Emperor, which made even The Emperor wary of him, even if he was a level lower.


    It was ringly evident how the younger generation had sumbed to arrogance, a trait that was bing increasingly hard to ignore.


    In a sense, Shaiha could not me Kyran for bing disillusioned and acting the way he did. But to be fair, his actions right now could also be considered a disy of arrogance and stupidity. After all, the Dragon n was not the Regis n and Kyran''s disappointment with them was needless.


    No... Maybe...


    Shaiha shook her head inwardly as she looked at Cyneah, who remained with the third representative of the Dragon n. Kyran may have acted the way he did because of Cyneah''s presence with the Dragon n.


    It was still spections on Kyran and Shaiha''s end, but they believed Ames was the one who took Cyneah to the Higher Realm. How or why Ames agreed when she clearly disliked Cyneah for her identity as the Soul Emperor''s sessor, Kyran and Shaiha had yet to understand. But those were beside the point at the moment.


    Kyran worried about the effect the Dragon n''s younger generation''s arrogance would have on the rest of the n representatives while they were in the Tower of the Ancients. If the Dragon n representatives continued to act like they owned the whole ce, Cyneah would be implicated and targeted by the others as well.


    Shaiha sensed Kyran''s intention was to draw attention to himself and show the other ns who had designs against the Dragon n representatives that there was a greater threat than thetter.


    But the question was: could Kyran follow through with his intention?


    It was ironic that the very question Kyran arrogantly asked Ladon could also be applied to him.


    Did Kyran have what it takes to put the Dragon n representatives in their ce?


    Shaiha wanted to stop Kyran but ultimately decided not to interfere. If they were in the Higher Realm, she would have done everything to make him stop, but since they were in an unknown space with no ess to the outside until the Tower of the Ancients opened the portals and sent everyone out, then she would not bother.


    Besides, the mage level of the different n representatives there was at most peak Sovereign. There were a few High Sovereigns like Leif and the Dragon n representatives, but Kyran had the advantage in this space¡ª at least, Shaiha believed he did.


    "Such big words," Thorn hissed, pulling Ladon aside before thetter could respond to Kyran. He sounded pissed, but the mischievous smile and excited glint in his golden eyes betrayed his real emotions.


    Rather than feeling pissed at Kyran''s arrogance, Thorn seemed excited about the prospect of fighting to pass the time while they waited for the tower to open.


    On the other hand, the reason Ladon did not react to Kyran''s provocative words immediately was because he was taken aback at thetter''s confident gaze. As a water-type dragon, he had a way of discerning other beings'' emotions.


    Ladon sensed Cove''s fear earlier; thus, he stopped Thorn from scaring him further because it was rare for Water-type beasts to evolve and form a proper n like the Lacus n, and Ladon felt a sense of camaraderie with being of the same type, albeit a different being.


    With Ladon''s passive ability to discern emotions, he felt no fear nor hesitation in Kyran when he responded to them. His danger sense was telling him not to underestimate the young man before them.


    "I''ll show you what happens to people who act the way you do," Thorn said. He was about to close the remaining distance he had with Kyran when the tform started to quake.


    Everyone on the tform, who had been silently watching the exchange between the Dragon n and the Lacus n, was brought back to the present situation and looked toward the north, where the entrance to the Tower of the Ancients was.


    "Entrance to the Tower of the Ancients will open in five minutes. For this year''s challenge, participants are required to group themselves into three. Only then can they proceed to the designated assessment area to receive an entry pass."


    A mechanical female voice filled the air.


    The expressions on Leif and her fellow representatives distorted slightly after hearing what the mechanical voice had said. They knew that every year, the tower would provide a condition before one could enter the tower. The conditions could be anything, from a mage''s specialty, mage level, and the weapon they could wield to the number of participants like this time around.


    Because of this, all ns chose well-rounded mages as their representatives.


    Well-rounded mages could be gathered easily among the High Sovereigns, but because of a time when 70% of the ns failed to enter the tower because the condition set that year was only Sovereign level mages were allowed inside, the ns tried their best to nurture new talents. This was why most n representatives there were Sovereigns.


    Ladon and Thorn also frowned at the condition of entering the tower this year. They had guessed that this year would likely restrict the number of participants per n, which is why they only sent four representatives with High Sovereign mage level. They did not expect to hit the mark, but they were still off by a small margin.


    "Group of three..." Thorn looked at Ladon and said, "There is no way we can leave one of us behind."


    "I know," Ladon replied while looking over to their two remaining representatives. His expression softened slightly as he looked at their only female member.


    To be honest, she was not supposed toe with them. But when the portal opened ahead of time, the Dragon Emperor''s daughter, Ames, said that this unprecedented urrence was definitely connected to the person they were looking for and that their female guest had toe with them at all costs.


    For the record, Ladon knew that their female guest was part of Lady Ames''s n that she left in the Lower Realm. In fact, there were quite a few of them that arrived with thetter a month ago.


    It was still unclear to them why Lady Ames brought those lots, and a few Elders even felt difited by their presence. After all, they were considered an anomaly rather than a hybrid because their other lineage might have been a remnant of what was once the most advanced and powerful mages of all, the Ancients.


    In any case, the fact that Lady Ames''s guests had low mage levels did not sit well with the rest. Some arrogant younglings even challenged them to a fight.


    The results were as expected¡ªthe younglings won. But Lady Ames''s guests did not surrender or get defeated easily, even with such a huge gap in level. This made the rest of the Elders and the members of the Dragon n ept them¡ª at least for the time being. Until they understood how their presence could affect the situation in the Higher Realm, they would continue to observe them.


    Now, the identity of their female guest was far moreplicated.


    Everyone in the Dragon n obviously knew she did not possess their blood. However, she was also a remnant of an Ancient n. This alone could pose a risk to the Dragon n if The Emperor''s side discovered it.


    In any case, Lady Ames brought her because she believed she was the only one who could locate the person they were looking for in the Higher Realm.


    When asked what she meant and how she managed to bring the female guest along, she said that thetter had been marked by the person they were looking for and was able to pass through the Dragon n''s route.


    Just by this, Ladon and the others realized that the person they were looking for was a member of Lady Ames''s n in the Lower Realm. However, that person''s identity was far moreplicated because he managed to enter the Higher Realm without any help.


    Ladon and the others were intrigued by the identity of this person. But whenever they tried to probe for answers, they were always rendered tongue-tied before the female guest.


    It was not because of her beauty but more of the pressure that came from her whenever they met her mirror-like eyes.


    But regardless of how much they felt wary of the female guest, it was true that her identity also intrigued them.


    "Lord Ladon, why don''t our n work together?"


    Leif''s voice brought Ladon out of his reverie. He looked at her in confusion before realizing what she meant.


    "N-Nar here is not part of our n, but he helped us before. I can vouch for him," Leif continued. "With him, our member count is five. If we join hands, we''ll have nine members in total, and we can form three groups of three. What do you say?"


    Ladon frowned slightly. Leif had a point, but he could not leave even one of their members to team up with her.


    Ladon and Thorn had to stay together because the former knew thetter''s temperament. Thorn would never work with people he disliked, and he obviously disliked the Lacus n.


    Now, there was their third representative.


    That one... well, he was also special, and Ladon could not leave him with others.


    Finally, there was their female guest, whom they called Sisi. They obviously could not allow her to venture into the tower with others.


    "Ladon, let''s ept her proposal," Cyneah suddenly spoke from behind.


    Ladon did not realize that he was too upied with his thoughts to notice that she and their third member had already approached them.


    Thorn frowned at Cyneah, but unlike his usual fierce re, his expression was softer, simr to Ladon''s.


    "Sisi, there is no way we can allow any of us to join the others."


    "It''s fine. He can join them while I stay with you," Cyneah told them, gesturing toward their third member.


    "That''s..."


    "Don''t worry, we will not take advantage of you," Leif hastily said, thinking that the reason they were hesitant was because they might take advantage of their strength.


    "We are not..."


    "If we continue to stay here, the rest of the ns will get a head start," Kyran pointed.


    Ladon and Thorn looked at him with a frown but did not refute him because he was right.


    In the end, the two agreed, and they divided their members ordingly.


    The groups are as follows:


    First group: Ladon, Thorn, and Cyneah.


    Second group: Maren, Cove, and Irving.


    Third group: Kyran, Leif, and the third Dragon n representative.


    Once they had divided their members, they proceeded to a spot in front of the tower that looked like an array formation.


    The moment they stepped inside, they were teleported to an area where they would be assessed.

 Chapter 1011: Fierce Competition

    "Group number 19, entry pass: Tower level 3."


    "Group number 20, entry pass: Tower level 2."


    "Group number 21, entry pass: Tower level 3."


    "Group number 22, entry pass: Tower level..."


    With each mechanical voice announcing the results of the n representatives'' entry pass level, a wave of anticipation and excitement swept through the room. The sessful formation of a group of three marked the beginning of a thrilling treasure hunt.


    This year, 117 ns participated, with some having more than three representatives. These ns managed to form two or three groups each, giving them more opportunities to hunt for treasures and putting their n at an advantage against ns that could only form one group.


    Some ns that did not have enough members to form a second group teamed up with another n they were on good terms with, simr to what Leif and Ladon did. Others who did not want to team up with others in fear of raising disputes on the treasures they would find only sent one group and left the remaining representatives on the tform outside the tower.


    Meanwhile, not all ns were in a hurry to enter. Among them were the Adamas, de Dancer n, and cio n. Since they had enough members to form two groups each, they quietly stayed on one side and watched the proceedings.


    In front of the tower''s entrance were ten array formations. These arrays were the designated areas where a group would be assessed. Thus far, many groups were still waiting for their turn outside each array.


    "The highest entry pass is at tower level 3," the leader representative of de Dancer n spoke out loud.


    Some nodded their heads while the rest frowned at this development.


    "Thus far, the highest recorded tower level was six. Why is this year''s level so low?"


    "The higher the level, the better the treasures are up for grabs. However, the danger would also increase," the cio n''s leader representative said. "That time when the tower gave an entry pass to the sixth level, most representatives were High Sovereigns. From this, we can say that the tower judges the overall strength of each participant. However..."


    He paused and narrowed his eyes before continuing, "... we can also glean something from this."


    The de Dancer n''s leader representative nodded his head in agreement, "Yes. When the tower allowed a n to enter the sixth level, apart from the participants having more High Sovereigns, the number of members each n had was more than five.


    This year''s condition doesn''t restrict mage levels, but the fact that a group that only had peak Sovereigns at most can still receive an entry pass to the third level means their overall strength is good."


    "This means this year''s hunt will have fiercepetition," the Adamas n''s leader representative chimed with an amused smile.


    The raspy-voiced, red-eyed member of the Adamas n looked in the direction of the Dragon n''s representatives and smiled mischievously.


    "Pick the same floor as them, Yule. I want to be on the same floor as them," he told their leader representative, a young man with shoulder-length dark blue hair, red eyes, and wearing a dark blue robe.


    Yule rarely speaks. This was why the raspy-voiced, red-eyed young man acted like he was the one in charge.


    The woman with blue hair and light blue eyes, and simrly dressed like Yule, frowned at thetter and said, "Stop acting like a beast in heat, Issar. The tower decides which floor we go to based on our overall strength. Yule doesn''t get to choose!"


    "You f*cking b*tch," Issar snarled at thetter. "You wanna have a go, huh? I''ll let you see what a f*cking beast in heat is."


    "Stop."


    Issar and Skadi felt a chill envelop their whole body the moment Yule spoke up.


    The leader representatives of the Adamas and the de Dancer ns narrowed their eyes as they looked at Yule. Everyone felt the pressureing from thetter, and they were inwardly shocked.


    When The Emperor''s n attacked the Dragon n a few months ago, a few younger generations from ns supporting the former also went to provide assistance. In truth, they were sent there by their Elders to gain real battle experience and gauge the strength of the Dragon n''s younger generation.


    All leader representatives of the three ns participated in that battle. Thus, the Adamas and the de Dancer leader representatives, Demir and Quan, respectively, saw Yule in action.


    However, the pressure Yule had back then was different from now. Not to mention, he unconsciously released it just by saying one word.


    Demir and Quan did not expect Yule to improve so much in just a few months.


    Issar and Skadi immediately fell silent. They no longer said anything as Yule gestured for their second group to go.


    Demir and Quan did the same.


    The remaining ns on the tform were surprised the moment these three ns were given their entry pass.


    Their second group received entry passes to the third level, while Demir''s and Quan''s groups received the fourth level. What shocked them even more was when Yule''s group received the entry pass to the fifth level.


    Thus far, they have been the only ones to receive such a high assessment from the tower. And this was when the conditions of entering were limited and most of the representatives were only peak Sovereigns.


    Meanwhile, Cove, Irving, and Maren only managed to receive the entry pass to the second level, like most of the group.


    When Kyran and his group''s turn arrived, Thorn said, "I''m giving Lady Anahia a face while we are here. But once we get inside the tower... watch your back."


    Kyran ignored Thorn, which only infuriated thetter.


    In fact, he was not really ignoring Thorn. He was just deep in thought and not paying much attention to Thorn''s bullsh*t.


    Besides, Kyran was worried the tower''s assessment might expose him or something.


    Contrary to others'' belief that the tower was checking the overall strength of a group to determine which floor to send them to, Kyran was convinced that they were looking at their potential instead.


    He thought this after what Leif said about a time when the highest entry pass was on the sixth floor. Back then, the condition did not restrict a n''s level or number of members per group. There were a lot of High Sovereigns and yet the highest level was only at the sixth.


    This time, a group had already been granted entry passes to the fifth level, and all of them were only peak Sovereigns. Kyran did not think that the difficulty from the fifth level to the sixth was that huge to have such a difference, which was why he believed that the tower looked at the group''s potential rather than their overall strength.


    After all, the potential of High Sovereigns would have already been establishedpared to peak Sovereigns who had yet to realize it.


    Considering this, Kyran was concerned about how the tower would assess their group. Though he was apanied by two High Sovereigns, and their potential was already greatly reduced, Kyran''s identity as the possessor of two Ancient magic could not be ignored. He might be disguised at the moment, but he had an inkling that the tower could easily see through it and give a proper assessment.


    Finally, Ladon and his group were given their assessment. The result shocked everyone on the tform further.


    "Group number 146, entry pass: Tower level 7."


    Kyran kept an indifferent expression, but inwardly, he was sweating buckets.


    Err...


    Actually, that was Shaiha, which inadvertently affected Kyran''s mood.


    [This is not good... although most ns have already entered the tower, there are still a few witnesses on the tform. The fact that the tower granted the Young Mistress''s group ess to the seventh level spoke volumes!]


    ''Calm down,'' Kyran told her in exasperation. ''She is with two High Sovereigns from the Dragon n. Of course, their assessment will be high.''


    [You say that, yet you''re also worried! Wasn''t it you who believed the tower looks at a group''s potential rather than their overall strength? True, the Dragon n is powerful, and their potential is there. Butpared to the Young Mistress''s potential...]


    ''Are you here to make me feel better or worse? If it is thetter, can you keep your thoughts to yourself?''


    As soon as Kyran said this, he inwardly groaned because Shaiha''s thoughts would still be exposed to him.


    [I will do my best to conceal your magic cores...]


    Shaiha said after a tense silence.


    [... but I can''t promise that the tower will not be able to detect them.]


    ''Don''t do anything,'' Kyran pleaded. ''If you try to conceal them, the tower will detect your abilities and will likely add that up to my potential.''


    [...yes, you''re quite right.]


    In the end, Kyran could not think of any countermeasure as he, Leif, and Ias stepped into the array formation.


    "Group number 152, entry pass: Tower level..."


    There was an obvious pause from the mechanical voice before it finally said, "...7."

 Chapter 1012: A Powerful Presence

    Kyran, Leif, and Ias appeared on a square tform with glowing green runes that hovered vertically in several lines on its borders. The tform was also glowing, which meant it served as a teleportation tform connected to the designated area outside the tower.


    With each passing second, the runes disappeared, and the three sensed several auras outside the tform''s edges.


    Leif''s face contorted into a grimace as their surroundings came into view after each rune on the tform vanished in sync. The sudden reveal left them all feeling guarded. This was because they had been teleported to the end of a long hall with giant armored human statues on each wall.


    "What...?" Leif looked at the statues warily because their height was twice hers. Apart from that, she sensed several auras just now, but besides the statues, there was nothing before them.


    Frankly, due to the thick magic energy in the surroundings, it was hard to pinpoint the location of the auras they sensed. However, Leif, for one thing, was sure the statues did not emit any magic energy.


    Unless...


    "Are these not statues...?" she wondered aloud.


    "No," Kyran replied. "They are puppets."


    "Puppets?" Leif eximed in surprise. "But they do not emit any magic energy."


    Kyran was the first to recognize them as puppets rather than statues because of their body''s intricate outer design. In addition, how their joints were connected allowed for fluid movement that would not have been possible for statues.


    Before Kyran could exin why he knew they were puppets, Ias beat him.


    "They are puppets. Though their bodies'' texture is simr to that of statues, because of their marble-like texture, their joints are connected using an advanced method of Smithing. Their bodies can even bepared to an automaton. However, they have yet to birth a sentient. Not to mention, they are still reliant on their programming."


    Leif looked at Ias with raised brows and asked, "How... did you figure out all those things?"


    Her question was valid because the tform''s glow did not give them good light. Ias also mentioned the puppets'' dependence on their programming, which would have been impossible to pick up just by looking at them.


    "The Dragon n have good eyesight," Ias replied as if that alone exined how he came up with all those things.


    Leif only gave him a quizzical look and did not pursue the matter. She already sensed that Ias was not interested in answering her question, and she was not about to give him a reason to be more wary of them than he was. After all, she was only pretending to be a Lacus n representative.


    The same was true of Kyran. Although he ultimately denied being part of the Lacus n and did not mention which n he belonged to, Leif knew Ladon and Thorn were serious when they said they did not trust him. For this reason, they would have likely asked Ias to keep a close eye on him.


    On the other hand, Ias''s response made Kyran narrow his eyes. He sensed something amiss, but given their situation, he could not point it out at the moment.


    What situation were they in?


    Kyran did not know yet. He only knew that the tform''s protective barrier was about to disappear, and they would be exposed to the puppets.


    As Ias said, the puppets relied on the programming they had. If not, the moment they sensed the teleportation tform moved, and three mages appeared after, they would have already acted.


    But they were still waiting. And Kyran was grateful in a way for that. If not, they would have already engaged in a battle with the puppets before they stepped out of the tform.


    "We can''t stay on the tform," Kyran pointed. "But if we stepped outside now, those puppets would start to move."


    "I''ll be the vanguard. You two can support me from the back," Ias told them and stepped out of the tform, not giving Kyran or Leif time to react.


    The moment Ias stepped out of the tform, the eyes of the first two puppets glowed and looked in his direction.


    The puppet on the left stepped forward and raised its arm in a swinging position. On the other hand, the puppet on the right waved its hand, and a huge axe materialized in its hands. It raised the axe high above its head, preparing to cleave them down once their first prey arrived within their range.


    "Wha¡ª?" Leif almost thought her eyes were ying tricks on her as Ias disappeared from her peripheral view. But before she could blink and adjust her eyes, Ias reappeared at the nape of the left puppet. He struck his fist on the puppet''s neck the moment hended.


    BOOM!


    The force of Ias''s regr punch was so powerful that not even the puppet''s seemingly high-quality armor could defend against it, as its neck exploded, sending its huge head tumbling down with loud crackling sounds.


    Only after seeing the wirings and tubes on the puppet''s neck did Leif fully believe Ias''s initial observation. It was not that she did not want to trust him, but the fact that they were practically in unchartered territory; she did not want to judge the things around her at face value.


    As the first puppet stopped moving, Ias disappeared again and reappeared before the second puppet''s face. The puppet adjusted its raised arm, but the axe''s shaft in its hand was so long that it would not have hit Ias even if it adjusted where it gripped the weapon.


    Ias did not allow the second puppet toplete its movement, though. As soon as he appeared, he smashed his fist on the puppet''s nose, sending it stumbling backward.


    BOOM! CRASH!


    The puppet hit the wall, but instead of getting destroyed because of the collision, glowing gold runes shimmered from the point of collision and spread outward¡ª instantly negating the damage caused by the impact.


    Kyran''s eyes widened. He did not expect the whole hall to be an array formation. This was probably why thick magic energies surrounded them, and they could not pinpoint the auras around them.


    Iasnded on the ground with a frown. Disappointedly, he looked at the two puppets and said, "Why are they so weak?"


    Leif''s expression turned nk as she looked at Ias. In all honesty, she did not underestimate Ias. But the puppets were creations of the Ancients, so she expected they would have an intense fight with them.


    s, a puppet was still a puppet. Even if an Ancient created it before a Dragon n member, it was nothing.


    On the other hand, Kyran''s expression distorted slightly.


    [That Dragon n member... why does he remind me... of you?]


    ''...''


    Kyran was speechless as Shaiha pointed out something he, himself, had noticed. Or maybe she pointed it out after sensing his thoughts.


    Crack! Crack!


    Four puppets moved simultaneously a few seconds after Ias destroyed the first two. He looked at the four puppets with narrowed eyes and said, "Looks like they are programmed to move with twice their number after the first ones are destroyed."


    Kyran and Leif agreed with Ias''s assessment. It was still early to confirm this. However, the fact that four puppets started moving after the first two were destroyed suggested this possibility.


    Kyran and Leif stepped out of the tform before the runes around it disappearedpletely.


    At the same time, Ias had already gone for the next puppet.


    On another location on the tower''s seventh floor, Thorn destroyed the puppets that came at them one after another.


    Cyneah stood on the back, with Ladon standing beside her like a protector, ready to make a move if any of the puppets Thorn was fighting managed to slip past him.


    Although their group was also fighting puppets, there was a difference between these puppets and the ones Kyran''s group was fighting.


    For one thing, these puppets were human-sized, with the tallest being seven feet tall. Second, they swarmed them like frenzied locusts. And finally, there was a timer right above their heads as if to tell them when the puppets would stop attacking.


    "Three minutes and twenty-two seconds," Ladon shouted, informing Thorn of how long he had to endure the swarm of puppets.


    "What? More than six minutes had passed? I barely warmed up!" Thornined with a snort as he grabbed two puppets that came at him on each side and smashed their heads together. After that, he jumped andnded on another puppet''s shoulders, smacking its head and destroying it in an instant.


    Ladon smiled and shook his head at Thorn''s words. But then his expression turned solemn as he turned his attention to Cyneah.


    "Sisi, how is it?"


    Cyneah and Ladon did not stay behind and let Thorn fight off all the puppets just because thetter wanted to warm up. Rather, the moment they appeared in that big room, Cyneah sensed a powerful presence looking at them. However, the thick magic energy in the surroundings masked the presence''s location.


    It was then that Cyneah suggested she would look at their surroundings. Thus, Ladon and Thorn agreed to protect her while she looked.


    However, a timer appeared above the room, and the puppets started to appear. That was how Ladon decided to stay beside Cyneah while Thorn took care of the puppets.


    "It is faint, but its presence is somewhere below us..." Cyneah replied, looking at a spot beneath them.


    "Below?" Thorn, with his keen sense of hearing due to being a dragon, frowned and looked in their direction. "You''re telling us to move down one floor?"


    As he said this, he elbowed one puppet that attacked him from behind and grabbed another before mming it face-first to the ground.


    "I know," Cyneah replied, knowing why Thorn appeared to be in disbelief. "We are on the seventh floor, so why would we want to go one floor down, right? But I don''t think the tower works like that."


    Thorn nodded his head, "Yes. Each level of the tower has its own structure. It could have four floors, and yet you are still considered in the first level."


    "Howe I didn''t know that?" Thorn grumbled, performing a roundhouse kick at the puppets in front of him.


    "If you had read the tablet grandma sent, you would have known it," Ladon replied with a sigh.


    "Tsk," Thorn only clicked his tongue in response, neither admitting nor denying Ladon''s usation.


    "Getting below is the question," Ladon continued, voicing the main issue.


    "Yes," Cyneah agreed while looking at their surroundings. "I don''t see any doors in this room."


    Ladon looked at her with a wry smile. He knew Cyneah was blind. But because of her impable control of her magic sense, he would forget it at times.


    "If there''s no door," Thorn said with a huge grin on his face. "We''ll just have to create one!"

 Chapter 1013: Who Are You?

    Kyran and Leif followed Ias while he dealt with the puppets.


    As they had guessed, after defeating a certain number of puppets, the number of puppets that would move would double and attack them. At first, Ias was still able to destroy the puppets with rtive ease, while Kyran and Leif provided assistance from the rear. But by the time the count reached thirty-two, Ias had to put in more effort.


    With the situation escting, Leif''s role shifted. No longer could she merely assist from the rear. She unleashed her true potential, casting powerful offensive water spells with precision. Her targets were the puppets that threatened Ias from his blind spot, a testament to her growing prowess. These spells, undoubtedly, were the signature of the Lacus n.


    Leif managed to cast spells that would only be known to the Lacus n because she found a Lacus n Exclusive Book of Spells among Anahia''s belongings. While they were waiting for Kyran''s transformation potion to take full effect, she read the book and tried to memorize some of its powerful magic spells.


    Since Leif was not a real Lacus member, she could not fully utilize the magic spell''s attack. But she was a rtively powerful High Sovereign, and her affinity to water-based magic was so high that itpensated for the fact she was not a Lacus.


    On the other hand, Kyran continued to provide assistance from the rear without increasing his output. This was not because he could not be bothered but more because he was busy studying the puppets and Ias''s movements.


    Like what Shaiha said, Kyran also found Ias acting simr to him. This simrity was not something that could be brushed off as them being part of the same n¡ª at least, technically.


    Ias''s attack pattern, level of aggressiveness, and way of speaking were so simr to Kyran''s that he felt goosebumps all over.


    Then again, rather than saying they were very simr, Kyran had an inkling that Ias was acting. What gave him this impression was quite simple.


    Ias''s attack patterns appeared limited. It was as if he only knew a certain number of Kyran''s moves and used them to fight the puppets. Although Iasbined each pattern or even mixed and matched them, Kyran saw the same old attack patterns¡ª as if Ias''s programming only had those moves, and he had to make full use of them.


    [Wait... what do you mean programming? Are you saying Ias is...?]


    As always, Shaiha sensed Kyran''s thoughts and was shocked at the conclusion he came up with regarding Ias''s identity.


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he recalled how Ias remained by Cyneah''s side when they were still at the tform. He also remembered how hesitant Ladon was about having anyone from their team join Leif''s side. It was only when Cyneah told Ladon that Ias could join them that he agreed.


    With narrowed eyes, Kyran turned his attention to the number of puppets that swarmed Ias.


    "Neen left" he muttered.


    [You mean neen more, right? It''s already been more than an hour since the start of the fight and they only destroyed thirteen!]


    Shaihained.


    Kyran ignored her. He raised his hand as his eyes turned reddish-purple. Initially, he did not want to use his magic in front of Leif, but given the situation, he did not have much choice. Besides, Cyneah was there somewhere, and he was worried that they might meet an unexpected challenge and could not move forward.


    There was also the possibility of the other groups that had yet to step onto the designated area getting entry passes to the seventh floor. What if they ended up teleported to where Cyneah''s group was, and a confrontation ensued? Yes, Ladon and Thorn were with her, and they were more than capable of protecting her. However, that was not what Kyran was worried about.


    It was the Macabre cier''s sentient acting up.


    When the tower granted Cyneah''s group ess to the seventh floor, Kyran had this strange feeling that it did this with the mirror in mind. Since the mirror would only react to the souls of the dead, and there were only puppets in the seventh level¡ª at least, Kyran believed there were only puppets there¡ª it would not really act up.


    But what if there were other groups that entered the seventh level as well? What if a confrontation ensued between those groups and Cyneah''s? If they would stop before anyone dies, then it might still be okay. But what if it was a fight to the death?


    Even if the surroundings were thick with magic energy, would this type of raw magic energy be enough to satiate the Macabre cier''s sentient?


    Kyran still had many questions about the mirror''s origin and purpose, especially after Can confirmed that he had sealed the Dark Sage''s body inside it. As for thetter''s soul, Can admitted he did not know where it went.


    Of course, the sentient in the mirror was not the Dark Sage. However, that was not to say it could not be influenced by the Dark Sage. Even if thetter was only his body, he was still the Dark Sage.


    In any case, Kyran was worried that being in the Higher Realm might aggravate the Dark Sage''s body or something, and if Cyneah lost control over the Macabre cier because its sentient was deprived of real souls, the Dark Sage might use that chance to break free and look for its soul.


    Kyran knew he was being paranoid with all these thoughts. But he had read far too many things about the Higher Realm''s magic and knew a body without a soul could still move independently by using its own memory.


    Ultimately, Kyran decided to use his magic so they could move more freely inside the tower. Besides, he believed the tower chose to send them there for a reason rather than sending them to another level.


    As for witnesses like Leif and Ias, Kyran believed the former would not babble, and for thetter... well...


    Dark purple discs appeared above Kyran''s palms and flew straight toward the other puppets about to attack Ias. They slipped past their necks, slicing and destroying them in an instant.


    Leif was too busy attacking one puppet to notice Kyran''s movement, but the moment she heard crackling sounds, followed by a session of explosions around them, she was stunned. Before she could grasp what exactly happened, she heard Kyran speaking.


    "Leif, keep that puppet alive. Ias, once you''re done. Detain the one Leif is fighting."


    By the time Kyran finished giving his order, Ias had almost defeated the puppet he was fighting. Moreover, he had seen what the former had done, and his brain had almost short-circuited.


    Leif, who had yet to recover from her initial reaction, was again stunned at Kyran''s bossy attitude toward a member of the Dragon n. She wanted to remind him that while they were in a partnership with thetter, they still needed to show a certain level of respect, but ultimately, she was rendered speechless when Ias responded with a:


    "Yes, Master!"


    "Master¡ª?" Leif gasped in shock.


    Kyran sighed inwardly and looked at Ias with a wry smile.


    Right.


    Rather than calling him Ias, it should be Aki.


    Once Aki defeated the puppet he was fighting, he went to help detain the puppet Leif was attacking.


    By then, Leif had already recovered, and she looked at Kyran suspiciously. She and her father had guessed his identity was not simple. But for him to actually be acquainted with the Dragon n? Not to mention, one of their representatives actually called him master.


    Wait.


    The three Dragon n representatives did not seem to recognize Kyran earlier. In fact, Ladon and Thorn even treated him quite badly earlier. This meant they had not realized who he was. True, Kyran was in disguise, but... what about Ias? The moment Kyran gave an order, how did he realize his identity and call him master unhesitantly?


    ''More importantly... why detain the puppet I am fighting? Did he realize something different about this particr puppet?'' Leif wondered, turning her attention to Kyran.


    Kyran, seemingly sensing her gaze, also looked at her and smiled wryly. He said, "For the record, I didn''t know Ias''s someone I know until now, so don''t give me that look."


    Leif gave Kyran a hard look. Before saying anything she scanned the hall and looked at the puppets that exploded just then and frowned.


    "You... what did you do just now?"


    "That''s not what you want to know."


    "Of course it is," Leif replied, looking at Kyran again. This time, she did not conceal her displeasure. "Father and I believe your background might not be simple. But to think that you are rted to the Dragon n... and..."


    She looked at Ias, who by then had already walked over to Kyran''s side like a loyal servant.


    "... for a powerful High Sovereign to actually call you master. Who are you, Null? And why did you ask him to detain the puppet I''m fighting?"

 Chapter 1014: Journey (1)

    "The rest of the puppets will only start moving once thest puppet from the current batch is destroyed," Kyran answered Leif''sst question, his tone conveying the urgency of the situation. "If thest puppet is destroyed, then the number of puppets that will start moving will double, bringing the count to sixty-four. We can''t afford to waste time dealing with them as their number increases."


    "Thus, detaining thest one will stop the process... I think I get that now. But, just who are you¡ª?"


    "As I said," Kyran cut her midsentence, aiming his hand at the struggling puppet. Then, he started manipting the magic energies to form an imprisonment array to properly detain it. "We can''t afford to waste time here."


    But Leif''s attention was already diverted elsewhere after she saw the array formation being created from nothing. Only then did she realize something as she returned her attention to the destroyed puppets on the ground.


    Because she was too busy dealing with thest puppet, she could not see what caused them to explode. But recalling that Ias was already struggling to fight a couple of puppets by himself, it would have been impossible for him to destroy the other puppets.


    Which meant the one who destroyed the rest of the puppets had been Kyran.


    "You... destroyed the other puppets singlehandedly... and in an instant..."


    Kyran sighed inwardly. He knew Leif was too focused on thest puppet to see him deal with the rest of the puppets. But the dy in her reaction was making him feel a little ufortable.


    "Let''s continue," he said, not even giving Leif any chance to digest what was happening. He did not even seem to want to give her a proper exnation.


    With that, Kyran continued walking down the hall. Ias, who was actually Aki¡ª one of Kyran''s puppets that recently gained a sentient¡ª followed suit.


    Leif snapped out of her initial shock and looked at the two, "N-Null! Stop right now and properly exin what exactly is happening here¡ª?"


    Fooom!


    A sudden burst of pressure enveloped her, forcing her to stop what she was saying.


    Cold sweat trickled down Leif''s face as she looked at Ias, who turned to look at her.


    "Master said, ''We can''t afford to waste time,'' so keep moving," he said.


    "Stop, Aki. She''s not exactly the person you believed her to be."


    "Master?"


    "She''s... well... ah, damn it, I''ll exin while we walk," Kyran looked at Leif, who remained rooted in spot.


    "Are youing? We''ll talk while we move to the next area."


    After Kyran said his piece, the pressure that held Leif on the spot lifted, and she was finally able to breathe properly once more. She wanted to re at Kyran and even moved in for a sneak attack just because she could not take the humiliation she felt at that moment, but the moment she saw Ias keeping a close eye on her, she could only swallow her humiliation and followed them.


    "By the way," Kyran pointed a thumb toward Aki. "This is Aki, not Ias... He''s... well... how to say this..."


    He looked at Aki with aplicated expression and asked, "Howe you''re body is different."


    "The Dragon Emperor gave us a new body. He said having a body with Draconic energy will help conceal our origin."


    "It did," Kyran agreed. "I didn''t recognize you until I saw you attack those puppets."


    The moment he pointed this out, Aki suddenly seemed embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Ah... I may have disgraced you with my limited attack patterns. Forgive me, master. I can only rely on the battle logs saved in my programming based on your past battles. Thus, mybat is far fromparable with Senior Neo''s, who has most of your recent battle logs."


    Now that Aki said this, Kyran, indeed, was only able to update Neo''s programming. This was not about him giving thetter preferential treatment, of course. It was just that Neo was his double as Tyr.


    "I''ll have to update that then..." Kyran''s voice trailed off as he thought of something. "Wait, Neo could have transferred more data into you and Len. Did he note here with you?"


    "He also came with the rest of the Regis n''s Special Forces," Aki replied at once. "But there is a lock in his programming that far exceeds his ability to unlock. Thus, he cannot transfer data as he pleases."


    "Ah... right," Kyran inwardly scratched his head. "I did put something like that. But... I thought since he already has a sentient, he probably outgrew that lock or something."


    "That should have been the case," Aki agreed. "However, with our bodies remaining puppet grade... well... we still cannot freely do as we please."


    "..."


    Seemingly realizing what he had just said, Aki hastily added, "That is not aint, master. Please do not shut down my system."


    "What do you take me for?" Kyran could not help but retort in exasperation.


    He remembered Neo acting as if he was some evil lord that would destroy his own creation if it so much as said something that displeased him.


    "Please forgive me, master."


    Leif was speechless as she heard the exchange between the two in front of her. She had wanted to start interrogating Kyran once she caught up with their pace, but the two started talking as if she did not exist!


    Then again, their exchange sort of answered some of Leif''s questions while also raising more. But something in their exchange caught her attention, and that was the fact that Ias¡ª or rather, Aki¡ª mentioned the Dragon Emperor and another n that had only been tagged as a rumor from the old generation, the Regis n.


    Kyran knew Leif was listening intently in their conversation. Since he could not be bothered to have a Q&A with her, he decided to feed her with information while he caught up with Aki.


    "Enough with that," Kyran dismissed Aki''s plea because there was no reason for thetter to ask for lenience.


    Kyran had no ns of shutting down Aki or any of his creations at that, especially when they had already produced their own sentient.


    "I kind of guess how you guys managed toe here. But why is she also here?"


    To avoid giving out Cyneah''s name, Kyran intentionally did not say it. Not even the nickname that others usually call her by.


    Aki''s expression lit up. He understood who Kyran was referring to, and he replied, "The young mistress convinced Lady Ames that she is the only one who can find you, master. Lady Ames also seemed to believe this to be the case and brought her along."


    He then looked at Kyran''s profile furtively and added, "I hope you are not angry, master."


    Kyran did not respond immediately. To be honest, he felt conflicted about Cyneah''s presence in the Higher Realm. If he put aside his concerns regarding the Macabre cier and the Dark Sage''s body, he preferred her to be closer. At least he coulde to her rescue if something happened.


    The image of Cyneah ordering Ladon and Thorn around so naturally shed through Kyran''s mind, and he was suddenly gued with an uneasy feeling. He had yet to decide if her blending in with the Dragon n so easily was a good thing or not.


    At the very least, Cyneah did not seem to be a damsel who would be in distress. It even felt like she would be the one causing distress to others.


    "To be honest, I haven''te to terms with how I feel about her being here," Kyran admitted after a short pause. "In any case, we need to meet up with them as soon as possible."


    Aki nodded, "I agree. To be honest, we have confidential information about this tower." He looked toward Leif before adding, "I am not sure if you would allow her to hear them as well?"


    "It''s fine," Kyran told him. "As I said, she is not the person who you believed her to be."


    "Am I allowed to speak now?" Leif could no longer stay silent and asked begrudgingly.


    "I didn''t say you couldn''t," Kyran replied with a deadpan voice.


    Leif''s brow twitched slightly. She had always sensed a cheeky side in Kyran, but to witness it and be on the receiving end was a little... Actually, she had yet to decide if she was annoyed or amused. What she did know was that she had be increasingly interested in him.


    "I would have already dealt you a killing blow if you had been anybody else, you know."


    Kyran only smiled in response, resulting in Leif shaking her head in both annoyance and amusement.


    "Getting back on topic," she veered the conversation back on track while looking at Aki. "Aki, is it?"


    "Yes."


    "Let me introduce myself properly. I may not look it at the moment, but I am Leif, daughter of Overlord Oceanus," Leif paused as she looked at Kyran. "I met your master... in Ogen a few days ago. Although, I have had my eyes on him for some time."


    Aki raised his brows, "As expected of master. However, please keep your interest in our master on a business level because we already have the young mistress."


    Leif was dumbfounded. She initially thought revealing her identity would have made Aki seek forgiveness for his rude action a while ago, but apparently, he only cared about the fact she had eyes on their master!


    "She''s the same age as Ames, Aki," Kyran told him. "Don''t go assuming stuff."


    Did Neo''s character affect Aki and Len after birthing their sentients? Kyran was suddenly worried about the future.

 Chapter 1015: Journey (2)

    Cyneah''s side also fared well with the swarm of puppets. Unlike Aki, whose moves were limited to those stored in his program, Thorn showcased his resourcefulness, using a plethora of moves and even resorting to Draconic spells tobat the puppets, a testament to his strategic thinking and adaptability, even when outnumbered.


    When the timer hit zero, the number of puppetsing at them was greatly reduced. Contrary to their initial expectation that the puppets would cease all movement when the timer ended, they were still functioning. Thankfully, with their reduced number, it did not take long for Thorn to destroy them all.


    "Where did you sense the presence, Sisi?" Thorn asked as he dealt the finishing blow to the final puppet. It shattered under a single punch with rtive ease. "I''ll create our door there."


    "I don''t think there is a need to create one," Ladon remarked while looking up ahead.


    When they were teleported inside the tower, they were only aware they were sent into a huge room through their powerful senses. The dim lighting made it hard for them, even with Ladon and Thorn''s dragon eyes, to see the walls. At the very least, they only knew there was a wall on all four sides but no door.


    The moment the final puppet was destroyed; however, the wall up ahead became visible, and a portal appeared on its surface.


    Thorn looked in the direction Ladon was looking and saw the portal as well. He frowned slightly and said, "I don''t like the feel of that portal."


    "There is a strange energying out from it," Cyneah told them, somewhat alluding there was a cause for Thorn''s uneasy feeling.


    "Hm..." Ladon also agreed with a nod. He and Thorn had no idea how Cyneah perceived things, but their senses were telling them that whatever was behind that portal was anything but good. "But if we''re topare this portal to past experiences of previous n representatives, the more dangerous a ce they entered, the better their enlightenment would be."


    "The thing is," Thorn said with a wry smile, "They started off at a rtively low level, right?"


    "The highest entry pass level the n received was at the fifth level," Ladon said, but more for Cyneah''s benefit since she had no prior knowledge of their n''s record in the tower. "Well... until now, that is. I don''t know why we are sent to the seventh level, to be honest. Since the previous representatives that were sent to the fifth level are far stronger than us both."


    "If that is the case, then the danger will likely be double... no, maybe even tripled if we decide to move forward," Cyneah replied, notmenting on Ladon''sst thought. "Then again, it''s not like we have any choice."


    "True."


    "Yeah."


    Ladon and Thorn replied, respectively.


    "But one thing I know, the energying out from that portal isn''t from the powerful presence I am sensing."


    "You can still sense it?" Thorn asked, turning his attention back to her.


    Cyneah nodded as she lowered her gaze to the floor. She was not really looking at it per se, but Ladon and Thorn understood her gesture was to show them where she believed the powerful presence was.


    "The tower is a maze in itself," Ladon exined with a sigh of resignation. "So, we might as well move to the next area and see where it leads us."


    "I hope we''ll get enlightenment, though," Thorn pursed his lips in disappointment. "We are teleported in the seventh level but fighting these puppets didn''t exactly give me any enlightenment."


    "I believe receiving that enlightenment is a matter of one''s perspective," Cyneah said with a bitter smile. "If you looked for enlightenment from fighting them, you may never receive any. But if you looked for enlightenment after seeing their movements, which seemed almost simr to an automaton, you may actually see one."


    Thorn raised his brows. He was so focused on fighting the puppets that he had not thought of it that way. True, the puppets were rtively weak, and their bodies were too fragile for him, but their movements and even teamwork were something he noticed but did not pay much attention to. He only thought they were programmed that way.


    However, what if they were not, and they were programmed independently and still were able to coordinate their movements? That would truly make them seem more like automatons than mere puppets.


    "Hm..." Ladon was equally impressed at something Cyneah pointed out.


    Unlike Thorn, Ladon also believed that the enlightenment the tower could offer would depend on how a group would perceive their situation. But he did not think that they might actually receive any enlightenment in fighting the puppets simply because the Dragon n was not exactly fond of puppets. This was because they were not real.


    Of course, this was not the case with automatons, especially since they already possessed sentients.


    From this, it was not wrong to say that Ladon also failed to understand their situation, thus failing to attain enlightenment. All because he had his own prejudice with puppets.


    "You''ve raised a good point there."


    Cyneah shook her head, "Actually, I was just thinking that if he is here, then maybe... no... never mind. Let''s go."


    She was about to say that if Kyran were there, he would probably take advantage of the opportunity of seeing so many puppets attacking together to examine their attack patterns and programming. After all, he was an Array Saint in the Lower Realm.


    s, in the Higher Realm, Array Saints were not really that valued because there were plenty of mages who could create powerful arrays. Not to mention the Dragon n, who had the power to destroy powerful arrays with just their brute strength, practically made Array Saints in the Higher Realm useless.


    "Just who is this person you''re searching for?" Thorn could not help but ask.


    He and Ladon knew Lady Ames brought Cyneah and a few others from the Lower Realm because they believed the person they were looking for had likely gone to the Higher Realm through the Land of Destion. That person also happened to be someone from Lady Ames''s family in the Lower Realm, who also marked Cyneah. But apart from these, they had no idea who that person was.


    Cyneah only replied with a forlorn smile.


    Seeing this, the two stopped probing her. They were there because the previous group said they almost made contact with someone inside the tower.


    That was right. Rather than receiving enlightenment, Ladon and Thorn''s objective in participating in the tower hunt this time was to find that someone.


    When the towerst opened about five hundred years ago, the Dragon n representatives reached the eighth level. They were initially teleported to the fourth level, and after going through a lot of things, they endured and managed to reach the next level until they arrived at the eighth floor. On their journey, they became aware of someone''s presence inside the tower.


    Unfortunately, they could not pinpoint that person''s exact location. After returning to the n, they reported it to the Dragon Emperor and the rest of the elders. The discovery of that presence became a basis for their n''s objective for the seeding tower hunt moving forward. Thus, Ladon and Thorn were tasked to find the location of that someone.


    As mentioned previously, Cyneah was not meant to join them. But because of her strong control over magic energies in her surroundings and her strong perception of others'' auras and presence, they allowed her to join. Rather, they wanted her to join.


    They did not have to beg her to join them because she was also keen oning to the tower. She and Lady Ames believed the person they were searching for caused the portals to the Tower of the Ancients to open prematurely, and they insisted that she was the only one who could find him.


    In any case, Cyneah''s participation might not have been nned, but it was a good one for them. Since they knew the powerful presence was on the seventh floor, they just had to venture in and find where it was hiding.


    With that in mind, the group of three made their way to the portal.


    *


    One more group was sent to another location on the seventh floor. They were all dressed in white hooded robes with gold ornaments. Their faces were hidden under their hoods, making it hard to see their features. Nheless, just by looking at their attire, it was clear which n they belonged to: the Emperor''s n, Solis n.


    This group was teleported to a rtively safe location because there was no immediate danger in the vicinity. This was because they were surrounded by floor-to-ceiling high shelves filled with books or scrolls. Then again, who could say that there was no danger lurking within those books? They were in the Tower of the Ancients, after all.


    The mage in the middle raised his hand, and a long golden staff with a hovering ball of mes at the top immediately illuminated the path ahead.


    "A library, huh?" he muttered.


    "Each floor has a library, and the higher one goes, the more advanced and even forbidden books or scrolls these libraries possess," another responded.


    "True," the first mage replied. "But we can''t look at these books yet. First, we need to find what we''re looking for."


    "Yes."


    The three then split up, with the two on each of his sides making their way toward the left or right directions. The one in the middle, who presumed the role of a leader, remained on the spot and continued reading something on her tablet.

 Chapter 1016: A Place To Return To

    Leif did not learn much from Kyran and Aki''s conversation. Nheless, she more or less understood Kyran''s rtionship with the Dragon n. She also discovered that Kyran''s name, Null, was neither a title nor a nickname but a random name he came up with.


    To be honest, that annoyed Leif, but she did not voice her anger because of Kyran''s rtionship with the Dragon n. She considered his fake title payback for the disrespect she might have unintentionally shown since they met.


    Another thing that Leif learned about Kyran was his strange magic, which she still could not figure out. Usually, she would have gleaned some clues after observing him for a while. But his concealment ability and refusal to use any magic array when summoning magic made it hard for her to find clues.


    The dense magic energy in their surroundings challenged anyone trying to discern the type of raw magic energy that responded to a mage''s use of magic. Kyran''s infrequent use of magic and reliance on Aki forbat furtherplicate the matter, making it even harder for Leif to understand his unique magic.


    Speaking ofbat, they were met with more puppets after they left the hallway and entered what appeared to be a grand hall. However, unlike the ones in the hallway, these puppets were the size of an average human and mainly used elemental magic spells.


    Aki remained their vanguard, and Leif assisted him from the rear. As for Kyran, he just stood to one side and watched as they dealt with the puppets.


    Kyran''sx attitude aggrieved Leif. But after realizing that even if he was not doing anything, the human-sized puppets could not overwhelm them, she chose to ignore him.


    There was a time when she thought the puppets would swarm Aki because there were too many. He needed two or three hits before he destroyed them, a testament to their superior exteriorpared to the previous group of puppets they encountered. However, just as Leif felt a looming fear in her heart, the puppets'' defenses would suddenly be nonexistent as Aki destroyed them in one hit.


    She even managed to eliminate a few puppets using a mid-tier spell.


    Another time, Leif saw Aki throwing a puppet at three approaching puppets. The impact of the puppet colliding with the three resulted in a small explosion.


    If it had been any other time, Leif would have been convinced that the collision of the four puppets caused the explosion. But these puppets had sturdier exteriors, and a mere collision would not have been enough to make them explode. At least, Leif did not believe it was possible. Besides, she strongly felt that the explosion urred before the puppet Aki held collided with the three puppets.


    Leif became suspicious of Kyran''sx attitude, which might only be a front, but he was actually assisting them in the shadows.


    Leif had no idea how and when Kyran assisted them, but his assistance significantly reduced the pressure on her and Aki.


    After the number of attacking human-sized puppets had been reduced, an automaton appeared, and it emitted a very intimidating aura. Leif even sensed that the automaton''s strength was no weaker than her. It might even be more robust. She was not intimidated, though. With Aki, who she already knew was an automaton with them, there was nothing to worry about.


    Leif was wrong.


    With a simple wave of the automaton''s hand, a huge array formation appeared on the ground and sealed their magic cirction. After that, it summoned a thunderstorm that reduced the ground to smithereens wherever its lightning struck.


    At that point, Leif started to feel despair. Not only was Aki''s movement being hindered by the random strikes of lightning from the thunderstorm, but they could not even cast any spells. Then again, Leif''s innate magic was useless against lightning. Thus, even if she could cast magic, she would not be able to do it any harm.


    She might even end up harming all of them if she inadvertently hit any of them.


    Just when Leif was about to use an escape talisman she carried with her at all times, a crack appeared on the magic array the automaton had summoned. The crack spread in every direction, affecting the thunderstorm''s momentum. After which, a small dark purple orb appeared above the automaton''s head. The dark purple orb did not stay small.


    It expanded and swallowed the automaton whole in the blink of an eye.


    When the automaton was gone, the array formation on the floor dimmed, and the thunderstorm disappeared.


    Leif felt dumbfounded at what transpired. However, her mind was somewhat fixated at the moment when the small dark purple orb appeared above the automaton''s head. She started to shiver as she recalled something about the nature of the most powerful Ancient magic of all¡ª Void magic.


    It was at that moment that something clicked inside Leif''s head.


    How the remaining huge puppets were destroyed in the blink of an eye. How the human-sized puppets seemed to put little pressure on them even when they were clearly at an advantage in terms of numbers. Finally, why did Kyran use Null as a fake title?


    Before Leif could sort her thoughts and express her suspicion, Kyran walked past her and said, "Keep your thoughts to yourself if you don''t want to be like the automaton."


    Initially, Leif thought Kyran''s threat referred to how the dark purple orb swallowed the automaton. However, the automaton suddenly emerged from the still-present dark purple orb, lowered its head before Kyran, and said, "I am at your service, master."


    The sudden change in the automaton''s attitude blew Leif''s mind. She suddenly felt conflicted about her decision to approach Kyran that day in the city''s library. Why did she ever think that he was someone she could win over?


    Ultimately, Leif only nodded and kept her thoughts to herself as she was told.


    After Kyran won over the automaton, the grand hall could be cleared. But instead of proceeding to the next area, Kyran asked the automaton, whom he temporarily called Auto-one, some questions.


    Seeing how easy it was for Kyran to gather intel by winning over one automaton to his side, Leif was quite impressed and wanted to recruit him to their n. But just as the thought came to her again, she scolded herself for momentarily forgetting why she could not recruit him.


    Anyhow, the information Kyran got from the automaton was exceptionally helpful. Unfortunately, apart from the type of challenges the floor offered and the semi-detailed map of the whole seventh floor, Auto-one could not tell them where the treasures on that floor were located.


    At first, Leif asked Auto-one if he could not tell them because he did not have the information. However, thetter answered:


    "All automatons at this level knew where the treasures were located. However, we cannot tell them to anyone because it defeats the purpose of the tower''s challenge."


    Leif was surprised Auto-one humored her and answered her question. When she looked at Kyran to see if he allowed Auto-one to talk to her, she was somewhat confused to find him deep in thought.


    Leif wanted to ask Kyran what he was thinking but stopped herself midway. After thetter threatened her, she admitted she could not muster the courage to ask him anything. But she did not have to mull over what Auto-one told her alone because Aki started talking to Kyran soon after.


    "Master, is opening Auto-one''s databank impossible?" Aki asked.


    Kyran straightened and looked at him with a sigh. "It''s not impossible, but the runes used are tooplicated. It will take me hours, even days, to decipher everything."


    "Forgive me, master. As much as I wanted to provide you with all the information you required, I cannot force the removal of all previous authority and security locks in my programming."


    "It''s fine. I thought turning you into one of my automatons was enough, but apparently, I had unconsciously underestimated the Ancients'' technology," Kyran replied while looking at Auto-one. "Will there be any conflict in your programming if I order you to do something?"


    Auto-one was silent for a while, seemingly checking his programming internally. After a short time, he looked at Kyran and shook his head.


    "Apart from asking for information that is ssified inside my databank, there will be no conflicts in my programming."


    Kyran nodded, "Alright. I''ll leave it at that. I''ll work on your programming when we return to..." His voice trailed off as his face distorted slightly.


    Leif guessed that Kyran''s reaction was that he did not know where he would return after leaving the tower. She thought he did not seem keen on going to the Dragon n yet.


    Truth be told, that was not the case.


    Kyran reacted as he did because he remembered Cyneah and her group were also at the seventh level and wondered if they were fine. The Dragon n''s strength had a massive advantage over Array, but that did not mean they were already in the clear, especially when surprises like the Array formation that could seal movements and magic energy cirction were there.


    Thinking this, Leif opened her mouth and thought of offering to let him stay in Ogen until he decided where to go. She believed that even if he threatened her just now, ensuring a good rtionship with him was better than severing it after they left the tower.


    But before Leif could say anything, Auto-one said something that made her speechless.


    "Master, where exactly do you n to return?"


    "I''m... still thinking about that."


    "But... are you not here because you have returned to the tower?"


    "...?"


    "Since you have returned, is there a need for you to go to leave this ce?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1017: First Encounter (1)

    Leif was not the only one who was speechless by Auto-one''sment. Kyran was too, and so was Aki¡ª thetter mainly because he was amazed at Auto-one''s ability to remain loyal to their master even when his programming still had security codes based on his original master.


    If Auto-one''s remark rendered them speechless, his following words almost gave Leif a heart attack, while Kyran turned numb.


    "As the Realm Scion, it is only natural that everything here belongs to you."


    The moment Auto-one mentioned the Realm Scion, the gears in Kyran''s mind started to move. He immediately thought of countermeasures to salvage the situation.


    His first idea was to order Auto-one to shut up. But even as the thought appeared, it was sent to the rejected idea section of his brain simply because Leif already heard Auto-one refer to him as the Realm Scion¡ª not to mention Auto-one had already finished speaking. It was already toote to make him shut up, and doing so would only make Leif suspicious.


    The second idea Kyran came up with was to clobber Leif as hard as he could, staging a forced memory loss. But the reasonable part of his brain reminded him that if he clobbered Leif¡ª never mind doing it without exerting much force, his normal strength probably would only beparable to a yful smack on her head.


    Leif was from the Higher Realm, meaning her physical and magical defenses were far more powerful than those in the Lower Realm. Apart from that, she was a High Sovereign; it would have been impossible for even a Sovereign to clobber her to death in a single hit. She might not be abat mage, but that did not mean her physical defenses were weak.


    If Kyran wanted to induce a memory loss with his fist, he would have to use Draconic magic. But if he did that, Leif would probably die with one hit. After all, he had not mastered control over his strength under the influence of Draconic magic''s enhancement.


    After considering all of that, Kyran considered using a Void rune to remove her memories. He had done it before, but doing so would leave a remnant of his magic inside her body, which might cause problems once they left the tower. Because of its unique location, his magic energy was being masked in the tower, but if they returned to the Higher Realm, it would be detectable.


    Kyran continued to rack his brains as another idea started to form in his head.


    However, before the idea could fully materialize, Auto-one suddenly made a swift movement and touched Leif''s nape. She then let out a muffled groan before her body went limp.


    Before falling headfirst to the floor, Auto-one caught Leif from behind. He adjusted his center of gravity before lifting her and draping her over his shoulder like a sack. His action was so fluid that Aki barely followed what had happened.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained nonplussed during the whole scene. But inwardly, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, which pretty much summed up Aki''s reaction. Fortunately, the Dragon Emperor transferred thetter''s core into an automa treasure from the very tower they were in, and his eyes popping out of its socket would only be a figure of speech.


    "My apologies, master. I had assumed this woman was already aware of your identity, which is why I spoke without giving much thought to it. I will be careful with my words moving forward," Auto-one apologized, bowing his head slightly toward Kyran.


    He continued, "As for this woman, please rest assured that I have hit her in the right spot and applied enough pressure imbued with my magic to induce short-term memory loss. After all, my energy core mainly generates Lightning magic energy, which is very helpful in inducing a shock-like effect to bodies."


    Kyran had considered Auto-one''s magic when he thought of a new idea. Unfortunately, that idea barely formed in his head because Auto-one had already acted upon it.


    In the end, Kyran could only mutter a short "¡­ Well done" to Auto-one before turning and making his way to the door at the far end of the grand hall.


    Aki and Auto-one, with Leif still draped on his shoulder, followed closely.


    While walking, Aki could not help but be amazed at Auto-one''s observational and analytical capabilities. They made him wonder how his programming was coded, and he inwardly hoped Kyran would also update his program.


    In fact, Kyran was already mulling over this. With his almost perfect poker face, it would have been impossible for anyone to detect his thoughts. But Auto-one did just that.


    Auto-one managed to sense Kyran''s troubled feelings when he mentioned thetter''s identity. From there, Auto-one urately guessed that Kyran was troubled because Leif had heard him.


    There were other possible reasons for Kyran''s troubled emotions, but Auto-one guessed the correct one and immediately acted to undo his mistake. This would not be possible if Auto-one''s processing capabilities were average.


    Kyran himself was good at analyzing the situation anding up with the best course of action, and for the record, the ideas he came up with shed through his mind in less than a few seconds.


    Yet, Auto-one was the first to arrive at a conclusion and act on it at that particr instance.


    Knowing that Auto-one was an automaton created by the Ancients, Kyran was reminded of the automatons he left in Somuli.


    Thinking back, when Kyran gave them their tasks, they aplished them and continued to do follow-up tasks without asking him to provide them with new ones.


    Initially, Kyran believed their efficiency in aplishing their tasks and even going the extra mile with the after-tasks was due to their sentient having learned a lot of things from when they were still active¡ª back when the Land of the Ancients was still intact, and the Ancients were alive. Kyran believed this because he had a good example named True Void topare them with.


    However, after witnessing Auto-one''s processing capability, Kyran was convinced that their efficiency was due not only to their experience but also to their initial programming and their body''s specs. He suddenly had the urge to dismantle Auto-one, decode its programming, and study it in detail. If he was sessful, he might even be able to reverse engineer the creation of the ancients'' automa.


    Of course, Kyran knew he could not do that. Auto-one might only be an automaton to others but not to Kyran. At least in his eyes, all automatons were already a new species. Thus, they were alive even if their core could be transferred to another automa body at any moment.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, Kyran checked the woman who had suddenly turned mute in his sea of consciousness.


    Before he could say anything, however, Shaiha had already spoken.


    [It''s not like I enjoy giving sidements all the time. Besides, I believe your journey in the tower will help you realize the benefits of being the Realm Scion.]


    ''Is that so.''


    [Yes. However, I will say one thing you may not be aware of.]


    Kyran inwardly raised his brows, ''Is there anything else that Auto-one had not mentioned?''


    [More like this, something belongs to the information he cannot freely say due to the security code preventing him.]


    ''Hm¡­ looks like I have to check his program and lift the security code. This way, I''ll get all the necessary information without worrying about him viting any code.''


    [If the Ancients'' programming could be easily decoded, why do you think Array declined in the Higher Realm to the point that it became useless.]


    ''Point taken.''


    [More importantly, please be careful. Someone in the tower will soon notice your presence.]


    ''Is it the same presence I have been sensing for some time now?''


    Shaiha nodded.


    [That''s right. When I hid in the tower, that presence was already present. And after all this time, it remains here, and I can attest that its aura has gotten stronger.]


    Kyran frowned. He did not like the sound of that, ''Is it hostile?''


    Shaiha shook her head.


    [I don''t know. I have only been in one location when I hid here before. But that presence seems to epass the whole tower. You have to be careful.]


    Kyran did not respond. However, Shaiha felt his silent acknowledgment and, thus, did not make a fuss over it.


    At that moment, Kyran already arrived at the door and opened it without hesitation. Auto-one already told them what room was behind the door, and there was no cause for them to dally.


    As per Auto-one, the next room was a massive library. Though no puppets guarded the ce, hidden dangers were still present within the books and scrolls themselves.


    It was wise not to touch any of the books. However, anyone looking for treasures would not heed such a warning, especially since the books and scrolls kept by the ancients definitely possessed great knowledge.

 Chapter 1018: First Encounter (2)

    Contrary to most libraries that Kyran visited, the one they entered was dimly lit. There were even areas that were too dark that they appeared pitch ck in his view.


    As per Auto-one, libraries, such as the one they entered, were present on each level of the tower. They served as a ce where the participants could gather information and learn about the Ancients'' different magic research and theories.


    However, there is an ancient saying that warns people who seek too much knowledge, which is: If one seeks too much knowledge, the process willkill you.


    The library took this ancient saying at face value because some of the books, scrolls, tablets, and memory orbs kept in that ce possessed hidden dangers. The least one could encounter was being poisoned and falling into unconsciousness for a few days. What would happen to them in those days they were unconscious would be up to the participant''s luck.


    "There is definitely a way to bypass those dangers," Kyran said aloud, but he was not particrly waiting for Aki or Auto-one to respond.


    "You are absolutely correct, master," Auto-one, however, seemed keen on responding regardless of Kyran''s intentions. "However, learning how to bypass each danger is the problem."


    It dawned on Kyran, a glimmer of understanding piercing the fog of uncertainty. ''The library,'' he mused, ''is a crucible for our desires and fears. It challenges us to confront the unknown, to understand it, and ultimately, to conquer it.''


    Auto-one raised his brows while looking at Kyran''s back. "How did youe up with that conclusion, master?"


    "Everything here practically screams the unknown. If one is not greedy and tries to analyze what this room is all about... just the action of analyzing might push one''s sanity to the limit. Especially when every idea they came up with to understand the library''s purpose was met with danger. They will soone to fear what other danger lurks within the books and every other item in this ce.


    If that happened, they would end up losing their cool and might even sumb to fear."


    Auto-one nodded in agreement upon hearing Kyran''s exnation.


    "That is correct," he affirmed thetter''s assumption. "If one only takes the library''s meaning at face value, then they will be in for a real treat, which will result in them losing their lives."


    "Do you have the list of items that posed a threat to the master?" Aki asked Auto-one, joining in the discussion after being silent for some time.


    Auto-one shook his head, "I was programmed to guard the grand hall. While I have information on every area and level in the tower, they are limited...."


    His voice trailed off as his expression turned solemn. After a short pause, he corrected himself and said, "Actually... I do have all the information the master needed. But because of the security codes ced inside me, I can''t voice or transfer the information I can get from the central data bank."


    Kyran stopped and looked at Auto-one in both confusion and excitement, "Central Data Bank? What is that?"


    Auto-one also stopped and scratched his head with his free hand, "I''m sorry, master. I can''t exin it well in detail, but... to put it in simple terms, it is a ce where we an ess all information about the tower is being kept."


    "Huh?" Aki could not help but blurt in confusion.


    No, wait. Rather than being confused because he did not understand what Auto-one meant, he was confused at the concept of having a different ce to keep all the information when there were already libraries at every level.


    On the other hand, Kyran had a different take on what Auto-one was saying. In fact, he understood the concept behind the Central Data Bank. He only asked what it was because it was the first time he had actually heard one being shared among the automatons.


    "Hm..." Auto-one frowned while continuing to scratch his head. "I''m sorry. I can try to give an example, but... I don''t think it will be enough to exin what the Central Data Bank is."


    Kyran shook his head. "No. I get what you mean. I just asked because this is my first time hearing something like that shared among the automatons."


    The moment Kyran pointed out that the data bank Auto-one mentioned was only shared among the automatons, Aki finally understood why it was different from the libraries.


    "Besides, wouldn''t such a bank be a problem?" Kyran asked Auto-one. "If one of you connected to this bank is corrupted, won''t the other automatons realize it? What about the one that oversees the bank?"


    "There is no problem with the other automatons or the admin. At the moment, my program is still connected to the bank and the admin only saw that I have been defeated. Seeing that I was not destroyed, he had already blocked off most of my ess rights. Besides, the security codes in my programming have already kicked in, and as I have said, I am unable to disclose information that vites them.


    Once again, I apologize for that, master."


    "It''s fine," Kyran assured him. "Although I want to get my hands on all the information, I can get to understand the tower and where it kept all the Ancients'' treasures. I don''t mind looking for information by myself. Of course, getting them without doing anything is weed but not a necessity."


    "I have a suggestion, master."


    "Speak."


    "If you want to truly get all of the information you need, how about we go to the Central Data Bank and¡ª."


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    From out of nowhere, arrows made of Light magic swept past them. Aki and Auto-one moved in an instant. The former reflected the iing arrows, while thetter destroyed them with a lightning arrow of his own.


    Kyran was actually surprised that he did not sense the one who released the arrows. Shaiha was simrly shocked as she tried to scan their surroundings with Kyran''s assistance.


    [I... I can''t detect them.]


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Light magic arrows continued to rain down on them from several directions, and Aki and Auto-one continued to deal with them. As the number of arrows increased, Auto-one was forced to ce the unconscious Leif on the floor so he could use both hands to counter the arrows.


    Meanwhile, Kyran continued to scan their surroundings. It did not help that the library was dimly lit, and because of its vastness, some areas were practically pitch ck, making it close to impossible for them to see any hidden dangers.


    "Master, the ones attacking us have concealment ability. This is not good," Auto-one''s warning made Kyran scowl.


    In fact, he and Shaiha had already thought as much because it would have been impossible for anyone to use the darkness to hide from Kyran''s enhanced senses and Shaiha''s ''eyes.''


    ''It''s moments like this that I really wanted to learn how to use my Draconic magic properly,'' Kyran could not help but grumble in exasperation. His body had already undergone a huge change, allowing him to circte and use the Draconic magic energy at a higher percentage. However, he only knew how to use them by enhancing his physical capabilities.


    [You should have asked Ames to teach you a thing or two.]


    ''You think she had the patience to teach me?''


    [...]


    "This is not going anywhere," Akimented while sending out a fist filled with raw magic energy toward another round of iing Light magic arrows.


    "I agree," Auto-one replied before casting a series of lightning strikes at the iing arrows.


    "It will be impossible for us to pinpoint the enemy''s exact location if we stick together," Kyran told them. "Split up and keep an eye on where the next attack wille from."


    Aki and Auto-one nodded their heads, understanding their master''s intention of splitting up.


    Basically, they could not pinpoint the location of the enemy or enemies because they were only targeting one area. With proper preparation, it was easier for them to attack in several directions to confuse Kyran and his group. But if the three of them split up, the enemy or enemies would have to adjust their position.


    Thus, their attack following the split had a high chance of exposing their location.


    After receiving Kyran''s order, Aki and Auto-one immediately sprinted to the right and left, respectively. Kyran then summoned a Void barrier to protect himself and Leif.


    When Aki and Auto-one moved, the relentless volley of Light magic arrows paused for the briefest moment before resuming.


    The pause was actually too short, but it was enough for Aki and Auto-one to glean clues as to where the enemy was located.


    That was correct. They were actually up against only one enemy. The only reason they managed to pinpoint the enemy''s position faster was that it aimed at Kyran rather than following the two.


    "There!"


    Aki and Auto-one inwardly eximed as they sprinted to the northeast side. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were in the way, but they simply maneuvered around them to reach their target.

 Chapter 1019: First Encounter (3)

    Aki and Auto-one approached the enemy on both sides.


    The enemy, hiding in a narrow gap between two towering bookshelves, sprang into action as soon as he realized his cover was blown. He swiftly cast speed and stealth spells as he darted from one position to another, his movement a blur and soundless.


    These two spells,bined with his concealment ability, granted him the ultimate movement that could either outmaneuver his foes or escape them in the face of danger.


    For now, the enemy believed he had the upper hand, so he decided to move to another position. Unfortunately, he failed to recognize that the two targetsing after him were not human mages but automatons.


    The pupils of Aki and Auto-one''s eyes, which possessed a uniqueposition found only in automatons, whirled and emitted a distinct sound as they calcted every possible move the enemy could make. Even when the enemy vanished from their sight, they continued to analyze his movement, eventually narrowing the potential moves he would make to the two most likely oues.


    Now, the question would be how the two would take action without giving the enemy a slip that he could take advantage of.


    If Aki was working with either Neo or Len, they could easily share information because Kyran programmed them to be capable of such a feat. They could also telepathicallymunicate with each other because they had the same frequency and could easily ess each other''s internal channels.


    But the one with Aki was not Neo or Len but Auto-one¡ªan automaton created by the Ancients. Auto-one''s programming was different from Aki''s, and even if the former possessed an internal channel, its frequency was different; thus, thetter could notmunicate with the former telepathically or even share information.


    If Kyran turned Auto-one into one of his automatons by manually changing his programming rather than absorbing him into the Void and cheating his way out of turning him, then Aki couldmunicate with Auto-one. This was because Kyran would definitely change Auto-one''s internal channel frequency to match Aki and the rest of his automatons, allowing all of them tomunicate with rtive ease.


    However, since Kyran cheated, Aki and Auto-one''s internal channel frequencies were different.


    Whiiirrr! Click! Click! Zzzzziii!


    Aki was taken aback when he sensed a small portion of his brain¡ªto be more urate, the part where the internal channel was located¡ªmaking clicking sounds. After that, several codes and images shed in his mind as he realized Auto-one had managed to connect to his internal channel.


    But Aki''s surprise onlysted for a second because Auto-one also conveyed the reason he sessfully connected to his internal channel and the results of his own analysis of the enemy''s action.


    Basically, Auto-one managed to connect to Aki because, technically, Aki''s body was an automa created by the Ancients. Thus, it was possible for Aki to enter the channel where all automatons in the tower were connected. The only reason Aki could not enter was that the physical lock in his internal channel was locked.


    Using Auto-one''s Lightning magic, he sessfully unlocked it without having to pry Aki''s head open. After unlocking the channel, Auto-one immediately shared his analysis and intentions with Aki. This way, the two could coordinate without any problem.


    What transpired between Aki and Auto-one seemed long, but in reality, it happened in the blink of an eye. Thus, there was no apparent dy in their movement as they adjusted ordingly to deal with the enemy.


    Taking advantage of his concealment ability, the enemy moved toward the library''s darker part. His n was to blend into the darkness, find new spots where he could summon magic arrays, and then resume his attacks.


    Crackle! Boom!


    Bolts of lightning shed down from the library''s ceiling toward the route the enemy was about to take.


    Shocked, the enemy abruptly stopped and immediately adjusted to the sudden turn of events. Whether the lightning attacks were intentional or not, he would not let his targets know he got flustered just then. He adjusted his center of gravity, immediately turned to his left, and sprinted.


    "!"


    The enemy mage''s eyes widened as one of his targets suddenly appeared before him, his fists raised above his head. He remembered the target before him was one of the Dragon n participants and nearly wet his pants in fear of getting crushed by that fist. Instinctively, he raised his arms while casting defensive spells.


    Yet.


    BAM! SHATTER!


    Aki''s fist hit the enemy''s forearms, shattering thetter''s defensive spell. The shattering of the defensive spell did not slow down the momentum of Aki''s fist as it continued downward.


    CRACK! SHATTER!


    "AAARGH!"


    The enemy mage let out a pitiful scream as the bones in his forearm shattered from Aki''s punch.


    Still, the enemy mage''s will to live was nothing to scoff at, as he immediately cast a binding spell to keep his forearms from falling apart. He then gritted his teeth not only to endure the pain that nearly knocked him unconscious after his arms were broken but also to crush the healing pill he hid above his gums.


    Aki was not done, however. After he sent out a punch, he did a roundhouse kick and aimed at the enemy mage''s head.


    BAM!


    "GAH!"


    Because the enemy mage did not anticipate the kick above his head, itnded pretty well, shaking his brains into oblivion. Not only that, but because his head was kicked down, his jaw dropped, and he identally spat the healing pill he had yet to consume fully.


    ''Don''t kill him,'' Kyran immediately told Aki when he saw thetter turn his body and was about to deliver a hook kick that aimed at the enemy mage''s neck.


    While hook kick would not normally kill someone, depending on the weight of the kick and the condition of the person being kicked, it actually could. Judging by the enemy mage''s sudden release of his concealment ability, it was obvious that he was already unconscious. If Akinded another kick to the enemy mage''s neck, he would likely break it and kill him for good.


    Aki stopped midway through, kicking the enemy mage. Thetter fell to his knees and then fell headfirst to the floor.


    Auto-one arrived beside Aki, looking at the enemy mage with a slight frown.


    "This mage... he is a peak High Sovereign, and he belongs to the Solis n."


    "Solis n?" Aki looked at him in surprise. He only heard about the Solis n from the members of the Dragon n. He also knew that they had recently attacked the Dragon n''s ne because of a misunderstanding.


    At the moment, the two ns agreed to a ceasefire, but the tension between them was clearly still there.


    Auto-one lifted the unconscious enemy mage, and he and Aki returned to Kyran''s side.


    Kyran lowered his barrier to allow them to enter before raising it again. Only one mage attacked them, and chances of his fellow mages lurking in the shadows to ambush them again were still there. With this in mind, Kyran decided to keep the barrier active for the time being.


    "Seems like there is another group that entered the seventh level other than us," Akimented while looking at the unconscious enemy mage.


    "Solis n, huh?" Kyran muttered, also looking thoughtfully at the mage. "I don''t remember seeing him outside." He looked at Aki and asked, "What about you?"


    Kyran normally has a good memory, but when he gets preupied with other things, there are things he fails to notice or even remembers. Thus, he may not have seen the enemy mage outside, but Aki might.


    Aki shook his head, "It''s the same for me, master. But since he possesses concealment ability, then..."


    "There is a possibility that the Solis n''s representatives all have concealment ability," Auto-one also shared his insight.


    Kyran frowned at that, "I thought concealment ability was rare."


    "It is," Auto-one agreed. "However, if it is the Soli n, it is not impossible for them to recruit as many mages with such ability."


    "That I get," Kyran replied. "But what I don''t get is why they would send three here at once. If they are rare, wouldn''t they be more careful about where they send them? And how many?"


    If it were Kyran, he would not waste such valuable resources if he could help it. He knew the Solis n could help it because they were such a big n, and they had a number of qualified mages to send as representatives.


    "Yes... but... if it is the Solis n... I don''t believe they cared much about it."


    "He seemed to be targeting you, master," Aki said, looking at Kyran. He said this because when they split up, the enemy mage still aimed at Kyran rather than try to attack him and Auto-one.


    Kyran shook his head, "I don''t think that''s the case."


    "Then could it be..." Auto-one looked at Leif, who was still lying unconscious on the floor. "Are they aiming for the Lacus n members?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1020: Target

    Kyran''s brow furrowed. He did not find anything worth taking up the time of the other ns in the Lacus n''s possession when they checked it. Leif also checked it and felt the same.


    ''No...''


    His frown deepened as he recalled Leif checking a record of the Lacus n''s spells and probably teachings. She browsed it briefly and learned some of the spells there to back up her act as Anahia. She wanted to learn as many spells as possible but could only use basic to mid-tier ones because the moreplicated andplex spells could not be replicated by non-Lacus n members.


    Nheless, Kyran considered the Lacus n''s record a treasure, but it would not be useful to anyone outside the Lacus n.


    Unless...


    Kyran looked at Leif and knelt beside her.


    Aki and Auto-one caught his action and watched him curiously.


    Kyran remembered Leif putting the Lacus n''s record in her robe pockets. But he was not sure if she did that in motion only and put it in her storage ring or pouch instead. If it was the former, then he could check the record to see if his guess was right.


    But if it was thetter, then he might have trouble taking it out¡ª unless he used his Void magic to void the magic energy recollection saved on her storage ring or pouch. It was fine either way, but he wanted to avoid leaving any residue of his Void magic energy in Leif and her belongings.


    Fortunately, Leif did not put the record in her storage space but instead kept it inside the robe pockets. The Lacus n''s robe pockets were enchanted to carry a lot of stuff in it. Thus, it did not look bulky.


    Leif said that the Lacus n was a new n. But rather than being formed recently, they were new in terms of gaining strength or influence¡ª thetter thanks to their managing to establish a good rtionship with the Dragon n.


    Looking at the situation from this angle, the Solis n might have thought the Lacus n received valuable information or even teaching from the Dragon n after forming a good rtionship with them, or vice versa.


    Vice versa because, from what Kyran understood, the Lacus n were non-humans and like the Dragon n, they could change into a human form to interact with the rest of the ns in the Higher Realm.


    The Lacus n''s true form was sea serpents, and Kyran remembered reading in the Regis n''s archive that these creatures were rted to sea dragons. Ladon was a sea dragon himself, which was why he had a soft spot for the Lacus n representatives.


    The Solis n likely knew of this fact and believed that the Lacus n''s sudden rise in power and influence had something to do with unearthing an ancient teaching.


    Now, the question was if they unearthed it themselves and used it as leverage of some sort to get in the good graces of the Dragon n or if they found proof that they were rted to the Dragon n and thetter were contemting absorbing the former into their fold.


    Regardless, Kyran first had to know if the Lacus n held anything valuable.


    Kyran took out a silky dark blue and green tablet the size of a human palm. He contemted whether to use his Void magic energy to check its content but ultimately decided to use his Draconic magic energy. He reckoned that since the Lacus n were sea serpents the record might respond to his Draconic magic energy rather than the Void.


    For the record, Leif used her Water magic energy to check the record and had no trouble browsing it because the Lacus n also possessed simr magic energy. However, she admitted to not being able to read some of its contents because she believed it was written in Lacus n''s own n runes.


    Kyran had an inkling that if he used Draconic magic, the record would deem his magic energy simr to the Lacus''s because of their sea serpent origin, and it would show him more information than what Leif managed to see.


    If not, then tough luck. At least, he tried.


    Luckily, the tablet responded to Kyran''s Draconic magic energy, and the information recorded in it flowed inside his head like a stream of flowing water. His eyes glowed silver as streams of information entered his mind.


    "Master?" Aki looked at Kyran in slight concern.


    "Looks like master discovered something."


    Unlike Aki, Auto-one did not seem to be worried about Kyran at all. Not that he cared less about their master, but it was due more to the fact that he more or less guessed what their master was trying to do.


    Kyran could hear Aki and Auto-one but only raised his left hand in a gesture of silence. He wanted to focus on the information flowing into his mind at that moment.


    Seeing his gesture, the two automatons nodded and stayed silent.


    After a few minutes, Kyran closed his eyes. When they opened them again, they returned to their original color¡ª or at least, their color under disguise.


    "There might be more to the Lacus n than we believed," he said while looking at them. "Although the record had only focused on Water-based magic spells, it exined in great detail everything there is to know about the Lacus n''s magic spells. Apart from that, they also have ancient teachings connected to the Dragon ns¡ª or, at least, their sea dragon members."


    "So this Solis guy is really after the Lacus n?"


    "In particr, he is aiming at Anahia and is probably looking for this record. They probably n on studying it and learning their ancient teaching, using them to exploit any weakness rted to the Dragon n''s sea dragon members."


    Auto-one sighed after hearing their master''s exnation, "I did not expect the beef between the Dragon n and the Solis n to have reached this level. To think that thetter would aim at another n just because they believed they might be rted to the former. If their guess were wrong, then their endeavor would have been futile."


    "They aimed at them precisely because they are sure to produce something good," Kyran told Auto-one.


    "You mean they are sure that the Lacus n is rted to the Dragon n?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yes."


    Aki frowned, "But as far as I know, the rtionship between the Dragon n and the Lacus n is still a secret. As a matter of fact, only a few are in the know, even among the Dragon n members."


    "You mean to say that there is a spy among the Dragon n? Or the Lacus n?" Auto-one asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Don''t jump to conclusions," Kyran told them while shaking his head. "I said the Solis n is aware of the connection between the two because the Lacus n is a n of sea serpents."


    "Ah," Auto-one''s eyes widened as he thought of something, "I remembered something in the past, before The Fall. The dragons were still at odds against each other. There was this one sea dragon that was truly at odds with the Dragon Emperor''s tribe. However, some of them did not share that sea dragon''s sentiment and surrendered to the Dragon Emperor."


    Based on what Auto-one said, Kyran reckoned that the sea dragons that surrendered to the Dragon Emperor''s tribe were likely Ladon''s tribe.


    "Now that sea dragon and the rest who did not join joined the Demon n. At that time, the Demon n was still considered allies of the Solis n, but... anyway, even among the Demons, there was internal strife. In the end, during The Fall, some of the sea dragon''s subordinates who ''admitted to their mistake'' wanted to turn into good leaf. Unfortunately, the war had been a mess, and well...


    the record of what happened after was too blurry, to be honest," Auto-one sighed, recalling how their information was no longer 100% reliable after the tower got lost in space. They could only rely on the data they gathered from the representatives of different ns that managed to enter the tower. "In any case, I remembered some of those sea dragons fell to the Lower Realm during The Fall."


    Kyran tilted his head as he recalled something. Wasn''t Tritus''s weapon possessed a sea serpent? Kyran did not know if it was rted, but he remembered how powerful that sea serpent was.


    Kyran pushed the thought aside as it was quite irrelevant to the current situation.


    "Regardless of the Solis n''s target, we''ll have to stay vignt," Kyran told Aki and Auto-one. "At least now we know the Solis n representatives also managed to enter the seventh level."


    The two automatons nodded their heads. Needless to say, they did not really need their master to remind them to stay vignt. They would always be alert to ensure their master''s safety.


    "About this guy," Auto-one gestured at the unconscious enemy mage. "Will you let me handle the interrogation, master?"


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows and said, "I don''t really mind, but... be careful that you don''t kill him until you wring every bit of information."


    "Leave it to me, master."

 Chapter 1021: Voice

    The room Cyneah, Ladon, and Thorn entered was dimly lit and filled with mirrors. With every movement they made, the mirrors appeared like mirages, giving them a false conception that others were with them. Luckily, with thetter two''s natural senses and the former''s inability to see, they were able to identify the movements asmere reflections.


    Nheless, the mirrors made it hard for Ladon and Thorn to get a proper hold of their position, while Cyneah found it troubling to use her magic sense to get visuals of her surroundings. The cause for thetter was the magic energies being incapable of filling the surface of the mirrors.


    Whenever Cyneah directed her magic senses to cover the surface of the mirrors, the magic energies supporting her magic sense would pass through and be lost.


    Cyneah warned Lado and Thorn about this because she had an inkling that if they ever touched any of the mirror''s surface, they would either be sucked into it or their internal magic energy drained.


    With Cyneah''s warning, Ladon and Thorn increased their cautiousness as they tread through the mirror-filled room.


    Although it was close to impossible for them to map out the mirror-filled room, Ladon still left a mark on the floor at every corner they passed through. This way, they could avoid the corners with his mark.


    An hourter, Thorn started to feel a little restless. His restlessness was mostly caused by the uneventful progress inside the room. It could not be helped that he felt this way, especially when the portal that led them there emitted a very ominous aura. But an hourter, without knowing if they were truly making any progress inside, they had not met with any incident.


    "Ladon, are we really moving forward in this room?" Thorn asked with a hint of impatience.


    Ladon heaved a sigh and shook his head, "I''ve been leaving a mark on every corner we ventured to, and so far, we have avoided going there again. But... I honestly am not sure if we are truly making any progress."


    "I''m sorry I can''t be of help," Cyneah joined their conversation. "I''m usually used to this kind of ce, and by making use of my other senses and magic sense, I am able to see my surroundings. Unfortunately, the mirrors prevented me from utilizing my magic sense."


    "It''s not your fault, Sisi. So you don''t have to apologize," Thorn assured her, his voice bing a little gentle when addressing her.


    "He is right. If anything, we feel more useless since we have naturally keen senses, and yet we could barely sense anything in this room," Ladon added softly.


    It was obvious that these two cared a lot about Cyneah to show such a level of respect.


    "Regardless, I still feel helpless in this ce. Apart from that, it has gotten a little hard to see your light."


    Ladon and Thorn frowned after hearing her say that. They more or less understood that her way of determining the presence of others around her was through their light, but for it to have turned faint as well must have something to do with the room they were in.


    "I knew there was something different about you, especially with such mesmerizing eyes, so you could actually see others'' light."


    Ladon and Thorn widened their eyes and immediately turned their attention to where the voice had spoken. They both unleashed Draconic techniques, the former a punch, thetter a kick.


    Translucent dragons, one majestic gold and the other beautiful sea green, appeared and roared toward a spot where they gleaned the voice.


    But then, the mirrors around them gave off an eerie wind followed by a chime-like chorus before a vacuum-like force tore through the two dragons.


    "Release your attack!" Cyneah told Ladon and Thorn at once as she sensed something sinister about to emerge from the mirrors.


    Ladon and Thorn did not need to be told twice. The moment they heard the chime-like sounding from the mirrors around them, they knew at once something bad was about to happen. Immediately, they released their attack and protectively stood in front and behind Cyneah.


    "Ahahahaha!"


    The voice that had spoken just then suddenly burst out inughter, which did not sit well with Ladon and Thorn.


    "I''ve been observing you three for a while now and know that woman is blind, yet... she seems to be more useful and aware of her surroundings than you two. And you called yourselves members of the Dragon n."


    "Stop hiding and show yourself!" Thorn growled. If there was one thing he disliked the most in the world was being called a useless member of the Dragon n.


    "Woman," the voice ignored Thorn and addressed Cyneah directly. "I know what you truly seek. If you release me, I will show you the way to him."


    "Ignored what it''s saying," Thorn warned Cyneah at once. "It''s only trying to get to your head."


    Cyneah did not respond, but inwardly, she felt a little peeved at Thorn''s needless concern. In the first ce, it was obvious that whatever the voice said was a trap. Besides, she was not stupid enough to listen to the voice.


    ''No. Don''t think that way,'' she scolded herself as soon as the negative thought shed through her mind. ''Such thoughts may also be what the voice is aiming for.''


    "Oh?" the voice let out an amused chuckle, "You are truly more aware of what is happening around you than those two."


    "What are you...?" Thorn snarled, frustrated at the voice''s seemingly riddle-like words.


    "Don''t listen, Thorn. He is trying to get to your head," Ladon warned Thorn.


    Cyneah and Thorn furrowed their brows at Ladon''s words.


    "He?" Both of them asked.


    "What?" Ladon asked, confused at what they were getting at.


    "Don''t you mean it?" Thorn asked, "It is using a genderless tone of voice."


    Ladon looked at Thorn with wide eyes and said, "What are you talking about? It''s clearly a he."


    "The voices we hear differ," Cyneah told them, feeling an iing headache. "I can hear a female talking."


    "Ahahahaha! I thought I could y with you three a bit more. Why did you have to notice that so soon?"


    Ladon and Thorn''s faces distorted at the voice''s tant provocation.


    "No need to look that scary," the voice said as if seeing the look on Ladon and Thorn''s faces. "I''ll stop ying around now, alright?"


    SHATTER!


    As soon as the voice said its piece, the mirror around them shattered.


    Instinctively, Ladon and Thorn shielded themselves while also protecting Cyneah from the shards that flew in their direction. But then, a vacuum-like sound suddenly epassed the space around them, removing all forms of sound and movement¡ª the sound of the shattering mirrors disappeared, and the bits and pieces of shards flying at them stopped in midair.


    "What¡ª?"


    Ladon and Thorn stopped midway through saying anything because no sound came out of their lips.


    On the other hand, Cyneah tightly held the sides of her robes as she calmed her suddenly pounding heart. Someone like her, who had always relied on her other senses to observe her surroundings because of her disability, feared a time when even those senses were robbed of her. At the moment, the disappearance of sound felt as if her head was about to explode.


    "Boom!"


    Boom!


    As the voice spoke, an explosion suddenly sounded around them, making Cyneah, Ladon, and Thorn''s eardrums feel like shattering. The explosion was not even that loud, but because the sound had been robbed of them prior to the explosion, it appeared more powerful and overbearing.


    "Ngh..!"


    Ladon and Thorn felt their eardrums had raptured from that explosion and nearly keeled over. Of course, they only felt that way because even if the explosion sounded very loud just then, it was not really that strong. Thus, their eardrums were intact, albeit it hindered their sense of bnce.


    FOOOM!


    Without even giving the three a chance to recover from that unexpected attack, their surroundings were once more enveloped by a vacuum-like force and removed any form of sound and movement around them.


    Thorn gritted his teeth in great annoyance. Another thing he disliked the most was being toyed like this. Not wanting to be subjected to such a trick attack, he started to rouse his magic and prepare a powerful attack to destroy the voice''s Dimension.


    That was right.


    Ladon and Thorn knew at once that they were inside a Dimension. This allowed that voice to toy with them as it pleases.


    If a mage entered another mage''s Dimension, it was said that it would not be possible for the former to escape thetter.


    But.


    There was actually a way for a mage to escape another mage''s Dimension.


    One was to disrupt thepletion of the Dimension. Another was to attack the Dimension from the outside. And finally, thest one that only mages with Draconic magic could do was unleash a powerful attack from inside the Dimension.


    "That is not allowed, young dragon."


    The voice suddenly said, and in an instant, Thorn felt the flow of magic energy in his body getting disrupted.


    "In this ce, I am the rule. Rupture."


    Ladon and Thorn felt every vein in their body exploding upon the voice''smand. The two let out a muted, agonized scream as they fell to their knees and spat out a mouthful of blood. Blood also seeped out from their eyes, nose, and even their ears.


    Cyneah could not hear anything, nor could she see what was happening in her surroundings. She could only hear the voice speaking every now and then, and from what she could glean from what it was saying, it was targeting Ladon and Thorn.


    "Don''t worry, woman. I will not hurt you, for I am very interested to know your secret."


    "My secret?" Cyneah repeated, surprised to hear her voice in the seemingly soundless space. "You should''ve just asked. I don''t mind showing it to you."


    The voice did not make a sound, but it was clearly bemused by what Cyneah had said. Before it could respond to her, however, she had already made a move.


    "Not putting any restrictions on me caused you this time," Cyneah said as a blinding light enveloped Ladon and Thorn.


    The two recovered in an instant.


    As if the three were in sync and had been nning to exploit the small window of opportunity Cyneah brought about by healing them, Ladon and Thorn released a powerful punch to the floor.


    BOOM!


    "!"


    The voice did not say anything but was surprised that Cyneah not only healed Ladon and Thorn but also removed the restriction it ced on them, which prevented them from using their magic.


    "Just now... what did you do, woman¡ª?"


    BOOM! CRACK! CRASH!


    The voice''s question was cut short as Ladon and Thorn unleashed another punch, finally destroying the floor andpletely shattering it.


    "Damn it, if I knew we could destroy the floor, we could have done that earlier and waste time around that annoying room!" Thorn growled in dissatisfaction.

 Chapter 1022: Release

    "No, don''t¡ª!" Cyneah wanted to say. But the thunderous sound of the floor''s destruction drowned out her voice.


    "What¡ª?" Thorn expected the three of them to freefall to the floor below after they destroyed the one that supported them. But none of that happened.


    As soon as the sound of the floor''s destruction subsided, what was left of the light that lit the room disappeared, engulfing them inplete darkness. This was soon followed by the voice''s gleefulugh that reverberated around them.


    "AHAHAHAHA!"


    Ladon took a sharp breath as he realized what he and Thorn had done.


    "No..." he muttered in frustration.


    The floor they destroyed was the one the voice created through Dimension. Nheless, the aftershock of the Dimension''s destruction caused the real mirrors outside it to shatter.


    "!" Thorn stopped short as he also realized what they had done. He growled in anger and shouted, "You bastard!"


    Cyneah closed her eyes with a sigh, "It''s already toote. You''ve already released that voice."


    The voice tried to get in their heads so they would not realize its move in trapping them in its Dimension, all so it could rile up Ladon or Thorn, or both, and force them to force their way out of it.


    Why did the voice go through all that trouble? The answer was in the words it said to Cyneah:


    "If you release me, I will show you the way to him."


    "Those annoying mirrors had imprisoned me for far too long, but finally, I''m free," the voice that sounded different depending on who heard it now sounded like a woman. "I don''t have trouble using magic even while imprisoned, but those annoying mirrors just absorbed any attack I aimed at them."


    The woman suddenly exined, even when no one asked.


    Frankly, Cyneah, Ladon, and Thorn wondered how the woman could summon such a potent Dimension yet unable to free herself from whatever was imprisoning her. But if the mirrors shackled her, then everything made more sense.


    "Now then," the woman said, her voice turning solemn as she addressed them. "Since you have been so kind as to free me, I will let you go¡ª except for her."


    Even before the woman finished what she was saying, Ladon and Thorn made a move.


    They knew it was futile to fight the woman with a Dimension of their own because thetter was clearly a level higher than them. Although their disadvantage would not be that big because they were using Draconic magic, the strength of one''s Dimension was not affected by how ancient or rare one''s innate magic was.


    Ladon summoned a water barrier around Cyneah, protecting her from the woman, while Thorn let out a mighty roar as his body shifted slightly. His body expanded, and his armor adjusted to the change in size.


    Although Thorn did notpletely turn into his dragon form, he now looked like a small dragon with human features. His silvery gold scales glimmered with raw strength, and his eyes glinted with undisguised anger.


    With the sudden change in his form, Thorn''s eyes could see through the darkness. He found the woman''s silhouette, and he appeared right before her in the blink of an eye.


    "I''ll destroy you, b*tch!"


    Thorn''s way of speaking was very rough. However, it was very rare for him to curse. One would know that he was furious the moment he did.


    BAM!


    Thorn''s huge wed fist mmed down on the woman''s silhouette.


    But.


    "Ahahahaha!"


    "Hm¡ª?" Thorn scowled as his fist hit nothing but air. To be precise, the woman''s silhouette seemed to turn into a ck mist and dispersed from the force of his punch.


    "Just because you can see a woman''s silhouette doesn''t mean it is me. Come one, young dragon. Don''t make aplete fool of your proud race."


    "Grr¡ª Shut the hell up!" Thorn growled as his slitted eyes contracted in anger. Using his enhanced hearing, he found a slightly different sound from his left and immediately pursued it. He used Dragon Steps, which allowed him to appear right where he had heard a distinct sound in the blink of an eye.


    "RAAWRGH!" Thorn roared as he unleashed another punch that tore through the darkness.


    BOOM!


    The punch he released was full of raw Draconic magic, capable of destroying even the most abstract form of darkness that enveloped them.


    "Ahahaha!"


    The woman''sughter reverberated around them again, annoying Thorn and even Ladon, who remained close to Cyneah.


    For the record, Ladon and Thorn had their senses on full drive, searching for the woman''s location. But thetter hid her presence and aura well, making it hard for them to pinpoint her exact location. It also did not help that the room was huge; if one shouted, it would produce echoes.


    "Just where are you aiming, young dragon?" the woman quipped at another one of Thorn''s missed punches.


    "Left!"


    When Thorn heard those words, his body seemed to move on its own and turned to the left. Simultaneously, he sent a powerful punch that tore through the darkness again.


    "Ngh¡ª!"


    Although the woman tried to stop herself from yelping in shock, all three heard her muffled cry as if she had narrowly escaped a fatal strike.


    "This..." Ladon could not help but turn to look at Cyneah, who had directed Thorn to turn to his left.


    "Iing behind!" Cyneah shouted at Thorn again.


    She did not have to shout the warning because he sensed an iing dangering from behind and had already somersaulted to avoid a magic attack aimed at him.


    "Woman¡ª you!" The woman reeled as she addressed Cyneah. However, she did not sound angry. She sounded very excited. "Is this what you mean about seeing their lights?"


    "Around two meters to your left!" Cyneah ignored the woman and shouted once more.


    "You¡ª!" The woman uttered a muffled cry as she narrowly missed another of Thorn''s attacks.


    "Very interesting! Ahahahaha!"


    Fooom!


    Again, the woman unleashed the same vacuum-like force that enveloped their surroundings.


    "I won''t let you this time!" Ladon growled. His eyes glowed as he roused his magic.


    There was a reason why Draconic magic used to be called Chaos magic.


    Others believed that Chaos magic''s nature was utter destruction, but this was untrue. If one delved more into how the Ancients described Ancient magic, they would understand that they were connected.


    "Nothingness is the beginning of everything. It gave birth to Chaos, to which Chaos gave birth to Order. And then Order gave birth to Life."


    Nothingness refers to the Void. From this line, one can understand the importance of the Void in every form of Ancient magic. Chaos came from nothing, but one could also interpret it as nothingness giving birth to everything epassing a realm. After that came Order. Now, Order here refers to Time. This is because the order came only after Time appeared.


    Finally, with Time, Life came. It goes without saying, but Life here refers to the Soul.


    In any case, picking up on how Chaos came to be, one would understand that it was thebination of everything and anything from the Void. Thus, if one could use it, one could use any existing element.


    This fact posed a massive threat to all creations. Only a few were aware of this, and unfortunately, The Emperor was one of those few in the know.


    Fortunately, Dragons are the only ones who can circte Chaos magic. Their unique and superior body constitutions exin this.


    Ladon came from a n of sea dragons, which is why his affinity for water-based magic was strong. Whenever he used Draconic magic, water-based magic energy responded to him.


    Water magic energies gathered around Ladon, forming a small stream of waves that expanded outward. The waves started small but soon surged upward before going outward. Its momentum was unleashed with such ferocity that the formation of the woman''s Dimension was disrupted instantly.


    SHATTER!


    Like fragile ss, the space in which the woman''s Dimension was just about to take form was destroyed.


    "Ladon¡ª!" Cyneah''s warning was cut short as the woman appeared right before her.


    Contrary to what they had expected, the woman was not human. She did not have any form. She had an intangible form, almost like gas, that fleeted in and out of existence. At least, that would have been how she would appear if they could see her through the naked eye. In Cyneah''s eyes, the woman only looked like a hovering light with a misty glow around her.


    The woman unleashed another vacuum-like force, but this time, she only aimed at the water barrier that protected Cyneah.


    "Sisi!" Ladon turned just in time to see the woman creating a small Dimension to imprison Cyneah. His eyes glowed as his hands shifted back to their dragon form. Water-based magic enveloped his hands as he grabbed the woman.


    Thorn also saw what was happening and used Dragon Steps to get to them quickly. But rather than aiming at the woman, he aimed at the forming Dimension about to imprison Cyneah.


    On the other hand, Cyneah was not idle. Offensive-wise, she admitted to being powerless against the woman. After all, she could only affect the souls of people she could touch. She did not have the Soul core, which limits her utilization of Soul magic. The Macabre cier served as her magic core, but that was it. It could not bepared to a real one or the Soul core.


    Cyneah did not know that the woman did not have a form, but just seeing her light, she already knew she would be unable to do anything to her with her power alone.


    She hated being a damsel in distress, but at the moment, rather than wallowing in her helplessness, her instincts kicked in as she grabbed the one thing she had carried with her ever since he fixed it.


    No matter how often she used it, it had not worked for the past few months. But in the tower, if her guess was right... and if what the woman before her had said was not merely to mess her mind, then it might work.


    With this in mind, Cyneah grabbed the pendant of her ne. She referred to it as such, but it was prettyrge to be a pendant, and she muttered a short plea.


    "Kyran."


    KRRSHK!


    CRACKLE!


    BOOM!

 Chapter 1023: Towers Purpose

    The information Auto-one got from the Solis representative was not much, but enough for them to glean what the Solis n was up to.


    As they had spected, the Solis n was indeed in pursuit of the Lacus n. But rather than looking for the record in Anahia''s possession, they were after an unknown item that the Dragon n bestowed upon them.


    Auto-one tried to make the Solis representative fess up information about the unknown item. However, thetter did not know as well and was only told that he would know which item it was when he saw it.


    From this, Kyran guessed that the unknown item likely carried a particr type of aura that would make the Solis representatives know its value. It might even have the Dragon n''s seal or something.


    Either way, Anahia did not have it in her possession.


    "Who is stupid enough to bring such an important item with them in the tower?" Kyran mused incredulously. "Everyone here is looking for treasures, and with the portal opening ahead of time, every n''s preparation got reduced¡ª their supplies barely met the minimum. Fights over supplies and treasures are expected.


    Considering all this, would anyone bring a valuable item if the chances of being robbed by other representatives are high?"


    Aki and Auto-one agreed, but they also felt that it was still possible depending on what the item could do.


    Seemingly sensing their doubt, Kyran sighed and said, "I get what you''re both thinking."


    He looked at them with a wry smile, "They can bring items that can help them sessfully venture the tower or save them in dire situations. But think about it: if the item the Dragon n gave the Lacus n is indeed such an item, would the Solis n be interested? They are an old n. Would they rob another n for an item they probably have tons of? If yes, why?


    Just because the item came from the Dragon n? I don''t think the Solis n is that petty.


    "In any case, the unknown item the Solis n is after may be something else. It may not even be an item per se, but..."


    Kyran''s voice trailed off as he considered another possibility¡ª something only the Dragon n possessed and would benefit the Lacus n, Dragon Blood.


    The Lacus n would benefit significantly from receiving pure dragon blood because, as sea serpents, they were rted to sea dragons. They might no longer possess any dragon blood, but if they came in contact with it, their dormant sea dragon bloodline might awaken, allowing them to be stronger or even evolve into a full-fledged sea dragon.


    If thetter happened, they could also use Draconic magic, which would allow them to be more attuned to Water-based magic.


    "No," Kyran shook his head, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. "Let''s have this discussion another time. We have to continue."


    Aki and Auto-one nodded, "Yes, master."


    Kyran then looked at the two unconscious figures on the floor and sighed, "We can''t carry them around while we wander around the tower. I want to create a separate space to put them in, but..."


    Aki and Auto-one understood their master''s hesitation. The Void''s capability to create separate spaces was different from Space magic. Though the amount of magic energy was the least of his worries, the problem was making such a space inside the tower.


    Kyran had no problems creating one where he dumped the Lacus n representatives, but they were still outside the tower then. Usually, he could open any separate space he created whenever and wherever he wanted, but for some reason, he could not do that inside the tower. In fact, he could not open his Void World, which was supposed to be a passive domain he carried everywhere.


    This proved that the tower was unique and that even a space created from Void was sealed.


    No. Rather than the Void World being sealed, Kyran temporarily lost his connection. This made him wonder if it was indeed a passive domain or something else.


    "I can put them in the tower''s cell, master," Auto-one suggested. Seeing the stumped look on Kyran and Aki''s faces, Auto-one hastily exined, "We call it a cell, but it is nothing like a prison. Participants may use an isted chamber if they are about to receive enlightenment."


    He gave them a wry smile and added, "As you already know, if mages on the verge of enlightenment are disturbed, they would be hard-pressed to have another one, and their breakthrough to the next level would suffer a huge blow. To avoid this, the tower prepared the isted chambers. Unfortunately, only a few managed to learn how to open them."


    "Can people who have yet to receive enlightenment use the chamber?" Aki asked Auto-one incredulously.


    "Good question," Auto-one smiled as he looked at him. "Yes, they can. Albeit, the time they can stay will be limited."


    "Alright," Kyran nodded. "Let''s hide them there for now. We''ll get them out once we find the others."


    The others he meant were Cyneah''s group and the remaining two representatives from the Solis n.


    "Hopefully, no other ns got teleported in this level, or else..." Kyran sighed and shook his head, "I don''t want to deal with every n we meet on the way."


    "I may be able to find information on how many groups managed to enter the seventh floor, master," Auto-one said but sounded hesitant.


    Kyran sensed this and shook his head. "It''s fine. Your clearance is probably not high enough to see all that information, right?"


    "Regretfully so..."


    "Then don''t waste time. We''ll deal with whateveres our way as it happens," Kyran told him.


    "Understood."


    Auto-one then led the way to one corner of the library and summoned a device that looked like a panel. He input a few runes in until two doors appeared on the wall to their left.


    "They can stay in the chamber for two days at most, but I would advise against it," Auto-one told Kyran. "It is best to get them out before then, or else the chamber''s defense mechanism might kick them out when it realizes that they were only there to rest."


    He smiled bitterly and added, "The tower is designed for learning and teaching mages. It will not allow any ckers."


    "The Ancients used this tower to improve themselves, huh."


    "Yes... and well... the treasures here... are inventions created by the Ancients who had just received enlightenment."


    Kyran had been interested in the Ancients ever since he read the tablets Axil and her faction discovered in the Lower Realm. The moment he started to understand the type of influence and strength they possessed back in ancient times, he wanted to learn more about them.


    When he arrived in the Higher Realm, he tried to find information about them. Unfortunately, all information about them was removed or considered taboo and, thus, not allowed to be circted.


    Ironically, however, the big ns in the Higher Realm knew quite a lot about them and were even fighting over treasures that they once possessed. ns entering the tower were proof of thetter.


    "I already told you this, master," Auto-one started, sensing Kyran''s interest in learning more about the Ancients. "But you are the Realm Scion. Everything here belongs to you if you so want it."


    "I am not the Realm Scion," Kyran told him with a wry smile. "Someone said I can be one... but..."


    [You are the one. I did not say you can be one.]


    Kyran ignored Shaiha''s sidementary in his sea of consciousness.


    "I don''t think I can handle such a grand... identity."


    Kyran referred to being a Realm Scion as a mere identity, but he knew the responsibility one would have to carry for being one.


    Auto-one sensed his master''s hesitation and no longer pursued the matter. He more or less understood why his master refused to ept his identity as the Realm Scion.


    After cing Leif and the Solis representative in the chambers, Kyran and his group continued on their way.


    The library was so huge that even after walking for another half an hour, they had yet to reach its center.


    "Hm?" Kyran stopped in his tracks as he felt vibrations from somewhere in the distance. He tried to pinpoint the exact location but failed.


    Aki and Auto-one also scanned their surroundings as soon as they sensed the vibrations. But, like their master, they had a problem locating where it came from.


    "It doesn''t seem like those vibrations are near..." Aki remarked.


    Auto-one nodded his head in agreement. He looked at Kyran and said, "If you will allow it, master. I can connect to the central data bank and¡ª."


    BOOM!


    "!"


    Kyran, Aki, and Auto-one were taken aback by the explosion following the continuous st. But because of it, they gleaned that the vibrations came from above the library.


    Kyran''s mind seemed to turn into a map as he recalled the details of the seventh floor that Auto-one had told them about. But before he could pinpoint where the explosion might have happened, he heard a soft, gentle voice calling his name.


    "Kyran."

 Chapter 1024: Remnant

    KRRSHK!


    Cyneah''s face contorted in anguish as Ladon''s protective barrier shattered, and the woman''s Dimension swallowed her surroundings. The weight of her helplessness was crushing, not because of the woman''s power but because her desperate attempt to summon Kyran using his token had proven futile.


    Meanwhile, Ladon, who regained his hands'' real form and created a gauntlet made of water, tried to capture the woman. He nned to make use of the water''s nature to absorb and dissolve the woman''s gaseous form and trap her inside before she couldplete her Dimension.


    If Ladon failed to capture the woman in time, Thorn was already on his way to destroy the woman''s Dimension.


    But.


    CRACKLE!


    The woman''s gaseous form crackled, and her body disappeared. As she did, the Dimension in which she trapped Cyneah also vanished.


    "What¡ª?"


    Ladon and Thorn gave out a muffled cry of surprise before their attack collided.


    BOOM!


    The shockwave that followed upon the collision of their attack shook the floor, turning the bits and pieces of shattered mirror around them to dust.


    "Ngh...!"


    Both Ladon and Thorn were thrown back along with the aftershock.


    "Ahahahaha!"


    As the two rolled several meters away from the center of the collision, they heard the woman''sughter echoed throughout the room.


    "I apud you for thinking of using the nature of Water magic to counter my ''form,''" the woman said, her words directed at Ladon. "Unfortunately for you, my form may appear gassy, but I assure you my body''sposition is not. It just so happens that we are born like this..."


    Her voice faltered slightly before she added, "... right. It is no longer we, I suppose. Since I''m probably the only one left alive."


    Ladon and Thorn buried their feet on the floor to stop their momentum and regain their bnce. As they did and they heard what the woman had said, their eyes widened in surprise.


    Obviously, they realized the implication behind her words.


    "You are...?" Ladon muttered in disbelief.


    "No way..." Thorn also said, shaking his head in denial. "Your n should have already...."


    "Right," the woman agreed with a chuckle.


    By then, the aftershock from the collision of Ladon and Thorn''s attack had subsided, and they were trying to locate the woman''s whereabouts again.


    The woman continued, "The Higher Being made sure that we were destroyed. He seeded, but as you can see, I managed to survive. True, I only survived because I was trapped by these annoying mirrors while I was undergoing my training. But I''d say you lucked out by finding me and even releasing me. Now, I can avenge my people for what the Higher Being had done."


    "Let go of Sisi," Ladon said solemnly. She had nothing to do with what the Higher Being had done to your n."


    "I know that," the woman replied matter-of-factly. "She may have your appearance, but her eyes clearly spoke volumes. She is not a dragon, and I can sense that she is different from the rest as well. And I said that not because she had a rare Healing magic, but rather... her bodyposition is different from that of the human mages in the Higher Realm."


    "Since you mention the Higher Realm, then you should know that what happened back then split the Realm in two."


    "Yeah, I know," the woman admitted readily. Whenever the portals opened, and the tower became essible in your realm, the tower extracted information from all the participants who entered. You all believed you''d been benefiting from the treasures inside the tower, but in truth, the knowledge you possess benefits the tower more.


    "Now that I am free, I am able to ess all that knowledge and information."


    "Then you should know that the Dragon n did not participate in that war," Ladon continued to converse with the woman.


    He was not doing this to gather intel but to buy time for Thorn.


    While the woman was busy replying to him, thetter was scanning the whole ce with his Dragon eye. Now that the mirrors were gone, they could use their magic energy without fearing them getting absorbed by the mirrors.


    "I know," the woman replied. "Which is why I did not kill you. But my patience is limited, so I advise you two to leave while I am being reasonable."


    "We won''t leave without Sisi," Ladon said. "Please release her."


    "No. I want to learn all of her secrets, so she will have to stay with me. Don''t worry. When I am done extracting her secrets, then I will release her...."


    She paused before she chuckled and said, "If she survived, that is¡ª."


    "You will release her now!"


    The woman was a tad bitte reacting as Thorn suddenly appeared before her.


    Thorn, who had finally spotted the woman''s silhouette, did not waste time and used Dragon Steps to close in on her. He raised his fist above his head and aimed it at the spot right behind the woman.


    The woman, taken aback by Thorn''s sudden appearance, thought he was aiming at her face. Her whole body turned into a gaseous state and disappeared. But then she let out a short gasp as she realized toote that Thorn''s aim was never her face but the spot behind her¡ªthe spot where her Dimension was.


    BAM! CRACK!


    KRRSHK!


    Web-like cracks appeared on the surface of the woman''s Dimension as Thorn''s fistnded.


    "She''s mine!" the woman bellowed, and her whole body emitted a sudden blinding light.


    "Thorn! Get back!" Ladon shouted, sensing the danger from the light that the woman emitted.


    Thorn did not need to be told twice. Afternding a hit on the woman''s Dimension, and before she actually emitted the blinding light, he already used Dragon Steps to retreat.


    But.


    "Aaarggh!" Thorn shouted in pain as the light''s rays touched his skin. It felt as if he was being burned alive just by being exposed to such a faint ray of the woman''s light.


    But then, a water barrier appeared between him and the woman''s light, creating a wall that shielded him from the ray''s burning effect.


    "Don''t stop and keep retreating! I''ll cover you!" Ladon shouted from behind.


    In fact, he had been keeping a close eye on Thorn when he asked him to retreat. This was because when he saw the woman use Light magic to attack Thorn, he knew thetter would be in deep trouble because Thorn was a gold dragon. His body was a good conductor of heat. But Light magic was not the same as Fire magic.


    Light magic had a powerful prative nature, which means that it could easily pass through Thorn''s gold body and burn his insides.


    "You two are truly running my patience thin," the woman growled in annoyance. "If you want to die, then I will dly assist¡ª!"


    CRACKLE!


    KRRSHK!


    BOOM!


    "...guaaah!"


    A sh of purple lightning struck the woman from above, ripping the space around her andpletely disrupting the light that she emitted.


    Ladon arrived just in time to support Thorn when thetternded and almost keeled over from the remnant pain he received from the woman''s attack.


    "What was that just now?" Thorn asked, clearly dumbfounded at the lightning that actually struck the woman.


    "That''s...." Ladon started but was unable to answerpletely because he was too shocked at what he could see with his Dragon Eye.


    Before the lightning had struck, Ladon had already sensed something approaching from below. Unfortunately, he was too upied with protecting Thorn that he could not urately pinpoint its location.


    But then he realized that the approaching something felt familiar. Its presence was simr to the puppets they encountered from the first room.


    Ladon felt an iing headache when he considered the possibility that another enemy wasing at them. They could barely handle the woman, and if a puppet arrived¡ª actually, he had an inkling that the one fast approaching was not a mere puppet but an automaton¡ª they would be hard-pressed to win without losing a limb or two.


    This was because the woman was clearly above them in terms of mage level, and automatons created by the Ancients were a force to be reckoned with.


    When Ladon was mulling over this, he sensed another presence and was a bit confused.


    The presence was none other than Ias.


    Initially, Ladon thought Ias was after the automaton. However, the speed at which the two were moving did not seem to be in a hurry. In fact, they were approaching at high speed but did not appear to be in a hurry. It was pretty contradictory, but yeah, it was strange.


    All of these thoughts shed through Ladon''s mind in but a brief moment, and before he could truly make sense of any of it, the lightning shed, and the woman was struck.


    Ladon wondered if the one who struck the woman was the automaton with Ias because thetter clearly did not possess Lightning magic. But as soon as he thought of it, another came to him:


    ''Where is Lady Anahia and that arrogant nobody mage?''


    Just as the thought shed in his mind, a powerful aura erupted from where the woman was struck down.


    "Who dare strike me?" the woman bellowed, her whole body still emitting ck smoke after being struck. Magic energy gathered around her, enveloping her like thick armor. The eruption of a powerful aura clearly came from her: "I''ll strike back tenfold!"


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    KRRSHK! KRRSHK! KRRSHK!


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    "GAAAAH!" The woman screamed as purple lightning struck her one after another.


    "If you want to strike, do it. What''s the point of announcing it?"


    Kyran''s silhouette slowly appeared a few meters before the woman.

 Chapter 1025: Special Constitution

    "It''s you?" Ladon and Thorn burst out, their expression turning ugly. Thest thing they wanted was for this arrogant nobody to save their ass.


    Kyran ignored the two and kept his attention to the woman, who writhed in pain while ring daggers at him. At least he felt the woman ring at him because of the piercing sting that seemed to seep into his body. He really could not say because her form was a little special.


    After they got near the origin of the vibrations they felt earlier, Auto-one and Shaiha already sensed and confirmed the identity of the one who caused them¡ª a remnant of the Ancients.


    Kyran was not surprised by this development because he reckoned that if Shaiha hid and survived in the Tower of the Ancients, then the possibility of some Ancients doing the same was huge.


    Besides, Auto-one said that the tower was meant to train the Ancients. Kyran supposed an Ancient was undergoing training when the Higher Being attacked, which was how they survived. There was also the possibility that the leader of the Ancients forced their younger generations to enter the tower to ensure their n would not be wiped out.


    At least, if it were Kyran, he would have definitely done that because based on his understanding of the Tower of the Ancients'' purpose, Ancients were the only ones allowed inside. In that case, as long as his people were inside then they would be safe.


    But if the tower was only essible by the Ancients, howe others could enter it at this moment?


    Kyran reckoned that the Tower of the Ancients purpose changed after it got lost in space.


    Considering this point, a question would pop up.


    How did the Tower of the Ancients'' purpose change?


    Kyran put all the clues he got from Auto-one and guessed that there must have been Ancients who survived The Fall by staying inside the tower and they were the ones who changed the tower''s purpose.


    As for why they did it, it was simple: to gather information from the others and get up to date on what was happening in the Higher Realm.


    Kyran also beleived there was another reason, but until he got enough intel, he was unsure of it yet.


    In any case, Auto-one could not confirm Kyran''s theory because the Ancients apparently did not have a permanent aura. Because of their special body constitution, they could blend,bine, and utilize any type of magic energy in their surroundings, making it impossible to identify their aura.


    Learning this made Kyran wonder if the Ancients were the beings that possessed Void cores. As the thought crossed his mind, however, he rejected it. Because if they naturally possessed Void cores, why would they want to create them artificially?


    More importantly, for whose benefit were they trying to create artificial Ancient Magic Cores, anyway?


    Kyran pushed those thoughts aside and looked at the Ancient woman before him. She had already recovered from his attacks and retained her incorporeal body, which made her look like a ''remnant spirit,'' albeit without a face.


    "How dare you lowly human to have¡ª!"


    CRACKLE! KRRSHK!


    "¡ªGAAAHH!"


    Kyran struck the woman again when she tried to spout nonsense.


    Ladon and Thorn''s faces darkened after seeing Kyran ruthlessly striking the woman again. They were used to such sight. But it was one thing to see one acting ruthless and look like one, to one doing it while keeping a straight face and without any reason.


    At least, Ladon and Thorn did not think Kyran would attack the woman ruthlessly to save them. Considering this, an idea crossed their mind that darkened their faces further.


    This guy did not fall for Cyneah or something, right?


    s, both men missed the mark by half an inch bying up with that idea.


    "You¡ª!"


    CRACKLE! KRRSHK!


    "¡ªGAAAAHHH!"


    Kyran struck the woman when she barely opened her mouth to speak.


    "M-Master... if you keep doing that... she will notst long," Auto-one could not help but say after Kyran struck the woman yet again.


    "Do you pity her?" Kyran asked without looking at him.


    "Not at all," Auto-one denied at once.


    The woman, upon hearing this and confirming that Auto-one was one of their automatons, seethed in anger.


    "YOU DEFECTIVE TRASH¡ª!"


    CRACKLE! KRRSHK!


    "¡ªGAAAAHHH! STOP STRIKING ME YOU SON OF A¡ª!"


    CRACKLE! KRRSHK!


    "¡ªGAAAAHHH!"


    "M-Master... we will need her if we want to get ess to the tower''s central memory bank."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill her. I''ll only half-kill her."


    The woman twitched in anger, but surprisingly, she felt greater fear for him. She demanded, "What did I ever do to you?"


    Kyran''s eyes shed, and the woman flinched, thinking he would strike again. Without a pause, she blurted, "ISURRENDERIGIVEUPPLEASEFORGIVEME!"


    "Release, Neah."


    "N-Ne... who?"


    Kyran looked at the cracked Dimension behind the woman.


    "Release her."


    [You could have just destroyed the Dimension yourself; why do you even need to ask her?]


    Kyran ignored Shaiha''s question. But even when he did, she already sensed his reason for not destroying the woman''s Dimension himself.


    He was afraid Cyneah would get hurt if he tried to destroy it because he did not know what rules the woman''s Dimension was under.


    What if the woman made it so that any attempt to destroy her Dimension from the outside would hurt Cyneah? Or what if the Dimension itself runs through Cyneah''s magic energy?


    Without knowing what kind of rules the woman''s Dimension was under, Kyran would not recklessly attack it. He did not mind torturing the woman, though. Thus, he continued to strike at her.


    There was another good reason Kyran refrained from destroying the woman''s Dimension directly. To put it simply, he did not want to show others that he was desperate to rescue Cyneah.


    "F-Fine! I will release her, only if you promise not to¡ª!"


    CRACKLE! KRRSHK!


    "¡ªGAAAAHHH!"


    "This is not a negotiation. Release her."


    "AAAARRRGGH!"


    The woman growled at Kyran in frustration. But ultimately undid her Dimension before he could strike again.


    As the woman''s Dimension crumbled, Cyneah''s figure slowly appeared before them.


    For someone who seemed to be in despair, Cyneah appeared calm as she sat quietly on the floor with her eyes closed.


    Kyran did a quick scan on her and was relieved to see that she was unhurt.


    "Sisi!"


    By then, Ladon and Thorn had more or less recovered from the shock of witnessing Kyran''s ruthless attack on the woman. They only received superficial injuries and had also recovered. Thus, they immediately stood and ran to Cyneah.


    Cyneah opened her eyes upon hearing Ladon and Thorn. She felt relieved that the two were alright. Just as she was about to greet them, however, the first thing she saw in her line of sightwas the woman''s light and...


    Cyneah''s eyes widened at the spot just behind the woman. There seemed to be a huge, misty, whirly ck hole standing right there. She caught her breath as she saw this strange yet familiar mist. But then she recalled that he was not the only one who possessed such a presence. They were also in the Tower of the Ancients.


    Considering the tower''s nature, it was not impossible for it to produce illusions to mess with one''s mind.


    The woman did it before. Although it was a pretty weak attempt at messing with their minds, it was enough for Cyneah to remain guarded. She calmed her agitated heart at once, trying to reason that if it truly were him inside that misty ck hole, he would have already called her name. But the only ones who did were Ladon and Thorn.


    Cyneah manipted the magic energies around the misty ck hole, wanting to see within, but to no avail. And that was all she needed to confirm who was inside it.


    ''...Kyran.''


    Kyran smiled, seeing Cyneah''s look of recognition. He wanted badly to run to her and take her in his arms, but he could not do that just yet¡ªnot when they were in the tower, and hidden eyes could be watching their every move.


    To be honest, he had already shown a lot of concern over Cyneah. The least he could do was not allow them to gauge just how important she was to him.


    Cyneah seemed to realize this as well, as she feigned ignorance after confirming his identity.


    Thorn nced at Kyran as he passed him. However, he did not say anything and only went to Cyneah.


    On the other hand, Ladon stopped beside Kyran. He did not address thetter; instead, he looked at the woman coldly.


    "I don''t care who you are," he told her. "But if you think we''re done now that you''ve released Sisi, you''re wrong."


    The woman, who had yet to recover from Kyran''s attack, red at Ladon and said, "I am not afraid of you, young dragon."


    She then looked at Kyran and said, "And you... just what are you?"


    Kyran tilted his head and smiled, but his smile did not reach his eyes, "Do you really want to know?"


    "..."


    They could not see the woman''s facial expression, but they more or less guessed that she was scowling really hard at Kyran.


    Ladon looked at Kyran and said, "Lightning magic, huh? Very few mages are gifted with such a rare innate magic. I don''t remember hearing you say which n you belong to."


    Kyran looked at him, "I didn''t. And I have no ns on telling."


    Ladon narrowed his eyes. But in the end, he did not pursue the matter and went to join Thorn and Cyneah.

 Chapter 1026: I Wish You Luck

    Aki and Auto-one finally caught up to Kyran and stood behind him.


    "Master... the young mistress..." Aki started.


    "Go join them. And refrain from calling me master in front of them."


    "Yes, mas¡ª I understand," Aki replied before joining Ladon and Thorn.


    Thorn had already arrived beside Cyneah and was asking if she was hurt anywhere.


    "Thank you, Thorn. I am fine," she assured him with a slight smile. Now that she knew Kyran was there, she suddenly felt overly conscious while being surrounded by the opposite sex.


    "It''s my fault," Thorn apologized remorsefully as he lowered his head toward her. "I failed to see through her real intentions and allow myself to be caught up in her schemes."


    "I-It''s really fine. I did not get hurt," Cyneah assured him once more. "If anything, she mostly attacked you and Ladon..."


    "You''ve healed us," Ladon chimed as he joined them. He smiled bitterly and added, "I''m sure you intended to keep your magic a secret, but because of our ipetence, you were forced to reveal it."


    "No, I..."


    To be honest, Cyneah did not mean to hide her healing abilities. Ames was the only one who told her not to say them openly.


    "Since the young mistress says it is fine, you both should move on. We still have to deal with the woman," Aki interrupted with a deadpan expression.


    Cyneah felt grateful for Aki''s timely intrusion. She truly did not me Ladon and Thorn for what happened earlier, and their ming themselves was not really doing them any good.


    "True," Ladon agreed as he turned his attention back to the woman.


    The woman had mostly recovered and sat on the floor in silence. Behind her stood Kyran, who Ladon realized had been watching them with a nk expression.


    Although Kyran did not seem to be showing any emotion, for some reason, Ladon felt a chill run up his spine after seeing him.


    "..."


    Thorn also looked at the woman. Unlike Ladon, he ignored Kyran and said, "She may act docile right now. But she may be plotting something."


    His eyes narrowed as he finally looked at Kyran, "She might even be in cahoots with that arrogant nobody."


    Cyneah raised her brows in surprise. She knew who Thorn referred to when speaking of the ''arrogant nobody'' and was surprised to know that he had been Kyran all along.


    "That arrogant nobody saved your asses," Aki could not help but refute Thorn with a slight frown.


    "Huh?" Thorn growled as he looked at Aki. "What''s gotten into you? You''ve suddenly gotten talkative. Did you fall for that guy or something?"


    "What Ias said is true," Ladon reminded Thorn before Aki or Cyneah could respond.


    "Tsk," Thorn clicked his tongue and red at Ladon. "Saying that is like admitting that we are weaker than that nobody."


    "That is not true," Ladon replied, shaking his head. "While he did manage to subdue the woman, that is only because the nature of his innate magic is a good counter against her. I''m not saying that our magic could not match up with the woman. But because of her identity and higher mage level, it is obvious that we can''t overwhelm her."


    Thorn scowled but did not argue with Ladon''s exnation. As much as he hated it, Kyran''s Lightning magic did do wonders against the woman''s special constitution.


    "I still find it strange that the arrogant nobody''s magic just happens to be that woman''s weakness," he still insisted.


    "They are not in cahoots," Aki told them. "If not for me insisting to check what the aftershock we sensed earlier, we wouldn''t evene here."


    "It''s you, then," Thorn growled. But then stopped, recalling that thetter was one of Cyneah''s people. He looked toward her and said apologetically, "Sorry."


    Cyneah only shook her head. She also turned her attention to the woman and found her still focusing on her. It made her wonder if thetter was still thinking of ''learning'' her secrets.


    But then, Cyneah sensed another pair of eyes on her and flushed at the intensity she sensed from them. She cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment and said, "The only one who can deal with her is our friend from the other group. I suggest we discuss how we proceed from here with them."


    "Yes," Ladon agreed. Thorn''s expression distorted at the idea of working together with Kyran but did not say anything.


    "...with them..." Ladon frowned slightly as he remembered Leif was not with them. He looked at Aki and asked, "I don''t see Lady Anahia. Instead..." He looked toward Kyran''s side again. To be precise, he looked at the automaton standing behind thetter. "Why is there an automaton with you?"


    "N-Null seeded in reprogramming him," Aki answered. He did not mean to falter when he called his master using his pseudo name and hoped Ladon and Thorn did not notice it.


    Thankfully, the only one who noticed it and felt amused by it was Cyneah.


    "As for Lady Anahia, we left her in the enlightenment chamber after she received inspiration from the previous room we went to," he added, skillfully concocting a white lie.


    "Why don''t you guys just talk over here?" Kyran suddenly grumbled. "We don''t want to eavesdrop, but seriously, you''re talking too loud; it''s hard not to. Besides," he tilted his head and raised his brows, "You can''t write off the fact that I just saved your asses by ignoring me."


    Veins snapped on Ladon and Thorn''s foreheads, but they did not retort this time. Frankly, Kyran had a point, and if they continued to ignore him just because they did not like the fact that he saved them would make them look childish.


    The four joined Kyran, Auto-one, and the woman before resuming their discussion.


    Surprisingly, Ladon and Thorn were not surprised that the woman was a remnant of the Ancients. Apparently, the Dragon Emperor had already spected that there were survivors among the Ancients inside the tower. The only reason they failed to encounter them was that they were hidden in the upper levels.


    For the record, the highest level any of the ns reached by the end of the tower''s essibility was the tenth level. Apart from that, the other ns did not really share with the rest what happened to them inside. For all they knew, some of the ns had already met a survivor of the Ancients but chose not to share the news with the others.


    Moreover, there were several cases where representatives died in the tower. There was a possibility that they were killed by the survivors themselves and not because they failed at the tower''s challenge.


    Ladon also hinted that the Dragon Emperor believed the tower''s real purpose was for the survivors to destroy the rising talents of the other ns. The tower could be considered their way of enacting revenge on the ns that banded together to destroy them.


    When Ladon hinted at this thought, the woman only snorted derisively at him.


    Her reaction somehow convinced Kyran that his theory of the tower''s new purpose was more probable. He was even more assured after learning that the woman wanted Cyneah''s group to remove the mirrors that imprisoned her.


    Kyran''s theory was that there were several other Ancients in the same situation as the woman. And those who were free, changed the tower''s setting to allow others to enter it and help them in searching for all those imprisoned Ancients and free them.


    As to why those free Ancients could not help their own people, Kyran did not know. Which was why he still felt conflicted about this theory. In any case, he might be on to something.


    The woman called herself Diara. When asked if the remnant of the Ancients inside the tower were plotting anything, she feigned ignorance.


    Thorn was initially enraged at Diara''s attitude and wanted to teach her a lesson. With Kyran inflicting her with emotional scars, Thorn reckoned dealing with her would be easier.


    Ladon stopped him, though, and exined that they would need Diara to lead them around the tower and that they might even need her help in searching for that someone with the powerful presence inside.


    Diara gaped at them incredulously after Ladon confirmed why they were in the tower. After a short pause, she burst intoughter and said, "You want to search for that? I wish you luck then."


    They looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes. She ignored them, but when she saw Kyran giving her a nk look, she felt her insides churn and was reminded of his ruthless strikes.


    Diara snorted but then asked, "Have you ever wondered why that powerful presence seems to be present everywhere?"


    "We have," Thorn snarled in reply. "Which is why we want to look for it and confirm it."


    "That''s why you lost to me. Your brain is empty."


    "What was that¡ª?"


    "It is impossible for you to find it," Diara ignored Thorn''s outburst and continued. "To be more urate, there is never a need to look for it."

 Chapter 1027: Contempt

    ''It?''


    Kyran''s eyes widened, his mind reeling with the weight of the realization that had just dawned on him.


    Ladon and the rest seemed to have gotten a hint of what Diara said and looked at her in simr expressions.


    Diara snorted, seeing the look of understanding on their faces, and said, "How do you suppose the tower maintained its activity all this time if it cannot manage itself?


    "We Ancients are known foring up with unconventional ideas about magic. Some even called us fanatics for creating a branch of magic that no longer required casting magic arrays. And after we developed that branch of magic bybining it with another existing branch and invented objects that can move by themselves, they called us mad.


    "But when those objects birthed their own sentients, we are branded as heretics... for trying to create artificial life."


    Diara snorted in disgust as she continued, "We became heretics by loving magic and developing it further and were feared and envied to the point where even the Higher Being wanted to destroy us.


    "Yet look at all of you now. You are trying every possible way to get your hands on our creations, our knowledge, and our treasures. You are hypocrites."


    "Don''t lump our n like the rest," Thorn growled in annoyance. "We didn''te here to look for treasures."


    "Ahahaha!" Diara burst out in derisiveughter before giving him a hard look. "Didn''t you just admit that you are searching for that thing that emitted that powerful presence? Everything in this tower is our treasure¡ª the tower being the most valuable one."


    Thorn scowled but did not reply. In a sense, what she said was correct. Although they were not looking for that powerful presence because they wanted to im it¡ª because they did not even know the presence was a treasure¡ª technically, what they were doing was just as she said.


    "It is different," Ladon, on the other hand, still insisted. "We are looking for that presence because the Dragon Emperor wanted to meet him or her."


    Diara frowned in confusion, "Meet? Why would such a powerful figure of the Dragon n want to meet with it?"


    "For starters, the Dragon Emperor did not know that the presence belonged to the tower itself. It is the same with us. We all believed it belonged to a powerful mage... a survivor of the Ancients even. That''s why he wanted to meet with him or her," Ladon exined. Without waiting for Diara to reply, he continued, "I''m sure you already noticed that there is discord in the Higher Realm.


    Even the Lower Realm has now been affected, and another war, simr to what happened that caused The Fall, might happen.


    "The Dragon Emperor wanted to prepare for that scenario, and he believed that if there were Ancients that did survive The Fall, having them as allies could increase our side''s chances of winning."


    Before Diara could mock Ladon for spouting nonsense, Kyran interjected and said, "''Prepare, huh?'' The Dragon Emperor has no intention of preventing the war at all."


    Ladon and Thorn looked at him. The former frowned at him for sounding disrespectful toward the Dragon Emperor''s intentions, while thetter simply disliked Kyran for butting in their conversation and red icily at him.


    "This has nothing to do with you, nobody. Shut it."


    "Ahahahaha!" Diara burst out in another peal ofughter after hearing Thorn.


    For the record, she had wondered how one of their champion automatons suddenly turned on them. Thus, she decided to ess the tower''s central memory bank to gather information about what happened to it while pretending to converse with the others.


    It should be noted that the Ancient''s special constitution allowed them tomunicate with any of their creation without directly focusing on them.


    Unfortunately, the recent data feed from EXm-Automa-01¡ª Auto-one''s code name (his name was too long, so Kyran shortened it)¡ª had been erased.


    No. That was not entirely urate.


    Rather than its data getting erased, it was as if the entirety of its program had been changed while still connected to the tower''s central memory.


    Diara found it strange that an outsider like Kyran could actually change the program of one of the Ancient''s champion automatons. For this reason, she mulled over thetter''s real identity.


    Finally, she came up with two possibilities.


    First, Kyran might be a descendant of an Ancient who survived The Fall and managed to form his or her new family.


    Diara leaned more toward this because she found it impossible for a mere low-ranked mage to beat her with just Lightning-based magic attacks. She should be immune to almost every magic and yet, she could not withstand his Lightning strikes.


    Considering this, Diara was convinced that the only other way for a low-ranked mage to inflict great damage on her was another Ancient or at least a mage with Ancient blood.


    As for the second, well, Diara did not really want to consider the possibility. However, the pressure she could feel on Kyran made her think of it.


    Kyran was the Realm Scion, so he could acquire, change, and destroy anything in the tower.


    Regardless of what Kyran''s real identity was, Diara found Thorn''s ims that he had nothing to do with what they were discussing wasughable.


    Before Diara could voice her thoughts, though, someone already beat her at it.


    "My master has every reason to be concerned about what you guys are talking about," Auto-one cut in, giving Thorn a simr icy re. "If another war,parable to what had caused The Fall, is about to happen, his n and everything he holds dear will be affected."


    Thorn''s expression darkened but did not refute Auto-one. He might dislike Kyran, but what Auto-one said was indeed a valid argument.


    "That may be true," Ladon, on the other hand, had a different take on it. "But if a war indeed happens, your master has no right to disrespect our majesty, the Dragon Emperor''s decision to prepare for it."


    "I only made a smallment. You don''t have to get overly offensive about it," Kyran told Ladon and Thorn with a shrug. "But Auto-one... err, what he said is also right. Don''t write me off as an outsider in this conversation just because I am a nobody. I am concerned about my people, too.


    If there is a war, obviously, I want to stop it."


    "There is no way to stop it," Ladon replied. "If there were, his majesty would have exerted all of his effort in doing that."


    [But there is a way. He is just too sentimental and stubborn to ept it.]


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly as he heard Shaiha''s internal sidement. He had thought she had finally decided to be an observer. So when she suddenly made ament, he was surprised and, at the same time, intrigued by her words.


    ''Are you talking about the Dragon Emperor''s refusal to connect with the Regis n again?''


    [What else? If he stops being sentimental over Zane''s death or stubborn about epting your existence, then there is a way to prevent the war from happening.]


    She paused for a moment before adding.


    [Of course, everything will also depend on whether you ept being the Realm Scion and improve your strength.]


    Kyran did notment on herst statement.


    "If a war as big as the one that caused The Fall indeed happens, that has nothing to do with us," Diara snorted at Ladon and Thorn''s words. "Do you think just because the Dragon n did not participate in our n''s destruction, we don''t mind working alongside your people? Humph."


    Kyran looked at Diara. He could sense her hatred toward every n that abandoned or condemned the Ancients. He could not me her, though. After learning more about what happened in the past, he could understand where she wasing from.


    The Ancients simply wanted to learn more about magic. Yet, the more they gained knowledge, the more they were feared and envied by the others.


    Nevertheless, Kyran could notpletely sympathize with the Ancients. This was because he still did not understand their goal of creating Artificial Ancient Magic Cores. Honestly, if not for thetter, the Higher Being would not covet it and cause The Fall.


    "Alright," Kyran pped his hand when they were silenced after Diara''s remark. Let''s move on and continue this discussion after we leave this ce."


    "What?" Thorn growled at him. "And who are you to decide what we have to do¡ª?"


    "Yes. It is unwise to stay here any longer. I can sense others approaching us," Cyneah, however, agreed with Kyran. Whether she did this to pacify Thorn or not, only she knew.


    "... Fine. If Sisi says so."


    "..."


    "I''ll lead the way, then."


    "No."


    Ladon frowned at Kyran, who had just refused his suggestion to lead.


    "Let Auto-one lead. He knew the tower better than us."


    "That makes sense, let''s do that."


    "... Since Sisi agrees, then I suppose it is fine."


    "..."


    Kyran barely contained his annoyance at Ladon and Thorn''s tant show of affection toward Cyneah. He did not mind others caring and respecting her, but their attitude just rubbed him the wrong way.


    Auto-one led their group, with Cyneah and Aki following behind him. Then Ladon and Thorn. Kyran and Diara stayed at the rear.


    "I can sense four presences approaching from different locations," Cyneah suddenly warned them.


    "Humph," Thorn sneered. "Let theme. I''ll take care of them."


    "Go to the nearest room," Kyran told Auto-one. "It''s better to avoid engaging them at this point."


    "Huh?" Thorn turned to look at him. "Who said you can call the shots here?"

 Chapter 1028: Ambush

    Whooosh!


    Thorn''s eyes widened as Kyran closed in on him in an instant and mmed a palm on his chest.


    BAM!


    Thorn was caught off guard by Kyran''s sudden attack and did not have the time to evade it.


    Ladon, on the other hand, was surprised, not by Kyran''s action but because he did not expect thetter to move faster than him.


    Crackle!


    Boom!


    Right after Kyran''s palm struck Thorn''s chest, he executed a swift retreat, narrowly avoiding a concentrated magic attack that sizzled into the spot where Thorn had just been. The attack, a product of a magic array above them, was clearly aimed at thetter.


    Going back a few seconds, Kyran sensed the formation of the magic array and deduced its trajectory. He then realized that it was aimed at Thorn, which was why he pushed thetter out of the way.


    While Kyran could have shouted a warning, knowing Thorn''s unreasonable contempt toward him, he reckoned thetter would not believe him. If Thorn did believe him, his overly huge ego and pride as a dragon would not allow him to evade the attack, and he would likely choose to take it head-on.


    Ladon also sensed the formation of the magic array. But while he was closer to Thorn, he was a tad bit slow in figuring out the magic array''s exact location and predicting its trajectory.


    Before the sneak attacknded, Aki already sensed an iing danger and prioritized Cyneah''s safety. He grabbed her and jumped aside.


    If not for Aki being near Cyneah, Kyran would not have gone after Thorn and would instead prioritize her. But with Aki there and the sneak attack aimed at only one target, Kyran went after Thorn.


    When the sneak attacknded, the spot it hit was reduced to rubble. The aftershock that followed could also cause a numbing effect. Fortunately, all of them managed to move aside to avoid receiving the brunt of the sneak attack''s effect.


    "...ngh!" Thorn skidded on the floor after getting pushed a few meters away. As much as he wanted to repay what Kyran did just then, the explosion that followed after he got thrown, made him realize what thetter did and felt conflicted.


    He was angry at Kyran''s attitude but also felt ashamed for not even realizing that an attack was about to hit him. He also felt humiliated because the one to save him was none other than the one guy he detested.


    "More attacks areing!" Cyneah warned them, her mirror-like eyes glowing as she scanned the whole surrounding with her magic sense.


    Right after she shouted the warning, more magic arrays appeared overhead and shot down concentrated magic energy attacks. Surprisingly, these attacks were aimed at Aki, Cyneah, Ladon, and Thorn only.


    Kyran frowned as he saw this.


    Obviously, the enemy mages aimed at the Dragon n representatives because they were feared by many. Upon checking the magic arrays'' calctions, Kyran also realized that the attacks were specifically created to inflict huge physical and magical damage on dragons, and the numb effect was ced as a precautionary if the target survived the initial attack.


    Kyran guessed that the enemy mages would bombard the Dragon n representatives with powerful offensive spells once their initial sneak attack''s numbing effect kicked in.


    "This is a little disgruntling," Auto-one suddenly remarked afternding beside Kyran. "Being ignored like this, that is."


    Auto-one also observed the scene unfolding before them.


    At that moment, Aki, carrying Cyneah in his arms, continued to avoid the magic attacks that fell from above. Ladon and Thorn, on the other hand, did not only avoid the attacks but also moved about to destroy them.


    Diara, whose magic was restrained by Kyran but could move freely, joined them. She said with a derisive snort, "The enemies are stupid for aiming at the Dragon representatives only. Did they think by taking them out first, they can deal with us easily?"


    "''Us,'' huh?" Kyran could not help butment without looking at her. He was busy assessing the situation, but he could still hear them.


    "W-Wha¡ª Obviously, since I am with you guys, I am considered one of you!" Diara retorted defensively.


    "Master only said us; whyare you being defensive?"


    "Silence, you stupid defect! No wonder your programming has been easily altered. You already have a screw loose¡ª! What?" Diara was surprised when Kyran suddenly disappeared. It would not have surprised her if he only disappeared from her sight. But his presence and aura, not to mention his smell, also disappeared.


    "You underestimated what my new master can do," Auto-one told Diara. "I am not defective. He simply turned me into one of his own."


    Diara glowered at him, "Are you fine staying here and allowing your new master to do the dirty work? You are a disgrace as a former champion automaton of the Ancients."


    "I find your words contradictory. You keep saying I am defective, but you also did not want me to disgrace the name of the Ancients as being one of their champion automatons."


    "Obviously, even if you are a defective one, you should still¡ª."


    "I am here because I need to keep an eye on you," Auto-one interrupted Diara''s retort. He found thetter''s rambling a tad bit annoying. "As for doing the dirty work, my master is far more capable than I am. I may be able to deal with the enemy mages if given enough time on my own, but master... he can handle everything himself in a short time."


    "Humph, ''keep an eye on me,'' as if you can do that by yourself. I am no pushover. If I decide to escape, even if my magic is being restricted, I will be able to do so."


    Auto-one looked at her and smiled gently, "I do wish you stop underestimating me, especially my master. If you think the reason his attacks earlier managed to hit you is only because you failed to adjust to it properly, then you are greatly mistaken. Master''s magic is not something you can adjust to."


    "You sure love to speak now that you have a new master¡ª."


    Crackle! Sizzle! Sizzle!


    Diara stopped midsentence as she heard and sensed powerful magic fluctuations that covered a huge scope around them.


    Soon after, the magic arrays that continued to spawn overhead crackled and sizzled as the flow of magic energy within them stopped. If one looked closely, the cause for this was that some of the key magic runes in the magic array''s calctions had been damaged.


    "What¡ª How?"


    "This is precisely why you should not underestimate my master," Auto-one could not help but rub Diara in the face with his words.


    Diara wanted to re at him, but she could not seem to peel her eyes away from the spectacle that the magic arrays above them were under.


    Ladon was on his way to destroy one magic array near him when the space around it fluctuated. After that, the magic array crackled and sizzled as the magic energy within stopped flowingpletely.


    "This...?" he muttered in utter confusion.


    Thorn was the same. He had just destroyed a magic array and was about to assist Aki and Cyneah when the magic arrays nearby crackled and sizzled.


    "Just what in the¡ª?" Thorn suddenly stopped short as he sensed a very oppressive pressure that enveloped their surroundings. He cursed under his breath as he used Dragon Steps to get to Aki and Cyneah, "Damn it, not this again?"


    "Tsk," Ladon also sensed the pressure and clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    The pressure was actually another Dimension on the verge of being formed. Whoever was aiming those magic arrays at them clearly wanted to defeat them by enclosing them inside a Dimension. They would likely aim to make use of the Dimension''s created rules to ensure they would not be able to fight back.


    Ladon would not be surprised if the Dimension about to imprison them would include a rule that could counter the dragon''s brute force, thus ensuring that they would not be able to force their way out.


    "Find the caster!" Ladon shouted toward Thorn.


    "Damn it!" Thorn, who initially wanted to assist Aki and Cyneah, cursed under his breath before using everything he had to try to locate the enemy mage who was casting the Dimension.


    One only had to focus on the flow of magic fluctuation in the surroundings to know where the mage casting a Dimension was. Since Dimension required a huge amount of magic energy, the fluctuation around the mage would definitely be huge.


    But.


    Fooom!


    Crackle! Crackle!


    The still-forming Dimension crumbled upon touching what appeared to be a thinyer of dark purple veil.


    With Ladon and Thorn''s senses, it would not have been possible for them to miss anyone who would cast such a destructive attack that could even destroy a Dimension, even if it was still in its early phase.


    "Who¡ª?"


    Meanwhile, Diara''s eyes widened as she watched the spectacle unfold before her. Her attention was solely fixated on the veil that countered the forming Dimension.


    "That magic energy color is... No... how is it possible?"

 Chapter 1029: Reveal

    Cyneah, sensing the imminent formation of a Dimension, was the first to spring into action. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she swiftly identified the enemy mage responsible, determined to deal with the threat before it could fully materialize.


    Rather than warning everyone about it, however, Cyneah decided to inform Kyran only andmunicated with him through telepathy. She did this not because she had little faith in Ladon and Thorn but because she believed that letting Kyran deal with the enemy mage would be faster. Besides, the enemy mages had their attention focused on Ladon and Thorn. Just a change in their movements would alert them.


    Amidst Diara''s rambling, Kyran heard Cyneah''s warning. Ignoring Diara and letting Auto-one deal with her, Kyran listened to Cyneah and followed her instructions as she pointed him toward the enemy mage, summoning the Dimension.


    Kyran could have found the enemy mage without much trouble. Unfortunately, therge amount of magic energy in the tower made it hard for him to maintain his magic sense. To be more urate, the magic energies in the surroundings gathered around him in great quantity, and he had to control the amount he absorbed to cast or summon magic.


    If he so much as expanded his magic sense for another meter or two, the magic energies around him get excited and seem eager to be absorbed by him.


    It was somewhat embarrassing to exin his situation to Cyneah; thus, he simply let her tell him where to go.


    As Cyneah told Kyran where to go, Shaiha enhanced his concealment to ensure the enemy mages would not notice their approach.


    In the end, Kyran caught the enemy mage and found the core of the Dimension she was creating, destroying it using his Void magic.


    The veil that Diara saw was pure Void magic energy. Kyran let his magic energy flow into the core of the enemy mage''s Dimension, destroying it in the process.


    Because the veil was pure Void magic energy, it had a deep purple color, which Diara found familiar.


    "I did tell you not to underestimate my master," Auto-one said after seeing Diara''s disbelief.


    Diara looked at him. This time, her expression was not ridicule but a mixture of confusion, hope, and fear.


    Auto-one did not look at Diara, but because of his initial program, he could sense her mixed emotions. He said, "As you have said, I am one of the Ancients'' champion automatons. I would not submit to just anyone."


    Auto-one''s words were all Diara needed to confirm her doubts. She looked toward the crumbling Dimension where the dark purple veil could be seen and muttered a smile on her lips, "So their research has truly bore fruit... finally... the real Realm Scion has been born..."


    The moment the Dimension started to crumble, the other enemy mages were alerted and about to divert their focus to the one that had disrupted it. However, like Diara, when they realized the color of the veil that destroyed the Dimension, they stopped in their tracks.


    "That color..."


    Meanwhile, the female enemy mage who summoned the Dimension looked at Kyran with mixed emotions.


    Kyran, too, was looking at her with a slight frown. This was because the woman before her possessed the same body constitution as Diara.


    "You''re.... also an Ancient."


    "... Realm Scion!"


    The woman was not the only one who said those words. The other three, as well, and their voices echoed throughout the room.


    As soon as they said this, the damaged magic arrays that had yet to be destroyed disappeared as they flew toward Kyran''s location.


    Kyran''s brow twitched as he realized what had just happened and was about to happen, his head already suffering from a severe headache.


    Ladon and Thorn had strange looks on their faces as they saw the sudden change in attitude of the mages that ambushed them. Soon after, their faces darkened when they realized thetter few had the same body constitution as Diara.


    "More Ancients..." Ladon muttered in amazement. Meeting Diara confirmed the Dragon Emperor''s theory about a few Ancients surviving inside the tower, but seeing more of them after just meeting one was a lot for him to digest.


    Thorn felt the same as he gaped at the three mages who flew past them. Before he could make sense of what was happening, he caught sight of Kyran and saw one of the Ancients falling on her knees before him.


    Only then did the Ancients'' words before their sudden change sink in.


    "Did they just call that arrogant nobody...the... no way, right?" Thorn wondered out loud.


    Ladon, who also saw this, felt his worldview crumbling before his eyes. Unlike Thorn, who seemed to be in denial about what he had just heard, Ladon understood it very well.


    Realm Scion was a title that they only read in legends. It was a title given to someone who would inherit The Realm.


    Aki, who hadnded safely after jumping around and avoiding the magic arrays, put Cyneah down upon her request. Both of them were looking toward where the Ancients gathered around Kyran.


    "... Trying to lie out of this will be a little tricky," Aki could not help but sigh at the sudden turn of events. They would have dealt with the situation differently if they had known that the approaching mages were Ancients.


    That was not entirely correct. They should have realized that the approaching mages differed when Cyneah was the only one who noticed them. The only other group they encountered was the Solis n representatives, and they had already subdued one of them. Since the tower''s rule only allowed three members per group to enter, they should have found the number of approaching enemies suspicious.


    Then again, almost all of them subconsciously considered that the iing enemies might be automatons and did not consider the possibility that they were Ancients.


    Cyneah, on the other hand, remained silent as she observed the situation. Since she could only see the lights gathering around Kyran and not see them kneeling before him, she did not have any particr thoughts. If anything, she was only curious about what they said before going after Kyran.


    ''Realm Scion...?''


    "Can you not kneel? I am not the Realm Scion," Kyran told the Ancients exasperatedly.


    "Yes, you are," one of the male Ancient insisted as he gestured toward the still-crumbling Dimension. "Only the Realm Scion could produce a magic energy in that color!"


    Kyran frowned and started to say, "That is the color of my..."


    His voice trailed off before he could say, ''Void magic.''


    "Your magic, yes. Why did we not notice it sooner? We cannot sense your presence because you possess Shaiha! Apart from the Void core, have you gathered the other Ancient Magic Cores¡ª Guah!"


    Crackle! Krssshk!


    Kyran struck the male Ancient. Unfortunately, his strike came toote, and what thetter said already reached Ladon and Thorn. Moreover, his trying to silence the Ancient had more or less confirmed that everything thetter said was true.


    "What...?"


    Ladon and Thorn were both dumbfounded at what they just heard.


    Cyneah raised her brows in surprise after Kyran struck one of the lights. She heard what the male Ancient had said and understood why Kyran had done what he did. With a sigh, she spoke to Kyran through telepathy.


    ''I think it''s time wee clean with them. They are from the Dragon n, anyway. They don''t know much about the circumstances that led to using to the Higher Realm, but they knew we were searching for you... or, at least, someone very important.''


    Kyran remained silent while watching the male Ancient twitching on the floor. The other three were simrly shocked at what happened but did not say or do anything. They continued to kneel on the floor, albeit their whole body was now shaking in fear.


    After all, with their special constitution, it would have been near impossible for any mage to inflict damage on them, yet Kyran did just that to one of them. He did not kill him, but the strike was strong enough to stun and paralyze them.


    After a short pause, Kyran finally asked Cyneah, ''Do you trust them?''


    ''They can be trusted.''


    Kyran sighed upon hearing Cyneah''s response and said, ''Fine.''


    ''You don''t sound... convinced.''


    ''It''s not that,'' Kyran replied. ''I just hate their guts.''


    ''Why? They are your kin.''


    ''They''re not. They''re Ames''s kin.''


    ''But Ames is your grandmother¡ª.''


    ''They are not from the Regis n.''


    ''...''


    ''... besides, I don''t like how they look at you.''


    Cyneah''s eyes widened as her cheeks turned red. Fortunately, the room they were in was dimly lit; otherwise, the others would see her expression.


    ''T-They are not... l-looking at me i-in any s-special way.''


    Kyran could not help but smile the moment Cyneah started to stutter. It might sound a little mean, but he found her stuttering when embarrassed or flustered cute.


    While they talked, Kyran made his way back to them with the four Ancients in tow. Since the male Ancient Kyran struck was still twitching, the other two male Ancients supported him.


    Auto-one and Diara also approached them, with thetter looking at Kyran with undisguised shame.


    Ladon and Thorn looked at Kyran with furrowed brows. Meanwhile, Kyran retained his emotionless expression.


    Finally, Ladon broke the silence, asking, "Who are you, really? Why did they call you the Realm Scion."


    Kyran tilted his head and replied, "I refuse toment on thatst one. As for who I am..." He looked at Cyneah and said, "I am the one Neah and the rest are looking for. And... I am her man. I''d appreciate it if you two stopped getting familiar with her."

 Chapter 1030: Goal (1)

    Cyneah''s face flushed red from Kyran''s bold deration. She did not expect him to reveal their rtion to Ladon and Thorn. But that was not to say she disliked it. In fact, she was happy to the point of being rendered speechless.


    "The hell you are! I may not know Sisi, but she is not interested in a in looking arrogant nobody like you¡ª!" Thorn''s voice wasced with venom, and his words were a direct challenge to Kyran''s audacity.


    "Stop it, Thorn."


    "What?" Thorn growled at Ladon. If this had been any other time, Thorn would have truly stopped when Ladon asked him to. However, this time, he would not allow anyone, especially an arrogant nobody, to spout such bullsh*t.


    "Read the godd*amn atmosphere," Ladon growled back without looking at him. His attention was still focused on Kyran.


    "Huh¡ª?" Thorn stopped midsentence, realizing this fact. After that, he sensed the drop in temperature in his surroundings.


    The drop was not a figure of speech but a literal one.


    He scanned the faces of the people present, and only then did he realize that all the Ancients, including Diara, were looking at him coldly. Their gaseous-like bodies crackled as magic runes danced around them. From how they looked at Thorn, it was right to say that if he continued to badmouth Kyran, they would strike him with a more potent offensive spell.


    With his attention still focused on Kyran, Ladon told Thorn, "Don''t get too hung up on his appearance. He is using a highly advanced transformation spell of some sort to be able to fool even our senses."


    Thorn frowned as he looked at Kyran again. Thetter still had an emotionless expression, unnerving Thorn to his core. He wanted to scoff at his growing unease by verbally attacking Kyran, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut. He admitted to having a short fuse, but he was not unreasonable.


    In any case, he sensed that if he tried to badmouth Kyran, the offensive spell the Ancients would unleash would likely not give him or Ladon a chance for survival.


    "I had expected that the person Sisi and the rest are looking for is a member of Lady Ames''s other family. They are from the Lower Realm and have a distinct feature...." Ladon''s voice trailed off as Kyran removed the transformation potion''s effect.


    Usually, the potion''s effect would havested for another four days. However, with the Void magic''s nature, Kyran only needed to target the potion''s effect in his system through the cirction of his magic energy, and it would be voided.


    "Given the situation, there is no point in hiding my appearance," Kyran said with a shrug.


    Thorn scowled after seeing Kyran''s actual appearance. Ladon only mentioned the Regis''s having distinct features, and seeing Kyran''s appearance showing these features could prove that he might genuinely be the one they were searching for.


    ck hair and gray eyes.


    "Yes, our family does have distinct features, at least on the Human ne and probably among Ames''s other family," Kyran added, emphasizing thest words the same way Ladon did, as if in mockery.


    "You mentioned a name... N-Neia...? We don''t remember anyone in that name among Ames''s other family."


    "T-That''s me," Cyneah said, taking the opportunity to join the conversation. "Uhm... that''s how he specifically calls me."


    "It''s you, Sisi?"


    Ladon and Thorn had already expected that ''Sisi'' was not Cyneah''s real name because if it were known by many, one''s name could bring about their demise. Nevertheless, they were surprised to hear Kyran gave her differently from others.


    "Is that all you want to ask?" Kyran asked Ladon, who appeared distracted by an irrelevant topic. At least to Kyran, how he called Cyneah was none of their business.


    "I got sidetracked," Ladon admitted, looking at Kyran with a slight frown. "For now, we''ll ept what you said. However, something still bothers me."


    "...?"


    "Apart from Sisi''s hair color, her appearance remains unchanged. You should have recognized her earlier, so why didn''t you reveal yourself?"


    "Who is stupid enough to do that in front of others? Besides, nothing goodes from approaching you guys, or vice versa. Just look at what happened when you approached the Lacus n."


    "Fair enough. But you could have told Sisi without us knowing."


    "Maybe. Supposing no mages present with unique, innate abilities that could detect telepathy activities."


    "You are quite well informed," Ladon remarked with raised brows. "Did the Lacus n tell you there are representatives around with such ability?"


    "No."


    "You¡ª."


    "Thorn."


    "He''s making a fool out of you!"


    "He is not. Keep quiet, and let me do the talking."


    "Tsk."


    "Can we continue this discussion as we move?" Kyran could not help but say. "I don''t want the remaining Solis representatives to find a chance to ambush us."


    "Solis? Their group was also sent here?"


    Ignoring Ladon''s question, Kyran gestured for Auto-one with Diara in tow to lead the way.


    Now that Kyran had removed the transformation potion''s effects, he had to wear his hood to hide his face. He could drink another potion, but there was no guarantee that his appearance would be the same. Besides, not many groups were on the seventh floor, so changing his appearance was not a priority¡ª even if the ones there were from The Emperor''s n.


    The four Ancients followed them as they moved to the next area.


    On the way, Ladon continued to ask Kyran more questions.


    One of the questions Ladon asked was how Kyran got acquainted with the Lacus n.


    "I wasn''t," Kyran admitted. "I only know a few from the Ogen n."


    "Ogen?" Ladon frowned. "Then how can you enter the tower when they don''t have any portal."


    Thinking that it would be pointless toe up with an excuse for every one of Ladon''s questions, Kyran decided to answer everything truthfully. At least as truthful as he could be.


    With this in mind, Kyran exined how he got acquainted with Leif and Overlord Oceanus and how they wanted to employ his services because of his rare concealment innate ability.


    When Ladon and Thorn heard this, they were reminded of what the Ancient had said earlier about how they failed to notice Kyran''s presence because he possessed something.


    And that something had been referred to as the Shaiha by the Ancient.


    Kyran sensed Ladon and Thorn''s curiosity but did not actively direct their conversation in that direction. While he decided to answer their questions truthfully, that did not mean he would tell them things that they did not openly ask.


    Ladon suddenly thought of something as he looked at Kyran and said, "We haven''t seen the Ogen representatives... don''t tell me that..."


    Thorn scowled as he also realized what Ladon had. He said, "What did you do to the Lacus n representatives."


    "They''re all fine. I just put them to sleep and kept them in a safe ce."


    "The only safe ce outside the tower is the tform. Not even the portals are safe, especially when the array leading to the tform opens," Ladon reasoned. He had always had a soft spot for the Lacus n. Thus, the mere thought of them being in danger worried him.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself," Kyranined. "They are safe. That''s all you need to know."


    "You''re still saying that¡ª!"


    "If he said they are safe, then they are safe," Cyneah cut Thorn midsentence. She smiled slightly at them and added, "He will not harm innocent people or beings."


    "Fine," Thorn replied, still looking doubtful, but since Cyneah had spoken, he seemed prepared to ept Kyran''s words.


    "So the people with you are the Ogen''s representatives," Ladon continued as if they were not interrupted.


    "Yes."


    "Humph," Thorn harumphed. "No wonder those guys seemed weak."


    "Hm..." Ladon agreed, no longer defending them now that he knew they were not the real Lacus n representatives.


    "And? Why did you agree to help the Ogen n? You even entered the portal and participated in the challenge."


    "Initially, I have two goals," Kyran admitted. "When they told me that the Tower of the Ancients is essible through portals that spawned randomly all over the Higher Realm, I wondered if I could go to the Dragon ne by finding your portal."


    Ladon raised his brows, "So you are trying to find your way to the Dragon ne."


    "I can''t stay in Ogen. They are a neutral ne, true. But in the worst-case scenario, they can''t help me."


    "Worst-case scenario..." Ladon repeated while looking at Kyran sideways. "We haven''t heard why you ended up in the Higher Realm yet. And why are Lady Ames and your people frantically looking for you."


    His eyes narrowed as he thought of something, "Whatever reason you have could not have been connected to the Solis n suddenly attacking the Dragon ne, or was it?"


    Kyran did not reply. He did not need to because Ladon did not need one. At that very moment, the little things they had heard from the male Ancient earlier and the things Kyran had revealed thus far spun in Ladon''s mind like puzzle piecesing together.


    "Everyone knows The Emperor is obsessed with finding the Heart of the Cosmos, the item our n used to guard when they hid in the Lower Realm.


    "You, as a member of the family that once fought alongside our n and even became a part of it after Lady Ames married the Dragon Lord... you... were chosen by the Shaiha."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips. Talking to someone who knew how to burn their brain cells was nice, rather than talking to someone like Thorn, who runs off his mouth based on his emotions.


    Ladon''s expression turned grim. Before he could say more, Diara looked at Kyran and asked, "You mean The Emperor already knows about you?"

 Chapter 1031: Goal (2)

    "He does," Kyran admitted with a wry smile. He recalled how The Emperor managed to corner him and nearly hit the bucket when thetter destroyed a dead ne.


    While this was on his mind, he felt a soft tug at his right sleeve. He turned and saw Cyneah looking at him in concern.


    Cyneah, despite herck of sight, was heightenedly sensitive to others'' emotions. A mere sound, a slight change in tone, could provide her with a window into their soul, allowing her to deduce their feelings almost urately.


    In Kyran''s case, Cyneah heard the underlying frustration and unease when he answered Diara. He only spoke two words that did not say much about what he experienced, but she felt the weight of what he went through after meeting The Emperor.


    Cyneah felt pain from imagining the hardship Kryan experienced to escape The Emperor''s pursuit. Kyran might have even been on the verge of death before fleeing to the Higher Realm.


    Kyran''s expression softened, and he ced a hand over Cyneah''s tofort her. As much as it frustrated him to have her worry about him, he also felt fortunate. The same applied to everyone who showed concern over his well-being. Nheless, knowing that he still caused a lot of people to worry about him made him realize his powerlessness.


    This feeling urged him to improve his strength until they no longer had to worry about him.


    "I''m alright," Kyran assured Cyneah.


    Their exchange was short, but it was enough to make Thorn nearly pop a vein. He was not jealous per se because he was not romantically interested in Cyneah. He was only ovee with an inexplicable sense of wanting to protect her against bad guys because of her fragile and innocent looks.


    So rather than saying that Thorn was jealous, he was more annoyed¡ª in a protective big brother kind¡ª to see a guy, who had the looks that could humble and own any woman he desired, show affection toward Cyneah.


    Frankly, Cyneah and Kyran were not overly sweet with each other, but the huge contrast in Kyran''s attitude and expression when talking to Cyneah made Thorn''s stomach churn.


    Ladon had a different take on Kyran''s attitude since he was not hung up on thetter''s rtionship with Cyneah. What Ladon noticed was Kyran''s dismal attitude over his encounter with The Emperor.


    It should be noted that even if The Emperor''s strength was greatly restrained in the Lower Realm, he could still cause irreparable damage there. Apart from that, it would be impossible for anyone to escape The Emperor''s pursuit, not to mention unscathed.


    But Kyran managed to pull it off.


    How?


    Moreover, how did Kyran end up in the Higher Realm?


    Everyone in the Higher Realm knew that the only way for someone in the Lower Realm to get there was through the Land of Destion¡ª a ce considered a mage''s graveyard.


    Thus far, there had only been one record of one surviving the journey there. But that mage came from the Higher Realm, to which he ended up in the Lower Realm, not vice versa.


    "How are you fine after escaping him?" Diara was simrly dumbfounded after learning Kyran had already met The Emperor. She could not fathom how he survived The Emperor''s pursuit, especially when thetter was obsessed with taking Shaiha.


    "The Emperor is the strongest mage in both realms at this moment; even if you are the Realm Scion, at your current state, you would not have the capacity or the capability to escape or survive his attacks. Your strength is only a quarter¡ª maybe even lower than you could have because you have yet to gather the rest of the Ancient Magic Cores- kk!"


    Diara let out a pitiful wail after her body received a sudden shock.


    Kyran knew it was toote to silence Diara. Besides, a few moments ago, the other Ancients had already revealed information that he would have preferred to keep a secret¡ª or, at least until he had a better grasp of what being a Realm Scion was all about.


    It was true that Shaiha could tell Kyran everything, but he still had reservations about the whole thing before entering the tower. That reservation had lessened at the moment, but that was not to say he was willing to ept the role now.


    "¡­ Don''t you think it''s already toote to silence her.. or them?" Ladon said, looking at Kyran wryly. "We''ve already heard a lot from them a while ago," he added, gesturing toward the other Ancients at the back.


    "I know," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I just want to electrocute her."


    "..."


    "...! You...!" Diara swallowed the curse she was about to throw at Kyran. She hated him to her core. At the same time, his identity was so special that it outweighed her hatred for him.


    "That topic is a little sensitive," Kyran told Ladon. "I don''t want to discuss that while we are here."


    "...I agree," Ladon nodded after a short pause. Nevertheless, what he and Thorn heard Diara and the other Ancients said already sent their mind reeling at the weight of Kyran''s situation.


    The fact that The Emperor was after Kyran was enough to make them bathe in cold sweat.


    "You mentioned having two goals," Ladon decided to return the topic to what Kyran had said.


    "Initially, yes," Kyran agreed with a nod. "Apart from looking for the portal that will lead to the Dragon ne, I wanted to enter the tower and learn more about what happened to the Ancients."


    He looked toward Diara and the other four Ancients before adding, "With these guys here, I pretty much achieved my goals ining here."


    "But you have more now."


    "Obviously. After all the things she¡ª," Kyran gestured at Diara with his thumb, "¡ªsaid earlier, not getting a closure on all of those will leave a bitter taste in my mouth."


    Ladon sighed and nodded, "I feel the same. In any case, our original goal is to look for the one emitting that powerful presence. So, exploring the tower and understanding it is still considered within our goal''s scope."


    "I''m surprised that you guys are not interested in looking for treasures," one of the Ancients at the back said.


    Ladon looked at him with a bitter smile and said, "It''s not that we are not interested. But understanding and unleashing the full potential of a treasure you guys made is a huge pain. So far, our research has yet topletely unravel what the treasures our predecessors found from their time here could do."


    "So you say, but," Diara pointed her chin toward Aki before continuing, "You managed to awaken one of the Dragon Series Automata."


    "Aki is only borrowing that body," Kyran corrected Diara''s im.


    "Borrowed?" she eximed in shock, as if the mere thought of having a different core with a sentient enter the Dragon Series Automata was sphemous.


    Kyran ignored her.


    On the other hand, Ladon and Thorn looked at Aki in confusion.


    "Aki?" they asked at the same time.


    "My real name is Aki," Aki responded with a smile. "Ias is only a pseudo."


    Diara snorted after hearing his response. She mockingly said, "Speaking as if you are a true living being and possessing a name. Just tell us what Aki is short for. Don''t pretend to be real and¡ª ckkk!"


    Kyran electrocuted her again. He did not look at her, but when he spoke to her, his voice wasced with thick, killing intent, "If you have nothing good to say. Don''t speak."


    Diara''s knees wobbled as she tried to regain her bnce. She initially wanted to scoff at Kyran for caring too much about an automaton when they were only objects that could be disposed of at any time. But the killing intent she sensed from him was something she could not ignore. She knew she would turn into nothingness if she continued talking like she did.


    Ladon and Thorn also fell silent. They were starting to grasp Kyran''s character better and found it very simr to the Dragon Emperor.


    They were not saying that their overall character was the same per se. Instead, their sense of protecting their people was very simr.


    Although Aki was only an automaton, Kyran treated him as one of his own. Thus, he would treat and protect him like the rest.


    The other Ancients were silent. They shared Diara''s view but did not voice their thoughts after realizing that Aki was Kyran''s creation.


    "Master, it is fine," Aki said, trying to lighten the sudden heavy atmosphere. "I understand that not everybody views us automatons like you do."


    "I get that," Kyran replied, taking a deep breath to dispel the foul mood that was about to fill him. "Still, I won''t tolerate anyone who will deny your existence."


    "Thank you, master."


    "...Pardon me for speaking so suddenly, master," Auto-one spoke after remaining silent for some time. "But I sense trouble ahead."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1032: Intersection

    The trouble Auto-one mentioned was an intersecting path. This would not have caused any concern if not for the fact that this intersection was not there before. At least, Auto-one''s information said it was not there.


    Diara and the rest of the Ancients wore grim expressions when they saw this, their brows furrowed in deep concern. They were simrly unaware of such an intersection in this area, theirck of knowledge adding to the growing unease.


    "This... is not an illusion," Ladon confirmed.


    "No," Thorn agreed with a scowl. "But there is a residual of magic fluctuation in the air."


    "A path created with magic..." Ladon muttered under his breath. After mulling over it for a few seconds, he looked at the others and said, "Thorn and I will force our way in and find the real one. Stay here and keep a lookout in the meantime."


    "There is no need," Kyran told them. Not waiting for them to respond, he looked at Cyneah and asked, "How is it?"


    Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r


    "The one to the left is empty," Cyneah replied, her mirror-like eyes glowing as she looked at the intersection before them. "The right one had several lights lying in wait, while the one up ahead had faint glowing lights..."


    "How many lights are up ahead?"


    "Two..." Cyneah answered with a slight frown. "I... their lights are faint, butpared to the several ones lying in wait on the right path, they are stronger. I know it appears contradictory, but that''s how I perceive their light."


    Ladon and Thorn were amazed that Cyneah was able to see what was beyond the intersection. They both boast enhanced senses, but all they sensed beyond the paths ahead were fluctuations of magic.


    On the other hand, Diara and the other Ancients looked at Cyneah suspiciously. Now that they knew her appearance was only a disguise and that she was not from the Dragon n, hearing her speak about lights made them recall something.


    "You¡ª."


    "Don''t say anything unrted to the current situation," Kyran interrupted Diara before she could even form what she wanted to say.


    Immediately, Diara mmed up. She had no choice because, even though Kyran''s expression remained indifferent when he spoke, his words were obviously a threat. She did not want to be electrocuted again, so she took his words seriously.


    Nheless, she and the Ancients already had suspicions about Cyneah''s identity, and they found it ironic, even bordering tragic, now that they knew her rtionship with Kyran.


    Ladon and Thorn also noticed what Kyran did and realized there was more to Cyneah than what they were told. They did not care much about the circumstances that made Lady Ames bring along several people from the Lower Realm to the Higher Realm. But the more they learn about them, the more they discover how much trouble they brought with them.


    "The ones at the right, are the lights simr to Diara and the others?" Kyran asked Cyneah as if they did not get interrupted.


    Cyneah looked toward the right path, and her frown deepened.


    "I... can''t say for sure. They appeared different, but... they also felt familiar."


    "The seventh floor''s challenge mainly focuses on Array and Smithing," one of the Ancients exined. "Those lights... they are what others would refer to one''s soul, am I correct?" he added, looking at Cyneah with narrowed eyes.


    "That''s..." Cyneah''s voice trailed off because she did not know how to answer that. Technically, the lights did refer to one''s soul. But at the same time, it was not limited to that. It also represented their magic core, life force, and even their very essence. It was hard to exin, but referring to the lights as one''s soul was an understatement.


    "If that is the case, Automata who awakened their sentience will possess lights. Because of the main branches of magic that the seventh floor''s challenge focused on, it is not wrong to assume that those lights may belong to automatons."


    "A room full of automatons, huh?" Kyran''s voice wasced with undisguised enthusiasm.


    Aki and Cyneah, who knew about his love for puppet creations, which bordered obsession, could not help but sigh in their hearts.


    "We are not sure if they are automatons," Cyneah reminded Kyran, sounding a little helpless. "Try to control your excitement."


    "Master, having you deal with the automatons is unnecessary. Aki and I can handle them," Auto-one offered. "Of course, we can always ask them to relinquish the tower''s authority to you so you canmand them at will," he added while gesturing toward Diara.


    "You defect¡ª I mean, you! Just because he is the Realm Scion doesn''t mean we can just give him full authority over the tower. The tower has its own sentient, and it will judge who is worthy of it."


    "Did you not hear me? I said not to say anything unrted to the situation."


    "It is rted! Since we''re about to choose which path to take," Diara hastily reasoned. "If we take the right path, we wouldn''t have to deal with the automatons ourselves if we relinquish¡ª."


    "Just stop," Kyran cut her off with a sigh. To be honest, he felt a little disillusioned about the Ancients after meeting a few of them. Though they were clearly from the younger generation, he found their character a little... disappointing.


    Of course, that did not include their capabilities. The fact that Diara and the other Ancients could subdue Ladon and Thorn by themselves was proof of how powerful and deep their magic and magic knowledge was.


    "Who said we''re choosing?" Kyran added after a short pause.


    Ladon and Thorn looked at him in surprise, realizing the implication of his words. To be honest, they preferred to go in the middle because they were curious about how Cyneah described those two lights.


    Kyran mentioned that there were Solis representatives on the seventh floor with them. To phrase his words, he said:


    "I don''t want the remaining Solis representatives to find a chance to ambush us."


    From this, Ladon and Thorn gleaned that Kyran met one of the Solis representatives and dealt with him or her. That leaves them with two remaining representatives.


    Number-wise, the two lights Cyneah saw in the middle path points at them. Her description of them also made Ladon and Thorn guess that they were trying to conceal their strength while they waited for their prey.


    They also reckoned that initially, the three Solis representatives wanted to explore the seventh floor separately, but after losing contact with one of their own, they decided to join hands and n an ambush.


    If those on the right were automatons, they were probably lured or caught to be ced there by the Solis representatives. Their purpose was simple: if their prey went to the right, the automatons would exhaust them, and after a while, the two Solis representatives would arrive to finish them off.


    But if they went to the middle, they would personally deal with them using whatever trap they prepared there. As for the left path, Ladon and Thorn could not shake the uneasy feeling in their guts. There might be a bigger trap lying in wait for them in that ce. Cyneah only said that the path was empty, but that did not mean there was no danger.


    In fact, the very idea of that path being empty was already a huge g for them.


    "We''ll deal with all of them," Ladon said before Kyran could say more. "That is what you want to say, right?"


    "We have enough people on our side," Kyran did not try to deny Ladon''s words. "Let''s deal with them once and for all."


    "Ladon and I can take the middle path," Thorn volunteered.


    "You''d be most suited to go to the left," Kyran, on the other hand, did not agree.


    Thorn scowled. He was about to buttheads with thetter when Ladon ced a hand before him to stop him.


    "What now?" Thorn growled at Ladon.


    Ignoring Thorn, Ladon looked at Kyran and asked, "Why do you think that?"


    "We don''t know much about the left side. While having Diara and her group check that path, I don''t want them out of my sight¡ª for security reasons," Kyran replied, looking toward the Ancients briefly before turning his attention back to the others. "Besides, you guys can force your way out of any situation using Draconic magic.


    I''m guessing the left path is empty because there is an active Dimension right there that Neah could not see."


    Ladon narrowed his eyes. He did consider that and believed Kyran could deal with it better than them, given how easily he destroyed Diara''s Dimension earlier.


    Before he could voice his thoughts, however, Kyran said with a slight smile, "Hear me out for a bit..."


    *


    Thorn wore a dissatisfied expression as he and Ladon proceeded to the left path.


    "I can''t believe you bought that guy''s nonsense," he grumbled.


    "It is not nonsense, and you know it," Ladon replied with a sigh. "I know you dislike him because he came on too strong, but that in itself proves that he is a descendant of Lady Ames."


    "..."


    "In any case," Ladon continued with a slight smile, "Let''s finish this and join them as soon as possible."


    As he said this, an oppressive aura erupted a few meters up ahead.


    FOOOM!


    The Dimension, which was actively serving as their enemy''s barrier, expanded as if wanting to envelop Ladon and Thorn within.


    Meanwhile, Auto-one, Diara, and the rest of the Ancients were the ones sent to the right path.


    Finally, Kyran led the way to the middle path, along with Aki and Cyneah.

 Chapter 1033: Arena

    [They have hidden their presence well but failed to conceal their killing intent.]


    Shaiha told Kyran as they drew closer to where the Solis representatives were lying in wait.


    ''I was beginning to think you''d taken a vow of silence,'' Kyran teased, noting Shaiha''s uncharacteristic quiet during Ladon''s interrogation.


    [Humph. I remained silent only because there was nothing to say. Besides, I disapprove of you revealing things to those two dragons.]


    ''It can''t be helped. The Ancients said far too much, and those two are not stupid, especially Ladon. He gleaned many things from everything those guys had said and came up with the conclusion himself.''


    [You could have denied everything.]


    Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r


    ''...''


    [What? It''s not like there is concrete evidence to support what the Ancients had imed.]


    ''... Could you let it go? I don''t care if they knew the truth. They would learn about the truth eventually, even if I don''t admit it. Ames would be forced to reveal the whole situation to them since they had already been involved in my matter when they met me.


    ''Besides, exining how my Lightning magic could have worked against the Ancients is a little hard. Even if Lightning magic is considered rare and one of the most powerful forms of magic in terms of offensive spells, the Ancients'' special body constitution would still render lightning magic attacks pointless.''


    [... I stillprefer it if you deny everything.]


    ''Just let it go. Let''s focus on the enemies before us,'' Kyranined with a sigh.


    [Humph. Fine.]


    Soon after Kyran and Shaiha''s talk concluded, a gentle voice sounded in Kyran''s head.


    [Kyran, the two people up ahead, possesses strange lights.]


    Cyneah told Kyran. Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to see the situation andndscape upfront again.


    [The area up ahead looks like a dome... with a round tform in the middle. There are magic runes printed on the tform''s side...]


    Hearing Cyneah made Shaiha''s expression turn grim.


    [A round tform with magic runes around it... is she perhaps referring to an arena?]


    ''...''


    Kyran was speechless. He was no longer surprised that Shaiha could hear Cyneah''s telepathy message.


    [This is not good. Arenas in the tower are bad news. No matter what, don''t step into it.]


    Kyran did not have to hear Shaiha exin the arena to him because he already knew why it was bad news from her inner thoughts.


    Arenas in the tower are ces for participants to fight each other. The magic runes around it are the rules they mustply with inside the arena. Each arena in the tower has different rules. Or at least, the arenas that Shaiha discovered on the floor she hid in the tower did not have simr rules¡ª except for one rule: Instant death to the defeated.


    Shaiha was not worried that Kyran would lose. Thus, her reaction was more about what would happen if his opponent in the arena died.


    [This is a trap. Don''t you dare do anything reckless.]


    Shaiha warned Kyran.


    [Those representatives did not know about you. Their targets are those two dragons from the Dragon n.]


    "Aki, stay here and protect Neah." Kyran ignored Shaiha''s warning and gave Aki an order in a voice loud enough for them to hear.


    [No, Kyran. Don''t!]


    Shaiha pleaded after confirming his intentions.


    "Yes, master."


    [If you confront them and they die, someone with a higher rank in the Solis n would sense it. If that high-ranking member discovers who killed their member¡ª! Kyran! For the love of¡ª please, just this once, listen to me!]


    Shaiha pleaded in exasperation when Kyran continued toward the arena. She wanted to send a telepathy message to Cyneah and exin everything so she could stop him. In a way, Shaiha believed Cyneah did not stop Kyran because she thought there was no danger up ahead. Technically, Cyneah was right.


    But if she knew that Solis members¡ª particrly elites or those rted to high-ranking members of the n¡ª possessed seals in their bodies that could alert others if they died, she would think otherwise.


    If Kyran killed them, someone from the Solis n could learn about his arrival in the Higher Realm!


    Getting discovered by someone in the Solis n is already equivalent to The Emperor knowing of it.


    Meanwhile, one Solis representative stood in the middle of the round tform while the other remained outside. Both were looking at the only entrance to the arena.


    Just as Shaiha said, the Solis representatives were after Ladon and Thorn or any members of the Dragon n representatives. Initially, they wanted to look for the Lacus n representatives. However, after they lost contact with one of their members, they decided to deal with the Dragon n first.


    Their decision was influenced by their belief that their missing member encountered the Dragon n''s group rather than thebined Lacus n and Dragon n group and was overpowered.


    "Someone''sing..." the Solis representative below the tform muttered upon seeing a figure approaching the arena. He then frowned after realizing the figure''s presence could not be perceived.


    The Solis representative on the tform also noticed this and scowled. They already had a fair share of strange encounters on the seventh floor, which included automatons that did not possess any presence. Also, those automatons could adjust their magic arrays during activation and add new forms to counter any attack directed at them.


    Ultimately, the Solis representatives could only seal the automatons because dealing with them was a pain.


    "Is it another automaton?" The Solis representative on the tform wondered. "Or a participant?"


    Even when pressed for time in this year''s hunt, all ns still managed to send their elite mages to participate. Thus, it was not wrong to think that there were representatives with concealment abilities.


    The Solis representative below the tform could only shake his head in response to the other Solis''s question. Automatons created by the Ancients were close to perfect replicas of human-shaped mages. Thus, they could not determine if the figure approaching was an automaton or another representative.


    Not many groups were sent to the seventh floor, with the Solis Representatives being the third ones teleported there. However, several groups were still outside the tower when they were teleported in, so they could not rule out the possibility that another group was sent there, too.


    "This guy is alone, though. Unless you''re powerful enough, it is unwise to wander around in this ce alone," the representative below the tformmented.


    "Are you two supposed to be talking amongst yourselves? Cause you''re too loud, my eardrums nearly exploded," Kyran said when he was within earshot of the Solis representatives.


    Kyran''s greeting was quite provocative, but thetter two remained calm¡ª a testament to their confidence in their capabilities.


    "So another group was sent to the seventh floor," the representative on the tform replied, ignoring Kyran''s initial remark.


    Kyran replied by tilting his head and raising his brows. The two could not see his expression because his face was hidden under his hood.


    "I will give you a chance to turn around and leave," the Solis representative on the tform arrogantly told Kyran. "You are not our target, so don''t waste our time."


    [Listen to him! Turn around and leave! Since they are after the Dragon n representatives, let''s avoid confronting them and have them wait here all they want!]


    Shaiha pleaded with Kyran once more.


    On the other hand, Kyran chuckled at the Solis representative''s words.


    In an instant, the two Solis representatives'' expressions turned sour at his seemingly disrespectful behavior. They disliked how members of other ns acted arrogantly as if they stood a chance against them.


    "Did you justugh at us?"


    "Since you don''t want to ept our generosity, I will personally¡ª!"


    Crackle! Krrshk! Sizzle!


    Crackle! Krrshk! Sizzle!


    Kyran ignored the two and aimed lightning-like strikes at them.


    The attack was simr to what he used against Diara. Thus far, this attack was effective against her but still not strong enough to kill her due to her special body constitution.


    But what would happen if such strikes hit a mage with a regr body constitution?


    [...]


    Shaiha was speechless as Kyran''s attack killed off the two Solis representatives in a very anti-climactic manner.


    "The seal you mentioned... will it still work if they are killed in an instant?"


    [... I hate you.]


    Kyran chuckled at Shaiha''s response before turning to leave.


    Aki and Cyneah had nk expressions when Kyran returned in under five minutes.


    What did that tell about the Solis representatives'' strength?


    "Was there even a need for us to stay behind?" Cyneah asked with a helpless sigh. She knew Kyran was strong, but that was when they were still in the Lower Realm. They were now in the Higher Realm. How could he still perform unbelievable feats? It even felt like his strength had be far more absurd!


    "I''d prefer it if they thought I was alone," Kyran admitted with a shrug. "Besides, both of you still look like Dragon n members. If you went with me, they would have ignored me and gone after you two. I don''t want to take that chance."


    "To deal with them with such ease... as expected of our master," Aki gave his praise, sounding very pleased to serve such an outstanding master.


    "The only reason I could do that is because I have the advantage in territory. Frankly, my magic seemed to have been amplified inside the tower."


    [That is obviously because you are the Realm Scion...]


    Shaiha''s voice trailed off as she realized something from what she had just said.


    [This...! Why didn''t you say that earlier? The tower has recognized you, Kyran!]

 Chapter 1034: Treasure

    Diara mentioned the tower having its sentient, so they could not relinquish authority over it to Kyran just like that. The tower would first have to recognize him to be granted full authority over its activities and mechanics.


    When Kyran confessed that his magic underwent a significant transformation within the tower''s confines, Shaiha was genuinely shocked. It meant that the tower had a profound effect on his magic.


    The effect did not happen right away. Shaiha could attest to that because she served as the central core of Kyran''s four magic cores. Her roleallowed her to perceive instinctively how powerful his magic attacks would be.


    Thus far, Kyran had used the same amount of magic energy in his attacks. But his attacks had gotten far more destructive with each passing moment. Shaiha did not notice it and even believed that rather than his magic output getting amplified, it was the enemies that had gotten weaker. But that was not the case.


    This meant it was right to think the tower was the culprit behind his increased magic output.


    ''I get where you''reing from, but I don''t think it''s the case,'' Kyran replied, shaking his head inwardly. ''If anything, I think the amplification in my attacks has something to do with the quality of magic energy I absorbed in the surroundings.''


    [Ah.]


    Shaiha felt as if she was doused in cold water upon hearing Kyran''s reasoning. She could only perceive the amount of magic energy he absorbed in the surroundings. Not the quality of it; thus, she did not consider that possibility.


    To think she was the Realm''s inheritance and fails to consider such a basic exnation.


    Apart from that, she had been so happy about the prospect of the tower recognizing him that she had failed to read his thoughts on the matter.


    "''Advantage in territory'' and ''amplification of magic,'' huh?" Cyneah muttered thoughtfully. After a short pause, she said, "Could it be possible that these two are rted to what Miss Diara said about the tower?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, Auto-one mentioned relinquishing authority over the tower to you, and Miss Diara said it would only be possible if the tower recognized you. What if the tower is slowly warming up to you? That''s why your magic received a boost or something?"


    Cyneah was basically saying what Shaiha thought!


    However, before Shaiha couldment, Kyran replied, "Hm... it is worth considering."


    [OI!]


    What''s with the difference in response here?


    [You are such a biased person¡ª!]


    Kyran ignored her.


    "But then, there is also the possibility that your magic''s output was far stronger because the quality of magic energy in the surroundings is far more potent here than on the outside," Cyneah said.


    "That''s my initial belief," Kyran admitted.


    [...]


    "How are you fairing, by the way? There isn''t enough Soul magic energy that you can absorb here. Is It fine?"


    "Yes, it is," Cyneah replied with a small smile. "I''m not having trouble absorbing Soul magic energy. Or at least It is not having any problem absorbing magic energies."


    Kyran raised his brows. He had wanted to study the Macabre cier better when they were in Somuli, but he could not do that because of what happened. In any case, he knew that the mirror had no trouble absorbing any magic energy apart. However, it would only feel satisfied once it absorbed enough Soul magic energy.


    In a way, the fact that it was not acting up, even if it could only absorb raw magic energies, was a testament to thetter''s quality.


    "That''s good," Kyran replied. "If you sensed something amiss, just let me know."


    "I will."


    [Ugh... Could you please keep your inner thoughts to yourself?]


    Shaiha suddenlyined. Kyran''s words were different from his current thoughts, giving her goosebumps.


    Kyran making idle chat with Cyneah was actually him trying to distract himself from what he truly wanted to do. Shaiha was the only one who could get a good glimpse of his thoughts about what he wanted to do, so she felt ufortable.


    Kyran ignored her¡ª a feat he was getting really good at recently.


    What was it that Kyran wanted to do? He tried to use this chance to apologize to Cyneah for disappearing suddenly. He also wanted to assure her. How? That was the real question. Kyran did not know, and the things he came up with made Shaiha blush.


    Fortunately, Aki was with them, so Kyran''s thoughts remained mere thoughts.


    "Master, are we going to reinforce Ladon and Thorn? I sensed great activity over their side."


    Aki''s question brought Shaiha out of her reverie.


    "No," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "Let them deal with that one themselves."


    "You mentioned something about that side helping them improve earlier," Cyneah said, recalling what Kyran told them before separating with the others. "That''s why you have them go there. Is it because you sensed there is a treasure there?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. That treasure also emitted a kind of pressure that can help improve the dragons."


    "Improve what, exactly, master?" Aki could not help but ask.


    "There is something I noticed when I arrived in the Higher Realm," Kyran did not answer right away. He first started to exin, "Most mages would not hesitate to use Dimension when dealing with their opponents. But the dragons are not like that."


    Aki nodded his head in agreement, "Yes. It concerns their ability to overwhelm their opponents with sheer raw power."


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    "That''s the thing," Kyran replied with a sigh. "Dimensions are better versions of Domain. But I don''t think the dragons have that."


    "''Don''t have that?'' They don''t have Domains?" Cyneah also joined in their discussion.


    Though it had not been that long since she arrived with the others in the Higher Realm, she had learned how a mage''s Dimension could dictate the result of a match between mages. However, achieving victory through it was no easy feat because mages were on guard of each other, summoning a Dimension. Depending on the rules of their Dimensions, they could win or lose in battle.


    TCyneah observed friendly matches between the Regis n members and the Dragon n members, who were willing to spar with them. During these matches, she realized how little thetter thought about Dimensions.


    Initially, Cyneah wondered if the dragons were being considerate of the Regis n members since their mage level was low and that employing a Dimension against them was far too cruel. However, she soon realized that the dragons disliked using Dimension and preferred to deal with their opponents using brute strength or Draconic-based magic attacks.


    But if what Kyran said was true. Rather than the dragons disliked the use of Dimension, they might think it too weak to be used in actualbat. It was weak because they did not have¡ª or, to phrase it better¡ª did not produce a proper Domain before learning to create a Dimension.


    "More like they failed to create a proper Domain before creating their Dimension," Kyran answered after a short pause. He did not know how to exin it in words. Thus, he could only give a vague answer.


    "So, you sent them there, where a Dimension is already active, so they could better grasp how it works, learn why their Dimensions are weak, and improve it along the way," Cyneah summarized.


    Kyran nodded, "Yes."


    [Such a busybody.]


    Kyran ignored her.


    [Ignore me all you like. But what you''re doing contradicts what you thought about them earlier.]


    Shaiha did an unelegant snort.


    [Did you not say that you disliked them? Why are you suddenly keen on helping them improve?]


    ''I hate their guts, but I also needed them to remain strong. I needed strong allies to deal with The Emperor,'' Kyran exined patiently. ''I''m surprised you could not perceive my real objective. Aren''t my thoughts an open book to you?''


    [It is, but that doesn''t mean I understand your reasonings. At times, your thoughts can appear simr to jibberish writings. Sometimes, it''s identical to a colored picturebook with such vivid images, like when you thought of hugging or kissing the young mistress to assure her or make up for what you put her through after disappearing on her for some time.]


    ''...''


    [Ha!]


    Shaiha could not help but feel pleased with herself for rendering Kyran speechless. But then his following words almost made her choke in annoyance.


    ''Can you say that without looking like you''re about to die in embarrassment? If you don''t want to see my thoughts, keep out.''


    [!]


    "But helping them improve is not the only reason you sent them there, isn''t that so, master?"


    "Since the treasure can create Dimension if they can im it, they can bring it back to the n and also help the other dragons improve," Kyran answered with a nod.


    Cyneah raised her brows in surprise, "You sensed all that in such a short time?"


    "I am still an Array Saint," Kyran replied wryly. "I can recognize an artificially made Dimension from one created naturally."

 Chapter 1035: Left Side

    Array was taken for granted in the Higher Realm because almost everyone was proficient in it. Nevertheless, few mages have the capability to differentiate an artificially made Dimension from a natural one.


    Thus, if others heard what Kyran just said, there would be an uproar. After all, a Dimension could be considered a mage''s life''s work. The elements, experience, magic rules, and runes poured into it should not have been possible for anyone to decipher at a nce. For Kyran to be able to do that, his ability to observe and understand the workings behind a certain magic was exceptional.


    In fact, the reason behind Kyran''s ability to differentiate Dimensions was his innate ability that allowed him to grasp the principles behind any theories without prior testing.


    In any case, Aki and Cyneah did not realize just how dangerous Kyran''s words were and thus appeared as if what he said was nothing but everyday talk.


    Shaiha had a different take on it, but she ultimately dismissed it as unimportant because she had long resigned herself to Kyran''s absurd capabilities.


    Loud explosions and unrelenting tremors could be heard and felt from a distance.


    Sensing these, Aki looked toward the side where Ladon and Thorn went and could not help but say, "Looks like things are getting more heated up over there. Are we truly not going to reinforce them?"


    Kyran raised his brows. Since he programmed his puppets to be able to think for themselves unless he gave an absolute order, he could not help but wonder if Aki had grown to like Ladon and Thorn to be worried about them.


    Then again, rather than worrying for them, Kyran had a strange feeling that Aki''s real intention for wanting to reinforce them was to watch them and learn.


    Thinking about this, Kyran remembered Aki had only been relying on the littlebat data he included in his system. If Aki could not observe others fighting, he could not improve hisbat capabilities.


    "You say that, but I think you''re only interested in observing them fight the treasure''s effect," Cyneah could not help but tease Aki as if she could read his thoughts.


    "Y-Young mistress, please don''t tease me in front of master... I suddenly feel ashamed of my impure thoughts."


    "Aki," Kyran started. "If you only needed to observe others inbat, it is better to join Auto-one and the rest. Because the data you''d get from observing Ladon and Thorn will not be much of use since they will be using dragon techniques and Draconic-based magic attacks. At the moment, your borrowed body has dragon features, but your energy core is still the same I created.


    It can''t absorb Draconic magic energy, and the things you learn from them will be useless. Watching Auto-one fight can be more helpful in your case."


    "I-I understand..." Aki already knew this. Nevertheless, he wanted to observe dragons fight so he could update thebat patterns he could perform with the limited data he had in his program. Read captivating tales at m v l e mpyr


    Kyran sighed. He did not know if it was because Aki was currently using a body created by the Ancients, but his emotions were prominently reflected on his face. Kyran suddenly had the urge to dismantle Aki''s borrowed body so he could study it and see its materials and how they were put together.


    In the end, Kyran pushed aside his thoughts and addressed Aki seriously, "Don''t be impatient. I''ll definitely upgrade your programming. I may not look it, but I''ve been observing and learning a lot about the Ancients'' automata since we came into contact with them. I only need to confirm the materials I''d need to give you and the others better bodies and improve your energy cores."


    Aki''s expression brightened as he looked at Kyran before lowering his head in respect, "Thank you very much, master!"


    "When you said the others, this includes Len and Neo?" Cyneah asked.


    "Yes. Neo''s body has been upgraded before, and his energy core can circte Void magic energy to some extent, but I want to have all of them share the same quality and capabilities."


    "I can understand why you want to improve them. They are practically the first automata you''ve created, after all."


    "I can''t say they were automata when I first created them," Kyran replied with a bitter smile. "They were still puppets back then. But you''re right; since they are my first creations, I want to continue enhancing them."


    Cyneah smiled as she sensed Aki''s gratefulness. She actually shared Kyran''s attitude toward puppets, automatons, and spirits. Thus, she was happy that he treated his creations very well.


    What Kyran did not say was that he had nned to enhance his puppets even beforeing to the Higher Realm. When he got his hands on about a thousand automatons in Somuli, he nned to study their structure and design a new automata that could best fit his earlier creations.


    Unfortunately, things happened, and Kyran was forced to leave Somuli without taking any of the automatons he acquired. He initially had a few slumbering inside his Void World, but to ensure they had enough manpower to deal with the aftermath of their conquest, he had woken them up and let them help his Servants and Sigils.


    In the end, the ones left in his Void World were the puppets that had yet to awaken sentience.


    "Auto-one and the others seemed to be having trouble handling the left side," Kyran said aloud. He was observing the magic fluctuations on both sides as they walked and found that the number of automatons on the left side had increased drastically.


    "Yes. You''re right, master," Aki agreed, also focusing his attention on the left side. He noticed the increased number of automatons that have likely surrounded Auto-one and the others. "We should devise a n on how we can provide better reinforcement."


    "True," Kyran agreed to Aki''s suggestion. "If we barged in just like that, we might get swallowed up by their sheer number along with the others."


    As they drew near the intersection, Cyneah could finally see what the two of them were talking about. Using her eyes, she found several ovepping lights in arge room where Auto-one and the others were.


    "I don''t think the automatons n on fighting Auto-one and the others in one fell swoop," Cyneah remarked after seeing that most of the automatons that dared get close to Auto-one and the others were only a few lines from the front.


    "Auto-one specializes inrge areas of effect magic attacks," Kyran started. "The other automatons likely knew this; that was why they did not want to get too close recklessly."


    "I suppose you learn your lightning attacks from him?" Cyneah guessed.


    "A little," Kyran replied with an amused smile. "I only tried to imitate it, but as you can see, my lightning isn''t really producing the same effect as a real one should."


    "No. But it is far more fearsome," she replied with a bitter smile, recalling how Diara sounded when she pleaded not to be subjected to Kyran''s electrocution. "I''m guessing you don''t want to use that attack on the automatons up ahead."


    As she said this, they already reached the intersection and immediately went to the left side.


    "If possible," Kyran admitted. "I want them intact."


    For obvious reasons.


    Kyran did not say that aloud, though.


    [If you can get the tower''s approval, you don''t have to do anything else. They will treat and serve you like they would a king. If you ordered the automatons to lower their weapons and join you, they would likelyply in a heartbeat. They might not even protest if you want to dissect them.]


    Kyran did not reply to Shaiha. Not because he thought she was lying or spouting nonsense again. He only did not think it was necessary to talk to her.


    "It will be impossible not to hurt them, though, master. If we insist on it, the others will also suffer."


    "I know," Kyran replied with a helpless sigh. "Which is why I''ll allow hurting them. Just make sure to keep their energy cores, memory, and programming intact."


    "Yes, master."


    "As to how we''re going to provide reinforcements... this is what we''re going to do..."


    The path to the left area was not long. Kyran, Aki, and Cyneah reached their destination in four to five minutes. That did not seem to be that long, but it was enough for Kyran to tell Aki and Cyneah his n.


    "I''ll create an array on you," Kyran told Aki. "Go to the frontlines. Observe and learn as much as you can."


    "Yes, master."


    "Neah, you''ll stay with me."


    Cyneah wore an unsatisfied look, but in the end, she could only nod, "I understand."


    "Don''t feel bad. I will need your help in determining who calls the shot among those automatons."


    "Okay."


    "Both of us will stay at the back and provide cover for Auto-one and the rest if necessary."


    "Having one reinforcement join their ranks will not really pose much threat to the enemy automatons, so they will not suddenly swarm all over us," Aki said, understanding Kyran''s intention of not showing up in battle.


    "Hm," Kyran nodded. He looked up ahead where the battle between Auto-one''s group and the swarm of automatons was underway. "Let''s go."


    The moment Kyran gave his signal, Aki''s eyes glowed, and he rushed toward the frontline.


    Auto-one, Diara, and the rest of the Ancients had already expected Aki''s arrival because Kyran sent a telepathic message to Auto-one exining his n.


    Auto-one then ryed it to Diara and the others.

 Chapter 1036: Attraction

    The magic fluctuations caused by the confrontations between Auto-one and the Ancients against the automatons and Ladon and Thorn''s attempt to break the Dimension created by one of the Ancients'' treasures drew the attention of those other groups that were also sent to the seventh floor.


    Contrary to their initial belief, the Solis group they encountered was not thest to be transported to the tower''s seventh level. In a twist of events, four more groups were unexpectedly transported, two of which came from the Solis n as well. This added to theplexity of the situation.


    Becausemunication was impossible inside the tower, groups from the same n could not inform the ones before them who were transported first to the same floor that they were there. Only thest group knew that two more groups had arrived before them, and the group before them knew of the first.


    All four groups also encountered challenges that involved dealing with puppets or automatons. There was also a group that got trapped inside an area loaded with Array Formation that they had to decipher. At the moment, that group had yet to leave the area sessfully.


    This was not to say they did not have anyone who was familiar with Array because, as mentioned previously, almost everyone in the Higher Realm was knowledgeable about it. The reason they were still in that ce was simply because they were one of those ns who seriously wanted to receive enlightenment and improve themselves.


    One of the other two groups from the Solis n just left an area filled with traps and giant puppets. As soon as they left the room, they immediately sensed the magic fluctuations from the two locations.


    "You think there is a group shing at this moment?"


    One of the members asked their acting leader.


    The mage, whose face was hidden under a spacious hood, looked toward the direction of the magic fluctuations. From the mage''s figure, it was not wrong to say she was a female.


    "We can''t rule that out," the female mage replied to the mage who had just spoken to her right.


    "There is a possibility that a group encountered a treasure and is trying to subdue it," the other male mage standing to the acting leader''s left side suggested.


    "Yes," the acting leader agreed. "The magic fluctuation in that direction is too d*mn high that if not a sh between two groups, which included the Dragon n representatives, can only be produced by an Ancient treasure."


    "Do you think the first group encountered the Dragon n group then?"


    The acting leader shook her head, "I can''t say for sure. At the moment, there are two locations emitting those frightening magic fluctuations. There is only one Dragon n group, so if anything, they are only present in one location."


    "But didn''t one of their member join hands with that new n, Lacus? That group may be the one producing that magic fluctuation."


    "No. The Lacus n is weak. Even if the rumors that the Dragon n gifted them with valuable knowledge are true, they could not have improved in such a short time..."


    The acting leader''s voice faded as she fell into contemtion.


    It was a little annoying that they could only contact members of the same group and not the same n, even if their tablets were connected, while inside the tower. One could say that thework inside the tower was different. Thus, the connection between the tablets of mages in the same n was rendered useless.


    On the other hand, a group was granted a bond of some sort that allowed them to use the tower''s connection, making it possible for them to send out short-distance telepathy messages.


    "Since we can''t rendezvous with the others, we''ll have to be extra careful. We''ll check what is happening on the left side," the acting leader decided after a short pause.


    "Okay."


    The two members of her group agreed.


    Without wasting any more time, they went on their way.


    On the other hand, another group of three wearing a loose cloak over dark leather armor and a white mask with a rune letter painted on its surface right at the middle were gazing at the location to their left.


    No one spoke any words and only went in the direction of the magic fluctuations. Whether they nned to observe the situation on the right or the left from the intersection, only they were in the know.


    Meanwhile, Ladon and Thorn continued to bombard the active dimension''s surface using different Draconic-based spells that their dragon tribe specializes.


    For example, Ladon used Draconic magic that called upon Water elements, while Thorn called upon Gold elements.


    Transparent silhouettes of water and gold dragons roared and crashed their heads to the dimension''s surface.


    Boom! Boom!


    Crack! Crack!


    With every head butt the dragons did, cracks would appear on the surface of the dimension.Still, no matter how many times they did this or how fast they crashed their heads on the surface, the crack would mend by themselves.


    Thorn jumped back andnded beside Ladon, who was a few meters away from the dimension''s periphery.


    The two dragons, one light blue and the other gold, continued to crash their heads on the dimension''s surface, sending bits and pieces of it flying out.


    "This is getting nowhere, Ladon," Thorn grumbled. "Even if we do not have any problem in magic energy consumption because we can just absorb more naturally, eventually we''ll be too exhausted to move."


    "I know," Ladon replied with furrowed brows. "I want to end this soon, too, because the magic fluctuation being produced around us worries me."


    "That too," Thorn agreed. "I don''t sense anyone nearby, but if other groups are sent here and sense the crazy amount of magic energy activity in this area, they will be drawn here. I really don''t want us to get interrupted."


    "Hm," Ladon replied with a nod. "We can only attempt to destroy the Dimension from the inside."


    "But going in is the problem. Without knowing the rules of that dimension, we could end up bing powerless inside," Thorn reminded with a sigh.


    Ladon also sighed. To be honest, he had yet to fully understand what Kyran wanted them to aplish by going there. He did exin to them that the treasure inside the Dimension could help them.


    But how?


    Ladon did not know when, but suddenly, he seemed to view Kyran as their leader. The thought took him by surprise to the point it scared him.


    They barely knew Kyran, and although they more or less guessed what happened that made him end up in the Higher Realm, that did not really mean he was more powerful than them.


    Ladon''s gaze fell to the floor, and immediately, an idea shed in his mind. He looked at Thorn, who was about to return to punching the dimension''s surface and stopped him.


    "I have an idea."


    Thorn stopped short and turned to look at Ladon. He had an ugly scowl on his face as he replied, "This has better be good."


    On the left side of the intersection, Kyran and Cyneah remained in the rear and continued to observe Auto-one and the others.


    By then, Diara and the rest of the Ancients were aware of Kyran''s presence. Thus, they did not ck even a second when dealing with the automatons. Still, rather than destroying thempletely, they made full use of their special body constitution to pass through the automaton''s bodies and trigger their shutdown code.


    After that, they swept the automaton that had fallen unconscious and brought them to the side so they would not get caught up with the Auto-one and Aki''s attacks.


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    Auto-one would stun or shock the automaton''s systems to cause a system failure, which would forcefully shut them down. On the other hand, Aki would disable the automaton''s movements by destroying a joint or bashing their heads together¡ªthis was only if he confirmed the automaton''s system was not located there.


    "Their numbers don''t seem to be decreasing," Cyneah noticed when the number of lights before her remained the same.


    "It''s not increasing either," Kyran assured her. "In fact, the reason there is no decrease in lights has more to do with our side not destroying the automatons."


    Cyneah''s face darkened as she remarked, "Are you not worried that an ident may happen because you want to keep these automatons intact?"


    "Not really," Kyran answered cheekily. "But well... if something did happen, I''ll just strike them with my magic."


    "You seemed to have grown fond of striking your opponents."


    Kyran chuckled. Before he could tell her why he had only recently used lightning-like attacks on his opponents, he sensed an approaching danger and looked behind them.


    Cyneah sensed a sudden change in Kyran''s attitude and asked worriedly, "What is it?"


    "We have iing."


    "More Ancients or Automatons?"


    "No," Kyran replied with furrowed brows as he recognized the presenceing from the approaching group.


    Before he could say it aloud, Shaiha had already spoken within his sea of consciousness.


    [...They are from the de Dancer n.]

 Chapter 1037: Secret Members

    Auto-one and the others were upied by the automatons up ahead, and the de Dancer n was approaching from the rear. Thetter were still a distance from their location, so Kyran did not know if they would go after them or Ladon and Thorn since they were confronting an active treasurepared to those who were facing off against automatons.


    Based on Kyran''s observation of the n representatives back at the tform, most were interested in looking for treasures or receiving enlightenment. Only a few, which included the Dragon n, participated in this year''s event for other reasons, with treasure hunting as their least priority.


    Considering this, it was not wrong to say that the allure of the treasure on Ladon and Thorn''s side was far greater than the automatons Kyran''s group was dealing with, to n representatives focusing on hunting for treasures.


    But what if the approaching group were simr to the Dragon n, which came for another purpose than hunting for treasures or receiving enlightenment?


    This question fleeted through Kyran''s mind as he observed Auto-one and the others battling the automatons and trying to predict where the approaching de Dancer n would go by checking the trajectory of the path they were taking.


    At the moment, Kyran judged that Auto-one and the rest of their group could handle the mob ahead even without his help.


    Worrying about any of them getting hurt was also unnecessary because, one, Auto-one and Aki were automatons and would not get injured as humans do, and two, Diara and the other Ancients had special body constitutions that could render magic attacks pointless depending on the situation.


    Being automatons, unless Auto-one and Aki met a really powerful automaton that would target their program or core, they would not require immediate assistance. The same went with the Diara and the other Ancients. As a matter of fact, their identity as Ancients could allow them to alter the automatons'' target sequence if they wanted to.


    The only reason they did not do this was that it was time-consuming tomunicate with the tower''s central memory bank and reconfigure it. Apart from that, the tower was observing them. If it deemed Diara and the other Ancients'' actions uneptable, it might hinder their n and send more automatons their way instead.


    With all these things in mind, Kyran decided to prioritize assisting Ladon and Thorn''s side rather than providing Auto-one and the others with rear support.


    Basically, if the de Dancer n went after the treasure and risked confronting Ladon and Thorn, Kyran would assist them. But if the de Dancer n went after Kyran''s group, he would take them on himself and let Auto-one and the others deal with the automatons by themselves.


    As if sensing Kyran''s thoughts, Cyneah said, "I will keep an eye on this side. Just focus on the enemies, and be careful."


    ''I will not be able to monitor your movement once battle amongst youmences, which means I can''t provide rear support if you are hurt... I hate to admit it, but I will only be in the way if the enemy group realizes myck of sight and offensive attacks,'' Cyneah thought in frustration.


    "I will," Kyran replied. In a way, he appreciated Cyneah not showing any weaknesses before him or asking him not to go and just remain by her side because this showed her great trust in his capabilities. At the same time, he also felt a little bad because he knew inwardly she felt useless.


    To be honest, Kyran still wanted to have someone to stay with Cyneah. If only he could ess the Void World, he could take out a puppet or two and have them guard her. Unfortunately, he could not ess it inside the tower.


    Ultimately, Kyran gave Cyneah a couple of dark purple orbs that had Void rune writings whirling inside in a glowing light purple color. This orb could unleash a powerful barrier that could withstand attacks from mages below an Overlord or a powerful attack that could also stun even an Overlord if it hit.


    With these orbs, Cyneah could assist Auton-one and the others if an emergency happened on their side, or she could also use it to protect herself and the others if someone slipped past Kyran or another group just so happened to approach them.


    "These orbs are only proto-types," Kyran told Cyneah. "But they can already be used. Still, I hope you won''t have to use them."


    "I''ll only use them if a worst-case scenario happens," she assured him with a smile.


    "Okay," Kyran replied with a nod. He wanted to say something else, but in the end, stopped because he had a strange inkling that made it feel like he was tempting fate. Shaiha said he was immune to the Fates'' Fate code, but that did not mean trouble would not go looking for him.


    Besides the ominous feeling, Kyran felt that prompted him not to say words like, ''Please stay safe,'' ''I will return by your side,'' or ''You don''t have to worry about me.'' In fact, telling Cyneah he would return to her side as soon as he could gave him goosebumps. He might treat her differently than the others or say things that seem out of character. But there was a limit to what he could say.


    Or, to be precise, he did not think he had enough courage to spout simr things.


    On the other hand, Shaiha, who could not filter Kyran''s thoughts immediately, could only look at him with a nk expression.


    Just as Kyran was contemting these things, and Shaiha could only resign to her fate, they noticed the de Dancer n going to the left side from the intersection.


    [Seems like they decided to head this way.]


    ''They might think they did not stand a chance against the dragons at this point. They might be nning to wear them out before going after them.''


    Shaiha sighed after hearing Kyran''s guess. She agreed with his line of thinking. The de Dancer n was one of the few ns under The Emperor who knew better than to underestimate the Dragon n''s stamina. Having them confront the treasure for an hour or two was not enough to exhaust them.


    "I''m going," Kyran told Cyneah.


    "Okay," she replied with a nod. She already sensed the approaching enemies and knew that he would meet them halfway.


    Kyran left as soon as he said goodbye to Cyneah. In the meantime, Shaiha started giving her sidementary in his sea of consciousness.


    [This is a little strange. While the approaching auras are simr to the de Dancer n, haven''t all their representatives been sent to the lower floors? They could not have cleared the floor and found their way to this floor, right?]


    ''Are you seriously asking me that question?'' Kyran asked with a deadpan voice. He did not really need Shaiha to answer that question since he already sensed her real intentions.


    Shaiha scowled.


    [The least you could do is answer without sounding sarcastic, right? I know you don''t know the answers to that, but don''t you have any theories, at least?]


    ''I''m not familiar with all the representatives from the other ns,'' Kyran replied patiently. He added, ''The only ones I know are those Leif pointed to me.''


    [So, no theory at all?]


    ''You can read my mind, right?''


    [As I said, I will not be able to understand the meaning behind your thoughts if I don''t delve into it myself!]


    ''There are far more representatives who joined this year,'' Kyran said without bothering to argue with Shaiha and started sharing his thoughts. ''Possibilities of ns sending out hidden members of their n to participate is high. They might even be pretending to be from other ns earlier.


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    As to how they concealed their auras, they probably have simr techniques of medicinal recipes to do just that.''


    [Hm... yes. Quite true.]


    ''Regardless of the possibilities, isn''t it you who said they are from the de Dancer n? Although, their aura does feel familiar to that woman who we met in that unnamed ne.''


    [Since you brought up about hidden members... I suddenly thought of something.]


    Shaiha paused dramatically before continuing.


    [You probably referred to hidden members differently from my understanding. Anyway, I am leaning toward the probability that these guys are¡ª.]


    ''Secret ops or assassins,'' Kyran said without giving Shaiha the chance toplete what she was about to say.


    [Oi!]


    ''When I said hidden members, that''s exactly what I meant,'' he confirmed.


    [You, and your annoying¡ª!]


    Shaiha stopped short as several weapons, ranging from knives, short des, and javelins, came flying in their direction.


    Kyran easily evaded the iing weapons, his expression turning grim.


    [How did they know you''re onto them? My concealment ability is active!]


    That was precisely the reason for Kyran''s expression. Not bothering to respond to Shaiha''s exmation, he took out his two swords while coating their des with Void magic.


    Tiiing!


    As soon as Kyran''s swords were coated with Void magic, a deafening sound like a bell chime rang out.


    The sudden attack reminded Kyran of the crazy woman he met at the unnamed ne.

 Chapter 1038: Change

    As the ominous bell-like sound pierced the air, a menacing, translucent wave surged towards Kyran. In a swift, instinctive motion, he raised his hands, clutching the swords, their des ovepping to form an X, and brought them down in a powerful sh.


    Dark purple light shed out from the sword des, splitting the translucent waveing at him in half.


    One of the de Dancer n representatives that entered the left side of the intersection widened his eyes in surprise as he sensed his preemptive attack get sliced in half.


    Attacks that did not have any form should have been hard to evade, especially when they also possessed arge area of effect. Besides that, destroying or splitting it in half was practically impossible because of its formless nature.


    For this reason, the de Dancer n representative felt apprehensive at what kind of magic the one approaching them in front possessed.


    "Apart from a powerful concealment ability, it also possessed an unknown magic that could slice through my Sound attack," he said out loud. "Be careful, you two."


    "Understood."


    "Got it."


    The two other representatives on each side of him replied respectively. Based on the voices that responded, one of them was a female.


    These three were as Kyran predicted, part of the undercover mages of the de Dancer n. Apart from that, the male mage in the middle who used a Sound-based magic attack just then was actually Alta''s younger brother, Shiloh. The name of the other male was Uilleam, and the female was Britta.


    They summoned magic arrays that hovered around them as they glided forward. More weapons emerged from the magic arrays and flew straight ahead to the approaching enemy.


    Simr to what happened the first time, their attacks were rendered useless.


    Uilleam and Britta sensed that some of their weapon attacks were destroyed, while others were simply evaded and struck the ceiling, floor, and even the walls.


    On the other hand, Shiloh, being the only one among the three who could detect the approaching enemy, witnessed thetter''s deft movements as it evaded the approaching weapons or used its weapons to destroy those that he could not evade in time.


    Shiloh could not help but frown at what he was sensing. He did not think that the approaching enemy''s weapon was a manifested weapon of its magic core. Based on how the enemy swung its weapons around, it wielded two swords that were likely imbued with his innate magic.


    Magic-imbued weapons were not umon in the Higher Realm. However, it was also not thatmon. It sounded a little contradictory, but the reason behind this was because of the abundance of magic weapons avable in the market or as a family heirloom. No one would bother using a regr weapon and imbuing their magic into it if the magic weapon they had already possessed had one.


    While Shiloh''s thoughts drifted slightly because of the strangeness of the approaching enemy''s weapon, he was taken by surprise at how thetter suddenly closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.


    ''A high-tier movement skill!'' he thought with narrowed eyes.


    ''The enemy is abat mage-type. It may be the person we are looking for, so stay on your guard,'' Shiloh warned them through telepathy. ''It''s near!'' he told them as he stopped in his tracks.


    Given Shiloh''s innate magic, he would be more useful in supporting Uilleam and Britta from the rear. Besides, once Uilleam and Britta got serious, Shiloh would only be in the way.


    Uilleam and Britta only nodded in response this time. Since the enemy was near, talking would only inform it of their approach.


    Shiloh, understanding the situation, immediately cast an area-of-effect status spell, Light Obscurity, to ensure that the remaining light that filled the surroundings would be removed around the enemy.


    Using this spell would also ensure that whenever Uilleam and Britta used their magic, the enemy would not see the glow of their magic arrays. Besides that, it would prevent the enemy from seeing what type of attack the former two would use, in case it was familiar with different types of runes and could read and identify a magic array in a short time.


    In addition to the Light Obscurity spell, Shiloh also used Sound Concealment and Scent Masking spells so that their movements and scent would not be easily perceived.


    To be honest, Shiloh could have just cast one single spell that could allow him to have all three effects in one go: Stealth. However, Stealth was a target-specific spell that could only be used for a duration of time, unlike the three spells that he cast, which had arge area of effect.


    With the spells in ce, Uillea sped up and went in front of Britta.


    ''Cover me,'' he told her and summoned a vertical two-meter-wide gold magic array. It appeared before him in the blink of an eye, and he passed through without hesitation. As he did, the air around him crackled, and a golden armor appeared and covered his whole body.


    Meanwhile, Britta spread her arms, and five vertical twelve-inch-wide gold magic arrays spread out behind her. Five types of weapons emerged from each array as follows: a dagger, a short de, a javelin, a scimetar, and a knife.


    These five weapons only stuck out of the magic arrays half way, as if waiting to be pulled out by Britta at any moment.


    In the meantime, Kyran sensed the magic fluctuations up ahead and immediately stopped in his tracks.


    Shaiha also sensed these and frowned.


    [These... all of them seemed to possess a decent concealment ability, and yet they still cast more spells that would make it impossible for anyone to see their movements.]


    ''Three area-of-effect spells... and... two of them seem ready to engage me at any time.''


    [These guys are from the de Dancer n. There is a possibility that their main objective is to look for you.]


    Shaiha told Kyran, reminding him of his encounter with Alta in the unnamed ne.


    [They did have a day''s worth to gather enough members strong enough to be sent to the seventh floor before the portal closed. It''s not wrong to say that they managed to send more of their elites here.]


    Kyran did notment on that. He did not even bother to remind her that the tower did not care about the group''s overall strength but instead looked at their individual potential to determine which floor of the tower to send them.


    Nheless, this fact was what actually shocked Kyran more. He was convinced that the reason the Dragon n group and his group were sent to the seventh floor was because of him and Cyneah. But then, the Solis n also sent them or at least one of their secret members. Then now, there was the de Dancer n.


    The more Kyran looked at it, the more he felt that the reason they were transported there was not because of their potential.


    Shaiha raised her brows the moment she sensed Kyran''s doubts. Only then did she consider another possibility that could have resulted in this situation.


    [Remember before the tower sent you here? The mechanical voice paused for a moment, right?]


    ''?''


    [I can''t help but think... what if you kind of destroyed or voided their condition?]


    Shaiha asked, her mind racing with thoughts of the possible ''new condition'' that Kyran gave the tower.


    [I mean, you are the Realm Scion. Technically, this tower should belong to you. While it is true that the tower will have to recognize you before you can be granted full authority over it, you can still affect its rules and conditions...]


    The more Shaiha stated her thoughts, the more she was convinced that she was onto something.


    [If the tower bases a group''s potential to determine which floor they had to go to, then your group shouldn''t have been sent to the seventh floor. You... changed that.]


    Kyran did not respond. He somewhat knew where Shaiha wasing from. In fact, before getting transported, he only had one thought in mind: to be sent to the same floor as Cyneah. Could he have really changed his condition because of that?


    Come to think of it, the Solis n''s objectives were the Dragon n and the Lacus n. While there was another ''Lacus'' n that was sent to a lower floor, they were not really the Lacus n. Instead, Kyran had the real ones. At least, he should be able to ess the space where he hid them at any time.


    Although he could not do that while they were inside the tower, that space was still connected to them. Then, there was the Dragon n, which was also on the seventh floor.


    Could Kyran have truly changed the condition to send the groups to their ideal floor or the targets in their mind without him knowing?


    Read the continuation on m_v_l_e_m_p_y_r


    In the end, Kyran forcefully pushed all his thoughts aside. There was no point thinking about those things at the moment. First, he had to deal with the enemies in front.

 Chapter 1039: Unseen

    Kyran did not hesitate to enter the range of the enemy''s multi-casted spells. Doing so was not to say he underestimated the level of magic the enemy had used because they were all cast by a peak Sovereign or probably even a High Sovereign. The reason Kyran was not worried about being affected by the spells had more to do with the nature of his Void magic.


    Before Shaiha took over Kyran''s central core, his Void core would proactively circte his Void magic energy. Thus, he was immune to status spells and other harmful magic attacks that aimed to affect his body.


    Yet, when Shaiha assumed control, a sacrifice was made. In order to ensure Kyran''s safety from those who could recognize the Void core''s energy or magic signature, the Void core''s cirction was regted. This decision, while reducing Kyran''s immunity to unseen and harmful magic attacks, allowed Shaiha to conceal his aura and presence better.


    [The moment I cease regting the cirction of your Void magic energy, they might discern your aura. You must prevail over them, no matter the cost.]


    Shaiha reminded Kyran as he plowed right through the range area of influence.


    ''I know,'' Kyran responded.


    It would be hard to fight against three mages at the same time, but so long as his senses were unhindered and he could use his magic without any restrictions, there was a chance for him.


    Within the multi-casted spell''s area of influence, Uillea and Britta had no trouble closing in on the approaching enemy mage. With Uillea in front serving as their shield, Britta could focus on dealing with the offensive, and Shiloh with the support.


    ''Here!'' Uillea told Britta and Shiloh the moment he saw the enemy mage''s figure.


    Kyran narrowed his eyes upon entering the enemy''s area of influence. He thought that with Shaiha no longer regting the cirction of Void magic energy in his body, the multi-casted spells'' effects would have a dramatic decrease. But the decrease was barely noticeable.


    From Kyran''s perspective, the whole ce remained dark, and the only way for him to judge the enemy''s position was through their killing intent. In fact, even the enemy''s killing intent was not enough for him to fully grasp their position because they were quite skilled at hiding them.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    "Ngh...!" Kyran barely lifted his arms to block a powerful punching from above. Because he was caught off guard by the punch, his lower body failed to receive the brunt of its attack properly, almost forcing him to fall on one knee.


    Ultimately, Kyran managed to endure by widening his stance. The punch''s strength was powerful, butpared to his father''s or Nn''s, it was weaker!


    Kyran pushed his arms upward to force back the fist that was still connected to them. However, the enemy had already started to retreat before he could fully do so.


    Because the object of Kyran''s push disappeared all of a sudden, he nearly lost his bnce. Fortunately, it did not happen because he had widened his stance just a while ago.


    Kyran had no time to rx, though. After preventing himself from losing his bnce, he sensed an iing attacking from his side. His initial reaction was to lower his arm and use his forearm as a shield to block.


    However, he heard a different sound that trailed after the movement and knew that blocking it with his forearm, while not totally impossible, could lead to an injury.


    Because.


    sh!


    A faint gold glowing arc appeared from Kyran''s side, which was aimed at his torso.


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he immediately deployed the Void armor to deal with the iing sh.


    Britta''s pupils constricted the moment she saw a dark purple armor suddenly cover the enemy mage''s body, starting from the area that her short de should have cut.


    ''Retract your de!'' Shiloh''s warning rang out in her head and she instinctively stopped her de a centimeter away from the enemy''s armor.


    Without waiting for the enemy to retaliate, Britta jumped back and switched position with Uilleum once more.


    ''Did you sense something, Shiloh?'' Uilleum asked as he prepared to drop a kick over the enemy''s head that had yet to be covered by its armor. He asked this question because he sensed something ominous the moment the enemy mage''s armor appeared, which was why he avoided attacking it and instead aimed at the enemy''s body that had yet to be covered by the armor.


    ''Yeah. I feel like I''ve sensed the auraing out from it before and had a foreboding,'' Shiloh replied truthfully.


    Kyran sensed another iing attack from above and simply used his arm to shove it aside before sending a punch of his own.


    After his kick was shoved aside, Uilleam predicted the enemy mage''s next move and used the advantage of having a slender and flexible body. The enemy mage''s punch came out, but Uilleum sessfully twisted his body to the side, avoiding it by a centimeter.


    ''!''


    Nheless, Uilleam felt a sharp sting when the enemy mage''s fist barely grazed past his sides.


    ''His punch is also packed with magic energy,'' he warned Britta and Shiloh at once.


    ''Then, I''ll change the weapon to deal with the offense,'' Britta said, returning the short de to the magic array that was still hovering behind her. She then grabbed the javelin that was half sticking out from another magic array and whirled it in her hands.


    A glowing faint golden light appeared with every whirl Britta made with the javelin.


    ''I''ll disrupt his senses again,'' Shiloh also said as a bell appeared on his hand.


    Ting!


    Another bell-like sound reverberated in the surroundings before Kyran could even do a follow-up attack.


    ''...ngh!'' Kyran''s brow furrowed as the soundwave from the bell distorted his senses.


    [Sound is a little tricky to block.]


    Shaiha told Kyran, her heart beating nervously as she observed what was happening outside. To be honest, she was a little bit annoyed at how the enemies before them were able to fight without affecting each other.


    Because of the Sound magic''s nature, it should have been impossible for the other two mages who also heard it not to be affected. However, that was exactly what happened.


    [Gain some distance while you regain control over your senses!]


    Shaiha told Kyran.


    Kyran did not need to be told twice, as he rolled to the side in time to avoid another iing attack from the opposite side.


    As soon as he gained his bnce after rolling, however, he felt a sudden foreboding. Because of this, he instantaneously rolled back to the side where he had just left.


    BAM!


    Uilleum''s fist mmed on the floor where the enemy mage had just rolled. But because thetter managed to roll once more, and this time back to where he had been, Uilleum missed and only destroyed the floor.


    "Not bad," he could not help butment under his breath.


    ''Why are you praising him!'' Brittained as she jumped with the javelin raised high above her head. Her javelin emitted a blinding golden light as she cleaved it toward the enemy mage who had yet toplete his motion. Find joy at m-vl_em|p,yr


    Kyran had yet to recover his senses, and with the effects of the spells inside the range, he could not see the blinding light that was about to cleave his head.


    Javelin''s attack pattern would normally include pummeling, piercing, stabbing, or thrusting. Cleaving would only be applicable if the tip of the javelin were aimed properly at its target.


    In Britta''s case, however. The weapon did not really matter. As long as she coated them with magic energy, even the shaft of the weapon could cut or slice.


    sh!


    Sizzle!


    "What?" Britta felt a stinging pain in her core as the javelin''s shaft touched the enemy mage''s armor.


    At that moment, the Void armor had finally covered Kyran''s bodypletely and disyed its full protective capability.


    Britta hastily retracted her javelin and retreated while Uilleum stepped in tounch another punch.


    ''Be careful! His armor has some strange properties!'' she warned.


    BAM!


    By the time Uilleum''s fist made contact, the enemy mage had already rolled to the side once more sessfully.


    Kyran finally regained control over his senses. He was once again aware of the position of the two enemies that were proactively attacking him.His view remained dark, but that did not stop him from retaliating.


    If the multi-casted spells were Arrays, Kyran could easily destroy it by punching the area where the formation was ced. But since it was a magic spell, the only way for him to remove it was to kill the caster.


    Obviously, the two enemy mages attacking proactively could not be the caster because one wrong move could destroy their advantage of being hidden if he or she was killed. Of course, there was also a possibility that the caster was indeed one of the two mages confronting Kyran, but he still leaned more toward the former.


    Since this was the case, Kyran knew the caster was hiding at the back of their formation.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1040: Sound Wave

    With his next move carefully calcted, Kyran made the daring decision to break through the formation of the two enemy mages, who were acting as a shield and vanguard and instead target the one lurking at the rear. He deftly sidestepped another iing attack from the enemy mage, presumably acting as their shield, and swiftly advanced towards the back of their formation.


    As soon as Kyran evaded, the other mage, acting as their offensive vanguard,unched another attack. This was a pattern they had been following since the beginning, and Kyran was ready for it. Without giving the enemy mage a chance toplete her motion, Kyran swiftly employed Dragon Steps to put distance between them.


    Shiloh''s eyes narrowed, a glint of anticipation lighting them up. Positioned at the back, he had an unobstructed view of the unfolding battle, his senses heightened.


    The moment the enemy mage summoned an armor, Shiloh was already suspicious of his identity. Recalling the brief report he received from his sister and how they would recognize the intruder that could possibly have had a hand in the early opening of the Tower of the Ancients, Shiloh was 90 to 95 percent positive that the enemy mage was the one they were looking for.


    The remaining 10 to 5 percent uncertainty was the enemy mage''s barrier.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ording to Alta''s report, the intruder possessed a formidable ability. He could summon a spherical barrier that was both defensive and offensive. Its defensive capabilities were terrifying, rendering any attacks on it utterly useless. But its offensive power was even more chilling. It could pierce through any non-living or living things, obliterating them upon contact.


    Britta''s attack was not deflected earlier. In fact, Shiloh had an inkling that if she had not retracted her weapon, it would have been destroyed¡ª and he did not mean destroyed by breaking but by dissolving.


    Shiloh used the term dissolve for theck of a proper description of the armor''s effect since Britta pulled back before anything irreversible happened to her weapon. In a way, Shiloh could not me Britta''s actions because if her weapon broke, her core would be damaged. Frankly, her prompt action to stop her attack deserved amendation.


    Still, Shiloh would have appreciated it if Britta had endured for a couple more seconds so he could have gathered enough data.


    Considering all this and what little reaction he gleaned from Britta''s weapon upon contact with the enemy mage''s armor, it was simr to the intruder''s barrier.


    In any case, seeing the enemy mage''s unique movement, Shiloh was more convinced of his identity. He felt ted that they had managed to find him earlier than anticipated.


    Reeling in his excitement, Shiloh waited for the enemy mage''s arrival. He knew thetter would target him sooner orter because of the multi-casted spells he did, which limited the enemy mage''s ability to see, hear, and see.


    Shiloh would not panic upon this, though. In fact, he weed any attempt the enemy mage would make to render him incapable of maintaining the multi-casted spells. Apart from that, the thought that his sister had trouble apprehending this guy almost made Shiloh unable to contain his excitement.


    ''Move Shiloh!'' Uilleam''s warning came a tad bitte as a distortion appeared in the space in front of Shiloh. Following this, two arcs of dark purple glow shed vertically toward his neck.


    Whoosh!


    ng!


    Sizzle!


    Instinctively, Shiloh cast a protective barrier solely around his neck. Because of this, he managed to avoid an untimely decapitation.


    Kyran''s frow furrowed after his unsessful attempt to decapitate the enemy mage at the rear''s head. He immediately used Dragon steps as he jumped to avoid the enemy mage''s attack.


    A grin appeared on Shiloh''s face as he no longer tried to hide his excitement.


    The near-death experience shook his heart, resulting in his blood boiling. His reaction was not because he was angered by the enemy mage''s sudden attack. On the contrary, he felt ted. After all, he could count on one hand all those mages that came close to killing him.


    But none of them did it on their first attempt.


    In the blink of an eye, several magic arrays circled Shiloh''s body. These magic arrays were support spells that would allow him to make full use of his innate magic nature without worrying about any repercussions.


    After that, he disappeared from his initial position and reappeared at the location where he sensed the enemy mage would run¡ª a dagger appeared in his hand just as hepleted the motion of shing.


    From another''s perspective, Shiloh''s action seemed strange because he did it without a target. Thus shing at nothing but air. But then, the area at which his dagger just passed through distorted as a figure appeared that barely avoided getting shed.


    Kyran gritted his teeth as he barely evaded the enemy mage''s dagger from slicing at his eyes. He knew the enemies before him were unaffected by the multi-casted spells within that area, but for this guy to guess correctly where he would appear after using Dragon Steps should have been impossible.


    [He is using an unconventional way of tracking your movements, Kyran.]


    Shaiha told him with a slight frown. She only had a hunch earlier about it because they were able to track Kyran''s movement even when she was still under her concealment ability. She even believed that all three mages possessed high perception. But after this brief exchange, she was now sure that the only one who could track Kyran using unconventional way was this mage at the rear.


    And if she recalled every attack, move, and spell that was used up to now, she thought of one possibility.


    One of Sound Magic''s abilities was producing sound waves.


    Shaiha came up with this conclusion because one of the enemy mages tried to stun Kyran by using a Sound-based magic attack earlier. However, the two enemy mages that confronted Kyran had not shown any signs of being capable of using Sound magic. If this was the case, then the one at the rear was the one who possessed it.


    Because of his connection with Shaiha, Kyran was able to sense her thoughts and agree with them. Given the current situation, however, he could not voice his thoughts. He was in the middle of a fight, after all.


    After evading the enemy mage''s dagger, Kyran sensed iing attacksing from the back and above. He guessed at once that they were the remaining two enemy mages. Compared to their attacks, however, the one with the dagger seemed to pose far more threat to him.


    Kyran thought this not because the dagger-wielding enemy had a powerful offensive but because his Sound magic could easily locate him. Apart from that, thetter could also approach him in the blink of an eye by utilizing one of Sound magic''s nature¡ª speed.


    One of the enemy mages aimed his fist at Kyran''s head while the other one aimed her javelin at his back. At the same time, the enemy mage with the dagger did a 360 degree turn while aiming the dagger at his neck.


    [Stop holding back, Kyran!]


    Even before Shaihapleted her words, Kyran already made a move.


    "What?"


    Uilleam, Britta, and Shiloh eximed in surprise as the area where the enemy mage should have been crackled. Following this, his figure disappeared.


    Shiloh released a sonar-like attack that could not be heard by others to locate the enemy mage. However, he was unable to track thetter this time.


    "How¡ª?"


    Just then, the air crackled behind Britta as a dark purple arc shed right in the middle of her neck.


    "Britta duck¡ª!"


    Shiloh attempted to warn Britta. Unfortunately, the attack came unexpectedly and at a speed that even he failed to see.


    The surprised expression on Britta''s face was frozen as her head flew slightly to the right from the attack''s momentum. At the same time, her body dropped to the floor like a puppet that lost its strings that kept it in ce.


    "Tsk," Kyran clicked his tongue as he realized he had cut the wrong enemy.


    He was sure he had teleported behind the one using a dagger, but then he heard another ting sound, and his directional sense got jumbled.In the end, he ended up appearing behind the female enemy mage, thus killing the wrong target.


    "I''ll kill you!" Uilleam bellowed in anger after witnessing Britta''s head getting sliced so easily.


    He mped his hands together before raising them above his head. A magic array circled his hands as they grew in size, and in just a fraction of a second, they resembled a huge hammer.


    With Kyran''s other senses still useless, he continued to rely on figuring out the enemy mages'' position through their killing intent. But because thetter three were quite good at hiding their intent, he could barely predict their position and what their next move would be.


    That changed a the death of one of them, though, as Kyran sensed a surge of killing intent, almost palpable that could suffocate any low-ranked mages that sensed it.


    Crackle!


    Kyran teleported just before the enemy mage''s fists came down.


    BOOOM!


    Kyran''s eyes nearly popped in surprise at the strength of the punch just then. Before he could process what was happening, he sensed the dagger-wielding mage slipped through his side.

 Chapter 1041: Recognition (1)

    sh!


    Shiloh shed his magic dagger at the enemy mage''s torso. He initially wanted to aim at his heart, but the enemy mage managed to twist his body to the right. This happened just when Shiloh appeared at the enemy mage''s left.


    However.


    Sizzle!


    "Ngh...!"


    Simr to how Britta reacted when her javelin''s shaft hit the enemy mage''s armor, a sizzling sound followed.


    Fortunately, Shiloh''s magic dagger was a rare magic item and not a weapon manifested from his magic core. If it were, he would suffer the same stinging pain Britta did.


    Shiloh retracted his magic dagger and cast a Sound wave attack once more to stun the enemy mage. He did this because he knew it would have been impossible for him to evade a follow-through attack from the enemy mage.


    Kyran anticipated the enemy mage to use his Sound magic to produce that strange sound wave that could stun and disorient his senses. Not bothering to adjust his trajectory, Kyran reached out his left hand and grabbed the enemy mage that had just attacked him. Even then, he still could not sense the remaining enemy mages'' presence and could only rely on their killing intent to guess their position.


    Sizzle!


    Shiloh saw the enemy mage reach out a hand and instinctively raised his dagger to deflect it. As he did, the tip of his de sizzled, and he immediately stopped. Simultaneously, he raised a leg and delivered a kick to the enemy mage''s side.


    Unlike Shiloh''s magic dagger, his armor was imbued with both magic enhancements focusing defenses and an array for reflecting magic or physical damage. He was confident that the only reason the enemy mage''s armor could harm them was because of its strange enhancements.


    Not knowing what those were was the enemy mage''s advantage over them.


    In any case, Shiloh thought he could withstand the enemy mage''s strange armor as long as he had enough magic and physical defenses. This had been the case with Uilleam, who managed to attack the enemy mage without worrying about receiving damage.


    ''Receive damage?'' Shiloh almost froze in ce after realization struck him. It only urred to him that the nature of the enemy mage''s barrier was a little simr to the reflect damage spell. However, rather than reflecting an attack in its entirety, it felt like any attack the enemy mage received would be met with a destructive attack.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This made Shiloh wonder if he had mistaken that the nature of the enemy mage''s strength had something to do with his armor''s setting. In the end, he could only drop the subject and focus on the fight at hand. Since he was already in the motion of kicking the enemy mage, it was already toote for him to stop and adjust his attack.


    His kick connected, and just as he predicted, his armor managed to withstand the strange effect the enemy mage''s armor could have.


    "What?" Shiloh''s eyes widened the moment he realized that the enemy mage had sessfully blocked his kick by lowering his forearm.


    Kyran frowned upon realizing that the enemy mage sessfullynded a kick without his leg protector getting destroyed by the Void armor''s nature.


    "Don''t underestimate us!" Shiloh growled, and he did a 360 turn to bombard the enemy mage with kicks.


    Meanwhile, Uilleam adjusted himself and also closed in on the enemy mage. While Shiloh bombarded thetter with a series of roundhouse kicks, Uilleam looked for gaps in his motion to deliver a punch here and there.


    Kyran remained calm as he evaded the attacks aimed at him. It was truly annoying that he still failed to see even the figures or silhouettes of his enemies. At the moment, he felt as if the twobat mages were shadows he was fighting like shadows.


    [Zap them!]


    Shaiha told Kyran in exasperation. She did not understand why Kyran had to hold back at this point. He did a brazen act of killing the two Solis representatives in one move, and yet he would not do the same with these people.


    For the record, Shaiha was only ranting because she felt frustrated. Truth be told, she was aware of why Kyran could not strike them with a Void-base lightning attack.


    For one thing, Kyran only did that attack to insta-kill the two Solis representatives because he wanted to avoid triggering their seals, if there were any.


    Even if the Tower of the Ancients was situated in a separate special space from the Higher Realm and the connection of the people entering the portal would have been cut off from the outside, there was still a possibility for the Solis n to realize their representatives had died.


    They might not know who did it at this point in time, but once the Tower of the Ancients closed, they might find some clues.


    Besides, there might still be other Solis representatives lurking around that the official representatives did not know of.


    This had been the case with the de Dancer n, so the chances of this notion being true were high.


    Secondly, Kyran had a clear view of the Solis representatives. Thus, when he struck, they were hit in one try.


    The situation Kyran was in this time was different, apart from his senses bing useless. His strike would have been seen or felt by the enemy mages, especially the one possessing Sound magic.


    Technically, light-based attacks could move faster than sound-based attacks. If this was the case, then it was not wrong to think that Light magic''s nature could outperform the nature of Sound magic.


    But Kyran''s lightning was not based on Light magic. In fact, it was based on his Draconic and Void magic. He could not put it in words, but he couldbine the two and mimic the effect of Lightning magic.


    Kyran could only guess that the reason behind this was due to the Dragon n, or in particr, the Dragon Emperor''s tribe, was focused on Air magic, which could be considered the main branch of Lightning magic. So, what was the connection between Draconic magic and Air magic? It had more to do with Kyran possessing the Dragon Emperor''s blood, thus being sensitive to Air magic.


    As a matter of fact, whenever Kyran used Draconic magic, he could feel the Air magic energies in the surroundings stir far more than other elements.


    This was not to say that Kyran''s Draconic magic only reacted to Air magic. There were other elements, but at the moment, because of him possessing the Dragon Emperor''s bloodline.


    In the end, Kyran could only ignore Shaiha''s words and endured the Sound wave attack by the enemy mage.


    However, the moment the sonar-like attack swept through Kyran''s body, he found that he was unaffected by its stunning effect this time.


    "Now, Uilleam!" Shiloh shouted the moment he saw the enemy mage''s movement stop.


    Uilleam need not be told twice. Upon seeing the enemy mage''s movement falter, he rushed forward and put all the weight he could muster on his right arm. He used the sudden movement he did to gather force and momentum to his punch.


    BAM!


    The whole area shook as Uilleam felt his fist connected to something solid. He waited to hear the sound of shattering but to no avail.


    At that moment, Uilleam sensed a foreboding as his heart palpitated in fear. No longer waiting for the result of his punch, he decided to retreat and jump.


    Unfortunately, he could not do that as a fist came at his face, sending him reeling backward for a few feet.


    Shiloh, who had witnessed what happened by emitting his sonar-like attack, was also dumbfounded. He had witnessed Uilleam''s fist connected, but for some unknown reason, the enemy mage sessfully absorbed Uilleam''s attack with no problem. After that, the enemy mage closed the gap between him and Uilleam and sent out a punch, targetting thetter''s face.


    The enemy mage''s fistnded too perfectly that Shiloh wondered if he was no longer affected by the multi-casted spells he used. But then it hit him: how long had it been since he cast his spells?


    Shiloh was not given any time to dwell on this question as the enemy mage refrained from pursuing Uilleam and changed direction to him.


    Kyran felt a strange energy sweeping his body just before the enemy mage''s fist hit him. When thetter''s fist finally connected, Kyran expected to be forced back a few steps by the impact.


    However, that did not happen. Instead, the power that came from the enemy mage''s fist exploded outward while avoiding him. Soon after that, he realized that the multi-casted spells no longer affected his senses. It felt as if a ck veil had been removed in his eyes and he could finally see clearly.


    Because of this, Kyran no longer hesitated and punched the enemy mage before him. After that, he did not pursue him but went after the one who wielded a dagger.


    The fact that the effect of the multi-casted spells no longer affected him did not matter. Since he wanted to kill the guy first, then he would do just that.

 Chapter 1042: Recognition (2)

    When the dagger-wielding enemy mage first reacted to the Dragon Steps, Kyran wondered if he had a way of tracking him through his innate magic. Kyran considered the former to possess a rare innate ability of precognition, which might have allowed him to see the future for a few seconds.


    Kyran then thought that by moving faster than the enemy mage''s precognition could reveal his next position, he might be able to find a breakthrough and gain an advantage.


    In the end, Kyran deemed that increasing the Dragon Steps'' speed was not the answer. If the enemy mage''s innate ability were indeed precognition, it would not be limited to predicting his movements. On the off chance that the enemy mage predicted Kyran''s n, then everything would have been pointless.


    But something changed Kyran''s mind about his initial assumption of the enemy mage''s innate ability.


    It happened when the three enemy mages managed to get the upper hand and almostnded a direct hit on Kyran. In that situation, Kyran knew using Dragon Steps would be futile and, thus, teleported instead. When he was sessful, and the enemy mage he thought possessed precognition failed to predict it, he knew his line of thought had been wrong.


    Instead, Kyran racked his brain while focusing on the enemy mage''s innate magic. He recalled everything he knew about Sound magic¡ª presuming it was the dagger-wielding enemy mage''s innate magic and not just something he couldmand. It was at that moment that he sensed the unseen attack that stunned him previously.


    By then, Kyran already had an idea of what caused it and knew that the stun was only an aftereffect of the sound wave the enemy mage released.


    After that, the subtle hints akin to puzzle pieces formed a huge image in Kyran''s head as he figured out how the enemy mage could predict his position.


    Rather than use the term predict, it was better to say that the enemy mage determined Kyran''s position by sending out sonar waves simr to bats. Doing so allowed the enemy mage to pinpoint Kyran''s position because no matter how fast he moved, his body was still a solid mass that could reflect sound upon getting hit by the enemy mage''s sonar wave.


    However, if Kyran teleported, his whole body would disappearpletely before reappearing at the spot where he wanted to be. Thus, the sonar wave would fail to detect a sound because a body was not there to reflect it.


    The enemy mage was smart, though. He did not stop releasing the sonar wave when he failed to find Kyran and continued to release them until Kyran was finally hit.


    Kyran was slightly disoriented after that. Thus, he missed his original target and killed a different one.


    Ultimately, Kyran was convinced that the enemy mage could utilize Sound magic''s nature to speed up and figure out his position by releasing sonar waves.


    Knowing these facts would not have changed Kyran''s situation much. After all, the fact that he could only rely on their killing intent to guess their position remained. He had been relying on pure instincts to evade their attacks, but all of those had been close calls.


    If only Kyran could see their action, even a subtle movement to guess their next move, he could turn the tides against them.


    But then something unexpected happened.


    The multi-casted spells around the area lost their effects, ultimately allowing him to see the enemies.


    Without wasting any more time, Kyran moved in for the kill. Now that he had a clear, unobstructed view of his enemy, he could strike them with Void-based lightning attacks.


    At the moment, Kyran could only target one of the enemy mages because they were not positioned in the same direction, meaning he did not have a clear view of the other.


    Kyran''s eyes glinted as he struck the dagger-wielding enemy mage.


    Crackle!


    But.


    "Ngh¡­!"


    Shiloh was shocked at the strength of the lightning attack that struck him at point nk. If not for his armor''s enhancements, he would have been fatally wounded. Nheless, he could not rx just because he managed to escape death because after that strike, his armor''s enhancements and array were utterly destroyed.


    "Shiloh!" Uilleam called, realizing Shiloh''s predicament.


    Unlike Shiloh, Uilleam had not realized that the multi-casted spells were gone. Thus, he did not bother using telepathy and usually spoke to thetter.


    Uilleam regained his bnce and immediately shot forward to the enemy mage, who seemed fixated on Shiloh.


    Unfortunately, he miscalcted the enemy mage''s intention and was shocked when thetter disappeared before his eyes.


    "Uilleam!" Shiloh shouted in fear. Though he had not figured out the enemy mage''s new movement technique, the fact that he could not detect it with his sonar spelled danger.


    Shiloh used the nature of his magic to ensure his warning could reach Uilleam faster than the enemy mage''s reappearance.


    On the other hand, Uilleam felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck and immediately reinforced his armor with his Armor magic.


    Crackle!


    Ding!


    Uilleam''s body barely endured the impact after getting hit by the dark purple lightning. If he had not reinforced his armor with his magic, he would have been rendered immobile and unable to dodge the attack from the enemy mage that followed.


    After casting the lightning attack, Kyran closed in on Uilleam¡ª as Shiloh, the dagger-wielding enemy mage, called him¡ª and brandished his swords, aiming at thetter''s neck.


    Krrshhk!


    Kyran furrowed his brows as the des of his swords grazed the surface of Uilleam''s armor and produced rasping sounds. His swords were imbued with Void magic energy, yet Uilleam still managed to defend against it.


    How was that possible?


    Kyran sensed Uilleam''s defense-oriented magic was quite special to withstand the dissolving effect of his Void armor. But he did not expect it to continue defending against the Void''s nature, especially when the des of his swords were imbued with highly concentrated Void magic energy.


    Kyran had no time to dwell on the missed opportunity as he sensed magic activity from Shiloh''s position.


    [Kyran! That guy is trying to reestablish the spells and rob you of your senses again!]


    Shaiha''s warning came at the same time Kyran realized Shiloh''s intentions.


    Without responding to Shaiha, Kyran decided to deal with Shiloh once and for all.


    But.


    Crack! Shatter!


    "What?" Shiloh''s eyes widened in shock as the magic arrays he summoned shattered.


    Kyran was simrly surprised. But he did not stop because of this strange urrence and took this opening to teleport right in front of Shiloh.


    Shiloh''s eyes constricted when he witnessed the enemy mage disappear from his line of sight. By then, he knew that he was f*cked up.


    A prickling sensation tethered right at the side of Shiloh''s neck as his peripheral view caught sight of a dark purple sh aimed at it. That sh came from the enemy mage''s weapon. Shiloh would not have panicked if this had happened a few minutes back because his armor, which came up to his neck, could deflect any form of attack.


    But his armor enhancements were already gone, and a regr de could have easily cut and killed him.


    Shiloh''s instincts shouted that he should not give up and try to utilize the nature of his magic to escape. But deep down, his will seemed to have already given up to fate.


    "Don''t just stand there! Move!" Uilleam shouted at Shiloh while pushing thetter away.


    Krrshhk!


    Kyran gritted his teeth in annoyance as, once again, his swords only grazed Uilleam''s armor.


    "Ngh¡­!"


    But this time, Uilleam uttered a muffled cry as he felt a sting seeped into his skin. Sensing this made him realize that the enemy mage''s swords managed to sink into his armor.


    Kyran caught on to this and immediatelyunched a tirade of sword attacks.


    Uilleam tried to defend against the enemy mage''s sword attacks by blocking them with his forearms. However, the more he deflected them, the more he noticed his armor in that part was running thin.


    Shiloh, who tumbled to the side after getting pushed aside by Uilleam, could not help but gape at them dumbfoundedly.


    It seemed ironic that Shiloh and Uilleam, who were supposed to be part of the de Dancer n, were pressured by the enemy mage''s sword dance.


    If others were to see them, one would wonder who the actual members of the de Dancer n were between them.


    Fortunately, Uilleam still managed to defend against the enemy mage''s tirade of sword attacks as he continued to utilize his Armor magic.


    Seeing this allowed Shiloh to regain his senses. This was not the time to be awed by their enemy. With this in mind, he charged at the enemy mage while removing his armor and recing it with new ones in the blink of an eye.


    Or at least, that was what Shiloh nned to do.


    "I-I can''t use my storage pouch!"


    Uilleam heard him, but since he was too focused on defending against Kyran, he could not respond.


    "Guah!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Until the enemy mage''s swords finally managed to prate through his armor!


    [Kyran, this¡­!]


    Shaiha''s excitement could be heard from her exmation.


    Even without the connection he had with her, Kyran knew why she got excited. In fact, he also felt something was amiss the moment Shiloh''s multi-casted spells disappeared.


    That was right.


    Contrary to what Shiloh believed, his spells did not exceed its duration. Instead, their effects were forcefully removed.


    This was also the case with Shiloh''s inability to open his storage pouch, which required one to use his magic sense, and Uilleam''s Armor magic inability to continue reinforcing his armor.


    Kyran clearly saw why it happened. It was because Shiloh and Uilleam could no longer utilize their magic energy and the magic energies in their surroundings.


    [¡­the Tower seems to have genuinely recognized you if it''s helping you like this!]

 Chapter 1043: Capture

    Kyran did not try to refute Shaiha''s notion this time. While the reason could be that he was busy dealing with the two de Dancer n representatives before him, he could not deny that the magic energies in the surroundings were avoiding them.


    On the other hand, Kyran could sense the magic energies swirling around him, akin to moths drawn to mes. He even felt that they wanted him to use them as he pleased.


    No matter how sensitive a mage was to the flow of magic energies in the surroundings, such feelings should not have been possible.


    Kyran could only feel that way because his sensitivity to them had reached a whole new level.


    One of the things Kyran learned in the Higher Realm was how mages developed their magic senses to another level. In the Lower Realm, there were five levels to a mage''s magic senses. Kyran managed to achieve the highest level, but that was not enoughpared to the magic sense the mages of the Higher Realm could utilize.


    At that moment, Kyran was finally experiencing the magic sense that exceeded the level a mage from the Lower Realm could attain. Nheless, he was unsure if this feeling was only possible because the tower had indeed recognized him.


    Meanwhile, when Uilleam realized they could no longer utilize his magic, he endured the pain of his injury and grabbed Shiloh before sprinting away from the enemy mage with all his might.


    "Tsk," Kyran clicked his tongue.


    There were a few reasons he refrained from revealing his cards at the start or middle of the fight against his enemies, especially his insta-kill moves like the ck Hole or Void weapons.


    One reason was that he wanted first to gain as much information about his enemies as possible before going in for the kill. Depending on the kind of information he was after, he might even act weak.


    Another was that overusing his insta-kill moves was pretty draining. It was mentally and physically draining even if he had substantial magic energy reserves and could absorb magic energies in the surroundings like a vacuum. At the moment, his body was strengthened after consuming the Elixir, but the improvements did not involve his mentality.


    Like others, he possessed a strong mental fortitude but would still get exhausted. This was especially true whenever he used two Ancient magic alternately, or inbination.


    Finally, there was the reason he did not want to scare his enemies too early and let them escape before he could gather any intel about their intentions or origin.


    There were more reasons, but these three were the topmost ones.


    At that moment, Uilleam''s move to escape pissed Kyran.


    Kyran had mostly guessed their reason for appearing there. But having a guess was not enough. He needed to understand more about the intentions of the other ns. Although they were not after him because of his real identity, he still had other doubts he wanted to clear before disposing of them.


    Kyran intended to kill Shiloh, but at the very least, he wanted to capture Uilleam. If thetter cooperated, Kyran intended to spare him. It might have been impossible to make him a Servant or a Sigil because of his higher mage level, but cing a mark on him was still possible.


    Crackle!


    The space around Kyran distorted as he disappeared and appeared right in front of Uilleam.


    Uilleam seemed unfazed when he saw him and even looked like he expected him to appear there. He made an abrupt stop just in time before colliding with Kyran and swerving his body to gather enough force. Then, using all the weight he could muster and adding it to the force, he threw Shiloh away.


    "No! Uilleam!" Shiloh shouted in protest as he realized what Uilleam intended to do.


    Seeing Uilleam''s move, Kyran felt a little conflicted. Capturing Uilleam had been Kyran''s intention, but the former''s treatment of Shiloh showed thetter held a higher position among the three.


    Now that Kyran''s sight was no longer obstructed, he glimpsed Shiloh''s features and could not help but associate him with the crazy woman who had chased him back in the unnamed ne. They also possessed simr innate magic¡ª Sound.


    The de Dancer n was also among the ns that supported The Emperor. If Kyran could infiltrate that n from the inside...


    These thoughts shed through Kyran''s mind in but a mere second. The next second, he decided to capture both of them alive.


    Of course, capturing them alive did not mean he would spare them from injuries. The least he could do was ensure the two could not escape.


    With that in mind, Kyran did not hesitate to cut both Uilleam''s arms.


    "AAAAARGHH!" Uilleam bellowed in pain as he fell to the ground.


    Since Kyran''s swords were imbued with Void magic, Uilleam would not suffer loss of blood after his arms were cut.


    "UILLEAM!" Shiloh, who was still in the motion of being thrown at the time, shouted in both anger and fear. As much as he wanted to go back and save Uilleam, he was useless if he could not use his magic. This was because even if he wielded a magic dagger, that did not mean he was abat mage. He was a full-fledged mage and an Enchanter.


    Compared to Shiloh, Uilleam, an Abjurer, was theirbat mage.


    For the record, Britta was also a mage, and she was a Transmuter.


    In any case, looking at the enemy mage, Shiloh knew he had little chance of saving Uilleam.


    No. That was not entirely correct.


    At the moment, there was no way for Shiloh to save Uilleam. After all, he did not even know if he could save himself.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Shiloh witnessed the enemy mage''s figure disappear again. After that, a sudden thought came to mind, making him break out in a cold sweat instantly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''That is no movement technique¡ª!''


    Shiloh''s pupils constricted as the enemy mage appeared before him.


    As he appeared before him, Kyran saw the shadow of recognition mirrored in Shiloh''s eyes. But that did not stop him from making a move. In fact, when he appeared, he was already in the motion of cleaving Shiloh''s legs.


    "NGH¡ª!" Shiloh bit his lips before he could utter a scream. With his legs cut off, his whole body wobbled, and he fell directly to the ground. As if like a ragdoll, he bounced off the ground a few times before skidding to a stop.


    Like Uilleam, his legs did not bleed. It was unbearably painful, but in the end, there was no blood. This urrence only convinced Shiloh of hisst thought.


    "Y-You... You have the Void core!" he stuttered as bits of sweat trickled down his face.


    Shiloh''s sweat could have been from his fear upon recognizing Kyran''s identity, the pain of having his legs cut off, or maybe both. Regardless of the reason, his reaction was expected.


    Uilleam, who was a distance away, barely heard what Shiloh said and was shocked by this revtion. Only then did it make sense to him.


    How the enemy could move in the blink of an eye, how his armor could destroy anything that made contact with it, or how no blood came out even after Britta, him, and Shiloh were cut.


    Kyran tilted his head as he stood before Shiloh. Like The Emperor, thetter did not say, ''You possess Void Magic,'' but instead, said, ''You have the Void Core.''


    By now, he was already aware that the Ancients were the ones who created the four Ancient Magic Cores. And apparently, everyone in the Higher Realm, or at least those who realized he had one, referred to it as such.


    Once again, Kyran wondered why the Ancients created the Ancient Magic Cores. Moreover, how were they all connected to Shaiha and the Realm Scion? He felt the Ancients were creating the Ancient Magic Cores to produce a new Realm Scion. But if this was true, why did they want to make one? Wasn''t the Higher Being the Realm Scion at that time?


    These were only Kyran''s conjectures. A conjecture that he felt was close to the truth, especially when Shaiha, who could sense his thoughts regardless of whether he wanted to or not, refrained frommenting on it.


    "Don''t try tomit suicide," Kyran told Shiloh, choosing to ignore thetter''s remark. "Because I have ways to bring you back from the dead."


    Of course, Kyran was only saying that. He did not know that he had such capabilities. He was not the Soul Emperor, after all. Even if Cyneah was there, she did not have the Soul Core; thus, she could not utilize her magic to that extent.


    Although Cyneah might be able to imprison their souls inside the Macabre cier, at least.


    Shiloh''s eyes widened upon hearing this. This was because he knew the implication of thetter''s words.


    "I see... So, you have gathered at least two of the Ancient Magic cores..."

 Chapter 1044: Truth of the Magic Cores

    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable, but he inwardly did not like how Shiloh phrased his words¡ª or, to be urate, he did not like how Shiloh used the term gather.


    As Kyran delved deeper into the mysteries of the Ancient Magic Cores and uncovered fragments of The Fall, a chilling premonition gripped him.


    Was it truly the duty of the Realm Scion to amass all four Ancient Magic Cores to im The Realm?


    If this was the case, and Shaiha, the one responsible for acknowledging the candidate for the Realm Scion position, chose Kyran, did that mean he would have to gather the Soul Core and Time Core as well?


    Kyran recalled the first time he entered his sea of consciousness. There, he discovered he had four magic cores and one central core. Two of his magic cores were active¡ªone was the Void core, and the other was the Draconic core. Two more magic cores appeared empty or inactive.


    Soon Kyran learned that the magic cores were where a mage''s knowledge and experience would umte through time. It was also where a mage could store magic energy reserves that they could use for emergencies when there were not enough magic energies in the surroundings they could use to cast a spell.


    But based on what Can told him during their first meeting, a mage could only possess one magic core, with two being a rare urrence. Mages who inherited Ancient magic, on the other hand, would always possess a minimum of two magic cores because the amount of knowledge and experience his or her predecessor had umted being passed on to them would not be enough in one magic core.


    Can said more things back then, but the point was that he did not say anything about the possibility that those magic cores were intended to amodate all four Ancient Magic Cores. Then again, he might not have said anything because he was also unaware of it.


    Kyran did not know if Ste had more than two magic cores, given that Time Keepers had been born from the Tower Family for generations and had likely umted more magic knowledge and experience than the other sessors of Ancient Magic over those years.


    As for Cyneah, she never had the Soul core in the first ce, so she only had one magic core. Kyran never really delved into what White Lily did when she took Cyneah''s magic and created Haylee because it involvedplex magic. Honestly, it was one of the few magic he had yet to understandpletely.


    In any case, there were a lot of things that were just starting to make sense to Kyran after learning more about the Ancients and The Fall. But the more he made sense of what happened back then and how the Realm Scion was connected to them, the more he refused to ept bing one.


    After all, Kyran swore to return Cyneah''s sight.


    Cyneah was the rightful sessor of the Soul Core, so she should have two magic cores at the very least. But she never inherited the Soul Core. Thus, she only possessed one. Ultimately, White Lily took that magic core, creating Haylee to house it, leaving Cyneah with no magic cores.


    When Haylee returned to Cyneah, Kyran initially believed that her sight would have returned because the former had both the should-be empty magic core and the Soul core. Unfortunately, La managed to extract herself from Haylee before she returned to Cyneah and took both magic cores with her.


    Since her sight was connected to her magic, without her magic cores, it would be impossible for her to see again.


    But if Kyran acknowledged his identity as the Realm Scion and he was meant to gather the rest of the Ancient Magic Cores, it would mean that he could not return Cyneah''s sight.


    All of these things shed through Kyran''s mind in but a brief moment. He immediately pushed them at the back of his head as he looked at Shiloh and said, "You seem to know a lot about the Ancient magic cores. Seems like keeping you alive will be worthwhile."


    [It is not.]


    Shaiha objected at once.


    [Keeping them alive can pose a huge threat to you. They are members of the n that was loyal to The Emperor. If you allow them to live they will grab the chance to inform the Solis n of your identity. When that happens, the Higher Realm will be in turmoil once the Tower of the Ancients closes!]


    Kyran understood Shaiha''s concerns. But unlike her, he was confident he could keep Shiloh and Uilleam from informing their n about him. Besides, they were still inside the Tower of the Ancients. As long as they were there, they could not contact their n.


    Shiloh endured the pain in his legs as he looked at the enemy before him.


    "You''re not even going to deny it."


    "What''s there to deny?"


    "If you think you have the advantage because you can utilize the Void core''s nature, you''re wrong," Shiloh smirked. "Even if you can teleport or warp a long distance, now that we are aware of your existence, it will only be a matter of time before you are found out."


    Kyran raised his brows and smiled in amusement. He did not respond to Shiloh and instead reached out his hand as if to grab thetter''s head.


    The moment Kyran''s hand moved, however, Shiloh jolted involuntarily. After that, his face darkened as if ashamed of being unable to control the fear inside him.


    Kyran sneered at Shiloh''s weak attempt to threaten him and lowered his hand.


    "Say that again after we leave the tower. At least by then, I might really consider your words a threat," he said before turning his attention toward Uilleam.


    Uilleam had mostly recovered. Unfortunately, his arms were already a lost cause. He might not know a lot about the Void core, but he knew that anything cut by it would have no chance of regenerating.


    [Are you really going to allow them to live?]


    Shaiha could not help but ask Kyran once more.


    [I know you''re thinking of marking them, but that is only a temporary remedy. You might not be bound by mage level, but that does not mean that you have to ignore the fact that they are peak High Sovereigns. Apart from that, we are in the Higher Realm. Things are different in this cepared to the Lower Realm.]


    ''You''re wrong,'' Kyran finally responded to her. ''We are in the tower, not in the Higher Realm. Moreover, we are inside the tower. I have all the advantages.''


    [Humph. Now that it is convenient, you finally agree to the fact that the tower has acknowledged you.]


    ''I''m not agreeing to anything. But I''ll use anything there is to my advantage.''


    [Be careful what you speak or think.]


    Shaiha warned him.


    [Diara already warned you that the tower has its own sentient. If it hears or observes that you are going to take advantage of it, it might reconsider acknowledging you as the Realm Scion.]


    Kyran sighed inwardly and no longer responded to Shaiha. He felt that if he continued to talk to her, he would only have a headache.


    "You seemed more sensible than this guy," Kyran said to Uilleam while gesturing toward Shiloh.


    Uilleam, who had mostly recovered after losing his arms, stood up and approached them.


    "His name is Shiloh," he said.


    "Uilleam!"


    "Yeah, I know."


    "..."


    "You two have been screaming each other''s name since earlier."


    "We are not screaming each other''s name¡ª!"


    Shiloh abruptly stopped midsentence when Kyran turned his attention back to him.


    "Nngh...!" he clenched his fists, feeling humiliated at his unfounded fear of the enemy mage before him.


    "What about you? What are you called?" Uilleam asked.


    "Null."


    "... I see. Such an obvious name, yet it can also be considered a trap."


    Shiloh could not help but re at Uilleam.


    "Why are you even acting polite? Have you no dignity as a member of the de Dancer n¡ª."


    "Because he spared our lives. This much should be a given," Uilleam replied, cutting Shiloh midsentence.


    "..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Kyran could not help but look at Uilleam once more. He did not expect to meet a mage from the Higher Realm who would actually act honorably. Although he might only be acting like this to ensure they could survive, Kyran was still surprised.


    Uilleam looked at Kyran once more and said, "That being said, it doesn''t mean that I have forgotten that you killed one of our own."


    "Don''t worry, I don''t expect you to."


    "That''s good," Uilleam replied as he stopped a few feet from them.


    Kyran saw him hesitate before looking at Shiloh, who remained on the ground.


    Realizing Uilleam''s intention, Kyran chuckled and said, "You can go. I won''t do anything."


    "Thank you."


    No longer hesitant, Uilleam approached and knelt before Shiloh.


    "I''m sorry I can''t help you up, but I can at least carry you on my back if you wrap your arms around my neck."


    Hearing Uilleam made Kyran frown slightly. Now that he thought of it, he did cut Uilleam''s arms and Shiloh''s legs. There was no way Uilleam could carry Shiloh.

 Chapter 1045: Privilege

    Kyran marked Shiloh and Uilleam before creating an automa part to rece their missing limbs. He did this because they could be a liability if they were to encounter another one of the tower''s challenges or an ambush from another group.


    Then again, now that the tower recognizes Kyran''s identity, he might be able to effortlessly navigate through the tower and its challenges and even transfer to other levels at will. He would not do that, however, because he was sure the tower would only allow him to do that and not the people with him.


    After resolving the matter with Shiloh and Uilleam, Kyran took them and returned with the others.


    Cyneah, who already sensed their arrival could not help but wear a perplexed expression.


    "I''ve marked them. They will not pose a threat for now."


    "Yes, I can see that," Cyneah replied, looking at Shiloh and Uilleam''s lights, which were now mixed with a ck hole-like mark in the middle.


    The ck hole was directly ced at the center of their lights, so Cyneah guessed that if they ever thought of betraying Kyran, it would consume their lights in a heartbeat.


    Shiloh and Uilleam were shocked to see Cyneah.


    Back at the tform, when all the other n representatives were waiting for the tower to open, Shiloh and Uilleam were among several representatives who were mesmerized by Cynean''s beauty and presence.


    As an unknown figure from the Dragon n, she already drew a lot of attention, and her appearance, which was pleasing to the eyes, made her stand out even more.


    "But don''t you think your¡­ hobby is getting a little out of hand recently?"


    "Hobby¡ª?" Kyran stopped short before letting out a muffled groan. "I did not kidnap them."


    "So you admit kidnapping is your hobby," Cyneah teased in amusement.


    "¡­"


    Kyran knew she was only teasing. Nheless, he felt wronged whenever his hobby was mentioned. They were his hostages, okay? It was not like he took them with a ransom in mind.


    Wait.


    Now that he thought of it, Uilleam''s treatment of Shiloh suggested thetter was someone important. Maybe Kyran could extort the de Dancer n for his release. He was in dire need of resources, after all.


    [What are you even thinking? Aren''t you going to the Dragon ne after leaving this ce? Why would you need to extort others? Besides, the Tower has recognized you, and there are plenty of hidden resources and treasures here. Just say the word, and I''m sure it will surrender everything to you.]


    ''...''


    Kyran was rendered speechless once more. Extorting the de Dancer n for Shiloh was just a passing thought. Couldn''t Shaiha take a hint? Did she have to give sidements at every thought that crossed his mind?


    Meanwhile, Shiloh and Uilleam wore grave expressions after witnessing the light exchange between Cyneah and Kyran. Now that they were aware of thetter''s identity, apart from him being the same one that A encountered in the unnamed ne, he already posed a huge threat to them.


    But it seemed they had merely seen the tip of the iceberg of how huge of a threat he really posed, especially when he was already on good terms with the Dragon n.


    Kyran sensed Shiloh and Uilleam''s change in demeanor upon seeing his interaction with Cyneah. He btedly realized that in their eyes, Cyneah looked like a true Dragon n member.


    Now that Shiloh and Uilleam were aware of Kyran''s identity, or at least believed they were aware of it, seeing him interact well with a dragon probably gave them the false impression that he was already acquainted with them¡ª not that they were wrong.


    Technically, Kyran was acquainted with the Dragon n. But being acquainted did not mean they were on good terms.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shiloh and Uilleam did not need to know that, though. And Kyran did not mind them misunderstanding that point.


    "They''ll join us for now," Kyran refrained from reacting to Cyneah''s teasing and veered the conversation back on track. "We could use a few decoys, too."


    "..."


    Shiloh and Uilleam did not say anything to Kyran''sst remark, but their faces darkened.


    "Decoys, huh," Cyneah replied with a slight smile. Although she did not borate on her response, Kyran knew what she was thinking.


    Using a decoy was not his thing. Thus, that remark was only to annoy the two hostages.


    "How are the others?" Kyran asked, changing the subject and turning his attention to the battle happening a few meters ahead.


    "They''re almost done cleaning up," Cyneah answered, turning her attention back to the battle as well.


    Shiloh and Uilleam felt aggrieved at Cyneah and Kyran''sx attitude. They were marked, yes, but that did not mean they would not attempt to escape.


    ''...''


    Shiloh and Uilleam''s faces darkened at the thought of escaping. Given how they could still not circte their magic energy, it would be impossible for them to escape from Kyran.


    As Cyneah said, Auto-one and Aki had nearly done dealing with the automatons in the area. Since their numbers had already been reduced to two digits, the Ancients were no longer providing assistance from the rear. Instead, they were checking all the automatons that Auto-one and Aki defeated to ensure they would not reactivate.


    A few minutester, Auto-one and Aki defeated all the automatons. Kyran had the Ancients assist him in checking the defeated automatons to see if he could reconfigure their settings.


    "Do you even have to reconfigure them? I can already sense the tower''s energy in you, so there is no need for you to do that. Command them any time you want," Diara told Kyran with a shrug.


    Cyneah, Shiloh, and Uilleam were surprised at Diara''s words.


    Unlike thetter two, Cyneah was aware that the tower possessed a sentient and could acknowledge Kyran since he was the Realm Scion. Although she did not know what being the Realm Scion meant, she more or less guessed that it was a very important title among the Ancients.


    Shiloh and Uilleam, on the other hand, were shocked by the thought that someone could manipte all those automatons at will.


    For the record, they did not recognize Diara''s identity or the other Ancients. They only guessed that Diara and the others were hostages from another group like them.


    Going back to Diara''s words, Kyran could only frown in response. He knew what she was trying to tell him, but he did not know how to do that. He tried to insert his magic energy into the automatons, but they would not budge. After that, he triedmunicating with them through telepathy to no avail. He also tried speaking to them, but they remained unresponsive.


    When Kyran asked Diara what he should do, thetter only said: "Just talk to the tower. How hard can it be?"


    Kyran btedly realized that Diara was bad at exining and decided not to ask her anymore. Not wanting to waste time figuring out how tomand the automatons, he just took all two hundred automatons in his storage pouch before moving to the next area.


    "Are we not going to wait for those two?" Diara asked Kyran curiously.


    "No need," Kyran replied.


    "Hm... I don''t think these two you kidnap can rece those two in terms of battle prowess."


    "..."


    Kyran did not think Diara and the others heard his and Cyneah''s conversation earlier. So, why did they think he kidnapped Shiloh and Uilleam?


    Cyneahughed softly but did not say anything.


    Meanwhile, Kyran ignored Diara''sment altogether and had Auto-one lead the way to the next area.


    "There are a few peopleing this way, master," Auto-one warned him.


    Kyran did sense more presence approaching the intersection. Initially, those presences appeared to be observing them. They were likely weighing up whether to go to the left or right side.


    In the end, one group decided not to cross Ladon and Thorn and went to their side. The other groups were still a distance away, so it was unknown if they would go to the left or right side.


    "We''ll deal with them once they arrive," Kyran replied. Inwardly, however, he preferred not to deal with them.


    As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the presence of the grouping after them disappeared.


    Aki, Cyneah, Shiloh, and Uilleam were perplexed at what happened just then. They wondered if that group triggered a challenge along that path without them knowing. If this was the case, did it not mean that Ladon and Thorn might also encounter a new challenge after dealing with the right side?


    Auto-one, Diara, and the rest of the Ancients were unfazed at what happened, however.


    With a snort, Diara looked at Kyran and said, "Looks like you''re starting to understand how to take advantage of your privilege."


    Kyran''s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, his mind reeled at this revtion.


    Did this mean that he could simply think what he wanted, and the tower wouldply?


    But if this was all, howe the automatons did not respond when he wanted them to?


    Or could it be that he could onlymand the tower to a certain degree?


    Regardless, Kyran could not experiment with it at the moment. He''d just have to observe how the tower would react to his thoughts as they proceeded.


    With that in mind, they went to the next area.


    The next area was a white circr room. Because they had only been in a dimly lit area, the sudden brightness stung their eyes a bit. It did not take long for them to adjust however, and observe the whole area.


    The room was spacious, with faint rune writings shing at every corner. At the center of the room was a hovering gold sphere.

 Chapter 1046: Next Level

    Kyran looked at the sphere with a slight frown because he kind of knew what it was but did not know precisely how it worked. It was somewhat confusing, but he could not help it.


    He sensed the sphere was a teleportation panel because he felt a faint connection to other locations within the tower. Yet, its surface bore no runes to confirm this or discernible instructions exining how to use it. The sphere also glowed, which would typically indicate that it was active. But upon closer observation, it was inactive.


    Most importantly, Auto-one did not mention a room like this when he exined the floor''syout to Kyran.


    "This room... is not on my memory," Auto-one said to confirm Kyran''s doubts.


    Diara and the other Ancients also looked at each other in confusion. Unlike Auto-one, they knew the room. However, its appearance was what confused them.


    "We know what this room is," Diara started slowly. "But this is not supposed to be located here. Unless..."


    She looked in Kyran''s direction with narrowed eyes before saying, "Did youmand the tower to show this room?"


    "''Command''?" Shiloh and Uilleam repeated in both shock and disbelief. They had a foreboding of what Diara meant when she said that, but they also felt it was a preposterous notion.


    "I haven''t even grasped the full meaning of having this privilege. How would I ask the tower to show me this room?" Kyran replied exasperatedly at Diara''s remark.


    Diara raised her brows in surprise, "But didn''t youmand the tower to send those people back there to another location?"


    "..."


    Only after hearing her words did most of them realize how the people who were supposed to be approaching them suddenly disappeared. Most of them believed those people had disappeared because they triggered something while they were going to them. They did not expect that it was Kyran who sent them to another location¡ª or, at least, he was the one whomanded the tower to do it.


    "I... guess I did. But the idea just crossed my mind, and the towerplied," Kyran exined. "But this room... I don''t even know such a room existed."


    "This room is what we refer to as a transfer pod," one of the Ancients named Ozim exined. "Normally, this room will appear to the participants who umted enough points to allow them to go to the next level."


    "What?"


    "The next level?"


    Shiloh and Uilleam openly voiced their doubts.


    "That is not how the tower sends participants to the next level," Shiloh added, looking at Clio suspiciously.


    Z, the other female Ancient, frowned at Shiloh and said, "And what do you know about it? It''s not like you''ve been to the tower before."


    "Not us, obviously," Shiloh replied while scowling at her. He then added, "But our n has gone to the tower ever since it was discovered, and we have gathered enough data about it. Besides, our n representatives were not weak enough to be stuck at one level.


    From their report, once a group of participants sessfully attained enlightenment orpleted a particr number of challenges, they would be transported automatically to the next level. Or at least, the level the tower deemed appropriate for them."


    "To be transferred to the next level, one needs enough points. It is not based on the challenges onepletes nor how often they received enlightenment," Z insisted.


    "Once participants umte enough points, the tower will clear a route for them that leads to a room simr to this one," Kolt, another Ancient, followed up on an exnation after Z. "And then they will get transferred to the next level. They cannot skip a level, mind you."


    "Again," Shiloh was starting to get pissed at the Ancients by spouting things that he did not believe were true.


    His reaction was understandable since he did not know that Diara and the others were the Ancients who practically invented the Tower.


    "Don''t just specte things because there are people here who know more about the tower than small fry ns such as yours do," Shiloh told Kolt and Z before looking at Cyneah.


    "There is a Dragon n member right here who is one of the few who have participated in the tower since its discovery."


    Diara and the rest of the Ancients were starting to get annoyed at Shiloh''s attitude. But knowing that Kyran had marked them, they could only grit their teeth and voice their dissatisfaction politely.


    "Can we clobber this guy? Please?" Diara asked Kyran.


    "No," Kyran replied with a nk expression.


    Did she think if she said please, her request would sound ''polite'' and that he would allow it?


    In any case, Kyran did not allow it, not because he wanted to protect Shiloh but because he could not be bothered.


    Before the Ancients could protest, Kyran veered the discussion back on track.


    "If this room is supposed to send us to the next level, that sphere should be active. How will we activate it?" he asked Diara and the other Ancients.


    "Like we said, as long as one umtes enough points, they can transfer to the next level," Diara repeated matter-of-factly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The pointing system you speak of, how does it work?" Cyneah asked, finally joining in the discussion.


    "Good question," Diaramended. "How points are given differs on each level. But it is connected to the main theme of the challenges. For example, on this floor, the theme is Array and Smithing. In order for one to gain points, they either have to receive insights about these two orplete a challenge with good ratings."


    "Those rules are not mentioned at the start!" Shiloh, yet again, tried to protest.


    In his defense, he did not believe the tower would announce a vital rule, such as the point system, before sending the participants inside.


    Diara ignored him and continued, "Ratings on each challenge will depend on its objective."


    "The objectives of each challenge are not clear, though. So clearing a challenge might be different frompleting it, am I correct?" Cyneah asked.


    "That''s right," Diara confirmed. "Well, this floor''s challenges are pretty straightforward. You either defeat or reconfigure the puppets or automatons, decipher array formations, or conquer treasures."


    Kyran already had a feeling that the point system would be like that. But confirming it made him uneasy. This was because he found a problem with what they were iming. "The umtion of points... is individual. The sphere''s activation is also the same."


    Diara smiled, "That''s right. Being in the same group doesn''t mean all three of you will receive the same points. So, if one of you does not have enough..."


    "Then they will not be able to activate the sphere and move to the next level," Cyneahpleted Diara''s statement.


    "It''s good that you understand."


    "Again¡ª."


    "Shut it, de Dancer boy," Diara snorted at Shiloh before he could protest again. "I don''t care what kind of data your predecessors managed to gather about the tower. But if you want to follow that, go ahead. If you choose to ignore our advice, that''s also fine. We cannot prove our ims, anyway, and we don''t want to waste our time arguing with you.


    "Besides, this room only appeared before us because of Null. Who gets to ascend to the next level is still up to each person."


    "I may not be able to transfer then," Cyneah spoke first. "We barely faced any challenge, and I¡ª."


    "I''m not leaving you behind," Kyran assured her.


    "But if the tower''s rule is like that¡ª."


    "Then I''ll change it."


    Diara sighed, "You say you haven''t grasped your privilege, yet you''re dering such bold things."


    "It''s not like I can''t change the tower''s rule."


    Kyran spoke those words so confidently that they believed it was the case.


    "Yes and no," Diara and the Ancients replied in unison. Though Kyran was not asking a question, they thought it best to warn him about possible limitations to his privilege.


    "You can change the rules of the tower, but there is a limitation on how much you can change it. If the change you want to implement affects the tower''s objective, then it will notply. The tower may recognize you as the Realm Scion, but that does not mean you can override its authority fully," Dhruv, the Ancient whom Kyran struck earlier, exined.


    Kyran fell silent.


    Dhruv''s exnation somehow made Kyran understand why he could not reconfigure the automatons earlier.


    The objective of thest challenge might be to defeat the automatons rather than reconfigure their system. Thus, Kyran could not touch them.


    But the automatons were notpletely untouchable. He guessed that once the automatons were out of the challenge''s range, their rules would no longer apply, and he could finally reconfigure them.


    Of course, this was only Kyran''s assumption at this point. The only way for him to confirm it was by transferring to the next level.


    "In my opinion, there is a high chance you can take the young mistress with you, but..." Dhruv looked at the others, "I don''t think you can do the same with them, and... well, those two young dragons might have enough points if they seed in conquering the treasure, but if they fail, they will have to remain here."


    Kyran looked at Shiloh and Uilleam. He could not leave the two behind. However, given that their primary objective in participating was to find him and not to look for treasures, they probably did notplete that many challenges, thus not having enough points.


    "Go," Cyneah told Kyran. "I believe you should reach the highest level of the tower as soon as possible."

 Chapter 1047: Towers Will

    Kyran frowned. He did not say anything but clearly disliked the idea of leaving them behind, especially Cyneah.


    "We will keep the young mistress safe, master," Auto-one assured Kyran, his voice full of conviction. "At the very least, Aki and I are more than capable of protecting her."


    He looked toward Diara and the rest while saying this because he did not believe they would be keen on keeping Cyneah, who was rtively a stranger to them, safe just because she was important to their master.


    Kyran did not doubt Auto-one and Aki''s abilities. He also believed that he couldmand the tower to send any group that would pose a threat to them to another location. But that was only possible if he was aware of their situation.


    It was already established thatmunication between people at a certain distance inside the tower was difficult. Initially, Kyran thought that this would only be the case between two people on different floors or levels. However, he discovered thatmunication was also impossible even if they were at the same level but in different areas.


    He discovered that after failing to contact Auto-one when he was in a different area.


    The same could be said with Ladon and Thorn. The only way for them to know their current status was through the use of magic sense, and even that was limited.


    Before Kyran could respond to Auto-one, clicking and snapping sounds filled the room, and the golden sphere began to disengage.


    Diara and the rest of the Ancients looked at the spectacle before them in surprise.


    "This...!"


    Kyran and the others also watched as the golden sphere changed shape, turning into an arc-shaped door.


    Shiloh and Uilleam were simrly surprised at what they were seeing. Frankly, after Shiloh''sst attempt to make a point about how participants were transported to the next level, he and Uilleam inwardly agreed to keep their mouths shut and just observe how things transpired.


    As they did, however, they soon realized that they could no longer follow their discussion. They more or less understood their topic, yet there were things being mentioned that did not make any sense to them. In the end, they stopped trying to make sense of their conversation and continued to observe.


    Nevertheless, Shiloh and Uilleam stood by their belief about how participants were transported to the next level.


    At that moment, however, their beliefs were shaken after seeing the golden sphere change shape. They initially thought the sphere could not be an item that would allow them passage to the next level. Seeing its shape and how the center of it looked simr to a portal, however, made them think otherwise.


    Meanwhile, Diara and the rest of the Ancients were shocked at the size of the sphere''s new shape. They knew the sphere would turn into an arc-shaped door, but normally its size would only allow passage for one person. But the door before them could allow several at a time. What did that mean?


    Obviously, the tower adjusted to Kyran''s wishes.


    Diara and the rest of the Ancients felt Kyran''s hesitation at leaving any of them behind. Of course, his hesitation did not mean he had grown attached to them. Rather, their knowledge of the tower and additional manpower could allow a safer journey for them. Considering this, it was obvious why he did not want to leave them behind.


    Diara looked at Kyran speechless. She knew the tower already recognized him as the Realm Scion, but for it to indulge his every will almost in an instant was a little suspicious and even frightening.


    "Looks like the tower doesn''t mind you guys moving with me to the next level," Kyran remarked.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What about Ladon and Thorn? Are we going to leave them?"


    "They can just follow us after they umte enough points," Kyran replied to Cyneah''s question with a slight frown.


    "There is always an option of waiting," Diara chimed in while looking in the direction they just came through. "It seems like they are already finished."


    Now that she pointed it out, Kyran did sense faint traces of their presence approaching from a distance.


    "Then we''ll just wait for them," Cyneah said. But then stopped and looked in Kyran''s direction, "We can wait for them, right?"


    Kyran looked at her and sighed inwardly. He wanted to say no, but that would make him appear petty. At the very least, he only disliked their treatment of Cyneah. They were not disrespectful in any way, but their over-protectiveness was annoying.


    "Alright," Kyran replied after a short pause.


    Shiloh and Uilleam tensed up each time Ladon''s and Thorn''s names were mentioned. This was because Shiloh and Uilleam were one of the few elites from the de Dancer n who joined the Solis n when they attacked the Dragon n a few months ago.


    Shiloh and Uilleam did not feel that tension around Aki and Cyneah because they did not recognize them, but in Ladon and Thorn''s case, it was different. After all, thetter two were one of the few elites of the new generation of the Dragon n that participated in defending their ne during the attack.


    Sensing their apprehension, Kyran more or less guessed their concern and only said, "They will not attack you on sight, you can be at ease."


    Shiloh and Uilleam looked at him before exchanging nces. In the end, they did not say anything. Only on m v|le|mp|yr


    A few minutester, Ladon and Thorn arrived. The first thing they noticed was the increase in the number of people there. Initially, they thought Kyran might have chosen to take the Solis n representatives as hostages rather than kill them. But upon seeing who the two additions to the headcount were, they were surprised to see someone from the de Dancer n.


    "You two?" Thorn growled but that was all. He did sense a mark on their body and knew they were being kept as hostages.


    Shiloh and Uilleam only looked at Ladon and Thorn without saying anything. They wanted to avoid confrontation, especially when they still could not circte magic energy.


    "If you need rest, do that after we move to the next level," Kyran did not beat around the bush and told Ladon and Thorn at once.


    The two saw the arc-shaped door glowing in the middle of the room and guessed what was happening. Nheless, they did not expect to find the room that would let them transfer to the next level just like that.


    "Master, what about those two other people with you?" Auto-one asked Kyran before thetter could proceed to the door.


    "..."


    Aki sighed after seeing Kyran''s nk expression, "You... forgot about them."


    "He kidnapped two more people?"


    "..."


    "Rather than kidnap... we have to disable the other one since he is from the Solis n, while the other one is Lady Leif. In case you are unaware, she is the one pretending to be Lady Anahia," Auto-one exined.


    "Thatst part is unwanted information, Auto-one," Kyran told him. He appeared to be scolding him, but because of his uncaring attitude, no one thought he was angry.


    "My apologies, master. If you are worried about them spilling information to others, I can simply zap their memory like I did Lady Leif and erase their memories."


    "Right, there''s that option."


    "..."


    Shiloh and Uilleam were speechless at how Kyran and Auto-one discussed scary things in a very rxed manner. In a way, they were already getting used to their absurd conversation and starting to grow indifferent about it. They were not even surprised when they learned that Lady Leif was actually posing as Lady Anahia.


    This information was actually valuable to them since it pretty much confirmed which n the intruder who was suspected of having taken the portal in the unnamed ne belonged to.


    "I guess we can''t leave them here. We''ll take them with us."


    "Very well."


    It did not take Auto-one long to bring out the unconscious Leif and the captured Solis n representative from the chamber because the chamber could be essed anywhere as long as one was familiar with one''s location in each area.


    When Auto-one asked if they should wake them, Kyran replied with a curt no.


    Ladon, Thorn, Shiloh, and Uilleam were surprised to find a Solis n representative.


    Ladon and Thorn more or less guessed that Kyran had already encountered one but did not expect him to keep him alive. Then again, Kyran might have allowed him to live because he nned to interrogate him further.


    Shiloh and Uilleam, on the other hand, were surprised because they also recognized the Solis n representative. Thetter did not participate in the attack, but he was pretty well known among the Solis n Elites.


    Aki carried the Leif since she remained unconscious, while Auto-one draped the Solis n representative over his shoulder like a sack.


    "Let''s go," Kyran finally said after seeing that everyone was ready.


    After that, he went straight to the arc-shaped door and was the first one to enter.

 Chapter 1048: The Tower

    The moment Kyran stepped through the portal, he felt a simr sensation whenever he warped. It was not only concerning but downright puzzling.


    The portal, as he understood it, was a more sophisticated transportation array created by the Ancients. Yet, the magic energy that circted within it was eerily simr to Void magic.


    If one analyzed this with an open mind, the idea of the Ancients using Void magic was unsurprising. Others might even consider it as a given, especially since they seeded in creating the Void core. One could say that they would not have seeded in its creation if they were unfamiliar with it. Thus, it was not farfetched to think that the Ancients'' innate magic was Void magic.


    Of course, Kyran had these thoughts after discovering that there were beings that possessed Ancient magic, namely the Dragons, the High Elves, and the Spirits. These three possessed three of the Ancient magic, yet there was no record of beings possessing the Void. This led Kyran to consider the possibility that the Ancients possessed it.


    Ultimately, Kyran''s theory was tested when he witnessed real Ancients, with Diara as the first one, using their magic. Their innate magic was pretty diverse, giving the illusion of it possessing Void properties. But as a mage possessing the Void core itself, Kyran confirmed that their innate magic was not Void.


    In fact, he had this ufortable feeling that their innate magic was more simr to Azaloth''s¡ª which had to do with the Magic Energy itself. This was why their magic looked very diverse.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Considering all these, Kyran feltplex feelings now that he sensed Void magic energy circting within the portal.


    All these thoughts crossed Kyran''s mind in but a heartbeat. After that, the scene before him changed from looking at the raw magic energy-filled portal to looking at a room with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with ancient-looking books.


    Squarenterns floated around the room, providing just enough light for one to see.


    In the middle of the room was a circr tform where a single wooden chair was visible.


    Kyran''s expression turned solemn as a middle-aged man in a white robe, whose face was hidden under its oversized hood, suddenly appeared sitting on the chair. Kyran did not blink, but thetter just appeared without even causing a magic fluctuation.


    At that moment, Kyran knew the identity of the middle-aged man.


    ''The Tower''s sentient.''


    The middle-aged man raised his head slightly, revealing a gentle smile underneath its hood.


    "I believe this is the first time we will be meeting in person," the middle-aged man greeted.


    The moment Kyran heard the middle-aged man''s voice, his eyes widened because he recognized it from somewhere.


    "That voice...es."


    "That is correct, Void Master. I am the Towerthat oversees all Towers in existence."


    That was right. The middle-aged man''s voice was a blend of several voices, making it hard to distinguish his gender. It was the same voice that talked to Kyran when he was training in the Tower of Tribtions.


    As this thought entered Kyran''s mind, he btedly made sense of the middle-aged man''s words and was almost rendered speechless. He managed to recover in an instant and regained hisposure as he said, "All Towers in existence... I have always wondered who created the Tower of the Tribtions. I should have known that among the many ns in The Realm, only one had the capability to do so."


    "That is correct. Like the Tower of the Tribtions, this Tower of the Ancients was created by the Ancients. To be more specific, the ones who designed these towers were the Ancient''s Four Greatest Minds."


    Kyran remained indifferent, but the cogwheels in his mind seemed to whir in motion as he recalled hearing and reading about the Four Greatest Minds.


    Can mentioned them before, and Kyran also read something about them in the tablets he borrowed from Axil back in the Lower Realm.


    The Four Greatest Minds were the most intelligent and talented mages of the Ancients. They invented many groundbreaking magic items that are now considered relics or treasures. They were also the ones who researched and formed new branches of magic, such as Array, Runes, Smithing, and more.


    They introduced so many conventional and unconventional ideas on magic that some viewed them as geniuses, while others saw them as monsters.


    Ultimately, one of their creation triggered The Fall.


    Kyran did not know it before, but prior toing to the Higher Realm, he already knew that it was the Ancient Magic Cores.


    "Your thoughts are on the right track," the middle-aged man, who called himself the Tower,mented as if reading Kyran''s mind.


    Kyran frowned. Before he could say anything, the Tower continued, "Fret not. The only reason I am able to see through your thoughts is because of our connection. If not, how will Iply with your requests?"


    "My requests..." Kyran smiled wryly at him and added, "I was right then."


    "Yes," a sliver of a smile appeared on Tower''s face once more as he replied to Kyran''s words. "Since you did not want to deal with those participants, I had them go to another area and face a different challenge.


    "It is the same with the portal. You did not want to leave anyone from your group and the rest of the participants and trainees in the seventh level. Thus, I made it so they can pass through the portal as well."


    "But they can''te here."


    "And here I thought you have forgotten about them."


    "They are not recognized by the Tower. Even if I asked for it, you will not be able to grant it." Read thetest novel on M-VL-em|p,yr


    "That is correct. However, rest assured that the Young Mistress is safe. The same goes with your people. I have taken them to a... reception room so they can rx while they await your return. As for the rest...


    I have to keep them in check for now. After all, you do not consider all of them as your people."


    Kyran did not know how to respond to the Tower''s words. He guessed that his connection with him was probably simr to Shaiha in that he was able to learn things about him without having to exin himself. He was pretty obvious about how he treated the people around him, but he did not expect the Tower to understand how he valued each and every one of them.


    Only if the Tower were aware of his inner thoughts and emotions could he have known all of it.


    In any case, when the Tower mentioned Kyran''s people, he only referred to Auto-one and Aki. As for Ladon and Thorn, Kyran never considered them as such, even if they were from the Dragon n, because they barely knew each other. The same went with Diara and the other Ancients. Kyran did not see them as his people, even if they sort of swore allegiance to him, given his identity as the Realm Scion.


    But this was actually the reason Kyran did not consider them as his people because he had not epted his new identitypletely.


    If Kyran felt this way with Diara and the Ancients, who only followed him because of his Realm Scion identity, then it was the same with Leif, Shiloh, Uilleam, and the unconscious Solis representative.


    "Ah. Before anything else," the Tower suddenly said before Kyran could ask any question. "Do not worry about the participants you have killed in the Arena. The Arena is created in a way that anyone killed within its circle would be destroyedpletely. Any spell akin to life preservation or forewarning that would alert someone from their respective ns of their death is invalidated."


    Kyran raised his brows in response to the Tower''s words. He was convinced he was not worried about what Shaiha said regarding a mark or a seal on the Solis representatives that could have alerted someone from their n upon death. But after the Tower brought it up, Kyran admitted that it had been on his mind but did not want to dwell on it at the moment.


    Besides, once the tower closed, he would exit through the Dragon n''s portal so he did not have to worry about anything else.


    "It also went without saying, but the Tower of the Ancients itself is cut off from the Higher Realm. Thus, anymunication within is impossible."


    Now that the Tower said this, Kyran was reminded of something simr that Leif and Oceanus had said.


    "You have questions, and I would love to answer them. However, forgive me if my answers are limited. Don''t get me wrong," the Tower hastily added after sensing Kyran''s expression darkened. "It is not because I am not allowed to speak but because my knowledge is already outdated."


    "Since you can sense my thoughts," Kyran started, not interested in beating around the bush. "I''m sure you are aware of the things that I want to know."


    "I do."


    "How much can you tell me?"


    The Tower did not answer immediately. Instead, he seemed to be observing Kyran for a while before finally answering, "I can tell you everything. All you need to do is ask"

 Chapter 1049: Kairos

    Kyran''s gaze at the Tower was not just dubious; it wasced with suspicion. The Tower held the key to the truth about what had happened in the past before The Fall. Thus far, those he met who knew this truth were withholding the most crucial information from him. This was why he distrusted the Tower''s words.


    Was the Tower willing to tell him everything because he wanted something in return? If Kyran asked what he wanted, could he be willing toply?


    Maybe.


    But Kyran''s curiosity was not limited to the truth of the past. He was also intrigued by the two Towers, the Tower of Tribtions and the Tower of the Ancients. How were they connected? And were there more Towers out there, waiting to be discovered?


    If the Tower wanted something in return for giving Kyran that information, what else could he offer to make him willing to divulge more?


    "Be at ease, Void Master. I do not want anything in return for the things I can tell you. You may not take my word for it, which is understandable, given how we rarely interact even during your time in the Tower of the Tribtions. But if you can''t take my word for it, at the very least, I hope you can trust me as a dear friend of your parents, godmother, and uncle."


    Kyran was momentarily at a loss for words after hearing the Tower''s words. A sudden unease washed over him, a feeling he had when he btedly realized something that was far too obvious. The Tower''s words had stirred a past memory when he first met Ste.


    Everyone called Ste the Lord of the Tower. Kyran assumed that she was called that because she lived in the Tower of the Conve. Btedly, he realized that the real reason was that Ste was from the Tower Family.


    Like puzzle pieces, bits of data that Kyran decided to push aside since he could not be bothered to dwell on them during that point in time surfaced in his mind, trying to connect themselves and form a big picture.


    The Tower knew Kyran''s parents, te and Nn.


    Cade, Rin, and Nn have known each other since they were younger. They met te while they trained in the Tower of the Tribtions. After conquering the tower, te never mingled much with others.


    Where did they meet the Tower?


    The Tower of Tribtions


    Only five people have ever conquered the tower.


    Cade, Rin, te, and Nn were among these.


    The Tower oversaw all Towers created by the Ancients. But would he refer to himself as a dear friend to those five that conquered one of the towers?


    Who was the fifth person who conquered the Tower of Tribtions?


    Why had Cade, Rin, te, and Nn never spoken about him or her?


    "Your train of thought is on the right track, Void Master."


    As the Tower said this, he lowered his hood to reveal his face.


    The moment Kyran saw the Tower''s face, he felt mixed emotions.


    "You are..."


    This was because the middle-aged man before Kyran looked familiar. He only saw him once, and even then, he only glimpsed at him. But he still remembered because after seeing that memory, the owner of that memory gave him a very sad look that seemed to plead not to ask her anything.


    "The fifth one to have conquered the Tower of Tribtions and the new Overseer of all Towers belonging to the Ancients."


    "You''re Ste''s father."


    The middle-aged man had the same beautiful features as Ste that they could be mistaken as twins, albeit one male and one female.


    "You may call me Kairos, at least... that was the name I went by when I was still a human."


    "Still a human..."


    Kairos smiled; his eyes, which were so very simr to Ste''s light blue ones, had a look of mncholy in them. It was as if he was recalling something heartbreaking that he would never forget.


    "You know how the Tower of the Tribtions would help fulfill the desires of those who conquered it."


    Kyran nodded, recalling how he was tempted to exploit that reward. In the end, he chose not to rely on it, not because he believed conquering the tower would have taken too much time¡ª something that hecked back then¡ª but because he found it useless.


    Since the tower would not grant his desire but only help fulfill it.


    "You may have already guessed what your godmother''s desire was."


    Kyran did not respond, but inwardly, he nodded.


    te refused to marry into the Royal Family that ruled the ne where she came from and desired to escape that fate. After conquering the Tower of Tribtions, thetter helped her find a suitable ne where she could escape without having to bear the repercussions of living in a ne with a different magicw from what she was used to.


    The Human ne, being a remnant part of the Land of the Ancients, did not have any restrictions when it came to Magic Laws. At least, that was how Kyran and the others first thought. But now Kyran knew that the reason tall Magic Laws could be used in the Human ne was because it was and that came to be in The Realm.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Kyran inwardly shook his head and cleared his thoughts at once. This was not the time to be distracted by random thoughts¡ª not that recalling te''s case was random since it was connected to the Tower of the Tribtions.


    "And the Tower helped her achieve it."


    "Since you brought it up, you mean to say that the reason you were no longer human was because the Tower helped you achieve your desire."


    "Yes," Kairos replied solemnly. But then he smiled and added, "But I don''t believe that is what you wanted to know."


    "True, that is not my priority, but I am curious to know about it nheless," Kyran admitted with a shrug. The next moment, he looked Kairos straight in the eye and said, "I am mainly curious about what desire you have that you were willing to leave Ste behind."


    Kairos''s expression softened at the mention of Ste. He did not respond immediately to Kyran''s words and chose to contemte how he should answer. Finally, after a moment''s pause, he chose to start with a question, "Did you know how Time Keepers have long lifespans?"


    Kyran raised his brows at Kairos''s unexpected questions.


    "I suppose that makes sense to ensure Time Keepers do not die too soon in case they overused their magic," Kyran replied with a thoughtful expression.


    "Correct. It is also to prevent them from leaving without passing on the Time Core to another."


    Kyran heard and read about it from Ste and the Ancient Magic book. But rather than focusing on the flow of their conversation, Kyran could not help but dwell on the fact that Kairos used Time Core, rather than referred to it as Time Magic.


    Then again, the sessors of Ancient Magic did inherit their predecessors'' Ancient Magic Cores, so using that term was not entirely wrong. Nevertheless, it appeared too specific, as if Kairos did not want Kyran to mistake it for anything else.


    Kairos smiled as if reading Kyran''s thoughts and said, "Humans are unable to possess magic. Thus, a human capable of using magic can only be referred to as possessing a magic Core. It is the same for humans that managed to inherit the Ancient Magic Cores."


    Kyran crossed his arms and could not help but contemte Kairos''s words. He kind of understood what Kairos wanted to tell him, at the same time, he felt a little uneasy at the meaning behind them.


    "Aren''t humans... descendants of the Ancients? I know their bodies are very different from humans, but they bore a semnce to their features."


    "Humans bore an Ancients feature simply because, they are created by them."


    Kyran frowned at Kairos''s reply. There were beings that resembled humans in both realms, so what was the difference between the humans created by the Ancients and the others?


    "To make it simple, the other beings that bore simr features as humans are byproducts of the humans created by the Ancients," Kairos exined patiently.


    Kyran fell silent. He was then reminded of theplete beings in Somuli. When he examined the body, aplete being, he discovered that there were slight differences from humans in the Human ne. Kyran believed there had been humans that got transported to Somuli through a rift that appeared in the Human ne. After some time, their bodies mutated in order to adapt to Somuli''s environment.


    "You are not wrong," Kairos said, agreeing with Kyran''s theory.


    Kyran frowned slightly as he gave Kairos a strange look. He was reminded how Can read his mind the first time they met.


    "Can you not respond to my inner thoughts?"


    Kairos chuckled, "My apologies. To be honest, there is no difference, at least to me, whether you say your thoughts out loud or keep them to yourself. I can hear them loud and clear."


    "..."


    "But don''t worry. While you are in my presence, your thoughts and mine will only be heard or shared between us," Kairos added, giving Kyran a knowing smile.


    Only then did Kyran notice that Shaiha had been silent ever since he appeared in that room¡ª or at least since he met Kairos.


    Kyran suddenly had an urge to take Kairos with him so Shaiha would stop prying into his thoughts.


    "Even if that is possible, are you not worried that your thoughts will be avable to me instead?"

 Chapter 1050: Truth of the Past (1)

    "It''s better than having the opposite sex spy on my thoughts," Kyran replied bluntly.


    Kairos raised his brows in surprise. But then he burst out inughter, which Kyran found very unlike him, given how indifferent he had been while using those ovepping voices tomunicate back in the Tower of Tribtions.


    "I see... I suppose you have some thoughts you would not want the opposite sex to know."


    Kyran cleared his throat, btedly feeling conscious of Kairos''s implication. Not that thetter was wrong.


    "We are getting sidetracked," he said, diverting the conversation. "You are saying something about Time Keepers having longer life spans."


    "Indeed."


    "And your point?"


    "I had a terminal illness," Kairos confessed with a bitter smile.


    And that was all it took for Kyran to guess what Kairos''s desire must have been and why he became the Overseer of the Towers.


    "You... wanted to continue watching over Ste. That''s why you chose to be the Overseer."


    "Yes," Kairos admitted, a profound sadness was deeply ingrained in his eyes. "Ste barely knew her mother because she... died young. The one who tried to fill the void she must have felt then was the previous Time Keeper, who also left soon after the Time Core was transferred to her. I could not bear to leave her alone.


    "Malia''s concoctions dyed my illness'' symptoms, but in the end, it could not cure it. Fortunately, my illness did not hinder my capabilities as a mage. I was pretty powerful back then," Kairos added with mirth in his eyes before continuing, "But I supposed I still could not bepared with your father and Nn."


    Things that Cade and Nn could do shed through Kairos''s mind, and he smiled at the memory.


    Kyran shared the same sentiment and could not help but smile. Unlike Kairos, who remembered Cade and Nn oveing the Tower of Tribtion''s training, Kyran recalled the times they beat him up.


    But his smile was fleeting, and his expression sobered after he remembered the situation he had left in the Lower Realm to escape The Emperor''s pursuit. Though Aki more or less updated him on the situation in the Lower Realm, the fact that The Emperor was still there worried him.


    To be honest, Kyran had the crazy notion of revealing himself to any of The Emperor''s subjects and luring him back into the Higher Realm. But he knew doing that did not necessarily mean The Emperor would return without wreaking havoc in the Lower Realm.


    Aki assured Kyran that The Coven would not allow The Emperor to run amock in the Lower Realm to ensure the bnce between the two realms. Still, all of them were afraid of the Fates intervening, and if a worst-case scenario happened, they would likely be unable to do anything.


    Kairos sensed Kyran''s doubts and contemted whether to speak up about them. In the end, he decided not to because he did not want their conversation to stray too far.


    "You managed to endure the training in the Tower of Tribtions even when you were ill," Kyran could not help but apud Kairos''s determination. In a sense, he knew well how that felt. "That is quite a feat."


    Kairos shook his head, his expression turning solemn.


    "The training during our time differed from the one you went through," he told Kyran.


    Though Kairos had yet to borate on what he said, Kyran realized something from it and said, "Right. Back then, who was the Tower."


    "There was only a remnant soul."


    Kyran''s eyes widened at the revtion.


    "Because of this, the trainings were not as... challenging. Although I admit, the fatality rate was worse than now."


    "How was it different?"


    "When a mage reached a certain level in the Tower of the Tribtions, they would eventually team up with those who survived the training up to that point."


    Kyran was surprised at this. He had always thought the training in the Tower of the Tribtions had to bepleted alone.


    Kairos smiled, "We thought so as well. But then, the five of us were grouped together until we finally conquered the tower.


    "When the time to receive our reward arrived, the remnant soul revealed that the family I belonged to had ties with the Ancients that guarded all the Towers." He chuckled at the irony of it all before adding, "I suppose that exined why our family is called the Tower.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The remnant soul admitted that the tower could only help grant my desire if I agreed to be the Tower''s new Overseer."


    Kyran fell silent. Although Kairos did not say it, Kyran felt that the only reason the remnant soul had offered Kairos to be the new Overseer was because he was from the Tower Family. If it had been any other mage desiring to prolong their life, the tower would have helped find a cure or remedy to increase their lifespan.


    Kyran wondered if Kairos was given other options other than bing the Overseer. But if there were indeed other options, seeing as Kairos chose to be the Overseer, the other options might not have been promising.


    "I agreed, only because bing the Overseer one hundred percent guaranteed my survival. But after bing the Overseer, even after escaping an early death, I could only see my daughter from afar," Kairos said, his voiceced with longing.


    "I think Ste knew somehow," Kyran told him after a short pause. "About you being alive and watching over her."


    Kairos looked at him in surprise before saying with a smile, "Is that so."


    "She can always visit you. I''m sure Nn or one of my parent''s rmendations can be given to her."


    Kairos chuckled, "You are right. Yet, you are also wrong. Your parents already gave you their rmendations, thus, the only ones left would be Nn and te. Well, I don''t think te would give hers because she might be interested in giving it to her apprentice."


    Kyran was surprised by Kairos''s words. He did not expect thetter to be well-informed of his fellow conquerors'' current situation.


    "I only knew it because Nn visit me at times."


    "..."


    "As one of the five who conquered the tower, entering the highest floor is a privilege."


    Kyran furrowed his brows. He should have expected it. s, he had little understanding of the Tower of Tribtions to think of such probability.


    "Has my exnation cleared some of your doubts?"


    "It did," Kyran admitted with a nod.


    "But that is not what you truly want to know."


    "I have a lot of things I want to understand, especially about what happened in the past before The Fall."


    "Yet you doubt if I can actually give you all the answers you seek."


    Kyran did not respond. Truth be told, he thought Kairos was someone who lived during the time of The Realm. If that had been the case, he would not have any doubts that he had the answers to all his questions.


    But Kairos was not from the time of The Realm. How would he have the answers?


    "As an Overseer, I inherited all the memories of past Overseers," Kairos answered Kyran''s thoughts. "You do not have to worry about not receiving any answers."


    "Will you tell me about what happened then?"


    "Yes, and as I said, all you need to do is ask. We are in a ce where the Fates cannot intervene."


    "The Fates, huh," Kyran smiled wryly. "Can you tell me more about them, too?"


    Rather than considering Kyran''s question as a rhetorical one, Kairos chose to answer.


    "Like The Realm, they are created by the Deity."


    "''Deity?''" Kyran repeated with a slight frown. This was the first time he heard about that word.


    Kairos nodded, "The Deity can be considered the highest existence to everything. It created The Realm, the Fates, the Rules, and Magic."


    "I thought the highest existence is the Higher Being."


    "The Higher Being only inherits the governance over The Realm. At the end of the day, he or she will still be bound by the Fates, the Rules, and Magic."


    Kairos was not exactly talking in riddles, but to Kyran, his words sounded like one, and it gave him a terrible headache.


    "... okay."


    "I see you are confused," Kairos remarked with a chuckle. "You may ask questions, you know."


    "I am confused, but I''d like to hear you out first. I''ll ask questionster."


    "Very well," Kairos nodded, acknowledging Kyran''s request.


    "As I was saying, the Higher Being governed The Realm. To ensure that he or she would not overstep boundaries, the Fates, the Rules, and Magic kept him or her in check.


    "Back then, all existences in The Realm lived in harmony. But soon greed, envy, malice, strife... surfaced.


    "It all started when the Ancients'' Four Greatest Minds started to wonder if they could artificially create Ancient Magic Cores.


    "The Higher Being back then were simrly curious of the possibility. Thus, he supported them and allowed their research. But when news of this reached the others'' ears, malicious thoughts started to blossom in their hearts.


    "No one tried to stop the Four Greatest Minds, however. And though there were a lot of mage ns who saw their creations and research as too unconventional and even abomination, they coveted them and wanted everything for themselves.


    "Back then, the Higher Being remained unfazed about everything else the Ancients did because he was only interested to know if it was truly possible to create Ancient Magic Cores artificially.


    "When the Four Greatest Minds sessfully created the means to produce Ancient Magic Cores, the Higher Being started to harbor covetous thoughts about it. Soon, he demanded the Ancients to surrender their research, or else he would take it by force."

 Chapter 1051: Truth of the Past (2)

    "The King of the Ancients, however, refused the Higher Being''s demand, resulting in a devastating war."


    Kairos''s statements thus far were mostly things Kyran figured out afterbining the information he had on hand. Still, Kairos was able to fill some of the holes in Kyran''s theory, allowing him to have a better glimpse of the events of the past.


    Kyran''s insatiable curiosity was piqued by the existence of a Deity that created The Realm, the Fates, the Rules, and Magic.


    He had always wondered why everyone feared the Fates no matter which realm they resided in. He even felt that The Emperor was not an exception, even when he was considered the most powerful being in existence in their time. Now that he was aware that the Fates were created by an existence iparable to The Emperor, it all made sense.


    The existence of the Four Greatest Minds also intrigued Kyran. They were mentioned a few times in the history recorded on the tablet, and Can also shared the things he learned about them. But that information was not enough to satiate Kyran''s curiosity.


    In fact, there was something Kyran was curious about that he had yet to find someone willing to disclose it.


    What inspired the Four Greatest Minds of the Ancients to create artificial Ancient Magic Cores?


    "The Realm Scion."


    Kyran was surprised at the unexpected change in their conversation''s direction. Kairos''s remark came out of nowhere that Kyran was momentarily confused because he could not connect it with the former''sst statement.


    But then Kyran remembered that Kairos could see through his thoughts and inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''All you need to do is ask.''


    When Kairos first said this and emphasized it once more, Kyran still had his reservations. But now, he finally believed that the former could truly give him the answers.


    "How much do you know about the Realm Scion?" Kairos asked Kyran.


    Again, Kyran was taken aback at the unexpected question. Then again, Kairos probably did not want to mention things Kyran already knew, which was why he asked that question.


    "I... don''t really know much..." Kyran replied, his voice trailing off at the end of his statement because he knew that was not true. He shook his head and sighed before admitting, "Actually, I''m not sure myself."


    The moment those words came out of his lips, he knew how odd he sounded. But there were no other words that best describe what he understood about the Realm Scion.


    Kairos smiled wryly at Kyran''s response. His reaction was not because he found it odd. It was actually the opposite. He understood Kyran''s doubts and somehow empathized with him.


    "As the Realm Scion, you will inherit The Realm," Kairos started by stating the most obvious fact of being the Realm Scion.


    Kyran did not react because that was something he already gleaned just by the title alone.


    "Unfortunately, since The Realm got divided, inheriting it will be a little tricky."


    "Tricky, but not impossible, is what you mean."


    "Yes."


    Kyran sighed.


    The way to inherit The Realm was to fix it first, but that in itself was close to impossible. This was already obvious.


    "I see that you are already wondering how you can aplish it."


    "I''m not," Kyran replied with a deadpan expression.


    Kairos only chuckled in response.


    Kyran frowned but did pursue the matter.


    As Kairos said, he did start to wonder how he could fix The Realm. But he did so instinctively. If he had a choice, he could not be bothered. Nevertheless, the reason he started wondering how he could fix it was because of the Void magic''s nature.


    Can once said that Void was not all about destruction, and Kyran already realized this fact¡ª Void could be used to create something out of nothing. Considering the nature of the Void, he wondered if it was possible to create a bridge of some sort that would connect the two realms and form The Realm.


    When this thought crossed Kyran''s mind, he pushed it to the back of his mind at once. He still had a lot of things to deal with and did not want to add any more to it, especially when there were a lot of things he had to consider.


    "While we are on the topic, what do you think is needed for you to fix The Realm?"


    Kyran scowled. He disliked how Kairos''s question referred to him as if it was a given. In the end, he did not refute thetter and answered, "Magic."


    He chose to answer in general rather than specifically mention the Void.


    "True. You cannot fix The Realm with Void magic alone. You will need Magic, and you will also need the Rules."


    The moment Kairos said this, Kyran''s expression turned grim. He was beginning to understand what Kairos was getting at and dreaded the thought.


    "May I remind you that it was you who wanted to know the truth?" Kairos said, but his gentle voice suddenly sounded cold to Kyran.


    "I wanted to know the truth of what happened in the past, not the Realm Scion," Kyran replied, giving Kairos a hard look.


    "It is part of the truth."


    "What...?"


    Even as the question formed in Kyran''s mind, he stopped midway saying it out loud because he was hit with a realization.


    Why did Karios bring up the Realm Scion in their conversation?


    It was when Kyran wondered what inspired the Four Greatest Minds of the Ancients to create artificial Ancient Magic Cores.


    Kairos nodded slowly, sensing not only Kyran''s thoughts but the myriad of emotions that followed.


    "You know how the Ancients were responsible for a lot of breakthroughs in Magic knowledge, as well as the creation of several powerful and unconventional magic items," he started once more. "Those breakthroughs gave birth to different branches of Magic, and those magic items are now considered relics or treasures.


    "One of the powerful and fearsome treasures that the Ancients created that can be found here in the Tower of the Ancients is called the Looking ss."


    Kairos''s expression turned solemn as he looked at Kyran meaningfully.


    "Can you guess what it can do?"


    Kyran furrowed his brows and chose not to answer. He did not have to since Kairos would know it regardless if he said it out loud or only thought of it.


    "One of the Four Greatest Minds identally saw something in the Looking ss," Kairos continued as if he had never asked a question. "He contemted what to do of what he had seen. In the end, he chose to tell it to the other three. That was how their thoughts started to wonder if it was possible to produce the Ancient Magic Cores."


    "What did he see?" Kyran asked. He resolved to hear Kairos first before asking questions. But this time, he could not stop himself from asking.


    "You already know the answer to that."


    "..."


    Kyran fell silent. Sometimes, he disliked how he could grasp things so easily. Even more so when the things he grasped were correct.


    The Ancients saw that The Realm would fall and wanted to find a way to prevent it. But if that was the case, and they knew what caused it, should they not have gone through with their research? Or could it be that it was because they did not know what caused it that was why they went through with their research and ended up causing The Fall?


    Wait.


    Something did not seem right.


    Could it be that there was another reason that caused The Fall?


    "Yes," Kairos answered with a bitter smile. "The Four Greatest Minds'' research was only one of the things that caused The Fall."


    Kyran opened his mouth, intending to ask what other factors caused The Fall. But then he stopped because he had a feeling that he already knew the answer.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You are on the right track, Void Master."


    Kyran looked at Kairos and could not help but say, "Somehow... you reminded me of Can."


    Kairos chuckled, "Because I don''t give out a straight answer? Or is it because I can see through your thoughts?"


    Kyran frowned, "I did not know you could also look through my memories."


    "I can''t," Kairos admitted. "I only managed to glean the reasons because you momentarily thought of Can."


    "Right."


    "It is the Fates, isn''t it?" Kyran suddenly asked with a pained expression.


    "Why do you have such a pained expression? It is not like you can do anything about it."


    "I..." Kyran paused as he recalled his encounter with the Fates. "When I met the Fates back in the Lower Realm, the way they talked... gave me an impression that they are different from what I first imagined them to be."


    "What do you think they are?"


    "..."


    "It is fine. As I said, they will not be able to intervene in this ce. Not that you have to worry about that."


    "Because I am immune to them."


    "Yes."


    "..."


    A brief silence ensued after that because Kyran took a deep breath and said, "You said it yourself. The Deity created the Fates. But unlike The Realm, the Rules, and the Magic, which were abstract, they possessed a form. They can evenmunicate and appear before others."


    "Yes."


    "From the way they speak... I was reminded of a puppet... or an automaton that had yet to form their own sentient."

 Chapter 1052 : Truth of the Past (3)

    "Hmm¡­" Kairos slowly nodded his head. "I suppose an automaton is the closest creation that isparable to them."


    "¡­"


    Kairos chuckled after seeing Kyran''s expression. Thetter was good at concealing his emotions by acting indifferent. But that was rendered useless before Kairos who could sense his thoughts and emotions. And at that moment Kairos sensed Kyran''s annoyance.


    Most likely, Kyran thought Kairos would withhold information about the Fates even after saying he would tell him everything.


    Rather than assuring Kyran that he would not hide anything, Kairos started with a different approach, much to the younger man''s chagrin.


    "You mention about the Realm, the Rules and Magic being abstract in form."


    Kyran took a deep breath, deciding to humor Kairos and see where their conversation led them.


    "Was I wrong?" he wondered. "I said that based on my initial understanding of them. I did not include the possibility of them being able to manifest into a different form."


    If dragons could change their forms into humans, who''s to say that The Realm, Rules, and Magic could not do the same? Then again, thetter three were fundamentally different from the former so this might also be impossible.


    The Realm is where all nes existed. Rules provides order and stability to all existence within The Realm. Magic serves as the fuel to ensure The Realm will function.


    If one only considered the above description to describe the three creations, it would be hard to draw their definite image. Only if they managed to have an in-depth understanding of them could one imagine what form they might take.


    "Hmm... it is understandable. And base on the things running through your mind at this very moment, I can tell you that you are still on the right track."


    "Why do I feel like you''re messing with me."


    "I see that you dislike others peering into your thoughts."


    "Yes."


    "A very reasonable reaction."


    "..."


    "Kidding aside, the Deity''s creations can indeed take another form. Unfortunately, I can only tell you what form Rules took¡ª but apparently, you seem to have figured it out already."


    "..."


    Basically, Kairos sensed Kyran''s thoughts and deemed he guessed the Rules form correctly.


    "Runes," Kyran said with a sigh.


    "Yes."


    "You say you can only tell me what form Rules can take, does that mean my guess about Magic is wrong?"


    "Not exactly. As you have already guessed, Magic is the energies that flows in the surroundings. Its form can still be considered abstract, but once it is absorbed and used..."


    "It can take on any form based on the magic spell."


    "Correct."


    "And? Can we go back to the Fates?"


    "You already met them. But what exactly is it that you have seen when you met them?"


    "They don''t exactly have a form... they only showed up as pairs of huge eyes."


    Kairos nodded, "I''m sure they did. If they showed up in their true form, the bnce that kept the two realms from breaking will be destroyed."


    "Seeing those eyes gave me the impression that they have human forms. But technically they are not really humans."


    Kairos smiled. But his smile did not look like he was agreeing to Kyran''s words. Rather, his smile was simr to a teacher that was patiently waiting for his student to realize their wrong.


    And Kyran realized this almost immediately and he looked at Kairos in disbelief.


    "The Fates are humans?"


    "They are, and yet they are not. Can you guess why I said that?"


    Kyran fell silent as several thoughts shed through his mind.


    There were several things that still doesn''t make sense to him, and one of these was how humans came into existence. He initially guessed that humans were a mutation of the Ancients. But it seemed that was not the case.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "To be honest, when I first inherited all the Overseer''s knowledge, I was shocked beyond belief at the truth I have discovered. Nheless, after knowing everything, every doubt I had finally made sense."


    Kyran looked at him in silence. He could not imagine how Kairos managed to stay sane after inheriting all the Overseer''s knowledge. Because Kyran admitted that he might not be able to do the same.


    While he was fond of learning and wanting to absorb as much knowledge as possible, there was a limit to the kind of knowledge or information he could ept. And he did not think the knowledge that Kairos inherited could make him staypose.


    "The Deity was the original human, and he created the Fates in his image. For what purpose?" Kairos asked looking at Kyran in anticipation.


    Kyran was exasperated at Kairos attitude because he felt as if he was treating him like a student or a child. In the end, he did not refute the older man and tried to contemte on his question.


    "Once more, you are on the right track," Kairosmended upon seeing through Kyran''s thoughts.


    "To ensure all creations follow their premediated path, the Deity left the Fates in-charge."


    "Premediated path... does that mean The Fall is also something that has to happen?"


    "That is the thing," Kairos replied with a sigh. "No one truly knows if The Fall was part of that path. Even the Overseers before me had no answer to that.


    "Nevertheless, we believed that the Fates had started to veer out of the premediated path''s course."


    Kyran fell silent. He actually agreed to Kairos because that was how he felt when he met the Fates. In fact, he had an inkling that the Fates started to change the path right after The Fall.


    ''No... there is a possibility that they started to veer out of course even before The Fall.''


    Kairos nodded in agreement upon sensing Kyran''s thoughts.


    "We thought so, too."


    "We?" Kyran asked but soon regret it. Because he had a feeling, he would not be happy with Kairos''s answer.


    Kairos chuckled at Kyran''s reaction. The younger man could not see it, but hisplexion actually paled a little as soon as he guessed the answer to his own question.


    "Don''t worry, I am not referring to them," Kairos assured Kyran.


    When he said them, he was referring to Cade, Rin, Nn, and te.


    "Although they had their own thoughts about the matter, that was all they are. I cannot disclose the knowledge I possess just to anyone you see."


    "You only told me because I am the Realm Scion."


    "Ah... I am quite happy to hear you say that."


    "I was being sarcastic."


    "Yes, you are indeed," Kairos replied with a chuckle.


    "..."


    "When I say we, I was referring to the remnant soul of the previous Overseer of the Towers."


    Kyran raised his brows in surprise, "His soul still remains?"


    "Yes," Kairos replied with a sad smile. "But let me correct you on that and ask that you refer to the remnant soul as she."


    Kyran cleared his throat. How would he know the remnant soul was a female?


    "You are still in touch with her? I thought after she passed on her responsibilities as an Overseer to you, she will move on."


    Kairos shook his head, "The reason she stayed on as an Overseer of the towers is not only because she did not have any sessor but because she still had a lingering attachment to the living."


    "You''re not going to tell me that she hoped to meet the next Realm Scion or something before she can finally move on, are you?" Kyran said with a frown.


    "That is precisely the reason," Kairos replied, beaming at him good-naturedly.


    "..."


    "Seeing as you have not fully epted your identity, however, I doubt she can pass on in the foreseeable future."


    "... Is that an attempt to make me feel guilty?"


    "I have no such thoughts. Although, if you do feel any ounce ofpassion toward her, then I do hope you''ll consider epting being the Realm Scion."


    "The Ancient Magic Cores the Four Greatest Minds were researching were meant to be inherited by a human, right?" Kyran ignored Kairos''sst statement and veered their discussion back on track. "You said the Deity is the original human. Does that mean we, humans, are created in his image?"


    Kairos sighed inwardly at Kyran''s obvious refusal to ept his identity as the Realm Scion. In the end, he decided not to push the topic, at least for now.


    "Yes."


    "And who created the humans?"


    "The Ancients."


    Kyran was once more rendered speechless. He should have expected it, but he admitted that the answer came out of nowhere.


    "One of the Greatest Minds found a way to extract the Deity''s essence. Using that, she experimented on it by adding her own essence. Soon, she seeded in creating the first humans."


    "..."


    "I know you are still in doubt. Allow me to expand more on that subject another time."


    ''Another time...'' Kyran inwardly paused as he looked at Kairos.


    Kairos smiled at him, "Yes, Void Master. There will be another time."


    "...That''s good."


    "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, the King of the Ancients'' refusal toply with the Higher Being''s demand led to a devastating war that continued for years..."

 Chapter 1053 : Truth of the Past (4)

    Indeed, their talk about the past veered slightly off-track because they addressed what inspired the Four Greatest Minds of the Ancients to create artificial Ancient Magic Cores.


    Armed with the information Kairos had shared, Kyran pieced together a theory that filled the gaps in his understanding of what the Four Greatest Minds had discovered through the Looking ss.


    Kyran chose not to discuss his theory openly with Kairos because they would probably veer off-topic once more.


    For the record, Kyran''s understanding of what transpired back then was as follows:


    (1) The Four Greatest Minds discovered something involving the Fates that caused The Fall¡ª something far more sinister than The Fall itself, which was why the Four Greatest Minds still went ahead with researching how to produce artificial Ancient Magic Cores even when it would also trigger The Fall.


    (2) The Four Greatest Minds knew going up against the Fates was futile and did not consider stopping their n. Instead, they decided to find a way to fix The Realm after The Fall.


    (3) The only one that could fix The Realm was the Realm Scion. Back then, the Higher Being was supposed to inherit that identity. However, the Four Greatest Minds knew that the Higher Being''s magic was insufficient to fix The Realm.


    (4) The Four Greatest Minds concluded that the only way to fix The Realm was to find a suitable Realm Scion that could wield Ancient Magic.


    (5) Wielding Ancient Magic was not enough, though. If it was, they could simply employ the assistance of the three beings wielding Ancient Magic once The Fall happened. This was because they were missing the most crucial Ancient Magic¡ª Void. Unfortunately, no beings could wield the Void. In fact, the only one who could wield it was the original human, the Deity.


    (6) Considering all these, the Four Greatest Minds decided first to create humans. After that, they would find a way to produce artificial Ancient Magic Cores that humans could inherit.


    Kyran''s theory wasposed of information from all sources, such as the Ancient Magic books, tablets, and statements from beings who knew the truth, which he had acquired thus far. The rest, especially about the Deity, he got from Kairos.


    Kairos sensed Kyran''s thoughts and chose not to discuss them simply because there was no point in doing so.


    Kyran''s theory was correct, so they had no reason to discuss it further. Instead, Kairos decided to continue where they left off, hoping to allow Kyran to polish his theory better.


    "If this had been any other n, their leader would haveplied with the Higher Being''s demand and surrendered their research. But the Ancients were beings known not only for their advanced knowledge in Magic but also their bond.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I am reminded of the Regis Family wherever their bonds were concerned. Their King chose to defy the Higher Being even if it would cause their n''s downfall."


    "You mean... they knew their n would also be destroyed?"


    Kairos smiled sadly as he answered, "I don''t know. The only ones who could truly answer that question were the King and the Four Greatest Minds."


    He sighed before adding, "Regardless if they knew, that did not stop them from defying the Higher Being."


    Kyran fell silent. Hearing how the King of the Ancients did not mind destroying the whole n to save the Four Greatest Minds and their research made him remember how his n chose to hide the truth about his magic. And when the secret was revealed, they were all prepared to die if it would mean he could escape from the Royal Army.


    "In the end, the Higher Being, along with his supporters, seeded in destroying the Land of the Ancients but was unprepared for the repercussions of his actions. The Realm suffered, and The Fall happened."


    Kyran frowned after noticing Kairos''s choice of words. Rather than saying the Higher Being destroyed the Ancients, he mentioned the Land of the Ancients.


    "Although I tried to be as obvious as possible, others would not have noticed my choice of words. Truly remarkable," Kairosplimented Kyran the moment he saw through his doubts.


    "If I had not met Diara and the other Ancients here, I would not think anything was amiss, to be honest," Kyran admitted, slightly shaking his head. "The Higher Being only seeded in destroying the Land of the Ancients but failed to kill them."


    "Yes," Kairos nodded, acknowledging Kyran''s words. "Some Ancients survived. However, with time, the survivors also faded."


    "But Diara and the others..." Kyran started to reason. However, a thought crossed his mind, and he fell silent again.


    "Correct again, Void Master," Kairos replied solemnly. "The Ancients that took refuge in this tower... cannot truly be considered alive. Yes, they are still among the living. But if they tried to leave this ce¡ª or, to be more urate¡ª this space, then time will catch up on them."


    For short, Diara and the remaining surviving Ancients could not leave the Tower of the Ancients. Once they do, they would vanish the moment their time moves again.


    Kyran had no attachments to Diara and the other four Ancients who temporarily joined their group. Thus, he did not care what would happen to them. However, he still felt sorry.


    They appeared happy at the prospect of them finally leaving the tower. But if they did, they would vanish.


    "Don''t feel sorry, Void Master. If they remained here, they will survive. Who knows... maybe once you ept your identity as the Realm Scion, you may find a way to free them."


    Kyran chose not to react to Kairos''sstment. Instead, he asked, "Is the King of the Ancients still alive? Or, as you said, also among the living?"


    Kairos did not answer right away, but he did not have to because his look and smile at Kyran were enough of an answer.


    "You can sense my thoughts," Kyran started. "The things in my mind right now, are they correct?"


    Again, Kairos did not answer. After a short pause, he finally replied, "Yes and no."


    "Which is correct, which is not?"


    Kairos lowered his gaze and contemted how to answer that question.


    Kyran did not pressure the older man and waited in silence.


    After a long pause, Kairos looked at Kyran and answered, "That being who imed to be the Cause of The Fall might genuinely be the Higher Being if he said his fate was tied with Shaiha.


    "As for the King of the Ancients, I cannot give you a definite answer because my knowledge is limited to the things past Overseers knew. One thing I can tell you, however, is that the King of the Ancients did not take refuge in the tower."


    "And what can you say about my theory of his identity?"


    "...That... I do not know. Even the past Overseers could not confirm it. However, my predecessor did say she could sense him."


    "Sense him? Right now?"


    "It is faint, but she mentioned sensing the presence of their King earlier."


    Kyran''s heart sank after hearing Kairos''s statement. It was only a passing thought, but now he was about 95% sure he was onto something.


    Kairos''s expression also turned grim after sensing Kyran''s thoughts.


    "You knew where the King of the Ancients is?"


    "I still need to confirm it. When I met Can the second time, he told me a story."


    "About the Dark Sage."


    Kyran nodded, "Since you can sense my thoughts, I don''t need to fill you in on the details, right?"


    "True. However, I cannot see your memories. My understanding is limited unless you ponder what you discussed with Lord Can back then."


    "Can asked me not to be hard on La because she was not at fault for what happened in the Human ne. She did that because someone influenced her."


    "The Dark Sage."


    "Yes. Even now, La was adamant about exacting revenge. She wanted toe to the Higher Realm and confront all those who wronged the Dark Sage.


    "The more I learned about the past, the more I feel that the Dark Sage''s revenge is not that simple."


    Kairos felt strained at the sudden thought that shed through his mind. Even without sensing Kyran''s thoughts, he already understood what the younger man was trying to tell him.


    "You believe the King of the Ancients is the Dark Sage?"


    Kyran nodded, "But I am not entirely convinced. At least, after hearing how the King of the Ancients chose to protect the Four Greatest Minds rather than surrender them along with their research to the Higher Being, I don''t think he is someone who would bear a grudge."


    "I can understand what you mean."


    "However, if your predecessor did sense him earlier..." Kyran''s voice trailed off, unable toplete what he was about to say.


    He did not have to since Kairos could sense it. And the moment the older man realized it, hisplexion paled.


    "Are you absolutely sure?"


    "Yes," Kyran nodded. "If the King of the Ancients is the Dark Sage... then the one Can sealed inside the Macabre cier is him."

 Chapter 1054: Truth of the Past (5)

    Kairos furrowed his brows at Kyran''s words. His knowledge of the past was limited to the experiences and knowledge the past Overseers possessed. Thus, it was unsurprising that he did not know what Can did outside the tower''s confines.


    Indeed, Kairos''s knowledge of Can was a mere glimpse, limited to the time thetter spent in the Tower of Tribtions, leaving the rest of his story shrouded in mystery.


    Kairos''s predecessor was the Overseer then, and she had yet to sumb to her death and be a remnant soul. She also had the opportunity to meet Can in person whenever she had to present him with his rewards.


    Can would have been the first to conquer the Tower of Tribtions if not for the fact that the Overseer admitted they could not help him fulfill his desire¡ª to free La from the Dark Sage that bound her. They could not help him because they had no idea who the Dark Sage was or where to find him. Besides, back then, Can did not know who it was that had bound La.


    But it appeared that Can eventually found the Dark Sage. Unfortunately, the only thing he could do was seal him inside his treasure, the Macabre cier.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The thought of the mirror reminded Kyran of one of his doubts. He asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "I was told the Macabre cier was the Dark Sage''s magic weapon, but after learning of this tower and that he might be the King of the Ancients, I wondered if it was one of the Ancients priced treasure."


    "It is indeed possible..." Kairos''s voice trailed off as he tilted his head slightly.


    Looking at Kairos, he seemed to be listening to something he could only hear. Kyran guessed thest Overseer was speaking to Kairos at that moment.


    "...Can you describe what the mirror looked like?" Kairos asked after a brief pause.


    Kyran was somewhat surprised at the older man''s question. Then again, the mirror might have been called differently before The Fall. Thest Overseer did not react when Kyran mentioned the Macabre cier.


    For the record, Kyran believed thest Overseer was watching his and Kairos''s conversation from a concealed area, which was why he could not sense her. Nheless, he knew she was somewhere nearby, making it easier for her tomunicate with Kairos at any moment.


    "The mirror is..."


    Kyran gave a detailed description of how the Macabre cier. He only saw it up close once but could still remember what it looked like. If not, True Void would not have been able to imitate its form when he wanted him to fool Flos and Obstruction back then.


    Now that Kyran was reminded of that scene, he recalled a detail that he had not thought much of back then but had now found strange.


    His color would still be purple whenever True Void shifted into a different form. But when he turned into the Macabre cier back then, his appearance was simr to a tee that Flos and Obstruction were fooled into thinking he might be the original.


    Before Kyran''s thoughts could delve further into that memory, Kairos''s voice snapped him out of his reverie.


    "Remove possible to what I said. That mirror is indeed a treasure of the Ancients," Kairos said after a short pause, confirming Kyran''s guess. But then he shook his head with a sigh and said, "No. To be precise, the mirror was said to be a dangerous creation, and the King of the Ancients ordered it to be destroyed."


    "That''s why thest Overseer did not recognize it when I mentioned it."


    Kairos shook his head, "Not exactly. Since the mirror failed to get the King''s approval, it did not get a name. As to why it still existed when the King ordered its destruction, we don''t know."


    Kyran felt a headacheing on. He could think of only two reasons why the mirror had not been destroyed. First, the one who created it¡ª most probably one of the Four Greatest Minds¡ª could not bear to destroy it and asked the King to consider it. In return, they would find a way to fix the mirror. Second, the mirror could not be destroyed.


    Kyran leaned more toward thetter because even Can, who could use Void to turn anything into nothingness, failed to destroy it.


    "That may indeed be the case," Kairos agreed, sensing Kyran''s train of thought.


    Kyran sighed, "None of the knowledge you absorb says anything about the mirror?"


    "None," Kairos replied, shaking his head. "Most creations that the King of the Ancients deemed dangerous and ordered to be destroyed were not introduced to the public. Thus, there would be no record of it. But if the mirror exists because one of the Four Greatest Minds suggested fixing it, then... maybe there is a record somewhere that might help us better understand it."


    "If such a record existed, I''m sure it would have been in the King of the Ancients'' possession. But Can did not find such a record..." Kyran paused as a thought crossed his mind.


    As the Dark Sage''s sessor, he was supposed to receive all his treasures. But the only thing Kyran received was an unwanted title. It was said that Can took all the first of Dark Sage''s treasures, including the Macabre cier. What if there was indeed a record of the mirror, but Kyran only assumed there was none because he had not seen the Dark Sage''s other treasures?


    But Can never mentioned anything about the Dark Sage''s other treasures during their meetings inside his sea of consciousness. Then again, Can was only a fragment of the original left within the Void Core to help and teach Kyran when the right moment arrived. It was possible that Can did not possess the knowledge of the Dark Sage''s other treasures and could not tell Kyran.


    "There is no point wondering about that," Kyran finally said after a long pause. "Besides, there is still a small chance that the one sealed in the Macabre cier is not the King of the Ancients. The original Dark Sage might even be a different person altogether."


    "You don''t really think that," Kairos replied, giving Kyran a dubious smile.


    "Well, no. But since I haven''t seen the guy yet..." he frowned slightly because what he said did not make much sense. After all, even if he saw the person Can sealed in the Macabre cier, there was no way for him to confirm if it was the King of the Ancients. He did not even know what the King of the Ancients looked like.


    As for the person being the Dark Sage, Kyran could only take Can''s word for it.


    "You know, never mind," Kyran said with a sigh. "The only one who could confirm if that person is the King of the Ancients is the Ancients themselves. And I''m sorry, I can''t afford to have them near the mirror."


    Kairos nodded his head in understanding.


    "I would have felt the same if I were in your position," he said sympathetically.


    "What happened after The Fall?" Kyran veered their discussion back to what happened in the past.


    "As you may have already learned, the Higher Being suffered its repercussions when The Fall happened. Since he failed to uphold his duty to The Realm, he was stripped of his authority to possess the Heart of the Cosmos. The Heart of the Cosmos hid inside the tower until a mage favored by The Emperor discovered her.


    "You may or may not know, but The Emperor used to be the Higher Being''s sessor. So when the Higher Being disappeared, he took over and established himself as the new ''authority.''"


    "No wonder he thinks everything in the Higher Realm belongs to him."


    "Yes. In a sense, he isn''t wrong. Because at the pace he was going back then, he would eventually be an existence simr to the Higher Being."


    "''The pace he was going back then,''" Kyran repeated with a wry smile. "You mean to say that is no longer the case."


    "Exactly," Kairos nodded with a simr smile. "You are already aware of the rumors surrounding the Dragon Emperor''s imminent breakthrough."


    Kyran nodded, "The Emperor''s n also attacked the Dragon ne recently. I don''t know the odds between the two, but I heard that the Dragon n sessfully fended off their attack.


    "Although the Emperor did not participate in the attack, the Dragon Emperor was also absent. This alone is a testament that the Dragon n is gaining momentum."


    "I also only learned of it. Nheless, the Dragon Emperor, gaining momentum at this point, threatens The Emperor''s authority."


    "Let''s go back to that mage The Emperor favored," Kyran said, putting a stop to their discussion about matters happening at present so they would not veer too far from the past.


    "Of course," Kairos chuckled. "But you seem to have an idea about him."


    "La mentioned him," Kyran admitted with a slight nod. "And I''ve read a few recent entries about him from the tablets I borrowed from Axil."


    Kairos nodded, "You also thought that mage might have been the Dark Sage."


    "Yes," Kyran replied with a sigh. "Because of him, I''m not 100% sure the King of the Ancients was the Dark Sage because there were clues that point toward him."


    "Then I will tell you what I know about him. It may help you further analyze who the Dark Sage was. But I have to warn you, what I can tell you is based on the things the previous Overseers managed to glean from the Tower of the Ancients participants."

 Chapter 1055: Progression

    The hunt inside the Tower of the Ancients proceeded without much disturbance in the lower levels. After three weeks, some groups managed to gain insights and find treasures. However, even after gaining a lot of insights and discovering useful treasures, only a few managed to find their way to climb up a floor in a level.


    As for how many managed to gain enough points to move up a level, they could be counted with one''s two hands.


    To put their achievements into perspective, only eight groups managed to move up a level, with five of them sessfully moving up to at least two levels. Finally, a mere three groups achieved a feat that was truly rare, by moving more than three levels. These were not just numbers, but testament to their exceptional skills and determination.


    Such a feat was not really a first since there was a time when the Dragon n and Solis n representatives sessfully reached higher levels.


    Meanwhile, those few that were transported to a higher level at the beginning of the hunt failed to show any progress. A few groups managed to climb a few floors at the same level but had yet to receive enough points to move up.


    The rest of the people with Kyran could not be considered to have moved up a level since they were transported to different rooms.


    Just as Kairos said, most of the people in Kyran''s group were sent to a room with no windows or doors. One would feel suffocated to see such a ce, but because there were a few pieces of furniture¡ª such as tables, chairs, and sofa¡ª and a counter full of snacks and drinks, it was not that bad.


    The atmosphere in the room was tense, especially with representatives from three ns that were at odds with each other. The air was thick with unspoken tension, each representative eyeing the others warily, their differences and conflicts simmering beneath the surface.


    Ladon calmly observed the Solis representative, and the two de Dancer representatives that Kyran took as hostages. The Solis representative was still unconscious, and the two de Dancers, Shiloh and Uilleam, seemed to know him, so they decided to look after him.


    On the other hand, Leif had already regained consciousness and was shocked at the scene that greeted her. At the moment, her appearance remained that of Lady Anahia, but she had an inkling that all the people there were already aware of her true identity.


    ''W-What did I miss?'' Leif wondered as her eyes scanned the group of people in the room.


    To her left, Ladon sat calmly with Thorn, who fiercely red at the other group sitting opposite them. Near the counter, a few more people whose form Leif found pretty peculiar because of their translucency were present.


    ''Why are they here? Why am I with them? Who are they? And where is Null?''


    These were only a few questions that swirled Leif''s poor mind.


    "Stop ring at the Thorn," Ladon told Thorn, finding thetter''s attitude toward Shiloh and the others a little childish.


    "Can you me me?" Thorn hissed. Those guys dared attack us, thinking we were pushovers."


    "Regardless of what they did, they are now Null''s hostages. Besides, it is not like ring at them would do any harm. You''d only exhaust yourself. At least I feel exhausted just looking at you."


    Thorn raised his brow and looked at Ladon, "Then don''t look at me."


    "I''m not. But you are within my peripheral view, so I can''t help but see you. And don''t ask me to diver my eyes to another spot because this room is not particrly big that I can see everything just by turning my neck a little."


    Leif did not mean to eavesdrop, but just as Ladon had said, the room was not big, so any sound made could be heard by all.


    This meant, Ladon and Thorn''s conversation was also heard by Shiloh and his side.


    Leif cautiously looked over to Shiloh''s side and was surprised to see them act unperturbed by Ladon and Thorn''s conversation.


    ''These people... did Ladon say they are Null''s hostages? How...?'' Leif had already spected that Kyran had been hiding his real capabilities. He did manage to escape Alta''s pursuit back in the unnamed ne and even steal the portal to the Tower of the Ancients under the de Dancer n''s noses.


    But even then, Leif did not expect Kyran to be strong enough to beat three High Sovereigns and make them his hostages.


    Diara and the other Ancients silently observed from their corner near the counter. None of them touched the food served there simply because they did not need it¡ªnot that Ladon and the others were the same. But they were not the hosts of the tower, even if they were Ancients, and would not bother serving the others.


    In any case, Diara and the other Ancients were curious as to how these groups of people would interact now that the person who connected all of them was not present. Apart from that, they were already aware of the tension between the Dragon Emperor and The Emperor''s faction, so a little dispute between them was bound to happen.


    s, both sides remained civil, which Diara and the other Ancients found disappointing. They were expecting the two sides to start attacking each other the moment Kyran was out of sight.


    While these thoughts crossed Diara''s mind, she caught sight of Leif and was slightly confused. She remembered Auto-one retrieving her and the Solis representative while they were still unconscious. She did not expect her to have woken up immediately after being sent to that room.


    "You," Diara arrogantly pointed at Leif.


    The moment Diara spoke, all eyes turned to her before shifting to the person she was pointing at.


    Others would have been intimidated if several eyes suddenly looked at them, but Leif remained calm. Inwardly, she was sweating buckets, but she had been alive far longer than most of them and was better at concealing her emotions.


    "You are with the Realm Scion, correct?"


    Leif tried not to retain an indifferent expression, but the moment she heard the word Realm Scion, a memory shed through her mind. Unfortunately, she could not really recall what happened in the memory, so she ended up feeling a little nauseated.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I... don''t know what you mean."


    "I see... It seems you are merely a piece the Realm Scion needed toe to this ce."


    Leif frowned. She did not like the sound of that. She asked, "Who are you?"


    Diara shrugged. "That''s none of your concern. Rather, who are you? You have quite a powerful disguise, but you cannot fool our eyes."


    "That''s none of your concern," Leif snapped back, deciding to ignore them while also observing Ladon and Thorn''s reaction.


    Just as Leif expected, none of them, even Shiloh and his side, reacted to what the translucent woman had said. Meaning that her initial guess that they already knew she was not the real Lady Anahia was correct.


    "Suit yourself," Diara replied with an udy-like snort. She then looked at Ladon and Thorn and said, "How about you two? You seemed to have seeded in acquiring the treasure just as the Realm Scion has wanted."


    Thorn scowed at her, "Don''t make it sound as if it is his will that allowed us to get the treasure."


    "If not for him, you two would not have gone to take the treasure," Diara reminded. "You wanted to face the two Solis representatives."


    Before Thorn could snap back a retort, Ladon stopped him and addressed Diara, "Is there a point to this talk?"


    "None, actually," Diara admitted with a shrug. "I''m just bored. Aren''t you all?"


    "Maybe," Ladon replied. "But at the moment, we can only wait for Null''s return."


    Diara did not respond this time.


    To be honest, she wanted to talk to them and see what they thought of the situation. In a sense, she was worried that these people would leak the news of a new Realm Scion to their n.


    They had not been discreet about calling Kyran as such because they thought he would kill the others and leave only those he trusted. In the end, he did not and they were beginning to worry.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah, Aki, and Auto-one were sent to a room with an open balcony overlooking a beautiful garden. A big contrast to where Ladon and the others were sent.


    The garden was filled with different kinds of flowers in every season, systematically ced around toplement their colors. Anyone would have enjoyed the view, especially with a clear sky gracing it from the background.


    Unfortunately, in Cyneah''s eyes, the garden looked like a ck-and-white sketch that failed to catch its beauty.


    Aki and Auto-one looked at their young mistress solemnly. Although Cyneah''s eyes remained as beautiful as ever with them, reflecting all colors in the surroundings, they wondered what she truly felt at that moment.


    A tea set with a few sweet delicacies on a beautifully arranged tter was served on the round silver and gold table on the balcony.


    Aki and Auto-one''s programming was focused on assistance and battle, but it did not stop them from properly serving their young mistress.


    The two escorted Cyneah to one of the chairs and served her tea and some sweets while they waited for their master.


    For the record, upon their arrival in that room, a voice greeted them and advised them that Kyran woulde after meeting with someone. The voice did not tell them who Kyran had to meet, but it was not really hard to guess who it was after all the things they had learned that day.


    At first, Aki could not fully trust what the voice had said, but Auto-one remained calm. He decided to keep an open mind while keeping up his guard.

 Chapter 1056: Please Reconsider

    "Master should arrive soon, Young Mistress," Auto-one informed Cyneah after detecting a slight change in the magic fluctuation in the air.


    Cyneah, her curiosity piqued, tilted her head slightly in Auto-one''s direction and asked, "Have you confirmed it with that powerful presence in the tower?"


    Auto-one shook his head, "No, Young Mistress. I can onlymunicate in the tower''s central memory bank but not directly with the Tower. However, the shift in the air''s magic fluctuation is simr to someone about to open a portal."


    "I''m surprised you can detect such things," Cyneahmented in surprise.


    "I may be bound to my master, but I am also one of the tower''s custodians. This connection allows me to sense even the slightest changes in magic fluctuations in the air within the tower. However, my abilities are limited. There are certain types of magic or array that elude my senses," Auto-one exined patiently.


    "Is that so? I''m sorry. My knowledge in Array and Puppetry is limited, so I have no idea what kind of abilities and specialties you may possess," Cyneah said with an apologetic smile.


    "It is alright, Young Mistress," Aki assured Cyneah. "Puppets have different capabilities and specialties that are dependent on their programming. And upon awakening their sentient, their analytical and critical thinking will improve.


    "But a puppet awakening a sentient is still different from an automaton. Since their internal design and external frames are far more borated, they may possess innate abilities that are depended on the materials for their body.


    "Auto-one''s sensitivity to the magic fluctation in the air within the tower has something to do with him being able to resonate with the tower. He is likely created using the same materials as the tower."


    Auto-one chuckled, "You don''t have to speak as if you are any different from me."


    "I am," Aki replied with a wry smile. "My original body was an enhanced puppet created by our master. It was far from being an automaton. As for the body I am currently using, it is an automaton that the Dragon n discovered in this tower, which the Dragon Emperor generously allowed me to use to ensure the Young Mistress''s safety."


    "I agree to his decision," Auto-one nodded. "If you have not transferred into an automaton, even with the master''s mastery in Puppetry, allowing him to create a far more sophisticated puppetpared to others, you would not havested."


    "The Dragon n managed to adjust the automaton to attract Draconic magic energy, allowing it to wear it like armor of some sort, but unfortunately, that is all it could do," Aki sighed. "My aura and presence are simr to dragons, but since my energy core cannot specifically absorb Draconic magic energy, I cannot use it."


    "Master will be able to adjust that."


    "Yes. I am actually looking forward to it."


    Cyneah, who ended up bing a spectator to their conversation,ughed softly and said, "You two sure have a lot of faith in Kyran."


    "We do, and it has nothing to do with us being his subjects."


    Cyneah only smiled in return.


    Seeing her somewhat mncholic expression, Aki could not help but say, "You don''t seem to agree with us."


    "It''s not that I don''t," Cyneah answered, shaking her head slightly. "It''s just that... I believe he can aplish anything, but I..." Her brows furrowed slightly as uneasiness started to creep into her heart.


    After arriving in this room and finally having the chance to review everything that had happened to them in the tower thus far, she had been feeling restless. And it was not like she was not entirely sure what caused her to feel that way. It was because she knew, which was why she felt even more uneasy.


    The reason Cyneah felt that way had something to do with the off-handed remark one of the Ancients had said. Kyran stopped the Ancient from saying anything further, but Cyneah heard it.


    "We cannot sense your presence because you possess Shaiha! Apart from the Void core, have you gathered the other Ancient Magic Cores¡ª"


    Cyneah never doubted Kyran''s abilities. If he was meant to do something, she also believed he could aplish it with flying colors.


    Thus, if Kyran was meant to gather all other Ancient Magic Cores...


    Cyneah closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind from any other thoughts. However, the more she tried to clear her thoughts, the more her heart sank into an abyss of despair, unable to break free.


    "Young Mistress?"


    Cyneah snapped out of her reverie after hearing Aki and Auto-one''s call, their voicesced with undisguised concern.


    "S-Sorry, I guess I''m exhausted..." she told them with an apologetic smile.


    "You have been using your magic sense even now, so it is only natural that you will be exhausted," Auto-one said. "Forgive me for sounding rude, but please retract your magic sense for now, Young Mistress. Allow us to guard you while you rest."


    Aki did not say anything and only looked at their young mistress in silence. He could not me Auto-one for misunderstanding their young mistress''s reason for keeping her magic sense active all this time since he had only met her. But Aki knew she had her magic sense active all this time because she wanted to see her surroundings rather than keep her guard up.


    "...I suppose you''re right," Cyneah replied after a short pause. "Then¡ª."


    Before she could say more, a portal appeared just before the entrance going to the balcony.


    Cyneah immediately perked up and looked toward the entrance. The moment she did, she saw the already familiar ck mist appearing from within the portal and knew Kyran had finally arrived.


    "Kyran."


    Kyran raised his head just in time to see Cyneah standing up from her seat and walking up to greet him.


    "Sorry for making you wait," he said, smiling gently while reaching a hand toward her.


    "We barely notice the time," she assured him.


    "Master," Aki and Auto-one also greeted him in unison before walking up to them.


    Kyran looked at them before scanning the rest of the ce Kairos transported him to. As he guessed earlier, thetter had indeed sent them to separate rooms.


    "I''ve spoken to the Tower," he told them without bothering to ask how they were. Not when he could clearly see how hospitable Kairos had been to them, given the food and good scenery he prepared for them. "And received answers to most of my questions."


    Cyneah looked at him worriedly after hearing the distress in his voice. She also sensed his unwillingness to tell them anything, so even if she wanted to know what he had learned, she refrained from asking.


    "Most questions, Master?" Aki repeated, unsure how to react. He had hoped everything would be clear to their master after meeting the tower''s will, but apparently, that was a tall wish.


    "Yes," Kyran nodded before heaving a sigh. "Because there are still a few points that we could only specte at this point. In any case, I won''t be able to get anything from the Tower anymore. It''s time to head back."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Head back? But Master, the tower''s challenges have yet to conclude. It will be a waste to return now," Auto-one reminded. "Why not take this chance to take full control of it and retrieve it."


    Cyneah did a double take after hearing Auto-one''s statement and blurted, "W-Wait. What do you mean retrieve it?"


    She asked this question not because she did not understand Auto-one. On the contrary, she did, which was why she was dumbfounded.


    Kyran sighed in exasperation.


    What Auto-one said had been conveyed by Kairos as well. The older man initially offered to transport Kyran to the heart of the tower so he could take full control of it, but he refused. While the Tower of the Ancients offered a lot of knowledge and treasures that would be helpful to Kyran and his people, he found possessing it too troublesome.


    Besides, Kairos confirmed that even if Kyran indeed retrieved the whole tower, it did not mean he did not have to participate in the challenges in order to receive knowledge or treasures. If he wanted to be enlightened, he had to ovee the challenges. As for the treasures, he would know where they were, but making the treasures submit was a different story.


    Moreover, Kyran was concerned about the fates of the Ancients still hiding inside the tower. If he retrieved the tower and took it out of the space it had fallen to, what would happen to their time?


    Kairos said that as long as they stayed inside the tower, they would continue to exist. But what if the space where the tower had fallen was the reason their time was frozen? If the tower was removed from the space, their time might start to move once more, and all of them would vanish.


    Kyran did not really care what happened to them, but he would not purposely do something that would harm them.


    "The Tower told me I can take the whole tower if I want to," Kyran admitted. "I declined."


    Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "Please reconsider, Master!"


    Aki and Auto-one blurted in unison.


    "The tower might have be essible for some time now, and some of the ns that participated upon its opening gained a lot of knowledge and treasures, but the items taken barely scratch the surface of everything inside," Auto-one added. "Once you take the tower, you may enter it any time and gain knowledge and its treasures when you want to."


    "I know. But¡ª."


    "If that''s true, then the others can also try to enter and improve their levels and knowledge..." Cyneah also voiced her agreement.

 Chapter 1057: Informants

    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly the moment Cyneah voiced her opinion because she had a point.


    It was true that if his people entered the Tower of the Ancients, they could improve by leaps and bounds. But that was if they sessfully cleared a floor or a level.


    The Tower of the Ancients is different from the Tower of Tribtions, and as far as Kyran is concerned, thetter cannot be retrieved. It is not because the Tower of Tribtions is far more dangerous than the Tower of the Ancients. Rather, it is the opposite.


    The Tower of Tribtions was created after The Fall and catered more to the Lower Realm dwellers, while the Tower of the Ancients was created as the Ancient''s training grounds.


    Kyran learned from Kairos that all Towers except for the Tower of Tribtions were created by the Four Greatest Minds. To give a proper title to them, they were the Creators.


    Kairos is the sole Overseer of all Towers that the Ancients created. But being an Overseer does not mean he is the Owner.


    The same applies to the Creators.


    Once Kyran epts his identity as the Realm Scion, he will be the Owner of all the Towers. But being the Owner does not mean he can do as he pleases with it. Managing and running the Towers is still the Overseer''s responsibility. And the ones responsible for adjusting its objectives or purpose are the Creators.


    No matter how much Kyran prided himself as an Array Saint, he knew he could not bepared with the Four Greatest Minds. As such, if he retrieved the Tower of the Ancients, he could not change or adjust the tower''s challenges and difficulty level.


    Peak Sovereigns are already having trouble clearing one challenge. If this were the case, how would his people, who had lower magic levels, survive?


    Auto-one mentioned that the Tower of the Ancients had to adjust its program to allow non-Ancients to enter.


    Kyran asked Kairos who adjusted the tower''s program, but thetter said that the only thing that changed was its entry requirement. Any Ancient with a high clearance could do that. However, even if they possessed a level one clearance, they were still not allowed to adjust the towers'' purpose.


    From this, Kyran concluded that retrieving the Tower of the Ancients might not be beneficial.


    As if reading his mind, Aki said, "Master, I am sure you are worried your people may not be able to clear any challenge. But what matters is for them to gain insights, is it not? The Tower of the Ancients will also automatically kick out all participants inside after the time limit ends. So long as your people manage to survive until then, they should be fine."


    Kyran opened his mouth, but before he could voice his concerns, he stopped and closed his mouth.


    Saying that he was worried about his people''s safety was equivalent to him not trusting their capabilities. That was something he did not want them to misunderstand.


    Kyran trusted his people. He especially knew the hidden potential of every Regis Family member. As for the people he recruited¡ª or, to be more urate, those he turned as his Servants or Sigils¡ª their capabilities and potentials were simrly good.


    "Kyran," Cyneah started once more. "If you can''t decide whether to let your people enter the Tower of the Ancients, you can instead consider not giving the other ns a chance to retrieve any more of the Ancients'' treasures."


    "That is a very good point, Young Mistress!" Auto-one agreed enthusiastically. "Retrieve the Tower of the Ancients, and the other ns will no longer be able to ess it."


    Kyran had also considered this point, but he did not give it much thought because the tower could only be entered every five hundred years.


    Or was it?


    Now that Kyran affected the portals that essed the space where the Tower of the Ancients is located, would there be changes to when it would open again?


    Kyran had no answer to that.


    Letting out a sigh of resignation, he finally said, "You''re right. It is best to keep the treasures away from the other ns."


    "You also have the choice of taking all the treasures," Auto-one reminded. "As long as you epted your identity as the Realm Scion."


    Kyran chose not to respond to thatstment. After learning about the past and the role the Realm Scion would y in fixing The Realm, he could no longer give a careless answer.


    At this point in time, he was the only human who could absorb all Ancient Magic Cores.


    Basically, he was the only one who could stop the War of the Sovereigns from happening and also prevent whatever scheme The Emperor had by absorbing Shaiha and the Ancient Magic Cores.


    Of course, Kyran was not entirely clueless about The Emperor''s scheme. Thetter would not be able to fix The Realm, but he would likely want to rule both the Lower and the Higher Realms.


    To be honest, Kyran did not know what was so good about bing the ruler of everything. Because, in his opinion, standing above everyone else was boring and pointless.


    If Shaiha had known what was going on in Kyran''s mind, she would have alreadyined about how hecked ambition.


    "Let''s go get the rest," Kyran said after a short pause.


    Ultimately, he could not decide at that moment because he had to consider what would happen to Diara and the other Ancients once the Tower of the Ancients left that space.


    The portal through which he came from was still open, and Kairos prepared it in a way that would allow him to go to where his people were as long as he thought of them.


    Cyneah, Aki, and Auto-one agreed at once and followed Kyran to the portal.


    Upon arriving at the room where Ladon and the others were, Kyran, Cyneah, Aki, and Auto-one noticed the tension between them.


    Fortunately, none tried to agitate the tense atmosphere, and all of them remained civil.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nheless, Kyran could glean that they were just in the middle of a strained conversation before they arrived. However, none of them seemed keen on continuing where they left off.


    Kyran did not try to point this out, however, and only looked at Ladon and said, "Do you guys still want to hunt for treasures?"


    "Our objective is to find the powerful existence in the tower," Ladon replied at once. "Since we already know who it is, then there is no point in staying."


    "Besides, we got one helpful treasure so returning is fine," Thorn also agreed.


    "Alright," Kyran nodded before looking toward Shiloh.


    The moment their eyes met, Shiloh could not help but flinch in apprehension.


    Kyran raised his brows in amusement, "Don''t look at me like that. I won''t kill you yet."


    "Yet."


    "I can always change my mind."


    "..."


    "You can also try to change my mind."


    "...What is that supposed to mean?"


    Kyran smiled at him, which did not reach his eyes, and said, "You know exactly what I mean."


    "..."


    Uilleam, who had been silently observing their exchange, stepped forward and resolutely said, "We can act as your informant."


    "Uilleam!" Shiloh looked at Uilleam in utter disbelief. Hisplexion also paled as if he could not believe thetter would say something worthy of death.


    "If you want to stay alive, please remain silent," Uilleam told Shiloh.


    Shiloh opened his mouth to protest. But knowing Uilleam''s character, he closed them without uttering a single word.


    Kyran had already guessed Shiloh was an important member of the de Dancer n. But the one who possessed greater authority and influence was Uilleam.


    "Informant," Kyran repeated after a short pause. "Good choice of word."


    "We have a good position in the n," Uilleam reasoned. "Exclusive information will be made avable to us."


    "Will be made avable..." Kyran repeated Uilleam''s words again. "Meaning the information has already passed through other members before you."


    Uilleam did not respond. But the way his eyes glimmered while looking at Kyran, it was obvious that he was contemting how to respond to thetter''s words.


    "That''s right."


    In the end, the one who answered was Shiloh, surprising Uilleam.


    "But that is only in Uilleam''s case," Shiloh added, ignoring Uilleam''s gaze.


    Kyran looked at Shiloh and already guessed the meaning behind his answer.


    "We can also keep an eye on him," Shiloh said, gesturing toward the Solis representative, who remained unconscious even then.


    Kyran looked at the Solis representative. He already judged that thetter would not be much help as a spy to the Solis n because he was far too weak. That was not to say that Shiloh and Uilleam were strong. Nevertheless, the fact that thetter two managed to put up a fight proved they were given better treatment in the de Dancer n.


    When Shiloh suggested keeping an eye on the Solis Representative, he intended for them to establish a friendly connection. To do this, they would pretend they saved him from Kyran''s group, which in turn would make him indebted to them. They would then gain his trust and get inside information on the Solis n.

 Chapter 1058: Next

    Undoubtedly, it would be a while before Shiloh, and Uilleam could sessfully persuade the Solis representative to divulge information about his n willingly. However, Kyran was not burdened with this concern, as he was confident that Shiloh and Uilleam would figure out a way to ovee this problem on their own.


    Kyran did not respond immediately.


    As the idea of Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives acting as his spies settled in Kyran''s mind, a wave of unease washed over him. He yearned to convert them into his Servants before they returned to their ns, but the harsh reality of his low mage level shattered that notion.


    Considering this, Kyran considered marking them, as he did with Olivia and a few others in the Somuli ne.


    The problem was that marking would leave a trace.


    In the Lower Realm, a mark''s trace was easily concealed and barely detectable by mages. But that was not the case in the Higher Realm. The lowest mage level there was Sovereign, with a few High Sovereigns and Overlords. Tracking and identifying the magic signature on the mark would be child''s y.


    Furthermore, the Solis n had far more information about the Ancient Magic Cores because of The Emperor''s obsession with acquiring them and the Heart of the Cosmos. They would undoubtedlypossess the means to discern the magic signature emanating from the magical traces left by the mark.


    Kyran had to tread carefully, for leaving his mark near the ns under The Emperor could lead to dire consequences.


    In any case, there were other ways for Kyran to make Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives swear allegiance to him, so that was not exactly a real problem. The only reason he did not outright ask them to be his spies was because he wanted them to suggest it themselves.


    After all, there was a difference between a person being forced to be a spy and one who offered to be one.


    Ladon and Thorn watched the exchange between Kyran and Shiloh''s group in silence. They appeared calm, but inwardly, they were surprised that Kyran considered making Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives spies.


    For the record, most ns would nt a mole in other ns. This was a practice done by mostrge ns and even some of the medium-sized ones. However, most moles were trained at an early age and were very loyal to their original n.


    But Kyran wanted to use members of the n he wanted to spy on¡ª a move that Ladon and Thorn found absurd and risky.


    "Alright," Kyran finally replied after what felt like years.


    The prolonged silence might appear as if he was contemting whether to ept Shiloh and Uilleam''s proposal, but those who were quite familiar with him would know he did that to put on a show. Because if he agreed immediately, Shiloh and Uilleam might think he was desperate or even a pushover.


    "Then¡ª."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We''ll do a Soul-binding Oath to form a contract," Kyran dered before Shiloh could even suggest how they would go about the details of their bing his informants.


    "S-Soul-binding Oath?" Shiloh and Uilleam wondered in confusion.


    They were not the only ones who found the oath unfamiliar; Ladon and Thorn were simrly clueless about it.


    Meanwhile, Diara and the other Ancients looked at Kyran in surprise. They knew what a Soul-binding Oath was simply because they were Ancients who possessed vast knowledge about Ancient Magic.


    Cyneah was also surprised. Unlike the others, however, her reaction leaned more toward her doubt if an Oath, which was only avable in the Lower Realm, could work in the Higher Realm.


    "The oath will prevent you from betraying me," Kyran exined, smiling at Shiloh and Uilleam mirthlessly. "You did not think I''d just leave a mark and let you go just like that, right?"


    Shiloh frowned, "The mark alone will prevent us from betraying you anyway. Why perform an oath, as well?"


    "My mark poses a huge threat," Kyran replied with a shrug. "It can also be traced back to me, and that is something I''d like to avoid. Besides, if you guys are caught with the mark, you''d also suffer punishment worse than death."


    "True," Uilleam agreed. "So you''re saying the Oath will not leave a trace?"


    "The only way to see through an Oath is if you possess anypatibility with Soul magic."


    "Soul magic could only be used by the Spirits, and they were all gone."


    Cyneah did not react to Shiloh''s remark. Nheless, she was surprised because what he said was not true. Then again, she had yet to learn about the story of The Realm, so it was understandable that she found Shiloh''s remark strange.


    Kyran sensed Cyneah''s doubts and made a mental note to exin everything to her once they left the tower.


    "That''s why we''re using it," Kyran pointed out before smiling at them, which sent chills up their spines.


    "Who are you really?" Shiloh asked, his fear of Kyran growing with each passing moment.


    Instead of answering, Kyran discussed the matter of how they wouldmunicate.


    "I will provide you with amunication device different from the tablets you used."


    "Amunication device can only work on a certain range," Shiloh reminded him.


    "I know that," Kyran snorted. "But don''t lump my devices with the ones you have."


    "..." Shiloh wanted to refute him but chose to keep his mouth shut in the end.


    There were far too many strange variables when it came to Kyran. When they added those up to the ones they presumed would be his identity¡ªnote that they were convinced he was the intruder that Alta encountered in the unnamed ne¡ªthe mystery that shrouded him grew deeper.


    Nevertheless, Shiloh and Uilleam knew that Kyran was not someone they could mess with. His connection with the Dragon n was not even the reason they believed this; rather, it was his abilities and magic.


    "You also don''t have to send regr reports. Only send urgent ones."


    "Is there any specific information you want us to look out for?" Uilleam asked.


    Kyran could not help but approve of Uilleam''s insight inwardly. Unlike Shiloh, Uilleam knew the right questions to ask.


    "Yes," he admitted with a slight smile, giving a somewhat menacing air around him. Explore more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "I want you to keep an eye out for any information about The Emperor''s return and the mages he is after."


    Ladon and Thorn''s expressions turned grave at Kyran''s answer. They only knew the gist of what The Emperor had been up to, and if not for meeting with Kyran, they would not even know he was involved.


    But going through Kyran''s answer to Uilleam''s, why did it seem as if the former was unaware of the situation? What exactly was going on? Did they misunderstand the situation?


    Shiloh looked at him in confusion, "Something like that... We are from the de Dancer n, so it is close to impossible for us to get anything about The Emperor unless he wants the information to be known."


    "Is that right? Uilleam does not seem to agree with you," Kyran replied without looking at him. In fact, he had been observing Uilleam when he answered thetter''s question.


    Uilleam looked at Kyran with narrowed eyes. With a sigh, he said, "I don''t know why you knew about that, but that is ssified information even among the main family members of the de Dancer n."


    "What''s that supposed to mean, Uilleam? If it''s ssified, then why do you know that?" Shiloh asked in disbelief.


    Kyran looked at them in amusement. With that simple exchange, he managed to confirm that Shiloh was part of the main family of the de Dancer n. As for Uilleam, it appeared his position was far more crucial for him to be privy to ssified information.


    Instead of answering Shiloh, Uilleam only raised his hand to stop him before addressing Kyran once more.


    "Although I said that, of course, if we got hold of new information, I will let you know at once."


    "Good," Kyran nodded. "That''s all I need to hear."


    Shiloh was displeased at the situation but decided to have a separate talk with Uilleam once they returned.


    With that, Kyran concluded their discussion, and they proceeded with the Soul-binding oath. He then gave them an enhancedmunication orb and other items that would help them in emergencies.


    Uilleam also swore that they would handle the Solis representative and make him a good spy.


    Kyran refrained frommenting on that and decided to let Uilleam do the rest. Compared to Shiloh, he did find the older guy reliable.


    Once everything was done, Kyran talked to Diara and the Ancients separately to resolve his concern if he decided to take the tower with him.


    After their talk, Ladon and the others noticed a sudden change in their demeanor. Fortunately, they were sensible enough not to pry for details.


    Finally, after he had taken care of everything rted to the people inside the room, Kyran dered, "Let''s end the hunt and leave."

 Chapter 1059: Purge

    Kyran decided not to remove the Tower of the Ancients from the space it fell to. But that did not mean he would pass on the opportunity to use its benefits.


    As Cyneah had pointed out, letting his people enter and challenge the Tower of the Ancients would improve their knowledge and magic level. Kryan''s only concern was their survival.


    The difficulty level of the Tower of the Ancients was higherpared to the Tower of Tribtions. Kairos already confirmed thetter was made to cater to mages in the Lower Realm.


    Considering this point, Kyran wanted to study how the tower''s system worked with the assistance of every Ancient hiding inside. He would then find a way to ensure his people''s safety as they navigate through the tower.


    Since the Ancients were needed for Kyran to aplish this, he had to keep them alive.


    At the moment, the only way for the Ancients to survive was by staying inside the Tower of the Ancients¡ª or more specifically, the Tower of the Ancients where they resided, which had to remain in a special space.


    From the Higher Realm perspective, the portal was the only way to enter the Tower of the Ancients. Unfortunately, the portal could only open every 500 years after it umted enough magic energy.


    That did not apply to Kyran, though. By taking advantage of the Void magic''s nature, he could force open the portal that led to the Tower of the Ancients.


    However, a problem arises with the other portals that other ns have discovered.


    When Kyran identally forced the portal to open, all other portals reacted. Thus, if he wanted to enter the Tower of the Ancients using the Dragon n''s portal, he first had to destroy the different portals.


    However, destroying the portals would be tedious even for Kyran, especially when the n representatives present there would do everything to protect their portal. Dealing with them inside the Tower of the Ancients was not much of a problem because he had the advantage of the Tower''s acknowledgment.


    However, if Kyran fought the n representatives outside the tower, he would definitely suffer a considerable loss. Not to mention, he would expose his identity.


    With this in mind, Kyran wanted to deal with the n representatives while they were still inside the tower.


    After taking everyone except Diara and the Ancients outside the tower, Kyran instructed Aki and Auto-one to protect Cyneah while keeping an eye on the rest. He then turned to Leif, who had been eyeing him closely since he appeared in the room.


    "So, you finally decided to acknowledge my presence?"


    Leif wanted to sound as casual as possible but was embarrassed after hearing the dismay in her voice.


    Kyran did not reply and simply looked at her.


    Frankly, he had yet to decide how to deal with Leif. In a sense, he owed her and her father the opportunity to enter the Tower of the Ancients. They might have nned to take advantage of him, but at the end of the day, everything worked out in his favor, so he did not resent them.


    But not resenting them did not mean he should let her live.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Cyneah sensed Kyran''s hesitation and said, "There is no point in shedding unnecessary blood. I''m sure we can develop a better solution for dealing with them."


    Kyran looked at Cyneah with a slight frown. He understood where she wasing from, but the fact that Leif knew more than she should could put them at risk.


    Leif studied Kyran''s expression before looking at Cyneah. She already knew thetter had a special rtionship with Kyran but wondered if that was enough to convince him.


    "We have no ns on getting involved in the Dragon n and Solis n''s matter."


    Leif affirmed to Kyran without waiting for him to agree to Cyneah''s words. At the end of the day, the only one who could save her and her n at that moment was her. She would not ce blind faith in someone she barely knew.


    Kyran looked at Leif once more, but unlike his gentle gaze when looking at Cyneah, his gaze was calm, even a little frosty.


    "I can''t take your word for it."


    "My word is the same as my father," Leif assured him. "If you are still in doubt, I am willing to perform the Soul-binding Oath."


    "She is a peak High Sovereign," Ladon suddenly joined their conversation. I witnessed the magic fluctuation when Uilleam made his oath, and it barely stabilized with Sisi''s assistance. I''m sure you understand what I am trying to say here, Null."


    "I know," Kyran replied without looking at him.


    As Ladon said, when Uilleam performed the Soul-binding Oath, Kyran barely received the full oath because of the difference in their level. In the end, Cyneah had to step in and use her magic energy to stabilize the oath. However, she almost risked awakening the mirror''s sentient because she had to push herself.


    Ladon and Thorn knew nothing about the mirror, but they sensed the strain Cyneah had to endure.


    "I''m okay," Cyneah told them. "If performing an oath will put you at ease, then-."


    "It''s fine," Kyran cut her midsentence while shaking his head. "There is no need for an oath."


    Leif was relieved to hear Kyran''s words. At the same time, she felt a little envious of how concerned he was about Cyneah''s wellbeing. As Oceanus''s daughter, all rtionships she established were based on mutual benefit. Before, she had dreamt of finding real people who were willing to form a rtionship with her without expecting any benefits.


    But she had lived for far too long, yet she had never met anyone like that.


    For this reason, she was envious of Cyneah and Kyran''s rtionship.


    Cyneah was willing to help Kyran even if it would put her life at risk. However, Kyran would rather experience a loss than make Cyneah suffer.


    While this thought swirled through Leif''s mind, Kyran''s voice forced her back to reality.


    "I can''t allow you to return to Ogen. Not yet. You will have to stay where I can personally keep watch on you. You''ll have toe with us until I figure out how to deal with you."


    "I am fine with that."


    "Aki, keep an eye on her."


    "Yes, Master."


    "We can also keep an eye on her," Ladon offered.


    Kyran looked at him, but ultimately, he did notment on his offer and made his way back to the tform, where the portal leading back inside the tower was waiting.


    "Oi! Ladon''s being nice here, and would you just leave without saying anything?" Thorn could not help but growl at Kyran.


    Kyran ignored him and simply entered the portal.


    Kyran contemted how to deal with the n representatives inside the tower. His main concern was identifying the ns under The Emperor and those on good terms with the Dragon n or neutral.


    Frankly, Kyran would rather kill everyone inside the tower. But doing that would take time and borrowing Cyneah''s words from earlier:


    There is no point in shedding unnecessary blood.


    Kyran would not hesitate to kill those who wronged his family. Even those who sided with his enemies would not be spared. But he was not a tyrant nor an unreasonable person. He would not kill innocent people unless he deemed keeping them alive would pose a considerable threat to his people.


    At the moment, not everyone in the tower posed a threat. Thus, Kyran only wanted to kill those who would.


    "We sent out a message to the others," Diara greeted as soon as Kyran stepped out of the portal.


    Kyran returned to the room where Diara and the four Ancients stayed behind.


    For the record, after exining what Kairos said about the Ancients'' future if they left the tower, they did not seem surprised and even appeared as if they already knew.


    Kyran wanted their assistance in what he was about to do, so he assured them he would find a way to save them. He was even prepared to argue until they agreed. Surprisingly, Diara and the others decided before Kyran could tell them his rough ns to save them.


    Thus, Diara and the four Ancients immediately messaged the rest of the Ancients to inform them of Kyran''s n.


    "So far, half of them already replied and also gave the coordinates where some of the ns under the Solis n are facing a challenge."


    "Alright, sort the coordinates by the lowest level to the highest."


    "Do you n on making the sweep yourself?" Diara asked with raised brows. "You know you can leave the small fries to us."


    "I''ll do that after seeing what those representatives can do."


    "Are you saying you won''t kill all of them?" Diara asked in confusion.


    "We will," Kyran replied. "But first, I need to absorb their magic."


    "Ah¡­ I see."


    As someone who was familiar with the Ancient Magic, they knew one of the nature of Void. Thus, Diara did not question Kyran''s intention. In fact, they all saw it as a something they should have expected.


    "Now, let''s start the purge."

 Chapter 1060: Gathering All Clans

    The Tower of the Ancients, a colossal structure that reached into the heavens, was abyrinth of mystery and danger. Its 40 levels, each with its own unique challenges, were a testament to the power and wisdom of the Ancients. The first ten levels, a mere introduction to the tower''splexity, had four floors.


    From the eleventh level to the twentieth, each level had three floors, testing the endurance and skill of those who dared to ascend. From the twenty-first level to the thirtieth, the number of floors was reduced to two each level, and finally, levels from the thirtieth-first level to thest only had one floor each, a stark reminder of the tower''s unforgiving nature.


    Starting from the fifth level to the twenty-seventh level, there were roughly six to eight Ancients in hiding. Some of them were trapped for a long time while trying toplete their own training, while some chose to sleep until the tower opened again and outsiders entered as participants.


    The Ancients only had one reason for waking up when outsiders entered the tower, and that was to y with them. While a few harbored some hope of leaving the tower, they already had suspicions of what would happen if they did.


    Frankly, they could have asked the Tower to tell them, but in the end, they chose ignorance because they were also afraid.


    No one could me them. Who, in their right mind, would be delighted by the idea of their deaths?


    After Kyran talked to Diara and the other four Ancients with them, they more or less knew what he wanted to tell them. Nevertheless, being confronted by the truth scared them.


    But they were taken aback when, rather than telling them the hard facts about their future, Kyran presented them with the hope that they could live. Although he had not given them the details of how he would do that, and to be honest, his proposal was too ambiguous, they could not help but feel as if he could truly aplish it.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    For this reason, Diara and the rest of the Ancients agreed to whatever Kyran nned to do.


    Thus, when Kyran asked their help to round up every group that entered the tower, they did not hesitate.


    To ensure that Kyran could obtain the assistance of every Ancient in the tower, he freed those who got stuck in their training like what happened to Diara. After that, the Ancients worked their way around each level and told Kyran the coordinates of each group they found.


    Since Kyran only had superficial knowledge when it came to which ns were allied with the Solis n, who were on good terms with the Dragon n, or ns that were neutral, he asked Kairos''s help to identify them.


    Kairos''s identity as the Overseer was actually quite helpful in identifying each n''s affiliation. He could monitor and even hear the discussion of all participants in the tower after all.


    Kyran was actually amazed that Kairos still managed to hold a sane conversation with him when he was actually listening and even monitoring every participant in every tower created by the Ancients all the time. Then again, Kairos was no longer considered a human after he epted the role of bing the Towers'' Overseer.


    Because there were more than a hundred groups that participated in the Tower of the Ancients this time around, it took Kyran and the others a while toplete the purge.


    There were less than five percent of the ns participating in the tower''s hunt that were neutral. Kyran decided not to kill these people. Instead, he met with them one after another and forced them into performing a Soul-binding Oath.


    He also told them his n to destroy their portals, and if they ever breathed a word about it, he would activate the oath and kill them and every being near them that heard their confession.


    Because of the natural peace-loving nature of beings who remained neutral in the Higher Realm, they agreed to Kyran without putting up a fight. They also agreed to send him updates on their n movement in a timely manner or if they found any information involving the Solis n and all other ns under them.


    After gaining the cooperation of these neutral ns, Kyran sent them into a specialized room like the one Kairos had prepared for Ladon and the others earlier. He nned to send them all out of the tower after he dealt with the rest of the ns.


    When Kyran was done with the neutral ns, his next target was those on good terms with the Dragon n.


    Honestly, Kyran could not care less about the Dragon n. He might be rted to Ames, but that was it. From how Ladon and Thorn treated him and from what Aki told him about how most of the dragons treated his people upon their arrival in the Dragon ne, he did not harbor any positive feelings toward them.


    Nevertheless, he did not want to create unnecessary trouble for them by eliminating the ns whom they were on good terms with. Besides, he would still need their protection until he adjusted to the Higher Realms Lawspletely.


    Kyran''s approach to the ns with good standing with the Dragon n was a little different. He did not meet with them personally, and let the Ancients deal with them instead. He asked them to defeat them and knock them unconscious before sending them to a different room from where the neutral ns were staying.


    As for their n portals, Kyran would destroy those after throwing the n members back to their ns.


    Fortunately, the portals only worked one way. When the tower opens, the portal can only be entered from the Higher Realm. But when the tower closes, the portal can only be essed from the special space. Thus, once the unconscious n members were thrown out of the portal, no one could enter it and see what had happened to them.


    Finally, the time to deal with the ns affiliated with the Solis n arrived.


    If the neutral ns that participated in the tower hunt were less than five percent, and those on good terms with the Dragon n made up less than fifteen percent, the remaining were all affiliated with the Solis n.


    Their numbers were far too great for Kyran to deal with one by one.


    Thus, while he was busy dealing with the neutral ns and those who were friendly with the Dragon n, he asked a great number of the Ancients to gather the remaining eighty percent of the participants in one location.


    Doing that was only possible if all of them managed to get to the same level and floor.


    Fortunately, the difficulty of the challenges presented on each level increased as one group moved up. Taking advantage of the Tower''s acknowledgment of Kyran as well, these ns were transported to the same location as soon as they sessfully received enough points to move up a level.


    The official leader representative of the Adama''s n, Demir, frowned as he witnessed more groups appearing in the area where they had been transported to afterpleting a challenge.


    ''Just what is happening?'' he wondered, observing the groups near them. As far as he remembered, some of the groups there were transported to a lower level. So, howe they were now on the same level?


    Could it be that the speed at which theypleted a challenge was far slower than how they were able to do theirs?


    As soon as this question shed through Demir''s mind, he pushed them out with a snort.


    Impossible.


    They were considered among the elites of this generation. Apart from the Dragon n representatives, there was no way for these lowly ns to be on the same stage as them.


    But if so, then why were they transported in the same area?


    "Something is up."


    These words flickered in Demir''s mind at the same time as someone spoke them aloud.


    Demir turned in time to see Quan, the official de Dancer n leader representative, walking toward him.


    "Quan," he greeted.


    Quan looked at Demir. The former''s eyes reflected the same doubt as thetter''s.


    "How long have your group got here?" he asked.


    "More than half an hour ago."


    "And the challenge?"


    Demir shook his head, "It hasn''t started." He then looked at the rest of the n and scowled, "Is it possible that the challenge will only start after all of the other ns arrived?"


    "You know that is impossible," Quan replied, shaking his head. "Even if some of these ns managed toplete their challenges faster than us, there is no way for them to catch up to us. So all of us gathering here has to be for another reason."


    "I feel the same," Demir replied exasperatedly. "But this is a first. As far as the information provided by our predecessors is concerned, this has never happened before."


    Quan did not reply. But his furrowed brows were enough to guess he also thought the same.


    "I don''t see anyone from the Dragon n."


    Demir and Quan stopped short as someone spoke from behind them. They turned and saw Yule looking at them with a grim expression.


    What he said was right.


    Before they could reply to Yule''s words, an array formation that covered the whole area appeared above their heads.


    Every n there immediately stood at the ready, with a few taking out their magic items or weapons.


    "I expected there would be a lot of you... but this number. Seems like it will take a while to clean up."

 Chapter 1061: Clean Up

    The array formation overhead activated before they could even find the person who had spoken just then. Crackling sounds filled the air as dark purple bolts of lightning descended from the array.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As the lightning bolts materialized, the air became charged with energy. In a swift, practiced motion, most of them summoned their magic barriers, creating a shimmering shield of protection. Others, their armor or robes pulsating with power, activated the intricate protection array woven into the fabric.


    Mages who were considered geniuses among geniuses were the only ones who deviated from the usual action. Among these were Demir, Quan, and Yule''s group. Instead of defending against the descending bolts of lightning, they chose to evade them and, at the same time, attacked the array above.


    "Don''t just aim randomly at the formation!" Quan shouted to no one in particr. "Aimed at those dark purple-colored runes!"


    The others near him did not need to be told twice, as they also noticed that those dark purple runes controlled the summoning of lightning bolts. As long as they destroyed those, the number of bolts of lightning bolts descending from the array would be reduced.


    Frankly, none of them recognized the runes, and all they had were spections. However, one thing they were clear about those runes was that they emitted the same magic fluctuations from the lightning bolts.


    The Adamas Family was proficient in Metallurgy Magic, which made it easy to guess their family''s innate magic¡ªany magic rted to metal.


    Demir took out his long spear and summoned smaller titanium spears, aiming at a circr spot on the array formation that was filled with rotating dark purple runes.


    Arjuna, who was also abat mage like Demir, took out her silver bow and summoned steel arrows. While it was better to focus on one spot of the array with those dark purple runes, she decided to aim at a different spot because there were just too many of them.


    Oria, on the other hand, focused on summoning copper tes and boulders to assist the others. She reckoned that her Copper magic was the most appropriate counter to the bolts of lightning.


    The de Dancer Family originally consisted of mages with Weapon magic. But as time went by, their innate magic branched out to different forms that seemed unconventional for their n name. Because of this, they trained all their mages to be proficient in weapon wielding while utilizing their innate magic.


    Quan took advantage of the copper boulders that Oria summoned and led the de Dancer n to another spot filled with dark purple runes.


    Now, the one feeling somewhat anxious with the barrage of lightning overhead was the cio n. From their n name alone, it was easy to guess that their family''s innate magic was rted to Ice magic¡ª a terrible match for Lightning-based magic attacks.


    Nevertheless, Yule and his fellow cio n representatives chose to fight.


    Issar used the copper boulders that Oria summoned as a foothold to hoist himself up toward the array. Ice formed on his forearm and fist, turning into huge ice gauntlets.


    "Oria! Coat my arms with your magic!" Issar shouted at Oria.


    Oria was quite a distance away from Issar, but she heard him loud and clear andplied immediately. They might not be part of the same n, but their ns had been on good terms for such a long time that there were regr exchanges between their elites. This was so they could improve and form a sort of teamwork with them.


    On the other hand, Skadi, who was a pure mage, summoned ice towers as a diversion for the lightning bolts. Oria could have done the same using her magic, but because she was busy assisting the others, she and Skadi had a tacit agreement on what they should focus on.


    Meanwhile, Yule was the only cio n representative who did not falter from the bolts of lightning. Covering his whole body with a thinyer of ice, he levitated in the air and summoned a great ice storm. Surprisingly, the bolts of lightning that descended on his ice storm were absorbed by it, evolving the storm into a thunderblizzard.


    Yule''s red eyes glowed fiercely that streaks of lightning, seemed to emit from them. He manipted the thunderblizzard and aimed at a nearby spot on the array filled with dark purple runes.


    Kyran watched the scene unfold before him from outside the array formation''s range. He was quite amused at how the mages there utilized their magic to either defend against the lightning or attack the array formation.


    "Are you just going to watch them?" Diara, standing behind him with the rest of the Ancients, asked while looking at him with doubtful eyes. "I thought you said you n on absorbing their magic."


    "I am," Kyran answered without looking at her. "Before that, I need some research data for this array."


    "Summoning Void-based lightning is far better than creating it using an array," Diara said, voicing her observation. "I know because I''ve experienced it myself."


    She did not mean to say thatst bit, but because Kyran opened his mouth, seemingly about to refute her words, she had no choice but to say it.


    Kyran raised his brows and looked at her. Contrary to what Diara thought, Kyran did not n on refuting her. Rather, he wanted to tease her by asking if she said that based on her experience.


    To think that she actually beat him at it was quite amusing.


    "There are far too many of them," Diara hastily diverted their topic on track. "If you dally further, they might gain momentum. When that happens, it will be tricky even with us here to assist you in killing them."


    "You say such scary things while wearing a calm expression."


    "Are you kidding me? Are you really saying that? When you yourself don''t bat an eye when torturing someone?"


    Kyran chuckled. After working with them for a while now, he was already used to Diara''s rude remarks. Earlier, he would have responded with another lightning attack on her body, but now, he found her retorts amusing.


    "You don''t have to worry," Kyran assured her before looking at the rest of the Ancients, who were silently waiting for him to say when they should start cleaning up. "I''ll let you handle those easy ones. As for those interesting ones, I''m thinking of taking them in." Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "Taking them in?" Diara repeated incredulously. "You don''t mean like absorbing them into the void and turning them as your Servants, right?"


    "I don''t remember telling you guys that I call those guys I''ve turned using Void as Servants," Kyran said, looking at her with a slight frown.


    "What else will we call them if not Servants?" Diara replied with an udy-like snort. "Anyway, turning them is impossible. At least, at this point, you''re not strong enough."


    "I know that," Kyran replied. "That''s why I''ll turn them when I am ready."


    Diara scowled at him. But then she stopped as realization dawned on her, and she blurted, "You n to keep them here?"


    Kyran nodded and turned his attention back to the spectacle happening before them. "Communication outside is impossible when you are inside the tower," he started to exin. "They will not be able to send SOS messages to their ns."


    "T-That''s true," Diara replied apprehensively. "But letting them stay here... is risky. What if they try to take advantage of it to improve their magic knowledge further? What if they broke through to the next level? You will end up unable to turn them then!"


    "I didn''t know you had little faith in me."


    "That is not the case! This tower is created to assist mages in improving themselves. Not imprison them," Diara argued.


    Some of the Ancients behind her also nodded their heads in agreement. Although most only observed them without showing any signs of siding with Diara or with Kyran.


    "Don''t worry about it," Kyran replied dismissively. "I''ll arrange their amodation with the Tower."


    "You...!" Diara started but then stopped because she did not know what to say. After all, she and the Ancients only knew about the tower''s system, not the Tower itself.


    "Give me a month¡ª or, at least, a month in the Higher Realm. I''ll improve my knowledge and level then and turn them in," Kyran told Diara. "By then, I''ll also find a way for you guys to leave this ce."


    "..."


    Diara initially wanted to snort at Kyran''s absurd promise. But when he said thetter, she and the rest of the Ancients fell silent.


    To be honest, they had already epted their fate, and even when Kyran promised them he would help them, they did not want to get their hopes high. They believed he could do it, of course. But saying that he would do it in a month''s time? Impossible.


    In the end, they decided to keep their mouth shut.


    Kyran sensed their doubt and understood why. Thus, he decided to drop the subject.


    "I''m done choosing my targets. We can start cleaning up."


    As soon as Kyran gave the word, the Ancients moved in and attacked all the mages on sight.

 Chapter 1062: The Dilemma of Ancients

    Kyran raised his hand and pointed at several people among the crowd of n representatives who were busy defending against the bolts of lightning. The people he pointed at were those he would turn into Servants once he returned to the tower.


    A dark purple Void rune, a symbol that meant Exclude, appeared above the heads of the few people Kyran had chosen. This rune resembled an inverted crooked trident, and it marked those people he would turn into his Servants.


    Only the Ancients could read the Void rune. They avoided those people and only attacked those without them.


    Demir, Quan, and Yule noticed that a Rune was floating above their heads and were rmed. They believed it was something that came from the array formation and was meant to target them since they were the few mages who were focused on attacking it. Their first thought was to remove the rune mark by infusing their own magic energy into it.


    But because of the lightning bolts that continued to rain down from the array, they were hard-pressed to spare any effort to remove the rune.


    But then, instead of an increase in the lightning bolt attacks toward their direction, it was the opposite. Soon, the area around them quieted down as the lightning attacks ceasedpletely.


    "What the hell is happening?" Quan wondered out loud. He was still trying to decipher the whole array formation, but because of the unknown runes written on it, especially those dark purple ones, he had no idea what it was supposed to do.


    Obviously, the array formation was meant to summon those lightning bolts, but if that was the only reason, where did the runes that appeared above their headse from? And what exactly was their purpose? Was it not to mark them for being the ones that were actively attacking the array and to focus fire on them? If so, why did the lightning attacks cease around them?


    Before any of them could make sense of what was happening, a purple disc appeared beneath their feet and started to suck them in.


    "This¡ª!"


    They immediately realized what the discs were supposed to do and had a foreboding.


    Yule was the first one to react to the discs. His divine sense spread out as he enveloped everyone within ten kilometers of him with his magic energy.


    Every mage his magic energy had enveloped felt a veil of coldness start to seep into their clothes before forcing their way into their skin.


    If Yule had done this in a different situation, all of them would have resisted it. But because they knew what would happen if they allowed themselves to be sucked into those discs, they chose not to resist.


    Yule''s move was simple. He nned to create a Frozen Castle and imprison them in ice. Doing so would prevent them from getting sucked into the disc and being transported to who knew where.


    Being imprisoned inside Yule''s Frozen Castle was not without demerit. Unless one had immunity to Ice magic, their bodies would suffer internal coldness that would take years to recover.


    But since they were all on good terms with the cio n, Demir, Quan, and the rest of their fellow representatives were not worried about being left on their own devices. They knew Yule would help them remove the internal coldness after they survived and returned to the Higher Realm.


    The cio n Elders would likely ask an enormous remuneration for it, but Demir and Quan were confident that their n Elders would not mind agreeing to any of their terms. After all, the fact that Yule saved them could not be denied.


    When did their train of thought go wrong?


    This question popped into Demir and Quan''s minds the moment they noticed that Yule''s Frozen Castle did nothing to stop the disc from taking them. In fact, because their bodies were frozen, the discs sessfully took them without much resistance.


    Yule''s expression had always been indifferent. The Patriarch of the cio n said that hisck of expression and emotion was caused by his powerful innate magic.


    But even so, the moment he realized his action failed and even caused all of them to be taken by the discs easily, his expression distorted in agony and disbelief.


    "NOOOO¡ª!" Yule shouted in frustration.


    However, his shout faded soon after as he got sucked into the disc.


    Kyran witnessed everything that happened while sitting on a high tform he created just near the border of the array formation. He tilted his head in amusement as he leaned back and said, "That guy''s Ice magic is something. He froze everything within ten kilometers of his surroundings in the blink of an eye."


    Diara, who stayed behind to guard Kyran, scowled at his remark and said, "That move is nothing. If it has been any of our Ice mages, they can freeze this whole ce in three seconds."


    Kyran looked at Diara at the corner of his eye and said with a deadpan expression, "Why are you even trying topete with them? More importantly, why are you here and not helping the others clean up?"


    Diara snorted, "And leave you on your own? If I did, what do you think will happen if they realize that you are the one behind this whole thing? The moment they decided to focus on you, you''d be dead before you even know what happened."


    Crackle!


    Diara jumped in fright as she heard a crackling sounding down from above. But instead of feeling the now-familiar-yet-traumatizing stinging of Kyran''s Void-based lightning attack, she saw a smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as he said, "Were you saying something?"


    "Y-You¡ª!" Diara seethed in annoyance at Kyran''s teasing. She was already familiar with thetter and knew he would not randomly attack those he already considered ''his people.''


    Of course, that was not to say that Diara and the rest of the surviving Ancients could be considered as such. For now, their position was still tentative. Only after they could be of use to him would they truly be one of his people¡ª or, at least, that was what Diara believed.


    Because of this, Diara had a mix opinion about Kyran. She was happy to meet the human who bore the Ancient Body that the Four Greatest Minds of the Ancients had been researching before The Fall. But the fact that he had not epted his role as the Realm Scion yet made her feel...


    Actually, Diara did not know what she felt. She was not angry, but she was not pleased as well. In the end, she could only keep her opinion to herself to ensure their n''s survival. After all, Kyran might not have epted his role as the Realm Scion, but he possessed the most powerful and dangerous Ancient Magic.


    If he wanted, he could revert everything to nothingness and recreate everything ording to his will.


    But...


    ''Is he even aware of what he can actually do with his magic?'' Diara could not help but wonder as she turned her attention back to the scene before them. ''So far, all he''s ever done with it is such trivial things.''


    Kyran also turned his attention back to what was happening below. He might find it amusing to tease Diara, but he knew his priorities and thus had to keep an eye on the situation.


    The Ancients had the advantage of their bodies, which caused them a natural affinity for all types of magic except Ancient magic. But the fact that they were outnumbered by a great deal could not be denied. Some of the n representatives below were even peak High Sovereign.


    They might be busy defending against the bolts of lightning, but that did not mean they werepletely unguarded and could be taken advantage of.


    "You guys have been hiding in the tower for thousands of years, but why haven''t you managed to break through?" Kyran asked Diara.


    "It''s because we are the Ancients."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    "I know it may not mean much to you. But the fact that our knowledge is far greater than the rest of the ns in The Realm means that it is hard for us to gain enlightenment."


    Kyran was surprised to hear Diara''s answer. Now that he thought of it, what she said made sense.


    "If wee across something that seems new knowledge to us, we can understand it faster than the others. Moreover, we cane up with new ideas from it and improve it to greater heights."


    Kyran''s brow furrowed the more Diara exined why the Ancients struggled to receive enlightenment.


    What she said just now sounded close to home. Was it not simr to his supposed innate ability that allowed him to understand concepts and theories even without practical use? He had always wondered why it was easy for him to learnbat and magic, but it seemed he got it from the Ancients.


    Kairos exined what he meant about the Ancients creating humans. But even then, their creations mostly failed to form magic cores.


    Eventually, they seeded, and that was what the Higher Being had coveted.

 Chapter 1063: Sending a Message

    Contrary to what Kyran initially believed, what the Higher Being coveted the most from the Four Greatest Mind''s research was their human creation. After all, only those with a simr bodyposition to the Deity could possess the Ancient Magic Cores since he was the original Human. The artificial construction of the Ancient Magic Cores only came second.


    Regardless of what the Higher Being wanted, it was meant to surpass his limits and be a second Deity.


    At least, that was how Kyran understood.


    Setting aside the weighty matters of the Higher Being''s goal and the Four Greatest Minds'' research, Kyran focused on every word that escaped Diara''s lips, knowing that her words might help him understand the truth of why his innate ability and his missing mage level.


    "But even if we don''t improve our mage level as fast as the other mage ns in The Realm could, our understanding of magic is far superior to others. To the point that if we cast a basic fire spell, the magic output is equivalent to a middle-grade fire spell."


    "Why does it sound as if you''re boasting right now?" Kyran wondered offhandedly.


    Diara snorted, "I am only stating facts. Besides, you are not one to talk. As a human possessing not one but two Ancient Magic Cores, you inherited the experiences and understanding of all those humans who previously possessed them. You will only need to stimte the slumbering knowledge in them, and you could cast magic as if you have known them all your life."


    "I already know that much," Kyran admitted, mimicking Diara as he let out a derisive snort.


    "Well, you are still different from the rest of the humans," Diara continued, not one bit offended at Kyran''s attitude. "Because you also possessed our body."


    Kyran frowned at her words but chose not toment.


    Ancient Body.


    Ames had already told him about it, and frankly, he did not understand it well back then. But after meeting Diara and seeing the Ancients in action, he had a better understanding of the advantages of having an Ancient Body.


    "Mind you, it is hard to possess a body simr to ours when your bodyposition is that of humans. But then, your human body is the closest to the Deity, so I suppose it is unsurprising that you managed to adapt to the Ancient Body as well."


    Kyran''s frown deepened at her words. Heined, "Can we stay at the Realm Scion identity and not include the Deity? I can barely process what the Realm Scion should do, and now you''re telling me that my body is actually the closest to the Deity."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Don''t overreact," Diara replied. "It''s only your body that is simr to the Deity, after all. Now, bing one is a different thing altogether."


    "I know that," Kyran snapped back. "But if you keepparing me to some big guy out there... There is a limit to what information I''ll acknowledge."


    Diara sneered, "Acknowledge, huh? Suit yourself. But once you be the Realm Scion and fix The Realm. It will only be a matter of time before you reach the level of the Higher Being. As for bing a Deity... well, you can ask the Four Greatest Minds about that if you find them."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed as he looked at her at the corner of his eyes.


    "I have my suspicions, but it seems like the Four Greatest Minds also survived."


    Diara did not respond. She only gave him a meaningful look before turning her attention back to what was happening below.


    "Finding where they are hiding is the real question, though," she said after a moment of silence.


    Kyran acknowledged her words with a nod.


    Kairos hinted at the survival of the Four Greatest Minds, as well as the possibility that they were hiding in the Tower of the Ancients or another Tower belonging to the Ancients. But Kyran was reluctant to ask because he felt that by meeting them, he would release more skeletons hiding in their closets. And he could not afford to deal with those anymore.


    After about three hours of cleaning, the Ancients were the only ones left in the area below the array formation.


    The Ancients then gathered around Kyran and offered their spoils of war. After that, they retired to the room Kyran requested Kairos to create where the Ancients could live until he returned.


    Kyran saw Diara and the rest of the Ancients off before visiting the ce where he had sent those chosen mages earlier.


    The room was not thatrge, but it was more than enough to imprison fifty people.


    Kyran was surprised to see that his chosen ones were all frozen.


    "I believe it is better to keep them in this state than let them roam around the ce freely," Kairos exined as his silhouette appeared beside Kyran.


    "Yeah, I think so, too."


    "So you are going to destroy the other portals."


    "That''s the n."


    "Unfortunately, I cannot help you deal with all those portals since I have no jurisdiction outside the tower," Kairos paused and raised his hand to summon a roll of parchment before handing it to Kyran. "However, I managed to draw a map of the outside space ording to the information we''ve gathered from every n representative since the tower became essible.


    This should help you locate all active portals."


    Kyran took the parchment and unrolled it. Just as Kairos said, it was a map drawn by hand. But unlike the doodles he had once seen, the map was well-drawn with proper coordinates.


    "You even know wrote down the coordinates."


    Kairos smiled, "You may not know this and probably not interested in knowing, but I was the navigator during our team training in the Tower of Tribtions."


    Kyran did not say anything and only studied Kairos for a moment. He could not put it into words earlier, but he felt ufortable whenever the older man smiled.


    But now he knew why.


    "Ste had your smile."


    Kairos was taken aback at Kyran''s offhanded remark.


    "...Is that so?"


    "I''m sorry. I''m sure you know that since you can watch over her from afar..." Kyran''s brow then furrowed as he finally made sense of his own words.


    "How are you able to watch over Ste?" he asked.


    Kairos raised his brows in surprise. But then he burst out inughter, finding the younger man''ste realization amusing.


    "You''re only raising that question now?"


    "I... was too focused on other things..." Kyran felt ashamed to admit his little interest in Ste.


    Kairos''s expression softened as he saw the younger man''s flustered expression. He initially felt a little angered about Kyran''sck of interest in Ste. But the fact that he failed to conceal his expression when he was very good at concealing his emotions made Kairos feel better.


    "The Tower of Tribtions, as I mentioned, was created after The Fall. It is located in anotheryer of the Human ne, which is simr to the ''world'' where the Spirits lived," Kairos started to exin. "The Human ne, as you know, is one of the remnantnds of the Land of the Ancients. Initially, the Tower of Tribtions was created to hide all the Ancients that survived in the Human ne.


    Unfortunately, the tower can only slow down the passage of time but cannot fully outrun it. Thus, in the end, all the Ancients hiding there died. Some managed to stay as remnant souls, but even they outlived their existence."


    "Except your predecessor."


    Kairos chuckled, "Yes, she can be considered thest one, though.


    "In any case, because of the Tower of Tribtions'' initial purpose, the Ancients created a device that allows them to observe everything that is happening on the main ne."


    "Finally, we get to the main point. That''s a lengthy introduction."


    "I had a feeling you''d be interested to know more about the Tower of Tribtions. Was I wrong?" Kairos replied with a good-naturedugh.


    "It is helpful," Kyran admitted with a slight smile. "This device... can only observe the situation in the Human ne?"


    "Ah~," Kairos let out a knowing smile as he finally understood why Kyran''s interest was piqued by how he could watch over Ste from afar. "That is right. I cannot do anything but observe. However, there is more than one instance where Nn sensed my presence and came to visit me."


    "That''s what I''ve been wanting to hear."


    "I can deliver your message, but it will cost you."


    "I''ll make sure to repay you as long as it is within my power."


    "I only hope for one thing."


    "What is it?"


    "If you decide to be the Realm Scion, please spare my daughter''s life."


    *


    Using the map Kairos provided, Kyran destroyed all active portals. Since he no longer needed to be cautious when using his magic, it did not take long for him to aplish what he set out to do.


    At first, Ladon and Thorn offered to help him when they realized what he wanted to do. However, after learning where the portals were located, they gave up the idea.


    Once all other n representatives were sent back to their respective nes and all other portals except the one leading to the Dragon ne were destroyed, Kyran and the rest of his group left as well.

 Chapter 1064: Meeting

    When Kyran abruptly stopped the hunt, the transportation array on the tform outside the Tower of the Ancients, designed to return each n representative to their respective portals, failed to activate. While this would have been a predicament for most, Kyran''s innate magic and Array Knowledge allowed him to fashion a new transportation array in an instant.


    His swift action also became instrumental in aplishing his objective in a timely manner. Even so, it still took a whole day to send back every n representative and destroy their portals.


    The creation of the new transportation array also yed a crucial role in their group reaching the portal leading back to the Dragon ne as soon as Kyranpleted his task. Because their portal was located in another floating fortress several hundred kilometers from the tform, it would have taken them a week to reach it if they had traveled by normal means.


    "The arrangement of your transportation array looks different from the ones we know of," Leif could not help but voice her fascination. She was not an Array Saint, but her Array Knowledge was quite good.


    Leif was fascinated with Kyran''s transportation array because of its seemingly inexhaustible magic energy reserves, allowing one to travel back and forth without exhausting or overheating the formation.


    "Apart from that, you''ve been using it for more than a day and yet it is still functioning well."


    "Aren''t transportation arrays supposed to be like that?" Kyran wondered out loud, finding Leif''s remark somewhat odd.


    "That''s right," Auto-one also voiced his opinion. "There is nothing wrong with Master''s array."


    Leif rolled her eyes at them and said, "You and your unconventional thinking. I should not have said anything in front of you."


    She could understand why Auto-one would think that way because he was created by the Ancients, a n who gave birth to several branches of Magic, including Array. It was not wrong to think that he inherited most of the knowledge of the Ancients.


    But Kyran was different. Leif had yet to uncover everything about his background and origin, but one thing she was sure of was that he possessed an Ancient Magic Core that the Ancients had created. She could not judge if his Magic knowledge were on the level of the Ancients, but so far, she found the things he did to be unconventional.


    "I actually agree with you as well, Lady Leif," Ladon agreed. "Except, transportation array like this is only possible if one knows how to use Void runes."


    "Well... you''re right," Leif nodded. The array Kyran created included unfamiliar dark purple runes that they guessed were Void runes.


    "Stop wasting time and get in," Kyran told them in exasperation.


    Did they think the transportation array was truly inexhaustible?


    The only reason the array''s magic energy reserves appeared limitless was because Kyran was the one supplying it. He did not have a problem replenishing his magic energy because of the thick magic energy in that space. But maintaining the array and ensuring all of them would not be nauseous when being transported by it was mentally draining and physically exhausting.


    And this was already considering his body wasparable to a young dragon.


    It would have been easier if Kyran could warp them to the Dragon n''s portal. But it was impossible to do because he had not been there specifically, and the coordinates he received from Kairos did not work when he used it as a reference to teleport. Apparently, the coordinates only worked in an Array Formation.


    "He is right," Cyneah immediately agreed after sensing Thorn about to snap at Kyran. She knew better than anyone how exhausted Kyran was. He would stubbornly dismiss it, but he could not lie to her. At least, he could never lie to her senses. "Let''s go back."


    "Lady Leif..."


    The other Ogen representatives, whom Kyran also decided to keep by his side, all looked at Leif apprehensively. In a sense, they were d Kyran did not kill them like how he did with the other n representatives. But being a hostage or even a deadweight for Lady Leif did not sit well for them.


    Leif looked at them and smiled, "It''s alright. As long as we follow his arrangements, we can go back."


    "But..."


    In the end, Maren was the first one to step into the array without saying anything else. Leif inwardly smiled at Maren''s unwavering resolve andplete confidence in her decision. Once they returned to Ogen, she vowed to give her an appropriate reward.


    Seeing Maren''s action, Cove and Irving had no choice but to follow suit.


    Leif followed after them and then Aki and Auto-one, and then Ladon and Thorn.


    When it was only Cyneah and Kyran, she stopped at the edge of the transportation array before saying, "You did not have to exhaust yourself, you know. I can always help ease your fatigue."


    Kyran smiled wryly at Cyneah''s words. It was so like her to be worried about his wellbeing after all this time. Before he could assure her he could still manage, she faced him and, while blushing furiously, tiptoed and tried to kiss him.


    She tried because her sneak attack failed miserably, with her miss missing her mark and only managing to kiss his chin.


    Kyran was momentarily stunned at Cyneah''s action. But then he snapped back to his senses after hearing her stutter aint.


    "H-How¡ª D-did you grow t-taller after only a few months of not seeing each other¡ª umph!"


    Cyneah''s rant was drowned as Kyran pulled her in for a kiss.


    It was only supposed to be a short one, but the moment their lips touched, the months of being apart and worrying about each other overcame them. The kiss deepened and would have taken longer if not for an annoyance that chose that moment to make her existence known.


    [I''ve kept silent all this time, and you just up and take advantage of me?]


    Kyran nearly choked inwardly at Shaiha''s misleading usation.


    In a way, Shaiha''s intervention was timely because Kyran did not realize Cyneah was almost out of breath.


    "Sorry... I got carried away." Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "N-No..." Cyneah replied, her cheeks a deep shade of red. "I... I allowed it, so... y-you''re not at fault."


    [Ugh! My goodness, Young Mistress! Please do not say things like that, or this beast will devour you!]


    ''...''


    "T-They''re probably wondering what''s keeping us so..."


    "You go first. I need to adjust the array first."


    "Adjust it?"


    "I have to make sure the array will not be used after I exited it. Although there is no danger of others activating it, I can never truly say in this ce."


    Cyneah understood what Kyran meant. Thus far, all the knowledge they knew in the Lower Realm did not seem to apply in the Higher Realm. And the ce where the Tower of the Ancients had fallen was a special space where the rules of both realms also did not apply.


    There were also other creatures living in that space and who knew what would happen if intelligent creatures found the array and managed to decipher it? They might even find a way to create an array out of that space and invade the Higher Realm.


    Of course, this idea was too far-fetched and exaggerated. But one has to be very careful when dealing with the unknown. The more absurd and exaggerated their ideas of the worst-case scenario were, the better prepared they would be when the time came.


    "Okay," Cyneah nodded. "But please don''t take too long."


    "I won''t."


    Once Cyneah stepped into the array and was transported to where the rest of the group was, Kyran included a new array form at the center of the formation. The form had only one purpose: to destroy the array from within after he passed through it.


    When Kyran appeared on the other side of the transportation array, everyone was already waiting by the portal.


    Earlier, they had agreed to let Aki, Ladon, and Thorn go first and exin to the elders waiting on the other side of the portal the gist of the situation. Once done, Aki would let Kyran know it was safe to pass through¡ª not that they would otherwise.


    "Do you think the Dragon Emperor is waiting behind that portal?" Leif asked Kyran.


    "Probably," Kyran replied nonchntly.


    Leif looked at him incredulously, "You''re not afraid."


    Kyran looked at her and raised his brows in response, which in turn made her frown.


    "That''s the Dragon Emperor, you know. His level may be simr to my father, but he is someone who''s about to reach the same level as The Emperor."


    "And?"


    "Ha... right. I should not have bothered asking."


    "You don''t have to worry, Lady Leif. The Dragon Emperor is actually very kind and understanding," Cyneah assured her with a smile.


    "You are a guest of honor of some sort. At least based on my understanding. It is natural for the Dragon Emperor to show some respect to his guests. But we are not his guests. We... well...


    what exactly is your rtionship with the Dragon n anyway?" Leif suddenly directed her question at Kyran.


    "Good question."


    "Oi!"


    Kyran sighed exasperatedly and said, "It''splicated. I suppose there are families like that."


    "What are you even saying..." Leif''s voice trailed off as the implication of his words sank in. "F-Family?"


    "I thought that''s already obvious."


    "It''s not!"


    "I''m pretty sure you''ve heard me and Aki talking earlier."


    "I have, but most of the things you said sounds foreign to me!"


    "...I see."


    "You see?" Leif was almost hysterical.


    In a way, she did have an inkling about their connection but dismissed it because she found it absurd. She might also have been looking too deeply into their conversation, misinterpreting some of the things they were saying.


    To think that her suspicion was right all along!


    [Master, the Dragon Emperor, allowed your passage.]


    ''The Dragon Emperor is there?''


    [Yes. And Lady Ames, too.]


    Kyran groaned inwardly. He knew he had to meet the Dragon Emperor eventually, but to meet him too soon was a little... He had heard how fond thetter was of the previous Dragon Lord and did not know what he thought about him bing his sessor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "They approved our passage," Kyran told the others. "Let''s go."


    This time, Kyran decided to lead the group. It was not right to let Leif and her people go first in this situation, after all. Besides, he could act as Cyneah''s escort.


    Leif and the rest of the Ogen representatives exchanged nervous nces. Just as Lady Leif had said, they would not be meeting just anyone but the Dragon Emperor. In terms of ranking, he was far superior to Overlord Oceanus.


    "I hope we keep our heads at least...."


    Kyran heard Cove mutter as he entered the portal with Cyneah.


    The moment the scene before them cleared, Kyran saw a huge and handsome man with long silver hair and glowing silver-gold eyes, wearing intricately designed silver armor.


    He looked not much older than Ames, but he had the air of someone with great authority.


    As the man''s eyes fixed themselves on Kyran, his first words almost sent chills down the younger man''s spine.


    "So you''ve finally decided to show up, you b*stard."

 Chapter 1065: Greeting

    Kyran recognized the man before him even before he finished what he was saying. Apart from that, he sensed an ominous foreboding and instinctively grabbed Cyneah by the waist to jump back.


    Still.


    BOOM!


    "NGH¡ª!"


    "W-What¡ª?"


    "F-Father! What are you doing?"


    "No! Lady Sisi is still¡ª!"


    Kyran felt a weightparable to a huge, massive ton of steel m to his exposed torso. The hit took him by surprise because he had believed he reacted well the moment he sensed the iing danger.


    "Kyran¡ª!" Cyneah gasped in shock.


    Although Kyran managed to filter most of the aftershock that came after the hit, Cyneah still felt a sliver of its strength and almost had her reeling in pain.


    Kyran protected Cyneah as they were hurled several kilometers away from where they had appeared after exiting the portal.


    "Ergh...!" Kyran roused his Draconic magic energy to enhance all his senses before forcefully regaining his bearing.


    He nted his feet on the ground and used them to break his momentum after being hurled away.


    "You have the nerve to use Draconic magic when I have never approved your existence?"


    "!"


    Kyran barely managed to dodge as the man, while executing a dropkick, appeared before them.


    BOOM!


    The man''s huge feetnded on the spot where Kyran and Cyneah had just been and turned into a huge crater effortlessly.


    "K-Kyran¡ª!"


    "Hold tight," was all Kyran could tell Cyneah as he used Dragon Steps to escape from the huge man¡ª or, to be more specific, the Dragon Emperor.


    Cyneah felt bad being a deadweight for Kyran. Then again, she did not expect the Dragon Emperor to start attacking as soon as they exited the portal.


    Just now, she also heard Lady Ames, Ladon, and Thorn shouting in disbelief at the Dragon Emperor''s action. Meaning they were simrly dumbfounded about thetter''s move.


    Before Cyneah could tell Kyran to let her go so he could focus on defending against the Dragon Emperor''s attack, she heard another loud boom. Right after the sound, she saw the massive blinding light, which was how she identified the Dragon Emperor shing before her peripheral view.


    "He''s already¡ª!"


    BOOM!


    "GAH¡ª!"


    Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Kyran spat out a mouthful of blood as he endured the Dragon Emperor''s fist,nding on the same spot on his torso.


    "Ngh¡ª!" Cyneah gritted her teeth as a bout of nausea overcame her senses right after experiencing the residual impact that Kyran failed to filter that came from the Dragon Emperor''s fist.


    Once again, the two were hurled back several kilometers away.


    "Master!"


    Aki and Auto-one shouted in concern as they hastily chased after them.


    The Dragon Emperor had only made a few moves, but he managed to force Kyran and Cyneah quite a distance away from them. More importantly, he only used his raw physical strength to aplish this.


    "Don''t!" Ames shouted, her voiceced with a powerful pressure that weighed down on Aki and Auto-one in an instant.


    "Ngh!"


    The two were forced to a stop as an invisible energy pressed down on them from above.


    "If you two help Kyran, Father will be hell-bent on making him suffer more!" she warned them.


    Aki turned to look at Ames, who made her way to them. He started, "But if we don''t do anything..."


    "The Young Mistress is also with him," Auto-one pointed out. Master will not be able to fight back with her safety on the line!"


    "I get that, but Father is not really giving his all on his attacks. If he did, Kyran would have already died the moment his fistnded the first time."


    "..."


    Aki and Auto-one''s faces turned nk as their eyes moved toward where the Dragon Emperor had once more caught up with their master and given him another bone-breaking punch.


    That was him not giving his all on his attacks? Did Ames think they were blind?


    "I know what you''re thinking," Ames snorted after seeing the disbelieving looks on their faces. "But the fact that Kyran is still alive is a testament that my Father is not putting weight on his attacks."


    BOOOM!


    From a distance, another area on the ground turned into a huge crater as the Dragon Emperor''s fistnded on the spot Kyran and Cyneah had just been.


    "..."


    "... If Father had put weight in that punch right then, the ground would not have only turned into a crater."


    "You don''t sound convinced yourself, Lady Ames," Aki told her.


    "... In any case, just let my Father vent," Ames told them with a sigh. "He was really angry when I told him about the birth of a new Dragon Lord, but he kept his emotions intact. I know he was seething in anger, but..."


    To be honest, Ames did not expect her Father to attack Kyran on sight. He did not even wait for thetter to step aside so Cyneah would not be caught in the middle of the fire. This alone proved how much he had been keeping his anger all this time.


    What was he angry about?


    Obviously, it was the fact that Kyran became the Dragon Lord when he was already the Void Master.


    Ames knew it was dangerous for one human to possess two Ancient Magic Cores, and the fact that her family, the Regis, actually produced one made her Father even more furious.


    One could say her Father felt betrayed. After all, the Regis Family was the offspring of his most precious daughter and his most beloved friend, Zane, the first and only Dragon Lord he acknowledged.


    Ames''s brow furrowed as she watched her Father continue to attack Kyran.


    Kyran was doing a good job holding on, but because he was also protecting Cyneah, he could not move the way he wanted and always exposed one of his sides for the Dragon Emperor to exploit.


    Nevertheless, Kyran endured the beating and knew well enough not to use Void magic in front of the Dragon Emperor. It was almost as if he knew that once he used Void magic, thetter would never truly acknowledge his existence.


    "Really, that child..." Ames said with a sigh. "It seems like he had decided to ept my Father''s wee."


    Leif and the rest of the Ogen representatives who exited the portal a few seconds after Kyran and Cyneah were dumbfounded at the scene that greeted them. They chose to keep their thoughts to themselves as they watched wide-eyed at how easily the Dragon Emperor beat the hell out of Kyran.


    However, impressively enough, Kyran managed to endure even while protecting Cyneah.


    Kyran skidded on the ground after getting kicked by the Dragon Emperor. He shifted his hold on Cyneah to protect her from the ground.


    "I-I''m fine, Kyran. Just let me go¡ª ugh!" Cyneah''s words were stopped as they stumbled a few times when Kyran hit a few stones that stuck out from the ground.


    Kyran gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Still, his arms around Cyneah had loosened for a fraction of a second, and she almost slipped from his grasp. Fortunately, he managed to tighten his hold on her clothes to keep her from slipping away.


    "Until the end, you stubbornly held on to her."


    Kyran looked up just in time for the Dragon Emperor tond a few feet away from where he and Cyneah skidded to a stop.


    Cyneah paled after realizing that the Dragon Emperor had already caught up to them. Because of how Kyran used his body to shield her as they skidded to the ground, she was positioned in front, just between the Dragon Emperor and Kyran.


    Kyran immediately sat up, about to switch positions with Cyneah, but thetter refused.


    "Neah¡ª."


    "My Lord, Dragon Emperor," Cyneah looked toward the Dragon Emperor and started while sitting in front of Kyran.


    "Please calm your anger... I-I apologize if I am acting way out of line, but K-Kyran is not in the condition to ept any more of your g-greeting."


    The Dragon Emperor paused and looked at Cyneah with amusement, "Greeting, is it?"


    "Y-Yes."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You don''t have to protect me, Neah; I''ll¡ª."


    "I don''t believe that a majestic being such as yourself will attack K-Kyran for no reason. I may not know much about the tradition between the Dragon n and the Regis n.


    Still, the time I have spent here made me understand that one of the few greetings of respect your people showed the Regises was through the use of strength, and so I believe that what you''re doing just now is a form of a greeting."


    "N-N¡ª T-That''s not really¡ª."


    Before Kyran could even form what he wanted to say to Cyneah, the Dragon Emperor burst out inughter.


    "Ahahaha! Use of strength as a form of greeting, is that right?"


    But then his expression turned cold as he regarded her with a fierce expression.


    "I see that yourck of sight makes you fearless, human."


    Cyneah caught her breath as she felt the Dragon Emperor''s overwhelming presence.


    But then.


    "You''ve crossed the line," Kyran suddenly said as his eyes slowly turned silver. "Vent your anger on me all you want, but don''t you speak with Neah that way."

 Chapter 1066: Dragon Emperor

    The Dragon Emperor''s magic energy exploded, nearly suffocating Cyneah and Kyran.


    But Kyran no longer wanted to passively receive the Dragon Emperor''s attack. He only did that earlier because he thought the same as Cyneah that his attacks were only a form of greeting.


    The Dragon Emperor also did not emit murderous intent, thus, even when Kyran suffered injuries, he chose to injure and do his best to avoid receiving fatal ones.


    This time was different. Although faint Kyran sensed the Dragon Emperor''s murderous intent. Thetter probably did his best to conceal it, but with the former utilizing his Draconic magic he was able to glean the subtle intent that leaked out from thetter.


    With this in mind, Kyran''s magic energy also exploded, wanting to counter as much pressure as he could that wasing out from the Dragon Emperor.


    But.


    "P-Please stop!"


    A different kind of magic energy appeared from the small gap between the Dragon Emperor and Kyran.


    The two magic energiesing from the Dragon Emperor and Kyran were simr, but because of their seething dark emotions for each other both energies shed with lethality. But the moment the new magic energy appeared the negative energy that was about to swallow the first two magic energies mellowed in an instant.


    The Dragon Emperor was surprised as he felt a soothing effecting from the new magic energy. Not only that, it might be small in scale, but it sessfully blended into his and Kyran''s magic energy.


    ''Hm?''


    The Dragon Emperor noticed a soft mncholic sound flowing within the new magic energy.


    ''This song is¡­'' his eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the tune. Apart from that, though it sounded distant, a few of the song''s lyrics resonated with him as if recalling something in the past.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On the other hand, Kyran was already familiar with the magic energy and even the song flowing within. Different from the Dragon Emperor''s reaction of disbelief, Kyran''s face distorted in fear.


    That was right.


    Cyneah owned the new magic energy and was doing her best to calm both the Dragon Emperor and Kyran''s hostile magic energies and soothe their emotions. Her mirror-like eyes shone brightly as words from the same song she sang the first time she used healing magic in Kyran''s presence left her lips.


    Everyone watching the confrontation between the Dragon Emperor and Kyran from a distance were simrly shock.


    Those part of the new generation like Cove, Irving, Ladon, Thorn and Maren were shocked because they did not expect Cyneah to be the one to get in between the Dragon Emperor and Kyran.


    Meanwhile, those who had been alive several years after The Fall like Ames and Leif, felt nostalgia from the faint song they could hear. Apart from that the magic energying from Cyneah felt foreign yet familiar at the same time.


    "Neah, stop!" Kyran shouted in fear as red blood started to trickle down the sides of Cyneah''s eyes.


    It was obvious that her body was put in a lot of strain from trying to calm two Draconic magic energies. She might be the real sessor of the Soul Emperor and should have the capability to stand side by side with another Ancient magic, however, she did not have the Soul core and only relied on the Macabre cier as a magic core to invoke Soul magic.


    Apart from that, she could not brazenly use the Soul magic energy stored inside the mirror or else its sentient might wake up and who knew what kind of disaster would follow.


    If Cyneah had a magic core of her own, she might be able to alleviate the strain a little by transferring some of the load from using Soul magic into it. However, she did not possess even that. This was why the strain manifested through her eyes, which was known to be the representation of Soul magic.


    Kyran''s glowing silver eyes turned reddish-purple as he hastily switched the magic energy circting in his magic core from Draconic to Void. He no longer cared about acting respectful toward the Dragon Emperor. Thus, he would no longer restrict himself from using Void magic.


    Foooom!


    A translucent dark purple veil expanded outward from Kyran and enveloped the whole twenty kilometers of the surroundings in the blink of an eye.


    It happened too fast that the Dragon Emperor, who was somewhat affected by Cyneah''s song, failed to react in time.


    When he regained his senses, he was enraged and all he could think of was to destroy everything before him.


    However, he realized btedly that he could not use his magic energy.


    "!"


    It was the same with Cyneah. In fact, as soon as the translucent dark purple veil passed through her body, she felt disconnected from the outside world. Not only that, but she also failed tomunicate with the Macabre cier.


    From this, Cyneah understood at once what Kyran did.


    Void Domain.


    "B*stard¨C!"


    "Take out your anger at me, but keep Neah out of this!" Kyran growled at the Dragon Emperor before thetter could curse at him.


    "No, don''t say that!" Cyneah shook her head in disagreement. She turned toward the Dragon Emperor and pleaded once more, "Stop doing things you know you will regret, milord, please, Lord Dragon Emperor."


    "Neah¨C."


    "He is still your descendant, Lady Ames''s precious grandson. Please don''t use violence to convey whatever it is you want to say," Cyneah hastily said before Kyran could interrupt.


    The Dragon Emperor''s brow furrowed after hearing Cyneah''s plea. He did intend to continue beating up Kyran because even if he could not circte magic energy, he still possessed a monstrous strength.


    But Cyneah''s plea made him stop. He did have a lot to say, but just as she said, venting it by beating up Kyran was not the only way to convey it. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Besides, seeing the two trying to protect each other from him made him realize how viinous he might appear to be.


    Why was he even enraged?


    The Dragon Emperor admitted that one reason he snapped was how Kyran looked simr to the person Zane considered a friend yet had to kill. Although that person looked more feminine than masculine, which differentiates him from Kyran, he was the reason Zane almost lost himself.


    Ultimately, the Dragon Emperor''s reason for snapping at Kyran was petty. Kyran was not even that person. Physically, they had a few simrities, but Kyran also inherited something that identified Zane or his family from the rest- ck hair and gray eyes. Kyran''s body structure was also almost simr to Zane''s.


    As these sank into the Dragon Emperor''s mind, he realized how childish the reason he snapped was.


    Contrary to Ames''s belief that her father felt betrayed by Kyran''s existence, that was the extent of the older man''s worry. Yes, the Dragon Emperor worried about a human ending up with two of the Ancient Magic Cores. But the fact that Shaiha chose Kyran somewhat bnced out his concern.


    It was one thing for a human to possess two Ancient Magic Cores but not acknowledge by Shaiha to one who was acknowledged. This was because as someone recognized by Shaiha, he had the responsibility to gather all Ancient Magic Cores. In fact, the Dragon Emperor would worry more if Shaiha acknowledged an unqualified human. Since she chose Kyran, a descendant of his own daughter, he felt more at ease.


    At least he knew Kyran would never exploit the Ancient Magic Cores for selfish purposes.


    "Father!"


    In the few seconds that the Dragon Emperor became preupied with his thoughts, Ames arrived at their location. She did not step into the translucent dark purple veil because she feared she might disrupt Kyran''s control over it and her father might start going on the rampage once more.


    She called out to him at once and added, "Reign in your anger, Father. Kyran is not at fault. He is also a victim of a ploy the previous holders of the Ancient Magic Cores concocted."


    The Dragon Emperor''s frown deepened after hearing his daughter. Only then did he realize that to others, he attacked Kyran because he did not approve of thetter''s existence.


    "I know," the Dragon Emperor replied after a short pause. He then sighed and looked at Kyran, whoseplexion started to pale.


    He did not have to use his senses to know that the reason the younger man''s defiant attitude earlier was nowhere in sight was because he was now focused on maintaining his domain.


    It should be noted that Domains were not popr in the Higher Realm because it was way weaker than Dimensions. But he risked using it not to stop the Dragon Emperor from circting magic energy but to stop Cyneah. Because to Kyran, the possibility of the Macabre cier''s sentient awakening was more concerning than receiving a full-force attack from the Dragon Emperor.


    The Dragon Emperor turned his attention to Cyneah and said, "I know of your situation..."


    His eyes flickered with amusement, and after a short pause, he added, " You truly are fearless, human."

 Chapter 1067: Harbringer of Chaos, Coelus (1)

    "I am not fearless, milord," Cyneah replied meekly. "Rather, I am full of fear that I want to give it my all."


    She did not borate on what she meant, but every one near who heard her knew exactly what she did not say aloud.


    ''Neah...''


    [This girl...]


    After hearing Cyneah''s words, Shaiha couldn''t help but view her in a different light.


    Honestly, the younger woman''s very existence posed a significant obstacle in convincing Kyran to ept his identity as the Realm Scion. Thus, Shaiha would rather that she be removed from the picture as soon as possible. However, that would be impossible to do because she was not only someone very important to Kyran but also one of the sessors of Ancient Magic Cores.


    As already assumed, bing the Realm Scion meant Kyran had to gather all Ancient Magic Cores and absorb them. Obviously, this included the Soul core. But doing that would mean that Cyneah would never recover her sight.


    Moreover, the Ancient Magic Cores, although artificially produced, are still magic cores and magic cores are part of a mage''s essence¡ª or, to be more precise, their life soul.


    Anyone who lost a part of their essence would have their time reduced.


    One would think that if Kyran bes the Realm Scion, he should have the power to keep Cyneah¡ª as well as Ste¡ª safe from any negative effect of losing the Ancient Magic Cores.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But that was not the case.


    Initially, Cyneah and Ste were immune to the Fate''s Code because they were possessors or sessors of Ancient Magic Cores. But once they lost it, their immunity would also be lost, and their fates would be sealed.


    Kyran bing the Realm Scion did not mean he would have the power to overwrite someone else''s fate. He could severe the fate that the Fates would bestow upon Cyneah and Ste, but if he did that, their existence would be an anomaly in fixing The Realm.


    Shaiha knew Kyran by now. If severing Cyneah and Ste''s fates would ensure they would not die, he would not hesitate to do that, even if it resulted in an anomaly that threatened the revival of The Realm.


    When that happened, turning Kyran into the Realm Scion would lose all meaning. In fact, all the plotting and maniption that happened to ensure he would be qualified to possess all Ancient Magic Cores would be wasted.


    Knowing all these, Shaiha knew she had to tread carefully when Cyneah was concerned.


    Shaiha decided that the only way for Kyran to not feel any ounce of hesitation in iming Cyneah''s Ancient Magic core was if he lost interest in her. In Shaiha''s eyes, Kyran was only interested in Cyneah because even if she was blind, she was a real beauty. The impure thoughts that would fleet in and out of his mind whenever Kyran and Cyneah were in close proximity made Shaiha believe this.


    With this in mind, Shaiha wanted to devise a perfect n for Kyran to meet someone far more beautiful than Cyneah. Such a woman was not hard to find in the Higher Realm, where the more powerful a female mage''s magic knowledge and level, the more beautiful and wless they became.


    However, after glimpsing Cyneah''s true character, Shaiha knew that her thoughts were too immature.


    Kyran would never lose interest in Cyneah. She was special to him not because he was physically attracted to her but because of her character.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran was already aware of Shaiha''s n and just rolled his eyes at her foolish idea.


    Going back to the present, Cyneah''s words touched Shaiha''s heartstrings, and now she, too, felt bad if someone like her ended up losing her life just because she possessed the Soul Core.


    The Dragon Emperor''s eyes softened as he looked at Cyneah. It was a subtle change that Kyran did not notice them. But he did sense the former''s overbearing presence simmered down.


    Cyneah might not borate on what she meant about her words, but the Dragon Emperor knew that she had done what she did because she feared for Kyran. She feared so much for him and the Dragon Emperor''s rtionship turning sour that she did not mind risking her own safety to stop that from happening.


    To other people''s eyes, the Dragon Emperor and Kyran were rtives, and they believed that the former would not truly hurt thetter. However, Cyneah thought differently, and the Dragon Emperor agreed that when he was enraged earlier, he nearly lost all rationality and truly wanted to hurt Kyran.


    If Cyneah had not done what she did, the Dragon Emperor might have truly gone over the line¡ª a line bordering on the path of no return.


    Frankly, how Cyneah intervened helped the Dragon Emperor greatly. He knew his outburst just then was quite immature of him. Still, because of others'' misunderstanding of his reason, he could say that Cyneah''s song calmed him down. Now,he could pretend to allow Kyran in the Dragon ne after careful deliberation.


    With that in mind, the Dragon Emperor turned around and said,"Do as you wish."


    Then he paused dramatically before saying, "Let us talk after you have rested, young man."


    "Yes," Kyran replied.


    The Dragon Emperor then left the Void Domain and gave Ames a meaningful look before flying away.


    Everyone watching the situation from a distance finally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the Dragon Emperor fly back toward the city.


    Back to where Ames, Cyneah, and Kyran were, thetter still refused to remove his domain even after the Dragon Emperor left.


    "Kyran?" Cyneah called after realizing this.


    "It is fine, child. Undo your domain," Ames told Kyran as she approached them. "My father will not go back on his words."


    "I may have thought things too lightly when I decided toe here," Kyran admitted. "I expected the Dragon Emperor would not be happy to see me, but this..."


    "Now you understand the severity of your possessing two Ancient Magic. Finally, being aware of it is a good thing," Ames said, attempting tofort him. "Now that you know, you will know how better to interact with others."


    Kyran did not respond because he knew he and Ames were not on the same page when it came. In Ames''s opinion, he had only realized how dangerous his existence of possessing two Ancient Magic was. But Kyran said what he did because he sensed that this was not why the Dragon Emperor was angry at him.


    "Father agreed to meet you tomorrow. So, for now, focus on resting," Ames told Kyran.


    Kyran only nodded in agreement. While it would be best to talk to the Dragon Emperor now, after what just happened, meeting him tomorrow sounded better.


    "Let''s go. Everyone is waiting," Ames added with a smile.


    Kyran knew that she did not mean the other Dragon n members but the Regis family members who came to the Higher Realm in search of him. Thinking about them made him smile.


    "Kyran? You have not released your domain yet," Cyneah said while they started to stand.


    Kyran did not respond. Instead, he reduced the area of his domain until it enveloped him and Cyneah only.


    "Kyran?"


    "I don''t want to release it."


    "''Don''t,'' not ''can''t''?"


    Kyran remained silent.


    Ames''s eyes narrowed slightly, catching on to his meaning. She looked at Cyneah tentatively and said, "What you did just now and what Father said... did that thing...?"


    Cynean shook her head at once, "No..."


    "I won''t take any chances," Kyran replied.


    "You''re overthinking."


    "I''m not," he replied as he reached out to her face and gently wiped the blood that trickled down the side of her eyes.


    The blood was still warm and had yet to dry, making it easy for Kyran to clean them off. But as he did, his expression turned grim.


    "Don''t do that again."


    "I will not be a burden. I don''t want to be a damsel in distress."


    "You''re not. But if your life ends up in any danger..." Kyran stopped, unable to continue what he wanted to say.


    "I agree with him, Sisi," Ames told Cyneah. "I understand not wanting to be a burden, but if anything happens to you and that thing acts up, the situation just now might not have ended like this."


    "I..." Cyneah opened her mouth, wanting to argue. But in the end, she closed them because they were right. If she failed to control the amount of magic energy she channeled out from the Macabre cier and its sentient noticed it, things might have ended up in a bigger disaster.


    "Since nothing happened, let''s not overreact. But that does not mean we should becent," Ames continued. "Next time, don''t put yourself in danger. You have to understand that, at the moment, you are the only one who can contain that thing."


    "Yes," Cyneah nodded. "I''m sorry."


    "Then let''s go. I''ll have a feast prepared for your arrival."


    "Can I pass on that?" Kyran suddenly asked.


    "Hm?" Ames frowned and looked at him disapprovingly. "What do you mean to pass on that? Do you understand that preparing a feast will basically mean that things are finally¡ª Oi¡ª Why are you sweating too much?"

 Chapter 1068: Harbringer of Chaos, Coelus (2)

    Kyran did not know how to respond to that. But one thing he knew was that his body started to feel strange after the tension from earlier abated.


    No.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That was not entirely correct. It was after he used the Void Domain that the strange feeling in his body appeared.


    In other people''s eyes, Kyran''s defiant attitude toward the Dragon Emperor lessened because he was too focused on maintaining his domain. When Kyran summoned his domain, his primary target was Cyneah, with the Dragon Emperor as secondary only. But because thetter possessed far greater magic energy and mage level, maintaining the domain took a lot of toll on Kyran''s mind and body.


    He also had to be careful not to alert the Macabre cier''s sentient of Shaiha''s presence.


    Kyran still remembered when the Macabre cier''s energy first made contact with him and Shaiha lost control. He had yet to understand what happened back then, but now that Shaiha had returned most of her strength aftering to the Higher Realm, he expected nothing of the sort would happen again.


    Going back to the main topic of concern, now that Kyran had reduced the range of his domain, with Cyneah as his sole target, he thought the strange feeling would disappear.


    He was wrong.


    Ames not only noticed how pale Kyran''splexion had be but also how badly he was sweating.


    "Kyran?" Cyneah''s called, her voice filled with worry.


    Because the Void Domain covered her body, Cyneah could not use magic sense to observe her surroundings. Thus, she did not notice that Kyran was unwell. Not that it would really help, even if she could use magic sense because she still could not see him well unless he lowered Shaiha''s concealment.


    "I''m fine¡ª."


    "Don''t say you''re fine when you''re clearly not," Ames said, cutting off Kyran''s response. "Rest for today. We''ll have a feast to celebrate your arrival another time."


    Kyran did not refuse. He was not exhausted per se, but the strange feeling on his body made him feel ufortable, and he only wanted to lie down and sleep. If he had topare how he felt at the moment, it was like he wasing down with the bad fever.


    Ames did not waste any effort escorting Kyran and the others to their amodation. Although she did not change into her dragon form, her body grew so she could carry everyone.


    Kyran and the others would stay in a medium-sized vi with several rooms, a huge courtyard, and a training ground at the back. The Regis family members that Ames brought along with her were also staying there.


    Ames already informed them of their arrival, so all Regis family members gathered outside to greet them. As for Kyran''s room, it was already prepared prior to the Tower of the Ancients'' opening. As a matter of fact, they reserved the master''s bedroom for him, so he had a room ready once they found him.


    By the time Ames arrived with Kyran and the others at the vi, Kyran''s condition had already worsened. His body felt as if they were on fire, and he could barely stay conscious of the pain.


    Cyneah pleaded with Kyran to release his domain so she could treat him, but he would not budge. Ultimately, when he could no longer endure the pain, he fell unconscious.


    Surprisingly, he still managed to keep the Void Domain around Cyneah active, much to her chagrin.


    The only ones in the vi were the Regis family members, with Ames staying there indefinitely. She had her own residence in the main pce, but because the Regis Family were her visitors, she decided to live in the vi with them for the duration of their stay.


    Since this was the case, Ames was considered the ''head'' of the vi until Kyran was found. If Ames returned to the main pce or if she had to leave for other reasons, Cyneah, Myst, or Raya would resume responsibility over the vi.


    Since Kyran had just arrived and was in no condition to take over the ''head'' of the vi, Ames acted as the host and made sure Leif and the others were taken care of.


    She had rooms prepared for them, even if they were technically Kyran''s hostages. She did not even make any precautionary measures to prevent them from trying to escape or make contact with the Ogen n. It was negligence, but more with her believing that Kyran had alreadye up with countermeasures when he decided to take them with him to the Dragon ne.


    Ames was not wrong in this sense. Kyran and Leif made a binding agreement beforeing there. The agreement was only made with special paper, and Leif was the only one affected by it.


    However, because Maren, Cove, and Irving swore to believe and follow Leif with any decisions she made, they would not do anything that would trigger the penalty of the agreement she had with Kyran. Besides, they were not stupid to actually do something within the Dragon n''s territory.


    Cyneah stayed at Kyran''s bedside even when the night hade. Myst and Raya offered to keep watch, but she refused to leave and only asked for a spare nket and pillows so she could rest on the couch, which was close to the firece that was opposite the bed.


    Myst and Raya wanted to argue at first, but Ames came in and approved Cyneah''s request. In fact, she also requested a nket and pillow for her. Like the younger woman, she decided to stay and monitor Kyran''s condition.


    In the end, Myst and Raya could onlyply and left to prepare their request.


    When the two left, Cyneah finally spoke and asked Ames, "Kyran''s condition isn''t because he pushed himself too far, am I right?"


    Ames did not answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Kyran, who was lying on the bed with a flushed face andbored breathing. She frowned after confirming that he was indeed having a very bad case of high fever.


    A condition was highly unlikely to them that had dragon blood in their veins. Cases of Regis family members who partook of dragon blood, like the ones Ames brought to the Higher Realm, who suffered light cold, but none of them would end up with a very high temperature. This was because their body had already improved to the point that they were almost immune to all diseases.


    Kyran was even more immune to them, especially since he consumed the entirety of the Elixir.


    So why was he suffering at this moment?


    "Kyran would sometimes fall sick if he overexerted usage of his magic cores," Cyneah started once more when Ames did not respond. "If I can use my magic sense, I can confirm his condition. But honestly, even if I can use it, I don''t think he is suffering because of his magic cores."


    "Yes, it has nothing to do with that," Ames replied atst. "I am not sure of it yet, but whatever he got is definitely not a regr fever. I have to ask Father about it first."


    "I think it happened after he used the Void Domain."


    "Hm... I don''t think it is rted to anything..." Ames''s voice trailed off as she thought of something. Her expression turned grim as she narrowed her eyes and said, "No... maybe it is rted. I need to check something. Stay with him for the time being.


    Whether it is only in his mind, but your presence helps relieve his suffering."


    "You mean him suffering from such high temperature is him being relieved?" Cyneah said incredulously.


    "If my suspicions are right, yes."


    Cyneah paused as she raised her head toward Ames''s direction.


    "...Is it something we have to be rmed about?"


    "No.. is what I want to say," Ames said with a sigh. "But I honestly don''t know. Only after we confirmed what caused his suffering can we make any concessions."


    "...I understand."


    "I''ll be back in a few hours. You also need to rest. If you end up falling sick because you neglected your own health, Kyran will think Myst and Raya are not taking good care of you."


    "H-He will not do that..."


    Ames only smiled and left through the room''s balcony.


    At this time, Myst and Raya returned with the spare nkets and pillows. When they saw the balcony doors open and Ames had gone, they could only sigh and say, "Does she have to leave through the balcony?"


    Cyneah gave a small smile before turning her attention back to Kyran.


    Raya closed the balcony doors while Myst fixed the couch where Cyneah would sleep.


    "This is the second time I''ve seen the Young Master suffer like this," Myst remarked.


    Cyneah''s ears perked up as she raised her head toward Myst''s direction.


    "When is the first time?" she asked in curiosity, thinking that it might give them a clue as to how to help Kyran get better.


    "It was when he was suffering from his magic," Myst replied with a bitter smile. "Back then, the Young Master was still a young boy, and his magic affected his surroundings. As you know, one of the natures of Young Master''s Void magic is absorption. Because he was only a young boy, he could not control the effect of his magic and continuously absorbed the magic energies around him.


    If Lord Cade failed to seal the Young Master''s magic, he might have exploded from all the crazy amount of magic energy his young little body absorbed."


    "This... is the first time I''m hearing this."


    "I''m sure Young Master doesn''t want you to worry over something that has already happened."


    Cyneah did not respond, but an idea started to take form in her mind.


    Back then, Kyran suffered because of his Void magic. What if, this time, it had something to do with his Draconic magic?

 Chapter 1069: Harbringer of Chaos, Coelus (3)

    Cyneah''s idea seemed farfetched, and she could not properly determine why she was convinced it was the case. In the first ce, Kyran suffering a simr condition from when his Void magic acted up before did not mean he was suffering now with his Draconic magic. Nheless, a part of Cyneah believed it was the case.


    She could not put it into words, but if she considered Ames''s behavior earlier, and why she decided to meet the Dragon Emperor because of Kyran''s condition, then whatever it was he was going through had something to do with them, dragons.


    "Dinner will be served soon, Young Mistress," Myst informed Cyneah after preparing the coach. He looked at him and asked, "Will you dine downstairs, or will you prefer to have your dinner here?"


    The master bedroom had a tea table set near the balcony so Cyneah could have her dinner there. The table might be small to serve dishes, but since she would be dining alone, it was more than enough.


    "Yes, I''ll have my dinner here. Thank you, sir Myst."


    "Alright," Myst said with a smile. He looked at Raya, who silently walked toward the side of the bed to check on Kyran after closing the balcony doors.


    Sensing Myst''s gaze, Raya looked up, his expression a mix of concern and solemnity. He shook his head, a silent indication of the gravity of Kyran''s condition.


    Myst inwardly sighed and nodded. He then signaled their exit while informing Cyneah, "We will take our leave, Young Mistress. If you need anything else, just call out."


    Cyneah gave a wry smile. Myst''s telling her to call out for them if she needed anything actually meant calling out their names, literally. She did not have to shout per se and only had to say their name softly, and they woulde running.


    This was actually part of the sensory enhancement skills training that Myst, Raya, and the rest of the Regis were honing.


    Ames suggested they train their senses. Doing this would also help stimte the dragon blood in their veins, and if all went well, their natural senses would be enhanced without them having to activate the Regis Techniques."Thank you, sir Myst, sir Raya."


    Cyneah was once more left with her own thoughts after the two left.


    After a few minutes, she shook her head slowly and sighed in dismay.


    "I am not knowledgeable enough about Kyran''s innate magic. So, all I can do ise up with baseless assumptions that may not be helpful."


    "That may not be the case."


    A female voice replied, rming Cyneah. She wandered her eyes around, trying to figure out where the voice came from, but because she could not use her magic sense, all she saw was darkness. It was not apparent earlier because others were with her. But now that she was alone and the darkness had be evident once more, fear started to creep its way into her heart.


    "You don''t have to fret, Sessor of the Soul Emperor," the female voice sensed Cyneah''s fear and assured her immediately. My name is Shaiha. And I have been staying inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness."


    Cyneah was taken aback after hearing the voice, Shaiha, introduced herself. She was familiar with the term ''Shaiha'' because that was where Zephyr used to live. Or, to be more precise, he used to live in the Shaiha Temple.


    Before Cyneah couldment on that, the rest of Shaiha''s introduction shed into her mind.


    "You are staying inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness?" she asked in both confusion and disbelief.


    It was not impossible for another existence to enter another person''s sea of consciousness. But Shaiha clearly said she was staying in Kyran''s. That should have been impossible, especially when that existence possessed its own consciousness.


    Seemingly sensing Cyneah''s doubt, Shaiha exined, "It is not impossible for me because my existence is rted to the Realm Scion."


    "I remember now," Cyneah''s demeanor changed as she faced the direction from which Shaiha''s voice came. "The dragons called the Heart of the Cosmos, Shaiha."


    "Because that is my name."


    "That''s why you are staying inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness."


    "You sound displeased."


    "You''re imagining it."


    "... Is it?"


    "You said my baseless assumptions may not exactly be useless," Cyneah veered back on topic with a deadpan expression. "Why do you think so?"


    Shaiha made a face at how Cyneah abruptly changed the subject. Thetter did not ignore her, but her expression and response were quite simr to Kyran''s.


    Deciding not to dwell on it, Shaiha replied, "Your knowledge of Kyran''s magic may be limited, but you are familiar with him. Your assumptions will never bepletely useless."


    "...Is that so?"


    "Perhaps you thought of something from what Myst said."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I did," Cyneah admitted with a nod. "But rather than Kyran suffering from the Void, I think it has something to do with his Draconic magic."


    "You are right. Ames also realized something, which is why she sought the Dragon Emperor."


    Shaiha''s admittance gave Cyneah another insight, and she said, "You know what is happening inside Kyran''s magic cores."


    "Yes. Since I have fused with his central core..." she paused slightly before adding, "At least, that was the case before I got expelled."


    "''Expelled''?" Cyneah repeated incredulously. "You are now acting as Kyran''s central core. Is it even physically possible for you to be expelled?"


    "Just my consciousness, of course. My body is still inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness. If not, he would have suffered a far more grave condition than having a high fever."


    Cyneah did not need Shaiha to borate on that. She knew quite well what would happen if even one of Kyran''s magic cores disappeared. Not to mention if that was his central core.


    "In any case, I can onlymunicate with you because you are... the Soul core''s current vessel. You may not possess it, but you are bound by it with an invisible thread. This means you will be able to hear my voice as well."


    Cyneah remained silent. But inwardly, she knew Shaiha only said she could hear her voice because she could not see. If Ste was present, it was likely that she could also see Shaiha.


    "What do you think happened that Kyran ended up in this state?" Shaiha asked after a short pause.


    "It is only a guess, but it may have started right after he unleashed his Void Domain."


    Shaiha nodded, "You are partially correct."


    Cyneah furrowed her brows, "Partially?"


    "The Void Domain''s effect is to cut off all magic energy activity in the surroundings. This will then prevent anyone within its area of effect from circting their magic energy. This also means that any active spell or array will be removed."


    "Yes. I''m aware," Cyneah agreed. She did not bother to expound that Kyran was actually worried she would overuse the mirror''s magic energy, which was why he summoned his domain.


    "Unfortunately, when he used the domain, he unwittingly removed an active seal."


    Cyneah''s eyes widened as she realized what Shaiha was trying to say, "Are you saying that there is a seal in the location where he used the Void Domain?"


    Shaiha shook her head with a sigh, "No... Actually, I am not sure. Because the Dragon Emperor would not have beaten Kyran up until you ended up in that location if there was an array with a seal nearby. But it is not as if the Dragon Emperor knew the effect of Kyran''s Domain or that he would use it because, let''s face it, who in the Higher Realm would stay on guard against a Domain?


    If it is a Dimension, maybe. But we are talking about a dragon here. Never mind a Domain, they did not even care about Dimensions."


    Cyneah smiled wryly. She also noticed that dragons could not be bothered with Dimension. Though in the Higher Realm, having a powerful Dimension would dictate the flow of battle between two mages, the dragons believed their raw strength was enough to overpower any Dimension.


    "Still, Kyran indeed removed a seal, and because of that, his Draconic core reacted. Now... well, the Draconic magic energy in his body had gone haywire and I am only barely containing it. Because of that, I did not notice another consciousness within that surging energy and failed to protect my ce, which is why I got expelled."


    "Another consciousness?" Cyneah repeated, raising her brows in sudden realization. "You don''t mean... a remnant consciousness that was residing in his Draconic Core, right?"


    Shaiha''s face lit up when she guessed Cyneah''s train of thought. But then her face darkened because something did not make sense to her.


    "It is true that previous owners of Ancient Magic Cores may leave behind a remnant of their consciousness within. But... so far, the only consciousness I had sensed was Can''s. I don''t think Zane left a remnant in the Draconic core."


    "From what I was told, only sister Ste... or rather, the Time Keepers, had several predecessors," Cyneah started as another thought crossed her mind. "So the Time Core possessing several remnant consciousnesses may be possible, right?"


    "Yes."


    "But... who are the first predecessors of the Ancient Magic?"


    Shaiha frowned, "Are you asking whether the first predecessors are indeed the first ones?"


    Cyneah nodded.


    Shaiha sighed, "I kind of understand what you''re trying to say, but... I''ll let Kyran exin more about what the Ancient Magic Cores are¡ª."


    "They are artificially made. I know that. But before you can create an artificial one, you need a sample. Whose Ancient Magic Cores did the Ancients use when they conducted tests to create artificial ones?"


    Shaiha gaped at Cyneah in shock as she started to make sense of what she truly wanted to say, "You... you''re thinking of something really dangerous."


    "I just think there is more to why Kyran''s Draconic Core reacted after a seal was removed by his Void Domain. He used his domain in the Lower Realm, but none of this happened before. So why now? Why, when he was in the Dragon ne?"

 Chapter 1070: Harbringer of Chaos, Coelus (4)

    Cyneah''s assumption was correct.


    The Four Greatest Minds of the Ancient n indeed used samples of real Ancient Magic Cores during the initial phase of their research. Shaiha did not know whose Ancient Magic Cores they were, but they were definitely from prominent figures, and the one who supplied them was the Higher Being.


    Yet, even the Higher Being had its limits. It could only assist in procuring samples that were within his reach. s, there was no Void Core sample to be found.


    But that was unimportant at the moment. From what Cyneah was saying, she believed that the sample of the Draconic Core might contain an essence. When the Four Greatest Minds seeded in their research, the artificial Draconic Core inherited it.


    A part of Shaiha thought Cyneah was on to something, but another part thought it was impossible. Honestly, she was the closest to the Higher Being but still did not know where thetter got samples of the Draconic, Soul, and Time Cores. All she knew was that he got them after visiting a faraway ne.


    The Higher Being and Shaiha should have a connection akin to the one she shared with Kyran since he was The Realm''s ruler. Unfortunately, he could not truly be Shaiha''s master because he did not possess Ancient Magic. The Higher Being did not know of that, and Shaiha had no ns to tell him in fear that he would covet the Four Greatest Mind''s research.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    s, true to an ancient saying, certain things were never meant to go ording to one''s ns.


    Pushing the memory of what happened in the past, Shaiha lightly shook her head before looking at Cyneah.


    "So you believe that certain conditions must be met before the seal can be released? Kyran using the Void Domain is only a part of it."


    "Maybe... I don''t know. What do you think?"


    "It is certainly worth considering. However, you are not fully aware of what the Ancient Magic Cores are. You only know that they are artificially made, but there is history behind them."


    "Then tell me. If I have a better understanding of the history behind them, maybe I can..." Cyneah''s voice trailed off as she realized that there was nothing that she could do, even if she were to know their truth. At the end of the day, the only thing connecting her to the Ancient Magic Cores was her body constitution.


    "You know full well that you can''t do anything at this point. Kyran is the only one who can help himself because he is the one who possesses the Draconic Core. You can only use your healing magic and alleviate his suffering, but since you are still covered by the Void Domain, then..."


    Cyneah frowned, "I know that. Honestly, I am mad at Kyran''s stubbornness."


    Shaiha only smiled wryly in response. Then again, Cyneah could not see her expression. Not that it mattered. In any case, she agreed that Kyran could be annoyingly stubborn in his own way. However, Cyneah was the same. If she were not, he would not have stubbornly retained the Void Domain''s effect around her.


    s, Kyran picked the wrong time to be stubborn because they could really use Cyneah''s healing to lower his temperature, at least.


    "We can only wait for Lady Ames at this point," Shaiha said after a brief moment of silence. "Rest, eat, and then sleep. I will let you know if Kyran''s condition took a turn for the worse."


    "... Your words are not reassuring."


    "I''m sure you''d rather I be honest than say otherwise."


    "...Yes. You are right."


    After the two finally agreed to wait for Ames''s return, Cyneah rested as advised while Shaiha monitored Kyran''s condition.


    It took Ames an hour before arriving at the Main Pce of the Dragon n. She could have gotten there faster using a transportation array. Unfortunately, there was not one avable near the vi where the Regis Family were staying. In the end, she had to travel to the nearest fort, which was five hours away from the vi, where there was a transportation array avable.


    Though the fort was five hours away from the vi, with Ames''s speed, it only took her less than half an hour to get there. However, because she did not inform the fort''s Governor of her arrival and purpose, it took more than half an hour to deal with the formalities and prepare the array.


    By the time Ames arrived at the Main Pce, however, the Dragon Emperor was already waiting for her inside the Throne Room. This was because the Governor of the fort had already informed him of Ames''s visit.


    Initially, the Dragon Emperor was a little annoyed that his daughter did not send him a message directly. She did have a means to send him an urgent message. However, his annoyance disappeared in an instant when he thought of a possible reason his daughter did not send him a direct message.


    Ames entered the Throne Room and immediately noticed her father looking at her while sitting on his throne, which was carved from diamonds with intricate silver and gold designs. She also noticed that the aides who normally stayed inside the room were nowhere to be seen. She did not mind that. In fact, she was d her father was alone.


    "Father."


    "Make it brief."


    Ames was slightly taken aback by her father''s reaction. At first, she thought he might still be annoyed that she chose to stay with her other family rather than return to the Main Pce. But upon seeing her father''s solemn expression, she realized that he might have already gleaned something about the reason for her sudden visit from her refusal to send a direct message.


    Thus, when her father told her to make it brief, it was not because he did not care. Rather, he knew the matter was very important, and he wanted her not to beat around the bush.


    "Kyran seems to be suffering from a reaction."


    Ames''s words sounded vague to anyone who heard her. But from the stern gaze that reced the Dragon Emperor''s solemn gaze, he seemed to understand what she meant.


    Instead of answering her, the Dragon Emperor remained silent. His gaze fixed on Ames.


    Ames was not intimidated, however, because she knew her father was recalling what transpired earlier that caused the reaction.


    "Is it when he used his Domain?"


    "Sisi thinks it is. I''m not sure at first but given the location..."


    "His Domain should not have been able to reach that ce."


    "Linearly no, but parallelly..."


    The Dragon Emperor closed his eyes and sighed heavily.


    "Is the range of his Domain that huge? At most, it should not have been able to reach there even if what you said is true."


    "The range, no, but making contact with the border''s seal is possible."


    Silence ensued inside the Throne Room once more.


    After a moment''s pause, the Dragon Emperor grunted begrudgingly, "Such a handful descendant that human."


    Ames remained silent, but inwardly, she was ted. Her feelings might be off-putting, given the dire situation Kyran was in, but she was happy to hear her father acknowledged thetter as her descendant. Because this meant, he already epted the fact that Kyran was also Zane''s descendant and sessor.


    In any case, the ce that they referred to was the tomb of the most feared Dragon Emperor in the Dragon n''s history: the Harbringer of Chaos, Coelus.


    Coelus was also known as the first dragon and was said to have sired the other dragons by using Chaos magic. He was also said to be cruel and psychotic because he made it so that all his children were always at war.


    It was unknown how Coelus died. In fact, none of the dragons believed he was truly dead because his corpse remained intact even after several hundreds of thousands of years.


    When the Dragon Emperor, Aillos, found him before the Dragon Tribes united, he initially thought Coelus was only sleeping. However, he confirmed that thetter''s Draconic Core was no longer active, which was why he was convinced that he was already dead.


    Nevertheless, the magic energy Coelus''s body emitted was so potent that he could still bring about Chaos to thend where he was resting. In the end, Aillos asked the Ancients for assistance in creating a powerful tomb that could also seal Coelus''s potent magic energy.


    The King of the Ancients warned Aillos that Coelus''s Draconic Core might already be inactive, but if it came across a dragon whose wavelength resonated with him, then it was likely that he would either devour that dragon or thetter would devour Coelus, bing a second Harbinger of Chaos.


    Aillos took the King of the Ancients'' advice to heart, which was why he made the tomb buried deeply within the Dragon ne''s core when they created it. Besides that, only a few elder dragons and his aides knew about the tomb''s existence.


    But if any of them discovered that the tomb''s seal might have been breached, and someone showed a reaction, it might result in a rift within the Dragon n. After all, Aillos only seeded in uniting all tribes because he promised that the threat of Coelus''s influence would never haunt them again.


    However, with his seal getting breached, the threat of Coelus''s influence and another war between the dragons might happen again.


    This was why Ames preferred to talk to her father alone. She did not want to cause unnecessary worry. They had yet to confirm what was happening to Kyran, but if they were correct, she believed he would ovee Coelus''s.


    "Have him transferred here immediately. I will prepare a room where we can monitor his condition. Make the necessary preparations on your end as well. I will also gather a small group to check the tomb''s seal."


    Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "If you do that, the others might realize something is up."


    Aillos sighed, "I know. But finding out the condition of the tomb''s seal takes precedence."


    "I have a suggestion."


    "Speak."


    "Leave the tomb''s exploration to me. The Regis Family''s Array Knowledge does not fall behind ours. They may even possess greater knowledge since they discovered some of the Ancients'' teachings in the Human ne."


    "Hm..." Aillos leaned back on his chair while considering Ames''s suggestion.


    "Besides, the others do not really care what they do because, in their eyes, they are weak humans from the Lower Realm."


    "..."


    Aillos frowned at Ames''s argument. However, he could not refute it because what she said was right. He had warned the others about their treatment with the Regis Family, and their treatment of them did improve. Nevertheless, they still considered them outsiders and weak.


    "Very well. I''ll support them in everything."


    "Thank you, Father."

 Chapter 1071: Stirring

    The Main Pce consisted of several smaller mansions. Aillos, the head of the Dragon n and the most powerful dragon among them, upied all three mansions located in the north. The Throne Room, where he held court with Ames, was a sacred ce located at the heart of the Main Pce. In the remaining spots from the three cardinal directions, several other mansions were equally constructed.


    Ames, the second most powerful dragon of her generation and Aillos''s daughter was granted a mansion in the east. When Aillos ordered Kyran''s transfer to the Main Pce, Ames suggested making room for him in her mansion.


    However, Aillos rejected her suggestion. Instead, he nned to have Kyran stay in the room opposite his chamber in his own mansion.


    This caused Ames''splexion to pale. As much as she trusted her father, she was afraid that he would snap again and attack Kyran in his sleep. Her concern was unwarranted because she believed that if the matter with Coelus was confirmed, her father might think the best course of action was to kill Kyran so Coelus''s corpse would stop resonating with him.


    Ames knew that hiding Kyran in her father''s mansion was the safest option. Despite its grandeur, the mansion was a sanctuary, home to only her father and a few selected quilins. The amount of its empty rooms would provide ample camouge, ensuring Kyran''s safety.


    Even if someone realized something and guessed her father was hiding someone in one of his rooms, no one would dare search around it with him around.


    Aillos then talked to the Governor of the Fort, where the transportation array Ames used to go to the Main Pce. This was to ensure that none of his daughter''s activity would be leaked to the others. Moreover, he would need the Governor''s assistance to ensure that Kyran''s transfer to the Main Pce was kept secret.


    After taking the necessary measures to keep Kyran''s condition secret, Ames returned to the vi while Aillos prepared the room next to his chamber, where Kyran would stay.


    Back in the vi, Cyneah, the rest of the Regis Family, and even Leif and her people were still awake. They finished their dinner a couple of hours ago, but they were all worried about Kyran, and sleep eluded them


    When Ames returned, she immediately gathered everyone and got them to prepare. Although her father only ordered Kyran''s transfer to the Main Pce, Ames intended to have everyone stay in her mansion. She knew the Myst, Raya, and the rest of the Regis Family would be restless if Kyran were transferred to a ce they could not reach, given his current condition.


    Besides, she suggested using them to venture into Coelus''s tomb and investigate the seal''s status. She could not go back and forth between the Main Pce and the vi to monitor their progress. Others would definitely notice her movements if she were to move around all around.


    Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Ames had to stay in the Main Pce because Kyran would be there, which meant Cyneah had to stay there as well. If Ames left Cyneah in the Main Pce to watch over Kyran alone, who knew what kind of trouble the younger woman would attract just by her being there?


    Cyneah''s presence in the Dragon n was actually a sensitive matter. Although Ames imed that she was part of the Regis Family because she was the Regis Family''s Young Master''s other half, she did not have his scent.


    Actually, Cyneah did have Kyran''s scent, but it was so faint that most of the Elder dragons were not convinced. If not for the support she received from the younger generation of dragons because they admired her bravery and beauty and Aillos''s approval of her status, the Elders would insist that Ames send her back to the Lower Realm.


    Cyneah was vulnerable at the moment because the effect of Kyran''s domain still lingered in her. If she could use her magic sense, at least, she could fend for herself if those annoying dragons, in favor of those simrly annoying Elders who did not wee her, plotted schemes against her.


    s, what Kyran did actually brought more trouble for Cyneah.


    Ames was not wrong to think this because she did not know the full extent of Kyran''s Void Domain''s effect. In truth, because his domain covered her like an invisible veil, any attempt of others that used magic energies and even physical objects would be repelled. Thus, Cyneah was not entirely left vulnerable.


    Now, the only thing left for Ames to deal with was Leif and her people. To be honest, Ames was reluctant to take them with her. However, if she left them there and they found a way to contact Overlord Oceanus, they might end up with another problem without even resolving Kyran''s matter yet.


    In the end, Ames decided to bring Leif and present them before her father. She believed her father could decide the better course of action to deal with them.


    The transfer of Kyran and the rest and getting them settled in the Main Pce took almost two days.


    Kyran''s condition remained the same, which they considered a good thing because it meant his reaction to Coelus''s corpse was progressing slowly.


    Aillos allowed Cyneah to stay with Kyran in his mansion since he could not watch over him all the time, and it would be dangerous to have one of the quilins do that in his stead. He was not worried that one of them would telltale. Rather, he was worried that they might aggravate Kyran''s condition since some of them were descendants of a unicorn and dragon sired by Coelus''s first few children.


    Aillos was the same. But since he was a full-blooded dragon, he could control his magic energy better than the Quilins, especially those with littlebat prowess because they inherited more of their unicorn blood than their draconic blood.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With regard to Leif and her people, Aillos decided to have them stay in a separateplex in one of his mansions. He could not let them in the main mansion where his chamber and Kyran would be staying, but theplex was located on the periphery, which allowed him to keep a better eye on them.


    On the other hand, Ames gathered the Regis Family to explore the tomb. She could not join them because her absence might make the other tribes suspicious, so she could onlymunicate with them through a tablet using an underground channel.


    Raya was chosen to lead the exploration of Coelus''s tomb. Myst was initially nominated because his Array Knowledge far surpassed the rest. However, Raya''s magic might prove more useful in this case if he needed to look into the past and check how the seal was created.


    Myst would then stay in the Main Pce and provide support in case of emergency. Besides, he could supervise Raya and the others through the tablet if his Array expertise would be needed.


    Finally, after almost five days of preparation, the Coelus''s Tomb exploration started, but only a select few Dragon n members were aware of it.


    Meanwhile, a hugemotion erupted in the Higher Realm.


    Following the early closure of the Tower of the Ancients, reports of all portals being destroyed surfaced. Rumors of ns belonging to The Emperor''s faction failing to return before the portals were destroyed also stirred up another round ofmotion.


    The ns, especially The Emperor''s n, Solis, and a couple of others like the Adamas, de Dancer, and cio, started investigating the other ns that participated in the Tower of the Ancients.


    They started their investigation even before they discovered that apart from the ns supporting The Emperor, the rest, especially those in support of the Dragon n, managed to return to their n in one piece. Although a few were injured, and some even suffered fatal ones, they still returned.


    Because of this, another rumor emerged that might cause a huge shift in the not-that-long-ago status quo between the Dragon n and the Solis n.


    The rumor stated that the Dragon n representatives attacked and kicked all n representatives supporting the Solis n.


    It was unknown where the rumor originated or if the rumor itself was spread by someone from the Solis n or a n under their faction. However, those who were made aware of it felt that it did make sense.


    The Dragon n sessfully fend for themselves when the Solis n, with the help of a few other ns under them, attacked their ne. This alone was a testament to their strength. It was not wrong to think that their n representatives had the ability to attack or even kill the Solis''s representatives and all those under them.


    In the Dragon ne, inside the Throne Room of the Main Pce, Aillos''s brow furrowed after receiving the news.


    A dragon in human form, wearing silver armor, knelt before him. This dragon was one of the scouts who were keeping an eye on the movement of the Solis n, and his name was Neven.


    Aillos had already heard from Ladon and Thorn''s report that Kyran dealt with the rest of the representatives in the Tower of the Ancients. However, he was also informed that Kyran left a few representatives from the de Dancer n and one from the Solis n alive and used them as informants.


    "Are there truly no survivors from Solis n?" Aillos asked Neven.


    "Officially, there are no survivors, milord. However, there are clues that say otherwise. I want to look into the matter and hope you''ll grant me permission to check other channels."

 Chapter 1072: Return

    Aillos looked at Neven in silence. He did not ask which channel thetter wanted to investigate because he already had an idea. For example, production, trading, or immigration reports within Solis ne might show some suspicious activities from the past few days after the Tower of the Ancients closed.


    If Aillos were the one investigating the rumor, he would look into the Solis n''s trading channels and see if they had recently made contact with the underground auction house that dealt with auctioning or selling rare magic items or relics.


    Most ns entered the Tower of the Ancients to hunt treasures, and receiving enlightenment was only secondary. It did not matter if the treasures they found were something their n needed because if they were not, they always had the option of selling them off or trading them with other ns.


    Of course, most ns would not sell or trade their treasures openly for confidentiality purposes. Thus, the underground auction house, was the best ce to make those transactions.


    Transactions in the underground auction house were safe because the person managing it did not belong to any big faction. She was not considered neutral because she was allied with quite a number of ns that belonged to both the neutral and non-neutral factions.


    Therge ns under the Emperor''s faction would never threaten her either because most of their ns were either allied or had a very good rtionship with her.


    Besides, having an underground auction house helped a lot in finding items that a n needed but could only get from an enemy n.


    In a sense, the underground auction house was the only ce that The Emperor would not brazenly exert his authority. There were even rumors that said he was quite fond of the owner.


    In any case, if a new item wasmissioned recently in the auction house, the chances of that item being a treasure discovered in the Tower of the Ancients were high. One only had to find where the route the item went through before arriving in the auction house to confirm which n it belonged to.


    Of course, finding that route would be difficult. But not impossible.


    If the Solis n recentlymissioned a treasure, then the news that all of their representatives did not return from the Tower of the Ancients might be wrong¡ª ''might,'' because there was still the possibility that their representatives did not find any treasures or that the treasures they found weresomething their n needed.


    That did not matter, though. What was important was to confirm first if the Solis n made amission. They could also try looking at a different angle, and rather than checking if the Solis n made amission, they might be looking for a rare item.


    It could be anything, but if it were Aillos, he would first look into a rare item with healing or status removal effects. After all, such items in the Higher Realm were considered rare, given how mages with high proficiency in Alchemy were rare. In fact, the owner of the auction house was one, and it was one of the reasons many ns would not dare cross her.


    The Solis n''s reason for needing items like those was, of course, to give them to their representatives who might have suffered greatly after returning from the Tower of the Ancients.


    There were other channels they could investigate to confirm if the Solis n''s ims that none of their representatives returned were true. But at the moment, that ce was the most likely channel to provide them with information.


    "Investigating that ce will be dangerous," Aillos told Neven with narrowed eyes. Discover exclusive tales at m,v--NovelBin


    Though he did not say which ce it was, Neven did not react. This was because the channel he wished to look into was the same that Aillos had in mind.


    "News of Ladon, Thorn, Ias, and Lady Sisi returning from the Tower of the Ancients are already known outside," Neven started to exin his n. "If I acted as if our n wants tomission an item, I can enter that ce with no problem."


    "Hm," Aillos agreed. But if Neven went there alone, he might appear suspicious. "Take two others with you. You can also have a few of the Quilins to assist your cover. They are good in Transformation magic."


    "Thank you, milord."


    "Move with caution."


    "I will not fail you," Neven bowed his head in respect and left without further ado.


    At the bottom of the steps where the throne sat, eight aides, four each standing on both sides, were standing guard.


    Three of them had long silver hair, two with short light gold hair, one with ash-gold shoulder-length hair, and two with medium silver-blue hair. Three horns, two on the sides with one on the forehead, protruded from their heads. They were all d in silver-scaled armor that exposed their arms, which were painted with gold and silver Draconic runes.


    One of the aides, Nothum, with medium silver-blue hair, turned to look at Aillos and said, "Milord, since it is a known fact that all our representatives returned safely, won''t it be more dangerous for our people to go to that ce? All other ns will definitely be on the lookout for our people, especially with the rumor that Ladon and Thorn killed the other representatives."


    Aillos leaned back on his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He knew Nothum''s concern, but they could not simply stay and do nothing. The more they stayed silent, the more suspicious they would appear.


    "I know. However... technically, the rumors are not wrong."


    "Milord?"


    All the aides looked at him in confusion.


    Ladon and Thorn only reported what happened in the Tower of the Ancients to Aillos, so their confusion was understandable.


    "Our n is indeed involved in the deaths of most n representatives, especially those with the Solis."


    "T-That''s...!"


    "Milord," Essein, one of the aides with ash-gold shoulder-length hair and gold and silver eyes, looked at Aillos in shock. He seemed to have thought of something and said, "I understand that Thorn is hotheaded at times, but I don''t believe he would go on a killing spree in that ce."


    In fact, Essein is rted to Thorn. He was his nephew. But since they rarely spoke, and when Thorn returned he and Ladon only spoke with Aillos, Essein did not get the chance to speak with him and learned of what happened.


    In the end, Essein assumed that it was Thorn who killed off the n representatives allied with the Solis n.


    "Of course not," Aillos replied, sighing heavily. "I am not talking about Thorn."


    Celestine, one of the aides with short light gold hair and silver eyes, frowned slightly as he thought of something, "Is it Ias?"


    Aillos sighed once more. He knew his aides were smart. Unfortunately, there were times like this when limited information was avable to them, and their thinking was also restricted. Thus resulting in theming up with ideas or suggestions that were way off the mark.


    "No," Aillos replied after a moment''s pause. "Let us stop here today. Assist Neven with the preparation and provide all necessary items they would need."


    "Yes, milord."


    None of the aides insisted on pursuing the matter since Aillos had already dered a stop to their discussion. Nheless, that did not mean the discussion was finished. Instances where Aillos put a stop to their discussion always meant he already had the information, but he had not decided which to disclose.


    It was not because he did not trust them but because the information was probably excessive or still needed some confirmation.


    In a sense, they were not wrong.


    The reason Aillos did not want to talk about it yet was because Kyran was still unconscious. He did not doubt what Ladon and Thorn reported to him, but he found the idea of one person having done all the things they told him alone impossible.


    Aillos could be considered the only one among the Dragon n who was aware of the truth of The Fall. It was not because he outlived all the dragons there but because the dragons refused to meddle in the Higher Being''s schemes and did not bother following what was happening to the Ancients.


    Not Aillos, though. Because he was always in contact with the King of the Ancients, he knew more than he should about everything. He was also aware of why they were adamant about producing a human capable of possessing Ancient Magic Cores.


    Still, there were things he did not know that would only make sense if he heard Kyran''s side of the story.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ultimately, Aillos did not believe that Kyran had the power to do all those things, even if he possessed two Ancient Magic Cores.


    Meanwhile, in a ce close to the boundary of the Higher Realm, space distorted, and the air crackled. Magic energy fluctuated as the space distortion slowly changed, and a silhouette in human form appeared.


    "Returning without aplishing anything leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."


    The silhouette was none other than The Emperor.

 Chapter 1073: Movements

    The Emperor was infuriated for letting both of his prey escape. He did not understand how the human with the Draconic Core and Heart of the Cosmos survived the ne''s explosion or where the one with another Ancient Magic Core escaped to after entering the Land of Destion. He tried searching for their traces for several days yet failed miserably.


    Since he could not pick up their traces from theirst location, The Emperor decided to return first in Somuli where they first discovered the human with the Draconic Core and Heart of the Cosmos. Though The Emperor already suspected the human was not from there but from the Human ne, he reckoned he would return there since he appeared to be protective of that ne''s residents.


    However, upon returning to Somuli, The Coven stopped every attempt he made to descend from that ne. That ne might have a Sovereign and entering it would not be easy, The Emperor could easily bait its Sovereign, like how he did before. But The Coven stopped him at every turn to the point that he had the urge to destroy everything.


    Unfortunately, the restrictions made by the Lower Realm was not something The Emperor could easily ovee. In the end, he bid his time and wander around the Lower Realm in search of any mages or forces that knew anything about the human with the Draconic Core and Heart of the Cosmos or that one possessing the treasured Ancient Magic Core of all, the Void. Your next read awaits at m,v -NovelBin


    The Emperor seeded in finding the forces that knew about the Human ne. In fact, that force was where one of their pawns used to lead. Unfortunately, that useless pawn died and although it remained active because there were other mages that took over him, the new leaders were not one of their pawns.


    The Emperor was not really worried. The moment he introduced himself, they became obedient and even swore loyalty to him.


    After that, he asked them to give him all information they had about his prey. He did not tell them about the Heart of the Cosmos and only mentioned about the Ancient Magic.


    Mages in the Lower Realm were ignorant about the truth of the Ancient Magic Cores and only referred to Ancient Magic as a very rare magic. The Emperor did not bother to educate them, however. There was no point in telling them something that did not concern them.


    It did not take long for The Emperor to receive the information he asked. But something caught his eye that made him doubt the authenticity of the information.


    ording to the information, The Emperor''s prey were one and the same.


    Though it did not say that the human, Kyran Regis, possessed Draconic magic, he was no doubt someone who possessed Void magic. However, he possessedbat prowess simr to the human who possessed Draconic Magic. Moreover, the fact that he was a Regis, fitted the human The Emperor chased out from Somuli.


    But that human never once used the Void.


    The Emperor was also sure that the human he found in the Land of Destion was different from the one he was chasing. To be precise, thetter''s presence was hidden by the Heart of the Cosmos while the former''s presence was too obvious, he stuck out like a sore thumb.


    The Emperor did not even have problem picking up that human''s traces every time he tried to escape by teleporting.


    On the other hand, the human with the Draconic Core and Heart of the Cosmos only used movement techniques simr to the Dragon n to escape from him. If they were the same person, why did he not teleport?


    The Emperor initially thought that the Draconic human¡ª he decided to call his first prey that¡ª did not want him, The Emperor, to discover him possessing two Ancient Magic Cores and the Heart of the Cosmos.


    But The Emperor rejected the idea immediately because the Draconic human would be a huge idiot if he wanted to keep such an open secret a  secret. In the first ce, almost all Sovereigns in the Lower Realm knew the mage Kyran Regis possessed Void magic. The Emperor only needed topare the Draconic human''s face and that Kyran to confirm the truth.


    But the unmasked Draconic human looked different from Kyran. Their build was also different¡ª with the former being a lot taller and more masculine than thetter.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    While Transformation Magic was avable, which would allow mages to change their appearance, and those with more advanced knowledge could even change their bone structures and sometimes gender, The Emperor knew it was impossible for someone possessing Ancient Magic Cores.


    The magic rules revolving around Ancient Magic was tooplex yet inflexible that any form of magic that did not resonate with them would be impossible to perform.


    This was why none of the Ancient Magic could use Transformation Magic.


    In the end, The Emperor decided to find the truth himself. Only relying on others to provide the information was not his thing, anyway. Especially when the information came from beings in the Lower Realm that were ipetent in his eyes.


    To find the truth, The Emperor stayed in the Lower Realm. He knew it was not wise to stop his search of his prey. But the only ce he knew the Draconic human would hide was in the Human ne. In order to find that ce, he had to trace the location where Kyran Regis was said to have appeared more than six years ago.


    In a sense, by tracing Kyran Regis''s trail, The Emperor would eventually understand the connection between him and the Draconic human. The identity of the Void mage he met in the Land of Destion would also be clear by then.


    The Emperor checked the nes Kyran Regis was rumored to have visited. However, it came to a point that he got tired of checking because Kyran''s trail had long disappeared in those nes.


    This was because time differed in each ne.


    A decade or two had passed to some of the nes that Kyran visited that it was hard to find people who remembered him.


    The Emperor changed tactic and targeted those beings that Kyran Regis was said to have be acquainted with. In particr, he had his eyes on the Guardians because it was said that Kyran was affiliated with them.


    However, The Coven intervened once more by preventing The Emperor from finding these Sovereigns. When The Emperor tried to find the nes those Sovereigns governed, The Coven would also appear and prevent him from doing anything that would force the Sovereigns to show themselves.


    The Emperor tried to exploit the Sovereigns who swore loyalty to him. But they could not even hold a candle against The Coven. They could not even do a proper job in forcing the other Sovereigns under the Guardians factions to reveal themselves.


    After suffering so many setbacks, The Emperor realized the Sovereigns in the Lower ne was ipetent. Those who swore loyalty were unable to live up to his expectations. If he wanted to receive proper results, he neededpetent and trustworthy people. And the only ones who knew who that could do were his people in the Higher Realm.


    After more than four months of staying in the Lower Realm, The Emperor finally decided to return to the Higher Realm and select some of his mostpetent people to assist him back in the Lower Realm.


    Without bothering to inform those ipetent fools, The Emperor returned to the Higher Realm.


    "Ah~ this ce is truly different from that wretched one. The air alone is fulfilling," he muttered and immediately made his way to the nearest ne under his jurisdiction.


    He could have returned directly to his ne, but he did not want to alert anyone of his return. He also wanted to know what kind of atrocity the other ns had done while he was away.


    The nearest ne where he appeared was near the cio ne, where the cio n rules.


    Among the ns under the Solis, the cio were considered the most obedient to him. Thus, he preferred to be surrounded by them. There was also the de Dancer n, however, their recent results were disappointing.


    As The Emperor made his way to the cio ne, he mentally calcted the days and realized that the Tower of the Ancients should have recently opened.


    ''Hm... if this is the case,'' he paused and looked to his left where an unnamed ne within the cio''s jurisdiction was located. ''I believe there is a portal there. Some of the cio Leaders should be there standing guard.''


    The Emperor decided to make a detour and check if the Tower of the Ancients had indeed opened.


    ''Hm?'' The Emperor frowned the moment he arrived in the unnamed ne. This was because, he found the ne empty.


    There were living beings in that ne, but there were no signs of High Sovereigns.


    Sensing a foreboding, The Emperor did not bother entering the ne and rushed to the cio ne.

 Chapter 1074: The Seal

    It has already been a week since Raya and a few other Regises set off on their secret expedition, descending into the depths of Coelus''s tomb.


    Ames and Myst monitored their progress, and that afternoon, they finally reached the periphery of the seal''s formation.


    At the moment, Raya and the rest were meticulously scouring the area they calcted to have been where Kyran''s domain touched the seal while Ames and Myst waited for their update with bated breaths.


    "If Kyran felt a reaction as soon as he used his domain, the damage to the seal''s surface should have been obvious," Ames voiced her doubts when Raya had yet to report back their findings after more than three hours of searching.


    Myst furrowed his brows. He understood where Ames wasing from. The seal''s damage should be obvious if Kyran''s reaction happened sequentially. For this reason, he was simrly in doubt as to why Raya and the others had not found anything.


    "Or did they?" Myst muttered as a scary thought shed through his mind.


    Ames looked at him and her expression turned grim because she had guessed what he had thought.


    "True... they might have encountered something bad down there. However, Father has been using his Divine Sense continuously to observe activities underground. He should have noticed it if something happened to Raya and the others."


    What Ames said made sense, and although Myst was convinced, he still could not shake off the bad feeling that came over him at the possibility of danger Raya and the others might encounter.


    Between Myst and Raya, the former was far stronger in terms of magicbat because thetter''s Memory magic could only be used as support. It could be used to attack enemies mentally, but inflicting mental attacks was tricky and only worked if the enemy''s guard was lowered. It could not bepared to offensive-type magic that could be used directly or indirectly.


    Myst was worried that if Raya and the others encountered something underground that they could not deal with their physical prowess alone, having offensive-type magic would be helpful. But if even their offensive-type magic was not enough...


    All Regises that came with Ames were actuallybat mages. But while they were considered a force to be reckoned with in the Lower Realm, they were nothing in the Higher Realm.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Myst knew that better than anyone, especially when they had been subjected to severe beating whenever the dragons agreed to spar with them.


    As if reading what was on Myst''s mind, Ames smiled bitterly and said, "Don''t worry. It is true that there are underground beasts lurking around the tomb, but I am confident with Raya and the others'' ability to fend for themselves, even without magic. I have witnessed your growth for the past months, after all."


    Myst looked at Ames, "The tempering we''ve received whenever we sparred with your people has truly helped us improve, but at the end of the day, our bodies are still that of a human. There is only so much force that our body can take."


    Ames did not respond. She could not because Myst was right. They might have taken a drop of dragon''s blood, which helped awaken their inherent trait of being her descendants. However, their body was still human. They did not possess an Ancient Body like Kyran who could adapt well to the changes to his body.


    "They will be fine," Ames finally said after a moment''s pause. "If we don''t get any update from them in the next hour, I will go down and see the situation myself."


    "T-That is not my intention, Lady Ames. I am only¡ª."


    Bzzt!


    The two were jolted by a buzzing sound from the tablet, signifying an iing feed.


    Ames immediately turned on the secret channel, and Raya''s, along with a few other Regises'' silhouettes, appeared on the screen.


    Their silhouettes were a little shaky, meaning the magic energy around them was a little unstable.


    "Lady Ames¡ª?"


    Krrshk.


    "Myst¡ª?"


    The feed distorted once more, with static sounds from the background.


    Ames used her magic to control her end of themunication, and soon, the feed improved, with the static lessening greatly.


    "Can you see us? Hearing us is fine, too. Please respond!" Raya asked.


    "Yes, Raya. We can see and hear you now. What happened?" Myst responded and asked at once.


    Raya smiled bitterly while shaking his head, "A huge pain in the ass. I''m not sure how it will affect our progress, but we found the part of the seal which the Young Master''s domain struck, and it''s destroyed."


    Ames''s and Myst''s eyes narrowed at once.


    "Destroyed, not damaged," Ames repeated. She was not asking a question but stating what she understood from Raya''s words.


    Raya nodded andughed wryly, "Yes, Lady Ames. I tried using my magic to see what happened, and I''m not sure if I should be happy at the Young Master''s growth or scared because he literally destroyed a seal created by the Ancients."


    "Have you also seen how the seal was created?" Ames asked.


    "Yes," he replied, nodding once more. "While the others are trying to repair and stabilize themunication, I used my magic to look into the seal''s memory. When I first checked how the seal was created, I was quite confident it could be repaired. The problem is Young Master''s magic destroyed it. The only thing we can do now is create a new one."


    Myst groaned as he btedly remembered what they heard from the Tower of the Conve. When Kyran first visited them, he used his magic to destroy their defensive barrier, which was known to be one of the most powerful Defense Array in the Ylfaen Empire.


    Hugh told them that Malek was furious because they had to create a new one. Even if Kyran only destroyed a portion of the formation, his magic''s nature made it irreparable.


    But the level of the Defensive Array created by the Conve was far low-leveledpared to one created by the Ancients. Yet, the results were the same.


    "I''ve seen the materials, but even if we have them on hand, the problem is that we don''t have an Ancient''s innate ability to reproduce the seal," Raya exined. "Actually, I don''t even understand what the Ancient''s innate ability was, but from what I saw, they manipted the magic energies around them like it was second nature to them."


    Myst furrowed his brows.


    "Manipte magic energies like it was second nature to them?" he repeated as he remembered something. "Lord Azaloth''s innate magic... should be the same, right?"


    Raya''s eyes widened in realization, "Ah! You''re right!"


    Mannick''s identity was only known to the Regis Family and a few selected ones from the Conve and the Royal Family. After half a year of rest, he had more or less recovered strength. Unfortunately, his mage level had decreased.


    Whenever possible, Mannick would spar with the Regis Special Force. That was how Myst and Raya knew about his magic.


    Ames looked at them nkly and said, "You are not seriously thinking of making hime to the Higher Realm as well. He is not even a Regis."


    She did not have to remind them that Cyneah was an exception because Kyran marked her. Whether he did it intentionally or not, because of his mark, Ames only needed to give her blessing for Cyneah to be epted as part of the Regis Family and enter the Higher Realm using the Dragon n''s route.


    Basically, Cyneah was now considered Kyran''s other half¡ª or, for short, wife.


    "He is Young Master''s subordinate... won''t that help?"


    Raya basically meant that being Kyran''s subordinate, Mannick should be considered a member of the Regis n.


    Ames patiently reminded them, "Being a member of the Regis Family is different from being a member of the Regis n."


    "That''s... true..."


    Regis n members did not have Regis blood coursing through their veins, unlike the family members, who were Ames''s descendants.


    "Or is it?" Myst suddenly had a crazy idea as he looked at Ames. "I remembered Lord Cade said something about prevailing in Lord Azaloth''s inheritance would not have been possible if he did not have the qualifications."


    He did not borate on that, but his implication was quite obvious. Azaloth''s inheritance might have something to do with possessing the same bloodline.


    Ames caught on Myst''s implication and scowled, "Are you implying that Azaloth might also be a Regis?"


    "He is a powerful Abjurer with a powerfulbat prowess."


    "That is not enough."


    "He is rted to the previous Void Master and the Dragon Lord."


    "Enough!" Ames growled. She had not met Azaloth personally but she had been affiliated with the Regis Family right after Zane became the Dragon Lord. She was familiar with all of his family members and Azaloth was not one of them.


    Myst wanted to argue because his instincts were telling him he was onto something. But seeing Ames''s scary, slitted eyes made him shut up.


    "For argument''s sake, if Azaloth does indeed have Regis''s blood, I cannot waste time going to the Lower Realm just to bring him here. Too much time would have passed by then, and we cannot waste any more time."


    She was right.


    "I will have an audience with Father, and I want you two to help each other in replicating the whole formation while I''m away."


    "Yes, Lady Ames."


    Ames left soon after, and Myst, Raya, and the rest of the Regises worked on drafting a replica of the seal''s Array Formation.


    Aillos had Ames go directly to his chamber upon receiving her request for an audience.


    Ames did not beat around the bush and told her father about what Raya and the others discovered.


    "Right... I have not considered the Void''s nature... not that we are that knowledgeable about it."


    "We will need an Ancient''s assistance if we want to create a new seal."


    Aillos did not answer immediately and only looked at Ames in silence. After a moment''s pause, he asked, "Do you know how long it took for the Ancients toplete that seal?"


    Ames''splexion paled at once as she only remembered the most crucial aspect of arrays. She let out a muffled groan in exasperation as she said, "I did not think of that."


    Coelus''s seal could be considered one of the most powerful Array Formations in the higher realm. Obviously, the Ancients did not create it overnight. It might have taken a couple of years or even a decade toplete it.


    "Our only option is patching it up. If that is impossible, then..." Aillos sighed, unsure of what to say. "In fact, I''m not sure if Coelus''s matter is the most pressing at the moment."


    Ames raised her brows in surprise, "Why? Did something happen in the other ns?"


    Aillos looked at her with a solemn expression and said, "Yes. The Emperor has returned."


    "That butt-face...!"


    "Maybe this is a good thing," Aillos said slowly.


    "What do you mean, Father?" Ames asked, looking at him in confusion.


    "Coelus''s seal breaking... if Kyran devours him instead, his growth will be unimaginable," Aillos said. "The best case scenario would be him inheriting Coelus''s strength."


    "But that in itself posed a problem," Ames replied with a frown.


    "Yes..." Aillos agreed while closing his eyes. "Worse case is that... he inherits his strength and his... temperament."

 Chapter 1075: Surprise Visit

    Coelus''s cruel temperament and psychotic behavior were something Aillos and Ames would not want Kyran to inherit becausebining those two characteristics with Draconic magic would only result in destruction.


    Kyran''s physical form may remain human, but the possibility of him devouring the residual magic energy in Coelus''s remains and merging it with his Draconic core was a looming uncertainty. If this were to ur, the likelihood of him embodying Coelus''s form was a dangerous possibility.


    Ames had only seen it through a recording, but Kyran already knew how to manifest dragon parts using raw Draconic magic. Changing into Coelus''s form would not be impossible, given histent talent.


    "Is there really no changes in Kyran''s condition?" Ames asked after a long and heavy silence.


    "You can check by yourself," Aillos suggested, gesturing toward the door leading to the room where Kyran was currently resting.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I will do just that," Ames agreed with a nod.


    "I''ll do what I can in diverting The Emperor''s attention away from the Dragon ne. I''ll let you handle the rest with Kyran''s matter."


    "Yes, Father."


    "If necessary, talk to Ducal."


    Ames frowned at the mention of Ducal.


    Ducal was Aillos''s most trusted aide. He was not the strongest among them, but he was the wisest and most prominent in Array. In fact, he was the head of the Dragon n''s Research and Array Division.


    Ducal was present when Neven reported his findings in the Solis n, but unlike the other aides who voiced their opinion as soon as he left, Ducal remained silent.


    It was not that he was uninterested in what was happening. Rather, he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself and only voice them when he and Aillos were alone.


    At this point, Ducal had yet to share his thoughts with Aillos. Aillos also did not openly ask him about it because he knew it would be inevitable to discuss the matter about Kyran if they talked.


    Aillos respected Ames''s wishes to keep Kyran''s situation a secret. He also did not want Coelus''s threat to be known to many, so he refrained from talking to Ducal about it.


    Moreover, there was another reason Aillos could not speak with Ducal when the Regis Family was concerned.


    Ducal was among the dragons that disapproved of Ames''s marriage with Zane. In his opinion, Ames should marry her own kind.


    Considering all these, Aillos decided to let Ames decide whether to speak to Ducal or not.


    "... I''ll think about it."


    "Think wisely."


    "... Yes, Father."


    Ames averted her eyes because she knew she could not hide her apprehension from her father''s piercing gaze.


    Ames silently left Aillos''s chamber on that note. She went directly to Kyran''s room, where Cyneah was keeping watch.


    "Is she around?" Ames asked Cyneah as soon as she closed the doors behind her.


    Cyneah raised her head toward Ames''s direction. She knew who thetter meant and answered, "Yes. She''s here."


    Ames, her father, and Myst were already aware of Shaiha. However, because they had no connections with the Ancient Magic Cores, they could not see her.


    Shaiha frowned at the way Ames asked about her. It sounded as if she was a remnant soul haunting Kyran.


    "So rude," she grumbled. "It''s not like I can roam away from Kyran or hide. I am connected to him, for goodness''s sake, so obviously, I am always around him."


    Cyneah gave a wry smile at Shaiha''s grumbling. She had gotten used to thetter''s rants after being the only person who could hear her. Besides, it had already been more than two weeks since she was expelled from her body. That was plenty of time for Cyneah to get acquainted with Shaiha.


    "Still no change in Kyran''s condition?" Ames continued to ask while making her way to Kyran''s bedside.


    Cyneah turned her attention back to Kyran and ced a new coldpress on his forehead.


    The coldpress was imbued with Frost magic to lower Kyran''s temperature. However, because his temperature kept rising, albeit slowly, they had to adjust the frost in the coldpress, or else he might truly end up burning to death.


    "His temperature went up again. Fortunately, a new coldpress managed to stabilize it again," she told Ames. "I think we need to increase the Frost imbued in them again."


    "I''ll request for it and have Myst deliver them."


    "Thank you."


    "Is that all? Is there no update from her end?"


    "I can hear you perfectly well," Shaiha huffed in indignation. "You can just ask me directly. Although you can''t hear me."


    Cyneah inwardly scratched her head, not knowing what to say. In the end, she decided to tell Ames what Shaiha told her earlier.


    "Nothing. There is still no indication that Kyran is in a trance or something simr."


    The first thing Aillos and Ames confirmed when Kyran''s Draconic Core reacted to Coelus''s corpse was if he fell into a trance of some sort because that had been the case whenever he fell unconscious.


    Obviously, Aillos and Ames did not know that. Still, they assumed that Kyran might be under some kind of trial or enlightenment inside his sea of consciousness while enduring Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy.


    Based on Shaiha''s probing, however, nothing of the sort was happening to Kyran. Basically, he was just in great pain from enduring Coelus''s corpse''s immense magic energy, which was why he was unconscious.


    Ames sighed. She was hoping that Kyran was undergoing a trial by fire by enduring Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy. At least, with that, they could feel more assured that he could emerge victor from the trial.


    Since that was not the case, they could not predict when Kyran would ovee the situation.


    "What about Raya and the others? Have they found where the seal is damaged?" Cyneah asked before Shaiha could tell her to.


    They were also awaiting news from Raya and the others because it had already been a week since they left. However, they had only sent regr updates on their journey''s progress.


    "Yes. However..."


    Ames patiently exined what transpired during her and Myst''s conversation with Raya.


    Cyneah and Shaiha listened attentively and were simrly upset when they learned fixing the seal was impossible at this point.


    "Is there really no way of fixing the seal? If they needed assistance from an Ancient, then..." Shaiha wanted to suggest that Cyneah tell Ames about the Ancients they met in the Tower of the Ancients.


    In fact, Aillos and Ames were aware of the Ancients because Ladon and Thorn did not hide anything from them when they gave their report. However, they never considered asking for their assistance because the only one who could enter the portal at this point was Kyran.


    Cyneah shook her head, turning her head toward Shaiha''s direction, "You know Kyran is the only one who can ess the portal. Besides, I don''t think he would want to endanger them by asking them to leave the tower ande here."


    Cyneah did not know that the Ancients could not leave the tower, but she knew they would be in danger if others discovered them.


    Ames looked at Cyneah with aplicated expression. She gleaned that thetter was probably responding to something Shaiha said. But if others witnessed her reaction without knowing of Shaiha''s presence, they would think she had lost it.


    Putting aside her random thought, Ames guessed what Shaiha had said based on Cyneah''s response. She said, "We thought so, too. That''s why we never considered that option."


    Shaiha sighed. It annoyed her that she could not do anything to help Kyran. To be honest, she should have the capability to stop Coelus''s corpse from affecting Kyran''s Draconic core.


    However, Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy sneakily seeped into Kyran''s body, and Shaiha failed to sense it until it was toote. Moreover, the former''s magic energy was so simr to thetter, which was how the Draconic core resonated with it naturally. If the Draconic core resonated positively with the magic energy, how could Shaiha notice anything?


    s, Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy was too much for Kyran to handle.


    "Another thing," Ames paused momentarily before looking at Cyneah with a grim expression. "The Emperor has returned."


    Cyneah turned her attention back to Ames, and herplexion paled at once. Several thoughts, none good, swirled in her mind about why The Emperor had decided to return.


    "T-Then... the others..."


    "He probably grew tired of trying to locate the Human ne that''s why he decided to return. Don''t worry about it," Ames told Cyneah as if reading what was going through her mind. "If that butt-face did something in the Lower Realm, I would have known about it."


    The Regis Terram remained unessible, but that was not the only way for Ames to find what was going on in the Human ne. Besides, she knew The Coven would never allow The Emperor to run rampant in the Lower Realm.


    "Y-Yes..."


    Ames smiled wryly and said, "You should worry more about yourself, you know. The Emperor''s strength was restrained in the Lower Realm. That''s why he would be hard-pressed to search for Kyran''s trace or the Human ne. But..." Her voice dropped dramatically as she added, "That is not the case here in the Higher Realm."


    Cyneah''s expression turned solemn after hearing Ames''s reminder.


    "Don''t worry. You''re all safe in the Dragon ne. The Emperor will not daree here."


    Or, at least, Ames believed her words to be true.


    Unfortunately, the Fates seemed to have yed a trick on her. They might even have decided to assist The Emperor because right after she said those words, a massive pressure befell the Dragon ne, shaking itsnds.


    "This...!"


    Aillos''s expression hardened as he stood outside the balcony while looking up at the sky.


    The Emperor had arrived.

 Chapter 1076: Demand

    The Dragon ne was safeguarded by a formidable Defensive Array. The fact that The Emperor''s pressure extended to the entire ne, even without his physical presence, was a testament to his strength. Yet, the Defensive Array, which was intricately linked to Aillos, stood strong, impervious to thetter''s threat. The only way to breach it was through Aillos''s consent.


    During the recent conflict between the Dragon n and Solis n, the only reason thetter and their subordinate ns managed to enter the ne was because Aillos was in the middle of closed-door training. This caused his link with the ne''s defensive array to weaken.


    The Solis n Elders, driven by their nefarious intentions, were fully aware of this vulnerability. They seized the opportunity to disrupt Aillos''s training, their actions a clear attempt to hinder his enlightenment and breakthrough. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Aillos took off from the balcony and made his way outside the ne the moment he sensed The Emperor''s pressure. It might be hard for thetter to descend to the ne because of the barrier, but it was not impossible.


    The Emperor, a figure of immense power and influence, was dubbed as the most powerful being in the Higher Realm for a reason. His abilities were unparalleled. Alone, he could obliterate any small ne, brazenly enter a medium ne, and force his way inside arge ne.


    The Dragon ne was not an exception. It would take The Emperor some time, but he would definitely be able to force his way in.


    Of course, that was only if Aillos did nothing.


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Aillos made a bold decision. He chose to confront The Emperor outside the Dragon ne, a move that could potentially alter the bnce of power. Aillos was confident in his ability to stop The Emperor from entering, but the stakes were high. If he failed, The Emperor would definitely sense Coelus''s energy, and the matter about Kyran would also be revealed.


    This was a scenario Aillos was determined to prevent at all costs.


    The rumor about The Emperor being afraid of Aillos was actually exaggerated. It was true that he disliked the fact that Aillos was on the verge of breaking through the wall that separated the level between an Overlord and a Supreme Overlord. However, he was not afraid of Aillos''s threat once he broke through. He was only afraid of having apetition of bing the next Higher Being.


    But The Emperor was not that worried because he had several hundred years of advantage since he became a Supreme Overlord long ago. Aillos would not be able to bridge the gap of experience even if he became a Supreme Overlord as well.


    Aillos knew this, which was why he chose not toment on the rumor. He also chose to avoid confronting The Emperor to prevent something inevitable from happening.


    Frankly, Aillos saw peer pressure as the sole reason for a real war to happen between the Dragon n and the Solis n. This was because the tension between them was actually caused by the rumors created by those unrted parties rather than someone from the Dragon n or the Solis n.


    All eight aides of the Dragon Emperor saw his departure and also moved. They did not go out of the ne. Instead, they started making their own preparations if something inevitable happened between the Dragon Emperor and The Emperor.


    "Aillos," The Emperor greeted the moment Aillos appeared before him.


    "Lucian," Aillos greeted The Emperor in return.


    The Emperor''s brow twitched slightly after hearing Aillos speak his name. Obviously, The Emperor was only his title, and Lucian was his true name.


    A mage''s name in the Higher Realm was precious. For this reason, no one would reveal their real name.


    However, there was one thing that no one knew, and it was the fact that The Emperor and the Dragon Emperor were aware of each other''s real names.


    Aillos believed that The Emperor had no reason to be afraid of him other than the fact that he did not want to have someonepete for the position of the Higher Being.


    However, if someone had asked The Emperor, and he answered honestly, he would have told them that if there were one reason for him to be afraid of the Dragon Emperor, then it would be the fact that he, the Dragon Emperor, knew his real name.


    Others would think that knowing the Dragon Emperor''s name should bnce them out, but there was actually a huge difference between a Solisian, a being created from light, having their name revealed to others, and a Draconian revealing their name.


    That was right.


    Aillos never hid his name. Thus, The Emperor could not say that he had the Dragon Emperor''s weakness.


    Moreover, as a dragon whose innate magic is one of the four Ancient Magic, other innate magic would never be able to affect them.


    "It has been... what? Five years since thest time we meet face to face?" Lucian started, concealing his apprehension from Aillos''s mention of his real name. "Little Ames has been the one attending all the meetings recently, and I''m beginning to wonder if you are avoiding me."


    "I am."


    "How honest."


    "I''m only saying what you already know," Aillos replied, not even attempting to give Lucian a face. "Let''s stop with the idle chat. You did note here just to rant about that, right?"


    "It is truly a choir trying to speak with you."


    "Thank you."


    "That is not apliment."


    "I know."


    "..."


    Lucian''s pressure erupted once more as he looked at Aillos through narrowed eyes.


    "Acting like a smart ass will not do you good, Aillos."


    "It is not an act. I have always been like this, and you know it."


    "True," Lucian agreed. However, his pressure only intensified as he added, "And I find it truly annoying."


    "What business do you have here?"


    "Don''t y dumb. You know full well why I am here."


    "I''m asking because I don''t," Aillos replied with a frown.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While it was true that he had an idea, there were far too many possible reasons for Lucian to visit the Dragon ne, which was why he did not know which one.


    "I havee here personally to interrogate your n representatives from thest hunt," Lucian did not beat around the bush and answered at once.


    "Rejected."


    "You are in no position to reject, Aillos," Lucian said, directing his magic energy to put some pressure on Aillos.


    "I will be the judge of that, Lucian."


    Rather than feel intimidated, Aillos epted Lucian''s pressure head-on and released his own. Still, he made sure that his pressure would only neutralize Lucian''s pressure and not affect the Dragon ne below.


    "My people died in there, and among the only survivors, your n representatives are quite intact. I want answers," Lucian growled.


    "Just because my people returned intact does not mean they had anything to do with what happened to the others that failed to return," Aillos growled back. "Do not me your people''s ipetence on my people."


    White magic energy started to emit from Lucian as he started to release not only his pressure but his Divine Sense.


    "I would not have suspected anything if not for the fact that all that returned from the tower are representatives from factions that are on good terms with your n."


    "You are not an idiot, Lucian. Why would I order my people to kill your people and spare only those who were on good terms with us?"


    "You are right; I am not an idiot. That is why it is not wrong to suspect the possibility that your people would have done something so obvious because they believed they could feign innocence because it was too obvious."


    In a sense, Aillos understood where Lucian wasing from. As a matter of fact, thetter was correct to suspect the Dragon n''s involvement because Kyran was the culprit behind the deaths of most representatives during the hunt.


    "I am not going to hurt your people," Lucian continued, and to prove his point, he reduced the pressure he aimed at Aillos. "I only want to ask them questions."


    He smiled slightly and added, "If I had other motives, would I havee here alone?"


    Lucian was right. He hade alone, which meant he did not want to make a huge fuss over what had happened. Although he was angered by the fact that his people had died, he would not make a move.


    At least, that was what Lucian wanted Aillos to believe.


    Fortunately, Aillos was no fool. Even alone, Lucian could damage the Dragon ne.


    "I''ll answer your questions."


    In the end, Aillos stood his ground and refused to hand over Ladon and the others.


    "Your people, Aillos. I do not want to hear the answers from you but from their mouth."


    Aillos knew exactly what Lucian had in mind. He would pry into Ladon and the others'' minds to get the answers he sought. But if that happened, he would discover Kyran and destroy Ladon and the others'' minds.


    "Do not test my patience, Aillos. Hand them over, and I will leave quietly."

 Chapter 1077: Bait

    "I have listened to their report directly," Aillos replied, not one bit threatened by Lucian''s rising energy. "They ryed what happened in the tower in full detail. I''ll answer your questions myself."


    Lucian''s frown deepened at Aillos''s unyielding defiance. He had anticipated resistance to his demand, but not to this degree. He had hoped that Aillos would at least consider his proposal, but Aillos''s loyalty to his n was unshakeable. The sh between Lucian''s pursuit of justice and Aillos''s steadfast loyalty created a chasm that seemed insurmountable.


    "The more you refuse to hand them over, the more you admit that you have something to hide."


    Aillos shrugged, "It is pointless to reason with you since you''ll doubt anything I say. For this reason, I cannot allow you to take any of my people." Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Lucian''s frustration with the Dragon n was palpable. Their close-knit bond was one of the things he despised about them¡ª even their n leader would not hesitate to defy the most powerful being in the Higher Realm if it meant protecting the rest of the n.


    Several powerful presences from the Dragon ne approached them right after Aillos said his piece.


    Lucian did not have to check who they were to know that they were the Dragon n''s aides. His eyes narrowed at once. The fact that the aides decided toe out of the ne meant they were done preparing for a worst-case scenario and ready to assist Aillos if Lucian chose to attack.


    This put Lucian in an awkward situation. He did not want to leave empty-handed because who knew what rumor those annoying n leaders would spread if word of his retreat found their way there. They would exaggerate the story and say that The Emperor retreated empty-handed because he was so afraid of the Dragon Emperor''s overwhelming presence.


    Lucian was acutely aware of the political intricacies among the ns. His long reign over the Higher Realm had not been without its challenges. Some harbored discontent, even within his own faction, and would seize any opportunity to undermine him. It so happened that the pawn they ced their hopes on to disrupt the status quo was the Dragon Emperor¡ª not that thetter actually agreed.


    In fact, Aillos did not want anything to do with the political side of things among the ns by avoiding Lucian for the past five years.


    In the end, Lucian made up his mind to deal with those pests by utilizing the current situation. Rather than giving those annoying ns what they wanted, he would slowly show them that none of their hidden agendas could deter him.


    "You''re wrong," Lucian told Aillos while giving him an unfaltering smile. "I am not without reason. I understand that you are worried that I will be biased over what your people will say, but you need not worry. There is a reason I want to speak with them directly rather than hear the answers from you.


    After all, hearing the answers directly from the people involved is far more reliable than hearing it from another."


    Aillos did not try to refute it because what he said was right. The true meaning behind the words spoken by the people involved in what happened might be different from the ones who only heard of it. For this reason, he could understand why Lucian wanted to hear what happened in the Tower of the Ancients directly from Ladon and the others.


    "Ah~!" Lucian eximed suddenly as if realizing something. "Are you worried that I will try to mess with their heads during interrogation? You don''t have to worry about that. How about this? You cane with them or..." he looked over the aides that were on stand-by a few kilometers behind Aillos. "You can have one, two¡ª even all of them escort them.


    Of course, I don''t mind them apanying your n representatives during the interrogation. If they realize I am doing something contrary to what I have said, they can step in and stop me, and I will not hold it against them."


    Aillos scowled at Lucian''s suggestion. It was actually not a bad suggestion, but there were far too many risks if he agreed to it.


    For example, if he agreed to go with Ladon and the others with Lucian, the Dragon ne would be exposed to outside threats without him reinforcing the ne''s barrier.


    But if he asked a few of the aides to escort Ladon and the others, their level¡ª though high, and their natural senses far exceeded those of the same level as them¡ª they would still not sense Lucian''s tricks, especially if thetter took advantage of his mage level. Moreover, the aides could not leave on such short notice. Not when they had yet to recover from thest war.


    If the recovery of the ne was hindered by the absence of a few aides, who knew what Lucian would do to weaken their side further?


    Lucian smiled upon sensing Aillos''s hesitance. He knew thetter was trying to find the best way how to approach his suggestion. But that was not necessary because Lucian had yet to throw the bait.


    Aillos tried to conceal his emotions by acting indifferently. However, Lucian was quite preceptive, which was why Aillos was sure he was already aware of his hesitation.


    To be honest, there was a way to even out Lucian''s suggestion. The problem was it would only be applicable if Aillos had nothing to hide. He was not worried that Lucian might discover something when he interrogated Ladon and the rest because they were innocent. At the very least, they did not witness what happened to the other n representatives, so Lucian could not make them ountable.


    They had an idea of what might have happened to them, but since they did not witness them personally, they were not guilty of whatever sin the rest of the ns threw at them.


    But Ladon and the rest being innocent did not mean the Dragon n was not involved. In fact, they were hiding the real culprit.


    Just as Aillos was deep in thought, Lucian finally threw in the bait.


    "You''re having a hard time making up your mind, and I think I know why," he started while expressing his understanding. "I have just returned, so I only heard a brief report of the things that happened among the ns in the past few months. I admit my judgment has been clouded after I heard of what happened to my people in the recent hunt.


    But I want you to know that after dealing with this, I n on dealing with the one that my subjects did to your n without my knowledge."


    Aillos''s expression hardened at once. Even the eight aides, who were quietly listening to their conversation, showed an unpleasant expression.


    In the end, The Emperor denied being involved in the recent attack of the Solis n against the Dragon n.


    That did not sit well with Aillos and the rest.


    True, Lucian did not participate in that war, but his subjects would not have made such a bold move if they had not received his consent. Besides, the Solis n were not the only ones who made a move but also, a few other ns who were loyal to them, like the de Dancer n. Those ns would never have moved if Lucian did not order a decree.


    "How about this? I''ll conduct my interrogation here, in the Dragon ne. I''m sure you''d feel more reassured if your n representatives are within your jurisdiction."


    Aillos jaw visibly tightened as he clenched his teeth. He red hatefully at Lucian after suggesting such an obvious bait.


    Lucian''sst suggestion could be considered the most disadvantageous approach to the current situation for him. At the same time, it could also be considered the most advantageous. It was disadvantageous because he would be alone within the Dragon n''s territory during the interrogation; thus, he could not do what he pleased.


    However, it was also advantageous because Aillos could not do anything to him while inside his territory. Not to mention, if those ns who wanted to undermine him found that Aillos allowed him to enter the Dragon ne, they could no longer spread rumors about the two of them being on bad terms.


    Moreover, it would even signify that the Dragon Emperor did not want to fight with The Emperor, even after all that had happened between their ns recently.


    Aillos wanted to refuse. But if he did, he would truly have admitted that he was hiding something. And knowing Lucian, he would realize it and that whatever it was was inside the Dragon ne. And again, knowing him, he would definitely force his way to the ne.


    Ultimately, Aillos knew he could no longer refuse. He had to choose whether to sacrifice Ladon and the rest or to allow Lucian inside the Dragon ne.


    Between those two, it was obvious that thetter was the most dangerous.


    After a moment''s pause, Aillos finally opened his mouth to give his answer.


    But then.


    Crackle!


    The space behind Lucian distorted as a figure emerged. From the way the figure almost stumbled out of the distortion, it was clear he was there because of an emergency.


    "Y-Your majesty!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The figure that came out of the distortion wore a white robe with golden ents. A typical uniform of one of Lucian''s subjects.


    Lucian''s expression remained calm. However, the sudden interruption obviously angered him as the energying out of him began to expand once more.


    "One of the representatives from the de Dancer n had already regained consciousness, and h-he confirmed the culprit behind the mass killings of the n representatives!


    "A mage suspected to possess the most dangerous Ancient Magic of all!"

 Chapter 1078: Ironic

    Lucian initially wanted to snap his subject''s head for interrupting them, but upon hearing his report, he stopped. His eyes widened in an instant, recalling one of his prey that he lost in the Land of Destion. A small smile crept at the corner of his lips as he finally understood why he could not find any of thetter''s traces in the Lower Realm.


    ''So, you''ve managed to breach the Higher Realm,'' he mused, a surge of indescribable thrill coursing through his soul, aware of the immense significance of this feat. ''As expected of the someone who possesses the Void.''


    Reigning in the excitement in his heart, Lucian cast a furtive nce over at Aillos.


    Fortunately, Lucian''s subject, though flustered, did not forget to conceal his voice before blurting out his report. If not, Aillos would have heard him, and what would follow would be a huge headache for Lucian.


    Not only would the other ns in the Higher Realm realize that there were actually survivors from Lucian''s side, but they would also use them of lying and causing unrest in the Higher Realm.


    Of course, they would not openly express this because they feared The Emperor. However, the incident would have given those annoying fleas to undermine Lucian again while raising the Dragon Emperor, Aillos''s banner.


    Aillos might not want to be involved, but those annoying fleas did not care as long as they could smear Lucian''s image.


    Regardless, even if those annoying fleas tried to nitpick, the fact that there were too few survivors on Lucian''s side could not be denied either.


    "Send word to the de Dancer head," Lucian instructed his subject, his voice filled with determination and anticipation. "Tell them that I will meet them in two hours."


    "Y-Yes," Lucian''s subject replied, cautiously looking at the Dragon Emperor and his eight aides. He btedly realized that he hade at a very terrible time. Thus, he was d he managed to conceal his voice before telling The Emperor thetest report. If not for that, he was positive his head would have already left his body.


    Not wanting to stay any longer and be subjected to the Dragon Emperor and his aides'' scrutinizing gaze, he left as fast as he hade.


    "It appeared there is an urgent matter I must attend to." Lucian also did not beat around the bush and told Aillos he intended to leave. "I''ll leave for now."


    "Coming and leaving as you please, you really act as if you own the whole realm."


    "You sound displeased, but deep down, I know you believe it is better this way," Lucian did not take offense to Aillos''s remark and simply smiled. After a short pause, he added, "I will send an invitation to another conference. I want you to attend then."


    Aillos did not respond. Obviously, Lucian''s parting words were not a request but an order. If Aillos had chosen to ignore it and continue to have Ames attend the conference, Lucian would definitely have taken that as tant disobedience.


    At the end of the day, the Dragon n was still under The Emperor''s regime. They were not part of his n''s faction, per se. But in order to return and be allowed to stay in the Higher Realm, Aillos agreed to support Lucian''s rule.


    However, being under Lucian''s rule did not mean he could order the Dragon n around. After all, Aillos still had the upper hand in knowing Lucian''s real name. Yes, Lucian also knew Aillos''s name, but so did the others, and no one had the power to overpower thetter because he was a dragon¡ª one of the three existences in The Realm, possessing Ancient Magic.


    Without waiting for Aillos to respond, Lucian started to leave. The space around him distorted as he activated the Space Leap relic in his possession.


    After confirming that The Emperor had indeed left, one of the aides standing by a few kilometers behind Aillos approached him. He had long silver hair, eyes, and a more youthful aura than the rest. His name was Yurim.


    "How is it?" Aillos asked.


    Yurim leaned closer and replied in a low voice, "Just now, The Emperor''s subject said one of the survivors from the de Dancer n woke up."


    Apparently, concealing their voice did not matter because one of the aides was proficient in lip reading.


    Unlike the Lower Realm, which had severalnguages, the Higher Realm only used the Ancient tongue. That is not to say no othernguages were used there. However, the Ancient tongue was used by all, and those othernguages were only used by small and insignificant tribes that had yet to develop fully.


    "So they lied about not having any survivors from their side."


    "Neven did mention that there were unusual exchanges between the Solis and three other ns."


    Neven, who was still investigating the Solis n''s ims that their representatives from the recent hunt had not survived, informed them of The Emperor''s return. Unfortunately, he did not expect thetter to visit the Dragon ne as soon as he learned of what happened in the Tower of the Ancients, which is why he could not warn Aillos and the others.


    In any case, Neven intercepted one of the exchanges between the Solis n and the de Dancer n, in which thetter asked the former for assistance purchasing some rare herbs.


    Upon checking what those herbs were used for, Neven discovered they were necessary ingredients for making a potion for severe internal injuries. From this, he more or less guessed who those potions were for. Unfortunately, he did not have enough time to investigate further before learning that The Emperor had visited the cio ne.


    "But what The Emperor''s subject said at thest... is a little disturbing, milord."


    "Tell me."


    "He said that... the culprit behind the mass killing of n representatives in the Tower of the Ancients is suspected to possess the most dangerous Ancient Magic of all."


    Aillos''s pupil immediately turned into slits as he barely stopped his energy from bursting.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What? Are you sure?"


    "I... I''m not sure, but... from how The Emperor responded..."


    Aillos immediately turned and made his way back to the Dragon ne.


    "Let''s continue this discussion below. Gather inside the Throne Room, and wait for me. I need to stop somewhere first."


    "Yes, milord."


    All of them replied.


    Aillos did not wait for them and descended to the ne at once. He returned to his pce and immediately visited the room opposite his chamber.


    Inside the room, Aillos found Ames standing at the foot of the bed while Cyneah sat by the bedside. He knew there was another being with them besides them that only Cyneah could see and hear. But that was unimportant.


    "Father!" Ames eximed in fear as she turned and looked at him.


    She obviously sensed The Emperor''s presence just then, but her reaction was a little off. Rather than eximing and asking Aillos about what happened just now, Ames seemed frightened at his appearance.


    And Aillos realized soon after why.


    Because Ames shifted slightly to the side when she turned to face him, Aillos had a better view of the bed.


    Kyran, who should have been lying unconscious, was sitting withbored breath. He raised his head slightly, returning Aillos''s gaze, and said, "He... took the bait, did he?"


    Instead of answering, Aillos noticed a glowing item in Kyran''s hand. The item resembled one of themunication devices in the Human ne, but its color and the runes swirling around it were dark purple. The fact that he could not understand the runes also meant that those were Void runes.


    "What did you do?"


    Although Aillos asked him that, he more or less guessed what had happened.


    "I had someone throw a bait, so he''ll leave. He did take it, right?"


    It was such a task to speak, but Kyran managed to endure the inexplicable pain crushing his insides and answered Aillos.


    "Obviously," Aillos replied with a frown. "But that is not what I am asking."


    "Father," Ames stepped in at once. "Kyran just regained control over himself. How about letting him recover a bit first before asking¡ª."


    "This matter is of utmost importance," Aillos cut her midsentence while shaking his head. "If we don''t address this now, it might be toote to prepare for The Emperor''s next visit."


    "He won''t visit here," Kyran assured him. "I-I''ll divert his attention... somewhere near the outskirts of the Higher Realm..."


    Kyran tried to endure the pain. However, with The Emperor''s pressure gone, Coelus''s energy finally regained momentum and was trying to take over his Draconic core again.


    "K-Kyran," Cyneah leaned closer to Kyran and supported him so he would not keel over in pain. She added, "P-Please remove your domain. Let me ease your pain."


    Aillos''s eyes narrowed as he realized how Kyran managed to regain consciousness.


    Ironically, Lucian''s pressure stopped Coelus''s corpse''s influence over Kyran for a moment, allowing thetter to regain control over himself.

 Chapter 1079: Plan

    The very essence of Lucian''s magic had a profound and piercing effect, which halted Coelus''s corpse from extending its influence over Kyran. Without this intervention, Kyran would have remained ensnared under the magic energy''s influence.


    "You haven''tpletely regained control of your body," Aillos voiced his doubt.


    "...I know how to win over it," Kyran replied. "But yes... you''re right. If I don''t act now, I''ll probably only have an hour or two to stay conscious."


    Aillos heaved a sigh, understanding what Kyran wanted to tell him.


    They could discuss the matter about The Emperor now, but there was no telling when Coelus''s corpse would take control of him again and lose consciousness. But if Aillos allowed Kyran to do what he had to do in order to win over Coelus''s corpse, they would have to put on hold any matter rting to The Emperor.


    Frankly, both cases were equally important. But if Aillos had to choose which to prioritize, he would choose the former because if they did not prepare against Lucian''s next visit, the whole Dragon n would suffer.


    However, Aillos saw how confident Kyran looked when he said that Lucian would not return.


    Aillos did not want to heed his words. But Kyran''s unwavering gray eyes made him remember Zane, and now he was hesitating.


    It was quite annoying how Kyran looked like that bastard Can, yet his hair and eye color were simr to Zane''s.


    Now that Aillos had a better look at Kyran, the shape of his face was more chiseled than Can''s, and their build was also different. Thetter was on thenky side with feminine features, making him look beautifully handsome.


    As for Kyran...


    Aillos''s face contorted slightly as Zane''s face seemed to sh through his mind.


    Yes.


    Kyran did look like Zane, albeit a little.


    In fact, it was Cade who looked very much like Zane. Since Kyran was his son, it was only natural that he would look a bit like him. In fact, Kyran''s face was a very good blend of Cade and Rin.


    "You''re face annoys me."


    "F-Father?" Ames was taken aback at her father''s unexpectedment. She was under the impression that they were in the middle of a very important discussion where they had to decide their course of action wisely.


    Why did her father have to respond like that?


    "I actually think I look more like my father than my predecessor," Kyran, seemingly wanting to face Aillos properly, responded to his unexpected remark.


    Rather than responding to Kyran''s statement, Aillos asked, "You said you''ve thrown a bait. How exactly did you do that?"


    Ames, though worried about Kyran''s delicate condition at that moment, was also curious. Thus, she looked at Kim in anticipation.


    Cyneah, on the other hand, only worried about Kyran''s condition. She wanted to try and plead for him to release his domain again, but in the end, she could only bite her lower lip and wait for them to finish their discussion.


    Kyran raised his hand, which was holding the dark purplemunication device. He exined, "This is something I created using Void runes. Through this, I canmunicate with the people whose blood is recorded inside."


    "Void runes?"


    "Blood?"


    Kyran nodded, "One of the Void''s abilities allows me to go to ces that I''ve been to. In fact, I can even go from one ne to another. But the range will depend on the amount of magic energy I can use."


    "I know. Warp. One of the reasons Void magic is known to be the most dangerous."


    "But I started experimenting on the nature of Void especially on the principles of warp. And I wondered if I could apply its principle to long-distancemunication."


    "Space magic can already do that. By shortening the path themunication had to travel one can do a long-distancemunication."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Yes. I read about it in Ogen''s library. However, that approach has a limitation."


    "Messages can only travel in one line," Ames chimed in, sharing what she knew about it. "Meaning if there is an obstruction along the way, then themunication cannot be established."


    Kyran nodded, "Warp does not have that limitation."


    "Obviously, because of the Void''s nature."


    "Yes."


    "Go on."


    "This device, while applying the warp''s principle, canmunicate to others even if they were in another ne. The distance does not matter either because it is not limited by my magic energy."


    "Since it is a device, it directly uses the magic energies in the surroundings."


    Kyran nodded. It was really nice to talk to someone who could follow his train of thought. He did not have to exin everything.


    "You mentioned ''blood,''" Aillos said through narrow eyes.


    Kyran nodded, "I managed to find someone from the de Dancer n to work as my informant. Their blood is recorded in this device and I canmunicate with them through this."


    Ames gaped at Kyran in shock. She did not expect him to actually find someone from the de Dancer n who would willingly be his informant.


    For the record, Ladon and Thorn might know about Uilleam and Shiloh, but they did not say anything about them because they believed it was Kyran''s business to tell them.


    Meanwhile, Aillos did not seem surprised. Instead, he asked, "Do they have a simr device?"


    Kyran knew why Aillos asked that. Since the device had Void runes, if it fell into the wrong hands, then it could be used as a tracker to trace Kyran''s magic signature.


    "No," he shook his head in response. "Since this device is only a prototype, it can only be used by me. Using their blood, I can establish a connection andmunicate with them."


    Blood also carried a mage''s magic signature. There were cases where several mages possessed simr magic signatures, depending on their innate magic and specialty. Thus, through the use of their blood, it would be easier to differentiate them.


    "I suppose that is only possible because it is you."


    "...Yes," Kyran replied with a nod. "However, I canmunicate with them, but I can''t receive a response."


    "I''m sure you''ve already done something to avoid them from not doing what you ask them to."


    "We are bound by an oath."


    "Oath... such a flimsy bond."


    "Not this one."


    "..."


    Aillos studied Kyran for a moment before asking, "How sure are you that The Emperor will take the bait?"


    "I''ve met The Emperor."


    "We already know that."


    "No," Kyran shook his head. "What I meant is that I met him not as the human with the Draconic core but the Void core."


    Ames''s eyes widened in response.


    On the other hand, Aillos remained indifferent, but his eyes constricted upon hearing Kyran''s words.


    "How did that happen?" Ames asked.


    "Can I exin thatter? Because... I seriously need to do something about this... thing trying to take over my Draconic core," Kyran asked with a bitter smile. He had been responding well to Aillos''s questions when, in fact, he was barely enduring the pain.


    "Yes, please," Cyneah, who had been silent throughout Aillos and Kyran''s conversation, also asked to help Kyran.


    Aillos straightened his back and heaved a sigh before saying, "Fine. We''ll continueter."


    He paused for a moment before continuing, "You said you know how to win over it. How do you n to do that?"


    "First, I need you to take me to where this thing ising from."


    "Absolutely not."


    "What are you saying?"


    "B-But that ce is dangerous."


    Aillos, Ames, and Cyneah burst, respectively.


    "The closer you get to that thing, the more it will devour you," Aillos added with a scowl.


    "It won''t," Kyran insisted.


    "How sure are you?" Ames asked, simrly scowling at him.


    "I... am not."


    "Kyran!" Cyneah frowned. "If you''re not sure, then why insist on going there?"


    "It will be fine," Kyran assured her. "Though I said I''m not sure, that''s because I can''t express it properly with words. But I know it won''t devour me. Rather... it can''t."


    Aillos fell silent after hearing Kyran''s exnation. Instinctively, he understood what thetter meant. Thus, he said, "Because you are the Void."


    "Father?" Ames looked at him in confusion. She found it strange that her father called Kyran the Void rather than the Void Master.


    "Voides first," Kyran replied to Aillos with a nod.


    "Kyran?" Cyneah was also at a loss for words at the exchange between them. At the same time, she had an inkling that they were talking about the rtionship between the four Ancient Magic.


    "I''ll take you there myself."


    "Father!"


    "But..."


    "Traveling there will take almost a week. But if I am the one to take him, it will take only two days." Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    "That''s not necessary," Kyran said while taking out a scroll from his storage pouch. "I have one one of these. If you use this... we''ll arrive there in an instant."


    "That''s...." Aillos scowled at the scroll in Kyran''s hand. He knew what it was because he was the one who taught Zane how to create it. But he forbade him from creating too many because it required a huge amount of blood. And not just any blood, but dragon blood.


    It was for this reason that only the Regis Family was capable of creating it.


    "Transmission scroll," Kyran confirmed Aillos''s guess. "I''ve tweaked it a little, so it no longer requires a huge amount of blood."


    "You did what?"


    "With this, we can go there immediately. Of course, I''ll have to ask that you use it because I''ve never been there before and¡ª."


    "I want toe, too," Cyneah dered.


    "No, Neah. Please stay here."


    Instead of answering, Cyneah looked at Kyran with furrowed brows. She even did it while looking straight at him, almost like she could really see him.

 Chapter 1080 : The Message

    Even without Cyneah voicing her thoughts, Kyran could almost hear her say she did not want to be left behind again. He understood her sentiments and, surprisingly, rather than feel guilty once more from suddenly leaving her in Somuli, or frightened by the dangers that woulde their way if he did bring her along, he felt happy¡ª fortunate, even.


    Knowing someone would want to stay with him regardless of the dangers filled him with a deep sense of gratitude. This was especially true with Cyneah, whom he initially wanted nothing to do with the first time they met.


    "Transmission scroll can only take two people at most," Aillos said, looking at Kyran with a slight frown. "But this scroll... rather than tweak it a little... you changed it into somethingpletely different."


    Kyran looked at Aillos with a slight smile. He wanted to say he was surprised that he managed to find the changes he did to the scroll without opening it, but then again, he was an existence closest to the most powerful being in the Higher Realm. It should have been expected. But this also made him realize how trivial Array seemed in the Higher Realm.


    Almost everyone could understand changes made to a known formation even without deciphering them.


    When Kyran pretended to be Tyr, he incorporated Array whenever he used magic to conceal his innate magic. But even when he did not have to conceal them, he found how advantageous it was to use Array in a fight. Others also practiced that.


    But because of the Array''s limitations, which involved specific items required in making one, and how long one could make, mages used pre-made arrays that were not tooplex.


    Kyran was different, though. Since he could easily create materials so long as they were present in the ce he was in, creating array formations was quite easy. As for how long he could create one, Kyran knew that as long as he learned more about the Higher Realm''s Array, his speed would be simr to when he was in the Lower Realm.


    "I see that you have inherited Zane''s Array talents, at least," Aillos continued, his face remained indifferent but the sudden warmth in his voice betrayed his cold exterior.


    It seemed he truly cherished the previous Dragon Lord, inciting Kyran''s curiosity at what they had gone through together to forge such a tight bond.


    It was no wonder that the Dragon Emperor refused to meet with Zane''s descendants after his death. He probably did not want to be reminded of Zane.


    But those things were a story for another time. Right now, Kyran had to focus on winning over the thing that was trying to take over his Draconic core.


    "Usually, a transmission array can only amodate up to two people," Aillos continued. "But this one is different."


    "I''ve erged the array circle to amodate more people," Kyran admitted. "One of its ingredients is far too painful to use and I want to maximize its use."


    He remembered the first few times he created a transmission scroll and suffered ack of blood every day. te''s blood-replenishing potion barely helped, ensuring that he did not pass out cold after making a scroll.


    "Hm¡­" Aillos grunted in agreement. He knew exactly what ingredient Kyran referred to. "Let''s go then."


    "Kyran-."


    "If the scroll can take more people, Sisi and I will go, too."


    While Ames understood why Kyran did not want Cyneah toe with them, she also sympathized with thetter. Thus, she decided to join as well, thinking that Kyran would feel more at ease if she was there to keep an eye on Cyneah.


    "You have to stay here, Ames."


    Unfortunately, Aillos did not share her sentiments and still wanted her to stay.


    "Father¡ª."


    "We are not sure how Coelus''s corpse will react when Kyran gets near, so it is better for you to stay here and prepare with Ducal for the worst," Aillos cut her midsentence while giving her a meaningful look. "Even if The Emperor took Kyran''s bait, we don''t know how long we can fool him. He is not stupid. He will soon realize something is amiss.


    "He will target the de Dancer n for giving him the information first, but he will soon realize the connection of the information''s release from his visit here. We need to make preparations, but we can''t do that without exining the details to the others. You understand what I am trying to say here, right?"


    Ames pursed her lips. As much as she hated it when her father treated her like a child at times like this, she understood where he was getting from. Acting stubbornly at such a crucial juncture in their situation was immature. She had to see the bigger picture and move ordingly.


    "She cane," Aillos concluded while looking at Cyneah.


    Everyone in the room was surprised at his response, especially his follow-up words.


    "I will keep her safe, while you deal with your matter," he said, looking at Kyran coldly.


    Ames''s brow twitched slightly.


    Was it not supposed to be Kyran who needed ''keeping safe,'' because there was no telling what Coelus''s corpse would do?


    "That will not be necessary¡ª."


    "If you''re saying that because you''re still insisting, I stay¡ª."


    "That is not it¡­" Kyran shook his head while smiling at Cyneah wryly. After that, he called, "Auto-one."


    Krsskh!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Yes, Master."


    As if like lightning, Auto-one materialized in a sh at Kyran''s bedside.


    "Y-You? H-How¡­ when...?"


    When Kyran was transferred to the Main Pce, selected members of the Regis Family were the only ones who came with them, which was why Ames was surprised to see Auto-one appearing there. Besides that, thetter''s energy core was rted to Lightning magic, not Void or Space. Thus, he should not have the capability to teleport or warp. How could he suddenly appear there?


    Not only that. He also managed to appear in the Main Pce, which was protected by a highly advanced defensive array. How did he bypass that?


    "I have been on standby since Master lost consciousness," Auto-one started to exin matter-of-factly. "Now that he is awake, it is only natural that Ie as soon as he called."


    "This is the Main Pce," Ames scowled. "Besides, this is my father''s mansion. How did you¡­?"


    "¡­"


    On the other hand, Aillos did not seem to mind Auto-one''s presence. In fact, he was looking at him curiously.


    Auto-one looked at Ames in confusion, and using a tone as if he was speaking to an ignorant individual he asked, "Is it really strange for a servant toe when his master calls for him? I find your question perplexing."


    "Your action is the perplexing one!"


    "Auto-one can protect, Neah," Kyran replied to Aillos as if their conversation had not been interrupted.


    Cyneah''s face brightened after hearing Kyran''s response. She unconsciously squeezed his hand, which she held while preventing him from keeling over.


    "I see."


    Ames looked at her father incredulously. She could not believe that he just epted the situation as if nothing was strange.


    "Father¡ª?"


    "Dragon Emperor, I would like to ask for a favor," Kyran continued, without giving Ames the chance to question her father.


    Aillos''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Kyran, "I see that you''ve gotten pretty confident just because I am being gracious."


    Kyran shook his head, "I''m not. But I believe the favor I''m about to ask will also benefit the Dragon n when the timees."


    "''When the timees,''" Aillos repeated, seemingly understanding which time Kyran was referring to. "I''m listening."


    "I have sent a message to the Lower Realm," Kyran exined. "In particr, the Human ne."


    Ames''s and Cyneah''s ears perked up at his words. Earlier, when Kyran mentioned using the principle of Void in sending a message, they had the impression that he was only pertaining to messages sent within the Higher Realm.


    Could it be that he actually found a way to send a message to the Lower Realm from the Higher Realm as well?


    "It''s nothing like that," Kyran hastily added, as if reading their thoughts.


    Actually, it was not that hard to guess what they were thinking given their earlier conversation. But that had nothing to do with the message he had sent.


    Fortunately, Aillos did not seem to share the same thoughts and waited for Kyran to continue.


    "In the Tower of the Ancients, I met the Tower," Kyran started to exin. He then exined how he asked the Tower for a favor. Apparently, it was about sending a message to the Lower Realm.


    Aillos''s eyes narrowed as soon as Kyran told them the message.


    "You¡­" he started but then paused. "Are you serious?"


    "I did not want to involve the Dragon n with my affairs. However, I understand The Emperor''s character enough to know that he would find a way to link us together."


    "He is indeed capable of doing that."


    "That''s why, rather than not involving the Dragon n, I want to minimize the damage."


    "And you n to implicate your whole family instead?"


    "That may be the case, but it is not like I''m going to throw them into the pit to die."


    Aillos did not respond. He tried reading Kyran''s intentions and after a moment''s pause, he replied, "Alright. I''ll allow it."

 Chapter 1081 : Preparation (1)

    Ames was stunned at her father''s response to Kyran''s request. She did not expect him to agree so easily.


    "T-Thank you."


    "I trust you to handle the rest, Ames," Aillos said, his gaze filled with unwavering trust as he turned his attention to his daughter.


    Ames was still a little dazed by the strange turn of events that started with The Emperor''s surprise visit and ended with Kyran''s request. However, she managed to pull herself together and nodded at her father''s words.


    "I-I''ll take care of it. Rest assured," she answered, her voice steady with determination. After a short pause, she added, "I''ll exin everything to Ducal as well... and the rest of the aides."


    Aillos only nodded in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to Kyran.


    "Don''t you need to prepare anything?" he asked.


    Kyran shook his head, "I have all I need with me."


    "Then, let''s go."


    Aillos walked toward the bedside where Auto-one was standing before activating the transmission scroll.


    As Kyran said, the transmission scroll''s range increased threefold, allowing more people to be transported along with the one who activated it. Unlike being warped, however, none of them felt the nauseating aftereffect of being transported from one location to another. Moreover, the transition was almost instantaneous; after opening their eyes, the scene before them had already changed.


    "What in the¡ª?"


    "Y-Young master?"


    "M-Milord Dragon Emperor."


    Aillos aimed for the location where Raya and the other Regis members had camped while trying to replicate Coelus''s corpse''s seal formation.


    Kyran heaved a sigh upon seeing Raya and the rest of the Regis. Technically this should be the first time he would be seeing them after a while. But that was not the case. Because when he lost consciousness from Coelus''s corpse''s attack, he was still aware of what was happening around him.


    For this reason, he knew that Raya and a few selected Regis members had ventured underground to check the seal''s damage.


    Aillos raised his hand when Raya and the others were about to kneel before him.


    "No need for such formalities," he told them. "We have things to do¡ª."


    RAAAAAWRGH!


    An unearthly roar reverberated around them, followed by a fiery gust of wind originating from within the destroyed seal.


    Everyone was surprised by the sudden attack of such evil and ominous magic energy. It was so powerful that it felt like they were being strangled to death. However, all were veterans who experienced several unexpected situations and battles. They also underwent unconventional training in the Tower of Tribtions, although most did notplete it.


    Nevertheless, it was sufficient for them to hold their ground and utilize Regis''s defensive technique.


    On the other hand, Auto-one created severalyers of defensive barriers to protect both Cyneah and Kyran.


    "Kuh...."


    Something sharp gouged at Kyran''s magic core, making his already weak knees tremble from the sudden pain. Apparently, the barriers Auto-one created did nothing to protect him from the evil and ominous magic energy''s non-physical assault.


    Taken aback, Auto-one and Cyneah kept Kyran from falling straight down on his face as he endured the unexpected attack.


    "Y-Young master!"


    All the Regis members were frightened upon seeing Kyran''splexion pale further. They were aware that his suffering was caused by what was inside the seal and were worried that being near it might have aggravated his condition.


    Aillos was not idle either. Before appearing in that location, he already expected something like this to happen, thus he was already circting his magic energy before using the transmission scroll.


    The moment Coelus''s corpse made a move, Aillos countered by expanding his magic''s area of influence.


    The process was a little slow, given how potent Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy was. But the moment Aillos gained momentum, the ominous magic energy was pushed back little by little, giving them some breathing space once more.


    The gouging sensation in Kyran''s magic core also stopped. However, the pain still remained. In fact, the pain seemed to have tripled after arriving in that ce.


    "This is the right moment to execute your n," Aillos said, directing his words to Kyran.


    Kyran heard him even while enduring the pain in his magic core. Stabilizing his breathing, he said, "N-Not yet..."


    "We are very curious how you''ve regained consciousness and wanted to know why you decided toe here so suddenly, but we can leave that forter," Raya started and approached Kyran. "Tell us what to do, Young Master."


    Kyran looked at him and nodded.


    "Show me what you''ve been working on."


    Raya and the rest did as they were told, while Auto-one and Cyneah supported Kyran.


    Meanwhile, Aillos simply stood in his spot and acted as a shield to prevent Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy from influencing them further.


    Back in the Main Pce, Ames also made her move after Aillos took Kyran and the rest to Coelus''s seal.


    She called for Myst and had him join her as she confronted her father''s aides, especially Ducal.


    "Did the Young Master truly regain consciousness?" Myst asked Ames.


    Ames nodded, "Yes. Right now, he has things to do."


    "And me? Did he not say anything that I can do for him?" Myst continued to ask her as if not doing anything was unforgivable.


    "You have another task," Ames replied patiently. "But that will depend on what will happen after I talk to them."


    "''Them...''" Myst repeated, not to ask her who they were, but because he had an idea who they were.


    Ames took a deep breath to calm her nerves and said, "Yes. Them."


    By then, they had arrived in front of the Main Pce''s Throne Room, where Aillos''s aides were waiting for his return.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Initially, Ames wanted to talk to Ducal and convinced him first before talking with the other aides about the truth of their situation. But she reckoned it was better to have all of them there while she exined everything because she was afraid Ducal would shun her before she could finish exining her side if it was only them.


    In her opinion, Ducal would have no choice but to listen to the end of her exnation if the other aides were present.


    "Let''s go and win this."


    Myst could not help but gulp nervously at Ames''s words. He wondered what kind of talk she would have with the Dragon Emperor''s aides that made her speak as if she was going to war.


    On that note, Ames opened the door to the Throne Room.


    *


    Nn pinched the bridge of his nose while leaning back on the chair he was sitting on.


    "Was the message giving you a headache?"


    Nn raised his head to look at the person who had asked that question.


    That person was none other than Kairos, the Tower''s Overseer.


    After receiving Kyran''s message, Kairos did not waste time and created a situation where Nn would have toe to the Tower of Tribtions. That was how Nn ended up visiting the topmost floor of the tower once again.


    The situation Kairos created was simple. He spread a rumor about Kyran''s sightings among the merchants that had their stalls around the Tower of Tribtions.


    When Gustaf heard the rumor, he did not waste time and visited the Mercenary Hall in Starhorn at once. The rumor then reached the Queen, who had a means of contacting Cade. Once Cade received it, he immediately sent a coded message to Nn, asking him to confirm the rumor.


    To give a brief overview of the situation in the Human ne: Cade along with a few other Regis and Royal Knights and Mages, were outside the ne because they were busy connecting with the nes that fell under Kyran''s jurisdiction after Flos and Obstruction''s death.


    Kyran was unaware of this, obviously, because he was chased by The Emperor when Somuli was still transitioning under Nachum''s rule.


    Initially, the nes under Kyran were protected by a powerful barrier. But after he entered the Higher Realm, the barrier had gotten weak. To prevent them from being taken by others, The Coven kept watch while also guarding against The Emepror''s movements.


    However, with the constant skirmishes happening here and there because The Emperor took over Flos''s faction, Eden, and other Sovereigns started to target those nes, it had gotten to a point where The Coven simply could not protect all those nes.


    In the end, Axil decided to tell Cade about the nes, and in turn, he decided to protect them on behalf of his son.


    Axil would normally have mobilized the Guardians and intercepted the other Sovereigns. However, after bing aware of the bigger picture following The Emperor''s appearance, she and the rest of the Guardians no longer wished to recruit other Sovereigns or conquer unimed nes.


    Instead, they decided to protect the nes under their control while strengthening their military force for the future.


    None of them could say what that future was. But one thing they were sure of was that it included Kyran, whom they believed entered the Higher Realm and probably preparing for that future as well.


    Cade was the same. At the moment, he wanted to find a way to break through the barrier and be a Sovereign. While his prowess when utilizing all the Regis Techniques was on par with that of a Sovereign, it was not enough to assist his son''s endeavor, especially when the lowest level in the Higher Realm was Sovereign.


    Cade was not the only one who felt that way. Everyone who knew Kyran and was made aware of the truth about the War of the Sovereigns and the Higher Realm was doing their best to go past their limits and find a way to go to the Higher Realm.


    Nn, on the other hand, only felt a headache about everything that happened thus far. He never wanted to be a Sovereign, and now...


    "That f*cking b*stard... just what in f*cking hell did he do this time?"


    "If Rin heard you, she''d clobbered you to death."

 Chapter 1082: Preparation (2)

    "I''d wee Rin''s clobbering anytime than get involved in my f*cking nephew''s matter."


    "Ah, now you are calling him your nephew."


    "Shut the f*ck up."


    "Though I am already used to it, I find it amusing to hear you say the f-word in almost every one of your sentences after hearing Kyran''s message."


    "The f*ck? Why are you acting so f*cking friendly all of a sudden?"


    "Rather than acting friendly, I just grew tired of worrying about all the little things by myself."


    "You''re f*cking kidding me," Nn grumbled. Whether it was intentional or not, he did keep mentioning the f-word.


    "How are the progress of the mages in the Human ne?"


    "Crazy as f*ck," Nn snorted. "Because of the changes here in the Tower of Tribtions, more f*cking righteous mages are finding their way here and improving their levels. But it was not only those g*ddamn b*astards who were improving."


    He frowned as he saw the state of the Human ne through his Mind''s Eye.


    "Because that g*d forsaken bitch-ass from the Higher Realm came down, the magic energy in the Lower Realm has gone batshit crazy. More mages ascend to Magus, and wars are happening left and right."


    Before the Regis n sent their most talentedbat mages to the Higher Realm under Ames''s guidance, Nn staged a n to ensure the Ylfaen Empire would not be entangled in further wars. Since he could not meddle himself, and he knew Kyran would go ballistic if something happened to the empire, he went through all the trouble of using Ames to stop other nations from invading the empire.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But because the overall mage levels of those nations kept improving, they were nning on making their move again.


    The only thing preventing them from recklessly attacking Ylfaen was Ames''s shadow. If they discovered she was not there or that the Regis''sbat mages were fewer in number, they would attack the empire''s borders once more.


    At the moment, these nations were waging war on each other in hopes of assimting each other''s military forces. They believed if they assimted one another''s forces, they would have enough strength to match the Ylfaen Empire''s Regis n.


    "The appearance of more towers in the Human ne is supposed to assist humans with the impending crisis that looms because of the War of the Sovereigns," Kairos sighed helplessly. "But because of The Emperor''s appearance, that war is no longer important. Something big is about to happen that might result in the Lower Realm''s destruction."


    The War of the Sovereigns was an event that allowed the Lower Realm to maintain its magic energy consumption by reducing its nes. By baiting the Sovereigns for a chance to ascend to the Higher Realm, they were supposed to fight and destroy each others'' nes.


    All that changed after The Emperor appeared, and more knowledge of the Higher Realm became avable to the Lower Realm and its inhabitants. Because of that, the bnce shifted ever so slightly, and the threat of the War of the Sovereigns was reduced.


    Instead, the most pressing matter was to prevent a ne from destroying itself because of the inhabitants'' war for power.


    If nothing were done to stop them, they would destroy the ne from the inside, and the Sovereigns governing them could do nothing because they were not allowed to meddle.


    "Are the newly emerged towers only avable in the Human ne?" Nn asked Kairos. Even after bing the Sovereign, his knowledge of the Tower of Tribtions was limited. He knew that the Ancients created it and there were other Towers, but they were located in the Higher Realm¡ª or, at least, they were supposed to be in the Higher Realm, albeit hidden.


    Kairos looked out of the window of the Tower of Tribtions and wandered his eyes at the other towers that emerged a couple of years ago.


    "Some can be essed by other nes, like this tower. The remaining are exclusive in the Human ne."


    Nn frowned, "I get that the Ancients created the towers and that the Human ne is part of theirnd, but are they not giving too much preferential treatment here?"


    Kairos chuckled and looked back at Nn with a wry smile, "The Ancients are quite a proud lot. Of course, they would not want others to improve more than them."


    "In the end, they all died. And none living in the Human ne are even their descendants."


    "Well, technically, they are."


    Nn''s frown deepened, "Being the tower''s Overseer, you know more about the Ancients'' secret and history. But after bing one, you have never opened your mouth about them. Why are you suddenly hinting at a lot of things? And don''t f*cking say that it''s because I''ve be the Human ne''s Sovereign and am exempted now.


    Because if that''s the case, you would have already hinted at these things when I visitedst time."


    After bing a Sovereign, Nn visited the Tower of Tribtions once. His reason was nothing noble. In fact, it was prettyme.


    The stress of bing a Sovereign had gotten the best of him, and he wanted to vent. So he went inside to test all new tower challengers to let out some steam. Because he was one of the five who conquered the tower, he possessed certain privileges in the tower. As long as it was within the tower''s objective, which was to train its participants, there was nothing wrong.


    Since Nn did not go on a killing spree and only beat up the new challengers, Kairos allowed it. But after that, he summoned Nn to the tower''s topmost level and gave him a piece of his mind.


    Nn''s ears bled out that day. Thus, he refrained from revisiting the tower ¡ª until now.


    "A lot of things changed after I met your nephew in the Higher Realm," Kairos answered honestly.


    "Should have known it''s that f*cking guy''s fault," Nn grumbled. He then looked at Kairos with a solemn expression and asked, "And? What do you think about his message?"


    Kairos''s expression also turned solemn as he returned Nn''s gaze, "It is possible."


    Nn let out his breath in exasperation and said, "That willpletely change the rules of the two realms."


    "The rules have started to change the moment The Emperor came down personally to the Lower Realm..." Kairos paused as a thought crossed his mind. He then changed his opinion and said, "Actually, the change might have started the moment a new Void Master appeared."


    "You make it sound as if my f*cking nephew is the chosen one or something," Nn snorted. Apparently, he still felt annoyed at Kyran.


    "I assure you, he is nothing like that. His role in all of this far exceeds that of a chosen one."


    Nn frowned again.


    A chosen one was supposed to be someone destined to do something big that could change the world. If Kyran''s role exceeds that, what was he supposed to be?


    "Looking at the situation from a different perspective," Kairos veered the conversation back on track. "What he wanted will require your assistance, and you can actually participate since it does not necessarily mean meddling with the Human ne''s affairs¡ª well... technically, that is."


    Nn snorted and leaned back on the chair. He then said, "Opening a path that leads to the Higher Realm using the Regis Terram... yes, technically, it doesn''t sound like meddling in the Human ne''s affairs. Because, technically, the Regis Terram is not part of the Human ne. But creating a path to the Higher Realm? That will overturn the rules."


    "That''s strange," Kairos chuckled. "You sound as if you actually follow the rules."


    "Bite me."


    Kairos chuckled again.


    After a moment''s pause, Nn stood up and said, "I''ll prepare the materials then."


    "Ah, regarding that."


    "Are you providing them?"


    "Obviously not. But he did say that you can ask Olivia about it."


    "Olivia?" Nn scowled. He knew who she was but almost forgot the fact that her essence and Kyran shed inside the Tower of Tribtions before.


    "Yes," Kairos nodded. "He said she would understand as long as you tell her he requested the items."


    "Fine," Nn snorted. "Am I Sovereign or his errand boy? That f*cking bastard is growing some balls, for g*d d*mn''s sake."


    "You should be careful what you say. You never know when a Spirit is around to tell Rin about how you keep badmouthing your own nephew. Besides, Cade may also feel pissed if he learned you keep calling his son a b*stard."


    "Humph, you think I''m afraid of them?"


    "You never won against Cade."


    Nn snorted but did not deny Kairos''s statement.


    "Or Rin."


    Nn frowned. He never won against Rin because he did not want to fight her. She''s his twin, g*dd*mnit.


    "Ah," Kairos remembered something and added with a smile, "Come to think of it, you haven''t won against te, either."


    "ARGH! Shut the f*ck up! I''m leaving!"

 Chapter 1083: Taking Advantage

    Kyran, Raya, and the rest of the Regis members went through the seal''s formation they managed to recreate thus far. Surprisingly, their progress in deciphering the whole array was slow even with Kyran assisting them. This was because he was still affected by Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy even with Aillos acting as their shield.


    While they were busy with the formation, Auto-one and Cyneah stayed on the side in silence.


    Back in the cottage, Cyneah used to observe Kyran through her magic sense, as he fiddled around with array formations that Nn created to test him whenever they had a chance. Others might find the whole thing boring, but not her. She might not understand what they were doing, but she enjoyed the mood around them.


    In fact, it was during those times that she got to know Kyran and Nn better, especially since she barely knew them back then.


    Additionally, Cyneah did not find it exhausting to observe them because she got to practice her magic sense. Honestly, observing Kyran was quite a task as he did not possess light and looked like a huge lump of ck mist in her sight. But because of that, her control over her magic sense improved significantly


    At the moment, however, Cyneah realized how truly boring her little joy used to be without her magic sense. Because Kyran refused to release his domain that still covered her like a protective veil, she had nothing else to do but listen to their alien-sounding conversation while watching several lights dancing before her sight.


    "I understand that you might find this a little boring, Young Mistress," Auto-one started, seemingly noticing her bored expression.


    Cyneah straightened at once, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught. She said, "I-I... It''s not that boring... I just don''t understand much of what they are saying and because of my sight..."


    Her voice trailed off as soon as the subject of her sight came to focus. She did not want to sound like she was ming her disability on her inability to understand what they were doing and shook her head.


    "No. You''re right. I startedte in studying magic so I did not get a chance to explore its branches apart from Alchemy," she gave him a faint smile and added, "So I have no idea what they are talking about."


    Auto-one looked at her and was about to offer to exin what they were doing when he saw her mirror-like eyes. He was aware of herck of sight but because she was so good at controlling her magic sense, he did not really put much thought into her condition. Only now when she could not use her magic sense did he truly allow himself to understand her.


    He btedly recalled hisment back at the room with a garden in the Tower of the Ancients and realized how insensitive he had been.


    Even if their Young Mistress''s magic sense was very powerful, she could only recreate the shapes and their depths if she concentrated enough, but their colors would be in ck and white.


    What would happen if she could not use her magic sense then?


    Darkness.


    "Young Mistress," Auto-one started to speak after a long pause. "I acted insensitive, please forgive me."


    "Hm?" Cyneah slightly tilted her head in confusion. "Insensitive?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I failed to understand your situation and one-sidedly assumed that everything was alright. I''m sorry."


    Cyneah was at a loss. She did not understand why Auto-one suddenly apologized to her. But thinking that it must be rted to being unable to understand Array because she startedte in learning magic, she simply said, "You don''t have to worry about it. I''m the one who should apologize because you''re stuck protecting me when you clearly want to help Kyran decipher the seal."


    "You are very magnanimous like my Master. No wonder he had chosen you as his life partner."


    Cyneah reddened at the off-handed remark and inwardly scolded herself for having little to no restraints over her emotions.


    "I-I''m not..." she started to deny being Kyran''s life partner because they had only taken a step forward with their rtionship.


    Sharing a kiss when you''ve only taken a step forward? Seriously?


    A small voice sounded in Cyneah''s head as if to mock her thoughts.


    "There is a potion that can temporarily improve a mage''s magic sense..." Auto-one continued to speak, not noticing Cyneah''s embarrassment. "Actually, rather than improving a mage''s magic sense, it can improve their Divine Sense. Your magic sense is already at the peak level, just a little push then you can enter the Divine realm and use Divine Sense.


    When that happens, if you drink that potion, you can also control the magic energies to improve the depth of what your senses could see and also produce their colors."


    Cyneah''s eyes widened upon hearing Auto-one''s words. Her interest piqued, she asked, "W-What do I need to concoct that potion? No, first off, how is it concocted?"


    "Such a potion does exist, but it is a god-grade potion that is hard to concoct."


    Aillos joined their conversation.


    Apparently, he had been listening to them from the start.


    Cyneah and Auto-one did not seem to mind his eavesdropping and the former asked, "A g-god-grade potion...?"


    "Hm," Auto-one agreed. "Milord is right. But there is a transcendent-grade recipe avable as well. Its effects and duration are reduced but it is still a good alternative."


    "T-Transcendent-grade..." Cyneah repeated once more, herplexion paled further. She could be considered one of the peaks when it came to Alchemy in the Lower Realm, but the tier of potions and pills she could concoct was mostly at high-grade and sometimes legendary grade. Forget about god-grade potions, she could not even concoct a transcendent grade.


    In fact, she did not even know there was such a grade. The highest grade she came across was saint grade, and she only saw one aftering to the Higher Realm.


    As if reading what was going through Cyneah''s mind, Aillos said, "You said you have studied Alchemy, how is your level?"


    Cyneah raised her head slightly to her left where Aillos was and replied, "Uhm... I don''t really know. My master is an Emperor Alchemist and I mostly learned her ways... I ended up moving away beforepleting my studies under her though and could only continue studying by myself..."


    "Hm," Aillos crossed his arms and said, "Let us assume you are already at that level. It is a pretty decent level even here in the Higher Realm but it is not enough to concoct a transcendent grade potion sessfully. You need to be at least an Exalted Alchemist but even then the sess rate will be at fifty percent."


    "I-Is an Exalted Alchemist the next after an Emperor Alchemist?"


    "Yes."


    "Can I ask what level is the highest Alchemy level here?"


    "After Exalted is Divine," Aillos replied.


    Cyneah could not help but frown at his answer. She noticed that he did not say Divine was the highest but that it was the next level, which meant that there was a higher level but apparently no one had achieved it yet.


    "s, after so many years, it seems Alchemy in the Higher Realm has stagnated," Auto-one sighed in disappointment.


    "Auto-one?"


    Auto-one looked at Cyneah and said, "In the past, when my original masters still ruled The Realm... ah, apologies, they do not rule per se, but because of their unmatched knowledge in Magic, they were the forerunners in terms of Magic levels and knowledge. Back then, an Emperor Alchemist is verymon. Few reached the Divine realm, and a handful reached the God realm."


    "G-God..."


    "Well, we did call the peak existence of Alchemy God Alchemists, but... it is far from being a God per se," Auto-one exined while scratching his head in embarrassment.


    "Does Array have the same levels?"


    "Array is fundamentally easier to learn than Alchemy," Aillos exined. "It also has fewer levels. In the Higher Realm, it is verymon to see an Array Saint and that is a level lower than the peak, which is an Array Transcendent."


    "So there is no Array Exalted or Array Divine?" Cyneah paused after hearing what she just said. "That sounded a little off..."


    "Actually, Array Transcendent has been the peak existence of Array only because my original masters had to stop its study," Auto-one exined with a bitter smile. "Because of the Higher Being''s threat, my original masters had to hide."


    Aillos narrowed his eyes as he looked at Auto-one. He already guessed thetter was an automaton Kyran discovered in the Tower of the Ancients rather than like Aki whom he created from the Lower Realm. For this reason, he had been very curious about his origin.


    But hearing Auto-one openly talk about his origin was giving Aillos a headache. Moreover, he spoke of the Four Greatest Minds as if they were only in hiding.


    How was that even possible?


    The Higher Being was the most powerful existence back then. Even The Emperor, being a Supreme Overlord, could not hold a candle against him if he was still there. If the former could destroy nes by himself, thetter should be capable of doing far worse. He did something far worse by causing The Fall. However, The Fall was the result of the Ancients being destroyed.


    So howe Auto-one spoke of them with such confidence?


    Aillos decided to keep his thoughts to himself and observe for now. It made him regret his initial reaction upon seeing Kyran because if he had suppressed his anger, Coelus''s seal would not have been destroyed and they would not be in this situation. He might have also learned the rest of what happened in the Tower of the Ancients from Kryan.


    s, the saying that old age can cause one to go senile seemed to hold some truth.


    "I believe my original masters have improved the study of Array, though. So it is not wrong to think that there is a higher existence than the known peak, Array Transcendent, now," he paused and looked at Kyran and the rest of the Regis with a smile. "And I believe Master will reach that."


    Cyneah smiled. She could sense Auto-one''s faith in Kyran from his voice. Others would find it strange that an automaton who had only sworn allegiance to someone could have such emotions, but Cyneah was already used to being around automatons, especially Neo and she no longer saw them differently from humans.


    "But going back on topic," Auto-one looked at Cyneah again and smiled. "If you are interested in that potion, Young Mistress, I can help you."


    Cyneah widened her eyes, "Are you proficient in Alchemy?"


    "Oh, no," Auto-one shook his head at once, "But there is someone I know who is proficient in it. But in terms of the ingredients you will need. I can help in getting them."


    Aillos might have decided to observe for now, but hearing Auto-one''s confidence made him scowl.


    Ingredients to a god-grade potion were obviously at the same level. Such ingredients were hard to find and even if there were, buying them was simply impossible. No one would sell them because they would rather use it themselves.


    "Then I will ept your assistance. But first, I need to increase my Alchemy Knowledge and level," Cyneah replied with a small smile.


    "I''m sure Master has also considered that. After all, that enormous amount of magic energy will definitely be able to amodate everyone."


    Cyneah''s brow furrowed in confusion, "Amodate everyone? What do you mean?"


    Auto-one raised his brows in shock. He had just apologized for being insensitive earlier and he had done it again!


    "I am so sorry, Young Mistress. I should have exined what Master is telling the rest of his people at this moment."


    "N-No, it is fine."


    Aillos sighed. Obviously, he was already aware of what Kyran nned to do with Coelus''s corpse. He actually found it preposterous, but at the same time, ingenious.


    Basically, Kyran nned to take advantage of the enormous amount of magic energy from Coelus''s corpse to improve his people''s level.


    That was also the reason he wanted the Regis n and his people in the Lower Realm to enter the Higher Realm.

 Chapter 1084: Starting Point

    When Lucian received an urgent report that one of the de Dancers'' representatives at the Tower of the Ancients regained consciousness, he did not waste time and immediately visited their ne.


    Usually, going there would take him a few days, but since he was in a hurry, he did not hesitate to use one of his treasured relics that allowed him to travel at the speed of light. It consumed an enormous amount of his magic energy and caused mental fatigue, but he did not care. To him, finding a lead to one of his prey was far more important.


    Truth be told, Lucian would not have used that relic if he just waited patiently for more updates on their side''s representatives. But because he did not want rumors of him being afraid of the Dragon n, which was why he allowed their representatives to behave arrogantly and even kill several n representatives under his n, he decided to visit the Dragon ne as soon as possible.


    To get there as soon as possible, he used a different magic item that allowed him to teleport at a great distance as long as he properly input his destination''s correct coordinates. The magic item did not require a crazy amount of magic energy like the treasured relic, but in turn, had a cooldown of three days¡ª meaning, he could use it again only after three days had passed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lucian could not wait that long, so he decided to use his treasured relic regardless of its aftereffects.


    The head of the de Dancer n, Geir, was a middle-aged man with ash blonde hair and amber eyes. His features could easily be mistaken as a Solis if not for his n uniform, which was a dark red coat with diamond ornaments.


    Then again, if one looked back at the roots of the de Dancer n and the Solis n, they were actually rted. The only difference was that the Solis n members were created right after their light took form, while the de Dancer n came out of the light from a heavenly smith''s furnace, thus taking on a weapon form.


    Over time, the Solis n managed to retain their pure form, while the de Dancer n branched out, and their mages would have different innate magic than their forefathers.


    Though Lucian''s visit to the de Dancer was on such short notice, Geir managed to follow proper etiquette and greet him in time. However, Lucian did not care about the formalities and only wanted to meet the de Dancer n''s representative who regained consciousness.


    Geir, along with five elders of the five de Houses of the n apanied Lucian as they went to meet the representative. Each of the Elders was at the peak of High Sovereign. Two of the elders shared the same shade of blonde hair as Geir, while another two others had light brown hair and their eyes were also a light shade of green.


    Only one elder''s features differ greatly and she was the only female on their lot. She had light blue hair and golden eyes. All of the elders also wore a dark red coat, but instead of diamond ornaments, they were tinum gold.


    "What other things have you found?" Lucian asked Geir as they made their way to one of the connecting mansions of the de Dancer''s central pce.


    He had been asking them non-stop about what the de Dancer''s surviving n representative told them as soon as he woke up.


    "Some of the things he said were beyondprehension," Geir replied while shaking his head. "Even when he exined how the culprit used his magic is beyond our understanding."


    "And yet you deemed that culprit possess the most dangerous Ancient Magic."


    "That is..." he lowered his head and furtively looked at the other elders.


    In fact, they did not want The Emperor to know about their n''s attempt at finding a portal for their n and Alta''s encounter with the dark mage. But given how things turned out in the Tower of the Ancients, if they did note clean they might suffer something more than The Emperor''s wrath.


    "Please forgive us, your majesty. The truth is..."


    Geir decided toe clean and told The Emperor what happened before the portals activated and why they believed the root cause of that was the culprit.


    After he confessed to everything their n had done, all six of them braced themselves for The Emperor''s wrath.


    "Hm... only the Void can indeed affect the portal to the Tower of the Ancients. It is part of its element, after all."


    Geir and the elders were at a loss for words. The wrath they expected to explode from The Emperor did not happen. Instead, they sensed an emotion akin to tioning from him.


    "I see..." Lucian muttered, his eyes glistened in excitement. "After finding his way to the Higher Realm, he most likely wanted to improve himself. Since our paths have crossed, he might have used me as the threshold of this ce. Because of that, he would definitely do anything in order to get stronger and avoid getting bullied."


    "Y-Your Majesty?"


    Lucian exhaled sharply before turning to Geir with a smile, "Good job. Alta was it? The one who found him first?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Summon her. I want to talk to her as well."


    "Of course," Geir looked at the elder with light blue hair and gestured for her to go at once.


    The female elder lowered her head respectfully before stepping back and leaving. Alta was part of her house, after all.


    As they were talking they finally reached their destination, which was a room at the end of the hall. Geir opened the doors and allowed Lucian to enter first.


    Inside, there was an Alchemist and a couple of mages looking after the n representative.


    If Kyran was there, he would recognize the representative as Shiloh.


    Lucian narrowed his eyes as he observed Shiloh''s body. He did not even use Divine Sense to know that he had indeed made contact with his prey. It was faint, but he felt a residual magic energy from him.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty."


    The Alchemist and the two mages knelt at once and greeted The Emperor.


    Lucian waved his hand dismissively. Seeing this, Geir gestured for the three to leave the room.


    "He is unconscious," Lucian frowned as he looked at Geir.


    "T-That might have been due to the effect of the medicine given to him. I will wake him¡ª."


    "Leave it," Lucian waved his hand once more and approached the bed while observing Shiloh.


    "The residual magic energy lingering in him is indeed the Void," he said with a smile.


    Geir and the elders gasped upon hearing The Emperor''s deration. They could only make spections because they could not detect the residual magic energy in Shiloh. Even if they could, they would not be able to confirm if it was the Void because only those from the older generation, or at least, before The Fall were the ones who would recognize the magic signature from the Void.


    "Then... the other Ancient Magic Cores...?"


    Although they were not part of the older generation, they knew about the Ancient Magic Cores. As a matter of fact, the new generation were the only ones who had limited knowledge about the Ancient Magic Cores that the Higher Being coveted, which eventually led to The Fall.


    "I''ve confirmed it," Lucian replied. There was no point in trying to hide the existence of mages inheriting the Ancient Magic Cores. He also believed that by telling everyone that he was aware of their existence then no one would try to covet them. Otherwise, they would have to face his wrath.


    "That mage in Somuli... he is another one who possesses the Draconic Core."


    Geir nearly choked from shock. His amber eyes shook wildly from The Emperor''s revtion.


    For the record, Geir was present at the council meeting when The Emperor showed the video of the mage in Somuli. On the other hand, the elders only have a rough idea of what transpired during that meeting. Thus, their reaction was a bitcking. Nheless, they were shocked to learn that not one, but two Ancient Magic Cores had appeared and one managed to find its way to the Higher Realm.


    "Since two had appeared, the other two are also out there somewhere," Lucian continued, his voice sounding a little coarse as he could no longer contain his excitement.


    "I have returned to gather a group that can help me find them, but..."


    A smile, full of adulterated avarice appeared on his face.


    "Finding the rest would be easier if I get the Void Core, first."


    If one had control over the Void, they would practically be the master of the realm. If a mage with The Emperor''s level used it, everything in the realm would be within his reach.


    "The de Dancer will see to it that we find the dark mage," Geir dered as he knelt before The Emperor.


    The elders followed his lead and also knelt before The Emperor.


    Lucian looked at them with a smile, "Good."


    *


    A cold silence transcended inside the Throne Room of the Main Pce after Ames told the eight aides the truth of their situation.


    Anyone subjected to the scrutiny of the eight aides would have already faltered, but Ames stood her ground. She even summoned a barrier to keep Myst from being crushed by their pressure.


    "Being angry at this point will not improve our situation," Ames pointed out as she looked at the aides. "Yes, not telling you beforehand about the truth did cause the situation to escte, but at least we managed to avert The Emperor''s eyes for now. Since we don''t have to worry about him, we can focus on Kyran''s matter."


    "He is not part of the n."


    "He is my descendant, he has my blood, which makes him a part dragon."


    "He is human. He may have draconic blood in his veins, but his body is that of a human."


    "He is not just a mere human," Ames argued. "He is the human. He has the Ancient Body constitution."


    "!"


    All eight aides were rendered in silence from the shock of her revtion.


    Myst was the same. But rather than receiving a shock after learning their Young Master had an Ancient Body, he was rendered in silence because he could not keep up with their discussion.


    What did having an Ancient Body even mean?


    "The Shaiha also chose him," Ames continued. "While we still have the initiative, rather than stubbornly denying them because they are not officially part of the n, please... help us."


    "..."


    "..."


    The aides did not respond after Ames''s heartfelt plea for assistance. Nevertheless, her expression remained calm as if their answer did not really matter.


    Obviously, that was not the case. If the aides decided not to help she would continue to convince them until they do.


    "That is enough, Lady Ames."


    Surprisingly, the one who broke the silence was the person Ames least expected.


    "We understand the situation, and before we canmit to anything, we would like to observe what he intended to do."


    Ducal said, looking at Ames through his silver-gold eyes.

 Chapter 1085: Gate Creation

    Contrary to Nn''s attitude when he heard Kyran''s message from Kairos, he proactively gathered the necessary items and people that would assist in creating a gate leading to the Higher Realm.


    Kyran did not send any array calctions for the gate''s creation when he asked Kairos to deliver his message. He did not have to. The warp-like array that he, along with Cade, and several other Array Specialists from the Conve, Regis n, and Royal Family drafted to find the missing people from the empire, especially their Emperor, would be enough as their base formation.


    They would have to change and improve several of the array''s calctions but with it as the base, Nn and Cade could seed in creating the gate.


    From other''s perspectives, it was touching how much faith Kyran had in his father and uncle that they would seed in creating the gate.


    Nn, however, screamed: Bullsh*t.


    To hell with faith, Kyran was asking for the impossible. Even with Cade''s and Nn''s Array Knowledge, they could not possibly breach the gap between the Lower Realm and the Higher Realm. Even if they asked Loar, the Sovereign of Automa, who was also an Array Saint, it would still be close to impossible.


    Nevertheless, Nn still prepared everything.


    Since time flowed differently in each ne, and the Human ne''s time was the closest to the Higher Realm, Nn appeared to have only been gone for a day but outside, he had been running around the Lower Realm, searching for materials for almost two weeks.


    By the time he returned to the Human ne, Cade had returned and met with everyone who would assist in creating the gate.


    Because the gate had to be created in the Regis Terram, Nn could not ask the Conve and the Royal Family to lend them their Array Specialists. Only members from the Regis Family could enter the Regis Terram, after all.


    Nn was not a Regis, but as a Sovereign, he had enough qualifications. Not to mention, he was still considered part of the Regis as a n member.


    "And?" Nn growled as he looked to his left. "Why the h*ll are you here?"


    Rin gave him a nk look as she replied with a calm voice, "Is that how you should speak to your twin sister, after not showing your face for several months?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Nn snorted in response.


    After Kyran left the Human ne, Nn eventually mustered up the courage to meet Rin face to face. He acted aloof and sometimes even rude, but Rin knew it was on purpose. He was not acting like that because of embarrassment but because being the Human ne''s Sovereign was such a troublesome thing.


    She knew he could not show any preferential attitude and treatment to anyone in the Human ne, otherwise, it would trigger another ne-changing event.


    Regardless, Rin responded to Nn''s aloofness in her own way, and because of that, anyone who saw them or heard them would think they were two strange adults for acting like kids.


    "I don''t have any obligation to show my face to you."


    "Of course," Rin agreed with a nod. "Since you are so~ busy being the Human ne''s Sovereign."


    "Busy my ass," te snorted as she red at Nn from his other side. "I''m sure he is just frolicking around."


    "I don''t frolic," Nn replied with a slight growl.


    The Regis Family''s Array Specialists and Masters watched the three from behind with wry smiles. Most of them knew Nn when he was still a trainee together with the next patriarch Cade and had truly not grasped the concept of him bing the Human ne''s most powerful existence.


    Several years had already passed since they learned about Nn''s ascension but they still see him as their Mistress, Rin''s troublemaker twin brother.


    "Cade iste," Nn added while looking at the rest of the Regis members behind them.


    Every one who would be assisting in the gate''s creation was gathered near the Regis Terrram''s entrance. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    te was also not a member of the Regis Family. However, the ability she received from the Tower of Tribtions after conquering it, seemed to work on the Regis Terram as well.


    For the record, the ability te received allowed her to live and adapt ordingly to the ne she went to. This was how she managed to leave her ne of origin and escape her fate to live in the Human ne.


    As for Rin, obviously, after bing Cade''s wife, she was recognized as a member of the Regis Family. In fact, if Cyneah was there, chances of her entering the Regis Terram were also high because she had been marked by Kyran and possessed something that was only given to a Regis Family¡ª the Regis Family''s crest, which Kyran modified and was now used by Cyneah as a ne.


    "We are just early," te snorted in defense of Cade. "Actually, you are too early. Are you that excited to aplish your nephew''s request?"


    "Who''s excited?" Nn grumbled as he looked at her. "I am early because I can''t f*cking sleep whenever I think about that b*stard''s request!"


    "He is not a b*stard," Rin red at him. "Did you forget I was already married to Cade for a whole year before he was even conceived!"


    It appeared Kyran''s concievement was a sore spot for Rin because she red up at the memory.


    No one could me her.


    That event was also considered the only regret Cade had. Not because he regretted having Kyran, but because he allowed Rin to make the first move.


    However, Cade had a reason for not touching Rin. He was convinced that the prophecy about her and her child would not happen as long as he abstained from any intimate contact with her.


    Eventually, Rin found what Cade tried to do, and was infuriated. In fact, she was convinced he did not want her because she forced him to marry her.


    Ultimately, the prophecy ended up happening and now the scale seemed to have reached the Higher Realm.


    "How dare you call your own nephew a b*stard!" Rin growled at Nn, her eyes which usually shone with gentleness and warmth now emitted intense blue mes.


    Nn instinctively flinched after seeing Rin''s eyes and the rising pressure. He hastily said, "I-I didn''t mean it like that¡ª i-it''s just an expression¡ª."


    "Expression? So you''re actually calling your own nephew a despicable person?"


    "N-No¡ª I¡ª!"


    Nn mumbled some jibberish words, trying to exin his side. While doing so, he could almost imagine Kairos'' gentle smile as he looked down at him, saying:


    "See? You can''t win against Rin."


    "Ha... I feel bad for my godson. He probably cut off his tongue after biting it so many times because of the people who missed him like crazy and just could not stop talking about him," te sighed heavily as she tried to zone out the twin brother and sister''s squabbling in the background. Apparently, she was convinced the two were only acting that way because they missed Kyran.


    The Regis members were faster. They had already zoned them out even before they started.


    If other Sovereigns knew how the Human ne''s inhabitants treated their Sovereign, they would likely have flipped.


    Even if the inhabitants were the Sovereign''s family, he or she should have enough dignity and influence to ensure they would not be treated the same as before they ascended.


    But apparently, Nn''s family and close friends did not care about any dignity or influence he had¡ª not that he had many, or any at all. It appeared that they did not want to treat him differently just because he became the ne''s Sovereign.


    Whether that was a good thing, or bad, Nn was the only one who could truly say.


    "I think it is amusing how Rin is angry about Nn calling Kyran a b*stard and yet, she is also doing the same, albeit just to make a point."


    A deep voice, filled with amusement spoke behind te.


    te chuckled as she turned to look at Cade, "Should you be saying that? You are his father. Ah, and you also called him b*stard."


    Cade chuckled, "So did you."


    It appeared the b*stard''s meaning had changed for everyone present there because of today''s incident.


    "Alright," Cade''s voice sounded like thunder as he addressed everyone around him. "Let''s go through the n for the formation before going inside."


    Rin and Nn also stopped their nonsensical squabble as they looked at Cade.


    "Yes, Master Cade," the Regis Array Specialists and Masters replied in unison.


    ''G*dd*mn it, Cade. You arrivedte on purpose didn''t you?'' Nn, on the other hand, immediately sent a telepathic message to Cade.


    Cade simply chuckled and waved his hand, creating a long table to their side. He then took out several blueprints and rare materials from the Regis''s Treasury andid them on the table.


    Nn did the same. He took out the gathered materials andid them on the table along with the others.


    "All materials required toplete the forms on the blueprints are here," Cade started. "However, just like the warp array we created, expect changes to happen along the way. Some of the materials here may be rendered useless, or we''ll need an entirely different one. When that happens, I want each of you to be ready to leave at short notice and gather the necessary materials."


    "Yes."


    Though Cade told them to be ready to gather the items themselves, the rest of the Regis teams would surely be there to assist them. However, because they were the Array experts, they needed to be there to ensure the quality of the items.


    "Let''s start."

 Chapter 1086: Energy Assimilation Array

    "Y-Young Master..." Raya¡¯s voice quivered nervously as he looked at Kyran. "A-Are you serious about this?"


    Kyran smiled at him wryly and asked, "Why do you think, otherwise?"


    "N-No... But, you see... right?" Raya shook his head and exchanged nervous nces at the other Regis members looking at the new array formation that Kyran had drawn after reviewing the iplete draft of the seal¡¯s formation they tried to recreate.


    "It is not that we think creating it is impossible but the materials..." Shimon, the vice leader of Raya¡¯s squad started to voice his opinion.


    Before he could finish speaking, he and Raya exchanged looks again.


    "Actually, it is not the materials..." Shimon slowly corrected himself. "But..."


    "I don¡¯t doubt your Array Knowledge, Young Master," another member spoke up.


    Kyran looked at him and remembered the member¡¯s name was Jettson. He could be considered a distant rtive now because he was the son of his fourth cousin.


    "But I think the concept of the array itself is..." Jettson¡¯s voice trailed off because he could not bring himself to say the word that crossed his mind.


    "Impossible?" Kyran tried to supply.


    "Insane."


    "Unprecedented."


    "Inconceivable."


    "Mentally ridiculous!"


    The rest of the members, Aubrie, Davion, Jair, and Zoll also supplied their impressions about Kyran¡¯s array at the same time.


    Kyran chuckled despite himself. But hisugh turned to a grimace halfway as his core trembled in pain.


    "Y-Young Master!"


    All of them rushed to his side at once. In the end, they stopped, not knowing what to do.


    Cyneah also reacted. But instead of shouting her concern, she could only grit her teeth and reign in her concern. She could worry all she wanted but nothing would change. Even if he was not using his domain to stop her from using magic, she would not be able to help him. She already realized that after Shaiha exined that she was expelled from Kyran¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    The influence of Coelus¡¯s corpse¡¯s magic energy was far too potent for Cyneah¡¯s meager Soul magic to affect. Moreover, her soul magic was borrowed only and could not even be considered hers.


    From the side, Aillos¡¯s brow furrowed slightly upon seeing Kyran¡¯s pain. His barrier could notpletely block off Coelus¡¯s corpse¡¯s influence, but the magic energy that managed to bypass his barrier should not affect Kyran that much. If thetter was grimacing just by the act ofughing, it meant he had been enduring a much grievous pain even before they arrived.


    Before Aillos could open his mouth and demand Kyran to tell them his true condition¡ª because even Aillos could not see through it with his Divine Sense¡ª thetter raised his hand and said, "I¡¯m fine. I only strained one of my core a little."


    Aillos¡¯s eyes narrowed at Kyran¡¯s words. He seemed to have underestimated the influence Coelus¡¯s corpse had on Kyran¡¯s Draconic core. Just as expected, being near the corpse was putting a lot of strain on Kyran. Even with Aillos¡¯s barrier, the mere fact that there was still a small amount of the corpse¡¯s magic energy slipping inside was enough to aggravate Kyran¡¯s condition.


    The only reason Kyran managed to look fine up until that small grimace, was because he was doing something to prevent that magic energy from making contact with his Draconic core.


    If Aillos had to guess, Kyran must be using his Void magic energy to cover his Draconic Core. But doing that would require a tremendous amount of focus and stamina. For Kyran to actually achieve that while still reviewing and even drawing a new formation for them to work on, was a testament to his mental fortitude.


    The more Aillos observed Kyran, the more he was reminded of Zane. It was a bit annoying, but he did resemble him more than that annoying sissy who only knew how to read and interpret runes.


    Moreover, the array formation that Kyran proposed was truly incredible. Aillos already had an idea of what Kyran wanted to do while writing down the array calctions. His boldness was unprecedented since he considered taking advantage of Coelus¡¯s corpse to improve his people¡¯s levels.


    The Energy Assimtion Array that Kyran came up with was not a new concept, but arrays with simr objectives used natural magic energies in the surroundings as their source, not a corpse from the most dangerous dragon, the Harbinger of Chaos.


    The expressions on Raya and the other Regis members darkened slightly after realizing Kyran¡¯s condition was not getting any better. He brushed it off as if it was nothing important, but they knew how painful it was to strain one¡¯s core.


    In the end, they did not show their concern because it would be pointless. They knew their Young Master¡¯s tendency to hide his pain. So instead, they decided not to strain him further by spouting trivial concerns.


    "I get that you think the array is... crazy and that¡¯s fine. At least, you did not think it was impossible," Kyran continued to say as if he did not notice a change in their attitude.


    "Well... I¡¯ve seen an array that can do something simr in the tower," Aubrie admitted.


    Since all of them had trained in the Tower of Tribtions, they were not afraid of disclosing information about their experience inside.


    "I did, too," Zoll agreed. He looked at the array formationid on the ground and continued, "It used different calctions because the distribution, the source of energy, and the target are all different. Besides, the runes used in the calctions are also different, because they used the four elements, air, fire, earth, and water."


    Aubrie looked at him and wryly said, "Yes. I think we¡¯ve seen the same one."


    Kyran looked at them in surprise. He had actually seen the formation. It was among theplex array formations written on one of the many tablets about Array in the Tower of Tribtions. Nheless, Kyran was surprised that Aubrie and Zoll saw that because he remembered reading that formation only after acquiring about 50% of Array Knowledge.


    "Hm... so you two have chosen Array when you were in that room," Davion said.


    "Yes," Aubrie and Zoll answered, honestly.


    "Let¡¯s continue reminiscing about our time in the towerter and get back on topic, alright?" Raya pped his hands to stop the three from veering the discussion out of track.


    "S-Sorry," the three apologized andughed uneasily.


    "Young master?" Raya looked at Kyran. "I get that we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the materials since you can simply conjure them up out of thin air, but the target of this formation... While I am grateful for how much you think of us, we cannot possibly endure that amount of magic energy by ourselves."


    "You guys will only be the first batch," Kyran exined with a small smile. "If you look at this part of the formation..."


    He pointed at one of the calctions drawn on the outer edge of the central form.


    "...This calction will control the amount of magic energy that you will assimte. After that, the next ones will enter the formation."


    "The next ones?" Raya and the others looked at Kyran in confusion. But then they felt like pping themselves as they thought of the other dragons in the Dragon n.


    Continue your saga on m|v-l¡¯e m,p| y- r


    Of course, since Coelus¡¯s corpse practically belonged to the Dragon n, they could not possibly hog the benefits by themselves. Once they finished assimting enough of its magic energy, they had to surrender it to the dragons.


    "No," Kyran suddenly said, cutting off their train of thought. As if sensing what was going on in their heads, he exined, "I don¡¯t n on sharing Coelus¡¯s magic energy with them."


    To prove his point, he even pointed in Aillos¡¯s direction, making Raya and the others break out in cold sweat.


    "Besides, the formation will only work on humans I acknowledged."


    "But..."


    "Lady Ames and Myst will work on this side to open a path for the Lower Realm to enter," Kyran exined with a small smile. "To be more urate, they will use the Regis Terram as a bridge in opening that path."


    "!"


    Raya and the rest were speechless.


    Aillos, Auto-one, and Cyneah were the only ones whose expression remained calm since they were already aware of Kyran¡¯s intentions.


    "At this moment, Lady Ames is trying to convince the rest of the Dragon Emperor¡¯s aides to help in creating that path. An array formation is not enough to do that, after all."


    "But would they really help? They are not exactly a very... weing lot," Jair said, looking over at the Dragon Emperor uneasily.


    "If there is one thing I understand about the Dragon n, is their desire to protect their people," Kyran told them. "I am not saying Lady Ames is trying to convince them that we are one of them, but that... the only way for them to ovee the situation is through us."


    "¡¯Through us?¡¯"


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They repeated while looking at each other in confusion.


    "The Emperor has all the information about every n in the Higher Realm. The Dragon n is not an exemption. It is probably notplete, but I¡¯m sure he knew all the powerful dragons, at least, and already had countermeasures against them."


    Raya and the others widened their eyes as they were struck with realization.


    "They don¡¯t have information about the Regis n!" Raya eximed.


    Kyran nodded with a small smile, "Exactly. However, we are still at a disadvantage because of our low level. Thus, in the next few months, I¡¯ll make all of you break through to Sovereign or higher."

 Chapter 1087: Chase (1)

    The base of the Energy Assimtion Array Kyran designed was the seal itself. He could not fix the array, because it was the Void that damaged a part of it. However, since the forms on other parts were intact, he thought it was a waste not to make use of them.


    The seal was irreparable because the damaged part could not be fixed. But if the intact parts were used to create a new array, then it was possible. Rare materials would be needed in order to do this, though. Thus, normally no one would bother reusing an irreparable formation.


    Except Kyran, that is. Or to be more urate, the Void Master.


    Using the Void¡¯s nature of creating something out of nothing, Kyran could create the materials needed to reuse the intact forms of the seal.


    He was still bound by the materials present on the ne he would use them for, but the Dragon ne was one of the oldest ones in the Higher Realm. In fact, because the seal used several hundreds of rare materials during its creation¡ª though those materials were mostly imported from other nes¡ª they were considered present but out of stock at that moment.


    Creating those materials would require a huge amount of magic energy and focus¡ª the former to ensure the material being created was of high quality, and thetter to ensure the material being created had the exactness of the original one.


    With Kyran¡¯s condition, however, creating those materials would likely aggravate his condition further. Worst-case, he might exhaust himself withoutpleting all the materials they would need and pass out cold.


    Raya and the other Regis members were aware of this since they had already witnessed their Young Master create materials from nothing when they were creating the warp array back in the Human ne. Although their Young Master did not stay until the array¡¯spletion, he had already prepared all the rare materials that they might need beforehand.


    Raya and the other Regis members remembered how their Young Master seemed to have lost weight after creating twenty-something rare materials back then. This time, they needed more than a hundred, and the materials were rarer than the ones in the Lower Realm. They could not imagine how their Young Master¡¯s condition would be afterward.


    After sensing their apprehension, Aillos told them, "There is no need to use Void to create all the materials." He added, "Show me the list, and I¡¯ll check their avability in the treasury."


    Kyran looked at Aillos with a slight frown. He was obviously reluctant to receive any help from Aillos. It was not because he did not trust him. Rather, he did not want to be indebted to them even more than they already were.


    "Younglings should ept assistance from the elders without making a fuss," Aillos growled as if reading Kyran¡¯s thoughts. "Since you brazenly dered that the situation you created can only be ovee through you and your people, then it is only appropriate that we do our part as someone who would benefit after you seed in whatever you intend to do."


    Raya and the other Regis members felt a cold shiver run up their spine as they sensed the Dragon Emperor¡¯s powerful pressure from his words. Moreover, he might appear to be willing to help them, but he also wanted to remind them that their n would not have been caught up in the situation if Kyran had not caused it.


    Aillos was not wrong, so Raya and the others could only keep their mouths shut.


    "If that¡¯s the case, then I will dly ept them."


    Contrary to what Kyran must have wanted to say, he epted Aillos¡¯s offer without making a fuss, as thetter said.


    But then his next words almost made Raya and the others flip in fright.


    "Now that I think about it, since we¡¯re getting rid of the Dragon n¡¯s hidden skeleton, it is only right that they provide the materials we¡¯d need to aplish it."


    Aillos¡¯s brow twitched ever so slightly that no one would have noticed it if they had not been observing him intently.


    "You took the words right out of my mouth."


    Not wanting to allow a greenhorn to outdo him, Aillos agreed with Kyran.


    The others could only remain silent during their exchange because they did not want to get caught in the middle.


    "While we are at it," Aillos added.


    It seemed he was not done with offering their assistance.


    "I haveplete trust in Ames that she would seed in exining the situation and convincing the rest of the aides to assist. Thus, our Array Saints will also assist in the array¡¯s creation."


    Raya and the rest of the Regis raised their brows in surprise. In terms of Array Knowledge, they were considered Array Masters at most. Thus, they estimated that they couldplete the array formation their Young Master drafted in three to four months.


    Their estimation did not include Kyran because they still considered him as a patient who needed to rest.


    Kyran thought differently, though. In fact, if Raya and the others were aware of the timeline of the array¡¯s creation projected in his head, their eyes would likely popped out of their sockets. This was because Kyran nned toplete the array in one week.


    ¡¯The Dragon n¡¯s Array Saints, huh?¡¯ Kyran looked at Aillos skeptically.


    It was not that he did not believe thetter¡¯s words or that the quality of Array Knowledge of their Array Saints would becking. But he was worried that the Dragon n¡¯s Array Saints, with their overflowing pride as beings considered the most powerful race in the Higher Realm, would find fault in his draft.


    Besides, Kyran remembered hearing one of Ames and Cyneah¡¯s talk that only a few older dragons were aware of Coelus¡¯s corpse being sealed in an underground ce in the Dragon ne. If more dragons were made aware of this fact, they might have differing opinions about what to do with Coelus¡¯s corpse.


    "You don¡¯t seem to like the idea," Aillos said, sensing Kyran¡¯s reluctance.


    "Those who learned array in the Lower Realm tend to get along even if they were from different factions. Is it the same in the Higher Realm?"


    Aillos did not answer Kyran¡¯s question at once. Instead, his eyes narrowed as he realized Kyran¡¯s concern.


    To be honest, Aillos had the same thoughts as Kyran. But unlike thetter, who was only aware that Coelus was the original dragon and father of the first eight dragons, the former knew the fear of the old, present, and new generations of dragons had for Coelus.


    They would never covet the benefit Coelus¡¯s corpse would provide.


    As a matter of fact, the thing that Aillos was more concerned about was the dragon¡¯s reluctance to get close to Coelus¡¯s corpse.


    "Rather than worrying about something so trivial, let¡¯s start reviewing the list of materials," Aillos chose not to answer Kyran and focused on the materials they would need again.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But Kyran sensed that rather than avoiding raising a sensitive topic about the dragons¡¯ nature, he sensed that Aillos did not want to discuss that in front of the others. Thus, he took the hint and decided to bring it up again when they were alone.


    While Aillos and Kyran were reviewing the materials, Raya received a call from Ames. She told them that Ducal, along with two more aides, Ae and Nithe, were already making their preparations to go there.


    "Don¡¯t waste time and use a transmission scroll to get here," Aillos told Ames without looking at themunication device that Raya and the other Regis members were maintaining.


    Ames frowned, "I don¡¯t want to burst your bubble, Father, but have you forgotten? None of the aides knew where Coelus¡¯s corpse was located."


    "Did I say they will be the ones using the scrolls?" Aillos replied while looking at Ames with a wry smile.


    Ames raised her brows as she realized he meant her to use it.


    "But our transmission scrolls can only take one other..."


    Aillos looked over at Kyran, who was already giving him a nk expression.


    Obviously, he wanted him to give them more of his transmission scrolls.


    "Raya," Kyran called with a sigh of resignation.


    "Young Master?"


    Kyran took out three transmission scrolls from his pouch and handed them to him, "You¡¯ve been to the Main Pce, right? Use the scrolls to bring them here."


    Raya kept a calm expression, but hisplexion paled a little upon realizing what Kyran wanted him to do.


    "Y-Young Master, I..."


    "Lady Ames and Myst need to focus on the path creation using the Regis Terram," Kyran started. "Besides, none of them have the transmission scroll so..."


    "Actually, Myst have one..."


    "And the one who knows this ce is?"


    "... Lady Ames...."


    "Let¡¯s not waste time. Go."


    "Alright."


    ¡¯If you continue to act intimidated by them, they will continue to belittle us.¡¯


    Raya stopped short upon hearing Kyran¡¯s voice in his head.

 Chapter 1088: Chase (2)

    ''Young master?'' Raya nced at Kyran, who already turned his attention back to the list he was reviewing with Aillos.


    ''Dragons are a proud race,'' Kyran continued to talk to Raya telepathically. ''The more they see you cower before them, they will continue to look down on you. However, they are also known for being noble. If you show them you are not afraid, then they will give you enough acknowledgment.


    I''m not saying that their attitude will changepletely, but they will stop looking down on you and will actually try to see you for what you are and probably your potential.''


    Raya was somewhat surprised at the lengthy adviceing from their Young Master. This was because, apart from talking about Array or Magic theories, he would not say something like that to them.


    ''Thank you, Young Master.''


    ''Go now. Also, please tell Lady Ames that I''ll go check on them after exining the formation to that Ducal guy.''


    Kyran had yet to learn all the names of Aillos''s aides and what they were good at. He only knew the three aides Ames mentioned during her call after she gave a brief introduction of who they were.


    Ducal was the most knowledgeable in terms of Array in the Dragon n. Ae and Nithe were also proficient in Array. They decided toe since they were curious about how Kyran nned to fix Coelus''s corpse''s seal.


    Since Ames did not know what Kyran intended to do with Coelus''s corpse, she only told Ducal and the rest of the aides that her father, along with Kyran and a few selected Regis members were working on a temporary fix on the seal.


    Kyran did not bother to exin the formation they intended to do since the signal was unstable and there were points on it that were better exined in person than through amunication device.


    "I''ll be right back."


    Raya activated one of the transmission scrolls and left at once.


    "I think we have sorted all the materials," Aillos said, nodding at the list they finallypleted.


    Kyran nodded while looking at the updated list, "Yes."


    The materials were now divided into three categories: one, were materials avable in the Dragon n''s treasury; two were materials that could be found in the Dragon ne; three were those that would have to be created through Void magic.


    Materials under the second category were rare but easily acquired if one of the aides searched for them. Since they would not be necessary untilter stages of array creation, it was fine to look for them.


    Some materials under the third category could also be found in the Dragon ne. However, since they were needed during the early stages of the array creation, they could not waste time searching for them.


    "I''ll discuss the materials once Ae, Ducal, and Nithe arrive," Aillos continued before looking at Kyran sternly. "As for you, go rest."


    Kyran frowned, "I''m fine¡ª."


    "Says the guy who is practically sweating buckets because he could barely protect his core," Aillos snorted. "You should look in the mirror. You look like one of the undead."


    "Milord is right, Kyran."


    Cyneah, who had kept her silence since she did not want to disturb them, spoke up and voiced her agreement.


    "While we are on the subject of your condition," she hastily added. "Please remove your domain. I may not be of much help, but if I can alleviate your condition a little, you can circte your Void magic energy better and protect your core."


    She was basically telling him that she would support him while he recovered a bit so he could create the materials under the third category of their list.


    Cyneah could not see the list, but based on what she could hear from their discussion, there were still more than ten materials that Kyran had to create. Creating those would definitely take a huge toll on him if he did it while enduring his condition.


    "I''ll be counting on you, as always."


    Surprisingly, Kyran did not argue. In fact, he intended to ask Cyneah''s help once he started creating the materials. He only told Aillos he was fine because he believed that with Cyneah''s healing, he could continue to work without having to rest.


    "You can rest in Raya''s tent, Young Master," Zoll said and approached them. "I''ll walk you there."


    "There is no need. I''ll just¡ª."


    "Haa..! Pick. Either you rest as you are told, or I force you to sleep," Aillos growled. His annoyance at Kyran started to rear its ugly head once more.


    He barely knew the younger man, but he already noticed thetter''s tendency to do everything and work himself to death.


    Actually, rather than doing everything by himself, Kyran delegated work to others but tended to micromanage them.


    Kyran frowned. Before he could open his mouth and voice his concern, Cyneah beat him at it by saying, "If you continue to act like this, you''ll make your people insecure, Kyran."


    "I don''t¡ª."


    "I understand you are worried that something might happen if you are not supervising the whole formation. But did it not ur to you that the more you act like this, your people may feel and think that you don''t trust them to do their job?"


    "..."


    ''She has a point.''


    ''Ah, the Young Mistress managed to make the Young Master speechless.''


    One after another, the Regis members exchanged nces while agreeing to Cyneah''s words.


    Aillos chuckled inwardly as he looked at Cyneah. He had a neutral attitude toward her, especially because he knew she was supposed to be the new vessel for the Soul core. But since she did not have it and seemed only to be useful for healing¡ªwhich dragons were uninterested in because of their fast natural healing ability¡ªhe decided to be at least civil around her.


    Now, he was starting to see her in a different light.


    "...Fine."


    In the end, Kyran relented and allowed Zoll to take them to Raya''s tent.


    Fifteen minutester, Raya returned with three scary-looking dragons in human form.


    Actually, they were not scary per se. It was just their pressure and majestic aura that made the rest of the Regis want to kneel down and pray for mercy.


    Of course, their pressure was nothing like Aillos. But since they had met him more often than the aides, they had gotten used to him, unlike the other dragons.


    Ducal''s presence, in particr, looked even more majestic than the other two because of his long silver hair, which swayed behind his back even though there was no wind present.


    Ae, with her medium silver-blue hair and silver-blue eyes, was the only female dragon among Aillos''s aides. Her pressure was not as heavy as Ducal or Nithe, but her calm demeanor made one recall the surface of ake.


    Nithe, on the other hand, looked sharp with his short, light golden hair and eyes. His pressure was far more prominent than Ae and Ducal, and his build was far more solid.


    Ignoring the other Regis members, Ae, Ducal, and Nithe approached Aillos, knelt on their knees, and greeted, "Milord."


    "You are here," Aillos greeted back while looking at them.


    Only after he gestured for them to stand did they do so.


    "I know you also have questions for me, but let''s talk about thatter," Aillos started, looking at them with stern eyes.


    Ae, Ducal, and Nithe did not react, but just as Aillos said, they wanted to ask about Coelus''s corpse and the seal. That had been one of the reasons they decided to listen to Ames''s plea.


    "I want you three to look at the new array formation first," Aillos continued, gesturing at the blueprint lying on the ground a few feet behind him.


    Ducal frowned, looking over at the blueprint. "New formation? I thought they were nning on fixing the seal?"


    Aillos shook his head, "It''s impossible to fix it."


    He then exined what Ames tried to avoid telling them.


    "Impossible!"


    All three eximed after hearing the gist of what Kyran and the others intended to do.


    "Ancients created the seal," Ducal started with furrowed brows. "It is impossible for anyone to make use of its forms and connect it to a new formation. Does he think he is some sort of Array God?"


    When Raya and the rest of the Regis heard Ducal, their face distorted in displeasure.


    Ducal was badmouthing the blueprint created by their Young Master; no matter how much the dragons belittle them, they should at least look at the blueprint before saying anything.


    "Before saying it is impossible, go check the blueprint first."


    Aillos said what Raya and the rest of the Regis wanted to say, and they were grateful for him.


    Unbeknownst to them, Aillos only said that because he could not be bothered exining the new formation and wanted Ae, Ducal, and Nithe to look at the blueprint and figure everything out themselves.


    Ae, Ducal, and Nithe exchanged furtive nces but ultimately followed Aillos''s advice and looked at the blueprint on the ground.


    Almost half an hourter, the three looked as if they had eaten something bitter because of their distorted expressions.


    "T-This.... formation and all the forms..."


    "It is preposterous... yet..."


    "Ingenious..."


    Although their words might not have been directed at them, Raya and the other Regis members could not help but feel proud. It was their Young Master''s work, after all. Although they had yet to see if it would really work, because of how wless his calctions were that connected the seal''s intact parts to the new formation, they believed they would seed.


    "Good," Aillos said with a smile. "Looks like you three understand the new formation. Let''s get down to business then."


    Ducal was the first one to snap out of his reverie and looked at Aillos, "Milord, this new formation will cost a lot of¡ª."


    "I already agreed to open the treasury and provide some of the materials," Aillos told them. He then showed them the list he and Kyranpleted and exined how they would gather all the materials.


    "Void magic..." Ae shook her head in disbelief, "I cannot believe its nature can aplish something like that."


    "These guys have already seen him create materials out of thin air," Aillos pointed toward Raya and the others. "We can trust their words for it."


    When Aillos pointed at them, the three aides turned and for the first time looked at them.


    Ducal scowled and said, "They look like him."


    "They only inherited his color," Aillos corrected.


    "Doesn''t matter. Dark hair, dark gray eyes... color that could easily smear a perfectly white canvas."


    "Ducal."


    Ducal stopped short upon hearing Aillos''s warning tone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "That is enough."


    "I''m sorry."


    Though Ducal apologized, he only directed it at Aillos.

 Chapter 1089: Chase (3)

    Aillos sighed inwardly. He knew it would be impossible topletely get Ducal''s assistance because he still disapproved of the Regis, but that was alright. What they needed was his expertise in Array so they couldplete the formation faster, rather than his approval of the Regis n, anyway.


    Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    Besides, Aillos had an inkling that Ducal''s view of them would change over time because he and the Regis Family had something inmon, which was their interest in Array.


    "I''ll go fetch the materials in the Treasury then," Nithe interjected, trying to veer their conversation back on track.


    As the one entrusted with the Dragon n''s Treasury, Nithe''smitment to his role was unwavering. His responsibilities extended beyond mere stock management; he was the guardian of their resources, ensuring they were always well-stocked and ready for use.


    Aillos nodded, "I know you hate it when I decide to take items out of the treasury without your consent, but I appreciate you being flexible about it right now."


    "I understand the gravity of the situation if we let it be, so there is no need for that, milord," Nithe replied with a wry smile. He then added meaningfully, "More importantly, I am eager for our discussionter."


    "Is that so," Aillos chuckled while smiling wryly at them.


    Obviously, the discussion Nithe meant was Aillos answering their questions.


    "The magic energy leaking from the seal is quite troublesome," Ducal observed after looking at the damaged seal close to them. "We have to start andplete the new formation as soon as possible."


    Ae, who was also observing the seal, nodded in agreement with Ducal''s observation.


    "I suggest starting as soon as Nithe returns with the materials for the first part of the array creation," she suggested. "Fortunately, the materials that the young master from Lady Ames''s other family has to create will only be used starting from the third phase of the array creation, so we still have time until he wakes."


    "That may be true, but since we do not know if he can create the materials in his first attempt, we have to consider that time as well," Ducal pointed. "If we start working on the forms for the first and second phases in the next hour, then we''ll likely finish in a week''s time.


    By then, that boy from Lady Ames''s other family should have finished creating the materials needed for the third and fourth phases."


    "Yes, that''s true. He needs to start working with the materials two days from now at thetest if we don''t want the work to be dyed," Nithe agreed.


    "We can''t afford any dys, either," Ae reminded him. "Since we are connecting the forms from the seal to the new ones, any dys may cause the first connected forms to lose their natural flow."


    "The third and fourth phases have to bepleted simultaneously," Ducal also voiced his opinion. "Splitting our side will already slow down the whole process, and we can only adjust it by delegating the forms to the right Array Saints. Still, this will only work if all materials are avable by then¡ª."


    "One week? Just toplete the first and two phases? We n onpleting that in three days as long as the materials are avable."


    Raya could no longer remain silent and voiced his own opinion. Although he exaggerated the time a bit¡ªactually, it was a lot¡ªhe had to do it because he was annoyed by how they spoke of their Young Master as some unreliable human who could very well destroy their timeline.


    Did they already forget that the very array formation they wanted to create was drafted by their Young Master?


    Raya was not the only one who was annoyed. The rest of the Regis members were, too. If Raya had not spoken, they would have done it even if they would end up getting beat up.


    The three aides looked at Raya with narrowed eyes.


    "As expected from someone that came from the Lower Realm. Spouting nonsensical things because he does not understand the concept of connecting existing forms to a new formation," Ducal scowled. "In the first ce, why are you even interrupting our conversation? It''s not like you lot are going to work on the formation with us¡ª."


    "Sir Raya is correct. In fact, Master wants toplete the new formation in a week."


    Before Ducal couldplete what he was saying, a voice interrupted him, and they turned to look at the owner.


    Ducal intended to rebuke the neer, but he soon realized what he was and his level and was shocked.


    "You are...?"


    Ae and Nithe also noticed this and were dumbfounded.


    "A Peak High Sovereign Automaton..."


    Auto-one appeared before them with a slight smile. He returned after Kyran asked him to oversee the formation while he rested. Honestly, he was reluctant to leave his Master''s side because he would be vulnerable as he slept. Although the Young Mistress was there and he sensed something powerful sleeping within her, he was worried about both of their safety.


    In the end, Auto-one was d his Master told him to return. Otherwise, these annoying lizards would have continued to belittle his Master''s family.


    Ae, Ducal, and Nithe were shocked at an automaton''s appearance, but they snapped out of it as they recalled his words.


    "Complete the new formation in a week?"


    "That is preposterous!"


    "Wait... Master?"


    They said one after another.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Auto-one could not be bothered to address each of their response, so he decided to introduce himself and the task his Master gave him.


    "My name is¡ª sorry, I meant to say is, my temporary name is Auto-one."


    Auto-one added temporary because Kyran promised to give him a proper name when he had rested enough.


    "And Master asked me to oversee the formation while he is resting," he continued while looking at the three aides with indifferent eyes. "As you may have already noticed, I am far more powerful than you three. So it is futile to try anything against me."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...."


    The three aides and the Regis members were speechless at the seemingly out-of-nowhere remark Auto-one had said.


    "Oh, I forgot. If you are wondering who my Master is, he is none other than Kyran Regis, the new Realm Scion who had already gathered the Void core and Draconic core. Ah, Shaiha has also acknowledged him."


    "!"


    Ae, Ducal, and Nithe gasped in shock at what Auto-one said just then.


    Ames only told them what she knew at that time. Since she did not know everything that transpired in the Tower of the Ancients, she was unaware of how Auto-one and the Ancients referred to Kyran as the new Realm Scion. Apart from that, Ames did not mention that Kyran possessed the Draconic core. She only exined that he possessed the Shaiha and the Void core.


    The title Realm Scion was only known by the older generation or those who were aware of The Emperor''s ambitions. Aillos''s aides fell into thetter category, if not the former.


    Nheless, that was not enough for Ae, Ducal, and Nithe to change their attitude toward Kyran and the Regis Familypletely.


    "I heard you saying as if Master could not create the materials in time. Let me just say this: the Master has the Young Mistress. She will make it so he is in top shape after he rested for a few hours...."


    When Raya and the other Regis members heard him, their expressions turned dull because they knew that it was a lie.


    Cyneah would only ensure Kyran gets proper rest by alleviating his condition using her healing. After that, he would have to do his own conditioning.


    "...He will then exin how toplete the new array formation in a week," Auto-one continued, ignoring the expressions on Raya''s and the others'' faces. "After that, Sir Raya, Sir Shimon, Miss Aubrie, Sir Davion, Sir Jair, and Sir Zoll will oversee the start of the first phase of the formation."


    His eyes narrowed as he looked at Ducal, who he already deemed as the most annoying because he was overly biased toward the Regis Family, and said, "You will only support them as Milord, Dragon Emperor, has suggested earlier. You will not lead the creation itself."


    Ducal frowned. He was initially fascinated to see an automaton with such a high magic level. But after confirming he belonged to that boy, he felt somewhat torn.


    As Ducal braced himself to refute Auto-one''s ims, Aillos, who had remained silent throughout the whole thing, finally spoke.


    "He is right," Aillos told the three aides. "I understand that you three are eager to start with the array creation, but Kyran''s people knew it better. The only problem is that if they do it themselves, it will take them a few months toplete. With our Array Saints'' assistance, we can reduce their timeline by a great deal.


    "Just as you have already noticed, it is not good for Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy to continue to influence our ne for a long time. Otherwise, the civilians will soon be affected."


    "But, milord..."


    "Did you forget? Kyran is the one who drafted the new array formation. Thus, he is the one in charge and assign the tasks ordingly. Our role is to gather the Array Saints and support them."


    "..."


    "Thank you, milord, Dragon Emperor," Auto-one lowered his head toward Aillos respectfully.


    Aillos looked at him wryly and said, "My aides will probably not take your word for it since you''ve shown such a biased attitude toward your Master. Why don''t you clear their doubts by telling them who your first masters were."


    Auto-one looked at Aillos with a faint smile.


    "I see what you are trying to do, milord. Very well, I will make an exception andply even if you are not my Master."


    He looked at Ae, Ducal, and Nithe and said, "My first masters are the Four Greatest Minds of the Ancients. I have acknowledged a new Master, even though those four were already my masters. Do I need to say more?"


    *


    de Dancer ne, Central Pce.


    In the pce''s conference room, Lucian sat at the head of the table while Geir and the five elders of the de Houses upied the seats on each side.


    At the opposite end of the table, a woman stood with her head lowered. She looked like a pitiful child who was forced to tell the elders a shameful memory she would have loved to take with her to the grave.


    The woman was none other than Alta, and she had just finished narrating her encounter with the dark mage.


    Lucian narrowed his eyes as he looked at Altan in annoyance. It did not show on his face, but he was very annoyed and disappointed that a High Sovereign like her let some Lower Realm human escape her pursuit.


    Even though that human possessed the Void Core, the fact that he barely used it, yet she still failed to apprehend him truly annoyed Lucian.

 Chapter 1090: Chase (4)

    But more than being annoyed and disappointed at Alta, Lucian was angered by the fact that he was no different from her because he allowed that human to escape from his pursuit as well.


    "Give me your soul thread of that moment," Lucian said while pointing a finger at Alta. "I want to see that ck mage''s feature."


    "M-My s-soul thread, Your Majesty?" Alta raised her head in fear, gaping at Lucian with trembling lips.


    Soul threads, the very essence of a human''s memory, are not to be trifled with. Surrendering a thread is like tearing a small part of their soul away. It may be small, but the damage is permanent. A mage with a damaged soul is akin to a magic core in disrepair¡ª their usage of magic will be severely hindered.


    Geir and the de Dancer n''s Elders also paled, especially the female elder, because Alta belonged to her House.


    Alta was considered one of the most talented mages of the new generation, and her future as a leader was practically guaranteed. However, that would change if her soul thread was taken. Even if only a piece would be taken out, the damage to her magic core would make it hard for her to grow any further as a mage.


    The Emperor''s request appeared to be an innocent request to confirm if the ck mage Alta encountered was the same one he was pursuing. But Geir and the rest of the elders knew better.


    Asking Alta to surrender her soul thread was The Emperor''s punishment for her ipetence.


    "Are you deaf?"


    "N-No, I¡ª ack!"


    Alta gasped as a streak of light that came from The Emperor''s pointing finger pierced through her body. Afterward, a flimsy silvery-white thread weaved out of her and followed The Emperor''s light as it came to him.


    Lucian opened his hand and grabbed the flimsy silvery-white thread with his thumb and pointing finger before opening his mouth to eat it.


    "Ngh...!" Alta fell to her knees. Her eyes shook in disbelief, with her face covered in cold sweat. She could not believe that her soul thread was taken just like that. The future she had wanted for their n... the hope of breaking free from the Solis''s rule, slipped out from her grasp so easily like how The Emperor took her soul thread.


    Geir and the de Dancer Elders could only grit their teeth and endure the situation because they could not defy The Emperor.


    Alta grabbed her chest, her eyes filled with bitter tears. She wanted to scream and ask the Head of the n and the Elders to help her. However, doing so would not improve her situation. The Emperor had already taken her soul thread, and there was no way for them to reim it. Even if there were a way, it would not return to her.


    Once a soul thread is taken, it can no longer be returned.


    ...Unless one can use Soul magic, that is.


    In the end, Alta could only shed silent tears at the hopeless situation she was in, as well as how pathetic their n was for being helpless before The Emperor.


    Lucian closed his eyes as he tasted Alta''s soul thread.


    Normally, no one could force out a soul thread from a mage because there was no guarantee that the thread they would get was the memory they wanted. However, Lucian was quite familiar with how soul threads worked after dealing with so many instances that required taking them from another mage.


    For this reason, he did not hesitate to take out Alta''s soul thread because he knew he would get the right one.


    The trick was to ensure the mage was thinking of the memory before taking out the soul thread. Since Alta had just narrated her encounter with the ck mage, and Lucian even demanded that she surrender her soul thread, the probability that she was thinking of the memory of her encounter was stuck in her head.


    Of course, there were times when this method did not work. But Lucian was confident because he knew Alta''s straightforward character.


    As soon as Alta''s soul thread melted into Lucian''s mouth, a first-person view shed through his mind''s eye. It was as if he became Alta, and he was the one chasing after a man in ck clothes.


    "This presence..." Lucian muttered, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yes... this is the presence back then!"


    Geir and the rest of the de Dancer Elders looked at him in fear. It was not the first time they had seen The Emperor look exhrated. But each time he did, something big that could affect the whole Higher Realm always happened.


    They remembered the time when The Emperor had the same smile after discovering the hideout of a group of small ns that was nning a rebellion.


    A week after that, news of the small ns belonging to that group getting wiped out spread all over the Higher Realm. Moreover, The Emperor destroyed those ns without the Solis n or the ns under his faction being deployed.


    Because of that incident, the fear most ns had for The Emperor was reinforced again.


    Lucian opened his eyes as he looked at Geir and said, "I want that representative''s soul thread as well."


    Geir and the other elders paled further.


    Alta, who was crying silently, abruptly stopped upon hearing this as well. This was because the representative, The Emperor, referred to was her brother.


    ''No!'' Alta looked at her house''s elder while shaking her head in fear and denial.


    "Y-You can''t! I-It''s one thing to take my soul thread, but even my brother?" she shouted in despair.


    In fact, Shiloh was not the only one connected with Alta. The leader representative of the de Dancer was, too. With him being killed in the Tower of the Ancients, Alta''s family had already suffered a lot. Now, her future had also been destroyed. If Shiloh''s soul thread would be taken as well then...


    "Oh?" Lucian licked his lips and leaned back on his chair. "To think that both the brother and the sister are in the middle of the whole situation... is it a coincidence? Or... fate?"


    Alta paled as she saw The Emperor''s eyes, which were veiled with darkness. It felt ironic that the most powerful mage in the Higher Being, having an innate magic of Light, would actually have such darkness hiding within him.


    "Y-Your Majesty... S-Shiloh is still unconscious..." Geir started to say. His eyes trembled while he racked his brain to divert The Emperor''s attention when he recalled something, "I-In fact, Shiloh is not the only one who survived. T-There is another one. He is also unconscious, but once he regained consciousness, taking his soul thread should be..."


    Geir was talking about Uilleam. Since thetter was not part of the main family, he believed it was better to sacrifice him than Shiloh. His decision was not an easy one because even if Uilleam was not part of the main family, his prowess was among the best, especially within the night squad.


    But the main family of the Sound House had already suffered far too much because of the Tower of the Ancients. Geir could not afford to offend them further.


    "Humph," Lucian snorted. He was aware that Geir was trying to protect Shiloh because he had already taken Alta''s soul thread. Since both were from the same family, if they suffered any further, the house they belonged to would not stay still, and Geir would be put into an awkward position.


    Just because Geir was the Head of the n, that did not mean he held absolute power in the de Dancer n.


    Lucian was also aware that the fifth elder, from the Sound House, had a wider connection outside of the n. If Geir offended her any further, there was no telling how she would retaliate.


    To be honest, Lucian cared little about the politics among the ns under his faction. As long as they supported the Solis n and responded to his call, then he could care less about what they did.


    However, Geir did make a logical point. Shiloh was still unconscious, so Lucian could not forcefully take his soul thread.


    "Then, whoever regained their consciousness will surrender their soul thread to me."


    "O-Of course..."


    Lucian''s eyes narrowed as he studied Geir''s face. Though thetter replied without hesitation, he obviously knew that even if Shiloh regained consciousness first, they would not let him know.


    ''Doesn''t matter... taking his soul thread is only an excuse at this point. I only want to cut off their talents, especially after seeing some of Alta''s thoughts.


    That was right. Apart from the visuals, the soul thread also carries the thoughts a mage had during the memory. This was why Lucian was aware that the de Dancer n actually had designs on betraying the Solis n.


    ''This is only the start... I''ll grind your n to the bones for thinking you can betray me.''


    *


    Cyneah looked at Kyran with furrowed brows. It had only been three hours since he agreed to rest, and now he was already working.


    "Kyran..." she started.


    "I only want to know what The Emperor is up to. I am not doing anything that will tire me out."


    "The fact that you are already working when you have only three hours of rest is what''s worrying me."


    Kyran chuckled as he looked at her. He wanted to remind her that he had been unconscious for more than a week but decided against it because he could almost hear her say that he was not exactly resting then because he was enduring the influence of Coelus''s corpse.


    "I''m worried about my informants," Kyran admitted instead. "I can''t let The Emperor do anything to them."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Do you think The Emperor will harm them?" Cyneah asked worriedly.


    "I can''t deny that possibility."


    "Then..."


    "I need more information about The Emperor, the ns, and the rtionships between them. Lady Leif exined some of them, but it was not enough for me to draw a definite image of their rtionship."


    "What are you going to do with the information? You''re not nning on kidnapping more people, are you?"


    Kyran almost slipped off the mattress at Cyneah''s words.


    "Y-You..."


    "Well... I say kidnap, but... rather than making their life hell like how kidnappers usually do to their targets... you ended up making them one of your people."


    "..."


    Kyran was rendered speechless because if Cyneah had not said it, he would not have realized it as well. Nevertheless, he had to make things clear with her.


    "... I don''t kidnap people."


    "Okay."


    "... you don''t really believe me."


    "I do believe you," Cyneah replied with a smile.


    "..."


    Kyran sighed in defeat and turned his attention back to what he was working on.

 Chapter 1091: Chase (5)

    Kyran was engrossed in the creation of a unique item, one he had entrusted to Shiloh and Uilleam. This item, unlike any other, was designed for a one-directional transmission, ensuring no residual magic energy wouldbe left behind.


    A one-directional transmission worked for Kyran''s initial purpose of having an informant.


    Though the item should transmit messages from Shiloh and Uilleam''s side rather than from Kyran because the information would havee from the former two''s side, the purpose of the item was not exactly to send crucial information because the downside of a one-directional transmission was that, the route where the message should go to can be tracked.


    Thus, the item''s purpose was for Kyran to issue orders and track Shiloh and Uilleam''s location. To receive updates, they would send them through a secret channel to Ogen or any neutral ne affiliated with the Ogen n. Leif, acting as their intermediary, would then deliver the message to Kyran.


    Information sent like this would definitely take a long time to reach Kyran, but he preferred it to prevent tracing it back to him. Besides, when he agreed for Shiloh and Uilleam to be his informants, he had not considered asking them for immediate information. Instead, he nned on having them send in-depth information about every n under Solis.


    These included the n heads and vice heads, their military strength, their means of sustaining the n, their long-term ns, etc.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Of course, Kyran also wanted to know the movements of the Solis n and the ns under it. However, he decided to observe Shiloh and Uilleam''s attitude first for a few months before upgrading the item so they could send coded messages to him directly.


    By then, Kyran believed they would have already proven their loyalty and he would ept them as one of his people. Even if their n discovered that they had be someone else''s informant, Kyran would not leave them to their demise.


    At least, this was the scenario that Kyran had initially.


    It all changed because of The Emperor''s appearance.


    Because of the urgency of the situation, Kyran had to make such a risky move and use Shiloh to send bait to make The Emperor leave the Dragon n. His move actually put Shiloh and Uilleam''s safety at risk.


    Kyran had an inkling that The Emperor would find traces of his presence around them. It might have only been a short encounter, and he had only used his Void magic once, but after getting a glimpse of The Emperor''s might when he came to the Dragon ne, he had a foreboding that The Emperor would still sense his magic energy.


    When that happens, The Emperor would likely try doing something to Shiloh and Uilleam to confirm Kyran''s appearance.


    In the Lower Realm, doing such a feat would require a mage to have an understanding of Memory magic. In the Higher Realm, however, Kyran read there were plenty of spells that had nothing to do with Memory magic that could reveal this.


    Kyran would not have cared about what would happen to Shiloh and Uilleam. However, he admitted he liked Uilleam''s character and believed he could be an asset to him as a double agent or something simr. Besides that, he was worried that The Emperor would use a spell that would allow him to delve into Shiloh''s and Uilleam''s minds.


    If The Emperor did that, he would definitely learn of their agreement. Not to mention, he would also learn about the Ancients hiding in the Tower of the Ancients and how they were calling him the Realm Scion.


    After that, Shiloh and Uilleam would be killed on the spot. The mole they were supposed to exploit in the Solis n would also be revealed, and everything Kyran had prepared thus far would have been for naught.


    To avoid that, Kyran decided to upgrade the item and contact Shiloh or Uilleam as soon as possible to find out the situation in the de Dancer n. He would just have to grind all the Array Knowledge and Void Principles he learned from Can so he could hide or even remove any possible traces of the transmitted messages back to him if the item ended up in the hands of other people.


    In fact, Shiloh or Uilleam might willingly surrender the item to the head of their n regardless of the repercussions they would suffer for breaking their contract with Kyran. However, Kyran knew they would not do something like that.


    He was not 100% sure yet, but judging from the initial information he received about the rtionship the Solis n had with the ns under it, he sensed a very fragile and unstable line connecting all of them.


    On the surface, it appeared strong, but the fact that there were ns secretly cheering for the Dragon Emperor to ascend and shake the bnce of power in the Higher Realm showed that there were those who were unhappy about The Emperor''s rule.


    For this reason, Kyran wanted to have a better understanding of each of the ns'' in-depth rtionships. He honestly hated politics and avoided meddling with it even when he was in the Lower Realm, but he knew he could not avoid that in the Higher Realm.


    In the Human ne, when he learned the rtionships between each faction in the empire, he only exploited specific areas. Mostly, he did that to gather resources or strengthen his military strength.


    He had the opportunity to take down several of the nobles after acquiring Byron and his connections, but in the end, he did not make full use of them because he could notmit himself to dealing with the aftermath.


    The same went in Somuli. Rather than heading the conquest himself, Kyran let Achim and Kesiah do it. He reasoned that he was an outsider and, thus, should not meddle in the affairs of Somuli. Although he made Achim and Kesiah his Servants, he had no ns of ruling their kingdom or Somuli.


    As True Void used to tell Kyran:


    He has no ambitions. And that holds true even now.


    However, Kyran knew that the only way to deal with The Emperor was to remove his influence one by one. And he could not do that if his understanding of the political side of the Higher Realm wascking. Apart from that, he could not continue letting others deal with the problem themselves. He also needed to make a move.


    Kyran had no intentions of ruling the Higher Realm. He was even trying to avoid the responsibility of the Realm Scion by refusing to ept that title.


    Ultimately, no matter how many times he refused, eventually, he had to face it. Refusing it did not mean the responsibility would leave him. Because at the end of the day, whether he epted the title or not, he is the only one who can be the Realm Scion.


    "Kyran?"


    Kyran looked at Cyneah after hearing her call. He saw deep concern reflected in her mirror-like eyes, and he could not help but chuckle with a wry smile, "I am fine, really."


    "Just now... since I am actively using my healing on you, I sense your emotions fluctuate ever so slightly," Cyneah said, looking at him in concern. "Is there something on your mind?"


    As soon as the question left her lips, she immediately shook her head and said, "Sorry, that''s a stupid question. Obviously, you have a lot of things in mind..."


    "... I do. But... I want to deal with it one step at a time. For now, I first have to ensure everything that I haveid out thus far won''t be wasted."


    "Yes..."


    Cyneah knew Kyran was talking about the things he did in the Tower of the Ancients.


    "After that..." Kyran looked toward the tent''s door before saying, "I''ll focus on the things I can do at the moment."


    "Hm..."


    She also understood that he was talking about improving his n and people''s mage level and magic knowledge.


    "It''s going to be an exhausting endeavor, I know... but I can''t rush things... I should not rush things..."


    "Yes," Cyneah replied with a smile.


    "The Emperor will not wait, obviously. And I have to do something to make sure he does not get wind of what is happening here. I may end up... relying on your help, though."


    "Meaning, you n on doing something reckless."


    "..."


    Cyneah sighed but then said, "I don''t know if saying this is good or bad... but... I suppose I should not be surprised anymore."


    "... I won''t overdo it."


    "Please do."


    Kyran chuckled. He paused for a moment before adding, "I will also need your help with something else."


    Cyneah tilted her head and raised her brows questioningly, "''Something else?''"


    Kyran nodded.


    "I noticed it in Somuli... but you are really good at dealing with people. Once the gate is created, I n on sending people over here from Somuli as well."


    "Somuli?" Cyneah was surprised to hear that. She only thought Kyran wanted to bring his n and people over and help them improve their levels. Then again, some of his people were currently in Somuli. Was he talking about them?


    Kyran nodded. "There are a lot of talents in Somuli. Unfortunately, their knowledge of magic iscking. I believe bringing them here will improve their knowledge and may even break through to a higher level."


    "... I see," Cyneah smiled. "So you want me to take care of them?"


    "Yes. But also... some others."


    "Okay."


    "And..."


    "T-There''s more?"


    "Technically, it''s not you, but since you are connected..." Kyran''s voice trailed off. For some reason, he found it hard to ask for this particr favor even though he had acted brazen in front of him before.


    Cyneah caught on to his meaning and chuckled. She found it amusing that he was acting like this when he had seemed in control when they had talked before.


    "What do you want me to tell him?"


    "I need his expertise... at least... where politics is concerned."

 Chapter 1092: Chase (6)

    Ae and Ducal assisted Aillos in maintaining the barrier around the camp set up by the Regis in front of the damaged area of the seal while Nithe left to fetch the materials and gather the Array Saints, who would assist in the array creation.


    After Aillos exined their role in creating the new array formation, Ae, Ducal, and Nithe fell silent. They wanted Aillos to reconsider because the formation''s calctions were delicate and intricate and would be hard for low beings from the Lower Realm to handle.


    However, Aillos told them that Kyran would be the one to delegate the tasks, and they knew it would be impossible to negotiate. However, their curiosity and eagerness to understand the array formation were not dampened. They were still very interested in the array and wanted to be part of the whole creation.


    But then Auto-one revealed who his previous masters were, making the three realize that Kyran must have met him in the Tower of the Ancients and won his acknowledgment in a challenge.


    Their concerns were not unfounded, especially when one considered the Tower of the Ancients'' purpose. It was known for challenging trials, which enlightened mages or gave them treasures if they seeded. Technically, Kyran did emerge victorious from the challenge Auto-one was part of, but the truth was simpler than they imagined:


    Kyran overpowered Auto-one and changed most of his settings.


    Ae, Ducal, and Nithe did not know that, and Auto-one had no intentions of telling them the details of how he chose Kyran as his new master. Because of this, the three aides could only stay silent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They could not possibly argue their superior knowledge in Array when Auto-one, a creation of the Four Greatest Minds, was likely to possess an almostplete Array Knowledge. Since Auto-one had acknowledged Kyran as his new master, it was not unreasonable to assume that Kyran''s Array Knowledge surpassed the standards of the Lower Realm.


    As for the Regis members who would lead in the array creation, Ae, Ducal, and Nithe could only guess that Kyran had already taught them what to do. He might even have taught them a simpler form with fewer calctions yet could produce the same results as one that had several.


    Compared with Ducal, Ae and Nithe epted their role without much fuss. They understood the importance of their tasks and the impact it would have on the array creation. Nithe then left to get the materials from the treasury and gather the avable Array Saints to assist in the array creation.


    It had been two hours since then, and they had already received a confirmation from Nithe that they estimated they would arrive in the next half hour or so.


    The reason it took Nithe a while to return with the materials and the Array Saints was simple and even a little amusing.


    Nithe was the only one who knew the seal''s location. Even if they had several transmission scrolls on hand, it would take him several trips just to send an Array Saint to the site. While it would not really exhaust him, doing so was too time-consuming.


    In the end, Raya had to use another transmission scroll and meet with Nithe so he could help them create a scroll using Kyran''s improved version.


    Initially, the dragons were reluctant to be taught by Raya. But since it was an urgent matter and Aillos gave his consent, they had no choice but to follow.


    Fortunately, Raya was quite good at teaching that even the prideful dragons were impressed. Then again, the improved version of the transmission scroll almost removed the annoying requirement of dragon blood, so the dragons epted the new version quite well.


    Nheless, because it was their first time creating an improved transmission scroll, it took a while for them to make one sessfully.


    Raya did notment on the dragons'' disappointed looks when they failed the first few times. But inwardly, he was cursing at them for even feeling that way because even if they failed, they had created a scroll in less than three minutes.


    The old Transmission Scroll usually took half a day to create, but these dragons made them in two to three hours.


    Raya felt cheated.


    Kyran''s improved version reduced the creation time significantly, but Raya and the others could still make one in an hour.


    Yet, the annoying dragons could make one, albeit a failed one, in three minutes!


    Where is the justice in that?


    Thus, Raya chose not to say anything because he was being reminded once again how monstrous the dragon race was.


    Meanwhile, Ducal stared at the tent where Kyran was resting. He was not there when thetter entered that tent, nor did anyone tell him where he was resting. He knew because he could sense him there.


    To be more urate, he could sense someone observing them from inside.


    "Ducal," Aillos called Ducal''s attention when he saw him ring at the tent where Kyran was.


    Ducal closed his eyes in response before slightly lowering his head, "You do not have to worry. I will not do anything that will smear the name of the Sky Dragons."


    Aillos sighed before looking at the tent as well.


    "I know you''re animosity toward them was amplified because of my attitude toward them. But..."


    "''Animosity...''" Ducal repeated with a bitter smile. "Summing up what I feel toward them in one word doesn''t really sit well with me."


    "..."


    "If it were not for him, the Dragon n should already have a couple or even tens of possible heirs to your title. But because of him..."


    Aillos frowned, "From your tone, it seems your animosity is more directed at me than them."


    Ducal was surprised at Aillos''s remark and immediately looked at him while shaking his head, "No. Of course not. Besides, even if you did not choose that human, the Draconic Core would have chosen one of his family. Their body, though iplete, did pass the requirements. However..."


    "Ames chose Zane, and I approved. If you are angered because I do not have any pure-blooded sessor, then¡ª."


    "You can only have a pure-blooded sessor," Ducal insisted, seemingly shocked at how Aillos phrased his words just now. To him, it sounded as if he had a sessor, albeit not a pure-blooded one.


    Aillos sighed. He had believed that Ducal''s eptance of Ames''s plea meant he was already willing to get at least to know the Regis Family. But seeing and hearing his attitude just now proved that was not the case.


    Ducal might be looking for more faults to denounce the Regis Family.


    Aillos now felt that his decision to cut off his connection with the Regis n after Zane''s death had been wrong. If he did not do that, and continued tomunicate with them just like Ames, they could have paved a better path for them and the dragons.


    But Aillos knew it was toote to regret. Besides, he would have done the same thing if it happened again. After all, losing someone whom he deemed his only true friend was too painful for him to cope with. If he saw Zane''s descendants, Aillos knew he would continue to see him in them, and he would be reminded that his only true friend was already gone and would never return.


    Aillos knew humans'' lifespans were too short. For this reason, he steeled himself and was confident that he would not get attached to them, even if he befriended them.


    s, he did not expect to end up recognizing one of them as a true friend.


    "That young man, Kyran, resting in that tent," Aillos started after a short agonizing silence. "When he arrived on the ne, I beat him up."


    "Good for you."


    "No, it''s not," Aillos shook his head in response. "If I had not acted childish, this situation with Coelus''s corpse''s seal would not have happened."


    "I thought differently," Ducal replied. "I am not saying that I am d that the seal is broken. Rather, I am d this situation happened because if it did not, you will continue to hide the truth from everyone."


    "I know what you want to say," Aillos said. "However, I do n on telling everyone. But not like this."


    Ducal looked at him with a wry smile.


    "In any case, my point in telling this is that, I acted childish and picked a fight with Kyran. It ended up destroying the seal, which can be considered the worst-case scenario. However, Kyran actually found a way to fix the problem and even exploit the situation. Once everything is done, we will no longer have to be afraid of Coelus''s corpse''s influence ever again."


    "..."


    "He is not a pure-blooded dragon, but he is Zane''s sessor. He could also be considered my sessor."


    "..."


    "Of course, that is still under consideration because he already has a much bigger responsibility than looking after the Dragon n. I don''t think he wanted anything to do with us either."


    "..."


    "My point is," Aillos said while taking a deep breath. "Give them a chance. If you can''t, then at least give him a chance."

 Chapter 1093: Chase (7)

    Kyranpleted themunication device after an hour of fine-tuning its form. Despite being in its prototype stage and requiring further adjustments, the device was now capable of sending and receiving coded messages.


    Normally, sending a coded message would leave a very small residue of magic energy fluctuation that could only be detected by powerful mages with high detection skills or spells. In the Lower Realm, a Magus could already sense a faint trace but would not be able to pinpoint what the trace of magic energy was.


    It was the same with an Arch Magus.


    If one became a Legendary, then it would be a different case.


    Since Legendaries were mages who had already learned to be one with their innate magic, they possessed a certain sensitivity to the magic energies in their surroundings. This allowed them to detect faint residual magic energy fluctuationsing from transmitted coded messages.


    Depending on how deep their understanding and the type of their innate magic were, they might even sense what the coded message was without reading it directly.


    Being in the Higher Realm, it was practically a given that mages would possess high detection skills and spells since the lowest level of a mage was Sovereign. For this reason, ns tended to create their own informationwork with secret security measures to ensure theirmunication was protected against third parties.


    Of course, this was not to say that this measure was foolproof. There were still instances where messages or information sent through such specialworks or routes were intercepted and deciphered by others. Thus, ns had protocols to ensure that such breaches in theirwork would be dealt with ordingly.


    Kyran was aware of this and considered how to avoid it by arranging the forms he created properly. One could say that what he was trying to aplish would not have been possible since it would require a huge amount of resources and time.


    Fortunately, the Void magic''s nature made such an impossible feat a possibility.


    Making full use of all the Void Theories he learned from Can, thus far, Kyran applied it to the forms he used in his calctions. He could notpletely erase the magic fluctuations.


    However, he made it so that if the coded message were detected by others other than Shiloh and Uilleam, its traces would scatter and blend with the magic energies in the surroundings, making it hard to pinpoint its origin.


    Of course, this measure would not remove any suspicion that might befall Shiloh and Uilleam. But since no one would be able to prove they were the ones who received the coded message, the suspicion would remain as is¡ª a suspicion.


    Finding amunication device in Shiloh and Uilleam''s possession would be even more impossible than proving their connection to the coded message. This was because the item Kyran gave them had been integrated into their personal tablets.


    One thing Kyran learned in the Higher Realm was how those tablets acted as proof of their affiliation and identity. Those tablets also had a security array that would prevent outsiders from changing them. And since practically every mage in the Higher Realm was knowledgeable in Array, it was easy for others to notice if a magic item they created had been breached.


    Argumentatively, with almost every mage in the Higher Realm possessing great Array Knowledge bypassing other''s array creation should be possible. However, one could see the situation another way as well, which was that since Array was verymon, it was easy to be overlooked and disregarded. Some would even think that it was degrading to use and take Array seriously.


    Kyran decided to test his creation and sent a message simultaneously to Shiloh and Uilleam. He wanted to see how the device would perform, given the limited adjustments he could make.


    While waiting for a confirmation that Shiloh and Uilleam received his message, Cyneah, who had been observing him in silence for a while now,mented, "You seemed agitated."


    Kyran looked at her with raised brows, "I do?"


    "Yes... Are you not happy that you''ve managed toplete what you are working on?"


    Kyran simply looked at Cyneah in silence. His reaction was prompted not because he did not know how to answer her but because he was once again amazed at how well she could read his mood just by sensing his emotions.


    Of course, Cyneah could sense Kyran''s emotions more urately because she was actively healing him. But there were times when she could guess his emotions by simply hearing the sound of his voice.


    Kyran was indeed feeling agitated because he knew The Emperor had gone to the de Dancer n. If the adjustments he made to his device were even a little off, there was a chance that The Emperor might sense it and be suspicious of the whole n instead.


    Another factor unrted to the creation that made Kyran feel uneasy was the ring pressureing from outside the tent. He also heard the discussion between Aillos and the dragon named Ducal and felt conflicted.


    Aillos sounded very sincere when he asked Ducal to give the Regis Family a chance; if not, then at least him, Kyran.


    When he heard that, Kyran could not imagine iting from the dragon in human form, who had bashed him around the first time they met. Could someone actually act and behave in a contradictory manner?


    Kyran racked his brain and tried to find people he had met before who might have acted like Aillos, but he did not find one. At least to him, the tough love his father or rtives had shown him before was different from Aillos.


    Aillos''s showing that he sincerely hoped for Ducal to give the Regis Family a chance to prove they were not mere humans in the Lower Realm or Ames''s other family was actually a huge pressure on Kyran as well. This was not because of Aillos''stment, which was focused solely on Kyran, but because he was the new Dragon Lord, whether he liked it or not.


    "... Or are you feeling agitated because of what the Dragon Emperor had said to Sir Ducal?" Cyneah asked after a short pause, wherein Kyran failed to respond.


    Kyran smiled wryly, recalling that Cyneah had naturally enhanced senses due to herck of sight. It should not have been surprising that she actually heard the conversations happening outside.


    The same actually applied outside. Kyran knew Aillos and the other dragons were aware that he was already awake and might also be listening in on his and Cyneah''s conversation. Unlike the Regis Family members, who still needed to activate the Regis Technique to enhance their sense of hearing, the dragons'' six senses were naturally enhanced.


    Then again, Ames had been training the Regis Family to use their five senses to observe their surroundings at all times so they could have also heard their conversation.


    Now that Kyran thought of it, Zoll offered to take him and Cyneah to Raya''s tent when he finally agreed to rest. Zoll should have been with the rest of the Regis members, preparing themon materials they had on hand. The distance was not that far, but since he was also doing something, he should not have been able to hear their conversation properly.


    "A little of both."


    In the end, Kyran told her the truth.


    "The adjustments I made to my device have yet to be tested. That''s why I am a little uneasy about its performance. As for thetter... frankly, I never wanted to be acknowledged by the Dragon n. That''s why hearing the Dragon Emperor say something like that..."


    "Don''t worry. I don''t think Milord meant to put pressure on you. As for the former, I haveplete confidence in your Array skills. Uncle Nnplimented you on that, so you should have more confidence in yourself."


    "I appreciate the blind confidence, but need I remind you that we are in the Higher Realm right now?"


    "So what?" Cyneah shrugged, which Kyran found amusing because she did so as if to imitate him. Not that she actually saw him shrug.


    "Even the Ancients acknowledged you, and Array originated from them."


    "I don''t think that''s even..."


    "What I''m trying to say is, you don''t have to worry. If you can''t trust in your own capabilities, then trust the people who believe in them."


    "That sounded too condescending."


    Cyneah chuckled, "I know, right."


    Before Kyran could respond to her, the device in his hand blinked twice, signaling that a message had just arrived.


    "...Wait."


    Kyran immediately used his magic sense to read the message and his expression darkened at once.


    When Kyran sent his first order, he also told Shiloh and Uilleam to continue pretending to be unconscious. It was not hard to do as long as they used the spell he showed them back in the Tower of the Ancients.


    Apparently, being unconscious did not stop The Emperor from trying to confirm Kyran''s identity.


    Based on Shiloh''s message, the Emperor nned to use a spell to wake him or Uilleam and extract their soul thread.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 1094: Chase (8)

    At times such as this, Kyran felt upset for not having the capability to create an essence. He did not even need that many. Two or three essences would have been more than enough so he could aplish a lot of things at the same time.


    Kyran did consider creating automatons that could do everything he could. Since he knew how to create an energy core that could convert magic energy into Void magic energy, it was not impossible. In fact, he already tested it with Neo back in the Human ne.


    Yet, the automatons were not the perfect solution. They were bound by limitations, unable to fully harness the nature of Void magic. Their abilities were confined to the spells recorded in their program, unable to sense or manipte the Void''s nature freely. Their energy cores, though powerful, were fundamentally different from a true Void core.


    Not to mention, their bodies could not withstand the Void''s true nature.


    "Kyran?"


    Kyran''s decision to leave was not an easy one. He hesitated, his internal struggle evident in his eyes, before finally mustering the courage to speak.


    "I''m sorry, but I have to go," he said, his voice betraying his inner turmoil.


    "..."


    Cyneah did not respond, but her silence had already conveyed many things. The calm look on her face belied the torrent of emotions reflected in her mirror-like eyes.


    She wanted to tell him not to be hasty and to recover as much as possible before going. But she also knew that even if he agreed to stay and recover, she would find more excuses to dy his departure. She even thought of guilt-tripping him for disappearing on them so suddenly in Somuli so he would change his mind about leaving.


    Once he did, she could suggest talking to the Dragon Emperor about why he had to leave, and maybe they coulde up with a different course of action.


    But Cyneah knew Kyran could not ask the Dragon Emperor for help. After learning that the aides had notpletely acknowledged the Regis Family, Kyran could not ask for anything that they could use to belittle his family further.


    Cyneah understood this all too well, which was why it was hard for her to say anything.


    In the end, she closed her eyes, smiled, and said, "I see. Then, please be careful."


    Kyran suddenly had the urge to pull Cyneah and hold her tight after seeing her smile. But he stopped himself because he knew she would not appreciate it. Her smile was pure and gentle as always, but he was aware that she was trying to hide her real emotions because she smiled with her eyes closed.


    "Don''t over-exhaust yourself since you have barely recovered your strength," Cyneah added.


    Kyran clenched his fists and replied as if he did not notice her inner turmoil, "The influence of Coelus''s corpse will lessen if I''m far away. I''d recover more by then."


    "... That makes sense," Cyneah replied while inwardly smiling bitterly. Though she had already suspected that he nned to go somewhere far, the subtle confirmation from his off-handed remark dashed what little hope she had that she could be wrong.


    "I''lle back."


    "Yes."


    Kyran stood up after that and left the tent without saying anything further.


    Cyneah turned her head toward the tent''s entrance with a dazed expression. She muttered, "... ''I''lle back, huh''? Not even saying when... that''s unfair, Kyran..."


    Kyran''s demeanor when he left the tent changed. He normally showed a much gentler attitude and expression around Cyneah, but now, he returned to his usual cold and indifferent self.


    "Young Master."


    Shimon and the others looked at Kyran in concern. Judging by their expressions, they likely heard his conversation with Cyneah.


    Kyran inwardly smiled wryly. He already suspected they could hear them, but could they not have tried their best to conceal it?


    "I was wondering when you''d decide to show up."


    Kyran snapped out of his thoughts after hearing Aillos''s voice and turned to look at him.


    As he did, he noticed the long silver-haired dragon in human form, Ducal, standing beside him.


    Ducal looked at Kyran emotionlessly, yet he could not fully conceal his eyes that reflected his disdain toward him and the Regis Family.


    "... But it looks like you n on leaving again."


    "I''ll be back¡ª."


    "Leaving after making a huge mess of Coelus''s seal? Fixing the seal takes precedence¡ª."


    "The new array''s creation will continue as scheduled. Auto-one and Raya will oversee everything," Kyran interrupted Ducal as rudely as he did just then.


    Ducal''s brow furrowed. Since the action was too subtle, it would have been hard to notice. "Are you saying that you will be back before the first and second phases so you can provide the materials you confidently said you could make¡ª."


    "I don''t remember saying that, at least not to you," Kyran interrupted him yet again.


    "..."


    Ignoring Ducal''s twitching face, Kyran looked at Aillos and added, "I don''t know when I''lle back, but I''ll send the materials to Auto-one."


    Aillos frowned. He started to ask, "How are you going to..." but then he stopped and chuckled while shaking his head. "No, never mind. Asking how the Void Master does his thing is pointless."


    Kyran lowered his head to Aillos respectfully, "Thank you for allowing my family to stay. I''ll make sure to make up for everything once I return."


    Aillos snorted at Kyran''s action but said, "I will hold you to your words."


    "Yes," Kyran straightened before looking at Auto-one.


    Auto-one bowed toward him and said, "I received your order, Master. I will ensure the array will bepleted in a week''s time. I will also protect the Young Mistress with my life."


    "Thank you... I''ll give you a new name once I return."


    Auto-one''s expression lit up upon hearing his master''s words. He straightened his back with a smile on his face and said, "I look forward to it."


    "Then..." Kyran looked at Shimon and the others. With an apologetic smile, he said, "I''ll be back. Remember the key points on the array. If you have doubts on how to go about it, ask Auto-one."


    "Yes, Young Master."


    "Please, take care."


    "D-Don''t get into trouble, Young Master."


    Kyran chuckled at their words. He waved his hand once without saying anything and the space around him distorted slightly.


    "!"


    In the blink of an eye, Kyran disappeared.


    Of course, he did not warp directly to where Shiloh or Uilleam were. Warping in such distance was still impossible for him.


    At least, Kyran felt it was still impossible. Even though Can implied that it should be possible. The only reason it was unaplishable in the Lower Realm was because of the realm''s iplete magic and the lower quality of magic energies in the surroundings.


    Kyran did not understand it before, but after Shaiha exined that the Higher Realm''s magic and energies wereplete and higher in quality than in the Lower Realm, he wanted to test how the Void Theories he came up with, and Can taught would fair.


    Thus far, Kyran felt long-distance warping was possible because he had already applied some of the theory to hismunication device.


    Nheless, Kyran would not test without prior preparations. Besides, he had not been to the de Dancer ne. When he warped, he could only use Shiloh or Uilleam''s location as his target coordinates. He would then end up appearing where they were. Even if Kyran informed them beforehand that he would being, the moment he appeared, there was a huge possibility that The Emperor would sense him.


    Another thing to consider was: what if the location where Shiloh and Uilleam were had an anti-warp or anti-teleportation array? Kyran would end up unable to warp to them, like how he failed to warp back to the Regis Estate because the defensive array around it had forms that prevented him from doing so.


    Considering all these, Kyran could not warp to their location without proper preparations.


    Kyran''s destination was Myst.


    Obviously, he could not leave without speaking to him and Ames about the gate creation.


    The gate creation and the new array formation should bepleted concurrently.


    "...materials should be easy to get, but he might end up exhausting himself again if he has to create materials for both arrays."


    Kyran heard Myst saying as he appeared behind him.


    Ames, intently checking the initial array draft of the gate on the table she prepared in front of Regis Terram''s entrance, paused when she felt the familiar magic fluctuation behind Myst.


    Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets when she looked up and found Kyran looking at them.


    "W-What¡ª?"


    When her mouth uncharacteristically opened and closed like a fish, Kyran had to suppress the urge tough.


    "Y-Young Master?" Myst was simrly shocked as he looked behind him. Obviously, he sensed a presence behind him and also turned to confirm who it was.


    "Let me see the draft," Kyran approached the table and started looking at the draft before Ames or Myst could recover from their initial shock.


    Ames cleared her throat and looked at Kyran with a frown, "Why are you here? You''re supposed to be resting before working on the new array formation."


    "There is somewhere I have to be," Kyran started without looking at her. In fact, he was already busy correcting the forms of the draft Mystid on the table.


    "Wait¡ª somewhere you have to be... what do you mean¡ª?" Ames started to ask.


    On the other hand, Myst seemed not to have heard Kyran because after he regained hisposure, he was already checking the corrections Kyran had made.


    Myst started to nod as he realized the forms Kyran used were indeed better used on those parts to stabilize the whole formation.


    "Right... Using that form will reduce the effect one would feel after crossing different realms..." Myst murmured.


    Silence ensued as Kryan reviewed the draft. Even Ames refrained from making any sound so she would not break his concentration. Nevertheless, his words were stuck in her head.


    "Overall, the draft is already good," Kyran told Myst after finishing reviewing all key points on the draft. "I''ve changed a few forms and added some newyers using Void runes."


    Myst nodded, "Yes. That is actually one of the missing parts of the draft. I still remember the calctions you included on the warp array back in the Human ne, but since I don''t understand what each form does because they are written in Void runes, I wanted to leave that part to you, Young Master."


    "That''s a good call. But you already did a good job of arranging the formation because inserting thoseyers was easy."


    "T-Thank you."


    "And? Where are you supposed to be that you are in such a rush?" Ames could no longer stay silent and voiced her thoughts.


    "Are you going somewhere, Young Master?" Myst asked in confusion.


    "I''ll be back."


    "But you''re not sure when," Ames supplied with narrowed eyes.


    "... That''s...."


    "How is the Young Mistress?"


    Kyran did not know why, but he was relieved that Myst was worried about Cyneah''s reaction. Actually, it was not only him. He sensed Shimon and the rest were also worried. They only chose not to voice their thoughts. Probably because they felt it was not their ce to say anything.


    "I''ll leave her to you guys."


    "..."


    "You just can''t stay in one ce, can you?" Amesined with a sigh.


    "Thank you for looking out for them, Lady Ames," Kyran also bowed respectfully at her.


    "That''s unnecessary," she replied with a snort. "You are my family, and it is only natural that I look after you."


    Kyran smiled, "Thank you."


    "Again, with that!"


    Kyran chuckled in response before looking at Myst again, "Themunication device I gave you before. Do you still have it?"


    "Yes."


    "Use that to tell me the progress of the gate''s creation. As for the materials you''d need, just tell me what they are, and I''ll send them using that as well."


    "...H-How are you going to..."


    Like Aillos, Myst stopped midway of what he was going to ask and shook his head.


    "No, I should never question the Young Master''s capability."


    Though what Myst had said was different, the meaning was pretty much the same as Aillos''s.


    "Don''t get caught, Kyran."


    Kyran was taken aback at Ames''s words. He did not expect her actually to guess what he was about to do.


    "... I won''t."


    With those as his parting words, Kyran left.


    Kyran''s next stop was to meet Leif.


    Since he could not directly warp to Shiloh or Uilleam''s location, the only ce he could think of and knew was Ogen and the unnamed ne where the portal to the Tower of the Ancients was located.


    If he went there, however, he would need Leif''s help.


    Leif was unfazed when Kyran appeared before her. It was as if she had been expecting him.


    With a wry smile, she said, "I thought you had forgotten about us."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That won''t happen because I still need you."


    Leif knew Kyran''s words had no other meaning to them apart from needing her for mutual benefits, but that did not stop her from blushing.


    "I''m taking you with me," Kyran told her with a slight smile.

 Chapter 1095: Chase (9)

    Kyran and Leif talked a bit more before meeting with Maren.


    Leif, initially considered the inclusion of Cove and Irving to the meeting. But she then realized the potentialplications if they disagreed with her decision to apany Kyran. Recognizing Maren''s flexibility and keen judgment, she concluded that it was fine to inform her at least of her ns.


    Maren more or less guessed what Leif did not say and promised to keep an eye on Cove and Irving. She then asked Kyran to keep Leif safe because she was the only daughter of Overlord Oceanus.


    Kyran did not respond, but Maren did not seem to mind because she simply bowed to him as if understanding he meant to keep Leif safe even without her requesting it.


    After that, Kyran and Leif left the Dragon ne.


    *


    Aillos looked up as if he found something interesting above their heads.


    "He left the ne, isn''t it, Milord?" Cyneah, seemingly sensing his action, asked with a slight smile.


    "Yes," Aillos replied with a heavy sigh. "I will have to talk to him about improving our ne''s barrier when he gets back. It irks me how easily he left the ne with the barrier active."


    Cyneah giggled at Aillos''s worry.


    "Fortunately, he is the only one who is capable of doing that, being the Void Master."


    "Hm..." Aillos grunted in agreement. "I suppose. But that doesn''t exempt him from brazenly entering and leaving the ne."


    "Yes, you are right, Milord."


    Aillos nced at Cyneah from the corner of his eyes. She was smiling and acting the same as if Kyran''s sudden departure did not matter much. She did not even appear to be forcing herself to act normal. Nevertheless, Aillos could sense that Cyneah was only reigning in her real emotions because she did not want to worry the others when they were already busy with the array creation.


    If Cyneah had been any other people, Aillos would have advised her to be more selfish and to voice her real thoughts because no one would me her.


    However, Aillos felt that Cyneah did not only want to worry the others but also not to be a burden. Her actions were most likely influenced more by her disability than by the importance of what the others were doing. In the end, he decided to stay silent and simply observe.


    In Aillos''s opinion, Kyran wanting to solve everything by himself was not an act of being considerate of others but of him being self-centered. Aillos understood that Kyran could not share everything with the dragons, especially when they were the first ones to have shown hostility or indifference. However, Kyran should have at least exined the gist of the reason he had to leave.


    If he could not tell the dragons, at least he should have told his people and assured them. But he did neither.


    Kyran probably thought that he was protecting his people by keeping them in the dark about what was happening, but why could he not understand that his supposed ''considerate action'' could be a burden?


    Just like now.


    The array creation started half an hour ago, but Auto-one was the only one working as ordered by Kyran. Raya and the other Regis members followed his lead, but they still seemed to be distracted because their pace was slowerpared with Ae, Ducal, Nithe, and the five Array Saints that thetter brought, who were on another side writing forms.


    As time passed, the slower pace on Raya and the other side became more evident, and the aides, especially Ducal, started to show some annoyance.


    Aillos initially did not want to intervene because he thought the array creation could be a good way for the two sides to be acquainted. But because of Kyran''s sudden exit, the rtionship between the two might get worse rather than better.


    "Auto-one," Aillos called Auto-one, who was the only one acting normally on Kyran''s side.


    In fact, Aillos had nothing to say to Auto-one, but because he saw Ducal about to stand and likely confront Raya and the others, he called him reflexively.


    "Milord?" Auto-one looked up, tilting his head questioningly.


    "Do you have an estimate as to when Kyran will send the materials for the third phase?"


    Fortunately, Aillos managed to find a subject that he could ask Auto-one. Ducal also seemed to be interested to hear what thetter had to say since he stopped and looked over at them expectantly.


    "Oh, of course, you would be worried about that, Milord," Auto-one replied with a slight smile. "In fact, Master has sent some of the materials and is continuing to send the rest as we speak."


    Aillos''s brow twitched slightly.


    How the hell was Kyran sending those without them noticing, and where were the materials going¡ª was what Aillos wanted to ask, but stopped himself because that might only trigger Ducal and the other dragons.


    Aillos slowly took a deep breath to calm his nerves and replied as if he had not been on the verge of snapping, "That''s good. We won''t have any problem with the timeline then."


    Auto-one smiled wryly, "Actually, we do."


    Aillos widened his eyes as he realized what Auto-one was about to say. He wanted to stop him but failed as thetter continued to speak without a pause.


    "Sir Raya and the others are so distracted that they are not working at their normal pace."


    Raya and the Regis members jolted in surprise at Auto-one. They did not expect him to voice hisint about their pace so brazenly.


    The heads of Ducal and the other dragons seemed to snap as they turned to re toward Raya and the Regis members. Before they could reprimand them, however, a soft and lightugh interrupted the tension.


    Aillos looked at Cyneah, who wasughing softly at her side. His eyes shone in clear amusement.


    "Auto-one, you sound like Kyran just now."


    "Oh? Did I, Young Mistress? To be honest, I have guessed that if Master is here, he would have said the same thing." Find more to read at mvl


    "S-Seriously," Raya was sweating buckets. "You could have just told us we are being slow without blurting it out like that!"


    "S-Sorry, I think I am the one slowing everyone. I don''t want to make mistakes, so I''m double-checking every form..."


    "M-Me, too. This is such a huge formation, and if we made even one mistake, then..."


    One after the other, the Regis members voiced their concerns.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything. Just focus on what Master told you, and I''ll work on the rest, including double-checking everything. My calction ability is faster than any of you here, after all."


    In just one statement, Ducal and the other dragons'' annoyance toward the Regis members was instantly transferred to Auto-one. However, they could not exactly refute him because what he said was true.


    Being an automaton, Auto-one had a huge advantage when it came to calcting array forms. Even Ducal, being the most talented and knowledgeable in Array among the dragons, could not calcte forms in a short time.


    "Auto-one, did Kyran change any of your programming?"


    "He did. However, he only tweaked some of my restrictions. Is something the matter, Young Mistress?"


    Cyneah shook her head, smiling nostalgically, "No. It''s just that... I was almost convinced he changed your character program to mirror his alter-ego."


    "Alter-ego?"


    "Ah!" Raya seemed to have understood what Cyneah meant and eximed in amusement. "He did sound like Neo just now."


    "Neo?"


    "Yes. Neo is one of the Young Master''s first creations..."


    The Regis members then started talking about Neo and how he was programmed to mirror Kyran''s alter-ego, Tyr. When they mentioned the name Tyr, Auto-one''s interest was piqued, and he started asking them questions about him.


    Soon, Raya and the rest of the Regis members started talking about topics rted to Kyran or his creations. Auto-one was quite fascinated to hear about them. Of course, they talked without neglecting their work. In fact, the more they talked, the more work they managed to get done.


    It was as if talking about their Young Master gave them a sense of peace, allowing them to work at a much better pace.


    The atmosphere changed at Ducal and the rest of the dragons as well. Initially, they were rendered speechless by Auto-one''s remark and decided to mind their own business. However, some of them started to pay attention to what the Regis members were talking about.


    The most evident ones who appeared to have taken an interest in the Regis members'' topic were Ae and Nithe. On the other hand, Ducal''s face was devoid of emotion, making it hard to read his thoughts.


    "I think I may have been rude to you. For that, I apologize," Aillos suddenly apologized to Cyneah.


    Cyneah raised her brows in confusion as she looked toward Aillos''s direction.


    "Milord?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It is nothing," Aillos replied, shaking his head with a smile. He turned his attention back to the Regis members and the dragons working on the array and added, "It''s just an old man''s ramblings."


    Cyneah only smiled in response.


    The progress of the creation of the new array became more stable after that.


    *


    At the Main Pce, inside the area where the Regis Terram was connected, Ames and Myst''s work on the gate''s creation had started to show noticeable progress.


    Although they had yet to ce the array inside the Regis Terram, they could already sense that the array forms were resonating with each other.


    Crackle!


    Sizzle!


    "Hm?" Ames raised her gaze toward the Regis Terram upon sensing magic fluctuations inside. Her eyes widened as she noticed a familiar presence inside.


    "No way... have they already finished the array on the other side?"


    Myst looked toward the Regis Terram as well after hearing Ames.


    "This presence...!"


    Like Ames, Myst also recognized the presence that appeared inside the Regis Terram.


    "It''s Master Cade''s!"

 Chapter 1096: Chase (10)

    When Kyran left the Dragon ne with Leif, the destination he had in mind was the cabin he stayed at outside the city proper. Since it was his first time warping from one ne to another at such a great distance, he expected to exhaust himself again. Thus, he asked Leif to keep an eye on him if that happened.


    What Kyran expected did happen, but fortunately, the exhaustion did not make him pass out cold. In fact, the one who wanted to pass out was Leif, as herplexion turned from white to yellow and then green.


    "W-What did you do t-to me...?" Leif demanded as she slumped to the ground.


    "..."


    Kyran could only look at her with raised brows because he was too exhausted to argue or talk to her.


    ''Rather than exhausting my magic energy, it seems like long-distance warping is mentally exhausting...''


    "Let''s rest and wait here," he told Leif after taking a few deep breaths to stabilize his condition.


    "''W-Wait?''" Leif repeated in confusion. "I can understand rest... but why wait?"


    "Because I did not conceal my presence."


    In fact, Kyran wondered why Shaiha had not spoken to him when he regained consciousness. He could sense her presence, albeit the connection they had seemed to have gotten weaker. Her concealment ability was still active, though. However, when it came to adjusting its capacity, Kyran could now do it even without her help.


    ''Shaiha?'' he tried to call her inside his sea of consciousness.


    Whir.


    Kyran''s central core, or Shaiha''s real body, hummed inside his sea of consciousness in response, just like it used to beforeing to the Higher Realm.


    ''No way...''


    Shaiha did say that she could finally take a human form because the Higher Realm''s magic wasplete, and the magic energies in the surroundings were of higher quality.


    ''... Did something happen to the Higher Realm''s magic or its magic energy?''


    Kyran was not given the chance to contemte his question as he sensed several auras approaching in all directions.


    Leif also sensed them, and her face paled further.


    "T-Those..."


    Kyran found it strange that Leif was scared of the approaching auras when he should be the one to feel that way since he was the outsider.


    But then.


    "...annoying vassals! Can''t theye a bitter? I haven''t even recovered yet!"


    "..."


    Apparently, Leif was only worried about others seeing her looking pathetic. She shot Kyran a deathly re and shouted, "W-Why did you suddenly decide not to conceal your presence? I went to so much trouble in concealing my own presence because I thought you wanted to sneak in and meet my father in secret!"


    "...I don''t remember saying anything about sneaking in."


    "What?" Leif eximed so loud it almost appeared like she had already recovered. "Why would you do that?"


    Kyran could not be bothered to answer Leif because the approaching auras were already nearby. He looked up ahead and could see a figure blue and green robe, flying toward their location.


    Leif stood up and grabbed Kyran''s hand.


    "What are you spacing out for? Let''s go hide!"


    "It''s fine," Kyran told her. But then, giving her an annoyed look, he added, "I did not hide my presence because I wanted them to notice us. Yet, you have to hide yours. What gives?"


    "How should I know?"


    Kyran sighed.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Powerful auras of peak Sovereigns exploded as three mages in blue and green robes surrounded them from three cardinal directions.


    Without showing any ounce of fear or even surprise, Kyran faced them.


    Leif, on the other hand, instinctively hid behind him.


    "We are from the Ogen n''s Immigration Office."


    The mage facing Kyran from the front introduced themselves.


    He continued without pause, "You have entered the ne without undergoing proper procedures. Since Ogen is a neutral ne, you will only be given a warning for the first offense. You will then be given another chance to undergo legal procedures in acquiring your entry pass as long as you go back with us to the¡ª.


    "!"


    The mage and the other two took a sharp take of breath as they finally saw Leif.


    "L-Lady Leif?"


    All three immediately knelt before her, and the one in the middle blurted.


    "W-When have you returned? The Overlord has been¡ª."


    "Stop."


    The mage abruptly stopped as soon as he heard the young man with Lady Leif told him to. Even the other two mped their mouth in fear of offending him.


    ''Hm? Offending?''


    They btedly realized their unreasonable reaction toward a young man who was obviously suspicious because the Lady of the n was with him.


    Before they could rebuke the young man, however, he said something that rendered them speechless.


    "I have taken Overlod Oceanus''s precious daughter hostage. Bring me to him."


    *


    Leif stared at Kyran in disbelief as they sat opposite inside a carriage going to the Central Pce.


    Kyran, with eyes closed, could sense her staring but chose to ignore her.


    In fact, she was not the only one boring a hole in him because the three mages from the Immigration Office were also inside the carriage. One was seated beside Leif as if guarding her, while the other two were seated on each side of Kyran. They seemed to be treating him as a real fugitive.


    ''I don''t understand what you''re plotting.''


    Unable to take it any longer, Leif talked to Kyran telepathically.


    ''There is nothing to understand because there is no plot,'' Kyran replied.


    ''Huh?'' Leif frowned.


    ''Ha...'' Kyran sighed inwardly. He knew Leif would not leave him be if he did not give her a proper exnation of his actions. Thus, he patiently exined, ''I already told you that I need to be somewhere as soon as possible. I can''t waste time sneaking into the pce just to meet your father.''


    ''I get that. But why do you have to act like a fugitive and tell them I''m your hostage?''


    Kyran opened his eyes and raised his brows at Leif in amusement. He did not expect her to be hung up on what he said.


    In fact, technically, what he said was true.


    Because Leif, Maren, Cove, and Irving were Kyran''s hostages.


    ''W-What?'' Leif demanded apprehensively after seeing Kyran''s expression.


    Kyran chuckled in response while shaking his head.


    ''What is it?''


    Instead of answering Leif''s question, Kyran borated on his thought process.


    ''Since I can''t waste time sneaking around to meet your father, this is the fastest way to meet him. In any case, it''s not like he would do anything to me because he was aware of where we were. He might even be overjoyed to hear news about you because news of what happened to those who entered the Tower of the Ancients is a hot topic right now.''


    Leif crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back while nodding slightly in agreement.


    ''That''s true. Father is probably worried sick that I also met the same fate as the others.''


    ''At least he did not announce your disappearance to the outside yet.''


    ''Obviously,'' Leif replied with a smug look. ''Father is not foolish to announce something he isn''t 100% sure of.''


    ''...''


    ''I may have disappeared, or all the portals leading to the Tower of the Ancients might be destroyed, but he will definitely find a way to get me out of there.''


    ''... Yet there has been no movement from him after what happened.''


    ''W-What are you trying to say?''


    Kyran hid his shrug by leaning back on his seat. The two mages beside him tensed up at the slight movement, and he inwardly wondered why they seemed afraid of him.


    Leif seemed to have noticed Kyran''s thoughts and reminded him, ''Of course they will be tensed. Your ck hair and dark gray eyes aren''t exactlymon in the Higher Realm.''


    ''That''s right,'' he thought.


    Kyran had not been wearing a mask to hide his real face and featurestely and forgot how rare his appearance was to others in the Higher Realm.


    In any case, Kyran found Oceanus''sck of movement suspicious.


    Oceanus was fond of his daughter, so it was strange that he did not make any movements. It was true that he would not openly search for his daughter because that would raise so many doubts and questions from the other ns. For example, other ns would wonder why his daughter disappeared at the same time that the tragedy of the Tower of the Ancients happened.


    To avoid such doubts from appearing, he would avoid letting others know about his daughter''s disappearance.


    Nevertheless, Oceanus would have still tried to make a move, albeit covertly. Yet he did not. Discover exclusive tales on mvl


    To be honest, when Kyran decided toe to Ogen without hiding his presence, he expected Leif to take them to her father once her escorts arrived.


    He also considered that Oceanus might not be in Ogen because he was outside searching for clues of Leif''s disappearance.


    While they wait for Oceanus, Kyran intends to study Ogen''s surroundings and find the fastest route he could take to get to the de Dancer ne.


    s, that did not happen because Leif concealed her presence.


    Kyran wanted to avoid the trouble of exining himself to the three mages from the Immigration Office, so he introduced himself as someone who took their precious Lady of the n hostage.


    There was another reason he did that. And it was something that one of the mages had said when he saw Leif.


    ''''When have you returned, huh?'''' Kyran repeated the mage''s words in his head.


    After arriving at the Central Pce, Kyran was escorted to a transportation array. Initially, Leif was meant to stay in the pce, but she insisted that she had to see her father as well. Thus, all five of them left together.


    The transportation array was connected to a room where Oceanus was waiting. Upon their arrival, they immediately met him, standing right outside the array as if he could not wait to see them.


    As soon as Oceanus saw Kyran and Leif, he smiled and said, "I knew you have survived."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 1097: Chase (11)

    Find more to read at mvl


    Kyran''s frown deepened as he pondered over the enigma of Oceanus''s confident tone. The way he greeted them felt as if Oceanus knew for certainty about their survival in the recent tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients.


    This would not have been possible if Oceanus had not urately deduced Kyran''s identity or at least his innate magic.


    Kyran remembered his encounter with the scary de Dancer woman in the unnamed ne. He was aware that Oceanus and Leif were observing him from afar, yet did not think much of it. This was why he used the Void to escape the scary woman and the ne''s monsters alike.


    In a sense, Kyran believed that Oceanus would not urately guess his identity or his innate magic. That was why he was not that worried even if they witness him using the Void. Besides, he used it like a barrier that would make it almost impossible to discern its nature.


    Apparently, he was wrong.


    Leif''s subtle hint about their knowledge of Kyran''s secret, which she dropped after their encounter in the portal, didn''t bother Kyran much back then. But now, with The Emperor''s return to the Higher Realm, a sense of unease was creeping in.


    "There is nothing to worry about," Oceanus assured Kyran as if sensing his thoughts. "I kept my assumptions to myself. However, I had toe up with a scenario about Leif and the others'' absence. I had to dere she and the others had secretly followed their new friend to go on a mission outside the ne.


    It was a little troublesome to deal with the Immigration Office, but fortunately, they were not an unreasonable lot."


    He then looked at Kyran and smiled wryly before saying, "But then you just have to dere that you have taken my daughter hostage."


    "..."


    "Imagine the shock I felt when I received the news. I thought there was a third party that caused the tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients and that they got hold of my precious daughter!"


    "...You don''t look shocked to me."


    Oceanus chuckled, "Well, the Immigration Officers confirmed your appearance, so I managed to put two and two together and calmed down a great deal."


    "Right."


    "However."


    Oceanus''s amiable presence suddenly turned cold as his pressure exploded. Its target was none other than Kyran.


    "W-What? F-Father, what are you doing¡ª?" Leif eximed in confusion as she tried to advance toward her father and calm him down.


    However, Kyran remained unfazed even as Oceanus''s pressure weighed down on him. His insides contracted from the stifling sensation from thetter''s pressure, butpared it to the one he felt from Coelus''s corpse''s influence, it was nothing.


    "What did you do to my daughter?" Oceanus''s eyes glistened coldly.


    "..."


    "F-Father?"


    "All portals leading to the Tower of the Ancients were destroyed quite sometime now. Where did you take her? What did you do to her to make her agree to stay with you without even informing me? She even willingly deactivated the mark I ced on her!"


    As far as Oceanus was concerned, if Kyran had not done anything to his daughter, she would have called and returned to Ogen as soon as they left the Tower of the Ancients.


    Leif''s somewhat pale face, because she still had not recovered from the nauseating experience of warping, immediately turned red as she realized what her father was getting at.


    Oceanus was convinced that Kyran had seduced Leif, which is why she acted the way she did.


    "H-He did nothing to me! I had to deactivate the seal because it is important that I keep my whereabouts hidden! That is the same reason I did not contact you! Besides, Null already has a wife!"


    For some reason, everyone in the Dragon ne had alreadybeled Cyneah as Kyran''s wife, even though the two people concerned never confirmed their marital status. Then again, Kyran ended up unconscious as soon as he arrived in the Dragon ne and could not really rify their rtionship.


    Oceanus looked at his daughter in distress, "You allowed a married person to seduce you?"


    "Huh? I wasn''t seduced!"


    "Even if polygamy is widely epted, I will not approve of it if you are not the first wife!"


    "Like I said, I wasn''t¡ª! Argh, Null, say something!"


    Kyran, who had only been silently watching their banter from the side, only replied with a, "I don''t¡ª won''t do polygamy."


    "That''s not the point, is it?" Leif could not believe Kyran actually responded like that. She admitted feeling slightly dejected about it, but recalling how he treated Cyneah, Leif was not really surprised that Kyran would be devoted to Cyneah alone.


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s words only infuriated Oceanus as he shouted, "You! What part of my precious daughter are you not satisfied with?"


    "..."


    "What are you even saying, Father? Didn''t you hate the idea of me getting seduced by a married man?"


    "It''s fine as long as he makes you his first legal wife."


    "Oh, my fates," Leif groaned in frustration. She inwardly prayed that the ground would swallow her whole.


    "Can we stop with the nonsense and get down to business?"


    Oceanus red at Kyran and shouted, "Nonsense? You''re calling my precious daughter''s possible marriage nonsense?"


    "..."


    "Stop it!"


    "I won''t. You even chose him over your own father¡ª."


    "I am willing to exchange a treasure of your choice for information and a ride."


    Oceanus abruptly stopped as he sensed Kyran''s business-like tone. Apparently, the younger man was unmoved by his nonsensical ravings.


    ''Tsk. It seems the angry father act won''t work with him.''


    It appeared that Oceanus intended to marry off Leif to Kyran after he discovered his identity.


    Others might find his motive shallow, but if they understood what it meant to ally with someone with Void magic, then they would have done the same thing as Oceanus. In fact, Oceanus was one of the few remaining older generations from before The Fall who was aware of how powerful Void magic was.


    This was why Oceanus wanted to marry his daughter to Kyran: that would definitely ensure the Ogen n''s future.


    Oceanus calmed down as soon as Kyran''s words finally sank in.


    "Exchange?"


    Kyran nodded.


    Previously, Oceanus offered to give Kyran a reward for his help in securing the portal in the unnamed ne. But because Kyran decided to destroy all portals, the deal between them could be considered invalidated.


    This was one reason Kyran did not know how to deal with Leif and her fellow representatives after they exited the Tower of the Ancients. Since he did not want to cross Oceanus after the truth of the tragedy came to light, he wanted toe up with a way topensate for the opportunity lost by the portals'' destruction.


    "Yes," Kyran confirmed with a nod. "Since I can''t fulfill the other end of our agreement with the destruction of the portals, I want to make an exchange instead in return for the things I needed."


    Oceanus''s pressure eased down as he also got into business mode.


    "Alright," he agreed while gesturing toward the two coaches facing each other to his left. "Let''s sit and talk."


    Leif could finally sigh in relief after her father had returned to his senses. She was so embarrassed at what he was saying that she could not even look at Kyran.


    Fortunately, Kyran did not take Oceanus seriously and ignored his ravings for the most part.


    Once they were seated, Kyran got down to business immediately.


    "As I said, I''ll exchange a treasure of your choice for information and a ride."


    "I can understand exchanging information, but ride?" Oceanus looked at him in confusion. "Are you nning to go somewhere?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes. The information is also rted to where I''m going."


    "If you only needed a ride, then it means you don''t intend for us to apany you, am I right?"


    "That''s right," Kyran nodded, not denying what Oceanus said.


    "I''m listening."


    "Are you not going to tell me what kind of treasure you wanted in exchange?"


    "Rather than a treasure, I''d like to suggest a different bargain."


    "I am not going to marry your daughter."


    "Tsk," Oceanus clicked his tongue. "So you actually noticed."


    "!"


    "..."


    Leif almost choked in both shock and embarrassment after hearing the exchange between the two.


    Kyran ignored Oceanus''s uncharacteristic response¡ª not that he knew the older man to know his real character¡ª and said, "If you want an alliance, I can grant that. However, I don''t trust easily. If you don''t mind forming a pact with me, then I''ll agree to an alliance."


    Oceanus narrowed his eyes, "An alliance is usually formed after two or more sides have gained each other''s trust, yet you want to form a pact rather than gaining the other side''s trust?"


    Kyran did not respond. In fact, most people outside the Regis n he allied with or took on his side had received either a mark from him or agreed to perform a pact. This was because he had yet to feel at ease in trusting others.


    He did not mind working or getting along with others, but that did not mean he trusted them.


    "...Alright," Oceanus agreed after realizing that Kyran had no intentions of answering his question. Frankly, he could understand why thetter would want to form a pact rather than give the other side hisplete trust. Oceanus would have done the same, especially since he did not even know the other side well enough.


    "What information do you need?"


    "I need every information you have about the de Dancer n. That is also my destination."


    Kyran paused and pointed at Leif, who had not recovered from their initial topic, before adding with a slight smile, "And she is alsoing with me."

 Chapter 1098: Chase (12)

    Oceanus, his mind racing, did not answer immediately after hearing what Kyran needed. He observed thetter''s expression with narrowed eyes, desperately trying to discern whether he was part of the de Dancer n and was exiled.


    ''No, that is impossible.''


    Even as the possibility crossed his mind, Oceanus rejected it at once for one good reason.


    The de Dancer n was under The Emperor''s faction. It would be impossible for thetter not to demand the surrender of the former''s mage with the Void Core.


    Oceanus frowned, ''Or... could it be that is why he is on the run? Or, to be more urate, why he decided to run away from his n?


    Once again, Oceanus shook his head inwardly after rejecting the idea.


    If Kyran was part of the de Dancer n, why would he need information about them?


    ''Could it be that he was from an unknown small tribe, and The Emperor found clues about his existence? Since we are talking about one of the Ancient Magic Cores, The Emperor would have definitely dispatched one of the ns he trusted, which in this case is the de Dancer n, to annihte Null''s tribe, kill him, and take his Void Core?''


    Oceanus felt this idea was closer to the truth. This could also exin why Kyran thirsted for magic knowledge when he came to Ogen since he was from a small tribe, which had limited records on various branches of Magic.


    s, Oceanus''s mind was running wild with ideas that were a far cry from the truth. His misconception was understandable, however, since he had no idea that Kyran was rted to the Dragon n. Oceanus was also unaware that Kyran originated from the Lower Realm. Moreover, he did not know that only a human could possess one of the artificial Ancient Magic Cores.


    Oceanus never once considered that the tribe Kyran belonged to could birth a mage with Void core. The Emperor would not have any reason to hunt for Kyran even if he escaped because other members of his tribe could already possess it.


    ''... or maybe that is the case? The de Dancer n took every member of Null''s tribe with Ancient Magic Core. He escaped with the hopes of freeing his tribe members before The Emperor took their Void Core... No, no, no. The Emperor does not necessarily need that many Void Cores.


    One tribe member with a Void Core is enough....''


    Oceanus''s eyes widened as another possibility formed in his absurdly imaginative mind.


    ''Is the reason he strongly rejected my daughter for marriage because the member caught by the de Dancer n is his wife?''


    The more Oceanus pondered about Kyran''s circumstances, the crazier his imagination ran. Kyran probably would have already flipped if he ever knew about the older guy''s thoughts.


    "Please stoping up with crazy ideas about why I needed the de Dancer n''s information."


    Oceanus jolted after hearing Kyran''s cold, deep voice.


    "Ahem," he cleared his throat and pretended to be unaffected by the younger man''s correct guess. "I am not thinking about anything. I am only wondering why you are suddenly interested in the de Dancer n."


    Kyran tilted his head in amusement, "I thought you were wondering why I asked to bring your daughter with me when I rejected your proposal for a marriage."


    "!" Oceanus btedly realized this point from Kyran''s request and regretted not using that as an excuse.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I wanted to protect my daughter''s dignity," Oceanus started after coughing awkwardly. "Since you rejected her twice¡ª and so adamantly at that¡ª then I will not force her on you."


    "Thank you," Kyran sincerely thanked Oceanus for saying that he would no longer try to offer his daughter as a bargaining chip again.


    "Ack!" Oceanus almost choked after feeling the sincerity in Kyran''s voice. He hastily said, "O-Of course, if you ended up naturally falling in love with her and decided to take her as your first legal wife¡ª."


    Discover stories at mvl


    "Father!" Leif looked at her father in utter disbelief. She felt as if he changed far too drastically in the few months that she had not seen him.


    "That will never happen. Please, stop."


    "I thought we were already over this topic!" Leifined, her face beet red in embarrassment.


    "People tend to say that but end up eating their own words."


    "Not in my case..." Kyran paused and added, "I won''t deny that things do end up like that sometimes, but at least when ites to that particr subject, I won''t change my mind."


    "..."


    Hearing how certain and confident Kyran sounded when he said those words, Leif was once again envious of Cyneah.


    Just to be clear, Leif had not fallen in love with Kyran, alright. She just found him interesting at times, but that did not mean she was in love. So, rather than saying that she was envious of Cyneah, it was better to say that she was envious of the rtionship Kyran and Cyneah had¡ª although she had only known them for a short time.


    "...Alright, fine," Oceanus decided to let go of that matter for now. He did tell the truth when he said he wanted to protect his daughter''s dignity. "Give me half an hour. I''ll have someonepile all the information we have on the de Dancer n."


    "I don''t mind seeing the raw data and sort them myself."


    Oceanus frowned slightly. He actually heard the urgency in Kyran''s voice when he tried to keep their conversation on track. Still, he did not really think much of it, which was why he continued to pester the younger man about marrying his daughter.


    However, Oceanus finally realized how urgent Kyran''s errand to the de Dancer n truly was.


    "Can''t you tell me why you are suddenly interested in the de Dancer n?"


    "Why did you assume that I have only recently been interested in them?"


    Oceanus raised his brows in realization after Kyran asked that question.


    Yes. Why did he assume that? It was true that when Kyran came to Ogen, he mostly researched different magic branches, but that was only because he could not gather any in-depth information about the ns from the city library.


    Now that Oceanus was reminded of this, Kyran did research on recent news about the Higher Realm, and most of the entries were about movements of the ns under The Emeperor''s faction.


    Oceanus did not think much of it because everyone wanted to be up-to-date on what The Emperor''s faction was doing to avoid crossing them. But it appeared Kyran had other reasons.


    ''So then... maybe myst idea is indeed correct.''


    "Again, please stoping up with absurd ideas about why I am interested in them."


    Oceanus''s brow twitched as he looked at Kyran. "How are you doing that? Do you happen to possess reading other people''s thoughts as another one of your innate abilities?"


    Apparently, he was still convinced that Kyran''s concealment ability was an innate one.


    Kyran did not respond but he was looking at Oceanus strangely.


    Did he not realize how easy it was to read what was going on in his mind with how expressive his facial expressions were?


    "Since you seemed to have guessed my innate magic, at least, I''m sure you''re aware of who is after me," Kyran continued rather than responding to Oceanus''s nonsense.


    Oceanus''s expression turned solemn.


    Leif did as well. But unlike her father, she was far more knowledgeable of Kyran''s situation.


    "I do," Oceanus admitted. "I know the risk, and while I would normally want to stay far away on matters rting to him, I won''t regret agreeing to an alliance."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t put your n in danger," Kyran assured him. "I''ll only rely on your assistance in providing me with information."


    "...I see."


    "Since you understand that, it is not really strange for me to be interested in one of the ns he trusted."


    "True."


    "But if you want information about them, wouldn''t your n be able to provide a more in-depth one?" Leif could not help but ask. "Their intelligencework is far moreplete and wider in rangepared to ours."


    Kyran looked at Leif with raised brows, "Just to get your information straight, I''m not part of that n."


    "But isn''t Ames your¡ª?"


    "!"


    Oceanus jolted upon hearing the name of someone who was quite infamous in the Higher Realm.


    "She is, but her n doesn''t really consider us part of theirs. I don''t really care, but that is the reason I can''t ask them for information."


    "W-Was there another mage with a name like that?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But¡ª."


    "Besides, there is another reason I consider your n to be more fitted for getting information about the de Dancer n."


    "W-Wait. Don''t veer the topic back on track like that. You haven''t rified anything about t-that person Leif mentioned¡ª."


    "What is it?"


    Unfortunately for Oceanus, Kyran and Leif seemed to be ignoring him.


    "The reason I am going there is because The Emperor nned on forcefully waking up my informants."


    "!" Leif''s eyes widened in realization.


    Oceanus also seemed to have noticed something and frowned, "Forcing someone to wake up will require a powerful spell or a potion. However, not just anyone can do it."


    Kyran looked at him and nodded, "Yes, and I remembered the only one who could cast a powerful spell or concoct a potion to wake anyone up is¡ª."


    "The Ogen n," Oceanus supplied with a grim expression. "One of the Water magic''s nature is to seep into one''s sea of consciousness. While there are other ns who have Water affinity, the Ogen n has been known for having the highest affinity."

 Chapter 1099: Chase (13)

    Oceanus''s mind was a whirlwind, his thoughts grappling with the profound implications of Kyran''s words.


    Kyran did not say much, but Oceanus was able to draw a few relevant points from it to outline the situation.


    One crucial detail that piqued Oceanus''s interest was Kyran''s mention of informants. It was clear that these informants were from the de Dancer n. How Kyran managed to nt those informants was a mystery, but Oceanus was certain that the events that led to the tragedy of the Tower of the Ancients held the key to this puzzle.


    The second important point was Kyran''s informants being unconscious. This somehow answered Oceanus''s doubts about the Solis n''s ims that all n representatives, apart from the Dragon n and those who were on good terms with them, failed to return.


    Oceanus surmised that the Solis n''s im was a strategic move, a ploy to exert pressure on the Dragon n and all those they were on good terms with. He hypothesized that some n representatives from the Solis faction did return, albeit in dire conditions oratose, a fact they conveniently omitted.


    Kyran''s informants were likely one of those representatives that returned, albeit had fallen into aa. Oceanus guessed that theira was spell-induced to prevent their n leaders from interrogating them about what happened in the Tower of the Ancients.


    The reason behind this was simple: Kyran intended for the mystery of what happened in the tower to die down before his informants regained consciousness. They could then pretend not to remember anything that happened.


    Oceanus did not know Kyran that much, but at the very least, he believed the younger man would have considered his informants'' n leaders to have a way of waking them up. Since Kyran still went ahead with it, he was likely confident of the spell he used.


    But something might have happened that involved The Emperor, which disrupted Kyran''s n. Kyran probably did not expect The Emperor to be involved so soon, and so he was now in a hurry to go to the de Dancer n to prevent The Emperor from sessfully ''waking'' the informants.


    Fortunately, Oceanus''s idea this time around was not as crazy as when he was trying to figure out Kyran''s intentions for requesting the de Dancer n''s information.


    There were still a few things that did not make sense to Oceanus, but rather thaning up with a crazy idea, he decided to ask Kyran for answers. Besides, he was curious and a bit scared, to be honest, about that person''s involvement in all of this. If that person was indeed involved, then the Solis n''s ploy of putting pressure on the Dragon n might actually be true.


    "How did you know that The Emperor ns on forcefully waking your informants?" Oceanus asked. As far as he was concerned, a spell-induceda should have rendered the spell''s target unconscious until certain conditions were fulfilled; only then would they regain consciousness.


    Oceanus initially thought Kyran had plenty of informants in the de Dancer n and it so happened that a few of them were sent as representatives in the recent Tower of the Ancients hunt. But if that was the case, why would Kyran even need information about the de Dancer n?


    If he had more than enough informants, why would he personally make a move to prevent those who were in aa just to hide the truth of what happened in the tower? Considering these points, Oceanus was convinced that those unconscious representatives were the only informants Kyran had.


    But if that was the case, how did Kyran know their situation if they were in aa?


    Kyran managed to understand the context behind Oceanus''s question after guessing his thought process. Not wanting to waste too much time exining all the details, he replied, "I can fill you in on the detailster. I''m sorry, but we don''t have much time. The Emperor will soon exhaust all his resources. And when that happens, he will contact your n¡ª."


    "Even if that is the case, how sure are you that The Emperor will reach out to us? The Solis n has just announced a huge im that all their representatives in the recent tower hunt did not return. Do you think they would want another n that is not part of their faction to discover that there are actually a few that had returned?"


    "He will not hesitate in reaching out to you because you are the Overlord Oceanus."


    Oceanus stopped short as he heard Kyran''s confident statement. He could not help but raise his brows in surprise because even the younger man''s eyes showed how certain he was.


    "Why did you say that?"


    "Overlord Oceanus has always avoided conflict with others. He managed to remain neutral even after several thousands of years had passed."


    "That will not be enough to¡ª."


    "It is enough. Because The Emperor will use this opportunity to devour the Ogen n as well."


    "!"


    "W-What are you saying?" Leif looked at Kyran in shock. Her eyes trembled in fear at the unexpected words he had just said.


    "I''m sure The Emperor has always wanted to deal with all the neutral factions in the Higher Realm. But there hasn''t been an opportunity to do so."


    "We have the initiative here," Oceanus tried to argue. "They needed something from us. So how will he devour us?"


    "You can only have the initiative if you have the strength to back it up."


    Oceanus gritted his teeth in anger. However, he could not refute Kyran''s statement because it was true.


    The Emperor needed the Ogen n''s help. However, Oceanus could not even take advantage of that opportunity because his n was on the weaker side. If he so much as tried to exploit the situation, he would only end up sentencing his whole n to death.


    What Kyran said would likely happen as well. Since The Emperor did not want information about some of their representatives returning from the tower hunt, he would definitely put a noose around Oceanus''s neck so he would not leak the information. Once that happened, it would only be a matter of time before his n ended up getting devoured by The Emperor.


    Oceanus sighed in exasperation and looked at Kyran with a bitter smile, "I suppose you have a n to prevent that from happening."


    "Yes, but time is essential. As I said, The Emperor will soon exhaust his resources. We have to move before that happens."


    "Wait," Leif''splexion paled once more as she finally realized her role in all of this. She looked at Kyran in fear and asked cautiously, "Were you nning to stop The Emperor from reaching out to our n for help all this time?"


    "Yes."


    "Y-You''re not nning on using me as bait, are you?"


    Oceanus seemed to have also realized something, and his face stiffened in anger and shock.


    "Null, you¡ª!"


    "I did say that I will not put your n in danger," Kyran stopped Oceanus from snapping by reminding him of what he said earlier. "That applies to Lady Leif as well. She will act as bait, but I will not put her in harm''s way."


    "How are you going to do that?"


    "I only need her to..." Kyran gave a brief exnation of what he intended to do.


    Although Kyran did not tell them theplete details, both father and daughter managed to calm down. Just as Kyran said, Leif would not be put in danger afterpleting her task.


    Because Kyran would be the one facing The Emperor''s forces.


    Nevertheless, Oceanus was still worried. Kyran was still a stranger. Although he had taken a liking to him because of his innate magic and the potential it had, he could not entrust his daughter''s safety with him just like that.


    Of course, it was a different story if Kyran agreed to marry Leif. Since they would be looking forward to their marriage, Oceanus would be more at ease that Kyran would protect Leif. She was his fianc¨¦e, after all.


    In the end, it was Leif who spoke first. She said, "If that''s the only thing you want me to do, then I suppose it''s fine. But you have to remember that this will only work if The Emperor does not personallye to see me."


    "I know."


    "Alright."


    Oceanus looked at his daughter in silence. He did not notice it earlier, but after hearing the exchange between her and Kyran, he realized how much she had changed. Read exclusive chapters at mvl


    It was not farfetched to say that Leif only cared about herself. She knew how to take advantage of others and not suffer a loss even after they realized anything was amiss. This was why it was quite rare for her to agree to be taken advantage of.


    Kyran looked at Oceanus, "Do you still have anything to say?"


    "Your n..." Oceanus muttered. While he had yet to agreepletely with Kyran''s ns, he could not pass up on the chance for one of his greatest doubts to be cleared. "No... you already said you''re not part of it, but... Ames... What is your rtionship with her?"


    "She''s my grandmother."


    "!"


    Oceanus almost choked at how honest and even nonchnt Kyran had responded to his question.


    "There''s a few great something before the grandmother, but that is unimportant right now."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It is important!¡ª was what Oceanus wanted to say but decided against saying it. Since they were pressed for time, and the Ogen n''s future was at stake, depending on how fast Kyran and Leif got to the de Dancer n, he chose to keep that to himself.

 Chapter 1100: Chase (14)

    Oceanus, with a sense of urgency, directed his people to swiftly and meticulously transfer all the information they had on the de Dancer n to his tablet. He also expedited the preparation of the transportation that would safely and efficiently take Kyran and Leif to the de Dancer n''s ne.


    Information about Kyran and Leif''s itinerary had to be kept confidential, so Oceanus could not assign just any of his people to the task of preparing their transportation. In fact, he made it appear that he was the one leaving and that Leif would only be apanying him. As for Kyran, his inclusion was not mentioned. He would not even show up when Oceanus and Leif boarded the transportation.


    However, Kyran confirmed that he had a means of boarding. Thus, they did not have to concern themselves with how to stow him in secretly.


    Once Oceanus received the de Dancer n''s information, he transferred it to the tablet he gave Kyran during their first in-person meeting.


    Kyran was impressed at how efficiently Oceanus''s people worked. In just a few minutes, they transferred probably a lifetime''s worth of information on the de Dancer n.


    As the transportation was being prepared, Kyran eagerly delved into reviewing the de Dancer n''s information.


    Since there was still time before they left for the de Dancer n''s ne, and Kyran was glued to the tablet, reading the information he got, Oceanus decided to take that moment to catch up with his daughter, Leif.


    Leif seemed to have the same thoughts because she was looking at her father while biting her lower lip. She seemed to be contemting how to start a conversation between them.


    ''I don''t think it is necessary to be secretive since he seemed to have his full attention on reading the de Dancer n''s information,'' Oceanus decided to speak to his daughter telepathically.


    ''Hm... I suppose you''re right, Father,'' Leif replied while looking at Kyran.


    "It will seem rude to use telepathy, so let''s talk freely," Oceanus continued with a slight smile and nced at Kyran''s profile. He felt that it was better to be as transparent as possible with the younger man since he already agreed to an alliance.


    Besides, Oceanus could not ignore the feeling that Kyran would know if he and Leif talked behind his back.


    Oceanus''s feelings were not unfounded. In fact, even if Kyran were not paying attention to them, with his naturally enhanced senses, beings like Oceanus and Leif would not be able to hide their emotions. Since both Oceanus and Leif were pure mages, they relied on magic items or spells to conceal their emotions and tricks.


    However, they would not be able to conceal the minute changes in their physical¡ª whether internal or outer¡ª conditions.


    For example, Oceanus and Leif could conceal the fluctuations in their surroundings while conversing through telepathy. But once they reacted to each other''s words, Kyran could easily detect the minute change in their breathing, heart rate, and even the slight change in their facial expressions or body movements.


    Kyran would not know what they were talking about, but the fact that they were conversing in secret was enough to confirm that their topic was rted to him in one way or another. That was enough for him to change his mind about trusting Oceanus and Leif.


    "I agree," Leif smiled and nodded in agreement to her father''s suggestion.


    "If you are ufortable about sharing what happened in the tower, then just say what you arefortable sharing."


    Leif shook her head at once, "It is fine. Null did not exactly prohibit us from talking. Of course, we have to be careful about who will hear us."


    She then turned to look toward Kyran''s direction as if wanting to affirm if she was correct in thinking that way.


    When Kyran did not react, Leif heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at her father wryly.


    "Don''t worry. Whatever is shared here will stay between the three of us."


    After Oceanus dered that he tripled the sound istion magic around the room.


    "Then, I''ll start by telling you what happened after we met with Null..."


    Leif then gave a brief yetprehensive ount of what transpired in the Tower of the Ancients. However, because she was mostly unconscious before meeting the other Dragon n representatives, she could not tell Oceanus how Kyran ended up with so many people following him. She did manage to tell him how the de Dancer n representatives that Kyran took hostage agreed to be his informant.


    Oceanus listened to Leif''s narration intently. At first, he could still maintain a calm demeanor. But as her story progressed, cold sweats started to flow down his back like a waterfall. He almost thought his heart would stop when Leif started telling him that Kyran was actually part of Ames''s family in the Lower Realm.


    Ultimately, Leif refrained from telling her father about Kyran''s unstable rtionship with the Dragon n or how he fell unconscious almost as soon as they arrived in the Dragon ne.


    She did not say anything about that, not because she believed that the topic was quite sensitive since it was a family matter. Instead, she noticed Kyran tilting his head with slightly furrowed brows when she was about to mention something. She took the subtle hint and immediately skipped that part.


    ''H-He''s listening...'' Leif thought while gulping nervously. She did not know how Kyran could split his attention when he was clearly focused on what he was reading, but she sensed he was indeed listening to their conversation.


    Oceanus also caught on to this and felt his heart palpitate in fear. He could not believe that a mere human from the Lower Realm could actually inflict such emotions on him when he could be considered one of the most powerful and influential mages in the Higher Realm since he was an Overlord and from the older generation.


    Or maybe that was the reason. He was far too old to be ying along with the mages of the current generation¡ª a mage that could not be treated normally since he possessed the most powerful and dangerous Ancient Magic.


    Oceanus looked at Kyran and sighed inwardly. Suspecting thetter to be part of a medium orrge n was different from confirming it. Moreover, it was not just a medium orrge n but the Dragon n.


    Although Kyran said he was not part of the Dragon n, Oceanus understood why since he had heard rumors about a great number of dragons being disappointed that Ames married a human from the Lower Realm before, that did not change the fact that dragon blood courses through his veins.


    This could very well be the reason Kyran exuded an air of nobility and power without even trying.


    "Master Oceanus, the transportation is ready."


    While Oceanus contemted the things he had learned from his daughter, one of his aides knocked on the door and announced thepletion of their preparation.


    Oceanus was the only one who heard the aide because he had set up the sound istion magic.


    ''Thank you. Leif and I will be there shortly.''


    Oceanus responded telepathically.


    "Is it really alright to bring only a handful of attendants along?"


    ''Yes.''


    "Very well."


    The aide lowered his head before leaving.


    Kyran put down the tablet in his hand and looked at Oceanus. He then said, without waiting for thetter to announce anything, "Overlord Oceanus, you and Lady Leif can board the ship as agreed. I''ll follow after you depart."


    Oceanus more or less guessed that Kyran intended to use his magic to follow. But as far as he understood, Kyran could only use his magic on ces he had been to.


    So how...?


    "Please go. You''ll know it soon enough," Kyran replied as if reading through Oceanus''s thoughts again.


    Oceanus sighed, "Ha... How are you doing that? I now understand that concealment is not your innate ability, so does that mean it''s reading minds?"


    Leif was the one who rified that Kyran''s concealment was not an ability. However, she attributed it to one of the Void''s nature rather than the Heart of the Cosmos''s ability.


    Oceanus and Leif left soon after that, leaving Kyran alone in the room.


    Kyran took a deep breath after the two left and rubbed the bridge of his nose. For the first time after his body underwent enhancement, he experienced a very bad headache. The cause was not because of the conversation between Leif and Oceanus but the information he had read about the de Dancer n.


    Although he had yet to read everything, he already had a good understanding of the internal rtionship of the five de Houses that constitute the de Dancer n.


    The de Dancer de Houses represent the five prominent innate magic that their members possess: Chakram, Labrys, Halberd, Katar, and Sound.


    The first four houses were all weapons that could be considered rare in the Lower Realm. However, the fifth house seemed to deviate from the norm and was called Sound. This was not to say that the Sound House members could not use weapons. As a matter of fact, it was better to consider their members as rare talents who possessed two innate magic.


    Their members could also use Weapon magic and summon swords, spears, or daggers. However, their most prominent innate magic just happened to be Sound magic.


    Alta, the scary woman Kyran encountered in the unnamed ne, was part of the Sound House. Shiloh, as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In any case, based on Ogen''s information, the Sound House, with their rare affinity with both weapons and sound, were well-received outside the de Dancer n. When other ns requested assistance from the de Dancer n, most of them requested mages orbat mages from the Sound House. Because of this, their reputation andwork were far greater than the other houses. Find your next adventure on §Þ??


    Contrary to the fame they received from the outside, however, the Sound House was pretty much like a pariah within the de Dancer n. That did not mean they were severely ostracized, though. Their Head of n made sure that they were still treated fairly.


    Speaking of the de Dancer''s Head, Geir, Kyran found it strange that he was known as a pushover yet managed to preserve the peace within his n''s houses. This alone meant he could not be underestimated just because he always followed The Emperor''s orders without questions.


    Considering all these, Kyran realized how hard it was to make a move on the de Dancer n since his informants were part of the Sound House. Since they were not well-received within their own n, if he made a wrong move, it might trigger the other houses to make a move on them instead.


    ''I have to think through my next move properly. If not, I will end up losing a good opportunity...''


    No one knew what Kyran was thinking at those moments. But if they did, they might faint in shock at its audacity.

 Chapter 1101: Chase (15)

    de Dancer ne, Sound House connecting mansion.


    Teh, the only female House Leader of the de Dancer n, exuded amanding presence as she stood in front of Alta''s room. She strode into thetter''s room without even announcing herself because there was not a need to. As the leader of the Sound House, it such was her privilege.


    This was a long-standing rule in every de House of the n, a testament to every house leader''s authority over their respective Houses.


    A slight frown appeared on Teh''s beautiful face as soon as she saw the state of Alta''s room.


    The room, shrouded in an oppressive darkness, seemed to mirror thetter''s mood. The air was heavy with a palpable sense of gloom, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy that usually filled it.


    Teh sighed inwardly. She predicted this much especially after what The Emperor did to Alta. Nheless, sulking like this and ignoring her summons was uneptable. The Emperor was still there. If word of Alta''s behavior reached him, he might summon her again and who knew what he would do.


    The de Dancer n was known as one of the four loyal ns under The Emperor, but even that would not amount to anything if they showed even a sliver of a reaction to whatever The Emperor did to one of their members.


    Teh refrained from making a move or saying anything simply because she could not afford to anger The Emperor and increase the casualties.


    The Emperor''s decision to also punish Shiloh was out of Teh''s prediction because he did not show any urgency in Shiloh regaining consciousness. He only did so after extracting Alta''s soul thread. From this, Teh believed that The Emperor might have seen something from Alta''s memory that angered him. It could be said that punishing Shiloh, could be The Emperor''s way of showing leniency.


    It pained Teh for two of her family to suffer losses but she could only grit her teeth and endure. Otherwise, the whole n might suffer.


    Teh closed the door behind her. Without even using her Divine Sense, she found Alta crouching like a lost child at the left corner of the room.


    "Must you act like this?" She asked, her voiceced with coldness and ridicule.


    Alta did not react even before she heard their house leader enter her room. After The Emperor dismissed her from the meeting a few hours earlier, she retreated to her room and has been sulking at that corner ever since. She did not evene out when one of the retainers of the Sound House came and told her Teh summoned her for dinner.


    Obviously, The Emperor was present there and Alta did not want toe. She was not being petty. Having her soul thread taken and practically subjecting her to a life with no future could not be considered petty. Nevertheless, that was not the reason she did not want toe and see The Emperor.


    She could ept a life with no future, however, she could not tolerate having her brother''s future taken as well. Moreover, she could not take the fact that their house leader did nothing!


    As soon as Alta was reminded of this, her heart rate increased as anger and bitterness filled her heart.


    "Why did you not intervene?" Alta growled in frustration at Teh. She did not even bother showing respect toward thetter as she vent her unhappiness.


    "Because it is futile," Teh replied, shaking her head.


    "Even so¡ª!"


    "I will definitely find a way to restore your magic core."


    "This is not about me! I can endure my losing my future. However, you¡­ you did nothing when that¡­ he¡­ Shiloh is still young! He has yet to achieve anything on his own and yet you-!"


    Experience more content on §Þ??


    "Silence."


    "Ugh¡­!" Alta keeled over as she frantically grabbed her throat.


    Teh had only uttered one word, yet the force that wrapped itself around her removed not only her capability to speak but also the Sound inside her core.


    Teh''s eyes shed coldly as she made her way to Alta''s corner. She was not exuding any pressure. However, her initial sound attack rendered Alta immobile, as her whole body screamed to be released from its ''silent'' state.


    "The Emperor will be staying here until we can force Shiloh or Uilleam awake," Teh''s voice was devoid of warmth as she stop before Alta and watched her squirm in agony. "Do not act up while he is here. Instead¡­"


    A dangerous glint shed through her eyes before she said, "I want you to be patient. Do not be reckless and do something stupid, especially with the matter of Shiloh''s or Uilleam''s force awakening."


    Alta''s eyes turned bloodshot as she struggled to voice her displeasure. However, Teh ignored her struggles. She simply knelt before her and whisperer, "You, Shiloh, and Uilleam are my family, Alta. Do you think I want to see my family''s future taken away one after the other? I am the House Leader of the Sound House. Let me handle the situation.


    Do as you are told."


    Alta bit her lips and red at Teh. She did not know whether to trust her words or not. She could not determine whether Teh was saying the truth by listening to the sound of her voice because her own sound was silenced.


    "Since the Draconic Core and the Void Core has appeared, then the rest of the Ancient Magic Cores should have appeared as well."


    Alta''s bloodshot eyes widened in realization.


    Teh leaned back and examined Alta''s expression. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she said to affirm thetter''s thoughts.


    "That''s right. Even if The Emperor extracts Shiloh''s or Uilleam''s soul threads, we just have to find the one who have the Soul Core and repair your magic cores.


    "The Emperor has called for an emergency conference. Since he is here, we will be hosting it. On that day, he will announce his intentions of searching and gathering all Ancient Magic Cores.


    "I will see to it that our n will be in charge of searching for the Soul Core. Before killing its vessel, we''ll force it to heal your magic cores."


    Alta stopped struggling. She knew Teh was using her voice to calm her down, which was why she could not trust her wordspletely. Besides, rather than clinging on the hope of finding the Soul Core''s vessel to fix their magic cores, Alta preferred to prevent Shiloh and Uilleam''s soul threads to be extracted.


    More importantly, if their soul threads were not extracted, then The Emperor would not be able to find clues or traces of the ck mage''s whereabouts. The more days passed that The Emperor could not find the ck mage''s traces, the longer it would take from locating him.


    That was what Alta hoped for. It would not only hinder The Emperor from realizing his dream, but also give that ck mage more time to grow. In a few years, that ck mage might be able to face The Emperor on equal footing.


    Alta knew what she hoped for was close to impossible. After all, a mage would never grow to the same level or higher than The Emperor in just a few years. But recalling how the ck mage managed to escape her pursuit, and his use of magic, his potential seemed promising.


    There was also one more thing that Alta noticed about that ck mage. That man was abat mage. She noticed it because she was the same. Considering this, she believed he stood a good chance against The Emperor¡ª who was a mage through and through¡ª as long as he gained more experience and level.


    One reason The Emperor was cautious about the Dragon n was because all of them werebat mages. While it was true that his Light magic''s nature had powerful piercing power, a dragon''s physical and magic defenses could withstand it.


    If that ck mage managed to strengthen his body at the level of the dragons, he would not have any problem with The Emperor''s magic. Then again, with the nature of the Void, he might be able to counter The Emperor''s magic.


    Alta hoped for such a turn of events to happen. For this reason, she could not fully support whatever it was that Teh was plotting.


    Teh took Alta''s silence as her giving consent to everything. Thus, she straightened her back and looked at Alta and slid the strands of hair that fell over her face to her ears.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "The Emperor ordered the house to gather all possible remedies to forcefully awaken Shiloh and Uilleam. So far, we have only tried some of the potions in the treasury. None of them worked, that''s why we have to search outside.


    "Ourst option is to find someone from the outside with water affinity to perform a spell."


    Alta frowned.


    Teh did not specifically mention any n with water affinity, but if it was about a spell that could wake others, there was only one n that fit the bill.


    "We need to be the first house to produce results. This is the only way to make amends to our previous mistake. Do you understand?"


    Without even releasing Alta''s silence, Teh stood up and left.


    The moment the door closed; Alta finally regained her sound. The pressure crushing her lifted and she let out choking sounds. She clenched her fists as she red at the door. Teh was already gone, but that did not stop Alta from feeling disgusted.


    *


    Kyran waited about fifteen minutes before he warped to where Leif was.


    When he appeared right next to Leif inside the transportation that would take them to the de Dancer n''s ne, Oceanus''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

 Chapter 1102: Chase (16)

    It took a few minutes for Oceanus to wrap his mind around the concept of Void''s warp nature. He could not believe that Kyran could warp near anyone he met in person.


    Yet, there were still limitations to it, such as if his warp target was inside a location that prohibits teleportation or warping abilities or spells, or if they were using or wearing anti-tracking, anti-warp, anti-teleport, or anything simr, magic items, spells, or enhancements.


    Unlike Oceanus, Leif was not using or wearing any of those. This was because he believed it was in her best interest not to do so. Oceanus might have given Leif an item that allowed him to track her or know her condition, but just to be on the safe side, if she happened to lose the item, got deactivated, or be useless because of the location she was in, he could find other ways to find her.


    However, Oceanus did not anticipate that his decision would inadvertently expose Leif to Kyran''s tracking, making her vulnerable to his warping. At the moment, he had yet to decide whether this realization was a cause for concern or not.


    Then again, it was understandable that Oceanus would not put much thought into those anti-magic items, spells, and enhancements because no one in the Higher Realm could use teleport or warp as naturally as Kyran could. There were artifacts, arrays, or relics that could produce simr results, but their activation required a huge amount of magic energy and had limited usage in a given time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Experience tales at §Þ??


    Some were even considered consumables because they could only be used once.


    What truly left Oceanus in a state of disbelief was the range of Kyran''s warp. After confirming that Kyran and Leif exited the Tower of the Ancients using the Dragon n portal, it did not take long for Oceanus to deduce that they arrived at Ogen from the Dragon ne. The sheer distance covered was astonishing.


    "Normally, it would take about a week to arrive at the Junction Port, but after our people seeded in improving this transport''s performance and stone consumption, the time was reduced by more than half," Leif exined to Kyran, her voice beaming with pride.


    "I see."


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not seem that impressed by the things she was saying.


    Oceanus, watching the two from the side, sighed inwardly. In a sense, he kind of understood why Kyran felt that way. He probably thought it would have been faster for him to warp there if he knew the ce.


    "How is the security in the Junction Port?" Kyran suddenly asked as if trying to veer away from the discussion about the transport''s development.


    "A good question."


    The one who answered was Oceanus.


    Earlier, they had already exined the route they would take to get to the de Dancer n.


    Given the distance, the transport could not take them directly to the de Dancer n. Even if it operated using magic energy, its supplies and activation sequence could only be sustained for a week. Moreover, since they wanted to sneak inside without being noticed, parking the transport and dropping them off there was not ideal.


    Considering these, they would first have to go to the Junction Port.


    The Junction Port was an artificial ne created by thebined efforts of all big and medium ns in the Higher Realm. It was made of the finest and most expensive materials to ensure that operations inside would continue without any problems.


    The Junction Port functioned as a one-stop ne for several portals, leading to big ns'' nes that were difficult to ess because of their location. There were several nes like these in the Higher Realm, and the closest one to Ogen was a week''s journey away.


    Since the portals would directly allow anyone to step into the Immigration Area of other nes, security was very tight. One had to possess proof of identification, their n token, and a letter of introduction. In case thetter two documents were unavable, they would have to pay a hefty sum just to pass through the portal.


    Moreover, that sum only covered passage to the portal and not ess to the ne itself. One had to purchase a temporary pass to enter the ne. The price of those passes increased depending on how long one would stay.


    To sum it up, one had to be very wealthy to actually ess any of those portals.


    Of course, that would be different if the one passing through the portal had all the required documents. And it was actually rare for one not to have them.


    Oceanus exined this to Kyran and finally said, "I have all the documents, so you don''t need to worry¡ª."


    "We''re not going to use that."


    "¡ªThere is no need to worry about the information on it because I made sure to create a believable background for you¡ª wait, what?" Oceanus stopped and did a double-take as Kyran''s words finally reached him. He looked at him in confusion and asked, "W-What do you mean ''we''re not going to use them''?"


    "Even if you created a believable background for me, that information will be recorded as long as we pass through, right?"


    "That''s true. But even if that is the case, it is not like they will check its validity. Even if they did, I made sure that your records are properly included in our system."


    "That is what we want to avoid," Kyran said, shaking his head. "We can''t leave any record of Ogen''s peopleing to the de Dancer ne."


    Oceanus''s expression turned serious, "I kind of understand what you want to avoid. But even if you do something to attract their attention, and they try to check your entry documents, it''s not like they will suspect you are up to something, right? Besides, would it not be better for them to know that you are from Ogen so they will not doubt your high water affinity and¡ª."


    "The Ogen n''s involvement can''t be revealed," Kyran exined. "Since we''re going to draw attention to us, it is better to have a different background altogether."


    Leif frowned, "Are you saying we''ll have to enter without having affiliation or a letter of introduction? If we do that, the fee we have to pay is... Of course, I''m not saying that we can''t afford that. But that amount is still..."


    "It is better to do that than have your connection to the Ogen n be revealed," Kyran insisted. "Also, we can''t use your money when paying the fee."


    "W-Why?"


    "You think they might trace the money back to us?"


    Leif and Oceanus asked one after another.


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. Although all nes use the same currency, each produces its own money. This means the materials and magic energy used in creating them could be traced back to where they were produced."


    What Kyran said was based on what he read in the Ogen''s library. The Higher Realm only had one currency, but each ne had its production site. Of course, the amount produced reflected a n''s profit. They could not produce beyond that because the money produced would need to be validated before they could be used.


    Oceanus looked at Kyran with mixed emotions. Kyran made sense, but saying that now, when he was the one who dered they were pressed for time, was giving Oceanus a headache.


    "Where do you n on producing money that could bypass the security?" he asked at once. "You should understand that we can''t use unvalidated money because they will detect that."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Kyran assured him. "I have a n. Also, we''ll not be docking at the Junction Port. I''ll go there by myself and enter the portal alone. I''lle back for Leif once after I''ve aplished my n."


    "You..."


    Oceanus and Leif were speechless. They more or less guessed what Kyran nned to do and even the part about him bringing in Leif to the de Dancer ne illegally.


    "How are you going to enter the portal?"


    "Like I said, I have a n," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "I can''t tell you the details. But I can tell you at least this.


    "Since I said that I will never put your n in danger, that also applies to Lady Leif. However, if we go to the de Dancer ne right now, with The Emperor being there, her safety will definitely bepromised. Still, I will never let that happen."


    Oceanus remained silent. To be honest, when Kyran told them what he wanted Leif to do, the thought of her being exposed to danger did cross his mind. But since Kyran said he had a n, he wanted to believe in him.


    "I did not ask you to exin your n in detail because I want to believe in you, Null. Whatever you are nning, if you can ensure my daughter''s safety, then I will stand by my initial decision not to pry and keep believing in you."


    "...Don''t worry. I''ll keep her safe."


    Three dayster, the transport arrived near the Junction Port.


    Oceanus activated its stealth and hid behind a floating piece ofnd that was big enough to use for cover.


    "That is the Junction Port," Leif pointed at the transport''s monitor, where a small ne was shining with dazzling lights from a distance. She looked at Kyran, standing beside her, in concern. "Are you really going there alone?"


    Kyran nodded, "I''ll be back in a few hours at the earliest, a day at thetest."


    "I think I have a general idea of what you are nning to do, so I will only say this," Oceanus said while walking beside him.


    "Don''t get caught."


    Kyran looked at Oceanus and raised his brows. He remembered Ames''s words as well and could not help but smile wryly.


    "I won''t."


    The space around Kyran crackled, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 1103: Chase (17)

    The first thing Kyran noticed upon arriving at the Junction Port was the buzz of activities around him. Leif told him that Junction Port not only served as a one-stop ce for portals leading to other nes but also as a trading port.


    Looking around, Kyran noticed all sorts of beings dressed in their n robes or armor. Some were wearing formal wear orbat suits. Seeing thetter made him recall Loar''s creation.


    Thest time Kyran saw Loar, he was starting a new project onbat suits that would allow pure mage to boost their physical capabilities. Loar had concluded his concept and had just started with the design and nning when Kyran left the Guardians to look for Cyneah.


    While observing the beings wearingbat suits, Kyran could not help but imagine Loar doing everything he could to purchase one just to dismantle it and study it to create his own.


    ''As expected,'' Kyran sighed inwardly. ''Concepts that mages just thought of in the Lower Realm are already amon practice in the Higher Realm. Even creations likebat suits are prettymon.'' The stark contrast in magical advancements between the two realms never ceased to amaze him.


    He shook his head, determined to not let his curiosity distract him from his mission. He started envisioning the Junction Port''s map that Leif showed him in his mind, confirming his location with a sense of urgency.


    Because the whole ce was buzzing with activity, Kyran found himself blending into the crowd, unnoticed as he stood at the side of a stall selling low to mid-tier magic items. The Junction Port was a ce where everyone was too busy with their own tasks to pay much attention to others.


    When Kyran arrived, that was the case. He initially thought that because the artificial ne had tight security, there would be mages acting as security roaming around and preventing unauthorized entry to the port. However, it appeared that apart from where the portals were located, the security around the business area was pretty lenient.


    That was not to say that there were no security mages roaming around because there were. However, they were only there to ensure peace and order. They were not even paying attention to those mages dropping from above or appearing from out of nowhere using transmission arrays or magic items. Find your adventure at §Þ??


    Not that Kyran wasining. In fact, this worked well for him because he did not have to walk around stealthily just to get to the portals.


    Kyran navigated through the business area, looking at the stores and matching them on the map Leif showed him.


    ''This ce is bigger than I thought,'' he realized after walking for a few minutes.


    The stores were bigger, and some paths were longer than Kyran anticipated. Other than that, the map was pretty urate since the establishments and store names were all located in the same ce.


    It took Kyran about half an hour before finding where the portals were. As a matter of fact, before reaching his destination, he already sensed the enormous magic fluctuation around it.


    Just as Oceanus told him, the security around the portals was indeed heavy. Apart from a saint-tier array formation, peak Sovereigns stood guard around its periphery.


    Kyran looked at the establishments around him and spotted the tallest building. He then blended into the crowd before teleporting right on top of it.


    Oceanus managed to provide enough information about the Junction Port. However, even with their intelligence, they could not provide detailed information on the array formation that separated the portals'' area from the business area.


    Concealing his presence using the Shaiha''s effect to the extent of his capabilities, Kyran hid on top of the building and observed the rune writings visible around the periphery of the portals.


    ''This is a bit challenging,'' Kyran thought as he immediately noticed one of the visible forms of the array formation was an rm trigger once a mage''s Divine Sense touched the periphery.


    Thus far, Kyran''s magic sense has yet to break through the Divine realm. If the array formation''s rm would trigger from a divine sense, which was higher, what more if it was a magic sense?


    Without using magic sense, it would be hard even for Kyran to decipher and even affect the array formation. Not that he had no other means of deciphering it. There was another way, however, using that would only allow him to see the formation. If he wanted to affect it without triggering its rm, he had to find another way.


    ''It can''t be helped. Let''s do that.''


    Kyran circted his Draconic magic and enhanced all of his senses. Since his body and natural senses were akin to young dragons, his senses were amplified tenfold after being enhanced with draconic magic.


    Kyran''s eyes turned to silver, with his pupils turning into slits. They emitted a faint silver glow as he observed the visible rune writings on the ground.


    Soon, the whole array formation on the ground, starting from the periphery, became visible in his eyes.


    Kyran tried to imprint the array formation in his mind. However, after only a minute, his eyes started to ache as if several fine needles were pricking them from within. He could have endured the pain, but the problem was his Draconic Core also started acting up.


    ''Ugh...''


    In the end, Kyran was forced to close his eyes when blood started to trickle down their sides. He was also forced to his knees as the pain in his Draconic core reached an unbearable level.


    Kyran knew the influence of Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy was still affecting his Draconic core. However, he thought that as long as he was out of its range, he would be able to use Draconic magic without having to suffer any repercussions.


    Kyran wiped the blood on his face using his sleeves and tried opening his eyes. Thankfully, his vision was intact. The only downside was the throbbing pain that came after.


    ''This is not good,'' he thought as he closed his eyes once more and sat before leaning on the wall. ''At least I managed to memorize the array formation.''


    Since he could not use his eyes properly, Kyran used his other senses to keep watch on his surroundings. At the same time, he recalled the array formation in his mind and started deciphering all the forms on it.


    Offensive spells directed at intruders, support spells directed at the personnel inside, restraining spells targeted at those who were deemed by the head personnel as a threat, rm that would call someone when the formation was breached or when the formation sensed malicious magic aimed at it, and so much more.


    The array formation consisted of severalyers of forms with different types of spells. Normally, such a formation was impossible to create because the rtionship between magic energy types used on different types of spells was not always positive.


    However, the array formation around the portal area managed to find harmony between these contrasting magic energies and spells to form aplex and intricate saint-tier array.


    Kyran took a deep breath, feeling a little overwhelmed at what he saw.


    It was not his first time seeing such an array formation. On his recent trip to the Tower of the Ancients, he found many saint-tier and even transcendent-tier arrays in almost every area they had gone to. However, analyzing, deciphering, and even affecting those arrays were easier because he could freely use his magic sense.


    This time around, apart from his Draconic core limiting his natural senses, he could not use his magic sense.


    ''Or can I really not?'' Kyran wondered as he opened his eyes.


    The throbbing pain in his eyes subsided, allowing him to see better. He could not use Draconic magic to enhance them, but that was fine. What mattered to him was that he could use his eyes.


    The moment Kyran thought this, Cyneah''s image shed through his mind, and he could not help but feel somewhat bad.


    Here he was, feeling relieved that he could still see even when he was in pain when Cyneah had been suffering from a loss of sight almost all her life.


    Pushing the sudden thought at the back of his mind, Kyran closed his eyes once more and tried to sort all the forms he managed to decipher thus far.


    He recalled the runes used when listing the triggers of the rm.


    ''The runes it used for the Divine Sense are different from the runes for Magic Sense,'' Kyran started to analyze the forms. ''Usually, the runes portraying the higher level of Magic Sense, which is the Divine Sense, differ in the middle character. But the one on the form is written as Divine, simr to the realm itself...''


    The problem was that the rune for Divine, as a word, did not have any rtion to the Divine, which was an advanced realm of the Sense.


    Kyran stood up and looked down at the visible rune writings once more.


    ''Why are those rune writings visible in the first ce?'' He wondered. It seemed to him that those writings were made visible for a reason.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Kyran narrowed his eyes as an idea crossed his mind.

 Chapter 1104: Chase (18)

    Array is considered amon magic knowledge in the Higher Realm, where almost everyone is an Array Saint. However, no one can exceed that height because the Ancients who created it were annihted before it could reach a height simr to other branches of magic.


    This is what everyone in the Higher Realm believed. However, the truth is far from it.


    Some Ancients survived The Fall and hid themselves in ces like the Tower of the Ancients to preserve their time. They could not leave that ce, but at the very least, they had the time and resources to research Array and have their knowledge reach a greater height.


    The peak Array Knowledge known by mages in the Higher Realm could be considered beginner-levelpared to the Ancients.


    Considering these, mages who entered the Tower of the Ancients and were lucky enough to receive enlightenment in Array were likely the only ones who surpassed the others'' knowledge in the Higher Realm. The problem was no one had actually reached the floor where one could receive an Array''s enlightenment.


    The Dragon n once discovered an automaton''s body, but because their understanding of Array wascking, they could not awaken it. They tried changing its frame to mirror a dragon in human form, but in the end, they still failed to configure its programming.


    Ultimately, the Dragon n''s failure worked for Kyran''s benefit because the Dragon Emperor, Aillos, decided to use that automaton''s body as Aki''s new body so he coulde with Cyneah, Ladon, and Thorn to the Tower of the Ancients.


    Anyhow, based on all this information, it was not wrong to say that no one in the Higher Realm actually managed to improve their Array Knowledge.


    If this was the case, then how could an array formationparable to the ones in the Tower of the Ancients be present in the Higher Realm?


    There were three reasons that Kyran thought of. One, those Array Saints who worked on the array formation below managed to find a treasure¡ª simr to how the Dragon n found an automaton, except it possessed an intricate array formation¡ª in the Tower of the Ancients and sessfully deciphered and analyzed it, allowing them to understand how to create such aplex formation.


    Two, the array formation itself was a revolutionized concept of the Higher Realm''s progression in Array.


    To be honest, Kyran found the first two impossible for one simple reason:


    No n would want to share their n''s knowledge with others.


    It might be different if The Emperor forced them, but since the Junction Port was created by almost all the ns in the Higher Realm, even if The Emperor held absolute power and almost everyone feared him, it would still be impossible for him to force them to share each other''s knowledge.


    He would not want that either because doing so would mean exposing the knowledge of the ns under his faction to outsiders.


    Considering all these points, Kyran leaned toward the third reason, which was the array formation below was nothing but a grandiose attempt at a highly advanced saint-tier array.


    Kyran observed the visible rune writings once more. Recalling the rest of the forms in the formation when he observed it with his enhanced senses earlier, he finally noticed that most of them were empty forms.


    He would have realized that sooner if he could study the array formation with his magic sense because, at least by doing so, he could easily sense the flow of magic energy in the formation and find the rtionships of each form with one another.


    As for the visible rune writings, Kyran had an inkling that they were ced there to mislead others. Nevertheless, even if he believed this, as long as he could not identify which forms were empty, then he could not make a move either.


    Kyran was tempted to use his magic sense without identifying those forms, risking triggering the formation''s rm. At the end of the day, the most important thing was for him to pass through the de Dancer ne''s portal.


    However, if he made amotion right then, there was no telling how those beings in charge of the portals would react. Worst case, they might shut down all the portals, and that would be game over for Kyran.


    Alright, saying it was game over was an exaggeration. But in any case, Kyran could not risk it.


    ''Hm? Wait...'' Kyran tilted his head upon realizing something and almost wanted to hit his head for being slow and stupid.


    It was not like he had to identify all the empty forms in the formations. He only had to see which of the visible ones were empty, and he could use that to breach the entire formation.


    After confirming what he had to do, Kyran did not waste time and recalled the forms ced at the border of the array formation. He analyzed each one and confirmed its flow.


    ''That form...''


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips as soon as he found an empty form. Looking back on the visible rune writings and crosschecking them on the one he memorized, he pinpointed the location of the empty form.


    ''West from here...'' Kyran thought while checking the path below leading to the west. ''Of course, I should have realized this was the case.''


    Kyran smiled with a wry smile as he noticed that although the security personnel around the portal area were evenly scattered, the ones close to the empty forms exuded a far more powerful aura of a peak Sovereign. This meant those guys were close to bing High Sovereigns.


    Now that Kyran knew about the empty forms, it became clear why the strongest security personnel were ced there.


    It seemed like his guess about the array formation was correct.


    Kyran found a good route with fewer mages toward the west and moved at once. He blended in with the crowd while observing the security personnel near the empty form. At the same time, he also checked the ones roaming around the business area.


    For the next three hours, Kyran patiently observed the portal''s security personnel and the roaming security while wandering around the stores and outside stalls.


    Once he confirmed how long it took the roaming securities time to pass around the area near the portal''s security personnel, Kyran tried something out.


    Using one of the magic items he bought while wandering around, he dropped it at a nearby alley after the roaming securities were out of sight.


    The moment the magic item dropped to the ground, a blinding light shed, and all the mages within the vicinity eximed in shock.


    Boom!


    Following the blinding light, an explosion urred, prompting the rms in the nearby establishments to go off.


    Kyran blended in with the running crowd and observed if the security personnel at the portal would move.


    But.


    Whiiiir!


    An array formation appeared around the explosion as several roaming securities appeared one after another.


    "Everyone within 10 kilometers is asked to follow the protocol."


    "Please move ording to the Junction Port''s security instructions as we inspect the surrounding areas."


    Two of the three groups of port security mages instructed the mages around.


    ''As expected,'' Kyran thought with a bitter smile while looking at the security personnel at the portal. He nned to cause amotion and see if they would react to it, but it appeared they would not move if themotion happened within the business area.


    In fact, the security personnel did not even flinch when the explosion urred. They resembled the statues in the Tower of the Ancients, which would only move when certain conditions were met.


    Kyran guessed the condition for those security personnel to move was when something happened around the portal.


    Kyran slipped into one of the side stalls and teleported back to the building he stayed at to inspect the array formation.


    The security mages around the business area appearedx, but in truth, they reacted well to the Junction Port''s security protocol.


    ''From what I''ve seen thus far, when something happened, and the roaming security mages assigned in that area had just passed through, it is not necessary for them to return just to see what had happened. There were array formations all over the business area that allowed any security mages on standby to respond to any situation.


    ''The same goes with the security personnel around the portal''s area. They will not move even if something happens near them as long as it is outside their jurisdiction.''


    It was human nature to react when something happened near them, but those security personnel''sck of reaction was trulymendable.


    Then again, they were not humans per se. They might appear human, but at the end of the day, they were not.


    Kyran shook his head and pushed his thoughts aside. This was not the time to be in awe of the security personnel''s discipline. He needed to find a way to enter the portal''s area as soon as possible.


    ''If I can''t make them move by themselves, then I''ll just have to make it move myself.''


    With that in mind, Kyran took out the face-altering mask he had not used in a long time.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 1105: Chase (19)

    After the trip to the Tower of the Ancients, Kyran''s Array Knowledge improved by leaps and bounds. If not for this, he would not have been able toe up with a new array formation that reused the intact forms on Coelus''s corpse''s damaged seal.


    Although the greatest factor that allowed Kyran to draft that new array was that the seal''s creators were the Ancients, it was still a testament to how much he had improved in that field.


    During the three days that Kyran journeyed with Leif and Oceanus to the Junction Port, he dedicated himself to creating the ingredients needed in the new array formation''s third and fourth phases. Even during his rest, he tirelessly workedon improving the magic items he had on hand.


    The face-altering mask and his coat were examples of those items. He worked on improving them so he could move around the Higher Realm while hiding his identity.


    The Emperor might only be aware of Nar''s face, but since they crossed paths in the Land of Destion when Kyran''s face was exposed, it would be a perilous decision to continue moving around without hiding his face.


    Although Kyran and The Emperor did not really meet each other face-to-face in the Land of Destion, thetter still got a good look at the former''s physique and movement. Thus, to be safe, Kyran decided to improve his coat''s enhancements and add more features to it to ensure The Emperor would not recognize him immediately when they ended up facing each other.


    Kyran did not think that the improvements he made to the face-altering mask and his coat were enough topletely deceive high-level mages, especially the Emperor. That was how powerful a high-level mage''s Divine Sense was. Besides, at the end of the day, Kyran was 100% human and could not alter his internal body system to mirror that of the beings in the Higher Realm.


    Thus, he only aimed to deceive them in a short time.


    Kyran wore the face-altering mask and adjusted his facial features. Previously, the mask could only use faces it recorded, but now, it could create its own. The same went for his coat. Apart from defensive and supportive enhancements, he added a new feature that would alter his physique.


    Frankly, adding those new features while preserving the old enhancements and improving them would have been a huge undertaking if not for Kyran''s improved Array Knowledge.


    Kyran''s coat color changed from ck to white, and its size reduced. Its neckline increased, covering his mouth, while the hood remained the same. Since the coat''s overall size was reduced, the hood appeared oversized, and with an increase in its neckline to cover his mouth, his face was practically hidden.


    Such attire would have been hard for the wearer to see upfront. But because of the new features Kyran included, even when the hood covered his eyes, he was still able to see. It was as if the hood itself was invisible.


    Once Kyran was done, he pressed a button on the armband he was wearing¡ª another magic item he had created¡ª and a transportation array appeared above his head.


    Kyran disappeared on top of the building only to reappear five meters in front of the portal area.


    The moment Kyran appeared, the security personnel nearby turned their attention to him.


    Although there was no rule that prohibited transmissions right in front of the portal area, it was consideredmon etiquette not to appear there for security reasons.


    The mages who were entering the portal area stopped in their tracks as well, sensing the tensioning from the security personnel stationed right in front of the portal area''s entrance.


    Kyran''s appearance, with his whole face hidden and his whole persona exuding a dangerous aura, it was obvious that he was up to no good. Thus, like parting waves, the small crowd where he appeared moved aside as if to dere that they did not want to have anything to do with him.


    One of the security personnel in charge of the crowd control immediately acted and made his way toward Kyran.


    But Kyran had no ns of getting those personnel near him. He raised his hands slightly, and two faint bluish lights appeared on his wrist. Upon closer look, one would see that the lights wereing from the silver wristbands he was wearing.


    The security personnel frowned in an instant and shouted, "Stop that right now¡ª!"


    Crackle!


    Before he could finish what he was saying, however, several small transmission arrays appeared and surrounded almost a quarter of the front side of the portal area.


    The portal area''s array formation on the ground activated in an instant, and a huge, light golden array formation appeared above their heads. Whirring sounds could be heard as the array calctions within the formation rotated and shifted upon its activation.


    In the blink of an eye, the mages around Kyran were transported to a separate space at the back, close to the business area''s periphery. Golden pirs of light then surrounded him as if to imprison him.


    Apart from that, the space outside the golden pirs crackled as new transmission arrays appeared simr to those in the business area.


    Following that, silhouettes of security mages with peak Sovereign mage levels emerged.


    CLAP!


    SHATTER!


    A thunderous sound of hands pping reverberated, destroying all the new transmission arrays that appeared.


    The silhouettes of the security mages who had yet to step out of those arrays distorted and vanished in the blink of an eye.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You¡ª!"


    The security personnel saw that the mage in white had disrupted the array transmissions, which should have allowed the security mages on standby toe. But what shocked him and the rest of the mages and security personnel nearby was how the mage in white did it by just pping his hands.


    "As expected, it''s not going to be easy."


    All those who heard the mage in white spoke were shocked to hear a woman''s voice. They did not expect the mage in white to be a woman. The mage''s gender could not be discerned easily because of the oversized hood. However, now that they heard her speak, the telltales of her gender became apparent.


    A transmission array appeared beneath the white mage''s feet, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared. The transmission arrays she summoned also disappeared.


    The mage in white appeared and disappeared like a passing wind that everyone there was left dumbfounded.


    "W-What the hell...?"


    "J-Just, who was that mage?"


    "What just happened?"


    The mages that got transported to the back voiced their bewilderment.


    On the other hand, the reaction of the Junction Port''s security was different. They immediately dispatched all security mages that were on standby while recalling those who disappeared without a trace.


    Moreover, the head of security personnel at the portal areamended their security protocol in such cases.


    Since the disturbance happened at the front of the portal area, most of their forces were gathered there to investigate the female mage in white.


    The mages that failed to enter the portal area were peeved that they got detained. Although they were not with the female mage, they were still considered witnesses and had to be questioned.


    To be honest, there was not much point in questioning them. But since it was part of their protocol, they had to oblige.


    The mages could not refute it either because if they did, they might be banned from all Junction Ports, and they did not want that to happen.


    While most of the security personnel at the portal area investigated the area where the female mage in white had appeared, the security personnel stationed around the portal area stayed in position. Earlier, they almost appeared bored. But after themotion at the front side, their countenance changed, and their vignce increased.


    Meanwhile, the female mage in question had already slipped inside the portal area without anyone noticing. In fact, there were mages and security personnel inside the portal area who were aroused at what had just happened. But because they were focused on the front, they failed to notice a figure appearing just behind a pir.


    Kyran did not bother to readjust the settings of his coat and face-altering mask. There was no need, because he was not done with creating amotion.


    As for how he managed to slip inside without being seen, it was simple. He took advantage of the portal area''s array formation''s activation.


    He observed the shifting of the forms, and once he saw one of the empty forms approaching a spot where security was down, he summoned a transmission array as camouge when, in fact, he disappeared not through that but by teleporting through that empty form and inside the portal area.


    Security outside the portal area increased, but that did not mean that security inside had decreased. In fact, it doubled, with security personnel roaming around the walls and inspecting every nook and cranny in case someone tried to slip in while they were busy investigating the outside.


    Some of the security personnel also checked on the mages who already passed the security checks at the front just to be sure.


    Kyran made his way through the crowd, avoiding the security personnel inspecting the people. He did not dally and made a beeline for the nearest portal he found.


    "Excuse me, may I see your documents please?"


    One of the security personnel who had just finished checking a mage''s documents approached Kyran.


    Kyran ignored the personnel and kept walking toward the portal.


    "Stop right there!"


    Sensing that something was amiss, the security personnel shouted after Kyran.

 Chapter 1106: Chase (20)

    Kyran ignored the security personnel and instead picked up his pace.


    At the security personnel''s shout, all eyes, both mages and security personnel, were suddenly fixed on Kyran and his pursuer.


    Since the objective of the security personnel inside the portal area was to ensure that every mage inside had approved documents, their vignce was not as fierce as those outside.


    Nheless, that did not mean that they could not react to unexpected situations.


    As if a spell had been cast, the other security personnel and mages alike reacted instantly to the sight of the security personnel shouting at someone who seemed to be rushing toward a portal.


    The security personnel''s reaction was reasonable. They reacted simply because it was part of their responsibility. However, the mages reacted because they were displeased by the idea that someone wanted to take advantage of the inspection to slip past the security and enter the portal.


    It went without saying that every mage inside the portal area had important matters to attend to. Nheless, to avoid getting banned in the Junction Port, they willingly abided by the inspection.


    s, there was one who did not share the same sentiment as most of them, and that annoyed them more.


    "Hey!"


    One of the mages who had just finished getting inspected stepped out of his line and summoned his staff.


    Magic arrays and smaller arrays alike appear around him. The magic array was summoned by the mage, while the array came from the portal area''s huge array formation of the portal area.


    The arrays did nothing but observe the mage''s movement. Apparently, those arrays were observation arrays that determined whether the mage was about to summon an offensive spell or had thoughts of creating trouble.


    "You are asked to stop¡ª!"


    Bam!


    Even before the mage couldplete what he was saying, the mage in white disappeared from his field of vision. After that, he felt a solid object akin to a sledgehammer mmed on his left torso.


    "Guak!"


    The mage was taken by surprise and was thrown to the side toward a crowd that had yet to be re-inspected.


    As soon as the observation arrays detected the movement, its golden hue color turned reddish, and an rm resounded.


    The security personnel moved into a formation at once, theirmunication devices attached to their ears red with instructions.


    The crowd of mages either moved to the side or took out their magic weapons. The former were those who did not want to get in the way, while thetter were those who wanted to assist the security personnel in any way they could.


    While all these things were happening, another array appeared before the female mage in white. Unfazed about the movements around, she stepped into the array and, in the blink of an eye, arrived directly at the portal she was aiming for.


    However, rune writings appeared on the ground five meters in diameter around the portal.


    Following that, a metal-like door emerged from the space above and below the portal.


    It seemed the head security personnel inside the portal area had already activated another security measure that prevented unauthorized entry to a portal.


    Moreover, transmission arrays started to appear around the portal the female mage was aiming for.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran''s lips.


    He was aware of the security measures ced on each portal and which forms in the portal area''s array formation would activate in certain situations.


    In fact, when he punched the mage who tried to stop his advance, he expected the observation arrays to change color and trigger the main array formation''s rm. Violence inside the portal area was one of the triggers that he saw on the formation earlier.


    Others might find it strange that Kyran was doing all this when it could have ended with him getting caught.


    But if they were aware of the time gap on each activation sequence of the array formation, they would realize that all of these were only preparation for what he was truly aiming for.


    Security mages stepped out from the transmission arrays, their magic weapons aimed at Kyran, who was the ''female mage in white.''


    Fooom!


    Magic arrays surrounded Kyran, their color a hint of green, made him smile wryly.


    Though the runes used on the magic arrays were different from the ones used in the Lower Realm, they were clearly Restraining magic.


    It appeared that rather than taking him out cold, they chose to restrain him. This was not that surprising. If it had been him, he would have done the same thing because he would have wanted to interrogate the intruder.


    But unlike them, Kyran would have used a different method to restrain the intruder. Rather than using Restraining magic, he would knock them out cold and make them wear anti-magic stones.


    The wristbands on Kyran''s hands glowed, and a force, akin to a shockwave, erupted from him. Following this, the Restraining magic that the security mages summoned was shattered as easily as a fragile ss.


    The security mages'' eyes widened in surprise. Nheless, they did not lose theirposure, and instead, one group summoned Chain-binding magic while another cast debuff spells on Kyran and support spells on their fellow security mages. Apart from them, two security mages closed in on Kyran while summoning offensive spells.


    Before any of those spells could touch him, an array appeared right in the middle of the metal-like doors that were about to secure the portal Kyran was going for.


    It was another transmission array.


    "Aimed at that array!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One of the security mages shouted.


    The others did not need to be told twice because as soon as they saw the array, they immediately shifted their attention and cast spells ordingly.


    In the split second that they got distracted by the transmission array, runes emerged from Kyran''s coat.


    "That''s¡ª!"


    Two of the security mages caught sight of the runesing out of the female mage''s white coat and immediately recognized that it was a consumable magic item that allowed a mage to teleport.


    Before any of them could make a move, an array with an ominous reddish hue appeared right above Kyran''s head.


    Crackle! Foooooooom!


    Following that, a beam of concentrated magic energy fell from within the eye of the reddish array and instantly destroyed everything within its range.


    That offensive array came from the portal area''s array formation.


    When the security mages saw this, they shivered in fear and immediately stepped back.


    The other mages who witnessed the array insta-killing the female mage were also dumbfounded. They did not expect such a simple episode of not wanting to be inspected would end up with death.


    Then again, was the female mage''s vition only that?


    A few of the mages with good hearing heard from one of the security personnel''smunication devices that the female mage''s description was simr to the one who made amotion outside.


    It was one thing to have one vition, but two? Other than that, if the female mage was the one who made amotion outside and actually managed to enter the portal area even after the Junction Port''s security made a move, it posed a huge threat. The reason they decided to eliminate her in an instant was likely because they did not want that threat toe to fruition.


    While the crowd, security mages, and security personnel followed through with their protocols after dealing with the female mage, a transmission array appeared at another location of the portal area.


    Kyran stepped out of the array and scanned his surroundings. Because of the inspection, all of the mages were advised to gather near the entrance of the portal area. Apart from that, because all of the security personnel responded to the appearance of the intruder, there was no one left to guard the rest of the portals located at the back.


    ''It''s not like they have to guard the portals since each of them has their own security measures in ce,'' Kyran thought wryly, recalling the metal-like door that was about to close off the portal he was ''aiming'' for.


    In fact, Kyran did not n on entering that portal. He would not have made the mistake of getting caught in the middle of all that if he did. Besides, if he truly wanted to enter that portal, and for argument''s sake, he seeded.


    The Junction Port''s security would definitely inform the security on the other side of the portal about his unauthorized entry, and that ne would definitely be on high alert.


    Kyran wanted to avoid that as much as possible. Apart from that, he did not want to leave any record when he passed through the portal leading to the de Dancer n''s ne.


    The only way to ensure that his entry was not recorded was to influence the portal''s nature using the Void.


    Taking a deep breath, Kyran looked at the portal that led to the de Dancer n. It took some time, but at least he finally got in.


    With that in mind, Kyran circted the Void in his body and touched the portal. The portal shifted slightly, its bluish hue turning into a dark purplish hue.


    Kyran stepped inside soon after, and once he disappeared, the portal returned to its original color.

 Chapter 1107: Chase (21)

    Geir gathered all the executives and rising talents of the five de Houses inside the grandeur of the de Dancer n''s main mansion''s audience chamber.


    At the far end of the chamber, facing the north, a lone golden high chair was atop a tall tform. Lucian was sitting in that chair, and Geir stood by his right. Below the tform, just before the several steps, stood the five house leaders. Like Geir, their expressions were devoid of emotion as they stared down at the executives below.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lucian''s eyes were closed as he leaned on the high chair. He appeared majestic, with a faint golden light exuding from him. However, no one could express their awe because they sensed that underneath the majestic aura, a malevolent pressure was threatening to erupt, a reminder of his unrivaled power.


    Alta stood with the rest of the rising talents of the Sound House at the far back, where all the other talents from the other de Houses were lined up.


    Most of the rising talents exuded a calm and confident aura while they looked up front. While others who might have heard the reason for the congregation wore solemn expressions. The only one with a seemingly out-of-ce expression was Alta, who did not even bother to conceal her disdain and wore a cold expression.


    "Your Majesty, all attendees are present," Geir informed Lucian in a voice loud enough for thetter to hear.


    Lucian slowly opened his eyes and looked at the congregation before him. For a few agonizing moments, he simply wandered his eyes and observed everyone below. The room was filled with anticipation, each member waiting for his next words. Once he stopped, his brows furrowed slightly as he said, "There are fewer members than thest time.


    I thought I said I want every rising talent and executive toe."


    His voice was not loud. However, everyone present in the chamber heard him loud and clear.


    Cold sweat trickled down the side of Geir''s face nervously as he leaned closer to Lucian once more and exined, "W-We lost quite a few members from the recent tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients."


    The shock of the recent events was still palpable in the air, weighing heavily on everyone present.


    Lucian''s frown deepened, "I could understand the decrease in number among the rising talents, but even among the executives?"


    "T-That''s..." Geir stammered.


    "What?"


    "I-I... S-Some of them are still recuperating from a recent excursion in the n participated that the Solis n elders organized."


    Lucian''s eyes turned cold, a contrast to the warmthing from the faint golden light he emitted.


    "An excursion organized by my elders?"


    Lucian''s words were not a question. He obviously knew what excursion Geir meant and being reminded of it annoyed the hell out of him.


    The joint attack of the Solis n and others against the Dragon n.


    It was true that he ordered the Solis n elders to keep the Dragon n in check. However, he did not expect the elders to involve the other ns in that attack. If not for that, he could have covered the incident as a small misunderstanding between two ns under the same faction. However, because other ns loyal to the Solis n were involved, it became a huge mess.


    It even gave those annoying, sneaky, no-faction ns to take advantage of it and spread rumors about the growing discord between him and the Dragon Emperor.


    The atmosphere inside the audience chamber became tense upon seeing the Emperor''s mood turn foul. They braced themselves for his anger, but after a whole minute, he remained silent.


    They did not know whether they should be d at The Emperor''sck of reaction because, often, when he kept his anger in check, his eruption would be fiercer.


    "... I see. You may proceed."


    After a few minutes of tense silence, Lucian instructed Geir to start the meeting.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Geir faced the congregation and addressed them at once, "Some of you may have already heard of the reason you are being called here today. I will now give a detailed exnation so that all of us here are on the same page once we move..."


    After that, Geir exined The Emperor''s desire to wake Shiloh and Uilleam. He also told them what they had done thus far and how all attempts had failed. After that, he listed what they had yet to try and assigned each house executive, along with their rising talents, what to do.


    Alta listened to Geir''s exnation with a nk expression. It was unknown whether she was listening or simply did not care about what was being said.


    Behind her, a man with short blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a simr uniform, albeit for male members, leaned closer and whispered, "I heard The Emperor wanted to take Shiloh''s soul thread."


    The man wore an indifferent expression, but when he spoke, it was full of sneer.


    "To think that he was given an important task in thest hunt, yet he did not only fail but also ended up bing crippled."


    Alta''s eyes, which used to be nk, flickered at the man''s words.


    "In the end, you are the onlypetent one. I don''t understand why the House Leader has such high hopes in him."


    Alta did not respond. However, she clenched her fists to the point that her palms almost bled.


    "Well... it doesn''t matter. Once we find a way to wake him, the House Leader will have no choice but to stop giving him preferential treatment¡ª."


    "Salim, stop talking and pay attention upfront."


    Another Sound House member spoke from behind Salim, the man who spoke some undesirable words toward Shiloh.


    Salim snorted, but he straightened his back and did stop talking.


    Alta ignored the two behind her. However, she took note of them in her mind.


    If Salim knew that The Emperor had taken her soul thread, his ill-fitting words would have been directed at her rather than her brother. That would have been better because she could easily ignore them. But it seemed that Teh had yet to expose what happened to her.


    Not only her but also the other house leaders. Because if they had already exposed it to their respective house members, Salim would not have acted as if he did not know.


    Alta did not know whether to be grateful to Teh and the rest of the house leaders for not exposing her now crippled state. Regardless, since this was the case, she would take advantage of their ignorance and keep them in check after the meeting.


    Her future as a mage might have been destroyed now, but she was still a High Sovereign. Since Salim had yet to reach her level, she could still obliterate him.


    While Alta was having such thoughts, her Divine Senses picked up something, and her pupils contracted. It took all her willpower to stop herself from showing any reaction. If not, all the executives, the house leaders, the n head, and especially The Emperor would have definitely noticed something.


    ''How... Why... Howe Shiloh''s aura suddenly....?''


    Lucian, who had been quietly listening with his eyes closed as Geir continued to distribute tasks among the house executives, suddenly opened his eyes.


    He raised his eyes and seemed to re at a spot on the audience chamber ceiling.


    "Next, Philo, I want your group to focus on finding a Water mage. I''m sure there are mages with Water affinity among our visitors¡ª."


    Geir noticed a change in The Emperor''s mood and stopped midway through what he was saying. He looked at him in concern and asked, "Your Majesty?"


    Instead of answering, Lucian''s expression distorted. Soon after, a huge grin broke on his seemingly bored expression, and his eyes shed zealously.


    "Ah... To think that I''d get to find you so soon."


    "Your Majesty¡ª."


    BOOM!


    "!"


    "!!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    Everyone inside the audience chamber shouted in surprise when The Emperor''s body exploded with a blinding light and disappeared.


    Obviously, the explosion was not caused by a sudden attack. Instead, it was The Emperor using his own movement skills to leave the audience chamber and go to who knew where.


    Before Geir or the other house leaders could move to find the Emperor, thetter''s voice resounded in their heads.


    [Dispatch the de Dancer Mages and follow my lead.]


    Everyone inside the audience chamber except Alta knelt on one knee and responded, "We heard thymand and will abide."


    Magic arrays appeared one after another and enveloped the bodies of all de Dancers inside. Once the magic energies from the magic arrayspleted their cirction, all of them disappeared.


    All of them summoned a spell, unique only to the de Dancer and Solis n, called Light Walk. Using that spell allowed anyone who possessed the original Solis bloodline¡ª even if a little¡ª to traverse through a light flow that someone created. In this case, it was Lucian who created it, and everyone knew how to follow after hearing hismand.

 Chapter 1108: Chase (22)

    After Kyran entered the portal leading to the de Dancer n''s ne, he did not step out immediately because his exit would also be recorded.


    He might have manipted the entry log record of the portal at the Junction Port, but because that portal and the portal at the other end were connected through a magic path using entirely different Array Formations, information on every movement was being recorded separately. Thus, Kyran''s exit would leave a trace, albeit his entry point would have nothing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If someone from the Junction Port personnel saw that, they might think he manifested within the magic path like magic.


    To avoid leaving a trace, Kyran had to manipte the exit log of the portal at the de Dancer n''s end. This was also so no one would connect his illegal entry to their ne from themotion that took ce in one of the Junction Ports.


    Kyran might not know the internal security protocols of the ports, but he knew they would have to inform the ns about themotion that happened to one of their ports, even if the follow-throughs would be annoying. They still needed to protect their reputation and credibility, after all.


    Besides, they believed that themotion at the Junction Port had been resolved by the obliteration of the intruder. Thus, they likely believed the follow-throughs would not be as annoying if the intruder seeded in her plot.


    Another thing Kyran had to consider was that he, as the female mage intruder, was aiming at a different portal. He had to be careful not to involve the n that that portal belonged to.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran frowned the moment his magic sense explored the de Dancer n''s portal. It was fairly small, but he sensed a familiar magic energy circting within its array formation. However, there was also an oddity within it.


    Frankly, it would not have been strange for portals to emit magic energy resembling the Void because it was replicating one of its nature. However, portals replicating a Void''s nature were different from one drawing it properly.


    Kyran had a bad feeling about it and cautiously explored the de Dancer n''s portal. It did not take long for him to find Void runes mixed in with themon runes in the portal''s array formation.


    Apparently, the de Dancer n managed to find and even implement Void runes within their array.


    ''No,'' Kyran thought with narrowed eyes. ''It''s probably the Solis n who did it and shared their knowledge with the de Dancer n.''


    Either way, it did not forebode well for Kyran.


    If any of the ns under The Emperor knew how to read Void runes, it would greatly affect Kyran''s advantage.


    Although Kyran did not need to summon magic arrays when using Void Magic, it was a different case when he was using Array.


    Kyran recalled how The Emperor tracked him in the Land of Destion. Initially, he believed that the magic item or relic The Emperor used could detect magic energies even when one was concealed. The Emperor then recognized the magic energy as the Void, which was how he recognized Kyran as someone possessing the Void Core.


    But what if that was not the case and instead, The Emperor possessed magic items or relics that recognized the Void or even used it?


    Kyran always wondered if there used to be beings that possessed Void Cores. Kairos could not provide the answer to that because his knowledge was limited to the past tower Overseers'' knowledge.


    Kairos only mentioned that the Deity was the only one who could use the Void but the Deity should be part of a family or n too, right?


    If there were beings who possessed Void Cores before, then it would not be strange if they possessed magic items that utilized the Void. Those magic items then might have fallen in the hands of other mages after they¡­


    What?


    If there were really beings with natural Void Cores, what happened to them, and where were they now?


    Regardless, Kyran was d he discovered this before confronting The Emperor.


    ''Confront, huh?'' Kyran smiled bitterly, finding how absurd his thoughts seemed. He was aware that currently, there was no way for him to survive if he encountered The Emperor.


    Back in the Land of Destion, if not for The Emperor''s inability to use magic energy, the presence of a ck Hole, and Shaiha''s support in manipting it, Kyran would not have survived.


    Now that they were in the Higher Realm, with nothing to restrain The Emperor- whether it was the Lower Realm''s restrictions of the Land of Destion''sck of natural magic energy in the surroundings- Kyran was sure to be killed.


    Maybe not in an instant, but his struggles would likely be for naught.


    Kyran pushed aside those thoughts as that would only hinder his judgments. He looked at the portal, where he could faintly see arge receiving area with mages wearing the de Dancer n''s uniform.


    The Emperor was somewhere beyond that portal. Once he exited, if he had not discovered the Void runes on the portal''s array formation, someone from the de Dancer n might have discovered his presence after his magic energy resonated with those runes, even if he tried to manipte the portal''s exit log.


    If that happened, it would only be a matter of time before The Emperor arrived and captured him.


    Getting captured as a result was Kyran being optimistic. Worst case, The Emperor would outright kill him.


    Kyran carefully circted his Void magic energy and let it slip into the gaps in the portal''s array formation.


    He was truly grateful that his knowledge of Array grew exponentially after the trip to the Tower of the Ancients. He would not have been able to see those gaps otherwise.


    To ensure no one would notice the Void magic energy seeping out of the portal, Kyran utilized one of its theories: the Void is synonymous with nothingness, yet it can be anything and is everything.


    Others would not understand what that meant, but Kyran knew. Even if Can did not exin it to him, Kyran understood it.


    The Void magic energy blended into the magic energies in the surroundings. Kyran then directed it to the left corner, where no mages were on standby. After that, he carefully drew invisible Void runes on the wall''s surface.


    Beads of sweat trickled down Kyran''s face as he worked on the rune writings. It was easier to use his magic sense to write those runes writings at a distance, but because he wanted to avoid detection by those mages actively using their Divine Sense, he could only manipte the magic energy manually.


    Besides, Kyran had to be careful of the Void runes on the portal''s array formation.


    As Kyran got used to manipting the Void magic energy covertly outside the portal, he heard a few mages on standby whispering to each other.


    "¡­motion at the Junc¡­ ort near the far end of¡­"


    "Probably¡­ ne¡­ those indep¡­. bel groups¡­"


    Kyran frowned. Though he could not hear them clearly, he more or less guessed the topic of their conversation.


    ''Seems like the Junction Port has already informed the ns about the incident¡­ that''s faster than I thought.''


    Kyran had expected that the news of what happened at the port would arrive at the ns the following day or after half a day had passed. However, two hours had barely passed, and the port personnel had already informed the ns.


    ''They will not tighten the security around their portals, or will they?''


    As if to answer Kyran''s thoughts, one of the mages said, "¡­waiting for a decision to close the portal for safety measures¡­"


    Kyran could not help but curse under his breath. Still, he did not panic and continued working on the rune writings on the wall.


    Soon, three high-ranking mages arrived. Their uniforms were adorned with silver ornaments and the de Dancer n''s insignia, a golden sword pointing downward with engravings on the de in Ancientnguage meaning Sword of the Light, stitched at the back.


    Kyran''s frown deepened when he saw them. Though their uniforms did not indicate their ranks and which department or division they were part of, he sensed that all three were peak Sovereigns and instinctively knew they possessed high proficiency in Array.


    Kyran observed them while he continued working with the rune writings on the wall. Since he was working in a blind spot, he was not worried about getting found out. What he was concerned about was those three activating the portal''s safety measures and closing it.


    Kyran could not even warp out because the portal''s receiving area was the only ce he knew in the de Dancer n''s ne. If hepleted the rune writings on the wall, then that would be a different story.


    "¡­ as no visitors¡­ everything is quite¡­"


    Kyran heard the mages outside respond after one of the high-ranking mages asked a question. Though he did not hear what the high-ranking mage asked, Kyran more or less guessed what it was from the few words he heard.


    "¡­peror wants¡­ ere any Water mages¡­?"


    "Two¡­ ago¡­ couple arrived¡­"


    "Send me¡­eir¡­ cords."


    "Yes¡­ tain!"


    Kyran raised his brows. He was nning on infiltrating the de Dancer''s Immigration records to find an appropriate identity he and Leif could use. It seemed like these guys just gave him a good one.


    Now, all he needed was to take a quick look at the exit log in the portal''s system two weeks or two days ago¡­


    The high-ranking mage to the left shifted in his position and suddenly scanned the receiving area. His brows suddenly furrowed upon seeing something, and he said, "What''s that?"

 Chapter 1109: Chase (23)

    The others looked at the high-ranking mage, their curiosity piqued by the intensity of his gaze. They followed his line of sight in search of what had interested him.


    "What is it?" the high-ranking mage in the middle asked while inspecting the spot with his Divine Sense.


    The high-ranking mage on the left did not respond. Instead, he walked toward the left side of the receiving area and said, "Just now, the air around here fluctuated with¡ª."


    "Stop!" the high-ranking mage in the middle, who used Divine Sense, suddenly shouted after sensing magic fluctuationing not from the spot where the other high-ranking mage was fixated but at the portal a few meters from them.


    Krrsshk!


    "!"


    Boom!


    Unfortunately, none of the mages in the receiving area could react upon the emergence of five purplish lightninging from the portal simultaneously struck them.


    Foom!


    The shockwave that should have appeared after the explosion was stopped as a barrier activated starting from the left wall. It enveloped the receiving area before the mages inside dropped to the floor.


    All of them had fallen unconscious after receiving internal injuries.


    ''I only intend to stun them, but to think that attack works on them to this degree...'' Kyran was amazed that the lightning strike he learned after observing Auto-one was effective against these peak Sovereigns. He was convinced that the only reason his strikes looked powerful against High Sovereigns in the Tower of the Ancients was because of the location and the Tower acknowledging him.


    ''Or could it be that Lightning magic is the de Dancer n''s weakness...?''


    ording to the information he received from Oceanus, the de Dancer n were beings born from weapons forged by an ancient furnace emitting a divine light. If their true form was that of weapons, then depending on what material their body was made of, they could be weak or strong against Lightning.


    Then again, Kyran''s Lightning was different from Lightning Magic. He used the Void as base magic energy rather than Lightning, so the result of getting struck by it would be different even if their body were made with materials with high conductivity.


    In any case, Kyran had nned to knock them out rather than risk them calling for reinforcements if he got found out. Fortunately, the first rune writing hepleted on the wall was an Istion form. He activated that form at the same moment he struck the mages so the whole receiving area would be isted, and any explosion or sound that followed would not leak outside.


    The whole receiving area had be an independent space. Thus, anything that happened inside could not be heard or sensed from the outside.


    Not that it was actually necessary at this point when all the mages were knocked out after one strike.


    ''Does this mean that my Lightning strike is effective against the defenses of a peak Sovereign?''


    Kyran still could not believe this. In the Lower Realm, he was convinced that he did not have what it takes to fight on equal footing against a Sovereign. If he gave it his all and made full use of the Void''s advantage he could kill them, yes. But that would still depend on their magical and physical defenses.


    He killed Flos and Obstruction quite easily, but to be honest, he could not remember well how he managed it. The only thing that mattered to him back then was to retrieve Cyneah and stop the Fates from reviving Flos and Obstruction.


    ''...am I still underestimating the Void''s capability?'' Kyran wondered with a bitter smile.


    Putting aside those thoughts, he checked the conditions of the unconscious mages. After confirming that they did not have any marks or seals on their bodies, he left a mark on their souls using Dark Arts.


    This mark did not use the Void magic as its base. Thus, its effect and potency were inferior. This meant that the target of those marks could free themselves as long as they outpowered the mark''s influence.


    In any case, Kyran only needed to keep them in check for a few days, so he did not care whether they ended up freeing themselves after that. What mattered was that no one should know that he came there.


    ''Using the marks on them is not part of the n, though.''


    Since the mark was created using Dark Arts, Kyran had to prepare them beforehand. He seeded in creating 10 marks, and now he was forced to use five on these mages. To be honest, he intended to use these marks on the de Dancer house leaders or executives so he could easily bring them to his control.


    Resolving to use the remaining five marks carefully, Kyran took out saint-grade potions and used them on the five mages.


    After a few seconds, the five mages woke up and knelt before Kyran respectfully.


    "We greet our Lord."


    Contrary to what Kyran thought, using the marks on these five was not such a waste after all. All of them were Sovereigns, with the three being peak Sovereigns while the two, though lower, possessed magic energy above the average. Moreover, since the two guarded the portal, it would be easier for him to check who went in and out of the ne.


    As for the three peak Sovereigns, they were part of the de Dancer n''s military. They could be of help to Kyran in understanding the n''s military structure.


    "Which department are you three from?" Kyran asked them at once.


    "I am from the Array Research Division, Sergeant Ove."


    "I am part of the de Army Defense Division, First Lieutenant Hyior."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Also part of the de Army Intelligence Division, Captain Ramir."


    Kyran raised his brows while looking at Ramir, the mage in the middle. He already knew he was a captain from what little he heard of their conversation earlier. But he did not expect him to be part of the Intelligence Division.


    It seemed like what he thought of as a misfortune turned out to be a good fortune.


    Kyran looked at the two mages guarding the portal, "How about you two?"


    "Lord," the two lowered their heads and replied in unison.


    "Warrant Officer Auda, de Army Immigration Security Division."


    "Chief Warrant Officer ra, de Army Immigration Security Division."


    "Alright," Kyran nodded. He expected the two mages to be part of Immigration Security. Thus, he was not surprised to hear their answer. In fact, even their ranks did not surprise him since their magic energy was above average.


    "I want you five to continue what you''re doing and do not disclose my arrival to anyone."


    "Yes, Lord."


    "Take these."


    He took out an improvedmunication device in the form of a cufflink and gave them one each.


    "I will call for you when needed, using those."


    "Understood."


    "ra, can you transfer the recent entry and exit logs to me?"


    "It is within my security level, so it is possible."


    "Send them to me, but make sure to use this form before you open up the files."


    Kyran took out a special paper and wrote an Array Form before handing it to ra.


    "This..." his eyes widened in surprise as he inspected the form.


    Ove also looked at the form and was surprised after learning its effect.


    "That form will erase your trace on all information you viewed in the system."


    "How...?" Ove looked at Kyran. "Is it possible that Lord is aware of the de Army''s system?"


    Kyran shook his head, "No. But that form is constructed to work on any type of system."


    He did not say it, but that form would work on their system because the system used in the Higher Realm was based on the one created by the Ancients. It would have been strange if that form did not work.


    "S-Such groundbreaking form... as expected of the Lord."


    Kyran''s brow twitched. He could understand those he marked using the Void to show an unreasonable level of admiration and loyalty toward him. But the marks he used on them were normal by his standards. They would not be able to defy his orders, but their admiration should not have been affected.


    Moreover, the way Ove said ''as expected'' as if he knew Kyran''s Array capabilities was a little unnerving.


    They should not be aware of that, nor of his identity, right?


    Could The Emperor already know his identity and tell the de Dancer n?


    Impossible. There was no way for The Emperor to know about him. If he did, he would not be fixated on forcing Shiloh and Uilleam to wake up and take their soul threads.


    There was no point mulling over it at this point. Thinking this, Kyran pushed aside his doubts and addressed ra again.


    "Though that form will erase your traces in the system, the act itself cannot be erased," Kyran warned him. "Don''t get caught."


    "I will be careful, Lord."


    "Assist him when needed," Kyran told Auda.


    "Yes, Lord."


    "I''m leaving. Send the files when ready."


    "Yes."


    Kyran gave more instructions to Ramir and the others before exiting the receiving area. The rune writing he created on the wall was only temporary and would disappear in a few minutes, so ra and the others did not have to do anything.


    Before leaving the receiving area, Kyran changed his facial features and changed his coat to mirror the de Dancer n''s uniform. This was one of the enhancements he added to his coat.


    The hall outside the portal''s receiving area was empty, which was fortunate because Kyran wanted to avoid meeting others. However, at the end of the hall, he sensed quite a few people.


    The de Dancer n did not have any visitors that day, so those people outside were likely colleagues of Auda and ra.


    Not wanting to deal with the consequences if his cover was discovered, Kyran slipped past them, using a transmission array to move outside the Immigration Office.

 Chapter 1110: Chase (24)

    Based on the information from Oceanus, the de Dancer n''s Immigration Office was situated on a floating tform just outside the periphery of the ne''s defensive barrier.


    Its location was not surprising since mostrge ns had the same arrangement. Doing so allowed them to deal with unexpected situations concerning troublemakers entering their ne without the risk of them escaping into the city.


    This arrangement was particrly beneficial for Kyran. If the office were located in the city, he would have trouble blending in with the crowd immediately after leaving. This was especially true when he was actively concealing his aura.


    He was well aware of the presence ofrge Array Formations in every major city inside a ne, each with unique forms that could potentially expose him if he was not familiar with their effects. Thus, if the level of that array were high enough to detect his concealment, then he would be exposed the moment he stepped out of the office.


    Ogen n was a neutral faction. Though they were a medium-sized n, their information on the de Dancer n could only be considered so-so¡ª it was not as extensive, to the point that they had information on what the de Dancer n''s city array formations do.


    At least, if the office was outside the ne, Kyran had time to observe while blending into the space outside. He might have to deal with the ne''s barrier, but since it was outside if a worst-case scenario happened¡ª where his presence was discovered by The Emperor¡ª he could warp without having to worry about being trapped inside the ne.


    Kyran''s resourcefulness shone as he used ready-made short-distance transmission arrays to move from one blind spot to another. While it would have been easier to teleport, he was mindful of not leaving any remnant magic energy whenever he used the Void. So, he resorted to this move, a strategy that others might have considered a huge waste of resources.


    But Kyran, with his Void magic, was able to use only the magic energies in the surroundings to create them, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution.


    Of course, Kyran could not create the transmission arrays on the spot because that would leave Void traces. He created them during his free time on their way to the Junction Port.


    Like the marks Kyran used on the de Dancer mages at the receiving area, the ready-made short-distance transmission arrays he possessed were limited and thus, he had to be careful when using them.


    Kyran recalled the maps of the de Dancer ne from his memory and confirmed his location. Once he got a rough idea of where he was, he made his way toward the transport area where mages visiting the ne using transport ships were being checked.


    After observing the clothes of one of the visiting mages, who disembarked their transport ships to talk with an Immigration Officer, Kyran changed his coat ording to their uniform. He left his hiding spot, went past them, and entered their transport ship while nodding at one of the security mages checking a few cargo boxes.


    The security mage looked at him and nodded his head in response, not even realizing that he was not part of the visiting mages.


    After waiting for a few minutes, the visiting mages and their transport ship were given clearance and allowed to enter the de Dancer ne.


    Meanwhile, Kyran hid in one of the emptypartments at the back of the ship, which was close to the storage. He waited until the transport ship docked at its destination before slipping out when the visiting mages opened the storage to take out their goods.


    While Kyran was staying at thepartment, he discovered the visiting mages were merchants delivering imported Alchemy materials. To be honest, he was tempted to take some of their materials. But thinking of the aftermath that would follow made him stop.


    There was no point in having the de Dancer n security tighten their security in case of theft. That would only make it harder for him to move around.


    Kyran did not leave the port at once. He first observed the clothes of some of the walking around outside before changing into another attire. He also changed his facial features and hair color before blending into the crowd.


    After walking around the port, Kyran learned the name of the port he arrived at was Port Dusk. It was one of the biggest ports in the de Dancer ne located at the east.


    Kyran recalled the map of the ne he got from Oceanus''s information in his mind''s eye and remembered the name of the city Port Dusk was located.


    City of the de Chakram.


    ''This city is governed by the Chakram de House...'' Kyran recalled with a frown.


    It would have been nice if he arrived at the city governed by the Sound de House. In that way, he could gather information about their situation right away. But he ended up arriving at the Chakram de House, which was on the opposite side of the Sound de House''s city.


    In the end, Kyran decided to find a ce to stay first. He had to get Leif, but before that, he had to make preparations. He also needed to contact Shiloh and Uilleam and tell them he had arrived.


    It would have been nice if he could have extracted information about the current situation in the main mansion. However, they were supposed to be in aa and should not have been capable of moving around. The information they could get was limited to what the servant mages mentioned when looking after them.


    Kyran found an establishment that rents out a full-house lodging. He picked a house near the city outskirts, far from the residential district.


    The mage aodating him was looking at him strangely. But after seeing he was not a local, he dismissed it as Kyran being a socially awkward visiting mage.


    Kyran did not care what the mages around thought of him. He simply epted the map provided by the mage through his tablet and left after receiving the ess rights to the lodging.


    It did not take long for Kyran to find the house.


    The house itself was not that big, with two bedrooms and a connecting living room and kitchen. However, it had a nice porch overlooking a small garden. Since the house was rented out, it was maintained properly. It was also fully furnished, and Kyran only had to worry about food and other daily necessities.


    Of course, those things were not Kyran''s priorities. They were not going to stay for long anyway.


    Kyran entered the room to the right and started his preparation to bring Leif there. Since he wanted to maximize his time, he contacted Shiloh and Uilleam while working.


    But then.


    FOOOOM!


    Kyran felt a cold chill run down his spine as a frightening pressure enveloped the whole ce. He initially thought a powerful mage hade to the lodging without bothering to hide his pressure.


    However, he soon realized that the pressure was not affecting the lodging alone. It actually spread all over the city. In fact, he had an inkling that the pressure had covered the whole ne. He felt that way after finally recognizing the pressure.


    ''This pressure... it''sing from The Emperor!'' Kyran thought cold sweat trickling down his face.


    He stopped whatever he was doing at once in case The Emperor suddenly used his Divine Sense to see the everything in the ne.


    What Kyran was working on might not leave any Void traces, but the fact that he was creating a transmission array targeting a specific location might pose a risk if The Emperor felt or recognized it.


    ''Why is The Emperor suddenly releasing his pressure?''


    As soon as this question shed through Kyran''s mind, he sensed another presence that made his blood run cold.


    ''This... no way!''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    His eyes widened in shock as he looked toward the direction where the presence was slowly bing evident.


    ''Why is he here?''


    *


    The Emperor used his movement spell and arrived directly where he sensed the familiar presence. His face distorted as soon as he saw the silhouette of his prey hovering above the de House Inner City.


    "To think that you''de to me directly... Is it bravery? Confidence? Or, simply stupidity?"


    The figure hovering before him did not say anything. He only looked at him under his ck hood while the air around him crackled. It was as if a small movement from The Emperor would result in him using his magic to warp away.


    The Emperor narrowed his eyes. He only had a glimpse of his Void mage prey back in the Land of Destion because he kept on teleporting whenever he got close. Right now, he confirmed that the figure before him had the same stature as his prey. However, there was something different.


    The vignce his prey had shown back when he was chasing him was not there. Then again, his prey''s vignce might have been due to his life being in danger while escaping from his pursuit.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    One after another, the executives of the de Dancer n arrived and surrounded the figure in ck.


    The figure, who did not react when The Emperor had appeared finally reacted. He tilted his head, which allowed The Emperor and the others to have a better view of the lower half of his face.


    A sinister smile appeared on the figure''s face as he said, "It''s been a while. How have you been? Lucian."

 Chapter 1111: Chase (25)

    SCREEEEEECH!


    An ear-splitting sound, like a metal scraping on a metal surface, reverberated through the vicinity, shattering the peace and plunging everyone into chaos.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The de Dancer n executives did not go unscathed as well. Unlike the low-leveled Sovereigns, they managed to protect themselves from the sound''s effect. Nheless, they barely stayed afloat while covering their ears.


    Tap!


    CRACKLE!


    With a suddenness that left everyone breathless, The Emperor vanished, only to materialize directly in front of the ck mage.


    The Emperor''s movement was so quick that even the ck mage failed to react when he appeared and unleashed a fist, which was covered with concentrated Light magic energy.


    BOOM!


    Lucian''s fist connected with the ck mage''s torso with a force that could be felt in the air. The impact sent the ck mage hurtling through the sky, a mere speck in the distance within seconds.


    Lucian did not simply watch the ck mage; he dashed forward, following the path where thetter was traversing, and raised his hand. A golden orb resembling a small sun appeared above the palm of his hand. Small rune writings swirled around the orb and hundreds of shards made of Light magic appeared around him.


    With a graceful flick of his hand, the light shards flew toward the ck mage, who had yet to regain his bnce after getting hit and thrown.


    Before the light shards hit the ck mage, he somersaulted in midair and stepped on an invisible wall, breaking the momentum of when he was hurled back. After which, the air sizzled around him as the space around him distorted.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    KRSSHHK!


    Deep red concentrated magic energies emerged from the distortions and collided with the light shards like bolts of lightning.


    The collision of the red lightning and the light shards formed a spectacle in the sky, like fireworks at midday.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Following this, the de Dancer n executives also made their move.


    They exploded with powerful auras as they used Weapon magic.


    Several weapons that signify the de Houses filled the sky and also attacked the ck mage.


    "Extras should stay back and watch."


    The ck mage did not say those words aloud. However, his voice resounded in the air and was heard loud and clear by everyone within the vicinity.


    Following his words, red light spread outward within the ck mage''s body. The moment this red light touched the weapons flying towards him, they turned red and crumbled into clouds of dust.


    "Guah!"


    The executives whose summoned weapons were destroyed spat out a mouthful of blood. They suffered the repercussions of their weapons'' destruction. Those weapons were not simply molded into weapons after all; they were manifestations of their core.


    "YOU!"


    Lucian''s voice boomed like thunder as he saw the red lighting spreading out from the ck mage''s body. The ck mage before him was not his prey. Rather, it was someone he believed would never step foot in the Higher Realm ever again. After all, that someone''s n had been destroyed. This included the path they could enter to leave or return to the Higher Realm from the Lower Realm.


    "AZAZEL!"


    "HAHAHAHAHA!"


    The ck mage, who was, in fact, Ruin, burst out in manicughter as he lowered the hood of his coat. His red eyes shed as he gazed with such murderous intent at Lucian.


    "Did my presence confuse you just now? Your expression when you first saw me looks so much better~. Did I look like someone you know?"


    Ruin paused, his eyes glinted malevolently and turned his slight smile into a wicked grin.


    "...Say...like the human with the Void core, perhaps?"


    Instead of responding to Ruin''s provocation, Lucian''s magic pressure exploded, bringing not only the citizens below to their knees but every living being in the ne.


    "Y-Your Majesty! P-Please¡ª s-stay your hand!" Geir and the other de House leaders pleaded as they barely summoned a protective barrier to shield the executives and the citizens below from The Emperor''s pressure.


    The array formation on the City of de Chakram was also activated upon Geir''s will. As a matter of fact, all array formations all over the ne that protected the cities activated.


    Ruin''s expression remained unfazed in front of Lucian''s overwhelming magic pressure. However, that did not mean he waspletely unaffected. Hisplexion had slightly turned pale, and cold sweat trickled down his back. There were a few beads of sweat around the side of his face, but they were barely visible because of his long hair.


    "You have made the wrong decision toe here."


    "Yeah~? I don''t agree, though¡ª."


    BOOOM!


    A sh of golden light erupted from above, following which several pirs of golden light fell down, forming a circr wall as if to imprison Ruin.


    Ruin did not stay idle. He responded in kind as the space right next to where the golden pirs of light fell from distorted. Simr pirs fell on the golden ones. The only difference was that they emitted a blood-red glow that collided with the golden pirs.


    Sizzle! Crackle!


    "I am no longer the ignorant little mage you used for your own benefit, Lucian¡ª!"


    SCREEEEEECH!


    Lucian''s eyes shed as another ear-splitting sound shook the sky. This time around, the sound was far louder and powerful, and everyone nearby would have their eardrums shattered. It would have been the case if they were humans.


    But since the citizens and visitors alike below and the executives of the de Dancer n only changed their appearances to look human-like for better movement, the effect of the sound almost shattered their disguises.


    For a few split seconds, their bodies distorted, and their true form fleeted in between the distortions.


    Obviously, Lucian created that sound to filter or even make them forget Ruin speaking his true name. To be honest, he could have just ignored it since no one would actually dare challenge him just because they discovered his real name. However, there were still crazy mages out there who did not know better and would really dare.


    Just like Ruin.


    The sky continued to crackle with a frightening amount of magic fluctuation as Ruin''s red pirs and Lucian''s golden ones shed.


    Lucian was not one to stay idle. He raised his hand, holding the golden orb, and summoned what appeared to be a miniature sun.


    If Kyran were there, he would find them simr to the one Zuri used when she fought against Styx back in a friendlypetition in the Human ne. However, there were several differences between the two, and they were all huge.


    For one, Zuri only managed to summon one miniature sun. Lucian, on the other hand, summoned several miniature suns at a time. Second, the amount of magic energying from Lucian''s miniature suns was iparable to Zuri''s. As a matter of fact, the magic energy in Zuri''s miniature sun was akin to a small fire that could be extinguished at any moment.


    Inparison, Lucian''s were that of the me from the sun itself.


    Ruin''s expression faltered for a brief moment upon seeing Lucian''s miniature suns.


    He was not the only one, as the de Dancer n executives, Geir, and the house leaders also paled.


    "Y-Your Majesty!"


    Obviously, they knew what would happen if Lucian released those miniature suns. It would destroy not only the array formations protecting the cities below but also the ne itself. That was how powerful those miniature suns were.


    "I should not have allowed the Demon ne to fall that day. I should have obliterated it when it was still part of the Higher Realm."


    "Hot-tempered as always~," Ruin said with a yful smirk. Nheless, it was starting to show that he was not as confident as he appeared earlier.


    To be honest, he was barely countering the golden pirs with his magic. If not, he would have already made a move to stop Lucian from summoning those miniature suns.


    Still, that did not mean the situation was hopeless.


    There was a reason Ruin came there, and it was not because of Lucian.


    Lucian might be the object of his revenge, but he would not risk his life by showing up there like that.


    Right. He was not really risking his life, as he was not in his real body.


    If Ruin hade with his body, he would not have been able to fool Lucian.


    ''Right... this is not my body... which means... he would not stand idle and allow it to be destroyed...''


    "I don''t really care what happened to this ne~ but if you unleashed that spell, you will regret it~."


    Lucian ignored Ruin''s warning and raised his hands.


    "P-Please, Your Majesty! Don''t do this!"


    Lucian heard Geir plead from somewhere behind but also ignored him. After seeing Alta''s memories from the soul thread, he had been contemting how to get rid of the de Dancer n. However, he felt it would raise such a hugemotion if he dealt with them himself; thus, he nned on using them first by sending them to the Lower Realm before reducing them one after another.


    But now that an opportunity for him to obliterate the whole de Dancer n presented itself, there was nothing stopping him from taking advantage of it.


    He would get rid of Azazel and the ungrateful de Dancer n altogether.


    "Just think about it~," Ruin continued with a teasing tone. "Would I really appear here in my real body?"


    Upon Ruin''s question, Lucian''s raised hand faltered slightly.


    "Or did you already forget the presence you felt that made you mistake me for someone else~?"


    Before Lucian or anyone else could fully process what Ruin had said, the sky crackled as a huge distortion appeared overhead.


    Moreover, the magic fluctuation that filled the surroundings emitted an ominous sensation akin to a cmity about to happen.


    ''This presence¡ª!''


    FOOOOM!


    A faint purple veil covered the whole space in the blink of an eye, removing all forms of sound. In fact, it seemed to have stopped the flow of magic energy in the surroundings as well.


    Void Dimension.

 Chapter 1112: Chase (26)

    When Ruin and The Emperor shed, Kyran remained hidden inside the lodging on the outskirts of the City of de Chakram. He admitted feeling shocked at Ruin''s appearance.


    But more than Ruin''s appearance, what truly intrigued Kyran was the strange nature of his presence. It was like him, yet different as if he possessed two presences that ovepped with each other.


    Kyran would not have cared if Ruin had just suddenly exuded two different presences at the same time. There were a few methods of how thetter could have aplished that.


    A good method was if Ruin used an essence and allowed it to possess or integrate himself into another mage. The result would be simr to the state of Ruin''s presence at that moment.


    Another method was if Ruin devoured another mage and his presence to thetter rather than removing itpletely. This method was usually used by mages with loose screws to escape detection. To be honest, thetter method fits quite well with Ruin''s personality, and Kyran did consider it as the most likely method¡ª however, this was only if Ruin used the method with a random mage.


    The thing was, Ruin''s presence appeared strange because the other presence that ovepped with him was someone Kyran was very familiar with, and it made his blood run cold upon realization.


    His mind reeled at Ruin''s audacity, and at the same time, it made him angry at himself for not asking his whereabouts.


    ''Neo!''


    That was right. The body that Ruin hijacked so he could force his way to the Higher Realm by the Land of the Destion''s route was none other than Neo.


    Aki said that he, along with Kyran''s other creations, searched for his traces in both the Lower and the Higher Realms.


    When Cyneah insisted that Kyran was in the Higher Realm, True Void also agreed with her, which was why Ames agreed to take them to the Higher Realm when she decided to return.


    Kyran assumed that True Void and Neo came with Cyneah and the others to the Higher Realm. The only reason he did not meet them in the Dragon n was likely due to them searching for him outside¡ª much like how Cyneah and Aki joined the Tower of the Ancients'' hunt in hopes of finding his traces.


    Now that Kyran sensed Neo and Ruin, his previous assumption hit him very hard.


    Why did he assume that True Void and Neo were in the Higher Realm as well? Why did he not doubt why Aki was the one with Cyneah when clearly Neo was the first and mostplete among Kyran''s puppets and would have been able to protect Cyneah better? Why did he not question Aki where True Void and Neo were?


    No.


    Aki told Kyran everything he knew. The one who did not ask sensible follow-up questions had been him, Kyran. Chapter Explore:


    While Kyran''s mind was assaulted with all these questions, Ruin and The Emperor started a dialogue that made him stop.


    When Ruin and The Emperor exchanged dialogues, their voices reverberated in the surroundings, allowing most of the mages nearby to hear them.


    Of course, hearing what they were saying and understanding them was different.


    Most mages heard them if not all. However, few were able to understand what they were talking about.


    Actually, that was wrong. Rather than saying a few, the only ones who understood their exchange were the two of them: Ruin, the Emperor, and Kyran.


    Thus, Ruin''s meaning when he said¡ª "I don''t really care what happened to this ne~ but if you unleashed that spell, you will regret it~" ¡ªhad something to do with Kyran himself.


    Basically, Ruin warned The Emperor that if he unleashed those miniature suns and ended up destroying Ruin''s borrowed body, The Emperor would regret it because Kyran would definitely be pissed.


    No one had seen Kyran pissed before, but Ruin believed that it was a spectacle that he would not want to miss. In fact, there was a possibility that Ruin came to that ne and provoked The Emperor simply because he knew Kyran was hiding there somewhere and wanted to see how he, Kyran, would react if The Emperor destroyed Neo.


    All of these were Kyran''s conjectures at that point. Nheless, he was convinced it was close to the truth, given Ruin''s personality.


    Ruin''s personality was far too twisted for Kyran to understandpletely. Yet, predicting his moves and thought processes was also quite easy because of this.


    It was quite contradictory, but thus far, Ruin had done things that Kyran did not understandpletely.


    Ruin acted as if he wanted to torment Kyran before killing him, but he also did things that would help or save him. Ruin would say that he did that because he wanted to be the one to kill Kyran or because he was his prey, but Kyran found it too strange.


    In any case, Kyran was convinced that Ruin was aware he was in the de Dancer n ne and went there even though The Emperor was present.


    Ruin mentioned something like being capable of finding Kyran even when Shaiha''s concealment was in effect¡ª of course, Kyran did not believe this. Anyhow, Kyran believed that rather than using whatever skill Ruin had in tracking Kyran, Kyran was convinced that Ruin found him through Neo''s connection.


    Kyran had an inkling that Ruin only cared about making thingsplicated for everybody, which was why he chose to appear before The Emperor rather than observe what Kyran was up to.


    Kyran''s thoughts were further reinforced when Ruin asked The Emperor a rhetorical question:


    "Would I really appear here in my real body?"


    In the end, no matter how bold and grandiose Ruin seemed when he confronted The Emperor, he did that not because he was confident in his own capabilities and strength. Instead, it was because he had nothing to lose.


    Ruin would suffer heavy repercussions after his essence was killed in the process of The Emperor obliterating Neo and the de Dancer n ne. But so long as his real body was intact, then he would be fine.


    The logical part of Kyran''s mind told him to abandon Neo and escape from the ne before The Emperor unleashed his miniature sun spell.


    Neo was only a puppet. True, he managed to birth a sentient, but at the end of the day, he was still only a creation. Kyran had Neo''s programming recorded in his memory, and he could create him from scratch again. It would not be a problem. In fact, being in the Higher Realm and having more quality materials to choose from would make Neo''s body even more powerful.


    However, the irrational part, which was connected to his morality and emotions, did not want to abandon Neo.


    While Kyran was torn between the two thoughts, a sudden turn of events had him reeling in shock.


    A familiar energy spread out from above, and following that was the appearance of a purple veil that enveloped the whole ne.


    Kyran could not see it because he remained inside the lodging. Nheless, he was somehow aware of what was happening, and he knew what the veil was.


    It might appear simr to a Void Barrier or the Void Domain, but the range and the amount of magic energy contained within the veil this time was far too great inparison.


    Void Dimension.


    Kyran did not know how he knew it was a Dimension, but he just knew. It was simr to how he learned to warp the first time or summon the ck Hole when he barely knew what his magic could do.


    The knowledge of the Void Dimension came from the experience left by his predecessor.


    Surprisingly, Kyran sensed that this experience did note from Can.


    Moreover, the Void Dimension that covered the whole ne was not his doing.


    It was summoned by someone else¡ª someone far more powerful and knowledgeable about the Void than Kyran!


    ''Who...?''


    *


    Lucian''s expression turned solemn upon seeing the purple veil covering the sky. He was aware that the veil covered not only the sky where he was but the whole ne. Nheless, there was no fear nor panic reflected in his eyes.


    Contrary to the calm Lucian exuded, Geir and the rest of the de Dancer executives and house leaders with him had already fallen in despair.


    Geir, in particr, was already aware of The Emepror''s n to destroy the de Dancer n. Thetter was not even trying to conceal his displeasure with them after absorbing Alta''s soul thread.


    From this, Geir was convinced that The Emperor saw something from Alta''s memory that he should not have.


    Geir wanted to appease The Emperor''s anger by ensuring that his n did a good job in whatever task he gave them. It would be impossible to make The Emperor ce his trust in their n again, but at the very least, they would not be destroyed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    s, everything went downhill the moment that ck mage appeared. And now, it appeared that their inevitable demise was fast approaching.


    "You... Who are you?" Lucian demanded as he looked at a specific spot in the sky.


    No one answered his question. Instead, the spot he was looking at crackled, and the space split in two.


    An eye, very much like Kyran''s when he was using Void magic, peered from within and gazed down at Lucian.

 Chapter 1113: Chase (27)

    Kyran fell to his knees as an intense burning sensation crushed his senses. Following this, Shaiha made a whirring sound akin to a siren wailing in an emergency.


    Since Shaiha could not manifest in human form, she could onlymunicate with Kyran through whirring sounds, as in the Lower Realm. Nevertheless, it was easy to realize from how her multi-colored body was radiating and shaking how much she was panicking at the moment.


    It was obvious why she was in such a state becauserge cracks appeared on the surface of Kyran''s Void Core soon after the Void Dimension dominated the whole space.


    Just when Kyran thought the cracks on his Void core could not get any worse, the Void magic energy that swirled inside started to leak outside his sea of consciousness and was affecting his other magic cores.


    Shaiha emitted a blinding light and did her best to contain the leaking Void magic energy. Unfortunately, because of the Void''s nature, whenever her light reached it, it turned into nothingness. Moreover, when she tried to adapt her energy into something that would fit the Void, its devouring nature appeared, and her energy was absorbed.


    "Aaargggh...!"


    Chapter Explore:


    Kyran let out a muffled scream as the effects of the Void core''s cracks started to appear on his physical body. His skin was torn, and dark, purplish steam seeped out from within.


    To be honest, Kyran would have gotten used to the pain of the dark, purplish steaming out of his torn skin. Unfortunately, he had to suffer the pain of having his skin torn time and again as his improved body''s high regeneration continued to restore his skin.


    Shaiha continued to emit whirring sounds.


    Before, Kyran could easily discern what she wanted to say, but because he was barely keeping himself conscious of the cycle of pain his body was undergoing, he had no way of understanding what she was trying to say.


    As a matter of fact, Kyran did not even notice Shaiha''s whirring sounds. He was in so much agony that nothing else was registering in his mind apart from the hellish pain.


    *n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lucian''s expression remained calm as he stared back at the eye that peered at him through the space fissure.


    Geir and the rest of the de Dancer executives and house leaders, on the other hand, reeled back in fear. The immense pressureing from the eye within the fissure was too much for them. Their defenses as High Sovereigns could not even stand against its overwhelming amount of magic energy.


    "...You are not the ck mage I met in the Land of Destion," Lucian continued as he calmly gazed at the eye. "That human barely knew how to use the Void..."


    His eyes narrowed as an intense light of zeal covered his pupils. Following that, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    "...But you are different. You know how to use the Void... Who are you...?"


    Before he could finish what he was saying, a soundless pressure fell down from above as if wanting to crush anything and everything below.


    Geir and the rest of the de Dancer executives and house leaders spat out a mouthful of blood, their magic defenses shattering upon contact with the pressure.


    Surprisingly, the array formation in the cities did not seem to be affected by the pressure. Although the mages below, who did not escape or take cover and decided to watch the confrontation happening above, still felt the intensity of the pressure. They felt their insides churn, but at most, they only fell on their knees from the pressure''s attack.


    Lucian did not take his eyes off the eye peering from the fissure. However, he still noticed that apart from him, Geir, and the other de Dancer n members, none of the mages below was affected by the pressure the same way as they were.


    Lucian did not spit out blood like Geir and the rest. But he still felt a slight sting on his skin.


    "It seems you do not want to indulge my curiosity..." he started as his magic energy started to rise amidst the influence of the Void Dimension.


    To be honest, apart from the overwhelming pressure that seemed to affect Lucian, Geir, and the rest of the de Dancers, Lucian could notprehend what the Void Dimension''s effect was.


    Normally, when a mage summoned a Dimension, that mage set certain rules within the Dimension''s influence and overwhelmed the mages inside.


    In this regard, the Void Dimension''s overwhelming pressure could be said to be doing just that. But if that were the only effect it had, then Lucian would be disappointed. Besides, apart from feeling a stinging sensation on his skin, he was barely affected by it.


    He did admit feeling shocked by the Void Dimension and the eyes within the fissure''s appearance. But this should not be all there was to it, right?


    Lucian looked at Ruin and said, "What kind of plot are you cooking, Azazel? Where did you find this being?"


    Ruin, who had stood back after the Void Dimension covered the whole space, smiled innocently at Lucian and replied, "Whatever are you saying? I did not find this guy... rather, he followed me?"


    His expression then turned sober as his smile disappeared, "But even in front of an Ancient Magic user''s Dimension, you appear calm. You can even rouse your magic energy even when inside the influence of another mage''s Dimension."


    "You say some amusing things, Azazel. Did you think that the appearance of a being possessing Ancient Magic will deter me?"


    As Lucian said this, his magic pressure erupted once more, and the Void Dimension that covered the whole surroundings trembled.


    Even the eye that peered from the fissure narrowed as if the being behind it was surprised at Lucian''s strength.


    "I am the most powerful mage in the Higher Realm. Do not belittle my authority."


    The light of zeal contained within Lucian''s pupil exploded as his whole body emitted a blinding light.


    Geir and the rest of the de Dancer members paled upon seeing this.


    "Y-Your Majesty, please!"


    They tried to plead with him yet again.


    But.


    "Divinity Form."


    Lucian''s voice was gentle. Yet it shook the whole ne and shattered the Void Dimension in one fell swoop.


    Ruin''s eyes widened in shock, and he immediately summoned his borrowed body''s energy. A spherical magic barrier powered by Void magic energy appeared around him, protecting himself from the explosion of magic aura and pressureing from Lucian''s release of his true form.


    Geir and the rest of the de Dancer members also released their true form and used their treasures to distance themselves from Lucian.


    The space around Lucian crackled and shattered as his body, which was covered in divine light, grew in size.


    Cracks also appeared in the cities below as the array formations, unaffected by the Void Dimension''s pressure, shattered like fragile sses.


    Bodies of low-level Sovereigns that did not take cover or escape burst from the intensity of the magic energying out of Lucian''s true form.


    Geir, the de Dancer executives, and the house leaders returned to the main mansion and activated its Grand Array Formation. Although they already knew it would be futile to defend against The Emperor''s pressure now that he had unleashed his true form, they still held on to the hope that they could save even a fifth of their n members.


    At that point, Geir, along with most of the executives and house leaders, had already given up trying to save the whole ne. What mattered to them was allowing some of their members to survive. They would likely be removed under the Solis n''s faction, but that was fine.


    As Lucian''s body continued to grow, the eye peering out from the fissure appeared to be looking at something. Its pupils constricted and trembled. But the next moment, it turned tranquil as the sea as its trembling earlier had been an illusion.


    Following this, the eye started to close, and the fissure responded by shrinking.


    "You are not getting anywhere!"


    Lucian''s voice boomed like thunder as a streak of light shed toward the shrinking fissure.


    The space at which the light passed through was split apart, creating a distortion. Thend and sea below were no better as they split and were destroyed by the pressure from the streak of light.


    FOOOM!


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    However, a dark purple magic array appeared right in the middle of the path where the streak of light was passing through.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    The streak of light collided with the magic array and the space crackled at the amount of magic fluctuation from the two magic energies.


    By then, Lucian''s body had already grown to the size that engulfed a quarter of the ne.


    Seeing that his magic attack would be countered by the magic array, he reached out a hand that was covered in divine light and crushed the space around the fissure.


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    BOOOM!


    A massive explosion urred as the magic array, along with the fissure, exploded from Lucian''s hand.


    The amount of magic energy that erupted from the collision was too much for the ne to handle, and thend, sea, and sky shattered.


    A blinding light followed as a quarter of the ne was destroyed in that small impact.


    The shockwave that followed from that collision spread out, destroying the rest of the cities and killing all the mages that failed to escape. In fact, there were those who tried to hide and were still escaping that got caught by the aftershock and killed in an instant.


    Meanwhile, Geir, the executes, and house leaders waited as the shockwave approached the main mansion.


    With bated breaths, they awaited for their fate.


    CRAAAASH!


    The Grand Array Formation could not even withstand the aftershock''s intensity was shattered in an instant.

 Chapter 1114: Chase (28)

    A transport ship from one of the neutral merchant ns in the Higher Realm hovered a few thousand kilometers from the de Dancer n''s Immigration Office.


    The n it belonged to owned a ne a few hundred million miles from the de Dancer n, which was why they could easily travel there without using the portals from a Junction Port. Besides, they carriedrge crates full of merchandise that could not be quickly cleared in the ports. Thus, it was best to go to the de Dancer ne directly.


    With a trade history spanning hundreds of years, the merchant n had established not just a rtionship with the de Dancer n but a deep and enduring bond of trust and mutual benefit. This history of stability and reliability meant that their documents were usually approved faster than those of neers or those yet to establish a good rtionship.


    Nevertheless, their entry took time to approve because the Immigration Office''s port needed to be prepared so the merchant n''s merchandise could be checked properly.


    "Is there still no response?"


    A middle-aged man with light brown hair dressed in a dark red coat over a golden breastte sat on the captain''s seat inside the merchant n''s transport ship. His light blue eyes were fixed on the monitor that disyed the closed port of the Immigration Office.


    Even without knowing who the man was, it was easy to guess that he had a high status in the merchant n from the air of nobility he exuded.


    A thin young male mage in light gray robes holding a tablet stood beside the middle-aged man and scratched his head anxiously upon hearing thetter''s question.


    "Err... we have not heard anything from the officer yet. The status of our submitted documents is still showing as under review."


    "We sent those d*mn documents four hours ago! Usually, they approve them after half an hour!"


    "Y-Yes. However, because of what happened at one of the Junction Ports¡ª."


    "Ugh! That annoying b*stard! Why did he have to pick today to make a scene?"


    The news of what happened at one of the Junction Ports was already known to every n in the Higher Realm. Because of this, every n that agreed to connect their portal in the Junction Ports decided to either close their immigration office for the day or tighten their security.


    Apparently, the de Dancer n opted to close entry to their ne through the Junction Port route. However, because they could not close off their nepletely, especially to those merchants, because it would significantly affect their rtionships and the economy of their ne, they decided to continue epting transport ships.


    The approval of their entry took longer because of the tightened security, but at least they would not suffer such significant losses.


    "Uhmm... ording to the Junction Port management''s statement, the intruder was a female mage..."


    The middle-aged man paused momentarily upon hearing the young mage''s response. He initially thought thetter''s response did not make sense, but as he finally understood the connotation behind the young mage''s response, he looked at him with a deadpan expression.


    The young mage immediately sensed the drop in the cabin''s temperature and hastily said, "O-Of course, the intruder''s gender is unimportant. Y-You may call that mage a b*stard as you please, V-Vice Deputy..."


    "...If I remember correctly, you submitted a request for a month-long leave, right?"


    The young mage started to sweat profusely at the sudden shift in their conversation. Obviously, the vice deputy head disliked his cheeky response and contemted not granting his leave request.


    "D-Deputy head, I deserve that month-long leave¡ª."


    BOOOOM!


    The aftershock that followed that unexpected explosion shook the whole transport ship and triggered its defensive array formation.


    Everyone inside the cabin held on to their seats or safety handrails as they braced themselves from the still ongoing aftershock.


    The middle-aged man was the first to regain hisposure. His light blue eyes trembled in shock as he gaped at the ship''s monitor that continued to show the de Dancer ne.


    "W-What in the world has happened¡ª?"


    A quarter of the de Dancer ne was destroyed, and its barrier shattered. Fragments from the Immigration Office that failed to withstand the aftershock after the massive explosion drifted into space.


    The middle-aged man''s expression darkened as he saw a massive silhouette covered in a blinding light emerge from the destroyed part of the de Dancer ne. The silhouette''s magic pressure was too much for any low-level Sovereign to withstand. In fact, because the grandness of the silhouette''s light was too blinding, any low-level Sovereign would likely explode upon seeing it.


    "W-What was that¡ª?"


    "All of you close your eyes and don''t look at the monitor!" The middle-aged man ordered everyone inside the cabin before they could examine what caused that massive aftershock.


    The middle-aged man was fortunate that he had just broken through the wall of bing a High Sovereign. If not, he would not have been able to survive the mere sight of the massive silhouette.


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man''smand, none of the mages inside the cabin dared look. Even without his warning, the oppressive, almost suffocating pressure they sensed in their surroundings frightened them to the point that they only wanted to cower to their knees.


    RUNNING IS FUTILE. I WILL CHASE YOU TO THE ENDS OF BOTH REALMS AND DEVOUR YOU.


    A resonant voice shook the whole transport ship.


    It went without saying, but the middle-aged man knew the massive silhouette had spoken those words. He also became aware of thetter''s identity.


    That massive silhouette could only be the Higher Realm''s most powerful mage: The Emperor.


    Following The Emperor''s deration, streaks of blinding light sprang out from his massive body and flew in different directions.


    The middle-aged man almost choked in fright when one of those lights suddenly appeared outside the transport ship. He then realized that the streak of light was The Emperor''s essence because of the simrity of its figure to the massive silhouette.


    SPREAD THE WORD. ANYONE WHO TRIES TO SHELTER AZAZEL AND THE VOID MASTER SHALL PERISH BY MY HANDS.


    The middle-aged man trembled in fear. Although The Emperor''s essence was merely looking at the transport ship, it felt as if he could see right through its walls and was directly looking at the middle-aged man.


    "Y-Yes... Y-Your Majesty."


    The middle-aged man''s merchant n was neutral. Nheless, he would¡ªthey could never defy the Emperor''s orders.


    After that, The Emperor''s essence became a streak of light and went in another direction.


    Silence ensued in the transport ship''s cabin after that unexpected ordeal.


    Apart from the middle-aged man, everyone inside was drenched in cold sweat. They were also slumped on the ground, losing their strength to stand. As a matter of fact, the middle-aged man would have been the same if not for the fact that he was sitting in the captain''s seat.


    "D-Deputy Head..."


    The young mage started, his voice quivering at the realization that they had avoided instant death by a hair''s breadth.


    "...S-Shall we return...?"


    "...."


    The middle-aged man did not respond immediately because he was still contemting the Emperor''s words. After a short while, he finally nodded and said, "Yes. Let''s return and make sure to¡ª."


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE!


    "!"


    Everyone inside the cabin paled as the space right in front of the captain''s seat split, and a figure in ck appeared. Chapter Discover:


    "Don''t just leave without me~."


    A handsome young mage with auburn hair and aquamarine eyes emerged from the crack with a broad smile.


    "From this day forth, I''m in charge of your lives."


    *n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Half a day after Kyran left the transport ship and entered the Junction Port, Oceanus, and Leif received news of themotion that had urred. They knew at once that it was Kyran''s doing and were torn betweennding there to check the situation or not.


    In the end, they decided to heed Kyran''s advice to stay put and wait for his return after a few days.


    A dayter, they still hadn''t heard from Kyran. This was still well within their expectations since he had said he would return after a few days.


    A few days could mean two, three, or more. But it would not take longer than five days or a week.


    However, by the evening of the second day, a piece of news shook the whole Higher Realm.


    A quarter of the de Dancer ne was destroyed. The fates of its inhabitants, visitors, and even the de Dancer n were unknown.


    The news did not sound good, and Oceanus contemted his next moves in case Kyran was behind that incident, and he was caught.


    If Kyran revealed the Ogen n''s involvement, Oceanus would have to choose whether to feign innocence or stubbornly stand by his side and rescue him.


    Rescuing Kyran would not bid well for the Ogen n. It might even spell their doom. But feigning innocence would leave a bitter taste in Oceanus as well.


    Before Oceanus could delve into the situation, another piece of news spread.


    The Emperor made a deration.


    About Azazel and the Void Master.


    Few knew who Azazel was. Most who did were those who fought in the war during The Fall. Thus, the mention of Azazel''s name did not elicit much reaction. But it was the opposite at the mention of the Void Master.


    Only one mage could possess that title, and it was not because a mage''s title could only be used by one.


    Void Master. A mage who possessed the Void.


    Following The Emperor''s deration, information about where and why he was missing during the Solis n''s attack on the Dragon n surfaced.


    Apparently, The Emperor went to the Lower Realm after discovering a human who possessed the Draconic Core. After that, he also found another human with the Void Core. Unfortunately, he lost thetter after he miraculously entered the Higher Realm.


    This information caused an uproar.


    No one knew whether this information had been uncovered by factions opposed to The Emperor or if he, The Emperor, had leaked it himself.


    Nheless, it achieved the desired effect, and those ns who wanted to receive The Emperor''s favor began to gather their elites to search for Azazel and the Void Master.


    Simrly, the rebels frantically contacted all the ns and tribes under them to search for them. Their reason was different from those wanting to receive the Emperor''s favor.


    The rebels wanted to shelter Azazel and the Void Master and support them in overthrowing The Emperor.


    This news and information spread in a matter of a single day in the Higher Realm.


    Oceanus became more anxious about his n''s fate with each passing moment.


    Leif, on the other hand, appeared calm. She could not put it into words, but she was not worried about Kyran.


    Finally, on the third day, after what happened to the de Dancer ne, she received a coded message from Kyran.

 Chapter 1115: What Happened Thus Far

    Inside a dpidated room resembling an audience chamber, a young man in ck coat leaned back on a highchair and looked at a middle-aged man with ash blonde hair in dark red coat kneeling before him.


    Like everything else in the room, the curtains, and the carpet were tattered with their edges roughly burnt. The ceiling high windows were broken, with faint light from the moon streaming inside and providing them with little light.


    The audience chamber''s current state had a huge difference from when The Emperor was the one sitting on the highchair and all the de Dancer n executives and elites were present. There was none of its majestic view could be seen.


    It was no surprise after how the wholend of the de Dancer n suffered from The Emperor''s power. In fact, the only reason the audience chamber was intact regardless of how dpidated it appeared, was because it was situated deep into the main mansion and did not suffer the brunt of The Emperor''s power.


    If one looked at the de Dancer n''snd, they would see that its periphery along with half of the five de mansions were reduced to rubbles. One could even see shattered bits and pieces of different kinds of metals, which evoked a sense of grief.


    Those bits and pieces of metals were what was left of the low-level members of the de Dancer n. Since their real form were forged weapons, they ended up in that broken state upon death.


    The young man and the middle-aged man in the audience chamber were none other than Kyran and Geir.


    How the two ended up together in that ce?


    To give a brief ount, it happened right after Kyran realized his n could no longer be carried out.


    Initially, he thought that as long as Ruin and The Emperor took their confrontation outside the ne, then he could still continue with it. But when another party, emitting the same magic energy as the Void, appeared. he knew the situation in the de Dancer ne was already out of his control.


    Kyran was forced to make a split moment decision.


    It was not an easy one especially when he was enduring the pain of his Void core breaking. Moreover, the magic energy that leaked out of it attacked the rest of his magic cores and Shaiha could do nothing about it.


    In the end, Kyran decided to use his Draconic magic to further strengthen his body¡ªinternally and externally, endure the whole ordeal, change the target destination of the transmission array he was preparing and activate it.


    The target destination of his transmission array was supposed to be inside the transport ship where Oceanus and Leif were waiting. But because of the sudden turn of events in the de Dancer ne, Kyran changed it to the room where Uilleam was.


    Kyran knew Uilleam''s coordinates because thetter gave it to him. He also gave the coordinates to Shiloh''s room and a hidden cave in the woonds near the de Dancer n''snd.


    The third location was supposed to be Kyran''s destination once he infiltrated the de Dancer n''snd, though he ended up unable to use it.


    Due to the urgency of the situation, Kyran did not hesitate in going to Uilleam''s location.


    Uilleam, who was also aware that something big was already happening from a distance could no longer pretend to be unconscious and started making his preparation.


    The alchemist who was watching over Uilleam was startled beyond disbelief when thetter woke up just like that. Uilleam ignored the alchemist and only made his preparation before waiting for Kyran.


    When Kyran arrived, Uilleam was shocked to see his paleplexion. But he could not ask what happened because he understood the urgency and severity of the current situation.


    Uilleam then led Kyran to the core of the de Dancer n''s Grand Array Formation.


    Some Sound de members saw Uilleam up and about and escorting a stranger but could not properly react on it. In the end, they could only stare at Uilleam dumbfoundedly as he and the stranger went to the core of their n''s Grand Array Formation was located.


    Kyran and Uilleam''s journey was not without suspense. When the two arrived at their destination, Alta was waiting for them.


    Shiloh was also there, and he appeared distraught because he did not realize his sister was following him.


    Kyran had ordered Shiloh to meet them in the n''s Grand Array Formation core before he and Uilleam made their way there.


    Alta was shocked to find the ck mage that escaped from her pursuit in the unnamed ne. The anguish she felt after her failure and how it resulted in The Emperor taking her soul thread gnawed at her at that instant and nearly consumed her.


    She wanted to attack. But like Uilleam, she sensed something big was happening in the ne and thus reigned in her anger. Truth be told, she was somewhat grateful of what the young ck mage did to her brother. If not for the convincing fake unconscious state her brother had been, he would have lost a soul thread already.


    Kyran could not be bothered to deal with Alta, so he let Uilleam and Shiloh fill her in. If not for the urgency of the situation, he would have preferred not to involve her.


    But Alta had been receptive of the current rtionship Uilleam and Shiloh had with Kyran and even vowed to follow his lead.


    Of course, Kyran did not trust her. But he put he set that matter aside and only focused on improving the de Dancer n''s Grand Array Formation.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Unfortunately, the confrontation between The Emperor and the unknown Void mage reached a sudden climax.


    Kyran knew at once that he would not have the time to improve the formation. At thest minute, instead of trying to improve or change the whole formation, he decided to add a new form.


    A form that would warp the wholend of the de Dancer n to a ce he set upon the formation''s destruction.


    Thus, when The Emperor''s power reached the Grand Array Formation and it shattered without resistance, the form Kyran added activated at thest second and transported the wholend.


    Before thend got transportedpletely, it still suffered a great deal and low-level members of the de Dancer n failed to survive.


    All of that did not matter though. What was important was that they were not annihted.


    By the time Geir and the rest of the executives, house leaders, and the elites realized that they survived, Kyran appeared before them while exuding an oppressive aura.


    Geir, the executives and the house leaders had just received fatal injuries after being exposed to The Emperor''s pressure thus they were unable to do anything but yield.


    Unbeknownst to them, if Geir exerted himself and attacked Kyran, he would have easily overpowered him because thetter was already at the end of his rope.


    Kyran used the remaining marks he had on the five de House leaders. As for Geir, he told him he would give him a chance to prove himself without the mark.


    Of course, what Kyran said was utter nonsense. Even if he had enough marks, it was unsure if it would work on Geir whose mage level was almost on par with Oceanus.


    Luckily, Geir''s character did not seem to be one that was good in plotting behind other''s back, which was why Kyran chose not to mark him rather than one of the de House leaders.


    So where did Kyran transport the de Dancer n''snd?


    It was actually easy to guess because there were only a few ces to which Kyran had been to in the Higher Realm.


    The Ogen ne, the Dragon ne, and the unnamed ne.


    Among these three, the safest choice Kyran transport them was the Dragon ne, the rational choice was the unnamed ne, and the convenient choice was the Ogen ne.


    Ultimately, Kyran chose the rational choice.


    Chapter Find:


    The unnamed ne was inhabited by powerful beasts and was within the de Dancer n''s jurisdiction¡ª or at least, two thirds of it. Besides, it was closer to Ogen n, which was a neutral faction.


    Kyran rested and allowed Geir and the surviving de Dancer n members to tend to their wounded and assess their n''s internal affairs. He appointed Uilleam as his Overseer, while Shiloh became his Aide.


    As the Overseer, Uilleam held more authority at the current de Dancer n. Geir was still the head of the n, but his actions were being watched and monitored by Uilleam.


    Meanwhile. Shiloh as Kyran''s aide, focused on rounding up the younger generation of the n. Another reason Kyran gave him that position was to ensure Alta would not do something stupid. Fortunately, he already confirmed thetter was quite affectionate toward her brother and only worried about his welfare.


    A few days after Kyran transported the de Dancer n''snd in the unnamed ne, he sent a coded message to Oceanus and Leif informing them of his whereabouts.


    And that was what happened thus far...

 Chapter 1116: Played

    Geir knelt before Kyran respectfully as he gave a detailed report of their Elite group''s first expedition around the surroundings where the de Dancer n''snd had taken refuge.


    Under normal circumstances, Geir would not have shown such respect, especially to a mage who appeared so young. The fact that he was treating this young mage with such deference was a clear indication of the pressure he felt from Kyran, a pressure that was no different from that of the Dragon Emperor''s aides. In fact, he even sensed a trace of the young man''s Draconic aura.


    Most of the smart and sensible members also sensed it, and that was why they chose to keep their mouths shut. They also knew that there was some truth in the rumor of a Dragon n representative being the one responsible for the recent tragedy in the Tower of the Ancients. They guessed that the Dragon n representative had been Kyran.


    Although Kyran''s participation was not mentioned by the surviving representatives, and they only testified of four representatives of the Dragon n; there was no telling if, like the Solis n and most of their loyal followers, also sent hidden participants.


    In any case, no matter what Kyran''s intentions were for saving the de Dancer n, he did save them from total annihtion. The could not ignore it.


    Kyran listened to his report while mentally taking notes of the beasts the de Dancer Elite group encountered.


    Simr to the ones Kyran encountered in the swamp, monsters in the surrounding area used Earth-based magic. The Elite group, despite the odds, bravely led the first expedition and was not at a disadvantage when fighting these rampant beasts. Their courage and determination were truly inspiring. It was also fortunate that none of the Sound House joined them.


    Otherwise, the local beasts'' natural immunity to Sound magic might be advantageous to them.


    "... they managed to secure most of the carcasses, and the Head Alchemist, along with the Alchemy Division, are currently dissecting them. If we are lucky, we can turn those beast carcasses into useful materials."


    "I''ll visit the Alchemy Divisionter and check on their progress."


    "I will inform the Head Alchemist."


    "There is no need," Kyran said, shaking his head. Then he said, "For now, let''s talk about the most pressing matter."


    His eyes narrowed as he asked the question that Geir seemed adamant about avoiding. "How many are voicing their discontent about our current arrangement?"


    Geir''s brow furrowed slightly. He hesitated for only a brief moment before replying, "Most of the conservatives are still unhappy. But rest assured, once they properlyprehend the weight of how you have saved our n, they wille around eventually."


    "I don''t want to deal with vague things likeing around eventually. Gather everyone voicing their discontent, and I''ll address them myself."


    Though Kyran did not change his expression or demeanor, Geir still felt cold shivers up his spine. The younger mage''s indifference was far more stifling than the Emperor''s obvious oppressive demeanor.


    "T-There is no need for you to step up yourself, L-Lord. I will see to the matter and¡ª."


    "I won''t question your capability, Head of the de Dancer n. You managed to maintain a good rtionship between the de Houses even with the ongoing rivalry behind the scenes, after all."


    Geir''s expression did not change, but he was somewhat surprised upon hearing Kyran''s remark.


    He expected thetter to have enough intel about the internal affairs of the de Dancer n since he suspected he was being raised by the Dragon n secretly, but he did not expect him to fully understand that it was the sole reason none of the de House Leaders had gone overboard with their hidden propaganda.


    "But the longer we left such vague matters on their own, the harder it will make the younger generation listen. At the moment, they only follow what their superiors are telling them."


    Geir did not miss Kyran''s implication, and he looked at thetter with a grim expression and said, "You think they will not heed my words as the Head of the n?"


    "They will, but reluctantly. I don''t want such emotion to rule over the n."


    "Pardon my brazen words, Lord. But... you have marked the House Leaders... won''t they receive appropriate punishment if they do not heed your words and allow their house members to run rampant?"


    Kyran tilted his head and did not respond. He only looked at Geir without a change in his expression.


    Geir found Kyran''s stare a little unsettling. Still, he got the message thetter did not voice and said, "I am sorry for questioning your authority."


    "The leaders of the de Houses are not exactly part of the conservatives. Besides, being superior not only applies to those with higher standings or rankings. The ones who can influence the younger generation do not necessarily have to be that kind of superiors."


    Geir''s eyes narrowed as he finally understood what Kyran was trying to tell him.


    The ones who could influence the younger generation were definitely the elders of their house, not the leaders. The conservatives were mostly elders who had been loyal to The Emperor for several hundreds of years.


    "Shiloh also told me that there are a lot of arrogant members of the younger generation. I want to nip the bud before they cause any major problems."


    "I understand."


    "Putting that matter aside, how is the construction moving around the mansion?"


    "As you have advised, we solely focused on rebuilding the mansion''s walls, and currently, 30% of the walls have been restored," Geir replied at once.


    To be honest, he knew that the reason Kyran ordered a group of elite members of the n to scout the surroundings was not only so they could familiarize themselves with the beasts and the terrain around them but also to ensure that the construction of the walls of the mansion was not obstructed by surprised beast attacks.


    "30%..." Kyran frowned slightly.


    To be honest, he would have loved to fix the Grand Array Formation while the wall''s construction was underway. Unfortunately, he had trouble using his Void magic at the moment because of the appearance of that unknown Void user. Moreover, the storage vault of the de Dancer n was destroyed.


    Apparently, there were several vaults around the de Dancer n''snd, and all of them were located quite close to the periphery.


    When Kyran heard that, he almost snapped at them for being careless. Why would they ce those vaults in ces that could be exposed to crossfire? Then again, he reckoned Geir or the previous Head of the n did not anticipate their array formation and walls could be destroyed easily.


    Apart from that, if a day came when someone did attack them, they believed it was easier to assist the vanguards if the supplies were close to their location.


    Regardless of the truth of why those storage vaults were located there, Kyran only had one thought.


    It was a foolish move.


    Anyhow, since there were no materials to use for Array Creation, Kyran had no choice but to have them focus on building physical walls for protection.


    "We need to move up the construction," he told Geir after a short pause.


    "We expect more members to recover in the following days. Once they are up and about, I''ll have them assist in the construction as well."


    "There is no need to wait for the wounded to recover. We have enough manpower."


    Geir suddenly felt foreboding upon hearing Kyran''s response. He obviously knew who thetter was referring to, and he could already sense an iing headache for the negotiations he had to do in order to make them work.


    "You don''t necessarily have to speak to them. I''ll do that."


    "!"


    "Since I''ll be meeting them anyway, might as well address everything in one go."


    "T-That''s true, but..."


    "I''ll leave the meeting arrangement to you."


    Geir sighed. It appeared his audience with their new Lord was now over.


    "I understand."


    Once Geir left the audience chamber, Kyran addressed someone who had been waiting for them to finish from the shadows.


    "You have put me in such a bad position."


    "Fufufu~"


    A muffled yet full of mirthughter answered as a figure moved out from the shadows and into a spot with enough light.


    A handsome young man with auburn hair and aquamarine eyes came into view and was smiling at Kyran candidly.


    "Would you believe me if I said I was 100% lending you a hand?"


    Kyran looked at the face of the young man with mixed emotions.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The face was none other than Tyr, but the one speaking was obviously Ruin.


    "How did you take control of Neo''s body?" he asked without even bothering toment on Ruin''s question.


    "By injecting my essence''s magic energy, of course~," Ruin replied matter-of-factly. "Don''t worry, I made sure not to destroy your precious creation''s energy core."


    His eyes lit up as if remembering something. He added, "Ah, but don''t worry. I can''t do this anytime I want. It just happened that your precious creation''s energy core was quite receptive to my magic energy being modeled to absorb magic energies in the surroundings. Besides, he birthed a very stable sentient. That made it much easier to take advantage of him."


    Kyran''s eyes narrowed, and they glinted in a dangerous light. Because he was currently in disguise, he looked like most mages in the de Dancer n, with golden blonde hair and light brown eyes. Thus, when his eyes glinted, instead of appearing silver, they appeared golden.


    "Get out of Neo''s body while I''m still asking nicely."


    Ruin''s face distorted slightly as he sensed Kyran''s rising murderous intent.


    "You know I can''t do that. At least, not yet."


    "..."


    "You should have noticed by now that what happened back there was out of your control."


    Kyran did not respond. But he did sense that something was amiss.


    "That''s right~ you have been yed~."

 Chapter 1117: Fates At Work

    Kyran immediately understood what Ruin meant when he told him he had been yed. He even knew who had yed him, and everything that happened thus far started to make much more sense.


    The Fates.


    They manipted everything that happened in the de Dancer ne, which resulted in Kyran failing to execute his ns.


    Kairos mentioned that Kyran was immune to the Fates'' intervention, and he had no reason to doubt the former. There had been instances where their well-woven paths were torn just from his appearance.


    Of course, Kyran did not know that his supposed actions changed predetermined fates. In his opinion, he was only doing what he could to protect his people and was unaware that most of his actions seeded because the Fates could not touch him.


    That had been the case with Flos''s and Obstruction''s unexpected death.


    After Kairos told him that he was immune to the Fates, Kyran made ns to take over the de Dancer n with that in mind. Unfortunately, he made one crucial mistake¡ª he was the only one that the Fates could not touch. The Fates could simply change the target of their maniption and could even try doing it in real time to prevent Kyran from influencing the fates of others.


    Kyran guessed that the Fates manipted the de Dancer n''s actions, and maybe even The Emperor''s and Ruin''s way of thinking, to create the sudden turn of events in the de Dancer ne.


    The Fates seeded in thwarting Kyran''s ns. However, his split-second decision to change how he goes about his objective in the de Dancer ne fortunately allowed him to aplish his goal even if he could not execute his ns.


    "Seems you understand what I am trying to say," Ruin said while raising his hand. ck mist formed around his shin, and he levitated. While hovering, he crossed his legs and used the ck mist as a cushion to sit.


    "To be honest, I sensed their influence when I met this guy," he pointed at himself, indicating he was talking about Neo. "I''m sure you''ve been wondering how I crossed the border that separated the Lower Realm from the Higher Realm. All I can say is that the Fates made that possible."


    Ruin was right. Kyran did wonder about that. But since he believed Ruin was working with that mysterious Void user, he presumed thetter was the one who created a path that would allow Ruin to cross the border, separating the two realms.


    As if he saw through Kyran''s thoughts, Ruin said with raised brows, "You... did you really think that guy can just waltz into the Higher Realm? The Fates can''t touch you, but not that guy."


    Finally, Kyran could no longer feign indifference as his brows furrowed.


    Ruin chuckled at the look of disbelief on Kyran and teased, "Ah~ Finally, a reaction. I bet you thought that because that guy can use the Void, he is also immune to the Fates Code. Eeeengkh! Wrong.


    "Being an Ancient Magic user does not automatically make you immune to the Fates Code. The reason you are immune is because of who you are..." Ruin''s voice trailed off, and he paused with a thoughtful look on his face, "I suppose that does not make much sense. But anyway, you''ll understand it soon enough. Besides, I''m surprised you did not even recognize that guy. Ah~ah...


    I suddenly feel bad for him~ He sacrificed himself to keep The Emperor''s attention away from you, and yet you did not even recognize him."


    Kyran''s eyes widened. He did not even need Ruin to exin himself if he gave such a huge clue.


    If that Void user was someone Kyran knew, only two names came to mind.


    Can or True Void.


    Between these two, it was easy to narrow down the choices further.


    Can was already dead. Even if he managed to survive, he could only be a remnant soul. Simr to the one slumbering inside the Void core. But Shaiha¡ª the first Soul Keeper¡ª confirmed Can''s death in every future she peeked into. Thus, he was already out of the running.


    Thus, Kyran was only left with one choice: True Void.


    ''That''s True Void?''


    Ruin was right. Kyran truly did not recognize True Void.


    To be honest, Kyran was frustrated by the realization because if he considered True Void, he would have easily guessed his identity.


    True Void could manifest into anything he saw. Kyran did not know how True Void staged such a grand stunt, but he was truly shocked at thetter''s presence when he confronted The Emperor.


    ''Was that True Void''s real capability?''


    "I admit the ripping of space and peering at Lucian''s move is brilliant~. I''m guessing he tried to mimic how I appeared before him and this guy in the Lower Realm, but how his eyes resembled yours when you use your magic was a very good touch. No one would doubt that he was truly the new Void Master."


    ''Lucian?'' Kyran repeated in his mind. He already suspected that it was The Emperor''s real name. But learning that Ruin knew it made Kyran finally ept the story behind La''s reasons for wanting to win the War of the Sovereigns and go to the Higher Realm.


    La and Ruin had a strange and ambiguous rtionship, and Kyran guessed that the two had some debts to settle with Lucian. La gave Kyran a brief ount of her story, but he did not know Ruin''s. However, from the short exchange he had heard during Ruin''s and Lucian''s confrontation, it was easy to guess that thetter took advantage of the former, and the ending was obviously not good.


    "Wrong," Kyran replied while shaking his head. "The Emperor was notpletely convinced that he was the new Void Master."


    Ruin tilted his head, raising his brows. He then remembered how Lucian kept asking True Void who he was, which made him furrow his brows. He then recounted how Lucian acted when True Void refused to answer him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lucian wanted the Ancient Magic Cores. But rather than trying to capture True Void so he could take the Void core, he wanted to destroy him.


    Seeing the look of realization on Ruin''s face, Kyran guessed his thoughts and said, "That''s right. He probably believed True Void was a manifestation of a powerful remnant thought... or maybe an illusion. I''m not sure."


    "But when Lucian made a deration, he referred to that guy as the Void Master."


    "True. But that is only because it is easier to give him that ''title'' to make his stance. At the end of the day, everyone will be on the lookout for a mage that can use the Void. Or a mage with that magic signature. Whether the one they found is True Void or me doesn''t matter."


    Ruin chuckled and leaned back, "Well~ it''s not like it mattered. That guy can just stay inside the rift while scattering Void magic energies in different locations to keep Lucian busy. Besides, you can hide your aura... no one will be able to know you can use the Void."


    Kyran did not respond. However, he looked at Ruin with aplicated expression for a short while before saying, "You are being overly friendly."


    Ruin pointed at himself and looked at Kyran innocently, "Me?"


    He then did a double take and lowered his finger, muttering, "Oh, this is not exactly my body, so I can''t really say this is me."


    Ruin chuckled to himself as if finding the thought amusing.


    "Now that you''ve delivered your message, get out of Neo''s body."


    Ruin looked at Kyran with a wry smile.


    "Such cold words. I already told you that I can''t leave yet, right?"


    "I know. You don''t want the Fates to track and manipte your fate. And because my presence alone can affect the fates of the people around me, you want to take advantage of that. But I don''t really care about your concern. Isn''t returning to theHigher Realm has been your goal? Now that you''re here, go about your business; I won''t stop you.


    But first, get out of Neo''s body, then leave."


    Ruin''s amiable smile turned slightly wicked as he said, "That is not how you ask for something, my cute little prey. Remember that I have this guy''s core as hostage. Like you don''t care about what I do, I also don''t care what happened to this guy''s energy core. I can make this body my own any time."


    Kyran''s eyes shed at Ruin''s threat.


    The atmosphere between them strained in an instant. Still, no one moved to aggravate the situation further.


    In the end, Ruin raised his hands as if in surrender, "But you know... I don''t want to burn a bridge before it is even built, so let''s be rational. Right now, since I need your immunity against the Fates and know I can offer something in return, how about we make a deal?"


    Kyran was still in the process of understanding how his immunity against the Fates Code worked. However, Ruin seemed to know more about it than he did. Judging from his words, it would seem that as long as he established his connection with Neo¡ª regardless of whether it was the person himself or his physical body¡ª he would also be immune to the Fates Code.


    But seeing how the Fates managed to observe and even manipte Neo and True Void''s movement, Kyran reckoned that their immunity was temporary.


    "I can almost hear your thoughts~. You know I can just exin how it works without you exhausting your brain cells."


    Without waiting for Kyran to say anything, Ruin started to exin.


    "Your connection with this guy and those in the Lower Realm has been broken after you stepped into the Higher Realm. That''s why you did not even realize they were nearby or even recognize them. If you want to influence how the Fates worked at their fates, you need to reestablish that. Unfortunately, that only works if you genuinely consider them your people.


    "Now that we are on that subject. You have to do something about the rest of the de Dancer n members. Otherwise, the Fates can use them against you.


    "Anyway, the immunity you can provide to others is limited and not as potent as your immunity. However, it will obscure the Fates'' observation to a certain degree, allowing them enough freedom to maneuver around."


    Kyran pondered Ruin''s words and thought it did make sense. If he could grant immunity at the same level as he had to everyone he considered his people, the Fates would have long done something to prevent that.


    "In return for granting me that certain freedom to move around the Higher Realm without the Fates'' intervention, I''ll help divert Lucian''s attention away from you. I can also provide much better intel. What do you think?"

 Chapter 1118: Zigor

    Geir convened the elders in a makeshift meeting room, where their discontent with the de Dancer n''s current situation was palpable. These elders, far from clueless about the reason for the meeting, openly disyed their displeasure.


    All of them were seated on a dpidated chair around a long rectangr, simrly dpidated table.


    If this had been before what happened with The Emperor, Geir would have already done or said something to appease them. He also might have opened the floor for discussion so they could tackle the situation ordingly.


    However, Kyran told Geir that he would handle it himself. Intrigued by the younger man''s confidence, Geir was eager to see how Kyran would deal with the elders'' discontent. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to the elders and frowned at once after hearing their discussion.


    "It hasn''t been a week since it happened. I am sure The Emperor will provide a good ount of why he did what he did if we just ask him."


    "What are you saying? The Emperor did not have to exin himself. It is our fault for not properly monitoring our defensive line and allowing such an enemy to infiltrate our in."


    "I agree. If not for The Emperor''s intervention, that intruder would have destroyed the n from the inside without us knowing!"


    "Hm... if you put it like that, wouldn''t it mean that The Emperor actually saved us?"


    "That''s right! The Emperor saved us. Yet, that... that... stranger had the audacity to im that he was the one who saved us? Such nonsense!"


    It would appear that the n elders were convinced that everything that happened with the Emperor was a misunderstanding, and Kyran took advantage of this to get the n to do his bidding. They even had this misconception that whatever the Emperor did was right and that they should not have doubted his intentions no matter what.


    An aged man with flowing white hair and a long beard that matched it sat at the opposite of the head table. Unlike the other elders, he listened to them in silence without voicing his thoughts. There were other elders who stayed silent, but unlike him, these elders appeared to be only waiting for something to join the discussion.


    He looked at Geir, who was at the right chair just beside the one at the head of the table, with serene eyes.


    "Head of n, you have been silent all this time. Are you alright?" the aged man asked.


    The moment he spoke, the rest of the elders stopped speaking. Besides that, a heavy tension befell the atmosphere inside the room.


    Geir looked at the aged man indifferently. However, inwardly, he was all nervous.


    This was because the aged man was the previous Head of n and was respected by all the elders.


    Geir was nominated as the new head based on his abilities and aplishments, butpared to the aged man, he could still be considered a youngling.


    In any case, the aged man only stepped down as the head because The Emperor hinted that he was already too old to lead the new generation. Since the aged man was very loyal to The Emperor, he listened to his suggestion and appointed Geir as the new head.


    "I appreciate your concern, Elder Zigor. I am feeling a little out of the weather, but it is nothing serious."


    "s," the aged man, named Zigor, sighed with such emotion and looked at Geir in concern. "I cannot me you for feeling that way, especially with the n''s current situation."


    Zigor''s eyes narrowed before he added, "Is there anything I can help with to lighten your burden?"


    Geir did not respond. After all, Zigor''s words were not a question but a demand that he, Geir, step down and let him, Zigor, handle the situation.


    "Burden? Are you feeling burdened right now, Geir?"


    Everyone froze as a deep voice spoke from the entrance. They turned their heads and saw Kyran standing there and looking at Geir questioningly.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No, Lord."


    Knowing how to act and respond ording to the situation, Geir responded respectfully to Kyran.


    Zigor''s expression remained calm. However, if one had observed him closely, one would notice how his jaw shifted ever so slightly¡ª as if he was trying his best to reign in his annoyance by clenching his teeth.


    Kyran took a step, and in the blink of an eye, he was already beside the chair at the head table.


    Everyone''s expression, with the exception of Geir, darkened after seeing Kyran''s movement.


    There was no need to ponder how he ended up there with just one step. Everyone inside had more or less encountered a Dragon n member before and was aware of their movement technique¡ª Dragon Step.


    As they suspected, Kyran was indeed someone from the Dragon n. And it seemed that he kept Shiloh and Uilleam alive with a conspiracy in mind.


    They had yet to know how Kyran intended to do that, but they reckoned that the intruder''s appearance had something to do with him. If not, then the intruder''s appearance might have pushed Kyran''s ns into motion ahead of time.


    Or, at least, most of the elders believed this to be true.


    There were still a few who had good heads attached to their bodies and had a different theory brewing in their minds. However, they could note up with a proper conclusion, so they decided to observe the situation further.


    Among thetter was Zigor. Nheless, he did not want to discredit the majority of the elder''s ideas. In his opinion, there was no harm in listening and considering them beforepletely discrediting them.


    "Then, there is no need for anyone to meddle," Kyran continued before darting an obvious re toward Zigor''s direction. Without averting his eyes, he sat down and leaned on the chair.


    "Or is there a reason you are willing to extend a helping hand?"


    Zigor returned Kyran''s gaze and smiled, "A reason? What reason would I have then to ensure the n can recover as soon as possible?"


    "If you want the n to recover as you say, then stop yapping your old mouths and acting like kids with a tantrum to get what they want."


    "You should watch what you say in front of¡ª!"


    BAM!


    "¡ªkuakh!"


    An elder four seats away from Kyran to the left stood up and pointed an using finger at him. However, before he could even finish what he was saying, Kyran raised a hand and made a mming motion. The elder ended up getting mmed on the ground by an invisible force.


    Creak! Creak! Crack!


    The two elders, one on each side of the elder who spoke up, broke out in cold sweat upon hearing cracking sounds. They did not want to check what the elder looked like, but based on those sounds, he reverted to his true form and suffered possible fatal external and internal damage.


    "¡ªOf course, I don''t mean you per se. I was talking in general," Kyran continued as if the elder''s interruption did not ur. He then shed them a smile that did not reach his eyes.


    Zigor maintained a calm smile on his face, but cracking sounds could be heard as he clenched his fists in anger.


    "You have quite a temper... very much like someone I know from your n. Right... I don''t know her personally per se because she belongs to a different generation. Nheless, she has quite a very... good temper."


    Kyran raised his brows, "You know someone from my n, do you? That''s strange. I don''t remember iming to be part of any n."


    His eyes turned into slits as he added, "I don''t care what kind of bullsh*t theories youe up with, but to speak so confidently about my n, are you that confident to bear the consequences of being wrong?"


    Zigor''s calm facade immediately shattered. He only said what he did because of Kyran''s actions just now.


    Apart from the movement technique, the move Kyran made to silence the elder just now was simr to the Draconic Force that Zigor witnessed one of the Dragon Emperor''s aides could do. Besides that, they sensed a faint energy simr to Draconic magic when Kyran moved.


    Yet, Kyran imed that Zigor was wrong to assume he was part of the Dragon n.


    Was he ying mind games with him?


    "Seems like you can''t. Good. I don''t need anyone who does not know what to say and not to say in front of others."


    Some elders balked at Kyran''s words at once. They were enraged at his disrespect toward Zigor. Did he not know that thetter was once a great Head of their n?


    However, after witnessing how Kyran silenced the other elder, they could not voice their discontent for fear of ending up like that.


    "While we are on that note, I''ll allow you to speak your minds now. Because after you leave this room and I hear something, even a little rumor, I''ll destroy you."

 Chapter 1119: A New Force (1)

    For a moment, the room was filled with a palpable tension. It was as if everyone had collectively held their breath, and the silence was so profound that even the faintest sound would have shattered it.


    In the end, none dared speak up. Kyran knew it was not due to fear. Most elders were only waiting for Zigor to decide their next course of action.


    As the n elders, they had a pride to protect. Even if Kyran threatened them, they would not simply back down. Besides, after he hinted at the possibility that he was not really part of the Dragon n, the threat he posed weakened significantly. Though he could use Draconic magic and could overwhelm them, he was alone.


    His stamina might be superior to theirs, but he would eventually exhaust himself if a fight ensued. Besides, fighting a battle with a huge disadvantage in numbers was far more exhausting, mentally and physically. Thus, they believed Kyran would croak faster if all the elders, the executives, the house leaders, and most of Geir worked together.


    That was Zigor''s aim before Kyran entered the room. He believed he could easily persuade Geir to side with them and n to retake control over the n.


    Regrettably, Zigor had not anticipated Geir''s swift allegiance to Kyran. Nor was Geir the only one. The house leaders had seemingly turned a blind eye to Zigor''s attempts to meet with them privately. He couldn''t help but feel a pang of disappointment at their cowardice in the face of Kyran''s mark.


    There were ways to bypass a mark''s effects and influence. One only had to keep an eye on the conditions ced on the target when the mark was made. In Kyran''s case, when he marked the house leaders, he only made them listen and follow his orders unconditionally.


    There was no condition that restricted them from attacking or betraying him.


    Zigor''s understanding of Kyran''s mark was quite understandable. Unfortunately, he underestimated its effects and influence and believed it was only simr to marks known and used in the Higher Realm.


    Kyran''s mark was different from those in the Higher Realm. In fact, it was also different from the ones known in the Lower Realm.


    One of its differences was the huge change in the mark''s target''s attitude toward Kyran.


    A good example was the five de Dancer members Kyran encountered in the Immigration Office recently. They were obviously loyal to their n, yet they easily swore allegiance to him. The way they responded to his words also baffled Kyran because they appeared simr to his Servants, whose personas received a huge change.


    Then again, the change that happened to those de Dancer members might not be as drastic as when Kyran made someone into his Servants since he barely knew them to judge who they were, but it was close.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In any case, Zigor''s ns were easily thwarted because of this.


    After a moment of grueling silence, Zigor finally spoke and said, "Using subjection, huh? Seems like you are truly not part of the Dragon n. Since the Dragon Emperor does not approve of such tricks. This also proved how immature you still are."


    Kyran did not respond to Zigor''s words; he simply tilted his head to one side and raised his brows in amusement.


    "If you want to form stronger rtionships, subjection is not the answer."


    Some might wonder why Kyran was entertaining Zigor''s ramblings. Since he could overwhelm an elder earlier with just the use of Draconic Force, he should have done the same with thetter.


    It would have been easier if everything had been resolved with just that.


    Surprisingly, Kyran shared Zigor''s belief that subjection was not a longer-term way of forming stronger rtionships with others. Instead, Kyran preferred to subject others to overwhelming gratitude toward him.


    Saving them against The Emperor''s tyranny should have done the job. Unfortunately, the only ones who understood the truth of what transpired when The Emperor collided with Ruin were Geir and a few of the house leaders.


    The executives barely managed to protect themselves from the collision of magic energy pressure, which caused them to be unable to focus on anything else.


    Apart from that, there was one good reason Kyran could not be too brazen before Zigor.


    Unlike Geir, who was at the edge of breaking through to bing an Overlord, Zigor was a bonafide Overlord and had been for more than a thousand years.


    There was another thing Kyran had to be careful of from now on.


    Earlier, when the Zigor was still convinced that Kyran was part of the Dragon n, he trod carefully when interacting with him to leave a path of retreat for himself and the de Dancer n in case the Dragon Emperor was indeed backing thetter.


    Apart from that, Zigor knew what the Dragon n could do. As a matter of fact, even their lowest-level members could easily dispatch peak Sovereigns of other ns. In Kyran''s case, he had already shown them pressure simr to the Dragon Emperor''s Aides, which was why Zigor wanted to avoid any confrontation between them.


    But after Kyran hinted at not being part of the Dragon n, Zigor seemed to have gotten braver and might not be that opposed to confronting Kyran anymore.


    "That''s why I am giving you a chance to speak now," Kyran finally replied after a short pause.


    Zigor smiled, "What if we voice our thoughts? What will you do then?"


    Kyran leaned forward while linking his hands together. He then rested his elbows on the table and supported his chin with his linked hands.


    "That will depend on what you say."


    "Is that right?"


    "..."


    "Then, what will you do if I say we are not satisfied with the n''s current situation?"


    "Which part in particr are you dissatisfied with?"


    "Everything."


    "That''s a pretty vague answer, don''t you think?"


    Geir and the rest of the elders looked at the two in disbelief. They were actually waiting with bated breaths for the two to sh. Surprisingly, once Zigor started talking, Kyran responded in a way that would allow their conversation to continue¡ª as if he meant what he implied about giving them a chance to speak so they could tackle it, depending on what it was.


    Although those were not Kyran''s exact words, that was how they interpreted them.


    Zigor was simrly surprised. Though he and Kyran''s conversation had just started, he genuinely sensed thetter''s eagerness to resolve their discontentment. This was the reason he was able to voice their dissatisfaction with the current situation of the de Dancer n.


    Geir was simrly surprised. He did not expect Kyran, who exuded such frightening and overwhelming pressure, to be willing to listen to their n elders'' discontentment.


    ''Ah!''


    Now that he thought of it when Kyran interrupted and mmed the elder earlier, he had the choice ofpletely destroying thetter. But he managed to hold back and only made the elder suffer. The elder would require a few weeks before he could return to his peak condition, but he would live.


    "I think I understand now what you are worried about," Kyran said after having a more in-depth exchange with Zigor. "Basically, you are worried about The Emperor''s retaliation if he finds your n survived. If he realized that you have not only reported back to him but even allowed an outsider with a shady background to rule over you."


    Zigor frowned. He did mention that they dislike having one of Kyran''s people as the Overseer, with another as his personal aide. But he did not mention anything about being afraid of The Emperor''s retaliation. So, how did he manage toe up with that conclusion?


    "But I find your concern strange," Kyran continued, giving Zigor and the rest of the elders inside the room a confused look. "Uilleam is one of your people. Even if I was the one who appointed him as the Overseer, I only did that because he is only one of the two people I could trust among you."


    "What are you even saying? Did you not mark Uilleam?"


    "I did," Kyran agreed, but then he paused and corrected his words, "No. Instead of marking him, we made a pact. He agreed to hide my identity and assist me in providing intel. The same goes with Shiloh."


    Zigor and the rest of the elders frowned, "A pact?"


    "I heard a rumor going around that a Dragon n representative was the one responsible for the tragedy in the recent Tower of the Ancients hunt."


    The sudden shift to their topic threw them off guard.


    "What does that have to do with...?"


    "That rumor''s false. I''d appreciate it if you stop speaking about it again. I am the one responsible for that."


    The moment Kyran dropped such a huge bomb, Geir, Zigor, and the rest of the elders'' expressions immediately darkened.


    Kyran leaned back on his chair and rested his elbows on the chair''s armrest before giving them a meaningful smile.


    "I''m sure you understand the implication of my admitting this fact to everyone here."


    "If wordes out, the only ones who could have done that are us..." Zigor replied with a hard look. He did not borate on it, but the other elders more or less guessed the rest of the things that he did not say.


    If word of Kyran''s identity was revealed, the only ones to be med were the de Dancer n. That was an obvious conclusion. But if that happened, and The Emperor knew, he would definitely try to find them and wipe them out for good.


    Why?


    Because The Emperor would think the de Dancer n had withheld that information from him.


    "I don''t know why you want to return to The Emperor''s side after what happened," Kyran continued with a shrug. "You probably think your n only suffered inadvertently because of The Emperor and the intruder''s confrontation. But that''s not true.


    "The Emperor wanted to destroy your n. The intruder''s appearance and the aftermath of their confrontation just so happened to align with his ns to destroy your n. That''s why he did not even bother protecting your n when he unleashed his powers."


    Kyran gave all of them a meaningful look before finally resting his gaze on Zigor. He expected some of them to voice their doubts¡ª saying words like: "Why would The Emperor want to destroy them?" or something along those lines. But in the end, all of them were silent.


    It seemed like they were aware of The Emperor''s reason for destroying them if he ever had that idea.


    "You''re probably wondering how The Emperor knew about your n of rebellion."


    Once Kyran specifically spoke that word, all the elders, with the exception of Zigor, shifted ufortably in their chairs.


    "I''ll let you exin what happened when The Emperor asked to meet Alta, Geir."


    Geir, who had his eyes closed at that moment, opened his eyes and took a deep breath, "Alright."

 Chapter 1120: A New Force (2)

    After staying with the de Dancer n for a few days, Kyran discovered why there was such a clear gap between the executives'', house leaders'', and elders'' perceptions of their n''s current situation.


    All of them had different knowledge and understanding of what truly happened.


    Kyran also confirmed this after talking with Shiloh and Uilleam, and Alta shared her thoughts from time to time.


    To fix that gap of knowledge among the members of the de Dancer n, Kyran only needed to tell them the truth of what happened.


    While Kyran could have been the one to bridge the knowledge gap among the de Dancer n members, he knew that Geir was the best person for the job. As the Head of the n, Geir''s authority and trustworthiness were unquestionable, especially since Kyran had not marked him.


    Zigor might have started to doubt Geir''s loyalty, but since he was a sensible elder¡ª at least, that was how Kyran perceived Zigor¡ª he would not dismiss Geir''s words without understanding his reasons.


    Besides, as long as Zigor heard what truly happened, Kyran believed he would understand and might even sympathize with Geir''s decision to choose Kyran''s side and show him respect rather than plot against him.


    Kyran sat back and let Geir exin.


    Zigor and the rest of the elders initially listened with an indifferent expression. But as Geir got to the point when The Emperor took Alta''s soul thread as a punishment for her supposed ipetence, their seemingly unflinching demeanor faltered. It then started to crumble when Geir told them why The Emperor wanted to wake Shiloh and Uilleam.


    While they understood that learning the real identity of the instigator of the tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients'' hunt was important to ensure that no one would belittle the ns under The Emperor by eliminating him or her, the elders were shocked to learn that rather than asking Shiloh or performing a spell that would allow one to share parts of their memory to another, The Emperor intended to take their soul threads as well.


    If there was one thing that the de Dancer elders knew, it was how important it was to protect the next generation''s talents because that was the only way to ensure that their n could continue to grow and prosper.


    However, The Emperor actually intended to destroy the futures of not one but three of their talents. Moreover, Alta was expected to be one of the leaders of the next generation because her potential showed she was capable of breaking through the wall and bing an Overlord.


    After almost half an hour, Geir told them that the intruder was not working with Kyran and concluded his exnation by expressing his thoughts that the Emperor did not care whether they survived the ordeal or not. Proof of that was the Emperor''sck of follow-through regarding what happened to the de Dancer n. Otherwise, they should have heard news of the Solis n looking for them by now.


    Geir looked at Kyran as if to confirm if there was something he had missed. But Kyran only nodded his thanks before addressing Zigor and the elders again.


    "This ne is still underdeveloped in terms of its internal magicw. This is whymunicating outside is still currently impossible. However, detecting our presence from the outside is still possible. This ne, though close to the borders of the de Dancer n''s jurisdiction, can be found. But we have been here for more than five days now.


    Yet no one from the other ns or even your fellow n members who managed to survive on your ne discovered this ce."


    Kyran looked at them meaningfully before adding, "I don''t need to borate on why this is the case, right?"


    Zigor leaned back while closing his eyes. "Either they all believed we perished or that the Emperor did not care what happened to us."


    The elder on Zigor''s left side frowned and asked, "But that does not make any sense. Why would The Emperor want to annihte us?"


    Kyran looked at the elder with a slight frown, "Have you not been listening to Geir''s exnation?"


    "It''s not like that," the elder immediately replied. Unlike earlier, he sounded more respectful toward Kyran. "I understand that The Emperor was very strict when it came to results. Since he believed Alta''s mistake inadvertently resulted in the tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients, I could more or less understand why he wanted to punish her. Not only her but even young Shiloh and Uilleam.


    "However, their mistakes were not enough for The Emperor to want to destroy our n... No. I don''t think punishing them by removing their soul threads was reasonable, either. But..."


    The elder stopped, seemingly unable to put his doubts into words properly.


    Realization dawned on Kyran as he soon realized that few knew what it meant for someone''s soul thread to be devoured. Then again, it was not like anyone could do it anytime or that anyone other than Lucian would dare do it against another mage.


    A soul thread could be considered as a mage''s lifeline. With just one thread removed, they would be crippled for life.


    Looking at the confusion on most of the elders'' faces, it seemed they did not know that other than looking into another''s memory through soul thread there was another use for it.


    "Do you understand what it means to devour another''s soul thread?" Kyran asked after a short pause.


    "It allows one to see a specific memory of that being."


    "Yes, but memory is not the only one revealed by the soul thread," Kyran paused and narrowed his eyes before adding, "One''s thoughts at that time will also be avable to the one devouring the soul."


    "One''s thoughts..."


    "!"


    Muffled gasps filled the room as the unsaid implication now made sense to them.


    "You mean Alta at that time..."


    "You guys nned on rebelling against The Emperor, right? The memory that The Emperor took likely revealed Alta''s thoughts on that as well. That''s why he decided to destroy your n when an opportunity presented itself."


    Geir nodded, agreeing to Kyran''s words.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It is my first time hearing about thoughts being revealed to the soul thread as well, but when The Emperor took Alta''s soul thread, there was a slight change in his demeanor. I won''t im to be an expert in interpreting The Emperor''s mood, but after that, the things he wanted the n to aplish had a huge probability of failing, ending up with us sacrificing a lot of our members...


    even talents."


    Zigor and the rest of the elders were rendered speechless.


    They did have thoughts of rebelling against The Emperor but to be honest, they did not n on fighting him to the death. When they said they wanted to rebel, rather thanpletely bing independent, they only wanted to ensure their n could rise to its former glory bypeting against the other ns under The Emperor in terms of resources.


    Forck of a term, they only dubbed their move a rebellion. Besides, their desire topete with other ns and stand on their own did seem like rebelling against The Emperor''s will.


    At the end of the day, the de Dancer n only wanted to grow stronger by having their own resources without The Emperor trying to horde them for the Solis n.


    "If that''s the case, then... if there are any surviving n members in the de Dancer ne, The Emperor will likely kill them all."


    "You don''t have to worry about them," Kyran assured Zigor and the elders. "I already sent someone to round them up and get them here using a safe route."


    Zigor and the elders looked at Kyran in surprise.


    "Why... would you go to such lengths to save us?" Zigor could not help but ask.


    Judging from the change in his tone, which now sounded grateful, he and the rest of the elders already had a change of heart.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I only did that because I still have a need for you."


    Kyran sounded domineering when he said that, but apparently, to everyone inside the room, his words sounded like a warm ray of light that gave their n''s existence a new purpose and hope.


    "Tell us what to do, and we will do everything in our power to deliver nothing but the best results."


    Geir was shocked to hear Zigor respectfully ask Kyran tomand them. He also promised to deliver the best results no matter what.


    "I won''t ask anything unreasonable," Kyran assured them. "But I want to set proper expectations on what I am aiming for when I decide to approach your n."


    "We are listening."


    "I will not make grand derations like aiming to kill The Emperor. Instead, my aim is to overthrow his authority."


    Everyone looked at him in surprise.


    "O-Overthrow his authority?"


    Their minds reeled at Kyran''s words. Thus far, there was no one in the Higher Realm who could shake The Emperor''s authority. How would he aplish that?


    No.


    Wait.


    There was one who had the potential to shake The Emperor''s authority.


    The Dragon Emperor.


    Zigor frowned slightly, "It is almost impossible to threaten The Emperor''s authority. If you truly aimed for that, then you will need that n''s assistance."


    "I know who you have in mind, but I really don''t want to get them involved if possible."


    "But¡ª."


    "I want to establish a new force. After that, then we can think about asking for that n''s support."


    Zigor and the rest of the elders looked at Kyran in disbelief.


    "E-Establish a new force? T-That''s..." even Geir was dumbfounded.


    "You don''t have to concern yourself on the process. Just focus on stabilizing the de Dancer n, building a proper stronghold in this ne, and strengthening yourselves," Kyran told them with a smile. "I''ll handle the rest."

 Chapter 1121: Return (1)

    Zigor and the elders changed their opinion about Kyran after learning the truth behind the Emperor''s intentions and realizing an important point.


    In all the things that happened after Kyran appeared before them, he never mentioned having any intentions of assuming leadership over the de Dancer n. True that he appointed an overseer over them who possessed more authority than the current Head of the n, but he appointed someone from the n as well, Uilleam. Moreover, Zigor and the elders knew Uilleam''s unwavering loyalty to the n.


    But his loyalty was not blinded like most. To give a betterparison, if he had to make a decision between saving the majority of their members but risking the n''s future or sacrificing the majority to secure a better future, Uilleam was thetter.


    A good example of this was how Uilleam chose to perform an oath with Kyran and work for him to protect Shiloh¡ª someone who could be one of the n''s pirs in the future, a beacon of hope for the n''s future.


    Looking at Uilleam''s decision at that time from another perspective, one can see that he actually gave their n a chance to bepletely free from the Emperor''s rule, a weighty decision that could change the course of their n''s history.


    Kyran said he would establish a new force and that the de Dancer n would be a part of it. However, Zigor and the elders noticed that he did not mean to use the n as the starting group. Rather, it was a separate group among several others.


    Zigor and the elders did not know how Kyran would grow his force, but the fact that he did not ask their n to find others to recruit to their cause was proof that he did not want to take advantage of them.


    Of course, Zigor and the elders might be overthinking a lot of things just from their short interaction with Kyran. Nevertheless, they already changed their perspective about Kyran the moment he chose to have a proper conversation with Zigor.


    "Establishing a new force is no easy feat," Zigor warned Kyran after a moment''s pause.


    "I know."


    "Are you sure you are not going to use our n?"


    "As I said, I only want you to focus on stabilizing your n, building a proper stronghold on this ne, and strengthening yourselves."


    "What will you do then?"


    "I''m expecting some guests in a few days. You''ll meet them, too, since they can be considered part of that new force."


    "If that is the case, I suggest we have Teh join in," Geir suggested. "You seem to have enough understanding of our n, so you may have already known that the Sound House has good connections outside of the n."


    Kyran did not respond at once. He looked at Geir with a thoughtful expression before saying, "I''ll keep that in mind."


    Kyran''s hesitation did not go unnoticed by Geir and Zigor. However, they did not voice their doubts because they had an inkling that that subject should only be discussed behind closed doors between a few n members¡ª specifically, members with enough authority and integrity.


    They talked some more about the construction of the walls and exploration of the region before Kyran dismissed them.


    While the elders were preparing to leave the room, they could not help but give a sympathetic look at the elder who suffered from Kyran''s force. The elder regained consciousness sometime while they were busy discussing the construction project. He appeared confused, but since no one appeared to have any lingering hostility toward Kyran, he could only stay quiet and listen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Sensing the tension, Zigor was about to call the elder to give him one of his treasured healing pills, but Kyran did something that surprised them.


    Kyran came up beside the elder and handed him a glowing multi-colored pill.


    "Use this to treat your wounds."


    After that, Kyran left without looking back.


    The elder''s eyes almost popped out of their socket the moment he realized what kind of pill was handed over to him.


    He was not the only one because the elders who were still there and saw the whole ordeal were also shocked.


    The pill did not emit the fragrance that high-grade pills usually had. Instead, it was odorless, yet the radiant glow it emitted and the multi-colored magic energy that swirled within were obvious traits of a saint-grade pill.


    Zigor retracted his hand from his storage pocket with a nk expression. He felt somewhat relieved that he had not offered his treasured pill because its efficacy and quality were far from the one Kyran gave. In any case, Zigor''s thoughts did not dwell on that but wandered off to another point.


    How could Kyran just give it such a rare pill as if it was no big deal? Could he have more of those? Where did he even get such a pill?


    While Zigor was caught up in his thoughts, he heard a voice in his head and looked to his side.


    Geir stopped beside Zigor, telepathically spoke to him, and said, ''I have my suspicions. But I feel there is more to him than what he let on.''


    ''Meaning?''


    ''Because Array is pretty much amon magic branch to us, we overlook his knowledge level. But now that I think of it, his proficiency with Array might be far greater than what we initially believed since he managed to transport the whole de Dancernd to another ne. The same thing can be said with his Alchemy Knowledge.''


    ''I don''t remember him showcasing his Alchemy skill, so it is far too early for us to assume that he concocted that pill.''


    ''True. However, I have reasons to think that he concocted it himself...''


    Geir then recounted how Shiloh and Uilleam had been in a state ofa that not even their Alchemists could do anything. He then shared that he had the feeling that Kyran gave Shiloh and Uilleam a pill or potion that would make them appear to be in aa when they were only feigning sleep.


    He also exined that the reason he believed this was how Kyran would sometimes say that he heard from Shiloh or Uilleam about this and that. But when Geir tried to guess when Shiloh and Uilleam could have talked to Kyran, he could not think of any good time at all. Initially, he guessed that the two updated Kyran on the situation the moment he woke them up.


    But the very fact that he managed to wake them when the Alchemist could not was already suspicious.


    Besides, Geir did not know how Kyran managed to keep track of the situation in their n if not for Shiloh, and Uilleam gave him constant updates.


    Zigor was silent after Geir finished sharing his thoughts. After a moment of pondering, he shook his head and said with a wry smile, "How did he manage to go off our radar for a long time? For a mage¡ª no, rather, abat mage¡ª to be proficient in Array and Alchemy to such a level... Just who is he?"


    Geir shook his head, "I''m just d that he took an interest in our n."


    "Hm..." Zigor could not agree more.


    *


    After Kyran left the room, he went to meet the de Dancer n''s Alchemist. There, he checked the materials the expedition team collected and made a mental note of the things they could use it for.


    Fortunately, the Head Alchemist was very weing. He did not fear Kyran, nor did he show any hostility. As a matter of fact, he was a bbermouth the moment he started talking about the different rare materials they managed to get from the beast carcasses.


    Kyran did not mind. He even felt entertained because it was rare to find a mage in the Higher Realm that was that friendly. The citizens in Ogen were pretty friendly, which was true, but that was only because he seemed harmless, and yes, they found his appearance very interesting.


    Kyran and the Head Alchemist, Yazu, a bubbly middle-aged man with a small stature, talked for a long time, and some of the alchemists with them gave up following and listening in on them.


    Initially, they were quite interested in their discussion, but when their topic jumped from one to another and theplexity became far too deep, they could only give up and focus on dissecting the beast carcass before them.


    Five or six hourster, Kyran and Yazu left the area where the other alchemists were dissecting the beast carcasses and went to an Alchemy Room.


    Fortunately, there was still an Alchemy Room intact for them to use.


    The two went there to concoct potions and pills. However, Kyran proposed it. He nned on teaching Yazu a more effective healing potion and pill to ensure the wounded members of the de Dancer n would recover faster without suffering anysting side effects.


    Yazu weed the idea without any qualms. This made Kyran like him more.


    As far as his experience in the Higher Realm had been, most of the high-level mages with good specialties tended to be obnoxious. Kyran could only count on his hands those he met who were friendly or did not act arrogant in front of him.


    Yazu was, in fact, one of the few mages in the n who held little interest in the n''s politics or the overall happenings outside. He was only interested in learning and improving his Alchemy. Thus, he dly epted when Kyran offered to teach him a new recipe.


    Still, Yazu did not have many expectations for the new recipe. He believed that it might be an improved version of a simplified one of a moreplex and high-grade healing recipe.


    However, the moment Kyran started, Yazu was entranced. He did not expect that the rumored new ''head'' of the n was proficient in Alchemy!

 Chapter 1122: Return (2)

    Kyran did not know that Yazu had an excellent impression of him just from teaching him a new recipe for a healing potion and pill. If he knew, he would have told him that the new recipe was not new per se but something he learned from the Tower of Tribtions. He only altered some ingredients with the ones they got from the beast carcasses to increase their efficacy rate.


    Luckily, the medicinal herbs needed for the recipe were primarily avable in the alchemy room and were of excellent quality. If not, Kyran would not have used that recipe and would have opted to improve the quality of the ones concocted using Yuza''s recipe.


    Kyran sessfully concocted nine saint-grade pills. Anyone with severe to critical injuries would recover after taking three of those pills.


    Yuza did not want to waste such pills because he believed Kyran would not be able to concoct another set of nine saint-grade pills. Thus, he suggested diluting them into potions and having those with minor to moderate injuries drink them so they would recover immediately.


    "That works too," Kyran agreed, but then said, "But using them for those with severe and critical injuries works better to make sure they would not suffer any bacsh for being in pain for a long time."


    "T-That''s true, too... but... such high-quality pills don''te by easily. We have to use them efficiently," Yuza said. However, it was obvious from his expression that he would rather use them as Kyran suggested because he also did not want those with severe injuries to endure for a long time. Still, he knew they had to decide based on a long-term benefit rather than an immediate one.


    If the number of injured recovered quickly, they could assist with the construction or exploration as soon as possible.


    "I get what you mean, but the priority at the moment is to reduce unnecessary casualties. We have to deal with those suffering from severe to critical injuries first. As for those with minor to moderate injuries, I''ll make a healing potion using what remaining ingredients we have that will not pale inparison if we diluted the pills."


    If Kyran''s answer were heard from another perspective, it would not sound off. However, one would notice that a different point from Yuza''s influenced his answer.


    While Yuza''s remark was influenced by his understanding that Kyran could only concoct saint-grade pills by chance, Kyran''s answer was influenced by his understanding that Yuza was worried about wasting all those rare ingredients without healing everyone.


    Yuza seemed to have noticed something was off by Kyran''s answer, but before he could rify any of his doubts, thetter had already started working on concocting healing potions.


    "I''ll make more of those pills after finishing this," Kyran continued without even noticing a change in Yuza''s expression. "If you want, you can also try concocting it to understand its process better."


    "I... Y-Yes... I''ll follow your lead."


    Resigning himself to the somewhat confusing situation, Yuza agreed without further question.


    After three hours, Kyran sessfully concocted high-grade healing potions that could easily supply the injured for two days.


    Only after seeing this did Yuza finally realize what he found the disconnect in his remark to Kyran''s answer from before. Luckily, he did not voice his doubts because he would have definitely sounded odd to Kyran.


    "You... I heard you are far more proficient in Array from our Array Saints, but... for you to have such high proficiency in Alchemy as well... who are you?"


    "I''ll introduce myself properly when the timees," Kyran replied, not even trying to evade Yuza''s question. This also proved how much he liked thetter.


    "You mean when they announce you as the new head of the n?" Yuza asked with raised brows.


    Kyran chuckled, "I''m not going to rece Geir. He is doing a good job leading the n. Why would I rece him? Even if he has management issues, I''ll have Uilleam find a suitable head of your n."


    "You''re not going to be our head? But there are rumors circting that you are our new head."


    "That''s just what it is. A rumor. I have my own n... I''m not the head, but I want to focus on them."


    Kyran did not give an borate response, but Yuza managed to guess he left unsaid.


    Since Kyran wanted to focus on his n, he could not be bothered to lead another n. Still, Yuza was surprised to hear that Kyran was not the head of his n. He was reminded of another rumor and found something amiss because of that.


    "There is another rumor circting that you are part of the Dragon n... but if that''s true, why would you want to focus on them? Is there something wrong with your n?"


    "I''m not part of the Dragon n," Kyran replied with a sigh. He realized how many times he had said that, and it became a chore. "Then again, I''m not entirely unrted to them."


    Kyran did not know why he had no qualms about saying that to Yuza. Although he found thetter easy to talk to, that should not have been enough for him to share such delicate matters.


    Yuza seemed to have realized Kyran had told him very sensitive information and immediately said, "Don''t worry. I won''t say anything about our conversation to anyone. The same goes for the new recipe you taught me."


    "Uh... no¡ª I mean... I appreciate you not saying anything about my rtionship with the Dragon n,but as for the new recipe, please don''t keep it to yourself. Properly teach the other alchemist and concoct more pills to ensure the recovery of the injured members."


    "Oh," Yuza was rendered speechless. Other alchemists hated sharing their recipes with others. Even if those recipes were only an enhanced version of another, they did not want others learning them.


    "I don''t mind sharing the recipes I know with someone willing to learn," Kyran told Yuza as if reading thetter''s thoughts. "Besides, it will also benefit me if you further enhance the recipe."


    Yuza smiled wryly, "Suddenly, you are putting me under huge pressure, huh? Fine, I''ll do my best to meet your expectations."


    "That''s good to hear."


    The two talked some more for an hour before leaving the Alchemy Room to instruct the other alchemist and distribute the pills and potions.


    By the time they were done, Kyran was already exhausted. He then retired to a makeshift room near the audience chamber and rested for a few hours. After he had rested, Uilleam visited him and reported the current updates to the construction and exploration.


    Geir should havee in and reported those things, but Uilleam asked the older man to continue instructing the others instead. It was obvious that thetter was trying to affirm the former that he had no intentions of overriding his authority and responsibility as the Head of the n, even if Kyran appointed him as the Overseer.


    Of course, Geir knew this and appreciated the younger man''s intentions. He initially wanted to correct Uilleam''s understanding but ultimately decided against it because it was best to let him talk with Kyran at this point¡ªin case thetter had other instructions he wanted to give.


    "...with how things are going, we expect the speed of the construction to increase by another 10%. Of course, with more injured members recovering faster than expected, they can provide additional manpower in the immediate future."


    "Leave the injured out of the construction and have them focus on supporting the exploration side."


    Uilleam looked at Kyran with raised brows, "Is there any particr reason you want them to focus on the exploration?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I think it is better for them to train their motor skills after being bedridden for a week or more by scouting the surrounding region rather than helping in the construction."


    Kyran did not borate on his answer, but Uilleam understood what he did not say and nodded, "I see. They can also strengthen their foundation by joining the exploration group."


    "Yes."


    "Alright. I''ll arrange everything as you suggested," Uilleam replied, writing something on his tablet. After that, he continued with his report: "On another note, we have noticed a transport shipnding near the marsnd region."


    "Seems like they have finally arrived," Kyran replied, seemingly unfazed at the report.


    Uilleam nodded. He was simrly aware of the group Kyran had been waiting for for some time.


    "We have yet to confirm their identity, but the signal from the transport ship resembles the one they once used when they visited the de Dancer ne."


    "They did tell me they had arrived near the ne''s periphery the other day. They might have some issues entering without being detected. That''s why it took them some time before they couldnd."


    Uilleam looked at Kyran with a slight frown, "Are you not worried that someone might have hijacked their ship beforending?"


    "I don''t think anyone would be brave enough to dare hijack a ship with an Overlord onboard."


    Uilleam''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, "Wait. You mean he came with her?"


    Kyran raised his brows, amused at Uilleam''s shocked expression, "Did you think I''ve only been negotiating with her?"


    "T-That''s..." Uilleam did think that. But hearing Kyran point that out made him realize how simple his thinking had been.


    "It''s fine. Tell Geir and the others to make proper preparations to receive them."


    "I understand."


    "And another thing. Keep an eye out for another transport ship. I had someone rescue and gather the remaining de Dancer n members and transport them here safely."

 Chapter 1123: Return (3)

    The de Dancer n was busy with construction and exploration for the next few days.


    Before Oceanus and his people arrived, Kyran convened again with Geir, the n executives, and house leaders. He did not tell them about the Ogen n''s pending arrival but told them his ns for the de Dancer n and asked for their insights. Unlike their first meeting, there was an obvious change in how most executives and house leaders treated Kyran.


    The change was influenced mainly by the good feedback from the n elders, especially Zigor''s.


    Nheless, a few members remained indifferent, making it hard to discern if they changed their opinion of Kyran.


    Among these members were two executives and a house leader.


    Kyran was not worried about the executives, but the house leader was someone he had noted since meeting with Shiloh and Uilleam¡ª the Sound House Leader, Teh. While it was true that Kyran had ced a mark on her, he had a strange inkling that she was not affected by it.


    She followed everything Geir or Uilleam asked her to do, but whenever thetter two reported thepletion of her tasks, Kyran could not shake an uneasy feeling that she was only going along with everything while bidding her time.


    Why was Teh bidding her time? Kyran did not know yet, but he remembered what Alta told him about her and could roughly guess some things. But since hecked information, he could only observe her for now.


    Thus far, Kyran had yet to see Teh''s shrewd side. It was starting to worry him, to be honest, but he could not do anything about it. In the meantime, he nned to instruct Uilleam and Oceanus to keep an eye on her once he returned to the Dragon ne.


    When the day of the two ns'' meeting finally arrived, an apparent tension was in the air inside the audience chamber.


    Since there were more participants in the meeting, Kyran had Geir prepare the audience room rather than the room they used when he met with the elders.


    The construction of the walls had been going well, and Geir could finally assign a few groups to clean or repair some of the important rooms in the main mansion. Thus, the audience chamber no longer appeared in a sorry state and could be used as the main meeting hall for more participants.


    Kyran presided over the meeting between the two ns. However, the one who conducted the whole discussion was Geir.


    Many things were discussed during the meeting. One of which was the confirmation of each n''s role and what the other could do for the other. Since the de Dancer n was in the middle of building their new stronghold in the unnamed ne, the Oceanus agreed to provide construction supplies and additional manpower.


    In this way, the de Dancer n could focus more on the exploration of the ne''s many regions.


    The de Dancer n people agreed to this, and in return for the Ogen n''s assistance, they promised to share the materials they would find during the exploration. They would also provide aplete list of rare materials they would find and allow the Ogen n to buy any from it at a discounted price or sell them to the outside market on behalf of the de Dancer n.


    In case the rare materials were sold, the Ogen n would receive amission based on the rarity of the material and how much it was sold.


    The two ns also agreed to have friendly spars to improve each other. If the two ns'' prominent innate magic had been the same, the friendly spare would also allow them to understand and learn each other''s skills and spells.


    Unfortunately, their innate magic had nothing inmon, so even if they had gotten a better understanding of their skills and spells, they would not have been able to learn them.


    Before any of the executives could suggest focusing only on improving each side''s battle experience through the spar, Kyran told them that even if the two sides could not learn each other''s skills and spells, understanding and learning them could allow them to receive enlightenment and even create new spells that would allow them to counter each other''s specialties.


    When everyone heard Kyran, there were several who voiced their unwillingness to continue with the spar. Kyran could not me them. He said he would be creating a new force, with the de Dancer n and the Ogen n being part of it. However, this was the first time the two would meet.


    They had yet to form a bond worthy of each other''s trust, thus agreeing to share each other''s skills and spells without reservation.


    In the end, Kyran did not pursue the matter and simply told Geir and Oceanus to decide when the two ns believed the right time to share each other''s skills and spells.


    The meeting between the two proceeded for almost half a day before they finally dispersed.


    A simple banquet was then prepared for the Ogen n''s arrival.


    Kyran did not attend the banquet and instead retired to his room to start his preparation for returning to the Dragon ne.


    Truth be told, Kyran had wanted to return to the Dragon ne before the Ogen n arrived. He wanted to know the progress of the path that would connect the two realms as well as the new array formation that would allow the Regis n to increase their mage level.


    Unfortunately, the internal injury he received when True Void remotely and forcefully took a great deal of Void magic energy from Kyran made it hard for him to use warp as well asmunicate with Auto-one.


    Because of this, Kyran was presented with only two options for returning to the Dragon ne. The first one, and probably the most reliable one yet troublesome, was going to a Junction Port and essing the portal to go to the Dragon ne. Unfortunately, all Junction Ports were on high alert because of his recent escapade to the nearest port to where they were.


    This meant he would have more trouble producing a believable identity that would allow him to ess the Dragon ne''s portal.


    The second option Kyran had was to use the Tower of the Ancients'' portal.


    Like the other portals, Kyran also destroyed the one at the unnamed ne. However, he was confident he could fix it. He had to be careful when doing so as not to aggravate his injuries, but it was possible. In any case, the only thing he would need to fix was that portal since the portal leading to the Dragon ne was still intact.


    Aillos did attack Kyran right after he stepped out, so he could not destroy that portal.


    Then again, Kyran had no intentions of destroying it because he nned to use it when returning to the Tower of the Ancients.


    The following day, another transport ship was spotted outside the unnamed ne.


    All surviving de Dancer n members, including the ones Kyran marked, were on board that ship.


    The members of that ship did not have a hard time adjusting to their n''s new arrangement and sudden partnership with the Ogen n. This was because Kyran had been in contact with those he marked and had them slowly exin everything.


    Moreover, the merchant n that the ship belonged to was quite familiar with the de Dancer n''s current state and supported the five marked members when they exined the changes.


    Kyran asked Shiloh to look after and orient the newly arrived surviving de Dancer members. Thetter did not have any qualms as most of them were part of the new generation he was already in charge of.


    Another day passed with this, and finally, Kyranpleted his preparation. He told Geir and Oceanus his n to return and gave each of them amunication device that would directly contact him.


    Geir and Oceanus offered to have a few representatives to escort Kyran to his destination. However, Kyran declined, telling them he already had an escort.


    The two were somewhat confused, and before they could ask who his escort would be, thest person they thought of arrived and lowered her head before Kyran.


    "A-Alta? Why are you...?"


    Though Geir started to ask Alta why she came, he already guessed why she was there and felt somewhat conflicted.


    "I''ll be taking her along," Kyran told Geir. "Sorry for not telling you sooner."


    Geir looked at Kyran in confusion, "But why take her? Wouldn''t it be a problem to take her with you?"


    Only a few from the de Dancer n, including Geir, were aware of Kyran''s connection with the Dragon n. As far as Geir was concerned, Alta was not one of them. That was why he was surprised that Kyran decided to take her along.


    "Her soul thread," Kyran started. "I know a way to fix it. That''s why I''m taking her with me."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Geir and Oceanus were both dumbfounded. They never expected Kyran to know a way to fix a missing soul thread.

 Chapter 1124: Return (4)

    Geir looked at Alta, his heart filled with hope that she would be ted at the thought of her soul thread being fixed. However, her nk expression was a stark contrast to his anticipation. It was as if she didn''t care whether her missing soul thread could be fixed or not, a reaction that left him puzzled.


    Geir''s grasp of the situation was astute and precise.


    When Kyran proposed fixing Alta''s soul thread in exchange for something, her initial reaction was not one of resignation. Instead, she chose not to set her hopes too high, in case his method failed. This was not a sign of defeat, but a testament to her unwavering resilience in the face of uncertainty.


    Alta didn''t even inquire about Kyran''s requirements, as she harbored little faith in his method. After all, dealing with soul threads was a precarious matter. Kyran might have a connection with the Dragon n, one of the oldest ns before The Fall, and possessed an abundance of magic knowledge in both realms. However, that alone didn''t guarantee their ability to fix removed soul threads.


    If they could do that, then The Emperor would not have used that method to punish her because doing so was equivalent to forcing the de Dancer n to turn their backs on him and seek refuge by allying themselves with the Dragon n.


    While it was true that the Dragon n was considered part of The Emperor''s faction, they were not subservient to him. They remained true to their moral code and would only follow The Emperor''s order if it did not sh with their beliefs.


    The Emperor was also aware of it, which was why he was very careful about giving the Dragon n an order. He did not want to expose thetter to the other ns and have them gain favorable views.


    In any case, Alta might not be knowledgeable about Ancient Magic, but at the very least, she was aware that the Dragon n''s Draconic magic had a destructive nature.


    How could magic with such a nature be able to fix a missing or removed soul thread?


    Kyran was actually aware of Alta''s doubts. He could not me her for thinking he was relying on the Dragon n to fix her soul thread. This was because he never gave them a solid answer or exnation about his identity and connection with them.


    The only ones in the know were Oceanus and Leif.


    Kyran could have said something to assure Alta. But he did not. The reason was quite simple. It was too soon for him to trust her about Cyneah.


    To be honest, Kyran admitted it was too soon for him to offer Alta a fix to her condition. It had not been two weeks from the time he saved the de Dancer n from certain destruction, after all.


    However, helping Alta recover had been part of Kyran''s initial n, and he still wanted to push through with that. He needed to get her to feel gratitude by giving her a new lease on her future as a mage to ensure she would not think of betraying him.


    Kyran thought of this all for the sake of the task he wanted Alta to undertake after she recovered.


    It was not just Alta. Kyran needed the de Dancer n as a whole to establish his new force properly.


    Though he was still keeping his identity a secret at the moment, Kyran did n on telling them the truth. However, he still had reservations, especially when he had yet to force Teh to remove her mask.


    To be honest, Kyran preferred it if there had never been a mask to remove from Teh in the first ce and that she was simply a shrewd person as Alta said about her. Kyran would not mind that especially if her shrewdness was because she only wanted to secure a better future for her house.


    So far, all the things Kyran learned about Teh from Alta made him see her that way. However, the way Teh was willing to do anything for her house was still concerning.


    This was because Kyran sensed that Teh had notpletely epted the de Dancer n''s current arrangements and was already plotting something behind the scenes.


    If Kyran''s mark had worked, he would not be worrying about those things. But because he sensed that Teh might have a way of dismissing the mark''s effect, she could only be acting subservient right now. Once her ns were ready, she would stab him in the back when he least expected.


    In any case, Kyran wanted to eliminate anyone who might threaten the new force created to oust the Emperor.


    "I can''t go into details," Kyran told Geir and Oceanus after a moment of silence. "But I''ll eventually exin everything. In the meantime, I trust you two would not breathe a word about it to anyone else."


    "Of course."


    "That is a given."


    "Thank you. I''ll leave matters here in your hands."


    Geir and Oceanus nodded their heads in affirmation.


    With that, Kyran looked at Alta and beckoned her along as he made his way toward the doors.


    "You''re leaving now?"


    "It is better to leave while everyone is still resting."


    Kyran and Alta left the de Dancer n and made their way to the portal location.


    When the two approached the marsnd''s periphery, Kyran sensed a familiar presence and could not help but frown.


    Alta also noticed the presence as her stoic expression was reced by displeasure.


    "Why are you here?" Kyran asked as soon as he stopped a few meters before the familiar presence.


    The person before them was none other than Leif, and judging from her geared-up attire, she was aware of their destination and nned on going with them.


    Leif raised her brows innocently, "Why are you even asking? You''re the one who said I am a hostage, right? So you can''t just leave me behind."


    Kyran''s frown deepened. However, he did not try to refute her words because she was right.


    "Hostage?" Alta repeated with a slight frown.


    Leif looked at her with a smile that did not meet her eyes and replied, "You don''t have to worry about the small details."


    "If you''reing, that''s fine. But I did not ask you to return because I thought you''d want to stay with your father."


    "Oh my," Leif smiled at Kyran, feeling somewhat touched by his uncharacteristic thoughtful words. "Were you worried that I might reject your offer to return? That''s why you''d taken the safest route by letting me stay?"


    "..."


    "Don''t worry," Leif smiled sweetly and said, "You know very well what my father thought of you, so he would not mind me going with you."


    There was a short pause bordering on awkwardness that followed before Kyran replied curtly, "Suit yourself."


    He then entered the marsnd without looking back to see if the two had followed.


    Alta and Leif exchanged looks before following Kyran.


    The journey back to the portal was uneventful, with the beasts living in the marsnd choosing to stay hidden. However, it was unknown if the beasts chose to hide because they could not be bothered by the three or because they remembered Kyran and Alta from before and the carnage they left in their wake when traversing through the marsnd.


    "You seemed to know your way around here," Alta could not help but say as she followed behind Kyran.


    "..."


    "..."


    Kyran chose not to respond while Leif furtively looked at him.


    For the record, Alta was still unaware that Kyran was the ck mage. He might be wearing all ck, but as far as she remembered, the ck mage had dark hair rather than blonde.


    On the other hand, Leif did not know what the de Dancer n knew about Kyran''s identity, so she observed his reaction instead of saying something. She did not want to say something that might not align with what he told them after all.


    "You haven''t gone out to explore the surroundings. So you must''ve read the exploration team''s report to heart."


    Fortunately, Alta had not connected Kyran to the ck mage and came up with her own assumption.


    "I have to understand the terrain if I want to use this ne as a base."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I suppose that''s true. Fortunately, we already have more information about this ne since we have prior exploration experience here."


    "I know."


    Alta did not find Kyran''s answer strange because she believed the n head, Geir, had already told him about it.


    Meanwhile, Leif looked at Alta''s profile in disbelief. Kyran practically confessed to Alta about him knowing about the time her n had been there, but she did not even get it.


    Leif found Alta''s unexpectedly oblivious side quite amusing.


    After that short exchange, they continued their journey in silence once more.


    A couple of hourster, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Kyran did not dally and immediately ced a device at the bottom of the portal leading to the Tower of the Ancients. The portal was still physically there, but it did not emit any magic energy, and cracks were visible on its surface.


    All of that changed the moment Kyran activated the device he ced at the bottom.


    The cracks on the portal''s surface repaired themselves as vitality started to return to it.


    This surprised Alta and Leif.


    Alta was surprised because she did not expect Kyran''s Array Knowledge to fix a destroyed portal. On the other hand, Leif was surprised because she expected Kyran just to touch the portal, and it would return to normal using his magic. She did not expect him to use Array to fix it.


    After almost half an hour, the portal looked as if it was never destroyed.


    "This portal will only work once. Both of you can get in first," Kyran told them.


    Instead of following his words, however, Alta looked at him with a serious expression and asked, "Are you sure you want us to go in first? Are you not afraid that we''ll do something there and catch you off guard the moment you enter the portal?"


    Unfortunately, Leif had no intention of following Alta''s lead and said, "What are you even saying? Do you think you can catch him off guard?"


    Without waiting for Alta''s response, Leif entered the portal.


    Meanwhile, Kyran simply looked at Alta oddly before saying, "Don''t waste time and go in. The device will onlyst for another minute."


    Alta''s brow twitched slightly at Kyran''s indifference and Leif''s cheekiness. In the end, she did not say anything and entered the portal.


    Once Kyran was sure the two had crossed, he took the device he ced at the bottom of the portal. The device was actually just for show to hide Kyran touching the portal and reactivating it with Void magic.


    Fortunately, he only needed a small amount of Void magic energy to reactivate the portal. Otherwise, he might aggravate his magic cores again.


    Kyran returned the device to his storage pouch and entered the portal as well.


    As soon as Kyran passed through the portal, its emitted vitality disappeared instantly, making it look dead again.

 Chapter 1125: Return (5)

    Alta felt a surge of disorientation the moment she stepped inside the portal. She knew it would pass once she reached the other side, but as half a minute ticked by, she was still trapped in the swirling vortex. Her insides churned in protest, and a splitting headache threatened to overwhelm her.


    "This... Howe this portal feels different?"


    Alta, still struggling with her disorientation, heard Leif''s words. Her expression mirrored her own confusion, creating a shared sense of bewilderment.


    Alta looked at Leif and could not help but ask, "Have you entered a portal going to the Tower of the Ancients before?"


    "Yes¡ª," Leif answered without thinking much through it, but then she realized her mistake and hastily added, "¡ªNo. Not a portal going to the Tower of the Ancients. But you know how The Emperor wanted to horde all the portals in the Higher Realm, so we could not have one for ourselves, right? Anyway, we wanted to have our own portal, and we did set our eyes on this one..."


    Leif paused and smiled wryly at Alta, "But you don''t really need to hear the story since you already know about it."


    Only then did Alta remember that they had a few hostile exchanges with the Ogen n when they insisted that the unnamed ne where the portal was discovered was in the de Dancer n''s jurisdiction. In the end, the Ogen n withdrew just as always and backed off, so the de Dancer n was supposed to take over the portal.


    But then that ck mage appeared out of nowhere, and he and his people stole their portal.


    Alta would have already burst out in anger, recalling what happened with the ck mage back then. However, after The Emperor took her soul thread, she could no longer draw the anger she felt back then. Frankly, even the memory itself seemed vague to her.


    She could still remember it, but because the main thread that held that particr scene was already removed, what was left in her mind was just a faint trace of what happened.


    "Right," Alta replied after a short pause. "Something like that did happen."


    Leif kept silent as she observed Alta. She had already heard about The Emperor removing thetter''s soul thread, and to be honest, she felt sad for her. She knew how scary it was to have even a thin thread removed from one''s soul, but apparently, she still underestimated the effects it could have on someone.


    Leif remembered Alta as being someone with grit. Thetter belonged to one of the newer generations, yet her strength was alreadyparable to that of the generation just below Leif''s. This was a testament to Alta''s potential. Yet, after having her soul thread removed, she now appeared hopeless.


    "I have been curious as to why youck a decent reaction after someone gave you a chance to fix your removed soul thread," Leif started. "Seems like you are not really expecting anything from Null''s method, huh?"


    "I am only being realistic."


    "Is that right?"


    "...."


    "Both of you stand behind me."


    Alta and Leif''s conversation was abruptly ended upon Kyran''s arrival. He immediately asked them to stand behind him as he raised a hand before him.


    The two did not ask questions and did what he asked them. It was not that they were willing to listen to anything he said, but more that they noticed their condition improved the moment he appeared. That was proof enough for them that Kyran knew what he was doing and that he had better control over the space in which they were currently.


    ''...Wait... Space?''


    A light bulb seemed to light up in Alta''s mind as she realized Kyran''s presence seemed a little different. She could not sense him per se, but she somehow could tell he was not using his Draconic magic to influence the space they were in.


    "You... don''t tell me you have two innate magic?"


    Having two innate magic was not rare in the Higher Realm. However, it was also notmon. In any case, there were a few discoveries of mages possessing two magic cores with different innate magic energies.


    But Kyran was not a normal mage. Since he was a dragon, he could not possibly have two magic cores with entirely different magic energy.


    It should be noted that Draconic magic could resonate with almost all types of magic energies that did not respond to the other Ancient Magic.


    Space was definitely not a magic that Draconic could resonate with.


    So, how could Kyran control the space?


    "..."


    Kyran did not respond to Alta''s question. She was correct, but he knew her train of thought was entirely different from the truth about his innate magic. He focused on fixing the path ahead so they woulde out at a portal close to one that would lead them to the Dragon ne.


    Kyran inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that his control over his Void magic returned the moment he stepped inside the portal. He did expect it in a way because the portal could not be considered as part of the Higher Realm. Thus, whatever was aggravating Kyran''s Void Core in the Higher Realm should not be able to reach inside the portal.


    The same thing could be said with his Draconic Core.


    Moreover, a voice that he had not heard in a while finally spoke after only being capable of whirring sounds for some time.


    [Ugh! I can finally gather enough magic energy!]


    In Kyran''s sea of consciousness, Shaiha''s body emitted a blinding light and started to take on a human form once more.


    ''Was the magic energy in the Higher Realm no longer enough to sustain you?'' Kyran asked.


    Shaiha shook her head.


    [It''s not like that. But because Coelus''s magic energy has contaminated your Draconic Core, I have been losing quality magic energy just from containing it in a small area. If not, you won''t be able to use Draconic magic.]


    ''I see. Since this path is part of the unknown space, it is already outside the influence of Coelus. Simr to the Void Core and True Void.''


    [Yes.]


    Shaiha agreed.


    ''Once we return to the Dragon ne, does that mean you''d return to your central core image?''


    [Ha... Well... I won''t return immediately, but it''s bound to happen once I lose quality magic energies again. Right now, I can replenish my reserves. But when we''re back in the Higher Realm, I can only rely on those reserves to contain Coelus''s magic energy.]


    ''Won''t Neah be able to remove it?''


    Shaiha shook her head.


    [While she uses the Macabre cier as her medium to use Soul magic, she doesn''t have the Soul core. So, it is impossible for her to overwhelm Coelus''s magic energy. Then again, even if she has it, I doubt she will be able to do anything given how Soul is weaker than Draconic.]


    ''...''


    In the end, theplex rtionship between Ancient Magic was truly a pain to understand.


    ''Try to replenish your reserves as much as you can then. I''ll need some time to adjust the path anyway.''


    [I will.]


    Fortunately, Shaiha was acting agreeable at the moment, so Kyran did not have to worry about her doing something unnecessary.


    [You''re not asking.]


    ''Hm?''


    [Are you not going to ask how you can control the concealment ability I have over your aura and presence?]


    ''I reckoned you gave me permission, given your state.''


    [True... but there is another reason you can control it now.]


    ''?''


    [A connection has been established after Coelus''s magic energy contaminated your Draconic Core.]


    ''... What connection?''


    [I can''t say for sure. But because Coelus''s magic energy is considered the purest Draconic energy to have existed in both realms, it pretty much made your Draconic core a real one rather than an artificially made core.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran frowned. Shaiha''s words were confusing as hell, but he still managed to understand the gist of what she meant. Nheless, it did not make him feel good because if there was a way to make his Draconic core real, the same should be true with his Void core.


    [You''re not wrong about that. But I don''t know what kind of energy or who or what it belonged to that would allow your Void Core to evolve.]


    Like always, Shaiha sensed Kyran''s doubts and provided her insight soon after.


    ''...''


    Kyran decided not to respond. In fact, he was already pushing the thought to the back of his hand.


    [You¡ª! Aren''t you acting toocent about this? If the evolution of your Draconic Core allowed you control over the concealment of your aura and presence, aren''t you curious about what you''d receive once your Void Core evolved?]


    ''No,'' Kyran replied tersely. In fact, he sensed Shaiha was once more withholding information, and she was hinting at those core evolutions and stuff to convince him again to ept his identity as the Realm Scion.


    After that, Kyran zoned out Shaiha before she could start spouting out nonsense.


    So much for her acting agreeable.


    After about ten minutes, Kyran finally connected the path to the portal fifty kilometers away from the Dragon ne''s portal. A lush forest came into view and he beckoned Alta and Leif to step out.


    Alta''s knees wobbled uncontrobly as she stepped on solid ground. Finally, she was free from the awful sensation she had to endure inside the portal.


    Meanwhile, Leif appeared to be in a better condition when she stepped out because she managed to stand without trembling. However, herplexion was awfully white than normal. Apparently, she was not entirely unaffected by the strange atmosphere in the portal.


    Just when the two thought they could finally have some time to catch their breaths, Kyran stepped out of the portal and immediately grabbed the back of their robes. Following that, he warped them directly in front of the Dragon ne''s portal.


    The sudden movement left Alta and Leif nauseated. Yet Kyran was not done. Without giving them time to understand what had happened, he pushed bothdies directly into the portal.

 Chapter 1126: Unauthorized Entry

    Alta believed herself to be capable of enduring any hardship. She even managed to pull herself together after The Emperor took a piece of her soul thread. Although she was forced to recover, the fact that she did it still showed how much she could endure anything.


    s, the experience of getting thrown from one portal to another appeared to be the only thing that could break her seemingly unbreakable will. Because the moment she got out of the opposite side of the portal Kyran threw her with Leif, she vomited without reservation.


    Leif was actually the same. Though she did not vomit, she did fall to her knees, and herplexion had a strange, deathly hue to it.


    "What is a de Dancer mage doing here?"


    Alta almost choked back the remaining contents she had been vomiting as soon as she heard a woman speak demandingly.


    Leif''s reaction to seeing Ames was one of shock. "L-Lady Ames!" She stammered, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of Ames ring at them from a couple of meters away.


    The moment Leif blurted the name of the woman who spoke just then, the ''almost'' part of choking back the remaining of her vomit was no longer valid as Alta gulped down the contents due to shock.


    "I could ask you the same thing, Lady Ames. Why are you here?" Kyran returned while stepping out of the portal.


    Ames frowned at Kyran, "Why can''t I be here? A supposedly dormant portal in our ne suddenly showed dangerous activities and emitted high magic fluctuations. There is no way I''d stay back and not investigate."


    Though Ames replied roughly to Kyran''s question, Alta noticed the familiar and almost endearing note in Ames''s voice while talking to Kyran. Alta was not really that interested in knowing how thetter was connected with the Dragon n, but after that short exchange, her interest was piqued.


    She turned her head slightly to look at Kyran, wanting to observe his expression, but instead, she almost choked again.


    "You¡ª!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Kyran looked at Alta with raised brows while he was halfway through lowering his mask.


    "What?"


    Obviously, Ata reacted like that because it was her first time seeing Kyran without his mask.


    Leif caught on to it and gave Kyran a dull look, "Aren''t you toocent when removing your mask? Can''t you find a better ce to do that?"


    "Apart from Lady Ames, those guys only know about my real face. If three individuals showed up in their ne through a supposedly dormant portal, they''ll likely attack before asking questions."


    Ames frowned, "What do you take us for? We are not unreasonable, nor are we barbaric. We will surely be on guard, but we won''t attack without understanding the situation."


    "...Right."


    Kyran immediately turned away, making Ames''s brow twitch in response. She more or less guessed what just went through his head, and she could not refute it, even if she wanted to. After all, her father acted unreasonably and barbarically when he attacked Kyran the moment he stepped out of the portal.


    Alta looked at them dumbfoundedly. Unfortunately, she sensed two powerful auras approaching them before she could make sense of what was happening.


    "They sure responded well," Leif remarked as she stood up. She looked at Alta, who was still on her knees and added, "Don''t worry. Since Null is with us, they won''t do anything."


    "What?" Alta looked at Leif in confusion.


    Leif only responded with a wry smile and offered a hand to help Alta up.


    Alta gratefully epted Leif''s offer and reached out her hand. However, before she could grab Leif''s hand, thetter pulled back and asked, "You did not use that hand to wipe your barf, right?"


    "I didn''t!" Alta shouted in response, her face bright red.


    Leif chuckled at Alta''s beet-red face and took her hand.


    Meanwhile, Ames simply observed the two before looking at Kyran again. Thetter was not even looking at his ''guests'' and was looking in the direction where the two powerful auras wereing from.


    "We''ve heard some rumors, but seeing you bring a de Dancer mage here, it seems like those rumors do hold some truth."


    "I''ll exin everything in front of everyone."


    "You say that, but you just could not be bothered to repeat yourself."


    "There''s that, too."


    Alta snorted at Kyran''s honesty.


    The two approaching auras were among the eight aides of the Dragon Emperor.


    Nothum and and Eissen.


    Nothum, with medium silver-blue hair and golden eyes, was Aillos''s aide who handled the n''s internal affairs. On the other hand, Eissen, whose human form had ash-gold shoulder-length hair and gold-silver eyes, handled the n''s military affairs.


    From the fields they were handling, it was obvious why they responded and went there when they noticed the portal''s activity.


    Alta and Leif did their best to appear harmless. Nevertheless, they did not let down their guard.


    Nothum and Eissen frowned the moment they saw Kyran. They then regarded Alta and Leif''s presence briefly before turning their attention to Ames.


    "Lady Ames," they greeted her.


    "You need note here yourself, Lady Ames. We could have handled the situation by ourselves," Eissen added before looking over at Kyran again.


    "There is nothing to handle since there is no situation," Ames told them dismissively. "Besides, I''m only here to greet my grandson since he just returned after being gone for almost half a month. Nothing more."


    It took every fiber in Alta so she would not react to Ames''s words. She then decided to distract herself by observing Kyran''s profile. As she did, she noticed something familiar with him. The longer she stared at him, the more she realized his resemnce to the ck mage who got away from her pursuit.


    Alta bit down the words she was just about to blurt out. Ultimately, she could only re at Kyran and observe him to confirm if he was truly that ck mage.


    "That may be true, but he came back without properly dering the presence of his guests," Eissen replied. "We cannot allow unauthorized entry to the ne, even if they are your grandson''s guests."


    "Hm?" Ames tilted her head while showing a confused expression. "Did I remember it correctly? Aren''t you handling the n''s military affairs? Why are you suddenly interested in unauthorized entry to the ne?"


    Without giving Eissen a chance to speak, Ames looked at Nothum and continued, "You are the internal affairs. So you don''t handle immigration stuff as well, right?"


    "... That may be true. However, any threat posed by unauthorized entry to the ne will have to go through us, Lady Ames," Nothum replied after a short pause.


    "Obviously," Ames nodded in agreement. "However, my grandson''s guests have just arrived. Don''t you think it is too soon for you to approach them when they haven''t even presented themselves before an Immigration Officer? Whether their entry to the ne is authorized or not should be dered by them and not you both."


    Eissen frowned, "Lady Ames, I hope you don''t get your priorities mixed up here."


    "I don''t. In fact, I think you are the ones who got your priorities mixed. Just because my grandson belongs to my other family doesn''t mean you can bulldoze your way around him."


    "That is a bold usation, Lady Ames. We are simply doing our job."


    "Again, with that excuse," Ames snorted. But then, the next moment, her eyes glowed silver as she red at the two. "Null is my grandson. If you have any problem with the people he invites to the ne, you can direct your concern to me. I will take responsibility."


    Without saying anything, Eissen and Nothum looked at Ames for a few tense seconds. Finally, they turned their attention to Kyran and said, "Make sure to report your return and dere the number and names of people you''re inviting over."


    Kyran, who remained silent the whole time, lowered his head and replied, "I will."


    The two nodded as if content with his response before turning around and leaving.


    Once the two were a distance away, Ames let out another udylike snort before looking at Kyran, "You sure have a knack for getting on their nerves."


    "Don''t you mean ''you'' have the knack of getting on their nerves?"


    Ames clicked her tongue in annoyance, "So uncute. Your grandfather had a cute side, you know. Why did you not inherit that side of him?"


    Kyran''s face darkened slightly, "My grandfather doesn''t have such a cute side..."


    "You know who I mean when I said your grandfather!" Ames shouted in annoyance.


    Kyran sighed. He did know Ames was talking about Zane. However, rather than calling Zane his grandfather, he was more of an ancestor. Then again, if Ames called him that, she would admit she was also an ''ancestor'' rather than Kyran''s grandmother.


    Seriously, why do females make such a huge fuss about their age?


    Kyran looked at Alta and Leif, who had been keeping their mouths shut since Eissen and Nothum arrived. He addressed Alta and said,"Among the members of your n, you''re the first one to understand my real rtionship with the Dragon n."


    "...True," Alta replied with mixed emotions. She had yet to confirm if Kyran and the ck mage were the same person. So far, she was about 60% sure. But she was still 40% unsure because if Kyran and that ck mage were the same person, there was no reason for him to go after the portal in that unnamed ne.


    Moreover, The Emperor said the ck mage was the person he sought. But was he not looking for a human mage with the Void core?


    "I now understand why you keep saying that you are not part of it."


    "For now," Ames corrected Alta.


    Alta looked at Ames with simr mixed emotions. Among the female mages in the Higher Realm, Ames was infamous because of her temper, but at the same time, she was known as one of the most powerful, if not the first.

 Chapter 1127: Gate Completion

    There was a female mage known to rival Ames in the Higher Realm.


    The female mage was a member of the de Dancer n named Raelia. Although, at the moment, Raelia was directly working under The Emperor, she was one of the de Dancer n''s pride.


    In any case, Alta viewed Raelia as her role model, while she saw Ames as a target to surpass. Thus, seeing thetter in person while in such aplicated arrangement with Kyran¡ª whom Ames confirmed was her family¡ª truly made Alta feelplex emotions.


    "Let''s continue this in the pce," Ames suggested, diverting the conversation and heading towards the pce''s direction. "You''ve arrived at the perfect time. We''re in the final phase of the gate''s construction and need assistance activating thest few calctions for a stable path sessfully." The anticipation for the gate''spletion was palpable.


    "It''s taken longer than anticipated," Kyran expressed his disappointment, which was evident in his voice.


    "What did you expect? It''s just Myst and I working on the array. He also had to adjust to my pace when my proficiency in Array is only at a bare minimum."


    "..."


    Kyran could not help but nce at Ames with a look of disbelief. When Ames replied to his remark, she expected her to be annoyed at him. Instead, she actually replied properly and even admitted to herck of Array proficiency to assist Myst properly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But then Kyran backed track on Ames''s words and felt impressed when he realized that Myst was basically the only one working on the array. Although Kyranpleted the array calction, Myst sessfully created it up to itsst phase within half a month, which was very impressive.


    It seemed like Myst and the rest of the Regis Elites who came to the Higher Realm first were not just idling around or looking for Kyran''s trace. They also did their best to improve their Magic Knowledge in Array and Combat.


    Ames turned to look at Kyran when she did not hear him respond. Seeing his nk expression, however, pissed her and said, "What? Are you that disappointed that we haven''t finished the gate yet? You are such a stickler for deadlines. You should praise us for our hard work, especially Myst! Since he''s the one who mostly did everything.


    Besides,pared to us, those guys in the seal are stuck at the fifth phase, and there are far more people with high proficiency in Array working!"


    "You sure are acting very proud of yourself for someone who has practically pushed all the work on Myst."


    "Of course, I''d be proud. Myst is part of my family, after all!"


    "You also have family members working on the array at the seal."


    "And there are stubborn fools around them, which is why their progress is not going well. I won''t me them for it. In fact, I''d say that they are doing a very good job of being patient with those stubborn fools."


    "...Those stubborn fools are members of your main family."


    Ames red at Kyran, "They''re not. My only family is my Father, and then there are you guys. Those stubborn fools are part of other tribes."


    "...I see."


    "Are you purposefully pissing me off?"


    "..."


    "I said we are already in thest phase of the gate''s creation. You reacted as if you were disappointed that the gate had not been created yet. However, you were not even in a hurry to get there. You''re contradicting yourself, you know."


    "I do want to get there as soon as possible, but you''re the one who seems not to be in a hurry if you want us to get there using Dragon Steps."


    "What are you saying? My Dragon Steps is way faster than your miracle steps."


    "Dragon Steps is not the only movement technique I have."


    Hearing Kyran''s words, Leif already had a foreboding, and her still paleplexion turned even paler.


    "You''re not saying¡ª! You are¡ª!"


    Leif could notplete what she was saying as a purple disc appeared beneath their feet.


    Ames''s expression sobered when she saw the purple light on her feet. "Ah. Right, you also have that," she muttered while inwardly scratching her head.


    It was not that shepletely forgot about Kyran''s warp ability. But because there were other people around, she automatically assumed he would not use his Void magic, especially now that The Emperor practically dered his existence to the whole Higher Realm.


    Kyran warped them at the Regis Terram''s periphery.


    Alta, who was basically new to everything that was happening around her, was unprepared when Kyran warped. She ended up feeling nauseous once more, and she barely stopped herself from vomiting again. Then again, she probably no longer had anything to vomit.


    But that was the least of Alta''s concerns. Kyran moved them without even using an array or a magic item, which pretty much confirmed her suspicion about his real identity. Another thing she noticed was how Leif was unfazed about everything, especially the casual exchange between Ames and Kyran.


    Most important of all, Alta realized the gravity of Kyran''s real identity. Her expression turned grim as she straightened her back. As she did, she noticed someone looking at her. When she looked up, she saw Kyran looking at her with an unreadable expression.


    Contrary to her expectation that he was going to warn her about keeping her mouth shut to whatever she heard or realized, he looked away and stepped inside a translucent veil before them.


    Before Alta could adjust her thoughts, she felt another set of eyes on her and knew who it belonged to.


    Ames.


    "Since my grandson brought you here, that means he has enough trust in you. Break it, and I will have your head."


    Alta felt cold shivers up her body. Ames only spoke those words without even emitting any magic aura or pressure, yet Alta felt her threat to her core. She would have retaliated and responded without fear if this had been any other time. However, even if she felt uncertain about her n''s current arrangement with Kyran, she still considered him their benefactor and knew how to show gratitude.


    She would not retaliate to Ames''s threat even if she could.


    In any case, Alta knew what Ames was threatening her with. Ames mentioned Kyran having enough trust in Alta, but to be honest, she did not think so. Instead, she believed he brought her here as a test. Alta was unsure whether he truly intended to fix her soul thread or simply wanted her to know about his real identity and see how she would react.


    But one thing she knew was that Kyran would not have revealed so many of his secrets without reason.


    Alta only hoped that whatever his reasons might be, it would not spell her n''s doom.


    "I understand."


    Meanwhile, Leif silently watched the scene before her. Unlike Alta, who initially belonged to a n that had been hostile with the Dragon n only recently, Leif''s n was on good terms.


    Actually, that was not quite right.


    Rather than saying the Ogen n was on good terms with the Dragon n, they were trying not to have anything to do with them. They would avoid the Solis n''s radar by not having definite connections with them.


    Anyhow, Leif more or less guessed Alta''s conflicted emotions at the moment. But rather than act meekly before Ames, she would have still tried acting in a way that would preserve her dignity. After all, she was still in the same generation as Ames.


    Among the few powerful female mages in the Higher Realm, the ones who were mentioned almost all the time were Ames, Midnight, and Raelia. No one barely remembered that Leif was also part of it.


    However, Leif did not mind because if they were ranked, she was deadst. Nevertheless, that did not mean she could act less dignified before Ames, Midnight, or Raelia.


    Putting those thoughts aside, Leif noticed that Ames did not follow after Kyran. Because of that, she subconsciously stayed put as well.


    Alta might have realized this, too, as she did not follow Kyran inside the translucent veil.


    "Are we not going inside?" Leif asked after a short, awkward silence.


    "Only those with dragon blood can enter that ce," Ames replied. She looked at Leif and smiled, teasingly adding, "You are free to enter, though. I won''t stop you."


    Leif''s brow twitched at Ames''s childish antic.


    ''After saying that only those with dragon blood can enter? This guy is truly annoying.''


    "You just thought I was annoying, didn''t you?"


    "I did."


    "As expected of Overlord Oceanus''s beloved daughter, you truly have guts."


    "Are we just going to stay here?" Leif ignored Ames''s childish provocation and asked.


    "We are. We won''t be of much help to them anyway."


    "The gate you mentioned... You guys are not working on something very dangerous, are you?"


    Ames raised her brows, surprised at Leif''s question. She even sensed thetter seemed to have realized what kind of gate they were trying to make.


    "That depends on your definition of very dangerous."


    Leif looked at her with all seriousness while opening her mouth. In the end, she could not properly phrase what she wanted to say and ended up closing her mouth without saying anything.


    Ames noticed Leif''s hesitation and was about to say something to make a point when a huge magic fluctuation erupted from within the Regis Terram. She looked at the translucent veil with a wry smile and muttered, "Seriously, that grandson of mine... it''s only been a few minutes, and you''ve alreadypleted thest phase."


    Just as Ames had said, Kyran, with Myst''s assistance, had alreadypleted the Gate''s creation.

 Chapter 1128: Reunion (1)

    Kyran and Mystpleted the gate that could connect the two realms without problems. The only two things left to do were to wait for the gate on the other side of the Regis Terram, which was in the Lower Realm, to bepleted. After that, they would connect the two to form a path to both realms.


    "Your timing is truly impable, Young Master. I was having some reservations about using that item to activate thest phase with those forms," Myst said, his voice carrying a palpable sense of relief as she looked at Kyran.


    The item Myst was referring to was something Kyran left behind that was imbued with Void magic energy. Since he did not know when he would return from what he set out to do, he decided to leave that item so Myst could easily activate thest part, which consisted of forms written in Void runes.


    "I made the form to require absorbing the needed magic energy to trigger," Kyran replied, shaking his head at Myst with a wry smile. "There is no need to work yourself up."


    "Even if you say that, the Void''s nature is too scary for someone like me to control, Young Master," Myst replied with a sigh.


    Kyran simply shook his head in response. He more or less understood Myst''s concern about releasing the Void magic energy in the item he left behind. If Myst fails to release it into the array properly, it might destroy the already finished part, rendering the whole array useless.


    But Kyran knew the nature of his magic more than anyone, which was why he created the form and the item toplement each other, allowing anyone who released the Void magic energy in the item to be absorbed into the array without problems.


    Anyhow, that was no longer important. Now that the gate on their end waspleted, their part was mostly finished.


    "You did a good jobpleting the array by yourself," Kyranmended Myst.


    Myst scratched his head, somewhat bashful at receiving apliment, and said, "I only did it because of Lady Ames''s assistance."


    "You don''t have to lie. She probably only ensured you have enough magic energy to continue working on the array."


    Myst looked at Kyran with raised brows, "How did you¡ª did Lady Ames confess everything?"


    Kyran only chuckled at Myst''s bewildered expression.


    "Go rest for now. I''ll ask Lady Ames to continue watching over this side. I''d like to stay and do that, but she said there are some dys in the Array Creation on Raya''s side. I have to check on them."


    "If that''s the case, I can go with you, Young Master. I may be able to offer some assistance, even if a little."


    "No," Kyran shook his head and pat Myst on the shoulder. "You mostlypleted this array on your own. You''ll soon feel the mental strain and may suffer some bacsh if you don''t get proper rest."


    "But..." Myst''s expression turned serious as his eyes glowed silver and his pupils turned into slits, proof that he activated the dragon blood in his system. "I could say the same with you, Young Master. You don''t normally release your aura and presence, but seeing you right now, there are cracks where your aura leaks out.


    The aura itself doesn''t produce any specific type of energy, but the fact that you can''t even contain them because of those cracks meant you are suffering internally at this moment."


    "I''m fine¡ª."


    "You''re not," Myst interrupted, looking sternly at Kyran. "You may have surpassed us in terms of magic knowledge and strength but we are still your seniors. At times like this, you need to listen to your senior''s advice properly."


    Kyran was somewhat perplexed at Myst''s attitude. Then again, before he discovered he had magic and was forced to leave the n, Myst was one of the few members of the Regis Special Forces who would help him train inbat when his father or grandfather was not around.


    Myst was strict about training but even stricter about getting proper rest or treatment if Kyran suffered an injury.


    Before Kyran could say anything to his defense, Myst continued, "I bet you''re going to rely on the Young Mistress''s healing ability again. But even if she can heal your internal and external injuries, you know very well that she cannot heal your mental fatigue. Do us all a favor and get proper rest, Young Master.


    "I know you wanted the new Array on Coelus''s Corpse to bepleted as soon as possible, but we are notpletely off schedule. The path connecting the two realms is still underway, so even if the Array on Coelus''s Corpse ispleted, it will only be operating there without anyone taking advantage of it."


    "That''s not true. You, Raya, and the others can start using the array while we wait for the rest toe."


    "That may be true, but don''t you think it''s a waste to use that array with only a few of us taking in that huge amount of magic energy? Won''t it be better to have more people in the array?"


    "...True."


    "Then, there is no need to rush everything. I bet the Young Mistress will be agitated if she realizes you are injured again. So rather than making her feel that it''s best for you to go meet her now and admit you need medical assistance."


    ''In dire need...'' Kyran repeated inwardly, his brow twitching slightly. He was enduring the pain caused by the chaotic fluctuation happening in his magic cores because of the Void energy and Draconic energy, but he would not really say he was in dire need of medical assistance.


    Moreover, when he stepped into the special space where the Tower of the Ancients fell, his connection to True Void¡ª who was still rampantly spreading Void energy everywhere¡ª got disconnected, and the rampaging energy of Coelus''s Corpse that entered his Draconic core also stopped.


    Though it was only for a brief moment, Kyran received a moment of respite from the suffering he had been enduring for weeks.


    The pain returned after stepping out of that special space and returning to the Dragon ne. However, he was able to endure better because he managed to rest for some time in the special space.


    In any case, Myst also pointed out that the new Array would not be properly utilized if no one used it. Kyran did not say there was no need to rush, but he agreed that they did have time.


    "Fine. I''ll ask Lady Ames to keep watch here in the meantime. The two of us will go to Raya and the others, and after resting enough, we''ll also assist in the Array Creation."


    Myst smiled wryly at Kyran and said, "You know, Young Master, as far as I know, not even the Patriarch could order Lady Ames around, yet you..."


    "It''s not an order," Kyran replied, looking at him somewhat innocently. "She barely helped in the gate''s creation, and having her watch over the other side''s progress is the least she could do."


    "Even if you phrase it that way..."


    [You do know I can hear you two?]


    "I know, that''s why I said those things."


    [Seriously, who do you take after?]


    "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Myst was speechless when Ames''s voice reverberated within the Regis Terram''s space. He did expect thetter to have the capability to hear them, given her natural heightened hearing senses, but he was still surprised to hear her.


    [Before you go, though. What do you n on doing with the de Dancer mage you brought along?]


    "B-de Dancer mage?" Myst shouted in surprise as he gaped at Kyran. "Young Master, you... did you kidnap someone again?"


    "I don''t¡ª" Kyran stopped midway through exining himself and ended up groaning in exasperation. He did not expect that Myst knew about the ''kidnap'' gag about him.


    "I''ll bring her and Lady Leif to Coelus''s Corpse''s seal."


    [Aren''t you afraid my Father or the aides there will kill them on sight?]


    "I won''t let that happen."


    [Father may give you a chance to exin why they were there, but those aides...]


    "Will they really take action without the Dragon Emperor''s consent?"


    [...Depending on the situation.]


    "They''re with me. I trust they would not do anything stupid just because they don''t like me or because those two are outsiders."


    [You''re free to try your luck then. But do remember that you have been warned.]


    "I will," Kyran replied to Ames.


    Kyran and Myst cleaned up the space around the gate before meeting Ames, Alta, and Leif on the other side of the translucent veil.


    Once they stepped out, Alta was the first to react. Her expression darkened after seeing another mage with the same dark hair and gray eyes as Kyran.


    "Is it really that strange to see someone with dark hair and eyes?" Kyran asked, seemingly having guessed Alta''s thoughts.


    "Yes," Alta answered, not even making an excuse.


    "You''ll get used to it," Kyran told her in a dismissive attitude. "Let''s go."


    The moment he said that and a purple disc appeared beneath their feet, Alta''splexion paled at once.


    "W-Wait just a second¡ª!"


    Her request had gone on deaf ears because Kyran warped them without even a pause.

 Chapter 1129: Reunion (2)

    Kyran knew he could be reckless at times, but he would not cause discord that could potentially jeopardize his own ns¡ª at least, not intentionally. He also considered how the Dragon Emperor, his aides, and the rest of the Array Saints working on the new array would react if he appeared there with Alta and Leif.


    Not wanting to cause unnecessary drama, Kyran made sure to warp inside Raya''s tent while extending his concealment range to hide Alta and Leif''s aura and presence.


    As a matter of fact, he did not have to conceal their aura and presence because they were aware of what would happen if the dragons knew about them.


    While two of the Dragon Emperor''s aides had already known about their presence and they had likely reported it to the former, knowing they were there and suddenly appearing before them were two entirely different things. It was not wrong to think that they would react more strongly to thetter than the former.


    Kyran''s expression turned grim as he noticed a familiar presence inside the tent even before they appeared. If possible, he would have changed the location in a split second to avoid that person, but in the end, he steeled himself and hoped for the best in the sudden turn of events.


    The person in question was none other than Aillos.


    As Kyran expected, Nothum and Eissen had already reported Alta and Leif''s appearance. Aillos was already aware of Leif, but learning that Kyran had brought another mage from a hostile n surprised him.


    Thus, Aillos decided to handle the situation himself to avoid any unnecessary discord.


    Fortunately, Aillos''s aides were aware of the current situation and were the ones responding to any unexpected discoveries on their radar.


    As the one governing the whole ne, Aillos should have been made aware of Kyran''s arrival. Unfortunately, thetter had a way of concealing himself, and if Aillos was not paying attention, he could easily miss him.


    Moreover, Kyran tends to enter and leave the ne through paths using the Void''s nature¨C portal or warp¨C making it harder to detect him unless Aillos was actively using his Draconic Eye or Divine Sense.


    Aillos sensed the activity and magic fluctuation from the portal and felt that Kyran would appear soon. He also sensed Ames hurrying toward the portal. However, she was not the only one who noticed the portal''s activity. Nothum and Eissen did as well, although they were a few steps behind Ames.


    Aillos contemted going, but ultimately, he chose to stay put and let Ames handle the rest.Besides,pared with Ducal, Nothum and Eissen could still be reasoned with even if they also had reservations about Ames''s other family.


    ''Hm?'' Aillos perked up when he sensed Kyran''s hesitation before ultimately appearing before him. He could not help but chuckle at having learned that thetter could also detect presences within the location he was about to warp.


    "It''s good that you did not run away," Aillos greeted, looking at Kyran with a slight smile.


    Kyran, who usually wore a nk expression, could not help but frown slightly at Aillos''s teasing.


    Before he could respond, Alta, Leif, and Myst knelt on one knee and greeted Aillos.


    "We bow before the Dragon Emperor."


    "Greetings, Milord."


    Alta, Leif, and Myst greeted Aillos, respectively, with the former two using the same greeting.


    Aillos waved his hand dismissively at the three while looking at Kyran with raised brows, "At least the people you brought with you know how to show respect."


    "¡­"


    Kyran chose not to reply. He did n on greeting Aillos, but thetter teased him as soon as they appeared, and he lost his chance to do so.


    "Care to exin why you brought a de Dancer mage with you?" Aillos got down to business at once.


    Kyran was notining, though. He preferred it, in fact.


    "I don''t want to waste time by telling you what you already know," Kyran started. "I''ll skip the part about what The Emperor did in the de Dancer ne."


    "Thus far, what happened there is considered a rumor," Aillos told Kyran before thetter could continue. "The ne remains off limits due to the unstable magic energy fluctuation in the area."


    Kyran did not respond because Ruin already told him about that when he was trying to convince him that they had worked together.


    Ruin exined that because Lucian manifested in his true body, the magic energy around the de Dancer ne became unstable. The ne also entered its self-preservation phase after a quarter of itsnd was destroyed and turned into a ce akin to a danger zone.


    The ns affected by what happened in the de Dancer ne gathered and formed groups to explore the ne. Their objective was not to learn what became of the de Dancer n. Rather, they wanted to save their n members who got caught in the crossfire and managed to survive.


    Unfortunately, because of the condition of the surrounding area and an abnormal influx of magic fluctuation, getting near the ne was a huge task.


    Alta looked as if she had eaten something she could not swallow. Her face paled as she looked at Kyran and said, "I-If the ne is off limits, then how did you¡­"


    Aillos caught on to her words and looked at Kyran with narrowed eyes, "You don''t need to concern yourself about wasting my time. I want you to tell me everything that happened."


    Kyran frowned and was about to reason out, but Aillos cut him off by saying, "Tell me everything. Starting from your little detour at the Junction Port."


    Kyran''s brow twitched slightly. He did not expect Aillos to know about that bit. Then again, Aillos seemed to possess a far scarier insight than his father and probably knew everything he did before returning.


    Sighing in resignation, Kyran relented and said, "Alright. But it will really take some time. I hope your people outside will not do anything before I finish."


    That was right. Kyran wanted to exin the gist of the situation because he already noticed Ducal and the other dragons outside paying attention to what was happening inside the tent. They were still doing their work with the array but also listening to their conversation.


    Such a feat was not hard for the dragons because of their naturally enhanced senses.


    "They won''t," Aillos assured Kyran.


    Upon hearing his assurance, Alta and Leif were relieved. Like Kyran, they were already aware of the other dragons outside and felt their pressure.


    "Alright."


    Kyran told Aillos what happened, for the most part, up until when he changed the de Dancer n''s Grand Array to transport them to another ne.


    Aillos remained silent throughout Kyran''s exnation. His expression did not change, nor did he ask any question. Even when Kyran finished, Aillos still remained silent. The only difference was that his eyes were looking at Kyran as if he could see right through him.


    "So The Emperor is still unaware of your real identity."


    "If you mean about me being the humanoid dragon he was after as well, then yes."


    "However, he doesn''t seem to be convinced that the Void Master who appeared before him was you."


    "...Yes."


    "Let''s have a more detailed discussion on that matterter," Aillos said after contemting for a moment. He then turned his attention to Alta and Leif, who had been quietly listening to their conversation.


    "I take it that you aplish what you set out to do, regardless of the unexpected events that happened."


    Kyran failed to respond at once because he was surprised that Aillos had realized that his main objective when he left more than half a month ago had been the de Dancer n all along.


    When Kyran did not respond, Aillos nced back at him with a wry smile.


    "Was it really shocking that I know what you had in mind?"


    "...I am surprised. But I wouldn''t say it was unexpected."


    "Hm... seems like there is someone in your family who managed to inherit a dragon''s insight."


    "...My Father did."


    "... Interesting."


    "..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "And? Why would you bring her with you instead of Geir or Zigor?" Aillos asked while gesturing toward Alta.


    "..."


    Kyran was once more at a loss for words at Aillos''s question. He only told him what happened up until transporting the de Dancer n in the unnamed ne and had not even said anything about Geir or Zigor, so why was he bringing them up?


    Then again, Geir was the n Head, while Zigor was his predecessor. It was normal to bring either of them to the Dragon ne if Kyran wanted them to be acquainted with the rest of his people properly.


    Nheless, Kyran was still surprised that Aillos would bring them up, especially Zigor.


    "I may look younger than Geir, but I have lived almost as long as ZIgor did," Aillos told Kyran as if reading thetter''s thoughts again.


    "I don''t think it''s appropriate to take them yet," Kyran replied with a sigh.


    "And it is okay to bring her?"


    "I told her I have a way of fixing her soul thread."


    "Ah..." Aillos nodded his head. "I see."


    He looked at Alta again before looking back at Kyran. "Are you really fine with others knowing of her existence?"


    Alta understood Aillos''s words and could not help but frown. She knew he was not referring to her when he mentioned ''her.'' Instead, he spoke of her as part of the others.


    "Not just to others, I''m not."


    "You deemed she is an exception."


    "She has enough capability to protect her, at least."


    "I see. You wanted to use gratitude to invoke her loyalty and protect her."


    "...Yes."


    Though how Aillos phrased it did not sound nice, that was pretty much what Kyran had in mind when he offered to fix Alta''s soul thread. He needed someone who could protect Cyneah and believed Alta to be a good candidate.

 Chapter 1130: Reunion (3)

    Alta''s disbelief was palpable as she listened to Aillos and Kyran''s conversation. The fact that they were discussing such a crucial matter in her presence was beyondprehension. She was well aware that Kyran''s offer to mend her soul thread was not without a price, a fact he had made clear before she agreed. Despite her reservations, Alta had epted, though her hopes were not high.


    As Aillos and Kyran''s conversation unfolded, Alta''s perception began to shift. What was once a mere possibility, now seemed to be a certainty. The fix that Kyran had offered was not just a hope, but a reality that was slowly dawning on her.


    Was there truly a being capable of restoring a removed soul thread? Such a feat would require a profound connection to the soul, a magic that was surely rare and powerful. Would The Emperor have allowed such a being to exist? And if so, how could a being with such extraordinary magic remain hidden in the Higher Realm?


    Alta''s mind turned to mush as she realized the implications of these revtions. No matter how much she tried to deny it, the bigger picture became clearer, and she began to understand The Emperor''s recent behavior.


    Calling for an emergency meeting... Sending someone to the Lower Realm... Not content with the results, he also went there himself... He acted strangely upon seeing the ck mage in Alta''s soul thread...


    All of these had something to do with the Ancient Magic Cores. Thus far, the Void core''s existence has been confirmed. The Draconic core''s existence was still under debate, but Alta already had an idea that it was also confirmed.


    If these two Ancient Magic Cores had already made their appearance, who to say that the other two¡ª Soul Core and Time Core had not?


    While Alta was beginning to ept the truth she had just realized, Aillos and Kyran turned to her at the same time, jolting her to straighten her back.


    They were only looking at her normally, but to Alta, their gazes were cold and piercing.


    Without waiting for them to say something, she took the initiative and said, "I¡­ may have taken Lord Null''s offer lightly. But after hearing your conversation¨C and I take that you don''t mind us hearing them since you did not even try to lower your voice or hide your conversation by using telepathy¨C I realized I should have taken his offer more seriously."


    Aillos waved his hand dismissively at Alta''s attempt at exining herself, "That is unimportant. You are smart enough to understand that we spoke of this while knowing you are listening."


    Aillos''s eyes turned into slits as his whole demeanor turned cold and overbearing.


    "Remember that right now, you are in the Dragon ne. I shall take the words you speak to heart. If you do something contrary to them, I shall deem your action as a tant challenge to my authority and smite you on the spot."


    Kyran looked at Aillos at the corner of his eyes. He did not expect thetter to actively take charge of matters regarding the protection of Cyneah''s identity¨C not that he wasining. In fact, Kyran appreciated it because Aillos''s threat held more power than his. After all, Aillos was the Dragon Emperor, the only being said to have the capability to face The Emperor.


    "I understand," Alta replied with such a resolute tone that she was surprised at herself. Truthfully, she was scared just by looking at Aillos''s eyes. He did not emit any murderous aura or suffocating pressure like The Emperor when he threatened others; however, that did not lessen the gravity of his words.


    They even sounded more frightening because it felt like he would smite her if she so much as thought of lying to him.


    "Now tell us what you think."


    "I will be forever grateful to the one who will restore my soul thread. Thus, I will not spare any thought of offering my life in turn for that one''s safety."


    "Hm," Aillos replied while tilting his head. He seemed satisfied at Alta''s straightforward answer. Nheless, Kyran would still have the final say since Cyneah was his person.


    Others believed Cyneah was Kyran''s wife, but Aillos knew better. They were barely intimate and had yet to take a vow before the Ancestral Steele, so he would not ept their so-called husband-and-wife rtionship.


    That was not to say that Aillos did not approve. At first, he disliked the idea of them together, especially since they were vessels of Ancient Magic Cores. But after knowing Cyneah for the past few weeks and learning that she did not possess the Soul core, he changed his mind a little.


    Besides, he witnessed how Kyran and Cyneah adjusted to each other and believed they could influence each other in a good way as long as the people around them guided them ordingly.


    Aillos looked at Kyran, who was still looking at him sideways.


    "What do you think?"


    "¡­ She did agree to do me a favor after her soul thread is fixed. As long as she properly does her part, I''m good."


    "Hm," Aillos nodded and turned his attention back to Alta. "You probably realized who can help restore your soul thread. Knowing this, you should understand the gravity of keeping her identity hidden."


    "¡­I do."


    "Putting aside what this guy thought of her," Aillos pointed at Kyran. "I myself wanted to keep her safe. If you ever do something that will jeopardize that¡­"


    Aillos did not finish his sentence¡ª he did not have to because Alta got his message. It was strange how she still had reservations about her soul thread getting fixed a few minutes ago. Yet now, she believed it without a sliver of a doubt.


    "You have my word, Dragon Emperor."


    "Before I allow you to meet her, I want you to remember one thing. The moment your n survived The Emperor''s attack, your lives were no longer for him but for the one who saved you."


    "The de Dancer n are aware. Others may have lingering doubts, but I will make a vow before you that I, at least, will never doubt. I know where my loyalty lies, and it is with you."


    "... No, not me, but him," Aillos corrected her while clearing his throat.


    From the side, Kyran looked nk, but it was clear he found Alta''s answer unsatisfactory.


    Alta reddened at once. She got absorbed at the moment and was so focused on talking with Aillos that she somehow forgot what Kyran kept telling them: He was not part of the Dragon n.


    "I-I''m sorry," Alta stammered, turning to Kyran and bowing in a very uncharactesitically clumsy way. "Please allow me to correct myself. I vow to¡ª."


    "I don''t need your vow," Kyran cut her off midsentence. "If you vow your loyalty to her, then that''s all that matters."


    Alta straightened and looked at Kyran for a moment. It was not a stretch to say that this would be the first time she was truly looking at him.


    She already noticed his simrity to the ck mage she encountered in the unnamed ne, and judging by how he easily moved them from one ce to another, not to mention ess a portal they all believed to have been destroyed, he was the person The Emperor was after¡ª the human possessing the Void Core.


    However, there were talks about him being a dragon because of his use of Draconic magic. Alta admitted to be one of the de Dancers who believed he was a dragon. But aftering here, and hearing the gist of Kyran''s rtionship with the Dragon n, she now knew he was not a dragon but a human from the Lower Realm¡ª the rumored human family of Ames.


    While it was possible that Kyran''s use of Draconic magic was due to the dragon bloodline running in his veins from Ames''s side, it was impossible for him to have such clear and powerful control over it that was akin to the Dragon Emperor''s aides. Thus, Alta came to a conclusion that he also possessed the Draconic Core.


    Alta only knew a small detail of why The Emperor called for an emergency prior to his descent to the Lower Realms, and that it had something to do with a sighting of a lesser dragon.


    From this, Alta put two and two together and guessed that Kyran also possessed the Draconic Core.


    However, there were still some points that she found strange that could only be exined if The Emperor was unaware of the fact that Kyran possessed two Ancient Magic Cores. And apparently, Alta was right about this since The Emperor did not go after the Dragon n right after the ''Void Master'' appeared in the de Dancer ne.


    If The Emperor knew the Void Master was the same as the suspected lesser dragon, he should have confronted the Dragon n who likely knew something about thetter.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    All of these were still Alta''s spections. Though she believed she was on the right track, and unless Kyran admitted to everything, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

 Chapter 1131: Reunion (4)

    "Now that we got that out of the way, let''s move on to another important matter," Aillos said while turning his attention back to Kyran.


    "I understand that leaving the de Dancers by themselves while they are still adjusting to the new arrangement is less risky than when they already have, but how will you manage them moving forward? The rest of your n will be arriving soon, and supervising their training will fall under your responsibility. That is not something you can do half-heartedly."


    Aillos did not borate on his point, but Kyran pretty much got it.


    Kyran could not spare even a moment to check on matters regarding the de Dancer n. Like Aillos said, leaving them to their own devices at this point in time was still less risky because what The Emperor did to their n was still fresh in their memories. Thus, their gratitude toward Kyran was still running high.


    However, once they got used to their current situation and realized that the restriction Kyran had over them was only limited to the house leaders, Shiloh, and Uilleam, those with lingering attachment to what the de Dancer n used to be might do something that could lead to the formation of other factions that harbored ill-intent to the current arrangement.


    "I spoke with Zigor, and he has good control over all the elders," Kyran exined. "I won''t say that all those elders will not change their attitude, but the way I see it, they will only do so if a very convincing third party influences them."


    "So you already made sure to secure the elders'' side."


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. I know their influence over the new generations exceeds that of their House Leaders or n Head. I deemed it necessary to have them understand that I don''t n on putting them on a tight leash."


    "That is true," Aillos agreed. "If the elders are aware of your intentions, the new generation will eventually be influenced by their positive insight about you. The de Dancer n are known for their upright attitude when ites to respecting their predecessors."


    Alta subconsciously nodded her head in agreement.


    What Aillos said was correct. The de Dancer n values its predecessors'' insights and decides its course of action ordingly. If Kyran''s rtionship with the elders was good, then the new generation would notice this and see him in a good light.


    Geir epted and even supported Kyran''s decision to appoint Uilleam as the Overseer without voicing any discontent because he knew Kyran never nned to be head of the n. If not, there was no point cing another de Dancer as the Overseer, even if that person could be considered one of his people.


    Moreover, Geir''s positive assessment of Kyran further increased when he managed to get Zigor to trust him. It went without saying that Zigor was far more experienced when dealing with the people inside and outside their n, so for him to have a positive view of Kyran meant a great deal.


    "Rather than being upright about respecting their elders, I believe the real reason behind their respect is that the new generation is aware that the elders will never support something that could endanger their n''s future¡ª meaning the current, new, and future generations."


    Alta looked at Kyran in surprise. She did not expect him to say something like that.


    In fact, even when the elders continued to spout things about bowing their heads and apologizing to The Emperor when he first met them, Kyran knew they only said that because they were afraid their n''s future would be doomed if they did not pacify His anger.


    Their actions might appear cowardly to others, but Kyran could not really detest them. In fact, he knew that they could only resort to that because they were aware that their n''s current strength could not defy the Emperor. They could only grit their teeth and endure being mocked and seen as weak to ensure that their n would live to see the future.


    "Hm..." Aillos leaned back and studied Kyran in silence. He more or less had the same thoughts about why the de Dancer n continued to support and do The Emperor''s bidding even if they no longer possessed the strength they used to have. Nevertheless, Aillos was surprised that Kyran managed to understand their situation after only staying with them for less than three weeks.


    Of course, Aillos knew Kyran did not understand all of that after meeting the de Dancer n. More likely, Kyran already knew the gist of their current dilemma, which was why he was able to devise a n that would allow him to win them over.


    ''As for where he got his intel...'' Aillos''s eyes shifted over to Leif, who remained silent while listening to their conversation.


    "Looks like before you decided on how to tackle the matter with the de Dancer n, you already won over Oceanus," he remarked while looking back at Kyran.


    "I never got to exin why Lady Leif was with us when I arrived, but yes... you could say that Overlord Oceanus and I had an agreement."


    Aillos ignored the subtle hint of sarcasm in Kyran''s words when he mentioned being unable to exin anything to them when he arrived in the Dragon ne because it was his, Aillos'' fault.


    If Aillos did not attack Kyran at first sight, he could have exined everything.


    "I hope that does not include marriage."


    "!"


    "..."


    Leif almost choked in surprise. How the hell did AIllos think of that? Was her father''s intentions of marrying her off that obvious to the other Overlords?


    Then again,pared to Ames, who was in the same generation, Leif was still unmarried.


    Wait.


    Apart from Ames, the other female mages in their generation were still unmarried!


    "Though you are only part dragon, I hope you will honor our belief of having only one mate," Aillos told Kyran with a stern look. "Your grandmother honored it, even after your grandfather had been gone for such a long time."


    "I know. The Regis n has the same belief."


    "Hm," Aillos nodded, satisfied with Kyran''s steady response.


    Kyran remained indifferent. However, he was inwardly surprised at how protective Aillos was acting when it came to Cyneah''s interest. He did not mind it, but his curiosity over what happened during his absence only increased because of the huge change.


    "Going back on topic," Aillos diverted their conversation back on track. "Since there is no immediate risk of letting the de Dancer n operate by themselves, and it seems you have also employed the assistance of the Ogen n, what do you intend to do from now on?"


    "I want to create a new force," Kyran replied at once.


    Aillos did not respond. In fact, he was not surprised because he more or less guessed that that would be Kyran''s objective for winning over the de Dancer n.


    "Having three ns is not enough."


    Aillos already included the Regis n in the new force Kyran wanted to make; they made up three ns, including the de Dancer n and the Ogen n.


    "...I know."


    "Do you have other prospects?"


    "Geir mentioned about a rebel group," Kyran replied, recalling one of the topics he had with Geir and the rest of the executives of the de Dancer n.


    "Did Ames also tell you anything about them?"


    Kyran frowned at the strange question and replied, "No. Should she have mentioned them?"


    "Ames decided to return after receiving a tip about the rebel group''s movement."


    "This is the first time I''ve heard this."


    It was not just Kyran; Alta and Leif were also perplexed by this news. In fact, they were surprised that the Dragon n was aware of the movement of the rebel group.


    Could it be that they were already in contact with them?


    No. If that were the case, The Emperor''s spies would have already known about it.


    Aillos was somewhat surprised about Alta''s confusion. Leif''s reaction was understandable because her n belonged to the neutral faction, and they would have steered clear of any news about the rebel group for fear of being seen as part of them.


    But Alta was different. After all, the one who told Ames about the rebel group''s movement was Raelia, a member of the de Dancer n.


    "I''ll let you hear more about them from Ames."


    In the end, Aillos decided not to say more and have Ames exin it to Kyran.


    "Alright."


    "You don''t really n on taking in the rebel group to your new force, do you?"


    "No."


    "You only wanted to confirm which ns and tribes are already part of them."


    "Yes. Well, I also wanted to let them know that I have no intentions of interfering with their ns."


    "The rebel group itself can be a double-edged sword. If you want to contact them, you have to be careful."


    It went without saying that The Emperor would have already nted spies inside the rebel group. As a matter of fact, Aillos started to think that Raelia had infiltrated the rebel group ording to the Emperor''s orders. However, the reason she told Ames about their movement was still up for debate.


    Aillos had a few ideas in mind, but since hecked information, he did not want toe to any conclusions.


    "I understand."


    "What''s your backup n in case you fail to confirm the ns and tribes already under the rebel group?"


    "I want to meet with the group behind the underground auction."


    Aillos raised his brow in surprise.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That group is neutral," he paused for a brief moment before adding, "No. Instead of saying they are neutral, they can be called a ''free'' faction. Meeting the one in charge will not be easy."


    "I know. But I have my way."

 Chapter 1132: Reunion (5)

    Hearing Kyran''s confidence in his voice, Aillos decided not to pry on his ns. Besides, he had no ns to help, so asking Kyran how he nned to approach the master of the underground auction might give him the wrong impression. Moreover, Aillos might want to know Kyran''s current objectives, but he had no intention of providing assistance.


    At most, he could provide some advice and point Kyran on the right track.


    While Aillos''s thoughts might seem arrogant, his past experiences with Lucian couldn''t be ignored. This history would undoubtedly make his advice valuable to Kyran.


    It was a bitter realization that Aillos was currently limited in his actions.


    When the news of what happened to the de Dancer n reached him, knowing that Kyran had left because he had gone to check on some people who happened to be in the de Dancer ne, Aillos already had a foreboding.


    Though the truth of what happened remained unclear, Lucian''s deration that he was targeting Ruin and the Void Master already confirmed that the Higher Realm would soon experience a huge change.


    In fact, the changes had already started when the Tower of the Ancients opened ahead of time. Now that the existence of the Void Master was revealed to the Higher Realm, it would only be a matter of time before all key figures started to connect the Void Master to the anomaly that happened in the Tower of the Ancients.


    When that happened, the Dragon n would be implicated again because their representatives were the only ones who survived without suffering any injuries.


    For the record, the representatives Kyran spared still suffered some minor injuries when he made them fall unconscious before throwing them out of their portal.


    Once the Dragon n was implicated, keeping Kyran''s identity a secret from the rest of the n would already be impossible. Aillos would then be forced to make a decision¡ª wash their hands clean off Kyran and his n or protect him.


    To be honest, Aillos did not want the situation to reach that point before making a decision. However, without understanding Kyran''s objectives, he would have difficulty deciding on his own course of action. Thus, interrogating Kyran while the situation was still in its infantile stage would also be beneficial to Aillos, though he would not offer Kyran assistance.


    "Then that''s fine," Aillos said after a short pause. "Just avoid causing another incident like in the Junction Port and the de Dancer ne."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "...I know," Kyran could not help but frown at Aillos''s subtle jab.


    What happened in those two locations became an excessive move because the Fates interfered with Kyran''s ns. In fact, he realized that the moment Ruin told him that the Fates were influencing the fates of the people around him.


    Kyran contemted telling Aillos about the Fates but ultimately decided against it. Telling him about their interference would only make it appear as an excuse. In the end, Kyran is the one at fault for not realizing that the Fates are trying to mess with him by manipting the others.


    "Let''s leave it at that." Aillos decided to end their conversation at that point because Kyran still had a lot to do before his n arrived in the Higher Realm.


    Aillos had things to do himself. Since he did not want to keep his n in the dark about Kyran''s identity and the real score of the situation in the Higher Realm, he needed to gather everyone and address all of those as soon as possible.


    By exining it to them at this moment, they would have time to adjust and n things out while Lucian was still upied following the ''Void Master'' and Ruin''s trail.


    "We''ll talk again when everyone is present."


    Aillos did not say who everyone was, but Kyran more or less guessed that they were the key figures of both the Dragon n and the Regis n.


    ''...Key figures, huh...'' Kyran thought and sighed after recalling something.


    "I have something to say about the Regis Terram''s rules."


    Aillos smiled wryly, and without giving Kyran a chance to exin, he said, "You n on inviting people who are not part of the Regis n."


    Seemingly expecting Aillos to get what he wanted to say, Kyran replied unfazed, "Yes. There are quite a few who are not part of the Regis n. They can be considered affiliated to the Regis Family because of me, but... they did not pledge their allegiance."


    "The rules of the Regis Terram state that whoever they considered as part of their n could enter as permitted. You don''t need my permission to make them cross. Your Patriarch can do that."


    "But what about this side? The only ones who can enter inside are those with dragon blood running through their veins, right?"


    "That''s right."


    "Then..."


    "Looks like you are still exhausted."


    "...What?"


    "Because you failed to understand the rules when you''ve clearly stated it."


    "..."


    Myst, who had been staying quiet by the side, seemed to have realized Aillos''s point, heaved a sigh, and said, "Young Master, since they areing from the inside the Regis Terram, then it can''t be considered as entering, right?"


    Kyran stopped short at Myst''s words.


    That was right. Why did he fail to understand that part?


    "Right," Kyran finally agreed after a short pause. "Sorry, I missed that."


    Leif eyed Kyran from the side and said, "You''ve been using your magic to warp us around. It''s only a given you''d be exhausted."


    "..."


    "You''ve made a good point there, Oceanus''s daughter," Aillos said with a wry smile. "Let''s change location and have him rest for a bit."


    "I''ll restter¡ª."


    "Rest now," Aillos cut Kyran midsentence and added, "I''ll introduce Alta to her before sending her here."


    Kyran frowned, "Why are you suddenly protective of Neah."


    "You''re imagining things. In any case, I''m sure you already noticed that she is not here."


    "I did, and I was just about to ask where you sent her."


    "Don''t worry; she is safe. No one in the Dragon ne, especially among the dragons, would dare touch her¡ª not on my watch."


    Kyran suddenly had a strange vision of Aillos and Euan having a staring match because of Cyneah.


    "..."


    "Besides, the energy around here is not good for her. Though I can filter the energy around her, there is no guarantee that she will not absorb Coelus''s energy. I deemed it best for her to leave the site and stay in a safer location."


    "She is not in the pce."


    "I did say safer location¡ª I never said anything about sending her to the pce."


    "..."


    Leif was at a loss. She did not expect to see Kyran to be spoken by Aillos like this. She found Kyran to be a very cautious and in-control person; thus, seeing him being messed around by Aillos because of hispses was quite refreshing.


    Obviously, this only happened because Kyran was exhausted. She downyed it by saying that he was only exhausted because of his magic usage, but she knew he had not been getting proper rest since he transported the de Dancer n in the unnamed ne.


    Leif knew this because during Kyran''s ''rest,'' she would still sense some activity inside his room. It was obvious that even while resting, he was still doing something.


    Alta shared the same thoughts because, as far as she was concerned, Kyran''s definition of rest was staying in his room while working on some of his personal matters.


    Alta and Leif did not know what Kyran was doing in his room. But whatever it was, it was not light work.


    "Auto-one is still on top of things regarding the new array. Raya and the others are doing a good job in working Ducal and the rest to their bones," Aillos continued when Kyran did not respond. "There is no immediate matter that you must attend to now."


    He paused for a brief moment before continuing, "Though I contradicted what I said earlier, with what I just said, the point is, you are allowed to rest."


    Kyran tilted his head slightly, looking toward the side, "Your people don''t seem to agree with you."


    "You don''t have to worry about that."


    "..."


    "Besides," Aillos looked at Myst with a slight smile, "I heard from Ames that you have done great work in creating the gate inside the Regis Terram. I''m sure your addition will greatly improve the new array''s creation."


    "He also needs to rest."


    "And he will. A couple of hours will suffice. As I said, no immediate matter needs attention at the moment."


    Kyran frowned at the realization that Aillos was practically telling him to get lost¡ª at least until he had rested.


    "Then I will make sure the Young Master gets proper rest, Milord."


    "Good," Aillos nodded his head, content at Myst''s response. "I''ll take Alta with me, and as for Oceanus''s daughter..."


    "Please, call me Leif, Milord."


    "Then, Leif, would you like toe with us or stay with them?"


    "Please allow me to join you. I wanted to be better acquainted with Lady Sisi."


    "Very well."


    Without giving Kyran a chance to protest, Aillos took Alta and Leif out of the tent with him.


    Once Kyran and Myst were left alone, they exchanged nces, thetter giving the former a wry smile.


    "Don''t give me that look, Young Master. You brought this upon yourself by making such a mistake."


    "..."


    "I know you wanted to see the Young Mistress as soon as possible, but your health is also important. Besides, if she realized you''ve neglected yourself again, she will be furious."


    "...Since when did you be an expert on how Neah will react?"


    "Since the time you left the Young Mistress without saying anything in the Lower Realm."


    "..."


    Myst smiled upon seeing Kyran''s indifference falter. Not wanting to get ahead of himself, he chose to stop there and ushered thetter to rest on the bed.

 Chapter 1133: Reunion (6)

    On a floating fortress, Lucian stood at the edge of what appeared to be a tform atop a very tall tower. The floor was made of ck marble, resembling the ckness of the night sky. It also gave one a vague illusion that Lucian was standing on nothing.


    The space behind him shifted. However, whatever or whoever made that movement did not appear and, instead, seemed to blend into the night.


    "I don''t want to hear any excuses."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    A female voice responded from behind.


    The one who had spoken was none other than Midnight.


    After Lucian followed Ruin and the ''Void Master''s'' trace, he called his few trusted elites and ordered them to search for thetter two as well.


    Thus far, the only one who had returned to make a report had been Midnight.


    "We found some discrepancy in the locations where the Void energy traces were found."


    "Meaning?"


    "We have reasons to believe that the Void Master is sending random traces to make us go on a wild goose chase."


    Lucian''s expression distorted as he said, "And the locations where those energies were found?"


    "It is still too early to make a proper judgment. However, we did notice that the appearance of the Void energies may be avoiding locations close to the Dragon ne."


    A sinister smile appeared at the corner of Lucian''s lips as his eyes shed malevolently, "...Interesting. Keep an eye on the Dragon ne."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    *


    Deus hovered on the periphery of an unnamed ne while using his Divine Sense to scan its surface. With a wave of his hand, the space behind him crackled, and soon after, several automatons in white robes with four metallic silver and gold wings on their backs kneeled on one knee and respectfully greeted Deus: "We are at your service, Lord Deus."


    "I''ve marked several areas below with unidentified auras. Go down and check them. If you sensed this energy, capture it."


    Deus raised his hand, and a whiff of a faint purple energy swirled on his palm. It was a sample magic energy of the Void that The Emperor shared to assist them with their search.


    "Understood."


    The automatons recorded the magic signature from the energy swirling above Deus''s hand. They left immediately to do as they were ordered.


    The moment they left, the dark sky shifted, and two glowing eyes appeared, and they peered at Deus.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "His Majesty ordered to keep an eye on the Dragon ne."


    The owner of those eyes spoke.


    Deus recognized it immediately as Midnight and replied, slightly frowning, "You told him about what we found without even providing enough evidence?"


    "He went directly to my ne. I had to report something, at least. Otherwise, our fates will not be far off from what happened to the de Dancer n," Midnight replied. The space where she blended her body shifted slightly when she shrugged.


    Dues''s frown deepened as he thought of the de Dancer n. Unlike rumors about what happened around the Higher Realm, Deus and Midnight knew the truth, especially on how the de Dancer n had been nning on amassing their own resources behind The Emperor''s back, so leaving his faction and bing independent would be easy.


    If not rebelling against The Emperor, what was the de Dancer n''s motive for wanting to be independent? Thus, The Emperor decided to eradicate them by using the appearance of Ruin and the Void Master in the de Dancer ne.


    "...Did His Majesty appoint anyone specifically to watch the Dragon ne?" Deus asked after contemting for a few seconds.


    "No one. He only ordered us to keep watch. We can assign who gets to watch over them by ourselves."


    "Then I nominate Raelia."


    Midnight''s eyes widened in surprise, "Raelia? Why her?"


    "She is currently searching for traces of Ruin and the Void Master close to the periphery of the realm leading to the Land of Destion, right?"


    "That''s right. Since The Emperor ordered her to investigate the rebel group''s hideout discovered in that part of the realm, she offered to trace Ruin and the Void Master''s track there."


    "Among the others searching for traces, she is closer to the Dragon ne, so it is only wise to send her there."


    "I know that," Midnight replied. Judging from the tone of her voice, she was a little annoyed at Deus''s matter-of-fact response to her question. "But is that really the only reason you want her to go there?"


    Deus did not reply. Instead, he gazed at the unconquered ne below, deep in thought.


    Midnight did not rush him. She had known him for so long now that she knew that if he did not want to share his thoughts with her, he would have told her to stop asking questions and leave. Since he did nothing of the sort, it meant he was just sorting his thoughts and wanting to decide how much or what he should tell her.


    "Has anyone told Raelia about what happened to her n yet?"


    "..."


    Midnight was taken aback at Deus''s seemingly out-of-the-blue question. Nevertheless, she still racked her memory, wondering if the topic of what happened to the de Dancer n had ever been brought up in front of Raellia. In the end, she could not remember anything about that happening and shook her head.


    "I don''t think so," she replied, shaking her head. As she did, the space where she blended into shifted as well. "The rumor of what happened to them is rampant enough, so assuming that she is already aware of it may not be wrong."


    "She is very loyal to The Emperor yet also holds great regard for her roots. Can she still follow The Emperor''s order without hesitation if she knew what happened to her n?"


    "If you already have an opinion, why do you even bother asking for mine?" Midnight felt somewhat displeased with Deus''s attitude.


    "Because I can''t say for sure if I am correct. In any case, having her go to the Dragon ne will help us assess her thoughts."


    "... Why do we need to assess her thoughts?"


    Deus finally turned to look at Midnight. Although her eyes were the only things that confirmed she was standing there, he was able to sense her presence well.


    "She can be a potential threat to us and The Emperor," he answered her question with a serious expression. "Raelia and Ames might be rivals, but as far as we are concerned, Raelia never harbored any hostility towards Ames or the Dragon n. Considering this, she would not contact the Dragon n if she remained unaware of her n''s situation.


    However, if she made contact with them and managed to learn something, she might do something that could potentially harm The Emperor."


    "The Emperor is the most powerful mage and possesses absolute authority in the Higher Realm; how can a pseudo-Overlord like Raelia threaten him?"


    "There are other ways of harming someone powerful without inflicting physical damage."


    "Are you referring to a mental attack?"


    "That is only another possibility," Deus replied with a curt nod. "In any case, we have to determine Raelia''s position at this point so we can nip the bud on its tip before it blossoms into something dangerous."


    "Very well. I will tell her about it and will also keep watch on her activity."


    "You do that," Deus nodded and prepared to descend on the ne below.


    "Where are you going?"


    Seeing Deus''s movement piqued Midnight''s curiosity, and they asked.


    "One of my automatons found an entrance to an underground stronghold below. I want to check it."


    "An underground stronghold in an unconquered ne."


    From the tone of Midnight''s voice, it was obvious that her interest was not only piqued by what Deus said but also excited her.


    "Can Ie with you?"


    "So long as you do your job well in providing updates to the other mages searching for our targets, it is fine."


    Because of Midnight''s innate magic and ability, she was the best one to serve as the messenger for all the other elites, who were assisting The Emperor in looking for Ruin and the Void Master.


    "Let''s go."


    *


    On a floating patch ofnd that fleeted next to the periphery of the Higher Realm and the Land of Destion, a woman with hovering glowing swords spiraling behind her faced a ck mist that emitted a very ominous aura.


    The woman was none other than Raelia. As for the ck mist, if Kyran had been there, he would have recognized it as the being that called himself ''The One That Caused The Fall.''


    "You have such a sinister magic aura," Raelia remarked with a frown while looking at the mist that fleeted around the being''s body like a huge cloak.


    What could be considered as the ck mist''s mouth lifted into a huge grin as he said, "You have a very conditioned body... a feat that a mage of old would have trouble having."


    Raelia frowned at the ck mist''s strange way of speaking. Thetter continued before she could say anything, "I wouldn''t want to kill such a promising mage, so I would ask you to leave thisnd and go on your way."


    "..."


    Instead of responding, the spiraling swords behind Raelia spun crazily, and in the next moment, she was already closing in on the ck mist. She raised her hand, and the spiraling swords attacked the ck mist one after another in a coordinated pattern.


    "s."


    The ck mist around the being expanded, engulfing the first few swords in one fell swoop.


    "!"


    "They say there is a very thin line between bravery and recklessness. The way I see it, you are just a reckless fool."

 Chapter 1134: Reunion (7)

    Raelia ignored the being within the ck mist''s rambling and continued to attack. She summoned more swords, and with a skillful wave of her hands, she controlled the trajectory and speed of the swords aimed at the ck mist.


    Like a conductor, she orchestrated her swords in a way that allowed them to prate through the ck mist''s movement. As her swords sliced through the ck mist, she noticed that she could not quell the mist no matter how much magic energy she ced on them.


    "It is futile," the being within the ck mist muttered loud enough for Raelia to hear. "Your de is not sharp enough to remove my influence."


    Raelia''s face remained unchanged even after failing to inflict proper damage on the ck mist. She spread her arms and gestured her swords to retreat before jumping back.


    However, the being within the ck mist seemed determined not to let her retreat. The ck mist swirled and twisted before turning into what appeared to be drills, which thenunched themselves at Raelia.


    "Humph," Raelia snorted while watching the approaching ck mist drills. A magic array appeared right before her chest, and a translucent golden veil shaped like a crescent emerged from it. It flew straight at the iing drills, slicing through them with ease.


    "Ho~ impressive," the being within the ck mistmended as he noticed a change in Raelia''s magic energy input in that crescent attack, allowing it to slice through his mist without problem this time around.


    Realizing that her usual tactics were ineffective against the ck mist, Raelia''s keen mind quickly deduced that the mist was not simply a product of magic energy. She swiftly adjusted the intensity of her magic energy input, creating a charge much simr to the one being emitted by the mist to counter.


    She chose this approach using the theory that two simr energy charges would repel each other.


    Considering this, it was not wrong to say that rather than destroying the ck mist drills with her crescent magic attack, she repelled the magic energy; thus, the two attacks were dispelled in the process.


    As soon as the ck mist drills were dispelled, Raelia cast additional defensive spells¡ª both physical and magical¡ª to boost her defenses and speed spell to boost her speed. With her speed increase, a step from her was equivalent to twenty steps.


    Raelia closed in on the being within the ck mist in the blink of an eye. She then made a gesture with her hands as if to draw an invisible sword. As she did, the space that she created where the sword should have appeared crackled with intense magic fluctuation.


    Without a pause in her movement, Raelia drew a beautiful arc toward the being within the ck mist before her with an explosive swing that could split the space in two.


    BOOOM!


    As the beautiful arc created by Raelia''s concentrated magic energy collided with the ck mist, the space around them crackled. A massive shockwave followed after an explosion, forcing Raelia to retreat several meters back.


    ''Hm?'' Raelia''s eyes widened as she sensed an iing danger approaching from the right side. She turned just in time to see a huge spear made of ck misting her way.


    "Tsk," she gritted her teeth and cast the crescent attack once more. She barely managed to cast it in time to dispel the iing spear.


    But.


    "Did you really think I would use the same attack twice?"


    Raelia''s pupils shook as the ck mist spear destroyed her crescent attack. She raised her arm while casting ast-minute magic barrier with threeyers just before the ck mist spear arrived.


    However, the back mist spear easily pierced through the firstyer of her magic barrier, with the second stopping it for only a second before shattering it together with the thirdyer.


    "Ngh...!" Raelia gritted her teeth as she endured the ck mist spear''s momentum with her body.


    Fortunately, she cast defensive spells earlier to increase her armor and body defenses. Her robe and armor also had enchantments, giving her additional defenses.


    "Hm... it seems Magic in the Higher Realm has improved somewhat. Casting multipleyers of spells on top of an enchanted item usually causes its effect to be unstable because of the conflicting type of magic energies."


    Raelia frowned slightly after hearing the being within the ck mist''s ramblings. She initially wanted to ignore his gibberish entirely. But what he said just then caught her attention.


    Crack! Crack! Crash!


    Unfortunately, she was not given a chance to contemte his ramblings because the ck mist spear had already pierced through her defenses. Her armor''s enchantments and spells shattered.


    "...kuh!" Raelia tried, at thest second, to grab the shaft of the ck mist spear to stop it from piercing her chest. But to her horror, her hands only passed through it¡ª as if it was truly made out of mist.


    Instinctively, Raelia twisted her body just before the ck mist spear pierced her chest.


    "Gah..!"


    She spat out a mouthful of blood after suffering from the brunt of the ck mist spear''s momentum. However, because she twisted her body in that split second, she managed to avoid receiving a fatal attack.


    If one would look at it, a being like Raelia would not really be fatally wounded if her chest was pierced. After all, she might look like a human at the moment, but her real form was that of a sword.


    Still, because the chest was where the heart was usually located, every being that took on a human form would also have its ''core'' in that spot. The only difference was that they could move it around at will.


    Raelia could have moved her core and avoided the spear''s attack. But because it happened too fast, she could only twist her body instead of moving her core from the inside.


    The ck mist spear''s momentum was so fast and heavy that when it pierced Raelia''s chest, it passed right through and went out the other side. It thennded on the ground and exploded upon impact.


    BOOM!


    Dirt and rubble exploded in all directions right after the explosion, instantly reducing the visibility in the surroundings.


    Raelia endured the pain in her chest and used magic to forcefully close it before blending into the cloud of dirt that scattered around.


    The One Who Caused the Fall narrowed his eyes as he watched Raelia disappear inside the explosion. He initially intended for his spear to destroy her core and leave the rest of her body intact. However, because she managed to avoid having her core destroyed, the spear did not disappear upon contact andnded on the ground, which then gave her an opportunity to hide herself.


    ''It''s hard to find another body to use as a vessel,'' he thought and immediately flew toward the explosion. ''I can''t lose her.''


    Foooom!


    But then, a vacuum-like force formed in the middle of the explosion, and a silhouette of a twenty-meter gold sword appeared. Several arrays sprang on its body, and the space around it distorted.


    The One Who Caused the Fall''s eyes widened as he realized what the sword intended to do.


    "Stop¡ª!" he shouted. The ck mist around him expanded at a frightening pace and advanced toward the sword.


    However, he was still a few secondste as the space around the twenty-meter gold sword turned blurry, and the next moment, it blended into the background like an illusionary sword. By the time the ck mist arrived on its spot, it had disappearedpletely.


    The One Who Caused the Fall sighed in regret as he stared at the spot where Raelia had been.


    ''s... I should have prioritized taking over her body rather than testing if she could be a proper vessel,'' he thought regretfully. ''I can always make her bodyst until I can find another vessel to transfer to...''


    The golden sword was Raelia''s real form, and she used a relic to escape from that ce. Retreating had been a wise move rather than continuing to confront the ck mist.


    Initially, she intended to do just that, thinking that the being within the ck mist might be the Void Master. However, she realized soon after that he was not because the sample magic energy of the Void she had was different from the one the being within the ck mist emitted when he attacked.


    Thus, Raelia decided to confront the ck mist, capture him, and then interrogate him as to why he was there.


    But the being within the ck mist was far stronger than Raelia initially believed. She failed to properly gauge the being''s level because of the ck mist around him. After receiving a solid attack from the being within the ck mist, she decided to retreat and report it first.


    Raelia deemed that the being within the ck mist might be another threat to them and that they should keep an eye on him.


    While her retreat showed that she already failed to keep an eye on him, she managed to capture his magic energy. She could show it to the others and include it in their watchlist.


    Fortunately, Raelia managed to escape without a problem. As to where she had gone, she chose to go to the nearest ne she believed could help her.


    The Dragon ne.


    *


    Ames frowned as soon as she received a message about someone requesting to enter the ne. She was not the one in charge of the entry request, but it so happened that the one requesting it was someone she was familiar with.


    "I''ll let you decide on this one."


    Aillos replied when Ames contacted him. She felt an iing headache because of her father''s response. In the end, she agreed to allow that someone''s entry¡ª or to be precise, Raelia''s entry.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 1135: Reunion (8)

    Raelia was granted entry to the Dragon ne and was escorted by two quilin officers to Ames''s mansion.


    Ames did not want to leave the Regis Terram, but because she could not allow Raelia to wander on her own, she returned to her mansion inside the Dragon n''s Main Pce.


    In her stead, Ames left another Regis n member to guard the gate. She also instructed him to call her immediately once the gate''s path became more visible, underlining the urgency and importance of stabilizing it as soon as possible.


    Ames''s mansion in the Dragon n''s Main Pce was not just bigger, it was a grand structure that dwarfed the vi where the Regis n members first stayed. However, unlike the vi, her mansion did not have many rooms. There were only a total of thirteen rooms: a receiving room, a dining hall, an indoor garden, and ten bedrooms.


    The rest of the Regis n members that first came to the Dragon ne were the only ones residing there and upying about seven rooms. Their number was far more than the number of bedrooms in Ames''s mansion, but because the rooms wererge enough to amodate four to five people, they only upied seven rooms.


    The quilin officers escorted Raelia inside the receiving room of Ames''s mansion and stood guard at the door while waiting for Ames''s arrival.


    Upon arriving, Ames dismissed the quilin officers and the servants, who served some tea and light snacks.


    Ames scowled while looking at Raelia sitting across her. Thetter always wore an emotionless expression that annoyed Ames. But beyond Raelia''s emotionless face was her deathly paleplexion, a testament that she was not in good condition.


    "What happened?"


    Ames raised a brow at Raelia''s unexpected question. She intended to ask thetter that question first, but she beat her at it, resulting in her bing stunned for a few seconds.


    Seeing Ames''s confusion, Raelia did not beat around the bush and exined, "I''ve heard the rumors about my n and that your n is involved."


    "What kind of b*llsh*t have you been hearing?" Ames burst out in anger. "How did we get involved in an attack done by your beloved majesty?"


    Ames practically spat out thest few words of her sentence in rage.


    "...That is different from what I heard. The rumor said your representatives attacked our people during the Tower of the Ancients hunt. Our side managed to escape, but because of their severe injuries, they fell into aa right after exiting the portal. Then your n infiltrated our ne to silence them so they could not tell the truth of what happened.


    If not for The Emperor''s grace, who visited our n and discovered the truth, we would not have known your n''s malicious act. Even during the attack on our ne, you used your destructive magic to cause great devastation and even implicate innocent lives."


    Raelia''s emotionless face showed a hint of emotion for the first time as she ryed the rumors she heard about her n''s fate. Still, she remained rational and did nothing more but tell Ames what she heard.


    Contrary to Ames''s usual behavior, she did notsh out at Raelia as soon as she finished speaking. Instead, she took a deep breath to calm herself.


    The reason behind Ames''s action was because she did not sense any ill intention from Raelia even when thetter''s emotions were running high while rying the rumor she heard. This meant that she did notpletely believed the rumors and wanted to know the truth by visiting the Dragon n herself.


    "But the cause of the destruction of our n and ne was not entirely the Dragon n''s fault. A mage¡ª the sole survivor from the Demon n- suddenly appeared and challenged the Emperor''s authority. Moreover, that survivor is working with the Void Master," Raelia continued with a slight frown. She was not stupid to believe all of that happened.


    The story definitely had exaggerated and omitted parts¡ª that was how rumors were.


    "Frankly, I find those things hard to believe..." Raelia expressed her doubts, her pupils trembling slightly.


    "That''s why you chose toe here. To find out the truth yourself," Ames stated. To be honest, she was shocked to hear the rumor that Raelia had heard.


    Ames was interested in knowing where Raelia had heard it from because the story had been modified solely to fool her. Moreover, it made the Emperor look good, as always.


    "It is part of the reason, yes," Raelia admitted.


    Ames cocked her head to one side, curious about Raelia''s response.


    "I''ll exin my reasonter. I want to hear the truth about what happened to my n first."


    "If you want to learn the truth," Ames said with a shrug. "Just ask one of your people."


    Raelia''s eyes widened in surprise. She was momentarily speechless, and when she sorted her thoughts and could speak again, she said, "They said my n''s fate is unknown..."


    Her eyes narrowed as an idea started to form in her mind.


    "That''s what they said," Ames replied with a snort. "You''re right about not believing immediately. For that, Imend you."


    "..."


    "In any case, one of your people is here. You can ask her about the truth."


    "Who¡ª?"


    "Alta," Ames replied before Raelia couldplete her question. "I believe that''s her name."


    Raelia''s pupils trembled. She heard that Alta was among the known casualties of her n.


    "She just went somewhere with my father. Once they are done with that, they''lle straight here," Alta exined before Raelia could ask further questions. "In the meantime..."


    Her expression turned solemn as she started at Raelia''s face.


    "Care to exin why you are in such a critical condition?"


    "..."


    "Don''t try to deny. You don''t look in pain, but you look like death, and you''re sweating buckets. I''m surprised you did not even notice that."


    "!"


    If Ames had not pointed out thetter, Raelia would not have realized that she was indeed covered in cold sweat.


    "...Then I''ll exin why I am in this part of the realm..."


    Raelia started by exining The Emperor''s orders and why she was tasked to search for Ruin and the Void Master in that area. She did not tell Ames about the secret mission The Emperor gave her, which was to infiltrate the rebel group, and only said that she had another task there.


    Ames did not pry because she was more interested in what Raelia said after that. Her face also distorted slightly because she found the being Raelia met to be bad news. If that being managed to injure Raelia to this extent, then his magic level wasparable to an Overlord.


    But the thing was, there were only a handful of Overlords in the Higher Realm, and no one possessed a ck mist-like magic. There was a Mist n who possessed Mist Magic, but they did not have an Overlord, and they were a neutral n that lived on a ne near the Adamas n. They would not dare do anything rash or even hide that an Overlord was amidst their ranks.


    "A mist-like magic whose nature is nothing like Mist..." Ames muttered with a slight frown. She remembered someone who possessed simr magic, but that person was only a Sovereign. Besides, he was still in the Lower Realm and was busypleting the gate on the Regis Terram located inside the Regis Estate in the Lower Realm.


    "To be honest, I don''t think that being''s magic is truly connected to Mist. Moreover, I had this odd feeling when he attacked me. It felt like he was aiming to destroy my core while leaving my body intact."


    Ames looked at Raelia with narrowed eyes, "You mean he was aiming for your body?"


    "I''m not sure. But it did feel that way."


    "Who could that be...?"


    "I managed to extract a sample of his magic energy," Raelia said, waving her hand to take out a cylinder with rune writings on both ends that acted as seals. Inside the cylinder was a swirling ck magic energy that resembled a mist.


    "Don''t open that," Ames told her at once, the pupils of her eyes turning into slits. "If you do, he can track your location."


    Raelia gaped at her in surprise, "You can see that?"


    "My senses are telling me that," Ames admitted while eyeing the cylinder with contempt. "As much as I want to better grasp what that energy felt like, I don''t want to lead such a dangerous being here."


    "...Are you not suspecting me of bringing it here to implicate your n?"


    Ames snorted at Raelia''s question and replied, "We had been at odds at several times because we are ''rivals.'' But more than that, I respect you as a mage. I know you will not do a cowardly act like that.


    "Besides, the fact that you asked that question yourself already proved that you don''t have any ns on doing such a thing."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "!"


    Raelia was about to say something when a suffocating pressure befell the room. Though the pressure did not appear hostile, it was still enough to make her insides churn in fear.


    Raelia recognized who that pressure belonged to and did not expect him toe so soon.


    "I''ming in."


    A thunderous voice announced behind the closed door. Following that, the door sprang open, and Aillos strode inside without a pause.


    Raelia forced herself to stand and greet Aillos respectfully, "I bow before the Dragon Emperor."


    "Hm," Aillos nodded his head and waved his hand dismissively at Raelia.


    As soon as Raelia straightened her back, she saw Alta standing at the door with a shocked expression on her face.


    "L-Lady Raelia?"


    "Alta?"


    Aillos nced at them and said, "We''ll give you two time to catch up while I talk to my daughter."


    Raelia looked at Aillos, clearly surprised at his suggestion. She was about to ask if it was truly okay to leave them by themselves but then stopped herself in time.


    Aillos was not giving them a chance to talk because he was generous. He simply wanted to give them some sort of privacy, even if it was only for show. They were inside the Dragon ne, not to mention the n''s main pce. It was impossible to hide from Aillos''s ''watch.''


    "Right," Aillos said, turning his attention to the cylinder floating in front of Raelia and making grasping motions with his right hand.


    Raelia did not react as the cylinder flew toward Aillos. She nned to give it to them in the first ce.


    "I''ll keep this for now."


    "Please."


    Aillos gestured at Ames to follow him before leaving the room once more.


    Ames followed after him without looking back at Alta and Raelia.


    Once Alta and Raelia were left alone, Raelia did not beat around the bush and interrogated Alta at once.

 Chapter 1136: Reunion (9)

    Ames told Aillos what Raelia told her while they made their way to the indoor garden.


    "I had guessed as much," Aillos admitted after Ames finished rying her conversation with Raelia.


    "That butt-face guy," Ames cursed. "To think he''d twist the truth to conceal his intentions toward the de Dancer n."


    "No, Ames. The Emperor did not twist the truth. Rather, the unrted parties did, and the Emperor''s people are using it to their advantage."


    "But the fact that butt-face allowed it..."


    "He doesn''t care about those things, and that''s why he allowed them. But you are right. Just because he does not care does not give him the right to turn his eyes away from what his people are doing just to turn the public''s opinion in favor of them."


    "Are we just going to stay silent and allow that rumor to spread?"


    "Don''t worry. The public will only appear as if they believed the twisted truth, but they will not brazenly condemn us. Some might even use this situation to feel us out. Ignore them."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But Father¡ª."


    "The current situation actually works in our favor. Everyone will not have other thoughts if we choose to stay low because of the rumors. In the meantime, we''ll prepare for any situation that will arise. At the same time, you can focus on doing what is best for Kyran and his family.


    They will arrive soon, so keeping to ourselves while they adapt to the Higher Realm''s condition and advance their level is our best course of action."


    Ames did think the same. However, it still did not sit well with her that they would just allow others to spread false rumors about them. Then again, her father had a point. Most would not believe the rumors because they knew well enough that the Dragon n were not cowards. They would not do something like ''removing'' evidence to hide their heinous deeds.


    In fact, if they truly intended to attack all representatives under The Emperor''s faction, they would have dered it openly and followed through with their decision until the end.


    "I understand."


    "I know you don''t like it. But sometimes, keeping our silence is the best course."


    "But not the best solution."


    "No."


    "What is the best solution then?"


    "Hm..." Aillos paused, choosing the right words for that. He knew her daughter well enough to know that she would hold his words against him when the time came. "It will depend on one''s priority."


    "...Priority."


    "Yes. Right now, what is your priority? Is it to ensure no one besmears our name? Or to nitpick The Emperor''s faction?"


    Ames fell silent. She knew at once what her father was trying to tell her. All the things he said pointed out her feelings toward her n and if she had tobel them ording to priorities, none of them came first.


    Her father did not say it outright, but at the moment, her real priority was not her n''s reputation, nor head butts with The Emperor''s faction¡ª it was to ensure Kyran meets his current objectives without problems.


    What was Kyran''s current objectives?


    Ames was still unaware of Kyran''s intention to create a new force. However, she already had an inkling after learning about what happened to the de Dancer n.


    Before Kyran could aplish this, he needed a lot of people he could trust. Finding those people would take a long time if he searched for them in the Higher Realm. Thus, bringing his n and his people from the Lower Realm to the Higher Realm was the best choice. Of course, this was only possible because of who Kyran was.


    In any case, bringing his n and people to the Higher Realm was only the first step. Because all of them were not strong enough to be of help, they would only end up bing a liability if they could not adapt to the Higher Realm''s condition, and improve and advance their magic knowledge and level, respectively. Thus, Kyran had to ensure they aplish all of this the soonest possible.


    Fortunately, the magic energy from Coelus''s corpse addressed most of this. After the new Array Kyran designed waspleted, his n and people would receive a massive boost in their magic level in a short span of time. It would also allow them to get used to the Higher Realm''s condition while they absorbed Coelus''s magic energy.


    Improving their magic knowledge would also not be a problem as long as they advanced their levels. Besides, all of them were already familiar with the basics. Learning the advance concepts orbination of several concepts would be easier as long as they had enough magic energy to test them out.


    Kyran alreadyid out the groundworks he needed to aplish the first part of his objective. The only thing left that he had to secure was space and time.


    Considering all these, it would not do Kyran any good if the Dragon n reacted to the bad rumors circting in the Higher Realm.


    Because once they reacted to it, all eyes would be directed at them, and it would only be a matter of time until they notice a powerful magic energy contained inside the Dragon ne, and the huge magic fluctuationing from the gate that connected the Higher Realm and the Lower Realm.


    Ames knew this. And Aillos only reminded her of it so she could discern her priorities well.


    It did not matter if Ames''s priority was not the Dragon n, because in Aillos opinion, Kyran and his people''s improvement would also benefit them.


    Of course, Aillos would not admit this to anyone. At least not yet, because admitting this was equivalent to him epting the Regis n and Kyran''s people as part of the Dragon n. He could not do that yet without telling his people of the truth.


    "...I''ll be sure to endure then..." Ames said after a moment''s pause.


    "Please do," Aillos replied with a wry smile. "I don''t mind it if you fought your own battles, but don''t provoke The Emperor''s faction too much."


    "I only responded to them in kind."


    "Endure it for now. We have a lot of things to do on our end as well."


    "I will, father. Don''t worry."


    They entered the indoor garden and went to the gazebo. Like most of the structures in the Main Pce, the gazebo was sculpted from silver diamond. It gave off an ethereal beauty while at the same time showing elegance and simplicity.


    Ames waited for her father to take a seat on one of the chairs in the gazebo. However, instead of sitting, Aillos walked over to the other end and watched the small pond just beside it.


    Seeing Aillos broad and straight back, Ames realized that the talk her father mentioned had yet to start. She initially thought the conversation they had while going there was already the start, but it seemed that was not the case.


    "I''ve spoken to Kyran and he briefly exined his ns," Aillos started after a moment of silence.


    Ames''s expression turned solemn as she waited for her father to continue.


    *


    Kyran rested for five hours before Myst allowed him to leave the tent and help with the creation of the new Array.


    Because the array creation was nearing itsst two phases, Ducal, the other aides, and the rest of the dragons assisting cooperated without and concealed any discontent they might have.


    To be honest, Ducal and the rest of the dragons were impressed with the new Array''s design that they had nothing bad to say about it and to its creator¡ª Kyran. As a matter of fact, some of the Array Saints wanted to talk to him and share some insights because they were on the verge of receiving an enlightenment.


    They believed that talking to him might help them break through the bottlenecks they had on Array and assist them in improving their proficiency.


    On the other hand, Ducal''s thoughts remained unreadable. He followed the instructions given to him by Auto-one or Raya without voicing any objections.


    In a sense, it was hard to voice an objection in front of Auto-one. As a creation by the Ancients Four Greatest Minds, it was impossible to talk about Array when his knowledge was far more advancedpared to them.


    While they worked on the new Array, Myst and Raya continued to keep an eye on Kyran. They knew thetter far longer than anyone among the Regis there to know that he was enduring something.


    Myst and Raya were on point with their judgment because Kyran was indeed in pain. Now that he was closer to Coelus''s corpse again, his Draconic core was protesting. Shaiha was doing her best to stabilize it, along with the Void core and the other magic cores to stop it from affecting them, but there was only so much she could do.


    To prove this, she already lost her ability to maintain her original form because she was pushing herself to the limits.


    "Master, we are still missing some materials," Auto-one reminded Kyran.


    "Give me a moment. I''ll make them."


    All the dragons looked at Kyran after hearing his response.


    They were already aware of Kyran''s innate magic and that he had been sending the unavable materials to Auto-one. Still, they were curious as to where he got them, especially because the quality of the materials was very good.


    But what did he mean when he said ''I''ll make them''?''


    Though this question fleeted through their minds, it was not as if they did not understand what it meant. As a matter of fact, rather than asking that question because they did not understand what he meant, it was the opposite. They understood what he meant but found the idea too absurd.

 Chapter 1137: Reunion (10)

    Though Kyran told Auto-one he''d make the missing materials, the truth was he was not confident of doing that given his current condition. He had rested enough and gained enough strength to stabilize his Draconic core with Shaiha''s assistance. However, creating materials from nothing would require his full concentration.


    He was unsure if he could do that properly while keeping his Draconic core in check.


    Despite Kyran''s currentck of confidence, the urgency of the situation was palpable. The new array had to be created without dy, as the. magic energy of Coelus''s corpse was turning more malevolent withy. Any further dy could render Aillos''s barrier inadequate, leading to a catastrophic leak.


    The potential impact on all dragons and quilins was a terrifying prospect, and the threat of them losing their sanity was loomingrge.


    Kyran could feel the influence on his Draconic core, a testament to the importance of Shaiha''s assistance. Her presence in his sea of consciousness was not just important, it was crucial. If she had not been there when the influence first invaded his core, it would have been his consciousness that was evicted instead of hers.


    As for the matter of his Void magic energy rampaging, it eased down a bit after passing through the special space where the Tower of the Ancients fell. However, the fact that his Void core was damaged was still there; thus, he needed to be very careful when using Void magic.


    Fortunately, True Void seemed to have eased down on spreading Void magic energy all over the Higher Realm. This made it easier for Kyran to circte his Void magic energy. But circting his magic energy better did not lessen the pain he felt whenever he used Void magic. His magic core was still damaged, and he could only endure it until it got fixed.


    Not wanting to worry Auto-one, Myst, Raya, and the rest of the Regis, Kyran entered the tent before creating the materials.


    Shaiha understood what Kyran intended to do and did her best to assist him. Because of this, Kyran did not experience any problems. However, he noticed a great decrease in magic energy within Shaiha. If she wanted to regain her original form, she would have to absorb a huge amount of magic energy again.


    Kyran could only inwardly express his gratitude toward Shaiha. He admitted being annoyed at her for always peering into his thoughts¡ª not that they could do anything about it. But he was also grateful to her, especially during those times when he could not properly circte his different magic energies.


    Shaiha whirred inside his sea of consciousness as if to tell Kyran that she gracefully epted his feelings of gratitude.


    This brought Kyran a small smile while creating the materials Auto-one requested.


    Normally, Kyran could create normal items from nothing in less than an hour. However, as the item rarity increased and the required quality grew, it would take him much longer to create.


    With Kyran''s current condition, the time it took to create the materials tripled. But it was better than not being able to sessfully create them. If he failed, they would have to find a way to secure the item through a different channel, and that would waste a lot of time and effort.


    Half a dayter, Ducal and the other dragons seemed to have sobered up after being shocked by Kyran''s words. Some of them even viewed thetter''s statement as being arrogant because there was no way he could make those materials.


    But those dragons soon received an internal blow to their vanity when Kyran left the tent and passed Auto-one all the missing materials.


    On the other hand, Myst, Raya, and the other Regis did not react much because they believed their Young Master could produce them just as he said. In any case, they continued working on the array as if nothing major happened.


    Myst and Raya, however, were eyeing Kyran. Even if the other Regis did not notice a change in Kyran''s condition, the two spotted it as soon as he got out of the tent. They had the urge to make him go back to the main pce and have the Dragon Emperor allow him to see the Young Mistress so she could heal him back into shape.


    However, they managed to stop themselves because if they made a fuss over it, the other Regis would be worried, which might cause them to lose concentration.


    Ducal and the other dragons were also present. Myst and Raya knew it was not good to show any weaknesses in front of them. They might act cooperatively at the moment, but that was only because the Dragon Emperor asked them to. After the new array waspleted, there was no telling what they might do.


    While Kyran and the rest worked on the new array, something big was brewing in the Dragon n''s main pce.


    Aillos announced a grand gathering of all dragons and quilins within two weeks. He also mentioned that he would make an official announcement regarding Ames''s other family during the gathering.


    When the announcement reached the younger generation of the Dragon n, they were all excited and could not wait for two weeks to pass.


    The only ones who remained indifferent to the news were Ladon and Thorn. The Dragon Emperor''s announcement did not give them any detail that could allow them to draw any conclusive idea as to his real purpose in having a grand gathering. But Ladon and Thorn were different. They were made to swear not to tell anyone what they knew until the Dragon Emperor made the announcement himself.


    Thus, they could only keep their mouth shut.


    Since they had an idea of the grand gathering''s purpose, Ladon and Thorn felt foreboding. Although the recent events in the Higher Realm greatly influenced their sentiments, they knew that after the grand gathering, the Dragon n would never be the same again.


    "What do you think, Ladon?" Thorn asked while they read the Dragon Emperor''s announcement through their tablets.


    Ladon sighed and solemnly said, "We''ll just have to prepare for the worst."


    "''Prepare for the worst?''"


    A dragon in a female human form with simr features as Ladon, except her hair and height were shorter and her physique more delicate, repeated while looking at Ladon with a wry smile.


    "That''s a little surprising. You, talking about preparing for the worst," she added with a lightugh.


    The youngdy was Anahita, another promising talent from Ladon''s tribe.


    Ladon immediately reced his solemn expression with a gentle smile and said, while looking at Anahita, "We can never be too sure. You know the rumors circting around after what happened to the de Dancer n."


    "I still think that is another one of The Emperor''s propaganda to paint our n in a bad light in front of the other ns. He''s probably pissed that he could not take you two when he visited a few weeks ago."


    The news of the Emperor''s unannounced visit to the Dragon ne¡ªalbeit only outside the ne¡ª was known by all. It was impossible not to know when his pressure enveloped the whole ne and almost hurt the younger dragons.


    Apart from that, with the dragons'' keen senses, it would be impossible for them not to know why The Emperor came. They learned he demanded to take the Dragon n''s representatives in the recent Tower of the Ancients hunt. However, the Dragon Emperor refused, which angered The Emperor.


    In any case, because of what happened, all capable dragons had an unspoken agreement to train further and prepare for the time when the Dragon Emperor gave a deration.


    In a sense, most dragons were already preparing for the worst. It was just that there were still dragons like Anahita who did not think the current state of the Higher Realm would result in the worst.


    "Enough yapping," Thorn growled as he walked ahead of them, "If we don''t move fast, we might end up using the outdoor training grounds. I hate training there with all those eyes watching all the time."


    "Ahahaha!" Anahita burst out inughter. "Since when do you care about others watching you train? Besides, I think they will only be interested in watching if you and Brother Ladon will spar."


    Thorn stopped to re at Anahita, but he did not say anything and simply strode off.


    Anahita found Thorn''s behavior strange. In fact, she noticed a big change in his attitude after returning from the Tower of the Ancients.


    She looked at Ladon, who kept to himself while following them from behind.


    "Brother Ladon," she called. "Thorn is acting strange."


    Ladon only smiled at her and said, "You''re imagining it."


    "Actually, you''re also acting strange."


    "..."


    "Did something happen in the Tower of the Ancients?"


    "..."


    Anahita frowned as she thought of something and said, "Does it have something to do with that woman?"


    Ladon''s expression turned cold as he said, "That is a rude way to address her."


    "..."


    Ladon smiled again and added, "Anyway, nothing has changed. We simply wanted to train. Besides, we haven''t integrated all the things we''ve learned in the Tower yet."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Anahita paused while she scrutinized Ladon for a moment. Ultimately, she chose to feign ignorance and said, "Fine. I''ll pretend that nothing has changed for now and wait until you two are ready to share your thoughts."


    *


    After Raelia learned the truth about what had happened to her n, she decided to stay in the Dragon ne with Alta. She also wanted to meet Kyran because she had heard a lot about him for about half a year.


    Ames did not mind Raelia''s stay, and Aillos also agreed. He deemed it better to have her near where he could also keep an eye on her rather than allow her back to Lucian''s side.


    Although it would benefit them to have her close to Lucian and have her report back to them about his activities, Aillos knew it was like a double-edged sword, especially with Raelia being part of the de Dancer n, whom Lucian decided to discard.


    Still, Raelia was not allowed to roam around the main pce. She could only stay in Ames''s mansion. In a way, it did not matter to her because she needed to recuperate.


    For the record, Aillos did not offer to have Cyneah heal Raelia. Thetter''s loyalty might not bepletely on Lucian''s side, especially after what happened to her n in his hands, but that did not mean they could trust her. More importantly, Aillos knew how valuable Cyneah''s existence would be in the following months.


    Five dayster, the magic energy inside the Regis Terram fluctuated, and Ames, who was standing guard inside, could not help but grin.


    "Finally... you guys took your time, huh."


    A simr gate appeared from the other side of the gate Kyran and Myst created, and a somewhat familiar face came into view.


    "We apologize for the wait, Lady Ames. We''ll be crossing over in a moment," Cade greeted with a slight smile.

 Chapter 1138: Reunion (11)

    Ames jolted at Cade''s words and shouted, "Don''t! The path connecting the gate may look stable, but it''s not. Once your feet touch that, there is no telling if it will lead you here. We need Kyran to stabilize the path."


    She immediately turned to Teryl, one of the first Regis members to arrive in the Higher Realm, and said, "Contact Myst and let them know that the gate is¡ª."


    "There is no need to trouble Kyran over this, Lady Ames. We''ve anticipated this and made ample preparations."


    Ames was not one to be startled that easily, but when she heard Cade''s voice sounded too close to her ears, she almost jumped back in fright.


    Standing approximately five feet before her, Cade was gaping at her awkwardly.


    "S-Sorry," he apologized with an uneasy smile. "I did not mean to startle you, Lady Ames."


    Before Ames could adequately form the question in her head, another person stepped out from the gate and lowered his head respectfully at her.


    He did not have the features of a Regis and looked much older than Cade. But he appeared to be very respectful, not only toward Ames but also to Cade.


    "Pardon the intrusion, mdy. And also, I will have to ask for your understanding of what we are about to do."


    Ames''s eyes narrowed as she looked at the middle-aged man. Though it was not as strong as Kyran''s, the middle-aged man''s emitted the same magic energy as the Void. It was mixed in with another type of magic energy, but it blended well with the Void.


    If Kyran had been there, he would have immediately recognized the man¡ª Gael.


    "He is one of Kyran''s Servants, Gael," Cade introduced Gael to Ames while they stepped aside to give the older man some space to stabilize the path connecting both gates.


    "No wonder. That exins why his magic energy has a strong blend of the Void."


    "Yes," Cade nodded and continued to exin, "He''ll take care of stabilizing the path on this side while another Servant does the same on the other side."


    Ames sighed, shaking her head. She said, "I didn''t even think this was possible. He is not a Regis, nor does he have any dragon blood. It should not have been possible for him to enter the Regis Terram."


    "About that..." Cade smiled wryly and said, "We don''t know how Kyran did it, but all his Servants and Sigils can enter the Regis Terram without problems. We also checked if people he only ced a mark on could also enter, and they could."


    "... He did not go around giving away a drop of his blood to his people, did he?"


    "As far as I know, he didn''t."


    "Could it be... because he is also the new Dragon Lord, so as long as he acknowledges them, they are recognized as Regis? No... that kind of connection needs to be more specific. They must possess a clear and distinct representation of his acknowledgment, which allows them to enter the Regis Terram."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ames was not saying this to Cade. Instead, she was voicing her thoughts aloud. In the end, she decided to bring this up to her fatherter.


    Gael stabilized the path connected to the Dragon ne''s gate, while Achim was responsible for the path from the Regis Estate''s Regis Terram.


    Initially, Achim and the other Somulians were not supposed to go to the Higher Realm because the situation in Somuli had not yet settled downpletely. But when Achim, Kessiah, and the rest of the Servants and Sigils thought of the dangers their master would face in the Higher Realm, they worked themselves to the bone to fix the situation in Somuli so they could leave without a problem.


    Somuli had not settled down yet because Aran stepped down as the King of Armakea and dered Ravan the new King. This decree shocked the royal family, especially after Aran encouraged the new generation to fight each other to be his sessor.


    The stepping down and passing of leadership also happened in the Kingdom of Cretea. In a way, this was to be expected because there was no way Euan could have continued ruling over the kingdom when he was only pretending to be Anshel. Besides, he had to return to the Human ne; otherwise, he would not be able to witness the growth of his newborn son.


    Since Anshel did not have an heir, Euan created a situation in which the Kingdom of Armakea and the Land of the Eidums wouldbine to be a new nation. It was difficult, and it took them years to pacify the Nobles. Ultimately, Euan appointed a Noble family with a good background and had their daughter marry Nahir, who became the new Abbot after Nachum''s ascension.


    The marriage might be political, but it was necessary for both sides to have enough autonomy in their specific jurisdictions.


    Euan then retired quietly while switching with Anshel once more.


    Anshel was also reformed through Cyneah''s abilities. Like Aran, he did not recoverpletely from his illness, but his condition improved enough for him to live to old age.


    Back to the present, Gael and Achim maintained the path while the rest of the Regis Family, a few of their n members, Kyran''s Servants, Sigils, and those he marked crossed.


    The Regis Terram was not that big. So Ames led the first ones who crossed the path out of the terram to avoid crowding the small space. She then had Teryl escort them to her mansion.


    It took several trips before everyone sessfully gathered in Ames''s mansion. It would have taken only a few trips if Teryl escorted more people. However, they had to avoid getting seen, so he could only escort a handful at a time.


    Meanwhile, Kyran and the rest received the news of the Regis Family and the other''s arrival. Unfortunately, they had yet toplete the new Array and could not return and see them.


    Initially, Kyran nned to return to the Regis Terram to stabilize the path while his family and people crossed. Thankfully, Achim and Gael were able to handle it themselves. To be honest, Kyran did not expect them to do that. This was because their innate magic was different from the Void. Though they were reborn from the Void and their innate magic adapted to the Void, it was still different.


    This was especially true with Achim, who followed an entirely different magicw.


    Fortunately, nothing happened, and they even managed to keep the gate open on both sides. Of course, no one would be able to use the gate from the Human ne''s side without the assistance of someone who could control Void magic energy. Thus, they did not have to worry about others brazenly entering without permission.


    Moreover, the Regis Terram could not be entered by anyone, so it was not wrong to say that the gate had several securityyers.


    Ames''s receiving area was not big enough to amodate everyone, so she had to open up the patio.


    Soon after Ames returned to her mansion, Aillos also arrived. He did not enter the receiving room, knowing full well that his natural presence could affect and might even be fatal to the Regises with low mage level. Instead, he went to the indoor garden and called for Aron and Cade.


    Since Aron was the current Patriarch of the Regis n, and Cade was his sessor, it was only right for them to be the first ones to meet the Dragon Emperor.


    However, when he called for them, Aillos did not care about those things. He chose to speak with them first because they were Kyran''s grandfather and father. Aillos would have also called for Rin, but because her mage level was low, she might not be able to endure his presence and suffer internal injuries.


    Aillos wanted to avoid that. Thus, he only called for Aron and Cade, who were already a Legendary and a Sage, respectively.


    Aillos sat on a chair inside the gazebo while Aron and Cade knelt outside, a few meters away from the gazebo''s steps. Ames was also inside the gazebo, maintaining a barrier while standing beside Aillos.


    Ames created the barrier not to protect her father. It was the other way around.


    Aron''s and Cade''s mage levels might be higher by the Lower Realm''s standards, and they could endure Aillos''s natural presence. However, prolonged exposure to his natural magic energy could still affect them and might even cause some problems with their magic cores.


    After a moment''s pause, Aillos asked, "How is everyone''s body coping with the Higher Realm''s magic energy?"


    "Everyone is managing on their own, milord."


    The one who answered was Aron.


    "Is it too much for most?"


    "It can be intoxicating if we do not circte it properly," Aron replied. "The quality of the magic energy here is at least thrice as good as the one in the Human ne."


    "Hm... That''s right, the Human ne is a remnant of the Land of the Ancients. Thus, the quality is not that far off. If other mages from another ne in the Lower Realm get exposed to the Higher Realm''s magic energy, they will probably lose consciousness after half an hour at most."


    "Wait," Ames frowned and tilted her head, "A few humans there are not from the Human ne, though. How are they able to cope?"


    "They are mostly Kyran''s people, so they will not have any problems," Aron exined. "In fact, those people are used to a ne where the magic energy is limited, so being in a ce with an abundance of it can be a refreshing experience for them."


    "A ne with limited magic energy... the Lower Realm actually birthed some strange nes."


    Aron and Cade''s ears perked up at what Aillos said. Thetter might not have noticed it, but he said something that few from the Lower Realm knew.


    "Alright, let''s continue our idle chatter," Aillos immediately changed the topic and said, "For now, let''s talk about what you will do in the next few weeks."

 Chapter 1139: Distress Call

    "We¡¯ve detected a significant surge of magic within the Dragon ne, persisting for several hours," Midnight reported, her figure blending into the background behind Lucian.


    "What caused it?" Lucian asked, his voice devoid of emotion.


    The background shifted as Midnight shook her head in apology, "We could not decipher the ne¡¯s barrier and failed to infiltrate it. We tried using our Divine Sense but noticed a detection array on the barrier and retreated at once. If not, the Dragon Emperor would have discovered us."


    Lucian did not answer and only continued to look at the scene before him. There was actually nothing to see atop the high tform. But his gaze suggested he was looking at something only he could see.


    Midnight tensed as the silence stretched between them. She initially did not want to report the activity in the Dragon ne to The Emperor without gathering enough information. But after receiving a distress call from Raelia prior to the surge of magic in the Dragon ne, followed by her disappearance, it was the only thing they knew that could divert The Emperor¡¯s attention.


    "Basically, you¡¯re telling me that there is nothing to report. Is that right?"


    "T-That¡¯s... Since you wished for us to keep an eye on the Dragon n, we thought it was only right to let you know any activity they were up to."


    "And what are they doing then?"


    "W-We... are still looking into it."


    "So then, there is nothing."


    "...I¡ª!"


    Midnight gasped as a sh of light pierced her body. Given her innate magic nature, such a feat should not have been possible. But The Emperor easily did it, showcasing his Light magic¡¯s prative capabilities.


    "Gah!" Midnight spat out a mouthful of blood. However, rather than painting the background with red and gold, which was themon blood color of beings in the Higher Realm, her blood appeared simr to a ck fog that sshed throughout the surroundings.


    "I want a definitive report by the end of the day."


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty," Midnight replied without even trying to negotiate. Submitting a report by the end of the day was impossible, but she had to do it. The Emperor did not mention any punishment, but he did not have to. In fact, the way he demanded a report by the end of the day suggested that he would mete out appropriate punishment if she failed.


    Midnight disappeared as soon as she epted The Emperor¡¯s orders.


    Truth be told, the one the Emperor pierced with his magic was not Midnight¡¯s real body. It was only her essence. This was because the nature of her magic allowed her to be anywhere within a certain range around ces she ruled. Still, The Emperor managed to damage her real body, and if not for the distance that reduced the impact of his attack, she would have received a fatal injury.


    Midnight¡¯s real body was with Deus.


    When The Emperor attacked, Dues¡¯s expression darkened when he witnessed Midnight¡¯s body convulsed and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "He is angry."


    It was not a question but a statement.


    Deus knew The Emperor long enough to know that Midnight¡¯s report angered him.


    The night shifted as Midnight wiped the blood from her lips.


    "Yes," she replied, even if Deus was not really asking.


    "I have a saint-tier potion here¡ª."


    "It is fine," Midnight refused the potion Deus offered at once. "If His Majesty discovered that you gave me a good potion to heal the injury he inflicted, you¡¯ll also suffer."


    "Your concern is a little concerning."


    "Don¡¯t be. I just don¡¯t want to suffer even more. After all, I¡¯ll be the one whom he will punish for epting your help."


    "..."


    "In any case, this is nothingpared to what we¡¯d go through if His Majesty learned about Raelia¡¯s disappearance."


    Dues frowned, recalling the distress call they received before Raelia¡¯s signal disappeared.


    "Is there really nothing left in the site where she sent that distress call?"


    Midnight shook her head.


    "The whole area was spotless, which is why it is suspicious. Raelia likely met someone..."


    "The Void Master?"


    The fact that nothing was left in the area where Raelia¡¯s distress call came was very suspicious. Thus far, the only one they could think of capable of removing anything was the Void Master."


    "The Void energy sample did not react."


    "...How about Azazel¡¯s?"


    "You know him better than anyone. Do you think he¡¯ll appear before Raelia?"


    "He won¡¯t, but Raelia could have found him, and they fought... hard."


    "Are you really saying that? We¡¯ll notice if the two of them fight. Besides, that friend of yours should not have the capability to overwhelm Raelia. He had been staying in the Lower Realm for thousands of years. Even if he regained some of his strength by returning here, that does not mean he can fight Raelia on even grounds."


    Midnight paused as her eyes glinted. She remembered Raelia¡¯s strength and found it impossible for anyone apart from Ames to overwhelm her.


    To be honest, they initially suspected Ames of attacking Raelia. Since they could not prove the truth of the rumors and given the former¡¯s temper, it would not be wrong to suspect her of attacking thetter to demand an exnation as to why her n was used of such dirty charges.


    Deus¡¯s eyes glinted as he also thought of Ames. However, they also could not consider her as a suspect because she was a walking cmity. If she and Raelia fought, there would have been traces of devastation all over the ce¡ª however, there was none.


    "But finding what happened to Raelia is not our priority," Midnight continued after a short pause. "His Majesty wants us to investigate what the Dragon n is up to."


    "I guessed that much..." Dues sighed. "How much time did His Majesty give us?"


    "End of the day."


    "..." Deus felt his head throb. Since they were outside the ne, it was hard to tell the time because they were surrounded by the darkness of the night. Nheless, he was aware that it was already early in the afternoon. Considering this, they only have less than half a day to find out what the Dragon n was up to.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Contact her and see if we can find anything."


    Midnight frowned, knowing full well whom Deus was referring to when he mentioned her.


    "Will she even agree to disclose any information if she does have one? Besides, His Majesty would not be pleased if he discovered that we sought her out. He is fond of her, after all."


    "We¡¯ll just have to cover our tracks properly. In any case, His Majesty did not say anything about not seeking her out, right? In any case, we¡¯ll not be the ones to approach her. Use someone else from one of our informants hiding among the neutral ns."


    "Then I¡¯ll see what I can do."


    "I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help much. I can only provide you with manpower using my Automatons."


    Midnight dismissed Deus¡¯s apology and said, "You can¡¯t move around the Higher Realm quickly. Thus, I won¡¯t me you for being useless at this moment."


    "Careful with your phrasing. I won¡¯t take offense. But if it¡¯s others..."


    "I phrased it as such because it is you," Midnight chuckled before her figure shifted and she left.


    As soon as Midnight left, Deus¡¯s eyes turned solemn. Before they received Raelia¡¯s distress call, he raided an unconquered ne¡¯s underground cave because his automatons had discovered a hidden base.


    Unfortunately, he only discovered an abandoned rebel group¡¯s hideout.


    Deus was greatly disappointed, but finding the hideout made him realize that Raelia had been doing what the Emperor had told her to do without hesitation.


    If Raelia found out what The Emperor did to her n, Deus wondered how she would react.


    Initially, they wanted to feel her out by sending her to search around the Dragon ne. However, she sent out a distress call before they could do so.


    Deus found the timing too convenient. It was as if someone or something had staged whatever happened to Raelia.


    They were not the Fates. That much Deus was sure of because they favored The Emperor. And Raelia¡¯s disappearance was not favorable for The Emperor.


    ¡¯Should I go and investigate?¡¯ Deus thought. Though he trusted Midnight to do a good job with her investigation, having another person check the scene would not harm them. They might even find or see something they could not from the initial investigation.


    With that in mind, Deus made his way to the location where Raelia¡¯s distress call was sent.


    *


    Unlike Deus, who was stressed, Raelia, the object of his investigation, was recuperating well in Ames¡¯s mansion.


    "I¡¯ve noticed it since earlier, but Ames¡¯s visitors are not dragons, are they?" Raelia asked Alta, who kept herpany inside one of the rooms in Ames¡¯s mansion that the Regis did not upy.


    Standing by the window and looking down at the patio, Alta nodded in response to Raelia¡¯s question.


    "Yes. If I¡¯m not wrong, they are Lord Null¡¯s people."

 Chapter 1140: Grand Gathering (1)

    Raelia leaned back on her bed with furrowed brows.


    "Lord Null," she repeated, her voiceced with disbelief as she sighed. "I still find it hard to believe that we are indebted to Ames¡¯s family."


    Alta fell silent as she shared the same sentiments. Apart from that, she had trouble believing that Kyran was the person The Emperor was after and the ck mage she pursued back in the unnamed ne.


    "...Lady Raelia," Alta started after a short pause. "Are you really nning on returning to The Emperor¡¯s side after you¡¯ve recovered?"


    After Alta answered every one of Raelia¡¯s questions, thetter expressed her intentions of returning to The Emperor¡¯s side. Alta could not voice her disagreement because Raelia¡¯s work for The Emperor was part of the de Dancers¡¯ agreement to show their loyalty.


    To be more precise, the de Dancer¡¯s agreement with The Emperor was to provide him with their best talent and work as part of his Elite. When the previous mage from the de Dancer n grew too old to help The Emperor, Raelia, a promising talent during that generation, reced him.


    Raelia was still a great help to The Emperor. As a matter of fact, she was the captain of her own squad. Her authority was far lower than that of Deus and Midnight, who served as the Head Aide and Deputy Aide of The Emperor, but it was enough for her to order the dispatch of mages from other ns under the Solis n.


    Considering Raelia¡¯s position in The Emperor¡¯s Elite, Alta could understand why she wanted to return. However, the fact that The Emperor destroyed her n should have voided the agreement binding her to him. In Alta¡¯s opinion, there was no reason for Raelia to return.


    "I want to confirm His Majesty¡¯s intention for what he did to the n," Raelia replied, shaking her head before adding, "I am still skeptical about what that person told the elders and the n Head regarding soul threads. I can¡¯t trust his words because he is not the Soul Emperor.


    Until I get definite proof that His Majesty had intentionally released his magic to destroy the n, I will give him the benefit of the doubt."


    "But that¡¯s...." Alta stopped short of what she was about to say.


    When she exined what had happened, she refrained from telling Raelia about Cyneah. Alta promised to keep Cyneah safe and to start with that; she had to ensure that no one else should know about her¡ªat least, not without the Dragon Emperor or Kyran¡¯s permission.


    Raelia looked at Alta and narrowed her eyes, "Is there something you have not told me?"


    Alta sighed and shook her head, "I¡¯m sorry, Lady Raelia. It¡¯s just that... I feel ufortable knowing of your patience and loyalty to The Emperor. Regardless of his intentions, don¡¯t you think he should have already rified the situation by now and stopped the rumors circting among the other ns? Yet even then, you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt..."


    Raelia did not respond. To be honest, she was very mad when she heard her n got caught in the middle of a crossfire when The Emperor confronted Ruin and the Void Master. But she could do nothing but reign in her anger. This was because there were so many versions of the truth of what happened, and each sounded more absurd than the other.


    The only rumor she deemed possible had been the one she told Ames. But even then, she was not entirely convinced.


    In any case, Raelia only wanted to give her n a chance to be in The Emperor¡¯s good graces again by giving him the benefit of the doubt and confirming the truth. She knew that if n Head Geir or Elder Zigor knew what she was thinking, they would allow her to make her decision. She never once doubted that the two older men would be angered by it.


    Alta had a different take on the matter, though. After being around Kyran and observing his interaction with the n¡¯s head, elders, and executives, she was sure that they would be disappointed with Raelia¡¯s train of thought.


    Nheless, Alta could not me Raelia because she had been working with The Emperor for a long time, and it would not be impossible for her to develop a deeper loyalty toward him than her n by then.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will not tell His Majesty about that person and the n¡ª."


    "He can extract one¡¯s soul thread, Lady Raelia. How sure are you that he will not demand that you surrender your soul thread just to confirm your intentions."


    "Just because your soul thread was taken doesn¡¯t mean His Majesty will demand the same with me. Remember that your soul thread was also taken as a punishment for being ipetent."


    Alta clenched her fist but did not try to refute Raelia because it would be pointless. She heard thetter could be very stubborn. But this was more than being stubborn. Raelia simply did not believe what others said unless she saw or learned of it herself.


    Raelia studied Alta¡¯s face before saying with a bitter smile, "You look annoyed. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you. But everyone else in the n appeared to be indebted to that person, and I believe someone should be levelheaded to ensure they would not be deceived."


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...I understand."


    In the end, Alta decided to end the discussion. However, she made a mental note to tell Kyran about Raelia¡¯s thoughts because she had a bad feeling. Besides, Lady Ames allowed Raelia to enter the Dragon ne and recuperate. If Raelia ended up implicating the Dragon n once she returned to The Emperor¡¯s side, they had to prepare countermeasures.


    "Don¡¯t worry," Raelia added before closing her eyes. I will tell Ames my intentions. Also, if His Majesty truly intended to destroy the n, I will ensure that she and the Dragon n are not implicated."


    "..."


    Alta chose not toment on Raelia¡¯sst attempt to assure her because she noticed something from her words.


    Raelia did not seem to want to ept Kyran and his people.


    *


    Aillos agreed to use the separateplexes around Ames¡¯s mansion so that everyone from the Lower Realm could have proper lodgings. Initially, Ames nned to transfer them to her vi, which was quite a distance away from the Main Pce. This was also to ensure that the other dragons would not know about them.


    She even said that Kyran could just set up a warp terminal or transportation array from the vi to the new Array once it was ready for them to use.


    However, Aillos reminded Ames of his intentions of announcing her other family¡¯s arrival in the Higher Realm and the truth of the situation there during the Grand Gathering of Dragons. Once, he announced that having them stay in the Main Pce was better than having them stay in the vi.


    Besides, Ames¡¯s vi was not big enough to amodate everyone.


    Ames, Aron, and Cade were busy having everything ready in the main pce for the next few days. At the same time, Aillos and his aides, who were not helping out in the new Array, were also busy with the uing Grand Gathering.


    One afternoon, Cade could not help but notice the quilins¡¯ busy building, which appeared to be a dome in an open space behind the main pce.


    "Will there be... an exchange of some sort during the Grand Gathering?" Cade asked Ames.


    The two of them, with Aron, were inside Ames¡¯s office in her chamber. They were busy organizing the things that Aillos told them to do.


    Ames looked at Cade from her seat, pausing for a bit from reading some documents.


    "An exchange, huh?" she smiled wryly before returning her attention back to what she was reading. "It was nothing formal like that. During Grand Gatherings, dragons tend to get a little excited, and a request for a spar happens all the time. The dome is there to cater to that."


    "Request for a spar..." Aron¡¯s expression turned grim as he thought of something.


    Ames¡¯s face distorted as she guessed what he was thinking.


    "I¡¯ll make sure that Father tells everyone not to send out spar requests against you and the others."


    "If you do that, everyone will just see us as an eyesore even more," Aron said.


    "True," Cade agreed, chuckling. Let them request it. We¡¯ll just y by the gathering¡¯s rules."


    "But¡ª."


    "We¡¯ll just keep Kyran out of it," Aron also chimed with a wry smile. "If that boy received any request... we¡¯ll likely end up infuriating the others."


    He turned to Cade and said bitterly, "I love my grandson, but after everything that happened, I find him quite good at provoking others¡ª intentionally or not."


    "I agree, too."


    Not one to save his son¡¯s face, Cade agreed with his Father¡¯s assessment of Kyran.


    "You two don¡¯t seem worried about your rtionship with the dragons worsening at all."


    "I don¡¯t want to be rude, Lady Ames. But it¡¯s not like they have any good feelings about us in the first ce," Cade said.


    "That¡¯s true... but as long as they understand your situation..."


    "There is no need for you and Lord Aillos to build up our image among your people, Lady Ames," Aron told her with a smile. "In fact, a certain level of discord can be helpful."


    Ames did not say anything because she understood where Aron wasing from. In fact, during the first few years after her Father united all the dragon tribes, conflicts surfaced almost every day. In the end, those conflicts shaped the tribes¡¯ rtionship, and now they were all united.


    Considering this, it might be helpful if the dragons and quilins requested to spar with the Regis and Kyran¡¯s people and grew to understand them. By doing so, they could build good rtions in the long run.

 Chapter 1141 Grand Gathering (2)

    That development would be ideal for the Regis and Kyran''s people. However, the deep-seated prejudices of the dragons and quilin towards the Regis would make such a development daunting.


    Ames pointed that out, and the two, Aron and Cade, could only smile bitterly.


    "Like Father told you, we have only started fixing the aides'' and a few of their adjutants'' prejudices about the Regis. So far, all of them are keeping an open mind while observing Kyran and the first Regis members who came here.


    "Frankly, Sisi''s affectionate and mild demeanor helped a lot to ease their bias. Some believed that someone like her would not have be the life partner of a¡ª pardon the term¡ª wed branch."


    "We did expect the dragons to feel ufortable around us, humans, with diluted dragon blood. Even if some of us who drank a drop of Lord Aillos''s blood awakened our dragon bloodline and strengthened it to a certain degree since we cannot change into dragons, we are nothing but an inferior, wed branch of the family," Aron tried to ease Ames''s concern by voicing his opinion about the matter.


    Ames looked at Aron in surprise, her brows raised slightly.


    "What makes you think that''s the reason they are bothered about your existence?"


    Aron stopped what he was doing to look at Ames. He was somewhat surprised at her question because he believed the reason to be obvious.


    "Well... aren''t they not bothered by young Sisi''s presence because she is not really part of the Regis? When I say ''part,'' I meant to say that she was not born a Regis. Her blood is pure. Thus, it is only expected that she cannot turn into a dragon."


    Ames was a little speechless at Aron''s response. In fact, she did not consider that to be the dragon''s reason for being hostile toward her other family. She only thought that they resented her for choosing a human as her life partner.


    "Why do you think not being able to transform into a dragon bothers them?"


    "Rather than being unable to transform, the real problem is that we cannot even participate in something that showcases a dragon''s prowess. Because we do not have the body of a dragon, helping secure your family''s future is what they are worried about."


    "Secure my family''s future..."


    As if a light had been switched on in Ames''s mind, the dragons'' behavior toward the Regis Family only made sense to her after hearing Aron''s exnation.


    Aron could not help but smile wryly and said, "Lord Aillos is truly a foolish father. Seeing your confusion, it seems he did his best to hide this fact from you, Lady Ames."


    "There is no reason to secure my family''s future, though. It''s not like we practice hereditary session. Father can appoint a new sessor if he can no longer lead the n. There is no need for him to appoint one from our family."


    "Lord Aillos''s aides probably don''t share the same sentiment," Cade, who had been listening in silence, chimed in atst. With a slight smile, he added, "Lord Aillos has been leading the Dragon n for more than a thousand years. It is not strange for the other leaders of the dragon tribes to want the next leader toe from his family."


    Aron and Cade had been learning a lot about the Dragon n and were now more knowledgeable about their system and current state of affairs. Thus, they were able to understand how the dragons felt about Aillos as their leader. Besides, Aillos was the one who united all the dragons and put an end to the internal war. Just this alone was enough for most to view him as their eternal savior.


    Ames was also a powerful dragon. They likely viewed her as Aillos''s sessor.


    But then Ames chose a human as her life partner,pletely destroying the dragons'' hopes for Aillos''s family to continue ruling over them.


    This could have easily been resolved if Ames could take another life partner. But that was the problem. Dragons could only take one life partner. If not for this, forget about Ames; the other dragons would have insisted that Aillos take another life partner and produce more heirs.


    "Father should know better," Ames said with a slight frown after a short pause. If the others had voiced their concerns, he should have alleviated their worries by saying he would appoint a sessor from another dragon family or tribe."


    "Yet, there has been no announcement of a sessor," Aron chuckled while shaking his head. "I hope you don''t take offense, Lady Ames, but your understanding of the Dragon n''s current state of affairs seemscking."


    Ames reddened. She did not mind Aron''s seemingly insulting words because he was right. She was notpletely ignorant, but she admitted not having a more in-depth understanding of everything. Part of the reason for this was herck of ambition.


    Besides, the fact that the dragons did not see her other family in a good light already cemented her belief that she would never be the leader of the n.


    "The way I see it, there are a few reasons Lord Aillos had not announced his sessor. The first reason is that he still wishes you would rece him. This is because he has not seen anyone worthy enough to be his sessor. The second reason is that he cannot appoint a sessor from another family or tribe just like that.


    His sessor should be aplished enough that he or she could outshine your potential. I believe that no one has done this among the dragons in your generation. Lastly, if Lord Aillos indeed announces a sessor from another family or tribe, how do you think the others not part of that tribe would feel?


    "Lord Aillos earned all the dragons'' trust and support, but what about his sessor? From this, we can say that Lord Aillos is the only one keeping every dragon family and tribe together, ensuring the n''s peace."


    Ames felt her head throb as if she were having a severe migraine¡ª something dragons could not experience, given their good body constitution.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You''re saying someplicated stuff, Aron."


    "That''s how politics works, Lady Ames."


    "But the Regis Family doesn''t have suchplicated matters."


    "That''s only because we inherited that part of your genes, Lady Ames. We wanted to avoid destroying the family with that kind of matter, so we created an environment for our people that would not allow such things to happen. Moreover, we made sure to teach the moral code properly to the future of the family."


    "If that can be achieved easily, every n would not have a problem," Ames replied with a sigh.


    Cade chuckled, "That is true, Lady Ames. I believe that is also the w of the current Regis n. Since we don''t wantplicated matters to threaten the n''s stability, we try to keep to ourselves as much as possible."


    "''Don''t wantplicated matters,'' my ass," Ames growled and red at Cade. "If that''s true, how do you exin Kyran, huh?"


    Cade scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "That... there is always a first. It is also good for the n''s future."


    Ames sighed while Aron chuckled.


    "In any case," Ames paused and smiled at them. I''m happy to hear your opinion about the situation. I''ll reassess the situation and see what I can do to help change the dragons'' opinions. To be fair, there are promising talents among the younger generations. If they are given enough chance, I''m sure the dragons can ept them as my father''s sessor."


    "From your words, I take it that you really don''t want to seed Lord Aillos as the next leader of the n," Aronmented.


    Ames snorted, "That is such a troublesome responsibility."


    Aron chuckled, "Kyran takes after you on that aspect."


    Cade smiled slightly, hearing his father''s assessment about his son. In fact, he also noticed Kyran''sck of ambition in terms of leading the n. Although Kyran was forced to take others under his wing during his journey outside the n, he did not impose strict control over their freedom and allowed them to do what they wanted. He would only call for them if he needed assistance.


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    But even then, he would ensure their safety, and most of the time, he ended up doing all the hard work.


    Rather than bing a leader of the n, Kyran acted more like a vassal in support of his liege. The problem was that the liege was also himself.


    "Speaking of Kyran," Ames remembered something and said, "I received a message from Raya. He said that they are nearing thepletion of the new Array. It might bepleted in the next couple of days. If that happens, you guys might not have to attend the Grand Gathering."


    Aron and Cade''s expressions turned solemn. They were aware of the new Array, and honestly, they were both excited and worried about it.


    They could not wait to improve their strength. Only then could they support Kyran with his ns in the Higher Realm. But they were also worried about the future. They would be taking on the most powerful mage there, after all.

 Chapter 1142 Grand Gathering (3)

    As Ames had predicted, the new Array was sessfullypleted just three days after her conversation with Aron and Cade.


    Following the array''spletion, Aron gathered the first Regis members to enter the formation. It did not take long for them to gather because he and Cade met and assigned each Regis member and Kyran''s people in groups even before the array''spletion. They only needed to confirm the number of people who could enter the formation and send them to the location.


    Unexpectedly, it was Raya who coordinated with Aron and Cade for the group''s transport. When they inquired about Kyran''s whereabouts, Raya''s response was vague, indicating that he was preupied with something else and unable to assist them personally. This unexpected turn of events left everyone in the group feeling surprised and curious.


    After hearing Raya''s response, Rin was both disappointed and worried. She knew her son well enough to know that he would spare some time to meet them even if he was busy. Even if he could not assist them, he would show up and assure them that he was there and doing fine. After all, thest news they heard about him was that The Emperor was chasing him and that they had lost his track.


    Rin wanted to interrogate Raya, but thetter could only look at her awkwardly and apologize as he could not answer her question.


    Raya''s response confirmed that Kyran had likely overexerted himself again and was out cold.


    The fact that they had not seen Lord Aillos and had not heard about Cyneah''s whereabouts since their arrival also meant that he might know something.


    Their suspicion was actually half correct.


    Right after the new Array waspleted, Aillos, who returned to the location after hearing that it was nearingpletion, took Kyran to Cyneah''s location. Kyran initially wanted to coordinate the transportation of the Regis members to the array''s location, but Aillos forbade him, knowing full well that the young man was once more overexerting himself.


    Before Kyran passed out cold again, Aillos took him to Cyneah so she could help him rest.


    Aillos already noticed that Cyneah was the only one who could lower Kyran''s defenses. Though it might seem a very dangerous weakness, Aillos believed that Kyran had to lower his defenses for the time being so he could rest properly. Because unless he did that, he would still be on guard and would end up unable to rest properly.


    In the end, Kyran relented because he did not know when he would reach his limits and pass out. He did not want that to happen in front of his parents and make them worry unnecessarily.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Because Lord Aillos made Kyran leave the location, Raya could only lie through his teeth. Aron, Cade, and Rin might have higher authority, butpared to Lord Aillos, Raya felt that the former three would be more forgiving than thetter.


    Rin caught on to Raya''s dilemma and decided not to make things harder for him. After all, he, along with Myst and the rest of the Regis who were proficient in Array, had worked hard toplete the new Array. She decided to give Raya some ck and feigned ignorance.


    Gael, Filren, and Tritus, the representatives of Kyran''s Servants, Sigils, and marked people, told Aron and Cade to let the Regis members enter the formation first. The reason behind their insistence was simple: the magic energy circting within the new formation was Draconic. This was obvious since the energy originated from Coelus''s corpse.


    Though it would also be beneficial for them to understand the flow of Draconic magic energy, the improvement they would receive would be minimalpared to those who had dragon blood in their veins.


    Zephyr was the only exception among Kyran''s people, so they asked Aron and Cade to join the first batch. Since he was a quilin, he could benefit greatly upon absorbing Coelus''s corpse.


    Initially, Zephyr did not want to participate because he had yet to present himself before Lord Aillos and report what happened to the rest of the quilins that were supposed to guard the Shaiha. Unfortunately, Lord Aillos, Aron, and Cade had been so busy since their arrival that Zephyr could not meet them.


    But when Aron and Cade gave their assigned group, Zephyr was surprised that they had included him among the first group to enter the formation.


    When he asked why they included them, Aron told him with a smile that Gael, Filren, and Tritus had requested it and that Lord Aillos allowed it.


    Zephyr felt overwhelmed, knowing that Gael and the others requested his inclusion, and at the same time, Lord Aillos, the Dragon Emperor he had yet to meet, allowed it. In the end, he followed their lead and joined the first batch.


    But, like the others, Zephyr was disappointed and worried when he did not see Kyran. He could somehow sense him because of their connection¡ª which was the only assurance he and the other Sigils had, confirming his presence and status. Nheless, not knowing for sure how their Master was doing, not to mention they had not seen their young Mistress, they were very worried.


    Auto-one¡ª now officially named Rae by Kyran¡ª was the one who apanied the Regis members into the formation. He was given this task because he was the only one unaffected by Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy among the people present there.


    In fact, if not for Aillos''s barrier and Rae''s control over the Array formation, everyone within the corpse''s influence would have long lost control over their senses.


    The number of people that could enter the formation at a time was fifty. They could actually extend it to seventy. However, Kyran worried that having seventy people in the formation might cause instability if they all broke through their mage level at the same time. Thus, they all agreed to allow fifty people, which was safe.


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    Most of the members who entered the formation were at the Arch Magus level. In fact, about twenty were at the peak Magus and were close to bing Arch Magus.


    For the record, the lowest level among them was a peak Master. After entering the Higher Realm and stabilizing their magic cores with the realm''s abundant magic energy, some of them advanced to Grand Master. Frankly, even without the formation, they could advance their level as long as they meditated and absorbed enough magic energies in the surroundings.


    The process would not be as fast while inside the formation, but they could still improve.


    Aron and Cade also considered this when they decided who should enter the formation first. They let those with higher-level mages enter first while those with lower levels continued absorbing the natural magic energy in the surroundings. This would allow the lower-level mages to improve their understanding of magic before being exposed to pure Draconic magic energy.


    If they had done it the other way around, the lower-level mages'' growth would have been explosive while inside the formation, but once they left, their magic core that had already been exposed to high-quality Draconic magic energy might no longer be satisfied with the quality of magic energies in the surroundings.


    Thus, Aron and Cade decided to let the higher-level mages enter the formation first to avoid this. Besides, the amount of magic energy that higher-level mages could absorb would be limited. They would already be seeking special magic energy to learn. In this case, the Regis were using Regis Techniques, which were actually Dragon magic.


    They all had different innate magic, but once they absorbed the high-quality Draconic magic, their innate magic would develop in the direction that could allow them to utilize the Regis Techniques better. They might even be able to use Draconic Magic because the dragon blood in their veins would be stronger.


    Ducal and the rest of the dragons who assisted in the creation of the new Array stayed in the location to witness the whole process.


    Surprisingly, none of them showed any interest in experiencing absorbing Coelus''s magic energy. They even showed fear while watching the Regis enter the formation and get into position.


    "How long would it take for the first batch toplete their immersion?" Aron asked Myst, who was waiting outside the formation with the others.


    "The Young Master made the array to allow low-level mages to stay for a minimum of ten days and high-level mages for a minimum of seven days. It will all depend on how fast they can absorb the magic energy and receive enlightenment."


    "Hmm... I can see Kyran''s urgency to strengthen the family," Aron noticed with a slight frown.


    "I don''t know how much Lord Aillos told you about the current situation here, but that is how dire things are," Myst replied with a sigh. "The Emperor already announced the Void Master''s existence, and anyone who wants to receive his good graces will have already started gathering elites to search for him."


    "I can see why Kyran feels the situation is dire," Aron agreed thoughtfully. "In any case, we''ll have to talk about his n soon."


    "R-Right... He''ll be avable once he is done with his other... task..." Myst replied uneasily.


    Aron chuckled at Myst''s response and said, "Don''t worry. I''m sure he''ll be avable before the Grand Gathering starts."

 Chapter 1143 Grand Gathering (4)

    Two days before the Grand Gathering, the city around the main pce teemed with human-formed dragons. Most of them came from families or tribes far from the heart of the ne, who decided to go to the city a couple of days early so they could sightsee or visit the business district and buy items that were rarely seen in their domain, adding to the allure of the city.


    Initially, all dragons attending the Grand Gathering should stay in the main pce''splex. However, the main pce would only be open a day before the Grand Gathering. Thus, all those who wanted toe early had to book and stay at an inn in the city until the main pce opened its gates.


    Thankfully, the early arrivals were few. If there had been more, the city inns would have struggled to amodate them all.


    In Aillos''s chamber, inside his office, Eissen provided an in-depth report on the city''s current affairs.


    With his back on Eissen, Aillos watched the buzzing activity outside his mansion through his window.


    "All family representatives under the Water Dragon Tribe have arrived and are currently staying at the Havenroad Inn. I have sent a couple of quilin officers to ensure they are well received there.


    "The same goes for the different family representatives from the Earth Dragon Tribe. As for their amodation, they booked a whole vi on Red Peak Street. The owner of the vi is Rugar. He owns a few vis in the same street. Our investigation shows that these vis are vacation houses for his people. Sometimes, he rents them out to his acquaintances.


    For the record, Rugar is a merchant and is an Earth Dragon.


    "Thus far, there has been no record of entry to the city from the representatives of me Dragon Tribes. However, based on their data from previous gatherings, we expect them to arrive tomorrow ande to the main pce at once.


    "Some of the Golden Dragon Tribe representatives have also arrived. They booked an inn, simr to the Water Dragon Tribe representatives. However, unlike thetter, who are staying in the east, they booked an inn called Golden Spoon in the south¡ª."


    "Is it true that the Venom Dragon Tribe has not confirmed their representatives?" Aillos asked before Eissen could continue with his report.


    Eissen paused and looked at his tablet. He checked his record and nodded his head before answering, "Yes. They haven''t confirmed who will attend. However, they confirmed their attendance."


    Aillos sighed, "They sure are taking their sweet time preparing the right representatives to send for the spar."


    Eissen furrowed his brows. The Grand Gathering was supposed to be an event that allowed all leaders of different tribes to meet Aillos and discuss matters about their tribes. The spar was only an activity to exchange notes between promising talents of each tribes. At times when two tribes were at odds, they send their young representatives to spar.


    The winner would then decide how they should resolve their differences. However, such spar rarely happened because they all heed Aillos''s advice.


    This time''s Grand Gathering however, would be different. As Aillos remarked, the gathering would focus more on sparring because of the Regis Family.


    "Milord, are you really going to allow a spar between the dragons and those¡­8 humans? No matter how I see it, there is no way for them to match up with even the lowest-level dragon here. It will only be a repeat of the spars those Regis who arrived first experienced against the n''s promising talents."


    Aillos raised his brows and looked at Eissun in amusement, "What''s this? Are you worried about them?"


    Eissen''s expression turned nk in an instant and said, "I only worry about what Lady Ames would do if they got hurt."


    He still remembered how Ames reacted when he and Nothum tried to take Kyran and his guests and did not want to think about what she would do if they were bullied during the gathering.


    Aillos chuckled and said, turning his attention back outside the window, "Don''t worry. Like the other families and tribes, there will only be three, five at most, Regis member who will attend the gathering. Kyran will definitely be one, then Aron and Cade. As for the other two spots, it is up to them who they want toe."


    "I''m sure they will include the young miss, who imed to be Kyran''s life partner."


    "Sisi? Yes, she is invited, but she won''t being as part of the Regis Family," Aillos confirmed. "Because, technically, she is not a Regis."


    "...No? But how did she pass through the route...?"


    "That is unimportant. Tell me the rest of your report."


    Eissen studied Aillos for a moment before he replied, "... Alright. Since you''ve already asked about the Venom Dragon Tribe, I''ll proceed with the Holy Dragon Tribe and Night Dragon Tribe reports..."


    *


    More dragon families and tribes arrived the next day, with representatives from the mes, Holy, Night, and Venom Dragon Tribes arriving almost at the same time. One might even think that they agreed toe together.


    Since the gathering will start tomorrow, the main pce opened its gates and escorted all the representatives to their assignedplex suites. Most tribes had about five to seven families each with three to five representatives.


    Those with a confirmed number of attendees before the main pce opened their gates were providedplexes close to each other to ensure all families of the same tribe were together.


    For those who still needed to confirm, their amodation was still taken care of. But because they did not confirm the number of their attendees beforehand, some representatives from the same tribe were assigned toplex suites away from the rest of their tribe.


    While the main pce was buzzing with activity, at the underground tomb of Coelus, the first few Regis groups that entered the Array Formation showed rapid growth in their mage level.


    Those who entered as Masters advanced to Grand Masters; peak Grand Masters were now Exalteds, and Exalteds were now close to bing Magus. Though their level was still iparable to those in the Higher Realm, they were steadily getting there.


    Meanwhile, the Regis members who were waiting for their turn to enter the formation continued to absorb the natural magic energy in the surroundings and meditate. They were also progressing, albeit they had yet to advance a level. Nheless, several of them received enlightenment about the difference in magic energy in the Lower Realm and Higher Realm.


    When they were not absorbing magic energy and meditating, they would spar against each other. Since the gathering had not started officially, they could not use the dome to spar. They could also not use the training hall because some of the young dragon representatives used it topare notes. Thus, they sparred in the open space outside Ames''s mansion.


    Preventive measures were ced around Ames''s mansion and the surroundingplex where the Regis Family and Kyran''s people stayed to ensure no dragon representatives would discover them. They only needed one more day to stay hidden until Aillos announced their arrival at the Grand Gathering, so they were cautious about being discovered.


    *n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Behind Aillos''s mansion was arge outdoor garden with a clear blueke at the center. In the middle of thatke was a two-story building that could only be entered through a hidden portal in Aillos''s chamber.


    Cyneah stayed in that building with a few female quilins who served Aillos and Ames for a long time.


    That building was usually empty, and since it was installed with a cleaning array, there was no need for anyone toe and maintain it.


    Only after Aillos took a liking to Cyneah did he open the building and allow her to use it. It was also one of the hidden safehaven in the Dragon ne. Moreover, the building was visible from Aillos''s chamber. If something amiss were to happen there, he would know it almost immediately.


    Then again, no one was allowed to enter or get close to it, so such problems should not have been possible.


    "Young miss, will you have your lunch here again?" a female quilin with a gentle demeanor and amiable face asked. Her small stature, white hair and eyes, reminiscent of a unicorn rather than a dragon. Her name was Soreen, and she was one of the younger quilin Aillos tasked to look after Cyneah.


    Cyneah, sitting on a chair beside a four-poster bed, looked up at Soreen and smiled, "Yes, thank you."


    Soreen peeked at the young man, who was still fast asleep on the bed and sighed helplessly. From what she heard, the young man was Lady Ames''s great-great-great-grandson whom they were searching for.


    ''His name, if I remember correctly, is Kyran...''


    It had been a few days since Lord Aillos brought Kyran there, and Soreen was present when Lord Aillos and Cyneah practically forced him to sleep. Since then, the young miss had almost never left his side. She had her meal there and slept in the sofa.


    "It is not good for you to dine all the time in this room, young miss. You need some fresh air and a new environment," Soreen reminded her. She looked at the pillows and nket neatly folded on the sofa and added, "Are you even able to sleep in such a cramped space?"


    Though the sofa was not small, it was still small to be an alternative bed.


    "Of course," Cyneah replied, flushing slightly at Soreen''s question and adding in a soft voice, "I-It''s not cramped at all..."


    "But still..."


    "Thank you for your concern, Soreen," Cyneah smiled. "But I want to be by his side when he wakes."


    Soreen sighed once more and nodded helplessly, "Fine. If you need somepany while waiting, don''t hesitate to call us."


    "I will. Thank you again, Soreen."


    Soreen smiled and excused herself.


    Almost as if on cue, Kyran''s eyes opened the moment Soreen left.


    "I don''t see why I have to keep pretending to be asleep," Kyran said and sat up, looking at Cyneah skeptically. The truth was that he woke upst night and wanted to check on the others since then. However, Cyneah showed a rare coyness and asked him to keep pretending to be asleep for one more day.


    Cyneah reddened and said, "I told you, if they find out your awake, they will let Lord Aillos know and he will make you¡­ leave."


    Kyran tilted his head, and a slight smile spread on his face. He found it cute how she could say something so embarrassing yet endearing.


    Cyneah raised her head just at the right angle to face him. She had a cute pout on her face and grumbled, "You think I''m acting out of character, don''t you?"


    "I did think of something, but not about you, acting out of character."


    "¡­"


    Seeing Cyneah''s flustered expression, Kyran let out a lowugh.


    "But you know, if I pretend being unconscious, I''d starve to death."


    "I did request more helpings, is it not enough?"


    "¡­I''ve got a big appetite since I woke up," Kyran admitted. "Probably because I haven''t eaten proper food for some time."


    "Then I''ll request for bigger portions."


    "They''ll be suspicious then."


    "..."


    "The gathering starts tomorrow. I need to meet with Father and Grandfather and discuss some things with Lord Aillos before then."


    "Why am I the only one who feel the time we spent together is far too short?"


    Kyran did not know how to answer that. The truth, he wanted toplete the things he had to do so he could spend more time with her. But he feared that if she told her that, some annoying force would get in his way and he would not be able to fulfill that.


    In the end, Kyran chose not toment on her words and asked, "Have you met with my parents yet?"


    Cyneah blinked at his unexpected question. After a moment''s hesitation, she replied uneasily, "I haven''t left this ce since Lord Aillos took me here."


    Kyran frowned, "He sure is enjoying his time ying guardian¡­"


    "He knows I have the Macabre cier, and he said its best stay away from beings that could potentially trigger it."


    "¡­I kinda have the feeling that''s the reason he wants to keep you hidden."


    "He did say I can attend the gathering, as long as I stay close to you at all times."


    "¡­I see."


    "Such ackluster response."


    "¡­Sorry, I just thought of something and wondered if our parents heard about it."


    Cyneah asked in confusion, "What do you mean? And¡­ our parents?"


    Kyran raised his brows, "Didn''t anyone tell you?"


    "About?"


    "Father- I mean, your Father is also here."


    "!"


    Cyneah gasped at the news and blurted, "W-Why¡­ more importantly, how did he enter the Regis Terram?"


    She was aware of the Regis Terram''s entry restrictions and was surprised to learn her birth father got passed it.


    "I also want to know the answer to that. I''m also curious how my Servants and those I marked entered the terram."


    Cyneah sighed. She knew she could not force Kyran to stay any longer with so many things he still had to do.


    "Seems like I can''t force you to stay¡­"


    "What are you saying? I''m taking you with me."

 Chapter 1144 Grand Gathering (5)

    After convincing Cyneah not to worry about Aillos''s reaction if she left the building, Kyran warped them out and went to the room he used to stay in when he fell unconscious from the magic energy of Coelus''s corpse''s influence.


    The building Cyneah stayed at had its own array formation. When Kyran warped, Aillos was notified. Thus, he stopped his meeting with Eissen and Veles, who were providing their report on all representatives'' amodation and arrival status.


    "Let''s continue after lunch," he told them curtly.


    "Milord, you have to attend a luncheon and meet with all the patriarchs. If we wait until after then to continue the meeting, it will be toote¡ª."


    Veles nudged Eissen, cutting thetter midsentence of what he was saying. Eissen did not take offense but did re at Veles for interrupting him. However, when he saw Veles jerking his head toward Aillos''s while furrowing his brows, he realized why he stopped him and fell silent at once.


    Basically, Veles stopped Eissen because he saw Aillos furrow his brows when he prematurely dismissed their meeting. Knowing Aillos, he likely sensed something¡ª and at this point, Veles guessed that it concerned the Regis¡ª and had to leave at once.


    In a way, any news about the newly arrived Regis was confidential and should be treated with extra care. If something rted to them urred, they had to consider it a priority to ensure that the tribes would not learn of them before Aillos made the announcement at tomorrow''s gathering.


    Aillos looked at Eissen and Veles and said, "I''ll leave all matters about the representatives to your discretion. Only inform me of an emergency."


    "Yes, Milord."


    "About the luncheon... let Ames attend. Tell them that I am in the middle of an important meeting outside and cannot attend."


    "That..." Veles started with a slight frown.


    If the luncheon appointment was only a regr courtesy to greet all the patriarchs, having Ames attend would have been all right. However, it was more than a courtesy and could be considered an unofficial opening of the Grand Gathering. If the host were not present, it would have a negative impact.


    Though the Patriarchs would not immediately be disappointed with Aillos, they would feel unappreciated and might even wonder what the purpose of doing a Grand Gathering was if he was not seriously attending to them.


    "Rather than having Lady Ames attend, we can dy the luncheon for an hour. Will you be able to attend then?" Veles offered after a short pause.


    "Hm..." Aillos leaned back and scowled. He figured out what Veles was trying to tell him and contemted it.


    Seeing Aillos consider his suggestion, Veles was truly appreciative. In fact, that was one of the main reasons they wanted Aillos to continue as their leader. He listened to his subjects and tried to meet them half way.


    After a moment''s pause, Aillos told them, "Start the luncheon on time. Tell them I will bete, and just tell them to enjoy the meal first."


    "We''ll keep thempany then," Veles confirmed. "But please make sure to limit it to an hourte."


    "I will."


    Aillos nodded at them before leaving his office.


    Outside, a quilin with neatlybed white hair dressed in a silver coat approached him respectfully. The quilin was named Eustace, and he was the butler assigned to Aillos''s mansion.


    Eustace was considered the most experienced and respected among all the butlers in the main pce. Besides, he had been serving Aillos and Ames for a long time.


    "Milord, you called?"


    Though Aillos did not make any obvious call, Eustace was familiar with his action to know that he had something to say.


    "Have someone take Ames here. Also, tell her to bring all necessary people along."


    "Yes, Milord," Eustace replied and stepped back. As he did, his figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.


    Unlike most quilin servants in the pce, Eustace was one of those high-ranking quilins withbat experience. To make aparison, he and Zephyr came from the same fold. This allowed him to do his duties better as the butler of Aillos''s mansion. After all, the duties of a butler were not limited to managing household concerns.


    After giving Eustace his order, Aillos went directly to the room Kyran stayed in his first few weeks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You have a nerve of steel to use warp inside the pce," Aillos growled as soon as he entered the room.


    Kyran, who sat on the couch with Cyneah, shrugged his shoulders and replied, "If you did not ce Neah in such an isted location, I would not have resorted to that."


    "That is for her protection."


    "It''s too excessive. She''s like a prisoner."


    "...That is for her protection."


    Judging from Aillos''s repeated response, he could not refute Kyran''s im that Cyneah was like a prisoner. He did think it was pitiful to keep her hidden like that, but that was to ensure no one among the dragons would trigger the dangerous item hidden inside her body.


    "I... think the mirror is calm right now," Cyneah voiced her opinion, but mainly to alleviate the tension she sensed was about to explode between the two. "So there is no immediate danger of someone triggering it..."


    Aillos took a deep breath and sat on the couch opposite them. He crossed his arms across his chest before leaning back and looking at Kyran.


    "I see that you managed to wake up just before the gathering."


    "I won''t miss it."


    "I won''t allow you to miss it either."


    "..."


    "Enough with this cheeky response," Aillos waves his hand dismissively. "Why did you leave the building and not call for us?"


    "Neah needed a change of environment."


    "What?" Cyneah almost choked in surprise. "It''s my fault?"


    "It''s not your fault per se," Kyran corrected her with a sigh. "In any case, it''s only right that she meets my family now that I''m awake, don''t you agree, Lord Aillos?"


    Aillos raised his brows, "So you''re finally going to address her false identity?"


    "What ''false identity''?" Kyran repeated with a frown.


    Cyneah blushed and waved her hands frantically before her, saying, "I-It''s nothing important! It''s just that when we first arrived, we needed to tell them how I managed to use the route Lady Ames used when I''m not even a Regis."


    "Ames told everyone that Sisi is your life partner."


    "M-Milord¡ª!"


    "Ah, that? It''s not exactly false."


    "!"


    Aillos frowned, "Do you understand what a life partner even means to dragons."


    "I do," Kyran replied without batting an eye. "And she is someone like that to me."


    "..." Cyneah fell silent, her face burning up. "...How could you say something so embarrassing with a straight face..." she grumbled under her breath.


    "Because I don''t find it embarrassing," Kyran replied. "Are you embarrassed?"


    Cyneah''s heart seemed to skip a beat as she raised her head to look in Kyran''s direction. Before she could respond, however, Aillos cleared his throat and said, "Do you''re flirtingter."


    Cyneah gasped and turned toward Aillos, "W-We''re not¡ª!"


    "Okay."


    Cyneah looked at Kyran when she heard his response and shouted, "Don''t just agree!"


    Seeing her flustered, Kyran could barely contain his amusement. Obviously, he responded as brazenly as he could to get his intention across to her. Because if he did not, she would continue to be embarrassed about their rtionship in public and only show her affection openly when they were alone.


    Kyran did not like that, especially when there were dragons like Ladon and Thorn who did not seem to care about her having a life partner and still looking at Cyneah affectionately. Of course, he knew those two had no romantic feelings for her. They knew she was a human, and as pure dragons, unless they were as free-spirited as Ames, they would not seek another being as their life partner.


    Nevertheless, that did not stop Kyran from being wary of them. Ladon and Thorn might not cross the line, but there were others that might. To avoid that, he had to make his rtionship with her as clear as crystal could be.


    Aillos understood Kyran''s intention. That was why he called Ames over and asked her to bring everyone involved with them. To be precise, when he asked Eustace to have Ames bring all the necessary people, Aillos meant Cyneah and Kyran''s parents.


    Frankly, Aillos would not have cared about their rtionship. But because Cyneah possessed something very dangerous, he wanted to ensure that no one would dare get involved with her as much as possible. The only way he could do that was to make her rtionship with Kyran as official as it could be.


    Simr to Kyran''s concern, dragons might not actively seek a different being as their life partner, and there would always be an exception like Ames. Aillos would not have cared if it was another being. But if it was someone with the Macabre cier, then that was a different matter altogether.


    "I understand what you want to do, so I decided to call Ames over. She''d bring them along as well."


    "Thank you, Lord Aillos."


    After resolving that matter, Aillos changed the subject by telling him about what they could expect in the Grand Gathering.


    While listening, Cyneah''s expression darkened as she realized how dangerous it would be for Kyran and his family.


    "I will prohibit spar requests directed to you and your family," Aillos informed Kyran with a straight face.


    Kyran nodded, "That''s fine."


    "As much as I trust my people to y fair, I want you to be on guard. The Venom Dragon Tribe will likely request a spar, and their specialty is... well, I think it''s already obvious... poison."

 Chapter 1145 Grand Gathering (6)

    Dealing with poison was always dangerous, even if one was knowledgeable about it. Even those people who possessed resistance against it were notpletely safe.


    It is important to understand that resistance is not the same as immunity. It''s a fine line, a delicate bnce that can mean the difference between life and death.


    Kyran was resistant to poison to a certain degree. This was because all Regis had to consume several kinds of poison in their childhood to build their poison resistance. They did it in preparation for entering the Regis inner forest, where several beasts¡ª rare, mythical, and special types¡ª that produced poisonous attacks could be found. These beasts were not meant to be killed.


    They were meant for a Regis to tame.


    Building up one''s resistance to poison was not hard for mages because as long as they learned how to circte raw magic energy in their body, they could easily iste the poison in their body with magic energy and dy its effect until they found an antidote. There were even others with powerful innate magic that could counter poison, like fire and water, that couldpletely remove its effect.


    For this reason, it was rare for poison to be used during a frontal attack.


    However, that was not to say using poison in a fight was useless because, depending on its effect, it would still take a mage some time to remove it or stop its cirction. And unless one possessed powerful fire or water innate magic, they could not remove its effectpletely.


    Another point to consider was that poisons created by Alchemy could be treated. One only needed to know the ingredients used to concoct the poison to create an antidote. Moreover, a poison created by Alchemy was practically a healing potion gone wrong. Thus, depending on the mage''s proficiency in Alchemy, they could extract it and adjust its recipe to create a good healing potion.


    "I heard from Ames that you were made to drink a lot of poison during your childhood to build up your resistance," Aillos said as if reading through Kyran''s thoughts.


    Cyneah''s eyes widened in shock upon hearing this. It was her first time hearing that about Kyran. She heard a lot of things from Ste during her short stay in the Conve but nothing about him drinking poisons.


    Whether it was good or not, Aillos and Kyran did not dwell on that topic and moved on, making it hard for Cyneah to question them about it.


    "You should know that a poison created through Alchemy is different from a being whose innate magic is Poison."


    "I know," Kyran nodded. Thus far, the only mage he knew who possessed a Poison innate magic was Avrum from the Alchemist Association under the Conve. The rest were the beasts he had already taken in and turned into his Servants or Sigils.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even when Kyran was training in the Tower of Tribtions and was sent to different nes in the Lower Realm, he did not meet any mage possessing Poison magic.


    Come to think of it, Avrum was quite a rare talent...


    "Don''t veer your thoughts away from our discussion," Aillos snorted at Kyran.


    Kyran did not react, but inwardly, he was shocked at how Aillos guessed his thoughts were about to wander off just then.


    "Venom Dragons are far more poisonous than beasts that were said to have been born from it. This is because they are poisonous and dragons that can utilize Draconic magic."


    Compared with his Void magic knowledge, Kyran was still behind his Draconic magic. Thus, he could barely understand the concept behind dragons having a different innate magic yet being able to utilize the Draconic magic.


    "It is truly confusing if one is not familiar with Draconic magic," Aillos agreed as if reading Kyran''s thoughts once more.


    Kyran could no longer keep his calm and frowned at him. He then said, "Is your innate ability reading minds?"


    "Rather than reading minds, I have a very good Insight."


    "..."


    "Putting that aside, I can teach you about Draconic magic. However, I will need a valid reason to do that."


    "Valid reason?" Kyran tilted his head in confusion. "Why do I have to give you one when I can just ask Lady Ames to teach me?"


    "Ames cannot teach you."


    "Why¡ª?"


    "You should know by now that Draconic magic is different from the other Ancient Magic. In fact, every Ancient Magic has its unique trait. In the Draconic''s case, its unique trait is that anyone with dragon blood in their veins can use it."


    Aillos pointed at his heart and said, "This means my magic core could not be considered the Draconic core."


    He then pointed at Kyran and added, "This is because there is only one Draconic core ever formed."


    "...Formed...?"


    "Coelus... the Original Dragon," Aillos replied. "He was the only one who possessed a Draconic Core."


    "But everyone else says otherwise..."


    "That is because we never tried to correct their misconception."


    "..."


    Kyran fell silent. That had been one of the things bugging him from the moment he learned about the birth of the Realm Scion and how Lucian was obsessed with finding the artificial Ancient Magic Cores that the Ancients created.


    Why was Lucian adamant about absorbing an artificial Ancient Magic Core instead of a real one? Kyran could understand why Lucian wanted to absorb the Void, Soul, and even Time Cores. But what about the Draconic core? Lucian could easily capture a dragon, kill it, and take its Draconic core, so why didn''t he?


    "To give a brief exnation, having the Draconic core basically allowed you to be more attuned to all elements," Aillos exined after noticing Kyran''s inner confusion. "After all, that is the nature of Draconic magic."


    Kyran frowned and looked at Aillos, "I kind of get it... but... I also don''t."


    "Which is understandable. I''ll be shocked if you do get it without understanding its true nature."


    "Draconic''s true nature..."


    "To give you something to think about, remember that it wasn''t originally called Draconic magic. Its name changed because of its unique trait, which¡ª as I said just seconds ago¡ª is that anyone with dragon blood can use it."


    "...Chaos magic."


    "That''s right. Now, if you use that term when you refer to your magic core, not just anyone can have it."


    Kyran ced a hand on his chest as if finally making sense of a lot of things. Read new adventures at empire


    "Rather than call it Draconic core... it is Chaos core."


    Aillos nodded, "Dragons can use Chaos magic, however, to a certain degree only. Because if we did, without possessing the core, our bodies would be destroyed."


    "I think I am starting to understand it more clearly," Kyran admitted. "But I still don''t understand why Lady Ames can''t teach me."


    "Because Ames can only channel the Chaos magic''s ''Air'' and ''Physical'' elements."


    Kyran''s eyes grew like a saucer as realization hit him.


    Nothingness gave birth to everything. Does this mean that everything represents chaos? Then, the order came after Chaos. If Kyran reced the order with Ancient magic, only one can represent it¡ª Time. Finally, there came life, which is represented by Soul.


    "Seems like you''re finally getting a better grasp of things. In any case, I am the only one who can teach you about your Draconic magic since I am thest direct descendent of Coelus."


    Kyran''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets after hearing thatst bit from Aillos. He swallowed nervously and said, "Is it safe for you to tell me that?"


    "Why not? It''s not a secret among the dragons if that''s what you''re worried about."


    "No... well, I suppose so..." Kyran''s voice trailed off as he looked at Aillos once more. Somehow, he saw thetter in a different light after learning he was a direct descendent of Coelus.


    In a sense, all dragons were Coelus''s descendants. However, most of them would have been the great-great-great-great grandson or something by a direct descendent.


    "If you''re a direct descendent..."


    "I am not his son," Aillos cut him midsentence. "However, I am his grandson."


    "How old are you?"


    "..."


    Cyneah, who had been listening to them in silence, could not help but nudge Kyran. "I don''t think that''s important."


    "I''m only saying... asking..."


    "Going back on having a valid reason to teach you about your Draconic magic. I need it to convince everyone that they do not have to worry even if I teach you the real nature of Chaos."


    Kyran heaved a sigh and leaned his back. Since he now understood the situation better, he could guess and also agree as to why the dragons would be worried if he learned about Chaos magic¡ª Coelus was not a very good example, after all.


    "I was only able to pacify them about Zane because he could not fully utilize Chaos magic. But you are different," Aillos''s eyes narrowed as he pointed at Kyran once more. "Because you can also use the Void."


    "...which is practically saying that I can utilize all elements because of its nothingness nature."


    "That''s right."


    "..."


    Kyran knew how dangerous it was to learn how to use his Draconic magic. It was only a glimpse, but the moment he fell into Coelus''s magic influence, he felt his insides go berserk. If he could not properly control it, he would lose his mind and might even cause harm to others.


    Cyneah also had the same thoughts. However, she knew how important it was for Kyran to learn how to use his magic¡ª not only the Void but also Draconic. Only then could he put up a decent fight against The Emperor.


    "You don''t need to worry about losing yourself," Aillos assured him."


    "..."


    "Because I will not allow it."


    Kyran could only respond with a wry smile.

 Chapter 1146 Grand Gathering (7)

    Ames, Aron, Cade, and Euan arrived just after Aillos and Kyran finished their conversation. Eustace and a few servants also came with them and prepared some snack and tea on the table for them.


    Aron and Cade did not show it but when they finally saw Kyran they were relieved. This was because it might have only been more than two years since they saw him in person, but the news of his involvement with The Emperor of the Higher Realm made them restless.


    Their restlessness escted when True Void dered that he lost his connection with Kyran. Aron, Cade and the rest of the Regis, along with Kyran''s people were at a loss after that. For the first time in a while they felt despair. Aron and Cade could not allow their people to see them weak, though. Which was why they kept their emotions in check to assure their people.


    Fortunately, Ames''s presence and hermitment in finding Kyran also contributed in assuring them. Cyneah''s confident deration that Kyran had found his way in the Higher Realm also lifted some of their burden. Without a doubt, her words also confirmed how much she trust Kyran. This in turn assured Aron, Cade and Rin that Cyneah would be someone who could support Kyran selflessly.


    On the other hand, there was still a noticeable awkwardness between Cyneah and Euan. Nheless, their rtionship improved after Kyran disappeared and they had more opportunities to interact.


    But putting aside all those things, Aron, Cade, and Euan understood why Ames told them toe with her. Rin was also called, but she chose not to go and only gave an excuse of being busy preparing Cyneah and Kyran''s clothes for tomorrow''s gathering.


    Ames did not insist Rin toe. There would be plenty of times for all of them to gather, anyway. Besides, it was a little unfair that Kyran''s mother would be present when Cyneah did not have even a representative.


    Aillos did not really mind who coulde, he just wanted to have both side to be present when they discussed the matter of Cyneah''s protection.


    Aron left the talking to Cade and Euan. In fact, other than them the rest only served as witnesses.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah could barely contain her embarrassment. But she endured because she did not want anyone to have the wrong idea.


    Overall, the conversation between Cade and Euan went smoothly because it was not the first time that they talked about marriage between Cyneah and Kyran. In fact, before Cyneah was cursed, and got swapped with her essence to live as the princess, Euan had always pestered Cade about marrying her to the Regis.


    After Cade and Euan finished their talk, Aillos continued by telling him what he intended to do tomorrow. When they heard his n, they were all shocked. Even Ames gaped at her Father in confusion.


    Kyran was probably the only one who looked unfazed. Of course, he was not entirely unaffected. But he understood why Aillos came up with that and agreed that it was the fastest way to ensure the other dragon tribes would not mess with his people. Read new chapters at empire


    Aron, Cade, and Euan also understood Aillos''s reason. Nheless, that did not stop them from being surprised and worried.


    Aillos concluded their meeting by telling them he would open the Ancestral Land of the Dragons after the Grand Gathering. After that, he left, saying he still needed to attend a luncheon with the other patriarchs.


    "Opening the Ancestral Land of the Dragons¡­" Cade muttered in amazement and looked at Ames. "I never thought a day woulde that such sacred ground would be open for a Regis."


    Ames gave a faint smile and shook her head, "There is nothing special about that ce. In fact, when it was created, it was fashioned simrly to the Regis''s Ancestral Land. Except, the ones resting in thetter were humans, and the former dragons."


    The dragons were not united back then. Only after Aillos became the head of all dragons did they create an Ancestral Land to bury all their dead.


    "Will you be okay tomorrow?" Cade asked, directing the question to Kyran, who had been silent throughout the meeting.


    Kyran nodded, "For now, this is the fastest way to ensure everyone''s safety."


    "If you''re only doing it because you want to protect everyone, then I suggest you think it over," Aron said, giving him a stern look. "Our family are no pushovers."


    "I''m sorry, grandfather," Kyran lowered his head in apology. "That''s not why I agreed to do it. At the moment, Lord Aillos''s aides have their eyes on me. They believed that among the Regis, I am someone the family values even without my possession of the Draconic core or the Void core."


    The reason this was the case, was due to Kyran''s proficiency in Array. After all, possessing the Draconic core or the Void core had nothing to do with one''s proficiency in Array. While it was true that having Void magic was quite convenient to an Array Saint, it was not something that could affect his ability in formting Array Calctions.


    "Chances of them suggesting to their tribe patriarchs to test me is high," Kyran told them.


    "Actually, even if they don''t make such suggestions, after Lord Aillos makes an announcement, those patriarchs will seek you out using their young talents," Euan voiced his opinion.


    "Hm," Aron and Cade also agreed with a nod.


    Ames sighed and shook her head helplessly, "Ah¡­ politics. I hate politics."


    She stood up and looked at Cyneah, "Sisi,e with me. Let''s leave these guys alone."


    Cyneah looked up in confusion and asked, "Is it alright if I go with you?"


    "Don''t worry. Since Father did not tell us to take you back to your room, then it means he is fine with youing with me."


    "But¡­" she looked toward Kyran, as if asking for his opinion. In a way, Aillos did allow her to leave the building as long as she stayed close to Kyran. Although that was for tomorrow''s gathering.


    "You''re wearing the ne, right?" Kyran asked, even though he already sensed the energy from the ne.


    Cyneah nodded, "Yes, I am."


    "Then it''s okay," he replied with a smile. "If something happens, just call me."


    "Alright."


    Kyran did not want Cyneah to leave. But because she was like a prisoner staying in the building, he thought it best to have Lady Ames entertain her.


    If Ames knew that Kyran just thought of her as a tourist guide for Cyneah, she might have flipped at his atrocity. Fortunately, she could not read minds or did not possess Insight like Aillos and only snorted at Kyran''s condescending tone.


    "What do you take me for? Since I told her toe with me, then the least I could do is ensure her safety!" Ames refuted before gesturing for Cyneah to follow her.


    Cyneah did not see Ames''s gesture, but she more or less guessed that thetter was telling her to follow. Thus, she stood up and excused herself before following Ames, who was already making her way out the room.


    Once the two left the room, Aron, Cade, Euan, and Kyran continued talking.


    This time, they talked about Kyran''s ns that Aillos told them in their first day.


    Aillos could only tell Aron and Cade the gist of Kyran''s ns because thetter had not discussed it in details. Even with Insight, Aillos could not possibly see through everything of Kyran''s ns. Thus, he told them to hear all the tedious details to Kyran when he woke up.


    "How long will the array formationst?" Aron asked Kyran.


    The array formation he was reffering to was the one that allowed them to improve their levels.


    "For as long as the magic energy from Coelus''s corpse can provide."


    "I heard that magic energy is the rawest form of Draconic magic," Euan started. "The formation will probablyst for some quite some time."


    "I made the formation with maximizing the energy as much as possible. At the same time, I don''t want to waste everyone''s time in staying in the formation. Which is why I added an enlightenment assistant form when I drafted the array."


    Euan raised his brows in interest, "I did not know such form existed."


    "Me either," Kyran admitted. "I only encountered it in the Tower of the Ancients."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hm¡­" Cade leaned back on his seat thoughtfully. "I heard Lady Ames mentioning such tower. From what I understand, that tower is simr to the Tower of Tribtions in the Lower Realm."


    "Tower of Tribtions?" Euan asked, looking at them in confusion.


    "Right¡­ you haven''t been there before," Cade said with a wry smile. "To give a brief exnation of that ce¡­."


    Cade gave Euan a short description of what the Tower of Tribtions could do. If they were still in the Lower Realm, Cade would not dare tell Euan anything about the tower. But since they were not, he was no longer bound by the tower''s secrecy.


    "Such a ce really existed in the empire?"


    "Not only in the empire, a path can open in any location within the Human ne."


    "No wonder you guys were able to improve so fast. It is all because of that tower."


    "You will have a chance to experience something simr," Kyran assured Euan. He almost called him father-inw but managed to stop himself, thinking it was inappropriate to call him that at the moment.


    "In fact, I n to take everyone to the Tower of the Ancients after everyone advanced to Sovereign."

 Chapter 1147 Grand Gathering (8)

    "Is the magic energy from Coelus''s corpse enough to get us all to Sovereign?" Aron asked in surprise.


    "If my design operates well, then yes, it can," Kyran agreed. "Even if an error urred and not everyone advances to Sovereign, I''ll still have them enter the tower."


    "Isn''t the tower only essible to Sovereigns?" Cade asked. "Lady Ames said that it will only ept Sovereigns and High Sovereigns."


    "To be precise, the tower''s entry requirement states that it is essible by mages below an Overlord. Since there is no level below the Sovereign in the Higher Realm, they automatically assumed that it was the minimum level required to enter the tower."


    The three men nodded in understanding.


    "That makes sense," Aron agreed. He then smiled bitterly and shook his head, "But really... the gap in level between the residence of the Higher Realm and the Lower Realm is disheartening."


    Kyran looked at his grandfather uneasily, "You... don''t feel that way, right Grandfather?"


    Aronughed, thinking his grandson misunderstood his words so he rified, "I suppose myment can be misleading. Yes, I don''t feel that way. But most mages who learn of this gap for the first time will feel that way."


    "I can understand how the Higher Realm can produce Sovereigns from birth," Cade interjected. "Just think of how they could feed on such raw and potent magic energy every day,pared to the magic energy in the Lower Realm... it is the difference between heaven and earth. Although I am not saying the magic energy in the Lower Realm is bad... it just doesn''t feelplete."


    Kyran smiled, "As expected, you''ve noticed it."


    "I''m right then."


    Kyran nodded, "Rather than having a huge gap in the magic energy quality, it''s more with the type that the two realms circte."


    He then proceeded to exin what Shaiha told him about the difference of magic energy in the two realms. He continued his exnation by exining how the magicw in the Higher Realm was theplete versionpared to the scattered magicws in the Lower Realm.


    Euan only experienced the difference in magicw between the Human ne and Somuli but he was able to follow the discussion that followed. Nevertheless, he was surprised to discover just nes in the Lower Realm could have an entirely different magicw. But in the Higher Realm, all thesews could be applied and even bebined.


    "I believe it all has something to do with the variety of beings living here," Aron voiced his opinion about the matter.


    "Hm..." Cade leaned back and nodded. "You may be onto something, father. Most beings in the Higher Realm are manifestations of... I suppose different powerful species. They can make themselves look human when they are not. Take, for example, Lady Ames.


    She looks human but she is a dragon."


    Euan seemed to have realized something and supplied, "Right. That reminds me, in Somuli, there are humans. Though there is a slight difference in terms of internal body structure, they are still humans. There are also beastmen. Their appearance is a mix of a beast and human, they are not using magic to change their appearance."


    Kyran was silent as he listened to them. He found it enlightening to hear the opinions of others because he did not even think of that. He once wondered why humans in Somuli were a little different in the Human ne, and thought it was their way of adapting to the living conditions in Somuli.


    Somuli''s core, like the Human ne, was a piece of the Land of the Ancients. Some of the Ancients creation was also left there, like the automatons and the humans. But because it adapted to the limited magic energy and magicw it had, these humans also adapted ordingly.


    Most nes in the Lower Realm were likely simr to Somuli. While some were nes that fell there during The Fall. Of course, how many of thetter survived after so many War of the Sovereigns was up for debate.


    To put all of these in simple terms, the Lower Realm was a nest to all of the Ancients'' creations, like automatons, beasts, and humans, that adapted to the barely passing living conditions of the realm. Since they were all creations of another superior being¡ª the Ancients¡ª they could not help the realm by providing good magic energy cirction.


    Kyran kept this thought to himself. As far as he was concerned, Aron, Cade, and Euan''s knowledge of the Ancients were limited. He wanted to share his thoughts but knew it was not the right time nor the right ce for them to discuss it. Ultimately, he decided to tell them more about the Ancients when they entered the Tower of the Ancients.


    "The only way for such powerful species to live in this realm is if the quality andpleteness of magic energy here can sustain them, and vice versa," Euan concluded.


    Cade nodded, "Right."


    "But this thought leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth," Aron admitted with a sigh. "It''s like admitting that humans are an inferior species that''s why the Lower Realm could only produce simr quality of magic energy."


    Cade and Euan scowled. The thought did leave a bad taste to them.


    "That doesn''t matter," Kyran told them, trying to divert the discussion. "Once we enter the Tower of the Ancients, everyone will improve."


    "But Kyran," Aron looked at his grandson sternly. "There is a reason that the tower allows mages below an Overlord to enter. The challenges there must reflect the level of those who entered it. Although it did not state that the lowest level it epts is Sovereign, it doesn''t mean the challenge will also be below that."


    "Lady Ames did say something about the tower''s challenges to be hard even for Sovereigns," Cade also added. "If some of our people failed to advance to Sovereign, the tower might be too much for them."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Kyran assured them. "Since I rmend it, then the tower will be doable."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Alright," Cade replied as if Kyran''s words were enough to settle any doubt they had. "We''ll leave it to you."


    Explore stories at empire


    "But before that, we have to prepare for tomorrow''s gathering," Euan reminded them with a bitter smile.


    "Kyran," Aron looked at Kyran once more, his expression solemn. "I trust you not to overexert yourself. Preserving the family''s honor and such doesn''t matter if you ended up dead."


    Cade and Euan also looked at Kyran with simrly solemn expressions.


    "Don''t worry, grandfather," Kyran replied with a faint smile.


    *


    Fortunately, the arrival of all dragon tribe representatives waspleted without a hitch. Apart from the request to use the main pce''s training hall to allow the younger generation representatives to condition themselves in preparation for possible spar requests the following day, it was an uneventful day.


    Aillos attended the luncheon and met with all of the patriarchs or second-inmand. After that, he visited theirplexes to check if they were able to settle in their lodgings without problems.


    Eissen and Veles already reported everything to Aillos. Still, he had to visit them in person for formalities. He also wanted to see them and check if the information Veles managed to gather about them was updated.


    After visiting theplexes, Aillos made some time to drop by the training hall.


    Almost all of the young generation representatives were gathered there on the premise of ''conditioning themselves for tomorrow,'' and he did not want to miss the chance to assess them. Besides,ing there in person would give the patriarchs and second-inmands the impression that Aillos was looking for something.


    Frankly, Aillos couldn''t care less about what the dragons would think of his visit because he did want them to misunderstand the situation. Once they did, their anticipation for his announcement tomorrow would skyrocket.


    "What do you think of the young talents of our n, Milord?" Veles asked as they watched several young dragons in human form upy the many mini arenas scattered on different levels inside the training hall.


    The training hall had an observation deck that could easily view all the arenas inside, and Aillos was there with Veles. Although they did not announce their presence, the natural pressure emanating from Aillos could be sensed by the young talents. As such, it was noticeable how some of them showed off their prowess by increasing the amount of exchanges they had with their training partners.


    At that moment, Aillos was watching Ladon exchange some moves with another Golden Dragon Tribe representative. He remembered her name was Anahita, and she was from another branch family only second to Thorn''s.


    "I can already see the improvement of Ladon''s enlightenment in the Tower of the Ancients."


    Rather than providing a definitive response to Veles''s question, Aillos remarked on Ladon''s improvement.


    "The artifact they retrieved in the tower is still in the early stages of implementation to the n''s training regime, but it really does address the weakness you''ve mentioned before.


    Ladon''s improvement might be attributed to the fact that he received enlightenment earlier than the ones who had just started the new training regime, but his natural talent allowed him to understand it better than others."


    "Hm..." Aillos simply nodded his head while looking at Ladon''s more fluid movement whileparing notes with Anahita.


    "What about the other talents?" Veles tried to ask yet again.


    Aillos did not reply at once, instead shifting his attention to another group of young talents fighting with daggers.


    Dragons did not need weapons to fight. However, there were times when they learned them depending on their tribe''s specialty. In the case of the young talents Aillos were looking at they were the young talents from the Venom Dragon Tribe.


    His eyes glistened slightly as a smile appeared on his lips, "Tomorrow''s gathering will definitely be entertaining..."


    Finally, the day of the Grand Gathering hade.

 Chapter 1148 Observation

    Thergest ce inside the main pce was called the Tempest Hall. It could hold about ten thousand dragons, of course, in their human form while having enough space for everyone to move around. Because of its sheer size, they only used it duringrge banquets, and thest time they had such an event was more than a hundred years ago when Aillos reached the peak level of an Overlord.


    After a long time, the Tempest Hall was once again ready to host a grand event. The anticipation was palpable as representatives from every dragon tribe, one after another, stepped into the majestic hall.


    Almost everyone wore formal wear, a special suit with colors and emblems that represented their tribes.


    Aillos was from the Sky Dragon Tribe, and their clothes were primarily associated with golden silver, silver, and tinum, along with the emblem of a Sky Dragon''s profile.


    The Water Dragon Tribe representatives'' formal wear used light blue and green colors with a little touch of silver to give tribute to the Sky Dragon Tribe. Their emblem depicted therge waves of the sea.


    The Golden Dragon Tribe used hues of gold with a tinge of silver, and their emblem was that of drawn dragon ws.


    The me Dragon Tribe''s formal attire was a strikingbination of red, orange, and silver, mirroring the colors of a zing fire. Their emblem, a roaring dragon spitting swirling mes, was a testament to their fierce nature.


    Then, there was formal wear using the colorbination of light brown and silver, abination of light yellow and silver, another with dark green and silver, dark blue and silver, and so on...


    All dragon tribes added different shades of silver to their formal wear to pay tribute to the Sky Dragon Tribe. Most of the dragons wore light-toned formal wear, except for the Venom Dragon Tribe and the Night Dragon Tribe, because of the color of their innate magic.


    The Tempest Hall was now a living, breathing canvas, each stroke a uniquebination of colors. The diverse formal wear of the dragon tribes had transformed the grand hall into a vibrant spectacle.


    Aillos watched the scene below the Tempest Hall through a floor-to-ceiling window in one of the rooms on the fourth level. The window was actually a two-way mirror, so no one could see inside the room while those inside could freely watch what was happening behind it.


    Behind Aillos stood all eight of his aides: Ae, Attor, Celestine, Ducal, Eissen, Nithe, Nothum, and Veles. They were waiting for Aillos to go down the hall. Stay connected through empire


    "How much time do we have before everyone is expected toe?" Aillos asked while observing which tribe had already entered the hall.


    "There is still more than an hour left, Milord," Veles replied.


    "Hm... no wonder I only see the second-inmands and a lot of the young talents."


    "It is likely that the patriarchs asked their second-inmands to observe the situation in the hall and report back to them," Nothum voiced his opinion. Being the aide responsible for the Internal Affairs of the n, his opinion was almost always correct. "And since they sent their young talents here as well, I believe your appearance in the training hall yesterday produced a good result."


    Aillos smiled wryly.


    The result Nothum meant was the misunderstanding Aillos wanted the other tribes to have for his unannounced appearance in the training hall. Basically, he wanted every patriarch to have the wrong impression that he was observing the young talents because he was searching for a sessor.


    Since the patriarchs sent their young talents way ahead of the gathering''s call time, they likely wanted them to make a good impression by showing their enthusiasm and good observance of time.


    They might also have instructed these young talents to mingle with any of the Sky Dragon Tribe people who would attend the gathering. Their objective was obviously to get to their good sides.


    Unfortunately for them, none of the Sky Dragon Tribe would attend the gathering. Not that Aillos did not want them toe, but because he was more than enough to represent all of them. Besides, they already knew what he would do on that day.


    "Their intentions are so easy to read," Aillos remarked with a bitter smile. "But I suppose I''m not one toin since it''s something I did on purpose."


    He then turned to look at his aides and asked with a meaningful smile, "I trust none of you gave your tribe patriarchs a hint of what is about to happen today, right?"


    Immediately, the expressions of his aides turned grim. They never expected him, of all people, to doubt their loyalty.


    Suddenly, Aillos burst out inughter and said, "You should see the look on your faces right now."


    With wide eyes, they gaped at him in confusion.


    Aillos smiled apologetically at them and said, "I am only trying to mess with you since you all look tense. Are you that worried about how the patriarchs would react to my announcement?"


    "Because it is unprecedented, of course, we will all be worried."


    The one who answered on behalf of everyone was Ducal. Unlike the other aides, who were originally members of other dragon tribes, he came from the Sky Dragon Tribe, like Aillos.


    For this reason, the other aides considered Ducal their leader, even when he did not want to. Besides, he did not want them to give him special treatment just because he was from the same tribe as the Head of their n.


    "I have put all of you in a bind because of my selfishness," Aillos started before lowering his head at them in apology. "For that, I thank you."


    Nheless, instead of saying a word of apology, he thanked them for their loyalty and great understanding.


    "You have to be careful not to show such a sight to the others, Milord," Ae could not help but point out with a bitter smile. "If word of you lowering your head before your aides get out, The Emperor and his cronies might view it as a sign of weakness."


    Her advice was not that unwarranted since she was responsible for Diplomacy among the other ns in the Higher Realm. Aillos''s action would truly be a huge ''scandal'' if seen by the other ns.


    "Luckily, I only have you guys with me as witnesses for my weak moments," Aillos chuckled and nodded to Ae. "I have nothing to worry about."


    His remark lifted the tension that gued the eight aides for the past few weeks.


    In fact, they were still making sense of all the revtions they heard, starting with Ames''s confession of their n''s current situation and ending with Aillos''s announcementter. Nheless, even if they had yet to warp their heads about everything, they decided to believe in his judgment because of their unwavering trust in him.


    Aillos turned his attention back to the window and observed the scene below.


    Meanwhile, in another room on the same level, all the Regis representatives, including Aron, Cade, Jared, and Kyran, were also watching the hall from the window.


    Kyran, in particr, was quite close to the window, and he was observing every young talent of the Dragon n.


    Jared walked up beside Kyran and tried to trace his nephew''s line of sight when he found that he was looking at a group of young talents wearing formal wear with gold, light brown, green, or blue colors; he could guess what was swirling in his head.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I heard a few young dragons showed interest in our lovely young daughter-inw. Are those the ones?"


    Jared''s intuition was quite on point because Kyran was indeed watching Ladon and Thorn, who were surrounded by other talents from the Earth Dragon Tribe, Holy Dragon Tribe, and Venom Dragon Tribe. However, Jared was also a way off his guess because Kyran only watched them because he noticed that some of the young talents around them exuded a powerful aura.


    "Yes," Kyran answered without bothering to clear Jared''s misunderstanding.


    Jared found his nephew''s bold admission of keeping a close watch on his love rivals quite admirable and cute. He chuckled, patted his nephew on the back, and said, "Don''t worry. After tonight, they would no longer bother Regis''s daughter-inw."


    Kyran looked at his uncle awkwardly and said, "Uncle, you know that Mother is also the Regis''s daughter-inw, right?"


    "What are you saying? Rin is the Regis Family''s Madam! There is a difference!"


    Kyran could only sigh in resignation at his uncle''s strange antics.


    Cade chuckled and also stood beside Kyran. He immediately spotted the people his son was observing and said, "Those young dragons do exude powerful auras. You will have to keep an eye on them, especially those in brown clothes."


    As always, Kyran was always amazed by his father''s insight, which was simr to Aillos''s.


    "Lord Aillos warned me about the Venom Dragon Tribe, but the way I see it, the Earth Dragon Tribe might be more of a pain than them," Kyran agreed.

 Chapter 1149 Provocation (1)

    "Earth Dragons are indeed powerful beings," Aron agreed, joining them to stand close to the window. He also looked at the group of young talents and added, "Among the different types of dragons, Earth Dragons are among those who possess great defense, stamina, and raw strength."


    Cade and Jared nodded in agreement, recalling the things they read from the Regis Archive.


    In fact, Kyran had a chance to read some of that information in the Regis Archive, but because he was forced to leave his n to escape from the Royal Army''s pursuit, he did not finish reading all the volumes about the different types of dragons.


    "However, you have to take into consideration that among the several types of dragons, the Earth Dragons also have a very gentle temperament. They will not cause harm to others unless they are provoked," Aron continued, ncing at his grandson with a faint smile.


    "...I''ll keep that in mind."


    Unspoken but palpable, Aron''s advice to Kyran not to provoke the Earth Dragon Tribe hung in the air. It wasn''t ack of faith in his grandson''s judgment but a recognition of the vtile situation in the hall once Aillos made his announcement. Tensions were high, and it was only a matter of time before a test of strength would be inevitable.


    As the tension in the hall mounted, it became increasingly clear that a test of strength was on the horizon. In such a situation, even the most peaceful creature would bepelled to defend their tribe''s honor.


    The four fell silent as they continued to survey the hall.


    Fifteen minutester, the atmosphere in the hall shifted as the tribe patriarchs began to arrive in quick session. The once festive mood dampened, signaling the end of the young talents'' free exploration and the start of a more serious phase.


    "It''s almost time for us also to make an appearance," Aron told them when another half an hour passed. "We should get ready."


    Cade, Jared, and Kyran nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Go to Sisi''s room and escort her, Kyran," Cade told him. "As Lord Aillos rmended, we must always stay by her side once we enter the hall." Explore more at empire


    Jared sighed and shook his head, "I''m starting to get nervous here. Most of the people there already knew about Sisi, right? The moment she enters, everyone will know who we are."


    "Even if we don''t enter with Neah, we''ll still stick out like a sore thumb with the colors of our clothes, eyes, and hair. There are representatives from the Night Dragon Tribe, but rather than having ck hair and wearing ck uniforms to represent them; their dark scales have a blue tint. That''s why they are recognized with the dark blue and silver colors."


    "Even so, being the receiving end of the res of all those people..." Jared shivered and looked at his nephew. "They look like humans, but they are real dragons, you know? Real-life dragons!"


    Aron and Cade could only shake their head helplessly at Jared. Though they did understand where thetter wasing from. In the Human ne, the dragons were thought to no longer exist. Though the Regis n thought otherwise, the fact that they had not seen a genuine pure-blooded dragon in the Lower Realm could not be denied.


    Then, suddenly, they were thrown into a hall full of these dragons. Their appearance could be misleading, but if something happened, then would they suddenly decide to release their disguises? They would definitely die without even knowing how and what happened.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, Uncle," Kyran assured Jared. "Though they harbor negative sentiments about our family, they respect Lord Aillos and Lady Ames. They will not act brazenly under their noses. Besides, even the hall is protected by a powerful array that prevents dragons from transforming back to their true forms."


    But then his eyes narrowed and inwardly added, ''Though I don''t think the same can be said with the dome''s array.''


    Kyran had yet to see the inside of the dome, but because it was meant to be a ce where requested spars between dragons wouldmence, restricting their transformation could hinder their ability to use their full strength. Moreover, the size of the dome was huge, but he sensed the space inside had been enchanted to ensure the space could amodate two young dragons'' spar.


    If there was one thing Kyran learned about dragons when they fought, they did not care about destroying their surroundings as long as they got to beat their opponent to a pulp.


    "Alright," Cade pped his hand, signaling the end of their talk, before turning to look at his son. He lowered his hands and said, "If they request a spar, just do what you must do. In any case, I''m not worried about you being at a disadvantage just because you can''t turn yourself into a dragon but don''t overdo it.


    I know Lord Aillos said to show them everything you''ve got, but you also need to know when to stop."


    "Meaning I should know when to give up the fight to win the war."


    "That''s right."


    "Okay."


    "With that said, let''s go."


    The four left the room and parted outside. Aron, Cade, and Jared made their way to Aillos''s room while Kyran went to find Cyneah. Aillos assigned two female quilins by her side, but they were nonbatants¡ª having more unicorn blood on them than dragon blood¡ª and could not really protect her when something happened. At most, they could only sacrifice their lives to help Cyneah escape.


    Of course, an incident where they would be forced to sacrifice their lives would not really happen in the Dragon ne, not under Aillos''s watch.


    One of the female quilin waiting for Cyneah was Soreen. When Kyran arrived, she kept giving him a look as if he was a very bad influence on theirdy. Her attitude toward him made him realize just how much Cyneah could easily win the affection of others.


    Could such an ability be natural for a Soul magic user?


    It was possible.


    Just like how Kyran could send beasts weaker than him running in the opposite direction once he appeared.


    Kyran looked at Cyneah and was once again stunned at her mesmerizing beauty. Since they agreed not to have her participate as one of the Regis''s representatives, the color of her dress was not ck. Instead, she was dressed in a flowing golden silver gown that glistened whenever she moved. In fact, her dress was as eye-catching as her mirror-like eyes, which reflected all the lights around her.


    Her light brown hair was gorgeously braided and hung seductively on one side of her shoulders.


    Seeing how Kyran and Cyneah looked like a perfect example of contrasting colors with their dark and lightbination was quite a sight.


    Contrary to the dazzling aura that hung around Cyneah was an obvious frown on her face.


    "What''s wrong?" Kyran asked, wondering why she looked displeased.


    "...Nothing."


    However, Cyneah refused to share her thoughts and simply turned her head to one side. She then said, "Let''s go. I don''t want us to be thest ones to enter the hall."


    Kyran furrowed his brows. He was confident in his ability to read Cyneah''s thoughts just by observing her actions. But at the moment, he did not know why she was displeased. And he felt that she would get more annoyed if he insisted on asking her.


    "...Okay."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s curt response only deepened Cyneah''s frown.


    Soreen and the other female quilin, named Harrien, shook their heads in dismay.


    Unlike Kyran, they knew why Cyneah was displeased. But they were not about to tell on her. Frankly, any decent male being should be able to guess why theirdy was in a foul mood. She and her life partner were about to attend a very important gathering, yet he barely said anything the moment he arrived.


    Lady Ames, Ate, and Rin even dolled her up, but Kyran did not express any approval. Moreover, because of Cyneah''sck of sight, she could barely make out Kyran''s silhouette. She wanted to see him so badly but could only be content with seeing his outline.


    Cyneah wanted to see how Kyran looked in formal wear after hearing the servants'' positivements about him and the others. They said that even as a human, they looked very dignified and handsome.


    ''If only father could teach me how to do that spell he did before,'' she thought helplessly.


    The spell Cyneah referred to was how Euan shared his sight with her in a meeting back in the Lower Realm right after Kyran''s disappearance.


    Unfortunately, Cyneah could not find the right moment to talk to her father about the spell.


    Kyran took Cyneah''s hand and gently ced it on his right arm. He then leaned close to her ears and whispered, "You look too beautiful. I''m having second thoughts about taking you to the gathering."


    Cyneah immediately flushed up to her ears. She red at him in response and inwardly thought, ''I could not say the same to you because all I see is....''


    She shook her head inwardly and forced her gloomy thought at the back of her head.


    Kyran obviously knew why Cyneah was displeased. However, he did not want to make her even more miserable and pretended not to notice.

 Chapter 1150 Provocation (2)

    But it was not as if Kyran had not made any progress on finding a way to restore Cyneah''s sight. While he was working with Rae and the others on the new Array formation to utilize Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy, Rae told him about the conversation he, Aillos, and Cyneah had.


    From their conversation, Kyran received a sh of inspiration on how to restore Cyneah''s sight. After setting down the foundation he needed to build his own force, he nned to test it out. He would have to gather a lot of information and materials to get things ready. Most importantly, he needed the most knowledgeable Alchemist in the Higher Realm to do the test.


    Finding thetter was not that hard since there was only one Alchemist with deep knowledge of Alchemy in the Higher Realm. The only issue was how to meet her and make her agree to help him.


    In any case, Kyran needed the Alchemist to proceed with his n as well, so if he aplished both, he would be killing two birds with one stone.


    Kyran contemted telling Cyneah about his idea but decided against it at thest second. He might have had a sh of inspiration on how to restore her sight, but its predicted sess rate was still only below 30%. Until he was about 80% or above sure of its sess, he decided not to say anything so he would not give her false hope.


    "I swear, where do you even have the time to hone your glib-tongue," Cyneah ended up saying to hide her embarrassment.


    Kyran only chuckled in response and led her out of the room, with Soreen and Harrien following from behind in silence. Though they were not in a hurry when they left the room, they still managed to catch up with Aron, Cade, and Jared.


    Aron, Cade, and Jared met with Aillos in his room to receive instructions on how to get to the hall''s side door, where they would enter. For security purposes, Aillos was the only one who knew how to get to that door.


    Apart from that, even if others heard of the instruction that day and tried to find the door again, they would get lost because the route could only be used by the people he personally gave the instruction.


    Such security was necessary to avoid uninvited guests trying to gatecrash into the gathering. All invited guests were only allowed to enter the hall from the main entrance, so it went without saying that it would be impossible for uninvited guests to enter from there as well.


    Of course, the uninvited guests being referred to here were not the dragons but other beings. It was true that Aillos was able to sense intruders trying to enter the ne, but he was not omnipotent. There was only so much his senses could monitor at a time, especially now when he was also preventing Coelus''s corpse''s magic energy from leaking out from below.


    Aillos wanted the Regis representatives to enter from the hall''s side door to provide them with a certain level of protection because the only ones who could use that door were Aillos, Ames, and the eight aides.


    If Kyran and the others entered from there, it was simr to announcing to everyone in the hall that they were Aillos''s important guests.


    Kyran and the others arrived in front of the side door five minutes before the gathering started. Aron, who was the one leading the way, stopped just a few feet shy of the door. He looked at everyone behind him and said, "There are only five minutes left before the gathering starts.


    It may seem short, but once we walk out from that door, the attention of everyone in there will definitely fall onto us, and those five minutes will feel like an eternity."


    Everyone, including the two quilins, wore a solemn expression after hearing Aron''s words.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Don''t be intimidated. Tonight, we will no longer be just the ''other family'' of Lady Ames."


    Jared awkwardly rubbed his nose while looking wryly at his father.


    "It''s been a while since I heard you give a pep talk, Father. I''m feeling a little emotional," he remarked.


    Cade chuckled, "Oh? Would you have preferred it if I gave it instead?"


    "Stop. I''ve had about enough of your pep talks. My ears almost bled," Jared snorted.


    Though he said it, he knew that Cade''s pep talks were more of establishing his position as the future patriarch of the family. The more he talked in front of the members, the more they would get used to him. In turn, once Aron stepped down, the members would not have a hard time adjusting to Cade.


    Cade only replied with another lightugh.


    Hearing his sons'' exchange and seeing their calm countenance assured Aron. He then looked at Kyran and Cyneah, who also looked calm and smiled, ''Seems I worried for nothing.''


    "Let''s go in."


    Creak~


    The Tempest Hall''s side door did not usually make such a distinct sound. In fact, with the noise from the hall, even if the door creaked, no one would have been able to notice it.


    But the people behind those doors were no mere beings. They were dragons, possessing the most keen senses in both realms.


    The moment the doors opened, everyone turned to look at once.


    Every dragon in the hall expected Aillos to appear with his aides following behind him. However, what greeted them were a group of four men and a young woman in ck formal wear and a golden silver dress, respectively.


    Silence followed right after Aron, Cade, Jared, Kyran, and Cyneah entered the hall. The silence was so deafening that one could hear a pin drop.


    Soreen and Harrien did not enter the hall. They stayed behind the side door for the most part until the group made their way to their reserved table. Only then could they step out of the door and close it.


    Their action was not because they were intimidated by everyone''s stares. Rather, as servants of the main pce, they were taught to appear when needed and disappear when not needed. Actually, they would not literally disappear from sight. They only moved out of the way so their presence would not be noticed as much.


    The expressions of every patriarch and second-inmand of the dragon tribes did not change that much. But judging from the almost palpable silence and heaviness in the atmosphere, it was obvious that they were both surprised and displeased when they saw Ames''s other family entering from the side door.


    More importantly, in just that short timeframe, their thoughts already swirled with different ideas about why the Dragon Emperor allowed them to enter. While several of them had differing ideas about the reason, there was one thought that everyone considered, and it had something to do with the Dragon Emperor''s sessor.


    As soon as this emerged in their mind, their indifferent expressions faltered. Nheless, they were all veterans hiding their emotions, so they only faltered for a fraction of a second, which no one even noticed. They calmed down after telling themselves that until the Dragon Emperor confirmed their suspicions, they should not jump to conclusions and worry unnecessarily.


    Meanwhile, the young talents sensed their patriarchs'' and second-inmands'' slight mood change and could not help but furtively observe the group. They were already familiar with Cyneah, but none of the other four looked familiar.


    From what they remembered, the other family that Ames brought in a few months ago all looked young. But those four, apart from the one escorting Cyneah, the other three looked older. If they had topare their age, they should be close in age with the second-inmand of their tribes. No, maybe even younger.


    In any case, they felt somewhat restless because they could not read the young man''s strength. It was as if he was cloaked in a thick veil that concealed his powers.


    The only ones who somehow had an idea of who the young man was and what he could do were Ladon and Thorn. Their expression did not change much when they saw Kyran enter with Cyneah because they had already expected it. Nevertheless, they did notice something different from Kyran. They could not put their fingers on it, but they felt his change and were a little surprised by it.


    "That is Lady Sisi, right? The one beside her is not the one who is always with her... I think it''s my first time seeing him; who is he?" Anahita asked in a low voice while leaning toward Thorn, who was seated to her left.


    Thorn leaned back and closed his eyes, "That''s him. The reason Lady Ames brought them here in the first ce."


    The second-inmand of the Water Dragon Tribe, a middle-aged-looking man with long ash gold hair and silver gold eyes with three protruding golden horns on his forehead, turned to look at Thorn after hearing his reply.


    "How did you know him?" he asked.


    Thorn opened his eyes and looked at their tribe''s second-inmand, named Crei, and replied, "I... can''t tell you. I''m sorry, uncle." Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Crei''s eyes narrowed, but he did not insist. He could not insist because if Thorn could not tell him, then it only meant one thing¡ª the Dragon Emperor forbade him to talk. Besides, he managed to glean more things from the younger dragon''s response.


    Thorn only had the opportunity to meet the Dragon Emperor after they returned from the Tower of the Ancients hunt. If this was the case, he likely knew the young man before or after.


    On the other hand, Anahita kept looking at the young man with interest. Of Lady Ames''s other family who arrived on the Dragon ne, he was the first one to have gotten her attention.

 Chapter 1151 Provocation (3)

    "Whoever he is, he''s quite skilled at concealing his aura and presence," Crei remarked, looking at the young man as well. "If he chose to hide himself, it would take a while even for us to detect him."


    Thorn scowled after hearing his uncle''s positive remark about Kyran. But he ultimately chose not toment and remained silent.


    Crei noticed his nephew''s behavior and his suspicion about how and where thetter met the young man only increased. The fact that Lord Aillos asked his nephew not to tell anyone further confirmed this.


    "I get that you can''t say where you know him, but you can at least tell us his name, right?" Anahita chimed in while looking at Thorn.


    Seemingly annoyed at being pestered about Kyran, Thorn begrudgingly replied, "Null. That''s his name."


    "Null," Anahita repeated with a yful smile on her face. "Is it a y on his ability to conceal himself?"


    Since null could be interpreted as empty or nk, Kyran''s concealment ability could almost remove his aura and presence as if he had be a nk canvas, which seemed like a tribute to his name.


    "What the hell are you even saying? That''s obviously not his real name, and I don''t care if that''s the name he goes around with because of his ability," Thorn grumbled.


    Anahita suppressed herugh, amused at her cousin''s apparent unfavorable feeling toward Kyran.


    Crei leaned back while observing his nephew''s behavior. He then turned his attention to their patriarch, seated at the reserved table for all patriarchs.


    About a hundred tribes participated in that day''s gathering, and the table reserved for all the patriarchs could be said to exude a majestic aura. This was because all one hundred patriarchs'' strengths were second only to the Dragon Emperor''s aides; they could easily overwhelm anyone without exerting pressure.


    This was simr to how Aillos''s presence alone could make everyone fall to their knees if they did not activate their defensive skills or spells.


    Crei could not help but smile wryly at the palpable tension covering the patriarchs'' table. He could almost hear what was swirling in their mind at that moment.


    The Regis Family''s appearance at the gathering was one thing. Still, ignoring the three older men, the younger one''s ability to hide his aura and presence alone had already given all patriarchs a bad premonition.


    Even in the Higher Realm, a being possessing concealment ability was rare. This was because such an ability could be used for many things. If they could nurture that talent and he or she grew strong enough to be one of the n''s leading powers, then their n could do a lot more things.


    The problem was that ability belongs to a human.


    The patriarchs would not care much if it only belonged to a human. However, that human had dragon blood running in his veins, which made them somewhat torn and restless about his potential.


    ''Moreover, that young man''s appearance in today''s gathering does not bode well for us,'' Crei thought, his expression darkening.


    Lord Aillos might announce his intention to nurture Kyran. That would not pose much of a problem. It would be okay if they could develop his talent and use him for the n. Some tribes might not be happy because there were tribes like the Night Dragon that might not possess concealment abilities but something simr.


    Since their innate magic was Shadow, they could easily blend themselves in the shadows. Moreover, they were dragons, so it was impossible topare their strengths. However, as long as Kyran could endure and prove that he could deliver more than the Night Dragons'' talents, their opposition would die in time.


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    But that was not the threat Kyran''s appearance posed at the moment.


    The real threat was the probability of Lord Aillos dering him his sessor. When that happened, would all tribes remain silent?


    Obviously not.


    But could they defy Lord Aillos?


    That was a stupid question.


    Aillos could fight The Emperor even when he was a level lower than thetter. From this, it was not wrong to say that only The Emperor could put up a fight against him.


    Even if all the patriarchs joined hands, Aillos still had the support of his aides. With those eight on his side¡ª and add Ames to the mix¡ª even if they all joined hands, it would only end in a bitter struggle.


    They would likely win in the end, but the loss they incurred throughout the ordeal would never justify the result.


    While these thoughts swirled not only in Crei''s mind but almost every patriarch and second-inmand in the hall, the side door opened again.


    They did not hear the door opening because all their attention was on the Regis representatives. They only noticed it because of the pressure that enveloped the hall the moment it opened.


    Everyone stood up at once and lowered their head to greet Aillos.


    "We greet the Dragon Emperor," they all greeted.


    Aillos would normally dismiss them soon after they were greeted. But this time around, maybe because it was an official and formal gathering, he only nodded in response and walked down the hall.


    Ducal and the rest of the aides followed behind Aillos as he made his way to his seat, which was located at the other end of the hall on a crystal-like tform.


    There were two high chairs before the long table¡ª the one on the right was bigger, while the one on the left was smaller. One could easily guess that the chair on the left was reserved for Ames. However, it appeared that she would not participate in today''s gathering.


    A few steps below above the tform were eight chairs. It was where the eight aides would be seated throughout the gathering.


    It took only half a minute for Aillos to reach his chair, but it appeared to be several times more than that to all those inside the hall.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Only after Aillos had taken his seat did all the guests in the hall straighten their backs, and only after Ducal and the other aides took their seats did they sit.


    "Today''s Grand Gathering has been announced on such short notice, and I appreciate everyone taking time off their busy schedules to attend nheless."


    Aillos addressed everyone, his voice like a thunder that filled the hall.


    "I''m sure everyone has their spections as to why I prepared this gathering."


    Not one to beat around the bush, Aillos got to the main point as soon as he finished his introduction.


    "All of you have noticed the presence of new people in this gathering. In all the gatherings we had, this is the first time my daughter Ames''s family could attend¡ª well, for obvious reasons."


    Though Aillos tried to make light of things by pointing out that the Regis Family could not possibly attend their gathering when they were realms apart, the expressions of all the dragons, except the younger ones, still darkened.


    Aillos would not call his daughter''s other family as such, but the way he naturally called them her daughter''s family¡ª removing the word other¡ª was noticed by them, and it did not bid well with them.


    Could their suspicion earlier be on point?


    "Rather than letting your imaginations run wild, I will tell you one of the most important reasons I have gathered you here today."


    As always, Aillos easily discerned what was running on almost everyone''s mind and pointed it out shamelessly.


    Then again, Aillos could act and speak shamelessly, and no one would dare refute it because he was the Dragon Emperor.


    "As of this moment, I dere that my daughter, Ames''s family in the Lower Realm, the Regis, be officially part of the Dragon n."


    The moment Aillos dered that the suffocating tension that hung above their heads exploded. All dragons, including the younger ones, burst into muffled discussions.


    They did not openly oppose Aillos''s deration. However, just listening to their exchanges, it was obvious that they were unhappy about it.


    Ducal and the other aides remained silent and simply watched themotion before them. They already knew Aillos would announce his intentions to acknowledge the Regis Family officially and did not oppose it.


    The reason for their non-opposition was simple: they knew the truth of the current situation in the Higher Realm.


    However, all the tribe patriarchs and second-inmands were unaware of it, which is why they were still in opposition.


    "Normally, I would have asked your opinion and voted for the Regis Family''s inclusion into the n," Aillos continued after allowing enough time for his deration to sink into everyone''s mind.


    The muffled discussion between the dragons slowly died down as they heard Aillos continue with his speech.


    "However, there are pressing matters that I know I have tried to push back several times that are now looming over us like an Arch Lich''s scythe, threatening our n."


    The displeased expressions on everyone''s faces were reced with confusion at Aillos''s following words.


    "The Emperor is now on the move."

 Chapter 1152 Provocation (4)

    "A few months ago, the Solis n attacked our ne, bringing a few of their allied ns along. They withdrew before any conclusion was made, and we did not suffer many casualties, which is why I decided not to nitpick at them. Moreover, it was confirmed that they did not attach under The Emperor''s orders because he had left the Higher Realm then.


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    If we had retaliated after that, an open war would have already started between our n and the Solis n upon The Emperor''s return."


    Not waiting for the congregation to contemte his initial words, Aillos continued with his speech.


    "However, as you have recalled, about a month ago, The Emperor came here to visit."


    The atmosphere inside the Tempest Hall turned grim upon Aillos''s reminder. Every dragon remembered that time, especially after experiencing The Emperor''s pressure even when he was still outside their ne.


    "I have not made any statement as to why The Emperor came then because I don''t want to cause unnecessary panic among our people.''


    Aillos paused, his eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, "But that is my mistake. I should have told everyone what happened..."


    He proceeded by telling them why The Emperor came then.


    The patriarchs of the Water Dragon and Golden Dragon Tribes were enraged as soon as they learned that The Emperor demanded to hand over the Dragon n''s representatives who had participated in that year''s Tower of the Ancients hunt. His reason was simple: it was because of the rumor that they were the ones who caused the tragedy.


    Aillos continued to exin that the only reason The Emperor stepped back was because there was an urgent matter he had to deal with. From this, it was evident that he had not given up on taking the dragon n representatives into custody.


    "The Emperor also mentioned sending an invitation wherein he expected that I attend rather than my daughter as she has been for the past several years."


    All patriarchs and second-inmand knew immediately that whatever the invitation was for, The Emperor did that to exert his authority over their leader, the Dragon Emperor. They knew that he nned to show the rest of the ns in the Higher Realm that no one should dare defy him¡ª and the Dragon Emperor was not an exception.


    Obviously, The Emperor did that because of the several setbacks his n had been through against the Dragon n.


    "Thus far, that invitation has yet to happen," Aillos continued after pausing and letting his words sink into their heads. "And this is because he has found clues to what he desired the most."


    Most of the patriarchs and second-inmand in the hall heard about the recent events in the Higher Realm. They were all displeased at how most ns had wrongfully used the Dragon n of being behind it. However, before they could voice their displeasure to their Lord, Aillos had announced a Grand Gathering.


    Because of this, they reigned in their discontentment, believing that Lord Aillos announced it so they could tackle the issue.


    Just by listening to Aillos''s speech and judging from the direction of where it would lead, they were correct about why he announced a Grand Gathering. Of course, they knew it was not the only reason.


    But none of those things were significant at the moment. Because they caught on to Aillos''sst statement, and their expressions turned serious.


    Before Aillos united, all the dragon tribes knew that he and his tribe of Sky Dragons were hiding in the Lower Realm¡ª particrly in the Human ne. They also heard that they were hiding because his tribe discovered the Heart of the Cosmos and wanted to keep it away from The Emperor. After all, everyone in the Higher Realm knew that thetter desired it, as well as the four Ancient Magic Cores.


    Since Aillos brought up the subject, they finally pieced together many recent events and guessed why he suddenly epted the Regis Family into their n.


    Every elder in the Dragon n knew that Aillos had left the Heart of the Cosmos on the Human ne. He even left a thousandbat quilins to guard it. Those elders belonged to different tribes; thus, the patriarchs of the tribes they belonged to more or less knew about it. Aillos might not be keeping it a secret, but it was a subject that was not openly discussed among dragons.


    Those quilins guarding the Heart of the Cosmos, or the Shaiha, as they were more familiar with, were rumored to be still in contact with the Regis Family. But after a thousand years, and with Aillos cutting all connection him with that family after the death of his only human friend, Zane, news about the Regis Family and the Shaiha had also been lost.


    In a sense, Aillos was not worried about the Shaiha falling into the hands of the wrong people, even if he was no longer actively protecting it. This was because the Human ne was hard to find, even for a mage from the Higher Realm.


    Besides, a thousand quilins could quickly destroy a ne or two in the Lower Realm guarding it. No one would dare attempt to covet it. More importantly, information about the Heart of the Cosmos was only avable to Sovereigns in the Lower Realm. It was rare for non-Sovereigns to learn of it. Even if they did, they only thought it was a legend or a myth, unattainable.


    However, that did not seem to be the case anymore.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If The Emperor had found clues to the location of what he desired the most, he probably have found a way to the Human ne and, thus, discovered the Shaiha.


    If the Regis Family had possession of the Shaiha, it was no wonder that Aillos would want to protect them. The only way to protect them was to officially ept them as part of their n.


    For the record, all dragons were in agreement that it was dangerous for anyone to receive the Shaiha. Thus, they would not want The Emperor to have it¡ª he was thest being they would like to have it.


    The Emperor found the Shaiha was one thing, but what if he also found clues to the four Ancient Magic Cores? They knew little about them but knew that only humans could possess them.


    Actually, this was no longer a case of ''what if'' since The Emperor had recently dered that he was after someone whom he called the ''Void Master.''


    There was only one being who could receive such a title; that was the one who possessed the Void core and could use Void magic.


    "Looking at your expressions, you may have already guessed what I am trying to say. But I assure you that you are still far from understanding the whole situation," Aillos continued after a short pause.


    "I asked all of you here today because I want us all to be on the same page. I don''t want you to hear rumors or receive information from untrustworthy channels. I want you all to hear the truth from me."


    A tense silence followed after that, and it appeared that some of the young talents even held their breaths.


    "The first clue The Emperor found is about a human who possessed the Draconic core."


    Immediately, the hall erupted in another muffled discussion.


    What was their Lord telling them?


    Should it not be the Void Core?


    More importantly, why did he mention the Draconic core rather than the Shaiha? If the Regis Family was involved, should he not mention thetter rather than the former...


    The moment this thought crossed every dragon''s mind inside the hall, the realization hit them, and they all turned their attention toward the table where the Regis representatives were seated.


    For such an obvious clue, yet they failed to see it. How did they end up bing dull-witted?


    Aillos smiled wryly at how everyone in the hall shifted their attention to the Regis representatives. He had expected some of them to have guessed it, but apart from those who already knew about Kyran, none had truly considered the possibility that another Dragon Lord would be born among the Regis Family.


    "What''s with that look?" Aillos asked, addressing all the patriarchs and the second-inmand. "Is it that hard to believe that a new Dragon Lord will be born among my daughter''s family?"


    Some wanted to speak up and voice their thoughts. However, they could only keep their thoughts to themselves for now.


    "I bet you all thought that the Dragon Lord Zane only became one because I taught him and gave him some of my blood. But that is not the case. He inherited the Draconic core, which awakened because of my blood. Since this is the case, his descendants can also inherit it."


    He looked at Kyran, who returned his gaze calmly.


    "But that is not the only clue The Emperor discovered," Aillos continued, returning his attention to the congregation.


    "He also found a clue to the Shaiha''s new master."


    "!"


    A gasp of shock and fear filled the hall. This was because they would rather have The Emperor find clues about the Ancient Magic Cores than the Shaiha. After all, The Emperor''s body constitution differed from a human''s. Even if he found an Ancient Magic Core, he could not absorb and utilize it thoroughly.


    But if The Emperor got hold of Shaiha, that would be a different story.


    "Thus, as someone who wanted to protect the Shaiha, I have decided not to allow The Emperor to do as he pleases anymore."

 Chapter 1153 Provocation (5)

    But wait... ''The Emperor found a clue to the Shaiha''s new master''?


    Everyone was too focused on the importance of the Shaiha if it fell into the hands of The Emperor, and it took everyone a few minutes before they registered everything that Aillos had said.


    Amidst the seriousness of the situation, a dyed response to this awkwardly fell on the hall. It even appeared that they reacted to Aillos''s deration not to allow The Emperor to do as he pleases anymore.


    All patriarchs and second-inmand were itching to raise their hands and voice their doubts. But there was an order of things during the Grand Gathering. They could not openly raise their voices and interrupt their Lord during his speech. Furthermore, subjects about the Shaiha were very delicate, and they could not openly discuss them in front of the others.


    If this was a closed-door meeting among their Lord, his aides, and the patriarchs and second-inmands of their tribes, then it was eptable. But at the moment, they were in a formal setting with a festive atmosphere. They could not possibly open a discussion about it andpletely change the mood.


    "I know I am dering things that could affect the n''s future without giving you a chance to voice your opinion. For that, I apologize," Aillos continued while looking at the patriarchs of each tribe.


    "However, I know all of you. And I am confident you will not look the other way when matters about the Ancient Magic Corew or the Shaiha are involved. All of you are aware of the tragedy these things could incur once they appear again."


    Though most patriarchs and second-inmands were still young when The Fall happened, they learned more about it from their elders. There were different versions back then because the dragons were not united like in the present. While the whole realm was in turmoil, the dragons were also in conflict and trying to destroy each other.


    It had more to do with the lingering influence of Coelus, but it was a very dark time for them.


    In any case, they knew how dangerous it was for the Ancient Magic Cores and the Shaiha to appear once more. The Higher Being failed to take them for his own, but as if fate was trying to mess with them, his only apprentice¡ª The Emperor¡ª coveted what his master failed to take.


    The Realm fell when the Higher Being coveted those things, so what would happen if The Emperor coveted them now?


    No one knew the answer, but one thing was sure: both realms would be plunged into chaos.


    "Fortunately, we have the advantage of knowing the whereabouts of the Ancient Magic Cores and the Shaiha''s new master."


    Since the patriarchs and the second-inmands had already registered the fact that their Lord was referring to the new master of the Shaiha rather than the Shaiha only, they felt even more uneasy. This was because they more or less guessed who the Shaiha''s new master could be.


    "As you have all guessed, the information is with the Regis Family," Aillos said and looked over to Kyran and the other''s table once more.


    A tense silence befell the hall as their suspicion was confirmed. They could not help but look over them as well.


    "Putting aside the matter about the Shaiha''s whereabouts for now, predicting where the Ancient Magic Cores will appear again should have been easy because they had already appeared once simultaneously, and that was in the Human ne. Moreover, they can narrow their search further if they know the conditions for how these cores would appear.


    "The Emperor knew it. But since he cannot confirm it and has no way of locating the Human ne, he can only give up and wait for it to appear somewhere else," Aillos turned his attention back to the rest of the congregation.


    "However, there he made one mistake. He did not consider the possibility that the Ancient Magic Cores could be inherited by the sessors of those who first possessed them. As such, he did not expect the Draconic core to appear among the previous Dragon Lord''s descendants.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Rumors about a new Dragon Lord have been circting the n, and I did not make any attempts to dissuade the rumors or deny them because it is the truth. A new Dragon Lord has been born among the Regis Family, and The Emperor has gotten wind of it.


    "That was why The Emperor sent one of his most trusted subjects to the Lower Realm. At that time, he had yet to confirm the rumored human-shaped dragon they discovered in the Lower Realm. But it did not take long for him to realize the truth and he decided to prove it by personally going to the Lower Realm.


    "That is the truth of why my daughter, Ames, suddenly disappeared, only to return bringing along a few members of the Regis Family."


    Aillos did not give an borate narrative of what happened because he knew the congregation could fill in the rest of the details he did not mention from the recent events that urred in their ne in thest few months.


    He was spot on in his judgment because all patriarchs and second-inmand were able to connect the recent events to his narrative.


    They were now aware that the person the Regis Family was searching for was the new Dragon Lord. They more or less guessed that The Emperor likely met him in the Lower Realm and had been on the run since then.


    How he ended up in the Higher Realm was still unclear, but they reckoned since he was the new Dragon Lord, his dragon blood could have been recognized by the route the Dragons used to travel down to the Lower Realm from the Higher Realm and ended up there.


    "I''m sure you have the general idea of our current situation," Aillos continued after giving them a moment to contemte hisst few statements.


    "I will leave this matter on this note and discuss it in greater detail on thest day of the Grand Gathering."


    The Grand Gatheringsted a whole week, with the banquet being the opening. In the next few days, the young talents could exchange notes by sparring among themselves. Finally, on thest day, a close-door meeting wouldmence between the patriarchs, their second-inmands, Aillos, and his aides.


    "I am sure you have a lot of things to say, but I hope you can wait until thest day to voice them out. After tonight''s banquet, the dome will officially be opened, and all tribes will be allowed to issue spar requests. Of course, the participants for the spars, as per tradition, will only include the young talents of each tribe."


    It went without saying that adult dragons could not issue a spar request to young dragons and vice versa. Though it would have been very beneficial to the young dragons to issue spar requests for the adult dragons, there had been a slight issue that happened in the past that they wanted to avoid.


    During a gathering, a young talent issued a spar request to another tribe patriarch and lost. While the young talent did not receive any longsting injury, the young talents from the patriarch''s tribe were enraged by that talent''s audacity and issued spar requests against him.


    In the end, the whole spar activity had gotten strange to the point that the said young talent''s patriarch was enraged and issued a duel against the patriarch of those young talents.


    Luckily, the conflict between the two tribes was resolved when Aillos dered he''d participate in their duel as well¡ªmeaning the duel would be three-way. Not wanting to be beaten up by their Lord, both tribes reconciled by gifting each other some of their resources.


    "Tonight, I want everyone to enjoy the dinner and wee the Regis Family into the n."


    With that, Aillos closed his speech and gestured for the congregation to continue with the festivity. But given the gravity of what he said, doing that was somewhat difficult.


    Fortunately, the congregation was dominated by the younger generation, who were more than willing to abide by Aillos''s invitation to enjoy the rest of the evening.


    However, instead of focusing on the other tribes'' young talents or dinner, their attention was directed toward the Regis Family.


    They were waiting for Lord Aillos to introduce the Regis representatives and were disappointed that it did not happen. However, if he had done that, the congregation might have taken it as if he favored them by introducing them personally, so it did not matter to them.


    In any case, most of the young talents were also curious about the Regis representatives'' young talent. Because if they followed what Lord Aillos had been telling them just then, he should be the new Dragon Lord.


    Apart from that, most of these young talents were familiar with Cynean and were interested in knowing if the new Dragon Lord was her rumored life partner.


    Why would they be interested? This was because most of them had favorable impressions of her and wanted to assess him. But even if he was not, they still wanted to evaluate his worth since he was the new Dragon Lord.

 Chapter 1154 Spar Matches (1)

    On the second day of the Grand Gathering, the Main Pce, a majestic structure of unparalleled beauty, opened its gates and allowed others without a formal invitation to enter and watch sparring matches in the dome.


    With Aillos''s official acknowledgment of the Regis Family into the Dragon n inst night''s banquet, there was no longer a need to hide them from the other dragons. It also meant they could watch all the sparring matches in the dome.


    To maintain order and security in the pce, all paths leading to residential mansions, including the annexes andplexes and other official establishments like the audience chamber, training hall, and more, were dered off-limits.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Surprisingly, dragons were sticklers to the rules. Thus, no new visitors ventured on those paths, even if no array formation was ced on them.


    Though the dragons were not entirelyfortable with the humans from the Lower Realm''s presence, they had noticeably softened their stance. While they remained cautious, their hostility had significantly diminished.


    But that did not mean the humans were safe around them. The natural pressure they exuded was still lethal to them. This was why Ames had to cast a protective spell on them to ensure they would not be affected by thebined pressureing from the dragons.


    For the record, Aron, Cade, and Jared were under the protective spell cast by Ames, ensuring their survival amidst the natural pressure exerted by the dragons in the Tempest Hall. Kyran, too, recognizing their vulnerability due to their low mage levels, further enhanced their clothes to shield them from thebined pressure of the dragons.


    The dome where the sparring matches would happen was called the Disappearing Star Dome. It went without saying that its name came from the fact that the dome disappeared once the Grand Gathering concluded.


    Approximately three hours before noon, the dome was packed with dragons, with some of the people from the Lower Realm gathered in one area.


    Such a crowd was a first in the history of all the Grand Gatherings in the Dragon n.


    It was to be expected because news of how almost all of the young talents invited to the Grand Gathering dered sparring requests against the new Dragon Lord had spread among the dragons like wildfire.


    Furthermore, all dragons who could not watch the sparring matches in person tuned in on their tablets for the live broadcast.


    At the dome''s top level were waiting rooms for all participants of the spar matches. These rooms were unique because instead of installing projections to show the arena below, the floor was made of two-way mirror ss. So everyone in the room could watch the matches in the arena from a bird''s eye.


    Meanwhile, Aillos, his aides, all patriarchs, and their second-inmands would watch the matches on hovering tforms circling the dome, a few hundred meters from the arena''s outskirts.


    For the first time, all hundred and one tforms were upied. This meant that all leaders of each tribe decided to watch the sparring matches.


    It should be noted that few leaders came to watch the matches on the first day after the first couple of Grand Gatherings of the n''s founding. Most of the time, they would only attend on the days that their young talents participated or the tribes they were keeping an eye on had a sparring match.


    From this, it could easily be interpreted that all of them were interested in seeing how the new Dragon Lord would fare against the young talents of their n.


    Technically, the new Dragon Lord''s family was already part of the n, but that did not mean they recognized their strength as essential to the n.


    This was because they had more or less grasped what humans in the Lower Realm were capable of after a simr event like this happened a few months ago. Back then, the sparring matches were more informal, and frankly, the young talents who participated then could not even call it a proper spar¡ª if anything, the matches were only a light warm-up to them.


    The tribes'' leaders wanted to see if the new Dragon Lord was any different. After all, if they were going to read between their Lord''s statements during the banquet, he insinuated that The Emperor pursued the new Dragon Lord, but he managed to escape.


    Even if The Emperor''s strength was significantly restrained in the Lower Realm, it was a considerable feat for a mage that could only utilize iplete magic energy and magicws to shake off his pursuit.


    Not only that, the new Dragon Lord also seeded in opening the route the dragons could use to enter between the two realms. That, in itself, was a testament that the dragon blood running in his veins was quite powerful.


    Thatst part was actually a misconception of all the leaders. Since Aillos had yet to reveal that Kyran also possessed the Void Core, none of them knew that he entered the Higher Realm from the Land of Destion.


    On the hovering tform allocated for the Golden Dragon Tribe, Patriarch Ickle, and his second-inmand, Crei, talked about what happenedst night.


    Ickle, like Crei, had long, ash-blond hair. However, while thetter wore it down, the former had them braided neatly behind him. The horns protruding on Ickle''s forehead were also two more than the ones on Crei''s


    Simr conversations could be heard among the tribes'' leaders. However, because of Ladon and Thorn, only the Golden Dragon Tribe and the Water Dragon Tribe possessed some information about the new Dragon Lord.


    Ladon and Thorn were sworn to secrecy about Kyran''s identity, but only after Aillos epted the Regis Family into the n. After all, they were only asked to keep Kyran''s identity a secret to ensure the dragons would not do anything terrible to him once they knew it.


    Now that Kyran''s family was officially epted into the n, there was no longer an immediate threat to him, even if they knew about his identity.


    Nheless, Ladon and Thorn could not reveal other information about Kyran, especially his possession of the Void Core, what they heard from the Ancients, and the fact that he dared turn a couple of de Dancer n representatives into his spies.


    If they revealed this, their patriarchs would likely be unable to stay still until the closed-door meeting on thest day of the gathering to confront Aillos about it.


    This was because the recent events involving the de Dancer n and The Emperor would potentially be a big ordeal for them¡ª actually, remove the ''potentially'' from that statement because it would definitely be a big ordeal for their n.


    "... Is that what Thorn said about the new Dragon Lord?" After Crei finished telling him all the information he got from his nephew, Ickle asked.


    Contrary to Ickle, who was already looking at the arena, he was looking toward the high ceiling of the dome. He could not see the participants there but could sense their presence with his naturally heightened senses. At that moment, he was mainly looking at a spot on the ceiling, which he guessed would be where the new Dragon Lord was observing the arena below.


    "Yes," Crei replied with a nod. "Thorn did not personally see him in action, but the fact that he was sent to the same floor as them and how he managed to subdue the representatives of the Lacus n shows he has great potential, even among the beings born in the Higher Realm."


    "As a human, he is a descendant of the Ancients'' creation. That already shows how much potential he could have if he awakened as a mage," Ickle remarked. "But he also has dragon blood running in his veins..."


    His voice trailed off as his brow furrowed in concern.


    "I''m not sure if thatbination is good."


    If only they knew that that was not the onlybination that Kyran possessed, they would probably flip over and demand their Lord to get rid of him as soon as possible.


    "I do think so, too," Crei agreed and sighed. "He already possessed the Draconic core, meaning he could utilize real Chaos magic rather than specific elemental attributes it had."


    "We still have little information about him," Ickle replied, looking toward the dome''s ceiling. "Contact Anahita and tell her to make him use his cards as much as possible before ending the spar."


    Judging from Ickle''s order, it was not wrong to presume that he had already considered Anahita to win against the new Dragon Lord.


    "I''ll convey your instruction," Crei replied and took out his tablet at once.


    "Will Thorn really not participate?"


    "No," Crei replied, shaking his head. "He did not say why, but I suppose he is worried about hurting him and making a bad impression on that young human Sisi."


    Ickle sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "I get why he is fond of her, but keep him in check. He should no better than form a friendship with beings that could die. Just take our Lord, for example. Remember how devastated he had been when his only human friend died."


    "I will make sure to keep an eye on him."


    "What about Ladon? I heard that he is not going to participate, as well."


    "He seems to have the same dilemma as Thorn."


    Ickle sighed again, "These younglings..."


    From their exchange, it was evident that none of them expected that the real reason the two did not want to participate was because they were aware of Kyran''s strength and not because they did not want to make Cyneah sad.

 Chapter 1155 Spar Matches (2)

    Hubris.


    This is a personality quality most superior beings have.


    Some were oblivious to the consequences, while others were fully aware but feigned ignorance, leading to disastrous results.


    Ickle''s and Crei''s understanding of Ladon and Thorn''s decision not to request a spar against the new Dragon Lord was because of their extreme belief that, as dragons, there was no way for thetter to be of any threat to them. Since that was the case, Ladon and Thorn must have a different reason for not participating.


    "Let him be then," Ickle said after a short pause. "But tell him to send a spar request against Warrick''s talent."


    Crei''s expression turned solemn upon hearing the Earth Dragon Tribe''s Patriarch.


    "Was it Ambros? That earth youngling''s name?" Ickle asked with a thoughtful expression.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Yes, Patriarch. However, is it all right to have Thorn test him? I do not underestimate Thorn''s capability, but from what I have heard, Ambros is exceptionally talented among the young talents of the Earth Dragon Tribe. He is youngerpared to Thorn as well if something happens..." Crei''s voice trailed off, a hint of worry in his tone.


    "This is only a spar," Ickle reminded Crei. "I am not expecting Thorn to win. You know well enough that the Earth Dragon''s defenses are among the greatest in the Higher Realm. The only ones who can pierce through their defenses are our Lord and The Emperor." The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.


    Crei contemted Ickle''s words for a moment before finally nodding in understanding. He said, "I will let Thorn know," and sent a message to the young dragon through his tablet.


    "Apart from the new Dragon Lord, have any of the other tribe''s young talent sent spar requests?"


    "There are only two others," Crei replied while checking the information sent by another member of their tribe that came with them. "The Hydra Dragon Tribe and Naga Dragon Tribe are having a dispute over a mining cave suspected to have high-quality tungsten. The cave also seemed to have several minerals for forging armor and weapons.


    Both tribes sent their talents for a spar to im rights on that cave."


    Ickle sighed, "Obviously, they are not nning to use those minerals for themselves. There have been rumors that the me Dragon Tribemissioned a considerable amount of minerals for their armory and weaponry project. They are likely involved in that.


    "I think so, too," Crei agreed. "The Hydra Dragon Tribe and the Naga Dragon Tribe are developing their territory and need other resources. Currently, the me Dragon Tribe is among those with abundant resources and nearest to them. It is not wrong to think that a trade between them is mutually beneficial."


    "The me Dragon Tribe''s armor and weapon project has been revealed for some time. I can''t help but think that Lord Aillos has already been preparing to retaliate against The Emperor since then," Ickle could not help but say with a wry smile.


    Crei raised his brows and looked at him in surprise, "But as far as I remember, when Patriarch Eldir revealed the project, he never mentioned the Main Pce''s involvement."


    "No, but if you remember, there has been a piece of earlier news about the n''s Research Department having a breakthrough in deciphering one of the treasures discovered in the Tower of the Ancients hunt. It''s said that the treasure in question is a grimoire with armor and weapon blueprints designed by the Ancients.


    "Though there was at least a month gap between that news from the me Dragon Tribe''s reveal of their project, there is definitely a connection between them. Add that to Lord Aillos''s announcementst night; I can''t shake the feeling that they are all connected."


    "...I suppose you have a point," Crei replied after contemting the matter.


    Now that Ickle had pointed them out, the clues were quite obvious. But he did not make the connection because their Lord''s war deration against the Emperor seemed to have been decided to prevent thetter from collecting the Ancient Magic Cores and the Shaiha, and, of course, because they had endured for far too long all the annoying antics of his n for some time now.


    Crei suddenly thought of something and looked at Ickle with a slight frown.


    "But if this is the case... it sounded as if Lord Aillos had already expected something like this to happen and had been making preparations from earlier on."


    "That''s one of Lord Aillos''s innate abilities. He has such frightening Insight that it almost appears he can see the future or read others'' minds."


    Ickle was actually on point with his opinion.


    Aillos indeed anticipated that something like this would happen in the near future from the moment he learned about the birth of a new Dragon Lord. Since then, he had been making some subtle preparations for when the time came that he would really dere war against The Emperor.


    "Putting those aside, are the Hydra Dragon Tribe and the Naga Dragon Tribe the only ones sending out spar requests? Because I don''t think Lord Aillos would appreciate it if we all targeted the new Dragon Lord," Ickle remarked, looking at the other tforms where the other patriarchs and their second-inmand were conversing in earnest.


    "The others know this and should have sent requests against other tribes, even if it is only for show."


    "At the moment, they are the only ones," Crei replied, shaking his head. "Actually, Patriarch, if this goes on... the three-day spar matches might end up with all our tribes only testing the new Dragon Lord."


    "Not likely," Ickle disagreed. "Lord Aillos would not allow it. Besides, do you think that young human has the stamina to fight all his matches for three days? He might not evenst in his first match."


    "...."


    Crei initially wanted to reply to Ickle''s remark, but, in the end, he chose not to. They already established that the new Dragon Lord had great potential since he escaped from The Emperor. He would definitely not be a pushover.


    However, a battle where your life was on the line and a spar was different.


    There was tension between all the young talents, but at the end of the day, the matches were pretty rxed. Given that anyone could watch the matches, they also served as entertainment.


    Would that be considered entertainment if the new Dragon Lord copsed in his first match? Probably, if the dragons were only waiting for him to embarrass himself.


    But no such thoughts were present in them. Instead, they wanted to observe his potential.


    In such a case, the young talents would fight in a way that would force the new Dragon Lord to show his cards. Only after he revealed everything would they act and end the match.


    At least, that was the ideal.


    DUUUUM!


    A sound like a dull object banging on a hollow metal resounded throughout the dome. The sound was simr to a gong but seeminglying from a horn. The sound was so deep and rich that as soon as everyone heard it, the noise stopped, and the crowd focused on the arena.


    "It is time," Ickle said.


    Crei, who snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing the sound, turned his attention to the arena.


    "Yes," he replied. "I wonder which tribe will go first."


    Since all the young talents wanted to test the new Dragon Lord, they could only wonder who would go first.


    Eissen was the one responsible for the spar matches. After the sound died, he stood up from his tform and dered the event''s start.


    "With Lord Aillos''s announcementst night, we understand that everyone is curious to get to know the new Dragon Lord who belongs to ourtest member of the n," Eissen started, his voice crisp and clear, reverberating in the air. "Lord Aillos expressed his understanding and decided to allow all the spar requests sent by the tribes."


    Although they were the ones who sent the requests, all the patriarchs and second-inmands were still surprised that their Lord epted everything. They expected him only to allow a few of the requests to proceed. After all, the new Dragon Lord could not very well fight in all those matches.


    "The new Dragon Lord, Null, also agreed to everything and only requested a break of a few minutes after each match," Eissen continued while looking at all the patriarchs.


    They all nodded and murmured in agreement. However, they inwardly shook their heads at the new Dragon Lord''s arrogance.


    Would resting in between matches be even enough? Even if he possessed great stamina, he was still human.


    "Since everyone has agreed, we will start the first spar match."


    Two pirs of light appeared at the center of the arena and showed two silhouettes. Your next read awaits at empire


    As the light from the pir dimmed, the silhouettes of two people were revealed.


    One of them was Kyran, who wore an all-ck attire made with fine obsidian and leather threads.


    It was not the first time the crowd met a Regis. Nevertheless, they found him a little different. Dragons never really cared about a human''s appearance because they were dragons. However, how Kyran stood there imposingly and without fear gave them a very good impression.


    Opposite Kyran was a young male dragon in human form. He was at least three feet taller than Kyran and wore light brown scaled armor. He had no horns, but his features were sharp, and his silver-gold-slitted eyes glinted in anticipation.


    "Seems like Thorn doesn''t need to send that spar request," Ickle let out a dryugh as he looked at the new Dragon Lord''s first opponent.


    "My name is Ambros from the Earth Dragon Tribe. Let us have a good match."

 Chapter 1156 Spar Matches (3)

    Inst night''s banquet, Kyran''s interest was piqued by the Earth Dragon Tribe more than the others. One reason for this was their massive frame and solid aura. After the banquet concluded and almost all the young talents requested a spar against him, he looked forward to crossing hands with the Earth Dragon Tribe''s young talent.


    He did not expect his wish to be granted as soon as he appeared in the arena.


    That was fine with Kyran because he wanted to fight their young talent while both were in their peak states. Otherwise, he would not be able to determine whether his attack was effective against the Higher Realm''sbat mage standards.


    The Earth Dragon Tribe''s young talent stood before Kyran as imposingly as he had seen atst night''s banquet. Actually, he looked even more imposing now that they were facing each other.


    Kyran was tall, and his body grew a lot from all the battles he experienced. Moreover, when he consumed the Elixir, his body was externally and internally enhanced. However, in front of Ambros, Kyran looked small and thin¡ª like a kid facing an adult.


    Ambros''s calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the tension in the arena. He stood his ground, not moving an inch, and issued a simplemand to Kyran, ''Bring out your weapon. I''ll wait until then.''


    "..."


    Kyran knew all the young talents would underestimate him, even after Aillos subtly forewarned his prowess inst night''s banquet. He was prepared to be looked down on and nned to respond by showing them he was no pushover through his performance. Nevertheless, that did not mean he would not feel insulted.


    In the end, he reigned in his annoyance and repeatedly recalled his grandfather''s advice that if needed, he just had to lose the battle to win the war, like a sacred mantra. Doing so helped calm him down¡ª although his annoyance was not really obvious.


    "There is no need," Kyran replied calmly before assuming a hand-to-handbat stance. "I''ll fight with my fist."


    Ambros''s brow furrowed slightly. But he did not seem to be offended by Kyran''s action.


    The audience did not share his sentiment, though. They felt Kyran''s choice to use his fist against Ambros was an act of looking down on them.


    He was just a human from the Lower Realm, yet he dared act as if his fists were enough to fight against one of the most promising talents of the Earth Dragon Tribe. What did his action mean if not looking down on them?


    "Whatever floats your boat," Ambros replied after a short pause. He then looked toward Eissen, who was waiting for them to finish their preparation.


    "We''re good."


    "Start the first spar match."


    Eissen dered without even checking if Kyran consented to Ambros''s words.


    As soon as Eissen started the match, Ambros turned his attention back to Kyran.


    But.


    Ambros''s eyes widened in surprise as Kyran appeared to his side in the blink of an eye. He did not even sense thetter made any prior movement and just appeared at his side.


    BAM!


    Kyran''s fist mmed right onto Amrbos''s exposed torso.


    However.


    "Ngh..!" Kyran gritted his teeth as he felt the bones on his fist tremble at the aftershock of hitting Ambros''s torso.


    He was shocked at how solid it felt, like hitting the most sturdy metal in both realms.


    "Your hand did not break. That is impressive."


    Kyran did not even get the chance to look at Ambros because he sensed an iing danger. He immediately jumped out of the way, and it was just in time before Ambros''s huge fistnded on the spot where he had just been.


    Boom!


    The arena, which boasts of its indestructibility, was instantly reduced to rubble.


    Kyran, still in midair, used his hands and feet to swat away the rubbles flying in his direction.


    Amidst the smoke that came after the destruction of the arena, Ambros''s massive frame appeared, and he sprang upward at a speed impossible for someone with an enormous body to possess. Explore more adventures at empire


    Kyran sensed Ambros''s approach and immediately grabbed a rubble of a decent size that barely flew to his side. He threw it in the direction where he expected thetter toe.


    "Humph."


    Ambros harumphed at Kyran''s seemingly useless attempt to stop his ascent and swat the rubble thrown at him. The rubble did nothing to stop his movement, and it was crushed to dust.


    He waved his hand, pushed away the dust, and continued toward Kyran.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hm?"


    Ambros frowned as he realized the spot where Kyran had been was now empty. He was slightly surprised because he did not hear thetter changing direction ornding on the ground. Utilizing his naturally enhanced senses, he tried to locate Kyran''s position. But no matter what he did, he could not find his trace.


    ''Hm?''


    A subtle movement, too hard to detect if one did not possess a dragon''s natural senses, appeared just above his head. Without looking up, he stepped on rubble still in midair and changed the center of his body''s gravity.


    Ambros twisted his body while sending his feet upward for a midair drop kick.


    "...kh!"


    Kyran barely changed his balled fist into a grabbing position to stop Ambros''s iing kick. He did not underestimate thetter''s flexibility, given how he could also move at such an unbelievable speed with his massive frame. However, he was still taken aback because it all happened while they were in midair.


    With Ambros''s body weight, it should have been impossible for him to use the flying rubbles around them as leverage to change his motion. But he did it with such ease it felt as if he was so used to fighting using a human body.


    Kyran stopped Ambros''s kick by grabbing his shin. He then used that moment to raise his body and somersault backward.


    Ambros frowned at Kyran''s agile movement. He was pretty agile, too, but they were still different because thetter had a smaller frame. Moreover, it was not hard for Kyran to use the rubbles around them to move around.


    While Ambros managed to do that, he only seeded because the nearby rubble was big enough to support his weight. He also made use of his innate magic to ensure that he would not destroy the rubble in case it could not support him.


    Kyran used the rubbles around them to gain some distance from Ambros. Frankly, he felt aggrieved that thetter destroyed the arena at the very start of the match. But now, he was relieved because the scattered rubble that had yet to drop to the ground helped him gain some distance from Ambros.


    Meanwhile, Ambros was a little annoyed because he had to swat those rubbles as he followed Kyran. The most annoying part was whenever he swatted them, even if he controlled his strength, they would turn to dust and add to the cloud of dust that had yet to disappear around them.


    ''As much as I want to test him more, I can''t allow the other tribes to think our tribe can''t even detain such a small human,'' he thought while keeping his eye on Kyran. He did not want to lose sight of thetter again because he realized he was skilled in hiding his presence.


    Ambros''s understanding of Kyran''s skills was reasonable because he did not know thetter had Shaiha''s concealment ability. Although Kyran was controlling it now by lowering its effect, Shaiha''s concealment was still powerful. If not, The Emperor would have found her long ago.


    Resolving not to drag the match, Ambros finally used his magic.


    The ground beneath trembled as the earth sprang up like spikes that went after Kyran.


    Kyran, seeing the earth spikes from below, carefully circted his Draconic magic to enhance his body''s defenses further. He then kicked off the spikes, destroying them like they were no threat to him at all.


    However, the spikes were just Ambros''s way to keep Kyran upied. The real move he was preparing was the rubble that was around them.


    Utilizing his proficiency in manipting Earth or any element that could be considered to have Earth''sposition, the rubbles fell on the ground or, still in midair, gathered toward Kyran.


    Kyran realized the magic fluctuation around him and noticed the rubbles'' movement. He immediately realized that Ambros was nning on crushing him by using all those rubbles.


    Ambrosnded on the ground with a loud thud, and without giving Kyran a chance to adjust to the situation, he manipted all the rubble and imprisoned thetter inside.


    Since they were only doing a sparring match, Ambros only nned on slightly injuring Kyran. But before that, he wanted thetter to show some of his cards. That was why he decided to use the rubble and imprison him. If Kyran had some hidden ability or move, he could easily break free from the rubbles'' imprisonment, but if not, he would end up injured.


    Unfortunately, there was a reason Kyran could only use his Draconic magic to enhance his body. He was still affected by Coelus''s magic energy and could not fully utilize his magic. That was not the case with his Void magic, though.


    Cyneah had already fixed the damage he received when True Void forcefully used the Void Core''s magic by using his connection with him during the events in the de Dancer ne.


    However, Kyran did not want to reveal his Void magic. At least, not yet. They barely started with the spar matches. If it was revealed that he was also the Void Master, the other dragon tribes might refuse to spar with him!


    Luckily, no one could read Kyran''s mind and guess he had such a reason for not using Void magic. If they did, their impression of him would have a drastic change.

 Chapter 1157 Spar Matches (4)

    In the brief moment that Kyran was contemting what to do, all the rubbles around him had already gathered around him.


    "Tsk."


    Kyran could not help but clicked his tongue at the inconvenience of moving around in midair. Once more, he was reminded of one of his weaknesses, which was his inability to fly or levitate. When he imitated such movements, he had to make full use of his magic sense and manipte an object attached to his body¡ª like his shoes, armor, etc.


    Since he was unable to use magic without suffering any consequences, he could only make use of Draconic magic at a bare minimum, while he could not even use Void magic unless he wanted to reveal his identity.


    Now that he thought of it, he was under such disadvantageous condition while sparring against these superior beings! He should have demanded for them to provide some handicap apart from resting for a few minutes after each match. Then again, if he managed to survive all his matches, the dragons would stop underestimating them. That was all that mattered.


    Due to the limitations in his magic usage, Kyran decided to focus all the Draconic magic energy he could control freely to his lower body. Doing so would allow him to further enhance his speed when using Dragon Steps. Besides, he would be wasting his energy if he tried to enhance his strength since Ambros''s body could not be damaged with brute force alone.


    Kyran slipped through the gaps in the rubble to avoid getting trapped inside.


    ''I knew you''d do that,'' Ambros thought, seeing Kyran''s agile movements as he zig-zagged his way out of the rubble he was trying to imprison him with.


    Ambros''s eyes shed, and the magic fluctuation around him intensified. He did not make a move at once. He first observed Kyran''s movement and predicted the route he would go through. Once he had a better grasp of thetter''s route, he found a good spot to execute his move.


    ''Now!''


    As soon as Kyran entered an area where there were only several small rubbles were gathered, the magic fluctuation around Ambros exploded.


    "!"


    Ambros spread his arms and manipted the small rubbles around Kyran. In the blink of an eye, long sharp steel0like needles protruded on all those rubbles and pierced through Kyran''s body.


    "...kuh!" Kyran gritted his teeth and endured the piercing pain as the needles sank through his skin. His skin had been enhanced, yet those needles managed to pierce him with ease.


    This just proved the depth of magic knowledge Ambros used to mold those needles. The magic array he used for those needles possessed moreyers than a normal one.


    It should be noted that magic summoned without magic array was far weaker than those who had them. So, Ambros''s needles should not have been that powerful. But that did not seem to be the case. In fact, they appeared to be far more solid than real steel and sharper than most des.


    Kyran''s movement was momentarily stopped because of the needles, giving Ambros enough time toplete the prison he meant to confine Kyran with.


    All patriarchs and seconds-inmand looked at Ambros approvingly. They were all impressed at his proficiency in using Earth magic.


    It wasmon for others to have a misconception of the Earth Dragon Tribe''s strength. Given their Earth innate magic, which was considered to be more effective in defensive magic, few expected them to use it for offense. However, the Earth Dragon Tribe was known not only for their indomitable defenses but also for their powerful offensive magic.


    This was because the depth of their knowledge when using Earth magic was far greater than that of any beings.


    Most mages considered Earth magic as manipting the brittle soil into something more solid. But that was not the case. Earth magic pertained to anything that had a rtion to earth, including all other minerals that could be found therein.


    As long as one had a deeper understanding of Earth magic, one could mold it into a more solid material akin to metals. That was how Ambros managed to mold needles as sharp and solid as metal with Earth magic.


    BOOM!


    The massive lump of rubbles fell to the ground with such intensity that it sank several feet deep, creating a sizeable crater.


    Ambros looked at his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction. He did not want to reveal any of his abilities, which was why he wanted to end the match against Kyran as soon as possible.


    Although his patriarch asked him to test thetter and force him to show his cards, the fact that he could not even defend himself from the needles nor escape from the prison he created was proof that he was only worth that much. Kyran might be the new Dragon Lord, but that did not mean he could manifest the prowess of a dragon.


    "Sir Eissen," Ambros called Eissen''s attention respectfully. "I tried my best not to inflict too much damage. However, if he left him be, he''ll likely suffer loss of blood. Please announce the match so I can release my magic."


    The dragons in the audience did not show much enthusiasm during the match. They were not a rowdy crowd that would shout or react to everything that was happening in the arena. Besides, when it was announced that the new Dragon Lord was up against the young talent from the Earth Dragon Tribe, they more or less guessed how the match would go.


    Nheless, like Ambros, they all believed that the match was already over, and they all waited for Aide Eissen to announce the winner.


    Eissen did not respond to Ambros''s call. Instead, he looked at the rubble before turning toward Aillos.


    BOOM!


    Before Eissen could even ask thetter''s opinion, an explosion urred right at the spot where the prison rubble was.


    "What?" Ambros eximed in shock as the prison rubble he created exploded.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Aillos lips as he raised his hand just in time before the bits and pieces of rubbles could reach the audience. The barrier around the arena activated at once, protecting the audience from the stray rubbles.


    The whole arena was covered in a cloud of smoke, and Ambros used his senses to try to find the spot where the rubble had been.


    But then...


    BAM!


    "!"


    A force impossible for Ambros to block immediately mmed onto him, forcing him back several meters back.


    "Ngh¡­!"


    Still, he managed to stop his momentum and grabbed the object that mmed into him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "!"


    Unfortunately, he was a second slow at grabbing hold of the object, and it sessfully moved out of his reach.


    ''This smell¡­'' Ambros frowned as he finally realized the true nature of the object.


    "Seems like that is still not enough," Kyran muttered, moving out of Ambros''s reach.


    "So you actually managed to get out of that. Not bad."


    Bam!


    Ambros stomped on the ground and leaped right in front of Kyran.


    ''This guy¡­!'' Kyran gritted his teeth and barely dodged Ambros''s fist that came hurtling to his face. Apparently, Ambros had not used his maximum speed earlier. Or maybe it was him finally utilizing Dragon Steps. No matter the reason, Ambros had gotten faster.


    By then, the cloud of smoke that covered the arena had subsided, and everyone in the audience and the hovering tforms could see the arena again.


    Most of them were not affected by the cloud of smoke. With their natural enhanced senses, they could still see through the smoke. However, it still affected their ability to observe what was happening correctly. Moreover, they could not see his movement well because Kyran''s presence was too weak. Because of this, they, like Ambros, btedly realized that the object that mmed into him was Kyran.


    As for Ambros, he managed to realize it sooner than the audience because of the scent of blooding from Kyran''s wounds.


    Kyran managed to escape from the prison rubble, but that did not mean he was not unscathed from the needles. Moreover, he might be good at concealing his presence, but he could not remove the scent of blood on his body.


    Kyran admitted moving recklessly when he broke free from the needles. In fact, several of these needles were still sticking out of his body, making him look like a porcupine. He could not remove them for fear of bleeding out to death. Obviously, that was an exaggeration, but even if he did not die, he would lose a lot of blood.


    In any case, Kyran was enlightened on how to fight because of what Ambros did with the rubble.


    A few days ago, Aillos mentioned the truth about the nature of Chaos magic. If Kyran utilized that while applying the concept that Ambros used to mold those needles, he could make his body into something simr.


    It was hard to do for the first time, which was why it took him some time to execute it. Since Ambros would not wait for him to learn the concept thoroughly, Kyran settled for an eptable result and broke free from imprisonment.

 Chapter 1158 Spar Matches (5)

    There was more to the concept Ambros used when he molded the needles. Because of his in-depth understanding of Earth magic, he could manipte the rubble''sposition and create an entirely different material. That was how he made those needles as sharp as a de and solid as steel.


    For the record, the arena was made from a durable material. That was how it could withstand most explosions. Because of its durability, it would be close to impossible for someone to create a sharp weapon from it. They would need to break the material, heat it, and forge it properly to have such a result.


    The concept was simr to how Alchemists concocted potions. Depending on how they ground andbined ingredients, they could produce either medicine or poison.


    Kyran harnessed the potential of Draconic magic, circting it within his body. His control over it was limited, leading him to believe that he could only enhance a specific part of his body. However, if he were to tap into Draconic magic''s true nature, viewing it as Chaos rather than just Draconic magic, he could influence all elements around him.


    In this case, Kyran tried to influence the rubbles around him and created a thin coating to cover parts of his body. His magic energy was still limited, so he could not cover his whole body. Otherwise, he would not have removed the needles that pierced him and would have chosen to cover the wounds with that thin coating.


    The coating itself was not visible to the naked eye, but it was enough to add weight to his attacks and enough defenses to guard against Ambros.


    The coating''s effect could have been better, though. It could break easily, especially since it was fragile as it was thin. He could have made it thicker if he had more magic energy that he could control. s, that was something he could not do at the moment.


    The match everyone thought had ended resumed with Ambros and Kyran exchanging some punches and kicks.


    All dragons who thought Kyran could only run away from Ambros were surprised that he was adequately responding to thetter''s attack instead.


    "He is using Draconic magic as if it is second nature," Ickle muttered, noticing the thin coating that covered Kyran''s arms, legs, and torso.


    "Yes. Though I suppose it is to be expected since he is the new Dragon Lord," Crei agreed and shared his opinion.


    "However, there is something strange... his magic energy is too weak."


    "I noticed that as well. He is not underestimating Ambros, is he?"


    "Rather than saying he is underestimating him..." Ickle frowned as he continued the magic energy around Kyran. "It felt like he could not freely use his magic."


    Meanwhile, the Earth Dragon Tribe''s Patriarch, Velctor, who possessed a massive human frame and five dragon horns, watched Ambros''s and Kyran''s exchange with great interest. His light golden eyes glinted in amusement as he said, "It looks like he is trying to use the same concept Ambros did earlier."


    Orena, his second-inmand, who had a slimmer frame but possessed simr light golden hair and eyes, furrowed her brows. As she did, the three horns on her forehead seemed to darken slightly as if to reflect her mood. She then said, "It is still far from being the same. Ambros''s knowledge of Earth magic is alreadyparable to that of the older generation.


    A human could not have possibly learned the concept in such a short amount of time."


    When Orena pointed out the amount of time Kyran learned the concept, she did not mean that he only realized it during the match. Shepared it to the difference in years and experience between Ambros and Kyran.


    Ambros was considered one of the young talents of the Dragon n. But in terms of years, he was way older than Kyran. He was at least a hundred years old, and a hundred years old for dragons was considered young.


    From this, it was easy to see that having an in-depth understanding of one''s innate magic was only possible because he or she had been studying it for almost a lifetime.


    Moreover, human mages who have gained an in-depth understanding of their innate magic should be around the level of a Legendary. And at most, Legendaries were already more than a hundred years old.


    Beings in the Higher Realm were born as Sovereign. Because of this, they could quickly learn things that would take several years or even a lifetime for humans or beings in the Lower Realm to achieve.


    But that did not mean that beings in the Lower Realm were at a huge disadvantage against them. This was because they had to learn and understand magic gruelingly; thus, their output was far better than those in the Higher Realm. If mages in the Lower Realm reached the same level as those from the Higher Realm, Kyran believed that their magic output would be far more potent than thetter.


    It was for this reason that Kyran knew that if a mage in the Higher Realm could create a Domain, it would be weakerpared to the Domains created by mages in the Lower Realm.


    Of course, mages in the Higher Realm would not bother using Domain when they had Dimension. In any case, these things were matters forter and should be put aside for now.


    "True," Velctor agreed with Orena''s point. However, the smile stered on his face seemed to tell otherwise.


    "You don''t seem to agree. At least, not really," she replied, scowling at him.


    "You''re overthinking it," Velctor replied with a lightugh.


    On the other hand, the patriarch near them could not help but scowl at Velctor''scency. To them, Kyran exchanging blows with Ambros without appearing to be at a considerable disadvantage could be seen as a disgrace. They were dragons¡ª a superior being. It should have been easier for them to overwhelm a human, even if he possessed the Draconic core.


    BOOM!


    Ambrosnded a dropkick on Kyran, who barely dodged by rolling to the side.


    Ambros''s kick easily created a crater on the ground, sending clouds of dust and dirt all around them once more. Without pausing his attack, he went after Kyran, who had yet to recover his bnce after rolling to the side.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Ambros sent out kicks or punches at Kyran using his feet and fists.


    Kyran, who continued to roll on the ground, barely escaped the barrage of attacks with only a few scrapes on his face.


    ''Seriously, this guy...'' he started to grumble inwardly. ''He is aiming at my head all this time. Does he want to knock me out cold or smash my head open? This is only a spar!''


    Kyran never imagined himselfining about a spar. He had been raring to go sincest night, but things changed now that he realized his limitations.


    ''Stop aiming at my head!'' Kyran grumbled as he greeted Ambros''s fist with his own.


    "..uff!" Ambros was caught off guard as his fist hit Kyran''s. He stumbled slightly, surprised at the weight of thetter''s fist.


    Kyran took advantage of the momentary pause from Ambros''s movement and lithely circled his body while still on the ground. He positioned himself shy from Amrbos''s front before pushing himself upward with his two feet aiming at thetter''s chin.


    "Tsk," Ambros gritted his teeth as he tilted his head to the side, avoiding Kyran''s kick by half a centimeter.


    But.


    WHAM! WHAM!


    "Guh!"


    Kyran slightly shifted his ankles just in time and finally seeded innding a clean hit on Ambros''s face.


    Once more, Ambros was shocked at the weighting from Kyran''s feet. Thetter had such a small frame. How could he muster weight greater than his own?


    Ambros staggered to the side after Kyran''s clean hit.


    Kyran did not wait for him to recover. Hended on all fours before stretching one of his legs. He then swept Ambros''s feet with agile movement.


    "..ngh!"


    Like a clumsy big oaf, Ambros fell to the ground. And even then, Kyran did not stop his attack.


    As soon as Ambros fell, Kyran hoisted his body backward and dropped a kick, aiming at Ambros''s face.


    But.


    "..kuh!" Kyran gritted his teeth as hot, searing pain exploded from his thigh. As he looked down, he saw metal stakes protruding from the ground and pierced his leg and thigh to prevent it frompleting its kicking motion.


    "Don''t get too cocky just because younded a clean hit or two," Ambros growled as he grabbed Kyran''s shin. He lifted him, not even caring that his thighs were still pierced.


    "Argh..!" Kyran winced as he was forcefully lifted without even a care of his pierced thigh. Blood spilled around from the open wounds on his thighs.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ambros mmed Kyran on the ground with great zeal as if to vent his annoyance at getting hit.


    The audience, who had been watching the whole match in silence, finally showed some enthusiasm as they greeted Ambros''s move with a cheer.

 Chapter 1159 Spar Matches (6)

    Kyran braced himself between being mmed to the ground and shifted his body to break free from it. Just as he was about to get mmed on the ground for the fourth time, he twisted his torso slightly and reached both hands toward the ground. Using his arms as some spring, he cushioned the impact he would have endured.


    ''Hm?'' Ambros was momentarily stunned because he did not feel the same impact as the first few when he mmed Kyran to the ground.


    That moment''s pause was enough for Kyran to twist his body and break free from Ambros''s grasp.


    "What¡ª?"


    Surprisingly, Kyran managed to break free from Ambros''s grasp with ease. It appeared that even if he seemed to be very proficient in moving around in human form, he was still slightly clumsy when controlling his limbs.


    When Kyran slipped out of Ambros''s hand, he rolled back once to regain his bnce. After that, with just enough pause, he dashed forward and used all his weight to bump thetter''s shin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Ngh¡ª!"


    Ambros seemed to have anticipated Kyran''s move and summoned a wall of earth high enough to block thetter.


    BAM!


    "?"


    Kyran was surprised because instead of bumping right at the wall and destroying it, he felt a slight recoil, which forced him to fall back.


    ''Seriously, this guy...'' he could not help but smirk at discovering another way of using Earth magic. Or at least the concept he learned from Ambros.


    The dragons cheering for Ambros a few moments ago were forced into silence at how easy it had been for Kyran to break free andunch a counter. Although the counter did not work, they admitted to being impressed at his decision to move forward rather than retreat. Moreover, they noticed how Kyran managed to face Ambros without showing signs of being disadvantaged.


    Some even wondered if Kyran was indeed a human or a dragon in human form. Whether he was a pure dragon or a lesser dragon did not matter because they found it unbelievable that a human could actually fight on even grounds against a pure dragon.


    Ambros might be young, but he was a full-fledged dragon. His body and overall prowess should be way above that of a human. How could Kyran fight evenly against him?


    To be honest, the fight between the two was not even. Ambros had the upper hand. The only reason it appeared they were even was because Kyran managed to control his expressions and movements well.


    Returning to the ongoing match, Ambros felt slightly ashamed at how easy it was for Kyran to slip away from him. But he did not let that emotion cloud his judgment andunched another attack on Kyran. After blocking thetter''s attempt to bump his shin and probably make him lose bnce, Ambros used Dragon Step and closed the distance between them in an instant.


    He then arched his back and mmed his fist straight down toward Kyran''s exposed head.


    Kyran had no time to dodge Ambros''s fist and decided to endure the punch instead. He raised both arms and blocked thetter''s punch, and at the same time, he used the same concept thetter did with the wall of earth to the ground he was on. Doing so, the shock that should havee after Ambros hit him was cushioned by the ground.


    BAM!


    ''Hm?''


    Once again, the tremor from the point of collision Ambros expected feltcking. By then, he knew at once that Kyran had done something.


    On Velctor''s side, the smile on his face widened as he noticed what Kyran was doing. He could not help but look toward Lord Aillos at the corner of his eyes and said, "It looks like there is a reason Lord Aillos allowed the spar requests."


    "What do you mean by that Patriarch?" Orena, slightly distracted by hisment, looked at him in confusion.


    Velctor shrugged and leaned back on his chair, "I''m surprised you haven''t noticed it from that move."


    "Notice what exactly?"


    "The new Dragon Lord... he is learning while fighting Ambros," Velctor replied in amusement. "I''m guessing that is Lord Aillos''s reason for approving all the spar requests. The new Dragon Lord might have a rare innate talent for absorbing magic concepts he had just seen or learned and applying it wlessly."


    "You''re saying that again," Orena replied with a frown. Apparently, she was still not convinced about Velctor''s assessment.


    Velctor smiled at her wryly and said, "To think that my second-inmand would doubt my words. I''m a little hurt."


    "..."


    Back to the arena.


    After Kyran sessfully blocked and reduced the impact from Ambros''s fist, thetter paused in surprise. However, he regained hisposure immediately and started another barrage of punches and kicks.


    At least, that was what Ambros intended. Kyran did not allow it and moved out of the way when he found a gap in Ambros''s movement. But he did not try to gain some distance from thetter. Instead, he prepared to counterattack byunching himself forward.


    Ambros greeted Kyran''s attack with his fist, and the two exchanged another round of kicks and punches.


    Seeing the two go another round, most of the patriarchs and seconds-inmand could not help but shift ufortably in their seats.


    They found it somewhat embarrassing that a promising talent like Ambros could not even knock out Kyran in a few minutes. Some tried to gauge Velctor''s thoughts about the match since Ambros was part of his tribe. However, they were surprised to see Velctor enjoying the match and even seemed to have shown interest in Kyran.


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    "This is only the first match, yet half an hour has passed."


    Aillos suddenly remarked. His voice was not loud and could only be heard by the patriarchs and seconds-inmand.


    Obviously, they knew it was intentional and that his words were only meant for them to hear.


    Velctor looked at him and said wryly, "The n has gained another genuine talent. I am truly impressed. I also looked forward to his growth."


    "..."


    Aillos did not respond. However, his countenance changed slightly, which only his aides would have noticed.


    Velctor took the hint and looked toward Eissen, who was already looking at him. It was obvious that he had been waiting for Velctor to say something, especially since the match happening below was between his tribe''s talent and Kyran.


    "I believe both participants have already achieved what they wanted in this spar," he said, using a loud voice for everyone in the dome to hear.


    Ambros and Kyran also stopped upon hearing him speak.


    Velctor looked between Ambros and Kyran before turning his attention back to Eissen.


    "A clear victor is not required during a spar. Both have shown equal strength and talent for this match and believe the result to be a draw."


    "Patriarch, I¡ª" Ambros initially wanted to protest. But one look from Velctor made him swallow the words he was about to utter.


    On the other hand, Kyran remained silent and only looked at Velctor calmly.


    Velctor returned his gaze and smiled, "What do you think, new Dragon Lord? No, I should properly address you. Shall we view this match as a draw, Null?"


    "...Alright."


    Kyran''s response appeared curt and even disrespectful to the other dragons. But Velctor did not mind and even smiled in appreciation. He said, "I hope to get to know you and your people soon."


    "...I share the same sentiments, Patriarch."


    "Hm," Velctor smiled before looking at Eissen. "We are done with the match, Aide Eissen."


    Eissen nodded before addressing the audience.


    "Since both participants agreed, this match is considered a draw."


    As soon as he announced the end of the match, two pirs of light shone down on Ambros and Kyran, respectively. They were then transported back to the waiting room for the participants.


    The audience did not react to the match''s sudden ending. They also believed that the match between Ambros and Kyran would have dragged on without a clear victor. Thus, they agreed with the decision and waited for the next match to start.


    "We will take a ten-minute break while we restore the arena," Eissen announced. "As for the next match, please look forward to Null''s next spar partner."


    Most knew Kyran would be sparring against several dragon tribes, so what Eissen said was true. Although they did not know if other tribes sent spar requests against each other, to be honest, they were only interested in watching the matches between Kyran and other tribe talents.


    Ambros appeared inside the Earth Dragon Tribe''s waiting room with a frown. He did not like how his match against Kyran ended with a draw. That match was considered his official match outside his tribe, and he felt dissatisfied that he failed to show everything he had.


    "Don''t be disappointed," Olis, another young talent from their tribe, told him and patted his back. "It is only a spar. There is no need for you to show everything you''ve got."


    If not for Olis''s reminder, Ambros would have truly forgotten that.


    That was right. It was only a spar, so why was he adamant about defeating Kyran?


    "But seriously, that human is something... ah, right; since the Patriarch has acknowledged him, it will be rude if we continue to call him that human."


    "...You''re right. Anyway, that guy is a little annoying. When you thought you had the upper hand, he would suddenly prove you wrong."


    "I did notice you got a little worked up after he managed to break free from that prison."


    "..."


    "Anyway, Patriarch sent something. I think it is his assessment of your match. Read it, and learn from it."


    "Thanks."


    Meanwhile, when Kyran returned to his room, Cyneah immediately tended to his wounds.


    "...Isn''t it only a spar? Why are you full of wounds?"

 Chapter 1160 Rest

    "And why are you only getting a ten-minute break? Are you looking for a beating that much?" Cyneah continued to voice her displeasure while tending to Kyran''s wounds.


    Kyran did not respond and only watched her with a faint smile. He did not ask her to heal him. As a matter of fact, he did not want her toe because he knew she would get upset once she knew he needed to participate in all the matches and that he only had a short rest time in between. Still, he was grateful for her insistence oning and her feeling upset for his sake.


    It might sound a bit condescending, but having someone fuss over him sometimes felt nice. His mother never once fussed over his well-being, although he knew she did when he was not around.


    "Don''t feel happy!" Cyneah scolded after sensing his amusement. "Though I can''t see, I can feel how terrible your wounds are!"


    "..."


    Kyran almost responded with an off-handed remark, ''I know.'' Luckily, he managed to stop himself or Cyneah would worry even more. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    Due to all the enhancements his body experienced, he rarely received deep wounds to his flesh. This would be the first time in a while that he suffered external and internal injuries.


    Kyran realized that Ambros''s Earth magic attack, imbued with the nature of Draconic magic, was very effective against dragons. Obviously, Kyran was not a dragon, but with the Elixir''s help, his body''s defenses could already be considered as one. For it to still be damaged by such a simple magic attack meant how destructive Draconic magic was.


    Compared to Void magic, Kyran''s knowledge of Draconic magic wascking. For this reason, he was very grateful that Aillos allowed all the spar requests directed at him. If not, it would have taken him some time to learn how to use it.


    Moreover, Aillos mentioned that Kyran''s Draconic magic was different because it possessed theplete nature of Chaos. At first, Kyran did not understand what he meant. But after just one match against Ambros, he now understood that unlike thetter, who could only apply the nature of Draconic magic to his innate magic, which was Earth, he could use it to any element if he wanted.


    That was not to say that Kyran had an affinity to all elements. Like other mages, as long as he knew the magic array or runes to summon different types of magic, he could use them and apply the nature of Draconic magic.


    ''I suppose it is best to call it Chaos magic, now that I know there is a difference between the one being used by dragons and the one I can manifest,'' Kyran thought, recalling that he was the only one who could truly manifest the true nature of Draconic magic, which was Chaos magic.


    It was still a bit confusing and overwhelming for Kyran to differentiate the two, but he was beginning to understand the difference slowly. If he could observe more of how dragons fought, he would eventually learn everything.


    Aillos offered to teach Kyran, but he knew it would take a lot more time if he learned from scratch. Aillos probably also thought of it, which was why he agreed to let Kyran observe how dragons use Draconic magic through the spar matches.


    "I know you epted all those spar requests for a reason," Cyneah started after a moment''s pause. "And it is connected to learning how to use Draconic magic properly. But I hope you don''t overdo it. I told you before that I can heal you with no problem, but not the mental exhaustion you receive when you are in pain."


    "..."


    "If you learned something new, test it once, then stop... Please."


    "...Sorry."


    "..."


    Cyneah furrowed her brows after hearing Kyran''s response. If he had agreed to her request, he would have responded with a simple ''alright'' or ''okay.'' But since he apologized, it meant he could not grant her request.


    "...Then at least try not to get this injured."


    "Okay."


    Kyran felt terrible for worrying Cyneah at times like this, but he was also grateful she never demanded anything from or pushed her ideals on him. He knew it was selfish of him, but he appreciated her for it. The least he could do was keep his word when promised something.


    "All done," Cyneah said, pulling her hand away. She looked at him with a faint smile and said, "There are still a few minutes left; why don''t you lie down for now?"


    Kyran shook his head, "No. If I lie down, my body will rx and lose the tension I received from the first match. I need to keep that mood up until thest match."


    Cyneah pursed her lips. Clearly, she disliked the idea. But she also understood why he had to keep his body in such a state.


    "Tell me the truth," she started, giving Kyran a hard look. "How many matches do you have today?"


    "..."


    "Kyran."


    "...Not that many..."


    "..."


    "...After this match, Lord Aillos will likely ask Aide Eissen to enforce a time limit."


    "A time limit, huh."


    "The spar matches don''t require a time limit because it is arranged to decide the oue of a dispute between two tribes. That doesn''t apply to the matches today. If all the tribes wanted to test me, they would demand that each match have a time limit. Otherwise, they will not have their turn. They have to consider the break in between the matches as well."


    Time in the Higher Realm was the same as in the Human ne. In fact, all of its nes had the same time flow. If all dragon tribes requested to spar with Kyran, then the only way for all their talents to have a chance to fight him was if they could squeeze around thirty to thirty-four matches in a day.


    Add the ten-minute break between those, and the matches should not take more than five or ten minutes.


    Cyneah muttered something intelligible as she red at Kyran.


    "W-What?"


    "You, seriously..."


    In the end, she could notplete what she wanted to say and could only sigh in resignation. "Nevermind. Fight to your heart''s content, but don''t get injured."


    "...hahaha..." Kyran let out a faintugh at her absurd request. Then again, since he agreed not to get injured as much as he did against Ambros, he would have to keep his word.


    "Don''tugh!"


    "Okay."


    It only took three minutes to restore the destroyed arena. As for the remaining seven minutes until the next match, the audience simply waited patiently. There was not even a hushed discussion happening among them. Or maybe they were discussing the first match telepathically.


    The side where the humans were watching the match was also silent. However, unlike the calm air around the dragons, there was a slightly heavy atmosphere around them.


    "The young master has to fight more matches like that?"


    "Why is there such a huge difference in performance when they sparred against us?"


    "Yes. I get that they have looked down on us back then, but why are they going all out against the young master?"


    "Was that going all out? I mean, it is just a spar. And well... we are already part of the n, so they will not go all out against the young master, right?"


    The members could not help but share after witnessing the first match.


    On the other hand, Aron, Cade, and Jared remained silent. They trusted Kyran''s judgment when he agreed to ept all the spar requests. They also had an idea why Aillos simrly allowed it to happen. However, that did not mean they were not worried. They would not show it, of course. Because if they did, the other members would worry.


    In any case, the three were also enlightened during the first match. They were able to grasp some of the concepts that Ambros used against Kyran. Although they could not apply them immediately with their knowledge, it gave them a better understanding of how to utilize the Regis Techniques.


    Right. They should stop calling those techniques as such since Lady Ames exined that those techniques were derived from Draconic magic.


    The Regis could only utilize a weaker version of it¡ª thus, they dubbed it Dragon magic. However, once they absorbed Coelus''s magic energy, the magic runes flowing in their blood from the dragon blood they took would awaken further, and they would then be able to use Draconic magic.


    "I can''t help but feel that all these tribes are taking out a lot of their unspoken frustration against my nephew," Jared grumbled as he looked at the tforms where all patriarchs and their seconds-inmand were.


    "It''s fine," Cade replied. However, unlike his usual rxed demeanor, there was a slight hardness in his expression and coldness that was rarely seen reflected in his gray eyes.


    Cold sweat trickled down Jared''s face as he gave his brother a wry smile. "You say that, but your countenance seems to say otherwise."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Cade closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It has been a while since I''ve seen my son, and I''m very happy to see his growth. However, I am also hit with the painful realization that I have let him face many things alone."


    He opened his eyes and looked toward the ceiling where the waiting rooms were.


    "It just urred to me that I never really asked how he felt after we forced him out of the n."


    "O-Oi... don''t you think feeling like that suddenly is a bit...?"


    "...."


    "It''s never toote to ask," Aron interjected with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1161 Time Limit

    Kyran''s next spar partner was from the Forest Dragon Tribe. Their innate magic was called Nature magic, and it piqued Kyran''s interest because it had simrities to Spirits'' magic. The only difference was that the Spirits manipted nature based on their core or their kind. In contrast, the Forest Dragon Tribe could manipte anything connected to the Forest they came from.


    An excellent example of the Spirits'' magic was how White Lily''s magic manifested as lilies because that was her core. She was a spirit born from an ancient Lily flower; thus, she could summon any form of lilies. The same was the case with Chrysanthemum, albeit she summons chrysanthemums.


    The Forest Dragon Tribe''s Nature magic was truly impressive in its versatility. Their range wasprehensive, allowing them to grow trees, flowers, and even riverbanks as long as these elements were avable in the forest they were born in.


    Despite the diverse attack patterns their magic offered, the Forest Dragon Tribe''s power had a significant limitation. The effect and strength of their summoned magic would weaken the further they were from their territory, posing a challenge in battles that took them away from their forest.


    For this reason, even if the dome was surrounded by forest, the Forest Dragon Tribe''s talent, a young female dragon named Keita, could not fully disy her tribe''s magic.


    Nevertheless, Kyran learned a lot about their magic. Or at least the concept of how she could create a path that allowed her to manifest the things avable in the forest from which she came. It carried a simr idea to Space magic, where one could stretch or shorten the distance between two points.


    However, rather than manipting the distance, she created an invisible path to extend the influence of the forest where she lived so she could summon the elements it had and use them to attack.


    Kyran found their magic concept helpful because it could allow him to use magic in locations that would typically restrict his usage. Before he could fully use their concept, he needed to consider other things, but the enlightenment was enough for him to start researching it.


    Unlike the match against Ambros, Kyran and Keita''s match went on without them suffering any injuries. Keita''s magic transformed the arena into a mini lush forest, but Kyran''s monstrous strength turned it into a wastnd.


    Kyran''s disy of strength left the dragons with a mixture of awe and disbelief. They could not fathom how such a skinny body could produce such destructive strength. Judging from his weight, he should not have the capability to destroy the arena or even scratch a dragon''s defenses. But he proved them wrong and even damaged the arena while he leveled the forest that Keita had created.


    Like the first match, the matriarch of the Forest Dragon Tribe, Izadi, dered that the spar was a draw, ending it in just fifteen minutes.


    The audience then started to see a pattern. It would appear that all dragon tribes would continue to stop each sparring match and announce that it was a draw because there was no clear victor between the two, even if the match continued for hours.


    Eissen also realized this and formally dered that starting from the next match, a draw would be dered if a winner was not determined after fifteen minutes.


    All tribes agreed to the new rule. Even Aillos gave his silent consent.


    Kyran also agreed to it because he confirmed that fifteen minutes was his limit in Draconic¡ª aka Chaos magic.


    The break was also reduced because each match was given a time limit. A ten-minute break would be given only if the arena was wrecked. But if not, it would onlyst five minutes.


    Cyneah was initially d that each match would nowst only fifteen minutes. However, the reduced break time displeased her. Unfortunately, she, like Kyran, had no say about the change since even if the arena was destroyed, the dragons could fix it in three minutes. If each break would stillst for ten minutes, the audience would get bored.


    Moreover, everyone wanted to see as many matches per day as possible, so reducing the break time was reasonable.


    In the end, Cyneah settled on the idea that the faster the spar matches finished, the earlier Kyran could return and rest.


    Kyran continued to spar against the other dragon tribes and learned more about their magic concepts. The more he learned, the more he realized that his Draconic and Void magic was quitepatible. He initially believed that the nature of the two Ancient magics was opposite each other, which was why he was hesitant tobine them and create new magic.


    But now that he knew they werepatible, it made sense how he managed tobine the two when he first created the Void Scales.


    Besides the Void Scales, Kyran would only perform a pseudobination of the two¡ª like the Void Armor or Void Needles. It was only a pseudobination because those magic were not created while circting the two magic energies together. It was either the Void first and then the Draconic afterward or vice versa.


    Now that Kyran knew he couldbine them without worrying about any negative repercussions, he could not wait to enhance the first few original magic moves he created.


    Thest dragon tribe Kyran was matched with was a young talent from the Venom Dragon Tribe.


    As soon as the two participants appeared in the arena, the audience, who had started to appreciate Kyran''s ability and endurance, immediately tensed.


    It should be noted that even if the Dragon n was considered morally goodpared to the other ns in the Higher Realm, internal differences remained among them.


    One good example was how the Hydra Dragon Tribe and the Naga Dragon Tribe shed because they had a conflict of interest.


    Another more infamous among their n was the somewhat twisted concept that the Venom Dragon Tribe had.


    To be honest, there were quite several tribes that felt ufortable working with them because of their Poison magic. The only reason they were still tolerant was because even if they mostly created poison, it was also true that the medicines they produced were very effective. Apart from that, the Venom Dragon Tribe was very loyal to the Sky Dragon Tribe.


    If not, they would have likely gone rampant among the dragons, causing harm to other tribes with their poisonous abilities.


    To be honest, their loyalty to the Sky Dragon Tribe could be seen as a double-edged sword. This was because they were quite determined to eradicate anything or anyone that could pose a threat to them. Of course, they would only act unless Aillos agreed. Nheless, that did not stop them from trying to feel out any danger to the n that lurked around them.


    Like Kyran and his family.


    The Venom Dragon Tribe''s elders feared that Kyran and his family might start to influence the other dragons, and coption between dragons and humans might be natural.


    If that happened, the future of the tribes and the n would be jeopardized. They were already in trouble because Aillos could not appoint his heir since Ames''s descendants werecking¡ª being humans.


    What if the other tribes ended up in a simr position? What would happen to their n if their leader became a mix-breed between a human and a dragon that could not even turn into a dragon?


    They were called the Dragon n for a reason. Their next leader should also be a strong dragon like Aillos.


    s, none knew that Kyran and his family had no intentions of getting entangled with the Dragon n''s future leadership. Kyran wanted to create his own force, and thus, he and the Dragon n would be allies.


    Since all of this would only be revealed on the final day of the Grand Gathering, when Aillos, the patriarchs, and their second-inmand had their close-door meeting, Kyran, and his family could only endure the wrong impression of those tribes that were still opposed to their bing part of the n.


    "This will be thest match of the day," Eissen announced as he looked at the two participants in the arena.


    The Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent was a young dragon in human form with short silver hair and bright green eyes. From this, no one would think that Poison was his innate magic. Only if one looked closely at his scales could they find a purplish-green tint around them, reminiscent of a dragon with poison attributes.


    In any case, the young talent''s scales were hard to see because they were smartly hidden under their green uniform.


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    "Like the other matches, if there is no clear victor in fifteen minutes, the match will be dered a draw," Eissen continued.


    Kyran furtively nced toward Eissen''s direction. He found it strange that he reminded them of the time limit when he never announced it again after the first one. Moreover, the match started almost immediately because Eissen would dere the start of the match as soon as they appeared.


    Why was Eissen repeating those things? Was it because it was thest match?


    No.


    Eissen was definitely dying the start of the match.


    Why?


    That was something Kyran had to find out.


    Kyran turned his attention toward the Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent, who was amicably smiling at him. There was nothing strange about thetter. Even his smile appeared genuine. However, that was only how one would see on the surface.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran narrowed his eyes as he finally noticed the faint scent swirling around the Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent.

 Chapter 1162 Area Magic

    Scents are close to impossible to sense. They are one of those awareness that can easily bypass and even trick one''s senses.


    One intriguing instance of a magic attack transformed into a scent was how Deception''s Illusion ensnared Kyran during the war in the Ylfaen Kingdom.


    With her using one''s sense of smell as her Illusion''s trigger, it was nearly impossible for Kyran to defend against it, especially if it was scentless, once it infiltrated his system. His Void magic was adept at countering magic attacks that could cause status effects because they were still made of magic energy and could easily be detected.


    However, defending against an attack that influenced one''s sense of smell was still challenging.


    The reason was simple: by the time the Void magic energy circting in his body found any trace of magic energy that triggered his sense of smell, his brain would have already registered the scent''s effect and fallen victim to it.


    Another factor that made Deception''s Illusion magic effective against Kyran was its origin.


    Illusion magic was derived from one of Soul magic''s nature. It went without saying that since Void magic was weak against Soul magic, the effect of Kyran''s natural immunity from any status effects was significantly reduced.


    Kyran''s harrowing experience with a magic attack triggered by one''s sense of smell made him extra careful when dealing with it. He added an enhancement form to his clothes that significantly increased his smell-rted attack awareness. The form was normally inactive, unlike the rest of the enhancements, which were always active.


    This was because the form''s effect allowed him to see any scentless and formless magic attacks around him within a specific range.


    Such an effect was nearly impossible unless he gathered enough energy from different types of magic.


    Kyran activated this form the moment he detected a faint malicious intent behind the amicable smile from the Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent. As soon as he did, he detected a faint scenting from him.


    After confirming this, he checked the arena''s barrier and noticed one of Aillos''s aides reinforcing the barrier around the arena.


    ''If I remembered correctly, that aide is...''


    Kyran remembered the names of Aillos''s aides and the tribes they originally belonged to.


    Long silver hair and lime green eyes, Aide Attor, head of the n''s Health Division and a member of the Venom Dragon Tribe.


    It appeared that Attor was aware that his tribe''s talent would use smell-induced poison that could easily travel in the air in seconds. To prevent the audience from being affected by it, he created anotheryer on the arena''s barrier that could easily counter the poison.


    Kyran appreciated that Attor created thatyer because his family was among the audience. Even if his family had built up their poison immunity, there was no telling if they would not be affected by the Venom Dragon Tribe''s Poison. After all, poison or venom from beasts and nts differed significantly from Poison magic. Thetter''s potency was far graver than the former.


    As for the dragons, Kyran could not care less. Their natural immunity to any status ailments and venom was more significant than a human could ever possess. Someone like Avrum, whose innate magic was Poison, might be the only human who could have better immunity.


    "What''s this?" the Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent raised his brows in fascination while observing Kyran. "It seems like you have a very interesting enhancement form on your equipment."


    The Venom Dragon Tribe''s talent, Dilitrio, calmly observed the gentle surge of magic energy around Kyran. These magic energies were gathering at a point on his upper clothes, near the center of his chest, and from there, a faint form could be seen.


    If one were good at reading the flow of magic energy and could clear the excess magic energy that swirled within, he or she would be able to discern the form''s image. If they also had enough Array Knowledge, they would be able to understand the form''s effect by reading the rune writings that made up the image.


    "Instead of using Draconic magic to enhance your five senses, you have used Array to create a unique form that increased your sensitivity to smell-induced magic attacks. I read you''re quite well-versed in Array, but it looks like the details on that information are still underestimating your proficiency." Dilitrio''s smile widened before adding, "Your equipment''s enhancement is quite ingenious."


    Kyran did not react to Dilitrio''s words. However, he was inwardly surprised that thetter saw and understood the enhancement form on his clothes.


    As far as he knew, the Venom Dragon Tribe was well-versed in Alchemy due to their affinity to Poison and magic energy from medicinal nts. However, he did not expect someone from them also to have deep knowledge of Array.


    Although a mage could learn Alchemy and Array, it was rare to have a deep knowledge of both, like Kyran.


    There was a somewhat simr case with his uncle Jared. However, his Alchemy and Array knowledge was limited to the ones in the Lower Realm.


    "You look surprised," Dilitrio continued with a shrug. "But don''tpare us to the likes of your kind. We are dragons, and our capacity to learn magic is far superior to you from the Lower Realm."


    This time, Kyran could no longer feign indifference. His brows furrowed as he red at Dilitrio.


    It appeared that in addition to being well-versed in Alchemy and Array, Dilitrio also possessed a rare innate ability that allowed him to read others'' minds.


    "That''s right. I can read your thoughts, and honestly, I find it a little loudpared to your seemingly indifferent attitude."


    ''Did it ever ur to you how you appear to the audience right now? Read my thoughts all you want andment on it. But the more you do, the more you appear like an idiot who mumbles to himself.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You!" Dilitrio''s amicable smile distorted after reading Kyran''s mocking thoughts.


    Kyran smiled wryly as he looked at Eissen above.


    "Aide Eissen, since the additional barrier ispleted, we can start the match, right?"


    Eissen nced back at him and replied with a simple "Yes."


    However, inwardly, he was surprised that Kyran noticed the additionalyer being added to the arena''s barrier.


    "Thanks."


    Even before Kyran finished talking, the swirling scent around Dilitrio had already burst out in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the center of the arena was already covered with his poisonous scent.


    "Area Magic, Poison Air." Find more chapters on empire


    ''This is the first time I''ve heard someone actually speak the name of their move.''


    "Shut up!"


    Kyran could not help but chuckle at Dilitrio''s outburst. He found thetter''s attitude childish and wondered how old he was.


    Then again, even if Dilitrio were the youngest among the young talents participating in the Grand Gathering, he would still be around a hundred years old.


    To think that there would still be a childish dragon with that age.


    The poisonous air spread to about a hundred-meter radius, ultimately covering the middle of the arena. Moreover, as time passed and more poison gathered in the middle, their sight waspromised.


    However, the reduced visibility only affected the target of the Area magic. Dilitrio, who cast it, could still see his surroundings very clearly. At that moment, he watched Kyran struggling to create a barrier to protect himself from the poisonous air.


    "It is futile," he told him. "My poison can quickly destroy any barrier you create. I''ve already gathered enough data about your magic signature and adjusted my poison so it can counter and destroy it."


    "..."


    Kyran did not respond. He continued to activate the forms on his clothes and did his own thing.


    "Hm?" Dilitrio frowned as he soon realized Kyran''s thoughts had gotten silent.


    Just a few seconds ago, thetter''s thoughts were like a ring noise that he barely managed to endure, but now there was nothing.


    ''This... is impossible. No matter how well someone conceals their thoughts, some faint noises will still be heard. Unless his mage level far exceeds mine, it should have been impossible for him to hide his thoughtspletely....''


    Dilitrio''s thoughts trailed off as this realization hit him.


    ''Impossible. Could his mage level already exceed ours? Is that also how he managed to fight on almost equal footing with the rest of the tribes'' talents?''


    It appeared that Dilitrio''s childishness did not only manifest in his behavior but also his trail of thoughts. Because of his childish imagination, his misunderstanding had gone off the trail.


    The truth of the matter was nothing special.


    Kyran''s mage level did not exceed theirs. He did not even know what his mage level was.


    What he did know was the convenience of Shaiha''s concealment ability.


    That was right. Shaiha could also conceal Kyran''s thoughts from others. The only thing she could not hide was the remnant of magic energy that would appear whenever he used magic.


    Dilitrio also misunderstood that the ''barrier'' he believed Kyran was trying to cast was not to protect himself from the poisonous air but to ''hide'' the remnant magic energy that flowed out of him.


    Why would Kyran try to hide the remnant magic?


    Simple, because they were remnant magic from when he used the Void to counter the poisonous air. Moreover, since the poison air could easily destroy the magic signature that Dilitrio thought Kyran possessed, he could not use Draconic magic.


    As much as Kyran wanted to avoid using the Void, given his limited options, he had no choice but to use it. He only needed to ensure no one realized what type of magic it was.

 Chapter 1163 Doubt

    Fortunately, Dilitrio''s misunderstanding gave Kyran time to assess the situation further. Besides, Dilitrio said something that piqued Kyran''s interest.


    It was about how he knew Kyran''s proficiency in Array.


    Aillos had yet to reveal the truth about Coelus''s corpse. Only a select few elders from different tribes knew that his body was sealed underground. Even then, those elders did not know that the seal that prevented his corrupted magic energy from leaking had been damaged recently.


    They were also unaware that Kyran had taken that opportunity to change the seal''s calction and create a new array formation so he could use it to improve his family''s strength. The only ones who knew about it were Aillos, his aides, the Array Saints who assisted in the new array''s creation, and a few other trustworthy members from the departments or divisions the Aides were in charge of.


    They were also confident that no one would leak the information because they made a pact never to say a word about it until Aillos revealed it at the closed-door meeting on the final day of the Grand Gathering. This pact was made between dragons; thus, no one would dare break it.


    The consequences of breaking this pact, the dishonor and the loss of trust, were too severe for dragons to consider, especially after what they had been through when Coelus was still alive. They did not want to cause another war that could potentially destroy their race once more.


    Dilitrio had the innate ability to read through others'' thoughts, but there should be a limit to it. Kyran could guess several possible limitations to Dilitrio''s ability. He guessed thetter''s ability would only work depending on his affinity to his target. But if that was the case, then he should not have been able to read Kyran''s thoughts since their affinity was non-existent.


    Then there was the range limitation. Dilitrio might have to be in a specific range from someone to read their thoughts; if not, then specific measures should have been ced around him to ensure he would not misuse his ability.


    Another limitation Kyran thought of was that Dilitrio could only hear the thoughts of beings with the same mage level or lower than him. Kyran felt that it was the most possible limitation to Dilitrio''s ability because it was impossible for Aillos not to put up security measures around him to ensure information about Coelus would not be leaked due to his ability.


    Of course, it was also possible that Aillos believed Dilitrio would not be bold enough to use his ability right under his watch.


    There were other things to consider, but Kyran knew that Dilitrio had not heard about his Array proficiency through his ability even after considering all those things. If that was the case, and there was also no information leakage from those who knew about it, then Dilitrio or the Venom Dragon Tribe would have found it through other means.


    In any case, that was something Kyran would have to find out after the match.


    Kyran looked at Dilitrio, who returned his gaze with an expression full of doubt. He could not read thoughts, but he could almost hear thettering up with absurd reasons as to why he could not hear his thoughts or what he was doing with all the barriers he was summoning.


    Since Kyran only used the array forms on his clothes to hide the remnant magic energy from the Void, the range was not that big. However, it was more than enough to allow him to move around.


    After observing Dilitrio for almost a minute, Kyran was convinced he had no ns to attack in close quarters. This might be because Dilitrio was not confident he could close the gap between him and Kyran. It might also be why he decided to use Area magic to restrict his movement with poison before attacking in range.


    He might even be thinking of wasting time and ending the match in a draw after fifteen minutes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No.


    Dilitrio was definitely up to something.


    A dragon''s pride would not allow him to end the match without doing anything.


    Just as Kyran was thinking this, Dilitrio''s body started to merge with the poisonous air in the surroundings.


    Kyran let out a wry smile. As he expected, there was more to Dilitrio''s decision to cast Area Magic right at the start of the match. It was either to restrict his movements, slow down his reaction time while he fought at a distance, orunch sneak attacks.


    Judging from how Dilitrio''s body started to merge in the poisonous air, he intended to do thetter¡ªslow down Kyran''s reaction time to the poison''s effect andunch sneak attacks.


    Kyran proved his endurance by surviving all his matches. Even if he was given a five-minute break after each match, there was little one could do to recover his physical and mental fatigue in a short time. They might not have known about Cyneah healing his wounds, but they knew that no healing ability could recover one''s physical and mental fatigue.


    Dilitrio observed Kyran as his body became one with the poisonous air. All mages could do this if they sessfully understood their magic in-depth.


    ''This...'' Dilitrio frowned as he realized that he could not find an opening even after observing Kyran and merging with the poisonous air. ''Is it all because of theyer of barriers around him?''


    Dilitrio did not get to dwell on this because as soon as this question shed, Kyran''s gaze fell toward him.


    Found you.


    Dilitrio barely made out the words Kyran left his lips. Instinctively, he moved out of the way. It was a good move because Kyran''s figure shed past him right after that, his hand outstretched, emitting an ominous-looking purplish glow.


    Upon closer inspection, the purplish glow was shaped like a dragon''s w.


    Dilitrio furrowed his brows, realizing that his adjustment to his poison did not prevent Kyran from using his magic.


    No.


    Rather than his adjustment being useless, could the barrier around him truly be capable of preventing the poison from affecting him?


    Impossible.


    His poison was so potent that it could easily erode one''s magic barrier


    Whoosh!


    "Tsk."


    Dilitrio flew to the side just in time before Kyran''s w-like fist was about tond on his face.


    Wait.


    Hit his face?


    That should not have been possible because his body had merged with the air. He did not have a solid form that Kyran couldnd a blow. Nevertheless, Dilitrio''s instincts told him that he would receive an injury that would never heal if he did not dodge.


    His instincts were indeed on point. This was because Kyran''s fists were covered by Void magic. It would have been impossible even for a dragon to recover injuries resulting from Void. It would heal, yes, but the skin or part that was cut off would never return.


    Just as Dilitrio thought he had sessfully dodged Kyran''s w-like fist, thetter stopped his momentum midway and changed his movement from punching forward to swiping his arm toward the right. And that side just happened to be where Dilitrio had moved to dodge Kyran''s fist.


    "..Kuh!"


    Dilitrio barely moved out of Kyran''s range. Nevertheless, the tips of thetter''s ws managed to graze his torso, tearing his armor.


    Because of the unexpected contact, he failed to maintain his formless state and became visible.


    The Venom Dragon Tribe''s patriarch, Vish, who had short silver hair, the same shade of green eyes as Attor, and five horns like the rest of the patriarchs, furrowed his brows upon realizing that Kyran could actually follow Dilitrio''s movements even after he merged with the poison air.


    "But attacking him in that state is a double-edged sword," Visha, who bore an uncanny resemnce with Vish, except had a more feminine air to her, muttered. She was the Venom Dragon Tribe''s second inmand and Vish''s twin sister. Her eyes narrowed as she added, "Because his body hadpletely turned into poison, and anything it touched would be affected by it."


    SIZZLE! SIZZLE!


    Just as Visha said, as soon as Kyran''s ws scratched Dilitrio, even though he barely grazed thetter''s skin because of his armor, the poison enveloped his w in an instant.


    Thankfully, his w was made of Void magic. Thus, the poison was instantly disintegrated upon contact.


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    "You¡ª!" Dilitrio saw how easily his poison crumbled on Kyran''s w-like fist. "Howe your magic signature was different!"


    Apparently, his armor and skin were not the only ones destroyed upon making contact with Kyran''s w-like fist.


    Kyran also realized toote that the barrier he was trying to circte his fist to hide the Void''s remnant magic could no longer bear the poisonous air. Its effects were reduced, and once it collided with Dilitrio''s formless body, it started to erode and leaked some of the remnant magic energy from Kyran.


    Aillos''s eyes narrowed as he watched what was happening in the arena. He furtively scanned the expressions of the patriarchs and the seconds-inmand to check if they caught on the change in Kyran''s magic signature.


    The center of the arena was covered in poisonous air, and the visibility was terrible. But it was not as bad that dragons would not see what was happening, except, after Dilitrio merged with the surrounding poison, they could only see Kyran moving around.


    In any case, they could still hear what the two were saying, which was why they were all confused by Dilitrio''s remark.


    Kyran furrowed his brows and tried to reinforce his barrier. However, just like how his Void magic could destroy anything without the hope of it being recovered, Dilitrio''s poison had destroyed his barrier.


    "What kind of trick are you ying at?"

 Chapter 1164 Speculation

    Ignoring Dilitrio''s outburst, Kyranunched a sudden attack. His target was not Dilitrio, who was retreating to gain distance, but the floor beneath them.


    BAM!


    The floor exploded, creating a crater almost the same size as Dilitrio''s Area magic.


    Kyran did not destroy the arena to counter Dilitrio''s Area magic or to increase the low visibility. The additional cloud of smoke andmotion would not affect the senses of the dragons watching from the audience or the hovering tforms. Instead, he destroyed the arena so he could force Dilitrio back while he prepared a surefire move to force everyone''s gaze away from the arena.


    With Dilitrio''s poison negating Kyran''s use of Draconic magic, he could not use it. Thus, instinctively,


    Kyran used the Void mainly because it was the magic that could easily counter the poison''s effect. However, that was not the only magic at his disposal.


    Kyran had only tried it a few times before, but he could use other magic without relying on the Draconic''s Chaos nature or the Void''s vtile nature. The only downside to it was that he had to absorb the magic energy specific to that type in order to use it. Once he exhausted the magic energy, he would no longer be able to use it until he could absorb it again.


    That was the case when Kyran managed to absorb and learn Light magic. In the end, he used the Void to adapt to the Light''s magic concept without trying to absorb its magic energy in order to use it.


    With that in mind, Kyran started to rouse his third magic core and circte one of the many magic energies within for the first time in a while.


    Dragons having natural enhanced senses was great. But it could also be a double-edged sword.


    Why?


    Depending on the situation, one could target one of one''s senses and make it useless, like one''s sight, for example.


    Kyran''s eyes shed. Following this was a blinding light that filled the whole arena.


    "!"


    Everyone in the dome was surprised at the sudden sh of light. In particr, the dragons were forced to close their eyes because the light was too blinding for their enhanced sight.


    Only a few of them managed to endure the light by narrowing their eyes slightly.


    "How can you use other magic while inside my area magic?" Dilitrio burst out in both anger and shock.


    The poison in the air should have prevented Kyran from trying to absorb the natural magic energies in the surroundings; otherwise, the poison would have mixed with the energy and entered his system.


    It should be noted that while a mage could summon another magic type that was different from their innate magic, they could not store their magic energy in their magic core.


    Obviously, one''s magic core should only be able to absorb the energy that corresponds to one''s innate magic.


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    Because of this universal truth, Dilitrio never considered the possibility that Kyran had Light magic energy in his magic core and, thus, could summon it without absorbing the magic energies in his surroundings. Then again, the fact that Kyran had four magic cores was already an impossible feat. So, it was not really strange for Dilitrio not to consider it.


    Kyran ignored Dilitrio''s outburst and used that chance to close in on him.


    For the record, Kyran was not unaffected by the Light magic''s blinding attack. But since he knew what was about to happen, he was able to close in time just in time. Light exploded and covered the whole arena. Because of that, his eyes adjusted faster to the light than the audience, who intently watched what was happening in the arena.


    Kyran closed in on Dilitrio andunched an attack.


    However, Dilitrio took that opportunity to prove why he was considered among the young rising talents of the Venom Dragon Tribe. Even with his loss of sight, he did not falter. Relying on his natural instinct, he was aware that Kyran was onto him.


    Dilitrio, with his eyes still closed, summoned the poisonous air around him. He did this not because he believed Kyran would stop if the concentration of poison were centered on him. Instead, he used it to create something akin to a limb.


    The poisonous air gathered around Dilitrio''s body faster than Kyran could approach him. After that, a dragon tail appeared behind him, looking more like a scorpion''s stinger than a fleshy one.


    "!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kyran abruptly stopped from approaching Dilitrio''s tail, which was made of poison, and shot upward; its stinger pointed at Kyran.


    Whoosh!


    Half a breathter, the stinger shot off a concentrated poisonous attack at Kyran.


    Kyran jumped back in time to avoid getting hit by the dense poison fog. While in midair, he spread his arms and summoned another magic to protect him.


    A barrier resembling dragon scales but with a green tint appeared around him, protecting him from the poison attack. This was a barrier made out of poison that he had absorbed when he first encountered the Manticore.


    Though the Poison magic energy in Kyran''s magic core was smaller than Light magic, and its quality was weaker than Dilitrio''s, it was enough to use as a one-time barrier against thetter''s poison.


    Dilitrio''s sight was still down, and he did not see what Kyran did. But that did not matter. He did not want to stop his momentum at just one attack.


    Afterunching a concentrated poison attack, Dilitrio gathered the remaining poisonous air in his arms. They then turned into huge gauntlets that exuded with poison steam. He shed out wildly in front of him, and de-like poison shed out from the gauntlets, destroying the ground and even shing at the Light still covering the entire arena.


    Kyran had no trouble evading Dilitrio''s attack. However, he barely had time to catch his breath when thetter attacked again.


    ''If this continues, the blinding effect of Light magic will wear off before I can approach him,'' he thought while avoiding another concentrated poison attack from Dilitrio''s poison tail. ''Should I cast another Light attack?''


    Just as Kyran wondered this, he shook his head and rejected the idea. The remaining Light magic energy in his magic core was only good enough to create another simr attack with a smaller area. Once the first Light attack disappeared, and Dilitrio noticed that the second Light attack had a far smaller area of effect, he could step away from its range to regain sight.


    After that, he could do anything to Kyran.


    ''Let''s fight poison with poison then,'' Kyran thought as he made use of another magic concept he learned from Keita, the Forest Dragon Tribe''s talent. However, instead of targeting a location, he targeted another being.


    Kyran had an inkling that he could use his Servants'' innate magic since he absorbed them into his fourth magic core. However, apart from Gael, whose Shadow magic''s nature had simrities to the Void and was easier to sense, he could not do the same with the others. And when he said the others, that included the other beasts, Akish, Kessiah, and the rest.


    However, after watching Keita use Nature magic to summon forest elements avable in her birth forest, Kyran had a better idea of how he could use their innate magic.


    The key to channeling their innate magic was understanding the flow of their internal magic energy to a deeper level. As long as he seeded, he could create a stronger connection with them, thus allowing him to use their innate magic.


    Right now, the innate magic he needed was Kessiah''s. With her magic core manifesting as an armor and weapon, he could defend and attack as he saw fit.


    Kyran''s priority was not to attack, though. So, using the armor aspect of Kessiah''s magic was enough.


    A red armor slowly enveloped Kyran''s whole body and protected him from the poison needles that Dilitrio shot at him from the poison tail''s stinger. The red armor was not as sturdy as a dragon''s scales, but it was enough to stop the needles from grazing his skin.


    No matter how high Kyran''s poison resistance was, he did not want to take the risk with Dilitrio''s poison, especially since he did not know itsposition.


    "How are you able to mold armor?" Dilitrio demanded in annoyance. He was not really waiting for a response when he asked that and continued to bombard Kyran with the poison needles and a fog-like concentrated poison attack.


    Kyran still ignored Dilitrio''s outburst and only focused on dodging thetter''s attack.


    The poison needles were quite hard to avoid because of their sheer number and being packed densely together. Because of this, cracks started to appear on the red armor where the needles touched, and the poison that managed to seep into its surface began to erode it.


    Kyran continued to reinforce the armor. But because it was magic he only borrowed from Kessiah, it would only be a matter of time before he could no longer use it.

 Chapter 1165 Change of Opinion

    ''The problem is theposition of that guy''s poison,'' Kyran thought, still dodging the poison needles and moving out of the concentrated poison attack. He was trying to figure out theposition of Dilitrio''s poison so he could change it. This move applied the concept he had learned from Ambros. However, Kyran had too little knowledge of Poison magic, unlike Ambros''s Earth magic.


    This made Kyran wonder why he never asked Avrum to teach him about Poison magic.


    Just as the thought crossed his mind, he pushed it aside because it would only distract him. Besides, Kyran did not ask about Poison magic because he was uninterested. Instead, he just believed that the corrosive aspect of Poison was very simr to the Void, if not more potent, and felt it would be redundant to learn about it.


    Moreover, Kyran could learn how to poison others using Alchemy, so he did not need to learn Poison magic separately.


    Confronted with a mage wielding Poison magic, Kyran''s perspective on it shifted drastically. His extensive knowledge of Alchemy, including its poison branch, suddenly seemed inadequate against a mage who could wield Poison as innate magic.


    Meanwhile, Dilitrio''s patience was wearing thin as Kyran continued to evade his attacks. He was baffled by the resilience of Kyran''s armor against his poison. In fact, he was more perplexed by Kyran''s ability to mold armor, a feat he shouldn''t have been able to aplish without using his magic or the natural magic energies around him.


    With the restrictions Dilitrio''s Area magic posed against Kyran''s use of magic, thetter should have given up the match. But a few minutes after the Area magic''spletion, Kyran resisted and even used magic.


    Even more frustrating for Dilitrio was how Kyran''s magic signature changed.


    No.


    Wait.


    Dilitrio paused as another thought crossed his mind.


    Rather than thinking that Kyran''s magic signature had changed, Dilitrio should change how he perceives the sudden change.


    By then, Kyran''s Light attacks had ended, and the situation in the arena was revealed to the audience once more.


    "You...!" Dilitrio suddenly stopped attacking and pointed usingly at Kyran. "It''s not that your magic signature has changed. You initially have two types of magic signature because you have two innate magic!"


    When Dilitrio shouted his suspicion, a heavy atmosphere befell the dome.


    Following this, Eissen raised his hand and announced, "Fifteen minutes is up. Since there is no visible gap between the two participants, the match concluded with a draw."


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    "No, wait¡ª!"


    Before Dilitrio could say anything more, two pirs of light enveloped him and Kyran, teleporting them back to their respective waiting room.


    "..."


    The audience remained in a state of tense silence.


    It was quite obvious that thest match of the day left them with such a bitter taste, especially right after Dilitrio shouted usingly at Kyran.


    The problem was they could not say the match had ended because of it since the time limit had indeed passed.


    After what seemed to be a long, grueling silence, Aillos stood from his seat and addressed the audience.


    "The Spar Matches will resume tomorrow at the same time. To those who want to send a spar request, I will allow it until midnight. After that, I will no longer ept any requests. Dismiss."


    Aillos left right after he said his piece, without even bothering to address the questioning look all patriarchs and second-inmand were sending him.


    Only after Aillos had left did the audience burst into discussion. As for those who watched the matches remotely, they, too, started contacting their peers to discuss what Dilitrio said just before the spar ended.


    Eissen and the rest of the aides also left the dome as if to give their silent approval that the others could continue their discussion without them.


    As for the patriarchs and their seconds-inmand, some of them ordered their tribe members in the audience to return to their quarters so they could continue their discussions there.


    The remaining few, mainly those whose talent sparred against Kyran that day, went to their tribe talent''s waiting room.


    Some tried to ask Patriarch Vish or Deputy Visha to meet with Dilitrio. However, the two refused and entered Dilitrio''s room without saying anything more.


    There were also a couple of tribes that requested to meet with Kyran. Unfortunately, none of them knew which waiting room he was staying in. In the end, they gave up and decided to request a more formal meeting by asking Lord Aillos''s consent. They knew thetter would likely refuse. But at least, by asking him, they would show their sincerity in getting to know the new Dragon Lord.


    Now, it might appear that everyone was overreacting to Dilitrio''s remark. Though it was true that a mage having two innate magic was rare, it was not umon. However, the real cause behind everyone''s reaction was that Kyran''s innate magic was one of the Ancient magic.


    It should be noted that a mage with two innate magic would typically have bothplementing each other. A few cases would have them being the opposite, but ultimately, they all were from the same ''type'' of magic.


    There was never a case where a mage could wield a unique type of magic and an elemental one. Both magic should be the same type: Unique with unique and elemental with elemental.


    What about Ancient Magic?


    There was only one conclusion.


    If Dilitrio''s remark were true, Kyran''s second innate magic would also be the same type as his innate magic¡ª Ancient Magic.


    This truth, if proven correct, changes everything.


    "You understand that your remark has caused quite a stir in the n?" Vish asked with a grim expression while looking at Dilitrio.


    Vish and Visha, along with the other three representatives from their tribe, were inside Dilitrio''s waiting room. They could not leave the dome yet because the dragons outside were still in an uproar about thetter''s remark during the match.


    "..."


    Dilitrio sat on the sofa, his head lowered and his brows furrowed. He did not dare say anything to their patriarch unless thetter told him to.


    Vish sat on the sofa opposite Dilitrio while Visha and the other three stood behind him. They also wore grim expressions while looking at Dilitrio.


    "You can speak."


    "I''m sorry," Dilitrio blurt out as soon as he was allowed to speak. "I did not mean to cause amotion. But I was so frustrated then, and when the realization of that possibility hit me, I just... could not stop myself."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Vish sighed heavily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked at Dilitrio closely and asked slowly, "Then tell me at least this... are you sure about the new Dragon Lord''s magic signature changing midway?"


    Dilitrio looked at him in frustration, "Yes! Patriarch, you know why I am considered a talent among the current generation of our tribe. It is because I can freely adjust theposition of my Poison magic ording to the situation.


    "Since I know the Draconic magic''s signature, I have used it and adjusted my poison so that the target of my attack could not wield it properly. Of course, it might not be the same with dragons whose level is higher than mine, but at least it will stop them from utilizing them well.


    "But Kyran is not using Draconic magic. That w-like manifestation he did in his hands... while it looked like a move that applied Draconic magic, it was different. I am sure of it because I did not sense the Draconic magic signature."


    "That young Dragon Lord is very good at concealing his aura and presence," Visha pointed. "The adjustment you made to your poison magic might not affect him much, and he can still use Draconic magic. Then he concealed his magic signature, knowing you could detect and even recognize it to confuse you. You cannot ignore this possibility, too."


    "I know, Deputy Visha," Dilitrio replied, shaking his head vigorously. "But he is not concealing his magic signature. You know how hard it is to hide your magic signature by relying on your capability alone. Unless you have a relic or magic item that can do that, it is nearly impossible to conceal your signature in such a short time."


    "You said it yourself. He might have a relic that can hide his magic signature."


    One of the other three representatives behind Vish pointed.


    The one to reply to the representative was Vish. He shook his head and said, "If the young Dragon Lord has a relic or magic item like that, then Dilitrio should not have been able to detect a different magic signature."


    "Isn''t he proficient in Array? He has been summoning those array formations around him. He might have used Array instead to hide his magic signature and only targeted his Draconic''s magic signature. As for the different magic signature that Dilitrio sensed, the young Dragon Lord could have created a new array and used that to summon magic with a different signature."


    Another representative supplied her opinion.


    However, Dilitrio continued to shake his head and denied thetter''s im by saying, "I was able to follow most of the arrays he used, and none of them has that effect. Besides, no matter how good he is at Array, he should not be able to create a new one without the correct materials.


    He adjusted the existing array forms on his clothes, but it was not enough for him to create such a highly advanced form that could conceal one''s magic signature and create a different one."


    The representative fell silent as she thought Dilitrio made a point.


    "Putting aside the matter of him using Array," Vish interrupted. "Let me ask you again, how sure are you that the magic signature is different? And if you still answer the same, then do you recognize it?"


    Dilitrio did not answer immediately because he knew he had to take responsibility for it.


    Ultimately, he resolved himself and replied, "I am sure his magic signature changed, Patriarch. However, to answer your second question... I''m sorry. But I don''t recognize it. However, whatever it is... it has an oppressive feeling only present to Ancient magic."

 Chapter 1166 Return

    Aillos entered his office and looked at the figure on the single sofa perpendicr to the multi-seater ones.


    Taking a deep breath, he entered and closed the door behind him, saying, "You have caused such amotion on the first day. What do you have to say about that?"


    "...It''s not as if you did not expect it."


    Aillos barely stopped his brow from twitching from Kyran''s cheeky response. He furrowed his brows and said, "Even so, you should have avoided getting found out on the first day. Do you realize how annoying it is to make up excuses and avoid the queries of all the tribe patriarchs?"


    Kyran shrugged and leaned back on the chair, "That''s why I don''t like politics."


    "Yet you went ahead and caused such a scene."


    "It''s not me. It''s that Venom Dragon talent you caused it."


    "Because you let him have a glimpse of another magic."


    "If I didn''t do that, I''d be in trouble with his Poison. I hate making excuses, but at the state I''m in right now, I can''t afford to have his magic energy enter my system," Kyran replied and sighed in frustration.


    Frankly, he had the option to absorb Dilitrio''s poison at the start of the match. But doing that would expose his Void magic. Moreover, his Draconic core was still unstable. If he absorbed Dilitiro''s poison, which also carried the nature of Draconic magic, his Draconic core might get excited once the Void core separated the Poison magic energy and the Draconic magic.


    When that happened, Kyran did not know if Shaiha could maintain control over his central core. Given her weakened state, she might not be able to handle the pressure, and his central core might go haywire.


    Currently, those who heard Dilitrio''s remark only spected about Kyran possessing two innate magic. Even if they suspected it to be another Ancient magic, without valid proof, it would only remain as such¡ªa spection. That should be enough until Aillos confirmed everything on thest day.


    "Are your magic cores still acting up?" Aillos asked with furrowed brows as he sat on the solo single sofa opposite Kyran''s. He knew Kyran''s two magic cores suffered damage when he went to the de Dancer n ne. Cyneah already healed it, but the fact that it took Kyran a few days before he regained consciousness after her treatment showed he had endured for a long time.


    He also went to work with the new Array as soon as he returned, so enduring the damage on his magic cores was expected to take a toll on his body.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s stable as long as I don''t overexert the amount of magic I can use."


    "Having you participate in all the matches with such a restriction can be exhausting."


    "Please don''t implement another condition that can be seen as favorable to my end."


    "I won''t."


    "...Thanks."


    "But tomorrow''s matches will be more exhausting. The talents you''ll be facing will try to fish out information on your second innate magic."


    Kyran sighed, "I guessed as much. But I already have a n."


    "You don''t need to tell me."


    "I don''t n on telling you either."


    "Cheeky brat."


    Kyran chuckled.


    "And? You did note here to talk about your slip, right?"


    "I need your consent to enter the Regis Terram."


    Aillos did not reply immediately and instead leaned forward to look at Kyran intently.


    "You don''t need my consent to enter the terram."


    Kyran smiled wryly while scratching his head slightly. "I meant to enter that terram."


    Aillos narrowed his eyes before leaning his back on the chair. The Regis Terram he referred to was the one in the Dragon ne. However, Kyran was talking about the one in the Human ne.


    After a short pause, Aillos finally replied. He said, "Time flows differently in that space."


    "I know, that''s why I need to enter it."


    "You want to consolidate the magic concepts you learned during the matches in that space without wasting precious time."


    "Yes."


    "You don''t need my consent," Aillos replied with raised brows. "If that is the only thing you intend to do."


    The entry requirements of the Human ne''s Regis Terram were strict because the magicws there followed the ones in the Higher Realm. Only someone connected to beings in the Higher Realm could endure the terram''s environment. In the Regis n''s case, it was their connection with Ames and the current Dragon Emperor.


    For this reason, Kyran did not need Ames or Aillos''s consent to enter.


    Aillos knew this, which was why he guessed that Kyran had another reason. To be more specific, Kyran asked for his consent to have another person or group of people enter the terram.


    Kyran could have asked for Ames''s consent, but knowing her temperament, she would not agree to his request. She barely agreed with the idea of Cyneah being Kyran''s life partner. If he suddenly requested another group of humans, and one of them had aplicated rtionship with him, she would definitely reject him.


    Kyran sighed, "I know there is no point hiding it from you. I need a few people who don''t belong to the n to enter the terram because I need their help while I consolidate what I''ve learned during the matches. Explore more stories at empire


    "I know they can''t enter the terram like my people, even if I considered them as allies because I figured my people are, technically, still part of the n, with me being their ''master.'' But the people I''m inviting are not. And the rtionship the n has with them can be summed up as business partners only."


    Aillos observed Kyran in silence for a moment before finally replying.


    "Alright. However, you need a couple of people to join you."


    Kyran raised his brows in confusion, "Why? It''s not like those guys can do anything to me."


    "That is not why you need people to join you," Aillos replied with a deadpan expression. "As I said, time in that terram flows differently. I understand you want to use that particr ne''s feature to consolidate what you have learned. However, if you don''t have anyone else to remind you of the current flow of time, you will miss tomorrow''s matches.


    That ne''s feature also included an interference that will stop any form of contact from the outside, after all."


    "Ah, right. I almost forgot about that," Kyran muttered, recalling how he put his people in danger because he got caught up in using the terram''s exceptional environment to create a lot of things, not knowing that the time flow there was different and that no one could contact him from the outside.


    "But why is the time flow in that terram different when the time flow in the Human ne and the nes in the Higher Realm are the same?" Kyran suddenly asked, recalling this particr doubt he had but had not yet had the opportunity to understand.


    "Because the Regis Terram in the Human ne is stuck between two realms. Thus, the time is affected. The closer you are to the edge of the terram, the closer it follows the Lower Realm''s time flow," Aillos exined patiently. "As you know, that terram is connected to the terram here. However, no one can cross the boundary of the two realms just like that.


    This is why, even if one finds the other end of the terram, one cannot cross it and will only appear in an ethereal form."


    "...That makes sense," Kyran muttered, remembering how Ames initially appeared before him in such a state.


    Recalling how godly and ethereal Ames appeared back then, Kyran felt a little disillusioned now that he knew her better. Not that he would admit that in front of her. Otherwise, he would suffer something worse than death.


    Aillos chuckled as if reading what was on Kyran''s mind and said, "Yes. Try not to voice your thoughts in front of Ames. She might forget you are her precious grandson."


    "..."


    "I''ll allow Sisi to join you. Since you will invite others, I guess you also intend to spar with them. If you end up injuring them, having her with you helps."


    "...I guess so."


    Aillos looked at Kyran in confusion. He had thought thetter would have answered along the lines: "You don''t need to say that because I''m taking her along, anyway." Kyran might not even care about that and would insteadment on Aillos''s remark about him injuring the people he invited.


    But instead, Kyran seemed hesitant to take Cyneah with him.


    "That''s a very dull responseing from you."


    "..."


    Instead ofmenting on that, Kyran chose a safe response by saying, "That''s all I came here for. I will take my leave."


    "...."


    Aillos did not reply and only gave a short nod of acknowledgment.


    After Kyran left, Aillos rested his head on the sofa''s backrest and sighed.


    ''Now... how am I going to pacify the other tribes'' concern.''


    *


    Kyran passed through the gate from the Dragon ne''s Regis Terram along with Cyneah and Jared, who were his chaperones. He had already briefed them about his intentions, and they agreed to join him.


    Initially, Cade was supposed to join Kyran and Cyneah because he could easily contact the Conve and set up a meeting. However, they received news from the Regis members staying outside the new Array in Coelus''s corpse that the first group was almost done with their time.


    Since Kyran could not postpone consolidating what he learned, Cade suggested staying behind and having Jared go with them instead.


    Jared looked toward Cyneah and smiled upon seeing thetter''s excited expression.


    "You look very excited," he remarked. "Are you that happy to be able to return to the Human ne?"


    Cyneah reddened slightly and nodded, "Yes. I am also excited to meet sister Ste again."


    To be honest, Kyran did not have to consolidate what he had learned in the Regis Terram. He could have returned to the Human ne, met with the Conve, and requested that Ste create a unique space where she controlled the time flow so he could train.


    But after Ste admitted her feelings to Kyran, he hesitated to ask her for more favors. He had not repaid his debts yet, and even if she never asked anything in return, that made him feel more reluctant to ask her for help again.


    Anyhow, they would enter the Human ne for a few hours until the Conve members arrived at the estate, and all of them could enter the Regis Terram together. They would not stay long, but Cyneah was quite happy to return to the Human ne after several years. Moreover, she was excited to meet Ste again because she considered thetter her first female friend.


    On the other hand, Kyran was a little stressed out about their friendship. He was not against it; he just felt troubled by Ste''s feelings and his current rtionship with Cyneah.

 Chapter 1167 Bold Move (1)

    Passing through the gate leading to the Regis Terram of the Human ne was a strange yet exhrating experience for Cyneah. Because she could only see the lightsing from beings or condensed magic energies, the path that connected the gate of the terram in the Dragon ne''s side to the Human ne''s side appeared like a kaleidoscopic room of abstract, colorful magic energies.


    Being abstract in form yet appearing like a kaleidoscope was the strange bit, but the picture it painted was something only Cyneah could see.


    Contrary to Cyneah''s delight, Jared felt like he was passing through a long hallway with gravity weighing down on him several times. It even took everything in him to prevent himself from stopping and throwing up his meal.


    Fortunately, Kyran noticed this and immediately spread his Void magic energy to protect them. He btedly remembered that his family only managed to pass through the gates with the assistance of his Servants. The likely reason for this was that the Void had already altered their innate magic, giving them a certain level of immunity to spaces governed by it.


    "Gah!" Jared held back a choke as he straightened his back and breathed out. "I thought I was going to die!"


    "Sorry, Uncle, I forgot Gael and others assisted your passage through this space."


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," Jared waved his hand while chuckling. "I was exaggerating, but seriously, how can you leave me unprotected when you remembered to do that to my lovely niece-inw."


    Only then did Kyran realize that Cyneah had no problem traversing the space. He looked at her in confusion and was about to say something, but she beat him and said with a simrly perplexed expression, "Kyran''s not protecting me, though, uncle-inw."


    Kyran''s heart skipped a beat after hearing how Cyneah addressed his uncle. Although their family had already agreed to have their matrimony as soon as the Grand Gathering concluded, he felt overwhelmed by how she epted and adapted to the situation more quickly and even naturally.


    He was notining. It was just that he was not used to experiencing an overwhelming emotion that filled him each time he was reminded that she would soon be part of his family.


    He might have acted atrocious¡ª to the point that one would cringe¡ª each time he called her his mistress or his important person. However, having him act like that differed from being on the receiving end. He always felt amused seeing Cyneah''s flustered reaction whenever he called her his or his mistress. But now, he was the one feeling flustered.


    "Oh? Then how...?" Jared turned just in time to see his nephew''s usually indifferent expression contort slightly. Even his cheeks were slightly red up to his ears.


    Seeing this, Jared immediately knew why Kyran looked like that, and his smile turned unusually broad as he teased, "What''s wrong, nephew? Your face is unusually red. Oh? Wait, even your ears? That''s rare. Are you that happy that my niece-inw called me uncle-inw?


    That''s not good. How happy would you feel if she called Cade or Rin, father-inw and mother-inw? How about when she called you ''husband''? You won''t end up getting a heart attack, right?"


    Kyran''s expression instantly darkened as he looked at his uncle and said with a deadpan tone, "Uncle, please don''t make me forget that you are my father''s brother."


    Jared flinched at his nephew''s cold voice and smiled uneasily. "Saying that while calling me uncle, you cheeky brat. I did not raise you to be like that."


    "I don''t remember you raising me, Uncle."


    "What? Did I not give you the best gifts possible during your birthdays?"


    "That counts as raising me?"


    "You ungrateful brat! Was it Nn? It is his influence, is it not? My sister-inw''s brother has corrupted my nephew!"


    "..."


    Cyneah chuckled at their banter and said, "Speaking of Uncle Nn, will we meet him as well?"


    Kyran smiled inwardly while looking at her. He had noticed it before, but she had a way of shifting the point of conversation to lighten the mood.


    "Maybe," he answered. "Now that he is the Human ne''s Sovereign, he will notice our presence once we leave the terram."


    "Oi," Jared frowned at them. "You two are no fun to tease. Niece-inw, this is one of the rare moments we can make fun of my nephew, yet you''re not even helping me out!"


    Cyneah only chuckled in response.


    However, Kyran knew better. She did not go along with his uncle''s teasing because she was a little envious. He knew she was still hung up because she could not see and, thus, could not properly see the expressions of people around her.


    "You are too nice, niece-inw," Jared sighed and decided to drop the idea of teasing his nephew. He stopped because, from her faintugh, he realized that she was trying to suppress her real emotions. Btedly, he realized his mistake but did not want her to notice that was why he yed it cool. "You have to make sure to grasp my nephew''s weakness so you can ce a proper leash on him!"


    "...Is she your blood rtive, or am I?"


    "Oh? Are you now jealous that I am more fond of my niece-inw? You ungrateful brat, return my prized creation!"


    Even without saying which prized creation Jared was talking about, Kyran knew he was talking about the space pouch he received from him on his eighteenth birthday.


    Back then, Kyran was genuinely amazed at the capacity of the pouch and how it could preserve items for a long time. To be honest, there were still a few of the food rations that his family prepared for him when they forced him to leave the estate on the first day his Void magic was revealed. They were still in good condition even after all the years that passed.


    Now that he thought of it, when was thest time he sorted the things he put in his pouch?


    Kyran inwardly scratched his head and decided to do it when they returned.


    "Prized creation?" Cyneah asked in curiosity.


    "It is a space storage pouch created with thebination of Alchemy and Array!" Jared replied proudly while mming a fist to his chest. "Speaking of which, I''ll make you something simr, niece-inw. It will be my surprise wedding gift."


    "O-Okay, thank you..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    Kyran was speechless.


    How could you call a gift a surprise if you already confirmed what it was to the person who would gift it?


    The trio continued traversing the space leading to the Human ne''s Regis Terram while having an idle chat.


    After almost an hour, they finally reached the other end and exited the gate, entering the Human ne''s Regis Terram.


    Kyran expected their journey to take some time, but he was surprised it took them that long. He wondered if it was normal and was about to ask his uncle. But thetter was busy stretching andining about how exhausting it was to travel between two realms, so he decided not to ask.


    Judging from his uncle''s behavior, the journey really took that much time.


    "Are you okay?" Kyran asked Cyneah.


    Cyneah looked up and nodded, "Yes."


    "The energy back then... is your body alright? I''m sorry I did not put up a barrier when we entered the gate."


    "I''m really okay," she replied with a smile. "None of the magic energies there entered my body."


    The reason Kyran was worried about Cyneah was because of the incident that happened way back when his Void magic energy entered her system. Since she did not have a magic core, she could not filter out the magic energies that entered her body. While she had no trouble with raw magic energies entering her body, it was different with the Void. That was how she ended up in aa-like state for days.


    "Besides, I will not get infected again since you know what is serving as my magic core."


    Cyneah seemed to have realized Kyran''s concern and reminded him that the mirror was acting as a magic core.


    Stay connected via empire


    "...Right."


    Kyran admitted forgetting about the mirror''s function for a second but was relieved that Cyneah would not suffer around his magic energy again. Of course, he knew the mirror serving as her magic core was only a temporary fix and nned to find a permanent fix soon. While he was at it, he would also find a way to restore her sight.


    "Alright," Jared pped his hands to get their attention. "Why don''t you two lovebirds go home and rest while I contact the Conve?"


    The two agreed while ignoring Jared''s subtle teasing.


    "Ack, you two are really no fun," heined as they left the Regis Terram.


    The Regis family members, who stayed behind to manage the estate while most of theirbat force went to the Higher Realm, greeted them excitedly.


    They were incredibly excited that their young master had returned and even brought the young mistress. For the past few years, they had only been hearing about thetter, and now that they were meeting her in person, they were thrilled.


    Jared left Kyran and Cyneah with the others to contact the Conve.


    Themunication devices Kyran gave them during the war in the Human ne were enhanced to allow them to contact the other ns and forces more efficiently. Distance was not even a problem.


    On the other hand, a lone person who noticed their arrival immediately descended on the Regis Estate.


    This person was none other than Nn.


    "So you do remember your home, f*cking brat."


    "Uncle Nn, how have you been?"


    Nn looked at Cyneah, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    "F*ck, how did you grow so much in over three years?"

 Chapter 1168 Bold Move (2)

    Cyneah was slightly taken aback at Nn''s words.


    ''Three years? So it has only been three years since I left the Human ne?''


    "Don''t speak to her in that manner," Kyran reprimanded Nn, his frown deepening at thetter''s crudenguage. Despite missing Nn''s rough ways, he was not willing to let him treat Cyneah the same way.


    D*mn.


    Did he just think he missed this foul-mouthed uncle of his? It was best not to say that... no, he should forget he even thought that.


    In any case...


    While Cyneah might have been used to Nn''s behavior and foul mouth from their time in the cottage, that was several years ago. In fact, it had been more than twice as long for her than for Nn since she left the Human ne. She was no longer the young girl learning alchemy from te, nor was the princess secretly cast out of her family, whom Kyran identally met and reluctantly saved.


    Cyneah had grown into a strong and independent woman, surviving outside the Human ne and forging her path in Somuli. Kyran believed that Nn should treat her better.


    Nn should be more mindful about how she is treated.


    Cyneah smiled and said, "I''m okay, Kyran. But... Uncle Nn, it''s not like we hadn''t seen each other a few months ago."


    "Seeing through a magic device and seeing in person are two different things, mistress," Nn replied with a toothy grin. "Besides, we barely spoke then. I remembered that creepy old h*g and Euan mostly did the talking. Patriarch and Cade did not even get to speak much."


    What the two meant about seeing each other was when Ames, Cyneah, and True Void requested Axil and the Coven for assistance contacting Kyran''s n in the Human ne. Since there was still a threat of Flos''s and Obstruction''s people taking revenge against Somuli, Cyneah, Euan, and True Void could not leave.


    Continue your adventure with empire


    There was also the threat of The Emperor returning there, so the Coven had to stay to protect them while the Sovereign of Bulwark, Somuli''s Sovereign, was recuperating. In any case, because they could not leave, Axil and Loar created a setting where they could meet without being physically present.


    That had been possible with Axil''s magic and Loar''s Array knowledge.


    Anyhow, that setting became the norm during Kyran''s disappearance and The Emperor''s threat in the Lower Realm.


    "Putting that aside, how long will you three be staying?" Nn asked, directing the discussion back to the main topic. He said three because he knew Jared had returned to the Human ne with them.


    "Just long enough for me to consolidate everything I''ve learned in the Dragon ne," Kyran replied.


    Nn looked at him with raised brows, "Everything you''ve learned? Why? Has your great-grandmother decided to teach you?"


    "Actually..."


    Cyneah exined the situation in the Dragon ne. In fact, she did not even give Kyran a chance to speak. She told Nn everything, and she even sounded like she was ranting.


    Nn chuckled and looked at Kyran, "I knew you''d do something only aplete ass would do. But f*ck, to think your great-great-great-great...f*ck¡ª let''s just call him your great ancestor¡ª is the one who provoked all your kin into sending you challenge letters."


    "..."


    There were times when Kyran wondered how Nn''s thought process worked for him to change and even exaggerate the things people told him.


    One good example was how Nn interpreted Kyran''s saving of Cyneah as kidnapping. Because of that misunderstanding, everyone believed he had a strange hobby.


    "It''s spar request, not challenge letters. Lord Aillos also did not provoke them... at least, that was not his intention," Kyran corrected while sighing in resignation.


    Nn snorted and leaned back on the chair, "Who cares about an old dragon''s intention? The result of his actions justified everything."


    Surprisingly, Kyran could not refute Nn''s words because he made a point.


    No matter how noble Aillos''s intentions were in announcing the inclusion of the Regis Family in the Dragon n and revealing Kyran''s identity as the new Dragon Lord, it incited the other tribes'' emotions and forced them to test Kyran.


    "Seeing Jared is calling the Conve, you want Missy''s help in manipting time while you train again, I see," Nn guessed after peeking at what Jared was doing at that moment.


    "No," Kyran replied almost immediately, making Nn curiously raise his brows.


    "I''ll train inside the terram since time flows differently there," Kyran continued, ignoring Nn''s reaction. "Uncle Jared is calling the Conve because I needed their council members'' help for my training."


    He mainly wanted to train with Avrum concerning Poison magic, but Nn did not need to know that.


    Apart from training, he also wanted to check on everyone in the Conve, especially Malek, Noir, and the others who got transported to Somuli since he disappeared from the Lower Realm before everything was sorted there.


    Cyneah had already told Kyran their situation, and he trusted herpletely. However, he still wanted to check on them because he felt responsible for everything that had happened to them.


    Nn observed Kyran''s expression briefly before looking toward Cyneah, who failed miserably at acting like she was clueless.


    "You''re avoiding Missy, why?"


    As always, Nn exercised his tactlessness to the maximum level.


    "...I''m not."


    "You just hesitated."


    "I did not."


    "What? Now that you have mistress here, you''re throwing her away? How ungrateful are you? After using her for all your ck deeds, are you casting her aside because she is no longer of use¡ª?"


    "Do you have to phrase it like I took advantage of her?"


    "Oh, so you didn''t? She practically begged you to use her more every time you made a request. If you''re not taking advantage of her, you would not have brazenly asked for more favor."


    "..."


    Nn was not exactly wrong. But the way he phrased it made Kyran aplete jackass.


    In Kyran''s defense, he did not ask for that many favors and repaid most of them. There were even things that Kyran did that inadvertently benefited the Conve, such as Tyr''s inventions, which the cksmith Order still profited greatly.


    If the things he requested from the Conve were converted into money, everything Kyran asked thus far had already been paid threefold¡ª and it continued to increase since the cksmith Order and the Alchemist Association, which benefited from Kyran''s potions, were still receiving profit.


    However, Kyran knew those things were nothingpared to the lives lost because of his mistakes in dealing with his n''s situation and Haylee''s conspiracy at the time. Because of this, he still felt indebted to the Conve, particrly Ste, who led them.


    Nn sighed after seeing Kyran''s conflicting emotions reflected in his eyes, betraying the expressionless facade he had on his face.


    "I went overboard," he said before looking at Cyneah, who had turned pale, probably because she had realized the implications of Ste''s feelings for Kyran from his words. "Sisi, don''t take everything that I said to heart. That''s just me mouthing off my observation."


    "No, it''s alright..." Cyneah started to say, but her voice trailed off in the end, confirming that his words greatly affected her.


    Honestly, she was already aware of Ste''s feelings for Kyran. How would she not? When Ste''s voice was filled with endearment when he talked about him? Back then, Cyneah was still oblivious to her own feelings. When she finally realized them, she never harbored any hope of Kyran returning them, and that was how she never hesitated to leave the Human ne.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In fact, Cyneah believed that Ste deserved Kyran. She might be putting him on such a high pedestal, but her admiration and love for him made her even more conscious of her shorings and disability. But it was the same with Ste. Even though she only met thetter briefly, she felt thetter''s sincerity and goodness. So much so that she believed the two would suit each other.


    That belief caused Cyneah to doubt Kyran''s intentions toward her when they finally met in Somuli. In addition, the things she did in Somuli to survive made her question her own morality and conscience, causing her to believe that she was far too evil to feel happiness with someone. Add her disability to the mix; it would be a miracle if someone would even take an interest in her.


    Anyway, that was all in the past. Cyneah managed to ovee that. Or at least, she thought. But after hearing how Nn perceived Ste''s devotion to helping Kyran with everything she had, Cyneah felt inadequate.


    Was it really okay for Kyran to be with her?


    While Cyneah had these self-deprecating thoughts, Kyran had a different take on things. If he had to be 100% honest, he did not think he deserved her or Ste''s feelings.


    However, Kyran admitted to being selfish. He wanted Cyneah for himself, and that was why he left the Human ne to look for her without hesitation. He did not even consider his family''s feelings if he left. He selfishly believed that his family would support him no matter his decision.


    They did support him. But that did not mean they were not reluctant.


    In any case, Kyran knew all too well about his shorings. Others held him in high regard, but that was only the superficial things they knew about him, like his strength and potential. Once they knew him better, they would realize how selfish and inconsiderate he was.


    Nn scratched his head in exasperation at the sudden mood change in the room. He did not mean to nag, but he disliked how Kyran was dealing with the matter with Ste.


    In the past, he did something simr when he avoided Cade and Rin, and because of that, he regretted many things, especially all the time he could have spent with them but could not, just because of his stubbornness.

 Chapter 1169 Bold Move (3)

    Another thing to note was that Nn knew Ste and her feelings for Kyran way longer before Cyneah came into the picture. He even considered supporting the former because of how much she was willing to sacrifice to help Kyran.


    However, Nn ultimately decided to support his nephew''s decision. Besides, he appreciated how Cyneah gave Kyran a ce to rest.


    Kyran likely did not realize it back then, but he was too unstable to be left alone, and Nn feared he would self-destruct. Fortunately, Cyneah gave Kyran a ce to unwind. She did not even have to do anything because her presence alone calmed him and lowered his guard.


    It might seem risky to have Kyran lower his guard, but Cyneah never once harmed him because of this. Some might argue that she already did when she induced him into a deep sleep during the Ylfaen Empire''s conflict. However, those who knew the truth about what happened understood that she had done it to save everyone, including Kyran.


    Because of Cyneah''s sacrifice then, Nn is convinced she will not lose out to Ste when supporting Kyran. Thus, he chose to support Kyran''s decision when a time for that arrived.


    Nn did not anticipate this moment to arrive so soon, but he respected Kyran''s decision nheless. However, he could not condone his nephew''s choice to ignore Ste. He believed it was crucial for Kyran to confront her, to bring a proper conclusion to their ''arc'', and to provide Cyneah with the assurance she deserved.


    That was right.


    Nn believed it was essential for Kyran to face Ste, not just for their own sake, but for Cyneah and everyone who cared for them. He feared that Kyran''s avoidance could strain their rtionships, causing more harm than good.


    Nn''s intention was reasonable. However, there was something he was unaware of.


    Kyran did not avoid Ste because he was afraid to confront her feelings. He already rejected her properly when she confessed her feelings, after all.


    Rather than avoiding, Kyran simply dyed the moment he had to meet Ste. This was because of the matter regarding the Realm Scion.


    Kyran vividly remembered how Kairo pleaded for Ste''s life when their conversation veered toward the Realm Scion, where he had to gather all the Ancient Magic Cores. Back then, he could not respond to Kairo and has been burdened by it ever since.


    If there was something Kyran was avoiding, rather than avoiding Ste''s feelings, it was actually about the fact that he was the Realm Scion.


    Moreover, Kyran remembered how Cyneah reacted when she realized that for him to be the Realm Scion, he had to gather the other Ancient Magic Cores. He stopped her before she could fully share her thoughts, but he more or less guessed what she wanted him to do.


    Whatever Cyneah was about to tell him then, Kyran knew she thought of it without the Soul Core''s influence. That was why he managed to stop her, and since then, she had never brought up that topic again.


    But what about Ste? Kyran never fully believed her feelings because he knew they were being influenced by the memories stored in the Time core. Even when she insisted that they were her own, he could not 100% trust her words.


    Because of this, Kyran feared that if Ste learned about the Realm Scion, she would be influenced by the Time core and might even surrender it to him right then and there. Although he could avoid that scenario by ensuring she did not learn about it, there was no way he could 100% prevent it from reaching her.


    Currently, the only one who could tell Ste about it was Cyneah.


    However, Kyran could not ask Cyneah not to say anything and gave her something to stress over. Besides, if he brought it up himself, she might think he was giving her consent for them to discuss that subject openly. That kind of misunderstanding was something he wanted to avoid.


    "Don''t make that face, for f*cking''s sake," Nn grumbled, forcing Kyran to snap out of his mullings. "In the end, it is up to you how you want to deal with her."


    He then looked at Cyneah again and added, "And Sisi, it is not good to suppress your thoughts all the time. If you find something unpleasant, say it out loud. Only if you do will this annoying brat will understand it."


    "Oh, but I''m not suppressing my thoughts all the time. Besides, Kyran always respects how I feel and¡ª."


    "You don''t have to defend him," Nn cut her midsentence with a snort. He pointedly looked at Kyran and telepathically said, ''I''m sure you noticed something from Sisi''s answer just now, right? She is such an honest child that she could not even lie about her feelings.''


    ''I get that,'' Kyran replied with a slight frown.


    What they noticed was that Cyneah only repeated Nn''s words up to the part ''all the time.'' If one were observant enough, one could also interpret her response as ''I don''t suppress my thoughts all the time, but I do sometimes.''


    Nn''s ears perked as if he heard something, and he said, "Jared''s done talking to Hughes. They wille in about an hour."


    "You don''t have to give a livementary on what Uncle Jared is doing," Kyran replied wryly.


    Nn shrugged, "I''m this ne''s Sovereign and am an all-knowing presence. I can''t help but know everything that is happening."


    His words piqued Cyneah''s interest, and wanting to divert her own thoughts, she asked, "How does it feel, knowing everything that was happening in the Human ne?"


    "Noisy as f*ck," Nn grumbled before leaning his head on the couch''s backrest. "Since a Sovereign doesn''t necessarily need sleep, having your senses active like this all the time was not that exhausting. But that did not mean it was fine. On the contrary, I find it annoying."


    "But can you hear everything clearly?"


    "Yes. I can''t go into details, but I can understand everything that is happening."


    Kyran remembered something and asked, "Are the other nations still preparing for war?"


    Before Ames brought most of the Regis Family''s elite, the other nations attacked the empire on all sides. Nn took advantage of Ames''s desire to return to the Higher Realm as soon as possible because of Kyran''s situation and created a situation where she had no choice but to help the empire if she wanted to leave. In the end, the empire sessfully stopped the other nations'' advances.


    However, that happened almost half a year ago, and Kyran wondered if the other nations started making a move again.


    "A dragon''s might is a threat that no amount of alliance can just thwart," Nn sneered. "Don''t worry. If those guys made a move, I''ll let you know so you can wreck their asses."


    "..."


    "A Sovereign cannot intervene with internal matters within the ne he governs. But that doesn''t mean he cannot influence others to intervene..." Cyneah said with a wry smile.


    "That''s not exactly correct," Nn replied, shaking his head. "I can''t simply influence others in the ne. If I do, it is still considered as interfering, albeit inadvertently. I can only influence outside forces. Since they are not part of the Human ne."


    "But Kyran is¡ª."


    "¡ªno longer considered someone from the Human ne," Nn cut in before Cyneah could finish her sentence. "The same will happen to you."


    Kyran frowned, "What does that mean?"


    "The Dragon Emperor has epted the Regis Family as an official member of the Dragon n. That means you are no longer considered part of the Human ne. Sisi, here, is still part of the Human ne¡ª however, not for long once she bes part of the Regis Family."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Wait, if that''s the case, what about you?" Kyran asked. "You are also part of the Regis Family because of my mother..."


    Nn smiled mischievously before straightening his back and leaning forward.


    "You are still as fast with the uptake. Good for you, brat. I''m sure you know how I''ll respond, right?"


    Kyran barely stopped himself from ring at him.


    ''What do you think?''


    As always, Nn would not answer his question and only respond with that phrase.


    "d you still remember me enough," Nn sneered and leaned back again.


    Meanwhile, Cyneah was at a loss at the exchange between the two. Before she could ask what they meant, Nn supplied, "Don''t worry, the brat will exin things to youter."


    He looked at Kyran sternly and added, "I know you''ll find the answer soon because I don''t think the situation will stay the same for long."


    "..."


    Nn looked toward the door and said, "Jared''s on his way back. That''s my cue to leave."


    "You''re not going to say?"


    "Can''t," he replied with a bitter smile. "If I stayed too long around people who are part of another realm, the consequences will be dire."


    "..."


    "I don''t understand..." Find your next read on empire


    "You will in time. Unless Kyran here thinks otherwise."


    "..."


    "I''lle visit again."


    Nn vanished amidst a cloud of ck particles without waiting for them to respond.

 Chapter 1170 Bold Move (4)

    With Kyran''s unexpected visit, Avrum was the only one able toe to the Regis Estate after an hour. Ste, though eager, was tied up with critical matters in the Conve. Her absence would have been less felt if Malek had fully recovered, but his ongoing recuperation meant he couldn''t fully attend to his duties.


    On the other hand, Hughes and the other Conve council members promised toe as soon as they were avable because they could not pass off the opportunity to see Kyran after so many years. They also wanted the rest of the leading figures in Ylfaen to know about his return, but because he was supposed to be in exile¡ª so he could look for the Princess¡ª they could not announce it.


    They had intended to inform Iulia, but they understood the weight of her responsibilities as the Empress. It was simply impossible for her to make time and visit on such short notice. Instead, Jared suggested that Kyran might choose to visit himself before returning to the Higher Realm, so they were free to let her know if they could.


    After concluding their conversation, Jared thanked them and returned to the mansion to inform Kyran about their agreement.


    Probably because the transportation arrays around the empire had been restored three years after the war, Avrum arrived faster than intended. He was then greeted and escorted to the periphery of the Regis Terram, where Kyran and the others were already waiting.


    "Oh my goodness!" Avrum eximed as soon as he saw Kyran. He looked him up and down and shook his head in disbelief, "For a moment, I thought you were Lord Cade, who identally drank a youth potion!"


    Kyran looked at him funny and said, "I don''t think I look that much like my father."


    "What are you saying? You''re his spitting image when he was your age."


    "Really?" Jared scrutinized his nephew''s face and frowned. "He looks more like a male-Rin with Regis features to me."


    "Oi, are you not practically saying he looks like Sir Nn!"


    "Oh, you''re right."


    "..."


    Cyneah chuckled while hearing their exchange. Their description of Kyran helped her picture him better.


    Back in Somuli, Cyneah tried to trace Kyran''s features using her magic sense. However, she could barely make out his features even when he tried to reduce Shaiha''s concealment.


    With Avrum and Jared providing Cyneah with more people topare Kyran, she drew a better picture of him in her mind''s eye. After all, unlike him, she could see her inws'' features better.


    "Aren''t you d?" Cyneah turned toward Kyran with a smile. "If they could not decide who you resembled, then it means you have inherited both your parents'' features perfectly."


    "..."


    Kyran exercised his right to remain silent and chose not to answer. In fact, he felt slightly annoyed that everyone kept saying he looked like someone.


    Was his face really that generic?


    "Oh? Aren''t you...!"


    Avrum gasped while looking at Cyneah. He did not mean to ignore her. Truth be told, he did not notice her because Kyran stood before her. If Avrum did not know better, Kyran appeared to be hiding her.


    The moment Avrum saw Cyneah, he recalled the rumored youngdy who looked so much like Princess Haylee that Kyran brought to the Tower of Conve. But as far as he remembered, thedy was a very young woman back then. She was very beautiful, yes, but she was still very young.


    However, Avrum could no longer find that seemingly innocent young woman before him. He was not saying that Cyneah lost her innocent look because she still exudes that purity, but if he had topare her with someone, she would not lose out to their Lord!


    Seeing Avrum''s reaction, Kyran took that chance to introduce Cyneah. Although the two knew each other, because of the brewing war, he could not introduce her formally.


    "You might remember her back then, Deputy Avrum, but let me introduce her to you again," Kyran started with a smile. "This is Cyneah, my fianc¨¦e."


    Avrum''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets at Kyran''s introduction.


    "F-Fianc¨¦e?"


    "Yes," Kyran replied. "I''m sorry I can''t invite everyone to our nuptials, but our parents agreed to hold a separate one here once we finalize everything."


    "...."


    Jared looked at Avrum''s dumbfounded expression helplessly. He obviously knew the Lord of the Tower, whom thetter served, liked Kyran. While Jared felt a little bad for Avrum to be the first to receive the news and agonize over how to tell his Lord, he agreed with Kyran''s forthright approach in introducing Cyneah.


    "...s... milord...."


    In the end, Avrum snapped out of his senses and shook his headmentably. He looked at Cyneah and offered his hand in congrattion. With a smile, he said, "I''m looking forward to the day you both can have your wedding here."


    "Thank you," Cyneah replied while shaking his hand.


    As Avrum lowered his hand, his face suddenly darkened as he thought of something and eximed, "Ah! Does that mean the Regis n and the Royal Family are finally joining forces?"


    Jared sighed and waved his hand dismissively.


    "Stop. Stop. You''re getting ahead of yourself," he said, putting an arm over Avrum''s shoulder. "Let''s not talk about such heavy topics when the big guys are not around."


    Obviously, the big guys Jared was referring to were his father and brother, as well as Emperor Euan. After all, they were the ones who had an official say in those things.


    "Uncle''s right," Kyran agreed while looking at Jared again. "Deputy Avrum, I need your help with something."


    "Right, right," Avrum scratched his head awkwardly. "Master Jared exined it to us. That''s why Malia agreed to let mee here as soon as possible."


    He smiled at Kyran and said, "I hope you''re prepared for some excruciating experience. My magic is not as friendly as those poisons you''re immune to."


    *


    Aillos leaned back in his chair and looked at Ducal standing before him.


    The two were inside his office sorting the spar requests that arrived after the first spar matches.


    Before the end of the spar, Aillos announced that they would be epting requests, expecting those tribes that did not send any spar requests against Kyran to send one finally. After all, Dilitrio''s remark before Eissen announced the end of the match had caused a lot ofmotion.


    Contrary to expectations, however, some of the requests they received were withdrawals of their initial requests. Then, some tribes who had fought Kyran sent another request, with different talents participating.


    "I expected the second day of the spar to cause amotion, but this is..." Aillos sighed while looking at the transparent glowing parchments that upied his table and almost a quarter of his office''s floor.


    Ducal looked at the parchments still on the floor and shook his head, "This is all because they did not know anything about that boy. With the remark Dilitrio left as well, too many spections are going around."


    He looked at Aillos and lowered his head in plea: "Please, Lord Aillos, address the n''s concern. If not, I''m afraid this incident may cause friction between tribes."


    "Hm..."


    Aillos took a deep breath and contemted Ducal''s words. While it was true that all dragons did not want a repeat of The Fall, which was why they supported Aillos''s decision to ept the Regis Family to the n because they had the Draconic core, he also knew that they were not willing to take a risk and sacrifice the future of the n if the situation turned for the worse.


    At the moment, the spection of Kyran having two Ancient Magic Cores could be considered among the worst situations they could be in. Moreover, if that news reached The Emperor, it would only spell one thing.


    War.


    Of course, until the spection around Kyran was confirmed, the dragons were still calm. But what about after Aillos confirmed it? What then?


    Dragons don''t go into panic. Instead, they go into a frenzy when they are triggered.


    Aillos knew that was what Ducal wanted to avoid. Once dragons enter into a frenzy, they stop recognizing friends from foes. The only thing that would remain was their desire to protect their tribe.


    Currently, those tribes that requested the retraction of their spar request against Kyran could be considered pacifists. They would likely decide what to do after Aillos made an official statement about the rumor. Then, those who did not make a move were confident with Aillos. They were the ones who would ept and believe anything he said because they knew he could protect the n no matter what.


    Lastly, the tribes that sent a new request against Kyran were realists. They wanted to learn the truth themselves and would work out their tribe''s countermeasures without relying on Aillos.


    "Leave them for now," Aillos decided after a moment''s pause.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ducal looked at him with a troubled expression, "Lord Aillos..."


    "Even if I tell them about the truth, at most, they will decide to retreat to their territory and lie low. At the end of the day, as long as The Emperor remained ignorant of Kyran''s existence, nothing would happen."


    "Are you not worried that someone will betray the n?"


    "I trust my people."


    "..."


    "And if they are my loyal vassal, they will know I will not abandon them. They will not make any stupid move that will jeopardize the n."


    Ducal smiled wryly and shook his head, "This is why I can''t leave you alone."


    Aillos chuckled.


    "Alright," Ducal straightened and looked at Aillos with an unwavering resolve. "We will do our best to assure everyone. But I hope you also put more thought into delegating your sessor."


    "...Thank you."


    As Ducal returned to checking the parchments on the floor, Aillos continued to observe him with a slight smile.


    Ducal might still insist on him finding a sessor, but he has mellowed out on matters pertaining to the Regis Family these past few days.


    It was a good sign.


    Moreover, Ducal might say that he was concerned about what would happen if the dragon tribes started going against each other, but in fact, he was worried that the Regis Family might not be able to ''survive'' if they got caught in the middle. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    Pushing his thoughts aside, Aillos went back to checking the parchments on his table. He made a mental note of the tribes that requested to spar with Kyran again and those who wished to retract their request.

 Chapter 1171 Bold Move (5)

    Kyran did not know the time difference between the Human ne and the Regis Terram. Back then, he was so busy concocting potions and creating ready-made Arrays that he lost track of time. He roughly remembered that the time difference was three-to-one, with the human ne''s time moving faster than inside the Regis Terram.


    Normally, the Regis Terram, a broken patch ofnd from the Dragon ne, should have the same time flow as the Human ne since thetter follows the same flow as the Higher Realm. However, its time got distorted after entering the Lower Realm; thus, it deviated from the time flow of its origin, the Dragon ne.


    It''s worth noting that the time difference in the Regis Terram was not a typical one found in the nes of the Lower Realm. It was a unique case, not constant but varied, just as Aillos had exined. In his own words: "Because the Regis Terram in the Human ne is stuck between two realms. Thus, the time is affected.


    The closer you are to the edge of the terram, the closer it follows the Lower Realm''s time flow."


    From this, Kyran learned that the three-to-one time difference only affected the edges of the terram. If he moved closer to the center, it would slowly adapt to the Dragon ne''s time.


    If that were the case, how would Kyran take advantage of the time difference in the terram?


    The answer was simple: Kyran nned to use the terram as a focal point and connect to another ne where time flows several times faster than the Human ne or the Dragon ne. And the ne he had in mind was Somuli.


    However, Somuli also had an erratic time flow. This was because it was originally a ne simr to the Human ne, except with the absence of most of the magicws. Because of this, it developed into an entirely new ne, which then affected its human inhabitants, giving birth to humans with a slightly different body constitution, theplete beings.


    To address Somuli''s erratic time flow, Kyran needed to connect it to the terram, which possessed theplete magicws of the Higher Realm. Though only a portion of the ne would be affected, it would serve as an anchor that would ensure Somuli''s time flow would not follow an erratic change. At most, it would follow a definite time difference fitting its location in the Lower Realm.


    Kyran did not know how the time flow of nes in the Lower Realm was determined. However, he got a clue from Aillos''s reminder¡ª distance. From this, he guessed that the further the ne was from the center of the Lower Realm, the faster its time flowed.


    Unfortunately, Kyran did not know where the Lower Realm''s center was. Thus, he could not estimate the time flow differences. He initially guessed it was the Human ne since it followed the Higher Realm''s time. However, he rejected it because there was another factor that ensured the Lower Realm''s rules would not have aplete influence on the Human ne.


    This factor was the ne being the most intact remnant piece of the Land of the Ancients. Moreover, it was where the vessels of the Ancient Magic Cores would be born¡ª vessels exempt from many things, like the magic level cap, magicw restrictions, and even the Fates'' intervention.


    But those were unimportant. What mattered was to reduce the Lower Realm''s rules on Somuli, using a path he would create with the Regis Terram as the focal point.


    "My goodness," Avrum replied, breathless at seeing the gate the Regis created to open a path to the Higher Realm. "I am not knowledgeable in Array, but I know for a fact that you guys did a groundbreaking formation here."


    "I know you won''t babble about this to anyone," Jared started while looking at Avrum with a wry smile. "But if you, make sure only to tell those who would not reveal it to others."


    Avrumughed at his unusual warning and said, "You sound very contradicting there. You don''t want the people I babble about the gate to reveal it to others, yet you don''t mind if it is me?"


    Shrugging his shoulders flippantly, he added, "No matter. Don''t worry. I only go crazy about Alchemy research and lose my tongue at times. But not with this kind of thing. I know the threat the knowledge of a gate leading to the Higher Realm would evoke. Forget about those greedy lords from the nearby nations.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sovereigns will definitelye invading once more.


    "I know we now have a reliable Sovereign, but even so, Sovereign Nn is a single mage. If several Sovereigns attack at the same time..."


    "..."


    Kyran fell silent while listening to Avrum.


    If not for the war three years ago, humans in the empire would not have known about Sovereigns. Knowledge of the outside world or the Lower Realm would not have significantly impacted the Human ne''s inhabitants, but the more they knew, the more their presence would be revealed to the outside. Explore stories at empire


    When that happens, the exemptions bestowed by Ste''s presence on the ne might no longer be enough to protect it.


    While this thought shed through Kyran''s mind, he was reminded of Nn''s vague notions from earlier. He had yet to contemte everything, but he had an inkling that Ste''s exemptions might not be the only thing that could cause the Human ne''s concealment from weakening.


    Kyran took note of this and put it aside for now. He would have enough time to contemte everything after they go to Somuli.


    "Let''s not talk about something ominous," Jared changed the subject at once. "Will you be fine creating the gate alone?"


    Jared turned to Kyran, who snapped out of his reverie.


    "Yes," he replied as if he had not been distracted a second ago.


    "But as far as I understand, we established the route to the Higher Realm because the terram is originally from the Dragon ne. How will you make a gate if there is no terram like this one in that ce? More importantly, there is no gate that will connect to the one you''ll create here to there."


    "I will not be making another gate," Kyran replied with a faint smile. He then pointed inside the swirling, dark purple opening within the gate and added, "I''ll be using the nature of that space instead."


    "What?"


    Jared was not the only one confused by Kyran''s answer, but also Avrum and Cyneah.


    Kyran only smiled and proceeded to enter the gate while saying, "Wait here."


    What Kyran intended to do was very simple¡ª or at least, simple, ording to hismon knowledge.


    The route that connected the two gatesprised all types of magic energy. However, it could also be seen as the routeposed of pure Void magic energy.


    With all that magic energy, Kyran could easily create a distortion leading to Somuli. Because the route itself possessed both natures and rules of the two realms, there would be no adverse effects to that distortion.


    Of course, this would only be possible because Kyran was the Void Master. If not, then forget about being able to move inside that space; no one would even survive there because it was filled with a concentrated Void of magic energy.


    It did not take Kyran long to create the route to Somuli because he was now familiar with the difference in coordinates between the two realms. To give a brief exnation, there were no simr coordinates in both realms because the two did not ovep. However, one should have a good understanding of both realms'' cements. Only then could they understand how to interpret a ne''s coordinates.


    Avrum and Jared had a nk expression when Kyran came back to announce that the route wasplete. Cyneah, on the other hand, was quite used to it and epted everything he said at face value.


    As Jared dered, he stayed in the terram while the three went to Somuli. Of course, Kyran gave him an updatedmunication device so he could contact them anytime.


    Kyran chose a random location to open the distortion. He did not want to create amotion by appearing in the middle of a city. Besides, the old man would find them even if they appeared at an isted ce, and letting him know about their arrival was more than enough.


    "This ce..." Cyneah raised her brows as she found their surroundings very familiar. Using her magic sense, she scanned the area and said, "This ce is close to the house I stayed in to hide from theplete beings."


    Kyran also surveyed their surroundings and said, "I only chose a random location, but I remember passing through this ce when I went to the borders."


    Recalling that memory, Cyneah could not help but smile.


    "You''ve caused quite a lot ofmotion when you arrived."


    "I did? I remember themotion happened because Armakea chose to attack then."


    Cyneah giggled, "Their surprise attack pales inparison to what you did."


    "Ahem," Avrum cleared his throat, clearly feeling awkward for not following their conversation. "I understand it has been a while since you two have been here, but can we change location first? We are in the middle of a forest, and though I can''t sense anything, that, in itself, is a cause for worry! Because I can''t sense anything! Not even magic energies!"


    He paused and amended his words, saying, "Actually, I do sense magic energy, but it was too little that I''m getting nervous!"


    "Oh. That''s right," Cyneah said and apologetically said, "We forgot to exin that Somuli relies more on the use of mana, while its inhabitants can produce magic energies within their bodies."


    "T-Then, how can I teach with such low natural magic energies in the surroundings?"


    "Don''t worry about that," Kyran replied with a smile. "I have a way."


    "Way¡ª?"


    Before Avrum could finish his question, a powerful yet gentle aura enveloped them from above. Following that, an old man''s voice eximed, "Nar! Sisi! How have you two been?"


    The one that appeared was none other than the Somuli''s Sovereign, Nachum.

 Chapter 1172 Bold Move (6)

    Nachum already knew Cyneah had found Kyran in the Higher Realm and that he had requested his family to join them because of the current situation there.


    When Nachum heard the news, he wanted to offer assistance because he had never had the chance to repay everything Kyran had done for Somuli. In the end, he could not offer any help until Kyran''s people left Somuli.


    Nachum hesitated because he did not want others to think he was offering assistance so he could enter the Higher Realm without joining the war. As for who were the others he was referring to, they were the mages from The Coven and the Guardians faction.


    To be clear, Nachum had no negative opinion about them. They had been a great help in ensuring Somuli''s safety since he was injured by The Emperor, after all. He only worried they would think that way since he never joined their faction.


    Nachum did not want them to think he did not join them because he wanted to participate in the uing War of the Sovereigns and try his chance to enter the Higher Realm.


    Of course, Nachum might be overthinking the situation. Nevertheless, until he fully grasped Kyran''s rtionship with the Guardians, he chose to y safe around them.


    Meanwhile, Kyran was filled with a sense of relief at the sight of Nachum. Cyneah''s reassurance about the old man''s recovery and the support of The Coven and the Guardians in protecting Somuli in his absence wasforting. Yet, he still longed to see Nachum again so that he could apologize.


    No one pointed it out, but every event that transpired with The Emperor directly resulted from Kyran''s actions. If he had been careful about using his innate magic, he would not have caught the eyes of Sovereigns or ''agents'' of mages from the Higher Realm.


    Kyran was acutely aware that Nachum would have perished and Somuli would have been obliterated if the Emperor had not been fixated on Kyran and chose to go after him when he ran away. This burden of responsibility weighed heavily on him. It might not have been obvious, but Kyran had always worried about it.


    Fortunately, The Coven''s representative and Axil were good enough to extend their help. Moreover, during The Emperor''s stay, those two actively moved their people so that all the nes that had gone under Kyran''s rule after Flos and Obstruction''s death would be protected.


    In any case, with The Emperor upied with finding Kyran''s trace in the Higher Realm, the threat to the nes and the Lower Realm decreased significantly. Though the threat of the other factions aiming to join the War of the Sovereigns was still there, at least, with The Coven and the Guardians'' active interference, the things they could do were limited.


    But putting those aside, Kyran could not help but blink as he gaped at Nachum.


    "You... looked younger," he remarked offhandedly.


    Nachum stopped short and also blinked before bursting intoughter. "Well, I have be a Sovereign after all. The amount of magic that flowed inside my body was at a level my age, and my physical form naturally adapted to it, even if I didn''t want to."


    "Is that so?"


    "Have you ever seen an old-looking Sovereign?" Nachum asked with a good-humoredugh. "I, for one, have not."


    Now that Kyran thought of it, all the Sovereigns he met, in their human form, all looked young.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That might not be the case in the Higher Realm. Old men were among them, but that was because they had already lived for more than a thousand years.


    While thinking this, Kyran thought of Aillos and Oceanus and concluded that they did not look old because they managed to attain the level of an Overlord.


    "Right," Kyran replied after a short pause. "Neah told me that several years have passed since I left here."


    "Indeed," Nachum agreed with a nod. "Though the number of years is different for me since I have been living in a special space between Somuli and the outside. A year in Somuli is only around a month in that space."


    Kyran knew the reason behind the time discrepancy in Somuli and that space was influenced by the rules of the Lower Realm.


    Somuli was the ne itself, and the space Nachum stayed in as its Sovereign was closer to the outside, where the influence of the Lower Realm''s rules was significant.


    "Nevertheless, it has been a while since we''ve seen each other because I''ve been going in and out of Somuli for the past months. Anyway, what brought you here so suddenly?" Nachum chose to change the subject while looking over the man with them.


    "Lord Nachum, let me introduce you to one of the most talented alchemists on the Human ne, sir Avrum." Cyneah took that chance to introduce Avrum.


    "To be called a talent when you are on par with the greatest Alchemist in the Ylfaen Kingdom, you tter me."


    "No need to be formal, Sisi. You are like a daughter to me."


    Avrum and Nachum replied, respectively.


    "An Alchemist, you say," Nachum raised his brows as he looked at Avrum again.


    Avrum also looked at him and bowed his head respectfully, "Please allow me to greet the Sovereign of Bulwark formally; my name is Avrum, and I am the Head Alchemist of the Alchemist Association in Ylfaen."


    "I heard most of the factions and rtionships between each, as well as the key figures in them, from Sir Nn, and it is also a pleasure to meet one of the key council members of the Tower of Conve."


    "You''ve spoken to Nn?" Kyran asked in surprise. It was his first time hearing such a thing.


    In fact, he was not the only one surprised; Cyneah was also astonished at this news.


    Nachum chuckled after seeing their surprised faces. He nodded and said, "Yes. He woulde from time to time while he was on patrol."


    Kyran frowned, "Patrol?"


    "Since you entered the Higher Realm, the protection you ced around the nes under your responsibility has weakened. A few months back, the Eden and other Sovereign factions were still actively invading them. The Coven and the Guardians tried their best to protect them, but there were moments when theycked the firepower.


    Fortunately, with Sir Nn making his rounds, he would arrive just in time to help out."


    Kyran fell silent. Nn did not even tell him that. Once again, that uncle of his had a knack for doing something without letting others know of it.


    "Sovereign Nn does that? No wonder he seemed to always be missing in our ne," Avrum muttered thoughtfully. I better let the Lord know this so she stops asking for his assistance in..." His voice trailed off as he looked at Kyran and Cyneah awkwardly. He cleared his throat before changing the subject: "Sovereign Nn is such a busybody.


    Even back then, he tried to do things without telling others."


    One good example of what Nn was famous for doing without others knowing was his search for Azaloth''s inheritance. And he did it not to benefit from it but to give it to Cade, who damaged his magic core. He might have done it due to a sense of responsibility, but he sacrificed many things to find it.


    Kyran even remembered Nn getting critically injured while searching for the inheritance.


    "Shall we start with what we are supposed to do now?" Avrum continued while looking at Kyran. "Although I''d appreciate it if we could find a better location with a better magic energy supply in the surroundings."


    "Unfortunately, not having that much magic energy is what Somuli is known for..." Nachum stopped midway through what he said because the magic energies around them suddenly grew denser. He immediately looked at where the magic energies wereing from and saw several small dark purple vortexes hovering within thirty meters of them.


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    "This..."


    He looked at Kyran, whose eyes had turned reddish purple, and said, "If there is not enough magic energy, I only need to create a path where I can gather them and channel it here."


    "..."


    "Y-You and you''re unreasonable magic..."


    Avrum was rendered speechless while Nachum muttered helplessly with his brows twitching.


    "I''m no longer afraid to use my magic inside Somuli with you around," Kyran said with a smile. "Even if others from the outside noticed it, at best, those are mages from The Coven or the Guardians, so they are safe."


    Hearing Kyran speak about those two, Nachum asked, "What exactly is your rtionship with those people?"


    "I don''t know much about The Coven, but they are safe because they uphold the bnce in the Lower Realm. At least they haven''t shown any hostility against me, so I don''t consider them enemies. As for the Guardians, I can''t really say for sure, but I worked as a consultant for them for a year. I''m also friends with Loar, the Sovereign of Automa. Err...


    I am also on good terms with Axil, one of their leaders. But my rtionship with her is more of a business rtionship. Why did you ask?"


    "They have been assisting in protecting Somuli, and I am grateful for that. However, I did not know if I should trust thempletely since I don''t know them personally."


    "That is a good call," Kyran agreed. "Although I am not saying they are untrustworthy, keeping a certain distance from them is better."


    "Yes, I thought so, too."


    "They will soon notice my presence," Kyran said, looking up at the sky. "Can you stop them from looking for me for a while? I need to do something first. After that, I will meet them."


    "Of course. Leave that to me."

 Chapter 1173 Bold Move (7)

    Avrum was initially nervous about teaching Kyran, a genius unlike him, about poison magic. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Kyran was remarkably down-to-earth when learning something, a quality that made him more approachable than Avrum had expected.


    Kyran was not afraid to ask questions that might sound stupid to others, nor was he timid about requesting Avrum to perform magic that others would find absurd.


    In the end, it was not just Kyran who grew from the learning experience; Avrum also underwent significant growth, which he did not expect but weed nheless.


    While the two were busy, Cyneah did not stay idle. She took that chance to visit everyone she knew in Somuli. Of course, she did that after telling Kyran her intentions. He did not stop her and even gave her ready-made Array items that allowed her to teleport to his side at any time.


    She could use the token he gave her since he had already repaired it¡ª with added features¡ª but he insisted on using it only in an emergency.


    In any case, the ready-made Array teleport item was enough to use around Somuli. Besides, with Nachum''s all-seeing eyes, Cyneah''s safety was assured. He could also intervene without worrying about any negative oue since she was an outsider and fell under his responsibility as the ne''s Sovereign.


    Nachum initially offered to go with Cyneah, but she told him she would be fine on her own since he had other things to do.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fortunately, Somuli has undergone considerable development over the past years. With the lost technology no longer being monopolized by Armakea and with Kyran''s people, along with Noir and the Array Specialist with him, teaching the Somulians about Array, it did not take long for them to utilize it.


    One lost technology that was implemented almost immediately was the Transportation Array. Because of it, people could now easily travel between cities, towns, and even kingdoms. Security measures were implemented for those entering or exiting a Transportation Array. Unfortunately, there were still a few cases whereplete beings caused problems with beast-likes.


    Cases like those were dealt with immediately. After all, each kingdom still had to abide by the beast-likes'' rights, which the ne''sw had in ce.


    There were still many things that needed to be addressed, like the beastmunity and thewless valley, Howling Pass, but those things took time to resolve.


    Anyway, those were things to be discussed at ater time.


    As Kyran expected, Axil and a representative from The Coven came to Somuli after sensing his presence. It just so happened that Axil had just arrived at the Guardians'' satellite headquarters, which they had built outside Somuli.


    With respect to Kyran''s request, Nachum asked Axil and The Coven''s representative to stay outside Somuli and wait for Kyran to finish what he came there for.


    Axil did not mind since she was already familiar with Kyran''s character. As for The Coven''s representative, it was hard to tell what was on her mind because her facial features were reminiscent of a doll carved from marble.


    And so, a few days passed by...


    *


    Aillos stood outside the periphery of the Regis Terram in the Dragon ne. One could easily guess his mood because of how he was ring intently at something up ahead.


    Since a special barrier protected the Regis Terram, only a select few could see what was inside. At the moment, Eissen, the Aide who apanied Aillos, was among the few exemptions and knew that thetter was ring at the gate.


    Obviously, Aillos was not picking a fight with the gate but was waiting for someone to appear there.


    That someone was obviously Kyran, who left yesterday and had not returned yet.


    "How many more minutes?" Aillos asked without looking at Eissen.


    Eissen found Aillos''s voice sounding normal; however, that made him shiver even more because that meant Aillos was teetering on the edge of exploding.


    "There is still half an hour left," Eissen replied, d that his voice did not quiver and expose his uneasiness.


    Aillos took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "That punk. Does he n to arrive at thest minute and make a dramatic entrance?"


    "..."


    Eissen tried not to imagine it, but when Aillos spoke his thoughts aloud, he recalled Ames''s ir for dramatic entrances and wondered if her descendent inherited that.


    Of all the things they could inherit... why that?


    Before Eissen could try to appease Aillos''s mood, a massive magic fluctuation exploded inside the terram. He immediately turned his attention back to the terram and saw the swirling dark purple vortex at the center of the gate crackling with magic activity. Soon after, three silhouettes emerged, with Kyran at the front and Cyneah and Jared following behind.


    Sensing Aillos and Eissen outside the barrier, Kyran looked up and smiled wryly, "You did not have to go through the trouble of checking if I can return on time."


    Aillos glowered at him and said, "There is less than half an hour left before the second day of the spar matches starts; why did it take you that long to return?"


    "I had to deal with some unfinished business in the Lower Realm," Kyran replied truthfully as he, Cyneah, and Jared made their way out of the terram. "But it''s not like we''rete. I know there will be enough time to get to the dome.


    "You do," Aillos admitted. "However, some changes in today''s matches happened, and I want to talk to you before the activity starts."


    "Changes?"


    "Yes," Aillos replied with a sigh. "As much as I want to refuse their request, it will be hard without telling them the truth."


    "What did they request?"


    "They wanted a free-for-all setting in today''s match."


    "F-Free-for all?"


    Cyneah and Jared eximed in surprise.


    "L-Lord Aillos, such a setting... is obviously a trap..." Jared added nervously.


    "I know," Aillos agreed. "But if I disagreed, it would seem like I was protecting Kyran, which I am not."


    "Such a bold request..." Kyran replied with a lightugh. "Were there even any spar matches that I''m not included?"


    "As for that," Aillos paused and looked at Eissen, who had already taken out his tablet and was checking a document.


    "Last night, we received 37 spar request withdrawals and 64 new ones. Those new ones were spar requests that involved other talents. However, eight rematch requests were also received, and among the tribes that requested it were the Earth Dragon Tribe, Venom Dragon Tribe..."


    Eissen listed six more tribes that Kyran had fought and ended up with a slightly critical injury. Although the match ended up in a draw, because of the implemented time limit, those tribes likely felt dissatisfied about the result. They did not show it during the match but were displeased nheless.


    "Because some new spar requests involved fighting the same talents with a different tribe, a free-for-all setting can be justified. As for the remaining requests, they can be arranged the following day."


    "We receivedints on how unfair the matches yesterday were," Aillos added after Eissen finished listing what happened yesterday. "With you being attacked by all tribes.


    "Of course, thoseints were not meant to show favor on you, but rather, so we can ept their request for a free-for-all." Continue reading stories on empire


    "Yeah, I guessed as much," Kyran muttered with a thoughtful look.


    Theints and the 64 new spar requests were all staged to force Aillos to ept the free-for-all setting. Since the other dragons disliked how the tribes ganged up on Kyran on the first day, and a new 64 spar request that did not involve him was received, they did not want to drag the matches until the third day, setting up a free-for-all for the second day was a good choice.


    However, the problem with that setting was that the moment the match started, they could not stop it until one participant stood victorious. How the match would proceed was also something that Eissen, as the primary judge and referee, could not intervene. That was why the setting was a trap; if all participants decided to attack Kyran first, no one couldin because it was within the rules.


    "There is only one move we can do to avoid falling into the trap," Aillos pointed and looked at Kyran meaningfully.


    Guessing what Aillos wanted to suggest, Kyran immediately shook his head and replied, "There is no need to avoid the match today."


    Aillos furrowed his brows, "There is also no need to take the risk."


    "There is no risk," Kyran replied with a smile. "Besides, I know their purpose in suggesting a free-for-all is to confirm the rumors."


    "There''s also that," Aillos agreed with a sigh. "As much as possible, I want you to avoid using Void magic, but if you want to participate in today''s match..."


    He stopped midway through what he was saying after seeing Kyran shaking his head.


    "I won''t use the Void again," he affirmed. "I''m sorry I could not properly hide it when I was forced to use it against Dilitrio, but that won''t happen again."


    "From what I understand, you still have trouble using your Draconic magic. Why are you going to take the risk of not using Void then?" Eissen found Kyran''s response strange and asked.


    Kyran looked at Eissen in surprise. He did not expect thetter to say something that might be interpreted as him being worried for him.


    As if reading Kyran''s mind, Eissen cleared his throat and said, "It is dishonorable to underestimate your opponent. You need to give your all to show respect."


    "That argument is too weak, given I did not show everything I have in yesterday''s matches."


    "...Yesterday''s matches don''t count since your opponents also went easy on you."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Aillos, Cyneah, and Jared looked at Eissen nkly because they found his argument unreasonable.


    "In any case," Kyran ignored Eissen''s ramblings to avoid getting sidetracked. "I''ll participate in today''s free-for-all. Since they wanted to test me, I''ll show them what I''m capable of."

 Chapter 1174 Free-For-All (1)

    The dome fell into a tense silence as soon as Eissen announced the setting for that day''s spar matches. Apart from the leaders of the dragon tribes seated at the hovering tforms, the audience was surprised by the announcement.


    It wasn''t that the audience was against the matches. In fact, all dragons were eager for it, as the previous day''s matches had be so predictable that they suspected it was a ploy to showcase the Regis Family''s talent, Kyran.


    Not everyone in the audience was thrilled about the new setting. Kyran''s supporters, including his people and family, were on edge. They were also somewhat disappointed by the Dragon Emperor''s approval of the free-for-all match. They didn''t expect Lord Aillos to favor Kyran, but they had hoped for some conditions to give thetter some leeway.


    After all, he was not just facing off against regr beings but dragons, not to mention several at a time; even if they were in human form, which limited their moves at some point, their stamina was still more remarkablepared to humans.


    Kyran might have proven his mettle at yesterday''s matches, but he was given a five-minute break to rest in between. This was different from a free-for-all match that could go on for an hour or so without rest.


    Come to think of it, Kyran might not evenst half an hour if all the dragon talents decide to attack him together as soon as the match starts.


    Meanwhile, the arena was enhanced to ensure all participants could move around without worrying about its dimensions. An array formation that included expansion, magic shockwave absorption, and auto-restoration was added to ensure that the arena would not be destroyed the moment the participants shed.


    "All participants will now enter the arena."


    As soon as Eissen said this, several pirs of light appeared, scattered all over the arena.


    The number of pirs far exceeded twenty, and if one were good at counting really fast, they would arrive at a total of forty-two pirs.


    Forty-two talents would participate in today''s free-for-all matches.


    Most of these participants received two or three spar requests against other talents. Some actually received only one request, but since the opponent they requested to spar with received two or three requests, they were expected to participate.


    There were very few cases wherein the talent did not receive spar requests. However, they were advised to participate since their opponent received more than one spar request.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lastly, there was one special case where the participant did not even send a spar request. But since he received several, he had to participate.


    This special case was obviously Kyran.


    All patriarchs and their second-inmand had their full attention on the arena. Most of them were amused at the number of participants. They expected the number to reach more than fifty since there were a hundred tribes who attended the Grand Gathering.


    However, it appeared that the majority of these tribes wanted to y safe and did not join those tribes, which caused the change of the spar setting that day.


    "None of the tribes to which the talents who fought yesterday belonged are present," Ickle noticed after a quick scan of the participants in the arena.


    Crei nodded with a slight frown, "Although the talent who will participate is different, it is confirmed that more than ten tribes sent a rematch request."


    "It is likely the Lord''s way of preventing idents in today''s match," Ickle remarked with a chuckle. "The other tribes probably did not expect this."


    "I believe those who conspire for a free-for-all are betting that those tribes who sent a rematch request will have their talents participate in today''s match. Since they are the tribes the new Dragon Lord had trouble with yesterday, they probably wanted to take advantage of that."


    "True," Ickle agreed. "However, their thinking was too shallow. Did they think the Lord had not anticipated it? In any case, I looked forward to the matches tomorrow."


    Crei looked at Ickle in confusion and asked, "Tomorrow, Patriarch? Not today''s?"


    Ickle leaned back on his chair and sighed in exasperation, "As much as I have a high evaluation of the new Dragon Lord, facing forty-one talents and surviving is simply a tall order. It will already be an aplishment for him if hested ten minutes."


    "Ten minutes..." Crei repeated wryly. "I don''t even think he willst five."


    Ickle chuckled and looked at Crei with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Do you want to make a bet?"


    "Spare me, Patriarch. I don''t share the same insight as you on things like these. I still have a long way to go," Crei replied with an uneasyugh as he tried to avoid agreeing to a bet.


    "Don''t be a spoilsport. I will not ask for an unreasonable request. Moreover, if you win, you can also ask any request."


    Crei paused momentarily, contemting his patriarch''s words, before finally agreeing, "Alright."


    The Earth Dragon Tribe''s patriarch and second-inmand, Velctor and Orena, respectively, were also having simr discussions. The only difference was that Velctor believed that Kyran couldst until the end of the match, but Orena believed otherwise.


    "You have such high expectations about that human, Patriarch," Orenamented with a slight frown. "I get that his performance in yesterday''s matches was truly unexpected. However, if he had fought without rest, the result would have been different."


    Velctor shook his head at Orena''s straice beliefs. He said, "If he were not given time to rest, the matches yesterday would have disgraced us."


    "..."


    "Then again, I do think that this free-for-all setting is a disgrace to us that I dare not admit our kind is capable of."


    "...I also think the same," Orena agreed, which was a rare event for Velctor.


    Seeing the amused look on Velctor''s face, Orena scowled and said, "Is it that strange that I find the other tribes'' conspiracy a disgrace? I also think it is not good to gang up on one human just because there are spections around him having two innate magic."


    "That I agree," Velctor replied. He then paused, realizing something, and immediately rephrased his words, "¡ªI did not mean that I find you being agreeable, strange, but the ganging-up-on-one-human."


    Orena looked at him nkly and replied, "I know. You did not have to exin."


    "In any case," Velctor veered the discussion back while clearing his throat. "While I find young Dilitrio''s remark yesterday rming, I chose to believe in Lord Aillos''s timing. I know he will not hide that the new Dragon Lord has dual innate magic for no reason."


    "No matter his reason, just the fact that that human possess two innate magic is already a threat to the n. I find it... distressing."


    "Him possessing dual innate magic has yet to be proven," Velctor reminded Orena. "Don''t speak as if it is already a given. If others heard you... you might cause a ripple effect."


    Orena did not reply. Instead, she nced furtively over the other tribe leaders near their tform. Though all of them were looking at the arena, there was no telling if they were also trying to eavesdrop on the conversation of the other tribe leaders near them.


    With a sigh, she said, "I will be careful."


    "Hm," Velctor nodded, satisfied with her response, and turned his attention back to the arena.


    The pir of lights had gradually dimmed, making all the participants more visible to everyone in the audience.


    "Before we officially start the match," Eissen continued and looked sternly at the participants in the arena. "I will now announce the condition of the free-for-all''s conclusion."


    He paused before returning his attention to the audience and said, "The conditions are: the match will conclude if only one participant remains. However, if the match exceeds two hours from the time of its start, then all participants who remain by then will be dered as the winners."


    The moment Eissen announced the conditions, some of the dragons reacted. Surprisingly¡ª or maybe unsurprisingly¡ª some tribe leaders were among them.


    "The time limit of two hours is included to ensure that the objectives of the spar matches are to be respected. Since we are on that note, allow me to remind everyone what the objectives of the spar matches are."


    Eissen''s eyes glowed as his expression became solemn.


    "Spar matches are meant for the rising talents of the n topare notes. Apart from that, the matches are intended to be used as a way to conclude a dispute between two tribes."


    He then looked toward the tforms and gave all the tribe leaders a meaningful look, concluding, "Spar matches are not to be used as a means to conspire against another n member."


    The dome immediately fell into a deep silence at Eissen''s reminder. None of the dragons dared say anything or react to it because it was evident that his reminder was a message from Lord Aillos himself.


    The audience and the tribe leaders were not the only ones silent after hearing Eissen''s words. All participants also felt the real intent of those words and who was the real one who said them.


    Kyran was likely the only one who did not look threatened. In fact, he was looking toward Aillos''s tform with a bitter smile. He appreciated thetter''s support but worried about the tribal leaders'' stance once the close-door meeting began. Hopefully, they would not cause trouble once Aillos told them the truth.


    After Eissen confirmed that everyone in the dome, especially the tribe leaders, got the message, he loosened his pressure and smiled at them. From the amiable smile on his face, one would not even think he was threatening the audience or the tribal leaders just a moment ago.


    "Let us now start the match," he announced.

 Chapter 1175 Free-For-All (2)

    The moment the young talents of the dragon tribes in the arena heard the start of the match, their magic pressure exploded.


    The whole arena shook from the concurrent explosion of magic pressure. Itsbined force threatened the destruction of the barrier that protected the audience from stray magic attacks or collision aftershocks once the match started.


    Thanks to the enhanced array formation, any potential leakage of pressure was prevented, ensuring the safety of everyone outside the arena. The expansion form, despite the overwhelmingbined pressure, kept the audience at a safe distance from the arena''s edges.


    Before any young talents could fully adapt to the suffocating magic pressure that umted around them, they had already moved and dashed toward Kyran.


    Kyran calmly watched the approaching talents.


    The array formation''s expansion form increased the arena''s size to ten times the normal, a fact not immediately apparent to the audience. However, the participants were quick to notice the change, as they had to cover a muchrger distance to approach another participant.


    Because of this, Kyran had enough time to assess the situation without being forced to defend right at the start of the match.


    In fact, while Eissen was talking, Kyran was already observing the talents closest to him. Because of the pir of light, he could not see them clearly, but because of his sensitivity to magic energies, he was able to glean their innate magic and guess which tribe they belonged to.


    Now that the pir of lights had gone and these talents had made their way toward him, Kyran confirmed his guess to be 95% correct. The 5% was a miss on his part for failing to discern the difference between two magic types with almost the same natures, such as Ice and Frost.


    To briefly exin the difference between the two, Ice primarily utilized the water element''s state, while Frost focused on the process. Nheless, both magic possessed the Water Magic''s base nature, and thus, it was hard to discern their difference while they were still in their raw form.


    Kyran watched all the dragons summon their defensive spells to the maximum while using the Draconic magic''s influence to envelop their hands, feet, or even back with dragon parts. Though it only projected their original body, Kyran was well aware of their destructive nature.


    Ambros and Dilitrio used that move differently¡ª with the former using gauntlets and thetter using a tail to shoot off poison needles and fog¡ª nheless, if any of those hit Kyran solidly, he would have been rendered motionless for a few seconds.


    However, no matter how oppressive the pressure from the young talents was, making the audience mistake their hotblooded rush at Kyran for a show of strength, he knew better.


    Rather than an attempt to deal him a joint attack on the onset of the match, they were only testing the waters. Kyran thought this because they focused their magic on their defensive spell rather than the initial attack they were about tounch.


    ''Since you want to test the waters so much,'' Kyran thought while keeping his eyes on them. ''I''ll show you something to think about.''


    Kyran''s eyes glowed silver as his pupils turned into slits. However, the color of his pupils was not dark gray. Nor were they reddish-purple as they appeared when he used Draconic and Void magic simultaneously, with the former being the main magic. Instead, his pupils shone with a myriad of colors that were almost simr to Cyneah''s eyes.


    ''There is nothing to fear,'' Kyran reminded himself. However, his words almost sounded like a prayer rather than an affirmation to oneself. ''I am in control.''


    After muttering these words inwardly, Kyran circted the magic energy in his Draconic core.


    However, a color other than the usual silver tinge representing his Draconic magic energy was circting inside his Draconic core.


    The color had a grayish-blue tinge, yet bits and pieces like stardust mingled within.


    This magic energy was none other than Coelus''s that influenced Kyran. Because of this magic energy, he could not properly use his Draconic magic. Whenever he tried, this magic energy would go crazy inside his core. There were even instances when it attempted to seep into his Void core, obviously seeking to influence it as well.


    Fortunately, Shaiha was there to prevent that from happening. It caused her considerable magic energy to contain Coelus''s influence within the Draconic core. However, that was a small price to paypared to the disaster that could happen if it seeded in influencing Kyran''s Void core.


    Whiir!


    Shaiha pulsated and whirred as she supported Kyran in circting the magic energies in his Draconic core.


    Huuum!


    Shaiha hummed, and Kyran immediately understood what she was trying to say.


    ''''You''ve gotten used to it,'' is it?'' he interpreted her words with a wry smile. ''Yes, I have.''


    What Shaiha meant about Kyran getting used to it was his cirction of Coelus''s magic energy.


    How and when it happened?


    It happened in Somuli while Kyran consolidated everything he learned during his spar matches. During his meditation, he realized that the influence of Coelus''s magic energy did not act up when he tried to use Draconic magic to recreate Avrum''s Poison magic.


    At first, Kyran did not notice it because he was too focused on understanding the difference between Draconic and Chaos magic. Soon, he saw that whenever he recreated Avrum''s Poison magic, the cirction of Coelus''s magic energy inside his Draconic core changed.


    It was very subtle and almost impossible to notice, but the moment he did and deciphered its flow, he realized it was actually the one creating the Poison magic''s base while using Draconic magic.


    That was when Kyran finally understood why Draconic waspatible with Void¡ª or rather, why Chaos waspatible with Void. Both magic had the capability of creation.


    Chaos, which was fundamentally created from abination of several other forms of magic, could form the base of any of these magic. On the other hand, Void could create anything because it was fundamentally born from nothing.


    However, there was a significant difference between the two. Chaos was limited to creating the base of magic it was made from. In contrast, Void could create anything and everything, even magic. Except, any magic it recreated would have the Void''s property as its base. Thus, that magic turned into a new type of Void rather than aplete recreation of the magic it was based on.


    This was the case with all the Servants under Kyran. After they underwent rebirth from the Void, their magic''s fundamental property were already that of the Void rather than their original innate magic. They could still use their innate magic and produce simr effects as before. That had been the case with Gael, whose innate magic was Shadow.


    However, his magic was no longer just Shadow magic because the Void had already absorbed its property and reconstructed its nature.


    After Kyran discovered Chaos''s nature, he decided to change how he dealt with Coelus''s magic energy. He stopped trying to win control of his Draconic core and allowed Coelus''s magic energy tobine with the Draconic magic energy within.


    Shaiha almost went ballistic, pulsating non-stop and humming loudly inside Kyran''s sea of consciousness when he allowed Coelus''s magic energy free reign in his Draconic core. However, she soon realized that rather than spreading its influence and destroying Kyran, Coelus''s magic energy was guiding the Draconic magic energy.


    It seemed to have enhanced it so it could attract genuine Chaos magic energy in the surroundings rather than its simplified Draconic one only.


    The moment Kyran stopped fighting Coelus''s magic energy, he no longer experienced the excruciating pain whenever he did so. That was when he realized that he should have studied Coelus''s magic energy and epted it instead of seeing it as an enemy or an external opposing force. Because at the end of the day, the magic energy that entered his body from Coelus''s corpse was simply pure Chaos magic.


    It did not have a will of its own. It was only attracted to Kyran because he had the Draconic core, which was initially a Chaos core. A magic core that allowed Chaos magic energy to circte without obstruction.


    Whoosh!


    Kyran''s magic aura, which Shaiha usually concealed, exploded. His magic pressure then erupted and shook the whole dome.


    The moment his magic pressure became discernable, the faces of every older generation dragon watching the match in person or remotely darkened.


    "This pressure...!"


    "I-It can''t be!"


    Most of the patriarchs and their second-inmand were from the generation after the older ones. Thus, only a few recognized Kyran''s magic pressure.


    Velctor shifted uneasily on his seat as he leaned forward, his eyes focused on Kyran.


    Ickle also felt uneasy. However, he tried to act as unaffected as possible.


    On the other hand, one of the few matriarchs, Asherah from the Water Dragon Tribe, narrowed her crystal silver blue eyes, showing a considerable contrast to her delicate features. Her light ocean-blue hair, which matched her scaled-long dress, seemed to flow amidst an imaginary river. Like the other matriarchs and patriarchs, she had five horns, albeit they looked like beautifully sculpted ice art.


    "Mother is right... rather than the new Dragon Lord possessing another innate magic, what he showed yesterday is probably rted to the true nature of Draconic core," she said almost in a whisper.


    Enki, a dragon that bore simr features to Ladon, except he had three horns, was the second-inmand of the Water Dragon Tribe. He did notment on Asherah''s words and only started at Kyran in the arena.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 1176 Free-For-All (3)

    The moment Kyran''s magic pressure erupted, the young talents that rushed toward him stopped in their tracks. Unlike the selected few among the audience, they knew nothing about Chaos magic. But that was not to say they did not know who Coelus was and what he did in the past because they did. Instead, they did not know how Chaos magic energy felt because they had never met anyone who could use it.


    What they did know was that the energy surrounding Kyran was different from the Draconic magic they were all familiar with. For this reason, they all stopped in their tracks, thinking that Kyran was about to reveal his ''second'' innate magic.


    However, the older generation among the audience and the tribe leaders who knew about Coelus and were also familiar with Chaos magic energy had a different opinion, and the patriarchs who had their talent participating in the match became anxious.


    "The Spar Matches has been a regr event during the Grand Gathering."


    Eissen''s voice echoed throughout the dome before any tribe leaders could move.


    "Should I say the rules once more?"


    "..."


    All patriarchs and their second-inmand fell silent. They did not expect their n to backfire like this. They would not have fallen into their trap if they had reigned in their curiosity and waited for the closed-door meeting on thest day.


    Even if they wanted to throw in the towel now and stop the match, they would suffer humiliation with the current free-for-all setting, more so when their supposed target had only released his magic pressure.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Back in the arena.


    At the same time, the talents stopped in their tracks; Kyran had also finished covering himself with Chaos magic energy. Without waiting for the talents to recover or react, he used Dragon Steps and immediately closed the gap between him and the closest talent.


    "!"


    However, a dragon''s natural senses were still something Kyran could not underestimate. Even before his fist could take the young talent by surprise, the young talent had already recovered and did a backflip, dodging his fist by a hair''s breadth.


    "Ngh!" the young talent greeted his teeth as Kyran''s fist,ced with magic energy, grazed his armor. He did three more backflips because Kyran did not stop with one punch. He did not know how thetter did it, but he connected another attack with that missed punch andunched abo using his other limbs.


    Right fist¡ª 180-degree turn with the left fist aimed at the target''s torso¡ª right kick to the leg¡ª stomp¡ª backkick with the left.


    Although Kyran''sbo did notnd solidly on his target, he was not disappointed. In fact, he never really aimed at his target''s body. Instead, he aimed at the weak points of his target''s defensive spells.


    One thing about Chaos magic that Kyran learned in the past few days was that its nature was genuinely chaotic.


    The moment it collided with another mage''s magic, it could disrupt the energy flow of that mage''s magic. In the case of a defensive spell, once its flow was disrupted, what followed right after was very obvious. The defensive spell would crumble.


    SHATTER!


    "Wha¡ª?"


    The young talent was shocked as his defensive spell shattered without even knowing how. He could not dwell on being shocked because that moment''s pause caused him his defeat.


    Kyran''sbo did not stop with him doing a backkick with his left. He continued using the same momentum right after that kick and did a roundhouse kick, aiming at the young talent''s head.


    Dragons in human form were still far taller and sturdier. It was not wrong to say that most of them were simr to humans with buffed physiques.


    Kyran''s first target was such a dragon.


    Thus, Kyran knew that kicking the young talent with his enhanced strength, which was also amplified by the concept Ambros used during their match, was not enough to knock him out. Which was why he aimed at the spot, just above the ears, to ensure the young talent would take a solid hit.


    BAM!


    "Guah!"


    Kyran''s feetnded squarely on the young talent''s head, rattling thetter''s brain to the point of unconsciousness.


    The young talent copsed on the floor with a loud thud, causing the audience and the rest of the young talents participating in the free-for-all to gape in shock.


    How could a seemingly ordinary kick knock a dragon in a single hit? More importantly, the one whonded that kick was a human who was so skinny by a dragon''s standard. Even if the young talent might not be used to moving around and conditioning himself using a human''s body, at the end of the day, their body''sposition was still that of a dragon.


    "!"


    The audience snapped out of their trance as they watched Kyran zoned in on a new target.


    All the talents in the arena also regained theirposure and no longer hesitated. They could not allow Kyran to gain momentum. Moreover, it did not seem like Kyran was using a different kind of magic.


    From the start, Kyran only used brute strength to force his way in toward his first target''s defenses.


    Dilitrio might have mistaken Kyran for using innate magic that was different from his usual magic when he might have only cast a support-type spell.


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    It should be noted that a support-type spell could possess an unfamiliar magic signature if it were abination of three different types of magic.


    With this in mind, all the young talents regained theirposure and initiated their initial n to attack Kyran from all directions.


    One of the young talents, who used his magic to project his dragon tail, was the first to rush in on Kyran.


    Kyran, midway to his next target, stopped just in time as the young talent with a projected dragon tail somersaulted and used his tail to do a stunt simr to a dropkick.


    BOOM!


    The ground where the young talent''s tail turned into a small crater, with dust and rubbles filling the surroundings.


    The young talent dropped to the crater and looked up. He knew Kyran managed to stop before he couldnd an attack. If this had been any other match, he would have already sprung out of the crater and gone after Kyran. However, this match was considered a team effort. He knew that even if he had not gone after Kyran, someone else would havee after him.


    And he was right.


    After Kyran dodged thetter''s dragon tail, another young talent rushed him from three different directions.


    Although it seemed that the three dragons would crash into each other if Kyran managed to escape, that would not happen. After all, Kyran could not find a gap to avoid their iing attacks.


    One of the talents was rushing from above, with both his fists projecting dragon ws. The second talent was aiming at his torso with a molded Ice spear. Finally, the third one, aimed at Kyran''s legs, used molded weapons resembling de-whips.


    Controlling weapons like whips was usually hard. But the young talent was able to control the de-whip with such ease. Not only that, he could control two simultaneously like they were part of an extension of his limbs.


    This was why Kyran could not evade the three dragons'' attack easily.


    But Kyran never intended to dodge their attacks anyway. Not when he was protected by Chaos magic.


    Kyran''s eyes shed as he rotated in ce. The Chaos magic energy that covered his body erupted, causing a small whirlwind that deflected the iing attacks from the three dragons.


    "Argh!"


    However, deflecting the attacks was not the only thing the Chaos magic energy did.


    Simr to what happened to Kyran''s first target, the moment Chaos touched the talent armor and defensive spells, cracks formed on the former while thetter crumbled.


    Not only that.


    Since the three talents were exposed to the Chaos''s energy, it sessfully disrupted their magic energy cirction.


    The dragon tail projection, the molded weapons, the Ice spear, and the de whips crumbled without the support of their magic.


    Kyran did not simply stay idle while this happened. The moment their defenses crumbled, he took them out with a punch to the face, a palm move on the chest, and a kick to the side of the shin, respectively.


    The first talent was punched in the face and got his nose broken, while the second one, who was hit with a palm move, was forced several meters back. Lastly, the third talent kicked on the shin''s side and fell backward, but not before hearing a bone-shattering sound.


    "AAAAHHH!"


    For the first time, Kyran witnessed a dragon scream with such gusto.


    Alright. It was not precisely a scream of happiness, but Kyran found the third talent''s scream satisfying. He had nothing against the dragons. But as long as they continue to target him and any of his people, he will repay them in kind. Feeling amused or happy as a result of his retaliation was expected.


    Kyran did not render the three talents unconscious. However, because of the effects of Chaos magic, they could no longer circte their magic energy properly and were considered out ofmission.

 Chapter 1177 Rumor Again

    The others were taken aback by Kyran''s swift actions. His ability to take out four talents at the start of the match and summon a whirlwind of pure magic energy left them in disbelief. They realized that a frontal attack would not be enough, and their only chance was a sneak attack or to somehow stop his movements for a few seconds.


    s, that moment''s pause caused them a lot of trouble because Kyran never stopped moving while they devised a strategy to take him out in their heads.


    Kyran used Dragon Steps to approach the closest talent from him. Like the first one he took out, that talent also reacted quickly. Instead of relying only on the defensive spells and the Draconic Arts of projecting their dragon limbs with pure magic energy, he also used Draconic magic to reinforce his armor and lower body.


    Kyran''s current target projected his dragon legs. From this, it was easy to know that his main strength was speed. Unfortunately, thetter''s innate magic was not Air. If it were, his speed would have been enhanced further. This, however, did not mean that Kyran could take him out quickly.


    Fire enveloped the young talent''s legs as he used Dragon Steps to confront Kyran. Though he deemed a frontal attack would not be enough to take thetter out, it was not impossible. He just had to be faster, more decisive with his movements, and stronger.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The young talentunched a barrage of zing kicks at Kyran when thetter arrived one meter in front. Because of the swiftness and strength of the fire element that enveloped his legs, its mes erupted with each kick and reached Kyran without any problem. He expected Kyran to stop and avoid the fire. Find your next read at empire


    Once thetter retreated, he nned on summoning a huge wall of fire right at the spot where he wouldnd.


    "!"


    The young talent''s eyes widened as his expectations did not happen. This was because Kyran ignored the mes instead of retreating and rushed in at him.


    Bam.


    Kyran sent out a punch toward the young talent''s face. But thetter reacted fast and put up his arms to block the punch.


    "..Eh?"


    The young talent was momentarily stunned because he was expecting Kyran tounch a mighty punch that could force him back a few steps or more. At least, that had been the case with the other talents. However, Kyran''s punch was so weak that he barely felt anything when his fistnded on his arms.


    His fist made a good sound, yes, but the force was way too weak...


    "!"


    Kyran smiled wryly as the Chaos magic''s force passed through the young talent''s forearms and went straight at thetter''s chest.


    "Guah!''


    The young talent coughed out some spit as the mes on his feet disappeared. Kyran jumped back just in time as thetter fell face first on the ground, unconscious.


    ''So Chaos magic can be used like this too,'' he thought with a faint smile. ''Cool.''


    What Kyran did just then was control the Chaos magic energy to prate the young talent''s defenses and only target his chest. After the Chaos entered thetter''s body, Kyran released the umted suppressed force and attacked the lungs¡ª at least, he supposed it was the lungs. He expected that using Chaos magic to attack their internal organs would also disrupt their magic energy cirction.


    However, he did not expect that it would result in knocking even a dragon out cold.


    Gasp filled the air from the audience area. The young talents inside the arena were the same. They did not know what Kyran did to take out another one of them without even breaking a sweat.


    "You! What kind of... art are you using?" one of the young talents could no longer suppress his curiosity and shout in query. "Is it some kind of trump card against us dragons?"


    Since they could not understand how Kyran''s feeble move could make one of them unconscious, they started to believe that he was using some unknown martial arts¡ª probably from the Human ne¡ª that might have some advantage against dragons. After all, he was a descendant of a human who knew a lot about dragons.


    Who knew what kind of martial arts he developed and left his family?


    Kyran could not help but look at the young talent as if he was looking at an idiot. He expected them not to recognize the Chaos magic''s energy. However, how did they evene up with the idea that he was using some arts to deal with them?


    They were dragons, for heaven''s sake. They were considered extinct in the Human ne. How could theye up with an art against an existence they had never seen?


    While it was true that the Regis Archive had information about dragons, it did not include the Draconic Arts, spells, or techniques of other dragons.


    No matter how genius one is, one can only create art against another with personal experience against them.


    "...Are you right in the head?" Kyran could not help but blurt out.


    The moment those words escaped his lips, the dragons in the audience erupted in protest.


    It appeared that that offhanded remark took a massive blow to their pride.


    Kyran sighed and looked at the other young talents who dared not approach him anymore. If this had been a real fight, they would have done everything to attack him, even if it caused them a limb or two.


    However, this was only a spar. They were given two hours at most to fight it all out¡ª ah, right¡ª fight him to their heart''s content. Because of this, they had the leisure to stand around contemting what to do next instead of attacking him without a care.


    Frankly, Kyran would have preferred it if they had recklesslye after him. But he also knew that continuing to dominate them could backfire against him and his people. That was why he did not go after a new target after taking out thest one. Besides, using Chaos magic was very exhausting.


    Until Aillos started teaching him how to use it properly, Kyran could only envelope his body with its magic energy and use it like armor.


    In any case, because of this, even if Kyran wanted to continue attacking the other talents, he could not. If he did, he would only exhaust himself faster and give the others an opportunity to beat him up.


    "Taking out a few of us doesn''t mean anything," another young talent said.


    Judging by their sudden interest in a dialogue, they were buying some time while figuring out Kyran''s art.


    Kyran was notining, though. Since he also needed some time to catch his breath.


    "You only took them by surprise because they know nothing about your capabilities and the art you are using," the young talent continued.


    Kyran snorted and shifted his weight to one side before looking at the young talent in disbelief, "Again, with that art. And what was that? I took them by surprise because they knew nothing about my capabilities. Seriously? What were you all doing yesterday, then? Can I take it that you didn''t even bother watching my matches because you think I am a pushover?"


    A heavy atmosphere befell the dome at his words.


    What Kyran said was not true, or at least in the part that they did not watch his matches. All of them watched. However, apart from the strange remark Dilitrio made, they did not think he would be a threat.


    They were even convinced they could take him out in five minutes in today''s match, and then they would go all out against each other.


    "''Spar matches are meant for the rising talents of the n topare notes. Apart from that, the matches are intended to be used as a way to conclude a dispute between two tribes,''" Kyran suddenly repeated what Eissen said before the start of the match. "At first, I thought that all the requests I received were because all of you were itching topare notes with me.


    But it looks like that was not the case..."


    "Stop right there¡ª!"


    "You have something against us," Kyran ignored the young talents who started to stop him from speaking. "That''s why you are all so fixated on me."


    As he said that, he took a step toward the closest young talent from him.


    That talent immediately retreated as if he could only feel safe if his current distance from Kyran was maintained.


    Kyran smiled wryly at the young talent and said, "Come on. You''re hurting my feelings. I''m just trying to get closer."


    [What are you doing right now?]


    Before Kyran could say more, Aillos''s voice suddenly sounded in his head.


    ''...I''m not trying to pick up a fight. I swear.''


    [That''s not how I see it.]


    ''...''


    [I know you are trying to buy time while you rest, but you did not have to incite them.]


    ''...We''ll all end up having a staring match for two hours if I don''t.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Don''t be absurd.]


    Kyran chuckled and barely stopped himself because the others might misunderstand again.


    "Sorry, I¡ª."


    "I''d like to forfeit the match."


    Suddenly, a young talent from somewhere at the farther end dered her intention to withdraw.


    "I will withdraw, too."


    And soon, it was followed by another.


    When these young talents dered their intentions to forfeit, the audience was in an uproar again. It was pretty strange how these noble dragons who barely reacted in yesterday''s matches had reacted very strongly so many times when they had just started today''s match.


    Judging by these unexpected events, another rumor about Kyran was sure to spread.

 Chapter 1178 No More

    About six talents chose to forfeit the match. Add this number to the five talents that Kyran took out; thirty-one participants, including him, were left.


    From the five talents Kyran confronted, he confirmed his limit in using Chaos magic was approximately seven minutes. That was also the duration it took to defeat them. If he used that as the basis for how long he could fight against five talents, then against thirty talents, it would take him about forty-two minutes.


    But if he included the time he needed to rest in between to use Chaos magic properly, then it would require another eighteen minutes, with a three-minute rest period.


    In total, Kyran only needed an hour to defeat all of them.


    Obviously, that approximation was impossible. His opponents would not be standing idle the whole time, allowing him to attack. Moreover, there was no guarantee that the other talents would only watch while he fought five simultaneously. And frankly, he could not fight five talents at the same time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just as Kyran was contemting this, all of the remaining talents rushed at him once more.


    ''Yeah, something like this is also possible,'' he thought wryly.


    Then again, even if they decided to make a move together. They could not really attack at the same time. At most, five would close in while the rest waited for their turn. Otherwise, a friendly fire would ensue.


    Kyran braced himself for the onught. Unlike earlier where the five talents went for a melee and mid-range confrontation, they kept a certain distance and unleashed their long-range attacks.


    Seeing the several concentrated magic energiesing at him, Kyran used minimal movements to dodge. This was to prevent the other talents to find a gap and go for a sudden melee attack while he was busy dodging the volley of magic attacks.


    ''!''


    Kyran barely evaded the third magic attack when a talent appeared at the spot just beside the small gap he was about to slip through.


    BAM!


    Instead of directly using his fist to punch Kyran, the talent molded a huge dragon fist using his Ice magic and used that.


    Kyran managed to raise his arm in time to block the molded ice dragon fist. However, the second dy on his movement resulted in him failing to dodge the concentrated magic attackpletely.


    "..ngh!"


    Kyran gritted his teeth, tilting his head to one side to reduce the area at which the concentrated magic attack would hit. It went past his shoulder, tearing a part of his clothes in the process.


    This was not the first time that Kyran''s clothes were torn because of an attack. However, it was the first time an attack actually managed to go past the Chaos magic energy''s effect.


    No.


    The concentrated magic attack tearing his clothes had nothing to do with bypassing the Chaos magic energy''s effect. It was because the amount of Chaos magic Kyran could use had already been reduce. He could still cover his whole body with the remaining amount, but the problem was some areas of his body were thinly covered.


    Kyran was supposed to send enough Chaos magic to his shoulder area, however, the concentrated attack arrived too soon.


    Still, the damage to his clothes was small and it did not even graze his skin. His clothes'' enchantment also avoided getting damaged, so it would repair itself in time.


    Though it seemed what happened took some time, in reality, only a few seconds went by.


    After Kyran barely avoided getting a direct hit, another talentunched a melee attack. Same as the previous one, this talent attacked in a spot just shy at the safe spot that would allow Kyran to evade another concentrated magic attack.


    ''I see what you guys are doing here...'' Kyran thought with a faint smile.


    Knowing what the dragons were doing was good but knowing how to deal with it was another.


    Currently, there was little Kyran could do when using Chaos magic. It might sound like an excuse, but it was the truth because he only learned controlling it and differentiating it from the ''Draconic'' magic he was familiar with. However, even if he could not use Chaos magic apart from covering his whole body with it or manipting it to enter his target''s body, that did not mean he was hopeless.


    Kyran''s eyes shed as he circted the Draconic magic energy along with the Chaos. He then used it to enhance all his senses.


    Doing all these was hard while under the bombardment of thirty dragons. Even if they were currently in their human form, the threat they pose was not lesser. Thus, Kyran had to endure the bombardment for a few seconds.


    Silver light enveloped Kyran''s body. As the light dimmed, all the young talents could not help but frown at the obvious changed in him.


    Kyran''s ck clothes were now reced with a silver armor. If one looked closely, they would notice that the armor looked as if they were made from scales.


    All Aides watching the match with Aillos narrowed their eyes after seeing this. They already heard the story of how The Emperor took notice of Kyran but had yet to see him use his magic to mold a silver armor.


    "So that''s the silver armor that caught The Emperor''s eye."


    "If he wore a helmet, he does look like a humanoid dragon."


    Aillos, on the other hand, watched the match in silence. He could understand his aides'' surprise. But what they should be concerned about was not how he looked at the moment, but the amount of magic energy Kyran was using to mold that armor.


    ''No... not mold,'' he thought, frowning inwardly. ''That silver armor... is a real one.''


    Everyone believed that Kyran was simply molding his magic to form the armor. However, it was as real as the real thing from Aillos''s eyes.


    If a molded armor or weapon was created, destroying it was easy. One only had to attack with more potent magic attack, or counter it with the element it was weak against.


    Kyran''s armor was different. It had enough substance to be considered a molded one.


    ''Looks like you have a very talented sessor,'' Aillos thought as the face of his long-missed friend crossed his mind.


    With the silver armor, Kyran did not have to worry about the iing long range magic attacks. As for the unexpected melee attacks, as long as he knew where they woulde from, it could no longer be considered ''unexpected'' to him.


    "This match is already over," Velctor muttered while leaning back on his seat.


    Orena frowned and was about to refute hisment when two of the talents that tried to sneak another melee attack on Kyran fell down without them knowing what happened.


    The talents that were attacking from a distance immediately stopped in fear of hitting the two talents that had fallen.


    Kyran did not pass on the opportunity andunched a counterattack. Since he no longer had to use Chaos magic to protect his body, he did not need to rest. He only had to concentrate them around his fists to deal adequate damage.


    The audience were rendered speechless as Kyran started his counterattack. Although he did not disy an overwhelming advantage against the remaining talents, because they responded well to his attacks, the moment he touched them, ornd a good hit, these talents would either fall to the ground unconscious, or keel over in pain.


    Kyran''s initially calcted the match to end approximately in an hour and was surprised how urate his guess was. Not all the dragons he defeated fell unconscious, and he also received some internal injuries. But overall, he managed to win.


    To be honest, Kyran intended to forfeit the match if the situation got out of hand. However, because of the strategy the young talents used, he managed to win instead.


    Eissen looked at the talents inside the arena who were mostly sprawled on the ground. Fortunately, none of them were severely injured. If not, he was sure that the tribe leaders would not be satisfied with what he was about to say.


    "The match has now ended," he announced while looking at Kyran. "The Regis Family''s talent has won."


    Eissen''s deration was met with a tensed silence. Even those who were watching the match remotely had fallen silent.


    All eyes were currently at Kyran who stood in the middle of the arena.


    For the first time, the figure reflected in their eyes were not that of a lowly human from the Human ne, but that of a talent from a member of their n. Maybe their thoughts were affected by how Kyran looked very much like a humanoid dragon with his silver armor, but no matter the reason, most of them had finally started to acknowledge him.


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    Kyran looked toward the tform where Aillos was seated. There he saw the Dragon Emperor returning his gaze with a faint smile.


    It was only the second day of the spar matches. However, he would not be surprised if he would no longer received any request by tomorrow.

 Chapter 1179 Secret Request

    What Kyran thought after the second spar match ended had been urate. All tribes that sent spar requests before the spar match started until that day sent a withdrawal request. The decision to withdraw came not from the talent nor their patriarchs but from their tribe elders.


    Their reasons were the same. They recognized the magic Kyran used during the free-for-all and did not want their tribe''s young talents to be exposed to it.


    Kyran''s Chaos magic might not be as powerful as Coelus''s, but the trauma the elders endured because of it was so deeply ingrained in their memories, and they could not stand the thought of their young talents experiencing it.


    In addition to the withdrawal requests, Aillos received letters demanding an exnation of why he allowed someone who had the potential to awaken Coelus''s corpse in the Dragon ne. These letters also came from the tribe elders who knew about Coelus''s corpse sealed underground.


    "..."


    Aillos stared at the pile of rolled parchments that had the same content: reprimanding him about the threat Kyran posed.


    It was alreadyte afternoon, and he was again inside his study with Ducal and Kyran, sorting out all the letters and requests they received.


    "...I could almost imagine the elders going ballistic once they learned that the seal on Coelus''s corpse had been destroyed more than a month now," Ducal said while putting down another roll of parchment on the table.


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    Like most of the letters they had read thus far, the content of the parchment he had just put down expressed an elder''s disappointment at Aillos''s decision to ept a walking time bomb into the n.


    Kyran looked up from his seat and said, "Are there no elder dragons that attended the Grand Gathering?"


    Ducal, seated on a single chair in front of Aillos''s study table while sorting parchments, replied without looking at him, "There are. However, they did note to the dome in person and chose to watch the match from their temporary residence in the pce."


    Aillos furtively nced at the two while checking the parchments. He could still remember how Ducal was so against Kyran and his family during their first few weeks. But he seemed to have eased up a little after thetter left the ne and allowed Ducal and the others to work on the new array formation under Rae''s watch.


    Ducal''s attitude toward Kyran improved even more, although the former would rather die than admit it these past days.


    Kyran returned to reading the parchments on the low table between the long coaches in Aillos''s study.


    "Can you tell me which tribes they are from?"


    "Why?" Ducal finally looked at him with a slight frown.


    Aillos also stopped pretending not to look at them and turned his attention to Kyran. He asked, "Are you wondering why none of them noticed that Coelus''s seal has already been broken?"


    Kyran looked at him dryly and said, "You''re no fun to talk to, Lord Aillos. You keep moving the conversation two or three steps ahead."


    Aillos chuckled, "Is it not that your generation prefers fast-paced settings?"


    "...Where did you even get that from? Though I don''t deny that getting things done fast rather thanter is better."


    "..."


    Ducal looked at them nkly. The first time he heard these two talk, he had wanted to strangle Kyran for his impertinence. However, he was already used to it by now. Getting worked up because Kyran talked to their Lord as if they were equals would only make him look like a fool.


    "Hm... but you seemed to move rather cautiously recently," Aillos pointed at Kyran as he returned to reading the open parchment on his table.


    "It''s because I have little information," Kyran replied with a shrug. Just as he said this, he recalled what happened in hisst venture and frowned at the bitter aftertaste it left. He took his time, prepared, and even made improvisations along the way, but ultimately, everything he did was wasted because of the Fates'' intervention. "That won''t happen again."


    He paused and scowled before saying, "Don''t change the subject."


    Aillos only chuckled in response.


    "Since you already know what''s bothering me, why don''t you tell me the answer?" Kyran asked why none of the elder dragons noticed the seal on Coelus''s corpse was destroyed.


    "A dragon''s trust can be a double-edged sword."


    "..."


    Aillos was telling Kyran that the elder dragons trusted himpletely. Thus, the thought of him messing up with guarding or ensuring Coelus''s seal was intact never crossed their mind. However, it was precisely that trust that would have caused their deaths if Aillos had other designs in using Coelus''s corpse.


    Kyran understood this. However, for some reason, he vaguely heard a hint of ridicule from Aillos''s words. To him, the Dragon Emperor''s words seemed to jab at a particr experience with a human he trusted, yet in the end, betrayed him.


    Maybe betrayal was too strong a word to describe what Zane did to Aillos. However, the fact that even after Aillos warned Zane against forcefully siring a descendant with two Ancient Magic cores, yet did it nheless could truly be considered an act of betrayal.


    In any case, that was already in the past, and Aillos seemed to have alreadye to terms with Kyran''s existence.


    "Well... after today, I''m sure they wanted to check the seal''s status," Aillos said after a short pause.


    "Do they know where Coelus''s corpse is sealed? I mean, the exact location underground?" Kyran asked.


    Aillos shook his head. "No. They entrusted everything to me and the Ancients. Their reason was that they were afraid that if they knew where his corpse was, they might be tempted to find it and then be influenced by his magic energy."


    "Was Coelus really that evil?"


    Aillos paused and lowered the parchment he was reading before looking at Kyran.


    Ducal''s countenance also seemed to have be solemn at Kyran''s question.


    "It depends on how you perceive evil."


    Kyran was surprised at Aillos''s answer. From what he heard about Coelus''s exploits and what Aillos and the older generation of dragons endured during his reign, he expected him to say that he was pure evil. However, Aillos might have had a different opinion of Coelus''s actions back then.


    With a wry smile, Aillos shared a little of his thoughts, "If Coelus had not done what he did, we would not be here. Yes, his reason for creating dragons, just so he could spread chaos, was unreasonable. However, I have always wondered if that was the only reason he created us."


    "Are you trying to find a justification for his actions back then?" Kyran asked.


    "No," Aillos replied. "However, would someone act that way without a reason? Others might answer, yes, there are. And I do admit that it does appear that way."


    "''Apprear,''" Kyran repeated while looking at Aillos skeptically.


    Aillos nodded, "Yes. Appear. Because if you try to look deeper... or understand that person, you will be surprised to find that underneath what seemed to be an act of unreasonable evil might be reasonable to that person."


    Kyran fell silent. In the end, Aillos was trying to tell him that one''s definition of evil depended on a person''s perspective and understanding of the evil person in question.


    "Then..." he started after a short pause, "What do you think of Coelus''s action?"


    "...I, for one, think he was a very sad dragon."


    "..."


    Aillos smiled faintly before adding, "Imagine being the only creature of your race in The Realm for a long time. Withplete confidence, can you say that you can remain sane, being the only one of your kind?"


    Kyran was silent. In a sense, he resonated with that question. After all, he could be considered a one-of-a-kind, possessing two types of Ancient Magic.


    Aillos looked at Kyran meaningfully and said, "Right now, I get that you may feel the same. However, if you change your perspective, you''ll see that what you feel is not true."


    Like a sh of light, Kyran was struck with a sudden realization as he looked at Aillos with wide eyes. "Is this... the real reason you agreed to let me participate in all those spar matches?"


    Aillos chuckled, "You overestimate me."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    On the other hand, Ducal looked at Aillos and sighed inwardly. He knew that Aillos arranged the spar matches to give the others a better understanding of Kyran. This way, they would not jump to the conclusion that he would be a threat like Coelus once the truth of him using theplete form of Draconic mage¡ª Chaos magic¡ª came to light.


    Moreover, by letting them see his innate abilities, like how he couldprehend concepts easily and apply them in actualbat and how he could quickly adapt to sudden changes in his situation, rather than only seeing him as an irregr existence of also possessing Void magic, they would not be afraid of him.


    Ducal knew that Aillos anticipated everything and arranged them in preparation for the closed-door meeting on thest day.


    "Oh?"


    Ducal was forced out of his thoughts at Aillos''s exim.


    Kyran also had a puzzled look on his face while looking at Aillos.


    Aillos raised the parchment he was reading with a mischievous smile, "The Golden Dragon Tribe requested to withdraw their request for a spar. However, they wanted topare notes in an unofficial match."


    Kyran frowned slightly and asked, "What''s the difference?"


    "Since the request does not fall under the Grand Gathering''s spar matches, the rules are different."


    Kyran''s interest was piqued at once after hearing this.


    "Who''s my opponent from their tribe?" he asked, recalling that Thorn was part of it.


    "Anahita, the current top talent of the Golden Dragon Tribe."

 Chapter 1180 Conditions

    Kyran would be lying if he said he was surprised about the Golden Dragon Tribe''s request. At the same time, it was still something he did not expect. It might seem contradicting, but he supposed what he considered unexpected was how they wanted to keep it off the record.


    Others might not think it was strange after what Kyran did in that day''s match. Anyone would not want an official match against him if the chances of defeat were more than 50%. It would leave a bitter taste for their tribe''s history or something like that.


    But the one requesting an unofficial match was not just anyone. They were noble and prideful dragons. From this, their reason for it was not as petty as not wanting to taint their tribe history''s good record. If this was the case, then the tribes Kyran defeated that day would have already done something to remove the ck record of their tribe.


    "I will let you decide," Aillos said while looking at Kyran. "If you ept, I will tell you the rules they suggested for the match."


    Kyran raised his brows in confusion, "Should you not tell me that first before I make a decision?"


    "I don''t want your decision to be influenced by the match''s rules."


    "If you say it like that, you''re making me want to ept it just because I was curious about the rules."


    Aillos leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "I never think of you as such a person, are you?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran inwardly clicked his tongue in exasperation. Aillos had a knack for testing how he responded to certain situations in a teasing way. It was frustrating because that meant he still saw him as a child.


    Then again,pared to Aillos''s age, Kyran was indeed a child.


    In any case, Kyran knew Aillos gave him the free will to ept or decline the request because he wanted to see how he would react to an off-the-record match. No matter how one sees it, Kyran would not benefit from such a match.


    Kyran chose to participate in the spar matches not because of Aillos but because of his family. It pained him to admit, but because of the weak performance of the first few members of his family that came to the Higher Realm, the dragons looked down on them badly.


    And only by performing to his best in all his spar matches could he show these dragons that they should notbel them as weak just because of some earlier weak performances.


    For the past few weeks after Kyran''s arrival, some of the dragons that initially looked down on them or did not even care about their existence started to change after the incident of the new array formation. Though the change started because of the new array formation Kyran proposed, the ones who worked on it the most were Raya and the others.


    Rae took the lead, but he only supervised them and helped out when a calction failed to connect to a form.


    The point was that the dragons who witnessed the Array Knowledge of the Regis Family started to change their opinion of them. They began to realize their potential rather than see them as weaklings because they came from the Lower Realm.


    Kyran also wanted to participate in the spar matches for another reason. However, that was a discussion for another time.


    "I will ept, then."


    "Reason?"


    "The Golden Dragon Tribe has one of the n''s most powerful innate magic and influence. I need to establish a good rtionship with them."


    "Says the person who showed hostility against one of their members during the Tower of the Ancients hunt."


    "..."


    Kyran did not refute. He could not because Aillos was right. But could he me him? Kyran was annoyed at Thorn''s attitude toward Cyneah. Nothing big happened between Kyran and Thorn because Ladon managed to keep thetter in check. However, an awkward tension would not have been there between them if Kyran had ignored Thorn''s attitude in the first ce.


    "I think Thorn was out of line then, Lord Aillos. Though he is not romantically attracted to Sisi, his action can lead to misunderstanding if seen from an outsider''s perspective."


    Aillos and Kyran stopped short at Ducal''s unexpected remark. The two looked at him incredulously, making him feel somewhat uneasy.


    "Did I say anything wrong?"


    "No," Aillos replied with an amused expression.


    On the other hand, Kyran only had one thought: ''He also called Neah ''Sisi''?'' He was genuinely amazed at Cyneah''s ability to make anyone, even dragons, like her without much effort. He should not be surprised because he had witnessed how her essence¡ª Haylee¡ª won the favor of so many people by just being there.


    Now that she absorbed her back, this trait¡ª which likely was an innate ability¡ª should have been amplified.


    "Fortunately, the one you''ll spar with is Anahita and not Thorn," Aillos immediately veered the discussion back on track. He then waved his hand, sending the parchment in his hand to Kyran''s direction so he could read the rest of the request''s content.


    Kyran took the parchment and read its contents. A small smile slowly tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "Are they serious about this?"


    "Ickle is not one to make light of such a request," Aillos confirmed.


    Ducal was curious about the request''s contents, but he did not ask them to share it in case there was delicate information that should be kept confidential between the participants involved.


    As if sensing Ducal''s thoughts, Aillos said, "The rules of the match are nothingplicated. It''s just that... I suppose the objective of the match itself seems strange."


    "Objective?"


    Kyran nodded, "They want us to use only the reinforcement nature of Draconic magic and fight using ourbat techniques."


    "A pure melee match, then."


    "Yes," Kyran replied. "But the strange part here is they want me to fight while using the ''silver armor.''"


    Ducal frowned slightly, "Why?"


    Aillos chuckled, "That''s the question, is it not?"


    "Golden Dragons can reinforce their body, making them as hard as gold," Kyran contemted aloud. "They can also summon gold and turn them into magic weapons or attack..."


    "That''s right. Their innate magic is nothing shy, but it can be formidable whenbined with the Draconic magic."


    Kyran did notment on that. He knew someone who could use ''gold'' and make many things with it by simplybining it with other ''elements,'' so he was aware of how formidable it could be if used in a certain way. Though Golden Dragons could not use different elements, the Draconic magic''s nature evens that.


    "Either they are afraid of you using Chaos magic and did not want the spar to end one-sidedly, or because they have another unknown reason, their condition does seem strange."


    "Is it?" Aillos said with a faint smile. "The way I see it, they wanted to test something."


    Kyran sighed and leaned back in his seat, "I thought so, too. If not, they will not add thisst condition." Explore stories at empire


    "Last condition?"


    "Yes," Kyran nodded. He looked at Ducal before saying, "Regardless of who wins the match, they want me to think of a reward."


    *


    Aillos prepared a private room in the training hall for the match. As for the audience, there were only a select few, including Aillos and his Aides, the Golden Dragon Tribe representatives, and from Kyran''s side, Cyneah and Jared.


    Aron and Cade could note because they were managing the new Array Formation. In fact, Aron had already entered the formation, and Cade was assisting those who left the formation to consolidate the magic energy they had absorbed.


    Thorn looked toward Cyneah and Jared with a slight frown. He did not want toe and watch the match, but because all of their tribe''s leaders were there, it would seem strange if he did not go with them. Also, he did not want Anahita to tease him about being infatuated with Cyneah, so he had no choice but toe.


    "You look like you wanted to go over there."


    Thorn heard Anahita''s teasing voice from his left side. He turned and glowered at her, saying, "Focus on your match."


    Anahita shrugged, "The match has yet to start. Besides..."


    She looked toward the other side where Aillos, the Aides, their patriarch, second-inmand, and even Kyran were. "They are still discussing the reward, I think."


    Thorn traced where Anahita was looking, and his frown deepened after seeing Kyran. He would be lying if he said he did not feel anything after seeing thetter. As a matter of fact, he felt very annoyed. But rather than being annoyed at Kyran, he was annoyed at himself.


    Thorn watched all the spar matches thus far and was shocked at Kyran''s potential. It was not only him who was shocked. However, there was a big difference between him and the others who started to see Kyran in a different light.


    The others did not know the things Kyran did in the Tower of the Ancients¡ª Thorn did. And because of that, he knew that what Kyran had shown thus far barely grazed half of what he could do¡ª maybe even less.


    As if sensing their stares, Kyran perked up and looked in their direction.


    Thorn did not mean to, but he inwardly caught his breath when his eyes and Kyran met. Before he could do or say anything, however, the little pest beside him waved back with an excited grin on her face, "Let''s have a good match, Null!"

 Chapter 1181 Exterior Morphication

    Aillos, his aides, Ae, Ducal, and Eissen, the Golden Dragon Tribe leaders, Ickle and Crei, and Kyran gathered at one corner of the private training room and discussed sensitive matters.


    Under normal circumstances, such a discussion would have taken ce in a more discreet location, away from prying eyes and wagging tongues. However, Ickle''s exnation shed light on the necessity of this impromptu meeting. The match provided the perfect cover, a rare opportunity to delve into the matter without alerting the other tribes.


    Ickle''s remark piqued Aillos''s interest, which was why he agreed to have the discussion there. To provide privacy, he had Ducal create a Sound Barrier around them.


    Another reason Aillos was intrigued by what Ickle had to say was his request to include Kyran in the discussion. It did not take him long to guess that whatever Ickle had to say was connected to the real reason behind their off-the-record match request.


    After hearing what Ickle wanted to say, Ae, Ducal, and Eissen were surprised. Crei then shared some data from his tablet to shed more light on what Ickle told them.


    Aillos did not carry around his tablet, while the one with Kyran was gifted to him by Oceanus, so he could not use it for propriety and security reasons. Thus, Ducal showed them the information with his tablet.


    "I had my suspicions, so it really is the case," Aillos muttered after seeing the information. He looked at Ickle and said, "That''s why you offered a reward regardless of the match''s oue."


    "The match itself is already a reward for us," Ickle replied solemnly. "Thus, I find it unfair if Null is not properlypensated for his assistance."


    Aillos smirked andughed faintly, "Compensate, huh."


    He looked at Kyran and asked, "As I said before, I''ll let you decide on this matter."


    Kyran sighed inwardly in exasperation. He did not expect Aillos to say that aloud because what Aillos did could be mistaken as him showing favor toward Kyran.


    Was he not afraid that a strange rumor would spread among the tribe leaders again? The closed-door meeting was just around the corner, and he was giving himself another hurdle to break if such a rumor spread.


    In the end, Aillos''s intentions did not matter because Kyran had already decided what to say if the reward for the match was mentioned.


    "For the reward, I..."


    *


    The private training room wasrge enough to amodate about a hundred people, and the stage was about 500 square meters. It was a luxurious space¡ª much bigger than any private training rooms or halls Kyran had seen before. However, considering the beings using it, it was understandable.


    Dragons spar while in their human form to restrict their raw strength. Nevertheless, there were moments when both parties got too caught up in the momentum and morphed some of their original dragon parts¡ª mostly their limbs¡ª right in the middle of their spar.


    Sometimes, the dragons even changed back to their original form. When that happened, the training room''s size would be too small for them. That was why a simr formation, like the one in the dome, was in ce to ensure there would not be any unnecessary casualties when two dragons shed.


    At the moment, Cyneah and Jared were seated on the east side of the audience, while the representatives of the Golden Dragon Tribe were on the west. Meanwhile, Aillos, Ae, and Ducal were seated on an elevated tform at the north end.


    Like the matches in the dome, Eissen would oversee the match and thus stay in the arena with the participants.


    "The match will begin shortly," Eissen announced, looking toward Anahita and Kyran, who were waiting by the sidelines. "Participants, to the center of the stage."


    Anahita and Kyran entered the stage, with the former looking up at thetter with a mischievous grin on her face.


    As soon as the two were at a distance where they could talk without raising their voices, Anahita chattered away in excitement.


    "You know, it was my first time seeing a real human when your family came here a few months back," she started while shamelessly scrutinizing Kyran. "I was honestly disappointed at how gloomy all of them looked."


    As if realizing her words might havee off negatively, she hastily added, "Don''t get me wrong, okay? I just found your... how to put it... color (?) gloomy. With all those dark hues on your hair and eyes."


    "..."


    "Oh, but I like Sisi''s eyes; they are very pretty," Anahita cheekily added while looking at Cyneah with a smile. "She is also very beautiful for a human." Looking back at Kyran, she continued, "As you''ve noticed, us dragons in human form are without w."


    "..."


    Kyran was rendered speechless.


    How could someone say that when horns protruded on their foreheads and eyes with slitted pupils?


    Then again, Kyran supposed beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or, in this case, a dragon''s aesthetic sense of beauty was different from that of a human.


    As for Cyneah, she was a special case, so regardless of race or species, she would always be beautiful.


    For the record, the above statement was Kyran''s prejudice. However, others could not easily refute it because Cyneah''s beauty was indeed otherwordly.


    "But when you showed up at the banquet on the first day..."


    Kyran''s thoughts were cut short as he heard Anahita''s following statements.


    "...I realized a human with such a gloomy appearance can still look very ravishing."


    Kyran barely stopped his brows from twitching at Anahita''s choice of words, especially when she licked her lips while looking at him as if he were a rare delicacy.


    "Please don''t eat me in the middle of the spar."


    Explore more stories with empire


    "Ahahahah!" Anahita burst out inughter at Kyran''s reply. "Don''t worry, I''m a vegetarian."


    "..."


    Did that mean she would eat him if she were not?


    On the east side of the audience, Jared shifted in his seat after sensing a strange drop in the temperature beside him. He more or less guessed why it was happening because his enhanced senses allowed him to hear the conversation between Anahita and Kyran. As for Cyneah, she likely heard it, too, since her other senses were naturally enhanced due to her sight disability.


    In any case, Jared did not know how tofort his niece-inw. Given how he had the same trouble with his sister-inw because of his brother before, he thought he could say something easily. But he found Cyneah''s silence more intimidating than Rin''s outspokenness and found it hard to find the right words to assure her.


    "As agreed by both parties, participants will only spar with their ''magic armor.'' Other magic spells and enhancements are prohibited. Are both of you ready?"


    "Yes."


    "Then, begin."


    Eissen disappeared in the blink of an eye. He used Dragon Steps to step away from the middle of the stage and observe the match from the side.


    Anahita and Kyran circted their magic, and slowly, armor formed around their bodies¡ªgold for Anahita and silver for Kyran.


    "You know, I was shocked when you covered your whole body with magic energy in the match earlier," Anahita said while her magic energy surged around her and covered her body. "Yesterday, you did something simr, but there is a difference in the texture... no, rather, the substance (?) of the energy you used then is different than the one today, so I did not really pay much attention."


    Her eyes shed excitedly as she looked at the silver armor forming around Kyran. She said, "You''re not using the concept of molding when creating that armor, right?"


    Kyran did not respond and only focused on assessing Anahita''s armor. After all, this was the real reason they were having this spar.


    Anahita did not use the molding technique when creating her armor. Instead, she was morphing her exterior using her internal energy. The concept was simr to what Kyran was doing. However, it was also still a little different because, unlike him, Anahita''s current exterior was not real. Her armor was unstable and could have had negative consequences if done haphazardly.


    At the moment, Anahita could only maintain this state for a limited time. She tried everything she could to improve this technique. However, because there was no precedence to the technique she was using, she was immediately struck by a wall and could not progress.


    Ickle wanted to help her and thought of discussing this matter with Aillos during the Grand Gathering. Supposedly, he nned to open the subject during the closed-door meeting. However, he admitted feeling reluctant to disclose the technique to the other tribe leaders.


    It was not that he did not trust them. He was only afraid that others might perceive his motive for sharing the technique negatively. After all, Anahita''s technique focused on a dragon in human form. There was no reason for them to waste time on such a technique when they could turn their bodies into gold in their original form.


    Ickle knew this; he also had the same sentiment when he first heard it. However, after realizing the potential of Anahita''s technique, he could no longer feign indifference. Thus, he decided to support her 100%.


    Then came Kyran.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although it seemed Anahita''s idea was no longer a ''first,'' with Kyran in the picture, it did not matter. What mattered was developing and improving the technique in a way that could benefit the n members. By doing this, they could adequately protect themselves while in human form.


    Few knew this fact, but the truth was that dragons were more vulnerable in their actual form. That was why they were usually seen in human form. However, they could not fight well in human form because they had little to nobat experience. This was why, in a life-and-death situation, they were forced to return to their original form and risk exposing their vulnerability.

 Chapter 1182 Dont Put The Cart Before The Horse

    Another thing to note is that when a dragon dies, its body bes a treasure grove. Everything from their blood, scales, flesh, internal organs, and bones could be used for several magic-rted creations and research. Be it for alchemy, array, armor weapon crafting, spell creation, rune manufacturing, and so on, dragon parts were valuable ingredients.


    Frankly, if it had not been for Aillos''s existence, the other ns would have already hunted their species to extinction.


    Recognizing their vulnerabilities, Ickle saw the boundless potential in Anahita''s new concept. If they could master it, they wouldn''t have to risk their lives in their original form. With Anahita''s idea, they could be formidable in human form. All that was left was to gain experience in this form, and they would be unstoppable.


    While Ickle was lost in thought, Anahita and Kyran finished covering their bodies with armor. Soon after that, the two met in the middle and shed, with the former sending out a kick using her left leg while thetter sessfully blocked it with his left forearm.


    "Good, your eyes can follow well," Anahitaplimented Kyran for blocking her kick. "Let''s see how long you can follow."


    Before Anahita could finish her sentence, her body became a golden blur as she rushed Kyran withbo attacks using her legs, knees, and even the bridges and heels of her feet. She moved pretty nimbly in a body that appeared to be made of gold.


    Nevertheless, Kyran saw her movements and blocked her attacks before they could hit his vital points. Honestly, herbo attack would not inflict any damage, even if he decided not to block them. After fighting so many talents of the dragon tribes and understanding their magic concepts, his armor received a tremendous enhancement. Moreover, he was no longer that affected by Coelus''s magic energy.


    Now that he knew how to control it, albeit to a certain extent, he did not have to worry about his Draconic magic going out of control.


    "Hm... impressive," Anahita muttered before moving a few steps back to look at Kyran. "Now, I understand why Ambros got slightly serious during your spar."


    Looking at Kyran''s body with fascination, she said, "Your body is alreadyparable to a young dragon."


    Ickle, Crei, and the rest of the Golden Dragon Tribe representatives were surprised at Anahita''s words. There had been many spections on how Kyran could endure a dragon''s attack with his tiny body.


    One spection was that he inherited a stronger dragon blood than the rest of the Regis. Another was that his status as the new Dragon Lord gave him an innate ability that involved his body to utilize Draconic magic properly. These two were among the most possible reasons. However, after he disyed the magic of Chaos, the former sounded like the most suitable reason.


    Inheriting a stronger dragon blood would naturally strengthen Kyran''s body somewhat. If he used Draconic magic to further enhance his body, at most, his defenses would beparable to a baby dragon.


    But apparently, Anahita judged that Kyran''s body wasparable to a young dragon¡ª an existence simr to Anahita and the current young talents of their generation.


    How was that possible?


    "An Elixir?" Ickle wondered aloud after remembering a potion that was very famous in the older generation.


    Because of the internal war among the dragons at the time, the younger generation was forced to drink Elixirs to enhance their bodies. Since fighting in human form was not a thing then, dragons fought one another without restrictions, leaving destruction in their wake.


    In any case, the Elixir was no longer being practiced because one of its main ingredients was dragon bones. There was no shortage of that back then because dragons died almost daily.


    "Impossible," Crei replied while shaking his head in disbelief. "I heard that even then, the chances of a young dragon sessfully oveing the Elixir''s effect was only 30%. There is no way a human could have endured it."


    "Does it matter?" Kyran replied.


    It was unknown whether he heard Ickle or Crei and responded to them or was simply responding to Anahita''sment. What was certain was that he found thetter''s attempt at idle chatter pointless.


    "Stop talking ande," he told her while gesturing for her toe at him with his hand.


    Anahita''s brow twitched slightly as she growled, "Is that right? Then don''t me me for this."


    As soon as she said that, her body disappeared. Earlier, no matter how fast she moved, she would still leave a faint trail of golden blur in her wake. However, this time, there was nothing.


    Bam!


    Kyran raised an arm to block Anahita''s kick at the back of his head.


    "You bastard¡ª you can still follow that?" she asked through gritted teeth. But her words were not said in annoyance. It was the opposite. Anahita''s face beamed excitedly at the thought that she could go all out against Kyran.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Following that, Anahita barraged Kyran with another flurry ofbo attacks.


    Bam! Whoosh! Bam!


    She mostly used her lower body to attack him earlier, but now, she also used her upper. No magic was involved in her attacks. They were all filled with her raw strength. Nevertheless, the aftershocks produced every time her attack hit were so strong that the ground around them cracked and crumbled.


    Kyran could not count how many times Anahita attacked. He only focused on two things: blocking and observing her. To be more precise, he was observing the density of her armor.


    While the request was said to be a spar between them, their match could be considered a training or an assessment rather than a spar. At least, that was what Ickle asked Kyran when they were discussing the reward.


    Ickle asked Kyran to observe Anahita while she used her exterior morphication idea and, if possible, find out why she could only maintain it for a short time, then train her so she could improve it.


    "I get it now," Kyran suddenly said, distracting Anahita while she was about to punch him.


    "Huh¡ª?"


    That split-second pause allowed Kyran to step in and finallyunch his first attack. Using the most minimal movement, he twisted his upper body, transferred all the weight he gathered to his fist, and hit Anahita''s exposed torso.


    BAM!


    "¡ªAck!"


    The armor on Anahita''s torso crumbled as she was flung sideward from the force of Kyran''s punch. She was caught off guard by his attack, and she failed to react on time. She skidded on a few times before managing to set one foot on the ground to break her momentum. Her foot left a trail of rubble for a few meters before she finally managed to stop.


    "Ptu!"


    Anahita spat out some blood because she bit her tongue while skidding on the floor. She then looked at Kyran, who did not pursue her. She felt somewhat insulted at his carefree attitude and was about to criticize him when he suddenly spoke.


    "You''re not properly using the Draconic magic''s enhancement."


    Anahita paused and frowned, "What?"


    "Don''t put the cart before the horse."


    "What the hell are you¡ª?"


    "When you cover your body with your armor, you must first enhance your form using the Draconic magic. If not, you cannot maintain your armor for long."


    Anahita''s expression changed as soon as she realized what Kyran was talking about. She gaped at him in surprise while she straightened her back. "You¡ª you know the concept I''m using with this armor?"


    Kyran retracted the head area of his armor and approached Anahita.


    "It is a little different," he admitted. "But I noticed how the concentration of your Draconic magic reduces each time you attack."


    "Wait," Anahita blinked at him in disbelief and pointed, "How the hell can you see something like that?"


    Kyran raised an arm and pointed at his fist before saying, "When you punch, the Draconic magic on your armor is more concentrated around your fist. However, when that happens, the energy on this part¡ª" he lowered his pointing finger on the forearm of his raised arm, "¡ªwas reduced in the process."


    Anahita frowned, "That should not be the case. I have full control over my magic energy."


    "Your innate magic energy, maybe, but not the Draconic."


    "How..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Don''t ask. I can''t exin it at this moment. You just have to know that I am very sensitive to the type of magic energy my opponent uses."


    "That''s a load of..." Anahita wanted to rebuke Kyran''s words again. But seeing how serious he looked, she swallowed the words she was about to say.


    Kyran finally stopped walking when he was about three meters away from Anahita and released his silver armor.


    Anahita was stunned at his sudden action. She would have taken that chance to attack again, but for some reason, she found no gaps she could exploit, even when he released his armor.


    "If you want to stabilize your armor, you must enhance your form," Kyran continued, exining while demonstrating. He roused the Draconic magic energy and covered his whole body with it before slowly converting the otheryer of the energy into silver-scale armor. "I don''t have much problem with it because I''m human. However, your original form is a dragon.


    If your armor resembled a human, you must ensure your human form is stable enough to contain it with a simr form armor."


    "...But I am maintaining my form using my magic."


    "Don''t use your innate magic," Kyran told her. "Use Draconic magic first, then cover its outeryer with your innate magic. If you do, your armor will be more stable."

 Chapter 1183 Closed-Door Meeting (1)

    Ickle and the rest of the Golden Dragon Tribe representatives'' reactions were a sight to behold as the match between Anahita and Kyran unfolded. They were not amazed by their confrontation¡ªno, actually, they were pretty amazed, but for an entirely unexpected reason.


    Crei, in particr, had a peculiar expression as he observed the two onstage. Unable to contain his thoughts any longer, he voiced his doubts to Ickle.


    "Patriarch," he began, his unease palpable, "I understand your request for him to observe Anahita''s technique and possibly train her, but this..."


    He gestured toward the stage where the two supposed opponents were now absorbed in discussing Anahita''s exterior morphication.


    At that moment, Anahita was trying out something that Kyran said after pointing out some of the ws in her application.


    Crei continued, "...Can we still call this a spar?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Thorn and the other representatives also looked at them with simr thoughts. They were not really against it because the things Kyran and Anahita discussed were pretty helpful to them, too. Still, the purpose of the spar was utterly removed from their actions.


    If this was any other time, one of them would have already objected to the strange development of the spar. However, they knew why Ickle wanted an off-the-record match, and Kyran was doing precisely what was asked of him.


    "Leave them," Ickle replied, even though he understood their sentiments. "More importantly, Thorn..."


    "Yes, Patriarch."


    "Listen well to what Null is saying. You still have troublebining your innate magic with Draconic, and his advice to Anahita can also be helpful to you."


    "I know," Thorn replied. He hated to admit it, but Kyran''s advice was insightful.


    "Also," Ickle looked at him meaningfully. "The treasure you and Ladon brought, both of you managed to break through its first trial, right?"


    "Yes."


    "The others are still having some problems getting past the first trial, but somehow, I have an inkling that Null''s advice can help you pass the next one."


    The treasure Ladon and Thorn got in the Tower of the Ancients was named Aegis''s Trial. It was shaped like an egg, but when activated, it created an isted space covered with a powerful barrier. The only way to escape that space was to destroy the barrier.


    Ladon and Thorn seeded in destroying the barrier back in the Tower of the Ancients. After that, the treasure exhausted its energy and deactivated. That was how they managed to take the treasure. After returning to the Dragon ne, they surrendered the treasure to the Research Department.


    Since then, the Array Saints discovered that the treasure was a training item of some sort and had several difficulty levels. Thus far, only a few managed to break through the first level. Fortunately, those who failed did not have to worry about getting stuck inside the barrier because the Array Saints figured out how to use the treasure to a certain degree.


    In any case, if the first trial tests the strength of their magic, the second trial focuses on their magic control.


    Ladon and Thorn did not know the real purpose of the treasure. If it was only to test their stamina and raw strength, their n already had an adequate training regiment for that. However, when Ladon and Thorn sparred again with the other tribe''s talents, they noticed a drastic improvement in their magic output.


    They soon realized this improvement was due to oveing the treasure''s first trial. From then on, they decided to continue challenging the treasure and see what other improvements they could receive.


    Thorn turned his attention back to the stage before responding to Ickle''s words, "I understand."


    "Tell Ladon this, too," Ickle added, looking back at the stage as well. "He has been such a great help in training the younger ones."


    "I will."


    Meanwhile, Ae, who was with Aillos and Ducal, frowned at the unexpected development of the match. She looked at Aillos and asked, "Is this really okay?"


    Apparently, like Crei, she found the situation strange.


    Aillos chuckled, sensing Ae''s disappointment, "Are you expecting a full-blown confrontation between them?"


    "...Not really. But for a spar to turn into a coaching session..."


    "I think this is fine," Ducal voiced his thought. "We have wanted to know the depth of Null''s potential, and this development pretty much shows it."


    "Are you sure you are not saying that because you found his insights about using Draconic magic intriguing?"


    "I admit that influences it, and honestly, his insights have got me thinking," Ducal paused before looking at Ae. "Do you know why his Draconic magic is more powerful than most of the current generation?"


    "Is it not because he can use Chaos magic?"


    "He did not know how to use Chaos magic yesterday," Aillos interjected with a faint smile. He was sure of it because he had been observing Kyran all this time. Moreover, he was sensitive to Chaos magic energy, and Kyran did not even have an ounce of that energy around him. Then again, he probably missed it because of Shaiha''s concealment ability.


    "What?" Ae looked at him in surprise. "But..."


    "If he did," Aillos cut her off before she could continue. "He would not have been in trouble when Coelus''s magic energy entered his body."


    "...Right... I forgot about that because he used Chaos magic earlier as if it was second nature to him."


    "In yesterday''s match, Null''s use of Draconic magic was limited because of the remnant energy of Coelus still lingering in his core," Aillos continued. "Today, he seemed to have ovee it."


    "Yes," Ducal agreed with a nod. "In any case, his Draconic magic is stronger than most current generation of dragons because he did not take it for granted."


    "!"


    Ae was struck with a sudden realization at Ducal''s words. Indeed, what he said was true. As dragons, they were born to be able to use Draconic magic with ease. Because of that, most dragons used it in a willy-nilly manner.


    After peace was established in the Higher Realm, the older generation rarely went out and hunted or trained new generations of dragons. This resulted in them no longer being hands-on when it came to teaching the concept of Draconic magic. In the end, most believed it was better for the current and new generations to learn it independently and only exin its nature. Readtest stories on empire


    "One of the Draconic magic''s nature was amplification, and most dragons relied on it more than its other nature," Ducal continued with his exnation. "Null is different. I initially believed his knowledge of Draconic magic was superficial, like his family members. But after watching his matches yesterday, I realized I was wrong.


    As Lord Aillos said, his use of Draconic magic yesterday was limited, yet he fought on par with the other talents.


    "Moreover, he did not show any mental fatigue, not even until the end of the matches. You should know that even if Sisi healed him after each match, she could not restore his mental fatigue. That is also the case with his physical fatigue. But he managed to endure because his control and understanding of the Draconic magic''s nature was better than most dragons."


    Ae looked at Ducal with mixed emotions. Among the aides, he showed strong opposition against Ames''s other family, but surprisingly, he seemed to have gotten a good impression on them now.


    Aillos smiled while looking at Ducal out of the corner of his eyes. He wanted to tease thetter but decided against it, fearing he would suddenly pick on Kyran to hide his embarrassment.


    "Now that you say that..." Ae looked back on the stage and watched Anahita and Kyran again. At that moment, Kyran showed Anahita something while covering and removing the silver gauntlet covering one of his forearms. "I think I''m understanding what you want to say."


    "In any case, Anahita''s exterior morphication technique can be one of our n''s trump cards if we develop it properly."


    "True," Ae agreed. "To be honest, the surprise joint attack of the Solis and the other ns should have ended early and with fewer casualties if not for our side''s inexperience in fighting while in human form."


    They could have fought in their original form if not for the fear of the Solis n taking the corpses of those fallen dragons to use for their own sake. After all, one dragon body was enough to create a year''s worth of potions, pills, armor, or weapons.


    Then again, the Solis n might decide to leave their fallen members alone, even if they were in their original form, to give them some leverage when they choose to feign ignorance about the reason they attacked.


    "If we develop Anahita''s technique and gain morebat experience while in human form, then..."


    "That is part of the n."


    "Lord Aillos?" Ae suddenly looked at Aillos in confusion. She voiced her thoughts about the matter and was surprised he already had that idea.


    Aillos only smiled without looking at her.


    On the other hand, Ducal looked at Aillos in understanding and told Ae, "There is only one day left before the closed-door meeting. We can continue this discussion then."


    Ae looked at Ducal and fell silent. She was also an aide and was familiar with Aillos, so she more or less had an idea of what he had in mind. But it was because of that that she realized the closed-door meeting this time would signal the start of something big.

 Chapter 1184 Closed-Door Meeting (2)

    The spar-turn-to-a-coaching session ended after three hours. It should have ended much earlier than that if Anahita and Kyran only focused on tackling the w in her exterior morphication technique. However, during their discussion, Anahita woulde up with non-rted questions to her technique, which was nheless relevant in understanding Draconic magic''s application better.


    Thus, their session took longer than anticipated.


    Surprisingly enough, none of the people present got bored. They also paid attention to their discussion andmented about it among their group.


    "I''d like to test out more things, but it is gettingte," Anahita said, regretting their spar was scheduled in the evening. She should ask to have their match start as soon as possible since that day''s spar event ended early. Then again, even if her patriarch included a time, the preparation would still take time, especially when they were the ones who wanted the match to be kept a secret.


    "If the sparring event tomorrow ends early, can we have another session in the evening? Oh, on thest day, too."


    "That''s..." Kyran toward Aillos''s side, who only raised his brows in response.


    Kyran was inwardly exasperated at Aillos''s action because he practically told him to decide for himself.


    Feeling defeated, Kyran looked at Anahita, who wore an expectant look.


    "Tomorrow is fine, but I can''t on thest day."


    "Well, I suppose it''s fine," Anahita replied, slightly disappointed. "You probably want to rest after participating in the sparring activities for three days¡ª."


    Readtest stories on empire


    "I don''t have a spar scheduled tomorrow," Kyran told her before she finished what she was saying.


    "Huh?" Anahita paused and looked at him dumbfoundedly.


    It wasn''t just her. Almost everyone, especially those from her tribe, was surprised at his words.


    "You are not going to participate tomorrow?"


    "Rather than not participating, I can''t. Since all my remaining scheduled spars have been canceled."


    "..."


    Anahita and the rest of her tribe were rendered speechless. From Kyran''s statement, they already guessed that the other tribes had withdrawn their spar requests. They could not me them, though. After Kyran''s disy that morning and the reveal that he was not only using Draconic magic but Chaos magic, it likely convinced them that he was someone their tribe''s current talents could match.


    That was also one of the reasons Anahita''s patriarch, Ickle, requested an off-the-record match instead of proceeding with a spar tomorrow.


    "I only have one spar request for tomorrow, but I don''t know when my turn wille, so..."


    "We still have to be present until the end of the event tomorrow. I can''t afford to hear any more rumors," Kyran told Anahita with an apologetic smile.


    Anahita chuckled at his expression and said, "Yes, you''re right. Who knows what kind of rumor will spread if they discover that both of us are missing for the most part on tomorrow''s event."


    "Thank you for understanding."


    "Then, we''ll meet here again in the evening? Same time?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, then, can we have a longer session tomorrow? We won''t have anything to do than have friendly spars again on thest day, anyway."


    "I can''t."


    Anahita raised her brows in confusion, "Are you that exhausted? I suppose having a human body is pretty inconvenient, huh."


    "That''s not it."


    "?"


    "Null will represent his family on thest day''s closed-door meeting," Eissen told Anahita while he approached them.


    Anahita''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she gaped at them in shock, "You?"


    Kyran nodded.


    From the sidelines, Ickle and Crei did not react because they were already aware of the attendees of the closed-door meeting. After all, they received a formal invite with an overview of the topics that would be discussed that afternoon.


    On the other hand, Thorn could not help but frown at this. He did not expect Kyran to have a very high position in his family. As far as he was concerned, Kyran might be the new Dragon Lord, but he was not the patriarch of his family or the sessor. Thorn remembered the two humans with him during the banquet and was sure they should be their family''s highest authority.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "My Grandfather and Father can''te that day," Kyran exined, not bothering to borate on why they could not attend¡ªbesides, saying more than he should only invite more questions. He needed to avoid that because he could not tell them about his family''s activities.


    At least, not yet.


    Anahita smiled bitterly, seemingly understanding Kyran''s dilemma.


    "Fine, we''ll just schedule another session after the Grand Gathering."


    "..."


    Kyran initially wanted to decline again because he had prior engagements after the Grand Gathering. However, if he refused again, he had an inkling Anahita would continue to pester him until he agreed on a date.


    p!


    A resounding p, like thunder, was heard from the north side of the stage, and everyone turned their attention toward it.


    The one who pped was Aillos. Knowing Anahita would not leave Kyran alone until he agreed to have another session, he finally decided to intervene.


    "I''m impressed at your dedication to learning and improving your techniques, Anahita," he started. "It''s not just you. After watching the matches thus far, I now have a better understanding of the current generation''s potential. As such, I am thinking of organizing arge-scale training camp for everyone. Details will be discussed at the closed-door meeting, and you can wait for that."


    Anahita, Thorn, and the other representatives'' moods changed at once. Although the tribes held regr training sessions, arge-scale training camp involving all tribes had never happened before. They were looking forward to it but felt apprehensive about Lord Aillos''s objective of suddenly wanting to organize one.


    After a pause, Aillos added, "Let''s stop for the day," and gestured for his aides before leaving.


    Everyone lowered their heads in respect, and his aides followed suit. When Aillos announced the end of the match, everyone also left.


    *


    "I didn''t expect that supposed match to turn into a coaching session," Jared admitted, giving his nephew a wry smile. "You sure have made a good impression."


    "I actually prefer this development," Cyneah chimed in. She had been silent since the start of the match because she worried that Kyran would get injured again. Fortunately, the exchanges between him and Anahita did notst that long. "You didn''t have to suffer today."


    Kyran nced at Cyneah at the corner of his eyes and felt apologetic. He knew she was in a foul mood these days and that it was all because of him. After all, their recent visit to the Lower Realm was not exactly fun.


    Kyran''s training with Avrum would have been very dangerous if Cyneah had not been there. Avrum''s poison magic might be weaker than Dilitrio''s; however, that would only be possible if Kyran avoided them.


    To Cyneah''s chagrin, Kyran never avoided Avrum''s poison and even inhaled most of thetter''s most fatal poison attack. Kyran reasoned that he needed to build his resistance to Poison magic, and Cyneah understood that. Nevertheless, that did not mean she was happy about it.


    Building and understanding poison were only a few reasons that caused Cyneah''s mood to sour. Another reason was that Kyran visited some of the nes that were his responsibility. He did not take her along, but whenever he returned, he always had internal and even fatal injuries.


    Even then, Cyneah did not voice her discontent. However, Kyran sensed it. He truly felt apologetic, but he could not stop then. If he did, those nes would have been destroyed or taken over by Flos and Obstruction''s faction. In any case, he was able to resolve the problem with Nn and Loar''s assistance.


    Another factor thatrgely contributed to Cyneah''s mood was Kyran''s training with Chaos magic. The first couple of days he was trying to get rid of Coelus''s magic energy was hell. His physical body barely endured the energy, and without Shaiha guarding the rest of his magic cores, they would have all been destroyed or influenced by it.


    Cyneah never onceined, no matter how reckless Kyran was while training in the Lower Realm. However, he knew she was already at her limits, and he wanted to make up with her for it.


    Jared watched his nephew and his niece-inw at the corner of his eyes. He wanted to scold his nephew, to be honest, but did not want to meddle. In his eyes, Kyran might only be in his early twenties, but he was actually much older than that. Kyran trained in the Tower of Tribtions for five years and even left the Human ne to search for Cyneah for over a year.


    The point was that Kyran was old enough to deal with his matters, so Jared decided not to meddle.


    Jared did not mind giving some advice, but only when his nephew asked for it.


    "Is it true that you don''t have any match tomorrow?" he asked, wanting to keep their conversation from getting too serious.


    "Yes," Kyran replied, grateful his uncle had pointed that out. I initially had a few requests, but they all withdrew them."


    Jared chuckled, "Cade will likely approve of that, but not Father."


    "...I know," Kyran replied. His grandfather advised that losing the match to win the war was better, yet he chose to do otherwise. Although it was early to say that he lost the war by winning his matches, his actions definitely left mixed impressions on the tribe leader. "Hopefully, negative impressions are fewer. I also prefer if they have a neutral opinion of me."


    "Does that mean their opinion can affect the n?" Cyneah asked. Her knowledge of the current situation might be limited, but she could more or less guess what Kyran had in mind.


    "It can," Kyran admitted. "But as long as I have Lord Aillos''s support, everything will proceed as nned."

 Chapter 1185 Closed-Door Meeting (3)

    The matches on the third day of the sparring event went by as usual. Tribes with disputes to settle, like the Naga Dragon Tribe and Hydra Dragon Tribe, proceeded well, and their differences were resolved, leaving a sense of satisfaction on both sides.


    Some talents who sparred with Kyran on the first day made another appearance, fighting against a different talent. A few, like Ambros and Dilitrio, also sparred against each other.


    Unlike the first day, the matches on the third day were what they were used to. There was no time limit because the matches typically ended in less than five minutes. Nheless, the audience, regardless of their tribe, was entertained and was even reminded of a spar''s true purpose.


    Two people sparred so they could assess their strength and gainbat experience against people with different magic abilities. It should not be used to bully others or as a pretense to a conspiracy.


    Because more matches were scheduled on the third day, the event ended almost the same time as it did on the first day. Aillos also gave a short closing remark before ending the sparring events.


    Of course, even if the three-day spar matches ended, the young talents could stillpare notes with each other until thest day of the Grand Gathering. However, since it was no longer part of the event, they had to use the pce''s training hall for their matches.


    This was also because, on thest day, the dome would be off-limits to everyone except the representatives attending the closed-door meeting that would take ce there.


    As agreed, Kyran and Anahita met for another coaching session. Cyneah and Jared apanied the former, while Thorn and a few other young talents from different dragon tribes came to watch thetter.


    In fact, news of the two sparring yesterday had already spread among the young talents. Fortunately, their tribe leaders ignored the rumor and only allowed it to circte among the young talents.


    Anahita was initially apologetic to Kyran because she did not expect the news of their session would spread so fast. However, Kyran did not mind and even preferred it because he wanted to share as much knowledge he knew of Draconic magic as he could with the young talents of the Dragon n.


    After all, if they could influence and boost each other''s understanding of Draconic magic, their overall strength would have a visible improvement.


    That result was something Kyran would wee anytime.


    Meanwhile, a few tribe leaders on good terms with Ickle and Crei came to them and inquired about the rumored unofficial spar. They might have decided not to do anything but that did not mean they were not curious about what happened. Besides, there was a mention that Ickle offered topensate Kyran so he would ept the request.


    Ickle did not hide the truth and told them what happened. However, they were surprised when the matter of thepensation was mentioned. This was because Ickle confirmed that there was indeed apensation offered, but Kyran did not ept it. Instead, he asked Ickle to let him haveplete sway on how to teach Anahita.


    In any case, Ickle and the other tribe leaders gleaned a lot from yesterday''s event. If they included what Aillos said about organizing arge-scale training camp or that Kyran would represent his family in the uing closed-door meeting, then it was clear that the two were up to something and that it involved something big.


    As to what they were up to, obviously, it had to do with the current state of affairs in the Higher Realm.


    Frankly, Ickle was not the only one with such thoughts. The other tribe leaders, regardless of whether they knew or believed the events of yesterday happened, also had ideas of what Aillos had in mind.


    Ultimately, all of them came up with the same conclusion:


    Aillos intended to prepare the n for war. This was already confirmed based on his remark during the banquet. However, unlike their initial understanding that the war was to show their stance to every n in the Higher Realm who wanted to covet Kyran''s Draconic core that they would protect him no matter what, it was different. Instead, Kyran himself was crucial to the war.


    His role was not to be a damsel to be protected. Instead, he was someone who could be the very key to the war''s sess. And it was not because he could use genuine Draconic magic¡ª which was Chaos magic.


    And on that note, the fourth day of the Grand Gathering ended with all tribe leaders anticipating tomorrow''s closed-door meeting.


    *


    The coaching session took longer than Kyran expected. Since there were more talents who joined in, deeper insights about how to use Draconic magic were discussed in greater detail.


    Initially, the other talents still had reservations about the things Kyran told them. But it did not take long for them to realize how deep his understanding of Draconic magic waspared to them.


    In particr, Ladon, who also joined the session upon Thorn''s invitation, gained a lot of insight. He also realized that the real reason Kyran was now knowledgeable than them with using Draconic magic was because of his apparent insatiable thirst to learn something new.


    Kyran''s rare innate ability that allowed him to understand concept and apply them in real life with ease, also gave him a huge advantage against them.


    It did not take long for those young talents who listened to Kyran''s exnation and attentively watched as he demonstrated the concepts that he knew using normal magic spells orbat moves to change their view of him. They soon realized that his strength was real andparable to the best talents amongst the current generation of dragons.


    Because of this, they no longer harbor thoughts of testing Kyran again. In fact, they could not wait to tell their tribe leaders and fellow tribe members of the things they learned from him. They even thought of clearing the misconception their fellow talents had of Kyran.


    Regardless of what these talents had in mind, Kyran did not really care. He was more concerned about how the tribe leaders would react during the closed-door meeting when Aillos finally dropped the bomb.


    No matter.


    There were only a few hours left before the meeting wouldmence.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    *


    Early morning the following day, all tribe leaders and their second-inmand went to the dome for the closed-door meeting.


    The dome''s interior was changed to amodate the meeting. The arena was removed and was reced with an enormous round table that could cater more than 200 attendees. At the north end of the table, two highchairs, reserved for Aillos and Ames, could be seen. There were also four seats on each side that were reserved for the eight Aides.


    Apart from these seats, the tribe leaders and their second-inmand could seat anywhere. Not assigning their seats was actually something Aillos did to prevent anyone from thinking he would y favorites. Because in his eyes, all of the tribes were equally important to the n. No one could be above than the others because all of them had their specialties that were beneficial to the n.


    The tribe leaders and their second-inmand took their seats ording to who got there early. This became an unspoken rule for them and all of them respected it.


    For this reason, none of them could voice discontent if another tribe chose the seat near the aides¡ª like Kyran for example.


    Most of the dragon tribes were already aware that Kyran would participate the meeting to represent his family. They did not know why he was chosen as the representative, but apparently the Regis Patriarch and sessor had something important to do and could not attend. In fact, none of them had seen them after the banquet on the first day of the Grand Gathering.


    Kyran sat on the fifth seat to Aillos''s right. He did not know about the tribes'' unspoken rule of firste first serve on the seats. Instead, Ames insisted that he arrive early than anyone to avoid taking a seat at the back.


    Kyran kept a straight face while watching more of the tribe leaders and their second-inmand arrived. Not all of them chose the seat close to Aillos''s or Ames''s. However, whether they did this because they preferred it that way, or because they discreetly wanted to keep a distance from Kyran was unknown. Regardless of where they chose to sit, all of them nced at him furtively.


    "I don''t think we have been formally introduced."


    A tribe leader, whom Kyran recognized as the Earth Dragon Tribe''s Patriarch, Velctor, greeted. Behind him was a woman who was eyeing Kyran with furrowed brows.


    Kyran stood up and nodded his head in greeting before answering, "Patriarch Velctor, of the Earth Dragon Tribe."


    Velctor raised his brows in amusement, "Seems like you have done your research."


    "Lady Ames grilled the information on me. She said not to make a fool out of her because I was ignorant."


    Velctorughed at Kyran''s reply and said, "Yes. I can imagine her doing that."

 Chapter 1186 Closed-Door Meeting (4)

    Behind Velctor, Orena, the Earth Dragon Tribe''s second-inmand, cleared her throat while intently looking at his back.


    "Patriarch, please mind your manners."


    Kyran observed her from his peripheral view and recalled the information he read about her.


    True to the provided information, Orena did appear to be straightced and functions as Patriarch Velctor''s sitter rather than a deputy.


    "What manners? It''s not as if I am doing anything rude," Velctor protested, looking at Orena wryly.


    "Laughing out loud for no particr reason is rude," Orena replied with a straight face.


    ''I see... Rather than being straighced, isn''t she just obtuse?''


    "This is why you are still..." Velctor stopped midway through his sentence after seeing Orena''s sharp look. He cleared his throat and decided to focus his attention on Kyran again, "Most young generation doesn''t want to attend this kind of meeting because it can get too boring. I hope you won''t find it boring and see this meeting as a chance to learn."


    "Thank you," Kyran chose to respond safely and only thanked Velctor''s advice. He could not very well tell thetter that his attendance was a must, rather than being his grandfather or father''s proxy. Because if one looked at the hierarchy in their family, the next person who could represent Patriarch Aron, or Cade was Jared, since he was the second son and was second-in-line in the session.


    Kyran might be the new Dragon Lord but he did not inherit the previous Dragon Lord''s authority and prestige. The things he inherited were the Draconic core and a title that sounded empty under his name.


    The dragon tribe leaders arrived one after another, filling the seats in no time.


    A quarter before the official start of the closed-door meeting, Aillos and his Aides also arrived. Again, they noticed Ames''s absence and wondered where she was.


    "My daughter has an urgent matter to do, and can not attend today," Aillos told them as if reading everyone''s thoughts. "If you have anything you want to discuss with her, she will be present in tonight''s banquet so you can approach her then.


    "There is still a few minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting. But seeing everyone is already present, let''s proceed."


    All tribe leaders nodded their heads in consent to Aillos''s deration.


    "I have said quite some things during the first day''s banquet that raised a lot of questions. Instead of going around and giving you time to voice them, I will just exin it in detail. Besides, I have an idea of what questions you have for me."


    As always, Aillos did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. None of the tribe leaders made any concessions to his words because they were already familiar with how he did things. Besides, they were all looking forward to what Aillos had to say.


    "First, let me reintroduce you to the Regis n''s representative," Aillos started and looked toward Kyran.


    Kyran stood in response to Aillos''s words and faced everyone. Seeing all eyes on him, one would think he would feel intimidated. Even if everyone looked human, they were dragons after all.


    However, Kyran was not intimidated by them. In fact, he seemed used to being subjected to such looks.


    "Null, as you already know, is the new Dragon Lord," Aillos continued. "However, he is no ordinary vessel of an Ancient Magic Core this is because he has been acknowledged by Shaiha."


    Aillos dropped the bomb with a straight face that the tribe leaders ended up gaping at him with nk looks. The moment his words finally made sense to them, most turned pale, while others gasped in shock.


    Most of the tribe leaders were aware of what being recognized by Shaiha meant. Their knowledge varied based on what the elders of their tribe shared with them, but they knew how important Kyran''s existence was now that they knew he was acknowledged by the Heart of the Cosmos.


    "Let us not focus on how or why Null was chosen by Shaiha," Aillos dered, destroying the tribe leaders'' hopes of asking to borate on the Shaiha''s sudden eptance of Kyran. "We''ll have time for that another time. Instead, I want us to focus on the important things only for today."


    He scanned his eyes over the congregation and the tribe leaders nodded in silent consent.


    "Some of you may already be aware of what it means to be acknowledged by Shaiha, and how this will influence The Emperor''s movements once he learns of it. For the sake of those who only have a little knowledge of it, I will exin it briefly.


    "Shaiha''s acknowledging a vessel means it allows one to gather all Ancient Magic Cores. This will allow the vessel the capability to possess all Ancient Magic. However, this also poses a greater threat to us. Initially, even if The Emperor managed to collect an Ancient Magic Core, he would not be able to utilize it.


    It is also the same if he took the Shaiha because he is still missing one crucial requirement."


    Aillos paused and studied the tribe leaders'' expressions.


    Most narrowed their eyes at his words. They were likely the ones who heard more about Shaiha and the Ancient Magic Cores from their elders. There were a few who seemed confused, nheless, seeing their furrowed brows, they more or less guessed the gist of what Aillos was trying to say.


    "The Emperor is not a human."


    That was the most crucial thing that allowed one to be acknowledged by Shaiha and gather all Ancient Magic Cores. Lucian was not human, thus, he would never be acknowledged or be able to gather the cores.


    "But not being human does not prevent him from achieving taking Shaiha and the Ancient Magic Cores. If it is, he would not have chosen that as his goal. With The Emperor''s capability, he could easily assimte the vessel acknowledged by Shaiha and gain the ability to gather the rest of the Ancient Magic Cores."


    "!"


    Realization dawned on every tribe leader and they all instinctively looked at Kyran.


    Kyran, who was still standing in his seat, did not flinch when the tribe leaders zoned in on him once more. He remained calm, making the tribe leaders wonder if he was trying to act tough, or if he simply did not register the danger he was in.


    "That''s right. Once the Emperor is aware that Null has the Draconic core and Shaiha he wille after him no matter what."


    "Lord Aillos," Asherah, the matriarch of the Water Dragon Tribe, could no longer keep calm and raised her hand.


    "Go on."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is it safe to say that The Emperor is unaware of Null''s existence yet? Since he is currently busy looking for the Void Master?"


    The tribe leaders burst into a muffled discussion as soon as Asherah raised this question. Aillos did not answer immediately and allowed them to contemte this idea first. Once the discussion died down, and all of them turned their attention back to Aillos, he cleared his throat and finally addressed Asherah''s question.


    However, instead of giving a straight answer, he replied with a question.


    "Do you remember how the Solis n denied their recent attack as The Emperor''s orders?"


    "That''s..."


    "They spout some excuse, saying The Emperor left on some important matter and that the order to attack us came from one of the Solis n elders."


    "Do you also remember that before that, The Emperor had gathered all the n leaders under the alliance for an urgent meeting? Ames attended that one on my behalf."


    "Was the matter The Emperor attended to rted to what was discussed in that meeting?"


    "There have been some rumors that The Emperor ordered Deus on an errand after that as well."


    "Right, it happened several months ago that I forgot, but wasn''t there a rumor saying that Deus got injured while on a mission?"


    "I heard it was Midnight."


    One after another, the patriarchs and their second-inmand shared what they knew.


    Not wanting the discussion to stray from the important things, Aillos raised his hand and requested them to quiet down. They allplied and waited for him to continue.


    Once Aillos ensured that everyone was listening, he gave a short ount of what transpired during the meeting The Emperor held.


    Another round of discussions went on among the tribe leaders after learning about The Emperor discovering Kyran in the Lower Realm.


    "Then, when Lady Ames left... was it because she went to the Lower Realm and..."


    "Hearing that one of her descendants was in danger, she did go to the Lower Realm."


    The one who confirmed the tribe leader''s spection was Ducal.


    "We will not go into details on what happened there," Aillos dered before anyone started asking questions about Ames''s experience in the Lower Realm.


    "But one thing you need to know is that The Emperor is aware of Null''s existence. When Deus failed to take him because of Ames''s intervention, The Emperor went to the Lower Realm himself. The Emperor then learned that Null also has Shaiha, if not for this, he would not have chased him until he was forced to escape to the Higher Realm by passing through the Land of Destion."


    Aillos paused and let this information sink first. After all, he said something that would raise a lot of questions among the tribe leaders. And just as he expected, they realized something strange in his statement.


    "Wait... pass through the Land of Destion? Did he not pass through our route to get to the Higher Realm?"


    "There is only one record that confirms a mage managing to pass through that area. The environment of that ce is such that no mage from the Lower Realm could have survived it even if that one is a vessel."


    "How can he survive and seed in entering the Higher Realm?"


    This time, Aillos did not reply. Instead, he looked at Kyran, who already raised his hand to drop the next big bomb. A dark purple magic energy gathered above his palm, alerting all the tribe leaders.


    "I survived that ce and entered the Higher Realm because I am the Void Master."

 Chapter 1187 Closed-Door Meeting (5)

    "What?"


    "How¡ª?"


    "Then young Dilitrio''s im¡ª!"


    "Wait a moment."


    Eldir, Patriarch of the mes Dragon Tribe, magnified his voice using a sound boost spell to get everyone''s attention. Once he got their attention, he looked toward Aillos as if asking permission to continue.


    Aillos gestured for him to go on with his hand.


    With a nod of appreciation, Eldir looked at Kyran before proceeding, "You say you are the Void Master. Does that mean you are the one who caused the downfall of the de Dancer n?"


    "Eldir, why are you asking about that?" Vish, Patriarch of the Venom Dragon Tribe, questioned while also turning to Kyran. "Rather than ask that, you must first confirm his identity."


    "That is such an ironic suggestion, don''t you think, Vish?" Ickle also interjected. "Is it not Dilitrio who imed that Null here has a second innate magic? Now that he has confirmed he is that Void Master, does it not prove Dilitrio''s im? Besides..." he looked at Kyran withplex emotions and added, "The magic energy he conjured... that is no Chaos."


    "I know, but..." Vish frowned and looked at Kyran as well. "You all know that The Emperor has dered war against the Void Master."


    "Are you afraid of war, Vish?" Asherah, Matriarch of the Water Dragon Tribe, asked, looking at Vish disdainfully.


    "That is not the point."


    "Wait for a moment," Eldir said once more. He then looked at Vish and said, "I do understand why you are worried. But instead of getting ahead of us, don''t you think it is best to discuss what is important first?"


    Vish looked at him in disbelief, "And what is more important than an impending war against us?"


    "Nothing is set in stone yet," Eldir insisted. ''Besides, some things do not add up yet, and thus, we need to tackle that first."


    "I agree with Eldir," Velctor voiced his thoughts and wryly looked at Kyran beside him. "Kid, can you not drop such a giant bomb on us like that? We''re dragons and rarely get scared, but we do get surprised, oh, and confused."


    Kyran looked at him apologetically and said, "I''m sorry. I just thought it''s best to be on point."


    "Lord Aillos may have said to only talk about important things, but that kind of deration... we need some brief introduction or something to prepare us," Asherah told Kyran. Though she seemed to reprimand him, the way she looked at him in amusement showed otherwise.


    "Then allow me to exin," Kyran replied, smiling at Asherah.


    Kyran acted respectfully around the tribe leaders to build a good rapport and rtionship with them. He had a reason for doing that, which was also crucial for their next n.


    "First, I''ll address Patriarch Eldir''s question," Kyran continued, turning his attention to Eldir.


    Eldir also looked expectantly at him.


    "I did not cause the downfall of the de Dancer n," Kyran answered without beating around the bush. "However, I was there when The Emperor destroyed their ne."


    Hearing his answer prompted the tribe leaders to talk amongst themselves again, but they did not do it excessively because they did not want to be rude or cut off Kyran''s exnation.


    After a brief conversation amongst themselves, some questions popped up, and they voiced them one by one. Kyran, in turn, answered them as much as he could.


    "Why were you in the de Dancer ne?"


    "I have some urgent business there. I don''t want to go into details now, but I will exinter."


    "The incident in the de Dancer ne happened recently, and we heard The Emperor pursued the perpetrator¡ª which was supposed to be you, the Void Master¡ª so, how did you end up here?"


    "I can''t answer that yet. To be precise, I can''t entertain questions about what happened in the de Dancer ne right now. If I did, you will all just get confused."


    "Then tell us, why did The Emperor note here if he already knows about you?"


    "Are you asking based on what Lord Aillos said about The Emperor, knowing I have the Draconic core and Shaiha?"


    "That''s right."


    "The Emperor does not know that the new Dragon Lord and the new Void Master are the same person."


    "!"


    "How does that even make sense?"


    "The Emperor did not get a good look at me as the Void Master. Besides that, as far as he was concerned, he dealt a fatal blow to me when he blew up a ne I was hiding in the Lower Realm. He was probably convinced that I wouldn''tst long. But I did. However, when he tried looking for me and failed, he, unfortunately, sensed a residual magic energy I used to escape.


    I''m sure you already guessed how I escaped."


    "Shaiha can only conceal your aura and presence," Eldir started. "But if you used your magic, any residual energy would not be concealed."


    "Yes. I warped, and The Emperor caught the residual energy of the Void," Kyran agreed and exined. "I''m not entirely sure why, but he chose to chase me, who used the Void, rather than confirming if me, as the new Dragon Lord, survived his attack."


    "The Emperor focusing on following your¡ª as the Void Master''s¡ª trail is actually a smart decision. Compared to you¡ª as the Dragon Lord, who has a connection to us dragons¡ª you as the Void Master is aplete mystery.


    It is best to secure you as the Void Master first since he can harass us for information about you as the Dragon Lord at any time¡ª" Ickle paused after a lengthy exnation and sighed, "¡ªall those yous can be very confusing."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kyran looked at Ickle and lowered his head in appreciation for his exnation, "Thank you, Patriarch Ickle. I have the same thoughts. But I don''t know The Emperor well and can''t confirm if that is the only reason."


    "Hm," Aillos finally reacted, nodding at Kyran''s words. "I am one of the few who can be said to know The Emperor. However, even I can''t understand his thoughts in its entirety. In any case, I believe he chose to prioritize the Void Core because securing it can give him a better chance at gathering all the Ancient Magic Cores faster.


    The Void''s nature defies all our known magicws and rules, after all."


    "Indeed."


    "Then it is fortunate that The Emperor believed the new Dragon Lord and new Void Master are two different people. If not, he would have alreadye here and waged war," Vish remarked.


    "...True."


    "It is fortunate indeed."


    "And?" Asherah looked at Kyran again, "Because you are also the Void Master, you sessfully entered the Higher Realm. How did you find your way here then? I remembered Ames brought some of your family here because they said you came here¡ª I assume you are that person they were searching for."


    "Yes, that''s right. They came here to look for me," Kyran confirmed Asherah''s assumption. "As to your question: how did I find my way here? Well, I got some help and ended up participating in the Tower of the Ancients'' hunt."


    "You participated in this year''s hunt?"


    "Wait... does that mean the tragedy of this year''s hunt..."


    Kyran looked at the tribe leader who had just said that and smiled wryly, "Yes. I''m sorry for implicating the n back then. I can''t say I didn''t do it on purpose. However, I made sure to divert The Emperor''s attention before he started harassing the n."


    "Since we are on that topic, I will exin some things on my side," Aillos interjected as soon as Kyran paused.


    The two exchanged nces before Aillos proceeded. He exined what transpired when The Emperor came to the Dragon ne over a month ago. The tribe leaders remembered that incident mainly because some of their members were shocked at the pressure The Emperor exuded upon his arrival. However, Aillos did not give the full details of what happened back then.


    What he did tell them was The Emperor''s demand to surrender their n representatives because they were suspected of instigating the tragedy of the hunt.


    In the end, the Emperor ended up leaving without taking the representatives, and even his attempt to pressure Aillos into attending a meeting he said he would host soon had yet to happen.


    "Rather than say the meeting had yet to happen, I should say the unexpected appearance of the Void Master forced The Emperor to adjust his priorities," Aillos said at the end of his exnation.


    The tribe leaders contemted the things they had heard thus far before looking at Kyran again.


    "So when you said that you diverted The Emperor''s attention, you meant to say that you deliberately showed up."


    "...I had helped."


    "...? What do you mean?"


    "Before Null answers that, there is something you must know first," Aillos stopped the tribe leaders from questioning Kyran again.


    The atmosphere around them tensed instantly as they saw Aillos''s solemn expression.


    "I will now tell you about an incident after Null arrived here."


    Aillos then proceeded to tell them the truth about Coelus''s corpse.

 Chapter 1188 Large-Scale Training Camp

    The tribe leaders who learned about Coelus''s corpse from their elders were silent throughout Aillos''s narration of the recent events. They had an inkling that Aillos would reveal the truth about Coelus''s tomb underground if he intended to wage a war. After all, if the battlefield happened in their ne, and The Emperor went all out, their ne''s topography would be drastically changed.


    When that happened, the seal on Coelus''s tomb would be destroyed, and the dragons would suffer from the influence of his corpse''s magic energy. The consequences of such a war were too grave to contemte.


    To avoid that, Aillos had toe clean about the tomb and ask for everyone''s cooperation to ensure the war would note to their ne. Another option they could do was transfer Coelus''s corpse to another ce, but the problem was replicating the seal that the Ancients created.


    That was the tribe leaders'' expectation when Aillos opened the subject of Coelus''s corpse. Unexpectedly, what he told them was far more rming and frustrating, and some barely reined in their fear. If Aillos had not told them not to overreact before he continued, the congregation might have already burst into a heated argument.


    When Aillos confirmed that the seal on Coelus''s corpse had been reced, the tribe leaders felt an immediate wave of relief. However, his choice of the word ''rece'' instead of ''fix'' reignited their anxiety, subjecting their nerves to another tumultuous ride.


    "There is nothing to worry about."


    Ducal followed through with Aillos''s exnation. As one of the primary helpers who created the new Array Formation and the dragon who possessed the most knowledge in Array, he was the perfect one to assure the congregation about the formation.


    However, Ducal wanted to avoid taking credit for the formation''s stability. While he exined how they dealt with the destroyed seal, he took the opportunity to redeem Kyran, who was partially at fault for the seal''s destruction.


    For the record, the tribe leaders did not say anything about it because Aillos emphasized that he attacked Kyran in a fit of childish anger. Thus, if anyone was to me for the seal''s destruction, it should be him and not Kyran, even though thetter''s magic destroyed it.


    Ducal told them that the new formation was Kyran''s brilliant work and that his family led itspletion.


    As Ducal concluded his exnation, the tribe leaders remained silent. However, their expressions softened slightly, indicating their positive reception to the information and the reassurance it brought.


    Aillos and Ducal did not go into detail about the new formation. None of the dragons would covet the formation''s effect to use Coelus''s magic energy as a catalyst to boost their strength. However, if such an Array formation was known and¡ª though unlikely¡ª was leaked outside, those involved in its creation would be put at risk.


    Since they were the only ones who knew the intricate details of the formation, the ns who wanted to study it and use it for their growth mighte after them.


    Aillos, Ducal, and the rest of the Aides might be overthinking things, but they wanted to prevent any possible problem that might ur now rather thanter.


    After that, Aillos passed the floor to Kyran once more so he could finally discuss what happened to the de Dancer n.


    Removing all the unnecessary events leading to his journey to the de Dancer ne, Kyran briefly exined what happened in the Tower of the Ancients. This led him to why he had to go to the de Dancer ne. Finally, Kyran told them that The Emperor had chosen to cut off the de Dancer n, so he took advantage of the situation and took them under his wing.


    "The de Dancer n is now under your..." Velctor gaped at Kyran incredulously.


    Kyran shook his head and said, "Although I said I took them under my wing, I have no ns on leading them personally. I left someone I could trust to supervise them, but their leadership remains unchanged."


    "Are you not afraid that their n elders will do something while you are away?" Ickle asked.


    "I have the support of their elders," Kyran replied with a wry smile. "I know their elders have more sway within the n than the current generation and patriarch, which is why I dealt with it before returning here."


    "I''m surprised you managed to convince their elders," Eldir said, noting his improved opinion of Kyran. But then his eyes narrowed, and he said, "However, taking the de Dancer n that The Emperor chose to discard does not mean much."


    "I understand that," Kyran agreed. "Since he did not hesitate to cut them off, it only meant that their removal did not affect his overall authority and strength. At least, that is what he believed."


    The tribe leaders looked at him curiously.


    "What are you implying? Does the de Dancer n hold more value than The Emperor credit them for?"


    "To me, yes," Kyran replied. Then he paused and rephrased his answer, "To some of us from the Lower Realm, they have more value."


    "...?"


    "I can''t go into details yet. I''ll share more after I confirm everything."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As the discussion continued, the tribe leaders became more aware that their n was indeed going to wage a war against the Emperor. Aillos confirmed his stance on the first day of the Grand Gathering''s banquet, but frankly, most of them had yet to fully grasp his notion.


    Some still had reservations because they knew how much power The Emperor had. They did not mean his individual power since it was evident that he was a Supreme Overlord. What they meant was his power to mobilize all other ns not under the Solis n''s banner¡ª neutral ns or part of independent factions.


    The fear The Emperor instilled in every n in the Higher Realm was nearly impossible to resist. They would mobilize their force simply because they did not want their n to be destroyed.


    Some ns were on good terms with the Dragon n, but there was no telling if those ns would take their side if a war broke out. Moreover, technically, the Dragon n was under the Solis n''s banner, except they had a special arrangement with The Emperor and were not bound to hismand.


    If the war would only involve the Dragon n and the Solis n, then the difference in strength was not that big. If anything, the Dragon n was at an advantage because of their naturally powerful senses and use of Draconic magic. Even if The Emperor was a Supreme Overlord and Aillos was a peak Overlord, with the Sigil''s effect, Aillos could fight on equal terms with The Emperor.


    The Emperor''s innate magic would be problematic with its impossibly powerful prating capability. Still, as long as Aillos managed to avoid or endure the former''s attacks, he would eventually find a way to win. The Emperor was aware of this. Thus, he would drag the whole Higher Realm into conflict if a war broke out between his n and the Dragon n.


    But all these could only be considered if the dragons fought in their original form. They were still at a disadvantage regardless if The Emperor decided to deal with them with his n alone or with all the ns in the Higher Realm.


    "I am not going to throw you in the middle of a hopeless war," Aillos said after the tribe leaders started voicing their concerns about the war. He looked toward Ickle, who perked up after realizing what he was about to say.


    "Anahita from the Golden Dragon Tribe showed us an interesting technique, and she and Null are in the middle of perfecting it so everyone can use it," Aillos dered with a slight smile. "I will also organize arge-scale training camp, including all generations of dragons, to allow everyone to gain realbat experience while in human form."


    The tribe leaders reacted to his deration mostly positively, with a few still showing reservations.


    "Won''t doing that rm The Emperor and his people? I am sure, even now, they have eyes watching over our ne. Maybe they have not entered, but I''m sure they can observe any strange movements within the ne, even if they observe from the outside."


    "True," Aillos agreed with a nod. "In fact, I can sense uninvited eyes peering right through the ne''s defensive array. However, you don''t have to worry about that."


    One of the tribe leaders seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Are you intending to use Null''s Void magic to ''create'' a space that allows us to train and gainbat experience?"


    Aillos raised his brows in amusement. " That''s a Good one. You''re on the right track, but you''re still off."


    He then looked at Kyran and said, "Why don''t you tell them what you told me?"


    Kyran looked at him wryly before addressing the congregation once more.


    "I will indeed use my magic, but there is no need to create a new space for a training field. Besides, one of the Void''s natures might be creation, but I can''t create your opponents. I know the right ce where you can train and gainbat experience."


    "Right ce?"


    Kyran nodded, "Yes. I did not destroy the portals to the Tower of the Ancients on a whim. I did it to have a monopoly on that ce."


    "You...!"


    "Don''t tell us..."


    "Once you learn Anahita''s technique, I''ll open the portal to the Tower of the Ancients and let you train as much as you want."

 Chapter 1189 Reveal

    The Tower of the Ancients was supposed to be the Regis Family and Kyran''s Servants and Sigils'' training ground. But now that Aillos also decided to mobilize the Dragon n, he did not mind sharing it with them. Kyran''s people were still in the middle of improving their mage levels anyway, and it would be a waste not to utilize the tower just because they were not ready.


    "Using the Tower of the Ancients to train... Is it truly possible? I do not question your ability as the Void Master. However, as far as we know, the gate leading to the tower only opens at a given time because the tower itself has to recover the magic energy it consumed each time it opens to the public."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''ve already made arrangements to adjust the tower''s configuration¡ª"


    "Wait¡ª what?"


    "¡ªIn the first ce, that ce is brimming with high-quality magic energy. That story about the tower needing time to recover its magic energy after opening is not true. Although the tower did require enormous magic energy to operate, it hardly needed replenishing."


    "''What do you mean by ''made arrangements to adjust the tower''s configuration''?"


    "More importantly, how could you make such an arrangement?"


    Another tribe leader voiced his doubts. However, the question that followed came from Ducal. At first, he wondered if Kyran had discovered some major secret in the tower and suddenly acquired some authority to operate it. Kyran''s Array knowledge was so deep that he even understood concepts that would only make sense with the Ancients.


    However, Ducal could not shake the feeling that he might have misunderstood Kyran''s statement. At the very least, Ducal felt that Kyran had made an arrangement with someone to configure the tower''s settings.


    ''Ah, that''s right.''


    Only then did Kyran remember that Aillos was the only one he told about the Ancients'' existence. Still, he did not ask Aillos to keep it a secret. Instead, he chose to let him decide when to tell the others. If Kyran had to be honest, he did not know how to tell them about the Ancients. Thus, he wanted Aillos to choose the right time to do so.


    Besides, Aillos''s words against Kyran were more reliable. Kyran might have already gained enough of the tribal leaders'' trust, but that did not mean they would take his word for everything.


    Fortunately, Kyran did not have to mull over how to proceed. After all, he was not alone in this meeting. This thought crossed his mind as he nced toward his coconspirator at the corner of his eyes.


    Aillos gave Kyran a reproaching nce. He knew immediately that thetter would throw the ball at him after that slip of the tongue.


    Well, to be honest, Kyran did not slip per se. It was just that the tribe leaders and the aides were too observant and found something strange with his statement. Aillos could hardly me Kyran for making a mistake because he should have at least told his aides about the Ancients'' existence.


    Aillos cleared his throat, prompting the tribe leaders and his aides to look at him. He said, "Before we go into details about the Tower of the Ancients, I have important news to announce."


    Aillos''s words immediately piqued the interest of all tribe leaders. The same was true for his aides because, apparently, they were not informed of this particr news. In fact, they also did not know about the Tower of the Ancients. They had an inkling that Kyran could return there because he could open the portal leading there at any time.


    "What I''m about to say may or may not affect how we move forward," Aillos warned them. "This is about the existence of a n that we have long believed to have been lost...."


    As Aillos told them about the Ancients hiding in the tower, the demeanor of every dragon inside changed drastically. He told them everything he heard from Kyran, including that the Ancients could not leave the tower because if they did, their ''time'' would start moving again, and they would die.


    "This... isn''t this discovery a big thing...?" Eldir, who, along with Ducal, revered the Ancients for their Array and Smithing, felt mixed emotions from Aillos''s news.


    "You might think that the existence of the Ancients will allow us to improve our Array and Smithing knowledge. However, they may or may not want to show themselves before you," Kyran reminded them. "What happened in the past is still fresh in their minds. Your n might not have contributed to their downfall. However, you also did nothing for them during their time of need."


    The atmosphere inside the dome darkened at once.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Please don''t get me wrong," Kyran hastily continued, not wanting the dragons to wallow in regret of the past. In the first ce, the dragons had not been fully united then. There was no way for them to meddle with other affairs of The Realm, even if the Higher Being gave the order to every being to attack the Ancients. "I did not say this to make you feel guilty.


    I also can''t speak for the Ancients and tell you they did not harbor any contempt against the dragons. However, I can help mediate with them and exin your side. That way, when the time for you to train in the toweres, they will not arrange unreasonable goals."


    "You mean... the goals on each floor... are set by them?" Ducal started, but then he paused and shook his head. "No, that is a stupid question. Of course, they are the ones who set those goals. But I did not expect that they could change it at any time...


    No wonder the challenges differed slightly for every representative participating in the hunt. The themes of each floor seem the same, but the challenges were still..."


    Aillos cleared his throat, snapping Ducal out of his ramblings.


    "M-My apologies... I got carried away," Ducal apologized at once.


    "It''s alright," Aillos replied with a wry smile. He gestured toward Kyran and added, "You can talk to Null about the tower in detailter. Let''s continue with the important things first."


    "Yes."


    "Going back on topic," Aillos addressed the congregation once more. "I will organize the training camp as soon as Anahita and Nullplete the technique."


    "Lord Aillos," Visha, the Venom Dragon Tribe''s second-inmand, raised her hand.


    "What is it?"


    "Can you give us more information about this technique? We may be able to assist in itspletion."


    "True," Aillos agreed with a nod. He looked at Kyran and gestured for him to exin. "I''ll leave the exnation to Kyran."


    Kyran returned Aillos''s smile with a deadpan expression. Aillos already knew what Anahita''s technique was all about, but as if to pay him back for the slip earlier, he threw the ball back at him.


    Not that Kyran minded exining. Aillos might know the technique, but his understanding of its activation might differ from Anahita''s and Kyran''s. Anahita and Kyran had not wholly created a definite activation of the technique because of the difference in their physique and innate magic. Thus, it was better for Kyran to exin the technique and set proper expectations.


    After a more detailed exnation of the technique, the tribe leaders voiced their thoughts about it. They already knew the gist of what the technique could do, but hearing the concept behind it gave them a deeper understanding of the importance of Draconic magic in its activation.


    "The technique itself is easy for the Golden Dragon Tribe to execute given their innate magic''s nature, but to other tribes like us..."


    "Will it not work for innate magic that does not have a definitive form?"


    "That should not be an issue... I mean, there are innate magic that can possess definitive form using Draconic magic..."


    Kyran raised his hand to get their attention before raising his voice and saying, "Anahita and I are open for discussion. Please feel free to reach out to us after the meeting."


    Aillos gave an appreciative nod at Kyran''s direction. He wanted to interrupt their conversation but did not want to make it sound like an order, and Kyran''s interruption was the perfect way to make them stop while directing their discussion back on track.


    "Right, of course."


    "It is better to discuss that after the meeting."


    "True. We have some time before the banquet as long as the meeting ends on time."


    "So," Ickle looked toward Kyran and said, "In summary, the technique will allow us to fight in human form and avoid having our dragon parts or blood stolen mid-battle. Then, the training in the Tower of the Ancients will allow us to gain morebat experience while in human form. That is the gist of it, correct?"


    "Yes."


    "However, there are still some things that we have to address," Ickle looked toward Aillos and said with a solemn look. "Even if we improve our strength, we stillck in numbers. Also, the Solis n''s magic''s prative ability still poses a significant threat to us. Finally, I do not doubt your strength, Lord Aillos, but let us be realistic here.


    Even under the Sigil''s effect, at most, you can only fight on equal terms with The Emperor."


    Ickle left his statement on that note, but his message was clear. Aillos could fight The Emperor, but he would not gain an advantage.


    A heavy silence befell the congregation as they were reminded of this reality.


    But then...


    Aillos let out a lightugh, confusing all the tribe leaders.


    "I know what you''re all worried about. In that case, all I have to do is break through to gain an advantage."


    "!"


    Aillos then looked at Kyran, who returned his look with a wry smile. Taking that as a sign, Kyran said, "Lord Aillos will also undergo ''training.'' And during that time, I will help him ascend to Supreme Overlord."

 Chapter 1190 Start

    After confirming Aillos''s intention to ascend, the meeting continued with him giving tasks to every tribe leader. Ducal and the other aides would oversee the n and the tribe leaders'' tasks while Aillos prepared for his ascension. In the meantime, Kyran would help Anahitaplete her technique so they could teach the representatives each dragon tribe would send.


    These representatives, in turn, would teach the technique to their respective tribes during therge-scale training camp.


    Kyran only had a week at most to help Anahita and teach the tribe representatives because by then, Aillos would havepleted his preparation and would need to assist in his ascension.


    Despite the tight schedule, everyone confident in their strategy. They aimed toplete everything within two months, ensuring they had the upper hand when they moved against The Emperor. They were keenly aware of The Emperor''s distraction with the search for the Void Master, a fact they intended to exploit to their advantage.


    The tribe leaders were told that True Void was creating fake trails of the Void Master to throw The Emperor off Kyran''s trail. Knowing there was no guarantee that True Void could deceive the Emperor for long, they had toplete their preparation as soon as possible.


    *


    Several days back...


    Having no means of confirming what the Dragon was up to, Midnight resorted to getting information from the most extensive informationwork in the Higher Realm. Unfortunately, the head of the organization, a female mage known for her profound Alchemy Knowledge, Estrid, personally refused Midnight''s request.


    Estrid did not refuse Midnight''s request out of goodwill for the Dragon n. In fact, she would love to receive themission since Midnight offered quite a hefty amount of high-quality spirit stones and rare Alchemy ingredients. However, no matter how tempted Estrid was to receive the remuneration, she could only ept a request if she got intel to share.


    Apparently, their informants had had trouble entering the Dragon ne for over a month. Even their agents, close to some Dragon n members, failed to contact them. From this, it was not wrong to say that fresh intel on the Dragon n had been scarce since the Solis n attacked them.


    With the deadline of a day, Midnight had no choice but to give an eptable report to The Emperor.


    The result was obvious. The Emperor was furious and destroyed Midnight''s essence, which came to give her a report. His action resulted in thetter receiving a fatal injury to her core and rendering her immobile.


    To be honest, The Emperor would have eradicated Midnight if not for the fact that her magic and specialty were needed to search for the Void Master''s trail. In consideration of this, he chose to render temporarily cripple her but not to the point that she could no longer support the Elites that were still scattered all over the Higher Realm searching for the Void Master.


    With Midnight out of the picture for some time, Deus''s responsibility was doubled, if not tripled. Because of Midnight''s condition, he had to deploy about 70% of his automatons to cover her other tasks.


    Apart from that, Deus also conducted a personal investigation of Raelia''s disappearance. It was pretty unfortunate that he could not find any trace, like Midnight, at thest known location Raelia was. He even wondered if the distress call was actually a means to throw them off her trail.


    In the end, half a month had passed, and they had yet to show any results, and The Emperor''s patience was running thin.


    It was then that they received some news, which threw them off.


    The news came from one of their agents in the Lower Realm. The report stated that the human with the Draconic core had appeared and caused some disturbances on some of the nes under The Coven''s protection.


    Not only that, the human with the Draconic core also picked a fight with some of the members of the faction that The Emperor supposedly took under his wing.


    Because of this news, The Emperor''s impatience was alleviated slightly. He gathered his Elites once more and divided their ranks into two. One would go down to the Lower Realm and capture the human with the Draconic core, while the other stayed behind and continued following the Void Master''s trail.


    As for The Emperor, he decided to prepare for the Annual Banquet, which all leaders of the ns under his jurisdiction had to attend. In this year''s banquet, he nned to give two more slots to every n. This way, they could bring two more members to represent their ns.


    Initially, The Emperor wanted to organize another meeting with all n leaders under his jurisdiction. However, he changed his mind, especially since he still had to deal with the matter of the de Dancer n''s eradication.


    As the de Dancer n crossed his mind, Lucian''s expression turned fleeting as he thought, "Right... how shall I deal with Raelia?"


    *


    A lone patch ofnd fleeted in and out of existence in one of the deepest corners of the Higher Realm. One second, it was there; the next, it seemed to have been swallowed by darkness. In reality, that patch ofnd was indeed swallowed by darkness. Or, to be precise, swallowed by a ck mist.


    A dense ck mist gathered at the center of the patch ofnd. Two red lights would sometimes appear, coinciding with the pulsation that racked the ck mist. But often, there was only a dense swirling of ck mist.


    Foooom!


    Suddenly, an invisible shockwave exploded from within the mist, destroying the bits and pieces of floating soil or debris around the patch ofnd. Surprisingly, the patch ofnd itself remained intact after the unexpected explosion.


    "Hm...."


    Two red orbs akin to eyes appeared within the dense ck mist.


    It went without saying, but the mist was The One Who Caused The Fall.


    "The quality of the magic energy here is truly higher than below... It is unfortunate that it is still not enough to allow me full recovery..."


    He remembered the being he fought a while back and heaved a sigh. "It would have been good if I had absorbed herpletely. Unfortunately, I only managed to get her shell..."


    The One Who Caused The Fall fleeted toward the edge of thend as his body slowly changed into something simr to a sword. Soon, the sword took on another, more human-like form, but his features were too abstract that he looked more like a wandering soul.


    Standing at the edge of the patch ofnd, The One Who Caused The Fall surveyed the surroundings. Invisible threads seemed to seep out of his body and spread in every direction.


    ''The closest ne with vitality is still quite a distance away... However, it is better than this ce.''


    With that in mind, The One Who Caused The Fall turned into dense ck mist and drifted along the vast expanse of darkness.


    *


    Kyran looked out the window from Aillos''s study while deep in thought. The closed-door meeting might have ended, but he still had a few things to discuss with thetter.


    "Did you manage to achieve your objective in today''s meeting?" Aillos asked as soon as he entered the room.


    Distracted, Kyran turned to look at Aillos with a wry smile, "I can''t say for sure. I won''t know until something unexpected happens."


    "Aren''t you just asking for it by saying that aloud?"


    "..."


    Aillos chuckled at Kyran''s deadpan look. He had started to develop a knack for making this young descendant show that face. Kyran was very different from Zane, but Aillos was reminded of thetter whenever he showed that face.


    "I never really understood how Fates work," Aillos started, walking over to his desk. "Even the concept behind why they cannot influence the fates of the vessels baffles me."


    "I don''t know either," Kyran admitted. "I was told we are immune to the Fates Code, but recently, someone told me I can also share this immunity to a certain extent with people around me."


    "Which is why you wanted to expose yourself around the dragons and gain their trust," Aillos supplied, nodding in understanding. "I already get that."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "From what I understand, the dragons are not entirely immune to the Fates Code," Kyran said. "If that''s the case, the Fates will likely do something to intervene with our ns."


    "That''s what Fates do. Mess with us as they see fit," Aillos agreed, a glint of annoyance reflected in his eyes.


    "But if what that person said is true... that I can influence the fates of the people around me, we can somehow prevent any major interference from the Fates."


    Aillos sat on his chair and looked at Kyran, who was still standing by the window,


    "Do you trust that person''s words?"


    "...I don''t know. We... have a veryplicated history. However, I get how desperate he is to escape the Fates'' radar."


    "You said his name is Ruin?"


    "Yes."


    "...I don''t remember any mage with that name."


    "He might have been an unknown mage. Or... he went by a different name."


    "And he is helping you right now."


    "He managed to get a merchant n under his control. I haven''t heard from him yet, but he said he will expand the merchant n''swork and provide better intel for my ''lending'' him a body connected with me."


    "I still find the logic of borrowing something you''re connected with will help obscure the Fates'' all-seeing eyes inconceivable. However, some things can''t be exined logically, which is whyws and concepts of magic exist."


    "In any case, I can''t just wait for Ruin to do his thing. We need intel on The Emperor''s movement as soon as possible."

 Chapter 1191 Estrid

    "So you still intend on going to her ce," Aillos concluded, recalling what Kyran intended to do after finishing what he had to do for the Dragon n.


    "Yes," Kyran replied.


    They were referring to Estrid, the famous high-ranking Alchemist in the Higher Realm who was also the head of an underground organization that dealt with secret auctions and intelligence. The n she belonged to could be considered neutral. However, unlike the other neutral ns, her n did not steer clear from The Emperor in fear.


    The Emperor himself granted them¡ª or her, to be more specific¡ª a special privilege because of her title as an Exalted Alchemist. Her potions and pills were known for their high efficacy, making her concoctions always in high demand.


    While Alchemists were not umon in the higher realm, the art of alchemy was aplex and demanding one. Researching the effects of a potion or pill could span several years, leading to only a select few reaching the esteemed Emperor level, with most remaining at the level of a Venerate Alchemist.


    Compared with Array, where one could create a formation as long as they knew the form and how to arrange it, concocting a potion or pill through Alchemy could result in different medicines even when using the same recipe. This was because a medicinal herb''s quality might affect another herb''s quality. There was also the matter of how much and when herbs should be mixed.


    Simply put, even if two Alchemists used the same recipe, the medicine''s effect would differ if they used different concoction techniques.


    Estrid was considered the most knowledgeable regarding concoction techniques in the Higher Realm. Thus, she could concoct a variety of medicines with high efficacy. It was also rumored that she could concoct a potion that could bring someone on the brink of death to full recovery.


    However, the ingredients required to create such a miracle potion were close to impossible to gather, and The Emperor was the only one capable of collecting them.


    Even with his unparalleled strength, The Emperor could only concoct simple to above-average potions. For this reason, he was very fond of Estrid and gave her and her n special treatment. Because of this, some even believed that The Emperor harbored deep feelings for Estrid. After all, she was also known for being an unparalleled beauty that rivaled The Emperor''s strength.


    Of course, thetter was only empty spection since the two were never seen together. Or at least, no one had seen the two in public together.


    In any case, Kyran nned to go there even before Ruin decided to assist him with intel gathering. It was where he could get intel and find rare materials while staying anonymous, after all. Aside from those two, he could also sell items without revealing where he got them, and of course, while remaining anonymous.


    Still, Kyran knew his identity would not stay anonymous 100%. After all, if he wanted to do business with Estrid''s organization, he had to reveal some of his information. It would only be a matter of what information he revealed.


    He also could not lie about it, because Oceanus confirmed that one of the reasons Estrid remained untouched by the other ns and factions, was that her innate ability allowed her to know if someone was lying to her.


    Others might find such ability as troublesome, but not Kyran. It was not because he had a counter to it, or that he was immune¡ª maybe he was, he just did not know of it yet¡ª he just knew how to bypass it.


    How?


    He just had to avoid telling a lie. If he was asked questions or information where he would rather not tell, he could just give a vague answer¡ª an answer where technically it was not a lie.


    "You have to be careful when dealing with her," Aillos reminded Kyran once more. He already told him about Estrid from their previous talk, but he still wanted to remind him, nheless. "She is an old sly fox."


    "I will," Kyran replied, trying to reaffirm Aillos. "In any case, there is still a couple of weeks before go there." He then looked at Aillos with a wry smile, "I still need to help you ascend."


    "It''s not like you will need to stay with me throughout the ascension," Aillos snorted at his remark. "Though... are you sure you don''t need anything when you create the formation? Materials? Array Saints?"


    "Yes."


    "You''re not saying that because you can create the materials you needed, are you?"


    "You can actually view it that way. But I won''t be creating materials, but I will need my magic energy to create the formation."


    "I see," Aillos nodded his head, understanding what Kyran meant.


    Basically, the formation would be created purely with Void magic. Since Kyran was the only one who could produce it, he was also the only one who could create the formation.


    "From I remembered, your servants could also use Void."


    "Yes, but the Void they use is mixed with their innate magic."


    "For short, it''s not pure."


    "Yeah... you can also put it that way."


    "Alright," Aillos said, ending the discussion on the matter. But then he opened another subject that they had put off some time, "And? I get that you want to ensure that everyone, both your people and the n gets to prepare and improve theirbat experience and strength but what about you?"


    Kyran raised his brows in confusion.


    "Me?"


    "I did tell you I''ll teach you about Chaos magic," Aillos reminded him. "Frankly, I am surprised that you can now circte it by yourself. Not that I''mining, since that part is the hardest one in using Chaos magic. Now that you know how to circte it, teaching you how to use it properly will be easier."


    "Ah... you''re talking about that," Kyran replied sheepishly. He did not mean to forget. He just had a lot of things in mind that learning Chaos magic from Aillos slipped his mind.


    "...Your ascension is a priority at the moment."


    "You learning Chaos magic will greatly improve our overall strength," Aillos pointed out. "It will also be a very powerful trump card."


    Kyran contemted on the matter in silence. He understood where Aillos wasing from, but at the moment, Aillos''s ascension took priority. After all, he did not know until when he could keep The Emperor on a goose chase. In fact, he made some noise in the Lower Realm when they went there just to give The Emperor some things to think about apart from the Void Master.


    Kyran also needed to meet up with True Void, and they could not do that if The Emperor remained fixated on him.


    "One day," Aillos said, after some time passed yet Kyran remained undecided. "Let''s set aside a day to train Chaos magic before I ascend."


    Kyran looked at him with raised brows, "Will one day be enough?"


    Aillos snorted at Kyran''s expression and said, "Don''t you have a very convenient ability to ensure that is possible?"


    Kyran''s brow twitched. Aillos was basically telling him to rely on his ''monstrous ability to understand concepts and use it in person even without prior testing.


    "Learning magic concepts is different from learning Chaos from scratch," Kyran pointed. In fact, it took him weeks, maybe more, but because time was twisted when he was stuck in his sea of consciousness, he could not be sure, just to learn Void magic. Even then, he already had enough knowledge with using Void magic.


    Chaos magic was different. Yes, it was theplete form of Draconic magic, but the concept between the two differ a great deal. Moreover, Kyran''s knowledge about Draconic magic was limited to him molding andbining it with Void magic. There were a lot of things he did not know about it. He also heard the dragons talking about Draconic Arts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And since they called it Arts with an S, it meant there were a lot.


    Kyran did not expect Aillos to teach him all Draconic Arts but if he wanted to improve his knowledge about Draconic magic then he would need to learn all their concept at least. Only after he learned more about Draconic could he only have better chance in understanding Chaos better.


    Or at least that was how Kyran believed.


    "I believe in you," Aillos replied with such solemnity Kyran had an urge to squirm.


    "Don''t throw me that speech."


    Aillos shrugged, "I do believe in you. You''ve exceeded most of my expectations. You even managed to win Ducal''s approval just by unting your Array abilities."


    "F-unting... I didn''t unt..."


    "Who''re you trying to fool?"


    "In any case, one day is not enough. How about we do this? Ascend in three days, then you will have more time to train me before I go to Estrid''s."


    "Bullsh*t," Aillos scowled.


    Kyran was slightly surprised at his cursing because it was the first time he heard him do that.


    "Who ascends in three days?"


    "Who learns an entirely new magic in one day?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Knock! Knock!


    A knock on the door broke the slowly rising temperature in the room.

 Chapter 1192 Connection

    Their lighthearted banter was abruptly halted by Ducal, who brought urgent news from Coelus''s corpse''s site. The second group that had ventured into the Energy Assimtion Array had justpleted their turn, a development of significant importance.


    The first group, having sessfullypleted their adjustment phase after exiting the array, was fully prepared to return to the surface, marking a significant step in Kyran''s n to improve his people''s overall strength.


    Aillos ordered the first group''s return to the pce and had Nothum escort them to their new abode. Initially, they were to return to Ames''s mansion, but since the Regis Family was now officially recognized as part of the n, there was no longer a need to have all of them hide in her ce. Besides, having them stay there was no longer practical because of their number.


    However, Aillos wanted them to stay near Ames''s mansion and arranged for their residence near hers. Since the Regis''s existence was hidden from the rest of the tribes'' representatives, none of the annexes andplexes near her mansion were upied. Thus, finding a good ce for them to stay was easy.


    With Nothum on top of things, the first group that entered the Energy Assimtion Array was escorted from Coelus''s corpse''s site back to the surface in the main pce. Meanwhile, Rae and some of Ducal''s subordinates assisted the second group that had just exited the array as they adjusted to their newly acquired strength.


    After Ducalpleted his report about underground matters, he meaningfully examined Aillos before proceeding with his next subject. With a serious look, he said, "We received word from Lady Ames."


    Aillos''s and Kyran''s expressions turned solemn as they waited for Ducal to continue.


    "She is currently en route back to the ne and may bete for the banquet. However, she confirmed her errand ended with promising results."


    "Promising, huh?" Aillos smiled wryly before looking at Kyran. "What do you think?"


    "It''s better than getting no results," Kyran replied thoughtfully.


    Ames had now shown her face to anyone because she had left for an errand. Aillos knew there were prying eyes outside the ne, so he got Kyran to create routes¡ª simr to portals from Junction Port¡ª that allowed travel outside their ne to another without being seen.


    Kyran seemed to have the same idea and agreed with Aillos''s request. There was no need to create several portals. What was important was where the other end of the portal connected to. This was where the secret alliance between the Regis Family and the Ogen n came into y.


    Aillos had not revealed the alliance to the Dragon n because, technically, the Ogen n was allied with Kyran''s people. Even if the Regis Family was now recognized as an official member of the Dragon n, their allies and assets remained separate.


    Of course, that was not to say that the Dragon n and Ogen n would not be allies. For now, their rtionship would fall under ''business connection'' until Aillos and Oceanus found an opportunity to meet naturally and happened to discuss an alliance.


    That was a matter for another time, though.


    In any case, Kyran created a route from the Dragon ne to the Ogen ne.


    Such a route would have been impossible to create, but with Kyran''s Void magic, there were no issues with the distance or ipatibility of the environment to deal with.


    For the record, the environmentalpatibility of portals was connected to the primary energy source of a ne. A portal created on a ne where the dominant magic energy was Earth would require simr energy up to the other end of its route. It was for this reason that creating portals was impossible to do among nes.


    However, one could make it if both nes had simr primary energy sources.


    That was why the Junction Port was created on an artificial ne. Since artificial nes did not have a specific type of energy source, portals created there would not have any problem adapting to the portal''s primary energy source.


    The Dragon ne''s primary energy source was Draconic magic. Thus, a portal created there generally worked in the same magic energy. This also meant that the other end of the portal should be connected to a ne that used Draconic magic as its primary source.


    Ogen ne''s primary energy source, however, was Water magic. For this reason, it should be impossible for a portal connected to the Dragon ne to have been created.


    Kyran''s Void magic removed that restriction. In fact, he could have also used Chaos magic as the portal''s primary energy source, and it would not have had any problem connecting to a portal that used Water magic as its energy source since Chaos magic was the parent of all elements.


    Unfortunately, Kyran''s control over Chaos was still limited and could even be considered unstable. Thus, he could notbine it with Void magic yet. He did try some tests when he was in Somuli, and the result made Cyneah almost go into one of her rare dark moods. Kyran ended up in a terrible state, and she exuded a very ominous aura while healing him. She did not openly scold him, though.


    But he admitted not wanting to subject her to that again; otherwise, she might heal him to make him suffer again.


    It sounded contradicting, but that was how Kyran felt about Cyneah''s mood then. He might be wrong, but he could never really say.


    Going back on Ames''s errand, she used the portal to leave the Dragon ne without being detected by the prying eyes outside. As for her errand''s destination, it was the rebel''s hideout.


    Raelia informed Ames about the rebel group''s movement when they met in a ''staged'' fight in the Lower Realm. Ames checked on the rebel group''s hideout when she returned to the Higher Realm. Unfortunately, they had already left after being discovered by another group from The Emperor''s Elites.


    Fortunately, Raelia''s unexpected visit allowed her to give Ames new information about the rebels. When Ames told Aillos about the information this time, he let her leave as soon as possible.


    With Kyran''s portal, Ames managed to locate the rebel''s new hideout and attempt a negotiation. Ames disguised herself throughout the initial meeting, and the rebel representative who met her did not mind because he, too, was in disguise.


    ording to Ames''s message, she established a connection with a mid-level rebel group. She had yet to meet with the head of that group, but from what she gleaned from the initial meeting with the rebel representative, the leader of that mid-level rebel group was an executive of the rebels.


    Ames''s errand could indeed be considered a promising result.


    "I suppose we''ll just have to ept it and think of how we can achieve our intended result moving forward," Aillos said, bringing Kyran out of his reverie.


    "Yes," Ducal agreed with Aillos''s words.


    "Did she say when the second meeting will take ce?"


    "No. I guess she did not want to reveal too much in case her message got intercepted."


    Kyran smiled bitterly at Ducal''s reply and could not help butment, "I''d like to meet the person who can intercept a message from mymunication device."


    "Such arrogance," Ducal snorted. However, he did not say that out of spite. There was even a slight endearing tone to his voice.


    "Alright," Aillos said and stood up from his seat. "Tonight''s banquet marks the end of the Grand Gathering. However, as discussed earlier, apart from tribe leaders that have some business in their tribes, the rest will remain in the pce until the training camp."


    During the end of the closed-door meeting, it was agreed that the tribes would assist in organizing therge-scale training camp. They would send messages to their respective tribes and gather the rest of their members to participate in the training. Moreover, they would also busy themselves with the tasks that Aillos assigned them while staying in the pce.


    "Transmission Arrays will be created to agreed points all over the ne to ensure quick passage of the n members from their tribes to the main pce," Ducal confirmed. "The Array Saints in charge of this will assemble andplete it first thing in the morning."


    "Good. Eldir''s request is also a top priority. Make sure to prepare it so his people can start the production of armor and weapons upon their arrival."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Yes."


    "Speaking of which," Aillos turned his gaze at Kyran. "Are you sure you can amodate Eldir''s request? You already have your hands full withpleting Anahita''s technique and creating the array for my ascension. It''s not like you know how to multiply yourself."


    Aillos''s light jab at Kyran''s inability to create an essence hit a nerve, but thetter gave the former a deadpan look and said, "I''ll be fine."


    "If you''re nning on exploiting Sisi''s abilities..." Aillos started with a warning tone.


    "I won''t," Kyran replied almost immediately. He was not even going to engage in a battle, so why was Sisi''s ability suddenly mentioned here? "


    "It may only be my imagination, but you must look after her. It is faint, but I sense her displeasure during your first session with Anahita."


    "..."


    Kyran did not need Aillos to remind him about that. Cyneah did not act out of the ordinary that night, but he sensed she was trying to rein in her emotions. She spoke to him usually, or at least it appeared that way, but something about her smile and tone seemed off to him.


    "I will," Kyran replied after a short pause.

 Chapter 1193 Cutting Short

    "Right. After tonight''s banquet, we''ll visit the Ancestral Shrine and have you and Sisi enter the Ancestral Steele. That way, she will be officially recognized as part of your family and granted protection by the n. This is good timing as well. That way, if that old sly fox took a liking to you and did underhanded tricks to put a im on you, she wouldn''t be able to touch Sisi.


    Of course, she also can''t im ownership of you since your life is no longer yours alone," Aillos said, thinking of Estrid.


    That was the protection granted by their ancestors to those who chose their life partners. Simply put, the fate of two beings would be tied together and blessed for eternity. This protection, however, only worked once. For this reason, the dragons were careful when choosing their life partners. Moreover, it was also because of this that they practiced monogamy.


    The Regis Family also had the same custom. There was also an Ancestral Steele in the Regis Marriage Hall, where couples made their vow. Though the magic on the Steele was slightly inferior, it still bound both together and received protection.


    "... You make it sound like I will fall for her tricks unless Neah and I present ourselves before the Ancestral Steele," Kyran could not help butin.


    He never once doubted his feelings for Cyneah. Thus, he believed he would only ever choose her as his life partner even without the Regis''s custom or the Steele''s protection. He could not exin it well, but that was how he felt when she disappeared. If not, he would not have bothered looking for her and entertained Ste, who had already confessed to him.


    There were also a few others from the opposite sex that showed interest in him. But once he realized how important Cyneah was to him, he chose to ignore them.


    If Kyran had to be honest, it was a matter of standing by his choice. It also helped that he was overly possessive of Cyneah. Proof of that was hisck of interest in correcting others when they called her his mistress. Of course, he did not know it at the time. He only realized it after Cyneah disappeared.


    "I''m not questioning your devotion to Cyneah," Aillos snorted at Kyran''sint. "However, Estrid is an old sly fox. I''m sure even in the Human ne, there is information on what a fox beast is capable of."


    Kyran widened his eyes in realization and said, "I thought you called her that as a metaphor for her character, but she is actually a fox?"


    "Yes," Aillos agreed, with Ducal nodding helplessly to show his agreement.


    "She is from the older generation. Thus, only a few remembered her origin. It did not help that the Fox n were among the ones who suffered during The Fall, and the survivors had gone into hiding," he continued.


    Kyran frowned slightly at this. He did not know Estrid had that kind of story. If she belonged to the older generation, like Aillos, her strength should be about the same as him.


    No. Aillos was definitely stronger. He was already a peak Overlord and could break through to Supreme Overlord if given enough time. Nevertheless, Estrid should be among the powerful Overlords in the Higher Realm.


    But wait.


    There were only a few Overlords in the Higher Realm, and meeting one would be hard. So why did it feel like Kyran had already met about half of them?


    Aillos, Oceanus, Zigor, and Estrid¡ª if she was indeed one.


    Kyran inwardly shook his head and pushed the matter of Estrid at the back of his mind. While it was essential to know thetter''s background and level so he could prepare when meeting her, that was not his priority. There were still matters he needed to attend to at the moment.


    "In any case, be careful about what you drink, eat, or smell when in herpany," Aillos, seemingly understanding that their discussion had gone off track, reminded Kyran onest time before veering back on topic.


    "Before I ascend, I will teach you the fundamentals of Chaos magic. We''ll only need a day for that. After my ascension, we will proceed to the next topic."


    "Alright," Kyran decided topromise. Now that he knew Estrid''s background learning the fundamentals of Chaos magic would give him an edge if something unexpected happened during his meeting with her.


    "We''ll start the lesson the day after visiting the Ancestral Shrine. After that, I''ll start my preparation for my ascension," Aillos confirmed and looked at Ducal. "I''ll leave the rest to you and others, Ducal."


    Ducal nodded and lowered his head in respect. "Rest easy, and please focus only on your preparation."


    "I''ll have the array ready before you finish your preparation," Kyran assured Aillos.


    "Speaking of array," Ducal turned to Kyran and asked, "Would you need assistance from the Research Department?"


    Kyrann shook his head, "I''m good. Instead, when will the workshop be ready for Patriarch Eldir?"


    "A group has already been assembled to create the forge. It should be ready in a few days. Well, to put a number to that, the targetpletion of the forge is three days."


    "Three days..." Kyran made a mental calction in his head before nodding. "It is cutting short on the edges, but time-wise, I should still be on schedule."


    He looked at Aillos and said, "After our lesson, I''ll help Anahitaplete her technique, hopefully in two days. After that, I''ll assist Patriarch Eldir with his request for the following three days. You will need at least a week to prepare, right? I should have about three to four days toplete the Ascension Array."


    Aillos wanted to reduce his preparation time to three days. However, if he rushed things, he might face some challenges during the ascension. Thus, he nodded his head, confirming Kyran''s statement.


    "A week is more than enough."


    *


    The atmosphere at the banquet that night was lighter than the first. By then, all representatives were already aware of Aillos''s intention to improve the n''s strength in preparation for war. Although he did not say if they would openly dere war, everyone was surprisingly looking forward to it.


    They were still outnumbered, and they could not ovee that in a short time. However, the n leaders were responsible for devising solutions to ovee their numerical disadvantage, while the members improved their strength andbat experience. If they followed this, they should all be ready in no time.


    Aron and Cade joined the second group, which entered the Energy Assimtion Array. Initially, they should be adjusting their bodies to the immense magic energy they have absorbed. However, they did not want to miss the opportunity to apany Kyran and Cyneah to the Ancestral Shrine, which was why they decided to return first.


    Aillos and Ames, along with Euan, Rin, and te, went with them.


    Jared also wanted toe, but since he was part of the third group to enter the Energy Assimtion Array, he had no choice but to stay.


    Typically, visiting the Ancestral Shrine was equivalent to a wedding. However, Kyran and Cyneah decided against preparing one because they wanted to have their wedding in the Lower Realm, where most of their acquaintances lived.


    Their family respected their wishes and decided to have a simple ceremony, followed by an intimate dinner attended by the close family only.


    After Kyran and Cyneah made their vow before the Ancestral Steele, their names appeared on the Steele''s surface, binding them for eternity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In the evening, they had dinner. If they follow tradition, Kyran and Cyneah should have their first night together after that. However, te and Rin decided to take Cyneah with them because they believed it was too soon for her and Kyran to share a bed.


    Ames did not share their sentiment, however. She insisted that the two start sharing a bed as soon as possible so they could have their own family.


    Kyran and Cyneah listened to their banter with a deadpan expression. Frankly, the two had already talked about those things and decided they would only share a bed after their wedding in the Lower Realm.


    Aillos, Aron, Cade, and Euan chose to remain silent during the three women''s discussion. Although they each have their own opinion about the matter, they believed it best to keep them to themselves, especially when the women were the ones talking.


    In the end, Cyneah told them her and Kyran''s decision, putting an end to their disagreement.


    Ames was disappointed. But considering Kyran''s training with her father the following day, she finally relented. After all, if Kyran spent the night with Cyneah, he would have been in a less-than-pristine condition to train the next day. He might not even be able to participate, thinking he would rather stay with her.


    Ames''s offhanded remark almost made Cyneah hyperventte.


    Kyran, on the other hand, had a deadpan expression, making it hard to know what he thought about Ames''s remark.


    The following day, Aillos and Kyran did not waste any time and started their training even at the crack of dawn.


    With Kyran''s ability to learn fast, he seeded in learning the fundamentals of Chaos magic by noon. In the afternoon, Aillos gave him a practical lesson so he could apply what he learned in actualbat.

 Chapter 1194 Revival

    A week after the end of the Grand Gathering, Aillos entered a closed-door training for his ascension. Kyran left a few of his puppets with Energy cores that could circte Void energy to monitor Aillos''s progress while he was gone. He also instructed Rae to check on them regrly.


    Ducal and his subordinates would also be keeping an eye on Aillos. But mostly, it was to observe the Ascension Array because by then, they were already convinced that Kyran''s formation would not have any problem.


    They were determined to understand the array and wanted to see if they could create something simr that would not require Void magic energy. Because of this, they were eager to observe the Array and understand its flow.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Meanwhile, training the dragon tribe representatives on how to use Anahita''s technique started a few days ago. With the help of the other Aides, Kyran created an Array form that the dragons could activate so their innate magic would not have any problems adapting to Anahita''s technique.


    The form was a solution born from a problem identified during the closed-door meeting after the tribe leaders understood the concept behind Anahita''s technique. The problem they discovered was how the technique could only be used by dragons with innate magic possessing nature simr to the Golden Dragon Tribe.


    To exin briefly, the nature of the Golden Dragon Tribe''s innate magic, Gold magic, allowed them to turn their bodies into gold. Because of this nature, it was easy for them to use Anahita''s technique.


    However, dragons with innate magic that did not have a simr nature to theirs¡ª for example, the Venom Dragon Tribe''s Poison magic, which did not have the capability of hardening their bodies¡ª would have trouble activating the technique.


    Kyran''s array form fixed that problem.


    At first, the tribe leaders were skeptical of his idea ofbining array with magic. However, Kyran exined that he had used this concept for a long time. He also exined that his seemingly skinny body could produce tremendous strength because of the enhancements on his coat, which were created from several sets of Array forms.


    After hearing his exnation and even showing the forms that allowed him to increase the ''weight'' of his ''bones'' or improve the ''mass'' of his ''muscles,'' the tribe leaders finally epted his idea.


    The form on Kyran''s coat was simr to the enhancements created through Draconic magic. The only difference was that the array did not use Draconic magic energy. Thus,bining the array''s effect with Draconic magic could further increase its result.


    While on that topic, some tribe leaders suggested scribing the array form to a coat simr to Kyran''s. They even suggested producing his coat with all its enhancement while they were at it. That was actually one of the reasons Eldir requested Kyran''s assistance once his tribe''s workshop was built.


    To be honest, Kyran''s coat had several other enhancements that would typically not work together. But telling the tribe leaders all that would only make the discussion dragged on, so he did not bother to exin it and simply agreed to create something with enhancements that would work on them.


    Afterpleting Anahita''s technique, Kyran met with Eldir and started formting the blueprint for the coat where the array form would be imprinted. They did not take long toplete the blueprint since Kyran already had something topare it with: his coat.


    Only after seeing the design on Kyran''s coat did Eldir realize theplexity of his enhancements. He wanted to discuss them in detail, but knowing how tight Kyran''s schedule was, he reined in his curiosity for the meantime and only focused on the task at hand.


    Back to the present, now that Kyran''s action items for the n preparation werepleted, he focused on the ones he had for his family.


    Another group hadpleted their time inside the Energy Assimtion Array by the time Aillos went into closed-door training. About four to five groups were still left, yet the energy within the array was still abundant.


    This actually surprised Kyran because, in his initial calction, the array''s magic energy should have halved by then. He was notining, though. Since he could use it for other things. In fact, he needed it to improve his control over Chaos magic.


    Because Kyran gave Rae a different task, he arranged for someone else to oversee the Energy Assimtion Array. The only one he could think of, with Array Knowledge simr to his, was none other than Neo.


    Unfortunately, Ruin hijacked Neo''s body.


    Fortunately, Kyran managed to take Neo''s programming and energy core after negotiating with Ruin.


    Of course, Kyran had to surrender a different energy core. If not, Neo''s body would not be able to move, beating the purpose of Ruin hijacking it in the first ce.


    Kyran had several energy cores that were not in use. Since it had enough connection with him, technically, it was still tied to him and would receive his immunity to the Fates Code.


    Ruin epted the exnation, which was why he did not argue when Kyran proposed changing it. In a way, Ruin also knew that Neo''s programming was connected to his energy core, so if he disagreed, Kyran might not agree to help him.


    Anyway, it took Ruin a great deal of effort and time to return to the Higher Realm, and he did not want to waste the opportunity to stay by pissing Kyran off.


    Kyran knew that and took advantage of it when he negotiated with Ruin.


    After that, Kyran had been so busy with many things that he did not have the time to transfer Neo into another body. He also needed a new one for him, and that had been one of the reasons he wanted to return to the Lower Realm and visit Somuli.


    Some automatons in Somuli had yet to form their sentient¡ª Kyran would generally refer to them as puppets. Still, because their materials and program were simr to automatons with sentient, he no longer called them that.


    Anyway, Kyran wanted to give Neo a more robust body and considered designing a new one. However, given the time and materials he had on hand, he knew it was close to impossible for him to make a new one for Neo as soon as possible. Thus, he thought using the automatons he left in Somuli was the best.


    Quality-wise, the automatons in the Tower of the Ancients were better. But those automatons had already formed their sentients, so Kyran could not use them. In any case, he could enhance Neo''s body in the future, so it was not really a big deal if it were inferior to the ones in the Tower of the Ancients.


    Kyran had already updated Neo''s programming. This meant his Array Knowledge wasparable to Kyran''s. Because of this, Kyran felt more at ease, leaving Neo to oversee the Energy Assimtion Array.


    While he could also leave it to Ducal''s subordinates, those who were there during its creation, there were things that would not make sense to them especially those that used Void runes. Thus, Neo was the only best candidate.


    Kyran admitted that reviving Neo worried him because he had been in a ''frozen'' state after Ruin hijacked his body. Another thing he was worried about was how intact his programming and ''thoughts'' would be. After all, the one who took over his body was someone who used Ruin magic.


    Fortunately, Kyran''s worries were unfounded after Neo showed no signs of deterioration or change to his ''character.'' As a matter of fact, Kyran felt Neo had already developed a very strong character that he almost wanted to reformat him. He did not do that only because Cyneah looked very happy to see Neo again.


    After dealing with the Energy Assimtion Energy, Kyran took time to meet with his people¡ª his Servants and Sigils.


    Most of them had yet to enter the Energy Assimtion Array. In fact, Kyran arranged for them to be thest ones to enter. The only one who entered early had been Zephyr because his identity was special.


    As thest survivor of the Quilins guarding Shaiha, Kyran wanted to give him time to visit his remaining rtives once he exited the array and finished his adjustment phase.


    Zephyr had yet to return after leaving the main pce. However, he already sent Kyran a message telling him that he met with his remaining rtives and would be staying there for some time.


    To be honest, calling them his rtives was a little off. Rather than calling them that, it was best to call them his descendants. Most of his rtives were also left in the Human ne, and the only ones who returned to the Higher Realm were those too young to stay behind.


    Kyran wanted to give Zephyr time to spend with his descendants and decided not to tell him his ns to leave the ne for some time. He believed Zephyr would rush back if he knew he nned to go out because he did not absorb the magic energy to improve his levelpared to others who entered the Energy Assimtion Energy with him.


    Instead, it allowed him to return and improve his original strength.


    For short, Zephyr was now Kyran''s most powerful Sigil, whose level waspared to a newly ascended High Sovereign.


    Kyran met his Servants and Sigils. However, he did not give them any specific order. Instead, he only grouped them and assigned group leaders to lead them.


    The groups were separated ording to the ne or affiliation he met them.


    For example, the Servants and Sigils he met in the Human ne were grouped together, with Tritus acting as their leader. The same went with the ones in Somuli, with Akim and Kessiah forming two groups and them acting as their leaders.


    Finally, Kyran appointed Gael as the head of all groups. He chose Gael because his Shadow magic adapted to the Void magic''s nature better than the others. Apart from that, his trip to Somuli improved his level, making it higher than Tritus. Most importantly, his Shadow magic''s nature could monitor everyone, making it easy for him to know everyone''s status and whereabouts.

 Chapter 1195 : Miscalculation (1)

    When Kyran decided on the groupings of his Servants and Sigils, he initially wanted to group them ording to how he turned them. Ultimately, he decided against it because having a Servant and a Sigil in one group would give them more room to adapt to situations. However, he did have reservations about assigning a Sigil as a leader. It was not that he did not trust them.


    Instead, he felt this overwhelming sense of their willingness to give up their lives for him.


    Kyran could not put it into words, but it was simr to how Zephyr became too attached to him. Come to think of it, Baron, his first Sigil, showed the same attitude. He just did not have the opportunity to ''offer'' his life for Kyran.


    Kyran heard from Myst that Ames''s Sigil worked differently from his. The effect might have been different because they had dragon blood in their veins, but Kyran could not shake the feeling that there was another reason behind it.


    This realization became more pronounced as he delved deeper into the potential evolution of his Draconic magic to Chaos magic.


    The Sigils'' loyalty to Kyran was slightly contradicting his initial understanding. This was because they could think for themselves better than his Servants, who were reborn from the Void. They were only restricted by their connection to Kyran, meaning they would suffer if they ever thought of betraying him.


    Maybe because he shared some of his thoughts with them and vice versa after establishing their connection, they all ended up vowing their undying loyalty to him.


    After Kyran finished his business with his Sigils and Servants, he met with Aron, Cade, and Euan and discussed the de Dancer n. They talked about what they needed to do to ensure the ne where the n were building their new stronghold would develop as soon as possible and how they would integrate into the Regis Family''s military.


    By the end of their meeting, it was decided that Cade and Euan would go and oversee the de Dancer n''s activities.


    Kyran gave them an improved face-altering mask and a new set of coats to hide their identity. He also asked them to think of new names, emphasizing that using their real names could pose a threat to them. The de Dancer n might not do anything to them, but they would be in trouble if their real names were leaked outside.


    Cade and Euan were already aware of this and prepared different names for themselves. In fact, it was also the reason they avoided calling Kyran by his name in front of others.


    Finally, the time for Kyran to leave the ne arrived. Initially, he nned to go alone, but Cyneah was against it and said she wanted to go with him this time. Strangely, his mother and godmother were not against the idea.


    With Aillos already in closed-door training, there was no one else to make them see sense. Thus, Kyran could only agree. Ames was also not against Cyneah going with Kyran, pointing out that if she went with him, he would not act as reckless.


    She also pointed out that even if her father were not in closed-door training, he would not be opposed to the idea as well, especially now that Cyneah had the protection of the Ancestral Steele.


    In the end, Kyran relented, and he and Cyneah, with Alta as her official guardian, left the ne through the portal.


    Their first stop was the Ogen n, where Oceanus would assist them in entering Estrid''s ne.


    Kyran disguised himself so he would not stand out like he did on his first time in Ogen. With his improved face-altering mask, even an entry Overlord would have difficulty detecting his disguise. It was still a long way to avoid the eyes of a mid-Overlord, but it was not like he would be in front of one all the time.


    Thus far, the mid-Overlord he knew was Oceanus. As for Estrid, officially, it was said that she was only a peak High Sovereign, but knowing she belonged to Aillos and Oceanus''s generation, it was not wrong to assume that she was also an Overlord.


    Kyran did not know whether Estrid was an entry Overlord or a mid-one, but he was not keen on finding that out. It would be best if he did not have to meet her when selling his rare items. However, since some of his items had something to do with Alchemy, which Estrid was famous for, he doubted she would not be interested in meeting him in person.


    Considering this, Kyran would have to be careful when using or removing his disguise in her territory.


    Alta and Cyneah were also in disguise. However, unlike him, only their faces were changed. Their clothes were also enchanted to give them additional protection and modify the attributes of their magic energy.


    Kyran did not use any concealment on them because he realized it would make them stand out more. The mages in the Higher Realm were wiser, with most having their Divine Sense active all the time. If a mage with a concealment spell active were to walk around in the middle of a street, regardless if it was crowded or not, they would be suspicious.


    Kyran also added a new array to his coat, allowing him to emit enough presence that would blend with the beings around him. This meant his presence and magic energy would adjust depending on the primary magic energy of the ne he was in.


    The array on Alta and Cyneah''s clothes could be said to do the same when it modifies the attributes of their magic energy. The only difference was that Kyran''s array created his presence and magic energy from scratch, while Alta and Cyneah''s array simply modified theirs.


    Kyran and his group were escorted to the ship Oceanus prepared for their journey. Its outer design was different from the one they used to go to the Junction Port, but the inside was pretty much the same.


    "You understand that you''ve been working us to the bones with all your requests, don''t you?" Oceanus said as soon as Kyran and his group entered the ship''smand room.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were only two other people with Oceanus, and both were someone Kyran was already familiar with¡ª Leif and Mira.


    "I rememberpensating your work with high-quality potions and pills. Oh, and Array items."


    "While I appreciate all these, don''t you think it would be better just to give us the recipe for those items?"


    "Even if I give you the recipe, it does not guarantee a high-quality potion on its concoction," Kyran exined. "It is all about the skills."


    "...Do you hear how arrogant you sound right now?"


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Leif eyed Alta with narrowed eyes. She, her father and Mira had already been told that Kyran was apanied by two female mages. While Leif already guessed that one of them was Cyneah, she was having trouble guessing Alta''s identity.


    As if sensing Leif''s doubt, Oceanus directed his attention to Alta and Cyneah.


    He first addressed Cyneah with a wry smile, "I see... so you are the reason Null rejected my daughter."


    Leif grew bright red and nearly had a heart attack because of how her father phrased that.


    "W-What are you saying in front of Lady Sisi, father? Do you have to phrase it like I confessed to Null when you are the one who offered the marriage proposal without my knowledge?"


    "Marriage proposal?" Cyneah muttered, turning her head slightly toward Kyran. She could not see his expression, but she sensed him tensed somewhat. "Why am I hearing this only now?"


    "..."


    "Ahahaha," Oceanusughed and said, "Don''t worry¡ª Lady Sisi, is it? Null had rejected my daughter. Though the memory still makes me want to choke him to death, I think I understand now why he strongly disagreed with my proposal."


    "D-Do you have to say strongly... you''re embarrassing me, father..."


    "I am only teasing," Oceanus replied with a faint smile. Then he suddenly turned his attention to Alta, and his eyes narrowed dangerously, "So... I understand that we have established a good connection with the de Dancer n, but what is she doing here?"


    Surprised at the sudden change in her father''s demeanour, Leif looked at Oceanus, "Father?"


    Mira was simrly surprised as she looked at her Lord before looking at Alta.


    "Please don''t take offence if I brought her without prior notice."


    The one who responded to Oceanus'' question was Kyran. It was not because Alta could not speak for herself. Instead, Kyran had already warned her of the possibility that Oceanus would not appreciate her presence and said that he would exin everything himself.


    "The business I have to deal with at present will require me to move alone, and I can''t leave my wife by herself. At the moment, she¡ª" Kyran looked at Alta, "¡ªis the only one I can entrust my wife with while I''m gone."


    "Wait, what?"


    "You don''t have to worry, I can vouch for her¡ª"


    "Did you just say w-wife? When did it happen?"


    "..."


    Kyran had a deadpan expression as he looked at Oceanus. "Are we still on the same page here?"


    "I think not," Leif replied with the same deadpan expression.


    "No, wait, when did this happen?" Oceanus insisted, looking at Kyran and then at Cyneah. "You... You''re not just calling her wife as an endearment or something, are you? Now that I have a better sense of her presence, there is a special kind of protection around her."


    "I''d like for us to leave as soon as possible," Kyran ignored Oceanus''s rambling about how it had only been a couple or so months since Kyran went to the Junction Port, so howe he was already married and veered their discussion on track. "I understand that Lady Mira would apany us on this trip?"


    "I''m going as well," Leif exined and smiled slightly. "Mira will operate the ship, and as for me, I will be your group''s guide.

 Chapter 1196 : Miscalculation (2)

    Seeing Kyran''s reluctant look after dering she would join them, Leif exined their need for a guide.


    Simply put, it was better for Kyran and his group to have someone like Leif move with them so that other ns would not target them or even Estrid''s people from the moment they set foot on their territory.


    The ne where Estrid''s n resided was called the Crepuscule Auction House. Though it was called a house, it resembled a small ne and was artificially made, much like the Junction Port.


    In Kyran''s opinion, however, the Crepuscule Auction House resembled a moving fortress. He thought this after hearing from Aillos that it was initially arge ship that grew in size in time. Few knew that information; even if it got revealed, no one would care because they were only interested in doing business with them.


    While Estrid and her n mainly resided in the Crepuscule Auction House, they also possessed a small-sized ne. The ne was too small to amodate the Crepuscule n. Thus, it was primarily used as Estrid''s farm after the auction house expanded.


    Estrid''s farm, where rare medicinal nts and herbs were grown and maintained by her disciples, was not left unprotected. A group of six talented Alchemist Venerates ensured its upkeep, while sixbat mages with dubious backgrounds stood guard, providing a strong sense of security.


    It was a known fact that Estrid did not care about a mage''s history as long as he or she caught her fancy. For this reason, many members of her n were exiles or from a small tribe. Thebat mages protecting her farm were among those members. Four of her disciples were the same. Nheless, she took them in simply because she saw their potential.


    Typically, the ns where those exiles were from would have threatened Estrid into surrendering them. They might already be exiled, but their home n would never want their ex-n member affiliating themselves with another.


    Thanks to Estrid''s special status and the protection bestowed by The Emperor to her and her n, no one dared challenge her. The other ns even ended up currying her favor by keeping a blind eye on the exiles she employed or took into her n.


    In any case, because of theplex rtionship of beingsing in and out of the Crepuscule Auction House, if an unfamiliar group entered for the first time, most ns would approach them, thinking they could be exiles from another n. They would then exploit and use them to enter Estrid''s circle.


    This scheme was already known throughout the Higher Realm, and it would have been impossible for Estrid not to be aware of it. After all, her intelligencework boasted the most extensive in the Higher Realm. However, no one could genuinely confirm whether she knew about the scheme, and she turned a blind eye to them knowingly. If she did turn a blind eye, what caused her to do so was a mystery.


    After hearing Leif''s exnation, Kyran relented to her joining them. Ae and Veles did advise him to tread carefully inside the Crepuscule Auction House because the security was not as great as at the Junction Port. Kyran took their advice to heart, especially since Cyneah insisted oning with him.


    Alta would serve as Cyneah''s primary guardian, but Kyran ensured her clothes were adequately enhanced, and she always had the token. The Steele''s protection also served as anotheryer of security. But most of all, his connection with her now allowed him to pinpoint her location much more easily.


    The same went for Cyneah. She could also pinpoint Kyran''s location, and she did not have to rely on instincts to know whether he was okay. The connection they now had after making their vow in front of the Ancestral Steele allowed them to be more aware of each other''s status and whereabouts.


    Kyran and his group, with the addition of Leif and Mira, left Ogen soon after and headed to the Crepuscule Auction House.


    Oceanus reluctantly let them go¡ªhe was still hung up on by Kyran calling Cyneah his wife¡ªand promised to send updates regarding his deal with the de Dancer n.


    Cade and Euan could provide the update since they had already gone to the unnamed ne, but Kyran was okay with hearing updates from Oceanus'' side. He did give separate tasks for thetter that were equally important to his n.


    It took a week to arrive at the Crepuscule Auction House''s port. There was no identity check when entering the port or staying in the outer city. Only when entering the inner city would they be asked to present identification because that was where all the businesses of the Crepuscule n operated.


    True to her role as their guide, Leif escorted them to the inn she had booked ahead of time. However, because the number of people expected to stay in the inn had increased, Leif rmended booking another room.


    Leif took Kyran and Cyneah into ount and booked a double room. But when she distributed the room numbers, Kyran took the single room and had Alta and Cyneah take the double room.


    This puzzled Leif and Mira.


    Cyneah knew why Kyran chose the single room, which was why she did notment on the room arrangements. As for Alta, she heard about Kyran''s mother and Cyneah''s master not wanting them to share a room and thought that was Kyran''s reason for choosing the single room for himself.


    In fact, Kyran chose the single room simply because he nned to stay outside and investigate. He did not want to bother Cyneah while she rested bying inte or leaving suddenly. Cyneah knew this and thus kept silent.


    After dinner, the group decided to retire for the night because they were exhausted from their travel. They might not have encountered any trouble while traveling, but because the ship they traveled in moved twice the speed of an average one, it took quite a toll on their bodies the moment they docked.


    Kyran was probably the only one who was unaffected by the speed. It was no surprise, though. His Void allowed him to teleport and warp without experiencing any side effects. How could a ship that had an increase in speed affect him?


    The outer city of the Crepuscule Auction House reminded Kyran of an industrial town in the Human ne. There wasw and order, but only to a minimum, to ensure the businesses could function properly.


    Still, Kyran sensed an ambiguous air lurking in the dark corners of the outer city. Moreover, the prying eyes of the residents and visitors directed at him were too obvious.


    Leif had already warned him about the situation at the auction house, and Ae and Veles, too. But he did not expect it to be this bad.


    ''And Estrid allowed all of it?'' Kyran wondered while looking toward the west side, where he could barely make out the tall walls that separated the outer city from the inner city.


    Kyran ignored the prying eyes of the beings around him and continued walking around the city. He also entered some shops and checked some of their merchandise.


    The items sold in the outer city were of good quality, some even excellent¡ª however, most were of dubious origin. Thus, they were mostly ignored and left to dust.


    Kyran would have loved to buy some items because they could be of assistance to his people. But after inquiring about the prices, he immediately changed his mind. Most might have ignored these items, but the ones selling them were no fools. They knew their value well and would notpromise because no one wanted to buy them.


    Kyran entered a lot of shops and was surprised that none of them priced their items wrong. Others would not find it strange, but not him. If such good items were sold within the outer city, why would anyone not want to buy them? Sure, they were expensive, but that was only in his opinion due to his limited funds.


    But if he had the authority to use the Dragon n''s wealth, he could buy every item that caught his eye.


    Not that he would buy them, of course. The Dragon n had the capability to produce most of the items there with a much better effect. The only thing stopping them from production was likely the avability of the materials needed to create them.


    In any case, Kyran did not understand why such items were on disy and yet most ignored them.


    ''Hm?'' Kyran picked up some movements as he continued to walk down the bustling alley. There were still a few hours before midnight, and the city''s business area was still pretty active. As for the ambiguous air he sensed earlier, it had gotten worse as the night deepened.


    ''No way...''


    A sudden realization struck him as he tried to make sense of the strangeness he had felt after visiting some shops.


    ''Are all those items on disy a test?''


    This was the only reason that came to Kyran''s mind. What if those items were disyed there on purpose to find beings like Kyran who could discern their value? What if the shop owners were instructed to monitor those individuals and report them back to the inner city? What if everything was Estrid''s ploy to sift out potential talents?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kyran might be getting ahead of himself, but he could not shake the feeling that the number of prying eyes observing him had increased. Moreover, there were a few of them whose presence he could barely sense, meaning their level was rtively high.

 Chapter 1197 : Miscalculation (3)

    Not wanting to rm those observing him from the shadows, Kyran feigned ignorance and continued walking down the busy alley. All the while, he racked his brain on how to proceed from there. He did not want to draw attention to himself, but unknowingly, he did just that by discovering the good items disyed in the shops within the outer city.


    Kyran''s suspicions about the items being bait were still unconfirmed. However, the only action he did that might have caught others'' attention was his knack for spotting valuable items from the shops. For this reason, he could not think of any other reason for them to be interested in him.


    Quite a number of visitors arrived at the Crepuscule Auction House, and some even traveled in fancy-looking ships. As for Kyran and his group, their ship was redesigned to look very average. Thus, he did not think anyone would keep an eye on them, thinking they came from arge faction or n.


    No.


    Wait.


    What if that was the reason Kyran and his group drew more attention? And this attention only increased after he had gone around picking out valuable items from the shops around the outer city. His action of not buying any of the items, regardless of their value, might have added to their interest.


    Kyran inwardly shook his head. He knew that jumping to conclusions would not do him any good. It was better to look at the current situation objectively, strategize, and calmly n his next moves.


    With this in mind, Kyran continued to check the shops around the outer city while also picking out the good items from their disys. His action seemed to work as the number of prying eyes observing him no longer increased.


    Then again, it did not decrease either.


    After almost four hours of walking around, Kyran found himself back on the street where the inn they were staying in was. Since he was feigning ignorance, he did not try to shake off his observers. Not that he could, given how they seemed to have a good skill, or maybe it was a spell that tracked his movements.


    Once inside, Kyran noticed most of his observers dispersed. But he also realized that a couple of them entered the inn after him a few minutester.


    ''So they intend to observe me even while inside the inn?'' Kyran wondered in exasperation. He wanted to visit the others and warn them about the observers, but given how they decided to continue monitoring him in the inn, it was best to warn the others as discreetly as possible.


    Fortunately, Kyran had a way to do just that. He anticipated something might happen that would prevent them from exchanging information in person. Thus, he gave Alta and Leif amunication device that could only transmit messages through sound waves. He also taught them an old form of sound-only transmission he learned from military school.


    Themunication mode was old and only used among ordinary humans, though.


    Either way, in case a mage with sound innate magic was nearby, Kyran made sure that hismunication device would be able to camouge the way the sound was transmitted to the other device. This was to prevent Sound mages from detecting the sound.


    Themunication device was the only way for those transmitted sounds to be interpreted.


    Kyran sent Alta and Leif the message after entering his room and ensuring that his observers were no longer paying much attention to him. After that, he pretended to rest while formting their following action.


    Cyneah frowned slightly after interpreting the message Alta wrote on a special tome. She looked at thetter and barely discerned thetter''s subtle nod, through her magic sense, to confirm the message he wrote on the tome.


    ''For Kyran to draw attention to himself on our first day,'' she thought with an inward sigh, ''It will not be a stretch to think that they will also start observing our movements.''


    Initially, Cyneah and Alta would also do their investigation. However, unlike Kyran, who wanted to observe the city to understand its inner workings, Cyneah and Alta would focus on gathering information on the uing open auction.


    Leif briefed them while they were on their way to the auction house that the Crepuscule n would organize an open auction in the outer city every other month. Based on the current intel of the Ogen n, it was almost time for the auction to happen.


    However, because of the recent events, starting from the downfall of the de Dancer n and The Emperor''s deration that he was searching for the Void Master, the Crepuscule''s open auction was pushed back.


    Though there was still time before the end of the month when it was supposed to happen, no definite schedule was circted. Cyneah and Alta had to find out. They needed to find out because it was said that Estrid would attend and participate in the bidding.


    Kyran intended to sell his items at the open auction. Since he wanted to avoid meeting Estrid privately, the open auction was his safest option. Besides, having more eyes to witness his transaction with her was better than doing it privately.


    s, with Kyran drawing attention to himself, he might not even get the chance to participate in the open auction. Estrid might decide toe and meet him herself.


    Well, that was only one of the if scenarios at the moment. Another one¡ª which Cyneah believed to be one of the dire scenarios¡ª was Estrid having someone escort Kyran into the inner city.


    While the inner city of the auction house was the safest and most secure ce, it could also be interpreted as a mostly guarded ''prison'' for those wanting to do business yet having ulterior motives.


    Seeing Cyneah''s expression, Alta more or less guessed what was going on in her head and wrote another message on her tablet.


    ''It is too early to make assumptions. Since Null only warned us, he likely has something nned out. Or at least, he does not think the situation is dire enough for us to make drastic changes to our ns.''


    Cyneah smiled wryly after interpreting what Alta wrote and mouthed ''Thank you.''


    While Cyneah trusted Kyran, her concern over his safety would cause her emotions to waver. She was thankful for people like Alta, who could stop her from letting her concerns get the best of her.


    Alta smiled after Cyneah calmed down significantly. She wrote on the tablet again and shared what she believed would be their best course of action tomorrow.


    ''If those observing Null decided to keep an eye on us as well, they may misunderstand our intentions if we ask around about the open auction. Let''s avoid openly asking about it.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Cyneah nodded in agreement. She then wrote back and let Alta read her response.


    ''True. We have to avoid them from thinking we are interested in meeting the head of the Crepuscule n.''


    Alta nodded.


    Just as Cyneah managed to glean from Alta''s message, those observing them might think they were interested in the open auction because they wanted to meet Estrid but did not have enough authority and influence to request an audience.


    Until they confirm the identity of those observing them, they should avoid implying that they want to do business directly with Estrid.


    ''We''ll gather intel by listening to the conversation around us.''


    Alta wrote on the tablet once more.


    Cyneah nodded after interpreting her message.


    Asking questions was not the only way to gather intel. There were many creative ways to do it, and while listening did not count as innovative, with Cyneah''s disposition, that was something she could do and even excel in.


    Meanwhile, Leif and Mira had a simr discussion in their room. The only difference was that they were not using a special tablet to converse. Given Cyneah''sck of sight, that form of conversation was inevitable.


    Of course, it was also because they could not use telepathy openly in case those observing them noticed any magic fluctuation in the surroundings caused by the telepathic transmission of ''voices.'' The act of talking telepathically was not the reason they avoided it but the ''content'' of their conversation being interpreted.


    Leif and Mira had another way of conversing without telepathy, which was rted to their innate magic: Water. Using the vibration from water''s surface, they could pass messages or thoughts in real time.


    Like Alta and Cyneah, they had a different task tomorrow. Since they were in disguise, they could not openly visit the Ogen n''s people stationed there. Thus, they nned to meet them in secret. But if someone were monitoring their actions, that would no longer be possible. Thus, they nned to meet with them more naturally.


    And that was what Leif and Mira were figuring out.


    *


    Kyran and his group went about their business the following day as usual. To others, they appeared like any other visitors interested in exploring the outer city while looking for rare items from the shop.


    They continued to feign ignorance about being observed, and finally, after a few days, the number of prying eyes went down to about three to five.


    Cyneah and Alta''s intel gathering also produced results, as they confirmed that the open auction would be held the day after tomorrow. The new intel the Ogen n''s people conveyed secretly to Leif and Mira also supported this information.


    On the other hand, Kyranpleted the outer city''s map in his head and could now n their escape route in an emergency.


    A couple of dayster, the open auction finally arrived.

 Chapter 1198 : Miscalculation (4)

    Kyran had trouble sharing information and rying his ns with his group because they had yet to figure out who was observing them. Fortunately, apart from observing them from a distance, their observers did not attempt to approach them. They also did not try to sneak into their rooms while they were away or sleeping.


    They still observed their activities inside their rooms but did not ce any listening or concealed monitoring magic device or array. Kyran''s discerning eyes might have been why they did not do those things or wanted to observe them without going overboard. Whatever their reason was, they were at least given time to rx when inside their rooms.


    By the time the open auction arrived, Kyran only managed to give his group a map detailing the escape route he had prepared.


    Preparing that route demanded much of Kyran''s alone time and mental fortitude. He had to work in secret, in the confines of his room, to ensure the observers would not know what he was doing.


    Basically, Kyran left ready-made arrays in different locations in the outer city. He made sure to leave those arrays as naturally as possible and at ces that the observers would not find suspicious. After that, he remotely activated those arrays in his room.


    To do that, Kyran used the concept he learned from the Forest Dragon Tribe¡ª where he connected with the arrays he left behind by channeling his magic energy there.


    Of course, Kyran had to ensure that his observers would not notice any magic fluctuation in his room. Or even if they did, it was too little for them to draw suspicions.


    In any case, the whole ordeal took a great deal from Kyran''s mental fortitude, so much that once he was finished with the task, he literally passed out cold.


    On the day of the open auction, Kyran gave his group the map as naturally as possible. Since Cyneah and the rest were aware of the observers, they double-checked anything Kyran gave them.


    For example, Kyran gave them a transparent disc that showed the list of items that would be auctioned that day. To activate the disc, they only needed to insert a small amount of magic energy. Kyran even emphasized that they had to insert their magic energy properly.


    Alta and Mira activated the disc as if they wanted to check what was on the list. But in truth, they tried to see if there was any trick to the disc that would make it show different information.


    Just as they expected, when they inserted the type of magic energy that they were supposed to possess while in disguise into the disc, it showed a list of items. Since Kyran emphasized that they had to use their magic energy on the disc properly, it would likely show a piece of different information if they used their original magic energy.


    For the record, their clothes could also change their magic energy type. Thus, they also had to be careful when summoning magic. Because no matter how good their clothes'' enhancements were, it could not change the nature of the magic they would summon. After all, the magic energy used to summon it was from their innate magic energy.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After realizing the trick on Kyran''s disc, Alta and Mira made a mental note to check itter. They would do it when they returned to their room. Of course, they would not stubbornly want to return to their room if something came up while they were in the auction.


    Since they more or less understood Kyran''s train of thought these days, they knew that the information on the disc would help them in case something happened in the auction.


    Cyneah and Leif also understood this and went along with Alta and Mira while checking their discs.


    The open auction would take ce in an open field just outside one of the gates leading to the inner city. Trees surrounded the open field, and ake connected to a river that snaked around the inner city''s walls was beside it. In the middle of the field was arge tent that could house a thousand people.


    Severalbat mages lined each side of the tent''s entrance at that moment. From the emblem on their light armor, a profile of a fox with a gold chain dangling on its fangs, they were from the Crepuscule n.


    Kyran was already familiar with the open field because he would go there almost every afternoon after his round around the outer city, and he would pass the time there. Of course, that was what his observers would see, but in fact, Kyran was setting up his escape route.


    Theke was artificial. Thus, the bottom of theke was not made out of akebed. There were probably some ''soil'' and ''stones'' there, but those were only there to hide the construction of the ship''s insides.


    Since theke was close to the inner city, no one would consider using it as an escape route. But Kyran discovered that although theke was located near the inner city, the bottom part, or more urately, the part of the ship it was in, was only an old passageway leading to the outer city''s port.


    At least, that was how Kyran assessed theke''s position based on the map Leif''s people gave.


    Theke would be their escape route if something terrible happened during the open auction.


    Many residents and visitors from other ns were already gathered outside the tent. Judging by the density of beings there, no had entered yet.


    It was no surprise, though. Only about a thousand beings could participate in the open auction, and there were still about two hours before it started. If all these people entered by then, the tent would already be full by now.


    "Do you think we''ll have a chance to enter?" Leif voiced her worry after seeing the crowd. "I don''t think we arete, but to think this many people have already gathered outside..."


    "Many residents and visitors alike wanted to participate in the open auction this time. They probably think there will not be a next time, given the current situation in the Higher Realm," Kyran replied, voicing his opinion.


    The open auction was supposed to have taken ce a few weeks prior, but because of the recent events in the Higher Realm and The Emperor''s deration, it was said to have been canceled. Seeing that it was happening only days before the new month, the Crepuscule n probably dyed the auction as much as possible and could only do it today.


    As for the next one, scheduled two months from now, there was no guarantee that it would take ce because it would all depend on The Emperor''s progress with his ''search.''


    "Since we submitted some items to be auctioned, I think they will allow us entry," Alta pointed. "But given how many came today, only a few of us will probably get a chance to enter."


    "If that''s the case," Cyneah started, looking in Kyran''s direction. "We need to decide who will go inside and stay outside."


    Kyran frowned slightly at the thought. If possible, he wanted all of them to enter because if something happened, he could easily take them to their escape route. He might have given them the escape route map, but if he could have avoided it, he would have preferred it if they did not have to use them because they were all separated.


    "Mira and I will stay behind," Leif dered. Seeing Cyneah''s worried expression, she added with a wry smile, "I think it is the most practical arrangement."


    She did not add that they were practically outsiders, and the ones who honestly had business there were Kyran, Cyneah, and Alta.


    "If not all of us can enter, we''ll go with that," Kyran agreed after a short pause. He also believed it was the most practical arrangement because they had no backup, unlike Leif and Mira, who had people from their n residing in the outer city.


    Since the alliance between the Dragon n and the Ogen n was still under wraps even among their people, Kyran did not want to risk leaving Alta, especially Cyneah, with them.


    With Kyran giving his opinion, the rest agreed as they approached the tent.


    Fortunately, they found a rtively empty spot where they could wait until the members of the Crepuscule n allowed entry to the tent.


    Half an hourter, a representative of the Crepuscule, wearing a red robe with a simr fox emblem stitched at the back, came out of the tent and addressed the crowd. She was in human form, but based on her features¡ª having fox ears and three tails, with slitted gold eyes¡ª it was apparent she was from the Crepuscule Family.


    "We thank everyone foring and wanting to partake in our family''s open auction."


    The Crepuscule''s representative''s voice was quite gentle to the ears, which would typically have been difficult to hear amidst the noise. However, she amplified her voice and even sent out a small amount of her magic aura to ensure that everyone would pay her proper attention.


    "I am sure everyone is worried about being unable to participate because of the venue''s limited amodation. However, fear not," she smiled at them¡ª a smile that looked mischievous given her fox origin. "The tent may look like it can only amodate a thousand when, in fact, it was more than that."


    "Oh, a magic item?"


    "I did not sense any array around it nor magic fluctuation, but the tent is a magic item?"


    The crowd started talking to themselves.


    "Now then," the Crepuscule representative pped her hand as she stepped aside and gestured toward the tent''s entrance. "You may now enter the venue to the open auction."

 Chapter 1199 Miscalculation (5)

    One after another, the crowd waiting outside the tent entered. Thebat mages assisted them as instructed by the Crepuscule representative.


    "I have a bad feeling about this..." Leif could not help but mutter as she watched the crowd stream inside the tent.


    "Hm..." Alta agreed with a slight nod.


    Kyran remained silent. His expression was also unreadable, and they could not guess his thoughts.


    Except for Cyneah.


    Cyneah said nothing, but she tugged Kyran''s sleeves as if to get his attention.


    Feeling the tug on his sleeves, Kyran looked at Cyneah and stered on a calm smile, "Let''s go in."


    "Will it be fine?" Mira also voiced her doubt. "Just as the others said, there are no magic fluctuations or Array formations around the tent, so..."


    "Array formations don''t necessarily have to be visible to the naked eye," Kyran exined. "Moreover, there are forms that can help hide and contain magic fluctuations."


    Mira frowned and looked at Kyran, "I don''t remember reading anything about that."


    "I may have some reservations about Null''s overall capabilities, but not in Array," Alta said, looking at Mira. "We can trust his words."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...Thanks, I guess," Kyran replied before taking Cyneah''s hand and escorted her toward the tent. "The crowd might be blocking our conversation, but try to keep it to a minimum."


    The others followed behind them.


    "I think it is best to converse now and then," Leif pointed. "If we don''t take at all, we will appear more suspicious."


    "That''s why I said keep it to a minimum," Kyran repeated with a deadpan expression.


    "..Ack! F-Fine!"


    Cyneah chuckled at Leif''s embarrassed retort.


    "To be honest, I haven''t sensed the observers since arriving here," Alta said, furtively checking their surroundings. "It''s either because there is no need to observe us since we''re walking right into their territory, or the opposite, we are walking right into another territory they can''t mess with."


    "Yes," Kyran nodded in agreement. "But the observers are still around. It is feint, but they are here and blend well with the crowd. Right now, the noise around them makes it hard for them to eavesdrop on us properly, but I can feel them watching."


    Alta tried not to furrow her brows in response to Kyran''s statement. She did not believe he had better detection abilities than her, but it might be possible if she included the fact that he had dragon blood running in his veins.


    A dragon''s senses are far higher than any of the beings in the Higher Realm. No. That was not entirely correct. Their senses were among the superior ones, even during The Realm era.


    "If they are around and are not fazed by the presence of the Crepuscule members, then..." Mira looked toward Kyran, observing his reaction. Unfortunately, he retained his deadpan expression, making it hard to read his thoughts. Fortunately, he did supply the things she did not say.


    "Chances that those observers are part of the Crepuscule n is higher."


    "I agree."


    "It does make sense."


    Alta and Leif also agreed.


    "Once we''re inside, please keep your thoughts to yourselves. However, if you needed to say something important, you know what to do."


    "Okay."


    "Will do just that."


    "Fine."


    After a while, they were also escorted inside the tent.


    The inside of the tent was different from what was expected. Rather than appearing shabby, with the ground floor and a stage at the center with bleachers for the attendees, the interior looked like a real auction house, with sold walls filled with expensive paintings and marbled floors with fine red carpet.


    There was a proper reception and two stairs leading upstairs, likely to the entrance to the gallery.


    "Wee to the open auction."


    Another Crespuscule member, a male mage in human form with simr fox ears and three tails, greeted Kyran and his group. He stood respectfully from the reception and checked a tablet on the counter.


    "You are Null, correct?" he added, checking something from the tablet.


    Kyran nodded. He was not surprised at being recognized by the receptionist because he found a scanning array that scanned their features when they entered. The others also sensed it because they felt their clothes react, ensuring their original features were protected.


    Cyneah, Alta, and Leif were not rmed by their clothes reacting to the scanning array. They reckoned that if Kyran did not say anything, they could pass without problems.


    Mira was the only one who felt slightly nervous. But Alta''s confident deration of Kyran''s Array knowledge helped her regain her wits.


    "You have submitted quite a few items for the open auction," the Crepuscule receptionist continued while looking at the tablet again.


    "That''s right," Kyran replied, leading his group closer to the counter. "Do I surrender the items before entering?"


    "We can do that after you make yourselvesfortable in your private room."


    "...Alright."


    "Then," the Crepuscule receptionist gestured toward his right, where another one of them appeared out of nowhere. This one seemed to be a young fox with youthful looks and somewhat innocent air. "Please follow Marigold. She will guide you to your private room."


    "Thank you."


    "P-Please follow me," the young fox greeted them and gestured toward the stairs.


    "I-I will be your personal guide in today''s open auction. P-Please do not hesitate to ask for anything you r-require. I will t-try to provide it."


    The young fox''s stuttering made Kyran remember Cyneah during their first meeting, and he instinctively turned to look at her. She rarely stuttered around him now, and he admitted to missing it a bit because she only talked like that when she was feeling embarrassed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As if reading Kyran''s thoughts, Cyneah tightened her hand around his with a frown.


    Kyran stopped himself from chuckling at her reaction.


    "Do you know who wille and check our items?" Leif was the first one to ask Marigold a question.


    Marigold tilted her head slightly, seemingly trying to recall who was assigned to her guests.


    "Uhm... I-I''m sorry, they say the vice head will check them since most of your items are Alchemy items."


    "Vice head?" Leif stopped herself from frowning at that information.


    To be honest, they did not want any of the executives near them at this early stage of the game. This was because an executive could make decisions without checking with others. If the vice head realized how good Kyran''s potions and pills were, he would inform Estrid and have here and check it.


    "Y-Yes," Marigold replied. "Because most of your items involved Alchemy, t-the vice head, being an Alchemist himself, is the best one to check the value of your items."


    Alta furrowed her brows after hearing Marigold. She then looked toward Kyran, who, even with his emotionless expression, seemed to show some concern.


    The reason behind their reaction was because the information they had from the Ogen members staying in the outer city was that none of the auction house executives were proficient in Alchemy. They did have an Venerate Alchemist among their ranks, but he was not an executive.


    Initially, they expected that Alchemist to be the one checking their items. But they did not expect there was actually an executive with Alchemy knowledge.


    Marigold sensed the air around them turned stiff and she looked at them in concern, "I-Is there a problem?"


    "No," Cyneah was the one who answered.


    Marigold looked at her and only then noticed Cyneah''s mirror-like eyes. She gaped at her, seemingly mesmerized by her eyes and beauty, before muttering, "S-So pretty..."


    But then she stopped short, realizing what she had just said, and she immediately said, "I-I''m sorry."


    Cyneah smiled and shook her head, "There is no reason to apologize."


    "B-But, t-the Mistress said it is rude to blurt how pretty someone is right in front of them."


    "It would only be rude if the other party felt offended," Cyneah replied. "I am not offended. Instead..." she smiled wryly, "I''m a little embarrassed."


    "Y-You don''t have to feel embarrassed! Y-You look very p-pretty. Especially your eyes..."


    "Thank you."


    The two continued talking, with Marigold forgetting the stiff atmosphere she noticed earlier.


    Kyran was grateful for Cyneah''s diversion.


    Marigold was only a Sovereign and a pretty weak one, so she did not notice Cyneah spreading her Soul magic''s influence on her. This was how her focus was diverted toward Cyneah''s pretty eyes.


    Kyran signaled the others not to say anything else with his eyes.


    The others gave their consent with a slight nod.


    They arrived at their private room after walking for about ten minutes. Marigold offered them drinks and food while she sorted the items they would put up for auction.


    After fifteen minutes, a knock came from the door, and a male voice came from behind.


    "Please excuse me," the voice said before opening the door and showing himself in without waiting for Kyran and his group''s response.


    "I am Reynard and the Vice Head of the Auction House."


    A male fox, in human form, dressed in a long gold robe, greeted. He had long red hair, golden-slitted eyes, and fox ears. As for his tails, unlike the ones Kyran and his group saw earlier, Reynard had five tails. This obviously meant his status in the Crespuscule was higher, and he likely belonged to the generation after the older one.


    "There is only an hour left before the start of the auction, so allow me to look at and evaluate your items."


    "Please," Kyran replied, gesturing toward the table where heid out the potions and pills with Marigold''s assistance.


    Reynard looked at him and smiled before approaching the table.

 Chapter 1200 Miscalculation (6)

    Potions and Pills sold in auctions were amon urrence. One of the reasons for this and their high demand was how most alchemists hoarded their finished concoctions for auctions and only sold up to good quality potions out to the masses.


    The world of alchemy was a stage for power dynamics. Rogue alchemists, some of whom were hired by nscking their own alchemists, found themselves in a delicate position. Some demanded so much that the ns resorted to threats and suppression, while even those who asked for reasonablepensation were not immune to implication.


    That was Reynard''s situation until Lady Estrid found him and took him in.


    Almost five hundred years had passed since then, and now Reynard has finally be a full-fledged member of the Crepuscule Family. He even earned the opportunity to receive a baptism that allowed him to be a tailed fox.


    Reynard also studied under Lady Estrid''s guidance for some time and became an Emperor Alchemist. With his advancement in Alchemy, Lady Estrid promoted him to the new Vice Head of the Auction House.


    As for the previous vice head, he was temporarily removed from the Auction House management because Lady Estrid also wanted to teach him Alchemy.


    In any case, the Crespuscule Family''s n to increase their Alchemists had been underway for some time now, and thus far, they had achieved the results they wanted.


    Lady Estrid wantedplete domination in Alchemy, and the result of the Crepuscule n had been producing positive results. They also managed to convince rogue alchemists to join their n, and they were now contributing to the n with everything they had.


    Lady Estrid was satisfied with how the Higher Realm''s Alchemy business was going, especially now that her n had all the talented alchemists in her n.


    At least, that was what they believed until a few dayster when the report for the items going to be auctioned in the open house arrived from the outer city.


    Reynard, the first to see the list, could not believe his eyes when he saw the names of the potions and pills about to be auctioned. He doubted their authenticity, so he announced that he would personally check their quality and value.


    He also wanted to meet the alchemist who made them and discover why they missed someone like him. Because, as far as they knew, the person who submitted the items did not belong to any n. He might be a member of a small tribe that could have been forgotten because they lived in a remote ne.


    Whatever the reason, the alchemist who gave him those potions and pills might be someone from his tribe or a rogue one who requested them to represent them in today''s auction.


    While it was possible that the alchemist might be part of arge n and that they only hired the person who submitted the potions and pills, Reynard was convinced that this possibility was unlikely.


    This was because everyone wanted to be on good terms with the Crepuscule n, and they would never pass off the chance to acquaint their alchemist with the most powerful Alchemist in the Higher Realm¡ª Lady Estrid.


    Considering all these, Reynard wanted to learn who was the alchemist who wished to avoid the scrutiny of the Crepuscule n.


    "In case you are wondering," Reynard started as he approached the table. He picked up the first potion bottle close to him and examined its contents. "I am a full-fledged Emperor Alchemist capable enough to assess the items..."


    Reynard''s voice trailed off as his expression distorted slightly. His brow furrowed as he raised his hand and held the bottle toward the light.


    "How...? This is impossible..."


    Marigold noticed the change in Reynard''s confident demeanor and approached him cautiously, "S-Sir Reynard...?"


    Reynard did not respond to her. He might not have heard her call because he was too focused on the bottle in his hand.


    Turning the bottle counter-clockwise before pausing for a few seconds to turn it clockwise, Reynard continued to examine the potion in his hand.


    "Sir Reynard?" Marigold called once more. But like earlier, he did not respond.


    Seeing Reynard''s reaction, cold sweat trickled down Leif''s back. She furtively sent a look at Kyran''s direction, who ignored it to her chagrin.


    Alta was also watching Reynard nervously. She tried some of Kyran''s potions and admitted they were good quality. However, she had not seen him concoct the potions himself. Thus, she could not honestly say if the potion''s quality was because of his skills as an alchemist, because of the ingredients, or the concocting techniques he used.


    But seeing Reynard''s expression, Alta wondered if Kyran also had talent in Alchemy.


    Wait.


    Cyneah was also an Alchemist. And as far as Alta knew, Cyneah''s innate magic had the highest affinity to Alchemy, making Earth magic the second and the Fire third.


    Maybe the potions Kyran listed on the auction were created by Cyneah? But would he reveal a potion or pill created that had traces of Soul magic?


    The answer was no.


    Alta knew how much Kyran prioritized protecting Cyneah''s identity and safety. He would never leave a trace that could expose her.


    Then, did that mean he concocted the potions and pills?


    The repeating flow of the question on her head made Alta slightly dizzy. She decided to stop mulling it over and just observe the situation¡ª all the while keeping an eye on Kyran.


    Reynard took a different bottle without putting down the first one. He started shaking the second bottle andparing the two to the light. He did that for the other bottles, pausing at times, then mumbling to himself before moving to another one.


    "Hm..."


    Finally, after fifteen minutes, he stopped checking the potionspletely before looking toward the small transparent boxes where the pills were carefully ced. He hesitated for a moment before resolving to pick up one of the boxes.


    Reynard did not open the box. Just the faint golden glow and even the medicinal scent that managed to leak out from the box confirmed the pill''s quality. Thetter, he knew, did not leak out because the box was not properly sealed. The pill''s quality was so high that the box could not wholly contain its medicinal scent.


    Anyhow, Reynard would not open the box to assess the pill because if he did, there was a high chance that the quality of the pill would bepromised after the exposure. As an alchemist, he would not rmend taking out a pill unless someone had to ingest it.


    "All of these items are too rare to put value in them," Reynard finally gave his verdict after assessing the potions and that one pill. He looked at the young man beside Marigold and gave a faint smile.


    "Sir Null," he started. His demeanor seemed to have changed from his overly confident one when he entered to a more humbled air. "Rather than putting up these items in auction, would you sell them to our n?"


    Hearing Reynard''s suggestion almost shook Alta, Leif, and Mira''s straight faces. However, they still managed to contain themselves and waited for Kyran to respond.


    Kyran sighed inwardly at Reynard''s suggestion. Thetter''s offer was one of the promising scenarios that Kyran could wish for. He would not need to meet Estrid directly to negotiate with the Crepuscule n. In the first ce, Kyran wanted to create a certain level of connection with the Crepuscule. He admitted wanting to meet Estrid, but after Aillos''s warning, he had second thoughts.


    This was because he sensed Estrid''s connection with The Emperor was suspicious. He also wondered how much of the truth about the Crepuscule n and Estrid he heard from Leif was true. Even now, he still wondered why Estrid allowed everything to happen in her n''s outer city.


    "You don''t have to give us your answer right away," Reynard continued when Kyran did not answer. "But, if you consider it, we will put a generous amount for them¡ª."


    "What are your offers?" Kyran asked Reynard before he could finish what he was saying.


    "Pardon?"


    "I may consider trading them if your offers piqued my interest."


    "Trade? Not sell them?"


    "We are not short on money."


    ''Liar.''


    Cyneah, Alta, Leif, and Mira thought at the same time because they knew how much money Kyran needed at the moment. He did not want to ask for the Dragon n''s assistance in constructing the de Dancer n''s new stronghold. He also wanted to be the one to supply for this family and people''s needs¡ª not the Dragon n.


    Reynard raised his brows, surprised at Kyran''s response to his question. If thetter was not short on money, he belonged to a rtively good n, not just a tribe. But based on the magic energy Kyran and the female mages with them possessed... Reynard could not guess which n they belonged to.


    "Hm..." he eyed Kyran once more before saying, "Is there anything in particr you need at the moment? I will arrange it so that we can provide them."


    Kyran smiled faintly and replied, "I''m not also short on items."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


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